bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Metabolovigilance: Associating Drug Metabolites with Adverse Drug Reactions
Authors: Tan Henry , Reed Scott M.
Published: January 2022

The Metabolovigilance database (https://pharmacogenomics.clas.ucdenver.edu/pharmacogenomics/side‐effect/) is a single repository of information on over 15,920 pharmaceuticals and the compounds expected to result from metabolism of these drugs. Metabolovigilance functions as both a web server, providing data directly to users and as a web application, applying user inputs to create logic statements that curate the data presented or downloaded. Using this tool, it is easy to collect information on drugs, their side effects, and the metabolites associated with specific side effects. Information on these compounds can be sorted based on physical properties of the drugs and their metabolites. All of this information can be viewed, sorted, and downloaded for use in other applications. This open‐access tool will facilitate molecular studies on the causes of adverse drug reactions and is well suited to integrate with genomic data furthering the goals of personalized medicine.
The senile hand: Age effects on intrinsic hand muscle CMAP amplitudes influence split‐hand index calculations
Authors: Pechirra Gonçalo , Swash Michael , de Carvalho Mamede
Published: January 2022

Introduction/Aims

Age can affect hand muscles non‐uniformly. We investigated the influence of age on the compound muscle action potential (CMAP) amplitude of the hand muscles and the derived split‐hand index (SHI).

Methods

We studied 244 subjects investigated for suspected myasthenia gravis but without neuromuscular disorders. Abductor pollicis brevis (APB), first dorsal interosseous (FDI), and abductor digiti minimi (ADM) CMAPs were obtained by supramaximal stimulation at the wrist, recording with surface electrodes while checking the best recording site. We applied Tukey's HSD and Kruskal–Wallis one‐way analysis of variance for comparing age groups defined by median and interquantile ranges (IQRs). Spearman's rank correlation coefficient and linear regression were used for testing age‐dependence of measurements.

Results

Median age was 61.5 y (first IQR, 44.5; third IQR, 72.0; range 18–89). Age and neurophysiological measurements were similar between genders. APBCMAP, FDICMAP, ADMCMAP, and SHI were correlated with age (P < .001). Median and cutoff values were significantly different between age groups. APBCMAP, FDICMAP, and ADMCMAP decreased by 0.8/0.7/0.3 mV/y, respectively, and SHI decreased 0.15/y.

Discussion

The CMAP amplitudes of hand muscles and derived SHI were strongly age‐dependent, although this effect was less in ADM. This represents a physiological phenomenon. Future studies using the SHI should consider age effects.
Effect of malnutrition on the postoperative outcomes of patients undergoing pancreatectomy for pancreatic cancer: Propensity score–matched analysis of 2011–2017 US hospitals
Authors: Lee David Uihwan , Hastie David Jeffrey , Fan Gregory Hongyuan , Addonizio Elyse Ann , Lee Ki Jung , Han John , Karagozian Raffi
Published: January 2022

Background

Patients with pancreatic cancer suffer from metabolic dysregulation, which can manifest in clinical malnutrition. Because a portion of these patients require cancer‐resective surgery, we evaluate the impact of malnutrition in patients undergoing pancreatic resection using a national database.

Methods

The 2011–2017 National Inpatient Sample was used to isolate cases of pancreatic resection (partial/total pancreatectomy and radical pancreaticoduodenectomy), which were stratified using malnutrition. A 1:1 nearest‐neighbor propensity‐score matching was applied to match the controls to the malnutrition cohort. End points include mortality, length of stay (LOS), hospitalization costs, and postoperative complications.

Results

Following the match, there were 2108 with malnutrition and an equal number without; from this, those with malnutrition had higher mortality (4.7% vs 3.04%; P = 0.007; odds ratio [OR], 1.57; 95% CI, 1.14–2.17), longer LOS, and higher costs. Regarding complications, malnourished patients had higher bleeding (5.41% vs 2.99%; P < 0.001; OR, 1.86; 95% CI, 1.36–2.54), wound complications (3.75% vs 1.57%; P < 0.001; OR, 2.45; 95% CI, 1.62–3.69), infection (7.83% vs 3.13%; P < 0.001; OR, 2.63; 95% CI, 1.96–3.52), and respiratory failure (7.45% vs 3.56%; P < 0.001; OR, 2.18; 95% CI, 1.65–2.89). In multivariate analyses, those with malnutrition had higher mortality (P = 0.008; adjust OR, 1.55; 95% CI, 1.12–2.14).

Conclusion

Those with malnutrition had higher mortality and complications following pancreatic resection; given these findings, it is important that preoperative nutrition therapy is provided to minimize the surgical risks.
School‐based ADHD services: Perspectives from racially and ethnically minoritized students
Authors: Golson Megan E. , Roanhorse Tyus T. , McClain Maryellen B. , Galliher Renee V. , Domenech Rodríguez Melanie M.
Published: January 2022

Attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can impact students' academic, social, and behavioral outcomes. To improve student outcomes, schools regularly identify students with ADHD and develop relevant educational programming. However, the extant research that supports these practices underrepresents racially and ethnically minoritized (REM) students. To address this gap, this study investigates the experiences of REM students (N = 35) receiving school‐based ADHD services. The average participant age was 15.8 years, and the majority of participants were male (57.1%). Results from this phenomenological investigation revealed 5 themes and 14 subthemes describing REM students' thoughts, feelings, and experiences of ADHD assessment, intervention, and parent involvement in these processes. These findings suggest REM adolescent students should be informed decision‐makers in their school‐based services, though they are often left out of the planning process. Additionally, student reports support the involvement of parents and interdisciplinary community professionals in school‐based services.
Analysis of a large prostate cancer family identifies novel and recurrent gene fusion events providing evidence for inherited predisposition
Authors: Raspin Kelsie , O'Malley Dannielle E. , Marthick James R. , Donovan Shaun , Malley Roslyn C. , Banks Annette , Redwig Frank , Skala Marketa , Dickinson Joanne L , FitzGerald Liesel M.
Published: January 2022

There is strong interest in the characterisation of gene fusions and their use to enhance clinical practices in prostate cancer (PrCa). Significantly, ~50% of prostate tumours harbour a gene fusion. Inherited factors are thought to predispose to these events but, to date, only one study has investigated gene fusions in a familial context. Here, we examined the prevalence and diversity of gene fusions in 14 tumours from a single large PrCa family, PcTas9, using the TruSight® RNA Fusion Panel and Sanger sequencing validation. These fusions were then explored in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) PrCa data set (n = 494). Overall, 64.3% of PcTas9 tumours harboured a gene fusion, including known erythroblast transformation‐specific (ETS) fusions involving ERG and ETV1, and two novel gene fusions, C19orf48:ETV4 and RYBP:FOXP1. Although 3′ ETS genes were overexpressed in PcTas9 and TCGA tumour samples, 3′ fusion of FOXP1 did not appear to alter its expression. In addition, PcTas9 fusion carriers were more likely to have lower‐grade disease than noncarriers (p = 0.02). Likewise, TCGA tumours with high‐grade disease were less likely to harbour fusions (p = 0.03). Our study further implicates an inherited predisposition to PrCa gene fusion events, which are associated with less aggressive tumours. This knowledge could lead to clinical strategies to predict men at risk for fusion‐positive PrCa and, thus, identify patients who are more or less at risk of aggressive disease and/or responsive to particular therapies.
Gas pipeline safety management system based on neural network
Authors: Mujtaba Syed Muhammad , Lemma Tamiru Alemu , Vandrangi Seshu Kumar
Published: January 2022

The risk of leakage poses a grave threat to natural gas pipeline safety. The high compressibility of gases combined with unsteady boundary conditions makes detecting leaks in pipelines a challenging endeavor. To date, in the literature, only a limited number of studies have focused on leak detection and diagnostics in gas mixture pipelines. The present study provides a system for detecting, locating, and estimating the size of small gas leaks from a compressible and dynamic natural gas flow in pipelines with improved accuracy. As a case study, a long natural gas pipeline of 80 km is simulated with leak sizes of 0%, 2%, and 5%. The safety system is developed using mass flow rate, temperature, and pressure measurements. Six classes for faulty cases and one class for no fault case were considered for the study. A shallow neural network classifier (SNNC) is trained to identify a specific fault class. The SNNC is based on a two‐layered network with 20 and 7 neurons. An input vector of 15 variables is provided to the system, and the output is one of the seven possible classes. Leakage as low as 2% at various locations are correctly diagnosed with more than 99% correct classification rate.
Weed pressure determines the chemical profile of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and its allelochemicals potential
Authors: Hussain M Iftikhar , Vieites‐Álvarez Yedra , Otero Paz , Prieto Miguel A , Simal‐Gandara Jesus , Reigosa Manuel J , Sánchez‐Moreiras Adela M
Published: January 2022

BACKGROUND

Common purslane (Portulaca oleracea) and annual ryegrass (Lolium rigidum) are important infesting weeds of field crops. Herbicides are mostly used for weed suppression, while their environmental toxicity and resistance in weeds against them demand considering alternative options, such as the use of allelopathic crops for weed management. Wheat is an important allelopathic crop and present research focused on the identification and quantification of benzoxazinoids (BXZs) and polyphenols (phenolic acids and flavonoids) of the wheat accession ‘Ursita’ and to screen its allelopathic impact on P. oleracea and Lolium rigidum through equal‐compartment‐agar (ECA) method.

RESULTS

Weed germination, radicle length, biomass and photosynthetic pigments were altered following co‐growth of weeds with Ursita for 10‐day. Root exudates from Ursita reduced (29–60%) the seedling growth and photosynthetic pigments of Lolium rigidum depending on co‐culture conditions of planting density. Weed pressure caused significant increase in the production of phenolic acids (vanillic, ferulic, syringic and p‐coumaric acids) and root exudation of BXZs, in particular benzoxazolin‐2‐one (BOA), 2‐hydroxy‐7‐methoxy‐1,4‐benzoxazin‐3‐one (HMBOA), 2‐hydroxy‐1,4‐benzoxazin3‐one (HBOA) and 2,4‐dihydroxy‐1,4‐benzoxazin‐3‐one (DIBOA) in wheat tissues (shoots, roots) and exudate in root rhizosphere agar medium in response to co‐cultivation with Lolium rigidum and P. oleracea, depending on weed/crop density.

