bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Diagnostic Accuracy of Coronary Computed Tomography Before Aortic Valve Replacement
Authors: Chaikriangkrai Kongkiat , Jhun Hye Yeon , Shantha Ghanshyam Palamaner Subash , Abdulhak Aref Bin , Tandon Rudhir , Alqasrawi Musab , Klappa Anthony , Pancholy Samir , Deshmukh Abhishek , Bhama Jay , Sigurdsson Gardar
Published: January 2018

Purpose:

In aortic stenosis patients referred for surgical and transcatheter aortic valve replacement (AVR), the evidence of diagnostic accuracy of coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) has been limited. The objective of this study was to investigate the diagnostic accuracy of CCTA for significant coronary artery disease (CAD) in patients referred for AVR using invasive coronary angiography (ICA) as the gold standard.

Materials and Methods:

We searched databases for all diagnostic studies of CCTA in patients referred for AVR, which reported diagnostic testing characteristics on patient-based analysis required to pool summary sensitivity, specificity, positive-likelihood ratio, and negative-likelihood ratio. Significant CAD in both CCTA and ICA was defined by >50% stenosis in any coronary artery, coronary stent, or bypass graft.

Results:

Thirteen studies evaluated 1498 patients (mean age, 74 y; 47% men; 76% transcatheter AVR). The pooled prevalence of significant stenosis determined by ICA was 43%. Hierarchical summary receiver-operating characteristic analysis demonstrated a summary area under curve of 0.96. The pooled sensitivity, specificity, and positive-likelihood and negative-likelihood ratios of CCTA in identifying significant stenosis determined by ICA were 95%, 79%, 4.48, and 0.06, respectively. In subgroup analysis, the diagnostic profiles of CCTA were comparable between surgical and transcatheter AVR.

Conclusions:

Despite the higher prevalence of significant CAD in patients with aortic stenosis than with other valvular heart diseases, our meta-analysis has shown that CCTA has a suitable diagnostic accuracy profile as a gatekeeper test for ICA. Our study illustrates a need for further study of the potential role of CCTA in preoperative planning for AVR.
A discrete fibre dispersion method for excluding fibres under compression in the modelling of fibrous tissues
Authors: Li Kewei , Ogden Ray W. , Holzapfel Gerhard A.
Published: January 2018

Recently, micro-sphere-based methods derived from the angular integration approach have been used for excluding fibres under compression in the modelling of soft biological tissues. However, recent studies have revealed that many of the widely used numerical integration schemes over the unit sphere are inaccurate for large deformation problems even without excluding fibres under compression. Thus, in this study, we propose a discrete fibre dispersion model based on a systematic method for discretizing a unit hemisphere into a finite number of elementary areas, such as spherical triangles. Over each elementary area, we define a representative fibre direction and a discrete fibre density. Then, the strain energy of all the fibres distributed over each elementary area is approximated based on the deformation of the representative fibre direction weighted by the corresponding discrete fibre density. A summation of fibre contributions over all elementary areas then yields the resultant fibre strain energy. This treatment allows us to exclude fibres under compression in a discrete manner by evaluating the tension–compression status of the representative fibre directions only. We have implemented this model in a finite-element programme and illustrate it with three representative examples, including simple tension and simple shear of a unit cube, and non-homogeneous uniaxial extension of a rectangular strip. The results of all three examples are consistent and accurate compared with the previously developed continuous fibre dispersion model, and that is achieved with a substantial reduction of computational cost.
Saturation limits the contribution of acceleration feedback to balancing against reaction delay
Authors: Zhang Li , Stepan Gabor , Insperger Tamas
Published: January 2018

A nonlinear model for human balancing subjected to a saturated delayed proportional–derivative–acceleration (PDA) feedback is analysed. Compared to the proportional–derivative (PD) controller, it is confirmed that the PDA controller improves local stability even for large feedback delays. However, it is shown that the saturated PDA controller typically introduces subcritical Hopf bifurcation into the system, which can also lead to falling for large enough perturbations. The subcriticality becomes stronger as the acceleration feedback gain increases or the saturation torque limit decreases. These explain some features of human balancing failure related to the increased reaction delay of inactive elderly people.
Recent advances in multidimensional ultrafast spectroscopy
Authors: Oliver Thomas A. A.
Published: January 2018

Multidimensional ultrafast spectroscopies are one of the premier tools to investigate condensed phase dynamics of biological, chemical and functional nanomaterial systems. As they reach maturity, the variety of frequency domains that can be explored has vastly increased, with experimental techniques capable of correlating excitation and emission frequencies from the terahertz through to the ultraviolet. Some of the most recent innovations also include extreme cross-peak spectroscopies that directly correlate the dynamics of electronic and vibrational states. This review article summarizes the key technological advances that have permitted these recent advances, and the insights gained from new multidimensional spectroscopic probes.
An overlooked plant–parakeet mutualism counteracts human overharvesting on an endangered tree
Authors: Speziale Karina L. , Lambertucci Sergio A. , Gleiser Gabriela , Tella José L. , Hiraldo Fernando , Aizen Marcelo A.
Published: January 2018

