bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Collisions of droplets on spherical particles
Authors: Charalampous Georgios , Hardalupas Yannis
Published: October 2017

Head-on collisions between droplets and spherical particles are examined for water droplets in the diameter range between 170 μm and 280 μm and spherical particles in the diameter range between 500 μm and 2000 μm. The droplet velocities range between 6 m/s and 11 m/s, while the spherical particles are fixed in space. The Weber and Ohnesorge numbers and ratio of droplet to particle diameter were between 92 < We < 1015, 0.0070 < Oh < 0.0089, and 0.09 < Ω < 0.55, respectively. The droplet-particle collisions are first quantified in terms of the outcome. In addition to the conventional deposition and splashing regimes, a regime is observed in the intermediate region, where the droplet forms a stable crown, which does not breakup but propagates along the particle surface and passes around the particle. This regime is prevalent when the droplets collide on small particles. The characteristics of the collision at the onset of rim instability are also described in terms of the location of the film on the particle surface and the orientation and length of the ejected crown. Proper orthogonal decomposition identified that the first 2 modes are enough to capture the overall morphology of the crown at the splashing threshold.
Upper bound for diameter of cosmological black holes and nonexistence of black strings
Authors: Ida Daisuke
Published: October 2017

The diameter of the apparent horizon, defined by the distance between furthest points on the horizon, in spacetimes with a positive cosmological constant Λ has been investigated. It is established that the diameter of the apparent horizon on the totally umbilic partial Cauchy surface cannot exceed 2π/3Λ. Then, it is argued that arbitrarily long black strings cannot be formed in our universe.
Ultrafast NH3 Sensing Properties of WO3@CoWO4 Heterojunction Nanofibres at Room Temperature
Authors: Zhao Yiming , Ikram Muhammad , Wang Jianzhou , Liu Zhi , Du Lijuan , Zhou Jiao , Kan Kan , Zhang Weijun , Li Li , Shi Keying
Published: October 2017

Highly selective detection, quick response times (<5 s), and superior response (|Rn – Ra|/Ra = 1.17) to NH3 gas, particularly at room temperature (RT), are still enormous challenges in gas sensor applications. In this paper, a rational design and facile synthesis for a NH3 sensor have been proposed. Massage ball-like WO3@CoWO4 (Co-W) nanofibres (NFs) were prepared by a facile one-step synthesis utilising an electrospinning approach, followed by appropriate calcination. A Co-W NF sensor with a Co-to-W atomic ratio of 3 : 10 (Co-W-3), which consisted of nano-sized WO3 protrusions (10–15 nm) on submicrometre-sized single crystal CoWO4 particles (100–150 nm) exhibited excellent gas-sensing properties at RT due to the single crystal CoWO4–CoWO4 homojunction structure and distinct massage ball-like WO3–CoWO4 heterojunction. The approach developed in this work will be important for the low-cost and large-scale production of a Co-W-3 ultrafast sensing material with highly promising applications in gas sensors.
Putting urban Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander food insecurity on the agenda
Authors: Bramwell Leigh , Foley Wendy , Shaw Tanya
Published: October 2017

Food insecurity adversely affects diet quality, physical, mental and social wellbeing and the capacity to act on health advice recommended by primary healthcare providers. In this article, an overview of the neglected issue of food insecurity in urban Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities is provided. Policy and action on food security for urban Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is reviewed, and it is argued that for primary health care to better address food insecurity, an evidence base is needed to understand the experiences of individuals and households and how to work effectively to support food insecure clients.
Structural basis for regulation of the nucleo-cytoplasmic distribution of Bag6 by TRC35
Authors: Mock Jee-Young , Xu Yue , Ye Yihong , Clemons William M.
Published: October 2017

Significance

The metazoan protein BCL-2–associated athanogene cochaperone 6 (Bag6) acts as a central hub for several essential cellular processes, including immunoregulation, gene regulation, apoptosis, and proteostasis. These roles are in both the nucleus and the cytosol, but the mechanism by which Bag6 traffics between these compartments remains elusive. Here we present the crystal structure of Bag6 in complex with its cytoplasmic retention factor transmembrane domain recognition complex 35 (TRC35) and suggest a mechanism of regulation for the nucleo-cytoplasmic transport of Bag6.
Multigenerational silencing dynamics control cell aging
Authors: Li Yang , Jin Meng , O’Laughlin Richard , Bittihn Philip , Tsimring Lev S. , Pillus Lorraine , Hasty Jeff , Hao Nan
Published: October 2017

Significance

Aging is an inevitable consequence of living, and with it comes increased morbidity and mortality. Novel approaches to mitigating age-related chronic diseases demand a better understanding of the biology of aging. Studies in model organisms have identified many conserved molecular factors that influence aging. The emerging challenge is to understand how these factors interact and change dynamically to drive aging. Using multidisciplinary technologies, we have revealed a sirtuin-dependent intermittent pattern of chromatin silencing during yeast aging that is crucial for longevity. Our findings highlight the important role of silencing dynamics in aging, which deserves careful consideration when designing schemes to delay or reverse aging by modulating sirtuins and silencing.
Mechanically switching single-molecule fluorescence of GFP by unfolding and refolding
Authors: Ganim Ziad , Rief Matthias
Published: October 2017

