bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Discovery and Validation of Clinical Biomarkers of Cancer: A Review Combining Metabolomics and Proteomics
Authors: Srivastava Anubhav , Creek Darren John
Published: October 2018

Early detection and diagnosis of cancer can allow timely medical intervention, which greatly improves chances of survival and enhances quality of life. Biomarkers play an important role in assisting clinicians and health care providers in cancer diagnosis and treatment follow‐up. In spite of years of research and the discovery of thousands of candidate cancer biomarkers, only a few have transitioned to routine usage in the clinic. This review highlights advances in proteomics technologies that have enabled high rates of discovery of candidate cancer biomarkers and evaluates integration with other omics technologies to improve their progress through to validation and clinical translation. Furthermore, it gauges the role of metabolomics technology in cancer biomarker research and assesses it as a complementary tool in aiding cancer biomarker discovery and validation.
Thiolactone chemistry for the synthesis of functional silicone‐based amphiphilic co‐networks
Authors: De Bruycker Kevin , Mertens Chiel , Du Prez Filip E.
Published: October 2018

A series of amphiphilic co‐networks (ACNs) is prepared in a straightforward way via thiolactone chemistry by crosslinking a multivalent thiolactone‐functional poly(dimethylsiloxane) building block with poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylates. Formation of the networks is triggered by the addition of an amine, of which the nucleophilicity and steric bulk control the curing kinetics. Furthermore, some of the crosslinks can be sacrificed to introduce a fluorescent group or dye via a thia‐Michael addition, without affecting the bulk mechanical properties and swelling capabilities. The obtained ACNs exhibit a unique set of properties because of their nanophase separation, resulting in hydrophilic PEG and hydrophobic PDMS phases. Hence, swelling in both water and organic solvents is observed, of which the extent can be tuned by varying the overall PEG content. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2019, 57, 322–333
Applying the theory of planned behavior to examine adjuvant endocrine therapy adherence intentions
Authors: Hurtado‐de‐Mendoza Alejandra , Carrera Pilar , Parrott W. Gerrod , Gómez‐Trillos Sara , Perera Robert A. , Sheppard Vanessa B.
Published: October 2018

Objective

Adherence to adjuvant endocrine therapy (AET) in breast cancer survivors is suboptimal. Using the theory of planned behavior (TPB), this study aimed to identify the strongest predictors from the TPB of AET intentions and past behavior and assessed whether ambivalence and anticipatory emotions increased the predictive capacity of TPB.

Methods

Two hundred eighty women diagnosed with hormone positive (HR+) breast cancer who filled at least one prescription of AET responded to a survey measuring TPB constructs, attitudinal ambivalence, and anticipatory emotions. The outcomes were intentions to adhere to AET and past medication adherence (previous 2 weeks).

Results

The TPB explained 66% of intentions to adhere to AET (P < 0.001). Ambivalence did not improve the TPB model's predictive value. When emotions were included with TPB, the model explained 70% of adherence intentions F11,226 = 52.84, P < 0.001 (R2c = .70). This increase of 4% in predictability was statistically significant (ΔR2 = 0.04), F6, 226 = 7.90, P < 0.001. Women who self‐reported nonadherence in the past 2 weeks differed significantly in the TPB variables, ambivalence, and anticipatory emotions from adherent women. Nonadherent participants reported lower‐future intentions to adhere F1, 236 = 5.63, P = 0.018.

Conclusions

Results suggest key concepts, such as anticipatory positive emotions that should be addressed in future interventions to enhance AET adherence and survivorship.
Decreased Pseudomonas aeruginosa detection in children after separation of pediatric from adult cystic fibrosis clinics: A single center experience
Authors: Barnes Laura A. , Gaillard Philippe R. , Menk Jeremiah S. , Wey Andrew R. , Regelmann Warren E. , Demirel Nadir
Published: October 2018

Background

The impact of separating the adult from pediatric patients on Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeriginosa) detection in the respiratory cultures of patients was examined at the University of Minnesota CF Center.

Methods

This study was a retrospective review using data recorded in the University of Minnesota CF Database between 1995 and 2010. Respiratory culture results obtained during routine University of Minnesota Cystic Fibrosis (CF) Center. CF clinic encounters of two cohorts of pediatric and adult CF patients (pre‐ and post‐separation) were analyzed for presence of P. aeruginosa.

Results

The odds of a pediatric patient having P. aeruginosa were significantly less if the first culture was obtained after separation of pediatric and adult clinics. Being diagnosed by newborn screening or introduction of inhaled tobramycin did not affect this outcome. This reduction in P. aeruginosa was not detected in the adult cohort.

Conclusions

Separation of pediatric and adult CF clinics has contributed to decrease in P. aeruginosa detection in pediatric patients.
From boom to bust: an operational perspective of demand bubbles
Authors: Gonçalves Paulo
Published: October 2018

When demand exceeds supply, retailers hedge against shortages by placing multiple orders with multiple suppliers, exceeding customer demand and leading to excess capacity, excess inventory, low capacity utilization and financial losses. This paper provides a comprehensive causal loop diagram and a formal mathematical model of a subset of supplier–retailer relationships. We obtain closed‐form solutions when supplier capacity is fixed, and analyze simulation dynamics when it is variable. Sensitivity analyses provide a deeper understanding of parameters that contribute to demand bubbles and insight on improvement policies. For instance, the ability of the supplier to build capacity quickly can reduce bubble size. The time it takes retailers to perceive and react to supply availability is an important lever in controlling demand bubbles. When retailers learn of shortages with a delay, their reaction is also delayed, which stabilizes the supply chain.

