bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Rare transmission of hepatitis B virus by Dutch donors with occult infection
Authors: Lieshout‐Krikke Ryanne W. , van Kraaij Marian G.J. , Danovic Fikreta , Zaaijer Hans L.
Published: November 2015

BACKGROUND

To reduce the rate of transfusion‐transmitted hepatitis B virus (HBV), HBV DNA testing was introduced for all Dutch blood donations in 2008, in addition to the existing screening for HBV surface antigen (HBsAg). This study describes the lookback results for repeat donors with an “HBV DNA‐only” test result (HBV DNA‐positive and HBsAg‐negative).

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

From November 2008 until June 2011, a total of 2.3 million blood donations were tested for HBV DNA and 22 donors showed the HBV DNA‐only profile. Four donors had early preseroconversion HBV infection, two showed suppressed infection after vaccination, and 16 donors had occult chronic HBV infection (OBI). Potentially infectious donations were traced back as far as 1992. If possible the recipients were tested for current and past HBV infection.

RESULTS

A total of 416 implicated donations could be traced in blood bank records, involving 448 issued blood products. For 170 (38%) of the recipients no information was obtained from the hospitals; 196 (44%) recipients had died, and 82 (18%) were tested for HBV. Six recipients tested positive for current (n = 4) or past (n = 2) HBV infection. For two recipients transfusion was ruled out as the source of infection. Three patients showed HBV DNA sequences matching with the HBV in one common OBI donor. Overall, in four of 82 tested recipients (5%) HBV transmission was likely.

CONCLUSION

In our lookback study HBV testing was possible in only a minority (18%) of potentially exposed recipients. A low transmission rate (5%) was observed in recipients of blood components from donors with OBI.
Drill String Bit Whirl Simulation With the Use of Frictional and Nonholonomic Models
Authors: Gulyayev V. I. , Shevchuk L. V.
Published: November 2015

The problem about computer simulation of whirl vibrations of a drill bit is considered. The dynamic process is assumed to be in an incipient stage when the bit rolls on the borehole bottom without reaching the well wall. Mathematic models of the bit moving based on assumptions of frictional (rolling with sliding) and kinematic (pure rolling) contact between the bit and borehole bottom surfaces are elaborated. The influence of the drill string (DS) bending flexibility and the bit shape on the whirl process is discussed. The most typical whirl phenomena are grounded due to computer simulation.
Particle Shape and Size Effects on Slurry Erosion of AISI 5117 Steels
Authors: Al-Bukhaiti M. A. , Abouel-Kasem A. , Emara K. M. , Ahmed S. M.
Published: November 2015

Solid particle shape and size effects on the slurry erosion behavior of AISI 5117 carbon steels are investigated, using whirling-arm ring for two different erodent particles, namely, silica sand (SiO2) and silicon carbide (SiC). From this work, it was found that aspect ratio and circularity factor (CF) increase for silica sand and decrease for silicon carbide with increasing size. The erosion rate increased with the increase of particle size for the two types of erodent particles and its value was greater in the case of silicon carbide particles. At the same test conditions, it has been noticed that the particle size plays the major role in the slurry erosion of 5117 steels in comparison with the aspect ratio and circularity factor. Microcutting and plowing with serrated wear tracks were observed for coarse SiC particles having irregular and angular shape. But, for coarse SiO2 particles which had a rounded shape, the main mechanism was plowing with plain and smooth wear tracks for an impact angle of 30 deg. Indentations and material extrusion prevailed for the coarse size of the two erodents for an impact angle of 90 deg.
Influence of Minimum Quantity Lubrication on Friction Characterizing Tool–Aluminum Alloy Contact
Authors: Cabanettes Frédéric , Rolland Julian , Dumont Florian , Rech Joël , Dimkovski Zlate
Published: November 2015

The possibility to reduce the amount of cutting fluids from machining processes is actively studied by the industrialists and researchers. Minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) is a solution toward cutting fluids reduction. This paper investigates the consequences on friction coefficient induced by the use of MQL. A tribometer is used in order to experimentally simulate the local tribological conditions encountered during machining. As the relative sliding speed increases, a lower amount of oil is deposited on the rough surfaces. Depending on the MQL operating conditions and sliding velocities, it is plausible to reach starvation by leaving the real rough contact partly dry. A model computing a starvation percentage by filling an estimated oil amount in a deformed topography correlates with the experimental results.
Structural Damage Detection Using Slopes of Longitudinal Vibration Shapes
Authors: Xu W. , Zhu W. D. , Smith S. A. , Cao M. S.
Published: November 2015

While structural damage detection based on flexural vibration shapes, such as mode shapes and steady-state response shapes under harmonic excitation, has been well developed, little attention is paid to that based on longitudinal vibration shapes that also contain damage information. This study originally formulates a slope vibration shape (SVS) for damage detection in bars using longitudinal vibration shapes. To enhance noise robustness of the method, an SVS is transformed to a multiscale slope vibration shape (MSVS) in a multiscale domain using wavelet transform, which has explicit physical implication, high damage sensitivity, and noise robustness. These advantages are demonstrated in numerical cases of damaged bars, and results show that MSVSs can be used for identifying and locating damage in a noisy environment. A three-dimensional (3D) scanning laser vibrometer (SLV) is used to measure the longitudinal steady-state response shape of an aluminum bar with damage due to reduced cross-sectional dimensions under harmonic excitation, and results show that the method can successfully identify and locate the damage. Slopes of longitudinal vibration shapes are shown to be suitable for damage detection in bars and have potential for applications in noisy environments.
Absorption of Resonant Vibrations in Tuned Nonlinear Jointed Structures
Authors: Krack Malte , Bergman Lawrence A. , Vakakis Alexander F.
Published: November 2015

