bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
African American Sculpture and Sculptors
Authors: Campbell Andy
Published: September 2020

Beyond monographic texts dedicated to single artists, it is rare to find book-length studies that solely focus African American sculpture—or, sculpture made by African Americans. The reasons for this are many and complex. Although sculpture was a mainstay of 19th-century arts education in Europe and the Americas, in the latter half of the 20th century sculpture was newly questioned as a stable category of production. Between the 18th century and today media-specific practices have been broadly replaced with multimedia ones. This begs the question: what constitutes sculpture in any history or reference text that purports to span a number of centuries? An artist like Renée Green (b. 1959), for example, creates sculpture—discrete, three-dimensional objects—but also multi-part environmental installations, sound works, videos, architecture, and websites, as well as photography and prints. In light of these historical shifts, this bibliography takes a broad view of sculpture, and includes the work of self-described sculptors, such as the 19th-century sculptor Edmonia Lewis, as well as those with pluralistic practices like Green. Similarly, the category of “African American” has come under scrutiny, as the various signifiers of such an identity (for example, phenotype and/or ancestry) shift with broader social, economic, aesthetic, and political systems. Terminology has also changed a great deal since the 18th century—with popular linguistic designations moving from “negro,” to “colored,” to “black,” to “Afro-American,” to “African American,” and back to “black” again. Each contains historical political import, tied to both in-group empowerment and extrinsic, sometimes derogatory, uses. The visual arts are uniquely positioned to approach, understand, question, and challenge these changing social and semiotic conditions, and the anxieties and pleasures of black identification are often registered in nuanced and multifaceted ways within the realm of the visual. It would be a mistake to assume that the term “African American” encompassed the full political force of all artists included here, many of whom experience(d) the reality of intersectional identities and oppressions attached to gender, race, ability, class, and sexuality. For a more complete accounting of the visual arts beyond sculpture, see the separate Oxford Bibliographies in African American Studies article Visual Arts.
Ahmet Hamdi Tanpinar
Authors: Gökçay Gökser
Published: September 2020

Ahmet Hamdi Tanpınar (b. 1901–d. 1962) was a Turkish novelist, poet, critic, and historian of literature. He is considered to be one of the leading figures in modernist Turkish literature, writing five novels; sixteen stories; and many essays, letters, and diaries that constitute a rich resource for understanding the last century of the Ottoman Empire and the Early Republican Era. He belonged to the first generation of teachers educated in the Republican period. Although he served as a deputy of the Republican People’s Party in the Grand National Assembly between 1943 and 1946, he mainly focused on his literary studies and worked as a professor of Turkish literature in Istanbul University until he died in 1962. His two novels Huzur and Saatleri Ayarlama Enstitüsü are considered among the best novels written in Turkish. He was heavily influenced by Turkish poet and novelist Yahya Kemal Beyatlı as well as French poet Paul Valéry. He considered himself an outsider who rejected binary identifications of modernist versus traditionalist in Turkey’s intellectual life. As a result, he bemoaned the fact that he was ignored by his contemporaries. He only began to be embraced by the Turkish intelligentsia a decade after his death in the 1970s when Turkey was increasingly struggling with the dilemmas of modernization and the inevitable domestic conflicts that derived from it. While his critique of modernity was considered as a criticism toward the modernization endeavor of the Republican period, he was a proponent of many aspects of the revolution except for the language reform. His reconciliation of the supposedly contrasting themes like the Ottoman past versus modern Turkey, with the help of allegorical narratives, highlighted the duality of the Turkish modernization and made him a pioneer in the Turkish literature. His influence can be seen in many prominent Turkish authors including Oğuz Atay and Orhan Pamuk.
Archaeology and Material Culture of Ammon and the Ammonites
Authors: Tyson Craig W.
Published: September 2020

The Ammonites (literally, “sons of Ammon”) were a tribal group with a core territory in and around the modern city of Amman, Jordan. This core area could also be referred to as Ammon; the name of the modern city is also derived from this designation. Though they are known best for their role as kin and enemy to Israel in the Bible, archaeological work has revealed much about the indigenous cultural traditions of the region. The earliest possible evidence naming the Ammonites is from the 9th century bce, but there is little doubt that they inhabited the region before that, though how much before that is difficult to say. Regardless of their date of origin, it is helpful to chart their appearance on the stage of history in the Iron Age II by including some chronological depth. Beginning with the Late Bronze Age (c. 1550–1150 bce), the region around Amman was sparsely settled with a few fortified towns and evidence for participation in international trade. New Kingdom Egypt appears to have had at least one garrison on the Plateau, probably to help control trade. The Iron Age I–IIA (c. 1150–850 bce) saw a drop in international trade associated with the disruption of the international order at the end of the Late Bronze Age. At the same time, there was an uptick in the number of sites showing occupation. In addition to bringing the first contemporary textual references to the Ammonites, the Iron Age IIB–IIC (c. 850–500 bce) was an era of increased sociopolitical complexity and economic intensification stimulated by the pressures and opportunities presented by the Neo-Assyrian and Neo-Babylonian empires. These changes are visible in the development of an indigenous tradition of writing, an unparalleled sculptural tradition, an increase in the number and variety of imports, and a significant increase in the number of small agriculturally oriented sites across the landscape. The independent polity of Ammon was turned into a province sometime in the 6th century—probably under Babylonian hegemony. The archaeological remains indicate a continuation of agricultural production and participation in long-distance trade networks, and an eventual replacement of the local system of writing with the Aramaic used by the Persians. Note on transliterations: A variety of systems exist for transliterating ancient and modern place names in Semitic languages. A simplified version of the most common transliterations is used here.
Petrus Ramus and Ramism
Authors: Sellberg Erland
Published: September 2020

