bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Situating science in Africa: The dynamics of computing research in Nairobi and Kampala
Authors: Harsh Matthew , Holden Kerry , Wetmore Jameson , Zachary G Pascal , Bal Ravtosh
Published: February 2019

Since the turn of the century, both Kampala and Nairobi have experienced a dramatic growth of computer science research, challenging accepted views of science in Africa. We deploy qualitative methods to follow active computer science researchers, graduate students, policy makers, administrators and entrepreneurs, in order to understand how computer science is enacted in these two cities. Our analysis focuses on four interrelated areas of labor, institutions, identities and scale. We illustrate the dynamics and frictions of computer science research across these areas, revealing the interlacing of moral economies of science and the political economy of higher education, the management of precarious professional lives and desire to get research done, and the pluralistic imaginations and multiple scales of computer science. Urban centers in East Africa are increasingly active in supporting granular and connective research communities that are socially transformative in ways that challenge conventional views of Africa as technologically dry. In this way, the computer science communities of Nairobi and Kampala are instructive for thinking about new geographies of science and technology studies.
Damping capacity in pseudo-elastic and ferro-elastic shape memory alloy-reinforced hybrid composite beam
Authors: Bayat Yahya , EkhteraeiToussi Hamid
Published: February 2019

Reinforcing a composite beam with shape memory alloy wires may have several benefits such as reduction of buckling risks or elimination of unwanted oscillations. In this paper, the vibration damping of a typical shape memory alloy-reinforced composite or hybrid beam is explored. To formulate the thermo-mechanical behavior of embedded shape memory alloy wires, three-dimensional Panico–Brinson model is employed and tailored to one-dimensional model. This material model can simulate pseudo-elastic and ferro-elastic forms of martensite transformations which occurs in cyclic loadings. Besides, unlike the former studies which rely on classical beam theories, the first-order shear deformation beam theory is used to obtain more accurate estimations of shape memory alloy-wire hysteresis loops and their decaying characteristics. In order to explore the effects of a transient concentrated load applied in the middle of a beam, the governing equations are developed and discretized by differential quadrature–integral quadrature combined method. Incremental time marching solution of the problem is accomplished using the Newmark technique. Results are assessed by comparing with available literature. Considering different types of boundary conditions, the influence of pseudo-elastic and ferro-elastic hysteresis loops on the material damping effects, shape memory alloy volume fraction, and resonance phenomenon is studied in detail.
Continuous angiogenesis inhibition in the treatment for von Hippel–Lindau-related hemangioblastomas of retina and spinal cord
Authors: Salim Derya Kıvrak
Published: February 2019

Hemangioblastomas of central nervous system are rare and indolent. Twenty-five percent of cases are in association with von Hippel–Lindau disease. Surgery is the standard therapy but un-resectable or recurrent cases need radiation or systemic therapy. Defective von Hippel–Lindau tumor suppressor gene leads to vascular endothelial growth factor overexpression and enhance angiogenesis. Here we report a 19-year-old male, diagnosed at pediatric age, who had retinal and spinal cord hemangioblastomas. He was treated 34 months with bevacizumab, afterwards 12 months with thalidomide and tertiary therapy with pazopanib for 9 months which still goes on. In case of need, radiation and surgical procedures were performed. Vascular endothelial growth factor inhibition continuity is a good therapeutic option, which improves outcomes of von Hippel–Lindau-related hemangioblastomas.
Fertility parameters and reproductive management of Norwegian Forest Cats, Maine Coon, Persian and Bengal cats raised in Italy: a questionnaire-based study
Authors: Romagnoli Stefano , Bensaia Chiara , Ferré-Dolcet Lluis , Sontas Hasan Besim , Stelletta Calogero
Published: February 2019

Objectives

Fertility and reproductive management were investigated, via questionnaires, in breeding establishments of Norwegian Forest Cats, Maine Coon, Persian and Bengal cats in Italy.

Methods

Six Bengal, five Maine Coon, eight Norwegian Forest Cat and seven Persian breeders responded for a total of 128 queens, 565 heats, 337 litters and 1424 kittens spanning the period 1998–2012. The mean number of queens per cattery was 4.9 ± 2.3, with primiparous queens constituting 20.5%. Of the catteries, 61.5% were indoor, with 50% of them having access to a fenced balcony. Fifteen percent of the catteries were outdoor with cat runs. No light supplementation was used in any of the catteries.

Results

Queens showed oestrous cycles throughout the year, although 67% of oestrous cycles occurred from January–June. Puberty occurred, on average, at 12.3 ± 7.4 months. Pregnancy diagnosis was performed routinely in only 30% of catteries. Both pregnancy length (average 64.7 ± 2.4 days, range 59–76 days) and litter size (average 4.2 ± 1.8 kittens, with 11.8% of kittens stillborn) showed some breed-specific differences; in Norwegian Forest Cats larger litter size was associated with shorter pregnancy length. Kitten mortality between birth and weaning was, on average, 14%. Stillborn kittens ( P <0.01) and kitten mortality (0.01 < P <0.05) increased with litter size. In Maine Coons and Persians, a total of 3% of parturitions occurred via caesarean section (CS); litters born via CS were larger and characterised by a greater number of stillborn kittens and kitten mortality.

