bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Synthesis of Bio‐Inspired Guanine Microplatelets: Morphological and Crystallographic Control
Authors: Chen Fenghua , Liu Yanan , Li Ling , Qi Limin , Ma Yurong
Published: September 2020

β‐Phase anhydrous guanine (β‐AG) crystals are one of the most widespread organic crystals to construct optical structures in organisms. Currently, no synthetic method is available that allows for producing guanine crystals with similar control in size, morphology, and crystallography as in biological ones. Herein, a facile one‐step synthesis route to fabricate bio‐inspired guanine microplatelets with (100) exposing planes in almost pure β‐phase is reported. The synthesis is based on a precipitation process of a guanine sodium hydroxide solution in formamide with poly(1‐vinylpyrrolidone‐co‐vinyl acetate) as a morphological additive. Due to their uniform size (ca. 20 μm) and thickness (ca. 110 nm), the crystals represent the first synthetic guanine microplatelets that exhibit strong structural coloration and pearlescent lusters. Moreover, this synthesis route was utilized as a model system to investigate the effects of guanine analogues, including uric acid, hypoxanthine, xanthine, adenine, and guanosine, during the crystallization process. Our results indicate that the introduction of guanine analogues not only can reduce the required synthesis temperature but also provide a versatile control in crystal morphology and polymorph selection between the α‐phase AG (α‐AG) and β‐AG. Turbidity experiments show that the β‐AG microplatelets are formed with a fast precipitation rate in comparison to α‐AG, suggesting that the formation of β‐AG crystals follows a kinetically driven process.
Hydroprocessing of palm oil using Rh/HZSM‐5 for the production of biojet fuel in a fixed bed reactor
Authors: Bangjang Thapanee , Kaewchada Amaraporn , Jaree Attasak
Published: September 2020

The hydroprocessing of palm oil was performed in a continuous fixed bed reactor to produce biojet fuel. Rh/HZSM‐5 was used as catalyst and was characterized by N2 adsorption‐desorption, x‐ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), NH3‐temperature programmed desorption (NH3‐TPD), and H2‐temperature programmed reduction (H2‐TPR). The effect of operating parameters including reaction temperature, molar ratio, and solvent on the yield of biojet and biodiesel was investigated. The catalyst deactivated rapidly in the solvent‐free system due to carbon deposition. The application of 30% heptane in the feed maintained the conversion of palm oil above 90% for 8 hours. At 330°C, the yield of liquid fuel product was slightly less than that obtained at 300°C as more gaseous product was formed. The H2‐to‐oil molar ratio of 158 at 300°C was insufficient to maintain the reaction at high conversion. At 300°C and a H2‐to‐oil molar ratio of 316, the system was stable for the entire experimental period of 8 hours providing the biojet yield and selectivity of 15.3% and 28.5%, respectively. Although, this system was operated at a relatively low temperature for hydroprocessing, the productivity parameter of 0.60 kg product/Kg cat‐h was significantly higher compared to the data provided in the literature.
Socially determined cervical cancer care navigation: An effective step toward health care equity and care optimization
Authors: Dessources Kimberly , Hari Anjali , Pineda Elizabeth , Amneus Malaika W. , Sinno Abdulrahman K. , Holschneider Christine H.
Published: September 2020

Background

Despite being the standard of care for patients with locoregional cervical cancer, many patients do not complete all components of primary chemoradiotherapy (pCRT): external beam radiotherapy, chemosensitization, and brachytherapy. Incomplete or protracted pCRT is associated with worse survival. The authors implemented a socially determined cervical cancer care navigation program at a public safety‐net hospital to improve treatment adherence.

Methods

Patients with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage IB1 to IVA cervical cancer who underwent pCRT from 2012 to 2016 were prospectively enrolled into this navigation program spanning the medical, financial, and psychosocial aspects of care. This patient cohort was compared with a similar cohort of consecutive nonnavigated patients who were treated from 1998 to 2008. Patient characteristics, treatment data, and patient outcomes were collected. A database of navigation encounters was maintained prospectively.

Results

A total of 46 patients composed the navigated cohort and 85 patients composed the nonnavigated cohort. After implementation of the cervical cancer care navigation program, the percentage of patients receiving ≥5 cycles of weekly cisplatin increased from 74% to 93% (P < .01) and rates of the initiation of brachytherapy during external beam radiotherapy increased from 49% to 78% (P < .01). The median treatment time was reduced from 67 days in the nonnavigated patients to 55 days in the navigated patients (P < .01). Approximately 95% of navigated patients who completed pCRT did so within 63 days, compared with 52% of nonnavigated patients (P < .01). Treatment completion within 63 days was associated with significantly improved overall survival.

