bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Physiological Role of Tryptophanase in Control of Tryptophan Biosynthesis in
Bacillus alvei
Authors: Hoch J. A. , DeMoss R. D.
Published: January 2020

Hoch
, J. A. (University of Illinois, Urbana),
and R. D. DeMoss
. Physiological role of tryptophanase in control of tryptophan biosynthesis in
Bacillus alvei
. J. Bacteriol.
91:
667–672. 1966.—Indole excretion occurred early in the exponential growth phase, and derived mainly from biosynthetic intermediates of tryptophan. Tryptophan cleavage by tryptophanase contributed about 1.5% of the indole excreted. In the presence of exogenous tryptophan (5 to 10 μg/ml), excretion of early indole was not observed. Experiments with isotopically labeled indole and tryptophan showed that a low rate of endogenous tryptophan biosynthesis occurred constantly during growth. Both exogenously and endogenously supplied tryptophan were degraded by tryptophanase. As a consequence, the intracellular tryptophan concentration appeared to be maintained at a constant low level. It was suggested that the action of tryptophanase is an example of an enzymatic mechanism which controls the level of a specific metabolite pool.
Human Blastomycosis in South Africa Caused byBlastomyces percursusandBlastomyces emzantsisp. nov., 1967 to 2014
Authors: Maphanga Tsidiso G. , Birkhead Monica , Muñoz José F. , Allam Mushal , Zulu Thokozile G. , Cuomo Christina A. , Schwartz Ilan S. , Ismail Arshad , Naicker Serisha D. , Mpembe Ruth S. , Corcoran Craig , de Hoog Sybren , Kenyon Chris , Borman Andrew M. , Frean John A. , Govender Nelesh P.
Published: January 2020

We reevaluated 20 cases of blastomycosis diagnosed in South Africa between 1967 and 2014, withBlastomyces dermatitidisconsidered to be the etiological agent, in light of newly described species and the use of more advanced technologies. In addition to histopathological and/or culture-based methods, all 20 isolates were phenotypically and genotypically characterized, including multilocus typing of five genes and whole-genome sequencing.
Short Direct Repeats in the 3′ Untranslated Region Are Involved in Subgenomic Flaviviral RNA Production
Authors: Zhang Qiu-Yan , Li Xiao-Feng , Niu Xiaolin , Li Na , Wang Hong-Jiang , Deng Cheng-Lin , Ye Han-Qing , Huang Xing-Yao , Chen Qi , Xu Yan-Peng , Dong Hao-Long , Li Xiao-Dan , Zhao Hui , Shi Pei-Yong , Yuan Zhi-Ming , Gong Peng , Fang Xianyang , Qin Cheng-Feng , Zhang Bo
Published: January 2020

Flaviviruses include many important human pathogens. The production of subgenomic flaviviral RNAs (sfRNAs) is important for viral pathogenicity as a common feature of flaviviruses. sfRNAs are formed through the incomplete degradation of viral genomic RNA by the cytoplasmic 5ʹ–3ʹ exoribonuclease Xrn1 halted at the Xrn1-resistant RNA (xrRNA) structures within the 3ʹ-UTR. The 3ʹ-UTRs of the flavivirus genome also contain distinct short direct repeats (DRs), such as RCS3, CS3, RCS2, and CS2. However, the biological functions of these ancient primary DR sequences remain largely unknown. Here, we found that DR sequences are involved in sfRNA formation and viral virulence and provide novel targets for the rational design of live attenuated flavivirus vaccine.
Epitope-Containing Short Peptides Capture Distinct IgG Serodynamics That Enable Differentiating Infected from Vaccinated Animals for Live-Attenuated Vaccines
Authors: Xue Qinghong , Xu Hongke , Liu Huaidong , Pan Jiaojiao , Yang Jiao , Sun Miao , Chen Yanfei , Xu Wenwen , Cai Xuepeng , Ma Hongwei
Published: January 2020

Outbreaks of infectious diseases caused by viruses, such as pseudorabies (PR), foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), and PPR viruses, led to economic losses reaching billions of dollars. Both PR and FMD were eliminated in several countries via large-scale vaccination programs using DIVA-compatible vaccines, which lack the gE protein and nonstructural proteins, respectively. However, there are still extensive challenges facing the development and deployment of DIVA-compatible vaccines because they are time-consuming and full of uncertainty. Further, the negative marker strategy used for DIVA-compatible vaccines is no longer functional for live-attenuated vaccines. To avoid these disadvantageous scenarios, a new strategy is desired. Here, we made the exciting discovery that different IgG serodynamics can be monitored when using protein-based assays versus arrays comprising ECSPs. This DIVA microarray strategy should, in theory, work for any vaccine.
Comparative Genomics for the Elucidation of Multidrug Resistance in Candida lusitaniae
Authors: Kannan Abhilash , Asner Sandra A. , Trachsel Emilie , Kelly Steve , Parker Josie , Sanglard Dominique
Published: January 2020

Antifungal resistance is an inevitable phenomenon when fungal pathogens are exposed to antifungal drugs. These drugs can be grouped in four distinct classes (azoles, candins, polyenes, and pyrimidine analogs) and are used in different clinical settings. Failures in therapy implicate the sequential or combined use of these different drug classes, which can result in some cases in the development of multidrug resistance (MDR). MDR is particularly challenging in the clinic since it drastically reduces possible treatment alternatives. In this study, we report the rapid development of MDR in
Candida lusitaniae
in a patient, which became resistant to all known antifungal agents used until now in medicine. To understand how MDR developed in
C. lusitaniae
, whole-genome sequencing followed by comparative genome analysis was undertaken in sequential MDR isolates. This helped to detect all specific mutations linked to drug resistance and explained the different MDR patterns exhibited by the clinical isolates.
Evolving Antibiotics against Resistance: a Potential Platform for Natural Product Development?
Authors: Wollein Waldetoft Kristofer , Gurney James , Lachance Joseph , Hoskisson Paul A. , Brown Sam P.
Published: January 2020