The exponential growth of the human population often causes the overexploitation of resources and disruption of ecological interactions. Here, we propose that the antagonist effect of humans on exploited species might be alleviated with the advent of a second predator species. We focused on the complex interactions between an endangered conifer (
Araucaria araucana
) and two seed exploiters: the Austral parakeet (
Enicognathus ferrugineus
) and human seed collectors. We tested the importance of partial seed consumption by parakeets as an escape from human seed harvesting. Although parakeets frequently ate whole seeds, a substantial proportion of the seeds found under trees were only partially eaten and avoided by human seed collectors. These seeds germinated at a similar proportion but faster than intact seeds under laboratory conditions. Our results revealed an overlooked mutualism between parakeets and an endangered tree. Incomplete seed eating by parakeets, plus selection against these eaten seeds by humans, may enhance regeneration possibilities for this conifer species subject to human seed collection, turning the scale of the antagonism–mutualism continuum to the mutualistic side. In this context, parakeets might be providing an important service in those forests subject to human harvesting by allowing a fraction of seeds to escape human predation.
RNAi screening of the tyrosine kinome in primary patient samples of acute myeloid leukemia
Authors: Edwards David K. , Eryildiz Fatma , Tyner Jeffrey W.
Published: January 2018

Targeted therapy has proven to be successful in improving outcomes across multiple cancer types. However, many challenges still remain for implementation of this strategy in most patient cohorts, especially with the challenges of identifying the specific mutations or abnormalities in a heterogeneous tumor that are functionally significant. Previously, we developed a functional screening assay, RNAi-assisted protein target identification (RAPID) technology, which evaluates the viability of tumor cells after exposure to siRNAs against members of the tyrosine kinome and NRAS/KRAS. Here, we publish the comprehensive results of this screen for 332 primary AML patient samples. Data from these screening efforts have already helped identify previously unknown therapeutic targets, and will continue to provide insights into better treatment strategies for these patients.
A contribution of FcγRIIIa cosignaling in TFHsubset development in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
Authors: Chauhan Anil K
Published: January 2018

Background

Expansion of follicular helper T cells (TFH) population occurs in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and their numbers correlate with autoantibody titers. In this study, we sought to examine the role of ICs (FcγRIIIa costimulation) play in TFHcells development.

Methods

We examined the presence of blood TFHcells using multicolor flow analysis in SLE patientsin vivo. We then examined the development of these cellsin vitrousing plate-bound ICs. Performed differential expression analysis in cells activated via FcγRIIIa and compared to CD28 cosignaling.

Results

In SLE patients PBMCs, CD4+gated T cells show IC binding and phosphorylated spleen tyrosine kinase (pSyk). These pSyk+cells express PD1, ICOS, IL-21, and Bcl6, the TFHpopulation markers.In vitroactivation from plate-bound ICs of human naïve CD4+T cells results in the differentiation of TFHlike cells phenotype. We show that FcγRIIIa-pSyk cosignaling in Bcl6+IL-21+cells drives the production of both IFN-γ(TFH1) and IL-17A (TFH17) production. TLR9 engagement by CpG ODN 2006 combined with FcγRIIIa costimulation of CD4+T cells augments, IL-17A, IL-21 production in Bcl6+T cells. FcγRIIIa cosignaling induced the overexpression of microRNAs that participate in TLR signaling and are associated with TFHcell differentiation. RNA-seq data reveal pathways that may contribute to the development of TFHcells and nucleic acid sensing.

Conclusion

Our results suggest a role for FcγRIIIa receptors in TFHdevelopment and a role for nucleic acid sensing in the expansion of TFHcells.
Inhibition of Hsp70 suppresses neuronal hyperexcitability and attenuates seizures by enhancing A-type potassium currents
Authors: Hu Fang , Zhou Jingheng , Lu Yanxin , Guan Lizhao , Wei Ning-ning , Huang Zhuo , Tang Yi-Quan , Wang KeWei
Published: January 2018

The heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) is upregulated in response to stress and has been implicated as a stress marker in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). However, whether Hsp70 plays a pathologic or protective role in TLE remains unclear. Here we report that Hsp70 exerts an unexpected deleterious role in kainic acid (KA)-induced seizures, and inhibition of Hsp70 suppresses neuronal hyperexcitability and attenuates both acute and chronic seizures via enhancing A-type potassium currents primarily formed by Kv4 α-subunits and auxiliary KChIPs. Proteosomal degradation of Kv4-KChIP4a channel complexes is enhanced by Hsp70, which can be reversed by the Hsp70 inhibitors, 2-phenylethynesulfonamide (PES) and VER-155008 (VER). In cultured hippocampal neurons, either PES or VER can increase A-type Kv4 current to suppress neuronal hyperexcitability. Mechanistically, Hsp70-CHIP complexes directly bind to the N-terminus of auxiliary KChIP4a and target Kv4-KChIP4a complexes to the proteasome. Our findings reveal a previously unrecognized role of Hsp70 in mediating degradation of Kv4-KChIP4a complexes and regulating neuronal excitability, thus highlighting a therapeutic potential for hyperexcitability-related neurological disorders through Hsp70 inhibition.
Determining rewiring effects of alternatively spliced isoforms on protein-protein interactions using a computational approach
Authors: Narykov Oleksandr , Johnson Nathan , Korkin Dmitry
Published: January 2018

