bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Transcription factors AS1 and AS2 interact with LHP1 to repress KNOX genes in Arabidopsis
Authors: Li Zhongfei , Li Bin , Liu Jian , Guo Zhihao , Liu Yuhao , Li Yan , Shen Wen‐Hui , Huang Ying , Huang Hai , Zhang Yijing , Dong Aiwu
Published: June 2016

Polycomb group proteins are important repressors of numerous genes in higher eukaryotes. However, the mechanism by which Polycomb group proteins are recruited to specific genes is poorly understood. In Arabidopsis, LIKE HETEROCHROMATIN PROTEIN 1 (LHP1), also known as TERMINAL FLOWER 2, was originally proposed as a subunit of polycomb repressive complex 1 (PRC1) that could bind the tri‐methylated lysine 27 of histone H3 (H3K27me3) established by the PRC2. In this work, we show that LHP1 mainly functions with PRC2 to establish H3K27me3, but not with PRC1 to catalyze monoubiquitination at lysine 119 of histone H2A. Our results show that complexes of the transcription factors ASYMMETRIC LEAVES 1 (AS1) and AS2 could help to establish the H3K27me3 modification at the chromatin regions of Class‐I KNOTTED1‐like homeobox (KNOX) genes BREVIPEDICELLUS and KNAT2 via direct interactions with LHP1. Additionally, our transcriptome analysis indicated that there are probably more common target genes of AS1 and LHP1 besides Class‐I KNOX genes during leaf development in Arabidopsis.
Freehand three‐dimensional ultrasound to assess semitendinosus muscle morphology
Authors: Haberfehlner Helga , Maas Huub , Harlaar Jaap , Becher Jules G. , Buizer Annemieke I. , Jaspers Richard T.
Published: June 2016

In several neurological disorders and muscle injuries, morphological changes of the m. semitendinosus (ST) are presumed to contribute to movement limitations around the knee. Freehand three‐dimensional (3D) ultrasound (US), using position tracking of two‐dimensional US images to reconstruct a 3D voxel array, can be used to assess muscle morphology in vivo. The aims of this study were: (i) to introduce a newly developed 3D US protocol for ST; and (ii) provide a first comparison of morphological characteristics determined by 3D US with those measured on dissected cadaveric muscles. Morphological characteristics of ST (e.g. muscle belly length, tendon length, fascicle length and whole muscle volume, and volumes of both compartments) were assessed in six cadavers using a 3D US protocol. Subsequently, ST muscles were removed from the body to measure the same morphological characteristics. Mean differences between morphological characteristics measured by 3D US and after dissection were smaller than 10%. Intra‐class correlation coefficients (ICCs) were higher than 0.75 for all variables except for the lengths of proximal fascicles (ICC = 0.58). Measurement of the volume of proximal compartment by 3D US was not feasible, due to low US image quality proximally. We conclude that the presented 3D US protocol allows for reasonably accurate measurements of key morphological characteristics of ST muscle.
Acne in adult women and the markers of peripheral 3 alpha‐diol G activity
Authors: Cunha Marisa G , Martins Carolina P , M Filho Carlos D'Aparecida , Alves Beatriz C A , Adami Fernando , Azzalis Ligia A , Fonseca Fernando L A
Published: June 2016

Background

Acne in adult women is a frequent hard‐to‐manage disease with many relapse cases. It mostly interferes with the quality of life of patients, bringing them major metabolic and social losses. As androgenic hormones play a very important role in the acne pathogenesis, the early diagnosis of hyperandrogenic states is very useful for the proper evaluation of each patient and for a better choice of therapeutic management. Defining a pattern for laboratory profile analysis is important for the control of relapses of acne breakouts in adult women, which lately has been the aim of many published studies.

Aim

To establish the relation between 3 alpha‐diol G levels and acne in female patients with normal androgenic status without menstrual dysfunctions.

Patients/Methods

The evaluation of serum 3 alpha‐androstanediol glucuronide levels through an enzymatic immunoassay method (Androstanediol Glucuronide ELISA Kit) for a direct quantitative measurement in 26 patients with grade II and III acne, ages ranging from 13 to 50.

Results

Among the analyzed patients, 83% had grade II acne, and among this total, 60% were aged 14 or over. According to age, 12 studied patients showed serum 3 alpha‐diol G levels within normal range and 11 patients had increased levels.

Conclusions

A total of 60% of adult women with acne present increased levels of androgens and among those with normal levels and without menstrual dysfunctions, 50% show an increase in 3 alpha‐diol G. Therefore, a pharmacological approach with anti‐androgenic drugs for acne therapy in most of these patients is advisable.
Training programmes for family caregivers of people with dementia living at home: integrative review
Authors: Sousa Lia , Sequeira Carlos , Ferré‐Grau Carme , Neves Pedro , Lleixà‐Fortuño Mar
Published: June 2016

Aims and objectives

To establish primary features of training programmes designed to assist family caregivers of people with dementia living at home and to propose a model programme based on literature findings.

Background

Due to dementia's distinctive progression, there is a widely felt need to train family members who undertake the responsibility of caring for relatives diagnosed with this condition to provide positive care, particularly during the early and middle stages of the disease.

