bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Strengthening mechanism of cover glass by Sol‐Gel SiO2 coating
Authors: Li Chenyu , Zhou Zhonghua , Cao Wen , Zheng Yuanyuan , Wang Qun , Huang Yue , Shen Shirley
Published: December 2019

Strengthening is a huge challenge of ultrathin cover glass in mobile electronic devices. In this paper, a transparent sol‐gel silica coating has been sprayed on the surface of chemically strengthened cover glass, and three different coatings (identified as thickness/curing temperature: 3 μm/80°C, 5 μm/80°C, and 3 μm/180°C) have been prepared. Characterized by four‐point bending experiment, the strengthening effects of three coatings, representing by the increases of strength of the coated glass, are 47 MPa, 98 MPa, and 58 MPa for 3 μm/80°C, 5 μm/80°C, and 3 μm/180°C, respectively. Based on finite element simulation and experimental data of four‐point bending, the influence of four parameters of surface coating (elastic modulus, residual stress, filling ratio, and thickness) on glass strengthening has been investigated. Simulation analysis shows that the increase of elastic modulus, residual stress, and filling ratio of the SiO2 coating facilitates the increase of bending strength of cover glass, and the coating thickness has less influence on the glass strength. However, the experimental results demonstrate that the coating thickness has a significant impact on the strength of glass: when the layer thickness of sample cured at 80°C increases from 3μm to 5μm, the bending strength of glass can improve by 51MPa. Since greater coating thickness induces greater filling ratio, which is the main contributor to the strengthening effect of increased coating thickness, so, elastic modulus, residual stress, and filling ratio of the coating are the three key factors of the cover glass strengthening.
The impact of the Sarbanes–Oxley Section 404(b) exemption on earnings informativeness
Authors: Lyubimov Alexey , Davis Larry , Trompeter Greg
Published: December 2019

We investigate whether firms who voluntarily drop compliance with Section 404(b) of Sarbanes–Oxley (SOX)—the requirement to have an outside auditor conduct an audit of internal control over financial reporting—suffer a loss of earnings informativeness. Section 404(b) has been widely criticized for imposing costs in excess of the benefits to investors. Calls for wholesale repeal and increasingly wide exemptions from compliance continue to this day. The fact that non‐US regulators have not passed similar regulation outside of the USA appears to be partially driven by similar cost concerns. Our results indicate that voluntary dropping of 404(b) is associated with a drop in earnings informativeness. This result is driven primarily by financially distressed companies. Our results address previous calls for research about the market's perception of 404(b) compliance and suggest that regulators may wish to consider firm characteristics when determining which firms should be required to purchase an audit of internal control over financial reporting.
Bread fortified with dietary fibre extracted from culinary banana bract: its quality attributes and in vitro starch digestibility
Authors: Begum Yesmin A. , Chakraborty Sourav , Deka Sankar C.
Published: December 2019

The effect of fortification of dietary fibre (DF) on dough rheology, quality characteristics and in vitro starch digestibility of bread was studied. Bread was prepared incorporating DF (2–4 g per 100 g of flour mixture). Rheological study of dough showed an increase in dough stiffness and elasticity with higher incorporation of the DF. The results of chemical composition revealed that addition of DF increased total DF (19.65 g per 100 g) content of bread. However, incorporation of 2 g per 100 g DF of flour mixture with 66 g per 100 g moisture showed higher water retention and specific volume of 86.76% and 5.83 cm3 g−1, respectively, which was close to control bread. Improved textural property with acceptable sensory attributes was observed for bread fortified with 2 g per 100 g DF of flour mixture and 66 g per 100 g moisture content. Incorporation of DF (2–4 g per 100 g of flour mixture) showed a decrease in rapidly digestible starch (RDS) and an increase in slowly digestible starch (SDS) content with lower predicted glycaemic index (pGI) than control bread.
Financial disclosure readability and innovative firms' cost of debt
Authors: Hoffmann Arvid O. I. , Kleimeier Stefanie
Published: December 2019

Innovative firms confront potential lenders with various risks, including possible innovation failure, uncertain R&D investment payoffs, cash flow volatility, and low collateral value of hard‐to‐value intangible assets. As a result, these firms might struggle to obtain financing. More readable financial disclosures could mitigate the informational risk around innovative firms' fundamentals, ease their monitoring by lenders, and thus ultimately reduce these firms' cost of debt. In this regard, we find that while all firms can overcome information uncertainty about their firm fundamentals and reduce their spreads by having more readable financial disclosures, there is an additional benefit in terms of readability further lowering the cost of debt for innovative firms. The additional benefit that innovative firms can achieve from having more readable financial disclosures, however, is limited to situations of more pronounced information asymmetry where there is no previous lending relationship.
Females are more determinant than males in reproductive performance in the house sparrow Passer domesticus
Authors: Peralta‐Sánchez Juan Manuel , Colmenero Jose , Redondo‐Sánchez Sandra , Ontanilla Juan , Soler Manuel
Published: December 2019

