bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Oral health of adults with intellectual disabilities: a systematic review
Authors: Ward L. M. , Cooper S. A. , Hughes‐McCormack L. , Macpherson L. , Kinnear D.
Published: May 2019

Background

There have been several past reports that adults with intellectual disabilities experience poor oral health (tooth loss, periodontal health and untreated dental caries). Loss of a functional dentition has serious consequences, including problems with chewing, swallowing, nutrition, speech, temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis and pain and systemic health conditions. Poor oral health is largely preventable through proactive oral care support. In recent years, social care provision for adults has changed, with deinstitutionalisation and home‐based personalised care now being the typical provision in high income countries. Hence, oral health inequalities might be reducing. However, there is limited recent evidence‐synthesis on the topic. We aimed to address this.

Method

PROSPERO registration number: CRD42018089880. We conducted a preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta‐analyses systematic review of publications since 2008. Four databases were searched with a clear search strategy, strict inclusion criteria for selection of papers, double scoring (two raters), systematic data extraction and quality appraisal of included papers.

Results

A total of 33/3958 retrieved articles were included, of which 14 were drawn from dental service users and 10 from Special Olympic athletes, therefore not necessarily being representative of the wider population with intellectual disabilities. Despite this limitation, adults with intellectual disabilities were still shown to experience poor oral health. High levels of poor oral hygiene and gingivitis were found, with many also affected by periodontitis and untreated dental decay. There is clear unmet need relating to both periodontal (gum) and tooth health, leading to tooth loss.

Conclusions

Despite reports in the past of poor oral health amongst adults with intellectual disabilities, and despite it being preventable, there remains a high burden of poor oral health. This highlights the need to raise awareness, and for polices on effective daily oral care, and appropriate service provision. The importance of oral health and its possible negative sequelae needs to be elevated amongst carers and professionals.
New novel mutations in Brazilian families with X‐linked Charcot‐Marie‐Tooth disease
Authors: Gouvea Silmara P. , Tomaselli Pedro J. , Barretto Luiza S. , Perina Keity C. B. , Nyshyama Fulviana S. , Nicolau Nilson , Lourenço Charles M. , Marques Wilson
Published: May 2019

Mutations in the GJB1 gene are the second most frequent cause of Charcot‐Marie‐Tooth disease (CMT), accounting for approximately 10% of CMT cases worldwide. We retrospectively analyzed detailed clinical and neurophysiological data on four Brazilian families carrying novel mutations of the GJB1 gene. Mutations were identified by bidirectional Sanger sequence analysis on the GJB1 coding region. We identified a total of 12 subjects from four different kindred. There was no male‐to‐male transmission, and their clinical pictures were within the expected spectrum for GJB1‐related neuropathy. Males were more severely affected than females. Five out of the eight females only had subclinical neuropathy. Nerve conduction velocities were in the intermediate range in the male patients and higher in the females affected. These mutations increase the genotypic variability associated with GJB1.
Systematic Review of Social Support on Psychological Symptoms and Self‐Management Behaviors Among Adults With Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Authors: Kamp Kendra J. , West Patricia , Holmstrom Amanda , Luo Zhehui , Wyatt Gwen , Given Barbara
Published: May 2019

Purpose

The purpose was to determine the relationship between social support, psychological symptoms and self‐management behaviors among adults with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and examine the influence of types of social support and patient age.

Design

This was a systematic review. PubMed, Web of Science, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), PsycINFO, Communication and Mass Media Complete, and Communication Abstracts were searched. Publication dates were limited to January 2000 to August 2018.

Methods

The systematic review was guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analysis statement, and quality was appraised based on the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme for cohort studies tool. The data were synthesized using narrative synthesis techniques.

Findings

The literature review yielded 458 results. Eight articles met inclusion criteria. Articles utilized a variety of conceptualizations of both social support and self‐management behaviors, making comparisons difficult. Findings demonstrated an inverse relationship between social support and psychological symptoms, and in one study only when social support buffered high stress. Studies with significant relationships between age and self‐management behaviors indicated that a lower age was associated with decreased self‐management behaviors.

Conclusions

Social support has the potential to influence psychological symptoms among patients with IBD. Future research should examine types of social support (i.e., emotional, informational, and tangible support) and measure levels of received social support.

Clinical Relevance

Social support may serve as a modifiable factor to improve psychological symptoms among adults with IBD. Younger adults (age <40 years) may benefit from specialized interventions to address self‐management behaviors.
Herbaceous climbers in herbaceous systems are shade‐tolerant and magnesium‐demanding
Authors: Bitomský Martin , Mládková Pavla , Cimalová Šárka , Mládek Jan
Published: May 2019

Questions

Climbers do not invest in self‐supporting architecture, allowing them to grow quickly and search for light and nutrients in canopy gaps. The climbing strategy requires both disturbance and external support; however, in herbaceous systems, disturbances often homogeneously remove external support. As a result, there should be a negative relationship between light availability and the presence of external support. Here, we asked if the distribution of herbaceous climbers is positively or negatively associated with disturbance, light availability and plant‐available nutrients. Further, we tested if climbers differ in traits compared to co‐occurring herbs.

Location

Czech Republic.

