bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
SATB2 protein expression by immunohistochemistry is a sensitive and specific marker of appendiceal and rectosigmoid well differentiated neuroendocrine tumours
Authors: Hoskoppal Deepthi , Epstein Jonathan I , Gown Allen M , Arnold Egloff Shanna A , Gordetsky Jennifer B , Shi Chanjuan J , Giannico Giovanna A
Published: October 2019

Aims

Neuroendocrine neoplasms (NNs) range from well to poorly differentiated and indolent to highly aggressive. The site of origin in metastatic NNs has therapeutic and prognostic implications. SATB2 is a transcriptional regulator involved in osteoblastic and neuronal differentiation and is a sensitive and specific marker of colorectal epithelium. This study aimed to evaluate the expression of SATB2 in NNs from various primary sites and its utility as a marker in determining the site of origin of these neoplasms.

Methods and results

SATB2 immunohistochemistry was performed on 266 NNs, including lung small cell carcinomas (n = 39) and carcinoids (n = 30), bladder (n = 21) and prostate (n = 31) small cell carcinomas, and gastrointestinal (GI)/pancreatic NNs of various primary sites (n = 145) consisting of well‐differentiated neuroendocrine tumours (WDNET)s (n = 124) and poorly differentiated neuroendocrine carcinomas (PDNEC)s (n = 21). SATB2 was expressed in prostatic (10 of 31, 32%) and bladder (eight of 21, 38%) small cell carcinomas, lung carcinoid tumours (one of 30, 3%), and lung small cell carcinomas (eight of 39, 21%). Among primary GI NNs, SATB2 was expressed in 37 of 124 (30%) WDNETs and four of 21 (19%) PDNECs. Of the former, 15 of 15 (100%) rectal/rectosigmoid and 22 of 22 (100%) appendiceal neoplasms expressed SATB2. Using receiver operator characteristic analysis, SATB2 was a sensitive and specific marker for rectal (100.0%, 80.0%) and appendiceal (100.0%, 84.5%) WDNETs, respectively.

Conclusions

In summary, SATB2 is a sensitive and specific marker for rectal/rectosigmoid and appendiceal WDNETs, and may represent a useful diagnostic tool when these sites of origin are considered in the differential diagnosis.
Tailoring subtractive cell biopanning to identify diffuse gastric adenocarcinoma‐associated antigens via human scFv antibodies
Authors: Mehdipour Tayebeh , Tohidkia Mohammad R. , Ata Saei Amir , Kazemi Amir , Khajeh Shirin , Rahim Rahimi Ali A. , Nikfarjam Sepideh , Farhadi Mehrdad , Halimi Monireh , Soleimani Ramin , Zubarev Roman A. , Nouri Mohammad
Published: October 2019

Among various solid tumours, gastric cancer (GC) is one of the leading causes of cancer‐related deaths worldwide. Expansion into the peritoneal cavity, which results from dissemination of diffuse cancer cells, is the main cause of mortality in gastric adenocarcinoma patients. Therefore, investigation of putative biomarkers involved in metastasis is prerequisite for GC management. In an effort to discover potential tumour markers associated with peritoneal metastasis of GC, a semi‐synthetic human scFv library (Tomlinson I) was used to isolate novel antibody fragments recognizing MKN‐45, a poorly differentiated diffuse gastric adenocarcinoma cell line. Four rounds of subtractive selection each consisting of extensive pre‐absorption of phage library with NIH‐3T3 murine embryonic fibroblasts and AGS (a well‐differentiated intestinal gastric adenocarcinoma) cell line were carried out prior to positive selection on MKN‐45 target cells. ELISA‐based screening of 192 phage‐displayed scFv clones indicated 21 high‐affinity binders with specific staining of MKN‐45 compared with AGS cells. Diversity analysis of the selected phage‐scFvs resulted in five distinct sequences with multiple frequency. Further analysis by ELISA and flow cytometry verified three clones that specifically recognized MKN‐45 cells. Liquid chromatography‐mass spectrometry analysis of the scFv‐immunoprecipitated proteins has led to identification of c‐Met, HSP90 α and HSP90 β as candidate biomarkers associated with diffuse GC. Immunohistochemistry revealed the capability of purified scFvs to differentiate diffuse and intestinal gastric adenocarcinoma. Taken together, the isolated MKN‐45‐specific scFv fragments and their cognate antigens would be beneficial in screening and management as well as targeting and therapy of the diffuse gastric adenocarcinoma.
Improving Order Fulfillment Performance through Integrated Inventory Management in a Multi‐Item Finished Goods System
Authors: Yang Liu , Li Haitao , Campbell James F.
Published: October 2019

Effective inventory management is fundamental to order fulfillment excellence and supply chain success. In this paper, we develop a strategic inventory management decision tool that integrates inventory classification and inventory control policy decisions for maximizing order fulfillment performance, while accounting for a constraint on inventory budget and the profit expectation of a firm. This inventory solution tool provides critical enhancements to current inventory planning software, which is developed upon the traditional inventory classification scheme and where practitioners have to balance service levels and safety stock decisions through trial‐and‐error. The model allows firms to assess whether the current inventory performance is Pareto optimal, quantify the trade‐offs between various performance measures, and identify the right inventory level according to the firms' strategic goals. In computational results, we demonstrate the trade‐off and positive relationships between key item‐ and order‐based inventory performance measures and short‐term profitability under different levels of inventory budget in a multi‐item finished goods inventory system.
Early classroom reading gains moderate shared environmental influences on reading comprehension in adolescence
Authors: Taylor Jeanette , Erbeli Florina , Hart Sara A. , Johnson Wendy
Published: October 2019

Background

Reading is important for children's success in school and beyond, yet many adolescents fail to reach expected levels of proficiency. This highlights the need to better understand the factors that influence reading effectiveness over time, including genes and environment. Greater expression of genetic influence on first‐ and second‐grade reading fluency has been observed in higher quality classroom reading environments. To what degree this early environment continues to influence genetic and other environmental influences on later reading is unknown and was tested in this study.

