bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
STRA6 Polymorphisms Are Associated With EGFR Mutations in Locally-Advanced and Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients
Authors: Muñiz-Hernández Saé , Velázquez-Fernández Jesús Bernardino , Díaz-Chávez José , Mondragón-Fonseca Omar , Mayén-Lobo Yerye , Ortega Alberto , López-López Marisol , Arrieta Oscar
Published: November 2020

Retinol plays a significant role in several physiological processes through their nuclear receptors, whose expression depends on retinol cytoplasmic concentration. Loss of expression of nuclear receptors and low retinol levels have been correlated with lung cancer development. Stimulated by retinoic acid 6 (STRA6) is the only described cell membrane receptor for retinol uptake. Some chronic diseases have been linked with specific polymorphisms in STRA6. This study aimed to evaluate four STRA6 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (rs4886578, rs736118, rs351224, and rs97445) among 196 patients with locally-advanced and metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Genotyping, through a validated SNP assay and determined using real time-PCR, was correlated with clinical features and outcomes. NSCLC patients with a TT SNP rs4886578 and rs736118 genotype were more likely to be >60 years, non-smokers, and harboring EGFR mutations. Patients with a TT genotype compared with a CC/CT SNP rs974456 genotype had a median progression-free survival (PFS) of 3.2 vs. 4.8 months, p = 0.044, under a platinum-based regimen in the first-line. Furthermore, patients with a TT rs351224 genotype showed a prolonged overall survival (OS), 47.5 months vs. 32.0 months, p = 0.156. This study showed a correlation between clinical characteristics, such as age, non-smoking history, and EGFR mutational status and oncological outcomes depending on STRA6 SNPs. The STRA6 TT genotype SNP rs4886578 and rs736118 might be potential biomarkers in locally-advanced and metastatic NSCLC patients.
COVID-19 in Children: A Review and Parallels to Other Hyperinflammatory Syndromes
Authors: Hobbs Charlotte V. , Khaitan Alka , Kirmse Brian M. , Borkowsky William
Published: November 2020

During the COVID-19 pandemic, children have had markedly different clinical presentations and outcomes compared to adults. In the acute phase of infection, younger children are relatively spared the severe consequences reported in adults. Yet, they are uniquely susceptible to the newly described Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C). This may result from the developmental “immunodeficiency” resulting from a Th2 polarization that startsin uteroand is maintained for most of the first decade of life. MIS-C may be due to IgA complexes in a Th2 environment or a Th1-like response to COVID-19 antigens that developed slowly. Alternatively, MIS-C may occur in vulnerable hosts with genetic susceptibilities in other immune and non-immune pathways. Herein, we present a brief overview of the host immune response, virologic and genetic factors, and comparable inflammatory syndromes that may explain the pathophysiology leading to drastic differences in clinical presentation and outcomes of COVID-19 between children and adults.
The Ketogenic Diet for the Treatment of Mood Disorders in Comorbidity With Epilepsy in Children and Adolescents
Authors: Operto Francesca Felicia , Matricardi Sara , Pastorino Grazia Maria Giovanna , Verrotti Alberto , Coppola Giangennaro
Published: November 2020

The ketogenic diet, used for over a century as an alternative therapy for the control of drug-resistant seizures in both children and adults, has recently drawn increasing interest in various neurological or psychiatric disorders other than epilepsy. In particular, there are a few preliminary studies in mood and neurodevelopmental disorders such as anxiety, depression and autism spectrum disorders. Mood disorders in comorbidity with epilepsy are commonly seen in adolescents and young adults both at the onset and during the course of the epileptic disorder. The rationale for the use of the ketogenic diet is based on the potential mood stabilizing effects through level modifications of metabolites such as dopamine and serotonin and the regulation of GABA/glutamatergic neurotransmission, mitochondrial function and oxidative stress. In this review, epilepsies with a higher risk of mood disorders in adolescents will be considered. A brief overview of the various types of ketogenic diet that can currently be offered to young patients in order to improve palatability and compliance with the diet, is also included. The efficacy and tolerability of the ketogenic diet options for the treatment of mood disorders, with or without drug therapy including mood stabilizers and antidepressant drugs, are as well discussed.
Hysteretic Behavior in Voltage-Gated Channels
Authors: Villalba-Galea Carlos A. , Chiem Alvin T.
Published: November 2020

An ever-growing body of evidence has shown that voltage-gated ion channels are likely molecular systems that display hysteresis in their activity. This phenomenon manifests in the form of dynamic changes in both their voltage dependence of activity and their deactivation kinetics. The goal of this review is to provide a clear definition of hysteresis in terms of the behavior of voltage-gated channels. This review will discuss the basic behavior of voltage-gated channel activity and how they make these proteins into systems displaying hysteresis. It will also provide a perspective on putative mechanisms underlying hysteresis and explain its potential physiological relevance. It is uncertain whether all channels display hysteresis in their behavior. However, the suggested notion that ion channels are hysteretic systems directly collides with the well-accepted notion that ion channel activity is stochastic. This is because hysteretic systems are regarded to have “memory” of previous events while stochastic processes are regarded as “memoryless.” This review will address this apparent contradiction, providing arguments for the existence of processes that can be simultaneously hysteretic and stochastic.
Postoperative Ileus and Postoperative Gastrointestinal Tract Dysfunction: Pathogenic Mechanisms and Novel Treatment Strategies Beyond Colorectal Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Protocols
Authors: Mazzotta Elvio , Villalobos-Hernandez Egina Criseida , Fiorda-Diaz Juan , Harzman Alan , Christofi Fievos L.
Published: November 2020

