bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Oral management of pemphigus vulgaris in the intensive care unit
Authors: Dal Prá Ketelin Juliane , de Assis Tristão Stefanny da Silva Santucci , Franco Juliana Bertoldi , Matias Diogo Toledo , Carrillo Camila Merida , de Melo Peres Maria Paula Siqueira , Ribas Priscila Fernandes
Published: March 2020

Pemphigus vulgaris (PV) is a rare and potentially lethal autoimmune disease that affects the skin and mucous membranes. Injuries caused by the disease cause pain, risk of infection, and other complications that result in a high mortality rate. Frequently, management of the PV requires intensive care and a multidisciplinary approach. Oral lesions of PV are usually the first clinical signs of the disease and the last lesions to heal, requiring treatment by a specialized dental team. The aim of this study was to report two clinical cases of PV with involvement of the oral mucosa. The patients were admitted to an intensive care unit, and underwent multidisciplinary management of their condition along with low‐level laser therapy. Both cases demonstrated the importance of specialized dental care in improving the quality of life of patients with PV.
Prevalence and Characteristics Associated with Chronic Noncancer Pain in Suicide Decedents: A National Study
Authors: Campbell Gabrielle , Darke Shane , Degenhardt Louisa , Townsend Harriet , Carter Gregory , Draper Brian , Farrell Michael , Duflou Johan , Lappin Julia
Published: March 2020

Objective

The aims were to estimate the prevalence of CNCP in suicide decedents, and compare sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of people who die by suicide (i) with and without a history of CNCP and (ii) among decedents with CNCP who are younger (<65 years) and older (65 + years).

Method

We examined all closed cases of intentional deaths in Australia in 2014, utilizing the National Coronial Information System.

Results

We identified 2,590 closed cases of intentional deaths in Australia in 2014 in decedents over 18 years of age. CNCP was identified in 14.6% of cases. Decedents with CNCP were more likely to be older, have more mental health and physical health problems, and fewer relationship problems, and were more likely to die by poisoning from drugs, compared with decedents without CNCP. Comparisons of older and younger decedents with CNCP found that compared to younger (<65 years) decedents with CNCP, older decedents (65 + years) were less likely to have mental health problems.

Conclusions

This is the first national study to examine the characteristics of suicide deaths with a focus on people with CNCP. Primary care physicians should be aware of the increased risk for suicide in people living with CNCP, and it may be useful for clinicians to screen for CNCP among those presenting with suicidal behaviors.
For the sake of the child: The economisation of reproduction in the Zika public health emergency
Authors: Patchin Paige Marie
Published: March 2020

Feminist work on population governance has tracked its racial dynamics, its varied attempts to expunge the poor from the future, and its violent wresting of control over reproduction away from women. Attention has recently turned to “economised” understandings of possible and proto‐life that take the aggregate reproductivity of certain groups of women and girls as a means of shaping economic futures, which emerged as the dominant form of population governance during the Cold War. Underexplored in this incisive body of work, however, is the relationship between the reproductive body and social reproduction. This paper advances feminist work on adjudications of life worth in government policy and scientific expertise, and critical political economic work on global health governance, by exploring experiments in family planning. I do this through a discussion of the Zika virus, the recent re‐emergence of which was framed as an economic problem: experts “priced” a single case of microcephaly at US$10 million or more across a lifetime. Specifically, I examine a programme of contraceptive provision to women in Puerto Rico as part of the public health emergency, which I show to have possible eugenic effects. I argue that in the global politics of public and reproductive health, relatively new neoliberal health metrics have joined up with eugenicist impulses to value life according to future economic contributions. Such valuations of life focalise the reproductive body while abandoning the social reproductive body. The relationship between reproductive labour and social reproduction warrants further scrutiny, for as we careen through uncertain ecological futures, and as discourses about limited Earth for humans amid environmental crisis and limited funding for future children thicken, the reproductivity of certain women and girls is being tinkered with by experts, governments, and private institutions in new ways.
Clinicopathological characteristics and prognostic factors for canine multicentric non‐indolent T‐cell lymphoma: 107 cases
Authors: Purzycka Katarzyna , Peters Laureen M. , Desmas Isabelle , Davies Owen , Chang Yu‐Mei , Lara‐Garcia Ana
Published: March 2020

Canine lymphoma, as the most common haematopoietic malignancy, encompasses a group of heterogeneous diseases and even within the T‐cell immunophenotype, differences in clinical presentation and responses to treatment exist. The aim of this retrospective study was to determine outcomes and prognostic factors of 107 dogs with multicentric non‐indolent T‐cell lymphoma (TCL) receiving lomustine‐based (70%) and non‐lomustine‐based (30%) treatment. The majority were Labradors, Boxers, mixed‐breed dogs and Dogue de Bordeaux. Eighty‐six percent were substage b, 77% had mediastinal involvement, 15% had suspected bone marrow involvement and 12% had other extra‐nodal sites of disease. The overall response rate to induction therapy was 80%; dogs receiving procarbazine in the induction protocol (P= .042), dogs with neutrophil concentration below 8.7 × 10e9/L (P= .006) and mitotic rate below 10 per 5 high power field (P= .013), had greater response rates. Median progression‐free survival (PFS) for the first remission was 105 days; lack of expression of CD3 on flow cytometry (P < .0001) and pretreatment with steroid (P= .012) were significantly associated with shorter PFS. Median overall survival time (OST) was 136 days; co‐expression of CD79a (P= .002), lack of CD3 expression on flow cytometry, presence of anaemia (P= .007), and monocytopenia (P= .002) were predictive of shorter OST. Multicentric non‐indolent TCL in dogs is an aggressive cancer with new possible prognostic factors.
Kainate receptor regulation of synaptic inhibition in the hippocampus
Authors: Pressey Jessica C. , Woodin Melanie A.
Published: March 2020