Significance

Green fluorescent protein (GFP) is widely used as a tag to watch otherwise invisible proteins and as a sensor of its local chemical environment. Since GFP can form many partially folded states, it is critical to know how these structural changes affect its signature fluorescence. We use optical tweezers to force single molecules of GFP into folding and unfolding intermediate states and simultaneously probe single-molecule fluorescence from each state. It was found that GFP fluorescence requires complete structural integrity; none of the unfolding or refolding intermediates were observed to fluoresce, but fluorescence could be recovered by complete refolding. This feature was exploited to reversibly, mechanically switch GFP between on and off fluorescence states.
Direct measurement of weakly nonequilibrium system entropy is consistent with Gibbs–Shannon form
Authors: Gavrilov Momčilo , Chétrite Raphaël , Bechhoefer John
Published: October 2017

Significance

The second law of thermodynamics states that the total entropy of an isolated system is constant or increasing. This constrains the laws of physics, ruling out perpetual-motion machines that convert heat to work without any side effect. At its heart, the second law is a statement about entropy, yet entropy is an elusive concept: To date, it has not been directly measured but is rather inferred from other quantities, such as the integral of the specific heat over temperature. Here, by measuring the work required to erase a fraction of a bit of information, we isolate directly the change in entropy, showing that it is compatible with the functional form proposed by Shannon, demonstrating its physical meaning in this context.
In vitro reconstitution of T cell receptor-mediated segregation of the CD45 phosphatase
Authors: Carbone Catherine B. , Kern Nadja , Fernandes Ricardo A. , Hui Enfu , Su Xiaolei , Garcia K. Christopher , Vale Ronald D.
Published: October 2017

Significance

The T cell receptor (TCR) and PD-1 signaling cascades have been hypothesized to be triggered by the exclusion of the transmembrane phosphatase CD45 from sites of receptor–ligand engagement at the T cell–antigen-presenting cell interface. We reconstituted TCR–pMHC– and PD1–PD-L1–mediated segregation of CD45 with purified proteins and model membranes, demonstrating that this phenomenon can occur in the absence of any active cellular organization. In this minimal system, two developmentally regulated and different size isoforms of CD45 are differently segregated by TCR–pMHC binding, suggesting a possible mechanism for the fine-tuning of signaling. Collectively, our data show that the binding energy of physiological receptor–ligand pairs is sufficient to create spatial organization in membranes.
Control of growth and gut maturation by
HoxD
genes and the associated lncRNA
Haglr
Authors: Zakany Jozsef , Darbellay Fabrice , Mascrez Bénédicte , Necsulea Anamaria , Duboule Denis
Published: October 2017

Significance

During development, transcription factors are necessary not only to pattern the body plan but also to control growth. However, the link between these two developmental components has been difficult to establish.
Hox
genes are involved in the emergence of a functional digestive system in metazoans, thus providing a potential impact on growth through nutrition. Also, genetic conditions involving these genes lead to important growth retardation. We analyzed several targeted mutant lines at the
HoxD
locus and found that stunted phenotypes can all be explained by the lack of function of
Hoxd3
, whose role seems to be critical in the developing gut of suckling mice, perhaps as an adaptation to the milk-dependent early postnatal period in mammals.
Properties of real metallic surfaces: Effects of density functional semilocality and van der Waals nonlocality
Authors: Patra Abhirup , Bates Jefferson E. , Sun Jianwei , Perdew John P.
Published: October 2017

Significance

It is primarily at their surfaces that solids interact with their environments. What is the physics behind the measurable properties of clean metallic surfaces? To answer this question, we calculate surface energies, work functions, and surface interlayer relaxations for aluminum and seven
d
-electron metals, using a sequence of exchange-correlation density functionals of increasing sophistication. While the simplest one, the local density approximation, works well through error cancellation, the usually more realistic Perdew–Burke–Ernzerhof functional underestimates both surface energies and work functions. The more advanced functionals, including the new strongly constrained and appropriately normed (SCAN) and SCAN+rVV10, demonstrate the unexpected importance of intermediate and long-range van der Waals attraction (seamlessly included in the random phase approximation).
Questioning the questionable
Authors: Ilie Cornelia
Published: October 2017

The aim of this chapter is to identify and scrutinize the mechanisms of overt and covert argumentation and counter-argumentation that underlie the question-answer turn-taking structure in a political accountability interview conducted as part of the BBC HARDtalk programmes. The political accountability interview (Montgomery, 2011) can be regarded as an interviewer-mediated hybrid dialogue genre that combines inquiry dialogue and persuasion dialogue in varying degrees. As an inquiry dialogue it exhibits a question-and-answer pattern of information-seeking and information-sharing, and as a persuasion dialogue it functions as a consistent pursuit on either side to advance argumentation-supported interpretations and evaluations of targeted facts and events. While an interviewer is normally supposed to assume a neutral and impartial role in questioning the interviewee, there is increasing evidence (Bell & van Leeuven, 1994; Clayman, 2002; Heritage, 2002) that during the interview interaction, both interviewer and interviewee compete to assume control over meaning negotiation about the (re)interpretation and (re)contextualisation of controversial issues under discussion in order to impact the perceptions and beliefs of a multi-layered and diverse audience. The analytical focus of the present investigation is twofold: on the one hand, the interplay of questions and answers used by the interviewer and the interviewee to articulate argumentative and counter-argumentative claims meant to legitimize or delegitimize the relevance and validity of debated standpoints in an interview about controversial political events (Russian interventions in Ukraine) and related international reactions; on the other hand, the argumentation strategies used by the interviewer and the interviewee to justify or to challenge the relevance and validity of competing definitions and (re)definitions of keywords central to the discussion.
Interpersonal style(s) in diplomatic argumentation online
Authors: Swain Elizabeth
Published: October 2017

