bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Syngeneic murine model for prostate cancer using RM1 cells transfected with gp100
Authors: Yeon Austin , Wang Yanping , Su Shengchen , Lo Eric M. , Kim Hyung L. 
Published: February 2020

AbstractBackgroundProstate cancer (PC) is the most commonly diagnosed solid tumor in men. A major challenge in PC immunotherapy is the lack of an animal model that resembles human adenocarcinoma and allows for manipulation or monitoring of the immune response. Mouse models are needed for preclinical testing of new immunotherapies, whether used alone or in combination with established drugs, and to develop companion biomarkers that can be validated in clinical trials.MethodsTo develop a syngeneic prostate adenocarcinoma model with a well‐defined tumor antigen, murine RM1 PC cells were transfected with the endogenous mouse melanoma protein, gp100 (RM1‐gp100). Gp100 was attractive because it is a self‐protein and it instantly allowed us to use the large trove of immune research tools developed for melanoma research. A dendritic cell (DC) vaccine was used as model immunotherapy to demonstrate that adoptive immunotherapy against gp100 decreases the growth of RM1‐gp100 but not RM1.ResultsExpressing gp100 did not change the growth of RM1 cell in vitro or in vivo. The DCs pulsed with RM1‐gp100 could be used to stimulate Pmel‐1 lymphocyte proliferation and activation. Pmel‐1 lymphocytes could be adoptively transferred into C57Bl/6 mice that were treated with DCs pulsed with RM1‐gp100. The resulting Pmel‐1 lymphocytes were monitored to assess the primary cellular immune response and memory response.ConclusionWe describe a murine model for prostate adenocarcinoma with a well‐characterized antigen that can be used in an immunologically intact mice to monitor the temporal CD8+ lymphocyte‐mediated antitumor immunity.
Advances in generating liver cells from pluripotent stem cells as a tool for modeling liver diseases
Authors: Maepa Setjie W. , Ndlovu Hlumani 
Published: February 2020

Abstract
Developing robust in vitro models of the liver is essential for studying the pathogenesis of liver diseases, hepatotoxicity testing, and regenerative medicine. Earlier studies were conducted using cell lines derived from hepatomas. Due to the inherent limitations of cell lines, researchers used primary human hepatocytes (PHHs), which are considered a gold standard for in vitro modeling of the liver. However, due to the high cost of PHHs and lack of donors, researchers have sought an alternative source for functional liver cells. Pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) emerged as a viable alternative due to their plasticity and high proliferative capacity. This review gives an overview of the major advances that have been achieved to develop protocols to generate liver cells such as hepatocytes, cholangiocytes, and Küpffer cells from PSCs. We also discuss their application in modeling the pathogenesis of liver diseases such as drug-induced liver injury, acute liver failure, and hepatic steatosis.
Forensic entomology for the investigator
Authors: Byrd Jason , Sutton Lerah 
Published: February 2020

AbstractForensic entomology is a discipline deeply rooted in history that is still evolving with regards to its utility in both the modern scientific community and medicolegal death investigations. While there are many applications of forensic entomology with the forensic sciences, the most common application is that of the estimation of time since death, also often known as a minimum postmortem interval, which in some instances can be equal to the time of colonization. This time estimation is based on the period of insect activity on a body, and the age of the insects collected from the remains can aid in determining a portion of the postmortem interval. For this estimation, temperature is a key element of entomological evidence collection, along with the insects themselves. Proper documentation of the scene conditions in which the body is discovered is essential for use in an entomological postmortem interval estimation. Likewise, proper documentation and collection of the insects from the body and the death scene—including a representative sample of all areas of colonization and species present—better allows the entomologist to provide a more accurate and useful estimation of time since death.This article is categorized under:Forensic Biology > Interpretation of Biological EvidenceForensic Anthropology > Time Since Death EstimationForensic Science in Action/Crime Scene Investigation > Crime Scene Examination
Bias in data‐driven artificial intelligence systems—An introductory survey
Authors: Ntoutsi Eirini , Fafalios Pavlos , Gadiraju Ujwal , Iosifidis Vasileios , Nejdl Wolfgang , Vidal Maria‐Esther , Ruggieri Salvatore , Turini Franco , Papadopoulos Symeon , Krasanakis Emmanouil , Kompatsiaris Ioannis , Kinder‐Kurlanda Katharina , Wagner Claudia , Karimi Fariba , Fernandez Miriam , Alani Harith , Berendt Bettina , Kruegel Tina , Heinze Christian , Broelemann Klaus , Kasneci Gjergji , Tiropanis Thanassis , Staab Steffen 
Published: February 2020