A novel concept for the passive mitigation of forced, resonant vibrations is presented. The key to this concept is an absorption phenomenon which relies on the energy conversion from low to high frequencies by means of nonlinearity. The vibration energy of a resonantly driven substructure is transferred to an internally resonant substructure within the system. Compared with the well-known linear tuned vibration absorber (LTVA), the main advantage of the proposed concept is that no separate absorber is required, but instead the existing modal structure is properly tuned and inherent nonlinearities are utilized. Just like the former concept, however, the proposed concept is limited to a narrow frequency bandwidth, which represents its main drawback of the approach. The concept is exemplified for a system of two beams connected via a nonlinear joint with a soft, unilateral-elastic characteristic. It is demonstrated that when the system is appropriately tuned, its vibration level is reduced by 60–80%, i.e., by a factor of 2.5–5. Moreover, it is shown how the efficacy and robustness of the concept can be optimized.
Initial stages of growth and the influence of temperature during chemical vapor deposition of sp2-BN films
Authors: Chubarov Mikhail , Pedersen Henrik , Högberg Hans , Henry Anne , Czigány Zsolt
Published: November 2015

Knowledge of the structural evolution of thin films, starting by the initial stages of growth, is important to control the quality and properties of the film. The authors present a study on the initial stages of growth and the temperature influence on the structural evolution of sp2 hybridized boron nitride (BN) thin films during chemical vapor deposition (CVD) with triethyl boron and ammonia as precursors. Nucleation of hexagonal BN (h-BN) occurs at 1200 °C on α-Al2O3 with an AlN buffer layer (AlN/α-Al2O3). At 1500 °C, h-BN grows with a layer-by-layer growth mode on AlN/α-Al2O3 up to ∼4 nm after which the film structure changes to rhombohedral BN (r-BN). Then, r-BN growth proceeds with a mixed layer-by-layer and island growth mode. h-BN does not grow on 6H-SiC substrates; instead, r-BN nucleates and grows directly with a mixed layer-by-layer and island growth mode. These differences may be caused by differences in substrate surface temperature due to different thermal conductivities of the substrate materials. These results add to the understanding of the growth process of sp2-BN employing CVD.
Spectroscopic investigation of the electronic structure of thin atomic layer deposition HfO2 films
Authors: Corrêa Silma Alberton , Brizzi Simone , Schmeisser Dieter
Published: November 2015

The electronic structure of HfO2 thin films is investigated employing resonant photoelectron spectroscopy (resPES). The detailed analysis of the O1s resonance profile enables the determination of the partial density of states for the valence and the conduction bands as well as the electronic band gap to be 6.2 eV. The position of the charge neutrality level is evaluated. Thereby, it is demonstrated that the resPES data are able to combine information both for the valence as well as for the conduction band states. In addition, evidences for intrinsic in-gap states attributed to polaronic and charge transfer states are given. Electronic charges within the atomic layer deposition-HfO2 films are identified, pointing out that the amount of charges is essential to determine the accurate position of the surface potentials.
Investigation of imaging properties for submillimeter rectangular pinholes
Authors: Xia Dan , Moore Stephen C. , Park Mi‐Ae , Cervo Morgan , Metzler Scott D.
Published: November 2015

Purpose:

Recently, a multipinhole collimator with inserts that have both rectangular apertures and rectangular fields of view (FOVs) has been proposed for SPECT imaging since it can tile the projection onto the detector efficiently and the FOVs in transverse and axial directions become separable. The purpose of this study is to investigate the image properties of rectangular‐aperture pinholes with submillimeter apertures sizes.

Methods:

In this work, the authors have conducted sensitivity and FOV experiments for 18 replicates of a prototype insert fabricated in platinum/iridium (Pt/Ir) alloy with submillimeter square‐apertures. A sinqθ fit to the experimental sensitivity has been performed for these inserts. For the FOV measurement, the authors have proposed a new formula to calculate the projection intensity of a flood image on the detector, taking into account the penumbra effect. By fitting this formula to the measured projection data, the authors obtained the acceptance angles.

Results:

The mean (standard deviation) of fitted sensitivity exponents q and effective edge lengths we were, respectively, 10.8 (1.8) and 0.38 mm (0.02 mm), which were close to the values, 7.84 and 0.396 mm, obtained from Monte Carlo calculations using the parameters of the designed inserts. For the FOV measurement, the mean (standard deviation) of the transverse and axial acceptances were 35.0° (1.2°) and 30.5° (1.6°), which are in good agreement with the designed values (34.3° and 29.9°).

Conclusions:

These results showed that the physical properties of the fabricated inserts with submillimeter aperture size matched our design well.
The Effect of 2 Forms of Talocrural Joint Traction on Dorsiflexion Range of Motion and Postural Control in Those With Chronic Ankle Instability
Authors: Powden Cameron J. , Hogan Kathleen K. , Wikstrom Erik A. , Hoch Matthew C.
Published: November 2015

Context:

Talocrural joint mobilizations are commonly used to address deficits associated with chronic ankle instability (CAI).

