bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Primary response of naive CD4+ T cells to amino acid‐substituted analogs of an antigenic peptide can show distinct activation patterns: Th1‐ and Th2‐type cytokine secretion, and helper activity for antibody production without apparent cytokine secretion
Authors: Ise Wataru , Totsuka Mamoru , Takato Rumi , Hachimura Satoshi , Sato Takehito , Ametani Akio , Kumagai Yoshihiro , Habu Sonoko , Kaminogawa Shuichi
Published: July 2002

Naive CD4+ T cells differentiate into two types of helper T cells showing an interferon‐γ‐predominant (Th1) or an interleukin‐4‐predominant (Th2) cytokine secretion profile after repeated antigenic stimulation. Their differentiation can be influenced by slight differences in the interaction between the T cell receptor (TCR) and its ligand at the time of primary activation. However, the primary response of freshly isolated naive CD4+ T cells to altered TCR ligands is still unclear. Here, we investigated the primary response of splenic naive CD4+ T cells derived from transgenic mice expressing TCR specific for residues 323–339 of ovalbumin (OVA323–339) bound to I‐Ad molecules. Naive CD4+ T cells secreted either Th1‐ or Th2‐type cytokines immediately after stimulation with OVA323–339 or its single amino acid‐substituted analogs. Helper activity for antibody secretion by co‐cultured resting B cells was also found in the primary response, accompanied by either low‐level Th2‐type cytokine secretion or no apparent cytokine secretion. Our results clearly indicate that dichotomy of the Th1/Th2 cytokine secretion profile can be elicited upon primary activation of naive CD4+ T cells. We also demonstrate that the helper activity of naive CD4+ T cells for antibody production does not correspond to the amounts of the relevant cytokines secreted.
Abuse of women and children in a Philippine community
Authors: Acebes‐Escobal B.C , Nerida M.C , Chez R.A
Published: July 2002

This retrospective study describes the demographic profiles, types of injuries and characteristics of abusers of 1354 women and children survivors of domestic violence who sought medical care from the obstetrics and gynecology resident and attending staff in the Women and Children Protection Unit in Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center from 1 January 1997 to 31 December 1998. Thirty‐nine percent of these patients were sexually abused; their peak age was 11–20 years. Almost 75% of sexual abusers were from outside of the household. The highest incidence of physical abuse occurred in ages 26–35 years. Seventy‐five percent of this form of abuse was in the home and perpetrated by husbands and live‐in partners. Our data add to the expanding literature demonstrating the existence of family violence throughout the world. The role of our Protection Unit in responding to the victims of family violence is in keeping with the responsibilities and the ethical obligations all obstetrician–gynecologists have to the safety, physical and psychological needs of the women they serve.
Kyphoscoliosis complicating pregnancy
Authors: To W.W.K. , Wong M.W.N.
Published: July 2002

Objective: To assess whether the outcome of pregnancies complicated by kyphoscoliosis has improved with modern obstetric and orthopedic care. Methods: A total of 17 patients with 27 pregnancies complicated by kyphoscoliosis were identified from 91 498 pregnancies between 1980 and 1994 from the obstetric audit database. Their obstetric records and associated orthopedic records were carefully studied. Results: The incidence of kyphoscoliosis complicating pregnancy in the study period was 0.029%. The mean age of these patients in their index pregnancy was 32.7 years (range 23–40), mean height 140.7 cm (range 126–163). The cause of the kyphoscoliosis included traumatic injury, spinal tuberculosis, infantile poliomyelitis and idiopathic kyphoscoliosis. Eight of the patients had previous spinal surgery. The vaginal delivery rate was high and none suffered any cardiorespiratory embarrassment. There was no maternal or perinatal mortality. Conclusions: The high maternal and perinatal risks associated with kyphoscoliosis reported in earlier literature is no longer valid. The high proportion of patients who had previous spinal surgery before pregnancy might be conducive to the avoidance of harassment and thus a favorable pregnancy outcome.
Pregnancy in the older woman: scientific and ethical aspects
Authors: Eisenberg V.H. , Schenker J.G.
Published: July 2002

Societal trends in the past decades have encouraged women to delay childbearing. Oocyte donation with hormone replacement therapy can sustain a pregnancy in women of all ages provided they have a uterus. The physiological changes associated with pregnancy constitute a burden on any woman regardless of her age. For mothers over 40, maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality increase with age. This article discusses the ethical aspects of pregnancy in the older woman.
Neurotrophic effects of transferrin on embryonic chick brain and neural retina cell cultures
Authors: Bruinink A. , Sidler C. , Birchler F.
Published: July 2002

The viability and differentiation promoting effects of various transferrins [iron‐saturated (holo) and iron‐depleted (apo) human and chick ovo (conalbumin)‐transferrins, and bovine apo‐transferrin] were studied, using serum‐free, flat‐sedimented cell cultures of embryonic chick brain and neural retina. The effects of transferrin (Tf) on the cell cultures depended on the type of Tf used and the parameter measured.

