bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Paris of Their Own: Guidebooks for Anglo-American Female Travellers and the Rewriting of Mainstream Travel Culture
Authors: Mann Paisley
Published: July 2020

Both E. M. Forster’s A Room with a View (1908) and Charles Dickens’s Little Dorrit (1855–1857) satirize British guidebook users, depicting them as mindless followers rather than as individual explorers of foreign landscapes. Series by John Murray and Baedeker dominated the landscape of Victorian travel, and scholars have pointed out that while mainstream guidebooks made foreign tourism more accessible for the middle class, they also presented travel as a heavily prescriptive and systematic endeavour, one that often sheltered British travellers from an encounter with foreignness. This article extends our understanding of the Victorian guidebook’s legacy by examining three Anglo-American guidebooks for women travelling to Paris – Mary Abbot’s A Woman’s Paris (1900), Elizabeth Otis Williams’ Sojourning, Shopping, and Studying in Paris (1907), and Alice M. Ivimy’s A Woman’s Guide to Paris (1909). It suggests that these fin-de-siècle women’s guidebooks emerged as a critique both of mainstream guidebooks’ prescriptive approach to foreign travel and of the narrow interests to which they catered. This article shows how, in actively resisting the genre’s emphasis on uniformity and expediency, guidebooks for women instead privileged spontaneous discovery, personal interest, and an encounter with the Parisian culture and landscape. In doing so, it seeks to reformulate our understanding of women’s travel narratives and of the cultural legacy of Victorian guidebooks.
The Exclusive Economic Zone is in reality a sovereign right of a State? The dispute over the Southeastern Mediterranean natural gas fields
Authors: Koulouris Nikolaos
Published: July 2020

The notion of Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) is a relatively new one. Its gestation during the second half of the 20th century was slow and arduous. But, after its birth, it gained a very important and crucial place within the sector of International Law and especially the branch of the Law of the Sea. Furthermore, it implicates strong and unprecedented geopolitical issues, emerged between a lot of neighbouring states. Pursuant to the rule establishing its notion, the EEZ confers upon a State a sovereign right, subject to a number of restrictions, which do not, nevertheless, affect the core of its integrity. But, in real international life this integrity is seriously jeopardized. International Law, because of its particularity, cannot be equipped by and enjoy the means of forced execution, which are inherent to the national legal system of every sovereign State. The EEZ, as it is provided by the International Law and especially the United Nations Convention on the Law Of the Sea, is not in reality a sovereign right of a State. It depends on the consensus of the State with adjacent coast and overlapping EEZ, which is a ‘prerequisite’ legally not existing.
The ferroxidase LPR5 functions in the maintenance of phosphate homeostasis and is required for normal growth and development of rice
Authors: Ai Hao , Cao Yue , Jain Ajay , Wang Xiaowen , Hu Zhi , Zhao Gengmao , Hu Siwen , Shen Xing , Yan Yan , Liu Xiuli , Sun Yafei , Lan Xiaoxia , Xu Guohua , Sun Shubin
Published: July 2020

Members of the Low Phosphate Root (LPR) family have been identified in rice (Oryza sativa) and expression analyses have been conducted. Here, we investigated the functions of one of the five members in rice, LPR5. qRT-PCR and promoter–GUS reporter analyses indicated that under Pi-sufficient conditions OsLPR5 was highly expressed in the roots, and specific expression occurred in the leaf collars and nodes, and its expression was increased under Pi-deficient conditions. In vitro analysis of the purified OsLPR5 protein showed that it exhibited ferroxidase activity. Overexpression of OsLPR5 triggered higher ferroxidase activity, and elevated concentrations of Fe(III) in the xylem sap and of total Fe in the roots and shoots. Transient expression of OsLPR5 in Nicotiana benthamiana provided evidence of its subcellular localization to the cell wall and endoplasmic reticulum. Knockout mutation in OsLPR5 by means of CRISPR-Cas9 resulted in adverse effects on Pi translocation, on the relative expression of Cis-NATOsPHO1;2, and on several morphological traits, including root development and yield potential. Our results indicate that ferroxidase-dependent OsLPR5 has both a broad-spectrum influence on growth and development in rice as well as affecting a subset of physiological and molecular traits that govern Pi homeostasis.
Generating and characterizing single- and multigene mutants of the Rubisco small subunit family in Arabidopsis
Authors: Khumsupan Panupon , Kozlowska Marta A , Orr Douglas J , Andreou Andreas I , Nakayama Naomi , Patron Nicola , Carmo-Silva Elizabete , McCormick Alistair J
Published: July 2020

The primary CO2-fixing enzyme Rubisco limits the productivity of plants. The small subunit of Rubisco (SSU) can influence overall Rubisco levels and catalytic efficiency, and is now receiving increasing attention as a potential engineering target to improve the performance of Rubisco. However, SSUs are encoded by a family of nuclear rbcS genes in plants, which makes them challenging to engineer and study. Here we have used CRISPR/Cas9 [clustered regularly interspaced palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein 9] and T-DNA insertion lines to generate a suite of single and multiple gene knockout mutants for the four members of the rbcS family in Arabidopsis, including two novel mutants 2b3b and 1a2b3b. 1a2b3b contained very low levels of Rubisco (~3% relative to the wild-type) and is the first example of a mutant with a homogenous Rubisco pool consisting of a single SSU isoform (1B). Growth under near-outdoor levels of light demonstrated Rubisco-limited growth phenotypes for several SSU mutants and the importance of the 1A and 3B isoforms. We also identified 1a1b as a likely lethal mutation, suggesting a key contributory role for the least expressed 1B isoform during early development. The successful use of CRISPR/Cas here suggests that this is a viable approach for exploring the functional roles of SSU isoforms in plants.
Marriage: A Get Out of Jail Free Card?
Authors: Richardson Siane
Published: July 2020

