bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Editors’ Choice—Review—Conductive Forms of MoS2 and Their Applications in Energy Storage and Conversion
Authors: Saha Dipankar , Kruse Peter
Published: August 2020

Conductive forms of MoS2 are important emerging 2D materials due to their unique combination of properties such as high electrical conductivity, availability of active sites in edge and basal planes for catalytic activity and expanded interlayer distances. Consequently, there has been a drive to find synthetic routes toward conductive forms of MoS2. Naturally occurring or synthetically grown semiconducting 2H-MoS2 can either be converted into metallic 1T-MoS2, or various dopants may be introduced to modulate the electronic band gap of the 2H-MoS2 phase and increase its conductivity. Chemical and electrochemical intercalation methods, hydrothermal and solvothermal processes, and chemical vapor deposition have all been developed to synthesize conductive MoS2. Conductive MoS2 finds applications in energy storage devices, electrocatalytic reactions, and sensors. Here, we summarize a detailed understanding of the atomic structure and electronic properties of conductive MoS2 which is crucial for its applications. We also discuss various fabrication methods that have been previously reported along with their advantages and disadvantages. Finally, we will give an overview of current trends in different applications in energy storage and electrocatalytic reactions in order to help researchers to further explore the applications of conductive MoS2.
Editors’ Choice—Perspective—Bipolar Photoactivity: The Anomalous Case of Electrodeposited Copper Oxide Films
Authors: Firouzan Farinaz , Vali Abbas , Rajeshwar Krishnan
Published: August 2020

This Perspective addresses the use of photocurrent polarity (i.e., whether anodic or cathodic) in a photoelectrochemical (PEC) situation to assess whether a given semiconductor electrode sample behaves as an n- or p-type semiconductor. Using electrodeposited copper(I) oxide film as a sample platform, complications arising from the presence of Cu as an unwanted impurity phase and/or PEC corrosion of the oxide film in the photocurrent polarity data are discussed. Such artefacts are shown to be a possible contributory factor in many previous studies that have (erroneously) identified n-type semiconductor behavior in electrodeposited copper oxide films.
Eight weeks of device-guided slow breathing decreases sympathetic nervous reactivity to stress in posttraumatic stress disorder
Authors: Fonkoue Ida T. , Hu Yingtian , Jones Toure , Vemulapalli Monica , Sprick Justin D. , Rothbaum Barbara , Park Jeanie
Published: August 2020

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is characterized by increased risk for developing hypertension and cardiovascular disease. We recently showed that device-guided slow breathing (DGB) acutely lowers blood pressure (BP) and muscle sympathetic activity (MSNA) and improves baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) in PTSD. The aim of this study was to assess the long-term benefits of DGB on autonomic function at rest and during stress. We hypothesized that long-term DGB improves arterial BRS and lowers BP and MSNA in PTSD. Twenty-five veterans with PTSD were studied and randomized to either 8 wk of daily DGB ( n = 12) or 8 wk of sham device (Sham; n = 13). BP, heart rate (HR), and MSNA were measured at rest and during mental math. Arterial BRS was assessed using the modified Oxford technique. Resting MSNA, BP, and heart rate (HR) remained comparable before and after 8 wk in both groups (DGB and Sham). Likewise, the change in sympathetic and cardiovagal BRS was not different between the groups. Interestingly, DGB significantly decreased MSNA reactivity to mental math when expressed as burst frequency ( P = 0.012) or burst incidence ( P = 0.008) compared with Sham, suggesting a sustained effect of DGB on sympathetic reactivity to stress in PTSD. Contrary to our hypothesis, long-term DGB did not lower systolic BP, diastolic BP, or HR responses to stress compared with Sham. Likewise, pulse pressure reactivity after 8 wk ( P = 0.121) was also comparable. In summary, these data suggest that long-term use of DGB may lead to a sustained dampening of sympathetic reactivity to mental stress in PTSD.
Dairy Consumption and Risks of Colorectal Cancer Incidence and Mortality: A Meta-analysis of Prospective Cohort Studies
Authors: Jin Shaoyue , Kim Youngyo , Je Youjin
Published: August 2020

Background:

Previous studies of dairy consumption and colorectal cancer incidence have shown inconsistent results, and there was no meta-analysis of association of dairy consumption with colorectal cancer mortality. Thus, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of prospective cohort studies to investigate these associations.

Methods:

PubMed and Web of Science databases were searched for eligible studies published up to July 2019, and a random effects model was used to estimate pooled RR.

Results:

We identified 31 prospective cohort studies, which included 24,964 and 2,302 cases for colorectal cancer incidence and mortality, respectively. The pooled RR of colorectal cancer incidence for the highest versus lowest categories of total dairy consumption was 0.79 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.74–0.85]. For milk consumption, there was also a significant inverse association (RR, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.76–0.86). For cheese and fermented milk consumption, overall no association was found, but studies conducted in Europe showed a significant inverse association for cheese (RR, 0.87; 95% CI, 0.78–0.97) and fermented milk consumption (RR, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.85–0.98). For colorectal cancer mortality, we found 29% lower risk of death from colorectal cancer in subjects with high dairy consumption compared with those with low intakes of dairy products (RR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.54–0.93), but each type of dairy consumption did not show a significant association.

Conclusions:

High dairy consumption was associated with lower colorectal cancer incidence and mortality.