Which sex has a more determinant role in reproductive performance? This is a long standing question in evolutionary ecology. Theory predicts and several pieces of evidence have indicated that females are more determinant than males. However, a direct test of this hypothesis has never been made. Here we perform such a direct test by using an alternative analytical approach, controlling for age and/or individual experience, and a captive population of the house sparrow Passer domesticus, a monogamous bi‐parental dimorphic species in which both sexes contribute with approximately equal amounts of parental care. In this species, it has been demonstrated that contribution by males to offspring parental care is crucial to maximize reproductive success. Captive conditions with absence of predators and availability of food ad libitum allow us to control several important factors that may affect reproductive performance, such as environmental fluctuations in resource availability and differences in territory quality, without affecting reproductive performance. We consider four types of pairs, and our main prediction derived from the hypothesis is that mixed pairs involving an experienced female (FBM × EF) should present better reproductive performance than mixed pairs involving a first‐time breeder female (EM × FBF). Our results confirm the general pattern reported in other bird species that older or more experienced individuals enjoy a higher reproductive success than first‐time breeders. In addition, in agreement with our main prediction, we found that FBM × EF produced significantly more fledglings and had higher fledging success than EM × FBF. Our results, for the first time demonstrate the broadly accepted statement that females have a more determinant role than males in reproductive performance.
The adjunctive use of host modulators in non‐surgical periodontal therapy. A systematic review of randomized, placebo‐controlled clinical studies
Authors: Donos Nikolaos , Calciolari Elena , Brusselaers Nele , Goldoni Matteo , Bostanci Nagihan , Belibasakis Georgios N.
Published: December 2019

Background

Considering the role of the inflammatory host response in the pathogenesis of periodontitis, different host modulators have been proposed to enhance the outcomes of non‐surgical periodontal therapy (NSPT), but their efficacy has not been fully clarified.

Objectives

This systematic review investigated the efficacy of host modulators combined with NSPT in reducing probing pocket depth (PPD) in periodontitis patients.

Materials and methods

Placebo‐controlled RCTs with ≥6 months follow‐up were searched. Meta‐analysis was conducted when ≥5 studies using the same host modulator were identified.

Results

Fifty eight studies met the inclusion criteria. After 6 months, local administration of 1.2% statin gels as adjuncts to NSPT significantly improved PPD reduction (1.83 mm) in infrabony defects and systemic administration of sub‐antimicrobial dose doxycycline (SDD) in addition to NSPT improved PPD reduction of deep pockets. Administration of probiotics conferred limited clinical benefits. Local bisphosphonate and metformin gels showed potential for clinical use in infrabony defects, which needs to be confirmed.

Conclusions

Local delivery of statins in infrabony defects and systemic SDD for deep pockets may confer additional clinical benefits to NSPT. Their long‐term effectiveness and safety need to be confirmed in independent multi‐centred studies. Further studies are needed to confirm the benefit of other host modulators.
Comparison of guidelines for the management of patients with high‐risk and advanced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma – a systematic review
Authors: Heppt M.V. , Steeb T. , Berking C. , Nast A.
Published: December 2019

The management of high‐risk cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) can be a challenge as evidence from high quality clinical trials is rare. Guideline developers are challenged to provide practical and useful guidance for clinicians even in the absence of good evidence. In order to compare treatment recommendations for high‐risk and advancedcSCCamong national and international guidelines and to extract the most precise guidance provided, a systematic search was carried out in guideline databases Medline and Embase with a cutoff of 4 March 2019. Treatment recommendations for predefined clinical scenarios were extracted from selected guidelines and compared qualitatively. Five guidelines published from 2015 to 2018 were included. Excision of high‐risk tumours with margin assessment was recommended in all guidelines. A safety margin of at least 6 mm was suggested in four guidelines. There was no clear recommendation to perform a sentinel lymph node biopsy in any guideline. Lymph node dissection was uniformly recommended in the presence of nodal disease. Treatment for metastaticcSCCwas poorly characterized and restricted to the use of chemotherapy and epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors. Recommendations for the management of high‐risk and advancedcSCCwere limited. We propose that guidelines should be updated to reflect recent advances in checkpoint blockade for metastaticcSCC.
Cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas on special locations: perioral, periocular and genital area
Authors: Nägeli M.C. , Ramelyte E. , Dummer R.
Published: December 2019

If tumours arise in special locations such as around the eyes, mouth or in the genital area, patients and physicians are challenged by the need for complete removal of the tumour with safety margins and high demands on function and aesthetic aspects. Treatment should be performed by specialized physicians including ophthalmologists, head and neck surgeons, surgical, medical and radiation oncologists. The first‐line treatment for most cutaneous malignancies is surgical excision; however, in several situations, such as well‐differentiated cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas (cSCC) in the periocular or anal region, radiotherapy is a very reasonable and sometimes treatment of first choice, especially in patients with advanced age. In periocular SCC, radiotherapy with superficial x‐ray combined with eye shielding, while in anal SCC, radiotherapy combined with chemotherapy is recommended. However, after failure of local treatment options including surgery and radiotherapy, systemic medications are indicated in order to achieve tumour control or cure. Systemic therapies include immunotherapy, targeted therapy or chemotherapy. Preventive strategies are based on UV protection in facial, and vaccination in HPV associated anogenital SCCs.
The actinic dysplasia syndrome – diagnostic approaches defining a new concept in field carcinogenesis with multiple cSCC
Authors: Dejonckheere G. , Suppa M. , del Marmol V. , Meyer T. , Stockfleth E.
Published: December 2019