Marital rape is a particularly heinous form of sexual violence that occurs within intimate relationships. However, throughout much of the world, the marriage contract affords legal immunity to marital partners who would otherwise be convicted as sexual offenders. By reviewing the laws of the Commonwealth jurisdictions, this research highlights the necessity for reform in many jurisdictions that continue to allow for marital exemptions to sexual offending. This review identified three main forms of marital exemption, that is the general marital exemption to the primary sexual offence, the creation of spousal-specific sexual offences, and the use of marital exemptions to remove or reduce liability for sexual offences involving minors. The operation of these marital exemptions is then considered in the context of international human rights law and its prohibition on sexual violence within intimate relationships. An analysis of the jurisprudence surrounding Article 2 of CEDAW, Article 19 of the CRC and the prohibition of torture informs the argument that international human rights law requires the prohibition of marital exemptions to sexual offending throughout the Commonwealth nations. Marital exemptions continue to afford sexual offending with impunity across many Commonwealth jurisdictions in breach of the international human rights obligations of those nations and reform should occur in order to uphold the rights of sexual violence survivors.
A search for fast-radio-burst-like emission from Fermi gamma-ray bursts
Authors: Bouwhuis Mieke , Bannister Keith W , Macquart Jean-Pierre , Shannon R M , Kaplan David L , Bunton John D , Koribalski Bärbel S , Whiting M T
Published: July 2020

We report the results of the rapid follow-up observations of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) detected by the Fermi satellite to search for associated fast radio bursts. The observations were conducted with the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder at frequencies from 1.2 to 1.4 GHz. A set of 20 bursts, of which four were short GRBs, were followed up with a typical latency of about 1 min, for a duration of up to 11 h after the burst. The data were searched using 4096 dispersion measure trials up to a maximum dispersion measure of 3763 pc cm−3, and for pulse widths w over a range of duration from 1.256 to 40.48 ms. No associated pulsed radio emission was observed above $26 \, {\rm Jy\, ms}\, (w/1\, {\rm ms})^{-1/2}$ for any of the 20 GRBs.
Recent Demographic History Inferred by High-Resolution Analysis of Linkage Disequilibrium
Authors: Santiago Enrique , Novo Irene , Pardiñas Antonio F , Saura María , Wang Jinliang , Caballero Armando
Published: July 2020

Inferring changes in effective population size (Ne) in the recent past is of special interest for conservation of endangered species and for human history research. Current methods for estimating the very recent historical Ne are unable to detect complex demographic trajectories involving multiple episodes of bottlenecks, drops, and expansions. We develop a theoretical and computational framework to infer the demographic history of a population within the past 100 generations from the observed spectrum of linkage disequilibrium (LD) of pairs of loci over a wide range of recombination rates in a sample of contemporary individuals. The cumulative contributions of all of the previous generations to the observed LD are included in our model, and a genetic algorithm is used to search for the sequence of historical Ne values that best explains the observed LD spectrum. The method can be applied from large samples to samples of fewer than ten individuals using a variety of genotyping and DNA sequencing data: haploid, diploid with phased or unphased genotypes and pseudohaploid data from low-coverage sequencing. The method was tested by computer simulation for sensitivity to genotyping errors, temporal heterogeneity of samples, population admixture, and structural division into subpopulations, showing high tolerance to deviations from the assumptions of the model. Computer simulations also show that the proposed method outperforms other leading approaches when the inference concerns recent timeframes. Analysis of data from a variety of human and animal populations gave results in agreement with previous estimations by other methods or with records of historical events.
Mimicking the temperature gradient between the sow’s oviduct and uterus improves in vitro embryo culture output
Authors: García-Martínez S , Latorre R , Sánchez-Hurtado M A , Sánchez-Margallo F M , Bernabò N , Romar R , López-Albors O , Coy P
Published: July 2020

This work was designed to determine temperature conditions within the reproductive tract of the female pig and study their impact on ARTs. Temperatures were recorded using a laparo-endoscopic single-site surgery assisted approach and a miniaturized probe. Sows and gilts were used to address natural cycle and ovarian stimulation treatments, respectively. According to in vivo values, IVF was performed at three temperature conditions (37.0°C, 38.5°C and 39.5°C) and presumptive zygotes were cultured in these conditions for 20 h, while further embryo culture (EC) (21–168 h post-insemination) was maintained at 38.5°C. After 20 h, different fertility parameters were assessed. During EC, cleavage and blastocyst stages were evaluated. Sperm membrane fluidity at the experimental temperatures was studied by using differential scanning calorimetry and fluorescence recovery after photobleaching techniques. An increasing temperature gradient of 1.5°C was found between the oviduct and uterus of sows (P < 0.05) and when this gradient was transferred to pig in vitro culture, the number of poly-nuclear zygotes after IVF was reduced and the percentage of blastocysts was increased. Moreover, the temperature transition phase for the boar sperm membrane (37.0°C) coincided with the temperature registered in the sow oviduct, and sperm membranes were more fluid at 37.0°C compared with those of sperm incubated at higher temperatures (38.5°C and 39.5°C). These data suggest that there may be an impact of physiological temperature gradients on human embryo development.
The alarmin interleukin-1α causes preterm birth through the NLRP3 inflammasome
Authors: Motomura K , Romero R , Garcia-Flores V , Leng Y , Xu Y , Galaz J , Slutsky R , Levenson D , Gomez-Lopez N
Published: July 2020

