bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The repressor and co‐activator HsfB1 regulates the major heat stress transcription factors in tomato
Authors: Fragkostefanakis Sotirios , Simm Stefan , El‐Shershaby Asmaa , Hu Yangjie , Bublak Daniela , Mesihovic Anida , Darm Katrin , Mishra Shravan Kumar , Tschiersch Bettina , Theres Klaus , Scharf Christian , Schleiff Enrico , Scharf Klaus‐Dieter
Published: September 2018

Plants code for a multitude of heat stress transcription factors (Hsfs). Three of them act as central regulators of heat stress (HS) response in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum). HsfA1a regulates the initial response, and HsfA2 controls acquired thermotolerance. HsfB1 is a transcriptional repressor but can also act as co‐activator of HsfA1a. Currently, the mode of action and the relevance of the dual function of HsfB1 remain elusive. We examined this in HsfB1 overexpression or suppression transgenic tomato lines. Proteome analysis revealed that HsfB1 overexpression stimulates the co‐activator function of HsfB1 and consequently the accumulation of HS‐related proteins under non‐stress conditions. Plants with enhanced levels of HsfB1 show aberrant growth and development but enhanced thermotolerance. HsfB1 suppression has no significant effect prior to stress. Upon HS, HsfB1 suppression strongly enhances the induction of heat shock proteins due to the higher activity of other HS‐induced Hsfs, resulting in increased thermotolerance compared with wild‐type. Thereby, HsfB1 acts as co‐activator of HsfA1a for several Hsps, but as a transcriptional repressor on other Hsfs, including HsfA1b and HsfA2. The dual function explains the activation of chaperones to enhance protection and regulate the balance between growth and stress response upon deviations from the homeostatic levels of HsfB1.
Diffuse cutaneous mastocytosis: Case report and literature review
Authors: Hosking Anna‐Marie , Makdisi Joy , Ortenzio Francesca , de Feraudy Sebastien , Smith Janellen , Linden Kenneth
Published: September 2018

A 6‐month‐old boy was referred to our burn unit with a recurrent bullous dermatitis, fever, and emesis, originally diagnosed as staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome (SSSS) at an outside hospital. Infectious workup was negative and shave biopsy revealed a dense, diffuse dermal infiltrate of mast cells, consistent with diffuse cutaneous bullous mastocytosis—a rare variant of cutaneous mastocytosis. Treatment included a prolonged course of corticosteroids and antihistamines. Recognition of this rare form of mastocytosis is important, as it can be easily mistaken for other pediatric bullous diseases and is associated with life‐threatening complications including vasodilation, anaphylactic shock, gastrointestinal bleeding, and death.
A unique case of pressure‐induced alopecia following EEG monitoring
Authors: Kunapareddy June , White Chris , Davis Cindy , Nousari Carlos
Published: September 2018

We report a unique case of pressure‐induced alopecia (PIA) in a 11‐year‐old boy following the use of electroencephalogram (EEG) electrodes on the scalp for 4 days. PIA is caused by localized ischemia leading to vascular congestion and discrete, often circumscribed patches of hair loss within 3‐28 days of pressure interface. The synchronous conversion of follicles from anagen to catagen or telogen phase is the most distinctive finding of PIA. PIA is a nonscarring alopecia which often resolves over time without treatment.
Surgical treatment outcomes of infantile hemangioma in children: Does prior medical treatment matter
Authors: Tangtatco Jennifer Aileen , Freedman Carolyn , Phillips John , Pope Elena
Published: September 2018

First‐line treatment for problematic infantile hemangiomas (IH) consists of systemic corticosteroids or, more recently, beta‐blockers, while treatment failures or residual lesions may require surgical intervention. There is limited knowledge if prior medical intervention is associated with a better surgical outcome. This retrospective cohort study revealed that medical intervention, whether systemic steroids or beta‐blockers, did not influence ultimate surgical outcomes when compared with patients who were not medically treated. However, patients who received prior medical treatment and those who received beta‐blockers underwent surgical intervention at an earlier age.
Linear epitopes in Onchocerca volvulus vaccine candidate proteins and excretory‐secretory proteins
Authors: Lagatie Ole , Verheyen Ann , Van Dorst Bieke , Batsa Debrah Linda , Debrah Alex , Stuyver Lieven J.
Published: September 2018