Significant differences between brain and neural retina cultures in the effects of apo‐ovoTf and iron [supplemented as ammonium‐iron (III) citrate] were detected. Maximal levels of mitochondrial activity were observed in the presence of 2 mg/l apo‐ovoTf in neural retina cell cultures. In brain cell cultures, 40 mg ovoTf/l were needed to achieve maximal levels. In brain, but not in neural, retina cell cultures ovoTf and optimal concentrations of Fe3+ exhibited similar effects on biochemical parameters of cell function and differentiation. Although, in the absence of ovoTf, neuronal outgrowth on areas not covered by glial cells was inhibited in both cell cultures, the differences were more prominent in neural retina cell cultures. Our data strongly suggest that Tf plays a key role in processes not connected directly with its iron transport capability.
Postnatal changes of brain monoamine levels in prenatally malnourished and control rats
Authors: Chen Jin‐Chung , Turiak Gyorgy , Galler Janina , Volicer Ladislav
Published: July 2002

The effects of age and prenatal protein malnutrition (6% casein diet) on the concentration of monoamine neurotransmitters and their metabolites and precursors in the hippocampal formation, striatum, brain stem and cerebral cortex were investigated in 1‐, 15‐, 30‐, 45‐, 90‐ and 220‐day‐old rats. Concentrations of all neurotransmitters, i.e. dopamine, norepinephrine and serotonin, changed significantly during the development. However, two main patterns were recognized. Serotonin in all areas, and dopamine in the striatum, increased from birth to day 45, and declined significantly in 90‐day‐old rats. In contrast, norepinephrine in all areas, and dopamine in areas other than the striatum, showed the lowest levels in 30‐day‐old rats, with levels increasing gradually after this age. Concentrations of metabolites paralleled changes in corresponding neurotransmitter levels. Prenatal protein malnutrition did not significantly affect any neurotransmitter concentrations with the exception of increased tryptophan levels (181%) in the hippocampal formation of newborn rats and decreased tyrosine levels (59%) in the striatum of day 30 rats. The results indicate that the monoamine transmitter content varied dynamically throughout postnatal life; however, they seem to counteract the insult from prenatal protein malnutrition after postnatal nutritional rehabilitation.
Characterization and Proteomic Analysis of Decellularized Adipose Tissue Hydrogels Derived from Lean and Overweight/Obese Human Donors
Authors: Mohiuddin Omair A. , Motherwell Jessica M. , Rogers Emma , Bratton Melyssa R. , Zhang Qiang , Wang Guangdi , Bunnell Bruce , Hayes Daniel J. , Gimble Jeffrey M.
Published: September 2020

While decellularized adipose tissue (DAT) has potential as an “off‐the‐shelf” biomaterial product for regenerative medicine, it remains to be determined if donor‐source body mass index (BMI) impacts the functionality of DAT. This study set out to comparatively characterize lean versus overweight/obese‐donor derived DAT hydrogel based on proteome and to analyze their respective effects on adipose stromal/stem cell (ASC) viability, and differentiation in vitro. Decellularized adipose tissue from lean (lDAT) and overweight/obese (oDAT) donors is produced and characterized. Variability in the fibril microstructures is found, with dense fibrotic fiber clusters and large pore area uniquely present in the oDAT samples. Proteomic analysis reveals that lDAT contains a greater proportion of enriched extracellular proteins and a smaller proportion of enriched intracellular proteins relative to oDAT. Biocompatibility studies show that ASCs cultured in lDAT and oDAT hydrogels remain viable. The adipogenic and osteogenic differentiation capability of ASCs seeded in lDAT and oDAT hydrogels is confirmed by an upregulation in marker gene expression and phenotypic analysis. In conclusion, this study establishes that DAT hydrogels derived from lean and overweight/obese adipose donors present similar physicochemical profiles with some distinctive features while comparably supporting the viability and adipogenic differentiation of ASCs in vitro.
Photochemical Methods for Peptide Macrocyclisation
Authors: Raynal Laetitia , Rose Nicholas C. , Donald James R. , Spicer Christopher D.
Published: September 2020

Photochemical reactions have been the subject of renewed interest over the last two decades, leading to the development of many new, diverse and powerful chemical transformations. More recently, these developments have been expanded to enable the photochemical macrocyclisation of peptides and small proteins. These constructs benefit from increased stability, structural rigidity and biological potency over their linear counterparts, providing opportunities for improved therapeutic agents. In this review, an overview of both the established and emerging methods for photochemical peptide macrocyclisation is presented, highlighting both the limitations and opportunities for further innovation in the field.
A case‐crossover study on the effect of short‐term exposure to moderate levels of air pollution on the risk of heart failure
Authors: Huschmann Ariane , Rasche Marius , Schlattmann Peter , Witte Otto W. , Schwab Matthias , Schulze P. Christian , Rakers Florian
Published: September 2020

Aims

Exposure to high levels of air pollution in industrialized urban areas is associated with an increased risk of heart failure (HF). On most days, the majority of European cities are only moderately affected by air pollution. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between short‐term exposure to moderate levels of air pollution with the risk of HF in a city with good air quality.

Methods and results

We recruited 576 patients (median age 82 years; 58.2% men) admitted to a large university hospital in Central Germany for HF to participate in a hospital‐based, bidirectional, case‐crossover study. Diagnosis of HF and symptom onset were verified individually. The effect of short‐term exposure to nitrogen dioxide (NO2), particulate matter (PM10), and ozone (O3) on the risk of HF was estimated using linear and non‐linear (categorized) multivariate analyses for three different lag times (1, 2, and 3 days before HF onset). Air pollution variables were adjusted to the date of HF symptom onset. During the study period, the average daily concentration of air pollutants was only moderate and reflects the average European background air pollution. In particular, the concentration of air pollutants ranged from 2 to 63.39 μg/m3 (median = 17.46 μg/m3) for NO2, from 2 to 125.88 μg/m3 (median = 44.61 μg/m3) for O3, and from 2.21 to 166.79 μg/m3 (median = 18.67 μg/m3) for PM10. We did not find a linear or non‐linear association between short‐term exposure to NO2, O3, or PM10 and risk for HF at all lag times in the overall population and subgroups.