To avoid an antibiotic resistance crisis, we need to develop antibiotics at a pace that matches the rate of evolution of resistance. However, the complex functions performed by antibiotics—combining, e.g., penetration of membranes, counteraction of resistance mechanisms, and interaction with molecular targets—have proven hard to achieve with current methods for drug development, including target-based screening and rational design.
Developmental dysplasia of the hip in preterm breech infants
Authors: Hegde Deeparaj , Powers Neil , Nathan Elizabeth A , Rakshasbhuvankar Abhijeet Anant
Published: January 2020

Background

Whether preterm infants born with breech presentation are at similar risk of developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) as the term breech infants is not known. The information will be vital for DDH screening guidelines.

Methods

A retrospective audit of infants born in the breech position was performed to compare the incidence of DDH in the following gestational age groups: 23–27, 28–31, 32–36 and ≥37 weeks.

Results

A total of 1144 neonates were included in the study. The incidence of DDH did not differ between the groups (11.6%, 9.4%, 13.6% and 11.5%, in 23–27, 28–31, 32–36 and ≥37 weeks, respectively, p=0.40). Sixty infants required intervention for DDH. Multiple logistic regression after correcting for potential confounders showed that gestational age group did not influence the risk of DDH, and requirement of therapy.

Conclusion

Preterm infants born with breech presentation appear to have a similar incidence of DDH to term breech infants.
Diffuse epithelioid malignant mesothelioma of the pleura presenting as a hydropneumothorax and vertebral body invasion
Authors: Hinkamp Colin Andrew , Dalal Shanup N , Butt Yasmeen , Cabo Chan Alberto V
Published: January 2020

Malignant mesothelioma is an uncommon form of neoplastic transformation of the mesothelial cells that line the serosal surfaces of the body. It most commonly affects the pleura and is often associated with pleural effusions and pleural-based masses. The annual incidence in the United States is only 3300 cases, representing less than 0.3% of all cancers worldwide, although this is likely underestimated. We present a case of diffuse epithelioid malignant pleural mesothelioma in a patient with remote, short-term asbestos exposure complicated by recurrent left-sided hydropneumothoraces and pleural-based invasion of the T12 vertebral body, which represent two rare coexisting complications. This case illustrates the importance of maintaining a broad differential for hydropneumothorax, particularly as the risk factors may be decades removed and the degree of asbestos exposure to induce a malignant mesothelioma may be smaller than has been traditionally thought.
Adherence to a Mediterranean diet is associated with a lower risk of later-onset Crohn’s disease: results from two large prospective cohort studies
Authors: Khalili Hamed , Håkansson Niclas , Chan Simon S , Chen Ye , Lochhead Paul , Ludvigsson Jonas F , Chan Andrew T , Hart Andrew R , Olén Ola , Wolk Alicja
Published: January 2020

Objective

To examine the relationship between Mediterranean diet and risk of later-onset Crohn’s disease (CD) or ulcerative colitis (UC).

Design

We conducted a prospective cohort study of 83 147 participants (age range: 45–79 years) enrolled in the Cohort of Swedish Men and Swedish Mammography Cohort. A validated food frequency questionnaire was used to calculate an adherence score to a modified Mediterranean diet (mMED) at baseline in 1997. Incident diagnoses of CD and UC were ascertained from the Swedish Patient Register. We used Cox proportional hazards modelling to calculate HRs and 95% CI.

Results

Through December of 2017, we confirmed 164 incident cases of CD and 395 incident cases of UC with an average follow-up of 17 years. Higher mMED score was associated with a lower risk of CD (Ptrend=0.03) but not UC (Ptrend=0.61). Compared with participants in the lowest category of mMED score (0–2), there was a statistically significant lower risk of CD (HR=0.42, 95% CI 0.22 to 0.80) but not UC (HR=1.08, 95% CI 0.74 to 1.58). These associations were not modified by age, sex, education level, body mass index or smoking (all Pinteraction>0.30). The prevalence of poor adherence to a Mediterranean diet (mMED score=0–2) was 27% in our cohorts, conferring a population attributable risk of 12% for later-onset CD.

Conclusion

In two prospective studies, greater adherence to a Mediterranean diet was associated with a significantly lower risk of later-onset CD.
Role of distal cerebral vasculature in vessel constriction after aneurysm treatment with flow diverter stents
Authors: Narata Ana Paula , Moura Fernando , Larrabide Ignacio , Chapot René , Cognard Christophe , Januel Anne-Christine , Velasco Stéphane , Bouakaz Ayache , Patat Frederic , Marzo Alberto
Published: January 2020

Background

Treatment of intracranial aneurysms with flow diverter stent (FDS) procedures can lead to caliber changes of jailed vessels. The reason some branches remain unchanged and others are affected by narrowing remains unknown.

Objective

To investigate the influence of resistance to flow from distal vasculature on stent-induced hemodynamic modifications affecting bifurcating vessels.

