bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Efficacy of telmisartan for the treatment of persistent renal proteinuria in dogs: A double‐masked, randomized clinical trial
Authors: Lourenço Bianca N. , Coleman Amanda E. , Brown Scott A. , Schmiedt Chad W. , Parkanzky Max C. , Creevy Kate E.
Published: November 2020

Background

Information regarding efficacy of the angiotensin II receptor blocker, telmisartan, for treatment of proteinuria in dogs is limited.

Objective

To evaluate the antiproteinuric efficacy of telmisartan, as compared to enalapril, in dogs with chronic kidney disease and persistent, renal proteinuria.

Animals

Thirty‐nine client‐owned dogs with chronic kidney disease and urinary protein‐to‐creatinine ratio (UPC) > 0.5 (if azotemic) or ≥ 1.0 (if nonazotemic).

Methods

In this prospective, randomized, double‐masked clinical trial, dogs were block randomized, according to presence or absence of azotemia and systemic arterial hypertension, to receive telmisartan (1.0 mg/kg PO q24h), or enalapril (0.5 mg/kg PO q12h), and followed for 120 days. Up‐titration of study drug dosage on days 30 and 60, and addition of the other study drug at day 90, were performed if UPC > 0.5 was noted at these visits. Percentage change in UPC relative to baseline was calculated for all time points. Data are presented as median (range).

Results

Thirty‐nine (20 telmisartan‐treated, 19 enalapril‐treated) dogs were included. At day 30, percentage change in UPC was greater for telmisartan‐treated (−65% [−95% to 104%]) vs enalapril‐treated (−35% [−74% to 87%]) dogs (P = .002). Among dogs persistently proteinuric at earlier visits, telmisartan remained superior to enalapril at days 60 (P = .02) and 90 (P = .02). No difference in percentage change in UPC between study groups was observed at day 120, when combination therapy was allowed. Combination therapy resulted in relevant azotemia in 4/13 (31%) dogs.

Conclusions and Clinical Importance

Telmisartan might be a suitable first‐line therapy for dogs with renal proteinuria.
A review of phosphorus homeostasis and the impact of different types and amounts of dietary phosphate on metabolism and renal health in cats
Authors: Laflamme Dottie , Backus Robert , Brown Scott , Butterwick Richard , Czarnecki‐Maulden Gail , Elliott Jonathan , Fascetti Andrea , Polzin David
Published: November 2020

Elevated concentrations of serum phosphate are linked with progression and increased case fatality rate in animals and humans with chronic kidney disease. Elevated concentrations of serum phosphate can be a risk factor for development of renal and cardiovascular diseases or osteoporosis in previously healthy people. In rodents, an excess intake of dietary phosphorus combined with an inverse dietary calcium : phosphorus ratio (<1 : 1) contributes to renal calcification. Renal injury also has occured in cats fed experimental diets supplemented with highly soluble phosphate salts, especially in diets with inverse calcium : phosphorus ratios. However, not all phosphorus sources contribute similarly to this effect. This review, which focuses on cats, summarizes the published evidence regarding phosphorus metabolism and homeostasis, including the relative impact of different dietary phosphorus sources, and their impact on the kidneys. No data currently shows that commercial cat foods induce renal injury. However, some diets contain high amounts of phosphorus relative to recommendations and some have inverse Ca : P ratios and so could increase the risk for development of kidney disease. While limiting the use of highly soluble phosphates appears to be important, there are insufficient data to support a specific upper limit for phosphate intake. This review also proposes areas where additional research is needed in order to strengthen conclusions and recommendations regarding dietary phosphorus for cats.
Common generalist mites do not transmit from foster parents to brood parasitic chicks
Authors: Trnka A. , Fenďa P. , Požgayová M. , Procházka P.
Published: November 2020

Interactions between avian brood parasites, their hosts and their parasites provide an ideal model system for studying coevolutionary processes across multiple hierarchical levels. Despite this, how brood parasitism affects the ecology and transmission of bird ectoparasites is not well known. Here, we examined the mite fauna of great reed warblerAcrocephalus arundinaceusnests successfully parasitized and unparasitized by the common cuckooCuculus canorusto find whether there is vertical transmission of northern fowl mitesOrnithonyssus sylviarum, a generalist blood‐feeding parasite of birds, through infected nests. Although there was no difference in the prevalence of mites between successfully parasitized and unparasitized nests, the former nests exhibited two times lower mite abundances than the latter nests. Importantly, none of the common cuckoo nestlings examined shortly before fledging carried mites, whereas the great reed warbler nestlings were infested in almost half of the contaminated nests. Thus, our results indicate that, despite their high dispersal abilities, northern fowl mites may be unable to survive or reproduce on the common cuckoo nestlings. Factors that can contribute to the observed patterns are discussed.
CD8+ T cells specific to apoptosis‐associated epitopes are expanded in patients with chronic HBV infection and fibrosis
Authors: Pacella Ilenia , Cammarata Ilenia , Martire Carmela , Brancaccio Giuseppina , Gaeta Giovanni Battista , Barnaba Vincenzo , Piconese Silvia
Published: November 2020

Background & Aims

During chronic viral infections, the apoptosis of activated T cell elicits a CD8+ T cell response directed to those cryptic epitopes that emerge from caspase‐cleaved structural proteins. Such response directed to apoptosis‐associated epitopes (AEs) contributes to the amplification of immunopathology.

