bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of age, haemosporidian infection and body condition on pair composition and reproductive success in Great Tits Parus major
Authors: Pigeault Romain , Cozzarolo Camille‐Sophie , Glaizot Olivier , Christe Philippe
Published: August 2019

Several factors shape lifetime reproductive success, including genetic background, body condition, environmental conditions and ecological interactions such as parasitism. Adults often show higher reproductive success than their young conspecifics, especially in long‐lived bird species, and this may be explained by the cumulative effects of an increase in reproductive experience and the selection of high‐quality individuals from one year to the next. To test whether this pattern also exists in short‐lived bird species, we used 13 years of monitoring data from two Great Tit Parus major populations. The effects of male and female age on several reproductive parameters were analysed in 419 pairs of Great Tits, while accounting for body condition and infection by haemosporidian parasites. Reproductive success was mainly affected by the age‐class of males. Pairs containing a sub‐adult male fledged one‐third fewer chicks than pairs containing an adult male. The difference was not caused by variation in male fertility but could have been caused by better parental care provided by adult birds. In addition to lower reproductive success, first‐year males also had reduced access to mating compared with adult males, suggesting an avoidance of sub‐adult males by females. Nestling body condition was positively correlated with parental body condition, and the body condition of male and female members of breeding pairs was positively correlated. Finally, the number of fledged chicks was mainly affected by the infection status of males. These results temper our previously published results showing an effect of infection on Great Tit reproduction regardless of their sex. In our previous study, and as in most cases, the status of the partner was not taken into account and we show here that this is essential because it can lead to a biased interpretation of the results.
Flour from 'fruits and vegetables' waste with addition of a South‐American pepper (Capsicum baccatum) proposed as food ingredient
Authors: de Sá Mendes Nathânia , Favre Leonardo Cristian , Rolandelli Guido , Ferreira Cristina dos Santos , Gonçalves Édira C. B. de A. , Buera María del Pilar
Published: August 2019

The objective of this work was to evaluate the physicochemical properties of previously characterised flours obtained by milling the solid waste from the manufacture of an isotonic drink produced with various fruits and vegetables (FVR) to which powdered pepper fruits (PF) were added. Aqueous extracts were also prepared and encapsulated for protecting their functional compounds and improving their solubility. The encapsulation yields of the spray‐drying processes were 90% and 64% for PF and FVR‐PF, respectively. The addition of PF to FVR improved antioxidant capacity, stability and appearance, providing reddish colour. FT‐IR spectra reflected the addition of PF by changes in the absorbances at wave numbers typical of carotenoids, acylglycerols, chlorophylls and those related to antioxidant capacity. The encapsulated extracts could be applied when solubility is needed in hydrophilic media. The obtained flours with PF addition are suitably cheap, stable functional food ingredients for industrial uses, such as breading or seasoning ingredients.
Social interaction skills and depressive symptoms in people diagnosed with schizophrenia: The mediating role of auditory hallucinations
Authors: Wang Tzu‐Ting , Beckstead Jason W. , Yang Chiu‐Yueh
Published: August 2019

Past studies have presented evidence that depressive symptoms are affected in different ways by social interaction skills and auditory hallucinatory symptoms in people with schizophrenia. However, few studies have focused on examining the relationship among auditory hallucinatory severity, social interaction skills, and depressive symptoms. This study aimed to explore the mediating effect of auditory hallucinatory severity on social interaction skills and depressive symptoms in people with long‐term schizophrenia. We propose that auditory hallucination severity functions as a mechanism through which impaired social interaction skills increase depressive symptoms. In this study, a convenience sample of 186 people with schizophrenia was obtained from hospital‐based rehabilitation wards. Four instruments were used: A demographic data questionnaire, the Assessment of Communication and Interaction Skills‐Chinese version, the Characteristics of Auditory Hallucinations Questionnaire, and the Beck Depression Inventory II. To investigate the mediating effect of auditory hallucinatory severity after controlling for six covariates, we tested an indirect effect in a simple mediation model using the SPSS macro PROCESS, which is a regression‐based approach. The indirect effect and the results of Sobel’s test were significant (Z = −2.824, P = 0.005), which confirms that auditory hallucination severity mediates social interaction skills and depressive symptoms. This finding suggests that psychiatric nurses must teach people with schizophrenia to use auditory hallucination management strategies to prevent them from becoming immersed in auditory hallucinations and reducing their social interaction with the real world, so that depressive symptoms can be improved.
Excellent thermal stability and aging behaviors in BiFeO3‐BaTiO3 piezoelectric ceramics with rhombohedral phase
Authors: Chen Jianguo , Cheng Jinrong , Guo Jian , Cheng Zhenxiang , Wang Jianli , Liu Hongbo , Zhang Shujun
Published: August 2019