CONCLUSION

The work revealed that Ursita is allelopathic in nature and can be used in breeding programs to enhance its allelopathic activity. Meanwhile, there are opportunities to explore allelopathic effect of wheat cultivars to control P. oleracea and Lolium rigidum under field conditions. © 2022 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.
Fear effects on bank voles (Rodentia: Arvicolinae): testing for repellent candidates from predator volatiles
Authors: Villalobos Adrian , Schlyter Fredrik , Birgersson Göran , Koteja Paweł , Löf Magnus
Published: January 2022

BACKGROUND

Arvicolinae rodents are known pests causing damage to both agricultural and forest crops. Today, rodenticides for rodent control are widely discouraged owing to their negative effects on the environment. Rodents are the main prey for several predators, and their complex olfactory system allows them to identify risks of predation. Therefore, the potential use of predators' scents as repellents has gained interest as an ecologically based rodent control method. In a two‐choice experiment, we investigated the potential repellent effects of five synthetic predator compounds: 2‐phenylethylamine (2‐PEA), 2‐propylthietane (2‐PT), indole, heptanal and 2,5‐dihydro‐2,4,5‐trimethylthiazoline (TMT), at 1% and 5% doses, using the bank vole (Myodes glareolus) as a rodent model.

RESULTS

The compound 2‐PEA reduced both the food contacts and the time spent by voles in the treatment arm compared to the control arm. Likewise, 2‐PT‐treated arms reduced the food contacts, and the voles spent less time there, although this latter difference was not significant. Indole also showed a tendency to reduce the time spent at the treatment arm; however, this result was not significant. Unexpectedly, TMT had the reverse effect in showing attractive properties, possibly due to odor cues from differently sized predators and intraguild predation in nature. We found no dose‐related effects for any compounds tested.

CONCLUSION

Our results suggest that the 2‐PEA and 2‐PT are both effective odor stimuli for triggering reduced food contacts and area avoidance, and they may be good repellent candidates. We suggest further testing of 2‐PEA and 2‐PT in field experiments to further determine their dose‐efficiency as repellents against rodents in more natural environments. © 2022 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.
Boom sprayer optimizations for bed‐grown carrots at different growth stages based on spray distribution and droplet characteristics
Authors: Zwertvaegher Ingrid , Lamare Aude , Douzals Jean‐Paul , Balsari Paolo , Marucco Paolo , Grella Marco , Caffini Amedeo , Mylonas Nikos , Dekeyser Donald , Foqué Dieter , Nuyttens David
Published: January 2022

BACKGROUND

Pesticide losses and uneven spray distribution should be avoided as much as possible as they reduce the effectiveness of spraying and increase environmental contamination as well as costs. Within the H2020‐project OPTIMA the goal is to develop a smart sprayer for bed‐grown carrots, including optimizations such as air support and variable nozzle spacing. This paper focuses on selecting the most optimal nozzle types, spacing and height for spraying bed‐grown crops, while taking into account different target zone widths depending on the growth stage, based on spray distribution and droplet characterization measurements.

RESULTS

The results indicate that four bed spray configurations consisting of four nozzles per bed, i.e. XR8004/XR8004/XR8004/XR8004, AIUB8504/AI11004/AI11004/AIUB8504, AI8004/AI8004/AI8004/AI8004 and XR8002/XR8002/XR8002/XR8002, spraying at 300 kPa and recalculated to 12.0 km h−1 forward speed, are appropriate for spraying different target zone widths (ranging from 1.2 to 2.2 m) with high uniformity (CV < 12%) and minimal losses out of the target zone (<17%) when applied at the most appropriate nozzle spacing and height (varying from 0.35 to 0.65 m). Droplet characterization measurements showed that for the same nozzle size and spray pressure, air inclusion nozzles produced larger but slower droplets than standard flat‐fan nozzles. Air support increased the droplet velocities but had only a very limited effect on droplet size.

CONCLUSION

Laboratory spray distribution and droplet characterization measurements allowed selection of the most optimal nozzle type, spacing and height for bed spray applications in terms of reduced pesticide losses compared to conventional broadcast applications. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.
Regulatory issues and the potential use of Bayesian approaches for early drug approval systems in Japan
Authors: Hirakawa Akihiro , Sato Hiroyuki , Igeta Masataka , Fujikawa Kei , Daimon Takashi , Teramukai Satoshi
Published: January 2022

Bayesian methods quantify and interpret the therapeutic effects of investigational drugs based on probability statements of the posterior distribution. However, the basic principle underlying the use of Bayesian methods in registration trials for new drug applications in Japan has not been adequately discussed. Motivated by the two drug approval systems for early approval recently enacted in Japan, we present our perspectives on the application of the Bayesian approach in registration trials in Japan. These are based on discussions among academic, industry, and regulatory experts at invited workshops. Based on the aforementioned early approval systems, we discuss putative common regulatory issues related to the use of the Bayesian approach and introduce instances of clinical trials in which the Bayesian approach is expected to be used. This article provides a well‐defined premise for the discussion between industry and regulatory agencies on the use of Bayesian approaches for early drug approval in Japan.
Chitosan active coating on paperboard surface forming an anti‐insect grain‐based food packaging
Authors: de Fátima Silva Mariangela , Maciel Vinicius Borges Vieira , Noletto Ana Paula Reis , Venturini Anna Cecilia , de Carvalho Rosemary Aparecida , Yoshida Cristiana Maria Pedroso
Published: January 2022

