bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Relationship between Verification and Selection Performance on AAC Graphic Symbols
Authors: Shin Sangeun ,   Korean Society of Augmentative and Alternative Communication
Published: January 2019

Background and Objectives: Previous studies have revealed that several conceptual and linguistic features of AAC graphic symbols affected the performance of symbol verification and selection, but the relationship between these two processes has not been clearly illustrated. The current study aimed to seek an answer to the question as to whether the different level of symbol verification skills would affect the symbol selection skills during a sentence construction task. Method: In order to clearly understand the link between the two tasks, 32 healthy young adults were participated in this study (mean age=26.75 years, SD=7.05). In the symbol verification task, participants were asked to respond to the symbols presented on a computer screen which were followed by a congruent or an incongruent written word. In the selection task, they were asked to locate the target symbols on a grid-based display after reading the sentence stimuli which were composed of a noun, an adverb, and a verb in order. Participants’ response times (RTs) for the correct responses in both tasks were analyzed using the non-parametric tests. Result: The RTs in the selection task were significantly different among four groups which were sorted by the scores of verification task. As the RTs in the verification task increased, the RTs in the selection task were significantly increased. Conclusion: This study helped the clinicians to understand the inferential relationship between verification skills and selection skills for the AAC graphic symbols, which has not been clearly addressed in the literature. Other clinical implications were discussed.
A Current State of Communication for Students with Severe and Multiple Disabilities and Supports Needs of Special Education Teachers on Utilization of Simplified Manual Sign
Authors: Kim Jeongyoun , Park Eunhye ,   Korean Society of Augmentative and Alternative Communication
Published: January 2019

Background and Objectives: This study was to identify the current state of communication for students with severe and multiple disabilities and requirements of using simplified manual sign in communication for students with severe and multiple disabilities. Method: For these purposes, total 276 special teachers were surveyed about the real condition and the awareness of using simplified manual sign, and the needs of developing vocabulary. Results: The results revealed the necessity of communication support and the possibility of using simplified manual sign in the field. There are significant needs for developing a simplified manual sign system considering characteristics of students with moderate and multiple disabilities, a simplified manual sign vocabulary, and instructional materials and guidelines. Conclusion: In conclusion, the applicability of simplified manual sign, and the supportive measures to promote efficient communication and social interactions of students with severe and multiple disabilities are suggested.
Research Trends on Gesture & Simplified Manual Sign for communication - Focusing on the application for the nonverbal and the non-deaf disabilities
Authors: Lee Hyun Joo , Choi Jin Hee ,   Korean Society of Augmentative and Alternative Communication
Published: January 2019

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine the literature related to gestures and manual signs as a communication tools for persons with communication difficulties in spoken language besides hearing impairments, which intended to examine the approach to promoting communication for person with severe and multiple disabilities. Method: From 2000 to 2018, a total of 95 foreign papers related to gesture and manual signs, which were non-verbal communication methods applied to non-hearing impaired subjects, were analyzed. In addition, the sub-contents of 25 experimental papers were analyzed. Results: As a result of analysis by study period, type, subject and topic, there were many researches on the preference and effect of gesture and manual signs among various types of AAC for autistic disorder. In addition, there was a tendency to teach the gesture and manual signs to the subjects of the pre-linguistic communication development and to explore the function and the type of the gesture and manual signs as a promoting element of language development. Conclusion: Gesture and manual signs can be applied to a wide range of persons with communication disorders. It is necessary to revitalize research in Korea as a communication tool for people with severe and multiple disabilities.
Dynamic Monitoring and Forecasting of the Soundness of U.S. Insurers in a Cyclical Environment
Authors: Mao Hong , Hao Wei
Published: January 2019

This paper presents a model of dynamic monitoring and forecasting of key financial indices of U.S. insurers. The key financial indices are assumed to be cyclically time-varying correlated and are selected according to their impact on the soundness of the insurers. It also presents a new kind of control chart,

μ
r

{\mu _r}

chart, based on the weighted average of standardized financial indices. Three kinds of objective functions are applied to determine the optimal weights: (1) minimizing the probability of a missed alarm; (2) minimizing the volatility of the weighted average of standardized financial indices; and (3) minimizing the expected shortfall of the weighted average of standardized financial indices. We note that the optimal weights are equal weights no matter which objective function is selected. The control technique presented in this paper can be extended to monitor the soundness of other insurance firms in a cyclical environment.
Geographic Process Modeling Based on Geographic Ontology
Authors: Cao Yuwei , Huang Yi , Chen Jing , Sheng YeHua
Published: January 2019

