bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
White Matter Integrity in Tanzanian Children With Sickle Cell Anemia
Authors: Jacob Mboka , Stotesbury Hanne , Kawadler Jamie M. , Lapadaire Winok , Saunders Dawn E. , Sangeda Raphael Z. , Chamba Clara , Kazema Ramadhan , Makani Julie , Kirkham Fenella J. , Clark Chris A. 
Published: March 2020

Background and Purpose—
Widespread reductions in white matter integrity are associated with cognitive dysfunction in sickle cell anemia. Silent cerebral infarction (SCI), vasculopathy (VSC), and low hemoglobin concentration (Hb) are implicated; we aimed to determine independent contributions to microstructural white matter injury and whether white matter integrity differs across arterial territories.

Methods—
Sixty two children with sickle cell anemia aged 6 to 19 years were prospectively studied at Muhimbili National Hospital, Tanzania. SCI± and VSC± were identified on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)/magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) scans by 2 neuroradiologists. Tract-based spatial statistics tested for voxel-wise differences in diffusion tensor imaging metrics (ie, fractional anisotropy, mean diffusivity, radial diffusivity, and axial diffusivity) between SCI± and VSC± groups, with correlations between diffusion tensor imaging metrics and Hb. In tract-based spatial statistics analyses, potentially mediating factors (ie, age, sex, as well as Hb, SCI, and/or vasculopathy) were covariates. Differences in mean diffusion tensor imaging metrics across regions of interest in arterial territories were explored.

Results—

Compared with SCI− patients (n=45), SCI+ patients (n=17) exhibited increased radial diffusivity in multiple regions; negative relationships were observed between mean diffusivity, axial diffusivity, and Hb (
P
<0.005). Compared with VSC− patients (n=49), mild (n=6) or moderate (n=7) VSC+ patients exhibited reduced fractional anisotropy in widespread regions (
P
<0.05) including the anterior longitudinal fasciculi, corpus callosum, internal capsule, corona radiata, and corticospinal tracts. Overall, the posterior cerebral arterial territory had higher mean mean diffusivity and mean radial diffusivity than the anterior and middle cerebral arterial territories, although no patient had vasculopathy in this area. There was an interaction between territory and vasculopathy.

Conclusions—
SCI, vasculopathy, and Hb are independent risk factors, and thus treatment targets, for diffuse white matter injury in patients with sickle cell anemia. Exacerbation of hemodynamic stress may play a role.
The Site of Foreign Policy: A Field Theory Account of MFAs
Authors: Balzacq Thierry 
Published: March 2020

Summary
This essay argues that the work of ministries of foreign affairs (MFAs) centres on three modes of articulation; namely, intersubjective, practical and material articulations. However, much research in diplomatic studies has yet to come to terms with the specific ways in which these modes of articulation coalesce to produce a distinctive foreign policy. I suggest that a field theory account of MFAs offers a reliable set of tools that enables us to understand how a foreign policy takes shape, the dynamics that sustain it and the circumstances under which it is likely to change. Because a field’s existence is often derived from its relational consequences, the essay clarifies the link between a field and its effects, using the concept of ‘affordance’. In this sense, theorising MFAs connects a philosophy of action — which focuses on the field theory’s concepts — and a philosophy of science — which emphasises relations within and between different modes of articulation.
Playing Soldiers: The War Game in Late Qing and Republican China
Authors: Schillinger Nicolas 
Published: March 2020

Abstract
In the early twentieth century, Chinese military reformers introduced the war game to improve the training of officers and professionalize their education according to foreign role models. The war game or Kriegsspiel was a tabletop device used to simulate tactical and strategic problems, which originated from the Prussian army and was very popular among German officers. It was adopted in other European countries and the United States as well as Japan, and was eventually played in the late Qing New Armies and the Guomindang’s National Revolutionary Army. From its inception at the turn of the century until the end of the Republican era, it was supposed to increase tactical abilities, leadership skills, discipline, and knowledge of specific procedures and regulations. Besides improving their skills as military commanders, wargaming enabled Chinese officers to incorporate transnational military cultural codes of conduct, and thus emulate and perform “modern” military professionalism.
Machine vision for field-level wood identification
Authors: de Andrade Bruno Geike , Basso Vanessa Maria , de Figueiredo Latorraca João Vicente 
Published: March 2020

