bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Smartphone telemedical emergency department consults for screening of nonacute dizziness
Authors: Shah Manan U. , Lotterman Seth , Roberts Daniel , Eisen Marc
Published: November 2018

Objectives/Hypothesis

Each year, the United States spends over $4 billion on emergency department visits for evaluation of dizziness. Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is a common cause of dizziness that can easily be diagnosed by observing characteristic eye movements during the Dix‐Hallpike test (DHT). The DHT is easily performed; however, interpretation requires more advanced training. This may be part of the reason it is not commonly performed in emergency departments, and instead, patients undergo costly imaging tests. We evaluated whether smartphone‐based video recordings of DHT could be assessed telemedically for screening of nonacute dizziness.

Study Design

Feasibility study.

Methods

Dizzy patients underwent objective vestibular testing, but also had videos of their eye movements recorded via a smartphone during the DHT. The videos were remotely reviewed by two neuro‐otologists for BPPV screening and were compared to objective and in‐person exam findings.

Results

Overall, 30 dizzy patients were evaluated with seven cases of BPPV. The sensitivity for diagnosing BPPV via a smartphone‐recording of eye movements of the DHT was 92.86%, with a specificity of 100% and a negative predictive value of 97.87%.

Conclusions

Our initial proof‐of‐concept study shows that remote screening of BPPV is possible with high specificity. Because the DHT is easily taught, having a remote otolaryngologist interpret the resulting eye movements may increase usage of the test and may lead to cost savings.

Level of Evidence

4 Laryngoscope, 129:466–469, 2019
Antileukotrienes improve naso‐ocular symptoms and biomarkers in patients with NARES and asthma
Authors: De Corso Eugenio , Anzivino Roberta , Galli Jacopo , Baroni Silvia , Di Nardo Walter , De Vita Carla , Salvati Antonio , Autilio Chiara , Settimi Stefano , Mele Dario , Paludetti Gaetano , Mullol Joaquim
Published: November 2018

Objective

The aim of our study was to analyze the montelukast effectiveness in improving oculonasal symptoms, patient‐reported outcomes (PROs), and eosinophilic biomarkers in patients with nonallergic rhinitis eosinophilic syndrome (NARES).

Methods

We enrolled prospectively 80 symptomatic patients treated with 10 mg once a day of montelukast in monotherapy for 2 months. All patients were investigated before and after treatment. Nasal symptoms (nasal obstruction, rhinorrhoea, sneezing, nasal itching), ocular symptoms (redness/puffiness, watery eyes), and other PROs (olfactory dysfunction, difficulty going to sleep, nighttime awakenings, and nasal congestion on awakening) were scored by visual analogic scale. The following clinical scores were assessed: Total Nasal Symptom Score (T4NSS), Total Ocular Symptom Score (T2OSS), Total Symptom Score of Patient‐Reported Outcomes (TSS‐PROs), and a Composite Symptoms Score (CSS). Patients were classified as responders when a reduction of at least 50% of the CSS was observed. Before and after treatment, the eosinophilic biomarkers in nasal lavage were analyzed: nasal eosinophilia (number of eosinophils per high power field), eotaxin‐1 and eotaxin‐2.

Results

After treatment, significant reductions were observed for all the symptom scores. Forty‐two of 78 patients were considered responders. A significant reduction of eosinophils in nasal mucosa and of levels of eotaxin‐1 and eotaxin‐2 in nasal lavage were observed after treatment in responder patients. Patients with asthma had an increased probability to be responders.

Conclusion

NARES patients may benefit from treatment with montelukast. In particular, the presence of concomitant asthma may be predictive of a greater efficacy.

Level of Evidence

2 Laryngoscope, 129:551–557, 2019
Surgery of the major salivary glands and its impact on salivary flow—A review
Authors: Burghartz Marc , Hackenberg Stephan , Sittel Christian , Hagen Rudolf
Published: November 2018

Objective

The aim of this study was to bring attention to a rather unnoted side effect of salivary gland surgery–reduced salivary flow.

Methods

A systematic PubMed, Cochrane Library, LIVIVO, and Embase databases search was performed to identify relevant articles.

Results

Eight studies matched the inclusion criteria. All studies described an association between salivary gland surgery and reduced salivary flow. In five of the eight studies, patients reported on xerostomia after salivary gland surgery.

Conclusions

Head and neck surgeons should inform their patients more accurately about reduced salivary flow and possible xerostomia after salivary gland surgery, and focus more on conservative strategies and minimally invasive techniques.

