bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Predicting the Impact of Describing New Species on Phylogenetic Patterns
Authors: Blackburn D C , Giribet G , Soltis D E , Stanley E L
Published: October 2019

Although our inventory of Earth’s biodiversity remains incomplete, we still require analyses using the Tree of Life to understand evolutionary and ecological patterns. Because incomplete sampling may bias our inferences, we must evaluate how future additions of newly discovered species might impact analyses performed today. We describe an approach that uses taxonomic history and phylogenetic trees to characterize the impact of past species discoveries on phylogenetic knowledge using patterns of branch-length variation, tree shape, and phylogenetic diversity. This provides a framework for assessing the relative completeness of taxonomic knowledge of lineages within a phylogeny. To demonstrate this approach, we use recent large phylogenies for amphibians, reptiles, flowering plants, and invertebrates. Well-known clades exhibit a decline in the mean and range of branch lengths that are added each year as new species are described. With increased taxonomic knowledge over time, deep lineages of well-known clades become known such that most recently described new species are added close to the tips of the tree, reflecting changing tree shape over the course of taxonomic history. The same analyses reveal other clades to be candidates for future discoveries that could dramatically impact our phylogenetic knowledge. Our work reveals that species are often added non-randomly to the phylogeny over multiyear time-scales in a predictable pattern of taxonomic maturation. Our results suggest that we can make informed predictions about how new species will be added across the phylogeny of a given clade, thus providing a framework for accommodating unsampled undescribed species in evolutionary analyses.
Rectal and seminal HIV-1 RNA decay towards virological suppression in infected MSM initiating dolutegravir/abacavir/lamivudine
Authors: Fernández-González Marta , García José A , Padilla Sergio , García-Abellán Javier , Agulló Vanesa , Gutiérrez Félix , Masiá Mar
Published: October 2019

Background

The time at which the protective effect of starting ART is achieved in male rectal and genital reservoirs is not clearly established.

Objectives

To quantify HIV-1 RNA decay towards virological suppression in rectal mucosa and semen in MSM starting dolutegravir/abacavir/lamivudine (DTG/ABC/3TC).

Methods

A longitudinal cohort study of ART-naive HIV-positive MSM was performed. HIV-1 RNA was quantified in rectal mucosa and seminal plasma samples at day 1 of ART initiation (baseline) and every 4 weeks until week 20 (w20; all participants) and week 64 (w64; 6 of 12 participants).

Results

Twelve MSM, with median (IQR) age 36 (33–40) years and baseline CD4+ count 449 (411–503) cells/mm3, were included. At baseline, HIV-1 RNA was detectable in all plasma and seminal samples and 10/12 rectal samples. All participants achieved plasma virological suppression by w20, whereas HIV-1 RNA was detectable in 42% and 50% of seminal and rectal samples, respectively. At w64, HIV-1 RNA was detectable in 1/6 seminal and 1/6 rectal samples. A relationship of baseline seminal and rectal HIV-1 RNA levels with viral shedding in reservoirs (HIV-1 RNA >200 copies/mL or copies/swab) was found. In addition, a significant association of baseline plasma viral load with time to rectal HIV-1 RNA <200 copies/swab was found (P=0.025).

Conclusions

Viral decay after initiating DTG/ABC/3TC is slower in rectal mucosa and semen than in plasma. Approximately half of patients achieved undetectable HIV-1 RNA levels in rectal and genital secretions at w20 and in some patients viral shedding persisted for up to 1 year. Initial plasma viral load influences time to rectal suppression.
Reliability and validity of a Japanese version of the psychosocial assessment tool for families of children with cancer
Authors: Tsumura Akemi , Okuyama Toru , Ito Yoshinori , Kondo Masaki , Saitoh Shinji , Kamei Michi , Sato Iori , Ishida Yuji , Kato Yuka , Takeda Yoshimi , Akechi Tatsuo
Published: October 2019

Background

Patients with childhood cancer and their families frequently experience psychosocial distress associated with cancer and its treatment. We thus examined the reliability and validity of a Japanese version of the Psychosocial Assessment Tool, which was designed to screen for psychosocial risk factors among families of children with cancer.

Methods

Forward–backward translation was used to develop the Japanese version of the Psychosocial Assessment Tool. We conducted a cross-sectional study. Mothers (N = 117), who were the primary caregivers of children with cancer, completed the Japanese version of the Psychosocial Assessment Tool and other measures to establish validity. The internal consistency and 2-week test-retest reliability of the Japanese version of the Psychosocial Assessment Tool were also examined.

Results

The internal consistency of the Japanese version of the Psychosocial Assessment Tool total score was sufficient (Kuder-Richardson 20 coefficient = 0.84); however, the subscales ‘structure and resources,’ ‘stress reactions’ and ‘family beliefs’ were less than optimal (Kuder-Richardson 20 coefficients = 0.03, 0.49 and 0.49, respectively). The test-retest reliability for the Japanese version of the Psychosocial Assessment Tool total score was sufficient (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.92). Significant correlations with the criteria measures indicated the validity of the Japanese version of the Psychosocial Assessment Tool total score. The optimal cut-off score for screening mothers with high psychosocial risk was 0.9/1.0, which was associated with 92% sensitivity and 63% specificity.