Conclusions

Socially informed cervical cancer care navigation can significantly improve the timeliness of guideline‐based care, enhance access to resources for underserved minority patients receiving pCRT, and may improve overall patient outcomes.
The METeoric rise of MET in lung cancer
Authors: Friedlaender Alex , Drilon Alexander , Banna Giuseppe Luigi , Peters Solange , Addeo Alfredo
Published: September 2020

Over the years, there has been a continuous increase in clinically relevant driver mutations in patients with non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Among these, dysregulated activation of the MET tyrosine kinase receptor has gained importance due to the recent development of quite effective treatments. MET dysregulation encompasses a heterogeneous array of alterations leading to the prolonged activation of the cellular MET (c‐MET or MET) receptor and downstream proliferation pathways. It can arise through several mechanisms, including gene amplification, overexpression of the receptor and/or its ligand hepatocyte growth factor, and the acquisition of activating mutations. MET mutations are found in approximately 3% to 5% of patients with NSCLC, mainly adenocarcinoma, and are overrepresented in the sarcomatoid subtype. De novo MET amplifications are found in 1% to 5% of NSCLC cases, also predominantly in adenocarcinoma. In the current review, the authors discussed the biology of MET, how to diagnose clinically relevant alterations, and the rising clinical importance of these alterations in light of the emergence of multiple targeted therapies, both within the context of MET as a driver of resistance and in its own right.
Oral microbiome and onset of oral mucositis in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck
Authors: Reyes‐Gibby Cielito C. , Wang Jian , Zhang Liangliang , Peterson Christine B. , Do Kim‐Anh , Jenq Robert R. , Shelburne Samuel , Shah Dimpy P. , Chambers Mark S. , Hanna Ehab Y. , Yeung Sai‐Ching J. , Shete Sanjay
Published: September 2020

Background

Oral mucositis (OM) is a debilitating sequela for patients treated for squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (HNSCC). This study investigated whether oral microbial features before treatment or during treatment are associated with the time to onset of severe OM in patients with HNSCC.

Methods

This was a cohort study of newly diagnosed patients with locoregional HNSCC who received chemotherapy with or without radiotherapy from April 2016 to September 2017. OM was based on the National Cancer Institute's Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events, version 4.0. The oral microbiome was characterized on the basis of the 16S ribosomal RNA V4 region with the Illumina platform. A mixture cure model was used to generate hazard ratios for the onset of severe OM.

Results

Eighty‐six percent of the patients developed OM (n = 57 [33 nonsevere cases and 24 severe cases]) with a median time to onset of OM of 21 days. With adjustments for age, sex, and smoking status, genera abundance was associated with the hazard for the onset of severe OM as follows: 1) at the baseline (n = 66),Cardiobacterium(P = .03) andGranulicatella(P = .04); 2) immediately before the development of OM (n = 57),Prevotella(P = .03),Fusobacterium(P = .03), andStreptococcus(P = .01); and 3) immediately before the development of severe OM (n = 24),Megasphaera(P = .0001) andCardiobacterium(P = .03). There were no differences in α‐diversity between the baseline samples and Human Microbiome Project data.

Conclusions

Changes in the abundance of genera over the course of treatment were associated with the onset of severe OM. The mechanism and therapeutic implications of these findings need to be investigated in future studies.
Outcomes after resumption of immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy after high‐grade immune‐mediated hepatitis
Authors: Li Michael , Sack Jordan S. , Rahma Osama E. , Hodi F. Stephen , Zucker Stephen D. , Grover Shilpa
Published: September 2020

Background

In the current study, the authors assessed the risks and outcomes of immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) rechallenge in patients with resolved grade 3 to 4 ICI hepatitis because current guidelines recommend permanent ICI discontinuation in these patients.

Methods

The authors performed a retrospective cohort study from 2010 through 2019 of patients with melanoma who were treated with ≥1 ICIs and who recovered from grade 3 to 4 ICI hepatitis. The primary outcome was hepatitis recurrence and the secondary outcome was the development of any immune‐related adverse event (irAE) requiring the discontinuation of ICI rechallenge. Best overall response and time to all‐cause death were compared between the patients who did and those who did not undergo ICI rechallenge. Grading was performed using the National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (version 5.0).

Results

Of the 102 patients with melanoma who developed high‐grade ICI hepatitis, 31 underwent ICI rechallenge. Although 15 of 31 patients (48%) developed an irAE of any grade, only 6 patients (19%) required ICI discontinuation due to irAE severity (4 of 29 patients [14%] rechallenged with anti–PD‐1 or anti‐PD‐L1 and 2 of 2 patients [100%] rechallenged with ipilimumab). Recurrent hepatitis accounted for 4 of these 6 cases. Rechallenged patients who did not require ICI discontinuation were found to be significantly less likely to receive ipilimumab rather than anti–PD‐1 or anti‐PD‐L1 monotherapy (0% vs 33%; relative risk (RR), 0.1 [95% CI, 0.1‐0.3; P = .032]) and significantly less likely to be rechallenged with their original ICI (8% vs 50%; RR, 0.2 [95% CI, 0.1‐0.7; P = .038]). There was no difference noted with regard to best overall response or time to death between rechallenged and non‐rechallenged patients.