This chapter contributes to a growing body of research on diplomatic argumentation with a corpus study of variation in interpersonal style, conducted from an integrated perspective of argument schemes and appraisal theory. Based on 50 press releases taken from the foreign ministry websites of five prominent countries, the study aimed to ascertain whether internationally shared conventions of the kind regulating subjectivity in traditional argumentation settings still operate in the contemporary global, online context. Scheme types (Walton et al, 2008), directives, and the appraisal categories of authorial attitude and graduation (Martin and White, 2005) were taken as markers of interpersonal style and their frequencies calculated for the whole corpus and the five component sub-corpora. The results showed a relatively small range of argument schemes, free use of authorial attitude overall, and considerable variation between the five sub-corpora. Discussion of the different configurations of schemes and appraisal resources focuses on their construction of interpersonal style and government identity.
Antecedents of identification
Authors: Cohen Jonathan , Tal-Or Nurit
Published: October 2017

An important component of narrative involvement is identification, the taking on of a character’s emotions and perspective and adopting his or her goals. After carefully defining identification, the chapter turns to a brief discussion of some of its consequences such as enjoyment, interpretation, moral disengagement and influences on the self. The chapter then provides a critical examination and synthesis of studies that examine the determinants of identification. Determinants include viewing context, narrative features, audience traits, character features and various aspects of similarity between characters and audiences. After reviewing these studies the chapter suggests some conclusions and insights into the nature of identification that can be gleaned from this literature.
The emergence of Hebrew loydea / loydat (‘I dunno masc/fem’) from interaction
Authors: Maschler Yael
Published: October 2017

A general approach to discourse markers is sketched through an analysis which approaches grammar as emerging in interaction and coming into being through mundane language use (Hopper 1987, 2011). The study continues work on mental verb constructions in a variety of languages. By analyzing all 191 tokens of the (subj)-neg-pred construction of the Hebrew mental verb yada (‘know’) employed throughout audio-recordings of over 7.5 hours of Hebrew casual interactional data, I trace the route of this construction’s gravitation towards the discourse marker loydea / loydat (‘I dunno masc/fem’). I argue that employment of the construction is highly formulaic, not necessarily epistemic, and that its uses are closely tied to its prosodic, morphophonological and syntactic properties, to its position within the ongoing turn and sequence, and to the particular activities in which participants engage in interaction. Based on a mostly synchronic analysis of the data, I suggest two grammaticization paths leading to employment of this construction as a discourse marker. This is then supported with some diachronic evidence. The study of Hebrew loydea / loydat (‘I dunno masc/fem’) shows that the boundaries between the three categories of discourse marker, pragmatic marker, and modal particle can be rather blurred.
A corpus-based approach to functional markers in Greek
Authors: Goutsos Dionysis
Published: October 2017

The paper attempts to explore the role of position in Greek by examining how positional preferences for markers correlate with their functions in the language. A large number of these items are investigated in four sub-corpora of academic texts, newspaper opinion articles, Parliament speeches and radio and TV interviews (1 million words in total), drawn from the Corpus of Greek Texts. The findings suggest that items that can be described as discourse and pragmatic markers are attracted by first position, whereas modal markers tend to appear in third position and second position is reserved for grammaticalized items. The corpus-based approach followed seems to offer a useful means of delimiting the broad class of items involved in Greek.
Modal particles and Verum focus
Authors: Abraham Werner
Published: October 2017

The paper pursues two goals: first, comparing the behavior of speech act adverbials with modal particles, and second, the kinship of verum focus and modal particles with respect to their function in discourse. I explore the main difference between German(ic) grammatical modal particles and lexical discourse markers in other, non-Germanic, languages: By using modal particles in a core-grammatical1 sentence p, the speaker’s utterance of p sets up a thematic common ground with the further disposition that this temporarily final common ground is to be negotiated (agreed upon or challenged and, upon the addressee’s reaction, changed) with the addressee. Lexical correspondents to modal particles do not establish such a common ground and, therefore, do not invite, in an implicit fashion, the addressee’s appropriate reaction to the common ground. It is claimed that this type of grammatical modal particle is typically endorsed by v2-Vlast of German (and Dutch).2
A format for the description of German modal particles and their functional equivalents in Croatian and English
Authors: Kresić Marijana , Angster Mia Batinić , Diewald Gabriele
Published: October 2017

