bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Obinutuzumab and venetoclax induced complete remission in a patient with ibrutinib‐resistant non‐nodal leukemic mantle cell lymphoma
Authors: Zhou Xiang , Steinhardt Maximilian Johannes , Düll Johannes , Krummenast Franziska , Danhof Sophia , Meckel Katharina , Nickel Katharina , Grathwohl Denise , Leicht Hans‐Benno , Rosenwald Andreas , Einsele Hermann , Rasche Leo , Kortüm Martin
Published: January 2020

We herein report the case of a 73‐year‐old male patient who was diagnosed with leukemic non‐nodal MCL. This patient had received six cycles of bendamustine, which resulted in a transient remission, and a second‐line therapy with ibrutinib, which unfortunately failed to induce remission. We started a treatment with single‐agent obinutuzumab at a dose of 20 mg on day 1, 50 mg on day 2‐4, 330 mg on day 5, and 1000 mg on day 6. The laboratory analysis showed a rapid decrease of leukocyte count. Four weeks later, we repeated the treatment with obinutuzumab at a dose of 1000 mg q4w and started a therapy with venetoclax at a dose of 400 mg qd, which could be increased to 800 mg qd from the third cycle. This combination therapy was well tolerated. The patient achieved a complete remission (CR) after three cycles of obinutuzumab and venetoclax. To date, the patient has a progression‐free survival of 17 months under ongoing obinutuzumab maintenance q4w. This is the first report about obinutuzumab and venetoclax induced CR in rituximab‐intolerant patient with an ibrutinib‐resistant MCL. This case suggests that obinutuzumab‐ and venetoclax‐based combination therapy might be salvage therapy in patients with ibrutinib‐resistant MCL.
Pedogenic information from fine sand: A study in Mediterranean soils
Authors: Martín‐García Juan M. , Molinero‐García Alberto , Calero Julio , Sánchez‐Marañón Manuel , Fernández‐González María V. , Delgado Rafael
Published: January 2020

The fine sand fraction (50–250 μm) of Mediterranean soils from southern Spain provides valuable information on soil genesis and the origin of their parent materials. This study considers the whole fine sand and heavy fine sand (ρ > 2.82 g cm−3) of Luvisols, Calcisols and Fluvisols, which form a chronosequence (ages from 600 to 0.3 ka) of the River Guadalquivir terrace system. Advanced techniques (X‐ray diffraction, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy, variable pressure scanning electron microscope with an energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy system and Raman analysis) were employed. Inheritance is the principal pedogenic process. The whole fine sand consisted of carbonates (calcite and dolomite), tectosilicates (quartz, K‐feldspar and plagioclases), phyllosilicates (illite/moscovite, biotite, Na‐mica, chlorite, kaolinite, interstratified vermiculite‐chlorite, vermiculite‐illite and smectite‐illite) and iron oxides (goethite and haematite). The minor minerals (rutile, anatase, ilmenite, zircon, staurolite, monazite, barite, apatite, andalusite, garnet and titanite) are concentrated, also through inheritance, in the heavy fine sand. However, there is also substantiated evidence for neoformation of rutile in these soils, never reported previously. In addition, we report that (a) the geochemical indices calculated in fine sand (SiO2/CaO, Chemical Index of Weathering (CIW), Weathering Index of Parker (WIP), Weathering Index (WI), Base Depletion Index (BDI), Weathering Ratio (WR) and Sr/Zr) are closely related to soil age, allowing chronofunctions to be established, and (b) geochemical indices provide information on the origin of soils and permit the establishment of a “critical point” corresponding to “time zero;” that is, the start of pedogenic alteration of the parent material.

Highlights

Mineralogy and geochemistry inform on the provenance of the fine sand

Rutile is neoformed in the fine sand and co‐exists with the polymorph anatase

The properties of the fine sand including geochemical indexes fit chronofunctions

Geochemical indices determine a “critical point” related to the start of weathering
Resource diversity promotes among‐individual diet variation, but not genomic diversity, in lake stickleback
Authors: Bolnick Daniel I. , Ballare Kimberly M.
Published: January 2020

Many generalist species consist of specialised individuals that use different resources. This within‐population niche variation can stabilise population and community dynamics. Consequently, ecologists wish to identify environmental settings that promote such variation. Theory predicts that environments with greater resource diversity favour ecological diversity among consumers (via disruptive selection or plasticity). Alternatively, niche variation might be a side‐effect of neutral genomic diversity in larger populations. We tested these alternatives in a metapopulation of threespine stickleback. Stickleback consume benthic and limnetic invertebrates, focusing on the former in small lakes, the latter in large lakes. Intermediate‐sized lakes support generalist stickleback populations using an even mixture of the two prey types, and exhibit greater among‐individual variation in diet and morphology. In contrast, genomic diversity increases with lake size. Thus, phenotypic diversity and neutral genetic polymorphism are decoupled: trophic diversity being greatest in intermediate‐sized lakes with high resource diversity, whereas neutral genetic diversity is greatest in the largest lakes.
First report onWolbachiaendosymbiosis in freshwaterAphelocheirus aestivalis(Heteroptera: Aphelocheiridae) and its potential impact on genetic diversity of host
Authors: Kaczmarczyk‐Ziemba Agnieszka , Krepski Tomasz
Published: January 2020