Considerable attention has been paid to geographic process-based studies in geographic information science research. Finding appropriate methods to express geographic processes is challenging, and working to reveal the dynamic evolution and underlying mechanisms behind these processes is worthwhile. This research proposes a process-centric ontology model that describes the geographical environment from three perspectives, namely, geographic scenes, geographic processes and geographic elements. These three aspects are combined to represent the dynamic changes of geographic phenomena. This research proposes a framework and constructs ten sub-ontologies. These sub-ontologies include the Element ontology, Scene ontology, and Process ontology. A soil erosion process is then selected to demonstrate the applicability of this framework. The entire process is divided into three sub-processes (detachment, transport and deposition), and each sub-process is described by identifying when and where the process occurred, the elements and their reactions, and the changes in the geographic scene. Different relationships among elements, scenes and processes are defined to explain how and why soil erosion occurred. This proposed approach can reveal the underlying mechanisms of geographic scenes, can be used to explore the occurrence and causes of geographic processes and support the complex representation of geographic elements.
Gravity Structure around Mt. Pandan, Madiun, East Java, Indonesia and Its Relationship to 2016 Seismic Activity
Authors: Santoso D. , Wahyudi E.J. , Kadir W.G.A. , Alawiyah S. , Nugraha A. D. , Supendi P. , Parnadi W.W.
Published: January 2019

Java Island is part of the island arc influenced by subducting Indo-Australian beneath Eurasian tectonic plates, therefore there is high seismic activity and an active volcanic chain trending East-West. One of the volcanoes in Java Island is Mt. Pandan, northern part of Madiun, East Java region, which is known as one of the dormant volcano in the region. According to the list of volcanoes in Indonesia Mt. Pandan is not classified as an active volcano. The previous studies mentioned that Mt. Pandan is a modern volcano which is located in the Kendeng zone. On June 25, 2015, there was felt earthquake (M 4.2) causing several houses damaged around Mt. Pandan as reported by Agency for Meteorology, Climatology, Geophysics (BMKG), Indonesia and then in February 2016, more than twenty small earthquakes (M < 4) occurred again in the area. In order to understand the structure beneath Mt. Pandan, we have conducted gravity measurement and seismicity analysis through hypocenter relocation. Our results show prominent low gravity and density anomalies by forward modeling derived from residual anomaly around Mt. Pandan area. The clusters of small earthquakes appear at depths of less than 30 km beneath Mt. Pandan. The selected focal mechanism of the event in the area is left-lateral faulting in the north and oblique dominant thrust in the south of Mt. Pandan. Some indications related to submagmatic activities such as hot springs and warm ground is found. Our interpretation is this phenomenon may be related to tectonic and magmatic activities. On the other hand, it confirms also that Mt. Pandan is probably a modern volcanic center.
Levels of Acceptance and Forgiveness Reported by Patients With BPD and Personality-Disordered Comparison Subjects Over 20 Years of Prospective Follow-Up
Authors: Zanarini Mary C. , Temes Christina M. , Frankenburg Frances R. , Reich D. Bradford , Fitzmaurice Garrett M.
Published: January 2019

This study had two objectives: to determine the levels of acceptance and forgiveness reported by patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD) and personality-disordered comparison subjects and by recovered versus non-recovered patients with BPD over 20 years of prospective follow-up. Levels of acceptance and forgiveness were reassessed every 2 years. Patients with BPD reported levels of these states that were approximately 70% lower than comparison subjects at baseline. These states increased significantly over time for patients with BPD but not for comparison subjects. Recovered patients with BPD reported approximately three times the levels of these states than non-recovered patients with BPD. These levels increased for both groups over time; one state (accepting of myself) increased at a significantly steeper rate for recovered patients with BPD. These results suggest that patients with BPD report becoming more accepting and forgiving over time. Additionally, recovery status is significantly associated with increasing time in these states.
What Are the Core Features of Psychopathy? A Prototypicality Analysis Using the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R)
Authors: Verschuere Bruno , te Kaat Laura
Published: January 2019

What are the core features of psychopathy? Previous prototypicality analyses showed that many features were considered as highly prototypical. The authors extend this work by using forced ranking to grasp which features are most important. Forensic mental health professionals ranked the 20 Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) items on their importance to psychopathy. Affective-interpersonal features were judged to be of greater importance than behavioral–lifestyle features. The most important items were callous/lack of empathy, conning/manipulative, and lack of remorse or guilt, which were deemed more important than nearly all other PCL-R features. The prototypicality ranking of the 20 PCL-R items by the forensic mental health professionals showed strong overlap (r = .64 to .86) with psychometric indices of item importance (network centrality, item-total correlation, and item response theory discrimination parameter). Taken together, these findings clarify the relative importance of PCL-R features to psychopathy.
Activation of Dopamine Receptor 2 Prompts Transcriptomic and Metabolic Plasticity in Glioblastoma
Authors: Caragher Seamus P. , Shireman Jack M. , Huang Mei , Miska Jason , Atashi Fatemeh , Baisiwala Shivani , Hong Park Cheol , Saathoff Miranda R. , Warnke Louisa , Xiao Ting , Lesniak Maciej S. , James C. David , Meltzer Herbert , Tryba Andrew K. , Ahmed Atique U.
Published: January 2019