Conclusions

In an area with only moderate air pollution, short‐term exposure to major air pollutants does not increase the risk for HF. Future studies should focus on a potential threshold effect of air pollution on HF risk as a basis for evidence‐based development of statutory limits in highly polluted areas.
Biodiversity of a Permian temperate forest: A case study from Ustali area, Ib River Basin, Odisha, India
Authors: Patel Roshni , Goswami Shreerup , Sahoo Mrutyunjaya , Pillai Sankar Suresh Kumar , Aggarwal Neha , Mathews Runcie Paul , Swain Ramani Ranjan , Saxena Anju , Singh Kamal Jeet
Published: September 2020

A palaeofloristic study and geochemical analysis of a Permian section in Ib River Basin near Ustali village, Odisha State has been undertaken. The complete macrofloral assemblage comprising 44 taxa belong to the orders Equisetales, Sphenophyllales, Filicales, and Glossopteridales. A marked floral change has been noticed in two fossiliferous horizons of this section, demonstrating the existence of two different floral zones in Raniganj Formation rocks of this section. The upper floral zone is assigned to the Wuchiapingian, while the lower floral zone is of Wordian‐Capitanian age. The occurrence of Gangamopteris is the first report of this genus from the Raniganj Formation of the Ib River Basin, as well as from the Son‐Mahanadi Master Basin. The existence of tiny seeds infers the prevalence of arid and warm climatic conditions at least during the blossoming and seed development phase, resulting in a sluggish inflow of nutrients to the growing seeds, thereby restricting their proper growth. The palynoassemblage confirms its resemblance with the Raniganj palynoflora of Wordian‐Capitanian affinity. Biomarker analysis indicates a good contribution of algal and microbial organic matter during the deposition, however, the overall biomarker composition and distribution suggests an increased thermal maturity of the studied samples.
From virus to inflammation, how influenza promotes lung damage
Authors: Klomp Mitchell , Ghosh Sumit , Mohammed Sohail , Nadeem Khan M
Published: September 2020

Despite seasonal vaccines, influenza-related hospitalization and death rates have remained unchanged over the past 5 years. Influenza pathogenesis has 2 crucial clinical components; first, influenza causes acute lung injury that may require hospitalization. Second, acute injury promotes secondary bacterial pneumonia, a leading cause of hospitalization and disease burden in the United States and globally. Therefore, developing an effective therapeutic regimen against influenza requires a comprehensive understanding of the damage-associated immune-mechanisms to identify therapeutic targets for interventions to mitigate inflammation/tissue-damage, improve antiviral immunity, and prevent influenza-associated secondary bacterial diseases. In this review, the pathogenic immune mechanisms implicated in acute lung injury and the possibility of using lung inflammation and barrier crosstalk for developing therapeutics against influenza are highlighted.
Multi‐Component Approach for Synthesis of Quinolinyl‐1,4‐dihydropyridines, Evaluation of Cytotoxicity against MCF7 and Molecular Docking Studies
Authors: Suresh Selvendran , Das Souvik , Waidha Kamran , Maity Ritwik , Basu Biswarup , Rajendran Saravanakumar
Published: September 2020

Tetrazolo[1,5‐a]quinoline‐4‐carbaldehyde, 3‐oxo‐3‐phenylpropanenitrile, and β‐enamine were reacted in one‐pot to obtain highly functionalized quinolinyl‐1,4‐dihydropyridines. In addition to spectroscopic characterization, the structure of one of the compound is confirmed by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. Among all compounds evaluated for cytotoxic effect against MCF7, three quinolinyl‐1,4‐dihydropyridines (SKS13, 19, and 20) were found to be most active with half inhibition concentrations value of 7.87–9.55 μM. Molecular docking of the active molecules to various breast cancer targets revealed effective compounds have multiple receptor targeting potential in breast cancer. Our results corroborate quinolinyl‐1,4‐dihydropyridines as a valuable scaffold to develop anticancer drugs.
Vector boson fusion at multi-TeV muon colliders
Authors: Costantini Antonio , De Lillo Federico , Maltoni Fabio , Mantani Luca , Mattelaer Olivier , Ruiz Richard , Zhao Xiaoran
Published: September 2020

Abstract

High-energy lepton colliders with a centre-of-mass energy in the multi-TeV range are currently considered among the most challenging and far-reaching future accelerator projects. Studies performed so far have mostly focused on the reach for new phenomena in lepton-antilepton annihilation channels. In this work we observe that starting from collider energies of a few TeV, electroweak (EW) vector boson fusion/scattering (VBF) at lepton colliders becomes the dominant production mode for all Standard Model processes relevant to studying the EW sector. In many cases we find that this also holds for new physics. We quantify the size and the growth of VBF cross sections with collider energy for a number of SM and new physics processes. By considering luminosity scenarios achievable at a muon collider, we conclude that such a machine would effectively be a “high-luminosity weak boson collider,” and subsequently offer a wide range of opportunities to precisely measure EW and Higgs couplings as well as discover new particles.
Bedeutung von CI-Nutzungsverhalten und CI-Anpassung für sprachproduktive Leistungen sehr früh cochleaimplantierter Kinder
Authors: Glaubitz C. , Liebscher T. , Hoppe U.
Published: September 2020

Hintergrund

Das Alter bei Versorgung mit einem Cochleaimplantat (CI) nimmt bei Kindern wesentlich Einfluss auf deren Lautsprachentwicklung. Als weitere potenzielle Einflussfaktoren sollten das CI-Nutzungsverhalten und die Häufigkeit der CI-Anpassungen evaluiert sowie die frühkindlichen sprachproduktiven Leistungen sehr früh CI-versorgter Kinder dargestellt werden.