Petrus Ramus was considered a controversial professor in Paris in the middle of the 16th century, and he remains so among scholars today. He is mostly considered to have been an unimportant philosopher, yet his ideas about how philosophy should be understood, and how it consequently should be taught and, most importantly, to what benefit it should be undertaken, had an enormous impact on northern Europe and New England in the Early Modern period. Ramus was born in 1515 in the north of France. He came from a noble but destitute family. Ramus spent his youth in hardship before he secured the opportunity to study in Paris. He later adopted as a motto the words of Virgil “labor improbus omnia vincit,” i.e., insatiable work overcomes everything, which reflected his pride in his ability to surmount his difficulties and obtain a masters of arts degree in 1536. Ramus won a reputation for criticizing deficiencies in the curriculum and the teaching at the university as well as for blaming Scholasticism for it. His ideas on how to reform education were not appreciated by most of his colleagues, and he was for a time banned from teaching. Modern scholars of Ramism are divided between those who think that Ramus’s departure from the Aristotelian tradition stemmed from a Platonic ontological outlook, which he never abandoned, and those who thought that his childhood’s hardship engendered in him a striving for a new and shorter educational program, one that led him to abandon the traditional Scholasticism. One argument for the latter explanation is that it easily explains all the variations found in his system of textbooks. In 1551 he was appointed to a royal professorship through which he succeeded in distancing himself from the university. And ten years later he took a further step away from scholarly circles when he converted to the Reformed faith. As a Huguenot, he lost the support of the Roman Catholic Church. Eventually he left Paris and spent time in Germany and Switzerland. He tried, although he failed, to obtain a chair in Heidelberg and in Strasbourg. In 1570 he returned to Paris and to his royal professorship, but still without the right to teach at the university. Ramus was assassinated in the immediate wake of the St. Bartholomew’s Day massacres in 1572, and for many Protestants he became a martyr.
Plant Blindness
Authors: Sanders Dawn , Ougham Helen , Thomas Howard
Published: September 2020

“Plant blindness” is the phrase introduced in an influential 1999 publication by James Wandersee and Elisabeth Schussler in connection with zoocentrism, initially in the context of biological education in the United States, but later addressed by researchers in a diversity of cultures. Wandersee and Schussler were much influenced by the psychology of perception and how it appeared to account for a general insensitivity to plants in the environment and dwindling understanding of the fundamental importance of plants for human survival and global ecology. The roots of plant blindness have been intensively analysed. Some studies conclude that it is an intrinsic trait, hardwired into human physiology and psychology. Others point to the consequences of historic trends in industrialization and urbanization and the progressive disconnection of people from the natural environment and primary sources of food, feed, fiber, and fuel. Much of the plant blindness literature confronts the need to remedy what it terms a specific condition, particularly at a time of climate and biodiversity crisis. Perhaps one of the challenges in this work is that those seeking to counteract plant blindness through education are often scientists or science educators who frequently perceive plant blindness as an ontological condition, which can be overcome by scientifically structured representations of plants using controlled vocabularies. But for those outside these communities plants are part of a worldview that is far more epistemological and thus the way plants enter, or fail to enter, an individual’s consciousness is constructed as a sociological event related to culture, experience, and environment. Understanding this is crucial if communicators and educators are to engage with the complexity of plant blindness effectively.
Can hope elevate microfinance? Evidence from Oaxaca, Mexico
Authors: Rojas Valdes Ruben Irvin , Wydick Bruce , Lybbert Travis J
Published: September 2020

Recent evidence suggests that the average effects of microfinance on borrowers is more modest than previously claimed. We carry out an experiment to test whether an intervention designed to increase aspirational hope among borrowers can elevate microfinance impacts. In collaboration with a microfinance lender in Mexico, we produced a documentary featuring successful borrowers within the organization and designed and implemented a hope curriculum rooted in positive psychology (Snyder, 1994), which conceptualizes hope as aspirations, agency, and pathways. Bank officers incorporated this curriculum into their regular weekly meetings with a randomly treated half of 52 women’s savings and credit groups with 733 women over the course of one year. We find that the intervention modestly increased indices measuring both aspirational hope and microenterprise performance over this time period. The intervention significantly increased employment and plans to hire new employees. Increases in microenterprise sales and profits were positive but statistically insignificant.
Clinical Trials Increase Off-Study Drug Use: A Segmented Time-Series Analysis
Authors: Butler-Laporte Guillaume , Cheng Matthew P , Thirion Daniel J G , De L’Étoile-Morel Samuel , Frenette Charles , Paquette Katryn , Lawandi Alexander , McDonald Emily G , Lee Todd C
Published: September 2020

Background

The effect of participation in a clinical trial on concomitant off-study investigational drug use has not been described. We sought to determine if participation in the Daptomycin as Adjunctive Therapy for Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (DASH) trial increased overall daptomycin prescribing at study sites.