In our previous study, a proteome‐wide screen was conducted to identify linear epitopes in this parasite's proteome, resulting in the discovery of three immunodominant motifs. Here, we investigated whether such antigenic peptides were found in proteins that were already known as vaccine candidates and excretome/secretome proteins for Onchocerca volvulus This approach led to the identification of 71 immunoreactive stretches in 46 proteins. A deep‐dive into the immunoreactivity profiles of eight vaccine candidates that were chosen as most promising candidates for further development (Ov‐CPI‐2, Ov‐ALT‐1, Ov‐RAL‐2, Ov‐ASP‐1, Ov‐103, Ov‐RBP‐1, Ov‐CHI‐1, and Ov‐B20), resulted in the identification of a poly‐glutamine stretch in Ov‐RAL‐2 that has properties for use as a serodiagnostic marker for O. volvulus infection. A peptide ELISA was developed, and the performance of this assay was evaluated. Based on this assessment, it was found that this assay has a sensitivity of 75.0% [95% CI: 64.9%‐83.5%] and a specificity of 98.5% [95% CI: 94.6%‐99.8%]. Furthermore, 8.7% reactivity in Asian parasite‐infected individuals (8 out of 92) was observed. Besides this identification of a linear epitope marker, the information on the presence of linear epitopes in vaccine candidate proteins might be useful in the study of vaccines for river blindness.
Parasites and allergy: Observations from Brazil
Authors: de Andrade Candace M. , Carneiro Valdirene L. , Cerqueira Jéssica V. , Fonseca Hellen F. , Queiroz Gerson A. , Costa Ryan S. , Alcantara‐Neves Neuza M. , Cooper Philip , Figueiredo Camila A.
Published: September 2018

Brazil is a middle‐income country undergoing the epidemiological transition. Effects of changes in daily life habits and access to clean water, sanitation and urban services on a growing urban population have contributed to a double burden of both infectious and noncommunicable chronic diseases. Studies have indicated that parasite infections may modulate the human immune system and influence the development of allergic conditions such as asthma. However, there is no consensus in the published literature on the effects of parasitic infections on allergy, perhaps as a consequence of factors determining the epidemiology of these infections that vary between populations such as age of first infection, duration and chronicity of infections, parasite burden and species, and host genetic susceptibility. In this review, we discuss the observations from Brazil concerning the relationship between parasite infections and allergy.
A Capacity Allocation Planning Model for Integrated Care and Access Management
Authors: Deglise‐Hawkinson Jivan , Helm Jonathan E. , Huschka Todd , Kaufman David L. , Van Oyen Mark P.
Published: September 2018

The prevailing first‐come‐first‐served approach to outpatient appointment scheduling ignores differing urgency levels, leading to unnecessarily long waits for urgent patients. In data from a partner healthcare organization, we found in some departments that urgent patients were inadvertently waiting longer for an appointment than non‐urgent patients. This study develops a capacity allocation optimization methodology that reserves appointment slots based on urgency in a complicated, integrated care environment where multiple specialties serve multiple types of patients. This optimization reallocates network capacity to limit access delays (indirect waiting times) for initial and downstream appointments differentiated by urgency. We formulate this problem as a queueing network optimization and approximate it via deterministic linear optimization to simultaneously smooth workloads and guarantee access delay targets. In a case study of our industry partner we demonstrate the ability to (i) reduce urgent patient mean access delay by 27% with only a 7% increase in mean access delay for non‐urgent patients, and (ii) increase throughput by 31% with the same service levels and overtime.
Regulation of flowering by green light depends on its photon flux density and involves cryptochromes
Authors: Meng Qingwu , Runkle Erik S.
Published: September 2018