Conclusions

ICI therapy can be resumed in patients with melanoma who have recovered from grade 3 to 4 ICI hepatitis with a modest risk of serious irAEs. It remains unclear whether ICI retreatment improves clinical outcomes.
Time‐varying survival effects for squamous cell carcinomas at oropharyngeal and nonoropharyngeal head and neck sites in the United States, 1973‐2015
Authors: Brouwer Andrew F. , He Kevin , Chinn Steven B. , Mondul Alison M. , Chapman Christina H. , Ryser Marc D. , Banerjee Mousumi , Eisenberg Marisa C. , Meza Rafael , Taylor Jeremy M. G.
Published: September 2020

Background

Anatomical site is strongly associated with head and neck cancer etiology, and etiology and patient sociodemographic characteristics are prognostic factors for survival. It is not known whether the effects of these predictors persist over the postdiagnosis period or are strongest proximal to the time of diagnosis.

Methods

Using survival times and causes of death for 180,434 patients with head and neck cancer in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results cancer registry (1973‐2015), the empirical cumulative incidences of cancer‐specific death and other‐cause death were calculated with a competing risks framework, and the time‐dependent effects (hazard ratios) of anatomical tumor site (oropharynx, oral cavity, or hypopharynx/larynx), age, sex, race, and year of diagnosis on cancer‐specific death and other‐cause death, stratified by tumor stage, were estimated.

Results

All effects were significantly time‐varying (P < .001). Patients with nonoropharyngeal cancer had a higher hazard of cancer‐specific death but a similar cumulative fraction of deaths because of a higher rate of death from other causes. Cancer‐specific survival has not changed for patients with nonoropharyngeal cancer over the past decades but has improved since 2000 for patients with oropharyngeal cancer. The effects of age and sex on cancer survival were strongest proximal to the diagnosis, whereas the effect of race persisted over time.

Conclusions

Recent improvements in survival for patients with oropharyngeal cancer may be due more to an increasing fraction of cancers attributable to human papillomavirus than to increasing treatment effectiveness. The prognostic strength of anatomical site and other predictors changes over the postdiagnosis period.

Lay Summary

It is generally assumed that the effects of tumor and personal characteristics on the survival of patients with head and neck cancer are fixed over time, but this study shows that many factors are most important only in the first few years after diagnosis.

Also, recent improvements in the survival of patients with head and neck cancer appear to benefit only patients with cancers of the oropharynx. The improvements may be due more to an increasing fraction of cancers caused by human papillomavirus (which generally have better outcomes) than to advances in head and neck cancer treatment overall.
Abrogation of survival disparity between Black and White individuals after the USPSTF′s 2012 prostate‐specific antigen–based prostate cancer screening recommendation
Authors: Kim Isaac E. , Jang Thomas L. , Kim Sinae , Modi Parth K. , Singer Eric A. , Elsamra Sammy E. , Kim Isaac Yi
Published: September 2020

Background

In May 2012, the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommended against prostate‐specific antigen (PSA)–based screening for prostate cancer (PCa), assigning it a grade D. This decision then was modified in 2018 to a grade C for men aged 55 to 69 years. The authors hypothesized that changes in screening practices would reduce survival outcomes for both Black and White men but maintain racial discrepancies in outcomes.

Methods

Using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database, the authors examined PCa‐specific survival based on race and year of diagnosis. The period between January 2010 and December 2012 was categorized as the pre‐USPSTF era, whereas the period between January 2014 and December 2016 was classified as the post‐USPSTF era. The year 2013 was considered the transition year and was excluded from the analysis.

Results

A total of 49,388 men were identified in the pre‐USPSTF era who were diagnosed with PCa, approximately 83.7% of whom were White and 16.3% of whom were Black. In the post‐USPSTF era, a total of 41,829 men were diagnosed with PCa, approximately 82.7% of whom were White and 17.3% of whom were Black. When compared with the pre‐USPSTF era, men diagnosed in the post‐USPSTF era were found to have more adverse clinical features. In the pre‐USPSTF era, White men were less likely to die of PCa than Black men. This survival disparity between White and Black men was no longer observed in the post‐USPSTF era.

Conclusions

In men diagnosed with PCa between 2014 and 2016, a survival disparity between White and Black men was not observed due to a decrease in survival among White men while the survival of Black men remained steady.
Comparison of three different correction trajectories for foot and ankle deformity treated by supramalleolar osteotomy using a novel external fixator
Authors: Li Jianfeng , Li Guotong , Dong Mingjie , Chen Ying , Zuo Shiping
Published: September 2020

Based on the principle of distraction osteogenesis, external fixators are widely used in deformity correction of the foot and ankle. In this study, a novel ankle external fixator is proposed to correct complex multiplane deformities, especially for supramalleolar osteotomy to correct distal tibia deformities. The relatively simple structure and fewer struts in the proposed fixator reduce the complexity of adjusting the external fixator. Based on two existing adjustment strategies, a new strategy taking into account the orientation and shortest path of the ankle joint center is proposed, which is named joint adjustment for equal bone distraction. By proposing the inverse kinematic solutions of the novel external fixator, mathematical derivations of the bone trajectory and modelling of the bone shape for the three distraction strategies are performed. The results obtained by comparative analysis indicate that a uniformly spaced path of the ankle joint center can be acquired, and a smooth and uniform correction trajectory of the distal tibia end can be obtained using the new adjustment strategy. It can avoid bone end interference and only generates a maximum deviation 0.66% greater than the currently optimal 1 mm/day. The new strategy can perform multiplane corrections simultaneously, which shortens the correction time and reduces the patient's pain.
Towards optimizing the execution of spark scientific workflows using machine learning‐based parameter tuning
Authors: de Oliveira Douglas , Porto Fábio , Boeres Cristina , de Oliveira Daniel
Published: September 2020