Impact:

Our findings suggest that high dairy consumption may be associated with lower colorectal cancer incidence and mortality, but further studies are warranted.
The Gut Microbiome Is Associated with Clinical Response to Anti–PD-1/PD-L1 Immunotherapy in Gastrointestinal Cancer
Authors: Peng Zhi , Cheng Siyuan , Kou Yan , Wang Ziqi , Jin Rong , Hu Han , Zhang Xiaotian , Gong Ji-fang , Li Jian , Lu Ming , Wang Xicheng , Zhou Jun , Lu ZhiHao , Zhang Quan , Tzeng David T.W. , Bi Dongtao , Tan Yan , Shen Lin
Published: August 2020

We report on a comprehensive analysis of the gut microbiomes of patients with gastrointestinal (GI) cancer receiving anti–PD-1/PD-L1 treatment. The human gut microbiota has been associated with clinical responses to anti–PD-1/PD-L1 immunotherapy in melanoma, non–small cell lung cancer, and renal cell carcinoma. We aimed to investigate this association in GI cancers. We also identified bacterial taxa with patient stratification potential. We recruited 74 patients with advanced-stage GI cancer receiving anti–PD-1/PD-L1 treatment and collected their fecal samples prior to and during immunotherapy, along with clinical evaluations. Our 16S rRNA taxonomy survey on the fecal samples revealed an elevation of the Prevotella/Bacteroides ratio in patients, with a preferred response to anti–PD-1/PD-L1 treatment, and a particular subgroup of responders harboring a significantly higher abundance of Prevotella, Ruminococcaceae, and Lachnospiraceae. The shotgun metagenomes of the same samples showed that patients exhibiting different responses had differential abundance of pathways related to nucleoside and nucleotide biosynthesis, lipid biosynthesis, sugar metabolism, and fermentation to short-chain fatty acids (SCFA). Gut bacteria that were capable of SCFA production, including Eubacterium, Lactobacillus, and Streptococcus, were positively associated with anti–PD-1/PD-L1 response across different GI cancer types. We further demonstrated that the identified bacterial taxa were predictive of patient stratification in both our cohort and melanoma patients from two previously published studies. Our results thus highlight the impact of gut microbiomes on anti–PD-1/PD-L1 outcomes, at least in a subset of patients with GI cancer, and suggest the potential of the microbiome as a marker for immune-checkpoint blockade responses.

See articles by Tomita et al., p. 1236, and Hakozaki et al., p. 1243
Elastography Targeted Prostate Biopsy in Patients under Active Surveillance
Authors: Steinwender Tobias , Manka Lukas , Grindei Mircea , Tian Zhe , Winter Alexander , Gerullis Holger , Karakiewicz Pierre I. , Hammerer Peter , Schiffmann Jonas
Published: August 2020

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine elastography-based prostate biopsy in prostate cancer (PCa) patients under active surveillance. Patients and Methods: We relied on PCa patients who opted for active surveillance and underwent elastography targeted and systematic follow-up biopsy at the Braunschweig Prostate Cancer Center between October 2009 and February 2015. Each prostate sextant was considered as an individual case. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and accuracy (ACC) for elastography to predict follow-up biopsy results were analyzed, respectively, and 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) were carried out by using 2000 bootstrapping sample analyses. Results: Overall, 50 men and 300 sextants were identified. Overall, 27 (54%) men and 66 (22%) sextants harbored PCa at follow-up biopsy. Sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, and ACC for elastography to predict follow-up biopsy results were: 19.7 (95% CI: 11.9–27.3), 86.8 (95% CI: 82.7–90.3), 29.6 (95% CI: 14.6–46.0), 79.3 (95% CI: 71.6–86.5), and 72.0% (95% CI: 65.7–78.3), respectively. Conclusions: We recorded limited reliability of elastography-based prediction of follow-up biopsy results in active surveillance patients. Based on our analyses, we can neither recommend to rely exclusively on elastography-based targeted biopsies nor to delay or to omit follow-up biopsies based on elastography results during active surveillance.
Prognosis of Patients with Metastatic Soft Tissue Sarcoma: Advances in Recent Years
Authors: Lochner Jakob , Menge Franka , Vassos Nikolaos , Hohenberger Peter , Kasper Bernd
Published: August 2020

Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the prognosis of patients with metastatic soft tissue sarcomas (STS) and to define prognostic indicators for overall survival (OS). Methods: All patients who were treated at the Sarcoma Unit at the Mannheim University Medical Center between 2010 and 2016 and who developed metastatic disease deriving from a STS were included in this retrospective analysis. OS was investigated using data from clinical records and German registry offices. Clinical and pathological characteristics were recorded and analyzed. Results: A total number of 212 patients developed metastatic disease from STS during that period. Median OS after first documentation of metastatic disease was 24 months (95% CI 21–33). 1-, 2-, and 5-year OS rates were 70.0% (95% CI 64–77), 49.9% (95% CI 43–58), and 24.8% (95% CI 19–33), respectively. In multivariate analysis, significant predictors for mortality appeared to be gender, age, location and size of the primary tumor, histology, and disease-free interval. Conclusion: Being treated in a high-volume STS reference center in Germany, patients with metastatic disease could demonstrate an increased OS compared to former analyses. These data can be used as a benchmark for upcoming studies and highlight that further research on treatment strategies in this rare disease is urgently needed.
SmoCuDa: A Validated Smoking Cue Database to Reliably Induce Craving in Tobacco Use Disorder
Authors: Manoliu Andrei , Haugg Amelie , Sladky Ronald , Hulka Lea , Kirschner Matthias , Brühl Annette B. , Seifritz Erich , Quednow Boris , Herdener Marcus , Scharnowski Frank
Published: August 2020

