bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Optimising the selection of candidates for neoadjuvant chemotherapy amongst patients with node‐positive penile squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Bandini Marco , Albersen Maarten , Chipollini Juan , Pederzoli Filippo , Zhu Yao , Ye Ding‐Wei , Ornellas Antonio A. , Watkin Nick , Ager Michael , Hakenberg Oliver W. , Heidenreich Axel , Raggi Daniele , Catanzaro Mario , Haidl Friederike , Mazzone Elio , Marandino Laura , Briganti Alberto , Montorsi Francesco , Azizi Mounsif , Spiess Philippe E. , Necchi Andrea
Published: March 2020

Objectives

To identify predictors of poor overall survival (OS) amongst patients with penile squamous cell carcinoma (pSCC) with clinical inguinal lymphadenopathy (cN+), in order to define the best candidates for neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC).

Patients and Methods

Using an international, multicentre database of 924 patients with pSCC, we identified 334 men who harboured cN+ with available clinical and follow‐up data. Lymph node involvement was defined either by the presence of palpable inguinal node disease or by preoperative computed tomography (CT) assessment. Fluorine‐18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron‐emission tomography (18F‐FDG‐PET)/CT scan was performed based on clinical judgment of the treating physician. Regression‐tree analysis generated a risk stratification tool for prediction of 24‐month overall mortality (OM). Kaplan–Meier explored the OS benefit related to the use of NAC according to the regression‐tree‐stratified subgroups.

Results

Overall, 120 (35.9%), 152 (45.5%), and 62 (18.6%) patients harboured cN1, cN2, and cN3 disease.18F‐FDG‐PET/CT was performed in 48 (14.4%) patients, and 16 (4.8%) had inguinal and pelvic nodal PET detection. The median OS was 107 months, with a 24‐month OS of 66%. At regression‐tree analysis (area under the curve = 70%), patients with cN3 and cN2 with PET/CT‐detected inguinal and pelvic nodal activity had a higher risk of 24‐month OM (>50%). NAC was associated with improved 24‐month OS rates (54% vs 33%) only in this subgroup of patients (P = 0.002), which was also confirmed after multivariable adjustment (hazard ratio 0.28, 95% confidence interval 0.13–0.62;P = 0.002).

Conclusion

Patients with pSCC with cN3 or cN2 and inguinal and pelvic 18F‐FDG‐PET/CT scan detected disease had higher 24‐month OM rates according to our regression‐tree model. NAC was associated with improved OS only in these subgroups of patients. Our novel decision model may help to stratify cN+ patients, and identify those who most likely will benefit from NAC prior to radical surgical resection.
Is Onodera’s prognostic nutritional index (OPNI) a prognostic factor in small cell lung cancer (SCLC)?
Authors: Yenibertiz Derya , Ozyurek Berna Akinci , Erdogan Yurdanur
Published: March 2020

Introduction

We aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of Onodera’s prognostic nutritional index (OPNI) in patients with Small‐cell lung cancer (SCLC).

Materials and methods

This study retrospectively examined 109 patients diagnosed with SCLC between January 2008 and October 2018 in our hospital. Patients were divided into two groups according to the median of OPNI values.

Results

A significant difference was observed between the groups in terms of neutrophil percentage, lymphocyte count, lymphocyte percentage, C‐reactive protein (CRP), albumin, lactat dehidrogenase (LDH) and neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) (P < 0.05). LDH, CRP, neutrophil percentage and NLR (P = 0.008, P < 0.001, P = 0.001, P < 0.001, respectively) were significantly higher and albumin, lymphocyte count and lymphocyte percentage (P < 0.001, P < 0.001, P = 0.001, respectively) were significantly lower in the low OPNI group. Survival analyses have shown that mortality rates and lifespan are similar in the two groups.

Conclusion

The OPNI may be a helpful tool for determining the prognosis in SCLC.
On the co‐evolution of surface oxygen levels and animals
Authors: Cole Devon B. , Mills Daniel B. , Erwin Douglas H. , Sperling Erik A. , Porter Susannah M. , Reinhard Christopher T. , Planavsky Noah J.
Published: March 2020

Few topics in geobiology have been as extensively debated as the role of Earth's oxygenation in controlling when and why animals emerged and diversified. All currently described animals require oxygen for at least a portion of their life cycle. Therefore, the transition to an oxygenated planet was a prerequisite for the emergence of animals. Yet, our understanding of Earth's oxygenation and the environmental requirements of animal habitability and ecological success is currently limited; estimates for the timing of the appearance of environments sufficiently oxygenated to support ecologically stable populations of animals span a wide range, from billions of years to only a few million years before animals appear in the fossil record. In this light, the extent to which oxygen played an important role in controlling when animals appeared remains a topic of debate. When animals originated and when they diversified are separate questions, meaning either one or both of these phenomena could have been decoupled from oxygenation. Here, we present views from across this interpretive spectrum—in a point–counterpoint format—regarding crucial aspects of the potential links between animals and surface oxygen levels. We highlight areas where the standard discourse on this topic requires a change of course and note that several traditional arguments in this “life versus environment” debate are poorly founded. We also identify a clear need for basic research across a range of fields to disentangle the relationships between oxygen availability and emergence and diversification of animal life.
Long‐term research avoids spurious and misleading trends in sustainability attributes of no‐till
Authors: Cusser Sarah , Bahlai Christie , Swinton Scott M. , Robertson G. Philip , Haddad Nick M.
Published: March 2020