Objective:

Examine the immediate effects of talocrural joint traction in those with CAI.

Design:

Blinded, crossover.

Setting:

Laboratory.

Participants:

Twenty adults (14 females; age = 23.80 ± 4.02 y; height = 169.55 ± 12.38 cm; weight = 78.34 ± 16.32 kg) with self-reported CAI participated. Inclusion criteria consisted of a history of ≥1 ankle sprain, ≥2 episodes of giving way in the previous 3 mo, answering “yes” to ≥4 questions on the Ankle Instability Instrument, and ≤24 on the Cumberland Ankle Instability Tool.

Intervention:

Subjects participated in 3 sessions in which they received a single treatment session of sustained traction (ST), oscillatory traction (OT), or a sham condition in a randomized order. Interventions consisted of four 30-s sets of traction with 1 min of rest between sets. During ST and OT, the talus was distracted distally from the ankle mortise to the end-range of accessory motion. ST consisted of continuous distraction and OT involved 1-s oscillations between the mid and end-range of accessory motion. The sham condition consisted of physical contact without force application. Preintervention and postintervention measurements of weight-bearing dorsiflexion, dynamic balance, and static single-limb balance were collected.

Main Outcome Measures:

The independent variable was treatment (ST, OT, sham). The dependent variables included pre-to-posttreatment change scores for the WBLT (cm), normalized SEBTAR (%), and time-to-boundary (TTB) variables(s). Separate 1-way ANOVAs examined differences between treatments for each dependent variable. Alpha was set a priori at P < .05.

Results:

No significant treatment effects were identified for any variables.

Conclusion:

A single intervention of ST or OT did not produce significant changes in weight-bearing dorsiflexion range of motion or postural control in individuals with CAI. Future research should investigate the effects of repeated talocrural traction treatments and the effects of this technique when combined with other manual therapies.
AAV gene transfer delays disease onset in a TPP1-deficient canine model of the late infantile form of Batten disease
Authors: Katz Martin L. , Tecedor Luis , Chen Yonghong , Williamson Baye G. , Lysenko Elena , Wininger Fred A. , Young Whitney M. , Johnson Gayle C. , Whiting Rebecca E. H. , Coates Joan R. , Davidson Beverly L.
Published: November 2015

AAV-mediated gene transfer to ependymal cells in a dog model of Batten disease provides sustained enzyme replacement and delays disease onset.
Joint Transcriptional Control of Virulence and Resistance to Antibiotic and Environmental Stress in Acinetobacter baumannii
Authors: Gebhardt Michael J. , Gallagher Larry A. , Jacobson Rachael K. , Usacheva Elena A. , Peterson Lance R. , Zurawski Daniel V. , Shuman Howard A.
Published: November 2015

The increasing emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacterial pathogens represents a serious risk to human health and the entire health care system. Many currently circulating strains of
Acinetobacter baumannii
exhibit resistance to multiple antibiotics. A key limitation in combating
A. baumannii
is that our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of
A. baumannii
is lacking. To identify potential virulence determinants of a contemporary multidrug-resistant isolate of
A. baumannii
, we used transposon insertion sequencing (TnSeq) of strain AB5075. A collection of 250,000
A. baumannii
transposon mutants was analyzed for growth within
Galleria mellonella
larvae, an insect-based infection model. The screen identified 300 genes that were specifically required for survival and/or growth of
A. baumannii
inside
G. mellonella
larvae. These genes encompass both known, established virulence factors and several novel genes. Among these were more than 30 transcription factors required for growth in
G. mellonella
. A subset of the transcription factors was also found to be required for resistance to antibiotics and environmental stress. This work thus establishes a novel connection between virulence and resistance to both antibiotics and environmental stress in
A. baumannii
.

IMPORTANCE
Acinetobacter baumannii
is rapidly emerging as a significant human pathogen, largely because of disinfectant and antibiotic resistance, causing lethal infection in fragile hosts. Despite the increasing prevalence of infections with multidrug-resistant
A. baumannii
strains, little is known regarding not only the molecular mechanisms that allow
A. baumannii
to resist environmental stresses (i.e., antibiotics and disinfectants) but also how these pathogens survive within an infected host to cause disease. We employed a large-scale genetic screen to identify genes required for
A. baumannii
to survive and grow in an insect disease model. While we identified many known virulence factors harbored by
A. baumannii
, we also discovered many novel genes that likely play key roles in
A. baumannii
survival of exposure to antibiotics and other stress-inducing chemicals. These results suggest that selection for increased resistance to antibiotics and environmental stress may inadvertently select for increased virulence in
A. baumannii
.
Human Coronavirus 229E Remains Infectious on Common Touch Surface Materials
Authors: Warnes Sarah L. , Little Zoë R. , Keevil C. William
Published: November 2015

