bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Divergence of annual and perennial species in the Brassicaceae and the contribution of cis‐acting variation at FLC orthologues
Authors: Kiefer C. , Severing E. , Karl R. , Bergonzi S. , Koch M. , Tresch A. , Coupland G.
Published: March 2017

Variation in life history contributes to reproductive success in different environments. Divergence of annual and perennial angiosperm species is an extreme example that has occurred frequently. Perennials survive for several years and restrict the duration of reproduction by cycling between vegetative growth and flowering, whereas annuals live for 1 year and flower once. We used the tribe Arabideae (Brassicaceae) to study the divergence of seasonal flowering behaviour among annual and perennial species. In perennial Brassicaceae, orthologues of FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC), a floral inhibitor in Arabidopsis thaliana, are repressed by winter cold and reactivated in spring conferring seasonal flowering patterns, whereas in annuals, they are stably repressed by cold. We isolated FLC orthologues from three annual and two perennial Arabis species and found that the duplicated structure of the A. alpina locus is not required for perenniality. The expression patterns of the genes differed between annuals and perennials, as observed among Arabidopsis species, suggesting a broad relevance of these patterns within the Brassicaceae. Also analysis of plants derived from an interspecies cross of A. alpina and annual A. montbretiana demonstrated that cis‐regulatory changes in FLC orthologues contribute to their different transcriptional patterns. Sequence comparisons of FLC orthologues from annuals and perennials in the tribes Arabideae and Camelineae identified two regulatory regions in the first intron whose sequence variation correlates with divergence of the annual and perennial expression patterns. Thus, we propose that related cis‐acting changes in FLC orthologues occur independently in different tribes of the Brassicaceae during life history evolution.
SAMP8 mice as a neuropathological model of accelerated brain aging and dementia: Toshio Takeda's legacy and future directions
Authors: Akiguchi Ichiro , Pallàs Mercè , Budka Herbert , Akiyama Haruhiko , Ueno Masaki , Han Jingxian , Yagi Hideo , Nishikawa Tomohumi , Chiba Yoichi , Sugiyama Hiroshi , Takahashi Ryoya , Unno Keiko , Higuchi Keiichi , Hosokawa Masanori
Published: March 2017

Senescence accelerated mice P8 (SAMP8) show significant age‐related deteriorations in memory and learning ability in accordance with early onset and rapid advancement of senescence. Brains of SAMP8 mice reveal an age‐associated increase of PAS‐positive granular structures in the hippocampal formation and astrogliosis in the brain stem and hippocampus. A spongy degeneration in the brain stem appears at 1 month of age and reaches a maximum at 4‐8 months. In addition, clusters of activated microglia also appear around the vacuoles in the brain stem. β/A4(Aβ) protein‐like immunoreactive granular structures are observed in various regions and increase in number markedly with age. Other age‐associated histological changes include cortical atrophy, neuronal cell loss in locus coeruleus and lateral tegmental nuclei, intraneuronal accumulation of lipopigments in Purkinje cells and eosinophilic inclusion bodies in thalamic neurons. A blood–brain barrier dysfunction and astrogliosis are also prominent with advancing age in the hippocampus. These changes are generally similar to the pathomorphology of aging human brains and characterized by their association with some specific glioneuronal reactions. As for the hallmarks of Alzheimer brains, tau morphology has not yet been confirmed regardless of the age‐related increase in phosphorylated tau in SAMP8 mice brains, but early age‐related Aβ deposition in the hippocampus has recently been published. SAMP8 mice are, therefore, not only a senescence‐accelerated model but also a promising model for Alzheimer's disease and other cognitive disorders.
Alterations in the small intestinal wall and motor function after repeated cisplatin in rat
Authors: Uranga J. A. , García‐Martínez J. M. , García‐Jiménez C. , Vera G. , Martín‐Fontelles M. I. , Abalo R.
Published: March 2017

Background

Gastrointestinal adverse effects occurring during cancer chemotherapy are well known and feared; those persisting once treatment has finished are relatively unknown. We characterized the alterations occurring in the rat small intestine, after repeated treatment with cisplatin.

Methods

Male Wistar rats received saline or cisplatin (2 mg kg−1 week−1, for 5 weeks, ip). Gastric motor function was studied non‐invasively throughout treatment (W1‐W5) and 1 week after treatment finalization (W6). During W6, upper gastrointestinal motility was also invasively studied and small intestinal samples were collected for histopathological and molecular studies. Structural alterations in the small intestinal wall, mucosa, submucosa, muscle layers, and lymphocytic nodules were histologically studied. Periodic acid‐Schiff staining and immunohistochemistry for Ki‐67, chromogranin A, and neuronal‐specific enolase were used to detect secretory, proliferating, endocrine and neural cells, respectively. The expression of different markers in the tunica muscularis was analyzed by RT/qPCR.

Key Results

Repeated cisplatin induced motility alterations during and after treatment. After treatment (W6), the small intestinal wall showed histopathological alterations in most parameters measured, including a reduction in the thickness of circular and longitudinal muscle layers. Expression of c‐KIT (for interstitial cells of Cajal), nNOS (for inhibitory motor neurons), pChAT, and cChAT (for excitatory motor neurons) increased significantly (although both ChATs to a lesser extent).

