bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Nomen est omen: why we need to rename ‘antimicrobial resistance’
Authors: Krockow Eva M
Published: July 2020

The naming of diseases is a critical aspect of public health communication. In light of the recent renaming of the ‘Wuhan novel coronavirus’ to COVID-19, the names of other health threats must be reviewed. In particular, a new name is urgently needed for the global challenge typically referred to as ‘antimicrobial resistance’. The current name is inconsistently used, difficult to pronounce and lacks meaning for lay audiences. It also fails to express the magnitude of the phenomenon’s potential consequences for human medicine. This article reviews and evaluates key findings from several cross-disciplinary streams of research on the psycholinguistic properties of names. These include early psychology literature pertaining to the concept of ‘word attensity’, recent cognitive research on ‘processing fluency’ in the context of word recognition, and relevant marketing literature examining the components of successful branding strategies. Three key criteria—pronounceability, meaningfulness and specificity—are found to influence the perception of names and these are discussed in the context of antimicrobial resistance. The article demonstrates that the current term of ‘antimicrobial resistance’ falls short with regard to all three criteria and concludes with specific recommendations for the creation of a new name. Only the strategic choice of a single term that is (i) short and easy to pronounce; (ii) intuitively meaningful to lay audiences and indicative of the existential threat linked to antimicrobial resistance; and (iii) uniquely associated with the topic of antimicrobial resistance is likely to bring about overdue change in the global discussion of antimicrobial resistance.
Predictive Value of Breast MRI Background Parenchymal Enhancement for Neoadjuvant Treatment Response among HER2− Patients
Authors: Arasu Vignesh A , Kim Paul , Li Wen , Strand Fredrik , McHargue Cody , Harnish Roy , Newitt David C , Jones Ella F , Glymour M Maria , Kornak John , Esserman Laura J , Hylton Nola M ,   ISPY2 investigators
Published: July 2020

Objective

Women with advanced HER2− breast cancer have limited treatment options. Breast MRI functional tumor volume (FTV) is used to predict pathologic complete response (pCR) to improve treatment efficacy. In addition to FTV, background parenchymal enhancement (BPE) may predict response and was explored for HER2− patients in the I-SPY-2 TRIAL.

Methods

Women with HER2− stage II or III breast cancer underwent prospective serial breast MRIs during four neoadjuvant chemotherapy timepoints. BPE was quantitatively calculated using whole-breast manual segmentation. Logistic regression models were systematically explored using pre-specified and optimized predictor selection based on BPE or combined with FTV.

Results

A total of 352 MRI examinations in 88 patients (29 with pCR, 59 non-pCR) were evaluated. Women with hormone receptor (HR)+HER2− cancers who achieved pCR demonstrated a significantly greater decrease in BPE from baseline to pre-surgery compared to non-pCR patients (odds ratio 0.64, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.39–0.92, P = 0.04). The associated BPE area under the curve (AUC) was 0.77 (95% CI: 0.56–0.98), comparable to the range of FTV AUC estimates. Among multi-predictor models, the highest cross-validated AUC of 0.81 (95% CI: 0.73–0.90) was achieved with combined FTV+HR predictors, while adding BPE to FTV+HR models had an estimated AUC of 0.82 (95% CI: 0.74–0.92).

Conclusion

Among women with HER2− cancer, BPE alone demonstrated association with pCR in women with HR+HER2− breast cancer, with similar diagnostic performance to FTV. BPE predictors remained significant in multivariate FTV models, but without added discrimination for pCR prediction. This may be due to small sample size limiting ability to create subtype-specific multivariate models.
The freshwater mysid Mysis diluviana (Audzijonyte & Väinölä, 2005) (Mysida: Mysidae) consumes detritus in the presence of Daphnia (Cladocera: Daphniidae)
Authors: Griffin Jessica E , O’Malley Brian P , Stockwell Jason D
Published: July 2020

Freshwater mysids of the Mysis relicta group are omnivorous macroinvertebrates that form an important link between fishes and lower trophic levels in many north temperate to Arctic lakes, where they exhibit diel vertical migration (DVM) to exploit subsurface food-rich layers at night. Benthic food resources have been assumed to be less important for mysid diets than pelagic zooplankton. Studies have nevertheless indicated that mysids consume benthic sedimented detritus, calling this assumption into question. We conducted a food-choice experiment to evaluate the feeding preferences of Mysis diluviana (Audzijonyte & Väinölä, 2005) by presenting field-caught specimens in individual foraging arenas with multiple choices of food. Experimental food treatments included a preferred pelagic prey (Daphnia), a presumed less desirable benthic resource (detritus), and a combination of both. We hypothesized that M. diluviana 1) prefers Daphnia over detritus and consumes only Daphnia in combination treatments, and 2) would not consume detritus except when detritus was the only food source available. Contrary to our hypothesis, M. diluviana readily consumed detritus in the presence of Daphnia. Mysis diluviana unexpectedly consumed more individuals of Daphnia in the presence rather than in the absence of detritus. Our results demonstrate that mysids take advantage of benthic food resources even in the presence of a presumably preferred zooplankton prey, calling to question the long-held assumption that benthic resources are unimportant when considering the trophic role of freshwater mysids of the M. relicta group.
Pre- and Post-Copulatory Competitiveness of the Genetic Sexing Strain Tapachula-7 of Anastrepha ludens (Diptera: Tephritidae)
Authors: Contreras-Navarro Yair , Pérez-Staples Diana , Orozco-Dávila Dina , Díaz-Fleischer Francisco
Published: July 2020

