bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An analysis of illiquidity in commodity markets
Authors: Cho Sungjun , Ganepola Chanaka N. , Garrett Ian
Published: March 2019

We examine the liquidity and insurance premia demanded by hedgers and speculators in commodity markets. We find that hedgers and speculators demand a higher premium for illiquid commodities for providing insurance and liquidity, respectively. Decomposing illiquidity into turnover and size components, we find evidence of a size premium associated with the insurance premium such that speculators demand a larger insurance premium for smaller commodities. We also find that the liquidity premium demanded by hedgers for illiquid commodities varies across bullish and bearish markets with hedgers demanding a larger premium from speculators trading in illiquid commodities in bearish markets.
Genetic control of cellular morphogenesis in Müller glia
Authors: Charlton‐Perkins Mark , Almeida Alexandra D. , MacDonald Ryan B. , Harris William A.
Published: March 2019

Cell shape is critical for the proper function of every cell in every tissue in the body. This is especially true for the highly morphologically diverse neural and glia cells of the central nervous system. The molecular processes by which these, or indeed any, cells gain their particular cell‐specific morphology remain largely unexplored. To identify the genes involved in the morphogenesis of the principal glial cell type in the vertebrate retina, the Müller glia (MG), we used genomic and CRISPR based strategies in zebrafish (Danio rerio). We identified 41 genes involved in various aspects of MG cell morphogenesis and revealed a striking concordance between the sequential steps of anatomical feature addition and the expression of cohorts of functionally related genes that regulate these steps. We noted that the many of the genes preferentially expressed in zebrafish MG showed conservation in glia across species suggesting evolutionarily conserved glial developmental pathways.
Type 2 diabetes and later cognitive function in older American Indians: The Strong Heart Study
Authors: Cholerton Brenna , Omidpanah Adam , Verney Steven P. , Nelson Lonnie A. , Baker Laura D. , Suchy‐Dicey Astrid , Longstreth William T. , Howard Barbara V. , Henderson Jeffrey A. , Montine Thomas J. , Buchwald Dedra
Published: March 2019

Objectives

Insulin resistance is a substantial health issue for American Indians, with type 2 diabetes overrepresented in this population as compared with non‐Hispanic whites. Insulin resistance and its related conditions in turn increase risk for dementia and cognitive impairment. The aim of the current study was to determine whether type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance at midlife was associated with later‐life cognitive testing in a large sample of older American Indians, aged 65 and older.

Methods

American Indian participants who underwent both fasting blood draw as part of the Strong Heart Study and had subsequent cognitive testing as part of the later adjunct Cerebrovascular Disease and its Consequences in American Indians study were included (n = 790). Regression models examined type 2 diabetes and impaired fasting glucose and subsequent cognitive test performance as part of a longitudinal study design. The relationship between a continuous measure of insulin resistance and later cognitive test performance was assessed using generalized estimating equations.

Results

Controlling for demographic and clinical factors, verbal fluency and processing speed/working memory were significantly negatively associated with having type 2 diabetes and with insulin resistance, but not with impaired fasting glucose.

Conclusion

In this sample of American Indians, type 2 diabetes at midlife was associated with subsequent lower performance on measures of executive function. These results may have important implications for future implementation of diagnostic and intervention services in this population.
Investigating systematic bias in brain age estimation with application to post‐traumatic stress disorders
Authors: Liang Hualou , Zhang Fengqing , Niu Xin
Published: March 2019

Brain age prediction using machine‐learning techniques has recently attracted growing attention, as it has the potential to serve as a biomarker for characterizing the typical brain development and neuropsychiatric disorders. Yet one long‐standing problem is that the predicted brain age is overestimated in younger subjects and underestimated in older. There is a plethora of claims as to the bias origins, both methodologically and in data itself. With a large neuroanatomical dataset (N = 2,026; 6–89 years of age) from multiple shared datasets, we show this bias is neither data‐dependent nor specific to particular method including deep neural network. We present an alternative account that offers a statistical explanation for the bias and describe a simple, yet efficient, method using general linear model to adjust the bias. We demonstrate the effectiveness of bias adjustment with a large multi‐modal neuroimaging data (N = 804; 8–21 years of age) for both healthy controls and post‐traumatic stress disorders patients obtained from the Philadelphia Neurodevelopmental Cohort.
The systemic immune‐inflammation index is associated with an increased risk of incident cancer—A population‐based cohort study
Authors: Fest Jesse , Ruiter Rikje , Mulder Marlies , Groot Koerkamp Bas , Ikram M. Arfan , Stricker Bruno H. , van Eijck Casper H.J.
Published: March 2019

Several studies found that the systemic immune‐inflammation index (SII) is a prognostic factor for mortality in patients with solid tumors. It is unknown whether an increased SII in generally healthy individuals reflects a risk for developing cancer. Our objective was to investigate the association between the SII and incident cancers in a prospective cohort study. Data were obtained from the Rotterdam Study; a population‐based study of individuals aged ≥45 years, between 2002 and 2013. The SII at baseline was calculated from absolute blood counts. The association between the SII and the risk of any solid incident cancer during follow‐up was assessed using Cox proportional hazard models. Individuals with a prior cancer diagnosis were excluded. Data of 8,024 individuals were included in the analyses. The mean age at baseline was 65.6 years (SD 10.5 years) and the majority were women. During a maximum follow‐up period of 10.7 years, 733 individuals were diagnosed with cancer. A higher SII at baseline was associated with a 30% higher risk of developing a solid cancer (HR of 1.30 [95% CI; 1.11–1.53]), after adjustment for age, sex, socioeconomic status, smoking, BMI and type 2 diabetes. The absolute cumulative 10‐year cancer risk increased from 9.7% in the lowest quartile of SII to 14.7% in the highest quartile (p‐value = 0.009). The risk of developing cancer was persistent over time and increased for individuals with the longest follow‐up. In conclusion, a high SII is a strong and independent risk indicator for developing a solid cancer.
Correlates of vaginal laxity symptoms in women attending a urogynecology clinic in Saudi Arabia
Authors: Talab Sali , Al‐Badr Ahmed , AlKusayer Ghadeer M. , Dawood Ashraf , Bazi Tony
Published: March 2019

Objective

To evaluate the prevalence of vaginal laxity (VL) and its correlates in a cohort of women attending a urogynecology clinic in a tertiary referral center in Saudi Arabia.