Conclusions & Inferences

Repeated cisplatin induces relatively long‐lasting gut dysmotility in rat associated with important histopathological and molecular alterations in the small intestinal wall. In cancer survivors, the possible chemotherapy‐induced histopathological, molecular, and functional intestinal sequelae should be evaluated.
Nutrient acquisition, soil phosphorus partitioning and competition among trees in a lowland tropical rain forest
Authors: Nasto Megan K. , Osborne Brooke B. , Lekberg Ylva , Asner Gregory P. , Balzotti Christopher S. , Porder Stephen , Taylor Philip G. , Townsend Alan R. , Cleveland Cory C.
Published: March 2017

We hypothesized that dinitrogen (N2)‐ and non‐N2‐fixing tropical trees would have distinct phosphorus (P) acquisition strategies allowing them to exploit different P sources, reducing competition.

We measured root phosphatase activity and arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) colonization among two N2‐ and two non‐N2‐fixing seedlings, and grew them alone and in competition with different inorganic and organic P forms to assess potential P partitioning.

We found an inverse relationship between root phosphatase activity and AM colonization in field‐collected seedlings, indicative of a trade‐off in P acquisition strategies. This correlated with the predominantly exploited P sources in the seedling experiment: the N2 fixer with high N2 fixation and root phosphatase activity grew best on organic P, whereas the poor N2 fixer and the two non‐N2 fixers with high AM colonization grew best on inorganic P. When grown in competition, however, AM colonization, root phosphatase activity and N2 fixation increased in the N2 fixers, allowing them to outcompete the non‐N2 fixers regardless of P source.

Our results indicate that some tropical trees have the capacity to partition soil P, but this does not eliminate interspecific competition. Rather, enhanced P and N acquisition strategies may increase the competitive ability of N2 fixers relative to non‐N2 fixers.
Strigolactone biosynthesis is evolutionarily conserved, regulated by phosphate starvation and contributes to resistance against phytopathogenic fungi in a moss, Physcomitrella patens
Authors: Decker Eva L. , Alder Adrian , Hunn Stefan , Ferguson Jenny , Lehtonen Mikko T. , Scheler Bjoern , Kerres Klaus L. , Wiedemann Gertrud , Safavi‐Rizi Vajiheh , Nordzieke Steffen , Balakrishna Aparna , Baz Lina , Avalos Javier , Valkonen Jari P. T. , Reski Ralf , Al‐Babili Salim
Published: March 2017

In seed plants, strigolactones (SLs) regulate architecture and induce mycorrhizal symbiosis in response to environmental cues. SLs are formed by combined activity of the carotenoid cleavage dioxygenases (CCDs) 7 and 8 from 9‐cis‐β‐carotene, leading to carlactone that is converted by cytochromes P450 (clade 711; MAX1 in Arabidopsis) into various SLs. As Physcomitrella patens possesses CCD7 and CCD8 homologs but lacks MAX1, we investigated if PpCCD7 together with PpCCD8 form carlactone and how deletion of these enzymes influences growth and interactions with the environment.

We investigated the enzymatic activity of PpCCD7 and PpCCD8 in vitro, identified the formed products by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and LC‐MS, and generated and analysed ΔCCD7 and ΔCCD8 mutants.

We defined enzymatic activity of PpCCD7 as a stereospecific 9‐cis‐CCD and PpCCD8 as a carlactone synthase. ΔCCD7 and ΔCCD8 lines showed enhanced caulonema growth, which was revertible by adding the SL analogue GR24 or carlactone. Wild‐type (WT) exudates induced seed germination in Orobanche ramosa. This activity was increased upon phosphate starvation and abolished in exudates of both mutants. Furthermore, both mutants showed increased susceptibility to phytopathogenic fungi.

Our study reveals the deep evolutionary conservation of SL biosynthesis, SL function, and its regulation by biotic and abiotic cues.
The effect of length, duration, and intensity of psychological therapy on CORE global distress scores
Authors: Evans Lauren Jayne , Beck Alison , Burdett Mark
Published: March 2017

Objectives

This study explores whether improvements, as measured by the CORE‐OM/10, as a result of psychological therapy were related to length of treatment in weeks, number of treatment sessions, or treatment intensity, as well as any effect of diagnostic group.

Methods and Design

Pre‐ and post‐therapy CORE‐OM/10 scores were extracted from the clinical records of all secondary care adult psychological therapy team patients who undertook psychological therapy between 2010 and 2013 in one mental health trust. Of the 4,877 patients identified, 925 had complete records. Length of therapy was divided by the number of sessions to create ‘treatment intensity’ (sessions per week). Nonparametric analyses were used, initial score was controlled for, and diagnostic group was explored.

Results

No relationship was found between change in score and the number of sessions, therapy length, or treatment intensity; however, change in score was positively correlated with first‐session score. Patients with higher initial scores had longer therapies; however, treatment intensity was similar for patients with lower pre‐therapy distress. There were differences in treatment length (weeks) between diagnostic groups. Demographic differences were found between patients with and without complete records, prompting caution in terms of generalizability.

