bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Notes on the diet and foraging habits of the Giant Barred Frog Mixophyes iteratus
Authors: Madani G.
Published: September 2020

Australian anurans generally display little prey specialisation. Most data available of frog diet is limited to stomach content and faecal analysis with few direct observations of prey capture. Limited information is available on the diet of adult Giant Barred Frogs Mixophyes iteratus. In this paper I report on several observations of M. iteratus feeding on a variety of prey from various taxa. These observations suggest that M. iteratus are opportunistic, ambush predators with a broad diet. Their morphology and hunting behaviour align with existing models of amphibian foraging patterns.
Corporate support for threatened species recovery efforts: three case studies from the 2019–20 Australian bushfire season
Authors: Mo Matthew , Roache Mike , Reid Tania , Oliver Damon L. , Broome Linda , Fawcett Adam , Howard Katherine , Thomas Piers , Tracey Simon , Andersen Gerry , Lowry Rachel
Published: September 2020

A diverse range of corporations, businesses and organisations play an important role in threatened species conservation. During the unprecedented bushfire season in Australia in the 2019–20 summer, corporations, businesses and organisations contributed significant financial and in-kind support for the Saving our Species Program’s threatened species recovery efforts. On the eastern coast, a combination of food shortages and heat stress events resulted in large numbers of Grey-headed Flying-foxes Pteropus poliocephalus requiring rescue and rehabilitation. Prolonged drought and intense bushfires reduced available foraging resources for the Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby Petrogale penicillata and Mountain Pygmy-possum Burramys parvus. Corporations donated produce to feed flying-foxes in care and provide supplementary feeding for wild populations of rock-wallabies and pygmy-possums. Local businesses and organisations also supplied resources, funding and food storage capacity to support these conservation actions. The contributions from corporations, businesses and organisations in these case studies totalled more than $70,000.
Forecasting of New Cases of COVID-19 in Nigeria Using Autoregressive Fractionally Integrated Moving Average Models
Authors: Adesina Olumide Sunday , Onanaye Samson Adeniyi , Okewole Dorcas , Egere Amanze C.
Published: September 2020

The emergence of global pandemic known as COVID-19 has impacted significantly on human lives and measures have been taken by government all over the world to minimize the rate of spread of the virus, one of which is by enforcing lockdown. In this study, Autoregressive fractionally integrated moving average (ARFIMA) Models was used to model and forecast what the daily new cases of COVID-19 would have been ten days after the lockdown was eased in Nigeria and compare to the actual new cases for the period when the lockdown was eased.  The proposed model ARFIMA model was compared with ARIMA (1, 0, 0), and ARIMA (1, 0, 1) and found to outperform the classical ARIMA models based on AIC and BIC values. The results show that the rate of spread of COVID-19 would have been significantly less if the strict lockdown had continued. ARFIMA model was further used to model what new cases of COVID-19 would be ten days ahead starting from 31st of August 2020. Therefore, this study recommends that government should further enforce measures to reduce the spread of the virus if business must continue as usual.
Development and Evaluation of Fermented Little Millet Based Cold Extrudates
Authors: Khwairakpam Merina , Kumari B. Anila , Suneetha W. Jessie , Tejashree M.
Published: September 2020

Fermentation is a promising food processing method that can be used to diversify the food and improve nutritional property. Pasta a convenient and ready to cook food was developed using durum wheat and fermented little millet flour. Different formulations were prepared by mixing the ingredients in four combinations. Fermentation of little millet flour showed a significant decreased in pH while titratable acidity increased as fermentation goes on. Leavening of flour improved and also internal batter temperature ascend with increased in fermentation time. The result showed that combination with in the experimental samples 10% and15% fermented little millet flour has higher acceptability as compared to other combination.
Solution of Two-Point Linear and Nonlinear Boundary Value Problems with Neumann Boundary Conditions Using a New Modified Adomian Decomposition Method
Authors: Mulenga Justina , Phiri Patrick Azere
Published: September 2020

In this paper, we present the New Modified Adomian Decomposition Method which is a modification of the Modified Adomian Decomposition Method. The new method incorporates the inverse linear operator theorem into the modified Adomian decomposition method for the calculation of u0. Six linear and nonlinear boundary value problems with Neumann conditions are solved in order to test the method. The results show that the method is effective.
Lofexidine for acute opioid withdrawal: A clinical case series
Authors: Renfro Mandy L. , Loera Lindsey J. , Tirado Carlos F. , Hill Lucas G.
Published: September 2020

Introduction

Maintaining abstinence through the opioid withdrawal period is a substantial barrier to treatment for patients with opioid use disorder. The alpha-2 agonist lofexidine has demonstrated efficacy and safety in clinical trials, but pragmatic studies describing its use in clinical practice are lacking. This case series describes the use of lofexidine for opioid withdrawal symptoms in an inpatient addiction treatment facility.

Methods

Seventeen patients receiving at least 1 dose of lofexidine during inpatient treatment for opioid withdrawal were included in this study. A retrospective chart review was conducted for clinical, subjective, and objective data. Adverse events, total daily dose, clinical opioid withdrawal scale (COWS) scores, vital signs, and reasons for early discontinuation of lofexidine are reported.