Postoperative ileus (POI) and postoperative gastrointestinal tract dysfunction (POGD) are well-known complications affecting patients undergoing intestinal surgery. GI symptoms include nausea, vomiting, pain, abdominal distention, bloating, and constipation. These iatrogenic disorders are associated with extended hospitalizations, increased morbidity, and health care costs into the billions and current therapeutic strategies are limited. This is a narrative review focused on recent concepts in the pathogenesis of POI and POGD, pipeline drugs or approaches to treatment. Mechanisms, cellular targets and pathways implicated in the pathogenesis include gut surgical manipulation and surgical trauma, neuroinflammation, reactive enteric glia, macrophages, mast cells, monocytes, neutrophils and ICC’s. The precise interactions between immune, inflammatory, neural and glial cells are not well understood. Reactive enteric glial cells are an emerging therapeutic target that is under intense investigation for enteric neuropathies, GI dysmotility and POI. Our review emphasizes current therapeutic strategies, starting with the implementation of colorectal enhanced recovery after surgery protocols to protect against POI and POGD. However, despite colorectal enhanced recovery after surgery, it remains a significant medical problem and burden on the healthcare system. Over 100 pipeline drugs or treatments are listed in Clin.Trials.gov. These include 5HT4R agonists (Prucalopride and TAK 954), vagus nerve stimulation of the ENS—macrophage nAChR cholinergic pathway, acupuncture, herbal medications, peripheral acting opioid antagonists (Alvimopen, Methlnaltexone, Naldemedine), anti-bloating/flatulence drugs (Simethiocone), a ghreline prokinetic agonist (Ulimovelin), drinking coffee, and nicotine chewing gum. A better understanding of the pathogenic mechanisms for short and long-term outcomes is necessary before we can develop better prophylactic and treatment strategies.
Field-Effect Sensors for Virus Detection: From Ebola to SARS-CoV-2 and Plant Viral Enhancers
Authors: Poghossian Arshak , Jablonski Melanie , Molinnus Denise , Wege Christina , Schöning Michael J.
Published: November 2020

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a novel human infectious disease provoked by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Currently, no specific vaccines or drugs against COVID-19 are available. Therefore, early diagnosis and treatment are essential in order to slow the virus spread and to contain the disease outbreak. Hence, new diagnostic tests and devices for virus detection in clinical samples that are faster, more accurate and reliable, easier and cost-efficient than existing ones are needed. Due to the small sizes, fast response time, label-free operation without the need for expensive and time-consuming labeling steps, the possibility of real-time and multiplexed measurements, robustness and portability (point-of-care and on-site testing), biosensors based on semiconductor field-effect devices (FEDs) are one of the most attractive platforms for an electrical detection of charged biomolecules and bioparticles by their intrinsic charge. In this review, recent advances and key developments in the field of label-free detection of viruses (including plant viruses) with various types of FEDs are presented. In recent years, however, certain plant viruses have also attracted additional interest for biosensor layouts: Their repetitive protein subunits arranged at nanometric spacing can be employed for coupling functional molecules. If used as adapters on sensor chip surfaces, they allow an efficient immobilization of analyte-specific recognition and detector elements such as antibodies and enzymes at highest surface densities. The display on plant viral bionanoparticles may also lead to long-time stabilization of sensor molecules upon repeated uses and has the potential to increase sensor performance substantially, compared to conventional layouts. This has been demonstrated in different proof-of-concept biosensor devices. Therefore, richly available plant viral particles, non-pathogenic for animals or humans, might gain novel importance if applied in receptor layers of FEDs. These perspectives are explained and discussed with regard to future detection strategies for COVID-19 and related viral diseases.
The Arabidopsis Transcription Factor CDF3 Is Involved in Nitrogen Responses and Improves Nitrogen Use Efficiency in Tomato
Authors: Domínguez-Figueroa José , Carrillo Laura , Renau-Morata Begoña , Yang Lu , Molina Rosa-V , Marino Daniel , Canales Javier , Weih Martin , Vicente-Carbajosa Jesús , Nebauer Sergio G. , Medina Joaquín
Published: November 2020