AlphaproteobacteriaWolbachiahave been described as endosymbionts of approximately half of all aquatic insect species. These bacteria might affect not only reproduction but also the genetic diversity of its hosts. In the present study we identifiedWolbachiaendosymbiosis in freshwater true bugAphelocheirus aestivalisF., 1794 (Heteroptera: Aphelocheiridae). Despite the fact thatA. aestivalisis widely distributed in Europe, it occurs rather locally, often in isolated populations. Taking into account thatWolbachia, close relationships and past demographic phenomena could affect the genetic diversity of its host, we analyzed mitochondrial (COIand 16S) and nuclear (internal transcribed spacer 2) markers determined forA. aestivalisindividuals collected from five populations. Moreover, we compared obtainedCOIsequences with those deposited in GenBank. Analyses revealed low genetic differentiation among samples tested, as well as low variation among determinedCOIsequences and those downloaded from the database. AlthoughWolbachiainfection could correlate with decreasing mitochondrial diversity of its host, we suggest that low genetic variation observed in testedA. aestivalissamples (at both mitochondrial and nuclear levels) is a result of populations’ close relationships, past demographic phenomena or is characteristic for this species. Detailed analysis of thewspgene fragment revealed two distinct strains ofWolbachiainfectingA. aestivalis.Both of them belong to supergroup A, also found in other arthropods.
The Asian grass lizard (Takydromus sexlineatus) does not respond to the scent of a native mammalian predator
Authors: Van Moorleghem Charlotte , Van Damme Raoul
Published: January 2020

Lacertid lizards use chemical cues emitted by saurophagous snakes to evade predation. Whether these lizards can detect and respond to the chemical cues of predatory mammals has not been studied. As many mammals carry distinct body odours and/or use chemical cues for intraspecific communication, lizards can be expected to use these chemicals as early warning cues. To test this idea, we observed the behaviour of Asian grass lizards (Takydromus sexlineatus) that had been transferred to an unfamiliar test arena containing one of four scent treatments. No particular scent was applied to the arena in the control situation. Diluted aftershave served as a pungency control. In the snake treatment, scent of the Oriental whip snake (Ahaetulla prasina) was applied. We included this treatment to learn how Asian grass lizards react to predator chemical cues. Finally, in the mongoose treatment, the lizards were confronted with scent cues of several small Indian mongooses (Herpestes auropunctatus). Snake scent elicited foot shakes, startles and tail vibrations. These are behaviours that in lacertid lizards are associated with stressful situations such as predatory encounters. Surprisingly, lizards confronted with mongoose scent exhibited none of these stress‐indicating behaviours. In fact, their behaviour did not differ from that of lizards subjected to an odourless control treatment. These results raise concern. Mongooses are rapidly invading ecosystems worldwide. If lizards that have co‐evolved with mongooses are unable to detect these predators’ presence through chemical cues, it seems highly unlikely that evolutionary naïve lizards will develop this ability rapidly.
Physicochemical and techno‐functional properties of acid‐aided pH‐shifted protein isolate from over‐salted duck egg (Anas platyrhucus) albumen
Authors: Panpipat Worawan , Chaijan Manat
Published: January 2020

Here, potential physicochemical and techno‐functional properties of the albumen protein recovered from over‐salted albumen by an effective acid‐aided pH‐shift process (POA) were tested in comparison with the fresh albumen (FA) and albumen protein recovered from fresh albumen by acid‐aided pH‐shift process (PFA). POA contained 66.73% protein and 11.30% sodium (dry basis). Surface hydrophobicities of PFA and POA were higher than FA (P < 0.05), whereas the reactive sulfhydryl content of FA was higher than PFA and POA (P < 0.05). PFA had the highest whiteness followed by POA and FA, respectively. Single endothermic peak in DSC thermogram was found at 86.86, 89.67 and 98.96 °C for FA, PFA and POA, respectively. Long‐term salting impaired the solubility, viscosity, emulsifying activity and gelation but not for foaming of albumen protein isolate. FA can be softly gelled with continuously packed structure, whereas PFA and POA underwent agglutination to form white clot suspension with spongy network.
Application of vegetable concentrates and powders in coloured pasta production
Authors: Sobota Aldona , Wirkijowska Anna , Zarzycki Piotr
Published: January 2020

Vegetable concentrates and powders can be used in the process of pasta production as natural colouring components. The aim of the work was to investigate the effect of the addition of different vegetable components (powders and concentrates) on the colour, chemical composition, cooking and sensory quality of pasta. Tagliatelle was made from durum semolina substituted with 0%, 2%, 4%, 6% and 8% of beet powder (BP), beet concentrate (BC), carrot powder (CP), carrot concentrate (CC) and kale powder (KP). The addition of concentrates caused a greater change in the colour of the pasta (ΔE: 12.45–48.01) than the analogous addition of the powders (ΔE: 6.24–45.31); however, the colour of the products was unstable and less resistant to cooking. The incorporation of the vegetable powders induced a greater increase in the content of ash and total dietary fibre in the pasta than the addition of the concentrates.
Consumer sensory evaluation of aftertaste intensity and liking of spicy paneer cheese
Authors: Schlossareck Courtney , Ross Carolyn F.
Published: January 2020

