bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Kindergarten Education Scheme in Hong Kong: Policy measures, rhizomatic connections and early childhood teacher education
Authors: Yuen Gail 
Published: November 2020

AbstractUsing Deleuze and Guattari's concept of rhizome, this study examines the key measures of the Kindergarten Education Scheme introduced by the Hong Kong government in 2017 after a large‐scale advocacy movement. It argues that these measures have expanded the power of the neoliberal imaginary through producing an enhanced market apparatus and an apolitical teaching profession. The neoliberal expansion reflects the manifestation of different kinds of rhizomatic connections to reterritorialise the field. This study calls for the rethinking of teacher educators’ ethical responsibility in addressing the complexity of teacher work frequently neglected by policy and the policy/practice divide in teacher education.
The calcium channel TRPV6 is a novel regulator of RANKL‐induced osteoclastic differentiation and bone absorption activity through the IGF–PI3K–AKT pathway
Authors: Ma Jun , Zhu Lei , Zhou Zhibin , Song Tengfei , Yang Lei , Yan Xu , chen Aimin , Ye Tian Wen 
Published: November 2020

AbstractObjectivesCalcium ion signals are important for osteoclast differentiation. Transient receptor potential vanilloid 6 (TRPV6) is a regulator of bone homeostasis. However, it was unclear whether TRPV6 was involved in osteoclast formation. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the role of TPRV6 in bone metabolism and to clarify its regulatory role in osteoclasts at the cellular level.Materials and methodsBone structure and histological changes in Trpv6 knockout mice were examined using micro‐computed tomography and histological analyses. To investigate the effects of Trpv6 on osteoclast function, we silenced or overexpressed Trpv6 in osteoclasts via lentivirus transfection, respectively. Osteoclast differentiation and bone resorption viability were measured by tartrate‐resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) staining and pit formation assays. The expression of osteoclast marker genes, including cathepsin k, DC‐STAMP, Atp6v0d2 and TRAP, was measured by qRT‐PCR. Cell immunofluorescence and Western blotting were applied to explore the mechanisms by which the IGF‐PI3K‐AKT pathway was involved in the regulation of osteoclast formation and bone resorption by Trpv6.ResultsWe found that knockout of Trpv6 induced osteoporosis and enhanced bone resorption in mice, but did not affect bone formation. Further studies showed that Trpv6, which was distributed on the cell membrane of osteoclasts, acted as a negative regulator for osteoclast differentiation and function. Mechanistically, Trpv6 suppressed osteoclastogenesis by decreasing the ratios of phosphoprotein/total protein in the IGF–PI3K–AKT signalling pathway. Blocking of the IGF–PI3K–AKT pathway significantly alleviated the inhibitory effect of Trpv6 on osteoclasts formation.ConclusionsOur study confirmed the important role of Trpv6 in bone metabolism and clarified its regulatory role in osteoclasts at the cellular level. Taken together, this study may inspire a new strategy for the treatment of osteoporosis.
Electroencephalography decoding of Chinese characters in primary school children and its prediction for word reading performance and development
Authors: Lui Kelvin F. H. , Lo Jason C. M. , Maurer Urs , Ho Connie S.‐H. , McBride Catherine 
Published: November 2020

AbstractResearch on what neural mechanisms facilitate word reading development in non‐alphabetic scripts is relatively rare. The present study was among the first to adopt a multivariate pattern classification analysis to decode electroencephalographic signals recorded for primary school children (N = 236) while performing a Chinese character decision task. Chinese is an ideal script for studying the relationship between neural discriminability (i.e., decodability) of the orthography and behavioral word reading skills since the mapping from orthography to phonology is relatively arbitrary in Chinese. This was also among the first empirical attempts to examine the extent to which decoding performance can predict current and subsequent word reading skills using a longitudinal design. Results showed that neural activation patterns of real characters can be distinguished from activation patterns for pseudo‐characters, non‐characters, and random stroke combinations in both younger and older children. Topography of the transformed classifier weights revealed two distinct cognitive sub‐processes underlying single character recognition, but temporal generalization analysis suggested common neural mechanisms between the distinct cognitive sub‐processes. Suggestive evidence from correlational and hierarchical regression analyses showed that decoding performance, assessed on average 2 months before the year 2 behavioral testing, predicted both year 1 word reading performance and the development of word reading fluency over the year. Results demonstrate that decoding performance, one indicator of how the neural system is functionally organized in processing characters and character‐like stimuli, can serve as a useful neural marker in predicting current word reading skills and the capacity to learn to read.
Life‐history traits correlate with temporal trends in freshwater fish populations for common European species
Authors: Santos Raphaël , Poulet Nicolas , Besnard Aurélien 
Published: November 2020