In the food chain, the packaging is an intermediary product between the food industry and consumers. It represents a critical step in food quality preservation and the ultimate protection against insect pests. Insects may infest grain‐based food products during their packed life. Active packaging systems involve intentional interaction with food or its surroundings, and a few studies have been focused on anti‐insect packaging materials for food. The aim of this work was to develop a sustainable and active packaging material based on chitosan coating on paperboard surface incorporating lemongrass essential oil with potential action against weevil infestation in cereal‐based food packed products. The innovation is the eco‐friendly packaging development by applying natural and biodegradable compounds to prevent stored product insect infestation in the grain‐based product. The effects of chitosan and lemongrass essential oil (LG) concentrations and the number of coating layers were studied. The active packaging material was anti‐insect efficient against adult weevils in wheat grain and pasta package. The active coating reduced the air and water vapour transmission rate, and water absorption capacity improved the fat barrier while maintaining a microbial impermeability. The proposed active packaging material presented a potential application to extend the shelf life of grain‐based food products against weevil infestation.
Reliability analysis of fatigue data using non‐probabilistic convex modelling approach
Authors: Du Weiqi , Luo Yuanxin
Published: January 2022

Life scatter should be estimated when performing fatigue reliability analysis for a structure. Probabilistic approaches require a large amount of statistical information, which is usually unrealistic because of the test condition constraints. In this study, a non‐probabilistic convex modelling approach was proposed for estimating E‐N scatter. A random grouping method is employed to enlarge the sample size for uncertainty quantification. The limited experimental data of AISI H11 was used for E‐N scatter estimation. The results show that non‐probabilistic convex modelling approach is more competitive in practical engineering application, especially for high‐reliability based optimization design.
Robotic system for top to bottom MRgFUS therapy of multiple cancer types
Authors: Antoniou Anastasia , Giannakou Marinos , Evripidou Nikolas , Stratis Stylianos , Pichardo Samuel , Damianou Christakis
Published: January 2022

Background

A robotic system for Magnetic Resonance guided Focussed Ultrasound (MRgFUS) therapy of tumours in the breast, bone, thyroid, and abdomen was developed.

Methods

A special C‐shaped structure was designed to be attached to the table of conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems carrying 4 computer‐controlled motion stages dedicated to positioning a 2.75 MHz spherically focussed transducer relative to a patient placed in the supine position. The developed system was evaluated for its MRI compatibility and heating abilities in agar‐based phantoms and freshly excised tissue.

Results

Compatibility of the system with a clinical high‐field MRI scanner was demonstrated. FUS heating in the phantom was successfully monitored by magnetic resonance thermometry without any evidence of magnetically induced phenomena. Cigar‐shaped discrete lesions and well‐defined areas of overlapping lesions were inflicted in excised tissue by robotic movement along grid patterns.

Conclusions

The developed MRgFUS robotic system was proven safe and efficient by ex‐vivo feasibility studies.
Event‐triggered finite‐time control for a class of switched nonlinear systems
Authors: Yang Tingting , Kang Haobo , Ma Hongjun
Published: January 2022

This work addresses the event‐triggered finite‐time control problem for a class of uncertain switched nonlinear systems with arbitrary switchings, whose powers are positive odd rational numbers. The key difference from the results of similar problems is that the systems considered in this article are more general, which contains a special case when the powers are equal to 1, and the powers have switching signals. It is well known that such nonlinear systems have challenges because of the uncontrollability in the linearization process and the backstepping technique that successfully developed for low‐order systems fail to work. To tackle this issue, combining the backstepping method, event‐triggered strategy with adding one power integrator technique, an event‐triggered control scheme is developed to make the controlled systems be globally finite‐time stable. Besides, the Zeno‐free behavior is proved to verify the feasibility of the proposed event‐triggered mechanism. Finally, simulation results are given to validate the effectiveness of the developed control strategy.
Dwell‐time‐based control synthesis of switched positive systems with all unstabilizable subsystems
Authors: An Shuang , Ma Ruicheng , Fu Jun
Published: January 2022

This article investigates the robust exponential stabilization of a class of switched positive systems with uncertainties by co‐designing controllers for subsystems and dwell time switching strategy. The uncertainties refer to interval uncertainties. One of the distinguishing features is that none of the forced individual subsystems is assumed to be stabilized. The other feature is that the stabilization for the unforced switched system can not be solvable by designing dwell time switching signal. First, for switched positive systems without uncertainties, a type of multiple time‐varying co‐positive Lyapunov functions is used, and the computable sufficient conditions on the state feedback controller for each subsystem are derived in the framework of dwell time strategy. Moreover, the exponential stabilization problem is solved by confining the lower and upper bounds of the dwell time, restricting the upper bound of derivative of considered Lyapunov function of the active subsystem, and decreasing the Lyapunov function values at successive switching instants of the overall switched system. Then, the results are extended to the robust exponential stabilization case for switched positive systems with uncertainties, and sufficient conditions are given in the same framework of the dwell time for that of the forced switched systems by further designing state feedback controllers. Finally, illustration examples are given to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed methods.
Root estimation in Galton–Watson trees
Authors: Brandenberger Anna M. , Devroye Luc , Goh Marcel K.
Published: January 2022

