bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Overt and occult hepatitis B virus infection among treatment‐naïve HIV‐infected patients in Brazil
Authors: Oliveira Marina Pedroso , Lemes Pollyanne Sousa , Matos Márcia Alves Dias , Del‐Rios Nativa Helena Alves , Santos Carneiro Megmar Aparecida , Costa Silva Ágabo Macedo , Lopes Carmen Luci Rodrigues , Teles Sheila Araújo , Aires Rodrigo Sebba , Lago Bárbara Vieira , Araujo Natalia Motta , Martins Regina Maria Bringel
Published: January 2016

Although hepatitis B virus (HBV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) co‐infection is common, only few data are available on HBV among HIV patients including occult hepatitis B infection (OBI), regardless of serological markers. This study aims to determine the prevalence of OBI and overall HBV infection, associated factors, HBV genotypes, and surface (S) gene mutations in a population of treatment‐naïve HIV‐infected patients in Brazil. A cross‐sectional study was conducted in treatment‐naïve HIV‐infected patients in Central Brazil. All samples were tested for HBV serological markers and HBV DNA. Sequence analysis of the S gene and overlapping polymerase gene was preformed. Overall, 25.1% (127/505) of the patients had markers of current or previous HBV infection, which was associated with age over 40 years, history of injection drug use, and homosexual sex. The hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) seroprevalence was 4.9% (25/505). HBV DNA was detected in 39 out of 505 patients: 20 of them were HBsAg‐positive and 19 were HBsAg‐negative, resulting in an OBI prevalence of 3.8%. Patients with OBI had significantly higher HCV seropositivity rate compared to HBsAg‐positive patients. Sequencing of the S gene revealed Y100C, T131N, and D144A mutations. One patient had the M204I and L180M drug‐resistance mutations (polymerase). HBV genotypes A (A1, A2), D (D2, D3), and F (F2) were identified. In conclusion, OBI represented almost half of all HBV infections with detectable HBV DNA, suggesting that hepatitis B diagnosis in HIV patients should include in addition to serological markers the detection of HBV DNA. J. Med. Virol. 88:1222–1229, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Comparison of Luminex xTAG® RVP fast assay and real time RT‐PCR for the detection of respiratory viruses in adults with community‐acquired pneumonia
Authors: Luchsinger Vivian , Prades Yara , Ruiz Mauricio , Pizarro Rolando , Rossi Patricio , Lizama Luis , Garmendia María Luisa , Meza Angela , Larrañaga Carmen , Avendaño Luis F.
Published: January 2016

Community‐acquired pneumonia (CAP) is the third cause of death worldwide. Viruses are frequently detected in adult CAP. Highly sensitive diagnostic techniques should be used due to poor viral shedding. Different sampling methods can affect viral detection, being necessary to establish the optimal type of sample for identifying respiratory viruses in adults. The detection rates of respiratory viruses by Luminex xTAG® RVP fast assay, real time RT‐PCR (rtRT‐PCR) (Sacace®), and immunofluorescence assay (IFA) in adult CAP were performed in nasopharyngeal swabs (NPS) and aspirates (NPA) from 179 hospitalized adults. Positivity was 47.5% for Luminex®, 42.5% for rtRT‐PCR (P = 0.3), and 2.7% for IFA (2.7%) (P < 0.0). The sensitivity, specificity, and kappa coefficient of xTAG® RVP compared with rtRT‐PCR were 84.2%, 79.6%, and 0.62%, respectively. Luminex® and rtRT‐PCR detected 65 (58.0%) and 57 (50.9%) viruses in 112 NPA and 35 (34.3%) and 31 (30.4%) in 102 NPS, respectively (P < 0.01). xTAG® RVP is appropriate for detecting respiratory viruses in CAP adults. Both molecular techniques yielded better results with nasopharyngeal aspirate than swabs. J. Med. Virol. 88:1173–1179, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Transcriptome profiling reveals differential expression of interferon family induced by dengue virus 2 in human endothelial cells on tissue culture plastic and polyacrylamide hydrogel
Authors: Pei Hua , Zuo Li , Ma Jing , Cui Lili , Yu Fangfang , Lin Yingzi
Published: January 2016

A cell model is critical for studying the molecular mechanisms of dengue virus 2 (DENV‐2) invasions and cell bioactivity can be easily affected by the substrate matrix. Tissue culture plastic (TCP) and polyacrylamide hydrogel (PAMH) are two kinds of matrices widely used for cells. The effects of different matrices on the cultured cells with DENV‐2 invasion remain unknown. To address the issue, the effects of TCP and PAMH were explored in primary human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) with DENV‐2 invasion. HUVECs were assigned into four groups: group A (cultured on TCP), group B (cultured on PAMH), group C (cultured on TCP with DENV‐2 invasion), and group D (cultured on PAMH with DENV‐2 invasion). Flow cytometry was performed on HUVECs after 48‐hr culture. Gene expression patterns were analyzed by gene microarray. The levels of interleukin‐29 (IL‐29) were measured by real‐time qRT‐PCR and ELISA. There were no cell apoptosis induced by DENV‐2 in HUVECs cultured on TCP and PAMH (P > 0.05). After DENV‐2 invasion, the up‐regulated genes involve in the activities of oligoadenylate synthetase (OAS), interferon‐related cytokine, and growth factors so on. The up‐regulated pathways involve in the responses to DENV‐2 and innate immunity. IL‐29 was induced in the HUVECs on PAMH when compared with the cells on TCP (P < 0.05). Thus, different matrices cause different immune responses, which should be considered in the cell models for exploring the molecular mechanisms of DENV‐induced diseases. J. Med. Virol. 88:1137–1151, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A novel channel allocation method for time synchronization in wireless sensor networks
Authors: Kiani Farzad
Published: January 2016

