bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Acceptability of a decision‐support electronic health record system and its impact on diabetes care goals in South Asia: a mixed‐methods evaluation of the CARRS trial
Authors: Singh K. , Johnson L. , Devarajan R. , Shivashankar R. , Sharma P. , Kondal D. , Ajay V. S. , Narayan K. M. V. , Prabhakaran D. , Ali M. K. , Tandon N.
Published: August 2018

Aims

To describe physicians’ acceptance of decision‐support electronic health record system and its impact on diabetes care goals among people with Type 2 diabetes.

Methods

We analysed data from participants in the Centre for Cardiometabolic Risk Reduction in South Asia (CARRS) trial, who received the study intervention (care coordinators and use of a decision‐support electronic health record system; n=575) using generalized estimating equations to estimate the association between acceptance/rejection of decision‐support system prompts and outcomes (mean changes in HbA1c, blood pressure and LDL cholesterol) considering repeated measures across all time points available. We conducted in‐depth interviews with physicians to understand the benefits, challenges and value of the decision‐support electronic health record system and analysed physicians’ interviews using Rogers’ diffusion of innovation theory.

Results

At end‐of‐trial, participants with diabetes for whom glycaemic, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure and LDL cholesterol decision‐support electronic health record prompts were accepted vs rejected, experienced no reduction in HbA1c [mean difference: –0.05 mmol/mol (95% CI –0.22, 0.13); P=0.599], but statistically significant improvements were observed for systolic blood pressure [mean difference: –11.6 mmHg (95% CI –13.9, –9.3); P ≤ 0.001], diastolic blood pressure [mean difference: –5.2 mmHg (95% CI –6.5, –3.8); P ≤ 0.001] and LDL cholesterol [mean difference: –0.7 mmol/l (95% CI –0.6, –0.8); P ≤0.001], respectively. The relative advantages and compatibility of the decision‐support electronic health record system with existing clinic set‐ups influenced physicians’ acceptance of it. Software complexities and data entry challenges could be overcome by task‐sharing.

Conclusion

Wider adherence to decision‐support electronic health record prompts could potentially improve diabetes goal achievement, particularly when accompanied by assistance from a non‐physician health worker.
Ebola and State Legitimacy
Authors: Flückiger Matthias , Ludwig Markus , Sina Önder Ali
Published: August 2018

We exploit the West African Ebola epidemic as an event that necessitated the provision of a common-interest public good, Ebola control measures, to empirically investigate the effect of public good provision on state legitimacy. Our results show that state legitimacy, measured by trust in government authorities, increased with exposure to the epidemic. We argue, supported by results from SMS-message-based surveys, that a potentially important channel underlying this finding is a greater valuation of control measures in regions with intense transmission. Evidence further indicates that the effects of Ebola exposure are more pronounced in areas where governments responded relatively robustly to the epidemic.
Fixity of thinking and the foundations of identity: An argument for the evolutionary adaptiveness of delusions
Authors: DeVylder Jordan E.
Published: August 2018

Epidemiological evidence suggests that psychosis occurs along a continuum of severity in the general population. Although clinical psychotic symptoms are associated with distress and impairment, less is known about sub‐threshold delusion‐like experiences. The present paper conceptually explores the possibility that fixed ideas or mildly illogical thinking may be adaptive at low to moderate severity levels. Strongly held beliefs that are resistant to reality checking may facilitate identification with particular social groups. For example, tenaciously maintaining one‐sided political beliefs even in the face of contrary evidence may not be fully logical, but may provide a shared sense of group identity with others who share similar beliefs. Identifying with a group provides both emotional and instrumental sources of support in the face of adversity. Maintaining illogical fixed ideas or mildly delusion‐like thoughts may be evolutionarily adaptive relative to overly logical thought or, at the other end of the spectrum, clinical delusions.
Improving a pivotal hospital documentation tool utilised by clinical pharmacists
Authors: Bui Tien Ngoc Thi , Goldsworthy Sharon , Hotham Elizabeth
Published: August 2018

Objective

To improve an adherence documentation tool utilised by Australian Clinical Pharmacists in hospitals.

Method

Surveys and a focus group session were methods employed to study the perceptions of clinical pharmacists and medical officers on the ‘Medication Management Plan (MedMAP)’ as an adherence documentation tool and the perceived limitations, if any, of the form.

Key findings

The MedMAP had limitations which could potentially affect patient care in hospitals. The modified form was successfully trialled over a period of two weeks with favourable results.