Given only the free‐tree structure of a tree, the root estimation problem asks if one can guess which of the free tree's nodes is the root of the original tree. We determine the maximum‐likelihood estimator for the root of a free tree when the underlying tree is a size‐conditioned Galton–Watson tree and calculate its probability of being correct.
Weighted AutoEncoding recommender system
Authors: Zhu Shuying , Shen Weining , Qu Annie
Published: January 2022

Recommender systems are information filtering tools that seek to match customers with products or services of interest. Most of the prevalent collaborative filtering recommender systems, such as matrix factorization and AutoRec, suffer from the “cold‐start” problem, where they fail to provide meaningful recommendations for new users or new items due to informative‐missing from the training data. To address this problem, we propose a weighted AutoEncoding model to leverage information from other users or items that share similar characteristics. The proposed method provides an effective strategy for borrowing strength from user or item‐specific clustering structure as well as pairwise similarity in the training data, while achieving high computational efficiency and dimension reduction, and preserving nonlinear relationships between user preferences and item features. Simulation studies and applications to three real datasets show advantages in prediction accuracy of the proposed model compared to current state‐of‐the‐art approaches.
Quantification of the resistance modeling uncertainty of 19 alternative 2D nonlinear finite element approaches benchmarked against 101 experiments on reinforced concrete beams
Authors: de Putter Arjen , Hendriks Max A. N. , Rots Jan G. , Yang Yuguang , Engen Morten , van den Bos Ab A.
Published: January 2022

Nineteen 2D nonlinear finite element analysis (NLFEA) solution strategies were benchmarked against a wide variety of 101 experiments on reinforced concrete beams failing in bending, flexural shear, or shear compression. The relatively high number of solution strategies was motivated by the conviction that choices for the constitutive models, the finite element kinematics and equilibrium settings will interact, and must therefore be tested in conjunction. Modeling uncertainty distribution parameters are presented for the 19 solution strategies, using all beams, and using beams with and without stirrups separately. The resulting statistics are discussed against the correctness of the simulated failure modes and failure loads, revealing that rotating crack models perform well for the relatively ductile failures in beams with stirrups, while fixed crack models perform better for the more brittle failures in beams without stirrups. The tailored solution strategies that predict failure modes correctly, imply a log‐normal distribution of the modeling uncertainty with relatively low coefficients of variation. The outlook is that these estimates of the statistical properties of the modeling uncertainties could serve as a basis within safety formats.
Curcumin suppresses cell proliferation and triggers apoptosis in vemurafenib‐resistant melanoma cells by downregulating the EGFR signaling pathway
Authors: Chiu Yu‐Jen , Yang Jai‐Sing , Tsai Fuu‐Jen , Chiu Hong‐Yi , Juan Yu‐Ning , Lo Yu‐Hsiang , Chiang Jo‐Hua
Published: January 2022

Melanoma is a malignant tumor with aggressive behavior. Vemurafenib, a BRAF inhibitor, is clinically used in melanoma, but resistance to melanoma cytotoxic therapies is associated with BRAF mutations. Curcumin can effectively inhibit numerous types of cancers. However, there are no reports regarding the correlation between curcumin and vemurafenib‐resistant melanoma cells. In this study, vemurafenib‐resistant A375.S2 (A375.S2/VR) cells were established, and the functional mechanism of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), serine–threonine kinase (AKT), and the extracellular signal‐regulated kinase (ERK) signaling induced by curcumin was investigated in A375.S2/VR cells in vitro. Our results indicated that A375.S2/VR cells had a higher IC50 concentration of vemurafenib than the parental A375.S2 cells. Moreover, curcumin reduced the viability and confluence of A375.S2/VR cells. Curcumin triggered apoptosis via reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, disruption of mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm), and intrinsic signaling (caspase‐9/‐3‐dependent) pathways in A375.S2/VR cells. Curcumin‐induced apoptosis was also mediated by the EGFR signaling pathway. Combination treatment with curcumin and gefitinib (an EGFR inhibitor) synergistically potentiated the inhibitory effect of cell viability in A375.S2/VR cells. The present study provides new insights into the therapy of vemurafenib‐resistant melanoma and suggests that curcumin might be an encouraging therapeutic candidate for its drug‐resistant treatment.
Description of neurological mimics presented to the neurology service of a small animal referral hospital
Authors: Walker Paige E. , Freeman Paul , Monforte Monteiro Susana R. , Bexfield Nicholas , Harris Georgina , Radke Heidi , Alves Lisa , Vanhaesebrouck An E.
Published: January 2022

Background

Clinicians observe that cats and dogs referred to neurology services often do not have an underlying neurological disorder. There has been no analysis of the frequency or categorisation of these neurological mimics.

Methods

Retrospective study of 520 cases was carried out. Data on signalment, presenting clinical signs, neurological examination findings and final diagnosis were collected. Final diagnoses were classified as primary neurological, non‐neurological in origin but with neurological clinical manifestation, completely non‐neurological (neurological mimics) or undiagnosed. Presenting clinical signs and neurological examination results were compared between neurological mimics and primary neurological cases using Chi‐square or Fischer exact test. Relative risk (RR) was calculated for significant associations.

