bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Study on CA-CFAR Algorithm Based on Normalization Processing of Background Noise for HI of Optical Fiber
Authors: Wang Yanping , Qu Dandan , Zhao Chao , Yang Dan
Published: July 2018

Optical fiber pre-warning system (OFPS) is often used to monitor the occurrence of disasters such as the leakage of oil and natural gas pipeline. It analyzes the collected vibration signals to judge whether there is any harmful intrusion (HI) events. At present, the research in this field is mainly focused on the constant false alarm rate (CFAR) methods and derivative algorithms to detect intrusion signals. However, the performance of CFAR is often limited to the actual collected signals distribution. It is found that the background noise usually obeys non-independent and identically distribution (Non-IID) through the statistical analysis of acquisition signals. In view of the actual signal distribution characteristics, this paper presents a CFAR detection method based on the normalization processing for background noise. A high-pass filter is designed for the actual Non-IID background noise data to obtain the characterization characteristic. Then, the background noise is converted to independent and identically distribution (IID) by using the data characteristic. Next, the collected data after normalization is processed with efficient cell average constant false alarm rate (CA-CFAR) method for detection. Finally, the results of experiments both show that the intrusion signals can be effectively detected, and the effectiveness of the algorithm is verified.
Validation of geriatric depression and anxiety rating scales into Arabic
Authors: Karam Georges Elie , Khandakji Mohannad Nawaf , Sahakian Nayri Sarkis , Dandan Jessica Christian , Karam Elie Georges
Published: July 2018

Introduction

This study aimed to examine the validity and internal consistency of Arabic version of the Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia (A‐CSDD) and compare it to the Geriatric Depression and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scales.

Methods

Hundred fifty individuals were recruited; they underwent a clinical interview and filled the A‐CSDD, Geriatric Depression Scale, and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. The depression rating scales were validated against the Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual disorders.

Results

A‐CSDD found to have sensitivity of 70%, specificity of 91%, and internal consistency of 0.89. The presence of depression was significantly associated with dementia. The associations of the A‐CSDD with Arabic Geriatric Depression Scale (r: 0.3) and Arabic Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (r: 0.4) were lower in the demented group than in the nondemented group (r: 0.7 and 0.8, respectively).

Conclusion

The diagnosis of depression in the context of dementia may be challenging. With this validated version, clinicians now have a tool helping them with the diagnosis.
Evaluation of 3 approaches for increasing patient engagement in clinical research: Feedback from a community engagement advisory board
Authors: Matthews Alicia K. , Rak Kevin , Anderson Emily , Castillo Amparo , Ruiz Raymond , Choure Wendy , Willis Marilyn
Published: July 2018

Introduction

The purpose of this study was to obtain feedback from a diverse group of community advisory board members about different clinic or hospital-based approaches to increasing research participation.

Methods

Members of an established community engagement advisory board (n=16) provided qualitative and survey data regarding attitudes and preferences for 3 hospital and clinic system strategies to recruit patients into clinical research including universal consent for research, patient registries, and patient portals.

Results

Overall, there was moderate support for each of the 3 approaches discussed. Board members described advantages and disadvantages of each method. Based on the qualitative data, universal consent was viewed as the best strategy for consenting high volumes of patients for research. However, patient registries and portals were seen as more acceptable, less-intrusive and more likely to result in higher participation rates. Survey data were consistent with qualitative findings.

Conclusions

Input from community stakeholders is needed to identify strategies to enhance participation and increase diversity in clinical research. Members of our CEAB identified patient registries and portals as feasible and nonintrusive approaches to increasing research participation. Additional research is needed to confirm these findings and to establish best practices for supporting patients in using registry approaches.
Seed Rain and Disturbance Impact Recruitment of Invasive Plants in Upland Forest
Authors: Emsweller Lauren N. , Gorchov David L. , Zhang Qi , Driscoll Angela G. , Hughes Michael R.
Published: July 2018

A critical question in invasion biology involves the relative importance of propagule rain and community invasibility. For plant invasions, invasibility is often related to disturbance, but few studies of forest invaders have simultaneously investigated both canopy and ground-level disturbance. We investigated the relative importance of seed rain, canopy disturbance, and soil disturbance in a mature forest in Maryland on the recruitment of four invasive species: wine raspberry (Rubus phoenicolasiusMaxim.), Japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergiiDC), multiflora rose (Rosa multifloraThunb.), and Japanese stiltgrass [Microstegium vimineum(Trin.) A. Camus]. Using complete censuses of a 9-ha plot at two points in time (2011–12 and 2014), we mapped new recruits, and related their locations to canopy and soil disturbance, as well as to a seed rain index based on locations of reproducing plants and seed-dispersal kernels.