Photoperiodic lighting can promote flowering of long‐day plants (LDPs) and inhibit flowering of short‐day plants (SDPs). Red (R) and far‐red (FR) light regulate flowering through phytochromes, whereas blue light does so primarily through cryptochromes. In contrast, the role of green light in photoperiodic regulation of flowering has been inconsistent in previous studies. We grew four LDP species (two petunia cultivars, ageratum, snapdragon and Arabidopsis) and two SDP species (three chrysanthemum cultivars and marigold) in a greenhouse under truncated 9‐h short days with or without 7‐h day‐extension lighting from green light (peak = 521 nm) at 0, 2, 13 or 25 μmol m−2 s−1 or R + white (W) + FR light at 2 μmol m−2 s−1. Increasing the green photon flux density from 0 to 25 μmol m−2 s−1 accelerated flowering of all LDPs and delayed flowering of all SDPs. Petunia flowered similarly fast under R + W + FR light and moderate green light but was shorter and developed more branches under green light. To be as effective as R + W + FR light, saturation green photon flux densities were 2 μmol m−2 s−1 for LDP ageratum and SDP marigold and 13 μmol m−2 s−1 for LDP petunia. Snapdragon was the least sensitive to green light. In Arabidopsis, cryptochrome 2 mediated promotion of flowering under moderate green light, whereas both phytochrome B and cryptochrome 2 mediated that under R + W + FR light. We conclude that 7‐h day‐extension lighting from green light‐emitting diodes can control flowering of photoperiodic ornamentals and that in Arabidopsis, cryptochrome 2 mediates promotion of flowering under green light.
Effect of negative motivation on the behavioral and autonomic correlates of deception
Authors: Suchotzki Kristina , Gamer Matthias
Published: September 2018

In forensic contexts, lying is often motivated by the will to avoid negative consequences (e.g., an arrest). Previous research investigating the effect of motivation on deception has, however, nearly exclusively focused on the effect of positive motivation (e.g., via financial rewards). In the current study, we aimed to replicate previous studies on the behavioral and autonomic correlates of deception and to investigate the influence of negative motivation on those correlates. Participants committed a mock theft and underwent a questioning procedure in which they had to truthfully and deceptively answer questions about the committed mock crime and a control crime. Half of the participants completed the procedure without any specific motivation, whereas the other half of the participants was told that lies detected by a computer algorithm would result in an unpleasant electric stimulation. Results revealed longer reaction times, larger skin conductance responses, and a relative heart rate slowing for lying compared to truth telling. The latter two effects were larger in the motivation compared to the control condition. Results are in line with the motivation impairment hypothesis and effects of positive motivation on the autonomic correlates of information concealment. The observation that a higher motivation increased rather than decreased deception effects is promising for forensic contexts. The possible explanation that these effects could be related to fear conditioning should stimulate future research on the stability of differences between lying and truth telling in people who experienced no or only seldom punishment for deception in their learning history.
Boom‐and‐bust production cycles in animal seafood aquaculture
Authors: You Weiwei , Hedgecock Dennis
Published: September 2018

Although aquaculture has grown nearly exponentially over the last six decades, providing 31.6 million metric tons of animal seafood in 2015, its rate of growth has slowed over the last 15 years. Here, we use case studies, drawn mostly from Asian shellfish culture, to suggest that ‘boom‐and‐bust’ production cycles – periods of rapid growth followed by collapse – cause significant losses of seafood production and to illustrate the duration and repetition of boom‐and‐bust cycles. Next, using the global FAO database for aquaculture production from 1950 to 2015, we investigate whether boom‐and‐bust cycles occur more broadly and whether they are playing a role in the declining rate of global aquaculture production. Focusing on FAO production records with maxima before 2011, allowing time for collapse, we categorize production in each record, relative to its maximum value, as sustained, depleted, collapsed or lost. We find 278 of 453 records (61.4%) show collapsed or lost production, although production in most of these records comprises only a tiny fraction of global output. The top 30 records in the collapsed or lost categories do account for 2.4% of cumulative production over the 66‐year record of animal seafood aquaculture. We identify a strong association between short boom phases (5 years or less) and the probability that production will be lost and use this, as well as maximum annual production and year of maximum production, to model the probability of loss. Ecological limits and market problems are the most often discussed causes of boom‐and‐bust production cycles, but we focus, here, on disease as a major proximal cause of collapse and raise the hypothesis that inbreeding depression may often be an ultimate cause by exacerbating disease susceptibility.
Colour Flow Mapping examination: An useful screening test for the early diagnosis of ductus venosus patency in canine newborns
Authors: Melandri Monica , Barella Gabriele , Aiudi Giulio , Lacalandra Giovanni Michele , Alonge Salvatore
Published: September 2018

