bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prevalence of lymphogranuloma venereum among anorectalChlamydia trachomatis-positive MSM using pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV
Authors: Peuchant Olivia , Touati Arabella , Laurier-Nadalié Cécile , Hénin Nadege , Cazanave Charles , Bébéar Cécile , de Barbeyrac Bertille
Published: April 2020

Objectives

We evaluated the prevalence of lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV) in anorectalChlamydia trachomatis-positive French men who have sex with men (MSM) using pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV. Here, we describe the clinical, biological and behavioural characteristics of these patients.

Methods

Laboratories throughout French metropolitan areas performing routine testing forC. trachomatissent positive anorectal specimens to the National Reference Centre for bacterial STIs for LGV real-time PCR targeting thepmpH gene. Identification of theC. trachomatisgenovar was performed byompA gene sequencing. For each patient, clinical, biological and sexual behaviour data were collected after obtaining written informed consent.

Results

In 2017, 486 anorectalC. trachomatis-positive specimens from MSM PrEP users were analysed. A strain of genovar L was detected in 91 cases (18.7%). Patients with LGV were significantly more symptomatic, had more sexual partners and more concurrent syphilis compared with their non-LGV counterparts.OmpA gene sequencing, successful in two-thirds of anorectalC. trachomatis-positive specimens, showed that the LGV cases were mainly of variant L2b (n=33), followed by genovar L2 (n=27) and genetic L2bompA variants (n=16). In 11 cases, the results indicated the occurrence of genetic exchange between L and non-L genovars.

Conclusions

LGV was diagnosed in 18.7% of anorectalC. trachomatis-positive specimens from French MSM using PrEP. LGV testing should be carried out for MSM diagnosed with chlamydia and with a large number of sexual partners, high-risk practices and anorectal symptoms. These patients should be presumptively treated as having LGV. This is the first surveillance study of LGV among MSM PrEP users and monitoring should continue.
BTS guideline on long-term macrolides in adults with respiratory disease: not quite a panacea
Authors: Smith David
Published: April 2020

The British Thoracic Society (BTS) guideline on the use of long-term macrolides in adults with respiratory disease has been published. It indicates where there is evidence to support the use of long-term low-dose macrolides and where there is not. It discusses the potential benefits of such therapy for patients and also describes the potential risks to individuals and wider populations. It seeks to provide a pragmatic approach for clinicians considering long-term macrolide therapy for their patients. This guideline has also acted as a learning exercise for the BTS in introducing the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach to guideline development, which will be used going forwards.
Quantifying hydraulic conductivity spatial variability for cement-based solidification/stabilization (S/S) remediation project: case study
Authors: Fenton Gordon A. , Lake Craig B. , Liza Rukhsana
Published: April 2020

This paper presents statistical analyses of hydraulic conductivity data collected from an existing cement-based solidification/stabilization (S/S) system. The goal is to characterize the spatial variability of hydraulic conductivity and to examine sampling recommendations for the quality control (QC) program of that system to achieve target decision error probabilities regarding the acceptance or rejection of the system with respect to hydraulic conductivity. Over 2000 QC hydraulic conductivity samples, taken over an area of 300 000 m2, are used as a basis for these analyses. The hydraulic conductivity spatial variability is described by a marginal lognormal distribution with correlation function parameterized by directional correlation lengths, which are estimated by best fitting an exponentially decaying correlation model to sample correlation functions. The spatial variability associated with hydraulic conductivity of the studied S/S system is then utilized to assess sampling requirements for the QC program of that system. Considering the “worst case” correlation length and the hydraulic conductivity mean and variance, hypothesis test error probabilities are used to provide recommendations for conservative sampling requirements. It is believed that the analysis of this large construction project represents a unique opportunity to review the current practice of S/S field sampling requirements.
Niobium quarter-wave resonator with the optimized shape for quantum information systems
Authors: Kutsaev S. V. , Taletski K. , Agustsson R. , Carriere P. , Cleland A. N. , Conway Z. A. , Dumur É. , Moro A. , Smirnov A. Yu.
Published: April 2020

Quantum computers (QC), if realized, could disrupt many computationally intense fields of science. The building block element of a QC is a quantum bit (qubit). Qubits enable the use of quantum superposition and multi-state entanglement in QC calculations, allowing a QC to simultaneously perform millions of computations at once. However, quantum states stored in a qubit degrade with decreased quality factors and interactions with the environment. One technical solution to improve qubit lifetimes and network interactions is a circuit comprised of a Josephson junction-based qubit located inside of a high Q-factor superconducting 3D cavity.

It is known that niobium resonators can reach $Q_{0}>10^{11}$Q0>1011. However, existing cavity geometries are optimized for particle acceleration rather than hosting qubits. RadiaBeam Technologies, in collaboration with Argonne National Laboratory and The University of Chicago, has developed a niobium superconducting radio frequency quarter-wave resonant cavity (QWR) for quantum computation. A 6 GHz QWR was optimized to include tapering of the inner and outer conductors, a toroidal shape for the resonator shorting plane, and an inner conductor tip to reduce parasitic capacitance. In this paper, we present the results of the resonator design optimization, fabrication, processing, and testing.
On the mass of bootstrapped Newtonian sources
Authors: Casadio Roberto , Micu Octavian , Mureika Jonas
Published: April 2020