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed daptomycin use for 8 years preceding the trial, off-study daptomycin use during the trial itself (31 months), and daptomycin use for 6 fiscal months after trial completion. We used a segmented linear regression analysis of an interrupted time series to analyze changes in each drug’s defined daily doses (DDD) per 1000 patient-days. As a control, we analyzed use of linezolid over these periods and also accounted for rates of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) infections.

Results

For 1.5 years before the DASH trial, daptomycin use was decreasing by –0.30 DDD per 1000 patient-days per fiscal period (95% CI, –0.52 to –0.07). Following the initiation of the study, there was a statistically significant increase in daptomycin use of 0.28 DDD per 1000 patient-days per fiscal period (95% CI, 0.03 to 0.52), despite low, stable rates of MRSA and VRE infections. Following trial completion, daptomycin use decreased back toward prestudy rates. Use of linezolid remained stable throughout.

Conclusions

Despite the DASH trial being a negative study, it impacted the prescribing habits of local clinicians during recruitment. Trialists should be aware of potential off-target study effects, and prescribers should be wary of early uptake of interventions before definitive study results.
Genetic Determinants of Antibody-Mediated Immune Responses to Infectious Diseases Agents: A Genome-Wide and HLA Association Study
Authors: Butler-Laporte Guillaume , Kreuzer Devin , Nakanishi Tomoko , Harroud Adil , Forgetta Vincenzo , Richards J Brent
Published: September 2020

Background

Infectious diseases are causally related to a large array of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). Identifying genetic determinants of infections and antibody-mediated immune responses may shed light on this relationship and provide therapeutic targets for drug and vaccine development.

Methods

We used the UK biobank cohort of up to 10 000 serological measurements of infectious diseases and genome-wide genotyping. We used data on 13 pathogens to define 46 phenotypes: 15 seropositivity case–control phenotypes and 31 quantitative antibody measurement phenotypes. For each of these, we performed genome-wide association studies (GWAS) using the fastGWA linear mixed model package and human leukocyte antigen (HLA) classical allele and amino acid residue associations analyses using Lasso regression for variable selection.

Results

We included a total of 8735 individuals for case–control phenotypes, and an average (range) of 4286 (276–8555) samples per quantitative analysis. Fourteen of the GWAS yielded a genome-wide significant (P < 5 ×10-8) locus at the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) on chromosome 6. Outside the MHC, we found a total of 60 loci, multiple associated with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)–related NCDs (eg, RASA3, MED12L, and IRF4). FUT2 was also identified as an important gene for polyomaviridae. HLA analysis highlighted the importance of DRB1*09:01, DQB1*02:01, DQA1*01:02, and DQA1*03:01 in EBV serologies and of DRB1*15:01 in polyomaviridae.

Conclusions

We have identified multiple genetic variants associated with antibody immune response to 13 infections, many of which are biologically plausible therapeutic or vaccine targets. This may help prioritize future research and drug development.
Maximizing the impact of the Canada Child Benefit: Implications for clinicians and researchers
Authors: Pentland Maximilian , Cohen Eyal , Guttmann Astrid , de Oliveira Claire
Published: September 2020

Child poverty remains a persistent problem in Canada and is well known to lead to poor health outcomes. The Canada Child Benefit (CCB) is a cash transfer program in effect since 2016, which increased both the benefit amount and number of families eligible for the previous child benefit. While the CCB has decreased child poverty rates, not all eligible families have participated. Clinicians can play an important role in screening for uptake of the program and helping families navigate the application process through several free resources. While prior research on past programs has shown benefit of similar cash transfer programs to both child and parental outcomes (both health and social), the CCB has not yet been extensively studied. Research would be valuable in both assessing the cost effectiveness of the program, especially across different income groups, and improving implementation in hard-to-reach populations.
Fault-Controlled Magma Ascent Recorded in the Central Series of the Rum Layered Intrusion, NW Scotland
Authors: Troll V R , Mattsson T , Upton B G J , Emeleus C H , Donaldson C H , Meyer R , Weis F , Dahrén B , Heimdal T H
Published: September 2020