Methods

The quality of the early classroom reading environment was approximated by gains in oral reading fluency (ORF) across the school year among first‐ or second‐grade classmates of 546 MZ and 1,016 DZ twin children (mean age = 7.13 years; SD = 0.45) who had reading comprehension scores from a state‐wide mandatory test in school year 2013–2014 when most twin pairs were in seventh to tenth grade (mean age = 14.41; SD = 1.13) in a variable called Class ORF Gain. Biometrical models were fit to the data to assess whether Class ORF Gain moderated the genetic, shared environmental and/or nonshared environmental variance associated with adolescent reading comprehension.

Results

Class ORF Gain moderated shared environmental influences on reading comprehension 6–9 years later. When early classroom reading gains were poor, variability in reading comprehension in adolescence was high and was associated largely with shared environmental influences. When early classroom reading gains were good, overall and shared environmentally influenced variability in adolescent reading comprehension was lower so that genetic influences were most relevant in explaining that variability.

Conclusions

Our findings suggested that classroom reading environment experienced when children were learning to read had a lasting influence on the factors underlying variability in later reading effectiveness.
Diapause and biological cycle of Cydalima perspectalis (Walker) in the eastern Pyrenees
Authors: López Carmen , Eizaguirre Matilde
Published: October 2019

Boxwood is a very important component of the natural forests of the eastern Pyrenees. In the low altitudes of these forests, the invasive species Cydalima perspectalis (Walker) causes considerable damage, and there is concern that it will migrate towards the natural forests at higher altitudes. To determine the biological parameters of the local pest population, a semiartificial diet with lyophilized powdered Buxus sempervirens L. leaves was developed. The results obtained indicate that the studied population of C. perspectalis is very similar to the native Japanese population in terms of the number of larval instars to complete development, the development rate and the critical photoperiod for the induction of diapause. It has also been demonstrated that long photoperiods can shorten the duration of larval development. The diapause induction response was classified as type I, and diapause termination was classified as type III. At the two studied temperatures, 25º and 15ºC, the larvae seemed to require a similar number of days in diapause, approximately 3 months, to spontaneously resume development; temperatures can also prompt larvae to resume development. The critical photoperiod in the study area occurs during the second half of August, varying somewhat according to temperature. The greatest defoliation is caused by the offspring of the first generation, while the majority of the larval offspring of the second generation will enter diapause. The survival of natural boxwood in this area will depend on its ability to regrow one or two years after extensive defoliation and on the adaptation of several indigenous natural enemies in the region to feed on C. perspectalis.
The epidemiology of inflammatory bowel disease: East meets west
Authors: Mak Wing Yan , Zhao Mirabella , Ng Siew Chien , Burisch Johan
Published: October 2019

The incidence of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) in East has risen over the past decade to become a global disease. The increasing number of studies on the incidence and course of IBD in East has enabled us to explore East versus West differences in the epidemiology of IBD which could enhance our understanding of the heterogeneity of the disease and eventually assist in the discovery of novel therapeutic targets and design of preventive strategies.

Comparison of population‐based data in East and West reveals that the incidence of IBD has risen rapidly in East while plateauing in West. Furthermore, the clinical presentation and course of IBD differs between East and West with more patients in East presenting with complicated disease. Considering the scarcity of population‐based data from East and the lack of studies with long durations of follow‐up, it remains to be clarified whether these differences reflect true differences in disease presentation. The effects of genetic and environmental risk factors contributing to IBD also differ between Eastern and Western populations. Considering the differential effects of genetic and environmental risk factors in East and West, future studies should seek to discover novel genetic and environmental risk factors which might specifically apply to eastern populations.

In this narrative review, we compare the epidemiology of IBD between eastern and western countries by summarizing evidence from population‐based cohort studies in the last ten years. Furthermore, we look at differences in genetic susceptibility and environmental triggers of IBD between East and West.
Houses as ATMs: Mortgage Refinancing and Macroeconomic Uncertainty
Authors: CHEN HUI , MICHAUX MICHAEL , ROUSSANOV NIKOLAI
Published: October 2019

Mortgage refinancing activity associated with extraction of home equity contains a strongly countercyclical component consistent with household demand for liquidity. We estimate a structural model of liquidity management featuring countercyclical idiosyncratic labor income uncertainty, long‐ and short‐term mortgages, and realistic borrowing constraints. We empirically evaluate its predictions for households' choices of leverage, liquid assets, and mortgage refinancing using microlevel data. Taking the observed historical paths of house prices, aggregate income, and interest rates as given, the model accounts for many salient features in the evolution of balance sheets and consumption in the cross‐section of households over 2001 to 2012.
Evaluation of serum apelin‐13 and apelin‐36 concentrations in preeclamptic pregnancies
Authors: Gürlek Beril , Yılmaz Adnan , Durakoğlugil Murtaza E. , Karakaş Sibel , Kazaz İlknur M. , Önal Özgür , Şatıroğlu Ömer
Published: October 2019

Aim

Recent studies suggest that apelin can be a novel potential therapeutic mediator to improve the diagnosis, and treatment of preeclampsia. This study aimed to investigate the association of serum apelin‐13 and apelin‐36 with preeclampsia and to detect their relationship with preeclampsia‐associated perinatal morbidity.