Background: Cue-reactivity paradigms provide valuable insights into the underlying mechanisms of nicotine craving in nicotine-dependent subjects. In order to study cue-driven nicotine craving, robust and validated stimulus datasets are essential. Objectives: The aim of this study was to generate and validate a large set of individually rated smoking-related cues that allow for assessment of different stimulus intensities along the dimensions craving, valence, and arousal. Methods: The image database consisted of 330 visual cues. Two hundred fifty smoking-associated pictures (Creative Commons license) were chosen from online databases and showed a widespread variety of smoking-associated content. Eighty pictures from previously published databases were included for cross-validation. Forty volunteers with tobacco use disorder rated “urge-to-smoke,” “valence,” and “arousal” for all images on a 100-point visual analogue scale. Pictures were also labelled according to 18 categories such as lit/unlit cigarettes in mouth, cigarette end, and cigarette in ashtray. Results: Ratings (mean ± SD) were as follows: urge to smoke, 44.9 ± 13.2; valence, 51.2 ± 7.6; and arousal, 54.6 ± 7.1. All ratings, particularly “urge to smoke,” were widely distributed along the whole scale spectrum. Conclusions: We present a novel image library of well-described smoking-related cues, which were rated on a continuous scale along the dimensions craving, valence, and arousal that accounts for inter-individual differences. The rating software, image database, and their ratings are publicly available at https://smocuda.github.io.
The Value of Cellblock in Diagnosing Pancreatic Lymphomas
Authors: AbdullGaffar Badr , Hotait Hassan
Published: August 2020

Background: Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) is the diagnostic tool of choice for pancreatic solid mass lesions. Pancreatic lymphomas represent an infrequent and challenging cytologic diagnosis. Our aim was to determine the diagnostic value of cellblock (CB) in the diagnosis of pancreatic lymphomas. Methods: We retrieved pancreatic EUS-FNAs performed over 10-years from our institution’s database. We correlated the cytologic and CB diagnosis with the histologic diagnosis as a gold standard. Results: We found 5 cases (2 women and 3 men; age range, 37–66 years [average age, 52 years]) of pancreatic lymphomas with histologic follow-up biopsies. They included 1 case of T-cell lymphoma (TCL), 1 case of plasma cell neoplasm (multiple myeloma [MM]), 1 case of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), 1 case of classic Hodgkin lymphoma (HL), and 1 case of high-grade B-cell lymphoma (HGBCL). Cytologically, the cases of HL and DLBCL were suspected, the cases of TCL and MM were confused with undifferentiated carcinoma and neuroendocrine carcinoma, and the case of HGBCL was inconclusive. CB samples were of value in highlighting the morphologic details of lymphomas and allowed confirmation, proper classification, and grading of the lymphomas using immunohistochemistry that matched tissue biopsies. Conclusions: EUS-FNA smears with CBs are helpful diagnostic tools, differentiating lymphomas from other malignancies and from nonneoplastic lymphocyte-rich lesions. CBs allow proper classification and grading of cases of pancreatic lymphomas.
Stadium III Melanom: Können immunologische Nebenwirkungen ein gutes Zeichen sein?
Authors: Maschke Jan
Published: August 2020

Alexander Eggermont und Mitarbeiter haben die EORTC 1325/KEYNOTE-054 Studie [1] als Ausgangspunkt für weitere Untersuchungen gewählt. Sie gingen der Frage nach, ob das tumorfreie Überleben (relaps-free survival, RFS) bei Stadium III Melanom Patienten vom Auftreten immunologisch vermittelter unerwünschter Nebenwirkungen (immun-related adverse events, irAE) beeinflusst wird. Die EORTC 1325/KEYNOT-054 Studie vergleicht die Therapie mit dem Immuncheckpoint-Inhibitor (ICI) Pembrolizumab (Pem) zu Placebo. Eingeschlossen wurden nicht vorbehandelte Patienten im Stadium III (AJCC 2009) ohne bekannte Autoimmunerkrankungen, die mindestens eine Mikrometastase von 1mm Durchmesser im Sentinel-Lymphknoten hatten, eine komplettierende regionäre Lymphadenektomie erhalten hatten und bei Studieneinschluss tumorfrei waren. Pembrolizumab (200mg) wurde i.v. alle 3 Wochen für maximal 18 Gaben verabreicht. Von 1011 Patienten begannen 509 mit Pem und 505 mit Placebo , wobei Alter, Body-Mass-Index, Tumorstadien (IIIA, IIIB und IIIC), BRAF-Mutationsstatus und PD-L1 Expression in den Gruppen ohne signifikante Unterschiede waren [1]. Die irAE wurden in 3 Gruppen eingeteilt: 1.) endokrine AE (Hypo- oder Hyperthyreoidismus, Thyreoiditis, Hypophysitis, Diabetes mellitus Typ I, Niereninsuffizienz), 2.) Vitiligo und 3.) alle irAE (endokrine AE, Pneumonitis/interstitielle Lungenerkrankung, Sarcoidose, Vitiligo, schwere Hautreaktionen, Kolitis, Pankreatitis, Hepatitis, Nephritis, Uveitis, Myositis oder Myocarditis). Verschiedene statistische Rechenmodelle (z.B. Cox Regressionsmethode mit ergänzenden zeitvariablen Indikatoren) wurden zur Abschätzung der Assoziation vom Auftreten von irAE und RFS bei Patienten im Pem- und Placebo-Arm sowie zur Betrachtung des Einflusses einer systemischen Steroidgabe auf die Zielvariablen verwendet.
Interaktionen zwischen respiratorischem Mikrobiom und Epithelzellen formen Immunität in der Lunge
Authors: Invernizzi Rachele , Lloyd Clare M. , Molyneaux Philip L.
Published: August 2020