Methods

In this retrospective study, demographic information, clinical characteristics, and POP‐Q system measurements for women attending the King Fahad Medical City Urogynecology Clinic (January 2013 to April 2015) were analyzed. Women with and without VL were compared across these variables.

Results

Out of 376 women attending the clinic for various reasons, 135 (35.9%) reported VL. VL was more common in younger women (P<0.001). Parity, menopausal status, and diabetes were not associated with this symptom. A history of cesarean delivery was protective (aOR 0.39; 95% CI, 0.17–0.90). A bulge symptom and “vaginal wind” were predictors (aOR 3.25; 95% CI, 1.46–7.23 and aOR 15.48; 95% CI, 6.93–34.56, respectively). There was no correlation between VL and POP‐Q measurements. VL was not associated with the presence of clinically significant prolapse (stage 2–4), compared with nonsignificant prolapse (stage 0–1) (P=0.869, P=0.152, and P=0.783 for anterior, posterior, and central vaginal compartment, respectively).

Conclusions

In this cohort, VL was common, more prevalent in younger women, and had poorly defined clinical correlates.
Learning a foreign language: Effects of tact and listener instruction on the emergence of bidirectional intraverbals
Authors: Cortez Mariéle Diniz , dos Santos Letícia , Quintal Ana Elisa , Silveira Marcelo V. , de Rose Julio C.
Published: March 2019

We evaluated the effects of tact and listener instruction on the emergence of bidirectional intraverbal relations with 6 typically developing Brazilian children, using an adapted alternating treatment design with pretest and posttest probes. In listener instruction, participants selected pictures that corresponded to spoken foreign‐language words. For tact instruction, children had to vocalize foreign words in the presence of the corresponding pictures. After meeting mastery criteria, bidirectional intraverbal tests assessed vocalizations in Portuguese (native language) following the presentation of the equivalent words in English (foreign language) and vice versa. Tact instruction consistently produced higher levels of emergent intraverbal responding compared to listener instruction, confirming results from previous studies.
Serum miR‐122 and miR‐192 as biomarkers of intrinsic and idiosyncratic acute hepatotoxicity: A quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction study in adult albino rats
Authors: Madboly Abdelmonem G. , Alhusseini Naglaa F. , Abd El Rahman Shaymaa M. , El Gazzar Walaa B. , Idris Ahmed M. M.
Published: March 2019

miR‐122 and miR‐192 were investigated as indicators of toxic liver injury caused by acetaminophen, but their role in idiosyncratic toxic liver injury remains controversial. So, this work aimed to assess and compare the expressions of miR‐122 and miR‐192 in two different types of toxic liver injury (intrinsic [acetaminophen] and idiosyncratic [diclofenac]). Forty male adult Wistar albino rats were divided into equal five groups, in which serum liver enzymes; microRNAs (miRNAs) expressions (miR‐122 and miR‐192) and histopathological findings were studied. The present study showed that (1) miR‐122 and miR‐192 are good serum biomarkers of toxic liver injury whatever its etiology, as their serum levels exhibited a significantly earlier increase and earlier return to normal baseline levels as compared to serum aminotransferase levels; (2) miR‐122 is more specific than miR‐192; and (3) both serum levels of miR‐122 and miR‐192 showed non‐significant differences in relation to the type of toxic liver injury.
Comparison of point‐of‐care and central laboratory analyzers for blood gas and lactate measurements
Authors: Indrasari Nuri Dyah , Wonohutomo Jessica Purwanti , Sukartini Ninik
Published: March 2019

Background

Blood gas analysis and blood lactate measurement have important roles in patient management. Point‐of‐care (POC) testing simplifies and provides rapid blood gas and lactate measurements. This study aimed to compare pH, pCO2, pO2, and lactate measurements between a POC device and a benchtop blood gas analyzer typically used in a hospital central laboratory, and to evaluate the inter‐device variability of the POC device.

Methods

A cross‐sectional study was conducted with a sample size of 100. Each sample was measured for pH, pCO2, pO2, and lactate using a Nova pHOx plus L® benchtop blood gas analyzer in the central laboratory and an i‐STAT® handheld POC device. The results of both devices were compared using Pearson or Spearman correlation coefficients and Bland‐Altman tests. Testing of the inter‐device variability was done by using three different i‐STAT® devices, and the results were compared statistically.

Results

Strong correlations were observed for all test results. In Bland‐Altman analysis, ≥95% of the results were within the limits of agreement, with the exception of lactate, which had only 93%. The results that were beyond the limits were primarily lactate levels >8 mmol/L. Biases between the benchtop analyzer and the i‐STAT® were not clinically significant, except pH. No significant inter‐device variability was observed between the i‐STAT® analyzers.

