bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Inverse Approach to Evaluate the Tubular Material Parameters Using the Bulging Test
Authors: Ge Yulong , Li Xiaoxing , Lang Lihui
Published: December 2015

Tubular material parameters are required for both part manufactory process planning and finite element simulations. The bulging test is one of the most credible ways to detect the property parameters for tubular material. The inverse approach provides more effective access to the accurate material evaluation than with direct identifications. In this paper, a newly designed set of bulging test tools is introduced. An inverse procedure is adopted to determine the tubular material properties in Krupkowski-Swift constitutive model of material deformation using a hybrid algorithm that combines the differential evolution and Levenberg-Marquardt algorithms. The constitutive model’s parameters obtained from the conventional and inverse methods are compared, and this comparison shows that the inverse approach is able to offer more information with higher reliability and can simplify the test equipment.
Extremal Trees with respect to Number of(A,B,2C)-Edge Colourings
Authors: Piejko Krzysztof
Published: December 2015

We determine the smallest and the largest number of(A,B,2C)-edge colourings in trees. We prove that the star is a unique tree that maximizes the number of all of the(A,B,2C)-edge colourings and that the path is a unique tree that minimizes it.
Transverse Vibration of the Thin Plates: Frequency-Domain Spectral Element Modeling and Analysis
Authors: Park Ilwook , Lee Usik , Park Donghyun
Published: December 2015

It has been well known that exact closed-form solutions are not available for non-Levy-type plates. Thus, more accurate and efficient computational methods have been required for the plates subjected to arbitrary boundary conditions. This paper presents a frequency-domain spectral element model for the rectangular finite plate element. The spectral element model is developed by using two methods in combination: (1) the boundary splitting and (2) the super spectral element method in which the Kantorovich method-based finite strip element method and the frequency-domain waveguide method are utilized. The present spectral element model has nodes on four edges of the finite plate element, but no nodes inside. This can reduce the total number of degrees of freedom a lot to improve the computational efficiency significantly, when compared with the standard finite element method (FEM). The high solution accuracy and computational efficiency of the present spectral element model are evaluated by the comparison with exact solutions and the solutions by the standard FEM.
On Stability of Basis Property of Root Vectors System of the Sturm-Liouville Operator with an Integral Perturbation of Conditions in Nonstrongly Regular Samarskii-Ionkin Type Problems
Authors: Imanbaev N. S.
Published: December 2015

We study a question on stability and instability of basis property of system of eigenfunctions and associated functions of the double differentiation operator with an integral perturbation of Samarskii-Ionkin type boundary conditions.
Cholecystectomy in Patients with Liver Cirrhosis
Authors: Strömberg Jonas , Hammarqvist Folke , Sadr-Azodi Omid , Sandblom Gabriel
Published: December 2015

Background. The aim of this population-based study was to describe characteristics of patients with liver cirrhosis undergoing cholecystectomy and evaluate the risk for perioperative and postoperative complications during the 30-day postoperative period.Method. All laparoscopic and open cholecystectomy procedures registered between 2006 and 2011 in the Swedish Registry for Gallstone Surgery and ERCP (GallRiks) were included. Patients with liver cirrhosis were identified by linking data to the Swedish National Patient Registry (NPR).Results. Of 62,488 patients undergoing cholecystectomy, 77 (0.12%) had cirrhosis, of which 29 patients (37.7%) had decompensated cirrhosis. Patients with cirrhosis were older and had more often gallstone complications at the time for surgery. Postoperative complications were registered in 13 (16.9%) patients with liver cirrhosis and in 5,738 (9.2%) patients in the noncirrhotic group(P<0.05). Univariable analysis showed that patients with liver cirrhosis are more likely to receive postoperative blood transfusion (OR = 4.4, CI 1.08–18.0,P<0.05) and antibiotic treatment >1 day (OR = 2.3, CI 1.11–4.84,P<0.05) than noncirrhotic patients.Conclusion. Patients with cirrhosis undergoing cholecystectomy have a higher incidence of postoperative complications than patients without cirrhosis. However, cholecystectomy is safe and if presented with adequate indication, surgery should not be delayed due to fears of surgical complications.
A Mathematical Approach to Supply Complexity Management Efficiency Evaluation for Supply Chain
Authors: Kim Changhee , Kim Soo Wook
Published: December 2015

This study aims to identify the factors of complexity due to the globalization of supply chain and to measure the management efficiency of the factors which cause the supply complexity within supply chain. This study conducts an analysis to utilize linear programming and bootstrapping, targeting 12 Korean companies among the selected companies in Fortune Global 500. According to the results from the analysis, 4 companies with relatively high management efficiency of the factors which cause the supply complexity and 8 companies with relatively low management efficiency are found. The research findings reveal that public companies with the small number of products, factories, and providers relatively manage the supply complexity compared to private companies. Moreover, this study suggests projection point as a direction for relatively less efficient companies and excess quantity of input which should reduce for its achievement. This study also has an implication to establish a further standard of efficiency to manage the supply complexity for companies.
Loss in Executive Functioning Best Explains Changes in Pain Responsiveness in Patients with Dementia-Related Cognitive Decline
Authors: Kunz Miriam , Mylius Veit , Schepelmann Karsten , Lautenbacher Stefan
Published: December 2015