Results

Patients treated with lofexidine experienced mild withdrawal symptoms throughout treatment. Most patients (65%) experienced a decrease in their average daily COWS scores from intake to discharge. Two patients (12%) left treatment against medical advice, and 5 patients (29%) discontinued treatment prior to day 7 due to resolution of symptoms. Average daily blood pressure readings remained stable, and daily average heart rate decreased over time.

Discussion

Lofexidine can be successfully incorporated into a conventional withdrawal management protocol. The cost of lofexidine and its recent introduction to the market remain barriers to accessibility in the United States. Studies evaluating patient-reported outcomes as well as direct comparisons with other alpha-2 agonists are needed to inform optimal clinical use of lofexidine.
Objective and subjective benefits of a psychiatric pharmacist–led long-acting injectable medication training at a large, multisite organization
Authors: Greer Daniel , Pasquale Jerome , Wahrenberger Jack Todd
Published: September 2020

Introduction

Many psychiatric, long-acting injectable (LAI) medications are available, and each product comes with its own unique challenges. Improper administration can lead to pain, decreased efficacy, and loss of trust in the patient-provider relationship. This study was conducted to determine if a pharmacist-led, 1-hour training was successful in increasing psychiatric LAI medication knowledge through a pretest and posttest. The study also assessed staff satisfaction, confidence, and relevance to practice through a feedback questionnaire.

Methods

Four 1-hour live trainings took place in November 2019. Thirty-five nurses and 8 medical assistants attended 1 of the trainings. A pretest and posttest was administered to determine the training's efficacy, and then a final assessment was administered 4 to 6 weeks after the training. Additionally, a participant feedback questionnaire was given to determine the perceived benefits of the training.

Results

The primary outcome was to compare pretest and posttest scores. The pretest average score was 67%, the posttest average score was 97%, and the average score 4 to 6 weeks after the training was 97%. The secondary outcome was to review feedback questionnaires to determine the perceived benefit and effectiveness of the training. Ninety-five percent of participants selected that they were very satisfied with the training, 88% selected they would definitely use the information presented in their work, and 93% selected that they had a lot of confidence in the topic after the training.

Discussion

A psychiatric LAI medication training administered to nursing staff and medical assistants improved knowledge scores and was perceived as being useful.
Whole-body edema with olanzapine: A case report and literature review
Authors: Cook Elizabeth A. , Shipman Denver , Fowler Tyler Gipson
Published: September 2020

Olanzapine is a second-generation antipsychotic (SGA) that has been shown to promote disease remission in persons with treatment-resistant depression when used in combination with fluoxetine. However, tolerability of treatment augmentation with SGAs may be limited because of common adverse effects, such as weight gain, hypertriglyceridemia, and elevated glucose. Data exist pertaining to rare localized edematous reactions or angioedema with use of SGAs, but diffuse whole-body edema has yet to be documented. A 47-year-old white female with treatment-resistant depression presented with a 5-day history of weight gain and swelling of her torso and extremities. Five days prior, she had initiated olanzapine/fluoxetine 6/50 mg daily following failure of fluoxetine 40 mg daily monotherapy. The patient was noted to have gained 3.6 kg since her last appointment and exhibited profuse pitting edema on her forearms, lower limbs, hands, and chest. Olanzapine/fluoxetine was discontinued and the patient was prescribed a 3-day course of a loop diuretic for symptomatic management. A follow-up visit 5 days later noted complete resolution of symptoms. Because of the temporal relationship of symptoms with initiation of olanzapine, we recommend monitoring for edema with initiation and/or titration of therapy.
Clinical Practice Guidelines and Managing Financial Conflicts of Interest
Authors: Lexchin Joel
Published: September 2020

Clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) are becoming essential for doctors to be able to deliver evidence‐based healthcare to their patients but the organisations and committees that sponsor and write the CPGs often have financial conflicts of interest (FCOI) with pharmaceutical companies whose products are recommended in the CPG. The existence of FCOI is a concern as it may compromise the quality of the CPG. Since the main concern is whether the quality of CPGs is biased by FCOI, the next section examines the quality of guidelines and the recommendations that they make. If FCOI is a problem, as I argue, then reforms are necessary. Both the Guidelines International Network and the United States Institute of Medicine have proposed ways of dealing with FCOI and their strengths and weaknesses are explored. Finally, I propose additional measures to help CPGs achieve their potential to help clinicians.

Key Concepts

Clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) are becoming increasingly necessary as medical problems become more complex.

Financial conflicts of interest (FCOI) are a potential threat to the integrity of CPGs.

FCOI among members of committees that write CPGs, chairs of committees and organisations that sponsor CPGs is widespread.

There is an association between the presence of FCOI and the quality of recommendations in CPGs.

Both the Guidelines International Network and the United States Institute of Medicine (now the National Academy of Medicine) have proposed ways of dealing with FCOI.

Additional reforms are necessary to ensure that CPGs are free of the bias that FCOI introduces.
Nematoda (Roundworms)
Authors: Poinar George
Published: September 2020

The Nematoda are a group of nonsegmented worm‐like invertebrates that occur worldwide in a wide range of habitats, including fresh and saltwaters, soil, plants and animals. They are one of the most abundant group of invertebrates on the face of the earth and rival the arthropods in biodiversity and species abundance. Their estimated numbers range from 1.5 billion in an upper 20 mm in 1.6 hectares of marine beach sand to 380 million in a square meter of leaf litter. Evidence from fossils and extant forms indicate that they evolved in the sea and came on land by probably moving up brackish estuaries into freshwater habitats. While many of the plant parasites are considered pests and controlled with nematicides, other nematodes are important in controlling agricultural and medically important insect pests, and still, others have been used as experimental model organisms in genetics.