Capsaicin creates a spicy, burning, sensation that lingers. Thus, an increased understanding of spicy aftertaste and its relationship to consumer liking is of interest. We aimed to evaluate aftertaste intensity and liking of spicy paneer cheese (0, 3.75, 7.5 and 30 ppm capsaicin) by consumers (n = 79) every minute for 15 min. Influences of consumer consumption patterns on spicy aftertaste were also explored. Significant differences (P < 0.05) were observed among samples, across aftertaste time periods (beginning, middle and end), and within consumer consumption categories. In general, the more capsaicin in a sample, the longer the sensation lasted, with a more intense spicy and overall aftertaste. Results showed consumers in different categorisation groups rated intensity of the samples differently, and reported liking the 30 ppm capsaicin paneer sample differently. Additionally, a consumer’s spice level preference was shown to not affect the time to abatement of the spicy aftertaste intensity perceived by consumers.
In utero exposure to gestational diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular risk factors in youth: A longitudinal analysis in the EPOCH cohort
Authors: Perng Wei , Hockett Christine W. , Sauder Katherine A. , Dabelea Dana
Published: January 2020

Objective

To examine associations of maternal gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) with offspring cardiovascular biomarkers from late childhood through adolescence.

Methods

We used mixed effects linear regression models to examine associations of maternal GDM (n = 92 cases of 597) with average offspring levels of serum lipids (total cholesterol, high‐density lipoprotein [HDL], low‐density lipoprotein [LDL], and triglycerides) and systolic blood pressure (SBP) across two research visits spanning approximately 10.6 and 16.9 years of age. In sex‐stratified analysis, we evaluated the impact of adjustment for sociodemographic characteristics, pubertal status, physical activity and total energy intake, maternal body mass index (BMI), GDM treatment, and child's BMI.

Results

After adjusting for child's age, pubertal status, race/ethnicity, and maternal education and smoking, GDM exposure was associated with higher total (0.38 [95% CI, 0.16‐0.61] mmol/L) and LDL cholesterol (0.34 [95% CI, 0.14‐0.53] mmol/L) in girls. These estimates were robust to adjustment for lifestyle characteristics and maternal BMI but were attenuated after accounting for GDM treatment with no appreciable change following further adjustment for current BMI. In boys, maternal GDM corresponded with 4.50 (1.90‐7.10) mmHg higher SBP. This association persisted after accounting for sociodemographic/lifestyle characteristics, maternal BMI, and GDM treatment but was attenuated after adjusting for current BMI.

Conclusions

Maternal GDM is related to offspring lipid profile and SBP in a sex‐specific manner.
Goose parents lead migration V
Authors: Kölzsch A. , Flack A. , Müskens G. J. D. M. , Kruckenberg H. , Glazov P. , Wikelski M.
Published: January 2020

Many migratory animals travel in large social groups. Large, avian migrants that fly in V‐formations were proposed do so for energy saving by the use of up‐wash by following individuals and regularly change leadership. As groups have been rather homogeneous in previous work, we aimed to explore leadership and its flight mechanics consequences in an extremely heterogeneous case of social migration, namely in spring migration of goose families. In families the experience of group members differs strongly and inclusive fitness may be important. We successfully collected overlapping spring migration tracking data of a complete family of greater white‐fronted geeseAnser a. albifronsand extracted leadership, flapping frequency and wind conditions in flight. Our data revealed V‐formations where one parent was flying in front at all times. Although the father led the family group most of the time, he did not flap at higher frequency while doing so. In contrast, the mother flapped faster when leading, possibly because she experienced less supportive wind conditions than when the father led. We argue that in heterogeneous, social groups leadership might be fixed and not costly if supportive environmental conditions like wind can be used.
The treatment of Kyrle's disease: a systematic review
Authors: Forouzandeh M. , Stratman S. , Yosipovitch G.
Published: January 2020

Kyrle's disease (KD) is a cutaneous disease that develops in individuals with underlying systemic disease, particularly chronic renal failure and diabetes mellitus (DM), and is associated with a high burden of disease linked to itch. The intensely pruritic, hyperkeratotic papulonodular rash seen in KD dramatically impairs patients’ quality of life and increases their risk of mortality. Unfortunately, no guidelines or evidence‐based regimens have been specifically developed for KD, making the treatment of this disease particularly challenging for physicians. This article aims to provide the first comprehensive, up‐to‐date overview and analysis of treatment options employed for KD. A search of the PubMed/MEDLINE and Scopus databases was performed for articles regarding the treatment of KD, published in English between 1990 and 2019. Seventy‐three articles were identified, of which eighteen met the inclusion criteria. We discovered that a wide variety of treatment regimens for KD have been reported in the literature, including oral antibiotics, immunosuppressants, phototherapy, topical/systemic retinoids, topical keratolytics and various combination therapies, which include some of the aforementioned treatments, in conjunction with oral/topical/injectable steroids, emollients and/or antihistamines. The use of a combination regimen is the most commonly practiced therapeutic approach to KD. Topical corticosteroids and depot corticosteroid injections repeatedly appeared in many of the regimens encountered during our search. While no definitive recommendations can be made based on existing literature, this article provides physicians with a summative outline that can help guide management and be referenced when other treatment efforts fail. The increasing prevalence of renal disease, DM and other chronic diseases will inevitably lead to rising rates of KD in the upcoming years. While randomized controlled trials are greatly needed, novel antipruritic immunomodulatory drugs targeting specific interleukin receptors (IL‐4/13/31) and intracellular signalling (e.g. Janus kinase) pathways may have a potential role in the treatment of this disease.
The dicey dinner dilemma: Asymmetry in predator–prey risk‐taking, a broadly applicable alternative to the life‐dinner principle
Authors: Humphreys Rosalind K. , Ruxton Graeme D.
Published: January 2020