Results

A total of 74% were primary neurological conditions, 8% neurological mimics, 3% non‐neurological with neurological manifestation and 15% undiagnosed. An animal referred for lameness was approximately five times more likely to be diagnosed as a neurological mimic than as a primary neurological disorder (RR = 5.42, p < 0.001). Cases with a normal neurological examination were approximately 15 times more likely to be a neurological mimic (RR = 14.97, p < 0.001).

Conclusion

Thorough examination with consideration of alternative diagnoses is important when a neurological condition is suspected in an animal that presents with lameness or normal neurological examination.
Bacterial infections in cancer: A bilateral relationship
Authors: Basu Abhirup , Singh Rohini , Gupta Shalini
Published: January 2022

Bacteria share a long commensal relationship with the human body. New findings, however, continue to unravel many complexities associated with this old alliance. In the past decades, the dysbiosis of human microbiome has been linked to tumorigenesis, and more recently to spontaneous colonization of existing tumors. The topic, however, remains open for debate as the claims for causative‐prevailing dual characteristics of bacteria are mostly based on epidemiological evidence rather than robust mechanistic models. There are also no reviews linking the collective impact of bacteria in tumor microenvironments to the efficacy of cancer drugs, mechanisms of pathogen‐initiated cancer and bacterial colonization, personalized nanomedicine, nanotechnology, and antimicrobial resistance. In this review, we provide a holistic overview of the bilateral relationship between cancer and bacteria covering all these aspects. Our collated evidence from the literature does not merely categorize bacteria as cancer causative or prevailing agents, but also critically highlights the gaps in the literature where more detailed studies may be required to reach such a conclusion. Arguments are made in favor of dual drug therapies that can simultaneously co‐target bacteria and cancer cells to overcome drug resistance. Also discussed are the opportunities for leveraging the natural colonization and remission power of bacteria for cancer treatment.

This article is categorized under:

Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Nanomedicine for Infectious Disease

Nanotechnology Approaches to Biology > Nanoscale Systems in Biology

Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Emerging Technologies
Intended Ignorance: The Collapse of the I-35 W Mississippi River Bridge on 1 August 2007
Authors: Seibel Wolfgang
Published: January 2022

At 6:05 PM on 1 August 2007, the I-35 W Highway Bridge crossing the Mississippi River in Minneapolis, Minnesota, collapsed due to the failure of crucial parts of the bridge’s steel truss structure. Thirteen people died in the disaster, 145 were injured. A report of United States National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) revealed that the Minnesota Department of Transport, over a long period of time, had ignored available information about the structurally deficient status of the bridge in anticipation of ‘budget busting’ repair costs. Which resulted in a preference for less expensive patch-up measures to improve the drivability of the bridge rather than a retrofit of the fracture-critical components of the steel truss whose failure triggered the disaster of 1 August 2007.
Apostasy and Debauchery (1601–1660): Behaviour, Passive Evangelism and the East India and Levant Company Chaplains
Authors: Smith Haig Z.
Published: January 2022

This Chapter investigates an extraordinary group of company agents who have often been overlooked, but were ubiquitous in overseas corporate life; the chaplain. It provides a detailed assessment of the daily lives and responsibilities of chaplains. Moreover, it traces how they became important figures of control who policed over the spiritual and earthly lives of personnel in religiously and governmentally diverse environments of India, the Levant and Japan. This chapter examines how corporate chaplains, such as Edward Terry, Edward Pococke and Patrick Copeland, became instrumental figures in establishing corporate authority, and thereby commercial success, in this period. Furthermore, it reveals, through their published works, such as Terry’s, A Voyage to East-India, Lord’s, A display of two forraigne sects and the letters and works of Pococke, the essential role chaplains played in the corporate exchange of ideas and religious knowledge overseas. Finally, this chapter highlights how, throughout much of its existence, the LC and, for a small period, the EIC’s government, helped to inform the flexible process of how companies established corporate governance abroad and how they interacted with peoples, faiths and cultures.
The East India Company (1661–1698): Territorial Acquisition and the ‘Amsterdam of Liberty’
Authors: Smith Haig Z.
Published: January 2022

The final chapter highlights the differences in global corporate governance, providing a case study of how differing governing models could ensure corporate success rather than failure. It continues the story of the EIC’s evolving religious governance in the second half of the century. It investigates how, following the acquisition of Bombay in the 1660s, company leaders such as Strenysham Master, Gerald Aungier and Josiah Child, developed the company’s religious governance to deal with administrating over a variety of peoples and faiths. Following 1662, in the post-Braganza era of the EIC, the flexibility of the corporate form was accentuated because of its adoption of an ecumenically broad form of governance, which allowed it to establish government over not only English Protestants but also Catholics, Armenians, Hindus, Muslims and Jews. The chapter also investigates the role of passive evangelism in the EIC’s religious governance as a way to encourage conversion. In doing so, the company hoped to bring local Indians not only into the Protestant faith, but under the English government.
Beyond Influencer Credibility: The Power of Content and Parasocial Relationship on Processing Social Media Influencer Destination Marketing Campaigns
Authors: Ong Yi Xuan , Sun Tao , Ito Naoya
Published: January 2022