There is ample evidence that dementia changes the processing of pain. However, it is not known whether this change in pain processing is related to the general decline in cognitive functioning or whether it may be related to specific domains of cognitive functioning. With the present study we tried to answer this question. We assessed different cognitive domains (orientation, memory, abstract thinking/executive function, aphasia and apraxia, and information processing speed) in 70 older patients with cognitive impairment (mild cognitive impairment up to moderate degrees of dementia). Pain responsiveness was assessed by measuring the nociceptive flexion reflex (NFR) threshold and facial responses to noxious electrical stimulation. Using regression analyses, we assessed which domain of cognitive functioning best predicted variance in pain responsiveness. Variance in pain responsiveness (NFR and facial expressions) was best explained by those items assessing executive functioning even when controlling for overall cognitive performance and memory functioning. The close association between executive functioning and pain responsiveness suggests that dementia-related neurodegeneration in prefrontal areas might result not only in reduced executive functioning but also in a loss of pain inhibitory potency, rendering the patient more vulnerable to pain. Our findings also suggest that pain assessment in dementia should be regularly completed by tests of cognitive functions.
Hypokalemia-Induced Rhabdomyolysis as a result of Distal Renal Tubular Acidosis in a Pregnant Woman: A Case Report and Literature Review
Authors: Srisuttayasathien Manasawee
Published: December 2015

Rhabdomyolysis in pregnancy is a rare occurrence. The manifestation of distal renal tubular acidosis (RTA) for the first time during adulthood is uncommon. According to a review of the literature, pregnancy may predispose individuals to rhabdomyolysis due to hypokalemia. A reduction in interstitial potassium ions could decrease muscular blood flow and lead to muscle injury. This report describes the case of a pregnant woman with rhabdomyolysis induced by hypokalemia resulting from distal RTA. The patient subsequently delivered a healthy newborn.
Clinical Management of a Peri-Implant Giant Cell Granuloma
Authors: Pacifici A. , Carbone D. , Marini R. , Sfasciotti G. L. , Pacifici L.
Published: December 2015

Purpose. Implant therapy plays an important role in contemporary dentistry with high rates of long-term success. However, in recent years, the incidence of peri-implantitis and implant failures has significantly increased. The peripheral giant cell granuloma (PGCG) rarely occurs in peri-implant tissues and it is clinically comparable to the lesions associated with natural teeth. Therefore, the study of possible diseases associated with dental implants plays an important role in order to be able to diagnose and treat these conditions.Materials and Methods. This report described a 60-year-old Caucasian male who presented a reddish-purple pedunculated mass, of about 2 cm in diameter, associated with a dental implant and the adjacent natural tooth.Results. An excisional biopsy was performed and the dental implant was not removed. Histological examination provided the diagnosis of PGCG. After 19-month follow-up, there were no signs of recurrence of peri-implantitis around the implant.Conclusion. The correct diagnosis and appropriate surgical treatment of peri-implant giant cell granuloma are very important for a proper management of the lesion in order to preserve the implant prosthetic rehabilitation and prevent recurrences.
Endurance and Resistance Training Affect High Fat Diet-Induced Increase of Ceramides, Inflammasome Expression, and Systemic Inflammation in Mice
Authors: Mardare Cornelia , Krüger Karsten , Liebisch Gerhard , Seimetz Michael , Couturier Aline , Ringseis Robert , Wilhelm Jochen , Weissmann Norbert , Eder Klaus , Mooren Frank-Christoph
Published: December 2015

The study aimed to investigate the effects of differentiated exercise regimes on high fat-induced metabolic and inflammatory pathways. Mice were fed a standard diet (ST) or a high fat diet (HFD) and subjected to regular endurance training (ET) or resistance training (RT). After 10 weeks body weight, glucose tolerance, fatty acids (FAs), circulating ceramides, cytokines, and immunological mediators were determined. The HFD induced a significant increase in body weight and a disturbed glucose tolerance (p<0.05). An increase of plasma FA, ceramides, and inflammatory mediators in adipose tissue and serum was found (p<0.05). Both endurance and resistance training decreased body weight (p<0.05) and reduced serum ceramides (p<0.005). While RT attenuated the increase of NLRP-3 (RT) expression in adipose tissue, ET was effective in reducing TNF-αand IL-18 expression. Furthermore, ET reduced levels of MIP-1γ, while RT decreased levels of IL-18, MIP-1γ, Timp-1, and CD40 in serum (p<0.001), respectively. Although both exercise regimes improved glucose tolerance (p<0.001), ET was more effective than RT. These results suggest that exercise improves HFD-induced complications possibly through a reduction of ceramides, the reduction of inflammasome activation in adipose tissues, and a systemic downregulation of inflammatory cytokines.
Collision Sensing Using Force/Torque Sensor
Authors: Leng Yu-Quan , Chen Zheng-Cang , He Xu , Zhang Yang , Zhang Wei
Published: December 2015

