bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Microbiome Stability with Chronic SIV Infection in AIDS-resistant Sooty Mangabeys
Authors: Bochart RM , Tharp G , Jean S , Upadhyay AA , Crane MM , Vanderford TH , Ortiz AM , Ericsen A , Cohen JK , Bosinger SE
Published: September 2019

Sooty mangabeys (SMs) are a natural host species of simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) and avoid acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) despite persistently high viral loads, making them a pivotal research model for HIV pathogenesis. Unlike pathogenic SIV infection of macaque species, or HIV infection of humans, SIV-infected SMs maintain gastrointestinal barrier integrity. Here, we characterize the gastrointestinal bacterial microbiota of SIV-infected and uninfected SMs and perform a comparative analysis of diet-matched, rhesus macaques (RM). We assessed the fecal microbiome in fifty SM and thirty RM in total, and conducted analyses of the effect of SIV-status, species, and housing. When examining indoor-outdoor and indoor-only housing in our SM cohorts, biodiversity reduction and mild phylogenetic taxonomic perturbances were present. No statistically relevant differences were seen for biodiversity richness and evenness, or phylogenetic taxonomic communities between SIV negative and positive SM cohorts. In contrast, with pathogenic early chronic SIV infections in RM a trend of alpha diversity loss and increase of beta diversity and few phyla taxonomic communities differed. Lastly, we observed lower levels of pathobiont bacterial communities in SIV-uninfected SMs relative to RMs. These data suggest that the pre-existing bacterial community structure may contribute to the divergent phenotype between SIV natural hosts and pathogenic macaque species.

Importance

Human immunodeficiency virus remains a global concern. The sooty mangabey (SM) monkey is an important biomedical research model for understanding HIV pathogenesis due to its ability to avoid AIDS disease progression despite high viremia. In people living with HIV, gastrointestinal dysbiosis towards enrichment of pathobiont communities has been frequently reported. In this study we characterized the fecal microbiota of a primate non-pathogenic SIV host, the SM, and made direct comparisons to a pathogenic SIV host species, the rhesus macaque. We observed that SMs exhibit stability of the microbiota community into chronic SIV infection, which contrasts with SIV-infected rhesus macaques, in which we observed bacterial community divergence relative to uninfected animals. Collectively, our observation of stabilization of beneficent taxa in the mucosa of AIDS-resistant primates suggests that therapeutic strategies to enrich these communities may have potential for ameliorating the gastrointestinal inflammation in people living with HIV.
First evidence of host range expansion in virophages and its potential impact on giant viruses and host cells
Authors: Mougari Said , Chelkha Nisrine , Sahmi-Bounsiar Dehia , Di Pinto Fabrizio , Colson Philippe , Abrahao Jonatas , La Scola Bernard
Published: September 2019

Virophages are satellite-like double stranded DNA viruses whose replication requires the presence of two biological entities, a giant virus and a protist. In this report, we present the first evidence of host range expansion in a virophage. We demonstrated that the Guarani virophage was able to spontaneously expand its viral host range to replicate with two novel giant viruses that were previously nonpermissive to this virophage. We were able to characterize a potential genetic determinant of this cross-species infection. We then highlighted the relevant impact of this host adaptation on giant viruses and protists by demonstrating that coinfection with the mutant virophage abolishes giant virus production and rescues the host cell population from lysis. The results of our study help to elucidate the parasitic lifestyle of virophages and their interactions with giant viruses and protists.
A concise and efficient synthesis of amino-substituted (1H-benzo[d]imidazol-1-yl)pyrimidine hybrids: synthetic sequence and the molecular and supramolecular structures of six examples
Authors: Vicentes Daniel E. , Rodríguez Ricaurte , Ochoa Patricia , Cobo Justo , Glidewell Christopher
Published: September 2019

A concise and efficient synthesis of a series of amino-substituted benzimidazole–pyrimidine hybrids has been developed, starting from the readily available N
4-(2-aminophenyl)-6-methoxy-5-nitrosopyrimidine-2,4-diamine. In each of N
5-benzyl-6-methoxy-4-(2-phenyl-1H-benzo[d]imidazol-1-yl)pyrimidine-2,5-diamine, C25H22N6O, (I), 6-methoxy-N
5-(4-methoxybenzyl)-4-[2-(4-methoxyphenyl)-1H-benzo[d]imidazol-1-yl]pyrimidine-2,5-diamine, C27H26N6O3, (III), 6-methoxy-N
5-(4-nitrobenzyl)-4-[2-(4-nitrophenyl)-1H-benzo[d]imidazol-1-yl]pyrimidine-2,5-diamine, C25H20N8O5, (IV), the molecules are linked into three-dimensional framework structures, using different combinations of N—H...N, N—H...O, C—H...O, C—H...N and C—H...π hydrogen bonds in each case. Oxidative cleavage of 6-methoxy-N
5-(4-methylbenzyl)-4-[2-(4-methylphenyl)-1H-benzo[d]imidazol-1-yl]pyrimidine-2,5-diamine, (II), with diiodine gave 6-methoxy-4-[2-(4-methylphenyl)-1H-benzo[d]imidazol-1-yl]pyrimidine-2,5-diamine, which crystallized as a monohydrate, C19H18N6O·H2O, (V), and reaction of (V) with trifluoroacetic acid gave two isomeric products, namely N-{5-amino-6-methoxy-6-[2-(4-methylphenyl)-1H-benzo[d]imidazol-1-yl]pyrimidin-2-yl}-2,2,2-trifluoroacetamide, which crystallized as an ethyl acetate monosolvate, C21H17F3N6O2·C4H8O2, (VI), and N-{2-amino-6-methoxy-4-[2-(4-methylphenyl)-1H-benzo[d]imidazol-1-yl]pyrimidin-5-yl}-2,2,2-trifluoroacetamide, which crystallized as a methanol monosolvate, C21H17F3N6O2·CH4O, (VIIa). For each of (V), (VI) and (VIIa), the supramolecular assembly is two-dimensional, based on different combinations of O—H...N, N—H...O, N—H...N, C—H...O and C—H...π hydrogen bonds in each case. Comparisons are made with some related structures.
Mobile agent-based SIEM for event collection and normalization externalization
Authors: Moukafih Nabil , Orhanou Ghizlane , Elhajji Said
Published: September 2019