Conclusion

The study identified the shortcomings of the MedMAP form and further underlined the importance of continual auditing of pivotal adherence documentation tools in hospital.
A Faithful Alliance Between the Civil Society and the State: Actors and Mechanisms of Accommodating Syrian Refugees in Istanbul
Authors: Danış Didem , Nazlı Dilara
Published: August 2018

Reception, hospitality and integration are certainly the main challenges of the contemporary world, particularly for countries like Turkey which hosts more than 3 million refugees from Syria. The aim of this article is to analyze the reception practices of civil society organizations and the nature of these bodies’ relationship with state agencies by focusing on Sultanbeyli, a peripheral district of Istanbul. Based on a fieldwork conducted in this district, we present the functioning of various state and non‐state actors in order to uncover not only the role of NGOs, but also the nature of the relations between them and the state in terms of governance of refugee reception in Turkey. We thus argue that the reception of Syrian refugees is undertaken by a “faithful” alliance between the state and certain NGOs, a partnership where civil society assumes a supporting role to the state in refugee reception.
A thermodynamically consistent phase‐field model for viscous sintering
Authors: Yang Qingcheng , Kirshtein Arkadz , Ji Yanzhou , Liu Chun , Shen Jie , Chen Long‐Qing
Published: August 2018

A thermodynamically consistent phase‐field model for viscous sintering is proposed. It is based on an energetic variational formulation that allows the governing equations to be analytically derived from a defined energy law. The conservation of mass is satisfied through the incompressibility assumption and the assumption that mass density is uniform initially within the particle compact while the balance of linear momentum is formulated from an energy dissipation law. The morphological changes of particles are described by the temporal and spatial evolution of a phase‐field variable governed by a modified Cahn‐Hilliard equation, and the motion of viscous mass flow is controlled by the Stokes equation incorporating the surface tension effect. The application of the phase‐field model is illustrated by examining the effect of particle shape, initial contact angle and rearrangement effects on viscous sintering.
Denying Services to Prevent Regret
Authors: Gerver Mollie
Published: August 2018

Sometimes the majority of individuals accepting a service regret their decision, and we can predict that future recipients will feel similarly. For example, a hospital might learn that the majority of patients regret accepting a given medical intervention, and a UN agency might learn that most refugees it has helped repatriate regret returning home. I argue that agents providing services that lead to likely regret have one pro tanto reason to discontinue their services, and this reason is weighty if the service is epistemically transformative.
Authority Under Construction: The European Union in Comparative Political Perspective
Authors: McNamara Kathleen R.
Published: August 2018

Moravcsik's liberal intergovernmentalism irrevocably upgraded the rigour of European Union scholarship by categorizing the EU as an international organization, and analyzing it in terms of general theories of international relations. The deepening of European governance has meant, however, that the EU today is better understood as a polity in formation, generalizable through the lens of comparative politics instead of international relations. Alongside the burgeoning literature on the EU's politicization, I advocate for comparisons to historical episodes of state‐building and nationalism, with particular attention to the role of culture and identity in shoring up, or contesting, political authority. Doing so allows us to better delineate the challenges presented by European citizens’ lack of impassioned attachment to the EU, while also informing a broader understanding of the populist backlashes occurring in the context of more global trends of transnational authority construction.
Mechanosensory system of the lateral line in the subantarctic Patagonian blenny Eleginops maclovinus
Authors: Sáez Sylvia , Pequeño German , Jaramillo Roberto , Vargas‐Chacoff Luis
Published: August 2018

This study describes the cephalic and trunk lateral line systems in Patagonian blenny Eleginops maclovinus juveniles, providing morphological details for pores, canals and neuromasts. Eleginops maclovinus juveniles possess a complete laterodorsal lateral line that extends from the upper apex of the gill opening along the trunk as far as the caudal fin. The lateral line was ramified through pores and canals. The following pores were recorded: four supraorbital pores, with two along the eye border and two on the snout; seven infraorbital pores, with three on the lacrimal bone and four being infraorbital; five postorbital pores, with three along the preopercular border (upper preoperculum branch) and two on the bone curvature (inferior preoperculum branch); and four mandibular pores aligned along the jaw. Furthermore, five narrow‐simple and interconnected canals were found (i.e. preopercular, mandibular, supraorbital and infraorbital canals). Histologically, the dorsal lateral line presented thin neuromasts (350 μm) with short hair cells. By contrast, the cranial region presented long, thick neuromasts. Infraorbital and mandibular neuromasts had a major axis length of 260 μm and respective average diameters of 200 and 185 μm. Sensory system variations would be due to a greater concentration of neuromasts in the cranial region, allowing for a greater perception of changes in water pressure. Scarce morphological information is available for the lateral sensory system in Eleginopsidae, particularly compared to Channichthyidae, Bovichthydae, Artedidraconidae and Bathydraconidae. Therefore, the presented results form a fundamental foundation of knowledge for the lateral‐line system in juvenile E. maclovinus and provide a basis for future related research in this taxon as well as within the Notothenioidei suborder.
A new species of Diapoma (Characiformes, Characidae, Stevardiinae) from the Rio Paraná basin, with an identification key to the species of the genus
Authors: Vanegas‐Ríos James A. , Azpelicueta María de las M. , Malabarba Luiz R.
Published: August 2018

Diapoma nandi is described from the Piray‐Miní stream, a tributary of the Rio Paraná in Argentina. It is characterized among the Stevardiinae by having a terminal mouth, two unbranched and eight branched dorsal‐fin rays, one unbranched and six branched pelvic‐fin rays and the absence of a caudal‐fin organ and is distinguished from all congeners by the following combination of characters: unmodified scales on the lower caudal‐fin lobe, lack of enlarged opercle and subopercle, incomplete lateral line, hyaline adipose fin, anal‐fin distal border straight or slightly convex in adult males, large tricuspid teeth on anterior region of the dentary, distal arrangements of the anal‐fin bony hooks in adult males, middle caudal‐fin rays lacking large round blotch and several morphometric variables associated with body shape. Additionally, we conducted a morphometric comparison focused on the congeners that co‐occur in the Paraná basin.
Drying characteristics of amla candy in solar tunnel greenhouse dryer
Authors: Patil Rajendra C. , Gawande Rupesh R.
Published: August 2018