Sterile intra-amniotic inflammation is a clinical condition frequently observed in women with preterm labor and birth, the leading cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality worldwide. Growing evidence suggests that alarmins found in amniotic fluid, such as interleukin (IL)-1α, are central initiators of sterile intra-amniotic inflammation. However, the causal link between elevated intra-amniotic concentrations of IL-1α and preterm birth has yet to be established. Herein, using an animal model of ultrasound-guided intra-amniotic injection of IL-1α, we show that elevated concentrations of IL-1α cause preterm birth and neonatal mortality. Additionally, using immunoblotting techniques and a specific immunoassay, we report that the intra-amniotic administration of IL-1α induces activation of the NOD-like receptor family, pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome in the fetal membranes, but not in the decidua, as evidenced by a concomitant increase in the protein levels of NLRP3, active caspase-1, and IL-1β. Lastly, using Nlrp3−/− mice, we demonstrate that the deficiency of this inflammasome sensor molecule reduces the rates of preterm birth and neonatal mortality caused by the intra-amniotic injection of IL-1α. Collectively, these results demonstrate a causal link between elevated IL-1α concentrations in the amniotic cavity and preterm birth as well as adverse neonatal outcomes, a pathological process that is mediated by the NLRP3 inflammasome. These findings shed light on the mechanisms underlying sterile intra-amniotic inflammation and provide further evidence that this clinical condition can potentially be treated by targeting the NLRP3 inflammasome.
A point mutation in the nuclease domain of MLH3 eliminates repeat expansions in a mouse stem cell model of the Fragile X-related disorders
Authors: Hayward Bruce E , Steinbach Peter J , Usdin Karen
Published: July 2020

The Fragile X-related disorders (FXDs) are Repeat Expansion Diseases, genetic disorders that result from the expansion of a disease-specific microsatellite. In those Repeat Expansion Disease models where it has been examined, expansion is dependent on functional mismatch repair (MMR) factors, including MutLγ, a heterodimer of MLH1/MLH3, one of the three MutL complexes found in mammals and a minor player in MMR. In contrast, MutLα, a much more abundant MutL complex that is the major contributor to MMR, is either not required for expansion or plays a limited role in expansion in many model systems. How MutLγ acts to generate expansions is unclear given its normal role in protecting against microsatellite instability and while MLH3 does have an associated endonuclease activity, whether that contributes to repeat expansion is uncertain. We show here, using a gene-editing approach, that a point mutation that eliminates the endonuclease activity of MLH3 eliminates expansions in an FXD mouse embryonic stem cell model. This restricts the number of possible models for repeat expansion and supports the idea that MutLγ may be a useful druggable target to reduce somatic expansion in those disorders where it contributes to disease pathology.
Impact of 5-formylcytosine on the melting kinetics of DNA by 1H NMR chemical exchange
Authors: Dubini Romeo C A , Schön Alexander , Müller Markus , Carell Thomas , Rovó Petra
Published: July 2020

5-Formylcytosine (5fC) is a chemically edited, naturally occurring nucleobase which appears in the context of modified DNA strands. The understanding of the impact of 5fC on dsDNA physical properties is to date limited. In this work, we applied temperature-dependent 1H Chemical Exchange Saturation Transfer (CEST) NMR experiments to non-invasively and site-specifically measure the thermodynamic and kinetic influence of formylated cytosine nucleobase on the melting process involving dsDNA. Incorporation of 5fC within symmetrically positioned CpG sites destabilizes the whole dsDNA structure—as witnessed from the ∼2°C decrease in the melting temperature and 5–10 kJ mol−1 decrease in ΔG°—and affects the kinetic rates of association and dissociation. We observed an up to ∼5-fold enhancement of the dsDNA dissociation and an up to ∼3-fold reduction in ssDNA association rate constants, over multiple temperatures and for several proton reporters. Eyring and van’t Hoff analysis proved that the destabilization is not localized, instead all base-pairs are affected and the transition states resembles the single-stranded conformation. These results advance our knowledge about the role of 5fC as a semi-permanent epigenetic modification and assist in the understanding of its interactions with reader proteins.
PARP1 catalytic variants reveal branching and chain length-specific functions of poly(ADP-ribose) in cellular physiology and stress response
Authors: Aberle Lisa , Krüger Annika , Reber Julia M , Lippmann Michelle , Hufnagel Matthias , Schmalz Michael , Trussina Irmela R E A , Schlesiger Sarah , Zubel Tabea , Schütz Karina , Marx Andreas , Hartwig Andrea , Ferrando-May Elisa , Bürkle Alexander , Mangerich Aswin
Published: July 2020

Poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation regulates numerous cellular processes like genome maintenance and cell death, thus providing protective functions but also contributing to several pathological conditions. Poly(ADP-ribose) (PAR) molecules exhibit a remarkable heterogeneity in chain lengths and branching frequencies, but the biological significance of this is basically unknown. To unravel structure-specific functions of PAR, we used PARP1 mutants producing PAR of different qualities, i.e. short and hypobranched (PARP1\G972R), short and moderately hyperbranched (PARP1\Y986S), or strongly hyperbranched PAR (PARP1\Y986H). By reconstituting HeLa PARP1 knockout cells, we demonstrate that PARP1\G972R negatively affects cellular endpoints, such as viability, cell cycle progression and genotoxic stress resistance. In contrast, PARP1\Y986S elicits only mild effects, suggesting that PAR branching compensates for short polymer length. Interestingly, PARP1\Y986H exhibits moderate beneficial effects on cell physiology. Furthermore, different PARP1 mutants have distinct effects on molecular processes, such as gene expression and protein localization dynamics of PARP1 itself, and of its downstream factor XRCC1. Finally, the biological relevance of PAR branching is emphasized by the fact that branching frequencies vary considerably during different phases of the DNA damage-induced PARylation reaction and between different mouse tissues. Taken together, this study reveals that PAR branching and chain length essentially affect cellular functions, which further supports the notion of a ‘PAR code’.
Human GTPBP5 (MTG2) fuels mitoribosome large subunit maturation by facilitating 16S rRNA methylation
Authors: Maiti Priyanka , Antonicka Hana , Gingras Anne-Claude , Shoubridge Eric A , Barrientos Antoni
Published: July 2020

Biogenesis of mammalian mitochondrial ribosomes (mitoribosomes) involves several conserved small GTPases. Here, we report that the Obg family protein GTPBP5 or MTG2 is a mitochondrial protein whose absence in a TALEN-induced HEK293T knockout (KO) cell line leads to severely decreased levels of the 55S monosome and attenuated mitochondrial protein synthesis. We show that a fraction of GTPBP5 co-sediments with the large mitoribosome subunit (mtLSU), and crosslinks specifically with the 16S rRNA, and several mtLSU proteins and assembly factors. Notably, the latter group includes MTERF4, involved in monosome assembly, and MRM2, the methyltransferase that catalyzes the modification of the 16S mt-rRNA A-loop U1369 residue. The GTPBP5 interaction with MRM2 was also detected using the proximity-dependent biotinylation (BioID) assay. In GTPBP5-KO mitochondria, the mtLSU lacks bL36m, accumulates an excess of the assembly factors MTG1, GTPBP10, MALSU1 and MTERF4, and contains hypomethylated 16S rRNA. We propose that GTPBP5 primarily fuels proper mtLSU maturation by securing efficient methylation of two 16S rRNA residues, and ultimately serves to coordinate subunit joining through the release of late-stage mtLSU assembly factors. In this way, GTPBP5 provides an ultimate quality control checkpoint function during mtLSU assembly that minimizes premature subunit joining to ensure the assembly of the mature 55S monosome.
Trajectories and Risk Factors for Pediatric Postconcussive Symptom Recovery
Authors: Truss Katie , Hearps Stephen J C , Babl Franz E , Takagi Michael , Davis Gavin A , Clarke Cathriona , Anderson Nicholas , Rausa Vanessa C , Bressan Silvia , Dunne Kevin , Anderson Vicki
Published: July 2020

BACKGROUND

Persistent postconcussive symptoms (PCS) are poorly understood in children. Research has been limited by an assumption that children with concussion are a homogenous group.

OBJECTIVE

To identify (i) distinctive postconcussive recovery trajectories in children and (ii) injury-related and psychosocial factors associated with these trajectories.

METHODS

This study is part of a larger prospective, longitudinal study. Parents of 169 children (5-18 yr) reported their child's PCS over 3 mo following concussion. PCS above baseline levels formed the primary outcome. Injury-related, demographic, and preinjury information, and child and parent mental health were assessed for association with trajectory groups. Data were analyzed using group-based trajectory modeling, multinomial logistic regression, and chi-squared tests.

RESULTS

We identified 5 postconcussive recovery trajectories from acute to 3 mo postinjury. (1) Low Acute Recovered (26.6%): consistently low PCS; (2) Slow to Recover (13.6%): elevated symptoms gradually reducing; (3) High Acute Recovered (29.6%): initially elevated symptoms reducing quickly to baseline; (4) Moderate Persistent (18.3%): consistent, moderate levels of PCS; (5) Severe Persistent (11.8%): persisting high PCS. Higher levels of child internalizing behaviors and greater parental distress were associated with membership to the Severe Persistent group, relative to the Low Acute Recovered group.

CONCLUSION

This study indicates variability in postconcussive recovery according to 5 differential trajectories, with groups distinguished by the number of reported symptoms, levels of child internalizing behavior problems, and parental psychological distress. Identification of differential recovery trajectories may allow for targeted early intervention for children at risk of poorer outcomes.
Engineering biocompatible TeSex nano-alloys as a versatile theranostic nanoplatform
Authors: Ling Xiang , Jin Zhaokui , Jiang Qi , Wang Xiaotao , Wei Bin , Wang Zhongchang , Xu Yangsen , Cao Tianye , Engle Jonathan W , Cai Weibo , Su Chenliang , He Qianjun
Published: July 2020

