bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Targeted Cancer Next-Generation Sequencing as a Primary Screening Tool for Microsatellite Instability and Lynch Syndrome in Upper Gastrointestinal Tract Cancers
Authors: Christakis Alexander G. , Papke David J. , Nowak Jonathan A. , Yurgelun Matthew B. , Agoston Agoston T. , Lindeman Neal I. , MacConaill Laura E. , Sholl Lynette M. , Dong Fei
Published: April 2019

Background:

No consensus guideline has been established for microsatellite instability testing in upper gastrointestinal tract cancers. This study aims to determine whether targeted cancer next-generation sequencing can accurately detect microsatellite instability in upper gastrointestinal tract cancers and screen for patients with Lynch syndrome.

Methods:

In a cohort of 645 upper gastrointestinal tract cancers, targeted next-generation sequencing assessed microsatellite instability by identifying characteristic insertion and deletion mutations. Sequencing classification was compared with mismatch repair protein IHC. Cancers with microsatellite instability by sequencing were analyzed using a testing protocol to identify patients with Lynch syndrome.

Results:

Sequencing identified microsatellite instability in 3.6% (23/645) of upper gastrointestinal tract cancers, including 28% (8/29) of small intestinal and 9% (9/97) of gastric carcinomas. In 20 cancers classified as having microsatellite instability, 19 demonstrated loss of expression of MLH1, PMS2, MSH2, or MSH6, and one cancer was indeterminate by IHC. In contrast, 52 control cancers demonstrated retained expression of all mismatch repair proteins. Using targeted sequencing as the initial screening test, 1.1% (7/645) of patients were identified to have pathogenic germline variants confirming a diagnosis of Lynch syndrome.

Conclusions:

Targeted cancer next-generation sequencing is an accurate first-line test to detect microsatellite instability in upper gastrointestinal tract cancers.

Impact:

This study provides a proof of concept for the use of targeted next-generation sequencing to detect microsatellite instability and screen for Lynch syndrome.
Effectiveness of antiretroviral therapy in the single-tablet regimen era
Authors: Costa Juliana de Oliveira , Ceccato Maria das Graças Braga , Silveira Micheline Rosa , Bonolo Palmira de Fátima , Reis Edna Afonso , Acurcio Francisco de Assis
Published: April 2019

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of antiretroviral therapy and the associated factors according to the type of regimen used: Single Tablet Regimen or Multiple Tablet Regimen. METHODS: Prospective cohort of 440 patients (male, 74.3%, median age, 36 years old) who initiated antiretroviral therapy between Jan/14 and Dec/15 at a referral service in Belo Horizonte. Efficacy was defined as viral suppression (viral load, VL < 50 copies/ml) and evaluated after six and twelve months of treatment. Sociodemographic, clinical and behavioral data were collected from clinical charts and from Information Systems. Multivariate analysis of overall effectiveness was performed by logistic regression. RESULTS: Most patients initiated Multiple Tablet Regimen antiretroviral therapy (n = 255, 58%). At six months, overall viral suppression was 74.6%, being higher among patients who used Single Tablet Regimen (80.6%, p = 0.04). At twelve months, 83.2% of patients reached viral suppression, with no difference between groups (p = 0.93). Factors independently associated with viral suppression at six and twelve months varied, being negatively associated with effectiveness: VL ≥ 100,000 copies/ml, symptoms of AIDS, longer interval time between diagnosis and initiation of antiretroviral therapy, antiretroviral switching, smoking or current illicit drugs usage (p < 0.05). Factors positively associated with viral suppression included adherence to antiretroviral therapy and category of risk/exposure of men who have sex with men (p < 0.05). Reaching viral suppression at six months was the main predictor of effectiveness at one year (OR = 8.96 and p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Viral suppression was high and better results were achieved for patients who used Single Tablet Regimen regimens at six months. Clinical, behavioral, and antiretroviral therapy -related factors influence viral suppression and highlight the need for interventions to increase early diagnosis and initiation of antiretroviral therapy, patient’s adherence, and to reduce illicit drugs and cigarette smoking in this population.
Implication of violence against women on not performing the cytopathologic test
Authors: Leite Franciele Marabotti Costa , Amorim Maria Helena Costa , Gigante Denise Petrucci
Published: April 2019

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the association between intimate partner violence and not performing the cytopathologic test in the last three years. METHODS: It is a transversal study, performed in 26 health units in the city of Vitória, state Espírito Santo, from march to September 2014. The sample was constituted by 106 primary care female users, aging from 30 to 59 years-old. Data on cervical cancer screening were collected, besides the women’s sociodemographic, behavior, obstetric, and gynecological characteristics by an interview, and the World Health Organization recommended tool for identifying violence experiences was applied. The analysis was performed through the chi-square test for association, linear trend for ordinal variables, and the Poisson regression analysis with robust variance. RESULTS: Among the participating women, 14% (95%CI 12.0–17.2) had overdue Pap tests. Most women who did not perform the test had lower schooling levels, lower income, were smokers, in an unmarried union, having had their sexual debut before 15 years-old, three or more pregnancies, and two or more partners in the last 12 months. Women who suffered intimate partner sexual and physical violence were, respectively, 1.64 (95%CI -1.03–2.62) and 1.94 (95%CI 1.28–2.93) times more delayed in the Pap tests than non-victims. CONCLUSIONS: Violence is a significant exacerbating factor and affects women’s health negatively. Women who are physically or sexually victimized by their partners are more vulnerable to not performing Pap tests and, consequently, have fewer chances of early diagnosing cervical cancer.
Morphology and Hemodynamics in Isolated Common Iliac Artery Aneurysms Impacts Proximal Aortic Remodeling
Authors: Parker Louis P. , Powell Janet T. , Kelsey Lachlan J. , Lim Brendon , Ashleigh Ray , Venermo Maarit , Koncar Igor , Norman Paul E. , Doyle Barry J.
Published: April 2019

