bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Actitudes hacia la estadística en estudiantes de Ciencias de la Educación. Propiedades psicométicas de la versión española del Survey of Attitudes Toward Statistics (SATS-36)
Authors: Rodríguez-Santero Javier , Gil-Flores Javier
Published: May 2019

El estudio de las actitudes hacia la estadística es un tópico que ha suscitado el interés de investigadores en diferentes países y niveles de enseñanza. En el trabajo aquí presentado se expone un análisis de las propiedades psicométricas, en términos de validez estructural y consistencia interna, de la aplicación, en el contexto universitario nacional, del conocido Survey of Attitudes Toward Statistics (SATS), en su versión de 36 ítems. Los resultados obtenidos a partir de los 409 participantes, indican falta de ajuste para el modelo de seis factores propuestos por los autores del SATS, sobre todo, en comparación con el modelo de cinco factores con errores corregidos que proponen los autores de este trabajo. Estos resultados coinciden con lo defendido por otras investigaciones en cuanto a la reducción del número de componentes actitudinales medidos con el SATS
Las prácticas externas desde la perspectiva de las entidades colaboradoras
Authors: Ferrández-Berrueco Reina , Sánchez-Tarazaga Lucía
Published: May 2019

Introducción: La cooperación entre la educación superior y el mercado laboral es un requisito para mejorar las oportunidades de empleo de los titulados. Sin embargo, esta asociación no siempre es tan fluida como debería, habitualmente porque las Universidades no entienden lo que las entidades esperan de esa colaboración. El presente trabajo hace un acercamiento a la percepción que las entidades que colaboran con la universidad en prácticas externas tienen de dicha colaboración, así como sus motivaciones y demandas. Metodología: Se ha realizado una entrevista semiestructurada sobre motivaciones y beneficios de la colaboración a una muestra de entidades colaboradoras en prácticas externas de la Universidad XXX siguiendo un muestreo de panel. Resultados: Los resultados muestran que las entidades colaboran sobre todo movidas por principios de Responsabilidad Social Corporativa, aunque subyacente a esa motivación aparece la selección de potenciales futuros empleados como base de la colaboración. En el terreno de las demandas, aparecen el de mejorar la calidad, cantidad y formas de relación entre ambas organizaciones, así como la posibilidad de disfrutar de beneficios en la utilización de servicios universitarios. Discusión: Al hablar de colaboración entre universidad y empresa para la docencia en nuestro país, en términos generales, parece hablarse de relación unidireccional. Las universidades muestran un cierto desinterés por mantener y fidelizar dicha relación. De hecho, esta preocupación parece estar más vinculada a la localización de los puestos de prácticas que a la idoneidad específica de estos.
ПРОБЛЕМИ ОКО РАЗГРАНИЧЕЊА ИЗМЕЂУ ХАБЗБУРШКЕ МОНАРХИЈЕ И ОСМАНСКОГ ЦАРСТВА НАКОН МИРА У СВИШТОВУ 1791–1797
Authors: БРОНЗА БОРО
Published: May 2019

Мировни преговори између Аустрије и Турске, одржани у раздобљу од децембра 1790. до августа 1791, резултирали су потписивањем мировног споразума у Свиштову, којим је завршен, како ће се касније испоста-вити, посљедњи у низу сукоба између два велика царства која су пресудно ути-цала на судбину југоисточне Европе у комплетном раздобљу од 14. до почетка 20. вијека. Мир у Свиштову је ставио тачку на рат који је започео фебруара 1788. године, али су се рефлексије конфликта наставиле и након самог рата у исто тако комплексном процесу разграничења између двију држава. Како су многе ствари из самог мировног споразума остале недоречене, па и сам есенци-јални доживљај завршетка рата, односно питањa његовог карактера и исхода, то су се кроз наведено разграничење сви ти процеси умногоме поново развија-ли и проживљавали. С обзиром на то да је европска политичка стварност тог времена била изразито турбулентна, нарочито у односу на директне посљедице Француске револуције, као и на ратове које су између Француске и већине остатка Европе избили почев од 1792. године, тако су се и ти фактори инкорпо-рирали у комплексност аустријско-турског разграничења, нарочито на просто-ру сјеверозападне Босне, односно на потезу од Бихаћа, преко Новог, Дубице и Бербира (Градишке). Питање размјене заробљеника, нарочито оних који су у међувремену на турској страни били продани у робље, било је такође посебно проблематично и његова имплементација се развукла на неколико година.
КОМУНИСТИ ИЗ БОСНЕ И ХЕРЦЕГОВИНЕ НА КОМУНИСТИЧКОМ УНИВЕРЗИТЕТУ НАЦИОНАЛНИХ МАЊИНА ЗАПАДА
Authors: КОВАЧЕВИЋ ЈЕЛЕНА
Published: May 2019

Аутору је циљ да допринесе расветљавању образовања чла-нова Комунистичке партије Југославије (КПЈ) из Босне и Херцеговине на Комунистичком универзитету националних мањина Запада (КУНМЗ) у Мос-кви. Чланак се заснива на архивској грађи збирке Архива Југославије,Збирку Југословени на раду и школовању у СССР чине документа наста-ла делатношћу Југословена комуниста у СССР-у од 1922. до 1945. Архивска грађа се, углавном, састоји од анкета, спискова и биографија студената и пружа оскудне податке и отежава коришћење јер је рукописна и прилично нечитка. Вреднија документа су аутобиографије студената писане на руском језику.1 Оскудна литература не пружа значајније биографске податке о комунистима са простора Босне и Херцеговине који су студирали на КУНМЗ-у, па је овај рад почетни прилог и подстрек даљњем научном истраживању.
ВАЈАР БОШКО КУЋАНСКИ (1931–2016)
Authors: ДАМЈАНОВИЋ ДАНКА
Published: May 2019