Usually, SCC lesions are surrounded by a number of clinically visible and non‐visible (subclinical) areas of actinically damaged skin containing cells with dysplasia, and thus may be designated actinic dysplasia syndrome. The epithelial damage is caused mainly by UV radiation, inducing mutations in keratinocytes that may confer growth advantages resulting in preneoplastic fields. The development of visible dysplastic lesions (actinic keratosis – AK) and subsequent progression to invasive SCC requires further mutations in cancer‐associated genes, like tumour suppressor genes and cell cycle regulators. Reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) represent a considerable advantage for the investigation of field cancerization. In addition, imaging allows the non‐invasive monitoring of topical treatments for AKs. RCM provides in vivo horizontal skin sections with a high, 1‐μm lateral resolution (similar to histopathology) but with a limited penetration (about 200 μm), which can hamper the visualization of important areas such as the dermal–epidermal junction. Conventional OCT has better penetration (1–2 mm) at the expense of a more limited resolution (much lower than histopathology). Line‐field confocal OCT (LC‐OCT) combines the high precision of RCM and the good penetration of OCT in a single device and therefore appears to be very useful in diagnosing/managing AKs.
Identification of responders to immune checkpoint therapy: which biomarkers have the highest value?
Authors: Liebl M.C. , Hofmann T.G.
Published: December 2019

Evasion of immune recognition by the innate and acquired immune system is a major principle of tumour cells and belongs to the hallmarks of cancer. Immune checkpoint inhibitor‐based cancer therapies targeting the co‐inhibitory receptors CTLA‐4 or PD‐1 have received enormous scientific and clinical attention during the last few years, because of promising clinical results observed in the treatment of different cancer entities including melanoma and cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma. However, the enthusiasm about the effects of the immune checkpoint inhibitors is muted as only a subfraction of patients shows a stable clinical response. To predefine the patient cohorts that may benefit from immune checkpoint therapy, rigorous biomarker analyses, which predict the response to these novel therapies, need to be performed. In addition, combination of immune checkpoint therapy with classical DNA‐damaging chemotherapy or radiotherapy, which positively affects tumour neo‐antigen presentation, appears to be a promising approach in optimizing patients’ response. In this review, we briefly summarize important biomarkers for patient stratification and discuss the current limitations of these biomarkers in defining responders vs. non‐responders to immune checkpoint therapy.
Medical treatment of advanced cutaneous squamous‐cell carcinoma
Authors: Gellrich F.F. , Hüning S. , Beissert S. , Eigentler T. , Stockfleth E. , Gutzmer R. , Meier F.
Published: December 2019

Considering the rising incidence, cutaneous squamous‐cell carcinoma (cSCC) has a high clinical relevance. In patients with localized cSCC, complete surgical resection is indicated. Radiotherapy should be performed in patients with non‐resectable tumours or in patients who are not suitable for surgery. Systemic therapy is reserved for cSCC that are neither surgically nor radiotherapeutically curable due to their extensive local spread and/or local or distant metastasis. In the absence of prospective randomized phase 3 trials to evaluate and compare the efficacy and safety of chemotherapeutics, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitors and anti‐PD‐1 antibodies, no final recommendation for systemic therapy can be given for patients with locally advanced or metastatic cSCC. Anti‐PD‐1 antibodies currently show promising results with response rates of up to 50% in both locally advanced and metastatic cSCC. Anti‐PD‐1 antibodies appear to achieve higher response rates compared with EGFR inhibitors, and the duration of response appears to be superior to both chemotherapy and EGFR inhibitors. Compared with chemotherapy, the side effect profile of anti‐PD‐1 antibodies appears to be favourable. Altogether, PD‐1 inhibitors are expected to become the new standard of care for patients with locally advanced and metastatic cSCC. Currently, placebo‐controlled clinical trials are investigating the adjuvant use of cemiplimab and pembrolizumab in patients undergoing resection and radiotherapy of high‐risk cSCC. Patients not eligible for anti‐PD‐1 treatment, e.g. in organ transplant recipients, or in patients refractory to anti‐PD‐1 may be offered EGFR inhibitors and/or chemotherapies. Chemotherapies appear to be superior to EGFR inhibitors in terms of response rates, whereas EGFR inhibitors have a more favourable toxicity profile. EGFR inhibitors are therefore more suitable for multimorbid and/or frail elderly patients. By combining EGFR inhibitors with local therapy such as surgery or radiotherapy, response rates and duration of response may be improved.
Decontamination of irrigation water using a combined sand filtration and UV‐C light treatment
Authors: Sherman‐Wood Robert , Tikekar Rohan V.
Published: December 2019