Methods

Here, we have analysed through flow cytometry AE‐specific CD8+ T cells in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, naïve‐to‐treatment or undergoing nucleos(t)ide‐analogue (NUC) therapy.

Results

We found that AE‐specific CD8+ T cell frequencies were significantly increased only in those NUC‐treated patients who also presented advanced hepatic fibrosis. Regulatory T cells were also expanded in those patients, and AE‐specific, but not HBV‐specific, CD8+ T cell frequency positively correlated with Treg percentages. Through multiparameter flow cytometry, multidimensionality reduction and unsupervised clustering analysis, we could identify novel subpopulations among effector memory (em) and emCD45RA+ T cell (Tem and Temra) subsets. CD8+ T cells with distinct specificities differentially populated the subpopulation map: while HBV‐specific were mostly contained in the Tem subset, AE‐specific CD8+ T cells encompassed naïve, as well as T central memory, Tem and Temra cells.

Conclusion

All together, these findings indicate a link between AE‐specific CD8+ T cells and advanced liver fibrosis in patients with chronic HBV infection, and suggest that virus‐specific and AE‐specific CD8+ T cells exhibit distinct differentiation states and contribute in distinct ways to immunopathology.
Mobility, Stagnation, or Attrition? Diverse Earning Trajectories in a Cohort of Foreign‐born Men
Authors: Ye Leafia Zi , Engelman Michal
Published: November 2020

Researchers and policymakers frequently debate about the integration of immigrants into the US economy. These debates are often based on limited data that do not capture the diversity of immigrants who arrived in the later twentieth century. Related research has also struggled to incorporate the experience of short‐term immigrants or immigrants who move in and out of the labor force. Using records from the Social Security Administration, we track the complete cohort of foreign‐born men who received social security numbers in 1978 through their subsequent working years and characterize their earning trajectories. We find that the share of foreign‐born men with low earnings declined over time, mainly due to attrition from the formal labor force. We also show, for the first time, that immigrants’ employment and earning histories vary considerably by their countries of origin: while those from several countries in Asia and Africa experienced substantial earnings growth and tended to stay in the United States for the long term, men from Central America and the Caribbean experienced more stagnation and had high levels of temporary and permanent attrition from the formal labor force. We end by discussing the historical contingencies and socioeconomic contexts—in sending countries and the United States—that shaped these trajectories.
Predominance of Burkholderia cenocepacia lineages causing onion sour skin in the semi‐arid region of north‐east Brazil
Authors: Baia Ana D. B. , Silva Adriano M. F. , Ribeiro Bárbara G. , Souza Claudeana C. , Silva Júnior Wilson J. , Balbino Valdir Q. , Leal Carla M. , de Farias Antônio R. G. , Souza Elineide B. , Gama Marco A. S.
Published: November 2020

Burkholderia cepacia was originally described as the causal agent of onion sour skin. However, this bacterium is now recognized as a complex of 22 closely related species, commonly referred to as the B. cepacia complex (BCC). Only a few taxonomic studies have been undertaken with the aim of understanding the diversity of species associated with onion sour skin. In this study, we used a polyphasic analysis including rep‐PCR assay, biochemical and pathological profiles, and multilocus sequence analysis (MLSA) to characterize the BCC species associated with onion sour skin in the semi‐arid region of north‐east Brazil. Phylogenetic analysis of the recA of strains representing the genetic variability, as determined by rep‐PCR, grouped the strains into four clades. Clades I and II represent B. cenocepacia lineages IIB and IIIA, respectively, while the strains in Clades III and IV clustered more closely to Clades I and II than to strains of any other BCC species. MLSA confirmed the existence of the four clades with a 1.00 posterior probability. A distance matrix indicated a low level of divergence among the strains of the four clades found in the MLSA, proving that B. cenocepacia lineages IIIA, IIIB, and a new lineage of B. cenocepacia are associated with onion sour skin in the semi‐arid region of north‐east Brazil. Also, surprisingly, no strain was identified as B. cepacia, indicating that this species probably does not play a role in this disease in this region.
Insights in the pathophysiology of haemorrhagic strokes in a sub‐Sahara African country, an epidemiological and MRI study
Authors: Damien C. , Cisse F. , Ligot N. , Toure M.L. , Konaté M. , Barry S.D. , Saw M. , Naeije G.
Published: November 2020

Objective

Intra‐cerebral Haemorrhage (ICH) seems more prevalent in sub‐Saharan Africa (SSA) than in High‐Income Countries (HIC) with poorer clinical outcome. Higher impact of hypertension and/or amyloid angiopathy could account for this disproportion. Here, we sought to (i) retrospectively compare ICH clinical and imaging patterns in Belgium and Guinea and in a subsequent cohort (ii) prospectively compare brain MRI characteristics to seek evidence for a different proportion of amyloid angiopathy patterns.