AbstractArtificial Intelligence (AI)‐based systems are widely employed nowadays to make decisions that have far‐reaching impact on individuals and society. Their decisions might affect everyone, everywhere, and anytime, entailing concerns about potential human rights issues. Therefore, it is necessary to move beyond traditional AI algorithms optimized for predictive performance and embed ethical and legal principles in their design, training, and deployment to ensure social good while still benefiting from the huge potential of the AI technology. The goal of this survey is to provide a broad multidisciplinary overview of the area of bias in AI systems, focusing on technical challenges and solutions as well as to suggest new research directions towards approaches well‐grounded in a legal frame. In this survey, we focus on data‐driven AI, as a large part of AI is powered nowadays by (big) data and powerful machine learning algorithms. If otherwise not specified, we use the general term bias to describe problems related to the gathering or processing of data that might result in prejudiced decisions on the bases of demographic features such as race, sex, and so forth.This article is categorized under:
Commercial, Legal, and Ethical Issues > Fairness in Data Mining
Commercial, Legal, and Ethical Issues > Ethical Considerations
Commercial, Legal, and Ethical Issues > Legal Issues
Knotting the Safety Net. A Multi-Actor Family Network Approach in Divorce Research
Authors: de Bel Vera , Van Gasse Dries 
Published: February 2020

AbstractDrawing on three theories in sociology, this chapter presents a theoretical framework for studying the consequences of parental divorce for the structure of relationships within the nuclear family and between nuclear and extended family members. First, interdependence as defined in family systems theory (FST) is explained. Second, the configurational approach (CA) is introduced. CA stresses the individual perspective in defining the family network and the non-static influence of configurations on the individual. Empirically, CA requires the collection of ego (personal) network data about family members and their relationships, the so-called Family Network Method (FNM). Third, the concept of a sharing group (SG) is introduced. SGs are characterized by the joint production of a common good by groups of individuals, subject to three types of interdependence: functional, structural and cognitive. Building on insights from FST and CA, the Multi-Actor Family Network Approach (MAFNA) is introduced, which conceives of families as SGs. Next, methods for the empirical implementation of MAFNA, requiring the collection of information about all family members and their relationships, are sketched, as well as social network analysis techniques for such data. Finally, the chapter discusses what kind of answers and questions in divorce research may be addressed using MAFNA.
Public Attitudes Toward Shared Custody: The Czech Republic
Authors: Fučík Petr 
Published: February 2020

AbstractIn the beginning of the existence of divorce as a social institution, parenthood was not as deeply problematized as the moral aspects of the partnership. In contrast, current public and scientific debates are most frequently involved in the questions of the impact of divorce on the children. Shared custody can be understood as a result of this cultural shift. The knowledge about public attitudes toward this topic and its social differentiation is limited. This study presents a unique source of data on shared custody attitudes from EVS (European Values Study) and CHPS (Czech Household Panel Survey) surveys conducted recently in the Czech Republic. The results show there is a substantive distinction between the attitudes of men and women and that the acceptance of shared custody is higher in younger age groups. No differences according to the social and economic status of respondents and their family backgrounds were found. Concerning the broader attitudinal contingency, we found no relationship between egalitarian gender attitudes and the acceptance of shared custody, but conservative attitudes toward divorce consequences increase the acceptance of shared custody.
Divorce Trends in Seven Countries Over the Long Transition from State Socialism: 1981–2004
Authors: Härkönen Juho , Billingsley Sunnee , Hornung Maria 
Published: February 2020