Purpose

This paper aims to propose a mobile agent-based security information and event management architecture (MA-SIEM) that uses mobile agents for near real-time event collection and normalization on the source device. The externalization of the normalization process, executed by several distributed mobile agents on interconnected computers and devices, proposes a SIEM server dedicated mainly for correlation and analysis.

Design/methodology/approach

The architecture has been proposed in three stages. In the first step, the authors described the different aspects of the proposed approach. Then they implemented the proposed architecture and presented a new vision for the insertion of normalized data into the SIEM database. Finally, the authors performed a numerical comparison between the approach used in the proposed architecture and that of existing SIEM systems.

Findings

The results of the experiments showed that MA-SIEM systems are more efficient than existing SIEM systems because they leave the SIEM resources primarily dedicated to advanced correlation analysis. In addition, this paper takes into account realistic scenarios and use-cases and proposes a fully automated process for transferring normalized events in near real time to the SIEM server for further analysis using mobile agents.

Originality/value

The work provides new insights into the normalization security-related events using light mobile agents.
A business ecosystem perspective of supply chain justice practices
Authors: Liu Gordon , Aroean Lukman , Ko Wai Wai
Published: September 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the influence of supply chain (SC) justice practices in shared value-supplier delivery performance relationship and the contingent role of trust in SC ecosystem operation.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors collect and analyze dyadic survey data from a marina resort SC ecosystem in Indonesia.

Findings

The results suggest the differential moderating effects of two types of perceived SC justice – perceived procedural justice and perceived interactional justice – on the relationship between shared value and supplier delivery performance. More specifically, we find that perceived procedural justice strengthens the shared value-supplier delivery performance relationship, but that perceived interactional justice weakens such a relationship. Furthermore, the findings demonstrate a positive three-way interaction effect between shared value, perceived SC justice and trust on supplier delivery performance.

Originality/value

The study is the first to introduce the role of SC justice practices in SC ecosystem operation. The authors examine how shared value interacts with perceived SC justice and trust in order to determine supplier delivery performance.
A review of the empirical research on teacher leadership (2003–2017)
Authors: Nguyen Dong , Harris Alma , Ng David
Published: September 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to outline key findings from a contemporary review of the international empirical literature focused upon teacher leadership. It synthesises what is currently known about the nature, practice, conditions and impact of teacher leadership and to outline patterns in the contemporary empirical research base.

Design/methodology/approach

This review is based on an analysis of 150 empirical articles published in Scopus/SSCI-indexed journals between January 2003 and December 2017.

Findings

The paper draws upon this contemporary knowledge base to explore: contextual and methodological patterns of teacher leadership research; definitions of teacher leadership; and evidence on the enactment of teacher leadership, factors influencing teacher leadership and impacts of teacher leadership.

Originality/value

This paper highlights the progress and issues of the empirical research on teacher leadership since 2003 and identifies gaps in the knowledge base as well as areas for future scholarly enquiry.
Mechanical behavior of an additively manufactured poly-carbonate specimen: tensile, flexural and mode I fracture properties
Authors: Sedighi Iman , Ayatollahi Majid R. , Bahrami Bahador , Pérez-Martínez Marco A. , Garcia-Granada Andres A.
Published: September 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of layer orientation on the tensile, flexural and fracture behavior of additively manufactured (AM) polycarbonate (PC) produced using fused deposition modeling (FDM).

Design/methodology/approach

An experimental approach is undertaken and a total number of 48 tests are conducted. Two types of tensile specimens are used and their mechanical behavior and fracture surfaces are studied. Also, circular parts with different layer orientations are printed and two semi-circular bending (SCB) samples are extracted from each part. Finally, the results of samples with different build directions are compared to one another to better understand the mechanical behavior of additively manufactured PC.

Findings

The results demonstrate anisotropy in the tensile, flexural and fracture behavior of the additively manufactured PC parts with the latter being less anisotropic compared to the first two. It is also demonstrated that the anisotropy of the elastic modulus is small and can be neglected. Tensile strength ranges from 40 MPa to 53 MPa. At the end, mode I fracture toughness prediction curves are provided for different directions of the FDM samples. Fracture toughness ranges from 1.93 to 2.37 MPa.mm1/2.