Иако је о вајару Бошку Кућанском (1931–2016) до сада доста писано, нарочито поводом његових јавних иступања на самосталним и колективним изложбама, бројних домаћих и иностраних признања и награда, његови живот и дјело још чекају коначно заокруживање, чему је овај текст један мали прилог.
МИНИСТРИ ИНФОРМБИРОВЦИ У ВЛАДИ НАРОДНЕ РЕПУБЛИКЕ БОСНЕ И ХЕРЦЕГОВИНЕ 1948. ГОДИНЕ
Authors: ЂУРОВИЋ ДРАЖЕНКО
Published: May 2019

Тема рада су ставови министарске тројке у Влади НР Босне и Херцеговине о сукобу са Информбироом 1948. године. Аутор анализира фак-торе који су довели до колебања појединих чланова Владе, изношења ставова супротних политици КПЈ, накнадне промјене мишљења и враћање на позиције вођства Партије. Такође, анализирани су фактори који су довели до њиховог извођења пред Партијску комисију и кажњавања због ''антипартијског дјелова-ња''. Рад је претежно заснован на подацима из архивске грађе Покрајинског комитета Комунистичке партије Југославије за Босну и Херцеговину, односно Централног комитета Комунистичке партије Босне и Херцеговине.
Zdravka Zlodi, Tomek J. Lis, Bosna u uspomenama poljske liječnice Teodore Krajewske z Kosmowskich (1854.-1935.), Zagreb 2015, str. 271
Authors: LUKIĆ SANDRA
Published: May 2019

Monografija Bosna u uspomenama poljske liječnice Teodore Krajewske z Kosmowskich (1854.-1935.), koju su priredili Zdravka Zlodi i Tomek J. Lis, nastala je kao rezultat poljsko-hrvatske naučne saradnje sa ciljem da se naučnoj i široj javno-sti predoče sjećanja poljske ljekarke Teodore Krajevske, koja je zapisala u svom Dnevniku, a odnose se na period koji je provela u Bosni i Hercegovini krajem XIX i početkom XX vijeka. Rukopis Dnevnika prvi put je objavljen u Poljskoj 1989. godi-ne, a priredila ga je dr Boguslava Čajecka. Zapažanja T. Krajevske su veoma značaj-na za proučavanje zdravstvenih, vjerskih, društvenih, kulturnih pa i političkih prilika u Bosni i Hercegovini, imajući u vidu da je T. Krajevska bila visokog nivoa obrazo-vanja, koje je stekla u Švajcarskoj, te da je govorila nekoliko jezika i postala jedna od prvih ženskih ljekara u Bosni i Hercegovini. Dnevnik je počela sređivati oko 1930. godine na osnovu autentičnih bilješki koje je ispisivala u periodu od 1893. do 1932. godine i u tome leži njegova vrijednost.
Тања Тулековић, Драксенић 1941–1945. године, ЈУ Спомен-подручје Доња Градина, Доња Градина 2016, стр. 126
Authors: РАИЛИЋ ОСТОЈА
Published: May 2019

У издању ЈУ Спомен-подручја Доња Градина 2016. године објављена је монографија ''Драксенић 1941–1945. године'' ауторке Тање Тулековић, више кустоскиње и директорке поменуте установе. Ауторку за писање ове моногра-фије препоручују њени претходни радови о ''eкономијама'' јасеновачких логора, истраживања о појединачним судбинама жртва из периода 1941–1945, а посеб-но дело о усташком злочину у селу Међеђа. Књига Тање Тулековић ''Драксенић 1941–1945. године'' започиње са ''Уместо предговора'' (стр. 5–6), који је написа-ла Добрила Кукољ, председница Градског удружења логораша Другог светског рата и њихових потомака из Бањалуке. Затим следе четири поглавља разврста-на комбиновањем хронолошког и проблемског метода. Поред наведеног, у монографији се налази и библиографија радова, изводи из рецензија и биогра-фија ауторке.
In memoriam: Владимир Стојанчевић (1923–2017)
Authors: СУБИЋ РАДОВАН
Published: May 2019

У Београду је 21. априла 2017. преминуо један од великана српске историографије Владимир Стојан-чевић. Рођен је у Скопљу 16. априла 1923, основно образовање стекао је у Велесу, гимназију је завршио у Крагујевцу јуна 1941. У току окупације живио је у Бео-граду, а од јануара 1945. борио се на Сремском фронту. Студирао је историју на Филозофском факултету у Београду. Након што је фебруара 1950. дипломирао, запослио се као асистент у Историјском институту. У овој институцији прошао је сва звања, од асистента до научног савјетника. Пензионисан је 1984. Маја 1956. одбранио је докторску дисертацију Кнез Милош и Источна Србија 1833–1838. Поред дисертације, која је 1957. објављена, написао је и дјела Кнез Милош и његово доба (Београд 1966, 1990) и Србија у време првог устанка 1804–1813 (Лесковац 1980). Као један од иницијатора пројекта Историја српског народа, био је уредник пете књиге и написао поглавља Српска национална револуција и обнова државе од краја XVIII века до 1839. и Српски народ под турском влашћу у првој половини XIX века (1. и 3. дио тома 1 књиге V).
Adsorption of thallium(I) on rutile nano-titanium dioxide and environmental implications
Authors: Zhang Weilong , Wu Yang , Wang Jin , Liu Juan , Lu Haifeng , Zhai Shuijing , Zhong Qiaohui , Liu Siyu , Zhong Wanying , Huang Chunling , Yu Xiaoxiang , Zhang Wenhui , Chen Yongheng
Published: May 2019