BiFeO3‐BaTiO3 (BF‐BT) solid solutions are lead‐free candidates for high‐temperature piezoelectric applications. BF‐BT ceramics with compositions near the morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) separating rhombohedral (R) and pseudo‐cubic (PC) phases were fabricated by the conventional high temperature sintering method, and their thermal stability and aging properties were studied in detail. BF‐BT ceramics with rhombohedral (R) phase show much better thermal stability and aging properties than those with pseudo‐cubic (PC) or coexistence of PC and R phases. The thermal degradation and aging rates of BF‐BT ceramics with R phase are on the order of 1% and 1.2% per decade, respectively. X‐ray diffraction results reveal that the domain state of poled rhombohedral BF‐BT ceramics is stable up to its Curie temperature, which is responsible for the high thermal stability. The Rayleigh analysis shows that the low aging rate is attributed to the low domain wall contribution to the overall piezoelectric response. The high thermal stability and low aging rates indicate that the lead‐free BF‐BT ceramics with R phase are potential candidates for sensor and transducer applications over a broad temperature range.
Defect engineering electrical properties of lead‐free potassium sodium niobate‐based ceramics
Authors: Li Ruichen , Sun Xi‐xi , Zheng Ting , Wu Jiagang
Published: August 2019

Defect engineering plays an important role in property modification for piezoelectric materials. In this work, we pay much attention to the effect of Nb nonstoichiometry on structure and properties of typical 0.95(K0.45Na0.55)Nb1+xO3–0.05Bi0.5Na0.5HfO3 ceramics. Large piezoelectric constant (d33 ~ 425 pC/N and ~482 pm/V) together with high Curie temperature (TC ~ 315°C) have been achieved in the ceramics with excess Nb content (x = 0.01). However, the ceramics with deficient Nb element have seriously suppressed cryogenic εr‐T curves and deteriorated electrical properties. Multi‐scale characterizations including phase structure, microstructure, defect structure and domain structure have been adopted to explain the corresponding phenomenon. Defect complex caused by deficient Nb induces clamped domain wall motion, leading to blocked polarization vector and poor electrical properties. On the contrary, the enhanced properties for the ceramics with excess Nb are attributed to easier domain switching due to the suppressed vacancies. We believe that defect engineering, for example nonstoichiometry, cannot only modulate electrical properties but also help us to understand some fundamental and critical problems about KNN‐based ceramics.
‘The Plastic Ceiling Project’: Advantages of Using Arts‐Based Research to Explore the Pain of Mothers that Work and Study
Authors: Misra Sarah
Published: August 2019

Since the publication of the Dearing Report in 1997, the UK Government has consistently promoted social mobility and fairness as part of its rhetoric. Yet as Brooks and others have pointed out, compared with other groups of ‘non‐traditional’ students, student mothers and part‐time students with jobs have been given limited consideration, both in terms of policy intervention and research. Despite the drive for inclusivity in higher education institutions, students with mothering responsibilities who are also in employment, often need to overcome considerable challenges in order to complete the course requirements; challenges which often result in extensive emotional pain. Using methods of photo‐elicitation and blogging, The Plastic Ceiling Project aimed to create a platform for mothers that worked and studied to discuss this emotional pain, allowing participants to highlight and discuss commonalities within their experiences. Rather than aiming to ‘solve’ problems for participants, this methodology aimed to empower individuals by allowing them to create a shared reality together, co‐create knowledge and to give them a vehicle to discuss and resolve difficulties and challenges collectively. This article considers how an arts‐based approach to research may have contributed to achieving those aims.
Critical Thinking and Community Engagement through Artistic Actions
Authors: Jónsdóttir Ásthildur B.
Published: August 2019

In a society that strives for sustainability it is important to observe and value different forms of knowledge. Creating art is not a meaningless exercise. Instead, one might say that works of art serve as a window that interprets the world. In the article it is argued that artistic actions can offer a combination of critical and creative thinking reflecting on the types of knowledge and experience that count as valuable for sustainable communities. The article reflects on the participatory installationColours of Rovaniemiand howABERwas used in the creation process. The methodology focused on the transformative power of community engagement when creating artistic actions that engage with sustainability. The installation provoked critical thinking and encouraged the participants to take a stand on the issues discussed. Artworks of this kind are well suited to help us understand the issues we face regarding sustainability. The work raised questions of who we are, what we prioritise in our lives. It initiated discussion of the connection between man and nature, attitudes, values and national self‐identity, challenging the participants’ perspectives.
Arts‐Based Educational Research: The Challenges of Social Media and Video‐Based Research Methods in Communication Design Education
Authors: Marshalsey Lorraine , Sclater Madeleine
Published: August 2019

This article discusses the practical and ethical challenges and benefits of using social media and video‐based research methods – also known as Photovoice – to investigate contemporary Communication Design education. The two visual research methods discussed include the social media mobile application Snapchat® and participant‐generated GoPro® video filming. The investigation focused on understanding students’ on‐the‐ground, lived experiences of studio learning within two distinctive higher education case study settings in the United Kingdom and Australia. This study employed Participatory Action Research (PAR) as an inquiry process and incorporated a methodological framework involving a combination of narrative inquiry, visual Participatory Design (PD) and visual ethnography. The findings of this study revealed the impact of specialised studio and classroom‐based Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) on student learning and engagement as the participants expressed differing responses to their own learning and community of practice at each site. The choice of arts‐based educational research methods used for this study allowed the relationships between place, lived experience, and community to be explored. Students, in effect, became investigators of their own practice through engagement in a rigorous set of visual methods, which placed the tools directly into their hands.
Automated external defibrillator use in a previously healthy 31‐day‐old infant with out‐of‐hospital cardiac arrest due to ventricular fibrillation
Authors: Hoyt Walter J. , Fish Frank A. , Kannankeril Prince J.
Published: August 2019

Introduction

Current resuscitation guidelines state that the safety of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in infants less than 1 year of age is unknown.