We found that propagule rain, as measured by the seed rain index, was a significant predictor of recruitment forB. thunbergii,R. phoenicolasius, andM. vimineum. ForR. multiflora, seed sources were not located, precluding assessment of propagule rain, but recruitment was linked to canopy disturbance, as was recruitment ofM. vimineum. However, because reproduction ofR. phoenicolasiusand, in some years, ofB. thunbergiiis higher in treefall gaps, these gaps experience higher propagule rain, with the result that recruitment is indirectly associated with these gaps. Ground-layer disturbance was an important predictor of recruitment only forB. thunbergii. Our findings reveal that the importance of propagule rain is the most consistent driver of recruitment, but canopy or ground-layer disturbance promotes recruitment of some invasive plant species.
Bistability of buoyancy-driven exchange flows in vertical tubes
Authors: Suckale Jenny , Qin Zhipeng , Picchi Davide , Keller Tobias , Battiato Ilenia
Published: July 2018

Buoyancy-driven exchange flows are common to a variety of natural and engineering systems, ranging from persistently active volcanoes to counterflows in oceanic straits. Laboratory experiments of exchange flows have been used as surrogates to elucidate the basic features of such flows. The resulting data have been analysed and interpreted mostly through core–annular flow solutions, the most common flow configuration at finite viscosity contrasts. These models have been successful in fitting experimental data, but less effective at explaining the variability observed in natural systems. In this paper, we demonstrate that some of the variability observed in laboratory experiments and natural systems is a consequence of the inherent bistability of core–annular flow. Using a core–annular solution to the classical problem of buoyancy-driven exchange flows in vertical tubes, we identify two mathematically valid solutions at steady state: a solution with fast flow in a thin core and a solution with relatively slow flow in a thick core. The theoretical existence of two solutions, however, does not necessarily imply that the system is bistable in the sense that flow switching may occur. Through direct numerical simulations, we confirm the hypothesis that core–annular flow in vertical tubes is inherently bistable. Our simulations suggest that the bistability of core–annular flow is linked to the boundary conditions of the domain, which implies that is not possible to predict the realized flow field from the material parameters of the fluids and the tube geometry alone. Our finding that buoyancy-driven exchange flows are inherently bistable systems is consistent with previous experimental data, but is in contrast to the underlying hypothesis of previous analytical models that the solution is unique and can be identified by maximizing the flux or extremizing the dissipation in the system. Our results have important implications for data interpretation by analytical models and may also have interesting ramifications for understanding volcanic degassing.
Spatial modulations of kinetic energy in the roughness sublayer
Authors: Basley Jérémy , Perret Laurent , Mathis Romain
Published: July 2018

High-Reynolds-number experiments are conducted in the roughness sublayer of a turbulent boundary layer developing over a cubical canopy. Stereoscopic particle image velocimetry is performed in a wall-parallel plane to evidence a high degree of spatial modulation of the small-scale turbulence around the footprint of large-scale motions, despite the suppression of the inner layer by the high roughness elements. Both Fourier and wavelets analyses show that the near-wall cycle observed in smooth-wall-bounded flows is severely disrupted by the canopy, whose wake in the roughness sublayer generates a new range of scales, closer to that of the outer-layer large-scale motions. This restricts significantly scale separation, hence a diagnostic method is developed to divide carefully and rationally the fluctuating velocity fields into large- and small-scale components. Our analysis across all turbulent kinetic energy terms sheds light on the spatial imprint of the modulation mechanism, revealing a very different signature on each velocity component. The roughness sublayer shows a preferential arrangement of the modulated scales similar to what is observed in the outer layer of smooth-wall-bounded flows – small-scale turbulence is enhanced near the front of high momentum regions and damped at the front of low momentum regions. More importantly, accessing spanwise correlations reveals that modulation intensifies the most along the flanks of the large-scale motions.
Asymptotic scaling laws and semi-similarity solutions for a finite-source spherical blast wave
Authors: Ling Y. , Balachandar S.
Published: July 2018

A spherical blast wave generated by a sudden release of a sphere of compressed gas is an important model problem to understand blast phenomena such as volcanic eruptions and explosive detonations. The resulting explosion flow physics, such as the instability at the gas contact discontinuity and the interaction between the shock wave and the gas contact, are dictated by the initial pressure and sound-speed ratios between the compressed gas and the ambience. Since the initial pressure and sound-speed ratios vary over a wide range in practical applications, it is of interest to investigate the scaling laws and similarity solutions for the spherical symmetric explosion flow. In the present study, numerical simulation of a spherical blast wave is performed. A long-term length scale that incorporates the initial charge radius and the initial pressure ratio is introduced. The trajectories of the main shock normalized by the long-term length scale for a wide range of parameters collapse after a short transition time, indicating an asymptotic similarity solution exists for the far field in the long term. With the assistance of this similarity solution, the full evolution of the main shock can be obtained semi-analytically. For near-field features, i.e. the gas contact and the secondary shock wave, only semi-similarity solutions are observed, which depend on the initial sound-speed ratio but not the initial pressure ratio. The gas contact and the secondary shock share the same scaling relations. Asymptotic analysis is performed to obtain the short-term dynamics of the gas contact, including the gas contact acceleration and the Atwood number, which are the key parameters determining the Rayleigh–Taylor instability development at the gas contact. The asymptotic contact radius as$t\rightarrow \infty$is also obtained, which is found to be well represented by the long-term length scale and thus only depends on the initial pressure ratio. A simple model of an oscillating bubble is employed to explain the scaling relation of the asymptotic gas contact radius.
A new genus of eurypterid (Chelicerata, Eurypterida) from the Upper Devonian salt deposits of Belarus
Authors: Plax Dmitry P. , Lamsdell James C. , Vrazo Matthew B. , Barbikov Dmitry V.
Published: July 2018

We describe a new stylonurid eurypterid from the evaporitic potassium-salt deposits of the Upper Devonian (Famennian) Soligorsk Formation in the Pripyat Trough of Belarus. All specimens are assigned toSoligorskopterus tchepeliensisnew genus new species, which represents the first formally described eurypterid species from Belarus. The occurrence of well-preserved eurypterids in these unusual evaporite deposits is most likely due to transport from freshwater stream habitats into a hypersaline setting following death.Soligorskopterus tchepeliensisn. gen. n. sp. appears to be intermediate between the traditionally considered parastylonurids and stylonurids and thus extends our understanding of stylonurid evolution in the mid-Paleozoic.Soligorskopterusn. gen. extends the occurrence of Famennian eurypterids into eastern Laurussia and the Stylonuridae into the Upper Devonian, and this taxon could be part of a global eurypterid habitat shift that took place in the Late Devonian.