Methods

We used observations from a phytosociological database, species‐rich grasslands and arable fields. First, we examined the presence of climbers in response to disturbance variables (frequency, severity and regime) and canopy cover (external support and light availability). Second, we examined the distribution of climbers along gradients of plant‐available nutrients in species‐rich grasslands. Finally, we compared seven functional traits between 31 climbers and 1,138 co‐occurring herbs growing in 18 Central European herbaceous habitats.

Results

We found no relationship between any disturbance variables and the occurrence of climbers; indeed, climbers tended to occur more frequently in sites with denser canopies. In species‐rich grasslands, the presence of climbers was positively related to plant‐available magnesium. Climbers tended to be taller, with greater seed mass and specific leaf area (SLA) than co‐occurring species.

Conclusions

Herbaceous climbers grow in plots with low light availability but plenty of external support and require magnesium for the formation of flexible stems. Compared to co‐occurring herbs, climbers allocate resources saved from their lack of self‐support to both shade‐avoidance (canopy height) and shade‐tolerance traits (seed mass, SLA). Compared to lianas, the distribution of herbaceous climbers is not affected by disturbance but is dependent on the availability of external support and magnesium.
Where to begin? Sigma factors and the selectivity of transcription initiation in bacteria
Authors: Helmann John D.
Published: May 2019

Transcription is the fundamental process that enables the expression of genetic information. DNA‐directed RNA polymerase (RNAP) uses one strand of the DNA duplex as template to produce complementary RNA molecules that serve in translation (rRNA, tRNA), protein synthesis (mRNA) and regulation (sRNA). Although the RNAP core is catalytically competent for RNA synthesis, the selectivity of transcription initiation requires a sigma (σ) factor for promoter recognition and opening. Expression of alternative σ factors provides a powerful mechanism to control the expression of discrete sets of genes (a σ regulon) in response to specific nutritional, developmental or stress‐related signals. Here, I review the key insights that led to the original discovery of σ factor 50 years ago and the subsequent discovery of alternative σ factors as a ubiquitous mechanism of bacterial gene regulation. These studies form a prelude to the more recent, genomics‐enabled insights into the vast diversity of σ factors in bacteria.
An analysis of nursing citations and disciplinary characteristics in 79 articles that represent excellence in nursing publication
Authors: Chinn Peggy L. , Nicoll Leslie H. , Carter‐Templeton Heather D. , Oermann Marilyn H.
Published: May 2019

Development of the knowledge base for a profession depends on research and scholarship that builds on the insights and work of scholars within the discipline and is disseminated through the literature. The purpose of this study was to examine a unique collection of 79 articles selected by editors as representative of their nursing journals. Articles were assessed for congruence with long‐standing values and conceptual definitions of nursing, and the extent to which they built on prior literature published in nursing. Articles were scored based on whether they reflected four characteristics of nursing as a discipline (holism, social context, goal of health, and consistency with common definitions of nursing); an abstract score on the extent to which the title, abstract, or keywords indicated a general focus on nursing; and a distinction score based on whether the article distinguished nurses or nursing from other providers. Fifty of the articles received an article score of 4, indicating all four disciplinary characteristics were present in the article's content. While the majority of the articles were congruent with fundamental nursing values and perspectives, only 28% of the sources cited were from nursing sources. The lack of citations to nursing literature, coupled with an assessment that reveals gaps in substantive content that builds on nursing knowledge, raises questions about the future of nursing perspectives in the literature.
Effect of citalopram on esophageal motility in healthy subjects—Implications for reflux episodes, dysphagia, and globus
Authors: Manolakis Anastassios C. , Broers Charlotte , Geysen Hannelore , Goelen Nick , Van Houtte Brecht , Rommel Nathalie , Vanuytsel Tim , Tack Jan , Pauwels Ans
Published: May 2019

Background

Drugs such as citalopram, “targeting” the serotonin pathway, can alter esophageal mechano‐chemical sensitivity and gastrointestinal motility. The aim of this study was to clarify the effect of citalopram on esophageal motility and sphincter function, transient lower esophageal sphincter relaxations (TLESRs), and reflux events.

Methods

Sixteen healthy volunteers (HV) receiving 20 mg citalopram or placebo intravenously, in a randomized cross‐over fashion, underwent two high‐resolution impedance manometry studies involving liquid swallows and a high‐fat, high‐caloric meal. Manometric, reflux, and symptom‐related parameters were studied.

Key Results

A lower distal contractile integral was recorded under citalopram, compared with placebo (P = 0.026). Upper esophageal sphincter (UES) resting pressure was significantly higher after citalopram administration throughout the study (P < 0.05, all periods). Similarly, the UES postswallow mean and maximum pressures were higher in the citalopram condition (P < 0.0001, in both cases) and this was also the case for the 0.2 s integrated relaxation pressure (P = 0.04). Esophagogastric junction resting pressures in the citalopram visit were significantly higher during swallow protocol, preprandial period, and the first postprandial hour (P < 0.05, in all cases). TLESRs and total reflux events were both reduced after citalopram infusion (P = 0.01, in both cases). During treatment with citalopram, five participants complained about globus sensation (P = 0.06). This citalopram‐induced globus was associated with higher UES postswallow mean and maximum pressure values (P = 0.01 and P = 0.04, respectively).

