bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Business students’ hardiness and its role in quality of university life, quality of life, and learning performance
Authors: Tho Nguyen Dinh
Published: March 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of the hardiness of university business students. Overall hardiness, and its individual components of commitment, control and challenge, were all explored in relation to students’ quality of university life, quality of life and learning performance.

Design/methodology/approach

A sample of 722 Vietnamese business students was surveyed to collect the data. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to determine whether hardiness and/or its components enhanced students’ quality of university life, quality of life and learning performance. Necessary condition analysis (NCA) was then employed to explore the levels of hardiness and its components necessary for each of the key areas.

Findings

SEM results revealed that overall hardiness had a positive effect on all three key areas. In terms of individual components, commitment, control and challenge were found to have positive impacts on learning performance; however, control did not affect quality of university life, and challenge had no effect on quality of life. NCA results show that these components of hardiness had varying degrees necessary for students to experience success in these areas.

Practical implications

Findings suggest that university administers should consider the role which student hardiness, and its individual components, can play in relation to student success at university. Specifically, universities should practice hardiness training and assessment programs to equip their students with hardy attitudes and skills.

Originality/value

This study is one of the first to examine of the levels of the components of hardiness (i.e. commitment, control and challenge) necessary for students to achieve success in the quality of university life, quality of life and learning performance.
Education and employment in two Chilean undergraduate programs
Authors: Espinoza Oscar , McGinn Noel , González Luis , Sandoval Luis , Castillo Dante
Published: March 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to determine which of the two variables would be a more reliable proxy for quality of university training: graduates’ satisfaction with their degree program, or institutional prestige.

Design/methodology/approach

Graduates of professional psychology and teaching programs from three Chilean universities responded to a questionnaire asking their perception of different aspects of their degree program and experiences in their first employment. The three universities differ significantly in the proportion of applicants admitted, and in their prestige.

Findings

Salary levels are highly related to profession, but unrelated to graduates’ ratings of quality of curriculum or teaching methods. Overall satisfaction with the university experience is not linked to job satisfaction. Job satisfaction, on the other hand, is highly influenced by salary and secondarily by instructional practices and perceived work relevance of the degree program.

Research limitations/implications

This study is based on data from 3 of Chile’s 60 universities, and graduates of two programs. Most employment in the two professions is regulated by labor agreements. Generalizability of results is limited. Graduates may not have been employed enough to demonstrate their capacities.

Practical implications

The findings offer more evidence that prestige ratings are an unreliable indicator of the quality of formation offered by universities. If the government seeks to reduce income inequality, public subsidies of higher education should be based on program quality rather than on institutional prestige.

Originality/value

The findings are directly relevant to the current debate in Chile about what might and what might not help to reduce severe economic inequality.
Small businesses, potentially large impacts
Authors: Mottaleb Khondoker Abdul , Rahut Dil Bahadur , Erenstein Olaf
Published: March 2019

Purpose

Constraints associated with public agricultural extension services imply that farmers increasingly rely on input providers for agricultural innovations and knowledge. Yet such providers are typically commercial profit-making agents and may have an incentive to suggest relatively costly inputs and/or high rates. The purpose of this paper is to look into the case of Bangladesh and the role of fertilizer traders in terms of farmers’ decisions on which fertilizer to apply and at what rate. Using primary data, the authors examine farmers’ chemical fertilizer use and the associated rice production efficiency, based on different information sources (fertilizer traders, government extension agents or own/peer experience).

Design/methodology/approach

Using primary data, the present study estimates an ordered probit model and production functions separately based on whether or not a farmer relied on information from fertilizer traders or own experience and government extension agents, and examines the efficiency score of each type of farmer.

Findings

The findings demonstrate that the resource-poor farmers rely more on traders’ suggestions for fertilizer application than public extension – but the actual fertilizer information source has no significant effect on the production efficiency of the rice farmers. This study, therefore, does not find exploitative behavior of fertilizer traders. Thus, this study concludes that small rural traders in Bangladesh are working as agricultural extension agents and provide necessary fertilizer application information to resource-poor farmers.

Research limitations/implications

This is a case study based on Bangladesh – an emerging economy in South Asia. The findings of the study may not be generalized for other countries.

Originality/value

To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that confirms the role of agricultural input sellers as the extension agent in developing countries.
Impact of television on nutritional intake in communal dining room settings among those with acquired brain injury: A pilot study
Authors: Hall Caitlin , Vivanti Angela , Abbey Karen
Published: March 2019

Aim

Those with acquired brain injury (ABI) experience impairments in executive function, attention and concentration that may contribute to or exacerbate poor nutritional intakes. This is frequently observed in long‐stay rehabilitation settings. This investigation aimed to identify the specific impact of the dining room television as a factor that exacerbates poor intake and nutritional status among those with ABI.

Methods

Routine meal audits were completed (six television on, six television off) over four non‐consecutive days. Each individual's protein and energy intake per meal and day were assessed, and the differences were examined through paired t‐tests. Dining room decibels were measured, with means, peaks and minimums recorded.

Results

Complete data for 12 meals were collected for seven individuals. Clinically, but not statistically significant increases in 48‐hour protein and energy intake occurred with television off compared with on, including those requiring texture modified diets.