Glioblastoma (GBM) is one of the most aggressive and lethal tumor types. Evidence continues to accrue indicating that the complex relationship between GBM and the brain microenvironment contributes to this malignant phenotype. However, the interaction between GBM and neurotransmitters, signaling molecules involved in neuronal communication, remains incompletely understood. Here we examined, using human patient-derived xenograft lines, how the monoamine dopamine influences GBM cells. We demonstrate that GBM cells express dopamine receptor 2 (DRD2), with elevated expression in the glioma-initiating cell (GIC) population. Stimulation of DRD2 caused a neuron-like hyperpolarization exclusively in GICs. In addition, long-term activation of DRD2 heightened the sphere-forming capacity of GBM cells, as well as tumor engraftment efficiency in both male and female mice. Mechanistic investigation revealed that DRD2 signaling activates the hypoxia response and functionally alters metabolism. Finally, we found that GBM cells synthesize and secrete dopamine themselves, suggesting a potential autocrine mechanism. These results identify dopamine signaling as a potential therapeutic target in GBM and further highlight neurotransmitters as a key feature of the pro-tumor microenvironment.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTThis work offers critical insight into the role of the neurotransmitter dopamine in the progression of GBM. We show that dopamine induces specific changes in the state of tumor cells, augmenting their growth and shifting them to a more stem-cell like state. Further, our data illustrate that dopamine can alter the metabolic behavior of GBM cells, increasing glycolysis. Finally, this work demonstrates that GBM cells, including tumor samples from patients, can synthesize and secrete dopamine, suggesting an autocrine signaling process underlying these results. These results describe a novel connection between neurotransmitters and brain cancer, further highlighting the critical influence of the brain milieu on GBM.
Regulatory T Cells and Their Derived Cytokine, Interleukin-35, Reduce Pain in Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis
Authors: Duffy Samuel S. , Keating Brooke A. , Perera Chamini J. , Lees Justin G. , Tonkin Ryan S. , Makker Preet G.S. , Carrive Pascal , Butovsky Oleg , Moalem-Taylor Gila
Published: January 2019

Sensory problems such as neuropathic pain are common and debilitating symptoms in multiple sclerosis (MS), an autoimmune inflammatory disorder of the CNS. Regulatory T (Treg) cells are critical for maintaining immune homeostasis, but their role in MS-associated pain remains unknown. Here, we demonstrate that Treg cell ablation is sufficient to trigger experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) and facial allodynia in immunized female mice. In EAE-induced female mice, adoptive transfer of Treg cells and spinal delivery of the Treg cell cytokine interleukin-35 (IL-35) significantly reduced facial stimulus-evoked pain and spontaneous pain independent of disease severity and increased myelination of the facial nociceptive pathway. The effects of intrathecal IL-35 therapy were Treg-cell dependent and associated with upregulated IL-10 expression in CNS-infiltrating lymphocytes and reduced monocyte infiltration in the trigeminal afferent pathway. We present evidence for a beneficial role of Treg cells and IL-35 in attenuating pain associated with EAE independently of motor symptoms by decreasing neuroinflammation and increasing myelination.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTPain is a highly prevalent symptom affecting the majority of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients and dramatically affects overall health-related quality of life; however, this is a research area that has been largely ignored. Here, we identify for the first time a role for regulatory T (Treg) cells and interleukin-35 (IL-35) in suppressing facial allodynia and facial grimacing in animals with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). We demonstrate that spinal delivery of Treg cells and IL-35 reduces pain associated with EAE by decreasing neuroinflammation and increasing myelination independently of motor symptoms. These findings increase our understanding of the mechanisms underlying pain in EAE and suggest potential treatment strategies for pain relief in MS.
Zooming into Real-Life Extraversion – how Personality and Situation Shape Sociability in Social Interactions
Authors: Breil Simon M. , Geukes Katharina , Wilson Robert E. , Nestler Steffen , Vazire Simine , Back Mitja D.
Published: January 2019

What predicts sociable behavior? While main effects of personality and situation characteristics on sociability are well established, there is little evidence for the existence of person-situation interaction effects within real-life social interactions. Moreover, previous research has focused on self-reported behavior ratings, and less is known about the partner’s social perspective, i.e. how partners perceive and influence an actor’s behavior. In the current research, we investigated predictors of sociable behavior in real-life social interactions across social perspectives, including person and situation main effects as well as person-situation interaction effects. In two experience-sampling studies (Study 1: N = 394, US, time-based; Study 2: N = 124, Germany, event-based), we assessed personality traits with self- and informant-reports, self-reported sociable behavior during real-life social interactions, and corresponding information on the situation (categorical situation classifications and dimensional ratings of situation characteristics). In Study 2, we additionally assessed interaction partner-reported actor behavior. Multilevel analyses provided evidence for main effects of personality and situation features, as well as small but consistent evidence for person-situation interaction effects. First, extraverts acted more sociable in general. Second, individuals behaved more sociable in low-effort/positive/low-duty situations (vs. high-effort/negative/high-duty situations). Third, the latter was particularly true for extraverts. Further specific interaction effects were found for the partner’s social perspective. These results are discussed regarding their accordance with different behavioral models (e.g., Trait Activation Theory) and their transferability to other behavioral domains.
Implicaciones de las residencia geriátricas en la tributación de las adquisiciones mortis causa
Authors: Ferrer Irene Rovira
Published: January 2019

