bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Survey of Surface Reconstruction from Point Clouds
Authors: Berger Matthew , Tagliasacchi Andrea , Seversky Lee M. , Alliez Pierre , Guennebaud Gaël , Levine Joshua A. , Sharf Andrei , Silva Claudio T.
Published: April 2016

The area of surface reconstruction has seen substantial progress in the past two decades. The traditional problem addressed by surface reconstruction is to recover the digital representation of a physical shape that has been scanned, where the scanned data contain a wide variety of defects. While much of the earlier work has been focused on reconstructing a piece‐wise smooth representation of the original shape, recent work has taken on more specialized priors to address significantly challenging data imperfections, where the reconstruction can take on different representations—not necessarily the explicit geometry. We survey the field of surface reconstruction, and provide a categorization with respect to priors, data imperfections and reconstruction output. By considering a holistic view of surface reconstruction, we show a detailed characterization of the field, highlight similarities between diverse reconstruction techniques and provide directions for future work in surface reconstruction.
Alterations in development of hippocampal and cortical memory mechanisms following very preterm birth
Authors: Nosarti Chiara , Froudist‐Walsh Seán
Published: April 2016

Deficits in memory function have been described in children and adolescents who were born very preterm (VPT), which can have profound effects on their school achievement and everyday life. However, to date, little is known about the development of the neuroanatomical substrates of memory following VPT birth. Here we focus on episodic and working memory and highlight key recent functional and structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies that have advanced our understanding of the relationship between alterations seen in the VPT brain and typical neurodevelopment of networks supporting these memory functions. We contrast evidence from the episodic and working memory literatures and suggest that knowledge gained from these functional and neuroanatomical studies may point to specific time windows in which working memory interventions may be most effective.
Anticipatory control and spatial cognition in locomotion and navigation through typical development and in cerebral palsy
Authors: Belmonti Vittorio , Cioni Giovanni , Berthoz Alain
Published: April 2016

Behavioural evidence, summarized in this narrative review, supports a developmental model of locomotor control based on increasing neural integration of spatial reference frames. Two consistent adult locomotor behaviours are head stabilization and head anticipation: the head is stabilized to gravity and leads walking direction. This cephalocaudal orienting organization aligns gaze and vestibula with a reference frame centred on the upcoming walking direction, allowing anticipatory control on body kinematics, but is not fully developed until adolescence. Walking trajectories and those of hand movements share many aspects, including power laws coupling velocity to curvature, and minimized spatial variability. In fact, the adult brain can code trajectory geometry in an allocentric reference frame, irrespective of the end effector, regulating body kinematics thereafter. Locomotor trajectory formation, like head anticipation, matures in early adolescence, indicating common neurocomputational substrates. These late‐developing control mechanisms can be distinguished from biomechanical problems in children with cerebral palsy (CP). Children's performance on a novel navigation test, the Magic Carpet, indicates that typical navigation development consists of the increasing integration of egocentric and allocentric reference frames. In CP, right‐brain impairment seems to reduce navigation performance due to a maladaptive left‐brain sequential egocentric strategy. Spatial integration should be considered more in rehabilitation.
Lessons learned from studying the functional impact of adaptive seating interventions for children with cerebral palsy
Authors: Ryan Stephen E
Published: April 2016

Little empirical evidence exists about the effectiveness of assistive technology interventions for children with cerebral palsy (CP) to inform clinical practice. This article reviews what we know about the functional impact of adaptive seating interventions – a common assistive technology type recommended for children with CP. A contemporary assistive technology outcomes framework is considered as a way to model the temporality and measure the effects of seating interventions and moderating cofactors. Three research studies are profiled to illustrate different research methods, measurement approaches, and follow‐up periods to learn about adaptive seating outcomes. Recommendations for future research include the adoption of common measurement indicators, consideration of quality assessment criteria, and the use of varied methodologies to generate new knowledge about functional outcomes. It is suggested that the proposed strategies will lead to new understandings, clinical applications, and ultimately improvements in the everyday lives of children with CP and their families.
Motor and cognitive outcome after specific early lesions of the brain – a systematic review
Authors: Hielkema Tjitske , Hadders‐Algra Mijna
Published: April 2016

The aim of this systematic review was to study motor and cognitive outcome in infants with severe early brain lesions and to evaluate effects of side of the lesion, sex, and social economic status on outcome. A literature search was performed using the databases Pubmed and Embase. Included studies involved infants with either cystic periventricular leukomalacia (cPVL), preterm, or term stroke (i.e. parenchymal lesion of the brain). Outcome was expressed as cerebral palsy (CP) and intellectual disability (mental retardation). Median prevalence rates of CP after cPVL, preterm, and term stroke were 86%, 71%, and 29% respectively; of intellectual disability 50%, 27%, and 33%. Most infants with cPVL developed bilateral CP, those with term stroke unilateral CP, whereas after preterm stroke bilateral and unilateral CP occurred equally often. Information on the effects of sex and social economic status on outcome after specific brain lesions was very limited. Our findings show that the risk for CP is high after cPVL, moderate after preterm stroke, and lowest after term stroke. The risk for intellectual disability after an early brain lesion is lower than that for CP. Predicting outcome at individual level remains difficult; new imaging techniques may improve predicting developmental trajectories.
Ethical considerations in preventive interventions for bipolar disorder
Authors: Ratheesh Aswin , Cotton Susan M. , Davey Christopher G. , Adams Sophie , Bechdolf Andreas , Macneil Craig , Berk Michael , McGorry Patrick D.
Published: April 2016

Aim

Early intervention and prevention of serious mental disorders such as bipolar disorder has the promise of decreasing the burden associated with these disorders. With increasing early and preventive intervention efforts among cohorts such as those with a familial risk for bipolar disorder, there is a need to examine the associated ethical concerns. The aim of this review was to examine the ethical issues underpinning the clinical research on pre‐onset identification and preventive interventions for bipolar disorder.

