bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Cochlear Implant Reliability: On the Reporting of Rates of Revision Surgery
Authors: O’Neill Graham , Tolley Neil S. 
Published: April 2020

AbstractThe aim of this study was to determine the magnitude of the risks associated with cochlear implantation. Results from a pool of thirty clinical studies involving cochlear implantation in over 6300 children were obtained from an internet search. The relevant data were transformed to a common time base (patient time) to allow an evaluation of events following implantation. The main outcome measure was cumulative survival probability for all-cause revision surgery. Over 10 years this was estimated to be 0.71. Thus, at 10 years post-implantation close to 30% of children with unilateral implants will have undergone revision surgery. This figure is considerably greater than that commonly reported for overall revision rates and illustrates the importance of interpreting results with respect to the relevant time frame. When non and low-use is incorporated into the analysis the above figure rises to about 37% of children affected. The findings raise concerns about the information provided to both individuals and regulatory bodies regarding the risks associated with cochlear implantation. The consequences for bilateral implantation are apparent. Our recommendations are i) a full disclosure to parents and children of the true magnitude of the risks and ii) for a body with significant expertise in reliability and systems engineering, and no conflicts of interest, to play a major role in the regulatory management of this service.
Nanoencapsulation of sophorolipids in PEGylated poly(lactide-co-glycolide) as a novel approach to target colon carcinoma in the murine model
Authors: Haggag Yusuf , Elshikh Mohamed , El-Tanani Mohamed , Bannat Ibrahim M , McCarron Paul , Tambuwala Murtaza M. 
Published: April 2020

AbstractPoly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) nanocapsules containing amphiphilic biosurfactant sophorolipids were formulated using a dispersion-based procedure. Di-block copolymers were used to vary peripheral poly(ethylene glycol) density, and variation in the oil core was used to achieve efficient encapsulation of the sophorolipid payload. Particulate size, zeta potential, encapsulation efficiency, release and stability were characterised. A glyceryl monocaprate core composition had the lowest particulate size, maximum encapsulation efficiency and optimum shelf-life stability compared to other formulations. This core composition was used to deliver sophorolipid to both in vitro and in vivo model tumour cell lines (CT26 murine colon carcinoma) and the effect of peripheral hydrophilicity was evaluated. Formulations with 10% poly(ethylene glycol) density achieved more than 80% reduction in cancer cell viability after 72 h and enhanced cellular uptake in CT26 cells. These formulations exhibited higher tumour accumulation and a longer blood circulation profile when compared to the non-poly(ethylene glycol)-containing nanocapsules. Animals treated with sophorolipid-loaded nanocapsules showed a tumour growth inhibition of 57% when compared to controls. An assessment of tumour mass within the same study cohort showed the biggest reduction when compared control and free drug-treated cohorts. This study shows that hydrophilic poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) nanocapsules loaded with sophorolipids can address the poor intracellular delivery associated with these biosurfactants and is a promising approach for the treatment of colon neoplasia.
Attitudes Towards Cousin Marriages: Findings Among Young People from Mexico
Authors: Buunk Abraham P. , Massar Karlijn 
Published: April 2020

AbstractThe present research examined how life history and resistance against interethnic mating were related to positive and negative attitudes towards cousin marriages among young people aged between 15 and 25 from a rural area in the Mexican state of Oaxaca. The sample included three ethnic groups: Mestizos (people of mixed Spanish and indigenous descent, n = 84), indigenous Mixtecs (n = 83), and Afro-Mexicans (n = 33). In general, respondents reported more negative than positive attitudes towards cousin marriage. Among the Mestizos, but not in the other ethnic groups, women reported more negative attitudes than men did. The main objections against marrying a cousin were that it might lead to family conflict and might result in genetic defects of one’s offspring. The main positive aspect of cousin marriage that participants mentioned was that one would marry someone with the same values. The ethnic groups did not differ in their attitudes towards cousin marriages. A slower life history was related to a more negative (but not a less positive) attitude towards cousin marriages, whereas resistance against out-group mating was related to a more positive (but not a less negative) attitude towards cousin marriages. The implications of the results are discussed in the context of life history theory, the benefits of in-group marriage, and the potential positive and negative effects of cousin marriages.
Influence of High Chloride Concentration on pH Control in Hydroxide Precipitation of Heavy Metals
Authors: Stec Marcin , Jagustyn Barbara , Słowik Krzysztof , Ściążko Marek , Iluk Tomasz 
Published: April 2020