Laryngoscope, 129:2053–2058, 2019
Wave and tide‐driven flow act on multiple scales to shape the distribution of a juvenile fish (Albula vulpes) in shallow nearshore habitats
Authors: Haak Christopher R. , Cowles Geoffrey W. , Danylchuk Andy J.
Published: November 2018

Environmental stress associated with incident flow is among the most fundamental physical factors structuring fish distributions. In shallow marine habitats, flow‐related stress arises through several distinct processes, yet their combined ramifications for habitat utilization by fishes are rarely evaluated concurrently. We used hydrodynamic models to resolve spatial and temporal variability in wave‐ and tide‐driven water velocities across the littoral zone of a subtropical island, and related these, along with other environmental predictors, to patterns in the abundance of a juvenile fish (Albula vulpes) as determined by 785 beach‐seine samples. Exerting universally negative effects on abundance, flow‐related predictors were among the most influential drivers of habitat use, particularly at landscape scales where contrasts were most apparent. Spatial gradients in the strength of wave‐induced and tide‐driven flow were pronounced and varied inversely across the study area, applying contradictory constraints on A. vulpes distributions and limiting juveniles to the small subset of habitats where near‐maximal wave and tide‐driven water velocities were mutually depressed over the long term. Meanwhile, within the few embayments where A. vulpes occurred with regularity, abundance was inversely related to short‐term fluctuations in wave‐driven water velocity, evidencing fine‐scale movements as fish presumably sought reduced rates of flow. Juveniles were consistently absent from the remaining majority of stations regardless of temporal variability, indicating that they were unable to exploit these areas even during periods of calm. Collectively, these observations are consistent with the hypothesis that spatial and temporal variability in incident flow act simultaneously at distinct scales to structure motile fish distributions.
3D Microfibrous Scaffolds Selectively Promotes Proliferation and Glial Differentiation of Adult Neural Stem Cells: A Platform to Tune Cellular Behavior in Neural Tissue Engineering
Authors: Patel Bhavika B. , Sharifi Farrokh , Stroud Daniel P. , Montazami Reza , Hashemi Nicole N. , Sakaguchi Donald S.
Published: November 2018

Biomaterials are essential for the development of innovative biomedical and therapeutic applications. Biomaterials‐based scaffolds can influence directed cell differentiation to improve cell‐based strategies. Using a novel microfluidics approach, poly (ε‐caprolactone) (PCL), is used to fabricate microfibers with varying diameters (3–40 µm) and topographies (straight and wavy). Multipotent adult rat hippocampal stem/progenitor cells (AHPCs) are cultured on 3D aligned PCL microfibrous scaffolds to investigate their ability to differentiate into neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes. The results indicate that the PCL microfibers significantly enhance proliferation of the AHPCs compared to control, 2D planar substrates. While the AHPCs maintained their multipotent differentiation capacity when cultured on the PCL scaffolds, there is a significant and dramatic increase in immunolabeling for astrocyte and oligodendrocyte differentiation when compared with growth on planar surfaces. Our results show a 3.5‐fold increase in proliferation and 23.4‐fold increase in astrocyte differentiation for cells on microfibers. Transplantation of neural stem/progenitor cells within a PCL microfiber scaffold may provide important biological and topographic cues that facilitate the survival, selective differentiation, and integration of transplanted cells to improve therapeutic strategies.
Corrosion fatigue behavior of S135 high‐strength drill pipe steel in a simulated marine environment
Authors: Luo Sheji , Liu Ming , Lin Xiuzhou
Published: November 2018

The fatigue and corrosion fatigue lives of S135 drill pipe steel were tested in air and in a simulated marine environment. The empirical equations for fatigue lives in different environments were obtained via regression analysis, and fatigue fracture mechanisms were elucidated. Results showed that an endurance limit existed in air, and fatigue cracks were initiated from or near the surface of specimens. The morphologies in air were cleavage fracture at the crack initiation zone and fatigue striations at the crack propagation zone. In the marine environment, fatigue striations were less at higher stress amplitudes, and fatigue lives were lower than that in air. Fatigue cracks were initiated from the corrosion pits on and near the surface of specimens. The morphologies were characteristic cleavage fracture at the crack initiation zone and cleavage fracture and secondary cracking at the crack propagation zone. Less fatigue striations occurred on the main fracture surface. The fracture mechanism in the marine environment can be summarized as follows: corrosion pit formation, crack initiation, crack propagation, piercing, and fracture.
A QSAR Study for Analgesic and Anti‐inflammatory Activities of 5‐/6‐Acyl‐3‐alkyl‐2‐Benzoxazolinone Derivatives
Authors: Tugcu Gulcin , Koksal Meric
Published: November 2018

In this publication, QSAR models were developed to predict analgesic and anti‐inflammatory activities of some 2‐benzoxazolinone derivatives using multiple linear regression method. The models were validated internally and externally according to the OECD principles. With the help of these models, pronounced molecular properties of these compounds related to activities were also explored. The developed models demonstrated that hydrophobicity, the number of halogens, and the shape of the molecular structure of these candidate drugs are prominent to represent analgesic and anti‐inflammatory activities. Based on the previously tested compounds and the developed models, 77 new compounds were designed as potential analgesic and anti‐inflammatory drugs. Majority of the newly designed compounds demonstrated promising analgesic and anti‐inflammatory activity.
Evolutes of fronts in the Minkowski plane
Authors: Li Yanlin , Sun Qing‐You
Published: November 2018

We consider the differential geometry of evolutes of singular curves and give the definitions of spacelike fronts and timelike fronts in the Minkowski plane. We also give the notions of moving frames along the non‐lightlike fronts in the Minkowski plane. By using the moving frames, we define the evolutes of non‐lightlike fronts and investigate the geometric properties of these evolutes. We obtain that the evolute of a spacelike front is a timelike front and the evolute of a timelike front is a spacelike front. Since the evolute of a non‐lightlike front is also a non‐lightlike front, we can take evolute again. We study the Minkowski Zigzag number of non‐lightlike fronts and give the n‐th evolute of the non‐lightlike front. Finally, we give an example to illustrate our results.
Compact microstrip reconfigurable filter based on spiral resonators
Authors: Donelli Massimo , Manekiya Muhammedhusen , Menon Sreedevi K.
Published: November 2018