Collision sensing including collision position, collision direction, and force size could make robots smoothly interact with environment, so that the robots can strongly adapt to the outside world. Skin sensor imitates principles of human skin using special material and physical structure to obtain collision information, but this method has some disadvantages, such as complex design, low sampling rate, and poor generality. In this paper, a new method using force/torque sensor to calculate collision position, collision direction, and force size is proposed. Detailed algorithm is elaborated based on physical principle and unified modeling method for basic geometric surface. Gravity compensation and dynamic compensation are also introduced for working manipulators/robots in gravity and dynamic environment. In addition, considering algorithm solvability and uniqueness, four constraints are proposed, which are force constraint, geometric constraint, normal vector constraint, and current mutation constraint. In order to solve conflict solution of algorithm in redundant constraints, compatibility solution analysis is proposed. Finally, a simulation experiment shows that the proposed method can achieve collision information efficiently and accurately.
Chemical Characterization, Free Radical Scavenging, and Cellular Antioxidant and Anti‐Inflammatory Properties of a Stilbenoid‐Rich Root Extract of Vitis vinifera
Authors: Esatbeyoglu Tuba , Ewald Philipp , Yasui Yoshiaki , Yokokawa Haruka , Wagner Anika E. , Matsugo Seiichi , Winterhalter Peter , Rimbach Gerald
Published: December 2015

Dietary stilbenoids are receiving increasing attention due to their potential health benefits. However, most studies concerning the bioactivity of stilbenoids were conducted with pure compounds, for example, resveratrol. The aim of this study was to characterize a complex root extract of Vitis vinifera in terms of its free radical scavenging and cellular antioxidant and anti‐inflammatory properties. HPLC‐ESI‐MS/MS analyses of the root extract of Vitis vinifera identified seven stilbenoids including two monomeric (resveratrol and piceatannol), two dimeric (trans‐ɛ‐viniferin and ampelopsin A), one trimeric (miyabenol C), and two tetrameric (r‐2‐viniferin = vitisin A and r‐viniferin = vitisin B) compounds which may mediate its biological activity. Electron spin resonance and spin trapping experiments indicate that the root extract scavenged 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl, hydroxyl, galvinoxyl, and superoxide free radicals. On a cellular level it was observed that the root extract of Vitis vinifera protects against hydrogen peroxide‐induced DNA damage and induces Nrf2 and its target genes heme oxygenase‐1 and γ‐glutamylcysteine synthetase. Furthermore, the root extract could induce the antiatherogenic hepatic enzyme paraoxonase 1 and downregulate proinflammatory gene expression (interleukin 1β, inducible nitric oxide synthase) in macrophages. Collectively our data suggest that the root extract of Vitis vinifera exhibits free radical scavenging as well as cellular antioxidant and anti‐inflammatory properties.
Influence of Sex on Long-Term Outcomes After Implantation of Bare-Metal Stent
Authors: Yamaji Kyohei , Shiomi Hiroki , Morimoto Takeshi , Toyota Toshiaki , Ono Koh , Furukawa Yutaka , Nakagawa Yoshihisa , Kadota Kazushige , Ando Kenji , Shirai Shinichi , Kato Masayuki , Takatsu Yoshiki , Doi Osamu , Kambara Hirofumi , Suwa Satoru , Onodera Tomoya , Watanabe Hirotoshi , Natsuaki Masahiro , Kimura Takeshi
Published: December 2015

Background—

Female sex was reported to be associated with lower risk for midterm restenosis and repeat revascularization after bare-metal stent implantation. However, the influence of sex on very long-term outcomes after bare-metal stent implantation has not been yet reported.

Methods and Results—

Among the 9877 patients in the multicenter Coronary Revascularization Demonstrating Outcome study in Kyoto (CREDO-Kyoto) registry cohort-1, bare-metal stent implantation was performed in 5313 patients (men, n=3742 and women, n=1571). Follow-up was completed in 4515 patients (85.0%) at 10 years (duration, 10.3±3.1 [0.0–14.1] years). The cumulative incidence of target-lesion revascularization (TLR) was 27% at 1 year and 34% at 10 years (0.8%/y beyond 1 year). Non–target-lesion revascularization (non-TLR) was the dominant coronary revascularization beyond 1 year (13% at 1 year and 31% at 10 years [2.0%/y beyond 1 year]). Cumulative incidence of stent thrombosis was low (1.2% at 1 year and 1.9% at 10 years). Women were older and had greater prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors than men. The cumulative 10-year incidences of and adjusted risk for TLR were significantly higher in men than in women (36% versus 30%,
P
<0.001; adjusted hazard ratio, 1.29; 95% confidence interval, 1.15–1.46;
P
<0.001). The higher risk of men relative to women for TLR was consistent regardless of age (<75 years and ≥75 years). Men in comparison with women were also associated with significantly higher adjusted risks for all-cause death, myocardial infarction, stroke, coronary artery bypass grafting, TLR, and non-TLR.

Conclusions—

TLR and stent thrombosis continued to occur without attenuation up to 10 years after bare-metal stent implantation. Men in comparison with women were associated with higher adjusted 10-year risks for all-cause death, myocardial infarction, stroke, coronary artery bypass grafting, TLR, and non-TLR.
Memory Stacking in Hierarchical Networks
Authors: Westö Johan , May Patrick J. C. , Tiitinen Hannu
Published: December 2015