Channel allocation in the wireless sensor networks is one of the important issues, and these networks must allocate shared channels between sensor nodes in the transmission phase. This paper proposes a novel protocol for channel allocation, so it focuses on energy efficiency and collisions avoidance. The main idea of this protocol is based on the Guaranteed Time Slot approach by using novel high‐rate collaborative codes. The sum rate of the proposed collaborative codes is double than the conventional codes, thus increasing the capacity of codes and allowing more nodes to simultaneously transmit at a given time slot. The proposed protocol has a cluster‐based structure, so the sensor nodes of each cluster can communicate together only inside of the any cluster. The protocol performs clustering (grouping) of the nodes based on the geometric distance from the coordinator node and hence allocating different transmission power to each cluster. Because of the difference in transmission power among the groups, the same codes can be reused in the adjacent groups increasing the overall sum rate of the codes. The performance of a proposed protocol is evaluated through extensive simulation and analysis. It is shown from the results that the proposed scheme outperforms significantly the existing ZigBee Guaranteed Time Slot allocation schemes as well as the conventional collaborative codes. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Online solid‐phase extraction with high‐performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry for the determination of five tannins in traditional Chinese medicine injections
Authors: Sun Meng , Lin Yuanyuan , Zhang Jie , Zheng Shaohua , Wang Sicen
Published: January 2016

A rapid analytical method based on online solid‐phase extraction with high‐performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry has been established and applied to the determination of tannin compounds that may cause adverse effects in traditional Chinese medicine injections. Different solid‐phase extraction sorbents have been compared and the elution buffer was optimized. The performance of the method was verified by evaluation of recovery (≥40%), repeatability (RSD ≤ 6%), linearity (r2 ≥ 0.993), and limit of quantification (≤0.35 μg/mL). Five tannin compounds, gallic acid, cianidanol, gallocatechin gallate, ellagic acid, and penta‐O‐galloylglucose, were identified with concentrations ranging from 3.1–37.4 μg/mL in the analyzed traditional Chinese medicine injections.
Efficient strategy for the selective determination of dopamine in human urine by molecularly imprinted solid‐phase extraction
Authors: Luliński Piotr , Bamburowicz‐Klimkowska Magdalena , Dana Mariusz , Szutowski Mirosław , Maciejewska Dorota
Published: January 2016

An efficient molecularly imprinted solid‐phase extraction protocol was developed for the separation of dopamine (DA) from human urine. After successful validation of the analytical method using high‐performance liquid chromatography coupled with fluorescence detection, a new strategy for the selective determination of DA in the presence of norepinephrine and epinephrine in human urine was presented. In the proposed protocol, the LODs and quantification for DA were 166 ± 36 and 500 ± 110 nmol/L, respectively, and the total recoveries of DA in the range of 1–15 μmol/L varied between 98.3 and 101.1%. DA was detected in the real urine samples at the level of 47–167 μg/L (0.250–0.895 μmol/L). The superiority of the novel analytical strategy was shown by comparison with the results obtained for a commercially available imprinted sorbent.
Effects of Land Use and Wildfires on the Habitat Selection of Great Bustard (Otis tarda l.)—Implications for Species Conservation
Authors: Végvári Zsolt , Valkó Orsolya , Deák Balázs , Török Péter , Konyhás Sándor , Tóthmérész Béla
Published: January 2016

Increasing agricultural activities have been shown to affect soil and vegetation changes leading to serious biodiversity declines throughout the world. These effects are amplified in dry grassland areas, where resulting changes in habitat structure affect threatened animals on long temporal scales. Great bustards (Otis tarda) inhabit open landscapes where fire and grazing have been a part of the natural disturbance regime since historical times. Even fire and grazing are hypothesized to be important factors in the lifecycle of the species, studies are still missing on disturbance‐related lekking distribution patterns of great bustards. We analyzed the importance of fires and grazing on the spatial distribution of lekking bustards controlling for habitat types, habitat diversity, distance from roads and social effects. Our standardized dataset spanned 31 years, being one of the largest datasets on bustard lekking. During the 31 years we observed 10 118 individuals at 639 observation points in Hortobágy National Park, East‐Hungary. One of the most important predictors for total number of birds and number of males was the area burnt in previous years. We found that increased habitat diversity had a positive effect on female numbers. Models fit on second‐ and third‐year burn data detected no substantial role of burning on lekking distribution. Our results suggest that introduction of a patch‐burning management system in lekking areas could increase the availability of optimal lek sites for bustards. As an effective management tool, we suggest applying patch‐burning annually in a spatially mosaic structure inside the area occupied by each sub‐population unit. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Organic Fertilization in Traditional Mediterranean Grapevine Orchards Mediates Changes in Soil Microbial Community Structure and Enhances Soil Fertility
Authors: García‐Orenes Fuensanta , Roldán Antonio , Morugán‐Coronado Alicia , Linares Carlos , Cerdà Artemi , Caravaca Fuensanta
Published: January 2016

