bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Medikamentöse Tumortherapie des metastasierten nicht kastrationsresistenten Prostatakarzinoms
Authors: Florian Jentzmik , Christian Fischer
Published: December 2017

Über Jahrzehnte galt die Androgendeprivation (ADT) als alleiniger Standard beim fortgeschrittenen metastasierten hormonnaiven
Prostatakarzinom in der Erstlinientherapie. 2016 wurde die Therapie durch die Kombination der Androgendeprivation mit dem Chemotherapeutikum
Docetaxel revolutioniert. Durch diese Chemohormontherapie konnte eine signifikante Verlängerung des progressionsfreien Überlebens und des
Gesamtüberlebens erreichet werden.

Aktuell konnte in der STAMPEDE- und der LATITUDE-Studie ein signifikanter Zusatznutzen für eine Kombination von Abirateron plus Prednison
plus Androgendeprivation gezeigt werden. Sowohl das Gesamtüberleben, das progressionsfreie Überleben als auch die Zeit bis zum
radiologischen Progress konnten im Vergleich zur alleinigen Hormontherapie verbessert werden.

Der Überlebensvorteil der Kombinationstherapie von ADT + Abirateron/Prednison ist mit dem der Chemohormontherapie gleichwertig. Aktuell kann
nach einer Stellungnahme des Arbeitskreises Onkologie (AKO) und der Arbeitsgemeinschaft urologische Onkologie (AUO) Patienten mit einem
hormonsensitiven metastasierten Prostatakarzinom alternativ zur Chemotherapie mit Docetaxel die Kombination aus ADT und Abirateron/Prednison
angeboten werden.

Die Frage, ob Patienten mit metastasiertem nicht kastrationsresistenten Prostatakarzinom mehr von der Chemohormontherapie oder von der
Hormonkombinationstherapie mit Abirateron profitieren, kann zum aktuellen Zeitpunkt nicht abschließend geklärt werden. Aufgrund der besseren
Verträglichkeit kann die Kombinationstherapie ADT + Abirateron/Prednison jenen Patienten angeboten werden, die für eine Chemotherapie nicht
in Frage kommen. Ökonomisch zu berücksichtigen sind die beträchtlichen Mehrkosten durch höhere Kosten des Präparats und eine längere
Therapiedauer.
Vom Nutzen der Chirurgie und vom Nachteil der Narben
Authors: Von den Hoff Johannes , Ongkosuwito Edwin , Kuijpers-Jagtman Anne , Wagener Frank , Latif Abdul , Kuijpers Mette , Monroy PaolaL.
Published: December 2017

Die chirurgische Versorgung von Patienten mit Lippen-Kiefer-Gaumenspalte hat die Rekonstruktion der anatomischen Verhältnisse, der Funktionalität und der Ästhetik des Gesichts zum Ziel. Bei Kindern mit vollständiger Spalte sind mind. 3 chirurgische Eingriffe erforderlich: Schließen der Lippenspalte, Schließen des harten und des weichen Gaumens sowie Füllen der Spalte im Alveolarfortsatz mit Knochenmaterial. Bei Patienten mit geschlossenen Spalten kommt es zur Störung des maxillofazialen Wachstums in allen 3 Raumebenen, die mit zunehmendem Alter immer deutlicher in Erscheinung treten. Beim Verschluss der Spalte im weichen Gaumen ist die Rekonstruktion der Muskulatur der entscheidende Faktor. Die häufigste Störung nach einer Rekonstruktion des weichen Gaumens ist die velopharyngeale Dysfunktion. Man ist bisher davon ausgegangen, dass die iatrogenen Folgen eines chirurgischen Eingriffs im Gaumen von der Wundkontraktion verursacht werden. Die Bildung von Narbengewebe sowie die damit einhergehende Verbindung des Narbengewebes mit dem Gaumenknochen und den parodontalen Fasern sind jedoch wahrscheinlich die wichtigsten Faktoren. Sie behindern das Oberkieferwachstum und führen zur Kippung von durchbrechenden Zähnen nach palatinal. Die gestörte Muskelregeneration und die Fibrose im weichen Gaumen behindern die funktionelle Rekonstruktion des weichen Gaumens. Neuartige Therapieansätze auf Grundlage von Tissue Engineering könnten neue Perspektiven für die Behandlung von Spaltpatienten eröffnen. Mithilfe von Scaffolds, einer Art Gerüste, die Wachstumsfaktoren kontrolliert freisetzen, lässt sich möglicherweise die Narbenbildung und die Muskelregeneration nach der chirurgischen Korrektur des weichen Gaumens beeinflussen. Zur Entwicklung solcher funktionalisierter Gerüste ist jedoch weitere Forschung erforderlich.
Folsäure
Authors: Gröber Uwe
Published: December 2017

Folsäure erfüllt in seiner Wirkform Tetrahydrofolsäure essenzielle Funktionen in Zellwachstum und -teilung. Zur Verhinderung von Embryopathien durch Folsäuremangel in der Frühschwangerschaft wird die präkonzeptionelle Einnahme von Folsäure empfohlen. Im späteren Leben geht ein Mangel mit einer Risikoerhöhung für Demenz und kardiovaskuläre Komplikationen wie Schlaganfall einher. Diabetikern, Patienten mit kardiovaskulären Erkankungen und älteren Menschen sind Kontrollen des Homocysteinspiegels sowie ggf. Supplementierung von Folsäure und anderen B-Vitaminen anzuraten.
Editorial
Authors: Crismani Adriano
Published: December 2017