Conclusions

This study indicated that the Japanese version of the Psychosocial Assessment Tool is a valid and reliable tool to screen mothers for elevated distress.
Changes in Noninsurance and Care Unaffordability Among Cancer Survivors Following the Affordable Care Act
Authors: Han Xuesong , Jemal Ahmedin , Zheng Zhiyuan , Sauer Ann Goding , Fedewa Stacey , Yabroff K Robin
Published: October 2019

Background

Little is known about changes in socioeconomic disparities in noninsurance and care unaffordability among nonelderly cancer survivors following the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

Methods

Cancer survivors aged 18–64 years nationwide were identified from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. Trend and difference-in-differences analyses were conducted to examine changes in percent uninsured and percent reporting care unaffordability pre–(2011 to 2013) and post–(2014 to 2017) ACA Medicaid expansion, by sociodemographic factors.

Results

A total of 118 631 cancer survivors were identified from Medicaid expansion (n = 72 124) and nonexpansion (n = 46 507) states. Following the ACA, percent uninsured and percent reporting care unaffordability decreased nationwide. Medicaid expansion was associated with a 1.8 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.1 to 3.5) percentage points (ppt) net decrease in noninsurance and a 2.9 (95% CI = 0.7 to 5.1) ppt net decrease in care unaffordability. In stratified analyses by sociodemographic factors, substantial decreases were observed in female survivors, those with low or medium household incomes, the unemployed, and survivors with multiple comorbidities. However, we observed slightly increased percentages in reporting noninsurance (ppt = 1.7; 95% CI = −1.2 to 4.5) and care unaffordability (ppt = 3.1, 95% CI = −0.4 to 6.5) in nonexpansion states between 2016 and 2017, translating to 67 163 and 124 160 survivors, respectively.

Conclusion

We observed reductions in disparities by sociodemographic factors in noninsurance and care unaffordability among nonelderly cancer survivors following the ACA, with largest decreases in women, those with low or medium income, multiple comorbid conditions, the unemployed, and those residing in Medicaid expansion states. However, the uptick of 82 750 uninsured survivors in 2017, mainly from nonexpansion states, is concerning. Ongoing monitoring of the effects of the ACA is warranted, especially in evaluating health outcomes.
Social Media Engagement With Strategy- and Issue-Framed Political News
Authors: Stroud Natalie Jomini , Muddiman Ashley
Published: October 2019

Issue and strategy frames, oft-used ways of conveying political news, affect people’s political beliefs and attitudes, with strategic news frames producing greater cynicism and distrust than issue frames. Although some past research suggests that audiences prefer strategically framed news, it is not clear whether the public gravitates toward issue or strategy frames on social media. We partnered with a national news organization to conduct 48 tests of whether people more frequently clicked on, commented on, or reacted to strategy- or issue-based news. On Facebook, people were randomly shown different versions of posts about a news article, resulting in 967,260 impressions. Using meta-analytic techniques, we found significant heterogeneity across the tests. Overall, however, strategy-based news yielded more clicks, whereas issue-based news yielded more comments and reactions. The results were not moderated by whether the test mentioned a salient issue or the number of days until the election.
Career Satisfaction of Military Medical Officers
Authors: Song Kaoru H , Nguyen Dana R , Dietrich Erich J , Powers John E , Barrett John P
Published: October 2019

Introduction

Having a mentor is associated with higher job satisfaction among U.S. physicians. The objective of this study was to assess satisfaction among military medical officers and to assess if mentorship and job satisfaction are associated with intention to continue military service.

Materials and Methods

This is a cross-sectional study using voluntary, anonymous data from 2018 Uniformed Services Academy of Family Physicians Annual Meeting registered attendees who completed an online Omnibus Survey. Outcome measures: satisfaction with work hours and workload; voice in organizational decision-making; amount of teaching, research, and other administrative tasks; being and having a mentor; and likelihood of remaining in the military beyond current service obligation. Statistical analysis: descriptive statistics, chi-square, and logistic regression.

Results

There was a 66% response rate (310/568) among registered attendees. Respondents reported being satisfied with work hours-workload (53.3%), voice in organizational decision-making (47.4%), and amount of teaching-research-other administrative tasks (55.7%). About 64.6% of respondents reported being a mentor, and 80.7% reported having a mentor. About 53.4% reported being likely/very likely to continue military service beyond their current service obligation. Adjustment for demographic and occupational factors, with significance defined as P ≤ 0.05, revealed that higher percent time in clinical care was negatively associated with satisfaction with voice in organizational decision-making; being a mentor and working in an academic practice setting were positively associated with satisfaction in amount of time with teaching, research, and administrative tasks; and having a mentor was the only factor associated with being likely/very likely to continue military service beyond current service obligation (odd ratio 3.9, 95% confidence interval 1.2–12.1).