Kainate receptors (KARs) are glutamate‐type receptors that mediate both canonical ionotropic currents and non‐canonical metabotropic signalling. While KARs are expressed widely throughout the brain, synaptic KAR currents have only been recorded at a limited set of synapses, and the KAR currents that have been recorded are relatively small and slow, which has led to the question, what is the functional significance of KARs? While the KAR current itself is relatively modest, its impact on inhibition in the hippocampus can be profound. In the CA1 region of the hippocampus, presynaptic KAR activation bidirectionally regulates γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA) release in a manner that depends on the glutamate concentration; lower levels of glutamate facilitate GABA release via an ionotropic pathway, while higher levels of glutamate depress GABA release via a metabotropic pathway. Postsynaptic interneuron KAR activation increases spike frequency through an ionotropic current, which in turn can strengthen inhibition. In the CA3 region, postsynaptic KAR activation in pyramidal neurons also strengthens inhibition, but in this case through a metabotropic pathway which regulates the neuronal chloride gradient and hyperpolarizes the reversal potential for GABA (EGABA). Taken together, the evidence for KAR‐mediated regulation of the strength of inhibition via pre‐ and postsynaptic mechanisms provides compelling evidence that KARs are ideally positioned to regulate excitation–inhibition balance – through sensing the excitatory tone and concomitantly tuning the strength of inhibition.

image
Impact of interface materials on side permeation in indirect encapsulation of organic electronics
Authors: Singh Ankit Kumar , Chou Wen-Fang , Jia Xiaojia , Wang Cheng-Yin , Fuentes-Hernandez Canek , Kippelen Bernard , Graham Samuel
Published: March 2020

This work demonstrates the impact of the contact interface between barrier films and adhesives on the side permeation of moisture into packaged devices. When barrier films are brought into contact with the adhesive layer during indirect encapsulation, permeation along defects at this interface can occur due to the imperfect nature of contact, resulting in the formation of pores. The connected network of pores can act as capillaries and be an alternative pathway for water permeation as opposed to the bulk of the adhesive or edge seal materials used for barrier attachment to the package. The rate of water permeation through the capillaries is governed by surface energies of the materials at the interfaces. Experimental results demonstrate that the rate of water permeation is significantly lowered by using materials with higher contact angles at the interface.
Soft cluster-induced desorption/ionization mass spectrometry: How soft is soft?
Authors: Portz André , Bomhardt Karolin , Rohnke Marcus , Schneider Pascal , Asperger Arndt , Gebhardt Christoph R. , Dürr Michael
Published: March 2020

Desorption/ionization induced by neutral clusters (DINeC) is used as an ultrasoft desorption/ionization method for the analysis of fragile biomolecules by means of mass spectrometry (MS). As a test molecule, the glycopeptide vancomycin was measured with DINeC-MS, and resulting mass spectra were compared to the results obtained with electrospray ionization (ESI), matrix assisted laser desorption ionization, and time-of-flight secondary ion MS. Of the desorption-based techniques, DINeC spectra show the lowest abundance of fragments comparable to ESI spectra. The soft desorption nature of DINeC was further demonstrated when applied to MS analysis of teicoplanin.
Do Athlete Monitoring Tools Improve a Coach’s Understanding of Performance Change?
Authors: Crowcroft Stephen , Slattery Katie , McCleave Erin , Coutts Aaron J.
Published: March 2020

Purpose: To assess a coach’s subjective assessment of their athletes’ performances and whether the use of athlete-monitoring tools could improve on the coach’s prediction to identify performance changes. Methods: Eight highly trained swimmers (7 male and 1 female, age 21.6 [2.0] y) recorded perceived fatigue, total quality recovery, and heart-rate variability over a 9-month period. Prior to each race of the swimmers’ main 2 events, the coach (n = 1) was presented with their previous race results and asked to predict their race time. All race results (n = 93) with aligning coach’s predictions were recorded and classified as a dichotomous outcome (0 = no change; 1 = performance decrement or improvement [change +/− > or < smallest meaningful change]). A generalized estimating equation was used to assess the coach’s accuracy and the contribution of monitoring variables to the model fit. The probability from generalized estimating equation models was assessed with receiver operating characteristic curves to identify the model’s accuracy from the area under the curve analysis. Results: The coach’s predictions had the highest diagnostic accuracy to identify both decrements (area under the curve: 0.93; 95% confidence interval, 0.88–0.99) and improvements (area under the curve: 0.89; 95% confidence interval, 0.83–0.96) in performance. Conclusions: These findings highlight the high accuracy of a coach’s subjective assessment of performance. Furthermore, the findings provide a future benchmark for athlete-monitoring systems to be able to improve on a coach’s existing understanding of swimming performance.
Training Load, Neuromuscular Readiness, and Perceptual Fatigue Profile in Youth Elite Long-Jump Athletes
Authors: Franceschi Alberto , Conte Daniele , Airale Marco , Sampaio Jaime
Published: March 2020