Abstract
Identifying wood species using wood anatomy is an important tool for various purposes. The traditionally used method is based on the macroscopic description of the physical and anatomical characteristics of the wood. This requires that the identifier has thorough technical knowledge about wood anatomy. A possible alternative to this task is to use intelligent systems capable of identifying species through an analysis of digital images. In this work, 21 species were used to generate a set of 2000 macroscopic images. These were produced with a smartphone under field conditions, from samples manually polished with knives. Texture characteristics obtained through a gray level co-occurrence matrix were used in developing classifiers based on support vector machines. The best model achieved a 97.7% accuracy. Our study concluded that the automated identification of species can be performed in the field in a practical, simple and precise way.
Warm Spells and Climate Risk to Human Health in the Mexico City Metropolitan Area
Authors: Vargas Nuria , Magaña Víctor 
Published: March 2020

AbstractDuring the second half of the twentieth century, rapid demographic growth and urban expansion led to the development of the Mexico City metropolitan area (MCMA) urban heat island (UHI). The thermal gradient between rural and urban regions is used to define the UHI in the transition zone along the 26°C isotherm of mean maximum temperature. As the MCMA expands, more natural vegetation is replaced with urbanization, and the spatial extent of the 26°C isotherm grows. The loss of natural vegetation, in a densely populated region of Mexico, leads to the formation of a canopy-layer UHI. The intensification of the MCMA UHI results in an increase in the frequency of daily maximum temperatures above 30°C (above 26°C on a weekly average), a threshold value that constitutes a natural hazard. Warm-spell occurrences are related to an increase in the number of acute diarrhea diseases (ADD), mainly in zones of the MCMA where the socioeconomic and environmental conditions are low (e.g., insufficient access to potable water). Vulnerable people are mostly located in new settlements along the periphery of the MCMA, where large numbers of hospital discharges due to ADD are reported. The combined effect of more frequent warm spells and increasing vulnerability results in higher levels of risk of suffering this type of health problem, mainly during the warmest part of the year. This analysis may serve to develop UHI mitigation strategies and early warning systems to manage high levels of ADD risk during warm spells.
Prevalence and risk factors of strongyloidiasis in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus in Southern Thailand
Authors: Juthong Siriporn , Geater Alan F. , Dekumyoy Paron , Hortiwakul Thanaporn , Siripaitoon Boonjing , Aiewruengsurat Duangkamol , Thongbun Nannapas 
Published: March 2020

Background Strongyloidiasis can be fatal in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients, but few epidemiological studies have investigated the burden of this tropical disease among the SLE population. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and associated factors of strongyloidiasis among SLE patients in Southern Thailand. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted on 180 SLE patients attending the Rheumatology Clinic at Songklanagarind Hospital. Stool specimens were collected and examined using the direct smear technique and agar plate culture technique. Serum anti- Strongyloides stercoralis IgG was measured by IgG-ELISA. Results The overall prevalence of strongyloidiasis by combined parasitologyl and/or serology was 15.6%. The prevalence of strongyloidiasis by parasitological methods was 2.2%. Positive parasitology and/or serology was associated with male sex and a SLE disease duration of less than two years. Conclusion Strongyloidiasis is highly prevalent among the SLE population. A combination of serological and parasitological methods increases the rate of diagnosis of strongyloidiasis in SLE patients.
A preliminary comparison of the Aravind aurolab drainage implant with the Baerveldt glaucoma implant: A matched case-control study
Authors: Hafeezullah Najla , AlHilali Sara , Alghulaydhawi Fahad , Edward Deepak P , Ahmad Sameer , Malik Rizwan 
Published: March 2020