Photothermal nanotheranostics, especially in the near infrared II (NIR-II) region, exhibits a great potential in precision and personalized medicine, owing to high tissue penetration of NIR-II light. NIR-II-photothermal nanoplatforms with high biocompatibility as well as high photothermal effect are urgently needed but rarely reported so far. Te nanomaterials possess high absorbance to NIR-II light but also exhibit high cytotoxicity, impeding their biomedical applications. In this work, the controllable incorporation of biocompatible Se into the lattice of Te nanostructures is proposed to intrinsically tune their inherent cytotoxicity and enhance their biocompatibility, developing TeSex nano-alloys as a new kind of theranostic nanoplatform. We have uncovered that the cytotoxicity of Te nanomaterials primarily derives from irreversible oxidation stress and intracellular imbalance of organization and energy, and can be eliminated by incorporating a moderate proportion of Se (x = 0.43). We have also discovered that the as-prepared TeSex nano-alloys have extraordinarily high NIR-II-photothermal conversion efficiency (77.2%), 64Cu coordination and computed tomography contrast capabilities, enabling high-efficacy multimodal photothermal/photoacoustic/positron emission tomography/computed tomography imaging-guided NIR-II-photothermal therapy of cancer. The proposed nano-alloying strategy provides a new route to improve the biocompatibility of biomedical nanoplatforms and endow them with versatile theranostic functions.
Religiosity and veteran mental health compared with non-veterans
Authors: Rogers R L
Published: July 2020

Background

While the potential buffering effects of spirituality are well established in the general population, how spirituality affects those in extremely high-stress occupations like the military and law enforcement is less clear.

Aims

This paper explores the possibility that spiritual influences may operate differently among military veterans than other people. It specifically proposes that attendance at religious services is an especially important buffer for combat veterans.

Methods

This study engaged in a secondary analysis of 74 480 respondents from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health for the years 2013–17. The respondents were split into four groups; veterans with combat experience before September 2001, veterans with combat experience since September 2001, veterans with no combat experience and non-veterans.

Results

The likelihood of mental illness decreased in the general population along three different measures of religion; the importance of religion, friendships that shared religious beliefs and attendance at religious services. The relationship was weak and disappeared when controls for non-religion variables were included. A major exception was combat veterans, for whom the religious effects were limited to attendance at services, and the effect survived with the addition of non-religion control variables.

Conclusions

Mental health professionals, chaplains, pastoral counsellors and clergy need to recognize that among the therapeutic benefits of religious attendance and recognize the value of the religious rituals as ends in themselves.
The Development of a Crosswalk for Functional Measures in Postacute Medicare Claims
Authors: McDonough Christine M , Carmichael Donald , Marino Molly E , Ni Pengsheng , Tosteson Anna N A , Bynum Julie P W
Published: July 2020

Objective

Although Medicare assessment files will include Standardized Patient Assessment Data Elements from 2016 forward, lack of uniformity of functional data prior to 2016 impedes longitudinal research. The purpose of this study was to create crosswalks for postacute care assessment measures and the basic mobility and daily activities scales of the Activity Measure for Post-Acute Care (AM-PAC) and to test their accuracy and validity in development and validation datasets.

Methods

This cross-sectional study is a secondary analysis of AM-PAC, the Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility Patient Assessment Instrument, the Minimum Data Set, and the Outcome and Assessment Information Set data from 300 adults receiving rehabilitation recruited from 6 health care networks in 1 metropolitan area. Rasch analysis was used to co-calibrate items from the 3 measures onto the AM-PAC metric and to create look-up tables to create estimated AM-PAC (eAM-PAC) scores. Mean scores and correlation and agreement between actual and estimated scores were examined in the development dataset. Scores were estimated in a cohort of Medicare beneficiaries with hip, humerus and radius fractures. Correlations between eAM-PAC and Functional Independence Measure motor scores were examined. Differences in mean eAM-PAC scores were evaluated across groups of known differences (age, fracture type, dementia).

Results

Strong correlations were found between actual and eAM-PAC scores in the development dataset. Moderate to strong correlations were found between the eAM-PAC basic mobility and Functional Independence Measure motor scores in the validation dataset. Differences in basic mobility scores across known groups were statistically significant and appeared to be clinically important. Differences between mean daily activities scores were statistically significant but appeared not to be clinically important.

Conclusion

Although further testing is warranted, the basic mobility crosswalk appears to provide valid scores for aggregate analysis of Medicare postacute care data.

Impact

This study reports on a method to take data from different Medicare administrative data sources and estimate scores on 1 scale. This approach was applied separately for data related to basic mobility and to daily activities. This may allow researchers to overcome challenges with using Medicare administrative data from different sources.
The patient’s perspective: are quality of life and disease burden a possible treatment target in systemic lupus erythematosus?
Authors: Kernder Anna , Elefante Elena , Chehab Gamal , Tani Chiara , Mosca Marta , Schneider Matthias
Published: July 2020

A few decades ago, the therapy goal of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) was survival and the prevention of organ failure. Today, clinical remission and low disease activity are believed to be the optimal therapeutic targets. These aims are difficult to reach for many patients, but they still do not address the health-related quality of life (QoL) that is significantly impaired in SLE patients. Even in the state of remission, QoL and fatigue are insufficient controlled. Thus, patient-oriented research is essential to design new strategies for the management of lupus patients. The INTEGRATE project analyses the patients’ and physicians’ perspectives to pave the way to design an innovative therapeutic strategy for lupus and focuses on the multifaceted dimensions of the disease burden. Shared decision making (SDM) could include the patient’s perspective of SLE to treatment strategy and consider QoL and the burden of lupus into the process of therapy decision.
Untargeted lipidomics reveals specific lipid abnormalities in Sjögren’s syndrome
Authors: Lu Jiawei , Guo Yunke , Lu Yan , Ji Wei , Lin Lili , Qian Wenjuan , Chen Wenjun  , Wang Jue , Lv Xiangyu , Ke Mengying , Kong Deshun , Shen Qiuxiang , Zhu Youjuan , Liu Ping , Su Jinfeng , Wang Lu , Li Yuhua , Gao Pan  , Shan Jinjun , Liu Shijia
Published: July 2020

Objective

The relationship between serum lipid variations in SS and healthy controls was investigated to identify potential predictive lipid biomarkers.