Sehr geehrte Kolleginnen und Kollegen,

es ist mir ein Vergnügen, Ihnen das 4. Heft 2017 der IOK präsentieren zu dürfen. Sie werden sicher einen oder sogar mehrere interessante Beiträge, von Autoren aus Deutschland, Österreich und Niederlande verfasst, finden. An dieser Stelle möchte ich mich aufrichtig bei den Verfassern für ihr Engagement und ihre Professionalität bedanken! Kurz zusammengefasst, werden in der vorliegenden Ausgabe unterschiedliche aktuelle Themen aus unserem Fach wie zum Beispiel Rezidiv und Stabilität nach transversaler Erweiterung, Erfolgskriterien für die skelettale Verankerung mit Minischrauben, neuartige Therapieansätze zur Behandlung von Spaltpatienten vorgestellt.
Patientenbeispiel: Schwere Hypomagnesiämie durch Venlafaxin
Authors: Gröber Uwe , Sprenger Jutta , Kisters Klaus
Published: December 2017

Die 50-jährige Patientin wurde aufgrund ihrer Depression mit Venlafaxin in hoher Dosierung behandelt. Die laborchemische Kontrolle ergab eine schwere Hypomagnesiämie. Nach der Supplementierung stabilisierte sich der Zustand der Patientin rasch.

Nach Recherchen der Autoren ist dies der erste internationale Fall, bei dem über eine Hypomagnesiämie unter Venlafaxin berichtet wird. Bisher sind bekannt eine Hyponatriämie und Hypokaliämie. Die Autoren empfehlen bei Venlafaxingabe die Kontrolle des Magnesiumstatus.
Amplitude modulation atomic force microscopy based on higher flexural modes
Authors: Zhou Xilong , Zhuo Rongshu , Wen Pengfei , Li Faxin
Published: December 2017

In this work, amplitude modulation atomic force microscopy (AM-AFM) based on the higher flexural modes of the microcantilever is investigated by a numerical approach. The amplitude-distance and phase-distance curves for the first four flexural modes are obtained and compared. The dependence of phase on elastic modulus and viscosity of the sample is analyzed. Results show that a higher flexural mode yields a larger amplitude and phase in the repulsive regime and reduces the bistability, but causes a larger sample deformation and peak repulsive force. Compared to that of a lower flexural mode, the phase of a higher flexural mode provides higher sensitivity to viscosity variation for relatively large moduli.
Illumination effects on the ferroelectric and photovoltaic properties of Pb0.95La0.05Zr0.54Ti0.46O3 thin film based asymmetric MFM structure
Authors: Batra V. , Kotru S.
Published: December 2017

We report the effects of illumination on the ferroelectric and photovoltaic properties of the Pb0.95La0.05Zr0.54Ti0.46O3 (PLZT) thin film based asymmetric metal/ferroelectric/metal capacitor structure, using Au as a top electrode and Pt as a bottom electrode. Conductive-AFM (atomic force microscopy) measurements demonstrate the evolution of charge carriers in PLZT films on illumination. The capacitance-voltage, the polarization-electric field, and the leakage current-voltage characteristics of the asymmetric Au/PLZT/Pt capacitor are discussed under dark and illuminated conditions. The light generates charge carriers in the film, which increase the coercive field and net remnant polarization and decrease the capacitance. The leakage current of the capacitor increases by an order of magnitude upon illumination. The leakage current data analyzed to study the conduction mechanism shows that the capacitor structure follows the Schottky emission “1/4” law. The illuminated current density-voltage curve of the capacitor shows non-zero photovoltaic parameters. An open circuit voltage (Voc) of −0.19 V and a short circuit current density (Jsc) of 1.48 μA/cm2 were obtained in an unpoled film. However, after positive poling, the illuminated curve shifts towards a higher voltage value resulting in a Voc of −0.93 V. After negative poling, the curve shows no change in the Voc value. For both poling directions, the Jsc values decrease. The photocurrent in the capacitor shows a linear variation with the incident illumination intensity.
Effect of substrate temperature on magnetic properties of MnFe2O4 thin films
Authors: Rajagiri Prabhu , Sahu B. N. , Venkataramani N. , Prasad Shiva , Krishnan R.
Published: December 2017

MnFe2O4 thin films were pulsed laser deposited on to quartz substrate from room temperature (RT) to 650 °C in a pure argon environment. Temperature dependence of spontaneous magnetization (4πMS) was measured on these films from 10 K to 350 K using a vibrating sample magnetometer. Ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) study was also carried out at 300 K. The exchange stiffness constant (D) values were obtained by fitting the 4πMS data to the Bloch’s equation. The D values of the films thus found decreases while the 4πMS value increases, though non-monotonically, with the increase in TS and tend to reach bulk values at TS = 650 °C. The variation in D and 4πMS values of the films are explained based on the degree of inversion and oxidation state of cations in thin films.
Diagnosis of Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Trichomonas vaginalis and Mycoplasma genitalium: an observational study of testing patterns, prevalence and co-infection rates in northern New Zealand
Authors: Upton Arlo , Bissessor Liselle , Lowe Peter , Wang Xiaoying , McAuliffe Gary
Published: December 2017