Agricultural management recommendations based on short‐term studies can produce findings inconsistent with long‐term reality. Here, we test the long‐term environmental sustainability and profitability of continuous no‐till agriculture on yield, soil water availability, and N2O fluxes. Using a moving window approach, we investigate the development and stability of several attributes of continuous no‐till as compared to conventional till agriculture over a 29‐year period at a site in the upper Midwest, US. Over a decade is needed to detect the consistent effects of no‐till. Both crop yield and soil water availability required 15 years or longer to generate patterns consistent with 29‐year trends. Only marginal trends for N2O fluxes appeared in this period. Relative profitability analysis suggests that after initial implementation, 86% of periods between 10 and 29 years recuperated the initial expense of no‐till implementation, with the probability of higher relative profit increasing with longevity. Importantly, statistically significant but misleading short‐term trends appeared in more than 20% of the periods examined. Results underscore the importance of decadal and longer studies for revealing consistent dynamics and emergent outcomes of no‐till agriculture, shown to be beneficial in the long term.
Logistics: Situating flows in a spatial context
Authors: Hesse Markus
Published: March 2020

The origins of logistics lie in military and imperial methods of expansion and control of geographical space. It is principally associated with the more recent contexts of business management and engineering. Logistics systems are now the conveyor belts of the global system of trade, commerce and production, and its associated techniques and strategies aim at optimizing flows and throughput within discrete units (such as firms), in economic networks and across geographical space. Because flows are important determinants for the development of places, logistics has the power to structure territories. Therefore, it has raised considerable interest in the field of geography, not only with regard to cities and their dense agglomeration of people, buildings, and infrastructure but also in geopolitical terms as it fosters the exploration, control, and surveillance of areas. The paper presents a critical account of logistics operations and their relevance for the making (and unmaking) of territories, related policy dimensions, and future challenges for research.
The evolving borderland of energy geographies
Authors: Baka Jennifer , Vaishnava Saumya
Published: March 2020

Energy geographers have characterized energy as a borderland topic because of its ability to straddle and interconnect different geographic concepts and debates. In this review, we evaluate how the borderland of energy geographies has been emerging in recent years by analyzing scholarship on energy published in top geography journals and a leading energy studies journal, Energy Research & Social Science. In part 1 of our review, we evaluate how the borderland of energy geographies is evolving by mapping the geographic range of empirical studies, the processes and types of energy systems being researched and the key geographic concepts/theories engaged across the four main sub‐fields of geography. We find that energy geographies scholarship has primarily centered on the Global North, remains focused on the extractive and production phase of energy development and is evolving across and within three of the four sub‐fields of geography. Energy transitions, governance, justice, space, and landscape are key topics and concepts examined. Notable underrepresentations include a relative lack of energy geographies scholarship within physical geography, as well as limited studies that engage geographic concepts to study the transportation sector, unconventional energy development and the food‐energy‐water nexus. In part 2, we identify three broad research themes to expand the frontier of energy geographies: (a) geographies of energy knowledge production, particularly indigenous knowledge; (b) materializing energy, especially through engaging political‐industrial ecology; and (c) advancing geographic thought by critically assessing how studying energy advances/challenges/transforms core geographic concepts and debates. Collectively, our review demonstrates that energy geographies have established firm footing within and across geography. Deepening engagement with emerging trends elsewhere in geography and the social sciences will not only help to better conceptualize what a geographic perspective on energy means but will also help to make clearer sense of the rapid economic, social, environmental, and political transformations currently underway within the global energy system.
The optimum seeding and harvesting dates of sorghum–sudangrass hybrid (Sorghum bicolor L.) via optimum moving response surface methodology
Authors: Kim Moonju , Kim Ji Yung , Sung Kyungil
Published: March 2020

In general, determining suitable seeding and harvesting times is important in achieving high yields of forage crops in terms of both physiology and ecology. To determine the optimum point, the response surface methodology (RSM) is well known in agricultural science. This study aimed to establish optimum seeding and harvesting dates and to verify the variation of dry matter yield (DMY) for sorghum–sudangrass hybrid (SSH), by determining what we called the “optimum moving RSM” proposed to optimize the RSM in the metadata. The SSH metadata consist of individual experiments (n = 856) that were performed to check the optimum seeding and harvesting dates using classic RSM. However, the SSH metadata failed to produce a single effective equation to determine the optimum seeding and harvesting dates due to the different characteristics of the experimental design. Therefore, the optimum moving RSM was introduced. As a result, we found that the optimum seeding and harvesting dates were clear, based on a single quadratic function. The maximum DMY at the optimum seeding and harvesting dates (the 4th of May and 23rd of September, respectively) was 25,404.50 and 23,697.01 kg/ha, respectively. SSH yield decreases rapidly from 10 days after the optimum date, and seeding and harvesting should be performed within 5 days to ensure a stable yield. Furthermore, the optimum moving RSM is expected to be useful to establish the optimum point in the metadata.
Enhancing researcher capacity to engage youth in research: Researchers’ engagement experiences, barriers and capacity development priorities
Authors: Hawke Lisa D. , Darnay Karleigh , Relihan Jacqueline , Khaleghi‐Moghaddam Mohammad , Barbic Skye , Lachance Lisa , Ben‐David Shelly , Brown Marion , Iyer Srividya , Chaim Gloria , Soklaridis Sophie , Kidd Sean A. , Halsall Tanya , Mathias Steve , Henderson Joanna
Published: March 2020