Ductus venosus (DV) closure plays a key role in hepatic circulation adaptation to postnatal metabolic function, and DV patency might develop a congenital portosystemic shunt (CPSS). The noninvasive Color Flow Mapping (CFM) examination, a validated method to diagnose CPSS in adult dogs, is routinely performed to assess DV closure after birth in humans. This study aimed to describe the feasibility of the ultrasonographic evaluation of the DV after birth and to determine its closure time in healthy Great Dane neonates. Patency of DV in serial Color Flow Mapping (CFM) examinations and bodyweight (BW) were recorded on Days 0‐3‐6‐9 in 24 neonates that were classified as having patent (PDV) or closed ductusvenosus (CDV) basing on CFM signal presence/absence. Since the 3rd day, DV diameter was recorded. Data were analysed by ANOVA (p < 0.05). All dogs resulted healthy 1 year later. The number of PDV and CDV puppies at birth was not different on Day 3 (24 and 0 vs. 22 and 2, PDV and CDV, respectively), whereas it resulted different on Days 6 (24 and 0 vs. 14 and 10) and 9 (24 and 0 vs. 0 and 24); on Day 3, it was different compared to Days 6 and 9; on Day 6, it was different from Day 9. Reduction of DV diameter resulted positively related to neonatal BW growth. The CFM evaluation of DV closure after birth in Great Dane puppies represents a feasible technique. Present results suggest the time of functional closure in normal neonates within 9 days after birth. Thus, CFM examination, as an early screening test for DV patency evaluation, performed 10 days after birth, may identify suspicious dogs at risk that would require further investigations. Further studies are needed to deepen the role of a delayed closure in low bodyweight and preterm puppies.
Intra‐ovarian dynamic blood flow in pseudopregnant rabbits during prostaglandin F2α‐induced luteolysis
Authors: Troisi Alessandro , Orlandi Riccardo , Maranesi Margherita , Dall’Aglio Cecilia , Brecchia Gabriele , Parillo Francesco , Boiti Cristiano , Zerani Massimo , Polisca Angela
Published: September 2018

Contents

In the present study, we evaluated the dynamic changes of intra‐ovarian blood flow, by real‐time colour‐coded and pulsed Doppler ultrasonography, as well as the immunopresence of prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α) receptor (FP) and peripheral plasma progesterone concentrations in pseudopregnant rabbit after PGF2α treatments at either early‐ (4 days) and mid‐luteal (9 days) stages. During the pre‐treatment observation interval of one hour, the ovarian blood flows showed a fluctuating pattern. Independently of luteal stage, PGF2α administration caused a fourfold decline in the blood flow within 40 min that was followed 50 min later by a reactive hyperaemia that lasted several hours, while the resistive index showed an opposite trend. Twenty‐four hour later, the blood flow was one half that measured before PGF2α injection. At day 4 of pseudopregnancy, PGF2α did not affect peripheral plasma progesterone concentrations, but at day 9, it caused functional luteolysis as progesterone levels declined 6 hr later to reach basal values after 24 hr. The changes in the ovarian blood flows of pseudopregnant rabbits receiving PGF2α were accompanied by simultaneous changes in the resistance index. This biphasic response in the blood flow and vascular resistances likely reflects reactive hyperaemia following vasoconstriction. By immunohistochemistry, strong positive immune reaction for FP was detected in the cytoplasm of endothelial cells of ovarian arteries, veins and capillaries. In conclusion, these results suggest that PGF2α could acutely regulate the ovarian blood flow of pseudopregnant rabbits, even if there is no evidence of a blood flow reduction anticipating luteolysis.
Drug resistance mechanisms and drug susceptibility testing for tuberculosis
Authors: Miotto Paolo , Zhang Ying , Cirillo Daniela Maria , Yam Wing Cheong
Published: September 2018

Tuberculosis (TB) caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) is the deadliest infectious disease and the associated global threat has worsened with the emergence of drug resistance, in particular multidrug‐resistant TB (MDR‐TB) and extensively drug‐resistant TB (XDR‐TB). Although the World Health Organization (WHO) End‐TB Strategy advocates for universal access to antimicrobial susceptibility testing, this is not widely available and/or it is still underused.