UUID:http://zoobank.org/466b0195-6199-495b-9270-6f032e2d7493
How Useful are Episcopal Ordination Lists as a Source for Medieval English Monastic History?
Authors: THORNTON DAVID E.
Published: July 2018

This article evaluates ordination lists preserved in bishops’ registers from late medieval England as evidence for the monastic orders, with special reference to religious houses in the diocese of Worcester, from 1300 to 1540. By comparing almost 7,000 ordination records collected from registers from Worcester and neighbouring dioceses with 178 ‘conventual’ lists, it is concluded that over 25 per cent of monks and canons are not named in the extant ordination lists. Over half of these omissions are arguably due to structural gaps in the surviving ordination lists, but other, non-structural factors may also have contributed.
Swift, brokered and broad-based information exchange: how network structure facilitates stakeholders monitoring EU policy implementation
Authors: Schrama Reini
Published: July 2018

Monitoring the implementation process in domestic settings of multi-level policies like the EU gender directives is dependent on interactions among a diverse set of policy stakeholders. However, there is no clear understanding of which factors determine the structure of these monitoring networks and what benefits effective exchange. Drawing on insights from social network theory, literature on information politics in transnational networks and policy network analysis, this study analyses what drives information exchange among actors in the monitoring network of women’s groups in the Netherlands. Using Exponential Random Graph Models, the analysis reveals distinctive structural features facilitating efficient information exchange and significant brokerage in the monitoring network. Moreover, the results demonstrate that interactions that serve the purpose of monitoring EU policy implementation occur among a diverse set of actors in a multi-level structure. These findings indicate that effective monitoring requires resourceful and broad-based information exchange to increase transparency in the implementation process.
JEWISH MODERN LAW AND LEGALISM IN A GLOBAL AGE: THE CASE OF RABBI JOSEPH KARO
Authors: WEINSTEIN RONI
Published: July 2018

During the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries, Rabbi Joseph Karo composed two major Jewish codes of law: the Beit Yosef, and its abridged version, Sulchan ‘Aruch. Though several centuries of legal discussion and scholarship have passed since their publication, these double codes of law were never superseded. This codification project defined the axial place of law in Jewish tradition. I argue that it responded to changes in legal processes and the enforcement of law that simultaneously transformed early modern Europe and the Ottoman world. Transcontinentally connected changes in political institutions—the formation of a centralized Islamic empire in the Ottoman case, and the formation of centralized states in Europe—dramatically redefined the role of law and legal codification in the forging of state power and community identities. The resultant belief among Sephardi rabbis, including Karo, that changes in Jewish legal tradition were now needed, prompted a redefinition of Jewish legal culture, whereby law (a gradually centralized conception of it) began to be seen as the foundation of Jewish religious heritage and ethnic identity. Despite the absence of state backing, early modern transformations in Jewish law were thus part of comparable changes taking place in the European and Islamic legal worlds.
SPECIES OF AMBIGUITY IN SEMONIDES FR. 7
Authors: Anderson Daniel
Published: July 2018

This paper looks at the structure of Semonides’ catalogue in fragment 7, and at the metaphors that underpin it. There is a tension between the organising function of this catalogue and the hybrid entities it lists. It is suggested that the opening and closing lines frame the catalogue conceptually, exploiting ambiguities in the words χωρίς, γένος and φῦλον. Not only does Semonides play with ideas of order and embrace ambiguities of language, but he suggests that these are a feature of his poetic inheritance: the female types of his catalogue are a collection of hybrids assembled from a variety of Archaic texts and traditions.
Quantitative Characteristics of Equatorial Ionization Gradient Above 150 km at Low Solar Activity
Authors: Adebesin B. O. , Adeniyi J. O. , Oladipo O. A. , Olawepo A. O. , Adimula I. A.
Published: July 2018

The electron ionization gradient (dN/dh) characteristics were quantitatively presented using data from Ilorin (8.50°N, 4.68°E) Digisonde during low solar activity. Ionogram inversion using calculated average representative profile program was employed in obtaining the profile data. Results were presented for both the minimum and maximum gradient positions above the 150‐km altitude. The daily hours were classified into four segments. Our result revealed that at sunset/postsunset and nighttime hours, the ionization magnitude at the point of maximum gradient during the equinoxes is twice the value in solstices. This feature of the higher ratio in the equinox is less distinct at sunrise/presunrise and noon/postnoon hours and not pronounced at all hours of the minimum gradient position. The time of occurrence of the maximum gradient for the sunrise/prenoon, noon/postnoon, and nighttime hours, respectively, are 07 LT, 17 LT, and 23 LT for all seasons. For this same diurnal segments at the point of minimum gradient, it is 05 LT, 12 LT, and 04 LT, respectively. The height (hdN) at which the highest gradient was reached is ≈310 km, occurring during the sunset/postsunset hours for both the maximum and minimum gradient positions. The lowest (≈235 km) was reached during the sunrise/prenoon hours. hdN at the position of maximum ionization is lower than the real height (hmF2) across all seasons. The percentage difference in dN/dh magnitude at the position of maximum and minimum gradients is lowest at noon/postnoon period and highest at sunrise/prenoon hours. The various physical processes involved were discussed. We established an inverse relationship between the pattern of dN/dh and vertical drift velocity.
Two-dimensional semiconductors in the regime of strong light-matter coupling
Authors: Schneider Christian , Glazov Mikhail M. , Korn Tobias , Höfling Sven , Urbaszek Bernhard
Published: July 2018