Background This study sought to determine community prevalence, epidemiology and testing patterns for sexually transmissible infections (STI) in northern New Zealand. Methods: A total of 2643 samples submitted for STI testing between 26 November 2015 and 7 December 2015 underwent analysis by Aptima Combo 2 (Hologic, San Diego, CA, USA), Trichomonas vaginalis (TV), and Mycoplasma genitalium (MG) assays. Results were analysed by patient demographics. Results: Four hundred and eleven pathogens were detected from 359 patients, with Chlamydia trachomatis (CT), Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG), TV, and MG detected in 178 (6.7%), 19 (0.7%), 80 (3%) and 134 (5.1%) samples respectively. With the exception of TV, STI prevalence was highest in people <25 years of age. Infection was more common in men for NG (odds ratio (OR) 5.05, P < 0.001) and CT (OR 2.72, P < 0.001). Māori and Pacific ethnicity were associated with increased risk of MG (OR 1.82, P = 0.006,) TV (OR 6.1, P < 0.001) and CT (OR 3.31, P < 0.001) infection, and TV and NG infections were more prevalent as social deprivation increased. A mismatch between testing rates and prevalence of infection was seen, with fewer tests performed for males (OR 0.2, P < 0.001) than females and no difference in testing of Māori and Pacific men (3064/100 000) compared with men of European background (3181/100 000, OR 0.96, P = 0.76), despite an increased risk of disease. Conclusions: There are disparately low testing rates for STIs in certain high-risk groups in northern New Zealand.
« La cena será en el restaurante La Rueda, que está en la calle San Miguel »
Authors: Azzopardi Sophie , Huyghe Richard
Published: December 2017

It is well known that the distribution of the Spanish verbs ser and estar, both equivalent of
be in English, depends upon the stage or individual level of the predicates. Ser and
estar are used to express respectively inherent or episodic properties. As a consequence, spatial location is
denoted by means of estar and not ser. There is an exception to this principle: event-denoting
nouns (ENs) combine only with ser in locative expressions. In this article, we further investigate the
construction of ser with ENs. By comparing the semantics of ENs with that of object-denoting nouns, we claim that
spatial location is treated as an inherent property of events because of the temporal features of ENs. Evidence for this
correlation can be found in the nonprototypical use of ENs as adverbials of place, and in the variations of spatial denotation
between ENs depending upon their variations of temporal denotation.
Final report of the SIM.QM-S8 supplementary comparison, trace metals in drinking water
Authors: Yang Lu , Nadeau Kenny , Pihillagawa Indu Gedara , Meija Juris , Mester Zoltan , Napoli Romina , Pérez Zambra Ramiro , Ferreira Elizabeth , Forigua Diego Alejandro Ahumada , Gamba Johanna Paola Abella
Published: December 2017

After completing a supplementary comparison SIM.QM-S7, the National Metrology Institute of Colombia (NMIC) requested to National Research Council of Canada (NRC) a subsequent bilateral comparison, because INMC considered that its results in SIM.QM-S7 unrepresentative of its standards. In this context, NRC agreed to coordinate this bilateral comparison with the aim of demonstrating the measurement capabilities of trace elements in fresh water. Participants included NMIC and LATU. No measurement method was prescribed by the coordinating laboratory. Therefore, NMIs used measurement methods of their choice. However, the majority of NMIs/DIs used ICP-MS.

This SIM.QM-S8 Supplementary Comparison provides NMIs with the needed evidence for CMC claims for trace elements in fresh waters and similar matrices.

Main text

To reach the main text of this paper, click on Final Report. Note that this text is that which appears in Appendix B of the BIPM key comparison database kcdb.bipm.org/.

The final report has been peer-reviewed and approved for publication by the CCQM, according to the provisions of the CIPM Mutual Recognition Arrangement (CIPM MRA).
eHistology image and annotation data from the Kaufman Atlas of Mouse Development
Authors: Baldock Richard A , Armit Chris
Published: December 2017

“The Atlas of Mouse Development” by Kaufman is a classic paper atlas that is the de facto standard for the definition of mouse embryo anatomy in the context of standard histological images. We have redigitized the original haematoxylin and eosin–stained tissue sections used for the book at high resolution and transferred the hand-drawn annotations to digital form. We have augmented the annotations with standard ontological assignments (EMAPA anatomy) and made the data freely available via an online viewer (eHistology) and from the University of Edinburgh DataShare archive. The dataset captures and preserves the definitive anatomical knowledge of the original atlas, provides a core image set for deeper community annotation and teaching, and delivers a unique high-quality set of high-resolution histological images through mammalian development for manual and automated analysis.
Prominence formation and ejection in cool stars
Authors: Villarreal D'Angelo Carolina , Jardine Moira , See Victor
Published: December 2017