In this work, the design of a reconfigurable stop‐band filter based on a set of spiral microstrip resonators is proposed. In particular, a set of spiral resonators able to reject different Wi‐Fi channels are activated or deactivated by means of electronic switches based on pin diodes. A filter prototype composed of five resonating elements and coupled with a microstrip was fabricated and experimentally assessed. Good performances have been verified experimentally, with reference to the filter reject capabilities. The numerical and experimental results are in good agreement.
Integrated motion correction and dictionary learning for free‐breathing myocardial T1 mapping
Authors: Zhu Yanjie , Kang Jinkyu , Duan Chong , Nezafat Maryam , Neisius Ulf , Jang Jihye , Nezafat Reza
Published: November 2018

Purpose

To develop and evaluate an integrated motion correction and dictionary learning (MoDic) technique to accelerate data acquisition for myocardial T1 mapping with improved accuracy.

Methods

MoDic integrates motion correction with dictionary learning–based reconstruction. A random undersampling scheme was implemented for slice‐interleaved T1 mapping sequence to allow prospective undersampled data acquisition. Phantom experiments were performed to evaluate the effect of reconstruction on T1 measurement. In vivo T1 mappings were acquired in 8 healthy subjects using 6 different acceleration approaches: uniform or randomly undersampled k‐space data with reduction factors (R) of 2, 3, and 4. Uniform undersampled data were reconstructed with SENSE, and randomly undersampled k‐space data were reconstructed using dictionary learning, compressed sensing SENSE, and MoDic methods. Three expert readers subjectively evaluated the quality of T1 maps using a 4‐point scoring system. The agreement between T1 values was assessed by Bland‐Altman analysis.

Results

In the phantom study, the accuracy of T1 measurements improved with increasing reduction factors (31 ± 35 ms, 13 ± 18 ms, and 5 ± 11 ms for reduction factor (R) = 2 to 4, respectively). The image quality of in vivo T1 maps assessed by subjective scoring using MoDic was similar to that of SENSE at R = 2 (P = .61) but improved at R = 3 and 4 (P < .01). The scores of dictionary learning (2.98 ± 0.71, 2.91 ± 0.60, and 2.67 ± 0.71 for R = 2 to 4) and CS‐SENSE (3.32 ± 0.42, 3.05 ± 0.43, and 2.53 ± 0.43) were lower than those of MoDic (3.48 ± 0.46, 3.38 ± 0.52, and 2.9 ± 0.60) for all reduction factors (P < .05 for all).

Conclusion

The MoDic method accelerates data acquisition for myocardial T1 mapping with improved T1 measurement accuracy.
Outcomes of observation without empiric intravenous antibiotics in febrile, nonneutropenic pediatric oncology patients
Authors: Wu Natalie , Muller William , Morgan Elaine
Published: November 2018

There are no consensus guidelines for management of pediatric oncology patients presenting with fever and nonneutropenia, with limited research into the outcomes of withholding empiric i.v. antibiotics. We conducted a prospective cohort study assessing the safety and efficacy of observing well‐appearing patients presenting with fever and nonneutropenia (absolute neutrophil count ≥ 500 cells/mm3). Of 238 episodes, 82.7% patients were observed with no infectious complications and low overall incidence of bacteremia (3.4%). There were no significant differences in individual clinical variables. We propose that observation alone in some well‐appearing febrile pediatric oncology patients is safe and limits the use of unnecessary empiric antibiotics.
Oxygen‐Vacancy Induced Resistive Switching Effect in Mn‐Doped ZnO Memory Devices
Authors: Li Sih‐Sian , Su Yan‐Kuin
Published: November 2018

The bipolar resistive switching behavior of Pt/Mn‐doped ZnO/InZnO memory devices is investigated in this study, and evidence has been found that this switching effect is due to defects. X‐ray photoelectron spectra indicate that significant amounts of oxygen‐vacancy defects are present in the Mn‐doped ZnO memory device. Superior bipolar resistive switching behavior has been observed in Mn‐doped ZnO memory devices. In contrast, this switching behavior is not present in the undoped ZnO memory device. Based on endurance and retention time measurements, these devices also show excellent reliability and stability, and the enhanced bipolar resistive switching behavior is consistent with changes in oxygen‐vacancy concentration. Especially, the resistive switching effect can be attributed to oxygen vacancy conductive filaments is found by depth‐profiling XPS spectra. These results clearly illustrate that oxygen vacancies are instrumental to the bipolar resistive switching effect in ZnO‐based memory devices. The bipolar resistive switching effect can therefore be attributed to the formation of oxygen‐vacancy defect conductive filaments. This study obviously demonstrate that high‐performance ZnO‐based memory devices can be fabricated by incorporating Mn.
Room‐Temperature InGaAs Nanowire Array Band‐Edge Lasers on Patterned Silicon‐on‐Insulator Platforms
Authors: Kim Hyunseok , Lee Wook‐Jae , Chang Ting‐Yuan , Huffaker Diana L.
Published: November 2018