Methods

Forty‐four women with preeclampsia were included as the study group. Forty‐four healthy pregnant women, at similar gestational week with similar gravidity, formed the control group. The clinical findings, biochemical indicators, maternal and perinatal outcomes, and the serum concentrations of apelin‐36 and apelin‐13 were evaluated. The levels of apelin‐13 and apelin‐36 were determined with commercial kits using a competition‐based enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay method.

Results

The mean gestational age at sampling was 35.77 ± 2.515 weeks in the preeclamptic group, 36.45 ± 2.057 weeks in the control group (P = 0.270). Maternal serum apelin‐36 and apelin‐13 concentrations were significantly lower in patients with preeclampsia compared to the individuals in the control group (P = 0.030 and P = 0.005, respectively). The optimal cut‐off points of apelin‐36 and apelin‐13 measurements for discriminating between preeclampsia and controls were evaluated by the receiver–operator curve analysis. The results showed that apelin‐13 and apelin‐36 are moderately successful markers to differentiate subjects with preeclampsia from healthy pregnant women. The concentrations of apelin‐13 and apelin‐36 in both groups were not statistically different in cases with and without adverse fetal/neonatal outcomes.

Conclusion

In conclusion, we investigated serum apelin‐13 and apelin‐36 concentrations in preeclamptic patients and demonstrated markedly lower maternal concentrations compared to healthy pregnant women.
Thermo‐coagulation versus cryotherapy for treatment of cervical precancers: A prospective analytical study in a low‐resource African setting
Authors: Chigbu Chibuike O. , Onwudiwe Elijah N. , Onyebuchi Azubuike K.
Published: October 2019

Aims

To evaluate the outcomes of cryotherapy and thermo‐coagulation in the treatment of cervical precancers.

Method

Prospective analytical study. Women who screened positive to visual inspection with acetic acid and confirmed by colposcopy using the Swede's score were randomized to receive either cryotherapy or thermo‐coagulation. Participants were re‐evaluated 6 months later.

Results

A total of 11 124 women were screened. Only 1023 of the 1294 colposcopically confirmed positive cases were eligible for ablative therapy. Five hundred and twelve women received cryotherapy while 511 women received thermo‐coagulation. Cryotherapy had similar cure rate with thermo‐coagulation (85.5 vs 89.2%, P = 0.09). The mean patient satisfaction score for thermo‐coagulation was higher than that for cryotherapy (3.9 ± 1.3 vs 2.8 ± 1.7; P < 0.0001). The mean duration of treatment per patient was higher for cryotherapy than thermo‐coagulation (660.0 ± 0.0 vs 50.9 ± 15.3 s, P < 0.0001). The mean cost of treatment per patient was significantly higher for cryotherapy than for thermo‐coagulation (2613.1 ± 254.9 vs 533.2 ± 45.2 Nigerian Naira, P < 0.0001). Higher proportion of women who had thermo‐coagulation reported no side effect (55.2 vs 12.5%, P < 0.0001).

Conclusion

Cryotherapy and thermo‐coagulation have similar efficacy in the treatment of cervical precancers. Thermo‐coagulation offers lower cost and lower duration of treatment, less side effects and higher patient satisfaction than cryotherapy. Thermo‐coagulation should be the recommended ablative treatment method for low‐resource settings of the world.
Assessment of fetal cardiac function with echocardiography
Authors: Nakata Masahiko , Sakuma Junya , Takano Mayumi , Nagasaki Sumito
Published: October 2019

The circulatory physiology of fetuses differs from that of neonates. The concept of biventricular combined cardiac output is necessary to understand and assess the fetal cardiac function. Fetal cardiac function has been estimated using echocardiographic methods such as M‐mode, B‐mode and pulsed wave Doppler. In addition, recent studies have reported the utility of tissue Doppler imaging in fetal echocardiography. However, parameters for fetal cardiac function remain to be established. Recently, we developed two novel techniques for assessing fetal cardiac function: an automatic fractional shortening method and E/e′ determination using the dual‐gate Doppler method. These two techniques are expected to be reliable and useful for assessing the fetal status in various pathological conditions.
Resveratrol analogues present effective antileishmanial activity against promastigotes and amastigotes from distinct Leishmania species by multitarget action in the parasites
Authors: Antinarelli Luciana Maria Ribeiro , Meinel Raissa Soares , Coelho Eduardo Antonio Ferraz , da Silva Adilson David , Coimbra Elaine Soares
Published: October 2019

Objectives

The in vitro antileishmanial effect of analogues of resveratrol (AR) present in the N-aryl imines and N-aryl hydrazones series was investigated. In addition, possible parasite targets were evaluated.

