bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Client and therapist agreement in moment‐to‐moment helpfulness ratings in psychotherapy: A microprocess approach
Authors: Penix Elizabeth A. , Swift Joshua K. , Russell Kelley A. , Trusty Wilson T.
Published: July 2020

Method

Clients (n = 16; Mage = 32.88 years; 81% female) and their therapists (n = 10; 80% female) from a training clinic provided moment‐to‐moment ratings while reviewing a video recording of a recent session. West and Kenny's Truth‐and‐Bias (T&B) model was used to examine agreement in ratings. Multilevel modeling was used to evaluate the agreement‐alliance association while controlling for sessions completed.

Results

Consistent with the T&B model, client–therapist ratings were temporally congruent and were not discrepant overall. Greater congruence and smaller discrepancies were linked with stronger alliances.

Conclusions

The within‐session and between‐dyad variability in helpfulness ratings highlight the utility of moment‐to‐moment rating methods. Findings suggest that therapists should attune to client perceptions on a within‐session level and attunement may be a target for enhancing the alliance.
Reduced LINC00551 expression promotes proliferation and invasion of esophageal squamous cancer by increase in HSP27 phosphorylation
Authors: Peng Xiong , Zhou Yuan , Chen Yuqiao , Tang Lu , Wang Guo , Jiang Hong , Wang Xiang , Tao Yongguang , Zhuang Wei
Published: July 2020

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is one of the deadliest cancers, and long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) regulate gene expression or activities. This study investigated the role of lncRNA LINC00551 in ESCC development and progression. Three paired ESCC and normal tissues were subjected to next‐generation sequencing and we identified 82 upregulated and 60 downregulated lncRNAs, including LINC00551, which was confirmed to markedly downregulated in 78 ESCC tissues and in the Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis data set. Downregulated LINC00551 expression was associated with lymph node metastasis, advanced TNM stage, and tumor size. Moreover, downregulated LINC00551 expression was also associated with poor progression‐free survival and overall survival of ESCC patients. In vitro and in vivo, LINC00551 overexpression inhibited ESCC cell proliferation and invasion, whereas knockdown of LINC00551 expression promoted ESCC cell proliferation and invasion. RNA pull‐down and mass spectrometry assays identified the potential LINC00551 binding proteins, and HSP27 was a promising LINC00551 targeting proteins after RNA immunoprecipitation assay. At the protein level, LINC00551 bound to and decreased HSP27 phosphorylation, and in turn, downregulated ESCC cell proliferation and invasion. The current study demonstrated the functional significance of LINC00551 in ESCC development, progression, and prognosis. Further study will assess LINC00551 as a novel prognostic marker or therapeutic target for ESCC.
Mendelian diseases of dysregulated canonical NF-κB signaling: From immunodeficiency to inflammation
Authors: Schnappauf Oskar , Aksentijevich Ivona
Published: July 2020

NF-κB is a master transcription factor that activates the expression of target genes in response to various stimulatory signals. Activated NF-κB mediates a plethora of diverse functions including innate and adaptive immune responses, inflammation, cell proliferation, and NF-κB is regulated through interactions with IκB inhibitory proteins, which are in turn regulated by the inhibitor of κB kinase (IKK) complex. Together, these 3 components form the core of the NF-κB signalosomes that have cell-specific functions which are dependent on the interactions with other signaling molecules and pathways. The activity of NF-κB pathway is also regulated by a variety of post-translational modifications including phosphorylation and ubiquitination by Lys63, Met1, and Lys48 ubiquitin chains. The physiologic role of NF-κB is best studied in the immune system due to discovery of many human diseases caused by pathogenic variants in various proteins that constitute the NF-κB pathway. These disease-causing variants can act either as gain-of-function (GoF) or loss-of-function (LoF) and depending on the function of mutated protein, can cause either immunodeficiency or systemic inflammation. Typically, pathogenic missense variants act as GoF and they lead to increased activity in the pathway. LoF variants can be inherited as recessive or dominant alleles and can cause either a decrease or an increase in pathway activity. Dominantly inherited LoF variants often result in haploinsufficiency of inhibitory proteins. Here, we review human Mendelian immunologic diseases, which results from mutations in different molecules in the canonical NF-κB pathway and surprisingly present with a continuum of clinical features including immunodeficiency, atopy, autoimmunity, and autoinflammation.
Impact of age-, cancer-, and treatment-driven inflammation on T cell function and immunotherapy
Authors: Quinn Kylie M , Kartikasari Apriliana E R , Cooke Rachel E , Koldej Rachel M , Ritchie David S , Plebanski Magdalena
Published: July 2020

Many cancers are predominantly diagnosed in older individuals and chronic inflammation has a major impact on the overall health and immune function of older cancer patients. Chronic inflammation is a feature of aging, it can accelerate disease in many cancers and it is often exacerbated during conventional treatments for cancer. This review will provide an overview of the factors that lead to increased inflammation in older individuals and/or individuals with cancer, as well as those that result from conventional treatments for cancer, using ovarian cancer (OC) and multiple myeloma (MM) as key examples. We will also consider the impact of chronic inflammation on immune function, with a particular focus on T cells as they are key targets for novel cancer immunotherapies. Overall, this review aims to highlight specific pathways for potential interventions that may be able to mitigate the impact of chronic inflammation in older cancer patients.
Effect of liner offset and inclination on cement retention strength of metal‐in‐metal acetabular constructs: A biomechanical study
Authors: Emara Ahmed K. , Peterson Jennifer , Piuzzi Nicolas S. , Klika Alison , Rajaravivarma Raga , Higuera‐Rueda Carlos , Roy Shammodip
Published: July 2020