The power of social media influencers (SMIs) as effective endorsers for destinations and tourism products have been widely acknowledged. Despite being characterised as content generators by prior research, little has been done to examine how consumers perceive content produced by SMI, a key component of destination marketing campaigns. Moreover, parasocial relationship between SMI and the follower has been proven to enhance the persuasive impact of SMIs. Hence, this study aims to shed light on how consumers would assess the SMI and the content the SMI produced, as well as the effect of parasocial relationship on processing SMI destination marketing campaigns. Findings (N = 501) have highlighted that argument quality of SMI content has a stronger direct impact on campaign attitude, destination image and travel intention, as compared to source credibility. With the application of the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) as a framework, this study illuminates consumers’ interaction with the SMI destination marketing campaign and extends prior studies in understanding the importance of SMI content and parasocial relationship as a significant tool for future destination marketing.
Destinations and Data State-of-the-Art in Switzerland and Liechtenstein
Authors: Garbani-Nerini Elide , Marchiori Elena , Cantoni Lorenzo
Published: January 2022

This research investigates the state of the art among Switzerland (CH)’s and Liechtenstein (FL)’s destinations, intended here as Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs), when it comes to their relationship with data: what data are collected, how they are stored, analyzed and what impact they have on the destination. This study aims at bringing insights into smart tourism studies as a key aspect of the debate is how DMOs deal with data. Based on a survey performed with CH’s and FL’s DMOs and related stakeholders, results suggested that there are common conceptual nodes shared by practitioners when it comes to defining smart destinations. However, when it comes to data-related practices (data collection, storage, analysis and sharing) DMOs have very different processes in place. There are organizations that collect but do not extensively analyze data, while others are still not so keen on sharing their data with the whole destination ecosystem. Furthermore, organizations’ decision-making processes appear to be based to some extent on data, especially when it comes to (digital) marketing initiatives and campaigns, although behaviors are quite different also in this area. Destination managers might benefit from this paper as the study shows how to investigate data-related practices of an organization. This type of analysis could allow an assessment of the situation and an understanding of the direction in which the organization might move forward.
Identifying the Elements of Great Online Customer Encounters
Authors: Heinonen Johanna , Pesonen Juho
Published: January 2022

Customer service is a major factor in the success of digital marketing. This study examines the service encounters between tourists and service providers, in this case, Visit Helsinki. The goal is to understand what are the dimensions of service quality in online chat discussions between tourists and DMO personnel and what elements in these discussions support the co-creation of great customer experiences. Altogether 123 chat discussions in June 2020 were downloaded and analysed using qualitative content analysis and statistical tests. The results show that great customer experiences are the result of extensive effort from the customer service agents where they go beyond just providing a satisfactory solution for the customer. The results are managerially important for destinations and tourism businesses around the world and increase the theoretical understanding of the moment of truth concept and its different elements in online service encounters.
Window to the Destination: Tourists’ Local Experience via “Online Experiences” on Airbnb Amid the Pandemic
Authors: Zhang Junjiao , Qiu Hanqin
Published: January 2022

This study aims to explore the composition of virtual guided tour experience on Airbnb and to develop a formation process of virtual guided tour experience. A case study based on the qualitative analysis was conducted with a dataset of online reviews towards an Online Experience in Beijing, China. A three-stage process of virtual guided tour experience was concluded, including experience encounter, experience evaluation, and behavioral intention. Experience encounter describes the experience composition from four dimensions: interpretation quality, host credibility, tourist-host social contact, and peer interaction; Experience evaluation is involved with benefits mainly gained from the enhanced understanding of local culture and the satisfaction attributed by the sense of telepresence; Further, behavioral intention covers both online and offline willingness to recommend or repurchase the virtual tour, or visit the destination in person after the pandemic. Theoretical and practical implications in navigating tourism recovery were discussed.
Visualizing and Comparing Online Travel Reviews of the Great Walls: A Data Mining Approach
Authors: Ling Jin , Sorokina Nadezda
Published: January 2022

This research employs two samples of heritage sites of the Great Wall of China (Ba daling Great Wall and Mu tianyu Great Wall) and their 21000 reviews on TripAdvisor to visualize and induce feature-related comparisons. Word2vec and D3.js are applied for statistical computing and graphing Minimal Spanning Tree (MST) and ThemeRiver. The applications of MST and ThemeRiver are used to delineate outstanding features and clearer feature relationships. In terms of methodology, we applied an innovative research route to combine MST with ThemeRiver to visualize travellers’ online comments. At the same time, the visual results obtained are combined with qualitative analysis to generate valuable, intuitive summaries that can be used for reference in future research. Practically, the results disclose that although both sites are highly enjoyed by tourists, they are significantly different in terms of service, infrastructure and scenery. This article has implications for policymakers and practitioners with regard to making use of online reviews to gather authentic visitor comments on the Great Wall.
Emergence and Rapid Popularization of Paid Web-Conferencing-Application-Based Tours in Japan: An Analysis of Their Business Potential
Authors: Hori Kennichiro , Yoshida Ibuki , Suzuki Miki , Yiwen Zhu , Kurata Yohei
Published: January 2022