Conclusions and Inferences

Administration of citalopram exerts a diversified response on esophageal motility and sphincter function, linked to clinically relevant phenomena: a reduction in postprandial TLESRs and the induction of drug‐induced globus.
The intertextual relations created by Chinese translations of H. C. Andersen's tales
Authors: Li Wenjie
Published: May 2019

The Chinese translations of H. C. Andersen's tales date back more than 100 years. His tales have been extensively read by Chinese readers and have provided rich resources and inspiration for Chinese authors. Ultimately, Andersen's tales have achieved various forms of afterlife in China through translation and the reading of translated texts. At the same time, this afterlife has also enriched meanings of Andersen's tales that were not carried in their original texts. The original texts, their translations and the Chinese modern literary works as post‐texts have thus woven a net that meshes various types of intertextual relation created by translation practices. The present study will try to present these relations through textual analysis. In addition, through analysing the intertextual relations created by literary translation, this study also attempts to stimulate greater academic interest in the cultural and literary functions of translation, which are two of the important social functions that translation practices may fulfil.
Clinical evaluation of a small implantable cardiac monitor with a long sensing vector
Authors: Piorkowski Christopher , Busch Mathias , Nölker Georg , Schmitt Jörn , Roithinger Franz Xaver , Young Glenn , Táborský Miloš , Herrmann Gundula , Schmitz Dietmar
Published: May 2019

Introduction

We conducted this study to show the safety and efficacy of a new implantable cardiac monitor (ICM), the BioMonitor 2 (Biotronik SE & Co. KG; Berlin, Germany), and to describe the arrhythmia detection performance.

Methods

The BioMonitor 2 has an extended sensing vector and is implanted close to the heart. It can transmit up to six subcutaneous electrocardiogram strips by Home Monitoring each day. We enrolled 92 patients with a standard device indication for an ICM in a single‐arm, multicenter prospective trial. Patients were followed for 3 months, and 48‐h Holter recordings were used to evaluate the arrhythmia detection performance.

Results

One patient withdrew consent and in one patient, the implantation failed. Two study device‐related serious adverse events were reported, satisfying the primary safety hypothesis. Implantations took 7.4 ± 4.4 min from skin cut to suture. At 1 week, the R‐wave amplitude was 0.75 ± 0.53 mV. In the 82 patients with completed Holter recordings, all patients with arrhythmias were correctly identified. False positive detections of arrhythmia were mostly irregular rhythms wrongly detected as atrial fibrillation (episode‐based positive predictive value 72.5%). Daily Home Monitoring transmission was 94.9% successful.

Conclusion

Safety and efficacy of the new device has been demonstrated. The detected R‐wave amplitudes are large, leading to a low level of inappropriate detections due to over‐ or undersensing.
The therapeutic relationship in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy with depressed adolescents: A qualitative study of good‐outcome cases
Authors: Wilmots Eva , Midgley Nick , Thackeray Lisa , Reynolds Shirley , Loades Maria
Published: May 2019

Objectives

This paper aimed to explore client experiences of the therapeutic relationship among adolescents with good outcomes after receiving Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) for moderate to severe depression.

Design

This was a qualitative study employing Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA).

Methods

As part of a randomized clinical trial, 77 adolescents with moderate to severe depression were interviewed using a semi‐structured interview, which was audio‐recorded. Five of these interviews, with adolescents aged 14–18 years who completed CBT and had good outcomes, were purposively sampled and analysed using IPA.

Results

The findings indicated that a positive therapeutic relationship was fostered with therapists who respected the adolescents’ autonomy and sense of individuality, while offering experiences of emotional closeness and connection. This was achieved by balancing the dual roles of being ‘friendly’ and affable, with being a ‘professional expert’ thereby embodying a collaborative and egalitarian approach.

Conclusions

The therapeutic relationship in CBT can help to motivate adolescents to engage with cognitively and emotionally challenging tasks. By providing an understanding of what helps and hinders the development of a positive therapeutic relationship, the current findings offer important insight into how therapists can foster positive relationships with depressed adolescents. This knowledge will make it more likely that adolescents will engage in the treatment process and in turn experience greater therapeutic gains.

Practitioner points

Offers a detailed phenomenological analysis of what fostered a positive therapeutic relationship in good outcome CBT, and what was experienced as harmful from the adolescents’ perspective.

Provides support that the therapeutic relationship is crucial in CBT; a respectful and understanding relationship provides a platform for the adolescent to carry out CBT activities and tasks.
Collaborative Prepositioning Network Design for Regional Disaster Response
Authors: Balcik Burcu , Silvestri Selene , Rancourt Marie‐Ève , Laporte Gilbert
Published: May 2019

We present a collaborative prepositioning strategy to strengthen the disaster preparedness of the Caribbean countries, which are frequently hit by hurricanes. Since different subsets of countries are affected in each hurricane season, significant risk pooling benefits can be achieved through horizontal collaboration, which involves joint ownership of prepositioned stocks. We worked with the intergovernmental Caribbean Disaster and Emergency Management Agency to design a collaborative prepositioning network in order to improve regional response capacity. We propose a novel insurance‐based method to allocate the costs incurred to establish and operate the proposed collaborative prepositioning network among the partner countries. We present a stochastic programming model, which determines the locations and amounts of relief supplies to store, as well as the investment to be made by each country such that their premium is related to the cost associated with the expected value and the standard deviation of their demand. We develop a realistic data set for the network by processing real‐world data. We conduct extensive numerical analyses and present insights that support practical implementation. We show that a significant reduction in total inventory can be achieved by applying collaborative prepositioning as opposed to a decentralized policy. Our results also demonstrate that reducing the replenishment lead time during the hurricane season and improving sea connectivity are essential to increasing the benefits resulting from the network.
Service Level Constrained Inventory Systems
Authors: Jiang Yuchen , Shi Cong , Shen Siqian
Published: May 2019