We show that the bootstrapped Newtonian potential generated by a uniform and isotropic source does not depend on the one-loop correction for the matter coupling to gravity. The latter, however, affects the relation between the proper mass and the Arnowitt–Deser–Misner (ADM) mass and, consequently, the pressure needed to keep the configuration stable.
Shaking Table Tests of a Reduced-Scale UHV Transmission Tower-Line System Subjected to Near-Fault Ground Motions
Authors: Tian Li , Zhou Mengyao , Pan Haiyang , Xin Aiqiang , Liu Yuping
Published: April 2020

An ultra-high voltage (UHV) transmission system offers higher bulk capacity and transmission over longer distances compared with conventional transmission systems, and the dynamic responses of such systems have attracted the interest of researchers. This paper focuses on an experimental investigation of the seismic performance of a 1000 kV UHV transmission system subjected to near-fault ground motions. To reproduce the genuine structural responses, a 1:25 reduced-scale experimental model was designed and constructed based on Buckingham’s theorem. Four kinds of typical natural seismic records were selected, namely, far-field, pulseless near-fault, forward-directivity near-fault and fling-step near-fault ground motions, and shaking table tests were subsequently carried out. Furthermore, the influences of the coupling effect between towers and lines, two-component ground motions, and the near-fault effect on the seismic response were investigated. The results demonstrate that the above three factors have a significant influence on the structural response and should not be neglected in seismic analysis. This research enriches the available experimental data and provides a more comprehensive understanding of the seismic performance of UHV transmission systems.
United States–Pakistan Relations in Post-Cold War Era: A Political–Security Perspective
Authors: NGUYEN KHANH VAN
Published: April 2020

In this article, the political–security relations between the United States and Pakistan in the Post-Cold War era are analyzed. The allied relationship between the two countries during the Cold War was abruptly disrupted following the conclusion of the Cold War in 1991 and the United States imposed a series of sanctions against Pakistan following the nuclear issue in 1990. However, the September 11 attacks of 2001 and the global anti-terrorism war launched by the G. W. Bush government resumed the relationship. Again, Pakistan became one of the principal allies of the United States and bilateral political–security relations were promoted unprecedentedly thanks to their collaboration against terrorism. The war against terrorism, however, has also produced many contradictions, which brought the relationship between the two countries into disputes and crises. This article discusses the U.S.–Pakistan relations in the Post-Cold War Era with special attention to the political–security aspects. Attempts will be made to clarify the nature, impacts and tendencies of the relationship. The U.S.–Pakistan relationship is a typical example of the international relationship between a superpower and a middle power, and it is also typical of the U.S.’s changing alliance relations.
Performance of slope stabilization trials on the road network of Laos
Authors: Hearn G. , Howell J. , Hunt T.
Published: April 2020

Landslides pose significant hazards on the road network of Laos. These landslides frequently block access and occasionally result in the subsidence or loss of the carriageway. Several slope stabilization trials focusing on the use of bioengineering techniques and low-cost engineering measures were implemented in 2007 and 2008. Heavy rains in 2018 caused numerous landslides on the road network and a review was undertaken of the performance of the slope stabilization trial sites implemented ten years earlier. The outcome has proved very positive overall and vindicates the efforts made to understand the causes and mechanisms of the observed slope failures and the ground conditions that pertained. The outcomes of this research have been used to strengthen practice in Laos, and further afield, and to provide a valuable basis for future practice.
Functional knockout of ASIC3 attenuates the exercise pressor reflex in decerebrated rats with ligated femoral arteries
Authors: Kim Joyce S. , Ducrocq Guillaume P. , Kaufman Marc P.
Published: April 2020

We used a genetic approach to test the hypothesis that the magnitude of the exercise pressor reflex evoked in ligated ASIC3 KO rats was significantly lower than the magnitude of the exercise pressor reflex evoked in their ligated wild-type (WT) counterparts. The pressor response to contraction in ligated ASIC3 KO rats was significantly smaller than was the pressor response to contraction in ligated WT rats.
Enhanced Effect of IL-1β-Activated Adipose-Derived MSCs (ADMSCs) on Repair of Intestinal Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury via COX-2-PGE2 Signaling
Authors: Liu Liu , He Yi Ren , Liu Shao Jun , Hu Lei , Liang Li Chuang , Liu Dong Liang , Liu Lin , Zhu Zhi Qiang
Published: April 2020

Adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADMSCs) have been used for treating tissue injury, and preactivation enhances their therapeutic effect. This study is aimed at investigating the therapeutic effect of activated ADMSCs by IL-1β on the intestinal ischaemia-reperfusion (IR) injury and exploring potential mechanisms. ADMSCs were pretreated with IL-1β in vitro, and activation of ADMSCs was assessed by α-SMA and COX-2 expressions and secretary function. Activated ADMSCs was transplanted into IR-injured intestine in a mouse model, and therapeutic effect was evaluated. In addition, to explore underlying mechanisms, COX-2 expression was silenced to investigate its role in activated ADMSCs for treatment of intestinal IR injury. When ADMSCs were pretreated with 50 ng/ml IL-1β for 24 hr, expressions of α-SMA and COX-2 were significantly upregulated, and secretions of PGE2, SDF-1, and VEGF were increased. When COX-2 was silenced, the effect of IL-1β treatment was abolished. Activated ADMSCs with IL-1β significantly suppressed inflammation and apoptosis and enhanced healing of intestinal IR injury in mice, and these effects were impaired by COX-2 silencing. The results of RNA sequencing suggested that compared with the IR injury group activated ADMSCs induced alterations in mRNA expression and suppressed the activation of the NF-κB-P65, MAPK-ERK1/2, and PI3K-AKT pathways induced by intestinal IR injury, whereas silencing COX-2 impaired the suppressive effect of activated ADMSCs on these pathway activations induced by IR injury. These data suggested that IL-1β pretreatment enhanced the therapeutic effect of ADMSCs on intestinal IR injury repairing via activating ADMSC COX-2-PGE2 signaling axis and via suppressing the NF-κB-P65, MAPK-ERK1/2, and PI3K-AKT pathways in the intestinal IR-injured tissue.
Dexmedetomidine Preconditioning Protects Rats from Renal Ischemia–Reperfusion Injury Accompanied with Biphasic Changes of Nuclear Factor-Kappa B Signaling
Authors: Bao Naren , Tang Bing , Wang Junke
Published: April 2020