Methods

We undertook a PubMed search updated to November 2014 incorporating search terms such as bipolar, mania, hypomania, ethic*(truncated), early intervention, prevention, genetic and family.

Results

Fifty‐six articles that were identified by this method as well as other relevant articles were examined within a framework of ethical principles including beneficence, non‐maleficence, respect for autonomy and justice. The primary risks associated with research and clinical interventions include stigma and labelling, especially among familial high‐risk youth. Side effects from interventions are another concern. The benefits of preventive or early interventions were in the amelioration of symptoms as well as the possibility of minimizing disability, cognitive impairment and progression of the illness. Supporting the autonomy of individuals and improving access to stigma‐free care may help moderate the potential challenges associated with the risks of interventions.

Conclusions

Concerns about the risks of early identification and pre‐onset interventions should be balanced against the potential benefits, the individuals' right to choice and by improving availability of services that balance such dilemmas.
Oceanic oxygenation events in the anoxic Ediacaran ocean
Authors: Sahoo S. K. , Planavsky N. J. , Jiang G. , Kendall B. , Owens J. D. , Wang X. , Shi X. , Anbar A. D. , Lyons T. W.
Published: April 2016

The ocean‐atmosphere system is typically envisioned to have gone through a unidirectional oxygenation with significant oxygen increases in the earliest (ca. 635 Ma), middle (ca. 580 Ma), or late (ca. 560 Ma) Ediacaran Period. However, temporally discontinuous geochemical data and the patchy metazoan fossil record have been inadequate to chart the details of Ediacaran ocean oxygenation, raising fundamental debates about the timing of ocean oxygenation, its purported unidirectional rise, and its causal relationship, if any, with the evolution of early animal life. To better understand the Ediacaran ocean redox evolution, we have conducted a multi‐proxy paleoredox study of a relatively continuous, deep‐water section in South China that was paleogeographically connected with the open ocean. Iron speciation and pyrite morphology indicate locally euxinic (anoxic and sulfidic) environments throughout the Ediacaran in this section. In the same rocks, redox sensitive element enrichments and sulfur isotope data provide evidence for multiple oceanic oxygenation events (OOEs) in a predominantly anoxic global Ediacaran–early Cambrian ocean. This dynamic redox landscape contrasts with a recent view of a redox‐static Ediacaran ocean without significant change in oxygen content. The duration of the Ediacaran OOEs may be comparable to those of the oceanic anoxic events (OAEs) in otherwise well‐oxygenated Phanerozoic oceans. Anoxic events caused mass extinctions followed by fast recovery in biologically diversified Phanerozoic oceans. In contrast, oxygenation events in otherwise ecologically monotonous anoxic Ediacaran–early Cambrian oceans may have stimulated biotic innovations followed by prolonged evolutionary stasis.
How identification facilitates effective learning: the evaluation of generic versus localized professionalization training
Authors: Bjerregaard Kirstien , Haslam S. Alexander , Morton Thomas
Published: April 2016

Worldwide, organizations are keen to ensure that they achieve a performance return from the large investment they make in employee training. This study examines the way in which workgroup identification facilitates trainees’ motivation to transfer learning into workplace performance. A 2 × 2 longitudinal study evaluated the effects of a new generic professionalization training program (NGP) – which tapped into distal work identities, and a standard local professionalization program (SLP) – which spoke more to localized work identities, on participant's motivation to transfer their learning to the workplace. The study found that, compared to participants on the SLP (n = 31), participants on the NGP (n = 35) indicated a reduction in 4 measures (perceived utility of training; workplace participation; relatedness and workplace identification). The authors draw on the social identity approach to illustrate how a reduction in these variables is indicative of a reduction in motivation to transfer learning to the workplace. In short, training which does not speak to meaningful localized identities results in reduced motivation to transfer compared to training that does speak to those identities. More broadly, the study demonstrates the capacity of the social identity approach to meet the increasing demands of training researchers for a comprehensive, multi‐dimensional, theoretical framework through which to understand the interplay of trainee and contextual factors that contribute to effective learning and performance in the workplace.
Perspectives on Natural Resources in the Global Economy: Polity Series Review
Authors: Prudham Scott
Published: April 2016