Conclusions

This pilot investigation highlights that television may have a detrimental impact on nutritional intakes among those with ABI. Given the negligible costs and risk, minimising disruptive influences by turning the television off may become a recommendation for ABI in long‐care rehabilitation settings.
The effect of price and tax policies on the decision to smoke among men in Kenya
Authors: Dauchy Estelle , Ross Hana
Published: March 2019

Aims

To assess the impact of cigarette prices on male smoking initiation and cessation in Kenya from 1960 to 2014.

Design

Longitudinal study using individual level data from the 2014 Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) and historical data on cigarette prices.

Setting

Kenya.

Participants

A total of 2079 men, among whom 619 identified as ever‐smokers.

Measurements

Self‐reported data on the years of smoking initiation and cessation, merged with historical data on cigarette prices. We employed several methodologies to estimate the effect of prices on smoking transitions, including a pooled linear model with propensity score matching (PSM).

Results

Price increases were negatively associated with smoking initiation, with price elasticity of initiation ranging from −0.03 (−0.066 to –0.000) to −0.14 (−0.216 to –0.0563). The association was two to three times larger for younger male adults compared with the average. Price increases were correlated with increased cessation for younger males, with a price elasticity of 0.08 (0.027–0.141) and for low‐income males with a price elasticity of 0.16 (−0.752 to 0.429).

Conclusions

Cigarette price increases in Kenya between 1960 and 2014 were negatively associated with males' smoking initiation and positively associated with younger and lower‐income males' cessation.
Living for Today or Tomorrow? Self‐Regulation amidst Proximal or Distal Exercise Outcomes
Authors: Evans M. Blair , Shanahan Erin , Leith Scott , Litvak Noah , Wilson Anne E.
Published: March 2019

Background

Although health promotion efforts to increase exercise behavior often emphasise long‐term outcomes, sustained action in service of a distal reward is challenging. These studies examined how focusing on the proximal benefits of exercise, compared to distal outcomes or more general outcomes, may strengthen individuals’ self‐regulatory self‐efficacy and support physical activity or exercise behavior.

Methods

Participants in Study 1 (N = 1057 community members) completed an online survey. Participants in Study 2 (N = 69 students) and Study 3 (N = 107 students) experienced experimental manipulations related to proximal or distal outcomes of exercise, and then completed survey measures. In Study 4, new members at a commercial gym (N = 210) completed a survey and had check‐ins recorded over 17 weeks.

Results

In Study 1, participants who ranked proximal outcomes of exercise as relatively more important than distal outcomes reported more frequent physical activity. In Studies 2 and 3, participants induced to focus on proximal outcomes reported increased self‐regulatory self‐efficacy. In Study 4, valuing proximal benefits predicted sustained exercise behavior (i.e. check‐ins), particularly when fitness goal adherence felt difficult.

Conclusions

Those holding increased proximal outcome beliefs reported more activity and greater efficacy to overcome the barriers that derail exercise.
Small logging roads do not restrict movements of forest rats in Bornean logged forests
Authors: Heon Sui P. , Chapman Philip M. , Bernard Henry , Ewers Robert M.
Published: March 2019

Selective logging is driving the proliferation of roads throughout tropical rain forests, particularly narrow, unpaved logging roads. However, little is known about the extent of road edge effects or their influence on the movements of tropical understory animal species. Here, we used forest rats to address the following questions: (a) Does the occupancy of rats differ from road edges to forest interior within logged forests? (b) Do roads inhibit the movements of rats within these forests? We established trapping grids along a road edge‐to‐forest interior gradient at four roads and in three control sites within a logged forest in Sabah, Malaysia. To quantify the probability of road crossing, rats were captured, translocated across a road, and then recaptured on subsequent nights. We caught 216 individuals of eight species on 3,024 trap nights. Rat occupancy did not differ across the gradient from road edge to interior, and 48 percent of the 105 translocated individuals crossed the roads and were recaptured. This proportion was not significantly different from that of rats returning in control sites (38% of 60 individuals), suggesting that small roads were not barriers to rat movements within logged forests. Subadults were significantly more likely to return from translocation than adults in both road and control sites. Our results are encouraging for the ecology of small mammal communities in heavily logged forests, because small logging roads do not restrict the movements of rats and therefore are unlikely to create an edge effect or influence habitat selection.
Good is Not Good, When Better is Expected: Discrepancies between Ideal and Actual Collectivism and their Effect on Organizational Commitment
Authors: Galanaki Eleanna , Papagiannakis Giorgos , Rapti Andriana
Published: March 2019

We draw on social exchange theory to investigate whether discrepancies between ideal and actual organizational collectivism influence the three types of organizational commitment, namely affective, normative, and continuance commitment. We employ the Global Leadership and Organizational Behavior Effectiveness (GLOBE) project methodology with a sample of 638 employees and find that different manifestations of collectivism discrepancies have heterogeneous effects on commitment. In particular, the results of polynomial regression analyses show that a high discrepancy between ideal and actual institutional collectivism leads to lower affective and normative organizational commitment. In contrast, a discrepancy of in‐group collectivism does not affect organizational commitment. The significance of the above results and their practical implications are discussed.
Peering inside the peak ring of the Chicxulub Impact Crater—its nature and formation mechanism
Authors: Urrutia‐Fucugauchi Jaime , Pérez‐Cruz Ligia , Morgan Joanna , Gulick Sean , Wittmann Axel , Lofi Johanna ,   IODP‐ICDP Expedition 364 Science Party
Published: March 2019