Nitrate is an essential macronutrient and a signal molecule that regulates the expression of multiple genes involved in plant growth and development. Here, we describe the participation of Arabidopsis DNA binding with one finger (DOF) transcription factor CDF3 in nitrate responses and shows that CDF3 gene is induced under nitrate starvation. Moreover, knockout cdf3 mutant plants exhibit nitrate-dependent lateral and primary root modifications, whereas CDF3 overexpression plants show increased biomass and enhanced root development under both nitrogen poor and rich conditions. Expression analyses of 35S::CDF3 lines reveled that CDF3 regulates the expression of an important set of nitrate responsive genes including, glutamine synthetase-1, glutamate synthase-2, nitrate reductase-1, and nitrate transporters NRT2.1, NRT2.4, and NRT2.5 as well as carbon assimilation genes like PK1 and PEPC1 in response to N availability. Consistently, metabolite profiling disclosed that the total amount of key N metabolites like glutamate, glutamine, and asparagine were higher in CDF3-overexpressing plants, but lower in cdf3-1 in N limiting conditions. Moreover, overexpression of CDF3 in tomato increased N accumulation and yield efficiency under both optimum and limiting N supply. These results highlight CDF3 as an important regulatory factor for the nitrate response, and its potential for improving N use efficiency in crops.
Revealing Distinctions in Genetic Diversity and Adaptive Evolution Between Two Varieties of Camellia sinensis by Whole-Genome Resequencing
Authors: An Yanlin , Mi Xiaozeng , Zhao Shiqi , Guo Rui , Xia Xiaobo , Liu Shengrui , Wei Chaoling
Published: November 2020

Camellia sinensis var. sinensis (CSS) and C. sinensis var. assamica (CSA) are the two most economically important tea varieties. They have different characteristics and geographical distribution. Their genetic diversity and differentiation are unclear. Here, we identified 18,903,625 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and 7,314,133 insertion–deletion mutations (indels) by whole-genome resequencing of 30 cultivated and three wild related species. Population structure and phylogenetic tree analyses divided the cultivated accessions into CSS and CSA containing 6,440,419 and 6,176,510 unique variations, respectively. The CSS subgroup possessed higher genetic diversity and was enriched for rare alleles. The CSA subgroup had more non-synonymous mutations and might have experienced a greater degree of balancing selection. The evolution rate (dN/dS) and KEGG enrichment indicated that genes involved in the synthesis and metabolism of flavor substances were positively selected in both CSS and CSA subpopulations. However, there are extensive genome differentiation regions (2959 bins and approximately 148 M in size) between the two subgroups. Compared with CSA (141 selected regions containing 124 genes), the CSS subgroup (830 selected regions containing 687 genes) displayed more selection regions potentially related to environmental adaptability. Fifty-three pairs of polymorphic indel markers were developed. Some markers were located in hormone-related genes with distinct alleles in the two cultivated subgroups. These identified variations and selected regions provide clues for the differentiation and adaptive evolution of tea varieties. The newly developed indel markers will be valuable in further genetic research on tea plants.
How Racial/Ethnic Diversity in Urban Schools Shapes Intergroup Relations and Well-Being: Unpacking Intersectionality and Multiple Identities Perspectives
Authors: Ghavami Negin , Kogachi Kara , Graham Sandra
Published: November 2020

Today’s urban schools provide a unique intergroup context in which the students vary not only by race/ethnicity but also by the relative representation of their racial/ethnic groups. In two studies, we examined how this diversity aligns with intersectionality and multiple identities perspectives to affect the power and status associated with each group to shape intergroup dynamics. Study 1 focused on the perception of intergroup bias to investigate how perceived presence of same-race/ethnicity peers affects middle school students’ intersectional intergroup attitudes based on race/ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation. Middle school students (N = 1,107; Mage = 12.10; SD = 0.99) were randomly assigned to view Facebook-like profiles of peers that varied by gender (boy, girl), race/ethnicity (African American, Latinx), and sexual orientation (straight, lesbian, gay) and offered their first impressions as a way to assess various domains of intergroup attitudes. The perceived presence of same-race/ethnicity peers influenced intersectional intergroup attitudes, however, differentially so depending on stereotypes, prejudice, and behavioral tendencies. Study 2 focused on the experience of intergroup bias and simultaneously examined race, gender, and weight discrimination and its consequences among middle school students (N = 4,172; Mage = 13.5; SD = 0.87). Using latent profile analysis, five profiles of youth based on the pattern of perceived discrimination due to gender, race/ethnicity, and weight were identified. Being African American, Latinx, and male with a high body mass index (BMI) and few same-race/ethnicity peers at school predicted membership in a race profile, whereas being White or Asian with high BMI and more same-race/ethnicity peers predicted membership in a weight profile. Perceiving oneself as gender atypical was associated with all discrimination profiles.
Life Satisfaction Predicts Perceived Social Justice: The Lower Your Life Satisfaction, the Less Just You Perceive Society to Be
Authors: Jia Qifan , Zhou Jie , Huang Mingquan
Published: November 2020

It has been well established that life satisfaction is related to perceived social justice. However, current theories provide contrary assumptions on the direction of the influence. In this research, we use data from two longitudinal surveys collected in China to test the reciprocal relations between life satisfaction and perceived social justice over time. With a random intercept cross-lagged panel model, we disaggregate the between-person effect and the within-person effect of the relationship. To specify the conditions of the effect, we consider income levels as the moderator. Study 1 (N = 119) showed that on the between-person level, life satisfaction, and perceived social justice are positively correlated. On the within-person level, cross-lagged effect results showed that an individuals’ deviations from their expected score in life satisfaction predict deviations from their expected perceived social justice at the next time point, while deviations from expected perceived social justice does not predict subsequent deviations from expected life satisfaction. In study 2 (N = 637), we divided participants into three groups based on their household income and conducted a multiple group analysis to test its moderation effect. We found that the between-person correlation of life satisfaction and perceived social justice is not moderated by income level, and it is significant in all the three groups. However, the within-person cross-lagged effect is moderated by income level, and the effect of life satisfaction on perceived social justice only exists in the low income group. This research confirms the unidirectional relationship between life satisfaction and perceived social justice across time, and clarifies the effect in different levels and income groups, providing new insights on the formation of justice perception. It is recommended that future studies apply experimental designs to reach causal effects and explore more possible moderators and mediators.
We Are Very Similar but Not Really: The Moderating Role of Cultural Identification for Refugee Resettlement of Venezuelans in Colombia
Authors: Ayala Yarid , Bayona Jaime Andrés , Karaeminogullari Aysegul , Perdomo-Ortíz Jesús , Ramos-Mejía Mónica
Published: November 2020