This paper presents a format for a cross-linguistic, corpus-based description of the formal features and the function of modal particles (hereafter: abbreviated as MPs) and their equivalents in German, Croatian and English.1 We define the word category of MPs for the Croatian language and propose a shared, pragmatic function of these particles in a cross-linguistic perspective. The starting point for the comparative analysis is the pragmatic function of German MPs, i.e. a specific discourse grammatical function which consists in anchoring the utterance in an assumed dialogic setting as the second turn, thus being set off from discourse marking elements as well as from text-connective elements in the narrow sense (cf. Diewald 2007, 2013; Diewald et al. 2009, see also Sections 1 and 2.1.2). Particle meanings are described in terms of the speaker’s assumptions about a state of affairs in the context of the communication (cf. Kresić & Batinić 2014). The proposed method for the lexicographic description of particle meanings in a cross-linguistic perspective encompasses their central features on the levels of morphology, syntax, semantics and pragmatics.
Grammaticalization of PMs/DMs/MMs in Japanese
Authors: Shinzato Rumiko
Published: October 2017

This paper discusses the source lexemes and the grammaticalization pathways leading to such end products as Discourse Markers (DMs), Modal Markers (MMs), and Pragmatic Markers (PMs) in relation to the layered structures of Japanese syntax, as well as issues of left/right peripheries (LP/RP). It points out that DMs and MMs are categorically parallel, but PMs are not. Further, source lexemes for DMs and MMs show the preferred directionality of positional shifts based on their semantic characters. PMs source items remain within the Core. The function-periphery mappings in Japanese support Beeching & Detges’ (2014) function-periphery asymmetry hypothesis as general tendencies, but also deviate from it as LP and RP are both subjective and intersubjective, reflecting the symmetrical layered structure.
Dubitative-corrective constructions in Italian
Authors: Giacalone Ramat Anna , Mauri Caterina , Sansò Andrea
Published: October 2017

This paper investigates the properties of a set of poorly described Italian constructions characterized, at the same time, by (i) a dubitative component, challenging a presupposition generated by the preceding context and (ii) a corrective function. These constructions revolve around four adverbial elements (al massimo, al limite, tutt’al più and caso mai) that have other functions besides the dubitative-corrective one. The analysis will illustrate how their dubitative-corrective function emerges in specific discourse configurations and will discuss their further pragmatic uses as mitigators, which appear to be crucially connected to the dubitative component. The theoretical implications of the analysis concern the definition itself of dubitative-corrective construction and the role of dialogical contexts in the development of a dubitative-corrective function. It will be shown that the constructions in question, though sharing a dubitative-corrective function, differ in various respects. These differences can be traced back to their different diachronic sources, namely a scalar construction for al massimo, al limite, and tutt’al più, and a conditional construction in the case of caso mai. The evolutionary paths leading from these source constructions to dubitative-corrective constructions present a different configuration, whereby the dubitative function emerges after the corrective function in the case of elements originally participating in a scalar construction (al limite, al massimo, tutt’al più) while in the development of caso mai the simple dubitative function precedes the dubitative-corrective one.
Italian discourse markers and modal particles in contact
Authors: Fiorentini Ilaria
Published: October 2017

The paper addresses the issue of the fuzzy boundaries between modal particles (henceforth MPs) and discourse markers (DMs) in a specific language contact situation, namely the Ladin area in Trentino-South Tyrol (Italy). It is still debated whether MPs should be seen as a subtype of DMs or whether they both should be seen as belonging to the more encompassing class of pragmatic markers (cf. Degand, Cornille & Pietrandrea 2013). The aim of this research is to investigate the uncertain and undefined boundaries of these categories in bilingual speech, in order to find out whether bilingual speakers treat DMs and MPs as separated linguistic categories or as a unified one.
Functional markers in llanito code-switching
Authors: Goria Eugenio
Published: October 2017

Several studies have demonstrated that, in situations of language contact, discourse markers, pragmatic markers and modal particles are easily transferable from one language into the other. This contribution tries to examine how does this process take place in bilingual speech, and it discusses data from a corpus of bilingual conversations from Gibraltar. It is argued that switching of discourse and pragmatic markers, as well as modal expressions, is an extremely frequent phenomenon and, more interestingly, that regularities in this process can be found, in the form of regular and recurrent bilingual patterns. These functional elements in fact are shown to behave consistently with each other, allowing to identify class-specific patterns, and with other discourse-relevant entities such as left dislocations and pseudo-clefts.
Occurrence, spatial distribution and risk and hazard assessments of antibiotics in drinking water sources of a polluted large river basin in China
Authors: Ju H. , Zhang J. , Sun C.
Published: October 2017

