bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The “architect analogy” of evidence‐based practice: Reconsidering the role of clinical expertise and clinician experience in evidence‐based health care
Authors: Paez Arsenio
Published: November 2018

The role of expertise in evidence‐based medicine (EBM) and practice (EBP) has long been debated. In the early years of the EBP movement, the role of expertise and experience were diminished in clinical decision‐making. However, the concepts of EBP are evolving. A more nuanced view of the value of clinician expertise, based on experience and clinical judgement, has emerged. This article proposes that clinical expertise does not belong within the evidence hierarchy's decision‐making pyramid as the lowest form of evidence, but rather alongside it, representing a complementary source of knowledge that supports the processes of EBP. An “Architect Analogy of EBP” is proposed as a new model by which to describe this relationship. In this analogy, the clinician's use of expertise is likened to the role of an architect, using evidence as building blocks in the construction of the client's edifice, representing the patients’ health and wellbeing. Much as an architect carefully designs the edifice in consultation with the client's needs and preferences, choosing appropriate material (evidence), rejecting faulty material, and ensuring construction stays on course, the clinician must sort through a plethora of sometimes contradictory evidence, evaluate its merits and appropriateness for the patients’ unique biopsychosocial circumstances and values, and monitor the effects of interventions on patients’ health and wellbeing. The expertise of practitioners, as the architects of EBP, is an important supporting source of knowledge that facilitates the “Five Steps of EBP,” informs and facilitates EBP, and supports patient‐centred care.
Awareness of clinical trial registration among healthcare professionals: An observational study
Authors: Ranawaka Udaya K. , de Abrew Ashwini , Wimalachandra Manujasri , Wanigatunge Chandanie A. , Rajapakse Lalani C. , Goonaratna Colvin
Published: November 2018

Aim

Prospective registration in a freely accessible public platform is a key step in the ethical conduct of clinical trials. Little is known of the awareness of clinical trial registration among the scientific community. This study aimed to assess awareness of clinical trial registration among participants attending a medical congress in Sri Lanka.

Methods

Knowledge of trial registration was assessed using a self‐administered questionnaire, which spanned domains such as involvement in research, and knowledge and perceptions regarding trial registration. A knowledge score was calculated and correlated with demographic variables.

Results

Of 251 survey respondents, 53.4% were male, 74.9% were below the age of 40 years, and 56.6% were currently engaged in research. Registration was considered necessary for trial publication by 73.3%, and 70.5% agreed that trials should be registered prospectively. Most achieved a knowledge score of ‘Acceptable’ (41%) or ‘Good’ (19.9%). Mid‐ or advanced career stages, postgraduate training, current involvement in research, and recent research publications/presentations were correlated with higher knowledge scores (P < 0.05). Beneficial effects considered to be associated with trial registration were access to findings of all trials (61.4%), access to negative results (47.8%), preventing trial duplication (69.3%), and preventing multiple publications (70.1%). Increasing research workload (49.8%), additional restrictions on research conduct (52.2%), and the possibility of ‘intellectual theft’ (56.2%) were seen as potential negative effects.

Conclusions

Most participants were aware of the need for prospective registration as a requirement for publication of clinical trials. Concerns were expressed regarding several perceived negative effects of trial registration.
Phylogeny, Evidence for a Cryptic Plastid, and Distribution of Chytriodinium Parasites (Dinophyceae) Infecting Copepods
Authors: Strassert Jürgen F.H. , Hehenberger Elisabeth , del Campo Javier , Okamoto Noriko , Kolisko Martin , Richards Thomas A. , Worden Alexandra Z. , Santoro Alyson E. , Keeling Patrick J.
Published: November 2018

Spores of the dinoflagellate Chytriodinium are known to infest copepod eggs causing their lethality. Despite the potential to control the population of such an ecologically important host, knowledge about Chytriodinium parasites is limited: we know little about phylogeny, parasitism, abundance, or geographical distribution. We carried out genome sequence surveys on four manually isolated sporocytes from the same sporangium, which seemed to be attached to a copepod nauplius, to analyze the phylogenetic position of Chytriodinium based on SSU and concatenated SSU/LSU rRNA gene sequences, and also characterize two genes related to the plastidial heme pathway, hemL and hemY. The results suggest the presence of a cryptic plastid in Chytriodinium and a photosynthetic ancestral state of the parasitic Chytriodinium/Dissodinium clade. Finally, by mapping Tara Oceans V9 SSU amplicon data to the recovered SSU rRNA gene sequences from the sporocytes, we show that globally, Chytriodinium parasites are most abundant within the pico/nano‐ and mesoplankton of the surface ocean and almost absent within microplankton, a distribution indicating that they generally exist either as free‐living spores or host‐associated sporangia.
Mild Cognitive Impairment that Does Not Progress to Dementia: A Population‐Based Study
Authors: Ganguli Mary , Jia Yichen , Hughes Tiffany F. , Snitz Beth E. , Chang Chung‐Chou H. , Berman Sarah B. , Sullivan Kevin J. , Kamboh M. Ilyas
Published: November 2018

Background/Objective

In population studies, most individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) do not progress to dementia in the near term, but rather remain stable MCI or revert to normal cognition. Here, we characterized MCI subgroups with different outcomes over 5 years.