Soil microbial populations and their functions related to nutrient cycling contribute substantially to the regulation of soil fertility and the sustainability of agroecosystems. A field experiment was performed to assess the medium‐term effect of a mineral fertilizer and two organic fertilization systems with different nitrogen sources on the soil microbial community biomass, structure, and composition (phospholipid fatty acids, pattern, and abundance), microbial activity (basal respiration, dehydrogenase, protease, urease, β‐glucosidase, and total amount of phosphomonoesterase activities), and physical (aggregate stability) and chemical (total organic C, total N, available P and water‐soluble carbohydrates) properties in a vineyard under semiarid Mediterranean conditions after a period of 10 years. The three fertilization systems assayed were as follows: inorganic fertilization, addition of grapevine pruning with sheep manure (OPM), and addition of grapevine pruning with a legume cover crop (OPL). Both treatments, OPM and OPL, produced higher contents of total organic carbon, total N, available P, water‐soluble carbohydrates, and stable aggregates. The organic fertilization systems increased microbial biomass, shifted the structure and composition of the soil microbial community, and stimulated microbial activity, when compared with inorganic fertilization. The abundances of fungi and G+ bacteria were increased by treatments OPM and OPL, without significant differences between them. Organic and inorganic fertilization produced similar grapevine yields. The ability of the organic fertilization systems for promoting the sustainability and soil biological and chemical fertility of an agroecosystem under semiarid conditions was dependent of the organic N source. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Dietary fat restriction increases fat taste sensitivity in people with obesity
Authors: Newman Lisa P. , Bolhuis Dieuwerke P. , Torres Susan J. , Keast Russell S.J.
Published: January 2016

Objective

Individuals with obesity may be less sensitive to the taste of fat, and it is hypothesized that this is due to excess dietary fat intake. This study assessed the effect of a 6‐week low‐fat (LF) or portion control (PC) diet matched for weight loss on fat taste thresholds, fat perception, and preference in people with overweight/obesity.

Methods

Participants (n = 53) completed a randomized dietary intervention and consumed either a LF diet (25% fat) or PC diet (33% fat) for 6 weeks. Fat taste thresholds (lowest detectable fat concentration), fat perception (discrimination ability), preference, and anthropometry were assessed at baseline and week 6.

Results

Consumption of a LF diet (n = 26) and PC diet (n = 27) reduced participants' weight (P < 0.001), with no significant differences between groups (LF, −2.9%, PC, −2.7%). Both diets resulted in a decrease in fat taste thresholds (P = 0.014), and the effect tended to be stronger in the LF diet vs. the PC diet (P = 0.060). The ability to perceive different fat concentrations in foods was increased after the LF diet only (P = 0.017); however, food preference did not change on either diet.

Conclusions

A PC and LF diet both increase fat taste sensitivity in people with overweight/obesity, with the strongest effect after the LF diet.
Efficacy of SDHI fungicides, including benzovindiflupyr, against Colletotrichum species
Authors: Ishii Hideo , Zhen Fan , Hu Mengjun , Li Xingpeng , Schnabel Guido
Published: January 2016

BACKGROUND

Colletotrichum species cause anthracnose diseases on many plants and crops. A new generation of succinate dehydrogenase inhibitors (SDHIs) was developed recently. The inhibitory activity of the five SDHI fungicides against Colletotrichum species was determined in this study.

RESULTS

Isolates of C. gloeosporioides, C. acutatum, C. cereale and C. orbiculare were insensitive (naturally resistant) to boscalid, fluxapyroxad and fluopyram on YBA agar medium. In contrast, these isolates were relatively sensitive to penthiopyrad, except for C. orbiculare. Most interestingly, benzovindiflupyr showed highest inhibitory activity against all of these four species. Benzovindiflupyr was effective against C. gloeosporioides and C. acutatum on apple and peach fruit, as well as on cucumber plants inoculated with C. orbiculare. The sdhB, sdhC and sdhD genes encoding the subunits of fungicide‐targeted succinate dehydrogenase were sequenced, but, despite high polymorphisms, no apparent resistance mutations were found in Colletotrichum species.

CONCLUSIONS

This is the first report on the activity of benzovindiflupyr against Colletotrichum species. The broad‐spectrum efficacy of benzovindiflupyr within the Colletotrichum genus might be exploited when designing disease management strategies against various pathogens on a wide range of crops. Other mechanism(s) than fungicide target‐site modification may be responsible for differential sensitivity of Colletotrichum species to SDHI fungicides. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry
Suicidal germination for parasitic weed control
Authors: Zwanenburg Binne , Mwakaboko Alinanuswe S , Kannan Chinnaswamy
Published: January 2016