Conclusion

This comparison study of pH, pCO2, pO2, and lactate measurements between Nova pHOx plus L® and i‐STAT® analyzers showed good agreement. However, lactate measurement results >8 mmol/L on the i‐STAT® analyzer should be interpreted with caution.
Are genetic variations in IL‐21–IL‐23R–IL‐17A cytokine axis involved in a pathogenic pathway of rheumatoid arthritis? Bayesian hierarchical meta‐analysis
Authors: Mohammadi Fatemeh Sadat , Aslani Saeed , Mostafaei Shayan , Jamshidi Ahmadreza , Riahi Parisa , Mahmoudi Mahdi
Published: March 2019

Inflammatory cytokines have been established to be involved in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The genetic polymorphisms in the interleukin (IL) 23 receptor (IL23R), IL21, and IL17 have been associated with RA risk. However, there is no conclusive understanding of the genes encoding the immunoinflammatory IL‐21–IL‐23R–IL‐17A pathway in RA aetiopathogenesis. This meta‐analysis was conducted to attain this goal. A comprehensive literature search was conducted in Scopus and PubMed to look for the relevant case–control studies up until 2018. A Bayesian hierarchical meta‐analysis was carried out to assess the association between the polymorphisms and the risk of RA. The association was estimated by calculating the logarithm of odds ratio (Log OR) and 95% credible interval (95% CI). In this meta‐analysis, 37 case–control studies comprising 23,506 RA patients and 25,984 healthy individuals were found for analyzing the IL23R,
IL21,
and IL1A gene polymorphism and risk of RA. In the
IL23R gene rs1343151 SNP, the minor A allele significantly increased the risk of RA (Log OR = 0.085, 95% CI = 0.008, 0.156). Moreover, the minor AA genotype was significantly associated with increased RA risk (Log OR = 0.176, 95% CI = 0.028, 0.321). In addition, the C allele of the
IL23R gene rs2201841 SNP significantly decreased the disease risk (Log OR = −0.544, 95% CI = −1.0, −0.065). Since Bayesian meta‐analysis is a powerful strategy to pool the data, it can be mentioned that genetic polymorphisms of
IL23R, but not
IL21 and
IL17A, are involved in susceptibility to RA.
Bioremediation of Sr2+ ion radionuclide by using marine Streptomyces sp. CuOff24 extracellular polymeric substances
Authors: Kamala Kannan , Sivaperumal Pitchiah , Thilagaraj Richard , Natarajan Elayaperumal
Published: March 2019

BACKGROUND

Microbial biosorption is recognized as a resourceful process for the remediation of pollution from contaminated environs. To investigate radionuclide bioremediation, carbohydrate contained extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) and strontium ion (Sr+) tolerant marine actinobacterium has been isolated and identified as Streptomyces sp. CuOff24 through 16S rDNA sequencing.

RESULTS

EPS was extracted, characterized and the biosorption of the long half‐life radionuclide of Sr2+ was also performed. EPS could remove 82% of Sr2+ from the experimental solution of 100 mg L−1 of strontium chloride (SrCl2). Furthermore, EPS composition also obtained with the presence of Sr2+ radionuclide and major contents of carbohydrate (68.6%) followed by protein (12.3%), nucleic acid (10.4%) and unidentified compounds 8.7%) were quantified. The spectroscopy study also confirmed the presence of carbohydrate functional groups presence in the EPS surface were probably to be involved in Sr2+ adsorption.

CONCLUSION

Overall results conclude that, marine actinobacterial EPS could be used for the large‐scale remediation of radionuclides contaminated environment. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry
Synthesis and Prediction of the Ubiquinol‐cytochrome c Reductase Inhibitory Activity of 3,4‐Dihydroisoquinolines and 2‐Azaspiro[4.5]decanes (Spiropyrrolines)
Authors: Perevoshchikova Anna N. , Eroshenko Daria V. , Dmitriev Maksim V. , Grishko Victoria V. , Shklyaev Yurii V.
Published: March 2019

Isoquinolines rank as the second largest group among the plant alkaloids. Natural isoquinolines and synthetic isoquinoline derivatives exhibit numerous biological activities. In this study, the approaches to synthesis of new 3,4‐dihydroisoquinoline and 2‐azaspiro[4.5]decane (spiropyrroline) derivatives annelated by C(3)─C(4) bonds with a cyclohexyl or cyclopentyl moiety have been developed. In accord with the results of biological activity prediction by the pass software, molecular docking was carried out on the ubiquinol‐cytochrome c reductase (bc1 complex) model. Compounds 6e and 12a,d were found out as potential Q0 site inhibitors of the bovine bc1 complex.
Cotrimoxazole prophylaxis decreases tuberculosis risk among Asian patients with HIV
Authors: Ku Stephane Wen‐Wei , Jiamsakul Awachana , Joshi Kedar , Pasayan Mark Kristoffer Ungos , Widhani Alvina , Chaiwarith Romanee , Kiertiburanakul Sasisopin , Avihingsanon Anchalee , Ly Penh Sun , Kumarasamy Nagalingeswaran , Do Cuong D , Merati Tuti P , Nguyen Kinh Van , Kamarulzaman Adeeba , Zhang Fujie , Lee Man Po , Choi Jun Yong , Tanuma Junko , Khusuwan Suwimon , Sim Benedict Lim Heng , Ng Oon Tek , Ratanasuwan Winai , Ross Jeremy , Wong Wing‐Wai ,   TREAT Asia HIV Observational Database (TAHOD) of IeDEA Asia‐Pacific
Published: March 2019

Introduction

Cotrimoxazole (CTX) is recommended as prophylaxis against Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia, malaria and other serious bacterial infections in HIV‐infected patients. Despite its in vitro activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the effects of CTX preventive therapy on tuberculosis (TB) remain unclear.

