bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cosmic‐ray exposure ages of six chondritic Almahata Sitta fragments
Authors: Riebe M. E. I. , Welten K. C. , Meier M. M. M. , Wieler R. , Barth M. I. F. , Ward D. , Laubenstein M. , Bischoff A. , Caffee M. W. , Nishiizumi K. , Busemann H.
Published: September 2017

The Almahata Sitta strewn field is dominated by ureilites, but contains a large fraction of chondritic fragments of various types. We analyzed stable isotopes of He, Ne, Ar, Kr, and Xe, and the cosmogenic radionuclides10Be,26Al, and36Cl in six chondritic Almahata Sitta fragments (EL6 breccia,EL6,EL3‐5,CB,LL4/5, R‐like). The cosmic‐ray exposure (CRE) ages of five of the six samples have an average of 19.2 ± 3.3 Ma, close to the average of 19.5 ± 2.5 Ma for four ureilites. The cosmogenic radionuclide concentrations in the chondrites indicate a preatmospheric size consistent with Almahata Sitta. This corroborates that Almahata Sitta chondrite samples were part of the same asteroid as the ureilites. However,MS‐179 has a lowerCREage of 11.0 ± 1.4 Ma. Further analysis of short‐lived radionuclides in fragmentMS‐179 showed that it fell around the same time, and from an object of similar size as Almahata Sitta, making it almost certain thatMS‐179 is an Almahata Sitta fragment. Instead, its lowCREage could be due to gas loss, chemical heterogeneity that may have led to an erroneous21Ne production‐rate, or, perhaps most likely,MS‐179 could represent the true 4π exposure age of Almahata Sitta (or an upper limit thereof), while all other samples analyzed so far experienced exposure on the parent body of similar lengths. Finally,MS‐179 had an extraordinarily high activity of neutron‐capture36Cl, ~600 dpm kg−1, the highest activity observed in any meteorite to date, related to a high abundance of the Cl‐bearing mineral lawrencite.
Plant‐like bacterial expansins play contrasting roles in two tomato vascular pathogens
Authors: Tancos Matthew A. , Lowe‐Power Tiffany M. , Peritore‐Galve F. Christopher , Tran Tuan M. , Allen Caitilyn , Smart Christine D.
Published: September 2017

Expansin proteins, which loosen plant cell walls, play critical roles in normal plant growth and development. The horizontal acquisition of functional plant‐like expansin genes in numerous xylem‐colonizing phytopathogenic bacteria suggests that bacterial expansins may also contribute to virulence. To investigate the role of bacterial expansins in plant diseases, we mutated the non‐chimeric expansin genes (CmEXLX2 and RsEXLX) of two xylem‐inhabiting bacterial pathogens, the Actinobacterium Clavibacter michiganensis ssp. michiganensis (Cmm) and the β‐proteobacterium Ralstonia solanacearum (Rs), respectively. The Cmm ΔCmEXLX2 mutant caused increased symptom development on tomato, which was characterized by more rapid wilting, greater vascular necrosis and abundant atypical lesions on distant petioles. This increased disease severity correlated with larger in planta populations of the ΔCmEXLX2 mutant, even though the strains grew as well as the wild‐type in vitro. Similarly, when inoculated onto tomato fruit, ΔCmEXLX2 caused significantly larger lesions with larger necrotic centres. In contrast, the Rs ΔRsEXLX mutant showed reduced virulence on tomato following root inoculation, but not following direct petiole inoculation, suggesting that the RsEXLX expansin contributes to early virulence at the root infection stage. Consistent with this finding, ΔRsEXLX attached to tomato seedling roots better than the wild‐type Rs, which may prevent mutants from invading the plant's vasculature. These contrasting results demonstrate the diverse roles of non‐chimeric bacterial expansins and highlight their importance in plant–bacterial interactions.
Would St. Thomas Aquinas baptize an Extraterrestrial?
Authors: Lazzari Edmund Michael
Published: September 2017

This paper will attempt an investigation of hypothetical intelligent extraterrestrial life from the perspective of the philosophy and theology of St. Thomas Aquinas. Section I will feature an overview of St. Thomas's relevant philosophy of human nature and the differences between human and extraterrestrial natures (even though both have material bodies and immortal souls). Section II will, with special attention to St. Thomas's De malo, treat some possibilities regarding the need for salvation (or lack thereof) in our hypothetical species. Section III will outline relevant aspects of Thomistic soteriology, especially the reasons behind the Incarnation and the role of human nature in Redemption. Section IV will feature a critique of representatives from the two major schools of scholarly thought on this issue, showing that they either disregard the necessity of a human nature for incorporation into the Mystical Body of Christ or deny the magnitude and singular importance of the Incarnation. Section V will sketch some possibilities for the soteriology of extraterrestrial life using the theology of St. Thomas Aquinas as a framework.
Series test of cluster and network analysis for lupus nephritis, before and after IFN‐K‐immunosuppressive therapy
Authors: Luan Sen , Li Ping , Yi Tingting
Published: September 2017

Aim

The purpose was to screen potential targets of IFN‐K‐immunosuppressive therapy, which was used to offer effective information and resources for molecular targeted therapy.