The IODP‐ICDP Expedition 364 drilled into the Chicxulub crater, peering inside its well‐preserved peak ring. The borehole penetrated a sequence of post‐impact carbonates and a unit of suevites and clast‐poor impact melt rock at the top of the peak ring. Beneath this sequence, basement rocks cut by pre‐impact and impact dykes, with breccias and melt, were encountered at shallow depths. The basement rocks are fractured, shocked and uplifted, consistent with dynamic collapse, uplift and long‐distance transport of weakened material during collapse of the transient cavity and final crater formation.
Limitations of lesion quality estimated by ablation index: An in vitro study
Authors: Kawaji Tetsuma , Hojo Shun , Kushiyama Akihiro , Nakatsuma Kenji , Kaneda Kazuhisa , Kato Masashi , Yokomatsu Takafumi , Miki Shinji
Published: March 2019

Limitations of the ablation index background

Ablation index (AI) is a novel marker of lesion quality from radiofrequency (RF) catheter ablation. However, AI reliability has not been fully validated by experimental data. The aim of the present study is to validate AI reliability for estimating lesion size using different settings for RF parameters: contact angle, power delivery, and contact force (CF).

Methods and results

We evaluated the lesion size in porcine hearts (N = 108) after RF application at three different contact angles to the myocardium: perpendicular (90°), oblique (45°), and parallel (0°). At each angle, RF power at 25, 30, and 35 W was applied at target CF values of 5, 15, and 30 g as measured by the CF sensor to reach target AIs of 300, 400, 500, and 600. AI value was significantly correlated with lesion depth, width, and volume (R = 0.84, 0.82, and 0.87, respectively, all P < 0.001). Lesion depth decreased with smaller contact angles (45° and 0°). Furthermore, high‐power RF energy (35 W) resulted in a significantly smaller lesion volume compared with standard‐power energy (30 W). There were no significant differences in lesion size among CF settings.

Conclusions

AI was strongly correlated with lesion depth, width, and volume, but only within a small range of contact angles and RF power delivery settings.
Behavioural response of alateAphis craccivoraKoch (Homoptera: Aphididae) to volatiles from different cowpea cultivars
Authors: Diabate Seydou , Deletre Emilie , Murungi Lucy Kananu , Fiaboe Komi K.M. , Wesonga John , Martin Thibaud
Published: March 2019

The cowpea aphid,Aphis craccivora,is a major insect pest of cowpea in Africa. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) mediate plant–arthropod interactions that could be used in the management of insect pests. In this study, we established the VOC profile involved in the interaction betweenA. craccivoraand four cowpea cultivars, namely Ex‐Luanda, Katumani 80, Machakos 66 and Ken Kunde 1. Behavioural assays were conducted to study host preference and gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry (GC/MS) for chemical analysis of volatiles. In preference assays, alateA. craccivorahad no significant preference for any of the four cowpea cultivars tested. However, in the olfactometer assays, the aphids showed a significant preference for odours from cultivar Ex‐Luanda compared to Katumani 80. Machakos 66 and Ken Kunde 1 elicited neutral responses. In pairwise comparisons, alateA. craccivoradid not distinguish between odours of respective cowpea cultivars. GC/MS analysis identified 23 compounds in the volatiles of the four cowpea cultivars. Not all compounds were detected in all cowpea cultivars, and the detected compounds amounts varied in each cultivar. Of these, only four compounds (hexanal,(E)‐2‐hexenal, 1‐octen‐3‐ol and p‐xylene) were emitted in significantly different quantities in the four cultivars. A blend of hexanal and(E)‐2‐hexenal added to cowpea cultivar Ex‐Luanda decreased its attractiveness toA. craccivoracompared to the control. Our findings showed differential attractiveness of VOCs of cowpea cultivars toA. craccivora,suggesting that VOCs could be used in the management ofA. craccivora.
Long‐Term Care Insurance With Family Altruism: Theory and Empirics
Authors: Klimaviciute Justina , Pestieau Pierre , Schoenmaeckers Jérôme
Published: March 2019

This article studies long‐term care (LTC) insurance in the presence of family altruism. We first explore whether family solidarity affects the application of Arrow's (1963) deductible theorem, shown to apply in models without family in earlier work. We find that Arrow's theorem generally holds, but departures from the standard model exist. Our analysis highlights complex interplay between parents’ insurance and children's aid, implying that some intuitive conjectures are not always verified. For instance, while one expects deductible to increase with children's altruism, this is unambiguously confirmed only under certain conditions. We then study empirically the relation between LTC insurance and children's altruism using data from “Health and Retirement Study” (HRS).
Taste‐Based Discrimination, Tolerance and the Wage Gap: When Does Economic Freedom Help Gay Men?
Authors: Christafore David , Leguizamon Susane
Published: March 2019