In the last few years, Apache Spark has become a de facto the standard framework for big data systems on both industry and academy projects. Spark is used to execute compute‐ and data‐intensive workflows in distinct areas like biology and astronomy. Although Spark is an easy‐to‐install framework, it has more than one hundred parameters to be set, besides domain‐specific parameters of each workflow. In this way, to execute Spark‐based workflows efficiently, the user has to fine‐tune a myriad of Spark and workflow parameters (eg, partitioning strategy, the average size of a DNA sequence, etc.). This configuration task cannot be manually performed in a trial‐and‐error manner since it is tedious and error‐prone. This article proposes an approach that focuses on generating interpretable predictive machine learning models (ie, decision trees), and then extract useful rules (ie, patterns) from these models that can be applied to configure parameters of future executions of the workflow and Spark for nonexperts users. In the experiments presented in this article, the proposed parameter configuration approach led to better performance in processing Spark workflows. Finally, the approach introduced here reduced the number of parameters to be configured by identifying the most relevant domain‐specific ones related to the workflow performance in the predictive model.
A multiion particle swarm optimization algorithm based on repellent and attraction forces
Authors: Zhu Shufang , Zhou Shangbo , Shang Jiaxing , Wang Limin , Qiang Baohua
Published: September 2020

Particle swarm optimization (PSO) is an iterative computational methods which is used for obtaining the solutions of practical optimization problems. PSO is however, prone to be ended up obtaining a local optimum. Various strategies are proposed in the related literature to address this issue. Such strategies, however, often reduce the convergence speed of the algorithms. This article proposes a multiion particle swarm optimization (MION‐PSO) algorithm which incorporates three strategies to balance the exploration and exploitation abilities of the algorithm. To improve the exploration abilities, the particles are regarded as ions with repellent/attraction forces among them. The second strategy is a multiion strategy (MIS) in which the population is divided into many subswarms, namely, particle group. Using MIS, the optimal solution within each group is then used to purposefully guide the updates of other individuals. To delete the useless particles without the capability of updating historical best location for a specific period and have a misleading impact on others, without we employ a particle elimination strategy. Twenty‐three benchmark functions and eight baseline algorithms are employed to test the performance of MION‐PSO method. The experimental results show that MION‐PSO method significantly outperforms the baseline algorithms in terms of convergence, and further exhibits high capability in finding the optimal solutions especially on unimodal functions.
Synergistic and Diminutive Effects between Regium and Aerogen Bonds
Authors: Wang Ruijing , Wang Zheng , Yu Xuefang , Li Qingzhong
Published: September 2020

The aerogen bond is formed in complexes of HCN−XeF2O and C2H4−XeF2O. The lone pair on the N atom of HCN is a better electron donor in the aerogen bond than the π electron on the C=C bond of C2H4. The coinage substitution strengthens the aerogen bond in MCN−XeF2O (M=Cu, Ag, and Au) and its enhancing effect becomes larger in the Au<Cu<Ag pattern. The aerogen bond is further enhanced by the regium bond in C2H2−MCN−XeF2O and C2H4−MCN−XeF2O, but is weakened by the regium bond in MCN−C2H4−XeF2O and C2(CN)4−MCN−XeF2O. Simultaneously, the regium bond is also strengthened or weakened in these triads. The synergistic and diminutive effects between regium and aerogen bonds have been explained by means of charge transfer and electrostatic potentials.
HERMES – A Software Tool for the Prediction and Analysis of Magnetic‐Field‐Induced Residual Dipolar Couplings in Nucleic Acids
Authors: Giassa Ilektra‐Chara , Vavrinská Andrea , Zelinka Jiří , Šebera Jakub , Sychrovský Vladimír , Boelens Rolf , Fiala Radovan , Trantírek Lukáš
Published: September 2020

Field‐Induced Residual Dipolar Couplings (fiRDC) are a valuable source of long‐range information on structure of nucleic acids (NA) in solution. A web application (HERMES) was developed for structure‐based prediction and analysis of the (fiRDCs) in NA. fiRDC prediction is based on input 3D model structure(s) of NA and a built‐in library of nucleobase‐specific magnetic susceptibility tensors and reference geometries. HERMES allows three basic applications: (i) the prediction of fiRDCs for a given structural model of NAs, (ii) the validation of experimental or modeled NA structures using experimentally derived fiRDCs, and (iii) assessment of the oligomeric state of the NA fragment and/or the identification of a molecular NA model that is consistent with experimentally derived fiRDC data. Additionally, the program's built‐in routine for rigid body modeling allows the evaluation of relative orientation of domains within NA that is in agreement with experimental fiRDCs.
Differential effects of adult attachment in cognitive‐behavioural and psychodynamic therapy in social anxiety disorder: A comparison between a self‐rating and an observer rating
Authors: Altmann Uwe , Nodop Steffi , Dinger Ulrike , Ehrenthal Johannes C. , Schauenburg Henning , Dymel Wibke , Willutzki Ulrike , Strauss Bernhard M.
Published: September 2020