Design

Integrative review.

Methods

Literature reviews were carried out in the Pubmed, CINAHL, Mediclatina and Medline databases, using the following describers: training programme, family caregivers, dementia and aged. Such searches encompassed publications between 2004–2014, together with eight articles for review due to their positive identification with the inclusion criteria. Relevant results were extracted, the subsequent analysis performed and the presentation carried out in a descriptive manner.

Results

The prevailing length of a training programme for a family caregiver of people with dementia is of six sessions over a six‐week period, with one weekly session load, and an average duration of 100 minutes each. Methodologies most commonly used include discussion, problem‐solving models as well as skills and strategies training. The themes discussed comprehend caring for the individual with dementia, information about the illness and the use of health and community resources. Regarding the assessment of the family caregiver, the most widely used instruments are demographic assessment questionnaires, self‐efficiency and caregiver's burnout scales, as well as depression and quality of life measures. Three assessment instances of family caregivers’ needs during the training programme are commonly encountered: initial, final and follow‐up.

Conclusions

This review has identified a set of features transversal to training programmes for family members who undertake the care for individuals with dementia living at home, which will bolster the construction and validation of other programmes in the area. More studies about such programmes need to be implemented, particularly engaged in their conceptual and experimental validation.

Relevance to clinical practice

The results of this review assist nurses by increasing their awareness of the basic assumptions supporting training programmes for family members responsible for individuals with dementia living at home and subsequently enforce them during their interventions with such population.
The personal experience of living with chronic heart failure: a qualitative meta‐synthesis of the literature
Authors: Olano‐Lizarraga Maddi , Oroviogoicoechea Cristina , Errasti‐Ibarrondo Begoña , Saracíbar‐Razquin Maribel
Published: June 2016

Aims and objectives

To determine, from a systematic literature review, the experience of living with heart failure and to propose some practice guidelines and research questions.

Background

Chronic heart failure has been one of the fastest growing illnesses in recent decades, with almost 23 million people affected worldwide. This complex syndrome has multiple causes and appears when underlying heart disease is advanced. Currently, heart failure has no cure and leads to a significant deterioration in patients’ quality of life.

Design

Qualitative meta‐synthesis.

Methods

A qualitative meta‐synthesis was conducted to extract and analyse qualitative research from the Cochrane, PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Web of Science and Cuiden databases. Snowball sampling and a manual search were performed to identify other relevant studies.

Results

Twenty‐five qualitative studies were selected. The findings indicate that there are three main themes that describe the phenomenon. The first theme refers to the experiences related to the beginning of the process. The second theme is connected with the effects on the person: physical, emotional, social and spiritual changes. The third theme is linked with how to live with heart failure despite the illness, including the adjustment and coping process and how external resources can help them to manage.

Conclusions

Heart failure has a major impact on the entire person, but some areas have not been addressed. By creating new tools to understand and evaluate the impact of this illness and interventions that prevent or improve some situations, we can promote the well‐being and the quality of life of this population.

Relevance to clinical practice

Nurses must have a personal knowledge of the experiences and needs of the patients. To do this, nurses should create care environments that promote an exchange of experiences and knowledge between the nurse and the patient and family.
‘We just do the dirty work’: dealing with incontinence, courtesy stigma and the low occupational status of carework in long‐term aged care facilities
Authors: Ostaszkiewicz Joan , O'Connell Beverly , Dunning Trisha
Published: June 2016

Aims and objectives

To systematically examine, describe and explain how continence care was determined, delivered and communicated in Australian long aged care facilities.

Background

Incontinence is a highly stigmatising condition that affects a disproportionally large number of people living in long‐term aged care facilities. Its day‐to‐day management is mainly undertaken by careworkers. We conducted a Grounded theory study to explore how continence care was determined, delivered and communicated in long‐term aged care facilities. This paper presents one finding, i.e. how careworkers in long‐term aged care facilities deal with the stigma, devaluation and the aesthetically unpleasant aspects of their work.

Design

Grounded theory.

Methods

Eighty‐eight hours of field observations in two long‐term aged care facilities in Australia. In addition, in‐depth interviews with 18 nurses and careworkers who had experience of providing, supervising or assessment of continence care in any long‐term aged care facility in Australia.

Results

Occupational exposure to incontinence contributes to the low occupational status of carework in long‐term aged care facilities, and continence care is a symbolic marker for inequalities within the facility, the nursing profession and society at large. Careworkers’ affective and behavioural responses are characterised by: (1) accommodating the context; (2) dissociating oneself; (3) distancing oneself and (4) attempting to elevate one's role status.

Conclusion

The theory extends current understandings about the links between incontinence, continence care, courtesy stigma, emotional labour and the low occupational status of carework in long‐term aged care facilities.

Relevance to clinical practice

This study provides insights into the ways in which tacit beliefs and values about incontinence, cleanliness and contamination may affect the social organisation and delivery of care in long‐term aged care facilities. Nurse leaders should challenge the stigma and devaluation of carework and careworkers, and reframe carework as ‘dignity work’.
Middle East respiratory syndrome–related knowledge, preventive behaviours and risk perception among nursing students during outbreak
Authors: Kim Ji Soo , Choi Jeong Sil
Published: June 2016

Aims and objectives

The aim of this study was to survey nursing students’ Middle East respiratory syndrome–related knowledge, preventive behaviours and risk perception to examine the correlations among the variables during a Middle East respiratory syndrome outbreak.