The observational signatures of prominences have been detected in single and binary G and K type stars for many years now, but recently this has been extended to the M dwarf regime. Prominences carry away both mass and angular momentum when they are ejected and the impact of this mass on any orbiting planets may be important for the evolution of exoplanetary atmospheres. By means of the classification used in the massive star community, that involves knowledge of two parameters (the co-rotation and Alfvén radii, rK and rA), we have determined which cool stars could support prominences. From a model of mechanical support, we have determined that the prominence mass mp/M⋆ = (EM/EG)(r⋆/rK)2F where $E_MB_\star ^2r_\star ^3$ and $E_G = GM_\star ^2/r_\star$ are magnetic and gravitational energies and F is a geometric factor. Our calculated masses and ejection frequencies (typically 1016 − 1017 g and 0.4 d, respectively) are consistent with observations and are sufficient to ensure that an exoplanet orbiting in the habitable zone of an M dwarf could suffer frequent impacts.
Multiple CsrA Proteins Control Key Virulence Traits inPseudomonas syringaepv.tomatoDC3000
Authors: Ferreiro María-Dolores , Nogales Joaquina , Farias Gabriela A. , Olmedilla Adela , Sanjuán Juan , Gallegos María Trinidad
Published: December 2017

The phytopathogenic bacterium Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 has a complex Gac-rsm global regulatory pathway that controls virulence, motility, production of secondary metabolites, carbon metabolism, and quorum sensing. However, despite the fact that components of this pathway are known, their physiological roles have not yet been established. Regarding the CsrA/RsmA type proteins, five paralogs, three of which are well conserved within the Pseudomonas genus (csrA1, csrA2, and csrA3), have been found in the DC3000 genome. To decipher their function, mutants lacking the three most conserved CsrA proteins have been constructed and their physiological outcomes examined. We show that they exert nonredundant functions and demonstrate that CsrA3 and, to a lesser extent, CsrA2 but not CsrA1 alter the expression of genes involved in a variety of pathways and systems important for motility, exopolysaccharide synthesis, growth, and virulence. Particularly, alginate synthesis, syringafactin production, and virulence are considerably de-repressed in a csrA3 mutant, whereas growth in planta is impaired. We propose that the linkage of growth and symptom development is under the control of CsrA3, which functions as a pivotal regulator of the DC3000 life cycle, repressing virulence traits and promoting cell division in response to environmental cues.
Pediatric In-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Secondary to Acute Pulmonary Embolism
Authors: Morgan Ryan W. , Stinson Hannah R. , Wolfe Heather , Lindell Robert B. , Topjian Alexis A. , Nadkarni Vinay M. , Sutton Robert M. , Berg Robert A. , Kilbaugh Todd J.
Published: December 2017

Objectives:

Pulmonary embolism is a rarely reported and potentially treatable cause of cardiac arrest in children and adolescents. The objective of this case series is to describe the course of five adolescent patients with in-hospital cardiac arrest secondary to pulmonary embolism.

Design:

Case series.

Setting:

Single, large academic children’s hospital.

Patients:

All patients under the age of 18 years (n = 5) who experienced an in-hospital cardiac arrest due to apparent pulmonary embolism from August 1, 2013, to July 31, 2017.

Interventions:

All five patients received systemic thrombolytic therapy (IV tissue plasminogen activator) during cardiac arrest or periarrest during ongoing resuscitation efforts.

Measurements and Main Results:

Five adolescent patients, 15–17 years old, were treated for pulmonary embolism–related cardiac arrests during the study period. These accounted for 6.3% of all children and 25% of adolescents (12–17 yr old) receiving at least 5 minutes of in-hospital cardiopulmonary resuscitation during the study period. All five had venous thromboembolism risk factors. Two patients had known, extensive venous thrombi at the time of cardiac arrest, and one was undergoing angiography at the time of arrest. The diagnoses of pulmonary embolism were based on clinical suspicion, bedside echocardiography (n = 4), and low end-tidal Co
2 levels relative to arterial Co
2 values (n = 5). IV tissue plasminogen activator was administered during cardiopulmonary resuscitation in three patients and after the return of spontaneous circulation, in the setting of severe hemodynamic instability, in the other two patients. Four of five patients were successfully resuscitated and survived to hospital discharge.

Conclusions:

Pulmonary embolism was recognized as the etiology of multiple adolescent cardiac arrests in this single-center series and may be more common than previously reported. Recognition, high-quality cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and treatment with thrombolytic therapy resulted in survival in four of five patients.
The Cumulative Partial Pressure of Arterial Oxygen Is Associated With Neurological Outcomes After Cardiac Arrest Treated With Targeted Temperature Management
Authors: Youn Chun Song , Park Kyu Nam , Kim Soo Hyun , Lee Byung Kook , Oh Sang Hoon , Jeung Kyung Woon , Choi Seung Pill
Published: December 2017

Objective:

Hyperoxia could lead to a worse outcome after cardiac arrest. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the cumulative partial pressure of arterial oxygen (Pao
2) and neurological outcomes after cardiac arrest treated with targeted temperature management.

Design:

Retrospective analysis of a prospective cohort.

Setting:

An academic tertiary care hospital.

Patients:

A total of 187 consecutive patients treated with targeted temperature management after cardiac arrest.

Interventions:

None.

