bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A seamless and nonprotein A‐based monoclonal antibody purification platform using void‐exclusion anion exchange chromatography and electropositive multimodal chromatography enhanced by advance chromatin extraction
Authors: Liu Wenshuai , Chen Quan , Fan Xiying , Liang Yunlong , Sun Yue , Yu Jianli , Bao Zixian , Peng Xinying , Xian Mo , Nian Rui
Published: July 2019

BACKGROUND

Downstream production of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) involves several complex unit operations, directly affecting whether they can be used in clinical practice. Protein A affinity chromatography is considered the de facto standard due to its ability to selectively capture antibodies from cell culture supernatant (CCS). Recent studies on various associations of host cell contaminants have shown that downstream purification can be enhanced substantially with advance chromatin removal, facilitating the development of more promising nonaffinity purification platforms.

RESULTS

In this study, void‐exclusion anion exchange chromatography (VEAX) was systematically characterized for its potential use as an initial antibody separation and recovery step. Void exclusion refers to a new chromatographic mode, which is different from the traditional bind‐elute and flow‐through operations. The new separation method is based on the size of the molecules as well as their surface charges. This process causes the initial immunoglobulin G (IgG) separation to become independent of sample composition (especially for pH and conductivity), eliminating the need to equilibrate the sample. Electropositive multimodal chromatography was then seamlessly incorporated with direct protein loading for further antibody polishing. With the aid of advanced chromatin removal, the two‐step purification platform achieved production of an antibody with <1 ppb DNA, <1 ppm HCP and <0.05% high‐molecular‐weight aggregates with IgG recovery of 90.4%.

CONCLUSION

This outcome provides a highly promising nonaffinity purification process and a competitive alternative for the current protein A‐dominated antibody processing strategy. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry
Nitrogen‐doped graphene prepared by thermal annealing of fluorinated graphene oxide as supercapacitor electrode
Authors: Jiang Fei , Zhang Jixiang , Li Nian , Liu Cui , Zhou Yongqiang , Yu Xinling , Sun Lidong , Song Yanping , Zhang Shudong , Wang Zhenyang
Published: July 2019

BACKGROUND

Nitrogen doping significantly improves the electrochemical properties of graphene. Here, a new and effective methodology of preparing nitrogen‐doped graphene (NG) by thermal annealing of fluorinated graphene oxide (FGO) under the atmosphere of ammonia, is reported, in which ammonia is the reductant for FGO reduction and also the nitrogen source for nitrogen doping. This method can achieve higher nitrogen doping content than conventional approaches.

RESULTS

FGO prepared from fluorinated graphite polymer (CF) is directly used as a precursor to synthesize NG. Four samples with the same reaction time and different annealing temperatures are compared, and the highest nitrogen content of the NG reaches 12.45 at% at the reaction condition of 800 °C and 3 h. The synthesized NG samples are examined as a supercapacitor electrode material, displaying excellent performance due to the high nitrogen doping and a large number of active sites.

CONCLUSION

With the increase of annealing temperature, the nitrogen content of different NG samples first increases and then decreases. The specific capacitance of NG electrode material also shows the same trend as the nitrogen content. The highest specific capacitance in three‐electrode configuration attains 225.2 F g−1 at a current density of 1 A g−1. The electrode maintains a 90% capacitance after 5000 cycles, showing good cycle stability. This synthetic method provides a new approach for the preparation of NG with high nitrogen doping as supercapacitor electrode materials. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry
Cold oxygen plasma induces changes on the surface of carbon materials enhancing methanogenesis and N2O reduction in anaerobic sludge incubations
Authors: De Velasco‐Maldonado Paola S , Pat‐Espadas Aurora M , Cházaro‐Ruíz Luis F , Cervantes Francisco J , Hernández‐Montoya Virginia
Published: July 2019

BACKGROUND

Conductive materials, such as activated carbon (AC), graphene and biochar, have recently been applied for enhancing methane (CH4) production in anaerobic digesters. However, few efforts have been made to develop engineered conductive materials for these purposes. The aim of this work was to synthesize carbon materials from pecan nut shells and peach stones to apply them in anaerobic sludge incubations for enhancing the methanogenic activity, as well as the reduction of nitrous oxide (N2O).

RESULT

Addition of conductive materials increased up to six‐fold the maximum CH4 production rate. Moreover, oxidation of these carbon materials with cold oxygen plasma enriched their surface with redox functional groups (e.g. quinones), so that their application further increased the methanogenic production rate up to 11‐fold as compared to controls lacking conductive materials. Furthermore, the reduction rate of N2O was increased several orders of magnitude in the presence of synthesized carbon materials, which constitutes the first demonstration that conductive materials can significantly increase the reduction rate of this greenhouse gas.

