bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Targeting fatty acid amide hydrolase and transient receptor potential vanilloid‐1 simultaneously to modulate colonic motility and visceral sensation in the mouse: A pharmacological intervention with N‐arachidonoyl‐serotonin (AA‐5‐HT)
Authors: Bashashati M. , Fichna J. , Piscitelli F. , Capasso R. , Izzo A. A. , Sibaev A. , Timmermans J.‐P. , Cenac N. , Vergnolle N. , Di Marzo V. , Storr M.
Published: July 2017

Background

Endocannabinoid anandamide (AEA) inhibits intestinal motility and visceral pain, but it may also be proalgesic through transient receptor potential vanilloid‐1 (TRPV1). AEA is degraded by fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH). This study explored whether dual inhibition of FAAH and TRPV1 reduces diarrhea and abdominal pain.

Methods

Immunostaining was performed on myenteric plexus of the mouse colon. The effects of the dual FAAH/TRPV1 inhibitor AA‐5‐HT on electrically induced contractility, excitatory junction potential (EJP) and fast (f) and slow (s) inhibitory junction potentials (IJP) in the mouse colon, colonic propulsion and visceromotor response (VMR) to rectal distension were studied. The colonic levels of endocannabinoids and fatty acid amides were measured.

Key Results

CB1‐positive neurons exhibited TRPV1; only some TRPV1 positive neurons did not express CB1. CB1 and FAAH did not colocalize. AA‐5‐HT (100 nM‐10 μM) decreased colonic contractility by ~60%; this effect was abolished by TRPV1 antagonist 5′‐IRTX, but not by CB1 antagonist, SR141716. AA‐5‐HT (1 μM‐10 μM) inhibited EJP by ~30% and IJPs by ~50%. The effects of AA‐5‐HT on junction potentials were reversed by SR141716 and 5`‐IRTX. AA‐5‐HT (20 mg/kg; i.p.) inhibited colonic propulsion by ~30%; SR141716 but not 5`‐IRTX reversed this effect. AA‐5‐HT decreased VMR by ~50%‐60%; these effects were not blocked by SR141716 or 5`‐IRTX. AA‐5‐HT increased AEA in the colon.

Conclusions and Inferences

The effects of AA‐5‐HT on visceral sensation and colonic motility are differentially mediated by CB1, TRPV1 and non‐CB1/TRPV1 mechanisms, possibly reflecting the distinct neuromodulatory roles of endocannabinoid and endovanilloid FAAH substrates in the mouse intestine.
Insights into the historical assembly of East Asian subtropical evergreen broadleaved forests revealed by the temporal history of the tea family
Authors: Yu Xiang‐Qin , Gao Lian‐Ming , Soltis Douglas E. , Soltis Pamela S. , Yang Jun‐Bo , Fang Liang , Yang Shi‐Xiong , Li De‐Zhu
Published: July 2017

Subtropical evergreen broadleaved forests (EBLFs) inhabit large areas of East Asia. Although paleovegetation reconstructions have revealed that the subtropical EBLFs existed in Southwest China during the Miocene, the historical construction of these forests remains poorly known. Here, we used the tea family (Theaceae), a characteristic component of the subtropical EBLFs, to gain new insights into the assembly of this important biome.

Using a robust phylogenetic framework of Theaceae based on plastome and nuclear ribosomal DNA sequence data, the temporal history of the family was reconstructed. Data from other characteristic components of subtropical EBLFs, including Fagaceae, Lauraceae and Magnoliaceae, were also integrated.

Most of the essential elements of the subtropical EBLFs appear to have originated around the Oligocene–Miocene (O–M) boundary. However, small woody lineages (e.g. Camellia, Hartia) from Theaceae were dated to the late Miocene. Accelerated net diversification rates within Theaceae were also detected near the O–M transition period and the late Miocene.

Our results suggest that two independent intensifications of the East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) around the O–M boundary and the late Miocene may have facilitated the historical assembly of the subtropical EBLFs in East Asia.
Would the real arsenate reductase please stand up?
Authors: Salt David E.
Published: July 2017

This article is a Commentary on Xu et al., 215: 1090–1101.
Can culling Barred Owls save a declining Northern Spotted Owl population?
Authors: Bodine Erin N. , Capaldi Alex
Published: July 2017

Data collected over the past 25 years reveal that Northern Spotted Owls (Strix occidentalis caurina) of the Oregon Coast region are being displaced by invasive Barred Owls (Strix varia). A component of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recovery plan is studying the culling of Barred Owls from Spotted Owl habitat. Using information theory to perform a model selection, we fit the most parsimonious ordinary differential equation competition model to the data. We then augment the model to incorporate Barred Owl culling and determine the minimum culling rate required to completely eliminate the Barred Owl population and the amount of time required to achieve such an elimination for various culling rates. Our analysis shows that even with culling Barred Owls, there exists no coexistence equilibrium given the current growth and competition parameters.
Incorporating Allee effects into the potential biological removal level
Authors: Haider Humza S. , Oldfield Sarah C. , Tu Tiffany , Moreno Rosa K. , Diffendorfer Jay E. , Eager Eric A. , Erickson Richard A.
Published: July 2017

Potential biological removal (PBR) is an approach used to calculate sustainable harvest and “take” limits for populations. PBR was originally derived assuming logistic growth while ignoring the effects of small population size (i.e., an Allee effect). We derived a version of PBR that includes an Allee effect (i.e., small population size or densities limiting population growth rates). We found that PBR becomes less conservative when it fails to consider an Allee effect. Specifically, sustainable harvest and take levels based upon PBR with an Allee effect were between approximately 51% and 66% of levels based upon PBR without an Allee effect. Managers and biologists using PBR may need to consider the limitations if an Allee effect may be present in the species being modeled.