Anastrepha ludens (Loew) (Diptera: Tephritidae) is an endemic pest of Mexico, attacking several fruits of economic importance. The Sterile Insect Technique (SIT), consisting of mass-rearing, irradiation and release of adults, is used to control this pest in affected areas. Currently, a genetic sexing strain (Tapachula 7, Tap-7) consisting only of A. ludens males is being released, yet we lack information on its sexual performance at the early ages when they are released and on its post copulatory behavior in terms of sperm transfer and mating inhibition. Here, sexual competitiveness at young ages and ability to inhibit female re-mating was compared between sterile Tap-7, Standard Bisexual (SB), or wild males both in laboratory and field cage conditions. Sperm stored by females mating with wild, Tap-7, or SB strain males was also compared. Six-day-old sterile Tap-7 males had low mating rates, however, by 7 d of age 80% of males had mated. Tap-7 males were just as likely as wild males to inhibit wild female re-mating. In field cages, sterile Tap-7 males mated faster than wild and sterile males from the SB strain and had comparable mating success to wild males. Females mated to sterile Tap-7 males stored more sperm than those mated to sterile SB males. Females mated to wild males stored more sperm than females mated to any other type of male. Mass-rearing had a greater effect on decreasing sperm stored by females than irradiation. We recommend continuing the release of the GSS strain of A. ludens.
Resistance of Cowpea Genotypes to Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and Its Relationship to Resistance-Related Enzymes
Authors: Costa Eduardo Neves , Martins Lucas Ortega , Reis Lucas Coutinho , Fernandes Marcos Gino , de Paula Quintão Scalon Silvana
Published: July 2020

Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) can attack cowpea plants (Vigna unguiculata [L.] Walp.) (Fabales: Fabaceae) in any growth stage but attacks primarily in the first days after plant emergence, when the plants are more sensitive to defoliation. This study was carried out to evaluate the resistance to S. frugiperda in six cowpea genotypes, of which four were cultivars (BRS Tapahium, BRS Tumucumaque, Fradinho, and Miranda), and two were landraces (Juti and Nioaque), in three different experiments. In the first experiment, adult emergence, adult weight, adult longevity, larva to adult period, numbers of injured leaves per plant canopy (upper, middle, and lower), and reduction in plant dry matter were assessed. In the second experiment, the oviposition preference of S. frugiperda for the different cowpea genotypes was evaluated under free-choice conditions. In the third experiment, levels of peroxidase (POD), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and protein content in cowpea leaves were assessed. Insects fed on landrace Juti plants showed low adult emergence, yielded a lower fitness index, and caused less plant dry matter reduction. In addition, plants of landrace Juti were less preferred for oviposition. Overall, Juti plants showed higher resistance levels in all three resistance categories and higher levels of POD and SOD in S. frugiperda injured leaves, in addition to a lower protein content. Juti will be tested in field conditions, followed by molecular characterization. This will provide additional information about its potential as an S. frugiperda resistance source in plant breeding programs.
Maximizing Bark and Ambrosia Beetle (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) Catches in Trapping Surveys for Longhorn and Jewel Beetles
Authors: Marchioro Matteo , Rassati Davide , Faccoli Massimo , Van Rooyen Kate , Kostanowicz Chantelle , Webster Vincent , Mayo Peter , Sweeney Jon
Published: July 2020

Bark and ambrosia beetles are commonly moved among continents within timber and fresh wood-packaging materials. Routine visual inspections of imported commodities are often complemented with baited traps set up in natural areas surrounding entry points. Given that these activities can be expensive, trapping protocols that attract multiple species simultaneously are needed. Here we investigated whether trapping protocols commonly used to detect longhorn beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) and jewel beetles (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) can be exploited also for detecting bark and ambrosia beetles. In factorial experiments conducted in 2016 both in Italy (seminatural and reforested forests) and Canada (mixed forest) we tested the effect of trap color (green vs purple), trap height (understory vs canopy), and attractive blend (hardwood-blend developed for broadleaf-associated wood-boring beetles vs ethanol in Italy; hardwood-blend vs softwood-blend developed for conifer-associated wood-boring beetles, in Canada) separately on bark beetles and ambrosia beetles, as well as on individual bark and ambrosia beetle species. Trap color affected catch of ambrosia beetles more so than bark beetles, with purple traps generally more attractive than green traps. Trap height affected both beetle groups, with understory traps generally performing better than canopy traps. Hardwood-blend and ethanol performed almost equally in attracting ambrosia beetles in Italy, whereas hardwood-blend and softwood-blend were more attractive to broadleaf-associated species and conifer-associated species, respectively, in Canada. In general, we showed that trapping variables suitable for generic surveillance of longhorn and jewel beetles may also be exploited for survey of bark and ambrosia beetles, but trapping protocols must be adjusted depending on the forest type.
Morphological and Developmental Traits of the Binucleation of Male Accessory Gland Cells in the Benthic Water Bug, Aphelocheirus vittatus (Hemiptera: Aphelochiridae)
Authors: Takeda Koji , Yamauchi Jun , Adachi-Yamada Takashi
Published: July 2020