Methods and Results

We report successful AED use in a 31‐day‐old previously healthy infant with out‐of‐hospital cardiac arrest. Chest compressions began immediately, pediatric AED pads were applied in less than 5 minutes and the initial rhythm was ventricular fibrillation. After two 50 J shocks, return of spontaneous circulation was achieved. She was diagnosed with a rare but previously described syndrome of infant ventricular fibrillation and was discharged to home in good condition after epicardial defibrillator placement.

Conclusions

This case represents, to our knowledge, the youngest patient successfully defibrillated by an AED in a nonmedical setting. Although she received two shocks more than 11 J/kg each, she had no apparent myocardial damage at presentation.
Physiological optimization of robotic endoscopic epicardial CRT‐D implantation using multielectrode electroanatomic mapping
Authors: Wey Hannah E. , Chua Kelvin , Balkhy Husam , Tung Roderick , Broman Michael
Published: August 2019

Multielectrode epicardial mapping during robotic implantation of cardiac resynchronization‐defibrillator system. Robotically assisted endoscopic implantation of cardiac implantable devices is well documented to be both feasible and safe, and this technique provides particular benefit in patients with limited vascular access. In a patient meeting Class I indication for cardiac resynchronization therapy with defibrillator and inaccessible vascular access, we describe in this case an optimization strategy for intraoperative left ventricular lead placement utilizing robotic epicardial electroanatomic mapping as well as the feasibility of implanting a totally epicardial biventricular cardioverter‐defibrillator system.
Effects of edible coating containing Williopsis saturnus var. saturnus on fungal growth and aflatoxin production by Aspergillus flavus in peanuts
Authors: Ulutasdemir Tugce , Cagri‐Mehmetoglu Arzu
Published: August 2019

Production of aflatoxin by Aspergillus flavus in peanuts is both a health hazard and major problem. This study investigated the ability of a whey protein concentrate (WPC)‐based edible coating containing Williopsis saturnus var. saturnus to prevent growth of A. flavus and aflatoxin production in peanuts. WPC with/without W. saturnus (7 log colony‐forming unit [CFU]/g) or W. saturnus alone was sprayed on peanuts inoculated with A. flavus (3 log CFU/g) and stored for 84 days at 25°C. Application of coating with W. saturnus reduced both growth of A. flavus and aflatoxin level by 82 and 69.5% compared with the control, respectively. Thiobarbituric acid values were around 60% lower in peanuts coated with WPC compared with the control. Sensory and chemical properties of peanuts were not significantly affected by coating treatment (p < .05). Based on results, coating with W. saturnus appears useful in preventing both growth of A. flavus and aflatoxin production in peanuts.

Practical Applications

Improved WPC based coating containing W. saturnus can be applied on surface of roasted peanuts to prevent growth of A. flavus and aflatoxin production.
Fatherhood diminishes the hippocampal damaging action of excitotoxic lesioning in mice
Authors: Anagnostou Ilektra , Morales Teresa
Published: August 2019

Parental experience imposes neuroplasticity in the hippocampus of females and males. In lactating rat dams, the hippocampus is protected against excitotoxic damage by kainic acid lesioning, although it is still unknown whether paternity can provide such protection to male rodents. To evaluate the protective effects of fatherhood against excitotoxic lesions, we paired male mice with females and co‐housed them until the day of parturition (PPD0), when we randomly assigned them to two groups: (i) the pregnancy group (males housed individually overnight and injected i.c.v. with 100 ng per 1 μL of kainic acid or vehicle on PPD1) and (ii) the sire group (males housed with the dam and pups until PPD8, when injected i.c.v. after evaluation of parental behaviour). Individually housed virgin adult male mice formed the control group. Markers of neurodegeneration (NeuN, Fluoro‐Jade C) and astrogliosis (glial fibrillary acidic protein) were evaluated in fixed cerebral tissue containing the dorsal CA1, CA3 and CA4 hippocampal subfields. The CA1 subfield did not suffer damage in any of the experimental groups. The sire group exhibited less neurodegeneration and astrogliosis in the CA3 and CA4 subfields compared to their respective controls, independently of the expression of parental behaviour. Western blot analysis was conducted for prolactin (PRL), PRL receptor and related intracellular pathways. Monomeric PRL was lower in the hippocampus of sires in the first week postpartum with a parallel rise of a 48‐kDa dimerised isoform compared to virgin controls. The long isoform of PRL receptor did not change, and signal transducer and activator of transcription 5 (STAT5) was not detected in the hippocampus. However, a sustained rise in pAkt, a signalling molecule that participates in cell survival, was observed in the sire group. These results indicate that the hippocampus of sires housed with the dam and pups is less sensitive to neurotoxic injury, which might not be primarily regulated by PRL‐STAT5‐modulated mechanisms.
Constructing a Decentered Archival Method: AILLA Recordings and Wanano/KotiriaKaya Basa‘Sad Songs’
Authors: Hosemann Aimee J.
Published: August 2019