Polity's ‘Resources’ series is a set of scholarly books, each of them dealing with a single resource or resource‐based commodity from a generally global or international perspective. As of this writing, nine books have been published in the series, six of which I review here. The series is a welcome contribution to interdisciplinary and overall critical perspectives on the social and environmental dimensions and implications of the international appropriation, production and exchange of natural resources. While there is no clear disciplinary bent or theoretical foundation running across the volumes, together the books develop a transnational perspective, stressing the linkages between specific sites of appropriation and production, on the one hand, and broader political economic networks of processing, finance, coordination, commercial distribution and social regulation, on the other. The books should serve as valuable references to researchers in academic, government and non‐government institutional settings, but should also prove valuable for undergraduate teaching on contemporary natural resource industries and their social regulation.
Chinese Studies of Female Characters in Hardy's Novels: A Feminist Approach
Authors: Ling Bo
Published: April 2016

Hardy's novels were characterized by a great variety of women. Since the introduction of Hardy to China, critics have considered his female characters from diverse perspectives and arrived at different and even contradictory conclusions. This paper aims to outline the landscape of Chinese studies of Hardy's women characters. Particular attention will be given to the three types of women Chinese critics identify in Hardy's novels. Since studies of women figures will inevitably cover issues which are major concerns of feminist criticism, this paper will also comment on these studies from a feminist perspective. Though these critics arrive at different conclusions and hold diverse views towards Hardy's female characters, their identification of three types of women captures the intrinsic pattern and logic behind Hardy's observation and presentation of women.
Hardy in Japan: Translators, Translation and Publication
Authors: Uehara Sanae
Published: April 2016

This paper analyses early 20th‐century Japanese translations of Hardy's Tess of the d'Urbervilles and demonstrates the significant impact of censorship and the emergence of mass publication on the image of Hardy and his fiction among contemporary Japanese readers, scholars, critics and translators. It argues that the effects of the Japanese censorship law were complex: the translated text of Tess of the d'Urbervilles contained word games, evoking a strange kind of erotic pleasure while pretending to de‐eroticise Tess's story. The paper also discusses the ideas that the image of ‘pure Tess’ was nonetheless shaped by a series of translators and that publishers' marketing strategies contributed to the crystallisation and wide dissemination of this image in Japan.
History of Retractor Technologies for Percutaneous Pedicle Screw Fixation Systems
Authors: Mobbs Ralph J. , Phan Kevin
Published: April 2016

Minimally invasive techniques aimed at minimizing surgery‐associated risk and morbidity of spinal surgery have increased in popularity in recent years. Their potential advantages include reduced length of hospital stay, blood loss, and requirement for post‐operative analgesia and earlier return to work. One such minimally invasive technique is the use of percutaneous pedicle screw fixation, which is paramount for promoting rigid and stable constructs and fusion in the context of trauma, tumors, deformity and degenerative disease. Percutaneous pedicle screw insertion can be an intimidating prospect for surgeons who have only been trained in open techniques. One of the ongoing challenges of this percutaneous system is to provide the surgeon with adequate access to the pedicle entry anatomy and adequate tactile or visual feedback concerning the position and anatomy of the rod and set‐screw construct. This review article discusses the history and evolution of percutaneous pedicle screw retractor technologies and outlines the advances over the last decade in the rapidly expanding field of minimal access surgery for posterior pedicle screw based spinal stabilization. As indications for percutaneous pedicle screw techniques expand, the nuances of the minimally invasive surgery techniques and associated technologies will also multiply. It is important that experienced surgeons have access to tools that can improve access with a greater degree of ease, simplicity and safety. We here discuss the technical challenges of percutaneous pedicle screw retractor technologies and a variety of systems with a focus on the pros and cons of various retractor systems.
Titanium/Polyetheretherketone Cages for Cervical Arthrodesis with Degenerative and Traumatic Pathologies: Early Clinical Outcomes and Fusion Rates
Authors: Chong Elizabeth , Mobbs Ralph J. , Pelletier Matthew H. , Walsh William R.
Published: April 2016

Objective

Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion is the most commonly employed surgical technique for treating cervical spondylosis. Although autologous bone grafts are considered the gold standard in achieving fusion, associated short‐ and long‐term morbidities have led to a search for alternative materials. These have included carbon‐fiber, titanium alloy (Ti) and ceramic and polyetheretherketone (PEEK) based implants. Recent attempts to optimize cage implants through using composite designs have combined Ti and PEEK. However, there are few published reports on the clinical and radiological outcomes of commercially available composite cages. Our study aimed to provide and evaluate initial outcomes of a composite Ti/PEEK cage.

Methods

In this prospective single senior surgeon cohort study, 31 consecutive patients underwent a modified Smith–Robinson technique under general anesthesia and relevant data were collected. The study patients were aged between 18 and 75 years and underwent surgery from November 2013 to May 2014. Indications for surgery included traumatic and degenerative cervical disease that was unsuitable for or unresponsive to conservative management. All cages were between 5 and 8 mm and packed with super critical fluid sterilized allograft and bone marrow aspirate before insertion. Patients were followed‐up for a minimum of 12 months. Fusion was assessed using fine cut CT and anteroposterior and lateral radiographs. Clinical outcomes were measured using a Visual Analogue Scale, Neck Oswestry Disability Index and Patient's Satisfaction Index.

