bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Lethal Aerosol Exposure Model of Nipah Virus Strain Bangladesh in African Green Monkeys
Authors: Prasad Abhishek N , Agans Krystle N , Sivasubramani Satheesh K , Geisbert Joan B , Borisevich Viktoriya , Mire Chad E , Lawrence William S , Fenton Karla A , Geisbert Thomas W
Published: September 2019

The high case-fatality rates and potential for use as a biological weapon make Nipah virus (NiV) a significant public health concern. Previous studies assessing the pathogenic potential of NiV delivered by the aerosol route in African green monkeys (AGMs) used the Malaysia strain (NiVM), which has caused lower instances of respiratory illness and person-to-person transmission during human outbreaks than the Bangladesh strain (NiVB). Accordingly, we developed a small particle aerosol model of NiVB infection in AGMs. Consistent with other mucosal AGM models of NiVB infection, we achieved uniform lethality and disease pathogenesis reflective of that observed in humans.
Arctic Security, Territory, Population: Canadian Sovereignty and the International
Authors: Salter Mark B
Published: September 2019

Canada's policies to assert and maintain sovereignty over the High Arctic illuminate both the analytical leverage and blind spots of Foucault's influential Security, Territory, Population (2007) schema for understanding modern governmentality. Governmental logics of security, sovereignty, and biopolitics are contemporaneous and concomitant. The Arctic case demonstrates clearly that the Canadian state messily uses whatever governmental tools are in its grasp to manage the Inuit and claim territorial sovereignty over the High North. But, the case of Canadian High Arctic policies also illustrates the limitations of Foucault's schema. First, the Security, Territory, Population framework has no theorization of the international. In this article I show the simultaneous implementation of Canadian security-, territorial-, and population-oriented policies over the High Arctic. Next, I present the international catalysts that prompt and condition these polices and their specifically settler-colonial tenor. Finally, in line with the Foucauldian imperative to support the “resurrection of subjugated knowledges” (Foucault 2003, 7), I conclude by offering some of the Inuit ways of resisting and reshaping these policies, proving how the Inuit shaped Canadian Arctic sovereignty as much as Canadian Arctic sovereignty policies shaped the Inuit.
Derivation and validation of a machine learning record linkage algorithm between emergency medical services and the emergency department
Authors: Redfield Colby , Tlimat Abdulhakim , Halpern Yoni , Schoenfeld David W , Ullman Edward , Sontag David A , Nathanson Larry A , Horng Steven
Published: September 2019

Objective

Linking emergency medical services (EMS) electronic patient care reports (ePCRs) to emergency department (ED) records can provide clinicians access to vital information that can alter management. It can also create rich databases for research and quality improvement. Unfortunately, previous attempts at ePCR and ED record linkage have had limited success. In this study, we use supervised machine learning to derive and validate an automated record linkage algorithm between EMS ePCRs and ED records.

Materials and Methods

All consecutive ePCRs from a single EMS provider between June 2013 and June 2015 were included. A primary reviewer matched ePCRs to a list of ED patients to create a gold standard. Age, gender, last name, first name, social security number, and date of birth were extracted. Data were randomly split into 80% training and 20% test datasets. We derived missing indicators, identical indicators, edit distances, and percent differences. A multivariate logistic regression model was trained using 5-fold cross-validation, using label k-fold, L2 regularization, and class reweighting.

Results

A total of 14 032 ePCRs were included in the study. Interrater reliability between the primary and secondary reviewer had a kappa of 0.9. The algorithm had a sensitivity of 99.4%, a positive predictive value of 99.9%, and an area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve of 0.99 in both the training and test datasets. Date-of-birth match had the highest odds ratio of 16.9, followed by last name match (10.6). Social security number match had an odds ratio of 3.8.

Conclusions

We were able to successfully derive and validate a record linkage algorithm from a single EMS ePCR provider to our hospital EMR.
Gene expression profiling of the bone trabecula in patients with osteonecrosis of the femoral head by RNA sequencing
Authors: Bai Haobo , Chen Tingmei , Lu Qian , Zhu Weiwen , Zhang Jian
Published: September 2019

Early diagnosis and treatment of osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) is challenging. Bone trabecula play a vital role in the severity and progression of ONFH. In the present study, the investigators used gene expression profiling of bone trabecula to investigate gene alterations in ONFH patients. Osteonecrotic bone trabecula (ONBT) such as necrosis, fibrosis, and lacuna were confirmed by histological examination in the patients. The adjacent ‘normal’ bone trabecula (ANBT) did not show any pathological changes. Gene sequencing data revealed that although ANBT showed no significant histological changes, alteration of mRNA profiling in ANBT was observed, similar to that in ONBT. Our results indicated that the alteration of mRNA profiling in ANBT may cause normal bone tissue to develop into necrotic bone. RNA-seq data indicated that 2,297 differentially abundant mRNAs were found in the ONBT group (1,032 upregulated and 1,265 downregulated) and 1,523 differentially abundant mRNAs in the ANBT group (744 upregulated and 799 downregulated) compared with the healthy control group. Gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis suggested that fatty acid metabolism and degradation were the main zones enriched with differentially expressed genes (DEG). Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis indicated that peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPAR-γ) pathway was the most significantly regulated pathway. Lipocalin-2 (LCN2), an osteoblast-enriched secreted protein, was significantly decreased in ONBT suggesting that downregulation of LCN2 might affect lipid metabolism and lead to hyperlipidemia, and thus promote pathogenesis of ONFH.
The End of Enlightened Environmental Law?
Authors: Preston Brian J
Published: September 2019