The Palaeogene layered ultrabasic intrusion of the Isle of Rum forms the hearth of the Rum Igneous Centre in NW-Scotland. The regional Long Loch Fault, which is widely held to represent the feeder system to the layered magma reservoir, dissects the intrusion and is marked by extensive ultrabasic breccias of various types. Here we explore the connection between the layered ultrabasic cumulate rocks and breccias of central Rum that characterize the fault zone (the ‘Central Series’) and evaluate their relationship with the Long Loch Fault system. We show that fault splays in the Central Series define a transtensional graben above the Long Loch Fault into which portions of the layered units subsided and collapsed to form the extensive breccias of central Rum. The destabilization of the cumulate pile was aided by intrusion of Ca-rich ultrabasic magmas along the faults, fractures and existing bedding planes, creating a widespread network of veins and dykelets that provided a further means of disintegration and block detachment. Enrichment in LREE and compositional zoning in intra cumulate interstices suggest that the collapsed cumulates were infiltrated by relatively evolved plagioclase-rich melt, which led to extensive re-crystallization of interstices. Clinopyroxene compositions in Ca-rich gabbro and feldspathic peridotite veins suggest that the intruding magma was also relatively water-rich, and that pyroxene crystallized dominantly below the current level of exposure. We propose that the Long Loch Fault opened and closed repeatedly to furnish the Rum volcano with a pulsing magma conduit. When the conduit was shut, pressure built up in the underlying plumbing system, but was released during renewed fault movements to permit dense and often crystal-rich ultrabasic magmas to ascend rapidly from depth. These spread laterally on arrival in the shallow Rum magma reservoir, supplying repetitive recharges of crystal-rich magma to assemble the rhythmic layering of the Rum layered intrusion.
Evaluating the relationship between fecal egg count, FAMACHA score, and weight in dewormed and non-dewormed Katahdin rams during a parasite challenge
Authors: Galyon Hailey R , Zajac Anne M , Wright D Lee , Greiner Scott P , Bradford Heather L
Published: September 2020

The objective of this study was to evaluate and to estimate the relationship between fecal egg counts (FECs) and FAMACHA score and the body weight of growing Katahdin rams during a parasite challenge. One of the largest factors negatively influencing reproduction and economics in the sheep industry is gastrointestinal nematode (GIN) parasites. Due to anthelmintic resistance of these parasites, animals are selected for parasite resistance using FEC and FAMACHA scores. Data were used from the Virginia Tech Southwest Agricultural Research and Extension Center Ram Test in Glade Spring, VA, from the year 2012 to 2018 in which animals were tested in 14-d intervals for 70 d. Mixed models for repeated weight measurements were made from backward stepwise selection to evaluate the relationships between weight and GIN FEC. A total of 576 animals within 23 contemporary groups derived from test year and pasture group were analyzed. Ram, contemporary group, and consignor were considered random effects, and fixed effects were birth type, test day, age, age squared, starting weight, FEC, and FAMACHA score. Pairwise contrasts were used in the statistical analysis of parameters and their interactions. Weight and age were found to have a quadratic relationship. Increased FEC was associated with weight loss at a rate of 0.00030 kg/FEC (P < 0.0001). Animals dewormed at any point during the trial weighed less than those that were not and increased with test day to a maximum difference of 4.66 kg (P < 0.001). FAMACHA score was found to be significant (P < 0.05), but a direct relationship with weight was not conclusive. Overall, rams with severe enough parasite load to require deworming had lesser weights, which could impact the profitability of sheep production and reinforced the need to select animals that had greater innate parasite resistance.
Safety Evaluation of Biportal Endoscopic Lumbar Discectomy
Authors: Kang Min-Seok , Park Hyun-Jin , Hwang Jin-Ho , Kim Ju-Eun , Choi Dae-Jung , Chung Hoon-Jae
Published: September 2020

Study Design.

A prospective study.

Objective.

To evaluate the change in cervical epidural pressure (CEP) during biportal endoscopic lumbar discectomy (BELD).

Summary of Background Data.

In percutaneous uniportal endoscopic lumbar discectomy, irrigation fluid (IF) introduced into the spinal canal during surgery can compress the thecal sac, and act as a potential risk for neurological complications by disturbing cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) circulation and increasing intracranial pressure.

Methods.

Thirty consecutive patients, who underwent BELD, which was performed under automated pump system, an infusion pressure of 30 mmHg were enrolled. The change in CEP on C7–T1 level was measured. CEP was measured in each of the five phases of the procedure (1st phase—making surgical portals; 2nd phase—creating a workspace; 3rd phase—performing neural decompression and discectomy; 4th phase—factitious increase of pressure by clogging the outflow; 5th phase—dismission from fluid irrigation system). Neurological complications and independent risk factors were evaluated.

Results.

In the final 27 patients, changes in CEP during surgery were similar. The baseline CEP was 14.8 ± 2.8 mmHg, and the mean CEP in the 3rd phase 18.8 ± 5.1 mmHg was not significantly higher. In the 4th phase, however, the CEPs rose with linear correlation as the pressure increased. In the 5th phase, the elevated CEP returned to baseline in 2.5 ± 5.6 minutes. No patient had neurological complications. No statistically significant risk factors were observed.

Conclusion.

In BELD, which is performed to allow continuous lavage with infusion pressure set to 30 mmHg, CEP does not increase beyond the physiological range. Therefore, BELD may be considered as a potentially safe technique.

Level of Evidence: 4
Urinary bladder stone due to retained indwelling ureteral stent
Authors: Zhang Fuxun , Yu Jianhong , Wang Qianlong , Lu Yiping
Published: September 2020

Rationale:

The indwelling ureteral stents is a common procedure in routine urological practice. The double-J (D-J) stent is the most common type of stents used and is indicated mainly for short-term urinary drainage and prevention of obstruction and infection. However, prolonged indwelling stents may result in disastrous complications, such as hematuria, infection, encrustation, and stone formation. In this context, the persistence of stent in situ might play a key role as a nidus in deposition of urinary sediment, then forming calculus. Although the encrustation may become more serious as time goes on, large bladder stones are relatively rare. However, the serious encrustation and giant stone may complicate or exacerbate the conditions in turn.