Abstract

Understanding the population dynamics of aquatic species and how inter‐specific variation in demographic and life history traits influence population dynamics is crucial to define their conservation status and design appropriate protection measures.

The abundance and biomass growth rates for 18 common European freshwater fish species were estimated using data spanning 1990–2011 for 546 sites across France. Fish‐length trends were assessed using quantile regressions and correlations with life history traits were investigated.

Amongst the 18 species, eleven of them have exhibited a significant decline in abundance and 14 species declined in biomass, seven remained stable or exhibited positive abundance growth rates; for four species, biomass was stable or increased. Of the demographic and ecological traits investigated, life‐history strategy and maximum length were significantly correlated with species’ population growth rates, revealing that the decline mainly concerned large‐bodied species with slow life‐histories.

These results focus on 18 common European species representing 94% of fish captured during the study period within the French national monitoring programme and underline that more attention should be paid to the decline in common species. Population dynamics of widely distributed common species are key drivers of communities and of importance to ecosystem function.

This study provides evidence of declines in common European freshwater fish species at a national scale and recommends conservation measures to favour recovery of most declining species. We highlight the crucial value of electrofishing monitoring programmes to assess freshwater fish species population trajectories and to support environmental management and conservation policy based on scientific evidences.
Two centuries for an almost complete community turnover from native to non‐native species in a riverine ecosystem
Authors: Haubrock Phillip J. , Pilotto Francesca , Innocenti Gianna , Cianfanelli Simone , Haase Peter 
Published: November 2020

AbstractNon‐native species introductions affect freshwater communities by changing community compositions, functional roles, trait occurrences and ecological niche spaces. Reconstructing such changes over long periods is difficult due to limited data availability. We collected information spanning 215 years on fish and selected macroinvertebrate groups (Mollusca and Crustacea) in the inner‐Florentine stretch of the Arno River (Italy) and associated water grid, to investigate temporal changes. We identified an almost complete turnover from native to non‐native fish (1800: 92% native; 2015: 94% non‐native species) and macroinvertebrate species (1800: 100% native; 2015: 70% non‐native species). Non‐native fish species were observed ~50 years earlier compared to macroinvertebrate species, indicating phased invasion processes. In contrast, α‐diversity of both communities increased significantly following a linear pattern. Separate analyses of changes in α‐diversities for native and non‐native species of both fish and macroinvertebrates were nonlinear. Functional richness and divergence of fish and macroinvertebrate communities decreased non‐significantly, as the loss of native species was compensated by non‐native species. Introductions of non‐native fish and macroinvertebrate species occurred outside the niche space of native species. Native and non‐native fish species exhibited greater overlap in niche space over time (62%–68%) and non‐native species eventually replaced native species. Native and non‐native macroinvertebrate niches overlapped to a lesser extent (15%–30%), with non‐natives occupying mostly unoccupied niche space. These temporal changes in niche spaces of both biotic groups are a direct response to the observed changes in α‐diversity and species turnover. These changes are potentially driven by deteriorations in hydromorphology as indicated by alterations in trait modalities. Additionally, we identified that angling played a considerable role for fish introductions. Our results support previous findings that the community turnover from native to non‐native species can be facilitated by, for example, deteriorating environmental conditions and that variations in communities are multifaceted requiring more indicators than single metrics.
What’s hot and what’s not: Making sense of biodiversity ‘hotspots’
Authors: Thompson Murray S. A. , Couce Elena , Webb Thomas J. , Grace Miriam , Cooper Keith M. , Schratzberger Michaela 
Published: November 2020