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is one of the most common and troublesome perioperative complications. Dexmedetomidine (DEX) is a potentα2-adrenoceptor (α2-AR) agonist with anti-inflammatory and renoprotective effects. In this study, a rat renal ischemia–reperfusion injury (IRI) model was induced. At 24 h after reperfusion, the IRI-induced damage and the renoprotection of DEX preconditioning were confirmed both biochemically and histologically. Changes in nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB), as well as its downstream anti-inflammatory factor A20 and proinflammatory factor tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α), were detected. Atipamezole, a nonselective antagonist, was then added 5 min before the administration of DEX to further analyze DEX’s effects on NF-κB, and another anti-inflammatory medicine, methylprednisolone, was used in comparison with DEX, to further analyze DEX’s effects on NF-κB. Different concentrations of DEX (0 nM, 0.1 nM, 1 nM, 10 nM, 100 nM, 1 μM, and 10 μM) were applied to preincubated human renal tubular epithelial cell line (HK-2) cells in vitro. After anoxia and reoxygenation, the MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) tetrazolium assay and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were performed to evaluate the levels of NF-κB downstream anti-inflammatory cytokines. The results showed that, unlike methylprednisolone, DEX preconditioning led to a time-dependent biphasic change (first activation then inhibition) of NF-κB in the rat renal IRI models that were given 25 μg/kg i.p. It was accompanied by a similarly biphasic change of TNF-αand an early and persistent upregulation of A20. In vitro, DEX’s cellular protection showed a concentration-dependent biphasic change which was protective within the range of 0 to 100 nM but became opposite when concentrations are greater than 1 μM. The changes in the A20 and NF-κB messenger RNA (mRNA) levels were consistent with the renoprotective ability of DEX. In other words, DEX preconditioning protected the rats from renal IRI via regulation biphasic change of NF-κB signaling.
A Priori and a Posteriori Error Estimates of a WOPSIP DG Method for the Heat Equation
Authors: Zeng Yuping , Wen Kunwen , Liang Fen , Zhu Huijian
Published: April 2020

We introduce and analyze a weakly overpenalized symmetric interior penalty method for solving the heat equation. We first provide optimal a priori error estimates in the energy norm for the fully discrete scheme with backward Euler time-stepping. In addition, we apply elliptic reconstruction techniques to derive a posteriori error estimators, which can be used to design adaptive algorithms. Finally, we present two numerical experiments to validate our theoretical analysis.
Rational Solutions and Their Interaction Solutions of the (3+1)-Dimensional Jimbo-Miwa Equation
Authors: Wang Xiaomin , Bilige Sudao , Pang Jing
Published: April 2020

In this paper, we gave a form of rational solution and their interaction solution to a nonlinear evolution equation. The rational solution contained lump solution, general lump solution, high-order lump solution, lump-type solution, etc. Their interaction solution contained the classical interaction solution, such as the lump-kink solution and the lump-soliton solution. As the example, by using the generalized bilinear method and symbolic computation Maple, we obtained abundant high-order lump-type solutions and their interaction solutions between lumps and other function solutions under certain constraints of the (3+1)-dimensional Jimbo-Miwa equation. Via three-dimensional plots, contour plots and density plots with the help of Maple, the physical characteristics and structures of these waves are described very well. These solutions have greatly enriched the exact solutions of the (3+1)-dimensional Jimbo-Miwa equation on the existing literature.
Change in Atrial Fibrillation Burden over Time in Patients with Nonpermanent Atrial Fibrillation
Authors: Krisai Philipp , Aeschbacher Stefanie , Bossard Matthias , Herber Elena , Blum Steffen , Meyre Pascal , Burkard Thilo , Kühne Michael , Osswald Stefan , Kaufmann Beat A. , Conen David
Published: April 2020

Introduction. The natural course of atrial fibrillation (AF) is not well defined. We aimed to investigate the change in AF burden over time and its associated risk factors among AF patients. Methods. Fifty-four participants with recently documented paroxysmal or persistent AF were enrolled. Main exclusion criteria were permanent AF or previous catheter ablation for AF. AF burden was calculated as time in AF divided by total recording time using yearly continuous 7-day Holter-ECG recordings. A relative change ≥10% or an absolute change >0.5% in AF burden between two yearly Holter-ECG recordings was considered significant. Results. Mean age was 67 years, 72% were men. The proportion of patients with no recorded AF increased from 53.7% at baseline to 78.6% (p=0.1) after 4 years of follow-up. In 7-day Holter-ECG recordings performed after baseline, 23.7% of participants had a decrease and 23.7% an increase in AF burden. In separate mixed effect models, AF burden over time was associated with prior stroke (β 42.59, 95% CI (23.40; 61.77); p<0.0001), BNP (β 0.05, CI (0.02; 0.09); p=0.005) end-diastolic (β 0.49, CI (0.23; 0.74); p=0.0003) as well as end-systolic (β 0.25, CI (0.05; 0.46); p=0.02) left atrial volume, left atrial ejection fraction (β −0.43, CI (−0.76;−0.10); p=0.01), E-wave (β 36.67, CI (12.96; 60.38); p=0.003), and deceleration time (β −0.1, CI (−0.16; −0.05); p=0.002). In a multivariable model, a history of prior stroke (β 29.87, CI (2.61; 57.13); p=0.03) and BNP levels (β 0.05, CI (0.01; 0.08); p=0.007) remained significantly associated with AF burden. Conclusions. Few patients with paroxysmal or persistent AF have AF episodes on yearly 7-day Holter-ECG recordings, and AF progression is rare. AF burden was independently associated with a history of prior stroke and BNP levels.
Tumor Cell–Derived Angiopoietin-2 Promotes Metastasis in Melanoma
Authors: Abdul Pari Ashik Ahmed , Singhal Mahak , Hübers Corinne , Mogler Carolin , Schieb Benjamin , Gampp Anja , Gengenbacher Nicolas , Reynolds Louise E. , Terhardt Dorothee , Géraud Cyrill , Utikal Jochen , Thomas Markus , Goerdt Sergij , Hodivala-Dilke Kairbaan M. , Augustin Hellmut G. , Felcht Moritz
Published: April 2020