Conclusions and relevance

No previous data concerning reproductive patterns of pedigree cats raised in Southern Europe are available. Feline reproductive management should be adjusted for latitude owing to different climate and daylight patterns that may have an impact on feline reproduction.
#BoPo on Instagram: An experimental investigation of the effects of viewing body positive content on young women’s mood and body image
Authors: Cohen Rachel , Fardouly Jasmine , Newton-John Toby , Slater Amy
Published: February 2019

Body-positive content on social media aims to challenge mainstream beauty ideals and encourage acceptance and appreciation of all body types. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of viewing body-positive Instagram posts on young women’s mood and body image. Participants were 195 young women (18–30 years old) who were randomly allocated to view either body-positive, thin-ideal, or appearance-neutral Instagram posts. Results showed that brief exposure to body positive posts was associated with improvements in young women’s positive mood, body satisfaction and body appreciation, relative to thin-ideal and appearance-neutral posts. In addition, both thin-ideal and body-positive posts were associated with increased self-objectification relative to appearance-neutral posts. Finally, participants showed favourable attitudes towards the body positive accounts with the majority being willing to follow them in the future. It was concluded that body-positive content may offer a fruitful avenue for improving young women’s body image, although further research is necessary to fully understand the effects on self-objectification.
The Impact of Indigenous Youth Sharing Digital Stories About HIV Activism
Authors: Flicker Sarah , Wilson Ciann ,   Native Youth Sexual Health Network, Monchalin Renée , Restoule Jean-Paul , Mitchell Claudia , Larkin June , Prentice Tracey , Jackson Randy , Oliver Vanessa
Published: February 2019

Introduction. This article reports on the micro-, meso-, and macro-level impacts of sharing digital stories created by Indigenous youth leaders about HIV prevention activism in Canada. Method. Eighteen participants created digital stories and hosted screenings in their own communities to foster dialogue. Data for this article are drawn from individual semistructured interviews with the youth leaders, audio-recordings of audience reflections, and research team member’s field notes collected between 2012 and 2015 across Canada. Data were coded using NVivo. A content analysis approach guided analysis. Results. The process of sharing their digital stories had a positive impact on the youth themselves and their communities. Stories also reached policymakers. They challenged conventional public health messaging by situating HIV in the context of Indigenous holistic conceptions of health. Discussion. The impact(s) of sharing digital stories were felt most strongly by their creators but rippled out to create waves of change for many touched by them. More research is warranted to examine the ways that the products of participatory visual methodologies can be powerful tools in creating social change and reducing health disparities.
The Effects of Co-Treatment on Concept Development in Children With Down Syndrome
Authors: Lund Emily , Young Amanda , Yarbrough Rosalyna
Published: February 2019

This preliminary study investigated the effects of co-treatment by an adapted physical educator and speech-language pathologist on basic concept vocabulary learning in preschool children with Down syndrome as compared with the effects of treatment by either professional alone. In a Repeated Acquisition Design/Adapted Alternating Treatment study, 10 preschool children with Down syndrome were taught five basic concept words each week in a co-treatment intervention, in adapted physical education alone, or in speech-language therapy alone across 9 weeks. Each week, participants participated in a pre- and posttest. Four children learned the most words in the co-treatment condition and the remaining six children did not learn different numbers of words across conditions. Individual characteristics of children in the study were evaluated to determine possible factors that differentiate learning patterns among children. This preliminary study provides evidence that co-treatment may be effective for vocabulary teaching for some children with Down syndrome, particularly those with relatively high nonverbal intelligence.
The effect of physiological stretch and the valvular endothelium on mitral valve proteomes
Authors: Ali Mir S , Wang Xinmei , Lacerda Carla MR
Published: February 2019

Heart valves reside in a dynamic mechanical environment experiencing a multitude of forces. These forces have been shown to play a key role in valvular pathophysiology. However, knowledge of proteins involved in valvular mechanobiology is limited to only a few proteins of interest, namely, α-smooth muscle actin, transforming growth factor β, etc. Valvular endothelium mediates valvular homeostasis and controls valvular interstitial cell phenotype transformation. But, how endothelium mediates valvular response to dynamic forces is also unknown. In this study, proteomic analysis of mitral valve anterior leaflets under 10% cyclic radial strain was performed. Endothelium from these samples was removed to test how endothelium mediates mitral valve response to stretch. Results show that stretch downregulated cytoskeletal proteins and proteins involved in energy metabolism such as glycolysis and oxireductase activity. Endothelium removal resulted in downregulation of extracellular matrix and cell-matrix adhesion proteins. Removal of endothelium also resulted in upregulation of translation-related and chaperone proteins. Overall, this high throughput study provides insights into new protein groups that may be involved in mitral valve response to mechanical stretch and loss of endothelium.