Setting/Participants

A population‐based cohort (N=1603).

Measurements

Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR); self‐reported medical conditions, subjective cognitive concerns, self‐rated health, depressive symptoms, blood pressure, medications, blood pressure, APOE genotype, cognitive domain composite scores.

Design

We compared 3 MCI subgroups who progressed to dementia (n=86), stabilized at MCI (n=384), or reverted to normal (n=252), to those who remained consistently normal (n=881), defining MCI as CDR = 0.5 and dementia as CDR≥1. Using multinomial logistic regression models adjusted for demographics, we examined the associations of each group with selected baseline characteristics.

Results

With the normal group for reference, worse subjective cognitive concerns, functional impairments, self‐rated health, and depressive symptoms were associated with being in any MCI group. Taking more prescription medications was associated with being in the stable MCI and reverter groups; diabetes and low diastolic blood pressure were associated with stable MCI. The APOE4 genotype was associated with stable and progressive MCI; stroke was associated with progressive MCI. All MCI subgroups were likely to have lower mean composite scores in all cognitive domains and more operationally defined impairments in attention, language, and executive function; reverters were more likely to lack memory and visuospatial impairments.

Conclusions

MCI subgroups with different 5‐year outcomes had some distinct characteristics suggesting different underlying causes. The progressors, unlike the reverters, had a profile broadly typical of Alzheimer's disease; the stable MCIs had other, including vascular, morbidity. These data shed light on the heterogeneity of MCI in the population. J Am Geriatr Soc 67:232–238, 2019.
Effects of exercise training and follow‐up calls at home on physical activity and quality of life after a mastectomy
Authors: Nemli Asli , Tekinsoy Kartin Pinar
Published: November 2018

Aim

To determine the effects of exercise training that was supported with follow‐up calls at home on the postoperative level of physical activity and quality of life of women with breast cancer.

Methods

The study was carried out with a quasi‐experimental design. Women who had underwent an axillary dissection and mastectomy and who were receiving ongoing chemotherapy treatment in the ambulatory unit of a university hospital were included in the study. Sixty‐two women were randomly assigned to an intervention (n = 31) or a control (n = 31) group. The women in the intervention group were given exercise training and then they were followed up by phone calls at home for 12 weeks in order to ensure the continuity of the exercises.

Results

At the end of the study, the number of “very active” individuals and the “total physical activity level” increased significantly in the intervention group but decreased significantly in the control group. In the intervention group, “future healthy function” in the functional area subscale significantly increased but “systematic therapy side‐effects,” “breast symptoms,” and “arm symptoms” in the symptom subscale increased significantly.

Conclusion

Exercise training that is supported with home follow‐up calls after surgery increases the level of physical activity, which then favorably relates with a good quality of life of women with breast cancer.
Outcomes of Meaningful Work: A Meta‐Analysis
Authors: Allan Blake A. , Batz-Barbarich Cassondra , Sterling Haley M. , Tay Louis
Published: November 2018

Using job characteristics theory as a framework, we calculated meta‐analytic effect sizes between meaningful work and various outcomes and tested a mediated model of meaningful work predicting proximal and distal outcomes with meta‐analytic structural equation modelling (MASEM). From 44 articles (N = 23,144), we found that meaningful work had large correlations (r = 0.70+) with work engagement, commitment, and job satisfaction; moderate to large correlations (r = 0.44 to −0.49) with life satisfaction, life meaning, general health, and withdrawal intentions; and small to moderate correlations (r = −0.19 to 0.33) with organizational citizenship behaviours, self‐rated job performance, and negative affect. The best MASEM fitting model was meaningful work predicting work engagement, commitment, and job satisfaction and these variables subsequently predicting self‐rated performance, organizational citizenship behaviours, and withdrawal intentions. This meta‐analysis provides estimated effect sizes between meaningful work and its outcomes and reveals how meaningful work relates directly and indirectly to key outcomes.
Effect and Process Evaluation of a Structural Health Intervention in Community Residences for Adults With Intellectual Disabilities
Authors: Elinder Liselotte S. , Sundblom Elinor , Zeebari Zangin , Bergström Helena
Published: November 2018