Measurements and Main Results:

The area under the curve of Pao
2 for different cutoff values of hyperoxia (≥ 100, ≥ 150, ≥ 200, ≥ 250, and ≥ 300 mm Hg) with different time intervals (0–24, 0–6, and 6–24 hr after return of spontaneous circulation) was calculated for each patient using the trapezoidal method. The primary outcome was the neurologic outcome, as defined by the cerebral performance category, at 6 months after cardiac arrest. Of 187 subjects, 77 (41%) had a good neurologic outcome at 6 months after cardiac arrest. The median age was 54 (43–69) years, and 128 (68%) were male. The area under the curve of Pao
2 with cutoff values of greater than or equal to 200, greater than or equal to 250, and greater than or equal to 300 was higher in the poor outcome group at 0–6 and 0–24 hours. The adjusted odds ratios of area under the curve of Pao
2 greater than or equal to 200 mm Hg were 1.659 (95% CI, 1.194–2.305) for 0–24 hours after return of spontaneous circulation and 1.548 (95% CI, 1.086–2.208) for 0–6 hours after return of spontaneous circulation. With a higher cumulative exposure to oxygen tension, we found significant increasing trends in the adjusted odds ratio for poor neurologic outcomes.

Conclusion:

In a new method for Pao
2 analysis, cumulative exposure to hyperoxia was associated with neurologic outcomes in a dose-dependent manner. Greater attention to oxygen supply during the first 6 hours appears to be important for outcome after cardiac arrest.
Angiogenesis revisited from a metabolic perspective: role and therapeutic implications of endothelial cell metabolism
Authors: Draoui Nihed , de Zeeuw Pauline , Carmeliet Peter
Published: December 2017

Endothelial cell (EC) metabolism has lately emerged as a novel and promising therapeutic target to block vascular dysregulation associated with diseases like cancer and blinding eye disease. Glycolysis, fatty acid oxidation (FAO) and, more recently, glutamine/asparagine metabolism emerged as key regulators of EC metabolism, able to impact angiogenesis in health and disease. ECs are highly glycolytic as they require ATP and biomass for vessel sprouting. Notably, a regulator of the glycolytic pathway, 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase 3, controls vessel sprouting during the angiogenic switch and its inhibition in tumour ECs leads to vessel normalization, thereby reducing metastasis and ameliorating chemotherapy. Moreover, FAO promotes EC proliferation through DNA synthesis, and plays an essential role in lymphangiogenesis via epigenetic regulation of histone acetylation. Pathological angiogenesis was decreased upon blockade of carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1, a regulator of FAO in ECs. More recently, metabolism of glutamine, in conjunction with asparagine, was reported to maintain EC sprouting through TCA anaplerosis, redox homeostasis, mTOR activation and endoplasmic stress control. Inactivation or blockade of glutaminase 1, which hydrolyses glutamine into ammonia and glutamate, impairs angiogenesis in health and disease, while silencing of asparagine synthetase reduces vessel sprouting
in vitro
. In this review, we summarize recent insights into EC metabolism and discuss therapeutic implications of targeting EC metabolism.
Radical framing effects in the ultimatum game: the impact of explicit culturally transmitted frames on economic decision-making
Authors: Lightner Aaron D. , Barclay Pat , Hagen Edward H.
Published: December 2017

Many studies have documented framing effects in economic games. These studies, however, have tended to use minimal framing cues (e.g. a single sentence labelling the frame), and the frames did not involve unambiguous offer expectations. Results often did not differ substantially from those in the unframed games. Here we test the hypothesis that, in contrast to the modal offer in the unframed ultimatum game (UG) (e.g. 60% to the proposer and 40% to the responder), offers in a UG explicitly framed either as a currency exchange or a windfall will closely conform to expectations for the frame and diverge substantially from the modal offer. Participants recruited from MTurk were randomized into one of two conditions. In the control condition, participants played a standard UG. In the treatment conditions, players were provided a vignette explicitly describing the frame with their roles: some were customers and bankers in a currency exchange, and others were in a windfall scenario. We predicted (i) that modal offers in the currency exchange would involve an asymmetric split where greater than 80% went to customers and less than 20% went to bankers, and (ii) that variation in windfall offers would converge onto a 50–50 split with significantly less variation than the control condition. Our first prediction was confirmed with substantial effect sizes (d = 1.09 andd = −2.04), whereas we found no evidence for our second prediction. The first result provides further evidence that it is difficult to draw firm conclusions about economic decision-making from decontextualized games.
Synthesis of hydrophilic and hydrophobic carbon quantum dots from waste of wine fermentation
Authors: Varisco Massimo , Zufferey Denis , Ruggi Albert , Zhang Yucheng , Erni Rolf , Mamula Olimpia
Published: December 2017

Wine lees are one of the main residues formed in vast quantities during the fermentation of wine. While toxic when applied to plants and wetlands, it is a biodegradable material, and several alternatives have been proposed for its valorization as: dietary supplement in animal feed, source for various yeast extracts and bioconversion feedstock. The implementation of stricter environment protection regulations resulted in increasing costs for wineries as their treatment process constitutes an unavoidable and expensive step in wine production. We propose here an alternative method to reduce waste and add value to wine production by exploiting this rich carbon source and use it as a raw material for producing carbon quantum dots (CQDs). A complete synthetic pathway is discussed, comprising the carbonization of the starting material, the screening of the most suitable solvent for the extraction of CQDs from the carbonized mass and their hydrophobic or hydrophilic functionalization. CQDs synthesized with the reported procedure show a bright blue emission (
λ
max
 = 433 ± 13 nm) when irradiated at 366 nm, which is strongly shifted when the wavelength is increased (e.g. emission at around 515 nm when excited at 460 nm). Yields and luminescent properties of CQDs, obtained with two different methods, namely microwave and ultrasound-based extraction, are discussed and compared. This study shows how easy a residue can be converted into an added-value material, thus not only reducing waste and saving costs for the wine-manufacturing industry but also providing a reliable, affordable and sustainable source for valuable materials.
Investigation on an ammonia supply system for flue gas denitrification of low-speed marine diesel
Authors: Huang Xiankun , Yuan Han , Zhao Jian , Mei Ning
Published: December 2017