Patient concerns:

A 45-year-old female patient who underwent right ureteral stent placement after open ureterolithotomy 6 years ago complained of dysuria, urinary frequency, and urgency over 2 months.

Diagnosis:

The kidney ureter bladder (KUB) x-ray showed the presence of a giant stone in the bladder and an entire D-J stent. The computed tomography (CT) urography scans revealed normal left kidney, right hydronephrosis, and an encrusted D-J stent with the significant stone, diameter 4.2 cm with a CT value of 1211.0 ± 221.6 HU, on the vesical coil. On the basis of these auxiliary examinations, the case was diagnosed as cystolith and prolonged-indwelling stents.

Interventions:

Pneumatic ballistic lithotripsy was used for crushing the bladder calculi followed by the successful extraction of intact D-J ureteral stent.

Outcomes:

No residual stone was detected on postoperative KUB x-ray and CT urography scans. Patient recovered well and was discharged 10 days after surgery. Semi-annual ultrasound examination was suggested to monitor the effect of therapy.

Lessons:

This case reminds us that it is crucial to take various measures to avoid the forgotten ureteral stent and its unfortunate late complication.
Acquired hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis as initial manifestation of multiple myeloma
Authors: Mendes Fernanda Rodrigues , Sobral Karine Marques , Culler Hebert Fabricio , Couto Samuel Campanelli Freitas , Pereira Juliana , Rocha Vanderson , Martinez Gracia Aparecida , Lage Luís Alberto de Pádua Covas
Published: September 2020

Introduction:

Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a condition characterized by a hyperinflammatory state and persistent macrophage activation, resulting in reactive phagocytosis of the hematopoietic elements. In children, it is usually a hereditary disorder, while in adults it is usually acquired secondary to viral infections, collagenoses, or tumors. Although accounting for 10% of hematologic malignancies, HLH is rarely associated with multiple myeloma (MM) and other plasmacytic dyscrasias.

Patient concerns:

A 64-year-old Brazilian man seeked medical care with a 3-month history of intermittent fever, weight loss, night sweats, and progressive anemic symptoms.

Diagnosis:

Total blood count showed severe bicytopenia (normocytic-normochromic anemia and thrombocytopenia), biochemical exams showed elevation of creatinine, as well as monoclonal peak in serum protein electrophoresis, high IgA dosage, and serum immunofixation with IgA kappa paraprotein. Bone marrow biopsy showed 30% of monoclonal and phenotypically anomalous plasmocytes, confirming the diagnosis of MM. Diagnosis of HLH was established by the presence of clinical and laboratory criteria: fever, splenomegaly, cytopenias, hypofibrinogenemia, hyperferritinemia, elevation of triglycerides, and several figures of erythrophagocytosis in bone marrow aspirate.

Interventions:

The patient experienced pulse therapy with methylprednisolone for hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, followed by initial therapy for multiple myeloma with cyclophosphamide and dexamethasone.

Outcomes:

Once the diagnosis of MM and secondary hemophagocytic syndrome was established, the patient had a rapid clinical deterioration despite the established therapeutic measures, evolving with cardiovascular failure, acute liver failure, acute disseminated intravascular coagulation, worsening renal dysfunction requiring dialysis support, respiratory dysfunction, and lowering of consciousness, characterizing rapid multiple organ dysfunction, ultimately leading to the death of the patient.

Innovation:

Here, we aimed to describe the sixth reported case of HLH associated with MM, according to cases cataloged in the PubMed database, and the first case evaluated by 18-fluordeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (18-FDG-PETCT).

Conclusion:

Our case report seeks to provide support for a better clinical and laboratory characterization of this rare paraneoplastic entity associated with MM, and aims to call the attention of hematologists and intensivists to this condition that falls within the scope of the differential diagnosis of rapid onset multiple organ failure in patients with plasmacytic neoplasms.
Complete blood count reflecting the disease status of giant cell arteritis
Authors: Yin Yue , Zhang Yun , Wang Dongmei , Han Xinxin , Chu Xiaotian , Shen Min , Zeng Xuejun
Published: September 2020

Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is the most common vasculitis in elderly, with ischemic and constitutional symptoms caused by vascular involvement and systemic inflammation. Early initiation of therapy results in prompt remission, while patients may still experience flares or severe complications during glucocorticoid tapering. This study was to identify the characteristics of Chinese GCA patients with different prognosis.

Ninety-one patients diagnosed with GCA in Peking Union Medical College Hospital in the last 20 years were followed up. Those who were lost to follow up or were followed up for less than 1 year were excluded. According to the prognosis, patients were divided into the group of favourable prognosis (patients who sustained disease remission for over 1 year) and unfavorable prognosis (patients who had relapses or severe complications). Clinical data at disease onset and after treatment were collected and analysed between the 2 groups.

