bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Role of salicylic acid glucosyltransferase in balancing growth and defence for optimum plant fitness
Authors: Kobayashi Yudai , Fukuzawa Noriho , Hyodo Ayaka , Kim Hangil , Mashiyama Shota , Ogihara Tsuyoshi , Yoshioka Hirofumi , Matsuura Hideyuki , Masuta Chikara , Matsumura Takeshi , Takeshita Minoru
Published: January 2020

Salicylic acid (SA), an essential secondary messenger for plant defence responses, plays a role in maintaining a balance (trade‐off) between plant growth and resistance induction, but the detailed mechanism has not been explored. Because the SA mimic benzothiadiazole (BTH) is a more stable inducer of plant defence than SA after exogenous application, we analysed expression profiles of defence genes after BTH treatment to better understand SA‐mediated immune induction. Transcript levels of the salicylic acid glucosyltransferase (SAGT) gene were significantly lower in BTH‐treated Nicotiana tabacum (Nt) plants than in SA‐treated Nt control plants, suggesting that SAGT may play an important role in SA‐related host defence responses. Treatment with BTH followed by SA suppressed SAGT transcription, indicating that the inhibitory effect of BTH is not reversible. In addition, in BTH‐treated Nt and Nicotiana benthamiana (Nb) plants, an early high accumulation of SA and SA 2‐O‐β‐d‐glucoside was only transient compared to the control. This observation agreed well with the finding that SAGT‐overexpressing (OE) Nb lines contained less SA and jasmonic acid (JA) than in the Nb plants. When inoculated with a virus, the OE Nb plants showed more severe symptoms and accumulated higher levels of virus, while resistance increased in SAGT‐silenced (IR) Nb plants. In addition, the IR plants restricted bacterial spread to the inoculated leaves. After the BTH treatment, OE Nb plants were slightly larger than the Nb plants. These results together indicate that SAGT has a pivotal role in the balance between plant growth and SA/JA‐mediated defence for optimum plant fitness.
A HemK class glutamine‐methyltransferase is involved in the termination of translation and essential for iron homeostasis in Arabidopsis
Authors: Kailasam Sakthivel , Singh Surjit , Liu Ming‐Jung , Lin Chih‐Ching , Yeh Kuo‐Chen
Published: January 2020

Iron (Fe) transport and utilization are controlled by Fe‐dependent transcriptional cascades. Many genes participate in these processes, transcriptionally controlled by Fe‐status. Thorough knowledge of the translational check‐points is lacking.

We identified a non‐response to Fe‐deficiency1‐1 (nrf1‐1) mutant of Arabidopsis thaliana, which displayed a hypersensitive phenotype under Fe‐deficient conditions. By mapping nrf1‐1, we found that the AT3G13440 locus encoding a HemK methyltransferase is responsible for the phenotype. Analyses of ProUBQ10:NRF1CDS overexpression nrf1‐1 lines and a T‐DNA insertion mutant nrf1‐2, confirmed that loss‐of‐function of NRF1 results in enhanced Fe‐starvation‐sensitivity.

NRF1 is required for the proper expression of the majority of Fe‐deficiency‐inducible (FDI) genes. The nrf1 mutants accumulated more polysomes in the roots, due to stalled ribosomes on several transcripts. Ribosome‐footprint (RF) mapping revealed that ribosomes are stalled at a stop codon that amplified the stalling of trailing ribosomes. We detected higher RF levels in many FDI transcripts in nrf1‐2.

Our study demonstrates the requirement of NRF1 for an accurate termination of protein synthesis essential not only for a precise iron homeostasis, but also cellular ion balance. NRF1 is also important for normal growth and development. A check‐point that fine‐tunes peptide release in plants is uncovered.
The individual focus of nursing research in breastfeeding: Perpetuating a neoliberal perspective
Authors: Kett Paula M.
Published: January 2020

In this paper, I argue for the need to shift the focus of nursing research regarding breastfeeding from that of individual responsibility to include a more system‐focused, population health approach. In the 2011, “Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding,” the U.S. Surgeon General called attention to the pervasive disparities in breastfeeding outcomes in the United States. A plethora of nursing research exists aimed at addressing these disparities; however, this research leans toward a neoliberal perspective, mainly focusing on individual factors and failing to address the systemic inequities contributing to these disparities. A shift in nursing science that focuses research at a population level would more effectively support addressing disparities in breastfeeding outcomes and embrace a commitment to social justice. In focusing at a population level, specific inequities that must be addressed include the negative history of breastfeeding in the Black population, systemic racism, and gender inequality. Critical research methodologies are proposed as useful approaches to address these inequities. By engaging in this level of research and using a critical lens, nurse scientists broaden their scope of care to include the entire population, motivate needed social and policy change, facilitate the choice to breastfeed, and ultimately eliminate breastfeeding disparities.
Factors affecting the dormancy and germination of bleeding heart [Lamprocapnos spectabilis (L.) Fukuhara] seeds
Authors: Cho J. S. , Jang B. K. , Lee S. M. , Lee I. J. , Lee C. H.
Published: January 2020

Information on the optimal conditions to promote the germination of Lamprocapnos spectabilis (L.) Fukuhara seeds is limited; consequently, this study was conducted to establish the requirements to break seed dormancy and promote germination.

The selected seeds had morphophysiological dormancy and had not begun embryo development. To study the dormancy breaking and embryo development processes, seeds were subjected to constant or changing temperature treatments during moist stratification.