The male accessory glands (MAGs) in insects are pair(s) of internal reproductive organs that produce and secrete the plasma component of seminal fluid. In various insects, MAG size is important for male reproductive success because the fluid provides physiologically active substances and/or nutrients to females to control sperm as well as female reproductive behaviors. Although the MAG epithelial cells in most insect species are standard mononucleate cells, those in some insect taxa are binucleate due to incomplete cytokinesis (e.g., Drosophila [Fallén] [Diptera: Drosophilidae]) or cell fusion (e.g., Cimex [Linnaeus] [Hemiptera: Cimicidae]). In the case of Drosophila, the apicobasal position of the two nuclei relative to the epithelial plane changes from vertical to horizontal after nutrient intake, which allows the volume of the MAG cavity to expand effectively. On the other hand, in the case of Cimex, the positions of the two nuclei do not change apicobasally in response to feeding, but their position relative to the proximodistal axis varies depending on the tubular/spherical organ morphology. Here, we report that the MAG of the benthic water bug Aphelocheirus vittatus (Matsumura) (Hemiptera: Aphelochiridae) shows binucleation in all epithelial cells. Despite the phylogenetically close relationship between Aphelocheirus and Cimex, the MAG cells in Aphelocheirus showed a Drosophila-like apicobasal change in the position of the two nuclei in response to feeding. Furthermore, the cytological processes during binucleation are more similar to those in Drosophila (incomplete cytokinesis) than to those in Cimex (cell fusion). These results indicate that the physiological role and mechanism of binucleation in MAG cells changed during the evolution of Hemiptera.
Gene dysregulation analysis builds a mechanistic signature for prognosis and therapeutic benefit in colorectal cancer
Authors: Li Quanxue , Dai Wentao , Liu Jixiang , Sang Qingqing , Li Yi-Xue , Li Yuan-Yuan
Published: July 2020

The implementation of cancer precision medicine requires biomarkers or signatures for predicting prognosis and therapeutic benefits. Most of current efforts in this field are paying much more attention to predictive accuracy than to molecular mechanistic interpretability. Mechanism-driven strategy has recently emerged, aiming to build signatures with both predictive power and explanatory power. Driven by this strategy, we developed a robust gene dysregulation analysis framework with machine learning algorithms, which is capable of exploring gene dysregulations underlying carcinogenesis from high-dimensional data with cooperativity and synergy between regulators and several other transcriptional regulation rules taken into consideration. We then applied the framework to a colorectal cancer (CRC) cohort from The Cancer Genome Atlas. The identified CRC-related dysregulations significantly covered known carcinogenic processes and exhibited good prognostic effect. By choosing dysregulations with greedy strategy, we built a four-dysregulation (4-DysReg) signature, which has the capability of predicting prognosis and adjuvant chemotherapy benefit. 4-DysReg has the potential to explain carcinogenesis in terms of dysfunctional transcriptional regulation. These results demonstrate that our gene dysregulation analysis framework could be used to develop predictive signature with mechanistic interpretability for cancer precision medicine, and furthermore, elucidate the mechanisms of carcinogenesis.
Seasonal Fluctuations in Sarcophagidae (Diptera: Calyptratae) Assemblages in the Humid Chaco Ecoregion, Argentina
Authors: Dufek Matias I , Damborsky Miryam P , Mulieri Pablo R
Published: July 2020

The seasonal fluctuations of flesh fly (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) assemblages were investigated from March 2015 to February 2016 in five habitat types in the Humid Chaco ecoregion, Chaco Province, Argentina. Three of the habitats were anthropized: an urban area, a cattle farm, and an alfalfa crop; and two were natural: a savanna and a forest. Flesh flies were collected monthly at 25 sampling points, five per habitat. In total, 5,790 male specimens comprising 55 species distributed in 15 genera were collected. The assemblage composition of flesh flies in each habitat and season was analyzed in terms of abundance, species richness, and diversity. In addition, the correlation between these community parameters and climatic factors (precipitation 7 and 14 d before samplings, temperature, and relative humidity) were evaluated in each habitat. The highest abundance and species richness of Sarcophagidae were registered in May (autumn) and June (winter), respectively. The lowest diversity values were observed between August and September (end of winter and early spring) in all habitats. However, flesh flies were present and well represented (in terms of species richness) throughout the year in all habitat types. Fluctuations in the abundance of the most abundant species collected were analyzed. The climatic factors were correlated with diversity and species richness in the urban, cattle farm, and savanna habitats. This study revealed that flesh fly assemblages differed temporally between different types of habitats in accordance with climatic factors and microclimate conditions.
Rethinking Categories and Dimensions in the DSM
Authors: Phillips James
Published: July 2020