Although gay men have reported experiencing labor market discrimination, re‐ search studies on a potentially discriminatory wage gap have reported mixed findings. We consider the Becker model of taste based discrimination which hypothesizes that we will observe, in the presence of discrimination, a smaller or non‐existent wage gap in more competitive markets. Using economic freedom at the state level as a measure of market competitiveness, and controlling for other influential characteristics, we analyze the wages of over 300,000 men in the United States to consider how economic freedom influences the wage gap between cohabitating gay men and married straight men be‐ tween the years 2000 and 2014. We find evidence consistent with model predictions in the presence of labor market discrimination for the states in the South and regions with the highest concentrations of religious households but not in the Northeast, West and less religious regions. Given the lower levels of public support of gay rights in the South and religious regions, this result suggests that gay men may be experiencing la‐ bor market discrimination in these regions but not in regions which typically offer more public support. These findings may help reconcile contradictory findings in previous research which did not explicitly allow for differential regional and religious influences.
A Na+/Ca2+ exchanger of the olive pathogen Pseudomonas savastanoi pv. savastanoi is critical for its virulence
Authors: Moretti Chiaraluce , Trabalza Simone , Granieri Letizia , Caballo‐Ponce Eloy , Devescovi Giulia , Del Pino Alberto Marco , Ramos Cayo , Venturi Vittorio , van den Burg Harrold A. , Buonaurio Roberto , Palmerini Carlo Alberto
Published: March 2019

In a number of compatible plant‐bacterium interactions, a rise in apoplastic Ca2+ levels is observed, suggesting that Ca2+ represents an important environmental clue, as reported for bacteria infecting mammalians. We demonstrate that Ca2+ entry in Pseudomonas savastanoi pv. savastanoi (Psav) strain DAPP‐PG 722 is mediated by a Na+/Ca2+ exchanger critical for virulence. Using the fluorescent Ca2+ probe Fura 2‐AM, we demonstrate that Ca2+ enters Psav cells foremost when they experience low levels of energy, a situation mimicking the apoplastic fluid. In fact, Ca2+ entry was suppressed in the presence of high concentrations of glucose, fructose, sucrose or adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Since Ca2+ entry was inhibited by nifedipine and LiCl, we conclude that the channel for Ca2+ entry is a Na+/Ca2+ exchanger. In silico analysis of the Psav DAPP‐PG 722 genome revealed the presence of a single gene coding for a Na+/Ca2+ exchanger (cneA), which is a widely conserved and ancestral gene within the P. syringae complex based on gene phylogeny. Mutation of cneA compromised not only Ca2+ entry, but also compromised the Hypersensitive response (HR) in tobacco leaves and blocked the ability to induce knots in olive stems. The expression of both pathogenicity (hrpL, hrpA and iaaM) and virulence (ptz) genes was reduced in this Psav‐cneA mutant. Complementation of the Psav‐cneA mutation restored both Ca2+ entry and pathogenicity in olive plants, but failed to restore the HR in tobacco leaves. In conclusion, Ca2+ entry acts as a ‘host signal’ that allows and promotes Psav pathogenicity on olive plants.
Strategic Communication and the Integrative Complexity‐Ideology Relationship: Meta‐Analytic Findings Reveal Differences Between Public Politicians and Private Citizens in Their Use of Simple Rhetoric
Authors: Houck Shannon C. , Conway Lucian Gideon
Published: March 2019

Research on the relationship between political conservatism and integrative complexity has yielded contradictory results, and little effort has been made to place these mixed results in a theoretical context. The present article considers this issue through a strategic model of language that suggests different psychological processes apply to public politicians versus private citizens. We use a methodologically precise meta‐analytic test of the relationship between political ideology and integrative complexity to examine the degree that conservative simplicity can be understood as a function of public versus private samples. Across 35 studies, findings revealed that conservatives are significantly less complex than liberals overall; however, while this effect was significant for public politicians, no relationship emerged for private citizens. Consistent with a strategic model, conservative simplicity was particularly in evidence for elected officials. This theoretical analysis has many consequences for our understanding of psychological theories that help explain the consequences of political ideology.
Cognitive profiles and optimal cut‐offs for routine cognitive tests in elderly individuals with Parkinson's disease, Parkinson's disease dementia, Alzheimer's disease, and normal cognition
Authors: Phannarus Harisd , Muangpaisan Weerasak , Siritipakorn Pitiporn , Chotinaiwattarakul Wattanachai
Published: March 2019

Aim

The cognitive impairment seen in Parkinson's disease (PD) results in patient disability and reduced quality of life. However, using cognitive screening scales specific to PD in routine clinical practice is difficult because of limited time, resources, and skills. We studied the ability of routine cognitive tests to differentiate between Parkinson's disease dementia (PDD) and PD and among the neuropsychological profiles of elderly individuals with PD, PDD, Alzheimer's disease (AD), and normal cognition.

