bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Differential Measurement for Cavity Ring-Down Spectroscopy with Dynamic Allan Variance
Authors: Mo Zeqiang , Yu Jin , Wang Jinduo , He Jianguo , Dai Shoujun , Liu Yang
Published: April 2020

The method of dynamic Allan variance (DAVAR) is used to analyze the time-varying characteristics of a nonstationary signal and is thus incorporated to evaluate the random error in the cavity ring-down spectroscopy (CRDS) experiments. With the numerical simulation of the influence of instabilities of sudden, slow, or periodic changes on the measurement accuracy in the ring-down process, DAVAR is proved to be an effective way to evaluate random error characteristics in an interfering environment. In order to minimize influences of time-varying noises in CRDS, a practical differential measurement method is proposed, in which wavelength modulation is applied to detect the ring-down times at the absorption peak and the nonabsorption peak in a time-division manner. The validity of the differential measurement is proved with its ability to compensate the influence of the environment changes and improves the accuracy from 0.181 ppm to 0.00914 ppm. The differential measurement method can be used to correct the time-varying error in real time and is helpful to improve the environmental adaptability of the CRDS instrument.
Effect of CeO2 on High‐Temperature Oxidation Performance of Electron Beam Cladding NiCoCrAlY Coating on Ni‐Based Alloy
Authors: Liu Hailang , Huang Yiping , Wang Xiaoyu , Lu Ruxue
Published: April 2020

In order to enhance the high‐temperature oxidation resistance properties of Inconel 617 alloy, NiCoCrAlY and NiCoCrAlY CeO2 composite powder coatings metallurgically bonded to substrate were prepared on the surface of Inconel 617 alloy by electron beam cladding. The effect of rare earth oxide CeO2 on the oxidation resistance of NiCoCrAlY coating was investigated. The isothermal oxidation behavior of the substrate and NiCoCrAlY cladding layer with different CeO2 contents (1%, 2%, 3%, and 4%) and without CeO2 oxidized at 1050°C for 20 h, 40 h, 60 h, and 100 h was analyzed. The microstructure and phase composition of the coating after electron beam treatment were tested. The results show that the self‐repair of Al2O3 and Cr2O3 oxide film can be improved under a high‐temperature oxidation environment with the addition of CeO2, and the oxidation resistance of NiCoCrAlY coating can be effectively strengthened by adding CeO2. The improvement effect is most obvious when the content of CeO2 is 2%.
Methanolic Bark Extract of Abroma augusta (L.) Induces Apoptosis in EAC Cells through Altered Expression of Apoptosis Regulatory Genes
Authors: Miah Masum , Shimu Ajmeri Sultana , Mahmud Shafi , Omar Farjana-Binta , Khatun Ratna , Mohanto Sumon Chandro , Hoque Kazi Md. Faisal , Reza Md. Abu
Published: April 2020

Abroma augusta (L.), one of the herbal medicinal plants, is widely used for treatment of various maladies. The present study was initiated to determine the antioxidant, hemolytic, cytotoxicity, and anticancer activities of methanolic extract from the bark of the plant. The phytochemical screening was done by analyzing different phytochemicals present in the extract. We observed the presence of alkaloids, steroids, terpenoids, flavonoids, reducing sugars, and glycosides in the bark extract which showed the highest antioxidant capacity. Antioxidant potential of the methanolic extract was evaluated in vitro by DPPH (2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl) scavenging assay method. This extract showed prominent scavenging activity with IC50 value of 38.65 μg/ml. The hemolytic activity of the extract was evaluated at concentrations ranging from 250 to 1000 μg/ml. It was observed that the extract induced hemolysis percentage of 9.41% to 4.1%, which implies that the extract has no potent hemolytic activity. Cytotoxicity and anticancer activities were observed on Ehrlich ascites carcinoma (EAC) cells. In addition, the bark showed promising cytotoxicity with IC50 value of 329.41 μg/ml, and the study indicated that the extract was capable of inhibiting EAC cell growth by 75.5% when administered at 100 mg/kg/day body weight intraperitoneally for five consecutive days to Swiss albino mice. Morphological change of apoptotic cell was determined by fluorescence and optical microscopy. DNA fragmentation is another marker for apoptosis, and the bark extract‐treated EAC cells showed smeared and fragmented DNA bands. Apoptosis correlated well with the upregulation of p53 and Bax and also with the downregulation of NF‐κB and Bcl‐2. Furthermore, activity and interaction of two A. augusta compounds were tested through molecular docking simulation study. In conclusion, our results suggest that A. augusta bark has the potential to be considered as an anticancer agent.
Telomere Maintenance Mechanisms Define Clinical Outcome in High-Risk Neuroblastoma
Authors: Koneru Balakrishna , Lopez Gonzalo , Farooqi Ahsan , Conkrite Karina L. , Nguyen Thinh H. , Macha Shawn J. , Modi Apexa , Rokita Jo Lynne , Urias Eduardo , Hindle Ashly , Davidson Heather , Mccoy Kristyn , Nance Jonas , Yazdani Vanda , Irwin Meredith S. , Yang Shengping , Wheeler David A. , Maris John M. , Diskin Sharon J. , Reynolds C. Patrick
Published: April 2020