Methodik

Die retrospektive Studie untersuchte 34 bilateral cochleaimplantierte Kinder mit einem CI-Versorgungsalter von M = 8,8 (SD = 1,7) Monaten. Im dritten Lebensjahr wurden die sprachproduktiven Leistungen, die Häufigkeit der CI-Anpassungen und das CI-Nutzungsverhalten anhand des systemintegrierten Dataloggings ausgewertet und in Bezug gesetzt.

Ergebnisse

Etwa die Hälfte der Kinder erzielte lebensaltersgemäße sprachproduktive Leistungen. Die CI-Nutzungsdauer lag bei rund 8 h täglich. Zeitlich am längsten befanden sich die Kinder in ruhiger Umgebung, am kürzesten in Situationen mit Sprache im Störschall. Die tägliche CI-Nutzungsdauer erwies sich als signifikanter Prädiktor für die sprachproduktiven Leistungen; die Sprachexposition erwies sich als wesentlicher Prädiktor speziell für die Wortproduktion. Die Anzahl der täglichen Kontaktabbrüche der CI-Sendespule zum Implantat sowie die Anzahl der CI-Anpassungen pro Monat waren nicht mit den sprachproduktiven Leistungen korreliert.

Schlussfolgerung

Sehr früh bilateral cochleaimplantierte Kinder können bereits im dritten Lebensjahr einen altersgemäßen Stand in der Sprachproduktion erreichen. Im Vergleich mit anderen Studien ist die tägliche CI-Nutzungsdauer als altersadäquat zu beurteilen. CI-Nutzungsdauer sowie die Dauer der täglichen Sprachexposition scheinen bedeutsamen Einfluss auf frühe Sprachkompetenzen zu nehmen. Diese Erkenntnisse sollten insbesondere in die prä- und postoperative Elternberatung einfließen.
Adenomyosis: diagnostics and treatment
Authors: Krentel Harald , De Wilde Rudy Leon
Published: September 2020

Background

Adenomyosis is a frequent additional condition in patients with endometriosis and should be included in diagnostic and treatment concepts.

Objective

Description of diagnostic and therapeutic approaches in patients with adenomyosis in relation to patient age, family planning status, peritoneal and/or deep endometriosis and symptoms.

Methods

The current literature on adenomyosis including case reports was analyzed. Due to the lack of evidenced-based approaches the most probable trends in diagnostics and treatment are discussed.

Results

Adenomyosis plays an important role in fertile patients with dysmenorrhea, dyspareunia and pelvic pain, with or without additional peritoneal or deep endometriosis. It has a negative impact on fertility and can cause a variety of symptoms. The disease can be diagnosed by a skilled examiner and treatment concepts exist.

Conclusion

Adenomyosis can be diagnosed by a combination of clinical history, gynecological examination, transvaginal ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging. Various medical and surgical treatment approaches are available to reduce symptoms and to increase fertility. The course of action depends on the family planning status of the patient.
Perioperative Optimization of Senior Health (POSH): A Descriptive Analysis of Cancelled Surgery
Authors: Zietlow Kahli E. , Wong Serena , McDonald Shelley R. , Colón‐Emeric Cathleen , Cassas Christy , Lagoo‐Deenadayalan Sandhya , Heflin Mitchell T.
Published: September 2020

Background

Geriatric collaborative care models improve postoperative outcomes for older adults. However, there are limited data exploring how preoperative geriatric assessment may affect surgical cancellations.

Methods

This is a single‐center retrospective cohort analysis. Patients enrolled in the Perioperative Optimization of Senior Health (POSH) program from 2011 to 2016 were included. POSH is a collaborative care model between geriatrics, surgery, and anesthesiology. Baseline demographic and medical data were collected during the POSH pre‐op appointment. Patients who attended a POSH pre‐op visit but did not have surgery were identified, and a chart review was performed to identify reasons for surgical cancellation. Baseline characteristics of patients who did and did not undergo surgery were compared.

Results

Of 449 eligible POSH referrals within the study period, 33 (7.3%) did not proceed to surgery; cancellation rates within the POSH program were lower than institutional cancellation rates for adults over age 65 who did not participate in POSH. Patients who did not have surgery were significantly older, more likely to have functional limitations, and had higher rates of several comorbidities compared with those who proceeded to surgery (P < 0.05). Reasons for surgical cancellations included a similar number of patient‐ and provider‐driven causes.