AbstractThe collapse of communism was a defining geopolitical event of late-twentieth century Europe, with well-documented economic, social, and political implications. Yet there is a striking absence of research on how it influenced divorce. The objective of this study is to provide an exploratory analysis of trends in divorce over the long transition from communism—starting from the decline of the communist economy in the 1980s and ending with economic revival—in seven countries: Bulgaria, Estonia, Hungary, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, and Russia. We discuss how the transition could be expected to either increase or decrease divorce risks. We analyze retrospective micro-level data on first marriages from the Changing Life Course Regimes in Eastern Europe (CLiCR) dataset. Based on our event-history analyses, we find that divorce rates increased in each country at some stage during the long transition and these increases cannot be explained by compositional change of the marriages. However, no uniform pattern emerged in the timing and duration of the increase in divorce risk. This striking variation leads us to conclude that even the effect of major societal ruptures is contextually contingent.
Superficial Femoral Artery Calcification Is a Novel Risk Factor of Microvascular Complications in T2DM Patients
Authors: Tian Jing , He Wanbing , Gao Jingwei , Yan Li , Liang Ming , Zhang Wenyue , Xu Xiaolin , Luo Baoming 
Published: February 2020

AbstractMicrovascular complications are prevalent in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), resulting in increased risk of cardiovascular mortality. However, it is unclear whether above-knee artery calcification relates to microvascular complications. This study was aimed to investigate the role of calcification in superficial femoral arteries (SFA), the major above-knee artery, compared with anterior tibial arteries (ATA) and posterior tibial arteries (PTA), in T2DM-related microvascular complications and explore its risk factors. A single-center and observational study involving 359 T2DM patients was conducted. Clinical and laboratory data were collected. SFA calcification was evaluated by ultrasonography. Compared with ATA and PTA calcification, operating characteristics curve analysis showed that SFA calcification was the strongest predictor (63.1% sensitivity and 69.2% specificity) for T2DM-related microvascular complications (diabetic neuropathy, diabetic nephropathy and diabetic retinopathy). With the severity of SFA calcification increased, age, duration of T2DM, and SBP were significantly elevated, but triglyceride and glucose index and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) were significantly reduced (allP < 0.05). Multivariate logistic analysis showed that eGFR (OR 0.953; 95% CI 0.931–0.976;P < 0.001) was an independent risk factor of SFA calcification, especially in young patients with HbA1c > 7.0. We identified SFA calcification as a good predictor of microvascular complications in T2DM patients. Reduced eGFR was significantly associated with increased SFA calcification prevalence, especially in young T2DM patients with bad controlled hyperglycemia.
Meta‐analysis of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) Protocols in Emergency Abdominal Surgery
Authors: Hajibandeh Shahab , Hajibandeh Shahin , Bill Victor , Satyadas Thomas 
Published: February 2020

AbstractObjectivesTo evaluate enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols in emergency abdominal surgery.MethodsThe electronic data sources were explored to capture all studies that evaluated the impact of ERAS protocols in patients who underwent emergency abdominal surgery. The quality of randomised and non‐randomised studies was evaluated by the Cochrane tool and the Newcastle–Ottawa scale, respectively. Random or fixed effects modelling were utilised as indicated.ResultsSix comparative studies, enrolling 1334 patients, were eligible. ERAS protocols resulted in shorter post‐operative time to first flatus (mean difference: −1.40, P < 0.00001), time to first defecation (mean difference: −1.21, P = 0.02), time to first oral liquid diet (mean difference: −2.30, P < 0.00001), time to first oral solid diet (mean difference: −2.40, P < 0.00001) and length of hospital stay (mean difference: −3.09, −2.80, P < 0.00001). ERAS protocols also resulted in lower risks of total complications (odds ratio: 0.50, P < 0.00001), major complications (odds ratio: 0.60, P = 0.0008), pulmonary complications (odds ratio: 0.38, P = 0.0003), paralytic ileus (odds ratio: 0.53, 0.88, P = 0.01) and surgical site infection (odds ratio: 0.39, P = 0.0001). Both ERAS and non‐ERAS protocols resulted in similar risk of 30‐day mortality (risk difference: −0.00, P = 0.94), need for re‐admission (risk difference: −0.01, P = 0.50) and need for re‐operation (odds ratio: 0.83, P = 0.50).ConclusionsAlthough ERAS protocols are commonly used in elective settings, they are associated with favourable outcomes in emergency settings as indicated by reduced post‐operative complications, accelerated recovery of bowel function and shorter post‐operative hospital stay without increasing need for re‐admission or re‐operation. There should be an effort to incorporate ERAS protocols into emergency abdominal surgery settings.
Snoring: is a reliable assessment possible?
Authors: Fischer René , Kuehnel Thomas S. , Vielsmeier Veronika , Haubner Frank , Mueller Steffen , Rohrmeier Christian 
Published: February 2020