The critical role of alternative splicing (AS) in cell functioning has recently become apparent, whether in studying tissue-or cell-specific regulation, or understanding molecular mechanisms governing a complex disorder. Studying the rewiring, or edgetic, effects of alternatively spliced isoforms on protein interactome can provide system-wide insights into these questions. Unfortunately, high-throughput experiments for such studies are expensive and time-consuming, hence the need to develop an in-silico approach. Here, we formulated the problem of characterization the edgetic effects of AS on protein-protein interactions (PPIs) as a binary classification problem and introduced a first computational approach to solve it. We first developed a supervised feature-based classifier that benefited from the traditional features describing a PPI, the problem-specific features that characterized the difference between the reference and alternative isoforms, and a novel domain interaction potential that allowed pinpointing the domains employed during a specific PPI. We then expanded this approach by including a large set of unlabeled interactomics data and developing a semi-supervised learning method. Our method called AS-IN (Alternatively Splicing INteraction prediction) Tool was compared with the state-of-the-art PPI prediction tools and showed a superior performance, achieving 0.92 in precision and recall. We demonstrated the utility of AS-IN Tool by applying it to the transcriptomic data obtained from the brain and liver tissues of a healthy mouse and western diet fed mouse that developed type two diabetes. We showed that the edgetic effects of differentially expressed transcripts associated with the disease condition are system-wide and unlikely to be detected by looking only at the gene-specific expression levels.
A new mononuclear neutral high-spin iron(III) complex with the different tridentate ligands 5-bromosalicylaldehyde (pyridin-2-yl)hydrazone and 5-bromosalicylaldehyde thiosemicarbazone
Authors: Zhao Yun , Shen Xiao-Feng , Zhang Li-Fang
Published: January 2018

The title neutral mononuclear complex, [1-(5-bromo-2-oxidobenzylidene)thiosemicarbazidato](4-bromo-2-{[2-(pyridin-2-yl)hydrazinylidene]methyl}phenolato)iron(III), [Fe(C8H6BrN3OS)(C12H9BrN3O)] (I), crystallizes in the monoclinic space group C
2/c and has two different planar tridentate ligands. The central FeIII ion is coordinated to three N, two O and one S atom, forming a distorted octahedral FeN3O2S coordination geometry. In the crystal, the complex molecules are linked by N—H...O and N—H...N hydrogen bonds and π–π interactions into layers parallel to (100). Magnetic measurements show that the central FeIII ion is in the high-spin state; this is also supported by the bond distances around the FeIII ion.
Crystal structure and Hirshfeld surface analysis of aquabis(nicotinamide-κN
1)bis(2,4,6-trimethylbenzoato-κ2
O,O′)cadmium(II)
Authors: Hökelek Tuncer , Özkaya Safiye , Necefoğlu Hacali
Published: January 2018

The asymmetric unit of the title complex, [Cd(C10H11O2)2(C6H6N2O)2(H2O)], contains one half of the complex molecule, with the CdII cation and the coordinated water O atom residing on a twofold rotation axis. The CdII cation is coordinated in a bidentate manner to the carboxylate O atoms of the two symmetry-related 2,4,6-trimethylbenzoate (TMB) anions and to the water O atom at distances of 2.297 (2), 2.527 (2) and 2.306 (3) Å to form a distorted pentagonal arrangement, while the distorted pentagonal–bipyramidal coordination sphere is completed by the two pyridine N atoms of the two symmetry-related monodentate nicotinamide (NA) ligands at distances of 2.371 (3) Å in the axial positions. In the crystal, molecules are linked via intermolecular N—H...O, O—H...O and C—H...O hydrogen bonds with R
2
2(12), R
3
3(8), R
3
3(14), R
3
3(16), R
3
3(20), R
3
3(22), R
4
4(22), R
5
5(16), R
6
6(16) and R
6
6(18) ring motifs, forming a three-dimensional architecture. The Hirshfeld surface analysis of the crystal structure indicates that the most important contributions for the crystal packing are H...H (56.9%), H...C/C...H (21.3%) and H...O/O...H (19.0%) interactions.
α-D,L-Sorbose
Authors: Taguchi Hiroaki , Sogo Kouta , Ishii Tomohiko , Yoshihara Akihide , Fukada Kazuhiro
Published: January 2018

The racemic title compound, C6H12O6, consisting of C-4 epimers of psicose, was crystallized from an aqueous solution of an equimolar mixture of D- and L-sorboses. It was confirmed that D-sorbose (or L-sorbose) formed α-pyranose with a 4
C
1 (or 1
C
4) conformation where the anomer position was designated as carbon-1. The asymmetric unit comprises two crystallographically independent molecules. In the crystal, molecules are linked by O—H...O hydrogen bonds, forming a three-dimensional framework. The unit-cell volume of the title racemic α-D,L-sorbose is 1450.86 (6) Å3 (Z = 8), which is about 41 Å3 smaller than that of twice the amount of chiral α-L-sorbose [V = 745.942 Å3 (Z = 4)].
Employee learning in high-contact service industries
Authors: Yee Rachel W.Y. , Lee Peter K.C. , Yeung Andy C.L. , Cheng T.C.E.
Published: January 2018

Purpose

Employee learning is imperative in the dynamic service environment; yet, much is still unknown about its strategic importance. The purpose of this paper is to extend the understanding of learning by focusing on the strategic importance of learning goal orientation (LGO) in customer-contact employees in service industries characterized with high customer contact.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper adopts the multi-method approach by conducting two studies in the high-contact service sector. Study 1 is a large-scale, multiple-respondent survey that investigates the associations between LGO and its antecedents and performance outcomes. To supplement study 1, study 2 embraces case studies that identify the managerial supportive practices and outcomes of customer-contact employees’ learning behaviors.