Different measures of attachment are usually weakly correlated. In a subsample of an RCT comparing short‐term cognitive‐behavioural therapy (CBT) and psychodynamic therapy (PDT), we examined the association between attachment and outcome using two attachment measures. The sample comprises 148 patients with social anxiety disorder who were treated in the SOPHO‐NET trial. Pretreatment attachment was assessed using the Adult Attachment Prototype Rating (AAPR) and the Bielefeld Questionnaire of Client Expectations (BQCE). Regression models were used to predict the therapeutic alliance (HAQ) at session 8, the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS) at the end of therapy and a 6‐month follow‐up. Attachment groups (secure, avoidant, and ambivalent) classified with the AAPR and the BQCE were not significantly correlated (Cohen's κ = 0.08). Only the BQCE was associated with the HAQ indicating avoidantly attached patients showing lower HAQ scores than securely attached (Cohen's d = 0.722). Regarding the AAPR, we found an interaction effect of treatment and attachment related to the post‐treatment LSAS scores. Post hoc tests revealed that securely attached patients in CBT had lower scores than securely attached in PDT (d = 0.922) and, on a trend level, avoidantly attached in CBT (d = 0.782). We conclude that attachment–outcome associations are affected by the applied measure. The identified differential effects suggest that psychotherapists should adapt the interventions on the attachment of their patients.
Hybrid Fc‐fused interleukin‐7 induces an inflamed tumor microenvironment and improves the efficacy of cancer immunotherapy
Authors: Kim Ji‐Hae , Kim Young‐Min , Choi Donghoon , Jo Saet‐byeol , Park Han Wook , Hong Sung‐Wook , Park Sujeong , Kim Sora , Moon Sookjin , You Gihoon , Kang Yeon‐Woo , Park Yunji , Lee Byung Ha , Lee Seung‐Woo
Published: September 2020

Objectives

Emerging oncotherapeutic strategies require the induction of an immunostimulatory tumor microenvironment (TME) containing numerous tumor‐reactive CD8+ T cells. Interleukin‐7 (IL‐7), a T‐cell homeostatic cytokine, induces an antitumor response; however, the detailed mechanisms underlying the contributions of the IL‐7 to TME remain unclear. Here, we aimed to investigate the mechanism underlying the induction of antitumor response by hybrid Fc‐fused long‐acting recombinant human IL‐7 (rhIL‐7‐hyFc) through regulation of both adaptive and innate immune cells in the TME.

Methods

We evaluated rhIL‐7‐hyFc‐mediated antitumor responses in murine syngeneic tumor models. We analysed the cellular and molecular features of tumor‐infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and changes in the TME after rhIL‐7‐hyFc treatment. Furthermore, we evaluated the antitumor efficacy of rhIL‐7‐hyFc combined with chemotherapy and checkpoint inhibitors (CPIs).

Results

Systemic delivery of rhIL‐7‐hyFc induced significant therapeutic benefits by expanding CD8+ T cells with enhanced tumor tropism. In tumors, rhIL‐7‐hyFc increased both tumor‐reactive and bystander CD8+ TILs, all of which displayed enhanced effector functions but less exhausted phenotypes. Moreover, rhIL‐7‐hyFc suppressed the generation of immunosuppressive myeloid cells in the bone marrow of tumor‐bearing mice, resulting in the immunostimulatory TME. Combination therapy with chemotherapy and CPIs, rhIL‐7‐hyFc elicited a strong antitumor response and even under a T lymphopenic condition by restoring CD8+ T cells. When combined with chemotherapy and CPIs, rhIL‐7‐hyFc administration enhanced antitumor response under intact andlymphopenic conditions by restoring CD8+ T cells.

Conclusion

Taken together, these data demonstrate that rhIL‐7‐hyFc induces antitumor responses by generating T‐cell‐inflamed TME and provide a preclinical proof of concept of immunotherapy with rhIL‐7‐hyFc to enhance therapeutic responses in the clinic.
Liquid phase human papillomavirus genotype analysis of aspirated metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: Fine needle aspiration supernatant is a rich source of tumor DNA that can increase the diagnostic yield
Authors: Hao Yansheng , Mehrotra Meenakshi , Lam Hansen , Si Qiusheng , Salem Fadi , Lu Dan , Gitman Melissa , Miles Brett , Posner Marshall , Houldsworth Jane , Westra William H.
Published: September 2020

Background

Most patients with human papillomavirus (HPV)‐related head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSC) present with lymph node metastasis. In these patients, fine needle aspiration (FNA) is not only a diagnostic tool, but a means for determining HPV status. HPV status, in turn, is used to determine tumor origin, prognosis, and even guide therapy. Thus, the limited sampling afforded by FNA must be optimized to meet heavy clinical demands.

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the residual supernatant portion of the FNA could serve as a resource for reliable determination of HPV status

Design/Method

25 FNAs from 24 patients with metastatic HNSC underwent HPV genotyping of post‐centrifuged supernatant fluid from FNA needle rinses. HPV genotyping was performed using two real time PCR‐based assays, the two‐step LightCycler and the one‐step automated cobas HPV tests. HPV status of the supernatant was compared with the paired FNA cell blocks and/or surgical tissue samples.