CONCLUSION

Results indicate that there is great potential to develop engineered conductive materials to enhance both the production of CH4 and the reduction of N2O from wastewater treatment plants (WWTP), which may contribute to achieve more efficient processes. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry
Investigation of a large waterborne acute gastroenteritis outbreak caused by group B rotavirus in Maharashtra state, India
Authors: Joshi Madhuri S. , Lole Kavita S. , Barve Uday S. , Salve Dawal S. , Ganorkar Nital N. , Chavan Nutan A. , Shinde Manohar S. , Gopalkrishna Varanasi
Published: July 2019

An acute gastroenteritis outbreak at Devli Karad village, Maharashtra, India with an attack rate of 22.6% affected mainly adolescent and adult population. The viral investigations conducted on fecal specimens of patients hospitalized indicated the presence of rotavirus B (RVB) using RNA polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. The samples collected from the source of drinking water also showed the presence of the only RVB. Absence of other viral agents and identification of RVB of genotype G2 as the etiological agent of the acute gastroenteritis outbreak highlights, the necessity of monitoring RVB, the viral agent known for its large outbreak potential.
Patient care effectiveness and financial outcomes of hospital physician contracting emphasis
Authors: Mishra Saurabh , Salzarulo Peter A. , Modi Sachin B.
Published: July 2019

This study investigates the influence of hospitals' physician contracting emphasis on patient care effectiveness and financial outcomes. It utilizes secondary data for a comprehensive set of hospitals in the United States over a 21‐year period (1996–2016). Analysis confirms that hospitals with a greater emphasis on physician contracting have higher operating margins but also tend to have longer patient length of stay—indicating lower patient care effectiveness. Lower patient care effectiveness, in turn, is observed to attenuate some of the financial gains from physician contracting. Further, post hoc analysis with other measures of patient care, including experiential quality, conformance quality, readmissions, and mortality provide additional insights into the effect of physician contracting on patient care. Theory and results also highlight teaching intensity and capacity utilization of hospitals as key boundary conditions in these relationships, revealing a complex set of findings related to these variables. Together, the findings yield practical insights for hospital managers regarding their operations strategy.
Delayed primary retention suture for inset of vascularized submental lymph node flap for lower extremity lymphedema
Authors: Koide Satomi , Lin Chia‐Yu , Cheng Ming‐Huei
Published: July 2019

Background

Vascularized lymph node transfer (VLNT) has become one of the effective surgical treatments for extremity lymphedema. This study was to evaluate the re‐exploration and total complication rates of VLNT for lower extremity lymphedema between two different flap inset techniques.

Methods

Sixty‐nine patients who underwent 74 submental VLNT transfers between 2008 and 2018 were retrospectively studied. Fifty‐six flaps were inset using a new delayed primary retention suture (DPRS) technique and other 18 flaps using conventional interrupted sutures as the non‐DPRS group.

Results

The overall flap success rate was 100%. The DPRS group was released at a mean of 1.7  ± 0.7 times and took a mean of 10.3 ± 3.3 days for wound closure. There were no statistical differences in demographics, mean symptom duration, and mean Cheng's Lymphedema Grading between two groups. Mean frequency of cellulitis of 2.5 ± 1.5 times/year in non‐DPRS group was significantly greater than 1.4 ± 1.6 times/year in DPRS group (P = .01). The re‐exploration and total complication rates were 5.4% and 7.1% in DPRS group, and 27.8% and 33.3% in non‐DPRS group, respectively (P = .02 and .02, respectively).

Conclusions

The DPRS technique is a safe, simple, and reliable method for insetting the submental VLNT, which statistically decreased the re‐exploration and total complication rates.
A high‐throughput screening method for determination of multi‐antibiotics in animal feed
Authors: Qian Mingrong , Zhang Xiaoming , Zhao Huiyu , Ji Xiaofeng , Li Xiaodan , Wang Jianmei , Wu Huizhen , Xu Jie , Li Zuguang
Published: July 2019

A high‐throughput method based on ultrasonic‐assisted extraction, 96‐well plate thin‐film microextraction was established to determinate 18 antibiotics in animal feed. In this method, the extraction was implemented by ultrasonic‐assisted extraction for 30 min with disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid‐McIlvaine buffer (pH 5) containing 6% sodium chloride w/v, purified by thin‐film microextraction and combined with 96‐well plate system to improve the efficiency. Optimization of thin‐film microextraction conditions was performed by methods of single factor and response surface, and finalized as: condition time: 20 min; adsorption time: 55 min; washing time: 5 s with water; desorption time: 30 min with acetonitrile/water (8:2, v/v) containing 0.1% formic acid v/v. Evaluation of different extractive phases showed that polystyrene‐divinylbenzene‐polyacrylonitrile was the optimum coating. The analysis was performed by ultra‐high performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. Recovery, inter‐ and intraday precision, linearity, limit of detection, and quantitation were evaluated. The average recoveries of 18 antibiotics were 66.6–93.5% at three spiked levels, intraday precision was 1–8.4%, and interday precision was 3.0–16.4%. The linearity was good for r2 > 0.99. Limits of detection and quantification were found in the range of 1–14 and 4–48 µg/kg, respectively.
Adaptation and sustainability of water management for rice agriculture in temperate regions: The Italian case‐study
Authors: Zampieri Matteo , Ceglar Andrej , Manfron Giacinto , Toreti Andrea , Duveiller Gregory , Romani Marco , Rocca Cesare , Scoccimarro Enrico , Podrascanin Zorita , Djurdjevic Vladimir
Published: July 2019