The rise of populism threatens enlightened environmental law. In an age where ignorance is seen as a virtue, not a vice, environmental laws risk regression. No longer are debates about environmental problems driven by opinions founded on evidence, scientific method and reason. Instead, these debates, and how the law should address them, are driven by differing ways of viewing the world. Populists play on cultural biases and intuitive reasoning, personalise politics and use seductive slogans to distort the reality of environmental problems. As we become further estranged from our natural environment, people no longer can verify or deny these populist claims. This comment examines some of the ways populism has taken hold of environmental governance and how it might be addressed.
Quality factor estimation based on the peak frequency shift method using a robust Fourier transform to VSP data
Authors: Sandoval Rómulo , Paredes José L , Vivas Flor A
Published: September 2019

Quality factor estimation (Q estimation) of vertical seismic profile (VSP) data are necessary for the process referred to as inverse Q-filtering, which is used, in turn, to improve the resolution of seismic signals. In general, the performances of Q estimation methods, based on the standard Fourier transform, are severely degraded in the presence of heavy-tailed distributed noise. In particular, these methods require a bandwidth detection which is difficult to estimate due to instabilities caused by outliers or gross errors, leading to an incorrect Q estimation. In this paper, an improvement of the Q-factor estimation based on the peak frequency shift method is proposed, where the signal spectrum is obtained using a robust transform algorithm. More precisely, the robust transform method assumes that the perturbations that contaminate the signal of interest can be characterized as random samples following a zero-mean Laplacian distribution, leading to the weighted median as the optimal operator for determining each transform coefficient. The proposed method is validated on synthetic datasets using different levels of noise and its performance is compared to those yielded by various methods based on the standard Fourier transform. Furthermore, a non-Gaussianity test is performed in order to characterize the noise distribution in real data. From the non-Gaussianity test, it can be observed that the underlying noise is better characterized using a Laplacian statistical model, and therefore, the proposed method is a suitable approach for computing the Q factor. Finally, the proposed methodology is applied to estimate the Q factors of real VSP data.
Theorizing the Temporal Exception: The Importance of the Present for the Study of War
Authors: McIntosh Christopher
Published: September 2019

Despite an increasing focus on the importance of temporality, time, and timing in international relations (IR) and security studies, there has been relatively less movement toward thinking about the temporal present as a conceptual area of inquiry. This article argues that taking the present seriously as a concept, method, and theoretical area of analysis offers unique value for the study of war. Paying attention to the manner in which the present time of war (wartime) is sociopolitically articulated as a space of temporal exception exposes how it is understood as diverging from representations of politics, past and future. It also foregrounds war's irreducible temporal dimension and exposes the relational bases of wartime's apparent universality. This article uses a close reading of Clausewitz's On War (1832) as generative dialogue and illustrative example, showing how an awareness of the importance of temporal dynamics—particularly, the concept of the present—is both valuable and workable in the study of war. A temporal imaginary of war centered on what Hutchings calls the “heterotemporal” present enhances inquiry into contemporary political violence, the ontology of war, and the emergent attributes of collective violence.
Protection for natural gas exports to develop Argentina’s unconventional resources potential
Authors: Macías Francisco A , Artagaveytia Pablo A , Santamaría Gonzalo
Published: September 2019

This article intends to outline the main features of a new export promotion regime that Argentina needs to allow the development of its natural gas unconventional resources through long-term export agreements. It describes the current scenario of Argentina’s gas market and the challenges that gas exports from Argentina have faced in recent years, while proposing possible improvements to the current legal regime to generate the conditions required to enable the development of new regional and international markets for its world-class unconventional resources.
Evaluation of antifibrotic and antifungal combined therapies in experimental pulmonary paracoccidioidomycosis
Authors: Finato Angela C , Almeida Débora F , dos Santos Amanda R , Nascimento Dejair C , Cavalcante Ricardo S , Mendes Rinaldo P , Soares Cléverson T , Paniago Anamaria M M , Venturini James
Published: September 2019

Paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) is a systemic mycosis caused by the Paracoccidioides genus. Most of the patients with chronic form present sequelae, like pulmonary fibrosis, with no effective treatment, leading to impaired lung functions. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the antifibrotic activity of three compounds: pentoxifylline (PTX), azithromycin (AZT), and thalidomide (Thal) in a murine model of pulmonary PCM treated with itraconazole (ITC) or cotrimoxazole (CMX). BALB/c mice were inoculated with P. brasiliensis (Pb) by the intratracheal route and after 8 weeks, they were submitted to one of the following six treatments: PTX/ITC, PTX/CMX, AZT/ITC, AZT/CMX, Thal/ITC, and Thal/CMX. After 8 weeks of treatment, the lungs were collected for determination of fungal burden, production of OH-proline, deposition of reticulin fibers, and pulmonary concentrations of cytokines and growth factors. Pb-infected mice treated with PTX/ITC presented a reduction in the pulmonary concentrations of OH-proline, associated with lower concentrations of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-17, and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 and higher concentrations of IL-10 compared to the controls. The Pb-infected mice treated with AZT/CMX exhibited decreased pulmonary concentrations of OH-proline associated with lower levels of TGF-β1, and higher levels of IL-10 compared controls. The mice treated with ITC/Thal and CMX/Thal showed intense weight loss, increased deposition of reticulin fibers, high pulmonary concentrations of CCL3, IFN-γ and VEGF, and decreased concentrations of IL-6, IL-1β, IL-17, and TGF-β1. In conclusion, our findings reinforce the antifibrotic role of PTX only when associated with ITC, and AZT only when associated with CMX, but Thal did not show any action upon addition.
TOI-150b and TOI-163b: two transiting hot Jupiters, one eccentric and one inflated, revealed by TESS near and at the edge of the JWST CVZ
Authors: Kossakowski Diana , Espinoza Néstor , Brahm Rafael , Jordán Andrés , Henning Thomas , Rojas Felipe , Kürster Martin , Sarkis Paula , Schlecker Martin , Pozuelos Francisco J , Barkaoui Khalid , Jehin Emmanuël , Gillon Michaël , Matthews Elisabeth , Horch Elliott P , Ciardi David R , Crossfield Ian J M , Gonzales Erica , Howell Steve B , Matson Rachel , Schlieder Joshua , Jenkins Jon , Ricker George , Seager Sara , Winn Joshua N , Li Jie , Rose Mark E , Smith Jeffrey C , Dynes Scott , Morgan Ed , Villasenor Jesus Noel , Charbonneau David , Jaffe Tess , Yu Liang , Bakos Gaspar , Bhatti Waqas , Bouchy François , Collins Karen A , Collins Kevin I , Csubry Zoltan , Evans Phil , Jensen Eric L N , Lovis Christophe , Marmier Maxime , Nielsen Louise D , Osip David , Pepe Francesco , Relles Howard M , Ségransan Damien , Shporer Avi , Stockdale Chris , Suc Vincent , Turner Oliver , Udry Stéphane
Published: September 2019

We present the discovery of TYC9191-519-1b (TOI-150b, TIC 271893367) and HD271181b (TOI-163b, TIC 179317684), two hot Jupiters initially detected using 30-min cadence Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) photometry from Sector 1 and thoroughly characterized through follow-up photometry (CHAT, Hazelwood, LCO/CTIO, El Sauce, TRAPPIST-S), high-resolution spectroscopy (FEROS, CORALIE), and speckle imaging (Gemini/DSSI), confirming the planetary nature of the two signals. A simultaneous joint fit of photometry and radial velocity using a new fitting package juliet reveals that TOI-150b is a $1.254\pm 0.016\ \rm {R}_ \rm{J}$, massive ($2.61^{+0.19}_{-0.12}\ \rm {M}_ \rm{J}$) hot Jupiter in a 5.857-d orbit, while TOI-163b is an inflated ($R_ \rm{P}$ = $1.478^{+0.022}_{-0.029} \,\mathrm{ R}_ \rm{J}$, $M_ \rm{P}$ = $1.219\pm 0.11 \, \rm{M}_ \rm{J}$) hot Jupiter on a P = 4.231-d orbit; both planets orbit F-type stars. A particularly interesting result is that TOI-150b shows an eccentric orbit ($e=0.262^{+0.045}_{-0.037}$), which is quite uncommon among hot Jupiters. We estimate that this is consistent, however, with the circularization time-scale, which is slightly larger than the age of the system. These two hot Jupiters are both prime candidates for further characterization – in particular, both are excellent candidates for determining spin-orbit alignments via the Rossiter–McLaughlin (RM) effect and for characterizing atmospheric thermal structures using secondary eclipse observations considering they are both located closely to the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Continuous Viewing Zone (CVZ).
Group connectivity in COSMOS: a tracer of mass assembly history
Authors: Darragh Ford E , Laigle C , Gozaliasl G , Pichon C , Devriendt J , Slyz A , Arnouts S , Dubois Y , Finoguenov A , Griffiths R , Kraljic K , Pan H , Peirani S , Sarron F
Published: September 2019

