bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Left hemisphere abnormalities in developmental prosopagnosia when looking at faces but not words
Authors: Gerlach Christian , Klargaard Solja K , Alnæs Dag , Kolskår Knut K , Karstoft Jens , Westlye Lars T , Starrfelt Randi
Published: December 2019

Developmental prosopagnosia is a disorder characterized by profound and lifelong difficulties with face recognition in the absence of sensory or intellectual deficits or known brain injury. While there has been a surge in research on developmental prosopagnosia over the last decade and a half, the cognitive mechanisms behind the disorder and its neural underpinnings remain elusive. Most recently it has been proposed that developmental prosopagnosia may be a manifestation of widespread disturbance in neural migration which affects both face responsive brain regions as well as other category-sensitive visual areas. We present a combined behavioural and functional MRI study of face, object and word processing in a group of developmental prosopagnosics (N = 15). We show that developmental prosopagnosia is associated with reduced activation of core ventral face areas during perception of faces. The reductions were bilateral but tended to be more pronounced in the left hemisphere. As the first study to address category selectivity for word processing in developmental prosopagnosia, we do not, however, find evidence for reduced activation of the visual word form area during perception of orthographic material. We also find no evidence for reduced activation of the lateral occipital complex during perception of objects. These imaging findings correspond well with the behavioural performance of the developmental prosopagnosics, who show severe impairment for faces but normal reading and recognition of line drawings. Our findings suggest that a general deficit in neural migration across ventral occipito-temporal cortex is not a viable explanation for developmental prosopagnosia. The finding of left hemisphere involvement in our group of developmental prosopagnosics was at first surprising. However, a closer look at existing studies shows similar, but hitherto undiscussed, findings. These left hemisphere abnormalities seen in developmental prosopagnosia contrasts with lesion and imaging studies suggesting primarily right hemisphere involvement in acquired prosopagnosia, and this may reflect that the left hemisphere is important for the development of a normal face recognition network.
Is tau in the absence of amyloid on the Alzheimer’s continuum?: A study of discordant PET positivity
Authors: Weigand Alexandra J , Bangen Katherine J , Thomas Kelsey R , Delano-Wood Lisa , Gilbert Paul E , Brickman Adam M , Bondi Mark W ,   Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative
Published: December 2019

The amyloid cascade model of Alzheimer’s disease posits the primacy of amyloid beta deposition preceding tau-mediated neurofibrillary tangle formation. The amyloid-tau-neurodegeneration biomarker-only diagnostic framework similarly requires the presence of amyloid beta for a diagnosis on the Alzheimer’s continuum. However, medial temporal lobe tau pathology in the absence of amyloid beta is frequently observed at autopsy in cognitively normal individuals, a phenomenon that may reflect a consequence of aging and has been labelled ‘primary age-related tauopathy’. Alternatively, others argue that this tauopathy reflects an early stage of the developmental continuum leading to Alzheimer’s disease. We used positron emission tomography imaging to investigate amyloid beta and tau positivity and associations with cognition to better inform the conceptualization of biomarker changes in Alzheimer’s pathogenesis. Five hundred twenty-three individuals from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative who had undergone flortaucipir positron emission tomography imaging were selected to derive positron emission tomography positivity thresholds using conditional inference decision tree regression. A subsample of 301 individuals without dementia (i.e. those with normal cognition or mild cognitive impairment) had also undergone florbetapir positron emission tomography imaging within 12 months and were categorized into one of the four groups based on cortical amyloid and Braak stage I/II tau positivity: A−/T−, A+/T−, A−/T+, or A+/T+. Tau positivity in the absence of amyloid beta positivity (i.e. A−/T+) comprised the largest group, representing 45% of the sample. In contrast, only 6% of the sample was identified as A+/T−, and the remainder of the sample fell into A−/T− (22%) or A+/T+ (27%) categories. A−/T− and A+/T− groups had the best cognitive performances across memory, language and executive function; the A−/T+ group showed small-to-moderate relative decreases in cognition; and the A+/T+ group had the worst cognitive performances. Furthermore, there were negative associations between Braak stage I/II tau values and all cognitive domains only in the A−/T+ and A+/T+ groups, with strongest associations for the A+/T+ group. Among our sample of older adults across the Alzheimer’s pathological spectrum, 7-fold fewer individuals have positron emission tomography evidence of amyloid beta pathology in the absence of tau pathology than the converse, challenging prevailing models of amyloid beta’s primacy in Alzheimer’s pathogenesis. Given that cognitive performance in the A−/T+ group was poorer than in individuals without either pathology, our results suggest that medial temporal lobe tau without cortical amyloid beta may reflect an early stage on the Alzheimer’s pathological continuum.
Consistency dynamics in accusation-endorsement networks with an external judge
Authors: Nishimura Joel , Goodloe Oscar
Published: December 2019