Considerations for Management

Based upon our finding, management considerations may include:

acknowledging that populations under stress may also be subject to Allee effects;

recognizing limitations of approaches such as PBR when applying them to small populations; and

broadly considering the Allee effects when using population models for natural resource management.
NAD(P)H and Flavin Autofluorescence Correlation with ATP in Rat Livers with Different Metabolic Steady‐State Conditions
Authors: Croce Anna C. , Ferrigno Andrea , Di Pasqua Laura G. , Berardo Clarissa , Bottiroli Giovanni , Vairetti Mariapia
Published: July 2017

The monitoring of NAD(P)H and flavin autofluorescence (AF) is at the basis of numerous investigations on energy metabolism. Nevertheless, the ability of these AF biomarkers to accurately represent the energy currency, ATP, is poorly explored. Here, we focused on the AF/ATP correlation in lean and fatty livers with different steady‐state metabolic conditions, achieved after organ isolation, preservation and recovery, in a likely dependence on both liver intrinsic metabolic features and externally induced perturbations. Within these eventual, various conditions, a significant correlation was detected between liver NAD(P)H and flavin AF, measured via fiber‐optic probe, and biochemical ATP data, strengthening AF as biomarker of energy metabolism in steady‐state conditions for wide‐ranging experimental and diagnostic applications.
Rendering the Actually Existing Sharing Economy Visible: Home‐Grown Food and the Pleasure of Sharing
Authors: Jehlička Petr , Daněk Petr
Published: July 2017

Despite the unprecedented attention paid to the sharing economy and despite the growing interest in household food production, the non‐market and non‐monetised sharing of home‐grown food – a social practice at the intersection of these two concerns – has so far largely escaped scholars’ attention. The goal of the article is twofold. First, drawing on a large‐scale survey (2058 respondents) and four focus groups conducted in the Czech Republic in 2015, the article shows that in the Global North the sharing of home‐grown food is a surprisingly widespread and economically and environmentally significant practice. Second, the article to some extent aims to break with the research tradition that deems studies conducted in the periphery of the Global North lacking in potential to produce more generally valid insights. It therefore seeks to counter the scripting of Eastern Europe on the margins of the geographies of knowledge production. The article contests the causal link between economic hardship and informal food practices, views these practices as sustainability by outcome rather than intention, and suggests they are compatible with the tenets of alternative food networks. While not perceived as sites of outright resistance to capitalism, these spaces are viewed by practitioners as constituting valuable domains of socially and culturally motivated human interactions, driven by the desire for fresh and healthy food, fulfilling personal hobbies, and the development of enjoyable social ties.
Reflexive Governance, Incorporating Ethics and Changing Understandings of Food Chain Performance
Authors: Kirwan James , Maye Damian , Brunori Gianluca
Published: July 2017

This article argues that ethics is a key driver of change in food chain performance. Critically, multiple stakeholder perspectives need to be understood as being legitimate when developing shared norms of what is understood by food supply chain (FSC) performance. To develop this perspective, the article examines the discourses surrounding the performance of FSCs in 12 different national contexts. It develops a multi‐criteria performance matrix (MCPM) composed of 24 attributes that reflect national FSC sustainability discourses. Specifically, it considers the potential role of reflexive governance in encouraging change to the frames by which actors and institutions judge the performance of FSCs. In assessing the links between ethics and reflexive governance, two types of ethical attribute are identified: ‘commonly identified’ attributes, which signify ethical dilemmas routinely discussed yet open to debate and subject to refinement and change; and ‘procedural’ attributes, which describe actions that encourage actors in the FSC to organise and structure themselves so as to more explicitly embody ethical considerations in their activities. The MCPM can be understood as a form of sustainability appraisal, but also as a cognitive tool with which to instigate further deliberation and action, helping to better manage transitions to sustainability within FSCs.
Fair Trade Milk Initiative in Belgium: Bricolage as an Empowering Strategy for Change
Authors: Feyereisen Marlène , Stassart Pierre M. , Mélard François
Published: July 2017

In a context of multiple crises, dairy farmers struggle to receive a fair remuneration for their work. This situation led to the creation of fair milk projects in Europe. But fair trade projects often suffer from ambiguous interpretations that place them simultaneously in and against the market. This study focuses on a Belgian milk label in order to analyse how dairy farmers developed a particular strategy to create their own fair milk. Based on semi‐structured interviews and using the multi‐level perspective, we propose that articulating the concepts of lock‐ins, bricolage and ambiguity enables us to analyse the potential of this innovation for the transition of the Belgian dairy system. The study shows that fairness is often a matter of divergent interpretations, and its final actualisation is the product of emergent and negotiated relations. By using bricolage practices, the stakeholders reinforced their capacity to gain market power and act within the system they want to change.
Reflexivity and Learning in System Innovation Processes
Authors: Beers Pieter J. , van Mierlo Barbara
Published: July 2017