© 2018 System Dynamics Society
A method for determining groups in multiple survival curves
Authors: Villanueva Nora M. , Sestelo Marta , Meira‐Machado Luís
Published: October 2018

Survival analysis includes a wide variety of methods for analyzing time‐to‐event data. One basic but important goal in survival analysis is the comparison of survival curves between groups. Several nonparametric methods have been proposed in the literature to test for the equality of survival curves for censored data. When the null hypothesis of equality of curves is rejected, leading to the clear conclusion that at least one curve is different, it can be interesting to ascertain whether curves can be grouped or if all these curves are different from each other. A method is proposed that allows determining groups with an automatic selection of their number. The validity and behavior of the proposed method was evaluated through simulation studies. The applicability of the proposed method is illustrated using real data. Software in the form of an R package has been developed implementing the proposed method.
Enhanced Transfer Hydrogenation Activity of Zr‐Doped Mesoporous Silica through Sol‐Gel Method for the Reduction of Biomass‐Derived Unsaturated Carbon‐Oxygen Bonds
Authors: Zhou Yi‐Han , Luo Yu‐Jia , Lin Yu‐Ting , Huang Yao‐Bing
Published: October 2018

Efficient reduction of unsaturated functionalities of biomass derived molecules enables the production of new value‐added chemical. Herein, we reported a highly efficient and robust mesoporous silica catalyst (SBA‐15) doped with Zr metal sites for the reduction of biomass derived unsaturated molecules through transfer hydrogenation reaction. Specifically, ethyl levulinate was selected as model compound to investigate the reduction activities of the as‐prepared catalysts. An almost quantitative γ‐valerolactone (GVL) yield of 99%, through the ketone reduction and intramolecular cyclisation, was obtained at 160 °C for 18 h in the presence of hydrogenation donor 2‐Butanol (2‐BuOH). Comparative experiments among different type of Zr catalysts showed that the mesoporous structure of SBA‐15 was beneficial for maximizing the activity and the stability of the Zr sites though highly metal dispersion and metal‐chelation effect, respectively. Detailed studies on the catalyst characterization and optimization revealed the ratio of Si/Zr also affected the above reactivity. Mechanistic studies revealed that the interaction between polar C=O group was key to the reaction efficiency and poisoning experiments confirmed the existence of acid‐base sites for transfer hydrogenation process. The catalyst was also successfully recycled without much loss in reactivity. Finally, the catalyst was also applied to the reduction of a variety of unsaturated molecules with high yields.
Microstructural Refinement towards the Electrochemical Co–Deposition Recovery of Copper and Selenium
Authors: Wang Yunting , Xue Yuan , Zhang Chunhui , Mo Shengpeng , Xue Yudong
Published: October 2018

Simultaneous recovery of selenium and copper from waste sulfuric acid electrolyte is of great importance for industrial treatment of electrorefining effluents. In this study we developed a cost‐effective electrochemical co‐deposition method for recovering selenium and copper with microstructural refinement. In order to enhance the recovery ratio and to control the deposit quality, the synergistic effect of mass transfer intensification and thiourea addition towards electrochemical co‐deposition was investigated systematically. We identified that the intensified mass transfer property has a beneficial effect from the kinetic considerations of electrodeposition while oscillation issues appear with the increase of the square root of the Reynolds number (Re1/2). Furthermore, adding thiourea has an integrated effect between grain refining and kinetics frustration, which can prevent the formation of dendritic products and confine the metal ions under a highly turbulent flow. As a result, the most uniform and compact deposited products were obtained in the presence of appropriate stirring and additives with a satisfied recovery ratio.
Facilitated Lithium Storage in Hierarchical Microsphere of Cu2S‐MoS2 Ultrathin Nanosheets
Authors: Kadam Sunil R. , Kalubarme Ramchandra S. , Deshmukh Shrutika P. , Panmand Rajendra P. , Kawade Ujjwala V. , Kulkarni Milind V. , Deo Shriniwas S. , Gosavi Suresh W. , Kale Bharat B.
Published: October 2018

Considering the high energy density Lithium ion batteries have become one of the best option for next‐generation energy‐storage technologies. Transition metal chalcogenide nanomaterials are promising electrodes for Lithium‐ion batteries. Molybdenum based layered chalcogenide materials wisely studied for rechargeable Li‐ion batteries, due to its two‐dimensional (2D) layered structure and better specific capacity. The three‐dimensional (3D) synthesis of microsphere by ultrathin nanosheets is necessary for practical applications. Herein, the fabrication of a unique hierarchical 2D layered Cu2S‐MoS2 nanostructure was (ultrathin nanosheets) demonstrated via in situ assembling of two‐dimensional (2D) growths in facile solvothermal technique. The structural study reveals the existence of Cubic Cu2S and Rhombohedral MoS2 phase. Morphological study by FESEM and TEM shows unique ultrathin nanosheets of ∼10 nm thickness self‐assembled in the form of layered microsphere. In Li‐ion storage testing, Cu2S‐MoS2 electrode exhibited good specific discharge capacity of 651 mAhg−1at 50 mAg−1 applied current and maintained 320 mAhg−1 after 100 cycles. The facilitated advanced electrochemical performance attributed to layered ultrathin Cu2S‐MoS2 composite nanosheets.
Fluorescence Sensors for Fe3+ Ion with High Selectivity and Sensitivity and Bioimaging in Living Cells
Authors: Xue Kun , Wang Peng , Dong Wenling , Luo Xiaohan , Cheng Pengfei , Xu Kuoxi
Published: October 2018