The majority of drug resistance in clinical MTB strains is attributed to chromosomal mutations. Resistance‐related mutations could also exert certain fitness cost to the drug‐resistant MTB strains and growth fitness could be restored by the presence of compensatory mutations. Understanding these underlying mechanisms could provide an important insight into TB pathogenesis and predict the future trend of MDR‐TB global pandemic. This review covers the mechanisms of resistance in MTB and provides a comprehensive overview of current phenotypic and molecular approaches for drug susceptibility testing, with particular attention to the methods endorsed and recommended by the WHO.
Analyzing ethnoracial mobilization
Authors: Reyes Daisy Verduzco , Ragon Kathleen
Published: September 2018

This article examines scholarship about ethnoracial mobilization written by sociologists within the subfields of social movements and race and racism. We situate our synthesis within critiques put forward by other scholars about the treatment of ethnoracial movements within the social movement subfield. Using these critiques as launching points, we find two broad patterns in the literature: (a) a focus on ethnoracial social movements that decenters race, at times treating it as an independent variable and (b) a focus on mobilizations for racial equity that treats race as a dynamic and constructed process. Within the latter focus, we note research that investigates ethnoracial mobilization at the macro‐, meso‐, and micro‐levels. We call for more research on movements that specifically consider the mobilization and construction of ethnoracial identities. In doing so, we provide a conceptual map of the field and make suggestions for how social movement scholars employing distinct theoretical foci can engage in ethnoracial analysis. Finally, we hypothesize why there might be a dearth of research within the social movement subfield that engages in critical analysis of ethnoracial dynamics of social movements.
Identification of the novel HLA allele, HLA‐B*40:06:07, by sequence‐based typing
Authors: Li Jian‐Ping , Zhang Xu , Lin Feng‐Qiu , Zhang Kun‐Lian , Li Xiao‐Feng
Published: September 2018

HLA‐B*40:06:07 has one synonymous nucleotide change from HLA‐B*40:06:01:01 at nucleotide 81 (codon 3 histidine).
Direct observation of dislocation nucleation in pyrite using combined electron channelling contrast imaging and electron backscatter diffraction
Authors: Rogowitz Anna , Zaefferer Stefan , Dubosq Renelle
Published: September 2018

Crystal‐plastic deformation is one of the main mechanisms that can accommodate large amounts of strain within the lithosphere. Despite the requirement of understanding dislocation nucleation and arrangement, the only accepted method for direct observation of dislocations in geological materials so far is transmission electron microscopy. Herein, we present a study using a combination of electron channelling contrast imaging (ECCI) and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) to visualize and analyse crystal defects in pyrite deforming close to the crystal plastic to brittle transition zone. Structures in focus include (a) dislocation nucleation at crack‐tips and (b) the reactivation of mode I cracks accompanied by the nucleation of dislocations and crystal‐plastic behaviour resulting in the development of complex dislocation structures and low‐angle grain boundaries. EBSD maps reveal an increase in misorientation towards micro‐cracks, consistent with a greater dislocation density along cracks observed by ECCI.
Abdominal pain, unconsciousness, and skin rash after lung transplantation
Authors: Amon Elisa , Huzly Daniela , Kalbhenn Johannes , Hettich Ina , Kotter Elmar , Bansbach Joachim
Published: September 2018

Long‐term success of lung transplantation is limited by allograft dysfunction and frequent infections. Varicella zoster virus infection (VZV) is one of the most common opportunistic infections among solid organ transplantation recipients. However the occurrence of visceral involvement or disseminated disease, as seen after bone marrow transplantation, is rare. We report a case of a 59‐year‐old woman who underwent double‐lung transplantation with a fatal visceral and disseminated varicella zoster virus infection.
Removal of phenolic compounds from raw industrial wastewater by Achromobacter sp. isolated from a hydrocarbon‐contaminated area
Authors: Gracioso Louise H. , Vieira Paula B. , Baltazar Marcela P. G. , Avanzi Ingrid R. , Karolski Bruno , Nascimento Claudio A. O. , Perpetuo Elen A.
Published: September 2018

The discharge of raw industrial wastewaters, specifically coking wastewater, represents a severe environmental problem. In this work, a phenol‐degrading aerobic strain isolated from a hydrocarbon contaminated site, Achromobacter sp. C‐1, was tested for degrading raw coking wastewater to explore its potential for use in biological treatment. Initially, phenol degradation was reached after 24 h of inoculation in synthetic wastewater [600 mg/L of phenol]. The maximum specific degradation rate was 0.436 h–1 found in the concentration 300 mg/L. In a raw industrial wastewater containing a mixture of phenols as carbon source [phenol 370 mg/L, m‐cresol 100 mg/L and o‐cresol 60 mg/L], 90% biodegradation of a mixture of phenols was achieved after 80 h of inoculation. Following the biodegradation process to remove the colour from the wastewater, polishing was performed by activated carbon adsorption, resulting in a clear wastewater (without colour and contaminants) ready for industrial reuse purposes. These results provided useful information about use of the phenol‐degrading bacteria for bioaugmentation in industrial wastewater treatment improving the quality of final wastewater. The quality of the resulting wastewater was confirmed by mass spectrometry analysis. This work shows the biodegradation process could be a cost‐effective and promising solution for the treatment and reuse of phenolic wastewater.
In a ‘foretold tragedy,’ fire consumes Brazil museum
Authors: Escobar Herton
Published: September 2018