The optical properties of transition metal dichalcogenide monolayers are widely dominated by excitons, Coulomb-bound electron–hole pairs. These quasi-particles exhibit giant oscillator strength and give rise to narrow-band, well-pronounced optical transitions, which can be brought into resonance with electromagnetic fields in microcavities and plasmonic nanostructures. Due to the atomic thinness and robustness of the monolayers, their integration in van der Waals heterostructures provides unique opportunities for engineering strong light-matter coupling. We review first results in this emerging field and outline future opportunities and challenges.
Lineage marker synchrony in hematopoietic genealogies refutes the PU.1/GATA1 toggle switch paradigm
Authors: Strasser Michael K. , Hoppe Philipp S. , Loeffler Dirk , Kokkaliaris Konstantinos D. , Schroeder Timm , Theis Fabian J. , Marr Carsten
Published: July 2018

Molecular regulation of cell fate decisions underlies health and disease. To identify molecules that are active or regulated during a decision, and not before or after, the decision time point is crucial. However, cell fate markers are usually delayed and the time of decision therefore unknown. Fortunately, dividing cells induce temporal correlations in their progeny, which allow for retrospective inference of the decision time point. We present a computational method to infer decision time points from correlated marker signals in genealogies and apply it to differentiating hematopoietic stem cells. We find that myeloid lineage decisions happen generations before lineage marker onsets. Inferred decision time points are in agreement with data from colony assay experiments. The levels of the myeloid transcription factor PU.1 do not change during, but long after the predicted lineage decision event, indicating  that the PU.1/GATA1 toggle switch paradigm cannot explain the initiation of early myeloid lineage choice.
Ratiometric nanothermometer in vivo based on triplet sensitized upconversion
Authors: Xu Ming , Zou Xianmei , Su Qianqian , Yuan Wei , Cao Cong , Wang Qiuhong , Zhu Xingjun , Feng Wei , Li Fuyou
Published: July 2018

Temperature is an essential factor that counts for living systems where complicated vital activities are usually temperature dependent. In vivo temperature mapping based on non-contact optical approach will be beneficial for revealing the physiological phenomena behind with minimized influence to the organism. Herein, a highly thermal-sensitive upconversion system based on triplet–triplet annihilation (TTA) mechanism is pioneered to indicate body temperature variation sensitively over the physiological temperature range. The temperature-insensitive NaYF4: Nd nanophosphors with NIR emission was incorporated into the temperature-responsive TTA-upconversion system to serve as an internal calibration unit. Consequently, a ratiometric thermometer capable of accurately monitoring the temperature changes in vivo was developed with high thermal sensitivity (~7.1% K−1) and resolution (~0.1 K).
Rpn11-mediated ubiquitin processing in an ancestral archaeal ubiquitination system
Authors: Fuchs Adrian C. D. , Maldoner Lorena , Wojtynek Matthias , Hartmann Marcus D. , Martin Jörg
Published: July 2018

While protein ubiquitination was long believed to be a truly eukaryotic feature, recently sequenced genomes revealed complete ubiquitin (Ub) modification operons in archaea. Here, we present the structural and mechanistic characterization of an archaeal Rpn11 deubiquitinase from Caldiarchaeum subterraneum, CsRpn11, and its role in the processing of CsUb precursor and ubiquitinated proteins. CsRpn11 activity is affected by the catalytic metal ion type, small molecule inhibitors, sequence characteristics at the cleavage site, and the folding state of CsUb-conjugated proteins. Comparison of CsRpn11 and CsRpn11–CsUb crystal structures reveals a crucial conformational switch in the CsRpn11 Ins-1 site, which positions CsUb for catalysis. The presence of this transition in a primordial soluble Rpn11 thus predates the evolution of eukaryotic Rpn11 immobilized in the proteasomal lid. Complementing phylogenetic studies, which designate CsRpn11 and CsUb as close homologs of the respective eukaryotic proteins, our results provide experimental support for an archaeal origin of protein ubiquitination.
Multi-level magma plumbing at Agung and Batur volcanoes increases risk of hazardous eruptions
Authors: Geiger Harri , Troll Valentin R. , Jolis Ester M. , Deegan Frances M. , Harris Chris , Hilton David R. , Freda Carmela
Published: July 2018

