bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Color morphs of the coral, Acropora tenuis, show different responses to environmental stress and different expression profiles of fluorescent-protein genes
Authors: Satoh Noriyuki , Kinjo Koji , Shintaku Kohei , Kezuka Daisuke , Ishimori Hiroo , Yokokura Atsushi , Hagiwara Kazutaka , Hisata Kanako , Kawamitsu Mayumi , Koizumi Koji , Shinzato Chuya , Zayasu Yuna
Published: January 2021

Corals of the family Acroporidae are key structural components of reefs that support the most diverse marine ecosystems. Due to increasing anthropogenic stresses, coral reefs are in decline. Along the coast of Okinawa, Japan, three different color morphs of Acropora tenuis have been recognized for decades. These include brown (N morph), yellow green (G), and purple (P) forms. The tips of axial polyps of each morph exhibit specific fluorescence spectra. This attribute is inherited asexually, and color morphs do not change seasonally. In Okinawa Prefecture, during the summer of 2017, N and P morphs experienced bleaching, in which many N morphs died. Dinoflagellates (Symbiodiniaceae) are essential partners of scleractinian corals, and photosynthetic activity of symbionts was reduced in N and P morphs. In contrast, G morphs successfully withstood the stress. Examination of the clade and type of Symbiodiniaceae indicated that the three color-morphs host similar sets of Clade-C symbionts, suggesting that beaching of N and P morphs is unlikely attributable to differences in the clade of Symbiodiniaceae the color morphs hosted. Fluorescent proteins play pivotal roles in physiological regulation of corals. Since the A. tenuis genome has been decoded, we identified five genes for green fluorescent proteins (GFPs), two for cyan fluorescent proteins (CFPs), three for red fluorescent proteins (RFPs), and seven genes for chromoprotein (ChrP). A summer survey of gene expression profiles under outdoor aquarium conditions demonstrated that (a) expression of CFP and REP was quite low during the summer in all three morphs, (b) P morphs expressed higher levels of ChrP than N and G morphs, (c) both N and G morphs expressed GFP more highly than P morphs, and (d) GFP expression in N morphs was reduced during summer whereas G morphs maintained high levels of GFP expression throughout the summer. Although further studies are required to understand the biological significance of these color morphs of A. tenuis, our results suggest that thermal stress resistance is modified by genetic mechanisms that coincidentally lead to diversification of color morphs of this coral.
Disrupting progression of the yeast Hsp90 folding pathway at different transition points results in client-specific maturation defects
Authors: Hohrman Kaitlyn , Gonçalves Davi , Morano Kevin A , Johnson Jill L
Published: January 2021

The protein molecular chaperone Hsp90 (Heat shock protein, 90 kilodalton) plays multiple roles in the biogenesis and regulation of client proteins impacting myriad aspects of cellular physiology. Amino acid alterations located throughout Saccharomyces cerevisiae Hsp90 have been shown to result in reduced client activity and temperature-sensitive growth defects. Although some Hsp90 mutants have been shown to affect activity of particular clients more than others, the mechanistic basis of client-specific effects is unknown. We found that Hsp90 mutants that disrupt the early step of Hsp70 and Sti1 interaction, or show reduced ability to adopt the ATP-bound closed conformation characterized by Sba1 and Cpr6 interaction, similarly disrupt activity of three diverse clients, Utp21, Ssl2, and v-src. In contrast, mutants that appear to alter other steps in the folding pathway had more limited effects on client activity. Protein expression profiling provided additional evidence that mutants that alter similar steps in the folding cycle cause similar in vivo consequences. Our characterization of these mutants provides new insight into how Hsp90 and cochaperones identify and interact with diverse clients, information essential for designing pharmaceutical approaches to selectively inhibit Hsp90 function.
Understanding the impact of preprocessing pipelines on neuroimaging cortical surface analyses
Authors: Bhagwat Nikhil , Barry Amadou , Dickie Erin W , Brown Shawn T , Devenyi Gabriel A , Hatano Koji , DuPre Elizabeth , Dagher Alain , Chakravarty Mallar , Greenwood Celia M T , Misic Bratislav , Kennedy David N , Poline Jean-Baptiste
Published: January 2021

Background

The choice of preprocessing pipeline introduces variability in neuroimaging analyses that affects the reproducibility of scientific findings. Features derived from structural and functional MRI data are sensitive to the algorithmic or parametric differences of preprocessing tasks, such as image normalization, registration, and segmentation to name a few. Therefore it is critical to understand and potentially mitigate the cumulative biases of pipelines in order to distinguish biological effects from methodological variance.

Methods

Here we use an open structural MRI dataset (ABIDE), supplemented with the Human Connectome Project, to highlight the impact of pipeline selection on cortical thickness measures. Specifically, we investigate the effect of (i) software tool (e.g., ANTS, CIVET, FreeSurfer), (ii) cortical parcellation (Desikan-Killiany-Tourville, Destrieux, Glasser), and (iii) quality control procedure (manual, automatic). We divide our statistical analyses by (i) method type, i.e., task-free (unsupervised) versus task-driven (supervised); and (ii) inference objective, i.e., neurobiological group differences versus individual prediction.