El objetivo principal del presente trabajo es el análisis de los diferentes aspectos de la tributación de las adquisiciones mortis causa en los que puede incidir el hecho de habitar en una residir geriátrica, ya sea por parte del causante o del adquirente. En concreto, dentro del ámbito del ISD, se determinará su implicación en la sujeción al Impuesto por parte del adquirente, en su cesión, en la reducción de la base imponible por la transmisión de la vivienda habitual del causante, en el cálculo del ajuar doméstico y en la bonificación de la cuota por la residencia en Ceuta o Melilla, acabando con el análisis de la bonificación prevista en el IIVTNU en relación con la adquisición de la vivienda habitual del causante que prevén algunos Ayuntamientos.
La nueva ley de contratos del sector público: ¿un instrumento para lograr la igualdad efectiva?
Authors: Souto-Martín Susana
Published: January 2019

La igualdad ha tomado, en los últimos años, gran relevancia en el plano internacional, nacional y supranacional, tal y como muestra el desarrollo de políticas de igualdad de género de las últimas décadas.La contratación pública no es un fin en sí misma, sino una herramienta que las Administraciones públicas pueden utilizar para desarrollar políticas públicas, entre las que destacan las de tipo socialEste artículo trata de aportar una visión sobre la contratación pública como actor clave en la ejecución de las políticas de igualdad.
A Case Study of Genomic Instability in an Industrial Strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: Rodrigues-Prause Aline , Sampaio Nadia M V , Gurol Theodore M , Aguirre Guadalupe M , Sedam Hailey N C , Chapman Mary J , Malc Ewa P , Ajith V P , Chakraborty Parijat , Tizei Pedro A , Pereira Gonçalo A G , Mieczkowski Piotr A , Nishant Koodali T , Argueso Juan Lucas
Published: January 2019

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain JAY270/PE2 is a highly efficient biocatalyst used in the production of bioethanol from sugarcane feedstock. This strain is heterothallic and diploid, and its genome is characterized by abundant structural and nucleotide polymorphisms between homologous chromosomes. One of the reasons it is favored by many distilleries is that its cells do not normally aggregate, a trait that facilitates cell recycling during batch-fed fermentations. However, long-term propagation makes the yeast population vulnerable to the effects of genomic instability, which may trigger the appearance of undesirable phenotypes such as cellular aggregation. In pure cultures of JAY270, we identified the recurrent appearance of mutants displaying a mother-daughter cell separation defect resulting in rough colonies in agar media and fast sedimentation in liquid culture. We investigated the genetic basis of the colony morphology phenotype and found that JAY270 is heterozygous for a frameshift mutation in the ACE2 gene (ACE2/ace2-A7), which encodes a transcriptional regulator of mother-daughter cell separation. All spontaneous rough colony JAY270-derived isolates analyzed carried copy-neutral loss-of-heterozygosity (LOH) at the region of chromosome XII where ACE2 is located (ace2-A7/ace2-A7). We specifically measured LOH rates at the ACE2 locus, and at three additional chromosomal regions in JAY270 and in a conventional homozygous diploid laboratory strain. This direct comparison showed that LOH rates at all sites were quite similar between the two strain backgrounds. In this case study of genomic instability in an industrial strain, we showed that the JAY270 genome is dynamic and that structural changes to its chromosomes can lead to new phenotypes. However, our analysis also indicated that the inherent level of genomic instability in this industrial strain is normal relative to a laboratory strain. Our work provides an important frame of reference to contextualize the interpretation of instability processes observed in the complex genomes of industrial yeast strains.
Hierarchical Assessment of Mutation Properties inDaphnia magna
Authors: Eberle Sarah , Dezoumbe Djeneba , McGregor Rhegan , Kinzer Shane , Raver Whitney , Schaack Sarah , Latta Leigh C
Published: January 2019

Understanding the context-dependence of spontaneous mutations is crucial to predicting evolutionary trajectories. In this experiment, the impact of genetic background and trait-type on mutational susceptibility was investigated. Mutant and non-mutant lines of six unique genotypes from two populations of Daphnia magna were phenotypically assayed using a common-garden experiment. Morphological, life-history, and behavioral traits were measured and estimates of the mutation parameters were generated. The mutation parameters varied between the populations and among genotypes, suggesting differential susceptibility to mutation depending upon genomic background. Traits also varied in their susceptibility to mutation with behavioral traits evolving more rapidly than life-history and morphological traits. These results may reflect the unique selection histories of these populations.
Estimating Asian Contribution to the Brazilian Population: A New Application of a Validated Set of 61 Ancestry Informative Markers
Authors: Andrade Roberta B , Amador Marcos A T , Cavalcante Giovanna C , Leitão Luciana P C , Fernandes Marianne R , Modesto Antônio A C , Moreira Fabiano C , Khayat André S , Assumpção Paulo P , Ribeiro-dos-Santos Ândrea , Santos Sidney , Santos Ney P C
Published: January 2019