Methods

Adults living with HIV enrolled in a regional observational cohort in Asia who had initiated combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) were included in the analysis. Factors associated with new TB diagnoses after cohort entry and survival after cART initiation were analysed using Cox regression, stratified by site.

Results

A total of 7355 patients from 12 countries enrolled into the cohort between 2003 and 2016 were included in the study. There were 368 reported cases of TB after cohort entry with an incidence rate of 0.99 per 100 person‐years (/100 pys). Multivariate analyses adjusted for viral load (VL), CD4 count, body mass index (BMI) and cART duration showed that CTX reduced the hazard for new TB infection by 28% (HR 0.72, 95% CI l 0.56, 0.93). Mortality after cART initiation was 0.85/100 pys, with a median follow‐up time of 4.63 years. Predictors of survival included age, female sex, hepatitis C co‐infection, TB diagnosis, HIV VL, CD4 count and BMI.

Conclusions

CTX was associated with a reduction in the hazard for new TB infection but did not impact survival in our Asian cohort. The potential preventive effect of CTX against TB during periods of severe immunosuppression should be further explored.
L‐alpha‐aminoadipic acid restricts dopaminergic neurodegeneration and motor deficits in an inflammatory model of Parkinson’s disease in male rats
Authors: O’Neill Eoin , Chiara Goisis Rosa , Haverty Ruth , Harkin Andrew
Published: March 2019

Neuroinflammation is a contributory factor underlying the progressive nature of dopaminergic neuronal loss within the substantia nigra (SN) of Parkinson's disease (PD) patients, albeit the role of astrocytes in this process has been relatively unexplored to date. Here, we aimed to investigate the impact of midbrain astrocytic dysfunction in the pathophysiology of intra‐nigral lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐induced experimental Parkinsonism in male Wistar rats via simultaneous co‐injection of the astrocytic toxin L‐alpha‐aminoadipic acid (L‐AAA). Simultaneous intra‐nigral injection of L‐AAA attenuated the LPS‐induced loss of tyrosine hydroxylase‐positive (TH+) dopamine neurons in the SNpc and suppressed the affiliated degeneration of TH+ dopaminergic nerve terminals in the striatum. L‐AAA also repressed LPS‐induced nigrostriatal dopamine depletion and provided partial protection against ensuing motor dysfunction. L‐AAA abrogated intra‐nigral LPS‐induced glial fibrillary acidic protein‐positive (GFAP+) reactive astrogliosis and attenuated the LPS‐mediated increases in nigral S100β expression levels in a time‐dependent manner, findings which were associated with reduced ionized calcium binding adaptor molecule 1‐positive (Iba1+) microgliosis, thus indicating a role for reactive astrocytes in sustaining microglial activation at the interface of dopaminergic neuronal loss in response to an immune stimulus. These results indicate that midbrain astrocytic dysfunction restricts the development of dopaminergic neuropathology and motor impairments in rats, highlighting reactive astrocytes as key contributors in inflammatory associated degeneration of the nigrostriatal tract.
Shifting national surveillance of Shigella infections toward geno‐serotyping by the development of a tailored Luminex assay and NGS workflow
Authors: Ventola Eleonora , Bogaerts Bert , De Keersmaecker Sigrid C. J. , Vanneste Kevin , Roosens Nancy H. C. , Mattheus Wesley , Ceyssens Pieter‐Jan
Published: March 2019

The phylogenetically closely related Shigella species and enteroinvasive Escherichia coli (EIEC) are responsible for millions of episodes of bacterial dysenteriae worldwide. Given its distinct epidemiology and public health relevance, only Shigellae are subject to mandatory reporting and follow‐up by public health authorities. However, many clinical laboratories struggle to differentiate non‐EIEC, EIEC, and Shigella in their current workflows, leading to inaccuracies in surveillance and rising numbers of misidentified E. coli samples at the National Reference Centre (NRC). In this paper, we describe two novel tools to enhance Shigella surveillance. First, we developed a low‐cost Luminex‐based multiplex assay combining five genetic markers for species identification with 11 markers for serotype prediction for S. sonnei and S. flexneri isolates. Using a test panel of 254 clinical samples, this assay has a sensitivity of 100% in differentiation of EIEC/Shigella pathotype from non‐EIEC strains, and 68.7% success rate in distinction of Shigella and EIEC. A novel, and particularly successful marker was a Shigella‐specific deletion in the spermidine acetyltransferase gene speG, reflecting its metabolic decay. For Shigella serotype prediction, the multiplex assay scored a sensitivity and specificity of 96.6% and 98.4%, respectively. All discrepancies were analyzed with whole‐genome sequencing and shown to be related to causative mutations (stop codons, indels, and promoter mutations) in glycosyltransferase genes. This observation spurred the development of an in silico workflow which extracts the Shigella serotype from Next‐Generation Sequencing (NGS) data, taking into account gene functionality. Both tools will be implemented in the workflow of the NRC, and will play a major role in the shift from phenotypic to genotyping‐based surveillance of shigellosis in Belgium.
Freshwater Predators on the Edge: Assessing the Temporal and Spatial Variation in Diet of Largemouth Bass in Mobile Bay Estuary, Alabama, USA
Authors: Kemp C. M. , DeVries D. R. , Wright R. A.
Published: March 2019