Neuroblastoma is a childhood cancer with heterogeneous clinical outcomes. To comprehensively assess the impact of telomere maintenance mechanism (TMM) on clinical outcomes in high-risk neuroblastoma, we integrated the C-circle assay [a marker for alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT)], TERT mRNA expression by RNA-sequencing, whole-genome/exome sequencing, and clinical covariates in 134 neuroblastoma patient samples at diagnosis. In addition, we assessed TMM in neuroblastoma cell lines (n = 104) and patient-derived xenografts (n = 28). ALT was identified in 23.4% of high-risk neuroblastoma tumors and genomic alterations in ATRX were detected in 60% of ALT tumors; 40% of ALT tumors lacked genomic alterations in known ALT-associated genes. Patients with high-risk neuroblastoma were classified into three subgroups (TERT-high, ALT+, and TERT-low/non-ALT) based on presence of C-circles and TERT mRNA expression (above or below median TERT expression). Event-free survival was similar among TERT-high, ALT+, or TERT-low/non-ALT patients. However, overall survival (OS) for TERT-low/non-ALT patients was significantly higher relative to TERT-high or ALT patients (log-rank test; P < 0.01) independent of current clinical and molecular prognostic markers. Consistent with the observed higher OS in patients with TERT-low/non-ALT tumors, continuous shortening of telomeres and decreasing viability occurred in low TERT–expressing, non-ALT patient-derived high-risk neuroblastoma cell lines. These findings demonstrate that assaying TMM with TERT mRNA expression and C-circles provides precise stratification of high-risk neuroblastoma into three subgroups with substantially different OS: a previously undescribed TERT-low/non-ALT cohort with superior OS (even after relapse) and two cohorts of patients with poor survival that have distinct molecular therapeutic targets.

Significance:

These findings assess telomere maintenance mechanisms with TERT mRNA and the ALT DNA biomarker C-circles to stratify neuroblastoma into three groups, with distinct overall survival independent of currently used clinical risk classifiers.
Impact of Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction on Recurrent Ventricular Tachyarrhythmias in Recipients of Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators
Authors: Rusnak Jonas , Behnes Michael , Weiß Christel , Nienaber Christoph , Reiser Linda , Schupp Tobias , Bollow Armin , Taton Gabriel , Reichelt Thomas , Ellguth Dominik , Engelke Niko , Weidner Kathrin , Barth Christian , Kim Seung-Hyun , Akin Muharrem , Mashayekhi Kambis , Große Meininghaus Dirk , Borggrefe Martin , Akin Ibrahim
Published: April 2020

Objective: This study evaluates the impact of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) on recurrences of ventricular tachyarrhythmias in recipients of implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD). Background: Data regarding recurrences of ventricular tachyarrhythmias in ICD recipients according to LVEF is limited. Methods: A large retrospective registry was used, including all consecutive ICD recipients with episodes of ventricular tachycardia (VT) or fibrillation (VF) from 2002 to 2016. Patients with LVEF <35% were compared to patients with LVEF ≥35%. The primary end point was first recurrences of ventricular tachyarrhythmias at 5 years. Secondary end points were ICD-related therapies, rehospitalization, and all-cause mortality at 5 years. Cox regression, Kaplan Meier, and propensity score matching analyses were applied. Results: A total of 528 consecutive ICD recipients were included (51% with LVEF ≥35% and 49% with LVEF <35%). LVEF <35% was associated with reduced freedom from recurrent ventricular tachyarrhythmias (40 vs. 49%, log rank p = 0.014; hazard ratio [HR] = 1.381; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.066–1.788; p = 0.034), mainly attributed to recurrent sustained VT in primary preventive ICD recipients. Accordingly, LVEF <35% was associated with reduced freedom from first appropriate ICD therapies (28 vs. 41%, log rank p = 0.001; HR = 1.810; 95% CI 1.185–2.766; p = 0.001). Finally, LVEF <35% was associated with a higher rate of rehospitalization (23 vs. 34%; p = 0.005) and all-cause mortality at 5 years (13 vs. 29%; p = 0.001). Conclusion: LVEF <35% was associated with reduced freedom from recurrent ventricular tachyarrhythmias, appropriate device therapies, rehospitalization and all-cause mortality secondary to index ventricular tachyarrhythmias.
A New Diagnostic Criterion with Gadoxetic Acid-Enhanced MRI May Improve the Diagnostic Performance for Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Wei Yi , Ye Zheng , Yuan Yuan , Huang Zixing , Wei Xiaocheng , Zhang Tong , Wan Shang , Tang Hehan , He Xiaopeng , Song Bin
Published: April 2020