Background

Middle East respiratory syndrome is a new viral respiratory illness. Nursing students who engage in clinical practice at hospitals may have been exposed to Middle East respiratory syndrome infection during the Middle East respiratory syndrome outbreak.

Design

This study was a descriptive cross‐sectional survey.

Methods

Participants (n = 249) were nursing students in their third or fourth year of the programme who were engaged in clinical practice for eight hours per day at the tertiary hospitals with Middle East respiratory syndrome patients. Knowledge, preventive behaviours and risk perception related to Middle East respiratory syndrome were measured using scales developed through a preliminary survey and validity testing.

Results

The subjects’ knowledge level of Middle East respiratory syndrome was 84·4%; their practice of preventive behaviours was rated at 44·5%; and their risk perception rating was 2·4 out of 5. Middle East respiratory syndrome–related risk perception was significantly different according to gender and Middle East respiratory syndrome education. Middle East respiratory syndrome–related knowledge was significantly correlated with preventive behaviours and risk perception.

Conclusion

Considering the low scores for items regarding knowledge and preventive behaviours, it is necessary to develop effective and systematic publicity and education programmes for nursing students. Enhancing Middle East respiratory syndrome–related knowledge by considering cooperation between hospitals and universities will sharpen nursing students’ risk perception of the disease and effectively increase their preventive behaviours.

Relevance to clinical practice

Similar to other emerging infectious diseases, Middle East respiratory syndrome outbreaks may occur in other countries. The results of this study can be used to develop and apply efficient and feasible Middle East respiratory syndrome education programmes for nursing students during Middle East respiratory syndrome outbreaks.
Spillover Effects: Explaining Narrative Divergences of the Christian Right, 1979‐1989
Authors: Deerman M. Eugenia
Published: June 2016

A case study of two organizations central to the Christian Right, the Moral Majority and Concerned Women for America, shows that the movement's core narrative of redemption split into two narratives that emphasized either of two meanings of redemption: (1) to reform society, and (2) to save sinners through prayer. I document the divergence by analysis of organizational publications. I find that the Christian Right's relationship with the New Right shaped the expression of this redemption narrative, resulting in these two versions of a core narrative. Spillover between the two movements occurred through organizational networks and contact between New Right organizations and Christian Right leaders. Spillover effects are evident in the ideological content, political training, and issues frames developed by Moral Majority and Concerned Women for America. These findings suggest that we must consider how movements accommodate divergent core narratives.
Ultrafast Brain MRI: Clinical Deployment and Comparison to Conventional Brain MRI at 3T
Authors: Prakkamakul Supada , Witzel Thomas , Huang Susie , Boulter Daniel , Borja Maria J. , Schaefer Pamela , Rosen Bruce , Heberlein Keith , Ratai Eva , Gonzalez Gilberto , Rapalino Otto
Published: June 2016

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

To compare an ultrafast brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) protocol to the conventional protocol in motion‐prone inpatient clinical settings.

METHODS

This retrospective study was HIPAA compliant and approved by the Institutional Review Board with waived inform consent. Fifty‐nine inpatients (30 males, 29 females; mean age 55.1, range 23–93 years)who underwent 3‐Tesla brain MRI using ultrafast and conventional protocols, both including five sequences, were included in the study. The total scan time for five ultrafast sequences was 4 minutes 59 seconds. The ideal conventional acquisition time was 10 minutes 32 seconds but the actual acquisition took 15–20 minutes. The average scan times for ultrafast localizers, T1‐weighted, T2‐weighted, fluid‐attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR), diffusion‐weighted, T2*‐weighted sequences were 14, 41, 62, 96, 80, 6 seconds, respectively. Two blinded neuroradiologists independently assessed three aspects: (1) image quality, (2) gray‐white matter (GM‐WM) differentiation, and (3) diagnostic concordance for the detection of six clinically relevant imaging findings. Wilcoxon signed‐rank test was used to compare image quality and GM‐WM scores. Interobserver reproducibility was calculated.

RESULTS

The ultrafast T1‐weighted sequence demonstrated significantly better image quality (P = .005) and GM‐WM differentiation (P < .001) compared to the conventional sequence. There was high agreement (>85%) between both protocols for the detection of mass‐like lesion, hemorrhage, diffusion restriction, WM FLAIR hyperintensities, subarachnoid FLAIR hyperintensities, and hydrocephalus.

