bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Latent tuberculosis infection among health-care workers using Quantiferon-TB Gold-Plus in a country with a low burden for tuberculosis: prevalence and risk factors
Authors: Almohaya Abdulellah , Aldrees Abdulwahab , Akkielah Layan , Hashim Alshaima Talal , Almajid Fahad , Binmoammar Turki , Barry Mazin A. 
Published: June 2020

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND:
Health-care workers (HCW) are susceptible to latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI). The prevalence of LTBI in HCW in Saudi Arabia has not been reported using the fourth-generation interferon gamma release assay QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus (QFT-Plus).

OBJECTIVE:
Determine the prevalence of LTBI in a large heterogeneous HCW population and assess risk factors for LTBI.

DESIGN:
Cross-sectional and case-control study.

SETTING:
Tertiary academic hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

PATIENTS AND METHODS:
Medical records of HCWs who had QFT-Plus performed between January to December 2018 were reviewed and included in the cross-sectional study. In a subset analysis, randomly selected positive QFT-Plus cases were compared with controls selected from the same areas of work. Univariate and binary logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the significance of other factors to QFT-PLus positivity.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:
Prevalence of LTBI in HCWs and potential risk factors for LTBI.

SAMPLE SIZE:
3024 HCWs in the cross-sectional analysis; 294 cases and 294 controls in the case-control analysis.

RESULTS:
Twenty-four percent (n=733) of the HCWs had a positive QFT-Plus. The median (interquartile range) age was 34.0 (31.0-37.1) years, 71% were female, and only 24.8% were of Saudi nationals. Nursing represented 57.7% of HCWs, and 24.7% were working in a non-clinical area. Only 20.3% worked in TB-related departments. A higher risk of LTBI was present in HCWs who were older than 50 years (OR=1.95), from either Philippines (OR=4.7) or the Indian subcontinent (OR=4.1), working as a nurse (OR=2.7), allied health profession (OR=2.1), radiology technician (OR=3.1), or in the emergency room (OR=2.4) or intensive care unit (OR=2.1). In the binary logistic regression, independent predictors for positive QFT-Plus were age group older than 50 years (aOR=2.96), known TB exposure (aOR=1.97), and not receiving BCG at birth (aOR=3.08).

LIMITATION:
Single-center, retrospective, possible recall bias for BCG vaccination.

CONCLUSION:
The high prevalence of LTBI among HCW emphasizes the need to continue pre-employment screening, especially for employed personnel from high endemic areas, with targeted annual screening for the same group and other identified high-risk groups. These findings can aid in the development of national screening guidelines for LTBI in HCW.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST:
None.
Long-term outcomes after complete mesocolic excision for colon cancer at a tertiary care center in Saudi Arabia
Authors: Alharbi Reem A. , Hakami Riyadh , Alkhayal Khayal A. , Al-Obeed Omar A. , Traiki Thamer A. Bin , Zubaidi Ahmad , Al Homoud Samar , Ashari Luai , Abduljabbar Alaa , Alsanea Nasser 
Published: June 2020