Methods

The gene expression profile of GSE72747 was used to screen out significant differently expressed genes (DEGs). Series Test of Cluster (STC) analysis for DEGs was performed. For all DEGs, the Database for Annotation, Visualization, and Integrated Discovery was performed for Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis. Pathway enrichment analysis of DEGs was performed based on Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) database. Pathway was constructed based on the interactions in the KEGG database. The coexpression network and gene signal expression networks were constructed and analyzed.

Results

A total of 2193 DEGs were screened and eight significant profiles were identified. Significant GO terms included small molecule metabolic process, translation and apoptotic process. Metabolic pathways and Alzheimer’s disease were significant KEGG pathways. Pathway relationship network of DEGs was constructed. MAPK signalling pathway, apoptosis and pathways in cancer were hub nodes. Gene co‐expression network analysis was performed. VCP‐interacting membrane protein and NADH dehydrogenase (ubiquinone) 1, alpha/beta subcomplex, 1, 8 kDa were the hub nodes. Gene signal network was constructed with 162 nodes and 254 edges. Hub nodes were phospholipase C, beta 2.

Conclusion

Screened DEGs including VIMP, NDUFAB1, SEC61G, PSMC2 might be potential targets for lupus nephritis treatment by involving in different functions and pathways, such as metabolic process and immune process.
Mechanisms of weight loss and improved metabolism following bariatric surgery
Authors: Mulla Christopher M. , Middelbeek Roeland J.W. , Patti Mary‐Elizabeth
Published: September 2017

Bariatric surgery is increasingly recognized as one of the most effective interventions to help patients achieve significant and sustained weight loss, as well as improved metabolic and overall health. Unfortunately, the cellular and physiological mechanisms by which bariatric surgery achieves weight loss have not been fully elucidated, yet are critical to understanding the central role of the intestinal tract in whole‐body metabolism and to developing novel strategies for the treatment of obesity. In this review, we provide an overview of potential mechanisms contributing to weight loss, including effects on regulation of energy balance and both central and peripheral nervous system regulation of appetite and metabolism. Moreover, we highlight the importance of the gastrointestinal tract, including alterations in bile acid physiology, secretion of intestinally derived hormones, and the microbiome, as a potent mediator of improved metabolism in postbariatric patients.
Site‐specific distribution of claudin‐based paracellular channels with roles in biological fluid flow and metabolism
Authors: Tanaka Hiroo , Tamura Atsushi , Suzuki Koya , Tsukita Sachiko
Published: September 2017

The claudins are a family of membrane proteins with at least 27 members in humans and mice. The extracellular regions of claudin proteins play essential roles in cell–cell adhesion and the paracellular barrier functions of tight junctions (TJs) in epithelial cell sheets. Furthermore, the extracellular regions of some claudins function as paracellular channels in the paracellular barrier that allow the selective passage of water, ions, and/or small organic solutes across the TJ in the extracellular space. Structural analyses have revealed a common framework of transmembrane, cytoplasmic, and extracellular regions among the claudin‐based paracellular barriers and paracellular channels; however, differences in the claudins’ extracellular regions, such as their charges and conformations, determine their properties. Among the biological systems that involve fluid flow and metabolism, it is noted that hepatic bile flow, renal Na+ reabsorption, and intestinal nutrient absorption are dynamically regulated via site‐specific distributions of paracellular channel–forming claudins in tissue. Here, we focus on how site‐specific distributions of claudin‐2– and claudin‐15–based paracellular channels drive their organ‐specific functions in the liver, kidney, and intestine.
Revisiting the Eastern European Provinces
Authors: Glăvan Gabriela
Published: September 2017

In order to uncover the fictional strategies that project Florescu's native Romania – particularly the former Habsburg region of Banat – as a homeland, an exploration of the consistency and particularities of the tropes of exile, displacement and homecoming, as revealed in his earlier novels, is an essential prerequisite. Given the relevance of autobiographical elements in this writer's work, this paper will focus on the author's first three novels,Wunderzeit(2001),Der kurze Weg nach Hause(2002) andDer blinde Masseur(2006), investigating the themes and dynamics of his exilic discourse. Drawing from contemporary theories concerning displacement and the search for real and imaginary homelands, the article explores the specific ways in which these issues surface as subjective reflections on the recent Eastern European past.
The microbiology of oral lichen planus: Is microbial infection the cause of oral lichen planus?
Authors: Baek K. , Choi Y.
Published: September 2017

Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a variant of lichen planus (LP), a common chronic mucocutaneous inflammatory disease. Cutaneous lesions of LP are self‐limiting, but OLP lesions are non‐remissive, alternating periods of exacerbation and quiescence, and only symptomatic treatments exist for OLP. The precise etiology and pathogenesis of OLP are hardly understood, which is a major obstacle to the development of new therapeutics for this disease. OLP is considered a T‐cell‐mediated inflammatory disease. Although various antigens have been considered, what actually triggers the inflammatory response of T cells is unknown. Suggested predisposing factors include genetic factors, stress, trauma, and infection. The aim of this review was to determine whether microbial infection can cause OLP. We first reviewed the association between OLP and microbial factors, including viral, fungal, and bacterial infections. In addition, each microbial factor associated with OLP was assessed by modified guidelines of Fredricks and Relman to determine whether it establishes a causal relationship. In conclusion, no microbial factor yet fulfills the guidelines to establish the causality of OLP. By focusing on the unclarified issues, however, the potential roles of microbial factors in the pathogenesis of OLP will be soon elucidated.
Working memory network alterations in high‐functioning adolescents with an autism spectrum disorder
Authors: Barendse Evelien M. , Schreuder Lisanne J. , Thoonen Geert , Hendriks Marc P. H. , Kessels Roy P. C. , Backes Walter H. , Aldenkamp Albert P. , Jansen Jacobus F. A.
Published: September 2017