Methods

Ninety one consecutive patients admitted for spontaneous ICH at Brussels Erasme‐ULB Hospital and at Conakry Ignace Deen‐UGANC were retrospectively compared in terms of ICH volume estimated with the ABC/2 method, clinical characteristics and modified ranking (mRS) score at 30 days. mRS was dichotomised as good outcomes (≤3) and poor outcomes (>3). A prospective cohort of 30 consecutive patients with ICH admitted at CHU Conakry Ignace Deen‐UGANC was prospectively included to undergo brain MRI. Results of the Guinean MRI were compared to 30 patients randomly selected from Brussels’ initial cohort. Paired Student’s t‐test and Mann–Whitney u‐test were used for group comparisons.

Results

Age of ICH onset was higher in Belgium (68 ± 17 years vs. 56 ± 14 years, P < 0.01) while ICH volume and 30‐day mortality rate were higher in Guinea (20 ml vs. 11 ml, P < 0.01 and mortality 33% vs. 10 %, P < 0.01). ICH burden in survivors in Conakry and Brussels showed respectively good outcomes in 56.7% and 60.4% (P = 0.09) and poor outcomes in 10.3% vs. 29.6% (P < 0.001). MRI analysis of the prospective cohort failed to disclose significant differences regarding brain MRI characteristics.

Conclusions

Intra‐cerebral Haemorrhage affected patients 15 years younger in Guinea with larger haematoma volumes and higher mortality than in Belgium. MRI findings did not show more prevalent amyloid angiopathy pathology suggesting that better primary prevention of hypertension could positively impact ICH epidemiology in Guinea.
Mother–child separation among women living with HIV and their children in the first four years postpartum in South Africa
Authors: Mogoba Phepo , Phillips Tamsin K. , le Roux Stanzi , Mukonda Elton E. , Brittain Kirsty , Gomba Yolanda , Zerbe Allison , Abrams Elaine J. , Myer Landon
Published: November 2020

Objectives

Mother–child pairs may separate during early life, yet the health impacts thereof are unclear. We explored the patterns and impact of separation among women living with HIV (WLHIV) and their children in South Africa.

Methods

WLHIV who had initiated antiretroviral therapy (ART) during pregnancy received HIV viral load (VL) testing and completed a timeline questionnaire of mother–child separation since delivery at 3–5 years post‐partum. Health care usage was abstracted from routine medical records. We examined associations between separation and (a) maternal health outcomes (engagement in HIV care and HIV viral suppression, [VS]) and (b) child health outcomes (post‐breastfeeding HIV testing and immunisation completion), using logistic regression.

Results

Of 346 mother–child pairs (median maternal age at antenatal ART initiation, 28 years), 24% were ever separated (median time to first separation 20 months, interquartile range [IQR] 9, 31). Most separated children were living with their grandmothers (65/83, 78%). Mothers who ever separated were younger, and more likely to be employed, and to reside in informal housing than those who never separated. Any separation reduced the odds of VS ≤ 50 copies/mL at four years post‐partum (odds ratio 0.57; 95% CI 0.34–0.93); associations were similar for VL ≤ 1000 copies/mL and maternal engagement in care. No association was found between separation and child confirmatory HIV testing or immunisation completion.

Conclusions

In this setting, mother–child separation is common in the first four years of life and appears associated with suboptimal maternal outcomes. Further research is required to understand the drivers and implications of mother–child separation.
Evaluation of Lactobacillus kefiri and manganese peroxidase‐producing bacteria for decolorization of melanoidins and reduction of chemical oxygen demand
Authors: Omar Ahmad A. , Mahgoub Samir , Salama Ali , Likotrafiti Eleni , Rhoades Jonathan , Christakis Christos , Samaras Petros
Published: November 2020

Thirteen bacterial isolates from a bioreactor treating a mixture of municipal and molasses wastewater were investigated for their potential to degrade and decolorize melanoidins. All isolates were initially screened for manganese peroxidase activity and growth potential in the presence of four synthetic melanoidins solutions at concentrations ranging from 3 to 7 g/L/L. Three isolates of potential manganese peroxidase‐producing bacteria two Klebsiella sp. (B2–B3) and Escherichia coli (B4) and one strain of Lactobacillus kefiri (B1) showed high synthetic melanoidin tolerance. The 16S rDNA sequence showed that they were closely related to E. coli and Klebsiella sp. The most significant degree of decolorization was observed on day 1, reaching 60–67%. Furthermore, the tested strains reduced the chemical oxygen demand by more than 50% or more than 70% of the initial value with or without additional supplementation of the reaction mixture, respectively. All tested isolates showed increased ability for reducing the organic matter content of a raw melanoidin solution exceeding 65%, favouring, therefore, the utilization potential of the isolated strains for the biological processing of molasses wastewaters. Thus, microbial decolorization could be an innovative wastewater treatment for environmental protection purposes.
Quantitative Assessment of Damage in Buried Polyethylene Pipe Subjected to Land Subsidence
Authors: Zha Sixi , Lan Hui-qing , Zhang Hao , Wu Ying
Published: November 2020