The angiopoietin (Angpt)–TIE signaling pathway controls vascular maturation and maintains the quiescent phenotype of resting vasculature. The contextual agonistic and antagonistic Tie2 ligand ANGPT2 is believed to be exclusively produced by endothelial cells, disrupting constitutive ANGPT1–TIE2 signaling to destabilize the microvasculature during pathologic disorders like inflammation and cancer. However, scattered reports have also portrayed tumor cells as a source of ANGPT2. Employing ISH-based detection of ANGPT2, we found strong tumor cell expression of ANGPT2 in a subset of patients with melanoma. Comparative analysis of biopsies revealed a higher fraction of ANGPT2-expressing tumor cells in metastatic versus primary sites. Tumor cell–expressed Angpt2 was dispensable for primary tumor growth, yet in-depth analysis of primary tumors revealed enhanced intratumoral necrosis upon silencing of tumor cell Angpt2 expression in the absence of significant immune and vascular alterations. Global transcriptional profiling of Angpt2-deficient tumor cells identified perturbations in redox homeostasis and an increased response to cellular oxidative stress. Ultrastructural analyses illustrated a significant increase of dysfunctional mitochondria in Angpt2-silenced tumor cells, thereby resulting in enhanced reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and downstream MAPK stress signaling. Functionally, enhanced ROS in Angpt2-silenced tumor cells reduced colonization potential in vitro and in vivo. Taken together, these findings uncover the hitherto unappreciated role of tumor cell–expressed ANGPT2 as an autocrine-positive regulator of metastatic colonization and validate ANGPT2 as a therapeutic target for a well-defined subset of patients with melanoma.

Significance:

This study reveals that tumor cells can be a source of ANGPT2 in the tumor microenvironment and that tumor cell-derived ANGPT2 augments metastatic colonization by protecting tumor cells from oxidative stress.
Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Prostate Cancer Incidence, Distant Stage Diagnosis, and Mortality by U.S. Census Region and Age Group, 2012–2015
Authors: Iyengar Siddharth , Hall Ingrid J. , Sabatino Susan A.
Published: April 2020

Background:

We sought to characterize recent prostate cancer incidence, distant stage diagnosis, and mortality rates by region, race/ethnicity, and age group.

Methods:

In SEER*Stat, we examined age-specific and age-adjusted prostate cancer incidence, distant stage diagnosis, and mortality rates by race/ethnicity, census region, and age group. Incidence and mortality analyses included men diagnosed with (n = 723,269) and dying of (n = 112,116) prostate cancer between 2012 and 2015.

Results:

Non-Hispanic black (NHB) and non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander (NHAPI) men had the highest and lowest rates, respectively, for each indicator across regions and age groups. Hispanic men had lower incidence and mortality rates than non-Hispanic white (NHW) men in all regions except the Northeast where they had higher incidence [RR, 1.16; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.14–1.19] and similar mortality. Hispanics had higher distant stage rates in the Northeast (RR, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.08–1.28) and South (RR, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.15–1.30), but similar rates in other regions. Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaskan Native (NHAIAN) men had higher distant stage rates than NHWs in the West (RR, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.15–1.65). NHBs and Hispanics had higher distant stage rates than NHWs among those aged 55 to 69 years (RR, 2.91; 95% CI, 2.81–3.02 and 1.24; 95% CI, 1.18–1.31, respectively), despite lower overall incidence for Hispanics in this age group.

Conclusions:

For Hispanic and NHAIAN men, prostate cancer indicators varied by region, while NHB and NHAPI men consistently had the highest and lowest rates, respectively, across regions.

Impact:

Regional and age group differences in prostate cancer indicators between populations may improve understanding of prostate cancer risk and help inform screening decisions.
Objectively-Measured Light-Intensity Physical Activity and Risk of Cancer Mortality: A Meta-analysis of Prospective Cohort Studies
Authors: Qiu Shanhu , Cai Xue , Wu Tongzhi , Sun Zilin , Guo Haijian , Kirsten Johannes , Wendt Janine , Steinacker Jürgen Michael , Schumann Uwe
Published: April 2020

Background:

The impact of light-intensity physical activity (LPA) in preventing cancer mortality has been questioned. To address this concern, the present meta-analysis aimed to quantify the association between objectively-measured LPA and risk of cancer mortality.