Background

There is increasing emphasis on engaging youth in research about youth, their needs, experiences and preferences, notably in health services research. By engaging youth as full partners, research becomes more feasible and relevant, and the validity and richness of findings are enhanced. Consequently, researchers need guidance in engaging youth effectively. This study examines the experiences, needs and knowledge gaps of researchers.

Methods

Eighty‐four researchers interested in youth engagement training were recruited via snowball sampling. They completed a survey regarding their youth engagement experiences, attitudes, perceived barriers and capacity development needs. Data were analysed descriptively, and comparisons were made based on current engagement experience.

Results

Participants across career stages and disciplines expressed an interest in increased capacity development for youth engagement. They had positive attitudes about the importance and value of youth engagement, but found it to be complex. Participants reported requiring practical guidance to develop their youth engagement practices and interest in a network of youth‐engaged researchers and on‐going training. Those currently engaging youth were more likely to report the need for greater appreciation of youth engagement by funders and institutions.

Conclusions

Engaging youth in research has substantial benefits. However, skills in collaborating with youth to design, conduct and implement research have to be learned. Researchers need concrete training and networking opportunities to develop and maximize these skills. They also need mechanisms that formally acknowledge the value of engagement. Researchers and those promoting youth engagement in research are encouraged to consider these findings in their promotion and training endeavours.
Theorizing self‐repairers' worldview–personhood to advance new thinking on extended product lifetimes
Authors: Dermody Janine , Nagase Yoko , Berger Wolfram
Published: March 2020

The ecological and societal problems caused by product obsolescence and consumerism in modern economies constitute a “wicked human‐made problem” of significant magnitude. Current (old) ways of thinking cannot address these problems. Accordingly, in this paper, we critically explore the novel idea of integrated personhood and worldviews to theorize research on self‐repairers and their repair behaviours to extend product lifetimes. We conducted a structured and systematic review of published work (n = 183) to identify the conceptual content of the field to inform our theorization. Our findings highlight three key issues. First, constricted theorization undermines understanding of self‐repairers and their product lifetime extension (and spillover) behaviours. Second, the underlying conceptual complexity is typically underestimated. Third, the dominance of voluntarist and deterministic studies impedes new directions in research. From our review, an integrated worldview–personhood framework emerges that can deepen understanding of avant‐garde self‐repairers’ engagement with product lifetimes.
Role of common ERCC1 polymorphisms in cisplatin‐resistant epithelial ovarian cancer patients: A study in Chinese cohort
Authors: Bao Yuxia , Yang Bin , Zhao Jingjiao , Shen Simin , Gao Jianyuan
Published: March 2020

Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) contributes the majority of death cases among various ovarian malignancies. Although a standard method of treatment is the surgical removal of malignant tissue followed by platinum‐based chemotherapy, a group of patients does not respond appropriately to cisplatin. An appropriate response to cisplatin has been linked with the nucleotide excision repair mechanism. The present study aims to investigate the role of polymorphisms in DNA repair genes, excision repair cross‐complementation group 1 (ERCC1) with susceptibility to EOC development and tumour response to platinum‐based chemotherapy in Chinese EOC patients. Patients (n = 559) reporting to the Department of Oncology and general surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, were enrolled in the study. Three hundred twenty‐three healthy controls hailing from similar geographical areas without a history of cancer enrolled as healthy controls. Excision repair cross‐complementation group 1 polymorphisms (rs11615, rs3212986, rs735482, rs2336219, rs3212980, rs3212964, rs3212961 and rs2298881) were genotyped by appropriate methods. Distribution of genotypes and allele for ERCC1 polymorphisms (rs11615, rs3212986, rs735482, rs2336219, rs3212980, rs3212964, rs3212961 and rs2298881) were comparable among healthy controls and EOC patients. Interestingly, homozygous mutant and the minor allele for rs11615 and rs3212986 polymorphisms were significantly higher in nonresponder EOC patients when compared to those with a proper response to cisplatin treatment. The prevalence of other SNPs was comparable among the two treated clinical categories. Furthermore, combined genotype revealed significant association of rs11615: TT/ rs3212986: AA genotype combination with cisplatin nonresponder. Variants of rs11615, rs3212986 polymorphisms are associated with cisplatin resistance in Chinese EOC patients. Combined rs11615 and rs3212986 genotypes can be used as a predictive biomarker for platinum‐based chemotherapy outcomes.
High expression of WTAP leads to poor prognosis of gastric cancer by influencing tumour‐associated T lymphocyte infiltration
Authors: Li Huafu , Su Qiao , Li Bo , Lan Linxiang , Wang Chunming , Li Wuguo , Wang Gangqiang , Chen Wei , He Yulong , Zhang Changhua
Published: March 2020

Background

N6‐methyladenosine (m6A) methylation, a well‐known modification with new epigenetic functions, has been reported to participate in gastric cancer (GC) tumourigenesis, providing novel insights into the molecular pathogenesis of GC. However, the involvement of Wilms’ tumour 1‐associated protein (WTAP), a key component of m6A methylation, in GC progression is controversial. Here, we investigated the biological role and underlying mechanism of WTAP in GC.