Traditional investigation of polyethylene pipe (PE) subjected to external loads focused only on the study of mechanical behavior or the failure judgment, but could not predict the damage evolution process. In this paper, a quantitative assessment was conducted for the damage of PE pipe subjected to land subsidence. Specifically, a static damage model was proposed based on failure pressure. Then, a finite element model of the buried PE pipe was established to calculate the failure pressure of smooth or notched pipe. Finally, the damage of the buried PE pipes suffering from land subsidence was computed by the damage model. The results show that the failure pressure and damage curves of smooth PE pipe can be divided into increased, steady, and reducing stages. For notched PE pipe, the damage curve can be divided into initial, middle, and late stages when the notch depth coefficient A (notch depth/thickness) equals to 0.1. But when A surpasses 0.2, the damage curve loses its middle stage and rapid damage follows. The threshold of the late stage of damage can be regarded as the last warning value of the damage of PE pipe under land subsidence, which indicates the maintenance measures should be taken immediately. The defects on the pipe accelerated the speed of damage and the late stage of damage evolution.
Microstructure and Nanoindentation Studies of Hydridated Zircaloy-4 Claddings After High Temperature Oxidation
Authors: Gávelová Petra , Halodová Patricie , Marušáková Daniela , Libera Ondřej , Krejčí Jakub , Vrtílková Věra
Published: November 2020

Zirconium-based alloys are one of the most significant materials in thermal-neutron reactor systems. With very low neutron capture cross section, good corrosion resistance, mechanical strength and resistance to neutron radiation damage, zirconium alloys are used for fuel claddings. Cladding materials are still improved and tested in normal as well as critical reactor conditions. Zircaloy-4 (Zr-1.5Sn-0.2Fe-0.1Cr) is used for west types of light-water reactors, Pressurized Water Reactors (PWR). In our study, Zircaloy-4 cladding tubes were high-temperature oxidized in steam at the series of temperatures from 950 up to 1425 °C to simulate PWR reaching severe accident conditions. To observe the influence of hydrogen (H) diffusing from the coolant water on oxidation process, the specimens with ∼1000 ppm H were compared to the specimens with almost no hydrogen content. Wave Dispersive Spectroscopy (WDS) and nanoindentation were performed in line profiles across the cladding wall. Both methods contributed to verify the pseudobinary Zircaloy-4/oxygen phase diagram with focus on determination of phase boundaries. The increase of oxygen concentration with increasing temperature was observed. Moreover, oxygen concentration profiles and related change in nanohardness and Young's modulus showed the effect of hydrogen on the cladding microstructure. Hydrogen dissolved in metallic matrix increases the oxygen solubility in prior β-phase, the specimens with 1000 ppm H showed the higher oxygen content at almost all temperatures. As well, material hardening was observed on specimens with 1000 ppm H with significant difference in β-phase, measured on specimens exposed to lowest and highest oxidation temperature. Thus, with increasing temperature and hydrogen content, increased oxygen solubility affects the cladding ductility.
Theoretical study of the adsorption of Lewis acids on MoS2 in relation to atomic layer deposition of Al2O3
Authors: Bermudez Victor M.
Published: November 2020

There is presently a critical need for a viable approach to form ultrathin, high-quality layers of oxides such as Al2O3 on MoS2 and related two-dimensional transition-metal chalcogenides. Atomic layer deposition (ALD), which is, in principle, the most suitable technique, has been problematic in this case as a result of the low reactivity of these substrates when free of strain, impurities, and defects. Lewis acid-base chemistry provides a possible solution, and the present work employs ab initio theory to examine the feasibility of adsorbing strongly Lewis-acidic Al reagents on MoS2. The investigation focuses on small Al precursor molecules that are able to adsorb at high coverages and, therefore, to produce a dense and uniform layer of Al(OH)3 when reacted with H2O, which is highly desirable for initiating ALD growth. Of those species considered, it is found that Al(CH3)3, the most widely used reagent for ALD of Al2O3, is actually the least favorable in terms of its interaction with the MoS2 basal plane. Other, more Lewis-acidic reagents are found to adsorb somewhat more strongly in the critical first step of the growth process and, therefore, to be potentially more useful for initiating ALD growth. The coverage dependence of the adsorption energy and geometry and the effects of AlX3 polymerization are also considered, and practical suggestions are given for how such species can be incorporated into an ALD process.
From troubles to solutions: conservation of Mediterranean tortoises under global change
Authors: Graciá Eva , Rodríguez-Caro Roberto Carlos , Ferrández Marcos , Martínez-Silvestre Albert , Pérez-Ibarra Irene , Amahjour Rabie , Aranda Carmen , Benelkadi Hadj Aissa , Bertolero Albert , Biaggini Marta , Botella Francisco , Budó Joan , Cadenas Vanessa , Chergi Brahim , Corti Claudia , Esperón Fernando , Esteve-Selma Miguel Ángel , Fahd Soumia , García de la Fuente Mª Isabel , Golubović Ana , Heredia Ana , Jiménez-Franco Mª Victoria , Arakelyan Marine , Marini Daniele , Martínez-Fernández Julia , Martínez-Pastor Mª Carmen , Mascort Ramón , Mira-Jover Andrea , Pascual-Rico Roberto , Perera-Leg Anna , Pfau Beate , Pinya Samuel , Santos Xavier , Segura Amalia , Semaha Mohamed Jaouhar , Soler-Massana Joaquim , Vidal Jose Manuel , Giménez Andrés
Published: November 2020