In this article, a forced convection solar tunnel greenhouse dryer is proposed for food processing, especially for amla candy. An investigation has been made to demonstrate the usefulness of thermal and mathematical modeling in forecasting the drying kinetics of agricultural commodity. A system of partial differential equations concerning the heat and mass transfer were presented and solved by Gauss Jordan elimination technique to determine the temperature of air during drying. The predicted air temperatures within the dryer agreed well with the experimental temperature data. Thin layer characteristics of the product were described by six different mathematical models. The statistical and graphical validation is executed to confirm the validity and accuracy of selected models. However, based on the drying curves, Modified Page model was designated as the best model. The dryer is better for mass production, superb transportability, effortless tracking, easy assembly of tunnels on the site makes it a Do It Yourself (DIY) kit.

Practical applications

Basically the drying is known as an energy‐intensive process, and in industries, it consumes a huge quantity of energy; whereas in the present time, energy saving is needed to pay adequate attention. However, the traditional method for processing of amla candy (open sun drying) is thermally inefficient due to several problems like contamination of product from foreign materials, degradation by overheating, untimely rainfall, uncontrolled drying, and long drying time. In order to minimize the limitations of open sun/mechanized drying and to improve the quality of dried product, author developed a simple and easy to use solar tunnel greenhouse dryer. The quality of solar dried amla candy is far better and could fetch around 20% extra price than that of open sun/mechanized drying. To make amla a fruit of mass, products need to be developed which are attractive, tasty and therapeutic values. Among various amla food products, candy is very popular.
Experimental optimization of chicory root (Cichorium intybus L.) aqueous extracts formulation by novel approach of ongoing ultrasonic vacuum spray drying using response surface methodology
Authors: Sadeghzadeh Namavar Samaneh , Amiri Chayjan Reza , Amiri Parian Jafar , Zolfigol Mohammad Ali
Published: August 2018

In the present study, we performed a simultaneous optimization of various inlet temperatures, vacuum pressures, and maltodextrin concentrations to produce chicory root inulin extract powder by the novel approach of ongoing ultrasonic vacuum spray drying. To obtain the optimum conditions, we used a central composite face‐centered design of response surface methodology (RSM). Performing this drying approach in a vacuumed drying chamber required lower temperatures compared to the conventional dryers. We used 4–6% (wt/vol) maltodextrin concentrations at inlet temperatures of 50, 65, and 80 °C and vacuum pressures of 20, 35, and 50 kPa and evaluated the following responses: total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoids concentration (TFC), DPPH radical scavenging capacity, moisture content, bulk density, wettability, and solubility. We found that the highest desirability (0.646) was achieved at an inlet temperature, vacuum pressure, and maltodextrin concentration of 50 °C, 20 kPa, and 4.7%, respectively.

Practical applications

In this research, we developed an ultrasonic vacuum spray dryer (UVSD) that performs spray drying in a vacuum chamber at lower temperatures than the conventional spray drying. This procedure can be considered as a novel technique to produce powder from the Chicory Root (Cichorium intybus L.) Aqueous Extract. Minimization of the oxidative and thermal stresses during the drying is the main advantage of this process. Drying conditions were optimized by using a central composite face‐centered design of response surface methodology (RSM) to improve the chemical and physical properties of the produced powder. Nutritional and pharmaceutical properties of the chicory root are associated with their special chemical composition such as high levels of polyphenolic compounds. Drying temperature was reduced via controlling the vacuum condition in the drying chamber of the UVSD such that to continuously obtain a powder rich in heat‐sensitive ingredients.
Orange Fanta versus orange fruit: A novel measure of nutrition knowledge in Malawi
Authors: Schneider Kate , Masters William A.
Published: August 2018

This paper introduces a novel survey instrument to identify distinct components of nutrition knowledge and test for links between knowledge and dietary choices in Southern Malawi. Our first aim is to distinguish respondents' familiarity with recommended behaviours, such as when to start breastfeeding or introduce solid foods, from respondents' factual knowledge about mechanisms, such as whether biscuits or papaya and orange fruit or orange Fanta contribute more to future health. We find knowledge of nutrition behaviours to be strongly associated with more schooling, older age, and being female, whereas knowledge of mechanisms is associated only with training and employment as a health professional. We then test whether this expanded definition of nutrition knowledge is associated with dietary intake when controlling for other factors and find no significant links in these data. Results point to the need for knowledge surveys and public health behaviour‐change campaigns to address the kinds of information that might have the most influence on actual behaviour, potentially including the mechanisms involved in food composition, food safety, and disease transmission.
The enigma is not entirely dispelled: A review of Mercier and Sperber's The Enigma of Reason
Authors: Chater Nick , Oaksford Mike
Published: August 2018