Two fluorescence sensors L1 and L2 were designed and synthesized. They exhibited fluorescence emission at 570 nm in DMSO/H2O (Tris buffer, pH=7.4, v/v=5: 1). The sensors L1 and L2 displayed excellent sensitivity specific toward Fe3+ in comparison to other environmentally important metal ions, including Fe2+ ions, and the detection limit was as low as 5.11×10−8 M. Furthermore, living PC‐12 cell imaging experiments indicated that the sensors L1 and L2 were cell‐permeable and they could be used to detect intracellular Fe3+ ions.
Top management team nationality diversity, corporate entrepreneurship, and innovation in multinational firms
Authors: Boone Christophe , Lokshin Boris , Guenter Hannes , Belderbos René
Published: October 2018

Research Summary

We integrate insights from upper echelon theory and the literature on innovation and multinational corporations (MNCs) to develop a framework explaining when and why nationality diversity in top management teams (TMTs) affects corporate entrepreneurship—as evidenced by diversity in global knowledge sourcing—and through this innovation performance in MNCs. In a panel of 165 manufacturing MNCs based in 20 countries, we confirm that the positive effects of TMT nationality diversity on corporate entrepreneurship and innovation are only unleashed in TMTs with low social stratification and in MNCs located in home countries that are low in national power distance. Our study contributes to opening up the black box of the upper echelon's strategic role in spurring entrepreneurship and innovation in MNCs embedded in different cultures.

Managerial Summary

The internationalization of TMTs in MNCs has been increasing in response to the globalization of markets and sources of knowledge. In this study, we examine under what circumstances MNCs that have TMTs comprised of executives with diverse nationalities exhibit stronger innovation performance. Analysis of leading corporations from 20 countries over a period of 10 years reveals that MNCs with diverse TMTs engage more in corporate entrepreneurship and subsequently see increased innovation performance—but only when these TMTs are operating in environments characterized by equal distribution of power and low hierarchy. The findings underscore the important role of corporate headquarters and TMT composition in the strategic management of modern MNCs.
Concise Review: Modulating Cancer Immunity with Hematopoietic Stem and Progenitor Cells
Authors: Wildes Tyler J. , Flores Catherine T. , Mitchell Duane A.
Published: October 2018

Hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) are the progenitor cells that can regenerate the entire blood compartment, including the immune system. Recent studies have unearthed considerable immune-modulating potential of these cells. They can migrate through chemotactic gradients, differentiate into functional immune cells, and crosstalk with immune cells during infections, autoimmune diseases, and cancers. Although the primary role of HSPCs during solid malignancies is considered immunosuppressive, recent studies have discovered immune-activating HSPCs and progeny. In this review, we will discuss the recent evidence that HSPCs act as immunomodulators during solid cancers and highlight the future directions of discovery. Stem Cells  2019;37:166–175
Routine first‐trimester screening for fetal trisomies in twin pregnancy: cell‐free DNA test contingent on results from combined test
Authors: Galeva S. , Konstantinidou L. , Gil M. M. , Akolekar R. , Nicolaides K. H.
Published: October 2018

Objective

To report on the routine clinical implementation of cell‐free DNA (cfDNA) analysis of maternal blood for trisomies 21, 18 and 13, contingent on the results of the first‐trimester combined test in twin pregnancy.

Methods

Screening for trisomies 21, 18 and 13 was carried out in 959 twin pregnancies by assessment of a combination of maternal age, fetal nuchal translucency thickness, and serum free β‐human chorionic gonadotropin and pregnancy‐associated plasma protein‐A at 11–13 weeks' gestation in two UK NHS hospitals. Women in the high‐risk group (risk ≥ 1 in 100) were offered the option of invasive testing, cfDNA testing or no further testing, and those in the intermediate‐risk group (risk 1 in 101 to 1 in 2500 in the first phase of the study and 1 in 101 to 1 in 500 in the second phase) were offered cfDNA or no further testing. The trisomic status of the pregnancies was determined by prenatal or postnatal karyotyping or examination of the neonates.

Results

In 42 (4.4%) of the 959 pregnancies, there was termination, miscarriage or stillbirth with no known karyotype or there was loss to follow‐up. The 917 pregnancies with known trisomic status of both twins included six that were discordant for trisomy 21, four that were discordant for trisomy 18 and 907 with no trisomy 21, 18 or 13. Following combined screening, 47 (5.1%), 203 (22.1%) and 667 (72.7%) of the pregnancies were classified as high risk, intermediate risk and low risk, respectively. The high‐risk group included five (83.3%) cases of trisomy 21 and three (75.0%) of trisomy 18. The cfDNA test was carried out in 224 pregnancies and results were provided in 214 (95.5%); this group included six pregnancies with trisomy 21, three with trisomy 18 and 206 with no trisomy 21, 18 or 13. The cfDNA test classified correctly as screen positive all six cases of trisomy 21 and two of the three with trisomy 18, and as screen negative for each of the trisomies all 206 unaffected pregnancies. Contingent screening led to prenatal detection of all cases of trisomy 21 and three of four with trisomy 18.