CONCLUSIONS

The ultrafast protocol achieved at least comparable image quality and high diagnostic concordance compared to the conventional protocol. This fast protocol can be a viable option to replace the conventional protocol in motion‐prone inpatient clinical settings.
CHARACTERIZATION OF THE LATE APTIAN TOP‐DARIYAN DISCONFORMITY SURFACE OFFSHORE SW IRAN: A MULTI‐PROXY APPROACH
Authors: Naderi‐Khujin M. , Seyrafian A. , Vaziri‐Moghaddam H. , Tavakoli V.
Published: June 2016

The late Aptian disconformity at the top of the carbonate‐dominated Dariyan Formation is a regional‐scale surface recognised throughout SW Iran and adjacent areas to the south. This study investigates the disconformity using wireline logs, petrographic analyses, SEM observations, and CL and stable isotope data from an oilfield offshore SW Iran. The top‐Dariyan surface in the studied field is characterised by erosional incisions and clastic‐filled fissures which, together with secondary porosity in the underlying carbonates, uranium enrichment and meteoric infill cements, are interpreted as subaerial exposure‐related features. The clastic‐filled fissures were identified from gamma‐ray logs in horizontal wells, and infill material is composed of argillaceous carbonates, clays, quartz and iron‐bearing minerals. The correlation of GR logs in 19 vertical wells resulted in the recognition of erosional incisions (up to about 16 m deep) on the top‐Dariyan surface, together with thickening of siliciclastic sediments in the overlying basal part of the Kazhdumi Formation. Back‐filled sediments in erosional incisions may form potential exploration targets. Secondary porosity in the uppermost 20 m of the Dariyan Formation was created by meteoric processes during subaerial exposure. Cathodoluminescence microscopy of diagenetic cements, carbon and oxygen isotope data and elemental analyses were used to reconstruct the diagenetic history of the carbonates in the Upper Dariyan interval.
Impact of South Carolina's Medicaid fluoride varnish reimbursement policy on children's receipt of fluoride varnish in medical and dental settings
Authors: Veschusio Christine N. , Probst Janice C. , Martin Amy B. , Hardin James W. , L. Hale Nathan
Published: June 2016

Objective

We estimated the effect of South Carolina's (SC) Medicaid fluoride varnish (FV) reimbursement policy on children's receipt of fluoride varnish in medical (MFV) and dental (DFV) settings.

Methods

We obtained data from SC Medicaid enrollment and claims files for children ≤ 47 months of age across State Fiscal Years (SFY) 2008–2013 and created a panel dataset of 52,841 children representing 126,464 child‐years of observation. Pooled multivariate logistic regression models were estimated to identify factors associated with a higher likelihood of a child receiving one or more MFV or DFV treatments.

Results

The FV rates per child‐year were 1 percent for physicians and 23 percent for dentists, respectively. The child‐year rate for receipt of FV from both a physician and a dentist was less than one‐third of one percent.

Conclusions

A policy designed to increase access to FV treatments from physicians and dentists for children up to forty‐seven months of age was not successful for physicians; however, the positive findings for dentists were promising.
Passions, Affections, and Emotions: Methodological Difficulties in Reconstructing Aquinas's Philosophical Psychology
Authors: Dryden John
Published: June 2016

One methodological difficulty with studying emotions in medieval culture is that the very category of emotion is a modern one that did not exist until two centuries ago. Medieval affective psychology involved concepts such as passions, affections, sentiments, and appetites. It is not immediately clear whether any of these medieval categories are commensurable with the modern category of emotion. I refer to this problem as the problem of incommensurability. In this paper, I illustrate this methodological issue by focusing on Thomas Aquinas's “Treatise on the Passions” and offer some suggestions for overcoming this difficulty.
Emotional Bodies: Cognitive Neuroscience and Mediaeval Studies
Authors: Blud Victoria
Published: June 2016

Surveying the study of mediaeval emotion as a reflex of the interface between neuroscience and the humanities, this essay explores how medico‐philosophical understanding in the late Middle Ages intersects with somatic theories of emotion. The mediaeval emphasis on the faculties and physicality of the soul has the effect of bringing the body to bear on mediaeval representations of profound emotional experiences in a way that might usefully be compared with modern neuroscientific theory; the mediaeval arts and sciences in their turn offer a different take on somatic theory, drawing corporeal, animate and cognitive aspects into one focus.
Personification and Embodied Emotional Practice in Middle English Literature
Authors: Flannery Mary C.
Published: June 2016

A pressing question facing literary scholars who are working on emotion is that of what literary analysis and literary history can bring to the history of emotions. While disciplines such as psychology, anthropology, linguistics and various branches of history have made notable contributions to the study of emotions past and present, precisely how imaginative literature might fit into emotion studies remains unclear. This essay suggests that attention to the tropes and forms with which literature performs its imagining may be the best way to incorporate literature into the history of emotions. I focus in particular on how personification in Middle English texts translates abstract emotions into bodily terms in order to represent them as embodied phenomena and to elicit emotional responses. By examining the personification of emotions in these texts, we can see how imaginative literature might both shape and constitute emotional practice.
Romancing Death: The Erotics of Grief in the Old French Philomena
Authors: Moore Megan
Published: June 2016