Interventions to improve health among adults with intellectual disabilities (ID) living in community residences are needed as unhealthy behaviors, obesity, and chronic diseases are more common in this group than in the general population. This study evaluated effectiveness of a structural health intervention, a study circle for paid carers aiming to improve health promotion work routines for residents, and explored barriers and facilitators in the implementation process. A quasi‐experimental design was used. Eight municipalities with 84 community residences agreed to participate with 70 of these completing the study. A 26‐item questionnaire was used regarding staff work routines in three domains (general health promotion, food and meals, physical activity) and a total score to evaluate effectiveness. An inductive qualitative method was used to explore barriers and facilitators in the implementation process. The intervention group (n = 42 residences) improved their health promoting work routines significantly more than the comparison group (n = 28 residences) in the domains of general health promotion (p = .05), physical activity (p = .02), and for the total score (p = .002), but no significant change was found in the food and meal domain (p = .11). Regarding barriers and facilitators in the implementation process, a “Need for a supportive structure and key persons with a mandate to act,” was identified as an overarching theme. Barriers and facilitators were identified within four categories: (1) characteristics of the study circle, (2) staff capacity, (3) organizational capacity, and (4) external support. This study provides evidence that a structural intervention targeting staff in community residences for people with ID can improve health promoting work routines and that the results might be generalizable. If disseminated on a wider scale, this intervention has the potential of improving health and preventing obesity and other chronic diseases in adults with ID.
Muscle fiber growth in olive flounder, Paralichthys olivaceus: Fiber hyperplasia at a specific body weight period and continuous hypertrophy
Authors: Lee Boin , Lee Bong J. , Lee Younkyung , Hur Sang W. , Kim Kyoung D. , Kim Kang W. , Han Hyon S. , Shin Sangsu , Choe Jeehwan , Lee Kichoon , Choi Young M.
Published: November 2018

The objective of this study was to investigate muscle fiber growth‐related attributes, especially fiber hyperplasia and hypertrophy, and their relation to growth characteristics in olive flounder. After a conditioning period, juvenile olive flounder (214 g of initial body weight) were weighed after 0, 4, 8, 12, and 24 weeks of a feeding trial and were selected based on mean body weight at each period (G1, G2, G3, G4, and G5, respectively). During the 3.0‐fold increase in body weight (363.1–1,071 g, p < 0.001), the fiber area was increased approximately 2.2 times (p < 0.05), and the median area increased from the G1 to G5 groups (p < 0.05). The G3 group exhibited a greater fiber number than the G2 group (p < 0.05) as the G3 group exhibited a higher percentage of smaller fiber and mosaic hyperplasia. In addition, a higher percentage of centered nuclei and deoxyribonucleic acid amount in the G2 group were accompanied by an increase in fiber number in the G3 group. Therefore, the muscle growth of olive flounder was influenced by continued fiber area growth and a significant number increase by mosaic hyperplasia during a specific period (G2 to G3 groups; from 512.7 to 670.3 g).
Real Collars as Alternative Incentives for Subsidizing Energy Facilities
Authors: Adkins Roger , Paxson Dean
Published: November 2018

We suggest that real collars may be acceptable incentives for encouraging development of low (or no) carbon energy generating facilities as an alternative for high feed‐in‐tariffs. We provide novel analytical solutions for real collars and partial collars, plus floor and ceiling partial derivatives. The ‘gains/losses’ of the energy generator as perceived parameter values change are compared to those of the government providing the collar, and floor or ceiling only, viewing the arrangement as a real option game between principal and agent. A volatility increase first increases, then decreases the ‘gains’ of the generator.
Putatively adaptive genetic variation in the giant California sea cucumber (Parastichopus californicus) as revealed by environmental association analysis of restriction‐site associated DNA sequencing data
Authors: Xuereb Amanda , Kimber Christopher M. , Curtis Janelle M. R. , Bernatchez Louis , Fortin Marie‐Josée
Published: November 2018

Understanding the spatial scale of local adaptation and the factors associated with adaptive diversity are important objectives for ecology and evolutionary biology, and have significant implications for effective conservation and management of wild populations and natural resources. In this study, we used an environmental association analysis to identify important bioclimatic variables correlated with putatively adaptive genetic variation in a benthic marine invertebrate—the giant California sea cucumber (Parastichopus californicus)—spanning coastal British Columbia and southeastern Alaska. We used a redundancy analysis (RDA) with 3,699 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) obtained using RAD sequencing to detect candidate markers associated with 11 bioclimatic variables, including sea bottom and surface conditions, across two spatial scales (entire study area and within subregions). At the broadest scale, RDA revealed 59 candidate SNPs, 86% of which were associated with mean bottom temperature. Similar patterns were identified when population structure was accounted for. Additive polygenic scores, which provide a measure of the cumulative signal across all candidate SNPs, were strongly correlated with mean bottom temperature, consistent with spatially varying selection across a thermal gradient. At a finer scale, 23 candidate SNPs were detected, primarily associated with surface salinity (26%) and bottom current velocity (17%). Our findings suggest that environmental variables may play a role as drivers of spatially varying selection forP. californicus. These results provide context for future studies to evaluate the genetic basis of local adaptation inP. californicusand help inform the relevant scales and environmental variables for in situ field studies of putative adaptive variation in marine invertebrates.
MoImd4 mediates crosstalk between MoPdeH‐cAMP signalling and purine metabolism to govern growth and pathogenicity in Magnaporthe oryzae
Authors: Yang Lina , Ru Yanyan , Cai Xingjia , Yin Ziyi , Liu Xinyu , Xiao Yuhan , Zhang Haifeng , Zheng Xiaobo , Wang Ping , Zhang Zhengguang
Published: November 2018