Estimates of different ancestral proportions in admixed populations are very important in population genetics studies, especially for the detection of population substructure effects in studies of case-control associations. Brazil is one of the most heterogeneous countries in the world, both from a socio-cultural and a genetic point of view. In this work, we investigated a previously developed set of 61 ancestry informative markers (AIM), aiming to estimate the proportions of four different ancestral groups (African, European, Native American and Asian) in Brazilian populations. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to use a set of AIM to investigate the genetic contribution of all four main parental populations to the Brazilian population, including Asian contribution. All selected markers were genotyped through multiplex PCR and capillary electrophoresis. The set was able to successfully differentiate the four ancestral populations (represented by 939 individuals) and identify their genetic contributions to the Brazilian population. In addition, it was used to estimate individual interethnic admixture of 1050 individuals from the Southeast region of Brazil and it showed that these individuals present a higher European ancestry contribution, followed by African, Asian and Native American ancestry contributions. Therefore, the 61 AIM set has proved to be a valuable tool to estimate individual and global ancestry proportions in populations mainly formed by these four groups. Our findings highlight the importance of using sets of AIM to evaluate population substructure in studies carried in admixed populations, in order to avoid misinterpretation of results.
Systems Genetics Approach to Biomarker Discovery: GPNMB and Heart Failure in Mice and Humans
Authors: Lin Liang-Yu , Chun Chang Sunny , O’Hearn Jim , Hui Simon T , Seldin Marcus , Gupta Pritha , Bondar Galyna , Deng Mario , Jauhiainen Raimo , Kuusisto Johanna , Laakso Markku , Sinsheimer Janet S , Deb Arjun , Rau Christoph , Ren Shuxun , Wang Yibin , Lusis Aldons J , Wang Jessica J , Huertas-Vazquez Adriana
Published: January 2019

We describe a simple bioinformatics method for biomarker discovery that is based on the analysis of global transcript levels in a population of inbred mouse strains showing variation for disease-related traits. This method has advantages such as controlled environment and accessibility to heart and plasma tissue in the preclinical selection stage. We illustrate the approach by identifying candidate heart failure (HF) biomarkers by overlaying mouse transcriptome and clinical traits from 91 Hybrid Mouse Diversity Panel (HMDP) inbred strains and human HF transcriptome from the Myocardial Applied Genomics Network (MAGNet) consortium. We found that some of the top differentially expressed genes correlated with known human HF biomarkers, such as galectin-3 and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1. Using ELISA assays, we investigated one novel candidate, Glycoprotein NMB, in a mouse model of chronic β-adrenergic stimulation by isoproterenol (ISO) induced HF. We observed significantly lower GPNMB plasma levels in the ISO model compared to the control group (p-value = 0.007). In addition, we assessed GPNMB plasma levels among 389 HF cases and controls from the METabolic Syndrome In Men (METSIM) study. Lower levels of GPNMB were also observed in patients with HF from the METSIM study compared to non-HF controls (p-value < 0.0001). In summary, we have identified several candidate biomarkers for HF using the cardiac transcriptome data in a population of mice that may be directly relevant and applicable to human populations.
Comparative Genomic Screen in Two Yeasts Reveals Conserved Pathways in the Response Network to Phenol Stress
Authors: Alhoch Bashar , Chen Alan , Chan Elaine , Elkabti Asmaa , Fariña Sasha , Gilbert Catherine , Kang Jean , King Bradley , Leung Karen , Levy Julia , Martin Elizabeth , Mazer Benjamin , McKinney Sara , Moyzis Alexandra , Nurimba Margaret , Ozaki Michelle , Purvis-Roberts Kathleen , Rothman Joshua Marc , Raju Shravya , Selassie Cynthia , Smith Oliver , Ticus Julia , Edwalds-Gilbert Gretchen , Negritto M Cristina , Wang Ruye , Tang Zhaohua
Published: January 2019

Living organisms encounter various perturbations, and response mechanisms to such perturbations are vital for species survival. Defective stress responses are implicated in many human diseases including cancer and neurodegenerative disorders. Phenol derivatives, naturally occurring and synthetic, display beneficial as well as detrimental effects. The phenol derivatives in this study, butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), and bisphenol A (BPA), are widely used as food preservatives and industrial chemicals. Conflicting results have been reported regarding their biological activity and correlation with disease development; understanding the molecular basis of phenol action is a key step for addressing issues relevant to human health. This work presents the first comparative genomic analysis of the genetic networks for phenol stress response in an evolutionary context of two divergent yeasts, Schizosaccharomyces pombe and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Genomic screening of deletion strain libraries of the two yeasts identified genes required for cellular response to phenol stress, which are enriched in human orthologs. Functional analysis of these genes uncovered the major signaling pathways involved. The results provide a global view of the biological events constituting the defense process, including cell cycle arrest, DNA repair, phenol detoxification by V-ATPases, reactive oxygen species alleviation, and endoplasmic reticulum stress relief through ergosterol and the unfolded protein response, revealing novel roles for these cellular pathways.
Regional morbidity profile of the Sumy region population by diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue
Authors: Kornus O. H. , Kornus A. O. , Shyshchuk V. D. , Nurein N. M.
Published: January 2019