We review, analyse, and discuss the recent evolution and the future sustainability of rice paddy fields in Italy—the largest European producer—using outcomes from available literature and new analysis of agricultural statistics from local authorities, land‐use and surface temperature data from remote sensing, hydrological and climate data from observations, and numerical models. We show that Italy can be considered a good representative for rice cultivation in temperate regions that are not freshwater‐limited. However, this situation is changing. We report strong evidence linking the largest European reduction of seasonal surface water that have gradually occurred since 2000 over the rice cultivation area of Northern Italy, to the change in paddy management from traditional continuous flooding to a less greenhouse‐gases‐emitting practice, that is, dry‐seeding with postponed flooding. This change was accompanied by several improvements in agro‐practices and crop varieties. Concurrently, regional climate rapidly shifted towards sunnier weather conditions that partly contributed to higher rice yields and stability, decoupling yields from inter‐annual climate variability, but also reducing water availability. In Northern Italy, a complete shift of rice cultivation towards dry‐seeding is not compatible with seasonal water availability, and a number of drawbacks, with respect to the traditional wet seeding, are also identified from literature review. Therefore, in the context of near‐term climate change, sustainable rice cultivation in the middle latitudes seems achievable (without limiting production and/or increasing volatility) by balancing traditional and dry‐seeding.
Reproducibility crisis, the scientific method, and the quality of published studies: Untangling the knot
Authors: França Thiago F. A. , Monserrat José Maria
Published: July 2019

Key points

Although there is no unique scientific method, there are general requirements that reports of empirical evidence must fulfil in order to be useful.

Enforcing general requirements can improve the quality of published studies without promoting a narrowly defined scientific method that would limit the scope of science.

The reproducibility movement advises against using novelty as the main requirement for publication and promotes the enforcement of transparent reporting and rigorous peer review.

Novelty is important for science but must not be the sole requirement for publication decisions as this can lead to publication bias and seriously distort the scientific literature.

While the scientific community remains responsible for thoroughly evaluating published papers, strengthening the peer review process will help to improve transparency and replicability.
Suppression of Lysophosphatidylcholine‐Induced Human Aortic Smooth Muscle Cell Calcification by Protein Kinase A Inhibition
Authors: Toita Riki , Asai Daisuke , Otani Kentaro , Kawano Takahito , Murata Masaharu , Kang Jeong‐Hun
Published: July 2019

Lysophosphatidylcholine (lysoPtdCho) is produced mainly by the phospholipase A2‐dependent hydrolysis of phosphatidylcholine (PtdCho) and can induce inflammatory activation and osteogenic gene expression in vascular smooth muscle cells. However, the mechanisms mediating these processes have not been fully elucidated. In this study, we investigated whether inhibition of protein kinase A (PKA) signaling suppressed lysoPtdCho‐induced calcification of human aortic smooth muscle cells (HASMC). Calcium levels and alkaline phosphatase activity were significantly increased in HASMC treated with lysoPtdCho, but not PtdCho, compared with those in phosphate‐buffered saline‐treated HASMC. However, the addition of a PKA inhibitor (H‐89) or PKA siRNA blocked lysoPtdCho‐induced HASMC calcification. These results showed that lysoPtdCho could activate PKA‐mediated HASMC calcification and that PKA may be a therapeutic target for lysoPtdCho‐mediated vascular smooth muscle cell calcification.
Correcting citizen‐science air temperature measurements across the Netherlands for short wave radiation bias
Authors: Cornes Richard C. , Dirksen Marieke , Sluiter Raymond
Published: July 2019

Citizen‐science thermometer measurements have the potential to provide information about surface air temperature fields on scales smaller than is typically quantified by the official monitoring network. As such, national meteorological services are becoming increasingly interested in these measurements as a possible source of data for use in weather monitoring or forecasting. However, in order for the information to be used, biases in the data need to be assessed. The most important source of bias is the potential overheating of the thermometer due to inadequate shielding or exposure. Previous research has indicated that information about the nature of the instrument and its exposure is important for correcting this bias. However, in the majority of cases this information is unavailable for amateur stations. In this paper a statistical correction for short wave radiation bias is developed for the air temperature data recorded at 159 Weather Observations Website (WOW) stations across the Netherlands during the period 2015–2016. Generalized additive mixed modelling (GAMM) is used to quantify and correct for short wave radiation bias in the hourly measurements using a background temperature field generated from the official 34 automatic weather stations along with satellite‐derived short wave radiation estimates. It is demonstrated that the corrected WOW data add local detail to the hourly temperature field, which may provide a useful source of data to supplement official measurements.
Nonrigid registration for tracking incompressible soft tissues with sliding motion
Authors: Ai Danni , Liu Dingkun , Wang Yifan , Fu Tianyu , Huang Yong , Jiang Yurong , Song Hong , Wang Yongtian , Liang Ping , Yang Jian
Published: July 2019

Purpose

Respiration causes the deformation and sliding motion of the soft tissues, and affects the accuracy of the assessment of minimally invasive abdominal surgery. Nonrigid registration is used to eliminate the effects of respiration for the assessment. Because the soft tissues with high water content are volume preserving during deformation, incompressibility has to be considered when tracking soft tissues for nonrigid registration. The purpose of the study was to develop an incompressible nonrigid registration for tracking deformable soft tissues with sliding motion.