In‐depth insight into the relationship between reflexivity, learning and reflection is needed to enrich governance approaches for persistent sustainability issues. However, current conceptualisations of reflexivity seem limited for the understanding of system innovation processes – reflexivity remains highly abstract and often gets conflated with reflection, and, by extension, learning. In this article, we critique the concepts reflexivity and learning and then present an exploratory case‐study of greenhouse vegetable production in the Netherlands to examine their relations. Results suggest a shifting compatibility between initiative and context – reflexivity alignment: the extent to which an innovation initiative shares an orientation towards structural change with its institutional setting. Furthermore, learning sometimes appeared to increase reflexivity, as often assumed, but we found evidence of the opposite as well – reflexivity changes preceding learning. Synthesising the results, we posit three archetypal modes that describe the relation between learning in and reflexivity of a system innovation initiative.
Legionnaires' disease in transplant recipients: A 15‐year retrospective study in a tertiary referral center
Authors: Sivagnanam Shobini , Podczervinski Sara , Butler‐Wu Susan M. , Hawkins Vivian , Stednick Zach , Helbert Lois A. , Glover William A. , Whimbey Estella , Duchin Jeffrey , Cheng Guang‐Shing , Pergam Steven A.
Published: July 2017

Legionnaires' disease (LD) can be fatal among high‐risk transplant recipients. To understand the epidemiology of LD, we reviewed 15‐year longitudinal data from a center in Seattle, Washington that cares for both solid organ transplant (SOT) and hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) recipients. We identified all laboratory‐confirmed LD and extracted data on species, diagnostic modalities, clinical presentation, management, and outcomes from medical records. Among 32 patients with LD, transplant recipients made up the majority of diagnoses (22, 69%; SOT 10, HCT 12). Approximately 0.8% of transplant recipients who underwent Legionella‐specific testing were positive. Non‐pneumophila Legionella species (LNLP), which are not detected by urinary antigen test, accounted for half the cases, led by Legionella micdadei (32%). The severity and outcome between Legionella pneumophila and LNLP infections were similar (attributed mortality, 36% vs 27%); all LNLP deaths occurred in transplant recipients with L. micdadei. The clinical and radiological features mimicked other opportunistic pathogens; 32% (n=7) were not on empiric treatment at the time of diagnosis. These data add to the emerging literature describing the importance of LD and highlight the need for both routine Legionella testing on transplant recipients with pulmonary findings and empiric Legionella‐active antibiotic therapy.
Endogenous sequence patterns predispose the repair modes of CRISPR/Cas9‐induced DNA double‐stranded breaks in Arabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Vu Giang T. H. , Cao Hieu X. , Fauser Friedrich , Reiss Bernd , Puchta Holger , Schubert Ingo
Published: July 2017

The possibility to predict the outcome of targeted DNA double‐stranded break (DSB) repair would be desirable for genome editing. Furthermore the consequences of mis‐repair of potentially cell‐lethal DSBs and the underlying pathways are not yet fully understood. Here we study the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/Cas9‐induced mutation spectra at three selected endogenous loci in Arabidopsis thaliana by deep sequencing of long amplicon libraries. Notably, we found sequence‐dependent genomic features that affected the DNA repair outcome. Deletions of 1‐bp to <1000‐bp size and/or very short insertions, deletions >1 kbp (all due to NHEJ) and deletions combined with insertions between 5‐bp to >100 bp [caused by a synthesis‐dependent strand annealing (SDSA)‐like mechanism] occurred most frequently at all three loci. The appearance of single‐stranded annealing events depends on the presence and distance between repeats flanking the DSB. The frequency and size of insertions is increased if a sequence with high similarity to the target site was available in cis. Most deletions were linked to pre‐existing microhomology. Deletion and/or insertion mutations were blunt‐end ligated or via de novo generated microhomology. While most mutation types and, to some degree, their predictability are comparable with animal systems, the broad range of deletion mutations seems to be a peculiar feature of the plant A. thaliana.
Endoplasmic reticulum is the sorting core facility in the Golgi‐lacking protozoan Giardia lamblia
Authors: Zamponi Nahuel , Zamponi Emiliano , Mayol Gonzalo F. , Lanfredi‐Rangel Adriana , Svärd Staffan G. , Touz María C.
Published: July 2017

Our understanding of protein and lipid trafficking in eukaryotic cells has been challenged by the finding of different forms of compartmentalization and cargo processing in protozoan parasites. Here, we show that, in the absence of a Golgi compartment in Giardia, proteins destined for secretion are directly sorted and packaged at specialized ER regions enriched in COPII coatomer complexes and ceramide. We also demonstrated that ER‐resident proteins are retained at the ER by the action of a KDEL receptor, which, in contrast to other eukaryotic KDEL receptors, showed no interorganellar dynamic but instead acts specifically at the limit of the ER membrane. Our study suggests that the ER‐exit sites and the perinuclear ER‐membranes are capable of performing protein‐sorting functions. In our view, the description presented here suggests that Giardia adaptation represents an extreme example of reductive evolution without loss of function.
El gran archivo. El arte desde la burocracia
Authors: Spieker Sven
Published: July 2017