Cosmic filaments are the channel through which galaxy groups assemble their mass. Cosmic connectivity, namely the number of filaments connected to a given group, is therefore expected to be an important ingredient in shaping group properties. The local connectivity is measured in COSMOS around X-ray-detected groups between redshift 0.5 and 1.2. To this end, large-scale filaments are extracted using the accurate photometric redshifts of the COSMOS2015 catalogue in two-dimensional slices of thickness 120 comoving Mpc centred on the group’s redshift. The link between connectivity, group mass, and the properties of the brightest group galaxy (BGG) is investigated. The same measurement is carried out on mocks extracted from the light-cone of the hydrodynamical simulation Horizon-AGN in order to control systematics. More massive groups are on average more connected. At fixed group mass in low-mass groups, BGG mass is slightly enhanced at high connectivity, while in high-mass groups BGG mass is lower at higher connectivity. Groups with a star-forming BGG have on average a lower connectivity at given mass. From the analysis of the Horizon-AGN simulation, we postulate that different connectivities trace different paths of group mass assembly: at high group mass, groups with higher connectivity are more likely to have grown through a recent major merger, which might be in turn the reason for the quenching of the BGG. Future large-field photometric surveys, such as Euclid and LSST, will be able to confirm and extend these results by probing a wider mass range and a larger variety of environment.
Limits on a population of collisional-triples as progenitors of Type-Ia supernovae
Authors: Hallakoun Na’ama , Maoz Dan
Published: September 2019

The progenitor systems of Type-Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) are yet unknown. The collisional-triple SN Ia progenitor model posits that SNe Ia result from head-on collisions of binary white dwarfs (WDs), driven by dynamical perturbations by the tertiary stars in mild-hierarchical triple systems. To reproduce the Galactic SN Ia rate, at least ∼30–55 per cent of all WDs would need to be in triple systems of a specific architecture. We test this scenario by searching the Gaia DR2 data base for the postulated progenitor triples. Within a volume out to 120 pc, we search around Gaia-resolved double WDs with projected separations up to 300 au, for physical tertiary companions at projected separations out to 9000 au. At 120 pc, Gaia can detect faint low-mass tertiaries down to the bottom of the main sequence and to the coolest WDs. Around 27 double WDs, we identify zero tertiaries at such separations, setting a 95 per cent confidence upper limit of 11 per cent on the fraction of binary WDs that are part of mild hierarchical triples of the kind required by the model. As only a fraction (likely ∼10 per cent) of all WDs are in <300 au WD binaries, the potential collisional-triple progenitor population appears to be at least an order of magnitude (and likely several) smaller than required by the model.
Heterogeneity of inverted calcium ii H:K ratio cluster galaxies
Authors: Pimbblet K A , Crossett J P , Fraser-McKelvie A
Published: September 2019

The ratio of calcium ii H plus Hϵ to calcium ii K inverts as a galaxy stellar population moves from being dominated by older stars to possessing more A and B class stars. This ratio – the H:K ratio – can serve as an indicator of stellar populations younger than 200 Myr. In this work, we provide a new method to determine H:K, and apply it to spectra taken of cluster galaxies in Abell 3888. Although H:K is on average systematically lower for the cluster than for a wider field sample, we show that H:K does not have a simple relationship with other indices such as the equivalent widths of Hδ and [O ii] beyond having a high value for strong [O ii] emission. Moreover, strongly inverted galaxies with H:K > 1.1 have no preferred location within the cluster and are only slightly lower in their velocity dispersions around the cluster compared to strongly emitting [O ii] galaxies. Our results indicate that selecting galaxies on H:K inversion results in a heterogeneous sample formed via a mixture of pathways that likely includes, but may not be limited to, merging spiral galaxies, and quiescent galaxies accreting lower mass, gas-rich companions. In concert with other selection criteria, H:K can provide a means to select a more ‘pure’ passive sample or to aid in the selection of highly star-forming galaxies, especially where other spectral line indicators such as H α may not have been observed.
The magnetic early B-type stars – III. A main-sequence magnetic, rotational, and magnetospheric biography
Authors: Shultz M E , Wade G A , Rivinius Th , Alecian E , Neiner C , Petit V , Owocki S , ud-Doula A , Kochukhov O , Bohlender D , Keszthelyi Z ,   the MiMeS and BinaMIcS Collaborations
Published: September 2019

Magnetic confinement of stellar winds leads to the formation of magnetospheres, which can be sculpted into centrifugal magnetospheres (CMs) by rotational support of the corotating plasma. The conditions required for the CMs of magnetic early B-type stars to yield detectable emission in H α – the principal diagnostic of these structures – are poorly constrained. A key reason is that no detailed study of the magnetic and rotational evolution of this population has yet been performed. Using newly determined rotational periods, modern magnetic measurements, and atmospheric parameters determined via spectroscopic modelling, we have derived fundamental parameters, dipolar oblique rotator models, and magnetospheric parameters for 56 early B-type stars. Comparison to magnetic A- and O-type stars shows that the range of surface magnetic field strength is essentially constant with stellar mass, but that the unsigned surface magnetic flux increases with mass. Both the surface magnetic dipole strength and the total magnetic flux decrease with stellar age, with the rate of flux decay apparently increasing with stellar mass. We find tentative evidence that multipolar magnetic fields may decay more rapidly than dipoles. Rotational periods increase with stellar age, as expected for a magnetic braking scenario. Without exception, all stars with H α emission originating in a CM are (1) rapid rotators, (2) strongly magnetic, and (3) young, with the latter property consistent with the observation that magnetic fields and rotation both decrease over time.
X-ray spectral analysis of the neutron star in SNR 1E 0102.2−7219
Authors: Hebbar Pavan R , Heinke Craig O , Ho Wynn C G
Published: September 2019