Integration of ultracompact light sources on silicon platforms is regarded as a crucial requirement for various nanophotonic applications. In this work, InGaAs/InP core/shell nanowire array photonic crystal lasers are demonstrated on silicon‐on‐insulator substrates by selective‐area epitaxy. 9 × 9 square‐lattice nanowires forming photonic crystal cavities with a footprint of only 3.0 × 3.0 μm2, and a high Q factor of 23 000 are achieved by forming these nanowires on two‐dimensional silicon gratings. Room‐temperature lasing is observed from a fundamental band‐edge mode at 1290 nm, which is the O‐band of the telecommunication wavelength. Optimized growth templates and effective in‐situ passivation of InGaAs nanowires enable the nanowire array to lase at a low threshold of 200 μJ cm−2, without any signature of heating or degradation above the threshold. These results represent a meaningful step toward ultracompact and monolithic III–V lasers on silicon photonic platforms.
Characterization of natural and environmental flows in New Brunswick, Canada
Authors: El‐Jabi Nassir , Caissie Daniel
Published: November 2018

A good understanding of the natural flow regime plays an important role in many hydrological studies. Also important in such studies is the quantification of environmental flows. This study focuses on flow metrics that best describe the natural flow regime and the hydrological characteristics for rivers in New Brunswick (Canada) as well as quantifying environment flows for these rivers. New Brunswick rivers have a mean annual flow (MAF) of approximately 23 L s−1 km−2, which is also reflective of the water availability. The frequency analysis showed that low flows (T = 2–50 years, where T is the recurrence interval) were all below the 10% MAF. Environmental flow methods based on the MAF and flow duration analysis (median flow) showed good regional regression equations. However, flow duration methods showed high variability especially at flows between Q80 and Q100. Flow targets based on the 25% MAF, Q50 and 70% Q50 were used to estimate environmental flows, particularly during low‐flow periods (winter and summer). Results showed that the 70% Q50 method should be used with caution in summer as this method provided flows in the range of 15–16% of MAF. Other methods provided environmental flows higher than 15% MAF, thus, providing better flow protection for aquatic habitat. When comparing water availability for off‐stream use (river flow–environmental flow), different parts of New Brunswick were found to be deficient in flows (i.e., river flows less than environment flows—no extractable water) during the summer and winter low‐flow periods.
Location‐Controlled Synthesis of Hydrophilic Magnetic Metal‐organic Frameworks for Highly Efficient Recognition of Phthalates in Beverages
Authors: Lu Yujie , Wang Baichun , Yan Yinghua , Liang Hongze
Published: November 2018

MOF‐modified magnetic composites have become a burgeoning star in modern materials science. However, most of these MOF‐modified magnetic composites are prepared by physical deposition of MOFs on the surface of magnetic particles, causing the MOFs layer nonuniform and unstable, which largely discounts the potential performance of such fuctional materials. In this work, we proposed a location‐controlled strategy for functionalization of hydrophilic magnetic graphene by ZIF‐8 MOF to construct uniform and robust nanosheets (magG@PDA@ZIF‐8). In this synthetic protocol, PDA provides not only excellent water dispersion, but also serves as a potential coordination site for Zn2+ chelation, which establishes site‐specified chemical bonding between ZIF‐8 MOF and matrix. The obtained nanosheets hold regular porous structure and large surface area with unique π‐π stacking electron system, strong magnetism and excellent water dispersibility. Chemically bonded structure contributes to the enhanced performance of the resulting magnetic composites in terms of stability, reliability and recyclibiity, when magG@PDA@ZIF‐8 is used to enrich 9 PAEs in real cola samples.
Sodium Ion Batteries using Ionic Liquids as Electrolytes
Authors: Hagiwara Rika , Matsumoto Kazuhiko , Hwang Jinkwang , Nohira Toshiyuki
Published: November 2018

Sodium ion batteries have been developed using ionic liquids as electrolytes. Sodium is superior to lithium as a raw material for mass production of large‐scale batteries for energy storage due to its abundance and even distribution across the earth. Ionic liquids are non‐volatile and non‐flammable, which improved the safety of the batteries remarkably. In addition, operation temperatures were extended to higher values, improving the performance of the batteries by facilitating the reaction at the electrode and mass transfer. Binary systems of sodium and quaternary ammonium salts, such as 1‐ethyl‐3‐methylimidazolium and N‐methyl‐N‐propylpyrrolidinium bis(fluorosulfonyl)amide, were employed as electrolytes for sodium ion batteries. A series of positive and negative electrode materials were examined to be combined with these ionic liquid electrolytes. A 27 Ah full cell was fabricated employing sodium chromite (NaCrO2) and hard carbon as positive and negative electrode materials, respectively. The gravimetric energy density obtained for the battery was 75 Wh kg−1 and its volumetric energy density was 125 Wh L−1. The capacity retention after 500 cycles was 87 %. Further improvement of the cell performance and energy density is expected on development of suitable electrode materials and optimization of the cell design.
Legitimate educational interest and the health and safety emergency exception: Part 1
Authors: Rainsberger Richard
Published: November 2018