Surface irrigation water is a food safety risk due to susceptibility to contamination and varying turbidity that affects chlorination efficacy. Effectiveness of a combined high‐throughput, commercially available sand filter and UV‐C system to inactivate Escherichia coli (K12, and attenuated O157:H7) in simulated irrigation water of varying turbidity and actual irrigation water was investigated. Sand filtration reduced the water turbidity from ~600 nephelometric turbidity units (NTU) to ~200 NTU but did not effectively filter out E. coli (K12) [<1 log colony forming units (CFU)/ml]. UV‐C‐induced inactivation of E. coli (attenuated O157:H7) was modeled for various levels of turbidity (0–500 NTU), and the relationship between the D value for inactivation and turbidity was found to be linear (R2 > .97). Predicted UV treatment time to achieve 5 log reduction in water with turbidities of 100 and 300 NTU was 110 and 370 s, respectively. Validation performed with irrigation water (turbidity of 330 ± 82 NTU) showed that sand filtration reduced turbidity to 180 ± 57 NTU. Based on this, the duration of UV treatment required for 5 log reduction of E. coli O157:H7 was calculated (average of 237 s). Observed levels of inactivation, 4.7 ± 0.31 log CFU/ml, were not significantly different (p > .05) from the predicted level, 5 log CFU/ml, indicating a good model fit.
Parasites and Post‐Truth Climate
Authors: Taylor‐Neu Robyn Holly
Published: December 2019

This article argues that the Nongovernmental International Panel on Climate Change (NIPCC), an exemplary climate change skeptical organization, attains persuasive power by striking up a parasitic relation to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and associated discourse genres. Drawing upon theories of citationality and genre, along with conceptual accounts of the parasite (Serres 2013 [1980]; Nakassis 2013; Kockelman 2010, 2017), I construe parasitism as an asymmetric structure of relation that recurs across various sites and scales. As parasitic actors, corporate climate change skeptics like the NIPCC imitate and incorporate host institutions and discourses in order to mine scientific authority while undermining scientific consensus regarding anthropogenic climate change. At the same time, this relation between organizations and their respective discourse genres generates informatic noise or static (French parasite) within established channels of popular science communication. In the case examined here, the NIPCC interrupts an economy of expertise within which the UN‐sponsored IPCC holds a privileged position. An uncanny resemblance between the two organizations, between parasite and host, erodes the latter's claims to authority, just as a counterfeit coin erodes public trust in the currency it mimics.
Comorbid conditions associated with painful temporomandibular disorders in adolescents from Brazil, Canada and France: A cross‐sectional study
Authors: Khan Khurram , Muller‐Bolla Michèle , Anacleto Teixeira Junior Oscar , Gornitsky Mervyn , Guimarães Antonio Sergio , Velly Ana Miriam
Published: December 2019

Background

Painful temporomandibular disorder (TMD) is common among adolescents. Presence of painful comorbidities may worsen painful TMD and impact treatment effectiveness.

Objective

The aim of this study was to assess the association between painful TMD and comorbidities.

Methodology

In this cross‐sectional study, adolescents were recruited in Montreal (Canada), Nice (France) and Arceburgo (Brazil). Reliable instruments were used to assess painful TMD and comorbidities. Multivariable logistic and linear regression analyses were conducted to assess the study aims.

Results

The prevalence of self‐reported painful TMD was estimated at 31.6%; Arceburgo (31.6%), Montreal (23.4%) and Nice (31.8%). Painful TMD was more common among girls than boys (OR = 1.96). Painful TMD was associated with a higher number of comorbidities (OR = 1.77); Arceburgo (OR = 1.81), Montreal (OR = 1.80) and Nice (OR = 1.72). A stronger association was found between painful TMD and headaches (OR = 4.09) and a weaker one with stomach pain (OR = 1.40). Allergies were also related to painful TMD (OR = 1.43).

Conclusion

Painful TMD was associated with comorbidities. Headaches were consistently associated with painful TMD. Other associations were modified by sex and/or covariates related to the cities where participants were recruited.
The importance of the intensive care unit environment in sleep—A study with healthy participants
Authors: Reinke Laurens , Haveman Marjolein , Horsten Sandra , Falck Thomas , van der Heide Esther M. , Pastoor Sander , van der Hoeven Johannes H. , Absalom Anthony R. , Tulleken Jaap E.
Published: December 2019

Sleep disruption is common among intensive care unit patients, with potentially detrimental consequences. Environmental factors are thought to play a central role in ICU sleep disruption, and so it is unclear why environmental interventions have shown limited improvements in objectively assessed sleep. In critically ill patients, it is difficult to isolate the influence of environmental factors from the varying contributions of non‐environmental factors. We thus investigated the effects of the ICU environment on self‐reported and objective sleep quality in 10 healthy nurses and doctors with no history of sleep pathology or current or past ICU employment participated. Their sleep at home, in an unfamiliar environment (‘Control’), and in an active ICU (‘ICU’) was evaluated using polysomnography and the Richard‐Campbell Sleep Questionnaire. Environmental sound, light and temperature exposure were measured continuously. We found that the control and ICU environment were noisier and warmer, but not darker than the home environment. Sleep on the ICU was perceived as qualitatively worse than in the home and control environment, despite relatively modest effects on polysomnography parameters compared with home sleep: mean total sleep times were reduced by 48 min, mean rapid eye movement sleep latency increased by 45 min, and the arousal index increased by 9. Arousability to an awake state by sound was similar. Our results suggest that the ICU environment plays a significant but partial role in objectively assessed ICU sleep impairment in patients, which may explain the limited improvement of objectively assessed sleep after environmental interventions.
The Effects of Regional Governance, Education, and In‐Migration on Business Performance
Authors: Nguyen Bach , Canh Nguyen Phuc
Published: December 2019