Mercier and Sperber illuminate many aspects of reasoning and rationality, providing refreshing and thoughtful analysis and elegant and well‐researched illustrations. They make a good case that reasoning should be viewed as a type of intuition, rather than a separate cognitive process or system. Yet questions remain. In what sense, if any, is reasoning a “module?” What is the link between rationality within an individual and rationality defined through the interaction between individuals? Formal theories of rationality, from logic, probability theory and game theory, while not the focus of Mercier and Sperber's book, may help clarify this latter question.
Why reason? Hugo Mercier's and Dan Sperber's The Enigma of Reason: A New Theory of Human Understanding
Authors: Sterelny Kim
Published: August 2018

The standard view of the function of reason is that it emerged to enable individuals to make better judgements and choices. Once individuals could think better, and once we had suitable communicative tools, individual reasoning acquired a public face; we reasoned together as well as privately, in our own mind. Hugo Mercier and Dan Sperber argue that this gets the story the wrong way around: reasoning evolved for public purposes: to persuade, negotiate, assess. Once it was established publically, perhaps it acquired a private function too. With the exception of a few minor complaints, this evolutionary case is well made. However, Mercier and Sperber embed their evolutionary case within a modular view of the mind and suggest a modular view of public reasoning itself. While I find the evolutionary case persuasive, I am sceptical of the cognitive science framework.
The relationship between temperament and depression in Parkinson's disease patients under dopaminergic treatment
Authors: Dogan Bilge , Akyol Ali , Memis Cagdas O. , Sair Ahmet , Akyildiz Utku , Sevincok Levent
Published: August 2018

Aim

The risk factors for depressive symptoms in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) under dopaminergic drug treatment are unclear. In this study, we examined whether some temperament traits are related to the presence of comorbid depression in PD patients, independent of the characteristics of illness and drug treatment.

Methods

The participants in this study were 74 patients with idiopathic PD who were already treated with stable doses of levodopa or dopamine agonists. Depressive (n = 20) and non‐depressive (n = 52) PD patients were assessed by means of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale, Beck Depression Inventory, and Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Pisa, Paris and San Diego Auto‐questionnaire. The doses of levodopa and dopamine agonists were converted into levodopa equivalent daily dose.

Results

The duration of treatment in the depressive group was significantly longer than in the non‐depressive group (P = 0.03). The depressive patients had significantly higher scores on the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale than the non‐depressive patients. Depressive (P < 0.0001), cyclothymic (P < 0.0001), anxious (P < 0.0001), and irritable (P = 0.02) temperament scores were significantly higher in depressive than in non‐depressive patients. Hyperthymia scores were significantly higher in non‐depressive patients than in depressive patients (P = 0.01). Logistic regression analysis revealed that depressive temperament traits (P = 0.03) significantly predicted the diagnosis of depression. In contrast, hyperthymic temperament seemed to be associated with the absence of depression (P = 0.006).

Conclusion

Our results indicated that the severity of PD and duration of dopaminergic treatment were not predictive of the development of depression in PD patients. Depressive temperament strongly predicted the development of depression in our sample. Hyperthymic temperament seemed to be associated with patients without depression. We suggest that depressive temperament traits seem to be related to depression, while hyperthymic temperament may have a protective role in the risk of depression in PD patients.
The economic consequences of corporate tax rates reductions in the EU: Evidence using a computable general equilibrium model
Authors: Álvarez‐Martínez María Teresa , Barrios Salvador , d'Andria Diego , Gesualdo Maria , Pontikakis Dimitrios , Pycroft Jonathan
Published: August 2018

In a globalised world, governments are eager to attract foreign investors by lowering corporate tax rates. Recent trends point towards a revival of a race to the bottom in corporate income tax (CIT) rates in developed economies. EU countries have been active in this respect. A generalised fall in CIT rate could prove detrimental to tax revenues and trigger increase in other taxes to meet fiscal policy objectives. However, it could also spur investment and growth and prove to be a good fiscal policy strategy if, as a result, the corporate tax base increases. The final economic and fiscal impact of a reduction in CIT rates is therefore unclear. Using a CGE model, we find that uncoordinated tax reforms significantly impact national economies and third‐country effects can be significant when large countries implement CIT rate cuts. Small countries are better off unilaterally reducing their CIT rate at the expense of other EU countries. We find that negative spillovers are mitigated when the country reducing its CIT rate restores its budget balance by cutting either public expenditures or social transfers. A larger degree of non‐EU capital mobility also tends to reduce the negative spillover effects of unilateral CIT rate reductions.
Deconstruction of Audiovisual Works and the Re-Construction of its Translation
Authors: Yu Peng
Published: August 2018

Rapid as the development of film industry in our country is, audiovisual translation plays an increasingly important role as a bridge of communication between the Chinese audiences and English films. However, the history of audiovisual translation in China is not as long as that in the West and the domestic researches on audiovisual translation, especially the theoretical researches, are not remarkable. Until today, the systematic theory of audiovisual translation has not been constructed. Therefore, the author intends to make a study on audiovisual translation from the perspective of adaptation theory to find out the five aspects that subtitle translator should focus on and the specific elements which the translator should adapt to.
Synaptic entrainment of ectopic action potential generation in hippocampal pyramidal neurons
Authors: Thome Christian , Roth Fabian C. , Obermayer Joshua , Yanez Antonio , Draguhn Andreas , Egorov Alexei V.
Published: August 2018

Key points

Ectopic action potentials (EAPs) arise at distal locations in axonal fibres and are often associated with neuronal pathologies such as epilepsy or nerve injury, but they also occur during physiological network conditions. This study investigates whether initiation of such EAPs is modulated by subthreshold synaptic activity.