Estuaries present a set of unique challenges for freshwater fish. In addition to basic physiological challenges, the influx of salinity can affect prey availability and can influence resource consumption. Diets of coastal Largemouth Bass Micropterus salmoides were surveyed from three sites in the Mobile Bay estuary, Alabama, USA, from April 2011 to April 2015. A large proportion of Largemouth Bass consumed blue crabs Callinectes sapidus (proportion occurrence [PO] = 0.38) and mud crabs Panopeus spp. (PO = 0.24). Largemouth Bass also consumed grass shrimp Palaemonetes spp. (PO = 0.16), Gulf Menhaden Brevoortia patronus (PO = 0.14), and mysid shrimp Mysidopsis spp. (PO = 0.12). Prey diversity was greater at the lower estuary site (Fowl River) than at the sites in the upper estuary (Bay Minette and D'Olive Bay). A principal components analysis based on the biomass diet data revealed that invertebrates were the most important prey resource for coastal Largemouth Bass, with finfishes playing a secondary role. Seasonal inputs of estuarine fish species, such as Gulf Menhaden, represented an important prey resource in the diets of Largemouth Bass during both spring and summer.
Novel Antihypertensive Peptides Derived from Chicken Foot Proteins
Authors: Bravo Francisca I. , Mas‐Capdevila Anna , Margalef Maria , Arola‐Arnal Anna , Muguerza Begoña
Published: March 2019

Scope

Chicken foot proteins have recently been demonstrated by the group to be a great source of hydrolysates with antihypertensive properties. The aim of this study was to isolate and identify angiotensin I‐converting enzyme inhibitory (ACEI) peptides from chicken foot hydrolysate Hpp11 and to test their antihypertensive properties.

Methods and Results

Peptides are separated into fractions according to their molecular size and hydrophobicity by ultrafiltration and RP‐HPLC, respectively. Subsequent peptide identification in the two fractions that present the highest ACEI activities is carried out by HPLC‐MS. Ten of the identified peptides are synthesized and five of them show ACEI (IC50) values lower than 100 µm. The antihypertensive effects of these ACEI peptides after oral administration is evaluated in spontaneously hypertensive rats. The peptides AVFQHNCQE and QVGPLIGRYCG exhibit antihypertensive activity when administered at an oral dose of 10 mg kg−1 body weight. The maximal decrease in systolic blood pressure is recorded 6 h after their administration (−25.07 ± 4.21 and −10.94 ± 1.96 mmHg, respectively).

Conclusion

These results suggest that AVFQHNCQE and QVGPLIGRYCG could be used as functional ingredients with antihypertensive effects, although it would be necessary to perform bioavailability and clinical studies to demonstrate their efficiency in humans.
Measurement of T2* in the human spinal cord at 3T
Authors: Barry Robert L. , Smith Seth A.
Published: March 2019

Purpose

To measure the transverse relaxation time T2* in healthy human cervical spinal cord gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM) at 3T.

Methods

Thirty healthy volunteers were recruited. Axial images were acquired using an averaged multi‐echo gradient‐echo (mFFE) T2*‐weighted sequence with 5 echoes. We used the signal equation for an mFFE sequence with constant dephasing gradients after each echo to jointly estimate the spin density and T2* for each voxel.

Results

No global difference in T2* was observed between all GM (41.3 ± 5.6 ms) and all WM (39.8 ± 5.4 ms). No significant differences were observed between left (43.2 ± 6.8 ms) and right (43.4 ± 5.5 ms) ventral GM, left (38.3 ± 6.1 ms) and right (38.6 ± 6.5 ms) dorsal GM, and left (39.4 ± 5.8 ms) and right (40.3 ± 5.8 ms) lateral WM. However, significant regional differences were observed between ventral (43.4 ± 5.7 ms) and dorsal (38.4 ± 6.0 ms) GM (p < 0.05), as well as between ventral (42.9 ± 6.5 ms) and dorsal (37.9 ± 6.2 ms) WM (p < 0.05). In analyses across slices, inferior T2* was longer than superior T2* in GM (44.7 ms vs. 40.1 ms; p < 0.01) and in WM (41.8 ms vs. 35.9 ms; p < 0.01).

Conclusions

Significant differences in T2* are observed between ventral and dorsal GM, ventral and dorsal WM, and superior and inferior GM and WM. There is no evidence for bilateral asymmetry in T2* in the healthy cord. These values of T2* in the spinal cord are notably lower than most reported values of T2* in the cortex.
Assessing the pentose phosphate pathway using [2, 3‐13C2]glucose
Authors: Lee Min Hee , Malloy Craig R. , Corbin Ian R. , Li Junjie , Jin Eunsook S.
Published: March 2019

The pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) is essential for reductive biosynthesis, antioxidant processes and nucleotide production. Common tracers such as [1,2‐13C2]glucose rely on detection of 13C in lactate and require assumptions to correct natural 13C abundance.

Here, we introduce a novel and specific tracer of the PPP, [2,3‐13C2]glucose. 13C NMR analysis of the resulting isotopomers is informative because [1,2‐13C2]lactate arises from glycolysis and [2,3‐13C2]lactate arises exclusively through the PPP. A correction for natural abundance is unnecessary.

In rats receiving [2,3‐13C2]glucose, the PPP was more active in the fed versus fasted state in the liver and the heart, consistent with increased expression of key enzymes in the PPP. Both the PPP and glycolysis were substantially increased in hepatoma compared with liver.