National institutional settings are important to small business performance. However, national institutions take time to change. So, is there any way to boost firm performance in ‘weak’ institutional environments? This study aims to answer this question by examining the role of local institutions represented by the quality of local governance, instead of the very broad national constitutional configurations. Moreover, it is suggested that regional human capital, whether locally built‐up (through local education) or externally imported (through in‐migrants) is able to strengthen the positive impacts of local governance on small business performance. A test on more than 1.3 million firm‐year observations of Vietnamese small businesses confirms the moderating effects of education and in‐migration on the relationship between local governance and firm performance.
Increased bladder sensation without detrusor overactivity revisited: Use of a five‐grade sensory measure
Authors: Tateno Fuyuki , Sakakibara Ryuji , Aiba Yosuke , Takahashi Osamu , Shimizu Ayami , Oki Takeshi
Published: December 2019

Aims

Increased bladder sensation (IBS) without detrusor overactivity (DO) is still a matter of debate, regarding its clinical relevance, urodynamic nature, underlying pathology, and management. Among these, we present our data focusing on the urodynamic nature of IBS without DO, by applying our five‐grade sensory measure during urodynamics.

Methods

We enrolled 400 individuals who visited our laboratory for screening of lower urinary tract function, mostly with neurogenic etiologies. They included 74 control, 87 DO (irrespective of IBS), and 239 IBS (defined as first sensation <100 mL) without DO. During slow bladder filling, we instructed individuals to indicate their sensation in five grades: 1, first sensation to 5, strong desire to void. We also instructed individuals to report other sensations such as pain.

Results

The five‐grade measure could be performed in all participants without difficulty. None of the participants reported pain or any qualitatively different sensations. Although we defined DO irrespective of IBS, the sensation interval 0 (start) to 1 (first sensation) of subjects with IBS but without DO was significantly less than that of subjects with DO (P < 0.05).

Conclusions

The present study results showed that first sensation of subjects with IBS without DO was significantly less than that of subjects with DO (P < 0.05), while the bladder capacities of the two groups were the same. An extremely low‐volume first sensation may suggest the possibility of IBS without DO.
Nutritional ecology provides insights into competitive interactions between closely related Martes species
Authors: Gazzola Andrea , Balestrieri Alessandro
Published: December 2019

Closely related predator species often share several prey items, making it hard to differentiate the effects on their feeding habits of variation in food availability and of competition. We hypothesised that we could overcome this obstacle by quantifying and comparing nutritional niches.

We reviewed dietary studies that assessed the relative bulk of each food item, as either per cent biomass or per cent mean volume, in the diet of two closely related species, pine marten Martes martes and stone marten Martes foina, and calculated the nutrient profiles (intakes of protein, lipids and carbohydrates) of each diet.

Both martens’ diets were tightly clustered (mean values: 47% of energy from protein, 39% from lipid, and 14% from carbohydrate). In allopatry, the nutritional niches of the two species did not differ, but in sympatry, the stone marten ate more carbohydrates and less protein than the pine marten. In allopatry, the protein intake of the stone marten remained high (45–52%) in very different habitats, from cultivated lowland to Alpine forests.

Our data suggest that stone marten frugivory may, at least partially, be the result of interspecific competition. By analysing dietary data in the framework of nutritional ecology, we could compare the feeding requirements of pine martens and stone martens more effectively than by using classical estimates of trophic niche overlap at the food item level. This approach may help to shed light on the trophic relationships of other competing species.
Changes in women's dietary diversity before and during pregnancy in Southern Benin
Authors: Djossinou Diane R. A. , Savy Mathilde , Fanou‐Fogny Nadia , Landais Edwige , Accrombessi Manfred , Briand Valérie , Yovo Emmanuel , Hounhouigan D. Joseph , Gartner Agnès , Martin‐Prevel Yves
Published: December 2019

Dietary diversity before and during pregnancy is crucial to ensure optimal foetal health and development. We carried out a cohort study of women of reproductive age living in the Sô‐Ava and Abomey‐Calavi districts (Southern Benin) to investigate women's changes in dietary diversity and identify their determinants both before and during pregnancy. Nonpregnant women were enrolled (n = 1214) and followed up monthly until they became pregnant (n = 316), then every 3 months during pregnancy. One 24‐hr dietary recall was administered before conception and during each trimester of pregnancy. Women's dietary diversity scores (WDDS) were computed, defined as the number of food groups out of a list of 10 consumed by the women during the past 24 hr. The analysis included 234 women who had complete data. Mixed‐effects linear regression models were used to examine changes in the WDDS over the entire follow‐up, while controlling for the season, subdistrict, socio‐demographic, and economic factors. At preconception, the mean WDDS was low (4.3 ± 1.1 food groups), and the diet was mainly composed of cereals, oils, vegetables, and fish. The mean WDDS did not change during pregnancy and was equally low at all trimesters. Parity and household wealth index were positively associated with the WDDS before and during pregnancy in the multivariate analysis. Additional research is needed to better understand perceptions of food consumption among populations, and more importantly, efforts must be made to encourage women and communities in Benin to improve the diversity of their diets before and during pregnancy.
Unravelling the association between accelerometer‐derived physical activity and adiposity among preschool children: A systematic review and meta‐analyses
Authors: Wiersma Rikstje , Haverkamp Barbara F. , van Beek Jasper H. , Riemersma André M.J. , Boezen H. Marike , Smidt Nynke , Corpeleijn Eva , Hartman Esther
Published: December 2019