High temperature and humidity resulted in vigorous embryo growth, with the longest embryos occurring after 1 month of incubation at 20 °C. At 4 °C, the seeds required incubation period of at least 3 months to germinate. Embryo growth and germination were higher with changing high and low temperatures than under a constant temperature, and changing temperatures also considerably changed the endogenous hormone levels, embryo development and germination. Bioactive gibberellin (GA) content was higher in seeds incubated at 20 °C for 1 month, then at 4 °C for 2 months. The content of endogenous abscisic acid in seeds subjected to the same treatment decreased by 97.6% compared with that of the untreated seeds.

Embryo growth and seed germination require changing high and low temperatures; however, exogenous GA3 could substitute for high temperatures, as it also causes accelerated germination. In this study, the seeds of L. spectabilis were identified as an intermediate simple type, a sub‐level of morphophysiologically dormant seeds.
Upregulation of CRISP‐3 and kallikrein in stallion seminal plasma is associated with poor tolerance of cooled storage
Authors: Kareskoski Anna Maria , Palviainen Mari , Johannisson Anders , Katila Terttu
Published: January 2020

For unknown reasons, stallion fertility and sperm longevity during cooled storage of semen vary markedly between individuals. Spermatozoa from individual stallions react differently to the presence, or the removal, of seminal plasma (SP). The aim was to evaluate differences in protein content in stallion seminal plasma with either a positive or a negative effect on sperm chromatin integrity during storage. Stallion semen samples from different ejaculate fractions were stored at 5°C for 24 hr. Sperm survival was assessed after storage using a sperm chromatin structure assay. Protein expression in SP with either positive or negative effects on sperm survival during storage was studied using two‐dimensional differential gel electrophoresis and liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry. Lower sperm chromatin integrity was associated with upregulation of the proteins kallikrein, CRISP‐3 and HSP‐1, while higher chromatin integrity was associated with upregulation of TIMP‐2. In the sperm‐rich fractions, kallikrein and CRISP‐3 differed significantly between SP samples with differing effects on sperm chromatin integrity. In the sperm‐poor fractions, TIMP‐2 and HSP‐1 differed significantly between the two SP groups. Differences in the seminal plasma proteome are associated with sperm longevity during cooled storage.
A wait‐and‐see approach to investments: Do elections play a role?
Authors: Kanyam Daniel A.
Published: January 2020

Unlike previous studies on electoral investment cycle—the tendency for firms to reduce investment expenditure during an election year relative to nonelection years—that have primarily focused on developed countries, this study documents cycles in private investments in relation to the timing of national elections across a broader set of African countries. The estimation results indicate that during election years, private investment decreases by an average of 16% relative to nonelection years. The results also reveal that private investment falls in the year leading up to an election and increases in the immediate year after an election, consistent with the view that electoral uncertainty deters investments. These findings suggest that electoral investment cycles apply strongly to African countries.
Oil shocks and fiscal policy procyclicality in Angola: Assessing the role of asymmetries and institutions
Authors: da Costa António Alexandre Ernesto , Rodriguez‐Gil Antonio
Published: January 2020

The aim of this article is to examine procyclicality in Angola, assess whether it behaves asymmetrically over the oil cycle, and test the hypothesis that institutions and fiscal rules can moderate procyclicality. Received wisdom suggests that in resource‐rich economies, fiscal policy tends to be procyclical albeit improvements in the past decades due to institutional reforms. Similar evidence is available for oil‐rich economies; however, we know little about how procyclicality behaves over the oil cycle; that is, whether spending (and revenue) grows faster during oil‐market booms, than during downturns. Further, evidence on institutions and fiscal rules in oil‐exporting economies is still ambiguous. We bridge both gaps by examining fiscal policy procyclicality in Angola, one of the largest oil‐producers in Africa, and a country that has experienced an intense process of institutional reforms since 2002. Therefore, it is an ideal candidate for our study. We use data for the 2004–2014 period to estimate a threshold vector error correction model that extends vector autoregressive and vector correction methods used up to date. Our results indicate that revenue and spending are generally procyclical to oil shocks, that revenue is more procyclical during booms, and that institutional quality, net inflows, financial openness, and fiscal rules affect procyclicality.
Cyclic Maya diagrams and rational solutions of higher order Painlevé systems
Authors: Clarkson Peter A. , Gómez‐Ullate David , Grandati Yves , Milson Robert
Published: January 2020

This paper focuses on the construction of rational solutions for the ‐Painlevé system, also called the Noumi‐Yamada system, which are considered the higher order generalizations of PIV. In this even case, we introduce a method to construct the rational solutions based on cyclic dressing chains of Schrödinger operators with potentials in the class of rational extensions of the harmonic oscillator. Each potential in the chain can be indexed by a single Maya diagram and expressed in terms of a Wronskian determinant whose entries are Hermite polynomials. We introduce the notion of cyclic Maya diagrams and characterize them for any possible period, using the concepts of genus and interlacing. The resulting classes of solutions can be expressed in terms of special polynomials that generalize the families of generalized Hermite, generalized Okamoto, and Umemura polynomials, showing that they are particular cases of a larger family.
Prescribing practices for antibiotic prophylaxis in patients with prosthetic joints
Authors: Teixeira Erica C. , Warren John J. , McKernan Susan C. , McQuistan Michelle R. , Qian Fang
Published: January 2020

Aims

With the increasing number of patients with prosthetic joints, recommendations for antibiotic prophylaxis (AP) prior to dental procedures to prevent prosthetic joint infections (PJI) have changed.