Key Concepts

Nematodes are the most successful group of the Ecdysoma or pseudocoelomate bilateria.

Nematodes are one of the most abundant groups of invertebrates.

Some 22 000 nematode species have been described.

Estimates for species diversity range from 100 000 to 10 million.

Plant‐parasitic nematodes can be important agricultural pests.

Many nematodes are parasites of invertebrates, humans and other vertebrates.
Eutheria (Placental Mammals)
Authors: Averianov Alexander O
Published: September 2020

Eutheria includes one of three major clades of mammals, the extant members of which are referred to as placentals. With more than 5000 extinct and extant genera, including 1220 extant (living) genera and over 6000 extant species arrayed in 19 extant orders, placentals (extant eutherians) are the most taxonomically diverse of the three branches of extant mammals. Eutherians appear in the fossil record by 125 Ma (million years ago). Extant orders of eutherians (placentals) do not occur in the fossil record until after dinosaur extinction 65–66 Ma. Molecular studies generally agree with these dates for the origin of placental orders but place the origin of Eutheria at approximately 190 Ma and groups related to living orders of mammals by 100 Ma. Placentals vary greatly in size (whales down to shrews), in locomotion (flying, swimming, climbing, burrowing, running), and diet (meat, leaves, fruit, termites). They have a high resting temperature (homiothermy) and produce this heat internally (endothermy). They have a chorioallantoic placenta that allows a long gestation for development.

Key Concepts

Eutherian mammals are the most ecomorphological and taxonomically diverse group of mammals.

The evolutionary success of eutherian mammal is related to their mode of reproduction (euviviparity).

Eutherian mammals originated in the Early Cretaceous but modern placental orders radiated in the Cenozoic, after extinction of dinosaurs.

The four major groups of Placentalia are Xenarthra, Afrotheria, Laurasiatheria and Euarchontoglires.

The Cretaceous stem placentals mostly retained primitive therian dental formula which was further modified in the Cenozoic crown placentals.
Solid‐State Thin‐Film Broadband Short‐Wave Infrared Light Emitters
Authors: Pradhan Santanu , Dalmases Mariona , Konstantatos Gerasimos
Published: September 2020

Solid‐state broadband light emitters in the visible have revolutionized today's lighting technology achieving compact footprints, flexible form factors, long lifetimes, and high energy saving, although their counterparts in the infrared are still in the development phase. To date, broadband emitters in the infrared have relied on phosphor‐downconverted light emitters based on atomic optical transitions in transition metal or rare earth elements in the phosphor layer resulting in limited spectral bandwidths in the near‐infrared and preventing their integration into electrically driven light‐emitting diodes (LEDs). Herein, phosphor‐converted LEDs based on engineered stacks of multi‐bandgap colloidal quantum dots (CQDs) are reported as a novel class of broadband emitters covering a broad short‐wave infrared (SWIR) spectrum from 1050–1650 nm with a full‐width‐half‐maximum of 400 nm, delivering 14 mW of optical power with a quantum efficiency of 5.4% and power conversion efficiency of 13%. Leveraging the electrical conductivity of the CQD stacks, further, the first broadband SWIR‐active LED is demonstrated, paving the way toward complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor integrated broadband emitters for on‐chip spectrometers and low‐cost volume manufacturing. SWIR spectroscopy is employed to illustrate the practical relevance of the emitters in food and material identification case studies.
High Quantum Yield Water‐Dispersed Near‐Infrared In(Zn)As–In(Zn)P–GaP–ZnS Quantum Dots with Robust Stability for Bioimaging
Authors: Lim Kang Rui Garrick , Darwan Daryl , Wijaya Hadhi , Lim Zhi Chiaw , Shanmugam Janaki , Wang Tian , Lim Li Jun , Ang Wee Han , Tan Zhi‐Kuang
Published: September 2020

Fluorescent dyes with a high photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) and photostability are favored in bioimaging as they offer better imaging signals at lower dye loading, circumventing issues of cytotoxicity and biological pathway interference. Quantum dots (QDs) are efficient emitters with narrow spectral line‐widths, but often employ toxic heavy‐metals, and show significantly diminished PLQY and poor stability after phase‐transfer into aqueous media. Here, the preparation of nontoxic, water‐dispersed giant‐shell In(Zn)As–In(Zn)P–GaP–ZnS QDs that emit in the near‐infrared (NIR) at 828 nm is demonstrated. The QDs exhibit a remarkable PLQY of 75% when initially synthesized in a hydrophobic medium, and retains a high PLQY of 60% after ligand‐exchange and phase‐transfer into water. The water‐dispersed QDs show robust photostability with negligible photoluminescence (PL) attenuation after 3 h of laser irradiation, suggesting that the giant shell is effective in reducing nonradiative recombination that may be caused by photoinduced defects. The water‐dispersed QDs also exhibit high aqueous colloidal stability, retaining a high PLQY of 53% without QD agglomeration after 14 months of storage at 4 °C at a high loading concentration of 20 mg mL−1. The QDs are also successfully incorporated into HeLa cells for confocal bioimaging with no practical signs of cytotoxicity.
Prototypic Lightweight Alloy Design for Stellar‐Radiation Environments
Authors: Tunes Matheus A. , Stemper Lukas , Greaves Graeme , Uggowitzer Peter J. , Pogatscher Stefan
Published: September 2020