Results

Results show that software, parcellation, and quality control significantly affect task-driven neurobiological inference. Additionally, software selection strongly affects neurobiological (i.e. group) and individual task-free analyses, and quality control alters the performance for the individual-centric prediction tasks.

Conclusions

This comparative performance evaluation partially explains the source of inconsistencies in neuroimaging findings. Furthermore, it underscores the need for more rigorous scientific workflows and accessible informatics resources to replicate and compare preprocessing pipelines to address the compounding problem of reproducibility in the age of large-scale, data-driven computational neuroscience.
Towards structural imaging using seismic ambient field correlation artefacts
Authors: Retailleau Lise , Beroza Gregory C
Published: January 2021

Correlations of the ambient seismic field recorded by seismic stations carry information about the wave propagation between the stations. They also contain information about the ambient field—both the source of the ambient field, and sources of scattering that contribute to it. The waves that comprise the ambient field are subject to scattering due to the heterogeneous Earth, which can generate supplementary arrivals on the correlation functions. We use these effects to locate sources of signals linked to scattering. For this analysis, we use correlation functions computed from continuous signals recorded between 2013 and 2015 by a line of seismic stations in Central California. We identify spurious arrivals on the Vertical to Vertical and Transverse to Transverse correlation functions and use array analysis to map the source of scattering, which is linked to strong structural variations in the Coast ranges and at the border of the Great Valley.
Monocytes and Macrophages, Targets of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2: The Clue for Coronavirus Disease 2019 Immunoparalysis
Authors: Boumaza Asma , Gay Laetitia , Mezouar Soraya , Bestion Eloïne , Diallo Aïssatou Bailo , Michel Moise , Desnues Benoit , Raoult Didier , La Scola Bernard , Halfon Philippe , Vitte Joana , Olive Daniel , Mege Jean-Louis
Published: January 2021

Background

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) clinical expression is pleiomorphic, severity is related to age and comorbidities such as diabetes and hypertension, and pathophysiology involves aberrant immune activation and lymphopenia. We wondered if the myeloid compartment was affected during COVID-19 and if monocytes and macrophages could be infected by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

Methods

Monocytes and monocyte-derived macrophages (MDMs) from COVID-19 patients and controls were infected with SARS-CoV-2 and extensively investigated with immunofluorescence, viral RNA extraction and quantification, and total RNA extraction followed by reverse-transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction using specific primers, supernatant cytokines (interleukins 6, 10, and 1β; interferon-β; transforming growth factor–β1, and tumor necrosis factor–α), and flow cytometry. The effect of M1- vs M2-type or no polarization prior to infection was assessed.

Results

SARS-CoV-2 efficiently infected monocytes and MDMs, but their infection is abortive. Infection was associated with immunoregulatory cytokines secretion and the induction of a macrophagic specific transcriptional program characterized by the upregulation of M2-type molecules. In vitro polarization did not account for permissivity to SARS-CoV-2, since M1- and M2-type MDMs were similarly infected. In COVID-19 patients, monocytes exhibited lower counts affecting all subsets, decreased expression of HLA-DR, and increased expression of CD163, irrespective of severity.

Conclusions

SARS-CoV-2 drives monocytes and macrophages to induce host immunoparalysis for the benefit of COVID-19 progression.

SARS-CoV-2 infection of macrophages induces a specific M2 transcriptional program. In Covid-19 patients, monocyte subsets were decreased associated with up-expression of the immunoregulatory molecule CD163 suggesting that SARS-CoV-2 drives immune system for the benefit of Covid-19 disease progression.
Impact of Adding Protein Supplementation to Exercise Training on Lean Body Mass and Muscle Strength in Burn Patients
Authors: Badawy Manar M , Allam Nesma M
Published: January 2021

Protein catabolism is a common complication after burn injury, leading to a loss of muscle mass and a decrease in muscle strength. The present study was aimed to evaluate the efficacy of combining exercise training with protein supplementation on lean body mass and muscle strength in patients with severe burn. Sixty participants with severe burn >30% of TBSA were randomly distributed into four equal groups of 15 participants per group. Group A (Exercise and Protein) received oral protein supplementation (Inkospor X-TREME; 1.5–2.0 g/kg/d), exercise program, and traditional burn care; group B (Protein) received oral protein supplementation and traditional burn care; group C (Exercise) received exercise program and traditional burn care; and group D (Control) received traditional burn care. Lean body mass was measured using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry, whereas muscle strength was measured using Biodex 3 Dynamometer System before treatment and 12 weeks after treatment. A significant increase in lean body mass was found in group A compared with that of group B, group C, and group D post-treatment (P < .001). Also, a significant increase was recorded in peak torque of group A compared with that of group B, group C, and group D post-treatment (P < .001). Exercise training can significantly increase lean body mass and peak torque. Protein supplementation can significantly increase lean body mass but cannot significantly increase muscle strength, whereas protein + exercise group has a great impact on lean body mass and muscle power than exercise group and protein group in burn patients.
Burn Unit Design—The Missing Link for Quality and Safety
Authors: Gus Eduardo , Almeland Stian Kreken , Barnes David , Elmasry Moustafa , Singer Yvonne , Sjöberg Folke , Steinvall Ingrid , van Zuijlen Paul , Cleland Heather
Published: January 2021