Chelonians are among the animal groups with the poorest conservation status. Since tortoises are long-lived species that need very long time to reach sexual maturity, they are extremely vulnerable to human pressure. Despite their endangered status, there are no common strategies for the development of conservation actions. At the “Mediterranean workshop to develop tortoise conservation strategies”, scientists, conservation associations, environmental managers, IUCN advisers and CITES inspectors met in October 2019 in Alicante (Spain). The aims were to update the diagnosis of the conservation status of the Hermann’s tortoise (Testudo hermanni) and the spur-thighed tortoise (Testudo graeca) and to suggest strategies that guarantee their preservation at the Mediterranean Region. The main conclusions are summarized by:

i) Mediterranean tortoises are wild endangered species that must be protected in, and together with, their natural habitat. Their main threats are habitat loss and fragmentation and pet trade, but we should also pay attention to wildfires, spread of diseases, the introduction of exotic species or lineages and climate change.

ii) Long-term efforts and stablished protocols are needed to accurately diagnose and monitor the conservation status of wild populations, as well as flows among captive and wild animals.

iii)  Tortoise trade should be banned because it threatens the conservation of wild populations of tortoises. Illegal practices related to tortoises should be decidedly persecuted. People should consider tortoises as wild animals that are endangered and deserving of protection. It is possible to enjoy them by responsibly observing them in their habitat.

iv) Tortoises may carry pathogens or parasites and their sanitary status cannot be fully assessed. They should always be considered potential vectors of tortoise diseases and of zoonosis. Hygiene protocols should be implemented when managing them.

v) The researchers attending this workshop aimed to develop a scientific network for the long-term monitoring of graeca and T. hermanni populations in the Mediterranean Region. They will need the support from public administrations.
Systematic Assessment of Antiviral Potency, Breadth, and Synergy of Triple Broadly Neutralizing Antibody Combinations against Simian-Human Immunodeficiency Viruses
Authors: Berendam Stella J. , Styles Tiffany M. , Morgan-Asiedu Papa K. , Tenney DeAnna , Kumar Amit , Obregon-Perko Veronica , Bar Katharine J. , Saunders Kevin O. , Santra Sampa , De Paris Kristina , Tomaras Georgia D. , Chahroudi Ann , Permar Sallie R. , Amara Rama R. , Fouda Genevieve G.
Published: November 2020

Optimal bNAb immunotherapeutics will need to mediate multiple antiviral functions against a broad range of HIV strains. Our systematic assessment of triple bNAb combinations against SHIVs will identify bNAbs with synergistic, polyfunctional antiviral activity that will inform the selection of candidate bNAbs for optimal combination designs. The identified combinations can be validated
in vivo
in future passive immunization studies using the SHIV challenge model.
Magnesium Sensing Regulates Intestinal Colonization of Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7
Authors: Liu Yutao , Han Runhua , Wang Junyue , Yang Pan , Wang Fang , Yang Bin
Published: November 2020

Sensing specific gut metabolites is an important strategy for inducing crucial virulence programs by enterohemorrhagic
Escherichia coli
(EHEC) O157:H7 during colonization and infection. Here, we identified a virulence-regulating pathway wherein the PhoQ/PhoP two-component regulatory system signals to the O island 119-encoded low magnesium-induced regulator A (LmiA), which, in turn, activates locus of enterocyte effacement (LEE) genes to promote EHEC O157:H7 adherence in the low-magnesium conditions of the large intestine. This regulatory pathway is widely present in a range of EHEC and enteropathogenic
E. coli
(EPEC) serotypes. Disruption of this pathway significantly decreased EHEC O157:H7 adherence in the mouse intestinal tract. Moreover, mice fed a magnesium-rich diet showed significantly reduced EHEC O157:H7 adherence
in vivo
, indicating that magnesium may help in preventing EHEC and EPEC infection in humans.
Implementing gene curation for hereditary cancer susceptibility in Australia: achieving consensus on genes with clinical utility
Authors: Tudini Emma , Davidson Aimee L , Dressel Uwe , Andrews Lesley , Antill Yoland , Crook Ashley , Field Michael , Gattas Michael , Harris Rebecca , Kirk Judy , Pachter Nicholas , Salmon Lucinda , Susman Rachel , Townshend Sharron , Trainer Alison H , Tucker Katherine M , Mitchell Gillian , James Paul A , Ward Robyn L , Mar Fan Helen , Poplawski Nicola K , Spurdle Amanda B
Published: November 2020

Background

The strength of evidence supporting the validity of gene-disease relationships is variable. Hereditary cancer has the additional complexity of low or moderate penetrance for some confirmed disease-associated alleles.

Methods

To promote national consistency in interpretation of hereditary cancer/tumour gene test results, we requested opinions of representatives from Australian Family Cancer Clinics regarding the clinical utility of 157 genes initially collated for a national research project. Viewpoints were sought by initial survey, face-to-face workshop and follow-up survey. Subsequent review was undertaken by the eviQ Cancer Genetics Reference Committee, a national resource providing evidence-based and consensus-driven cancer treatment protocols.