Findings

The results of study 1 demonstrate that employees’ affective organizational commitment does not yield higher-quality services unless the service employees are learning oriented. The findings of study 1 also indicate that management commitment to service quality has positive effects on both LGO and affective organizational commitment. In study 2, the results reveal the practical methods that managers can employ to effectively promote such activities.

Originality/value

This research offers novel insights into research on learning by showing the strategic importance of LGO to enhancing high-contact service firms’ performance and the practical means of fostering LGO in customer-contact employees.
Generative tools enhance creative and ethical research with children
Authors: Sanders Alane
Published: January 2018

Purpose

Qualitative researchers working with young people consistently face challenges in trying to ethically gain insight into their inner thoughts and worlds. The purpose of this paper is to examine how the use of generative tools in conjunction with qualitative interviewing with young people can enhance creativity and reflexivity, while mitigating adult-child power dynamics.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper draws upon ethnographic research conducted by the author examining the interplay between emotion, communication, and schooling at a public high school. Participant observation, use of generative tools to make collages representing each student’s experience, and in-depth interviews guided by the student-created visuals were triangulated to more fully understand the students’ experiences.

Findings

Generative tools foster reflexivity in both researcher and participants, lesson adult-child power dynamic concerns, and foster creativity without the requirement of drawing ability. Integrating the collaging process into in-depth interviews enabled students to privilege their primary thoughts, experiences, and concerns related to the issues being studied, mitigating concerns over adults overpowering and controlling the focus of the interview.

Originality/value

Generative tools can complement and enhance time-honored qualitative methods to alleviate ongoing concerns about ethical and accurate research with young people. Researchers are encouraged to embrace creative methods to engage young people in ethical and thoughtful reflection on and sharing of their experiences. Creative methods are also useful in empowering young people to imagine their world otherwise creating new possibilities for the future.
Regulatory Constraints on Public Sector Innovation: A Case Study on Queensland's Independent Public School Program
Authors: Lane Aaron M.
Published: January 2018

Innovation is essential to the improvement of public sector services, yet restrictive regulations may constrain this process. This paper draws on the school autonomy literature to advance our understanding of the effect of regulatory constraints on public sector innovation, using Queensland's Independent Public Schools (IPS) program as a case study and example of regulatory change. The IPS program commenced operation in 2013. Schools are accepted into the program through an expression of interest application. Application forms require individual schools to outline the ‘innovative educational programs or practices’ the school will be able to implement if it is accepted as an IPS (Innovation Question). A textual content analysis was undertaken of the Innovation Question for a total of 127 successful applications in the 2013, 2014 and 2015 rounds. Coding was developed based on the Schumpeterian forms of innovation. Overall the results show that the Queensland IPS initiative will foster innovation according to principal's perceptions about the innovative practices that they will be able to implement as an IPS. The paper finds that the current centralised service delivery model is constraining innovation with respect to staffing flexibility, school partnerships, leasing and licensing of facilities and in managing school buildings, facilities and infrastructure.
The size at reproduction of canopy tree species in central Africa
Authors: Ouédraogo Dakis‐Yaoba , Doucet Jean‐Louis , Daïnou Kasso , Baya Fidèle , Biwolé Achille Bernard , Bourland Nils , Fétéké Fousséni , Gillet Jean‐François , Kouadio Yao Lambert , Fayolle Adeline
Published: January 2018

Size at reproduction is a key aspect of species life history that is relatively understudied for long‐lived tropical trees. Here, we quantified reproductive diameter for 31 major timber species across 11 sites in Cameroon, Congo, and Central African Republic. Specifically, we examined whether (1) between‐species variability is correlated with other species traits; (2) reproductive diameter varies within‐species among sites; (3) reproductive status varies with crown exposure; and (4) the minimum cutting diameter limits (MCDL) imposed by national forest regulations enable seed trees to persist after logging operations. Consistent with studies conducted elsewhere in the tropics, we found great variability in diameter at reproduction among species, which correlated with adult stature (maximum diameter and height). For some species, reproductive diameter thresholds substantially varied between sites, and crown exposure had a significant positive effect on reproductive status. Most MCDLs were found to be suitable, with trees having a high probability of being seed trees at MCDL. Our findings have implications for the sustainable management of production forests, and they highlight questionable MCDLs for some species and between‐site variation in reproductive diameter. The study also highlights the need for long‐term phenological monitoring of tree species spanning a large range of ecological strategies to address both theoretical (species life history, allocation trade‐offs) and practical questions (MCDL).
The status of dermoscopy in Germany – results of the cross‐sectional Pan‐Euro‐Dermoscopy Study
Authors: Blum Andreas , Kreusch Jürgen , Stolz Wilhelm , Argenziano Giuseppe , Forsea Ana‐Maria , Marmol V. Del , Zalaudek Iris , Soyer H. Peter , Haenssle Holger A.
Published: January 2018

Background

Survey on the current status of dermoscopy in Germany.

Methods

In the context of a pan‐European internet‐based study (n = 7,480) conducted by the International Dermoscopy Society, 880 German dermatologists were asked to answer questions with respect to their level of training as well as their use and perceived benefit of dermoscopy.