Rutile nano-titanium dioxide (RNTD) characterized by loose particles with diameter in 20–50 nm has a very large surface area for adsorption of Tl, a typical trace metal that has severe toxicity. The increasing application of RNTD and widespread discharge of Tl-bearing effluents from various industrial activities would increase the risk of their co-exposure in aquatic environments. The adsorption behavior of Tl(I) (a prevalent form of Tl in nature) on RNTD was studied as a function of solution pH, temperature, and ion strength. Adsorption isotherms, kinetics, and thermodynamics for Tl(I) were also investigated. The adsorption of Tl(I) on RNTD started at very low pH values and increased abruptly, then maintained at high level with increasing pH >9. Uptake of Tl(I) was very fast on RNTD in the first 15 min then slowed down. The adsorption of Tl(I) on RNTD was an exothermic process; and the adsorption isotherm of Tl(I) followed the Langmuir model, with the maximum adsorption amount of 51.2 mg/g at room temperature. The kinetics of Tl adsorption can be described by a pseudo-second-order equation. FT-IR spectroscopy revealed that -OH and -TiOO-H play an important role in the adsorption. All these results indicate that RNTD has a fast adsorption rate and excellent adsorption amount for Tl(I), which can thus alter the transport, bioavailability and fate of Tl(I) in aqueous environment.
Expression of ICOSL is associated with decreased survival in invasive breast cancer
Authors: Wang Bin , Jiang Huayong , Zhou Tingyang , Ma Ning , Liu Wei , Wang Yajie , Zuo Li
Published: May 2019

Background

Inducible co-stimulator (ICOS) is a CD28-related molecule exclusively expressed on activated T cells and plays a critical role in modulating the immune response in breast cancer. The blockage of ICOS pathway has been shown to inhibit the activity of Type 2 T helper cells, thus potentially protecting against cancer growth. The current study aims to investigate the correlation between inducible co-stimulator ligand (ICOSL) expression in tumor tissues and the prognoses of patients with invasive breast cancer.

Methods

Tumor samples from 562 Chinese patients with invasive breast carcinomas were collected between 2003 and 2010. The expression of ICOSL on breast tumor and adjacent non-cancerous tissue was determined via immunohistochemistry. The overall survival (OS) of patients with positive and negative ICOSL expression were described using Kaplan–Meier curves, respectively. Parametric correlation method was used to analyze the correlation between ICOSL expression and other clinicopathological parameters. ICOSL was selected as a dependent variable for multivariate analysis.

Results

Positive ICOSL expression was identified on the plasma membrane in both cytoplasm and the nucleus of breast cancer cells. Membrane-expressed ICOSL is determined as an independent prognostic factor for OS in breast cancer but without significantly correlating with other clinicopathologic parameters such as age, menopausal status, depth of invasion, lymph node metastasis status, histologic classification, etc.

Conclusion

Our study suggests that the up-regulated expression of ICOSL protein in breast tumor cells can be associated with poor prognoses in invasive breast carcinomas.
Effect of Seed Treatments and Containers on Chilli Seed Viability
Authors: Kumar Sunil , Jakhar S. S.
Published: May 2019

An experiment was conducted to investigate the influence of fungicides and packaging materials on longevity of chilli seed (variety: RCH-1). The seeds were treated with 15 fungicides and were kept in three containers viz. Metal box, Cloth bag and Plastic zipling bag up to 12 months under ambient conditions in seed pathology laboratory of Department of Seed Science & Technology, CCSHAU, Hisar, India. The samples were drawn at quaterly intervals for ascertaining the seed quality parameters. The seeds treated with flusilazole (2 g kg-1 seed) and stored in metal-box were found better for maintenance of higher seed quality parameters [germination, root length, shoot length, mean seedling dry weight, vigour indices] during the study period. The study suggested that use of appropriate packaging material and seed treatment could be useful to prolong the storage life of chilli seeds.
Prevalence of Bacterial and Fungal Isolates Associated with Road Traffic Accident In-patients in General Hospitals in Niger State
Authors: Chukwuka P. T. , Garba S. A. , Abalaka M. E. , Chukwu V. C.
Published: May 2019

Aim: This study was carried out to determine the prevalence and antimicrobial susceptibility of bacteria and fungi isolated from wounds of in-patients with road traffic accidents at four General hospitals in Niger State.

Place and Duration of Study: Department of Microbiology, Federal University of Technology, Minna, Nigeria, between October 2017 and May 2018.

Methodology: Wound swabs were taken twice per patient, first swab at contact and second swab taken seven days post wound dressing. The outcome of 1000 wound swabs taken from 409 (267 male and 142 female) in-patients with road traffic accident wound treated in the General hospitals Bida, Minna, Kontagora and Suleja areas of Niger State, Nigeria.

Results: The results showed that 405 (40.5%) samples were positive for bacteria and fungi pathogens while 595 (59.5%) were negative. 262 (80.6%) swabs yielded single isolates while 46 (14.2%) yielded double organisms and 17 (5.2%) yielded three or more organisms. Of the 405 positive cultures, 347 (85.7%) were bacterial isolates while 58 (14.3%) were fungal isolates. Staphylococcus aureus predominates (37.7%), followed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa (15.6%), E. coli (11.4%), Streptococcus pyogenes (9.4%), Bacillus subtillis (7.2%), Klebsiella pneumonia (4.4%), Aspergillus niger (4.2%), Candida albicans (3.7%), Aspergillus flavus (2.7%), Candida pseudotropicallis (2.2%) and Mucor pusillus (1.5%).