Objective—

Isolated common iliac artery aneurysms (CIAA) are rare. Their prognosis and influence on aortoiliac blood flow and remodeling are unclear. We evaluated the hypotheses that morphology at and distal to the aortic bifurcation, together with the associated hemodynamic changes, influence both the natural history of CIAA and proximal aortic remodeling.

Approach and Results—

Twenty-five isolated CIAAs (15 intact, 10 ruptured), in 23 patients were reconstructed and analyzed with computational fluid dynamics: all showed abnormal flow. Then we studied a series of 24 hypothetical aortoiliac geometries in silico with varying abdominal aortic deflection and aortic bifurcation angles: key findings were assessed in an independent validation cohort of 162 patients. Wall shear stress in isolated unilateral CIAAs was lower than the contralateral common iliac artery, 0.38±0.33 Pa versus 0.61±0.24 Pa, inversely associated with CIAA diameter (
P
<0.001) and morphology (high shear stress in variants distal to a sharp kink). Rupture usually occurred in regions of elevated low and oscillatory shear with a wide aortic bifurcation angle. Abdominal aortas deflected towards the CIAA for most unilateral isolated CIAAs (14/21). In silico, wider bifurcation angles created high focal regions of low and oscillatory shear in the common iliac artery. The associations of unilateral CIAA with aortic deflection and common iliac artery diameter with bifurcation angle were confirmed in the validation cohort.

Conclusions—

Decreasing wall shear stress is strongly associated with CIAA progression (larger aneurysms and rupture), whereas abnormal blood flow in the CIAA seems to promote proximal aortic remodeling, with adaptive lateral deflection of the abdominal aorta towards the aneurysmal side.
Cord Blood Vitamin D Levels and Early Childhood Blood Pressure: The Healthy Start Study
Authors: Sauder Katherine A. , Stamatoiu Alexandra V. , Leshchinskaya Elina , Ringham Brandy M. , Glueck Deborah H. , Dabelea Dana
Published: April 2019

Background

Vitamin D deficiency is associated with cardiovascular events among adults, but it is unclear whether early‐life vitamin D deficiency influences cardiovascular risk factors in children.

Methods and Results

We measured total and bioavailable 25‐dihydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) in cord blood and in blood from 4‐ to 6‐year‐old children, and we assessed cardiovascular risk factors (blood pressure, arterial stiffness, body size, and adiposity) at 4 to 6 years. We tested for racial/ethnic differences in total and bioavailable 25OHD (n=715) and modeled the adjusted association between cord blood 25OHD and childhood cardiovascular risk factors (n=171). We observed racial/ethnic differences in total and bioavailable 25OHD levels in both cord and child blood samples (all
P
<0.05). Each 25‐nmol/L increase in cord blood total 25OHD was associated with a 2.5–mm Hg (SE 0.8) decrease in systolic blood pressure (
P
=0.002) and a 1.7–mm Hg (SE 0.6) decrease in diastolic blood pressure (
P
=0.01), independent of childhood 25OHD levels, race/ethnicity, and other covariates. There was no association between cord blood total 25OHD and any other cardiovascular risk factors. Cord blood levels of bioavailable and free 25OHD were not associated with any cardiovascular risk factor in childhood.

Conclusions

In this diverse prebirth cohort, we observed lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure among children with higher total 25OHD levels at birth. Our findings suggest that intrauterine exposure to vitamin D may contribute to early‐life programming of offspring blood pressure. Intervention studies are needed to determine whether increasing fetal vitamin D exposure can reduce the risk of elevated blood pressure in childhood.
Safety and Effectiveness of Non–Vitamin K Antagonist Oral Anticoagulants for Stroke Prevention in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation and Anemia: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Wang Chun‐Li , Wu Victor Chien‐Chia , Huang Yu‐Tung , Kuo Chang‐Fu , Chu Pao‐Hsien , Chen Yu‐Ling , Wen Ming‐Shien , Chang Shang‐Hung
Published: April 2019

Background

Major randomized trials assessing non–vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (
NOAC
s) for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation generally excluded patients with hemoglobin <10 g/dL. This study evaluated the safety and effectiveness of
NOAC
s in patients with atrial fibrillation and anemia.