Impact statement

This work is important to the field of heart valve pathophysiology as it provides new insights into molecular markers of mechanically induced valvular degeneration as well as the protective role of the valvular endothelium. These discoveries reported here advance our current knowledge of the valvular endothelium and how its removal essentially takes valve leaflets into an environmental shock. In addition, it shows that static conditions represent a mild pathological state for valve leaflets, while 10% cyclic stretch provides valvular cell quiescence. These findings impact the field by informing disease stages and by providing potential new drug targets to reverse or slow down valvular change before it affects cardiac function.
Behavioral Intention to Initiate Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) Among Chinese HIV-Infected Men Who Have Sex With Men Having High CD4 Count in the Era of “Treatment for All”
Authors: Yang Xueying , Wang Zixin , Wang Xiaodong , Ma Tiecheng , Xue Honghong , He Yingqin , Lau Joseph Tak Fai
Published: February 2019

China has updated its national guideline recommending antiretroviral therapy (ART) to all people living with HIV (PLWH) since 2016. This study was to investigate the prevalence of behavioral intention to initiate ART among HIV-infected men who have sex with men (MSM) with CD4 levels >350 cells/mm3, who had just become eligible to receive free ART in China. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 262 eligible HIV-infected MSM who had never received ART. The theory of planned behavior (TPB) was used to guide the variable selection. The prevalence of behavioral intention to initiate ART was 69.9%. After adjusting for significant background variables, all five constructs of TPB were significantly associated with behavioral intention to initiate ART. These significant constructs were: positive attitudes (adjusted odds ratios, AOR: 1.14; 95% CI [1.06, 1.24]) and negative attitudes (AOR: 0.89; 95% CI [0.82, 0.97]) toward immediate ART initiation; perceived their significant others would support them to initiate ART immediately (perceived subjective norm; AOR: 1.14; 95% CI [1.03, 1.25]); perceived high proportion of PLWH having similar CD4 cell levels were on ART (perceived descriptive norm; AOR: 2.22, 95% CI [1.16, 4.24]); and being confident in initiating ART immediately (perceived behavioral control; AOR: 1.21; 95% CI [1.04, 1.39]). Prevalence of behavioral intention to initiate ART was high among this group of MSM. Effective health promotion is needed to translate behavioral intention into related action. TPB may be a useful framework for developing future health promotion increasing ART coverage in this group.
Peak Rate of Force Development and Isometric Maximum Strength of Back Muscles Are Associated With Power Performance During Load-Lifting Tasks
Authors: Zemková Erika , Poór Oliver , Pecho Juraj
Published: February 2019

This study investigates the relationship between peak force and rate of force development (RFD) obtained from maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVC) of the back muscles and the power produced during a loaded lifting task. A group of 27 resistance-trained and 41 recreationally physically active men performed a maximal isometric strength test of the back muscles and a deadlift to high pull while lifting progressively increasing weights. Peak RFD correlated significantly with the peak and mean power produced during a deadlift to high pull with lower weights (from 20 to 40 kg), with r values ranging from .941 to .673 and from .922 to .633. The r2 values ranged from .89 to .45 and from .85 to .40, explaining 89%–45% and 85%–40% of total variance. There were also significant relationships between MVC peak force and peak and mean values of power produced during a deadlift to high pull with weights ≥60 kg ( r in range from .764 to .888 and from .735 to .896). Based on r2, a moderate-to-high proportion of variance was explained (58%–79% and 54%–80%). These findings indicate that peak RFD obtained from MVC of the back muscles may be predictive of power performance during a lifting task at light loads. In addition to MVC peak force produced by back muscles, the ability of subjects to develop a high force in a short time should be evaluated in order to gain deeper insight into a loaded lifting performance, namely, in those prone to low back pain.
Diagnosis and management of carotid free-floating thrombus: A systematic literature review
Authors: Fridman Sebastian , Lownie Stephen P , Mandzia Jennifer
Published: February 2019

Background

There is no consensus regarding the management of carotid free-floating thrombi in patients with acute ischemic stroke and transient ischemic attack.

Aims

This systematic review aims to (1) describe the current imaging methods for diagnosis of carotid free-floating thrombi and its associated risk factors, (2) estimate the proportion of carotid free-floating thrombi diagnosed in stroke patients, (3) estimate the proportion of carotid free-floating thrombi patients treated medically and surgically, and (4) evaluate 30-day outcomes.

Methods

We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, and manually for references reporting carotid free-floating thrombi from 1960 until June 2017. We estimated the frequency of carotid free-floating thrombi and evaluated 30-day outcomes using Cox regression. We defined the timing of surgical intervention as early (less than 72 h) and delayed (more or equal to 72 h).

Summary of review

We retrieved 525 carotid free-floating thrombi cases from 58 case series and 83 case reports. Carotid free-floating thrombi were present in 1.53% of stroke patients. Carotid free-floating thrombi diagnosis was made by digital subtraction angiography (38.1%), carotid duplex ultrasound (29.5%), and computed tomography angiography (29.5%). The 30-day risk of transient ischemic attack, silent brain ischemia, any stroke or death was 17.1%. In multivariate analyses, there were no differences in outcome for any anticoagulation regime or timing of revascularization procedure.

