bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Willing mothers: ectogenesis and the role of gestational motherhood
Authors: Kennedy Susan
Published: February 2020

While artificial womb technology (ectogenesis) is currently being studied for the purpose of improving neonatal care, I contend that this technology ought to be pursued as a means to address the unprecedented rate of unintended pregnancies. But ectogenesis, alongside other emerging reproductive technologies, is problematic insofar as it threatens to disrupt the natural link between procreation and parenthood that is normally thought to generate rights and responsibilities for biological parents. I argue that there remains only one potentially viable account of parenthood: the voluntarist account, which construes parental rights as robust moral obligations that must be voluntarily undertaken. The problem is that this account mistakenly presumes a patriarchal divide between procreation and parenthood. I propose a reframing of procreation and parenthood from a feminist perspective that recognises gestational motherhood as involving robust moral obligations that ought to be voluntarily undertaken. If this were the case, all gestational mothers would be, by definition, willing mothers. To make this happen I argue that ectogenesis technology must be a widely available reproductive option.
Systematic review of methods used to assess exposure to pesticides in occupational epidemiology studies, 1993–2017
Authors: Ohlander Johan , Fuhrimann Samuel , Basinas Ioannis , Cherrie John W , Galea Karen S , Povey Andrew C , van Tongeren Martie , Harding Anne-Helen , Jones Kate , Vermeulen Roel , Kromhout Hans
Published: February 2020

Objective

Numerous exposure assessment methods (EAM) exist for investigating health effects of occupational exposure to pesticides. Direct (eg, biomonitoring) and indirect methods (eg, self-reported exposures) are however associated with degrees of exposure misclassification. We systematically reviewed EAM in studies of occupational pesticide exposure.

Methods

We searched for articles reporting observational epidemiological studies in MEDLINE and Embase published 1993 to 2017. The relative frequency of EAM was analysed according to EAM type (direct and indirect methods), health outcome, study design, study location (country) and specificity of assessment. Temporal trends in EAM were analysed.

Results

In 1298 included articles 1521 EAM occurrences were documented. Indirect EAM (78.3%), primarily self-reported exposures (39.3%) and job titles assessments (9.5%), were mainly applied in case-control studies (95.0%), in high-income countries (85.0%) and in studies of doctor-diagnosed health outcomes (>85%). Direct EAM (20.8%), primarily biomonitoring of blood (15.6%) or urine (4.7%), were predominantly applied in cross-sectional studies (29.8%), in lower middle-income countries (40.9%) and in studies of neurological (50.0%) outcomes. Between 1993 to 2017 no distinct time trends regarding the ratio indirect to direct methods was seen. Within the category of indirect methods use of self-reported exposures and job exposure matrices increased while assessments by job titles and registers decreased. The use of algorithms showed no trend. The specificity of pesticide assessment increased since studies assessing exposure by using job title as a proxy declined. Assessments of type of pesticide increased.

Conclusion

Over the last 25 years, the ratio (5:1) of indirect to direct EAM applied in articles on occupational pesticide epidemiology stayed relatively constant; changes were mainly attributable to increasing use of self-reported exposures and job exposure matrices. This review, combined with studies assessing EAM validity, will inform on magnitudes of exposure misclassification and help improve the quality of studies on occupational pesticides exposure.
Structural and developmental patterns in the pericarp of Malpighiaceae: new data from winged fruits of Janusia, Mascagnia, and Tetrapterys
Authors: Souto Letícia Silva , Oliveira Denise Maria Trombert
Published: February 2020

Malpighiaceae have highly varied fruits, and their characteristics are traditionally used in taxa delimitation. However, fruit characters are homoplastic; therefore, detailed analyses are indispensable. Here, we have described winged-fruit ontogeny and anatomy of four Malpighiaceae species from different clades, and compared them with others described in the literature, with the goal of recognizing common developmental and structural patterns. Flowers and fruits were collected and processed for light microscopy. In the ovary, the main patterns were a uniseriate outer epidermis, a mesophyll with two or three distinct regions, and an inner epidermis formed by elongated or isodiametric cells. In the pericarp, the uniseriate exocarp appeared to be consistent throughout the family, and the outermost parenchymatic layers of the mesocarp and the inner layers formed by thickened-lignified cells prevailed. Some species also had a middle layer in the mesocarp, composed of lignified cells. The most substantial variation was in the endocarp and was independent of fruit type and phylogenetic position. Three structural patterns were recognized: sclerenchymatous cells, elongated and non-lignified cells, and a seed cushion. These data allow for the identification of important structural patterns in Malpighiaceae, and the high structural variation in the endocarp is promising for its systematics.
Offshore bedrock geology of Eclipse Sound and Pond Inlet: connecting the structure and stratigraphy of Bylot and northern Baffin islands
Authors: Currie Lisel D. , Brent Tom A. , Turner Elizabeth C.
Published: February 2020