Methods and Results

A cohort study based on electronic medical records was conducted from 2010 to 2017 at a multicenter healthcare provider in Taiwan. It included 8356 patients with atrial fibrillation who had received oral anticoagulants (age, 77.0±7.3 years; 48.0% women). Patients were classified into 2 subgroups: 7687 patients with hemoglobin ≥10 g/
dL
and 669 patients with hemoglobin <10 g/
dL
. A Cox regression analysis was performed to assess the risks of ischemic stroke/systemic embolism, bleeding, and death associated with
NOAC
versus warfarin in both subgroups, respectively. In patients with hemoglobin ≥10 g/
dL
,
NOAC
(n=4793) was associated with significantly lower risks of ischemic stroke/systemic embolism, major bleeding, and gastrointestinal tract bleeding than warfarin (n=2894); there was no difference in the risk of death. In patients with hemoglobin <10 g/
dL
,
NOAC
(n=390) was associated with significantly lower risks of major bleeding (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.43; 95% CI, 0.30–0.62) and gastrointestinal tract bleeding than warfarin (n=279), but there was no difference in the risk of ischemic stroke/systemic embolism (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.79; 95%
CI
, 0.53–1.17) or death. Subgroup analyses suggested that
NOAC
was associated with fewer bleeding events, irrespective of cancer or peptic ulcer disease history.

Conclusions

In patients with atrial fibrillation with hemoglobin <10 g/
dL
,
NOAC
was associated with lower bleeding risks than warfarin, with no difference in the risk of ischemic stroke/systemic embolism or death.
Environmental DNA and metabarcoding for the study of amphibians and reptiles: species distribution, the microbiome, and much more
Authors: Ficetola Gentile Francesco , Manenti Raoul , Taberlet Pierre
Published: April 2019

In the last decade, eDNA and metabarcoding have opened new avenues to biodiversity studies; amphibians and reptiles are animals for which these new approaches have allowed great leaps forward. Here we review different approaches through which eDNA can be used to study amphibians, reptiles and many more organisms. eDNA is often used to evaluate the presence of target species in freshwaters; it has been particularly useful to detect invasive alien amphibians and secretive or rare species, but the metabarcoding approach is increasingly used as a cost-effective approach to assess entire communities. There is growing evidence that eDNA can be also useful to study terrestrial organisms, to evaluate the relative abundance of species, and to detect reptiles. Metabarcoding has also revolutionized studies on the microbiome associated to skin and gut, clarifying the complex relationships between pathogens, microbial diversity and environmental variation. We also identify additional aspects that have received limited attention so far, but can greatly benefit from innovative applications of eDNA, such as the study of past biodiversity, diet analysis and the reconstruction of trophic interactions. Despite impressive potential, eDNA and metabarcoding also bear substantial technical and analytical complexity; we identify laboratory and analytical strategies that can improve the robustness of results. Collaboration among field biologists, ecologist, molecular biologists, and bioinformaticians is allowing fast technical and conceptual advances; multidisciplinary studies involving eDNA analyses will greatly improve our understanding of the complex relationships between organisms, and our effectiveness in assessing and preventing the impact of human activities.
Aggregation Bias and Ambivalent Cases: A New Parameter of Consistency to Understand the Significance of Set-theoretic Sufficiency in fsQCA
Authors: Veri Francesco
Published: April 2019

The Boolean minimization, used in fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to establish sufficient relationships between conditions and outcome, automatically produces false positive subset relationships in the presence of random data. However, because this type of aggregation bias mainly produces ambivalent subset relationships between the condition(s) and the outcome, such false positives do not pose a problem for the fsQCA results per se. The aggregation bias has a negative impact on fsQCA analysis only because the consistency score is not able to detect set-theoretic subset relationships. Indeed, the existent parameter of consistency does not distinguish whether the subset relationship between conditions and outcome is the result of the mere Boolean minimization or whether it has set-theoretic significance. This article proposes a new consistency formula that provides information about subset relationships between conditions and outcome and detects the difference between randomly-generated subsets and meaningful subset relationships. The new parameter of consistency proposed here can be considered as an additional tool to test the significance of a meaningful sufficient relationship without being subject to the aggregation bias.
Diasporas and Public Diplomacy: Distinctions and Future Prospects
Authors: Brinkerhoff Jennifer M.
Published: April 2019

Diaspora diplomacy encompasses diasporas as: agents in their own right; instruments of other’s diplomatic agendas; and/or intentional or accidental partners with other actors pursuing shared interests. Diaspora diplomacy is not territorially bound, and agendas are fluid. Three important features of diaspora diplomacy distinguish it from public diplomacy more generally. First, the diaspora identity results in specific applications of diplomacy for which diasporans may play a unique role. Second, diasporans’ responses to global crises of identity and inequity yield particular motivations and targets of engagement. Third, diasporans may have an in-between advantage for public diplomacy. The complexity of diaspora diplomacy is likely to increase because of circular migration, layered identities, and continued improvements and access to telecommunications. Researchers and policy-makers should focus attention on how to integrate diasporas into existing efforts to account for the complexity of transnational relations.
Virtue and the “Good Life” in the Book of Job
Authors: Vesely Patricia L.
Published: April 2019

In this article, I argue that Job 29 provides an eudaimonic depiction of human happiness whereby virtue, combined with a number of “external goods” is held up as the best possible life for human beings. I compare Job’s vision of the “good life” with an Aristotelian conception of εὐδαιμονία and conclude that there are numerous parallels between Job and Aristotle with respect to their understanding of the “good life.” While the intimate presence of God distinguishes Job’s expectation of happiness with that of Aristotle, Job is unique among other eudaimonic texts in the Hebrew Bible in that expectations of living well are expressed in terms of virtue, rather than Torah piety. In the second portion of the article, I assess Job’s conception of human flourishing from the perspective of the divine speeches, which enlarge Job’s vision of the “good life” by bringing Job face-to-face with the “wild inhabitants” of the cosmos.
Before Wild Things: Maurice Sendak and the Postwar Jewish American Child as Queer Insider-Outsider
Authors: Moskowitz Golan
Published: April 2019