Conclusions

The diagnosis of carotid free-floating thrombi is more common due to the increased use of early noninvasive vascular imaging in transient ischemic attack and stroke. It poses a high short-term risk of stroke and death, but there is as yet no established treatment. The low quality of evidence in the carotid free-floating thrombi literature limits the interpretation of our results and warrants a large-scale prospective cohort study in carotid free-floating thrombi.
Data Fidelity: Building Credible Reports
Authors: Guthrie Sharon
Published: February 2019

Clean, accurate data, also known as data fidelity, support school nurses’ professional credibility in the school setting by allowing them to report their work and outcomes to important stakeholders. School nurses collect data every day through documentation, creating an essential record of the health needs of students and how school nurses meet those needs. To report these data effectively, school nurses should use standard definitions, technology, or standardized forms and review their data regularly to maintain accurate data. All school nurses, no matter how they document, should be thinking of data fidelity. This is the fourth article in the 2018-2019 NASN School Nurse article series on data.
Mobile Minecraft: Negotiated space and perceptions of play in Australian families
Authors: Balmford William , Davies Hugh
Published: February 2019

This article argues that Minecraft played on mobile devices in Australian homes impacts the spaces and perceptions of play within those familial settings. Based on findings from the Games of Mobile Australian Research Council Project, we present examples of how mobile devices bring about particular scenarios of Minecraft play within the household and family dynamics. These scenarios include renegotiating household spaces through acts of mobile Minecraft play, the development of physical gesture rituals through mobile touchscreen interactions, and the complex negotiations involved in shared device usage between different family members. We make the case that through these familial scenarios, the space of Minecraft can become an extension of the family home. These findings offer new insights into mobile-device-based engagement with Minecraft and provide a solid base of information for academic researchers and social policymakers seeking to understand the Minecraft and mobile phenomena. As mobile technology grows in ubiquity, mobile Minecraft becomes increasingly embedded in acts of play. We propose that Minecraft on mobile devices reshapes Australian perceptions of play, creativity, and family dynamics.
Dynamics of Treatment Supporters and Patients Starting HIV Therapy in Lima, Peru
Authors: Harishankar Krupa , Wong Milagros , Saldana Olga , Santa Cruz Janeth , Lecca Leonid , Munoz Maribel , Nelson Adrianne Katrina , Castro Arachu , Shin Sonya
Published: February 2019

As per the National HIV Program in Peru, the designation of a patient-elected treatment supporter is a requisite for starting antiretroviral therapy (ART). These individuals are expected to aid the patient in medical and social support. This qualitative study examines the interaction between treatment supporters and people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) to elucidate key dynamics contributing to care. Twenty individual interviews with treatment supporters were analyzed alongside 5 group interviews: 2 groups of treatment supporters, 2 groups of PLWHA, and 1 group of community health workers. Findings characterized formal means of treatment support and informal emotional and instrumental support. Gradual transfer of treatment responsibilities from supporters to PLWHA was found to foster a sense of self-efficacy among PLWHA, and when paired with open communication and committed emotional support, created an ideal reciprocal relationship. However, lack of HIV-related knowledge among treatment supporters was detrimental. More training and systemic support for treatment supporters may optimize their role as informed participants in the care of PLWHA.
How Digital Information Transforms Project Delivery Models
Authors: Whyte Jennifer
Published: February 2019

This study articulates how increasingly pervasive digital information transforms project delivery models. It builds on and extends the literature on innovation and knowledge codification, analyzing London’s evolving digital innovation ecosystem across 15 years of industry/government initiatives and infrastructure megaprojects. Findings suggest profound and ongoing changes in digitally enabled project delivery models. Novel contributions are: first, to identify new generations of integrated solutions; second, to articulate changes in supply chains and relationships with owners, operators, and end users; and third, to recognize the growing importance of digital workflows and analytics, rather than documents. There are implications for project management practice and scholarship.
Dissecting CLL through high-dimensional single-cell technologies
Authors: Gohil Satyen H. , Wu Catherine J.
Published: February 2019

We now have the potential to undertake detailed analysis of the inner workings of thousands of cancer cells, one cell at a time, through the emergence of a range of techniques that probe the genome, transcriptome, and proteome combined with the development of bioinformatics pipelines that enable their interpretation. This provides an unprecedented opportunity to better understand the heterogeneity of chronic lymphocytic leukemia and how mutations, activation states, and protein expression at the single-cell level have an impact on disease course, response to treatment, and outcomes. Herein, we review the emerging application of these new techniques to chronic lymphocytic leukemia and examine the insights already attained through this transformative technology.
Single-cell approaches reveal novel cellular pathways for megakaryocyte and erythroid differentiation
Authors: Psaila Bethan , Mead Adam J.
Published: February 2019

The classical model of hematopoiesis proposes a hierarchy in which a small number of multipotent hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) maintain all blood lineages by giving rise to progeny that pass through discrete progenitor stages. At each stage, lineage differentiation potential is restricted, coupled with the loss of ability to self-renew. Recently, single-cell approaches have been used to test certain assumptions made by this model, in particular relating to megakaryocyte (Mk) and erythroid (E) development. An alternative model has emerged in which substantial heterogeneity and lineage-priming exists within the HSC compartment, including the existence of multipotent but megakaryocyte/platelet-biased HSCs. Hematopoietic differentiation follows a hierarchical continuum, passing through cellular nodes and branch points. Megakaryocytes are produced via a shared pathway with the erythroid lineage, also shared in its early stages with mast cells, eosinophils, and basophils, but separate from other myeloid and lymphoid lineages. In addition, distinct pathways for direct differentiation of Mk from HSCs may coexist and could be important in situations of increased physiological requirements or in malignancies. Further work at single-cell resolution using multiomic approaches and examining Mk-E biased subsets within their physiological context will undoubtedly improve our understanding of normal hematopoiesis and ability to manipulate this in pathology.
Factors associated with durable EFS in adult B-cell ALL patients achieving MRD-negative CR after CD19 CAR T-cell therapy
Authors: Hay Kevin A. , Gauthier Jordan , Hirayama Alexandre V. , Voutsinas Jenna M. , Wu Qian , Li Daniel , Gooley Ted A. , Cherian Sindhu , Chen Xueyan , Pender Barbara S. , Hawkins Reed M. , Vakil Aesha , Steinmetz Rachel N. , Schoch Gary , Chapuis Aude G. , Till Brian G. , Kiem Hans-Peter , Ramos Jorge D. , Shadman Mazyar , Cassaday Ryan D. , Acharya Utkarsh H. , Riddell Stanley R. , Maloney David G. , Turtle Cameron J.
Published: February 2019