Methods

We determined WTAP expression using tissue microarrays and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data set, which was used to construct co‐expression networks by weighted gene co‐expression network analysis (WGCNA). Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses were performed by Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery (DAVID). CIBERSORT was used to determine WTAP expression in 22 immune cell types.

Results

Wilms’ tumour 1‐associated protein was highly expressed in GC, which indicated a poor prognosis, and WTAP expression served as an independent predictor of GC survival. By WGCNA, GO, KEGG and core gene survival analyses, we found that high WTAP expression correlated with RNA methylation and that low expression correlated with a high T cell–related immune response. CIBERSORT was used to correlate low WTAP expression with T lymphocyte infiltration.

Conclusion

RNA methylation and lymphocyte infiltration are the main causes of high WTAP expression and poor prognosis, respectively.
LncRNA FTX activates FOXA2 expression to inhibit non–small‐cell lung cancer proliferation and metastasis
Authors: Jin Shidai , He Jing , Zhou Yue , Wu Deqin , Li Jun , Gao Wen
Published: March 2020

Lung cancer leads to the highest mortality among all cancer types in the world, and non–small‐cell lung cancer (NSCLC) occupies over 80% of the lung cancer cases. Numerous studies have demonstrated that long non‐coding RNA (lncRNA) is involved in various human diseases including cancer. LncRNA FTX was firstly identified in Xist gene locus and was dysregulated in many human cancers. However, the function of FTX in NSCLC is still unclear. Here, we report that long non‐coding RNA FTX expression level is down‐regulated in NSCLC clinical tissue samples and cell lines. Ectopic expression of FTX inhibits proliferation and metastasis of lung cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, we find that FTX overexpression activates the expression of transcription factor FOXA2, an important regulator in lung cancer progression, and we reveal a novel FTX/miR‐200a‐3p/FOXA2 competing endogenous RNA regulatory axis in lung cancer cells. Our results provide new insights and directions for exploring the function of FTX in lung cancer progression.
Whole transcriptome expression profiles in placenta samples from women with gestational diabetes mellitus
Authors: Tang Lei , Li Ping , Li Ling
Published: March 2020

Aims/Introduction

Non‐coding ribonucleic acids (ncRNAs) have recently been shown to be involved in various biological processes. However, most of these ncRNAs are of unknown function or without annotation. This study first investigated the whole transcriptome profiles of placentas to identify the potential functions that ncRNAs exerted in gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).

Materials and Methods

Six placenta samples from healthy pregnant women (n = 3) and GDM (n = 3) were collected to analyze the whole transcriptome profiles by high‐throughput sequencing. Differentially expressed ncRNAs were further validated by quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction on an independent set of normal (n = 20) and GDM (n = 20) placenta samples.

Results

A total of 2,817 microRNAs (miRNAs), 23,339 long non‐coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and 9,513 circular RNAs (circRNAs) were identified. There were 290 differentially expressed ncRNAs in GDM placentas compared with the placentas of healthy pregnant women. Two miRNAs, 86 lncRNAs and 55 circRNAs were upregulated, while two miRNAs, 86 lncRNAs and 59 circRNAs were downregulated in GDM. The expression of the selected ncRNAs, which were further validated by quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction, was consistent with the sequencing results. Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis showed that the major targets of these ncRNAs were associated with insulin resistance, and abnormal glucose and lipid metabolism. A GDM‐related competing endogenous RNA network suggested the interactions between lncRNAs, circRNAs, messenger RNAs and miRNAs.

Conclusions

The whole transcriptome profiles significantly differed in GDM placentas compared with the placentas of healthy pregnant women, which might be valuable for detecting novel ncRNAs, and providing new research insights into exploring the pathogenic mechanisms of GDM.
State Variability in the Prevalence and Healthcare Utilization of Assisted Living Residents with Dementia
Authors: Thomas Kali S. , Zhang Wenhan , Cornell Portia Y. , Smith Lindsey , Kaskie Brian , Carder Paula C.
Published: March 2020

OBJECTIVES

Almost 1 million older and disabled adults who require long‐term care reside in assisted living (AL), approximately 40% of whom have a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD). States vary in their regulations specific to dementia care that may influence the presence of residents with ADRD in AL and their outcomes. The objectives of this study were to describe the state variability in the prevalence of ADRD among Medicare beneficiaries residing in larger (25+ bed) ALs and their healthcare utilization.

DESIGN

Retrospective observational national study.

PARTICIPANTS

National cohort of 293,336 Medicare fee‐for‐service enrollees residing in larger (25+ bed) ALs in 2016 and 2017 including 88,867 (30.3%) residents with ADRD. We compared this cohort's characteristics and healthcare utilization with that of individuals with ADRD who resided in nursing homes (NHs; n = 602,521) and the community (n = 2,074,420).