This article analyzes the late Maurice Sendak’s (1928–2012) entry into the field of children’s picture books in the midtwentieth century and his contribution to the affective shift in children’s literature. It examines Sendak’s complex social position and artistic development in the 1940s and 1950s, as well as lesser-known illustrations by Sendak, including collaborations with Ruth Krauss and with the artist’s brother, Jack. These works began to respond to Sendak’s own childhood as a queer son of Eastern European Yiddish-speaking immigrants. They also offered new potential mirrors for midcentury children—perhaps especially queer and otherwise marginalized children—as they navigated cultural gaps between home and the public sphere, as well as between personal orientations and the social pressures of postwar America.
Trials, Errors, and Improvements in Coproduction of Climate Services
Authors: Kolstad Erik W. , Sofienlund Oda N. , Kvamsås Hanna , Stiller-Reeve Mathew A. , Neby Simon , Paasche Øyvind , Pontoppidan Marie , Sobolowski Stefan P. , Haarstad Håvard , Oseland Stina E. , Omdahl Lene , Waage Snorre
Published: April 2019

Climate change yields both challenges and opportunities. In both cases, costly adaptations and transformations are necessary and desirable, and these must be based on realistic and relevant climate information. However, it is often difficult for climate scientists to communicate this information to decision-makers and stakeholders, and it can be equally difficult for such actors to interpret and put the information to use. In this essay, we discuss experiences and present recommendations for scientists producing climate services. The basis is our work in several climate service projects. One of them aimed to provide local-scale climate data for municipalities in western Norway and to explore how the data were interpreted and implemented. The project was first based solely on climate science expertise, and the participants did not have sufficient competence on coproduction and knowledge about the regulatory and political landscape in which municipalities operate. Initially, we also subscribed to an outdated idea of climate services, where knowledge providers (climate scientists) “deliver” their information to knowledge users (e.g., municipal planners). Increasingly, as stressed in the literature on coproduction of knowledge, we learned that climate service should be an iterative process where actionable information is coproduced through two-way dialogue. On the basis of these and other lessons learned the hard way, we provide a set of concrete recommendations on how to embed the idea of coproduction from the preproposal stage to beyond the end of climate service projects.
Response of an Antarctic Peninsula Fjord to Summer Katabatic Wind Events
Authors: Lundesgaard Øyvind , Powell Brian , Merrifield Mark , Hahn-Woernle Lisa , Winsor Peter
Published: April 2019

Fjords along the western Antarctic Peninsula are episodically exposed to strong winds flowing down marine-terminating glaciers and out over the ocean. These wind events could potentially be an important mechanism for the ventilation of fjord waters. A strong wind event was observed in Andvord Bay in December 2015, and was associated with significant increases in upper-ocean salinity. We examine the dynamical impacts of such wind events during the ice-free summer season using a numerical model. Passive tracers are used to identify water mass pathways and quantify exchange with the outer ocean. Upwelling and outflow in the model fjord generate an average salinity increase of 0.3 in the upper ocean during the event, similar to observations from Andvord Bay. Down-fjord wind events are a highly efficient mechanism for flushing out the upper fjord waters, but have little net impact on deep waters in the inner fjord. As such, summer episodic wind events likely have a large effect on fjord phytoplankton dynamics and export of glacially modified upper waters, but are an unlikely mechanism for the replenishment of deep basin waters and oceanic heat transport toward inner-fjord glaciers.
Application of the Synchronized B-Grid Staggering for Solution of the Shallow-Water Equations on the Spherical Icosahedral Grid
Authors: Miura Hiroaki
Published: April 2019

A shallow-water model using the hexagonal synchronized B grid (SB grid) is developed on the spherical icosahedral grid. The SB grid adopts the same variable arrangement as the ZM grid, but does not suffer from a computational mode problem of the ZM grid since interactions in the extra degrees of freedom of velocity fields through the nonlinear terms are excluded. For better representations of the geostrophic balance, a quadratic reconstruction of fluid height inside hexagonal/pentagonal cells is used to configure the gradient with the second-order accuracy. When nongeostrophic motions are more dominant than geostrophic ones, smaller-scale noises arise. To prevent a decoupling of the velocity fields, a hyperviscosity is added to force velocities adjacent to each other to evolve synchronously. Some standard tests are performed to examine the SB-grid shallow-water model. The model is almost second-order accurate if both the initial conditions and the surface topography are smooth and if the influence of the hyperviscosity is small. The SB-grid model is superior to a C-grid model regarding the convergence of error norms in a steady-state geostrophically balanced flow test, while it is inferior to that concerning conservation of total energy in a case of flow over an isolated mountain. An advantage of the SB-grid model is that both accuracy and stability are weakly sensitive to whether a grid optimization is applied or not. The SB grid is an attractive alternative to the conventional A grid and is competitive with the C grid on the spherical icosahedral grid.
A Pilot Study of Protein Microarray for Simultaneous Analysis of 274 Cytokines Between Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm and Normal Aorta
Authors: Yuwen Li , Ciqiu Yang , Yi Shi , Ruilei Liu , Yuanhui Lai , Bo Lin , Songqi Li , Weiming Lv , Jie Li
Published: April 2019