The evolution of new and reemerging historic virulent strains of respiratory viruses from animal reservoirs is a significant threat to human health. Inefficient human-to-human transmission of zoonotic strains may initially limit the spread of transmission, but an infection may be contracted by touching contaminated surfaces. Enveloped viruses are often susceptible to environmental stresses, but the human coronaviruses responsible for severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) have recently caused increasing concern of contact transmission during outbreaks. We report here that pathogenic human coronavirus 229E remained infectious in a human lung cell culture model following at least 5 days of persistence on a range of common nonbiocidal surface materials, including polytetrafluoroethylene (Teflon; PTFE), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), ceramic tiles, glass, silicone rubber, and stainless steel. We have shown previously that noroviruses are destroyed on copper alloy surfaces. In this new study, human coronavirus 229E was rapidly inactivated on a range of copper alloys (within a few minutes for simulated fingertip contamination) and Cu/Zn brasses were very effective at lower copper concentration. Exposure to copper destroyed the viral genomes and irreversibly affected virus morphology, including disintegration of envelope and dispersal of surface spikes. Cu(I) and Cu(II) moieties were responsible for the inactivation, which was enhanced by reactive oxygen species generation on alloy surfaces, resulting in even faster inactivation than was seen with nonenveloped viruses on copper. Consequently, copper alloy surfaces could be employed in communal areas and at any mass gatherings to help reduce transmission of respiratory viruses from contaminated surfaces and protect the public health.

IMPORTANCE
Respiratory viruses are responsible for more deaths globally than any other infectious agent. Animal coronaviruses that “host jump” to humans result in severe infections with high mortality, such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and, more recently, Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). We show here that a closely related human coronavirus, 229E, which causes upper respiratory tract infection in healthy individuals and serious disease in patients with comorbidities, remained infectious on surface materials common to public and domestic areas for several days. The low infectious dose means that this is a significant infection risk to anyone touching a contaminated surface. However, rapid inactivation, irreversible destruction of viral RNA, and massive structural damage were observed in coronavirus exposed to copper and copper alloy surfaces. Incorporation of copper alloy surfaces in conjunction with effective cleaning regimens and good clinical practice could help to control transmission of respiratory coronaviruses, including MERS and SARS.
In Vitro
CRISPR/Cas9 System for Efficient Targeted DNA Editing
Authors: Liu Yunkun , Tao Weixin , Wen Shishi , Li Zhengyuan , Yang Anna , Deng Zixin , Sun Yuhui
Published: November 2015

The clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9) system, an RNA-guided nuclease for specific genome editing
in vivo
, has been adopted in a wide variety of organisms. In contrast, the
in vitro
application of the CRISPR/Cas9 system has rarely been reported. We present here a highly efficient

i
n vitro

C
RISPR/Cas9-mediated
e
diting (ICE) system that allows specific refactoring of biosynthetic gene clusters in
Streptomyces
bacteria and other large DNA fragments. Cleavage by Cas9 of circular pUC18 DNA was investigated here as a simple model, revealing that the 3′→5′ exonuclease activity of Cas9 generates errors with 5 to 14 nucleotides (nt) randomly missing at the editing joint. T4 DNA polymerase was then used to repair the Cas9-generated sticky ends, giving substantial improvement in editing accuracy. Plasmid pYH285 and cosmid 10A3, harboring a complete biosynthetic gene cluster for the antibiotics RK-682 and holomycin, respectively, were subjected to the ICE system to delete the
rkD
and
homE
genes in frame. Specific insertion of the ampicillin resistance gene (
bla
) into pYH285 was also successfully performed. These results reveal the ICE system to be a rapid, seamless, and highly efficient way to edit DNA fragments, and a powerful new tool for investigating and engineering biosynthetic gene clusters.

IMPORTANCE
Recent improvements in cloning strategies for biosynthetic gene clusters promise rapid advances in understanding and exploiting natural products in the environment. For manipulation of such biosynthetic gene clusters to generate valuable bioactive compounds, efficient and specific gene editing of these large DNA fragments is required. In this study, a highly efficient
in vitro
DNA editing system has been established. When combined with end repair using T4 DNA polymerase, Cas9 precisely and seamlessly catalyzes targeted editing, including in-frame deletion or insertion of the gene(s) of interest. This
in vitro
CRISPR editing (ICE) system promises a step forward in our ability to engineer biosynthetic pathways.
The Human Adenovirus Type 5 E4orf6/E1B55K E3 Ubiquitin Ligase Complex Can Mimic E1A Effects on E2F
Authors: Dallaire Frédéric , Schreiner Sabrina , Blair G. Eric , Dobner Thomas , Branton Philip E. , Blanchette Paola
Published: November 2015

During the course of work on the adenovirus E3 ubiquitin ligase formed by the viral E4orf6 and E1B55K proteins, we found, very surprisingly, that expression of these species was sufficient to permit low levels of replication of an adenovirus vector lacking E1A, the central regulator of infection. E1A products uncouple E2F transcription factors from Rb repression complexes, thus stimulating viral gene expression and cell and viral DNA synthesis. We found that the E4orf6/E1B55K ligase mimics these functions. This finding is of significance because it represents an entirely new function for the ligase in regulating adenovirus replication.
A rare combination of amniotic constriction band with osteogenesis imperfecta
Authors: Shah Krupa Hitesh , Shah Hitesh
Published: November 2015