Parasitic weeds of the genera Striga and Orobanche spp. cause severe yield losses in agriculture, especially in developing countries and the Mediterranean. Seeds of these weeds germinate by a chemical signal exuded by the roots of host plants. The radicle thus produced attaches to the root of the host plant, which can then supply nutrients to the parasite. There is an urgent need to control these weeds to ensure better agricultural production. The naturally occurring chemical signals are strigolactones (SLs), e.g. strigol and orobanchol. One option to control these weeds involves the use of SLs as suicidal germination agents, where germination takes place in the absence of a host. Owing to the lack of nutrients, the germinated seeds will die. The structure of natural SLs is too complex to allow multigram synthesis. Therefore, SL analogues are developed for this purpose. Examples are GR24 and Nijmegen‐1. In this paper, the SL analogues Nijmegen‐1 and Nijmegen‐1 Me were applied in the field as suicidal germination agents. Both SL analogues were formulated using an appropriate EC‐approved emulsifier (polyoxyethylene sorbitol hexaoleate) and applied to tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) fields infested by Orobanche ramosa L. (hemp broomrape), following a strict protocol. Four out of 12 trials showed a reduction in broomrape of ≥95%, two trials were negative, two showed a moderate result, one was unclear and in three cases there was no Orobanche problem in the year of the trials. The trial plots were ca 2000 m2; half of that area was treated with stimulant emulsion, the other half was not treated. The optimal amount of stimulant was 6.25 g ha−1. A preconditioning prior to the treatment was a prerequisite for a successful trial. In conclusion, the suicidal germination approach to reducing O. ramosa in tobacco fields using formulated SL analogues was successful. Two other options for weed control are discussed: deactivation of stimulants prior to action and biocontrol by Fusarium oxysporum. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry
Selection and characterization of resistance to the Vip3Aa20 protein from Bacillus thuringiensis in Spodoptera frugiperda
Authors: Bernardi Oderlei , Bernardi Daniel , Horikoshi Renato J , Okuma Daniela M , Miraldo Leonardo L , Fatoretto Julio , Medeiros Fernanda CL , Burd Tony , Omoto Celso
Published: January 2016

BACKGROUND

Spodoptera frugiperda is one the main target pests of maize events expressing Vip3Aa20 protein from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) in Brazil. In this study, we selected a resistant strain of S. frugiperda on Bt maize expressing Vip3Aa20 protein and characterized the inheritance and fitness costs of the resistance.

RESULTS

The resistance ratio of the Vip3Aa20‐resistant strain of S. frugiperda was >3200‐fold. Neonates of the Vip3Aa20‐resistant strain were able to survive and emerge as fertile adults on Vip3Aa20 maize, while larvae from susceptible and heterozygous strains did not survive. The inheritance of Vip3Aa20 resistance was autosomal recessive and monogenic. Life history studies to investigate fitness cost revealed an 11% reduction in the survival rate until adult stage and a ∼50% lower reproductive rate of the Vip3Aa20‐resistant strain compared with susceptible and heterozygous strains.

CONCLUSION

This is the first characterization of S. frugiperda resistance to Vip3Aa protein. Our results provide useful information for resistance management programs designed to prevent or delay resistance evolution to Vip3Aa proteins in S. frugiperda. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry
Sensor‐based variable‐rate fungicide application in winter wheat
Authors: Tackenberg Maria , Volkmar Christa , Dammer Karl‐Heinz
Published: January 2016

BACKGROUND

Currently, no technology for the automatic detection of diseases while moving agricultural equipment through fields is available on the market. An alternative approach of target‐oriented fungicide spraying was tested to adapt the local dose rates of spray liquid in winter wheat to local differences in the plant surface and biomass by using a camera sensor.

RESULTS

A linear correlation was found between the sensor values and two plant parameters, namely the leaf area index and biomass. The spray volume was linearly adapted to the local sensor value in a field trial. The camera sensor was used to operate the dosing system (gauge) at the field boom sprayer. A total of 8% of spray liquid was saved compared with common uniform spraying.

CONCLUSIONS

Because no differences exist in yield and disease incidence between the sensor‐based and uniformly sprayed plot, this new technology, which uses plants as targets for fungicide dosages, could be an alternative to the present common dosage practices on a hectare basis. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry
Robust passivity‐based H∞ control for uncertain switched nonlinear systems
Authors: Li Chensong , Zhao Jun
Published: January 2016

In this paper, we investigate the H∞ control problem for uncertain switched nonlinear systems with passive and non‐passive subsystems. For any given average dwell time, any given passivity rate and any given disturbance attenuation level, we design feedback controllers of subsystems, which may depend on the pre‐given constants, to solve the H∞ control problem for the uncertain switched nonlinear systems for all admissible uncertainties. For linear systems, the exponential small‐time norm‐observability is shown to be preserved under disturbance. Two examples are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed design method. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Self-Renewal and High Proliferative Colony Forming Capacity of Late-Outgrowth Endothelial Progenitors Is Regulated by Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitors Driven by Notch Signaling
Authors: Patel Jatin , Wong Ho Yi , Wang Weili , Alexis Josue , Shafiee Abbas , Stevenson Alexander J. , Gabrielli Brian , Fisk Nicholas M. , Khosrotehrani Kiarash
Published: January 2016