Forty years ago, the ‘life‐dinner principle’ was proposed as an example of an asymmetry that may lead prey species to experience stronger selection than their predators, thus accounting for the high frequency with which prey escape alive from interaction with a predator. This principle remains an influential concept in the scientific literature, despite several works suggesting that the concept relies on many under‐appreciated assumptions and does not apply as generally as was initially proposed. Here, we present a novel model describing a very different asymmetry to that proposed in the life‐dinner principle, but one that could apply broadly. We argue that asymmetries between the relative costs and benefits to predators and prey of selecting a risky behaviour during an extended predator–prey encounter could lead to an enhanced likelihood of escape for the prey. Any resulting advantage to prey depends upon there being a behaviour or choice that introduces some inherent danger to both predator and prey if they adopt it, but which if the prey adopts the predator must match in order to have a chance of successful predation. We suggest that the circumstances indicated by our model could apply broadly across diverse taxa, including both risky spatial or behavioural choices.
Effect of an intervention on the congruence of nurses' and patients' perceptions of patient‐centred care: A pre‐test post‐test study
Authors: Castro Eva M. , Van Regenmortel Tine , Vanhaecht Kris , Sermeus Walter , Kiekens Carlotte , Claes Kathleen , Bruyneel Luk
Published: January 2020

Aims and Objectives

To evaluate measurement invariance of the Individualized Care Scale (ICS) across patients and nurses, and assess the degree of congruence in nurses' and patients' perceptions on patient‐centredness and the impact of an intervention there on.

Methods

A pre‐post intervention study design with an expert by experience intervention was conducted in 2016 to 2017. Nurses (n = 138) and patients (n = 199) of two hospital departments in Belgium were surveyed. Patient‐centredness was measured using the ICS (ICS‐Nurse and ICS‐Patient). Measurement invariance was evaluated by conducting multiple‐group confirmatory factor analysis. Unpaired t tests and difference in difference analysis were used to evaluate the degree of congruence in nurses' and patients' perceptions on patient‐centredness and assess pre‐post changes in nurses' and patients' scores, respectively. SQUIRE guidelines were followed to report the study.

Results

There was no evidence of measurement non‐invariance. Nurses perceived the individuality of care more positively than patients both before and after the implementation of the intervention. Pre‐post changes in nurses' and patients' scores were not statistically significant.

Conclusion

There is a significant gap between the perceptions of nurses and patients regarding the support and provision of individual care: nurses consider provided care as more individualized than patients do. To orient nurses' perspectives more towards their patients' perspective, multicomponent interventions are needed. Researchers and hospital managers may use the ICS to evaluate interventions that have the ability to close the gap in nurses' and patients' perceptions of patient‐centredness. Embedding experts by experience in the professionals' team has the potential to foster patient‐centredness but needs to focus on patients and nurses equally.
Differential cognitive substrates of verbal episodic memory performance in semantic variant primary progressive aphasia and Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: DeVaughn Saskia , Casaletto Kaitlin B. , Staffaroni Adam M. , Wolf Amy A. , Marx Gabe , Kramer Joel H.
Published: January 2020

Performance on neuropsychological measures of verbal memory requires cognitive abilities beyond memory. We examined the contribution of semantic knowledge in verbal episodic memory for semantic variant primary progressive aphasia (svPPA) or Alzheimer’s disease (AD). 415 AD and 68 svPPA participants completed measures of episodic memory (visual and verbal) and semantic knowledge. A double dissociation existed visual recall predicted verbal recognition in AD, whereas semantic knowledge contributed to verbal recognition in svPPA.
Yeast extract demonstrates rapid itch relief in chronic pruritus
Authors: Zhang Yiyi , Tan Yimei , Zou Ying , Bulat Vedrana , Lugovic Mihic Liborijia , Kovacevic Maja , Lotti Torello , Verner Ines , Stanimirovic Andrija , Situm Mirna , Goldust Mohamad , Liu Wei , Vojvodic Aleksandra , Goren Andy
Published: January 2020

Background

Pruritus is the most common complaint encountered in dermatological practice. It is estimated that up to 4% of the world population suffers from chronic itch. Chronic pruritus can be associated with both cutaneous or systemic conditions. While a plethora of treatments attempt to address itch, most carry risk of significant adverse events with chronic use; thus, there exists an unmet need to develop safe treatments for chronic pruritus. A recent study demonstrated that a novel extract from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, that is, Baker's yeast, blocks various histamine receptors as well as inhibits numerous inflammatory cytokines.