Purpose: To describe and identify individual trends and changes in training load, neuromuscular readiness, and perceptual fatigue measures in 2 youth elite long jumpers, finalists at the European Athletics U18 (Under 18) Championships (athlete A, female, age 16.5 y, long-jump record 6.25 m; athlete B, male, age 16.0 y, long-jump record 7.28 m). Methods: Data were collected from both training sessions and athletics competitions during a 16-week period, divided into a preparation (weeks 1–8) and a competitive phase (weeks 9–16). Training load was computed through training diaries (training time, sprint, jumping, and weights volume). The countermovement jump and the 10-to-5 repeated-jump test were executed on a weekly basis to assess neuromuscular readiness, and perceptual fatigue measures were collected through a wellness questionnaire. Statistical analysis was conducted using a magnitude-based decisions approach. Results: The results highlighted a decrease in training load during the competitive period with moderate to large differences for training time, sprint, and jump volume. Moreover, data showed an upward trend and very likely higher scores in vertical-jump performance across the competitive phase together with a very likely lower perceptual fatigue. Conclusions: This scenario seemed to be favorable to achieve competition performance very close to the personal record during the competitive season. This study provided an example of application of a comprehensive monitoring system with young athletes involved in track-and-field jumping events.
The Effects of Interrupting Sitting Time on Affect and State Anxiety in Children of Healthy Weight and Overweight: A Randomized Crossover Trial
Authors: Zink Jennifer , Berrigan David A. , Broadney Miranda M. , Shareef Faizah , Papachristopoulou Alexia , Brady Sheila M. , Bernstein Shanna B. , Brychta Robert J. , Hattenbach Jacob D. , Tigner Ira L. , Courville Amber B. , Drinkard Bart E. , Smith Kevin P. , Rosing Douglas R. , Wolters Pamela L. , Chen Kong Y. , Yanovski Jack A. , Belcher Britni R.
Published: March 2020

Purpose: Sedentary time relates to higher anxiety and more negative affect in children. This study assessed whether interrupting sitting over 3 hours is sufficient to influence state anxiety, positive affect, or negative affect, and tested weight status as a moderator. Methods: Analyses were the second (preplanned) purpose of a larger study. Children (N = 61; age: mean [SD] = 9.5 [1.3]; 43% healthy weight) completed 2 experimental conditions: continuous sitting for 3 hours and sitting for 3 hours interrupted with walking for 3 minutes in every 30 minutes. State anxiety, positive affect, and negative affect were reported at pretest and posttest. Multilevel models for repeated measures assessed whether experimental condition predicted posttest scores. Results: Experimental condition was unrelated to posttest state anxiety or positive affect. Weight status moderated how experimental condition influenced posttest negative affect (P = .003). Negative affect was lower in the children of healthy weight after interrupted sitting (vs continuous sitting; β = −0.8; 95% confidence interval, −1.5 to 0.0, P = .05), but it was higher in the children with overweight/obesity after interrupted sitting (vs continuous sitting; β = 0.6; 95% confidence interval, 0.0 to 1.2, P = .06). Conclusions: Interrupting sitting acutely reduced negative affect in children of healthy weight, but not in children with overweight. Further research is needed to better understand the potential emotional benefits of sitting interruptions in youth.
One Case, Four Approaches: The Application of Psychotherapeutic Approaches in Sport Psychology
Authors: Turner Martin J. , Aspin Gillian , Didymus Faye F. , Mack Rory , Olusoga Peter , Wood Andrew G. , Bennett Richard
Published: March 2020

Practitioners in sport and exercise psychology tasked with service provision in any environment can decide which framework(s) they draw on to inform their applied work. However, the similarities and differences between psychotherapeutic approaches are underrepresented in current literature. Therefore, this paper brings together practitioners from 4 dominant psychotherapeutic approaches to address a specific hypothetical case. Four different cognitive-behavioral approaches are outlined: rational emotive behavior therapy, cognitive therapy, schema therapy, and acceptance and commitment therapy. Each practitioner outlines the particular approach and proceeds to address the case by covering assessment, intervention, and evaluation strategies that are specific to it. Similarities and differences across the approaches are discussed, and implications for practice are put forth. Finally, two other practitioners introduce motivational interviewing as an additional framework to foster the working alliance.
Genome analyses help track coronavirus' moves
Authors: Kupferschmidt Kai
Published: March 2020

Mutations can reveal connections between outbreaks—but it's easy to overinterpret them
Airport screening is largely futile, research shows
Authors: Normile Dennis
Published: March 2020

Thermometer guns and health questionnaires may look reassuring, but very rarely catch infected travelers
Madagascar's mysterious, murderous cats identified
Authors: Sokol Joshua
Published: March 2020

Ancestors of large cats likely hopped off Arabian trading ships more than 1000 years ago
Persistent influence of obliquity on ice age terminations since the Middle Pleistocene transition
Authors: Bajo Petra , Drysdale Russell N. , Woodhead Jon D. , Hellstrom John C. , Hodell David , Ferretti Patrizia , Voelker Antje H. L. , Zanchetta Giovanni , Rodrigues Teresa , Wolff Eric , Tyler Jonathan , Frisia Silvia , Spötl Christoph , Fallick Anthony E.
Published: March 2020

An underground record of past deglaciations

Understanding more exactly how the timing of deglaciations depends on changes in insolation, or the energy received by Earth from the Sun, requires precise and independent records of both environmental change and solar energy input. Bajo
et al
. strengthened the weak link of that two-member chain, the environmental record, by developing a precise, radiometrically dated chronology of the 11 deglaciations of the past million years derived from speleothems. This allowed them to show more clearly how the initiation and duration of glacial terminations over that period depended on solar obliquity and precession.