Results

Seven hundred and sixty‐two (86.6 %) participants practiced dermatology in a publicly funded health care setting; 98.4 % used a dermoscope in routine clinical practice. About 93 % (n = 814) stated to have had more than five years of experience in the use of dermoscopy. Dermoscopy was considered useful in the diagnosis of melanoma by 93.6 % (n = 824); for pigmented skin tumors, by 92.4 % (n = 813); in the follow‐up of melanocytic lesions, by 88.6 % (n = 780); for non‐pigmented lesions, by 71.4 % (n = 628), in the follow‐up of non‐melanocytic lesions, by 52.7 % (n = 464); and for inflammatory skin lesions, by 28.5 % (n = 251). Overall, 86.5 % (n = 761) of participants felt that – compared to naked‐eye examination – dermoscopy increased the number of melanomas diagnosed; 77,7 % (n = 684) considered the number of unnecessary excisions of benign lesions to be decreased. Participants who personally felt that dermoscopy improved their ability to diagnose melanoma were significantly i) younger, ii) had been practicing dermatology for a shorter period of time, iii) were less commonly employed by an university‐affiliated dermatology department, iv) were more frequently working in an office‐based public health care setting, and v) had more frequently been trained in dermoscopy during their dermatology residency.

Conclusions

The findings presented herein ought to be integrated into future residency and continuing medical education programs with the challenge to improve dermato‐oncological care and to expand the diagnostic spectrum of dermoscopy to include inflammatory skin diseases.
Prevalence and correlates of depressive symptoms in older adults across the glycaemic spectrum: the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study
Authors: Rawlings A. M. , Sharrett A. R. , Golden S. H. , Windham B. G. , Selvin E.
Published: January 2018

Aims

To document the prevalence of current depressive symptoms and history of depression across the glycaemic spectrum in older adults, and examine if measures of health status and healthcare satisfaction, access and utilization explain differences in the prevalence of current depressive symptoms by diabetes status.

Methods

We conducted a cross‐sectional study of 6226 participants aged 67–90 years who attended the 2011–2013 visit of the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study. Diabetes was based on self‐report, medication use and HbA1c. Current depressive symptoms were defined using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression 11‐item questionnaire, and history of depression was assessed via self‐report. We examined obesity, history of cardiovascular disease, hypertension, kidney disease, cognitive function, and self‐reported health compared with others. Prevalence and prevalence ratios were estimated using age‐, race‐, and sex‐adjusted Poisson regression.

Results

The prevalence of current depressive symptoms was 5.4% in people without diabetes and 11.0% in people with diabetes (prevalence ratio 2.04, 95% CI 1.60, 2.48); the prevalence of history of depression was 11% in people without diabetes and 17.7% in people with diabetes (prevalence ratio 1.61, 95% CI 1.28,1.95). Strong correlates of current depressive symptoms were history of depression (prevalence ratio 3.86, 95% CI 3.05, 4.90) and reporting poor health compared with others (prevalence ratio 3.88, 95% CI 2.93, 5.15). No variables had significantly different associations with depressive symptoms across glycaemic categories (P for interaction >0.10).

Conclusions

In older adults, current depressive symptoms were twice as prevalent in people with diabetes compared with those without. Measures of health status and healthcare did not explain differences in depressive symptoms between people with and without diabetes.
Interplay between Trx‐1 and S100P promotes colorectal cancer cell epithelial–mesenchymal transition by up‐regulating S100A4 through AKT activation
Authors: Zuo Zhigui , Zhang Peili , Lin Feiyan , Shang Wenjing , Bi Ruichun , Lu Fengying , Wu Jianbo , Jiang Lei
Published: January 2018

We previously reported a novel positive feedback loop between thioredoxin‐1 (Trx‐1) and S100P, which promotes the invasion and metastasis of colorectal cancer (CRC). However, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain poorly understood. In this study, we examined the roles of Trx‐1 and S100P in CRC epithelial‐to‐mesenchymal transition (EMT) and their underlying mechanisms. We observed that knockdown of Trx‐1 or S100P in SW620 cells inhibited EMT, whereas overexpression of Trx‐1 or S100P in SW480 cells promoted EMT. Importantly, S100A4 and the phosphorylation of AKT were identified as potential downstream targets of Trx‐1 and S100P in CRC cells. Silencing S100A4 or inhibition of AKT phosphorylation eliminated S100P‐ or Trx‐1‐mediated CRC cell EMT, migration and invasion. Moreover, inhibition of AKT activity reversed S100P‐ or Trx‐1‐induced S100A4 expression. The expression of S100A4 was higher in human CRC tissues compared with their normal counterpart tissues and was significantly correlated with lymph node metastasis and poor survival. The overexpression of S100A4 protein was also positively correlated with S100P or Trx‐1 protein overexpression in our cohort of CRC tissues. In addition, overexpression of S100P reversed the Trx‐1 knockdown‐induced inhibition of S100A4 expression, EMT and migration and invasion in SW620 cells. The data suggest that interplay between Trx‐1 and S100P promoted CRC EMT as well as migration and invasion by up‐regulating S100A4 through AKT activation, thus providing further potential therapeutic targets for suppressing the EMT in metastatic CRC.
Pharmacokinetics of cefquinome in healthy and Pasteurella multocida‐infected rabbits
Authors: Elazab S. T. , Schrunk D. E. , Griffith R. W. , Ensley S. M. , Dell'Anna G. , Mullin K. , Elsayed M. G. , Amer M. S. , El‐Nabtity S. M. , Hsu W. H.
Published: January 2018