Purpose: The Aurolab® aqueous drainage implant is a low-cost alternative to the Baerveldt glaucoma implant. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that the two implants are comparable in terms of surgical success and safety. Methods: We conducted a retrospective case-control study of Aurolab aqueous drainage implant done at our institution from May 2015 and May 2017. Twenty-five consecutive patients who received an Aurolab aqueous drainage implant were matched by age and diagnosis to patients who received a Baerveldt glaucoma implant. Data were collected pre-operative and post-operative visits, including visual acuity and intraocular pressure, number of medications, and complications. Surgical success was defined as intraocular pressure between 5 and 21 mmHg with a minimum 20% reduction from baseline, without loss of light perception or the need for further glaucoma surgery. Cox regression analysis was used to predict factors associated with surgical success. Results: The median (interquartile range, IQR) intraocular pressure at 1 year was 16.0 (8.0) mmHg for the Baerveldt glaucoma implant and 13.0 (8.0) mmHg for the Aurolab aqueous drainage implant, p = 0.38. Success (mean ± SE) at 1 year for the intraocular pressure >21-mmHg failure criterion was 65% ± 15% for the Baerveldt glaucoma implant and 79% ± 11% for the Aurolab aqueous drainage implant (p = 0.80). The frequency of complications listed was similar for the two groups (Fisher’s exact p = 0.71). In the Cox regression, the type of implant was not found to be associated with surgical success. Conclusions: Our preliminary results suggest that the Aurolab aqueous drainage implant is comparable to the Baerveldt glaucoma implant. Further long-term data in a larger population are needed to confirm these findings.
Distal femoral cortical hypertrophy not associated with thigh pain using a short stem femoral implant
Authors: Crawford David A , Adams Joanne B , Morris Michael J , Berend Keith R , Lombardi Adolph V 
Published: March 2020

Background: Thigh pain following a well-fixed total hip arthroplasty (THA) remains problematic and a source of patient dissatisfaction. The purpose of this study is to evaluate if the development of distal femoral cortical hypertrophy (DFCH) is associated with postoperative thigh pain after THA. Methods: All patients who underwent an uncomplicated primary THA via a direct anterior approach with the Taperloc Microplasty (Zimmer Biomet, Warsaw, IN, USA) implant between 2011 and 2015 were mailed a pain drawing questionnaire. Radiographs were reviewed at 1 year minimum to determine cortical thickness change from immediate post-op. Thigh pain was compared to DFCH. 293 patients were included in the study. Results: Mean follow-up was 3.2 years. A total of 218 hips (74%) had cortical hypertrophy in Gruen zone 3 and 165 hips (56%) had cortical hypertrophy in Gruen zone 5. 52 hips (18%) had ⩾25% cortical hypertrophy in zone 3 and 91 hips (31%) had ⩾25% cortical hypertrophy in zone 5. A total of 44 patients (15%) reported anterior thigh pain and 43 patients (15%) reported lateral thigh pain. Development of DFCH in either Gruen zone 3 or 5 was not associated with anterior or lateral thigh pain. Stem size was positively correlated with zone 3 hypertrophy and inversely related to zone 5 hypertrophy. Thigh pain was not associated with patient age, gender, activity level or stem size. Conclusions: The development of distal femoral cortical hypertrophy after THA with a short stem implant was high, but not associated with patient-reported anterior or lateral thigh pain.
Screening a chemically defined extracellular matrix mimetic substrate library to identify substrates that enhance substrate-mediated transfection
Authors: Hamann Andrew , Thomas Alvin K , Kozisek Tyler , Farris Eric , Lück Steffen , Zhang Yixin , Pannier Angela K 
Published: March 2020