Evidence on the association between physical activity (PA) and adiposity in young children is inconclusive. A systematic review and meta‐analyses were conducted to examine associations between accelerometer‐derived PA and varying adiposity outcomes in preschool children. Searches were conducted in Embase, MEDLINE and Web of Science to identify studies on the association between total PA, sedentary behaviour or different PA intensities and adiposity in children aged 2 to 7 years. Separate random effects meta‐analyses were performed for varying PA intensities and adiposity outcomes. Fifty‐six articles were included in the review and 48 in the meta‐analyses. There was substantial evidence of an inverse association between moderate‐to‐vigorous‐ or vigorous PA and body fat percentage (stdβ [SE] = −0.162[0.041]; 5 studies), weight status (r = −0.120, P<.001; 11 studies), fat mass (stdβ [SE] = −0.103[0.051]; 5 studies), fat mass index (stdβ [SE] = −0.121[0.036]; 2 studies) and skinfold thickness (stdβ [SE] = −0.145[0.036]; 4 studies). However, total PA, sedentary behaviour, and different PA intensities were not associated with body mass index (BMI) or waist circumference. Adiposity levels were lower among preschool children engaged in more (moderate‐to‐) vigorous PA compared with their peers, but no associations between PA and BMI or waist circumference were found.
The effects of non‐surgical periodontal therapy on glycemic control in diabetic patients: A randomized controlled trial
Authors: El‐Makaky Yasser , Shalaby Hany K.
Published: December 2019

Aim

The present study aimed to monitor the clinical outcomes and the metabolic response of periodontal therapy (non‐surgical) in patients with periodontitis (chronic) and uncontrolled diabetes (type 2).

Methods

Eighty‐eight subjects with periodontitis (chronic) and uncontrolled diabetes (type 2) were enrolled in this controlled trial and allocated randomly to the test group (44 patients were received immediate periodontal therapy) or the control group (44 patients were received delayed periodontal therapy). The metabolic and clinical evaluations were conducted at baseline and 3 months. This included clinical attachment level, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), bleeding on probing, visible plaque, and pocket depth. The periodontal therapy in this study consists of one‐stage scaling and root planning, a combination of systemic antibiotics (amoxicillin 500 mg and metronidazole 400 mg), and oral hygiene instructions.

Results

Regarding clinical and metabolic parameters at baseline, no statistically significant differences were displayed between the two groups. However, at 3‐month follow‐up period the patients within the test group demonstrated significantly better clinical and metabolic outcomes than patients in the control group.

Conclusion

The non‐surgical periodontal treatment using a combination of metronidazole and amoxicillin significantly improved the metabolic outcome in addition to periodontal health in diabetic subjects with chronic periodontitis.
Seedling traits from root to shoot exhibit genetic diversity and distinct responses to environmental heterogeneity within a tree population
Authors: Salmela Matti J. , Velmala Sannakajsa M. , Pennanen Taina
Published: December 2019

Phenotypic diversity within plant species is crucial to shaping evolutionary responses of populations and interactions among species, yet intraspecific genetic variability notably in roots has attracted little attention. Further, evidence for the root–shoot trait synchronisation remains inconclusive, narrowing our understanding of the role that belowground traits play in local adaptation. We applied broad ‘top‐to‐toe’ phenotyping to a model system whose native environmental conditions were simulated in experimental settings. Fifteen maternal families of Norway spruce Picea abies from southern Finland grew in six combinations of two simulated growing seasons and three soil treatments. We scored variation in 25 functional traits, including size, architecture and morphology of intact root systems, and shoot growth and phenology. Careful phenotyping of roots uncovered five trait dimensions, with root size, architecture and morphology forming the three largest axes of variation. Dimensions varied in their treatment responses. We observed among‐family differences in all trait dimensions, marking substantial within‐population genetic diversity. For example, average total root length varied almost twofold among families, but family × soil interactions indicated treatment‐specific estimates of genetic variance. Mirroring root traits, phenotypic plasticity and genetic variation characterised shoot growth and phenology. In all, the complete phenotypic dataset yielded six trait dimensions, with assorted measures of root system and shoot size composing the main axis of variation. Although plastic and genetically variable, root architecture and morphology were not associated with shoot growth in any treatment. Also phenology and root‐to‐shoot ratio were detached from the primary axis of trait variability. Our results demonstrate that complex within‐species patterns of trait covariation can be observed even locally and that phenotypic variation in independent trait dimensions reflecting divergent growth strategies is under genetic control. More accurate predictions of population and species responses to changes in the environment can be achieved when such intraspecific diversity is taken into account.
Breeding for Fusarium head blight resistance in wheat—Progress and challenges
Authors: Buerstmayr Maria , Steiner Barbara , Buerstmayr Hermann
Published: December 2019