Science
, this issue p.
1235
mRNA destabilization by BTG1 and BTG2 maintains T cell quiescence
Authors: Hwang Soo Seok , Lim Jaechul , Yu Zhibin , Kong Philip , Sefik Esen , Xu Hao , Harman Christian C. D. , Kim Lark Kyun , Lee Gap Ryol , Li Hua-Bing , Flavell Richard A.
Published: March 2020

Deadenylate or activate?

When cells are quiescent, they undergo reversible cell cycle arrest and evince low basal metabolism. Naïve T cells are normally quiescent until they recognize cognate antigens through T cell receptor–costimulatory molecule signaling. T cell quiescence appears to be an active process, but the mechanistic details are poorly understood. Hwang
et al.
report that the transcription factors BTG1 and BTG2 are selectively expressed in quiescent T cells. In mice, T cells conditionally knocked out for both factors showed enhanced proliferation and a lowered threshold of activation both in vitro and in response to
Listeria monocytogenes
infection. Deficiency of BTG1 and BTG2 resulted in increases in global messenger RNA half-life, suggesting that messenger RNA deadenylation and degradation are important processes for maintaining T cell quiescence.

Science
, this issue p.
1255
Liquid-liquid phase separation drives skin barrier formation
Authors: Quiroz Felipe Garcia , Fiore Vincent F. , Levorse John , Polak Lisa , Wong Ellen , Pasolli H. Amalia , Fuchs Elaine
Published: March 2020

Phase separation can be skin deep

The skin's barrier arises from proliferative cells that generate a perpetual upward flux of terminally differentiating epidermal cells. Cells nearing the body surface suddenly lose their organelles, becoming dead cellular ghosts called squames. Working in mouse tissue, Garcia Quiroz
et al.
found that as differentiation-specific proteins accumulate in the keratinocytes, they undergo a vinegar-in-oil type of phase separation that crowds the cytoplasm with increasingly viscous protein droplets (see the Perspective by Rai and Pelkmans). Upon approaching the acidic skin surface, the environmentally sensitive liquid-like droplets respond and dissipate, driving squame formation. These dynamics come into play in human skin barrier diseases, where mutations cause maladapted liquid-phase transitions.

Science
, this issue p.
eaax9554
; see also p.
1193
Structure of V-ATPase from the mammalian brain
Authors: Abbas Yazan M. , Wu Di , Bueler Stephanie A. , Robinson Carol V. , Rubinstein John L.
Published: March 2020

Snapshots of a rotary pump

Vesicular- or vacuolar-type adenosine triphosphatases (V-ATPases) are ATP-hydrolysis–driven proton pumps. In neurons, V-ATPase activity generates a proton gradient across the membrane of synaptic vesicles so that neurotransmitters can be loaded into the vesicles. Abbas
et al.
developed a method to purify V-ATPase from rat brain and determined the structure of the entire complex by cryo–electron microscopy. Native mass spectrometry showed that the preparation was homogeneous and complemented structural studies by confirming the subunit composition. Three rotational states were resolved at better than 4-angstrom resolution, providing insight into the conformational changes that couple ATP hydrolysis to proton pumping.

Science
, this issue p.
1240
Quantum-nondemolition state detection and spectroscopy of single trapped molecules
Authors: Sinhal Mudit , Meir Ziv , Najafian Kaveh , Hegi Gregor , Willitsch Stefan
Published: March 2020

Reading a molecule without destroying it

Achieving efficient quantum control of ultracold molecular systems may open opportunities in molecular precision spectroscopy, quantum information, and related fields. Sinhal
et al.
report a quantumnondemolition protocol for the detection of the spin-rovibronic state of a single trapped cold molecular ion co-trapped with an atomic ion. They show that monitoring the motion of Ca
+
after coherent motional excitation of the Ca
+
-N
2
+
string makes it possible to detect the N
2
+
state without destroying either the molecule or the state itself. The procedure can be repeated multiple times while preserving the high readout fidelity.

Science
, this issue p.
1213
Enantioselective remote C–H activation directed by a chiral cation
Authors: Genov Georgi R. , Douthwaite James L. , Lahdenperä Antti S. K. , Gibson David C. , Phipps Robert J.
Published: March 2020

Asymmetry on the plus side

Numerous positively charged metal catalysts have been paired with chiral negative ions to select for just one of two mirror-image products. Genov
et al.
now report a potentially general strategy to invert the charges in this paradigm. Because intrinsically negative metal catalysts are comparatively rare, the authors appended a sulfonate group to the common bipyridyl ligand. Iridium complexes of this ligand paired with chiral positive ions could borylate just one of two aryl rings appended to carbon or phosphorus centers with high enantioselectivity.