Conclusion: Most bacterial isolates were sensitive to Levofloxacin, Ciprofloxacin, Streptomycin and Gentamycin, while others showed some degree of resistance to the remaining antibiotics. Klebsiella pneumoniae showed the highest resistance to all the antibiotics used. All the fungi isolated were highly sensitive to the antifungal drugs used except Griseofulvin.
An Autotransferable g‐C3N4 Li+‐Modulating Layer toward Stable Lithium Anodes
Authors: Guo Yanpeng , Niu Ping , Liu Yayuan , Ouyang Yan , Li Dian , Zhai Tianyou , Li Huiqiao , Cui Yi
Published: May 2019

Commercial deployment of lithium anodes has been severely impeded by the poor battery safety, unsatisfying cycling lifespan, and efficiency. Recently, building artificial interfacial layers over a lithium anode was regarded as an effective strategy to stabilize the electrode. However, the fabrications reported so far have mostly been conducted directly upon lithium foil, often requiring stringent reaction conditions with indispensable inert environment protection and highly specialized reagents due to the high reactivity of metallic lithium. Besides, the uneven lithium‐ion flux across the lithium surface should be more powerfully tailored via mighty interfacial layer materials. Herein, g‐C3N4 is employed as a Li+‐modulating material and a brand‐new autotransferable strategy to fabricate this interfacial layer for Li anodes without any inert atmosphere protection and limitation of chemical regents is developed. The g‐C3N4 film is filtrated on the separator in air using a common alcohol solution and then perfectly autotransferred to the lithium surface by electrolyte wetting during normal cell assembly. The abundant nitrogen species within g‐C3N4 nanosheets can form transient LiN bonds to powerfully stabilize the lithium‐ion flux and thus enable a CE over 99% for 900 cycles and smooth deposition at high current densities and capacities, surpassing most previous works.
Mg Deficiency in Grain Boundaries of n‐Type Mg3Sb2 Identified by Atom Probe Tomography
Authors: Kuo Jimmy Jiahong , Yu Yuan , Kang Stephen Dongmin , Cojocaru‐Mirédin Oana , Wuttig Matthias , Snyder G. Jeffrey
Published: May 2019

Highly resistive grain boundaries significantly reduce the electrical conductivity that compromises the thermoelectric figure‐of‐merit zT in n‐type polycrystalline Mg3Sb2. In this work, discovered is a Mg deficiency near grain boundaries using atom‐probe tomography. Approximately 5 at% of Mg deficiency is observed uniformly in a 10 nm region along the grain boundary without any evidence of a stable secondary or impurity phase. The off‐stoichiometry can prevent n‐type dopants from providing electrons, lowering the local carrier concentration near the grain boundary and thus the local conductivity. This observation explains how nanometer scale compositional variations can dramatically determine thermoelectric zT, and provides concrete strategies to reduce grain‐boundary resistance and increase zT in Mg3Sb2‐based materials.
Biomass‐based chemical production using techno‐economic and life cycle analysis
Authors: Athaley Abhay , Saha Basudeb , Ierapetritou Marianthi
Published: May 2019

Furfural has been selected as one of the top 30 biomass derived platform compounds by the U.S. Department of Energy based on several indicators including the raw material used for production, estimated processing cost, technical complexity, and market potential. In this work, several high value chemicals such as butadiene, surfactants, jet‐fuels, and lubricants are produced from furfural. The paper proposes the integrated flowsheet to produce those chemical and techno‐economic and life cycle analysis is performed to compare the minimum selling price and environmental impacts of the integrated process. The capital and operating cost for production of lubricants and surfactants is the highest when compared with other products. Production of surfactants performs the best in terms of environmental impacts except in water depletion when compared with other processes while butadiene production performs the worst regarding the environmental effects.
Toward unfolding the bioeconomy of nopal (Opuntia spp.)
Authors: Ciriminna Rosaria , Chavarría‐Hernández Norberto , Rodríguez‐Hernández Adriana I. , Pagliaro Mario
Published: May 2019

Besides being a source of healthy food and water in arid and semi‐arid lands, the Opuntia cactus plant (nopal) provides unique ecosystem services. In the last decade the plant's cladodes, fruits, flowers, and byproducts have become a source of valued bioproducts, increasingly used in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, food, beverage, and nutraceutical industries. Following an updated examination of the new uses of nopal's biological resources, this study suggests avenues to overcome the main obstacles to unleashing the full potential of Opuntia's bioeconomy. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
Late‐onset Wilson disease in older patient without ophthalmological findings, a case report
Authors: Yousefi Mehdi , Yousefi Masoud , Gharravi Anneh M.
Published: May 2019

A 60‐year‐old man was referred to hospital for loss of consciousness. Her late‐onset Wilson disease was diagnosed with elevated serum bilirubin, hepatic copper concentration, and urinary copper excretion. Zinc sulfate administration decreased the majority of clinical symptoms.
Emission‐Color Control in Polymer Films by Memorized Fluorescence Solvatochromism in a New Class of Totally Organic Fluorescent Nanogel Particles
Authors: Yamada Nobuo , Noguchi Hiroki , Orimoto Yoshifumi , Kuwahara Yutaka , Takafuji Makoto , Pathan Shaheen , Oda Reiko , Mahammadali Rahimli Almara , Ahmed Ramazanov Mahammadali , Ihara Hirotaka
Published: May 2019

In this work, a new class of totally organic fluorescent nanogel particles and their exceptionally specific behaviors based on their unique structures are introduced, which draws a sharp line from conventional fluorophore‐doped and fluorophore‐branched‐type particles. The nanogel particles, the diameter of which could be controlled by adjusting reaction conditions, such as the solvent system, were spontaneously fabricated with a spherical shape by direct polymerization of non‐heterocyclic aromatic compounds, such as 2,6‐dihydroxyanthracene, 2,6‐dihydroxynaphthalene, and 9,9‐bis(4‐hydroxyphenyl)fluorene with triazinane as the cross‐linker. A fluorophoric moiety formed from a polymer main chain was realized in the particle, and consequently, the resultant content of the fluorophoric moiety was around 70–80 wt % per particle. The uniqueness and versatility of the particles can be emphasized by their good compatibility with various solvents due to their amphiphilic and ampholytic swelling properties, but also by their remarkable fluorescent solvatochromism in the dispersion state. Furthermore, these behaviors were preserved even in their polymer composite system. This study also demonstrates that various fluorescent polymer films can be fabricated with emission color control due to memorization of the solvatochromism phenomenon of the dispersed fluorescent nanoparticles.
A virtual assistant in cultural heritage scenarios
Authors: Cuomo Salvatore , Colecchia Giovanni , di Cola Vincenzo Schiano , Chirico Ugo
Published: May 2019