There are only three sections of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act regulations where the term legitimate educational interest is found. The first is 34 CFR §99.31(a)(2) — the school official/legitimate educational interest section. That section, as we know, permits school officials to disclose a student's education records, without the student's written consent, to another school official if a legitimate educational interest exists. This is the most commonly used exception to disclose without the student's written consent. As I've mentioned before, how could we, as school officials, get all of our work done if we had to get written consent before we disclosed, or discussed, any education records with other school officials?
Evaluation of automated tool for two‐dimensional fetal biometry
Authors: Salim I. , Cavallaro A. , Ciofolo‐Veit C. , Rouet L. , Raynaud C. , Mory B. , Collet Billon A. , Harrison G. , Roundhill D. , Papageorghiou A. T.
Published: November 2018

Objective

To evaluate whether an automated tool can recognize a structure of interest and measure fetal head circumference (HC), abdominal circumference (AC) and femur length (FL) on frozen two‐dimensional ultrasound images.

Methods

Ultrasound examinations were performed in 100 singleton pregnancies between 20 and 40 weeks of gestation, ensuring an even distribution throughout gestational age. In each pregnancy, three standard biometric variables (HC, AC, FL) were measured each in three different images obtained for this purpose (i.e. nine independent image acquisitions). An algorithm (Philips Research) was used to detect the structure of interest and automatically place calipers for measurement. Caliper placement was assessed in two ways. First, subjective clinical assessment was performed to determine whether the caliper placement was correct, and caliper position was classified as ‘acceptable for clinical use’, ‘minor adjustment required’ or ‘major adjustment required’. Second, the resulting automatic measurements were compared with manual measurements, taken in real time. Mean difference errors were calculated and expressed as percentages to correct for fetal growth with advancing gestation.

Results

After exclusion of one pregnancy due to missing images, a total of 891 images (297 for each biometric variable) from 99 pregnancies were analyzed. The algorithm failed to place calipers for the AC in nine images, whereas there were no failures in caliper placement for measurement of HC and FL. On subjective quality assessment of automatic caliper placement, in 475 (53.3%) images position of the calipers was judged to be clinically acceptable and did not require any adjustment, while in 317 (35.6%) and 90 images (10.1%) minor and major adjustments were required, respectively. The mean error between manual and automatic measurement of HC was −0.21 cm corresponding to a percentage error of −0.81% with 95% limits of agreement (LOA) between −3.73% and 2.12%. For AC and FL measurements, the mean error was, respectively, 0.72 cm (percentage error, 2.40%) with LOA between −9.48% and 14.27%, and 0.21 cm (percentage error, 3.76%) with LOA between −8.38% and 15.91%.

Conclusions

The automated tool identified correctly the biometric variable of interest in 99% of frozen images. The resulting measurements had a high degree of accuracy and compared well with previously published manual‐to‐manual agreement. The measurements exhibited bias, with the automated tool underestimating biometry; this could be overcome by further improvements in the algorithm. Nevertheless, adjustable calipers for manual correction remains a requirement. Copyright © 2018 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Gravitational radiation from color-kinematics duality
Authors: Shen Chia-Hsien
Published: November 2018

Abstract

We perturbatively calculate classical radiation in Yang-Mills theory and dilaton gravity, to next-to-leading order in couplings. The radiation is sourced by the scattering of two relativistic massive scalar sources with the dynamical effect taken into account, corresponding to the post-Minkowskian regime in gravity. We show how to arrange the Yang-Mills radiation such that the duality between color and kinematics is manifest, including the three-term Jacobi identity. The search for duality-satisfying expressions exploits an auxiliary bi-adjoint scalar theory as a guide for locality. The double copy is obtained by replacing the color factors in Yang-Mills with kinematic counterparts, following Bern-Carrasco-Johansson construction in S-matrix. On the gravity side, the radiation is directly computed at the third post-Minkowskian order with massive sources. We find perfect agreement between observables in dilaton gravity and the Yang-Mills double copy. This non-trivially generalizes the leading-order rules by Goldberger and Ridgway. For the first time, the kinematic Jacobi identity appears beyond field-theory S-matrix, suggesting that the color-kinematics duality holds more generally. Our results offer a path for simplifying analytical calculations in post-Minkowskian regime.
c-theorem of the entanglement entropy
Authors: Park Chanyong , Ro Daeho , Lee Jung Hun
Published: November 2018

Abstract

We holographically investigate the renormalization group flow in a two-dimensional conformal field theory deformed by a relevant operator. If the relevant operator allows another fixed point, the UV conformal field theory smoothly flows to a new IR conformal field theory. From the holographic point of view, such a renormalization group flow can be realized as a dual geometry interpolating two different AdS boundaries. On this interpolating geometry, we investigate how the c-function of the entanglement entropy behaves along the RG flow analytically and numerically, which reproduces the expected central charges of UV and IR. We also show that the c-function monotonically decreases from UV to IR without any phase transition.
CylA is a sequence-specific protease involved in toxin biosynthesis
Authors: Tang Weixin , Bobeica Silvia C , Wang Li , van der Donk Wilfred A
Published: November 2018