In summary, [2,3‐13C2]glucose and 13C NMR simplify assessment of the PPP.
Supersymmeric Gauge Theory on Curved 7‐Branes
Authors: Prins Daniël
Published: March 2019

We construct novel 7d supersymmetric gauge theories which include a Chern‐Simons‐like term on curved spaces. In order to so, we examine the supersymmetry constraints for E7‐branes in type IIA* theory, rather than making use of an off‐shell supergravity. We find two classes of solutions to the constraints, expressed in terms of a G2‐structure with non‐vanishing intrinsic torsion. The supersymmetric gauge theories are then obtained by coupling flat gauge theory to such supersymmetric backgrounds. Various examples are given, including round and squashed S7 as well as with M4 hyperkähler.
Measuring the unmeasurable? A method to quantify adoption of integrated pest management practices in temperate arable farming systems
Authors: Creissen Henry E , Jones Philip J , Tranter Richard B , Girling Robbie D , Jess Stephen , Burnett Fiona J , Gaffney Michael , Thorne Fiona S , Kildea Steven
Published: March 2019

BACKGROUND

The impetus to adopt integrated pest management (IPM) practices has re‐emerged in the last decade, mainly as a result of legislative and environmental drivers. However, a significant deficit exists in the ability to practically monitor and measure IPM adoption across arable farms; therefore, the aim of the project reported here was to establish a universal metric for quantifying adoption of IPM in temperate arable farming. This was achieved by: (i) identifying a set of key activities that contribute to IPM; (ii) weighting these in terms of their importance to the achievement of IPM using panels of expert stakeholders to create the metric (scoring system from 0 to 100 indicating level of IPM practised); (iii) surveying arable farmers in the UK and Ireland about their pest management practices; and (iv) measuring level of farmer adoption of IPM using the new metric.

RESULTS

This new metric was found to be based on a consistent conception of IPM between countries and professional groups. The survey results showed that, although level of adoption of IPM practices varied over the sample, all farmers had adopted IPM to some extent (minimum 27.2 points, mean score of 65.1), but only 13 of 225 farmers (5.8%) had adopted more than 85% of what is theoretically possible, as measured by the new metric.

CONCLUSION

We believe that this new metric would be a viable and cost‐effective system to facilitate the benchmarking and monitoring of national IPM programmes in temperate zone countries with large‐scale arable farming systems. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry
Interaction of Chromium Atoms with Dislocations and as‐Grown Vacancy Complexes and its Impact on the Electronic Properties of FZ‐Si
Authors: Kveder Vitaly , Khorosheva Maria
Published: March 2019

By using deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) and light beam induced current (LBIC) the behavior of chromium atoms in float‐zone n‐Si in the presence of dislocations and as‐grown vacancy complexes has been investigated. It was found that reactions of interstitial chromium atoms with dislocations and with as‐grown nitrogen–vacancy complexes reduce significantly the nucleation barrier for the formation of chromium‐silicide precipitates so that nearly all Cr atoms are collected into the precipitates even in quenched samples. These nano‐precipitates are very active in electron‐hole recombination and give a very broad DLTS signal related to deep donor electronic states in the bandgap of silicon.
Event‐triggered practical finite‐time output feedback stabilization of a class of uncertain nonlinear systems
Authors: Zhang Cui‐Hua , Yang Guang‐Hong
Published: March 2019

This paper studies the event‐triggered practical finite‐time output feedback stabilization problem for a class of uncertain nonlinear systems with unknown control gains. First, a reduced‐dimensional observer is employed to implement the reconstruction of the unavailable states. Furthermore, a novel event‐triggered output feedback control strategy is proposed based on the idea of backstepping design and sign function techniques. It is shown that the practical finite‐time stability of the closed‐loop systems is ensured by Lyapunov analysis and related stability criterion. Compared with the existing methods, the main advantage of this strategy is that the observer errors and event‐trigger errors can be processed simultaneously to achieve the practical finite‐time stability. Finally, an example is adopted to demonstrate the validity of the proposed scheme.
Molecular Engineering of an Organic NIR‐II Fluorophore with Aggregation‐Induced Emission Characteristics for In Vivo Imaging
Authors: Wu Wei , Yang Yanqing , Yang Yang , Yang Yuming , Zhang Kaiyuan , Guo Li , Ge Hongfei , Chen Xiaowei , Liu Jie , Feng Hua
Published: March 2019

Design and synthesis of new fluorophores with emission in the second near‐infrared window (NIR‐II, 1000–1700 nm) have fueled the advancement of in vivo fluorescence imaging. Organic NIR‐II probes particularly attract tremendous attention due to excellent stability and biocompatibility, which facilitate clinical translation. However, reported organic NIR‐II fluorescent agents often suffer from low quantum yield and complicated design. In this study, the acceptor unit of a known NIR‐I aggregation‐induced emission (AIE) luminogen (AIEgen) is molecularly engineered by varying a single atom from sulfur to selenium, leading to redshifted absorption and emission spectra. After formulation of the newly prepared AIEgen, the resultant AIE nanoparticles (referred as L897 NPs) have an emission tail extending to 1200 nm with a high quantum yield of 5.8%. Based on the L897 NPs, noninvasive vessel imaging and lymphatic imaging are achieved with high signal‐to‐background ratio and deep penetration. Furthermore, the L897 NPs can be used as good contrast agents for tumor imaging and image‐guided surgery due to the high tumor/normal tissue ratio, which peaks at 9.0 ± 0.6. This work suggests a simple strategy for designing and manufacturing NIR‐II AIEgens and demonstrates the potential of NIR‐II AIEgens in vessel, lymphatic, and tumor imaging.
Behavior of externally prestressed segmental towers' dry joint under torsion effects
Authors: Kang Chongjie , Hartwig Steffen , Marx Steffen
Published: March 2019