This study aims to test the theoretical model of career adaptability of refugees to investigate the dynamics of successful resettlement. The theoretical model is grounded on career construction and social network theory. We employ quantitative and qualitative methodologies to test the model in a sample of Venezuelans living and working in Colombia. The quantitative results provide partial support for Campion’s model. However, we test an alternative model and find that career adaptability has a direct relationship with subjective resettlement (i.e., life satisfaction and psychological health). In addition, cultural identification plays a buffering role on the harmful effects of discrimination on subjective resettlement. Qualitative results from eight in-depth interviews shed light on the process of refugee resettlement, thus revealing the role of social networks. Our study contributes to previous research on refugees by testing, adapting, and expanding a novel model of work resettlement and focusing on a group of refugees transitioning from one emerging country to another emerging country.
Cooperation With Universities in the Development of Eco-Innovations and Firms’ Performance
Authors: Arroyave Juan J. , Sáez-Martínez Francisco J. , González-Moreno Ángela
Published: November 2020

In recent decades, the expansion of economic activity has been accompanied by negative environmental impacts. In response, there have been dramatic changes worldwide in terms of an increased demand for environmentally friendly products and services. To achieve these eco-innovations, firms have sought to acquire knowledge and implement operational flexibility by cooperating with different agents such as universities through a value cocreation system that is also expected to enhance firms’ performance. Using a sample of 250 companies, the present paper examines the role of cooperation with universities in the development of diverse environmental innovations and building operational flexibility and, through this, improving firm performance. Results show that firms that value cooperation with universities develop a wider range of environmental innovations and increase their sales and benefits.
Graded Empathy: A Neuro-Phenomenological Hypothesis
Authors: Levy Jonathan , Bader Oren
Published: November 2020

The neuroscience of empathy has enormously expanded in the past two decades, thereby making instrumental progress for the understanding of neural substrates involved in affective and cognitive aspects of empathy. Yet, these conclusions have relied on ultrasimplified tasks resulting in the affective/cognitive dichotomy that was often modeled and overemphasized in pathological, developmental, and genetic studies of empathy. As such, the affective/cognitive model of empathy could not straightforwardly accommodate and explain the recent surge of neuroscientific data obtained from studies employing naturalistic approaches and intergroup conditions. Inspired by phenomenological philosophy, this article paves the way for a new scientific perspective on empathy that breaks thorough the affective/cognitive dichotomy. This neuro-phenomenological account leans on phenomenological analyses and can straightforwardly explain recent neuroscience data. It emphasizes the dynamic, subjective, and piecemeal features of empathic experiences and unpicks the graded nature of empathy.The graded empathy hypothesispostulates that attending to others' expressions always facilitates empathy, but the parametric modulation in the levels of the empathic experience varies as a function of one's social interest (e.g., via intergroup or inter-personal cues) in the observed other. Drawing on multiple resources that integrate neuroscience with phenomenology, we describe the potential of this graded framework in an era of real-life experimentation. By wearing lenses of neuro-phenomenology, this original perspective can change the way empathy is considered.
Anxiety Status and Influencing Factors of Rural Residents in Hunan During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Epidemic: A Web-Based Cross-Sectional Survey
Authors: Zhang Yi , Chen Yi-ping , Wang Jianjian , Deng Yanhong , Peng Dezhen , Zhao Liping
Published: November 2020

Objective: To explore the status quo of anxiety and its influencing factors among rural residents in Hunan Province during the coronavirus disease 2019 epidemic, and to provide an effective basis for prevention of and intervention for anxiety symptoms among rural residents.

Methods: Convenience sampling was used. An online questionnaire was distributed to Hunan rural residents through the questionnaire star platform from February 26–29, 2020. The general data and anxiety of Hunan rural residents were investigated, and the data were analyzed using SPSS 18.0.

Results: The mean Self-Rating Anxiety Scale score of 179 rural residents in Hunan was 40.93 ± 9.36. Based on the cutoff criteria, 32 residents had anxiety, including 26 with mild anxiety, five with moderate anxiety, and one with severe anxiety. The detection rate of anxiety was 17.88%. Self-rated health status, level of concern about the epidemic, and self-rated impact of the epidemic on one's life were the factors influencing the anxiety score of rural residents in Hunan (P < 0.05).