Methods:

We conducted a systematic literature search in PubMed and Scopus to January 2020. Prospective cohort studies reporting the association between objectively-measured LPA using activity monitors (e.g., accelerometers) and risk of cancer mortality in the general population were included. The summary hazard ratios (HR) per 30 min/day of LPA and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were obtained using a random-effects model. Dose–response analysis was used to plot their relationship.

Results:

Five prospective cohort studies were included, in which the definition of LPA based on accelerometer readings was mainly set within 100 to 2,100 counts/min. The summary HR for cancer mortality per 30 min/day of LPA was 0.86 (95% CI, 0.79–0.95; I2 < 1%), and the association between LPA and risk reduction in cancer mortality was linearly shaped (Pnonlinearity = 0.72). LPA exhibited a comparable magnitude of risk reduction in cancer mortality of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity regardless of equal time-length (0.87 per 30 min/day vs. 0.94 per 30 min/day, Pinteraction = 0.46) or equal amount (0.74 vs. 0.94 per 150 metabolic equivalents-min/day, Pinteraction = 0.11). Furthermore, replacing sedentary time by LPA of 30 min/day decreased the risk of cancer mortality by 9%.

Conclusions:

Objectively-measured LPA conferred benefits in decreasing the risk of cancer mortality.

Impact:

LPA should be considered in physical activity guidelines to decrease the risk of cancer mortality.
Emerging Role of TRIM Family Proteins in Cardiovascular Disease
Authors: Zhang Jing-rui , Li Xin-xin , Hu Wan-ning , Li Chang-yi
Published: April 2020

Ubiquitination is one of the basic mechanisms of cell protein homeostasis and degradation and is accomplished by 3 enzymes, E1, E2, and E3. Tripartite motif-containing proteins (TRIMs) constitute the largest subfamily of RING E3 ligases, with >70 current members in humans and mice. These members are involved in multiple biological processes, including growth, differentiation, and apoptosis as well as disease and tumorigenesis. Accumulating evidence has shown that many TRIM proteins are associated with various cardiac processes and pathologies, such as heart development, signal transduction, protein degradation, autophagy mediation, ion channel regulation, congenital heart disease, and cardiomyopathies. In this review, we provide an overview of the TRIM family and discuss its involvement in the regulation of cardiac proteostasis and pathophysiology and its potential therapeutic implications.
Pyogenic Liver Abscess Secondary to Sigmoid Diverticulitis: An Unusual Presentation
Authors: Muscat Edward Paul Joseph
Published: April 2020

Pyogenic liver abscesses, despite being a rare complication of diverticulitis and inflammatory bowel disease, are potentially serious life-threatening pathologies. Diverticular diseases can lead to disruption of the colonic mucosal barrier and can serve as a route for bacterial infection via the portal venous system. This patient had such a delayed presentation due to his atypical symptoms; he developed large abscess formation, detected by computed tomography, eventually requiring an ultrasound-guided drain followed by a colonoscopy. The present report describes an elderly gentleman who developed a bacterial liver abscess due to seeding of a commensal organism caused by sigmoid diverticulitis.
Multiple Myeloma in the Time of COVID-19
Authors: Al Saleh Abdullah S. , Sher Taimur , Gertz Morie A.
Published: April 2020

We provide our recommendations (not evidence based) for managing multiple myeloma patients during the pandemic of COVID-19. We do not recommend therapy for smoldering myeloma patients (standard or high risk). Screening for COVID-19 should be done in all patients before therapy. For standard-risk patients, we recommend the following: ixazomib, lenalidomide, and dexamethasone (IRd) (preferred), cyclophosphamide lenalidomide and dexamethasone (CRd), daratumumab lenalidomide and dexamethasone (DRd), lenalidomide, bortezomib, and dexamethasone (RVd), or cyclophosphamide, bortezomib, and dexamethasone (CyBorD). For high-risk patients we recommend carfilzomib, lenalidomide, and dexamethasone (KRd) (preferred) or RVd. Decreasing the dose of dexamethasone to 20 mg and giving bortezomib subcutaneously once a week is recommended. We recommend delaying autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT), unless the patient has high-risk disease that is not responding well, or if the patient has plasma cell leukemia (PCL). Testing for COVID-19 should be done before ASCT. If a patient achieves a very good partial response or better, doses and frequency of drug administration can be modified. After 10–12 cycles, lenalidomide maintenance is recommended for standard-risk patients and bortezomib or ixazomib are recommended for high-risk patients. Daratumumab-based regimens are recommended for relapsed patients. Routine ASCT is not recommended for relapse during the epidemic unless the patient has an aggressive relapse or secondary PCL. Patients on current maintenance should continue their therapy.
Os percursos da democracia na América Latina
Authors: Bueno Mariana Pimenta
Published: April 2020

Em “América Latina em seu labirinto: Democracia e autoritarismo no século XXI”, Fabricio Pereira da Silvaexpõe ao longo de artigos as particularidades e desafios dos cientistas sociais nas avaliações sobre a democracia na América Latina. Inicia com a "onda rosa"— fenômeno em que partidos de esquerda foram eleitos — passando por suas particularidades e avaliações, até o recente momento dos neogolpes. Esta resenha tem como propósito apresentar os elementos principais das pesquisas feitas por Pereira da Silva, com as particularidades identificadas pelo autor e a importância do senso crítica para romper com determinada hegemonia no campo estudado.
Metamorfoses noturnas
Authors: Silva Raphael Valim da Mota
Published: April 2020