ABSTRACTBACKGROUND:Data on long-term survival and recurrence of cancer after complete mesocolic excision (CME) for colon cancer has not been reported from our center and related to international data.OBJECTIVE:Describe overall and disease-free survival, survival by surgery site and stage, and recurrence rates after curative surgery.DESIGN:Retrospective chart review.SETTINGS:Academic tertiary care center.PATIENTS AND METHODS:The study included all patients who underwent either laparoscopic or open surgery for colon cancer with curative intent between 2001 and 2011. The colorectal database was reviewed for the following: demographic data, comorbidities, radiologic investigations, clinical stage, type of operation, complications, pathologic assessment, adjuvant treatment, recurrence and survival. Survival and recurrence rates were calculated, and survival curves were generated.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:5-year overall survival, secondary endpoints were 5-year disease-free survival, survival by surgery site and stage, and recurrence rates.SAMPLE SIZE:220.RESULTS:The mean (SD) age at diagnosis was 57 (13) years (CI 95%: 55-59 years). There were 112 males. Mean (SD) body mass index was 27.6 (5.7) kg/m2(CI 95%: 27-28). Pathological assessment revealed R0 (microscopically margin-negative) resection in 207 (94%). The overall 5-year survival and disease-free survival was 77.9% and 70%, respectively. The 5-year disease-free survival was 69% for the sigmoid/left colon and 69% for the right colon (difference statistically nonsignificant). Stages at the time of resection were stage 0 for 2 (0.01%) patients, stage I for 18 (8%), stage II for 92 (42%), stage III for 100 (46%), and stage IV for 6 (3%). The 5-year overall survival by stages I, II, III and IV was 94%, 80%, 75% and 50%, respectively (difference statistically non-significant). The overall 5-year recurrence rate was 23.4%.CONCLUSION:The outcomes of surgical treatment for colon cancer at our institution are equivalent to international sites. No difference was noted between left and right colon in terms of survival after CME.LIMITATIONS:Single center, retrospective, small sample size.CONFLICT OF INTEREST:None.
Dimensional analysis of a landscape evolution model with incision threshold
Authors: Theodoratos Nikos , Kirchner James W. 
Published: June 2020

Abstract. The ability of erosional processes to incise into a topographic surface can be limited by a threshold. Incision thresholds affect the topography of landscapes and their scaling properties and can introduce nonlinear relations between climate and erosion with notable implications for long-term landscape evolution. Despite their potential importance, incision thresholds are often omitted from the incision terms of landscape evolution models (LEMs) to simplify analyses. Here, we present theoretical and numerical results from a dimensional analysis of an LEM that includes terms for threshold-limited stream-power incision, linear diffusion, and uplift. The LEM is parameterized by four parameters (incision coefficient and incision threshold, diffusion coefficient, and uplift rate). The LEM's governing equation can be greatly simplified by recasting it in a dimensionless form that depends on only one dimensionless parameter, the
incision-threshold number Nθ. This dimensionless parameter is
defined in terms of the incision threshold, the incision coefficient, and
the uplift rate, and it quantifies the reduction in the rate of incision due
to the incision threshold relative to the uplift rate. Being the only
parameter in the dimensionless governing equation, Nθ is the only
parameter controlling the evolution of landscapes in this LEM. Thus,
landscapes with the same Nθ will evolve geometrically similarly,
provided that their boundary and initial conditions are normalized according
to appropriate scaling relationships, as we demonstrate using a numerical
experiment. In contrast, landscapes with different Nθ values will
be influenced to different degrees by their incision thresholds. Using
results from a second set of numerical simulations, each with a different
incision-threshold number, we qualitatively illustrate how the value of Nθ influences the topography, and we show that relief scales with the quantity Nθ+1 (except where the incision threshold
reduces the rate of incision to zero).
An assessment of diatom assemblages in the Sea of Okhotsk as a proxy for sea-ice cover
Authors: Nakamura Hiroki , Okazaki Yusuke , Konno Susumu , Nakatsuka Takeshi 
Published: June 2020