We re-analysed numerous archival Chandra X-ray observations of the bright supernova remnant (SNR) 1E 0102.2−7219 in the Small Magellanic Cloud, to validate the detection of a neutron star (NS) in the SNR by Vogt et al. Careful attention to the background is necessary in this spectral analysis. We find that a blackbody + power-law model is a decent fit, suggestive of a relatively strong B field and synchrotron radiation, as in a normal young pulsar, though the thermal luminosity would be unusually high for young pulsars. Among realistic NS atmosphere models, a carbon atmosphere with B = 1012  G best fits the observed X-ray spectra. Comparing its unusually high thermal luminosity ($L_{\mathrm{ bol}} = 1.1_{-0.5}^{+1.6}\times 10^{34}$ erg s−1) to other NSs, we find that its luminosity can be explained by decay of an initially strong magnetic field (as in magnetars or high B-field pulsars) or by slower cooling after the supernova explosion. The nature of the NS in this SNR (and of others in the Magellanic Clouds) could be nicely confirmed by an X-ray telescope with angular resolution like Chandra, but superior spectral resolution and effective area, such as the Lynx concept.
Next-generation forward genetic screens: using simulated data to improve the design of mapping-by-sequencing experiments in Arabidopsis
Authors: Wilson-Sánchez David , Lup Samuel Daniel , Sarmiento-Mañús Raquel , Ponce María Rosa , Micol José Luis
Published: September 2019

Forward genetic screens have successfully identified many genes and continue to be powerful tools for dissecting biological processes in Arabidopsis and other model species. Next-generation sequencing technologies have revolutionized the time-consuming process of identifying the mutations that cause a phenotype of interest. However, due to the cost of such mapping-by-sequencing experiments, special attention should be paid to experimental design and technical decisions so that the read data allows to map the desired mutation. Here, we simulated different mapping-by-sequencing scenarios. We first evaluated which short-read technology was best suited for analyzing gene-rich genomic regions in Arabidopsis and determined the minimum sequencing depth required to confidently call single nucleotide variants. We also designed ways to discriminate mutagenesis-induced mutations from background Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms in mutants isolated in Arabidopsis non-reference lines. In addition, we simulated bulked segregant mapping populations for identifying point mutations and monitored how the size of the mapping population and the sequencing depth affect mapping precision. Finally, we provide the computational basis of a protocol that we already used to map T-DNA insertions with paired-end Illumina-like reads, using very low sequencing depths and pooling several mutants together; this approach can also be used with single-end reads as well as to map any other insertional mutagen. All these simulations proved useful for designing experiments that allowed us to map several mutations in Arabidopsis.
Functional interpretation of genetic variants using deep learning predicts impact on chromatin accessibility and histone modification
Authors: Hoffman Gabriel E , Bendl Jaroslav , Girdhar Kiran , Schadt Eric E , Roussos Panos
Published: September 2019

Identifying functional variants underlying disease risk and adoption of personalized medicine are currently limited by the challenge of interpreting the functional consequences of genetic variants. Predicting the functional effects of disease-associated protein-coding variants is increasingly routine. Yet, the vast majority of risk variants are non-coding, and predicting the functional consequence and prioritizing variants for functional validation remains a major challenge. Here, we develop a deep learning model to accurately predict locus-specific signals from four epigenetic assays using only DNA sequence as input. Given the predicted epigenetic signal from DNA sequence for the reference and alternative alleles at a given locus, we generate a score of the predicted epigenetic consequences for 438 million variants observed in previous sequencing projects. These impact scores are assay-specific, are predictive of allele-specific transcription factor binding and are enriched for variants associated with gene expression and disease risk. Nucleotide-level functional consequence scores for non-coding variants can refine the mechanism of known functional variants, identify novel risk variants and prioritize downstream experiments.
Attending to Eliza: rapid brain responses reflect competence attribution in virtual social feedback processing
Authors: Schindler Sebastian , Miller Gregory A , Kissler Johanna
Published: September 2019

In the age of virtual communication, the source of a message is often inferred rather than perceived, raising the question of how sender attributions affect content processing. We investigated this issue in an evaluative feedback scenario. Participants were told that an expert psychotherapist, a layperson or a randomly acting computer was going to give them online positive, neutral or negative personality feedback while high-density EEG was recorded. Sender attribution affected processing rapidly, even though the feedback was on average identical. Event-related potentials revealed a linear increase with attributed expertise beginning 150 ms after disclosure and most pronounced for N1, P2 and early posterior negativity components. P3 and late positive potential amplitudes were increased for both human senders and for emotionally significant (positive or negative) feedback. Strikingly, feedback from a putative expert prompted large P3 responses, even for inherently neutral content. Source analysis localized early enhancements due to attributed sender expertise in frontal and somatosensory regions and later responses in the posterior cingulate and extended visual and parietal areas, supporting involvement of mentalizing, embodied processing and socially motivated attention. These findings reveal how attributed sender expertise rapidly alters feedback processing in virtual interaction and have implications for virtual therapy and online communication.
Are “statutory executors” personally liable for payment of U.S. Federal estate tax?
Authors: Berry Dean C
Published: September 2019