I consider how Sherzer's discourse‐centered approach can be extended in new ways, particularly through the use of digital archiving. My work concerns women's songs produced in Kotiria (fka Wanano/Guanano), an Eastern Tukanoan language spoken in the Upper Rio Negro. The data I use, collected by Janet Chernela, is “housed” electronically through the Archive of Indigenous Languages of Latin America (AILLA) at the University of Texas at Austin. This archive is part of Sherzer's lasting legacy—a legacy that is becoming part of indigenous peoples’ experiences of themselves as major producers of the discourses that represent them to the world. I describe howAILLAcontributes to the ability of indigenous people and anthropologists to fruitfully negotiate the collection and analysis of matters of cultural, linguistic, and musical salience. I also describe how in the Kotiria case, the existence ofAILLAhas been fundamental to geographically dispersed relations among academics working with indigenous groups in the region. In this way, indigenous voices are able to enter new flows of meaning creation on both localized and more global levels.
A Discourse‐Centered Approach to Sound and Meaning in Spike Lee's Chi‐Raq
Authors: Lefkowitz Daniel
Published: August 2019

Joel Sherzer’s landmark 1987 paper, “A Discourse‐Centered Approach to Language and Culture,” focused linguistic and anthropological attention on playful and artistic uses of language, both as a way of better understanding discourse, and as a way of better understanding how societies distribute and negotiate power. This paper applies Sherzer’s focus to an analysis of Spike Lee’s deployment of poetic language in his 2015 film Chi‐Raq. Few American filmmakers craft dialogue more artfully, or deploy dialogue more saliently than Lee, whose filmic technique and political rhetoric force viewers to focus on speech and its consequences. This paper looks at the distribution of versified and ordinary dialogue speech in Chi‐Raq in order to argue that interpreting the indexical meanings of linguistic variation in Lee’s film generates a nuanced interpretation of the film’s complex but powerful rhetoric. [poetics, film dialogue, signifying, AAVE, visual language]
A Systematic Review of Clinical Outcomes on Patients Rehabilitated with Complete‐Arch Fixed Implant‐Supported Prostheses According to the Time of Loading
Authors: Gallardo Yolanda Natali Raico , da Silva‐Olivio Isabela Rodrigues , Gonzaga Luiz , Sesma Newton , Martin William
Published: August 2019

Purpose

To perform a systematic review on studies assessing clinical outcomes in patients rehabilitated with complete‐arch fixed implant‐supported prostheses according to the time of loading.

Materials and Methods

Data obtained from patient and clinical outcomes, as implant failure, success rate, survival rate, biological complications, technical complications, mechanical complications, and marginal bone loss, were included on this review. The search was performed on databases PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane. Cochrane Collaboration tool was used to assess the risk of bias of randomized controlled studies, and an adapted version of Newcastle–Ottawa scale was used for observational studies. All data were tabulated according to the time of loading: (1) immediate restoration/loading, (2) early loading, and (3) conventional loading.

Results

From a total of 4027 studies identified through the three databases, six of them were randomized controlled trials, five of them were prospective observational studies, and another five were retrospective observational studies. In total, 5954 implants, 1294 patients and 1305 full‐arch fixed implant‐supported prostheses were included in this review. There was a wide heterogeneity among clinical studies regarding the study design and treatment procedures. Thus, pooled estimates were not performed in order to avoid potential biases. The methodological assessment by the Modified Newcastle–Ottawa scale showed a moderate quality of observational studies. Regarding the RCTs studies, all of them presented at least one element of bias according to the Cochrane Collaboration tool for assessing risk of bias.

Conclusion

There is evidence of high survival‐success implant rate (95‐100%) for either loading protocols (immediate restoration/loading, early loading, and conventional loading). However, careful attention must be taken by clinician when interpreting the results reported in clinical studies. Future studies should be performed using standardized methodology in order to determine the true predictability regarding immediate, early, and conventional loading protocols.
Cascade of care for migrants tested Hepatitis C antibodies positive in France through a systematic screening programme: The PRECAVIR study
Authors: Rosa‐Hezode Isabelle , Chousterman Michel , Costes Laurent , Labourdette Charlotte , Elghozi Bernard , Krastinova Evguenia , Roudot‐Thoraval Françoise
Published: August 2019

Migration of people from HCV endemic countries is a public health issue for the French healthcare system. The PRECAVIR study focused on migrant patients and provides a multidisciplinary, patient‐centred approach to treat chronic HCV‐infected migrants through a systematic screening programme. Between 2007 and 2017, 101 (2.98%) out of 3386 consecutive adult migrants attending two primary healthcare settings in Créteil, France, tested positive for HCV. The median age was 44.5 years old, and 55% were women. Patients were mainly from sub‐Saharan Africa, Eastern Europe and Asia. Seventy‐four patients were undocumented migrants, and 25 were asylum seekers. Eighty‐four (83%) patients were unaware of their serological status. All patients were offered referral to a specialist in the same setting. HCV RNA testing was performed in 88 (87%) of the patients who tested anti‐HCV positive. Forty‐nine (57%) were chronically infected, while 39 (43%) had an undetectable viral load. All patients were treatment‐naïve. More than half of patients had access to treatment. Before 2014, thirteen patients were treated with pegylated interferon and ribavirin, and an SVR was achieved in 8 (61.5%) of them. By 2017, 17 patients had begun oral, direct‐acting antiviral treatment. An SVR was achieved in 16 of 17 patients (93%). However, all patients not initially eligible for treatment were lost to follow‐up.

