bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Barbarous Spectacle and General Massacre: A Defence of Gory Fictions
Authors: Stoner Ian 
Published: November 2019

AbstractMany people suspect it is morally wrong to watch the graphically violent horror films colloquially known as gorefests. A prominent argument vindicating this suspicion is the Argument from Reactive Attitudes (ARA). The ARA holds that we have a duty to maintain a well‐functioning moral psychology, and watching gorefests violates that duty by threatening damage to our appropriate reactive attitudes. But I argue that the ARA is probably unsound. Depictions of suffering and death in other genres typically do no damage to our appropriate reactive attitudes, and until we locate a relevant difference between these depictions in gorefests and in other genres, we should assume that the depictions in gorefests do no damage. I consider and reject three candidate differences: in artistic merit, meaningfulness, and audience orientation. Until genre sceptics identify a relevant difference, we should accept the taste for gory fictions as we would any other morally innocuous variation in taste.
Instructors' gestures enhance their teaching experience and performance while recording video lectures
Authors: Yang Jiumin , Zhu Fangfang , Guo Peiyu , Pi Zhongling 
Published: November 2019

AbstractAn instructor's gestures have an effect not only on students' learning but also on teaching itself. In two experiments, this study tested whether instructors' use of gestures while recording video lectures affected their teaching performance, stress, and cognitive load. In Experiment 1, participants recorded video lectures with gestures or without gestures. As hypothesized, t tests showed that participants in the gestures condition had better teaching performance and lower cognitive load than participants in the no‐gestures condition, whereas there was no effect on stress level. In Experiment 2, participants recorded video lectures with either pointing gestures or representational gestures. The t tests indicated that participants in the pointing gestures condition showed better teaching performance and experienced lower stress than those in the representational gestures condition, but there was no difference in cognitive load. Overall, our findings suggest that in the new educational environment of video lectures, instructors should consider using gestures, especially pointing gestures, to improve their teaching and their experience of teaching.
Development and verification of a nomogram for prediction of recurrence‐free survival in clear cell renal cell carcinoma
Authors: Chen Yuanlei , Jiang Shangjun , Lu Zeyi , Xue Dingwei , Xia Liqun , Lu Jieyang , Wang Huan , Xu Liwei , Li Liyang , Li Gonghui 
Published: November 2019

AbstractNowadays, gene expression profiling has been widely used in screening out prognostic biomarkers in numerous kinds of carcinoma. Our studies attempt to construct a clinical nomogram which combines risk gene signature and clinical features for individual recurrent risk assessment and offer personalized managements for clear cell renal cell carcinoma. A total of 580 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified via microarray. Functional analysis revealed that DEGs are of fundamental importance in ccRCC progression and metastasis. In our study, 338 ccRCC patients were retrospectively analysed and a risk gene signature which composed of 5 genes was obtained from a LASSO Cox regression model. Further analysis revealed that identified risk gene signature could usefully distinguish the patients with poor prognosis in training cohort (hazard ratio [HR] = 3.554, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.261‐7.472, P < .0001, n = 107). Moreover, the prognostic value of this gene‐signature was independent of clinical features (P = .002). The efficacy of risk gene signature was verified in both internal and external cohorts. The area under receiver operating characteristic curve of this signature was 0.770, 0.765 and 0.774 in the training, testing and external validation cohorts, respectively. Finally, a nomogram was developed for clinicians and did well in the calibration plots. This nomogram based on risk gene signature and clinical features might provide a practical way for recurrence prediction and facilitating personalized managements of ccRCC patients after surgery.
Identification of a novel germlineBRCA2variant in a Chinese breast cancer family
Authors: Cheng Jingliang , Peng Jiangzhou , Fu Jiewen , Khan Md. Asaduzzaman , Tan Pingping , Wei Chunli , Deng Xiyun , Chen Hanchun , Fu Junjiang 
Published: November 2019