Previous network models have imagined that connections change to promote structural balance, or to reflect hierarchies. We propose a model where agents adjust their connections to appear credible to an external judge or observer. In particular, we envision a signed, directed network where positive edges represent endorsements or trust and negative edges represent accusations or doubt, and consider both the strategies an external judge might use to identify credible nodes and the strategies nodes might use to then appear credible by changing their outgoing edges. First, we establish that an external judge may be able to exactly identify a set of ‘honest’ nodes from an adversarial set of ‘cheater’ nodes regardless of the cheater nodes’ connections. However, while these results show that an external judge’s task is not hopeless, some of these theorems involve network structures that are NP-hard to find. Instead, we suggest a simple heuristic that an external judge might use to identify which nodes are not credible based upon their involvement with particular implicating edge motifs. Building on these notions, and analogously to some models of structural balance, we develop a discrete-time dynamical system where nodes engage in consistency dynamics, where inconsistent arrangements of edges that cause a node to look ‘suspicious’ exert pressure for that node to change edges. We demonstrate that these dynamics provide a new way to understand group fracture when nodes are worried about appearing consistent to an external judge or observer.
An expert opinion paper on statin adherence and implementation of new lipid-lowering medications by the ESC Working Group on Cardiovascular Pharmacotherapy: Barriers to be overcome
Authors: Drexel Heinz , Coats Andrew J S , Spoletini Ilaria , Bilato Claudio , Mollace Vincenzo , Perrone Filardi Pasquale , Rosano Giuseppe M C
Published: December 2019

Benefits and safety on statins have been well-established over 20 years of research. Despite this, the vast majority of patients are not adequately treated and do not achieve the low-density lipoprotein cholesterol target levels. This is mainly due to poor adherence, which is associated with dangerous and sometimes fatal outcomes. To increase adherence and prevent worse outcomes, a combination therapy with lower dosage of statins and new lipid-lowering drugs may be used. However, the implementation of new lipid-lowering drugs in European countries is still at the beginning. For these reasons, the aim of this position paper is to give an up-to-date indication from the ESC Working Group on Cardiovascular Pharmacotherapy in order to discuss the barriers towards statins adherence and new lipid-lowering drugs implementation in Europe.
Functional convergence in the decomposition of fungal necromass in soil and wood
Authors: Maillard François , Schilling Jonathan , Andrews Erin , Schreiner Kathryn M , Kennedy Peter
Published: December 2019

Understanding the post-senescent fate of fungal mycelium is critical to accurately quantifying forest carbon and nutrient cycling, but how this organic matter source decomposes in wood remains poorly studied. In this study, we compared the decomposition of dead fungal biomass (a.k.a. necromass) of two species, Mortierella elongata and Meliniomyces bicolor, in paired wood and soil plots in a boreal forest in northern Minnesota, USA. Mass loss was quantified at four time points over an 8-week incubation and the richness and composition of the fungal communities colonizing fungal necromass were characterized using high-throughput sequencing. We found that the structure of fungal decomposer communities in wood and soil differed, but, in both habitats, there was relatively rapid decay (∼30% remaining after 56 days). Mass loss was significantly faster in soil and for high-quality (i.e. high nitrogen and low melanin) fungal necromass. In both habitats, there was a clear trajectory of early colonization by opportunistic fungal taxa followed by colonization of fungi with greater enzymatic capacities to degrade more recalcitrant compounds, including white-rot and ectomycorrhizal fungi. Collectively, our results indicate that patterns emerging regarding substrate quality effects on fungal necromass decomposition in soil and leaf litter can be largely extended to fungal necromass decomposition in wood.
EFSA guidelines for emerald ash borer survey in the EU
Authors: Schrader Gritta , Ciubotaru Ramona Mihaela , Diakaki Makrina , Vos Sybren
Published: December 2019

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), by request of the European Commission, develops pest survey cards for pests of relevance for the European Union (EU) member states, summarizing key biological, epidemiological and diagnostic information relevant for the detection and identification of these pests by inspectors and laboratory technicians in the EU member states. For three pilot pests, including emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis), detailed guidelines are being prepared for the survey planners in the EU member states. Interaction with experts on the relevant organisms and the member states is needed before and after implementation of the surveys to ensure they are fit for purpose and can be harmonized across the EU. An important feature of the survey cards is the identification of risk factors, to focus the surveys on the most likely areas to find the pest if it is present and thus being able to apply a risk-based surveillance. Since 2014, ash wood and bark (from countries where A. planipennis is known to occur) are subjected to specific requirements laid down in Council Directive 2000/29/EC, the beetle is unlikely to enter the EU via this pathway. However, it cannot fully be excluded that introductions have happened before these requirements came into force, without being detected until now. In addition, the beetle could already be present in new third countries without being noticed yet and thus not regulated. Furthermore, firewood from countries adjacent to Russia (Belarus, Ukraine) is not restricted. The beetle could also hitch-hike to the EU by various means of transport, in particular via highways and railroads. Given the above, surveys should focus on these areas.
The prognostic role of c-MYC amplification in schistosomiasis-associated colorectal cancer
Authors: Pan Weiyu , Wang Weixia , Huang Jie , Lu Kui , Huang Sinian , Jiang Dongxian , Bu Dacheng , Liu Jing , Jing Hongyan , Yao Junxia , Hou Yingyong
Published: December 2019

Objective

The purpose of this study was to explore the prognostic role of c-MYC amplification in colorectal cancer, particularly in schistosomiasis-associated colorectal cancer.

Methods

Three hundred and fifty four cases of colorectal cancer, which were from Qingpu Branch of Zhongshan Hospital affiliated to Fudan University, were retrospectively analyzed in a tissue microarray (TMA) format, with fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) assay and immunohistochemistry (IHC).