Somatic subthreshold potentials invade the axonal compartment to considerable distances (>350 μm), whereas spread of axonal subthreshold potentials to the soma is inefficient.

Ectopic spike generation is entrained by conventional synaptic signalling mechanisms. Excitatory synaptic potentials promote EAPs, whereas inhibitory synaptic potentials block EAPs.

The modulation of ectopic excitability depends on propagation of somatic voltage deflections to the axonal EAP initiation site.

Synaptic modulation of EAP initiation challenges the view of the distal axon being independent of synaptic activity and may contribute to mechanisms underlying fast network oscillations and pathological network activity.

While most action potentials are generated at the axon initial segment, they can also be triggered at more distal sites along the axon. Such ectopic action potentials (EAPs) occur during several neuronal pathologies such as epilepsy, nerve injuries and inflammation but have also been observed during physiological network activity. EAPs propagate antidromically towards the somato‐dendritic compartment where they modulate synaptic plasticity. Here we investigate the converse signal direction: do somato‐dendritic synaptic potentials affect the generation of ectopic spikes? We measured anti‐ and orthodromic spikes in the soma and axon of mouse hippocampal CA1 pyramidal cells. We found that synaptic potentials propagate reliably through the axon, causing significant voltage transients at distances >350 μm. At these sites, excitatory input efficiently facilitated EAP initiation in distal axons and, conversely, inhibitory input suppressed EAP initiation. Our data reveal a new mechanism by which ectopically generated spikes can be entrained by conventional synaptic signalling during normal and pathological network activity.
Experimental realization of deep-subwavelength confinement in dielectric optical resonators
Authors: Hu Shuren , Khater Marwan , Salas-Montiel Rafael , Kratschmer Ernst , Engelmann Sebastian , Green William M. J. , Weiss Sharon M.
Published: August 2018

Dielectric cavities support record low mode volumes by incorporating subwavelength features into photonic crystal unit cells.
Implementation of Rapid Diagnostic Testing without Active Stewardship Team Notification for Gram-Positive Blood Cultures in a Community Teaching Hospital
Authors: Bukowski Paige M. , Jacoby Joshua S. , Jameson Andrew P. , Dumkow Lisa E.
Published: August 2018

In community hospitals, antimicrobial stewardship team notification of rapid diagnostic testing (RDT) results may not be feasible. A retrospective quasi-experimental study was conducted evaluating 252 adult inpatients with blood cultures positive for Gram-positive cocci in clusters (pre-RDT,
n
= 143; post-RDT,
n
= 109).
Oral Immunization with Nontoxigenic Clostridium difficile Strains Expressing Chimeric Fragments of TcdA and TcdB Elicits Protective Immunity against C. difficile Infection in Both Mice and Hamsters
Authors: Wang Yuanguo , Wang Shaohui , Bouillaut Laurent , Li Chunhui , Duan Zhibian , Zhang Keshan , Ju Xianghong , Tzipori Saul , Sonenshein Abraham L. , Sun Xingmin
Published: August 2018

The symptoms of
Clostridium difficile
infection (CDI) are attributed largely to two
C. difficile
toxins, TcdA and TcdB. Significant efforts have been devoted to developing vaccines targeting both toxins through parenteral immunization routes.
Comparative Analysis of the Wako β-Glucan Test and the Fungitell Assay for Diagnosis of Candidemia and Pneumocystis jirovecii Pneumonia
Authors: Friedrich Ricarda , Rappold Elfriede , Bogdan Christian , Held Jürgen
Published: August 2018

(1→3)-β-
d
-Glucan (BDG) is a biomarker for invasive fungal disease. Until now, all BDG data in the Western Hemisphere were obtained using the Fungitell assay (FA).
The
Phytophthora infestans
Haustorium Is a Site for Secretion of Diverse Classes of Infection-Associated Proteins
Authors: Wang Shumei , Welsh Lydia , Thorpe Peter , Whisson Stephen C. , Boevink Petra C. , Birch Paul R. J.
Published: August 2018

There are many different classes of proteins secreted from
Phytophthora infestans
that may influence or facilitate infection. Elucidating where and how they are secreted during infection is an important step toward developing methods to control their delivery processes. We used an inhibitor of conventional secretion to identify the following different classes of infection-associated extracellular proteins: cell wall-degrading and cell wall-modifying enzymes, microbe-associated molecular pattern-like proteins that may elicit immune responses, and apoplastic effectors that are predicted to suppress immunity. In contrast, secretion of a cytoplasmic effector that is translocated into host cells is nonconventional, as it is insensitive to inhibitor treatment. This evidence further supports the finding that proteins that are active in the apoplast and effector proteins that are active in the host cytoplasm are differentially secreted by
P. infestans
. Critically, it demonstrates that a disease-specific developmental structure, the haustorium, is a major secretion site for diverse protein classes during infection.
The
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Orphan Quorum Sensing Signal Receptor QscR Regulates Global Quorum Sensing Gene Expression by Activating a Single Linked Operon
Authors: Ding Fengming , Oinuma Ken-Ichi , Smalley Nicole E. , Schaefer Amy L. , Hamwy Omar , Greenberg E. Peter , Dandekar Ajai A.
Published: August 2018