Das respiratorische Epithel stellt eine physische Grenze zur äußeren Umgebung dar und fungiert als erste Verteidigungslinie gegen potenziell schädliche Umweltreize wie Mikroben und Allergene. Die Epithelzellen in der Lunge gelten jedoch zunehmend auch als aktive Effektoren der Abwehr von Erregern, die zur angeborenen und adaptiven Immunfunktion im unteren Respirationstrakt beitragen. Diese Zellen exprimieren ein breites Spektrum an Pattern-Recognition-Rezeptoren, die spezifisch für Strukturmotive der Erreger und des Wirts sind. Mit Hilfe moderner molekularer Verfahren konnte die Komplexität des Mikrobioms im unteren Respirationstrakt aufgedeckt werden. Das Wechselspiel zwischen Mikrobiota und respiratorischem Epithel ist der Schlüssel zum Verständnis der Aufrechterhaltung einer stabilen Immunhomöostase. Ein Verlust der Epithelintegrität nach Exposition gegenüber einer Infektion kann bei anfälligen Personen eine Entzündung auslösen und letztlich zu einer Lungenerkrankung führen. In der vorliegenden Arbeit erörtern wir den aktuellen Erkenntnisstand in Bezug auf die molekularen und zellulären Mechanismen, über die das Lungenepithel mit dem Lungenmikrobiom interagiert und so eine Immunität in der Lunge formt. Im Mittelpunkt stehen insbesondere die Interaktionen zwischen dem Lungenmikrobiom und den Zellen der leitenden Atemwege bei der Modulierung der Immunzellregulation sowie die Frage, wie Defekte in der Barrierestruktur und -funktion letztlich zu einer Lungenerkrankung führen können. Diese Interaktionen zu verstehen, ist bei der Suche nach wirksameren Therapien bei Atemwegserkrankungen von fundamentaler Bedeutung.
Mendelian Randomization Analysis of Hemostatic Factors and Their Contribution to Peripheral Artery Disease—Brief Report
Authors: Small Aeron M. , Huffman Jennifer E. , Klarin Derek , Sabater-Lleal Maria , Lynch Julie A. , Assimes Themistocles L. , Sun Yan V. , Miller Donald , Freiberg Matthew S. , Morrison Alanna C. , Rader Daniel J. , Wilson Peter W.F. , Cho Kelly , Tsao Philip S. , Chang Kyong-Mi , Smith Nicholas L. , O’Donnell Christopher J. , de Vries Paul S. , Damrauer Scott M. ,   on behalf of the Cohorts for Heart and Aging Research in Genomic Epidemiology (CHARGE) Hemostasis Working Group and the VA Million Veteran Program
Published: August 2020

Background and Objective:

Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is the third most common form of atherosclerotic vascular disease and is characterized by significant functional disability and increased cardiovascular mortality. Recent genetic data support a role for a procoagulation protein variant, the factor V Leiden mutation, in PAD. The role of other hemostatic factors in PAD remains unknown. We evaluated the role of hemostatic factors in PAD using Mendelian randomization.

Approach and Results:

Two-sample Mendelian randomization to evaluate the roles of FVII (factor VII), FVIII (factor VIII), FXI (factor XI), VWF (von Willebrand factor), and fibrinogen in PAD was performed using summary statistics from GWAS for hemostatic factors performed within the Cohorts for Heart and Aging Research in the Genome Epidemiology Consortium and from GWAS performed for PAD within the Million Veteran Program. Genetically determined FVIII and VWF, but not FVII, FXI, or fibrinogen, were associated with PAD in Mendelian randomization experiments (FVIII: odds ratio, 1.41 [95% CI, 1.23–1.62],
P
=6.0×10
−7
, VWF: odds ratio, 1.28 [95% CI, 1.07–1.52],
P
=0.0073). In single variant sensitivity analysis, the
ABO
locus was the strongest genetic instrument for both FVIII and VWF.

Conclusions:

Our results suggest a role for hemostasis, and by extension, thrombosis in PAD. Further study is warranted to determine whether VWF and FVIII independently affect the biology of PAD.
Noninvasive Assessment of Cardiac Output: Accuracy and Precision of the Closed‐Circuit Acetylene Rebreathing Technique for Cardiac Output Measurement
Authors: Hardin E. Ashley , Stoller Douglas , Lawley Justin , Howden Erin J. , Hieda Michinari , Pawelczyk James , Jarvis Sara , Prisk Kim , Sarma Satyam , Levine Benjamin D.
Published: August 2020

Background

Accurate assessment of cardiac output is critical to the diagnosis and management of various cardiac disease states; however, clinical standards of direct Fick and thermodilution are invasive. Noninvasive alternatives, such as closed‐circuit acetylene (C
2
H
2
) rebreathing, warrant validation.

Methods and Results

We analyzed 10 clinical studies and all available cardiopulmonary stress tests performed in our laboratory that included a rebreathing method and direct Fick or thermodilution. Studies included healthy individuals and patients with clinical disease. Simultaneous cardiac output measurements were obtained under normovolemic, hypovolemic, and hypervolemic conditions, along with submaximal and maximal exercise. A total of 3198 measurements in 519 patients were analyzed (mean age, 59 years; 48% women). The C
2
H
2
method was more precise than thermodilution in healthy individuals with half the typical error (TE; 0.34 L/min [
r
=0.92] and coefficient of variation, 7.2%) versus thermodilution (TE=0.67 [
r
=0.70] and coefficient of variation, 13.2%). In healthy individuals during supine rest and upright exercise, C
2
H
2
correlated well with thermodilution (supine:
r
=0.84, TE=1.02; exercise:
r
=0.82, TE=2.36). In patients with clinical disease during supine rest, C
2
H
2
correlated with thermodilution (
r
=0.85, TE=1.43). C
2
H
2
was similar to thermodilution and nitrous oxide (N
2
O) rebreathing technique compared with Fick in healthy adults (C
2
H
2
rest:
r
=0.85, TE=0.84; C
2
H
2
exercise:
r
=0.87, TE=2.39; thermodilution rest:
r
=0.72, TE=1.11; thermodilution exercise:
r
=0.73, TE=2.87; N
2
O rest:
r
=0.82, TE=0.94; N
2
O exercise:
r
=0.84, TE=2.18). The accuracy of the C
2
H
2
and N
2
O methods was excellent (
r
=0.99, TE=0.58).