Nonviral gene delivery, though limited by inefficiency, has extensive utility in cell therapy, tissue engineering, and diagnostics. Substrate-mediated gene delivery (SMD) increases efficiency and allows transfection at a cell-biomaterial interface, by immobilizing and concentrating nucleic acid complexes on a surface. Efficient SMD generally requires substrates to be coated with serum or other protein coatings to mediate nucleic acid complex immobilization, as well as cell adhesion and growth; however, this strategy limits reproducibility and may be difficult to translate for clinical applications. As an alternative, we screened a chemically defined combinatorial library of 20 different extracellular matrix mimetic substrates containing combinations of (1) different sulfated polysaccharides that are essential extracellular matrix glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), with (2) mimetic peptides derived from adhesion proteins, growth factors, and cell-penetrating domains, for use as SMD coatings. We identified optimal substrates for DNA lipoplex and polyplex SMD transfection of fibroblasts and human mesenchymal stem cells. Optimal extracellular matrix mimetic substrates varied between cell type, donor source, and transfection reagent, but typically contained Heparin GAG and an adhesion peptide. Multiple substrates significantly increased transgene expression (i.e. 2- to 20-fold) over standard protein coatings. Considering previous research of similar ligands, we hypothesize extracellular matrix mimetic substrates modulate cell adhesion, proliferation, and survival, as well as plasmid internalization and trafficking. Our results demonstrate the utility of screening combinatorial extracellular matrix mimetic substrates for optimal SMD transfection towards application- and patient-specific technologies.Impact statementSubstrate-mediated gene delivery (SMD) approaches have potential for modification of cells in applications where a cell-material interface exists. Conventional SMD uses ill-defined serum or protein coatings to facilitate immobilization of nucleic acid complexes, cell attachment, and subsequent transfection, which limits reproducibility and clinical utility. As an alternative, we screened a defined library of extracellular matrix mimetic substrates containing combinations of different glycosaminoglycans and bioactive peptides to identify optimal substrates for SMD transfection of fibroblasts and human mesenchymal stem cells. This strategy could be utilized to develop substrates for specific SMD applications in which variability exists between different cell types and patient samples.
Suppression of HDAC by sodium acetate rectifies cardiac metabolic disturbance in streptozotocin–nicotinamide-induced diabetic rats
Authors: Olaniyi Kehinde S , Amusa Oluwatobi A , Areola Emmanuel D , Olatunji Lawrence A 
Published: March 2020

Diabetes mellitus, particularly type 2 occurs at global epidemic proportions and leads to cardiovascular diseases. Molecular studies suggest the involvement of epigenetic alterations such as histone code modification in the progression of cardiometabolic disorders. However, short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are recognized as epigenetic modulators by their histone deacetylase inhibitory property. It is therefore hypothesized that cardiac histone deacetylase activity increases in type II diabetes and SCFA, acetate, would inhibit histone deacetylase with accompanying restoration of glucose dysregulation, cardiac lipid deposition, and tissue damage in male Wistar rats. Twenty-four male rats (240–270 g) were allotted into four groups ( n = 6 per group) namely: vehicle-treated ( p.o.), sodium acetate-treated (200 mg/kg), diabetic, and diabetic+sodium acetate-treated groups. Diabetes was induced by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin 65 mg/kg after a dose of nicotinamide 110 mg/kg. The results showed that diabetic rats had, glucose dysregulation, elevated serum and cardiac triglyceride, malondialdehyde, alanine aminotransferase, histone deacetylase, serum aspartate transaminase, cardiac low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLc), glutathione/glutathione disulphide ratio (GSH/GSSG), reduced serum and cardiac high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLc), and serum GSH/GSSG. Histological analysis revealed disrupted cardiac fiber in diabetic rats. However, sodium acetate attenuated glucose dysregulation and improved serum and cardiac GSH/GSSG. Sodium acetate normalized cardiac triglyceride accumulation, malondialdehyde, serum aspartate transaminase levels and prevented cardiac tissue damage in diabetic rats. These effects were associated with suppressed histone deacetylase activity. Therefore, sodium acetate attenuated but failed to normalize glucoregulation. Nevertheless, it ameliorated oxidative stress- and lipid dysmetabolism-driven cardiovascular complications in diabetic rats by the suppression of histone deacetylase activity. Impact statement This study provides evidence that STZ-NA-induced diabetes mellitus is associated with cardiac triglyceride accumulation and tissue disruption with corresponding increase in cardiac HDAC activity. However, sodium acetate suppresses cardiac HDAC activity and normalizes cardiac triglyceride and tissue integrity in diabetic rats. Therefore, the study suggests that sodium acetate is beneficial for cardioprotection in diabetes mellitus.
Lumbar Decompression and Interbody Fusion Improves Gait Performance, Pain, and Psychosocial Factors of Patients With Degenerative Lumbar Spondylolisthesis
Authors: Haddas Ram , Sandu Cezar D. , Mar Damon , Block Andrew , Lieberman Isador 
Published: March 2020