Materials and methods

Radiological images and demographic data were acquired for 142 aneurysms treated with a FDS. Vascular resistance was estimated from patient-specific anatomic data. Correlation analysis was used to identify correspondence between anatomic data and clinical outcome. Computational Fluid Dynamics was performed on a typical patient-specific model to evaluate the influence of FDS on flow. Relevant hemodynamic variables along the bifurcating vessels were quantitatively analyzed and validated with in vitro data obtained using power Doppler ultrasound.

Results

Statistical analysis showed a correlation between clinical outcome and FDS resistance to flow considering overall jailed vessel vascular resistance (r=0.5, P<0.001). Computational predictions of blood flow showed that hemodynamics is minimally affected by FDS treatment in the ophthalmic artery.

Conclusions

Jailed vessels are affected by narrowing when resistance to flow from the FDS constitutes a larger proportion of the overall vessel resistance to flow. This knowledge may contribute to better understanding of intracranial hemodynamics after a FDS procedure and reinforce indications for flow diversion in the treatment of intracranial aneurysms.
Development of an in vitro model of calcified cerebral emboli in acute ischemic stroke for mechanical thrombectomy evaluation
Authors: Johnson Sarah , McCarthy Ray , Fahy Brian , Mereuta Oana Madalina , Fitzgerald Seán , Gaudirc Julien , Remadi Jean-Paul , Shotar Eimad , Sourour Nader-Antoine , Doyle Karen , Gilvarry Michael , McGarry Patrick , McHugh Peter E , Clarençon Frédéric
Published: January 2020

​Background

Calcified cerebral emboli (CCEs) are a rare cause of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) and are frequently associated with poor outcomes. The presence of dense calcified material enables reliable identification of CCEs using non-contrast CT. However, recanalization rates with the available mechanical thrombectomy (MT) devices remain low.

Objective

To recreate a large vessel occlusion involving a CCE using an in vitro silicone model of the intracranial vessels and to demonstrate the feasability of this model to test different endovascular strategies to recanalize an occlusion of the M1 segment of the middle cerebral artery (MCA).

​Methods

An in vitro model was developed to evaluate different endovascular treatment approaches using contemporary devices in the M1 segment of the MCA. The in vitro model consisted of a CCE analog placed in a silicone neurovascular model. Development of an appropriate CCE analog was based on characterization of human calcified tissues that represent likely sources of CCEs. Feasibility of the model was demonstrated in a small number of MT devices using four common procedural techniques.

​Results

CCE analogs were developed with similar mechanical behavior to that of ex vivo calcified material. The in vitro model was evaluated with various MT techniques and devices to show feasibility of the model. In this limited evaluation, the most successful retrieval approach was performed with a stent retriever combined with local aspiration through a distal access catheter, and importantly, with flow arrest and dual aspiration using a balloon guide catheter.

​Conclusion

Characterization of calcified tissues, which are likely sources of CCEs, has shown that CCEs are considerably stiffer than thrombus. This highlights the need for a different in vitro AIS model for CCEs than those used for thromboemboli. Consequentially, an in vitro AIS model representative of a CCE occlusion in the M1 segment of the MCA has been developed.
Comparing paracetamol/codeine and meloxicam for postoperative analgesia in dogs: a non‐inferiority trial
Authors: Pacheco Mariana , Knowles Toby G , Hunt James , Slingsby Louisa S , Taylor Polly M , Murrell Joanna C
Published: January 2020

Background

There are limited published data on the analgesic efficacy of paracetamol/codeine in dogs.

Methods

Prospective, randomised, blinded, positive‐controlled clinical trial with 70 dogs (paracetamol/codeine, n=46; meloxicam, n=24) undergoing surgery. Drugs were administered orally 2 hours before and for 48 hours after surgery at the licensed dose. Anaesthesia was standardised. Dogs received buprenorphine 6 hourly for the first 24 hours after surgery. Outcome assessments were made pretrial and at regular intervals up to 48 hours after extubation and comprised the Glasgow Composite Measure Pain Score‐Short Form, visual analogue scale for sedation and inflammation and mechanical nociceptive threshold (MNT). Non‐inferiority of paracetamol/codeine compared with meloxicam was defined using a non‐inferiority margin (Δ) against the 95 per cent confidence interval of the difference between the treatment means.

Results

Pain scores were low in both treatment groups. With the exception of MNT all upper 95 per cent confidence intervals for the differences between outcome variable treatment means were within +Δ for each variable, establishing non‐inferiority for each outcome variable.

Conclusions

Paracetamol/codeine is a useful perioperative analgesic that within the context of the perioperative analgesia regimen studied (methadone premedication, buprenorphine for the first 24 hours after surgery) shows non‐inferiority to the NSAID meloxicam.
New physics with boosted single top production at the LHC and future colliders
Authors: Aguilar–Saavedra J. A. , Mangano M. L.
Published: January 2020

We address the potential of measurements with boosted single-top final states at the high-luminosity LHC (HL-LHC) and possible future hadron colliders: the high-energy LHC (HE-LHC), and the future circular collider (FCC). As new physics examples to assess the potential, we consider the search for tbW anomalous couplings and for a weakly-coupled $$W'$$W′ boson. The FCC would improve by a factor of two the sensitivity to anomalous couplings of the HL-LHC. For $$W'$$W′ bosons, the FCC is sensitive to $$W'$$W′ couplings 2–5 times smaller than the HL-LHC in the mass range 2–4 TeV, and to masses up to 30 TeV in the case of Standard Model-like couplings.
Phytoplankton in theTaraOcean
Authors: Pierella Karlusich Juan José , Ibarbalz Federico M. , Bowler Chris
Published: January 2020