The Yinma River basin is located in central Jilin Province, China and is the primary source for domestic water and farmland irrigation in the region. Water quality directly affects the ecosystem and public health. With the development of industrial and pharmaceutical plants, aquaculture, and animal husbandry, which are sources of antibiotic pollution, there is increasing discharge into the aquatic environment of the Yinma River basin. To the best of our understanding, there have been no studies on aquatic pollution by antibiotics in this region. Thus, this study investigated the concentration levels and spatial distribution of antibiotics in the water of the Yinma River basin, and evaluated the human health hazards and ecological risks norfloxacin, enrofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, sulfamethoxazole and metronidazole were analyzed in 17 water samples from 13 provincial monitoring sections and 4 state monitoring sections. The results showed that the mean concentration of metronidazole in water was the highest, at 85.21 ng l−1, while enrofloxacin was undetected in all of the samples, and therefore, had the lowest concentration. The total concentrations of the 5 antibiotics ranged from 52.63 ng l−1 to 234.98 ng l−1, with a mean value of 142.06 ng l−1. Spatially, the highest total concentration was observed in the largest residential area, while the lowest total concentration was observed in the largest grassland. The results for hazard quotients suggested that the exposure of water to individual and complex antibiotics from all of the sampling sites posed little to no hazard to human health, but the drinking water pathway significantly contributed to human health hazards; the health hazards to men were higher than those to women. In the Yinma River basin, some sampling sites posed either low or medium risks to the aquatic ecosystem, which are indicated by the levels of individual and complex antibiotics.
A three-alarm signal for endocytosis?
Authors: Short Ben
Published: October 2017

A combination of high membrane curvature and two phosphoinositides initiates an actin polymerization pathway that could help cells complete endocytosis when vesicle scission is delayed.
Stranger Danger: When and Why Consumer Dyads Behave Less Ethically Than Individuals
Authors: Nikolova Hristina , Lamberton Cait , Coleman Nicole Verrochi
Published: October 2017

While joint ethical violations are fairly common in the marketplace and in workplace, sports-team, and academic settings, little research has studied such collaborative wrongdoings. This work compares the joint ethical decisions of pairs of people (i.e., dyads) to those of individual decision makers. Four experiments demonstrate that dyads in which the partners do not share a social bond with each other behave less ethically than individuals do. The authors propose that this effect occurs because joint ethical violations offer a means to socially bond with others. Consistent with this theory, they demonstrate that the dyads’ subethicality relative to individuals is attenuated (1) if the dyad partners establish rapport prior to the joint decision making, and (2) in decision-making contexts in which social bonding goals are less active—namely, making a decision with an out-group versus in-group member. Taken together, this research provides novel theoretical insights into the social aspects of unethical behavior, offers suggestions to improve ethicality in joint decisions, and raises important questions for future research.
Coxiella burnetii Multilevel Disk Space Infection, Epidural Abscess, and Vertebral Osteomyelitis Secondary to Contiguous Spread From Infected Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm or Graft: Report of 4 Cases Acquired in the US and Review of the Literature
Authors: Virk Abinash , Mahmood Maryam , Kalra Manju , Bower Thomas C , Osmon Douglas R , Berbari Elie F , Raoult Didier
Published: October 2017

Background

Chronic Coxiella burnetii infections such as vertebral osteomyelitis caused by contiguous spread from an infected abdominal aortic graft or aneurysm have been rarely reported and are associated with significant morbidity and mortality.

Methods

We present the first four reported US acquired cases of Coxiella burnetii vertebral osteomyelitis caused by contiguous spread from an infected abdominal aortic graft or aneurysm.

Results

Presenting symptoms included progressive back pain, malaise, and weight loss with recent or remote animal exposure. Typical imaging findings demonstrated a peri-aortic collection with extension to the paraspinal muscles and vertebrae. Antibiotic regimens included doxycycline with either hydroxychloroquine or a quinolone for at least 2 years or as chronic suppression.

Conclusions

C. burnetii vertebral osteomyelitis is rare and can occur by contiguous spread from an abdominal aneurysm or vascular graft infection. It should be suspected in patients where pre-antibiotic cultures are negative with animal/farming exposure.
Comparative Effectiveness of Prophylactic Strategies for Perinatal Transmission of Hepatitis B Virus: A Network Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
Authors: Chen Zhi-Xian , Zhuang Xun , Zhu Xiao-Hong , Hao Yan-Li , Gu Gui-Fang , Cai Meng-Zhi , Qin Gang
Published: October 2017

Background

Perinatal transmission is the main route of hepatitis B virus (HBV) transmission. While several measures have been attempted as means of preventing perinatal HBV transmission, the optimal strategy remains inconclusive.

Methods

We conducted a comprehensive search, through December 2016, for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that compared the following measures among pregnant women with HBV infection: placebo/none, active immunoprophylaxis (hepatitis B vaccine series starting at birth [HBVac]), passive-active immunoprophylaxis (hepatitis B immunoglobulin and vaccine [HBIG+HBVac]), prenatal HBIG administration (HBIG/HBIG+HBVac), and prenatal antiviral therapy (AVT/HBIG+HBVac). Direct, indirect, and network meta-analyses were performed for all treatment comparisons.

Results

Fifteen RCTs involving 2706 infants of HBV carrier mothers were eligible for analysis. Network meta-analysis demonstrated similar results as direct and indirect comparisons. HBVac alone significantly reduced the risk of hepatitis B infection in infants of HBV carrier mothers (relative risk [RR], 0.32; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.21–0.50). The combination of immunoglobulin with vaccine is superior to vaccine alone (RR, 0.37; 95% CI, 0.20–0.67). Prenatal HBIG administration and antiviral therapy offer further advantages over current passive-active immunoprophylaxis for infants of highly viremic (HBV DNA level higher than 2 × 105 IU/mL) mothers (RR, 0.47; 95% CI, 0.29–0.75; and RR, 0.31; 95% CI, 0.10–0.99, respectively). There was no significant publication bias.