Motivated by the importance of service quality in nowadays customer business environment, we focus on inventory optimization under probabilistic service level constraints, namely, the α service level (also known as the ready rate) or the β service level (also known as the fill rate). Under service level constraints, we consider two canonical stochastic inventory models: (i) the classical inventory control model with backlogging and (ii) the remanufacturing inventory control model with random product returns. The random demands could be non‐stationary, evolving and correlated over time. For each model, we first establish the optimality of generalized base‐stock policies, and then propose a new approximation algorithm that admits a worst‐case performance guarantee of 2. The core concept developed in this study is called the delayed forced holding and production cost, which is proven effective in dealing with service level constrained inventory systems. We also provide an efficient heuristic algorithm for the multi‐item inventory system. Our extensive computational experiments show that the proposed algorithms perform within 2% of optimality.
Influence of different factors on the costs and benefits of oral vaccination of foxes against rabies
Authors: Bedeković Tomislav , Šimić Ivana , Krešić Nina , Lojkić Ivana
Published: May 2019

The oral rabies vaccination (ORV) programme is the most widespread vaccination programme that is implemented in the European Union and targets wildlife diseases. The size of the project requires significant financial resources, so a cost–benefit analysis is necessary to establish the economic value of the project. We summarized all ORV costs during the period 2011–2016 in Croatia, calculated all established benefits and presented the cost–benefit ratio (CBR). Additionally, we analysed all components included in the ORV and rabies control programme (surveillance, preventive human treatment and vaccination of dogs) to find possibilities to increase the benefits. According to our results, in the period 2011–2016, the CBR was only 0.05, and the majority of the cost was derived from the preventive vaccination of dogs (72.3%). With the implementation of 2‐ or 3‐year vaccination intervals, the CBR can be increased to 1.46 or 1.92, respectively, confirming positive economic value. This study shows the importance of analysing all rabies control and eradication components based on the specific characteristics of a particular country to determine the factors that can be modified to potentially improve the benefits of ORV.
Modernity, Kinship, and Individuals, 1864–1910
Authors: Park Eugene Y.
Published: May 2019

During Korea’s struggle for survival as a nation in the age of imperialism, the Kaesŏng Wang began making adjustments. Likely aided by material wealth in a more commercialized economy, the continuing successes of the Kaesŏng lineage in terms of passing examinations and obtaining offices climaxed with civil examination graduates, some even achieving civil posts of mid-level or higher. In contrast, the Majŏn lineage saw its role as the caretaker of the Sungŭijŏn further diminished by having a fixed term of service, and the Wangs with problematic claims of descent from later Koryŏ rulers began securing acceptance into updated editions of the Kaesŏng Wang genealogy.
Introduction
Authors: Sternfeld Lior B.
Published: May 2019

The introduction sets the background for the situation of the Jews in Iran at the turn of the twentieth century. This initial chapter provides a brief history of Jews in Iran and in the Middle East and touches on the creation of transnational networks that became increasingly important in the twentieth century. It seeks to introduce and contextualize for the reader Iran’s Jewish community and the manner in which it has been addressed in past works. It provides an overview of the political, social, and cultural changes the community experienced, including the implementation of a constitution, urbanization, and a different perception of the “nation” in terms of postimperial identity and structure.
Contemporaneous Migration
Authors: Ho Elaine Lynn-Ee
Published: May 2019

This chapter shows how the analytical framework of contemporaneous migration allows an examination of citizenship constellations that are forged across migration sites. It draws together key themes that emerge from this approach, namely on citizenship and territory, fraternity and alterity, and the co-constitution of time and space. The chapter further signals the new research directions that contemporaneous migration brings to overseas Chinese studies or research on the “Chinese diaspora,” and to the Chinese worldview of tianxia in relation to notions of cosmopolitanism. It also sets out the methods through which contemporaneous migration can be studied.
Inventing a Border
Authors: Pack Sasha D.
Published: May 2019

This chapter examines the process by which the boundary between Spain and the British colony of Gibraltar formed during the second half of the nineteenth century. Although the Spanish conceded Britain’s right to maintain a naval garrison there in 1713, they never recognized Gibraltar as a British sovereign space. As a result, no boundary was ever drawn, leaving a vaguely defined neutral zone that worked to the benefit of Spanish political dissidents and smuggling networks. In the nineteenth century, a number of new pressures, including the British ideology of free trade, the politics of revolutionary Spanish liberalism, and the global rise of cholera, created the need for a more precisely defined and regulated border. The result was a somewhat expanded British colony, which bred consternation among later Spanish nationalists but at the time was viewed locally as a practical solution to a range of problems.
Crisis in the Western Channel, 1855–1864
Authors: Pack Sasha D.
Published: May 2019