Cytokines play an important role in the pathogenesis of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). We evaluated the cytokine expression profile of large AAA walls using a 274-cytokine protein array. We hypothesized that AAAs are characterized by an inflammatory, chemotactic cytokine profile. We investigated the cytokine expression profile of 12 patients with AAA and 6 nonaneurysmal controls using an antibody-based protein array. The array generated antibodies against homogenized human aortic tissues to validate the cytokines differentially expressed in AAAs and normal aortas. Data were quantified using fluorescent signal intensities and statistically analyzed by the t test. Fifty-nine cytokines were differentially expressed between the AAA and control samples. Of the 35 selected cytokines that had relative expression >1000, 29 were significantly higher and 6 were lower in AAA samples than in controls. They respectively belonged to CC chemokines, CXC chemokines, pro-inflammatory cytokines, growth factors, proteolytic proteins and inhibitors, and cell adhesion cytokines. Our results show that distinct cytokines are involved in AAAs and suggest that the pathways involving these cytokines may be associated with the pathogenesis and development of AAAs. These findings, if confirmed by larger studies, may suggest treatment targets.
Faith, Work, Farming and Business: The Role of the Spiritual in West African Livelihoods
Authors: Swindell Kenneth
Published: April 2019

Local religions, Islam and Christianity influence and shape West African livelihoods where for many spirituality is an integral part of work, time and making a living. For farmers the spiritual imbues their understanding of the natural world, as well as affecting the control and allocation of resources and their timely use. For the Sufist Mouride brotherhood of Senegal their work ethic nurtures agriculture and supports a diaspora of petty traders and businesses. Meanwhile, the Christian Pentecostal Church encourages myriad small businesses, and its promotion of a work ethic that has occasioned the contention of a Weberian-style transformation. The creation of sustainable networks of socio-economic change through religious adherence is not in doubt, but whether this will promote a general developmental shift is more contentious. Pentecostals emphasize education and literacy, a priority for most governments, but without job opportunities there is widespread discontent among the young, even the educated. Furthermore, the young are disenchanted by patrimonial-clientelist societies, and it is through religion that violent dissent is articulated. Assertions that religion per se is inimical to social and economic change in West Africa are difficult to substantiate. What is a problem for farmers and small businesses is the uncertainty not just of their immediate environments, but of the volatility and dysfunctional nature of the state, and a lack of enabling conditions. Thus, religion and spirituality provide help in difficult times for people, but also opportunities for improvement in their livelihoods and lifestyles.
The limits of mutual aid: Emerging forms of collectivity among app-based transport workers in Indonesia
Authors: Ford Michele , Honan Vivian
Published: April 2019

App-based transport has grown rapidly in Indonesia, and now provides work for over a million private commercial drivers. A large proportion of online drivers have joined self-organised community organisations that operate on a mutual aid logic, characterised by horizontal networks and strong social commitment. This mutual aid-based approach, which builds on a long tradition of associational behaviour in Indonesia’s large informal sector, has facilitated high levels of membership and member participation in small, geographically based driver communities. It is less well suited, however, to staging large-scale protests, negotiating with the app-based transport companies or engaging with government. Drawing on extensive qualitative fieldwork, this article argues that mutual aid-based organising has indeed proved an effective way to reach out to this group of non-traditional workers, but is not in itself enough to effect structural change. Ultimately, everyday forms of collectivism must be complemented by large-scale mobilisation, legal challenges and industrial action if drivers are to challenge the power of their pseudo-employers. To date, however, successful integration between driver communities and larger scale organisations has proven difficult in the face of external hostility and internal divisions.
Emerging divided cities in China: Socioeconomic segregation in Shanghai, 2000–2010
Authors: Shen Jie , Xiao Yang
Published: April 2019

Compared with North America and Western Europe, Chinese cities used to feature a low extent of socioeconomic segregation. However, systematic analysis of the changes in socioeconomic segregation after the end of the provision of welfare housing is needed. Using residential-committee-level data from the fifth and sixth censuses of Shanghai, for the first time, this article systematically charts changes in socioeconomic segregation in Chinese cities over the period 2000–2010. Along with the emergence of high-status neighbourhoods and migrant neighbourhoods, Shanghai has grown more divided based on individual socioeconomic status. The extent of socioeconomic segregation in Shanghai was comparable to that of large US and European cities. While patterns of sociospatial divisions are different across central and suburban areas, the level of educational segregation becomes greater than that of hukou segregation. The crucial role of housing commodification in driving these changes highlights the importance of contextual and institutional factors in understanding the dynamics of segregation.
WITHDRAWN—Administrative Duplicate Publication: ‘I am more than my IQ’: Analysis of the experience of a gifted learner
Authors: Brandisauskiene Agne
Published: April 2019

Brandisauskiene A (2019) ‘I am more than my IQ’: Analysis of the experience of a gifted learner. Gifted Education International. Epub ahead of print 24 April 2019.