Background: To prospectively establish and validate new diagnostic criterion (DC) for liver-specific contrast agents and further compared the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity with conventional DC. Methods: Institutional Review Board approved and written informed consent were obtained for this prospective study. Two board-certified reviewers established the reference standard as hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), non-HCC lesions by using marks on all cross-sectional MR images. Another 2 abdominal radiologists independently performed the marked lesion observations using 5 different DCs, including DC-1: arterial phase hyperenhancement (APHE) and portal venous phase washout; DC-2: APHE and hepatobiliary phase (HBP) hypointensity; DC-3: APHE and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) hyperintensity; DC-4: HBP hypointensity and DWI hyperintensity; DC-5: HBP hypointensity, DWI hyperintensity and excluded these markedly T2 hyperintensity. Diagnostic performance of sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy for each imaging DC was calculated, per-lesion diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of imaging criteria were compared by using McNemars test. Results: A total of 215 patients were included (mean age 53.82 ± 11.24 years; range 24–82 years) with 265 hepatic nodules (175 HCCs and 90 non-HCCs). The DC-4 (93.71%; 164/175) and DC-5 (92.57%; 162/175) yielded the highest diagnostic sensitivity and was better than DC-1 (72.57%; 127/175), DC-2 (82.86%; 145/175), and DC-3 (82.29%; 144/175) (all p < 0.001). The specificity of DC-1 (94.44%; 85/90) was significantly higher than that with DC-2 (83.33%; 75/90), DC-3 (84.44%; 76/90), DC-4 (74.44%; 67/90), and DC-5 (82.22%; 74/90) (all p < 0.05). Additionally, the DC-4 and DC-5 achieved the highest area under curve value of 0.841 (95% CI 0.783–0.899) and 0.874 (95% CI 0.822–0.925). Conclusions: The combined use of HBP hypointensity and DWI hyperintensity as a new DC for HCC enables a high diagnostic sensitivity and comparable specificity.
Preoperative Factors Associated with Extrathyroidal Extension in Papillary Thyroid Cancer
Authors: Kuo Chi-Yu , Yang Po-Sheng , Chien Ming-Nan , Cheng Shih-Ping
Published: April 2020

Objective: Extrathyroidal extension may not be accurately recognized during thyroidectomy and can increase the risk of positive margins and even recurrence. This study aimed to investigate the preoperative factors associated with extrathyroidal extension. Methods: We analyzed 887 patients with papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) who underwent surgery in the period of 2005–2017. Binary logistic regression analyses and generalized additive models were used to identify associations. Results: Minimal extrathyroidal extension was present in 233 (26%) patients and advanced extrathyroidal extension was found in 60 (7%) patients. Age, BMI, and tumor size were independent predictors of all or advanced extrathyroidal extension. Among the 493 patients whose BRAF mutation status was available, age (OR = 1.025), BMI (OR = 1.091), tumor size (OR = 1.544), and BRAF V600E mutation (OR = 2.311) were independently associated with extrathyroidal extension. Conclusions: Older age, a greater BMI, a larger tumor size, and presence of the BRAF mutation were predictive of extrathyroidal extension. These factors should be taken into consideration in decision-making before surgery is performed.
Vaccination of Mice with Listeria ivanovii Expressing the Truncated M Protein of Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus Induces both Antigen-Specific CD4+ and CD8+ T Cell-Mediated Immunity
Authors: Tang Tian , Wang Chuan , Pu Qikang , Peng Jinmei , Liu Sijing , Ren Chenyan , Jiang Mingjuan , Tian Zhijun
Published: April 2020

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS), a serious disease of swine caused by the PRRS virus (PRRSV), had a severe economic impact worldwide. As commonly used PRRS vaccines, the attenuated or inactivated vaccines, provide unsatisfactory immune protection, a new PRRS vaccine is urgently needed. In this study, a part of the PRRSV ORF6 gene (from 253 to 519 bp) encoding the hydrophilic domain of PRRSV M protein was integrated into two Listeria strains via homologous recombination to generate two PRRS vaccine candidates, namely LI-M’ and LM-ΔactAplcB-M’. Both candidate vaccines showed similar growth rate as their parent strains in culture media, but presented different bacterial loads in target organs. As the integrated heterogenous gene was not expressed, LM-ΔactAplcB-M’ was excluded from the immunological test. In a mouse model, LI-M’ provoked both CD4+ and CD8+ T cell-mediated immunity. In addition, LI-M’ boosting dramatically enhanced CD8+ T cell-mediated immunity without affecting the response intensity of CD4+ T cell-mediated immunity. All of these data suggest that LI-M’ is a promising PRRS vaccine candidate.
Epidemiology and Seasonal Variation of Ménière’s Disease: Data from a Population-Based Study
Authors: Kim Min Hee , Cheon Chunhoo
Published: April 2020

Introduction: Ménière’s disease (MD) is a disease of the inner ear. In Asian countries, there is one previous epidemiologic study that used a retrospective survey of a specific district. Previous studies have demonstrated that weather variables are strongly associated with symptom aggravation in MD. However, no study has reported on seasonal variation of MD. Methods: We conducted a retrospective population-based study using the Korean national health insurance claims database (NHICD). In the present study, the prevalence and incidence of MD from 2013 to 2017 were calculated. Prevalence and incidence of MD according to sex, age group, and monthly incidence are presented. Seasonal incidence was calculated for four seasons. The seasonal average humidity and atmospheric pressure were also calculated. Results: The incidence rate of MD showed a rapid yearly increase from 2013 to 2017 in Korea. The prevalence and incidence rate by age group continued to increase up to the 70 year olds. The female-to-male ratio was 2.17. The seasonal incidence of MD was relatively high in summer and autumn and relatively low in winter and spring; however, there were no significant differences. Discussion/Conclusions: The rapid progression to an aging society, increase in medical accessibility, and lifestyle changes could be the reasons for the elevation of the incidence rate in the Korean population. Consistent with a previous study, the incidence of MD was higher in seasons with high humidity and low atmospheric pressure; however, there were no significant differences. Further studies about the relationship between diet and MD, seasonality of MD with long-term analysis, and investigating the underlying mechanisms connecting weather and MD are needed.
Erythrocyte Metabolic Reprogramming by Sphingosine 1-Phosphate in Chronic Kidney Disease and Therapies
Authors: Xie Tingting , Chen Changhan , Peng Zhangzhe , Brown Benjamin C. , Reisz Julie A. , Xu Ping , Zhou Zhen , Song Anren , Zhang Yujin , Bogdanov Mikhail V. , Kellems Rodney E. , D’Alessandro Angelo , Zhang Weiru , Xia Yang
Published: April 2020