Since the discovery of endothelial colony forming cells (ECFC), there has been significant interest in their therapeutic potential to treat vascular injuries. ECFC cultures display significant heterogeneity and a hierarchy among cells able to give rise to high proliferative versus low proliferative colonies. Here we aimed to define molecularly this in vitro hierarchy. Based on flow cytometry, CD34 expression levels distinguished two populations. Only CD34 + ECFC had the capacity to reproduce high proliferative potential (HPP) colonies on replating, whereas CD34− ECFCs formed only small clusters. CD34 + ECFCs were the only ones to self-renew in stringent single-cell cultures and gave rise to both CD34 + and CD34− cells. Upon replating, CD34 + ECFCs were always found at the centre of HPP colonies and were more likely in G0/1 phase of cell cycling. Functionally, CD34 + ECFC were superior at restoring perfusion and better engrafted when injected into ischemic hind limbs. Transcriptomic analysis identified cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) cell cycle inhibiting genes (p16, p21, and p57), the Notch signaling pathway (dll1, dll4, hes1, and hey1), and the endothelial cytokine il33 as highly expressed in CD34 + ECFC. Blocking the Notch pathway using a γ-secretase inhibitor (DAPT) led to reduced expression of cell cycle inhibitors, increased cell proliferation followed by a loss of self-renewal, and HPP colony formation capacity reflecting progenitor exhaustion. Similarly shRNA knockdown of p57 strongly affected self-renewal of ECFC colonies. ECFC hierarchy is defined by Notch signalling driving cell cycle regulators, progenitor quiescence and self-renewal potential.
In silico toxicology: computational methods for the prediction of chemical toxicity
Authors: Raies Arwa B. , Bajic Vladimir B.
Published: January 2016

Determining the toxicity of chemicals is necessary to identify their harmful effects on humans, animals, plants, or the environment. It is also one of the main steps in drug design. Animal models have been used for a long time for toxicity testing. However, in vivo animal tests are constrained by time, ethical considerations, and financial burden. Therefore, computational methods for estimating the toxicity of chemicals are considered useful. In silico toxicology is one type of toxicity assessment that uses computational methods to analyze, simulate, visualize, or predict the toxicity of chemicals. In silico toxicology aims to complement existing toxicity tests to predict toxicity, prioritize chemicals, guide toxicity tests, and minimize late‐stage failures in drugs design. There are various methods for generating models to predict toxicity endpoints. We provide a comprehensive overview, explain, and compare the strengths and weaknesses of the existing modeling methods and algorithms for toxicity prediction with a particular (but not exclusive) emphasis on computational tools that can implement these methods and refer to expert systems that deploy the prediction models. Finally, we briefly review a number of new research directions in in silico toxicology and provide recommendations for designing in silico models. WIREs Comput Mol Sci 2016, 6:147–172. doi: 10.1002/wcms.1240

This article is categorized under:

Computer and Information Science > Chemoinformatics

Computer and Information Science > Databases and Expert Systems

Computer and Information Science > Computer Algorithms and Programming
Environmental Law and Ethics
Authors: Alder John , Wilkinson David
Published: January 2016

Do we owe our duties to future generations? Do animals have rights? Should nature be respected for its own sake or only as a resource for human use? These questions and others are explored in the book, which takes a fresh approach by exploring environmental law in the context of ethical ideas. Written in an accessible style and including many case studies, Environmental Law and Ethics is a concise text not only for students of law and related courses but also for all who are interested in environmental matters.
Natural product discovery: past, present, and future
Authors: Katz Leonard , Baltz Richard H
Published: January 2016

Microorganisms have provided abundant sources of natural products which have been developed as commercial products for human medicine, animal health, and plant crop protection. In the early years of natural product discovery from microorganisms (The Golden Age), new antibiotics were found with relative ease from low-throughput fermentation and whole cell screening methods. Later, molecular genetic and medicinal chemistry approaches were applied to modify and improve the activities of important chemical scaffolds, and more sophisticated screening methods were directed at target disease states. In the 1990s, the pharmaceutical industry moved to high-throughput screening of synthetic chemical libraries against many potential therapeutic targets, including new targets identified from the human genome sequencing project, largely to the exclusion of natural products, and discovery rates dropped dramatically. Nonetheless, natural products continued to provide key scaffolds for drug development. In the current millennium, it was discovered from genome sequencing that microbes with large genomes have the capacity to produce about ten times as many secondary metabolites as was previously recognized. Indeed, the most gifted actinomycetes have the capacity to produce around 30–50 secondary metabolites. With the precipitous drop in cost for genome sequencing, it is now feasible to sequence thousands of actinomycete genomes to identify the “biosynthetic dark matter” as sources for the discovery of new and novel secondary metabolites. Advances in bioinformatics, mass spectrometry, proteomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics and gene expression are driving the new field of microbial genome mining for applications in natural product discovery and development.
Emprendimiento: visión actual como disciplina de investigación. Un análisis de los números especiales publicados durante 2011-2013
Authors: Serrano-Bedia Ana María , Pérez-Pérez Marta , Palma-Ruiz Manuel , López-Fernández María Concepción
Published: January 2016

Este artículo presenta una exposición de las publicaciones contenidas en special issues publicados en revistas incluidas en el Índice de Citas de Ciencias Sociales (Social Science Citation Index [SSCI]) entre 2011 y 2013 para ofrecer una visión actualizada de la literatura sobre emprendimiento mediante una revisión sistemática que incluye 3 partes: recopilación, análisis y síntesis de datos. Específicamente, la muestra analizada está compuesta por 387 artículos publicados en 49 special issues en 23 revistas. Se presentan las características de las revistas y las diversas temáticas en emprendimiento que abordan actualmente; asimismo, se identifican 10 líneas principales de investigación, señalando tipologías, metodologías y consideraciones geográficas, además de una descripción de los principales temas abordados en cada una de ellas. Lo anterior permite al investigador reflexionar acerca del estado actual y de las oportunidades de investigación para contribuir al desarrollo de este campo.
Relationship of cumulative dust exposure dose and cumulative abnormal rate of pulmonary function in coal mixture workers
Authors: Qian Qing‐Zeng , Cao Xiang‐Ke , Qian Qing‐Qiang , Shen Fu‐Hai , Wang Qian , Liu Hai‐Yan , Tong Jun‐Wang
Published: January 2016