Ahead of Print article withdrawn by publisher.

Due to an administrative error, this article was accidentally published twice Online First with different DOIs.

The correct and citable version of the article remains:

Brandisauskiene A (2019) ‘I am more than my IQ’: Analysis of the experience of a gifted learner. Gifted Education International. Epub ahead of print 11 April 2019. DOI: 10.1177/0261429419840648
Outcomes of pediatric oncology and hematopoietic cell transplant patients receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation
Authors: Maue Danielle K , Hobson Michael J , Friedman Matthew L , Moser Elizabeth AS , Rowan Courtney M
Published: April 2019

Background/objectives:

There is controversy regarding the utilization of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in pediatric patients with an underlying oncologic diagnosis or who have undergone hematopoietic cell transplant. We hypothesized that these patients have higher mortality, more bleeding complications, more blood product utilization, and a higher rate of new infections than the general pediatric intensive care unit population supported with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.

Design/methods:

This is a retrospective chart review at a single center quaternary care pediatric hospital including all pediatric intensive care unit extracorporeal membrane oxygenation patients from 2011 to 2016. Patients were categorized as either oncology/hematopoietic cell transplant or general pediatric intensive care unit. Patients from the cardiovascular intensive care unit or the neonatal intensive care unit were excluded.

Results:

A total of 38 patients met inclusion criteria of which 7 were oncology/hematopoietic cell transplant patients. The oncology/hematopoietic cell transplant group had lower platelets at the start of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (p = 0.02) but other pre-extracorporeal membrane oxygenation characteristics were similar. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation survival was lower in the oncology/hematopoietic cell transplant group (29% vs 77%, p = 0.02). The incidence of bleeding complications and new infections did not differ. The oncology/hematopoietic cell transplant group received more platelets (median of 15.9 mL/kg/day (interquartile range 8.4, 36.6) vs 7.9 mL/kg/day (3.3, 21.9), p = 0.04) and fresh frozen plasma (14.0 mL/kg/day (3, 15.7) vs 1.8 mL/kg/day (0.5, 5.9), p = 0.04).

Conclusion:

Oncology and hematopoietic cell transplant patients had a higher mortality and received more blood products while on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation than the general pediatric intensive care unit patients despite similar pre-extracorporeal membrane oxygenation characteristics. Physicians should use caution when deciding whether or not to utilize extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in this population.
The antidepressant effect of bone marrow mononuclear cell transplantation in chronic stress
Authors: do Prado-Lima Pedro Antônio Schmidt , Onsten Guilherme Ary , de Oliveira Gutierre Neves , Brito Guilherme Camargo , Ghilardi Isadora Machado , de Souza Eduardo Vieira , dos Santos Paula Gabrielli , Salamoni Simone Denise , Machado Denise Cantarelli , Duarte Marta Medeiros Frescura , Barbisan Fernanda , da Cruz Ivana Beatrice Mânica , Costa-Ferro Zaquer Suzana Munhoz , daCosta Jaderson Costa
Published: April 2019

Background:

Inflammation could be a risk factor for the development of depression and change the outcome of this common chronic-recurrent mental disorder.

Aims:

This study aimed to investigate if bone marrow mononuclear cell (BMMC) transplantation is effective in restoring sucrose preference in rats subjected to chronic stress (CS), if it has an anti-inflammatory effect and is able to restore damaged DNA.

Methods:

The effect of BMMC transplantation was studied in a controlled protocol (compared with a control group and a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor escitalopram group) involving sucrose preference in CS in rats. Measurements were taken of the amygdala, hippocampus, frontal cortex, and other brain areas, the spleen and blood pro-inflammatory cytokines, namely interleukin-1β, interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and interferon-gamma, as well as anti-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-10. Finally, 8-hydroxy-2’-deoxyguanosine (a DNA damage marker) was determined.

Results:

BMMC transplantation was as effective as escitalopram in restoring sucrose preference. It also had an anti-inflammatory effect and slightly improved damaged DNA after one week.

Conclusions:

These findings suggest administration of BMMC in rats subjected to CS restores sucrose preference, resolves inflammation in both the peripheral and central nervous system, as well as diminishes DNA damage. This effect was similar to that of escitalopram, which is effective in the treatment of depressive patients.
Increased suicidality in patients with cluster headache
Authors: Ji Lee Mi , Cho Soo-Jin , Wook Park Jeong , Kyung Chu Min , Moon Heui-Soo , Chung Pil-Wook , Myun Chung Jae , Sohn Jong-Hee , Kim Byung-Kun , Kim Byung-Su , Kim Soo-Kyoung , Song Tae-Jin , Choi Yun-Ju , Park Kwang-Yeol , Oh Kyungmi , Ahn Jin-Young , Lee Kwang-Soo , Cho Soohyun , Chung Chin-Sang
Published: April 2019

Objective

To investigate suicidality related to cluster headache and factors associated with increased suicidality in cluster headache patients.

Methods

In this multicenter study, 193 cluster headache patients were recruited between September 2016 and August 2018. Patients were asked about their suicidality during and between attacks, specifically about passive suicidal ideation, active suicidal ideation, suicide plan, and suicide attempt. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to evaluate the factors associated with high ictal suicidality (sum of positive response ≥ 2). Patients were followed up when they were in the between-bouts period.