Abstract. Knowledge of past variations in sea-ice extent is crucial
for understanding the relationship between climate change and changes in
sea ice. Diatom assemblages could be applied as a proxy for paleo-sea-ice
extent; this requires accurate information on the modern species that are
indicative of sea ice. Scanning electron microscope observations were
performed on modern diatom assemblages in sea ice, sinking particles, and
surface sediments in the Sea of Okhotsk. A sea-ice sample was collected in the
southwestern Sea of Okhotsk near Hokkaido island in February 2013.
Fragilariopsis cylindrus was the dominant diatom species in the sea-ice sample, accounting for 87 % of the total diatom assemblage. Time-series sediment traps were
deployed during 1998–2000 at two stations, M4 and M6, off Sakhalin island.
Total diatom fluxes ranged from 105 to 108 valves m−2 d−1 with noticeable seasonality. During the sea-ice covering period,
the total diatom flux decreased by 1 or 2 orders of magnitude. The highest
diatom fluxes were observed in spring and summer. The diatom species
composition in sinking particles also showed pronounced seasonal changes.
During summer and fall, the Shionodiscus trifultus group and Neodenticula seminae were the major diatom taxa. During the
sea-ice covering period, Fragilariopsis cylindrus and Bacterosira bathyomphala resting spores were abundant. Both the
sea-ice-related species showed similar flux patterns except for the spring
bloom after sea-ice retreat: F. cylindrus fluxes exhibited pronounced spring bloom peaks
of 108 valves m−2 d−1; in contrast, the fluxes of
Bacterosira bathyomphala resting spores during the spring bloom were 1 order of magnitude lower than
those of F. cylindrus. Surface-sediment core XP98-MC4 was obtained near station M6 sediment-trap site off Sakhalin island. The relative abundance of
Fragilariopsis cylindrus in the surface-sediment diatom assemblage was only 6.4 %, markedly lower
than that in the sediment-trap samples (43.4 %). In the surface sediment,
the relative abundances of diatom taxa with heavily silicified valves such
as B. bathyomphala resting spores, Shionodiscus variantius, and Thalassionema nitzschioides were greater than their relative abundances in
sinking particles.
August Wilson 'Jitney' Interview with August Wilson Journal Editor Michael Downing
Authors: Drexler David 
Published: June 2020

David Drexler of KSDS-FM San Diego interviews Dr. Michael Downing, editor of the August Wilson Journal, about Wilson's play, "Jitney," which was staged January 18 through February 23, 2020 at the Donald and Darlene Shiley Stage, Old Globe Theatre in San Diego.
“Sono Ebreo, Anche”: Jewish Voices from Arab Countries in Contemporary Italian Prose
Authors: Carlino Tiziana 
Published: June 2020

ABSTRACT:
The field of Italian literature of migration has seen rapid growth since the early 1990s, and one of the many voices in this literature is that of immigrants coming to Italy from Jewish communities in Arab countries. Unlike the writing of other migrant groups in Italy, the works of Jewish writers from Arab communities draw their themes from the legacy of Sephardic family origins, the compound experience of historical collective and individual migration, and the complex process of forming identities in the host culture. These themes are expressed in a porous Italian, open to influences from Arabic, Ladino, Hebrew, English, and French. This article considers these distinguishing characteristics in the prose of several writers who have come to Italy from Jewish communities in Arab countries over the past seventy years.
RELATIONS ENTRE DISCIPLINES SCOLAIRES ET « ÉDUCATIONS À » : PROPOSITION D’UN CADRE D’ANALYSE
Authors: Lebrun Johanne , Roy Patrick , Bousadra Fatima , Franc Serge 
Published: June 2020

Ce texte pose les bases conceptuelles d’un cadre d’analyse des relations entre les disciplines scolaires, notamment celles des sciences de la nature et des sciences humaines, et les « Éducations à », afin de mener des analyses comparatives de curriculums dans le monde francophone. Le texte évoque d’abord les principales caractéristiques des « Éducations à » pour ensuite circonscrire les zones de tensions qui découlent de leur prise en charge par les disciplines scolaires. L’assise conceptuelle présentée subséquemment conduit à dégager quatre configurations théoriques pouvant soutenir l’analyse des relations entre les disciplines scolaires et les « Éducations à » sur le plan des finalités éducatives, des apprentissages visés, du statut du savoir disciplinaire et des dispositifs de formation privilégiés.
Bee diversity in secondary forests and coffee plantations in a transition between foothills and highlands in the Guatemalan Pacific Coast
Authors: Armas-Quiñonez Gabriela , Ayala-Barajas Ricardo , Avendaño-Mendoza Carlos , Lindig-Cisneros Roberto , del-Val Ek 
Published: June 2020