Uma imagem recorrente na ficção de Machado de Assis diz respeito à descrição da noite e dos elementos a ela semanticamente adjacentes: a lua, a névoa, os astros, as estrelas. Na recuperação constante de tal construção simbólica, o autor não só se posiciona acerca do legado romântico, como também desenvolve uma crítica social que se torna mais expressiva e madura conforme o passar dos anos. O presente trabalho centra-se justamente no estudo da construção imagética em torno das atmosferas noturnas e astrológicas descritas em seus textos ficcionais, com ênfase nos romances machadianos em que mais se destacam, sendo eles Ressurreição (1872), A mão e a luva (1874), Quincas Borba (1891) e Dom Casmurro (1899).
Literatura e afetos
Authors: Fernandes Rafaela Alves
Published: April 2020

Fernando Rocha é paulistano, graduado em Letras, professor na rede municipal de ensino de São Paulo, fotógrafo, autor dos livros Sujeito sem verbo, Os Laços da fita, Afetos e Pouca Pele, este último publicado recentemente. Possui textos em diversos sites, como: Mallarmagens, Amaité Poesias & Cia, Diversos e Afins, Revista Gueto, Incomunidade, Letras Inacabadas e Letras et Cetera.Nesta entrevista, gentilmente concedida para a Opiniães via correspondência eletrônica no mês de maio, Fernando Rocha expõe suas ideias acerca da intrincada relação entre a literatura e os afetos, desde o processo criativo até a recepção da obra pelos leitores.
Traduzindo Orides
Authors: Nunes Filho Wanderley Corino
Published: April 2020

Próximo ao aniversário de meio século da estreia literária de Orides Fontela que ocorre neste ano de 2019, Joan Navarro, tradutor de sua Poesia Completa (2018) para o catalão, concedeu uma entrevista via e-mail. Na troca de mensagens, ocorrida entre os meses de maio e junho de 2018, Navarro discorre sobre seu contato com a literatura brasileira e com a obra oridiana tanto como tradutor como filósofo, formação que compartilha com Orides. A entrevista, realizada em espanhol, segue traduzida para o português.
Os deuses e os mortos
Authors: Guimarães Carolina Serra Azul
Published: April 2020

Como se sabe, o Cinema Novo retoma amplamente a tradição literária modernista por meio de uma série de adaptações cinematográficas. Com o endurecimento da repressão em 1968, o cinema nacional enfrenta um curto-circuito. Mobilizando tal contexto, pretendo discutir alguns aspectos do filme Os Deuses e os Mortos (1970), de Ruy Guerra, que trabalha com elementos do Cinema Novo e dialoga com o romance Terras do sem-fim (1943), de Jorge Amado. Neste longa-metragem experimental, Ruy Guerra discute os rumos da arte e do país no contexto da ditadura civil-militar, quando a potencialidade progressista da modernização está desmoronando.
Heterogeneity in Conduction Underlies Obesity-Related Atrial Fibrillation Vulnerability
Authors: Schram-Serban Corina , Heida Annejet , Roos-Serote Maarten C. , Knops Paul , Kik Charles , Brundel Bianca , Bogers Ad J.J.C. , de Groot Natasja M.S.
Published: April 2020

Background:

Obese patients are more vulnerable to development of atrial fibrillation but pathophysiology underlying this relation is only partly understood. The aim of this study is to compare the severity and extensiveness of conduction disorders between obese patients and nonobese patients measured at a high-resolution scale.

Methods:

Patients (N=212) undergoing cardiac surgery (male:161, 63±11 years) underwent epicardial mapping of the right atrium, Bachmann bundle, and left atrium during sinus rhythm. Conduction delay (CD) was defined as interelectrode conduction time of 7 to 11 ms and conduction block (CB) as conduction time ≥12 ms. Prevalence of CD/CB, continuous CDCB (cCDCB), length of CD/CB/cCDCB lines, and severity of CB were analyzed.

Results:

In obese patients, the overall incidence of CD (3.1% versus 2.6%;
P
=0.002), CB (1.8% versus 1.2%;
P
<0.001), and cCDCB (2.6% versus 1.9%;
P
<0.001) was higher and CD (
P
=0.012) and cCDCB (
P
<0.001) lines are longer. There were more conduction disorders at Bachmann bundle and this area has a higher incidence of CD (4.4% versus 3.3%,
P
=0.002), CB (3.1% versus 1.6%,
P
<0.001), cCDCB (4.6% versus 2.7%,
P
<0.001) and longer CD (
P
<0.001) or cCDCB (
P
=0.017) lines. The severity of CB is also higher, particularly in the Bachmann bundle (
P
=0.008) and pulmonary vein (
P
=0.020) areas. In addition, obese patients have a higher incidence of early de-novo postoperative atrial fibrillation (
P
=0.003). Body mass index (
P
=0.037) and the overall amount of CB (
P
=0.012) were independent predictors for incidence of early postoperative atrial fibrillation.

Conclusions:

Compared with nonobese patients, obese patients have higher incidences of conduction disorders, which are also more extensive and more severe. These differences in heterogeneity in conduction are already present during sinus rhythm and may explain the higher vulnerability to atrial fibrillation of obese patients.
Temporal Profile of Blood-Brain Barrier Breakdown in Reversible Cerebral Vasoconstriction Syndrome
Authors: Cho Soohyun , Ling Yu-Hsiang , Lee Mi Ji , Chen Shih-Pin , Fuh Jong-Ling , Lirng Jiing-Feng , Cha Jihoon , Wang Yen-Feng , Wang Shuu-Jiun , Chung Chin-Sang
Published: April 2020

Background and Purpose—

Reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome (RCVS) has a unique temporal course of vasoconstriction. Blood-brain barrier (BBB) breakdown is part of the pathophysiology of RCVS, but its temporal course is unknown. We aimed to investigate the temporal profile of BBB breakdown and relevant clinical profiles in a large sample size.