Abstract
Removal of zinc and cadmium from highly saline solutions by hydroxide precipitation is discussed. Experimental solubilities of zinc and cadmium in highly saline solutions were compared to modeled results obtained using Pitzer’s approach. An amphoteric character of zinc and cadmium and an influence of chloride ion on the concentration of dissolved metals were investigated. In order to avoid errors linked to pH measurements in concentrated aqueous solutions, the method of calibration of glass pH electrodes was developed and evaluated. The method uses easily prepared buffers whose pHs were determined with the Pitzer ion-interaction approach. The presented investigations address two issues of high significance in industrial wastewater treatment, namely: precise pH measurements and rigorous modeling of highly saline wastewaters. The results can be implemented in the treatment of hydrometallurgical wastewaters such as zinc refinery wastewater. Additionally, an implementation of the presented investigations is not limited to wastewater treatment but can easily be extended to other high-chloride metallurgical processes wherein the pH measurements in highly saline streams are required.

Graphical Abstract
How to Surge to Face the SARS-CoV-2 Outbreak: Lessons Learned From Lombardy, Italy
Authors: Faccincani Roberto , Pascucci Federico , Lennquist Sten 
Published: April 2020

ABSTRACTItaly is fighting against one of the worst medical emergency since the 1918 Spanish Flu. Pressure on the hospitals is tremendous. As for official data on March 14th: 8372 admitted in hospitals, 1518 in intensive care units, 1441 deaths (175 more than the day before). Unfortunately, hospitals are not prepared: even where a plan for massive influx of patients is present, it usually focuses on sudden onset disaster trauma victims (the most probable case scenario), and it has not been tested, validated, or propagated to the staff. Despite this, the All Hazards Approach for management of major incidents and disasters is still valid and the “4S” theory (staff, stuff, structure, systems) for surge capacity can be guidance to respond to this disaster.
Fall detection for elderly-people monitoring using learned features and recurrent neural networks
Authors: Berardini Daniele , Moccia Sara , Migliorelli Lucia , Pacifici Iacopo , di Massimo Paolo , Paolanti Marina , Frontoni Emanuele 
Published: April 2020

Abstract
Elderly care is becoming a relevant issue with the increase of population ageing. Fall injuries, with their impact on social and healthcare cost, represent one of the biggest concerns over the years. Researchers are focusing their attention on several fall-detection algorithms. In this paper, we present a deep-learning solution for automatic fall detection from RGB videos. The proposed approach achieved a mean recall of 0.916, prompting the possibility of translating this approach in the actual monitoring practice. Moreover to enable the scientific community making research on the topic the dataset used for our experiments will be released. This could enhance elderly people safety and quality of life, attenuating risks during elderly activities of daily living with reduced healthcare costs as a final result.
A robust test for X-chromosome genetic association accounting for X-chromosome inactivation and imprinting
Authors: Zhang Yu , Xu Si-Qi , Liu Wei , Fung Wing Kam , Zhou Ji-Yuan 
Published: April 2020