En este libro investigo el modo en que el archivo burocrático le dio forma a la práctica artística en el siglo XX, del montaje dadaísta a la instalación finisecular. Más específicamente, propongo que el uso de archivos en el arte de fines del siglo XX reacciona en una variedad de formas al asalto de las vanguardias de los inicios de esa centuria contra la objetivización (y fetichización) del tiempo lineal y el proceso histórico. A lo largo del ensayo espero hallar respuestas tentativas a algunas interrogantes formuladas por Allan Sekula en el ensayo “El cuerpo y el archivo”: “¿Hasta qué grado la práctica modernista autorreflexiva se acomodó al modelo del archivo? ¿Hasta qué grado los modernistas, consciente o inconscientemente, resisten o subvierten el modelo del archivo?”1 . Al archivo al que hace referencia Sekula se lo percibe como una clave del sueño moderno del control total de la abarcadora disciplina administrativa; es decir, como un gigante archivero en el centro de una realidad fundada en una racionalidad ordenada. Espero, entre otras cosas, revelar una alternativa a esta noción dominante; alternativa que exponga el lado irracional de la conexión archivística de la modernidad y que le dé a esta su necesaria tracción histórica
Políticas de la metamorfosis en Juan Rodolfo Wilcock
Authors: Miller Karina
Published: July 2017

Este trabajo explora cómo la representación de ciertas figuras y experiencias negativas en la narrativa de Juan Rodolfo Wilcock, funciona como desfamiliarización de la lógica de lo político definido, según Carl Schmitt, como el antagonismo amigo-enemigo. Desde esta perspectiva se analizan la figura de la metamorfosis, y sus correlatos de la soledad y la estupidez, como afectos, experiencias y estados negativos que, por un lado, funcionan como críticas a la noción de comunidad y, por otro, vuelven imposible la lógica antagónica de lo político.
Las transgresiones de Leonardo Padura: verdad y transfiguración tras el juego de Máscaras
Authors: Villoria Nolla Maite
Published: July 2017

En su novela Máscaras, Leonardo Padura se sirve de la novela negra para representar la heterogeneidad cubana y la represión político-ideológica, sexual, religiosa y artística experimentada en la isla. Su investigación, desarrollada tras el tópico de las máscaras, se enfrenta a las estructuras impuestas desde el Estado, que ha requerido que la noción de cubanidad sea representada como un paraíso socialista. Este ensayo recuerda la noción propuesta por Lezama Lima en la que el cubanismo solo puede articularse vía transfiguración poética ya que, en el transcurso de la novela, observamos cómo Padura recurre a la transfiguración como fuerza de cambio y transformación. A partir de la revelación de la realidad que hay tras las máscaras, Padura reflexiona sobre la integración simbólica del transgresor y marginal “otro” y lo sitúa en el centro de cambio del orden social.
Transculturación, transmodernidad y traducción. Una mirada latinoamericana sobre la Europa del siglo XXI
Authors: Stallaert Christiane
Published: July 2017

Las grandes metrópolis europeas están inmersas en procesos de transculturación cultural y social sin precedentes. En este contexto, proponemos invertir la tradicional mirada eurocéntrica como estrategia epistemológica y estudiar las nuevas realidades sociales y culturales europeas desde América Latina. Destacamos el interés del enfoque trans para entender la compleja realidad antropológica de un mundo globalizado. Nuestras reflexiones se centran en tres conceptos: transculturación, transmodernidad y traducción. En cuanto a esta última, proponemos repensar las teorías eurocéntricas, privilegiando el paradigma perspectivista, que permite deconstruir la dicotomía jerarquizada original/copia que define como sincretismos (impuros, inferiores) los productos de los procesos de transculturación. A modo de ejemplo nos referiremos en nuestro análisis a la ciudad de Bruselas, sede de la Unión Europea y capital del Estado belga.
An Accurate Numerical Method for Solving Unsteady Isothermal Flow of a Gas Through a Semi-Infinite Porous Medium
Authors: Parand Kourosh , Delkhosh Mehdi
Published: July 2017

The Kidder equation, y″(x)+2xy′(x)/1−βy(x)=0, x∈[0,∞), β∈[0,1] with y(0)=1, and y(∞)=0, is a second-order nonlinear two-point boundary value ordinary differential equation (ODE) on the semi-infinite domain, with a boundary condition in the infinite that describes the unsteady isothermal flow of a gas through a semi-infinite micro–nano porous medium and has widely used in the chemical industries. In this paper, a hybrid numerical method is introduced for solving this equation. First, by using the method of quasi-linearization, the equation is converted to a sequence of linear ODEs. Then these linear ODEs are solved by using the rational Legendre functions (RLFs) collocation method. By using 200 collocation points, we obtain a very good approximation solution and the value of the initial slope y′(0)=−1.19179064971942173412282860380015936403 for β=0.50, highly accurate to 38 decimal places. The convergence of numerical results is shown by decreasing the residual errors when the number of collocation points increases.
Curvature Expressions for the Large Displacement Analysis of Planar Beam Motions
Authors: Zheng Yinhuan , Shabana Ahmed A. , Zhang Dayu
Published: July 2017