CylA is a subtilisin-like protein belonging to a recently expanded serine protease family related to class II lanthipeptide biosynthesis. As a leader peptidase, CylA is responsible for maturation of the enterococcal cytolysin, a lantibiotic important for Enterococcus faecalis virulence. In vitro reconstitution of CylA reveals that it accepts both linear and modified cytolysin peptides with a preference for cyclized peptides. Further characterization indicates that CylA activates itself by removing its N-terminal 95 amino acids. CylA achieves sequence-specific traceless cleavage of non-cognate peptides even if they are post-translationally modified, which makes the peptidase a powerful tool for mining novel lanthipeptides by providing a general strategy for leader peptide removal. Knowledge about the substrate specificity of CylA may also facilitate the development of protease inhibitors targeting cytolysin biosynthesis as a potential therapeutic approach for enterococcal infections.
Systematic investigation of CRISPR–Cas9 configurations for flexible and efficient genome editing in Corynebacterium glutamicum NRRL-B11474
Authors: Cameron Coates R , Blaskowski Stephen , Szyjka Shawn , van Rossum Harmen M , Vallandingham Jim , Patel Kedar , Serber Zach , Dean Jed
Published: November 2018

This study details a reliable and efficient method for CRISPR–Cas9 genome engineering in the high amino acid-producing strain of Corynebacterium glutamicum, NRRL-B11474. Our investigation demonstrates that a plasmid-encoded single-guide RNA paired with different edit-encoding fragments is sufficient to generate edits without the addition of an exogenous recombinase. This approach leverages a genome-integrated copy of the cas9 gene for reduced toxicity, in combination with a single plasmid carrying the targeting guide RNA and matching edit fragment. Our study systematically investigated the impact of homology arm length on editing efficiency and demonstrates genome editing with homology arm lengths as small as 25 bp for single-nucleotide polymorphisms and 75 bp for 100 bp sequence swaps. These homology arm lengths are smaller than previously reported for other strains of C. glutamicum. Our study finds that C. glutamicum NRRL-B11474 is not amenable to efficient transformation with plasmids containing the BL1, NG2, or CC1 origins of replication. This finding differs from all previously reported approaches to plasmid-based CRISPR–Cas9 or Cpf1 editing in other strains of C. glutamicum. Two alternative origins of replication (CG1 and CASE1) can be used to successfully introduce genome edits; furthermore, our data demonstrate improved editing efficiency when guide RNAs and edit fragments are encoded on plasmids carrying the CASE1 origin of replication (compared to plasmids carrying CG1). In addition, this study demonstrates that efficient editing can be done using an integrated Cas9 without the need for a recombinase. We demonstrate that the specifics of CRISPR–Cas9 editing configurations may need to be tailored to enable different edit types in a particular strain background. Refining configuration parameters such as edit type, homology arm length, and plasmid origin of replication enables robust, flexible, and efficient CRISPR–Cas9 editing in differing genetic strain contexts.
Natural product drug discovery in the genomic era: realities, conjectures, misconceptions, and opportunities
Authors: Baltz Richard H
Published: November 2018

Natural product discovery from microorganisms provided important sources for antibiotics, anti-cancer agents, immune-modulators, anthelminthic agents, and insecticides during a span of 50 years starting in the 1940s, then became less productive because of rediscovery issues, low throughput, and lack of relevant new technologies to unveil less abundant or not easily detected drug-like natural products. In the early 2000s, it was observed from genome sequencing that Streptomyces species encode about ten times as many secondary metabolites as predicted from known secondary metabolomes. This gave rise to a new discovery approach—microbial genome mining. As the cost of genome sequencing dropped, the numbers of sequenced bacteria, fungi and archaea expanded dramatically, and bioinformatic methods were developed to rapidly scan whole genomes for the numbers, types, and novelty of secondary metabolite biosynthetic gene clusters. This methodology enabled the identification of microbial taxa gifted for the biosynthesis of drug-like secondary metabolites. As genome sequencing technology progressed, the realities relevant to drug discovery have emerged, the conjectures and misconceptions have been clarified, and opportunities to reinvigorate microbial drug discovery have crystallized. This perspective addresses these critical issues for drug discovery.
The Implications of Fabrication and Cast-to-Cast Variability on Thermal Aging in the Creep Range for AISI Type 316H Stainless Steel Components
Authors: Warren A. D. , Martinez-Ubeda A. , Griffiths I. , Flewitt P. E. J.
Published: November 2018

Life prediction is critical for safe operation of plant within the creep regime. This study investigates the influence differences in specific composition and fabrication routes have on creep degradation for components with compositions within the design specification. Four ex-service AISI 316H austenitic stainless steel components exhibiting different manufacturing techniques and a range of compositions were used in the study. The boiler header component was found to contain localized chromium-rich regions arising from the original cast microstructure which result in a wide range of phases and show enhanced creep cavitation. Chi-phase precipitates contribute a significant role in creep damage accumulation via phosphorus segregation to the chi-austenite inter-phase boundaries. Tubular components with a homogenous microstructure and similar composition to the header showed limited secondary phase evolution. In one tubular specimen, creep cavitation was linked to phosphorus segregation at M23C6—austenite inter-phase boundaries. The remaining two tubular components, with a higher (but within specification) silicon content, showed homogeneous microstructures with limited creep cavitation and no phosphorus segregation was observed.
Ultra-High Temperature Interaction Between h-BN-Based Composite and Molten Silicon
Authors: Polkowski Wojciech , Sobczak Natalia , Polkowska Adelajda , Nowak Rafał , Kudyba Artur , Bruzda Grzegorz , Giuranno Donatella , Generosi Amanda , Paci Barbara , Trucchi Daniele M.
Published: November 2018