Results

Six of the original cohort were unavailable for adequate follow‐up. The remaining 25 patients (17 men, 8 women; 33 operative levels) were observed for a mean of 14.6 months (range, 12–16 months). All operation levels were between C4 and C7. Single‐level operations were performed in 19 patients and additional plating in 14 patients. A fusion rate of 96% was achieved. Patients in both plated and non‐plated groups experienced statistically significant improvements; good to excellent outcomes being seen in 92% of patients. There was one complication, namely recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy, which had partially resolved at 6 months follow‐up.

Conclusion

The present study shows that enhancement of PEEK cages with Ti endplates is a safe and effective treatment with the potential for early osseointegration and early radiological evidence of fusion.
Treatment of Spinal Tuberculosis by Debridement, Interbody Fusion and Internal Fixation via Posterior Approach Only
Authors: Tang Ming‐xing , Zhang Hong‐qi , Wang Yu‐xiang , Guo Chao‐feng , Liu Jin‐yang
Published: April 2016

Surgical treatment for spinal tuberculosis includes focal tuberculosis debridement, segmental stability reconstruction, neural decompression and kyphotic deformity correction. For the lesions mainly involved anterior and middle column of the spine, anterior operation of debridement and fusion with internal fixation has been becoming the most frequently used surgical technique for the spinal tuberculosis. However, high risk of structural damage might relate with anterior surgery, such as damage in lungs, heart, kidney, ureter and bowel, and the deformity correction is also limited. Due to the organs are in the front of spine, there are less complications in posterior approach. Spinal pedicle screw passes through the spinal three‐column structure, which provides more powerful orthopedic forces compared with the vertebral body screw, and the kyphotic deformity correction effect is better in posterior approach. In this paper, we report a 68‐year‐old male patient with thoracic tuberculosis who underwent surgical treatment by debridement, interbody fusion and internal fixation via posterior approach only. The patient was placed in prone position under general anesthesia. Posterior midline incision was performed, and the posterior spinal construction was exposed. Then place pedicle screw, and fix one side rod temporarily. Make the side of more bone destruction and larger abscess as lesion debridement side. Resect the unilateral facet joint, and retain contralateral structure integrity. Protect the spinal cord, nerve root. Clear sequestrum, necrotic tissue, abscess of paravertebral and intervertebral space. Specially designed titanium mesh cages or bone blocks were implanted into interbody. Fix both side rods and compress both sides to make the mesh cages and bone blocks tight. Reconstruct posterior column structure with allogeneic bone and autologous bone. Using this technique, the procedures of debridement, spinal cord decompression, deformity correction, bone grafting, and internal fixation can be completed with only one incision and surgical position, and the deformity correction efficiency is higher than anterior surgery.
Double affine Hecke algebras and generalized Jones polynomials
Authors: Berest Yuri , Samuelson Peter
Published: April 2016

In this paper we propose and discuss implications of a general conjecture that there is a natural action of a rank 1 double affine Hecke algebra on the Kauffman bracket skein module of the complement of a knot $K\subset S^{3}$. We prove this in a number of nontrivial cases, including all $(2,2p+1)$ torus knots, the figure eight knot, and all 2-bridge knots (when $q=\pm 1$). As the main application of the conjecture, we construct three-variable polynomial knot invariants that specialize to the classical colored Jones polynomials introduced by Reshetikhin and Turaev. We also deduce some new properties of the classical Jones polynomials and prove that these hold for all knots (independently of the conjecture). We furthermore conjecture that the skein module of the unknot is a submodule of the skein module of an arbitrary knot. We confirm this for the same example knots, and we show that this implies that the colored Jones polynomials of $K$ satisfy an inhomogeneous recursion relation.
Nonlinear Friction-Induced Vibration of a Slider–Belt System
Authors: Li Zilin , Ouyang Huajiang , Guan Zhenqun
Published: April 2016

A mass–spring–damper slider excited into vibration in a plane by a moving rigid belt through friction is a major paradigm of friction-induced vibration. This paradigm has two aspects that can be improved: (1) the contact stiffness at the slider–belt interface is often assumed to be linear and (2) this contact is usually assumed to be maintained during vibration (even when the vibration becomes unbounded at certain conditions). In this paper, a cubic contact spring is included; loss of contact (separation) at the slider–belt interface is allowed and importantly reattachment of the slider to the belt after separation is also considered. These two features make a more realistic model of friction-induced vibration and are shown to lead to very rich dynamic behavior even though a simple Coulomb friction law is used. Both complex eigenvalue analyses of the linearized system and transient analysis of the full nonlinear system are conducted. Eigenvalue analysis indicates that the nonlinear system can become unstable at increasing levels of the preload and the nonlinear stiffness, even if the corresponding linear part of the system is stable. However, they at a high enough level become stabilizing factors. Transient analysis shows that separation and reattachment could happen. Vibration can grow with the preload and vertical nonlinear stiffness when separation is considered, while this trend is different when separation is ignored. Finally, it is found that the vibration magnitudes of the model with separation are greater than the corresponding model without considering separation in certain conditions. Thus, ignoring the separation is unsafe.
Three-Dimensional Impact Angle Guidance Laws Based on Model Predictive Control and Sliding Mode Disturbance Observer
Authors: He Shaoming , Wang Wei , Wang Jiang
Published: April 2016