Results

The supernatant was adequate for HPV testing in 24 (96%) of 25 cases. Of these, 14 (56%) were HPV positive and 11 (44%) negative by the LightCycler assay. HPV16 was the most commonly detected genotype (n = 12). When results of supernatant and paired cell block testing were compared, HPV status was concordant in all cases. The LightCycler method was more sensitive than the cobas assay due to its ability to detect an expanded profile of HPV variant genotypes.

Conclusion

The current standard of practice for patients with HNSC who undergo FNA is to construct a cell block and then discard the supernatant. This supernatant is a rich source of tumor DNA that can be used to detect HPV status. It should not be wasted.
Updates on radiofrequency devices for skin tightening and body contouring
Authors: Lee Caroline , Gold Michael H.
Published: September 2020

Radiofrequency (RF) devices have evolved over time to effectively and noninvasively tighten and contour the skin and body with minimal to no downtime. RF devices can be categorized as monopolar, unipolar, bipolar, and multipolar based on the number of electrodes used and how the energy is delivered to the tissues beneath the skin. The polarity of the RF determines the comfortability, effectiveness, and frequency of the treatments. Since the first of these deviceswere launched in the early 2000s, different companies have developed RF skin tightening and contouring platforms which utilize new and unique technologies to enhance the clinical results. There have been many clinical trials which study the safety and efficacy of these technologies in tightening and contouring the skin and body, although large randomized, controlled clinical trials are lacking. This article reviews the current literature on an assortment of the latest skin tightening devices and their technologies used.
Macroevolution of defense syndromes in Ficus (Moraceae)
Authors: Zhao Jin , Segar Simon T. , McKey Doyle , Chen Jin
Published: September 2020

Recursive adaptations and counter‐adaptations of plant‐feeding insects are thought to have driven chemical and physical diversity in plant defenses. Among existing theories on defensive diversity, the syndromes hypothesis predicts that plants may evolve suites of covarying defense traits along evolutionary arms races with herbivores. We use the large, phenotypically diverse angiosperm genus Ficus (Moraceae) to test the major predictions of this hypothesis: (1) plant species will form distinctive combinations of defensive traits; (2) these traits will be correlated within each syndrome. Trait combinations need not map well onto phylogenies because plant species can converge onto similar trait values, but strong phylogenetic signal driven by selection (as opposed to drift) suggests roles for escalation and coevolution. Finally, Ficus species with complementary combinations of defenses will be less susceptible to insect damage and harbor distinct insect communities. We quantified susceptibility to insect herbivory and nine leaf traits related to resource acquisition and defense in 36 Ficus species growing in a common‐garden setting in dry and wet seasons over 2 yr. We recovered a set of three syndromes defined by relatively small sets of trait combinations. Broadly speaking, these syndromes grouped fig species with different life forms. For example, epiphytic figs had nutrient‐poor, tough, tannin‐rich leaves, while free‐standing trees tended to have leaves covered in trichomes and full of alkaloid‐rich latex. When season and species identity were accounted for, the combination of two traits, higher C:N and higher latex tannin content, provided significantly stronger defense than did either trait taken singly. Several individual traits (C:N, latex tannin, and trichome density) were significantly negatively correlated with herbivore damage, while alkaloid content was positively correlated (perhaps as a result of feeding by adapted herbivores). Several defensive traits influenced insect herbivore community structure. Finally, traits followed different evolutionary trajectories. While latex tannin, C:N, and leaf tannin fit a Brownian‐motion model of evolution, the first two escalating across Ficus phylogeny, others appeared to have more limited phylogenetic signal or tended to de‐escalate. Overall, the patterns we detected support the concept of coordinated defense syndromes, demonstrating that evolutionary arms races can drive combinations of traits in this genus.
Visual trail following in colonial seabirds: theory, simulation, and remote observations
Authors: Urmy Samuel S.
Published: September 2020

Seabirds have long been thought to exploit social information when searching for their prey, the distribution of which is often patchy and variable. The fact that most seabirds breed colonially has led to speculation that colonies serve as “information centers,” allowing their inhabitants to learn about the distribution of food by observing or following other successful foragers, though this hypothesis is controversial and the evidence for it is mixed. However, several recent studies have documented behaviors that suggest some seabirds do exploit social orientation cues at or near their colonies in order to orient toward food. In this paper, I explore in‐depth one such social orientation behavior, which I call “visual trail following.” I derived a simple model of information transfer and showed that trail following should be favored over other commonly hypothesized foraging behaviors. An individual‐based simulation model was then used to test this theoretical prediction against several other foraging strategies while varying prey patchiness and colony size. The model's results showed that trail following was the optimal strategy across a wide range of conditions. Finally, I used radar data recorded at a tern colony in coastal New York to demonstrate evidence for trail following in the movements of wild seabirds. These results show that trail following and similar behaviors are effective foraging strategies that are likely important for seabirds and other colonial animals.
Impact of flow regulation for hydroelectric production in the movement patterns, growth and condition of a potamodromous fish species
Authors: Oliveira Inês C. , Alexandre Carlos M. , Quintella Bernardo R. , Almeida Pedro R.
Published: September 2020