Conclusions

Based on the universal infantile vaccination program, HBIG for infants born to HBV carrier mothers further reduces transmission. For highly viremic mothers whose children are still at risk for transmission under current immunoprophylaxis, prenatal HBIG administration or antiviral therapy in late pregnancy may be considered if more long-term evidence supports its efficacy and safety.
Impact of Trajectory Planning With Susceptibility-Weighted Imaging for Intracranial Electrode Implantation
Authors: Barros Guilherme , Lang Michael J , Mouchtouris Nikolaos , Sharan Ashwini D , Wu Chengyuan
Published: October 2017

BACKGROUND

While T1-weighted gadolinium-enhanced (T1-Gd) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the standard imaging sequence for trajectory planning of stereotactic procedures, including deep brain stimulation, stereoelectroencephalography, and laser interstitial thermal therapy, susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) has been reported to demonstrate increased sensitivity for the visualization of microvasculature.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the impact of SWI visualization on trajectory planning for electrode implantation and evaluate the relationship between the rate of vessel-electrode intersections and intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH).

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective study of 13 patients who underwent stereoelectroencephalography and laser interstitial thermal therapy placement between 2014 and 2015, using their preoperative T1-Gd and SWI scans, and postoperative MRI scans to determine the rate of vessel-electrode intersections seen on the 2 imaging modalities, the mean diameter and depth of the vessels identified, and the rate of ICH after implantation.

RESULTS

Among 13 patients, 106 electrodes were implanted. Sixty-three unique vessel-electrode intersections were identified on SWI with a mean of 4.85 intersections per patient. There were 13 intersections seen on T1-Gd with a mean of 1 intersection per patient. The intersected vessels visualized on SWI had a diameter of 1.49 ± 0.46 mm and those on T1-Gd were 2.01 ± 0.52 mm. There was no clear ICH observed in this series.

CONCLUSION

SWI allows for improved visualization of the smaller, deep vessels, whereas T1-Gd adequately detects superficial, larger vessels. Despite the larger number of vessel-electrode intersections seen on SWI, no clear evidence of ICH was identified. Increased detection of deep vasculature does not appear to significantly benefit trajectory planning for stereotactic intracranial procedures and may limit the number of trajectories perceived to be safe.
Molecular Characterization and Detection of a Genetically Distinct Tomato Chlorosis Virus Strain in Taiwan
Authors: Kang Ya-Chi , Wang Yun-Chi , Hsia Chun-Ming , Tsai Wen-Shi , Huang Li-Hsin , Yeh Shyi-Dong , Chen Tsung-Chi
Published: October 2017

The whitefly-transmitted tomato chlorosis virus (ToCV) belonging to the genus Crinivirus (family Closteroviridae) affects tomato production worldwide. ToCV was first recorded in Taiwan in 1998 affecting tomato production. In this study, a local virus isolate XS was obtained, after serial whitefly transmissions from a diseased tomato plant displaying general chlorosis were collected in central Taiwan. The whole genome sequence of XS was determined from cDNA fragments amplified by reverse transcription (RT)-PCR, first using the degenerate primers for viruses of Closteroviridae and followed by degenerate and specific primers designed on available sequences of the ToCV isolates. The nucleotide (nt) sequences of RNA-1 and RNA-2 of the XS shared low identities of 77.8 to 78% and 78 to 78.1%, respectively, with genome segments of other ToCV isolates. Nevertheless, the viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), heat shock protein 70 homolog (Hsp70h), and major capsid protein (CP) shared 88.3 to 96.2% amino acid (aa) identities with other ToCV isolates, indicating that XS is a new strain of this virus. Phylogenetic analyses of these three proteins indicated that all ToCV isolates from different counties outside Taiwan are closely related and clustered in the same clade, whereas the XS isolate is distinct and forms a unique branch. A one tube RT-PCR assay using primers designed from the genomic sequence of the XS was able to detect the ToCV-XS in infected tomato plants and in individual whiteflies. A field survey during 2013 to 2016 revealed a high ToCV-XS prevalence of 60.5% in 172 tested tomato samples, demonstrating that ToCV-XS is becoming an emerging threat for tomato production in Taiwan.
Understanding employment contracts
Authors: Dolan Carolyn M.
Published: October 2017

NPs are conscientious providers, but when it comes to their own careers, they may not be as careful to apply the same prevention strategies, monitoring, and hypervigilance that they use with their patients to avoid poor outcomes. This article identifies potential risks in employment contracts and offers suggestions for avoiding disputes.
Providing self-management education to patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus
Authors: Palmer Carrie
Published: October 2017

NPs and other primary care providers will continue to encounter a growing population of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Helping patients engage in self-care behaviors is essential to achieve blood glucose control and prevent diabetes-related complications. This article explores opportunities to provide education to patients with diabetes mellitus on the important self-care topics of nutrition and hypoglycemia during a primary care visit.
An update on gain-of-function mutations in primary immunodeficiency diseases
Authors: Jhamnani Rekha D. , Rosenzweig Sergio D.
Published: October 2017

Purpose of review

Most primary immunodeficiencies described since 1952 were associated with loss-of-function defects. With the advent and popularization of unbiased next-generation sequencing diagnostic approaches followed by functional validation techniques, many gain-of-function mutations leading to immunodeficiency have also been identified. This review highlights the updates on pathophysiology mechanisms and new therapeutic approaches involving primary immunodeficiencies because of gain-of-function mutations.