AbstractBreast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer and the leading cause of cancer‐related deaths in women worldwide. In this study, a large Chinese pedigree with breast cancer including a proband and two female patients was recruited and a familial history of breast cancer was collected by questionnaire. Clinicopathological assessments and neoadjuvant therapy‐related information were obtained for the proband. Blood samples were taken, and gDNA was extracted. TheBRCA1/2andPALB2genes were screened using next‐generation sequencing by a targeted gene panel. We have successfully identified a novel, germline heterozygous, missense mutation of the geneBRCA2: c.7007G>T, p.R2336L, which is likely to be pathogenic in the proband and her elder sister who both had breast cancer. Furthermore, the risk factors for developing breast cancer in this family are discussed. Thus, genetic counselling and long‐term follow‐up should be provided for this family of breast cancer patients as well as carriers carrying a germline variant ofBRCA2: c.7007G>T (p.R2336L).
Enhanced alleviation of aGVHD by TGF‐β1‐modified mesenchymal stem cells in mice through shifting MΦ into M2 phenotype and promoting the differentiation of Treg cells
Authors: Wu Ran , Liu Chuanxu , Deng Xiaohui , Chen Linjun , Hao Siguo , Ma Liyuan 
Published: November 2019

AbstractAllogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo‐HSCT) is the only curative method in treating haematologic malignant diseases. Graft‐versus‐host disease (GVHD) is a common complication post–allo‐HSCT, which can be life‐threatening. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) as an adult stem cell with immunoregulatory function have demonstrated efficacy in steroid resistant acute GVHD (aGVHD). However, the outcome of aGVHD treated with MSCs in clinical trials varied and its underlying mechanism is still unclear. TGF‐β1 is a potent cytokine, which plays a key role in immunoregulation. In the present study, we firstly transduced the lentivirus vector containing TGF‐β1 gene with mouse bone marrow‐derived MSCs. Then, we investigated the immunosuppressive effect of TGF‐β1 gene‐modified MSCs on lymphocytes in vitro and its preventive and therapeutical effects on murine aGVHD model in vivo. Murine MSC was successfully isolated and identified. TGF‐β1 was efficiently transduced into mouse MSCs, and high level TGF‐β1 was detected. MSC‐TGF‐β1 shared the same morphology and immunotypic features of normal MSC. In vitro, MSC‐TGF‐β1 showed enhanced immunosuppressive function on lymphocyte proliferation. In vivo, MSC‐TGF‐β1 showed enhanced amelioration on the severity of aGVHD both in prophylactic and therapeutic murine models. Finally, the macrophages (MØs) derived from MSC‐TGF‐β1–treated mice showed a remarkably increasing of anti‐inflammatory M2‐like phenotype. Furthermore, the differentiation of CD4+ CD25+ Foxp3+ Treg cells was significantly increased in MSC‐TGF‐β1–treated group. Taken together, we proved that MSC‐TGF‐β1 showed enhanced alleviation of aGVHD severity in mice by skewing macrophages into a M2 like phenotype or increasing the proportion of Treg cells, which opens a new frontier in the treatment of aGVHD.
TAK1 inhibition in mouse astrocyte cultures ameliorates cytokine‐induced chemokine production and neutrophil migration
Authors: Soto‐Díaz Katiria , Juda Michal B. , Blackmore Stephen , Walsh Claire , Steelman Andrew J. 
Published: November 2019