Conclusions

Having a mentor was the only factor associated with intention to remain in the military among 2018 Uniformed Services Academy of Family Physicians Omnibus Survey respondents. These results support enhancing mentorship among military medical officers.
Occupational Therapy Practice Patterns for Military Service Members With Upper Limb Amputation
Authors: Cancio Jill M , Orr Annemarie , Eskridge Susan , Shannon Kaeley , Mazzone Brittney , Farrokhi Shawn
Published: October 2019

Introduction

Military Service Members (SMs) with upper limb (UL) amputation have unrestricted access to occupational therapy (OT) services. Identifying OT interventions used based on clinical rationale and patient needs can provide insight toward developing best practice guidelines. The purpose of this retrospective observational study was to identify preferred OT practice patterns for U.S. Military SMs treated in Military Treatment Facilities, who have sustained various levels of deployment-related UL amputation.

Methods

The study sample was ascertained from the Expeditionary Medical Encounter Database housed at the Naval Health Research Center in San Diego, California. SMs with an immediate (within 24 hours of injury) deployment-related unilateral major UL amputation (partial hand and proximal), occurring between January 2001 and December 2014 were identified. SMs with concurrent major lower limb amputation (partial foot and proximal) were excluded. Frequency of OT outpatient visits and units of treatment received were quantified in 3-month increments during the first year after amputation and compared for individuals with above elbow (at or proximal to elbow joint) and below elbow (distal to the elbow joint including partial hand) amputation. This study was approved by the Naval Health Research Center Institutional Review Board.

Results

A total of 29,878 encounters occurred during first year after amputation in 148 patients, who had sustained UL loss during the first year after amputation. Active treatments were included in 79.2% of all treatments, followed by manual therapy (13.7%) and modalities (13.5%). A higher number of OT encounters occurred in the above elbow amputation group—the first year of treatment with significantly higher mean number of treatments months 4 to12. A similar pattern in OT encounters was observed in the active therapy category with significantly higher mean number of treatments occurring in above elbow limb loss group in months 10 to 12.

Conclusion

Findings of the current study suggest SMs with UL amputation utilize OT services often within the first year after injury and those who have sustained amputation proximal to the elbow received more therapy visits than their below elbow counterparts during months 4 to 12. Prosthetic training, therapeutic activities, and therapeutic exercise can be expected to be the highest used active interventions in the first year following UL amputation. Further research is needed to determine details on types and frequency of therapy utilization and recommended therapy strategies.
Aortic Mycetoma From Disseminated Cunninghamella Species Infection
Authors: Schapira Rebecca S , Skabelund Andrew J , Upton Richard J , Hua Tho , Xia Hui , Morris Michael J
Published: October 2019

Cunninghamella species are aggressive, opportunistic fungi that are becoming more commonly reported in immunocompromised patients. We present a case of disseminated Cunninghamella sp. infection after stem cell transplant for refractory multiple myeloma with formation of bilateral pleural effusions and an aortic mycetoma. PCR analysis of the patient’s aortic mycetoma demonstrated a 90% match to Cunninghamella spp. This case illustrates the potential for severe opportunistic fungal infections in immunocompromised patients that can mimic other disease processes and result in an accelerated demise.
Improving Cancer Drug Discovery by Studying Cancer across the Tree of Life
Authors: Somarelli Jason A , Boddy Amy M , Gardner Heather L , DeWitt Suzanne Bartholf , Tuohy Joanne , Megquier Kate , Sheth Maya U , Hsu Shiaowen David , Thorne Jeffrey L , London Cheryl A , Eward William C
Published: October 2019

Despite a considerable expenditure of time and resources and significant advances in experimental models of disease, cancer research continues to suffer from extremely low success rates in translating preclinical discoveries into clinical practice. The continued failure of cancer drug development, particularly late in the course of human testing, not only impacts patient outcomes, but also drives up the cost for those therapies that do succeed. It is clear that a paradigm shift is necessary if improvements in this process are to occur. One promising direction for increasing translational success is comparative oncology—the study of cancer across species, often involving veterinary patients that develop naturally-occurring cancers. Comparative oncology leverages the power of cross-species analyses to understand the fundamental drivers of cancer protective mechanisms, as well as factors contributing to cancer initiation and progression. Clinical trials in veterinary patients with cancer provide an opportunity to evaluate novel therapeutics in a setting that recapitulates many of the key features of human cancers, including genomic aberrations that underly tumor development, response and resistance to treatment, and the presence of comorbidities that can affect outcomes. With a concerted effort from basic scientists, human physicians and veterinarians, comparative oncology has the potential to enhance the cost-effectiveness and efficiency of pipelines for cancer drug discovery and other cancer treatments.
Deficiency of mitoribosomal S10 protein affects translation and splicing in Arabidopsis mitochondria
Authors: Kwasniak-Owczarek Malgorzata , Kazmierczak Urszula , Tomal Artur , Mackiewicz Pawel , Janska Hanna
Published: October 2019