Robust representations of sounds with a complex spectrotemporal structure are thought to emerge in hierarchically organized auditory cortex, but the computational advantage of this hierarchy remains unknown. Here, we used computational models to study how such hierarchical structures affect temporal binding in neural networks. We equipped individual units in different types of feedforward networks with local memory mechanisms storing recent inputs and observed how this affected the ability of the networks to process stimuli context dependently. Our findings illustrate that these local memories stack up in hierarchical structures and hence allow network units to exhibit selectivity to spectral sequences longer than the time spans of the local memories. We also illustrate that short-term synaptic plasticity is a potential local memory mechanism within the auditory cortex, and we show that it can bring robustness to context dependence against variation in the temporal rate of stimuli, while introducing nonlinearities to response profiles that are not well captured by standard linear spectrotemporal receptive field models. The results therefore indicate that short-term synaptic plasticity might provide hierarchically structured auditory cortex with computational capabilities important for robust representations of spectrotemporal patterns.
Infinite Continuous Feature Model for Psychiatric Comorbidity Analysis
Authors: Valera Isabel , Ruiz Francisco J. R. , Olmos Pablo M. , Blanco Carlos , Perez-Cruz Fernando
Published: December 2015

We aim at finding the comorbidity patterns of substance abuse, mood and personality disorders using the diagnoses from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions database. To this end, we propose a novel Bayesian nonparametric latent feature model for categorical observations, based on the Indian buffet process, in which the latent variables can take values between 0 and 1. The proposed model has several interesting features for modeling psychiatric disorders. First, the latent features might be off, which allows distinguishing between the subjects who suffer a condition and those who do not. Second, the active latent features take positive values, which allows modeling the extent to which the patient has that condition. We also develop a new Markov chain Monte Carlo inference algorithm for our model that makes use of a nested expectation propagation procedure.
Filtering with State-Observation Examples via Kernel Monte Carlo Filter
Authors: Kanagawa Motonobu , Nishiyama Yu , Gretton Arthur , Fukumizu Kenji
Published: December 2015

This letter addresses the problem of filtering with a state-space model. Standard approaches for filtering assume that a probabilistic model for observations (i.e., the observation model) is given explicitly or at least parametrically. We consider a setting where this assumption is not satisfied; we assume that the knowledge of the observation model is provided only by examples of state-observation pairs. This setting is important and appears when state variables are defined as quantities that are very different from the observations. We propose kernel Monte Carlo filter, a novel filtering method that is focused on this setting. Our approach is based on the framework of kernel mean embeddings, which enables nonparametric posterior inference using the state-observation examples. The proposed method represents state distributions as weighted samples, propagates these samples by sampling, estimates the state posteriors by kernel Bayes’ rule, and resamples by kernel herding. In particular, the sampling and resampling procedures are novel in being expressed using kernel mean embeddings, so we theoretically analyze their behaviors. We reveal the following properties, which are similar to those of corresponding procedures in particle methods: the performance of sampling can degrade if the effective sample size of a weighted sample is small, and resampling improves the sampling performance by increasing the effective sample size. We first demonstrate these theoretical findings by synthetic experiments. Then we show the effectiveness of the proposed filter by artificial and real data experiments, which include vision-based mobile robot localization.
Body Posture and Religious Attitudes
Authors: Fuller Robert C. , Montgomery Derek E.
Published: December 2015

One hundred and twenty-seven college students were recruited for an experimental investigation of the effect of body posture on religious attitudes. Roughly half of the participants were placed in lower, contractive body postures while the other half were placed in higher, expansive body postures. After five minutes in these postures, all were asked to fill out a measure of religious attitudes. As expected, participants in the lower, contractive positions expressed more agreement with conventional religious beliefs than those in the higher, expansive positions.
Cognitive Phenomenology of Religious Experience in Religious Narratives, Dreams, and Nightmares
Authors: McNamara Patrick , Minsky April , Pae Victoria , Gusev Alina
Published: December 2015

McNamara (2009) hypothesized that a 4-step sequential decentering process (diminished agency, liminality, effort, and success) characterized the phenomenology of religious and spiritual experiences (RSES) and was rooted in dreams and nightmares. We content analyzed 50 RSES, 50 dreams, and 50 nightmares for presence and ordering of elements of the decentering process. Thirty-six percent of RSES, 48% of dreams, and 44% of nightmares had all four decentering elements. The sense of success occurred most frequently in RSES (11% of all decentering instances) and least frequently in nightmares (5%). Conversely, diminishment of agency occurred least often in RSES (7% of all decentering instances) and most often in nightmares (10%). For RSES 66% of instances of effort occurred, as hypothesized, after liminality and diminishment. We conclude that an orderly 4-step decentering process is reliably detectable in many, but not all, RSES, and that randomly ordered decentering elements occur abundantly in dreams and nightmares.
Being Muslims in Italy: Between Recognition and Conflict
Authors: Martino Simone C. , Ricucci Roberta
Published: December 2015

This study considers whether or not Italian Muslims are deemed a threat by Italian society. It attempts to verify the major lines of conflict in the relationship between Islam and Italian society, which is by tradition culturally connected to Catholicism. The study investigates different patterns of relationship between Catholic Italians and Muslim Italians in different Italian regions based on the national survey “La nuova religiosità in Italia” [New religiosity in Italy] (2007). By means of research data the authors detect regions with a high potential for conflict and regions where there is greater acceptance of Islam as well as better bases for societal cohesion and cooperation.
Cultural Trauma, Prophetic Discourse and the Sack of Rome in 1527
Authors: van den Oever Joost
Published: December 2015