Conclusions

Many reasons for surgical cancellation were related to potentially modifiable factors, such as changes in goals of care or concerns about rehabilitation, emphasizing the importance of shared decision‐making in elective surgery for older adults. These results highlight the important role geriatric collaborative care can offer to older adults with complex needs.
Validation of a Web-Based Planning Tool for Percutaneous Cryoablation of Renal Tumors
Authors: van Oostenbrugge Tim J. , Heidkamp Jan , Moche Michael , Weir Phil , Mariappan Panchatcharam , Flanigan Ronan , Pollari Mika , Payne Stephen , Kolesnik Marina , Jenniskens Sjoerd F. M. , Fütterer Jurgen J.
Published: September 2020

Purpose

To validate a simulation environment for virtual planning of percutaneous cryoablation of renal tumors.

Materials and Methods

Prospectively collected data from 19 MR-guided procedures were used for validation of the simulation model. Volumetric overlap of the simulated ablation zone volume (Σ) and the segmented ablation zone volume (S; assessed on 1-month follow-up scan) was quantified. Validation metrics were DICE Similarity Coefficient (DSC; the ratio between twice the overlapping volume of both ablation zones divided by the sum of both ablation zone volumes), target overlap (the ratio between the overlapping volume of both ablation zones to the volume of S; low ratio means S is underestimated), and positive predictive value (the ratio between the overlapping volume of both ablation zones to the volume of Σ; low ratio means S is overestimated). Values were between 0 (no alignment) and 1 (perfect alignment), a value > 0.7 is considered good.

Results

Mean volumes of S and Σ were 14.8 cm3 (± 9.9) and 26.7 cm3 (± 15.0), respectively. Mean DSC value was 0.63 (± 0.2), and ≥ 0.7 in 9 cases (47%). Mean target overlap and positive predictive value were 0.88 (± 0.11) and 0.53 (± 0.24), respectively. In 17 cases (89%), target overlap was ≥ 0.7; positive predictive value was ≥ 0.7 in 4 cases (21%) and < 0.6 in 13 cases (68%). This indicates S is overestimated in the majority of cases.

Conclusion

The validation results showed a tendency of the simulation model to overestimate the ablation effect. Model adjustments are necessary to make it suitable for clinical use.
Potential of zebrafish as a model to characterise MicroRNA profiles in mechanically mediated joint degeneration
Authors: Lawrence Elizabeth A. , Hammond Chrissy L. , Blain Emma J.
Published: September 2020

Mechanically mediated joint degeneration and cartilage dyshomeostasis is implicated in highly prevalent diseases such as osteoarthritis. Increasingly, MicroRNAs are being associated with maintaining the normal state of cartilage, making them an exciting and potentially key contributor to joint health and disease onset. Here, we present a summary of current in vitro and in vivo models which can be used to study the role of mechanical load and MicroRNAs in joint degeneration, including: non-invasive murine models of PTOA, surgical models which involve ligament transection, and unloading models based around immobilisation of joints or removal of load from the joint through suspension. We also discuss how zebrafish could be used to advance this field, namely through the availability of transgenic lines relevant to cartilage homeostasis and the ability to accurately map strain through the cartilage, enabling the response of downstream MicroRNA targets to be followed dynamically at a cellular level in areas of high and low strain.
Working conditions as risk factors for early exit from work—in a cohort of 2351 employees in Germany
Authors: d’Errico Angelo , Burr Hermann , Pattloch Dagmar , Kersten Norbert , Rose Uwe
Published: September 2020

Objectives

We would assess the possible impact of a range of physical and psychosocial working conditions on early exit from paid employment (i.e., before retirement age) in a representative employee population in Germany.

Methods

We analysed a cohort from the German Study on Mental Health at Work (S-MGA) with a baseline of 2351 employees in 2011/12, sampled randomly from the register of integrated employment biographies (IEB) at the Institute for Employment Research (IAB). Follow-up ended mid-2015. Early Exit comprised episodes of either pensioning, long-term sickness absence or unemployment ≥ 18 months. Total follow-up years were 8.422. Working conditions were partly assessed by the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ). Through Cox regressions, associations of baseline working conditions with time to event of exit were estimated—adjusting for baseline age, gender, poverty, fixed-term contract and socioeconomic position.

Results

In multiple regressions, awkward body postures (HR = 1.24; 95% CI = 1.07–1.44), heavy lifting (1.17; 1.00–1.37) and high work pace (1.41; 1.16–1.72) were associated with exit. The estimated attributable fraction of exit for being exposed to less than optimal work environment was 25%. Regarding specific exit routes, repetitive movements (1.25; 1.03–1.53) increased the risk for the long-term sickness absence; work pace (1.86; 1.22–2.86) and role clarity (0.55; 0.31–1.00) were associated to unemployment; and control over working time (0.72; 0.56–0.95) decreased the risk of the early retirement.

Conclusions

Work environment seems to be important for subsequent early exit from work. Physical and psychosocial demands seem to be associated to exit to a stronger extent than resources at work.
Elastosis in ERα-positive male breast cancer
Authors: Vermeulen Marijn A. , van Deurzen Carolien H. M. , van Leeuwen-Stok A. Elise , van Diest Paul J.
Published: September 2020