The relationship between infrastructure, technology, model of care, and human resources influences patient outcomes and safety, staff productivity and satisfaction, retention of personnel, and treatment and social costs. This concept underpins the need for evidence-based design and has been widely adopted to inform hospital infrastructure planning. The aim of this review is to establish evidence-based, universally applicable key features of a burn unit that support function in a comprehensive patient-centered model of care. A literature search in medical, architectural, and engineering databases was conducted. Burn associations’ guidelines and relevant articles published in English, between 1990 and 2020, were included, and the available evidence is summarized in the review. Few studies have been published on burn unit design in the past 30 years. Most of them focus on the role of design in infection control and prevention and consist primarily of descriptive or observational reports, opportunistic historical cohort studies, and reviews. The evidence available in the literature is not sufficient to create a definitive infrastructure guideline to inform burn unit design, and there are considerable difficulties in creating evidence that will be widely applicable. In the absence of a strong evidence base, consensus guidelines on burn unit infrastructure should be developed, to help healthcare providers, architects, and engineers make informed decisions, when designing new or renovated facilities.
A New Resuscitation Formula Based on Burn Index Provides More Reliable Prediction for Fluid Requirement in Adult Major Burn Patients
Authors: Tan Jianglin , Zhou Junyi , Li Ning , Yuan Lili , Luo Gaoxing
Published: January 2021

The Third Military Medical University (TMMU) formula is widely used in fluid resuscitation in China. However, the actual volume needs usually exceed the prediction provided by the TMMU formula in major burn patients with a high proportion of full-thickness burn wounds. This retrospective study included 149 adult major burn patients (≥40% TBSA) who were admitted to the Burn Department, Southwest Hospital from 2014 to 2020 and received appropriate fluid resuscitation by the TMMU protocol. The actual volume infused in the first 48 hours postburn was compared to the estimation by the TMMU formula. A new fluid volume prediction formula was developed by multivariate linear regression analysis. The mean fluid requirements were 2.35 ml/kg/% TBSA and 1.75 ml/kg/% TBSA in the first and second 24 hours postburn, respectively. The TMMU formula underestimated the fluid requirement, and its prediction accuracy was 54.1% and 25.8% for the first and second 24 hours, respectively. The proportion of full-thickness burn wound was found to be associated with the fluid requirements postburn. A revised multifactorial formula consisting of the burn index, body weight, and inhalation injury was developed. Using the revised formula, the prediction reliability of resuscitation fluid volume improved to 65.3% and 61.1% in the first and second 24 hours, respectively. The TMMU formula showed low accuracy in predicting fluid requirements among major burn patients. A revised formula based on burn index was developed to provide better guidance for initiative fluid resuscitation for major burns by the TMMU protocol.
Variability in Mammography Quality Assessment After Implementation of Enhancing Quality Using the Inspection Program (EQUIP)
Authors: Funaro Kimberly , Niell Bethany
Published: January 2021

Objective

Analyze mammography quality and deficiencies, including variability in quality assessment among subspecialized breast radiologists, after implementing the Enhancing Quality Using the Inspection Program (EQUIP).

Methods

After IRB approval, this single institution study retrospectively queried data prospectively entered into our automated reporting software after implementing EQUIP (October 2017–March 2019). Screening and diagnostic combination (digital mammography with tomosynthesis) mammograms were reviewed by seven breast radiologists. Quality was assessed as excellent, good, adequate, or problems found. Of those with problems found, the deficiency and corrective action were evaluated. The interpreting radiologist, EQUIP radiologist, and performing technologist were recorded. P values were calculated using Fisher exact test and chi-square analyses.

Results

Of 17 312 mammograms, 529 (3%) underwent EQUIP review. Of 43 (8%) with problems found, 23 (53%) did not include sufficient tissue, 9 (21%) had motion degradation, 3 (7%) had artifacts, 2 each (4.7% each) had the nipple not in profile or skin folds, and 4 (9%) were categorized as “other.” Nine (9/529, 1.7%) required recall for repeat imaging. The lead interpreting physician (LIP) was more likely to categorize mammograms as technically inadequate compared to other radiologists (P < 0.00001), and there were also statistically significant differences in how the remaining radiologists stratified cases (P < 0.00001) even when excluding the LIP.