With the rising demand of clean wind energy, concrete and hybrid segmental towers have been frequently constructed in recent years. In the area of very high towers, they have replaced the traditional steel towers due to better transportability and economy. However, the joints between adjacent segments have led to questions, which are not satisfactorily resolved by current models or calculation approaches. The transmission of shear forces and torsion moments take place exclusively inside the so‐called horizontal dry joint. Current calculations are carried out according to the torsion theories of Bredt for ring cross sections and Saint‐Venant for open thin‐walled cross sections. However, these approaches, which are used to describe the bearing and deformation behavior of such joints, are insufficient. Depending on the loading situation, this leads to both unsafe results and unused strength. In this paper, an actual wind tower construction with a ring cross section is thoroughly analyzed based on current theory. Additionally, numerical simulations are carried out. The torsion resistance of segmental tower structures is investigated in detail. The inaccuracy of current theories is demonstrated.
Effect of Dibutyltin Dilaurate and Triethanolamine Catalysts on Structure and Properties of Polyimide Foams
Authors: Tian Huafeng , Yao Yuanyuan , Yin Duoyuan , Xiong Weiwen , Xiang Aimin , Wang Jianguo
Published: March 2019

A series of rigid polyimide (PI) foams were prepared by the prepolymer method with pyromellitic dianhydride and polyaryl polymethylene isocyanate as the starting materials and dibutyltin dilaurate (DBTDL), and triethanolamine (TEOA) as catalysts. The effect of the two kinds of catalysts on the structure and properties such as molecular structure, cell morphology, density, mechanical properties, thermal properties, and flame retardancy of the resulting foams were characterized in detail. The experimental results showed that the PI foams prepared in this work possessed low density, good mechanical properties, outstanding thermal stability, and excellent flame retardancy. The thermal stability and flame retardancy were improved obviously with the increase of DBTDL content. While with the increase of the content of TEOA, the mechanical strength and apparent density of PI foams increased significantly. Therefore, different structure and performance of PI foams can be prepared by adjusting the content of these two catalysts. J. VINYL ADDIT. TECHNOL., 25:385–395, 2019. © 2019 Society of Plastics Engineers
Review on mechanism and process of surface polishing using lasers
Authors: Krishnan Arun , Fang Fengzhou
Published: March 2019

Laser polishing is a technology of smoothening the surface of various materials with highly intense laser beams. When these beams impact on the material surface to be polished, the surface starts to be melted due to the high temperature. The melted material is then relocated from the ‘peaks to valleys’ under the multidirectional action of surface tension. By varying the process parameters such as beam intensity, energy density, spot diameter, and feed rate, different rates of surface roughness can be achieved. High precision polishing of surfaces can be done using laser process. Currently, laser polishing has extended its applications from photonics to molds as well as bio-medical sectors. Conventional polishing techniques have many drawbacks such as less capability of polishing freeform surfaces, environmental pollution, long processing time, and health hazards for the operators. Laser polishing on the other hand eliminates all the mentioned drawbacks and comes as a promising technology that can be relied for smoothening of initial topography of the surfaces irrespective of the complexity of the surface. Majority of the researchers performed laser polishing on materials such as steel, titanium, and its alloys because of its low cost and reliability. This article gives a detailed overview of the laser polishing mechanism by explaining various process parameters briefly to get a better understanding about the entire polishing process. The advantages and applications are also explained clearly to have a good knowledge about the importance of laser polishing in the future.
Near Miss in a Video Game: an Experimental Study
Authors: Finserås Turi Reiten , Krossbakken Elfrid , Pallesen Ståle , Mentzoni Rune , King Daniel L. , Griffiths Mark D. , Molde Helge
Published: March 2019

Models to explain persistent and excessive gaming behavior have proposed that reward characteristics in video games influence gaming behavior, yet these characteristics have received minimal empirical attention to date. The present study employed an experimental approach to examine how a near miss and other different outcomes (a win or loss with small and large margin, respectively) influence gaming behavior and subjective experiences and evaluations of the game. A total of 40 participants competed against four avatars in a counterbalanced repeated measure design with four scenarios: (a) losing by a large margin, (b) losing by a small margin, (c) winning by a small margin, and (d) winning by a large margin. Outcome measurements included the urge to continue playing, affective response, game evaluation, and regret. Repeated measure ANOVAs with post hoc tests were employed to assess outcomes across the scenarios. Participants reported greater frustration and regret when losing compared to winning and tended to evaluate the games they won more positively than the games they lost. Participants felt more bored and less excited when they experienced a near miss compared to winning by a large margin. The results show that winning in video games influences players’ experiences and perceptions differently than losing.
Cobalt Sulfide Confined in N-Doped Porous Branched Carbon Nanotubes for Lithium-Ion Batteries
Authors: Zhou Yongsheng , Zhu Yingchun , Xu Bingshe , Zhang Xueji , Al-Ghanim Khalid A. , Mahboob Shahid
Published: March 2019

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are considered new generation of large-scale energy-storage devices. However, LIBs suffer from a lack of desirable anode materials with excellent specific capacity and cycling stability. In this work, we design a novel hierarchical structure constructed by encapsulating cobalt sulfide nanowires within nitrogen-doped porous branched carbon nanotubes (NBNTs) for LIBs. The unique hierarchical Co9S8@NBNT electrode displayed a reversible specific capacity of 1310 mAh g−1 at a current density of 0.1 A g−1, and was able to maintain a stable reversible discharge capacity of 1109 mAh g−1 at a current density of 0.5 A g−1 with coulombic efficiency reaching almost 100% for 200 cycles. The excellent rate and cycling capabilities can be ascribed to the hierarchical porosity of the one-dimensional Co9S8@NBNT internetworks, the incorporation of nitrogen doping, and the carbon nanotube confinement of the active cobalt sulfide nanowires offering a proximate electron pathway for the isolated nanoparticles and shielding of the cobalt sulfide nanowires from pulverization over long cycling periods.
Optimizing vascular-access device decision-making in the era of midline catheters
Authors: Cawcutt Kelly A. , Hankins Richard J. , Micheels Teresa A. , Rupp Mark E.
Published: March 2019