This chapter reassesses the origins and consequences of the Hispano-Moroccan War of 1859–1860, conventionally seen as a war driven by domestic Spanish politics. Examining military correspondence pertaining to navigation around Melilla and the Alboran Sea, this chapter argues that the invasion was a defensive response to growing concern that France and Britain were granting legal protection to Moroccan tribes that were hostile to Spain. Because the Spanish prime minister Leopoldo O’Donnell could not declare war against either of those European powers, he launched an invasion against the Moroccan sultan. The goal was not to gain territory but to gain influence in the sultan’s court and legal rights to patrol navigation on the eastern Riffian coast. By this measure, the war was more significant and successful than generally believed.
Introduction
Authors: Pu Xiaoyu
Published: May 2019

This chapter provides an overview of the research question, key concepts, and research design of the book. China has been sending contradictory signals about its status and role in the twenty-first century, sometimes emphasizing its great power status and other times presenting itself as a fragile developing country. Instead of focusing on China’s struggle for more recognition as a great power, the book suggests that China is facing a more complicated challenge of international image projection. China’s future challenge will be to manage its conflicting roles and images in ways that advance its national interests while not engendering dangerous misperceptions and expectations among its neighbors and the rest of the global community. This book takes a multimethod approach, including case studies, content analysis, and interviews.
China on the World Stage
Authors: Pu Xiaoyu
Published: May 2019

This chapter describes China’s multiple identities and audiences in detail. China’s identities include that of socialist country, developing country, both emerging and established great power, and quasi superpower, and its audiences include the domestic, regional, global South, and Western domains. While China certainly intends to build a positive image, the country has multiple incentives to project different images. This chapter illuminates the various motivations of China’s signaling behaviors.
A molecular toolbox for interrogation of membrane contact sites
Authors: Jing Ji , Liu Gan , Huang Yun , Zhou Yubin
Published: May 2019

Membrane contact sites (MCSs) are specialized subcellular compartments formed by closely apposed membranes from two organelles. The intermembrane gap is separated by a distance ranging from 10 to 35 nm. MCSs are typically maintained through dynamic protein–protein and protein–lipid interactions. These intermembrane contact sites constitute important intracellular signalling hotspots to mediate a plethora of cellular processes, including calcium homeostasis, lipid metabolism, membrane biogenesis and organelle remodelling. In recent years, a series of genetically encoded probes and chemogenetic or optogenetic actuators have been invented to aid the visualization and interrogation of MCSs in both fixed and living cells. These molecular tools have greatly accelerated the pace of mechanistic dissection of membrane contact sites at the molecular level. In this review, we present an overview on the latest progress in this endeavour, and provide a general guide to the selection of methods and molecular tools for probing interorganellar membrane contact sites.

image
Numerical and Experimental Evaluation of Sloshing Wave Force Caused by Dynamic Loads in Liquid Tanks
Authors: Kabiri Mohammad Mahdi , Nikoomanesh Mohammad Reza , Danesh Pouya Nouraei , Goudarzi Mohammad Ali
Published: May 2019

Proper evaluation of forces exerted on a solid boundary by liquid sloshing is difficult. If the free board in a liquid storage tank is insufficient, the sloshing waves caused by seismic excitation will collide with the tank roof and may cause major damage. The current study investigated the sloshing wave impact force (SWIF) in full-scale liquid storage tanks using numerical simulation based on the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM). Several shaking table tests have been conducted on a small-scale rectangular tank to validate the numerical model. The results of a standard dam break test have been used to express the validity of the proposed numerical model. This comparison confirms the validity of the numerical strategy for simulating the effect of sloshing. After validating the numerical model, it has been applied to a practical parametric study of SWIF in full-scale liquid tanks. The results of numerical simulation indicate that the simplified method recommended by related codes and standards for calculating SWIF in liquid tanks significantly underestimates the sloshing force. This confirms that the dynamic nature of sloshing should be considered in the design process of liquid storage tanks.
Multi-staged deposition of trench-gate oxides for power MOSFETs
Authors: Neuber Markus , Storbeck Olaf , Langner Maik , Stahrenberg Knut , Mikolajick Thomas
Published: May 2019

Here, silicon oxide was formed in a U-shaped trench of a power metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistor device by various processes. One SiO2 formation process was performed in multiple steps to create a low-defect Si-SiO2 interface, where first a thin initial oxide was grown by thermal oxidation followed by the deposition of a much thicker oxide layer by chemical vapor deposition (CVD). In a second novel approach, silicon nitride CVD was combined with radical oxidation to form silicon oxide in a stepwise sequence. The resulting stack of silicon oxide films was then annealed at temperatures between 1000 and 1100 °C. All processes were executed in an industrial environment using 200 mm-diameter (100)-oriented silicon wafers. The goal was to optimize the trade-off between wafer uniformity and conformality of the trenches. The thickness of the resulting silicon oxide films was determined by ellipsometry of the wafer surface and by scanning electron microscopy of the trench cross sections. The insulation properties such as gate leakage and electrical breakdown were characterized by current–voltage profiling. The electrical breakdown was found to be highest for films treated with rapid thermal processing. The films fabricated via the introduced sequential process exhibited a breakdown behavior comparable to films deposited by the common low-pressure CVD technique, while the leakage current at electric fields higher than 5 MV/cm was significantly lower.
Study of copper(II) oxide and copper(II) acetate on multiwalled carbon nanotubes by XPS
Authors: Rudd Jennifer A. , Jones Daniel R. , Dunnill Charles W. , Andreoli Enrico
Published: May 2019