Results

c-MYC gene amplification was found in 14.1% (50 out of 354) of patients with colorectal cancer and was correlated with old age (P = 0.028), positive lymph node metastasis (P = 0.004) and advanced stage tumors (P = 0.002). The overexpression of c-MYC was closely associated with the amplification status (P = 0.023). Kaplan–Meier survival curves for overall survival (OS) showed a statistically significant difference for patients with c-MYC amplification in full cohort of colorectal cancer, stage III-IV set and patients with lymph node metastasis (P = 0.002, 0.034, 0.012, respectively). Further analysis found c-MYC amplification associated with poorer survival in the subgroup of colorectal cancer with schistosomiasis (CRC-S, P < 0.001), but not in colorectal cancer without schistosomiasis (CRC-NS, P = 0.155). By multivariate analysis, c-MYC amplification was an independent poor-prognostic factor in CRC-S set (P = 0.046).

Conclusions

Our study firstly found c-MYC amplification could predict poor prognosis in schistosomiasis-associated colorectal cancer, but not in colorectal cancer without schistosomiasis.
Assessing the use of rivers as migratory corridors for temperate bats
Authors: Cortes Kevin M , Gillam Erin H
Published: December 2019

Investigating landscape-level movement patterns of migratory animals can be challenging, but this is a major component of some animal’s life history and behavior. In particular, bat migration has been difficult to characterize, yet recent research on bat migratory ecology has made major advances. It has been largely accepted that rivers and other linear landscape features may be important migratory corridors for bats during both long- and short-distance migrations. We assessed the migratory behavior of multiple temperate bat species along the Missouri River, a major river corridor in North Dakota, during March through October of 2016–2017. Bat detectors with paired microphones were deployed and oriented parallel to the riverbank. This configuration permitted detection of directional passes of bats, approximately 10–20 m above the microphones and 40 m into the river, which were used as an estimate of migratory behavior. We found the effects of season and species explained less than 2% of the variation of directional passes, indicating an absence of season-specific movement patterns along the studied river corridor. Although our study only assessed a portion of a major river corridor, the results suggest that migratory movements of bats along rivers may not be as straightforward as once thought, highlighting the need for future studies investigating the fine-scaled movement patterns of bats during migration.
An Evaluation of the Utility of Big Data to Supplement Cancer Treatment Information: Linkage Between IQVIA Pharmacy Database and the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program
Authors: Tran Quyen , Warren Joan L , Barrett Michael J , Annett Dave , Marth Melissa , Cress Rosemary D , Deapen Dennis , Glaser Sally L , Gomez Scarlett L , Schwartz Stephen M , Li Christopher I , Wu Xiao-Cheng , Enewold Lindsey , Harlan Linda C , Rivera Donna R , Winn Deborah M , Penberthy Lynne , Cronin Kathleen A
Published: December 2019

Oral anticancer medications (OAMs) are increasingly utilized. We evaluated the representativeness and completeness of IQVIA, a large aggregator of pharmacy data, for breast cancer, colon cancer, chronic myeloid leukemia, and myeloma cases diagnosed in six Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (SEER) registries between 2007 and 2011. Patient’s SEER and SEER-Medicare data were linked and compared with IQVIA pharmacy data from 2006 to 2012 for specific OAMs. Overall, 67.6% of SEER cases had a pharmacy claim in IQVIA during the treatment assessment window. This varied by location, race and ethnicity, and insurance status. IQVIA consistently identified fewer cases who received an OAM of interest than SEER-Medicare. The difference was least pronounced for breast cancer agents and most pronounced for myeloma agents. The IQVIA pharmacy database included a large portion of persons in the SEER areas. Future studies should assess receipt of OAMs for other cancer sites and in different SEER registries.
Earliness per se×temperature interaction: consequences on leaf, spikelet, and floret development in wheat
Authors: Prieto Paula , Ochagavía Helga , Griffiths Simon , Slafer Gustavo A
Published: December 2019

Wheat adaptation can be fine-tuned by earliness per se (Eps) genes. Although the effects of Eps genes are often assumed to act independently of the environment, previous studies have shown that they exhibit temperature sensitivity. The number of leaves and phyllochron are considered determinants of flowering time and the numerical components of yield include spikelets per spike and fertile floret number within spikelets. We studied the dynamics of leaf, spikelet, and floret development in near isogenic lines with either late or early alleles of Eps-D1 under seven temperature regimes. Leaf appearance dynamics were modulated by temperature, and Eps alleles had a greater effect on the period from flag leaf to heading than phyllochron. In addition, the effects of the Eps alleles on spikelets per spike were minor, and more related to spikelet plastochron than the duration of the early reproductive phase. However, fertile floret number was affected by the interaction between Eps alleles and temperature. So, at 9 °C, Eps-early alleles had more fertile florets than Eps-late alleles, at intermediate temperatures there was no significant difference, and at 18 °C (the highest temperature) the effect was reversed, with lines carrying the late allele producing more fertile florets. These effects were mediated through changes in floret survival; there were no clear effects on the maximum number of floret primordia.
Outpatient parenteral antifungal therapy (OPAT) for invasive fungal infections with intermittent dosing of liposomal amphotericin B
Authors: van de Peppel Robert J , Schauwvlieghe Alexander , Van Daele Ruth , Spriet Isabel , van't Wout Jan W , Brüggemann Roger J , Rijnders Bart J A , Hendriks Bart J C , de Boer Mark G J
Published: December 2019