Methods and results

This survey evaluated dentists’ AP practices for patients with prosthetic joints undergoing dental procedures and their familiarity with the American Dental Association Guidelines (ADA CPG) and American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Appropriate Use Criteria (AAOS AUC). Dentists’ attitudes about antibiotic resistance, medical‐legal aspects, and adverse effects to using AP were examined. Dentists (n = 574) were familiar (51.2%) with ADA CPG and with the AAOS AUC (25.8%). Familiarity varied according to years since graduation. Female dentists (63.5%) were more likely to be very familiar with the ADA CPG than male dentists (49.5%). Overall, 65.4% of respondents believed that AP is not effective in the prevention of PJI, and 19.4% believed there is enough evidence to support AP. For a healthy patient, 28.9% of dentists would never recommend AP, 44.9% would recommend AP within the first two years since prosthetic joint replacement.

Conclusions

Dentists’ recommendations for the use of AP varied depending on different factors, including health status of the patient, dental procedure, time elapsed since joint surgery, suggesting that adherence to the ADA CPG and AUC is still challenging.
It takes two to tango: Preschool siblings’ musical play and prosociality in the home
Authors: Cirelli Laura K. , Peiris Rachel , Tavassoli Nasim , Recchia Holly , Ross Hildy
Published: January 2020

In childhood, musical play is an important part of home life and, potentially, sibling play. Considering the social–emotional relevance of musical activities, siblings’ engagement in musical play may also be associated with social development. The current longitudinal study examined musical play in 39 pairs of siblings during naturalistic home play at two time points: (a) when siblings were 2 and 4 years old (T1), and (b) 2 years later when siblings were 4 and 6 years old (T2). Musical play, especially singing and dancing, was more prevalent at T2. Birth order effects were also revealed; 4‐year‐old second‐borns (T2) engaged in more solo musical play than 4‐year‐old firstborns (T1), but 4‐year‐old firstborns initiated joint musical play more often than 4‐year‐old second‐borns. Associations between musical play and prosociality also emerged. Specifically, both older and younger siblings’ rates of prosociality correlated positively with older sibling musical play at each time point. These findings reveal intriguing effects of age and birth order on both solo and joint musical play between siblings, and highlight a potential link between spontaneous musical play in the home and social development.
Communities, Complexity, and the ‘Conchoration’: Network Analysis and the Ontology of Geographic Units
Authors: Nelson Garrett Dash
Published: January 2020

Whether to treat regions as distinct, bordered entities or meshes of borderless flows has long been a debate for geographers. This paper uses the methodological and conceptual insights of network analysis to argue for an approach to regionalisation that treats them neither as perfectly enclosed nor perfectly borderless. By comparing the many contested readings of ‘community’ in geography and the social sciences to the operational definition of a ‘community’ in graph theory, I extend historic questions about the spatial definition of human communities and describe how network analysis can offer insight about the texture of human geography. A case study, using network data about commuting in the New England region of the US, shows how these algorithmically‐detected regions are both stable and fluid at once. The paper proposes the term ‘conchoration’ to describe the ontology of emergent, functionally whole regions which are nevertheless perforated and interdependent.
The use of urethral bulking agents in the treatment of stress urinary incontinence
Authors: McGowan Shaun , Campbell Patrick , Dolan Lucia
Published: January 2020

Key content

Treatment options for stress urinary incontinence (SUI) include physical therapies and a range of surgical options.

Urethral bulking agents may be used as a surgical treatment for SUI.

There are different types of bulking agents, with varying complications and outcomes.

We discuss the impact of the current UK pause for vigilance and restriction on the use of mesh in the treatment of SUI.

Learning objectives

To gain an overview of the history of bulking agents.

To understand the properties of commonly used bulking agents.

To understand the clinical indications and evidence on efficacy and complications of urethral bulking agents.

Ethical considerations

Should urethral bulking agents be used as a first‐line treatment for SUI?

Should the introduction of new urethral bulking agents be undertaken within a clinical research trial in light of lessons learned from the introduction of vaginal mesh implants?

Women with SUI should be counselled on both surgical and nonsurgical options.

There is an absence of long‐term safety and outcome data for newer bulking agents.
Burning Resistance of Lignitic Coals Under Oxygen-Enriched Conditions
Authors: Uguz Ozlem , Haykiri-Acma Hanzade , Yaman Serdar
Published: January 2020

Oxygen-enriched air combustion of low-grade fuels with high inorganic matter is of great interest due to the efficient burning of such fuels and mitigation of emissions. For this purpose, this study aims to investigate the combined effects of oxygen enrichment and temperature on burnout levels. The oxygen-enriched air combustion performance of two Turkish lignites with different geological ages (early Miocene-Pliocene period Kutahya-Tuncbilek (KT) lignite and Pleistocene period Adiyaman-Golbasi (AG) lignite) was investigated in a horizontal tube reactor. The lignite samples were heated slowly (10 °C/min) to the temperatures of 200–600 °C for AG lignite and 200–800 °C for KT lignite under N2/O2 atmospheres with O2 ratios of 21, 30, 40, and 50 vol%. The solid residue remained after this oxidative heat treatment was characterized by proximate/ultimate analyses, higher heating value, (HHV) thermal analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, (FTIR) X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques. It was concluded that AG lignite that is relatively younger lignite is more susceptible to the O2-enriched conditions as the treatment temperature or O2 concentration increases. It was also determined that the combined effects of temperature and O2 concentration are much more profound than the individual effects of these parameters.
Pinch Point Analysis of Air Cooler in Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Brayton Cycle Operating Over Ambient Temperature Range
Authors: Deshmukh Ankur , Kapat Jayanta
Published: January 2020