Cementing metallic liners into well‐fixed acetabular shells facilitates utilizing dual‐mobility cups in revision total hip arthroplasty without shell replacement. The current biomechanical study investigated the effect of increasing cemented liner (a) inclination; and (b) offset on the cement retention strength measured as the lever‐out moment at cement failure. Eighteen metallic liner prototypes were cemented into cluster‐hole acetabular shells at variable inclinations (0°, 10°, and 20°) and offsets (0 and 10 mm) relative to the enclosing acetabular shell (6 groups; n = 3 constructs per group). The constructs were connected to a material testing frame, and lever‐out failure moments were tested through an established protocol. Failure occurred at the liner‐cement interface (18/18). There was no correlation between liner inclination and the lever‐out failure moment (r = −0.327, P = .185). Liner offset demonstrated a strong negative correlation to mean lever‐out failure moments (r = −0.788, P < .001). There was no significant difference between mean lever‐out failure moments at variable liner inclinations, regardless of offset (P = .358). Greater liner offset was associated with diminished mean lever‐out failure moments (P < .001). Compared with neutral (0° inclination, 0 mm offset), the maximum inclination and offset group had the lowest mean lever‐out failure moment (P = .011). Cemented metal‐in‐metal constructs are significantly affected by the liner positioning. While a correlation between liner inclination and cement retention strength could not be asserted, cement retention strength is significantly diminished by increased liner offset.
Influence of intermolecular interactions on the formation of spontaneous orientation polarization in organic semiconducting films
Authors: Noguchi Yutaka , Osada Kohei , Ninomiya Kaito , Gunawardana Hewa D.C.N. , Koswattage Kaveenga R. , Ishii Hisao
Published: July 2020

Spontaneous orientation polarization (SOP) has been frequently observed in the evaporated films of organic light‐emitting diode materials. Because SOP modifies the charge injection and the accumulation properties of the device, understanding and controlling SOP is crucial in optimizing the performance of the device. In this study, we investigated the dominant factors for SOP formation by focusing on intermolecular interactions. We examined the giant surface potential characteristics of coevaporated films incorporating 1,3,5‐tris(1‐phenyl‐1H‐benzimidazol‐2‐yl)benzene (TPBi) that is a typical polar molecule exhibiting SOP. In the coevaporated films of TPBi and nonpolar molecules such as 4,4′‐bis(N‐carbazolyl)‐1,1′‐biphenyl and 4,4′,4″‐tris (carbazol‐9‐yl)triphenylamine, the orientation degree of the permanent dipole moment (PDM) of TPBi is significantly enhanced with diluted TPBi density, though the enhancement is weak on the film with N,N′‐bis(1‐naphthyl)‐N,N′‐diphenyl‐1,1′‐biphenyl‐4,4′‐diamine. The results indicate that the PDM interaction between polar molecules results as a negative factor for SOP formation. Furthermore, we found that SOP formation is suppressed by the surface treatment of the self‐assembled monolayer on the gold substrate, indicating a positive effect of the van der Waals interaction between the molecule and the substrate surface.
Neural Monitoring of the External Branch of the Superior Laryngeal Nerve During Transoral Thyroidectomy
Authors: Ji Yong Bae , Jeong Jin Hyeok , Wu Che‐Wei , Chiang Feng‐Yu , Tae Kyung
Published: July 2020

Objectives/Hypothesis

There is no study regarding intraoperative neural monitoring (IONM) of the external branch of the superior laryngeal nerve (EBSLN) during transoral thyroidectomy. The objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and success rate of electrical identification of the EBSLN during transoral robotic or endoscopic thyroidectomy.

Study Design

Case series study.

Methods

We studied a cohort of 76 patients (87 nerves at risk, (NARs)) who underwent transoral robotic or endoscopic thyroidectomy and simultaneous intermittent IONM between July 2017 and May 2019. We performed the standard IONM procedure plus routine neural monitoring of the EBSLN. IONM and surgical outcome data were prospectively collected.

Results

Sixty‐one patients underwent the robotic procedure, and 15 patients underwent the endoscopic procedure. Thirty‐seven external branches of the superior laryngeal nerves at risk (42.5%) were electrically identified using electromyography signals (31 NARs, 35.6%) or cricothyroid muscle twitches (6 NARs, 6.9%). The mean pre‐(S1) and post‐dissection (S2) amplitudes of the EBSLN were 372 ± 147 and 351 ± 159 μV, respectively. The identification rates were not different between the robotic and endoscopic procedures. In comparing the early 20 NARs (18 patients) and the later 67 NARs (58 patients), the identification rate was higher in the later cases, although the difference was not statistically significant (25.0% vs. 47.8%, P = .079).

Conclusion

IONM of the EBSLN is feasible and useful in identifying and preserving the nerve during transoral thyroidectomy, although the identification rate of the nerve is relatively low.

Level of Evidence

4 Laryngoscope, 131:E671–E676, 2021
Minor Parotidectomy Complications: A Systematic Review
Authors: Lambiel Silvia , Dulguerov Nicolas , Courvoisier Delphine S. , Dulguerov Pavel
Published: July 2020

Objectives

To report descriptive statistics for minor parotidectomy complications.