The island of Bali in Indonesia is home to two active stratovolcanoes, Agung and Batur, but relatively little is known of their underlying magma plumbing systems. Here we define magma storage depths and isotopic evolution of the 1963 and 1974 eruptions using mineral-melt equilibrium thermobarometry and oxygen and helium isotopes in mineral separates. Olivine crystallised from a primitive magma and has average δ18O values of 4.8‰. Clinopyroxene records magma storage at the crust-mantle boundary, and displays mantle-like isotope values for Helium (8.62 RA) and δ18O (5.0–5.8‰). Plagioclase reveals crystallisation in upper crustal storage reservoirs and shows δ18O values of 5.5–6.4‰. Our new thermobarometry and isotope data thus corroborate earlier seismic and InSAR studies that inferred upper crustal magma storage in the region. This type of multi-level plumbing architecture could drive replenishing magma to rapid volatile saturation, thus increasing the likelihood of explosive eruptions and the consequent hazard potential for the population of Bali.
Relation of Prenatal Air Pollutant and Nutritional Exposures with Biomarkers of Allergic Disease in Adolescence
Authors: Sordillo Joanne E. , Switkowski Karen M. , Coull Brent A. , Schwartz Joel , Kloog Itai , Gibson Heike , Litonjua Augusto A. , Bobb Jennifer , Koutrakis Petros , Rifas-Shiman Sheryl L. , Oken Emily , Gold Diane R.
Published: July 2018

Prenatal exposures may be critical for immune system development, with consequences for allergic disease susceptibility. We examined associations of prenatal exposures (nutrient intakes and air pollutants) with allergic disease biomarkers in adolescence. We used data from 857 mother-child pairs in Project Viva, a Massachusetts-based pre-birth cohort. Outcomes of interest at follow-up (median age 12.9 years) were fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) and total serum IgE. We applied Bayesian Kernel Machine Regression analyses to estimate multivariate exposure-response functions, allowing for exposure interactions. Exposures were expressed as z-scores of log-transformed data and we report effects in % change in FeNO or IgE z-score per increase in exposure from the 25th to 75th percentile. FeNO levels were lower with higher intakes of prenatal vitamin D (−16.15%, 95% CI: −20.38 to −2.88%), folate from foods (−3.86%, 95% CI: −8.33 to 0.83%) and n-3 PUFAs (−9.21%, 95% CI −16.81 to −0.92%). Prenatal air pollutants were associated with higher FeNO and IgE, with the strongest associations detected for PM2.5 with IgE (25.6% increase, 95% CI 9.34% to 44.29%). We identified a potential synergistic interaction (p = 0.02) between vitamin E (food + supplements) and PM2.5; this exposure combination was associated with further increases in FeNO levels.
Ectopic expression of a Brassica rapa AINTEGUMENTA gene (BrANT-1) increases organ size and stomatal density in Arabidopsis
Authors: Ding Qian , Cui Bing , Li Jingjuan , Li Huayin , Zhang Yihui , Lv Xiaohui , Qiu Nianwei , Liu Lifeng , Wang Fengde , Gao Jianwei
Published: July 2018

The AINTEGUMENTA-like (AIL) family plays a central role in regulating the growth and development of organs in many plants. However, little is known about the characteristics and functions of the AIL family in Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa L. ssp. pekinensis). In this study, a genome-wide analysis was performed to identify the members of the AIL family in Chinese cabbage. We identified three ANT genes and six ANT-like genes of Chinese cabbage, most of which were differentially expressed in different organs or tissues. Furthermore, compared with the wild-type line, the size of different organs in the 35S-BrANT-1 line was significantly increased by promoting cell proliferation. Meanwhile, over-expression of BrANT-1 also increases the stomatal number and delays the leaf senescence. Transcriptome analyses revealed that a set of cell proliferation and stoma development genes were up-regulated, while the senescence-associated genes were down-regulated, suggesting these genes may be involved in BrANT-1 regulated processes for controlling organ size, stomatal density and leaf senescence. In summary, this study offers important insights into the characteristics and functions of the ANT genes in Chinese cabbage, and provides a promising strategy to improve yield or head size in Chinese cabbage breeding programs.
Anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective effects of exopolysaccharides isolated from Pleurotus geesteranus on alcohol-induced liver injury
Authors: Song Xinling , Liu Zhonghai , Zhang Jianjun , Yang Qihang , Ren Zhenzhen , Zhang Chen , Liu Min , Gao Zheng , Zhao Huajie , Jia Le
Published: July 2018

The present work investigated the hepatoprotective role of exopolysaccharides (EPS) isolated from the mushroom Pleurotus geesteranus with respect to alcohol-induced liver injury in mice. Based on a physico-chemical analysis, the EPS produced by Pleurotus geesteranus was identified as a heteropolysaccharide with α-glycosidic bond. The results revealed that prophylactic application of the EPS reduces detrimental alcoholic effects on the liver. This observation was followed by decreased levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides, CYP2E1 and pro-inflammatory mediators (TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β, COX-2, NO and iNOS) in the liver homogenates, suggesting that the EPS exhibits anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective effects. Moreover, the increased activity of hepatic enzymes (superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and catalase) and reduced lipid peroxidation status indicated that the antioxidative effect of the EPS contributes to alleviation of liver injury. Therefore, this study reports that the EPS produced by Pleurotus geesteranus could be considered a potential natural drug or functional food supplement for the prevention of liver damage.
Neural signatures of different behavioral types in fairness norm compliance
Authors: Gianotti Lorena R. R. , Nash Kyle , Baumgartner Thomas , Dahinden Franziska M. , Knoch Daria
Published: July 2018