METHODS

Medicare enrollment data, claims, and the NH Minimum Data Set were used to describe differences among ADRD patients in AL, NHs, and the community. We present rates of NH admission and hospitalization, by state, adjusting for age, sex, race, dual eligibility, and chronic conditions.

RESULTS

The prevalence of ADRD among AL residents varied by state, ranging from 24% to 47%. In 2017, AL residents with ADRD had higher rates of NH admission than their community‐dwelling counterparts (adjusted national average = 24%, ranging from 14% to 35% among states). AL residents with ADRD had higher rates of hospitalization (38%) than populations in either NHs (29%) or the community (34%), and ranged from 29% to 45% of residents among states.

CONCLUSION

These findings have implications for states as they regulate AL and for healthcare professionals whose patients reside in AL. Future work is needed to understand specific elements of states’ regulatory environments and local markets that may impact access and outcomes for this vulnerable population of residents with ADRD. J Am Geriatr Soc 68:1504‐1511, 2020.
Haematological and biochemical parameters of wild capuchin monkeys in Brasília, Federal District—Brazil
Authors: Abreu Sousa Gabriel , Regina Paludo Giane , Simonini Teixeira Danilo , Morais Ribeiro Bergmann
Published: March 2020

Background

Wild capuchin monkeys (Sapajus libidinosus) usually are found in conserved forests near the zoo and the urban areas of Brasília city, Brazil. In this study, some capuchin monkeys were captured using traps, followed by safe biological procedures for their overall health analysis, based on specific haematological and biochemical tests of blood samples.

Methods

Blood was collected from a total of 17 monkeys for the determination of parameters, namely packed cell volume (PCV), leucocytes, erythrocytes, platelets and triglycerides. Statistical analyses for average values, median, standard deviation and range were performed.

Results

These parameters were set based on the minimum and maximum values obtained from the blood tests. Data are presented in tabulated form.

Conclusions

Capture procedures were based on animal safety analysis for free‐living animals and would help future studies on wild animals. The collected samples used in this study suggested the animals to be apparently healthy in their habitat.
The Effect of Family Involvement on Innovation Outcomes: The Moderating Role of Board Social Capital
Authors: Bendig David , Foege J. Nils , Endriß Stefan , Brettel Malte
Published: March 2020

Innovation is an essential and yet puzzling part of family firms’ strategic focus. While family firms are generally characterized as conservative regarding their research and development (R&D) activities, researchers have recently argued that family firms can still achieve innovation‐based competitive advantages. Seeking to understand the link between family influence and the outcomes of innovation, we suggest that it is necessary not only to observe the depth of family involvement, but also to differentiate between technological inventions and market innovations. We further posit that the board members’ social capital constitutes an important contingency for this link. We, therefore, investigate the relationship between family involvement and two different outcomes: the number of the firm’s inventions and the market relevance of innovations. Our analysis of S&P 500 firms comprises 1.85 million patents and manual evaluations of 1774 product announcements. The results of our estimations suggest that family involvement is negatively related to the number of inventions and positively related to the market relevance of innovations. They further show that internal and external board social capital moderate the relationship between family involvement and the number of inventions. This study adds to the discussion about family firm innovation by using socioemotional wealth to explain heterogeneity in innovation patterns and revealing that relational resources derived from board social capital are crucial boundary conditions for families’ influence on technological inventions. Taken together, it works toward a more holistic view of innovation in family‐influenced firms.
Mutations in the predicted DNA polymerase subunit POLD3 result in more rapid flowering of Brachypodium distachyon
Authors: Woods Daniel P. , Dong Yinxin , Bouché Frédéric , Mayer Kevin , Varner Leah , Ream Thomas S. , Thrower Nicholas , Wilkerson Curtis , Cartwright Amy , Sibout Richard , Laudencia‐Chingcuanco Debbie , Vogel John , Amasino Richard M.
Published: March 2020

The timing of reproduction is a critical developmental decision in the life cycle of many plant species.

Fine mapping of a rapid‐flowering mutant was done using whole‐genome sequence data from bulked DNA from a segregating F2 mapping populations. The causative mutation maps to a gene orthologous with the third subunit of DNA polymerase δ (POLD3), a previously uncharacterized gene in plants. Expression analyses of POLD3 were conducted via real time qPCR to determine when and in what tissues the gene is expressed.

To better understand the molecular basis of the rapid‐flowering phenotype, transcriptomic analyses were conducted in the mutant vs wild‐type. Consistent with the rapid‐flowering mutant phenotype, a range of genes involved in floral induction and flower development are upregulated in the mutant.