Methods

A systematic review was performed, selecting 235 studies for analysis. The incidence of complications was tabulated, and descriptive statistics calculated. Outlier studies, 1 standard deviation above the mean, were reexamined to determine potential causal factors for each complication. All studies were examined for statistically significant differences for any potential causal factor.

Results

The pooled incidence of minor complications reported were hematoma 2.9% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.4‐3.5), wound infection 2.3% (95% CI: 1.8‐2.9), sialocele 4.5% (95% CI: 3.5‐5.7), salivary fistula 3.1% (95% CI: 2.6‐3.7), flap necrosis 1.7% (95% CI: 1.1‐2.5), scar issues 3.6% (95% CI: 2.4‐5.4), numbness 33.9% (95% CI: 25.6‐43.4), and deformity 11.8 (95% CI: 6.9‐19.5). Implants result in more wound complications, such as hematoma, sialocele, or salivary fistula. Sialocele and salivary fistula appear more frequently after less extensive parotid surgery, whereas hematoma, wound infections, flap necrosis, and aesthetic considerations are worse with more extensive resections.

Conclusions

Minor parotidectomy complications are more frequent than generally assumed and related to certain factors that should be investigated. Laryngoscope, 131:571–579, 2021
Phenotyping severity of patient‐centered outcomes using clinical notes: A prostate cancer use case
Authors: Bozkurt Selen , Paul Rohan , Coquet Jean , Sun Ran , Banerjee Imon , Brooks James D. , Hernandez‐Boussard Tina
Published: July 2020

Introduction

A learning health system (LHS) must improve care in ways that are meaningful to patients, integrating patient‐centered outcomes (PCOs) into core infrastructure. PCOs are common following cancer treatment, such as urinary incontinence (UI) following prostatectomy. However, PCOs are not systematically recorded because they can only be described by the patient, are subjective and captured as unstructured text in the electronic health record (EHR). Therefore, PCOs pose significant challenges for phenotyping patients. Here, we present a natural language processing (NLP) approach for phenotyping patients with UI to classify their disease into severity subtypes, which can increase opportunities to provide precision‐based therapy and promote a value‐based delivery system.

Methods

Patients undergoing prostate cancer treatment from 2008 to 2018 were identified at an academic medical center. Using a hybrid NLP pipeline that combines rule‐based and deep learning methodologies, we classified positive UI cases as mild, moderate, and severe by mining clinical notes.

Results

The rule‐based model accurately classified UI into disease severity categories (accuracy: 0.86), which outperformed the deep learning model (accuracy: 0.73). In the deep learning model, the recall rates for mild and moderate group were higher than the precision rate (0.78 and 0.79, respectively). A hybrid model that combined both methods did not improve the accuracy of the rule‐based model but did outperform the deep learning model (accuracy: 0.75).

Conclusion

Phenotyping patients based on indication and severity of PCOs is essential to advance a patient centered LHS. EHRs contain valuable information on PCOs and by using NLP methods, it is feasible to accurately and efficiently phenotype PCO severity. Phenotyping must extend beyond the identification of disease to provide classification of disease severity that can be used to guide treatment and inform shared decision‐making. Our methods demonstrate a path to a patient centered LHS that could advance precision medicine.
Variational principle for nonlinear oscillator arising in a fractal nano/microelectromechanical system
Authors: Wang Kang‐Le
Published: July 2020

In this work, a nonlinear oscillator model with a fractal derivative is successfully established for a fractal nano/microelectromechanical system (MEMS), and its variational principle is obtained by the semi‐inverse method. The established variational formulation suggests an energy conservation for the fractal nonlinear oscillator, and its approximate analytical solution is found by the two‐scale transform and homotopy perturbation method; Laplace transform is used in the solution process. This paper sheds a new light on fractal MEMS.
On the influence of model setting on stochastic frontier analysis
Authors: Staňková Michaela , Hampel David
Published: July 2020

This article deals with the comparison of technical efficiency results through various stochastic frontier analysis models. Effects of model type, possible frontier shift, distribution of inefficiency term, different output variable, and estimator selection were explored. For this purpose, aggregated annual data within the EU construction sector from 2000 to 2015 were used for the efficiency estimation. The resulting efficiency values were compared by correlation coefficients. Among others, it has been shown that estimator selection may strongly affect efficiency estimate for particular models.
DNA methylation status of bovine blastocysts obtained from peripubertal oocyte donors
Authors: Morin‐Doré Léonie , Blondin Patrick , Vigneault Christian , Grand François‐Xavier , Labrecque Rémi , Sirard Marc‐André
Published: July 2020