Fairness norm compliance is critical in any society. However, norm compliant behavior is very heterogeneous. Some people are reliably fair (voluntary compliers). Some are fair to avoid sanctions (sanction-based compliers), and some are reliably unfair (non-compliers). These types play divergent roles in society. However, they remain poorly understood. Here, we combined neural measures (resting electroencephalography and event-related potentials) and economic paradigms to better understand these types. We found that voluntary compliers are characterized by higher baseline activation in the right temporo-parietal junction, suggesting better social cognition capacity compared to sanction-based compliers and non-compliers. The latter two types are differentiated by (a) baseline activation in the dorso-lateral prefrontal cortex, a brain area known to be involved in self-control processes, and (b) event-related potentials in a classic self-control task. Both results suggest that sanction-based compliers have better self-control capacity than non-compliers. These findings improve our understanding of fairness norm compliance. Broadly, our findings suggest that established training techniques that boost self-control might help non-compliers adhere to fairness norms.
Association Between Left Renal Vein Entrapment and Varicocele Recurrence: A Cohort Study in 3042 Patients
Authors: Li Sen , Liu Qian , Wang Jin , Pang Xueqin , Zhang Youpeng , Cheng Yongbiao , Fu Yao , Guo Jialun , Tang Yong , Zeng Hanqing , Yang Yali , Zhu Zhaohui
Published: July 2018

The recurrence rates after varicocelectomy vary from 0.9% to 32.2%, especially for patients with the left renal vein entrapment (LRVE). This study aims to study the association between LRVE and varicocele recurrence, and to find the risk factors of LRVE. With the design of a cohort study, we included 3042 varicocele patients who would undergo modified inguinal microscope-assisted varicocelectomy (MHMV). 858 (28.21%) patients with LRVE were as the study group, and 2184 (71.79%) patients without LRVE were as the control group. Compared with the control group, BMI was lower (p < 0.001) in study group. Totally, 18 patients had recurrence after surgery, so the recurrence rate was 0.59%. Seventeen patients (1.98%) in study group and 1 patients (0.05%) in control group had recurrence, and significant statistical difference was found between the two groups (p < 0.001). The risk ratio of LRVE for varicocele recurrence is 43.27. In conclusion, the recurrence rate of our MHMV is the lowest (0.59%). There is association between LRVE and varicocele recurrence, and varicocele patients with LRVE have higher probability of recurrence rate after varicocelectomy. BMI could be a risk factor of LRVE. Thus, for varicocele patients, especially those with lower BMI, attentions should be payed to LRVE.
Scanning tunneling microscopy investigations of unoccupied surface states in two-dimensional semiconducting β-√3 × √3-Bi/Si(111) surface
Authors: Gou Jian , Kong Long-Juan , Li Wen-Bin , Sheng Shao-Xiang , Li Hui , Meng Sheng , Cheng Peng , Wu Ke-Hui , Chen Lan
Published: July 2018

The lowest unoccupied states with Rashba splitting of β-√3 × √3-Bi are proved to be contributed by surface bismuth atoms.
Halogen-atom effect on the ultrafast photodissociation dynamics of the dihalomethanes CH2ICl and CH2BrI
Authors: Murillo-Sánchez Marta L. , Marggi Poullain Sonia , Bajo Juan J. , Corrales María E. , González-Vázquez Jesús , Solá Ignacio R. , Bañares Luis
Published: July 2018

Real time photodissociation of dihalomethanes has been measured by femtosecond velocity map imaging to disentangle the effect of the halogen-atom on the carbon–iodine cleavage dynamics.
Structure and reactivity/selectivity control by oriented-external electric fields
Authors: Shaik Sason , Ramanan Rajeev , Danovich David , Mandal Debasish
Published: July 2018

Oriented external electric fields control reactivity and selectivity at will, and affect bonding, molecular geometries, and molecular aggregation.
Photocatalytic reverse polarity Povarov reaction
Authors: Leitch Jamie A. , Fuentes de Arriba Angel L. , Tan Joanne , Hoff Oskar , Martínez Carlos M. , Dixon Darren J.
Published: July 2018

A reverse polarity photocatalysed Povarov reaction of imines and electron deficient alkenes is described.
Emerging therapies for mitochondrial diseases
Authors: Hirano Michio , Emmanuele Valentina , Quinzii Catarina M.
Published: July 2018

For the vast majority of patients with mitochondrial diseases, only supportive and symptomatic therapies are available. However, in the last decade, due to extraordinary advances in defining the causes and pathomechanisms of these diverse disorders, new therapies are being developed in the laboratory and are entering human clinical trials. In this review, we highlight the current use of dietary supplement and exercise therapies as well as emerging therapies that may be broadly applicable across multiple mitochondrial diseases or tailored for specific disorders. Examples of non-tailored therapeutic targets include: activation of mitochondrial biogenesis, regulation of mitophagy and mitochondrial dynamics, bypass of biochemical defects, mitochondrial replacement therapy, and hypoxia. In contrast, tailored therapies are: scavenging of toxic compounds, deoxynucleoside and deoxynucleotide treatments, cell replacement therapies, gene therapy, shifting mitochondrial DNA mutation heteroplasmy, and stabilization of mutant mitochondrial transfer RNAs.
Children With Dyslexia Benefit From Orthographic Facilitation During Spoken Word Learning
Authors: Baron Lauren S. , Hogan Tiffany P. , Alt Mary , Gray Shelley , Cabbage Kathryn L. , Green Samuel , Cowan Nelson
Published: July 2018

Purpose

Orthographic facilitation describes the phenomenon in which a spoken word is produced more accurately when its corresponding written word is present during learning. We examined the orthographic facilitation effect in children with dyslexia because they have poor learning and recall of spoken words. We hypothesized that including orthography during spoken word learning would facilitate learning and recall.