Results

A total of 175 cluster headache patients in the in-bout period were included in this study. Passive suicidal ideation, active suicidal ideation, suicidal planning, and suicidal attempt were reported by 111 (64.2%), 62 (35.8%), 10 (5.8%), and four (2.3%) patients during attacks; seven (4.0%), six (3.5%), five (2.9%) and two (1.2%) patients interictally; and none (0%), one (1.9%), one (1.9%), and none (0%) among patients in the between-bouts period. Factors associated with high ictal suicidality were longer disease duration, the Headache Impact Test score, and the Patient Health Question-9 score (multivariable OR = 1.90 per 10-year increase in disease duration, 95% CI = 1.18–3.05, p = 0.008; multivariable OR = 3.19 per 10-point increase in HIT-6, 95% CI = 1.73–5.87, p < 0.001; multivariable OR = 2.11 per 10-point increase in PHQ-9, 95% CI = 1.13–3.95, p = 0.020, respectively).

Conclusions

Cluster headache attack carries a high suicidality compared to the interictal or between-bouts state. An intensive treatment to reduce cluster headache burden may be helpful to alleviate suicide risk in cluster headache patients.
Acid-labile hyperbranched poly(ortho ester amido amine) as efficient gene carriers: Preparation, characterization, and in vitro evaluation
Authors: Li Shuting , Hu Liefeng , Wang Jun , Yan Guo , Wang Xin , Li Dapeng , Zeng Xiaoli , Tang Rupei
Published: April 2019

Cationic polymers have become one of the most promising synthetic vectors for gene transfection, however, their translation to the clinic has been severely hampered because of their high cytotoxicity and polyplex instability in serum. Herein, we report the design and synthesis of a new type of pH-sensitive hyperbranched poly(ortho ester amido amine) (HPOEAMAM) by the use of ortho ester bonds to give a non-viral vector with high efficiency and safety in two-dimensional (2D) cells and three-dimensional (3D) multicellular tumor spheroids. The pH-sensitive HPOEAMAM forms strong interactions with DNA and completely condense DNA at the weight ratio of 8. Furthermore, ortho ester in HPOEAMAM can be hydrolysed in response to endo/lysosome pHs to facilitate DNA release post internalization and diminish the cytotoxicity. Our findings provide a valuable insight into the construction of pH-sensitive hyperbranched cationic polymers which is an attractive strategy for producing effective gene vectors for clinically viable gene therapy.
Preferred Stock Awards: A Novel Idea for Manager Compensation
Authors: Antia Murad J.
Published: April 2019

Congress should allow a unique class of preferred shares whose dividends are tax-deductible as long as a significant majority of senior management compensation is in the form of these shares. Tax-deductible interest should be further limited to compel firms to issue these shares because a lower tax liability will increase firm value. Managers will be discouraged from making high-variance and often losing bets with other peoples’ money because they will have skin in the game. Their compensation will be directly tied to corporate performance rather than the volatility of the stock market, which is the case with common stock and options awards.
Curcumin induces p53-independent inactivation of Nrf2 during oxidative stress–induced apoptosis
Authors: Méndez-García LA , Martínez-Castillo M , Villegas-Sepúlveda N , Orozco L , Córdova EJ
Published: April 2019

The transcription factor Nrf2 (nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2) is a master regulator of a battery of antioxidant and detoxificant genes with cytoprotective function. Since Nrf2 inactivation is necessary for the complete execution of apoptosis in the presence of extensive cellular damage caused by oxidative stress, constant activation of Nrf2 may protect tumoral cells from apoptosis. The tumor suppressor gene p53 has been suggested to participate in apoptosis-related repression of Nrf2. Thus, we studied the inactivation of Nrf2 during oxidant-induced apoptosis in a p53 dysfunctional cellular model. Using curcumin dose–response assay and time–response assay in an immortalized lymphoblastoid cell line (control line 45), we observed a time-dependent increase in apoptotic markers such as deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) fragmentation, phosphatidylserine exposure, and caspase-3, caspase-9 and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerases (PARP) cleavage. Interestingly, at early times of exposure to a proapoptotic dose of curcumin (15 μM), we observed nuclear accumulation of Nrf2 and the expression of Nrf2 target genes, whereas at late exposure times we found a reduction of total and nuclear protein levels of Nrf2 as well as downregulation of Nrf2 target genes in the absence of p53 activation. These data suggest that apoptosis-related inactivation of Nrf2 could occur in a p53 dysfunctional background, opening the possible occurrence of p53-independent mechanism to explain Nrf2 inactivation during apoptosis.
Elevated levels of IL-24 in systemic lupus erythematosus patients
Authors: Li R C , Guo J , Su L C , Huang A F
Published: April 2019

Objective

This study aimed to assess IL-24 levels and their association with clinical manifestations in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

Methods

There were 75 patients with SLE and 58 healthy controls recruited in this study. Serum levels of IL-24 were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, and mRNA levels of IL-24 were tested by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction . The area under the curve of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used for diagnostic ability of the inflammatory cytokine.