In the dairy industry, the high selection pressure combined with the increased efficiency of assisted reproduction technologies (ART) are leading toward the use of younger females for reproduction purposes, with the aim to reduce the interval between generations. This situation could impair embryo quality, decreasing the success rate of the ART procedures and the values of resulting offspring. Young Holstein heifers (n = 10) were subjected to ovarian stimulation and oocyte collection at 8, 11, and 14 months of age. All the oocytes were fertilized in vitro with semen from one adult bull, generating three pools of embryos per animal. Each animal was its own control for the evaluation of the effects of age. The EmbryoGENE platform was used to compare the DNA methylation status of blastocysts obtained from oocytes collected at 8 versus 14 and 11 versus 14 months of age. Age‐related contrast analysis identified 5,787 and 3,658 differentially methylated regions (DMRs) in blastocysts from heifers at 8 versus 14 and 11 versus 14 months of age, respectively. For both contrasts, the DMRs were distributed nonrandomly in the different DNA regions. The DNA from embryos from 8‐month‐old donors was more hypermethylated, while the DNA from embryos from 11‐month‐old donors displayed an intermediate phenotype. According to Ingenuity Pathway Analysis, the upstream regulator genes cellular tumor antigen p53, transforming growth factor β1, tumor necrosis factor, and hepatocyte nuclear factor 4α are particularly associated with methylation sensitive targets, which were more hypermethylated in embryos from younger donors.
Exploring landowners' perceptions, motivations and needs for voluntary conservation in a cultural landscape
Authors: Cortés‐Capano Gonzalo , Toivonen Tuuli , Soutullo Alvaro , Fernández Andrés , Dimitriadis Caterina , Garibotto‐Carton Gustavo , Di Minin Enrico
Published: July 2020

While efforts to reverse the current global environmental crisis increase, we are still experiencing unprecedented rates of species' extinctions. Traditional cultural landscapes can potentially play an important role for biodiversity conservation globally. However, these landscapes are threatened by pressures from global to local socio‐economic drivers of change. Many cultural landscapes across the world occur on private land where landowners' environmental stewardship can help support nature conservation.

In this study, we applied a place‐based collaborative approach to understand the main aspects underlying landowners' relationship with nature, their perceptions of the local social–ecological context and their vision of a desired future to identify the constraints and opportunities to support voluntary private land conservation. The study was conducted in Uruguay, in a traditional cattle ranching cultural landscape, which is a national priority area for the conservation of biodiversity. In Uruguay, approximately 96% of the land is privately owned, while the National System of Protected Areas covers only ~1% of the land.

Our results revealed that landowners had a close relationship with nature and considered themselves and their neighbours as local environmental stewards. Landowners were well aware of the importance of nature contributions to their livelihood and lifestyle and were concerned that rural exodus to urban areas and shrubland encroachment would negatively impact the social–ecological context they value and depend upon. Main needs of landowners to support biodiversity conservation were not primarily motivated by economic interests, but more related to the need for support that could enhance land management and social cohesion.

Biodiversity conservation goals in this cultural landscape cannot be pursued in isolation from social and rural development goals. Addressing local needs based on already existing links between nature's contributions and people might help support biodiversity conservation in the area. Failing to understand the context and to recognize locally perceived problems could increase the risk of voluntary conservation failure. Our approach and lessons learned can provide insights to actionable research in other cultural landscapes globally.

A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article.
The Cardiovascular Effects of Treatment with Hydroxychloroquine and Azithromycin
Authors: Simmering Jacob E. , Polgreen Linnea A. , Polgreen Philip M. , Teske Rebecca E. , Comellas Alejandro P. , Carter Barry L.
Published: July 2020

Hydroxychloroquine combined with azithromycin has been investigated for activity against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19), but concerns about adverse cardiovascular (CV) effects have been raised. This study evaluated claims data to determine if risks for CV events were increased with hydroxychloroquine alone or combined with azithromycin. We identified data from 43,752 enrollees that qualified for analysis. The number of CV events increased by 25 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 8, 42, p=0.005) per 1000 people per year of treatment with hydroxychloroquine alone compared with pretreatment levels and by 201 (95% CI: 145, 256, p<0.001) events per 1000 people per year when individuals took hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin. These rates translate to an additional 0.34 (95% CI: 0.11, 0.58) CV events per 1000 patients placed on a 5‐day treatment with hydroxychloroquine monotherapy and 2.75 (95% CI: 1.99, 3.51) per 1000 patients on a 5‐day treatment with both hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin. The rate of adverse events increased with age following exposure to hydroxychloroquine alone and combined with azithromycin. For females aged 60 to 79 years prescribed hydroxychloroquine, the rate of adverse CV events was 0.92 per 1000 patients on 5 days of therapy, but it increased to 4.78 per 1000 patients when azithromycin was added. The rate of adverse CV events did not differ significantly from zero for patients 60 years of age or younger. These data suggest that hydroxychloroquine with or without azithromycin is likely safe in individuals under 60 years of age if they do not have additional CV risks. However, the combination of hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin should be used with extreme caution in older patients.
Effects of Ammonium Perchlorate Particle Size, Ratio, and Total Contents on the Properties of a Composite Solid Propellant
Authors: Park Sungjun , Choi Sunghan , Kim Kyungmin , Kim Woonjae , Park Jungho
Published: July 2020

In this study, ammonium perchlorates (APs) with two or more different particle sizes were mixed to optimize the viscosity of the propellant slurry and the burn rate of the resulting solid composite propellants at various mixing ratios. First, to investigate the characteristics of bimodal AP, APs with 200 and 6 μm particles were used. The experimental results showed that the viscosity of the propellant mixture was excellent when the AP‐200 content, i. e., the AP with 200 μm particles, ranged from 55 to 70 wt%, and the burn rate increased with the increasing AP‐6 content. To investigate the characteristics of trimodal AP, three types of APs with 400, 200, and 6 μm particles were used. The findings revealed that the mixing ratio of the three types of APs most favorable to the rheological properties was approximately 1 : 1 : 1. In addition, although adjusting the ratio between large and small particles was desirable for changing the burn rate, varying the ratio between AP‐400 and AP‐200 did not significantly change the burn rate. Adjusting the AP‐6 ratio effectively changed the burn rate. The method of adjusting the AP contents, i. e., the solid contents of propellant, can effectively alter the viscosity and burn rate of propellant. When the total AP content was reduced, the burn rate decreased, but the overall propellant performance degraded. However, the performance parameters of the propellant, such as its density and specific impulse, could be improved by adding solid fuels, such as aluminum.
A framework for the risk assessment of residual hazardous material in the dynamic environment of a composite production process considering operational time variation
Authors: Asgari Alireza , Kibala Muke , Beauregard Yvan
Published: July 2020