The authors present the XPS survey and detailed element spectra of a copper-carbon nanotube composite synthesized in their laboratories. They compare the copper spectrum to a reference spectrum of copper(II) acetate measured under the same conditions to ascertain the chemical composition of the copper in the composite.
Ship spies newborn underwater volcano
Authors: Pease Roland
Published: May 2019

French research cruise detects sudden outpouring of lava onto Indian Ocean floor.
In Australia, a bold effort to teach rare animals to fear cats
Authors: Braun Ashley
Published: May 2019

Forcing naïve species to live with enemies appears to help.
A radiative cooling structural material
Authors: Li Tian , Zhai Yao , He Shuaiming , Gan Wentao , Wei Zhiyuan , Heidarinejad Mohammad , Dalgo Daniel , Mi Ruiyu , Zhao Xinpeng , Song Jianwei , Dai Jiaqi , Chen Chaoji , Aili Ablimit , Vellore Azhar , Martini Ashlie , Yang Ronggui , Srebric Jelena , Yin Xiaobo , Hu Liangbing
Published: May 2019

A stronger, cooler wood

One good way to reduce the amount of cooling a building needs is to make sure it reflects away infrared radiation. Passive radiative cooling materials are engineered to do this extremely well. Li
et al.
engineered a wood through delignification and re-pressing to create a mechanically strong material that also cools passively. They modeled the cooling savings of their wood for 16 different U.S. cities, which suggested savings between 20 and 50%. Cooling wood would be of particular value in hot and dry climates.

Science
, this issue p.
760
The making of an interstellar mixtape
The Vinyl Frontier
Jonathan Scott
Bloomsbury Sigma, 2019. 288 pp.
Authors: Stanley Matthew
Published: May 2019

A music writer revisits NASA's disco-era message to aliens
The
bla
NDM-1
-Carrying IncA/C
2
Plasmid Underlies Structural Alterations and Cointegrate Formation
In Vivo
Authors: Hadziabdic Sead , Fischer Jennie , Borowiak Maria , Malorny Burkhard , Juraschek Katharina , Kaesbohrer Annemarie , Guerra Beatriz , Deneke Carlus , Gonzalez-Zorn Bruno , Szabo Istvan
Published: May 2019

In 2012, a carbapenemase-producing
Salmonella enterica
serovar Corvallis isolate carrying a
bla
NDM-1
multiresistance IncA/C
2
plasmid, apart from IncHI2 and ColE-like plasmids, was detected in a wild bird in Germany. In a recent broiler chicken infection study, we observed transfer of this
bla
NDM-1
-carrying IncA/C
2
plasmid to other
Enterobacteriaceae
.
Manipulating the Expression of Small Secreted Protein 1 (Ssp1) Alters Patterns of Development and Metabolism in the White-Rot Fungus
Pleurotus ostreatus
Authors: Feldman Daria , Amedi Nadav , Carmeli Shmuel , Yarden Oded , Hadar Yitzhak
Published: May 2019

Small secreted proteins (SSPs) are common in fungal saprotrophs, but their roles remain elusive. As such, they comprise part of a gene pool which may be involved in governing fungal lifestyles not limited to symbiosis and pathogenicity, in which they are commonly referred to as “effectors.” We propose that Ssp1 in the white-rot fungus
Pleurotus ostreatus
regulates the transition from primary to secondary metabolism, development, aging, and fruiting body initiation. Our observations uncover a novel regulatory role of effector-like SSPs in a saprotroph, suggesting that they may act in fungal communication as well as in response to environmental cues. The presence of Ssp1 homologues in other fungal species supports a common potential role in environmental sensing and fungal development.
Point-of-Care HIV Viral Load Testing: an Essential Tool for a Sustainable Global HIV/AIDS Response
Authors: Drain Paul K. , Dorward Jienchi , Bender Andrew , Lillis Lorraine , Marinucci Francesco , Sacks Jilian , Bershteyn Anna , Boyle David S. , Posner Jonathan D. , Garrett Nigel
Published: May 2019

The global public health community has set ambitious treatment targets to end the HIV/AIDS pandemic. With the notable absence of a cure, the goal of HIV treatment is to achieve sustained suppression of an HIV viral load, which allows for immunological recovery and reduces the risk of onward HIV transmission.
Design and Characterization of Protein E-PilA, a Candidate Fusion Antigen for Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae Vaccine
Authors: Blais Normand , Somers Don , Faubert Denis , Labbé Steve , Castado Cindy , Ysebaert Carine , Gagnon Louis-Patrick , Champagne Josée , Gagné Martin , Martin Denis
Published: May 2019

Nontypeable
Haemophilus influenzae
(NTHi) is a pathogen known for being a frequent cause of acute otitis media in children and respiratory tract infections in adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. In the present study, a vaccine antigen based on the fusion of two known NTHi adhesive proteins, protein E (PE) and a pilin subunit (PilA), was developed. The quality of the combined antigen was investigated through functional, biophysical, and structural analyses.
Streptococcus pyogenes Capsule Promotes Microcolony-Independent Biofilm Formation
Authors: Matysik Artur , Kline Kimberly A.
Published: May 2019