The existing literature data shows that conventional aluminium alloys may not be suitable for use in stellar‐radiation environments as their hardening phases are prone to dissolve upon exposure to energetic irradiation, resulting in alloy softening which may reduce the lifetime of such materials impairing future human‐based space missions. The innovative methodology of crossover alloying is herein used to synthesize an aluminium alloy with a radiation resistant hardening phase. This alloy—a crossover of 5xxx and 7xxx series Al‐alloys—is subjected to extreme heavy ion irradiations in situ within a TEM up to a dose of 1 dpa and major experimental observations are made: the Mg32(Zn,Al)49 hardening precipitates (denoted as T‐phase) for this alloy system surprisingly survive the extreme irradiation conditions, no cavities are found to nucleate and displacement damage is observed to develop in the form of black‐spots. This discovery indicates that a high phase fraction of hardening precipitates is a crucial parameter for achieving superior radiation tolerance. Based on such observations, this current work sets new guidelines for the design of metallic alloys for space exploration.
The effects of stoichiometry on the properties of exsolved Ni‐Fe alloy nanoparticles for dry methane reforming
Authors: Shah Soham , Sayono Samuel , Ynzunza Jenna , Pan Ryan , Xu Mingjie , Pan Xiaoqing , Gilliard‐AbdulAziz Kandis Leslie
Published: September 2020

The dry reforming of methane has received notable attention as a chemical process to convert natural gas into value‐added chemicals and fuels. Ni‐based exsolution catalysts using perovskite oxides supports have been used for their attractive sinter‐resistance and coke‐resistance properties. The perovskite oxide in itself has unique defect chemistry that can be used to manipulate and control the properties of the catalyst nanoparticles exsolved on the surface, therefore influencing both the nanoparticle and support characteristics. In this study, the La:Fe ratio of Ni‐doped LaFeO3 was used to manipulate and control the properties of exsolved Ni‐Fe alloy nanoparticles. The Ni‐Fe nanoparticles consisted of different sizes ranging from 10 to 380 nm. Temperature programmed surface reaction studies along with materials characterization with SEM, STEM‐HAADF, XRD, and BET showed that the Ni‐Fe nanoparticles from different solid precursors have the same active sites for methane activation but differ in performance and stability because of size effects, metal‐support strength, composition and support basicity. A mechanism is proposed to decipher the merits of the Ni‐Fe nanoparticles with the best activity, selectivity, and stability in this study.
SLC38A2 Overexpression Induces a Cancer‐like Metabolic Profile and Cooperates with SLC1A5 in Pan‐cancer Prognosis
Authors: Huang Meng‐Sen , Chang Jen‐Hsuan , Lin Wen‐Ching , Cheng Yu‐Hsiang , Li Fu‐An , Suen Ching‐Shu , Hwang Ming‐Jing , Chang Chung‐ke , Mou Kurt Yun
Published: September 2020

Cancer cells have dramatically increased demands for energy as well as biosynthetic precursors to fuel their restless growth. Enhanced glutaminolysis is a hallmark of cancer metabolism which fulfills these needs. Two glutamine transporters, SLC1A5 and SLC38A2, have been previously reported to promote glutaminolysis in cancer with controversial perspectives. In this study, we harnessed the proximity labeling reaction to map the protein interactome using mass spectrometry‐based proteomics and discovered a potential protein‐protein interaction between SLC1A5 and SLC38A2. The SLC1A5/SLC38A2 interaction was further confirmed by bimolecular fluorescence complementation assay. We further investigated the metabolic influence of SLC1A5 and SLC38A2 overexpression in human cells, respectively, and found that only SLC38A2, but not SLC1A5, resulted in a cancer‐like metabolic profile, where the intracellular concentrations of essential amino acids and lactate were significantly increased as quantified by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Finally, we analyzed the 5‐year survival rates in a large pan‐cancer cohort and found that the SLC1A5hi/SLC38A2lo group did not relate to a poor survival rate, whereas the SLC1A5lo/SLC38A2hi group significantly aggravated the lethality. Intriguingly, the SLC1A5hi/SLC38A2hi group resulted in an even worse prognosis, suggesting a cooperative effect between SLC1A5 and SCL38A2. Our data suggest that SLC38A2 plays a dominant role in reprogramming the cancer‐like metabolism and promoting the cancer progression, whereas SLC1A5 may augment this effect when co‐overexpressed with SLC38A2. We propose a model to explain the relationship between SLC1A5, SLC38A2 and SCL7A5, and discuss their impact on glutaminolysis and mTOR signaling.
Assessing the relationship between neonatal abstinence syndrome and birth defects in Delaware
Authors: Hussaini Khaleel S. , Drummond Dana , E. Bartoshesky Louis , Acheson Amy , Stomieroski Kathleen , A. Paul David , Kirby Russell S.
Published: September 2020