Understanding the Mesoproterozoic and younger structural history of the Eclipse Sound/Pond Inlet area is essential for the interpretation of its Archean to Paleoproterozoic geological history and could have important implications for mineral and petroleum exploration models in the northern Baffin Bay area. The identification of potentially active faults is critical for understanding possible earthquake-related hazards in the area. The integrated interpretation of 1970s-vintage marine seismic data with hill-shaded bathymetry, aeromagnetic data, and onshore geology maps has facilitated the identification of probable Mesoproterozoic (Bylot Supergroup) to Holocene strata on and below the sea floor and a suite of episodically reactivated northwest-striking horst- and graben-bounding normal faults and fault zones. Fault displacement likely occurred during the development of the Mesoproterozoic Borden basin and the Cretaceous–Paleogene opening of Baffin Bay, and in some cases may continue today. Some faults become more west-trending toward the south, which requires parts of these faults to have intermittently accommodated transtensional and (or) transpressional motion, possibly explaining local folds and out-of-graben thrusting. Numerous previously unrecognised faults have been documented, with faults beneath Eclipse Sound (Eclipse Trough) spaced at 5 to 7 km intervals, and at least one fault zone (Cape Hay Fault Zone) that appears to be at least 250 km in length, suggesting faults of similar spacing and scale may be present under Baffin Bay. This study uses a multi-thematic office-based methodology that inexpensively, and with little environmental impact, facilitates the mapping of structures that intersect the sea floor in areas where glaciers have exposed bedrock.
Understanding the genetic relationships between Indonesian bambara groundnut landraces and investigating their origins
Authors: Redjeki E.S. , Ho W.K. , Shah N. , Molosiwa O.O. , Ardiarini N.R. , Kuswanto  , Mayes Sean
Published: February 2020

A total of 170 bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea) accessions were evaluated using both simple sequence repeat (SSR) and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers generated using genotyping-by-sequencing (GbS), of which 56 accessions were collected from West and East Java. Principal coordinate analysis (PCoA), population structure, and cluster analysis suggest that the East Java accessions could be a result of the introduction of selected West Java accessions. In addition, the current Indonesian accessions were likely introduced from Southern Africa, which would have produced a very marked founding effect such that these accessions present only a fraction of the genetic variability that exists within this species.
Fractional stochastic heat equation with piecewise constant coefficients
Authors: Mishura Yuliya , Ralchenko Kostiantyn , Zili Mounir , Zougar Eya
Published: February 2020

We introduce a fractional stochastic heat equation with second-order elliptic operator in divergence form, having a piecewise constant diffusion coefficient, and driven by an infinite-dimensional fractional Brownian motion. We characterize the fundamental solution of its deterministic part, and prove the existence and the uniqueness of its solution.
Separation Between Read-once Oblivious Algebraic Branching Programs (ROABPs) and Multilinear Depth-three Circuits
Authors: Kayal Neeraj , Nair Vineet , Saha Chandan
Published: February 2020

We show an exponential separation between two well-studied models of algebraic computation, namely, read-once oblivious algebraic branching programs (ROABPs) and multilinear depth-three circuits. In particular, we show the following:

(1) There exists an explicit
n
-variate polynomial computable by linear sized multilinear depth-three circuits (with only two product gates) such that every ROABP computing it requires 2

Ω
(n)

size.

(2) Any multilinear depth-three circuit computing IMM

n,d

(the iterated matrix multiplication polynomial formed by multiplying
d
,
n
×
n
symbolic matrices) has
n

Ω(
d
)

size. IMM

n,d

can be easily computed by a poly(
n,d
) sized ROABP.

(3) Further, the proof of (2) yields an exponential separation between multilinear depth-four and multilinear depth-three circuits: There is an explicit
n
-variate, degree
d
polynomial computable by a poly(
n
) sized multilinear depth-four circuit such that any multilinear depth-three circuit computing it has size

n
Ω(d)

. This improves upon the quasi-polynomial separation of Reference [36] between these two models.

The hard polynomial in (1) is constructed using a novel application of expander graphs in conjunction with the evaluation dimension measure [15, 33, 34, 36], while (2) is proved via a new adaptation of the dimension of the partial derivatives measure of Reference [32]. Our lower bounds hold over any field.
Pattern Matching with Variables
Authors: Fernau Henning , Manea Florin , Mercaş Robert , Schmid Markus L.
Published: February 2020

A pattern ɑ (i.e., a string of variables and terminals) matches a word
w
, if
w
can be obtained by uniformly replacing the variables of ɑ by terminal words. The respective matching problem, i.e., deciding whether or not a given pattern matches a given word, is generally NP-complete, but can be solved in polynomial-time for restricted classes of patterns. We present efficient algorithms for the matching problem with respect to patterns with a bounded number of repeated variables and patterns with a structural restriction on the order of variables. Furthermore, we show that it is NP-complete to decide, for a given number
k
and a word
w
, whether
w
can be factorised into
k
distinct factors. As an immediate consequence of this hardness result, the injective version (i.e., different variables are replaced by different words) of the matching problem is NP-complete even for very restricted classes of patterns.
The Impact of the Complexity of Harmony on the Acceptability of Music
Authors: Mihelač Lorena , Povh Janez
Published: February 2020

In this article, we contribute to the longstanding challenge of how to explain the listener’s acceptability for a particular piece of music, using harmony as one of the crucial dimensions in music, one of the least examined in this context. We propose three measures for the complexity of harmony: (i) the complexity based on usage of the basic tonal functions and parallels in the harmonic progression, (ii) the entropies of unigrams and bigrams in the sequence of chords, and (iii) the regularity of the harmonic progression. Additionally, we propose four measures for the acceptability of musical pieces (perceptual variables): difficulty, pleasantness, recognition, and repeatability.