Conclusion

This study has demonstrated the feasibility of introducing cfDNA testing, contingent on the results of the first‐trimester combined test for major trisomies, in a routine population of twin pregnancies. Copyright © 2018 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Two Series of New Volatile Rare‐Earth Metal Tris(guanidinates) and Tris(amidinates)
Authors: Tutacz Peter , Harmgarth Nicole , Zörner Florian , Liebing Phil , Hilfert Liane , Engelhardt Felix , Busse Sabine , Edelmann Frank T.
Published: October 2018

Two series of new volatile, homoleptic lanthanide(III) tris(guanidinate) and tris(amidinate) complexes were synthesized and fully characterized. Treatment of anhydrous rare‐earth metal(III) chlorides, LnCl3, with three equiv. of the aziridine‐derived lithium guanidinate Li[c‐C2H4NC(NiPr)2] (3) afforded the new homoleptic tris(guanidinate) complexes [c‐C2H4NC(NiPr)2]3Ln (4) (Ln = Sc, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Ho, Tm) in good yields (68–80 %). In a similar manner, the homoleptic tris(amidinate) complexes [iPrC(NiPr)2]3Ln (6) Ln = Sc, Ce, Pr, Nd, Tb, Dy, Er, Yb) were prepared from LnCl3 and the all‐isopropyl‐substituted lithium amidinate Li[iPrC(NiPr)2] (5) in a molar ratio of 1:3. Variable‐temperature 1H NMR studies of the paramagnetic derivatives 4Pr–4Tm revealed Curie‐type behavior. 1H NMR spectroscopic data of complexes 6 indicated severe steric crowding due to the presence of nine isopropyl groups in these molecules. The molecular and crystal structures of eight title compounds (4Sc, 4Pr, 4Nd, 4Sm, 4Eu, 4Ho, 4Tm, and 6Er) were determined through single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction studies. All complexes 4 exhibit similar molecular structures, comprising distorted octahedral molecular structures with small bite angles. Sublimation temperatures of 4 at 0.05 mbar were determined to be in the range between 151 °C (4Eu) and 194 °C (4Tm), whereas the complexes 6 sublime in the temperature range between 140 °C (6Sc) and 180 °C (6Ce), so that the use of these precursors in future ALD or CVD studies appears feasible.
The twistor Wilson loop and the amplituhedron
Authors: Heslop Paul , Stewart Alastair
Published: October 2018

Abstract

The amplituhedron provides a beautiful description of perturbative superamplitude integrands in$$ \mathcal{N}=4 $$N=4SYM in terms of purely geometric objects, generalisations of polytopes. On the other hand the Wilson loop in supertwistor space also gives an explicit description of these superamplitudes as a sum of planar Feynman diagrams. Each Feynman diagram can be naturally associated with a geometrical object in the same space as the amplituhedron (although not uniquely). This suggests that these geometric images of the Feynman diagrams give a tessellation of the amplituhedron. This turns out to be the case for NMHV amplitudes. We argue however that beyond NMHV this is not true. Specifically, each Feynman diagram leads to an image with a physical boundary and spurious boundaries. The spurious ones should be “internal”, matching with neighbouring diagrams. We however show that there is no choice of geometric image of the Wilson loop Feynman diagrams which yields a geometric object without leaving unmatched spurious boundaries.
Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) accumulation by Azotobacter vinelandii under different oxygen transfer strategies
Authors: Díaz-Barrera Alvaro , Urtuvia Viviana , Padilla-Córdova Claudio , Peña Carlos
Published: October 2018

Azotobacter vinelandii OP is a bacterium that produces poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB). PHB production in a stirred bioreactor, at different oxygen transfer strategies, was evaluated. By applying different oxygen contents in the inlet gas, the oxygen transfer rate (OTR) was changed under a constant agitation rate. Batch cultures were performed without dissolved oxygen tension (DOT) control (using 9% and 21% oxygen in the inlet gas) and under DOT control (4%) using gas blending. The cultures that developed without DOT control were limited by oxygen. As result of varying the oxygen content in the inlet gas, a lower OTR (4.6 mmol L−1 h−1) and specific oxygen uptake rate (11.6 mmol g−1 h−1) were obtained using 9% oxygen in the inlet gas. The use of 9% oxygen in the inlet gas was the most suitable for improving the intracellular PHB content (56 ± 6 w w−1). For the first time, PHB accumulation in A. vinelandii OP cultures, developed with different OTRs, was compared under homogeneous mixing conditions, demonstrating that bacterial respiration affects PHB synthesis. These results can be used to design new oxygen transfer strategies to produce PHB under productive conditions.
Psychometric Evaluation of PROMIS Sexual Function and Satisfaction Measures in a Longitudinal Population-Based Cohort of Men With Localized Prostate Cancer
Authors: Reeve Bryce B. , Wang Mian , Weinfurt Kevin , Flynn Kathryn E. , Usinger Deborah S. , Chen Ronald C.
Published: October 2018

Background

There are multiple treatment options for men with localized prostate cancer that provide similar curative efficacy but differ in their impact on sexual functioning.

Aim

To evaluate the psychometric properties of the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Sexual Function and Satisfaction (SexFS) measures, including items from versions 1 and 2 of the short forms.