What are the U.S. tax obligations of a financial institution—such as a bank—which holds, at the death of an account holder, assets that are subject to U.S. Federal estate tax? If the bank fails to comply with these obligations, may it become personally liable to the U.S. Government if the tax is not fully paid?
Potato Tuber Necrosis Induced by Alfalfa Mosaic Virus Depends on Potato Cultivar Rather Than on Virus Strain
Authors: Nie Xianzhou , Dickison Virginia , Singh Mathuresh , De Koeyer David , Xu Huimin , Bai Yanju , Hawkins Gary
Published: September 2019

Alfalfa mosaic virus (AMV) was identified as the causal agent of internal tuber necrosis in the potato cultivar Innovator in New Brunswick, Canada. Further pathological characterization of the isolate (designated as isolate CaM) was performed on six potato cultivars and one breeding clone. Upon mechanical inoculation, four cultivars (Innovator, Yukon Gold, Rochdale Gold-Dorée, and Shepody) showed needle-sized necrotic spots and increasing calico symptoms on new leaves, whereas the remaining cultivars only developed calico symptoms on new leaves. All tubers of CaM-infected Innovator and Shepody plants developed sporadic internal necrotic spots, as did ca. 23 and 8% tubers of CaM-infected Yukon Gold and Rochdale Gold-Dorée, respectively. Sequence analysis of the CP gene of CaM with AMV isolates from potato, all presumed belonging to the “non-necrotic” strain and retrieved from GenBank, indicated that CaM shared >97.1% sequence identity with all but four Egyptian isolates. At the complete genome level, phylogenetic analysis of all available sequences demonstrated that RNA 1 and RNA 3 can be grouped into three major clades each, whereas RNA 2 can be clustered into two clades. CaM and Ca175-1, an AMV isolate that was deemed non-necrotic in a previous study, had different phylogenetic clade patterns, indicating different RNA 1-RNA 2-RNA 3 haplotypes: IA-I-IB (CaM) versus Ca175-1 (IB-II-IA). Despite the difference in haplotype composition, CaM and Ca175-1 induced similar levels of internal necrosis in tubers of Innovator and its parent Shepody. The results suggest that the internal necrosis in AMV-infected tubers depends on potato cultivar rather than on AMV strain/haplotype, and CaM is just a “regular” isolate of AMV.
Precise Exchange of the Helper-Component Proteinase Cistron Between Soybean mosaic virus and Clover yellow vein virus: Impact on Virus Viability and Host Range Specificity
Authors: Wang Y. , Xu W. , Abe J. , Nakahara K. S. , Hajimorad M. R.
Published: September 2019

Soybean mosaic virus and Clover yellow vein virus are two definite species of the genus Potyvirus within the family Potyviridae. Soybean mosaic virus-N (SMV-N) is well adapted to cultivated soybean (Glycine max) genotypes and wild soybean (G. soja), whereas it remains undetectable in inoculated broad bean (Vicia faba). In contrast, clover yellow vein virus No. 30 (ClYVV-No. 30) is capable of systemic infection in broad bean and wild soybean; however, it infects cultivated soybean genotypes only locally. In this study, SMV-N was shown to also infect broad bean locally; hence, broad bean is a host for SMV-N. Based on these observations, it was hypothesized that lack of systemic infection by SMV-N in broad bean and by ClYVV-No. 30 in cultivated soybean is attributable to the incompatibility of multifunctional helper-component proteinase (HC-Pro) in these hosts. The logic of selecting the HC-Pro cistron as a target is based on its established function in systemic movement and being a relevant factor in host range specificity of potyviruses. To test this hypothesis, chimeras were constructed with precise exchanges of HC-Pro cistrons between SMV-N and ClYVV-No. 30. Upon inoculation, both chimeras were viable in infection, but host range specificity of the recombinant viruses did not differ from those of the parental viruses. These observations suggest that (i) HC-Pro cistrons from SMV-N and ClYVV-No. 30 are functionally compatible in infection despite 55.6 and 48.9% nucleotide and amino acid sequence identity, respectively, and (ii) HC-Pro cistrons from SMV-N and ClYVV-No. 30 are not the determinants of host specificity on cultivated soybean or broad beans, respectively.
Short-column acetabular fracture fixation through a mini-pararectus approach in anteriorly displaced acetabular fractures: A case series
Authors: Badran Mahmoud , Farouk Osama , Kamal Ayman , Abubeih Hossam , Khaled Mohamed
Published: September 2019

Background:

A mini-pararectus approach has been described as a minimally invasive approach for stabilizing acetabular fractures. This approach allows a direct view of anteriorly displaced acetabular fractures. In this preliminary study, we report the outcomes of short-column plating, using either a pelvic-brim plate or a spring plate to stabilize anteriorly and medially displaced fractures.

Methods:

Nine patients were included in this report, which was conducted between June 2015 and October 2016 in Assiut University Hospital, which is a level 1 trauma center in Upper Egypt. Eight patients had a transverse fracture of the acetabulum, and a single patient had a posterior hemi-transverse fracture of the anterior column. After the mini-pararectus approach through which anatomical reduction of the fracture was achieved, short-column plating, either a pelvic-brim plate or spring plate was introduced through this 3-5 cm incision. Outcomes were assessed.