To investigate the dose‐response relationship between cumulative dust exposure (CDE) and cumulative abnormal rate of pulmonary function in coal mixture workers. Three hundred and twenty eight coal mixture workers (exposed group) and 169 nondust‐exposed workers (control group) were recruited. Basic information data were collected and pulmonary function tests were performed. Pulmonary function was compared between the two groups after comparing smoking behaviors. Pulmonary function indices [forced vital capacity in 1 second after full inspiration (FVC)%, forced expiratory volume (FEV)1%, and FEV1/FVC%] were compared among groups stratified by service length (exposure duration). The relationship between CDE dose and cumulative abnormal rate of pulmonary function in coal mixture workers was analyzed. Abnormal rate of pulmonary function in the exposed group (35.1%) was significantly higher than the control group (10.1%; p < 0.001); FVC%, FEV1%, and FEV1/FVC% in the exposed group decreased significantly compared with the control group (all p < 0.05). Differences in FVC%, FEV1%, and FEV1/FVC% among coal mixture workers stratified by exposure duration in the exposed group were statistically significant (all p < 0.05). The discernible increase in the cumulative abnormal rate was observed, from ≥ 1000 mg/m3·years group to ≥ 1700 mg/m3·years group. Correlation analysis revealed a positive correlation between the CDE dose and the cumulative abnormal rate of pulmonary function. Higher abnormal pulmonary function rate was found among coal mixture workers, characterized by decreased pulmonary function indices. Our results suggested a positive relationship between CDE dose and cumulative abnormal pulmonary function rate, and a rapid increase in cumulative abnormal rate within a certain range of CDE dose. A lower limit value of 1000 mg/m3·years has reference significance.
Delirium Associated With Lidocaine Patch Administration: A Case Presentation
Authors: Byun Eun Kwang , Berry Kevin M. , Lee Anthony , Oh‐Park Mooyeon
Published: January 2016

Delirium is a common complication among hospitalized elderly individuals. Systemic analgesics are known precipitating factors for delirium. However, the risk from topical pain agents is not well documented. We report a case of a woman who developed delirium after the application of a lidocaine patch. Although lidocaine patches are generally perceived as safe, clinicians should be aware of delirium as a potential adverse effect, particularly in older patients. This report also highlights the role of a systematic approach of staff education, use of a standardized protocol, and interdisciplinary communication in the identification and management of delirium in acute rehabilitation facilities.
Episodic tourmaline growth and re-equilibration in mica pegmatite from the Bihar Mica Belt, India: major- and trace-element variations under pegmatitic and hydrothermal conditions
Authors: HAZARIKA PRANJIT , UPADHYAY DEWASHISH , PRUSETH KAMAL LOCHAN
Published: January 2016

Mica pegmatites from the Bihar Mica Belt contain three distinct generations of tourmaline. The major-element composition, substitution vectors and trajectories within each group are different, which indicates that the three types of tourmalines are not a part of one evolutionary series. Rather, the differences in their chemistries as well their mutual microtextural relations, can be best explained by growth of tourmaline from pegmatitic melts followed by episodic re-equilibration during discrete geological events. The euhedral, coarse-grained brown type I tourmaline cores have relatively high Ca, Mg (XMgc.0.37) and Al with correlated variation in Sr, Sc, Ti, Zr, Y, Cr, Pb and Rare Earth elements (REEs). They are inferred to have crystallized from pegmatitic melts. Monazites included within these tourmalines give chemical ages of 1290−1242 Ma interpreted to date the crystallization of the pegmatitic tourmaline. The bluish type II and greyish type III tourmalines with low Ca and Mg contents (XMg= 0.16−0.27) and high Zn, Sn, Nb, Ta and Na, formed by pseudomorphic partial replacement of the pegmatitic tourmaline via fluid-mediated coupled dissolution–reprecipitation, are ascribed to a hydrothermal origin. The ages obtained from monazites included in these tourmalines indicate two alteration events atc.1100 Ma andc.950 Ma. The correlated variation of Ca, Mg and Fe and the trace elements Sr, Sn, Sc, Zn and REE within the tourmalines indicates that the trace-element concentrations of tourmaline are controlled not only by the fluid chemistry but also by coupled substitutions with major-element ions.
Quantifying N2O emissions from intensive grassland production: the role of synthetic fertilizer type, application rate, timing and nitrification inhibitors
Authors: BELL M. J. , CLOY J. M. , TOPP C. F. E. , BALL B. C. , BAGNALL A. , REES R. M. , CHADWICK D. R.
Published: January 2016