Background

Neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) is a withdrawal syndrome in newborns and is frequently caused by maternal opioid use during pregnancy. Our study examines whether NAS is associated with birth defects in Delaware.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective analysis of linked Delaware birth certificate data (BCD), hospital discharge data (HDD), and birth defects registry (BDR) data to examine the association between NAS and birth defects for all hospital births to Delaware residents from 2010 to 2017. Birth defects data were abstracted from medical records from Delaware's BDR. We used International Classification of Diseases Ninth and Tenth Revision Clinical Modification (ICD‐9‐CM/ICD‐10‐CM) 779.5 and P96.1 codes to determine NAS using HDD and excluded iatrogenic cases of NAS. We estimated crude and adjusted odds ratio with 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

Results

During 2010–2017, there were 2,784 cases of birth defects and 1,651 cases of NAS in Delaware. Among infants with a diagnosis of NAS, 56 also had a birth defect (3.4%), similar to 2,728 birth defects among 79,636 infants without a diagnosis of NAS (3.4%). We found no statistically significant association between an NAS diagnosis and birth defects (adjusted odds ratios = 1.0; 95% CI: 0.8–1.3).

Conclusions

Our multiyear state‐wide study using linked BCD, HDD, and BDR data for Delaware did not show a statistically significant association between infants diagnosed with NAS and birth defects, overall.
A bias‐corrected meta‐analysis model for combining, studies of different types and quality
Authors: Verde Pablo Emilio
Published: September 2020

Public health researchers may have to decide whether to perform a meta‐analysis including only high‐quality randomized clinical trials (RCTs) or whether to include a mixture of all the available evidence, namely RCTs of varying quality and observational studies (OS). The main hurdle when combining disparate evidence in a meta‐analysis is that we are not only combining results of interest but we are also combining multiple biases. Therefore, commonly applied meta‐analysis methods may lead to misleading conclusions.

In this paper, we present a new Bayesian hierarchical model, called the bias‐corrected (BC) meta‐analysis model, to combine different study types in meta‐analysis. This model is based on a mixture of two random effects distributions, where the first component corresponds to the model of interest and the second component to the hidden bias structure. In this way, the resulting model of interest is adjusted by the internal validity bias of the studies included in a systematic review.

We illustrate the BC model with two meta‐analyses: The first one combines RCTs and OS to assess effectiveness of vaccination to prevent invasive pneumococcal disease. The second one investigates the effectiveness of stem cell treatment in heart disease patients. Our results show that ignoring internal validity bias in a meta‐analysis may lead to misleading conclusions. However, if a meta‐analysis model contemplates a bias adjustment, then RCTs results may increase their precision by including OS in the analysis. The BC model has been implemented in JAGS and R, which facilitate its application in practice.
Assessment of the in vivo biofunctionality of a biomimetic hybrid scaffold for osteochondral tissue regeneration
Authors: Tschon Matilde , Brogini Silvia , Parrilli Annapaola , Bertoldi Serena , Silini Antonietta , Parolini Ornella , Faré Silvia , Martini Lucia , Veronesi Francesca , Fini Milena , Giavaresi Gianluca
Published: September 2020

Chondral and osteochondral lesions represent one of the most challenging problems in the orthopedic field, as these types of injuries lead to disability and worsened quality of life for patients and have an economic impact on the healthcare system. The aim of this in vivo study was to develop a new tissue engineering approach through a hybrid scaffold for osteochondral tissue regeneration made of porous polyurethane foam (PU) coated under vacuum with calcium phosphates (PU/VAC). Scaffold characterization showed a highly porous and interconnected structure. Human amniotic mesenchymal stromal cells (hAMSCs) were loaded into scaffolds using pectin (PECT) as a carrier. Osteochondral defects in medial femoral condyles of rabbits were created and randomly allocated in one of the following groups: plain scaffold (PU/VAC), scaffold with hAMSCs injected in the implant site (PU/VAC/hAMSC), scaffold with hAMSCs loaded in pectin (PU/VAC/PECT/hAMSC), and no treated defects (untreated). The therapeutic efficacy was assessed by macroscopic, histological, histomorphometric, microtomographic, and ultrastructural analyses at 3, 6, 12, and 24 weeks. Histological results showed that the scaffold was permissive to tissue growth and penetration, an immature osteocartilaginous tissue was observed at early experimental times, with a more accentuated bone regeneration in comparison with the cartilage layer in the absence of any inflammatory reaction.
Reducing nihilism in metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: Treatment, sequencing, and effects on survival outcomes
Authors: O'Reilly Eileen M. , Cockrum Paul , Surinach Andy , Wu Zheng , Dillon Allison , Yu Kenneth H.
Published: September 2020

Background

Real‐world practice patterns, treatment sequencing, and outcomes in patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer remain unclear. Previous research indicates that the likelihood of patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer receiving or continuing cancer‐directed therapy is low—a phenomenon called nihilism. This retrospective, descriptive analysis examined clinical characteristics, treatment patterns, and outcomes for patients with metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (mPDAC).

