bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Split Nano luciferase complementation for probing protein‐protein interactions in plant cells
Authors: Wang Feng‐Zhu , Zhang Nannan , Guo Yan‐Jun , Gong Ben‐Qiang , Li Jian‐Feng 
Published: November 2019

AbstractDeciphering protein‐protein interactions (PPIs) is fundamental for understanding signal transduction pathways in plants. The split firefly luciferase (Fluc) complementation (SLC) assay has been widely used for analyzing PPIs. However, concern has risen about the bulky halves of Fluc interfering with the functions of their fusion partners. Nano luciferase (Nluc) is the smallest substitute for Fluc with improved stability and luminescence. Here, we developed a dual‐use system enabling the detection of PPIs through the Nluc‐based SLC and co‐immunoprecipitation assays. This was realized by coexpression of two proteins under investigation in fusion with the HA‐ or FLAG‐tagged Nluc halves, respectively. We validated the robustness of this system by reproducing multiple previously documented PPIs in protoplasts or Agrobacterium‐transformed plants. We next applied this system to evaluate the homodimerization of Arabidopsis CERK1, a coreceptor of fungal elicitor chitin, and its heterodimerization with other homologs in the absence or presence of chitin. Moreover, split fragments of Nluc were fused to two cytosolic ends of Arabidopsis calcium channels CNGC2 and CNGC4 to help sense the allosteric change induced by the bacterial elicitor flg22. Collectively, these results demonstrate the usefulness of the Nluc‐based SLC assay for probing constitutive or inducible PPIs and protein allostery in plant cells.
Neurochemical organization of the ventral striatum’s olfactory tubercle
Authors: Cansler Hillary L. , Wright Katherine N. , Stetzik Lucas A. , Wesson Daniel W. 
Published: November 2019

AbstractThe ventral striatum is a collection of brain structures, including the nucleus accumbens, ventral pallidum and the olfactory tubercle (OT). While much attention has been devoted to the nucleus accumbens, a comprehensive understanding of the ventral striatum and its contributions to neurological diseases requires an appreciation for the complex neurochemical makeup of the ventral striatum's other components. This review summarizes the rich neurochemical composition of the OT, including the neurotransmitters, neuromodulators and hormones present. We also address the receptors and transporters involved in each system as well as their putative functional roles. Finally, we end with briefly reviewing select literature regarding neurochemical changes in the OT in the context of neurological disorders, specifically neurodegenerative disorders. By overviewing the vast literature on the neurochemical composition of the OT, this review will serve to aid future research into the neurobiology of the ventral striatum.
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Diagnostic value of Candida mannan antigen and anti‐mannan IgG and IgM antibodies for Candida infection
Authors: Wang Kaifei , Luo Yanping , Zhang Wei , Xie Sheling , Yan Peng , Liu Yang , Li Yanqin , Ma Xiuqing , Xiao Kun , Fu Han , Cai Jinyu , Xie Lixin 
Published: November 2019

SummaryObjectiveTo assess the diagnostic value of serum Candida mannan antigen (MN) and anti‐mannan IgG and IgM antibodies for candidiasis.MethodsThis study was a prospective cohort study. Clinical data and venous blood samples from 23 medical centres in Beijing, China were collected between 1 January 2017 and 31 December 2018. All collected specimens were tested within one week for serum Candida MN and IgG and IgM antibodies using an ELISA kit.ResultsA total of 452 patients were enrolled, including 188 patients in the Candida exposure groups (56 patients with Candida bloodstream infection, 69 patients with Candida‐positive tracheal aspirate cultures and 63 patients with Candida‐positive urine cultures) and 264 patients in the control groups (212 healthy controls and 52 patients with bacteraemia). The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of the 56 patients with Candida bloodstream infection and 212 healthy controls showed that serum MN and IgG had good diagnostic value. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) values were 0.812 (95% CI, 0.750‐0.873) and 0.866 (95% CI, 0.808‐0.924), respectively, wherein the MN specificity and sensitivity were 86.79% and 60.71%, and the IgG were 84.43% and 80.36%, respectively. The AUC of the combination of serum MN and IgG was 0.871(95% CI, 0.813‐0.929), and the specificity and sensitivity were 93.87% and 57.14%.ConclusionsThe serum levels of Candida MN and its IgG antibody have diagnostic value for Candida bloodstream infection, and combination of MN and IgG can improve diagnostic specificity and may provide a new approach for diagnosis of candidaemia.
Palliative sedation and medical assistance in dying: Distinctly different or simply semantics?
Authors: Booker Reanne , Bruce Anne 
Published: November 2019