The high‐affinity cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) phosphodiesterase MoPdeH is important not only for cAMP signalling and pathogenicity, but also for cell wall integrity (CWI) maintenance in the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae. To explore the underlying mechanism, we identified MoImd4 as an inosine‐5′‐monophosphate dehydrogenase (IMPDH) homologue that interacts with MoPdeH. Targeted deletion of MoIMD4 resulted in reduced de novo purine biosynthesis and growth, as well as attenuated pathogenicity, which were suppressed by exogenous xanthosine monophosphate (XMP). Treatment with mycophenolic acid (MPA), which specifically inhibits MoImd4 activity, resulted in reduced growth and virulence attenuation. Intriguingly, further analysis showed that MoImd4 promotes the phosphodiesterase activity of MoPdeH, thereby decreasing intracellular cAMP levels, and MoPdeH also promotes the IMPDH activity of MoImd4. Our studies revealed the presence of a novel crosstalk between cAMP regulation and purine biosynthesis in M. oryzae, and indicated that such a link is also important in the pathogenesis of M. oryzae.
Nursing perspectives on Integral Theory in nursing practice and education: An interpretive descriptive study
Authors: Shea Linda , Reimer‐Kirkham Sheryl , Cavan Frisch Noreen
Published: November 2018

While for decades nursing has advocated for theory‐informed practice, more recent attention has tended to focus on mid‐range theory rather than the earlier focus on developing grand theory to encompass all of nursing practice. However, there has been continued interest in the holistic nursing community on grand theory and, in particular, on Integral Theory. Although Integral Theory's four‐quadrant (AQAL) perspective is familiar in nursing, little is known about how it is being used by nurses in direct practice. The purpose of this interpretive descriptive study was to provide a practice‐based perspective on Ken Wilber's Integral Theory in professional nursing practice. The following research question was investigated: How does Integral Theory assist nurses in describing and understanding their professional work? Nurses participating in this study used Integral Theory as a map or heuristic that gave structure to an inquiry process in professional nursing practice and in nursing education in a manner that was holonic, multiperspectival, and self‐reflective. Challenges constraining nurses’ use of Integral Theory included its intricacy, as well as contextual factors in practice environments. Implications for nursing practice and education for the use of Integral Theory's meta‐framework are described.
Invisible cornerstones. A hermeneutic study of the experience of care partners of older people with mental health problems in home care services
Authors: Anker‐Hansen Camilla , Skovdahl Kirsti , McCormack Brendan , Tønnessen Siri
Published: November 2018

Objectives

To explore the lived experiences and support needs of the care partners of older people with mental health problems living at home with assistance from home care services. Care partners face significant challenges in their care role and they often feel unsupported. An understanding of their experiences may help improve home care to support their needs.

Method

An exploratory qualitative approach was used. The study is based on the SRQR and COREQ reporting guidelines. In‐depth interviews were conducted with six Norwegian care partners from two municipalities. Data were collected during 2012–2013 and 2016. The data were analysed using Gadamer's hermeneutics.

Results

Three themes were identified: “invisible cornerstones,” “dimensions of collaboration” and “unwanted roles.”

Conclusion

Few or no routines for collaboration exist between care partners and home care, and the care partners seem to have little knowledge of legal rights. They request more information, spare time and the opportunity to remain in their original family role. However, their main focus is for the patient to receive the necessary help from home care. Home care have restricted resources for meeting these needs and share a sense of powerlessness and lack of influence over their own everyday life with the care partners. There is a need for a systematic, person‐centred approach to collaboration. A correlation is necessary between what is communicated at the system level and the means of realising this in practice for home care to meet care partners' needs.
Sulfate is transported at significant rates through the symbiosome membrane and is crucial for nitrogenase biosynthesis
Authors: Schneider Sebastian , Schintlmeister Arno , Becana Manuel , Wagner Michael , Woebken Dagmar , Wienkoop Stefanie
Published: November 2018

Legume–rhizobia symbioses play a major role in food production for an ever growing human population. In this symbiosis, dinitrogen is reduced (“fixed”) to ammonia by the rhizobial nitrogenase enzyme complex and is secreted to the plant host cells, whereas dicarboxylic acids derived from photosynthetically produced sucrose are transported into the symbiosomes and serve as respiratory substrates for the bacteroids. The symbiosome membrane contains high levels of SST1 protein, a sulfate transporter. Sulfate is an essential nutrient for all living organisms, but its importance for symbiotic nitrogen fixation and nodule metabolism has long been underestimated. Using chemical imaging, we demonstrate that the bacteroids take up 20‐fold more sulfate than the nodule host cells. Furthermore, we show that nitrogenase biosynthesis relies on high levels of imported sulfate, making sulfur as essential as carbon for the regulation and functioning of symbiotic nitrogen fixation. Our findings thus establish the importance of sulfate and its active transport for the plant–microbe interaction that is most relevant for agriculture and soil fertility.
Gas exchange and water‐use efficiency in plant canopies
Authors: Cernusak L. A.
Published: November 2018