The aim of this article is to shed new light on the relationship between catastrophic historical events, cultural trauma and prophetic discourse, by making use of both historical and sociological analytical models. For this purpose, an exemplary case study has been found in the horrible and devastating sack of Rome in 1527. The destruction of Rome had been prophesied countless times, and in 1527 these prophecies seemed to have come true. How, then, did the prophetic discourse influence the ways in which the traumatic violence and breakdown of social order were perceived, experienced and remembered by various contemporaries? To answer this question, combining historical and sociological models in an original way, I will argue that trauma can—with great reward—be studied as a cultural construct, in which prophetic discourse can be interpreted as a template for framing the traumatic experience into a narrative.
Parapsyche species (Trichoptera: Hydropsychidae: Arctopsychinae) of western North America
Authors: GIVENS DONALD R.
Published: December 2015

The adult female, pupa, and larva of the 5 western North American species of the arctopsychine genus Parapsyche—P. almota Ross 1938, P. elsis Milne 1936, P. extensa Denning 1949a, P. spinata Denning 1949b, and P. turbinata Schmid 1968—are reviewed. The female and larva of P. extensa are described for the first time. The larvae of P. spinata and P. turbinata are described for the first time. The chaetotaxy of the larval forms of western North American Parapsyche is discussed and scanning electron micrographs are presented. Keys to the females, known pupae, and larvae are provided. Distributional and biological data are also included.
First record of the genus Mimonemophas Breuning (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Lamiinae: Monochamini) from China with description of a new species
Authors: XIE GUANGLIN , HUANG JIANGHUA , WANG WENKAI , XIANG LANBIN
Published: December 2015

The little known genus Mimonemophas was erected by Breuning (1961) with M. quadrifasciatus Breuning as the type species, which was described based on a single male specimen from Vietnam. The genus Mimonemophas is similar to Anoplophora Hope in appearance but different from it by elytra densely clothed with thick bristle-like hairs on non-pubescent region, while in Anoplophora, the elytra glabrous, or pubescent with/without hairs, if the hairs present, commonly soft and thin. Until now, the type species was known only from Mau Son Mountain, Vietnam.
A new species of the genus Utivarachna Kishida, 1940 (Araneae: Trachelidae) from China, with the first description of the male of U. fabaria Zhao & Peng, 2014 and a redescription of U. gui (Zhu, Song & Kim, 1998)
Authors: JIN CHI , YIN XIANGCHU , ZHANG FENG
Published: December 2015

A new species belonging to the kinabaluensis group of the trachelid genus Utivarachna Kishida, 1940, U. lata sp. nov., is described from China. The male of U. fabaria Zhao & Peng, 2014 is described here for the first time based on specimens collected from Yunnan Province, China. The type material of U. gui (Zhu, Song & Kim, 1998) is re-examined and the species is redescribed.
A range extension for an Australian katydid, Zaprochilus australis (Tettigoniidae; Zaprochilinae)
Authors: RENTZ DCF
Published: December 2015

The Pollen and Nectar-feeding katydids (Zaprochilinae) are an entire subfamily comprising four genera with species wholly confined to Australia. All are flimsy, soft-bodied and rather clumsy katydids. They are prognathous (Fig. 1A) and have the mouthparts adapted for their unusual habits of feeding on pollen and nectar. All fully winged species in Zaprochilus have peculiarly “rolled” wings (Fig. 1D). In addition, most are active during winter or spring and early summer, Rentz (1993).
Membrane-associated collagens with interrupted triple-helices (MACITs): evolution from a bilaterian common ancestor and functional conservation in C. elegans
Authors: Tu Hongmin , Huhtala Pirkko , Lee Hang-Mao , Adams Josephine C. , Pihlajaniemi Taina
Published: December 2015

Background

Collagens provide structural support and guidance cues within the extracellular matrix of metazoans. Mammalian collagens XIII, XXIII and XXV form a unique subgroup of type II transmembrane proteins, each comprising a short N-terminal cytosolic domain, a transmembrane domain and a largely collagenous ectodomain. We name these collagens as MACITs (Membrane-Associated Collagens with Interrupted Triple-helices), and here investigate their evolution and conserved properties. To date, these collagens have been studied only in mammals. Knowledge of the representation of MACITs in other extant metazoans is lacking. This question is of interest for understanding structural/functional relationships in the MACIT family and also for insight into the evolution of MACITs in relation to the secreted, fibrillar collagens that are present throughout the metazoa.

Results

MACITs are restricted to bilaterians and are represented in the Ecdysozoa, Hemichordata, Urochordata and Vertebrata (Gnathostomata). They were not identified in available early-diverging metazoans, Lophotrochozoa, Echinodermata, Cephalochordata or Vertebrata (Cyclostomata). Whereas invertebrates encode a single MACIT, collagens XIII/XXIII/XXV of jawed vertebrates are paralogues that originated from the two rounds ofen-blocgenome duplication occurring early in vertebrate evolution. MACITs have conserved domain architecture in which a juxta-membrane furin-cleavage site and the C-terminal 34 residues are especially highly conserved, whereas the cytoplasmic domains are weakly conserved. To study protein expression and function in a metazoan with a single MACIT gene, we focused onCaenorhabditis elegansand itscol-99gene. Acol-99cDNA was cloned and expressed as protein in mammalian CHO cells, two antibodies against COL-99 protein were generated, and acol-99-bearing fosmid gene constructcol-99::egfp::flagwas used to generate transgenicC. eleganslines. The encoded COL-99 polypeptide is 85 kDa in size and forms a trimeric protein. COL-99 is plasma membrane-associated and undergoes furin-dependent ectodomain cleavage and shedding. COL-99 is detected in mouth, pharynx, body wall and the tail, mostly in motor neurons and muscle systems and is enriched at neuromuscular junctions.