The ribosome is not only a protein-making machine, but also a regulatory element in protein synthesis. This view is supported by our earlier data showing that Arabidopsis mitoribosomes altered due to the silencing of the nuclear RPS10 gene encoding mitochondrial ribosomal protein S10 differentially translate mitochondrial transcripts compared with the wild-type. Here, we used ribosome profiling to determine the contribution of transcriptional and translational control in the regulation of protein synthesis in rps10 mitochondria compared with the wild-type ones. Oxidative phosphorylation system proteins are preferentially synthesized in wild-type mitochondria but this feature is lost in the mutant. The rps10 mitoribosomes show slightly reduced translation efficiency of most respiration-related proteins and at the same time markedly more efficiently synthesize ribosomal proteins and MatR and TatC proteins. The mitoribosomes deficient in S10 protein protect shorter transcript fragments which exhibit a weaker 3-nt periodicity compared with the wild-type. The decrease in the triplet periodicity is particularly drastic for genes containing introns. Notably, splicing is considerably less effective in the mutant, indicating an unexpected link between the deficiency of S10 and mitochondrial splicing. Thus, a shortage of the mitoribosomal S10 protein has wide-ranging consequences on mitochondrial gene expression.
Practical high-performance lead-free piezoelectrics: structural flexibility beyond utilizing multiphase coexistence
Authors: Liu Qing , Zhang Yichi , Gao Jing , Zhou Zhen , Yang Dong , Lee Kai-Yang , Studer Andrew , Hinterstein Manuel , Wang Ke , Zhang Xiaowen , Li Longtu , Li Jing-Feng
Published: October 2019

Due to growing concern for the environment and human health, searching for high-performance lead-free piezoceramics has been a hot topic of scientific and industrial research. Despite the significant progress achieved toward enhancing piezoelectricity, further efforts should be devoted to the synergistic improvement of piezoelectricity and its thermal stability. This study provides new insight into these topics. A new KNN-based lead-free ceramic material is presented, which features a large piezoelectric coefficient (d33) exceeding 500 pC/N and a high Curie temperature (Tc) of  ∼200°C. The superior piezoelectric response strongly relies on the increased composition-induced structural flexibility due to lattice softening and decreased unit cell distortion. In contrast to piezoelectricity anomalies induced via polymorphic transition, this piezoelectricity enhancement is effective within a broad temperature range rather than a specific small range. In particular, a hierarchical domain architecture composed of nano-sized domains along the submicron domains was detected in this material system, which further contributes to the high piezoelectricity.
Human Impact on Historical Fluvial Sediment Dynamics in Europe
Authors: Verstraeten Gert
Published: October 2019

Rivers and floodplains are dynamic environments formed through hydrologic and geomorphic processes that are in turn governed by environmental conditions in the river catchment, such as climate, tectonics, lithology and soils, vegetation cover, and topography. At longer timescales, river landscapes are in a state of dynamic equilibrium with these controlling factors. However, over the last few thousand years, humans have become another important factor in controlling fluvial-landscape dynamics that in many regions has now overwhelmed the importance of natural controlling factors. This is in particular true for many river catchments in Europe that have a long history of human impact. Anthropogenic changes in land cover (e.g., deforestation and the rise in agriculture) have resulted in increased rates of hillslope erosion and amounts of sediment delivered to river systems. As a result, many floodplains have witnessed increased rates of aggradation. Furthermore, these changes also led to the development of typical anthropogenic fluvial landscapes. In temperate Europe, rivers often changed from anastomosing channels in wetland environments to single-thread meandering rivers with levees and overbank deposits. In Mediterranean Europe, many river valleys also became silted up, creating more-extensive, relatively flat valleys. With the increasing industrialization and urbanization of Europe since the 19th century, but also through the implementation of erosion control measures, many regions experienced a greening of the landscape and a return to less erosive land cover. Several rivers, often in mountainous environments, saw again a reduction in sediment loads and river incision and a return in fluvial style. Humans also impacted European river systems through direct interventions such as mining of river sands and gravel, damming of rivers, artificial straightening, or the hunting and later reintroduction of river-engineering animals such as the beaver. Changes in floodplain sedimentation and floodplain ecology following human impact also affected the amount of carbon sequestered and buried within European floodplains.
Textiles in the Atlantic World
Authors: Tuckett Sally
Published: October 2019

Textile history is not just about the cloth itself; it is also about how that cloth was made, who used it and how, and what these factors can tell us as researchers about wider social, cultural, economic, and political practices of the past. Whether made of animal or plant fibers; woven, knitted, or felted; plain or dyed; embroidered or printed, textiles are used on some level by all societies and cultures. This use ranges from flat textiles such as blankets or bedding to utilitarian and fashionable garments that, respectively, protect or adorn the body, as well as giving observers a visual cue by which they can judge and categorize the wearer. Within the Atlantic world specifically, textiles can tell us about the ingenuity, social hierarchy, and cultural practices of indigenous populations before, during, and after colonial expansion. They can inform us about the development of the Atlantic economy in the early modern period, and the rise of industrial textile production over domestic manufacture from the late 18th century onward. Significantly, they can also tell us about the personal skills, tastes, and circumstances of the indigenous, free, and enslaved people who made, transported, used, and interpreted these goods in and around the Atlantic world. Exploring and understanding the history of textiles therefore involves the study of craft and design, technology and industrialization, goods and consumption, and people and society. Readers will find it helpful to also consult the Oxford Bibliographies articles on “Clothing,” “Material Culture in the Atlantic World,” “Cotton,” and “Silk.”
Urban Inequality in the United States
Authors: Jackson Christina
Published: October 2019