This narrative review addresses vascular access device choice from peripheral intravenous catheters through central venous catheters, including the evolving use of midline catheters. The review incorporates best practices, published algorithms, and complications extending beyond CLABSI and phlebitis to assist clinicians in navigating complex vascular access decisions.
Work harassment in the UK and US nursing context
Authors: Farr-Wharton Ben , Brunetto Yvonne , Xerri Mathew , Shriberg Art , Newman Stefanie , Dienger Joy
Published: March 2019

This paper examines one type of negative work behaviour, work harassment, using two theoretical frameworks: Social Exchange Theory (SET) and Similarity-Attraction (SA). SET explains work harassment as a product of poor management practices, whereas using SA theory explains it as a result of the growing normalisation of high workloads. The study undertakes latent mean and path model comparison analysis using structural equation modelling of data from 189 nurses in the UK and 401 nurses in the USA. The findings indicate a good model fit showing a significant path from Leader Member Exchange (LMX) to work harassment, wellbeing and subsequent turnover intentions, with LMX fully mediating the path from LMX to wellbeing for UK nurses, but only partially mediating the same path for nurses in the USA. The findings suggest SET provides a better explanation for work harassment for UK nurses, whereas SA theory better explains the US nurse experience.
Reductions in body size of benthic macroinvertebrates as a precursor of the early Toarcian (Early Jurassic) extinction event in the Lusitanian Basin, Portugal
Authors: Piazza Veronica , Duarte Luís V. , Renaudie Johan , Aberhan Martin
Published: March 2019

Reduction of body size is a common response of organisms to environmental stress. Studying the early Toarcian succession in the Lusitanian Basin of Portugal, we tested whether the shell size of benthic marine communities of bivalves and brachiopods changed at and before the global, warming–related Toarcian oceanic anoxic event (T-OAE). Statistical analyses of shell size over time show that the mean shell size of communities decreased significantly before the T-OAE. This trend is distinct in brachiopods and is caused by larger-sized species becoming less abundant over time, whereas it is not significant in bivalves, suggesting a decoupled response to environmental stress. Reductions in shell size precede the decline in standardized sample-level species richness associated with the early Toarcian extinction event. Such decreases in the shell size of marine invertebrates, well before the onset of biodiversity change, suggest that reductions in body size more generally may be a precursor of a subsequent loss of species and turnover at the community level caused by climate change. Sedimentological evidence is against hypoxia as a driver of extinction and the preceding size decrease in the brachiopod fauna in the studied succession, although low oxygen levels are widely held responsible for elevated early Toarcian extinction rates globally. Reduction of mean shell size in brachiopods but stasis in bivalves is difficult to explain with ocean acidification, because experimental work shows that brachiopods can be resilient to lowered pH, albeit long-term metabolic costs and potential evolutionary adaptations are unknown. Rising early Toarcian temperatures in the Lusitanian Basin seem to be a plausible factor in both diversity decline associated with the T-OAE and the preceding reductions in mean shell size, because thermal tolerances in modern bivalves are among the highest within marine invertebrates.
Ten years of deep neck space abscesses
Authors: Buckley J , Harris A S , Addams-Williams J
Published: March 2019

Background

The incidence of deep neck space abscesses, which can result in significant morbidity and mortality, is rising. The aetiology is thought to be dental. However, this study suggests a reduction in tonsillectomies may be associated with the rise.

Method

In a retrospective cohort study, patients were identified by a clinical code within one hospital over 10 years. Evidence of preceding infection source, management, lifestyle risks, comorbidities and demographics were extracted.

Results

Fifty-two patients were included: 23 (44 per cent) had concurrent or recent tonsillitis; 11 (21 per cent) had poor dental hygiene; 22 (42 per cent) were smokers; and 9 (17 per cent) had diabetes. The incidence of deep neck space abscess cases increased from 1 in 2006, to 15 in 2015 (correlation value 0.9; p = 0.00019).

Conclusion

The incidence of deep neck space abscess cases is increasing. Risk factors include tonsillitis, smoking and dental infection. This paper adds to the growing evidence that deep neck space abscesses are increasingly related to tonsillitis, and questions whether the threshold for tonsillectomy has been raised too high.
Personality, prescriptivism, and pronouns
Authors: Bradley Evan D. , Schmid Maxwell , Lombardo Hannah
Published: March 2019

Because standard English lacks a true a gender-neutral singular pronoun, there has long been debate over how to refer to generic persons whose genders are unknown, or those who reject binary male or female identities. Singular (or epicene) ‘they’ has a long history as a pronoun to refer to individuals of unknown gender (Balhorn, 2004), and has also been adopted as a personal pronoun by those who identify as neither male nor female. Borthen (2010) argues based on a corpus study of Norwegian that, crosslinguistically, plural pronouns allow for vague reference, and that their lexical features (e.g., number, person) need not match their interpretation in context, which makes these pronouns prime candidates to be used in gender-neutral contexts. Chen and Wu (2011) contend that this is true for both singular and plural pronouns, but Borthen (2011) disputes this, arguing that the data show that for definite plural pronouns, but not singular, the antecedent need not be activated in the speaker's or addressee's mind, and thus can be inferred.