Thirty-seven patients with favourable prognosis and 40 patients with unfavourable prognosis were admitted into the study. Fever as an onset symptom was less common in favourable group (P=.016). As for presentations of GCA, fever, tenderness and abnormal pulsation of temporal artery and jaw claudication were less frequently observed in patients with favourable prognosis (P=.029, .049, .043, respectively). At onset, medium-size arteries were affected more in unfavorable prognosis group (P = .048), and involvement of branches below the aortic arch were more common in favorable prognosis group (P = .034). Erythrocyte sedimentation rate in group of favourable prognosis were significantly lower after treatment (P = .041). Compared with healthy subjects, GCA patients had increased monocytes and decreased lymphocytes at disease onset (P < .01). Monocyte counts were higher in patients with favourable prognosis at disease onset (P = .043), while no significant differences were seen between the 2 groups after treatment. Lymphocyte counts were lower in patients with unfavourable prognosis (P = .014) after treatment.

Complete blood count may reflect the disease status of GCA. Little change in monocyte during treatment and lower lymphocytes after treatment may serve as potential predictors of unfavourable clinical prognosis.
From Hospital to Home: A Resident-Driven Quality Improvement Project to Overcome Discharge Prescription Barriers
Authors: Patel Parimal A. , Dillon John R. , Mazique Derek C. , Lee Jennifer I.
Published: September 2020

Background and Objectives:

Inability to obtain timely medications is a patient safety concern that can lead to delayed or incomplete treatment of illness. While there are many patient and system factors contributing to postdischarge medication nonadherence, availability and insurance-related barriers are preventable.

Purpose:

To implement a systematic process ensuring review of discharge prescriptions to ensure availability and resolve insurance barriers before patient discharge.

Methods:

A prospective single-arm quality improvement intervention study to identify and address insurance-related prescription barriers using nonclinical staff. Intervention was pilot tested with sequential spread across general medicine resident teams. The primary outcome was successful obtainment of postdischarge prescriptions confirmed by phone calls to patients or their pharmacies.

Results:

From April to August 2015, 59 of 161 patients included in the improvement process (36.6%) had one or more insurance or availability-related barriers with their prescriptions, totaling 89 issues. Forty-three of the 59 patients (72.9%) responded to postdischarge phone calls, 39 of whom (39/43, 90.7%) successfully filled their prescriptions on the first pharmacy visit.

Conclusions:

In our study, we preemptively identified that over a third of patients discharged would have encountered barriers filling their prescriptions. This interdisciplinary quality improvement project using nonclinical team members removed barriers for over 90% of our patients to ensure continuation of medical therapy without disruption and a safer postdischarge plan.
Reducing Door-to-Needle Time for Tissue Plasminogen Activator Administration in a Community Hospital: An Operations Study
Authors: Pitre Tyler , Evans Kyle , Tang Xinxin , Shamsuddin Adib , Mir Adhora , Lee Catherine , Zia Zaka , Costa Andrew P. , Giilck Stephen
Published: September 2020

Background and Objectives:

The benefit of tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) in acute ischemic stroke is time dependent. A 15-minute decrease in door-to-needle (DTN) time has been associated with increased odds of ambulating independently, faster discharge, and decreased odds of death. We investigated common causes of delay in DTN times in a community hospital setting in order to identify areas for improvement.

Methods:

A retrospective medical record review was conducted at a 574-bed community hospital. This included 100 patients who received tPA from 2016 to 2019. Time segments were classified a priori to reflect key work elements from the time between hospital arrival to tPA and recorded for each chart. Linear regression models were used to identify work elements associated with increased DTN time.

Results:

Median DTN time was 54:29 minutes. Linear regression analyses determined that differences in NIHSS score (P = .030), triage to computed tomography (CT) start (P = .017), triage to stroke physician page (P = .016), and CT report to tPA administration (P < .001) were associated with increased DTN time. CT report to tPA administration was most strongly associated with a Pearson coefficient of 0.868 (P < .001) with increased DTN time.

Conclusions:

The DTN time at our institution was above the recommended target. Our findings suggest that reducing the CT report time interval may decrease DTN time.
Streptomyces smaragdinus sp. nov., isolated from the gut of the fungus growing-termite Macrotermes natalensis
Authors: Schwitalla Jan W. , Benndorf René , Martin Karin , Vollmers John , Kaster Anne-Kristin , de Beer Z. Wilhelm , Poulsen Michael , Beemelmanns Christine
Published: September 2020

The taxonomic position of a novel aerobic, Gram-positive actinobacteria, designated strain RB5T, was determined using a polyphasic approach. The strain, isolated from the gut of the fungus-farming termite Macrotermes natalensis, showed morphological, physiological and chemotaxonomic properties typical of the genus

Streptomyces

. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, the closest phylogenetic neighbour of RB5T was

Streptomyces polyrhachis

DSM 42102T (98.87 %). DNA–DNA hybridization experiments between strain RB5T and

S. polyrhachis

DSM 42102T resulted in a value of 27.4 % (26.8 %). The cell wall of strain RB5T contained ll-diaminopimelic acid as the diagnostic amino acid. Mycolic acids and diagnostic sugars in whole-cell hydrolysates were not detected. The strain produced the following major phospholipids: diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylinositol-mannoside and phosphatidylserine. The menaquinone profile showed hexa- and octahydrogenated menaquinones containing nine isoprene units [MK-9(H6) and MK-9(H8)]. The strain exhibited a fatty acid profile containing the following major fatty acids: 12-methyltridecanoic acid (iso-C14 : 0) 12-methyltetradecanoic acid (anteiso-C15 : 0), 13-methyltetradecanoic acid (iso-C15 : 0) and 14-methylpentadecanoic acid (iso-C16 : 0). Here, we propose a novel species of the genus Streptomyces – Streptomyces smaragdinus with the type strain RB5T (=VKM Ac-2839T=NRRL B65539T).
Exploration into the origins and mobilization of di-hydrofolate reductase genes and the emergence of clinical resistance to trimethoprim
Authors: Sánchez-Osuna Miquel , Cortés Pilar , Llagostera Montserrat , Barbé Jordi , Erill Ivan
Published: September 2020