Triazole resistant A. fumigatus has been documented in many parts of the world. In the Netherlands, incidence is now above 10% and results in the need for long-term parenteral therapy with liposomal amphotericin B (LAmB). The long terminal half-life of LAmB suggests that intermittent dosing could be effective, making the application of outpatient antifungal therapy (OPAT) possible. Here, we report our experience with the use of OPAT for Invasive Fungal Infections (IFI). All adult patients treated with LAmB with a 2 or 3 times weekly administration via the outpatient departments in four academic tertiary care centers in the Netherlands and Belgium since January 2010 were included in our analysis. Patient characteristics were collected, as well as information about diagnostics, therapy dose and duration, toxicity, treatment history and outcome of the IFI. In total, 18 patients were included. The most frequently used regimen (67%) was 5 mg/kg 3 times weekly. A partial response to the daily treatment prior to discharge was confirmed by CT-scan in 17 (94%) of patients. A favorable outcome was achieved in 13 (72%) patients. Decrease in renal function occurred in 10 (56%) cases but was reversible in all and was treatment limiting in one patient only. The 100-day mortality and 1-year mortality after initiation of OPAT were 0% and 6%, respectively. In a selected population, and after confirmation of initial response to treatment, our data support the use of OPAT with LAmB for treatment of IFI in an intermittent dosing regimen.
Radio haloes of star-forming galaxies
Authors: Vijayan Aditi , Nath Biman B , Sharma Prateek , Shchekinov Yuri
Published: December 2019

We study the synchrotron radio emission from extra-planar regions of star-forming galaxies. We use ideal magnetohydrodynamic simulations of a rotating Milky Way-type disc galaxy with distributed star formation sites for three star formation rates (0.3, 3, 30 M⊙ yr−1). From our simulations, we see emergence of galactic-scale magnetized outflows, carrying gas from the disc. We compare the morphology of the outflowing gas with hydrodynamic simulations. We look at the spatial distribution of magnetic field in the outflows. Assuming that a certain fraction of gas energy density is converted into cosmic ray energy density, and using information about the magnetic field, we obtain synchrotron emissivity throughout the simulation domain. We generate the surface brightness maps at 1.4 GHz. The outflows are more extended in the vertical direction than radial and hence have an oblate shape. We further find that the matter right behind the outer shock shines brighter in these maps than that above or below. To understand whether this feature can be observed, we produce vertical intensity profiles. We convolve the vertical intensity profile with the typical beam sizes of radio telescopes, for a galaxy located at 10 Mpc to estimate the radio scale height and compare with observations. The radio scale height is ∼300–1200 pc, depending on the resolution of the telescope. We relate the advection speed of the outer shock with the surface density of star formation as ${\rm v}_{\rm adv} \propto \Sigma _{\rm SFR}^{0.3}$, which is consistent with earlier observations and analytical estimates.
Strongly magnetized accretion discs: structure and accretion from global magnetohydrodynamic simulations
Authors: Mishra Bhupendra , Begelman Mitchell C , Armitage Philip J , Simon Jacob B
Published: December 2019

We use global magnetohydrodynamic simulations to study the influence of net vertical magnetic fields on the structure of geometrically thin (H/r ≈ 0.05) accretion discs in the Newtonian limit. We consider initial mid-plane gas to magnetic pressure ratios $\beta _0 = 1000,\, 300$, and 100, spanning the transition between weakly and strongly magnetized accretion regimes. We find that magnetic pressure is important for the discs’ vertical structure in all three cases, with accretion occurring at $z$/R ≈ 0.2 in the two most strongly magnetized models. The disc mid-plane shows outflow rather than accretion. Accretion through the surface layers is driven mainly by stress due to coherent large-scale magnetic field rather than by turbulent stress. Equivalent viscosity parameters measured from our simulations show similar dependencies on initial β0 to those seen in shearing box simulations, though the disc mid-plane is not magnetic pressure dominated even for the strongest magnetic field case. Winds are present but are not the dominant driver of disc evolution. Over the (limited) duration of our simulations, we find evidence that the net flux attains a quasi-steady state at levels that can stably maintain a strongly magnetized disc. We suggest that geometrically thin accretion discs in observed systems may commonly exist in a magnetically ‘elevated’ state, characterized by non-zero but modest vertical magnetic fluxes, with potentially important implications for disc phenomenology in X-ray binaries and active galactic nuclei.
From peculiar morphologies to Hubble-type spirals: the relation between galaxy dynamics and morphology in star-forming galaxies at z ∼ 1.5
Authors: Gillman S , Tiley A L , Swinbank A M , Harrison C M , Smail Ian , Dudzevičiūtė U , Sharples R M , Cortese L , Obreschkow D , Bower R G , Theuns T , Cirasuolo M , Fisher D B , Glazebrook K , Ibar Edo , Mendel J Trevor , Sweet Sarah M
Published: December 2019