Study Design: Prospective cohort study. Objective: Evaluate changes in gait, pain, and psychosocial factors among degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis (DLS) patients before and 3 months after surgical intervention. Methods: Forty-four symptomatic DLS patients performed clinical gait analysis 1 week before surgery and 3 months after surgery. Patients performed a series of over-ground gait trials at a self-selected speed. Twenty-two matched asymptomatic controls underwent the same battery of tests. Three-dimensional motion tracking was used to analyze gait kinematics. Patient-reported outcomes, gait range of motion, and spatiotemporal parameters compared before and after lumbar decompression with fusion. Results: Surgical intervention resulted in significant improvements in walking speed ( P = .021), stride time ( P = .020), step time ( P = .014), and single-support time ( P = .038). Significant improvements in joint range-of-motion were found for knee ( P = .002) and hip flexion ( P = .006). Degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis patients reported significant reductions in pain, disability, and improved psychological perceptions for fear-avoidance of pain and motion (all P < .001). Conclusions: Surgical treatment of DLS resulted in a faster, more efficient gait in addition to significant reductions in pain, disability, and psychological fear associated with pain and motion. These beneficial changes that we identified early in the postoperative period indicate that patients return to the quality of life they seek early on. Clinical gait analysis provides objective, quantifiable measures of gait parameters that provide new insight into both the preoperative disability associated with DLS and into the early postoperative function of patients during their rehabilitation.
The Community Union model of organizing in Rio Grande Valley colonias
Authors: Rivera Danielle Z 
Published: March 2020

In theorizing community organizing, Saul Alinsky’s model still forms the dominant narrative in the United States. Yet, countless communities do not map neatly onto this model. In particular, there is growing recognition of César Chávez’s organizing in South Texas and, additionally, how this work differs from Chávez’s more well-known organizing in California. In the 1960s, Chávez created the Community Union model, which forms the basis of contemporary organizing in much of the region’s colonias, extralegal communities within 150 miles of the United States/Mexico border that suffer from a dearth of basic services and infrastructures. By providing these basic services and political support, the Community Union model has become the dominant mode of organizing and engagement in South Texas colonias. Through an insurgent historiography provided by colonia organizers in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas, a counternarrative of colonia organizing shows the past, present, and potential future of the Community Union model in South Texas colonias. This counter narrative was composed through archival research on the United Farmworkers and open-ended interviews with colonia organizers conducted between 2014 and 2017. Ultimately, this analysis of the Community Union model suggests that Latinx organizing may be marginalized in organizing literature due to their “everyday” characteristics: slow movements, non-direct actions, and (re)questioning of priorities. From this, the role of organizing theories from organizers on-the-ground becomes central: we cannot assume organizers everywhere operate under universally applied theories. As such, it is important to see organizers as dynamic and context-specific in their motivations and guiding theories.
Commentary on “Constraints on the Equations of State of stiff anisotropic minerals: rutile, and the implications for rutile elastic barometry” [Miner. Mag. 83 (2019) pp. 339–347]
Authors: Angel Ross J. , Alvaro Matteo , Schmid-Beurmann Peter , Kroll Herbert 
Published: March 2020

AbstractThe conclusion of Zaffiroet al.(2019; Constraints on the Equations of State of stiff anisotropic minerals: rutile, and the implications for rutile elastic barometry.Mineralogical Magazine,83, 339–347) that the Mie–Grüneisen–Debye (MGD) Equation of State (EoS) cannot fit the available data for rutile is shown to be incorrect, even though rutile exhibits significant anisotropic thermal pressure which invalidates the quasi-harmonic approximation used as the basis for the MGD EoS. The refined parameters for the MGD EoS of rutile are:KTR0= 205.05(25) GPa,$K_{TR0}^{\prime} $= 7.2(5), θD= 399(20) K, γ0= 1.40(2) andq= 1.5(7). This EoS predicts volumes, bulk moduli and volume thermal expansion coefficients for rutile at metamorphic conditions that are statistically indistinguishable from those predicted by the ‘isothermal’ type of EoS reported previously.