Increasing recognition of the extent to which nitrous oxide (N2O) contributes to climate change has resulted in greater demand to improve quantification of N2O emissions, identify emission sources and suggest mitigation options. Agriculture is by far the largest source and grasslands, occupyingc. 0·22 of European agricultural land, are a major land-use within this sector. The application of mineral fertilizers to optimize pasture yields is a major source of N2O and with increasing pressure to increase agricultural productivity, options to quantify and reduce emissions whilst maintaining sufficient grassland for a given intensity of production are required. Identification of the source and extent of emissions will help to improve reporting in national inventories, with the most common approach using the IPCC emission factor (EF) default, where 0·01 of added nitrogen fertilizer is assumed to be emitted directly as N2O. The current experiment aimed to establish the suitability of applying this EF to fertilized Scottish grasslands and to identify variation in the EF depending on the application rate of ammonium nitrate (AN). Mitigation options to reduce N2O emissions were also investigated, including the use of urea fertilizer in place of AN, addition of a nitrification inhibitor dicyandiamide (DCD) and application of AN in smaller, more frequent doses. Nitrous oxide emissions were measured from a cut grassland in south-west Scotland from March 2011 to March 2012. Grass yield was also measured to establish the impact of mitigation options on grass production, along with soil and environmental variables to improve understanding of the controls on N2O emissions. A monotonic increase in annual cumulative N2O emissions was observed with increasing AN application rate. Emission factors ranging from 1·06–1·34% were measured for AN application rates between 80 and 320 kg N/ha, with a mean of 1·19%. A lack of any significant difference between these EFs indicates that use of a uniform EF is suitable over these application rates. The mean EF of 1·19% exceeds the IPCC default 1%, suggesting that use of the default value may underestimate emissions of AN-fertilizer-induced N2O loss from Scottish grasslands. The increase in emissions beyond an application rate of 320 kg N/ha produced an EF of 1·74%, significantly different to that from lower application rates and much greater than the 1% default. An EF of 0·89% for urea fertilizer and 0·59% for urea with DCD suggests that N2O quantification using the IPCC default EF will overestimate emissions for grasslands where these fertilizers are applied. Large rainfall shortly after fertilizer application appears to be the main trigger for N2O emissions, thus applicability of the 1% EF could vary and depend on the weather conditions at the time of fertilizer application.
Exchange Value: British “Scholarship Boys” in Mid-Twentieth-Century America
Authors: LEMAHIEU D. L.
Published: January 2016

In the late 1950s and early 1960s a number of British “scholarship boys” traveled to America sponsored by British and American foundations. Their experiences in the United States qualify and complicate existing narratives about upwardly mobile meritocrats. First, Americans regarded these figures in a manner that helped alter their view of themselves. Distinctions that mattered in Britain became less significant in America, though scholarship boys remained shrewd enough to penetrate the veneer of a superficial egalitarianism. National identity became a marker that sidelined residual anxieties about social hierarchy. Second, American prosperity affected the bias against consumerism shared by many British intellectuals during the mid-twentieth century. As professionals supported by government or educational institutions, these visitors differentiated themselves from those in the private sector, which pursued other goals. America exposed scholarship boys to a system that assimilated consumerism without sacrificing professionalism and a commitment to social progress.
Morphome death and transfiguration in the history of French
Authors: ESHER LOUISE
Published: January 2016

Maiden (e.g. 2009a) shows that treating the paradigmatic distribution of root allomorphy in Romance verbs as morphomic, in the sense of Aronoff (1994), provides a coherent explanation for the diachronic behaviour of such allomorphy. The major templates for distribution (‘metamorphomes’, Round 2015) shared by most Romance varieties are also found in early French, but are not well represented in the modern language, which has developed new metamorphomes. By charting the diachronic development of metamorphomes in French, this study investigates the processes responsible for change to such templates. Overall, the French data point to segmental sound change as the central factor in change to metamorphomes: segmental sound change modifies the observable paradigmatic distribution of allomorphs, reducing the number of lexemes in which an existing metamorphomic template could be deduced, and increasing the number of lexemes across which a novel metamorphomic generalisation can be made. The loss of existing metamorphomes, and the rise of new ones, can be considered a single process, of metamorphomic templates changing shape as further paradigm cells attach to or defect from them. This process must be distinguished from changes in metamorphome shape due to the creation or elimination of paradigm categories for independent morphosyntactic reasons.
Laser–matter interactions: Inhomogeneous Richtmyer–Meshkov and Rayleigh–Taylor instabilities
Authors: Lugomer Stjepan
Published: January 2016

In this experimental study, the ablative Richtmyer–Meshkov (RM) and the Rayleigh–Taylor (RT) instabilities were generated by the laser pulse of Gaussian-like power profile. The initial multi-modal perturbation, the inhomogeneous momentum transfer and different Atwood numbers generate different shapes of spikes and bubbles in the central region (CR) and the near-central region (NCR) of the spot. A one-dimensional Gaussian-like power profile causes the formation of the wavy-like rows of aperiodic spikes. The periodic spike segments inside the rows appear due to locally coherent flow. In the NCR, the mushroom-shape spikes tend to the organization on the isotropic square and the anisotropic rhombic lattices. The increase of the lattice periods two, three, or four times indicates formation of superstructures. The growth of sharp asymmetric RM/RT spikes in the CR is fast, uncorrelated and linear, while the growth of the symmetric mushroom-shape ones in the NCR is slow, correlated, and nonlinear.
Integrity Risk Minimisation in RAIM Part 1: Optimal Detector Design
Authors: Joerger Mathieu , Stevanovic Stefan , Langel Steven , Pervan Boris
Published: January 2016