Silicon has been recently proposed as a very promising phase change material for applications in latent heat thermal energy storage (LHTES) and conversion systems working at ultra-high temperatures. However, in order to successfully develop such kind of devices, suitable refractories showing low reactivity and non-wetting behavior upon the melting and storing of molten silicon at temperatures much higher than its melting point have to be selected. In our previous work, we have documented that the non-wetting behavior in Si/h-BN system is preserved at temperatures up to 1650 °C, with the absence of new reaction products formed at the interface. These findings make hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) a reasonable first candidate for Si-based LHTES applications. Nevertheless, the rather poor mechanical strength of “pure” h-BN ought to be improved in order to enhance the reliability under thermocycling operational conditions and to increase the life period of the device. Therefore, in the present paper, we examine for the first time the interactions at ultra-high temperatures between a high strength commercial h-BN-based composite and molten Si. At temperatures up to 1750 °C, the wettability of the h-BN-based composite (h-BN + SiC + ZrO2) with molten Si is much lower if compared to the pure h-BN counterpart. Additionally, the role of reinforcements (SiC + ZrO2) and occured microstructural evolution is discussed based on the results obtained by SEM and XRD analyses.
Investigation of Magnetite Oxidation Kinetics at the Particle Scale
Authors: Sandeep Kumar T. K. , Viswanathan N. N. , Ahmed H. , Dahlin A. , Andersson C. , Bjorkman B.
Published: November 2018

The induration of magnetite pellets is a complex physico-chemical process that involves oxidation, sintering, and heat transfer. The thermal- and gas-composition profile that is experienced by the pellet in an induration reactor could result in the formation of a homogenous or heterogeneous pellet structure, which could affect the pellet quality. The oxidation kinetics of magnetite pellets from sintering studies have been studied at two levels, namely, the pellet scale and at the particle scale, and the findings of the latter are presented here. The rate of oxidation of the magnetite concentrate depends primarily on temperature, oxygen content in the oxidizing gas, and particle size. These factors are investigated in this study. It was found that the oxidation of the magnetite concentrate is comprised of two distinct stages, a primary stage with high rates followed by a secondary stage where rates decrease significantly. The isothermal oxidation behavior as analyzed by the Avrami kinetic model was found to fit better than the shrinking-core model. The partially oxidized particles were examined microstructurally to supplement the experimental and model results. The Avrami kinetic model for isothermal oxidation was extended to non-isothermal profiles using the superposition principle, and the model was validated experimentally.
Constitutive Moral Luck and Strawson's Argument for the Impossibility of Moral Responsibility
Authors: HARTMAN ROBERT J.
Published: November 2018

Galen Strawson's Basic Argument is that because self-creation is required to be truly morally responsible and self-creation is impossible, it is impossible to be truly morally responsible for anything. I contend that the Basic Argument is unpersuasive and unsound. First, I argue that the moral luck debate shows that the self-creation requirement appears to be contradicted and supported by various parts of our commonsense ideas about true moral responsibility, and that this ambivalence undermines the only reason that Strawson gives for the self-creation requirement. Second, I argue that the self-creation requirement is so demanding that either it is an implausible requirement for a species of true moral responsibility that we take ourselves to have or it is a plausible requirement of a species of true moral responsibility that we have never taken ourselves to have. Third, I explain that Strawson overgeneralizes from instances of constitutive luck that obviously undermine true moral responsibility to all kinds of constitutive luck.
Justice as Lawfulness
Authors: ROGERS TRISTAN J.
Published: November 2018

What is the relationship between justice as an individual virtue and justice as an institutional virtue? The latter has been exhaustively explored by political philosophers, whereas the former remains underexplored in the literature on virtue ethics. This article defends the view that individual justice is logically prior to institutional justice, and argues that this view requires a conception of individual justice I call ‘justice as lawfulness’. The resulting view consists of three claims. First, just institutions are composed of the relations between just persons. Second, the just person has a disposition to act in accordance with the legal and social norms (collectively, thenomoi) of the existing political tradition. Third, departures from thenomoirequire that the just person act with practical wisdom to reform thenomoiaccording to an implicit standard of justice in the political tradition.
Respondent-driven sampling to recruit Latinos in a midwest micropolitan area: Lessons learned and recommendations for translational work
Authors: Gilbert Paul A. , Haines Heidi , Baquero Barbara , Parker Edith A.
Published: November 2018

Latinos constitute a hard-to-reach minority population in Iowa. We used respondent-driven sampling (RDS) to supplement random digit dialing to recruit Latinos for a community physical activity intervention. RDS yielded a 59% increase in Latino participation in just 2 months, with few demographic differences between RDS and random digit dialing groups. RDS may increase recruitment of underrepresented populations and strengthen community engagement; however, it is not a quick fix for underperforming recruitment methods.
Facilitators of research registry enrollment and potential variation by race and gender
Authors: Glover Crystal M. , Creel-Bulos Christina , Patel Lisa M. , During Scarlett Ellis , Graham Karen L. , Montoya Yadira , Frick Susan , Phillips Judy , Shah Raj C.
Published: November 2018

Introduction

Little is known about what motivates people to enroll in research registries. The purpose of this study is to identify facilitators of registry enrollment among diverse older adults.