Methods

Treatment patterns were examined using electronic health records from the Flatiron Health database covering the period from January 1, 2014, to June 30, 2019. Real‐world overall survival [rwOS]) was compared for a subgroup of patients receiving treatment and a matched subgroup not receiving treatment.

Results

Of 7666 patients, 5687 (74.2%) received at least one line of systemic therapy. A greater proportion of patients receiving treatment than not receiving treatment had an initial diagnosis of stage IV disease (68.8% vs 61.2%, respectively). Among patients receiving an initial therapy, fewer than half (38.2%; 2174/5687) received second‐line treatment, mostly because they died, and only 34.3% (745/2174) of those receiving second‐line treatment advanced to third‐line treatment. The rwOS for patients receiving at least one line of systemic therapy was 8.1 months versus 2.6 months for matched patients not receiving treatment (hazard ratio, 0.41; 95% confidence interval, 0.38‐0.45; 1470 patients per group).

Conclusions

Systemic therapy provided significant clinical benefit for patients who were eligible and chose to receive it, particularly when treatment was consistent with guideline recommendations. The large proportion of patients initiating treatment suggests that nihilism with mPDAC is diminishing.
Self‐brand connection and intention to purchase a counterfeit luxury brand in emerging economies
Authors: Chand Vijay Shankar , Fei Chen
Published: September 2020

Only a few studies have examined the relationship between consumers' self–brand connection and the intention to purchase counterfeit luxury brands in emerging economies. The current research explores the decision taken by consumers who are self‐connected to a brand to purchase counterfeit luxury brands. A survey‐based study was conducted among potential counterfeit buyers in nine malls in three cities in China. A sample of shoppers who physically shop in malls (n = 1,230) was used to test the hypotheses by using the structural equation model. Conspicuous consumption and emotional attachment were examined as mediators between self–brand connection and intention to purchase a counterfeit luxury brand. Creatively, this research used perceived counterfeit detection to determine how important people reflect their decision to purchase counterfeit luxury brands. The study also tests the moderation effect of economic benefit in the relationship between self–brand connection and counterfeit luxury brand purchase. Results demonstrate that consumers who are eager to build their self‐concept may decide to purchase counterfeit luxury brands. The mediation results show that conspicuous consumption and emotional attachment mediate the relationship. Interestingly, because of the involvement of perceived counterfeit detection, the effect is greater than the effect before mediation. Moreover, the economic benefit was found to increase the desire for counterfeit luxury brand purchases in emerging markets. The implication for managers is to customize the marketing campaigns that match the environment where the problem persists in reducing the consumer desire on counterfeit luxury brands and enhance the desire for the original luxury brand.
Bimetallic‐organic Frameworks CoMo‐ZIF‐67: An Efficient and Stable Catalyst for Selective Oxidation of Alkenes
Authors: Zou Wenhong , Guo Yingxiong , Li Pan , Liu Mengying , Hou Linxi
Published: September 2020

Developing catalysts for the selective oxidation of alkenes with environment‐friendly, unique structural characteristics, high economic benefit and better catalytic performance is important. Herein, we employed ZIF‐67 as the sacrificial template to synthesize bimetallic‐organic frameworks CoxMo100‐x‐ZIF nanocages by a facile dissolution‐regrowth strategy. The Co51.8Mo48.2‐ZIF catalyst was tested under various experimental parameters for the selective oxidation of cyclooctene to screen the optimal reaction conditions. Under the optimal reaction conditions, Co51.8Mo48.2‐ZIF nanocages exhibited a high cyclooctene conversion of 99.3 % and a selectivity of 99.0 % to epoxy cyclooctane. Furthermore, Co51.8Mo48.2‐ZIF nanocages can maintain their catalytic performance after reused five catalytic cycles. This bimetallic catalyst could also be used for the epoxidation of a wide range of alkenes, such as hexene or cyclohexene. In addition, the kinetic studies were conducted, and a reasonable reaction mechanism was proposed based on density functional theory calculations. The outstanding catalytic performance of CoxMo100‐x‐ZIF nanocages can be attributed to the cooperativity between Co and Mo sites and the hollow structure with high surface areas.
Evaluation of circulating tumor cell clusters for pan‐cancer noninvasive diagnostic triaging
Authors: Gaya Andrew , Crook Timothy , Plowman Nicholas , Ranade Anantbhushan , Limaye Sewanti , Bhatt Amit , Page Raymond , Patil Revati , Fulmali Pradip , Datta Vineet , Kumar Prashant , Patil Darshana , Akolkar Dadasaheb
Published: September 2020

Background

Histopathologic examination (HPE) of tumor tissue obtained by invasive biopsy is the standard for cancer diagnosis but is resource‐intensive and has been associated with procedural risks. The authors demonstrate that immunocytochemistry (ICC) profiling of circulating ensembles of tumor‐associated cells (C‐ETACs) can noninvasively provide diagnostic guidance in solid organ cancers.

Methods

The clinical performance of this approach was tested on blood samples from 30,060 individuals, including 9416 individuals with known cancer; 6725 symptomatic individuals with suspected cancer; and 13,919 asymptomatic individuals with no prior diagnosis of cancer. C‐ETACs were harvested from peripheral blood and profiled by ICC for organ‐specific and subtype‐specific markers relevant to the cancer type. ICC profiles were compared with HPE diagnoses to determine concordance.