Methods

The nonrigid registration framework proposed in the present study includes two main steps: (a) The solution in the subspace of diffeomorphisms is searched and encoded to stationary velocity field in the log domain. (b) The divergence‐free component and harmonic remainder are extracted by Fourier‐based Helmholtz‐Hodge decomposition (FHHD) and further integrated by an adaptive weight to simultaneously retain the incompressibility of deformation and compensate the sliding motion. The method was evaluated on 11 groups of synthetic datasets and five groups of clinical images. Registration accuracy is evaluated by using four quantitative measures, including mean surface distance (MSD), Hausdorff distance (HD), mean corresponding distance (MCD), and Dice similarity coefficient (DSC). Incompressibility is evaluated by using two quantitative measures, including relative volume change (RVC) and Jacobian determinant (J).

Results

Compared with three state‐of‐the‐art nonrigid registration methods, the proposed method shows an advantage in handling the incompressible deformation of images with large sliding motion. The lowest (MSD, 0.631 mm), (HD, 6.000 mm), and (MCD, 3.555 mm) and the highest (DSC, 0.970) are obtained proving the high registration accuracy with sliding motion compensation of the proposed method. The (RVC, 0.006) and Jacobian determinant (J, 1.008 ± 0.070) are nearly close to 0 and 1, respectively, showing the strong incompressibility of the proposed method. The proposed method improves registration accuracy in nearly all cases, which maintains the incompressibility of tissue transformation while simultaneously compensating the sliding motion on clinical datasets.

Conclusions

The proposed method improves the registration accuracy of incompressible tissues when dealing with large sliding motion, and thus has the potential to improve current minimally invasive abdominal surgery.
A multitransmit external body array combined with a 1H and 31P endorectal coil to enable a multiparametric and multimetabolic MRI examination of the prostate at 7T
Authors: Philips Bart W. J. , van Uden Mark J. , Rietsch Stefan H. G. , Orzada Stephan , Scheenen Tom W. J.
Published: July 2019

Purpose

In vivo 1H and 31P magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) provide complementary information on the biology of prostate cancer. In this work we demonstrate the feasibility of performing multiparametric imaging (mpMRI) and 1H and 31P spectroscopic imaging of the prostate using a 31P and 1H endorectal radiofrequency coil (ERC) in combination with a multitransmit body array at 7 Tesla (T).

Methods

An ERC with a 31P transceiver loop coil and 1H receive (Rx) asymmetric microstrip (31P/1H ERC) was designed, constructed and tested in combination with an external 8‐channel 1H transceiver body array coil (8CH). Electromagnetic field simulations and measurements and in vivo temperature measurements of the ERC were performed for safety validation. In addition, the signal‐to‐noise (SNR) benefit of the 1H microstrip with respect to the 8CH was evaluated. Finally, the feasibility of the setup was tested in one volunteer and three patients with prostate cancer by performing T2‐weighted and diffusion‐weighted imaging in combination with 1H and 31P spectroscopic imaging.

Results

Electromagnetic field simulations of the 31P loop coil showed no differences in the E‐ and B‐fields of the 31P/1H ERC compared with a previously safety validated ERC without 1H microstrip. The hotspot of the specific absorption rate (SAR) at the feed point of the 31P/1H ERC loop coil was 9.42 W/kg when transmitting on 31P at 1 W. Additional in vivo measurements showed a maximum temperature increase at the SAR hotspot of 0.7°C over 6 min on 31P at 1.9 W transmit (Tx) power, indicating safe maximum power levels. When transmitting with the external 1H body array at 40W for 2:30 min, the temperature increase around the ERC was < 0.3°C. Up to 3.5 cm into the prostate the 1H microstrip of the ERC provided higher SNR than the 8CH. The total coil combination allowed acquisition of an mpMRI protocol and the assessment of 31P and 1H metabolites of the prostate in all test subjects.

Conclusion

We developed a setup with a 31P transceiver and 1H Rx endorectal coil in combination with an 8‐channel transceiver external body array coil and demonstrated its safety and feasibility for obtaining multiparametric imaging and 1H and 31P MRSI at 7T in patients with prostate cancer within one MR examination.
Space‐variant deconvolution of Cerenkov light images acquired from a curved surface
Authors: Brost Eric , Watanabe Yoichi
Published: July 2019

Purpose

Cerenkov photons are generated by high‐energy radiation used in external beam radiation therapy (EBRT). This study expands upon the Cerenkov light dosimetry formula previously developed to relate an image of Cerenkov photons to the primary beam fluence. Extension of this formulation allows for deconvolution to be performed on images acquired from curved geometries.

Methods

The integral equation, which represented the formation of Cerenkov photon image from an incident high‐energy photon beam, was expanded to allow for space‐variance of the convolution kernel called as the Cerenkov scatter function (CSF). The GAMOS (Geant4‐based Architecture for Medicine‐Oriented Simulations) Monte Carlo (MC) particle simulation software was used to obtain the CSF for different incident beam angles. The image of a curved surface was first projected to a flat plane by using a perspective correction method. Then, the planar image was partitioned into small segments (or blocks), where a CSF corresponding to a specific beam incident angle was applied for deconvolution. The block size and the margin around the block were optimized by studying the effects of those parameters on the deconvolution accuracy for a test image. We evaluated three deconvolution techniques: Richardson–Lucy, Blind, and Total Variation minimization (TV/L2) algorithms, to select the most accurate method for the current applications.