The pharmacokinetics of cefquinome were studied in healthy and Pasteurella multocida‐infected rabbits after a single intramuscular (IM) injection at 2 mg/kg of its sulfate salt. Twelve female New Zealand white rabbits (2.0–2.5 kg) were used; six of them served as controls, and the other six had been infected with P. multocida; the experiments were conducted 1–2 days after nasal inoculation of P. multocida when rabbits showed the signs of respiratory infection. Plasma concentrations of cefquinome were determined using high‐performance liquid chromatography. The values of elimination half‐life, area under the curve, area under the first moment curve, and mean residence time were significantly lower in infected rabbits (0.48 hr, 4.54 hr*μg/ml, 3.63 hr* hr*μg/ml and 0.8 hr, respectively) than healthy rabbits (0.72 hr, 9.11 hr*μg/ml, 9.85 hr* hr*μg/ml and 1.1 hr, respectively), whereas total body clearance was significantly higher in infected than healthy rabbits. Therefore, P. multocida infection caused significant changes in some of the pharmacokinetic parameters of cefquinome in rabbits. These pharmacokinetic changes may affect dose regimen when used in P. multocida‐infected rabbits.
The applicability of modern tidal analogues to pre‐vegetation paralic depositional models
Authors: Bradley Ginny‐Marie , Redfern Jonathan , Hodgetts David , George Annette D. , Wach Grant D.
Published: January 2018

In modern siliciclastic environments terrestrial and aquatic vegetation binds substrate, controls weathering and erosion rates, influences run‐off, sediment supply and subsequent depositional architecture. This study assesses the applicability of modern depositional models that are impacted by vascular vegetation, as analogues for ancient pre‐land plant systems. A review of pre‐Devonian published literature demonstrates a paucity of described tidal successions; this is possibly due to the application of modern analogues for interpreting the record when there is a lack of tidal indicators. This paucity suggests a need for revised models of tidal deposition that consider the different environmental conditions prior to land plant evolution. This study examines the Ordovician–Silurian Tumblagooda Sandstone, which is exposed in the gorge of the Murchison River and coastal cliffs near Kalbarri, Western Australia. The Tumblagooda Sandstone comprises stacked sand‐rich facies, with well‐preserved bedforms and trace fossils. Previous interpretations of the depositional setting have proposed from a mixed sheet‐braided fluvial and intertidal flats; to a continental setting dominated by fluvial and aeolian processes. An enigmatic element is the rarity of mud‐rich facies preserved in the succession. Outcrop logging, facies and petrographic analysis record dominantly shallow water conditions with episodes of emergence. Abundant ichnotaxa indicate that marine conditions and bi‐directional flow structures are evidence for an intertidal and subtidal depositional environment. A macrotidal estuary setting is proposed, with evidence for tidal channels and repeated fluvial incursions. Physical and biogenic sedimentary structures are indicative of tidal conditions. The lack of clay and silt resulted in the absence of flaser or lenticular‐bedding. Instead cyclic deposition of thin beds and foreset bioturbation replaced mud drape deposits. Higher energy conditions prevailed in the absence of the binding activity of plants in the terrestrial and marine realm. This is suggestive of different weathering processes and a reduction in the preservation of some sedimentary features.
Evolution of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa Aminoglycoside Mutational Resistome
In Vitro
and in the Cystic Fibrosis Setting
Authors: López-Causapé Carla , Rubio Rosa , Cabot Gabriel , Oliver Antonio
Published: January 2018

Inhaled administration of high doses of aminoglycosides is a key maintenance treatment of
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
chronic respiratory infections in cystic fibrosis (CF). We analyzed the dynamics and mechanisms of stepwise high-level tobramycin resistance development
in vitro
and compared the results with those of isogenic pairs of susceptible and resistant clinical isolates. Resistance development correlated with
fusA1
mutations
in vitro
and
in vivo. pmrB
mutations, conferring polymyxin resistance, were also frequently selected
in vitro
. In contrast, mutational overexpression of MexXY, a hallmark of aminoglycoside resistance in CF, was not observed in
in vitro
evolution experiments.
Draft Genome Sequence of
Aeromonas hydrophila
Strain Ae25, Isolated from a Septicemic Moribund Koi Carp (
Cyprinus carpio
) in Sri Lanka
Authors: Honein Karim , Jagoda S. S. S. De S. , Arulkanthan A. , Ushio Hideki , Asakawa Shuichi
Published: January 2018

Motile aeromonad septicemia caused by mesophilic strains of
Aeromonas hydrophila
is a widespread problem in cultured freshwater fish. We announce here the draft genome sequence of the multidrug-resistant
A. hydrophila
strain Ae25, isolated from a koi carp (
Cyprinus carpio
) with motile aeromonad septicemia that was collected from an ornamental fish-breeding farm in Sri Lanka.
Complete Closed Genome Sequence of Nontoxigenic Invasive
Corynebacterium diphtheriae
bv. mitis Strain ISS 3319
Authors: Azevedo Antunes Camila , Richardson Emily J. , Quick Joshua , Fuentes-Utrilla Pablo , Isom Georgia L. , Goodall Emily C. , Möller Jens , Hoskisson Paul A. , Mattos-Guaraldi Ana Luiza , Cunningham Adam F. , Loman Nicholas J. , Sangal Vartul , Burkovski Andreas , Henderson Ian R.
Published: January 2018

The genome sequence of the human pathogen
Corynebacterium diphtheriae
bv. mitis strain ISS 3319 was determined and closed in this study. The genome is estimated to have 2,404,936 bp encoding 2,257 proteins. This strain also possesses a plasmid of 1,960 bp.
Follow-up patterns and associated risk factors after paediatric cataract surgery: observation over a 5-year period
Authors: Chougule Pratik , Murat Shamsiya , Mohamed Ashik , Kekunnaya Ramesh
Published: January 2018

Purpose

To study the pattern of compliance to follow-up of children less than 5 years of age undergoing surgery for congenital and developmental cataract over a period of 5 years.