Urban inequality is a multidisciplinary field that incorporates political economists, geographers, sociologists, anthropologists, and historians, who describe the existence of unequal opportunities in urban spaces. Inequality manifests in a growing gap between the rich and poor and the dominance of unequal opportunities and access across the urban landscape. Vulnerable communities, including the poor and racial and ethnic groups, can be the most impacted by inequality. While inequality exists everywhere, American urban inequality is traditionally understood as being more concentrated in spaces in proximity to a city’s central business district. Efforts toward privatization, increasing global investment, and urban redevelopment reflect trends in replacing social welfare with private capital, increasing the vulnerability of urban inhabitants, but also providing a glaring illustration of who is most effected. Given this, what has developed in urban spaces with cumulative racial, economic, and gendered disadvantages is a mix of cultural norms, but also survival strategies, networks, and resistance. Political economists and geographers are useful at describing how economic engines of cities influence urban policy, and in turn disproportionately negatively affect neighborhoods with less social capital. Sociologists, anthropologists, and historians are useful in recounting the specific historical processes by which segregation and deindustrialization, to name a few factors, led to the stigmatization of urban spaces. What develops are specific frames and connections to unequal spaces that result in new cultural norms and new relationships in city neighborhoods as they face transitions with increasing private development.
Hook-Up and Dating Apps
Authors: Duguay Stefanie , Ross-Nadié Élise
Published: October 2019

Hook-up apps are a relatively recent form of digitally mediated dating. They are apps—software programs configured for a specific purpose—that play a role in sociotechnical arrangements of hooking up—finding a partner for dating or sexual activity. While they are often used for a variety of purposes, from meeting friends to political campaigning, hook-up apps are generally framed or perceived as being associated with romantic and sexual relationships. Hook-up apps feature in a long lineage of analogue and digital tools that have mediated dating, from the telegraph to early online dating websites. This history is reflected in enduring moral panics about how such tools may affect society, such as whether or not they threaten the formation of long-term relationships. This history is also apparent in longstanding scholarly investigations into the nuances of how the different affordances of such technologies shape self-presentation, intimacy, communities, and social inequalities. These inquiries endure in today’s studies of hook-up apps. Digital technology has been pivotal in helping marginalized populations to find each other and, particularly, in how lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer individuals have connected through chatrooms, websites, and contemporary apps. Early hook-up apps popular with gay men, such as Grindr, ushered in the eventual proliferation of hook-up apps marketed to wider populations. Notably, hook-up apps are designed to function on mobile devices, with the smartphone’s rapid uptake enabling partner-seeking anywhere and anytime as these apps have become integrated into daily life. They rely on geolocational data, enabling users to check out prospective partners nearby, to arrange meet-ups when traveling, or to access informational resources when settling into a new country. However, their use on personal devices and the intimate nature of users’ exchanges also pose new hurdles for research methods and practices. Hook-up apps function within the information age’s broader political economy of datafication, data surveillance, and technology-driven profit-making. While they introduce new opportunities for social connection, their affordances and user practices can also re-create and reinforce existing forms of gender and racial discrimination. As apps that overlay digital and physical spaces, their use is fully enmeshed in surrounding cultural, social, political, and economic contexts. With these multiple factors in mind, this bibliography presents resources for understanding hook-up apps from perspectives largely situated within communications and cultural studies. While presented according to dominant themes, several entries address multiple aspects of hook-up apps and present a range of findings that are relevant across categories.
Alessandro Scarlatti
Authors: Fabris Dinko
Published: October 2019

Alessandro Scarlatti (b. 1660–d. 1725) was one of the most celebrated composers of his time, probably the most important opera composer in Europe around 1700. He was called “the Orpheus of our times,” and musicians such as Handel, Hasse, and Quantz traveled especially to meet him. Yet, in the early 21st century, Scarlatti is one of the lesser-performed Baroque composers, and a considerable part of his immense production is still not well known. The renown of the “Palermitano,” as he was always called after his place of birth, started before he was twenty, in Rome with his first operas, thanks to the favor of Queen Christina of Sweden. Later he was to establish relationships with important patrons—such as Ferdinando de’Medici, James III Stuart (the “Old Pretender”), and Queen Casimira of Poland; cardinals such as Pietro Ottoboni; and the Spanish viceroys of Naples—who were all in turn responsible for stages in his international career. The sign of Scarlatti’s reputation among upper society was his acceptance into the Academy of the Arcadia. He was one of only three musicians of his time admitted to this Academy, along with Corelli and Bernardo Pasquini. Whilst his operas were produced in many important theaters in Italy and abroad, he was nevertheless continuously under pressure for money, as he had a large family. He had ten children, five of whom were born in Naples, including his celebrated son Domenico. He wrote no fewer than 60 dramatic works and more than 600 chamber cantatas. The favor granted to the cantatas—a genre much in fashion and in which he was considered the most prolific of Baroque composers—depended again on his need for financial support, assured to him by a large number of music lovers. The rest of his musical compositions, even if fewer in quantity, are not less important, including oratorios, liturgical music, and a few instrumental pieces. Scarlatti could also be credited with the beginnings of the international circulation of a repertoire from Naples. For that reason, local historiography from the end of 19th century claimed Scarlatti to be the creator of the “Neapolitan School,” a concept later contested by musicologists. Although he spent most of his life in Naples, his personality can be never recognized as “pure Neapolitan”; nonetheless, he greatly influenced the generations of Neapolitan composers that followed, including Durante, Leo, Vinci, Jommelli, and others.
Ponce de León
Authors: Reigelsperger Diana
Published: October 2019