Originality/value

The SCB specimen, a very suitable geometry for characterizing anisotropic materials, was used to characterize FDM parts for the first time. Also, the fracture properties of the AM PC have not been studied by the researchers in the past. Therefore, fracture toughness prediction curves are presented for this anisotropic material. These curves can be very suitable for designing parts that are going to be produced by 3D printing. Moreover, the effect of the area to perimeter ratio on the tensile properties of the printed parts is investigated.
The role of absorptive capacity within supply chain quality integration
Authors: Alkalha Ziad , Reid Iain , Dehe Benjamin
Published: September 2019

Purpose

There is a consensus suggesting that the theoretical underpinning associated with supply chain quality management practices remain evolutionary to current thinking. Therefore, this study aims to explore how absorptive capacity (AC) supports supply chain quality integration (SCQI) by building product and process quality within a supply chain (SC).

Design/methodology/approach

A comparative case study of global pharmaceutical manufacturers in a developing market was undertaken. A two-round qualitative research method was designed to collect data through 54 semi-structured interviews with pharmaceutical managers and senior managers.

Findings

The results demonstrate that AC is essential to the development of SCQI because of its ability to use valuable strategic and operational knowledge, which is important when improving consistent internal product and process quality, along with establishing a robust SC design. The authors found that AC enables companies to design their quality and continuously improve their products and processes among their SC members.

Research limitations/implications

The authors acknowledge that these sets of findings are difficult to generalise to other sectors, however, the authors are confident that they can be extrapolated to other companies in the pharmaceutical industry.

Practical implications

The study develops a framework to support practitioners and decision makers to leverage their AC towards facilitating their SCQI practices.

Originality/value

This study explains the role of the AC process in relation to SCQI practices, in the context of the pharmaceutical SC. The study profiles the characteristics of dynamic capabilities to increase the companies’ competencies, processes and resources.
Guidelines for effective intercultural business negotiations
Authors: Usunier Jean-Claude
Published: September 2019

Purpose

For managers and senior executives who find themselves negotiating with international partners who differ in terms of culture, communication style, time orientation, as well as personal and professional backgrounds, understanding the complex range of factors that impact intercultural business negotiations (ICBN) for short – is a fundamentally important skill.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is based on an organised review of literature on culture and business negotiations in Usunier (2019), systematically examining the interface of culture with dispositional (e.g. negotiator’s gender) and situational variable (e.g. type of contract, one-shot versus repeated deals).

Findings

Empathy is not all, culture overlaps and interacts with other key negotiation variables. The paper derives a set of guidelines for effective ICBN.

Originality/value

Many approaches to ICBN emphasise culture as a stand-alone variable. The approach helps to avoid naïve behaviour and proposes a framework for linking cultural aspects to other major situational and dispositional variables in the ICBN process.
Alien species spreading via biofouling on recreational vessels in the Mediterranean Sea
Authors: Ulman Aylin , Ferrario Jasmine , Forcada Aitor , Seebens Hanno , Arvanitidis Christos , Occhipinti‐Ambrogi Anna , Marchini Agnese
Published: September 2019

Despite the Mediterranean being both a hotspot for recreational boating and for non‐indigenous species (NIS), no data currently exists on the recreational boating sector's contribution to the spread of NIS in this Sea.

To improve the basis for management decisions, a wide‐scale sampling study on the biofouling communities of recreational vessels and marinas was undertaken. Specifically, we surveyed over 600 boat owners and sampled the same boat hulls for NIS in 25 marinas across the Mediterranean, from France to Cyprus, to determine which factors (i.e. boat characteristics, travel behaviour, home marina) are associated with higher NIS richness on boat hulls.

Among the surveyed boats, we found recreational vessels to travel considerably, averaging 67 travel days and 7.5 visited marinas per annum. This results in a high potential for spreading NIS, especially as 71% of sampled vessels host at least one (and up to 11) NIS. Boats with high NIS richness strongly correlate with home marinas with high NIS richness. Over half of the vessels were carriers of NIS which were not yet present in the marinas they were visiting. The presence of biofouling in niche areas of the hull (i.e. in the cavities and metallic parts) emerges as the best predictor for NIS richness on boats, along with longer times since their last cleaning and antifouling applications. Interestingly, colonization of NIS occurred rapidly, even on boats that had recently had their hulls cleaned professionally.

Synthesis and applications. We demonstrate that recreational boating has a very high capacity for the spread of non‐indigenous species (NIS) in the Mediterranean, due to both high NIS richness on boats and extensive travel. To counteract the spread of NIS, routine monitoring for new NIS needs to be established for both marinas and vessels, along with frequent pontoon cleaning. Additionally, policy should require preliminary screenings for incoming vessels from new countries, especially those emanating from high‐risk marinas. The niche areas of the boat hulls should be checked first for biofouling, which was the best predictor for NIS richness since they often go overlooked with in‐water cleanings are rarely have antifouling applied to them.
White Parents, Black Care: Entanglements of Race and Kinship in American Transracial Adoption
Authors: Mariner Kathryn A.
Published: September 2019