These measures have been evaluated in each musical example within our dataset, consisting of 160 carefully selected musical excerpts from different musical styles. The first and the third complexity measures and the musical style of excerpts were determined by the first author using criteria described in the article, while the entropies were computed by computer using Shannon’s formula, after the harmonic progression was determined. The four perceptual variables were obtained by a group of 21 participants, taking their mean values as the final score.

A statistical analysis of this dataset shows that all the measures of complexity are consistent and are together with the musical style important features in explaining the musical acceptability. These relations were further elaborated by regression tree analysis for difficulty and pleasantness after unigram entropy was eliminated due to high correlation with bigram entropy. Results offer reasonable interpretations and also illuminate the relative importance of the predictor variables. In particular, the regularity of the harmonic progression is in both cases the most important predictor.
Dynamic Updating of the Knowledge Base for a Large-Scale Question Answering System
Authors: Liu Xiao-Yang , Zhang Yimeng , Liao Yukang , Jiang Ling
Published: February 2020

Today, the knowledge base question answering (KB-QA) system is promising to achieve a large-scale high-quality reply in the e-commerce industry. However, there exist two major challenges to efficiently support large-scale KB-QA systems. On the one hand, it is difficult to serve tens of thousands of online stores (i.e., constrained by the tuning and deployment time), and it would perform poorly if the systems start without a sufficient number of chat records. On the other hand, current KB-QA systems cannot be updated in an efficient way due to the high cost of knowledge base (KB) updating. In this article, we propose an automatic learning scheme for KB-QA systems, called
ALKB-QA
, using a vector modeling method to address the preceding two main challenges. The ALKB-QA system provides online stores with basic KB templates that are suitable for many common occasions, and this feature enables the ability to deploy chatbots for a large number of online stores in a short time. Then, the KBs are further updated automatically to adapt to their own businesses (meet different specific needs), leading to increased reply accuracy. Our work has three main contributions. First, the proposed ALKB-QA system has a good business model in the e-commerce industry (serving tens of thousands of online stores with low cost), breaking the scalability limitations of existing KB-QA systems. Second, we assess the reply accuracy of the proposed ALKB-QA system using human evaluations, and the results show that it outperforms human annotation-base approaches. Third, we launched our ALKB-QA system as a real-world business application, and it supports tens of thousands of online stores.
Three-Dimensional Single Particle Tracking and Its Applications in Confined Environments
Authors: Zhong Yaning , Wang Gufeng
Published: February 2020

Single particle tracking (SPT) has proven to be a powerful technique in studying molecular dynamics in complicated systems. We review its recent development, including three-dimensional (3D) SPT and its applications in probing nanostructures and molecule-surface interactions that are important to analytical chemical processes. Several frequently used 3D SPT techniques are introduced. Especially of interest are those based on point spread function engineering, which are simple in instrumentation and can be easily adapted and used in analytical labs. Corresponding data analysis methods are briefly discussed. We present several important case studies, with a focus on probing mass transport and molecule-surface interactions in confined environments. The presented studies demonstrate the great potential of 3D SPT for understanding fundamental phenomena in confined space, which will enable us to predict basic principles involved in chemical recognition, separation, and analysis, and to optimize mass transport and responses by structural design and optimization.
Phenotyping: New Windows into the Plant for Breeders
Authors: Watt Michelle , Fiorani Fabio , Usadel Björn , Rascher Uwe , Muller Onno , Schurr Ulrich
Published: February 2020

Plant phenotyping enables noninvasive quantification of plant structure and function and interactions with environments. High-capacity phenotyping reaches hitherto inaccessible phenotypic characteristics. Diverse, challenging, and valuable applications of phenotyping have originated among scientists, prebreeders, and breeders as they study the phenotypic diversity of genetic resources and apply increasingly complex traits to crop improvement. Noninvasive technologies are used to analyze experimental and breeding populations. We cover the most recent research in controlled-environment and field phenotyping for seed, shoot, and root traits. Select field phenotyping technologies have become state of the art and show promise for speeding up the breeding process in early generations. We highlight the technologies behind the rapid advances in proximal and remote sensing of plants in fields. We conclude by discussing the new disciplines working with the phenotyping community: data science, to address the challenge of generating FAIR (findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable) data, and robotics, to apply phenotyping directly on farms.
Chemical Biology Framework to Illuminate Proteostasis
Authors: Sebastian Rebecca M. , Shoulders Matthew D.
Published: February 2020

Protein folding in the cell is mediated by an extensive network of >1,000 chaperones, quality control factors, and trafficking mechanisms collectively termed the proteostasis network. While the components and organization of this network are generally well established, our understanding of how protein-folding problems are identified, how the network components integrate to successfully address challenges, and what types of biophysical issues each proteostasis network component is capable of addressing remains immature. We describe a chemical biology–informed framework for studying cellular proteostasis that relies on selection of interesting protein-folding problems and precise researcher control of proteostasis network composition and activities. By combining these methods with multifaceted strategies to monitor protein folding, degradation, trafficking, and aggregation in cells, researchers continue to rapidly generate new insights into cellular proteostasis.
Dexmedetomidine Pharmacokinetics in Neonates with Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy Receiving Hypothermia
Authors: McAdams Ryan M. , Pak Daniel , Lalovic Bojan , Phillips Brian , Shen Danny D.
Published: February 2020