Methods

Participants completed an 18-item Research Interest Assessment Tool. We used logistic regression analyses to examine responses across participants and by race and gender.

Results

Participants (N=374) were 58% black, 76% women, with a mean age of 68.2 years. All participants were motivated to maintain their memory while aging. Facilitators of registry enrolled varied by both race and gender. Notably, blacks (estimate=0.71, p<0.0001) and women (estimate=0.32, p=0.03) were more willing to enroll in the registry due to home visits compared with whites and men, respectively.

Conclusions

Researchers must consider participant desire for maintaining memory while aging and home visits when designing culturally tailored registries.
Connecting the public with clinical trial options: The ResearchMatch Trials Today tool
Authors: Pulley Jill M. , Jerome Rebecca N. , Bernard Gordon R. , Olson Erik J. , Tan Jason , Wilkins Consuelo H. , Harris Paul A.
Published: November 2018

Potential participants seek information about clinical trials for many reasons, but the process can be challenging. We analyzed 101,249 searches in ResearchMatch Trials Today, a free interface to recruiting trials from ClinicalTrials.gov. Searches from March 2015 to November 2016 included a broad range of conditions and healthy volunteer concepts, including 12,649 unique topics. Trials Today data indicate that it is being used to identify trials on a variety of topics.
Thermocapillary flows on heated substrates with sinusoidal topography
Authors: Yoo Jaehyun , Nam Jaewook , Ahn Kyung Hyun
Published: November 2018

Two-dimensional steady thermocapillary flows in a liquid layer over a substrate, which has a uniform temperature and sinusoidal topography, are investigated by asymptotic theory. Here, the buoyancy effect is negligible and the interface is not significantly disturbed under low Marangoni number and low capillary number. A temperature gradient along the gas/liquid interface causes recirculating flows. For a small aspect ratio, which yields a sinusoidal topography with a long wavelength relative to the mean depth of the liquid layer, the second-order solutions are obtained analytically. The basic solutions show vertical diffusion of heat and vorticity from the substrate and interface, respectively. In the second corrections, the horizontal diffusion of heat weakens the overall flow and the convection of heat intensifies it.
Producing and Maintaining Minority “Groupness” through State Effects: Teaching in Croatian in Serbia
Authors: Hodges Andrew
Published: November 2018

This article ethnographically examines the situation surrounding the teaching of Croatian in Serbia. It analyzes the discourses and efforts of minority activists in promoting Croatian culture and language in various ways, specifically drawing on fieldwork conducted in a school where three mutually intelligible language varieties—Serbian, Croatian, and Bunjevac—were taught. Instruction in Croatian has been offered in Serbia since 2002 through a minority rights framework. However, prior to the wars of Yugoslav succession in the 1990s, those identifying as Croat were not considered a minority in [the] Socialist Yugoslavia, as it was a South Slavic federation. The number of children enrolling in Croatian minority programs in Serbia is small, and of those who attend them, a significant number do not come to identify as Croatian, a fact that many minority activists consider to be a problem. The article is organized in four parts. First, the context and various perspectives are introduced through an ethnographic vignette. Second, the research context and legal and institutional framework are introduced. Activist perspectives are then discussed, including tensions present. Finally, Michel-Rolph Trouillot’s concept of “state effects” is presented and elaborated with respect to the case study, and the various efforts of activists in trying to promote and/or maintain Croatian “groupness” are evaluated.
Trends of serum phospholipid fatty acids over time in rural Uganda: evidence of nutritional transition?
Authors: Chajès Véronique , Gibson Lorna J. , Biessy Carine , Slimani Nadia , Asiki Gershim , Dossus Laure , Wild Christopher P. , Newton Robert
Published: November 2018

Non-communicable diseases are projected to become the most common causes of death in Africa by 2030. The impact on health of epidemiological and nutritional transitions in sub-Saharan Africa remains unclear. To assess the trends of dietary fatty acids over time in Uganda, we examined fatty acids in serum collected from individuals in rural south-west Uganda, at three time points over two decades. Independent cross-sectional samples of 915 adults and children were selected from the general population cohort in 1990 (n 281), 2000 (n 283) and 2008 (n 351). Serum phospholipid fatty acids were measured by GC. Multivariate regression analyses were performed to compare the geometric means of fatty acids by time period. Serum fatty acid profiling showed high proportions of SFA, cis-MUFA and industrial trans-fatty acids (iTFA), likely to be biomarkers of high consumption of palm oil and hydrogenated fats. In contrast, proportions of n-6 and n-3 PUFA from vegetable oils and fish were low. From 1990 to 2008, serum phospholipids showed increases in absolute amounts of SFA (17·3 % increase in adults and 26·4 % in children), MUFA (16·7 % increase in adults and 16·8 % in children) and n-6:n-3 PUFA (40·1 % increase in adults and 39·8 % in children). The amount of elaidic acid, iTFA from hydrogenated fats, increased in children (60·1 % increase). In this rural Ugandan population, we show evidence of unfavourable trends over time of dietary fatty acids.