Abstract
The X chromosome is known to play an important role in many sex-specific diseases. However, only a few single-nucleotide polymorphisms on the X chromosome have been found to be associated with diseases. Compared to the autosomes, conducting association tests on the X chromosome is more intractable due to the difference in the number of X chromosomes between females and males. On the other hand, X-chromosome inactivation takes place in female mammals, which is a phenomenon in which the expression of one copy of two X chromosomes in females is silenced in order to achieve the same gene expression level as that in males. In addition, imprinting effects may be related to certain diseases. Currently, there are some existing approaches taking X-chromosome inactivation into account when testing for associations on the X chromosome. However, none of them allows for imprinting effects. Therefore, in this paper, we propose a robust test, ZXCII, which accounts for both X-chromosome inactivation and imprinting effects without requiring specifying the genetic models in advance. Simulation studies are conducted in order to investigate the validity and performance of ZXCII under various scenarios of different parameter values. The simulation results show that ZXCII controls the type I error rate well when there is no association. Furthermore, with regards to power, ZXCII is robust in all of the situations considered and generally outperforms most of the existing methods in the presence of imprinting effects, especially under complete imprinting effects.
An artificial intelligence algorithm that identifies middle turbinate pneumatisation (concha bullosa) on sinus computed tomography scans
Authors: Parmar P , Habib A-R , Mendis D , Daniel A , Duvnjak M , Ho J , Smith M , Roshan D , Wong E , Singh N 
Published: April 2020

AbstractObjectiveConvolutional neural networks are a subclass of deep learning or artificial intelligence that are predominantly used for image analysis and classification. This proof-of-concept study attempts to train a convolutional neural network algorithm that can reliably determine if the middle turbinate is pneumatised (concha bullosa) on coronal sinus computed tomography images.MethodConsecutive high-resolution computed tomography scans of the paranasal sinuses were retrospectively collected between January 2016 and December 2018 at a tertiary rhinology hospital in Australia. The classification layer of Inception-V3 was retrained in Python using a transfer learning method to interpret the computed tomography images. Segmentation analysis was also performed in an attempt to increase diagnostic accuracy.ResultsThe trained convolutional neural network was found to have diagnostic accuracy of 81 per cent (95 per cent confidence interval: 73.0–89.0 per cent) with an area under the curve of 0.93.ConclusionA trained convolutional neural network algorithm appears to successfully identify pneumatisation of the middle turbinate with high accuracy. Further studies can be pursued to test its ability in other clinically important anatomical variants in otolaryngology and rhinology.
Isolated pituitary fossa metastasis from a primary tonsillar squamous cell carcinoma: case report
Authors: Merchant H , Rye D S , Smith J A 
Published: April 2020

AbstractObjectiveThis paper presents a case of an isolated pituitary fossa metastasis on a background of a previously treated tonsillar squamous cell carcinoma.Case reportA 64-year-old male, diagnosed with a primary p16-negative squamous cell carcinoma in the right tonsil, was treated with a course of chemoradiotherapy with curative intent. Positron emission tomography/computed tomography, performed at six months post-treatment, revealed a good local response and no distant metastases. The patient was placed on routine follow up at two-monthly intervals. Two months into follow up, he presented with a right-sided oculomotor nerve palsy and partial Horner's syndrome. Imaging and biopsy revealed a pituitary fossa metastasis (p16-negative squamous cell carcinoma), and a further positron emission tomography/computed tomography visualised this lesion. He was deemed unsuitable for further intervention and underwent palliative radiotherapy for symptom control.ConclusionThis case represents the first reported isolated pituitary fossa metastasis from a tonsillar squamous cell carcinoma. A high degree of clinical suspicion is recommended, along with a low threshold for biopsy and a cautioned use of positron emission tomography/computed tomography, when investigating such patients.
Frontier Anxieties: Toward a Social History of Muslim-Christian Relations on the Ottoman-Habsburg Border
Authors: Hajdarpasic Edin 
Published: April 2020

AbstractThis article reframes the formation of the Ottoman-Habsburg frontier after 1699 in social historical terms. By going beyond diplomatic and military factors, it identifies how the contraction of Ottoman borders affected taxation, landholding, and Muslim-Christian relations in Bosnia. The article argues that peasants in Ottoman Bosnia experienced the mounting pressures of increasing taxation, manipulation over landownership, and religiously inflected hostility, often driven by those Muslim noblemen who tried to capitalize on the destabilizing wake of several wars that the Ottoman Empire fought with the Habsburg, Venetian, and Russian states in the eighteenth century. Through these processes, by the end of the century the meaning of thereayaorraya—an Ottoman term for taxpaying “subjects” that theoretically applied to all denominations, including Muslims—had become synonymous with “Christians,” acquiring a new political significance.
Intermittent signals and planetary days in SETI
Authors: Gray Robert H. 
Published: April 2020