Analyzed the level of primary morbidity of population and prevalence of the osteo-muscular system diseases and of the connective tissue diseases among the residents of the Sumy region. It is established that nosologies of this class are occupy a prominent place in the overall structure of disease's prevalence among the inhabitants of the Sumy region. The percentage of above mentioned nosologies in total structure of Sumy region population morbidity has been exceed 5 %. The dynamics of primary morbidity and prevalence of diseases was separately examined during 2005–2016. Moreover, it was revealed that the situation with the morbidity by nosologies of this group during 2005–2016 has been deteriorating. For example, the primary morbidity of population of the Sumy region by diseases of osteomuscular system and of the connective tissue decreased by 6.5 %, but the prevalence of orthopedics pathologies among inhabitants ofthe Sumy region for the above indicated period increased by 11.0 %. It is established that in the structure of prevalence of the osteomuscular system diseases and of the connective tissue diseases on the first place are arthrosis diseases, which demonstrated the high levels of primary morbidity's growth during 2005–2016, which in some regions exceed 50–80 %. The morbidity of population by the arthritis diseases in the Sumy region for the same period increased by 30.8 %, and their prevalence by 34.4 %, but the highest tempo of growth in the rates of primary morbidity and prevalence are characteristic for saline arthropathies – 25.7 % and 12.0 % respectively. The benefit of this study is analyses of the geographical patterns of morbidity of the population as well as prevalence of the osteomuscular system diseases and of the connective tissue diseases among the inhabitants of the region.With help the quantitative analysis methods, the groups of districts with different rates of morbidity of population, prevalence of diseases of the skeleton/muscular apparatus and connective tissue and different level of provision of the Sumy region population by medical institutions and specialists of the appropriate profile were identified. The geographical discrepancies between the level of the morbidity of population and the level of specialized medical-orthopedically care is revealed. It has been established that in many administrative districts of the region there are no orthopedist at all among the specialists providing medical assistance, and beds for orthopedic patients (or both) are absent in medical and preventive institutions. Consequently the population is not provided with the proper level of orthopedic care.
A Review of Measurement Techniques of Mechanical Properties of the Catalyst Layer in Catalytic Converters
Authors: Yang Jiankai , Salman Agba D. , Blanco-García Patricia
Published: January 2019

A catalyst support is often used to disperse a catalyst material to enhance the contact area for reaction. In catalytic converters, a coating called the catalyst layer contains both the catalyst support and catalytically active material. Given the role of the catalyst layer in catalytic converters, its mechanical strength is of great importance as it determines the service life of catalytic converters. This review paper therefore summarises a number of methods which are currently used in the literature to measure the strength of a catalyst layer. It was identified that the methods applied at present could be divided into two groups. All methods regardless of the group have been successfully used to investigate the effect of a range of formulation and process parameters on the strength of a catalyst layer. In terms of measurement principles, Group 1 methods measure the strength based on mass loss after the layer sample is subjected to a destructive environment of choice. Group 2 methods tend to give more direct measurements on the strength of bonding between particles in a catalyst layer. Therefore, strength data generated by Group 2 methods are more reproducible between different researchers as the results are less dependent on the testing environment. However, methods in both groups still suffer from the fact that they are not designed to separately measure the cohesive and the adhesive strength of a catalyst layer. Two new methods have been recently proposed to solve this problem; with these methods, the cohesive and adhesive strength of a catalyst layer can be measured separately.
Revisions to the Federal Reserve Dollar Indexes
Authors: von Beschwitz Bastian , Datta Deepa D. , Collins Christopher G.
Published: January 2019

This note details the construction of the foreign exchange rate indexes and describes the motives for the changes to the methodology.
Instructions for recreating elPrep 4.0.0 WGS benchmarks v1
Authors: Herzeel Charlotte
Published: January 2019

Instructions for recreating the elPrep4.0.0 WGS benchmarks used in the following paper: Herzeel C, Costanza P, Decap D, Fostier J, Verachtert W. elPrep: A multithreaded framework for sequence analysis. BioRxv https://doi.org/10.1101/492249
HIV-Flow assay v1
Authors: Pardons Marion , Chomont Nicolas
Published: January 2019

The purpose of this document is to define the procedure of the HIV-Flow protocol, an assay developed to measure the size the translation-competent viral reservoir in HIV-infected individuals and to phenotypically characterize these cells.
Instructions for recreating elPrep 4.0.0 WES benchmarks v1
Authors: Herzeel Charlotte
Published: January 2019

Instructions for recreating the elPrep4.0.0 WES benchmarks used in the following paper: Herzeel C, Costanza P, Decap D, Fostier J, Verachtert W. elPrep: A multithreaded framework for sequence analysis. BioRxv https://doi.org/10.1101/492249
Primary antiphospholipid syndrome in children: experience from two tertiary centres in South India
Authors: Janarthanan Mahesh , Jayaraman Dhaarani , Scott Julius , Latha M. S. , Margabandhu Saravanan , Sundaramoorthy Chitra , Srinivas S.
Published: January 2019