This paper presents a suboptimal three-dimensional guidance law to intercept unknown maneuvering targets with terminal angle constraint using multivariable control design. The presented guidance law is essentially a composite control method, which is constructed through a combination of standard continuous model predictive control (MPC) and adaptive multivariable sliding mode disturbance observer (SMDO). More specifically, the MPC method is utilized to obtain optimal line-of-sight (LOS) angle tracking performance for nonmaneuvering targets, while the SMDO technique is used to estimate and compensate for the unknown target maneuver online. By virtue of the adaptive nature, the proposed guidance law does not require any information on the bounds of target maneuver and its gradient except for their existence. The stability of the closed-loop guidance system is also analyzed by using Lyapunov function method. Simulation results clearly confirm the effectiveness of the proposed formulation against a maneuvering target.
Adaptive Frequency Shaped Linear Quadratic Control of Mechanical Systems: Theory and Experiment
Authors: Huang An-Chyau , Jhuang Ting-Kai
Published: April 2016

The traditional linear quadratic (LQ) controller can give optimal performance to a known linear system with weightings in the time domain, while the frequency shaped LQ (FSLQ) controller is able to provide optimal performance to the same class of systems with weightings in the frequency domain. When the system contains uncertainties, both of these two approaches fail. In this paper, an adaptive controller is proposed to an uncertain mechanical system such that LQ performance can be achieved with weightings in the frequency domain. The function approximation technique is applied to represent the uncertainties into a finite combination of a set of known basis functions. This allows the system to be with various nonlinearities and uncertainties without significant impact on the design procedure. The Lyapunovlike analysis is used to ensure convergence of the system output and boundedness of the internal signals. A dual stage is built to evaluate the performance of the proposed scheme experimentally.
Organocatalyzed atom transfer radical polymerization driven by visible light
Authors: Theriot Jordan C. , Lim Chern-Hooi , Yang Haishen , Ryan Matthew D. , Musgrave Charles B. , Miyake Garret M.
Published: April 2016

Precise control from a metal-free catalyst

Polymerization can be a rather dangerous free for all, with molecules joining randomly in chains at a chaotic pace. One of modern chemistry's great accomplishments has been the development of methods to assemble polymers in steady, orderly steps. However, order comes at a price, and often it's the need for metal catalysts that are hard to remove from the plastic product. Theriot
et al.
used theory to guide the design of a metal-free light-activated catalyst that offers precise control in atom transfer radical polymerization, alleviating concerns about residual metal contamination (see the Perspective by Shanmugam and Boyer).

Science
, this issue p.
1082
; see also p.
1053
The 3.8 Å resolution cryo-EM structure of Zika virus
Authors: Sirohi Devika , Chen Zhenguo , Sun Lei , Klose Thomas , Pierson Theodore C. , Rossmann Michael G. , Kuhn Richard J.
Published: April 2016

Unveiling the Zika virus

The ongoing Zika virus epidemic is of grave concern because of its apparent links to congenital microcephaly and Guillain-Barré syndrome. Sirohi
et al.
present a near-atomic-resolution structure of mature Zika virus determined by cryo-electron microscopy. The structure is mainly similar to that of other flaviviruses such as dengue virus; however, there are differences in a region that may be involved in binding to host receptors. The structure provides a foundation for analysis of the antigenicity and pathogenesis of Zika virus.

Science
, this issue p.
467
Genome Sequence of
Arthrobacter antarcticus
Strain W2, Isolated from a Slaughterhouse
Authors: Herschend Jakob , Raghupathi Prem K. , Røder Henriette L. , Sørensen Søren J. , Burmølle Mette
Published: April 2016

We report the draft genome sequence of
Arthrobacter antarcticus
strain W2, which was isolated from a wall of a small slaughterhouse in Denmark. The 4.43-Mb genome sequence was assembled into 170 contigs.
Draft Genome Sequence of Toxigenic
Corynebacterium ulcerans
Strain 04-7514, Isolated from a Dog in France
Authors: Guimarães Luis C. , Viana Marcus V. C. , Benevides Leandro J. , Mariano Diego C. B. , Veras Adooney A. O. , Sá Pablo H. C. , Rocha Flávia S. , Vilas Boas Priscilla C. B. , Soares Siomar C. , Barbosa Maria S. , Guiso Nicole , Badell Edgar , Carneiro Adriana R. , Azevedo Vasco , Ramos Rommel T. J. , Silva Artur
Published: April 2016

Here, we present the draft genome of toxigenic
Corynebacterium ulcerans
strain 04-7514. The draft genome has 2,497,845 bp, 2,059 coding sequences, 12 rRNA genes, 46 tRNA genes, 150 pseudogenes, 1 clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR) array, and a G+C content of 53.50%.
Draft Genome Sequences of
Streptococcus pneumoniae
with High-Level Resistance to Respiratory Fluoroquinolones
Authors: Keness Yoram , Bisharat Naiel
Published: April 2016

Streptococcus pneumoniae
is the leading cause of community-acquired pneumonia. Levofloxacin is a fluoroquinolone used for treatment of severe community-acquired pneumonia. Here, we describe the draft genome sequences of
S. pneumoniae
with emerging resistance to levofloxacin, resulting in failure of treatment of pneumococcal pneumonia.
Complete Genome Sequence of
Streptococcus pneumoniae
Serotype 19A, a Blood Clinical Isolate from Northeast Mexico
Authors: Perez-Maya Antonio Ali , Hinojosa-Robles Rosa Maria , Barcenas-Walls Jose Ramon , Vignau-Cantu Armando , Barrera-Saldaña Hugo A. , Ortiz-Lopez Rocio
Published: April 2016