Photosynthesis evolved in the ocean more than 2 billion years ago and is now performed by a wide range of evolutionarily distinct organisms, including both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Our appreciation of their abundance, distributions, and contributions to primary production in the ocean has been increasing since they were first discovered in the seventeenth century and has now been enhanced by data emerging from the Tara Oceans project, which performed a comprehensive worldwide sampling of plankton in the upper layers of the ocean between 2009 and 2013. Largely using recent data from Tara Oceans, here we review the geographic distributions of phytoplankton in the global ocean and their diversity, abundance, and standing stock biomass. We also discuss how omics-based information can be incorporated into studies of photosynthesis in the ocean and show the likely importance of mixotrophs and photosymbionts.
The Phosphatase PHLPP2 Plays a Key Role in the Regulation of Pancreatic Beta-Cell Survival
Authors: Hribal Marta Letizia , Mancuso Elettra , Arcidiacono Gaetano Paride , Greco Annalisa , Musca Donatella , Procopio Teresa , Ruffo Mariafrancesca , Sesti Giorgio
Published: January 2020

Currently available antidiabetic treatments fail to halt, and may even exacerbate, pancreatic β-cell exhaustion, a key feature of type 2 diabetes pathogenesis; thus, strategies to prevent, or reverse, β-cell failure should be actively sought. The serine threonine kinase Akt has a key role in the regulation of β-cell homeostasis; among Akt modulators, a central role is played by pleckstrin homology domain leucine-rich repeat protein phosphatase (PHLPP) family. Here, taking advantage of an in vitro model of chronic exposure to high glucose, we demonstrated that PHLPPs, particularly the second family member called PHLPP2, are implicated in the ability of pancreatic β cells to deal with glucose toxicity. We observed that INS-1 rat pancreatic β cell line maintained for 12–15 passages at high (30 mM) glucose concentrations (INS-1 HG) showed increased expression of PHLPP2 and PHLPP1 both at mRNA and protein level as compared to INS-1 maintained for the same number of passages in the presence of normal glucose levels (INS-1 NG). These changes were paralleled by decreased phosphorylation of Akt and by increased expression of apoptotic and autophagic markers. To investigate if PHLPPs had a casual role in the alteration of INS-1 homeostasis observed upon chronic exposure to high glucose concentrations, we took advantage of shRNA technology to specifically knock-down PHLPPs. We obtained proof-of-concept evidence that modulating PHLPPs expression may help to restore a healthy β cell mass, as the reduced expression of PHLPP2/1 was accompanied by a recovered balance between pro- and antiapoptotic factor levels. In conclusion, our data provide initial support for future studies aimed to identify pharmacological PHLPPs modulator to treat beta-cell survival impairment. They also contribute to shed some light on β-cell dysfunction, a complex and unsatisfactorily characterized phenomenon that has a central causative role in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes.
Cascade Control of Coffee Roasting Degree in a Spouted Bed Batch Process Based on a Real-Time Imaging Analysis
Authors: Gómez-Gómez Omar R. , Guatemala-Morales Guadalupe M. , García-Sandoval J. Paulo , Arriola-Guevara Enrique
Published: January 2020

On this work, the experimental implementation of a cascade control algorithm to regulate coffee roasting degree in a batch spouted bed process is presented. The control algorithm is composed of an inner control loop that regulates the temperature of the hot air inflow used to roast coffee grains inside a spouted bed, while an outer control loop, based on imaging processing techniques, tracks on real time the coffee roasting degree and decides if the inflow air temperature must be modified. To achieve this goal, a colour-matching algorithm is used to compare a colour spectrum obtained from images acquired on real time, from a peephole on the spouted bed, with the colour spectrums of several reference images with different degrees of roasting. Match scores are computed based on the similarity between the colour spectrums. With the match scores, a roasting index is finally calculated to assess the degree of roasting, allowing to automatically track the roasting progress to decide if the batch roasting process has achieved the desired roasting degree. The experimental results show that the control scheme is able to robustly achieve the desired roasting degree with excellent effectiveness.
Predictive Value of Electromechanical Activation Time for In-Hospital Major Cardiac Adverse Events in Heart Failure Patients
Authors: Zhang Jing , Liu Wen-Xian , Lyu Shu-Zheng
Published: January 2020

Objective. This prospective study aimed to evaluate the value of the cardiac cycle time-corrected electromechanical activation time (EMATc) measured at admission for predicting major cardiac adverse events (MACEs) in hospitalized patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). Methods. CHF patients with a left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) lower than 50% N=145 were enrolled in this study. Documented clinical end-points (MACEs) included cardiogenic death, onset of acute HF as assessed with invasive and noninvasive mechanical ventilation, and cardiogenic shock. According to the different clinical end-points, patients were divided into two groups: a MACE group n=22 and a nonMACE group n=123. EMATc, LVEF, and circulating levels of B type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and Troponin I (TnI) were measured. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to examine the association between EMATc and MACEs. The parameters adjusted in the multivariable model included EMATc, BNP, and heart rate. The predictive value of EMATc was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Results. Elevated EMATc was an independent risk factor for MACEs (odds ratio [OR] 1.1443, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.016–1.286, P=0.027). The area under the ROC curve for EMATc was 0.799 (95% CI 0.702–0.896, P<0.001). The optimal cutoff EMATc value was >13.8% with a sensitivity of 81.8% and a specificity of 65.9%. Conclusions. We demonstrated that an elevated EMATc measured at admission is an independent risk factor for MACEs among hospitalized CHF patients. Acoustic cardiography measured at admission may provide a simple, noninvasive method for risk stratification of CHF patients. This trial is registered with ChiCTR1900021470.
Production of Functional Fermented Milk Beverages Supplemented with Pomegranate Peel Extract and Probiotic Lactic Acid Bacteria
Authors: Al-Hindi Rashad R. , Abd El Ghani Salem
Published: January 2020