Methods

Antipromastigote activity of Leishmania amazonensis, L. braziliensis and L. infantum, as well as the cytotoxicity on macrophages was determined by MTT assay and L. braziliensis-infected macrophages effect by Giemsa stain. After staining, effects on the parasite targets were analysed by flow cytometry or by fluorescence microscopy.

Key-findings

Among the tested compounds, the derivative AR26 showed the best effect against promastigotes of all Leishmania species (IC50 < 3.0 µg/ml), being more active than miltefosine, the control drug. AR26 was also effective against amastigotes of L. braziliensis (IC50 = 15.9 µg/ml), with low toxicity to mammalian cells. The evaluation of mechanism of action of AR26 on L. braziliensis promastigotes indicates mitochondrial potential depolarization, plasma membrane permeabilization, interference in the progression of the cell cycle and accumulation of autophagic vacuoles. In addition, any increase of the reactive oxygen species levels was detected in the treated L. braziliensis-macrophages.

Conclusions

Data indicate that the antileishmanial activity of AR26 is related to multitarget action, and the resveratrol analogues could be used in future studies as antileishmanial agent.
Hepatitis C virus eradication with direct‐acting antiviral improves insulin resistance
Authors: Russo Francesco Paolo , Zanetto Alberto , Gambato Martina , Bortoluzzi Ilaria , Al Zoairy Ramona , Franceschet Enrica , De Marchi Federica , Marzi Luca , Lynch Erica Nicola , Floreani Annarosa , Farinati Fabio , Schaefer Benedikt , Burra Patrizia , Zoller Heinz , Mega Andrea
Published: October 2019

Sustained virological response (SVR) after interferon‐based therapy is associated with improvement of insulin resistance (IR) in HCV‐infected patients. Few data are available in the direct‐acting antivirals (DAAs) era, especially in cirrhotic patients. We prospectively evaluated the long‐term effect of DAAs on IR. Patients treated with DAAs between May 2015 and December 2016 in 3 tertiary care centres were recruited. Patients with diabetes were excluded. Biochemical and virological data were collected at baseline, 12/24/48 weeks (W) after the end of therapy (EOT). Presence of IR was defined by a ‘homeostasis model assessment index for IR’ [HOMA‐IR])> 2.5. Liver fibroscan was performed at baseline, at 24/48W after EOT. Hundred and thirty‐eight patients were enrolled (mean age 58 years, M/F 85/53, GT1 61%, 68.8% cirrhotic). Sixty‐eight patients (94/138) had IR. Patients with IR had significantly higher stiffness than patients without it (23 ± 12 vs 15 ± 8; P < .0001). SVR12 was achieved in 135 (98%) patients, and 124 (90%) patients reached the 48W post‐EOT. At this time point, the percentage of patients with IR significantly decreased to 49% (P = 0,01). HOMA‐IR was significantly lower than baseline (1.8 vs 3; P < .001), and this was related to a significant reduction of insulin level (11.7 ± 6.3 vs 16.4 ± 8.3). High BMI was associated with a significantly lower probability of achieving a non‐IR status at 24W (P = .05) and 48W (P = .03).In conclusion, SVR following DAAs led to a significant reduction of IR, even in patients with cirrhosis. Nevertheless, IR can persist after the achievement of SVR, especially in patients with high BMI.
Phytosociological data and herbarium collections show congruent large‐scale patterns but differ in their local descriptions of community composition
Authors: Bottin Marius , Peyre Gwendolyn , Vargas Carlos , Raz Lauren , Richardson James E. , Sanchez Adriana
Published: October 2019

Question

As a result of recent and substantial digitization efforts, herbaria are becoming important sources of data for vegetation scientists. Are such data sets appropriate to describe composition gradients and β‐diversity? When compared with phytosociological data, what are the differences in terms of composition (co‐occurrence) gradients depending on the considered scale?

Location

Páramos (Neo‐tropical alpine ecosystems) of Colombia.

Methods

We compared vegetation patterns from phytosociological relevés and reconstructed pseudo‐communities from herbarium collections in the Colombian high elevation páramo ecosystem using diversity partitioning and Mantel correlations.

Results

Species composition differed in the two data sets, which could be explained by taxonomic bias towards charismatic species and overrepresentation of rare species in the herbarium data set, whereas common species were more frequently represented in the phytosociological data set. The two data sets showed a similarly preponderant importance of large‐scale differences when we looked at species accumulation across different scales. Small‐scale richness contributed more to total richness for the phytosociological data set, while richness at intermediate scales was more important in the herbarium data set. Finally, pairwise β‐diversity analyses did not show correlations between data sets, and common species showed similar ecological distribution patterns.