Conclusions

These findings are consistent with the responsive regulation model (Barkham et al., 1996) which proposes that patients vary in their response to treatment, resulting in no associations between session numbers or treatment intensity and therapeutic gain with aggregated scores. Patients with higher CORE scores at the outset of psychological therapy had longer not more intensive therapy. There was variation in treatment intensity between diagnostic clusters.

Practitioner points

Number of sessions, length of therapy (in weeks), and treatment intensity (the number of sessions per week between the first and last therapy sessions) were not related to therapeutic gains.

These results fit with a responsive regulation model of therapy duration, suggesting an individualized approach to therapy cessation as opposed to therapy session limits as the number of sessions a patient experienced was not generally associated with outcome.

We found that clients with a diagnosis of a behavioural syndrome (F50‐59) had less ‘intensive’ therapy; they experienced the same number of sessions over a longer time frame. Despite this, there were no associations between diagnosis category and change in score.
Early complications after liver transplantation in children and adults: Are split grafts equal to each other and equal to whole livers?
Authors: Moussaoui Dehlia , Toso Christian , Nowacka Anna , McLin Valérie A. , Bednarkiewicz Marek , Andres Axel , Berney Thierry , Majno Pietro , Wildhaber Barbara E.
Published: March 2017

Split‐liver transplantation (LT) allows transplantation of two recipients from one deceased donor, thereby increasing pool of grafts. However, split LT may be hampered by technical problems, and split grafts are still considered suboptimal organs in some centres. We analysed the outcomes in split‐ and whole‐liver recipients in a combined adult‐to‐paediatric transplantation programme. Records of paediatric and adult patients having undergone LT from 1999 to 2013 were analysed retrospectively. All splits were performed in situ. Adult split‐graft recipients were matched 1:2 with whole‐graft recipients (matching criteria: BMI, MELD, year of transplantation, age), and matched to the paediatric recipient transplanted from the same donor. Post‐LT complications were classified according to the Clavien scale. Among children, 32 split‐ and 31 whole‐graft recipients were analysed. Among adults, 20 split‐ and 40 matched whole‐graft recipients were analysed. In both populations, the post‐operative complications did not differ between split‐ and whole‐graft recipients. There was no difference in 1‐year graft and patient survival between split‐ and whole‐graft recipients in paediatric (90% vs. 97%, 94% vs. 97%, respectively) and in adult recipients (89% in both, 89% vs. 92%, respectively). In the analysis of both recipients issued from the same donor, there was no association in the prevalence and severity of complications. A case‐by‐case analysis showed that split mortality was unrelated to LT in all but one patient (small‐for‐size left split graft). In the setting of careful donor selection, recipient matching and surgical skill, in situ split LT is an effective and safe technique to increase the number of available organs, and split livers should no longer considered marginal grafts.
“What is it like to be a bat?”—a pathway to the answer from the integrated information theory
Authors: Tsuchiya Naotsugu
Published: March 2017

What does it feel like to be a bat? Is conscious experience of echolocation closer to that of vision or audition? Or do bats process echolocation nonconsciously, such that they do not feel anything about echolocation? This famous question of bats' experience, posed by a philosopher Thomas Nagel in 1974, clarifies the difficult nature of the mind–body problem. Why a particular sense, such as vision, has to feel like vision, but not like audition, is totally puzzling. This is especially so given that any conscious experience is supported by neuronal activity. Activity of a single neuron appears fairly uniform across modalities and even similar to those for non‐conscious processing. Without any explanation on why a particular sense has to feel the way it does, researchers cannot approach the question of the bats' experience. Is there any theory that gives us a hope for such explanation? Currently, probably none, except for one. Integrated information theory (IIT) has potential to offer a plausible explanation. IIT essentially claims that any system that is composed of causally interacting mechanisms can have conscious experience. And precisely how the system feels is determined by the way the mechanisms influence each other in a holistic way. In this article, I will give a brief explanation of the essence of IIT. Further, I will briefly provide a potential scientific pathway to approach bats' conscious experience and its philosophical implications. If IIT, or its improved or related versions, is validated enough, the theory will gain credibility. When it matures enough, predictions from the theory, including nature of bats' experience, will have to be accepted. I argue that a seemingly impossible question about bats' consciousness will drive empirical and theoretical consciousness research to make big breakthroughs, in a similar way as an impossible question about the age of the universe has driven modern cosmology.
CeO2/Bi2WO6 Heterostructured Microsphere with Excellent Visible‐light‐driven Photocatalytic Performance for Degradation of Tetracycline Hydrochloride
Authors: Zhang Fengjun , Zou Shuang , Wang Tianye , Shi Yuxi , Liu Peng
Published: March 2017