Trimethoprim is a synthetic antibacterial agent that targets folate biosynthesis by competitively binding to the di-hydrofolate reductase enzyme (DHFR). Trimethoprim is often administered synergistically with sulfonamide, another chemotherapeutic agent targeting the di-hydropteroate synthase (DHPS) enzyme in the same pathway. Clinical resistance to both drugs is widespread and mediated by enzyme variants capable of performing their biological function without binding to these drugs. These mutant enzymes were assumed to have arisen after the discovery of these synthetic drugs, but recent work has shown that genes conferring resistance to sulfonamide were present in the bacterial pangenome millions of years ago. Here, we apply phylogenetics and comparative genomics methods to study the largest family of mobile trimethoprim-resistance genes (dfrA). We show that most of the dfrA genes identified to date map to two large clades that likely arose from independent mobilization events. In contrast to sulfonamide resistance (sul) genes, we find evidence of recurrent mobilization in dfrA genes. Phylogenetic evidence allows us to identify novel dfrA genes in the emerging pathogen

Acinetobacter baumannii

, and we confirm their resistance phenotype in vitro. We also identify a cluster of dfrA homologues in cryptic plasmid and phage genomes, but we show that these enzymes do not confer resistance to trimethoprim. Our methods also allow us to pinpoint the chromosomal origin of previously reported dfrA genes, and we show that many of these ancient chromosomal genes also confer resistance to trimethoprim. Our work reveals that trimethoprim resistance predated the clinical use of this chemotherapeutic agent, but that novel mutations have likely also arisen and become mobilized following its widespread use within and outside the clinic. Hence, this work confirms that resistance to novel drugs may already be present in the bacterial pangenome, and stresses the importance of rapid mobilization as a fundamental element in the emergence and global spread of resistance determinants.
Quality characteristics and antioxidant activities of
‘Sulgidduk’ added with chicory powder during
storage
Authors: Choi Hyun Jin , Kim Da Hee , Kim So Yeon , Baek Seung Yeon , Kim Su Jin , Kim Mee Ree
Published: September 2020

The purpose of this study was to determine the quality characteristics and
antioxidant activities of ‘Sulgidduk’ added with chicory
(Cichrium intybus L.) powder during storage. Chicory powder
was added to ‘Sulgidduk’ in concentrations of 1%,
3%, or 5% of rice powder, and the ‘Sulgidduk’ was
stored at 20°C for 3 days. Immediately after preparation, the moisture
content of the ‘Sulgidduk’ increased due to the addition of
chicory. During storage, the samples in the 5% additive group showed the
least moisture content. Immediately after manufacture and during storage, no
change was observed in the sugar content. The sugar content decreased further
with the addition of chicory, but did not show much difference during storage.
The pH immediately after manufacture was the lowest in the 5% additive
group and decreased during storage. The addition of chicory increased the Hunter
color system L value, but decreased the a and b values. Analysis of the texture
properties using a texture profile analyzer showed that the hardness and
chewiness were the lowest in the 5% additive group and that the change in
these properties during storage was smallest in the 5% additive group.
These properties showed the opposite tendency to the moisture content. The total
phenolic content, DPPH radical scavenging activity, and SOD-like activity, which
represent the antioxidant activity, increased with the amount of chicory added,
and showed a small reduction in the 5% chicory additive group during
storage. From these results, the addition of chicory powder in
‘Sulgidduk’ has positive effects on its storage quality and
antioxidant activities.
Monitoring the crude fat and cholesterol content and fatty acid composition of commercial ice cream products in Korea
Authors: Sim So-Ra , Kim Ye-Seul , Lee Jeung-Hee
Published: September 2020

Commercial ice cream products in Korea were categorized by type, and their crude fat and cholesterol content and fatty acid composition were analyzed and compared with the information from their packaging labels and nutritional facts. The crude fat and cholesterol contents were 7.00-12.49 w/w% and 22.80-27.34 mg/100 g in regular ice creams, 6.27-11.02% and 25.26-29.65 mg/100 g in franchised ice creams, 2.99-7.14% and 8.96-20.72 mg/100 g in ice milks, 5.43-6.03% and 0-2.41 mg/100g in non-fat ice creams, and 1.48-4.21% and 3.70-5.76 mg/100 g in sherbet, respectively. The milk fat contents provided on the labels of two regular ice creams were lower than their analyzed crude fat contents. The cholesterol contents of four regular ice creams and five ice milks were higher than those provided in their nutritional facts. Most ice cream products contained approximately 2-4 times more saturated fatty acids than unsaturated fatty acids. The major fatty acids in regular and franchised ice creams and ice milks were palmitic, organic, myristic, and lauric acids, and along with small amounts of trans fatty acids. Regular ice creams and ice milks containing both milk fat and vegetable fat were high in lauric acid or palmitic acid. The analyzed cholesterol and crude fat contents were similar to or different from the information provided by the manufacturer. Therefore, it is necessary to periodically analyze and monitor the lipid profile of commercial ice creams.
Quality characteristics of extruded rice snacks based on the rice
cultivar and corn flour ratio
Authors: Kim Jung-Min , Cho Jun-Hyeon , Seo Woo-Duck , Youn Kwang-Sup
Published: September 2020