The supercritical carbon dioxide Brayton power cycle is getting commercially attractive for power generation due to its numerous advantages like zero water discharge, compactness, and low environmental emission and potential to reach high thermal efficiency. A typical recuperated closed cycle consists of three heat exchangers (main heat exchanger, cooler, and recuperator) and two turbomachinery (turbine and compressor). The cooler using ambient air for cooling is the focus of this study. The steady-state air cooler model is set up to study the effect of air cooler size on cycle efficiency. The effect of change in the ambient air temperature on the air cooler pinch point for different air cooler sizes is analyzed using the transient air cooler model. The simulation is set up for the design of the approximately 100 MWe cycle with an operating temperature of 700 °C and a pressure of 250 bar. Transient calculations are done using LMS AMESim. LMS AMESim is the Siemens PLM commercially available software. This work thus serves as a framework to develop a basis for the design of the air cooler in the power cycle as a function of transient operating conditions.
Assessing the Usability of a Task-Shifting Device for Inserting Subcutaneous Contraceptive Implants for Use in Low-Income Countries
Authors: Jiang Kevin C. , Mohedas Ibrahim , Biks Gashaw Andargie , Adefris Mulat , Tadesse Adafrie Takele , Bekele Delayehu , Abebe Zerihun , Kolli Ajay , Weiner Annabel , Davila José , Mengstu Biruk , Bell Carrie , Sienko Kathleen H.
Published: January 2020

Women in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) have limited access to long-acting contraceptives. Access to long-acting contraceptives, such as subcutaneous contraceptive implants, could be increased by task-shifting implant administration from advanced to minimally trained healthcare providers. The objective of this study was to investigate the usability of a task-shifting device for administering subcutaneous contraceptive implants. Healthcare providers (n = 128) from multiple health centers in Ethiopia were trained to administer implants on an arm simulator with the traditional method and a method using the device. Participants were observed while inserting implants into the arm simulator, and procedural error rates were calculated. Observations were analyzed using an iterative inductive coding methodology. For the device-assisted method, minimally trained healthcare providers had larger procedural error rates than other professions (p = 0.002). For the traditional method, physicians had larger procedural error rates than nurses and midwives (p = 0.03). Several procedural errors were identified such as participants inserting and removing the trocar and plunger completely or inserting and/or removing the trocar too far or not enough. These findings reinforce the importance of performing formative usability testing during the early phases of a medical device design process, considering users' mental models, and avoiding assumptions about healthcare providers' abilities.
Preface
Authors: -- --
Published: January 2020

Dramatic Anthroposophy (Steiner)
Introduction B
1B: The Romantic context: themes from Goethe and Schiller viewed as formative by Steiner in early years, and viewed as supportive to his 'anthroposophy' in later years

1B1: Egyptian Mysteries: Schiller's esoteric religiosity and pre-existence

1B2: Goethe's 'primal skeleton', 'primal plant' and Steiner's 'life-force'

1B3: Goethe's esoteric religiosity (the Rosicrucians) and a Platonic 'Devachan'

1B4: Goethe's fairy tale provides the thematic basis of Die Pforte

2 Die Pforte AN OUTLINE OF ITS STRUCTURE AND THEMES

2A: Describing supra-sensible phenomena, metaphor and 'transferring' German into English, including Steiner's neologisms

2B: An overview of the scenes in Die Pforte
Authors: -- --
Published: January 2020

Dramatic Anthroposophy (Steiner)
5 CONCLUSIONS
Authors: -- --
Published: January 2020

Anthroposophy (Steiner)
Effect of Mechanically Passive, Wearable Shoulder Exoskeletons on Muscle Output During Dynamic Upper Extremity Movements: A Computational Simulation Study
Authors: Nelson Allison J. , Hall Patrick T. , Saul Katherine R. , Crouch Dustin L.
Published: January 2020

Wearable passive (ie, spring powered) shoulder exoskeletons could reduce muscle output during motor tasks to help prevent or treat shoulder musculoskeletal disorders. However, most wearable passive shoulder exoskeletons have been designed and evaluated for static tasks, so it is unclear how they affect muscle output during dynamic tasks. The authors used a musculoskeletal model and Computed Muscle Control optimization to estimate muscle output with and without a wearable passive shoulder exoskeleton during 2 simulated dynamic tasks: abduction and upward reach. To an existing upper extremity musculoskeletal model, the authors added an exoskeleton model with 3-dimensional representations of the exoskeleton components, including a spring, cam wheel, force-transmitting shoulder cable, and wrapping surfaces that permitted the shoulder cable to wrap over the shoulder. The exoskeleton reduced net muscle-generated moments in positive shoulder elevation by 28% and 62% during the abduction and upward reach, respectively. However, muscle outputs (joint moments and muscle effort) were higher with the exoskeleton than without at some points of the movement. Muscle output was higher with the exoskeleton because the exoskeleton moment opposed the muscle-generated moment in some postures. The results of this study highlight the importance of evaluating muscle output for passive exoskeletons designed to support dynamic movements to ensure that the exoskeletons assist, rather than impede, movement.
Considerations in Processing Accelerometry Data to Explore Physical Activity and Sedentary Time in Older Adults
Authors: Cleland Claire L. , Ferguson Sara , McCrorie Paul , Schipperijn Jasper , Ellis Geraint , Hunter Ruth F.
Published: January 2020