Methods

Serum samples from 230 SS patients and 240 healthy controls were collected. The samples were analysed by ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography coupled with Q Exactive™ spectrometry. Potential lipid biomarkers were screened through orthogonal projection to latent structures discriminant analysis and further evaluated by receiver operating characteristic analysis.

Results

A panel of three metabolites [phosphatidylcholine (18:0/22:5), triglyceride (16:0/18:0/18:1) and acylcarnitine (12:0)] was identified as a specific biomarker of SS. The receiver operating characteristic analysis showed that the panel had a sensitivity of 84.3% with a specificity of 74.8% in discriminating patients with SS from healthy controls.

Conclusion

Our approach successfully identified serum biomarkers associated with SS patients. The potential lipid biomarkers indicated that SS metabolic disturbance might be associated with oxidized lipids, fatty acid oxidation and energy metabolism.
Sorting beef subprimals by ribeye area size at the packer level to optimize utility and product uniformity in foodservice and retail
Authors: Steele Chandler C , Arnold Ashley N , Gehring Kerri B , Griffin Davey B , Savell Jeffrey W
Published: July 2020

The objectives of the study were to evaluate if sorting beef carcasses at the packer level by loin muscle (LM) area, using instrument grading technology, would increase the consistency of three boxed beef products for the foodservice and retail sectors of the industry. U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Choice beef sides (n = 100) and USDA Select sides (n = 100) were selected and stratified into five LM area categories (±2.9 cm2): 1) 77.4, 2) 83.9, 3) 90.3, 4) 96.8, and 5) 103.2 cm2. Beef lip-on ribeyes and boneless strip loins were obtained from USDA Choice sides and full, partially defatted tenderloins were obtained from USDA Select sides. Subprimals were scanned with a portioner that captured visual images and dimensional analyses of each subprimal, and data were analyzed by the software to determine multiple portioning outcomes for each subprimal. Portioning data were generated for each subprimal based on a variety of targeted portion weights (ribeye and strip loin steaks = 340.2 g; tenderloin steak = 170.1 g), as well as various portion thicknesses (ribeye and strip loin steaks = 31.8 mm; tenderloin steak = 44.5 and 50.8 mm). Subprimal utility varied across targeted portion weights and thicknesses within each LM area category. For the ribeyes and strip loins, optimal portion weight and thickness combinations were observed more frequently in LM area categories 1 and 2 than for the three larger LM area categories. Analysis of data for tenderloins revealed that LM area categories played a lesser role in identifying optimization of steak portion weight and thickness combinations. Findings demonstrate that creating categories of beef subprimals based on LM area as opposed to subprimal weight might provide a unique sorting method that would improve boxed beef product consistency and uniformity for foodservice and retail sectors.
A pooled analysis of six large-pen feedlot studies: effects of a noncoated initial and terminal implant compared with a single initial and delayed-release implant on arrival in feedlot heifers
Authors: Smith Zachary K , Renter David G , Holland Ben P , Word Alyssa B , Crawford Grant I , Nichols Wade T , Nuttelman Brandon L , Streeter Marshall N , Walter Lee-Anne J , Hutcheson John P , Dicke Bill , Brandt Robert T , Szasz Josh I , Bryant Tony C , Pringle Lois F G , Carlson Zac E , Erickson Galen E , Johnson Bradley J
Published: July 2020

Randomized complete block design experiments (n = 6 experiments) evaluating steroidal implants (all from Merck Animal Health, Madison, NJ) were conducted in large-pen feedlot research facilities between 2015 and 2018 comparing an 80 mg trenbolone acetate (TBA) and 8 mg estradiol-17β (E2) initial implant (Revalor-IH) and reimplanted with 200 mg TBA and 20 mg E2 (Revalor-200; REPEATED) to a single 80 mg TBA and 8 mg E2 uncoated; 120 mg TBA and 12 mg E2 coated implant (Revalor-XH) at arrival (SINGLE) on growth and carcass responses in finishing heifers. Experiments occurred in Nebraska, Oklahoma, Washington, and Texas. Similar arrival processing was used across experiments where 17,675 heifers [initial body weight = 333 kg SEM (4.1)] were enrolled into 180 pens (90 pens per treatment with 65–240 heifers per pen) and fed for 145–222 d. Only REPEATED heifers were removed from their pen at reimplant. Diets contained monensin and tylosin, consisted of ingredients common to each region, and contained greater than 90% concentrate. Ractopamine hydrochloride was fed for a minimum of 28 d prior to harvest. Linear mixed models were used for all analyses; model-adjusted means for each implant group and the corresponding SEM were generated. Distributions of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) quality grade (QG) and yield grade (YG) were analyzed as ordinal outcomes. No differences (P ≥ 0.11) were detected for any performance parameters except dry matter intake (DMI), where SINGLE had greater (P = 0.02) DMI (9.48 vs. 9.38 ± 0.127 kg) compared with REPEATED. Heifers implanted with REPEATED had greater (P ≤ 0.02) hot carcass weight (HCW; 384 vs. 382 ± 2.8 kg), dressing percentage (64.54 vs. 64.22 ± 0.120%), and ribeye area (91.87 vs. 89.55 ± 0.839 cm2) but less (P ≤ 0.01) rib fat (1.78 vs. 1.83 ± 0.025 cm) and calculated YG (2.82 vs. 2.97 ± 0.040) and similar (P = 0.74) marbling scores (503 vs. 505 ± 5.2) compared with SINGLE heifers. Distributions of USDA YG and QG were impacted (P ≤ 0.03) by treatment such that REPEATED had fewer USDA Prime and YG 4 and 5 carcasses. Heifer growth performance did not differ between implant regimens, but HCW and muscling did, perhaps indicating that REPEATED may be suited for grid-based marketing, and SINGLE might be suited for heifers sold on a live basis depending upon market conditions and value-based grid premiums and discounts. However, these decisions are operational dependent and also may be influenced by factors including animal and employee safety, stress on animals, processing facilities, time of year, labor availability, and marketing strategies.
Peripheral nerve biopsy: a tool still needed in the early diagnosis of neural leprosy?
Authors: dos Santos Diogo Fernandes , Antunes Douglas Eulálio , Dornelas Bruno Carvalho , da Cunha Bruno Araujo , Oliveira Thales Junqueira , Pereira Raquel Campos , Goulart Luiz Ricardo , Goulart Isabela Maria Bernardes
Published: July 2020