This study showed the effectiveness of a coordinated care network when anti‐HCV testing, linkage to care and treatment are organized for a migrant population in the same setting as long as universal treatment makes a test and treat policy possible.
When I say … programmatic assessment in postgraduate medical education
Authors: Pearce Jacob , Prideaux David
Published: August 2019

Turning a critical lens on the definition of programmatic assessment, Pearce and Prideaux argue that implementation in postgraduate training need not be as difficult as it seems if programs use programmatic thinking to connect elements already in place.
Coupling relationship between green production and green consumption: Case of the Yangtze River Delta area
Authors: Shen Yongchang , Fu Yunyun , Song Malin
Published: August 2019

Green production and green consumption have always been topics of concern. This study explores the coupling relationship between green production and green consumption by setting up a coupling coordination degree model using 2006–2015 panel data for the Yangtze River Delta area. The results highlight that, first, the contribution rate of the tertiary industry to the gross domestic product index is the key factor influencing green production. Meanwhile, passenger volume in the public traffic index is the main factor impacting green consumption. Second, while both green production and consumption levels have somewhat improved in the area, the gap between them continues to widen. Furthermore, the improvement in green consumption lags behind that in green production. Finally, the coupling coordination degree between green production and consumption in the area shows an increasing trend, although at a low level. These findings suggest that governments should focus on improving green consumption to increase the coupling coordination degree.
Type IX secretion system is pivotal for expression of gingipain‐associated virulence of Porphyromonas gingivalis
Authors: Benedyk Malgorzata , Marczyk Agata , Chruścicka Barbara
Published: August 2019

Porphyromonas gingivalis, a keystone pathogen in periodontitis, secretes an array of virulence factors including gingipains via the type IX secretion system (T9SS). Inactivation of any component of the T9SS leads to the accumulation of secreted proteins in unprocessed and, in the case of progingipains, inactive forms in the periplasm. To cast light on the paradox that active gingipains are essential for P. gingivalis fitness in vivo but a functional T9SS is not (Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology, 2017, 7:378), we have compared virulence of wild‐type P. gingivalis W83 and the gingipain‐null strain with isogenic mutants deficient in individual T9SS components. Using an in vivo subcutaneous chamber mouse model of infection, gingipain‐null strain secretion mutants showed no virulence, but their pathogenic potential was reconstituted by coinfection with a low number of the parental strain. Apparently the same mechanism compensated fitness of mutants lacking functional T9SS the transposon library. In contrast to the parental strain, all mutants elicited significantly lower but an effective inflammatory immune response, which cleared infection and prevented systemic dissemination of P. gingivalis to organs. There were no significant differences in immune responses to different secretion mutants, which were generally more stimulatory than the gingipain‐null strain. Together, these results indicate that functional T9SS is essential for P. gingivalis virulence apparently through delivery of active gingipains to the bacterial surface. Therefore, T9SS is a legitimate target for drug development to treat periodontitis.
Interaction between hydrogen peroxide and sodium nitroprusside following chemical priming of Ocimum basilicum L. against salt stress
Authors: Gohari Gholamreza , Alavi Zahra , Esfandiari Ezatollah , Panahirad Sima , Hajihoseinlou Sedigheh , Fotopoulos Vasileios
Published: August 2019

Sodium nitroprusside (SNP) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), as priming agents, have the well‐recorded property to increase plant tolerance against a range of different abiotic stresses such as salinity. In this regard, the present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of different levels of SNP (100 and 200 µM) and H2O2 (2.5 and 5 mM) as well as their combinations under salt stress (0 and 50 mM NaCl) on key physiological and biochemical attributes of the economically important aromatic plant basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) grown under hydroponic culture. Results revealed that morphological parameters such as plant height, root length, leaf fresh and dry weights (FW and DW) were significantly decreased by salinity stress, while SNP and H2O2 treatments, alone or combined, increased FW and DW thus enhancing plant tolerance to salt stress. Furthermore, 200 µM SNP + 2.5 mM H2O2 appeared to be the most effective treatment by causing significant increase in chlorophyll a and b, anthocyanin content and guaiacol peroxidase and ascorbate peroxidase enzymes activities under saline condition. In addition, analytical measurements showed that essential oil profile (concentration of main components) under salt stress was mostly affected by SNP and H2O2 treatments. The highest increase was observed for methyl chavicol (43.09–69.91%), linalool (4.8–17.9%), cadinol (1.5–3.2%) and epi‐α‐cadinol (0.18–10.75%) compounds. In conclusion, current findings demonstrated a positive crosstalk between SNP and H2O2 toward improved basil plant tolerance to salt stress, linked with regulation of essential oil composition.
In Defense of the Practice Theory
Authors: Lovett Frank
Published: August 2019

Hart proposed that law is made possible by the practice among legal officials of observing conventional social rules, the most important being rules of recognition. This view has been dubbed the practice theory, and it has been attacked by many legal theorists. This paper argues that many criticisms of the practice theory fail because they misunderstand the nature of the organizational challenge to which rules of recognition are the solution. The challenge of constituting a legal system is essentially the challenge of constituting a group agent, and when viewed through Pettit’s account of group agency, the practice theory can easily be defended.
The Inner Logic of Exclusivism (and Inclusivism): Shapiro's Shadowing
Authors: Mcbride Mark
Published: August 2019