In the chemical product production process, activities relating to the transportation and storage of residual hazardous materials increase the risk of workplace contamination and associated negative impacts on worker health and safety. In this context, the dynamic nature of the process complicates the study of the parameters underlying the related operational risks. The current operational risks assessment standard, ISO 31000, cannot provide a practical pathway to assess risks in dynamic operational environments. We, therefore, model a dynamic environment to investigate the effect of functional time variation on risk assessment. Verification of the claimed effect will show that even with rigorous instruction when using the available equipment, the process cannot fully conform to current safety standards.
Extra‐pelvic endometriosis: A review
Authors: Hirata Tetsuya , Koga Kaori , Osuga Yutaka
Published: July 2020

Background

Extra‐pelvic endometriosis is a rare type of endometriosis, which occurs in a distant site from gynecological organs. The diagnosis of extra‐pelvic endometriosis can be extremely challenging and may result in a delay in diagnosis. The main objective of this review was to characterize abdominal wall endometriosis (AWE) and thoracic endometriosis (TE).

Methods

The authors performed a literature search to provide an overview of AWE and TE, which are the major types of extra‐pelvic endometriosis.

Main findings

Abdominal wall endometriosis includes scar endometriosis secondary to the surgical wound and spontaneous AWE, most of which occur in the umbilicus or groin. Surgical treatment appeared to be effective for AWE. Case reports indicated that the diagnosis and treatment of catamenial pneumothorax or endometriosis‐related pneumothorax (CP/ERP) are challenging, and a combination of surgery and postoperative hormonal therapy is essential. Further, catamenial hemoptysis (CH) can be adequately managed by hormonal treatment, unlike CP/ERP.

Conclusion

Evidence‐based approaches to diagnosis and treatment of extra‐pelvic endometriosis remain immature given the low prevalence and limited quality of research available in the literature. To gain a better understanding of extra‐pelvic endometriosis, it would be advisable to develop a registry involving a multidisciplinary collaboration with gynecologists, general surgeons, and thoracic surgeons.
Structural design of high‐rise buildings using steel‐framed modules: A case study in Hong Kong
Authors: Shan Sidi , Pan Wei
Published: July 2020

Steel‐framed modular buildings afford certain advantages, such as rapid and high‐quality construction. However, although steel‐framed modules have been adopted in several countries, most of them are limited to low‐to‐medium‐rise structures; modular high‐rise buildings are rare. This study proposes a feasible structural design solution for high‐rise buildings using a steel‐framed modular system. A 31‐story student hostel building in Hong Kong is redesigned as a steel‐framed modular building and used as a case study. The finite element models of the building are formulated, and the structural behaviors under wind and earthquake load scenarios are compared. Moreover, the structural design process used for the 31‐story building is applied to design a hypothetical 40‐story modular building to further examine the proposed design solution. The numerical analysis results indicate that the roof lateral displacements and interstory drift ratios of the redesigned modular building are within the allowable limits of design codes; moreover, the modular connections behave elastically under the most adverse loading scenarios. Accordingly, the proposed solution can be used to design steel‐framed modular buildings of up to 40 stories, while complying with relevant wind and seismic codes.
Pipoxolan suppresses the inflammatory factors of NF‐κB, AP‐1, and STATs, but activates the antioxidative factor Nrf2 in LPS‐stimulated RAW 264.7 murine macrophage cells
Authors: Lin Yu‐Hsien , Lin Yu‐Jung , Chang Ting‐Hsuan , Chang Yun‐Hsuan , Lim Yun‐Ping , Chung Jing‐Gung , Hsieh Wen‐Tsong
Published: July 2020

Although pipoxolan (PIPO) is a smooth muscle relaxant, its anti‐inflammatory capability has not been studied. Therefore, we investigated the anti‐inflammatory molecular mechanisms of PIPO in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐induced RAW 264.7 macrophages. In this study, we used the MTT assay to evaluate the cytotoxicity, applied the enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay to determine the inflammatory cytokines, and performed Western blotting to assess protein expression. The results showed that PIPO significantly inhibited cytokine production, including nitric oxide, prostaglandin E2, tumor necrosis factor‐α, and interleukin‐6. PIPO also suppressed the pro‐inflammatory mediator expression with inducible nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase‐2. Moreover, PIPO prohibited the multiple inflammatory transcription factor pathways, including inhibitor kappa B/nuclear factor of the κ light chain enhancer of B cells (NF‐κB), mitogen‐activated protein kinase/activator protein‐1 (AP‐1), Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT), and toll‐like receptor 4 (TLR4)/serine/threonine kinase (AKT). Besides, PIPO effectively activated the nuclear factor erythroid 2‐related factor 2 (Nrf2)/heme oxygenase‐1 antioxidative pathway. Collectively, PIPO may attenuate the inflammatory effects via influencing the LPS/TLR4 receptor binding; suppress the expression of anti‐inflammatory transcription factors NF‐κB, AP‐1, and STAT; and activating the antioxidative transcription factor Nrf2 in LPS‐stimulated mouse RAW 264.7 cells.
Probiotic potential of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Kluyveromyces marxianus isolated from West African spontaneously fermented cereal and milk products
Authors: Motey Grace Adzo , Johansen Pernille Greve , Owusu‐Kwarteng James , Ofori Linda Aurelia , Obiri‐Danso Kwasi , Siegumfeldt Henrik , Larsen Nadja , Jespersen Lene
Published: July 2020