Science
, this issue p.
1246
Cryo-EM structure of a neuronal functional amyloid implicated in memory persistence in
Drosophila
Authors: Hervas Ruben , Rau Michael J. , Park Younshim , Zhang Wenjuan , Murzin Alexey G. , Fitzpatrick James A. J. , Scheres Sjors H. W. , Si Kausik
Published: March 2020

How amyloid can be a substrate of memory

Formation of memories requires changes in the molecular composition of the synapse. How these changes occur and what maintains this altered synaptic composition so that memory can persist are unknown. Hervas
et al.
report the structure of a synaptic translation regulator called Orb2 isolated from the brains of adult fruit flies that is important for the maintenance and recall of memory. Orb2 forms an amyloid and changes its activity from a translation repressor to an activator. The amyloid core is composed of polar hydrophilic residues, as opposed to the hydrophobic ones found in nonfunctional or pathological amyloids. The structure provides insights into how amyloids could be a stable yet malleable substrate of memory.

Science
, this issue p.
1230
Opening the floodgates to the brain
Authors: Moss Jonathan , Williams Anna
Published: March 2020

Cerebrospinal fluid influx dictates early edema in response to ischemic large-vessel stroke
Rethink the expansion of access and benefit sharing
Authors: Laird Sarah , Wynberg Rachel , Rourke Michelle , Humphries Fran , Muller Manuel Ruiz , Lawson Charles
Published: March 2020

Several UN policy processes are embracing a calcified approach to conservation and equity in science
Threatening the vigor of the Colorado River
Authors: Hobbins Mike , Barsugli Joseph
Published: March 2020

Loss of sunlight-reflecting snow spurs evaporation and ebbs river flow
Ceftobiprole Activity against Bacteria from Skin and Skin Structure Infections in the United States from 2016 through 2018
Authors: Flamm Robert K. , Duncan Leonard R. , Hamed Kamal A. , Smart Jennifer I. , Mendes Rodrigo E. , Pfaller Michael A.
Published: March 2020

Ceftobiprole medocaril is an advanced-generation cephalosporin prodrug that has qualified infectious disease product status granted by the US FDA and is currently being evaluated in phase 3 clinical trials in patients with acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections (ABSSSIs) and in patients with
Staphylococcus aureus
bacteremia. In this study, the activity of ceftobiprole and comparators was evaluated against more than 7,300 clinical isolates collected in the United States from 2016 through 2018 from patients with skin and skin structure infections.
Diazotrophs Show Signs of Restoration in Amazon Rain Forest Soils with Ecosystem Rehabilitation
Authors: Mirza Babur S. , McGlinn Daniel J. , Bohannan Brendan J. M. , Nüsslein Klaus , Tiedje James M. , Rodrigues Jorge L. M.
Published: March 2020

The Amazon region is a major tropical forest region that is being deforested at an alarming rate to create space for cattle ranching and agriculture. Diazotrophs (nitrogen-fixing microorganisms) play an important role in supplying soil N for plant growth in tropical forests. It is unknown how diazotrophs respond to deforestation and whether they can recover in secondary forests that establish after agriculture is abandoned. Using high-throughput sequencing of
nifH
genes, we characterized the response of diazotrophs’ β-diversity and identified major drivers of changes in diazotrophs from forest-to-pasture and pasture-to-secondary-forest conversions. Studying the impact of land use change on diazotrophs is important for a better understanding of the impact of deforestation on tropical forest ecosystem functioning, and our results on the potential recovery of diazotrophs in secondary forests imply the possible restoration of ecosystem functions in secondary forests.
Tn
FLX
: a Third-Generation
mariner
-Based Transposon System for Bacillus subtilis
Authors: Dempwolff Felix , Sanchez Sandra , Kearns Daniel B.
Published: March 2020

The stability of transposase-encoding vectors during cloning and propagation is crucial for the reliable application of transposons. Here, we increased the stability of the
mariner
delivery vehicle in
E. coli
. Moreover, the Tn
FLX
transposon system will improve the application of forward genetic methods with an increased number of antibiotic resistance markers and the ability to generate unbiased green fluorescent protein (GFP) fusions to report on protein translation and subcellular localization.
Endosonography-guided gallbladder drainage versus percutaneous cholecystostomy in very high-risk surgical patients with acute cholecystitis: an international randomised multicentre controlled superiority trial (DRAC 1)
Authors: Teoh Anthony Y B , Kitano Masayuki , Itoi Takao , Pérez-Miranda Manuel , Ogura Takeshi , Chan Shannon Melissa , Serna-Higuera Carlos , Omoto Shunsuke , Torres-Yuste Raul , Tsuichiya Takayoshi , Wong Ka Tak , Leung Chi-Ho , Chiu Philip Wai Yan , Ng Enders Kwok Wai , Lau James Yun Wong
Published: March 2020

Objective

The optimal management of acute cholecystitis in patients at very high risk for cholecystectomy is uncertain. The aim of the current study was to compare endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided gallbladder drainage (EUS-GBD) to percutaneous cholecystostomy (PT-GBD) as a definitive treatment in these patients under a randomised controlled trial.

Design

Consecutive patients suffering from acute calculous cholecystitis but were at very high-risk for cholecystectomy were recruited. The primary outcome was the 1-year adverse events rate. Secondary outcomes include technical and clinical success, 30-day adverse events, pain scores, unplanned readmissions, re-interventions and mortalities.