Methods—

In this prospective observatory bicenter study, patients who underwent contrast-enhanced fluid-attenuated inversion recovery magnetic resonance imaging within 2 months from onset were included. The presence and extent of BBB breakdown were evaluated using contrast-enhanced fluid-attenuated inversion recovery magnetic resonance imaging. Contrast-enhanced fluid-attenuated inversion recovery magnetic resonance imaging data were analyzed using a semiautomated segmentation technique to quantitatively measure the area of Gadolinium leakage into cerebrospinal fluid space. The univariable and multivariable linear regressions were performed to investigate the independent effect of time from onset with adjustment for other covariates.

Results—

In the 186 patients with angiogram-proven RCVS included in this analysis, BBB breakdown was observed in 52.6%, 56.8%, 30.3%, 40.0%, and 23.8% in the first, second, third, fourth, and ≥fifth week after onset. The extent of BBB breakdown peaked at first and second week, whereas the peak of vasoconstriction was observed at the third week after onset. Multivariable analysis showed the second week from onset (β, 3.35 [95% CI, 0.07–6.64];
P
=0.046) and blood pressure surge (β, 3.84 [95% CI, 1.75–5.92];
P
<0.001) were independently associated with a greater extent of BBB breakdown. A synergistic effect of time from onset and blood pressure surge was found (
P
for interaction=0.006).

Conclusions—

Frequency and extent of BBB breakdown are more prominent during the early stage in patients with RCVS, with an earlier peak than that of vasoconstriction. The temporal course of BBB breakdown may provide a pathophysiologic background of the temporal course of neurological complications of RCVS.
Target-Guided Structured Attention Network for Target-Dependent Sentiment Analysis
Authors: Zhang Ji , Chen Chengyao , Liu Pengfei , He Chao , Leung Cane Wing-Ki
Published: April 2020

Target-dependent sentiment analysis (TDSA) aims to classify the sentiment of a text towards a given target. The major challenge of this task lies in modeling the semantic relatedness between a target and its context sentence. This paper proposes a novel Target-Guided Structured Attention Network (TG-SAN), which captures target-related contexts for TDSA in a fine-to-coarse manner. Given a target and its context sentence, the proposed TG-SAN first identifies multiple semantic segments from the sentence using a target-guided structured attention mechanism. It then fuses the extracted segments based on their relatedness with the target for sentiment classification. We present comprehensive comparative experiments on three benchmarks with three major findings. First, TG-SAN outperforms the state-of-the-art by up to 1.61% and 3.58% in terms of accuracy and Marco-F1, respectively. Second, it shows a strong advantage in determining the sentiment of a target when the context sentence contains multiple semantic segments. Lastly, visualization results show that the attention scores produced by TG-SAN are highly interpretable
Break It Down: A Question Understanding Benchmark
Authors: Wolfson Tomer , Geva Mor , Gupta Ankit , Gardner Matt , Goldberg Yoav , Deutch Daniel , Berant Jonathan
Published: April 2020

Understanding natural language questions entails the ability to break down a question into the requisite steps for computing its answer. In this work, we introduce a Question Decomposition Meaning Representation (QDMR) for questions. QDMR constitutes the ordered list of steps, expressed through natural language, that are necessary for answering a question. We develop a crowdsourcing pipeline, showing that quality QDMRs can be annotated at scale, and release the Break dataset, containing over 83K pairs of questions and their QDMRs. We demonstrate the utility of QDMR by showing that (a) it can be used to improve open-domain question answering on the HotpotQA dataset, (b) it can be deterministically converted to a pseudo-SQL formal language, which can alleviate annotation in semantic parsing applications. Last, we use Break to train a sequence-to-sequence model with copying that parses questions into QDMR structures, and show that it substantially outperforms several natural baselines.
Acoustic-Prosodic and Lexical Cues to Deception and Trust: Deciphering How People Detect Lies
Authors: Chen Xi , Ita Levitan Sarah , Levine Michelle , Mandic Marko , Hirschberg Julia
Published: April 2020

Humans rarely perform better than chance at lie detection. To better understand human perception of deception, we created a game framework, LieCatcher, to collect ratings of perceived deception using a large corpus of deceptive and truthful interviews. We analyzed the acoustic-prosodic and linguistic characteristics of language trusted and mistrusted by raters and compared these to characteristics of actual truthful and deceptive language to understand how perception aligns with reality. With this data we built classifiers to automatically distinguish trusted from mistrusted speech, achieving an F1 of 66.1%. We next evaluated whether the strategies raters said they used to discriminate between truthful and deceptive responses were in fact useful. Our results show that, although several prosodic and lexical features were consistently perceived as trustworthy, they were not reliable cues. Also, the strategies that judges reported using in deception detection were not helpful for the task. Our work sheds light on the nature of trusted language and provides insight into the challenging problem of human deception detection.
Unsupervised Discourse Constituency Parsing Using Viterbi EM
Authors: Nishida Noriki , Nakayama Hideki
Published: April 2020

In this paper, we introduce an unsupervised discourse constituency parsing algorithm. We use Viterbi EM with a margin-based criterion to train a span-based discourse parser in an unsupervised manner. We also propose initialization methods for Viterbi training of discourse constituents based on our prior knowledge of text structures. Experimental results demonstrate that our unsupervised parser achieves comparable or even superior performance to fully supervised parsers. We also investigate discourse constituents that are learned by our method.
Negative affect moderates the link between body image dissatisfaction and disordered eating among psychiatric outpatients in a multi-ethnic Asian setting
Authors: Teh WL , Mahesh MV , Abdin E , Tan J , Fauziana R , Satghare P , Sim K , Basu S , Kandasami G , Gupta B , Chong SA , Subramaniam M
Published: April 2020