Following the emergence of COVID-19 pandemic, people in Japan were asked to refrain from traveling, resulting in various companies coming up with new ways of experiencing tourism. Among them, the online tourism experience of H.I.S. Co., Ltd. (HIS) drew more than 100,000 participants as of August 29, 2021. In this study, we focused on an online tour where the host goes to the site and records real time communication using a web conference application. The destinations of online tours were analyzed through text mining, and the characteristics of online tours were analyzed using Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) of topic models. The results show that the number of online tours is weakly negatively correlated with distance and time differences. From the topic model, it is evident that the guide is important in online tours. In addition, the sense of presence, communication environment, and images, which are considered to be unique topics in online tours, are also relevant to the evaluation.
New insights into the molecular mechanism of rhodopsin retinitis pigmentosa from the biochemical and functional characterization of G90V, Y102H and I307N mutations
Authors: Herrera-Hernández María Guadalupe , Razzaghi Neda , Fernandez-Gonzalez Pol , Bosch-Presegué Laia , Vila-Julià Guillem , Pérez Juan Jesús , Garriga Pere
Published: January 2022

Mutations in the photoreceptor protein rhodopsin are known as one of the leading causes of retinal degeneration in humans. Two rhodopsin mutations, Y102H and I307N, obtained in chemically mutagenized mice, are currently the subject of increased interest as relevant models for studying the process of retinal degeneration in humans. Here, we report on the biochemical and functional characterization of the structural and functional alterations of these two rhodopsin mutants and we compare them with the G90V mutant previously analyzed, as a basis for a better understanding of in vivo studies. This mechanistic knowledge is fundamental to use it for developing novel therapeutic approaches for the treatment of inherited retinal degeneration in retinitis pigmentosa. We find that Y102H and I307N mutations affect the inactive–active equilibrium of the receptor. In this regard, the mutations reduce the stability of the inactive conformation but increase the stability of the active conformation. Furthermore, the initial rate of the functional activation of transducin, by the I307N mutant is reduced, but its kinetic profile shows an unusual increase with time suggesting a profound effect on the signal transduction process. This latter effect can be associated with a change in the flexibility of helix 7 and an indirect effect of the mutation on helix 8 and the C-terminal tail of rhodopsin, whose potential role in the functional activation of the receptor has been usually underestimated. In the case of the Y102H mutant, the observed changes can be associated with conformational alterations affecting the folding of the rhodopsin intradiscal domain, and its presumed involvement in the retinal binding process by the receptor.
The basepoint-freeness threshold of a very general abelian surface
Authors: Rojas Andrés
Published: January 2022

For abelian surfaces of Picard rank 1, we perform explicit computations of the cohomological rank functions of the ideal sheaf of one point, and in particular of the basepoint-freeness threshold. Our main tool is the relation between cohomological rank functions and Bridgeland stability. In virtue of recent results of Caucci and Ito, these computations provide new information on the syzygies of polarized abelian surfaces.
Immunhistochemische Analyse einer Hypoxie-assoziierten Signatur in Melanomen mit positivem und negativem Schildwächterlymphknoten
Authors: Toberer Ferdinand , Winkler Julia K. , Haenssle Holger A. , Heinzel-Gutenbrunner Monika , Enk Alexander , Hartschuh Wolfgang , Helmbold Peter , Kutzner Heinz
Published: January 2022

Metabolische Anpassungsprozesse, vermittelt durch sog. Hypoxie-induzierbare Faktoren und deren Zielgene, spielen in zahlreichen Malignomen eine wichtige Rolle. Rasch wachsende Tumoren können ihre Stoffwechselvorgänge an eine auftretende Hypoxie anpassen. So werden beispielsweise nach der Aktivierung des „Hypoxia inducible-factors-1α“ Modifikationen am Glukosestoffwechsel, der intrazellulären pH-Regulation oder der Angiogenese initiiert. In dieser immunhistochemischen Pilotstudie analysierten wir primär kutane Melanome mit positivem und negativem Schildwächterlymphknotenstatus im Hinblick auf mögliche Unterschiede ihrer metabolischen Signatur. Hierbei konnten wir unter anderem zeigen, dass die Expression von Glukosetransporter‑1 (GLUT-1) sowohl in allen Melanomen ohne Subgruppenanalyse, als auch in der Subgruppe mit negativem Schildwächterlymphknoten positiv mit der Tumordicke sowie dem Vorliegen einer Ulzeration korrelierte. Zudem korrelierte bei Melanomen mit positivem Schildwächterlymphknoten die Expression von vaskulärem endothelialem Wachstumsfaktor (VEGF) positiv mit dem Vorliegen einer Ulzeration.
Social assimilation and immigrants’ labour market outcomes
Authors: Piracha Matloob , Tani Massimiliano , Cheng Zhiming , Wang Ben Zhe
Published: January 2022

We analyse how immigrants’ level of social assimilation is related to their labour market outcomes. More precisely, we estimate the association between assimilation and employment, wages, underemployment, three measures of job satisfaction, overeducation and wages. Using Australian longitudinal data, we find that assimilation is strongly associated with employment and wages as well as a number of job satisfaction measures. We then split our data and repeat the analysis for before and after the financial crisis of 2008–2009. We find important differences in the way assimilation is associated with different measures of labour market outcomes under different economic conditions. Finally, we explore mechanisms that may underlie the results.