Our results provide the first characterization of the developmental and gene expression phenotypes that result from a lesion in POLD3 in plants.
Development and Application of Oblique Lumbar Interbody Fusion
Authors: Li Renjie , Li Xuefeng , Zhou Hong , Jiang Weimin
Published: March 2020

The present study reviewed the relevant recent literature regarding the development and application of oblique lumbar interbody fusion (OLIF), with a particular focus on its application and associated complications. The study evaluated the rationality of this technique and demonstrated the direction of future research by collecting data on previous operative outcomes and complications. A literature search was performed in Pubmed and Web of Science, including the following keywords and abbreviations: anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF), lateral lumbar interbody fusion (LLIF), direct lateral interbody fusion (DLIF), extreme lateral interbody fusion (XLIF), oblique lateral interbody fusion (OLIF), adjacent segment disease (ASD), and adult degenerative scoliosis (ADS). A search of literature published from January 2005 to January 2019 was conducted and all studies evaluating development and application of OLIF were included in the review. According to the literature, the indications for OLIF are various. OLIF has excellent orthopaedic effects in degenerative scoliosis patients and the incidence of bony fusion is higher than for other approaches. It also provides a better choice for revision surgery. It has various advantages in many aspects, but the complications cannot be ignored. As a new minimally invasive technique, the advantages of OLIF are obvious, but further evaluation is needed to compare its operation‐related data with that of traditional open surgery. In addition, more prospective studies are required to compare minimally invasive and open spinal surgery to confirm its specific efficacy, risk, advantages, learning curve, and ultimate clinical efficacy.
Childbearing in Italy and Spain: Postponement Narratives
Authors: Lebano Adele , Jamieson Lynn
Published: March 2020

Italy and Spain are extreme cases of low fertility linked to postponement of childbearing. Demographers continue to debate causes of postponement. This qualitative study was designed to contribute, by purposively selecting Italian and Spanish women in different socio‐economic circumstances who are partnered, childless and aged 30 to 35. Most want children but “not now” or are deferring the decision whether to have children. Their different circumstances inflect explanations of postponement in a language of choice, either “taking time” to achieve other goals or “holding on” for conditions to change. They are encouraged to postpone by optimism about their capacity to conceive, flexible norms about “the right age,” prolonged dependence on their parents, the normative salience of “total motherhood,” and family‐unfriendly, gender‐unequal workplaces. Elements of competing demographic theories often coexist in interviewees' accounts. The “desires‐intentions gap” does not always capture their flow or complexity.
Putrescine metabolism modulates the biphasic effects of brassinosteroids on canola and Arabidopsis salt tolerance
Authors: Liu Jinlong , Yang Rongchen , Jian Ni , Wei Long , Ye Liaoliao , Wang Ruihua , Gao Huiling , Zheng Qingsong
Published: March 2020

Brassinosteroids (BRs) are known to improve salt tolerance of plants, but not in all situations. Here, we show that a certain concentration of 24‐epibrassinolide (EBL), an active BR, can promote the tolerance of canola under high‐salt stress, but the same concentration is disadvantageous under low‐salt stress. We define this phenomenon as hormonal stress‐level‐dependent biphasic (SLDB) effects. The SLDB effects of EBL on salt tolerance in canola are closely related to H2O2 accumulation, which is regulated by polyamine metabolism, especially putrescine (Put) oxidation. The inhibition of EBL on canola under low‐salt stress can be ameliorated by repressing Put biosynthesis or diamine oxidase activity to reduce H2O2 production. Genetic and phenotypic results of bri1‐9, bak1, bes1‐D, and bzr1‐1D mutants and overexpression lines of BRI1 and BAK1 in Arabidopsis indicate that a proper enhancement of BR signaling benefits plants in countering salt stress, whereas excessive enhancement is just as harmful as a deficiency. These results highlight the involvement of crosstalk between BR signaling and Put metabolism in H2O2 accumulation, which underlies the dual role of BR in plant salt tolerance.
Glucocorticoid receptor and serum‐ and glucocorticoid‐induced kinase‐1 in esophageal adenocarcinoma and adjacent Barrett's esophagus
Authors: Gokon Yusuke , Fujishima Fumiyoshi , Taniyama Yusuke , Ishida Hirotaka , Yamagata Taku , Sawai Takashi , Uzuki Miwa , Ichikawa Hirofumi , Itakura Yuko , Takahashi Kazutomi , Yajima Nobuhisa , Hagiwara Motohisa , Nishida Akiko , Ozawa Yohei , Sakuma Tsutomu , Sakamoto Kazuhiro , Zuguchi Masashi , Saito Masahiro , Kamei Takashi , Sasano Hironobu
Published: March 2020

Barrett's esophagus (BE) is a consequence of gastroesophageal reflux disease and is predisposed to esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC). EAC is an exemplar model of inflammation‐associated cancer. Glucocorticoids suppress inflammation through glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and serum‐ and glucocorticoid‐induced kinase‐1 (Sgk1) expressions. Therefore, we immunolocalized GR and Sgk1 in EAC and the adjacent BE tissues and studied their association with clinical disease course in 87 patients with EAC who underwent surgical resection (N = 58) or endoscopic submucosal dissection (N = 29). Low GR and Sgk1 expressions in adjacent BE tissues were associated with adverse clinical outcomes (P = 0.0008 and 0.034, respectively). Patients with low Sgk1 expression in EAC cells exhibited worse overall survival (P = 0.0018). In multivariate Cox regression analysis, low GR expression in the adjacent nonmalignant BE tissues was significantly associated with worse overall survival (P = 0.023). The present study indicated that evaluation of GR and Sgk1 expressions in both the EAC cells and adjacent nonmalignant BE tissues could help to predict clinical outcomes following endoscopic and surgical treatments. In particular, the GR status in BE tissues adjacent to EAC was an independent prognostic factor.
Suicide Ideation Among Male Prisoners: Preliminary Evidence That Psychopathic Traits are Indirectly Linked to Suicide Ideation Through Thwarted Interpersonal Needs
Authors: Dhingra Katie , Mitchell Sean M. , Davies Bill , Anestis Michael D. , Anestis Joye C.
Published: March 2020