AbstractConserving biogeographic regions with especially high biodiversity, known as biodiversity ‘hotspots’, is intuitive because finite resources can be focussed towards manageable units. Yet, biodiversity, environmental conditions and their relationship are more complex with multidimensional properties. Assessments which ignore this risk failing to detect change, identify its direction or gauge the scale of appropriate intervention. Conflicting concepts which assume assemblages as either sharply delineated communities or loosely collected species have also hampered progress in the way we assess and conserve biodiversity. We focus on the marine benthos where delineating manageable areas for conservation is an attractive prospect because it holds most marine species and constitutes the largest single ecosystem on earth by area. Using two large UK marine benthic faunal datasets, we present a spatially gridded data sampling design to account for survey effects which would otherwise be the principal drivers of diversity estimates. We then assess γ‐diversity (regional richness) with diversity partitioned between α (local richness) and β (dissimilarity), and their change in relation to covariates to test whether defining and conserving biodiversity hotspots is an effective conservation strategy in light of the prevailing forces structuring those assemblages. α‐, β‐ and γ‐diversity hotspots were largely inconsistent with each metric relating uniquely to the covariates, and loosely collected species generally prevailed with relatively few distinct assemblages. Hotspots could therefore be an unreliable means to direct conservation efforts if based on only a component part of diversity. When assessed alongside environmental gradients, α‐, β‐ and γ‐diversity provide a multidimensional but still intuitive perspective of biodiversity change that can direct conservation towards key drivers and the appropriate scale for intervention. Our study also highlights possible temporal declines in species richness over 30 years and thus the need for future integrated monitoring to reveal the causal drivers of biodiversity change.
Fungal community structure and function shifts with atmospheric nitrogen deposition
Authors: Moore Jessica A. M. , Anthony Mark A. , Pec Gregory J. , Trocha Lidia K. , Trzebny Artur , Geyer Kevin M. , van Diepen Linda T. A. , Frey Serita D. 
Published: November 2020

AbstractFungal decomposition of soil organic matter depends on soil nitrogen (N) availability. This ecosystem process is being jeopardized by changes in N inputs that have resulted from a tripling of atmospheric N deposition in the last century. Soil fungi are impacted by atmospheric N deposition due to higher N availability, as soils are acidified, or as micronutrients become increasingly limiting. Fungal communities that persist with chronic N deposition may be enriched with traits that enable them to tolerate environmental stress, which may trade‐off with traits enabling organic matter decomposition. We hypothesized that fungal communities would respond to N deposition by shifting community composition and functional gene abundances toward those that tolerate stress but are weak decomposers. We sampled soils at seven eastern US hardwood forests where ambient N deposition varied from 3.2 to 12.6 kg N ha−1 year−1, five of which also have experimental plots where atmospheric N deposition was simulated through fertilizer application treatments (25–50 kg N ha−1 year−1). Fungal community and functional responses to fertilizer varied across the ambient N deposition gradient. Fungal biomass and richness increased with simulated N deposition at sites with low ambient deposition and decreased at sites with high ambient deposition. Fungal functional genes involved in hydrolysis of organic matter increased with ambient N deposition while genes involved in oxidation of organic matter decreased. One of four genes involved in generalized abiotic stress tolerance increased with ambient N deposition. In summary, we found that the divergent response to simulated N deposition depended on ambient N deposition levels. Fungal biomass, richness, and oxidative enzyme potential were reduced by N deposition where ambient N deposition was high suggesting fungal communities were pushed beyond an environmental stress threshold. Fungal community structure and function responses to N enrichment depended on ambient N deposition at a regional scale.
Foodborne outbreaks of microbial infection from fresh produce in Europe and North America: a systematic review of data from this millennium
Authors: Aiyedun Susanna O. , Onarinde Bukola A. , Swainson Mark , Dixon Ronald A. 
Published: November 2020