AbstractSystemic inflammation can exacerbate symptoms of many neurological diseases. This effect may be facilitated by glial cells of the central nervous system (CNS) that alter their transcriptional responses and up‐regulate cytokine and chemokine expression which can, in turn trigger immune surveillance. In this study, we sought to determine the effects of pro‐inflammatory cytokine stimulation (TNF, IL‐1α, IL‐1β) on astrocyte and microglia chemokine secretion. Primary cultures of astrocytes or microglia were stimulated with the recombinant cytokines and the levels of secreted chemokines were semi‐quantitatively determined using a chemokine‐specific proteome profiler array and densitometry. Pharmacological inhibitors were used to determine the effects of p38 MAPK, JNK, ERK1/2, NFkB, and transforming growth factor beta‐associated kinase 1 (TAK1) in controlling chemokine production. Finally, neutrophil migration assays were performed to demonstrate functionality. Our data show that stimulated astrocytes secrete at least eight chemokines as a response to cytokine stimulation. These include those involved in neutrophil chemo‐attraction and proved capable of promoting neutrophil migration in vitro. In contrast, microglia up‐regulated few chemokines in response to cytokine stimulation and did not promote neutrophil migration. However, microglia readily secreted chemokines following stimulation with the toll‐like receptor agonists. Finally, we show that both the production of chemokines and neutrophil migration resulting from cytokine stimulation of astrocytes was dependent on TAK1 signaling. Collectively, this study adds to the understanding of how astrocytes and microglia respond to stimuli and their role in promoting neutrophil migration to the CNS during inflammatory conditions.
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Milia‐like idiopathic calcinosis cutis of the forehead in an adult without Down's syndrome successfully treated with a CO2 laser
Authors: Aristizabal Miguel , Aristizabal Juan , Giraldo Daniela , Loboguerrero Oriana , Gold Michael H. 
Published: November 2019

AbstractBackgroundIdiopathic calcinosis cutis is an uncommon form of calcinosis cutis. It may present as tumoral calcinosis, subepidermal calcified nodules or scrotal calcinosis. Subepidermal calcified nodules may also present as milia‐like lesions commonly seen in children with Down's syndrome in the absence of tissue damage or metabolic disorders, it has been seldom reported in adults. The treatment of choice is surgical excision. However, a surgical approach may not always be beneficial to the patient given the cosmetic outcomes. Here, we describe the successful use of a CO2 laser in the treatment of milia‐like calcinosis cutis of the forehead in an adult without Down's syndrome.AimsTo describe the treatment of Milia‐like idiopathic calcinosis cutis of the forehead in an adult without Down's syndrome successfully treated with a CO2 laser.MethodsWe report a case of a 48‐year‐old man who presented with skin‐colored hard asymptomatic papules on the forehead that started about 9 years ago, a biopsy was performed and a diagnosis of milialike calcinosis cutis was made. Surgical excision was discarded regarding the location and the number of lesions, instead, a CO2 laser was used to treat this condition.ResultsSuccessful laser excision of the lesions with appealing cosmetic results.ConclusionsCO2 laser seems to be a valuable tool to treat milia‐like calcinosis cutis lesions.
I don’t like crickets, I love them: invertebrates are an important prey source for varanid lizards
Authors: Cross S. L. , Craig M. D. , Tomlinson S. , Bateman P. W. 
Published: November 2019

AbstractMinimal annual rainfall in arid environments results in low productivity ecosystems with fluctuating food availability. Large mammalian predators that require frequent consumption of vertebrate prey tend to be less abundant in desert environments; however, such environments often support numerous large‐bodied carnivorous reptiles. Diet is a fundamental component of an animal’s ecology, and we explore the diets of three coexisting, sympatric Varanus species occurring in arid Australia: V. tristis, V. gouldii and V. panoptes. We hypothesized that the diet of varanids living in arid environments would primarily consist of relatively abundant invertebrate prey, and that vertebrate prey items would largely be limited to opportunistically consumed mammalian carrion and small reptilian species. All three Varanus species had high dietary overlap and broad, generalist diets. Invertebrate prey, particularly Orthoptera, were key to the diets of all three species. Vertebrate prey was infrequently consumed by all three Varanus species; however, when consumed, tended to comprise small reptilian species and mammalian carrion. Unlike large mammalian predators, varanids can survive on invertebrate prey and infrequent feeds and can aestivate when conditions become unfavourable, contributing to their success in arid environments.
The Effects of Motion Math: Bounce on Students’ Fraction Knowledge
Authors: McKevett Nicole M. , Kromminga Kourtney R. , Ruedy Amelia , Roesslein Rachel , Running Kristin , Codding Robin S. 
Published: November 2019