Methods

A population-based cohort of men across North Carolina completed surveys via phone interviews at baseline (prior to treatment) and at 3, 12, and 24 months after cancer treatment initiation. Surveys included the PROMIS SexFS domains of interest in sexual activity, erectile function, orgasm, and satisfaction and the Prostate Cancer Symptom Indices. Analyses included descriptive statistics, assessment of structural validity using confirmatory factor analysis and item response theory, tests for differential item functioning, assessment of convergent validity using correlations, and evaluation of responsiveness of the PROMIS SexFS measures over time. We hypothesized that men undergoing surgery (prostatectomy) would report the poorest sexual function at the 3-month survey.

Results

Sample size varied by assessment point and ranged from 332‒939 men, consisting of 30% non-white men, and 30% of the sample had a high school degree or less. The items within the PROMIS orgasm domain did not form a unidimensional scale. PROMIS measures of interest in sexual activity, erectile function, and satisfaction were unidimensional and highly correlated with related Prostate Cancer Symptom Indices measures (eg, erectile function, r = 0.84‒0.95). Erectile function in the surgery group declined more at 3 months compared to the no-surgery group (2 points); this difference narrowed at 12 and 24 months after surgery, as the surgery group recovered over time. Results were similar for PROMIS Interest in Sexual Activity and PROMIS Satisfaction scales.

Clinical Implications

The PROMIS SexFS measures may be used to identify effective interventions to treat sexual dysfunction and monitor sexual functioning in men with prostate cancer over time.

Strength & Limitations

This study was limited to men living in North Carolina who could self-report their health-related quality of life in English. However, this study was able to include more men from vulnerable populations by allowing them to self-report over the phone.

Conclusion

This study provided strong support for use of the PROMIS SexFS (version 2) measures in men with localized prostate cancer to assess sexual interest, erectile function, and satisfaction over time.
Flipping the Paleontology Classroom
Authors: Clapham Matthew E.
Published: October 2018

Lecturing has been a staple of university pedagogy, but a shift is ongoing because of evidence that active engagement with content helps strengthen learning and build more advanced skills. The flipped classroom, which delivers content to students outside of the class meeting, is one approach to maximize time for active learning. The fundamental benefit of a flipped class is that students learn more, but ensuring student preparation and engagement can be challenging. Evaluation policies can provide incentives to guide student effort. Flipping a class requires an initial time commitment, but the workload associated with evaluating student work during the course can be mitigated. The personal interactions from active learning are extremely rewarding for students and instructors, especially when class sizes are small and suitable room layouts are available. Overall, flipping a course doesn't require special training, just a willingness to experiment, reflect, and adjust.
CONTEXTUALISM AND THE AMBIGUITY THEORY OF ‘KNOWS’
Authors: Satta Mark
Published: October 2018

Theambiguity theory of ‘knows’is the view that ‘knows’ and its cognates have more than one sense, and that which sense of ‘knows’ is used in a knowledge ascription or denial determines, in part, the meaning (and as a result the truth conditions) of that knowledge ascription or denial. In this paper, I argue that the ambiguity theory of ‘knows’ ought to be taken seriously by those drawn to epistemic contextualism. In doing so I first argue that the ambiguity theory of ‘knows’ is a distinct view from epistemic contextualism. Second, I provide independent philosophical and linguistic considerations to motivate the ambiguity theory. Third, I argue that the ambiguity theory has the same central, generally agreed upon virtues ascribed to epistemic contextualism (namely, the ability to solve certain persistent epistemological problems relating to skeptical arguments and the ability to preserve the truth of most of our everyday, ordinary usages of ‘knows’ and its cognates). Finally, I provide an ambiguity-theory-friendly account of why contextualism may be initially appealing, and why this shouldn't dissuade us from taking the ambiguity theory seriously nonetheless.
Association between early life antibiotic use and childhood overweight and obesity: a narrative review
Authors: Partap Uttara , Allcock Sophie H. , Parker Edyth , Gurdasani Deepti , Young Elizabeth H. , Sandhu Manjinder S.
Published: October 2018

Background

Recent research implicates antibiotic use as a potential contributor to child obesity risk. In this narrative review, we examine current observational evidence on the relation between antibiotic use in early childhood and subsequent measures of child body mass.

Methods

We searched PubMed, Web of Science and the Cochrane Library to identify studies that assessed antibiotic exposure before 3 years of age and subsequent measures of body mass or risk of overweight or obesity in childhood.

Results

We identified 13 studies published before October 2017, based on a total of 6 81 332 individuals, which examined the relation between early life antibiotic exposure and measures of child body mass. Most studies did not appropriately account for confounding by indication for antibiotic use. Overall, we found no consistent and conclusive evidence of associations between early life antibiotic use and later child body mass [minimum overall adjusted odds ratio (aOR) reported: 1.01, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.98–1.04, N = 2 60 556; maximum overall aOR reported: 2.56, 95% CI 1.36–4.79, N = 616], with no clinically meaningful increases in weight reported (maximum increase: 1.50 kg at 15 years of age). Notable methodological differences between studies, including variable measures of association and inclusion of confounders, limited more comprehensive interpretations.