Results

The presence of malignancy was confirmed by the detection of C‐ETACs in 91.8% of the 9416 individuals with previously known cancer. Of the 6725 symptomatic individuals, 6025 were diagnosed with cancer, and 700 were diagnosed with benign conditions; C‐ETACs were detected in 92.6% of samples from the 6025 individuals with cancer. In a subset of 3509 samples, ICC profiling of C‐ETACs for organ‐specific and subtype‐specific markers was concordant with HPE findings in 93.1% of cases. C‐ETACs were undetectable in 95% of samples from the 700 symptomatic individuals who had benign conditions and in 96.3% of samples from the 13,919 asymptomatic individuals.

Conclusions

C‐ETACs were ubiquitous (>90%) in various cancers and provided diagnostically relevant information in the majority (>90%) of cases. This is the first comprehensive report on the feasibility of ICC profiling of C‐ETACs to provide pan‐cancer diagnostic guidance with accuracy comparable to that of HPE.
Highly collaborative distributed systems: Synthesis and enactment at work
Authors: Autili Marco , Perucci Alexander , Leite Leonardo , Tivoli Massimo , Kon Fabio , Di Salle Amleto
Published: September 2020

Service choreographies support a distributed composition approach that is based on the specification of the external interaction of the participant services in terms of flows of message exchanges, given from a global perspective. When developing distributed service‐based applications, different services are produced by different teams; at the same time, such choreographies can also interact with third‐party services, hence leading to the reuse of black‐box services. Enforcing a global coordination logic across the many in‐house and third‐party services to correctly realize the specified choreography is a nontrivial endeavor. Automatic support is then desirable. In this article, we present an integrated development and run‐time environment for choreography‐based systems, which covers all the development activities, including specification, code synthesis, automatic deployment, enactment, and monitoring on the Cloud. We focus on providing a practical solution, that is, applicable by the community and considering technological standards used in the industry. We report the results of an experiment that we conducted with a use case in the in‐store marketing and sales domain. Results confirm confidence in the approach and show that the platform can be applied in practical contexts.
Homoeology of Thinopyrum distichum single‐chromosome additions in triticale and wheat
Authors: Marais Gideon Francois , Fiedler Jason , Tao Hongbin , Pirseyedi Seyed , Hegstad Justin , Ganaparthi Venkata , Liu Yuan , Bisek Bradley , Li Xuehui
Published: September 2020

Thinopyrum distichum (Thunb.) Á. Löve (2n = 4x = 28; J1dJ1dJ2dJ2d) inhabits harsh, dry saline coastal dunes. Its adaptive genes can be of value to cultivated cereals; therefore, single‐chromosome additions were previously developed in hexaploid triticale (×Triticosecale Wittm. ex A. Camus) and common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.); however, their homoeology to triticale and wheat chromosomes remained largely unknown. Here we used genotyping‐by‐sequencing (GBS) to supplement conventional markers and determine the synteny of the Th. distichum addition chromosomes. Twenty‐seven triticale lines with single Th. distichum addition chromosomes were analyzed. Genotyping‐by‐sequencing yielded 2.75 million unique sequences that included 134,506 Th. distichum‐specific tags absent in the wheat, durum wheat [Triticum turgidum L. subsp. Durum (Desf.) van Slageren], ×Triticosecale spp., and rye (Secale cereale L.) controls. The Th. distichum‐specific tags were then sorted into 125,262 informative, single‐pair tags (from one homoeologous group) and 9,244 uninformative, multi‐group tags associated with more than one homoeologous group. Presence–absence patterns produced by the single‐pair tags suggested the presence of 11 different Th. distichum addition chromosomes whose associated sequence tags were then aligned to the Th. elongatum (Host) D. R. Dewey and Chinese Spring (CS) genomic databases to reveal their homoeology. Five prominent translocations were detected among the 11 Th. distichum addition chromosomes and three chromosomes appeared to be extensively restructured. The extra chromosomes in 10 additions to common wheat represented five different Th. distichum chromosomes that were also represented in the triticale set. The 11 distinct Th. distichum addition chromosomes constitute a useful genetic resource for continued dissection of the Th. distichum genomes.
TORC1 selectively regulates synaptic maturation and input convergence in the developing visual system
Authors: Gobert Delphine , Schohl Anne , Kutsarova Elena , Ruthazer Edward S.
Published: September 2020

Newly synthesized proteins support the development of functional neural circuits and previous work has suggested that dysregulated translation mediates certain forms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Here, we investigated the role of Target of Rapamycin Complex 1 (TORC1) in synaptic and dendritic development in vivo in the retinotectal system of Xenopus laevis tadpoles. We found that TORC1 signaling regulates dendritic growth and branching and that acute over‐activation of TORC1 by Rheb overexpression drove enhanced maturation of excitatory synapses by recruiting AMPA receptors. Interestingly, TORC1 over‐activation did not affect inhibitory transmission, resulting in a significant imbalance in the excitatory‐to‐inhibitory ratio. Rheb overexpression also enlarged excitatory visual input fields in tectal neurons, consistent with dysregulation of retinotopic input refinement and integration of the cell into the circuit. In contrast to other reports that mainly found impairments in synaptic inhibition using broad systemic deletion or mutation of TORC1 regulatory proteins, our findings from acute, local manipulation of TORC1 reveal its critical role in selectively regulating the number and maturity of excitatory, but not inhibitory, synapses in the developing brain.
Past, current, and potential future distributions of unique genetic diversity in a cold‐adapted mountain butterfly
Authors: Minter Melissa , Dasmahapatra Kanchon K. , Thomas Chris D. , Morecroft Mike D. , Tonhasca Athayde , Schmitt Thomas , Siozios Stefanos , Hill Jane K.
Published: September 2020

Aim

Climatic changes throughout the Pleistocene have strongly modified species distributions. We examine how these range shifts have affected the genetic diversity of a montane butterfly species and whether the genetic diversity in the extant populations is threatened by future climate change.