In Chicago, transracial adoption often unites white parents and Black children who are visibly different from one another and share no biogenetic connection. Although anthropologists in the United States have long understood that kinship is not biological, the enduring cultural grounding of Blackness in ancestry and the body repeatedly upsets a solely social understanding of kinship. Within the context of transracial adoption, contested claims to kinship are mediated through the racialized body of the child, namely, through hair and its care. Based on ethnographic fieldwork with adoptive parents, social workers, and hair‐care professionals in and around Chicago between 2009 and 2016, this article examines two related forms of Black care centered on the child's hair: (1) a Black gaze directed toward transracially adopted children, and (2) the outsourcing of Black hair‐care and hair‐care training to Black women. By asserting racial connection, these practices trouble adoptive claims to kinship. Although transracial adoption appears to challenge biological notions of kinship, it remains foundationally structured by them due to embodied understandings of race. [adoption, kinship, race, care, hair]
Selectively bred oysters can alter their biomineralization pathways, promoting resilience to environmental acidification
Authors: Fitzer Susan C. , McGill Rona A. R. , Torres Gabarda Sergio , Hughes Brian , Dove Michael , O'Connor Wayne , Byrne Maria
Published: September 2019

Commercial shellfish aquaculture is vulnerable to the impacts of ocean acidification driven by increasing carbon dioxide (CO2) absorption by the ocean as well as to coastal acidification driven by land run off and rising sea level. These drivers of environmental acidification have deleterious effects on biomineralization. We investigated shell biomineralization of selectively bred and wild‐type families of the Sydney rock oyster Saccostrea glomerata in a study of oysters being farmed in estuaries at aquaculture leases differing in environmental acidification. The contrasting estuarine pH regimes enabled us to determine the mechanisms of shell growth and the vulnerability of this species to contemporary environmental acidification. Determination of the source of carbon, the mechanism of carbon uptake and use of carbon in biomineral formation are key to understanding the vulnerability of shellfish aquaculture to contemporary and future environmental acidification. We, therefore, characterized the crystallography and carbon uptake in the shells of S. glomerata, resident in habitats subjected to coastal acidification, using high‐resolution electron backscatter diffraction and carbon isotope analyses (as δ13C). We show that oyster families selectively bred for fast growth and families selected for disease resistance can alter their mechanisms of calcite crystal biomineralization, promoting resilience to acidification. The responses of S. glomerata to acidification in their estuarine habitat provide key insights into mechanisms of mollusc shell growth under future climate change conditions. Importantly, we show that selective breeding in oysters is likely to be an important global mitigation strategy for sustainable shellfish aquaculture to withstand future climate‐driven change to habitat acidification.
Cell and chloroplast anatomical features are poorly estimated from 2D cross‐sections
Authors: Harwood Richard , Goodman Elinor , Gudmundsdottir Marin , Huynh Minh , Musulin Quinn , Song Magnolia , Barbour Margaret M.
Published: September 2019

Leaf function is intimately related to the size, shape, abundance and position of cells and chloroplasts. Anatomy has long been assessed and quantified in two dimensions with 3D structure inferred from 2D micrographs.

Serial block face scanning electron microscopy (SBF‐SEM) was used to reconstruct 95 cells and 1173 chloroplasts from three wheat and nine chickpea leaves (three samples each from three chickpea genotypes).

Wheat chloroplast volume was underestimated by 61% in mesophyll cells and 45% in bundle sheath cells from 2D micrographs, whereas chickpea mesophyll chloroplast volume was underestimated by 60% using simple geometrical models. Models of chickpea spongy and palisade cells both under‐ and overestimated surface area and volume by varying degrees. These models did not adequately capture irregular shapes such as flattening of chloroplasts or lobed spongy mesophyll cells.

It is concluded that simple geometrical models to estimate chloroplast and cell 3D volume and surface area from 2D micrographs are inadequate, and that SBF‐SEM has strong potential to contribute to improved understanding of leaf form and function.
The first Brevinychus Meyer (Acari, Tetranychidae) from the Neo-tropics

Authors: Flechtmann Carlos H.W.
Published: September 2019

A new species of the genus Brevinychus, B. isosetae sp.nov. is described and illustrated based on females and males collected from the leaves of Holocalyx balensae (Fabaceae, Casesalpinioidea) in Piracicaba, SP, Brazil.
Detection and identification of manatee individual vocalizations in Panamanian wetlands using spectrogram clustering
Authors: Merchan Fernando , Echevers Giacomo , Poveda Héctor , Sanchez-Galan Javier E. , Guzman Hector M.
Published: September 2019

This work presents a methodology to automatically detect and identify manatee vocalizations in continuous passive acoustic underwater recordings. Given that vocalizations of each manatee present a slightly different frequency content, it is possible to identify individuals using a non-invasive acoustic approach. The recordings are processed in four stages, including detection, denoising, classification, and manatee counting and identification by vocalization clustering. The main contribution of this work is considering the vocalization spectrogram as an image (i.e., two-dimensional pattern) and representing it in terms of principal component analysis coefficients that feed a clustering approach. A performance study is carried out for each stage of the scheme. The methodology is tested to analyze three years of recordings from two wetlands in Panama to support ongoing efforts to estimate the manatee population.
Mechanical regulation of bone homeostasis through p130Cas-mediated alleviation of NF-κB activity
Authors: Miyazaki T. , Zhao Z. , Ichihara Y. , Yoshino D. , Imamura T. , Sawada K. , Hayano S. , Kamioka H. , Mori S. , Hirata H. , Araki K. , Kawauchi K. , Shigemoto K. , Tanaka S. , Bonewald L. F. , Honda H. , Shinohara M. , Nagao M. , Ogata T. , Harada I. , Sawada Y.
Published: September 2019

p130Cas translocates into the nucleus upon fluid shear stress application and alleviates NF-κB activity in osteocytes.
Advances in the science and treatment of alcohol use disorder
Authors: Witkiewitz K. , Litten R. Z. , Leggio L.
Published: September 2019