Method

Children with dyslexia and children with typical development (n= 46 per group), 7–9 years old, were matched for grade and nonverbal intelligence. Across 4 blocks of exposure in 1 session, children learned pairings between 4 spoken pseudowords and novel semantic referents in a modified paired-associate learning task. Two of the pairings were presented with orthography present, and 2 were presented with orthography absent. Recall of newly learned spoken words was assessed using a naming task.

Results

Both groups showed orthographic facilitation during learning and naming. During learning, both groups paired pseudowords and referents more accurately when orthography was present. During naming, children with typical development showed a large orthographic facilitation effect that increased across blocks. For children with dyslexia, this effect was present initially but then plateaued.

Conclusions

We demonstrate for the first time that children with dyslexia benefit from orthographic facilitation during spoken word learning. These findings have direct implications for teaching spoken vocabulary to children with dyslexia.
Introduction to the Clinical Forum: Working Memory in School-Age Children
Authors: Gillam Ronald B.
Published: July 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to introduce the
LSHSS
Clinical Forum: Working Memory in School-Age Children. All the articles in this clinical forum concern the nature of working memory and its relationship to language and academic skills.

Method

The introduction provides a basic overview of working memory and its importance for explicit and implicit learning and highlights the topics of the 8 articles that comprise the clinical forum.

Conclusion

The articles in this clinical forum provide readers with important information about the current state of our understanding of working memory and its importance for understanding the language and academic skills of school-age children developing typically and those with language and learning difficulties. Articles in this forum also address the practical implications of this knowledge for assessment and intervention.
Adjuvante Elektrostimulationstherapie bei chronischer Rhinosinusitis
Authors: Koch Thomas , Ptok Martin
Published: July 2018

Hintergrund Die chronische Rhinosinusitis (CRS) zählt in Deutschland zu den häufigsten chronischen Erkrankungen und geht nicht selten mit einem
jahrelangen Verlauf einher. Nach der aktuellen deutschen Leitlinie Rhinosinusitis sind für eine symptomatische Therapie der CRS die nasale Anwendung von
Salzlösungen, topische Kortikosteroide, in Einzelfällen auch systemische Kortikosteroide sinnvoll. Die Evidenzlage für andere therapeutische Verfahren wie
Akupunktur, Homöopathie und Phytotherapeutika wird als nicht ausreichend gesehen. In der vorliegenden Studie sollte untersucht werden, ob antiinflammatorische
Effekte einer Elektrostimulationstherapie auch bei einer CRS nachgewiesen werden können.

Methodik randomisierte, prospektive Single center Studie, primäres Setting; 16 Patientinnen und Patienten mit mittelgradig ausgeprägter chronischer
Rhinosinusitis mit Polypen (cRScNP), entsprechend einem Lund / Mackay score von 6–12; heimbasierte Elektrostimulationstherapie (EST) mit amplitudenmoduliertem
Strom (Basisfrequenz von 4000 Hz, Frequenzband von 100–250 Hz) über 2 Wochen adjuvant zu einer leitliniengerechten Sinusitistherapie mit topischen
Kortikosteroiden; Messung der nasalen Stickstoffmonoxid Konzentration und Selbstbewertung der Beschwerden mit dem Fragebogeninstrument SNOT-20 GAV;
Erhebungszeitpunkte t0 vor EST, t1 nach EST, t2 6 Wochen nach t1.

Ergebnisse Die heimbasierte EST wurde von 16 Patientinnen und Patienten durchgeführt. Die vorliegenden Ergebnisse deuten darauf hin, dass die bereits seit
langem bekannten positiven Effekte einer Elektrostimulationstherapie bei inflammatorischen Prozessen auch bei einer CRS bestehen.

Diskussion Die adjuvante transsinuidale Elektrostimulation könnte somit die konservative Therapie der CRS bereichern. Weitere Studien mit größeren
Kollektiven sind wünschenswert.
High Incidence of Thrombophilia Detected in Chinese Patients with Venous Thrombosis
Authors: Liu H W , Kwong Y L , Bourke C , Lam C K , Lie A K W , Wei D , Chan L C
Published: July 2018

Venous thromboembolism is rare in Chinese. To determine the incidence and disease profile of thrombophilia in Chinese patients with thrombosis, 52 unselected Chinese patients with documented venous thrombosis were studied for the presence of thrombophilia. Levels of antithrombin III (AT III), protein C (PC) and protein S (PS) as well as the presence of acquired lupus anticoagulant (LA) and anticardiolipin antibody (ACA) were investigated. Thirty patients were found to be abnormal. These consisted of 5 AT III deficiencies, 9 PC deficiencies, 10 PS deficiencies, 1 combined PC & PS deficiency (all in the heterozygous range), and 5 patients with LA and/or ACA. When the patients with LA and/or ACA are excluded, the incidence of hereditary thrombophilia is 25/47 i.e. 53.2%' which is much higher than those reported in studies of Caucasian patients selected under strict criteria. Family studies performed in 16 cases ot hereditary thrombophilia revealed involvement in 11 cases (68.7%); a total of 36 heterozygous family members were affected, most of which remain asymptomatic. Although 35 events predisposing to thrombosis (27 pregnancies, 1 oral contraceptive consumption and 7 surgical operations) were identified among these index patients, and the heterozygous family members, thrombosis was observed on only 6 occasions (17.1%). The data suggest that pregnancy and surgery do not carry the same degree of thrombotic risk in Chinese as in the Caucasian population with heterozygous AT III, PC and PS deficiency.
The Effects of Transdermal Estradiol and Oral Conjugated Estrogens on Haemostasis Variables
Authors: Kroon Ulla-Beth , Silfverstolpe G , Tengborn L
Published: July 2018

The effects of oral and transdermal administration of estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) have been fairly well investigated regarding lipoprotein and carbohydrate metabolism, while the effects of different modes of estrogen administration on the haemostatic system have been less well studied.