CeO2/Bi2WO6 heterostructured microsphere with excellent and stable photocatalytic activity for degradation tetracyclines was successfully synthesized via a facile solvothermal route. The photocatalytic experiments indicated that CeO2/Bi2WO6 heterostructured microspheres exhibited enhanced photocatalytic activity compared to pure Bi2WO6 in both the degradation of tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH) and rhodamine B (RhB) under visible‐light irradiation. The 1CeO2/2Bi2WO6 exhibited the best photocatalytic activity for degradation of TCH, reaching 91% after 60 min reaction. The results suggested that the particular morphological conformation of the microspheres resulted in smaller size and more uniform morphology so as to increase the specific surface area. Meanwhile, the heterojunction was formed by coupling CeO2 and Bi2WO6 in the as‐prepared microspheres, so that the separation efficiency of photogenerated electrons and holes was dramatically improved and the lifetimes of charge carriers were prolonged. Hence, introduction of CeO2 could significantly enhance the photocatalytic activity of CeO2/Bi2WO6 heterostructured microspheres and facilitate the degradation of TCH. This work provided not only a principle method to synthesize CeO2/Bi2WO6 with the excellent photocatalytic performance for actual produce, but also a excellent property of the photocatalyst for potential application in photocatalytic treatment of tetracyclines wastewater from pharmaceutical factory.
Molecular, biological and physiological characterizations of resistance to phenamacril in Fusarium graminearum
Authors: Zhang Y. , Chen W. , Shao W. , Wang J. , Lv C. , Ma H. , Chen C.
Published: March 2017

Fusarium head blight (FHB), caused by Fusarium graminearum, is one of the most devastating wheat diseases in China. Phenamacril is a novel cyanoacrylate fungicide with a unique chemical structure and specific mode of action against Fusarium spp. In this study, the molecular, biological and physiological characteristics of laboratory‐induced mutants of F. graminearum with resistance to phenamacril were investigated. Compared to the wildtype strains, the phenamacril‐resistant mutants showed obvious defects in various biological and physiological characteristics, including vegetative growth, carbon source utilization, response to oxidative and osmotic stresses, sensitivity to cell wall and cell membrane integrity inhibitors, cell membrane permeability, glycerol accumulation and pathogenicity. The phenotypes of the phenamacril‐resistant mutants exhibited many variations. Sequencing indicated that the three parental strains studied were identical, and the mutants TXR1, TXR2, BMR1, BMR2, SYR1 and SYR2 each had a single point mutation in the amino acid sequence encoded by the myosin‐5 gene (FGSG_01410). These results provide new reference information for future investigations concerning the resistance mechanism of F. graminearum to phenamacril and could offer important relevant data for the management of FHB caused by F. graminearum.
Effects of physical activity on the P300 component in elderly people: a systematic review
Authors: Pedroso Renata V. , Fraga Francisco J. , Ayán Carlos , Cancela Carral José Maria , Scarpari Laís , Santos‐Galduróz Ruth F.
Published: March 2017

The effects of physical activity on brain function can be assessed through event‐related potentials (P300) that reflect cortical activities related to cognitive functions. P300 latency represents the information processing time; longer latencies represent slower processing. P300 amplitude is associated with the attentional system and working memory, with higher amplitudes representing more preserved functions. This systematic review summarizes the literature concerning the effects of physical activity and exercise on P300 in the elderly. Databases, including Web of Science, Scopus, PsycINFO, MEDLINE/PubMed, and Biological Abstracts, were searched for articles up to November 2015. Articles were considered for inclusion if they were studies of the elderly, assessed P300, and evaluated the influence of physical activity on P300 or the effect of physical exercise training on P300. Of the 1227 articles found, 14 investigations matched the inclusion criteria. Nine analyzed the influence of physical activity on P300 in the elderly, and five examined the effects of physical exercise on P300 in the elderly. The obtained results showed that physically active elderly people have shortened P300 latency and higher amplitude. Physical exercise, especially those involving aerobic or resistance training, seems to have marked beneficial effects on P300 in the elderly. Evidence shows that physical activity and physical exercise positively influence cortical activities related to cognitive functions, as indicated by P300, in elderly people.
Talking of animals: whales, ambergris, and the circulation of knowledge in seventeenth‐century Rome
Authors: Azzolini Monica
Published: March 2017

The sixteenth century marks a watershed in the study of the natural world, and animals within it. Never before did so many Europeans devote so much ink to describing animals, their physical characteristics, their utility, and the environment in which they lived. Reading, observation, correspondence, illustration, and conversation represented key moments in this process of knowledge production. While the first four aspects have received sustained attention from intellectual historians and historians of science, much less emphasis has been placed on the key role of the spoken word in shaping early modern natural knowledge. This article examines the significance of oral discourse in transmitting natural knowledge within the social setting of seventeenth‐century Rome and among Italian natural historians more broadly. It focuses on the way in which the study of unusual animals such as the whale (and by extension ambergris, the substance that it allegedly produced) was shaped by the oral testimony of those who saw it first‐hand, often with little distinction being made between the social and professional status of different informants. While the oral testimony of a learned missionary may have trumped that of others, ultimately pride of place was given to first‐hand experience over second‐hand written accounts. Personal acquaintance also played an important role. On the whole, the examples analyzed in this article aim to illustrate the plurality of means and voices that actively contributed to the making of early‐modern natural knowledge of animals. Within the inductive method that characterized early modern natural history, conversation and hearsay thus played an active and significant role that historians of science have mostly underestimated.
‘To dust the pelisse’: the erotic side of fur in Italian Renaissance art
Authors: Lurati Patricia
Published: March 2017