Methods

This cross‐sectional study involved 124 subjects. Subjects were 35 cognitively normal elderly and 37 elderly individuals with PD, 22 with PDD, and 30 with AD. All subjects were diagnosed by a specialist using standard criteria. Clinically relevant data and scores from the Montreal Cognitive Assessment and the Thai Mental State Examination were collected. Cognitive test scores were compared among groups. Receiver operating characteristic curves were constructed for a range of cut‐off points to explore the sensitivity and specificity of the screening tools to detect PDD.

Results

There were 74 female subjects (59.7%), and the average age of all subjects was 75.6 years. The median score on the modified Hoehn and Yahr scale was 2.5 in subjects with PD and 4 in those with PDD (P < 0.001). The cut‐offs for differentiating PDD from PD were 25 on the Thai Mental State Examination and 14 on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment. The sensitivity of the Thai Mental State Examination was 78.4%, and the specificity was 66.7% (area under the curve: 0.828). The sensitivity of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment was 81.1%, and the specificity was 75% (area under the curve: 0.876). There was a significant difference in the memory and language subdomains between AD and PDD (P < 0.05).

Conclusions

The cut‐offs used to differentiate PDD from PD were not the same as routine cut‐offs in distinguishing AD from normal elderly. The cognitive profile deficit in PDD differed from that in AD. Interpretations of positive screenings test should take this finding into consideration.
Endobronchial ultrasound‐guided transbronchial needle aspiration in sarcoidosis: Beyond the diagnostic yield
Authors: Trisolini Rocco , Baughman Robert P. , Spagnolo Paolo , Culver Daniel A.
Published: March 2019

Endobronchial ultrasound‐guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS‐TBNA) is the commonly used technique for pathological confirmation of clinically suspected sarcoidosis, mostly owing to its consistently high success rate in the detection of granulomas. However, other possible advantages, which are less appreciated and often poorly studied, may also contribute to the wider use of EBUS‐TBNA in the future. These advantages include refinement of differential diagnoses through the study of lymph node characteristics during B‐mode examination; reduction of complications associated with bronchoscopy, as well as improved triage of the specimen for ancillary studies with the use of rapid on‐site evaluation; optimization of the quality of the sample through the selection of a target area for biopsy with minimal vascularity and absence of calcifications by using the colour Doppler and the B‐mode; and prediction of the presence of extensive lymph node fibrosis by using the strain elastography module. Yet, limitations and possible clinical drawbacks should also be acknowledged. Indeed, due to the lack of specificity of the pathology findings in EBUS‐derived samples, the diagnosis of sarcoidosis is one of the exclusion and should remain essentially clinical. The external validity of EBUS‐TBNA results in sarcoidosis is questionable, as they mainly derive from studies in populations with a high disease prevalence. Finally, the risk exists that the low morbidity and high diagnostic yield of EBUS‐TBNA may lead to its overuse in patients with clinical/radiological findings specific enough to secure a clinical diagnosis of sarcoidosis.
Size-Dependent Mechanics of the Adherens Junction Mediated by Cooperative trans and cis Bindings
Authors: Li Shao-Heng , Xu Guang-Kui
Published: March 2019

The adherens junction (AJ) plays an important role in many collective mechanobiological processes, such as gastrulation, embryonic morphogenesis, and tissue homeostasis. In this study, we construct a coarse-grained Monte Carlo simulation model to probe the mechanical properties of AJs. We confirm that cadherin cluster induced by cooperative trans and cis bindings is responsible for AJ’s strength. Systematic simulations reveal that depending on the AJ’s size, the separation force scales with or decouples with the adhesion area, which can explain the conflicting force–area relations in experiments. Moreover, we find that the separation force can be enhanced not only by inter-membrane trans binding but also by intra-membrane cis binding. This cis strengthening effect can indeed boost AJ’s adhesion strength up to the level of focal adhesions, although cadherin’s affinity is three orders of magnitude lower than that of integrin. This work deepens the current understanding of AJ’s mechanics and may help study its functioning in tissue development and tumor progression.
Measurement of Frictional Properties of Aortic Stent Grafts and Their Delivery Systems
Authors: Chen Tianhao , Lancaster Michael , Lin Dawn S. Y. , Doyle Matthew G. , Forbes Thomas L. , Amon Cristina H.
Published: March 2019

Stent grafts are medical devices used to treat abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) in endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR). Computational and experimental models have been developed to study stent graft delivery and deployment during EVAR; however, frictional properties have not been taken into account in most previous studies. The objective of this study was to determine the coefficients of friction of three commercially available stent grafts (Cook Zenith, Medtronic Endurant, and Vascutek Anaconda), their delivery sheaths, a porcine aorta, and two mock arterial materials. Stent grafts were obtained and separated into stents, graft fabric, and sheaths. Using a custom-made friction measurement apparatus, the coefficients of friction were measured between five material pairs: (i) the stents and inner surface of the sheath, (ii) the graft fabric and inner surface of the sheath, (iii) the outer surface of the sheath and a porcine aorta, (iv) the outer surface of the sheath and three different polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) cryogels, and (v) the outer surface of the sheath and a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) sheet. The results show that the coefficients of friction between the graft fabric and the sheath were higher than those between the stents and the sheath. The PVA cryogels showed more comparable frictional properties to the porcine aorta than did the PDMS sheet, suggesting that PVA cryogels provide a more accurate approximation for the in vivo frictional properties. These results can be used to improve the accuracy of computational models for stent graft delivery and deployment and to select appropriate materials for vascular phantoms.
Activating cGAS at the right time and place
Authors: Wong Wei
Published: March 2019