Conclusions

The C
2
H
2
rebreathing method is more precise than, and as accurate as, the thermodilution method in a variety of patients, with accuracy similar to an N
2
O rebreathing method approved by the US Food and Drug Administration.
Refractory Hypertension and Risks of Adverse Cardiovascular Events and Mortality in Patients With Resistant Hypertension: A Prospective Cohort Study
Authors: Cardoso Claudia R. L. , Salles Gil F.
Published: August 2020

Background

The long‐term prognosis of refractory hypertension (RfHT), defined as failure to control blood pressure (BP) levels despite an antihypertensive treatment with ≥5 medications including a diuretic and mineraloreceptor antagonist, has never been evaluated.

Methods and Results

In a prospective cohort study with 1576 patients with resistant hypertension, patients were classified as refractory or nonrefractory based on uncontrolled clinic (or office) and ambulatory BPs during the first 2 years of follow‐up. Multivariate Cox analyses examined the associations between the diagnosis of RfHT and the occurrence of total cardiovascular events (CVEs), major adverse CVEs, and cardiovascular and all‐cause mortality, after adjustments for other risk factors. In total, 135 patients (8.6%) had RfHT by uncontrolled ambulatory BPs and 167 (10.6%) by uncontrolled clinic BPs. Over a median Follow‐Up of 8.9 years, 338 total CVEs occurred (288 major adverse CVEs, including 124 myocardial infarctions, and 96 strokes), and 331 patients died, 196 from cardiovascular causes. The diagnosis of RfHT, using either classification by clinic or ambulatory BPs, was associated with significantly higher risks of major adverse CVEs, cardiovascular mortality, and stroke incidence, with hazard ratios varying from 1.54 to 2.14 in relation to patients with resistant nonrefractory hypertension; however, the classification based on ambulatory BPs was better in identifying higher risk patients than the classification based on clinic BP levels.

Conclusions

Patients with RfHT, particularly when defined by uncontrolled ambulatory BP levels, had higher risks of major adverse CVEs and mortality in relation to patients with resistant but nonrefractory hypertension, supporting the concept of refractory hypertension as a true extreme phenotype of antihypertensive treatment failure.
Lord of the Storm and Oracular Decisions: Competing Construals of Storm God Imagery in Hosea 6:1–6
Authors: Lancaster Mason D. , Miglio Adam E.
Published: August 2020

The poetry of Hosea employs and engages the religious imagery from the Baʿlu cult in its construal of Israel’s deity, YHWH, as a storm god. The present article focuses on the varied uses of storm god imagery in Hos 6:1–6 and offers a new explanation for the abstruse imagery of verse 5 and for the polemical dynamics at play within 6:1–6. In particular, it treats the final colon of Hos 6:5, which has defied explanation by interpreters: wmšpṭy kʾwr yṣʾ.
Roots of Resurrection in the Tales of Daniel
Authors: Grillo Jennie
Published: August 2020

Early Jewish and early Christian readers found resurrection from the dead in the tales of Daniel; this article suggests that those readings may uncover real roots of the later theological idea within the earlier texts. The lions’ den of chs. 6 and 14 in the Greek texts and their daughter versions has intertextual connections with the pit which figures death in the Psalms, in Jeremiah, and in ancient Near Eastern iconography, and the dew which cools the furnace in the Greek versions of ch. 3 ties that chapter into a network of mythological allusions to the resurrecting power of dew. The Additions to Daniel and their early reception thus create a trajectory towards the later ideas which rabbinic and patristic readers built upon the substratum of these texts; in turn, those later ideas can be shown to have organic antecedents within the book of Daniel.
Jihad as a Form of Political Protest: Genesis and Current Status
Authors: Zelenev Evgeny I. , Issaev Leonid
Published: August 2020

This article presents the evolution of the concepts of jihād from the minimalist and maximalist approaches. In the present article one can find two conceptions: the conception of liminality and the conception of re-Islamisation. Liminality is a form of structural crisis that appears as a result of the split within the Islamic spiritual elite and Muslim community itself. The period of liminality is characterised by political and social instability, crisis of social and individual forms of self-identification and sharp cognitive dissonance among many ordinary believers who conduct their own search for fundamentally new forms of Islamic political existence. Re-Islamisation is the post-liminality period that happens if the maximalist block of Islamic elite wins political power. The events of the Arab Spring can be seen as the result of the appearance in the Islamic ideological space of two different ideological platforms (minimalism and maximalism) around which representatives of not only the Islamic elite, but also the “popular” Islam gathered.
Traces of Wulfila’s Bible Translation in Visigothic Gaul
Authors: Falluomini Carla
Published: August 2020

The analysis of the biblical names transmitted by the – now lost – mosaic inscriptions of the church Notre-Dame de la Daurade, in Toulouse, suggests the possibility that they may represent the Latin adaptation of Gothic names deriving from Wulfila’s Bible translation. These forms would therefore be significant witnesses to the circulation of the Wulfilian text in Visigothic Gaul. They would also testify to the ongoing Latin acculturation of the new settlers in Gaul, or at least in the capital Toulouse, where the (relatively) peaceful relations with the Gallo-Romans, encouraged by a court open to Roman culture, may have promoted a rapid bilingualism – although not a complete assimilation – of the Visigothic population. The mosaic inscriptions of the Daurade would perfectly represent this cultural amalgamation, by joining the traditional religious belief (Arianism-Homoianism) and texts (Wulfila’s version) of the Goths, with forms of art (mosaics) and language of the Gallo-Romans.
A Juvenile Skeleton from a Classical Athenian Grave (No 48, 470–50 BC) Displaying Dental Developmental Abnormalities (Hypodontia)
Authors: Protopapa Anastasia-Sofia , Pitsios Theodoros
Published: August 2020