Autologous T cells engineered to express a CD19-specific chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) have produced impressive minimal residual disease–negative (MRD-negative) complete remission (CR) rates in patients with relapsed/refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL). However, the factors associated with durable remissions after CAR T-cell therapy have not been fully elucidated. We studied patients with relapsed/refractory B-ALL enrolled in a phase 1/2 clinical trial evaluating lymphodepletion chemotherapy followed by CD19 CAR T-cell therapy at our institution. Forty-five (85%) of 53 patients who received CD19 CAR T-cell therapy and were evaluable for response achieved MRD-negative CR by high-resolution flow cytometry. With a median follow-up of 30.9 months, event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS) were significantly better in the patients who achieved MRD-negative CR compared with those who did not (median EFS, 7.6 vs 0.8 months; P < .0001; median OS, 20.0 vs 5.0 months; P = .014). In patients who achieved MRD-negative CR by flow cytometry, absence of the index malignant clone by IGH deep sequencing was associated with better EFS (P = .034). Stepwise multivariable modeling in patients achieving MRD-negative CR showed that lower prelymphodepletion lactate dehydrogenase concentration (hazard ratio [HR], 1.38 per 100 U/L increment increase), higher prelymphodepletion platelet count (HR, 0.74 per 50 000/μL increment increase), incorporation of fludarabine into the lymphodepletion regimen (HR, 0.25), and allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) after CAR T-cell therapy (HR, 0.39) were associated with better EFS. These data allow identification of patients at higher risk of relapse after CAR T-cell immunotherapy who might benefit from consolidation strategies such as allogeneic HCT. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT01865617.
Posttranscriptional modulation of TERC by PAPD5 inhibition rescues hematopoietic development in dyskeratosis congenita
Authors: Fok Wilson Chun , Shukla Siddharth , Vessoni Alexandre Teixeira , Brenner Kirsten Ann , Parker Roy , Sturgeon Christopher M. , Batista Luis Francisco Zirnberger
Published: February 2019

Reduced levels of TERC, the telomerase RNA component, cause dyskeratosis congenita (DC) in patients harboring mutations in TERC, PARN, NOP10, NHP2, NAF1, or DKC1. Inhibition of the noncanonical poly(A) polymerase PAPD5, or the exosome RNA degradation complex, partially restores TERC levels in immortalized DKC1 mutant cells, but it remains unknown if modulation of posttranscriptional processing of TERC could improve hematopoietic output in DC. We used human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) with a common dyskerin mutation (DKC1_A353V), which have defective telomere maintenance and reduced definitive hematopoietic potential, to understand the effects of reducing EXOSC3 activity, or silencing PAPD5-mediated oligoadenylation, on hematopoietic progenitor specification and function in DC. Reduction of EXOSC3 or PAPD5 levels in DKC1 mutant hESCs led to functional improvements in TERC levels and telomerase activity, with concomitant telomere elongation and reduced levels of DNA damage signaling. Interestingly, the silencing of PAPD5, but not EXOSC3, significantly restored definitive hematopoietic potential in DKC1 mutant cells. Mechanistically, we show that PAPD5 inhibition is sustained in differentiated CD34+ cells, with a concomitant increase in mature, functional, forms of TERC, indicating that regulation of PAPD5 is a potential strategy to reverse hematologic dysfunction in DC patients.
High probability of follow-up termination among AYA survivors after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation
Authors: Miyamura Koichi , Yamashita Takuya , Atsuta Yoshiko , Ichinohe Tatsuo , Kato Koji , Uchida Naoyuki , Fukuda Takahiro , Ohashi Kazuteru , Ogawa Hiroyasu , Eto Tetsuya , Inoue Masami , Takahashi Satoshi , Mori Takehiko , Kanamori Heiwa , Yabe Hiromasa , Hama Asahito , Okamoto Shinichiro , Inamoto Yoshihiro
Published: February 2019