AbstractMedical assistance in dying (MAiD) and palliative sedation (PS) are both legal options in Canada that may be considered by patients experiencing intolerable and unmanageable suffering. A contentious, lively debate has been ongoing in the literature regarding the similarities and differences between MAiD and PS. The aim of this paper is to explore the propositions that MAiD and PS are essentially similar and conversely that MAiD and PS are distinctly different. The relevance of such a debate is apparent for clinicians and patients alike. Understanding the complex and multi‐faceted nuances between PS and MAiD allows patients and caregivers to make more informed decisions pertaining to end‐of‐life care. It is hoped that this paper will also serve to foster further debate and consideration of the issues associated with PS and MAiD with a view to improve patient care and the quality of both living and dying in Canada.
Epidemiological Characteristics of 1196 Patients with Spinal Metastases: A Retrospective Study
Authors: Wang Feng , Zhang Hao , Yang Li , Yang Xiong‐gang , Zhang Hao‐ran , Li Ji‐kai , Qiao Rui‐qi , Hu Yong‐cheng 
Published: November 2019

ObjectivesTo describe the epidemiological characteristics of patients with spinal metastases between 2007 and 2019.MethodsPatients with spinal metastases were identified from several clinical centers in China between January 2007 and July 2019. Demographics, primary tumor types, spinal involvement, and Clinical indicators of each patient were reviewed.ResultsA total of 1196 patients were included in this study, 717 males (59.95%) and 479 females (40.05%), with a male to female ratio of 1.50:1. Most patients (63.71%) were in the ages range of 50 to 69 years. The mean age was 58.6 ± 11.6 (range 13–89) years and the median age was 59.0 years. The average age of females was younger than that of males, and the difference was statistically significant. The proportion of male patients over 60 years old was higher than that of females, and the difference was statistically significant. The most common primary tumor was lung cancer (n = 437, 36.54%), followed by unknown origin (n = 194, 16.22%), kidney cancer (n = 78, 6.52%), breast cancer (n = 76, 6.35%), and liver/biliary cancer (n = 75, 6.27%). The most common primary tumor was lung cancer in both males and females, followed by unknown origin in males and breast cancer in females. There were 730 patients (61.04%) in the subgroup of the number<3; the highest level was lumbar vertebrae, with 250 patients (34.25%). The remaining 466 patients (38.96%) were included in the subgroup of the number ≥ 3; the highest level was tumor metastasis of multiple‐level of spine, with 334 patients (71.67%). Among the 1196 patients, spinal cord injury occurred in 54.01% of patients, 76.34% of patients developed moderate and above pain, 55.69% of patients had metastatic spinal cord compression, and only 26.67% of patients had a clear history of primary tumors.ConclusionThis study provided a relatively detailed description of epidemiological characteristics in spinal metastases in China, which could assist orthopaedic surgeons to understand the clinical characteristics of spinal metastases, and is of great significance in guiding clinical diagnoses and scientific research.
En Bloc Resection and Pelvic Ring Reconstruction for Primary Malignant Bone Tumors Involving Sacroiliac Joint
Authors: Xu Ming , Zheng Kai , Zhao Jie , Bai Wen‐zhe , Yu Xiu‐chun 
Published: November 2019