Conclusion

Insufficient tissue was the most common problem identified in the EQUIP-reviewed mammograms with deficiencies. Significant variability was present among radiologist EQUIP designations. Ongoing review of clinical image quality with EQUIP allows for opportunities to provide corrective feedback.
Gonoactivity of Culex (Culex) (Diptera: Culicidae) Mosquitoes During Winter in Temperate Argentina
Authors: Branda María Florencia , Laurito Magdalena , Visintin Andrés Mario , Almirón Walter Ricardo
Published: January 2021

The subgenus Culex L. includes species involved in summer–autumn arbovirus transmission but studies during winter are scarce in temperate Argentina. Female specimens were collected host-seeking at dry-ice-baited traps during autumn–winter–spring at two sites in Córdoba City during 2016 and 2017. The specimens were morphologically identified and dissected to determine the follicular developmental stage (gonotrophic activity). Females with advanced follicular stages (≥III) were subjected to molecular procedures to confirm or re-identify previous morphological identification. Five species (Culex apicinus Philippi (Diptera: Culicidae), Culex dolosus (Lynch-Arribálzaga) (Diptera: Culicidae), Culex maxi Dyar (Diptera: Culicidae), Culex pipiens pipiens L. (Diptera: Culicidae), and Culex quinquefasciatus Say (Diptera: Culicidae)) were collected and found gonoactive during winter; showing that a high proportion of Culex (Culex) females remain reproductively active during the unfavorable season for mosquito populations. Among them, it is worth noting the collection of Cx. quinquefasciatus, vector of the St. Louis encephalitis virus (endemic in the city), a specimen of Cx. p. pipiens, and a hybrid of Cx. p. pipiens/Cx. quinquefasciatus (during autumn). The study of this community during winter should continue because a high gonoactive female proportion with advanced follicular stages was found: 29.12 and 13.07% in 2016 and 2017, respectively. Local studies such as this one provide evidence about ornithophilic Culex species with active year-round life cycles, species that could favor arbovirus overwintering.
Mechanostimulation: a promising alternative for sustainable agriculture practices
Authors: Ghosh Ritesh , Barbacci Adelin , Leblanc-Fournier Nathalie
Published: January 2021

Plants memorize events associated with environmental fluctuations. The integration of environmental signals into molecular memory allows plants to cope with future stressors more efficiently—a phenomenon that is known as ‘priming’. Primed plants are more resilient to environmental stresses than non-primed plants, as they are capable of triggering more robust and faster defence responses. Interestingly, exposure to various forms of mechanical stimuli (e.g. touch, wind, or sound vibration) enhances plants’ basal defence responses and stress tolerance. Thus, mechanostimulation appears to be a potential priming method and a promising alternative to chemical-based priming for sustainable agriculture. According to the currently available method, mechanical treatment needs to be repeated over a month to alter plant growth and defence responses. Such a long treatment protocol restricts its applicability to fast-growing crops. To optimize the protocol for a broad range of crops, we need to understand the molecular mechanisms behind plant mechanoresponses, which are complex and depend on the frequency, intervals, and duration of the mechanical treatment. In this review, we synthesize the molecular underpinnings of plant mechanoperception and signal transduction to gain a mechanistic understanding of the process of mechanostimulated priming.
Of sex and war: carceral feminism and its anti-carceral critique
Authors: Pinto Mattia
Published: January 2021

In the last three decades, wartime sexual violence has become one of the main concerns for feminists engaged with international law. This essay reviews Karen Engle’s monograph on the causes and implications of today’s common-sense narrative about sexual violence in conflict. It shows how Engle’s powerful critique of ‘carceral feminism’ may represent a starting point for a new discussion of sex and war in international law.
Fragmenting Monumentality: Discontinuity and Incompleteness in Mahler’S ‘Der Abschied’
Authors: Deutsch Dan
Published: January 2021

In this article I explore the confluence of Gustav Mahler’s affiliation with a Jewish minority and his approach to musical form and expression. To this end, I devise a theoretical framework that combines Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari’s theory of Minor literature with current theories of musical form and analyse selected excerpts from ‘Der Abschied’, the Finale of Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde (1909). While ‘Der Abschied’ aspires towards monumental expression, it rejects its own realization as a musical monument through musical and textual ambiguities. By means of musical analysis I illustrate how discontinuous and fragmented motion in the musical realm undermines the materialization of apotheotic culminations and negates the interpretative framework of monumentality. Against that background, I then compare Mahler’s formal approach to Kafka’s poetics—the prototype of ‘Minor literature’—and discuss how their ‘Minor works’ concurrently appropriate and subvert the Romantic concept of monumentality and related constructs.
Vibrationally excited HC3N emission in NGC 1068: tracing the recent star formation in the starburst ring
Authors: Rico-Villas F , Martín-Pintado J , González-Alfonso E , Rivilla V M , Martín S , García-Burillo S , Jiménez-Serra I , Sánchez-García M
Published: January 2021