This paper addresses the role of categories and dimensions in the classification of psychopathology. While psychopathology does not sort itself out neatly into natural categories, we do find rough, symptom-based groupings that, through refinement, become diagnostic categories. Given that these categories suffer from comorbidity, uncertain boundaries, and excessive “unspecified disorder” diagnoses, there has been a move toward refining the diagnoses with dimensional measures. The paper traces efforts both to improve the diagnostic categories with validators that allow at least partial validity and to introduce dimensional measures into the diagnostic manual. Drawing from the philosophical pragmatism of Charles Sanders Peirce, William James, and John Dewey, which emphasizes the practical, effect-sensitive consequences of a theory along with an emphasis on empirical evidence and the progressive, probabilistic character of knowledge, the paper argues that these efforts must be guided both by scientific validity and clinical utility.
Reporting of methodologies used for clonogenic assays to determine radiosensitivity
Authors: Oike Takahiro , Komatsu Shuichiro , Komatsu Yuka , Nachankar Ankita , Darwis Narisa Dewi Maulany , Shibata Atsushi , Ohno Tatsuya
Published: July 2020

Radiotherapy treatment strategies should be personalized based on the radiosensitivity of individual tumors. Clonogenic assays are the gold standard method for in vitro assessment of radiosensitivity. Reproducibility is the critical factor for scientific rigor; however, this is reduced by insufficient reporting of methodologies. In reality, the reporting standards of methodologies pertaining to clonogenic assays remain unclear. To address this, we performed a literature search and qualitative analysis of the reporting of methodologies pertaining to clonogenic assays. A comprehensive literature review identified 1672 papers that report the radiosensitivity of human cancer cells based on clonogenic assays. From the identified papers, important experimental parameters (i.e. number of biological replicates, technical replicates, radiation source and dose rate) were recorded and analyzed. We found that, among the studies, (i) 30.5% did not report biological or technical replicates; (ii) 47.0% did not use biological or technical replicates; (iii) 3.8% did not report the radiation source; and (iv) 32.3% did not report the dose rate. These data suggest that reporting of methodologies pertaining to clonogenic assays in a considerable number of previously published studies is insufficient, thereby threatening reproducibility. This highlights the need to raise awareness of standardization of the methodologies used to conduct clonogenic assays.
Extended right posterior liver sectionectomy for HCC in a patient with left ventricular assist device—a case report
Authors: Timmermann Lea , Schmelzle Moritz , Potapov Evgenij , Müller Marcus , Lojewski Christian , Pratschke Johann , Schöning Wenzel
Published: July 2020

Successful implementation of left ventricular assist devices lead to a prolonged survival in patients with chronic terminal heart failure. Thus, patients with pre-existing left ventricular assist devices with abdominal comorbidities requiring abdominal surgery, e.g. for malignancy, are upcoming issues. We carried out a major liver resection for hepatocellular carcinoma in a patient with pre-existing left ventricular assist device. The importance of this case report is that it outlines the significance of oncologic resections in patients with left ventricular assist devices as an upcoming issue and provides an interdisciplinary approach.
Preoperative embolization of high-flow peripheral AVMs using plug and push technique with low-density NBCA/Lipiodol
Authors: Ho Anh Binh , Nguyen Ngoc Son , Le Vu Huynh , Nguyen Duc Dung , Phan Anh Khoa , Nguyen Thanh Xuan , Pham Nhu Hiep
Published: July 2020

Arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) embolization is considered as a promising option either its single treatment or in combination with surgery, and the use of low-density N-butyl cyanoacrylate (NBCA)/Lipiodol is acceptable mixture agents but its application should be performed by experienced endovascular teams. We describe a successful case preoperative embolization of high-flow AVMs with low-density NBCA/Lipiodol. A 26-year-old male patient was hospitalized with a big pulsatile mass at the right thigh. Doppler ultrasound showed a mass with high systolic, and diastolic velocities coming from the right superficial femoral artery. Angiogram showed a large and high-flow AVM type IV, according to Yakes classification. Low-density NBCA/Lipiodol 12.5% were performed to obstruct all the nidus and feeding arteries. Extirpation surgery was implemented 4 days after the complete embolization procedure.
Are patients with cognitive impairment fit to fly? Current evidence and practical recommendations
Authors: Sadlon Angélique , Ensslin Angela , Freystätter Gregor , Gagesch Michael , Bischoff-Ferrari Heike A
Published: July 2020

Background

The worldwide prevalence of dementia is increasing and represents a major public health concern. In the last decades, air travel services have undergone an impressive expansion and one of ten passengers is aged 65 years and older. While air travel can be stressful at all ages and health conditions, older individuals with cognitive impairment carry a greater risk for air-travel-related complications. Consequently, demands to general practitioners for assessing their older patient’s fitness to fly are increasing.

Methods

We conducted a search of the literature in PubMed on the impact of in-flight environmental changes on passengers with cognitive impairment and possible resulting complications. This set the base for a discussion on pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions aimed at preventing in-flight complications in this vulnerable population.

Results

While our research strategy identified a total of 11 articles related to older age and air travel, only three focused on passengers with cognitive impairment. Our literature review showed that the airplane environment may lead to a large spectrum of symptoms in passengers of all age groups. However, passengers with cognitive impairment due to neurodegenerative diseases are at increased risk for experiencing the most extreme symptoms such as acute confusional state. Non-pharmacological and pharmacological interventions at different stages of the travel process (before, during and after) can help prevent complications in this vulnerable population.