We studied an immature skeleton, recovered from a Classical Athenian Grave. We employed standard anthropological methodology for skeletal age-estimation. Additionally, odontognathic components were subjected to X-ray imaging analysis. We concluded that the skeletal finds under study represent a juvenile with a biological age ranging between 10 and 13 years with multiple disturbances involving practically the entire dentition. Evidence of craniofacial/dentofacial developmental abnormalities may represent isolated conditions or may constitute part of a more complex phenotype, i.e. may represent syndromic traits. These changes may have carried an aesthetic, functional and psychosocial burden for the young patient and his or her family.
Composition, Comparison, and Concept
Authors: Lloyd James
Published: August 2020

While recent discussions of music archaeology have emphasised the importance of context for the study of the art and archaeology of ancient music, there has not been much theoretical engagement with the objects themselves. This paper takes recent arguments concerning two objects identified as strobiloi to propose an object-based framework for the study of ancient art and archaeology in relation to ancient music. Contexts are not infallible. Being mindful of composition, comparisons, and concepts (the three core elements of the proposed framework), I argue that there is, as yet, no certain artistic or archaeological evidence for interpreting objects identified as strobiloi as musical devices, and that the Asteas Phrynis vase cannot be used as a reliable source for organological detail.
Neuropsychological Approaches to Visually-Induced Vection: an Overview and Evaluation of Neuroimaging and Neurophysiological Studies
Authors: Berti Stefan , Keshavarz Behrang
Published: August 2020

Moving visual stimuli can elicit the sensation of self-motion in stationary observers, a phenomenon commonly referred to as vection. Despite the long history of vection research, the neuro-cognitive processes underlying vection have only recently gained increasing attention. Various neuropsychological techniques such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and electroencephalography (EEG) have been used to investigate the temporal and spatial characteristics of the neuro-cognitive processing during vection in healthy participants. These neuropsychological studies allow for the identification of different neuro-cognitive correlates of vection, which (a) will help to unravel the neural basis of vection and (b) offer opportunities for applying vection as a tool in other research areas. The purpose of the current review is to evaluate these studies in order to show the advances in neuropsychological vection research and the challenges that lie ahead. The overview of the literature will also demonstrate the large methodological variability within this research domain, limiting the integration of results. Next, we will summarize methodological considerations and suggest helpful recommendations for future vection research, which may help to enhance the comparability across neuropsychological vection studies.
Biochemistry and molecular aspects of 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline biosynthesis in rice (Oryza sativa L.): A review
Authors: Verma Deepak Kumar , Thakur Mamta , Srivastav Prem Prakash
Published: August 2020

Rice is used as a staple food in many countries due to its pleasant aroma and texture. Rice aroma is recognized as the single most important quality trait influencing consumer’s acceptance. In rice quality, 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline (2-AP) is one of the most highly unstable and key aroma characteristic compounds among more than 500 identified compounds that have contributed and attributed for popcorn- or pandan-like valuable aroma. 2-AP has the lowest odor threshold value compared to other identified rice aroma compounds. Therefore, this compound has received a lot of attention among scientists and researchers. This review highlights on Molecular biology and biotechnological progress of 2-AP in rice. Chemistry, formation, and synthesis, as well as factors influencing 2-AP content in rice, have also been reviewed.
Long Vowels in Proto-Tungusic
Authors: Ryzhkov-Shukumine Alexandre
Published: August 2020

This paper reviews 98 etymologies for which a Proto-Tungusic reconstruction with a long vowel has been suggested. It is shown that primary long vowels in non-first syllables are preserved only in the Ewenic branch of Tungusic. On the other hand, a number of the diphthongs in Southern Tungusic must be considered original. Proto-Tungusic had a system of at least five diphthongs.
Old Korean and Proto-Korean *r and *l Revisited
Authors: Vovin Alexander
Published: August 2020

This article argues for new internal evidence for the existence of the contrast between *r and *l in Old Korean and Proto-Korean on the basis of the Hyangchal data and Old Japanese transcriptional glosses as well as Korean loanwords in Manchu and Jurchen that were not analyzed in this way before. Namely, I will argue that combined Old Korean and Middle Korean data call for the reconstruction of two different types of liquids in the position before *i: both stay intact in Old Korean, but in Middle Korean the first type undergoes elision, whereas the second type stays intact. I then attempt to identify these two types on the basis of the internal evidence and parallel phenomena attested in the Greater Manchuria linguistic area and elsewhere.
Three new species of Aricidea (Acmira) (Annelida: Paraonidae) from the Continental Shelf of Eastern Brazil, Southwestern Atlantic
Authors: BARROSO R. , PAIVA P.C. , RANAURO N.
Published: August 2020

Three new species of the Paraonidae genus Aricidea (Acmira) are described from the Southwestern Atlantic, East Brazilian Continental Shelf (from depths between 11 and 44 m) in the Espírito Santo Basin. The species Aricidea (Acmira) filamentosa sp. nov., Aricidea (Acmira) pearti sp. nov. and Aricidea (Acmira) bbkingi sp. nov. are clearly different from all known species in the genus through its chaetal morphology, number of branchiate chaetigers and shape of antenna. These three species were found in only a few sampling stations, geographically and bathymetrically restricted within a much wider sampled area.
Effect of miR-34a on Postmenopausal Osteoporosis in Rats Through TGFβ/Smad Signaling Pathway
Authors: Chen Junfeng , Guo Xiaojun , Zeng Guangjun , Liu Jianhua
Published: August 2020