Conclusions

Through identification of MACITs in multiple metazoan phyla we developed a model for the evolution of MACITs. The experimental data demonstrate conservation of MACIT molecular and cellular properties and tissue localisations in the invertebrate,C. elegans.
A chemosynthetic weed: the tubeworm Sclerolinum contortum is a bipolar, cosmopolitan species
Authors: Georgieva Magdalena N. , Wiklund Helena , Bell James B. , Eilertsen Mari H. , Mills Rachel A. , Little Crispin T. S. , Glover Adrian G.
Published: December 2015

Background

Sclerolinum (Annelida: Siboglinidae) is a genus of small, wiry deep-sea tubeworms that depend on an endosymbiosis with chemosynthetic bacteria for their nutrition, notable for their ability to colonise a multitude of reducing environments. Since the early 2000s, a Sclerolinum population has been known to inhabit sediment-hosted hydrothermal vents within the Bransfield Strait, Southern Ocean, and whilst remaining undescribed, it has been suggested to play an important ecological role in this ecosystem. Here, we show that the Southern Ocean Sclerolinum population is not a new species, but more remarkably in fact belongs to the species S. contortum, first described from an Arctic mud volcano located nearly 16,000 km away.

Results

Our new data coupled with existing genetic studies extend the range of this species across both polar oceans and the Gulf of Mexico. Our analyses show that the populations of this species are structured on a regional scale, with greater genetic differentiation occurring between rather than within populations. Further details of the external morphology and tube structure of S. contortum are revealed through confocal and SEM imaging, and the ecology of this worm is discussed.

Conclusions

These results shed further insight into the plasticity and adaptability of this siboglinid group to a range of reducing conditions, and into the levels of gene flow that occur between populations of the same species over a global extent.
Can physicochemical properties of antimicrobials be used to predict their pharmacokinetics during extracorporeal membrane oxygenation? Illustrative data from ovine models
Authors: Shekar Kiran , Roberts Jason A. , Barnett Adrian G. , Diab Sara , Wallis Steven C. , Fung Yoke L. , Fraser John F.
Published: December 2015

Introduction

Ex vivo experiments in extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) circuits have identified octanol-water partition coefficient (logP, a marker of lipophilicity) and protein binding (PB) as key drug factors affecting pharmacokinetics (PK) during ECMO. Using ovine models, in this study we investigated whether these drug properties can be used to predict PK alterations of antimicrobial drugs during ECMO.

Methods

Single-dose PK sampling was performed in healthy sheep (HS, n = 7), healthy sheep on ECMO (E24H, n = 7) and sheep with smoke inhalation acute lung injury on ECMO (SE24H, n = 6). The sheep received eight study antimicrobials (ceftriaxone, gentamicin, meropenem, vancomycin, doripenem, ciprofloxacin, fluconazole, caspofungin) that exhibit varying degrees of logP and PB. Plasma drug concentrations were determined using validated chromatographic techniques. PK data obtained from a non-compartmental analysis were used in a linear regression model to predict PK parameters based on logP and PB.

Results

We found statistically significant differences in pH, haemodynamics, fluid balance and plasma proteins between the E24H and SE24H groups (p < 0.001). logP had a strong positive linear relationship with steady-state volume of distribution (Vss) in both the E24H and SE24H groups (p < 0.001) but not in the HS group (p = 0.9) and no relationship with clearance (CL) in all study groups. Although we observed an increase in CL for highly PB drugs in ECMO sheep, PB exhibited a weaker negative linear relationship with both CL (HS, p = 0.01; E24H, p < 0.001; SE24H, p < 0.001) and Vss (HS, p = 0.01; E24H, p = 0.004; SE24H, p =0.05) in the final model.

Conclusions

Lipophilic antimicrobials are likely to have an increased Vss and decreased CL during ECMO. Protein-bound antimicrobial agents are likely to have reductions both in CL and Vss during ECMO. The strong relationship between lipophilicity and Vss seen in both the E24H and SE24H groups indicates circuit sequestration of lipophilic drugs. These findings highlight the importance of drug factors in predicting antimicrobial drug PK during ECMO and should be a consideration when performing and interpreting population PK studies.
PEEP titration during prone positioning for acute respiratory distress syndrome
Authors: Beitler Jeremy R. , Guérin Claude , Ayzac Louis , Mancebo Jordi , Bates Dina M. , Malhotra Atul , Talmor Daniel
Published: December 2015

No major trial evaluating prone positioning for acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) has incorporated a high-positive end-expiratory pressure (high-PEEP) strategy despite complementary physiological rationales. We evaluated generalizability of three recent proning trials to patients receiving a high-PEEP strategy. All trials employed a relatively low-PEEP strategy. After protocol ventilator settings were initiated and the patient was positioned per treatment assignment, post-intervention PEEP was not more than 5 cm H2O in 16.7 % and not more than 10 cm H2O in 66.0 % of patients. Post-intervention PEEP would have been nearly twice the set PEEP had a high-PEEP strategy been employed. Use of either proning or high-PEEP likely improves survival in moderate-severe ARDS; the role for both concomitantly remains unknown.
Fixed point theorems in locally convex spaces and a nonlinear integral equation of mixed type
Authors: Wang Fuli , Zhou Hua
Published: December 2015