Conclusion: During the coronavirus disease 2019 epidemic, the detection rate of anxiety in rural residents in Hunan was higher than that of the general population in China. The relevant departments should pay attention to the mental health of rural residents and implement targeted mental health prevention and intervention measures during the epidemic situation.
Masculinity and Help-Seeking Among Men With Depression: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Staiger Tobias , Stiawa Maja , Mueller-Stierlin Annabel Sandra , Kilian Reinhold , Beschoner Petra , Gündel Harald , Becker Thomas , Frasch Karel , Panzirsch Maria , Schmauß Max , Krumm Silvia
Published: November 2020

Background: Many studies indicate that men are more reluctant to seek help for mental health problems than women. Traditional ideas of masculinity are often seen as a cause of this phenomenon. However, little is known about the diversity of experiences during the processes of help-seeking and service use among men with depression who have already utilized mental health services. This study aims to explore men's experiences and attitudes toward depression, help-seeking, and service use in order to develop gender-sensitive services.

Methods: Narrative-biographical interviews were conducted with men treated for depression (n = 12). Interview topics included individual experience with depression, help-seeking behavior, and mental health service use. Transcripts were analyzed using qualitative content analysis.

Results: Before seeking treatment, men's help-seeking behavior was negatively affected by internalized masculine norms. However, findings indicate a change of attitudes toward depression after mental health service use. Men with depression emphasized a salutogenic perspective toward mental health problems and critically reflected on masculine norms. The positive function of men-only groups were described as key for successful service use.

Conclusions: Men with depression reported experiences toward help-seeking and service use on four different levels: (i) attitudes toward depression, (ii) perception of societal views on depression, (iii) experiences within the family context and (iv) experiences with mental health services. Interventions to reduce the stigma of being “unmanly” and to improve men's capacity to cope with being unable to work should be developed. Peer-led men-only groups may increase participants' self-esteem and assist in disclosing weaknesses. In the context of GPs' mediating role, training for health professionals concerning the impact of masculine norms on mental health is recommended.
EEG Microstate Differences in Medicated vs. Medication-Naïve First-Episode Psychosis Patients
Authors: Mackintosh Amatya J. , Borgwardt Stefan , Studerus Erich , Riecher-Rössler Anita , de Bock Renate , Andreou Christina
Published: November 2020

There has been considerable interest in the role of synchronous brain activity abnormalities in the pathophysiology of psychotic disorders and their relevance for treatment; one index of such activity are EEG resting-state microstates. These reflect electric field configurations of the brain that persist over 60–120 ms time periods. A set of quasi-stable microstates classes A, B, C, and D have been repeatedly identified across healthy participants. Changes in microstate parameters coverage, duration and occurrence have been found in medication-naïve as well as medicated patients with psychotic disorders compared to healthy controls. However, to date, only two studies have directly compared antipsychotic medication effects on EEG microstates either pre- vs. post-treatment or between medicated and unmedicated chronic schizophrenia patients. The aim of this study was therefore to directly compare EEG resting-state microstates between medicated and medication-naïve (untreated) first-episode (FEP) psychosis patients (mFEP vs. uFEP). We used 19-channel clinical EEG recordings to compare temporal parameters of four prototypical microstate classes (A–D) within an overall sample of 47 patients (mFEP n = 17; uFEP n = 30). The results demonstrated significant decreases of microstate class A and significant increases of microstate class B in mFEP compared to uFEP. No significant differences between groups were found for microstate classes C and D. Further studies are needed to replicate these results in longitudinal designs that assess antipsychotic medication effects on neural networks at the onset of the disorder and over time during illness progression. As treatment response and compliance in FEP patients are relatively low, such studies could contribute to better understand treatment outcomes and ultimately improve treatment strategies.
Social Determinants Predict Outcomes in Data From a Multi-Ethnic Cohort of 20,899 Patients Investigated for COVID-19
Authors: Lundon Dara J. , Mohamed Nihal , Lantz Anna , Goltz Heather H. , Kelly Brian D. , Tewari Ashutosh K.
Published: November 2020

Importance:The COVID-19 pandemic exploits existing inequalities in social determinants of health (SDOH) in disease burden and access to healthcare. Few studies have examined these emerging disparities using indicators of SDOH.

Objective:To evaluate predictors of COVID-19 test positivity, morbidity, and mortality and their implications for inequalities in SDOH and for future policies and health care improvements.

Design, Setting, and Participants:A cross sectional analysis was performed on all patients tested for COVID-19 on the basis of symptoms with either a history of travel to at risk regions or close contact with a confirmed case, across the Mount Sinai Health System (MSHS) up until April 26th 2020.

Main Outcomes and Measures:Primary outcome was death from COVID-19 and secondary outcomes were test positivity, and morbidity (e.g., hospitalization and intubation caused by COVID-19).

Results:Of 20,899 tested patients, 8,928 tested positive, 1,701 were hospitalized, 684 were intubated, and 1,179 died from COVID-19. Age, sex, race/ethnicity, New York City borough (derived from first 3 digits of zip-code), and English as preferred language were significant predictors of test positivity, hospitalization, intubation and COVID-19 mortality following multivariable logistic regression analyses.