Results

Analysis of deconvolution algorithms showed that the TV/L2 method provided the most accurate solution to the deconvolution problem for Cerenkov imaging. Optimization of space‐variant deconvolution parameters showed that including a margin that is at least 42.9% of the image width provided the most accurate product image. There was no optimal size for the deconvolution area and should be chosen based on the presence of unique CSF kernels within an image. Space‐variant deconvolution improved measured field size in Cerenkov photon images by 7.37%, as compared with 1.74% by space‐invariant deconvolution. Space‐variant deconvolution improved measured penumbra by 99.3%, as compared with 76.7% by space‐invariant deconvolution. Space‐variant deconvolution introduced artifacts in flat regions of the beam. Artifacts were avoided through selective space‐variant deconvolution in only the penumbra region.

Conclusions

Primary photon fluence distributions of a curved surface can be obtained by using space‐variant deconvolution methods in Cerenkov light dosimetry. The TV/L2 algorithm is the best method for deconvolution of Cerenkov photon images from an open‐field beam derived from either a flat or curved surface. The partition size chosen for space‐variant deconvolution should be at least six times the full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the corresponding scatter kernel used in deconvolution. Space‐variant deconvolution is necessary if the incident beam angle difference is larger than 6 between regions of an image.
Phase I dose‐escalation study of volasertib in pediatric patients with acute leukemia or advanced solid tumors
Authors: Doz François , Locatelli Franco , Baruchel André , Blin Nicolas , De Moerloose Barbara , Frappaz Didier , Dworzak Michael , Fischer Matthias , Stary Jan , Fuertig Rene , Riemann Kathrin , Taube Tillmann , Reinhardt Dirk
Published: July 2019

Background

Volasertib induces mitotic arrest and apoptosis by targeting Polo‐like kinases. In this phase I dose‐escalation study, the maximum tolerated dose (MTD), pharmacokinetics (PK), and preliminary efficacy of volasertib were determined in pediatric patients.

Methods

Patients aged 2 to <18 years with relapsed/refractory acute leukemia/advanced solid tumors (ST) without available effective treatments were enrolled—cohort C1 (aged 2 to <12 years); cohort C2 (aged 12 to <18 years). The patients received volasertib intravenously (starting dose: 200 mg/m2 body surface area on day 1, every 14 days). The primary endpoint was the pediatric MTD for further development.

Results

Twenty‐two patients received treatment (C1: leukemia, n = 4; ST, n = 8; C2: leukemia, n = 3; ST, n = 7). No dose‐limiting toxicities (DLTs) occurred up to 300 mg/m2 volasertib in C1; two patients in C2, at 250 mg/m2 volasertib, had DLTs in cycle 1, one of which led to death; therefore, the MTD of volasertib in C2 was 200 mg/m2. The most common grade 3/4 adverse events (all patients) were febrile neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, and neutropenia (41% each). Stable disease (SD) was the best objective response (leukemia, n = 5; ST, n = 2); the duration of SD was short in all patients, except in one with an ST. PK profiles were generally comparable across dose groups and were consistent with those in adults.

Conclusion

The pediatric MTD/dose for further development was identified. There were no unexpected safety or PK findings; limited antitumor/antileukemic activity was demonstrated.
Risk estimation of uniparental disomy of chromosome 14 or 15 in a fetus with a parent carrying a non‐homologous Robertsonian translocation. Should we still perform prenatal diagnosis?
Authors: Moradkhani Kamran , Cuisset Laurence , Boisseau Pierre , Pichon Olivier , Lebrun Marine , Hamdi‐Rozé Houda , Maurin Marie‐Laure , Gruchy Nicolas , Manca‐Pellissier Marie‐Christine , Malzac Perrine , Bilan Frédéric , Audrezet Marie‐Pierre , Saugier‐Veber Pascale , Fauret‐Amsellem Anne‐Laure , Missirian Chantal , Kuentz Paul , Egea Gregory , Guichet Agnès , Creveaux Isabelle , Janel Caroline , Harzallah Ines , Touraine Renaud , Goumy Carole , Joyé Nicole , Puechberty Jacques , Haquet Emmanuelle , Chantot‐Bastaraud Sandra , Schmitt Sébastien , Gosset Philippe , Duban‐Bedu Bénédicte , Delobel Bruno , Vago Philippe , Vialard François , Gomes Denise Molina , Siffroi Jean‐Pierre , Bonnefont Jean‐Paul , Dupont Jean‐Michel , Jonveaux Philippe , Doco‐Fenzy Martine , Sanlaville Damien , Le Caignec Cédric
Published: July 2019

Objective

Uniparental disomy (UPD) testing is currently recommended during pregnancy in fetuses carrying a balanced Robertsonian translocation (ROB) involving chromosome 14 or 15, both chromosomes containing imprinted genes. The overall risk that such a fetus presents a UPD has been previously estimated to be around ~0.6‐0.8%. However, because UPD are rare events and this estimate has been calculated from a number of studies of limited size, we have reevaluated the risk of UPD in fetuses for whom one of the parents was known to carry a nonhomologous ROB (NHROB).

Method

We focused our multicentric study on NHROB involving chromosome 14 and/or 15. A total of 1747 UPD testing were performed in fetuses during pregnancy for the presence of UPD(14) and/or UPD(15).