Amniotic constriction bands and osteogenesis imperfecta are disorders arising from a collagen defect. We report a rare association of amniotic bands with osteogenesis imperfecta in a child. The child was born with multiple amniotic bands involving the right leg, both hands and both feet. Multiple fractures of long bones of lower limbs occurred in childhood due to trivial trauma. Deformities of the femur and tibia due to malunion with osteopenia and blue sclerae were present. The patient was treated with z plasty of constriction band of the right tibia and bisphosphonate for osteogenesis imperfecta. This rare association of both collagen diseases may provide further insight for the pathogenesis of these diseases.
Dynamic black holes in an FRW background: Lemaître transformations
Authors: Moradpour H. , Dehghani A. , Sabet M. T. Mohammadi
Published: November 2015

Since the conformal transformations of metric do not change its causal structure, we use these transformations to embed the Lemaître metrics into the FRW background. In our approach, conformal transformation is in agreement with the universe expansion regimes. Indeed, we use the Lemaître metrics because the horizon singularity is eliminated in these metrics. Moreover, some physical and mathematical properties of the introduced metrics have been addressed. We show that the resultant metrics include event horizons while their physical radii are increasing as a function of the universe expansion which may provide suitable metrics for investigating the effects of the universe expansion on the black holes.
Target productions in forward and backward hemispheres in the interactions of 28Si-EM at 14.6A GeV
Authors: Abdelsalam A. , El-Nagdy M. S. , Abdalla A. M. , Saber A.
Published: November 2015

This paper search for the results and properties of slow particle productions, appear as a gray and black tracks in nuclear emulsions, producing secondary charged particles which are emitted from [Formula: see text]Si interactions with emulsion nuclei at 14.6[Formula: see text] GeV. The forward particles emission of interactions, ([Formula: see text]) as well as the backward ones ([Formula: see text]), have been investigated. It includes the effect of both projectile mass number and energy on the production and multiplicities of these particles. The results compared with other experiments for the same target but with different projectiles and energies. The experimental data show that there are two different mechanisms responsible for the production of gray particles for the chosen channels of emission angles and each are energy dependence. This dependence is weakly on the projectile mass number. The same investigations are applied for black tracks producing particles. The experimental results show the production of these particles is purely target fragments independent on both projectile mass number and its energy. The anisotropy ratio of angular distribution (F/B) is applied for both kinds of particles which are found the value for gray particle production depends on the direction of emissions while it is unchanged for black particles.
Palaeoenvironment, palaeoclimate and age of the Brassington Formation (Miocene) of Derbyshire, UK
Authors: Pound Matthew J. , Riding James B.
Published: November 2015

The Brassington Formation is the most extensive Miocene sedimentary succession onshore in the UK. Because of its unique position at the margin of NW Europe, the pollen from this lithostratigraphical unit provides evidence on the development of vegetation affected by North Atlantic currents and hypothesized atmospheric circulation changes during the Middle to Late Miocene climate cooling. Palynostratigraphy suggests that the uppermost Kenslow Member of the Brassington Formation is not coeval. Previously, all occurrences of the Kenslow Member were assumed to be contemporary. The oldest pollen assemblage is from the more southern Bees Nest Pit, which represents a subtropical conifer-dominated forest of late Serravallian age (
c
. 12 Ma). A younger assemblage was observed from the more northern Kenslow Top Pit; this indicates that a subtropical mixed forest was present during the early Tortonian (11.6–9 Ma). The shift from a conifer-dominated to a mixed forest was related to precipitation. Although the total precipitation did not change between the two assemblages, the younger assemblage had more uniform rainfall throughout the year. The diachronous nature of the Kenslow Member means that the depositional model of the Brassington Formation needs revising, and this will have implications for Neogene to recent uplift of the southern Pennines.

Supplementary material:

All valid formally defined palynomorph taxa below the generic level that are mentioned in this paper, with full author citations, are available at
http://www.geolsoc.org.uk/SUP18889
.
An example of low-Th/U zircon overgrowths of magmatic origin in a late orogenic Variscan intrusion: the San Ciprián massif (NW Spain)
Authors: Lopez-Sanchez Marco A. , Aleinikoff John N. , Marcos Alberto , Martínez Francisco J. , Llana-Fúnez Sergio
Published: November 2015

Th/U values in zircon are commonly used to discriminate between metamorphic (Th/U < 0.1) and magmatic (Th/U > 0.1) origin for zircon overgrowths. We test this hypothesis in the San Ciprián massif, a late orogenic granitic intrusion in the hinterland of the Variscan orogeny. Zircon grains from this granite have cores with inherited Ediacaran ages and Th/U > 0.1, whereas zircon mantles yield an age of about 287 Ma, interpreted as the time of crystallization of the granite, and have Th/U < 0.1. Hence, the San Ciprián massif presents an uncommon but unambiguous example of magmatic zircon mantles with Th/U values typical of metamorphic zircon. The most likely causes for the unusually low-Th/U zircon values in the San Ciprián massif are a combination of a U-rich magma composition (owing to a fractionation process) and the absence of other U-enriched accessory minerals. Our work in determining Th/U ratios substantiates the warning previously made by some researchers and precludes the use of Th/U values in zircon as an unequivocal indicator of metamorphic origin in the absence of other chemical, zircon morphology or field-based independent criteria.