Scott Shapiro, a prominent defender of exclusive legal positivism—exclusivism—has intriguingly (re)introduced a logical principle, the endorsement and rejection of which he (I take it) supposes can helpfully distinguish exclusivism from its contrary, inclusive legal positivism—inclusivism. It is an intriguing thought that principles pitched at such a high level of abstraction as this could distinguish between the two versions of positivism. My aim will be to test whether this principle—and associated principles—can do such distinguishing work.
International Crimes and the Right to Punish
Authors: Müller Luise K.
Published: August 2019

What can international courts say when criminals ask, by what right do you try me? Some authors attempt to draw a connection between humanity's responsibility to call offenders to account and the harm humanity has suffered as a consequence of the offender's crimes. Others have argued that there need not be a special connection between those calling to account and the offenders, as the right to punish offenders is a general right each and every person has. Both lines of argument are ultimately unconvincing. Instead, I argue for a modified version of the second position which proposes a democratically based theory of responsibility for punishment held by international criminal law institutions.
Trade openness, tax reform and tax revenue in developing countries
Authors: Gnangnon Sèna Kimm , Brun Jean‐François
Published: August 2019

This article investigates empirically whether the effect of tax reform (involving the progressive replacement of trade tax revenue with domestic tax revenue) in developing countries' tax revenue performance (measured by tax revenue‐to‐GDP ratio) depends on the degree of trade openness of these countries. The analysis has used an unbalanced panel data set of 95 developing countries over the period 1981–2015 and the two‐system GMM approach. Results suggest that tax reform is positively and significantly associated with tax revenue performance in developing countries, with the magnitude of this positive effect increasing as countries experience a higher development level. Additionally, and more importantly, countries that further open up their economies to international trade enjoy a higher positive effect of tax reform on tax revenue than countries that experience a lower degree of trade openness. Therefore, these findings should help dissipate the concerns of policymakers in developing countries that greater openness to international trade would further erode their tax revenue, including by lowering their international trade tax revenue. In fact, the implementation of an appropriate tax reform in the context of greater trade openness would generate higher tax revenue, while concurrently allowing countries to reap the well‐known benefits of international trade.
Optimal experimental design for joint reflection-transmission ultrasound breast imaging: From ray- to wave-based methods
Authors: Korta Martiartu Naiara , Boehm Christian , Hapla Vaclav , Maurer Hansruedi , Balic Ivana Jovanović , Fichtner Andreas
Published: August 2019

Ultrasound computed tomography (USCT) is an emerging modality to image the acoustic properties of the breast tissue for cancer diagnosis. With the need of improving the diagnostic accuracy of USCT, while maintaining the cost low, recent research is mainly focused on improving (1) the reconstruction methods and (2) the acquisition systems. D-optimal sequential experimental design (D-SOED) offers a method to integrate these aspects into a common systematic framework. The transducer configuration is optimized to minimize the uncertainties in the estimated model parameters, and to reduce the time to solution by identifying redundancies in the data. This work presents a formulation to jointly optimize the experiment for transmission and reflection data and, in particular, to estimate the speed of sound and reflectivity of the tissue using either ray-based or wave-based imaging methods. Uncertainties in the parameters can be quantified by extracting properties of the posterior covariance operator, which is analytically computed by linearizing the forward problem with respect to the prior knowledge about parameters. D-SOED is first introduced by an illustrative toy example, and then applied to real data. This shows that the time to solution can be substantially reduced, without altering the final image, by selecting the most informative measurements.
Aging promotes reorganization of the CD4 T cell landscape toward extreme regulatory and effector phenotypes
Authors: Elyahu Yehezqel , Hekselman Idan , Eizenberg-Magar Inbal , Berner Omer , Strominger Itai , Schiller Maya , Mittal Kritika , Nemirovsky Anna , Eremenko Ekaterina , Vital Assaf , Simonovsky Eyal , Chalifa-Caspi Vered , Friedman Nir , Yeger-Lotem Esti , Monsonego Alon
Published: August 2019

Single-cell analysis of CD4 T cells reveals a population structure associated with inflammation and declined immunity in aging.
Life on the thermodynamic edge: Respiratory growth of an acetotrophic methanogen
Authors: Prakash Divya , Chauhan Shikha S. , Ferry James G.
Published: August 2019

Respiration is key to growth of acetotrophic
Archaea
that generate most of the 10
9
metric-ton annual production of methane.
A prokaryotic-eukaryotic hybrid viral vector for delivery of large cargos of genes and proteins into human cells
Authors: Zhu Jingen , Tao Pan , Mahalingam Marthandan , Sha Jian , Kilgore Paul , Chopra Ashok K. , Rao Venigalla
Published: August 2019

An engineered viral vector of bacteriophage T4 linked to AAV delivers large payloads of genes and proteins into human cells.
Numerical operations in living cells by programmable RNA devices
Authors: Endo Kei , Hayashi Karin , Saito Hirohide
Published: August 2019

Programmable RNA devices recapitulate intracellular information by multivariate linear combinations in living cells.
Yeast Volatomes Differentially Affect Larval Feeding in an Insect Herbivore
Authors: Ljunggren Joel , Borrero-Echeverry Felipe , Chakraborty Amrita , Lindblom Tobias U. T. , Hedenström Erik , Karlsson Maria , Witzgall Peter , Bengtsson Marie
Published: August 2019