Juan Ponce de León was an important figure in the early years of the Spanish exploration and conquest of the Caribbean. He participated in the conquest of Hispaniola, earning the title of deputy governor of the province of Higüey. He then moved on to the exploration and conquest of Puerto Rico in 1508. He established yucca farms and gold mines on the island and extended Spanish authority over the Taíno there, although there were armed uprisings in 1511 and 1513. In 1511, he lost his title as governor of the island to Admiral Diego Colón, the oldest son of Cristopher Columbus. Through the patronage of King Ferdinand, Ponce de León received a license to explore and settle the island of Bimini and any unclaimed islands north of Hispaniola. In 1513, he sailed north along the east coast of Florida, eventually claiming the land for Spain and naming it La Florida. He then sailed to Spain and received a second more expansive license to settle La Florida. In 1514, he led a campaign to subdue Carib resistance on the island of Guadeloupe. Ponce de León returned to Florida in 1521. This time he attempted to build a settlement on the southwest coast of Florida, but was shot by members of the Calusa chiefdom. The colonization attempt failed and he died from his wounds in Cuba shortly thereafter. These expeditions were recorded in a number of the early Spanish chronicles. Those chroniclers mixed history, gossip, and mythology and through their works, the 1513 expedition to Florida became associated with the pursuit of a mythical fountain of youth. Ponce de León’s original logs and report of the journey have been lost and no known archival documents mention the fountain. More historically significant was his discovery of the Gulf Stream, which became a major avenue of transatlantic shipping for centuries to follow. As the founder of Spanish society in Puerto Rico, Ponce de León’s legacy has been studied as part of the island’s history. He was also the first of many Spanish explorers to attempt to conquer and settle Florida, giving him a founding place in Florida history and in the history of the Spanish borderlands in the southeastern United States.
Corporate Philanthropy
Authors: Muller Alan
Published: October 2019

Corporate philanthropy refers to the allocation of organizational resources toward social causes, in the form of money (financial support), goods (in-kind donations), or time (employee volunteering). What is understood to constitute a social cause varies. Companies may support the provision of public goods, such as offering financial support to a museum or volunteer time to clean local parks, or the alleviation of social ills such as child leukemia or bilharzia, often by allocating resources to global NGO partners like the Red Cross. Corporate philanthropy is sometimes understood as a facet of a broader “corporate social responsibility,” or CSR, whereas others challenge this notion by differentiating between corporate philanthropy’s “one-off check writing” versus more systematic forms of companies’ social engagement, such as efforts to reduce their carbon footprint.
Self-Determination Theory for Work Motivation
Authors: Chong Jane X.Y. , Gagné Marylène
Published: October 2019

Motivation is defined by Craig Pinder, in Work Motivation in Organizational Behavior (1998), as “a set of energetic forces that originates both within as well as beyond an individual’s being, to initiate work-related behavior, and to determine its form, direction, intensity, and duration.” It is at the heart of management and organizational behavior, as it plays an important role in both organizational and employee outcomes, such as organizational performance and personal well-being. Initially developed by psychologists Edward L. Deci and Richard M. Ryan, self-determination theory (SDT) has evolved gradually over the last few decades to become a leading theory of human motivation. Applied SDT research has flourished in many areas of psychology, such as education, sports, exercise and health, and, more recently, organizational psychology and management. At its core, SDT uses the classic concepts of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. However, through rigorous research into people’s reasons for engaging in different activities, SDT has evolved these concepts to propose a more meaningful multidimensional conceptualization of motivation that distinguishes between autonomous motivation and controlled motivation. Autonomous motivation is characterized by a sense of choice and volition, whereas controlled motivation is grounded in a sense of pressure and having to engage in a certain behavior. Importantly, a key proposition of SDT is that individuals have deeply evolved psychological needs for competence, autonomy, and relatedness. When these needs are satisfied at work, either through the job itself, work climate, or interactions with colleagues and managers, employees tend to have more autonomous, high-quality motivation and greater well-being. In contrast, when these psychological needs are frustrated or thwarted, employees are prompted toward more controlled forms of motivation and, subsequently, more symptoms of ill-being and diminished performance at work. Grounded in this theoretical framework, researchers have been able to examine social-contextual factors that contribute to or jeopardize employees’ quality of motivation and related outcomes. Autonomy support, leadership, work design, and compensation systems are examples of such contextual factors that have generated considerable attention in this field and are further elaborated in this article.
Rectal Microbiome Alterations Associated With Oral Human Immunodeficiency Virus Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis
Authors: Fulcher Jennifer A , Li Fan , Cook Ryan R , Zabih Sara , Louie Alexander , Okochi Hideaki , Tobin Nicole H , Gandhi Monica , Shoptaw Steven , Gorbach Pamina M , Aldrovandi Grace M
Published: October 2019

Background

Oral daily tenofovir (TFV) disoproxil fumarate/emtricitabine (TDF/FTC) for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is highly effective for HIVprevention, yet long-term effects are not fully understood. We investigated the effects of PrEP on the rectal microbiome in a cohort of men who have sex with men (MSM).