Fusarium head blight is among the most extensively studied fungal diseases of wheat and other small grain cereals due to its impact on yield and quality, but particularly due to its potential to produce mycotoxins, which are harmful to humans and animals. Since our last comprehensive review on QTL mapping and marker‐assisted selection for FHB resistance in wheat in 2009, numerous studies have been conducted to identify, validate or fine‐map resistance QTL. The main aim of this review is to update and summarize findings on FHB resistance breeding of wheat published during the last decade. Furthermore, we compiled a user‐friendly table listing FHB resistance QTL data providing a valuable resource for further FHB resistance research. The role of morphological and phenological traits on FHB resistance and possible consequences for resistance breeding are discussed. This review concentrates current knowledge on breeding for FHB resistance and suggests strategies to enhance resistance by deploying molecular breeding methods, including marker‐assisted and genomic selection.
MiR399d and epigenetic modification comodulate anthocyanin accumulation in Malus leaves suffering from phosphorus deficiency
Authors: Peng Zhen , Tian Ji , Luo Rongli , Kang Yanhui , Lu Yanfen , Hu Yujing , Liu Na , Zhang Jie , Cheng Hao , Niu Shuqing , Zhang Jie , Yao Yuncong
Published: December 2019

Inorganic phosphorus (Pi) deficiency induces anthocyanin accumulation in the leaves of some plant species; however, the molecular mechanisms underlying this phenomenon have not been well characterized. Here, we showed that microRNA399d (miR399d), high‐affinity Pi transporter McPHT1;4, and McMYB10 are strongly induced in Malus leaves suffering from Pi deficiency. By culturing explants of transiently transformed plants in MS medium under conditions of Pi sufficiency and Pi deficiency, miR399d and McPHT1;4 were shown to play essential roles in the response to Pi deficiency and to play positive roles in the regulation of anthocyanin biosynthesis. Silencing of McHDA6 expression and treatment with the inhibitor trichostatin A suggested that the low expression of McHDA6 simultaneously reduced the transcription of McMET1 and decreased the methylation level of the McMYB10 promoter; however, the expression of McMYB10 and anthocyanin content were increased. Bimolecular fluorescence complementation and yeast two‐hybrid assays revealed that McHDA6 binds directly to McMET1 through its BAH2 and DNMT1‐RFD domains. Based on the results of our study, we propose a mechanism for the molecular regulation of anthocyanin biosynthesis, namely, the miR399d and epigenetic modification comodulation model, to explain the phenomenon in which leaves turn red under conditions of Pi deficiency.
Kindergarten‐age neurocognitive, functional, and quality‐of‐life outcomes after liver transplantation at under 6 years of age
Authors: Joffe Ari R. , Wong Kerry , Bond Gwen Y. , Khodayari Moez Elham , Acton Bryan V. , Dinu Irina A. , Yap Jason Y. K. , Robertson Charlene M. T. ,   for the Western Canadian Complex Pediatric Therapies Follow‐up Program
Published: December 2019

Background

We aimed to describe school‐entry age neurocognitive, functional, and HRQL outcomes and their predictors after liver transplant done at age <6 years.

Methods

A prospective cohort of all (n = 69) children surviving liver transplant from 1999 to 2014 were assessed at age 55.4 (SD 7.2) months and 38.6 (12.4) months after transplant. Assessment included: the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scales of Intelligence, Beery‐Buktenica Developmental Test of VMI, Adaptive Behavior Assessment System caregiver‐completed questionnaire, and PedsQL 4.0 Generic Core Scales. Univariate and multiple linear regression determined predictors of outcomes at P < .05.

Results

Neurocognitive and functional outcomes were on average within 1 SD of population norms, although shifted to the left (P ≤ .03), with more patients than expected having scores >2 (3.7‐5.9 times more, P ≤ .007) SD below population norms. Total and Summary HRQL scores were statistically significantly lower than the healthy normative population (P ≤ .02) and a congenital heart disease group (P ≤ .02), but similar to children with other chronic health conditions; differences often exceeded the MCID and were lowest in the School functioning domain. There were few predictors on multiple linear regressions, and we could not confirm previous studies that suggested various inconsistent predictors of outcomes. Neurocognitive and functional outcomes scores were highly correlated with HRQL scores except for the School functioning domain, but did not fully explain them.

Conclusions

Long‐term follow‐up of this vulnerable population is important in order to facilitate support for the patient and family, and early intervention for any difficulties identified.
Epiphyte associations and canopy soil volume: nutrient capital and factors influencing soil retention in the canopy
Authors: Victoriano‐Romero E. , García‐Franco J. G. , Mehltreter K. , Valencia‐Díaz S. , Toledo‐Hernández V. H. , Flores‐Palacios A.
Published: December 2019

Canopy soil (CS) volume reflect epiphyte community maturity, but little is known about the factors that retain CS or species succession within it. Humus fern species (e.g. Phlebodium areolatum) appear capable of retaining CS.