Plasma membrane localization and acetylation ensure the appropriate activation of the DNA sensor cGAS.
Novel Carbapenemases FLC-1 and IMI-2 Encoded by an Enterobacter cloacae Complex Isolated from Food Products
Authors: Brouwer Michael S. M. , Tehrani Kamaleddin H. M. E. , Rapallini Michel , Geurts Yvon , Kant Arie , Harders Frank , Mashayekhi Vida , Martin Nathaniel I. , Bossers Alex , Mevius Dik J. , Wit Ben , Veldman Kees T.
Published: March 2019

Food for human consumption is screened widely for the presence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria to assess the potential for transfer of resistant bacteria to the general population. Here, we describe an
Enterobacter cloacae
complex isolated from imported seafood that encodes two carbapenemases on two distinct plasmids.
Modeling HIV-1 Latency Using Primary CD4+T Cells from Virally Suppressed HIV-1-Infected Individuals on Antiretroviral Therapy
Authors: Takata Hiroshi , Kessing Cari , Sy Aaron , Lima Noemia , Sciumbata Julia , Mori Luisa , Jones R. Brad , Chomont Nicolas , Michael Nelson L. , Valente Susana , Trautmann Lydie
Published: March 2019

Primary cell models of HIV latency have been very useful to identify mechanisms contributing to HIV latency and to evaluate potential HIV cure strategies. However, the current models utilizein vitroinfection with exogenous virus that does not fully recapitulate virus reactivation profiles of endogenous HIV inin vivo-infected CD4+T cells. In contrast, obtaining sufficient amounts of CD4+T cells from HIV-infected individuals to interrogate the HIV reservoirin vitrorequires leukapheresis. In the model we propose here,in vitroexpansion and extended culture of primary CD4+T cells isolated from virally suppressed HIV-infected individuals enable obtaining large numbers of cells harboring endogenous latent HIV reservoirs without performing leukapheresis. This model captures the variability of HIV reservoirs seeded in different individuals and should be useful to evaluate future HIV cure strategies.
OXA-48-Mediated Ceftazidime-Avibactam Resistance Is Associated with Evolutionary Trade-Offs
Authors: Fröhlich Christopher , Sørum Vidar , Thomassen Ane Molden , Johnsen Pål Jarle , Leiros Hanna-Kirsti S. , Samuelsen Ørjan
Published: March 2019

The recent introduction of novel β-lactam/β-lactamase inhibitor combinations like ceftazidime-avibactam has increased our ability to treat infections caused by multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria, including carbapenemase-producing
Enterobacterales
. However, the increasing number of cases of reported resistance to ceftazidime-avibactam is a concern. OXA-48 is a carbapenemase that has no significant effect on ceftazidime, but is inhibited by avibactam. Since isolates with OXA-48 frequently harbor extended-spectrum β-lactamases that are inhibited by avibactam, it is likely that ceftazidime-avibactam will be used to treat infections caused by OXA-48-producing
Enterobacterales.
Our data show that exposure to ceftazidime-avibactam can lead to changes in OXA-48, resulting in increased ability to hydrolyze ceftazidime and withstand the inhibitory effect of avibactam. Thus, resistance toward ceftazidime-avibactam among OXA-48-producing
Enterobacterales
should be monitored. Interestingly, the compromising effect of the amino acid substitutions in OXA-48 on other β-lactams and the effect of ceftazidime-avibactam exposure on the epidemic OXA-48 plasmid indicate that the evolution of ceftazidime-avibactam resistance comes with collateral effects.
Gut Microbial Dynamics during Conventionalization of Germfree Chicken
Authors: Thomas Milton , Wongkuna Supapit , Ghimire Sudeep , Kumar Roshan , Antony Linto , Doerner Kinchel C. , Singery Aaron , Nelson Eric , Woyengo Tofuko , Chankhamhaengdecha Surang , Janvilisri Tavan , Scaria Joy
Published: March 2019

The domestic chicken is the cornerstone of animal agriculture worldwide, with a flock population exceeding 40 billion birds/year. It serves as an economically valuable source of protein globally. The microbiome of poultry has important effects on chicken growth, feed conversion, immune status, and pathogen resistance. The aim of our research was to develop a gnotobiotic chicken model appropriate for the study chicken gut microbiota function. Our experimental model shows that young germfree chicks are able to colonize diverse sets of gut bacteria. Therefore, besides the use of this model to study mechanisms of gut microbiota interactions in the chicken gut, it could be also used for applied aspects such as determining the safety and efficacy of new probiotic strains derived from chicken gut microbiota.
Looking for Needles in the Plasmodial Haystack
Authors: Hviid Lars
Published: March 2019

Plasmodium falciparum
malaria remains a globally leading infectious disease problem. Despite decades of intense investigation, an efficacious and practical vaccine offering durable protection to people living in areas with transmission of malaria parasites remains an elusive goal.
Correlation of changes in serum level of VEGF and peripapillary retinal thickness in patients with POEMS syndrome
Authors: Yokouchi Hirotaka , Baba Takayuki , Misawa Sonoko , Oshitari Toshiyuki , Kuwabara Satoshi , Yamamoto Shuichi
Published: March 2019

Aim

To determine whether changes in the serum levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) after thalidomide therapy will affect the peripapillary retinal thickness (pRT) associated with optic disc oedema (ODE) in patients with polyneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, monoclonal gammopathy and skin changes (POEMS) syndrome.