Pseudomonas aeruginosa
uses two acyl-homoserine lactone signals and two quorum sensing (QS) transcription factors, LasR and RhlR, to activate dozens of genes. LasR responds to
N
-3-oxo-dodecanoyl-homoserine lactone (3OC12-HSL) and RhlR to
N
-butanoyl-homoserine lactone (C4-HSL). There is a third
P. aeruginosa
acyl-homoserine-lactone-responsive transcription factor, QscR, which acts to dampen or delay activation of genes by LasR and RhlR by an unknown mechanism. To better understand the role of QscR in
P. aeruginosa
QS, we performed a chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis, which showed this transcription factor bound the promoter of only a single operon of three genes linked to
qscR
, PA1895 to PA1897. Other genes that appear to be regulated by QscR in transcriptome studies were not direct targets of QscR. Deletion of PA1897 recapitulates the early QS activation phenotype of a QscR-null mutant, and the phenotype of a QscR-null mutant was complemented by PA1895-1897 but not by PA1897 alone. We conclude that QscR acts to modulate quorum sensing through regulation of a single operon, apparently raising the QS threshold of the population and providing a “brake” on QS autoinduction.

IMPORTANCE
Quorum sensing, a cell-cell communication system, is broadly distributed among bacteria and is commonly used to regulate the production of shared products. An important consequence of quorum sensing is a delay in production of certain products until the population density is high. The bacterium
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
has a particularly complicated quorum sensing system involving multiple signals and receptors. One of these receptors, QscR, downregulates gene expression, unlike the other receptors in
P. aeruginosa
. QscR does so by inducing the expression of a single operon whose function provides an element of resistance to a population reaching a quorum. This finding has importance for design of quorum sensing inhibitory strategies and can also inform design of synthetic biological circuits that use quorum sensing receptors to regulate gene expression.
Environmental Calcium Initiates a Feed-Forward Signaling Circuit That Regulates Biofilm Formation and Rugosity in Vibrio vulnificus
Authors: Chodur Daniel M. , Coulter Patrick , Isaacs Jacob , Pu Meng , Fernandez Nico , Waters Chris M. , Rowe-Magnus Dean A.
Published: August 2018

The second messenger c-di-GMP is a key regulator of bacterial physiology. The
V. vulnificus
genome encodes nearly 100 proteins predicted to make, break, and bind c-di-GMP. However, relatively little is known regarding the environmental signals that regulate c-di-GMP levels and biofilm formation in
V. vulnificus
. Here, we identify calcium as a primary environmental signal that specifically increases intracellular c-di-GMP concentrations, which in turn triggers
brp
-mediated biofilm formation. We show that PAPS, a metabolic intermediate of the sulfate assimilation pathway, acts as a second messenger linking environmental calcium and sulfur source availability to the production of another intracellular second messenger (c-di-GMP) to regulate biofilm and rugose colony formation, developmental pathways that are associated with environmental persistence and efficient bivalve colonization by this potent human pathogen.
Intravitreal injection of a Rho-kinase inhibitor (fasudil) combined with bevacizumab versus bevacizumab monotherapy for diabetic macular oedema: a pilot randomised clinical trial
Authors: Ahmadieh Hamid , Nourinia Ramin , Hafezi-Moghadam Ali , Sabbaghi Hamideh , Nakao Shintaro , Zandi Souska , Yaseri Mehdi , Tofighi Zahra , Akbarian Shadi
Published: August 2018

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Background/aims

To compare the efficacy of combined intravitreal injection of bevacizumab and a Rho-kinase inhibitor, fasudil (intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB)/intravitreal fasudil (IVF)), with IVB alone for centre-involving diabetic macular oedema (DME).

Methods

In this prospective randomised clinical trial, 44 eyes with centre-involving DME were randomised into two groups. The combined group received three consecutive injections of IVB (1.25 mg) and IVF (50 µM/L) monthly, while the monotherapy group received only one IVB (1.25 mg) injection per month for 3 months. Changes in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and central macular thickness (CMT) were compared between the two groups at months 3 and 6. The primary outcome measure was the mean change in BCVA at month 6.

Results

Mean BCVA was significantly improved in both groups at month 3 (P<0.001), but it persisted up to month 6 only in the IVB/IVF group. Improvement of BCVA was greater in the IVB/IVF group at both time points (P=0.008, P<0.001). In the IVB/IVF and IVB groups, 54.5% versus 10% of the eyes gained≥15 ETDRS letters at month 6 (P=0.026). Between months 3 and 6, mean BCVA significantly decreased by 5±7 ETDRS letters in the IVB group (P=0.002), while no significant deterioration was observed in the IVB/IVF group. Corresponding with the BCVA changes, CMT was significantly reduced in both groups at month 3 (p=0.006, p<0.001) but this reduction sustained only in the IVB/IVF group up to month 6 (p<0.001).