Processing decisions for accelerometry data can have important implications for outcome measures, yet little evidence exists exploring these in older adults. The aim of the current study was to investigate the impact of three potentially important criteria on older adults, physical activity, and sedentary time. Participants (n = 222: mean age 71.75 years [SD = 6.58], 57% male) wore ActiGraph GT3X+ for 7 days. Eight data processing combinations from three criteria were explored: low-frequency extension (on/off), nonwear time (90/120 min), and intensity cut points (moderate-to-vigorous physical activity ≥1,041 and >2,000 counts/min). Analyses included Wilcoxon signed-rank test, paired t tests, and correlation coefficients (significance, p < .05). Results for low-frequency extension on 90-min nonwear time and >1,041 counts/min showed significantly higher light and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and lower sedentary time. Cut points had the greatest impact on physical activity and sedentary time. Processing criteria can significantly impact physical activity and/or sedentary time, potentially leading to data inaccuracies, preventing cross-study comparisons and influencing the accuracy of population surveillance.
Ca
2+
waves coordinate purinergic receptor–evoked integrin activation and polarization
Authors: Bye Alexander P. , Gibbins Jonathan M. , Mahaut-Smith Martyn P.
Published: January 2020

Two distinct P2Y receptors are required for full activation of platelet integrin and fibrinogen binding.
Immunopathogenesis of Progressive Scarring Trachoma: Results of a 4-Year Longitudinal Study in Tanzanian Children
Authors: Derrick Tamsyn , Ramadhani Athumani M. , Macleod David , Massae Patrick , Mafuru Elias , Aiweda Malisa , Mbuya Kelvin , Makupa William , Mtuy Tara , Bailey Robin L. , Mabey David C. W. , Holland Martin J. , Burton Matthew J.
Published: January 2020

Trachoma is initiated during childhood following repeated conjunctival infection with
Chlamydia trachomatis
, which causes a chronic inflammatory response in some individuals that leads to scarring and in-turning of the eyelids in later life. There is currently no treatment to halt the progression of scarring trachoma due to an incomplete understanding of disease pathogenesis. A cohort study was performed in northern Tanzania in 616 children aged 6 to 10 years at enrollment. Every 3 months for 4 years, children were examined for clinical signs of trachoma, and conjunctival swabs were collected for
C. trachomatis
detection and to analyze the expression of 46 immunofibrogenic genes.
Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor and Transforming Growth Factor β Signaling Pathways Cooperate To MediateChlamydiaPathogenesis
Authors: Igietseme Joseph U. , Partin James , George Zenas , Omosun Yusuf , Goldstein Jason , Joseph Kahaliah , Ellerson Debra , Eko Francis O. , Pohl Jan , Bandea Claudiu , Black Carolyn M.
Published: January 2020

Human genitalChlamydiainfection is a major public health concern due to the serious reproductive system complications.Chlamydiabinds several receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) on host cells, including the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), and activates cellular signaling cascades for host invasion, cytoskeletal remodeling, optimal inclusion development, and induction of pathogenic epithelial-mesenchyme transition (EMT).Chlamydiaalso upregulates transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) expression, whose signaling pathway synergizes with the EGFR cascade, but its role in infectivity, inclusions, and EMT induction is unknown.
Emergence and Selection of a Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H7N3 Virus
Authors: Beerens Nancy , Heutink Rene , Harders Frank , Bossers Alex , Koch Guus , Peeters Ben
Published: January 2020

Low-pathogenicity avian influenza (LPAI) viruses circulate in wild birds and can be transmitted to poultry. LPAI viruses can mutate to become highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) viruses causing severe disease and death in poultry. Little is known about this switch to high pathogenicity. We isolated an LPAI H7N3 virus from an infected turkey farm and showed that this contains small amounts of HPAI virus. The HPAI virus rapidly outcompeted the LPAI virus in chickens that were experimentally infected with this mixture of viruses. We analyzed the genome sequences of the LPAI and HPAI viruses and identified several changes that may be important for a virus to become highly pathogenic. This knowledge may be used for timely identification of LPAI viruses that pose a risk of becoming highly pathogenic in the field.
Long-Acting Rilpivirine (RPV) Preexposure Prophylaxis Does Not Inhibit Vaginal Transmission of RPV-Resistant HIV-1 or Select for High-Frequency Drug Resistance in Humanized Mice
Authors: Melody Kevin , Roy Chandra N. , Kline Christopher , Cottrell Mackenzie L. , Evans Dwayne , Shutt Kathleen , Pennings Pleuni S. , Keele Brandon F. , Bility Moses , Kashuba Angela D. M. , Ambrose Zandrea
Published: January 2020