Fermented milk beverages supplemented with pomegranate peel extract and inoculated withLactobacillus plantarumandBifidobacterium longumsubsplongumwere produced. The antioxidant activity of fermented milk beverages supplemented with pomegranate peel 150 mg/L (FMPO 150) and 300 mg/L (FMPO 300) was determined by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS). In addition, the polyphenolic profile and sugars content were determined by HPLC analysis, and the volatile compounds were identified using GC-MS analysis. The effects of FMPO 150 and FMPO 300 (10 g/day) on the lipid profile and antioxidant/biochemical status of rats were also evaluated after 4 weeks of oral intake. Antioxidant activity of the fermented milk beverage FMPO 300 was higher than that of FMPO 150. GC-MS analysis of the volatile compounds revealed that diacetyl, acetoin, and acetaldehyde were the major constituents. FMPO 150 and FMPO 300 were efficient in reducing the LDL cholesterol and triacylglycerol and increased the HDL cholesterol in serum. Liver function biomarkers were not affected by the end of treatment (p<0.05). Also, the thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) were decreased, while the activity of antioxidant enzymes in the liver (GSH, CAT, SOD, and GPx) were increased. Hence, the combination of pomegranate peel extract and probiotic lactic acid bacteria in a fermented milk beverage provides not only probiotic benefits but also bioactive phenolic compounds that could be functional and possess therapeutic effects.
Interferon Kappa Is Important for Keratinocyte Host Defense against Herpes Simplex Virus-1
Authors: Li Yuanyuan , Song Yueqi , Zhu Leqing , Wang Xiao , Richers Brittany , Leung Donald Y. M. , Bin Lianghua
Published: January 2020

Type I interferon kappa (IFNκ) is selectively expressed in human keratinocytes. Herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1) is a human pathogen that infects keratinocytes and causes lytic skin lesions. Whether IFNκ plays a role in keratinocyte host defense against HSV-1 has not been investigated. In this study, we found that IFNκ mRNA expression was induced by addition of recombinant IFNκ and poly (I:C); and its expression level was significantly greater than IFNa2, IFNb1, and IFNL1 in both undifferentiated and differentiated normal human epidermal keratinocytes (NHEKs) under resting and stimulation conditions. Although IFNe was expressed at a relatively higher level than other IFNs in resting undifferentiated NHEK, its expression level did not change after stimulation with recombinant IFNκ and poly (I:C). HSV-1 infection inhibited gene expression of IFNκ and IFNe in NHEK. Silencing IFNκ in NHEK led to significantly enhanced HSV-1 replication in both undifferentiated and differentiated NHEK compared to scrambled siRNA-transfected cells, while the addition of recombinant IFNκ significantly reduced HSV-1 replication in NHEK. In addition, we found that IFNκ did not regulate protein expression of NHEK differentiation markers. Our results demonstrate that IFNκ is the dominant type of IFNs in keratinocytes and it has an important function for keratinocytes to combat HSV-1 infection.
Pricing and Carbon Emission Reduction Decisions in a Supply Chain with a Risk-Averse Retailer under Carbon Tax Regulation
Authors: Feng Yangang , Shen Jiaxin , Li Xiaomei
Published: January 2020

Carbon tax is an emission regulation, which widely used to curb the carbon emissions generated from firms. In the context of carbon tax policy, firms need to determine an optimal carbon reduction level and optimal product prices. To address firms’ decision-making challenges, this paper considers a two-echelon supply chain consisting of a single manufacturer and a single retailer under carbon tax policy; it establishes a Stackelberg game model with a risk-averse retailer and a risk-neutral manufacturer who is the leader of the game. The paper studies the influence of the government’s carbon tax policy and retailer’s risk-averse attitude on the optimal decision of the supply chain. The result shows that when the retailer is risk aversion, the degree of risk aversion of the retailer is positively correlated with the wholesale price of the manufacturer and unit carbon emission reduction, and within a certain range of carbon emission reduction cost coefficient, it is positively correlated with the price of products; with the increase of the carbon tax rate imposed by the government, the retail price of unit products, the wholesale price of the manufacturer, and the carbon emission reduction of unit products also increase. Finally, the results are verified by numerical examples.
Association between Knowledge of Sexually Transmitted Infections and Sources of the Previous Point of Care among Nigerians: Findings from Three National HIV and AIDS Reproductive Health Surveys
Authors: Morhason-Bello Imran O. , Fagbamigbe Adeniyi F.
Published: January 2020