Whereas much medieval literature seems to align courtly love with a joyous celebration of noble life, there is a darker affective narrative of death undergirding medieval texts, one that paradoxically entwines the emotions of love with those surrounding death. The Old French Philomena is an excellent space to explore what I develop here as the medieval erotics of grief: it is a text full of incest, cannibalism, infanticide, and rape and one whose sorrow‐filled pages invite us to reconsider our assumption that love is linked to a desire for life. I instead consider why death is so sexually charged in medieval French literature. In this article, I use a wide range of theories of emotions – from Augustine to Sade to Bataille – to theorize a medieval “erotics of grief” as stemming from the locus of courtly love. Using the doleful rape and mutilation of Philomena, and her subsequent revenge in infanticide and cannibalism as a backdrop to consider taboo, transgression, and death as all constitutive of medieval desire, I propose that we should reconsider our received narratives about courtly love as a romantic pining and instead consider them as intimately entwined with grief and the death that it enshrouds. I propose that this text – and many others like it – suggests that for medieval nobles, there was an association between eroticism and grief, a valence of violent sexuality underpinning much of the dynamics of the medieval court.
Contamination patterns and molluscan and polychaete assemblages in two Persian (Arabian) Gulf oilfields
Authors: Albano Paolo G. , Filippova Nadezhda , Steger Jan , Schmidbaur Hannah , Tomašových Adam , Stachowitsch Michael , Zuschin Martin
Published: June 2016

This study examined two shallow‐water, offshore oil facilities and their surroundings in the Umm Al Dalkh and Zakum oilfields [United Arab Emirates, Persian (Arabian) Gulf]. The focus was on sediment contamination levels and the detection of disturbance based on two representative invertebrate components of the benthos: molluscs and polychaetes. We tested the hypothesis that significant disturbance to the community has occurred, by examining whether distance from the platform or variation in contaminants explains among‐site variation in the composition of benthic communities. Moreover, we also tested the hypothesis that organic enrichment because of oil input has modified the feeding guild structure by examining whether the relative abundances of filter‐feeders, deposit‐feeders and omnivores are correlated with distance from the platform or with contamination by hydrocarbons. The contamination levels and their spatial distribution in the sediments differed significantly between the two fields, as did their mollusc and polychaete communities. The within‐field variability, however, was much lower: no clear structuring of contamination values and species composition and abundance was detectable in relation to distance from the oil platform. Contamination levels were low, often below detection levels or international guideline values. Variation in contaminant concentrations did not explain variation in taxonomic composition and abundance. The relative abundance of the above‐mentioned feeding guilds did not correlate with either distance from the platform or with contaminant concentrations. These patterns may reflect the long time that has elapsed since drilling (15–20 years), which appears to have allowed contaminants to disperse and degrade and assemblages to recover from the impact, if indeed such a disturbance ever occurred. In contrast to low values of barium and total petroleum hydrocarbons, associated with well drilling, some metals were at their highest concentrations beneath the central platforms. This suggests that production‐related activities (including platform cleaning and maintenance) are currently a more relevant contamination source.
Publically Misfitting: Extreme Weight and the Everyday Production and Reinforcement of Felt Stigma
Authors: Brewis Alexandra , Trainer Sarah , Han SeungYong , Wutich Amber
Published: June 2016

Living with extreme weight in the United States is associated with discrimination and self‐stigma, creating structural exclusions, embodied stress, and undermining health and wellbeing. Here we combine ethnographic interviews and surveys from those with experiences of living with extreme weight to better explain how this vulnerability is created and reinforced by public cues, both physical (e.g., seatbelts) and social (the reactions of strangers). “Misfitting” is a major theme in interviews, as is the need to plan and scan constantly while navigating too‐small public spaces. The most distressing events combine physical misfitting with unsympathetic reactions from strangers. Sensitivity to stigmatizing public cues reduces with weight loss, but does not disappear. This study explains one basic mechanism that underlies the creation of felt stigma related to weight even after weight loss: the lack of accommodation for size and the lack of empathy from others that characterize modern urban spaces.
A Statistical Equilibrium Approach to the Distribution of Profit Rates
Authors: Scharfenaker Ellis , Semieniuk Gregor
Published: June 2016

Motivated by classical political economy we detail a probabilistic, ‘statistical equilibrium’ approach to explaining why even in equilibrium, the equalization of profit rates leads to a non‐degenerate distribution. Based on this approach we investigate the empirical content of the profit rate distribution for previously unexamined annual firm level data comprising over 24,000 publicly listed North American firms for the period 1962–2014. We find strong evidence for a structural organization and equalization of profit rates on a relatively short time scale both at the economy wide and one‐ and two‐digit SIC industry levels into a Laplace or double exponential distribution. We show that the statistical equilibrium approach is consistent with economic theorizing about profit rates and discuss research questions emerging from this novel look at profit rate distributions. We also highlight the applicability of the underlying principle of maximum entropy for inference in a wide range of economic topics.
The crystal structure of the major pneumococcal autolysin LytA in complex with a large peptidoglycan fragment reveals the pivotal role of glycans for lytic activity
Authors: Sandalova Tatyana , Lee Mijoon , Henriques‐Normark Birgitta , Hesek Dusan , Mobashery Shahriar , Mellroth Peter , Achour Adnane
Published: June 2016