Conclusion

The decision to let a patient with cognitive impairment fly requires a solid understanding of the in-flight environmental changes and their impact on older patients with cognitive impairment. Moreover, a sound weighing of the risks and benefits while considering different aspects of the patient’s history is demanded. In this regard, the role of the treating physicians and caregivers is essential along with the support of the medical department of the airline.
Additive Uncorrelated Relaxed Clock Models for the Dating of Genomic Epidemiology Phylogenies
Authors: Didelot Xavier , Siveroni Igor , Volz Erik M
Published: July 2020

Phylogenetic dating is one of the most powerful and commonly used methods of drawing epidemiological interpretations from pathogen genomic data. Building such trees requires considering a molecular clock model which represents the rate at which substitutions accumulate on genomes. When the molecular clock rate is constant throughout the tree then the clock is said to be strict, but this is often not an acceptable assumption. Alternatively, relaxed clock models consider variations in the clock rate, often based on a distribution of rates for each branch. However, we show here that the distributions of rates across branches in commonly used relaxed clock models are incompatible with the biological expectation that the sum of the numbers of substitutions on two neighboring branches should be distributed as the substitution number on a single branch of equivalent length. We call this expectation the additivity property. We further show how assumptions of commonly used relaxed clock models can lead to estimates of evolutionary rates and dates with low precision and biased confidence intervals. We therefore propose a new additive relaxed clock model where the additivity property is satisfied. We illustrate the use of our new additive relaxed clock model on a range of simulated and real data sets, and we show that using this new model leads to more accurate estimates of mean evolutionary rates and ancestral dates.
Syringomyelia Resolution Following Chiari Surgery: A Novel Scale for Communication and Research
Authors: Lara-Reyna Jacques , Chae John , Tosi Umberto , Souweidane Mark M , Uribe-Cardenas Rafael , Greenfield Jeffrey P
Published: July 2020

BACKGROUND

The pathophysiological connection between Chiari malformation and syringomyelia is accepted. Debate remains, however, how can we best define changes in syringomyelia following surgery.

OBJECTIVE

To introduce a grading system focusing on syrinx reduction based on routinely and reproducible radiological information, and provide a suggestion of the application of this scale for prediction of patient's prognoses.

METHODS

Data from 48 patients with Chiari malformation and syringomyelia were compiled. We calculated syrinx cross-sectional area by approximating an ellipse in the largest axial plane. We compared the percentage of reduction or enlargement following surgery. The percentage change was grouped into four grades: Grade 0 = Increasing size, grade I ≤ 50% reduction, grade II = 50% to 90% reduction, grade III ≥ 90% reduction.

RESULTS

A total of 89.6% of patients had syrinx improvement after surgery. A total of 5 patients were grade 0, 14 were grade I, 20 patients were grade II, and 9 patients met criteria for grade III. The mean postoperative syrinx area was 24.1 mm2 (0-169 mm2
) with a mean syrinx reduction of 62.7%.

CONCLUSION

Radiological improvement of syringomyelia can be mathematically defined and standardized to assist in communication in outcome-based trials. Radiological resolution is expected most patients.
Pediatric glioma and medulloblastoma risk and population demographics: a Poisson regression analysis
Authors: Muskens Ivo S , Feng Qianxi , Francis Stephen S , Walsh Kyle M , Mckean-Cowdin Roberta , Gauderman William J , de Smith Adam J , Wiemels Joseph L
Published: July 2020

Background

The incidence of pediatric brain tumors varies by race and ethnicity, but these relationships may be confounded by socioeconomic status (SES). In this study, the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (SEER) database was evaluated for associations between race/ethnicity and pediatric glioma and medulloblastoma risk with adjustment for SES.

Methods

Pediatric glioma and medulloblastoma cases from the SEER database (years: 2000–2016) were included. Differences in incidence rates by ethnicity, sex, age, and SES-related factors were evaluated by calculation of age-adjusted incidence rates (AAIRs) and annual percent change (APC). SES-related factors (percentage without less than high school graduation, median household income, and percentage foreign-born) were derived from the census at the county-level (year: 2000). Multivariable Poisson regression models with adjustment for selected covariates were constructed to evaluate risk factors.

Results

The highest AAIRs of pediatric glioma were observed among non-Hispanic Whites (AAIR: 2.91 per 100 000, 95%-CI: 2.84–2.99). An increasing incidence of pediatric glioma by calendar time was observed among non-Hispanic Whites and non-Hispanic Blacks (APC: 0.97%, 95%-CI: 0.28–1.68 and APC: 1.59%, 95%-CI: 0.03–3.18, respectively). Hispanic and non-Hispanic Black race/ethnicity was associated with lower risk when compared with non-Hispanic White (incidence rate ratios [IRRs]: 0.66, 95%-CI: 0.63–0.70; and 0.69, 95%-CI: 0.65–0.74, respectively). For medulloblastoma, the highest AAIR was observed for non-Hispanic Whites with a positive APC (1.52%, 95%-CI: 0.15–2.91). Hispanics and non-Hispanic Blacks had statistically significant lower IRRs compared with non-Hispanic Whites (IRRs: 0.83, 95%-CI: 0.73–0.94; and 0.72, 95%-CI: 0.59–0.87, respectively).