Yeasts interface insect herbivores with their food plants. Communication depends on volatile metabolites, and decoding this chemical dialogue is key to understanding the ecology of insect-yeast interactions. This study explores the volatomes of eight yeast species which have been isolated from foliage, from flowers or fruit, and from plant-feeding insects. These yeasts each release a rich bouquet of volatile metabolites, including a suite of known insect attractants from plant and floral scent. This overlap underlines the phylogenetic dimension of insect-yeast associations, which according to the fossil record long predate the appearance of flowering plants. Volatome composition is characteristic for each species, aligns with yeast taxonomy, and is further reflected by a differential behavioral response of cotton leafworm larvae, which naturally feed on foliage of a wide spectrum of broad-leaved plants. Larval discrimination may establish and maintain associations with yeasts and is also a substrate for designing sustainable insect management techniques.
Multicenter Clinical Evaluation of a Novel Multiplex Real-Time PCR (qPCR) Assay for Detection of Fluoroquinolone Resistance in Mycoplasma genitalium
Authors: Fernández-Huerta Miguel , Bodiyabadu Kaveesha , Esperalba Juliana , Bradshaw Catriona S. , Serra-Pladevall Judit , Garland Suzanne M. , Fernández-Naval Candela , Jensen Jorgen S. , Pumarola Tomàs , Ebeyan Samantha , Lundgren Marie , Tan Lit Yeen , Espasa Mateu , Murray Gerald L.
Published: August 2019

Mycoplasma genitalium
causes a common sexually transmitted infection with a marked propensity to develop antimicrobial resistance. As few treatment options exist, this poses significant challenges to clinicians. Recent diagnostic advances have resulted in tests that report the simultaneous detection of
M. genitalium
and any resistance to macrolides, the first-line treatment. This allows for therapy to be tailored to the individual, thereby optimizing treatment outcomes.
Complete Genome Sequence of
Pseudomonas
sp. Strain SGAir0191, Isolated from Tropical Air Collected in Singapore
Authors: Wong Anthony , Junqueira Ana Carolina M. , Chaturvedi Ankur , Uchida Akira , Purbojati Rikky W. , Houghton James N. I. , Chénard Caroline , Clare Megan E. , Kushwaha Kavita K. , Putra Alexander , Gaultier Nicolas E. , Premkrishnan Balakrishnan N. V. , Vettath Vineeth Kodengil , Heinle Cassie E. , Drautz-Moses Daniela I. , Schuster Stephan C.
Published: August 2019

Pseudomonas
sp. strain SGAir0191 was isolated from an air sample collected in Singapore, and its genome was sequenced using a combination of long and short reads to generate a high-quality genome assembly. The complete genome is approximately 5.07 Mb with 4,370 protein-coding genes, 19 rRNAs, and 73 tRNAs.
Draft Genome Sequence of
Pseudomonas
sp. Strain ICMP 22404, Isolated from Solanum lycopersicum Plants with Pith Necrosis Symptoms
Authors: Rigano Luciano A. , Toome-Heller Merje , Hofer Katharina M. , Alexander Brett J. R.
Published: August 2019

We report here the draft genome sequence of
Pseudomonas
sp. strain ICMP 22404, isolated from
Solanum lycopersicum
plants showing pith necrosis symptoms. The draft genome size is 6,686,400 bp, consisting of 86 contigs with a G+C content of 60.7% and containing 5,876 coding sequences, 60 tRNAs, and 11 rRNAs.
Whole-Genome Sequence of the Ammonia-Oxidizing Bacterium Nitrosomonas stercoris Type Strain KYUHI-S, Isolated from Composted Cattle Manure
Authors: Nakagawa Tatsunori , Tsuchiya Yuki , Takahashi Reiji
Published: August 2019

This work reports the complete genome sequence of a chemoautotrophic ammonia-oxidizing bacterium,
Nitrosomonas stercoris
strain KYUHI-S
T
(= ATCC BAA-2718
T
and NBRC 110753
T
). The assembled genome is composed of a circular chromosome and a large plasmid.
The Bacterial Community in the Western Region of North Pacific Intermediate Water
Authors: Teramoto Maki , Komatsu Ayumi , Ohnishi Kouhei
Published: August 2019

The bacterial composition in North Pacific Intermediate Water (NPIW) was investigated in three different years and compared with that in other seawaters around Japan. The results indicated that bacterial composition was surprisingly stable at the same point in a mesopelagic water mass throughout the years and supported previous physicochemical observations that NPIW is distributed to Kumejima, Japan.
Complete Genome Sequence of a Carbapenem-Resistant Escherichia coli Isolate with
bla
NDM-5
from a Dog in the United States
Authors: Tyson Gregory H. , Li Cong , Ceric Olgica , Reimschuessel Renate , Cole Stephen , Peak Laura , Rankin Shelley C.
Published: August 2019

The carbapenem resistance gene
bla
NDM-5
was identified in an
Escherichia coli
strain isolated from a dog. We report here the complete genome sequence of this
E. coli
strain; the
bla
NDM-5
gene was present on a large IncFII multidrug-resistant plasmid. This is the first
bla
NDM-5
-carrying
E. coli
strain from an animal in the United States.
Intramuscular levothyroxine: a solution to a mental health related thyroid crisis
Authors: Laycock Kate , Beale Chloe , Peters Catherine , Anderson John
Published: August 2019