Conclusions

Evidence to date is insufficient to indicate that antibiotic use is an important risk factor for child obesity, or leads to clinically important differences in weight. Further comparable studies using routine clinical data may help clarify this association.
Race and faith: the Catholic Church, clerical Fascism, and the shaping of Italian anti-semitism and racism
Authors: Valbousquet Nina
Published: October 2018

In this essay, I argue that despite the Vatican’s condemnation of Nazi racism as an anti-Christian ideology, some Catholic sectors in Fascist Italy were not impervious to anti-semitic and racial prejudices. Looking at the discussion on race and anti-semitism in the propaganda of clerical Fascism and its simultaneous echo in Church discourses, this research delves deeper into the formation of a specific Catholic trend of racial anti-semitism that excluded Jews from a religiously and ethnically homogeneous definition of the Italian nation. A significant part of the propagandists of clerical Fascism attempted to define a racial and anti-semitic narrative that could be suitable for both Fascist racism and Italian Catholic culture. I examine the Catholic appropriation of racial anti-semitism on a broad spectrum of positions, ranging from Catholics who only flirted with racialist rhetoric to those who dismissed the transformative value of conversion because of alleged racial barriers. Challenging the traditional distinction between Christian anti-Judaism and modern anti-semitism, the examples under examination demonstrate the entanglement of religious and racial arguments in the shaping of a ‘Jewish race’ that was considered foreign to theitalianitàcelebrated by the regime.
An Unlikely Day in Court? Legal Challenges for the Prosecution of Israeli Settlements under the Rome Statute
Authors: Jöbstl Hannes
Published: October 2018

This article analyses the scope of the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court (ICC) over the Israeli settlement enterprise in the West Bank. The author has found that this scope differs fundamentally between acts of direct transfer and indirect transfer because of Israel's status as a non-member state of the Rome Statute of the ICC and the specific nature of Article 8(2)(b)(viii). Whereas procedural arguments relating to third party rights do not prove to be valid jurisdictional obstacles, the Court's temporal and territorial jurisdiction could nevertheless be limited to acts of direct population transfer committed after April 2015. In conclusion, the article argues that the most promising strategy for the Office of the Prosecutor would be to focus on recent large-scale instances of direct transfer.
BetweenConsentedandUn-ContestedOccupation
Authors: Arai Kyo
Published: October 2018

It has long been recognised that ‘non-consent’ is a fundamental element of the law of occupation. Under modern international humanitarian law (IHL), the consensual presence of foreign military forces is generally not seen as belligerent occupation.

However, if we accept the principle that the application of IHL should rely on the objective situation on the ground and not on the subjective judgment of the situation of parties to the conflict, it may be natural to diminish the significance of consent by the territorial states in relation to the application of the law of occupation. It may be somewhat harmful to deny such protection based solely on the existence of the territorial states’ consent without considering the relationship, in reality, between the occupier and the population in the occupied area. According to a teleological interpretation of IHL, especially when it is obvious that the latter has no allegiance to the former, the tense relationship between them should be regulated by the law of occupation.

This article discusses whether and how state consent could be a humanitarian ground to negate the legal protection for its own people, and highlights situations where the local population needs protection by the law of occupation (or comparable rules) in consensual military occupations.
Predicting the flowering date of Portuguese grapevine varieties using temperature-based phenological models: a multi-site approach
Authors: Reis Pereira Mafalda , Ribeiro Helena , Abreu Ilda , Eiras-Dias José , Mota Teresa , Cunha Mário
Published: October 2018

Phenological models for predicting the grapevine flowering were tested using phenological data of 15 grape varieties collected between 1990 and 2014 in Vinhos Verdes and Lisbon Portuguese wine regions. Three models were tested: Spring Warming (Growing Degree Days – GDD model), Spring Warming modified using a triangular function – GDD triangular and UniFORC model, which considers an exponential response curve to temperature. Model estimation was performed using data on two grape varieties (Loureiro and Fernão Pires), present in both regions. Three dates were tested for the beginning of heat unit accumulation (t0date): budburst, 1 January and 1 September. The best overall date was budburst. Furthermore, for each model parameter, an intermediate range of values common for the studied regions was estimated and further optimized to obtain one model that could be used for a diverse range of grape varieties in both wine regions. External validation was performed using an independent data set from 13 grape varieties (seven red and six white), different from the two used in the estimation step. The results showed a high coefficient of determination (R2: 0.59–0.89), low Root Mean Square Error (RMSE: 3–7 days) and Mean Absolute Deviation (MAD: 2–6 days) between predicted and observed values. The UniFORC model overall performed slightly better than the two GDD models, presenting higherR2(0.75) and lower RMSE (4.55) and MAD (3.60). The developed phenological models presented good accuracy when applied to several varieties in different regions and can be used as a predictor tool of flowering date in Portugal.
The pursuit of the magic pill: the overuse of psychotropic medications in children with intellectual and developmental disabilities in the USA
Authors: McLaren J. L. , Lichtenstein J. D.
Published: October 2018

Children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are likely to receive high-risk prescribing practices, such as polypharmacy, long-term use of psychotropic medications, and overuse of antipsychotics. Behavioural interventions, such as applied behavioural analysis, are evidence-based practices for children with IDD and should be the first-line treatment. Short-term use of psychotropic medications may be helpful in reducing the severity and frequency of challenging behaviours while evidence-based behavioural interventions are pursued. In this essay, we offer practical guidelines for better care.
Acute complications in the post-anaesthesia care unit after infrainguinal surgery for lower limb ischaemia – a prospective observational cohort study
Authors: Yeung Karin , Eiberg Jonas Peter , Kehlet Henrik , Aasvang Eske Kvanner
Published: October 2018