The antiretroviral drug rilpivirine was developed into a long-acting formulation (RPV LA) to improve adherence for preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to prevent HIV-1 transmission. A concern is that RPV LA will not inhibit transmission of drug-resistant HIV-1 and may select for drug-resistant virus. In female humanized mice, we found that RPV LA inhibited vaginal transmission of WT or 3-fold RPV-resistant HIV-1 but not virus with 30-fold RPV resistance. In animals that became infected despite RPV LA PrEP, WT HIV-1 dissemination was delayed until genital and plasma RPV concentrations waned. RPV resistance was detected at similar low frequencies in untreated and PrEP-treated mice that became infected. These results indicate the importance of maintaining RPV at a sustained threshold after virus exposure to prevent dissemination of HIV-1 after vaginal infection and low-frequency resistance mutations conferred low-level resistance, suggesting that RPV resistance is difficult to develop after HIV-1 infection during RPV LA PrEP.
Complete Genome Sequence of Bordetella bronchiseptica Strain KM22
Authors: Nicholson Tracy L. , Bayles Darrell O. , Shore Sarah M.
Published: January 2020

Bordetella bronchiseptica
isolate KM22 has been used in experimental infections of swine as a model of clinical
B. bronchiseptica
infection and to study host-to-host transmission. The draft genome sequence of KM22 was reported in 2014. Here, we report the complete genome sequence of KM22.
Complete Genome Sequence of the Deep-Sea Bacterium Moritella marina MP-1 (ATCC 15381)
Authors: Magin Simon , Georgoulis Anastasios , Papadimitriou Konstantinos , Iliakis George , Vorgias Constantinos E.
Published: January 2020

Here, the complete assembly of the
Moritella marina
MP-1 (ATCC 15381) genome, combining Illumina and long Nanopore reads, is presented. The gapless assembly consists of a 4.7-Mb circular chromosome and a 26-kb plasmid, with a G+C content of 40.7%, and will assist in further studies of the molecular pathways in this biotechnologically significant organism.
Overcoming the health system barriers to early diagnosis and management of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in a rural setting in North India
Authors: Bashar Mohammad Abu , Aggarwal Arun , Bhattacharya Sudip
Published: January 2020

India contributes a quarter of the global burden of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) and has inadequate diagnostic infrastructure and institutional capacities for drug susceptibility testing. Subsequently, this leads to a large number of undetected and untreated cases of MDR-TB. In this report, we describe a case of a 55-year-old man from rural North India presenting with complaints of continued symptoms of chronic cough, fever and dyspnoea despite being recently diagnosed with recurrent tuberculosis and receiving treatment from the local community health centre. MDR-TB was suspected, but confirmatory diagnostic capabilities were not available in the local setting. The patient was finally diagnosed with MDR-TB. Treatment was coordinated by the district tuberculosis programme officer. Through this case, we describe the various barriers to detecting MDR-TB in the rural regions of India. Prompt identification of patients with presumptive MDR-TB, diagnosis of the disease and initiation of treatment are crucial to preventing disease transmission and reducing morbidity and mortality.
Flow-diverter reconstruction of an intracranial internal carotid artery dissection during thrombectomy for acute ischaemic stroke
Authors: Gramegna Laura Ludovica , Cardozo Analía , Folleco Edgar , Tomasello Alejandro
Published: January 2020

Intracranial carotid artery dissections are challenging, as there are no specific guidelines for their treatment, and most research suggests solutions for treating those involving extracranial vessels. We describe a patient with an acute ischaemic stroke within the territory of the right internal carotid artery, who was found to have intracranial carotid artery dissection during the thrombectomy procedure. The dissected lumen was successfully reconstructed via deployment of a Derivo flow-diverter stent. A balloon-assisted ‘jacking’ manoeuvre, in which a balloon is partially inflated at the beginning of the dissection to serve as leverage, was used to overcome the challenge of navigating the microcatheter tip through the stenosis proximal to the dissection. This case demonstrates the feasibly and safety of stenting with a flow diverter in a patient with internal carotid artery dissection; however, further studies are needed to confirm this finding.
Rapunzel syndrome causing partial gastric outlet obstruction requiring emergency laparotomy
Authors: Lyons Robert , Ismaili Granit , Devine Michael , Malik Haroon
Published: January 2020

A 16-year-old girl with a background of childhood trichophagia presented with a 2-day history of epigastric pain and associated anorexia with vomiting. An epigastric mass was palpable on examination. A CT scan revealed an intragastric trichobezoar, extending into the duodenum consistent with Rapunzel syndrome with evidence of partial gastric outlet obstruction and a possible perforation. The patient underwent an urgent laparotomy and extraction of the trichobezoar. The bezoar was removed without complication and no intraoperative evidence of perforation was detected. After an uncomplicated postoperative recovery, she was discharged home with psychiatric follow-up.
Mixed methods pilot study of a low-carbohydrate diabetes prevention programme among adults with pre-diabetes in the USA
Authors: Hafez Griauzde Dina , Saslow Laura , Patterson Kaitlyn , Ansari Tahoora , Liestenfeltz Bradley , Tisack Aaron , Bihn Patti , Shopinski Samuel , Richardson Caroline R
Published: January 2020

Objectives

(1) To estimate weight change from a low-carbohydrate diabetes prevention programme (LC-DPP) and (2) to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of an LC-DPP.

Research design

Single-arm, mixed methods (ie, integration of quantitative and qualitative data) pilot study.

Setting

Primary care clinic within a large academic medical centre in the USA.