Conclusion

Non-Hispanic White race/ethnicity was associated with higher pediatric glioma and medulloblastoma IRRs in models with adjustments for SES.
Scambaiter Narratives of Victims and Offenders and Their Influence on the Policing of Fraud
Authors: Cross Cassandra , Mayers Duncan
Published: July 2020

Scambaiters have emerged as a proactive means to targeting fraud offenders. Put simply, scambaiters act as an incapacitator, seeking to deliberately engage fraud offenders to waste their time and reduce their communication with genuine victims. For some, this is a deliberate act of vigilantism that seeks to respond in a way that authorities (such as police) cannot. This article uses a well-known scambaiter website, 419eater, to examine how scambaiters present narratives of fraud victims and fraud offenders. It argues that victims are positioned as vulnerable and undeserving of their victimization, while offenders are positioned as rational beings and as a criminal ‘other’. This last narrative is used to justify the behaviour of scambaiters towards alleged fraud offenders. Overall, this article argues that while both narratives are based largely on facts, the interpretation and use of these narratives (particularly the offender narrative) are problematic in terms of a broader discussion around the policing of online fraud and cyber vigilantism.
The modulating impact of cigarette smoking on brain structure in panic disorder: a voxel-based morphometry study
Authors: Kunas Stefanie L , Hilbert Kevin , Yang Yunbo , Richter Jan , Hamm Alfons , Wittmann André , Ströhle Andreas , Pfleiderer Bettina , Herrmann Martin J , Lang Thomas , Lotze Martin , Deckert Jürgen , Arolt Volker , Wittchen Hans-Ulrich , Straube Benjamin , Kircher Tilo , Gerlach Alexander L , Lueken Ulrike
Published: July 2020

Cigarette smoking increases the likelihood of developing anxiety disorders, among them panic disorder (PD). While brain structures altered by smoking partly overlap with morphological changes identified in PD, the modulating impact of smoking as a potential confounder on structural alterations in PD has not yet been addressed. In total, 143 PD patients (71 smokers) and 178 healthy controls (62 smokers) participated in a multicenter magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study. T1-weighted images were used to examine brain structural alterations using voxel-based morphometry in a priori defined regions of the defensive system network. PD was associated with gray matter volume reductions in the amygdala and hippocampus. This difference was driven by non-smokers and absent in smoking subjects. Bilateral amygdala volumes were reduced with increasing health burden (neither PD nor smoking > either PD or smoking > both PD and smoking). As smoking can narrow or diminish commonly observed structural abnormalities in PD, the effect of smoking should be considered in MRI studies focusing on patients with pathological forms of fear and anxiety. Future studies are needed to determine if smoking may increase the risk for subsequent psychopathology via brain functional or structural alterations.
Do gaze behaviours during action observation predict interpersonal motor resonance?
Authors: Bekkali Soukayna , Youssef George J , Donaldson Peter H , He Jason , Do Michael , Hyde Christian , Barhoun Pamela , Enticott Peter G
Published: July 2020

Interpersonal motor resonance (IMR) is a common putative index of the mirror neuron system (MNS), a network containing specialised cells that fire during both action execution and observation. Visual content inputs to the MNS, however, it is unclear whether visual behaviours mediate the putative MNS response. We aimed to examine gaze effects on IMR during action observation. Neurotypical adults (N = 99; 60 female) underwent transcranial magnetic stimulation, electromyography, and eye-tracking during the observation of videos of actors performing grasping actions. IMR was measured as a percentage change in motor evoked potentials (MEPs) of the first dorsal interosseous muscle during action observation relative to baseline. MEP facilitation was observed during action observation, indicating IMR (65.43%, SE = 11.26%, P < 0.001). Fixations occurring in biologically relevant areas (face/hand/arm) yielded significantly stronger IMR (81.03%, SE = 14.15%) than non-biological areas (63.92%, SE = 14.60, P = 0.012). This effect, however, was only evident in the first of four experimental blocks. Our results suggest that gaze fixation can modulate IMR, but this may be affected by the salience and novelty of the observed action. These findings have important methodological implications for future studies in both clinical and healthy populations.
Cognitive processes during deception about attitudes revisited: a replication study
Authors: Scheuble V , Beauducel A
Published: July 2020

Event-related potential (ERP) studies about deception often apply recognition tasks. It remains questionable whether reported ERP patterns and cognitive processes can be generalized to other contexts. As the study by Johnson et al. (2008) fills this gap by investigating deception regarding attitudes, we tried to replicate it. Participants (N = 99) were instructed to lie or tell the truth about their attitudes. We obtained the same results as Johnson et al. (2008): lies were accompanied by enhanced medial frontal negativities (MFN) and suppressed late positive components (LPCs) indicating that lying relied on stronger cognitive control processes and response conflicts than being honest. The amplitudes of pre-response positivities (PRP) were reduced for lies implying that lies about attitudes were accompanied by strategic monitoring. MFN amplitudes increased and LPC amplitudes decreased for lies about positively valued items revealing that lying about positively valued items is cognitively more challenging than lying about negatively valued items. As a new finding, MFN, LPC and PRP components were neither moderated by Machiavellianism nor by changes in the attitude ratings. The results indicate that LPC, MFN and PRP components are reliable indicators of the cognitive processes used during deception and that it is worthwhile to investigate them in further deception contexts.
Total Daily Production and Periodicity of Melatonin Metabolite in Critically Ill Children*
Authors: Foster Jennifer R. , Tijssen Janice A. , Miller Michael R. , Seabrook Jamie A. , Fraser Douglas D.
Published: July 2020

Objectives:

To determine whether total daily 6-sulfatoxymelatonin excretion and diurnal variation of melatonin secretion was maintained during the early phase of PICU admission through examination of the melatonin urinary metabolite, 6-sulfatoxymelatonin.