While several curvature expressions have been used in the literature, some of these expressions differ from basic geometry definitions and lead to kinematic coupling between bending and shear deformations. This paper uses three different elastic force formulations in order to examine the effect of the curvature definition in the large displacement analysis of beams. In the first elastic force formulation, a general continuum mechanics approach (method 1) based on the nonlinear strain–displacement relationship is used. The second approach (method 2) is based on a classical nonlinear beam theory, in which a curvature expression consistent with differential geometry and independent of the shear deformation is used. The third elastic force formulation (method 3) employs a curvature expression that depends on the shear angle. In order to examine numerically the effect of using different curvature definitions, three different planar beam elements are used. The first element (element I) is the fully parameterized absolute nodal coordinate formulation (ANCF) shear deformable beam element. The second element (element II) is an ANCF consistent rotation-based formulation (CRBF) shear deformable beam element obtained from element I by consistently replacing the position gradient vectors by rotation parameters. The third element (element III) is a low-order bilinear ANCF/CRBF finite element in which nonzero differential geometry-based curvature definition cannot be obtained because of the low order of interpolation. Numerical results are obtained using the three elastic force formulations and the three finite elements in order to shed light on the definition of bending and shear in the large displacement analysis of beams. The results obtained in this investigation show that the use of method 2, with a penalty formulation that restricts the excessive cross section deformation, can improve significantly the convergence of the ANCF finite element.
A Novel Approach of Tool Wear Evaluation
Authors: Ji Wei , Shi Jinkui , Liu Xianli , Wang Lihui , Liang Steven Y.
Published: July 2017

The high-efficiency utilization of cutting tool resource is closely related to the flexible decision of tool life criterion, which plays a key role in manufacturing systems. Targeting a flexible method to evaluate tool life, this paper presents a data-driven approach considering all the machining quality requirements, e.g., surface integrity, machining accuracy, machining stability, chip control, and machining efficiency. Within the context, to connect tool life with machining requirements, all patterns of tool wear including flank face wear and rake face wear are fully concerned. In this approach, tool life is evaluated systematically and comprehensively. There is no generalized system architecture currently, and a four-level architecture is therefore proposed. Workpiece, cutting condition, cutting parameter, and cutting tool are the input parameters, which constrain parts of the independent variables of the evaluation objective including first-level and second-level indexes. As a result, tool wears are the remaining independent variables, and they are calculated consequently. Finally, the performed processes of the method are experimentally validated by a case study of turning superalloys with a polycrystalline cubic boron nitride (PCBN) cutting tool.
Mutation of a nucleosome compaction region disrupts Polycomb-mediated axial patterning
Authors: Lau Mei Sheng , Schwartz Matthew G. , Kundu Sharmistha , Savol Andrej J. , Wang Peggy I. , Marr Sharon K. , Grau Daniel J. , Schorderet Patrick , Sadreyev Ruslan I. , Tabin Clifford J. , Kingston Robert E.
Published: July 2017

Polycomb group gene silencing

Histone proteins wrap around DNA to form nucleosomes that package metazoan DNA into the nucleus. Chromatin compaction is also believed to be critical for the repression of homeotic genes by the Polycomb repressive complex 1 (PRC1) during development. Lau
et al.
used mutagenesis and expression analyses to examine this gene silencing mechanism. Altering the PRC1 compaction region affected transcriptional repression and patterning of the mouse body axis. Thus, chromatin compaction may drive the stable and heritable silencing of genes involved in body patterning.

Science
, this issue p.
1081
Policy reforms to update chemical safety testing
Authors: Nel Andre E. , Malloy Timothy F.
Published: July 2017

TSCA reform empowers EPA to use modernized safety testing in the United States
Bone-like crack resistance in hierarchical metastable nanolaminate steels
Authors: Koyama Motomichi , Zhang Zhao , Wang Meimei , Ponge Dirk , Raabe Dierk , Tsuzaki Kaneaki , Noguchi Hiroshi , Tasan Cemal Cem
Published: July 2017

Bone-inspired steel

Load cycling of metal components leads to fatigue and ultimately failure through the propagation of cracks. Koyama
et al.
took inspiration from bone to develop a steel with a laminated substructure that arrests cracks. The resulting hierarchical material has much better fatigue resistance properties than other iron alloys. The strategy need not be limited to steel; other metal alloys should also benefit from this type of microstructural engineering.

Science
, this issue p.
1055
It's whom you know that counts
Authors: Xie Y.
Published: July 2017

Hometown ties help Chinese scientists get ahead
Comparison of Plasma and Intrapulmonary Concentrations of Nafithromycin (WCK 4873) in Healthy Adult Subjects
Authors: Rodvold Keith A. , Gotfried Mark H. , Chugh Rakesh , Gupta Mugdha , Friedland H. David , Bhatia Ashima
Published: July 2017