Using the ALMA data, we have studied the HC3N and continuum emission in the starburst pseudo-ring (SB pseudo-ring) and the circumnuclear disc (CND) of the SB/active galactic nucleus (AGN) composite galaxy NGC 1068. We have detected emission from vibrationally excited HC3N (HC3N*) only towards one star-forming region of the SB pseudo-ring. Remarkably, HC3N* was not detected towards the CND despite its large HC3N v = 0 column density. From local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) and non-LTE modelling of HC3N*, we obtained a dust temperature (Tdust) of ∼250 K and a density $(n_{\text{H}_2}) \text{ of }6\times 10^5$ cm−3 for this star-forming region. The estimated infrared (IR) luminosity of 5.8 × 108 L⊙ is typical of proto-superstar clusters (proto-SSCs) observed in the SB galaxy NGC 253. We use the continuum emissions at 147 and 350 GHz, along with CO and Pa α, to estimate the ages of other 14 SSCs in the SB pseudo-ring. We find the SSCs to be associated with the region connecting the nuclear bar with the SB pseudo-ring, supporting the inflow scenario. For the CND, our analysis yields Tdust ≤ 100 K and $n_{\text{H}_2}\sim (3\!-\!6)\times 10^5$ cm−3. The very different dust temperatures found for the CND and the proto-SSC indicate that, while the dust in the proto-SSC is being efficiently heated from the inside by the radiation from massive protostars, the CND is being heated externally by the AGN, which in the IR optically thin case can only heat the dust to 56 K. We discuss the implications of the non-detection of HC3N* near the luminous AGN in NGC 1068 on the interpretation of the HC3N* emission observed in the SB/AGN composite galaxies NGC 4418 and Arp 220.
Small-Ncollisional dynamics – V. FromN≲ 10 toN≳ 103
Authors: Barrera Carlos , Leigh Nathan W C , Reinoso Bastián , Stutz Amelia M , Schleicher Dominik
Published: January 2021

Direct collisions between finite-sized particles occur commonly in many areas of astrophysics. Such collisions are typically mediated by chaotic, bound gravitational interactions involving small numbers of particles. An important application is stellar collisions, which occur commonly in dense star clusters, and their relevance for the formation of various types of stellar exotica. In this paper, we return to our study of the collision rates and probabilities during small-number chaotic gravitational interactions ($N\, \lesssim$ 10), moving beyond the small-number particle limit and into the realm of larger particle numbers ($N\, \gtrsim$ 103) to test the extent of validity of our analytic model as a function of the particle properties and the number of interacting particles. This is done using direct N-body simulations of stellar collisions in dense star clusters, by varying the relative numbers of particles with different particle masses and radii. We compute the predicted rate of collisions using the mean free path approximation, adopting the point-particle limit and using the sticky-star approximation as our collision criterion. We evaluate its efficacy in the regime where gravitational focusing is important by comparing the theoretical rates to numerical simulations. Using the tools developed in previous papers in this series, in particular Collision Rate Diagrams, we illustrate that our predicted and simulated rates are in excellent agreement, typically consistent with each other to within 1 standard deviation.
Oxidative lesions modulate G-quadruplex stability and structure in the human BCL2 promoter
Authors: Bielskutė Stasė , Plavec Janez , Podbevšek Peter
Published: January 2021

Misregulation of BCL2 expression has been observed with many diseases and is associated with cellular exposure to reactive oxygen species. A region upstream of the P1 promoter in the human BCL2 gene plays a major role in regulating transcription. This G/C-rich region is highly polymorphic and capable of forming G-quadruplex structures. Herein we report that an oxidative event simulated with an 8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanine (oxoG) substitution within a long G-tract results in a reduction of structural polymorphism. Surprisingly, oxoG within a 25-nt construct boosts thermal stability of the resulting G-quadruplex. This is achieved by distinct hydrogen bonding properties of oxoG, which facilitate formation of an antiparallel basket-type G-quadruplex with a three G-quartet core and a G·oxoG·C base triad. While oxoG has previously been considered detrimental for G-quadruplex formation, its stabilizing effect within a promoter described in this study suggests a potential novel regulatory role of oxidative stress in general and specifically in BCL2 gene transcription.
Precision medicine in diabetic nephropathy and chronic kidney disease
Authors: Fliser Danilo , Wanner Christoph
Published: January 2021

Progressive chronic kidney disease (CKD) in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus is a global public health problem accompanied by substantial comorbidities and reduced life expectancy. In this respect, CKD leading to uremia can be seen as a systemic disease with a critical impact on virtually all organ systems. Thus it is of particular importance to identify patients with incipient CKD and ongoing CKD progression, but the individual course of CKD is challenging to predict. Patterns of progression in persons with CKD include linear and nonlinear trajectories of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) loss. Kidney function can also remain stable for years, especially in the elderly. In particular, one-fifth of individuals show a substantial GFR decline in the absence of high albuminuria (nonproteinuric CKD), rendering albuminuria less suitable for predicting the progression in such individuals.
Neurocognitive, symptom, and health-related quality of life outcomes of a randomized trial of bevacizumab for newly diagnosed glioblastoma (NRG/RTOG 0825)
Authors: Wefel Jeffrey S , Armstrong Terri S , Pugh Stephanie L , Gilbert Mark R , Wendland Merideth M , Brachman David G , Roof Kevin S , Brown Paul D , Crocker Ian R , Robins H Ian , Hunter Grant , Won Minhee , Mehta Minesh P
Published: January 2021

Background

Results of NRG Oncology RTOG 0825 reported adding bevacizumab to standard chemoradiation did not significantly improve survival endpoints and resulted in greater decline in neurocognitive function (NCF) and patient-reported outcomes (PRO) over time in bevacizumab-treated patients. The present report provides additional results of patient-centered outcomes over time and their prognostic association with survival endpoints.

Methods

NCF tests, MD Anderson Symptom Inventory - Brain Tumor Module (MDASI-BT), and European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) quality of life (QOL) questionnaire with brain cancer module (QLQ-C30/BN20) were completed in a subset of progression-free patients at baseline and longitudinally. The prognostic value of baseline and early changes in NCF and PROs and differences between treatments from baseline to follow-up assessments were evaluated.