Methods

Given the long‐term safety profile of Baker's yeast, we set to investigate the efficacy of the novel extract in the treatment of chronic pruritus.

Key Results

In our study, we demonstrated that within 30 minutes, the novel extract significantly reduced itch when compared to a placebo lotion (P = .0020).

Conclusions

To our knowledge, this is the first study demonstrating that a novel extract from Saccharomyces cerevisiae can provide rapid and sustained itch relief to chronic pruritus patients.
Evaluation of the plasma protein S dynamics during pregnancy using a total protein S assay: Protein S‐specific activity decreased from the second trimester
Authors: Takeuchi Sawako , Adachi Tomoko , Tsuda Tomohide , Jin Xiuri , Yamashita Takahiro
Published: January 2020

Aim

The relationship between congenital protein S (PS) deficiency and complications during pregnancy remains unclear, partly due to the difficulty of precisely evaluating the PS level with conventional assays and the physiological decrease of PS during pregnancy. A new PS assay was developed to measure the total PS antigen and activity quantitatively and calculate PS‐specific activity. This study aimed to evaluate the plasma PS dynamics during pregnancy using the new PS assay and establish the reference interval for pregnant women.

Methods

A total of 253 pregnant women without a personal or family history of thromboembolism were recruited. Blood samples were obtained in the first, second and third trimesters and at one month post‐partum. The total PS antigen, activity, and PS‐specific activity were studied. Results were analyzed by the repeated measures single‐factor anovas followed by a post‐hoc test using Excel Statistics.

Results

The mean ± standard deviation (IU/mL) of the total PS antigen levels in the first, second and third trimesters and 1 month post‐partum were 0.67 ± 0.12, 0.67 ± 0.09, 0.68 ± 0.11 and 0.92 ± 0.13, respectively. The total PS activity (IU/mL) in the first, second and third trimesters and 1 month post‐partum were 0.69 ± 0.14, 0.59 ± 0.10, 0.58 ± 0.12 and 0.87 ± 0.15, respectively. The PS‐specific activity was within the normal range of nonpregnant women in the first trimester (1.02 ± 0.10) but decreased in the second and third trimesters (0.88 ± 0.09 and 0.85 ± 0.09, respectively) before increasing in the post‐partum period (0.94 ± 0.08).

Conclusion

The total PS antigen and activity decrease throughout pregnancy, while the PS‐specific activity decreases in the second and third trimesters.
Effects of dietary energy level on growth performance, blood parameters and meat quality in fattening male Hu lambs
Authors: Wang Qiye , Wang Yancan , Hussain Tarique , Dai Chunpeng , Li Jianzhong , Huang Pengfei , Li Yali , Ding Xueqin , Huang Jing , Ji Fengjie , Zhou Hanlin , Yang Huansheng
Published: January 2020

This experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of different dietary energy levels on growth performance, slaughter traits, meat quality and blood biochemical parameters in fattening male Hu lambs. Sixty lambs were fed five iso‐protein diets which contained different levels of metabolizable energy in a completely randomized design for 70 days. At the end of study, fifteen lambs were harvested for further study. With the increase in dietary energy level, the daily weight gain and dry matter intake extremely increased (p < .001), and feed conversion ratio decreased significantly (p < .01). The live weight before slaughter (LWBS) and carcass weight had a significant increase (p < .05), non‐carcass fat ratio and routine indexes of meat quality had no significant difference. Almost no effect was observed for the amino acid profile except for glycine concentration decreased (p < .05) in longissimus dorsi (LD) muscle. The concentrations of C17:0, C18:3n‐3 and n‐3 PUFA (p < .01) significantly decreased with the increasing dietary energy levels, and the ratio of ∑n‐6/∑n‐3 (p < .01) increased, whereas the concentrations of C18:1n‐9t (p < .05) decreased in LD muscle and C18:1 (p < .01) increased in biceps femoris (BF) muscle. There were no obviously differences for diameter, area and density of muscle fibres. The relative expression of MyHC‐IIa and MyHC‐IIx decreased significantly (p < .05) in BF muscle, and the relative expression of MyHC‐IIa displayed an obviously decreasing trend (p < .10) in LD muscle. These results suggest that increasing the dietary energy level can improve the growth performance and slaughter traits, and influence meat quality and fatty acid profiles in different muscle tissues of fattening male Hu lambs. These results provide a theoretical basis for developing Hu sheep nutritional standards and designing feed formulations.
Beyond grammatical and phonological words
Authors: Tallman Adam J. R.
Published: January 2020