AbstractInterstellar signals might be intermittent for many reasons, such as targeted sequential transmissions, isotropic broadcasts that are not 'on' continuously or many other reasons. The time interval between such signals would be important, because searchers would need to observe for long enough to achieve an initial detection and possibly determine a period. This article suggests that: (1) the power requirements of interstellar transmissions could be reduced by orders of magnitude by strategies that would result in intermittent signals, (2) planetary rotation might constrain some transmissions to be intermittent and in some cases to have the period of the source planet, and (3) signals constrained by planetary rotation might often have a cadence in the range of 10–25 h, if the majority of planets in our Solar system are taken as a guide. Extended observations might be needed to detect intermittent signals and are rarely used in SETI but are feasible, and seem appropriate when observing large concentrations of stars or following up on good candidate signals.
Phosphorylation of BCKDK of BCAA catabolism at Y246 by Src promotes metastasis of colorectal cancer
Authors: Tian Qin , Yuan Ping , Quan Chuntao , Li Mingyang , Xiao Juanjuan , Zhang Lu , Lu Hui , Ma Tengfei , Zou Ling , Wang Fei , Xue Peipei , Ni Xiaofang , Wang Wei , Liu Lin , Wang Zhe , Zhu Feng , Duan Qiuhong 
Published: April 2020

AbstractBranched-chain α-keto acid dehydrogenase kinase (BCKDK), the key enzyme of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) metabolism, has been reported to promote colorectal cancer (CRC) tumorigenesis by upregulating the MEK-ERK signaling pathway. However, the profile of BCKDK in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) remains unknown. Here, we report a novel role of BCKDK in mCRC. BCKDK is upregulated in CRC tissues. Increased BCKDK expression was associated with metastasis and poor clinical prognosis in CRC patients. Knockdown of BCKDK decreased CRC cell migration and invasion ex vivo, and lung metastasis in vivo. BCKDK promoted the epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) program, by decreasing the expression of E-cadherin, epithelial marker, and increasing the expression of N-cadherin and Vimentin, which are mesenchymal markers. Moreover, BCKDK-knockdown experiments in combination with phosphoproteomics analysis revealed the potent role of BCKDK in modulating multiple signal transduction pathways, including EMT and metastasis. Src phosphorylated BCKDK at the tyrosine 246 (Y246) site in vitro and ex vivo. Knockdown and knockout of Src downregulated the phosphorylation of BCKDK. Importantly, phosphorylation of BCKDK by Src enhanced the activity and stability of BCKDK, thereby promoting the migration, invasion, and EMT of CRC cells. In summary, the identification of BCKDK as a novel prometastatic factor in human CRC will be beneficial for further diagnostic biomarker studies and suggests novel targeting opportunities.
Histone demethylase JMJD1A promotes expression of DNA repair factors and radio-resistance of prostate cancer cells
Authors: Fan Lingling , Xu Songhui , Zhang Fengbo , Cui Xiaolu , Fazli Ladan , Gleave Martin , Clark David J. , Yang Austin , Hussain Arif , Rassool Feyruz , Qi Jianfei 
Published: April 2020