In ten Quercus spp. we sampled 987 epiphyte mats to examine the role of the common epiphyte species and crown traits determining CS volume, in order to infer successional stages and identify pioneer and late successional species. Branch traits (height, diameter and slope), CS volume and cover of the epiphyte species were determined for each mat. Nutrient content was determined in CS random samples of 12 epiphyte associations and sizes (one sample from each size quintile).

A total of 60% of the mats lack CS. Cover of P. areolatum was the main variable explaining CS volume, and this species was present in 46.8% of those with CS. Epiphyte composition was highly variable, but pioneer (species appearing in monospecific mats, without CS) and late successional species could be identified. Canopy soil nutrient content was similar among the associations of epiphytes. Magnesium, Ca and pH decreased with CS volume, while P and N increased.

Phlebodium areolatum is associated with high CS volumes and could act as a key species in its retention. Monospecific mats of pioneer species lack CS or have low volumes, while CS is much higher in mats with late successional species, but the mechanisms of CS formation and nutrient retention in response to interactions between epiphyte species remain to be tested.
Collaborative Governance and Environmental Justice: Disadvantaged Community Representation in California Sustainable Groundwater Management
Authors: Dobbin Kristin B. , Lubell Mark
Published: December 2019

A consistent critique of the theory and empirical research on collaborative governance is a lack of conceptualization and analysis of the role of political power and inequality. Our paper contributes to this discussion by analyzing the formal representation of small disadvantaged communities in the 2014 Sustainable Groundwater Management Act in California. Employing primary and secondary data, we model the likelihood of representation in the state's new Groundwater Sustainability Agencies based on key attributes of both the communities and governance settings. We find that the overall collaborative governance is associated with increased representation of these marginalized stakeholders. Importantly, however, even in collaborative settings representation of the smallest, most low‐income communities and those lacking political recognition via incorporated cities or public water districts still lags far behind their more advantaged counterparts. In fact, disparities in representation along these lines increased. Using a uniquely interdisciplinary approach our analysis highlights the opportunity afforded by integrating collaborative governance and environmental justice in the shared pursuit of effective and equitable institutions and the inter‐related goals of equity and sustainability.
The politics of regulatory enforcement and compliance: Theorizing and operationalizing political influences
Authors: Short Jodi L.
Published: December 2019

There is broad consensus in the literature on regulatory enforcement and compliance that politics matters. However, there is little scholarly convergence on what politics is or rigorous theorization and empirical testing of how politics matters. Many enforcement and compliance studies omit political variables altogether. Among those that address political influences on regulatory outcomes, politics has been defined in myriad ways and, too often, left undefined. Even when political constructs are explicitly operationalized, the mechanisms by which they influence regulatory outcomes are thinly hypothesized or simply ignored. If politics is truly as important to enforcement and compliance outcomes as everyone in the field seems to agree, regulatory scholarship must make a more sustained and systematic effort to understand their relationship, because overlooking this connection risks missing what is actually driving regulatory outcomes. This article examines how the construct of “politics” has been conceptualized in regulatory theory and analyzes how it has been operationalized in empirical studies of regulatory enforcement and compliance outcomes. It brings together scholarship across disciplines that rarely speak but have much to say to one another on this subject in order to constitute a field around the politics of regulation. The goal is to sharpen theoretical and empirical understandings of when and how regulation works by better accounting for the role politics plays in its enforcement.
The Sociology of Ignorance and Post‐Truth Politics
Authors: Hess David J.
Published: December 2019

This essay is written in response to Fujimura and Holmes’s piece “Staying the Course,” published in the December 2019 special issue of Sociological Forum—Resistance in the Twenty‐First Century.
Parental origin of the allotetraploid tobacco Nicotiana benthamiana
Authors: Schiavinato Matteo , Marcet‐Houben Marina , Dohm Juliane C. , Gabaldón Toni , Himmelbauer Heinz
Published: December 2019

Nicotiana section Suaveolentes is an almost all‐Australian clade of allopolyploid tobacco species including the important plant model Nicotiana benthamiana. The homology relationships of this clade and its formation are not completely understood. To address this gap, we assessed phylogenies of all individual genes of N. benthamiana and the well studied N. tabacum (section Nicotiana) and their homologues in six diploid Nicotiana species. We generated sets of 44 424 and 65 457 phylogenetic trees of N. benthamiana and N. tabacum genes, respectively, each collectively called a phylome. Members of Nicotiana sections Noctiflorae and Sylvestres were represented as the species closest to N. benthamiana in most of the gene trees. Analyzing the gene trees of the phylome we: (i) dated the hybridization event giving rise to N. benthamiana to 4–5 MyA, and (ii) separated the subgenomes. We assigned 1.42 Gbp of the genome sequence to section Noctiflorae and 0.97 Gbp to section Sylvestres based on phylome analysis. In contrast, read mapping of the donor species did not succeed in separating the subgenomes of N. benthamiana. We show that the maternal progenitor of N. benthamiana was a member of section Noctiflorae, and confirm a member of section Sylvestres as paternal subgenome donor. We also demonstrate that the advanced stage of long‐term genome diploidization in N. benthamiana is reflected in its subgenome organization. Taken together, our results underscore the usefulness of phylome analysis for subgenome characterization in hybrid species.