In this review, I first address the basics of gas exchange, water‐use efficiency and carbon isotope discrimination in C3 plant canopies. I then present a case study of water‐use efficiency in northern Australian tree species. In general, C3 plants face a trade‐off whereby increasing stomatal conductance for a given set of conditions will result in a higher CO2 assimilation rate, but a lower photosynthetic water‐use efficiency. A common garden experiment suggested that tree species which are able to establish and grow in drier parts of northern Australia have a capacity to use water rapidly when it is available through high stomatal conductance, but that they do so at the expense of low water‐use efficiency. This may explain why community‐level carbon isotope discrimination does not decrease as steeply with decreasing rainfall on the North Australian Tropical Transect as has been observed on some other precipitation gradients. Next, I discuss changes in water‐use efficiency that take place during leaf expansion in C3 plant leaves. Leaf phenology has recently been recognised as a significant driver of canopy gas exchange in evergreen forest canopies, and leaf expansion involves changes in both photosynthetic capacity and water‐use efficiency. Following this, I discuss the role of woody tissue respiration in canopy gas exchange and how photosynthetic refixation of respired CO2 can increase whole‐plant water‐use efficiency. Finally, I discuss the role of water‐use efficiency in driving terrestrial plant responses to global change, especially the rising concentration of atmospheric CO2. In coming decades, increases in plant water‐use efficiency caused by rising CO2 are likely to partially mitigate impacts on plants of drought stress caused by global warming.
Managing Supply Chains with Expediting and Multiple Demand Classes
Authors: Shen Xiaobei , Bao Lina , Yu Yimin , Hua Zhongsheng
Published: November 2018

We consider a periodic review, single‐stage inventory system with multiple demand classes and a fixed replenishment lead time. Inventory expediting is allowed to alleviate demand–supply mismatches. Priority demands are commonly used in practice to provide differentiated services for customers, and inventory expediting is an effective strategy to improve the service levels of high‐priority demands. However, it is challenging to coordinate the inventory ordering, expediting and allocation decisions in supply chains. We partially characterize the structure of the optimal policy. We also derive various monotone properties of the optimal policy with limited sensitivities. Moreover, we show that a state‐dependent rationing level policy is optimal for inventory allocation and the optimal rationing levels are in fact independent of the backorder quantity of each demand class. We also show when some simple policies are indeed optimal. Numerically, we illustrate the optimal policy and investigate the performances of three proposed simple heuristics. Finally, we extend the results to more general systems, such as serial systems, systems with convex backordering costs, etc.
Dynamic Monitoring and Control of Irreversible Chronic Diseases with Application to Glaucoma
Authors: Kazemian Pooyan , Helm Jonathan E. , Lavieri Mariel S. , Stein Joshua D. , Van Oyen Mark P.
Published: November 2018

To manage chronic disease patients effectively, clinicians must know (i) how to monitor each patient (i.e., when to schedule the next visit and which tests to take), and (ii) how to control the disease (i.e., what levels of controllable risk factors will sufficiently slow progression). Our research addresses these questions simultaneously and provides the optimal solution to a novel linear quadratic Gaussian state space model. For the objective of minimizing the relative change in state over time (i.e., disease progression), which is necessary for managing irreversible chronic diseases while also considering the cost of tests and treatment, we show that the classical two‐way separation of estimation and control holds. This makes a previously intractable problem solvable by decomposition into two separate, tractable problems while maintaining optimality. The resulting optimization is applied to the management of glaucoma. Based on data from two large randomized clinical trials, we validate our model and demonstrate how our decision support tool can provide actionable insights to the clinician caring for a patient with glaucoma. This methodology can be applied to a broad range of irreversible chronic diseases to devise patient‐specific monitoring and treatment plans optimally.
Lumpers versus splitters: What to do with suspected idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis?
Authors: Ryerson Christopher J.
Published: November 2018

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Automatic physical activity and in‐vehicle status classification based on GPS and accelerometer data: A hierarchical classification approach using machine learning techniques
Authors: Lee Kangjae , Kwan Mei‐Po
Published: November 2018