Pharmacological and behavioral treatments exist for alcohol use disorder, but more are needed, and several are under development.
CAR T cells targeting BAFF-R can overcome CD19 antigen loss in B cell malignancies
Authors: Qin Hong , Dong Zhenyuan , Wang Xiuli , Cheng Wesley A. , Wen Feng , Xue Weili , Sun Han , Walter Miriam , Wei Guowei , Smith D. Lynne , Sun Xiuhua , Fei Fan , Xie Jianming , Panagopoulou Theano I. , Chen Chun-Wei , Song Joo Y. , Aldoss Ibrahim , Kayembe Clarisse , Sarno Luisa , Müschen Markus , Inghirami Giorgio G. , Forman Stephen J. , Kwak Larry W.
Published: September 2019

BAFF receptor is a target for CAR T cell therapy of B cell malignancies, circumventing issues with CD19 antigen loss in tumors.
Apprehending the effects of mechanical deformations in cardiac electrophysiology: A homogenization approach
Authors: Collin Annabelle , Imperiale Sébastien , Moireau Philippe , Gerbeau Jean-Frédéric , Chapelle Dominique
Published: September 2019

We follow a formal homogenization approach to investigate the effects of mechanical deformations in electrophysiology models relying on a bidomain description of ionic motion at the microscopic level. To that purpose, we extend these microscopic equations to take into account the mechanical deformations, and proceed by recasting the problem in the framework of classical two-scale homogenization in periodic media, and identifying the equations satisfied by the first coefficients in the formal expansions. The homogenized equations reveal some interesting effects related to the microstructure — and associated with a specific cell problem to be solved to obtain the macroscopic conductivity tensors — in which mechanical deformations play a nontrivial role, i.e. they do not simply lead to a standard bidomain problem posed in the deformed configuration. We then present detailed numerical illustrations of the homogenized model with coupled cardiac electrical–mechanical simulations — all the way to ECG simulations — albeit without taking into account the abundantly-investigated effect of mechanical deformations in ionic models, in order to focus here on other effects. And in fact our numerical results indicate that these other effects are numerically of a comparable order, and therefore cannot be disregarded.
General Formulation of Eliminating Unusual Amplitude Growth for Structure-Dependent Integration Algorithms
Authors: Li Shi , Yang Dixiong , Guo Hongchao , Liang Gang
Published: September 2019

An unusual amplitude growth of the steady-state response for structures with high natural frequencies was found in explicit or semi-explicit structure-dependent integration algorithms with unconditional stability, second-order accuracy and no overshoot. This paper proposes a general formulation for eliminating such an unusual amplitude growth, by incorporating the load-dependent term into the displacement recursive formula without changing the numerical properties of the integration algorithm. Compared with the existing formulation using the local truncation error for eliminating the unusual amplitude growth, the proposed formulation has the advantages of less symbolic operations, while naturally including the existing formulation. In addition, it is observed that the coefficients of the load-dependent term are proportional to the limit values of the displacement coefficients in the displacement recursive formula as the natural frequency of the system tends to infinity. Then, the general formulation of the load-dependent term is tested for 15 structure-dependent integration algorithms to verify its correctness. Finally, numerical examples of linear and nonlinear multiple-degrees-of-freedom systems illustrate that the general formulation can remove effectively and conveniently the unusual amplitude growth for dynamic response analyses.
The Impact of the Electronic Skin Substrate on the Robotic Tactile Sensing
Authors: Chen Chuhao , Liu Houde , Zhu Xiaojun , Wu Dezhi , Xie Yu
Published: September 2019

The tactile sensing is of significant interest for coexisting-cooperative-cognitive robots (Tri-Co robots). In order to improve the tactile sensing performance of the robot via an electronic skin (e-skin), an auxiliary elastomeric substrate is required. This paper investigates the effect of the substrate including elastic modulus, thickness and location on the static sensing at first. It is found that thick substrate with small elastic modulus can even the force distribution effectively and improve the contact area sensing. But it brought noises and crosstalk on the e-skin when the substrate has the large deformation. In occasions of dynamic tactile sensing, the impact of substrate thickness and elastic modulus was also studied and it is found that smaller elastic modulus can help e-skin sense larger and higher frequency stimulus.
The geometry of null-like disformal transformations
Authors: Lobo I. P. , Carvalho G. G.
Published: September 2019

Motivated by the hindrance of defining metric tensors compatible with the underlying spinor structure, other than the ones obtained via a conformal transformation, we study how some geometric objects are affected by the action of a disformal transformation in the closest scenario possible: the disformal transformation in the direction of a null-like vector field. Subsequently, we analyze symmetry properties such as mutual geodesics and mutual Killing vectors, generalized Weyl transformations that leave the disformal relation invariant, and introduce the concept of disformal Killing vector fields. In most cases, we use the Schwarzschild metric, in the Kerr–Schild formulation, to verify our calculations and results. We also revisit the disformal operator using a Newman–Penrose basis to show that, in the null-like case, this operator is not diagonalizable.
Sliding Scale Conjectures in PCP
Authors: Moshkovitz Dana
Published: September 2019