We present an analysis of the gas dynamics of star-forming galaxies at z ∼ 1.5 using data from the KMOS Galaxy Evolution Survey. We quantify the morphology of the galaxies using HSTcandels imaging parametrically and non-parametrically. We combine the H α dynamics from KMOS with the high-resolution imaging to derive the relation between stellar mass (M*) and stellar specific angular momentum (j*). We show that high-redshift star-forming galaxies at z ∼ 1.5 follow a power-law trend in specific stellar angular momentum with stellar mass similar to that of local late-type galaxies of the form j*  ∝  M$_*^{0.53\, \pm \, 0.10}$. The highest specific angular momentum galaxies are mostly disc-like, although generally both peculiar morphologies and disc-like systems are found across the sequence of specific angular momentum at a fixed stellar mass. We explore the scatter within the j* – M* plane and its correlation with both the integrated dynamical properties of a galaxy (e.g. velocity dispersion, Toomre Qg, H α star formation rate surface density ΣSFR) and its parametrized rest-frame UV / optical morphology (e.g. Sérsic index, bulge to total ratio, clumpiness, asymmetry, and concentration). We establish that the position in the j* – M* plane is strongly correlated with the star-formation surface density and the clumpiness of the stellar light distribution. Galaxies with peculiar rest-frame UV / optical morphologies have comparable specific angular momentum to disc- dominated galaxies of the same stellar mass, but are clumpier and have higher star formation rate surface densities. We propose that the peculiar morphologies in high-redshift systems are driven by higher star formation rate surface densities and higher gas fractions leading to a more clumpy interstellar medium.
Case AD, AR, and AS binary evolution and their possible connections with W UMa binaries
Authors: Jiang Dengkai
Published: December 2019

Close detached binaries were theoretically predicted to evolve into contact by three subtypes of case A binary evolution, cases AD, AR, and AS, which correspond to the formation of contact during dynamic-, thermal-, and nuclear-time-scale mass transfer phases, respectively. It is unclear, however, what is the difference between contact binaries in these subtypes, and whether all of these subtypes can account for the formation of observed W Ursae Majoris (W UMa) binaries. Using Eggleton’s stellar evolution code with the non-conservative assumption, I obtained the low-mass contact binaries produced by cases AD, AR, and AS at the moment of contact and their parameter spaces. The results support that the progenitors of low-mass contact binaries are detached binaries with orbital periods shorter than $\sim 2\!-\!5\,$ d, and their borderlines depend strongly on the primary mass. In addition, the period–colour relations for cases AR and AS can be in better agreement with that for observed W UMa candidates, but case AD shows a significantly worse agreement. Moreover, cases AR and AS can produce a short-period limit (corresponding to a low-mass limit) at almost any age, e.g. from young age ($\sim 0.2\,$ Gyr) to old age ($\sim 13\,$ Gyr), agreeing with observed W UMa binaries in star clusters, but no such limit occurs for case AD at any age. These results support that cases AR and AS, as opposed to case AD, can lead to W UMa binaries (including young W UMa binaries).
Physical properties of the CDFS X-ray sources through fitting spectral energy distributions
Authors: Guo Xiaotong , Gu Qiusheng , Ding Nan , Contini E , Chen Yongyun
Published: December 2019

The physical parameters of galaxies and/or active galactic nucleus (AGNs) can be derived by fitting their multiband spectral energy distributions (SEDs). By using cigale code, we perform multiband SED fitting (from ultraviolet to infrared) for 791 X-ray sources (518 AGNs and 273 normal galaxies) in the 7 Ms Chandra Deep Field-south survey (CDFS). We consider the contributions from AGNs and adopt more accurate redshifts than published before. Therefore, more accurate star formation rates (SFRs) and stellar masses (M*) are derived. We classify the 518 AGNs into type-I and type-II based on their optical spectra and their SEDs. Moreover, six AGN candidates are selected from the 273 normal galaxies based on their SEDs. Our main results are as follows: (1) the host galaxies of AGNs have larger M* than normal galaxies, implying that AGNs prefer to host in massive galaxies; (2) the specific star formation rates (sSFRs) of AGN host galaxies are different from those of normal galaxies, suggesting that AGN feedback may play an important role in the star formation activity; (3) we find that the fraction of optically obscured AGNs in CDFS decreases with the increase of intrinsic X-ray luminosity, which is consistent with previous studies; and (4) the host galaxies of type-I AGNs tend to have lower M* than type-II AGNs, which may suggest that dust in the host galaxy may also contribute to the optical obscuration of AGNs.
Variations of interplanetary magnetic field on various long time-scales
Authors: Nagovitsyn Yury A , Osipova Aleksandra A
Published: December 2019

The IDV index of geomagnetic activity is used by many researchers as a proxy of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) strength B. Using the original multiscale regression (MSR) method based on wavelet transformation, we obtained a long series of B values starting from 1845. Then, based on the new 2.0 versions of the sunspot number and group sunspot number and using MSR method and this series as a reference, we reconstructed IMF strength B starting from 1610. Further extension of the reconstruction is associated with radiocarbon reconstructions of solar activity at a time-scale of up to several millennia. It is shown that in the last 3200 yr the IMF strength has been experiencing a downward trend of −(0.39 ± 0.17) · 10−3 nT· yr−1.
Enzyme Evolution: An Epistatic Ratchet versus a Smooth Reversible Transition
Authors: Ben-David Moshe , Soskine Misha , Dubovetskyi Artem , Cherukuri Kesava-Phaneendra , Dym Orly , Sussman Joel L , Liao Qinghua , Szeler Klaudia , Kamerlin Shina Caroline Lynn , Tawfik Dan S
Published: December 2019