Rationale:

Hypoxia promotes renal damage and progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD). The erythrocyte is the only cell type for oxygen (O
2
) delivery. Sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P)—a highly enriched biolipid in erythrocytes—is recently reported to be induced under high altitude in normal humans to enhance O
2
delivery. However, nothing is known about erythrocyte S1P in CKD.

Objective:

To investigate the function and metabolic basis of erythrocyte S1P in CKD with a goal to explore potential therapeutics.

Methods and Results:

Using erythrocyte-specific SphK1 (sphingosine kinase 1; the only enzyme to produce S1P in erythrocytes) knockout mice (
eSphK1

−/−

) in an experimental model of hypertensive CKD with Ang II (angiotensin II) infusion, we found severe renal hypoxia, hypertension, proteinuria, and fibrosis in Ang II–infused
eSphk1

−/−

mice compared with controls. Untargeted metabolomics profiling and in vivo U-
13
C
6
isotopically labeled glucose flux analysis revealed that SphK1 is required for channeling glucose metabolism toward glycolysis versus pentose phosphate pathway, resulting in enhanced erythroid-specific Rapoport-Luebering shunt in Ang II–infused mice. Mechanistically, increased erythrocyte S1P functioning intracellularly activates AMPK (AMP-activated protein kinase) 1α and BPGM (bisphosphoglycerate mutase) by reducing ceramide/S1P ratio and inhibiting PP2A (protein phosphatase 2A), leading to increased 2,3-bisphosphoglycerate (an erythrocyte-specific metabolite negatively regulating Hb [hemoglobin]-O
2
–binding affinity) production and thus more O
2
delivery to counteract kidney hypoxia and progression to CKD. Preclinical studies revealed that an AMPK agonist or a PP2A inhibitor rescued the severe CKD phenotype in Ang II–infused
eSphK1

−/−

mice and prevented development of CKD in the control mice by inducing 2,3-bisphosphoglycerate production and thus enhancing renal oxygenation. Translational research validated mouse findings in erythrocytes of hypertensive CKD patients and cultured human erythrocytes.

Conclusions:

Our study elucidates the beneficial role of eSphk1-S1P in hypertensive CKD by channeling glucose metabolism toward Rapoport-Luebering shunt and inducing 2,3-bisphosphoglycerate production and O
2
delivery via a PP2A-AMPK1α signaling pathway. These findings reveal the metabolic and molecular basis of erythrocyte S1P in CKD and new therapeutic avenues.
Effects of Reduced Community College Tuition on College Choices and Degree Completion
Authors: Acton Riley
Published: April 2020

Recent efforts to increase college access and completion concentrate on reducing tuition rates at community colleges, but researchers and policy makers alike have expressed concern that such reductions may not lead to long-term gains in college completion. In this paper, I use detailed data on students’ college enrollment and completion outcomes to study how community college tuition rates affect students’ outcomes across both public and private colleges. By exploiting spatial variation in tuition rates, I find that reducing tuition at a student's local community college by $1,000 increases enrollment at the college by 3.5 percentage points (18 percent) and reduces enrollment at non-local community colleges, for-profit institutions, and other private, vocationally focused colleges, by 1.9 percentage points (15 percent). This shift in enrollment choices increases students’ persistence in college, credit completion, and the probability that they transfer to and earn bachelor's degrees from four-year colleges.
Enhanced Attention Using Head-mounted Virtual Reality
Authors: Li Gang , Anguera Joaquin A. , Javed Samirah V. , Khan Muḥammad Adeel , Wang Guoxing , Gazzaley Adam
Published: April 2020

Some evidence suggests that experiencing a given scenario using virtual reality (VR) may engage greater attentional resources than experiencing the same scenario on a 2D computer monitor. However, the underlying neural processes associated with these VR-related effects, especially those pertaining to current consumer-friendly head-mounted displays of virtual reality (HMD-VR), remain unclear. Here, two experiments were conducted to compare task performance and EEG-based neural metrics captured during a perceptual discrimination task presented on two different viewing platforms. Forty participants (20–25 years old) completed this task using both an HMD-VR and traditional computer monitor in a within-group, randomized design. Although Experiment I (n = 20) was solely behavioral in design, Experiment II (n = 20) utilized combined EEG recordings to interrogate the neural correlates underlying potential performance differences across platforms. These experiments revealed that (1) there was no significant difference in the amount of arousal measured between platforms and (2) selective attention abilities in HMD-VR environment were enhanced from both a behavioral and neural perspective. These findings suggest that the allocation of attentional resources in HMD-VR may be superior to approaches more typically used to assess these abilities (e.g., desktop/laptop/tablet computers with 2D screens).
Language Neuroplasticity in Brain Tumor Patients Revealed by Magnetoencephalography
Authors: Piai Vitória , De Witte Elke , Sierpowska Joanna , Zheng Xiaochen , Hinkley Leighton B. , Mizuiri Danielle , Knight Robert T. , Berger Mitchel S. , Nagarajan Srikantan S.
Published: April 2020