Methods

This cross-sectional analysis included HIV-negative MSM either on PrEP (n = 37) or not (n = 37) selected from an ongoing cohort using propensity score matching. Rectal swabs were used to examine microbiome composition using 16S ribosomal ribonucleic acid gene sequencing, and associations between PrEP use and microbiota abundance were examined. Hair specimens were used to quantify TFV and FTC exposure over the past 6 weeks on a subset of participants (n = 15).

Results

Pre-exposure prophylaxis use was associated with a significant increase in Streptococcus abundance (adjusted P = .015). Similar associations were identified using least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression, confirming the increase in Streptococcus and also showing increased Mitsuokella, Fusobacterium, and decreased Escherichia/Shigella. Increased Fusobacterium was significantly associated with increasing TFV exposure.

Conclusions

Oral TDF/FTC for PrEP is associated with rectal microbiome changes compared to well matched controls, specifically increased Streptococcus and Fusobacterium abundance. This study highlights the need for future investigations of the role of microbiome changes on HIV susceptibility and effectiveness of PrEP.
Rapid generation of sequence-diverse terminator libraries and their parameterization using quantitative Term-Seq
Authors: Hudson Andrew J , Wieden Hans-Joachim
Published: October 2019

Synthetic biology and the rational design and construction of biological devices require vast numbers of characterized biological parts, as well as reliable design tools to build increasingly complex, multigene architectures. Design principles for intrinsic terminators have been established; however, additional sequence-structure studies are needed to refine parameters for termination-based genetic devices. We report a rapid single-pot method to generate libraries of thousands of randomized bidirectional intrinsic terminators and a modified quantitative Term-Seq (qTerm-Seq) method to simultaneously identify terminator sequences and measure their termination efficiencies (TEs). Using qTerm-Seq, we characterize hundreds of additional strong terminators (TE > 90%) with some terminators reducing transcription read-through by up to 1000-fold in Escherichia coli. Our terminator library and qTerm-Seq pipeline constitute a flexible platform enabling identification of terminator parts that can achieve transcription termination not only over a desired range but also to investigate their sequence-structure features, including for specific genetic and application contexts beyond the common in vivo systems such as E. coli.
Delivery of a smoking cessation induction intervention via virtual reality headset during a dental cleaning
Authors: Borrelli Belinda , Rueras Nicolle , Jurasic Marianne
Published: October 2019

Smokers who are not motivated to quit are less likely to seek help or utilize medication for cessation, so it is critical to proactively reach them to motivate cessation. This study aims to determine feasibility and satisfaction of a smoking cessation induction intervention via a virtual reality (VR) headset worn during dental cleaning. Participants (n = 23) were adult dental patients who were current smokers. During their teeth cleaning, participants wore a VR headset to watch two 5-min smoking cessation videos, one targeted to smokers who are not ready to quit and one for those who are ready to quit. Questionnaires were administered pre- and postappointment, and 1 month later. Interviews were conducted immediately after the appointment. Implementation did not interfere with care delivery, including instrument manipulation and patient–provider communication. On a 1–7 scale, participants indicated satisfaction with the experience (M = 5.4, SD = 1.3), and a positive impact on their willingness to quit (15 of 22 rated ≥ 6) and their knowledge of the effects of smoking on their health (22 of 23 rated as ≥ 6). Participants were highly satisfied with the video content (M = 4.3; 1–5 scale). When prompted, 82.6% were able to recall three things from the video. One month later, four to five participants reported that they quit smoking (varied by measure) and 14 of 23 intentionally quit smoking ≥ 24 hr. Among nonquitters, motivation to quit increased from baseline to follow up. This study may help guide the integration of virtual reality headset use in the dental setting to promote smoking cessation regardless of motivation to quit.
Contact Sensitization in Patients with Chronic Leg Ulcers: Results of a 5-Year Retrospective Analysis
Authors: Raudonis Tadas , Vankeviciute Rasa Aurelija , Lideikaite Andre , Grigaityte Anna Greta , Grigaitiene Jurate
Published: October 2019

OBJECTIVES

To determine the frequency of contact sensitization among patients with chronic leg ulcers; to identify the most common allergens; and to examine possible relationships to ulcer duration, itching, exudate, and leg eczema.

METHODS

Researchers conducted a 5-year retrospective analysis of 145 patients diagnosed with chronic leg ulcers who underwent skin patch testing with S-1000, LU-1000, and the commonly used dressing and antiseptic series.

RESULTS

Investigators included 88 females (60.7%) aged 64 ± 15.1 years and 57 males (39.3%) aged 61 ± 16.4 years. Of these, 62.8% (n = 91) of patients were sensitized to at least one substance (2.6 ± 1.4 allergens on average). The most common allergens were benzalkonium chloride (18.6% [n = 27]), balsam of Peru (17.9% [n = 26]), and povidone-iodine 10% (17.2% [n = 25]). Finally, 40% (n = 58) of patients presented with pruritus around the ulcer, which was strongly associated with a positive patch test reaction (74.1% [n = 43] vs 55.2% [n = 48];P= .021) and polysensitization (3.5 sensitivities [95% confidence interval, 2.4–4.6] vs 2 [95% confidence interval, 1.2–2.8]).