This paper describes the first of a two-part research effort to find the optimal detector and estimator that minimise the integrity risk in Receiver Autonomous Integrity Monitoring (RAIM). In this first part, a new method is established to determine a piecewise linear approximation of the optimal detection region in parity space. The paper presents examples suggesting that the optimal detection boundary lays in between that obtained using chi-squared residual-based RAIM, and that provided by Solution Separation (SS) RAIM, as one varies the alert limit requirement. In addition, these examples indicate that for realistic navigation requirements, the SS RAIM method approaches the optimal detection region. The SS RAIM detection tests will be employed in the second part of this work, which focuses on the design of non-least-squares estimators to reduce the integrity risk in exchange for a slight increase in nominal positioning error.
Nationwide prevalence and risk factors for faecal carriage ofEscherichia coliO157 and O26 in very young calves and adult cattle at slaughter in New Zealand
Authors: JAROS P. , COOKSON A. L. , REYNOLDS A. , PRATTLEY D. J. , CAMPBELL D. M. , HATHAWAY S. , FRENCH N. P.
Published: January 2016

Nationwide prevalence and risk factors for faecal carriage ofEscherichia coliO157 and O26 in cattle were assessed in a 2-year cross-sectional study at four large slaughter plants in New Zealand. Recto-anal mucosal swab samples from a total of 695 young (aged 4–7 days) calves and 895 adult cattle were collected post-slaughter and screened with real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the presence ofE. coliO157 and O26 [Shiga toxin-producingE. coli(STEC) and non-STEC]. Co-infection with either serogroup ofE. coli(O157 or O26) was identified as a risk factor in both calves and adult cattle for being tested real-time PCR-positive forE. coliO157 or O26. As confirmed by culture isolation and molecular analysis, the overall prevalence of STEC (STEC O157 and STEC O26 combined) was significantly higher in calves [6·0% (42/695), 95% confidence interval (CI) 4·4–8·1] than in adult cattle [1·8% (16/895), 95% CI 1·1–3·0] (P< 0·001). This study is the first of its kind in New Zealand to assess the relative importance of cattle as a reservoir of STEC O157 and O26 at a national level. Epidemiological data collected will be used in the development of a risk management strategy for STEC in New Zealand.
Primary State Formation Processes on Bronze Age Crete: A Social Approach to Change in Early Complex Societies
Authors: Herrero Borja Legarra
Published: January 2016

The formation of a state on Crete at the beginning of the second millennium bc has usually been considered under the secondary state paradigm. Most explanations rely on the role of conspicuous consumption and emulation mechanisms at a time when Cretan elites were exposed to the developed stratified systems of the east Mediterranean. A careful review of the data, especially those derived from funerary contexts, struggles to identify such dynamics but reveals a varied range of identities being negotiated and redefined simultaneously at the local and regional level. Informed by ethnographic parallels, an alternative model for Crete is proposed in which change is understood as a social phenomenon that involved a wide proportion of the population and brought broad benefits that sustained the adoption and development of the transformed systems. Crete is presented as a rich archaeological example that may also help in rethinking similar processes in other parts of the Mediterranean and further afield.
A SIMPLE THEORY OF THE EFFECTS OF INDUSTRIALIZATION
Authors: Rahman Ahmed S.
Published: January 2016

Historically, industrialization has been associated with falling relative returns to skills. This fact is at odds with most unified theories of industrialization, which tend to imply rising skill premia as natural concomitants of economic growth. This paper develops a very simple model of historical growth to help solve this puzzle. Assuming that human capital is both a consumption good and an investment good, the model demonstrates how gradually rising investments in human capital, nonmonotonic fertility rates, and falling skill premia can all be explained within one theory.
Prevalence and factors associated with demoralization syndrome in patients with advanced disease: Results from a cross-sectional Portuguese study
Authors: Julião Miguel , Nunes Baltazar , Barbosa António
Published: January 2016

Background:

Demoralization syndrome (DS) within the context of the psychological experience at the end of life is an important and relevant medical issue and remains the subject of a growing area of research.

Method:

Ours was a cross-sectional study designed to assess the prevalence and associated demographic, physical, psychiatric, and psychosocial factors for demoralization syndrome in Portuguese patients with advanced disease.

Results:

Some 80 terminally ill patients were included in the analyses over a 28-month period of time. The prevalence of DS was found to be 52.5%. No statistical differences were observed among prevalence of DS within categories of all studied variables, with the exception of depression using DSM–IV criteria (prevalence ratio PR = 1.8, CI95% = [1.18–2.74]) and desire for death (PR = 1.8, CI95% = [1.25–2.56]). In the Poisson regression analyses predicting DS, none of the latter factors emerged as significant (DSM–IV criteria: PR = 1.6, CI95% = [0.84–3.08]; and desire for death: PR = 1.5, CI95% = [0.74–2.99]). Thirty percent of participants met both criteria for demoralization syndrome and depression using the DSM–IV.

Significance of Results:

Prevalence of demoralization syndrome was high in this patient sample. Based on our results, we cannot determine if DS and depression are two distinct psychological entities. Identifying factors associated with DS could help provide efficacious interventions capable of diminishing suffering in terminally ill patients.