We report here the draft genome sequence of a
Streptococcus pneumoniae
strain isolated in Monterrey, Mexico, MTY1662SN214, from a man with purpura fulminans. The strain belongs to the invasive and multidrug-resistant serogroup 19A, sequence type 320 (ST320). The draft genome sequence consists of 60 large contigs, a total of 2,069,474 bp, and has a G+C content of 39.7%.
Speciation by Symbiosis: the Microbiome and Behavior
Authors: Shropshire J. Dylan , Bordenstein Seth R.
Published: April 2016

Species are fundamental units of comparison in biology. The newly discovered importance and ubiquity of host-associated microorganisms are now stimulating work on the roles that microbes can play in animal speciation. We previously synthesized the literature and advanced concepts of speciation by symbiosis with notable attention to hybrid sterility and lethality. Here, we review recent studies and relevant data on microbes as players in host behavior and behavioral isolation, emphasizing the patterns seen in these analyses and highlighting areas worthy of additional exploration. We conclude that the role of microbial symbionts in behavior and speciation is gaining exciting traction and that the holobiont and hologenome concepts afford an evolving intellectual framework to promote research and intellectual exchange between disciplines such as behavior, microbiology, genetics, symbiosis, and speciation. Given the increasing centrality of microbiology in macroscopic life, microbial symbiosis is arguably the most neglected aspect of animal and plant speciation, and studying it should yield a better understanding of the origin of species.
Is the prevalence of hypertension in overweight children overestimated?
Authors: Wirix Aleid J G , Nauta Jeroen , Groothoff Jaap W , Rabelink Ton J , HiraSing Remy A , Chinapaw Mai JM , Kist-van Holthe Joana E
Published: April 2016

Objectives

The aim of this study is to explore different methods for screening and diagnosing hypertension—which definitions and criteria to use—in children and in addition to determine the prevalence of hypertension in Dutch overweight children.

Design

A cross-sectional study performed in the Dutch Child Health Care setting.

Setting

Four Child Health Care centres in different cities in the Netherlands.

Participants

969 overweight (including obese) and 438 non-overweight children, median age 11.7 years (range 4.1–17.10), 49% boys.

Main outcome measures

The main outcome was blood pressure, and the difference in prevalence of hypertension using different criteria for blood pressure interpretation: using the first blood pressure measurement, the mean of two measurements and the lowest of three measurements on two different occasions.

Results

Looking at the first measurement alone, 33% of overweight and 21% of non-overweight children had hypertension. By comparing the mean of the first two measurements with reference values, 28% of overweight children and 16% of non-overweight children had hypertension. Based on the lowest of three consecutive measurements, the prevalence decreased to 12% among overweight children and 5% among non-overweight children at visit one and at visit two 4% of overweight children still had hypertension.

Conclusions

The prevalence of hypertension is highly dependent on the definitions and criteria used. We found a prevalence of 4% in overweight children, which is considerably lower than suggested by recent literature (4%–33%). This discrepancy can be explained by our more strict definition of hypertension. However, to draw any conclusions on the prevalence, normal values using the same definition of hypertension should be established. Despite the low prevalence, we recommend measuring blood pressure in all overweight children in view of later cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.
Utero-placental vascularisation in normal and preeclamptic and intra-uterine growth restriction pregnancies: third trimester quantification using 3D power Doppler with comparison to placental vascular morphology (EVUPA): a prospective controlled study
Authors: Duan Jie , Chabot-Lecoanet Anne-Claire , Perdriolle-Galet Estelle , Christov Christophe , Hossu Gabriela , Cherifi Aboubaker , Morel Olivier
Published: April 2016

Introduction

Preeclampsia (PE) and intra-uterine growth restriction (IUGR) are two major pregnancy complications related to chronic utero-placental hypoperfusion. Three-dimensional power Doppler (3DPD) angiography has been used for the evaluation of utero-placental vascularisation and three vascular indices have been calculated: the vascularisation index (VI), flow index (FI) and vascularisation-FI (VFI). However, several technical endpoints hinder the clinical use of 3DPD as physical characteristics and machine settings may affect 3DPD indices, and so its clinical significance is not yet clear.

Objectives

The primary objective is to better understand the clinical significance of 3DPD indices by evaluating the relationship between these indices and placental morphometry. Secondary objectives are (i) to determine the impact of machine settings and physical characteristics on 3DPD indices, and (ii) to evaluate physio-pathological placental vascularisation patterns.

Methods and analysis

This is a prospective controlled study. We expect to include 112 women: 84 with normal pregnancies and 28 with PE and/or IUGR (based on our former cohort study on 3DPD indices for PE and/or IUGR prediction (unpublished data)). Within 72 h before planned or semi-urgent caesarean section, utero-placental 3DPD images with five different machine settings will be acquired. Placentas will be collected and examined after surgery and stereological indices (volume density, surface density, length density) calculated. The 3DPD indices (VI, FI and VFI) of the placenta and adjacent myometrium will be calculated. Correlation between Doppler and morphological indices will be evaluated by Pearson or Spearman tests. Agreement between 3DPD indices and morphological indices will be assessed by Bland and Altman plots. The impact of Doppler settings and maternal characteristics on 3DPD indices will be evaluated with a multivariate linear regression model.