Aim

People with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) typically have deficits in the working memory (WM) system. WM is found to be an essential chain in successfully navigating in the social world. We hypothesize that brain networks for WM have an altered network integrity in ASD compared to controls.

Methods

Thirteen adolescents (one female) with autistic disorder (n = 1), Asperger's disorder (n = 7), or pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (n = 5), and 13 typically developing healthy control adolescents (one female) participated in this study. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed using an n‐back task and in resting state.

Results

The analysis of the behavioral data revealed deficits in WM performance in ASD, but only when tested to the limit. Adolescents with ASD showed lower binary global efficiency in the WM network than the healthy control group with n‐back and resting‐state data. This correlated with diagnostic scores for total problems, reciprocity, and language.

Conclusion

Adolescents with higher‐functioning autism have difficulty with the WM system, which is typically compensated. Functional MRI markers of brain network organization in ASD are related to characteristics of autism as represented in diagnostic scores. Therefore, functional MRI provides neuronal correlates for memory difficulties in adolescents with ASD.
Mycophenolate mofetil‐related leukopenia in children and young adults following kidney transplantation: Influence of genes and drugs
Authors: Varnell Charles D. , Fukuda Tsuyoshi , Kirby Cassie L. , Martin Lisa J. , Warshaw Barry L. , Patel Hiren P. , Chand Deepa H. , Barletta Gina‐Marie , Van Why Scott K. , VanDeVoorde Rene G. , Weaver Donald J. , Wilson Amy , Verghese Priya S. , Vinks Alexander A. , Greenbaum Larry A. , Goebel Jens , Hooper David K.
Published: September 2017

MMF is commonly prescribed following kidney transplantation, yet its use is complicated by leukopenia. Understanding the genetics mediating this risk will help clinicians administer MMF safely. We evaluated 284 patients under 21 years of age for incidence and time course of MMF‐related leukopenia and performed a candidate gene association study comparing the frequency of 26 SNPs between cases with MMF‐related leukopenia and controls. We matched cases by induction, steroid duration, race, center, and age. We also evaluated the impact of induction and SNPs on time to leukopenia in all cases. Sixty‐eight (24%) patients had MMF‐related leukopenia, of which 59 consented for genotyping and 38 were matched with controls. Among matched pairs, no SNPs were associated with leukopenia. With non‐depleting induction, UGT2B7‐900A>G (rs7438135) was associated with increased risk of MMF‐related leukopenia (P = .038). Time to leukopenia did not differ between patients by induction agent, but 2 SNPs (rs2228075, rs2278294) in IMPDH1 were associated with increased time to leukopenia. MMF‐related leukopenia is common after transplantation. UGT2B7 may influence leukopenia risk especially in patients without lymphocyte‐depleting induction. IMPDH1 may influence time course of leukopenia after transplant.
Effects of embryonic responses to clutch mates on egg hatching patterns ofPentatomidae (Heteroptera)
Authors: Endo Jun , Numata Hideharu
Published: September 2017

Stink bugs and shield bugs of the familyPentatomidae (Heteroptera) generally produce a clutch of densely deposited eggs. In a few species of this family, embryos hatch in response to some form of cues associated with the preceding hatching to synchronize egg hatching with clutch mates. The aim of the present study is to obtain a family‐wide understanding of the extent to which the hatching response to clutch mates accelerates hatching within egg clutches. Accordingly, the hatching patterns in intact egg clutches and eggs individually detached from egg clutches are compared in eight species among different genera. InHalyomorpha halys, hatching is significantly and highly synchronized by the effect of the hatching response: when eggs are not attached to each other, the hatching rate is only 3.8% at 15 min and exceeds 95% at 200 min. By contrast, when eggs are attached to each other, the hatching rate reaches more than 95% at 15 min. Hatching is also significantly synchronized by the hatching response inNezara viridula(which shows relatively high hatching synchronization) and inPiezodorus hybneriandPlautia stali(both of which show milder hatching synchronization). Synchronization of hatching is not found to be promoted by a hatching response inAelia fieberi,Dolycoris baccarum,Eurydema rugosumorPalomena angulosa. These findings reveal that the hatching response varies depending on the species inPentatomidae, with a wide spectrum of effects on the hatching patterns of the egg clutches.
Microscopic findings in EUS‐guided fine needle (SharkCore) biopsies with type 1 and type 2 autoimmune pancreatitis
Authors: Detlefsen Sönke , Joergensen Maiken Thyregod , Mortensen Michael Bau
Published: September 2017