ObjectiveTo observe the process of sacroiliac joint invasion by primary malignant tumors of sacrum and iliac bone, and to explore the methods of surgical resection and reconstruction.MethodsFrom January 2009 to November 2017, there were nine patients with primary malignant bone tumors involving sacroiliac joints, five males and four females, aged from 16 to 63 years, with an average age of 35 years. Of these there were three cases of primitive neuroectodermal tumors, three cases of chondrosarcoma, and three cases of osteosarcoma. Pelvic ring reconstruction was performed with longitudinal half sacrum, sacroiliac joint and partial iliac bone block excision and screw‐rod system combined with bone grafting.ResultsThe operation time was 155–310 min, with an average of 245 ± 55 min, and the bleeding volume was 1400–8500 ml, with an average of 3111 ± 2189 ml. Follow‐up ranged from 5 to 108 months, with a median follow‐up of 24 months. Three patients (33.3%) had local recurrence, three patients (33.3%) survived without tumors, and one patient had lung metastasis 2 years after operation, and survived with tumors. Five patients (55.6%) died, of which four died of lung metastasis and one died of brain metastasis. Survival analysis showed that the 3‐year overall survival rate was 57%. Bone grafts did not heal in four patients, and bone grafts healed in five patients. The healing time ranged from 5 to 7 months, with an average of 6.2 months. Complications: one patient developed deep infection 2 months after operation; one patient had skin edge necrosis; titanium rod loosening and displacement were found in two patients with nonunion of bone graft, and no fracture of nail rod was found. The MSTS 93 functional score of nine patients ranged from 20% to 50%, with an average of 34%.ConclusionThe tumors around the sacroiliac joint often invade the contralateral bone by ligament, and the en bloc resection and pelvic ring reconstruction for primary malignant bone tumors involving sacroiliac joint was feasible.
Biotic and abiotic factors driving the diversification dynamics of Crocodylia
Authors: Solórzano Andrés , Núñez‐Flores Mónica , Inostroza‐Michael Oscar , Hernández Cristián E. 
Published: November 2019

AbstractSpecies diversity patterns are governed by complex interactions among biotic and abiotic factors over time and space, but are essentially the result of the diversification dynamics (differential speciation and extinction rates) over the long‐term evolutionary history of a clade. Previous studies have suggested that temporal variation in global temperature drove long‐term diversity changes in Crocodylia, a monophyletic group of large ectothermic organisms. We use a large database of crocodylian fossil occurrences (192 spp.) and body mass estimations, under a taxic approach, to characterize the global diversification dynamics of crocodylians since the Cretaceous, and their correlation with multiple biotic and abiotic factors in a Bayesian framework. The diversification dynamic of crocodylians, which appears to have originated in the Turonian (c. 92.5 Ma), is characterized by several phases with high extinction and speciation rates within a predominantly low long‐term mean rate. Our results reveal long‐term diversification dynamics of Crocodylia to be a highly complex process driven by a combination of biotic and abiotic factors which influenced the speciation and extinction rates in dissimilar ways. Higher crocodylian extinction rates are related to low body mass disparity, indicating selective extinctions of taxa at both ends of the body mass spectrum. Speciation rate slowdowns are noted when the diversity of the clade is high and the warm temperate climatic belt is reduced. Our finding supports the idea that temporal variations of body mass disparity, self‐diversity, and the warm climate belt size provided more direct mechanistic explanations for crocodylian diversification than do proxies of global temperature.
Genome‐wide association study reveals loci associated with seed longevity in common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)
Authors: Zuo Jing Hong , Chen Feng Ying , Li Xiao Ying , Xia Xian Chun , Cao Hong , Liu Jin Dong , Liu Yong Xiu 
Published: November 2019