The PCP (i.e., Probabilistically Checkable Proofs) Theorem [8, 7, 22, 5, 4] states that any mathematical proof can be converted to a format that can be checked by a veri er making only a constant number of queries to the proof. The veri er picks the queries in a randomized way and might err with low probability.
Bimodal modulation of background activity in an identified descending interneuron
Authors: Lepreux Gaëtan , Haupt Stephan Shuichi , Dürr Volker
Published: September 2019

In the absence of any obvious input, sensory neurons and interneurons can display resting or spontaneous activity. This is often regarded as noise and removed through trial averaging, although it may reflect history-dependent modulation of tuning or fidelity and, thus, be of functional relevance to downstream interneurons. We investigated the history dependence of spontaneous activity in a pair of identified, bimodal descending interneurons of the stick insect, called contralateral ON-type velocity-sensitive interneurons (cONv). The bilateral pair of cONv conveys antennal mechanosensory information to the thoracic ganglia, where it arborizes in regions containing locomotor networks. Each cONv encodes the movement velocity of the contralateral antenna, but also substrate vibration as induced by discrete tapping events. Moreover, cONv display highly fluctuating spontaneous activity that can reach rates similar to those during antennal movement at moderate velocities. Hence, cONv offer a unique opportunity to study history-dependent effects on spontaneous activity and, thus, encoding fidelity in two modalities. In this work, we studied unimodal and cross-modal effects as well as unilateral and bilateral effects, using bilateral recordings of both cONv neurons, while moving one antenna and/or delivering taps to induce substrate vibration. Tapping could reduce spontaneous activity of both neurons, whereas antennal movement reduced spontaneous activity of the contralateral cONv neuron only. Combination of both modalities showed a cooperative effect for some parameter constellations, suggesting bimodal enhancement. Since both stimulus modalities could cause a reduction of spontaneous activity at stimulus intensities occurring during natural locomotion, we conclude that this should enhance neuronal response fidelity during locomotion.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY The spontaneous activity in a pair of identified, descending insect interneurons is reduced depending on stimulus history. At rest, spontaneous activity levels are correlated in both interneurons, indicating a common drive from background activity. Whereas taps on the substrate affect both interneurons, antennal movement affects the contralateral interneuron only. Cross-modal interaction occurs, too. Since spontaneous activity is reduced at stimulus intensities encountered during natural locomotion, the mechanism could enhance neuronal response fidelity during locomotion.
A Method for Making Transparent Hard Rock-Like Material and Its Application
Authors: Ge Jinjin , Xu Ying
Published: September 2019

At present, a similar material most commonly used in the similarity model experiment of rock blasting is cement mortar. However, it is not transparent, which leads to the problem that the cracks in the model made of cement mortar after the test cannot be observed directly. Therefore, a kind of transparent hard rock-like material that can replace the existing model material to solve the above problem was developed in this study. This transparent hard rock-like material is made of a mixture of rosin saturated solution (RSS), epoxy resin (ER), and curing agent (CA), and its physical and mechanical properties are similar to those of hard rock through relevant tests. In addition, it is found through the blasting model test that the model specimen made of transparent hard rock-like materials has the characteristic of “direct observation” after blasting test, which conforms to the rock blasting fracture mechanism. Hence, it can replace the existing nontransparent model materials to be applied in rock blasting similar model experiment. The results from this study are helpful to the further experimental study of blasting crack propagation in deep rock mass.
Design and Interlocking Stability of Slope Protection Block of H‐Type Gravity Mutual‐Aid Steel Slag Core Concrete
Authors: Lin Hongda , Yu Xiaolong , Zhang Guangzhen , Chang Honglei , Liu Jian
Published: September 2019

At the present, the natural stone used for traditional block rock revetment is becoming increasingly scarce, and other commonly used revetment types also have some problems, such as poor stability, complex fabrication and installation process, and large investment. Therefore, it is imminent to study a new type of reinforcement of dangerous dam banks with both ecological and environmental protection functions to meet the requirement of river flood stability. Combining theoretical calculation with laboratory tests, a new slope protection block of H‐type gravity mutual‐aid steel slag core concrete (H‐type gravity mutual‐aid steel slag core concrete block hereinafter), which is composed of an ordinary concrete shell and a steel slag core, is designed as an improvement of revetment reinforcement type and for solid waste utilization and resource saving. The indoor test method shows that the optimal shell thickness of the new block is 6 cm, and the steel slag of a single block can replace the natural aggregate ratio of 25%. The new block has concave and convex structures to enhance the interlocking effect between blocks. The compressive strength of the new block is tested by the drilling core compressive strength test to meet the strength requirement of the revetment works. Moreover, on the basis of the overall stability test platform of the interlocking block and numerical simulation analysis, the H‐type gravity mutual‐aid steel slag core concrete block was proved to have a better interlocking effect than the traditional blocks and exhibits excellent overall stability.
Effects of Root Cooling on Plant Growth and Fruit Quality of Cocktail Tomato during Two Consecutive Seasons
Authors: He F. , Thiele B. , Watt M. , Kraska T. , Ulbrich A. , Kuhn A. J.
Published: September 2019