SummaryThis study focuses on foodborne outbreaks of microbial infection associated with fresh produce in Europe and North America from this millennium. A total of 277 outbreaks with 44 524 individual cases were identified. Foodborne pathogens associated with the most outbreak frequency include Cryptosporidium (20.5%) in Europe and Salmonella (52.2%) in North America although Norovirus (54.3%) and Salmonella (61.3%) were associated with the number of cases in Europe and North America, respectively. Vegetables were the most implicated fresh produce category with outbreak frequencies of 34.1% in Europe and 47.4% in North America. Increased consumption of fresh produce in Europe and North America, as measures to improve diets, correlates with the increased fresh produce‐related outbreaks of microbial infection. This systematic review suggests the need for more rapid methodologies for traceback investigations in order to determine trends and epicentres of foodborne infections related to fresh produce.
The role of hydrocolloids in the development of gluten‐free cereal‐based products for coeliac patients: a review
Authors: Zoghi Alaleh , Mirmahdi Razieh Sadat , Mohammadi Mehrdad 
Published: November 2020

SummaryA growing number of diseases in association with gluten intake, such as coeliac disease, have led to increasing demand for gluten‐free products as a crucial economic and health issue. Gluten‐free products, because of the absence of gluten, usually have a poor texture, taste and appearance. Therefore, the production of good quality gluten‐free products with substances that can somehow mimic the viscoelastic properties of gluten is an important challenge. Recently, hydrocolloids are widely used to improve the quality and shelf‐life of gluten‐free products. In this study, the effect of hydrocolloids on the production of gluten‐free cereal‐based products, such as breads, cakes and muffins, biscuits and cookies, pasta and noodles, has been reviewed as well as their nutritional values. In general, this study could suggest key factors in the improvement of gluten‐free products.
Efficacy of nivolumab versus molecular‐targeted therapy as second‐line therapy for metastatic renal cell carcinoma: Real‐world data from two Japanese institutions
Authors: Ishihara Hiroki , Fukuda Hironori , Takagi Toshio , Kondo Tsunenori , Tachibana Hidekazu , Yoshida Kazuhiko , Iizuka Junpei , Kobayashi Hirohito , Ishida Hideki , Tanabe Kazunari 
Published: November 2020

ObjectivesTo compare the efficacy of nivolumab with that of molecular‐targeted therapy as a second‐line therapy for metastatic renal cell carcinoma using real‐world data.MethodsWe retrospectively evaluated patients who received nivolumab or molecular‐targeted therapy after the failure of first‐line molecular‐targeted therapy between January 2008 and December 2019 at two Japanese institutions. Progression‐free survival and overall survival after the initiation of second‐line therapy were calculated using the Kaplan‐Meier method and compared using the log‐rank test. Objective response rate was assessed based on the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors version 1.1.ResultsAmong 159 patients, 43 (27%) and 116 (73%) patients received nivolumab and molecular‐targeted therapy as second‐line therapy, respectively. During follow up (median 11.1 months), 129 (81%) and 98 (62%) patients had disease progression and died, respectively. Progression‐free survival was comparable between the two treatments (median 5.06 vs 5.95 months, P = 0.881), whereas overall survival was significantly longer with nivolumab than with molecular‐targeted therapy (not reached vs 13.0 months, P = 0.0008). Multivariate analysis further showed that nivolumab therapy was an independent favorable factor for overall survival (hazard ratio 0.33, P = 0.0007). In 151 patients with eligible radiographic data, the objective response rate was significantly higher in nivolumab than in molecular‐targeted therapy (n = 14/41 [34%] vs n = 20/110 [18%], P = 0.0485).ConclusionsReal‐world data analysis suggests superior efficacy of nivolumab over molecular‐targeted therapy as second‐line therapy for metastatic renal cell carcinoma.
How Much Does Slaughter Harm Humanely Raised Animals?1
Authors: Solis Coleman 
Published: November 2020

AbstractSome believe that it is immoral to harm animals, but it is not immoral to kill humanely raised domesticated animals. Implicit in this is the assumption that it is possible to raise and slaughter animals without harming them significantly. In recent years, a number of philosophers – DeGrazia, Harman, Bradley, and others – have claimed that slaughter harms an animal in proportion to the amount of valuable future life that an animal loses in dying, which seems to challenge this assumption. But a question remains: how much are domesticated animals, particularly humanely raised ones, harmed by their slaughter? Here, I take up this question. My answer may be surprising: in ordinary circumstances, slaughter hardly deprives humanely raised animals of any good life, and so is not very harmful to them. This result may strengthen the case for humane slaughter – or it may give us reason to revise our understanding of the harmfulness of death.
Thidiazuron decreases epithelial‐mesenchymal transition activity through the NF‐kB and PI3K/AKT signalling pathways in breast cancer
Authors: Rajendran Peramaiyan , Ben Ammar Rebai , Al‐Saeedi Fatma J. , Elsayed Mohamed Maged , Islam MIH , Al‐Ramadan Saeed Y. 
Published: November 2020