The International Consensus Diagnostic Criteria (ICDC) for the diagnosis of autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP) include the histological criterion that is based on either pancreatic core needle biopsies (CNBs) or surgical specimens. However, CNBs are difficult to obtain by endoscopic ultrasound (EUS). EUS fine‐needle aspiration (EUS‐FNA) cytology is usually not sufficient for the diagnosis of AIP, but may sometimes contain tissue microfragments. Another approach is EUS‐guided histological fine‐needle biopsy (EUS‐FNB), using needles such as the SharkCore or ProCore needle. Published data regarding EUS‐guided SharkCore FNB for the diagnosis of AIP are lacking. We aimed to describe our histological findings in one type 1 and two type 2 AIP patients who underwent EUS SharkCore FNB. The EUS‐FNBs of two patients fulfilled the histological level 2 ICDC for type 1 AIP or type 2 AIP. The EUS‐FNB of one patient fulfilled the histological level 1 ICDC for type 2 AIP. The tissue cylinders and fragments measured 55, 28 and 17 mm in total. At least histological level 2 ICDC were fulfilled in all cases, and our findings regarding the utility of EUS SharkCore FNB for the diagnosis of AIP are therefore promising, but further studies based on larger numbers of patients are warranted.
Exploring the Antecedents of the Gender Pay Gap in U.S. Higher Education
Authors: Rabovsky Thomas , Lee Hongseok
Published: September 2017

Organizational behaviorists have long argued that inequity in worker compensation is problematic. The authors use data on 254 public and private nonprofit research universities to evaluate the antecedents of salary differences between male and female full‐time assistant professors. Drawing on representative bureaucracy theory, they hypothesize that female representation among the associate and full professor ranks, as well as in executive management positions (including the university president), will be negatively associated with gender pay gap differences. Findings support the hypotheses, although the impacts for many of the variables differ between public and private institutions. Important effects are also found related to a variety of institutional characteristics, including funding from state appropriations.
Caring: A Pluralist Account
Authors: Walsh Joseph P
Published: September 2017

In this paper, I argue that care ethics should be understood as a form of value pluralism. Writers on the ethics of care tend not explicitly to address issues in the theory of value, although much of what has been written about care ethics may be taken to suggest that it endorses some form of value monism. I argue against this conception of care ethics by showing that the practical reality of caregiving is more accurately represented by a pluralist account of value. Practices of care are plausibly guided by a number of distinct and potentially conflicting values. These include quality of life, autonomy, dignity, personal development, and the value of nurturant relationships. Whilst caring takes each of these values to be important in its own right, they are not always jointly realisable, and carers are sometimes forced to promote one such value at the expense of another. The possibility of conflict between values is, of course, precisely what a pluralist conception of value tells us to expect. In this respect, then, value pluralism more faithfully reflects the reality of caregiving than does value monism, and care ethicists ought for this reason to endorse it.
Understanding life experiences of people affected by Crohn's disease in Spain. A phenomenological approach
Authors: García‐Sanjuán Sofía , Lillo‐Crespo Manuel , Richart‐Martínez Miguel , Sanjuán Quiles Ángela
Published: September 2017

Background and objectives

People affected by Crohn's disease must adapt their lives to their new chronic condition, and therefore, understanding such experience can be helpful in planning effective interventions for the affected ones. The aim of this study was to gain an insight into such experience and how they adapted in different areas of their lives, particularly in a family‐centred culture such as the Spanish one.

Method

A descriptive phenomenological study was conducted through in‐depth interviews to 19 people diagnosed of Crohn's disease in the province of Alicante (Spain). Once the interviews were transcribed, data were analysed using Colaizzi's seven‐step method.

Results

Five emergent themes were identified: self‐protection against the unknown cause; self‐training; learning to live with Crohn's disease; perceived losses associated to Crohn's disease; and relationship with others. The results portrayed a chronically ill patient who is unconscious about the chronicity and consequently must develop strategies to keep living a similar life like the one lived before.

Conclusions

This study revealed that people affected by Crohn's disease struggle with the fact of being a chronic patient with uncertainty about the illness and need to learn living with a chronic condition that limits their daily lives. Furthermore, the lack of Crohn's disease a professional in charge of these people's Cares such as the specific nursing role existing in other countries support in the Spanish Health System determines the loneliness those diagnosed experience to cope with the new situation.
Utilisation of formal and informal care and services at home among persons with dementia: a cross‐sectional study
Authors: Bökberg Christina , Ahlström Gerd , Karlsson Staffan
Published: September 2017

Background

The progression of dementia disease implies increasing needs for both informal and formal care and services but also risk of institutionalisation. To better adjust care and services in the phase preceding institutionalisation it is important to find out whether utilisation of formal and informal care and services is determined by increased needs and by who meets the needs.

Aim

The aim was to compare persons with dementia (65+) with different levels of cognitive impairment, regarding utilisation of formal and informal care and service at home.

Methods

The participants consisted of 177 persons with dementia ≥65 years old and at risk of nursing home admission, divided into groups according to their cognitive function. Structured interviews were conducted based on questionnaires about type and amount of formal and informal care utilised, as well as questions regarding cognitive impairment, dependency in activities of daily living (ADLs) and neuropsychiatric symptoms. To analyse the data, descriptive and comparative statistics were used.