Regulation for hydroelectric production (i.e., hydropeaking) can impact aquatic species life cycle. During 2016–2017, radiotelemetry was used to track 22 Iberian barbels during a 1‐year cycle in a flow regulation scenario. Periodic samples of scales and biometric data were collected in a regulated (hydropeaking regime) and non‐regulated river within the same basin for comparison. Collected tracking, growth and condition data were compared with similar information for the same barbel population, obtained exactly on the same river stretch in a pre‐regulation period (2013–2014). Results on movement patterns of target species showed no effect of regulation on this biological component. However, potential intraspecific differences on migratory behaviour were found. We identified two behavioural profiles in each of the tagged fish groups: a ‘resident’ group that remains in upstream areas of the river during all the year round [maximum distance travel: mean (±SD) = 5.44 ± 5.36 km] and a ‘potamodromous’ group that travels long distances downstream after the reproductive season (20.24 ± 6.30 km).

Flow regulation did not seem to affect the growth of the studied barbel populations; however, in terms of condition, differences between the pre‐ and post‐regulation periods were detected, with this parameter being higher for juvenile fish during the post‐regulation period. This study reveals important biological aspects of fish populations under short‐term flow regulation for hydroelectric purposes that should be considered in future monitoring programmes, when dam construction is planned, in order to develop more specific measures to improve habitat availability and quality for fish.
Detection and attribution of lake water loss in the semi‐arid Mongolian Plateau—A case study in the Lake Dalinor
Authors: Bai Meng , Mo Xingguo , Liu Suxia , Hu Shi
Published: September 2020

Extensive lake shrinkages have been observed in the semi‐arid Mongolian Plateau over the past several decades, causing a great challenge to the local socio‐economic sustainability and ecological security. However, issue on the dominant drivers of this water loss has not been well addressed. In this work, variations in water area and water level of the Lake Dalinor during the period 1984–2018 were tracked using the satellite altimetry and Landsat images. Dominant drivers for the derived variations were then investigated based on the Standard Precipitation Evaporation Index (SPEI) analysis and the Vegetation Interface Processes model. Results showed that both the water area and water level displayed a two‐stage variation with a slightly increasing trend before 2000 and a drastic decline since 2000 (p < 0.01). The SPEI analysis revealed a close relationship between water level variations and the cumulative water anomalies at seasonal and annual scales. The model‐based attribution analysis suggested that climate change and anthropogenic impacts contributed 76.5% and 23.5% of the observed declining trend, respectively. Climate warming and drying dominated the water level decline since 2000, while the large‐scale conversion from the natural grassland to the seeded pasture might have accelerated this water loss process. This study confirmed the prominent impacts of climate warming and drying on the lake desiccation in the semi‐arid Mongolian Plateau and highlighted the gradually intensifying impacts of human activities such as grassland conversion on the lake water budget.
Environmental DNA is effective in detecting the federally threatened Louisiana Pinesnake (Pituophis ruthveni)
Authors: Katz Aron D. , Harper Lynsey R. , Sternhagen Elizabeth C. , Pearce Sarah E. , Melder Christopher A. , Sperry Jinelle H. , Davis Mark A.
Published: September 2020

Successful conservation of rare, threatened, or endangered (RTE) species is dependent upon rapid and accurate assessment of their distribution and abundance. However, assessments are challenging as RTE species typically exist as numerically small populations in often fragmented habitats and can possess complex natural histories. Environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis may provide a rapid, cost‐effective means of assessing RTE species presence/absence in viable habitat patches. We evaluated the efficacy of eDNA surveillance for the Louisiana Pinesnake (Pituophis ruthveni), an elusive, semi‐fossorial, nonvenomous colubroid snake endemic to Louisiana and Texas, USA, that has dramatically declined in both distribution and abundance. We developed two quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assays that target the mitochondrial cytochromecoxidase subunit I (COI) and mitochondrially encoded ATP synthase membrane subunit 6 (ATP6) genes. We validated each assayin silico,in vitro, andin situ, and investigated the influence of eDNA extraction method and genetic marker on assay performance. Both assays were highly sensitive and successfully detected the Louisiana Pinesnake under artificial and field conditions, including bedding samples collected from captive snake enclosures (100%), soil samples from Louisiana Pinesnake release sites (100%), and soil samples from sites where Louisiana Pinesnakes were documented via radio telemetry (45%). Although differences between genetic markers were negligible, assay performance was strongly influenced by eDNA extraction method. Informed by our results, we discuss methodological and environmental factors influencing Louisiana Pinesnake eDNA detection and quantification, broader implications for management and conservation of the Louisiana Pinesnake and other terrestrial reptiles and provide recommendations for future research. We suggest that eDNA surveys can more effectively assess Louisiana Pinesnake occupancy than conventional sampling, highlighting the need for comprehensive eDNA monitoring initiatives to better identify suitable habitat that will promote persistence of this imperiled species going forward.
Simplified analysis of bilinear elastic systems exhibiting negative stiffness behavior
Authors: Reggiani Manzo Natalia , Vassiliou Michalis F.
Published: September 2020