The nafithromycin concentrations in the plasma, epithelial lining fluid (ELF), and alveolar macrophages (AM) of 37 healthy adult subjects were measured following repeated dosing of oral nafithromycin at 800 mg once daily for 3 days. The values of noncompartmental pharmacokinetic (PK) parameters were determined from serial plasma samples collected over a 24-h interval following the first and third oral doses. Each subject underwent one standardized bronchoscopy with bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) at 3, 6, 9, 12, 24, or 48 h after the third dose of nafithromycin. The mean ± standard deviation values of the plasma PK parameters after the first and third doses included maximum plasma concentrations (
C
max
) of 1.02 ± 0.31 μg/ml and 1.39 ± 0.36 μg/ml, respectively; times to
C
max
of 3.97 ± 1.30 h and 3.69 ± 1.28 h, respectively; clearances of 67.3 ± 21.3 liters/h and 52.4 ± 18.5 liters/h, respectively, and elimination half-lives of 7.7 ± 1.1 h and 9.1 ± 1.7 h, respectively. The values of the area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC) from time zero to 24 h postdosing (AUC
0–24
) for nafithromycin based on the mean or median total plasma concentrations at BAL fluid sampling times were 16.2 μg · h/ml. For ELF, the respective AUC
0–24
values based on the mean and median concentrations were 224.1 and 176.3 μg · h/ml, whereas for AM, the respective AUC
0–24
values were 8,538 and 5,894 μg · h/ml. Penetration ratios based on ELF and total plasma AUC
0–24
values based on the mean and median concentrations were 13.8 and 10.9, respectively, whereas the ratios of the AM to total plasma concentrations based on the mean and median concentrations were 527 and 364, respectively. The sustained ELF and AM concentrations for 48 h after the third dose suggest that nafithromycin has the potential to be a useful agent for the treatment of lower respiratory tract infections. (This study has been registered at ClinicalTrials.gov under registration no. NCT02453529.)
Specialized Proresolving Mediators Rescue Infant Mice from Lethal Citrobacter rodentium Infection and Promote Immunity against Reinfection
Authors: Diaz Luis Alonso , Altman Norman H. , Khan Wasif N. , Serhan Charles N. , Adkins Becky
Published: July 2017

Infants are generally highly susceptible to oral pathogens. Intestinal infection and the associated diarrhea are significant global causes of morbidity and mortality in infants. Among the enteric pathogens, enteropathogenic
Escherichia coli
(EPEC) stands out as showing the highest risk for infection-induced death in infants ≤12 months old. We have developed an experimental model of infant infection with EPEC, using the mouse-specific pathogen
Citrobacter rodentium
. Our murine infant model is similar to EPEC infection in human infants since infant mice are much more susceptible to
C. rodentium
infection than adult mice; infants infected with 50-fold fewer bacteria than the standard adult dose uniformly succumbed to the infection. Infant infection is characterized by high early and sustained bacterial titers and profound intestinal inflammation associated with extensive necrosis and systemic dissemination of the bacteria. Therefore, it seems likely that infant deaths result from sepsis secondary to intestinal damage. Recently, specialized proresolving mediators (SPM) have been found to exert profound beneficial effects in adult models of infection. Thus, we investigated the actions of two proresolving lipid mediators, resolvin D1 (RvD1) and resolvin D5 (RvD5), on the course of infection in infants. Strikingly, postinfection treatment with RvD1 and RvD5 reduced bacterial loads, mitigated inflammation, and rescued the infants from death. Furthermore, postinfection treatment with RvD1 and RvD5 led to protection from reinfection associated with
C. rodentium
-specific IgG responses comparable to those in adults. These results indicate that SPM may provide novel therapeutic tools for the treatment of pathological intestinal infections in infants.
Open reduction and internal fixation of humeral shaft fractures versus conservative treatment with a functional brace: a study protocol of a randomised controlled trial embedded in a cohort
Authors: Rämö Lasse , Taimela Simo , Lepola Vesa , Malmivaara Antti , Lähdeoja Tuomas , Paavola Mika
Published: July 2017

Introduction

Humeral shaft fractures represent 1%–3% of all fractures and 20% of humeral fractures in adults. The treatment of these fractures is mainly conservative and operative treatment is usually reserved for specific circumstances. To date, no randomised controlled trial (RCT) has compared operative treatment of humeral shaft fractures with conservative treatment.

Methods and analysis

We will conduct an RCT to compare the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of surgical and conservative treatment of humeral shaft fractures. After providing informed consent, 80 patients from 18 years of age with humeral shaft fracture will be randomly assigned to open reduction and internal fixation with locking plate or conservative treatment with functional bracing. We will follow the patients for 10 years and compare the results at different time points. The primary outcome will be Disabilities of Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) at 12 months. The secondary outcomes will include Numerical Rating Scale for pain at rest and in activities, Constant Score and quality of life instrument 15D. Patients not willing to participate in the RCT will be asked to participate in a prospective cohort follow-up study, ‘the declined cohort’. This cohort will be followed up at the same time points as the randomised patients to assess the potential effect of participation bias on RCT results and to enhance the external validity of the RCT. In one of the recruiting centres, all cooperative patients with humeral shaft fractures not eligible for randomisation will be asked to participate in a ‘non-eligible cohort’ study. We will use blinded data interpretation of the randomised cohort to avoid biased interpretation of outcomes. Our null hypothesis is that there is no clinically relevant difference in the primary outcome measure between the two treatment groups. We will consider a difference of a minimum of 10 points in DASH clinically relevant.

Ethics and dissemination

The institutional review board of the Helsinki and Uusimaa Hospital District has approved the protocol. We will disseminate the findings of this study through peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations.

Trial registration number

NCT01719887; pre-results.
Maternal smoking during pregnancy and offspring antisocial behaviour: findings from a longitudinal investigation of discordant siblings
Authors: Paradis Angela D , Shenassa Edmond D , Papandonatos George D , Rogers Michelle L , Buka Stephen L
Published: July 2017

Background

Although many observational studies have found a strong association between maternal smoking during pregnancy (MSP) and offspring antisocial behaviour, the likelihood that this relationship is causal remains unclear. To comment on the potential causality of this association, the current investigation used a between–within decomposition approach to examine the association between MSP and multiple indices of adolescent and adult antisocial behaviour.