Conclusions and Relevance:People residing in poorer boroughs were more likely to be burdened by and die from COVID-19. Our results highlight the importance of integrating comprehensive SDOH data into healthcare efforts with at-risk patient populations.
Evaluation of the Current Knowledge About Bacterial Endocarditis Prevention Among General Dentists in the City of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Authors: Aragoneses Juan Manuel , Aragoneses Javier , Brugal Vanessa Arlette , Algar Juan , Suarez Ana
Published: November 2020

Infective endocarditis (IE) is a life-threatening disease caused by bacterial adherence to the lining of the heart and heart valve, and it can be caused by bacterial contamination of the bloodstream during invasive dental procedures. The American Heart Association (AHA) recommended guidelines for antibiotic prophylaxis in 2008 before invasive dental procedures; however, in the Dominican Republic, no official guidelines or regulations on this topic have been yet established. This study aimed to evaluate the current knowledge about bacterial endocarditis prevention among dentists in Santo Domingo. The study participants were dentists who attended a conference organized by Universidad Federico Henríquez y Carvajal (n = 95), of which 74 responded to the questionnaire survey. Seventy-eight percentage of the participants responded that an indication of antibiotics is recommended in cases of prophylaxis for IE. The prescription of antibiotics was applied to patients with prosthetic valves (78.4%), presented a history of previous IE (77%) among others. Among all the interventions in which the respondents would prescribe antibiotics, tooth extraction (70.7%) was the most frequent. Amoxicillin was the preferred drug choice (63.5%) and clindamycin was the antibiotic of choice in allergic patients (55.4%). Even though the choice of antibiotics were according to AHA guidelines (2008), majority of the dentists (58.82 and 55.4%) were not aware of the correct dosage and timing of administration of azithromycin and clindamycin in drugs in patients allergic to penicillin.
Interdisciplinary Collaboration Between Veterinary and Communication Students to Promote Communication Skills: A Qualitative Pilot Study
Authors: Tvarijonaviciute Asta , Roca Delfina , Escribano Damián , Franco-Martínez Lorena , Bernal Luis J. , Ceron Jose J. , Martínez-Subiela Silvia , Rojo-Villada Pedro A.
Published: November 2020

Interdisciplinary collaborations are increasingly gaining popularity, as are active in higher education and innovative learning strategies. However, relatively little research has been performed related to interdisciplinary learning methodologies in higher education. In the present work, a pilot activity between communication and veterinary students was performed, consisting in performance of mock interviews at a professional television studio. Besides some drawbacks such as low participation rates by veterinary students, the activity was associated with a number of benefits, including enhanced acquirement of communication skills, greater topic-related knowledge assimilation, and reinforced practical application of the theoretical concepts.
Allogeneic Embryos Disregulate Leukemia Inhibitory Factor (LIF) and Its Receptor in the Porcine Endometrium During Implantation
Authors: Cambra Josep M. , Jauregi-Miguel Amaia , Alvarez-Rodriguez Manuel , Parrilla Inmaculada , Gil Maria A. , Martinez Emilio A. , Cuello Cristina , Rodriguez-Martinez Heriberto , Martinez Cristina A.
Published: November 2020

Despite its advantages for pig breeding, embryo transfer (ET) has a major handicap: high embryo mortality during the pre- and implantation period, probably caused by divergent phenomena of tolerance between the immunologically unrelated (i.e., allogeneic) embryos and the recipient sow. Thus, to reach a similar maternal tolerance as in conventional breeding by artificial insemination (AI) would be the key to ET-success. For this reason, we studied the expression of the leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) cytokine and its receptor in the pig endometrium during the implantation period (days 18 and 24) in sows subjected to ET (AL group) vs. post-cervical-AI controls (Hemi-AL group). Quantification of expression was performed at both mRNA (rt-qPCR) and protein (WB) levels. The expression of endometrial LIF on day 24 was considerably lower in ET than in AI pregnancies. Correlations between endometrial mRNA levels of LIF and LIF-R showed that, contrary to early AI-pregnancies, ET-pregnancies lack an inverse relation between cytokine and receptor levels. In conclusion, ET-pregnancies lack sufficient endometrial levels of LIF to develop adequate immunotolerance mechanisms to prevent the rejection of allogeneic ET-embryos.
Optimization of Microwave and Ultrasound Extraction Methods of Açai Berries in Terms of Highest Content of Phenolic Compounds and Antioxidant Activity
Authors: Hanula Monika , Wyrwisz Jarosław , Moczkowska Małgorzata , Horbańczuk Olaf K. , Pogorzelska-Nowicka Ewelina , Wierzbicka Agnieszka
Published: November 2020

Rapid technological progress focuses on lowering costs, labor and time. Thus, in order to minimize the expenses of bioactive compound production, great effort is undertaken to optimize the extraction of these compounds. Green extraction is popular and relatively inexpensive. However, the same extraction method does not always work for all types of matrixes due to the biological diversity of the tissue. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to identify the optimal green extraction method of açai berries (ultrasound or microwaves) able to isolate extracts containing the highest possible number of phenolic compounds with the highest antioxidant activity. The results show that the highest content of total phenolic compounds in the extracts was obtained after the application of a temperature of 45 °C, using ultrasound for 25 min and 45 min, microwaves for 3.16 min and a water bath for 25 min. Ultrasound turned out to be the most effective method of flavonoid extraction. In turn, the highest anthocyanin content was obtained for microwave extraction. Additionally, the application of microwaves for 4.33 min (45 °C) guaranteed the highest ferric-reducing antioxidant activity (FRAP) among the extracts. The results show that the use of microwaves shortens the açai extraction time and ensures both a high content of total phenolic compounds and strong antioxidant activity in the extract.
Task Assignment of UAV Swarm Based on Wolf Pack Algorithm
Authors: Lu Yingtong , Ma Yaofei , Wang Jiangyun , Han Liang
Published: November 2020