Location

Europe.

Taxon

Erebia epiphron Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae.

Methods

We analyzed mtDNA to map current genetic diversity and differentiation of E. epiphron across Europe to identify population refugia and postglacial range shifts. We used species distribution modeling (SDM) to hindcast distributions over the last 21,000 years to identify source locations of extant populations and to project distributions into the future (2070) to predict potential losses in genetic diversity.

Results

We found substantial genetic diversity unique to specific regions within Europe (total number of haplotypes = 31, number of unique haplotypes = 27, Hd = 0.9). Genetic data and SDM hindcasting suggest long‐term separation and survival of discrete populations. Particularly, high rates of unique diversity in postglacially colonized sites in England (Hd = 0.64) suggest this population was colonized from a now extinct cryptic refugium. Under future climate change, SDMs predict loss of climate suitability for E. epiphron, particularly at lower elevations (<1,000 meters above sea level) equating to 1 to 12 unique haplotypes being at risk under climate scenarios projecting 1°C and 2–3°C increases respectfully in global temperature by 2070.

Main conclusions

Our results suggest that historical range expansion and retraction processes by a cold‐adapted mountain species caused diversification between populations, resulting in unique genetic diversity which may be at risk if distributions of cold‐adapted species shrink in future. Assisted colonizations of individuals from at‐risk populations into climatically suitable unoccupied habitat might help conserve unique genetic diversity, and translocations into remaining populations might increase their genetic diversity and hence their ability to adapt to future climate change.
Ecohydrological controls on lichen and moss CO2 exchange in rock barrens turtle nesting habitat
Authors: Hudson Danielle T. , Markle Chantel E. , Harris Lorna I. , Moore Paul A. , Waddington James M.
Published: September 2020

Lichens and mosses are among the first organisms to colonize the open bedrock of eastern Georgian Bay, Ontario making them essential for primary soil formation and ecosystem succession, while also providing nesting habitat for turtle species‐at‐risk. However, the slow growing nature of lichen and moss makes them vulnerable to ecohydrological stresses caused by climate and land‐use change. In order to better understand how lichen and moss will respond to stressors, we examined which ecohydrological factors (e.g., near‐surface soil moisture and temperature) control the CO2 exchange of lichen (Cladonia spp.) and moss (Polytrichum spp.) on rock barrens, and the time of year growth primarily occurs. Net ecosystem productivity (NEP) was significantly greater in the wet period of the growing season than the dry, with an estimated difference of 0.7 μmol m−2 s−1 for lichen, 2.9 μmol m−2 s−1 for moss, and 2.5 μmol m−2 s−1 for a moss and lichen mix. These findings indicate that the wet portions of the growing season are critical for growth, while lichen and moss have little to no productivity during the dry period. Our results indicate that near‐surface soil moisture is an indicator of the CO2 exchange of lichen and moss, and this relationship varies among cover types. For the geographical regions where warm, dry conditions are expected to increase in duration and frequency with climate change, lichen and moss NEP will likely decrease, thus limiting the long‐term availability of nesting habitat for turtle species‐at‐risk.
Effects of the Neonicotinoid Acetamiprid in Pollen on Bombus impatiens Microcolony Development
Authors: Camp Allison A. , Batres Michael A. , Williams Wanda C. , Koethe Robert W. , Stoner Kimberly A. , Lehmann David M.
Published: September 2020

Honey bees and other wild bee species including bumble bees have experienced population declines in recent decades. Although many stressors are implicated in bee population declines, much attention has focused on neonicotinoid pesticides, which are widely used and known to be toxic to pollinators. One neonicotinoid, acetamiprid, has been studied very little in bumble bees, despite its use on bumble bee–pollinated crops. We assessed the impacts of acetamiprid to the North American bumble bee Bombus impatiens using the microcolony model. We examined nest growth, development, and subsequent nest productivity as measured by drone production. We found that high concentrations of acetamiprid in pollen (4520 µg/kg) significantly impacted nest growth, development, and, ultimately, reproduction (drone production). We found the no-observable–adverse effect level to be 45.2 µg/kg. Overall, acetamiprid has the potential to negatively impact reproductive endpoints for B. impatiens. However, effects occurred at concentrations substantially higher than expected environmental concentrations that would be achieved when following label rates. Further work is required to assess the effects of this pesticide on B. impatiens via alternate routes of exposure and on queenright colonies. Environ Toxicol Chem 2020;39:2560–2569. © 2020 SETAC. This article has been contributed to by US Government employees and their work is in the public domain in the USA.