Recent findings

The more recent developments related to gain-of-function primary immunodeficiencies mostly involving increased infection susceptibility but also immune dysregulation and autoimmunity, were reviewed. Updates regarding pathophysiology mechanisms, different mutation types, clinical features, laboratory markers, current and potential new treatments on patients with caspase recruitment domain family member 11, signal transducer and activator of transcription 1, signal transducer and activator of transcription 3, phosphatidylinositol-4,5-biphosphate 3-kinase catalytic 110, phosphatidylinositol-4,5-biphosphate 3-kinase regulatory subunit 1, chemokine C-X-C motif receptor 4, sterile α motif domain containing 9-like, and nuclear factor κ-B subunit 2 gain-of-function mutations are reviewed for each disease.

With the identification of gain-of-function mutations as a cause of immunodeficiency, new genetic pathophysiology mechanisms unveiled and new-targeted therapeutic approaches can be explored as potential rescue treatments for these diseases.
The Association of Changing Practice Settings on Maintenance of Certification Exam Outcomes: A Comparative Study of General Internists Over Time
Authors: Jones Andrew T. , Barnhart Brendan J. , Durning Steven J. , Lipner Rebecca S.
Published: October 2017

Purpose

To investigate how changing to or from solo practice settings relates to maintenance of certification (MOC) exam performance.

Method

The authors conducted a retrospective analysis of exam pass/fail outcomes for 7,112 physicians who successfully completed their initial MOC cycle from 2000 to 2004. Initial physician MOC practice characteristics records, demographic information, and exam performance were linked with exam pass/fail outcomes from their second MOC cycle from 2006 to 2014 (5,215 physicians after attrition). Exam pass/fail outcomes for physicians’ second MOC cycle were compared among four groups: those who remained in group practice across both MOC cycles, those who changed from group to solo practice, those who changed from solo to group practice, and those who remained in solo practice across both MOC cycles.

Results

Physicians who changed from solo to group practice performed significantly better than those who remained in solo practice (odds ratio [OR] = 1.67; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.11, 2.51; P = .027). Conversely, physicians changing from group to solo practice performed significantly worse than physicians staying in group practice (OR = 0.60; 95% CI = 0.45, 0.80; P = .002). Meanwhile, physicians who changed from solo to group practice performed similarly to physicians remaining in group practice (OR = 0.95; 95% CI = 0.67, 1.35; P = 0.76).

Conclusions

Changes in solo/group practice status were associated with second-cycle MOC exam performance. This study provides evidence that the context in which a physician practices may have an impact on their MOC exam performance.
Evaluation of a Novel Immunoassay for Lacosamide Therapeutic Drug Monitoring: Comparison With a Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry Assay
Authors: D'Urso Annachiara , Ricotta Tiziano , de Grazia Ugo
Published: October 2017

Background:

Monitoring serum levels of lacosamide, other than to establish individualized reference ranges may be helpful in several settings, including patients with liver and/or kidney failure or settings that may result in altered pharmacokinetic characteristics and to assess patients' compliance with therapy. In this study, the EurekaOne liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method (in use method) and the ARK immunoassay method (new method) for lacosamide monitoring were compared.

Methods:

Lacosamide concentrations were determined in 39 patient samples using (1) antiepileptic drug LC-MS/MS kit by EurekaOne on a Thermo Fisher Scientific TSQuantum Access Max system and (2) the lacosamide immunoassay by ARK Diagnostic Inc. (research use only kit), on a Abbott Architect System.

Results:

Measured total imprecision of the new method is 6.29% at 6.59 μmol/L, 8.82% at 30.20 μmol/L, and 6.45% at 64.51 μmol/L. Passing–Bablok regression analysis showed a nonsignificant intercept of -0.03015 [95% confidence interval (CI), −1.2243 to 0.8593] and a slope of 1.05 (95% CI, 0.9973–1.1166), showing that the method does not deviate from linearity and absence of proportional systematic error. Bland–Altman analysis showed a systematic bias of -3.296% (95% CI, −5.81 to −0.78) with 95% of the LC-MS/MS—ARK mean % of differences ranging from −18.5 to 11.9. Despite this bias, data of the combined imprecision of the 2 methods show that the new method is still acceptable within the maximum allowable error of 15%.

Conclusions:

The performance of the new ARK method on the Architect system is acceptable and may be used routinely to measure serum lacosamide concentration in the clinic although the nature of the bias has to be carefully addressed.
Effect of 2 years of endurance and high-impact training on preventing osteoporosis in postmenopausal women: randomized clinical trial
Authors: García-Gomáriz Carmen , Blasco José M. , Macián-Romero Cecili , Guillem-Hernández Elías , Igual-Camacho Celedonia
Published: October 2017

Objective:

The aim of the study was to analyze the effects of endurance and high-impact training oriented toward preventing osteoporosis in postmenopausal women with calcium and vitamin D supplementation.