The yeast species Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Kluyveromyces marxianus are associated with fermentation of West African indigenous foods. The aim of this study was to characterize potential probiotic properties of S. cerevisiae and K. marxianus isolates from the West African milk products lait caillé and nunu and a cereal‐based product mawè. The strains (14 in total) were identified by 26S rRNA gene sequencing and characterized for survival at gastrointestinal stress (bile salts and low pH) and adhesion to Caco‐2 intestinal epithelial cells. Selected yeast isolates were tested for their effect on the transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER), using the intestinal epithelial cell line Caco‐2 and for maintenance of intracellular pH (pHi) during perfusion with gastrointestinal pH (3.5 and 6.5). All tested yeasts were able to grow in bile salts in a strain‐dependent manner, exhibiting a maximum specific growth rate (μmax) of 0.58–1.50 h−1. At pH 2.5, slow growth was observed for the isolates from mawè (μmax of 0.06–0.80 h−1), whereas growth of yeasts from other sources was mostly inhibited. Yeast adhesion to Caco‐2 cells was strain specific and varied between 8.0% and 36.2%. Selected strains of S. cerevisiae and K. marxianus were able to maintain the pHi homeostasis at gastrointestinal pH and to increase TEER across the Caco‐2 monolayers, indicating their potential to improve intestinal barrier functions. Based on overall results, strains of K. marxianus and S. cerevisiae from mawè exhibited the highest probiotic potential and might be recommended for further development as starter cultures in West African fermented products.
Winding modes and the reflection symmetry in AdS3
Authors: Iguri Sergio M. , Kovensky Nicolás , Maestri Leila , Martín Lucas
Published: July 2020

Abstract

We compute the contact term of the two-point function for the SL (2, ℝ)- WZNW model in the winding sector. After reviewing some generalities of the model and its Euclidean counterpart, we discuss the reflection symmetry for the spectral flowed sector. We define the corresponding intertwining operator and use it to find the explicit form of the contact term of the propagator for a vertex carrying an arbitrary amount of spectral flow. Finally, we enhance the already known integral expression of a singly flowed vertex in order to reproduce such contact term directly in the space-time picture.
Stress tensor for large-D membrane at subleading orders
Authors: Biswas Parthajit
Published: July 2020

Abstract

In this note, we have extended the result of [1] to calculate the membrane stress tensor up to $$ \mathcal{O}\left(\frac{1}{D}\right) $$
O

1
D

localized on the co-dimension one membrane world volume propagating in asymptotically flat/AdS/dS spacetime. We have shown that the subleading order membrane equation follows from the conservation equation of this stress tensor.
Quark mass effects in two-loop Higgs amplitudes
Authors: Anastasiou Charalampos , Deutschmann Nicolas , Schweitzer Armin
Published: July 2020

Abstract

We provide two two-loop amplitudes relevant for precision Higgs physics. The first is the two-loop amplitude for Higgs boson production through gluon fusion with exact dependence on the top quark mass up to squared order in the dimensional regulator ε. The second result we provide is the two-loop amplitude for the decay of a Higgs boson into a pair of massive bottom quarks through the Higgs-to-gluon coupling in the infinite top mass limit. Both amplitudes are computed by finding canonical bases of master integrals, which we evaluate explicitly in terms of harmonic polylogarithms. We obtain the bare, renormalized and IR-subtracted amplitude and provide the results in terms of building blocks suitable for changing renormalization schemes.
Toward an effective CFT2 from $$ \mathcal{N} $$ = 4 super Yang-Mills and aspects of Hawking radiation
Authors: Nian Jun , Pando Zayas Leopoldo A.
Published: July 2020

Abstract

Using $$ \mathcal{N} $$
N
= 4 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory we recover important aspects of the near-extremal thermodynamics of AdS5 black holes including both the outer and the inner horizons with their corresponding entropy and energy. This $$ \mathcal{N} $$
N
= 4 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory approach to black hole thermodynamics leads to an effective CFT2 interpretation similar to the work by Callan and Maldacena. We corroborate this effective CFT2 by implementing a particular near-horizon limit that geometrizes the Virasoro algebras as asymptotic symmetries. Using the effective CFT2 picture, we discuss aspects of the Hawking radiation rate for a region of the near-extremal AdS5 black hole quantum evolution.
Evaluating the success of Slovenia’s policy on the health of children and adolescents: results of an audit
Authors: Bizjak Tine , Novak Rok , Vudrag Marko , Kukec Andreja , Kontić Branko
Published: July 2020

Objectives

The aims of this audit were twofold: (1) to demonstrate the contribution of the auditing process in evaluating the success of child and adolescent health policy in Slovenia between 2012 and 2019, and (2) to expand on the commentary published in the International Journal of Public Health in 2019 to demonstrate the benefits of auditing in improving public health policy in general.