Conclusions

We recommend caution to researchers who wish to describe β‐diversity patterns in local communities using only herbarium data. However, since the two data sets showed some complementarity in their composition patterns, we suggest that combining data from relevés (or plots) and occurrence data (herbarium records, citizen science, etc.) could be an efficient strategy for describing broader diversity patterns. We discuss the circumstances under which it could be advantageous to work with such combined data sets, in particular in relation to conservation issues.
A review of reported seaweed diseases and pests in aquaculture in Asia
Authors: Ward Georgia M. , Faisan Joseph P. , Cottier‐Cook Elizabeth J. , Gachon Claire , Hurtado Anicia Q. , Lim Phaik E. , Matoju Ivy , Msuya Flower E. , Bass David , Brodie Juliet
Published: October 2019

Seaweeds have been used as a food for centuries in Asia and are increasingly exploited as a source for dietary supplements, animal feed, chemicals, and biofuels. In recent years, there has been an increase in the prevalence of diseases and pests in these aquaculture crops, with a subsequent reduction in their quantity and commercial value. In this article, we review diseases that have been reported in the scientific literature for species of red and brown seaweeds. We have focused on the major seaweed crops grown in Asia, where much of this production is centered. We also provide information on disease management and biosecurity and some observations on future directions.
Primary pollinator exclusion has divergent consequences for pollen dispersal and mating in different populations of a bird‐pollinated tree
Authors: Bezemer Nicole , Hopper Stephen D. , Krauss Siegy L. , Phillips Ryan D. , Roberts David G.
Published: October 2019

Pollination by nectarivorous birds is predicted to result in different patterns of pollen dispersal and plant mating compared to pollination by insects. We tested the prediction that paternal genetic diversity, outcrossing rate and realized pollen dispersal will be reduced when the primary pollinator group is excluded from bird‐pollinated plants. Pollinator exclusion experiments in conjunction with paternity analysis of progeny were applied to Eucalyptus caesia Benth. (Myrtaceae), a predominantly honeyeater‐pollinated tree that is visited by native insects and the introduced Apis mellifera (Apidae). Microsatellite genotyping at 14 loci of all adult E. caesia at two populations (n = 580 and 315), followed by paternity analysis of 705 progeny, revealed contrasting results between populations. Honeyeater exclusion did not significantly impact pollen dispersal or plant mating at Mount Caroline. In contrast, at the Chiddarcooping site, the exclusion of honeyeaters led to lower outcrossing rates, a threefold reduction in the average number of sires per fruit, a decrease in intermediate‐distance mating and an increase in near‐neighbour mating. The results from Chiddarcooping suggest that bird pollination may increase paternal genetic diversity, potentially leading to higher fitness of progeny and favouring the evolution of this strategy. However, further experimentation involving additional trees and study sites is required to test this hypothesis. Alternatively, insects may be effective pollinators in some populations of bird‐adapted plants, but ineffective in others.
International Migration: Trends, Determinants, and Policy Effects
Authors: de Haas Hein , Czaika Mathias , Flahaux Marie‐Laurence , Mahendra Edo , Natter Katharina , Vezzoli Simona , Villares‐Varela María
Published: October 2019

This paper synthesizes insights from new global data on the effectiveness of migration policies. It investigates the complex links between migration policies and migration trends to disentangle policy effects from structural migration determinants. The analysis challenges two central assumptions underpinning the popular idea that migration restrictions have failed to curb migration. First, post‐WWII global migration levels have not accelerated, but remained relatively stable while most shifts in migration patterns have been directional. Second, post‐WWII migration policies have generally liberalized despite political rhetoric suggesting the contrary. While migration policies are generally effective, “substitution effects” can limit their effectiveness, or even make them counterproductive, by geographically diverting migration, interrupting circulation, encouraging unauthorized migration, or prompting “now or never” migration surges. These effects expose fundamental policy dilemmas and highlight the importance of understanding the economic, social, and political trends that shape migration in sometimes counterintuitive, but powerful, ways that largely lie beyond the reach of migration policies.
High porosity with tiny pore constrictions and unbending pathways characterize the 3D structure of intervessel pit membranes in angiosperm xylem
Authors: Zhang Ya , Carmesin Cora , Kaack Lucian , Klepsch Matthias M. , Kotowska Martyna , Matei Tabea , Schenk H. Jochen , Weber Matthias , Walther Paul , Schmidt Volker , Jansen Steven
Published: October 2019

Pit membranes between xylem vessels play a major role in angiosperm water transport. Yet, their three‐dimensional (3D) structure as fibrous porous media remains unknown, largely due to technical challenges and sample preparation artefacts. Here, we applied a modelling approach based on thickness measurements of fresh and fully shrunken pit membranes of seven species. Pore constrictions were also investigated visually by perfusing fresh material with colloidal gold particles of known sizes. Based on a shrinkage model, fresh pit membranes showed tiny pore constrictions of ca. 20 nm, but a very high porosity (i.e. pore volume fraction) of on average 0.81. Perfusion experiments showed similar pore constrictions in fresh samples, well below 50 nm based on transmission electron microscopy. Drying caused a 50% shrinkage of pit membranes, resulting in much smaller pore constrictions. These findings suggest that pit membranes represent a mesoporous medium, with the pore space characterized by multiple constrictions. Constrictions are much smaller than previously assumed, but the pore volume is large and highly interconnected. Pores do not form highly tortuous, bent, or zigzagging pathways. These insights provide a novel view on pit membranes, which is essential to develop a mechanistic, 3D understanding of air‐seeding through this porous medium.
Crude garlic extract significantly inhibits replication of grapevine viruses
Authors: Wang X. Y. , Zhang C. W. , Huang W. T. , Yue J. , Dou J. J. , Wang L. Y. , Wang Q. , Cheng Y. Q.
Published: October 2019