AbstractNational assessments suggest that many students do not display proficiency with fractions. Considering that time and materials are precious resources, many educators are looking to use technology to provide supplemental instruction with low demand on the instructor. The current study utilized a multiple‐baseline design to examine the effects of the Motion Math: Bounce application on the fraction quantity comparison and number line placement skills of three fifth‐grade students. Results indicate that Motion Math: Bounce improved the quantity comparison skills of all three participants and the number line skills of one participant. Additionally, all three participants made improvements from pre‐ to posttest on a measure of general fraction knowledge. Implications for future research and intervention implementation are discussed.
Coordinated changes of gut microbiome and lipidome differentiates nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) from isolated steatosis
Authors: Qian Minyi , Hu Haiyang , Yao Ying , Zhao Danyang , Wang Shilei , Pan Chuyue , Duan Xubin , Gao Yingsheng , Liu Jun , Zhang Yufei , Yang Song , Qi Lian‐Wen , Wang Lirui 
Published: November 2019

AbstractBackground & AimsNonalcoholic fatty liver disease encompasses isolated steatosis or nonalcoholic fatty liver and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). NASH develops from isolated steatosis with obscure driving forces. We aim to identify key factors promoting this transition.MethodsFollowing 21‐week of high‐fat diet feeding, obese mice were classified into two groups termed as isolated steatosis and NASH based on hematoxylin‐eosin staining of liver histology. The integrated multi‐omics analysis of lipidome, transcriptome and gut microbiome were performed in mice with isolated steatosis and NASH, and confirmed in human samples.ResultsLivers in mice with NASH lost most lipids, and the transcriptional landscape was also changed dramatically in mice with NASH in relative to mice with isolated steatosis. Plasma lipidome analysis demonstrated a very clear difference between these two groups of mice, which was partially recapitulated in serum of patients with isolated steatosis and NASH. The microbiota composition revealed that Bacteroides genus and Bacteroides uniformis species decreased while Mucispirillum genus and Mucispirillum schaedleri species increased largely in mice with NASH. More importantly, we found that Bacteroides uniformis correlated positively with triglycerides (TGs) and negatively with free fatty acids (FFAs) and PE(18:1/20:4), while Mucispirillum schaedleri correlated positively with FFAs, LysoPC(20:3), LysoPC(20:4) and DG(16:1/18:2). Mechanically, administration of Bacteroides uniformis increased specific TGs, and decreased hepatic injury and inflammation in diet‐induced mice.ConclusionsOverall, through multi‐omics integration, we identified a microbiota‐lipid axis promoting the initiation of NASH from isolated steatosis, which might provide a novel perspective on NASH pathogenesis and treatment.
Sowa Rigpa Humanitarianism: Local Logics of Care within a Global Politics of Compassion
Authors: Craig Sienna R. , Gerke Barbara , Sheldon Victoria 
Published: November 2019

AbstractThis article examines the circulation of humanitarian ideas, materials, and actions in a non‐biomedical and non‐Judeo–Christian context: Sowa Rigpa or Tibetan medical camps in India and Nepal. Through these camps, practitioners and patients alike often overtly articulate Sowa Rigpa medicine as part of a broader humanitarian “good” motivated by a Buddhist‐inflected ethics of compassion and a moral economy of care, diverging from mainstream public health and conventional humanitarian projects. Three ethnographic case studies demonstrate how micro‐political interactions at camps engage with ethical and religious imaginaries. We show how the ordinary ethics of Sowa Rigpa humanitarianism gain distinct political meaning in contrast to non‐Tibetan forms of aid, reconfiguring the relationship between Buddhism, essential medicines, moral economies, and politics. While Sowa Rigpa as a medical system operates transnationally, these camps are organized around local logics of emergent care, employing narratives of “charity” and Buddhist compassion when addressing health needs.
Absence of founder effect and evidence for adaptive divergence in a recently introduced insular population of white‐tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus)
Authors: Fuller Jérémie , Ferchaud Anne‐Laure , Laporte Martin , Le Luyer Jérémy , Davis Theodore B. , Côté Steeve D. , Bernatchez Louis 
Published: November 2019