Dexmedetomidine is a promising sedative and analgesic for newborns with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) undergoing therapeutic hypothermia (TH). Pharmacokinetics and safety of dexmedetomidine were evaluated in a phase I, single-center, open-label study to inform future trial strategies. We recruited 7 neonates ≥36 weeks’ gestational age diagnosed with moderate-to-severe HIE, who received a continuous dexmedetomidine infusion during TH and the 6 h rewarming period. Time course of plasma dexmedetomidine concentration was characterized by serial blood sampling during and after the 64.8 ± 6.9 hours of infusion. Noncompartmental analysis yielded descriptive pharmacokinetic estimates: plasma clearance of 0.760 ± 0.155 L/h/kg, steady-state distribution volume of 5.22 ± 2.62 L/kg, and mean residence time of 6.84 ± 3.20 h. Naive pooled and population analyses according to a one-compartment model provided similar estimates of clearance and distribution volume. Overall, clearance was either comparable or lower, distribution volume was larger, and mean residence time or elimination half-life was longer in cooled newborns with HIE compared to corresponding estimates previously reported for uncooled (normothermic) newborns without HIE at comparable gestational and postmenstrual ages. As a result, plasma concentrations in cooled newborns with HIE rose more slowly in the initial hours of infusion compared to predicted concentration-time profiles based on reported pharmacokinetic parameters in normothermic newborns without HIE, while similar steady-state levels were achieved. No acute adverse events were associated with dexmedetomidine treatment. While dexmedetomidine appeared safe for neonates with HIE during TH at infusion doses up to 0.4 μg/kg/h, a loading dose strategy may be needed to overcome the initial lag in rise of plasma dexmedetomidine concentration.
High TXLNA Expression Predicts Favourable Outcome for Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma Patients
Authors: Lv Shuangyu , Zhang Guosen , Xie Longxiang , Yan Zhongyi , Wang Qiang , Li Yongqiang , Zhang Lu , Han Yali , Li Huimin , Du Yaowu , Yang Yanjie , Guo Xiangqian
Published: February 2020

TXLNA (taxilin alpha), a binding partner of the syntaxin family, was identified as a key factor in the coordination of intracellular vesicle trafficking and highly expressed in various tumor cells. However, the accurate relation between TXLNA and tumorigenesis and progression of pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD) is still unclear. The present study was designed to examine the expression profile of TXLNA and explore its prognostic significance in PAAD patients and the possible molecular regulatory mechanism by analyzing a series of data from databases, including GEPIA, LOGpc, STRING, and GeneMANIA. The results indicate that TXLNA mRNA and protein were remarkably increased in PAAD tissues compared with normal pancreatic tissues. The high TXLNA expression was significantly correlated with superior overall survival (OS), disease‐free interval (DFI), disease specific survival (DSS), and progression‐free interval (PFI) for PAAD patients. In summary, high TXLNA expression could predict favourable OS, DFI, DSS, and PFI for PAAD patients, and it might be as potential prognostic biomarkers and targets for PAAD.
Marine Organism Detection and Classification from Underwater Vision Based on the Deep CNN Method
Authors: Han Fenglei , Yao Jingzheng , Zhu Haitao , Wang Chunhui
Published: February 2020

Seabed fishing depends on humans in common, for instance, the sea cucumber, sea urchin, and scallop fishing, which is always a very dangerous task. Considering the underwater complex environment conditions such as low temperature, dim vision, and high pressure, collecting the marine products using underwater robots is commonly regarded as a feasible solution. The key technique of the underwater robot development is to detect and locate the main target from underwater vision. This research is based on the deep convolutional neural network (CNN) to realize the target recognition from underwater vision. The RPN (Region Proposal Network) is used to optimize the feature extraction capability. Deep learning dataset is prepared using an underwater video obtained from a sea cucumber fishing ROV (Remote Operated Vehicle). The inspiration of the network structure and the improvements come from the Faster RCNN and Hypernet method, and for the underwater dataset, the method proposed in this paper shows a good performance of recall and object detection accuracy. The detection runs with a speed of 17 fps on a GPU, which is applicable to be used for real-time processing.
BOC Signal Acquisition Algorithm Based on Similar Enfoldment
Authors: Han Qi , Zhu Kejia , Hu Caibo , Zhao He , Wu Shuang , Fu Yu
Published: February 2020

A BOC signal has been widely used in the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). Although the BOC signal has many advantages, the autocorrelation function (ACF) of the BOC signal has lots of peaks, which makes signal acquisition difficult. This paper proposes a similar enfoldment acquisition (SEA) algorithm, which can be applied to sin-BOC and cos-BOC signals, with even and odd modulation orders. The SEA algorithm utilizes the similarity between the main peak and the secondary peak to construct a new ACF to eliminate the ambiguity of the BOC signal. This paper simulates the acquisition performance of the SEA algorithm, Martin algorithm, and SCPC algorithm, while the simulation result shows that the SEA algorithm is superior to the Martin algorithm and SCPC algorithm. Since the SEA algorithm does not need filters or auxiliary signals, its complexity is lower than that of the Martin algorithm and SCPC algorithm.
Challenges, Coping Strategies, and Social Support among Breast Cancer Patients in Ghana
Authors: Boatemaa Benson Ruth , Cobbold Bernice , Opoku Boamah Ellen , Akuoko Cynthia Pomaa , Boateng Daniel
Published: February 2020