Background

The early recognition of neural impairment in leprosy, especially in primary neural forms, represents a challenge in clinical practice and a peripheral nerve biopsy may be required for diagnostic confirmation. This study aims to characterize the epidemiological, clinical, electroneuromyographic, laboratory and histopathological aspects of patients undergoing peripheral nerve biopsy during investigation of primary neural cases in leprosy.

Methods

A total of 104 patients with peripheral neuropathy who were referred to a national reference centre for leprosy were biopsied from 2014 to 2018. All cases underwent clinical, laboratory, histopathological and electroneuromyographic evaluations.

Results

Of 104 biopsied patients, leprosy was confirmed in 89.4% (93/104). The biopsied nerves were the ulnar (67.8% [63/93]), superficial fibular (21.5% [20/93]), sural (8.6% [8/93]), radial (1.1% [1/93]) and deep fibular (1.1% [1/93]). Twenty-nine percent (27/93) presented histopathological abnormalities and 4.4% (4/93) presented acid-fast bacilli. Nerve and superjacent skin quantitative polymerase chain reaction were positive in 49.5% (46/93) and 24.8% (23/93) of cases, respectively. Patients with multiple mononeuropathy had a higher frequency of histopathological abnormalities (p=0.0077).

Conclusions

This study reinforces peripheral nerve biopsy's role as an important tool in the investigation of primary neural cases, contributing to the early diagnosis and also reducing diagnostic errors and the need for empirical treatment.
Polymorphism in the IL-1β promoter is associated with IgG antibody response to circumsporozoite protein repeats of Plasmodium vivax
Authors: Capobianco Marcela Petrolini , Cassiano Gustavo Capatti , Storti-Melo Luciane Moreno , Pimenta Tamirys Simão , Rodrigues Ana Paula Drummond , Arruda José Eduardo Gomes , Pinto Marcia Ribeiro , Baptista Andrea Regina de Souza , Pratt-Riccio Lilian Rose , Bonini-Domingos Cláudia Regina , de Oliveira-Ferreira Joseli , Machado Ricardo Luiz Dantas
Published: July 2020

Background

It is well established that infection by Plasmodium vivax is a result of host-parasite interactions. In the present study, association with the IL1/IL2 cytokine profiles, anticircumsporozoite protein antibody levels and parasitic loads was evaluated in individuals naturally infected with P. vivax in an endemic area of the Brazilian Amazon.

Methods

Molecular diagnosis of P. vivax and variants was performed using the PCR-RFLP method and IL1B -511C>T, IL2 -330T>G and IL2+114T>G polymorphisms were identified using PCR-RFLP and allele-specific PCR. IL-1β and IL-2 cytokine levels were detected by flow cytometry and circumsporozoite protein (CSP) antibodies were measured by ELISA.

Results

Three variants of P. vivax CSP were identified and VK247 was found to be the most frequent. However, the prevalence and magnitude of IgG antibodies were higher for the VK210 variant. Furthermore, the antibody response to the CSP variants was not associated with the presence of the variant in the infection. Significant differences were observed between the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) -511T>C in the IL1B gene and levels of antibodies to the VK247 and P. vivax-like variants, but there were no associations between SNPs in IL1 and IL2 genes and their plasma products.

Conclusions

Individuals with the rs16944 CC genotype in the IL1β gene have higher antibody levels to the CSP of P. vivax of VK247 and P. vivax-like variants.
The effect of menopause on metabolic syndrome: cross-sectional results from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging
Authors: Christakis Marie K. , Hasan Haroon , De Souza Leanne R. , Shirreff Lindsay
Published: July 2020

Objectives:

Data were examined from women surveyed in the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging to evaluate whether menopause is an independent risk factor for the development of metabolic syndrome (MetS) or its components, including hypertension, central obesity, dyslipidemia, or elevated glycated hemoglobin.