Background: Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is a systemic autoimmune disorder characterized by the presence of episodes of vascular thrombosis, recurrent fetal loss and other clinical features in the presence of antiphospholipid antibodies. The aim of the study was to analyze the clinical manifestations and immunologic profile of children presenting with APS.Methods: Authors did a retrospective case record study of patients admitted with thrombotic events between September 2013 and August 2018 and identified patients with positive antiphospholipid antibodies. Children who had clinical features of active lupus were not included.Results: The clinical and immunologic profile of 7 pediatric patients presenting with APS over 5 years from 2013 to 2018 were analysed. Symptoms secondary to vascular thrombosis were limb swelling, stroke, gangrene of toes and Budd Chiari syndrome.Conclusions:APS though rare should be considered in the differential diagnosis of children presenting with thrombotic events. They need long term anticoagulants to prevent further episodes.
Ectopic thyroid tissue presenting as an external auditory canal mass
Authors: Verma Nishikanta , Abishegam Samuel Devanesan , Haji Ahmad Abdul Razak Bin
Published: January 2019

An ectopic thyroid is a rare occurrence with a majority of ectopic thyroid tissue located in the lingual region or in the midline. The abnormal sites represent developmental defects in migration from the floor of the primitive foregut at the foramen caecum of the tongue to the final pre-tracheal position of the gland. A few cases of ectopic thyroid tissue have also been reported from sites seemingly unrelated to the normal development of the thyroid gland.  We report a case of ectopic thyroid in the external ear canal, which presented as a small reddish mass in the external ear canal. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first such reported case in literature and adds to the body of knowledge in such cases. Although such a finding is exceedingly rare, the authors recommend routine histopathology in all cases of polyps in the external canal and standard investigation for the status of the residual thyroid gland via isotope scans, ultrasonography or thyroid function tests.
La transición al siglo XIX en la Catedral de Jaén: el maestro de capilla Ramón Garay (1761-1823)
Authors: Capdepón Verdú Paulino
Published: January 2019

Este artículo se centra en el estudio de la trayectoria personal y artística de uno de los compositores más representativos de la España de la segunda mitad del siglo XVIII y primer tercio del siglo XIX. Ramón Garay, nacido en 1761 en Asturias, ejerció el cargo de Maestro de capilla de la Catedral de Jaén durante 36 fructíferos años que vieron nacer una extraordinaria producción de obras musicales al servicio de la liturgia de dicha Catedral. Pero asimismo la figura de Garay sobresale por haber sido uno de los pioneros en la introducción del género sinfónico en España.
Evaluation of Pyrethroid Susceptibility in Culex pipiens of Northern Izmir Province, Turkey
Authors: Guntay Onur , Salih Yikilmaz Mehmet , Ozaydin Huseyin , Izzetoglu Savas , Suner Asli
Published: January 2019

Background: Mosquitoes, being a nuisance species, are considered as one of the most important species in public health control programs due to their role as a vector in mosquito-borne diseases observed in humans and animals. We evaluated the susceptibility status of Culex pipiens collected from northern Izmir, Turkey in 2011–16.
Methods: Mosquito larvae, collected from three different locations in northern İzmir, were reared in the laboratory. Adult susceptibility bioassays were performed using the WHO insecticide-impregnated papers including deltamethrin 0.05%, permethrin 0.75%, α-cypermethrin 0.05% and cyfluthrin 0.15%. In addition, adult bioassays were performed after the pre-exposure to piperonyl butoxide (PBO) to determine the contribution of P450 detoxification enzymes to the phenotypic resistance.
Results: In all of the three populations, high levels of resistance were observed (mortalities<63%) to all of the four pyrethroids. Different pyrethroids but with the same mode of action can exhibit significantly different phenotypic re­sistance in a single population. PBO bioassays also showed that P450 detoxification enzymes can have diverse effects on different pyrethroids.
Conclusion: Using just one chemical in a class of insecticide can be misleading for resistance studies
Designing and Introducing a New Artificial Feeding Apparatus for Sand Fly Rearing
Authors: Fatemi Mahboubeh , Saeidi Zahra , Noruzian Parviz , Ahmad Akhavan Amir
Published: January 2019

Background: Due to strict ethical rules, the risk of accidental disease transmission and the most importantly, inconven­ience regarding using of live animals, artificial feeding apparatus has been developed for colonization of haematophagous insects. Rearing of sandfly is more difficult than other haematophagous insects.
Methods: In the current study, a new apparatus for membrane feeding of Phlebotomus papatasi was designed, made and compared with available apparatus in Sand Fly Insectary, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, in 2014.
Results: In comparison to other apparatus designed for artificial feeding of other arthropods, our designed apparatus had the highest performance which after up to 1h, the majority of sand flies landed and took blood and among tested membranes, chicken skin was proved the most efficient membrane.
Conclusion: Sand fly artificial feeding apparatus can be used at least for rearing of Ph. papatasi.
Defining Kinetic Properties of HIV-Specific CD8+ T-cell Responses in Acute Infection
Authors: Yang Yiding , Ganusov Vitaly V.
Published: January 2019