Background. Despite the high incidence and mortality rate of breast cancer (BC) in Ghana, little attention has been given to the issue of how adult women cope with having BC. The aim of this study was to explore the challenges, coping strategies, and support systems among women diagnosed with BC in Ghana. Methods. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted from February to August 2017 at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), Ghana. A systematic random sampling technique was used to select 202 women with a confirmed diagnosis of BC. Coping strategies of women with BC were assessed using the Brief-COPE. The associations between sociodemographic characteristics, social network/support, and coping strategies were assessed using linear regression models. Results. The most and least adopted active coping strategies were religious coping and humors, respectively. Self-distraction and substance use were the most and least adopted avoidant coping strategies, respectively. Spouses and children offered the most support to women with BC; having support from 5 or more sources was associated with higher mean active coping (beta [β] 1.14; 95% CI 0.66 to 1.62) and avoidant coping (β 1.46; 95% CI 0.98 to 1.94), as compared with having <2 sources of social support. Conclusion. This study demonstrates that women diagnosed with BC in Ghana adopt varied coping strategies to deal with these challenges. The forms of coping strategies adopted by women diagnosed with BC are influenced by the extent of social support received. Psychosocial counseling and support should be an integral part of BC management. Exploring and including social networks could play an important role in the management of BC in Ghana.
Study on Corrosion Characteristics of Concrete‐Filled CFRP‐Steel Tube Piles under Hygrothermal Environment
Authors: Dong Honghan , Zhou Yujue , Zhuang Ning
Published: February 2020

The corrosion damage of pile foundations caused by a hygrothermal environment is a significant factor that influences the service life of high‐pile wharf structures. The concrete‐filled CFRP‐steel tube (CFRP‐CFST) pile is a composite structure composed of external Carbon Fiber‐Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) sheets and inner concrete‐filled steel tubes. It has a high‐bearing capacity and excellent corrosion resistance and is an ideal structure for pile foundations in aggressive environments. In this paper, twelve CFRP‐CFST pile specimens with diameters of 114 mm and heights of 1200 mm and another forty‐two CFRP‐steel plate specimens with CFRP widths of 30–50 mm were built. A high hot and humid environment simulation system was designed to conduct corrosion experiments with these specimens. At different theoretical corrosion degrees, the half‐cell potential, corrosion products, corrosion expansion, and adhesive property were investigated. The test results showed an obvious increase in the mechanical properties and corrosion resistance when the concrete‐filled steel tube was externally bonded to CFRP sheets. The experimental results show that the CFRP‐CFST pile is an effective way to protect piles from corrosion and can be widely used for high‐pile wharfs in aggressive environments.
Effects of Nutritional Strategies on Glucose Homeostasis in Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis
Authors: Jin Shixiao , Sha Liyan , Dong Jianli , Yi Jing , Liu Yang , Guo Zhongxian , Hu Bing
Published: February 2020

Background. Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is one of the most common complications of pregnancy, and nutritional therapy is the basis of GDM treatment. However, the effects of different forms of nutritional supplementation on improving gestational diabetes are uncertain. Objective. We conducted a network meta-analysis to evaluate the effects of supplementation with different nutrients on glucose metabolism in women with GDM. Methods. We conducted a literature search using PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing the differences between different nutritional strategies in women with GDM. The Cochrane tool was used to assess the risk of bias. Pairwise meta-analysis and network meta-analysis were used to compare and rank the effects of nutritional strategies for the improvement of fasting plasma glucose (FPG), serum insulin, and homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). Results. We included thirteen RCTs with a total of 754 participants. Compared with placebo, omega-3, magnesium, vitamin D, zinc, and probiotics were more beneficial for improving FPG, serum insulin, and HOMA-IR. Network analysis showed that vitamin D supplementation was superior to omega-3 (-3.64 mg/dL, 95% CI: -5.77 to -1.51), zinc (-5.71 mg/dL, 95% CI: -10.19 to -1.23), probiotics (-6.76 mg/dL, 95% CI: -10.02 to -3.50), and placebo (-12.13 mg/dL, 95% CI: -14.55 to -9.70) for improving FPG. Magnesium supplementation was more beneficial for decreasing serum insulin compared with probiotics (-5.10 μIU/mL, 95% CI: -9.32 to -0.88) and placebo (-7.80 μIU/mL; 95% CI-11.95, -3.65). Vitamin D was more effective than probiotics (-0.99, 95% CI: -1.84 to -0.14) and placebo (-1.80, 95% CI: -2.45 to -1.16) for improving HOMA-IR. Conclusion. Vitamin D supplementation significantly reduced FPG and regulated HOMA-IR. Magnesium supplementation was superior in decreasing serum insulin than supplementation with other nutrients. Nutrient supplementation seemed to have an effect on glucose homeostasis maintenance in patients with GDM and may be considered an adjunctive therapy.
Silicone Oil Emulsification after Vitrectomy for Rhegmatogenous Retinal Detachment
Authors: Yu Jian , Zong Yuan , Jiang Chunhui , Zhu Haohao , Deng Guohua , Xu Gezhi
Published: February 2020