BackgroundAlthough conservation of pristine habitats is recognized in many countries as crucial for maintaining pollinator diversity, the contribution of secondary forest conservation is poorly recognized in the Latin American context, such as in Guatemala. San Lucas Tolimán (SLT) is a high-quality coffee production region from the Atitlan Province, which has the second highest deciduous forest cover in Guatemala and pristine forest is prioritized for conservation. In contrast, secondary forest protection is undetermined, since these forests are normally removed or strongly affected by coffee farming practices. This situation may affect the diversity of native pollinators, mainly bees, which usually rely on the secondary forest for food resources.MethodsWe conducted a study to investigate the importance of secondary forests around the SLT coffee plantations (Coffea arabicaL.) for pollinators. We compared bee diversity (richness, abundance and composition) in secondary forests of different age and coffee plantations with diverse farming techniques. Being the first study of pollinators in Guatemalan coffee plantations, we also recorded data for an entire year (2013–2014) in order to describe bee seasonality.ResultsWe found significant differences in bee diversity between the coffee plantations and secondary forests, particularly early secondary forests showed higher bee abundances but diversity indices were similar between different vegetation type plots. In the early dry season, secondary forests showed the greatest native bee diversity. During the late dry season, when the coffee was flowering, honey bees were dominant in the same plots. This study provides important management insights to support the conservation of pollinators, since our results offer guidelines to improve coffee production by increasing native pollinator diversity.
Exogenous hormones influence Brassica napus leaf cuticular wax deposition and cuticle function
Authors: Yuan Zheng , Jiang Youwei , Liu Yuhua , Xu Yi , Li Shuai , Guo Yanjun , Jetter Reinhard , Ni Yu 
Published: June 2020

Background
Cuticular waxes cover plant surface and play important roles in protecting plants from abiotic and biotic stresses. The variations of wax deposition and chemical compositions under changing environments have been shown to be related to plant adaptations. However, it is still not clear whether the wax depositions could be adjusted to increase plant adaptations to stressed conditions.

Methods
In this study, exogenous methyl jasmonate (MeJA), the ethylene precursor 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) and salicylic acid (SA) were applied to test their effects on cuticular wax deposition in two Brassica napus cultivars, Zhongshuang 9 (ZS9, low wax coverage ) and Yuyou 19 (YY19, high wax coverage). Next, we measured the water loss rate and the transcriptional expression of genes involved in wax biosynthesis as well as genes related to disease defense.

Results
Seven wax compound classes, including fatty acids, aldehydes, alkanes, secondary alcohols, ketones, and unbranched as well as branched primary alcohols, were identified in B. napus leaf wax mixtures. MeJA, SA and ACC treatments had no significant effect on total wax amounts in YY19, whereas ACC reduced total wax amounts in ZS9. Overall, hormone treatments led to an increase in the amounts of aldehydes and ketones, and a decrease of secondary alcohol in ZS9, whereas they led to a decrease of alkane amounts and an increase of secondary alcohol amounts in YY19. Concomitantly, both cultivars also exhibited different changes in cuticle permeability, with leaf water loss rate per 15 min increased from 1.57% (averaged across treatments) at 1.57% (averaged across treatments) at 15 min to 3.12% at 30 min for ZS9 (except for ACC treated plant) and decreased for YY19. MeJA-treated plants of both cultivars relatively had higher water loss rate per 15 min when compared to other treatments. Conclusion. Our findings that B. napus leaf wax composition and cuticle permeability are altered by exogenous SA, MeJA and ACC suggest that the hormone treatments affect wax composition, and that the changes in wax profiles would cause changes in cuticle permeability.
Matrix Isolation Spectroscopy in Atmospheric Chemistry – Structure and Reactions of Atmospherically Important Species
Authors: Karir Ginny , Viswanathan K.S. 
Published: June 2020

Abstract

Atmospheric chemistry has today grown from being a curiosity‐driven science to one that is necessity driven. A plethora of experimental and computational tools are used today to study the chemistry of our atmosphere, in an effort to preserving its health. In this article, we review the use of matrix isolation spectroscopy in the study of atmospheric processes. Most of the chemical reactions in the atmosphere are driven by light and hence photochemical studies of species present in the atmosphere are of great interest. Furthermore, atmospheric chemistry is also dominated by photochemically induced free radical chemistry, and hence techniques to study these reactive species must be resorted to. Matrix isolation spectroscopy is ideally suited for photochemical studies and for the study of reactive short‐lived species and has, therefore, been extensively used. In this article, we particularly discuss the chemistry and the role played by species such as OH
⋅
radicals, NO
3
radicals, and O
3
together with a variety of reactive species involving Br, F, and S. The use and chemistry of alternatives for
chlorofluorocarbon
s (
CFC
s) are also discussed. As a result of the various studies, it has now become possible to understand the role of various species in the atmosphere and therefore to evolve administrative regulations that seek to preserve the health of the atmosphere.
DNA
‐Enabled Heavy Metal Detection in Water
Authors: Moon Woohyun J. , Huang Po‐Jung J. , Liu Juewen 
Published: June 2020