AbstractBreast cancer is the major type among the women population globally. The treatment of cancer metastasis has made modest progress due to multiple factors. Thidiazuron (TDZ) is a novel plant growth regulator that has been shown to have anticancer effects. Therefore, we explored the anti‐metastatic potentials of TDZ in cell lines by assessing its potential to suppress the epithelial‐mesenchymal transition (EMT). We pretreated the BEAS‐2B and breast cancer (MDA‐MB‐231) cells with TDZ and deliberated alteration in a cell viability, mammosphere, migration, NF‐кB signalling, PI3K/AKT signalling and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) expression and analysed the EMT induction by TGF‐β/TNF‐α‐stimulated BEAS‐2B cells. Treatment with TDZ (5‐50 μmol) diminished the migration and invasion of the extremely metastatic MDA‐MB‐231 cells. Additionally, TDZ treatment led to down‐regulation of uPAR, uPA, VEGF and MMP‐2/‐9 expression and up‐regulation of TIMP‐1/2 expression in these cells. Furthermore, TDZ treatment blocked invasion and EMT in non‐tumorigenic BEAS‐2B epithelial cells stimulated with TGF‐β/TNF‐α.TDZ prevents EMT and may thus block metastasis of breast cancer cells.
Impact of an Advance Care Planning Video Intervention on Care of Short‐Stay Nursing Home Patients
Authors: Loomer Lacey , Ogarek Jessica A. , Mitchell Susan L. , Volandes Angelo E. , Gutman Roee , Gozalo Pedro L. , McCreedy Ellen M. , Mor Vincent 
Published: November 2020

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVESTo assess whether an advance care planning (ACP) video intervention impacts care among short‐stay nursing home (NH) patients.DESIGNPRagmatic trial of Video Education in Nursing Homes (PROVEN) was a pragmatic cluster randomized clinical trial.SETTINGA total of 360 NHs (N = 119 intervention, N = 241 control) owned by two healthcare systems.PARTICIPANTSA total of 2,538 and 5,290 short‐stay patients with advanced dementia or cardiopulmonary disease (advanced illness) in the intervention and control arms, respectively; 23,302 and 50,815 short‐stay patients without advanced illness in the intervention and control arms, respectively.INTERVENTIONFive ACP videos were available on tablets or online. Designated champions at each intervention facility were instructed to offer a video to patients (or proxies) on admission. Control facilities used usual ACP practices.MEASUREMENTSFollow‐up time was at most 100 days for each patient. Outcomes included hospital transfers per 1000 person‐days alive and the proportion of patients experiencing more than one hospital transfer, more than one burdensome treatment (tube‐feeding, parenteral therapy, invasive mechanical intervention, and intensive care unit admission), and hospice enrollment. Champions recorded whether a video was offered in the patients' electronic medical record.RESULTSThere was no significant reduction in hospital transfers per 1000 person‐days alive in the intervention versus control groups with advanced illness (rate (95% confidence interval (CI)), 12.3 (11.6–13.1) vs 13.2 (12.5–13.7); rate difference: −0.8; 95% CI = −1.8–0.2)). There was a nonsignificant reduction in hospital transfers per 1000 person‐days alive in the intervention versus control among short‐stay patients without advanced illness. Secondary outcomes did not differ between groups among patients with and without advanced illness. Based on champion only reports 14.2% and 15.3% of eligible short‐stay patients with and without advanced illness were shown videos, respectively.CONCLUSIONAn ACP video program did not significantly reduce hospital transfers, burdensome treatment, or hospice enrollment among short‐stay NH patients; however, fidelity to the intervention was low.