Purpose. To investigate the characteristics of silicone oil (SO) emulsification after vitrectomy for rhegmatogenous retinal detachment and their possible correlations with clinical factors. Methods. The first 2 mL of washing out fluid after SO removal was collected, and used for the measurement of the size and number of SO droplets using a Multisizer® 3 Coulter counter (Beckman Coulter, USA). The correlations between SO droplets and clinical factors were analyzed. Results. A total of 38 patients (23 males, 15 females) who underwent primary PPV with SO injection for RRD and whose retina stayed attached for ≥3 months after SO removal were included in the study. The average number of oil droplets was 1.96 × 106 ± 3.95 × 106/mL (range 0.17 × 106 to 21.71 × 106/ml), and 80.8% (range 64.23%–99.07%) of the droplets were 1-2 μm in diameter. The total number of emulsified SO droplets was not correlated with any clinical factor (all P>0.05). When the emulsified SO droplets were divided into groups by their diameter, multiple linear regression revealed that age was negatively correlated with the numbers of 5–7-μm-diameter and 7–12-μm-diameter droplets (both P<0.05). Patients using antiglaucoma medications had more 5–7-μm-diameter and 7–12-μm-diameter droplets than those not using (all P<0.05). Conclusion. Using a Multisizer® Coulter counter, we successfully determined the number and size of SO droplets after emulsification. We found that the number of 5–12-μm-diameter droplets was higher in younger-age patients and was higher in patients using antiglaucoma eyedrops.
Prednisone for Acute Complex Regional Pain Syndrome: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Jamroz Andrew , Berger Michael , Winston Paul
Published: February 2020

Objective. The objective of this study was to evaluate prednisone effectiveness on complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) features in a community-based outpatient rehabilitation setting. Design. A single-centre, retrospective inception cohort design was used. Inclusion criteria were CRPS diagnosis according to the Budapest criteria, involvement of multiple joints, treatment with prednisone, and duration of symptoms less than one year. Typical prednisone treatment was 28-day taper regimen with 60 mg. Patient symptoms and signs were compared before and after treatment. Results. There were 39 patients who met inclusion criteria for analysis. Duration of symptoms before treatment was 80.8 ± 67.7 days. Following treatment, 19 (48.7%) patients reported complete pain resolution, 19 (48.7%) patients reported decreased pain permitting functional use, and 1 (2.6%) patient reported no improvement. All symptoms and signs decreased significantly following oral prednisone treatment (p<0.001). Range of motion (ROM) deficits persisted in 19 (49%) patients. However, 17 of these patients reported functional ROM recovery. Degree of ROM recovery and time-to-treatment had low positive correlation (r = 0.354, p<0.05). Logistic regression did not demonstrate associations among any patient factors and clinical outcomes. Conclusions. These data support short-course prednisone treatment for acute and subacute CRPS with multijoint involvement in a community rehabilitation setting. The association between time-to-treatment and ROM recovery suggests earlier treatment may result in improved ROM outcomes.
Classical Estimation of the Index Spmk and Its Confidence Intervals for Power Lindley Distributed Quality Characteristics
Authors: Alomani Ghadah , Alotaibi Refah , Dey Sanku , Saha Mahendra
Published: February 2020

The process capability index (PCI) has been introduced as a tool to aid in the assessment of process performance. Usually, conventional PCIs perform well under normally distributed quality characteristics. However, when these PCIs are employed to evaluate nonnormally distributed process, they often provide inaccurate results. In this article, in order to estimate the PCI Spmk when the process follows power Lindley distribution, first, seven classical methods of estimation, namely, maximum likelihood method of estimation, ordinary and weighted least squares methods of estimation, Cramèr–von Mises method of estimation, maximum product of spacings method of estimation, Anderson–Darling, and right-tail Anderson–Darling methods of estimation, are considered and the performance of these estimation methods based on their mean squared error is compared. Next, three bootstrap confidence intervals (BCIs) of the PCI Spmk, namely, standard bootstrap, percentile bootstrap, and bias-corrected percentile bootstrap, are considered and compared in terms of their average width, coverage probability, and relative coverage. Besides, a new cost-effective PCI, namely, Spmkc is introduced by incorporating tolerance cost function in the index Spmk. To evaluate the performance of the methods of estimation and BCIs, a simulation study is carried out. Simulation results showed that the maximum likelihood method of estimation performs better than their counterparts in terms of mean squared error, while bias-corrected percentile bootstrap provides smaller confidence length (width) and higher relative coverage than standard bootstrap and percentile bootstrap across sample sizes. Finally, two real data examples are provided to investigate the performance of the proposed procedures.
Effect of Biochar on Soil Properties, Soil Loss, and Cocoyam Yield on a Tropical Sandy Loam Alfisol
Authors: Adekiya Aruna Olasekan , Agbede Taiwo Michael , Olayanju Adeniyi , Ejue Wutem Sunny , Adekanye Timothy A. , Adenusi Titilayo Tolulope , Ayeni Jerry Femi
Published: February 2020