Results:

The mean operative time was 88.8 min (range, 60-120 min). The mean blood loss was 78.8 mL (range, 50-150 mL). The maximal fracture displacement mean was 7 mm (range, 4–18 mm) preoperatively. According to the Radiologic Matta score, anatomical reduction of the fracture (0–1 mm displacement) was achieved in all patients. No complications of metal failure or secondary fracture displacement were encountered.

Conclusions:

Short-column plating through a mini-pararectus approach can be an alternative option for stabilizing acetabular fractures in a minimally invasive way in selected patients.

Level of Evidence:

Level IV.
Longitudinal Relationship Between Time-Out and Child Emotional and Behavioral Functioning
Authors: Knight Rachel M. , Albright Jeremy , Deling Lindsay , Dore-Stites Dawn , Drayton Amy K.
Published: September 2019

Objective:

Time-out is a widely used child discipline strategy and one of the only strategies currently recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Despite its widespread use and significant evidence to support its effectiveness in decreasing problem behavior, time-out is often suggested to be harmful or ineffective by the popular media and select professional organizations. Empirical evidence regarding possible side effects of time-out is limited. The present study examined the relationship between reported use of time-out and child emotional and behavioral functioning and parent-child relationships using longitudinal, archival data.

Methods:

The study used archival, longitudinal data from the Early Head Start Research and Evaluation study. This study tracked families with children in Early Head Start at 3 different time points as follows: baseline (aged 0–3 years), pre-kindergarten, and fifth grade. Parent interviews, including questions on the use of time-out, were conducted when the children were 36 months old. Indicators of child emotional and behavioral health were measured at 36 months, pre-K, and fifth grade. Statistical analyses were completed to assess for potential side effects of time-out on child behavioral and emotional functioning and parent-child relationships.

Results:

Analyses for all outcome variables suggest no significant difference for children whose parents reported using time-out versus those who did not.

Conclusion:

Parental reported use of time-out was not associated with long-term negative outcomes. Further research in this area is necessary to continue to address the multitude of concerns related to time-out that are presented by the media.
Effectiveness of Chinese herbal medicine granules and traditional Chinese medicine–based psychotherapy for perimenopausal depression in Chinese women: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Cao Xiao-jing , Huang Xu-chun , Wang Xiaoyun
Published: September 2019

Objective:

The aim of the study was to assess the effectiveness of Chinese herbal medicine combined with traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)-based psychotherapy (TBP) on perimenopausal depression (PMD).

Methods:

This multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted in nine hospitals in China between August 2015 and June 2017. The study included 307 women with PMD who were divided randomly into two treatment groups: the Bushen Tiaogan formula (BSTG) plus TBP (n = 156) and placebo plus TBP (n = 151). All participants underwent treatment for 8 weeks and were followed up for 4 weeks. The primary outcome measures included scores of the Greene Climacteric Scale (GCS), Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS), and Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS). Secondary outcomes included serum levels of sex hormones and lipids, as well as adverse events.

Results:

The average GCS, SDS, and SAS scores after treatment were significantly lower in the BSTG-plus-TBP group than those in the placebo-plus-TBP group, and the differences were greatest at the end of the 12th week: the average GCS scores were 10.8 in the BSTG-plus-TBP group versus 18.5 in the placebo-plus-TBP group (P < 0.001); the average SDS scores were 30.7 in the BSTG-plus-TBP group versus 45.4 in the placebo-plus-TBP group (P < 0.001); the SAS scores were 28.6 in the BSTG-plus-TBP group versus 42.6 in the placebo-plus-TBP group (P < 0.001). In addition, treatments with BSTG plus TBP significantly reduced the levels of basal follicle-stimulating hormone (P = 0.045) and triglycerides (P = 0.039) and increased the level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (P < 0.001) compared to placebo treatments with TBP. No serious adverse events occurred, and the safety indices of complete blood counts, renal function, and liver function were within normal ranges, before and after treatments.

Conclusions:

Treatment with BSTG formula plus TBP was more effective than TBP alone for improving PMD symptoms, sexual hormone levels, and blood lipid conditions in women with mild PMD.
Visual Perceptual Skills in Attention-deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Children: The Mediating Role of Comorbidities
Authors: Redondo Beatriz , Molina Rubén , Cano-Rodríguez Andrea , Vera Jesús , García José Antonio , Muñoz-Hoyos Antonio , Jiménez Raimundo
Published: September 2019

SIGNIFICANCE

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has been commonly associated with alterations in visual perception. However, the individual behavior of visual perceptual skills and its relationship with different comorbidities remain unknown.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to examine whether visual perceptual skills are impaired in children with ADHD, as well as to test the possible mediating role of comorbidities.

METHODS

Thirty-five nonmedicated ADHD (20 pure and 15 with comorbidities) and 35 age-matched controls completed the performance-based Test of Visual Perceptual Skills.