Participants

Adults with pre-diabetes and Body Mass Index of ≥25 kg/m2.

Intervention

We adapted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Diabetes Prevention Program (NDPP)—an evidence-based, low-fat dietary intervention—to teach participants to follow a very low-carbohydrate diet (VLCD). Participants attended 23 group-based classes over 1 year.

Outcome measures

Primary outcome measures were (1) weight change and (2) percentage of participants who achieved ≥5% wt loss. Secondary outcome measures included intervention feasibility and acceptability (eg, attendance and qualitative interview feedback).

Results

Our enrolment target was 22. One person dropped out before a baseline weight was obtained; data from 21 individuals were analysed. Mean weight loss in kilogram was 4.3 (SD 4.8) at 6 months and 4.9 (SD 5.8) at 12 months. Mean per cent body weight changes were 4.5 (SD 5.0) at 6 months and 5.2 (SD 6.0) at 12 months; 8/21 individuals (38%) achieved ≥5% wt loss at 12 months. Mean attendance was 10.3/16 weekly sessions and 3.4/7 biweekly or monthly sessions. Among interviewees (n=14), three factors facilitated VLCD adherence: (1) enjoyment of low-carbohydrate foods, (2) diminished hunger and cravings and (3) health benefits beyond weight loss. Three factors hindered VLCD adherence: (1) enjoyment of high-carbohydrate foods, (2) lack of social support and (3) difficulty preplanning meals.

Conclusions

An LC-DPP is feasible, acceptable and may be an effective option to help individuals with pre-diabetes to lose weight. Data from this pilot will be used to plan a fully powered randomised controlled trial of weight loss among NDPP versus LC-DPP participants.

Trial registration number

NCT03258918.
Infant TB Infection Prevention Study (iTIPS): a randomised trial protocol evaluating isoniazid to preventM. tuberculosisinfection in HIV-exposed uninfected children
Authors: LaCourse Sylvia M , Richardson Barbra A , Kinuthia John , Warr A J , Maleche-Obimbo Elizabeth , Matemo Daniel , Cranmer Lisa M , Escudero Jaclyn N , Hawn Thomas R , John-Stewart Grace C
Published: January 2020

Introduction

HIV-exposed uninfected (HEU) infants in tuberculosis (TB) endemic settings are at high risk ofMycobacterium tuberculosis(Mtb) infection and TB disease, even in the absence of known Mtb exposure. Because infancy is a time of rapid progression from primary infection to active TB disease, it is important to define when and how TB preventive interventions exert their effect in order to develop effective prevention strategies in this high-risk population.

Methods and analysis

We designed a non-blinded randomised controlled trial to determine efficacy of isoniazid (INH) to prevent primary Mtb infection among HEU children. Target sample size is 300 (150 infants in each arm). Children are enrolled at 6 weeks of age from maternal and child health clinics in Kenya and are randomised to receive 12 months of daily INH ~10 mg/kg plus pyridoxine or no INH. The primary endpoint is Mtb infection, assessed by interferon-gamma release assay QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus (QFT-Plus) or tuberculin skin test after 12 months post-enrolment. Secondary outcomes include severe adverse events, expanded Mtb infection definition using additional QFT-Plus supernatant markers and determining correlates of Mtb infection. Exploratory analyses include a combined outcome of TB infection, disease and mortality, and sensitivity analyses excluding infants with baseline TB-specific responses on flow cytometry.

Ethics and dissemination

An external and independent Data and Safety Monitoring Board monitors adverse events. Results will be disseminated through peer-reviewed journals, presentations at local and international conferences to national and global policy-makers, the local community and participants.

Trial registration number

NCT02613169; Pre-results.
Evidence versus advocacy, as related to radiofrequency denervation in the treatment of chronic low back pain and the MINT trials
Authors: Lanier William L , Neal Joseph M
Published: January 2020

In 2017,JAMA: Journal of the American Medical Associationpublished the results of the MINT trials, prospective research involving 681 patients, all of whom received exercise therapy for low back pain. Half of the patients were randomized to additionally receive radiofrequency denervation (RFD) treatment. 88% of patients completed the 3-month follow-up, and 77% completed the 12-month follow-up. In this context, RFD provided no added benefit over the baseline of exercise therapy. In 2018, five authors, all experts in pain medicine, published a ‘Daring Discourse’ article in the journalRegional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine(RAPM), criticizing the findings of the MINT trials. Although 3 of the 5 authors of theRAPM‘Daring Discourse’ article reported in conflict of interest statements—as is appropriate—that they were consultants to corporations that produce RFD equipment, the authors failed to disclose that 4 of 5 are on the editorial board ofRAPMand all 5 are current officers in the medical organization that ownsRAPM: that is, the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine. Noteworthy, there was no published response from the MINT trial investigators to the Daring Discourse criticisms, either in the aforementioned example or in downstream venues where some of the same Daring Discourse authors continued their widely disseminated criticisms of theJAMA/MINT trials report. We believe that these actions taken by the Daring Discourse authors andRAPMhave unfairly tipped the scales in the evaluation and application of RFD treatment of low back pain. In our commentary, we discuss: (1) the challenges associated with using clinical trials to predict clinical efficacy, (2) appropriate and inappropriate uses of postpublication commentary on original research findings, (3) the use of inappropriate commentary (and related means) to alter clinical practice in the presence of contradictory research findings, and (4) potential conflicts of interest related to the authors’ andJournal’spublication of the unopposed MINT trials criticism.
Performance analysis of a dual-loop cooling system for engineering vehicles
Authors: Yu Chao , Qin Sicheng , Chai Bosen
Published: January 2020