Among agricultural soil amendment that can enhance crop productivity and soil sustainability is biochar. Hence, two-year field experiments were conducted on a sandy loam Alfisol at Owo, southwest Nigeria, to evaluate the effects of biochar produced from hardwood on soil physical and chemical characteristics, erosion potential, and cocoyam (Xanthosoma sagittifolium (L.) Schott) yield. The study was a 2 × 4 factorial experiment with two years (2017 and 2018) and four biochar levels (0 (control), 10, 20, and 30 t ha−1). The treatments were laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Results indicated that biochar application significantly in both years improved yield of cocoyam and soil physical (bulk density, porosity, moisture content, mean weight diameter (MWD) of soil aggregates, dispersion ratio, and infiltration rate) and chemical (soil organic matter, pH, N, P, K, Ca, Mg, and CEC) properties and erosion resistance. Soil characteristics and cocoyam yield improved with level of biochar from 0–30 t ha−1. When 2018 is compared with 2017 in term of soil loss, in the amended plots, 2018 reduced soil loss by 7.4, 20, and 73.5%, respectively, for 10, 20, and 30 t ha−1biochar, whereas there was an increase of 2.7% soil loss in the control plot in 2018 compared with 2017. Therefore, application rate of 30 t ha−1 biochar is considered as suitable for severely degraded soil because this application rate efficiently improves cocoyam yield and soil properties and reduces soil loss.
Icariin Attenuates Diabetic Cardiomyopathy and Downregulates Extracellular Matrix Proteins in Heart Tissue of Type 2 Diabetic Rats
Authors: Qiao Chen , Wang Hui , Song Zhengyu , Ding Yuyin , Tao Junye , Aa Jiye , Ding Xuansheng
Published: February 2020

Objective: Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a serious complication of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), resulting in unfavorable prognosis. Icariin (ICA) is a major flavonoid isolated from the traditional oriental herbal medicine Epimedium that has been recently proved to show potential therapeutic efficacy on T2DM. The aim of this study was to investigate the underlying mechanism of how ICA improved DCM in rat models. Methods: To corroborate myocardial improvement by ICA, we managed to establish the T2DM rat model by streptozotocin (STZ) administration and high-glucose-high-fat diet. Results: The rats with T2DM showed severe insulin resistance, left ventricular dysfunction, aberrant lipids deposition, cardiac inflammation, and fibrosis compared with the control group. All these pathological symptoms were ameliorated by the treatment of ICA. The levels of extracellular matrix proteins of heart tissue significantly declined in ICA-treated rats. Conclusion: ICA may exert as a protector in T2DM-induced DCM by reducing extracellular matrix proteins in the heart tissue, implicating its potential role for the treatment of human DCM.
Dual Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor and Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor Inhibition Elicits Antitumor Immunity and Enhances Programmed Cell Death-1 Checkpoint Blockade in Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Deng Haijing , Kan Anna , Lyu Ning , Mu Luwen , Han Yi , Liu Longzhong , Zhang Yanyu , Duan Youfa , Liao Shuangye , Li Shaolong , Xie Qiankun , Gao Tianxiao , Li Yanrong , Zhang Zhenfeng , Zhao Ming
Published: February 2020

Background and Aims: Combining anti-angiogenic therapy with immune checkpoint blockade with anti-programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) antibodies is a promising treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Tyrosine kinase inhibitors are well-known anti-angiogenic agents and offer potential for combination with anti-PD-1 antibodies. This study investigated the possible underlying immunomodulatory mechanisms of combined therapy. Methods: HCC tissue samples for RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) were obtained from patients with differential prognoses following anti-PD-1 treatment. Recombinant basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) were used to stimulate T cells following lenvatinib or sorafenib treatment, respectively. T cell function was analyzed by flow cytometry and lactate dehydrogenase assay. In vivo experiments were conducted in murine H22 and Hepa 1–6 competent models of HCC. Local immune infiltration in the tumor microenvironment (TME) was assessed using multicolor flow cytometry. Gene regulation was evaluated by RNA-seq. Microvascular density was measured by immunohistochemistry, and PD-1 ligand (PD-L1) induction was quantified by western blot. Results: The baseline expression of VEGF and fibroblast growth factor (FGF) in patients with progressive disease was significantly higher than in patients achieving stable disease following anti-PD-1 treatment. VEGFA and bFGF significantly upregulated the expression of PD-1, cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein-4, and Tim-3 on T cells, while inhibiting the secretion of interferon gamma (IFNG) and granzyme B and suppressing T cell cytotoxicity. This immunosuppressive effect was reverted by lenvatinib but not sorafenib. Furthermore, dual lenvatinib/anti-PD-1 antibody therapy led to better antitumor effects than either sorafenib or fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) inhibitor (BGJ398) in H22 murine models of HCC. Combined lenvatinib/anti-PD-1 treatment also led to long-term immune memory formation, while synergistically modulating the TME and enhancing the cytotoxic effect of T cells. Finally, lenvatinib inhibited PD-L1 expression on human umbilical vein endothelial cells, which improved the function of T cells. Conclusions: Inhibition of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor and FGFR augmented the efficacy of anti-PD-1 antibodies. Combined lenvatinib/anti-PD-1 treatment appears to exert antitumor activity by synergistically modulating effector T cell function in the TME and by mutually regulating tumor vessel normalization.
Nivolumab in Combination with Irinotecan and 5-Fluorouracil (FOLFIRI) for Refractory Advanced Gastroesophageal Cancer
Authors: Rogers Jane E. , Xiao Lianchun , Trail Allison , Blum Murphy Mariela , Palmer Melissa , Ajani Jaffer A.
Published: February 2020