The pneumococcal autolysin LytA is a key virulence factor involved in several important functions including DNA competence, immune evasion and biofilm formation. Here, we present the 1.05 Å crystal structure of the catalytic domain of LytA in complex with a synthetic cell‐wall‐based peptidoglycan (PG) ligand that occupies the entire Y‐shaped substrate‐binding crevice. As many as twenty‐one amino‐acid residues are engaged in ligand interactions with a majority of these interactions directed towards the glycan strand. All saccharides are intimately bound through hydrogen bond, van der Waals and CH‐π interactions. Importantly, the structure of LytA is not altered upon ligand binding, whereas the bound ligand assumes a different conformation compared to the unbound NMR‐based solution structure of the same PG‐fragment. Mutational study reveals that several non‐catalytic glycan‐interacting residues, structurally conserved in other amidases from Gram‐positive Firmicutes, are pivotal for enzymatic activity. The three‐dimensional structure of the LytA/PG complex provides a novel structural basis for ligand restriction by the pneumococcal autolysin, revealing for the first time an importance of the multivalent binding to PG saccharides.
Overexpression of SepJ alters septal morphology and heterocyst pattern regulated by diffusible signals in Anabaena
Authors: Mariscal Vicente , Nürnberg Dennis J. , Herrero Antonia , Mullineaux Conrad W. , Flores Enrique
Published: June 2016

Filamentous, N2‐fixing, heterocyst‐forming cyanobacteria grow as chains of cells that are connected by septal junctions. In the model organism Anabaena sp. strain PCC 7120, the septal protein SepJ is required for filament integrity, normal intercellular molecular exchange, heterocyst differentiation, and diazotrophic growth. An Anabaena strain overexpressing SepJ made wider septa between vegetative cells than the wild type, which correlated with a more spread location of SepJ in the septa as observed with a SepJ–GFP fusion, and contained an increased number of nanopores, the septal peptidoglycan perforations that likely accommodate septal junctions. The septa between heterocysts and vegetative cells, which are narrow in wild‐type Anabaena, were notably enlarged in the SepJ‐overexpressing mutant. Intercellular molecular exchange tested with fluorescent tracers was increased for the SepJ‐overexpressing strain specifically in the case of calcein transfer between vegetative cells and heterocysts. These results support an association between calcein transfer, SepJ‐related septal junctions, and septal peptidoglycan nanopores. Under nitrogen deprivation, the SepJ‐overexpressing strain produced an increased number of contiguous heterocysts but a decreased percentage of total heterocysts. These effects were lost or altered in patS and hetN mutant backgrounds, supporting a role of SepJ in the intercellular transfer of regulatory signals for heterocyst differentiation.
Prucalopride induces high‐amplitude propagating contractions in the colon of patients with chronic constipation: a randomized study
Authors: Miner P. B. , Camilleri M. , Burton D. , Achenbach H. , Wan H. , Dragone J. , Mellgard B.
Published: June 2016

Background

This study compared prucalopride, a selective, prokinetic, 5‐HT4 receptor agonist, with polyethylene glycol 3350 + electrolytes (PEG3350), an osmotic laxative, on colonic motility parameters, primarily high‐amplitude propagating contractions (HAPCs) in patients with chronic constipation.

Methods

This randomized, cross‐over, reader‐blinded study was conducted at a single site in the USA. The study was open to men and women aged 18–75 years who met study inclusion criteria. Colonic manometry catheters were inserted the day before investigation. On the investigation days, patients received oral 2 mg prucalopride or 2 × 13.8 g PEG3350 in solution. The primary endpoint was HAPC count (threshold: mean amplitude ≥100 mmHg, propagation ≥20 cm [HAPC1]) in the 12 h after treatment administration. Analyses were also conducted at two co‐primary thresholds: mean amplitude ≥75 mmHg, propagation ≥20 cm (HAPC2); and mean amplitude ≥75 mmHg, propagation ≥10 cm (HAPC3). Secondary endpoints included HAPC area under the curve (AUC), contraction force, amplitude, duration, and propagation velocity.

Key Results

Thirteen women were enrolled, with 12 completing the study. Significantly more HAPC1 (8.7 ± 2.06 vs 2.9 ± 2.06; p = 0.012) and HAPC2 (9.0 ± 2.11 vs 3.3 ± 2.11; p = 0.017) were observed in the 12‐h periods with prucalopride than with PEG3350. Prucalopride significantly increased mean propagation distance and velocity (HAPC2) and mean AUC, force, and amplitude (HAPC3) compared with PEG3350. Adverse events were mild or moderate.

Conclusions & Inferences

Prucalopride was superior to PEG3350 in inducing HAPCs in patients with chronic constipation.

ClinicalTrials.gov number NCT01707667.
How to Perform Permanent His Bundle Pacing: Tips and Tricks
Authors: VIJAYARAMAN PUGAZHENDHI , DANDAMUDI GOPI
Published: June 2016

Right ventricular pacing can cause ventricular dyssynchrony and result in reduced left ventricular systolic function and heart failure. Permanent His bundle pacing is a more physiologic form of pacing, but can be technically challenging. In this article, we describe our technique for permanent His bundle pacing including special considerations and limitations associated with His bundle pacing.
Bacteria as food in aquaculture: do they make a difference?
Authors: Nevejan Nancy , De Schryver Peter , Wille Mathieu , Dierckens Kristof , Baruah Kartik , Van Stappen Gilbert
Published: June 2016