AbstractSeed longevity could significantly determine seed regeneration cycle and greatly affect wheat production. With the 90 K chip assays, a genome‐wide association study was performed to identify seed longevity‐related markers and loci in common wheat. Seed germination ratios (GR) under artificially ageing of 166 wheat accessions across three environments were evaluated to assess seed longevity. Totally, 23 longevity‐related loci were identified in the study, explaining 6.7%–11.4% of the phenotypic variations. Of these, QlgGR.cas‐1A and QlgGR.cas‐2B.2 were deemed as stable loci associated with wheat seed longevity. Fifteen loci were found overlapped with known quantitative trait loci or genes. Besides, QlgGR.cas‐1A, QlgGR.cas‐2B.2, QlgGR.cas‐3D.1, QlgGR.cas‐3D.2, QlgGR.cas‐4A.2, QlgGR.cas‐5A.1, QlgGR.cas‐5A.2 and QlgGR.cas‐6A.1 were colocated with seed dormancy‐related loci. Significant additive effects were obtained for seed longevity by pyramiding favourable alleles. Several candidate genes were found involved in signal transduction and stress resistance pathways by sequencing analysis of significantly longevity‐related molecular markers. These results might provide new sights into the genetic architecture of seed longevity.
Traditional or Economic Values? Analyzing Absentee Landowner Attitudes Amid Social and Agricultural Transformation in Japan
Authors: Katano Yohei , Greenberg Pierce , Agnone Jon 
Published: November 2019

AbstractAgricultural landownership in Japan has changed drastically over the last century due to post‐World War II land reforms and cultural, political, and economic shifts in the subsequent decades. Initial land reform shifted the concentrated ownership of land from the wealthy to small‐scale farmers. But as Japan industrialized and became more urban‐centered, a substantial amount of rural land has been left abandoned or unmanaged by descendants of those farmers. This paper analyzes the attitudes of absentee agricultural landowners in Japan to better understand the prevalence of economically rational versus traditional attitudes toward land ownership. We draw on the rural sociological literature on place attachment to hypothesize why some absentee landowners feel a strong tie to the land of their ancestors, while others would be willing to sell for a reasonable price. We use unique survey data obtained from 466 absentee agricultural landowners in Japan. Logistic regression results indicate that attachment to place, gender, age, educational attainment, and usage of land is significant predictors of whether landowners hold traditional, rather than economic, values. We discuss the implications of these findings for the future of sustainable agricultural land management in Japan.
A calibrated imputation method for secondary data analysis of survey data
Authors: Da Silva Damião N. , Zhang Li‐Chun 
Published: November 2019

AbstractIn practical survey sampling, missing data are unavoidable due to nonresponse, rejected observations by editing, disclosure control, or outlier suppression. We propose a calibrated imputation approach so that valid point and variance estimates of the population (or domain) totals can be computed by the secondary users using simple complete‐sample formulae. This is especially helpful for variance estimation, which generally require additional information and tools that are unavailable to the secondary users. Our approach is natural for continuous variables, where the estimation may be either based on reweighting or imputation, including possibly their outlier‐robust extensions. We also propose a multivariate procedure to accommodate the estimation of the covariance matrix between estimated population totals, which facilitates variance estimation of the ratios or differences among the estimated totals. We illustrate the proposed approach using simulation data in supplementary materials that are available online.
Preparing for (life after) death: Advance care directives and cyclic temporalities
Authors: Zivkovic Tanya 
Published: November 2019

AbstractThis paper explores the disjuncture between medico‐legal trajectories of living and dying, in which lives start and stop, and the cyclic comings and goings of Buddhist and Hindu bodies. Drawing on fieldwork with Buddhist and Hindu communities in Adelaide, South Australia, I attend to the multiple temporalities that become implicated in end‐of‐life decision‐making about how and when a person may die. Thus, I reorient advance care planning from the linear projection of a single life towards cyclic considerations of the life course. In regarding life and death as ongoing I make space for temporalities of living and dying that run counter to public policy instruments, which focus on an irrevocable, yet calculable, end to life. I demonstrate how advance care planning processes and documents that construct the life course as advancing in a singular, linear and predictable trajectory overlook the multiple temporalities and directions that lives and deaths may take.
Determinants associated with areas with higher tuberculosis mortality rates: an ecological study
Authors: Verônica Melo Almeida Lima Shirley , Victor Muniz Rocha João , de Araújo Karina Conceição Gomes Machado , Antonio Prado Nunes Marco , Nunes Carla 
Published: November 2019