Design:

Exploratory prospective, observational study.

Setting:

Twelve-bed medical-surgical PICU of a Children’s Hospital.

Patients:

Fifty children 3 months to 18 years old enrolled within 24 hours of PICU admission with access for urinary sampling.

Interventions:

None.

Measurements and Main Results:

Urine samples were collected at 4-hour intervals for 24 hours and stored at –80oC. 6-sulfatoxymelatonin was determined in duplicate by direct enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Patients were heterogeneous for diagnosis, had a mean age of 8.1 years (sd = 6.1 yr), and median (interquartile range) Pediatric Risk of Mortality III of 10 (4–13). Mean (sd) total daily 6-sulfatoxymelatonin production was 30.0 µg (25.6 µg) for the first 24 hours, which did not differ significantly from the means on days 2 (p = 0.56) or 3 (p = 0.29), and was similar to literature controls. Mean 6-sulfatoxymelatonin production for the population fit a periodic function well, with a reliable amplitude of 326 ng/hr and peak excretion from 04:00 to 08:00 (F = 4.4, p = 0.01), even when 6-sulfatoxymelatonin was corrected for body weight (F = 3.4, p = 0.03) and when sedation was included in the model (F = 3.95, p = 0.004). There was no significant correlation between lighting and 6-sulfatoxymelatonin excretion at any time period (R
2 values: 0.11–0.25, p = 0.10–0.94). Mean 6-sulfatoxymelatonin excretion did not fit the model for a periodic function well for the subpopulations studied (sepsis [n = 18, F = 1.1, p = 0.32], respiratory failure requiring deep sedation [n = 10, F = 0.4, p = 0.66], and neurologic injury [n = 7, F = 0.6, p = 0.55]).

Conclusions:

Total daily and diurnal variation of 6-sulfatoxymelatonin excretion is heterogeneously maintained early in pediatric critical illness. However, this may not hold true for specific diagnostic categories.
The Role of Therapeutic Plasma Exchange in the Treatment of Childhood Intoxication: A Single-Center Experience*
Authors: Özkale Murat , Özkale Yasemin
Published: July 2020

Objectives:

Therapeutic plasma exchange is used to treat neurologic, hematological, renal, and autoimmune diseases with a known or suspected etiopathogenesis. However, there is incomplete understanding of the use of therapeutic plasma exchange in pediatric cases of intoxication. This study investigated 5 years of experience with therapeutic plasma exchange to treat intoxication cases.

Design:

A retrospective, case series, single-center study.

Setting:

PICU of Baskent University, Dr. Turgut Noyan Teaching, and Medical Research Center Hospital in Adana, Turkey.

Patients:

Fourteen patients diagnosed with intoxication who underwent therapeutic plasma exchange between January 2013 and January 2018.

Interventions:

None.

Measurements and Main Results:

Data pertaining to 14 patients, including their medical history (exposure to drugs/toxicants), demographics, initial presentation, and severity of clinical symptoms (requirement of mechanical ventilation, Glasgow Coma Scale score, and the pediatric severity of illness score [Pediatric Logistic Organ Dysfunction] were retrospectively reviewed. The most common indication for therapeutic plasma exchange was multiple drug intoxication, followed by amitriptyline, Amanita phalloides mushroom, carbamazepine, mercury, verapamil, and botulism. All patients underwent therapeutic plasma exchange and two patients underwent hemodialysis before therapeutic plasma exchange. There was no mortality or complications related to the therapeutic plasma exchange procedure. Clinical improvement was observed after therapeutic plasma exchange in 13 of the 14 patients; one patient with verapamil intoxication died.

Conclusions:

Therapeutic plasma exchange appears to be safe and effective for treating pediatric cases of intoxication, including multidrug and amitriptyline intoxication, and is associated with significant recovery in the majority of severely affected patients. Treatment of intoxication with therapeutic plasma exchange should be guided primarily by the properties of the causative toxic substances/drugs, and consideration of patient age, the severity of clinical symptoms, Pediatric Logistic Organ Dysfunction score and response to initial supportive and antidotal treatment.
Delirium Detection Based on the Clinical Experience of Pediatric Intensivists
Authors: de Castro Roberta Esteves Vieira , de Magalhães-Barbosa Maria Clara , Cunha Antônio José Ledo Alves da , Cheniaux Elie , Prata-Barbosa Arnaldo
Published: July 2020

Objectives:

To estimate the frequency of delirium detected by pediatric intensivists, based only on their clinical experience, without a valid and reliable tool.

Design:

Multicenter, prospective, descriptive, observational study.