Results

The findings revealed that the group with severe dementia used significantly more help with ADLs and supervision in terms of time (number of hours and days) provided by the informal caregiver, compared with the group with moderate dementia. Utilisation of formal care and services was highest in the group with the most severe cognitive impairments (Standardized Mini‐Mental State Examination score of <9). The group with severe dementia were more dependent in ADLs and had more neuropsychiatric symptoms (hallucinations and motor disturbances). They were younger and more often cohabitated with the informal caregiver, compared with the group with moderate dementia.

Conclusion

This study shows that in the phase preceding institutionalisation the ADL and supervision needs due to progression of dementia appear to tend to be met first and foremost by the informal caregivers.
Nursing roles and functions addressing relatives during in‐hospital rehabilitation following stroke. Care needs and involvement
Authors: Aadal Lena , Angel Sanne , Langhorn Leanne , Pedersen Birgitte Blicher , Dreyer Pia
Published: September 2017

Rationale

In the last decades, length of stay of in‐hospital rehabilitation of patients with stroke has been significantly reduced. Health authorities expect relatives to be at disposal to convey the knowledge of everyday life and to provide emotional as well as practical support in relation to the patient. Caregivers require nurse assistance, support and to be seen as an essential partner in the care giving process. However, the nurses do not perceive that teaching of relatives is a task they should routinely undertake. This might indicate an ambiguity between the relatives’ expectations and the actual contribution from nurses.

Aim

This study describes nurses’ experienced roles and functions addressing the relatives of patients with stroke during in‐hospital rehabilitation.

Methodological design

A phenomenological hermeneutic approach influenced by Paul Ricoeur. In a secondary analysis focus group, interviews of 19 randomly selected nurses from three different hospital settings were interpreted in three levels. The study was conducted in accordance with the ethical guidelines for nursing research in the Nordic countries.

Findings

The nurses expressed that they address the patient and the relatives and support the interaction between the patient and the relatives. Four themes occurred: the changed lives of relatives; shared life after stroke; noncooperating relatives; time for the relatives.

Conclusion

Nurses experience their roles and functions addressing relatives after stroke as crucial, challenging and multifaceted. They acknowledged care needs of the relatives in their own right by addressing the relatives’ vulnerability during in‐hospital rehabilitation characterised by an existential threat to the physical as well as the shared life. The focus on the needs of relatives considering their expected future role was experienced as conflicting with restricting time frames and a healthcare system focusing on the individual patient.
Deadly Experience: The Association Between Firing a Gun and Various Aspects of Suicide Risk
Authors: Anestis Michael D. , Capron Daniel W.
Published: September 2017

Firearms account for half of all U.S. suicide deaths, but research on mechanisms through which firearms confer risk is limited. Although research has indicated firearm ownership and the unsafe storage of firearms are associated with an elevated risk of suicide, such research cannot provide insight into the extent to which a history of using a gun plays a role. We recruited a community sample (N = 100; 76% female; 44% Black) oversampled for prior suicidal behavior in a high gun ownership state (Mississippi). Consistent with hypotheses, a greater number of lifetime experiences of firing a gun were associated with elements of the capability for suicide (fearlessness about death, pain tolerance, pain persistence) and lifetime suicide attempts, but not with suicide ideation or simple pain detection. These findings indicate that guns may confer risk of suicide in part through increased comfort and aptitude with the weapon, a notion consistent with the construct of practical capability. Furthermore, these findings are consistent with research indicating that guns do not cause healthy individuals to become suicidal, but rather increase risk among already suicidal individuals. Overall, our findings highlight the importance of considering practical experience with guns as well as simple ownership and storage methods.
Relationship between the retinacula cutis and sagging facial skin
Authors: Sakata A. , Abe K. , Mizukoshi K. , Gomi T. , Okuda I.
Published: September 2017

Background

Sagging skin is one of the most concerning esthetic issues for elderly individuals. Although reduced skin elasticity has been reported as the cause of sagging skin, a loss of skin elasticity alone is insufficient to explain sagging facial skin. This study investigated the mechanisms underlying sagging skin, with a focus on the subcutaneous network of collagenous fibers known as the retinacula cutis (RC).

Methods

To evaluate the structure of the RC noninvasively, tomographic images of the face were obtained using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The RC was identified by comparing MRI results with histological specimens of human skin. A descriptive scale was used to evaluate the degree of sagging, and a device equipped with a 6‐mm‐diameter probe was used to measure the elasticity of deeper skin layers and evaluate the physical properties of the skin.

Results

The density of RC in subcutaneous tissue correlated negatively with sagging scores and positively with elasticity.