AbstractThe DNA damage response (DDR) pathway is a promising target for anticancer therapies. The androgen receptor and myeloblastosis transcription factors have been reported to regulate expression of an overlapping set of DDR genes in prostate cancer cells. Here, we found that histone demethylase JMJD1A regulates expression of a different set of DDR genes largely through c-Myc. Inhibition of JMJD1A delayed the resolution of γ-H2AX foci, reduced the formation of foci containing ubiquitin, 53BP1, BRCA1 or Rad51, and inhibited the reporter activity of double-strand break (DSB) repair. Mechanistically, JMJD1A regulated expression of DDR genes by increasing not only the level but also the chromatin recruitment of c-Myc through H3K9 demethylation. Further, we found that ubiquitin ligase HUWE1 induced the K27-/K29-linked noncanonical ubiquitination of JMJD1A at lysine-918. Ablation of the JMJD1A noncanonical ubiquitination lowered DDR gene expression, impaired DSB repair, and sensitized response of prostate cells to irradiation, topoisomerase inhibitors or PARP inhibitors. Thus, development of agents that target JMJD1A or its noncanonical ubiquitination may sensitize the response of prostate cancer to radiotherapy and possibly also genotoxic therapy.
Vibron-assisted spin excitation in a magnetically anisotropic molecule
Authors: Bachellier N. , Verlhac B. , Garnier L. , Zaldívar J. , Rubio-Verdú C. , Abufager P. , Ormaza M. , Choi D.-J. , Bocquet M.-L. , Pascual J. I. , Lorente N. , Limot L. 
Published: April 2020

AbstractThe electrical control and readout of molecular spin states are key for high-density storage. Expectations are that electrically-driven spin and vibrational excitations in a molecule should give rise to new conductance features in the presence of magnetic anisotropy, offering alternative routes to study and, ultimately, manipulate molecular magnetism. Here, we use inelastic electron tunneling spectroscopy to promote and detect the excited spin states of a prototypical molecule with magnetic anisotropy. We demonstrate the existence of a vibron-assisted spin excitation that can exceed in energy and in amplitude a simple excitation among spin states. This excitation, which can be quenched by structural changes in the magnetic molecule, is explained using first-principles calculations that include dynamical electronic correlations.
Endothelialization of arterial vascular grafts by circulating monocytes
Authors: Smith Randall J. , Nasiri Bita , Kann Julien , Yergeau Donald , Bard Jonathan E. , Swartz Daniel D. , Andreadis Stelios T. 
Published: April 2020

AbstractRecently our group demonstrated that acellular tissue engineered vessels (A-TEVs) comprised of small intestinal submucosa (SIS) immobilized with heparin and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) could be implanted into the arterial system of a pre-clinical ovine animal model, where they endothelialized within one month and remained patent. Here we report that immobilized VEGF captures blood circulating monocytes (MC) with high specificity under a range of shear stresses. Adherent MC differentiate into a mixed endothelial (EC) and macrophage (Mφ) phenotype and further develop into mature EC that align in the direction of flow and produce nitric oxide under high shear stress. In-vivo, newly recruited cells on the vascular lumen express MC markers and at later times they co-express MC and EC-specific proteins and maintain graft patency. This novel finding indicates that the highly prevalent circulating MC contribute directly to the endothelialization of acellular vascular grafts under the right chemical and biomechanical cues.
Effective CRISPRa-mediated control of gene expression in bacteria must overcome strict target site requirements
Authors: Fontana Jason , Dong Chen , Kiattisewee Cholpisit , Chavali Venkata P. , Tickman Benjamin I. , Carothers James M. , Zalatan Jesse G. 
Published: April 2020

AbstractIn bacterial systems, CRISPR-Cas transcriptional activation (CRISPRa) has the potential to dramatically expand our ability to regulate gene expression, but we lack predictive rules for designing effective gRNA target sites. Here, we identify multiple features of bacterial promoters that impose stringent requirements on CRISPRa target sites. Notably, we observe narrow, 2–4 base windows of effective sites with a periodicity corresponding to one helical turn of DNA, spanning ~40 bases and centered ~80 bases upstream of the TSS. However, we also identify two features suggesting the potential for broad scope: CRISPRa is effective at a broad range of σ70-family promoters, and an expanded PAM dCas9 allows the activation of promoters that cannot be activated byS. pyogenesdCas9. These results provide a roadmap for future engineering efforts to further expand and generalize the scope of bacterial CRISPRa.