Results

Genes were categorised by clinical actionability as: relevant for testing on presentation of common cancer/tumour types (n=45); relevant for testing in the context of specific rare phenotypes (n=74); insufficient clinical utility (n=34) or contentious clinical utility (n=3). Opinions for several genes altered during the study time frame, due to new information.

Conclusion

Through an iterative process, consensus was achieved on genes with clinical utility for hereditary cancer/tumour conditions in the Australian setting. This study highlighted need for regular review of gene-disease lists, a role assumed in Australia for hereditary cancer/tumour predisposition genes by the eviQ Cancer Genetics Reference Committee.
Women in pain: how narratives of pain and sacrifice complicate the debate over the Catholic provision of obstetrical care
Authors: Nyberg Olivia
Published: November 2020

Disputes regarding the denial of obstetrical care in Catholic hospitals are met by well-worn responses from both Catholic and secular ethicists. Catholic ethicists often focus on fetal personhood while secular actors assert that Catholic care disaffirms the mother’s personhood. However, this debate’s focus on maternal and fetal personhood fails to encompass the divergent attitudes towards obstetrical healthcare. Attitudes towards pain, for example, are ignored. Modern medicine often approaches pain as a medical problem which ought to be treated. Catholic stances towards pain may present it as not wholly negative and, perhaps, constitutive of spiritual growth. Spiritually formative pain is commonly mapped onto obstetrical experiences; narratives of maternal sacrifice are found throughout Catholicism. Interrogating pain works to complicate and, perhaps, delegitimise the argument that Catholic care devalues the pain experience of the woman. Rather, pain is used to affirm the woman’s personhood, facilitating spiritual growth and development.
Health, well-being, and material-ideal hybrid spaces in Yeats’s writing
Authors: Balinisteanu Tudor
Published: November 2020

Traditionally regarded as high-art, poetry is often seen as a superior form of literary achievement consecrating in verse worldviews and lives connected to ideal, transcendental realms, the pursuance of which supposedly leads to some kind of ideal health and spiritual well-being. The poet WB Yeats (Nobel Prize in Literature, 1923), who believed in the power of poetry to reveal realities and states of such perfection, thereby giving purpose to mundane life, likened this effect of poetry to the fashioning of statues as monuments of unageing intellect. However, contradictorily, he also questioned the value of poetry thus conceived by questioning whether it is healthy to aspire to embody poetically consecrated ideals in real life. Yeats’s dilemmatic negotiation between these two positions suggests that better personal well-being can be achieved in living an enlightening life by being mindful of the body’s sensuality and materiality. In poetic explorations of the ways in which idealism and sensuality can affect how we live our lives, Yeats used real-life examples of people he knew, often important public figures in Irish social and political history.

The present paper frames these explorations in terms of Yeats’s concepts of living stream and stone/statuary, augmented with Bruno Latour’s concepts of traditional subject and articulated body, discussed in relation to purpose in life and closeness and empathy, proposing that an overly idealistic ‘poetic’ lifestyle can have adverse effects, whereas poetry that increases one’s awareness of oneself as articulated body is conducive to better health and well-being.
Minimal varieties of associative algebras and transcendental series
Authors: Drensky Vesselin
Published: November 2020

A variety of associative algebras over a field of characteristic 0 is called minimal if the exponent of the variety which measures the growth of its codimension sequence is strictly larger than the exponent of any of its proper subvarieties, i.e., its codimension sequence grows much faster than the codimension sequence of its proper subvarieties. By the results of Giambruno and Zaicev it follows that the number [Formula: see text] of minimal varieties of given exponent [Formula: see text] is finite. Using methods of the theory of colored (or weighted) compositions of integers, we show that the limit [Formula: see text] exists and can be expressed as the positive solution of an equation [Formula: see text] where [Formula: see text] is an explicitly given power series. Similar results are obtained for the number of minimal varieties with a given Gelfand–Kirillov dimension of their relatively free algebras of rank [Formula: see text]. It follows from classical results on lacunary power series that the generating function of the sequence [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], is transcendental. With the same approach we construct examples of free graded semigroups [Formula: see text] with the following property. If [Formula: see text] is the number of elements of degree [Formula: see text] of [Formula: see text], then the limit [Formula: see text] exists and is transcendental.
Tate (Co)homology of invariant group chains
Authors: Jimenez Rolando , Madrigal Angelina López
Published: November 2020

Let [Formula: see text] be a finite group acting on a group [Formula: see text] as a group automorphisms, [Formula: see text] the bar complex, [Formula: see text] the homology of invariant group chains and [Formula: see text] the cohomology invariant, both defined in Knudson’s paper “The homology of invariant group chains”. In this paper, we define the Tate homology of invariants [Formula: see text] and the Tate cohomology of invariants [Formula: see text]. When the coefficient [Formula: see text] is the abelian group of the integers, we proved that these groups are isomorphics, [Formula: see text]. Further, we prove that the homology and cohomology of invariant group chains are duals, [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text].
First Policy, Then Action: A Co-Production Approach to Understand the Application of Urban Climate Knowledge in Land Use Planning
Authors: Fragomeni Mariana Barreto Alfonso , Rice Jennifer L. , Rivero Rosanna G. , Shepherd J. Marshall
Published: November 2020