Conclusion

These results imply that a sparse RC structure contributes to a reduction in the elasticity of subcutaneous tissue, resulting in a greater degree of sagging facial skin. These findings are expected to contribute to the understanding of the mechanisms underlying sagging skin.
A new anhydrobiotic midge from Malawi, Polypedilum pembai sp.n. (Diptera: Chironomidae), closely related to the desiccation tolerant midge, Polypedilum vanderplanki Hinton
Authors: CORNETTE RICHARD , YAMAMOTO NAO , YAMAMOTO MASARU , KOBAYASHI TADASHI , PETROVA NINEL A. , GUSEV OLEG , SHIMURA SACHIKO , KIKAWADA TAKAHIRO , PEMBA DYLO , OKUDA TAKASHI
Published: September 2017

The sleeping chironomid (Polypedilum vanderplanki Hinton) lives on temporary rock pools in the semi‐arid tropical regions of Africa. Its larvae are able to survive the dry season in a completely desiccated ametabolic state known as anhydrobiosis. So far, P. vanderplanki was the only species among all insects showing demonstrated anhydrobiotic ability. Here, we show that a new related species originating from Malawi, Polypedilum pembai sp.n., is also anhydrobiotic and that its desiccation tolerance mechanism is probably similar to what is observed in P. vanderplanki. The new species, P. pembai sp.n., is described with special attention to the common and different morphological features, compared with P. vanderplanki. Phylogenetic analysis showed that both species are closely related, suggesting that anhydrobiosis evolved only once in their common ancestor about 49 Ma somewhere in Africa, before the divergence of two species, one in the sub‐Saharan area and another in southeastern Africa.
Comparison and functional characterisation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells isolated from filarial lymphoedema and endemic normals of a South Indian population
Authors: Nathan Abel Arul , Dixit Madhulika , Babu Subash , Balakrishnan Anand Setty
Published: September 2017

Objective

The underlying problem in lymphatic filariasis is irreversible swelling of the limbs (lymphoedema), which is a unique feature of lymphatic insufficiency. It is still unclear whether the natural ability of lymphatics to form functional lymphatic vasculature is achieved or attenuated in the lymphoedemal pathology. Clinical studies have clearly shown that circulating lymphatic progenitors (CLPs), a subset of bone marrow‐derived mononuclear cells (PBMCs), contribute to post‐natal lymph vasculogenesis.CLP‐based revascularisation could be a promising strategy to bypass the endothelial disruption and damage incurred by the filarial parasites. Thus our aim was to compare and characterise the functional prowess ofPBMCs in physiological and lymphoedemal pathology.

Methods

PBMCs were isolated from venous blood sample from drug‐naive endemic normals (EN) and drug‐deprived filarial lymphoedema (FL) individuals using density gradient centrifugation. Adhesion, transwell migration andin vitromatrigel assays were employed to characterise the lymphvasculogenic potential ofPBMCs.CLPs were phenotypically characterised using flow cytometry; expression levels of lymphatic markers and inflammatory cytokines were quantified usingqRT‐PCRandELISA, respectively.

Results

PBMCs fromFLgroup display poor adherence to fibronectin (P= 0.040), reduced migration towardsSDF‐1α(P= 0.035), impaired tubular network (P= 0.004) and branching point (P= 0.048) formation. ThePBMC mRNAexpression ofVEGFR3 (P= 0.039) and podoplanin (P= 0.050) was elevated, whereas integrinα9 (P= 0.046) was inhibited inFLindividuals; additionally, the surface expression ofCD34 (P= 0.048) was significantly reduced in theFLgroup compared to theENgroup.

Conclusion

PBMCs from filarial lymphoedema show defective and dysregulated lymphvasculogenic function compared to endemic normals.
Strongyloides stercoralis infection increases the likelihood to detect Trypanosoma cruzi DNA in peripheral blood in Chagas disease patients
Authors: Salvador Fernando , Sulleiro Elena , Piron Maria , Sánchez‐Montalvá Adrián , Sauleda Silvia , Molina‐Morant Daniel , Moure Zaira , Molina Israel
Published: September 2017

Objectives

In a previous study performed by our group, Strongyloides stercoralis infection in patients with Chagas disease was associated with higher proportion of Trypanosoma cruzi DNA detection in peripheral blood. The aim of the study was to confirm this association in a larger cohort of patients.

Methods

Cross‐sectional study of all patients with Chagas disease diagnosed from 2005 to 2015 during blood donation at the Catalan Blood Bank. Demographic data and T. cruzi RT‐PCR were collected. S. stercoralis infection diagnosis was based on a serological test.

Results

Two hundred and two blood donors were included. T. cruzi RT‐PCR was positive in 72 (35.6%) patients, and S. stercoralis serology was positive in 22 (10.9%) patients. Patients with positive S. stercoralis serology had higher proportion of positive T. cruzi RT‐PCR than those with negative serology (54.5% vs. 33.3%, P = 0.050), and the difference increased when taking a serological index cut‐off of 2.5, which increases the specificity of the test to detect a confirmed strongyloidiasis (60% vs. 33%, P = 0.017).