Little is known about language impairment in brain tumor patients, especially in the presurgical phase. Impairment in this population may be missed because standardized tests fail to capture mild deficits. Additionally, neuroplasticity may also contribute to minimizing language impairments. We examined 14 presurgical patients with brain tumors in the language-dominant hemisphere using magnetoencephalography (MEG) while they performed a demanding picture–word interference task, that is, participants name pictures while ignoring distractor words. Brain tumor patients had behavioral picture-naming effects typically observed in healthy controls. The MEG responses also showed the expected pattern in its timing and amplitude modulation typical of controls, but with an altered spatial distribution of right hemisphere sources, in contrast to the classic left hemisphere source found in healthy individuals. This finding supports tumor-induced neural reorganization of language before surgery. Crucially, the use of electrophysiology allowed us to show the “same” neuronal response in terms of its timing and amplitude modulation in the right hemisphere, supporting the hypothesis that the processes performed by the right hemisphere following reorganization are similar in nature to those (previously) performed by the left hemisphere. We also identified one participant with a fast-growing tumor affecting large parts of critical language areas and underlying ventral and dorsal white matter tracts who showed a deviant pattern in behavior and in the MEG event-related responses. In conclusion, our results attest to the validity of using a demanding picture-naming task in presurgical patients and provide evidence for neuroplasticity, with the right hemisphere performing similar computations as the left hemisphere typically performs.
Correlated activity favors synergistic processing in local cortical networks in vitro at synaptically relevant timescales
Authors: Sherrill Samantha P. , Timme Nicholas M. , Beggs John M. , Newman Ehren L.
Published: April 2020

Neural information processing is widely understood to depend on correlations in neuronal activity. However, whether correlation is favorable or not is contentious. Here, we sought to determine how correlated activity and information processing are related in cortical circuits. Using recordings of hundreds of spiking neurons in organotypic cultures of mouse neocortex, we asked whether mutual information between neurons that feed into a common third neuron increased synergistic information processing by the receiving neuron. We found that mutual information and synergistic processing were positively related at synaptic timescales (0.05–14 ms), where mutual information values were low. This effect was mediated by the increase in information transmission—of which synergistic processing is a component—that resulted as mutual information grew. However, at extrasynaptic windows (up to 3,000 ms), where mutual information values were high, the relationship between mutual information and synergistic processing became negative. In this regime, greater mutual information resulted in a disproportionate increase in redundancy relative to information transmission. These results indicate that the emergence of synergistic processing from correlated activity differs according to timescale and correlation regime. In a low-correlation regime, synergistic processing increases with greater correlation, and in a high-correlation regime, synergistic processing decreases with greater correlation.
Agrammatism and Paragrammatism: A Cortical Double Dissociation Revealed by Lesion-Symptom Mapping
Authors: Matchin William , Basilakos Alexandra , Stark Brielle C. , den Ouden Dirk-Bart , Fridriksson Julius , Hickok Gregory
Published: April 2020

The fundamental distinction of grammatical deficits in aphasia, agrammatism and paragrammatism, was made over a century ago. However, the extent to which the agrammatism/paragrammatism distinction exists independently of differences in speech fluency has not clearly been investigated. Despite much research on agrammatism, the lesion correlates of paragrammatism are essentially unknown. Lesion-symptom mapping was used to investigate the degree to which the lesion correlates of agrammatism and paragrammatism overlap or dissociate. Four expert raters assessed videos of 53 right-handed patients with aphasia following chronic left-hemisphere stroke retelling the Cinderella story. Consensus discussion determined each subject’s classification with respect to grammatical deficits as Agrammatic, Paragrammatic, Both, or No Grammatical Deficit. Each subject’s lesion was manually drawn on a high-resolution MRI and warped to standard space for group analyses. Lesion-symptom mapping analyses were performed in NiiStat including lesion volume as a covariate. Secondary analyses included speech rate (words per minute) as an additional covariate. Region of interest analyses identified a double dissociation between these syndromes: damage to Broca’s area was significantly associated with agrammatism, p = 0.001 (but not paragrammatism, p = 0.930), while damage to the left posterior superior and middle temporal gyri was significantly associated with paragrammatism, p < 0.001 (but not agrammatism, p = 0.873). The same results obtained when regressing out the effect of speech rate, and nonoverlapping lesion distributions between the syndromes were confirmed by uncorrected whole brain analyses. Our results support a fundamental distinction between agrammatism and paragrammatism.
Neural Mechanisms Underlying the Processing of Complex Sentences: An fMRI Study
Authors: Vogelzang Margreet , Thiel Christiane M. , Rosemann Stephanie , Rieger Jochem W. , Ruigendijk Esther
Published: April 2020