CONCLUSIONS

Contact sensitization is very common in patients with chronic leg ulcers, and pruritus around the ulcer is associated with contact allergy as well as polysensitization.
Cochlear Enhancement May Precede Cochlear Obliteration After Vestibular Schwannoma Excision
Authors: Erbele Isaac D. , Miller Laura S. , Mankekar Gauri , Morel Christian E. , Anderson Dwayne T. , Son Leslie S. , Arriaga Moises A.
Published: October 2019

Objective:

Cochlear obliteration after vestibular schwannoma excision has been noted, with implications on cochlear implantation. Early postoperative cochlear enhancement with gadolinium on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has also been observed. Timing of enhancement and association with obliteration is described here.

Study Design:

Retrospective case review.

Setting:

Tertiary referral center, ambulatory.

Patients:

Patients receiving vestibular schwannoma excision surgery by the senior author performed at one institution between January 2015 and July 2017 with postoperative MRIs

Intervention:

Diagnostic.

Main Outcome Measure(s):

The imaging characteristics on postoperative MRIs examined were loss of fluid signal on postoperative T2 images and cochlear enhancement on gadolinium enhanced T1 images. In the patients receiving labyrinthine sparing procedures, presence of postoperative hearing was evaluated.

Results:

Of the 42 patients evaluated, 24 received the translabyrinthine approach and 18 received a labyrinth sparing surgery. Twenty-nine had evidence of cochlear enhancement on T1 with gadolinium contrast, and 27 had evidence of cochlear obliteration on T2 images. The odds ratio of patients with cochlear enhancement having obliteration was 30.0:1 (p < 0.0001). Intense cochlear enhancement (n = 21) appeared a median of 163 days after surgery, and complete or near complete obliteration (n = 18) appeared a median of 480 days after surgery, a statistically significant difference (p < 0.001). Within the labyrinth sparing group, there was no statistically significant association between hearing loss and cochlear obliteration or enhancement.

Conclusions:

Cochlear enhancement is correlated with cochlear obliteration and may precede it.
Hemodynamic Changes in the Sigmoid Sinus of Patients With Pulsatile Tinnitus Induced by Sigmoid Sinus Wall Anomalies
Authors: Liu Zhaohui , He Xueying , Du Runshuang , Wang Guopeng , Gong Shusheng , Wang Zhenchang
Published: October 2019

Objective:

This study is to investigate the hemodynamic changes of pulsatile tinnitus (PT) patients induced by sigmoid sinus wall anomalies (SSWA).

Study Design:

Prospective study.

Setting:

Tertiary referral university hospital.

Patients:

Fifteen unilateral PT patients with SSWA identified on computed tomography images and surgery and 15 age-, sex-, and body mass index-matched healthy volunteers underwent velocity-encoded, cine magnetic resonance imaging.

Intervention:

Hemodynamic data in sigmoid sinus were obtained from velocity-encoded, cine magnetic resonance imaging, and compared between PT patients and controls.

Main Outcome Measures:

Heart rate was recorded. Cross-sectional area (CSA), peak positive velocity (PPV), average positive flow volume per beat (APFV/beat), average flow volume per beat (AFV/beat), peak negative velocity (PNV), and average negative flow volume per beat (ANFV/beat) were measured. Average flow volume per minute (AFV/min), average positive flow volume per minute (APFV/min), average negative flow volume per minute (ANFV/min), average positive velocity (APV), average negative velocity (ANV), and regurgitation fraction (RF) were calculated.

Results:

APV at PT side of patients was 13.4 ± 3.3 cm/s, which was significantly slower than that at corresponding side of controls (15.8 ± 2.6 cm/s). PNV and RF at PT side of patients were 21.0 ± 15.4 cm/s and 2.4% respectively, which were significantly higher than those values at corresponding side of controls (both of them were 0). HR, CSA, PPV, APFV/beat, APFV/min, AFV/beat, AFV/min, ANV, ANFV/beat, and ANFV/min were 69.8 ± 9.4 beat/min, 48.4 ± 17 mm2, 31.4 ± 5.9 cm/s, 5.4 ± 1.8 ml/beat, 373.9 ± 117.7 ml/min, 5.1 ± 2.0 ml/beat, 352.0 ± 134.6 ml/min, 2 (0–4.9) cm/s, 1 (0–2.7) ml/beat, and 4.1 (0–141.3) ml/min at PT side of patients, and 67.4 ± 7.8 beat/min, 38.2 ± 18 mm2, 29.9 ± 3.9 cm/s, 5.3 ± 2.0 ml/beat, 350.3 ± 125.3 ml/min, 5.1 ± 1.9 ml/beat, 340.5 ± 117.9 ml/min, 0 (0–2.1) cm/s, 0 (0–0.8) ml/beat, and 0 (0–55.4) ml/min at corresponding side of controls. These hemodynamics were not significantly different between groups.

Conclusion:

APV, PNV, and RF changes take place in SSWA patients, which may be associated with the occurrence of PT and have the potential value to improve accurate etiological diagnosis and predict treatment success.