Result

All fetuses were negative except one with a UPD(14) associated with a maternally inherited rob(13;14).

Conclusion

Considering these data, the risk of UPD following prenatal diagnosis of an inherited ROB involving chromosome 14 and/or 15 could be estimated to be around 0.06%, far less than the previous estimation. Importantly, the risk of miscarriage following an invasive prenatal sampling is higher than the risk of UPD. Therefore, we do not recommend prenatal testing for UPD for these pregnancies and parents should be reassured.
Enhancing the Quality of Rivaroxaban Exposure Estimates Using Prothrombin Time in the Absence of Pharmacokinetic Sampling
Authors: Solms Alexander , Frede Matthias , Berkowitz Scott D. , Hermanowski‐Vosatka Anne , Kubitza Dagmar , Mueck Wolfgang , Spiro Theodore E. , Willmann Stefan , Yan Xiaoyu , Zhang Liping , Garmann Dirk
Published: July 2019

Prothrombin time (PT) is a measure of coagulation status and was assessed in the majority of patients in the rivaroxaban phase II and III clinical trials as a pharmacodynamic marker. In the absence of sufficient phase III pharmacokinetic (PK) data to provide individual exposure measures for input into rivaroxaban exposure–response analyses, the aim of the present study was to investigate the use of PT‐adjustment approaches (i.e., the use of observed individual PT measurements) to enhance the prediction of individual rivaroxaban exposure metrics (derived using a previously developed integrated population PK model) based on the observed linear relationship between PT and rivaroxaban plasma concentrations. The PT‐adjustment approaches were established using time‐matched PK and PT measurements, which were available from 1,779 patients across four phase II trials and one phase III trial of rivaroxaban. PT‐adjusted exposure estimates improved the identification of statistically significant effects when compared with covariate‐only exposure estimates.
SSRI‐associated gastrointestinal bleeding
Authors: Lam Y. W. Francis
Published: July 2019

Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are often prescribed antidepressants, including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), for management of depression. The SSRIs have a very favorable safety profile overall but have been associated with bleeding risk as a result of their blocking serotonin uptake in platelets and the resultant inhibition of platelet aggregation.
A global survey of freshwater biological field stations
Authors: Tydecks Laura , Ibelings Bastiaan W. , Tockner Klement
Published: July 2019

Freshwaters are among the most diverse and dynamic ecosystems globally, while also being among the most threatened systems. Freshwater biological field stations (FW‐BFS) are key facilities for research, monitoring, and education. However, high quality data and information on the status and roles of FW‐BFS are lacking. Based on the results of a questionnaire, we present information on the current situation of 134 FW‐BFS around the world. The results show that FW‐BFS conduct more short‐term (1,335) than long‐term research projects (583), offer programmes for visiting researchers, and collaborate within networks and among each other, as well as with educational, non‐governmental, and governmental stakeholders. However, FW‐BFS report a lack of sustainable funding and emphasize maintenance and expansion of research facilities and equipment as key challenges. At the same time, FW‐BFS envision an expansion of their current research scope, as well as an increase in their public visibility. Adequate financial support for FW‐BFS is a prerequisite to pursue research programmes at local, regional, and global scales, foster outreach activities, attract staff and visitors, maintain their infrastructure, and strengthen their collaboration activities.
Joint modeling of progression‐free and overall survival and computation of correlation measures
Authors: Meller Matthias , Beyersmann Jan , Rufibach Kaspar
Published: July 2019

In this paper, we derive the joint distribution of progression‐free and overall survival as a function of transition probabilities in a multistate model. No assumptions on copulae or latent event times are needed and the model is allowed to be non‐Markov. From the joint distribution, statistics of interest can then be computed. As an example, we provide closed formulas and statistical inference for Pearson's correlation coefficient between progression‐free and overall survival in a parametric framework. The example is inspired by recent approaches to quantify the dependence between progression‐free survival, a common primary outcome in Phase 3 trials in oncology and overall survival. We complement these approaches by providing methods of statistical inference while at the same time working within a much more parsimonious modeling framework. Our approach is completely general and can be applied to other measures of dependence. We also discuss extensions to nonparametric inference. Our analytical results are illustrated using a large randomized clinical trial in breast cancer.
Fighting for time: Spillover and crossover effects of long work hours among dual‐earner couples
Authors: Xu Xiaohong , Peng Yisheng , Zhao Peng , Hayes Richard , Jimenez William P.
Published: July 2019

Drawing upon the spillover–crossover model, this study examined the extent to which one's work time demands spilled over to the family domain and crossed over to his or her spouse, utilizing data of 365 dual‐earner couples from the 500 Family Study. The results of the distinguishable actor–partner interdependence model indicated that there was gender symmetry in the spillover processes such that the effects of work hours were identical between men and women. Further, although there was more bidirectional crossover between partners within couples, we observed some unidirectional crossover from husbands to wives. Specifically, husbands only increased their contribution to domestic work in response to wives' work fatigue, whereas wives increased their contribution to domestic work in response to husbands' work fatigue and high workloads. Finally, husbands' housework hours negatively related to wives' marital satisfaction and positively related to wives' depression, whereas wives' housework hours negatively related to husbands' marital satisfaction and depression. These findings have practical implications for improving the work–family balance, health, and well‐being of dual‐earner couples.
Mechanical behavior of concrete using seawater and sea‐sand with recycled coarse aggregates
Authors: Xiao Jianzhuang , Zhang Qingtian , Zhang Peng , Shen Luming , Qiang Chengbing
Published: July 2019