Understanding the effects of root temperature on plant growth and key food components of horticultural crops under greenhouse conditions is important. Here, we assess the impact of root cooling on plant growth and fruit quality of two cocktail tomato cultivars (Lycopersicon esculentumcv “Amoroso” and cv “Delioso”) during the winter of 2017-2018 and the summer of 2018. Plants were grown hydroponically on rockwool under different root temperatures (16–27°C and 10°C) from the 2ndinflorescence to harvest inside the greenhouse. A root temperature of 10°C was controlled independently from air temperature (18–23°C in winter and 21–29°C in summer) by circulating cooling water. Reductions of marketable yield per plant (7.9–20.9%) in both cultivars were observed in response to root cooling in winter, but not significantly in summer. In most cases, root cooling had a positive effect on the functional quality (sugars, vitamin C, and carotenoids levels). In the case of “Delioso,” glucose concentration increased by 7.7–10.3%, vitamin C by 20–21%, and lycopene by 16.9–20.5% in both seasons. “Amoroso” exhibited only higher consistent values in glucose with increments between 6.9 and 7.8% in the two seasons. The levels of elements decreased by root cooling, with statistically significant reduction of N, P, S, and Fe by 12.1–15.7% in “Delioso” in winter and P and Zn by 9.1–22.2% in both cultivars in summer. Thus, manipulation of root temperature could be a feasible method to improve the overall fruit quality of cocktail tomato; however, this effect was also dependent on cultivars and other environmental factors.
Recurrent Painful Ophthalmoplegic Neuropathy and Oculomotor Nerve Schwannoma: A Pediatric Case Report with Long-Term MRI Follow-Up and Literature Review
Authors: Petruzzelli Maria Giuseppina , Margari Mariella , Furente Flora , Costanza Maria Carmela , Legrottaglie Anna Rosi , Dicuonzo Franca , Margari Lucia
Published: September 2019

Background. Recurrent painful ophthalmoplegic neuropathy (RPON), previously known as ophthalmoplegic migraine (OM), is an uncommon disorder with repeated episodes of ocular cranial nerve neuropathy associated with ipsilateral headache. The age of presentation is most often during childhood or adolescence. MRI has a central role in the assessment of the RPON, especially to distinguish orbital, parasellar, or posterior fossa lesions that mimic symptoms of RPON. Actually, oculomotor nerve tumors may be masquerade as RPON so that MRI follow-ups are required to detect the possibility of tumor etiology. Case presentation. We report a 16-year-old boy with a 7-year follow-up and multiple brain MRI data, previously diagnosed as OM. The last brain MRI, performed during an acute phase of oculomotor paresis with ipsilateral headache, showed a nodular lesion described as schwannoma of III cranial nerve. Then, we reviewed the literature on OM and RPON in pediatric age with a focus on brain MRI findings. Conclusions. This review highlights the important role of serial brain MRIs in the long-term follow-up of RPON, especially in the cases with childhood onset, in order to not delay the diagnosis of a possible oculomotor nerve schwannoma.
Mucinous Colorectal Carcinoma in a 17-Year-Old Male: A Diagnosis with Low Clinical Index of Suspicion
Authors: Yahaya James Joseph , Msokwa Edward Ketson , Mremi Alex
Published: September 2019

Colorectal carcinoma (CRC) is commonly found in adults. CRC in the pediatric population is extremely rare. Usually, CRC is diagnosed in children at advanced stage due to a low clinical index of suspicion. Mucinous type of CRC and its signet ring variant are the most common histological types which carry very poor clinical outcomes. This paper reports a 17-year-old male who presented with mild pallor and a 3-month history of abdominal pain accompanied with a mass on the left lower quadrant, and it was then confirmed histologically to be mucinous CRC of signet ring variant. This paper will help to raise awareness among the physicians and pediatricians in including CRC in the preliminary workouts for the purpose of shortening the delay for diagnosis which in turn would compromise the prognosis of the patients.
Five-Year Follow-Up of Unaffected Fellow Eyes in Patients with Polypoidal Choroidal Vasculopathy
Authors: Kim Kiyoung , Kim Jae Min , Kim Do Gyun , Yu Seung-Young , Kim Eung Suk
Published: September 2019

Purpose: To evaluate the incidence and risk factors of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) including polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) or any type of choroidal neovascularization (CNV) in fellow eyes of unilateral PCV. Methods: This retrospective study included 48 patients with unilateral PCV. For the initial PCV diagnosis, optical coherence tomography and indocyanine green angiography were performed, and patients with and without neovascularization were compared. Results: Of 48 fellow eyes, 10 (20.8%) had drusen, 9 (18.8%) had retinal pigment epitheliopathy, 9 (18.8%) had irregular retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) elevation, 13 (27.1%) had choroidal vascular dilation, 12 (25%) had choroidal vascular hyperpermeability, and 9 (18.8%) had branching vascular network (BVN) at baseline. The development of nAMD was noted in 8 eyes (17%). The subfoveal choroidal thickness (p = 0.001), irregular RPE elevation (p < 0.001), choroidal vascular dilation (p < 0.001), choroidal vascular hyperpermeability (p < 0.001), and BVN (p < 0.001) in fellow eyes were significantly correlated with development of PCV. After multivariate analysis, BVN (p = 0.045, odds ratio = 24.66) in the fellow eye was the only significant risk factor for the development of nAMD. Conclusions: PCV or CNV developed in 17% of fellow eyes during the 5 years. Unilateral PCV with contralateral BVN requires careful monitoring for future development of PCV or CNV in fellow eyes.
Prophylactic Effect of Premedication with Intravenous Magnesium on Renal Dysfunction in Preoperative Cisplatin-Based Chemotherapy for Esophageal Cancer
Authors: Kubo Yuto , Miyata Hiroshi , Sugimura Keijiro , Shinno Naoki , Ushigome Hajime , Yanagimoto Yoshitomo , Takahashi Yusuke , Yamamoto Kazuyoshi , Nishimura Junichi , Wada Hiroshi , Takahashi Hidenori , Yasui Masayoshi , Omori Takeshi , Ohue Masayuki , Yano Masahiko
Published: September 2019