Ownership of wild animal furs in Renaissance Italy was a sign of prosperity and social status. In addition to the explicit aspect of wealth, owning wild animal furs also meant that the wearer came from good lineage and could dress as befitting a noble station thanks to the exemption from the restrictions imposed by sumptuary laws. Contrary to modern expectations of conspicuous display these valuable skins were used as linings for clothing with the fur in contact with the body. Wearing fur on the outside of the garment raised a series of moral issues concerned with the animal origin of fur and the wearer's relationship to the animal world. Renaissance eroticism was mainly associated with the baser, sensual faculties and sexual appetites, that is, animal behaviour. Because it was linked to the emotions, it had the power to disturb the mind and the soul, and to disrupt order by posing a threat to a rational, civilized community. For that reason, the suspicions surrounding animal skins have to be taken into account when considering the rage for using valuable pelts in Europe. This paper will delve into the complex meanings attributed to fur: its status as a luxury good as well as the visual and symbolic associations to eroticism that inhibited its open display.
Real animals in ideal cities: the place and use of animals in Renaissance utopian literature
Authors: Muratori Cecilia
Published: March 2017

Animals populate literature dealing with ideal cities and imagined parallel worlds. In this essay Cecilia Muratori explores the place of animals in works sharing utopian traits by the Italian writers Ortensio Lando (c. 1512–53?), Francesco Patrizi (1529–97), and Anton Francesco Doni (1513–74). In particular, she investigates the ways in which the narratological device of displacing the human/animal relationship into an imaginary world enables an approach to the theoretical question about the difference between humans and animals as well as to the ethical one regarding the use of the animals. The presence of animals is a neglected aspect of such texts despite the extensive body of scholarship on utopian literature. Muratori argues that it is this specific combination of ontological issues and very practical remarks which makes these texts a particularly important case study for reconstructing Renaissance philosophical discussions on the status of animals. The problem of the human/animal divide and the question about human uniqueness thus appear alongside the discussion of topics such as how to preserve health in an ideal city or suggestions about the best diet for its citizens (a diet based on animals as food, for instance). Such concerns directly involve the assessment of the relation of humans to the world of animals, included in these imaginary cities or worlds as co‐inhabitants, as sources of food, as living beings which share in various ways the same space as humans, and also as mirrors on which the definition of man as a special animal is projected.
Importing and Firm Export Performance: New Evidence from South Africa
Authors: Edwards Lawrence , Sanfilippo Marco , Sundaram Asha
Published: March 2017

This article uses firm‐level data from company income tax and customs declarations from South Africa to analyse the complementary relationship between direct access to imported intermediate inputs and firm exports in the manufacturing industry. There are two main findings. The first is on firm heterogeneity, showing that firms that import and export consistently demonstrate premiums in terms of productivity, employment, wages and capital intensity in production compared to firms that do not trade, or only export or import. The second supports the hypothesis that importing raises exports, especially if inputs are sourced from advanced economies.
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptom Clusters and Acquired Capability for Suicide: A Reexamination Using DSM‐5 Criteria
Authors: Spitzer Elizabeth G. , Zuromski Kelly L. , Davis Margaret T. , Witte Tracy K. , Weathers Frank
Published: March 2017

This study used the interpersonal–psychological theory of suicide to explore the relationships among DSM‐5 posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom clusters derived from the six‐factor anhedonia model and facets of acquired capability for suicide (ACS). In a sample of 373 trauma‐exposed undergraduates, most PTSD symptom clusters were negatively associated with facets of ACS in bivariate correlations, but the anhedonia cluster was positively associated with ACS in regression models. Structure coefficients and commonality analysis indicated that anhedonia served as a suppressor variable for the other symptom clusters. Our findings further elucidate the complex relationship between specific PTSD symptom clusters and ACS.
Through the Looking Glass: White First‐year University Students’ Observations of Racism in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
Authors: Baker James
Published: March 2017

Despite the growing interest in microaggression theory (Sue et al. ), little research has been conducted on it through a sociological lens. In fact, the psychological research that does exist has been from the United States (Constantine ; Mercer et al. ; Ong et al. ; Sue et al. ) and Canada (Hernandez ; Houshmand ), focusing primarily on minorities. One area that remains unexplored is white observations of racism. This is especially relevant given that Sue et al. () contend that it is those who are most disempowered rather than those who enjoy the privileges of power who are likely to accurately assess whether a racist act has occurred. With this view in mind, this article utilizes racial microaggression theory to investigate the observations of racism among a cohort of approximately 170 white freshman (i.e., first‐year) university students in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. As this research is Canadian based, it presents an excellent opportunity to advance racial microaggression theory from an international perspective. The goal of this article then is to categorize white youths' observations of microaggressions in order to discuss and analyze their impact on minorities living in a highly homogeneous, white‐dominated space.
The practice of platelet transfusion prior to central venous catheterization in presence of coagulopathy: a national survey among clinicians
Authors: van de Weerdt E. K. , Peters A. L. , Goudswaard E. J. , Binnekade J. M. , van Lienden K. P. , Biemond B. J. , Vlaar A. P. J.
Published: March 2017

Background

Correction of coagulopathy prior to central venous catheter (CVC) placement is advocated by guidelines, while retrospective studies support restrictive use of transfusion products.