Efforts to control viral diseases of grapevine include the production of certified material and development of virus‐resistant transgenic grapevines. However, effective antiviral agents, once the viruses have infected the plants, are still lacking. This study shows that a crude garlic extract has significant antiviral activity against grapevine viruses. Replication of grapevine leafroll‐associated virus 2 (GLRaV‐2) was obviously inhibited in grapevine cv. Cabernet Sauvignon calli treated with diluted (1:100) garlic extract. The relative RNA levels of GLRaV‐2 and grapevine fleck virus (GFkV) in cv. Summer Black grapevine in in vitro‐grown plantlets 10 days after treatment with diluted (1:100) garlic extract were about 22% and 20%, respectively, of that in controls. The viral RNA accumulation of GLRaV‐2, GFkV, grapevine virus A (GVA), grapevine fanleaf virus (GFLV) and grapevine rupestris stem pitting‐associated virus (GRSPaV) in field‐grown grapevine cv. Centennial Seedless plants sprayed with diluted (1:100) garlic extract were about 31–40%, 26–38%, 18–31%, 17–42% and 15–18%, respectively, of that in controls. Moreover, the garlic extract treatment led to a significant decrease in viral RNA accumulation of GLRaV‐3, GLRaV‐2, GVA, GFkV, GFLV, GRSPaV and grapevine Pinot Gris virus in pot‐grown grapevine cv. Shine Muscat plants, and viral disease symptoms in these plants were obviously attenuated. In addition, this extract significantly induced expression of pathogenesis‐related protein genes and stimulated activity of antioxidant enzymes in grapevines. Taken together, these results indicate that the crude garlic extract acts as a significant inhibitor against a broad range of grapevine viruses.
Noisy information, risk sharing, and international business cycles
Authors: Guo Zi‐Yi
Published: October 2019

We introduce a noisy information structure into an otherwise standard international real business cycle model with two countries. When domestic firms observe current foreign technology with some noise, predictions of the model on international correlation can be very different from those of a standard perfect information model. We show that the model can explain: (a) positive output correlation both in complete and incomplete market models, (b) consumption correlation smaller than output correlation with an introduction of information‐constrained consumers, and (c) observation of both positive and negative productivity–hours correlation in two countries.
Cardiovascular and metabolic health effects of team handball training in overweight women: Impact of prior experience
Authors: Hornstrup Therese , Póvoas Susana , Helge Jørn Wulff , Melcher Pia Sandfeld , Fristrup Bjørn , Andersen Jesper Løvind , Møgelvang Rasmus , Hansen Peter Riis , Nybo Lars , Krustrup Peter
Published: October 2019

Purpose

We tested the hypothesis that participation in small‐sided team handball training could provide beneficial effects on cardiovascular and metabolic parameters in overweight premenopausal women with special focus on the importance of prior team handball experience.

Methods

A 16‐week RCT training intervention was conducted in overweight premenopausal women randomized into three groups: a team handball training group without prior experience (UN; n = 13), a team handball group with prior experience (EXP; n = 10), and an inactive control group (CON; n = 9). Both UN and EXP completed 1.6 ± 0.3 training sessions per week with average heart rates of 84 ± 5 and 85 ± 9% of maximal heart rate, respectively. Cardiovascular and metabolic parameters were assessed before and after the intervention.

Results

Compared to CON, UN had significant increases in VO2max (7 ± 4%) and intermittent endurance performance (26 ± 14%) as well as reduced total fat mass (4 ± 6%), total fat percentage (4 ± 5%), and android fat mass (7 ± 12%), respectively (all P < .05). Compared to UN and CON, EXP displayed increased left ventricular mass and left ventricular mass index (both P < .05) after the training period. There were no significant changes between any of the groups in muscle mass, blood lipids, resting heart rate, and blood pressure (all P > .05).

Conclusion

Small‐sided team handball training in overweight premenopausal women resulted in improvement of VO2max and body composition for participants with minimal team handball experience, indicating that prior team handball experience is not a prerequisite for improving physiological parameters of importance for health. Furthermore, EXP displayed cardiac adaptations, including increased left ventricular mass and left ventricular mass index.
After the March: Using Instagram to Perform and Sustain the Women's March
Authors: Einwohner Rachel L. , Rochford Elle
Published: October 2019

The January 2017 Women's March was an example of the paradigmatic March on Washington, part of the repertoire of collective action used by social movements in the United States for decades. Similar marches were held on its first and second anniversary, in January 2018 and January 2019, respectively. One did not need to travel to the nation's capital to participate in these marches, however; activists also organized hundreds of “sister marches” across the United States and internationally. Yet, a sole focus on these one‐day, physical events misses a great deal of activity. In this article, we examine social media activity related to the Women's March on the platform Instagram that was posted well after the 2017 march was over but before the 2018 march was fully planned. We do so to gain purchase on how individuals and organizations use social media to maintain movements between large events. We analyze a systematic sample of Instagram posts from two sources: (1) individual Instagram users’ public posts with the hashtag #womensmarch and (2) posts from the official Instagram account of the Women's March. Conceptualizing these posts as political performances, we use our findings to draw implications for the study of contemporary protest.
Review of imaging technologies used in Hidradenitis Suppurativa
Authors: Elkin Kenneth , Daveluy Steven , Avanaki Kamran
Published: October 2019

Background

Until recently, clinical assessment with manual palpation of the HS lesions was the primary means to detect HS lesions and their borders. In the past decade, there has been increased application of imaging technologies to HS patients, and it is reported that manual palpation consistently underestimates HS. Of the technologies, ultrasound (US) imaging has been the most efficacious and well‐studied. In the present review, we will discuss the various imaging modalities that aid in detecting, managing, and treating HS.