A 53-year-old woman was admitted with thyroid storm and severe behavioural problems. She had longstanding bipolar affective disorder. She was psychotic and obstructed in-patient medical management for thyroid storm. She required one-to-one psychiatric nursing and was placed under section 3 of the Mental Health Act meaning she could be detained in hospital for psychiatric treatment for up to 6 months. She underwent a total thyroidectomy. Due to her paranoid mental state, she refused treatment and the administration of thyroid hormone replacement was difficult. Postoperatively, intramuscular levothyroxine was used effectively to stabilise her thyroid function. There are no consensus guidelines on the use of parenteral levothyroxine and intramuscular levothyroxine is rarely used. This case uniquely illustrates its utility with bi-weekly blood tests showing a fast and stable response to intramuscular hormone replacement.
Microscopic polyangiitis masquerading as a pancreatic neoplasm with multiple lung metastases
Authors: Suzuki Manami , Okata Hideki , Sakata Hanae , Sato Hitoshi
Published: August 2019

A 71-year-old man was admitted to our hospital with right lower abdominal pain. Blood analysis indicated severe inflammation, and abdominal CT revealed a pancreatic head tumour and multiple lung nodules. The level of a tumour marker was high. Pancreatic cancer with multiple lung metastases was suspected; however, because the mass was not detected via endoscopic ultrasonography, it was not biopsied. The serum creatinine level increased rapidly with a urine disorder, and myeloperoxidase-antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody staining was positive. Severe rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis (RPGN) and microscopic polyangiitis were diagnosed, and high-dose glucocorticoid treatment was started. The patient’s high fever returned to normal, and the serum creatinine level declined. Because the RPGN was severe, cyclophosphamide was administrated, and the glucocorticoid was tapered. The pancreatic tumour regressed, the lung nodules disappeared, and the tumour marker level normalised during the treatment. Renal function improved, and maintenance haemodialysis was avoided.
Clinical characteristics of patients having single versus multiple patient encounters within a palliative care programme
Authors: Lowe Sonya S , Nekolaichuk Cheryl , Ghosh Sunita , Fainsinger Lara , Quan Hue , Fainsinger Robin
Published: August 2019

Objective

The objective of this study was to describe the clinical characteristics of patient initial presentations, and to explore associations between patients’ clinical characteristics at initial presentation and number of encounters (single vs multiple) to an integrated palliative care programme.

Methods

This was a retrospective study of a decedent cohort of 2922 patient initial presentations to the Edmonton Zone Palliative Care Program (EZPCP). Data included age, gender, setting of encounter, diagnosis, Edmonton Symptom Assessment System, CAGE, Mini-Mental Status Examination, Palliative Performance Status, Edmonton Classification System for Cancer Pain and time to death.

Results

On initial presentation to the EZPCP, the mean age was 73 (SD 14 years), with 1358 (46%) being female, and the majority having a cancer diagnosis (n=2376, 81%), the most common of which was gastrointestinal primary (n=681, 29%). In univariate analyses, patients with younger age (<60), higher palliative performance status (>40%), a malignant diagnosis, gastrointestinal primary or unimpaired cognition at initial presentation were significantly associated with multiple encounters with an integrated palliative care programme (p<0.05). In a multivariate regression analysis, a malignant diagnosis, longer survival, higher performance status and initial entry through acute care sites were independently associated with multiple encounters in the programme (p<0.001).

Conclusions

Larger prospective studies are warranted to further elucidate the complex relationships between patient clinical characteristics, initial presentations and subsequent encounters to an integrated palliative care programme.
Fiberwise bimeromorphic maps of conic bundles
Authors: Shramov Constantin
Published: August 2019

Given a holomorphic conic bundle without sections, we show that the orders of finite groups acting by its fiberwise bimeromorphic transformations are bounded. This provides an analog of a similar result obtained by Bandman and Zarhin for quasi-projective conic bundles.
Space of chord diagrams on spherical curves
Authors: Ito Noboru
Published: August 2019

In this paper, we give a definition of [Formula: see text]-valued functions from the ambient isotopy classes of spherical/plane curves derived from chord diagrams, denoted by [Formula: see text]. Then, we introduce certain elements of the free [Formula: see text]-module generated by the chord diagrams with at most [Formula: see text] chords, called relators of Type (I) ((SI[Formula: see text]I), (WI[Formula: see text]I), (SI[Formula: see text]I[Formula: see text]I), or (WI[Formula: see text]I[Formula: see text]I), respectively), and introduce another function [Formula: see text] derived from [Formula: see text]. The main result (Theorem 1) shows that if [Formula: see text] vanishes for the relators of Type (I) ((SI[Formula: see text]I), (WI[Formula: see text]I), (SI[Formula: see text]I[Formula: see text]I), or (WI[Formula: see text]I[Formula: see text]I), respectively), then [Formula: see text] is invariant under the Reidemeister move of type RI (strong RI[Formula: see text]I, weak RI[Formula: see text]I, strong RI[Formula: see text]I[Formula: see text]I, or weak RI[Formula: see text]I[Formula: see text]I, respectively) that is defined in [N. Ito and Y. Takimura, [Formula: see text] and weak [Formula: see text] homotopies on knot projections, J. Knot Theory Ramifications 22 (2013) 1350085 14 pp].