This paper reviews recent research on the cross‐linguistic comparison of wordhood domains. A prominent solution to misalignments in wordhood domains is to distinguish between grammatical (morphosyntactic, morphological) words and phonological (prosodic) words. Recent studies reveal problems with this solution insofar as it is meant to serve as a basis for cross‐linguistic comparison. Language‐internal divergences within morphosyntactic domains and the phonological domains are not straightforwardly handled by the grammatical‐phonological word distinction. Moreover, cross‐linguistic variation in the motivation for these constituents is such that it is not clear that the grammatical/phonological word of one language is comparable to that of the next. Recent descriptive and typological studies seek to overcome these problems by questioning some of the methodological and conceptual assumptions underlying the concept of a word and the interpretation of wordhood diagnostics.
Neural bases of learning and recognition of statistical regularities
Authors: Ordin Mikhail , Polyanskaya Leona , Soto David
Published: January 2020

Statistical learning is a set of cognitive mechanisms allowing for extracting regularities from the environment and segmenting continuous sensory input into discrete units. The current study used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) (N = 25) in conjunction with an artificial language learning paradigm to provide new insight into the neural mechanisms of statistical learning, considering both the online process of extracting statistical regularities and the subsequent offline recognition of learned patterns. Notably, prior fMRI studies on statistical learning have not contrasted neural activation during the learning and recognition experimental phases. Here, we found that learning is supported by the superior temporal gyrus and the anterior cingulate gyrus, while subsequent recognition relied on the left inferior frontal gyrus. Besides, prior studies only assessed the brain response during the recognition of trained words relative to novel nonwords. Hence, a further key goal of this study was to understand how the brain supports recognition of discrete constituents from the continuous input versus recognition of mere statistical structure that is used to build new constituents that are statistically congruent with the ones from the input. Behaviorally, recognition performance indicated that statistically congruent novel tokens were less likely to be endorsed as parts of the familiar environment than discrete constituents. fMRI data showed that the left intraparietal sulcus and angular gyrus support the recognition of old discrete constituents relative to novel statistically congruent items, likely reflecting an additional contribution from memory representations for trained items.
Correlates of sedentary behaviour in Asian adults: A systematic review
Authors: Müller Andre Matthias , Chen Bozhi , Wang Nan Xin , Whitton Clare , Direito Artur , Petrunoff Nick , Müller‐Riemenschneider Falk
Published: January 2020

The objective of this study is to systematically review the evidence on correlates of sedentary behaviour (SB) among Asian adults. We searched for studies that examined individual, environmental, and political/cultural correlates of total and domain‐specific SB (transport, occupation, leisure, and screen time) in Asian adults published from 2000 onwards in nine scientific databases. Two reviewers independently screened identified references. Following quality assessment of included studies, we performed narrative synthesis that considered differences based on SB measurements, regions, and population characteristics (PROSPERO: CRD42018095268). We identified 13 249 papers of which we included 49, from four regions and 12 countries. Researchers conducted cross‐sectional analyses and most relied on SB self‐report for SB measurement. Of the 118 correlates studied, the following associations were consistent: higher age, living in an urban area (East Asia), and lower mental health with higher total SB; higher education with higher total and occupational SB; higher income with higher leisure‐time SB; higher transit density with higher total SB in older East Asians; and being an unmarried women with higher SB in the Middle East. We encourage more research in non‐high‐income countries across regions, further exploration of important but neglected correlates using longitudinal designs and qualitative research, and the use of objective instruments to collect SB data.
Estimating photosynthetic traits from reflectance spectra: A synthesis of spectral indices, numerical inversion, and partial least square regression
Authors: Fu Peng , Meacham‐Hensold Katherine , Guan Kaiyu , Wu Jin , Bernacchi Carl
Published: January 2020

The lack of efficient means to accurately infer photosynthetic traits constrains understanding global land carbon fluxes and improving photosynthetic pathways to increase crop yield. Here, we investigated whether a hyperspectral imaging camera mounted on a mobile platform could provide the capability to help resolve these challenges, focusing on three main approaches, that is, reflectance spectra‐, spectral indices‐, and numerical model inversions‐based partial least square regression (PLSR) to estimate photosynthetic traits from canopy hyperspectral reflectance for 11 tobacco cultivars. Results showed that PLSR with inputs of reflectance spectra or spectral indices yielded an R2 of ~0.8 for predicting V
cmax and J
max, higher than an R2 of ~0.6 provided by PLSR of numerical inversions. Compared with PLSR of reflectance spectra, PLSR with spectral indices exhibited a better performance for predicting V
cmax (R2 = 0.84 ± 0.02, RMSE = 33.8 ± 2.2 μmol m−2 s−1) while a similar performance for J
max (R2 = 0.80 ± 0.03, RMSE = 22.6 ± 1.6 μmol m−2 s−1). Further analysis on spectral resampling revealed that V
cmax and J
max could be predicted with ~10 spectral bands at a spectral resolution of less than 14.7 nm. These results have important implications for improving photosynthetic pathways and mapping of photosynthesis across scales.
Development and validation of ‘caring ability of family caregivers of patients with cancer scale (CAFCPCS)’
Authors: Nemati Shahnaz , Rassouli Maryam , Ilkhani Mahnaz , Baghestani Ahmad Reza , Nemati Maryam
Published: January 2020

Aim

Family caregivers have limited abilities that make them vulnerable to the care needs of patients. Therefore, it seems necessary to evaluate their caring ability. The aim of this study was to design an instrument for assessing the caring ability of family caregivers of cancer patients.