Settings:

Three PICUs in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Patients:

Twenty-nine days to 18 years old.

Interventions:

Electronic forms were sent weekly to the pediatric intensivists responsible for the daily care of patients from March to September 2015, to fill in information about the presence of risk factors and diagnosis of delirium in all patients who remained in the PICU in the last week. Demographics and other clinical data were extracted from an electronic system.

Measurements and Main Results:

A total of 504 admissions in the three PICUs (477 patients) were included. The pediatric intensivists reported only two episodes of delirium in two different patients, based on insufficient criteria. Considering all PICUs admissions, the reported frequency of delirium was only 0.4% (2/504).

Conclusions:

The low frequency of delirium detection and the insufficient criteria used for the diagnosis in these units suggest flaws in the recognition of delirium and probably the occurrence of underdiagnosis/misdiagnosis when it is based only on clinical experience, without the use of a valid and reliable tool.
Pharmacotherapy of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: common quandaries, dilemmas and challenges
Authors: Mosheva Mariela , Dar Nina , Rima Madi Lee , Weizman Abraham , Gothelf Doron
Published: July 2020

Multiple studies have shown that pharmacologic treatments for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), especially stimulants, are generally effective. There is yet a paucity of empirical data, however, for some common clinical conditions overlooked in the ADHD treatment guidelines. Some examples include: in cases of first line treatment failure, it is unclear whether switching from one type of stimulant to another is beneficial. In cases of comorbid ADHD and severe aggressive/disruptive behavior in children, it is unclear whether the best first-line treatment is stimulants or atypical antipsychotics like risperidone. In cases of ADHD with comorbid anxiety disorders, there is no clear evidence regarding optimal treatment. The objectives of this article are to review these issues and propose possible answers for such clinical dilemmas.
The beeTetragonulabuilds its comb like a crystal
Authors: Cardoso Silvana S. S. , Cartwright Julyan H. E. , Checa Antonio G. , Escribano Bruno , Osuna-Mascaró Antonio J. , Sainz-Díaz C. Ignacio
Published: July 2020

Stingless bees of the genusTetragonulaconstruct a brood comb with a spiral or a target pattern architecture in three dimensions. Crystals possess these same patterns on the molecular scale. Here, we show that the same excitable-medium dynamics governs both crystal nucleation and growth and comb construction inTetragonula, so that a minimal coupled-map lattice model based on crystal growth explains how these bees produce the structures seen in their bee combs.
Uncovering the differences and similarities between physical and virtual mobility
Authors: Hazarie Surendra , Barbosa Hugo , Frank Adam , Menezes Ronaldo , Ghoshal Gourab
Published: July 2020

The recent availability of digital traces from information and communications technologies has facilitated the study of both individual- and population-level movement with unprecedented spatio-temporal resolution, enabling us to better understand a plethora of socio-economic processes such as urbanization, transportation, impact on the environment and epidemic spreading to name a few. Using empirical spatio-temporal trends, several mobility models have been proposed to explain the observed regularities in human movement. With the advent of the World Wide Web, a new type of virtual mobility has emerged that has begun to supplant many traditional facets of human activity. Here, we conduct a systematic analysis of physical and virtual movement, uncovering both similarities and differences in their statistical patterns. The differences manifest themselves primarily in the temporal regime, as a signature of the spatial and economic constraints inherent in physical movement, features that are predominantly absent in the virtual space. We demonstrate that once one moves to the time-independent space of events, i.e. the sequences of visited locations, these differences vanish, and the statistical patterns of physical and virtual mobility are identical. The observed similarity in navigating these markedly different domains points towards a common mechanism governing the movement patterns, a feature we describe through a Metropolis–Hastings type optimization model, where individuals navigate locations through decision-making processes resembling a cost–benefit analysis of the utility of locations. In contrast to existing phenomenological models of mobility, we show that our model can reproduce the commonalities in the empirically observed statistics with minimal input.
A study on the aromaticity and magnetic properties of N-confused porphyrins
Authors: Tuersun Maimaitijiang , Kerim Ablikim
Published: July 2020

In this paper, topological resonance energy (TRE) methods were used to describe the global aromaticity of nitrogen confused porphyrin (NCP) isomers. The TRE results show that all NCP isomers exhibit lower aromaticity than the normal porphyrins, and their aromaticity decreases as the number of confused pyrrole rings in the molecule increases. In the NCPs, global aromaticity decreases as the distance between the nitrogen atoms increases. The bond resonance energy (BRE) and circuit resonance energy (CRE) indices were applied to study local aromaticity and conjugated pathways. Both the BRE and CRE indices revealed that individual pyrrolic subunits maintain their strong aromatic character and are the main source of global aromaticity. Ring currents (RC) were analysed using the Hückel–London model. RC results revealed that the macrocyclic electron conjugation pathway is the main source of diatropicity. As the number of confused pyrrole rings in the molecule increases, its diatropicity gradually decreases. In the confused pyrrole rings of the NCP isomers, the diatropic RC passing through the
β
-positions is always weaker than that passing through the inner sections. This is unrelated to the location of the protonated or non-protonated nitrogen atom at the periphery of the molecule and must be ascribed to the unique properties of the confused pyrrole rings.