Abstract. Background: Arterial surgery for lower limb ischaemia is a frequently performed procedure in patients with severe cardio-pulmonary comorbidities, making them high-risk patients for acute postoperative complications with a need for prolonged stay in the post-anaesthesia care unit (PACU). However, detailed information on complications during the PACU stay is limited, hindering mechanism-based interventions for early enhanced recovery. Thus, we aimed to systematically describe acute complications and related risk factors in the immediate postoperative phase after infrainguinal arterial surgery. Patients and methods: Patients transferred to the PACU after infrainguinal arterial surgery due to chronic or acute lower limb ischaemia were consecutively included in a six-month observational cohort study. Pre- and intraoperative data included comorbidities as well as surgical and anaesthetic technique. Data on complications and treatments in the PACU were collected every 15 minutes using a standardised assessment tool. The primary endpoint was occurrence of predefined moderate or severe complications occurring during PACU stay. Results: In total, 155 patients were included for analysis. Eighty (52 %) patients experienced episodes with oxygen desaturation (< 85 %) and moderate or severe pain occurred in 72 patients (47 %); however, circulatory complications (hypotension, tachycardia) were rare. Preoperative opioid use was a significant risk factor for moderate or severe pain in PACU (59 vs. 38 % chronic vs. opioid naïve patients (P = 0.01). Conclusions: Complications in the PACU after infrainguinal arterial surgery relates to saturation and pain, suggesting that future efforts should focus on anaesthesia and analgesic techniques including opioid sparing regimes to enhance early postoperative recovery.
Mapping and Monitoring Soil Moisture in Forested Landscapes
Authors: Jenkins Liza , Tanzer Danielle , McKinley Duncan
Published: October 2018

Monitoring Forest Soil Moisture for a Changing World; Ann Arbor, Michigan, 15–17 May 2018
Full-duplex light communication with a monolithic multicomponent system
Authors: Wang Yongjin , Wang Xin , Zhu Bingcheng , Shi Zheng , Yuan Jialei , Gao Xumin , Liu Yuhuai , Sun Xiaojuan , Li Dabing , Amano Hiroshi
Published: October 2018

A monolithic multicomponent system is proposed and implemented on a III-nitride-on-silicon platform, whereby two multiple-quantum-well diodes (MQW-diodes) are interconnected by a suspended waveguide. Both MQW-diodes have an identical low-In-content InGaN/Al0.10Ga0.90N MQW structure and are produced by the same fabrication process flow. When appropriately biased, both MQW-diodes operate under a simultaneous emission-detection mode and function as a transmitter and a receiver at the same time, forming an in-plane full-duplex light communication system. Real-time full-duplex audio communication is experimentally demonstrated using the monolithic multicomponent system in combination with an external circuit.
Predictive multiphase evolution in Al-containing high-entropy alloys
Authors: Santodonato L. J. , Liaw P. K. , Unocic R. R. , Bei H. , Morris J. R.
Published: October 2018

The ability to predict and understand phases in high-entropy alloys (HEAs) is still being debated, and primarily true predictive capabilities derive from the known thermodynamics of materials. The present work demonstrates that prior work using high-throughput first-principles calculations may be further utilized to provide direct insight into the temperature- and composition-dependent phase evolution in HEAs, particularly Al-containing HEAs with a strengthening multiphase microstructure. Using a simple model with parameters derived from first-principles calculations, we reproduce the major features associated with Al-containing phases, demonstrating a generalizable approach for exploring potential phase evolution where little experimental data exists. Neutron scattering, in situ microscopy, and calorimetry measurements suggest that our high-throughput Monte Carlo technique captures both qualitative and quantitative features for both intermetallic phase formation and microstructure evolution at lower temperatures. This study provides a simple approach to guide HEA development, including ordered multi-phase HEAs, which may prove valuable for structural applications.
SUMOylation of ROR-γt inhibits IL-17 expression and inflammation via HDAC2
Authors: Singh Amir Kumar , Khare Prashant , Obaid Abeer , Conlon Kevin P. , Basrur Venkatesha , DePinho Ronald A. , Venuprasad K.
Published: October 2018

Dysregulated ROR-γt-mediated IL-17 transcription is central to the pathogenesis of several inflammatory disorders, yet the molecular mechanisms that govern the transcription factor activity of ROR-γt in the regulation of IL-17 are not fully defined. Here we show that SUMO-conjugating enzyme Ubc9 interacts with a conserved GKAE motif in ROR-γt to induce SUMOylation of ROR-γt and suppress IL-17 expression. Th17 cells expressing SUMOylation-defective ROR-γt are highly colitogenic upon transfer to Rag1–/– mice. Mechanistically, SUMOylation of ROR-γt facilitates the binding of HDAC2 to the IL-17 promoter and represses IL-17 transcription. Mice with conditional deletion of HDAC2 in CD4+ T cells have elevated IL-17 expression and severe colitis. The identification of the Ubc9/ROR-γt/HDAC2 axis that governs IL-17 expression may open new venues for the development of therapeutic measures for inflammatory disorders.
Author Correction: Transcriptome and functional analysis reveals hybrid vigor for oil biosynthesis in oil palm
Authors: Jin Jingjing , Sun Yanwei , Qu Jing , syah Rahmad , Lim Chin-Huat , Alfiko Yuzer , Rahman Nur Estya Bte , Suwanto Antonius , Yue Genhua , Wong Limsoon , Chua Nam-Hai , Ye Jian
Published: October 2018