30 healthy SD rats of three months were chosen and divided randomly into shamed group, model group, miR-34a mimic transfection group, each of 10 cases. Then to detect serum miR-34a level after three months, TGF-β , Smad4 proteins levels by western blot, serum Ca level, bone mineral
density (BMD), bone metabolic markers total type I collagen amino-terminal elongation peptide (TPINP), unique sequence of beta-collagen (beta-CTX), Histopathological Observation and Morphometric Detection of Bone after executed. Results The levels of miR-34a, TGF-β, Smad4 in transfection
group were significantly higher than the model group, shamed group the least (P < 0 05), while serum Ca level and BMD value were lowest (P < 0 05). What's more, the TPINP and -CTX levels in transfection group were significantly higher than the model group, shamed group the least (P <
0 05). It proved that fractured trabeculae widened spacing and disordered structure, reduction of trabecular area percentage and mean trabecular thickness in model group and transfection group. It may influence postmenopausal osteoporosis in rats via activation of TGFbeta/Smad signalling pathway
by higher expression of miR-34a.
Role of MiR-146a in Cartilage Repair in Osteoarthritis of the First Metatarsophalangeal Joint by Influencing the TGF- β1/Smads Signaling Pathway
Authors: Wang Liming , Guo Juqing , Fang Chongbin , Yan Haibin , Du Lukuan
Published: August 2020

Objective: To investigate miR-146a's role in cartilage repair in osteoarthritis of the first metatarsophalangeal joint (OFMJ). Methods: The serum samples of 30 OFMJ patients diagnosed in our hospital and 30 healthy people receiving physical examination were enrolled. The
expression of miR-146a in those subjects was measured by qRT-PCR. Articular cartilage cells were isolated and transfected with lentivirus to silence or overexpress miR-146a. RT-PCR was performed to detect the transfection efficiency and the content of inflammatory factors. CCK-8 assay was
to test cell proliferation activity and TUNEL assay was to detect cell apoptosis. The expressions of genes and proteins related to apoptosis and the TGF- β1/Smads signaling pathway were determined by RTPCR and Western blotting. Results: The serum miR-146a level in the patients
with osteoarthritis of the first metatarsophalangeal joint was decreased significantly (p < 0.05). miR-146a showed a high expression in mimics group and was significantly lower in inhibitors group. The content of inflammatory factors in miR-146a mimics group was significantly reduced compared
with other two groups (p < 0.05), and significantly higher level of inflammatory factors was detected in miR-146a inhibitors group (p < 0.05) along with increased number of cells and proliferation activity (p < 0.05) as well as increased cell apoptosis (p < 0.05). Bcl-2 was upregulated
in miR-146a mimics group and Caspase-3 level was decreased. The expression of TGF-β 1/Smads was elevated in miR146a inhibitors group. Conclusion: MiR-146a can participate in the cartilage repair in osteoarthritis of the first metatarsophalangeal joint possibly through regulating
TGF-β1/Smads signaling pathway.
Norway Comes to New Zealand: Edward Kidson, Jørgen Holmboe, and the Modernization of Australasian Meteorology
Authors: Doolin Ciaran
Published: August 2020

Edward Kidson, Director of the Meteorological Service of New Zealand from 1927 until his death in 1939, was an instrumental figure in modernizing Australasian meteorology. Throughout the 1920s, Kidson promoted the methods of synoptic analysis emanating from the Bergen School of Meteorology. However, it was not until the 1930s that he began in earnest to apply these methods to weather charts for the Australasian region. This development was aided by two visits he made to Bergen and by a personal correspondence he maintained with Jacob Bjerknes during the 1930s. In 1932, Kidson presented the first Norwegian-style analysis conducted for a Southern Hemisphere region, promptly following this with a more extensive study. However, these analyses were not of a sufficient standard at that stage to be adopted in forecasting practice. It was the fortuitous visit to New Zealand of Norwegian meteorologist Jørgen Holmboe, in 1934, that finally facilitated the transition. Holmboe was attached to the Lincoln Ellsworth Antarctic Expedition, but damage to their aircraft caused them to spend the winter of 1934 in New Zealand. Holmboe was engaged at the Meteorological Service in Wellington during this period, working with Kidson to apply Norwegian methods to the region. Kidson had hoped to further embed this practice by employing Tor Bergeron in New Zealand during 1938. Bergeron had accepted an offer from Kidson but canceled at the last minute after contracting rheumatic fever. Nevertheless, shortly after Holmboe’s visit, daily analyses were being conducted along Norwegian lines, bringing Australasian meteorology into the twentieth century.
Soil Moisture–Evapotranspiration Overcoupling and L-Band Brightness Temperature Assimilation: Sources and Forecast Implications
Authors: Crow Wade T. , Gomez Concepcion Arroyo , Sabater Joaquín Muñoz , Holmes Thomas , Hain Christopher R. , Lei Fangni , Dong Jianzhi , Alfieri Joseph G. , Anderson Martha C.
Published: August 2020