Methods

The audit followed health, safety and environmental approaches as per the standards of public health policy.

Results

Due to poor intersectoral coordination and weak associations between environmental and health indicators, no clear evidence could be established that child and adolescent health policy contributed to positive changes in child and adolescent health from 2012 to 2019.

Conclusions

Auditing should become an essential component of measuring the success of public health policies. Attention should also be paid to the following issues affecting youth health: sleeping and eating habits, economic migration, poverty, etc.
Postoperatives Knie
Authors: Weidekamm C.
Published: July 2020

Das vordere Kreuzband (VKB) ist das wichtigste Widerlager gegen die vordere tibiale Subluxation (vordere Schublade) und ermöglicht die Stabilität des Kniegelenks in Flexion, Extension und Innenrotation sowie Varus- und Valgusstress. Sportarten wie Fußball, Rugby, Skifahren und Tanzen erhöhen das Risiko für VKB-Verletzungen. Die Entscheidung zur operativen Versorgung der VKB-Verletzung ist vorwiegend klinisch basiert unter Berücksichtigung von vielen Faktoren wie Alter, Habitus, Geschlecht und physische Aktivitäten. Die vielen unterschiedlichen Techniken der VKB-Rekonstruktion haben ihre jeweiligen Vor- und Nachteile. Der Radiologe und der Kliniker sollten mit den unterschiedlichen Facetten der VKB-Plastik, abhängig vom Zeitintervall zwischen Operation und Bildgebung, vertraut sein. Dieser Artikel gibt eine Übersicht über die Anatomie des VKB und die häufigsten VKB-Rekonstruktions-Techniken und diskutiert normale postoperative Befunde und Komplikationen der VKB-Rekonstruktion anhand unterschiedlicher Bildgebungsmodalitäten.
Comparing the utility of in vivo transposon mutagenesis approaches in yeast species to infer gene essentiality
Authors: Levitan Anton , Gale Andrew N. , Dallon Emma K. , Kozan Darby W. , Cunningham Kyle W. , Sharan Roded , Berman Judith
Published: July 2020

In vivo transposon mutagenesis, coupled with deep sequencing, enables large-scale genome-wide mutant screens for genes essential in different growth conditions. We analyzed six large-scale studies performed on haploid strains of three yeast species (Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Schizosaccaromyces pombe, and Candida albicans), each mutagenized with two of three different heterologous transposons (AcDs, Hermes, and PiggyBac). Using a machine-learning approach, we evaluated the ability of the data to predict gene essentiality. Important data features included sufficient numbers and distribution of independent insertion events. All transposons showed some bias in insertion site preference because of jackpot events, and preferences for specific insertion sequences and short-distance vs long-distance insertions. For PiggyBac, a stringent target sequence limited the ability to predict essentiality in genes with few or no target sequences. The machine learning approach also robustly predicted gene function in less well-studied species by leveraging cross-species orthologs. Finally, comparisons of isogenic diploid versus haploid S. cerevisiae isolates identified several genes that are haplo-insufficient, while most essential genes, as expected, were recessive. We provide recommendations for the choice of transposons and the inference of gene essentiality in genome-wide studies of eukaryotic haploid microbes such as yeasts, including species that have been less amenable to classical genetic studies.
Medico-legal assessment of personal damage in older people: report from a multidisciplinary consensus conference
Authors: Ingravallo Francesca , Cerquetti Ilaria , Vignatelli Luca , Albertini Sandra , Bolcato Matteo , Camerlingo Maria , Corbi Graziamaria , De Leo Domenico , De Nicolò Andrea , De Stefano Francesco , Dell’Erba Alessandro , Di Giulio Paola , Domenici Ranieri , Fedeli Piergiorgio , Feola Alessandro , Ferrara Nicola , Forti Paola , Frigiolini Francesca , Gianniti Pasquale , Gili Enrico , Iannone Primiano , Lovato Alessandro , Lunardelli Maria Lia , Marengoni Alessandra , Marozzi Franco , Martelloni Massimo , Mecocci Patrizia , Molinelli Andrea , Polo Lorenzo , Portas Margherita , Rossi Patrizio , Scorretti Carlo , Trabucchi Marco , Volpato Stefano , Zoja Riccardo , Castellani Gloria Luigia
Published: July 2020

Ageing of the global population represents a challenge for national healthcare systems and healthcare professionals, including medico-legal experts, who assess personal damage in an increasing number of older people. Personal damage evaluation in older people is complex, and the scarcity of evidence is hindering the development of formal guidelines on the subject. The main objectives of the first multidisciplinary Consensus Conference on Medico-Legal Assessment of Personal Damage in Older People were to increase knowledge on the subject and establish standard procedures in this field. The conference, organized according to the guidelines issued by the Italian National Institute of Health (ISS), was held in Bologna (Italy) on June 8, 2019 with the support of national scientific societies, professional organizations, and stakeholders. The Scientific Technical Committee prepared 16 questions on 4 thematic areas: (1) differences in injury outcomes in older people compared to younger people and their relevance in personal damage assessment; (2) pre-existing status reconstruction and evaluation; (3) medico-legal examination procedures; (4) multidimensional assessment and scales. The Scientific Secretariat reviewed relevant literature and documents, rated their quality, and summarized evidence. During conference plenary public sessions, 4 pairs of experts reported on each thematic area. After the last session, a multidisciplinary Jury Panel (15 members) drafted the consensus statements. The present report describes Conference methods and results, including a summary of evidence supporting each statement, and areas requiring further investigation. The methodological recommendations issued during the Conference may be useful in several contexts of damage assessment, or to other medico-legal evaluation fields.
Preservation of optic nerve structure by complement inhibition in experimental glaucoma
Authors: Gassel Caroline J. , Reinehr Sabrina , Gomes Sara C. , Dick H. Burkhard , Joachim Stephanie C.
Published: July 2020