Methods

Study participants were offspring of women enrolled in the Providence and Boston sites of the Collaborative Perinatal Project. Information on MSP was collected prospectively. Antisocial behaviour was assessed via self-report and through official records searches. A subset of the adult offspring (average age: 39.6 years) were enrolled in a follow-up study oversampling families with multiple siblings. Participants in this follow-up study self-reported on juvenile and adult antisocial behaviours during a structured interview (n=1684). Official records of juvenile (n=3447) and adult (n=3433) criminal behaviour were obtained for participants in the Providence cohort. Statistical models allowed between-family effects of MSP exposure to differ from within-family effects. In the absence of heterogeneity in between-family versus within-family estimates, a combined estimate was calculated.

Results

MSP was associated with a range of antisocial behaviours, measured by self-report and official records. For example, MSP was associated with increased odds of elevated levels of antisocial behaviours during adolescence and adulthood, as well as violent and non-violent outcomes during both developmental periods.

Conclusions

Findings are consistent with a small-to-moderate causal effect of MSP on adolescent and adult antisocial behaviour.
Slope stability evaluation of iron ore fines during marine transport in bulk carriers
Authors: Munro Michael C. , Mohajerani Abbas
Published: July 2017

A commodity, such as iron ore fines, shifting in the hold of a bulk carrier can lead to the vessel listing or capsizing. The objective of this study is to investigate the factors of safety pertaining to slope failure for both untrimmed and trimmed cargoes of iron ore fines during marine transportation. To determine the shear strength parameters needed to perform this analysis, triaxial testing was performed on samples of iron ore fines under varying densities and moisture contents. Using the shear strength parameters of the material, the Morgenstern–Price method of slices and infinite slope analysis, referred to as rotational and translational slope stability analyses, were used to determine the factors of safety against slope failure. The study concludes that, considering a factor of safety of 1.5, an untrimmed cargo of iron ore fines is unstable at angles of heel that bulk carriers are expected to experience during a typical voyage. If the cargo is trimmed it is shown to be significantly more stable. Results support the recommendation that it become mandatory for cargoes of iron ore fines to undergo trimming to reduce the chance of slope failure occurring, which may result in the loss of human life and industry assets.
A middle Holocene steppe bison and paleoenvironments from the Versleuce Meadows, Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada
Authors: Zazula Grant D. , Hall Elizabeth , Hare P. Gregory , Thomas Christian , Mathewes Rolf , La Farge Catherine , Martel André L. , Heintzman Peter D. , Shapiro Beth
Published: July 2017

A partial skeleton of a bison was recovered during residential house construction in Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada. The specimen represents a young (estimated 6 year old) bison individual that died, was partially scavenged by carnivores, and subsequently buried by calcareous silt sediment in a pond or small lake during the middle Holocene, ∼5400 years ago. Palaeoenvironmental data, including molluscs, pollen, vascular plant, and bryophyte macrofossils demonstrate that the small waterbody was surrounded by white spruce dominated boreal forest. Morphometric analysis of the skeleton reveals that its taxonomic affinity is ambiguous, likely owing to it representing an ontogenetically young individual, though it does share some cranial and horn core characteristics of named species such as Bison occidentalis or Bison priscus. Mitochondrial genomic data confirm that this bison belongs to Clade 2A (northern clade), which represents Pleistocene steppe bison (B. cf. priscus) in Beringia through the Holocene and is not represented in living bison species. These data further demonstrate that northern steppe bison population survived the late Pleistocene extinction event, persisted locally in southern Yukon into the Holocene, and are best characterized as a species with a high degree of morphological variability and ecological flexibility.
Assessing economic impacts of internet adoption through reduced pulp and paper demand
Authors: Ochuodho T.O. , Johnston C.M.T. , Withey P.
Published: July 2017

We use a dynamic, global computable general equilibrium (CGE) model to capture the economic impacts of internet adoption, modeled through reduced demand in the newsprint and printing and writing paper (pulp and paper) industries. Global newsprint consumption is estimated to fall dramatically by 2030. We rely on estimates from another study that captures the change in global pulp and paper consumption using the global forest products model (GFPM), based on two scenarios: (i) full per capita internet adoption by 2100 and (ii) more rapid full internet adoption by 2050. We incorporate reductions in pulpwood consumption into a global multiregional dynamic CGE model to estimate economy-wide impacts in Canadian provinces, the United States, and the rest of the world. Results indicated that the year 2050 internet adoption scenario would result in a reduction in cumulative discounted gross domestic product (GDP) by as much as 17% in some regions of Canada, reduce GDP by 5.8% in the United States, and increase GDP by 3.3% in the rest of the world from 2006 to 2030. These findings highlight the costs of internet adoption, leaving net benefit analysis of adoption to future work.
High-fidelity generating multi-qubit W state via dressed states in the system of multiple resonators coupled with a superconducting qubit
Authors: Yang Yu-Feng , Chen Ye-Hong , Wu Qi-Cheng , Shi Zhi-Cheng , Song Jie , Xia Yan
Published: July 2017