Previous research has shown effects of syntactic complexity on sentence processing. In linguistics, syntactic complexity (caused by different word orders) is traditionally explained by distinct linguistic operations. This study investigates whether different complex word orders indeed result in distinct patterns of neural activity, as would be expected when distinct linguistic operations are applied. Twenty-two older adults performed an auditory sentence processing paradigm in German with and without increased cognitive load. The results show that without increased cognitive load, complex sentences show distinct activation patterns compared with less complex, canonical sentences: complex object-initial sentences show increased activity in the left inferior frontal and temporal regions, whereas complex adjunct-initial sentences show increased activity in occipital and right superior frontal regions. Increased cognitive load seems to affect the processing of different sentence structures differently, increasing neural activity for canonical sentences, but leaving complex sentences relatively unaffected. We discuss these results in the context of the idea that linguistic operations required for processing sentence structures with higher levels of complexity involve distinct brain operations.
Taxonomic placement of Tanaecium mutabile (Bignonieae, Bignoniaceae) based on new morphological data and phylogenetic analyses

Authors: FRAZÃO ANNELISE , LOHMANN LÚCIA G.
Published: April 2020

During ongoing taxonomic studies with Tanaecium, we identified some morphological disparities between Tanaecium mutabile and the remaining species of the genus. Here, we reconstruct a molecular phylogeny of Tanaecium based on two molecular markers (i.e., the chloroplast ndhF and the nuclear pepC), and a broad sampling of members of the Arrabidaea and allies clade, where Tanaecium is included. In the newly constructed phylogeny, T. mutabile is nested within Fridericia, indicating the need for taxonomic arrangements. These findings are further supported by new morphological data (e.g., venation angle, domatia type, and corolla curvature). Based on these results, we formally transfer T. mutabile into Fridericia, and propose the necessary new combination. We further designate a new lectotype for Arrabidaea muehlbergiana, a synonym of T. mutabile. Morphological comparisons between T. mutabile and other morphologically similar species are presented.
Spirlins of the southern Black Sea basin, with the description of a new species (Teleostei: Leuciscidae)
Authors: KAYA CÜNEYT
Published: April 2020

Alburnoides turani, new species, from the Filyos River drainage is described and the distribution of the nine other Alburnoides species known from the southern Black Sea basin is revised. Alburnoides turani is distinguished by having a naked ventral keel, or the keel is covered with 1–3 scales between the posterior pelvic-fin base and the anus, an interorbital distance wider than the eye diameter and the snout length, 48–55 total lateral-line scales, 5–6 scale rows between the anal-fin origin and the lateral line, 13½–14½ branched anal-fin rays, and 41–42 total vertebrae.
Discovery of a new Nearctic species of Bocchus (Hymenoptera: Dryinidae)
Authors: GUGLIELMINO ADALGISA , OLMI MASSIMO , CAPRADOSSI LEONARDO , SPERANZA STEFANO
Published: April 2020

Bocchus pratti sp. nov. (Hymenoptera: Dryinidae: Bocchinae) is described from California, USA. The key to the males of the Nearctic species of the genus Bocchus Ashmead, is modified to include the new species.
Fetal Bovine Collagen Grafts for Repair of Tegmen Defects and Encephaloceles Via Middle Cranial Fossa Approach
Authors: Patel Anand , Zakaria Jehad , Bartindale Matthew R. , Germanwala Anand V. , Anderson Douglas E. , Marzo Sam J. , Kircher Matthew L. , Leonetti John P. , Prabhu Vikram C.
Published: April 2020

To evaluate the use of commercially available allogenic dural graft materials made of fetal bovine collagen, we present an analysis of our case series with use of autologous and allogenic graft materials. Patients who underwent surgical repair of a tegmen tympani defect associated with ipsilateral conductive hearing loss and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) otorrhea using a middle cranial fossa (MCF) approach from 2004 to 2018 at Loyola University Medical Center were included. Resolution of CSF otorrhea, audiologic outcomes, facial nerve preservation, and surgical complications was analyzed. Thirty-three patients with an average age of 55.3 years (range: 21-78, standard deviation [SD]: 12.9) and body mass index of 34.4 (range: 22-51, SD: 7.4) underwent an MCF repair of a tegmen and dural defect. All patients presented with CSF otorrhea and conductive hearing loss ipsilateral to the defect. Repairs were made with combinations of allograft and autograft in 17 cases, allograft only in 15 cases, and autograft only in 5 cases. Improvement in hearing was noted in 33 cases, and resolution of CSF otorrhea was noted in 36 cases; one patient required repeat surgery which resolved CSF otorrhea. Three patients had minor complications; all these were in the autograft group. The MCF approach coupled with the use of fetal bovine collagen grafts is a safe and viable method to repair tegmen tympani and associated dural defects with salutary outcomes and low morbidity.
Hyoid Bone Metastasis in Patients With Lung Adenocarcinoma: A Case Report
Authors: Zhang Hong-Yang , Shan Li Shan , Guo Xing , Zhao Ning
Published: April 2020

Objective:

Hyoid bone metastasis from lung adenocarcinoma is exceedingly rare. This study aims to provide an experience to clinicians in the differential diagnosis of hyoid tumors and discusses its possible source.