Methods

It is a retrospective study of children less than 5 years of age undergoing cataract surgery between January and December 2010 for congenital or developmental cataract and followed up until 31 December 2015. Age, sex, distance from hospital and urban or rural habitat, delay in presentation, socioeconomic status, laterality, morphology and type of cataract, implantation of intraocular lens and interventions done were noted. Compliance to follow-up at postoperative 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year and then once a year until 5 years were recorded.

Results

169 patients were included in the study. The median follow-up was 22 months. Median age at surgery was 10 months and had a negative correlation with total follow-up. Male-to-female ratio was 1.82. Logarithmic curve of follow-up was noticed with 85%, 61%, 55%, 52%, 39% and 28% patients attending 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, 3 years and 5 years of follow-up, respectively. Low socioeconomic group had poor follow-up compared with higher socioeconomic group (P=0.009), but the curve of follow-up was similar in both groups; multiple interventions group had better follow-up (P<0.0001).

Conclusion

Curve of loss to follow-up is logarithmic in children undergoing paediatric cataract surgery. Age at surgery and low economic status are the most important factors associated with poor follow-up.
Study on spin filtering and switching action in a double-triangular network chain
Authors: Zhang Yongmei
Published: January 2018

Spin transport properties of a double-triangular quantum network with local magnetic moment on backbones and magnetic flux penetrating the network plane are studied. Numerical simulation results show that such a quantum network will be a good candidate for spin filter and spin switch. Local dispersion and density of states are considered in the framework of tight-binding approximation. Transmission coefficients are calculated by the method of transfer matrix. Spin transmission is regulated by substrate magnetic moment and magnetic flux piercing those triangles. Experimental realization of such theoretical research will be conducive to designing of new spintronic devices.
Kolon FnC’s Global Expansion Strategy
Authors: Kim Hyojung , Lee Jinju , Kwon Ki-Hwan
Published: January 2018

Korean fashion firms face difficulties in sustaining their growth momentum because of market stagnation and the aggressive entry of global luxury and SPA brands. To find a breakthrough, local fashion firms are adopting diverse strategies, including direct entry, licensing, and acquisitions, to successfully tap into the global market.

Kolon FnC, which is among the five affiliates of Kolon Industries, focuses its business in the production and sales of fashion goods and clothing lines. Focusing on its strength as a leading brand power in the sports and outdoor segment, Kolon FnC is making strategic moves, such as diversifying its fashion portfolio, creating new value by collaborating with artists, and enhancing its R&D capability for new garment materials, which is led by one of its sister affiliates, Kolon Fashion Material. Under the leadership of the newly appointed CEO Dong-Mun Park, Kolon FnC is aggressively seeking talented young designers in Korea to differentiate itself from its global competitors. CEO Park strongly believes that talented young Korean designers can be a viable source of competitive advantage against global competitors. Since 2010, Kolon FnC has acquired several small-sized designer shops and fashion accessory shops to diversify its fashion portfolio and to create a young and vibrant brand image. This approach marks a departure from the strategic paths of its major local competitors, as Korean fashion firms typically focus on licensing or acquiring foreign brands. This case aims to identify the practical implications of global expansion strategies by analyzing how the Korean fashion industry has evolved and how Kolon FnC and its competitors have deployed different global expansion strategies in developing their resources and/or capabilities for future growth.
DESIGN OPTIMIZATION OF C-SHAPED SUPERELASTIC SMA SHEET WITH CONSTANT FORCE
Authors: WANG MINGHUI , YU HONGLIU , LIU BAOLIN , ZHU LIANGFAN , LUO YUN
Published: January 2018

Constant force component is very useful in medical device, such as forceps with constant force, which may prevent soft tissues from injures due to overloading. This paper studied the optimization procedure in constant force component for superelastic shape memory alloy, and tried to find the rule of obtaining constant force within a relatively large deformation range for superelastic C-shaped shape memory alloy sheet. The optimization concept of combing finite element analysis in ANSYS with genetic algorithm in MATLAB was presented for designing constant force component using superelastic SMA. The computational optimization and experimental results of the C-shaped shape memory alloy sheet showed that the proposed optimization method was potential for superelastic shape memory alloy. The optimization results were consistent with the experimental results. It was demonstrated that constant force could be obtained within a relatively large deformation range by varying the initial shape of the superelastic SMA component.
Bacterial promoter prediction: Selection of dynamic and static physical properties of DNA for reliable sequence classification
Authors: Ryasik Artem , Orlov Mikhail , Zykova Evgenia , Ermak Timofei , Sorokin Anatoly
Published: January 2018