To delineate and compare the effects of perorally administered conjugated estrogens (CE) and transdermally administered estradiol (E2) in doses needed for hormone replacement therapy (HRT) on haemostasis parameters, 23 postmenopausal women were engaged in a study with an open cross-over design. The doses compared (0.625 mg CE and 50 μg E2/24h) are the lowest which, with few exceptions, eliminate climacteric symptoms. Both CE and E2 increased factor VII:C, factor VII:Ag, and the prothrombin fragment1+2. The increase in factor VII:Ag, however, was significantly higher after treatment with CE. These changes were all towards a state of hypercoagulability. Furthermore, CE decreased plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI) and the thrombin-antithrombin complexes (TAT), as well as antithrombin (ATIII).
Studies of the Interaction between Human Protein S and Human C4b-Binding Protein Using Deletion Variants of Recombinant Human Protein S
Authors: Chang Glenn T G , Maas Bart H A , Amstel Hans K Ploos van , Reitsma Pieter H , Bertina Rogier M , Bouma Bonno N
Published: July 2018

Human protein S interacts noncovalently with human C4b-binding protein (C4BP). We have studied this interaction using deletion variants of recombinant human protein S. Two deletion variants were constructed by restriction enzyme digestion and in vitro site-specific mutagenesis of the human protein S cDNA. The variants were stably expressed in Cl27 cells. Recombinant proteins were purified using Fast Flow Q anion-exchange chromatography. The activated protein C (APC) cofactor activity, C4BP binding properties and reactivity to different monoclonal antibodies against human protein S were examined. The first variant (E variant), which has a deletion of the third epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like domain (deletion of exon VII, corresponding to amino acid residues ASP-160 to Asp-202) expresses normal APC cofactor • activity in a plasma system. This activity was inhibited by the addition of purified C4BP. The second variant (L variant), which has a deletion of the C-terminal loop of the sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG)- like domain (deletion of exon XV, corresponding to amino acid residues Asp-583 to Ser-635) also expresses normal APC cofactor activity in plasma. This activity could only be partially inhibited by the addition of purified C4BP.

Binding of the recombinant proteins to C4BP was studied in a system using purified proteins. The E variant binds to C4BP with the same affinity similar as recombinant wild type protein S (apparent Kd ∼ 10−10 M). The L variant, however, shows a markedly reduced affinity for binding to C4BP (apparent Kd ∼ 10−7 M).

Three different Ca2+-independent monoclonal antibodies (S5, S12, S17) against protein S, which do not interfere with the APC cofactor activity and C4BP binding of protein S, were used to screen the deletion variants for possible conformational changes. Two of these showed the same affinity for the E and L variant as for wild type recombinant protein S. The third, S12, which recognizes an epitope in the vicinity of ser-460, reacts normally with the E variant but has a strongly reduced affinity for the L variant, although the presence of the epitope could be clearly demonstrated by immunoblotting under denaturing conditions.

This suggests that the deletion of the C-terminal loop induces a conformational change in protein S which affects the epitope for S12. Therefore although our results indicate that the C-terminal loop of the SHBG-like domain of human protein S is involved in the interaction with C4BP, we cannot exclude the possibility that the deletion of the C-terminal loop induces a conformational change that results in a loss of binding affinity for C4BP elsewhere in the protein S molecule.
Covalent Linkage of Streptokinase to Recombinant Hirudin: A Novel Thrombolytic Agent with Antithrombotic Properties
Authors: Phaneuf Matthew D , Ozaki C Keith , Johnstone Michael T , Loza Jean-Pierre , Quist William C , LoGerfo Frank W
Published: July 2018

In a continuing effort to create an agent which has both thrombolytic and antithrombotic properties, streptokinase (SK) was covalently bound to the potent antithrombin agent recombinant hirudin (rHir). Linkage of SK to 125I-rHir was accomplished via heterobifunctional crosslinkers in an average molar ratio of 1:1. The 125I-rHir-SK complex was purified from starting components by anion exchange and gel filtration chromatography. The major band containing covalently bound 125I-rHir had a molecular weight of 53 kDa as determined by SDS-PAGE and autoradiography. Biologic activity of each component was then assayed utilizing the chromogenic substrate for each compound. Complex bound 125I-rHir exhibited a 1.2 fold decrease in thrombin inhibition when compared to concentrations of, 25I-rHir greater than 3.13 nM. Complex bound i25I-SK, replacing the 125I label on rHir, displayed a 7.9-fold loss in plasminogen activation when compared to l25I-SK. These chromogenic assay results were not adversely altered in the presence of the converse compound’s substrate. The 125I-SK-rHir complex (examined at various concentrations) also demonstrated a 0. 17- to 17-fold greater affinity for thrombin immobilized onto Sepha- rose beads as compared to 125I-SK. These findings indicate the rHir-SK complex maintained both thrombolytic and antithrombin properties while also obtaining affinity for immobilized thrombin.