Conclusion

Adjunctive intravitreal injection of a Rho-kinase inhibitor may enhance and prolong the therapeutic effects of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor drugs for centre- involving DME.
Spatiotemporal patterns and agroecological risk factors for cutaneous and renal glomerular vasculopathy (Alabama Rot) in dogs in the UK
Authors: Stevens Kim B , Jepson Rosanne , Holm Laura Phillipa , Walker David John , Cardwell Jacqueline Martina
Published: August 2018

The annual outbreaks of cutaneous and renal glomerular vasculopathy (CRGV) reported in UK dogs display a distinct seasonal pattern (November to May) suggesting possible climatic drivers of the disease. The objectives of this study were to explore disease clustering and identify associations between agroecological factors and CRGV occurrence. Kernel‐smoothed maps were generated to show the annual reporting distribution of CRGV, Kuldorff's space–time permutation statistic used to identify significant spatiotemporal case clusters and a boosted regression tree model developed to quantify associations between CRGV case locations and a range of agroecological factors. The majority of diagnoses (92 per cent) were reported between November and May while the number of regions reporting the disease increased between 2012 and 2017. Two significant spatiotemporal clusters were identified—one in the New Forest during February and March 2013, and one adjacent to it (April 2015 to May 2017)—showing significantly higher and lower proportions of cases than the rest of the UK, respectively, for the indicated time periods. A moderately significant high‐risk cluster (P=0.087) was also identified in the Manchester area of northern England between February and April 2014. Habitat was the predictor with the highest relative contribution to CRGV distribution (20.3 per cent). Cases were generally associated with woodlands, increasing mean maximum temperatures in winter, spring and autumn, increasing mean rainfall in winter and spring and decreasing cattle and sheep density. Understanding of such factors may help develop causal models for CRGV occurrence.
Enhanced light absorption in simulations of ultra-thin ZnO layers structured by a SiO2 photonic glass
Authors: Coridan Robert H. , Norman Mya A. , Mehrabi Hamed
Published: August 2018

Hierarchically organized nanostructures are often employed to improve the energy conversion efficiency of photovoltaic and photoelectrochemical cells. Ultra-thin semiconductors can improve the internal carrier collection yield in materials with poor carrier lifetimes by reducing the characteristic length scales of collection. However, reducing the dimension of the light absorber requires strategies to increase absorption and the overall photogeneration when the material is to be used in broadband solar energy conversion applications. Here, we explore a strategy for improving light absorption in nanometer-scale, ultra-thin film ZnO layers by integrating them into a SiO2 colloidal crystal-based photonic glass. We use three-dimensional finite-difference electromagnetic simulations to study the local and total absorption improvements on composite films of close-packed, randomized colloidal structures coated with a thin layer of ZnO. These simulations show that the near band-gap absorption in the ZnO coating is dependent on the degree of vacancies in the colloidal crystal that templates the photonic glass. With these results, we show that disordered, defective colloidal composites can potentially be used to fabricate nanostructured photoelectrodes based on ultra-thin semiconductor layers with improved light absorption characteristics.
Comparative persistence of Salmonella and Escherichia coli O157:H7 in loam or sandy loam soil amended with bovine or swine manure
Authors: Wang D. , Huber A. , Dunfield K. , Murray K. , Wu F. , Warriner K.
Published: August 2018

The fate of Salmonella and Escherichia coli O157:H7 in swine or dairy manure amended into sandy loam or loam soil under field conditions was studied. Soil was amended with manure inoculated with a Salmonella or E. coli O157:H7 cocktail, then transferred to 0.22 μm pore size membrane walled vials. The vials were then placed on the surface or at 15 cm depth in the test plots. Pathogen numbers, soil moisture, rainfall, and temperature were measured throughout the three trials (20–47 weeks duration) representing spring or fall application. Survival curves were characterized by having an initial rapid decline in pathogen numbers followed by a slower inactivation phase with an occasional increase in culturable cells. The CT99.9 values (time to reach a 3 log CFU reduction) varied from 2 to 120 days, with the most rapid decrease being observed on the surface of sandy loam soil. The persistence of pathogens is primarily governed by variations in moisture and temperature, although season of application along with manure and soil type also contribute. To generate more accurate predictive pathogen models, there is a need for laboratory-based trials to mirror the dynamic variation in temperature and soil moisture encountered within the natural environment.
Microscopy and development of a remarkable pitted quill from the thin-spined porcupine,Chaetomyssubspinosus
Authors: Chapman David M. , Giné Gastón A.F. , Roze Uldis
Published: August 2018