Due to the advancement of tracking technology, a large quantity of movement data has been collected and analyzed in various research domains. In human mobility and physical activity (PA) research, GPS trajectories and the capabilities of geographic information systems (GIS) facilitate a better understanding of the associations between PA and various environmental factors taking individuals’ daily travels into account. PA research, however, needs to widen its focus from the intensity of PA to types of PA, which may provide useful clues for understanding specific health behaviors in particular geographic contexts. This study proposes and develops an algorithm to automatically classify PA types and in‐vehicle status using GPS and accelerometer data. Walking, standing, jogging, biking and sedentary/in‐vehicle statuses are identified through hierarchical classification processes based on machine learning and geospatial techniques. The proposed algorithm achieved high predictive accuracy on real‐world GPS and accelerometer data. It can greatly reduce participants’ and researchers’ burdens by automatically identifying PA types and in‐vehicle status for human mobility research, which is also known as travel mode imputation in transportation research.
A Förster resonance energy transfer sensor for live‐cell imaging of mitogen‐activated protein kinase activity in Arabidopsis
Authors: Zaman Najia , Seitz Kati , Kabir Mohiuddin , George‐Schreder Lauren St. , Shepstone Ian , Liu Yidong , Zhang Shuqun , Krysan Patrick J.
Published: November 2018

The catalytic activity of mitogen‐activated protein kinases (MAPKs) is dynamically modified in plants. Since MAPKs have been shown to play important roles in a wide range of signaling pathways, the ability to monitor MAPK activity in living plant cells would be valuable. Here, we report the development of a genetically encoded MAPK activity sensor for use in Arabidopsis thaliana. The sensor is composed of yellow and blue fluorescent proteins, a phosphopeptide binding domain, a MAPK substrate domain and a flexible linker. Using in vitro testing, we demonstrated that phosphorylation causes an increase in the Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) efficiency of the sensor. The FRET efficiency can therefore serve as a readout of kinase activity. We also produced transgenic Arabidopsis lines expressing this sensor of MAPK activity (SOMA) and performed live‐cell imaging experiments using detached cotyledons. Treatment with NaCl, the synthetic flagellin peptide flg22 and chitin all led to rapid gains in FRET efficiency. Control lines expressing a version of SOMA in which the phosphosite was mutated to an alanine did not show any substantial changes in FRET. We also expressed the sensor in a conditional loss‐of‐function double‐mutant line for the Arabidopsis MAPK genes MPK3 and MPK6. These experiments demonstrated that MPK3/6 are necessary for the NaCl‐induced FRET gain of the sensor, while other MAPKs are probably contributing to the chitin and flg22‐induced increases in FRET. Taken together, our results suggest that SOMA is able to dynamically report MAPK activity in living plant cells.
Cross‐linked hemoglobin bis‐tetramers from bioorthogonal coupling do not induce vasoconstriction in the circulation
Authors: Wang Aizhou , Singh Serena , Yu Binglan , Bloch Donald B. , Zapol Warren M. , Kluger Ronald
Published: November 2018

BACKGROUND

Hemoglobin‐based oxygen carriers (HBOCs) are potential alternatives to red blood cells in transfusions. Clinical trials using early versions of HBOCs noted adverse effects that appeared to result from removal of the vasodilator nitric oxide (NO). Previous reports suggest that size‐enlarged HBOCs may avoid NO‐rich regions along the vasculature and therefore not cause vasoconstriction and hypertension.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

Hemoglobin (Hb) bis‐tetramers (bis‐tetramers of hemoglobin that are prepared using CuAAC chemistry [BT‐Hb] and bis‐tetramers of hemoglobin that are specifically acetylated and prepared using CuAAC chemistry [BT‐acHb]) can be reliably produced by a bio‐orthogonal cyclo‐addition approach. We considered that an HBOC derived from chemical coupling of two Hbs would be sufficiently large to avoid NO scavenging and related side effects. The ability of intravenously infused BT‐Hb and BT‐acHb to remain in the circulation without causing hypertension were determined in wild‐type (WT) and diabetic (db/db) mouse models.

RESULTS

In WT mice, the coupled oxygen‐carrying proteins retained their function over several hours after administration. No significant changes in systolic blood pressure from baseline were observed after intravenous infusion of BT‐Hb or BT‐acHb in awake WT and db/db mice. In contrast, infusion of native Hb or cross‐linked Hb tetramers in both animal models induced systemic hypertension.

CONCLUSION

The results of this study indicate that bis‐tetrameric HBOCs derived from the bio‐orthogonal cyclo‐addition process are likely to overcome clinical issues that arise from NO scavenging by Hb derivatives.
Customers’ Understanding of Engagement Advertising
Authors: Tropp Jörg , Beuthner Corinna
Published: November 2018