Methods

This was a sequential exploratory mixed‐method study, carried out in two qualitative and quantitative phases. The concept of caring ability and its dimensions were explained using conventional content analysis in the qualitative phase. The research participants included 41 family caregivers of cancer patients and professional caregivers who were selected using purposeful sampling method until reaching data saturation. The scale items were designed using the results of the qualitative phase of the study, as well as the review of relevant literature. In the quantitative phase, the scale was validated using content and face validity, construct validity, as well as internal consistency and stability.

Results

The primary item pool was prepared in 108 items. Content validity was determined using CVR with a cut‐off point (0.62), CVI with a cut‐off point (0.8) and kappa coefficient (κ) (>0.75). The validity of 72 items was confirmed. Then, the overlapping items were merged and eventually the 45‐item scale entered the face validity stage and five items with an impact factor < 1.5 were omitted. Results of KMO = 0.904 and Bartlett = 6184.012 (p < 0.001) justified the need for factor analysis. Scree plot indicates five factors with eigenvalues above 1 and 67.7% of the total variance, including ‘Effective role play, Fatigue and Surrender, Trust, Uncertainty, and Caring ignorance’. Reliability of the 31‐item instrument indicated a Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.93 and ICC of 0.94.

Conclusions

Caring abilities scale (CAI) of family caregivers of patients with cancer is a valid and reliable instrument that can assess caregivers' caring ability.
Universities as peculiar organizations
Authors: Eaton Charlie , Stevens Mitchell L.
Published: January 2020

We integrate contemporary sociological scholarship on higher education to appraise universities as peculiar organizations, on three dimensions. Universities arepositionally centralto the institutional order of modern societies, providing working links between state, market, civil society, and private‐sphere organizations. Universities arepolysemic, embodying civic, economic, and sacred meanings simultaneously. And universities arequasi‐sovereign, enjoying a substantial margin of jurisdiction over their own boundaries and internal affairs. These insights are harmonious with classic insights on the character of academic organization and offer concise dimensions for observing variation in higher education systems across space and time.
Cooperation and preference by peers in early childhood: A longitudinal study
Authors: Endedijk Hinke M. , Cillessen Antonius H. N. , Bekkering Harold , Hunnius Sabine
Published: January 2020

Children who are more proficient in cooperation with peers tend to be more preferred. To date, the development of peer cooperation has been studied mainly in two research traditions, one focusing on action coordination and the other focusing on interaction quality. Both aspects of cooperation are relevant for children's peer relations, but it is unclear whether both aspects of children's earliest cooperation skills predict their later preference by peers after the transition into organized social groups in school. In this study, we assessed coordination proficiency and interaction quality of 181 Dutch children longitudinally from 2 to 4 years of age. No relation between early action coordination and later preference by peers at school was found. However, especially in girls more affiliative and fewer antagonistic behaviors at the age of two predicted likeability among classmates at school at the age of four. The findings shine new light on the earliest foundations of children's peer evaluations.
Pressure‐and dose‐controlled, needle‐free, transcutaneous pneumatic injection of botulinum neurotoxin‐A for the treatment of primary axillary and palmoplantar hyperhidrosis
Authors: Kim Hyoung Moon , Lee Min Ji , Lee Min Ho , Lee Hwangheui
Published: January 2020

Background

Botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) effectively downregulates the secretion of eccrine sweat glands in patients with axillary and palmoplantar primary hyperhidrosis (PH).

Objective

To demonstrate the efficacy and safety of pressure‐ and dose‐controlled, needle‐free, transcutaneous pneumatic injection (TPI) of BoNT‐A for treating axillary and palmoplantar PH.

Methods

Needleless TPI‐BoNT‐A treatments were delivered on the axillary or palmoplantar skin at a pneumatic pressure of 2.05 bars and an injection volume of 0.08 mL/shot. The efficacy thereof was assessed by evaluating starch‐iodine test results and Hyperhidrosis Disease Severity Scale (HDSS) scores.

Results

At baseline, median HDSS scores were 3 (IQR, 3‐4) for axillary lesions and 4 (IQR, 3.5‐4) for palmoplantar lesions. Median HDSS scores at 1 month after TPI‐BoNT‐A treatment significantly decreased to 1 (IQR, 1‐1.75) for axillary lesions (P < .001) and 1 (IQR, 1‐2) for palmoplantar lesions (P < .001). Median global improvement scale scores were 4 (IQR, 3.25‐4) for axillary PH and 3 (IQR, 2.5‐4) for palmoplantar PH (P > .05). In all patients, pain was tolerable during treatments for both axillary and palmoplantar PH after the application of topical anesthetic cream.

Conclusion

Pressure‐ and dose‐controlled, needle‐free, BoNT delivery effectively and safely decreased sweating in axillary and palmoplantar skin.
Latino Political Participation by Citizenship Status and Immigrant Generation
Authors: Potochnick Stephanie , Stegmaier Mary
Published: January 2020

Objective

Using the complementary 2012 American National Election Study and 2012 Latino Immigrant National Election Study, we examine Latino political participation by citizenship and immigrant generation status.