Barriers to the application of climate science in land use planning are often understood as a problem related to perceived disciplinary knowledge gaps. This paper argues that, instead, limitations to the application of knowledge are not strictly linked to transference, but are also attributed to the thought processes that planners use to understand and use information. This study uses an interactional co-production framework from Science and Technology Studies (STS) to explore these processes in the context of heat response planning in Chatham County, Georgia, in the United States: a coastal county exposed to hot and humid conditions that render its population, particularly its growing elderly and low-income, vulnerable to heat health risks. We specifically focus on the processes used by planners during a heat response planning workshop, exploring the discussions and actions taken to develop a plan. We attempt to answer the following questions: What are the processes used by planners to respond to climatic issues such as heat vulnerability? How do these processes determine the application of the scientific knowledge produced? How does this process enable or limit the use of climate knowledge in decision making at the city scale? This paper argues that planners engage in three steps to determine the applicability of climate knowledge to urban planning: (1) using their own experiences to contextualize and visualize the information in their community, (2) being extremely cautious about the use of information because of a fear of failure, and (3) asking for specific policies to be in place to justify and legitimate actions and promote projects throughout the city. Using these insights, this paper concludes with some thoughts on how climate knowledge might be better integrated into urban planning.
Modeling Dyslexic Students’ Motivation for Enhanced Learning in E-learning Systems
Authors: Wang Ruijie , Chen Liming , Solheim Ivar
Published: November 2020

E-Learning systems can support real-time monitoring of learners’ learning desires and effects, thus offering opportunities for enhanced personalized learning. Recognition of the determinants of dyslexic users’ motivation to use e-learning systems is important to help developers improve the design of e-learning systems and educators direct their efforts to relevant factors to enhance dyslexic students’ motivation. Existing research has rarely attempted to model dyslexic users’ motivation in e-learning context from a comprehensive perspective. The present work has conceived a hybrid approach, namely, combining the strengths of qualitative and quantitative analysis methods, to motivation modeling. It examines a variety of factors that affect dyslexic students’ motivation to engage in e-learning systems from psychological, behavioral, and technical perspectives, and establishes their interrelationships. Specifically, the study collects data from a multi-item Likert-style questionnaire to measure relevant factors for conceptual motivation modeling. It then applies both covariance-based (CB-SEM) and variance-based structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) approaches to determine the quantitative mapping between dyslexic students’ continued use intention and motivational factors, followed by discussions about theoretical findings and design instructions according to our motivation model. Our research has led to a novel motivation model with new constructs of Learning Experience, Reading Experience, Perceived Control, and Perceived Privacy. From both the CB-SEM and PLS-SEM analyses, results on the total effects have indicated consistently that Visual Attractiveness, Reading Experience, and Feedback have the strongest effects on continued use intention.
Effect of Copper-Doping on LiNiO2 Positive Electrode for Lithium-Ion Batteries
Authors: Kong Xiang-Ze , Li Dong-Lin , Lahtinen Katja , Kallio Tanja , Ren Xu-Qiang
Published: November 2020

LiNiO2 (LNO) is one of the most potential alternatives to LiCoO2 in Li ion batteries (LIBs). However, it still suffers from poor cyclability. Meanwhile, the recycling processes of LIBs are widely investigated to enable effective recycling for the growing amounts of LIB waste. Cu is one of the dominating impurities in LIB recycling fractions. In this work, LNO and 0.2 mol% Cu-doped LNO are studied. Cu-doping is demonstrated to stabilize the LNO lattice structure, reduce cation mixing and improve the reversibility of phase transitions during electrochemical processes. Consequently, the rate capability of LNO is improved by Cu-doping, especially at high C-rates. The Cu-doped LNO shows much higher capacity retention of 85% than that of 66% for the undoped LNO at the current density of 100 mA·g−1 after 100 cycles in a voltage window of 2.5–4.5 V. Our results show that a possible Cu contamination in the Ni fraction of the LIB material recovery process can be used to enhance the electrochemical properties of newly synthetized Ni-based positive electrode materials.
Study on the Effect of Forced Convection on Pd Ion Adsorption and Cu Electroless Deposition
Authors: Myong Kyong Kyu , Byun Jinuk , Kim Byung Keun , Kwon Ohsung , Cho Sung Ki , Kim Jae Jeong
Published: November 2020

Copper electroless deposition for the formation of electrically conductive seed layers is important in the manufacturing process of printed circuit boards. As the size of electrical devices decreases, the seed layer also needs to be thinner and its uniformity is highly stressed. In this study, Pd ion adsorption and Cu electroless deposition, which are the most crucial steps in seed layer deposition, were controlled through forced convection. Without forced convection, the seed layers at the top and bottom sides of the microvia are of different thicknesses, which can cause defects. The application of forced convection in Pd ion adsorption uniformly deposited the seed layer by suppressing the adsorption of Pd ions on the top side of the microvia. Furthermore, forced convection on copper electroless deposition enhanced overall mass transfer of reactants such as cupric ions and formaldehyde, and accompanying the deposition rate on the top and bottom sides, which balanced the thickness of the seed layer on the top and bottom sides. Thus, forced convection in Pd ion adsorption and Cu electroless deposition compensated for the suppression of the Pd ion adsorption and improved the uniformity of seed layers on the microvia substrates.
Efficacy and Safety of Sipjeondaebo‐Tang (Shi‐Quan‐Da‐Bu‐Tang) for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Study Protocol for a Multicenter, Randomized, Double‐Blind, Placebo‐Controlled Trial
Authors: Oh Hyunjoo , Nam Dong-Hyun , Hwang Minwoo
Published: November 2020