In female breast cancer (BC), elastosis is strongly related to estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) expression. Male breast cancers almost invariably express ERα; so, the aim of this study was to investigate elastosis frequency in invasive male BC as well as clinicopathological correlations, in comparison with females. A total of 177 male BC cases and 135 female BC cases were included, all ERα-positive and invasive carcinoma of no special type. Elastosis on H&E-stained slides was scored in a four-tiered system as elastosis grade (EG) 0 (no elastosis) to EG3 (high amount of elastosis). EG scores in male BC were correlated to histopathological characteristics and overall surviva and compared with female BC EG scores. Male BC showed some degree of elastosis in 26/117 cases (22.2%) with none showing EG3, while female BC cases showed elastosis in 89/135 cases (65.9%) with 21.5% showing EG3 (p < 0.001). This difference retained its significance in multivariate logistic regression. In male BC cases, no significant correlations were found between the amount of elastosis and age, grade, mitotic activity index, and PgR. In addition, no significant prognostic value of elastosis was seen. In conclusion, despite high ERα expression, male BC showed significantly less elastosis than female BC. Elastosis did not show clinicopathological correlations or prognostic value. Therefore, elastosis seems to be a less useful ERα tissue biomarker with less clinical significance in male BC compared with females, pointing towards important BC sex differences.
Optimal reduction of public debt under partial observation of the economic growth
Authors: Callegaro Giorgia , Ceci Claudia , Ferrari Giorgio
Published: September 2020

We consider a government that aims at reducing the debt-to-(gross domestic product) (GDP) ratio of a country. The government observes the level of the debt-to-GDP ratio and an indicator of the state of the economy, but does not directly observe the development of the underlying macroeconomic conditions. The government’s criterion is to minimise the sum of the total expected costs of holding debt and of debt reduction policies. We model this problem as a singular stochastic control problem under partial observation. The contribution of the paper is twofold. Firstly, we provide a general formulation of the model in which the level of the debt-to-GDP ratio and the value of the macroeconomic indicator evolve as a diffusion and a jump-diffusion, respectively, with coefficients depending on the regimes of the economy. The latter are described through a finite-state continuous-time Markov chain. We reduce the original problem via filtering techniques to an equivalent one with full information (the so-called separated problem), and we provide a general verification result in terms of a related optimal stopping problem under full information. Secondly, we specialise to a case study in which the economy faces only two regimes and the macroeconomic indicator has a suitable diffusive dynamics. In this setting, we provide the optimal debt reduction policy. This is given in terms of the continuous free boundary arising in an auxiliary fully two-dimensional optimal stopping problem.
Outpatient, dental care of adult vulnerable patients under general anaesthesia—a retrospective evaluation of need for treatment and dental follow-up care
Authors: Jockusch Julia , Hopfenmüller Werner , Ettinger Ronald , Nitschke Ina
Published: September 2020

Objectives

To analyse the treatment needs of patients who had received dental treatment under GA and the effectiveness of the treatment provided.

Materials and methods

Retrospective chart analysis of adult at risk and vulnerable patients requiring dental treatment under GA (2007–2017). Outcome variables were indications for GA, DMF/T, and type of treatment, failure rates of treated teeth, emergencies and recall intervals after GA.

Results

Four hundred fourteen subjects (median age 42 years, range 18–93 years) were assigned to four groups (people with disabilities (pwdis), dementias (pwd), dental phobias (pwph), and addictions/psychosocial disorders (pwapd)) and attended the pre-GA assessment. Of these, 247 subjects (median 37 years, range 18–93 years) were treated under GA, mostly pwdis (n = 154, 69.7%). The main indication for treatment under GA was suspicion of pain (n = 178, 72.1%). Pwd had the highest degree of restoration (46.7%), DMF/T value (23.8), and most missing teeth (5.8). Pwapd had the most decayed teeth (12.9). There was a 12-month recall augmented by 2–4 oral hygiene sessions depending on compliance. The failure rate of all treated teeth was 4%. Two dental emergencies were reported for patients who received a GA.

Conclusions

Dental treatment need was high for adult vulnerable people. The diagnostic groups differed mainly in their subjective reason for need of a GA, their DMF/T, treatment needs and type of treatments performed. Failure and dental emergency rates after GA were low in spite of a recall interval of 12 months.

Clinical Relevance

Regular annual recalls could avoid dental emergencies in patients requiring treatment under GA.
Exact equivalence at cyclic steady state between isothermal diffusion and linear driving force models for linear adsorption systems
Authors: Brandani Stefano
Published: September 2020

To match the dynamics of a linear driving force model and the diffusion equation is of great practical importance in the design and optimization of adsorption separation processes. A frequency response analysis is applied to show that it is not possible to arrive at an equivalence based on a single parameter. Using this as the basis, a universal equivalence for the linear problem is constructed and closed form analytical expressions for the two parameters are derived for the sphere and slab geometries. The two parameters represent the increased effective mass transfer coefficient and a reduction in the active volume of the particle, both corresponding to the internal concentration profiles of the diffusion equation at cyclic steady state.
Improving the coordination in the humanitarian supply chain: exploring the role of options contract
Authors: John Lijo , Gurumurthy Anand , Mateen Arqum , Narayanamurthy Gopalakrishnan
Published: September 2020

The uncertainty associated with the location, severity and timing of disaster makes it difficult for the humanitarian organization (HO) to predict demand for the aid material and thereby making the relief material procurement even more challenging. This research explores whether options contract can be used as a mechanism to aid the HO in making procurement of relief material less challenging by addressing two main issues: inventory risk for buyers and over-production risk for suppliers. Furthermore, a contracting mechanism is designed to achieve coordination between the HO and aid material suppliers in the humanitarian supply chain through optimal pricing. The options contract is modelled as a stylized version of the newsvendor problem that allows the HO to adjust their order quantity after placing the initial order at the beginning of the planning horizon. This flexibility helps to mitigate the risk of both overstocking and understocking for the HO as well as the risk of overproduction for the supplier. Our results indicate that the optimal values for decision parameters are not “point estimates” but a range of prices, which can facilitate negotiation between the two parties for appropriate selection of contract parameters under an options contract. The results imply that options contract can aid in the decentralized approach of fixing the prices between the HO and the supplier, which in turn would help in achieving systemic coordination.
The effect of breast MRI on disease-free and overall survival in breast cancer patients: a retrospective population-based study
Authors: van Nijnatten T. J. A. , van Tiel L. P. T. , Voogd A. C. , Groothuis-Oudshoorn C. G. M. , Siesling S. , Lobbes M. B. I.
Published: September 2020

Purpose

To evaluate the effect of breast MRI on overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) of patients with invasive breast cancer in the Netherlands.