Background

The relation between psychopathic traits and suicide ideation (SI) is frequently discussed but little research has examined potential mechanisms underlying this association. The interpersonal theory of suicide (ITS) proposes two mechanisms in the pathogenesis of suicidal desire: thwarted belongingness (TB) and perceived burdensomeness (PB). This study cross‐sectionally tested TB and PB as possible explanatory links in the relation between psychopathic traits and SI.

Method

Archival data from 784 male U.K. prisoners (Mage = 37.21, SD = 9.97) were analyzed using structural equation modeling.

Results

Psychopathic traits were indirectly associated with SI through more specific suicide‐promoting processes – namely TB and PB. More specifically, results indicated that Egocentricity and Stimulus Seeking were indirectly associated with SI through PB and TB in combination. However, results indicated specific indirect effects of TB in the relations between the Antisocial Behavior, Egocentricity, and Stimulus Seeking facets, and SI, whereas specific indirect effects for PB were only significant in the relations between Egocentricity and Stimulus Seeking facets and SI.

Conclusion

Preliminary results are consistent with the ITS and suggest that psychopathic traits may be distal risk markers for SI and provide direction for future research that could inform suicide prevention efforts among male prisoners high in such traits.
Education leads to a more physically active lifestyle: Evidence based on Mendelian randomization
Authors: Kari Jaana T. , Viinikainen Jutta , Böckerman Petri , Tammelin Tuija H. , Pitkänen Niina , Lehtimäki Terho , Pahkala Katja , Hirvensalo Mirja , Raitakari Olli T. , Pehkonen Jaakko
Published: March 2020

Physical inactivity is a major health risk worldwide. Observational studies suggest that higher education is positively related to physical activity, but it is not clear whether this relationship constitutes a causal effect. Using participants (N = 1651) drawn from the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study linked to nationwide administrative data from Statistics Finland, this study examined whether educational attainment, measured by years of education, is related to adulthood physical activity in terms of overall physical activity, weekly hours of intensive activity, total steps per day, and aerobic steps per day. We employed ordinary least squares (OLS) models and extended the analysis using an instrumental variables approach (Mendelian randomization, MR) with a genetic risk score as an instrument for years of education. Based on the MR results, it was found that years of education is positively related to physical activity. On average, one additional year of education leads to a 0.62‐unit higher overall physical activity (P < .01), 0.26 more hours of weekly intensive activity (P < .05), 560 more steps per day (P < .10), and 390 more aerobic steps per day (P < .09). The findings indicate that education may be a factor leading to higher leisure‐time physical activity and thus promoting global health.
Seismological constraints on the 2018 Mt. Etna (Italy) flank eruption and implications for the flank dynamics of the volcano
Authors: Alparone Salvatore , Barberi Graziella , Giampiccolo Elisabetta , Maiolino Vincenza , Mostaccio Antonino , Musumeci Carla , Scaltrito Antonio , Scarfì Luciano , Tuvè Tiziana , Ursino Andrea
Published: March 2020

3D earthquake locations, focal mechanisms and stress tensor distribution in a 16‐month interval covering the 2018 Mt. Etna flank eruption, enabled us to investigate the relationship between magma intrusion and structural response of the volcano and shed light on the dynamic processes affecting the instability of Mt. Etna. The magma intrusion likely caused tension in the flanks of the volcano, leading to significant ground deformation and redistribution of stress on the neighbouring faults at the edge of Mt. Etna's unstable sector, encouraging the ESE sliding of the eastern flank of the volcano. Accordingly, FPSs of the post‐eruptive events show strike slip faulting mechanisms, under a stress regime characterized by a maximum compressive σ1, NE‐SW oriented. In this perspective, any flank eruption could temporarily enhance the sliding process of both the southern and eastern flanks of the volcano.
The strategic use of translingual resources in Inner Circle academic settings
Authors: Rincon‐Mendoza Lupe , Canagarajah Suresh
Published: March 2020

Standardized American English is treated as normative for US academic interactions. However, international scholars use translingual practices effectively to negotiate academic relationships and practices. In a sequential analysis of research group meetings (RGMs), we show the importance of spatial repertoires in stance negotiations to understand how normative English is renegotiated in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) mentoring interactions. The strategic use of spatial repertoires by an international scholar demonstrates the competence he brings for effective stancetaking in academic communication, belying his classification as lacking proficiency in academic English. Our findings highlight the deft negotiations of power through the scholar's orientations towards verbal and semiotic resources in interpersonal stances. We show that regardless of institutional hierarchies, positions taken by senior and novice scholars reflect the fluidity in knowledge and expertise in STEM. The use of spatial repertoires mediates the negotiation of these relationships and language norms.
Quantitative Investigation of Spray Characteristics of Unique Diesel Injector Tips
Authors: Blobaum Erica L. , Ciatti Stephen A. , Foster David E.
Published: March 2020