Although the construct of engagement has received considerable attention in market research in recent years, it has hardly been researched in the context of advertising. The aim of this exploratory study, therefore, is to undertake a theoretical conceptualization of customer engagement advertising (CEA) and to reach an understanding of how this type of advertising, which strategically embeds its messages into customers’ everyday life, is related to customers’ cognitive processes. Of particular interest is the question of whether strategically created CEA is related to a different everyday customers’ advertising knowledge than non-CEA. To answer this question, we use the brand concept map method, by means of which we are able to create a CEA consensus map (N = 53) and a non-CEA consensus map (N = 56). These present visually the basic persuasion knowledge of the study participants concerning these two types of advertising. Results indicate that, in coping with CEA, customers activate a different advertising knowledge than with non-CEA. CEA knowledge shows a higher association strength and is, in contrast to non-CEA knowledge, more strongly characterized by the two associations creativity and benefit. On the other hand, the association that advertising addresses customer’s needs plays a less important role in CEA than in non-CEA.
Women's experiences of induced abortion resulting from unplanned pregnancy: a qualitative systematic review protocol
Authors: Marques Patrícia Figueiredo , Coelho Edmeia de Almeida Cardoso , Bertolozzi Maria Rita , Hoga Luiza Akiko Komura , Fonseca Jamile Guerra , Rodrigues Isadora Reis
Published: November 2018

Review question/objective:

The objective of this review is to synthesize qualitative evidence on the experiences of women undergoing an induced abortion resulting from an unplanned pregnancy.

More specifically, the review question is: how do women experience induced abortions resulting from an unplanned pregnancy?
Endocrine regulation of gut function – a role for glucagon‐like peptide‐1 in the pathophysiology of irritable bowel syndrome
Authors: O'Malley Dervla
Published: November 2018

New Findings

What is the topic of this review?

Pathophysiological changes linked to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) include stress and immune activation, changes in gastrointestinal microbial and bile acid profiles and sensitization of extrinsic and intrinsic gut neurons. This review explores the potential role for L‐cells in these pathophysiological changes.

What advances does it highlight?

L‐cells, which secrete glucagon‐like peptide‐1 in response to nutrients, microbial factors, bile acids and short‐chain fatty acids, may sense IBS‐related changes in the luminal environment. Glucagon‐like peptide‐1 can act as a hormone, a paracrine factor or a neuromodulatory factor and, through its actions on central or peripheral neurons, may play a role in gastrointestinal dysfunction.

The prevalent and debilitating functional bowel disorder, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), is characterized by symptoms that include abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhoea and/or constipation. The heterogeneity of IBS underscores a complex multifactorial pathophysiology, which is not completely understood but involves dysfunction of the bi‐directional signalling axis between the brain and the gut. This axis incorporates efferent and afferent branches of the autonomic nervous system, circulating endocrine hormones and immune factors, local paracrine and neurocrine factors and microbial metabolites. L‐cells, which are electrically excitable biosensors embedded in the gastrointestinal epithelium, secrete glucagon‐like peptide‐1 (GLP‐1) in response to nutrients in the small intestine. However, they appear to function in a different manner more distally in the gastrointestinal tract, where they are activated by luminal factors including short‐chain fatty acids, bile acids and microbial metabolic products, all of which are altered in IBS patients. Glucagon‐like peptide‐1 can also interact with the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal stress axis and the immune system, both of which are activated in IBS. Given that a GLP‐1 mimetic has been found to alleviate acute pain symptoms in IBS patients, GLP‐1 might be important in the manifestation of IBS symptoms. This review assesses the current knowledge about the role of GLP‐1 in IBS pathophysiology and its potential role as a signal transducer in the microbiome–gut–brain signalling axis.
Understanding Instabilities of TFC Femto-Slider and Pico-Slider via Surface Force Theory
Authors: Ono Kyosuke
Published: November 2018

We formulated the surface pressure of a disk surface that consists of three layers of diamond-like-carbon (DLC) as well as bonded and mobile lubricants based on the asperity adhesive contact theory. We demonstrated that this surface force could well evaluate the touchdown behaviors of a thermal fly-height control (TFC) slider. This theory shows that the touchdown behaviors of a current TFC femto-slider are mainly governed by the asperity meniscus force rather than the van der Waals force (vdW). However, it is shown that the static instability of a pico-slider was generated from the vdW force. Moreover, it is estimated that the dynamic instability of the pico-slider was mainly caused by the meniscus force rather than the vdW force. This surface force theory can allow us to understand consistently various phenomena of slider dynamics.
Development of a Metal-Cantilever Electrostatic Vibration Power Generator Combined With Potassium Ion Electret Technique
Authors: Koga Hideaki , Mitsuya Hiroyuki , Toyama Yuji , Sugiyama Tatsuhiko , Toshiyoshi Hiroshi , Hashiguchi Gen
Published: November 2018

We have developed a metal-cantilever electrostatic vibration power generator that has comb-drive electrodes made of a SOI wafer at the tip of the cantilever. The comb-drive electrodes in which built-in electric field is given by potassium ion electret technique acts as an energy transducer from mechanical vibration power to electrical one. The metal cantilever part is formed separately, and assembled with the comb-electrodes on a bakelite plastic. This device showed strong nonlinear frequency responses, in which spring hardening was observed when applied acceleration was small while spring softening when high acceleration. About 30μW output power was observed at 0.03GRMS acceleration, and the maximum 90% conversion efficiency achieved at 0.01GRMS acceleration.
HAMR Emulation Using Plasmonic SERS Sensor As Near Field Transducer
Authors: Yanagisawa M. , Kunimoto M. , Saito M. , Homma T.
Published: November 2018

A plasmonic Surface-enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) sensor has been used for emulation of Near Field Transducer (NFT) in Heat-Assisted Magnetic Recording (HAMR). Laser heating mechanism by the sensor is the same as that by NFT with electro-magnetic near-field or plasmonic field, which is different from far field heating.