Ethics

The study and related consent forms have been approved by the French Ethics Committee (CPP, Comité de Protection des Personnes) Est III on 4 March 2014.
Adaptive servoventilation versus oxygen therapy for sleep disordered breathing in patients with heart failure: a randomised trial
Authors: Murase Kimihiko , Ono Koh , Yoneda Tomoya , Iguchi Moritake , Yokomatsu Takafumi , Mizoguchi Tetsu , Izumi Toshiaki , Akao Masaharu , Miki Shinji , Nohara Ryuji , Ueshima Kenji , Mishima Michiaki , Kimura Takeshi , White David P , Chin Kazuo
Published: April 2016

Background

Both adaptive servoventilation (ASV) and nocturnal oxygen therapy improve sleep disordered breathing (SDB), but their effects on cardiac parameters have not been compared systematically.

Methods and results

43 patients with chronic heart failure (CHF; left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≤50%) with SDB were randomly assigned to undergo ASV (n=19, apnoea hypopnoea index (AHI)=34.2±12.1/h) or oxygen therapy (n=24, 36.9±9.9/h) for 3 months. More than 70% of SDB events in both groups were central apnoeas or hypopnoeas. Although nightly adherence was less for the ASV group than for the oxygen group (4.4±2.0 vs 6.2±1.8 h/day, p<0.01), the improvement in AHI was larger in the ASV group than in the oxygen group (−27.0±11.5 vs −16.5±10.2/h, p<0.01). TheN-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) level in the ASV group improved significantly after titration (1535±2224 to 1251±2003 pg/mL, p=0.01), but increased slightly at follow-up and this improvement was not sustained (1311±1592 pg/mL, p=0.08). Meanwhile, the level of plasma NT-proBNP in the oxygen group did not show a significant change throughout the study (baseline 1071±1887, titration 980±1913, follow-up 1101±1888 pg/mL, p=0.19). The significant difference in the changes in the NT-proBNP level throughout the study between the 2 groups was not found (p=0.30). Neither group showed significant changes in echocardiographic parameters.

Conclusions

Although ASV produced better resolution of SDB in patients with CHF as compared with oxygen therapy, neither treatment produced a significant improvement in cardiac function in the short term. Although we could not draw a definite conclusion because of the small number of participants, our data do not seem to support the routine use of ASV or oxygen therapy to improve cardiac function in patients with CHF with SDB.

Trial registration number

NCT01187823 (http://www.clinicaltrials.gov).
Comparison of feeding behavior between black and red Angus feeder heifers
Authors: Wolfger B. , Quinn C. , Torres G.W. , Taylor M. , Orsel K.
Published: April 2016

The objective of this study was to compare feeding behavior between red and black Angus heifers during a 161-d finishing period as a potential explanation for performance differences. Sixty-eight single-sourced purebred red (n = 35) and black (n = 33) Angus heifers, leptin genotype TT, and average starting weight 360 kg (±19 kg) were used. Heifers were randomly and equally allocated into one of two feedlot pens, equipped with five feed bunks that recorded feeding behavior. Individual time spent at the feed bunk, interval between feeding events, feed intake, and meal frequency were recorded daily, and eating rate was calculated. Heifers were fed a barley-based diet (>75% concentrate). After 161 d, at the end of the feeding period, feedlot performance was calculated as average daily gain (ADG) and gain to feed conversion rate. Additionally, carcass data were obtained from the abattoir. Overall, black Angus heifers ate more, spent more time at the feed bunk, and had more meals compared with red Angus (P < 0.001). Red Angus heifers had better gain to feed ratios (P < 0.02) and significantly more red heifers were assigned to Canadian yield category 1 (≥59% lean meat) compared with black heifers (P = 0.02), whereas black heifers had higher back fat thickness throughout the study (P ≤ 0.04). All other performance parameters (ADG and carcass weight) were not different.
Influence of feeding increasing levels of dry or modified wet corn distillers grains plus solubles in whole corn grain-based finishing cattle diets on pancreatic α-amylase and trypsin activity
Authors: Salim H. , Wood K.M. , Cant J.P. , Swanson K.C.
Published: April 2016

The objectives of this study were to determine the effect of dietary inclusion [0%–50% of diet dry matter (DM)] and form (dry and modified wet) of corn distillers grains plus solubles (DGS) on pancreatic α-amylase and trypsin activities in calves. Feeding up to 50% DGS did not negatively impact pancreatic exocrine function.
Genetic correlations between female fertility and postweaning growth and feed efficiency traits in multibreed beef cattle
Authors: Mu Y. , Vander Voort G. , Abo-Ismail M.K. , Ventura R. , Jamrozik J. , Miller S.P.
Published: April 2016