AbstractIslands are generally colonized by few individuals which could lead to a founder effect causing loss of genetic diversity and rapid divergence by strong genetic drift. Insular conditions can also induce new selective pressures on populations. Here, we investigated the extent of genetic differentiation within a white‐tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) population introduced on an island and its differentiation with its source mainland population. In response to their novel environmental conditions, introduced deer changed phenotypically from mainland individuals, therefore we investigated the genetic bases of the morphological differentiation. The study was conducted on Anticosti Island (Québec, Canada) where 220 individuals were introduced 120 years ago, resulting in a population size over 160,000 individuals. We used genotyping‐by‐sequencing (GBS) to generate 8,518 filtered high‐quality SNPs and compared patterns of genetic diversity and differentiation between the continental and Anticosti Island populations. Clustering analyses indicated a single panmictic island population and no sign of isolation by distance. Our results revealed a weak, albeit highly significant, genetic differentiation between the Anticosti Island population and its source population (mean FST = 0.005), which allowed a population assignment success of 93%. Also, the high genetic diversity maintained in the introduced population supports the absence of a strong founder effect due to the large number of founders followed by rapid population growth. We further used a polygenic approach to assess the genetic bases of the divergent phenotypical traits between insular and continental populations. We found loci related to muscular function and lipid metabolism, which suggested that these could be involved in local adaptation on Anticosti Island. We discuss these results in a harvest management context.
Small RNA Mcr11 requires the transcription factor AbmR for stable expression and regulates genes involved in the central metabolism of Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Authors: Girardin Roxie C. , McDonough Kathleen A. 
Published: November 2019

AbstractMycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the etiologic agent of tuberculosis, must adapt to host‐associated environments during infection by modulating gene expression. Small regulatory RNAs (sRNAs) are key regulators of bacterial gene expression, but their roles in Mtb are not well understood. Here, we address the expression and function of the Mtb sRNA Mcr11, which is associated with slow bacterial growth and chronic infections in mice. We found that stable expression of Mcr11 requires multiple factors specific to TB‐complex bacteria, including the AbmR transcription factor. Bioinformatic analyses used to predict regulatory targets of Mcr11 identified 7–11 nucleotide regions with potential for direct base‐pairing with Mcr11 immediately upstream of Rv3282, fadA3, and lipB. mcr11‐dependent regulation of these genes was demonstrated using qRT‐PCR and found to be responsive to the presence of fatty acids. Mutation of the putative Mcr11 base‐pairing site upstream of lipB in a promoter reporter strain resulted in significant de‐repression of lipB expression, similar to that observed in mcr11‐deleted Mtb. These studies establish Mcr11’s roles in regulating growth and central metabolism in Mtb. Our finding that multiple TB‐complex‐specific factors are required for production of stable Mcr11 also emphasizes the need to better understand mechanisms of sRNA expression and stability in TB.
Cultural nationalism of the interwar period: Latvian visual art and folklore
Authors: Ķencis Toms 
Published: November 2019

AbstractThe interwar period in Europe marks a tendency towards authoritarian leaders in politics as well as the classicizing practices of the visual arts. However, the extent and modality of both tendencies vary from state to state: mapping differences and similarities leads towards greater understanding of each national history. The particularity of Latvian art life is a comparatively substantial use of folklore motifs and representation of pagan mythology, going hand in hand with overall ethnolinguistic nationalism agenda and related state cultural policy. Despite the coexistence of various artistic styles, in regard to content and intentions of artworks, the interwar period can be characterized by the turn from National Romanticism to Romantic Nationalism. The historical outline and theoretical discussion of folklore representations are illustrated by three case studies, analysing the biographies, ideas, and works of Latvian artists Ansis Cīrulis, Jēkabs Bīne, and Niklāvs Strunke.