INTRODUCTION Few studies have investigated the factors that affect the relationship between body image dissatisfaction and disordered eating locally. Our study aimed to investigate the moderating effects of depression and anxiety levels on the body dissatisfaction-disordered eating link in Singapore. METHODS A total of 329 participants completed a set of questionnaires that included various scales pertaining to eating behaviours, body image, psychological distress and quality of life. RESULTS Participants were diagnosed with schizophrenia (47.4%), depression (46.8%) and substance use disorders (5.8%). Moderation analyses revealed that depression (F [9, 251] = 18.50, p < 0.001, R2 change = 0.021) and anxiety levels (F [9, 268] = 19.54, p < 0.001, R2 change = 0.014) were significant moderators of the relationship between body dissatisfaction and disordered eating scores. Subsequent multivariate linear logistic regression analyses showed that high disordered eating scores were significantly associated with lower physical (F [8, 273] = 9.59, R2 = 0.22, p < 0.001, β = −0.27, p < 0.001), psychological (F [8, 273] = 10.51, R2 = 0.49, p < 0.001, β = −0.27, p < 0.001), social (F [8, 256] = 6.78, R2 = 0.18, p < 0.001, β = −0.18, p = 0.004) and environment (F [8, 273] = 5.29, R2 = 0.13, p < 0.001, β = −0.19, p = 0.001) quality of life scores after controlling for sociodemographic covariates. CONCLUSION Greater effort should be dedicated to the screening of disordered eating behaviours in psychiatric outpatients presenting with greater psychological distress.
Difficulties faced by patients with chronic diseases in the primary care setting in Singapore: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Koh LJ , Teo SH , Jiang Y , Hwang EHJ , Lee ES
Published: April 2020

INTRODUCTION Patients with chronic diseases face difficulties when navigating the healthcare system. Using the Healthcare System Hassles Questionnaire (HSHQ) developed by Parchman et al, this study aimed to explore the degree of hassles faced by patients in primary care in Singapore and identify the characteristics associated with greater hassles. METHODS A cross-sectional study was conducted on patients with chronic diseases at Hougang Polyclinic, Singapore, using the interviewer-administered HSHQ. The mean HSHQ score was compared with that reported by Parchman et al. The associations between the number of chronic diseases, demographic variables and healthcare hassles were assessed using multivariate linear logistic regression analysis. RESULTS In total, 217 outpatients aged 21 years and above were enrolled. Their overall mean HSHQ score (4.77 ± 6.18) was significantly lower than that of patients in the study by Parchman et al (15.94 ± 14.23, p < 0.001). Patients with five or more chronic diseases scored 3.38 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.11–6.65, p = 0.043) points higher than those with one chronic disease did. With each increasing year of age, the mean HSHQ score decreased by 0.17 (95% CI −0.26 to −0.08, p = 0.001) points. Patients with polytechnic/diploma/university education and higher scored 2.65 (95% CI 0.19–5.11, p = 0.035) points higher than those with primary education and lower did. CONCLUSION Patients in our population reported less hassles than those in the study by Parchman et al did. Increasing age and lower education level were associated with less hassles. Further analysis of the types of chronic diseases may yield new information about the association of healthcare hassles with the number and types of chronic diseases.
“I Am the One:” A Monist Looks at the Double Death and Life of Rabba bar Naḥmani
Authors: Baris Michael
Published: April 2020

The rabbis portray two arenas in which Torah is studied. Above the terrestrial academy of the sages, the Rabbis posit a transcendent, celestial yeshiva. This dual system seems central to the rabbinic doctrine of retribution in a sequential afterlife. In contrast to the standard dualist reading and accepted dogma, I propose a monist’s reading of these aggadic texts, which sees a single arena of human action and endeavor, with multivalent significance. My starting point is the dramatic narrative of the persecution, flight, and ultimate death of one of the leading Talmudic sages, Rabba bar Naḥmani. These esoteric stories go beyond familiar taxonomies as modes of concealment. Not cyphers to be cracked, they offer a nuanced way of thinking about the world, accessible through narrative as an adaptive mode of transmission.
European Legal Culture and WTO Dispute Settlement: Thirty Years of Socio-Legal Transplants from Brussels to Geneva
Authors: Soave Tommaso
Published: April 2020

This article argues that the legal culture of EC/EU institutions has made a significant contribution to the ethos, the style, and the tone of WTO dispute settlement bodies. Areas of alignment between the two regimes include the self-perceived role of adjudicators vis-à-vis their political environment and the jurisprudence on the ‘necessity’ of non-trade measures. Based on these premises, the article traces some of the social and professional pathways through which European sensibilities and perspectives have found their way from Brussels (and Luxembourg) to Geneva. In particular, it describes the convergent trajectories of the EC/EU and the GATT/WTO professional communities. The goal of the analysis is to provide a fresh outlook on the ongoing diplomatic stalemate surrounding the future of the Appellate Body and WTO dispute settlement at large.
3. Humilities, Animalities, and Self-Actualizations in a Living Earth Community
Authors: Waldau Paul
Published: April 2020

This chapter considers possibilities for transforming human institutions (e.g., law, education, ethics, and religion) in ways that promote a flourishing Earth community. The author considers how self-actualization for humans can be found not through the arrogance of human exceptionalism, but through different expressions of humility and through a recognition of the animality of humankind.