Background: Magnesium premedication is reported to have a significant effect on reducing cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity in several types of cancer. However, the effectiveness of magnesium administration in reducing nephrotoxicity remains unknown in esophageal cancer, especially regarding neoadjuvant therapy. Methods: Between January 2017 and January 2019, 105 patients who underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by surgery were included in this study. Of these patients, 40 received intravenous magnesium premedication (magnesium group), whereas the remaining 65 did not (control group). We investigated the ­association between magnesium premedication and chemotherapy-related nephrotoxicity. Results: Baseline characteristics, such as age, body mass index, clinical stage, comorbidity, and pretreatment renal function, were not significantly different ­between the magnesium and control groups. Clinical and ­pathological responses were similar between the 2 groups. Regarding chemotherapy-related toxicity, there were no significant differences in hematological side effects, such as anemia, thrombopenia, and neutropenia, between both groups. However, nephrotoxicity of grade 2 and higher was significantly less frequent in the magnesium group than in the control group (2.5 vs. 21.5%, p = 0.0026), although there was no significant difference in the incidence of other nonhematological adverse events, such as nausea and diarrhea. Multivariate analysis indicated magnesium premedication and heart disease as independent factors associated with cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity (p = 0.0026 and p = 0.0424, respectively). Conclusion: We showed that intravenous magnesium premedication exerts a protective effect against renal dysfunction in esophageal cancer patients undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy including high-dose cisplatin. Large-scale prospective studies are needed to confirm the effect of magnesium premedication on reducing nephrotoxicity in esophageal cancer patients undergoing neoadjuvant therapy.
Palliative Endoscopic Ultrasound Biliary Drainage for Advanced Malignant Biliary Obstruction: Should It Replace the Percutaneous Approach?
Authors: Lesmana C. Rinaldi A. , Gani Rino A. , Hasan Irsan , Sulaiman Andri Sanityoso , Ho Khek Yu , Dhir Vinay , Lesmana Laurentius A.
Published: September 2019

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) and percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage (PTBD) are the standard of care in malignant biliary obstruction cases. Recently, endoscopic ultrasound-guided biliary drainage (EUS-BD) has been widely used after unsuccessful ERCP. However, the patient’s clinical impact of EUS-BD over PTBD is still not obvious. Therefore, this case series study aims to evaluate the clinical outcomes of patients with advanced malignant biliary obstruction who underwent EUS-BD after failed ERCP. A retrospective database study was performed between January 2016 and June 2018 in patients with advanced malignant biliary obstruction. Patients were consecutively enrolled without randomization. Treatment options consisted of ERCP and PTBD or EUS-BD if ERCP failed. Based on 144 biliary obstruction cases, 38 patients were enrolled; 24 (63.2%) were men. The patients’ mean age was 66.8 ± 12.36 years. The most common cause of malignant biliary obstruction was pancreatic cancer (44.7%). Biliary drainage was achieved by ERCP (39.5%), PTBD (39.5%), and EUS-BD (21.1%). The technical success rate was 86.7% by PTBD and 87.5% by EUS-BD (p = 1.000), while the clinical success rate was 93.3% by PTBD and 62.5% by EUS-BD (p = 0.500). The median survival in patients who underwent PTBD versus those wo underwent EUS-BD was 11 versus 3 months (log-rank p = 0.455). In conclusion, there is no significant advantage of EUS-BD when compared to PTBD in terms of clinical success and survival benefit in advanced malignant biliary obstruction.
Perda gestacional e neonatal, um sofrimento como outro qualquer
Authors: Melo Cristina Teixeira Viera de , Vaz Paulo Roberto Gibaldi
Published: September 2019

Investigamos sessenta e três narrativas de mães publicadas no livro “Histórias de amor na perda gestacional e neonatal” (2016). Nosso objetivo é mostrar que as estratégias de luta dessas mães são similares as de tantos outros movimentos sociais identitários. Em comum, a ideia de que um sofrimento contingente permite a construção de identidade. No caso das mães de perda gestacional e neonatal, para além da morte de seus bebês, há um sofrimento causado por aqueles que não atribuem ao filho morto o status de Pessoa, não reconhecendo a dor da perda. Em contrapartida, as mães vêm a público testemunhar a existência do filho, reivindicar a condição de mães e lutar por políticas públicas que minimizem os danos causados por aqueles que não consideram seu sofrimento.