Predicting promoter activity of DNA fragment is an important task for computational biology. Approaches using physical properties of DNA to predict bacterial promoters have recently gained a lot of attention. To select an adequate set of physical properties for training a classifier, various characteristics of DNA molecule should be taken into consideration. Here, we present a systematic approach that allows us to select less correlated properties for classification by means of both correlation and cophenetic coefficients as well as concordance matrices. To prove this concept, we have developed the first classifier that uses not only sequence and static physical properties of DNA fragment, but also dynamic properties of DNA open states. Therefore, the best performing models with accuracy values up to 90% for all types of sequences were obtained. Furthermore, we have demonstrated that the classifier can serve as a reliable tool enabling promoter DNA fragments to be distinguished from promoter islands despite the similarity of their nucleotide sequences.
Sparse Passive-Aggressive Learning for Bounded Online Kernel Methods
Authors: Lu Jing , Sahoo Doyen , Zhao Peilin , Hoi Steven C. H.
Published: January 2018

One critical deficiency of traditional online kernel learning methods is their unbounded and growing number of support vectors in the online learning process, making them inefficient and non-scalable for large-scale applications. Recent studies on scalable online kernel learning have attempted to overcome this shortcoming, e.g., by imposing a constant budget on the number of support vectors. Although they attempt to bound the number of support vectors at each online learning iteration, most of them fail to bound the number of support vectors for the final output hypothesis, which is often obtained by averaging the series of hypotheses over all the iterations. In this article, we propose a novel framework for bounded online kernel methods, named “Sparse Passive-Aggressive (SPA)” learning, which is able to yield a final output kernel-based hypothesis with a bounded number of support vectors. Unlike the common budget maintenance strategy used by many existing budget online kernel learning approaches, the idea of our approach is to attain the bounded number of support vectors using an efficient stochastic sampling strategy that samples an incoming training example as a new support vector with a probability proportional to its loss suffered. We theoretically prove that SPA achieves an optimal mistake bound in expectation, and we empirically show that it outperforms various budget online kernel learning algorithms. Finally, in addition to general online kernel learning tasks, we also apply SPA to derive bounded online multiple-kernel learning algorithms, which can significantly improve the scalability of traditional Online Multiple-Kernel Classification (OMKC) algorithms while achieving satisfactory learning accuracy as compared with the existing unbounded OMKC algorithms.
Evolutionary Strategy to Perform Batch-Mode Active Learning on Multi-Label Data
Authors: Reyes Oscar , Ventura Sebastián
Published: January 2018

Multi-label learning has become an important area of research owing to the increasing number of real-world problems that contain multi-label data. Data labeling is an expensive process that requires expert handling. The annotation of multi-label data is laborious since a human expert needs to consider the presence/absence of each possible label. Consequently, numerous modern multi-label problems may involve a small number of labeled examples and plentiful unlabeled examples simultaneously. Active learning methods allow us to induce better classifiers by selecting the most useful unlabeled data, thus considerably reducing the labeling effort and the cost of training an accurate model. Batch-mode active learning methods focus on selecting a set of unlabeled examples in each iteration in such a way that the selected examples are informative and as diverse as possible. This article presents a strategy to perform batch-mode active learning on multi-label data. The batch-mode active learning is formulated as a multi-objective problem, and it is solved by means of an evolutionary algorithm. Extensive experiments were conducted in a large collection of datasets, and the experimental results confirmed the effectiveness of our proposal for better batch-mode multi-label active learning.
Targeted deletion of the Ncoa7 gene results in incomplete distal renal tubular acidosis in mice
Authors: Merkulova Maria , Păunescu Teodor G. , Nair Anil V. , Wang Chia-Yu , Capen Diane E. , Oliver Peter L. , Breton Sylvie , Brown Dennis
Published: January 2018

We recently reported that nuclear receptor coactivator 7 (Ncoa7) is a vacuolar proton pumping ATPase (V-ATPase) interacting protein whose function has not been defined. Ncoa7 is highly expressed in the kidney and partially colocalizes with the V-ATPase in collecting duct intercalated cells (ICs). Here, we hypothesized that targeted deletion of the Ncoa7 gene could affect V-ATPase activity in ICs in vivo. We tested this by analyzing the acid-base status, major electrolytes, and kidney morphology of Ncoa7 knockout (KO) mice. We found that Ncoa7 KO mice, similar to Atp6v1b1 KOs, did not develop severe distal renal tubular acidosis (dRTA), but they exhibited a persistently high urine pH and developed hypobicarbonatemia after acid loading with ammonium chloride. Conversely, they did not develop significant hyperbicarbonatemia and alkalemia after alkali loading with sodium bicarbonate. We also found that ICs were larger and with more developed apical microvilli in Ncoa7 KO compared with wild-type mice, a phenotype previously associated with metabolic acidosis. At the molecular level, the abundance of several V-ATPase subunits, carbonic anhydrase 2, and the anion exchanger 1 was significantly reduced in medullary ICs of Ncoa7 KO mice, suggesting that Ncoa7 is important for maintaining high levels of these proteins in the kidney. We conclude that Ncoa7 is involved in IC function and urine acidification in mice in vivo, likely through modulating the abundance of V-ATPase and other key acid-base regulators in the renal medulla. Consequently, mutations in the NCOA7 gene may also be involved in dRTA pathogenesis in humans.