Methods and Results:

We report a 68-year-old male patient having hyoid bone metastasis from lung adenocarcinoma. The initial symptom of the hyoid bone metastasis was neck pain exacerbated by swallowing. The hyoid bone mass was resected based on comprehensive analysis including whole-body bone imaging and pathologic analysis of the hyoid bone mass. The adenocarcinoma of hyoid was identified as a metastatic lesion of lung adenocarcinoma. The patient recovered well and the anterior cervical pain was significantly alleviated after surgery and the patient underwent corresponding chemotherapy.

Conclusion:

In patients with hyoid metastasis of lung adenocarcinoma, surgical resection may reduce the pain in anterior cervical after full consideration of physical condition.
COVID‐19 Pandemic: What Every Otolaryngologist–Head and Neck Surgeon Needs to Know for Safe Airway Management
Authors: Balakrishnan Karthik , Schechtman Samuel , Hogikyan Norman D. , Teoh Anthony Y. B. , McGrath Brendan , Brenner Michael J.
Published: April 2020

The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic has unfolded with remarkable speed, posing unprecedented challenges for health care systems and society. Otolaryngologists have a special role in responding to this crisis by virtue of expertise in airway management. Against the backdrop of nations struggling to contain the virus’s spread and to manage hospital strain, otolaryngologists must partner with anesthesiologists and front‐line health care teams to provide expert services in high‐risk situations while reducing transmission. Airway management and airway endoscopy, whether awake or sedated, expose operators to infectious aerosols, posing risks to staff. This commentary provides background on the outbreak, highlights critical considerations around mitigating infectious aerosol contact, and outlines best practices for airway‐related clinical decision making during the COVID‐19 pandemic. What otolaryngologists need to know and what actions are required are considered alongside the implications of increasing demand for tracheostomy. Approaches to managing the airway are presented, emphasizing safety of patients and the health care team.
Navigating the Ethics of COVID‐19 in Otolaryngology
Authors: Shuman Andrew G.
Published: April 2020

The COVID‐19 pandemic has dramatically altered how otolaryngologists contemplate and assume their roles in health care delivery. The ethical implications of this pandemic upon our practice are formidable and distinct from other surgical fields. The salient ethical issues of public health stewardship and safety, distributive justice, and nonabandonment are distilled for the practicing otolaryngologist.
Medication use in aged care residents in the last year of life: A scoping review
Authors: Aitken Charlotte , Boyd Michal , Nielsen Lorraine , Collier Aileen
Published: April 2020

Background:

A substantial number of older adults die in residential aged care facilities, yet little is known about the characteristics of and how best to optimise medication use in the last year of life.

Aim:

The aim of this review was to map characteristics of medication use in aged care residents during the last year of life in order to examine key concepts related to medication safety and draw implications for further research and service provision.

Design:

A scoping review following Arskey and O’Malley’s framework was conducted using a targeted keyword search, followed by assessments of eligibility based on title and content of abstracts and full papers. Following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, the scoping review protocol was prospectively registered to the Open Science Framework on 27 November 2018.

Data Sources:

We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, AMED, CINAHL and Cochrane databases to identify peer-reviewed studies published between 1937 and 2018, written in English and looking at medication use in individuals living in aged care facilities within their last year of life.

Results:

A total of 30 papers were reviewed. Five key overarching themes were derived from the analysis process: (1) access to medicines at the end of life, (2) categorisation and classes: medicines and populations, (3) polypharmacy and total medication numbers, (4) use of symptomatic versus preventive medications and (5) ‘inappropriate’ medications.

Conclusion:

Number of prescriptions or blunt categorisations of medications to assess their appropriateness are unlikely to be sufficient to promote well-being and medication safety for older people in residential aged care in the final stages of life.
Can Yoga Overcome Criminality? The Impact of Yoga on Recidivism in Israeli Prisons
Authors: Kovalsky Shaked , Hasisi Badi , Haviv Noam , Elisha Ety
Published: April 2020

In recent years, yoga practices have been integrated into informal education programs of the Israel Prison Service (IPS), given rise to innovative criminological theories such as positive criminology that emphasize the development of offenders’ strengths by facilitating rehabilitation and reintegration processes. The purpose of the present study was to examine the correlation between yoga practice and recidivism among released prisoners who participated in yoga programs during their incarceration in comparison with a matched control group of those who did not participate in yoga programs over a follow-up period of 5 years. To examine the effectiveness of the program, propensity-score matching was used to compile the comparison group from among all convicted prisoners who were released from the Israeli prisons. Study results indicate that yoga may impact recidivism, supported by a finding of lower recidivism rates among released prisoners who had practiced yoga during their incarceration, compared with the matched control group. However, further study is needed including randomized controlled trials (RCTs). In light of these positive results, we recommend policy makers consider introducing alternative practices such as yoga in prisons, in recognition of its contribution to the rehabilitation process through the development of personal and social strengths.
Reliability loss–oriented product assembling quality risk modeling approach based on reliability–quality–reliability chain
Authors: He Yihai , Zhang Anqi , Liu Fengdi , Han Xiao , Zhou Di
Published: April 2020