In this paper, we provide a new approach for discussing the solvability of a class of operator equations by establishing fixed point theorems in locally convex spaces. Our results are obtained extend some Krasnosel’skii type fixed point theorems. As an application, we investigate the existence and global attractivity of solutions for a general nonlinear integral equation of mixed type of Urysohn and Volterra.
Pediatric asthma and autism—genomic perspectives
Authors: Oh Sunghee , Ji Hong , Barzman Drew , Lin Ping‐I , Hutton John
Published: December 2015

High‐throughput technologies, ranging from microarrays to NexGen sequencing of RNA and genomic DNA, have opened new avenues for exploration of the pathobiology of human disease. Comparisons of the architecture of the genome, identification of mutated or modified sequences, and pre‐and post‐ transcriptional regulation of gene expression as disease specific biomarkers are revolutionizing our understanding of the causes of disease and are guiding the development of new therapies. There is enormous heterogeneity in types of genomic variation that occur in human disease. Some are inherited, while others are the result of new somatic or germline mutations or errors in chromosomal replication. In this review, we provide examples of changes that occur in the human genome in two of the most common chronic pediatric disorders, autism and asthma. The incidence and economic burden of both of these disorders are increasing worldwide. Genomic variations have the potential to serve as biomarkers for personalization of therapy and prediction of outcomes.
The Michelle Obama influence: an exploration of the first lady’s fashion, style, and impact on women
Authors: Matthews Delisia , Chaney Cassandra , Opiri Jane A.
Published: December 2015

Given keen national interest in the fashion sense of First Lady Michelle Obama, few studies have examined the appeal of the first lady’s style and if her example influences women to modify their styles and shopping behaviors. To address this paucity in the research, the purpose of this study was to explore the impact of Michelle Obama’s apparel choices on women. To address this purpose, ten semi-structured interviews were conducted with women who follow Michelle Obama’s fashion and rated her style as appealing. Qualitative analysis of the interviews revealed three themes: (1) relating through authenticity, (2) permission to defy norms, and (3) brands and the impression of endorsement. Findings reveal that Michelle Obama’s apparel choices make her relatable to everyday women. Participants noted that the first lady’s fashion choices gave them permission to challenge fashion norms for women, and adjust their personal styles. Lastly, several retail brands were thought of more positively by participants, given Michelle Obama’s implied endorsement.
Typification of the Linnaean name Ficus pumila (Moraceae)
Authors: Ferrer-Gallego P. Pablo , Boisset Fernando , Jarvis Charles E.
Published: December 2015

The typification of the name Ficus pumila var. pumila (Moraceae) is discussed. The designation of the corresponding type is based on the consultation of Linnaeus’s original material and the literature cited in the protologue. An illustration from Kaempfer is designated as the lectotype.
Keratocystic Odontogenic Tumour with Extraosseal Spread: Evaluation of the Effect Carnoy’s Solution
Authors: Levorová Jitka , Machoň Vladimír , Grill Pavel , Hirjak Dušan , Foltán René
Published: December 2015

Keratocystic odontogenic tumour is relatively rare benign tumour. It is characterized by its fast aggressive growth and high risk of recurrence. Treatment is always surgical: conservative (enucleation, marsupialization) or aggressive (enucleation followed by application of Carnoy’s solution, cryotherapy; peripheral ostectomy or en block resection of the jaw). Authors analysed retrospectively 22 patients who fulfilled inclusion criteria, i.e. had odontogenic keratocystic tumour of mandible, wherein antero-posterior dimension was at least 30 mm, and the tumour penetrated into the surrounding soft tissues. All patients underwent tumour enucleation, in 11 patients Carnoy’s solution was given into the bone cavity after enucleation. The recurrence rate in the evaluation at least 36 months after surgery was both patient groups the same: 45.4%.
Learning by Solving Problems: Cognitive Load Theory and the Re-Design of an Introductory GIS Course
Authors: Howarth Jeff
Published: December 2015

This article presents a teaching model to support learning by solving problems with geographic information technology. Using the case study of a re-designed introductory course in geographic information systems, I present research from studies of expertise and Cognitive Load Theory that identify learning objectives and methods for problem-based instruction. I illustrate a general template for learning geographic technology by solving a problem based on a process of understanding the problem, developing a plan, and implementing the plan. This template also reinforces learning during practice and exam problems. The article aims to encourage future research on problem-based instruction of geographic information technologies that integrate cognitive studies of learning, spatial thinking, and problem solving.
A man in crisis: selected short fiction of Joseph Conrad
Authors: Klimková Simona
Published: December 2015

Joseph Conrad devoted twenty years to the writing of short stories. The wide range of subject and setting, spanning from sea stories to domestic tales, managed to constitute Conrad’s reputation as a master story-teller capable of capturing his audience with any theme. While the stories vary in quality, length and themes explored, they all oscillate around the subject of human psyche, with its unpredictability and dark corners portrayed in a rather complex way. The paper seeks to explore the vision of humanity, emerging from Conrad’s short fiction, as well as the literary devices which enable him to capture the essence of human struggle. It focuses primarily on Conrad’s extensive use of figurative language, which contributes to the lyrical quality of his texts, and enables him to express the anguish and disintegration of his characters.
Documentary film as historical narrative
Authors: Urban Marek
Published: December 2015