Abstract
Detection of heavy metal contamination in the environment is an on‐going analytical challenge. In effort of developing portable biosensors, deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)‐based designs have gained much attention for their high affinity and specificity to metals, stability, cost‐efficiency, ease of modification, and batch‐to‐batch reproducibility. Specific sequences of DNA aptamers and DNAzymes provide grounds for rational designs of fluorescent, colorimetric, and electrochemical detection methods. Aptamers exert only a binding function, while DNAzymes can use heavy metals to catalyze specific chemical and biological transformations. This article starts with a brief introduction of heavy metals and their interactions with DNA. Then DNA aptamers and DNAzymes are respectively reviewed from their in vitro selection, representative DNA sequences, and design of biosensors. For signal transduction, various fluorescent, colorimetric, and electrochemical examples are described. Finally, future perspectives are discussed.
Sexual objectification increases retaliatory aggression
Authors: Poon Kai‐Tak , Jiang Yufei 
Published: June 2020

AbstractTwo experiments were conducted to investigate whether sexual objectification increases retaliatory aggression serially through increased vulnerability and hostile intent attributions. Female participants were first exposed to the sexual objectification manipulation by receiving compliments from an online male partner (Experiment 1) or imagining a workplace objectification experience (Experiment 2). Afterward, their vulnerability and hostile intent attributions were assessed. Finally, they were given an opportunity to behave aggressively toward the source of objectification. The results of both experiments indicated that, compared with their counterparts in the control conditions, participants in the sexual objectification condition reported higher levels of vulnerability, hostile intent attributions, and aggression. Moreover, vulnerability and hostile intent attributions serially mediated the effect of sexual objectification on aggression. These findings highlight the critical influence of vulnerability and hostile intent attributions in understanding how sexual objectification increases aggression.
Clinical implication of serum biomarkers and patient age in inflammatory demyelinating diseases
Authors: Lee Eun‐Jae , Lim Young‐Min , Kim Seungmi , Choi Lynkyung , Kim Hyunjin , Kim Keonwoo , Kim Hye Weon , Lee Ji Sung , Kim Kwang‐Kuk 
Published: June 2020

AbstractObjectivesSerum synaptic proteins levels may change with age‐related neurodegeneration, affecting their clinical implications as a disease biomarker. We aimed to investigate neuronal and astroglial markers in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and aquaporin‐4 antibody‐seropositive neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD) to compare the clinical implications of these markers according to age.MethodsUsing single‐molecule array assays, we measured neurofilament light (NfL) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in sera from consecutive patients with MS (n = 117) and NMOSD (n = 63). For each disease, we assessed correlations between these markers and disease severity (Expanded Disability Status Scale [EDSS]) scores according to three age groups (≤44, 45–54, and ≥55 years).ResultsAlthough serum GFAP levels were significantly higher in patients with NMOSD than those with MS, levels of both serum markers revealed significant positive correlations with EDSS scores in both diseases. In MS patients, the degrees of correlation between serum NfL (or GFAP) levels and EDSS scores were similar across all age groups. However, in NMOSD patients, positive GFAP‐EDSS correlations were distinctively stronger in the youngest than in the oldest group. Conversely, there were no positive NfL‐EDSS correlations in NMOSD in the youngest group, but there were significant in the oldest group.InterpretationThe degrees to which serum NfL and GFAP levels reflect disease severity vary significantly with patient age in NMOSD, but not in MS. These findings suggest that the pathological processes and progression differ between the diseases; hence, serum biomarker levels may need to be interpreted differently according to patient age and disease type.