Methods

We use logistic regression to examine three political participation modes—voting, campaign activity, and civic participation—across four Latino subgroups (noncitizens, naturalized citizens, second generation, and third‐plus generation), and non‐Latino whites. We assess whether political participation patterns can be explained by demographics and standard political predictors (i.e., religiosity, partisanship, political efficacy, and social trust) and whether patterns differ for older and younger adults.

Results

Across all political participation modes, third‐plus‐generation Latinos and non‐Latino whites participate equally. Second‐generation Latinos demonstrate a political participation disadvantage: their political participation is as low as, or lower than, that of noncitizen Latinos—a disadvantage driven mostly by younger Latinos.

Conclusion

Results suggest diverging patterns of Latino political incorporation, and raise concerns that young second‐generation Latinos may not fully integrate into American political life.
Personalizing the U.S. Supreme Court Through Attention to Individual Justices
Authors: Fogarty Brian J. , Qadri S. Nasser , Wohlfarth Patrick C.
Published: January 2020

Objectives

We examine media incentives shaping the nature of U.S. Supreme Court justices’ news coverage and, in particular, how those incentives often lead news outlets to concentrate coverage on particular justices on the Court.

Methods

First, we examine and model aggregate, over time patterns of news attention devoted to individual justices in the New York Times over the past four decades. Second, we compare and model temporal variation in individual justice coverage relative to generic coverage of the Supreme Court.

Findings

The results suggest that particular justices receive disproportionate attention from the national news media. Further, we demonstrate how individual justices have received a greater proportion of print media coverage over time and in a way that is shaped by internal division among the justices.

Conclusion

The findings provide a more complete and nuanced understanding of how national media utilize resources to maximize journalistic impact and personalize the Court as an institution.
Rice siR109944 suppresses plant immunity to sheath blight and impacts multiple agronomic traits by affecting auxin homeostasis
Authors: Qiao Lulu , Zheng Liyu , Sheng Cong , Zhao Hongwei , Jin Hailing , Niu Dongdong
Published: January 2020

Plant small RNAs (sRNAs) play significant roles in regulating various developmental processes and hormone signalling pathways involved in plant responses to a wide range of biotic and abiotic stresses. However, the functions of sRNAs in response to rice sheath blight remain unclear. We screened rice (Oryza sativa) sRNA expression patterns against Rhizoctonia solani and found that Tourist‐miniature inverted‐repeat transposable element (MITE)‐derived small interfering RNA (siRNA) (here referred to as siR109944) expression was clearly suppressed upon R. solani infection. One potential target of siR109944 is the F‐Box domain and LRR‐containing protein 55 (FBL55), which encode the transport inhibitor response 1 (TIR1)‐like protein. We found that rice had significantly enhanced susceptibility when siR109944 was overexpressed, while FBL55 OE plants showed resistance to R. solani challenge. Additionally, multiple agronomic traits of rice, including root length and flag leaf inclination, were affected by siR109944 expression. Auxin metabolism‐related and signalling pathway‐related genes were differentially expressed in the siR109944 OE and FBL55 OE plants. Importantly, pre‐treatment with auxin enhanced sheath blight resistance by affecting endogenous auxin homeostasis in rice. Furthermore, transgenic Arabidopsis overexpressing siR109944 exhibited early flowering, increased tiller numbers, and increased susceptibility to R. solani. Our results demonstrate that siR109944 has a conserved function in interfering with plant immunity, growth, and development by affecting auxin homeostasis in planta. Thus, siR109944 provides a genetic target for plant breeding in the future. Furthermore, exogenous application of indole‐3‐acetic acid (IAA) or auxin analogues might effectively protect field crops against diseases.
Dual function of HYPONASTIC LEAVES 1 during early skotomorphogenic growth in Arabidopsis
Authors: Sacnun Juan Manuel , Crespo Roberta , Palatnik Javier , Rasia Rodolfo , González‐Schain Nahuel
Published: January 2020

Seeds germinating underground display a specific developmental programme, termed skotomorphogenesis, to ensure survival of the emerging seedlings until they reach the light. They rapidly elongate the hypocotyl and maintain the cotyledons closed, forming a hook with the hypocotyl in order to protect apical meristematic cells from mechanical damage. Such crucial events for the fate of the seedling are tightly regulated and although some transcriptional regulators and phytohormones are known to be implicated in this regulation, we are still far from a complete understanding of these biological processes. Our work provides information on the diverse roles in skotomorphogenesis of the core components of microRNA biogenesis in Arabidopsis, HYL1, DCL1, and SE. We show that hypocotyl elongation is promoted by all these components, probably through the action of specific miRNAs. Hook development also depends on these proteins however, remarkably, HYL1 exerts its role in an opposite way to DCL1 and SE. Interestingly, we found that a specific HYL1 domain involved in protein–protein interaction is required for this function. Genetic evidences also point to the phosphorylation status of HYL1 as important for this function. We propose that HYL1 help maintain the hook closed during early skotomorphogenesis in a microprocessor‐independent manner by repressing the activity of HY5, the transcriptional master regulator that triggers light responses. This work uncovers a previously unnoticed link between components of the miRNA biogenesis machinery, the skotomorphogenic growth, and hook development in Arabidopsis.