Supplementary materials:

Code and data to generate Figures 1 and 5 are available at
http://www.geolsoc.org.uk/SUP18885
.
The Emu Bay Shale Konservat-Lagerstätte: a view of Cambrian life from East Gondwana
Authors: Paterson John R. , García-Bellido Diego C. , Jago James B. , Gehling James G. , Lee Michael S.Y. , Edgecombe Gregory D.
Published: November 2015

Recent fossil discoveries from the lower Cambrian Emu Bay Shale (EBS) on Kangaroo Island, South Australia, have provided critical insights into the tempo of the Cambrian explosion of animals, such as the origin and seemingly rapid evolution of arthropod compound eyes, as well as extending the geographical ranges of several groups to the East Gondwanan margin, supporting close faunal affinities with South China. The EBS also holds great potential for broadening knowledge on taphonomic pathways involved in the exceptional preservation of fossils in Cambrian Konservat-Lagerstätten. EBS fossils display a range of taphonomic modes for a variety of soft tissues, especially phosphatization and pyritization, in some cases recording a level of anatomical detail that is absent from most Cambrian Konservat-Lagerstätten.
A review of the trace fossil
Selenichnites
Authors: Romano M. , Whyte M. A.
Published: November 2015

Since the ichnogenus
Selenichnus
, subsequently renamed
Selenichnites
, was first introduced in 1987, nine ichnospecies have been assigned to the ichnotaxon. The records are from all of the continents and range in age from Cambrian to Jurassic. These occurrences are reviewed and are found to include a diversity of morphological forms, some of which we believe should not be included within
Selenichnites
as defined in the original diagnosis. Also some of these ichnotaxa are inadequately described and without named ichnotypes. Consequently we propose emended ichnogeneric diagnoses for
Selenichnites
and
Limulicubichnus
, an emended ichnospecies diagnosis for
Selenichnites rossendalensis
, and re-assignment of some of the published ichnospecies to two new ichnogenera,
Crescentichnus
and
Faciemichnus
. The ichnospecies here assigned to the two new ichnogenera are:
C. antarcticus
comb. nov.,
C. langridgei
comb. nov.,
C. tesiltus
comb. nov. and
F. belosis
comb. nov..
Herradurichnus
, previously regarded as a junior synonym of
Selenichnites
, is retained and considered to be distinct from
Crescentichnus
.
The kinematic linkage of the Dent, Craven and related faults of Northern England
Authors: Thomas C.W. , Woodcock N.H.
Published: November 2015

New mapping of the southern part of the Dent Fault reveals three segments, each 5–6 km long, overlapping at two left-stepping zones 1–2 km wide. The main fault strands probably dip steeply WNW. A faulted footwall syncline in Carboniferous strata indicates reverse dip-slip, with a stratigraphic throw of at least 750 m. Locally developed plunging folds and imbricate fault duplexes developed at fault bends reveal a strike-slip component, indicated to be sinistral from limited slickenline data. Silurian strata in the hanging wall lack the Variscan folds observed further north. The northern overstep hosts up-faulted slivers of older Silurian and Ordovician rocks. The southern overstep zone hosts a younger faulted block compatible with releasing kinematics in sinistral strike-slip.

The Dent Fault converges at its southern end with the Barbon Fault; an upfaulted wedge of Silurian strata lies between them near the branch point. The two faults swing southeastward, joining the Craven fault system via splays and linkages. Regionally, the Dent and Barbon faults form the innermost pair of a fan of ~N–S striking faults splaying off the northwest end of the South Craven–Morley-Campsall Fault System around the southwestern corner of the Askrigg Block.

The kinematics of the Dent, Barbon and Craven faults fit shortening orientated NNW–SSE during late Carboniferous Variscan deformation. The rigid Askrigg Block focussed displacements around its west and south margins where fault and fold orientations were influenced by pre-existing structures, at least Acadian in age to the west and early Carboniferous to the south.
Neuronostatin acts via GPR107 to increase cAMP-independent PKA phosphorylation and proglucagon mRNA accumulation in pancreatic α-cells
Authors: Elrick Mollisa M. , Samson Willis K. , Corbett John A. , Salvatori Alison S. , Stein Lauren M. , Kolar Grant R. , Naatz Aaron , Yosten Gina L. C.
Published: November 2015

Neuronostatin (NST) is a recently described peptide that is produced from the somatostatin preprohormone in pancreatic δ-cells. NST has been shown to increase glucagon secretion from primary rat pancreatic islets in low-glucose conditions. Here, we demonstrate that NST increases proglucagon message in α-cells and identify a potential mechanism for NST's cellular activities, including the phosphorylation of PKA following activation of the G protein-coupled receptor, GPR107. GPR107 is abundantly expressed in the pancreas, particularly, in rodent and human α-cells. Compromise of GPR107 in pancreatic α-cells results in failure of NST to increase PKA phosphorylation and proglucagon mRNA levels. We also demonstrate colocalization of GPR107 and NST on both mouse and human pancreatic α-cells. Taken together with our group's observation that NST infusion in conscious rats impairs glucose clearance in response to a glucose challenge and that plasma levels of the peptide are elevated in the fasted compared with the fed or fasted-refed state, these studies support the hypothesis that endogenous NST regulates islet cell function by interacting with GPR107 and initiating signaling in glucagon-producing α-cells.
Alternative splice variant of the thiazide-sensitive NaCl cotransporter: a novel player in renal salt handling
Authors: Tutakhel Omar A. Z. , Jeleń Sabina , Valdez-Flores Marco , Dimke Henrik , Piersma Sander R. , Jimenez Connie R. , Deinum Jaap , Lenders Jacques W. , Hoenderop Joost G. J. , Bindels René J. M.
Published: November 2015