Study Design and Methods

We conducted a mixed vignette and questionnaire web survey to investigate current practice and preferences for CVC placement. Clinical vignettes were used to quantify the tendency to administer platelet concentrate. A positive ß‐coefficient is in favour of administering platelet concentrate.

Results

Ninety‐seven physicians answered the survey questions (36 critical care physicians, 14 haematologists, 20 radiologists and 27 anaesthesiologist). Eighty‐six physicians subsequently completed the clinical vignettes (response rate 71%). Preferences in favour of correcting thrombocytopenia prior CVC placement were platelet counts of 10 × 109/L and 20 × 109/L (ß = 3·9; ß = 3·2, respectively), the subclavian insertion site (ß = 0·8). An elevated INR (INR = 3; ß = 0·6) and an elevated aPTT (aPTT = 60 s; ß = 0·4) showed a positive trend towards platelet transfusion. Platelet transfusion was less likely in an emergency setting (ß = −0·4). Reported transfusion thresholds for CVC placement varied from <10 × 109/L to 80 × 109/L for platelet count, from 1·0 to 10·0 for INR and from 25 s to 150 s for aPTT. Implementation of ultrasound guidance as standard practice was limited.

Conclusion

Current transfusion practice prior to CVC placement is highly variable. Physicians adjust the decision to correct coagulopathy prior CVC placement based on clinical parameters, insertion site and technique applied.
Estrategia de comunicación para promocionar el patrimonio cultural urbano tangible (inmueble) en el municipio Cumanayagua.
Authors: García Rodríguez Anicel , Álvarez González Arelys Rebeca
Published: March 2017

La presente investigación se realizó en instituciones consideradas patrimonio cultural urbano tangible (inmueble) en el municipio Cumanayagua. Nace a partir de un estudio que evaluó el nivel de desconocimiento que sobre el tema de cultura patrimonial poseen los pobladores de la comunidad, que condujo a la elaboración e implementación de una estrategia de comunicación que permita promocionar los sitios arquitectónicos: La Casa Ramírez, la iglesia católica, el Casino Español, el liceo y el cementerio para que sean apreciados y valorados como electos simbólicosm e identatarios de la localidad. Con un enfoque sinérgico entre los diferentes organismos, empresas e instituciones educacionales se puede lograr un mayor reconocimiento de los pobladores con estas instituciones, lo que favorece su nivel de compromiso e identificación con estas y los convierte en sus públicos objetivos.
La restauración de la arquitectura y la recuperación de sus cargas semiológicas. El caso del Palacio Arzobispal de Santiago de Chile
Authors: Montaner Ignacio Julio
Published: March 2017

En el año 2012, el Arzobispo de Santiago tomó la histórica decisión de regresar a su sede tradicional entonces abandonada, un Palacio de alta calidad arquitectónica y artística, cargada de signos de la vida social y religiosa de los chilenos. El arquitecto encargado de la restauración y reapertura del Palacio presenta hallazgos, deducciones empíricas y estrategias con dialécticas aplicadas a las diferentes ideas y espacios que comparten el mismo edificio, para recuperar con veracidad su poderoso relato histórico.
La conservación del patrimonio edificado a través de la relación entre los servicios urbanos y turísticos
Authors: González González Rosa , Marichal González Anelis , Perón Delgado Eva
Published: March 2017

La conservación del patrimonio edificado en las ciudades se ha enfrentado a grandes retos, entre ellos la inserción del turismo, una de sus consecuencias es la relación que se establece en un mismo espacio entre los servicios urbanos y turísticos. Por ello, para asumir el nuevo rol que impone el escenario actual, los esfuerzos se concentran en crear lugares para todos en armonía con el medio natural y los promotores del desarrollo económico, social y cultural. Una de las vías es el perfeccionamiento del ordenamiento territorial para que contribuya con la conservación del patrimonio de la ciudad, por lo que se requiere de su mejora mediante la construcción de modelos. Al no existir en Cuba un estudio actualizado del balance de las funciones de los servicios urbanos y turísticos con una visión de un desarrollo integral, armónico y sostenible del centro, se impuso la necesidad de elaborar un procedimiento que tuviera como base orientar las intervenciones con el fin de contribuir al desarrollo y conservación de aquellos atractivos tangibles que hicieron que la ciudad fuera promotora del desarrollo turístico; procedimiento que posteriormente fue aplicado en la ciudad de Camagüey.
A priori, A posteriori: la memoria descriptiva como reflexión teórica en arquitectura
Authors: García Ramírez William
Published: March 2017