The need for long-term follow-up (LTFU) after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) has been increasingly recognized for managing late effects such as subsequent cancers and cardiovascular events. A substantial population, however, has already terminated LTFU at HCT centers. To better characterize follow-up termination, we analyzed the Japanese transplant registry database. The study cohort included 17 980 survivors beyond 2 years who underwent their first allogeneic HCT between 1974 and 2013. The median patient age at HCT was 34 years (range, 0-76 years). Follow-up at their HCT center was terminated in 4987 patients. The cumulative incidence of follow-up termination was 28% (95% confidence interval [CI], 27%-29%) at 10 years, increasing to 67% (95% CI, 65%-69%) at 25 years after HCT. Pediatric patients showed the lowest probability of follow-up termination for up to 16 years after HCT, whereas adolescent and young adult (AYA) patients showed the highest probability of follow-up termination throughout the period. Follow-up termination was most often made by physicians based on the patient’s good physical condition. Multivariate analysis identified 6 factors associated with follow-up termination: AYA patients, female patients, standard-risk malignancy or nonmalignant disease, unrelated bone marrow transplantation, HCT between 2000 and 2005, and absence of chronic graft-versus-host disease. These results suggest the need for education of both physicians and patients about the importance of LTFU, even in survivors with good physical condition. The decreased risk for follow-up termination after 2005 may suggest the increasing focus on LTFU in recent years.
RETRACTED ARTICLE: Data cleansing method of talent management data in wireless sensor network based on data mining technology
Authors: Bai Yanli
Published: February 2019

Data mining technology is a very common computer technology, which has been widely used in many fields because of its superior performance. The method of talent management data cleaning in wireless sensor networks is studied based on data mining technology. The research status of data mining technology is first introduced at home and abroad, and the specific application forms of wireless sensor networks are analyzed. Then, the structure characteristics of wireless sensor networks are introduced, and a data cleansing technology is proposed based on clustering model. A cluster-based replication record deletion algorithm is proposed, and finally, the accuracy of data cleansing methods is verified. The results show that the research method of this paper is correct and effective.
TES functions as a Mena‐dependent tumor suppressor in gastric cancer carcinogenesis and metastasis
Authors: Wang Dan‐dan , Chen Yi‐bing , Zhao Jing‐jing , Zhang Xiao‐fei , Zhu Guang‐chao , Weng De‐sheng , Pan Ke , Lv Lin , Pan Qiu‐zhong , Jiang Shan‐shan , Wang Lei‐lei , Xia Jian‐chuan
Published: February 2019

Background

In our previous study, we identified a candidate tumor suppressor gene, testin LIM domain protein (TES), in primary gastric cancer (GC). TES contains three LIM domains, which are specific interacting regions for the cell adhesion and cytoskeleton regulatory proteins. Mena is a known cytoskeleton regulator that regulates the assembly of actin filaments and modulates cell adhesion and motility by interacting with Lamellipodin (Lpd). Therefore, we hypothesized that TES plays a role as tumor suppressor in GC through interacting with Mena. This study aimed to investigate the tumor suppressive functions of TES in GC.

Methods

We explored the tumor suppressive effect of TES in GC by in vitro cell proliferation assay, colony formation assay, cell cycle analysis, Transwell assays, and in vivo tumorigenicity and metastasis assays. The interaction of TES and Mena was investigated through immunoprecipitation‐based mass spectrometry. We also analyzed the expression of TES and Mena in 172 GC specimens using immunohistochemistry and investigated the clinicopathological and prognostic significance of TES and Mena in GC.

Results

TES suppressed GC cell proliferation and colony formation, induced cell cycle arrest, and inhibited tumorigenicity in vitro. Additionally, it inhibited GC cell migration and invasion in vitro and suppressed metastasis in vivo. TES interacted with Mena, and inhibited the interaction of Mena with Lpd. Transwell assays suggested that TES suppressed migration and invasion of GC cells in a Mena‐dependent fashion. In GC patients with high Mena expression, the expression of TES was associated with tumor infiltration (P = 0.005), lymph node metastasis (P = 0.003), TNM stage (P = 0.003), and prognosis (P = 0.010). However, no significant association was observed in GC patients with low Mena expression.

Conclusions

We believe that TES functions as a Mena‐dependent tumor suppressor. TES represents a valuable prognostic marker and potential target for GC treatment.
Genes in immune pathways associated with abnormal white matter integrity in first-episode and treatment-naïve patients with schizophrenia
Authors: Xiang Bo , Wang Qiang , Lei Wei , Li Mingli , Li Yinfei , Zhao Liansheng , Ma Xiaohong , Wang Yingcheng , Yu Hua , Li Xiaojing , Meng Yajing , Guo Wanjun , Deng Wei , Ren Hongyan , Li Tao
Published: February 2019

Background

Previous studies have inferred a strong genetic component in schizophrenia. However, the genetic variants involved in the susceptibility to schizophrenia remain unclear.

Aims

To detect potential gene pathways and networks associated with schizophrenia, and to explore the relationship between common and rare variants in these pathways and abnormal white matter integrity in schizophrenia.

Method

The analysis included 100 first-episode treatment-naïve patients with schizophrenia and 140 healthy controls. A network-based analysis was carried out on the data collected from the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium Phase I (PGC-I). Based on our genome-wide association study and whole-exome sequencing data-sets, we performed a gene-set analysis to detect associations between the combining effects of common and rare genetic variants and abnormal white matter integrity in schizophrenia.