Background. Adequate knowledge of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) is critical for effective control of disease. Health education/counselling at the point of care provides ample opportunities to improve knowledge of patient seeking treatment. There is no study from Nigeria that investigates association between sources of previous point of care of STI and quality of knowledge of people on STI. We hypothesised that previous treatment of STI will be associated with better knowledge of STI and HIV infection. Methods. Three consecutives nationally representative cross-sectional surveys on HIV and AIDS Reproductive Health in Nigeria, conducted in 2005, 2007, and 2012 were analysed. Outcome measures were knowledge of STI only, and a combined knowledge of STI and HIV transmission and prevention. We designed a knowledge scale of 14-item questions for STI and 41-item questions for STI and HIV. Logistic regression was used to identify risk factors at 5% significance level. Results. Knowledge of STI increased from 13.4% in 2005 to 15.0% in 2007 to 26.5% in 2012. Respondents that received treatment from pharmacy and patient medicine vendors had higher odds of good knowledge of STI than those who did not receive any treatment (aOR = 2.55) in 2005. In 2012, respondents treated at health facilities were over two times likely to have good knowledge of STI and HIV transmission and prevention (aOR = 2.35). STI positive individuals in the highest economic class were two times likely to have good knowledge of STI and HIV transmission and prevention than those in the lowest class. Conclusion. Participants that previously sought care from health facilities, pharmacy, and patient medicine vendors had better knowledge of STIs and HIV infection prevention and transmission than those who sought care from unorthodox sources. We recommend a national awareness creation on STI prevention including provision of information on safe point of care for STIs in Nigeria.
A Modified Cubic Law for Rough‐Walled Marble Fracture by Embedding Peak Density
Authors: Guo Baohua , Wang Chenlin , Wang Long , Chen Yan , Cheng Tan
Published: January 2020

The property of water flow through a single rock fracture is the base of describing the seepage characteristics of jointed rock mass. Five artificial tensile fractures of coarse‐grained cylinder marble samples were made at about the midpoint of the long axis by using a self‐made splitting mold. The upper and lower surfaces of the tensile fractures were scanned by a 3D laser scanner (OKIO) to obtain their 3D coordinates. Then, the Geomagic Studio Software and rock surface topography scan test software were used to obtain peak density values of each single fracture surface. To study the seepage characteristics of open fracture, 4 rectangular plastic spacers with the size of about 3 mm × 2 mm × 0.2 mm were put into the fracture when water flowed through the single rough fracture tests were conducted under different normal stresses using the self‐developed radial flow system. According to the testing data, the relationships between the seepage characteristics of single rough rock fracture and the peak density of fracture surface were studied. It is discovered that the 3D fracture morphology had great influences on the seepage characteristics of the single rock fracture. A modified cubic law was put forward to present the relationship between the seepage characteristics of a rough rock fracture and peak density of two fracture surfaces. Comparison between the modified cubic law and the experimental data showed a relatively good agreement.
Adsorption of Chelerythrine from Toddalia asiatica (L.) Lam. by ZSM-5
Authors: Liu Yunlong , Guo Jie , Xiao Zhuobing , Peng Dazhao , Song Ke
Published: January 2020

Separation and purification of active components from biomass by inorganic materials during the pretreatment process of hydrothermal conversion are studied in this work. The batch experiment results show that an initial solution pH of 6 favors chelerythrine adsorption, and the optimum adsorbent dosage is 2.0 g. The adsorption mechanism of ZSM-5 for chelerythrine is investigated by adsorption kinetics, isotherm adsorption models, and thermodynamics analysis. The results show that the kinetics data fit the pseudo-second-order model well (R2 = 0.9991), and the intraparticle diffusion model has 3 diffusion stages, preliminarily indicating that chemisorption plays a major role in the adsorption process, and the sorption mechanism includes intraparticle, external, and boundary diffusion. The adsorption isotherms agree well with the Langmuir model, indicating the occurrence of monolayer molecular adsorption during the adsorption process. Meanwhile, the maximum adsorption capacity is 2.327, 2.072, and 1.877 mg/g at different temperatures (288 K, 298 K, and 308 K), respectively. The thermodynamic data demonstrate that the adsorption process is exothermic and spontaneous in nature. These observed results clearly confirm that ZSM-5 has potential superior properties for the enrichment and purification of alkaloids during the pretreatment of biomass.
Emerging Prospects for Nanoparticle-Enabled Cancer Immunotherapy
Authors: Buabeid Manal Ali , Arafa El-Shaimaa A. , Murtaza Ghulam
Published: January 2020

One of the standards for cancer treatment is cancer immunotherapy which treats both primary and metastasized tumors. Although cancer immunotherapeutics show better outcomes as compared with conventional approaches of cancer treatment, the currently used cancer immunotherapeutics have limited application in delivering cancer antigens to immune cells. Conversely, in solid tumors, tumor microenvironment suppresses the immune system leading to the evasion of anticancer immunity. Some promising attempts have been made to overcome these drawbacks by using different approaches, for instance, the use of biomaterial-based nanoparticles. Accordingly, various studies involving the application of nanoparticles in cancer immunotherapy have been discussed in this review article. This review not only describes the modes of cancer immunotherapy to reveal the importance of nanoparticles in this modality but also narrates nanoparticle-mediated delivery of cancer antigens and therapeutic supplements. Moreover, the impact of nanoparticles on the immunosuppressive behavior of tumor environment has been discussed. The last part of this review deals with cancer immunotherapy using a combination of traditional interventional oncology approach and image-guided local immunotherapy against cancer. According to recent studies, cancer therapy can potentially be improved through nanoparticle-based immunotherapy. In addition, drawbacks associated with the currently used cancer immunotherapeutics can be fixed by using nanoparticles.
O alimento ingerido e comercializado
Authors: Caduda Tâmisa Marques
Published: January 2020