Este artículo elabora un estudio analítico sobre el tema de la memoria descriptiva en arquitectura y propone entenderla como un modo de reflexión teórica a partir de dos enfoques posibles. Uno, centrado en la condición de lo a priori, es decir, cuando la memoria constituye una prefiguración de la obra de arquitectura, y un segundo enfoque estructurado desde la condición de lo a posteriori, esto es, cuando la memoria se produce como un recuento posterior a la existencia de la obra. La determinación de estas condiciones surgió a partir del estudio comparativo de un corpus de 120 memorias descriptivas de proyectos presentadas a las bienales colombianas de arquitectura en el periodo comprendido entre 1990 y 2010. Estas condiciones de temporalidad sitúan la memoria descriptiva en dos lugares distintos, dos campos posibles desde los que el arquitecto desarrolla y deja un testimonio tanto de sus ideas como de sus enfoques conceptuales frente a la obra construida, y que en resumen constituyen su forma de expresar una teoría de su arquitectura.
Finite Element Analysis of the Ultimate Strength of Aluminum-Stiffened Panels With Fixed and Floating Transverse Frames
Authors: Li Chenfeng , Zhu Zhiyao , Ren Huilong , Guedes Soares C.
Published: March 2017

The aim of this study was to analyze the ultimate strength of stiffened aluminum panels by the nonlinear finite element method. A new type of stiffened aluminum alloy panel has been designed, which has fixed longitudinal and alternating floating transverse frames. Based on material tensile tests, the material properties of the aluminum alloy were obtained. Then, the simulation method of welding residual stresses and the effect of heat-affected zone (HAZ) are investigated. The finite element analysis (FEA) software abaqus V6.11 is used to estimate the ultimate strength of these stiffened panels under axial compression. The results show that: (1) the mechanical imperfections have significant effect on the ultimate strength of stiffened panels; (2) residual stresses may have positive effect on the ultimate strength; and (3) the new stiffened panels also have good performance on ultimate bearing capacities.
Lowering the Barrier of Surgical Endoscopy With a Novel Articulating Retractor
Authors: Ray Neil A. , Kwiat Dillon , Rogers Stanley , Lin Matthew Y. C.
Published: March 2017

Surgical endoscopy has gained traction over the past several decades as a viable option for therapeutic interventions in the gastrointestinal tract. It utilizes natural orifice access which shortens hospital stay, minimizes patient discomfort, and decreases overall healthcare costs. However, the inability to effectively retract and position target tissue is a significant limitation for these procedures. Current instruments are unable to triangulate and can only be manually withdrawn or advanced through the channels. There is a need to provide better access and control of soft tissue to be able to perform more complex and complete endoscopic resections. We have developed a novel device to provide optimal tissue retraction for endoscopic procedures. Our device consists of an articulating tissue retractor and a specialized handle. Two articulating curves were created that can manipulate the position and direction of the retractor tip. Each curve is independently adjusted by locking thumb sliders, allowing for increased range of motion and retraction independent of endoscope position. With a diameter of 2.8 mm, the proposed device can be used in current endoscopic equipment. Preliminary testing showed that our retractor has comparable slip strength to a commercially available device (1.13 N ± 0.53 N versus 1.10 N ± 0.51 N, p-value: 0.416), but has much greater range of motion (maximum deflection of 72 deg compared to 0 deg). This increased range of motion allows the articulating grasper to better triangulate and preserve visualization of the dissection plane, allowing it to overcome the most significant barrier restricting endoscopic surgery.
A Finite Element Method Study of Combined Hydraulic and Thermal Autofrettage Process
Authors: Shufen Rajkumar , Dixit Uday S.
Published: March 2017

Autofrettage is a metal working process of inducing compressive residual stresses in the vicinity of the inner surface of a thick-walled cylindrical or spherical pressure vessel for increasing its pressure capacity, fatigue life, and stress-corrosion resistance. The hydraulic autofrettage is a class of autofrettage processes, in which the vessel is pressurized using high hydraulic pressure to cause the partial plastic deformation followed by unloading. Despite its popularity, the requirement of high pressure makes this process costly. On the other hand, the thermal autofrettage is a simple method, in which the residual stresses are set up by first maintaining a temperature difference across the thickness of the vessel and then cooling it to uniform temperature. However, the increase in the pressure carrying capacity in thermal autofrettage process is lesser than that in the hydraulic autofrettage. In the present work, a combined hydraulic and thermal autofrettage process of a thick-walled cylinder is studied using finite element method package ABAQUS® for aluminum and SS304 steel. The strain-hardening and Bauschinger effects are considered and found to play significant roles. The results show that the combined autofrettage can achieve desired increase in the pressure capacity of thick-walled cylinders with relatively small autofrettage pressure. For example, in a SS304 cylinder of wall-thickness ratio of 3, an autofrettage pressure of 150 MPa enhances the pressure capacity by 41%, but the same pressure with a 36 °C higher inner surface temperature than outer surface temperature can enhance the pressure capacity by 60%.
Automated setup for ex vivo larynx experiments
Authors: Birk Veronika , Döllinger Michael , Sutor Alexander , Berry David A. , Gedeon Dominik , Traxdorf Maximilian , Wendler Olaf , Bohr Christopher , Kniesburges Stefan
Published: March 2017