To perform air missions with an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) swarm is a significant trend in warfare. The task assignment among the UAV swarm is one of the key issues in such missions. This paper proposes PSO-GA-DWPA (discrete wolf pack algorithm with the principles of particle swarm optimization and genetic algorithm) to solve the task assignment of a UAV swarm with fast convergence speed. The PSO-GA-DWPA is confirmed with three different ground-attack scenarios by experiments. The comparative results show that the improved algorithm not only converges faster than the original WPA and PSO, but it also exhibits excellent search quality in high-dimensional space.
Analyzing Precipitation Changes in the Northern Tip of the Antarctic Peninsula during the 1970–2019 Period
Authors: Carrasco Jorge F. , Cordero Raúl R.
Published: November 2020

Five decades of precipitation data are available from the Chilean Antarctic weather stations located in the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula. Data include daily accumulation and type of precipitation registered at the time of the observation at the Meteorological Antarctic Center located at Base Eduardo Frei Montalva, King George Island. This information allowed us to analyze not only the precipitation accumulation changes (always questionable in cold and windy regions) but also changes in precipitation days and precipitation phases (rain versus snow). The expo nential filter was applied to the monthly data to obtain decadal-like changes. The analysis revealed an overall increase in precipitation from 1970 to the early-1990s 60 ± 7 mm (10 year)−1 (p < 0.05) and 31 ± 4 mm (10 year)−1 (p < 0.05) and a negative trend between 1991 and 1999 with decreasing precipitation of −95 ± 9 mm (10 year)−1 (p < 0.05). On the other hand, while an increase in precipitation events also took place from 1970 to the early-1990s, there was a decreasing trend in precipitation events during the 2010s. This implies that the positive trend in precipitation accumulation registered during this period is due to the increasing extreme precipitation events. The precipitation type analysis shows an increase (decrease) in snow (rain) events from around the mid-1990s to mid-2010s during the summer season. These opposite trends were related to the summer cooling affecting the AP region.
Dysregulated Wnt Signalling in the Alzheimer’s Brain
Authors: Aghaizu Nozie D. , Jin Hanqing , Whiting Paul J.
Published: November 2020

The Wnt signalling system is essential for both the developing and adult central nervous system. It regulates numerous cellular functions ranging from neurogenesis to blood brain barrier biology. Dysregulated Wnt signalling can thus have significant consequences for normal brain function, which is becoming increasingly clear in Alzheimer’s disease (AD), an age-related neurodegenerative disorder that is the most prevalent form of dementia. AD exhibits a range of pathophysiological manifestations including aberrant amyloid precursor protein processing, tau pathology, synapse loss, neuroinflammation and blood brain barrier breakdown, which have been associated to a greater or lesser degree with abnormal Wnt signalling. Here we provide a comprehensive overview of the role of Wnt signalling in the CNS, and the research that implicates dysregulated Wnt signalling in the ageing brain and in AD pathogenesis. We also discuss the opportunities for therapeutic intervention in AD via modulation of the Wnt signalling pathway, and highlight some of the challenges and the gaps in our current understanding that need to be met to enable that goal.
Epidemiologic Features of NSCLC Gene Alterations in Hispanic Patients from Puerto Rico
Authors: Zheng Ruifang , Yin Zhiwei , Alhatem Albert , Lyle Derek , You Bei , Jiang Andrew S. , Liu Dongfang , Jobbagy Zsolt , Wang Qing , Aisner Seena , Jiang Jie-Gen
Published: November 2020

Targeted therapy has changed the paradigm of advanced NSCLC management by improving the survival rate of patients carrying actionable gene alterations using specific inhibitors. The epidemiologic features of these alterations vary among races. Understanding the racial differences benefits drug development, clinical trial design, and health resource allocation. Compared to Caucasian and Asian populations, current knowledge on Hispanic patients is less and no data of Hispanic patients from Puerto Rico have been reported. We retrieved and analyzed the demographic, clinical, and molecular data of Hispanic NSCLC patients from Puerto Rico with molecular tests performed in the Genoptix Medical Laboratory in Carlsbad, CA, USA between 2011 and 2018. The majority of the NSCLC patients in our study had either adenocarcinoma (75.4%) or squamous cell carcinoma (15.1%). The incidence of EGFR mutations was 24%. They were more common in female and younger patients (<60 years). The deletion of Exon 19 and Exon 21 L858R comprised 55.1% and 31.0% of all EGFR mutations, respectively. The frequency of the T790M mutation was lower compared to that of Hispanic patients reported in the literature (0.5% vs. 2.1%). In addition, 18.7% of the patients were positive for KRAS mutations, which was at the high end of that reported in Hispanic patients. Other driver gene alterations, ALK, MET, RET, ROS1, KRAS, ERBB2, etc., demonstrated similar incidences, as well as gender and age distributions to those previously reported. The KRAS/TP53 and KRAS/STK11 co-mutations were of very low frequencies (3.6%), which could potentially affect the responsiveness to PD1/PD-L1 immunotherapy. Our study demonstrated that the prevalence of NSCLC gene alterations in Hispanic patients from Puerto Rico was comparable to the reported average prevalence in Latin American countries, supporting the intermediate NSCLC gene alteration rate of Hispanic patients between Asian and Caucasian patients. Novel information of the frequencies of KRAS mutation subtypes, driver gene alterations in ROS1, BRAF, and ERBB2, and passenger gene alterations including a rare case with the FGFR2-TACC2 translocation in Hispanic NSCLC patients from Puerto Rico were also described.
Risk and Response-Adapted Treatment in Multiple Myeloma
Authors: Cazaubiel Titouan , Mulas Olga , Montes Lydia , Schavgoulidze Anaïs , Avet-Loiseau Hervé , Corre Jill , Perrot Aurore
Published: November 2020