Methods

We selected all women from the Netherlands Cancer Registry diagnosed with invasive breast cancer (a) between 2011 and 2013 for the OS-cohort and (b) in the first quarter of 2012 for the DFS-cohort. The study population was subdivided into an MRI and non-MRI group. In addition, subgroups were created according to breast cancer subtype: invasive carcinoma of no special type (NST) versus invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC). OS and DFS were compared between the MRI and non-MRI group using the Kaplan–Meier method and the log-rank test. Cox proportional hazard regression analysis was performed to estimate hazard ratios (HR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI). To account for missing data, multiple imputation was performed.

Results

Of the 31,756 patients included in the OS-cohort (70% non-MRI and 30% MRI), 27,752 (87%) were diagnosed with invasive carcinoma NST and 4004 (13%) with ILC. Of the 2464 patients included in the DFS-cohort (72% non-MRI and 28% MRI), 2161 (88%) were diagnosed with invasive carcinoma NST and 303 (12%) with ILC. The distribution of breast MRI use was significantly lower over different age categories, from 49.0% aged < 50 to 16.5% aged > 70. Multivariable Cox regression showed that breast MRI was not significantly associated with OS overall (HR 0.91, 95%-CI 0.74–1.11, p = 0.35), nor in the different histological subtypes. Multivariable Cox regression analysis showed that breast MRI was also not significantly associated with DFS (HR 1.16, 95%-CI 0.81–1.67), nor in the different histological subtypes.

Conclusion

Use of breast MRI was not significantly associated with an improved OS or DFS in patients treated with primary surgery.
Nanocellulose from fractionated sulfite wood pulp
Authors: Winter Armin , Arminger Benjamin , Veigel Stefan , Gusenbauer Claudia , Fischer Wolfgang , Mayr Melanie , Bauer Wolfgang , Gindl-Altmutter Wolfgang
Published: September 2020

Fine fibre fractions in wood pulp may contribute to advantageous paper properties, but in some instances their removal from pulp may be beneficial to the production process of certain paper grades. In order to study the suitability of fine fibre fractions for the production of nanocellulose as an alternative use option, sulfite pulp was fractionated and homogenised, and cellulose nanopapers were produced. Characterisation revealed that fine fibre fractions were more easily homogenised than long fibres. Aqueous suspensions of nanocellulose produced from fines showed remarkably reduced viscosity compared to nanocellulose derived from long fibres. Nanopapers produced from all nanocellulose variants showed roughly similar mechanical performance. Only nanopaper produced from primary fines-derived nanocellulose deviated in that it showed a comparably high modulus of elasticity at a low strain at failure. Overall, fine fibre fractions separated from wood pulp were found to be highly suitable for nanocellulose production.
Exacerbated Headache-Related Pain in the Single Prolonged Stress Preclinical Model of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
Authors: Zhang Yong , Standifer Kelly M.
Published: September 2020

Chronic headache pain is one of the most commonly reported comorbid pain conditions with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) patients and resistant to effective treatment, yet no combined preclinical model of the two disorders has been reported. Here, we used a modified chronic headache pain model to investigate the contribution of single prolonged stress (SPS) model of PTSD with sodium nitroprusside (SNP)-induced hyperalgesia. Injection of SNP (2 mg/kg, i.p.) occurred every other day from day 7 to day 15 after initiation of SPS in rats. Paw withdrawal threshold (PWT) to von Frey stimuli and tail flick latencies (TFL) dramatically decreased as early as 7 days after SPS and lasted until at least day 21. Basal PWT and TFL also significantly decreased during the SNP treatment period. The lower nociceptive thresholds recovered in 6 days following the final SNP injection in SNP group, but not in SPS + SNP group. Elevated nociceptin/OFQ (N/OFQ) levels observed in cerebrospinal fluid of SPS rats were even higher in SPS + SNP group. Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and N/OFQ peptide (NOP) receptor mRNA expression increased in dorsal root ganglia (DRG) 21 days after SPS exposure; mRNA increases in the SPS/SNP group was more pronounced than SPS or SNP alone. GFAP protein expression was upregulated in trigeminal ganglia by SPS. Our results indicate that traumatic stress exaggerated chronic SNP-induced nociceptive hypersensitivity, and that N/OFQ and activated satellite glia cells may play an important role in the interaction between both conditions.
Climate change, crops and commodity traders: subnational trade analysis highlights differentiated risk exposure
Authors: Stokeld Emilie , Croft Simon A. , Green Jonathan M. H. , West Christopher D.
Published: September 2020