Years of underfunding are blamed for lack of fire safety.
Computational astrophysics for the future
Authors: Portegies Zwart Simon
Published: September 2018

An open, modular approach with agreed standards would facilitate astrophysical discovery
A radical approach to soot formation
Authors: Thomson Murray , Mitra Tirthankar
Published: September 2018

Chain reactions of resonance-stabilized radicals turn molecules into clusters and nanoparticles
YraP Contributes to Cell Envelope Integrity and Virulence of Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium
Authors: Morris Faye C. , Wells Timothy J. , Bryant Jack A. , Schager Anna E. , Sevastsyanovich Yanina R. , Squire Derrick J. P. , Marshall Jennifer , Isom Georgia L. , Rooke Jessica , Maderbocus Riyaz , Knowles Timothy J. , Overduin Michael , Rossiter Amanda E. , Cunningham Adam F. , Henderson Ian R.
Published: September 2018

Mutations in σ
E
-regulated lipoproteins have previously been shown to impact bacterial viability under conditions of stress and during
in vivo
infection. YraP is conserved across a number of Gram-negative pathogens, including
Neisseria meningitidis
, where the homolog is a component of the Bexsero meningococcal group B vaccine.
A Proteomic Atlas of the African Swine Fever Virus Particle
Authors: Alejo Alí , Matamoros Tania , Guerra Milagros , Andrés Germán
Published: September 2018

African swine fever virus causes a highly contagious and lethal disease of swine that currently affects many countries of sub-Saharan Africa, the Caucasus, the Russian Federation, and Eastern Europe and has very recently spread to China. Despite extensive research, effective vaccines or antiviral strategies are still lacking, and many basic questions on the molecular mechanisms underlying the infective cycle remain. One such gap regards the composition and structure of the infectious virus particle. In the study described in this report, we identified the set of viral and host proteins that compose the virion and determined or inferred the localization of many of them. This information significantly increases our understanding of the biological and structural features of an infectious African swine fever virus particle and will help direct future research efforts.
Precommitting to choose wisely about low-value services: a stepped wedge cluster randomised trial
Authors: Kullgren Jeffrey Todd , Krupka Erin , Schachter Abigail , Linden Ariel , Miller Jacquelyn , Acharya Yubraj , Alford James , Duffy Richard , Adler-Milstein Julia
Published: September 2018

Background

Little is known about how to discourage clinicians from ordering low-value services. Our objective was to test whether clinicians committing their future selves (ie, precommitting) to follow Choosing Wisely recommendations with decision supports could decrease potentially low-value orders.

Methods

We conducted a 12-month stepped wedge cluster randomised trial among 45 primary care physicians and advanced practice providers in six adult primary care clinics of a US community group practice.Clinicians were invited to precommit to Choosing Wisely recommendations against imaging for uncomplicated low back pain, imaging for uncomplicated headaches and unnecessary antibiotics for acute sinusitis. Clinicians who precommitted received 1–6 months of point-of-care precommitment reminders as well as patient education handouts and weekly emails with resources to support communication about low-value services.The primary outcome was the difference between control and intervention period percentages of visits with potentially low-value orders. Secondary outcomes were differences between control and intervention period percentages of visits with possible alternate orders, and differences between control and 3-month postintervention follow-up period percentages of visits with potentially low-value orders.

Results

The intervention was not associated with a change in the percentage of visits with potentially low-value orders overall, for headaches or for acute sinusitis, but was associated with a 1.7% overall increase in alternate orders (p=0.01). For low back pain, the intervention was associated with a 1.2% decrease in the percentage of visits with potentially low-value orders (p=0.001) and a 1.9% increase in the percentage of visits with alternate orders (p=0.007). No changes were sustained in follow-up.

Conclusion

Clinician precommitment to follow Choosing Wisely recommendations was associated with a small, unsustained decrease in potentially low-value orders for only one of three targeted conditions and may have increased alternate orders.