Materials and Methods

Non‐invasive HS imaging technologies including ultrasound (US) imaging, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), medical infrared thermography (MIT), positron emission topography (PET), and computed tomography (CT) were reviewed and compared through a review of the literature. PubMed, Google, and Google Scholar were utilized.

Results

Of the 4 HS technologies reviewed, US imaging and MRI are the most established and useful non‐invasive modalities utilized in HS patients. However, MIT may have potential to aid in the pre‐operative and intra‐operative surgical excision of HS lesions.

Conclusion

For imaging HS lesions, US imaging is the most well‐characterized and has the greatest range of use, while MRI has a role in severe, anogenital HS lesions. MIT of HS lesions is a novel application and merits attention.
Characterization of an HLA‐C*03:04:01 variant, HLA‐C*03:04:01:39, identified in a Brazilian individual
Authors: Vianna Romulo , Secco Danielle , Santos Angela , Porto Luís Cristóvão
Published: October 2019

Characterization of an HLA‐C*03:04:01 variant, HLA‐C*03:04:01:39.
HLA diversity in Brazil
Authors: Boquett Juliano A. , Bisso‐Machado Rafael , Zagonel‐Oliveira Marcelo , Schüler‐Faccini Lavínia , Fagundes Nelson J. R.
Published: October 2019

Brazil is the fifth largest country in the world in area and the fifth most populous. The Brazilian voluntary Bone Marrow Donor Registry is the third largest in terms of number of donors in the world, being a valuable source of HLA genetics to characterize the donor population of Brazil as well. The genetic background of the Brazilian population is quite heterogeneous, resulting from 5 centuries of admixture among Native Americans, Europeans and Africans, making the Brazilian population unique in terms of genetic ancestry. The unique characteristics of populations in different Brazilian regions make them an exciting focus for genetic diversity studies. Studies on HLA genetic diversity of Brazilian populations have been conducted since the late 1980s and, in this review, we highlight the main findings from studies carried out in Brazil based on classical HLA. In addition, we calculated the genetic distance from the molecular data of the studies included in this review in order to have a broader view of the HLA diversity in Brazilian populations. We emphasize that characterization of HLA diversity is not only important for transplantation programs, but can shed a light on ancestry, history and other demographic patterns with or without association with autoimmune disease.
Fluvial incisions in the North‐Western Pyrenees (Aspe Valley): Dissection of a former planation surface and some tectonic implications
Authors: Uzel Jessica , Nivière Bertrand , Lagabrielle Yves
Published: October 2019

Dissected remnants of a high elevation low relief surface (HELRS) are encountered all along the Pyrenean range. All authors agree that the HELRS was shaped during the post‐shortening evolution of the belt, but doubt remains on its original elevation. Notably, whether a post‐shortening uplift event occurred after the generation of the Pyrenean planation surface is still debated. Based on a geomorphological study of the entrenchment of the Aspe River in the North‐Western Pyrenees, we describe a post‐Oligocene multi‐stage dissection of the HELRS linked to a regional post‐shortening uplift. Each incision stage is recorded by erosional triangular facets and associated stepped remnants of former smooth topographies. Compared analysis of patterns of incision in the Axial Zone and its northern border allows to evidence differential vertical motions. We discuss the forcing mechanism(s) that controlled this morphological evolution.
Enhancing spatial and textual analysis with EUPEG: An extensible and unified platform for evaluating geoparsers
Authors: Wang Jimin , Hu Yingjie
Published: October 2019

A rich amount of geographic information exists in unstructured texts, such as web pages, social media posts, housing advertisements, and historical archives. Geoparsers are useful tools that extract structured geographic information from unstructured texts, thereby enabling spatial analysis on textual data. While a number of geoparsers have been developed, they have been tested on different data sets using different metrics. Consequently, it is difficult to compare existing geoparsers or to compare a new geoparser with existing ones. In recent years, researchers have created open and annotated corpora for testing geoparsers. While these corpora are extremely valuable, much effort is still needed for a researcher to prepare these data sets and deploy geoparsers for comparative experiments. This article presents EUPEG: an Extensible and Unified Platform for Evaluating Geoparsers. EUPEG is an open source and web‐based benchmarking platform which hosts the majority of open corpora, geoparsers, and performance metrics reported in the literature. It enables direct comparison of the geoparsers hosted, and a new geoparser can be connected to EUPEG and compared with other geoparsers. The main objective of EUPEG is to reduce the time and effort that researchers have to spend in preparing data sets and baselines, thereby increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of comparative experiments.
Nocardia infection in kidney transplant recipients: A single‐center experience
Authors: Matchett Caroline , Djamali Arjang , Mandelbrot Didier , Saddler Christopher , Parajuli Sandesh
Published: October 2019

Background

Data on Nocardia infection in kidney transplant patients remain limited.

Methods

A chart review of patients with a history of kidney transplant and one positive culture for Nocardia between 1999 and 2019 was performed.