Results

Between August 2014 to February 2018, 80 patients were recruited. EUS-GBD significantly reduced 1 year adverse events (10 (25.6%) vs 31 (77.5%), p<0.001), 30-day adverse events (5 (12.8%) vs 19 (47.5%), p=0.010), re-interventions after 30 days (1/39 (2.6%) vs 12/40 (30%), p=0.001), number of unplanned readmissions (6/39 (15.4%) vs 20/40 (50%), p=0.002) and recurrent cholecystitis (1/39 (2.6%) vs 8/40 (20%), p=0.029). Postprocedural pain scores and analgesic requirements were also less (p=0.034). The technical success (97.4% vs 100%, p=0.494), clinical success (92.3% vs 92.5%, p=1) and 30-day mortality (7.7% vs 10%, p=1) were statistically similar. The predictor to recurrent acute cholecystitis was the performance of PT-GBD (OR (95% CI)=5.63 (1.20–53.90), p=0.027).

Conclusion

EUS-GBD improved outcomes as compared to PT-GBD in those patients that not candidates for cholecystectomy. EUS-GBD should be the procedure of choice provided that the expertise is available after a multi-disciplinary meeting. Further studies are required to determine the long-term efficacy.

Trial registration number

NCT02212717
Ten-year risks of recurrent stroke, disability, dementia and cost in relation to site of primary intracerebral haemorrhage: population-based study
Authors: Li Linxin , Luengo-Fernandez Ramon , Zuurbier Susanna M , Beddows Nicola C , Lavallee Philippa , Silver Louise E , Kuker Wilhelm , Rothwell Peter Malcolm
Published: March 2020

Background

Patients with primary intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH) are at increased long-term risks of recurrent stroke and other comorbidities. However, available estimates come predominantly from hospital-based studies with relatively short follow-up. Moreover, there are also uncertainties about the influence of ICH location on risks of recurrent stroke, disability, dementia and quality of life.

Methods

In a population-based study (Oxford Vascular Study/2002–2018) of patients with a first ICH with follow-up to 10 years, we determined the long-term risks of recurrent stroke, disability, quality of life, dementia and hospital care costs stratified by haematoma location.

Results

Of 255 cases with primary ICH (mean/SD age 75.5/13.1), 109 (42.7%) had lobar ICH, 144 (56.5%) non-lobar ICH and 2 (0.8%) had uncertain location. Annual rates of recurrent ICH were higher after lobar versus non-lobar ICH (lobar=4.0%, 2.7–7.2 vs 1.1%, 0.3–2.8; p=0.02). Moreover, cumulative rate of dementia was also higher for lobar versus non-lobar ICH (n/% lobar=20/36.4% vs 16/20.8%, p=0.047), and there was a higher proportion of disability at 5 years in survivors (15/60.0% vs 9/31.0%, p=0.03). The 10-year quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) were also lower after lobar versus non-lobar ICH (2.9 vs 3.8 for non-lobar, p=0.04). Overall, the mean 10-year censor-adjusted costs were £19 292, with over 80% of costs due to inpatient hospital admission costs, which did not vary by haematoma location (p=0.90).

Conclusion

Compared with non-lobar ICH, the substantially higher 10-year risks of recurrent stroke, dementia and lower QALYs after lobar ICH highlight the need for more effective prevention for this patient group.
Multicenter longitudinal cross-sectional study comparing effectiveness of serratus anterior plane, paravertebral and thoracic epidural for the analgesia of multiple rib fractures
Authors: Beard Laura , Hillermann Carl , Beard Emma , Millerchip Sue , Sachdeva Rajneesh , Gao Smith Fang , Veenith Tonny
Published: March 2020

Background

There is a paucity of data comparing effectiveness of various techniques for pain management of traumatic rib fractures. This study compared the quality of analgesia provided by serratus anterior plane (SAP) catheters against thoracic epidural (TEA) or paravertebral catheters (PA) in patients with multiple traumatic rib fractures (MRFs).

Methods

354 patients who received either SAP, TEA or PA at two tertiary referral major trauma centers in the UK were included (2016–2018). Primary outcome were change in inspiratory volumes and pain scores. Secondary outcomes included in-hospital mortality, along with the length of stay in hospital and critical care. Data were analyzed using linear, log-binomial and negative binomial regression models.

Main results

Across all blocks, there was a mean (SD) increase in inspiratory volume postblock of 789.4 mL (479.7). Ninety-eight per cent of all participants reported moderate/severe pain prior to regional analgesia, which was reduced to 34% postblock. There was no significant difference in the change in inspiratory volume or pain scores between the TEA, PA or SAP groups. Overall crude mortality was 13.2% (95% CI 7.8% to 18.7%). In an adjusted analysis and compared with TEA, in-hospital mortality was similar between groups (relative risk (RR) 0.4, 95% CI 0.1 to 1.0) and (RR 0.5, 95% CI 0.2 to 1.6) for SAP and PA, respectively.