This work studies the dynamics of the Negative Stiffness Bilinear Elastic (NSBE) oscillator. Such a mathematical idealization can be used to describe deformable rocking systems equipped with restraining tendons or with curved extensions of their bases. First, this paper establishes the characteristic quantities of the bilinear system to make it equivalent to the actual rocking structures. Then, it proceeds by proposing a simpler “equivalent” system that can be used to study the behavior of the NSBE. The equivalent system is not some linear elastic oscillator but a bilinear elastic system with zero stiffness of the second branch: the Zero Stiffness Bilinear Elastic (ZSBE) system. ZSBE is useful because it needs one parameter less than NSBE to be defined. Next, “Equal Displacement” and “Equal Energy” rules that provide estimates of the maximum displacement of the NSBE based on the response of the ZSBE are defined. The concept is similar to the RμΤ relations that provide estimates of the response of bilinear yielding systems based on the response of an equivalent linear elastic system, with one major difference: it does not resort to a linear elastic system but to the ZSBE. The proposed methodology is applied on the FEMA P695 ground motions scaled at three different levels. The results show that ZSBE is a good proxy of NSBE and, hence, indicate that an exhaustive study of the ZSBE is useful for the design of rocking structures.
Sediment flux‐driven channel geometry adjustment of bedrock and mixed gravel–bedrock rivers
Authors: Baynes Edwin R.C. , Lague Dimitri , Steer Philippe , Bonnet Stéphane , Illien Luc
Published: September 2020

Sediment supply (Qs) is often overlooked in modelling studies of landscape evolution, despite sediment playing a key role in the physical processes that drive erosion and sedimentation in river channels. Here, we show the direct impact of the supply of coarse‐grained, hard sediment on the geometry of bedrock channels from the Rangitikei River, New Zealand. Channels receiving a coarse bedload sediment supply are systematically (up to an order of magnitude) wider than channels with no bedload sediment input for a given discharge. We also present physical model experiments of a bedrock river channel with a fixed water discharge (1.5 l min−1) under different Qs (between 0 and 20 g l−1) that allow the quantification of the role of sediment in setting the width and slope of channels and the distribution of shear stress within channels. The addition of bedload sediment increases the width, slope and width‐to‐depth ratio of the channels, and increasing sediment loads promote emerging complexity in channel morphology and shear stress distributions. Channels with low Qs are characterized by simple in‐channel morphologies with a uniform distribution of shear stress within the channel while channels with high Qs are characterized by dynamic channels with multiple active threads and a non‐uniform distribution of shear stress. We compare bedrock channel geometries from the Rangitikei and the experiments to alluvial channels and demonstrate that the behaviour is similar, with a transition from single‐thread and uniform channels to multiple threads occurring when bedload sediment is present. In the experimental bedrock channels, this threshold Qs is when the input sediment supply exceeds the transport capacity of the channel. Caution is required when using the channel geometry to reconstruct past environmental conditions or to invert for tectonic uplift rates, because multiple configurations of channel geometry can exist for a given discharge, solely due to input Qs. © 2020 The Authors. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd
The role of fault reactivation in the development of tropical montane lakes
Authors: Souza‐Filho Pedro Walfir M. , Pinheiro Roberto Vizeu L. , Costa Francisco R. , Guimarães José Tasso F. , Sahoo Prafulla K. , Silva Marcio S. , Silva Cleverson G.
Published: September 2020

This work details the role of fault reactivation in the development of tropical montane lakes by using basin morpho‐structural analysis and seismostratigraphic studies. The upland lakes are severely faulted sinkholes, whose faults penetrate the Quaternary sedimentary units. Four main stages are related to the lake formation: (i) an Early Proterozoic tectonic deformation of the rocks along the southern border of the Carajás Structure, where the lake is placed; (ii) differential erosion by – and building of – the formation of the South Carajás Hill; (iii) Fe‐rich crust formation by weathering and gravitational collapse faults following the E–W plateau border and the start of Violão Lake formation during the Pliocene–Pleistocene; and (iv) episodic fault‐fracture reactivation by gravitational collapse causing pulses of subsidence in the lake and outlining its faulted borders. Dissolution of the lateritic crust and erosion by runoff drainage under wet climate conditions were coeval with fault activities, which allowed the deposition of relatively thick clastic deposits organized in three main seismostratigraphic units associated with major lake‐level fluctuations. Initial fault reactivation under low‐level water started lacustrine basin development with deposition of prograding fan deltas related to the main drainage. A second fault reactivation by gravitational collapse increased the lake accommodation space and resulted in the deposition of fine‐grained sediments from dilute interflows or overflows until 36 000 cal year BP. At about 31 000 cal year BP, rapid decreases in the lake water level under redox conditions at the sediment/water interface allowed widespread siderite formation. A third gravitational collapse episode was responsible for the increase in the lake area and depth and the returning of clastic/organic deposition up to the present. This tropical montane lake can be seen as a representative example for understanding the formation of other upland lakes controlled by fault reactivation. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.