Assembling variations caused by assembling system reliability degradation are the root causes of poor-assembled product reliability, and the reliability loss is the barometer of assembling quality risks. However, few studies have integrated reliability loss with assembling quality risk analysis. Therefore, a modeling approach of assembling quality risk regarding product reliability loss is expounded in this work. First, the assembling quality risk is divided into systematic, exterior, and interior risks, and a formation mechanism of assembling quality risk is presented. Second, the fusion framework of big operational data in assembling is described, an assembling reliability–quality–reliability chain is established, and the parameters of the chain constitute assembling system reliability ( R), assembling process quality ( Q), and assembled product reliability ( R). Third, on the basis of the reliability–quality–reliability chain, the risk priority number is adopted to quantify the assembling quality risk, which is extended by quantifying the undetectable rate of the assembling system, the occurrence possibility of process variations, and the product reliability loss. Finally, an assembling quality risk of a circuit maintenance cover of a car is conducted to validate the effectiveness and advancement of the presented approach. The result shows that the proposed method can systematically quantify the assembling quality risk.
Optical design of light guide prisms with surface roughness for automotive tail lights
Authors: Güney Elif , Alper Mürsel , Hacıismailoğlu Mürşide
Published: April 2020

This study presents the optical design of light guide prisms for automotive tail light applications to obtain the optimum luminous intensity and the illuminance uniformity. The design was achieved using optical design software, SPEOS. By considering the axial luminous intensity and legal requirements, the optimum prism angles of light guides were determined by simulations. After determining the prism angles, the effect of different surface roughness on the luminous intensity and the illuminance uniformity was investigated. The light guides designed by considering data from the simulation were manufactured as prototypes and their photometrical measurements were made. These measurements were compared to the simulation results. It was observed that simulation and prototype results are well in agreement with each other. Furthermore, it was found that as the surface roughness increases both the luminous intensity decreases and the illumination becomes more uniform.
Fierce Autonomy: How Girls and Young Women Impacted by Commercial Sexual Exploitation Perceive Health and Exercise Agency in Health Care Decision-Making
Authors: Godoy Sarah M. , Abrams Laura S. , Barnert Elizabeth S. , Kelly Mikaela A. , Bath Eraka P.
Published: April 2020

Prior research has examined the high health care needs and vulnerabilities faced by survivors of commercial sexual exploitation (CSE), yet their perspectives are frequently absent. We sought to understand the narratives and views of individuals affected by CSE on their bodies, health, and motivations to seek health care treatment. Twenty-one girls and young women ages 15 to 19 years with self-identified histories of CSE participated in the study. All participants had current or prior involvement in the juvenile justice and/or child welfare systems. Data collection included brief questionnaires, followed by semi-structured individual interviews. The interviews took place between March and July 2017 and were analyzed using iterative and inductive techniques, using the shared decision-making model as a guide. “Fierce Autonomy” emerged as a core theme, depicting how past traumas and absence of control led the girls and young women to exercise agency and reclaim autonomy over decisions affecting their health.
Legitimizing Edible Insects for Human Consumption: The Impacts of Trust, Risk–Benefit, and Purchase Activism
Authors: Legendre Tiffany S. , Baker Melissa A.
Published: April 2020

Given the increasing global population, the world cannot support the current food production techniques and their detrimental effects on land use, water use, greenhouse gas emissions, and long-term sustainability issues. A key answer lies in the nature-based solution (NBS) of edible insects. Therefore, the objectives of this study are to explore the effects of regulator trust, perceived risk, and benefits on purchase activism and intent with relation to a new NBS to the food and sustainability crisis: edible insect foods. This research is grounded in the legitimacy process model. Results support the legitimacy process model and that customers use both risk and benefits in their analysis of supporting novel food products and purchase activism. The results of the study provide important theoretical support and managerial implications to this important NBS affecting the global population.
A machine learning–based approach for adaptive sparse time–frequency analysis used in structural health monitoring
Authors: Bao Yuequan , Guo Yibing , Li Hui
Published: April 2020

Time–frequency analysis is an essential subject in nonlinear and non-stationary signal processing in structural health monitoring, which can give a clear illustration of the variation trend of time-varying parameters. Thus, it plays a significant role in structural health monitoring, such as data analysis, and nonlinear damage detection. Adaptive sparse time–frequency analysis is a recently developed method used to estimate an instantaneous frequency, which can achieve high-resolution adaptivity by looking for the sparsest time–frequency representation of the signal within the largest possible time–frequency dictionary. However, in adaptive sparse time–frequency analysis, non-convex least-square optimization is the most important and difficult part of the algorithm; therefore, in this research the powerful optimization capabilities of machine learning were employed to solve the non-convex least-square optimization and achieve the accurate estimation of the instantaneous frequency. First, the adaptive sparse time–frequency analysis was formalized into a machine-learning task. Then, a four-layer neural network was designed, the first layer of which was used for training the coefficients of the envelope of each basic functions in a linear space. The next two merge layers were used to solve the complex calculation in a neural network. Finally, the real and imaginary parts of the reconstructed signal were the outputs of the output layer. The optimal weights in this designed neural network were trained and optimized by comparing the output reconstructed signal with the target signal, and a stochastic gradient descent optimizer was used to update the weights of the network. Finally, the numerical examples and experimental examples of a cable model were employed to illustrate the ability of the proposed method. The results show that the proposed method which is called neural network–adaptive sparse time–frequency analysis can give accurate identification of the instantaneous frequency, and it has a better robustness to initial values when compared with adaptive sparse time–frequency analysis.