The submitted study describes the documentary film as a historical narrative that carries within it problems documented by historians such as Paul Veyne and Hayden White. It argues on behalf of the thesis that a documentary film in itself does not classify historical clues according to historical truth but according to a selected purpose (e.g. despite aesthetic conventions or in the case of a narrative film - according to the story). The study refutes the argument of Noël Carroll, who deals with the popularizing documentary film - specifically, connecting scientific “truth” with the tropological character of a documentary film narrative can create at best an approximate picture of a historical event.
Fossil flora of Middle Jurassic Grojec clays (southern Poland). Raciborski’s original material reinvestigated and supplemented. I. Sphenophytes
Authors: Jarzynka Agata , Pacyna Grzegorz
Published: December 2015

Sphenopsid remains from Grojec clays (Grojec, Poręba, Mirów) collected and described by Raciborski in 1894 are re-examined for the first time and supplemented by Raciborski’s unpublished material housed at the Jagiellonian University (Institute of Botany) and by Stur’s preliminarily described material stored at the Geological Survey of Austria. Three species of Equisetum created by Raciborski (Equisetum renaulti, E. remotum, E. blandum) are now attributed to the common Jurassic species Equisetites lateralis, and the earlierundescribed Equisetites cf. columnaris is recognised. The occurrence of Neocalamites lehmannianus (originally described by Raciborski as Schizoneura hoerensis) has been confirmed from Grojec. The material that Raciborski referred to this species seems to be heterogeneous, and some specimens are now removed to the new proposed species Neocalamites grojecensis Jarzynka et Pacyna sp. nov. The new species is diagnosed by the following features: only a few prominent ribs present on shoot, leaf scars relatively large and ellipsoidal, numerous free leaves, vascular bundles alternate at node. Possibly the new species derives from Neocalamites lehmannianus or at least is closely related to it. Part of the poorly preserved remains can be determined only as Neocalamites sp. Another species created by Raciborski, Phyllotheca (?) leptoderma, is based on poorly preserved type specimens. Some of the unpublished specimens stored at the Jagiellonian University (Institute of Botany) correspond to Raciborski’s description, but considering the poor preservation of the original material and the not very realistic published illustrations of this species, they rather should be regarded as indeterminate cortical fragments of Neocalamites lehmannianus and/or badly preserved external cortical surfaces of the new species Neocalamites grojecensis. Phyllotheca (?) leptoderma should be considered a nomen dubium.
Rectification of invalidly published new names for plants from the late Eocene of North Bohemia
Authors: Kvaček Zlatko
Published: December 2015

Valid publication of new names of fossil plant taxa published since 1 January 1996 requires a diagnosis or description in English, besides other requirements included in the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants (Melbourne Code) adopted by the Eighteenth International Botanical Congress, Melbourne, Australia, July 2011 (McNeill et al. 2012). In order to validate names published from the late Eocene flora of the Staré Sedlo Formation, North Bohemia, diagnosed only in German (Knobloch et al. 1996), English translations are provided, including references to the type material and further relevant information.
On the polyhedrality of global Okounkov bodies
Authors: Schmitz David , Seppänen Henrik
Published: December 2015

We prove that the existence of a finite Minkowski basis for Okounkov bodies on a smooth projective variety with respect to an admissible flag implies the rational polyhedrality of the global Okounkov body. As an application of this general result, we deduce that the global Okounkov body of a surface with finitely generated pseudo-effective cone with respect to a general flag is rational polyhedral. We give an alternative proof for this fact which recovers the generators more explicitly. We also prove the rational polyhedrality of global Okounkov bodies in the case of certain homogeneous 3-folds using inductive methods.
A late Albian ammonite assemblage from the mid- Cretaceous succession at Annopol, Poland
Authors: Kennedy William J. , Machalski Marcin
Published: December 2015

A previously unrecorded ammonite assemblage, comprising Lepthoplites sp., Callihoplites tetragonus (Seeley, 1865), C. cf. tetragonus, Arrhaphoceras cf. substuderi Spath, 1923, Cantabrigites sp., Stoliczkaiella (Stoliczkaiella) sp., Hamites cf. duplicatus Pictet and Campiche, 1861, H. cf. subvirgulatus Spath, 1941, and H. cf. venetzianus Pictet, 1847, is described from the mid-Cretaceous condensed succession at Annopol, Poland. These specimens are preserved as pale phosphates or sandstone moulds in a bed of reworked phosphatic nodules near the top of the Albian. This assemblage has many species in common with the late late Albian faunas from condensed deposits of England, Switzerland, and France. The presence of Callihoplites tetragonus indicates the lowermost upper upper Albian Mortoniceras fallax Zone. The ammonites studied are the youngest elements in the phosphate bed, which also contains taxa as old as the middle Albian Hoplites dentatus Zone. This bed originated through condensation and reworking of nodules and fossils in a period of low net sedimentation rate, being probably a reflection of a sea-level drop at the boundary between the classic ammonite zones of Mortoniceras inflatum and Stoliczkaiella dispar.