Bacterioplankton is an important component of marine as well as fresh waters and accounts for a large fraction of the production of particulate matter in those ecosystems. The concept of bacteria as providers of essential nutrients in aquatic food webs has been raised most recently in relation to the utilization of bacteria as a food source in aquaculture food chains. This article represents a comprehensive review on the potential role of bacteria as a direct food source for aquaculture organisms. After studying shortly the analytical tools that can be applied to determine the uptake and assimilation of bacteria by higher trophic levels, it describes the bacterial loads that are found in closed and open aquaculture systems and elaborates on the composition of bacteria from a nutritional point of view. Next this study elaborates in more detail on the role of bacteria as food for the zooplankton groups used as live food in aquaculture hatcheries and for various groups of aquaculture target organisms, such as fish, crustaceans and especially bivalves. This includes an assessment of the specific uptake mechanisms of the different taxonomic groups of interest in relation to their efficiency to ingest bacteria. Finally, future research lines are suggested to elucidate the nutritional impact of the bacterial community in aquaculture systems and how to steer this in order to optimize the production.
Mapping coastal land use changes 1965–2014: methods for handling historical thematic data
Authors: Comber Alexis J , Davies Huw , Pinder David , Whittow John B , Woodhall Adrian , Johnson Sarah C M
Published: June 2016

This paper describes a national analysis of coastal land use change in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It compares a survey conducted by volunteers in 1965 with the 2014 update created using digital topographic data and aerial photography in an open source GIS. The paper reviews the origins and impacts of differences in the way that land use classes are measured and reported, and highlights a generic issue when comparing thematic data. This is, that thematic data are frequently subject to changes in the way that classes are conceived, measured and classified with the result that similarly named classes in different datasets may have very different spatial extents with very different meanings and underlying semantics, even when there is little difference in reality. The sources and nature of such variation in landscape conceptualisations are discussed and placed into the context of historical GIS (HGIS) analyses of thematic change. The critical issue is the need to separate actual differences on the ground from artefactual differences arising from methodological inconsistencies to support robust statistical analyses. A set of rubrics for updating historical thematic data is suggested to minimise the potential for such inconsistencies. These are applied to the National Trust's 1965 Neptune coastal land use survey and its 2014 update to quantify land use changes. The results describe the magnitude and direction of change, provide insights into the developmental pressures experienced at the coast and demonstrate the positive impacts of the Trust's management. Of potentially wider research interest to the HGIS and related research communities is the consideration of methods for mapping and quantifying thematic and areal changes. This is an underdeveloped research area in HGIS, when compared with the extensive methods for dealing with counts and boundary changes (e.g. census areas), but one that is critical for robust analysis of historical cartographic data.
Risk factor analysis of hepatitis C virus seropositivity in Iranian blood donors: a case‐control study
Authors: Rezaei Negar , Amini‐Kafiabad Sedigheh , Maghsudlu Mahtab , Abolghasemi Hasan
Published: June 2016

BACKGROUND

Due to blood screening and blood donor selection, the prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) is expected to be lower among blood donors compared to the general population. The effective control of blood‐transmitted infectious diseases should be one of the goals of public health. Thus, this case‐control study was conducted to evaluate the risk factors of HCV in a representative sample of blood donors in Iran.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

A case‐control study was conducted on HCV‐negative and on serologically confirmed HCV‐positive donors across the country from 2009 to 2013. Univariate logistic regression, multiple logistic regression, and subgroup analyses were performed to assess the risk factors in first‐time blood donors (FTs) and repeat blood donors (RDs) independently.

RESULTS

A total of 970 cases and 1542 controls were selected from the cohort of Iranian blood donors registered in the Iran Blood Transfusion Organization. Intravenous (IV) drug abuse (ORFT, 6.42; 95% CI, 3.34‐12.34; and ORRD, 27.62; 95% CI, 12.58‐60.62), living with an IV drug abuser (ORFT, 3.47; 95% CI, 1.26‐9.55; and ORRD, 6.95; 95% CI, 1.54‐31.34), prison history (ORFT, 2.4; 95% CI, 1.48‐3.88; and ORRD, 2.42; 95% CI, 1.38‐4.27), sharing personal razors (ORFT, 2.00; 95% CI, 1.01‐3.96; and ORRD, 5.62; 95% CI, 2.65‐11.89), and medical exposure (ORFT, 1.97; 95% CI, 1.15‐3.37; and ORRD, 2.19; 95% CI, 1.27‐3.76) were significant independent risk factors in both types of blood donation.

CONCLUSION

The findings of this analytic study on HCV exposure in Iranian blood donors conforms to those of international studies. Behavioral and medical factors should be examined in the donor health screening process.
Mixed Convolved Action Variational Methods for Poroelasticity
Authors: Darrall Bradley T. , Dargush Gary F.
Published: June 2016