Methods:

We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of women aged 45-85 years old that participated in the baseline data of the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging Comprehensive Cohort collected from 2012 to 2015. Modified Poisson regression with robust error variance was used to estimate the crude and adjusted relative risks (aRRs) of MetS in postmenopausal women compared to premenopausal women.

Results:

Among 12,611 women analyzed, 10,035 (79.6%) had undergone menopause and 2,576 (20.4%) were premenopausal. Postmenopausal women were more likely to meet criteria for MetS compared to premenopausal women (32.6% vs 20.5%, P < 0.001). Using the MetS criteria with a lower waist circumference threshold, the prevalence of MetS was higher at 38.2% among postmenopausal women and 23.2% among premenopausal women (P < 0.001). After adjusting for age, body mass index, and other covariates, the occurrence of menopause was not associated with a significantly higher relative risk of MetS, using the unified criteria for MetS (aRR 1.09 [95% CI: 0.99-1.19]). Women with menopause had a significantly higher relative risk of MetS when using criteria with a lower waist circumference (aRR 1.10 [95% CI: 1.01-1.19]). Menopause was also associated with a higher risk of impaired glucose tolerance (aRR 1.42 [95% CI: 1.26-1.59]), elevated blood pressure (aRR 1.12 [95% CI: 1.03-1.21]), and elevated triglycerides (aRR 1.17 [95% CI: 1.08-1.26]).

Conclusion:

Menopause is associated with an increased risk of MetS, independent of age. Lifestyle interventions targeted at women with MetS are known to prevent type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular risk. Perimenopause may be an important preventative care opportunity to assess metabolic risk factors and improve health and longevity of Canadian women.
Depression, anxiety, and fear of death in postmenopausal women
Authors: Ozdemir Kevser , Sahin Sevil , Guler Dondu Sevimli , Unsal Alaattin , Akdemir Nermin
Published: July 2020

Objective:

This study aimed to determine the frequency of depression in postmenopausal women, examine some variables that are thought to be related, and evaluate the relationships between postmenopausal depression, anxiety, and fear of death.

Methods:

The study is a cross-sectional study conducted among postmenopausal women who applied to an Obstetrics and Gynecology Polyclinic in Sakarya, Turkey, between March and September 2018. The study group consisted of 485 postmenopausal women. For statistical analysis, the chi-square test, logistic regression analysis, Mann-Whitney U test, and Spearman correlation analysis were used. Values of P ≤ 0.05 were accepted as statistically significant.

Results:

The ages of the participants ranged between 35 and 78 years, and the average was 56.33 ± 7.34 years. Being a widow or separated from one's partner (odds ratio [OR]: 3.478), alcohol consumption (OR: 11.772), any history of illness that required continuous medication (OR: 3.579), presence of any physical disability (OR: 2.242), history of any mental disorder with a physician's diagnosis (OR: 4.213), and number of living children 4 or more (OR: 4.174) were found to be important risk factors for postmenopausal depression. A moderate positive correlation was found between the depression scale and the scores obtained from the anxiety scale (r = 0.467; P = 0.001). No difference was found between participants with and without depression in terms of fear of death.

Conclusion:

Depression among postmenopausal women is an important health problem that needs to be studied further. No relation was found between depression and fear of death. These results will be beneficial for raising awareness about depression among postmenopausal women and conducting screening for early diagnosis.
Orbital Lobe and Palpebral Adenomas of the Lacrimal Gland Behave as Distinct Entities
Authors: Rose Geoffrey E. , Vahdani Kaveh
Published: July 2020

Aims:

To assess whether orbital lobe and palpebral adenomas of the lacrimal gland are biologically similar, based upon a comparison of the age at presentation and at first symptom. The size of the excised tumor in the 2 groups is also examined and considered in relation to age at surgery.

Methods:

Review of clinical details and histopathology reports for patients with biopsy-proven lacrimal gland pleomorphic adenomas, under the care of Moorfields Eye Hospital. The age at presentation and at earliest symptoms were calculated for each patient. Where available, estimates of tumor volume were obtained from the 3 orthogonal measurements taken during histopathological examination.

Results:

One hundred eighty-seven patients (100 male patients; 53%) presented at an average age of 48 years (median, 46.8; range, 11–88): the average age for 144 patients with orbital lobe tumors (mean, 48 years; median, 47.8; range, 11–88) was similar to that for 43 patients with palpebral tumors (mean, 46 years; median, 46.8; range, 24–81) (p = 0.45). The average age at first symptom(s) in the 2 groups is similar (orbital 45 years, palpebral 44 years; p = 0.63). In contrast, there is a very highly significant difference in estimated tumor volumes, with the mean for orbital lobe pleomorphic adenomas being 5.4 ml (median, 4.9 ml; range, 1.5–13.6) and that for palpebral being 0.91 ml (median, 0.7 5 ml; range 0.11–3.61) (p = 1.42 × 10−25).

Conclusions:

As expected, excised palpebral adenomas—readily palpable in the eyelid—are very much smaller than orbital lobe tumors, that tend to be impalpable. If pleomorphic adenomas in the 2 locations were biologically identical, they should arise at the same time and have similar growth rates—which would mean that orbital pleomorphic adenomas ([PAs] being, on average, 6 times the size of palpebral PAs) should present several decades later. The age at presentation and age at first symptom are, however, almost identical in the 2 groups. These observations provide incontrovertible evidence that, in their biological behavior, palpebral and orbital PAs are distinct entities—either arising at different ages (with orbital tumors arising much earlier in life) or having different growth rates (palpebral PAs being slower).