Adopting locally available seawater and sea‐sand to produce concrete in marine and coastal projects is considered sustainable in concrete industry. This paper studies the mechanical behavior of seawater sea‐sand concrete (SSC) and explores the feasibility of mixing SSC with recycled coarse aggregate (RCA). The early‐age cracking and mechanical behaviors of SSC with or without the addition of RCA are experimentally studied. The results demonstrate that, compared with conventional concrete, the compressive strength of SSC with natural coarse aggregate (SSNAC) at 7 days increases by 36–76%, and the compressive strength at 28 days is similar while the compressive strength at 180 days decreases by 3.7–10.2%. The addition of seawater and sea‐sand improves the mechanical behavior of recycled aggregate concrete, but deteriorates the early‐age cracking behavior. Furthermore, the stress–strain relationship of SSNAC is analyzed, and applicability of the existing model is evaluated.
Quark masses, CKM angles and Lepton Flavour Universality violation
Authors: Barbieri Riccardo , Ziegler Robert
Published: July 2019

Abstract

A properly defined and suitably broken U(2) flavour symmetry leads to successful quantitative relations between quark mass ratios and CKM angles. At the same time the intrinsic distinction introduced by U(2) between the third and the first two families of quarks and leptons may support anomalies in charged and neutral current semi-leptonic B-decays of the kind tentatively observed in current flavour experiments. We show how this is possible by the exchange of the (3, 1)2/3 vector leptoquark in two U(2)-models with significantly different values of Lepton Flavour Universality violation, observable in foreseen experiments.
Heterotic Kerr-Schild double field theory and classical double copy
Authors: Cho Wonyoung , Lee Kanghoon
Published: July 2019

Abstract

We discuss the generalization of the Kerr-Schild (KS) formalism for general relativity and double field theory (DFT) to the heterotic DFT and supergravity. We first introduce a heterotic KS ansatz by introducing a pair of null O (d, d+G) generalized tangent vectors. The pair of null vectors are represented by a pair of d-dimensional vector fields, and one of the vector fields is not a null vector. This implies that the null property of the usual KS formalism, which plays a crucial role in linearizing the field equations, can be partially relaxed in a consistent way. We show that the equations of motion under the heterotic KS ansatz in a flat background can be reduced to linear equations. Using the heterotic KS equations, we establish the single and zeroth copy for heterotic supergravity and derive the Maxwell and Maxwell-scalar equations. This agrees with the KLT relation for heterotic string theory.
Synthetic microbial consortia for biosynthesis and biodegradation: promises and challenges
Authors: Che Shun , Men Yujie
Published: July 2019

Functional differentiation and metabolite exchange enable microbial consortia to perform complex metabolic tasks and efficiently cycle the nutrients. Inspired by the cooperative relationships in environmental microbial consortia, synthetic microbial consortia have great promise for studying the microbial interactions in nature and more importantly for various engineering applications. However, challenges coexist with promises, and the potential of consortium-based technologies is far from being fully harnessed. Thorough understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms of microbial interactions is greatly needed for the rational design and optimization of defined consortia. These knowledge gaps could be potentially filled with the assistance of the ongoing revolution in systems biology and synthetic biology tools. As current fundamental and technical obstacles down the road being removed, we would expect new avenues with synthetic microbial consortia playing important roles in biological and environmental engineering processes such as bioproduction of desired chemicals and fuels, as well as biodegradation of persistent contaminants.
Exact strip postbuckling analysis of composite plates under compression and shear
Authors: Zhao K. , Kennedy D. , Featherston C.A.
Published: July 2019

Stiffened wing and fuselage panels often have a postbuckling reserve of strength, enabling them to carry loads far in excess of their critical buckling loads. Therefore allowing for postbuckling in design can reduce their weight, hence reducing fuel consumption and environmental impact. The present paper extends the postbuckling analysis in the exact strip software VICONOPT to more accurately reflect the skewed mode shapes arising from shear load and anisotropy. Such mode shapes are represented by a series of sinusoidal responses with different half-wavelengths which are coupled together using Lagrangian multipliers to enforce the boundary conditions. In postbuckling analysis the in-plane deflections involve responses with additional half-wavelengths which are absent from the out-of-plane deflection series. Numerical results are presented and compared with finite element analysis for validation. The present analysis gives close results compared to the finite element and finite strip methods and saves computational time significantly.
Exploring the experiences and needs of homeless aboriginal and torres strait islander peoples with neurocognitive disability
Authors: Townsend Clare , McIntyre Michelle , Wright Courtney J. , Lakhani Ali , White Paul , Cullen Jennifer
Published: July 2019

Objective:

The current study explored the experiences and aspirations of a cohort of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults with neurocognitive disability residing in a homeless shelter in regional Queensland, Australia. Neurocognitive disability (NCD) refers to any acquired disorder or injury to the brain where the primary clinical deficit is in cognitive function.