Background. Sipjeondaebo‐tang (SDT), also known as Shi‐Quan‐Da‐Bu‐Tang, is a treatment for both qi and blood deficiency syndromes in traditional Korean medicine. It is also used to treat chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) in Korea. Herein, we present the protocol for a study to assess the efficacy and safety of SDT for treating CFS. Methods. This will be a multicenter, randomized, double‐blind, controlled trial with two parallel‐treatment arms: an SDT group and a placebo group. Ninety‐six patients with CFS aged between 19 and 65 years will be recruited from two hospitals in Korea. Participants will be randomly allocated at a ratio of 1 : 1 between the two groups. Participants will receive 3 g doses of SDT or placebo thrice daily for 8 weeks. Follow‐up evaluations will be performed for 4–6 weeks after the drug administration period. The primary outcome will be the rating of participants’ fatigue symptoms using the Checklist Individual Strength questionnaire. Outcomes will be assessed at baseline, week 4, and week 8, as well as during follow‐up. An efficacy evaluation and safety assessment will be performed. This study will be based on the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) guidelines and the Standard Protocol Items: Recommendations for Interventional Trials (SPIRIT) 2013 statement. This protocol and informed consent guidelines were reviewed and approved by the institutional review board of Kyung Hee University Korean Medicine Hospital at Gangdong in the Republic of Korea (KHNMCOH 2017‐06‐004‐001). The protocol was registered with the Clinical Research Information Service. Written informed consent will be obtained from all study participants prior to enrollment in the study. Results will be published in a peer‐reviewed journal and presented at a scientific conference. Discussion. This study is expected to provide novel, accurate information regarding the 38 efficacy and safety of SDT for CFS in adults. Trial Registration. This trial is registered with https://cris.nih.go.kr; CRIS identifier (KCT0002684) registered on February 9, 2018.
HIV-Positive Status Disclosure and Associated Factors among HIV-Positive Adult Patients Attending Art Clinics at Public Health Facilities of Butajira Town, Southern Ethiopia
Authors: Melis Berhe Tamirat , Lemma Lire , Alemayehu Addissu , Ajema Desalegn , Glagn Mustefa , Dessu Samuel
Published: November 2020

Background. Human immunodeficiency virus-positive status disclosure is the process of informing one’s HIV-positive status to others. It is the base for accessing care and treatment programs, attaining psychosocial support, reducing stigma, adhering to treatment, and promoting safer health. Even though different strategies were done in Ethiopia to increase the magnitude of HIV status disclosure among HIV-positive patients, the magnitude is still low. The magnitude of HIV-positive status disclosure was not assessed yet after initiation of the new strategy (test and treat strategy). The aim of this study is to assess the magnitude and factors associated with HIV-positive status disclosure among HIV-positive adults attending antiretroviral therapy clinic at the public health facilities of Butajira town. Methods. Institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted at public health facilities of Butajira town. A total of 414 study participants were selected by systematic random sampling technique. Data were collected by using pretested interviewer-administered semistructured questionnaire. The collected data were entered into EpiData3.1 and exported to SPSS version 23. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with HIV-positive status disclosure. The strength of association was assessed by crude odds ratio and adjusted odds ratio for bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analysis, respectively. Statistically significance was declared at

p

value <0.05 and 95% CI. Results. The magnitude of HIV-positive status disclosure was 90%. Discussing about safer sex (AOR: 3.5; 95% CI: 1.3, 9.4), viral load suppression (AOR: 4; 95% CI: 1.5, 10.1), having good ART adherence (AOR: 6; 95% CI: 2.4, 14.0), receiving counseling (AOR: 2.5; 95% CI: 1.01, 6.3), and perceiving stigma (AOR: 0.25; 95% CI: 0.09, 0.60) were the independent factors associated with HIV-positive status disclosure. Conclusion. Although the majority of the participants (90%) of them disclosed their HIV-positive status, lack of disclosure by few people can tackle HIV prevention and control programs. Health programs could improve disclosure of HIV-positive status by providing counseling service, strengthening adherence of antiretroviral therapy, suppressing viral load, and avoiding (reducing) stigma on HIV-positive patients by their community.
Shrinking Projection Methods for Accelerating Relaxed Inertial Tseng-Type Algorithm with Applications
Authors: Hammad Hasanen A. , Rehman Habib ur , De la Sen Manuel
Published: November 2020

Our main goal in this manuscript is to accelerate the relaxed inertial Tseng-type (RITT) algorithm by adding a shrinking projection (SP) term to the algorithm. Hence, strong convergence results were obtained in a real Hilbert space (RHS). A novel structure was used to solve an inclusion and a minimization problem under proper hypotheses. Finally, numerical experiments to elucidate the applications, performance, quickness, and effectiveness of our procedure are discussed.