Although Lagrangian and Hamiltonian analytical mechanics represent perhaps the most remarkable expressions of the dynamics of a mechanical system, these approaches also come with limitations. In particular, there is inherent difficulty to represent dissipative processes, and the restrictions placed on end point variations are not consistent with the definition of initial value problems. The present work on the time-domain response of poroelastic media extends the recent formulations of the mixed convolved action (MCA). The action in this proposed approach is formed by replacing the inner product in Hamilton's principle with a time convolution. As a result, dissipative processes can be represented in a natural way and the required constraints on the variations are consistent with the actual initial and boundary conditions of the problem. The variational formulation developed here employs temporal impulses of velocity, effective stress, pore pressure, and pore fluid mass flux as primary variables in this mixed approach, which also uses convolution operators and fractional calculus to achieve the desired characteristics. The resulting MCA is formulated directly in the time domain to develop a new stationary principle for poroelasticity, which applies to dynamic poroelastic and quasi-static consolidation problems alike. By discretizing the MCA using the finite element method over both space and time, new computational mechanics formulations are developed. Here, this formulation is implemented for the two-dimensional case, and several numerical examples of dynamic poroelasticity are presented to validate the approach.
Third-Order Polynomials Model for Analyzing Multilayer Hard/Soft Materials in Flexible Electronics
Authors: Meng Xianhong , Liu Boya , Wang Yu , Zhang Taihua , Xiao Jianliang
Published: June 2016

In flexible electronics, multilayer hard/soft materials are widely used to utilize both the superior electrical properties of inorganic semiconductors and robust mechanical properties of polymers simultaneously. However, the huge mismatch in mechanical properties of the hard and soft materials makes mechanics analysis challenging. We here present an analytical model to study the mechanics of multilayer hard/soft materials in flexible electronics. Third-order polynomials are adopted to describe the displacement field, which can be used to easily derive both strain and stress fields. Then, the principle of virtual work was used to derive the governing equations and boundary conditions, which can be solved numerically. Two types of loadings, pure bending and transverse shear, are studied. The normal strain distributions along thickness direction in the bimaterial regions clearly show zigzag profiles, due to the huge mismatch in the mechanical properties of the hard and soft materials. The effect of very different mechanical properties of the hard and soft materials on shear stress distributions can also be predicted by this model. The results from this analytical mode show good agreement with finite-element modeling (FEM). This model can be useful in systems with multilayer hard/soft materials, to predict mechanical behavior and to guide design and optimization.
Opportunity Window for Energy Saving and Maintenance in Stochastic Production Systems
Authors: Zou Jing , Arinez Jorge , Chang Qing , Lei Yong
Published: June 2016

Energy efficiency improvement and timely preventive maintenance (PM) are critical in manufacturing industry due to the rising energy cost, environmental concerns, and increasing requirements on system reliability. By strategically turning appropriate machines in down state, the corresponding energy consumption can be reduced, and at the meantime, the necessary PM works can be carried out to increase PM completion rate and reduce potential extra expense on PM during nonproduction shifts. However, there is usually a tradeoff between time dedicated to production and time available for energy saving and PM. In this paper, a systematic method is developed to identify opportunity windows (OWs) during which certain machines can be shut down to save energy and PM tasks can be performed while maintaining a desired production throughput. The method is based on stochastic serial production lines and real-time production data. A profit function is formulated to illustrate the tradeoff between energy cost savings and potential throughput loss. The profit function is used to justify the cost savings by utilizing the proposed OWs during production operation.
Failure Loading of Metallic and Composite Cylinders Under Internal Pressure Loading
Authors: Kwon Y. W. , Ponshock T. , Molitoris J. D.
Published: June 2016

A new mechanical device was developed to apply internal pressure loading to a cylindrical structure in order to determine its failure strength and failure mode under pressure loading. The device can be used for a uniaxial testing machine to apply internal pressure to a cylindrical structure. As a result, the developed device does not require any fluid to generate internal pressure loading. The device consists of two truncated conical shape of rams and eight pieces of the identical shape of wedges. The effectiveness of the device was assessed using both detailed finite element analyses of metallic cylinders as well as the analytical analysis. Then, a set of experimental tests were undertaken for aluminum alloy cylinders in order to evaluate experimental failure strength against the numerical and analytical results. Finally, composite cylinders made of glass-fiber or carbon-fiber woven fabrics were tested using the device, and the experimental results were compared to the predicted results using a multiscale analysis model. Those results agreed well with each other.
Comparison of Hardness and Microstructures Produced Using GMAW and Hot-Wire TIG Mechanized Welding of High Strength Steels
Authors: Midawi A. R. H. , Santos E. B. F. , Gerlich A. P. , Pistor R. , Haghshenas M.
Published: June 2016

For high productivity weld fabrication, gas metal arc welding (GMAW) is typically used since it offers a combination of high deposition rate and travel speed. Recent advances in power supply technologies have increased the deposition rates in hot-wire tungsten inert gas (HW-TIG) welding, such that it is possible to achieve parameters which may be comparable to those used in GMAW for pressure vessels and some pipeline applications. However, these two processes have drastically different deposition efficiencies and heat input characteristics. The purpose of the present study is to examine GMAW and HW-TIG bead-on-plate deposits in terms of mechanical properties, deposition rate, and heat affected zone (HAZ) thermal cycles when identical travel speed and wire feed speeds are applied with a ER90S-G filler metal. The results demonstrate that HW-TIG can be applied with comparable travel and wire feed speeds to GMAW, while providing a more uniform weld bead appearance. Based on weld metal microhardness values, it is suggested the effective heat input is lower in HW-TIG compared to GMAW, since the average hardness of the weld metal is slightly higher.