To improve the efficiency of heat transfer from the cooling system of non-road mobile machinery, a modification has been made to the classic cooling system. Specifically, we divide the classic cooling system into two independent cooling loops, namely, the high-temperature cooling loop and the low-temperature cooling loop. Through simulation and experimentation, the dual-loop cooling system was systematically studied, and it was found that the heat dissipation of the dual-loop cooling system was better than that of the single-loop cooling system. In comparison with the classic cooling system, the volume factor of our system increased by 49.3%, the power factor increased by 24.5%, the effective drag coefficient increased by 5.8%, and the compressed air loop length was shortened by 54.5%. In addition, the dual-loop cooling system can greatly reduce the temperature of pressurized air. The proposed new system can better meet the cooling needs of non-road mobile machinery.
Prompt atmospheric neutrinos in the quark–gluon string model
Authors: Sinegovsky S. I. , Sorokovikov M. N.
Published: January 2020

We calculate the atmospheric flux of prompt neutrinos, produced in decays of the charmed particles at energies beyond 1 TeV. Cross sections of theDmesons and$${\Lambda }^{+}_{c}$$Λc+baryons production inpAand$$\pi A$$πAcollisions are calculated in the phenomenological quark–gluon string model (QGSM) which is updated using recent measurements of cross sections of the charmed meson production in the LHC experiments. A new estimate of the prompt atmospheric neutrino flux is obtained and compared with the limit from the IceCube experiment, and with predictions of other charm production models.
Wormhole as a possible accelerator of high-energy cosmic-ray particles
Authors: Kirillov A. A. , Savelova E. P.
Published: January 2020

We present the simplest topological classification of wormholes and demonstrate that in open Friedmann models the genus$$n\ge 1$$n≥1wormholes are stable and do not require the presence of exotic forms of matter, or any modification of general relativity. We show that such wormholes may also possess magnetic fields. It is found that when the wormhole gets into a galaxy or a surrounding region, it works as an accelerator of charged particles. If the income of the energy from radiation is small, such a wormhole works simply as a generator of synchrotron radiation. Estimates show that the threshold energy of such an accelerator may vary from sufficiently modest energies of the order of a few Gev, up to enormous energies of the Planckian order and even higher, depending on wormhole parameters.
Symmetry of solutions for a fractional p-Laplacian equation of Choquard type
Authors: Le Phuong
Published: January 2020

Let [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] be a positive solution of the equation [Formula: see text] We prove that if [Formula: see text] satisfies some decay assumption at infinity, then [Formula: see text] must be radially symmetric and monotone decreasing about some point in [Formula: see text]. Instead of using equivalent fractional systems, we exploit a generalized direct method of moving planes for fractional [Formula: see text]-Laplacian equations with nonlocal nonlinearities. This new approach enables us to cover the full range [Formula: see text] in our results.
Classifying module categories for generalized Temperley–Lieb–Jones ∗-2-categories
Authors: Ferrer Giovanni , Hernández Palomares Roberto
Published: January 2020

Generalized Temperley–Lieb–Jones (TLJ) 2-categories associated to weighted bidirected graphs were introduced in unpublished work of Morrison and Walker. We introduce unitary modules for these generalized TLJ 2-categories as strong ∗-pseudofunctors into the ∗-2-category of row-finite separable bigraded Hilbert spaces. We classify these modules up to ∗-equivalence in terms of weighted bi-directed fair and balanced graphs in the spirit of Yamagami’s classification of fiber functors on TLJ categories and DeCommer and Yamashita’s classification of unitary modules for [Formula: see text].
Finite groups with weakly m-σ-permutable subgroups
Authors: Hussain Muhammad Tanveer , Amjid Venus
Published: January 2020

Let [Formula: see text] be a finite group, [Formula: see text] be a partition of the set of all primes [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]. A set [Formula: see text] of subgroups of [Formula: see text] is said to be a complete Hall[Formula: see text]-set of [Formula: see text] if every non-identity member of [Formula: see text] is a Hall [Formula: see text]-subgroup of [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] contains exactly one Hall [Formula: see text]-subgroup of [Formula: see text] for every [Formula: see text]. A subgroup [Formula: see text] of [Formula: see text] is said to be [Formula: see text]-permutable in [Formula: see text] if [Formula: see text] possesses a complete Hall [Formula: see text]-set [Formula: see text] such that [Formula: see text] for all [Formula: see text] and all [Formula: see text]. Let [Formula: see text] be a subgroup of [Formula: see text]. [Formula: see text] is: [Formula: see text]-[Formula: see text]-permutable in [Formula: see text] if [Formula: see text] for some modular subgroup [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]-permutable subgroup [Formula: see text] of [Formula: see text]; weakly[Formula: see text]-[Formula: see text]-permutable in [Formula: see text] if there are an [Formula: see text]-[Formula: see text]-permutable subgroup [Formula: see text] and a [Formula: see text]-subnormal subgroup [Formula: see text] of [Formula: see text] such that [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text].

In this paper, we investigate the influence of weakly [Formula: see text]-[Formula: see text]-permutable subgroups on the structure of finite groups.