New technologies, tools, and methodologies have been used in the Cultural Heritage (CH) scenarios to assist the visitor to enrich and enjoy his experiences during the visit. Intelligent information systems based upon machine learning approaches have been specifically designed for CH to enhance the quality of services in art exhibitions and events. In this work, we show an innovative framework that can be specifically designed to help visitors during his/her visit by answering to their questions. We also describe a system architecture and a case study in a well‐defined CH context.
Analysis and design of an integrated RF energy harvester for ultra low‐power environments
Authors: Caselli Michele , Tonelli Matteo , Boni Andrea
Published: May 2019

Radio‐frequency (RF) energy harvesting must cope with the limited availability and high variability of the energy source. In this paper, the available RF power in three typical environments (urban, semi‐urban, and rural) is investigated. Measurements show that in the surveyed urban and semi‐urban environments, an average input power above −22 and −29 dBm, respectively, is available in the [700, 1,000] MHz band.

A mathematical model of the interface between the RF rectifier and the DC‐DC converter is provided. The analysis demonstrates that the energy can be efficiently transferred to the external accumulator coupling the rectifier with a strobed, input control DC‐DC converter.

Based on the measurements and the analysis, an RF harvester architecture has been designed in 65 nm Complementary Metal‐Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) technology to operate over the [−40, 85]oC temperature and the [1.1, 2.5] V battery voltage ranges. The input control strategy adopted for the converter allows the adaptation of the harvester to the available RF power and enables a real maximum power point tracking (MPPT).

Post‐layout simulation of the harvester, recharging a large capacitor, precharged at 2 V, at 950 MHz of input frequency returned a 33.4% peak efficiency with an input power of 15 μW (−18 dBm). The minimum input power leading to a positive energy balance is −30 dBm with an output voltage of 1.1 V.
A nonparametric Bayesian model for system identification based on a super‐Gaussian distribution
Authors: Tanji Hiroki , Murakami Takahiro , Kamata Hiroyuki
Published: May 2019

In the acoustic signal processing applications of finite impulse response (FIR) system identification, it is important to develop the identification method that is robust to super‐Gaussian noises. Moreover, the identification method that estimates the FIR coefficients and the order of the unknown system is required, because the order of the unknown system is unavailable in advance. Therefore, in this paper, we propose a nonparametric Bayesian (NPB) model for FIR system identification using a super‐Gaussian likelihood and the beta‐Bernoulli process. In the proposed NPB model, we employ the hyperbolic secant distribution for the likelihood function. Then, we derive the inference algorithm to simultaneously estimate the FIR coefficients and the order of the unknown system. Our inference algorithm based on a hybrid inference approach combining the majorization‐minimization (MM) algorithm and the Gibbs sampler. The simulation results suggest that the proposed method outperforms the conventional identification algorithms in a super‐Gaussian noise environment.
Left out in the cold: temperature‐dependence of defense in an African ant–plant mutualism
Authors: Tamashiro Ryan A. , Milligan Patrick D. , Palmer Todd M.
Published: May 2019

Many tropical plants are defended by ants, and the costs and benefits of these mutualisms can vary across gradients of herbivory, soil fertility, latitude, and other environmental factors. Yet despite an abundant literature documenting thermal constraints on ant activity and behavior, we know little about whether temperature variation can influence the benefits conferred by ants to plants. We evaluated the effects of dawn‐to‐dusk fluctuations in temperature on patrolling and aggressive behavior in four arboreal ant mutualists of Acacia drepanolobium trees in central Kenya. We found that ant aggressive behavior significantly increased with branch surface temperature, primarily in the two most aggressive ant species: Crematogaster mimosae and C. nigriceps workers attacked a simulated herbivore at higher rates as surface temperature rose. In a browsing experiment, we found that goats browsed more frequently and for longer durations on C. mimosae‐defended trees during cooler times of day, while goat browsing on plants from which ants had been removed was not affected by temperature. Our study demonstrates temperature‐dependence in the efficacy of ant defense against herbivory and suggests that these ant‐plants may be more vulnerable to herbivory during cooler hours of the day, when many native browsers are most active.
microDecon: A highly accurate read‐subtraction tool for the post‐sequencing removal of contamination in metabarcoding studies
Authors: McKnight Donald T. , Huerlimann Roger , Bower Deborah S. , Schwarzkopf Lin , Alford Ross A. , Zenger Kyall R.
Published: May 2019

Contamination is a ubiquitous problem in microbiome research and can skew results, especially when small amounts of target DNA are available. Nevertheless, no clear solution has emerged for removing microbial contamination. To address this problem, we developed the R package microDecon (https://github.com/donaldtmcknight/microDecon), which uses the proportions of contaminant operational taxonomic units (OTUs) or amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) in blank samples to systematically identify and remove contaminant reads from metabarcoding data sets. We rigorously tested microDecon using a series of computer simulations and a sequencing experiment. We also compared it to the common practice of simply removing all contaminant OTUs/ASVs and other methods for removing contamination. Both the computer simulations and our sequencing data confirmed the utility of microDecon. In our largest simulation (100,000 samples), using microDecon improved the results in 98.1% of samples. Additionally, in the sequencing data and in simulations involving groups, it enabled accurate clustering of groups as well as the detection of previously obscured patterns. It also produced more accurate results than the existing methods for identifying and removing contamination. These results demonstrate that microDecon effectively removes contamination across a broad range of situations. It should, therefore, be widely applicable to microbiome studies, as well as to metabarcoding studies in general.
Pain and posttraumatic stress disorder in refugees who survived torture: The role of pain catastrophizing and trauma‐related beliefs
Authors: Nordin Linda , Perrin Sean
Published: May 2019

Background

Traumatized refugees with comorbid pain report more severe posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), respond less well to PTSD‐focused treatments and exhibit greater disability. A mutually maintaining relationship may exist between pain and PTSD, that may be partly accounted for by depression, but no prior studies have tested this assumption in traumatized refugees.