With selection in beef cattle now incorporating feed efficiency, knowing the relationship with other traits is needed. Genetic relationships were estimated with an animal model in ASReml with a three-generation pedigree inclusive of 2882 animals. Multibreed data from two Ontario beef research farms with fertility traits were available on 1366 females and postweaning traits, including feed efficiency on 1297 individuals. Estimates of heritability for fertility traits were low to moderate ranging from 0.03 ± 0.01 for pregnancy rate to 0.21 ± 0.02 for gestation length, and postweaning traits were moderate to high with feed conversion ratio at 0.22 ± 0.06 to mid-metabolic weight at 0.89 ± 0.01. Both dry matter intake and mid-metabolic weight were genetically correlated with most fertility traits from −0.52 to 0.34. The genetic correlation between average daily gain and days to calving was moderately negative (–0.33 ± 0.16) as was residual feed intake with days to calving (–0.34 ± 0.17). Bigger cows with more feed intake and faster growth were more fertile, and residual feed intake had an unfavorable genetic correlation with days to calving, indicating that programs to select for feed efficiency should include fertility simultaneously in a selection index.
Interaction of the N-AcAβ(13–23)NH2 segment of the beta amyloid peptide with beta-sheet-blocking peptides: site and edge specificity
Authors: Mehrazma Banafsheh , Petoyan Anahit , Opare Stanley K.A. , Rauk Arvi
Published: April 2016

The region encompassing residues 13–23 of the amyloid beta peptide (Aβ(13–23)) of Alzheimer’s disease is the self-recognition site that initiates toxic oligomerization and fibrillization and also is the site of interaction of Aβ with many other proteins. We describe herein a study by molecular dynamics of the complexes formed by R (= N-AcAβ(13–23)NH2(N-CH3C(O)HHQKLVFFAEDNH2)) with several pseudopeptides designed to form β-sheets with Aβ(1-40,42) and prevent oligomer and fibril formation. Adhesion to both edges of the R β-strand is examined by structure analysis. Umbrella sampling along a dissociation pathway reveals approximate free energies of binding in the submicromolar range. One of the three pseudopeptides binds strongly to one edge of the R β-strand and another to the opposite edge, while the third displays strong binding to both edges. It is desirable to block both edges of the self-recognition site of Aβ to prevent oligomer formation. The study reveals that this may be accomplished by a single pseudopeptide or two in combination. Thus the pseudopeptides, used singly or in pairs, may be competitive inhibitors of Aβ oligomerization at stoichiometric concentrations.
Large males have fewer water mites (Arrenurussp.) on the variable bluet (Coenagrionpulchellum) damselfly
Authors: Hughes Maria , Kaunisto Kari M. , Suhonen Jukka
Published: April 2016

Ectoparasitic water mites of the genus Arrenurus Dugès, 1834 may affect damselflies in different ways, resulting in lower longevity and reproduction success. We studied the variation of water mite occurrence on the variable bluet (Coenagrion pulchellum (Vander Linden, 1823)) damselfly in relation to the host’s sex, location, and wing length, as well as the amount of black pigment on the abdomens of males. In our study, we found that water mite prevalence and abundance were higher on females. Location of the populations did not affect the prevalence of water mites, nor did the colouring of males. The prevalence and abundance of water mites was lower on larger males than on smaller ones. Our results suggest that females are likely to have more water mites due to different behaviour and life-history strategies. According to our results, male body size is a sign of good condition and, thus, of sufficient resources available to be directed to strengthening their immune systems.
Hénon–Heiles interaction for hydrogen atom in phase space
Authors: da Cruz Filho J. S. , Amorim R. G. G. , Ulhoa S. C. , Khanna F. C. , Santana A. E. , Vianna J. D. M.
Published: April 2016

Using elements of symmetry, as gauge invariance, several aspects of a Schrödinger equation represented in phase space are introduced and analyzed under physical basis. The hydrogen atom is explored in the same context. Then we add a Hénon–Heiles potential to the hydrogen atom in order to explore chaotic features.
Quantum dot–ring nanostructure — A comparison of different approaches
Authors: Janus-Zygmunt Iwona , Kȩdzierska Barbara , Gorczyca-Goraj Anna , Zipper Elżbieta , Maśka Maciej M.
Published: April 2016

It has been shown recently that a nanostructure composed of a quantum dot (QD) surrounded by a quantum ring (QR) possesses a set of very unique characteristics that make it a good candidate for future nanoelectronic devices. Its main advantage is the ability to easily tune transport properties on demand by so-called “wavefunction engineering”. In practice, the distribution of the electron wavefunction in the nanostructure can be controlled by, e.g., electrical gating. In order to predict some particular properties of the system, one has to know the exact wavefunctions for different shapes of the confining potential that defines the structure.

In this paper, we compare three different methods that can be used to determine the energy spectrum, electron wavefunctions and transport properties of the system under investigation. In the first approach, we utilize the cylindrical symmetry of the confining potential and solve only the radial part of the Schrödinger equation; in the second approach, we discretize the Schrödinger equation in two dimensions and find the eigenstates with the help of the Lanczös method; in the third approach, we use package Kwant to solve a tight-binding approximation of the original system. To study the transport properties in all these approaches, we calculate microscopically the strength of the coupling between the nanosystem and leads. In the first two approaches, we use the Bardeen method, in the third one calculations are performed with the help of package Kwant.