Results

A total of 508 randomized patients participated. Baseline/early changes in NCF and PROs were prognostic for OS and PFS. No between-arm differences in time to deterioration were found. At week 6, patients treated with bevacizumab evidenced greater improvement on NCF tests of executive function and the MDASI-BT Cognitive Function scale, but simultaneously reported greater decline on the EORTC Cognitive Function Scale. At later time points (weeks 22, 34, and 46), patients treated with bevacizumab had greater worsening on NCF tests as well as PRO measures of cognitive, communication, social function, motor symptoms, general symptoms, and interference.

Conclusion

The collection of patient-centered clinical outcome assessments in this phase III trial revealed greater deterioration in NCF, symptoms, and QOL in patients treated with bevacizumab. Baseline and early change in NCF and PROs were prognostic for survival endpoints.
Pathology-proven extradural (“distant”) metastases of gliomas in adults in the Netherlands between 1971 and 2018: a systematic case series
Authors: den Hartog Sanne J , van der Kolk Anja , Bruggink Annette , Seute Tatjana , Wesseling Pieter , Wilbers Joyce
Published: January 2021

Background

Diffuse gliomas are the most frequent primary tumors originating in the central nervous system parenchyma. Although the majority of these tumors are highly malignant, extradural metastases (EDM) are extremely rare. We aimed to perform a systematic review of patients with pathology-proven EDM of diffuse gliomas in the Netherlands.

Methods

From the Nationwide Network and Registry of Histo- and Cytopathology in the Netherlands information on all cases with EDM between 1971 and October 2018 was retrieved. Patients aged < 18 years or with a diagnosis of ependymoma or continuous tumor growth from intradural to extradural were excluded. Demographics, initial tumor diagnosis, treatment characteristics, location of the EDM, and survival data were collected. IDH1 R132H immunohistochemistry was performed on cases in which a paraffin block of the metastatic tumor could be retrieved.

Results

Twenty-five patients with diffuse glioma and pathology-proven EDM were identified. Median age at diagnosis of glioma was 46 years (IQR: 35-59); 21 patients (84%) were male. Histopathologic diagnosis was glioblastoma in 17 patients (68%) and lower-grade tumor in eight patients. In 3 out of 12 patients of which a paraffin block could be retrieved immunohistochemistry revealed an IDH1-mutant glioma. Most frequent EDM locations were bone/bone marrow (14/25 patients; 56%), and lymph nodes (6/25 patients; 24%).

Conclusion

EDM of diffuse glioma are rare. They occur most frequently in patients with glioblastoma, however, they can also originate from lower-grade, IDH-mutant gliomas. In daily practice, EDM of diffuse glioma should be considered in patients with tumefactive lesions of the bone or lymph nodes.
Natural Variation among Arabidopsis Accessions in the Regulation of Flavonoid Metabolism and Stress Gene Expression by Combined UV Radiation and Cold
Authors: Schulz Elisa , Tohge Takayuki , Winkler J Barbro , Albert Andreas , Schäffner Anton R , Fernie Alisdair R , Zuther Ellen , Hincha Dirk K
Published: January 2021

Plants are constantly exposed to stressful environmental conditions. Plant stress reactions were mainly investigated for single stress factors. However, under natural conditions plants may be simultaneously exposed to different stresses. Responses to combined stresses cannot be predicted from the reactions to the single stresses. Flavonoids accumulate in Arabidopsis thaliana during exposure to UV-A, UV-B or cold, but the interactions of these factors on flavonoid biosynthesis were unknown. We therefore investigated the interaction of UV radiation and cold in regulating the expression of well-characterized stress-regulated genes, and on transcripts and metabolites of the flavonoid biosynthetic pathway in 52 natural Arabidopsis accessions that differ widely in their freezing tolerance. The data revealed interactions of cold and UV on the regulation of stress-related and flavonoid biosynthesis genes, and on flavonoid composition. In many cases, plant reactions to a combination of cold and UV were unique under combined stress and not predictable from the responses to the single stresses. Strikingly, all correlations between expression levels of flavonoid biosynthesis genes and flavonol levels were abolished by UV-B exposure. Similarly, correlations between transcript levels of flavonoid biosynthesis genes or flavonoid contents, and freezing tolerance were lost in the presence of UV radiation, while correlations with the expression levels of cold-regulated genes largely persisted. This may indicate different molecular cold acclimation responses in the presence or absence of UV radiation.
Income inequality and household debt as a factor of financial fragility in the Spanish economy
Authors: Medialdea García Bibiana , Sanabria Martín Antonio
Published: January 2021

After the last major financial crisis, there was much discussion about the idea that the increase in income inequality during the expansionary phase could have forced middle- and low-income groups to increasingly resort to indebtedness to finance their consumption. This debt-led consumption would have stimulated economic growth, but would also explain why it was not sustainable since families would have become more financially fragile. This approach, which we refer to as the ‘income inequality and debt-financed consumption as a cause of financial fragility hypothesis’, is based on empirical studies that mostly consider the US economy. In this article, we examine whether, as some of the literature suggests, this assumption is sufficient to explain the expansion and subsequent recession in the Spanish economy.
Race, Gender, Higher Education, and Socioeconomic Attainment: Evidence from Baby Boomers at Midlife
Authors: Conwell Jordan A , Quadlin Natasha
Published: January 2021