The static biofilm assay is a common tool for easy biomass quantification of biofilm-forming bacteria. However,
Streptococcus pyogenes
biofilm formation as measured by the static assay is strain dependent and yields heterogeneous results for different strains of the same serotype. In this study, we show that two independent mechanisms, for which the protective capsule contributes opposing functions, may contribute to static biofilm formation. We propose that separation of these mechanisms for biofilm formation might uncover previously unappreciated biofilm phenotypes that may otherwise be masked in the classic static assay.
Detailed Analysis of the Characteristics of Sample Volume in Blood Culture Bottles
Authors: Henning Claes , Aygül Nilsu , Dinnétz Patrik , Wallgren Karin , Özenci Volkan
Published: May 2019

Blood volume is the most important variable for the detection of microorganisms in blood cultures (BCs). Most standards recommend 40 to 60 ml blood, collected in several BC bottles filled up to 10 ml. We measured blood volume in individual BC bottles and analyzed the associations of hospital, bottle type, day of the week, daily sampling time, and age and sex of the patient with sampling volume and BC result.
The Effect of Age on the Immunogenicity of the Live Attenuated Zoster Vaccine Is Predicted by Baseline Regulatory T Cells and Varicella-Zoster Virus-Specific T Cell Immunity
Authors: Weinberg Adriana , Pang Lei , Johnson Michael J. , Caldas Yupanqui , Cho Alice , Tovar-Salazar Adriana , Canniff Jennifer , Schmader Kenneth E. , Popmihajlov Zoran , Levin Myron J.
Published: May 2019

Vaccination is the most effective method to protect older adults against viral infections. However, the immunogenicity of viral vaccines in older adults is notoriously poor. The live attenuated zoster vaccine (ZVL) provides the best example of a gradual decrease of vaccine immunogenicity with every 10-year age increase above 50 years. Here we show that the abundance of regulatory T cells before vaccine administration to older adults has a significant inhibitory effect on immune responses to ZVL and, together with baseline immunity to varicella-zoster virus, explains the effect of age on the immunogenicity of ZVL. Moreover,
in vitro
blockade of regulatory T cell mechanisms of action with biologic modulators restores immune responses to varicella-zoster virus in vaccinees. Collectively, these observations suggest that immune modulators that block regulatory T cell activity may increase responses to viral attenuated vaccines in older adults.
Infection of Aedes albopictus Mosquito C6/36 Cells with the
w
Melpop Strain of
Wolbachia
Modulates Dengue Virus-Induced Host Cellular Transcripts and Induces Critical Sequence Alterations in the Dengue Viral Genome
Authors: Teramoto Tadahisa , Huang Xin , Armbruster Peter A. , Padmanabhan Radhakrishnan
Published: May 2019

Mosquito-borne diseases are of global significance causing considerable morbidity and mortality throughout the world. Dengue virus (DENV; serotypes 1 to 4), a member of the
Flavivirus
genus of the
Flaviviridae
family, causes millions of infections annually. Development of a safe vaccine is hampered due to absence of cross-protection and increased risk in secondary infections due to antibody-mediated immune enhancement. Infection of vector mosquitoes with
Wolbachia
bacteria offers a novel countermeasure to suppress DENV transmission, but the mechanisms are poorly understood. In this study, the host transcription profiles and viral RNA sequences were analyzed in naive
A. albopictus
(C6/36) and
w
MelPop-C6/36 cells by RNAseq. Our results showed that the
w
MelPop symbiont caused profound changes in host transcription profiles and morphology of DENV2-infected C6/36 cells. Accumulation of several mutations throughout DENV2 RNA resulted in loss of infectivity of progeny virions. Our findings offer new insights into the mechanism of
Wolbachia
-mediated suppression of DENV transmission.
Draft Genome Sequence of
Amphirosellinia nigrospora
JS-1675, an Endophytic Fungus from
Pteris cretica
Authors: Jeon Jongbum , Park Sook-Young , Kim Jung A. , Yu Nan Hee , Park Ae Ran , Kim Jin-Cheol , Lee Yong-Hwan , Kim Soonok
Published: May 2019

The fungus
Amphirosellinia nigrospora
strain JS-1675 has been reported to exert antimicrobial effects against various plant-pathogenic bacteria and fungi. Here, we report the draft genome sequence of
A. nigrospora
for the first time.
Draft Genome Sequence of Pseudomonas koreensis Strain AB36, Isolated from Gold Mining Soil
Authors: Babalola Olubukola Oluranti , Ayangbenro Ayansina Segun
Published: May 2019

Here, we report the draft genome sequence of
Pseudomonas koreensis
strain AB36, isolated from gold mining soil in South Africa. The draft sequence consists of 5,902,614 bp, with a G+C content of 60.1% and 5,242 protein-coding genes.
Single-Scaffold Genome Sequence of Probiotic Strain Bifidobacterium breve BR03 (DSM 16604), Obtained by Combining Hybrid Sequencing and Optical Mapping
Authors: Fracchetti F. , Del Casale A. , Tebaldi M. , Cunego A. , Campedelli I. , Salvetti E. , Ederle D. , Deidda F. , Pane M.
Published: May 2019