Myeloma therapeutic strategies have been adapted to patients’ age and comorbidities for a long time. However, although cytogenetics and clinical presentations (plasmablastic cytology; extramedullary disease) are major prognostic factors, until recently, all patients received the same treatment whatever their initial risk. No strong evidence allows us to use a personalized treatment according to one cytogenetic abnormality in newly diagnosed myeloma. Retrospective studies showed a benefit of a double autologous transplant in high-risk cytogenetics according to the International Myeloma Working Group definition (t(4;14), t(14;16) or del(17p)). Moreover, this definition has to be updated since other independent abnormalities, namely gain 1q, del(1p32), and trisomies 5 or 21, as well as TP53 mutations, are also prognostic. Another very strong predictive tool is the response to treatment assessed by the evaluation of minimal residual disease (MRD). We are convinced that the time has come to use it to adapt the strategy to a dynamic risk. Many trials are ongoing to answer many questions: when and how should we adapt the therapy, its intensity and duration. Nevertheless, we also have to take into account the clinical outcome for one patient, especially adverse events affecting his or her quality of life and his or her preferences for continuous/fixed duration treatment.
Experiment Study on Topological Characteristics of Sandstone Coating by Micro CT
Authors: Gao Feng , Hu Yuhao , Liu Guannan , Yang Yugui
Published: November 2020

The pore structure is an important factor of tunnel coating failure, cracking and water leakage. Some investigations on the statistical law of pores and pore networks have been conducted, but little quantitative analysis is observed on topology structure of the pore network, and even the pore structure of sandstone is complex and cross-scale distributed. Therefore, it is of theoretical and engineering significance to quantitatively characterize the connectivity of the pore network in sandstone. This study proposes a new complex network theory to analyze the three-dimensional nature of pore network structure in sandstone. The topological network structure, such as clustering degree, average path length and the module, which cannot be analyzed by traditional coordination number and fractal dimension methods, is analyzed. Numerical simulation results show that a scale-free network model is more suitable for describing the sandstone pore network than random models. The pore network of sandstone has good uniformity. The connectivity of sandstone pore networks has great potential for permeability enhancement. Therefore, this new method provides a way to deeply understand the pore connectivity characteristics of sandstone and to explore the distribution of crack grids in the arch of tunnel coatings.
Liver Lipid Accumulation in European Bullhead (Cottus cobio) from a High-Mountain Lake: An Adaptive Strategy to Survive the Adverse Winter Season
Authors: Pastorino Paolo , Bertoli Marco , Kušće Manuel , Giulianini Piero Giulio , Menconi Vasco , Prearo Marino , Pizzul Elisabetta
Published: November 2020

The hypothesis that liver lipid accumulation in fish is an adaptive strategy to survive the winter in the high-altitude environment was assessed in this study. During summer 2019, specimens of Cottus gobio were sampled in 15 watercourses of Friuli Venezia-Giulia Region (Italy) to verify if hepatic steatosis is or not normally present in the species. To do this, hepatic vacuolization was assessed by histology using a semiquantitative score. Furthermore, C. gobio were also captured during the ice-free season at Dimon Lake (1872 m a.s.l.) and But Stream (520 m a.s.l.) to compare the trend in lipid accumulation: water temperature, hepatosomatic index (HSI), gonadosomatic index (GSI), Fulton’s condition factor (K), and lipid area percentage (lipid %) were measured monthly. Findings revealed that liver steatosis is rather common in C. gobio. However, the trend in lipid accumulation of this species differed between Dimon Lake and But Stream. Based on the HSI and the GSI, the reproductive cycles differed in fish from the two environments (April–May in But Stream; May–June in Dimon Lake). While K values remained unchanged in the But Stream specimens, significant changes were recorded for Dimon specimens. The increase in lipid % from July to August in the Dimon Lake specimens coincided with greater food availability. With the rapid drop in lake water temperature in October, the lipid % decreased due to slower metabolic rate and lipid utilization from liver stores. There was a slight decrease in lipid % in the But Stream specimens, indicating that lipids were not being accumulated. Introduced years ago, the Dimon Lake bullhead population has since adapted to the winter conditions at high elevation.