Glaucoma is characterized by a progressive damage of the retina and the optic nerve. Despite a huge research interest, the exact pathomechanisms are still unknown. In the experimental autoimmune glaucoma model, rats develop glaucoma-like damage of the retina and the optic nerve after immunization with an optic nerve antigen homogenate (ONA). An early activation of the complement system, even before optic nerve degeneration, was reported in this model. Here, we investigated the effects of a monoclonal antibody against complement factor C5 on optic nerves. Rats were immunized with ONA and compared to controls. In one eye of some ONA animals, the antibody against C5 was intravitreally injected (15 μmol: ONA + C5-I or 25 μmol: ONA + C5-II) before immunization and then every 2 weeks. After 6 weeks, optic nerves were processed for histology (n = 6/group). These analyses demonstrated that the intravitreal therapy reduced the depositions of the membrane attack complex compared to ONA animals (ONA + C5-I:p = 0.005; ONA + C5-II:p = 0.002). Cellular infiltration was significantly reduced in the ONA + C5-I group (p = 0.003), but not in ONA + C5-II tissues (p = 0.41). Furthermore, SMI-32 staining revealed that neurofilament was preserved in both treatment groups compared to ONA optic nerves (bothp = 0.002). A decreased amount of microglia was found in treated animals in comparison to the ONA group (ONA + C5-I:p = 0.03; ONA + C5-II:p = 0.009). We observed, for the first time, that a complement system inhibition could prevent optic nerve damage in an autoimmune glaucoma model. Therefore, complement inhibition could serve as a new therapeutic tool for glaucoma.
Early diagnosis is associated with improved clinical outcomes in benign esophageal perforation: an individual patient data meta-analysis
Authors: Vermeulen Bram D. , van der Leeden Britt , Ali Jawad T. , Gudbjartsson Tomas , Hermansson Michael , Low Donald E. , Adler Douglas G. , Botha Abraham J. , D’Journo Xavier B. , Eroglu Atila , Ferri Lorenzo E. , Gubler Christoph , Haveman Jan Willem , Kaman Lileswar , Kozarek Richard A. , Law Simon , Loske Gunnar , Lindenmann Joerg , Park Jung-Hoon , Richardson J. David , Salminen Paulina , Song Ho-Yong , Søreide Jon A. , Spaander Manon C. W. , Tarascio Jeffrey N. , Tsai Jon A. , Vanuytsel Tim , Rosman Camiel , Siersema Peter D. ,   the Benign Esophageal Perforation Collaborative Group, van der Bogt Ruben D. , Birch Madeleine , Dubose Joseph J. , Fox Sam , Jaklitsch Michael T. , Kuppusamy Madhan K. , Persson Saga , Rice Robert D. , Smolle Josef , Smolle-Juettner Freyja M. , Sudarshan Monisha , Sutcliffe Robert P. , Vidarsdottir Halla , Viste Asgaut
Published: July 2020

Background

Time of diagnosis (TOD) of benign esophageal perforation is regarded as an important risk factor for clinical outcome, although convincing evidence is lacking. The aim of this study is to assess whether time between onset of perforation and diagnosis is associated with clinical outcome in patients with iatrogenic esophageal perforation (IEP) and Boerhaave’s syndrome (BS).

Methods

We searched MEDLINE, Embase and Cochrane library through June 2018 to identify studies. Authors were invited to share individual patient data and a meta-analysis was performed (PROSPERO: CRD42018093473). Patients were subdivided in early (≤ 24 h) and late (> 24 h) TOD and compared with mixed effects multivariable analysis while adjusting age, gender, location of perforation, initial treatment and center. Primary outcome was overall mortality. Secondary outcomes were length of hospital stay, re-interventions and ICU admission.

Results

Our meta-analysis included IPD of 25 studies including 576 patients with IEP and 384 with BS. In IEP, early TOD was not associated with overall mortality (8% vs. 13%, OR 2.1, 95% CI 0.8–5.1), but was associated with a 23% decrease in ICU admissions (46% vs. 69%, OR 3.0, 95% CI 1.2–7.2), a 22% decrease in re-interventions (23% vs. 45%, OR 2.8, 95% CI 1.2–6.7) and a 36% decrease in length of hospital stay (14 vs. 22 days, p < 0.001), compared with late TOD. In BS, no associations between TOD and outcomes were found. When combining IEP and BS, early TOD was associated with a 6% decrease in overall mortality (10% vs. 16%, OR 2.1, 95% CI 1.1–3.9), a 19% decrease in re-interventions (26% vs. 45%, OR 1.9, 95% CI 1.1–3.2) and a 35% decrease in mean length of hospital stay (16 vs. 22 days, p = 0.001), compared with late TOD.

Conclusions

This individual patient data meta-analysis confirms the general opinion that an early (≤ 24 h) compared to a late diagnosis (> 24 h) in benign esophageal perforations, particularly in IEP, is associated with improved clinical outcome.