Conclusions

Patients with Chagas disease with positive S. stercoralis serology had higher proportion of positive T. cruzi RT‐PCR in peripheral blood than those with negative serology, which reflects the potential immunomodulatory effects of S. stercoralis in T. cruzi co‐infected patients.
Global value chain perspective of US–China trade and employment
Authors: Lin Guijun , Wang Fei , Pei Jiansuo
Published: September 2017

Employment impact of trade is an issue of long debate. Recent literature seems to focus on partial equilibrium analysis of the jobs destruction in the US due to import competition from low‐cost countries, particularly from China. However, as noted in World Investment Report 2011 (WIR, 2012), indirect employment generated by trade can be substantial, in addition to jobs directly generated by trade, to which end a general equilibrium model is more relevant. Just as in a relay game, it makes little sense to award or punish only the last runner. In this paper, a global value chain approach is adopted to examine the effects of the US–China trade on employment. By using a recently constructed world input–output data, it is made possible to account for jobs created along the value chain process. It is found that China's exports to the US and to the world had created more job opportunities for its trade partners than any other countries in the world. Further, China's exports to the US and to the world tended to generate more employment opportunities for the US services sector, while US exports created more manufacturing jobs for the Chinese workers. Finally, in both countries’ exports the typical value chain products such as electrical and optical equipment were the most effective creators of jobs for both countries. In line with recent work of global value chains, our work sheds light on the employment effects of interconnected trade and provides an alternative interpretation for the impact of the US–China trade on employment.
Canine demodicosis: a retrospective study of a veterinary hospital population in California,USA(2000–2016)
Authors: Bowden Daniel G , Outerbridge Catherine A. , Kissel Marguerite B. , Baron Jerome N. , White Stephen D.
Published: September 2017

Background

Demodexspp. are cutaneous mites that cause clinical disease when present in increased numbers. There is an association in some dogs with underlying systemic disease or immunosuppressive medications.

Hypothesis/Objectives

Retrospective study to document breed predisposition, identify any concurrent diseases or underlying immunosuppressive conditions, and to determine the frequency of demodicosis recurrence after treatment completion.

Animals

There were 431 dogs with demodicosis presented to a veterinary teaching hospital in California,USA, from 2000 to 2016.

Methods

Inclusion in this study required a diagnosis of demodicosis based on direct demonstration of the mite. Records were reviewed for signalment, disease history, potential underlying aetiologies, diagnosed concurrent diseases, medications and demodicosis treatment. Analyses were performed to evaluate for potential breed predispositions and because of the large number of dogs with allergic dermatoses, analyses for this diagnosis as a disease associated with demodicosis was also performed. E‐mailed surveys and follow‐up telephone calls were used to assess for information about disease recurrence.

Results

The pit bull terrier group and West Highland white terrier, based on calculated odds ratio, were breeds predisposed to developing demodicosis. For dogs with demodicosis, allergic dermatoses was an associated disease. Relapse or recurrence of disease after treatment was uncommon, affecting 11% of the dogs with long‐term follow‐up.

Conclusions/Clinical Importance

This study identified, in dogs attending the institution based in California,USA, breed predilections for canine demodicosis and associated concomitant diseases. It also revealed a low occurrence of disease relapse, recurrence or persistence.
A “spaghetti sign” in feline abdominal radiographs predicts spleno‐systemic collateral circulation
Authors: Specchi Swan , Panopoulos Ioannis , Adrian Anna M. , Spattini Giliola , Morabito Simona , Paek Matthew
Published: September 2017

A well‐defined, tortuous, and tubular soft tissue opaque structure has been observed within the left mid abdominal cavity in digital radiographs of some cats. Authors hypothesized that this radiographic “spaghetti sign” is a predictor for spleno‐systemic collateral circulation. The purpose of this multicenter, retrospective, descriptive study was to further characterize radiographic “spaghetti signs” in a group of cats and compare these signs with results of ultrasonography or computed tomography (CT). A multiinstitutional database was reviewed for radiographic reports describing the presence of a tubular tortuous structure within the left abdominal cavity of feline patients. Patients were included if additional abdominal ultrasound or CT studies were available. Imaging studies and medical records were retrieved and reviewed by a board‐certified veterinary radiologist, and characteristics were recorded. Eighteen cats met the inclusion criteria. The presence of a tortuous vessel consistent with spleno‐systemic collateral circulation was observed by ultrasonography or CT examinations in all patients with a “spaghetti sign” on abdominal radiographs. All patients were spayed females. One cat showed ultrasonographic imaging features consistent with portal hypertension. In conclusion, findings supported the hypothesis that a radiographic “spaghetti sign” is a predictor of spleno‐systemic collateral circulation in feline patients and should be distinguished from other signs such as focal loss of serosal detail or a space occupying lesion.
Comparison of radiography and computed tomography to evaluate fractures of the canine tarsus
Authors: Butler Danielle , Nemanic Sarah , Warnock Jennifer J.
Published: September 2017