In order to increase the usability of rice, this study was investigated the
quality characteristics of extruded rice snacks based on the rice cultivar
(‘Aromi’, ‘Hanahreum’, ‘Jasmin 85’ and
‘Bukkyeong 2012’) and ratio of corn flour (0, 30, 50, 70 and
100% w/w) to rice flour. The moisture content and bulk density decreased
as the amylose content decreased, whereas the porosity and expansion ratio
tended to decrease with increasing amylose content. The strength and hardness
increased significantly with the amylose content. The water solubility index and
water absorption index decreased and increased, respectively, as the amylose
content increased. The moisture content and the L value increased significantly
as the proportion of rice flour was increased, whereas the b value decreased
significantly. The bulk density increased with increasing rice flour content.
The porosity, expansion ratio and specific length tended to increase as the
amount of rice flour was increased. The strength and hardness were the lowest in
extruded snacks made with 70% of rice flour. The water solubility index
and water absorption index increased significantly with increasing rice flour
content. Therefore, the best quality characteristics were observed in extruded
snacks made with the Aromi, and the optimal proportion of rice flour was
70%.
Isolation and characterization of exopolysaccharide-producing
Weissella cibaria JNU29 and its application for production
of Korean rice cake ‘Sulgidduk’
Authors: Kim Su-Hyun , Nam Seung-Hee , Yoo Seung-Jin , Yang Kwang-Yeol
Published: September 2020

Due to the nutritional value of rice cakes, there is renewed interest in this
traditional Korean food, and thus various efforts have been made to improve its
storage stability. In this study, lactic acid bacteria that produce
exopolysaccharides (EPS) were isolated and their physiochemical properties were
analyzed. The bacteria were used to produce ‘Sulgidduk’ (a Korean
rice cake) with improved storage stability. Among the 107 strains isolated from
traditional fermented foods, only five strains were confirmed to produce EPS in
MRS media with 10% sucrose. Two of these strains were identified as
members of the genus Weissella and three were identified as the
Bacillus genus via sequence analysis of 16S rDNA. Among the
five strains, the strain Weissella cibaria JNU29 was selected
for application to ‘Sulgidduk’, since it is food applicable,
viable in artificial gastric and bile juices, and produces the highest content
of EPS (16.72 g/L). TLC and HPLC analysis showed that the EPS produced by
W. cibaria JNU29 strain was a
homopolysaccharide composed of only glucose. A culture solution of the
W. cibaria JNU29 strain was mixed with milled rice flour to
prepare ‘Sulgidduk’. After incubation for 48 h, the
‘Sulgidduk’ showed lower hardness values than that of the control
without the culture solution, and the lactic acid bacteria survived to a level
of 7 log CFU/g. Thus, the W. cibaria JNU29
strain, which produces EPS, can be applied for the production of
‘Sulgidduk’, as it delays retrogradation and prevents mold-induced
decay to improve shelf life.
Virus-host interactions shape viral dispersal giving rise to distinct classes of travelling waves in spatial expansions
Authors: Hunter Michael , Krishnan Nikhil , Liu Tongfei , Möbius Wolfram , Fusco Diana
Published: September 2020

Reaction-diffusion waves have long been used to describe the growth and spread of populations undergoing a spatial range expansion. Such waves are generally classed as either pulled, where the dynamics are driven by the very tip of the front and stochastic fluctuations are high, or pushed, where cooperation in growth or dispersal results in a bulk-driven wave in which fluctuations are suppressed. These concepts have been well studied experimentally in populations where the cooperation leads to a density-dependent growth rate. By contrast, relatively little is known about experimental populations that exhibit density-dependent dispersal.

Using bacteriophage T7 as a test organism, we present novel experimental measurements that demonstrate that the diffusion of phage T7, in a lawn of hostE. coli, is hindered by steric interactions with host bacteria cells. The coupling between host density, phage dispersal and cell lysis caused by viral infection results in an effective density-dependent diffusion coefficient akin to cooperative behavior. Using a system of reaction-diffusion equations, we show that this effect can result in a transition from a pulled to pushed expansion. Moreover, we find that a second, independent density-dependent effect on phage dispersal spontaneously emerges as a result of the viral incubation period, during which phage is trapped inside the host unable to disperse. Additional stochastic agent-based simulations reveal that lysis time dramatically affects the rate of diversity loss in viral expansions. Taken together, our results indicate both that bacteriophage can be used as a controllable laboratory population to investigate the impact of density-dependent dispersal on evolution, and that the genetic diversity and adaptability of expanding viral populations could be much greater than is currently assumed.