Low-speed marine diesel flue gas denitrification is in great demand in the ship transport industry. This research proposes an ammonia supply system which can be used for flue gas denitrification of low-speed marine diesel. In this proposed ammonia supply system, ammonium bicarbonate is selected as the ammonia carrier to produce ammonia and carbon dioxide by thermal decomposition. The diesel engine exhaust heat is used as the heating source for ammonium bicarbonate decomposition and ammonia gas desorption. As the ammonium bicarbonate decomposition is critical to the proper operation of this system, effects have been observed to reveal the performance of the thermal decomposition chamber in this paper. A visualization experiment for determination of the single-tube heat transfer coefficient and simulation of flow and heat transfer in two structures is conducted; the decomposition of ammonium bicarbonate is simulated by ASPEN PLUS. The results show that the single-tube heat transfer coefficient is 1052 W m
2
 °C
−1
; the thermal decomposition chamber fork-type structure gets a higher heat transfer compared with the row-type. With regard to the simulation of ammonium bicarbonate thermal decomposition, the ammonia production is significantly affected by the reaction temperature and the mass flow rate of the ammonium bicarbonate input.
Infections on the move: how transient phases of host movement influence disease spread
Authors: Daversa D. R. , Fenton A. , Dell A. I. , Garner T. W. J. , Manica A.
Published: December 2017

Animal movement impacts the spread of human and wildlife diseases, and there is significant interest in understanding the role of migrations, biological invasions and other wildlife movements in spatial infection dynamics. However, the influence of processes acting on infections during transient phases of host movement is poorly understood. We propose a conceptual framework that explicitly considers infection dynamics during transient phases of host movement to better predict infection spread through spatial host networks. Accounting for host transient movement captures key processes that occur while hosts move between locations, which together determine the rate at which hosts spread infections through networks. We review theoretical and empirical studies of host movement and infection spread, highlighting the multiple factors that impact the infection status of hosts. We then outline characteristics of hosts, parasites and the environment that influence these dynamics. Recent technological advances provide disease ecologists unprecedented ability to track the fine-scale movement of organisms. These, in conjunction with experimental testing of the factors driving infection dynamics during host movement, can inform models of infection spread based on constituent biological processes.
Sex and genotype effects on nutrient-dependent fitness landscapes in
Drosophila melanogaster
Authors: Camus M. Florencia , Fowler Kevin , Piper Matthew W. D. , Reuter Max
Published: December 2017

The sexes perform different reproductive roles and have evolved sometimes strikingly different phenotypes. One focal point of adaptive divergence occurs in the context of diet and metabolism, and males and females of a range of species have been shown to require different nutrients to maximize their fitness. Biochemical analyses in
Drosophila melanogaster
have confirmed that dimorphism in dietary requirements is associated with molecular sex differences in metabolite titres. In addition, they also showed significant within-sex genetic variation in the metabolome. To date however, it is unknown whether this metabolic variation translates into differences in reproductive fitness. The answer to this question is crucial to establish whether genetic variation is selectively neutral or indicative of constraints on sex-specific physiological adaptation and optimization. Here we assay genetic variation in consumption and metabolic fitness effects by screening male and female fitness of thirty
D. melanogaster
genotypes across four protein-to-carbohydrate ratios. In addition to confirming sexual dimorphism in consumption and fitness, we find significant genetic variation in male and female dietary requirements. Importantly, these differences are not explained by feeding responses and probably reflect metabolic variation that, in turn, suggests the presence of genetic constraints on metabolic dimorphism.
A phylogenomic framework and timescale for comparative studies of tunicates
Authors: Delsuc Frédéric , Philippe Hervé , Tsagkogeorga Georgia , Simion Paul , Tilak Marie-Ka , Turon Xavier , López-Legentil Susanna , Piette Jacques , Lemaire Patrick , Douzery Emmanuel J. P.
Published: December 2017

Background

Tunicates are the closest relatives of vertebrates and are widely used as models to study the evolutionary developmental biology of chordates. Their phylogeny, however, remains poorly understood and to date, only the 18S rRNA nuclear gene and mitogenomes have been used to delineate the major groups of tunicates. To resolve their evolutionary relationships and provide a first estimate of their divergence times, we used a transcriptomic approach to build a phylogenomic dataset including all major tunicate lineages, consisting of 258 evolutionarily conserved orthologous genes from representative species.

Results

Phylogenetic analyses using site-heterogeneous CAT mixture models of amino acid sequence evolution resulted in a strongly supported tree topology resolving the relationships among four major tunicate clades: 1) Appendicularia, 2) Thaliacea + Phlebobranchia + Aplousobranchia, 3) Molgulidae, and 4) Styelidae + Pyuridae. Notably, the morphologically derived Thaliacea are confirmed as the sister-group of the clade uniting Phlebobranchia + Aplousobranchia within which the precise position of the model ascidian genusCionaremains uncertain. Relaxed molecular clock analyses accommodating the accelerated evolutionary rate of tunicates reveal ancient diversification (~450-350 million years ago) among the major groups and allow comparing their evolutionary age with respect to the major vertebrate model lineages.