Detection and accurate classification of traumatic tarsal fractures are important for identifying cases requiring surgical intervention. The aim of this prospective, experimental, methods comparison study was to directly compare the accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of tarsal computed tomography (CT), ten‐view and two‐view digital radiographs for detecting traumatic fractures of the canine tarsus. The working hypothesis was that tarsal fractures would be detected with higher accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity using CT imaging compared to radiography, and a ten‐view would be superior to a two‐view radiographic study. Ten cadaver hind limbs of medium to large dogs received a CT scan and ten‐view radiographic study before and after induction of fractures with a hydraulic press. All bones included in the radiographic images were assessed for fractures by two observers and gross dissection was used as the gold standard. The two‐view radiographic study (dorsoplantar, lateromedial) was created from the ten‐view study and reviewed 2 years later. All limbs sustained fractures, the most common locations were the talus and calcaneus (n = 7). The sensitivity of CT was greater than ten‐view radiographic study (77% vs. 57%), while the specificity was similar (97% vs. 98%). The sensitivity and specificity of the ten‐view and two‐view radiograph studies were similar (57% vs. 55%; both 98%). Computed tomography images were reassessed postdissection to determine if failure to identify fractures resulted from observer error. Overall, CT was better than radiography for detecting fractures of the canine tarsus, however there was little improvement with ten‐view compared to two‐view radiographic studies.
Medium and Credibility in the African Novel: The Novelistic Vision of G.D Nyamndi and Blessed A. Njume
Authors: Ngeh Andrew T.
Published: September 2017

The post-colonial African novelist is committed beyond his/her art to a statement of value. Thus he is not interested in art for art’s sake. This study distances itself from Dan S. Izevbaye’s 1971 position for a ‘suppressed social reference’ in literary discourse. The post-colonial novelist believes that he must be socially committed in order to be universally engaged. In his/her novelistic vision, he/she questions the very foundation of the independence of most African nations. There is a consensus amongst African creative writers that the independence of most African countries is a sham because independence means self-determination. George D. Nyamndi in his The Sins of Babi Yar (2012) and Blessed Ambang Njume in his In a Web (2016) set out to bring out the visionary role of a committed writer and his moral obligation to his society. Using the medium of effective communication, the two novelists highlight corruption and the abuse of power as banes to socio-political development in Cameroon in particular and Africa as a whole. Using new historicism and the concept of socialist realism to interpret, evaluate and analyse the two novels under study, the paper explores and highlights the moral responsibility of a committed novelist in post-colonial African society. In this light, this study submits that the law courts, the judiciary, the military, the church and the educational systems in post-independent Africa are conduits and mechanisms for the propagation of neocolonialism and imperialism. Rev. Father Aaron in a Web and Justice Dan Mowena in The Sins of Babi Yar provide clear justifications for these social ills.
A Novel Weighting Method for Finding Common Weights in DEA
Authors: Wang Qing , Liu Zhaojun , Zhang Yang
Published: September 2017

In the traditional DEA model, each DMU maximizes its efficiency with the most favorable weights. This leads to flexibility and unreality of input and output weights. Subsequently, it is unfair to compare and rank the efficiencies of different DMUs obtained on the basis of these weights. In this paper, we propose a novel approach to determine a common set of weights with more consensus to evaluate and rank the performance of all DMUs by weighting the rescaled weights based on the degree of consensus, where the weights obtained from DEA are rescaled for comparison among DMUs. Moreover, to overcome the non-uniqueness of the weights, a novel secondary goal is developed based on the agreement between self-evaluation and peer-evaluation. In addition, the restriction of weights is taken into account to avoid trivial weights. Finally, an example of 14 international passenger airlines is used to illustrate the performance and credibility of our proposed method.
Structural properties of small Lin (n = 5–8) atomic clusters via ab initio random structure searching: A look into the role of different implementations of long-range dispersion corrections
Authors: Putungan Darwin Barayang , Lin Shi-Hsin
Published: September 2017

In this work, we looked into the lowest energy structures of small lithium clusters (Lin, n = 5, 6, 7, 8) utilizing conventional PBE exchange–correlation functional, PBE with D2 dispersion correction and PBE with Tkatchenko and Scheffler (TS) dispersion correction, and searched using ab initio random structure searching. Results show that in general, dispersion-corrected PBE obtained similar lowest minima structures as those obtained via conventional PBE regardless of the type of implementation, although both D2 and TS found several high-energy isomers that conventional PBE did not arrive at, with TS in general giving more structures per energy range that could be attributed to its environment-dependent implementation. Moreover, D2 and TS dispersion corrections found a lowest energy geometry for Li8 cluster that is in agreement with the structure obtained via the typical benchmarking method diffusion Monte Carlo in a recent work. It is thus suggested that for much larger lithium clusters, utilization of dispersion correction could be of help in searching for lowest energy minima that is in close agreement with that of diffusion Monte Carlo results, but computationally inexpensive.
Linear AC transport in T-stub and crossed silicene nanosystems
Authors: Sun Yun-Lei , Ye En-Jia
Published: September 2017

In this work, we theoretically study the linear AC transport properties in T-stub and crossed zigzag silicene nanosystems. The DC conductance and AC emittance are numerically calculated based on the tight-binding approach and AC transport theory, by considering the nearest-neighbor hopping, second-nearest-neighbor spin-orbit interaction (SOI) and external electric field. The relatively strong SOI of silicene was demonstrated to induce a topological quantum edge state in the nanosystems by the local density of states, which eliminates the AC emittance response at the Dirac point. Further investigations suggest that the SOI-induced AC transport is topologically protected from the changes of geometrical size. Moreover, the AC transport properties of these nanosystems can be tuned by the external electric field, which would open an energy gap and destroy the topological quantum state, making them trivial band insulators.