This article investigates White, Black, and Hispanic men’s and women’s access and midlife labor market returns to college quality. To do so, we use data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth-1979 Cohort (NLSY-79), merged with college quality information from the Barron’s Admissions Competitiveness Index. Although prior research has investigated similar dynamics in access and returns to higher education, this work typically excludes Hispanics and does not assess enrollments at community colleges and other less competitive colleges where Black and Hispanic enrollments tend to cluster. We find that Black–White and Hispanic–White differences in college quality, to Whites’ advantage, were fully explained or reversed once we accounted for differences in students’ backgrounds. At midlife, Hispanic and especially Black men had lower rates of labor force participation than White men who attended colleges of the same quality. Including such differences (i.e., years of no or part-time work) in assessing the earnings returns to college quality demonstrated striking disadvantages facing college-educated Black men relative to White men, which were not fully accounted for by background characteristics. Employment and earnings returns to college quality were not as disparate by race for women. Relative to White women, we find earnings advantages for Hispanic women among those who attended community colleges. This article demonstrates the utility of taking an intersectional and life course approach to the study of higher education and the economic returns to schooling.
Does the Presence of Spontaneous Components Affect the Reliability of Contralateral Suppression of Evoked Otoacoustic Emissions?
Authors: Jedrzejczak W. Wiktor , Pilka Edyta , Kochanek Krzysztof , Skarzynski Henryk
Published: January 2021

Objectives:

The function of the medial olivocochlear system can be evaluated by measuring the suppression of otoacoustic emissions (OAEs) by contralateral stimulation. One of the obstacles preventing the clinical use of the OAE suppression is that it has considerable variability across subjects. One feature that tends to differentiate subjects is the presence or absence of spontaneous OAEs (SOAEs). The purpose of the present study was to investigate the reliability of contralateral suppression of transiently evoked OAEs (TEOAEs) measured using a commercial device in ears with and without SOAEs.

Design:

OAEs were recorded in a group of 60 women with normal hearing. TEOAEs were recorded with a linear protocol (identical stimuli), a constant stimulus level of 65 dB peSPL, and contralateral broadband noise (60 dB SPL) as a suppressor. Each recording session consisted of three measurements: the first two were made consecutively without taking out the probe (the “no refit” condition); the third measurement was made after taking out and refitting the probe (a “refit” condition). Global (for the whole signal) and half-octave band values of TEOAE response levels, signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs), raw dB TEOAE suppression, and normalized TEOAE suppression, and latency were investigated. Each subject was tested for the presence of SOAEs using the synchronized SOAE (SSOAE) technique. Reliability was evaluated by calculating the intraclass correlation coefficient, standard error of measurement (SEM) and minimum detectable change.

Results:

The TEOAE suppression was higher in ears with SSOAEs in terms of normalized percentages. However, when calculated in terms of decibels, the effect was not significant. The reliability of the TEOAE suppression as assessed by SEM was similar for ears with and without SSOAEs. The SEM for the whole dataset (with and without SSOAEs) was 0.08 dB for the no-refit condition and 0.13 dB for the refit condition (equivalent to 1.6% and 2.2%, respectively). SEMs were higher for half-octave bands than for global values. TEOAE SNRs were higher in ears with SSOAEs.

Conclusions:

The effect of SSOAEs on reliability of the TEOAE suppression remains complicated. On the one hand, we found that higher SNRs generally provide lower variability of calculated suppressions, and that the presence of SSOAEs favors high SNRs. On the other hand, reliability estimates were not much different between ears with and without SSOAEs. Therefore, in a clinical setting, the presence of SOAEs does not seem to have an effect on suppression measures, at least when testing involves measuring global or half-octave band response levels.
Multidisciplinary Treatment of a Pediatric Orbital Roof Fracture: Case Report and Literature Review
Authors: Shihadeh Hanaa , Willson Thomas D.
Published: January 2021

Pediatric orbital roof fractures are a relatively rare trauma. In children, fractures of the facial skeleton can be associated with significant morbidity. Potential complications of orbital roof fracture include both neurosurgical complications such as frontal lobe injury, dural tears, or herniation, and ophthalmologic and reconstructive surgery problems such as proptosis, diplopia, and extraocular muscle entrapment. In most cases, surgical intervention is unnecessary, as these fractures are minimally displaced. When surgery is warranted, however, for displaced fractures or those associated with complications, a multidisciplinary approach is often indicated. Here, we report a case of a 10-year-old boy with a superiorly displaced orbital roof fracture resulting from a bicycle brake handle injury. The primary fragment was intracranially displaced and embedded in the inferior frontal lobe, causing frontal lobe herniation and left globe proptosis. A transcranial approach was performed using an autologous bone graft. In our case, a multidisciplinary surgical approach facilitated repair of both the dural and orbital injuries and multi-layer separation of the 2 spaces.
Long-term Speech Outcomes of Cleft Palate Repair in Robin Sequence versus Isolated Cleft Palate
Authors: Logjes Robrecht J. H. , Upton Susanna , Mendelsohn Bryce A. , Badiee Ryan K. , Breugem Corstiaan C. , Hoffman William Y. , Pomerantz Jason H.
Published: January 2021

Background:

Whether treatment of cleft palate (CP) associated with Robin sequence (RS) should attain outcomes similar to those of isolated cleft palate (ICP) remains unknown. This study compares treatment and outcomes in both conditions and delineates predictors of long-term outcome.