A quantitative study of diesel fuel injection was conducted to investigate minute differences in spray plume development from several unique injector tips. In this study, a set of six eight-hole injector tips was assessed to evaluate distinguishable spray characteristics. The tips have known variability in soot and NOx data during in-engine testing. A spray fixture was constructed with a cam-pressurized electronic unit injector and a 5.1L, nitrogen-pressurized spray chamber. Injection conditions such as injection timing and duration were experimentally controlled to replicate actual engine load conditions. A copper-vapor laser illuminated the fuel spray, and a high-speed digital camera was timed to capture the injection events.

Digital analysis of the spray images produced quantified penetration length, cone angle, and two-dimensional area data as a function of crank angle. The first five observed spray images (up to a spray radius of approximately 6 cm) of each injection event are presented.

Initial qualitative analysis of the spray images indicated clear and repeatable asymmetries, as well as plume development differences between the injector tips. These observations suggest that early penetration length measurements may be indicative of emissions trends. It is assumed that variations in spray shapes can be correlated to NOx and soot data. The level of these differences, however, is minute, suggesting that detailed characterization strategies must be implemented to detect the spray patterns that are most influential to engine emissions.
A Study of the Effects of Radiation on Pollutant Emissions in Direct Injection Engines
Authors: Brahma Indranil , Zhu Xuelei , Frankel Steven H. , Gore Jay P.
Published: March 2020

The laminar flamelet combustion model was used to study the effects of radiation on chemistry in a direct injection engine. A two dimensional axisymmetric engine code with a simple mixing length turbulence model was used. Four state relationships for different conditions were obtained from laminar opposed flow diffusion flame calculations by considering gas and soot radiation heat loss using detailed gas and global soot kinetics. The effects of radiation on pollutant emissions were studied by using the four state relationships in the engine calculations.
Experimental Investigation of a Direct Injection Diesel Injector in a Constant Volume Injection Chamber
Authors: Stephens John J. , Martin Glen C. , Lee Chia-fon F.
Published: March 2020

In an optically accessible, constant volume, quiescent injection cell, the liquid phase of a non-evaporating direct injection spray was visualized using the Exciplex Planar Laser Induced Fluorescence technique. The goal of this work was to develop a correlation for the effect of ambient density on spray tip penetration. Therefore, an experimental test matrix was set up with injection pressure and ambient density as the variables. Good optical access and a short visualization pathway allowed for high-resolution images to be recorded simultaneously via two CCD cameras. Images were recorded at various timings to temporally resolve the spray. A correlation was developed and the results show a strong dependence of spray tip penetration on ambient density.
Turbocharging a Medium Speed Diesel Engine to Suit Different Applications
Authors: Ludu Andrei , Athenstaedt Gernot , Dexter Stephen G.
Published: March 2020

The turbocharger match plays a key role for a successfully developed engine. Properly matched turbochargers ensure a good gas exchange, the right air flow rates, and air-fuel ratios as required for the combustion fine tuning.

AVL LIST GmbH in Graz, Austria, starting from a blank computer display, designed, developed and tested a medium speed diesel engine to cover three applications: power generation, marine propulsion and drilling rig drive. The 12 cylinder vee engine has 2370 HP rated power at 1500 rpm rated engine speed. For the drilling rig drive application 8% torque backup at low engine speed is available.

The turbocharging challenge was to specify a turbocharger to suit all three applications. Thus, the turbocharger operation ranged from the constant engine speed operation for power generation, to variable engine speed operation for marine propulsion and with torque backup for the drilling rig drive application.

The paper reports test results which demonstrate that AVL could match the engine over a wide application range. The engine performance and system layout calculations performed prior to testing were validated by tests. The engine performance software used is presented. A special emphasis is placed on the implementation, operation and impact of a bypass and waste-gate system as an aid to match the turbocharger for the engine operation with torque back-up.
Planar Laser Induced Fluorescence Imaging of Gas Injection From Fuel Valves for Large Bore Natural Gas Engines
Authors: Olsen Daniel B. , Mastbergen Dan B. , Willson Bryan D.
Published: March 2020

Investigations of the fuel injection process for large bore natural gas engines are performed on an off-engine test fixture. Two types of fuel injectors are studied, a low pressure (0.39 MPa) and a high pressure (3.5 MPa) gas injection valve. Planar laser induced fluorescence is implemented to image fuel jet concentration. The fuel jet from each injector is imaged from the start of injection though their valve-open duration. Effects of injection pressure, piston interaction, and injection event repeatability are investigated. The results are related to previous engine studies of high pressure fuel injection and Schlieren photography of in-cylinder events on a Cooper-Bessemer GMV large bore natural gas engines. The images indicate that the low pressure valve achieves more effective mixing during jet penetration. The high pressure injection event shows relatively little mixing during jet penetration. However, the high pressure jet has much more energy when it impinges on the piston. It is evident that the important time for mixing using high pressure injection occurs after piston impingement.