The thiazide-sensitive NaCl cotransporter (NCC) is an important pharmacological target in the treatment of hypertension. The human SLC12A3 gene, encoding NCC, gives rise to three isoforms. Only the third isoform has been extensively investigated. The aim of the present study was, therefore, to establish the abundance and localization of the almost identical isoforms 1 and 2 (NCC1/2) in the human kidney and to determine their functional properties and regulation in physiological conditions. Immunohistochemical analysis of NCC1/2 in the human kidney revealed that NCC1/2 localizes to the apical plasma membrane of the distal convoluted tubule. Importantly, NCC1/2 mRNA constitutes ∼44% of all NCC isoforms in the human kidney. Functional analysis performed in the Xenopus laevis oocyte revealed that thiazide-sensitive 22Na+ transport of NCC1 was significantly increased compared with NCC3. Mimicking a constitutively active phosphorylation site at residue 811 (S811D) in NCC1 further augmented Na+ transport, while a nonphosphorylatable variant (S811A) of NCC1 prevented this enhanced response. Analysis of human urinary exosomes demonstrated that water loading in human subjects significantly reduces the abundance of NCC1/2 in urinary exosomes. The present study highlights that previously underrepresented NCC1/2 is a fully functional thiazide-sensitive NaCl-transporting protein. Being significantly expressed in the kidney, it may constitute a unique route of renal NaCl reabsorption and could, therefore, play an important role in blood pressure regulation.
Basal forebrain dynamics during nonassociative and associative olfactory learning
Authors: Devore Sasha , Pender-Morris Nathaniel , Dean Owen , Smith David , Linster Christiane
Published: November 2015

Cholinergic and GABAergic projections from the horizontal diagonal band (HDB) and medial preoptic area (MCPO) of the basal forebrain to the olfactory system are associated with odor discrimination and odor learning, as well as modulation of neural responses in olfactory structures. Whereas pharmacological and lesion studies give insights into the functional role of these modulatory inputs on a slow timescale, the response dynamics of neurons in the HDB/MCPO during olfactory behaviors have not been investigated. In this study we examined how these neurons respond during two olfactory behaviors: spontaneous investigation of odorants and odor-reward association learning. We observe rich heterogeneity in the response dynamics of individual HDB/MCPO neurons, with a substantial fraction of neurons exhibiting task-related modulation. HDB/MCPO neurons show both rapid and transient responses during bouts of odor investigation and slow, long-lasting modulation of overall response rate based on behavioral demands. Specifically, baseline rates were higher during the acquisition phase of an odor-reward association than during spontaneous investigation or the recall phase of an odor reward association. Our results suggest that modulatory projections from the HDB/MCPO are poised to influence olfactory processing on multiple timescales, from hundreds of milliseconds to minutes, and are therefore capable of rapidly setting olfactory network dynamics during odor processing and learning.
Functional NMDA receptors are expressed by both AII and A17 amacrine cells in the rod pathway of the mammalian retina
Authors: Zhou Yifan , Tencerová Barbora , Hartveit Espen , Veruki Margaret L.
Published: November 2015

At many glutamatergic synapses, non- N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) and NMDA receptors are coexpressed postsynaptically. In the mammalian retina, glutamatergic rod bipolar cells are presynaptic to two rod amacrine cells (AII and A17) that constitute dyad postsynaptic partners opposite each presynaptic active zone. Whereas there is strong evidence for expression of non-NMDA receptors by both AII and A17 amacrines, the expression of NMDA receptors by the pre- and postsynaptic neurons in this microcircuit has not been resolved. In this study, using patch-clamp recording from visually identified cells in rat retinal slices, we investigated the expression and functional properties of NMDA receptors in these cells with a combination of pharmacological and biophysical methods. Pressure application of NMDA did not evoke a response in rod bipolar cells, but for both AII and A17 amacrines, NMDA evoked responses that were blocked by a competitive antagonist (CPP) applied extracellularly and an open channel blocker (MK-801) applied intracellularly. NMDA-evoked responses also displayed strong Mg2+-dependent voltage block and were independent of gap junction coupling. With low-frequency application (60-s intervals), NMDA-evoked responses remained stable for up to 50 min, but with higher-frequency stimulation (10- to 20-s intervals), NMDA responses were strongly and reversibly suppressed. We observed strong potentiation when NMDA was applied in nominally Ca2+-free extracellular solution, potentially reflecting Ca2+-dependent NMDA receptor inactivation. These results indicate that expression of functional (i.e., conductance-increasing) NMDA receptors is common to both AII and A17 amacrine cells and suggest that these receptors could play an important role for synaptic signaling, integration, or plasticity in the rod pathway.
An Intelligent Power Outlet System for the Smart Home of the Internet of Things
Authors: Fernández-Caramés Tiago M.
Published: November 2015