Methods

This was a retrospective, observational case series of 23 right eyes of 23 treatment-naïve patients with POEMS syndrome and ODE whose intracranial pressure was within the normal range. The pRT was determined by spectral-domain optical coherence tomography, and the serum level of VEGF was determined by ELISA at baseline and 6 months after the thalidomide therapy. We determined whether a change in the pRT from baseline was significantly correlated with the serum level of VEGF from that at 6 months after the thalidomide treatment.

Results

Six months after treatment, the mean serum level of VEGF was significantly reduced from 7153±4214 pg/mL to 1067±769 pg/mL (p<0.001), and the pRT was significantly decreased from 471.2±203 µm to 318.1±53.9 µm (p<0.001). The change in the pRT from baseline was signiﬁcantly and linearly correlated with the change in the serum level of VEGF from that at 6 months after treatment (r=0.67, p=0.00039).

Conclusions

The close relationship between the pRT and the serum level of VEGF may offer clues on the pathogenesis of POEMS syndrome and potentially add a new candidate cause for the pathogenesis of ODE.
Structural weakening of the colonic mucus barrier is an early event in ulcerative colitis pathogenesis
Authors: van der Post Sjoerd , Jabbar Karolina S , Birchenough George , Arike Liisa , Akhtar Noreen , Sjovall Henrik , Johansson Malin E V , Hansson Gunnar C
Published: March 2019

Objective

The colonic inner mucus layer protects us from pathogens and commensal-induced inflammation, and has been shown to be defective in active UC. The aim of this study was to determine the underlying compositional alterations, their molecular background and potential contribution to UC pathogenesis.

Design

In this single-centre case–control study, sigmoid colon biopsies were obtained from patients with UC with ongoing inflammation (n=36) or in remission (n=28), and from 47 patients without colonic disease. Mucus samples were collected from biopsies ex vivo, and their protein composition analysed by nanoliquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Mucus penetrability and goblet cell responses to microbial stimulus were assessed in a subset of patients.

Results

The core mucus proteome was found to consist of a small set of 29 secreted/transmembrane proteins. In active UC, major structural mucus components including the mucin MUC2 (p<0.0001) were reduced, also in non-inflamed segments. Active UC was associated with decreased numbers of sentinel goblet cells and attenuation of the goblet cell secretory response to microbial challenge. Abnormal penetrability of the inner mucus layer was observed in a subset of patients with UC (12/40; 30%). Proteomic alterations in penetrable mucus samples included a reduction of the SLC26A3 apical membrane anion exchanger, which supplies bicarbonate required for colonic mucin barrier formation.

Conclusion

Core mucus structural components were reduced in active UC. These alterations were associated with attenuation of the goblet cell secretory response to microbial challenge, but occurred independent of local inflammation. Thus, mucus abnormalities are likely to contribute to UC pathogenesis.
Using meta-analysis to derive a respiration model for Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) to assess bioenergetics requirements of juveniles in two Canadian rivers
Authors: Macnaughton Camille J. , Deslauriers David , Ipsen Erinn L. , Corey Emily , Enders Eva C.
Published: March 2019

Standard metabolic rates (SMRs) for Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) have been calculated independently for different life stages and populations, but the absence of a comprehensive SMR model limits its application for modelling the energy use or life stage-specific growth. Atlantic salmon respiration data were compiled from a meta-analysis of 26 publications, and exponential or optimal relationships were fitted to the metadata to estimate respiration equation parameters and generate confidence intervals dependent on temperature and body mass. While model parameters were significant for both models, mass-corrected standard metabolic rates (g O2·day−1) increased as a function of water temperature (°C) and decreased beyond ∼16 °C following an optimal relationship (AICoptimal= –9185.50 versus AICexponential= –8948.95; ΔAIC = 236.55). Juvenile Atlantic salmon growth (cohorts 1 and 2) from bioenergetics simulations did not vary between Little Southwest Miramichi and Northwest Miramichi rivers; however, variation between simulations using the different respiration models (i.e., exponential versus optimal) led to differences in the way fish allocate energy throughout the year. Results from this analysis will inform conservation efforts for the species throughout its current range and predict the energetic requirements at juvenile life stages.
Carnosine Suppresses Human Colorectal Cell Migration and Intravasation by Regulating EMT and MMP Expression
Authors: Hsieh Shu-Ling , Hsieh ShuChen , Lai Po-Yu , Wang Jyh-Jye , Li Chien-Chun , Wu Chih-Chung
Published: March 2019