Method:

The data reported on in this paper emerged from a broader study that aimed to understand the extent and nature of neurocognitive disability amongst homeless Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The broader study found high levels of NCD which impacted on people’s ability to participate in society. As part of the study, qualitative information was sought regarding participant life experiences. A culturally safe and acceptable structure of “past, present and future” was applied to open-ended questions.

Results:

Thematic analysis of the data identified four broad themes of i) normalisation of illness and disability; ii) trauma and loss; iii) socioeconomic disadvantage; and iv) hope and disempowerment. This paper reports on these themes and experiences, which occurred across the life span, intersected with NCD, and contributed to what we have termed ‘complex disablement’ amongst this cohort.

Conclusions:

While causal links between life experience, disability and disablement are not always clear, our findings suggest that attempts to address homelessness must engage with this complexity. The application of holistic, intersectoral supports, which encompass culturally informed, community driven approaches are needed. Understanding the impacts of individual and intergenerational trauma is crucial to safe and effective service provision for this cohort.
A Systematic Review of Techniques Employed for Determining Mental Health Using Social Media in Psychological Surveillance During Disasters
Authors: Karmegam Dhivya , Ramamoorthy Thilagavathi , Mappillairajan Bagavandas
Published: July 2019

During disasters, people share their thoughts and emotions on social media and also provide information about the event. Mining the social media messages and updates can be helpful in understanding the emotional state of people during such unforeseen events as they are real-time data. The objective of this review is to explore the feasibility of using social media data for mental health surveillance as well as the techniques used for determining mental health using social media data during disasters. PubMed, PsycINFO, and PsycARTICLES databases were searched from 2009 to November 2018 for primary research studies. After screening and analyzing the records, 18 studies were included in this review. Twitter was the widely researched social media platform for understanding the mental health of people during a disaster. Psychological surveillance was done by identifying the sentiments expressed by people or the emotions they displayed in their social media posts. Classification of sentiments and emotions were done using lexicon-based or machine learning methods. It is not possible to conclude that a particular technique is the best performing one, because the performance of any method depends upon factors such as the disaster size, the volume of data, disaster setting, and the disaster web environment.
Constructive emotions? Patriotism as a predictor of civic activity in Poland
Authors: Marzęcki Radosław
Published: July 2019

In many post-communist countries, the concept of patriotism is used instrumentally in populist discourses. It is rarely the subject of a substantive public debate, in which symbolic elites would be able to openly discuss and negotiate the scope of its meaning in front of an interested audience. A long-term plan to shape constructive civil attitudes gives way to the pressure of being effective in current politics. The author proposes to look at the category of patriotism in a socially useful way and to treat it as an important factor in the process of building a civil society. The young generation can play a significant role in this process. Poland seems to be an interesting case for the analysis of this research problem. This paper has two objectives. The descriptive objective is to present the author's research data on a sense and understanding of patriotism among Polish students. Its aim is to describe the prevailing pattern of patriotic attitudes and ideas about patriotism as shared by students. The explanatory objective of this paper is to answer the question about the constructive potential of patriotism: whether and to what extent it is an important determinant of civic activity. The results obtained should lead to practical conclusions that may be useful for various social institutions which are interested in releasing the positive energy of citizens and orienting them to functional goals, that is, the education system, as well as for political institutions that design and implement elements of the so-called youth policy.
Residencia posmarital, movilidad y relaciones sociales en el Área Andina Centro-Sur
Authors: Cocilovo José Alberto , Varela Héctor Hugo , Valdano Silvia Graciela
Published: July 2019

En las sociedades andinas actuales las relaciones de parentesco determinan el tipo de matrimonio y el patrón de residencia posmarital que garantizan el manejo de los recursos, la supervivencia y la estabilidad reproductiva de la población. Sin embargo, es escasa la información disponible en el Área Andina Centro-Sur (AACS) para explicar los sistemas de parentesco durante el poblamiento original del territorio y su impacto en la estructura de las poblaciones locales posteriores a la conquista y colonización europea. En el presente trabajo se investiga el patrón residencial en dos sectores del AACS a partir de datos bioarqueológicos disponibles para el Noroeste Argentino y Norte de Chile. La información necesaria pudo ser recuperada a partir de la arqueología y de la antropología física regional. La muestra proviene de 8 localidades y 44 sitios con fechados que cubren el intervalo cronológico desde 3000 aC hasta 1450 dC, desde grupos arcaicos tempranos hasta comunidades agroalfareras tardías. Se emplearon 1.897 observaciones y 27 variables craneométricas. El análisis se realizó con técnicas estadísticas multivariadas: el cálculo de la varianza generalizada (determinante de la matriz de varianzas y covarianzas) para cada sexo y la estimación de los estadísticos de distancia (D2) y divergencia fenotípica (Fst) entre grupos y sexos. Los resultados revelan el efecto de distintos flujos migratorios que determinaron la estructura de las poblaciones. En todos los casos la varianza generalizada masculina es mayor que la femenina indicando una mayor variabilidad entre sitios y una mayor actividad migratoria. Los valores deD2yFstfemeninos son mayores entre regiones y localidades con una menor tasa migratoria. Estos resultados indican, en general, la prevalencia de una estrategia de supervivencia basada en un sistema de parentesco que favoreció un modelo de residencia matrilocal.