Results

Patients had significantly reduced functional anisotropy in the left and right anterior cingulate cortex, left and right precuneus and extra-nuclear (t = 4.61–5.10, PFDR < 0.01), compared with controls. Generated from co-expression network analysis of the PGC-1 summary statistics of schizophrenia, a subnetwork of 207 genes associated with schizophrenia was identified (P < 0.01), and 176 genes were co-expressed in four gene modules. Functional enrichment analysis for genes in each module revealed that the yellow module was enriched with highly co-expressed, innate immune response genes. Furthermore, rare variants of enriched genes in the yellow module were associated with reduced functional anisotropy in the left anterior cingulate cortex (P = 0.006; Padjusted = 0.024) in patients only.

Conclusions

The pathogenesis of schizophrenia may be substantially influenced by genes involved in the immune system, via both pathway and network.

Declaration of interests

None.
Factors deterring and prompting the decision to attempt suicide on the railway networks: findings from 353 online surveys and 34 semi-structured interviews
Authors: Marzano Lisa , Mackenzie Jay-Marie , Kruger Ian , Borrill Jo , Fields Bob
Published: February 2019

Background

There is a suicide on the British railways every 36 hours. However, the reasons why people choose to die by train are not well understood.

Aims

To explore factors influencing and discouraging the decision to attempt suicide on the railway networks.

Method

We conducted an online survey and qualitative interviews with individuals who had contemplated or attempted suicide by train.

Results

A total of 353 survey responders had considered and 23 had attempted suicide at rail locations (including railways and metro/underground); a third of these cases were impulsive. The most frequently reported motivations for contemplating or attempting suicide were perceptions of quick and certain lethality (54 and 37%, respectively) and easy access to rail settings (33 and 38%, respectively). The main factor discouraging people from rail suicide was its wider impact, especially on train drivers (19%). In qualitative interviews (N = 34) the desire to avoid intervention from others was also a common motivating factor for attempting suicide on the railway networks.

Conclusions

People attempt suicide by train because railway settings are easy to access and because of an inaccurate perception of certain and quick lethality. Tackling exaggerated perceptions of lethality may help reduce suicides by train.

Declaration of interest

None.
Durable Tumor Regression and Overall Survival in Patients With Advanced Merkel Cell Carcinoma Receiving Pembrolizumab as First-Line Therapy
Authors: Nghiem Paul , Bhatia Shailender , Lipson Evan J. , Sharfman William H. , Kudchadkar Ragini R. , Brohl Andrew S. , Friedlander Phillip A. , Daud Adil , Kluger Harriet M. , Reddy Sunil A. , Boulmay Brian C. , Riker Adam I. , Burgess Melissa A. , Hanks Brent A. , Olencki Thomas , Margolin Kim , Lundgren Lisa M. , Soni Abha , Ramchurren Nirasha , Church Candice , Park Song Y. , Shinohara Michi M. , Salim Bob , Taube Janis M. , Bird Steven R. , Ibrahim Nageatte , Fling Steven P. , Homet Moreno Blanca , Sharon Elad , Cheever Martin A. , Topalian Suzanne L.
Published: February 2019

PURPOSE

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is an aggressive skin cancer often caused by the Merkel cell polyomavirus. Clinical trials of programmed cell death-1 pathway inhibitors for advanced MCC (aMCC) demonstrate increased progression-free survival (PFS) compared with historical chemotherapy data. However, response durability and overall survival (OS) data are limited.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

In this multicenter phase II trial (Cancer Immunotherapy Trials Network-09/Keynote-017), 50 adults naïve to systemic therapy for aMCC received pembrolizumab (2 mg/kg every 3 weeks) for up to 2 years. Radiographic responses were assessed centrally per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) v1.1.

RESULTS

Among 50 patients, the median age was 70.5 years, and 64% had Merkel cell polyomavirus–positive tumors. The objective response rate (ORR) to pembrolizumab was 56% (complete response [24%] plus partial response [32%]; 95% CI, 41.3% to 70.0%), with ORRs of 59% in virus-positive and 53% in virus-negative tumors. Median follow-up time was 14.9 months (range, 0.4 to 36.4+ months). Among 28 responders, median response duration was not reached (range, 5.9 to 34.5+ months). The 24-month PFS rate was 48.3%, and median PFS time was 16.8 months (95% CI, 4.6 months to not estimable). The 24-month OS rate was 68.7%, and median OS time was not reached. Although tumor viral status did not correlate with ORR, PFS, or OS, there was a trend toward improved PFS and OS in patients with programmed death ligand-1–positive tumors. Grade 3 or greater treatment-related adverse events occurred in 14 (28%) of 50 patients and led to treatment discontinuation in seven (14%) of 50 patients, including one treatment-related death.