This paper presents an intelligent power outlet system that can be controlled wirelessly and that has been specifically designed to monitor electrical events in low-current loads. Each power outlet of the system embeds a microcontroller, a 2.4 GHz ZigBee interface, RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) reader, a relay, and a current sensor. The main features of the system include the remote control of the power outlet, real-time monitoring of the current consumption, the customization and programming of the power supply time schedule, the automatic interruption of vampire currents, and the prevention of certain types of electrical fires and electrocutions. A prototype with such features has been implemented and tested in a simple home automation network in order to validate its functionalities. The results show that the system reacts fast and avoids overconsumptions and electrocutions, being able to make the next generation of homes safer and smarter.
A Novel Insight into Dehydroleucodine Mediated Attenuation ofPseudomonas aeruginosaVirulence Mechanism
Authors: Mustafi S. , Veisaga M. L. , López L. A. , Barbieri M. A.
Published: November 2015

Increasing resistance ofPseudomonas aeruginosa(P. aeruginosa) to conventional treatments demands the search for novel therapeutic strategies. In this study, the antimicrobial activity of dehydroleucodine (DhL), a sesquiterpene lactone obtained fromArtemisia (A.) douglasiana, was screened against several pathogenic virulence effectors ofP. aeruginosa.In vitro, minimum inhibitory concentration of DhL was determined againstP. aeruginosastrains PAO1, PA103, PA14, and multidrug resistant clinical strain, CDN118. Results showed that DhL was active against each strain where PAO1 and PA103 showed higher susceptibility (MIC 0.48 mg/mL) as compared to PA14 (MIC 0.96 mg/mL) and CDN118 (MIC 0.98 mg/mL). Also, when PAO1 strain was grown in the presence of DhL (MIC50, 0.12 mg/mL), a delay in the generation time was noticed along with significant inhibition of secretory protease and elastase activities, interruption in biofilm attachment phase in a stationary culture, and a significant decline in Type III effector ExoS. At MIC50, DhL treatment increased the sensitivity ofP. aeruginosatowards potent antibiotics. Furthermore, treatment ofP. aeruginosawith DhL prevented toxin-induced apoptosis in macrophages. These observations suggest that DhL activity was at the bacterial transcriptional level. Hence, antimicrobial activity of DhL may serve as leads in the development of new anti-Pseudomonaspharmaceuticals.
A Design of 45-Degree Dual-Polarization Broadband Plane Station Antenna
Authors: Zhou Jianming
Published: November 2015

A new broadband planar dual-polarization base station antenna is proposed, the antenna consists of two broadband plane coplanar base station antenna units, and so it has features of plane antenna. Two broadband plane station antenna units can, respectively, form double polarization in the direction. We analyzed the relative positions between the two antenna units and their effects on the performances of the antenna, especially for the influence of isolation. Broadband antenna has the characteristics of the broadband station antenna, and bandwidth is also guaranteed. The measured results show that the antenna can obtain 45% relative bandwidth, and 30 dB isolation degree also can be got, and the radiation performance is also good. Measurement results confirmed that the antenna gain can be guaranteed among 48% relative bandwidth, 15 dB of gain is got among bandwidth of 1.69–2.78 GHz, the isolation degree of different polarization method can reach 30 dB, and the measurement gain of two polarization methods of antenna both can reach 8.5 dBi.
Cobrotoxin fromNaja naja atraVenom Ameliorates Adriamycin Nephropathy in Rats
Authors: Wang Shu-Zhi , Xu Yin-li , Zhu Qi , Kou Jian-qun , Qin Zheng-Hong
Published: November 2015

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) becomes a global health problem with high morbidity and mortality. Adriamycin- (ADR-) induced rodent chronic nephropathy is a classic experimental model of human minimal lesion nephrotic syndrome. The present study investigated the effect of cobrotoxin (CTX) on ADR-induced nephropathy. Rats were given 6 mg/kg ADR once through the tail vein to replicate ADR nephropathy model. CTX was administered to rats daily by placing a fast dissolving CTX membrane strip under the tongue starting from 5 days prior to ADR administration until the end of experiment. The results showed that CTX ameliorated the symptoms of ADR nephropathy syndrome with reduced body weight loss, proteinuria, hypoalbuminemia, dyslipidemia, serum electrolyte imbalance, oxidative stress, renal function abnormities, and kidney pathological lesions. Anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 expression was elevated after CTX administration in ADR nephropathy model. CTX inhibited the phosphorylation of IκB-αand NF-κB p65 nuclear translocation. Meanwhile, CTX upregulated the protein level of podocyte-specific nephrin and downregulated the level of fibrosis-related TGF-β. These findings suggest that CTX may be a potential drug for chronic kidney diseases.
Acalculous Acute Cholecystitis in Previously Healthy Children: General Overview and Analysis of Pediatric Infectious Cases
Authors: Poddighe Dimitri , Tresoldi Matteo , Licari Amelia , Marseglia Gian Luigi
Published: November 2015

Acute acalculous cholecystitis (AAC) is an inflammation of the gallbladder, which does not appear to be associated with the presence of gallstones. AAC is estimated to represent more than 50% of cases of acute cholecystitis in the pediatric population. Although this pathology was initially described in critically ill patients, actually most pediatric cases have been observed during several infectious diseases. Particularly, here we reviewed pediatric infectious acute acalculous cholecystitis and analyzed the pathophysiological and clinical aspects of bacterial and viral forms.