Abstract
Purpose
It is not easy to assess how severe and annoying a patient’s snoring is. Solid parameters are lacking; snorers cannot deliver a reliable self-assessment and it is uncertain whether bed partners’ statements can be relied upon. The purpose of the present study was therefore to investigate whether and how well snoring assessment based on acoustic parameters and bed partners’ reporting agree.

Methods
In a double-blind, placebo-controlled study on snoring treatment, several acoustic parameters [snoring index (SI), percentage snoring time (ST), sound pressure level, sound energy, loudness, psychoacoustic annoyance and psychoacoustic snore score (PSS)] were measured in 18 subjects during 24 polysomnographies. Bed partners also assessed snoring annoyance and loudness as well as treatment outcome.

Results
No correlation was found between the subjective annoyance caused by snoring and the acoustic parameters. Regarding perceived loudness, there was a moderate, significant correlation with loudness (N5) and PSS over the hour with the highest SI. SI, ST, LAeq and maximum sound pressure level dB(A)max showed no significant correlation. After the intervention only mean sound energy LAeq over the entire night showed a significant correlation (rs = 0.782; p = 0.022) with bed partners’ assessments. However, this result was not confirmed in the second control night.

Conclusions
The non-existent or only weak correlation between bed partners’ ratings and objective parameters indicate that snoring severity should be evaluated with caution. Neither acoustic parameters, at least for one measurement over just one night, nor bed partners’ ratings should be used as the sole basis for snoring assessment.
Indications and outcome in surgically treated asymptomatic meningiomas: a single-center case-control study
Authors: Näslund Olivia , Skoglund Thomas , Farahmand Dan , Bontell Thomas O. , Jakola Asgeir S. 
Published: February 2020

Abstract
Background
Many meningiomas are detected incidentally and remain asymptomatic until intervention. The goal of this study was to describe the management and outcome in this group of surgically treated asymptomatic meningiomas.

Methods
From 2004 to 2017, 45 patients with asymptomatic meningioma were surgically treated at Sahlgrenska University Hospital, and their medical records and imaging data were analyzed. The asymptomatic cases were matched with symptomatic ones with respect to age at diagnosis, location, WHO (World Health Organization) grade, and Simpson grade.

Results
Time from diagnosis to surgery differed between the asymptomatic and symptomatic patients (8.6 vs. 1.3 months; p < 0.001). Of symptomatic patients, 32.6% still used anti-epileptic drugs > 1 year after surgery, compared with 7.7% of the asymptomatic (p = 0.003). Thirty-day complication rate was significantly higher among the asymptomatic cases (35.6% vs. 24.4%; 0.001), as well as the proportion of older asymptomatic individuals (> 70 years) experiencing postoperative complication compared with symptomatic patients of the same age group.