CONCLUSION

Here, we present the longest observation to date of patients with aMCC receiving first-line anti–programmed cell death-1 therapy. Pembrolizumab demonstrated durable tumor control, a generally manageable safety profile, and favorable OS compared with historical data from patients treated with first-line chemotherapy.
Loyal Subjects at Empire's Edge: Hispanics in the Vision of a Belizean Colonial Nation, 1882–1898
Authors: Dutt Rajeshwari
Published: February 2019

This essay juxtaposes the trial of a prominent Hispanic, Manuel Jesús Castillo, in 1882 with the celebrations of the centenary of St. George's Caye in 1898 to gain a deeper understanding of the methods employed by officials in Belize to impose order on the complex post–Caste War society there in a way that was materially and politically advantageous to colonial rule at the nineteenth century's end. Colonial officials used the language and theme of loyalty to further imperial and class agendas in the context of political, social, and economic contestation. The idiom of loyalty served to simplify the complex reality of an often-discordant multiethnic society into a simple binary of loyalty versus disloyalty that determined the Britishness of the colony's subjects and provided beleaguered colonial officials with the vehicle for counteracting the dominance of the unofficial members of the colonial government.
Sex and Democracy: The Meanings of theDestapein Postdictatorial Argentina
Authors: Milanesio Natalia
Published: February 2019

In 1983, elections in Argentina ended one of the bloodiest dictatorships in Latin America (1976–83), and once the elected president Raúl Alfonsín took office, Argentines rejoiced in a democratic spring. The destape was the most explosive cultural trend in the return to democracy, emerging timidly in 1981 as the military grew weaker but remained in power and gaining momentum between 1983 and 1987. Destapar means to take the lid off, uncover, expose, and the destape was, in fact, an avalanche of sexual images and narratives. This article considers the censorship and repression of sexual content in the media during the dictatorship and examines the destape as a large-scale media phenomenon that amplified sexual explicitness to a historically unrivaled degree. The essay demonstrates that for most Argentines the destape was a metaphor for democracy, freedom, modernity, national adulthood, self-expression, and the exuberant enjoyment of life. While the article focuses mostly on celebratory meanings, it also briefly examines the positions of ultra-Catholics and of feminists, who, from very different perspectives, raised the most critical voices against the destape.
Using on-board sound recordings to infer behaviour of free-moving wild animals
Authors: Greif Stefan , Yovel Yossi
Published: February 2019

Technological advances in the last 20 years have enabled researchers to develop increasingly sophisticated miniature devices (tags) that record an animal's behaviour not from an observational, external viewpoint, but directly on the animals themselves. So far, behavioural research with these tags has mostly been conducted using movement or acceleration data. But on-board audio recordings have become more and more common following pioneering work in marine mammal research. The first questions that come to mind when recording sound on-board animals concern their vocal behaviour. When are they calling? How do they adjust their behaviour? What acoustic parameters do they change and how? However, other topics like foraging behaviour, social interactions or environmental acoustics can now be addressed as well and offer detailed insight into the animals' daily life. In this Review, we discuss the possibilities, advantages and limitations of on-board acoustic recordings. We focus primarily on bats as their active-sensing, echolocating lifestyle allows many approaches to a multi-faceted acoustic assessment of their behaviour. The general ideas and concepts, however, are applicable to many animals and hopefully will demonstrate the versatility of on-board acoustic recordings and stimulate new research.
Olfactory navigation in aquatic gastropods
Authors: Wyeth Russell C.
Published: February 2019

Gastropod diversity is substantial in marine and freshwater habitats, and many aquatic slugs and snails use olfactory cues to guide their navigation behaviour. Examples include finding prey or avoiding predators based on kairomones, or finding potential mates using pheromones. Here, I review the diversity of navigational behaviours studied across the major aquatic taxa of gastropods. I then synthesize evidence for the different theoretical navigation strategies the animals may use. It is likely that gastropods regularly use either chemotaxis or odour-gated rheotaxis (or both) during olfactory-based navigation. Finally, I collate the patchwork of research conducted on relevant proximate mechanisms that could produce navigation behaviours. Although the tractability of several gastropod species for neurophysiological experimentation has generated some valuable insight into how turning behaviour is triggered by contact chemoreception, there remain many substantial gaps in our understanding for how navigation relative to more distant odour sources is controlled in gastropods. These gaps include little information on the chemoreceptors and mechanoreceptors (for detecting flow) found in the peripheral nervous system and the central (or peripheral) processing circuits that integrate that sensory input. In contrast, past studies do provide information on motor neurons that control the effectors that produce crawling (both forward locomotion and turning). Thus, there is plenty of scope for further research on olfactory-based navigation, exploiting the tractability of gastropods for neuroethology to better understand how the nervous system processes chemosensory input to generate movement towards or away from distant odour sources.
Origin and role of path integration in the cognitive representations of the hippocampus: computational insights into open questions
Authors: Savelli Francesco , Knierim James J.
Published: February 2019

Path integration is a straightforward concept with varied connotations that are important to different disciplines concerned with navigation, such as ethology, cognitive science, robotics and neuroscience. In studying the hippocampal formation, it is fruitful to think of path integration as a computation that transforms a sense of motion into a sense of location, continuously integrated with landmark perception. Here, we review experimental evidence that path integration is intimately involved in fundamental properties of place cells and other spatial cells that are thought to support a cognitive abstraction of space in this brain system. We discuss hypotheses about the anatomical and computational origin of path integration in the well-characterized circuits of the rodent limbic system. We highlight how computational frameworks for map-building in robotics and cognitive science alike suggest an essential role for path integration in the creation of a new map in unfamiliar territory, and how this very role can help us make sense of differences in neurophysiological data from novel versus familiar and small versus large environments. Similar computational principles could be at work when the hippocampus builds certain non-spatial representations, such as time intervals or trajectories defined in a sensory stimulus space.