Method

Self‐report measures of pain, PTSD, depression, disability, pain catastrophizing (PC) and trauma‐related beliefs (TRBs) were administered to 197 refugees referred to the Danish Institute Against Torture (DIGNITY) prior to treatment. The contribution of pain, depression, PC, and TRBs to the overall variance in PTSD severity was examined. We also examined whether the relationship between pain and PTSD was mediated by PC and TRBs, after controlling for depression.

Results

Depression, pain severity, PC and TRBs together accounted for 66% of the overall variance in PTSD, with depression being the primary contributor (57%). In univariate tests, both PC and TRBs significantly mediated the relationship between pain interference/severity and PTSD. However, after controlling for depression only PC mediated this relationship.

Conclusions

Negative beliefs about pain and the trauma made small, but additive contributions to the relationship between pain and PTSD severity, after controlling for depression. Longitudinal studies with refugees, involving tests of more complex mutual maintenance models, are warranted.

Significance

After controlling for symptoms of depression, pain catastrophizing and negative trauma‐related beliefs partly mediated the relationship between pain and PTSD in tortured refugees. The results suggest that all three variables are important in a mutual mediation model of pain and PTSD, and as targets for treatment, in traumatized refugees.
De novo variants in SETD1B cause intellectual disability, autism spectrum disorder, and epilepsy with myoclonic absences
Authors: Hiraide Takuya , Hattori Ayako , Ieda Daisuke , Hori Ikumi , Saitoh Shinji , Nakashima Mitsuko , Saitsu Hirotomo
Published: May 2019

Epilepsy with myoclonic absences is a specific seizure type characterized by bilateral rhythmic clonic jerks with impairment of consciousness. Here, we report an individual with epilepsy with myoclonic absences, mild intellectual disabilities, language disorder, and autism spectrum disorder. His interictal electroencephalogram revealed a spike‐and‐slow wave complex dominant in the frontal area. His ictal polygraphic and video‐electroencephalogram showed a characteristic diffuse synchronous 3‐Hz spike‐and‐wave burst associated with bilateral upper limb myoclonic jerks with impairment of consciousness. Using whole‐exome sequencing, we found a novel de novo variant, c.386T>G, p.(Val129Gly), in SETD1B (SET domain containing 1B). We previously reported that two individuals with a de novo SETD1B variant showed intellectual disability, epilepsy, and autism. Of note, one of those individuals and the present case showed epilepsy with myoclonic absences. Therefore, this report supports the indication that SETD1B may be a causative gene for neurodevelopmental disorders and suggests that epilepsy with myoclonic absences may be a characteristic feature of SETD1B‐related disorders.
Supplemental Security Income enrollment and health care and social assistance employment and wages
Authors: Pellegrini Lawrence C. , Geissler Kimberley H.
Published: May 2019

We examine the relationship between disabled working‐age Supplemental Security Income (SSI) enrollment and health care and social assistance employment and wages. County‐level data are gathered from government and other publicly available sources for 3144 US counties (2012 to 2015). Population‐weighted linear regression analyses examine associations between each health care and social assistance employment and wage measure and SSI enrollment, controlling for factors associated with health care and social assistance employment and wages. Results show positive associations between county‐level percent of the population enrolled in the SSI program and health care and social assistance employment and wages with strong associations identified for social assistance employment. A one standard deviation increase in SSI enrollment is associated with a 5.6% increase in the health care and social assistance sector employment percent compared with the mean and 9.7% and 7.3% increases in health care and social assistance sector employment and wage shares, respectively, when compared with the means. We find working‐age adult SSI enrollment is positively associated with employment outcomes, primarily in the social assistance organization subsector and in lower wage paying jobs. Evolving federal disability policy may influence existing and future SSI enrollment, which has implications for health care workforce employment and composition.
A novel long noncoding RNA FAF inhibits apoptosis via upregulating FGF9 through PI3K/AKT signaling pathway in ischemia–hypoxia cardiomyocytes
Authors: Shi Hao‐Jie , Wang Ming‐Wei , Sun Jia‐Teng , Wang Hao , Li Ya‐Fei , Chen Bing‐Rui , Fan Yi , Wang Si‐Bo , Wang Zi‐Mu , Wang Qi‐Ming , Wang Lian‐Sheng
Published: May 2019

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been increasingly considered to play an important role in the pathological process of various cardiovascular diseases, which often bind to the proximal promoters of the protein‐coding gene to regulate the protein expression. However, the functions and mechanisms of lncRNAs in cardiomyocytes have not been fully elucidated. High‐throughput RNA sequencing was performed to identify the differently expressed lncRNAs and messenger RNAs (mRNAs) between acute myocardial infarction (AMI) rats and healthy controls. One novel lncRNA FGF9‐associated factor (termed FAF) and mRNAs in AMI rats were verified by bioinformatics, real‐time polymerase chain reaction or western blot. Moreover, RNA fluorescence in situ hybridization was performed to determine the location of lncRNA. Subsequently, a series of in vitro assays were used to observe the functions of lncRNA FAF in cardiomyocytes. The expression of lncRNA FAF and FGF9 were remarkably decreased in ischemia–hypoxia cardiomyocytes and heart tissues of AMI rats. Overexpression of FAF could significantly inhibit cardiomyocytes apoptosis induced by ischemia and hypoxia. Conversely, knockdown of lncRNA FAF could promote apoptosis in ischemia–hypoxia cardiomyocytes. Moreover, overexpression of lncRNA FAF could also increase the expression of FGF9. Knockdown of the FGF9 expression could promote apoptosis in cardiomyocytes with the insult of ischemia and hypoxia, which was consistent with the effect of lncRNA FAF overexpression on cardiomyocyte apoptosis. Mechanistically, FGF9 inhibited cardiomyocytes apoptosis through activating signaling tyrosine kinase FGFR2 via phosphoinositide 3‐kinase/protein kinase B signaling pathway. Thus, lncRNA FAF plays a protective role in ischemia–hypoxia cardiomyocytes and may serve as a treatment target for AMI.
Expression analysis of circulating plasma long noncoding RNAs in colorectal cancer: The relevance of lncRNAs ATB and CCAT1 as potential clinical hallmarks
Authors: Abedini Paria , Fattahi Azam , Agah Shahram , Talebi Atefeh , Beygi Amir Hossein , Amini Seyed Mohammad , Mirzaei Alireza , Akbari Abolfazl
Published: May 2019