Results

Ten patients (0.1%) had a Nocardia infection. Eight were deceased donor kidney transplant recipients, and the mean age at the time of transplant was 56.0 ± 14.5 years. Nocardia infection occurred at a median of 12 months (range, 6‐102) after transplant with half of the cases within 1 year. Breakthrough Nocardia infection occurred in five patients receiving daily double‐strength (160/800 mg) TMP‐SMX as prophylaxis. Half of the patients had comorbid CMV infection at diagnosis. The most common site involved was the lung. TMP‐SMX was the most frequently used antimicrobial agent for treating Nocardia infection (9 of 10); it was administered as single‐drug therapy (4 of 10) or as combination therapy with other antimicrobials (5 of 10). Overall mortality was 60% with 30% attributable mortality within a mean of 3.3 ± 7.7 weeks after a diagnosis of Nocardia.

Discussion

TMP‐SMX prophylaxis did not appear to protect against Nocardia but did appear to be associated with less severe disease. Overall outcomes remain poor, and infection can occur outside the traditional window.
The Value of Diversity in Cognitive Science
Authors: Bender Andrea
Published: October 2019

A recent article (Núñez et al., 2019) claims that cognitive science, while starting off as a multidisciplinary enterprise, has “failed to transition to a mature inter‐disciplinary coherent field.” Two indicators reported in support of this claim target one of the two journals of the Cognitive Science Society,Cognitive Science, depicting cognitive science as an increasingly monodisciplinary subfield which is dominated by psychology. With a focus on the society's other journal,Topics in Cognitive Science, the present commentary reveals a greater degree of interdisciplinarity and discusses the relative values of diversity and integration for the field.
On the road to C4 rice: advances and perspectives
Authors: Ermakova Maria , Danila Florence R. , Furbank Robert T. , von Caemmerer Susanne
Published: October 2019

The international C4 rice consortium aims to introduce into rice a high capacity photosynthetic mechanism, the C4 pathway, to increase yield. The C4 pathway is characterised by a complex combination of biochemical and anatomical specialisation that ensures high CO2 partial pressure at RuBisCO sites in bundle sheath (BS) cells. Here we report an update of the progress of the C4 rice project. Since its inception in 2008 there has been an exponential growth in synthetic biology and molecular tools. Golden Gate cloning and synthetic promoter systems have facilitated gene building block approaches allowing multiple enzymes and metabolite transporters to be assembled and expressed from single gene constructs. Photosynthetic functionalisation of the BS in rice remains an important step and there has been some success overexpressing transcription factors in the cytokinin signalling network which influence chloroplast volume. The C4 rice project has rejuvenated the research interest in C4 photosynthesis. Comparative anatomical studies now point to critical features essential for the design. So far little attention has been paid to the energetics. C4 photosynthesis has a greater ATP requirement, which is met by increased cyclic electron transport in BS cells. We hypothesise that changes in energy statues may drive this increased capacity for cyclic electron flow without the need for further modification. Although increasing vein density will ultimately be necessary for high efficiency C4 rice, our modelling shows that small amounts of C4 photosynthesis introduced around existing veins could already provide benefits of increased photosynthesis on the road to C4 rice.
Numerical Investigation of Unsteady Laminar in Oscillated Lid–Driven Cavity Flow
Authors: Safdari Arman , Sheldareh Ali Akbari , Poortoosi Mohammad , Che Sidik Nor Azwadi
Published: October 2019

This article reports the flow characteristics in an oscillated lid–driven cavity. The mesoscale numerical scheme of the multiple relaxation time lattice Boltzmann method is applied to solve for the fluid flow equation. Our predicted results revealed that the flow behavior is critically dependent on the dimensionless Reynolds number and frequency of the oscillated top lid of the cavity.
Forced Cooling on a Heated Wall with Impinging Flow Configuration Using Synthetic Jet Actuator Under Combined Wave Excitation
Authors: M.Eng. Harinaldi , A Kosasih Engkos , Rhakasywi Damora , Defriadi Rikko
Published: October 2019

This research investigated the forced cooling characterization of an impinging synthetic jet under combined wave excitation. The synthetic jet cooling used an air flowing in a vertical direction into the heated wall. The synthetic jet actuator used two oscilating membranes to push and pull the air from and to the cavity. The main purpose of this synthetic jet was to create vortices pair to come out from nozzle which will accelerate the heat transfer process occurring at the impinged wall. This heat transfer enhancement principles became the basis to simulate an alternative cooling system to substitute the conventional fan cooling in electronic devices application due to its advantage for having a small form factor and low noise. The investigation combined computational and experimental works. The model was simulated to examine the distribution of heat flow on the impinged walls using variation of turbulence model i.e. standard k–epsilon, realizable k–epsilon, standard k–omega and k–omega SST (Shear Stress Transport). Meshing order was elements tri and type pave and the number of grid was 4473 mesh faces to ensure detail discretization and more accurate calculation results. In the experiment the variation of sine and square wave signals were generated with sweep function generators to oscillate the membrane. The frequency of sine wave excitation for the first membrane was kept constant at 80 Hz, meanwhile the second membrane was excitated with varied square wave signals at 80 Hz, 120 Hz, and 160 Hz. Furthermore the velocity amplitude was 0.002 m/s. Some results indicate significant influence of the excitation, and combined waveform to the rate of heat transfer obtained.