The assimilation of L-band surface brightness temperature (Tb) into the land surface model (LSM) component of a numerical weather prediction (NWP) system is generally expected to improve the quality of summertime 2-m air temperature (T2m) forecasts during water-limited surface conditions. However, recent retrospective results from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) suggest that the assimilation of L-band Tb from the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Soil Moisture Ocean Salinity (SMOS) mission may, under certain circumstances, degrade the accuracy of growing-season 24-h T2m forecasts within the central United States. To diagnose the source of this degradation, we evaluate ECMWF soil moisture (SM) and evapotranspiration (ET) forecasts using both in situ and remote sensing resources. Results demonstrate that the assimilation of SMOS Tb broadly improves the ECMWF SM analysis in the central United States while simultaneously degrading the quality of 24-h ET forecasts. Based on a recently derived map of true global SM–ET coupling and a synthetic fraternal twin data assimilation experiment, we argue that the spatial and temporal characteristics of ECMWF SM analyses and ET forecast errors are consistent with the hypothesis that the ECMWF LSM overcouples SM and ET and, as a result, is unable to effectively convert an improved SM analysis into enhanced ET and T2m forecasts. We demonstrate that this overcoupling is likely linked to the systematic underestimation of root-zone soil water storage capacity by LSMs within the U.S. Corn Belt region.
Deep Eastern Boundary Currents: Realistic Simulations and Vorticity Budgets
Authors: Yang Xiaoting , Tziperman Eli , Speer Kevin
Published: August 2020

Concentrated poleward flows near the eastern boundaries between 2- and 4-km depth have been observed repeatedly, particularly in the Southern Hemisphere. These deep eastern boundary currents (DEBCs) play an important role in setting the large-scale tracer distribution and have nonnegligible contribution to global transports of mass, heat, and tracers, but their dynamics are not well understood. In this paper, we first demonstrate the significant role of DEBCs in the southeastern Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans, using the Southern Ocean State Estimate (SOSE) data assimilating product, and using high-resolution regional general circulation model configurations. The vorticity balances of these DEBCs reveal that, over most of the width of such currents, they are in an interior-like vorticity budget, with the meridional advection of planetary vorticity βυ and vortex stretching fwz being the largest two terms, and with contributions of nonlinearity and friction that are of smaller spatial scale. The stretching is shown, using a temperature budget, to be largely forced by resolved or parameterized eddy temperature transport. Strongly decaying signals from the eastern boundary in friction and stretching form the dominant balance in a sublayer close to the eastern boundary. The temporal variability of DEBCs is then examined, to help to interpret observations that tend to be sporadic in both time and space. The probability distribution functions of northward velocity in DEBC regions are broad, implying that flow reversals are common. Although the regions of the simulated DEBCs are generally local minima of eddy kinetic energy, they are still constantly releasing westward-propagating Rossby waves.
Senses as Mobile Actants: Sketching Conceptual and Comparative Possibilities
Authors: Low Kelvin E.Y. , Abdullah Noorman
Published: August 2020

The senses and their concomitant practices have historically and contemporaneously traversed borders and boundaries and in effect, acquire different meanings. Sensory modalities and ways of knowing become reconfigured as a result of cross-cultural sensory encounters in everyday life. Drawing from colonial and contemporary ethnographic encounters in Singapore, we make a case to extend sociocultural analyses of the character of the sensory—in particular, sound and smell—to consider its agentic potential to permeate and traverse boundaries. We employ the sensory as a lens to capture intimations of connectedness and disconnectedness; and to more broadly unravel alternative and comparative understandings of mobility and movement through time and space.
Outcomes of Laparoscopic-Assisted, Open Umbilical Hernia Repair
Authors: Shao Jenny M. , Elhage Sharbel A. , Prasad Tanu , Colavita Paul D. , Augenstein Vedra A. , Heniford B. Todd
Published: August 2020

Umbilical hernia repair (UHR) is one of the most commonly performed hernia operations with reported recurrence rate from 1% to 54%. Our aim was to describe an open, laparoscopic-assisted (OLA) technique and its outcome in an institutional review board-approved prospective study at a tertiary hernia center from 2008 to 2019. All patients underwent a standard periumbilical incision, open dissection of the hernia, and closure of the fascial defect with laparoscopic intraperitoneal onlay mesh (IPOM) fixation with permanent tacks. A total of 186 patients were identified who underwent an OLA UHR repair. Patient characteristics are as follows: average age 52.8 ± 12.5 years, male gender 79.6%, body mass index 31.4 ± 8.0 kg/m2, and average hernia defect size of 2.8 ± 4.8 cm2. Forty-one (22.0%) patients had previous failed repair. Sixty-nine (37.1%) patients had another procedure performed at the time of the UHR, most commonly a laparoscopic transabdominal inguinal hernia repair (58%). The mean operative time was 87.3 ± 51.2 minutes, but only 63.9 ± 31.9 minutes for patients undergoing an OLA repair. There were no recurrences (0%) on abdominal physical or radiographic examination with an average follow-up of 16.5 ± 17.7 months. Postoperative complications included wound erythema (2.7%), hematomas (1.1%), seromas (2.7%), and 4.3% received postoperative oral antibiotics. One person was readmitted for seroma drainage, and another required reoperation for small bowel obstruction unrelated to the hernia repair. One patient had chronic pain requiring tack removal. With moderate follow-up, an OLA UHR with mesh appears to be a durable repair with favorable results, including those patients with recurrent hernias.
Documenting the Antitrust Revolution over Seven Editions of Kwoka and White
Authors: Elzinga Kenneth G. , Hay George Alan
Published: August 2020

By a market test of longevity, seven successive editions of The Antitrust Revolution (“TAR”) is a remarkable publishing event. John E. Kwoka and Lawrence J. White (editors) assembled a collection of antitrust disputes written by economists who have expertise in each case. The result has been seven books that are both textbook and treatise. The peg on which TAR hangs is the proposition that economic analysis has “revolutionized” antitrust enforcement. This article unpacks the contents of the editions and shows how the multiple editions reveal the evolution of antitrust law in response to structural changes in the economy as well as advances in economic analysis. We also discuss the one industry found in every edition (telecommunications) and assess external indicators of the book’s influence. The Appendix lists all of the case studies and the authors over all editions.