Evolutionary trajectories are deemed largely irreversible. In a newly diverged protein, reversion of mutations that led to the functional switch typically results in loss of both the new and the ancestral functions. Nonetheless, evolutionary transitions where reversions are viable have also been described. The structural and mechanistic causes of reversion compatibility versus incompatibility therefore remain unclear. We examined two laboratory evolution trajectories of mammalian paraoxonase-1, a lactonase with promiscuous organophosphate hydrolase (OPH) activity. Both trajectories began with the same active-site mutant, His115Trp, which lost the native lactonase activity and acquired higher OPH activity. A neo-functionalization trajectory amplified the promiscuous OPH activity, whereas the re-functionalization trajectory restored the native activity, thus generating a new lactonase that lacks His115. The His115 revertants of these trajectories indicated opposite trends. Revertants of the neo-functionalization trajectory lost both the evolved OPH and the original lactonase activity. Revertants of the trajectory that restored the original lactonase function were, however, fully active. Crystal structures and molecular simulations show that in the newly diverged OPH, the reverted His115 and other catalytic residues are displaced, thus causing loss of both the original and the new activity. In contrast, in the re-functionalization trajectory, reversion compatibility of the original lactonase activity derives from mechanistic versatility whereby multiple residues can fulfill the same task. This versatility enables unique sequence-reversible compositions that are inaccessible when the active site was repurposed toward a new function.
Adjacent mutations in the archaeal Rad50 ABC ATPase D-loop disrupt allosteric regulation of ATP hydrolysis through different mechanisms
Authors: Boswell Zachary K , Canny Marella D , Buschmann Tanner A , Sang Julie , Latham Michael P
Published: December 2019

DNA damage is the driving force for mutation and genomic instability, which can both lead to cell death or carcinogenesis. DNA double strand breaks are detected and processed in part by the Mre11–Rad50–Nbs1 protein complex. Although the Mre11–Rad50–Nbs1 complex is essential, several spontaneous mutations have been noted in various cancers. One of these mutations, within a conserved motif of Rad50, resulted in an outlier curative response in a clinical trial. We show through biochemical and biophysical characterization that this cancer-associated mutation and a second mutation to the adjacent residue, previously described in a breast cancer patient, both have gain-of-function Rad50 ATP hydrolysis activity that results not from faster association of the ATP-bound form but faster dissociation leading to less stable Rad50 dimer. This disruption impairs the regulatory functions of the protein complex leading to a loss of exonuclease activity from Mre11. Interestingly, these two mutations affect Rad50 structure and dynamics quite differently. These studies describe the relationship between function, structure, and molecular motions in improperly regulated Rad50, which reveal the underlying biophysical mechanism for how these two cancer-associated mutations affect the cell.
Does Choice Really Imply Excluded Middle? Part I: Regimentation of the Goodman–Myhill Result, and Its Immediate Reception†
Authors: Tennant Neil
Published: December 2019

The one-page 1978 informal proof of Goodman and Myhill is regimented in a weak constructive set theory in free logic. The decidability of identities in general ($a\!=\!b\vee\neg a\!=\!b$) is derived; then, of sentences in general ($\psi\vee\neg\psi$). Martin-Löf’s and Bell’s receptions of the latter result are discussed. Regimentation reveals the form of Choice used in deriving Excluded Middle. It also reveals an abstraction principle that the proof employs. It will be argued that the Goodman–Myhill result does not provide the constructive set theorist with a dispositive reason for not adopting (full) Choice.
Update of a Study of Not Ceasing Anticoagulants for Patients Undergoing Injection Procedures for Spinal Pain
Authors: Endres Stephen , Hefti Karlee , Schlimgen Erika , Bogduk Nikolai
Published: December 2019

Objectives

To determine prevalence rates of hemorrhagic complications in patients who either ceased or continued anticoagulants during interventional pain procedures.

Methods

A total of 1,936 consecutive patients were prospectively monitored during a total of 12,723 injection procedures. The prevalence of hemorrhagic complications was tallied for a variety of procedures performed on patients who ceased or continued various anticoagulants.

Results

No hemorrhagic complications occurred in any patient who continued anticoagulants. Sufficiently large sample sizes were obtained to conclude that, in patients who continued warfarin or clopidrogel during lumbar transforaminal injections and for lumbar facet procedures, the zero prevalence of complications had 95% confidence intervals of 0% to 0.3%. This prevalence was significantly lower than the risk of medical complications in patients who ceased warfarin.