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been demonstrated to regulate a variety of cell processes and involve in the development and progression of colorectal cancer (CRC). Recently, the circulating lncRNAs have emerged as minimally invasive biomarkers for cancer diagnosis and prognosis. We aimed to examine the plasma expression level of long noncoding RNAs lnc‐ATB, lnc‐CCAT1, and lnc‐OCC‐1 in CRC patients and evaluate the clinical values. A total of 74 pretreatment CRC and 74 healthy blood biopsies were subjected to differentially evaluate the expression levels of three lncRNAs (OCC‐1, CCAT1, and ATB). Briefly, after plasma separation and total RNA extraction, RNAs were reversely transcribed to complementary DNA followed by amplification using a quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction technique for lncRNA expression analysis. The results showed that the expression levels of lnc‐ATB (p < 0.001) and CCAT1 (p = 0.024), but not OCC‐1 (p = 0.24), were significantly upregulated in the CRC compared with the healthy group. The calculated AUC of ROC was 0.78 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.811–0.94) for lnc‐ATB and 0.64 (95% CI: 0.811–0.94) for CCAT1, which were indicative of a high discriminatory power (p < 0.001). The highest accuracy for lncRNA‐ATB was obtained at a cutoff point of 2.5, which corresponded to sensitivity and specificity of 82% and 75%, respectively. Our results suggested a significant accuracy of lncRNA‐ATB and lncRNA‐CCAT1 in distinguishing CRC patients from healthy individuals.
STRIP2 silencing inhibits vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation and migration via P38–AKT–MMP‐2 signaling pathway
Authors: Dai Li , Zhou Jun , Li Tiantian , Qian Yuanyuan , Jin Lai , Zhu Chao , Li Shengnan
Published: May 2019

STRIP2 (FAM40B) was reported to regulate tumor cell migration. Our study aims to discuss the effect of STRIP2 in mouse aortic smooth muscle cell (MOVAS) proliferation and migration processes, which contributes greatly to atherosclerosis formation. In MOVAS cells, STRIP2 depletion suppressed cell proliferation and migration, which were related to a remarkable decrease in matrix metalloproteinases‐2 (MMP‐2)/MMP‐9 expression. Additionally, P38 mitogen‐activated protein kinases and Protein kinase B (AKT) are inactivated while extracellular signal‐regulated kinase (ERK1/2) and jun N‐terminal kinase (JNK) are activated upon STRIP2 silencing. SB203580 (P38 inhibitor) further reduced AKT phosphorylation (p‐AKT) while dehydrocorydaline chloride (Dc; P38 activator) reversed this effect. Furthermore, Dc significantly recovered MMP‐2 expression in STRIP2‐knockdown cells. As expected, overexpressing STRIP2 exhibited a contrary effect. Dc and AKT activator SC79 reversed the inhibition of cell proliferation and migration induced by STRIP2 silencing. Interestingly, STRIP2 depletion increased vascular endothelial growth factor level significantly. Taken together, STRIP2 contributed to cell proliferation and migration through P38–AKT–MMP‐2 signaling in MOVAS cells, indicating the importance of STRIP2 in atherosclerosis.
CDG and immune response: From bedside to bench and back
Authors: Pascoal Carlota , Francisco Rita , Ferro Tiago , dos Reis Ferreira Vanessa , Jaeken Jaak , Videira Paula A.
Published: May 2019

Glycosylation is an essential biological process that adds structural and functional diversity to cells and molecules, participating in physiological processes such as immunity. The immune response is driven and modulated by protein‐attached glycans that mediate cell‐cell interactions, pathogen recognition and cell activation. Therefore, abnormal glycosylation can be associated with deranged immune responses. Within human diseases presenting immunological defects are congenital disorders of glycosylation (CDG), a family of around 130 rare and complex genetic diseases. In this review, we have identified 23 CDG with immunological involvement, characterized by an increased propensity to—often life‐threatening—infection. Inflammatory and autoimmune complications were found in 7 CDG types. CDG natural history(ies) and the mechanisms behind the immunological anomalies are still poorly understood. However, in some cases, alterations in pathogen recognition and intracellular signaling (eg, TGF‐β1, NFAT, and NF‐κB) have been suggested. Targeted therapies to restore immune defects are only available for PGM3‐CDG and SLC35C1‐CDG. Fostering research on glycoimmunology may elucidate the involved pathophysiological mechanisms and open new therapeutic avenues, thus improving CDG patients' quality of life.
Stanmore noninvasive extendible endoprosthesis in the treatment of bone sarcoma in the preadolescent
Authors: Sambri Andrea , Staals Eric , Medellin Manuel Ricardo , Abudu Adesegun , Gikas Panagiotis , Pollock Rob , Briggs Tim WR , Donati Davide Maria , Manfrini Marco
Published: May 2019

Aims

The aim of this study is to assess outcomes of patients ≤12 years who undergo Stanmore noninvasive extendible endoprosthetic replacement of the distal femur (DF NIEPR).