A correction has been published and is appended to both the HTML and PDF versions of this paper. The error has been fixed in the paper.
Brain Sensitivity to Exclusion is Associated with Core Network Closure
Authors: Bayer Joseph B. , O’Donnell Matthew Brook , Cascio Christopher N. , Falk Emily B.
Published: October 2018

Humans are driven to pursue and preserve social relationships, and these motivations are reinforced through biological systems. In particular, individual differences in the tuning of biological systems that respond to social threats may motivate individuals to seek out differently structured social environments. Drawing on a sample of adolescent males who underwent fMRI brain imaging (n = 74) and contributed Facebook data, we examined whether biological responses to a common scenario – being excluded from an activity with peers – was associated with their social network structure. We find that neural responses during social exclusion in a priori hypothesized “social pain” regions of the brain (dACC, AI, subACC) are associated with the density and transitivity of core friendship networks. These findings suggest that neural reactivity to exclusion may be one factor that underlies network “safety”. More broadly, the study shows the potential of linking social cognitive tendencies to social structural properties.
Polyploidy and introgression in invasive giant knotweed (Fallopia sachalinensis) during the colonization of remote volcanic islands
Authors: Park Chong-Wook , Bhandari Gauri Shankar , Won Hyosig , Park Jin Hee , Park Daniel Sangsoon
Published: October 2018

Invasive giant knotweed (Fallopia sachalinensis) is native to northeastern Asia. In Korea, F. sachalinensis is confined to two volcanic islands, Ullung and Dok islands, where it occurs as dodecaploids (2n = 132). We investigated the molecular variation in 104 accessions from 94 populations of F. sachalinensis and its relatives throughout their native range to elucidate the origin of these island populations. All F. sachalinensis plants on Ullung and Dok islands were uniquely dodecaploid, whereas other populations were tetraploid (2n = 44). Among the 39 cpDNA haplotypes identified, the accessions from these islands shared two unique haplotypes, and were resolved as a well-supported monophyletic clade. However, this clade was sister to a clade comprising F. japonica accessions from southwestern Japan and separated from the clade comprising F. sachalinensis from other areas; this relationship is inconsistent with morphological evidence. The monophyly of the F. sachalinensis populations on Ullung and Dok islands suggests a single colonization event. The progenitor was likely from Japan, where it possibly captured F. japonica var. japonica cpDNA via introgression. The Ullung Island populations subsequently differentiated through polyploidization and mutations post-introduction. Our results also indicate that giant knotweed in Europe and North America likely originated from northern Japan and/or Sakhalin Island.
The Lhx1-Ldb1 complex interacts with Furry to regulate microRNA expression during pronephric kidney development
Authors: Espiritu Eugenel B. , Crunk Amanda E. , Bais Abha , Hochbaum Daniel , Cervino Ailen S. , Phua Yu Leng , Butterworth Michael B. , Goto Toshiyasu , Ho Jacqueline , Hukriede Neil A. , Cirio M. Cecilia
Published: October 2018

The molecular events driving specification of the kidney have been well characterized. However, how the initial kidney field size is established, patterned, and proportioned is not well characterized. Lhx1 is a transcription factor expressed in pronephric progenitors and is required for specification of the kidney, but few Lhx1 interacting proteins or downstream targets have been identified. By tandem-affinity purification, we isolated FRY like transcriptional coactivator (Fryl), one of two paralogous genes, fryl and furry (fry), have been described in vertebrates. Both proteins were found to interact with the Ldb1-Lhx1 complex, but our studies focused on Lhx1/Fry functional roles, as they are expressed in overlapping domains. We found that Xenopus embryos depleted of fry exhibit loss of pronephric mesoderm, phenocopying the Lhx1-depleted animals. In addition, we demonstrated a synergism between Fry and Lhx1, identified candidate microRNAs regulated by the pair, and confirmed these microRNA clusters influence specification of the kidney. Therefore, our data shows that a constitutively-active Ldb1-Lhx1 complex interacts with a broadly expressed microRNA repressor, Fry, to establish the kidney field.
Genomic signatures of local adaptation to the degree of environmental predictability in rotifers
Authors: Franch-Gras Lluis , Hahn Christoph , García-Roger Eduardo M. , Carmona María José , Serra Manuel , Gómez Africa
Published: October 2018

Environmental fluctuations are ubiquitous and thus essential for the study of adaptation. Despite this, genome evolution in response to environmental fluctuations —and more specifically to the degree of environmental predictability– is still unknown. Saline lakes in the Mediterranean region are remarkably diverse in their ecological conditions, which can lead to divergent local adaptation patterns in the inhabiting aquatic organisms. The facultatively sexual rotifer Brachionus plicatilis shows diverging local adaptation in its life-history traits in relation to estimated environmental predictability in its habitats. Here, we used an integrative approach —combining environmental, phenotypic and genomic data for the same populations– to understand the genomic basis of this diverging adaptation. Firstly, a novel draft genome for B. plicatilis was assembled. Then, genome-wide polymorphisms were studied using genotyping by sequencing on 270 clones from nine populations in eastern Spain. As a result, 4,543 high-quality SNPs were identified and genotyped. More than 90 SNPs were found to be putatively under selection with signatures of diversifying and balancing selection. Over 140 SNPs were correlated with environmental or phenotypic variables revealing signatures of local adaptation, including environmental predictability. Putative functions were associated to most of these SNPs, since they were located within annotated genes. Our results reveal associations between genomic variation and the degree of environmental predictability, providing genomic evidence of adaptation to local conditions in natural rotifer populations.