In this paper, we present an alternative scheme to generate W state of three superconducting qubits in three spatially separated coplanar waveguide resonators with the quantum Zeno dynamics and the dressed states. When a set of dressed states is suitably chosen, a scheme can be designed for accelerating the adiabatic passage without additional couplings. What is more, the populations of the intermediate states of the system can be restricted by choosing suitable control parameters. We discuss the influence of dissipation and operational imperfection by numerical analysis and the results show that the scheme is robust against various decoherence processes. In addition, we hope the scheme can provide a theoretical basis for the manipulation of the multi-qubit quantum state.
Pfaffian solutions for the (3+1)-dimensional nonlinear evolution equation in a fluid/plasma/crystal and the (2+1)-dimensional Sawada–Kotera equation in a liquid
Authors: Yin Hui-Min , Tian Bo , Zhen Hui-Ling , Chai Jun , Liu Lei
Published: July 2017

For the (3[Formula: see text]+[Formula: see text]1)-dimensional nonlinear evolution equation in a plasma, crystal or fluid, the Pfaffian solutions are obtained via the Bell polynomials, symbolic computation and Hirota method. Amplitudes and velocities of the solitons are discussed, respectively, as well as the conditions on whether the collisions are overtaking or head-on in the fluid/plasma/crystal. If the product of four wave numbers is greater than 0, collisions are overtaking, or else, head-on. For the (2[Formula: see text]+[Formula: see text]1)-dimensional Sawada–Kotera equation in a liquid, we discuss that amplitudes and velocities of the solitons, as well as the conditions of solitonic collisions. Hereby, there only exist the overtaking collisions between the solitons in such a liquid because the sign of [Formula: see text] is the same as [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] are the wave numbers in the liquid. Figures showing the overtaking and head-on collisions for the two and three solitons in the fluid/plasma/crystal are also presented.
Virtual unknotting numbers of certain virtual torus knots
Authors: Ishikawa Masaharu , Yanagi Hirokazu
Published: July 2017

The virtual unknotting number of a virtual knot is the minimal number of crossing changes that makes the virtual knot to be the unknot, which is defined only for virtual knots virtually homotopic to the unknot. We focus on the virtual knot obtained from the standard [Formula: see text]-torus knot diagram by replacing all crossings on one overstrand into virtual crossings and prove that its virtual unknotting number is equal to the unknotting number of the [Formula: see text]-torus knot, that is, [Formula: see text].
EFFECTS OF SUBSTRATE DEFORMABILITY ON CELL BEHAVIORS: ELASTIC MODULUS VERSUS THICKNESS
Authors: GOLI-MALEKABADI ZAHRA , TAFAZZOLI-SHADPOUR MOHAMMAD , SEYEDJAFARI EHSAN
Published: July 2017

The deformability of the substrate stimulating cell mechanotransduction depends not only on elastic modulus but also on the thickness. Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) which is widely used in microfluidic chips and platforms can be fabricated in a wide range of elastic modulus and thickness. In this study, we cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) on four groups of PDMS substrates of varying thickness and elastic modulus to examine effects of these parameters on morphology, viability and proliferation of cells. Both elastic modulus and thickness affected cell behavior. In general, the thickness of substrates had relatively higher impact on endothelial morphology than elastic modulus. Elongation of HUVECs on thick substrates was more intense compared to those on thin substrates. Both lowering thickness and reducing elastic modulus of PDMS decreased the viability of HUVECs, although thickness was more influential. Decrease in substrate thickness reduced cell proliferation regardless of substrate elastic modulus. In conclusion, our results suggest that endothelial behavior depends on substrate deformability, but cells react differently to the elastic modulus and thickness of PDMS by morphology, viability and growth. Results can improve the comprehension of cell mechanotransduction.
One-step hydrothermal method to synthesize Bi/Bi2MoO6 composite for photoelectric catalyst
Authors: Zhang Qian , Zhao Zhong-kun , Shen Zhu-rui , Wei Qiang
Published: July 2017

Bi/Bi2MoO6 composite was prepared via a facile one-step hydrothermal reduction method and its photoelectric property was investigated. During the solvent-controlled reaction process, lysine performed as the reductant to in situ reduce Bi[Formula: see text] to metallic Bi. XRD, SEM, TEM, HRTEM, XPS and FT-IR were used to characterize the morphology, structure and chemical composition of the samples obtained. Bi/Bi2MoO6 composites have special structure of Bi2MoO6 nanosheets surrounding on the surface of Bi microspheres, besides, the Bi2MoO6 nanosheets have a thickness of 10–20[Formula: see text]nm. Furthermore, electrochemical test results show that the Bi/Bi2MoO6 composites can significantly enhance the separation efficiency of photogenerated charge carriers, the photocurrent of Bi/Bi2MoO6 composites prepared with 4[Formula: see text]mmol lysine is about 15 times to pure Bi2MoO6.
Facile synthesis, structure and first investigation of promising lithium storage ability for Fe2SiS4/porous carbon composite
Authors: Li Jia-Chuang , Xue Huai-Guo , Guo Sheng-Ping
Published: July 2017

Fe2SiS4 and its composite with porous carbon from carbonization of PAN porous carbon (PC) were synthesized using one-pot method, which were characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM, XPS and Raman spectrum techniques. Their electrochemical data as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries were firstly studied. The results indicate that the Fe2SiS4 particles dispersed on the surface or in the pores of PC has the 1st capacity of 961.9[Formula: see text]mAh/g, and around 400[Formula: see text]mAh/g capacity can be still maintained after 50 cycles at 0.2C, much enhanced electrochemical performance than those for pure Fe2SiS4.