A presente comunicação busca analisar a dieta e os hábitos alimentares dos indivíduos pretos – cativos, livres e libertos – no Rio de Janeiro no início do século XIX, focalizando a construção dos hábitos alimentares e as dietas alimentares da população escrava e afrodescendente a partir do prisma analítico e cotidiano citadino. Com o intuito de analisar a base da dieta alimentar e seus impactos na vida desses indivíduos durante escravidão urbana carioca, pretende-se desvelar o cotidiano alimentar dessas populações negras no meio urbano carioca, a partir da investigação historiográfica sobre escravidão no Rio de Janeiro, junto à interpretação de fontes primárias como relatos dos viajantes acerca do cotidiano do império, os conjuntos documentais da Junta do Comércio, Agricultura, Fábricas e Navegações, localizados no Arquivo Nacional do Rio de Janeiro, consulta de teses médicas que retratam algumas enfermidade que acometiam os escravizados. Em paralelo a isso, uma análise sobre os insumos produzidos, comercializados e consumidos na cidade e os respectivos processos de abastecimento alimentar dos centros urbanos a partir da dinâmica de fornecimento de insumos alimentares do recôncavo fluminense. A hipótese proposta nesse projeto é que as opções alimentares disponíveis no ambiente urbano carioca e o cenário de carência de alguns tipos de alimentos junto ao quadro de desnutrição são postos-chaves para a compreensão dessa sociedade negra oitocentista, pois a partir da análise da dieta e de hábitos alimentares das populações escravizadas compreendem-se os impactos diretos nas relações sociais, econômicas, culturais e nutricionais.
Between health and pleasure
Authors: Piñer Hélène Jawhara
Published: January 2020

Between pleasure and health, why should we have to choose?

Though this combination did not mainly concern the culinary tradition of the Christian Middle Ages, on the other hand, it fits fully into an Arabic tradition of both East and West of the said period.

In the late Middle Ages under Islamic domination, doctors, agronomists or botanists, offer –through multiple medical treatises on food or agriculture–, culinary recipes good for health. Thus, for Ibn Rush, Ibn Rāzī, Avicenne or Maimonides –as for many others scholars–, foodstuffs play a key role in its benefits for health. In this way, cookbooks occupy pride of place in this alliance between health and cooking. Therefore, the culinary recipes of half a dozen cookbooks of the Muslim Middle East dating back to the 10th-14th centuries, suggest this combination: listen to your body, take pleasure when you eat, do it according to your health and eat in a measured way. Cookbooks of the Iberian Peninsula written in Arabic in the Dar al-Islam testify to the transmission –from the Muslim Middle East– of the medico-culinary tradition based on humoral theory and culinary practices.

This paper will focus on the place occupied by dietetic in the first known cookbook of the Iberian Peninsula: the Kitāb al-ṭabīẖ [The cookbook]. Its anonymous author quote Galen and Hippocrates that, therefore, inscribes the Kitāb al-ṭabīẖ in the influence of the Greek dietetic tradition. Furthermore, the knowledge of the anonymous author concerning medicine, dietetic, and cuisine is undeniable.

Through half a thousand recipes, I will first present a reflection on this source commonly named “The Cookbook”, and then underscore the proportion of dishes containing medical recommendations. Then I will offer an approach to frequently used foodstuffs in the recipes where health seems to take precedence over the pleasure of eating the dish. Curing the illness, avoiding it, take pleasure, what is the goal of the culinary recipes? Thus, the aim is to identify both the most common dietetics recommendations and the disease that seem the most important to avoid. Finally, I will provide a glimpse of one of the most characteristic culinary recipes of this alliance health/pleasure that can offer the Andalusian cookbook. A brief reflection can be conducted on the current phenomenon that shows the willingness to return to healthy food which recommendations can be found in the cookbooks dating from the Middle Ages.
A cozinha caipira na obra de Cornélio Pires
Authors: Matos Maria Izilda Santos de
Published: January 2020

Inserida numa perspectiva da história cultural, esta investigação focaliza as polêmicas em torno da construção cultural do caipira e da cozinha caipira, para tanto privilegia-se a produção de Cornélio Pires, considerado como porta-voz desta cultura.

A cultura caipira é aqui identificada como modo de ser e de viver do homem do campo nas áreas do Vale do Paraíba (Rio de Janeiro e São Paulo), se estendendo pelo oeste do estado de São Paulo (Piracicaba, Tietê, Pirapora), e, por um processo de circularidade cultural, atingindo o sul de Minas Gerais, Mato Grosso e norte do Paraná.

Alimentar-se é uma necessidade fisiológica, um imperativo biológico que atende às necessidades de sobrevivência, mas não se come apenas para saciar a fome e se nutrir, também para saborear, por prazer e envolve construções simbólicas e culturais. As pessoas se reúnem à mesa para além de se alimentar, para se sociabilizar, conversar, comungar crenças, compartilhar sonhos, memórias e valores.