Conclusions

Our study represents the most comprehensive phylogenomic dataset for the main tunicate lineages. It offers a reference phylogenetic framework and first tentative timescale for tunicates, allowing the direct comparison with vertebrate model species in comparative genomics and evolutionary developmental biology studies.
Phylogenomics offers resolution of major tunicate relationships
Authors: Kocot Kevin M. , Tassia Michael G. , Halanych Kenneth M. , Swalla Billie J.
Published: December 2017

Tunicata, a diverse clade of approximately 3,000 described species of marine, filter-feeding chordates, is of great interest to researchers because tunicates are the closest living relatives of vertebrates and they facilitate comparative studies of our own biology. The group also includes numerous invasive species that cause considerable economic damage and some species of tunicates are edible. Despite their diversity and importance, relationships among major lineages of Tunicata are not completely resolved. Here, we supplemented public data with transcriptomes from seven species spanning the diversity of Tunicata and conducted phylogenomic analyses on data sets of up to 798 genes. Sensitivity analyses were employed to examine the influences of reducing compositional heterogeneity and branch-length heterogeneity. All analyses maximally supported a monophyletic Tunicata within Olfactores (Vertebrata + Tunicata). Within Tunicata, all analyses recovered Appendicularia sister to the rest of Tunicata and confirmed (with maximal support) that Thaliacea is nested within Ascidiacea. Stolidobranchia is the sister taxon to all other tunicates except Appendicularia. In most analyses, phlebobranch tunicates were recovered paraphyletic with respect to Aplousobranchia. Support for this topology varied but was strong in some cases. However, when only the 50 best genes based on compositional heterogeneity were analysed, we recovered Phlebobranchia and Aplousobranchia reciprocally monophyletic with strong support, consistent with most traditional morphology-based hypotheses. Examination of internode certainty also cast doubt on results of phlebobranch paraphyly, which may be due to limited taxon sampling. Taken together, these results provide a higher-level phylogenetic framework for our closest living invertebrate relatives.
Assembly sequence planning for motion planning
Authors: Wan Weiwei , Harada Kensuke , Nagata Kazuyuki
Published: December 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to develop a planner for finding an optimal assembly sequence for robots to assemble objects. Each manipulated object in the optimal sequence is stable during assembly. They are easy to grasp and robust to motion uncertainty.

Design/methodology/approach

The input to the planner is the mesh models of the objects, the relative poses between the objects in the assembly and the final pose of the assembly. The output is an optimal assembly sequence, namely, in which order should one assemble the objects, from which directions should the objects be dropped and candidate grasps of each object. The proposed planner finds the optimal solution by automatically permuting, evaluating and searching the possible assembly sequences considering stability, graspability and assemblability qualities.

Findings

The proposed planner could plan an optimal sequence to guide robots to do assembly using translational motion. The sequence provides initial and goal configurations to motion planning algorithms and is ready to be used by robots. The usefulness of the proposed method is verified by both simulation and real-world executions.

Originality/value

The paper proposes an assembly planner which can find an optimal assembly sequence automatically without teaching of the assembly orders and directions by skilled human technicians. The planner is highly expected to improve teachingless robotic manufacturing.
Cross-cultural communication imperatives
Authors: Abugre James Baba
Published: December 2017

Purpose

Given the rising expansion of Western multinational companies (MNCs) to the African contexts, the development of expatriates and local employees has become increasingly important to the human resource management of these MNCs. This paper aims to provide critical lessons on cross-cultural communication competences for Western expatriates working in the sub-Saharan Africa business environment.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is a qualitative phenomenology that makes use of lived experiences of senior expatriate staff working in Ghana in the form of direct interviews.

Findings

Results showed that cross-cultural communication competence is very important for Western expatriates’ functioning in sub-Saharan Africa. The findings also established a plethora of cross-cultural communication skills that are essential for Western expatriates’ successful adaptation and work outcomes in Africa.

Practical implications

This research argues that there is the need for the appreciations of the differing cultural patterns of expatriates and local staff, and this provides the underlying assumptions of intercultural and cross-cultural communication in global business.

Originality/value

A critical perspective of international business that has scarcely been studied offers lessons for Western expatriates working in sub-Saharan Africa.
The impacts of final delivery solutions on e-shopping usage behaviour
Authors: Xiao Zuopeng , Wang James J. , Liu Qian
Published: December 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of final delivery solutions on e-shopping usage behaviour by modelling their interaction across residents living in different neighourhoods with availabilities of different facilities, including automated parcel stations (APSs), collection and delivery points (CDPs), and the direct-to-home delivery stations of parcel express firms (PEFs).

Design/methodology/approach

The study is based on a survey on e-shopping behaviour and delivery awareness. A mixed structural equation model is used to predict the interactions among availability of final delivery facilities (AFDF), level of satisfaction with delivery services and e-shopping usage after controlling individual socioeconomic attributes and retail environment.

Findings

Compared with AFDF, individual socioeconomic attributes are the most influential factors contributing to e-shopping spending and frequency. Improving AFDF has only a slight effect on e-shopping spending, while a larger impact on e-shopping frequency and perceived satisfaction to delivery services is observed. The quantity of PEF delivery stations has a relatively large influence on e-shopping usage but the effects of APSs and CDPs are not as strong as expected.