Multiple lines of evidence indicate that CD8$^+$ T cells are important in the control of HIV-1 (HIV) replication. However, CD8$^+$ T cells induced by natural infection cannot eliminate the virus or reduce viral loads to acceptably low levels in most infected individuals. Understanding the basic quantitative features of CD8$^+$ T-cell responses induced during the course of HIV infection may therefore inform us about the limits that HIV vaccines, which aim to induce protective CD8$^+$ T-cell responses, must exceed. Using previously published experimental data from a cohort of HIV-infected individuals with sampling times from acute to chronic infection we defined the quantitative properties of CD8$^+$ T-cell responses to the whole HIV proteome. In contrast with a commonly held view, we found that the relative number of HIV-specific CD8$^+$ T-cell responses (response breadth) changed little over the course of infection (first 400 days post-infection), with moderate but statistically significant changes occurring only during the first 35 symptomatic days. This challenges the idea that a change in the T-cell response breadth over time is responsible for the slow speed of viral escape from CD8$^+$ T cells in the chronic infection. The breadth of HIV-specific CD8$^+$ T-cell responses was not correlated with the average viral load for our small cohort of patients. Metrics of relative immunodominance of HIV-specific CD8$^+$ T-cell responses such as Shannon entropy or the Evenness index were also not significantly correlated with the average viral load. Our mathematical-model-driven analysis suggested extremely slow expansion kinetics for the majority of HIV-specific CD8$^+$ T-cell responses and the presence of intra- and interclonal competition between multiple CD8$^+$ T-cell responses; such competition may limit the magnitude of CD8$^+$ T-cell responses, specific to different epitopes, and the overall number of T-cell responses induced by vaccination. Further understanding of mechanisms underlying interactions between the virus and virus-specific CD8$^+$ T-cell response will be instrumental in determining which T-cell-based vaccines will induce T-cell responses providing durable protection against HIV infection.
Phenylbutyrate Ameliorates High-Fat Diet-Induced Obesity via Brown Adipose Tissue Activation
Authors: Min Byong-Keol , Kang Hyeon-Ji , Choi Byung-Jun , Jeon Yong Hyun , Cho Je-Yoel , Lee In-Kyu , Kim Dong Wook
Published: January 2019

Obesity, which is characterized by an excessive accumulation of body fat, is one of the critical factors causing metabolic syndrome. Many studies have been performed to identify appropriate agents to control obesity, but toxicity remains a problem. Herein, we identified that phenylbutyrate (PBA), which has been used to treat urea cycle disorder with very low toxicity for a long time, efficiently inhibited high fat-induced body weight gain in a diet-induced obesity mouse model (DIO model). PBA treatment decreased body fat mass and increased lean composition. Moreover, PBA increased brown adipose tissue (BAT) activity by increasing glucose uptake, thereby improving glucose tolerance and insulin tolerance. Interestingly, PBA could induce the expression of phosphofructokinase (PFKL), a key enzyme in the glycolytic pathway, and knocking down PFKL dramatically repressed the expression level of Ucp1 as well as those of Prdm16, Cidea, Pgc1α, and Pparγ, which are marker genes for BAT activation. These results strongly suggested that PBA could increase energy expenditure by increasing BAT activity via the induction of PFKL. Taken together, PBA could be used as a therapeutic agent for people with obesity to prevent the development of metabolic syndrome.
Development and Statistical Modeling of Dirt Resistive Latex Façade Paint
Authors: Ahmad Qureshi Sheraz , Shafeeq Amir , Ijaz Aamir , Moeen Butt Muhammad
Published: January 2019

A highly dirt resistant paint for building facades without chemicals harmful to nature and environment, is developed which resolves the unattractive disfigurement of building walls caused by dirt. The experimentation is scientifically and statistically planned with the aid of computer programming. It consists of a sequence of phases which include the selection of appropriate raw materials, adopting of Basic Language computer programming to generate a target population of paint formulations. The average PVC percentage is computed using theory and found to be 54.98% for the target population of 543143 paint formulations hence verifies the literature results. Experimentation and statistical analysis are performed to compare the classical conventional agitator with latest lab equipment like Nano mill and it is concluded that Nano mill performs better on the average than conventional agitator in preparation of paint formulations. Hence the sample of paint formulations is prepared on Nano mill and tested in laboratory using advanced available technology for the analysis and comparison of paint properties to determine the best paint formulation. The results are analyzed using Analysis Of Variance Technique (ANOVA) and it is concluded that the paint formulation named “O3” has the highest dirt resistance on the average. The final selected formula O3 is compared with three other competitor paints in market under natural environment for a period of almost one year. A regression model is also constructed to study the effect of environmental factors like time, temperature and humidity on dirt resistance of paints. It is found that O3 formulation is the best environment friendly which performs equally well with one competitor paint and has higher dirt resistance than two other competitor paint formulations containing harmful chemicals. The regression model of dirt resistance on variables including time, temperature and humidity shows that these factors are significantly affecting the dirt resistance of a given paint at 5% level of significance. 95.34% variation in the dirt resistance of a given paint is due to and explained by the given factors. The regression model is useful to predict the average dirt resistance of a given paint with a certain level of confidence. The project exemplifies the work of an applied research from conceptualization to successful commercialization for the paint industry.