Carnosine is an endogenous dipeptide found in the vertebrate skeletal muscles that is usually obtained through the diet. To investigate the mechanism by which carnosine regulates the migration and intravasation of human colorectal cancer (CRC) cells, we used cultured HCT-116 cells as an experimental model in this study. We examined HCT-116 cell migratory and intravasive abilities and expression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-associated molecules and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) after carnosine treatment. The results showed that both migration and invasion were inhibited in cells treated with carnosine. We found significant decreases in Twist-1 protein levels and increases in E-cadherin protein levels in HCT-116 cells after carnosine exposure. Although plasminogen activator (uPA) and MMP-9 mRNA and protein levels were decreased, TIMP-1 mRNA and protein levels were increased. Furthermore, the cytosolic levels of phosphorylated I[Formula: see text]B (p-I[Formula: see text]B) and NF-[Formula: see text]B DNA-binding activity were reduced after carnosine treatment. These results indicate that carnosine inhibits the migration and intravasation of human CRC cells. The regulatory mechanism may occur by suppressing NF-[Formula: see text]B activity and modulating MMP and EMT-related gene expression in HCT-116 cells.
Investigating the Relationship Between SLOC and Logical Database Measures to Improve the Early Estimation of Software Cost
Authors: Tokdemir Gul , Cagiltay Nergiz Ercil
Published: March 2019

Project planning is a critical activity in the software development life cycle. At the early stages of a project, the managers need to estimate required time, effort and cost to plan, track and then to deliver the project successfully. Many studies have attempted to provide methods for precise software cost estimation. The current software cost estimation methods are mainly based on software size estimation and functional system requirements. The main assumption of this study is that, as the primary source of complexity in today’s software is the interaction between the database and the user, database measures may provide inputs allowing current software estimation methods to achieve more accurate results. Accordingly, this study attempts to gain insights from objective measures, collected through the logical database model of software systems, for better prediction of the software’s effort and hence cost through software lines of code (SLOC) measure. For this purpose, more than 2.5 million lines of code developed by four different companies, for 79 different software packages with their related database design measures, are analyzed. The results of this study show that there is a close correlation between the software size and database design measure, namely, the number of tables which can be collected at the logical database design stage. By adapting this result, the current estimation models could be improved significantly.
c-Nilpotent multiplier and c-capability of the direct sum of Lie algebras
Authors: Johari Farangis , Niroomand Peyman , Parvizi Mohsen
Published: March 2019

In this paper, we determine the behavior of the [Formula: see text]-nilpotent multiplier of Lie algebras with respect to the direct sum. Then we give some results on the [Formula: see text]-capability of the direct sum of finite dimensional Lie algebras.
Quantum Chemical Calculation of Reactions Involving C20, C60, Graphene and H2O
Authors: Poklonski N. A. , Ratkevich S. V. , Vyrko S. A. , Vlassov A. T. , Hieu Nguyen Ngoc
Published: March 2019

Calculations of chemical reactions between C20, C60, hydrogen and water molecules are carried out using the PM3 method. Reactions with a hydrogen release at room temperature and atmospheric pressure are identified by the Gibbs energy change. The hydrogen release can be raised by increasing the number of water molecules in chlorine-assisted decomposition of fullerenes. Calculations of the Gibbs energy of chemical reactions involving water molecules between two parallel curved graphene sheets are carried out using DFT with the functional UB3LYP. During pumping between plates of an electric capacitor designed from curved graphene sheets, the water vapor with the assistance of external illumination is enriched by electrically neutral hydroxyl groups (OH)0.
Driving Anger States Detection Based on Incremental Association Markov Blanket and Least Square Support Vector Machine
Authors: Wan Ping , Wu Chaozhong , Lin Yingzi , Ma Xiaofeng
Published: March 2019

Driving anger, known as “road rage”, has gradually become a serious traffic psychology issue. Although driving anger identification is solved in some studies, there is still a gap in driving anger grading which is helpful to take different intervening measures for different anger intensity, especially in real traffic environment. The main objectives of this study are: (1) explore a novel driving anger induction method based on various elicitation events, e.g., traffic congestion, vehicles weaving/cutting in line, jaywalking and red light waiting in real traffic environment; (2) apply incremental association Markov blanket (IAMB) algorithm to select typical features related to driving anger states; (3) employ least square support vector machine (LSSVM) to identify different driving anger states based on the selected features. Thirty private car drivers were enrolled to perform field experiments on a busy route selected in Wuhan, China, where drivers’ anger could be induced by the elicitation events within limited time. Meanwhile, three types of data sets including driver physiology, driving behaviors and vehicle motions, were collected by multiple sensors. The results indicate that 13 selected features including skin conductance, relative energy spectrum of β band of electroencephalogram, standard deviation (SD) of pedaling speed of gas pedal, SD of steering wheel angle rate, vehicle speed, SD of speed, SD of forward acceleration and SD of lateral acceleration have significant impact on driving anger states. The IAMB-LSSVM model achieves an accuracy with 82.20% which is 2.03%, 3.15%, 4.34%, 7.84% and 8.36% higher than IAMB using C4.5, NBC, SVM, KNN and BPNN, respectively. The results are beneficial to design driving anger detecting or intervening devices in intelligent human-machine systems.