Conclusion

SAP, TEA and PA all appear to offer the ability to reduce pain scores and improve respiratory function.
Time to take a breath
Authors: Hannigan Chloé
Published: March 2020

With the pressures and demands of veterinary practice, it can sometimes feel like there isn't even time to breathe. But, as Chloé Hannigan explains, taking a moment to consciously do just that can yield real benefits.
Changes in expression of prostaglandin synthase in ovine liver during early pregnancy
Authors: Yang Ling , Han Xu , Zhang Leying , Li Ning , Zhao Zimo , Bai Jiachen
Published: March 2020

Liver can function as part of the innate and adaptive immune systems. We hypothesize that prostaglandins participate in the regulation of hepatic immune function during early pregnancy in sheep. The objective of this study was to elucidate expression of prostaglandin synthase in ovine liver during early pregnancy. Ovine livers were sampled on day 16 of the estrous cycle, and days 13, 16, and 25 of pregnancy, and the expression of prostaglandin synthases, including prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 1 (PTGS1), PTGS2, prostaglandin E synthase (PTGES), and aldo-keto reductase family 1, member B1, a prostaglandin F synthase (PGFS), were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, Western blot, and immunohistochemistry analysis. There were increases in the expression of mRNA and the proteins of PTGS2, PTGES, and PGFS in the livers during early pregnancy, but PTGS1 was decreased in the pregnant ewes. The PGFS protein was limited to the hepatocytes and the endothelial cells of the proper hepatic arteries and hepatic portal veins. In summary, the upregulation of PTGS2, PTGES, and PGFS and downregulation of PTGS1 may be involved in the maternal hepatic immune adjustment during early pregnancy in sheep.
Our practice of outreach during the Ice Monitoring project in Nunavik: an early-career researcher perspective
Authors: Dufour-Beauséjour Sophie , Plante Lévesque Valérie
Published: March 2020

Inuit Nunangat, including Nunavik, is seeing an ever-increasing number of research projects. While mainstream approaches to research are colonial in nature and have historically contributed to the oppression of Indigenous peoples, a new paradigm is now emerging from Indigenous recommendations. Researchers are encouraged to collaborate with Inuit or Northern communities, organizations, and governments and to develop communication strategies to keep local populations informed. This paper focuses on outreach activities organized on several occasions throughout the Ice Monitoring project, in which we participated as PhD students. We share details on this periodic outreach program, which included a Facebook page, hosting an information table at the Co-op store, activities with high school classes, and participation in Raglan Mine’s Environmental Forum. We also discuss lessons learned and the transformation of our practice.
On the coverage of neutralino dark matter in coannihilations at the upgraded LHC
Authors: Abdughani Murat , Wu Lei
Published: March 2020

In the supersymmetric models, the coannihilation of the neutralino DM with a lighter supersymmetric particle provides a feasible way to accommodate the observed cosmological DM relic density. Such a mechanism predicts a compressed spectrum of the neutralino DM and its coannihilating partner, which results in the soft final states and makes the searches for sparticles challenging at colliders. On the other hand, the abundance of the freeze-out neutralino DM usually increases as the DM mass becomes heavier. This implies an upper bound on the mass of the neutralino DM. Given these observations, we explore the HE-LHC coverage of the neutralino DM for the coannihilations. By analyzing the events of the multijet with the missing transverse energy ($$E^{miss}_T$$ETmiss), the monojet, the soft lepton pair plus $$E^{miss}_T$$ETmiss, and the monojet plus a hadronic tau, we find that the neutralino DM mass can be excluded up to 2.6, 1.7 and 0.8 TeV in the gluino, stop and wino coannihilations at the $$2\sigma $$2σ level, respectively. However, there is still no sensitivity of the neutralino DM in stau coannihilation at the HE-LHC, due to the small cross section of the direct stau pair production and the low tagging efficiency of soft tau from the stau decay.
Size-Dependent Structural, Optical and Vibrational Properties of ZnTe Nanoparticle
Authors: Das Sayantani , Sheikh Md Sariful , Mukherjee Rajesh , Dutta Alo , Sinha T. P.
Published: March 2020

ZnTe semiconductor nanoparticles have been prepared by soft chemical route using mercaptoethanol as capping agent to arrest the agglomeration. The structural investigations performed by X-ray diffraction technique show that the prepared samples have cubic structure. Average crystallite sizes of the prepared nanomaterial are estimated by Debye–Scherrer’s equation. The particle size of the synthesized material is estimated by transmission electron microscope (TEM). UV-visible absorption spectra gives the idea of the band gap of the sample using Tauc plot. The Raman spectroscopy measurements are performed to know the different vibrational modes of ZnTe. The impedance spectroscopy is applied to investigate the room temperature dielectric relaxation of the prepared samples in the frequency range from 100[Formula: see text]Hz to 1.1[Formula: see text]MHz.
Fast Computation of Polynomial Data Points Over Simplicial Face Values
Authors: Hamadneh Tareq , Al-Zoubi Hassan , Alomari Saleh Ali
Published: March 2020