Tendo isso como norte, pretende-se focalizar gostos, hábitos, práticas e tradições alimentares dos caipiras, a partir da análise da produção de Cornélio Pires (publicações, composições, registros sonoros, espetáculos, ações de divulgação), que se tornam documentos com grande potencial para levantar questões sobre esta temática.
Talbragarus averyi gen. et sp. n., the first Jurassic weevil from the southern hemisphere (Coleoptera: Curculionoidea: Nemonychidae)
Authors: OBERPRIELER ROLF G. , OBERPRIELER STEFANIE K.
Published: January 2020

The first authentic weevil fossils known from Australia, and the oldest known from the southern hemisphere, are describedand illustrated on the basis of two specimens recovered from the Upper-Jurassic Talbragar Fish Bed in New South Wales.Talbragarus averyi gen. et sp. n. is classified in the family Nemonychidae based on the presence of scutellary strioles onthe elytra, the length and insertion of the antennae and the shape of the eyes, prothorax, legs and overall body. Anassignment of Talbragarus to a subfamily of Nemonychidae is not possible due to the lack of preservation of crucialcharacters, but it may represent the subfamily Rhinorhynchinae, which is still extant in Australia. Talbragarus wasprobably associated with the dominant plant species found in the Talbragar Fish Bed, the araucariaceous Podozamitesjurassica, and may have fed on its pollen as adults and larvae as extant Australian Nemonychidae do, indicating that this insect-plant association may have survived in Australia from Jurassic times.
Review of the Afrotropical genus Dracontogena Diakonoff, 1970 (Lepidoptera, Tortricidae) with descriptions of eight new species
Authors: AARVIK LEIF , KARISCH TIMM , MARTHINSEN GUNNHILD
Published: January 2020

The Afrotropical genus Dracontogena Diakonoff is reviewed, and the genitalia of the 15 species present in mainlandAfrica are illustrated. Eight new species are described: Dracontogena agassizi, D. rubondoensis, D. bjornstadi, D.angolensis, D. solii, D. kingstoni, D. gilligani and D. sundi. Dracontogena niphadonta continentalis Karisch is elevatedto species rank; Dracontogena hoppei Karisch is synonymised with D. continentalis Karisch; and Fulcrifera deltozyga(Meyrick) is transferred to Dracontogena, new combination. Twelve specimens were subjected to DNA barcoding, andsequence data from four additional specimens were used from the German LEPDE BOLD-project. A neighbour-joining tree is provided. A key to males of all known species is given.
Enhanced Cultivation of Hair Follicle Outer Root Sheath Cells with K + M Culture Medium
Authors: Zhang Ying , Chen Lulu , Jin Yu-Qing , Chen Fanfan , Wu Wei
Published: January 2020

Hair follicle stem cells are vital seed cells for hair follicle and tissue engineering skin. However, there is no valid approach to obtain abundant cells within short times in vitro. The purpose of this study was to establish a new medium for culture and expansion of hair follicle
outer root sheath (ORS) cells. ORS cells were harvested from human samples and cultured with a medium mixed with keratinocyte serum free medium and mouse embryonic fibroblasts suspension. The proliferation and vitality of ORS cells were evaluated. The cells exhibited typical cobblestone morphology
with good adhesion and colony-forming ability. The cells were also characterized through detecting specific markers with immunofluorescent staining and the results showed that partial ORS cells could express hair follicle stem cell markers of CK15, CK19 and FST. At last, ORS cells and fibroblasts
were used as seed cells and preliminarily constructed tissue engineering skin successfully. In conclusion, these findings suggested that this new medium could effectively accelerate cell proliferation and maintain the fundamental characteristics of ORS cells.
The Impact of Sea Surface Temperature Biases on North American Precipitation in a High-Resolution Climate Model
Authors: Johnson Nathaniel C. , Krishnamurthy Lakshmi , Wittenberg Andrew T. , Xiang Baoqiang , Vecchi Gabriel A. , Kapnick Sarah B. , Pascale Salvatore
Published: January 2020

Positive precipitation biases over western North America have remained a pervasive problem in the current generation of coupled global climate models. These biases are substantially reduced, however, in a version of the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory Forecast-Oriented Low Ocean Resolution (FLOR) coupled climate model with systematic sea surface temperature (SST) biases artificially corrected through flux adjustment. This study examines how the SST biases in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans contribute to the North American precipitation biases. Experiments with the FLOR model in which SST biases are removed in the Atlantic and Pacific are carried out to determine the contribution of SST errors in each basin to precipitation statistics over North America. Tropical and North Pacific SST biases have a strong impact on northern North American precipitation, while tropical Atlantic SST biases have a dominant impact on precipitation biases in southern North America, including the western United States. Most notably, negative SST biases in the tropical Atlantic in boreal winter induce an anomalously strong Aleutian low and a southward bias in the North Pacific storm track. In boreal summer, the negative SST biases induce a strengthened North Atlantic subtropical high and Great Plains low-level jet. Each of these impacts contributes to positive annual mean precipitation biases over western North America. Both North Pacific and North Atlantic SST biases induce SST biases in remote basins through dynamical pathways, so a complete attribution of the effects of SST biases on precipitation must account for both the local and remote impacts.
The Good Mothering Expectations Scale: An International Instrument Development Study
Authors: O’Brien Karen M. , Yoo Sung-Kyung , Kim Young Hwa , Cho Yoonjin , Salahuddin Nazish M.
Published: January 2020

Our purpose in this research was to develop a measure that reflected cross-cultural and cultural-specific expectations of “good mothering.” We based our measure on samples of South Korean mothers ( n = 626) and White mothers in the United States ( n = 612). We developed an initial pool of 74 items that described good mothering in both cultures. We conducted exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses separately for each group. We found different factor structures: the South Korean sample had three factors, the United States’ sample yielded four factors. Two of these factors were similar in meaning across the groups, although the items that loaded onto these factors were not identical. Our analyses also yielded three factors unique to each group. The final instrument comprises 30 items that loaded onto both the shared and unique factors for the two groups. Additional support for the validity and reliability of the scale is presented.