Bifidobacterium breve
BR03 (DSM 16604) is known for its health-promoting activity. We present a single-scaffold genome obtained by using a hybrid approach combining long- and short-read sequencing techniques integrated by an optical map.
Complete Genome Sequence of a New Ebola Virus Strain Isolated during the 2017 Likati Outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Authors: Wawina-Bokalanga Tony , Vanmechelen Bert , Martí-Carreras Joan , Vergote Valentijn , Vermeire Kurt , Muyembe-Tamfum Jean-Jacques , Ahuka-Mundeke Steve , Maes Piet
Published: May 2019

Genomic sequencing for early identification of Ebola virus remains a big challenge in low-income countries. Here, we report the complete genome sequence of an Ebola virus strain obtained during the 2017 Likati outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) by using the Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) MinION sequencer.
Convergence of the Pamir and the South Tian Shan in the late Cenozoic: Insights from provenance analysis in the Wuheshalu section at the convergence area
Authors: Chen Xinwei , Chen Hanlin , Sobel Edward R. , Lin Xiubin , Cheng Xiaogan , Yan Jiakai , Yang Shaomei
Published: May 2019

In response to collision and convergence between India and Asia during the Cenozoic, convergence took place between the Pamir and South Tian Shan. Here we present new detrital zircon U-Pb ages coupled with conglomerate clast counting and sedimentary data from the late Cenozoic Wuheshalu section in the convergence zone, to shed light on the convergence process of the Pamir and South Tian Shan. Large Triassic zircon U-Pb age populations in all seven samples suggest that Triassic igneous rocks from the North Pamir were the major source area for the late Cenozoic Wuheshalu section. In the Miocene, large populations of the North Pamir component supports rapid exhumation in the North Pamir and suggest that topography already existed there since the early Miocene. Exhumation of the South Tian Shan was relatively less important in the Miocene and its detritus could only reach a limited area in the foreland area. Gradually increasing sediment loading and convergence of the Pamir and South Tian Shan caused rapid subsidence in the convergence area. Since ca. 6–5.3 Ma, the combination of a major North Pamir component and a minor South Tian Shan component at the Wuheshalu section is consistent with active deformation of the South Tian Shan and the North Pamir. During deposition of the upper Atushi Formation, a larger proportion of North Pamir–derived sediments was deposited in the Wuheshalu section, maybe because faulting and northward propagation of the North Pamir caused northward displacement of the depocenter to north of the Wuheshalu section.
The influence of maternal ethnicity on neonatal respiratory outcome
Authors: Cox Annie Georgina , Narula Shagun , Malhotra Atul , Fernando Shavi , Wallace Euan , Davies-Tuck Miranda
Published: May 2019

Objective

Higher rates of neonatal morbidity and mortality at term combined with earlier spontaneous delivery have led to the hypothesis that babies born to South Asian born (SA-born) women may mature earlier and/or their placental function decreases earlier than babies born to Australian and New Zealand born (Aus/NZ-born) women. Whether babies born to SA-born women do better in the preterm period, however, has yet to be evaluated. In this study we investigated respiratory outcomes, indicative of functional maturity, of preterm babies born to SA-born women compared with those of Aus/NZ-born women to explore this hypothesis further.

Study design and setting

This retrospective cohort study was conducted at Monash Health.

Patients

Data were collected from neonatal and birth records of moderate-late preterm (32–36 weeks) infants born between 2012 and 2015 to SA-born and Aus/NZ-born women.

Outcome measures

Rates of nursery admissions and neonatal respiratory outcomes were compared.

Results

Babies born to Aus/NZ-born women were more likely to be admitted to a nursery (80%) compared with SA-born babies (72%, p=0.004). Babies born to SA-born mothers experienced significantly less hyaline membrane disease (7.8%), required less resuscitation at birth (28.6%) and were less likely to require ventilation (20%) than babies born to Aus/NZ-born mothers (18%, 42.2%, 34.6%; p<0.001). There was no difference in the duration of ventilation or length of stay in hospital.

Conclusions

Moderate-late preterm babies born to SA-born women appear to have earlier functional maturity, as indicated by respiratory outcomes, than Aus/NZ-born babies. Our findings support the hypothesis of earlier fetal maturation in SA-born women.
Fifteen-minute consultation: Prevention and treatment of chickenpox in newborns
Authors: Holland Charlotte , Sadarangani Manish
Published: May 2019

There are inconsistencies in how newborns are managed following exposure to varicella, ranging from reassurance and observation to administration of varicella zoster immunoglobulin (VZIG) and admission to hospital for varying length courses of intravenous aciclovir.

Hospitalised preterm babies exposed to varicella should receive VZIG. Administration can otherwise be limited to pregnant non-immune women or to newborns if there is development of maternal chickenpox from 5 days prior to delivery up to 48 hours postdelivery. Intravenous aciclovir is only recommended in cases of newborn disease despite VZIG or in severe disease. The use of VZIG may not prevent varicella but may reduce severity of disease.

In this article, we review the evidence for risk to non-immune mothers, the fetus and newborns who had different types of exposure to varicella, with recommendations for management and treatment of confirmed neonatal chickenpox.