Introduction: Advanced unresectable gastroesophageal cancers continue to confer a dismal patient prognosis. Limited options remain once the cancer is refractory to cytotoxics/biologics (like irinotecan, taxane, and ramucirumab). Recently, anti-programmed death-1 (anti-PD-1) inhibitors have been used with limited efficacy in select patients with adenocarcinoma. Similarly, irinotecan-based therapy has marginal efficacy. We combined irinotecan plus a fluoropyrimidine with an anti-PD-1 antibody, nivolumab, with hopes of having a higher advantage for patients. Objectives: Primary objective was to assess safety judged by toxicities, dose delays, or dose reductions. Secondary endpoints included the assessment of response, overall survival (OS), and progression-free survival (PFS). Methods: We treated 15 patients with this combination during July 2017 to April 2019. Patients were included if they had follow-up at our institution. Results: Median doses given were nivolumab 240 mg + irinotecan 120 mg/m2 + 5-FU 2,000 mg/m2 over 46–48 h (or capecitabine 1,250 mg/m2/day; 7 days on, 7 days off) given every 2 weeks. Median age of the patients was 55 years, and all patients had an ECOG performance status of 0–1. The patients had a median of 1 prior therapy. Slightly over half of the patients had PD-L1 expression. The median number of cycles was 7. Five patients (33%) had a dose delay or dose adjustment. The most common reason for dose delay or adjustment was grade 2 fatigue. Disease control (response or stability) on first scan was 73.3% (n = 11). Median PFS and OS for the entire group was 7 and 13.3 months, respectively. Conclusion: In this small cohort of patients, we conclude that this combination is quite feasible and resulted in prolonged stability in some patients. Further development of this regimen is warranted.
Programmed Cell Death Ligand Expression Drives Immune Tolerogenesis across the Diverse Subtypes of Neuroendocrine Tumours
Authors: Pinato David J. , Vallipuram Anu , Evans Joanne S. , Wong Clement , Zhang Hua , Brown Matthew , Dina Roberto E. , Trivedi Pritesh , Akarca Ayse U. , Marafioti Teresa , Mauri Francesco A. , Sharma Rohini
Published: February 2020

Introduction: A comprehensive characterization of the tumour microenvironment is lacking in neuroendocrine tumours (NETs), where programmed cell death-1 receptor-ligand (PD-1/PD-L1) inhibitors are undergoing efficacy testing. Objective: We investigated drivers of cancer-related immunosuppression across NETs of various sites and grades using multi-parameter immunohistochemistry and targeted transcriptomic profiling. Methods: Tissue microarrays (n = 102) were stained for PD-L1 and 2 and indoleamine deoxygenase-1 (IDO-1) and evaluated in relationship to functional characteristics of tumour-infiltrating T-lymphocytes (TILs) and biomarkers of hypoxia/angiogenesis. PD-L1 expression was tested in circulating tumour cells (CTCs, n = 12) to evaluate its relationship with metastatic dissemination. Results: PD-L1 expression was highest in lung NETs (n = 30, p = 0.007), whereas PD-L2 was highest in pancreatic NETs (n = 53, p < 0.001) with no correlation with grade or hypoxia/angiogenesis. PD-L1+ NETs (n = 26, 25%) had greater CD4+/FOXP3+ and CD8+/PD1+ TILs (p < 0.001) and necrosis (p = 0.02). CD4+/FOXP3+ infiltrate had the highest PD-L1/IDO-1 co-expressing tumours (p = 0.006). Grade 3 well-differentiated NETs had lower CD4+/FOXP3+ and CD8+/PD1+ TIL density (p < 0.001), and NanoString immune profiling revealed enrichment of macrophage-related transcripts in cases with poorer prognosis. We identified PD-L1(+) CTC subpopulations in 75% of evaluated patients (n = 12). Conclusions: PD-L1 expression correlates with T-cell exhaustion independent of tumour hypoxia and is enhanced in a subpopulation of CTCs, suggesting its relevance to the progression of NETs. These findings support a potential therapeutic role for PD-L1 inhibitors in a subset of NETs.
A Prospectus for Examining Traditional and Modernized Consumption at China’s Urban Perimeters
Authors: Zelchenko Peter , Ivanov Alex
Published: February 2020

The overwriting of traditional urban culture is pronounced at the perimeters of China’s largest cities. Dynamic modernization is taking place near these perimeters, supplanting older but still-thriving traditional forms. China’s city dwellers are mastering modernization. Changes in everyday food culture are observable in the move away from traditional market and product designs and towards a supply industrial regime, as well as changes in the nature of work. In two pilot cases at the community and family level, we see both accommodation as well as some resistance to these changes. I outline parts of a research plan for further observation and reporting of these transitions.
Eating the Forbidden Fruit: Pottery and Protestant Theology in Early Modern England
Authors: Walsham Alexandra
Published: February 2020

This article offers insight into Protestant attitudes towards food by exploring seventeenth- and eighteenth-century English delftware dishes and chargers decorated with the biblical motif of the Temptation of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. It investigates the biblical story and doctrinal assumptions that underpinned this iconography and considers how objects decorated with it illuminate the ethics of eating in the godly household and reformed culture. Analyzing a range of visual variations on this theme, it approaches this species of Christian materiality as a form of embodied theology. Such pottery encouraged spectators to recognize the interconnections between sexual temptation and the sensual temptation presented by gluttony and to engage in spiritual and moral reflection. Probing the nexus between piety and bodily pleasure, the article also seeks to complicate traditional stereotypes about puritan asceticism.