Ex vivo larynx experiments are limited in time due to degeneration of the laryngeal tissues. In order to acquire a significant and comparable amount of data, automatization of current manual experimental procedures is desirable. A computer controlled, electro-mechanical setup was developed for time-dependent variation of specific physiological parameters, including adduction and elongation level of the vocal folds and glottal flow. The setup offers a standardized method to induce defined forces on the laryngeal cartilages. Furthermore, phonation onset is detected automatically and the subsequent measurement procedure is automated and standardized to improve the efficiency of the experimental process. The setup was validated using four ex vivo porcine larynges, whereas each validation measurement series was executed with one separate larynx. Altogether 31 single measurements were undertaken, which can be summed up to a total experimental time of about 4 min. Vocal fold elongation and adduction lead both to an increase in fundamental frequency and subglottal pressure. Measurement procedures like applying defined subglottal pressure steps and onset-offset detection were reliably executed. The setup allows for a computer-based parameter control, which enables fast experimental execution over a wide range of laryngeal configurations. This maximizes the number of measurements and reduces personal effort compared with manual procedures.
A review of the history, development and application of auditory weighting functions in humans and marine mammals
Authors: Houser Dorian S. , Yost William , Burkard Robert , Finneran James J. , Reichmuth Colleen , Mulsow Jason
Published: March 2017

This document reviews the history, development, and use of auditory weighting functions for noise impact assessment in humans and marine mammals. Advances from the modern era of electroacoustics, psychophysical studies of loudness, and other related hearing studies are reviewed with respect to the development and application of human auditory weighting functions, particularly A-weighting. The use of auditory weighting functions to assess the effects of environmental noise on humans—such as hearing damage-risk criteria—are presented, as well as lower-level effects such as annoyance and masking. The article also reviews marine mammal auditory weighting functions, the development of which has been fundamentally directed by the objective of predicting and preventing noise-induced hearing loss. Compared to the development of human auditory weighting functions, the development of marine mammal auditory weighting functions have faced additional challenges, including a large number of species that must be considered, a lack of audiometric information on most species, and small sample sizes for nearly all species for which auditory data are available. The review concludes with research recommendations to address data gaps and assumptions underlying marine mammal auditory weighting function design and application.
Covert cavitation: Spectral peak suppression in the acoustic emissions from spatially configured nucleations
Authors: Song Jae Hee , Johansen Kristoffer , Prentice Paul
Published: March 2017

Dual laser-nucleation is used to precisely configure two cavitation bubbles within a focused ultrasound field of f0 = 692 kHz, in proximity to the tip of a needle hydrophone. With both bubbles responding in the f0/2 sub-harmonic regime, confirmed via ultra-high speed shadowgraphic imaging, an emission spectrum with no sub-harmonic content is demonstrated, for an inter-bubble spacing ≈λ0. A spectral model for periodic shock waves from multiple nucleations demonstrates peak suppressions at nf0/2 when applied to the experiment, via a windowing effect in the frequency domain. Implications for single-element passive detection of cavitation are discussed.
Staminal wing and a novel secretory structure of asclepiads
Authors: Demarco Diego
Published: March 2017

Asclepiads (Asclepiadoideae, Apocynaceae) have morphologically complex flowers with a wide range of secretory structures related to their defense and pollination. A striking feature of the flowers is the presence of a guide rail formed by staminal wings, which is related to the guidance of the pollinator to the pollinarium translator and the retention of the pollinium. Previous analyses of floral ontogeny in asclepiads detected the presence of a possible gland on the staminal wing during flower development. The goal of the present study was to verify the occurrence of a secretory structure on the staminal wing and its possible function through ontogenetic and histochemical analyses of the presumed gland. Staminal wings are formed early in developing flowers, and a gland is originated in the outer and inner margins of the guide rail in all species. This gland releases a secretion composed of mucilage and lipids, which likely assists in the introduction of the pollinator appendage into the narrow guide rail by lubricating the staminal wings. The gland degenerates before anthesis, increasing the space within the guide rail and enabling the introduction of the pollinarium. This new secretory structure may be present in floral buds of all asclepiads.
Novel case-control observational method for assessing effectiveness of red-light cameras
Authors: Abdulsalam Amal Jasem , Rowlands Dane , Easa Said M. , Abd El Halim Abd El Halim O.
Published: March 2017

Conventional methods for estimating the effect of an intervention suffer from selection bias, where the units that receive the treatment have different characteristics from those in the control group. This paper proposes a novel method that provides a specific criterion for selecting the control group. The method, called propensity score matching (PSM), was applied to the evaluation of red-light cameras (RLC) and its performance was compared with conventional cross-sectional and empirical Bayes methods. The application was performed using field data from the City of Ottawa involving 30 RLC intersections and 89 non-camera intersections observed for a period of 15 years. All three methods yielded fairly consistent results, indicating an increase in property damage collisions and a decrease in injury and fatal collisions. Given the strong theoretical basis of the PSM method and its ability to produce a more stable and reliable estimator, the method is recommended as a viable alternative to the conventional methods.