Conclusions

Lumbar transforaminal injections and lumbar facet injections have a very low rate of hemorrhagic complications when patients continue to take anticoagulants.
Race and Economic Opportunity in the United States: an Intergenerational Perspective*
Authors: Chetty Raj , Hendren Nathaniel , Jones Maggie R , Porter Sonya R
Published: December 2019

We study the sources of racial disparities in income using anonymized longitudinal data covering nearly the entire U.S. population from 1989 to 2015. We document three results. First, black Americans and American Indians have much lower rates of upward mobility and higher rates of downward mobility than whites, leading to persistent disparities across generations. Conditional on parent income, the black-white income gap is driven by differences in wages and employment rates between black and white men; there are no such differences between black and white women. Hispanic Americans have rates of intergenerational mobility more similar to whites than blacks, leading the Hispanic-white income gap to shrink across generations. Second, differences in parental marital status, education, and wealth explain little of the black-white income gap conditional on parent income. Third, the black-white gap persists even among boys who grow up in the same neighborhood. Controlling for parental income, black boys have lower incomes in adulthood than white boys in 99% of Census tracts. The few areas with small black-white gaps tend to be low-poverty neighborhoods with low levels of racial bias among whites and high rates of father presence among blacks. Black males who move to such neighborhoods earlier in childhood have significantly better outcomes. However, less than 5% of black children grow up in such areas. Our findings suggest that reducing the black-white income gap will require efforts whose impacts cross neighborhood and class lines and increase upward mobility specifically for black men.
Ambiguous Policy Announcements
Authors: Michelacci Claudio , Paciello Luigi
Published: December 2019

We study the effects of monetary announcements when agents face Knightian uncertainty about the commitment capacity of the monetary authority. Households are ambiguity averse and differentially exposed to inflation due to differences in wealth. In response to the announcement of a future monetary loosening, only wealthy households (creditors) act as if the announcement will be fully implemented, due to the potential wealth losses from future inflation. As a result the economy responds as if aggregate net wealth falls, which attenuates the effects of the announcement. Redistributing from super-wealthy to middle-wealthy households makes the announcement more expansionary, in the extreme as expansionary as under a fully credible announcement.
A 5-Year Retrospective Review of the Health Supervision Received by Children with Down Syndrome at a South African Regional Hospital
Authors: Schoonraad Leilah , Slogrove Amy , Engelbrecht Arnold , Urban Michael F
Published: December 2019

Introduction

In 2011, the American Academy of Paediatrics (AAP) published revised health supervision guidelines for children with Down syndrome (DS). In the absence of South African guidelines, we described the health supervision received by children with DS at a rural regional hospital in the Western Cape, South Africa compared with the AAP guidelines.

Methods

This was a 5-year retrospective description of the implementation of the 2011 AAP guidelines at the DS clinic at Worcester Provincial Hospital (WPH), specifically related to screening for and management of cardiac, thyroid, hearing and haematological disorders.

Results

Sixty-two children received care at WPH DS clinic during the study period. Thirty-six (58%) children lived in Worcester while 26 (42%) children were referred from peripheral hospitals. The median age at first clinic visit was 0.5 years [inter-quartile range (IQR) 0.2–1.2], a total of 177 person-years of follow-up with a median duration of 1.8 years (IQR 0.3–4.8). Two deaths occurred during the study period. Forty-nine (79%) children had a screening echocardiogram performed, the median age at first echocardiogram was 0.8 years (IQR 0.2–1.4). Five (14%) children from WPH compared with no children from the peripheral hospitals received the echocardiogram within the first month of life in keeping with AAP guidance (p = 0.06). Those requiring cardiac surgery were operated on at a median age of 2 years (IQR 0.9–2.3). Compared with the AAP guidelines, within the first month of life 17 (27%) children had a thyroid screen, 20 (32%) children had a full blood count and 7 (11%) children had a hearing assessment.

Conclusion

AAP guidelines for health supervision in DS are challenging to achieve within our local health system. The development and advocacy for a South African DS health supervision guideline that can be applied not only in specialist clinics might improve the care of children with DS.
Physical Performance Following Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation: A Prospective Observational Study
Authors: Rindflesch Aaron B. , Hake Melissa P. , Spiten Megan A. , Trueblood Jinise K. , Reiplinger Allison F. , Dykstra Rebecca L. , Hollman John H.
Published: December 2019

Background and Purpose/Objective:

Patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) are at risk for strength impairments and activity limitations. Research describing how HSCT affects physical performance is limited. The purposes of this study were to report the short-term (≤30 days) effects of HSCT on physical performance and to compare changes among patients during the engraftment and recovery periods following HSCT.

Methods: Design:

Prospective observational study.

Setting:

Academic medical center.

Patients:

Twenty-five adults 21 years and older undergoing HSCT.

Intervention:

None.

Measurements:

Measures were collected at 3 time points: (1) day of transplant; (2) 8 to 14 days posttransplant; and (3) 15 to 30 days posttransplant. Beside demographic data, the authors collected Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) scores, Functional Comorbidity Index scores, resting heart rate, and hospitalization status. Longitudinal changes in SPPB scores were analyzed with a generalized linear model (α = 0.05).

Results:

SPPB scores were negatively associated with patients' body mass index values and resting heart rate measurements. Additionally, the hospitalization × time interaction was statistically significant. SPPB scores among nonhospitalized patients remained consistent across the testing periods but among hospitalized patients decreased from the day of transplant to both the 8 to 14 days (mean change = 4.0 points) and 15 to 30 days (mean change = 4.1 points) posttransplant time points.