Conclusion
As expected, asymptomatic cases had smaller tumors and waited longer for surgery. Surprisingly, complication rate was significantly higher among asymptomatic cases compared with their symptomatic control. Taken into account that many asymptomatic tumors are removed surgically due to patient’s wish, one might suggest a more restrictive approach, especially in the elderly.
Development and validation of a simulation workload measure: the simulation task load index (SIM-TLX)
Authors: Harris David , Wilson Mark , Vine Samuel 
Published: February 2020

AbstractVirtual reality (VR) simulation offers significant potential for human factors training as it provides a novel approach which enables training in environments that are otherwise dangerous, impractical or expensive to simulate. While VR training has been adopted in many environments, such as heavy industry, surgery and aviation, there remains an inadequate understanding of how virtual simulations impact cognitive factors. One such factor, which needs careful consideration during the design of VR simulations, is the degree of mental or cognitive load experienced during training. This study aimed to validate a newly developed measure of workload, based on existing instruments (e.g. the NASA-TLX), but tailored to the specific demands placed on users of simulated environments. While participants completed a VR puzzle game, a series of experimental manipulations of workload were used to assess the sensitivity of the new instrument. The manipulations affected the questionnaire subscales (mental demands; physical demands; temporal demands; frustration; task complexity; situational stress; distraction; perceptual strain; task control; presence) as predicted in all cases (ps < .05), except for presence, which displayed little relationship with other aspects of task load. The scale was also found to have good convergent validity with an alternate index of task load. The findings support the sensitivity of the new instrument for assessing task load in virtual reality. Overall, this study contributes to the understanding of mental workload in simulated environments and provides a practical tool for use in both future research and applications in the field.
A global analysis of heat-related labour productivity losses under climate change—implications for Germany’s foreign trade
Authors: Knittel Nina , Jury Martin W. , Bednar-Friedl Birgit , Bachner Gabriel , Steiner Andrea K. 
Published: February 2020

AbstractWe investigate climate change impacts transferred via foreign trade to Germany, a country that is heavily engaged in international trade. Specifically, we look at temperature changes and the associated labour productivity losses at a global scale until 2050. We assess the effects on Germany’s imports and exports by means of a global computable general equilibrium (CGE) model. To address uncertainty, we account for three Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSP1, SSP2 and SSP3) and two Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP4.5 and RCP8.5) using projections from five global climate models. We find that average annual labour productivity for high intensity work declines by up to 31% for RCP4.5 (and up to 38% for RCP8.5) in Southeast Asia and the Middle East by 2050, all relative to a 2050 baseline without climate change. As a consequence, for RCP8.5, Germany’s imports from regions outside Europe are lower by up to 2.46%, while imports from within Europe partly compensate this reduction. Also, Germany’s exports to regions outside Europe are lower, but total exports increase by up to 0.16% due to higher exports to EU regions. Germany’s GDP and welfare, however, are negatively affected with a loss of up to − 0.41% and − 0.46%, respectively. The results highlight that overall positive trade effects for Germany constitute a comparative improvement rather than an absolute gain with climate change.
Climate change and winter road maintenance
Authors: Lorentzen Torbjørn 
Published: February 2020

AbstractThe objective of the article is to analyse the impact of short- and long-term climate variations on the costs of removing snow and ice from the roads in Bergen—the second most populous city in Norway. The analysis applies simple mathematics, Monte Carlo simulations and multivariate regression methodology. The municipality of Bergen manages about 630 km of roads and 100 km of foot and bicycle paths, and the municipal administration spends NOK 37 million (or about USD 4.5 million) annually on removing snow and ice during the winter period. The analysis shows that a 1 °C increase in the mean temperature reduces the winter maintenance costs by NOK 14 million, and it is likely that there will be no need for winter snow-clearing operations if the long-term mean atmospheric temperature increases by approximately 2.5 °C or more relative to the historical mean temperature level. The analysis shows that the variance and trend of the temperature have a strong effect on the likelihood of a snow- and ice-free winter and that a long-term reduction in the variance reduces the likelihood of rare events even though the mean temperature increases. The analysis provides the municipality of Bergen with information about the relationship between climate and winter road maintenance costs, and the statistical models can help to quantify the amount of economic and material resources needed for this purpose. The analysis is a contribution in the field of economic impact analysis of climate change on the transport sector.