Scanning electron microscopy shows that the quill surface from the thin-spined porcupine (Chaetomys subspinosus (Olfers, 1818)) has several regional cuticular patterns of which the most expansive is highly pitted with 4 μm wide pores leading to pits, which in turn communicate circumferentially via tunnels to neighboring pits. The cell unit of the pitted layer is a hexagonal or pentagonal prism, the “pitted fibrillous cuticular cell” (PFCC), which has a superficial pitted cuticular scale derived part with an underlying part packed with fine fibrils and the nucleus. The scaled part has about six scales, which swell and fuse except where raised cuticular scales from the inner root sheath intervene. This unique and complicated cell soon dies even while below the skin’s surface during its development. The raised scale-bearing cells of the inner root sheath leave their imprints on the PFCC’s surface, thus indicating that the quill’s pitted layer is at one time soft. Histochemistry, energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry, and Fourier transform infrared spectrometry show that the PFCC is keratinous.
Fourth-order partial differential equations based anisotropic diffusion model for low-dose CT images
Authors: Pathak Yadunath , Arya K. V. , Tiwari Shailendra
Published: August 2018

The low-dose X-ray Computed Tomography (CT) is one of the most effective and indispensable imaging tools for clinical diagnosis. The reduced number of photons in low-dose X-ray CT imaging introduces the vulnerability towards Poisson and Gaussian noise. The majority of research till date focuses on reconstructing the images by reducing the effect of either Poisson or Gaussian noise. Thus, there is a need for a reconstruction framework that can counter the effects of both types of noises simultaneously. In this paper, an approach is proposed to handle the mixed noise (i.e. Poisson and Gaussian noises). Variational framework is utilized as energy minimization function. Minimizing the log likelihood gives data-fidelity term which portrays the distribution of noise in low-dose X-ray CT images. The problem of data-fidelity term as well as mixed noise issue in the sinogram data is resolved simultaneously by proposing a novel filter. The proposed filter modifies the Anisotropic Diffusion (AD) model based on Convolution Virtual Electric Field AD called as MADC. The modification in AD is achieved by applying fourth-order partial differential equations. To evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed MADC technique, both qualitative and quantitative evaluations are performed on three simulated test phantoms and one real standard thorax phantom of size [Formula: see text]. Afterwards, the performance of the proposed technique is compared with competitive denoising techniques. The experimental results reveal that the proposed framework significantly preserves the edges of reconstructed images and introduces lesser number of gradient reversal artifacts.
Chaos control in a discrete-time predator–prey model with weak Allee effect
Authors: Pal Saheb , Sasmal Sourav Kumar , Pal Nikhil
Published: August 2018

The stability of the predator–prey model subject to the Allee effect is an interesting topic in recent times. In this paper, we investigate the impact of weak Allee effect on the stability of a discrete-time predator–prey model with Holling type-IV functional response. The mathematical features of the proposed model are analyzed with the help of equilibrium analysis, stability analysis, and bifurcation theory. We provide sufficient conditions for the flip bifurcation by considering Allee parameter as the bifurcation parameter. We observe that the model becomes stable from chaotic dynamics as the Allee parameter increases. Further, we observe bi-stability behavior of the model between only prey existence equilibrium and the coexistence equilibrium. Our analytical findings are illustrated through numerical simulations.
Optical, electrical, and structural properties of Fe-doped CuAlO2 thin films
Authors: Zhao Xueping , Zhang Ming , Bai Pucun , Hou Xiaohu , Liu Fei , Yan Hui
Published: August 2018

The influence of Fe content on the structural and optoelectronic properties of Fe-doped CuAlO2 films was studied. X-ray diffraction (XRD) results revealed that all annealed films had a pure delafossite phase. Optical transmittance spectra showed that Fe-doped films exhibit an obvious change in the 340–380[Formula: see text]nm region compared to undoped CuAlO2, and optical band gap analyses confirmed the formation of impurity band levels within the bandgap. The average transmittance of CuAl[Formula: see text]FexO2 is around 45–55% in the visible range, and transmittance in this region decreases with increasing Fe concentration. Increased conductivity was observed due to the introduction of Fe and subsequent carrier concentration enhancement. The conductivity in a CuAl[Formula: see text]Fe[Formula: see text]O2 film was maximized at [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]S[Formula: see text]cm[Formula: see text].
A unified direct approach for discretizing fractional-order differentiator in delta-domain
Authors: Swarnakar Jaydeep , Sarkar Prasanta , Singh Lairenlakpam Joyprakash
Published: August 2018

Fractional-order differentiator is a principal component of the fractional-order controller. Discretization of fractional-order differentiator is essential to implement the fractional-order controller digitally. Discretization methods generally include indirect approach and direct approach to find the discrete-time approximation of fractional-order differentiator in the [Formula: see text]-domain as evident from the existing literature. In this paper, a direct approach is proposed for discretization of fractional-order differentiator in delta-domain instead of the conventional [Formula: see text]-domain as the delta operator unifies both analog system and digital system together at a high sampling frequency. The discretization of fractional-order differentiator is accomplished in two stages. In the first stage, the generating function is framed by reformulating delta operator using trapezoidal rule or Tustin approximation and in the next stage, the fractional-order differentiator has been approximated by expanding the generating function using continued fraction expansion method. The proposed method has been compared with two well-known direct discretization methods taken from the existing literature. Two examples are presented in this context to show the efficacy of the proposed discretization method using simulation results obtained from MATLAB.