Methods:

This study was a randomized clinical trial. Thirty-six postmenopausal women were randomized to the control and experimental groups. Thirty-four women completed the 2-year interventions. The control group training involved walking at an intense pace. The experimental group conducted high-impact training specifically oriented to prevent osteoporosis. Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry was used to estimate the T-scores of the lumbar spine and femoral neck.

Results:

The fast-walking group showed constant T-scores in the femoral neck and improved T-scores in the lumbar spine. High-impact exercises produced improvements in both anatomical levels. Significant differences were found in the femoral neck (ΔControl = −0.04, ΔExperimental = 0.28). The differences were not significant in the lumbar spine (ΔControl = 0.27, ΔExperimental = 0.47). Cohen's effect size (d = 0.52) suggested a medium practical significance of the trial. The power was 51%.

Conclusions:

Calcium plus vitamin D supplementation combined with specifically oriented exercises had a higher impact in the femoral neck than walking at an intense pace. As there were no differences at the lumbar spine level, the results were, however, inconclusive concerning which type of exercise was the most convenient. Importantly, the fact that the T-scores did not decrease after 2 years supports the belief that both proposed interventions can be conveniently used to prevent osteoporosis in postmenopausal women. A trial with a larger sample size would provide consistency to the findings and is warranted given the possible effects and benefits.
Depressive symptoms screening in postmenopausal women with symptomatic pelvic organ prolapse
Authors: Ai Fangfang , Deng Mou , Mao Meng , Xu Tao , Zhu Lan
Published: October 2017

Objective:

This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of depressive symptoms in postmenopausal women with symptomatic pelvic organ prolapse (POP) and to identify the factors associated with depressive symptoms in this population.

Methods:

We conducted a cross-sectional study involving postmenopausal women with symptomatic POP who visited the Center of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Beijing, between July 2016 and March 2017. We collected data pertaining to participants’ sociodemographic characteristics and medical histories. The participants enrolled in the study were evaluated by POP quantification (POP-Q), the Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory-20 (PFDI-20), and the Pelvic Floor Impact Questionnaire-7 (PFIQ-7), and the severity of their depressive symptoms was assessed by the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (participants with scores ≥10 were considered “positive” for depressive symptoms, whereas participants with scores <10 were considered “negative” for depressive symptoms). We performed independent-sample t tests, Mann-Whitney U test, chi-square tests, Fisher's exact test, and logistic regression to analyze our data.

Results:

In all, 177 participants completed the entire study and were thus included in the analysis. Overall, 32.8% of participants were found to have depressive symptoms. We noted no differences in sociodemographic characteristics or POP-Q stage between participants with and without depressive symptoms (P > 0.05). However, depressive symptoms were associated with higher PFIQ-7 and PFDI-20 subscale scores (P < 0.001). PFIQ-7 subscale Urinary Impact Questionnaire (UIQ)-7 (odds ratio [OR] 1.038, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.010-1.066, P = 0.008), PFDI-20 subscale UDI-6 (OR 1.025, 95% CI 1.007-1.044, P = 0.008), and Colorectal-Anal Distress Inventory-8 (OR 1.025, 95% CI 1.005-1.046, P = 0.016), which represented the impact on quality of life from lower urinary tract symptoms, the distress caused by lower urinary tract symptom and bowel dysfunction, respectively, were the risk factors that were independently associated with depressive symptoms after multiple logistic regression analysis.

Conclusions:

Depressive symptoms were present in approximately one-third of postmenopausal women with symptomatic POP. Depressive symptoms are not associated with POP stage, but are associated with the lower urinary tract symptom and bowel dysfunction scores attributable to prolapse. Clinicians should be mindful of whether patients with symptomatic POP have depressive symptoms and should address POP and any concomitant depressive symptoms as early as possible.
FUNDUS-WIDE SUBRETINAL AND PIGMENT EPITHELIAL ABNORMALITIES IN MACULAR TELANGIECTASIA TYPE 2
Authors: Powner Michael B. , Woods Sasha M. , Zhu Meidong , Gillies Mark C. , Bernstein Paul S. , Hageman Gregory S. , Comer Grant M. , Egan Catherine , Fruttiger Marcus
Published: October 2017

Purpose:

Macular telangiectasia Type 2 (MacTel) causes glial and photoreceptor cell death in a small, oval patch in the central retina. Beyond this oval area, no disease manifestations have been described so far. Here, we describe a novel pathological aspect of MacTel in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) that is not restricted to the clinically affected area but covers the entire retina.

Methods:

We have studied postmortem eyes from four patients with MacTel by immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy.

Results:

We found cellular debris in the subretinal space (between photoreceptor outer segments and RPE), consisting mainly of outer segments and RPE components. In healthy eyes, the RPE normally phagocytoses the tips of the continuously growing outer segments, a process considered to be essential for photoreceptor survival. However, in the patients with MacTel, we found no evidence of ongoing outer segment phagocytosis, and the apical surface of the RPE appeared abnormal throughout most of the retina.

Conclusion:

Reduced outer segment phagocytosis may explain the accumulating debris in the subretinal space but is a surprising finding because visual function in the peripheral retina is normal in patients with MacTel. Nevertheless, the subclinical pathology might induce a specific stress to which the central area is uniquely susceptible.