Patients and Methods

A total of 101 children (mean age 9.6 years) were included. All complications which required further surgery were recorded. Clinical and functional outcomes were evaluated with Musculoskeletal Tumor Society (MSTS) scores at a mean follow‐up of 64 months (range 6‐174).

Results

Thirty‐one (30.7%) patients died at a mean of 33 months. Forty had prosthesis removed after a mean of 43 months (range, 7‐103). Attaining of the full lengthening potential before skeletal maturity was the most frequent reason for revision surgery, particularly in those with smaller lengthening potential (P  =  0.039). Implant survival rate for other causes was 61.7% at 5 years and 45.0% at 10 years. At final follow‐up mean MSTS score was 26 (range, 13‐29). Twenty‐two (21.5%) patients had a final limb‐length discrepancy (LLD)  > 2 cm.

Conclusions

DF NIEPR produces a good functional outcome, with the prevention of major LLD at skeletal maturity in the majority of the cases. We suggest patient selection criteria to account for the stage of the disease due to the high cost of the NIEPR, and high percentage requiring revision, and a 60% mortality rate in those patients presenting with distant disease burden.
The impact of the multidisciplinary tumor board on head and neck cancer outcomes
Authors: Liu Jeffrey C. , Kaplon Adam , Blackman Elizabeth , Miyamoto Curtis , Savior Deric , Ragin Camille
Published: May 2019

Objectives/Hypothesis

Although the multidisciplinary tumor board (MTB) is accepted as best practice for the management of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), there is limited evidence showing its impact on survival. Our goal was to investigate the impact of an MTB following the hiring of a fellowship‐trained head and neck surgeon and implementation of an MTB at our institution. We hypothesized that these changes would demonstrate an improvement in survival.

Study Design

Retrospective chart review.

Methods

A review of HNSCC treated at our institution between October 2006 and May 2015 was performed. The cohort was divided into pre‐MTB (October 2006–February 2011) and post‐MTB (February 2011–May 2015) cohorts. Patient demographics, cancer stage, and treatment outcomes were reviewed. Univariate, multivariate, and survival analysis were performed.

Results

The study included 224 patients, 98 in the pre‐MTB cohort and 126 in the post‐MTB cohort. Of total patients, 139 (62%) were black and 91 (40%) were on Medicaid or uninsured. Average follow‐up time was 2.8 years, and most cases were advanced stage (68%). On Kaplan‐Meier evaluation, overall survival and disease‐specific survival were significantly improved in the post‐MTB cohort compared with the pre‐MTB cohort, with a 5‐year disease‐specific survival of 52% vs. 75% (P = .003). A matched cohort analysis showed that the post‐MTB cohort had significantly lower risk of death (hazard ratio: 0.48).

Conclusions

Our study demonstrates that treatment of HNSCC by a dedicated multidisciplinary team results in improved survival. Multidisciplinary care should be considered best practice in the care of HNSCC.

Level of Evidence

3b Laryngoscope, 130:946–950, 2020
Recyclable Vinyl‐Functionalized Polyesters via Chemoselective Organopolymerization of Bifunctional α‐Methylene‐δ‐Valerolactone
Authors: Xu Tie‐Qi , Yu Zhi‐Qi , Zhang Xue‐Min
Published: May 2019

α‐Methylene‐δ‐valerolactone (MVL) is a bifunctional monomer comprising of a highly stable six‐membered δ‐valerolactone ring and highly reactive CC bond. Previously, the vinyl‐addition polymerization (VAP) product, namely P(MVL)VAP, has been formed exclusively. In this study, this conventional chemoselectivity is reversed, wherein organic catalysts are used to enable the first ring‐opening polymerization (ROP) of MVL, exclusively affording a metal‐free, unsaturated polyester, namely P(MVL)ROP. This challenging goal is achieved by investigating different catalysts, initiators, and reaction conditions. In addition, the formation of two polymers, namely P(MVL)ROP and P(MVL)VAP, is easily regulated by varying the polymerization solvent. The resulting P(MVL)ROP can be easily post‐functionalized to form crosslinked or sulfurized materials; notably, it can be almost completely converted into its monomer thermochemically.
A putative merR family transcription factor Slr0701 regulates mercury inducible expression of MerA in the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC6803
Authors: Singh Deepak Kumar , Lingaswamy Bantu , Koduru Tejaswi Naidu , Nagu Prakash Prabhu , Jogadhenu Prakash Syama Sundar
Published: May 2019

In cyanobacteria, genes conferring mercury resistance are not organized as mer‐operon, unlike in other bacterial phyla. Synechocystis contains only a putative MerR regulator, Slr0701, and a mercury reductase, MerA, located aside from each other in the genome. The slr0701‐mutant showed reduction in photosynthetic activity and reduced tolerance to mercury compared to the wild‐type. The incubation of wild‐type cells with HgCl2 resulted in the upregulation of slr0701 and slr1849 genes whereas mercury‐induced expression was not observed in the slr0701‐mutant. Slr0701 binds to a conserved cis‐regulatory element located in the upstream of slr1849 and slr0701 ORFs. The same element was also identified in the upstream of other cyanobacterial homologs. Slr0701 binds to cis‐regulatory element with faster association and slower dissociation rates in the presence of HgCl2. Although these genes were constitutively expressed, the addition of HgCl2 enhanced their promoter activity suggesting that mercury‐bound Slr0701 triggers induced expression of these genes. The enhanced promoter activity could be attributed to the observed secondary structural changes in Slr0701 in the presence of HgCl2. For the first time, we demonstrated the mechanism of merA regulation in a cyanobacterium, Synechocystis. Although merA and merR genes are distantly located on the cyanobacterial genome and distinct from other bacterial mer‐operons, the transcriptional regulatory mechanism is conserved.