AbstractObjectiveTo characterise tuberculosis deaths in a region of northeast Brazil during the period from 2006 to 2017 and to identify determinants associated with areas with higher tuberculosis mortality rates.MethodsEcological descriptive study of deaths from tuberculosis with multivariate mapping and logistic regression, carried out from 2006 to 2017 in the 75 municipalities of Sergipe, Brazil. The focus of the analysis was the mean mortality rate from tuberculosis, dichotomised according to the median. The independent variables were selected based on the conceptual model of the social determinants of health.ResultsMortality due to tuberculosis in Sergipe, Brazil, was most prevalent among males, mixed‐race people, and people over 40 years old and with a low level of education. Multivariate logistic regression identified the mean incidence rate for tuberculosis (aOR: 1.06), the proportion of HIV testing (aOR: 7.10), people without primary education and with informal occupation (aOR: 1.26) and people living in urban households without waste collection service (aOR: 0.10) as determinants associated to municipalities with higher tuberculosis mortality rates, with area under the ROC curve of 84% (P‐value 0.000). Mapping revealed evident spatial variability.ConclusionsThe tuberculosis epidemic in Brazil is determined by access to health services, especially the provision of HIV testing among those diagnosed with tuberculosis, accelerated urbanisation with large pockets of poverty and unsanitary housing conditions, corroborating global trends.
Toxicity and outcome in cats with oral squamous cell carcinoma after accelerated hypofractionated radiotherapy and concurrent systemic treatment
Authors: Marconato Laura , Weyland Mathias , Tresch Nina , Rossi Federica , Leone Vito , Rohrer Bley Carla 
Published: November 2019

AbstractRecently, a multimodal approach to oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in cats, combining medical treatment and accelerated radiation therapy, showed a substantial outcome improvement in a small pilot study. Herein we retrospectively review 51 cats with unresectable, histologically confirmed oral SCC and a complete initial staging work‐up: cats in group A (n = 24) received medical anti‐angiogenic treatment consisting of bleomycin, piroxicam and thalidomide, cats in group B (n = 27) received the anti‐angiogenic treatment and concurrent accelerated hypofractionated radiation therapy with 48Gy delivered in 10 fractions. Overall median progression‐free interval (PFI) was poor with 70 days (95% CI: 48;93). In the irradiated cats (group B), however, PFI was significantly longer with 179 days (95% CI: 58;301) days, vs 30 days (95% CI: 23;38) in medically only treated cats (P < .001). Overall median overall survival (OS) was 89 days (95% CI: 55;124), again significantly longer in the irradiated cats (group B) with 136 (95% CI: 40;233) vs 38 days (95% CI: 23;54) (P < .001). In 8 of the 27 (29.6%) cats in group B, however, severe toxicity (grade 3) occurred. Neither onset nor severity of toxicity could be associated with any of the tested variables, including anatomic site, tumour size, clinical stage and duration of neoadjuvant medical treatment. Given the potential severe acute effects and the impact on quality of life after chemo‐radiotherapy, owners must be clearly informed about the risks of treatment. With the overall poor outcome and high occurrence of acute toxicity, we cannot recommend the use of this accelerated radiation protocol combined with anti‐angiogenic therapy for oral SCC in cats.
Association and Dose–Response Relationship of Self-Reported Physical Activity and Disability Among Adults ≥50 Years: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2011–2016
Authors: Delaney Margaret , Warren Meghan , Kinslow Brian , de Heer Hendrik , Ganley Kathleen 
Published: November 2019

Disability is a tremendous public health challenge. No study has assessed whether meeting U.S. Physical Activity guidelines is associated with disability in mobility tasks, activities of daily living, and social participation among U.S. older adults. Using 2011–2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data, this study examined this relationship among 8,309 individuals aged ≥50 years. Most participants (n = 4,272) did not achieve guidelines, and 2,912 participants were completely inactive. People who did not meet guidelines had higher odds of disability compared with those who did (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.80) in addition to difficulty with mobility tasks (AOR = 1.85), activities of daily living (AOR = 1.66), and social participation (AOR = 2.09). There was a dose–response effect for each level of activity (inactive, insufficient, and meeting and exceeding recommendations). Among adults aged ≥50 years, meeting the U.S. guidelines was associated with better social and physical functioning.