Conclusion:

Physical performance scores decreased in the first 30 days of recovery among patients who were hospitalized following HSCT, but not among patients who received transplant on an outpatient basis. Future studies to examine causes of and interventions for the reduction in physical performance among hospitalized patients post-HSCT are warranted.
Nordic Pole Walking for Individuals With Cancer: A Feasibility Randomized Controlled Trial Assessing Physical Function and Health-Related Quality of Life
Authors: Cunningham Elise , Weaver Robert R. , Lemonde Manon , Dogra Shilpa , Nonoyama Mika L.
Published: December 2019

Background:

Individuals with a diagnosis of cancer tend to be inactive and have symptoms that impact quality of life. An individualized, community-based Nordic pole walking (NPW) program may help.

Methods:

Primary Objective: To assess feasibility using the Thabane framework of a randomized controlled trial (RCT). Secondary Objective: To determine the effects of NPW on physical function (Six-Minute Walk Test [6MWT], 30-second [30-s] chair stand test, Unsupported Upper-Limb Exercise Test, handgrip strength, physical activity [PA]), and health-related quality of life (HRQOL, 36-item Short-Form Health Survey [SF-36]). The Study Design: An 8-week multicentered block RCT (no blinding) comparing a community-based NPW program (vs usual daily routine) for adults with non-small cell lung, prostate, colorectal, and endometrial cancer.

Results:

Eight individuals were enrolled in the study with n = 4 per group (1 dropout in the NPW arm; = 67 ± 6 years). The study was deemed “feasible with modifications.” NPW significantly improved (statistically and clinically) the 30-s chair stand test when compared with baseline. There was improved 6MWT, PA levels, and SF-36 when compared with the control group (not statistically significant). No adverse events occurred.

Discussion, Limitations, and Conclusions:

NPW was feasible for individuals with cancer and may improve physical function, PA, and HRQOL. Larger samples are required to determine efficacy and/or program effectiveness. Future programs should include collaboration with hospital cancer centers and support groups, promotion of participant and community engagement with NPW, and consideration of the population's unique characteristics. NPW programs should include individualized exercise prescriptions, behavior change techniques, social aspects, HRQOL assessments, and device-measured PA.
Progresses in the imaging of calcium pyrophosphate crystal disease
Authors: Andrés Mariano , Sivera Francisca , Pascual Eliseo
Published: December 2019

Purpose of review

Calcium pyrophosphate crystal disease (CPPD) may be considered a neglected disorder, common in clinics and wards, but not receiving enough attention since the time it was recognized as a disease entity. This review aims to highlight the advances occurred in recent years in terms of imaging of CPPD, and their potential aid in diagnosing CPPD.

Recent findings

The main advances in CPPD imaging have occurred with ultrasound and computed tomography. Ultrasound has been shown as more sensitive than conventional radiography in detecting chondrocalcinosis. OMERACT definitions of ultrasound signs of CPPD have been provided; validations process is still ongoing. Computed tomography has been used to assess CPPD at the spine. Some studies suggest that dual-energy scans could accurately detect chondrocalcinosis and discriminate from other calcified structures.

Ultrasound and computed tomography may have a role in CPPD detection, though the specifics are still unclear. It remains necessary to have studies comparing them with synovial fluid analysis for crystals in a clinical scenario.
Elderly as a Predictor for Perioperative Complications in Patients Undergoing Multilevel Minimally Invasive Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion
Authors: Claus Chad F. , Lytle Evan , Tong Doris , Bahoura Matthew , Garmo Lucas , Yoon Elise , Jasinski Jacob , Kaufmann Ascher , Richards Boyd , Soo Teck M.
Published: December 2019

Study Design.

This was a single-institute retrospective study.

Objective.

To describe perioperative and postoperative complications in elderly who underwent multilevel minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (MIS TLIF) while identifying predictors of complications.

Summary of Background Data.

The number of elderly patients undergoing spinal fusion is rising. Spinal surgery in the elderly is considered high risk with high rates of complications. Perioperative and postoperative complications in elderly undergoing multilevel MIS TLIF is, however, not known.

Methods.

A retrospective analysis was performed on 467 consecutive patients who underwent multilevel MIS TLIF at a single institution from 2013 to 2017. Two cohorts, 70 years or older and 50 to 69 years old were analyzed. Multiple logistic regressions with minor and major complication rates as the dependent variables were performed to identify predictors of complication based on previously cited risk factors. A p-value of 0.008 or less was considered significant.

Results.

One hundred fifty-two elderly and 315 nonelderly patients underwent multilevel MIS TLIFs. The average age was 76.4 and 60.4 years for the elderly and nonelderly cohorts. We observed 13 major (8.44%) and 72 minor (47.4%) complications in the elderly. No difference was noted in complication rates between the cohorts, except for urinary tract infection (P = .004) and urinary retention (P = .014). There were no myocardial infarctions; hardware complications; visceral, vascular, and neural injuries; or death. Length of stay, comorbidity, and length of surgery were predictive of major and minor complications.

Conclusion.

Elderly may undergo multilevel MIS TLIF with comparable complication rates. Age was not a predictor of complications. Rather, attention should focus on evaluation of comorbidity and limiting operative times.

Level of Evidence: 3