The global food system is increasingly interconnected and under pressure to support growing demand. At the same time, crop production is facing new and uncertain impacts from climate change. To date, understanding how downstream supply chain actors, such as commodity traders, are exposed to climate change risks has been difficult due to a lack of high-resolution climate and trade data. However, the recent availability of supply chain data linking subnational production to downstream actors, and gridded projections of crop yield under climate change, allows us to assess individual commodity trader exposure to long-term climate change risk. We apply such an analysis to soy production in Brazil, the world’s largest soy exporter. Whilst uncertainty across crop models’ yield projections means it remains difficult to accurately predict how production across the region will be affected by climate change, we demonstrate that the risk exposure of trading actors differs substantially due to the heterogeneity in their sourcing. Our study offers a first attempt to analyze subnational climate risk to individual trading actors operating across an entire production landscape, leading to more precise risk exposure analysis. With sufficient subnational data, this method can be applied to any crop and country combination, and in the context of wider food security issues, it will be pertinent to apply these methods across other production systems and downstream actors in the food system.
A polymatroid approach to generalized weights of rank metric codes
Authors: Ghorpade Sudhir R. , Johnsen Trygve
Published: September 2020

We consider the notion of a (q, m)-polymatroid, due to Shiromoto, and the more general notion of (q, m)-demi-polymatroid, and show how generalized weights can be defined for them. Further, we establish a duality for these weights analogous to Wei duality for generalized Hamming weights of linear codes. The corresponding results of Ravagnani for Delsarte rank metric codes, and Martínez-Peñas and Matsumoto for relative generalized rank weights are derived as a consequence.
Security analysis of permission re-delegation vulnerabilities in Android apps
Authors: Demissie Biniam Fisseha , Ceccato Mariano , Shar Lwin Khin
Published: September 2020

The Android platform facilitates reuse of app functionalities by allowing an app to request an action from another app through inter-process communication mechanism. This feature is one of the reasons for the popularity of Android, but it also poses security risks to the end users because malicious, unprivileged apps could exploit this feature to make privileged apps perform privileged actions on behalf of them. In this paper, we investigate the hybrid use of program analysis, genetic algorithm based test generation, natural language processing, machine learning techniques for precise detection of permission re-delegation vulnerabilities in Android apps. Our approach first groups a large set of benign and non-vulnerable apps into different clusters, based on their similarities in terms of functional descriptions. It then generates permission re-delegation model for each cluster, which characterizes common permission re-delegation behaviors of the apps in the cluster. Given an app under test, our approach checks whether it has permission re-delegation behaviors that deviate from the model of the cluster it belongs to. If that is the case, it generates test cases to detect the vulnerabilities. We evaluated the vulnerability detection capability of our approach based on 1,258 official apps and 20 mutated apps. Our approach achieved 81.8% recall and 100% precision. We also compared our approach with two static analysis-based approaches — Covert and IccTA — based on 595 open source apps. Our approach detected 30 vulnerable apps whereas Covert detected one of them and IccTA did not detect any. Executable proof-of-concept attacks generated by our approach were reported to the corresponding app developers.
Terahertz Conductivity Analysis for Highly Doped Thin-Film Semiconductors
Authors: Ulatowski Aleksander M. , Herz Laura M. , Johnston Michael B.
Published: September 2020

The analysis of terahertz transmission through semiconducting thin films has proven to be an excellent tool for investigating optoelectronic properties of novel materials. Terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) can provide information about phonon modes of the crystal, as well as the electrical conductivity of the sample. When paired with photoexcitation, optical-pump-THz-probe (OPTP) technique can be used to gain an insight into the transient photoconductivity of the semiconductor, revealing the dynamics and the mobility of photoexcited charge carriers. As the relation between the conductivity of the material and the THz transmission function is generally complicated, simple analytical expressions have been developed to enable straightforward calculations of frequency-dependent conductivity from THz-TDS data in the regime of optically thin samples. Here, we assess the accuracy of these approximated analytical formulas in thin films of highly doped semiconductors, finding significant deviations of the calculated photoconductivity from its actual value in materials with background conductivity comparable to 102Ω− 1cm− 1. We propose an alternative analytical expression, which greatly improves the accuracy of the estimated value of the real photoconductivity, while remaining simple to implement experimentally. Our approximation remains valid in thin films with high dark conductivity of up to 104Ω− 1cm− 1 and provides a very high precision for calculating photoconductivity up to 104Ω− 1cm− 1, and therefore is highly relevant for studies of photoexcited charge-carrier dynamics in electrically doped semiconductors. Using the example of heavily doped thin films of tin-iodide perovskites, we show a simple experimental method of implementing our correction and find that the commonly used expression for photoconductivity could result in an underestimate of charge-carrier mobility by over 50%.
Does capacity increase compliance? Examining evidence from European cooperation against air pollution
Authors: Tveit Andreas Kokkvoll
Published: September 2020

Scholars commonly hypothesize that enhanced capacity—improved ability to do as agreed—increases states’ compliance with international agreements. In contrast, using a novel dataset that covers 31 states and three decades of cooperation, I find a negative effect of capacity on compliance. To help explain this seemingly counterintuitive finding, I offer a novel conjecture of the capacity–compliance relationship. In particular, I argue that the effect of capacity may vary substantially across states, because states’ intention to comply constitutes a crucial intervening variable. Among reluctant states pursuing policy goals that affect compliance negatively, high capacity may in fact cause noncompliance. I exemplify the conjecture through evidence from a high-capacity noncompliant state (Norway).