Heating behavior for a lubricant film on a carbon overcoat for a hard disk medium was observed using Surface-enhanced Raman Spectroscopy with the plasmonic SERS sensor. Spectral change of lube films in laser heating with a continuous power changer was measured with heating temperature, calculated by anti-Stokes/Stokes intensity ratio in Raman spectra. As a result, it is found that the lubricant film composed of a tetraol perfluoro-polyether (PFPE) is evaporated above 290°C, which shows good agreement with that by TGA (Thermogravimetric Analysis).

The evaporation occurs in wide range of spacing between the lubricant film and the SERS sensor from 0 (contact) to 50nm, and more. After laser heating, lubricant film with free surface in a large gap area, i.e. spacing of 3nm, is recovered with elapsed time. However it is difficult to be recovered in confined (contact) area, because lubricant mobility is small. Lost lubricant can be recovered in head flying by surface diffusion or centrifugal force during disk rotation.
Dynamics of Vibration Energy Harvester Governed by Gravity and Magnetic Force in a Rotating Wind Turbine Blade
Authors: Nezami Saman , Jung HyunJun , Sung Myung Kyun , Lee Soobum
Published: November 2018

This paper presents mathematical modeling of an energy harvester (EH) for a wireless structure health monitoring (SHM) system in wind turbine blades. The harvester consists of a piezoelectric energy harvester (PEH) beam, a gravity-induced disk, and magnets attached to both the beam and the disk. An electromechanical model of the proposed EH is developed using the energy method with repelling magnetic force considered. The three coupled equations — the motion of the disk, the vibration of the beam, and the voltage output — are derived and solved using ODE45 in MATLAB software. The result showed the blade rotation speed affects the output angular velocity of disk and the output PEH voltage. That is, as the blade speed increases, the disk angular velocity becomes nonlinear and chaotic which is more beneficial to generate larger power.
Dynamic Characterization and Control of a Metamaterials-Inspired Smart Composite
Authors: Emerson Timothy , Lozzi Alessio , Bai He , Manimala James
Published: November 2018

The potential to utilize metamaterials concepts to realize smart composites with adaptive mechanical wave manipulation, energy harvesting, and structural health monitoring functionalities was investigated. A proof-of-concept metamaterials-inspired smart composite having CFRP face sheets bonded to additively manufactured polymer cores equipped with harvesting coils and sandwiching a chemically-etched multifunctional plate was fabricated. This plate consists of a periodic array of re-entrant cantilever beam resonators with center-loaded neodymium magnets, which acts as the multifunctional kernel. Experiments demonstrate isolation of a payload from mechanical disturbances within tunable frequency bands. Moreover, energy sequestered by resonators is harvested as useable electrical power. Using a coupled electromechanical harvesting model, predictions for multifunctional responses were obtained and correlated with experiments. The harvesting circuitry doubles as an active control system for the resonators as well as a sensing and monitoring system to detect structural defects. Both offline and online active control algorithms were investigated to reduce phase shift between harvesting coils, thereby improving the efficacy of the harvesting process. Potential applications include use as structural material for equipment or vehicles used in adverse or remote environments, where maximizing energy recovery and structural awareness in addition to payload isolation is desirable.
Fabrication of Soft and Stretchable Electronics Through Integration of Printed Silver Nanoparticles and Liquid Metal Alloy
Authors: Tavakoli Mahmoud , Malakooti Mohammad H. , Paisana Hugo , Ohm Yunsik , Marques Daniel Green , Lopes Pedro Alhais , Piedade Ana P. , de Almeida Anibal T. , Majidi Carmel
Published: November 2018

Liquid metal (LM) alloys such as eutectic gallium indium (EGaIn) and gallium-indium-tin (Galinstan) have been used in the fabrication of soft and stretchable electronics during the past several years. The liquid-phase and high electrical conductivity of these materials make them one of the best candidates for fabrication of deformable electronics and multifunctional material systems. While liquid metals are highly reliable for fabrication of simple circuits and stretchable microfluidic devices, their application for producing complex circuits faces fabrication challenges due to their high surface tension and surface oxidization. In this study, we propose a scalable, cost-effective, and versatile technique to print complex circuits using silver nanoparticles and transform them into stretchable electronics by incorporating eutectic gallium indium alloys to the circuit. As a result, the deposited liquid metal considerably increases the electrical conductivity and stretchability of the fabricated electronics. The reliability and performance of these stretchable conductors are demonstrated by studying their electromechanical behavior and integrating them into skin-like electronics, termed electronic tattoos.