RESULTS

The analysis between total ADHD and controls favored the alternative hypothesis (greater values for children with ADHD) for visual memory, spatial relationships, sequential memory, and all the composite measures (Bayes factor [BF] range, 4.26 to 366.85). The analysis between pure ADHD and controls showed that data are more likely under the alternative hypothesis for spatial relationships, sequential memory, overall, basic, and sequencing (BF range, 3.82 to 21.71), whereas the comparison between ADHD with comorbidities and controls additionally favored the alternative hypothesis for visual discrimination (BF = 5.37). Lastly, data from the comparison between pure ADHD and ADHD with comorbidities were insensitive for favoring the null or alternative hypotheses in any subtest or composite scaled score (BF range, 0.33 to 0.66).

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggest that some specific patterns of visual perception are altered in ADHD, especially for the total ADHD group. The current findings also evidence that comorbidities play an important role in the association between ADHD and visual perceptual skills. Future studies should address the mediating role of each specific type of comorbidity.
Case Series: Late Postoperative Capsular Block Syndrome Causing Reduced Vision Years After Uncomplicated Cataract Surgery
Authors: Sandhaus Sarah , Flettner Juliane Grace , Mick Andrew B.
Published: September 2019

SIGNIFICANCE

Late postoperative capsular block syndrome is a treatable complication presenting months to years after cataract surgery using continuous curvilinear anterior capsulorhexis and a posterior chamber intraocular lens implantation. Patients may present to optometric practices because of symptom onset significantly after the immediate post-operative period.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to describe the defining clinical features, proposed pathophysiology, and treatment of late postoperative capsular block syndrome. Case 1 was a 68-year-old man who presented with a sudden onset of blurry vision in the right eye 2 years after uncomplicated cataract surgery. Clinical examination revealed turbid fluid distending the posterior lens capsule, a 2-D myopic shift, and an absence of intraocular inflammation. Laser posterior capsulotomy successfully released the trapped fluid and reversed the myopic shift without complication. Case 2 was a 67-year-old man who presented with a gradual onset of hazy vision in the right eye 7 years after uncomplicated cataract surgery. Cloudy fluid was observed to be filling the space between the intraocular lens and the posterior lens capsule, and the refractive error was stable. The fluid was liberated and visual function was restored with uncomplicated laser posterior capsulotomy.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with late postoperative capsular block syndrome may present with blurry vision months to years after cataract surgery performed with continuous curvilinear capsulorhexis and posterior capsule intraocular lens implantation. The defining clinical sign is entrapment of turbid fluid between the intraocular lens and the posterior capsule that may result in reduced vision or refractive error shift. Late postoperative capsular block syndrome is distinguishable from other late complications of cataract surgery, including delayed endophthalmitis or phacoantigenic uveitis, by lack of concurrent robust ocular inflammation.
Imaging in Cardio-oncology
Authors: Gilon Dan , Leibowitz David , Durst Ronen , Iakobishvili Zaza
Published: September 2019

The world of cardio-oncology is an evolving field involving the assessment of cardiovascular disease in patients suffering from cancer. Cancer and cardiovascular diseases are the two leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the developed world. Globally, cancer is diagnosed in 12.7 million patients annually, and cancer incidence is projected to increase by 40% in high-income countries from 2008 to 2030. Chemotherapy is the main treatment for most cancers and improves survival, but is associated with significant cardiotoxicity. In recent years, the introduction of new biological anti-cancer treatments in addition to “classic” chemotherapy has further improved survival, but has also introduced new cardiovascular side effects beyond “pure” myocardial damage. The increasing number of patients with cancer and cancer survivors, and the growing complexity of cancer treatment and cardiovascular side effects, call for teamwork including cardiologists with specific training and expertise working in teams with oncologists, hematologists, and others. The purpose of this review was to describe the clinical background and importance of cardio-oncology, with an emphasis on the use of imaging in this clinical setting.
Dural Reconstruction Using Laparoscopic Gastro-omental Free Flap in Refractory Cranial Infections
Authors: Elfeki Bassem , Chang Lan Sook , Kang Byung Kwon , Eun Seokchan
Published: September 2019

Background

Epidural abscesses and subdural empyema after craniotomy are potentially lethal complications in neurosurgery. Patients with recalcitrant cranial wound infections may be difficult to manage, and dural reconstruction in these patients is challenging.

Methods

A total of 14 patients presented with recurrent intracranial infection after craniotomy. The symptoms and signs included persistent fever, despite prolonged systemic broad-spectrum antibiotic administration and repetitive debridement of the dural space. They underwent reconstruction with an omental free flap to cover the craniotomy defect. Microvascular anastomosis is usually performed between the gastroepiploic and superficial temporal vessels. Surgeries were performed in the chronic stages of infection, and the patients were reviewed and assessed for recurrence over the long-term postoperatively.

Results

The postoperative course was uneventful, and flap survival was excellent in all patients. The patients were discharged with no evidence of wound discharge, and there were no reports of infection recurrence, flap failure, or donor site morbidity.

Conclusions

The use of vascularized free omentum flap was effective in cases involving intractable cranial wound infection.