Methods:

This retrospective case series of consecutive syndromic and isolated RS- and ICP-patients (1990–2016) includes indications and outcomes of straight-line repair with intravelar veloplasty (SLIV) or Furlow repair depending on cleft and airway characteristics.

Results:

Seventy-five RS and 83 ICP patients underwent CP repair. Velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI) occurred in 41% of RS versus 17% of ICP patients (P = 0.012), and in 60% of patients with syndromic RS versus 16% with isolated RS (P = 0.005). In multivariable logistic regression analysis, wider and more severe CP anatomy was the only factor independently associated with VPI (P = 0.028), in contrast to age at repair, syndromic RS compared with isolated RS, and isolated RS compared with ICP and initial tongue-lip adhesion. Secondary Furlow after primary SLIV was used to treat VPI in all groups, and more frequently in syndromic versus isolated RS patients (P = 0.025).

Conclusions:

Variability of RS anatomy and airway compromise necessitates individualized treatment protocols. Despite differing CP etiology and other variables, our findings demonstrate cleft anatomy as the only independent variable predictive of VPI comparing RS and ICP patients. Patients with isolated RS should ultimately attain similar VPI outcomes compared with ICP patients. Obstructive speech operations in RS patients can be avoided without compromising speech outcome by reserving the prsocedure for secondary cases.
Long-term Results of Microvascular Lymph Node Transfer: Correlation of Preoperative Factors and Operation Outcome
Authors: Rannikko Eeva H. , Suominen Sinikka H. , Saarikko Anne M. , Viitanen Tiina P. , Mäki Maija T. , Seppänen Marko P. , Suominen Erkki A. , Hartiala Pauliina
Published: January 2021

Background:

Our objective was to analyze whether a correlation could be observed between preoperative factors and microvascular lymph node transfer outcome after long-term follow-up.

Methods:

We included 67 patients in this retrospective case series. The incidence of cellulitis, the difference of arm circumference, the use of the compression garments both preoperatively and postoperatively, and subjective symptoms, such as pain, were analyzed. Volumetry and lymphoscintigraphy results were also analyzed in a subgroup of patients. We correlated preoperative factors with postoperative results.

Results:

After 70 ± 17 months of follow-up, 42% of the patients were able to discontinue the use of compression garments. The subjective pain symptoms were reduced in 75% of the patients. The incidence of cellulitis was reduced from preoperative 0.20 ± 0.55/y to postoperative 0.02 ± 0.08/y. As a novel finding, the patients with preoperative cellulitis were more likely to continue the use of the compression garments.

Conclusions:

The surgery is beneficial to most studied lymphedema patients, although it is not the cure for all patients. The incidence of cellulitis was reduced, and further, the presence of preoperative cellulitis seems to affect the outcome of the operation.
Comparing Surgical Site Occurrences in 1 versus 2-stage Breast Reconstruction via Federated EMR Network
Authors: Singh Devinder , Slavin Benjamin R. , Holton Tripp
Published: January 2021

Background:

TriNetX (TriNetX Inc., Cambridge, Mass.) is a federated electronic medical record network. The TriNetX system conducts customized search queries of over 36 million electronic medical records, and returns results in just minutes. To our group’s knowledge, TriNetX has not been previously used in plastic surgery research. This study aimed to utilize a continuously updated federated network of 36,000,000 electronic medical records (TriNetX) for comparing 90-day postoperative outcomes between prosthetic breast reconstruction techniques.

Methods:

Using TriNetX, we analyzed the records of approximately 36 million patients in 31 health care organizations. The de-identified records of 18,744,519 women (age 18–9) were retrospectively screened. A cohort of 4747 patients with a diagnosis of malignant neoplasm of the breast, any stage, having undergone mastectomy, and breast reconstruction with tissue expander was compared with a second cohort of 870 patients diagnosed with malignant neoplasm of the breast, any stage, mastectomy, and immediate insertion of breast implant following mastectomy. Surgical site occurrences occurring within 90 days postoperatively were compared using propensity score matching.

Results:

Propensity score matching resulted in 870 patients in both well-balanced cohorts. There were no statistically significant differences between the balanced cohorts with respect to 90-day surgical site occurrences.

Conclusions:

TriNetX enables data-driven clinical research such as retrospective cohort comparison. During the 90-day postoperative period, there were fewer complications noted in the single-stage cohort for all outcomes studied; although this comparison was not statistically significant, we believe it demonstrates a clinically significant finding that single-stage direct-to-implant is at least as safe as the more complicated 2-stage approach.