Polynomial functions [Formula: see text] of degree [Formula: see text] have a form in the Bernstein basis defined over [Formula: see text]-dimensional simplex [Formula: see text]. The Bernstein coefficients exhibit a number of special properties. The function [Formula: see text] can be optimised by the smallest and largest Bernstein coefficients (enclosure bounds) over [Formula: see text]. By a proper choice of barycentric subdivision steps of [Formula: see text], we prove the inclusion property of Bernstein enclosure bounds. To this end, we provide an algorithm that computes the Bernstein coefficients over subsimplices. These coefficients are collected in an [Formula: see text]-dimensional array in the field of computer-aided geometric design. Such a construct is typically classified as a patch. We show that the Bernstein coefficients of [Formula: see text] over the faces of a simplex coincide with the coefficients contained in the patch.
Technology-Enabled Learning (TEL): YouTube as a Ubiquitous Learning Aid
Authors: Mady Mohamed Ahmed , Baadel Said
Published: March 2020

The use of social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube in the society has become ubiquitous. The advent of communication technologies alongside other unification trends and notions such as media convergence and digital content allow the users of the social network to integrate these networks in their everyday life. There have been several attempts in the literature to investigate and explain the use of social networks such as Facebook and WhatsApp by university students in the Arab region. However, little research has been done on how university students utilise online audiovisual materials in their academic activities in the UAE. This research aims to elucidate the use of YouTube as a learning aid for university students in the UAE. We adopt the technology acceptance model (TAM) as the theoretical framework for this investigation. A quantitative methodology is employed to answer the research question. Primary data consisting of 221 correspondents were analysed, covering patterns of using YouTube as an academic audiovisual learning aid. Statistical techniques including descriptive, correlations, regression tests were used to analyse the data. The study concluded that students use YouTube as a learning tool for their academic studies and enriching their general knowledge; and there is a positive relationship between the use of YouTube videos in academic settings and the students’ overall performance. This study can shed light for teachers, curriculum designers, government entities, and other stakeholders on how to best utilise and integrate the online technology — YouTube — as a learning aid.
Mediating Effect of Tax Management on the Relationship Between Board of Directors Characteristics and Firm Performance
Authors: Zaqeeba Nidal , Iskandar Takiah Mohd
Published: March 2020

This study aims at examining the mediating effect of tax management on the relationship between certain board characteristics including independence, gender diversity, and activeness and firm performance. The sample of the study includes 135 companies in the industrial and service industries listed with Amman Stock Exchange in 2008–2017. This study selects purposive samples using the panel data technique. Results indicate that first, tax management mediates the board independence relationship with financial performance. Second, tax management does not mediate the board gender diversity and board activities relationships respectively with financial performance.
The Propensity to Use FinTech: Input from Bankers in the Kingdom of Bahrain
Authors: Razzaque Anjum , Cummings Richard Thomas , Karolak Magdalena , Hamdan Allam
Published: March 2020

This study aims to assess why users are willing/hesitant to continue using FinTech services based on their perceived benefits and risks pertaining to the use of FinTech technology. Data was collected, using an adopted survey instrument, from bankers based in Bahrain, the financial and FinTech hub of the Middle East. Data analysis was applied to assess the reliability and validity of this study’s conceptual model along with its nine hypotheses with 374 valid responses subsequently being analysed using multiple regression via SPSS version 23. The empirical findings of this study supported all the hypotheses, revealing that both perceived benefit and risks affect the intent to continue using FinTech. Perceived benefit has a stronger effect than the perceived risk, and convenience perceived most beneficial while financial risk perceived riskiest for using FinTech technology by the bankers of Bahrain.
Ensemble Detection and Analysis of Communities in Complex Networks
Authors: Chakraborty Tanmoy , Park Noseong , Agarwal Ayush , Subrahmanian V. S.
Published: March 2020

Though much work has been done on ensemble clustering in data mining, the application of ensemble methods to community detection in networks is in its infancy. In this article, we propose MeDOF, an ensemble method which performs disjoint, overlapping, and fuzzy community detection and represents one of the first ever ensemble methods for fuzzy and overlapping community detection. We run extensive experiments on both synthetic and several real-world datasets for which community structures are known. We show that MeDOF beats the best-known existing stand-alone community detection algorithms. We further show that MeDOF can help explore core-periphery structure of network communities, identify stable communities in dynamic networks, and help solve the “degeneracy of solutions” problem, generating robust results.
Cell Nuclei Classification in Histopathological Images using Hybrid O
L
ConvNet
Authors: Tripathi Suvidha , Singh Satish Kumar
Published: March 2020

Computer-aided histopathological image analysis for cancer detection is a major research challenge in the medical domain. Automatic detection and classification of nuclei for cancer diagnosis impose a lot of challenges in developing state-of-the-art algorithms due to the heterogeneity of cell nuclei and dataset variability. Recently, a multitude of classification algorithms have used complex deep learning models for their dataset. However, most of these methods are rigid, and their architectural arrangement suffers from inflexibility and non-interpretability. In this research article, we have proposed a hybrid and flexible deep learning architecture O
L
ConvNet that integrates the interpretability of traditional object-level features and generalization of deep learning features by using a shallower Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) named as

CNN
3L

.

CNN
3L

reduces the training time by training fewer parameters and hence eliminating space constraints imposed by deeper algorithms. We used F1-score and multiclass Area Under the Curve (AUC) performance parameters to compare the results. To further strengthen the viability of our architectural approach, we tested our proposed methodology with state-of-the-art deep learning architectures AlexNet, VGG16, VGG19, ResNet50, InceptionV3, and DenseNet121 as backbone networks. After a comprehensive analysis of classification results from all four architectures, we observed that our proposed model works well and performs better than contemporary complex algorithms.