Research limitations/implications

The causality between final delivery solutions and e-shopping behaviour can be further tested by using social experiments or longitudinal data.

Practical implications

All findings will help business and public policy decision makers to derive a balanced and effective deployment of final delivery solutions, which is also referential for other emerging markets similar to China.

Originality/value

This study theoretically contributes to the international literature by examining the heterogeneous effects of final delivery solutions on different aspects of e-shopping engagement.
Student responses to an animated character in information literacy instruction
Authors: Poggiali Jennifer
Published: December 2017

Purpose

This paper reports on a grant-funded project to create a hand-drawn, custom-made animated character named Jasmyn. Drawing on animation theory, the purpose of this paper is to use qualitative research to investigate student responses to the medium of animation, the character’s design, and three presentation strategies.

Design/methodology/approach

The researchers held three student focus groups to investigate the following research questions: Will students endorse animation as a medium for library instructional videos on the grounds of its entertaining, subversive, or playful qualities? Is Jasmyn designed and written in a way that engages students and compels them to respond to her as a character? How will students respond to three presentation strategies: a lecture-style video, a video with supplemental animations, and a real-time, interactive lesson?

Findings

The researchers found that students expressed broad enthusiasm for animation as a medium, though responses to Jasmyn’s personality were mixed. The only presentation strategy that prompted unique responses was the interactive session, although all three focus groups provided revealing commentary about online learning. Students also identified aspects of the animation and character that could be improved, and reflected on ways Jasmyn might be integrated into online learning.

Research limitations/implications

This study, performed as part of a pilot project, was deliberately small in scale. Clearer implications would emerge from repetition with a larger group of students.

Originality/value

Jasmyn may be the only hand-drawn, custom-made animated character created for library instruction. No research studies on the use of animation in libraries have been published to date.
Evaluation of consistency in quantification of gene copy number by real‐time reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction and virus titer by plaque‐forming assay for human respiratory syncytial virus
Authors: Yamamoto Keisuke , Ogasawara Noriko , Yamamoto Soh , Takano Kenichi , Shiraishi Tsukasa , Sato Toyotaka , Tsutsumi Hiroyuki , Himi Tetsuo , Yokota Shin‐ichi
Published: December 2017

The plaque‐forming assay is the standard technique for determining viral titer, and a critical measurement for investigating viral replication. However, this assay is highly dependent on experimental technique and conditions. In the case of human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in particular, it can be difficult to objectively confirm the accuracy of plaque‐forming assay because the plaques made by RSV are often small and unclear. In recent studies, RT‐qPCR methods have emerged as a supportive procedure for assessment of viral titer, yielding highly sensitive and reproducible results. In this report, we compare the viral replication, as determined by plaque‐forming assay, and the copy numbers of RSV genes NS1, NS2, N, and F, as determined by RT‐qPCR. Two real‐time PCR systems, SYBR Green and TaqMan probe, gave highly similar results for measurement of copy numbers of RSV N genes of virus subgroups A. We determined the RSV gene copy numbers in the culture cell supernatant and cell lysate measured at various multiplicities of infection. We found that copy number of the RSV N gene in the culture supernatant and cell lysate was highly correlated with plaque‐forming units. In conclusion, RT‐qPCR measurement of RSV gene copy number was highly dependent on viral titer, and the detailed comparison between each gene copy number and virus titer should be useful and supportive in confirming RSV plaque‐forming assay and virus dynamics. The technique may also be used to estimate the amount of RSV present in clinical specimens.
Multivalency effects of hemagglutinin component of type B botulinum neurotoxin complex on epithelial barrier disruption
Authors: Amatsu Sho , Matsumura Takuhiro , Yutani Masahiro , Fujinaga Yukako
Published: December 2017

Hemagglutinin (HA) is one of the components of botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) complexes and it promotes the absorption of BoNT through the intestinal epithelium by at least two specific mechanisms: cell surface attachment by carbohydrate binding, and epithelial barrier disruption by E‐cadherin binding. It is known that HA forms a three‐arm structure, in which each of three protomers has three carbohydrate‐binding sites and one E‐cadherin‐binding site. A three‐arm form of HA is considered to bind to these ligands simultaneously. In the present study, we investigated how the multivalency effect of HA influences its barrier‐disrupting activity. We prepared type B full‐length HA (three‐arm form) and mini‐HA, which is a deletion mutant lacking the trimer‐forming domain. Size‐exclusion chromatography analysis showed that mini‐HA exists as dimers (two‐arm form) and monomers (one‐arm form), which are then separated. We examined the multivalency effect of HA on the barrier‐disrupting activity, the E‐cadherin‐binding activity, and the attachment activity to the basolateral cell surface. Our results showed that HA initially attaches to the basal surface of Caco‐2 cells by carbohydrate binding and then moves to the lateral cell surface, where the HA acts to disrupt the epithelial barrier. Our results showed that the multivalency effect of HA enhances the barrier‐disrupting activity in Caco‐2 cells. We found that basal cell surface attachment and binding ability to immobilized E‐cadherin were enhanced by the multivalency effect of HA. These results suggest that at least these two factors induced by the multivalency effect of HA cause the enhancement of the barrier‐disrupting activity.