Results

Serum IL-24 levels were significantly higher in SLE patients than that in healthy controls. SLE patients with nephritis had higher IL-24 levels than those without nephritis. Active SLE patients showed higher expression of IL-24 as compared to less active disease patients. The mRNA levels of IL-24 were much higher in SLE patients. Correlation analysis showed significant correlation between serum IL-24 levels and SLE disease activity index. In addition, ROC analysis may suggest good ability of serum IL-24 in differentiating SLE.

Conclusion

The inflammatory cytokine correlated with SLE disease activity, and may be involved in this disease pathogenesis.
The state relationship with religion: Defined through disciplinary procedures of accounting and regulation
Authors: Cordery Carolyn J
Published: April 2019

State regulation of charities is increasing. Nevertheless, although religious entities also pursue charitable objectives, jurisdictions often regulate them differently. In some states (including England until recently), the church (religious charities) are not called to account for their common-good contribution, despite owning significant assets and receiving public and government income. These regulatory and accounting variations emanate from a state’s historically informed positional relationship with religion, which may be discordant against increasing religious pluralism and citizens’ commonly-held beliefs. To open a debate on state–church relationships within the accounting history literature, this article analyses changes in England since 1534. It utilises a state–church framework from Monsma and Soper, combined with an application and extension of Foucauldian governmentality. The longitudinal study shows direct and indirect governmentality tools change with the state–church relationship. Such harmonisation of regulatory approach relies on citizens/entities subverting imposition of state demands which fail to meet their concept of common-good.
Quality of Life and Patient Satisfaction in Adults Treated for a Cleft Lip and Palate: A Qualitative Analysis
Authors: Kappen Isabelle F. P. M. , Bittermann Gerhard K. P. , Stock Nicola Marie , Mink van der Molen Aebele B. , Breugem Corstiaan C. , Swanenburg de Veye Henriette F. N.
Published: April 2019

Objective:

Long-term outcomes of patients born with a cleft lip and palate (CLP) are scarcely investigated. Yet, this patient group is of particular interest, as they can provide a valuable retrospective view upon their treatment experiences and psychological adjustment. Qualitative accounts may be especially useful in understanding the patient journey.

Design:

The present study set out to evaluate quality of life and satisfaction with treatment in adult patients previously treated for CLP at the Wilhelmina Children’s Hospital. Semistructured interviews were performed.

Patients:

A total of 22 patients aged 17 to 35 years (mean: 25 years) were interviewed about their experiences of growing up with CLP and of the treatment they received. Interviews were audio-recorded and factors thought to influence psychological adjustment were identified.

Results:

Four main themes were identified: background factors, support systems, treatment factors, and coping/internal factors. Each theme was described with illustrative quotes.

Conclusion:

This study underlines that psychological adjustment can fluctuate over time and greatly differs between individuals, even during adulthood. Psychological support should therefore be available beyond the finalization of the treatment course. Furthermore, the majority of participants stated they had wanted more psychological support as a child to facilitate resilience and to help them cope with challenges.
Using EWGM method to optimise the FMEA as a risk assessment methodology
Authors: AL Mashaqbeh Sahar , Munive-Hernandez Jose Eduardo , Khurshid Khan Mohammed
Published: April 2019

Failure modes and effect analysis (FMEA) is a proactive, highly structured and systematic approach for failure analysis. It has been also applied as a risk assessment tool, by ranking potential risks based on the estimation of risk priority numbers (RPNs). This article develops an improved FMEA methodology for strategic risk analysis. The proposed approach combines the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) technique with the exponential and weighted geometric mean method (EWGM) to support risk analysis. AHP is applied to estimate the weights of three risk factors: Severity (S), Occurrence (O) and Detection (D), which integrate the RPN for each risk. The EWGM method is applied for ranking RPNs. Combining AHP with EWGM allows avoiding repetition of FMEA results. The results of the developed methodology reveal that duplication of RPNs has been decreased, facilitating an effective risk ranking by offering a unique value for each risk. The proposed methodology not only focuses on high severity values for risk ranking but it also considers other risk factors (O and D), resulting in an enhanced risk assessment process. Furthermore, the weights of the three risk factors are considered. In this way, the developed methodology offers unique value for each risk in a simple way which makes the risk assessment results more accurate. This methodology provides a practical and systematic approach to support decision makers in assessing and ranking risks that could affect long-term strategy implementation. The methodology was validated through the case study of a power plant in the Middle East, assessing 84 risks within 9 risk categories. The case study revealed that top management should pay more attention to key risks associated with electricity price, gas emissions, lost-time injuries, bad odour and production.
Abrasive wear behaviors of high-vanadium alloy steel using the dry sand/rubber wheel apparatus
Authors: Li Haizhi , Tong Weiping , Ma Chang , Chen Liqing , Zuo Liang
Published: April 2019

The wear property of high-vanadium alloy steel was studied using a dry sand/rubber wheel testing apparatus and the microstructures and failure behaviors were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy, using commercial Cr16 as a reference material. The wear resistance of high-vanadium alloy steel (50 HRC) and high-vanadium alloy steel (65 HRC) was about 3 and 15 times higher, respectively, than that of Cr16. The macroscopic photographs of high-vanadium alloy steel show differences from images of Cr16 and other materials in four different zones on the observed wear scar. Due to the presence of the skeleton structure of the MC carbides, the serious wear zone showed evidence typical of particle rolling, with significant indentations on the surface and little directionality.