Trial registration number

NCT02247050; Pre-results.
Interleukin-15 as a myokine: mechanistic insight into its effect on skeletal muscle metabolism
Authors: Nadeau Lucien , Aguer Céline
Published: September 2018

Interleukin (IL)-15 is a cytokine with important immunological functions. It is highly expressed in skeletal muscle and is believed to be a myokine, a hypothesis supported by the rapid increase in circulating levels of IL-15 in response to exercise. Treatment with high doses of IL-15 results in metabolic adaptations such as improved insulin sensitivity and whole-body fatty acid oxidation and protection from high-fat-diet-induced obesity and insulin resistance. IL-15 secreted by contracting muscle may therefore act as an endocrine factor to improve adiposity and energy metabolism in different tissues. Most studies have used supraphysiological doses of IL-15 that do not represent circulating IL-15 in response to exercise. However, evidence shows that IL-15 levels are higher in muscle interstitium and that IL-15 might improve muscle glucose homeostasis and oxidative metabolism in an autocrine/paracrine manner. Nevertheless, how IL-15 signals in skeletal muscle to improve muscle energy metabolism is not understood completely, especially because the absence of the α subunit of the IL-15 receptor (IL-15Rα) results in a phenotype similar to that of overexpressing/oversecreting IL-15 in mice. In this article, we review the literature to propose a model for the regulation of IL-15 by the soluble form of IL-15Rα to explain why some findings in the literature seem, at first glance, to be contradictory.
Effects of bioturbation on carbon and sulfur cycling across the Ediacaran–Cambrian transition at the GSSP in Newfoundland, Canada
Authors: Hantsoo Kalev G. , Kaufman Alan J. , Cui Huan , Plummer Rebecca E. , Narbonne Guy M.
Published: September 2018

The initiation of widespread penetrative bioturbation in the earliest Phanerozoic is regarded as such a significant geobiological event that the boundary between Ediacaran and Cambrian strata is defined by the appearance of diagnostic trace fossils. While ichnofabric analyses have yielded differing interpretations of the impact of Fortunian bioturbation, the disruption of sediments previously sealed by microbial mats is likely to have effected at least local changes in carbon and sulfur cycling. To assess the geochemical effects of penetrative bioturbation, we conducted a high resolution chemostratigraphic analysis of the siliciclastic-dominated basal Cambrian Global Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP; Chapel Island Formation, Newfoundland, Canada). A positive δ13C excursion in organic matter starts at the Ediacaran–Cambrian boundary and returns to stably depleted values near the top of member 2, while the δ13C of carbonate carbon increases from strongly depleted values toward seawater values beginning near the top of member 2. Pyrite sulfur coincidently undergoes significant 34S depletion at the Ediacaran–Cambrian boundary. These isotope anomalies most likely reflect progressive ventilation and oxygenation of shallow sediments as a consequence of bioturbation. In this interpretation, sediment ventilation in the earliest Cambrian may have spurred a temporary increase in microbial sulfate reduction and benthic sulfur cycling under low-oxygen conditions. In the late Fortunian, local carbon cycling appears to have stabilized as reductants were depleted and more oxygenated conditions predominated in the shallow substrate. Overall, these data attest to the geochemical significance of the initiation of sediment ventilation by animals at the dawn of the Phanerozoic.
High Performance CMOS Current Mirror Using Class-AB Level Shifted Bulk Driven Flipped Voltage Follower Cell
Authors: Caffey  , Pandey Rishikesh
Published: September 2018

This paper presents a novel current mirror structure based on level shifted class-AB flipped voltage follower cell, which operates at the supply voltage of 1.2[Formula: see text]V. The level shifted class-AB flipped voltage follower cell and regulated cascode structure are used at the input and the output stages to achieve low input resistance and very high output resistance, respectively. A comparison of performance parameters of the proposed current mirror with existing structures shows that the proposed current mirror has a very less current tracking error of 0.99%, high output resistance of 18.7[Formula: see text]M[Formula: see text], wide bandwidth of 239.245[Formula: see text]MHz and low power dissipation of 104[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]W. The proposed circuit has been simulated in Cadence virtuoso analog design environment and layout of the proposed circuit has been designed in Cadence virtuoso layout XL editor using BSIM3V3 180[Formula: see text]nm CMOS technology. The post-layout simulation results have also been presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed circuit.
Turing Instability and Bifurcation in a Diffusion Predator–Prey Model with Beddington–DeAngelis Functional Response
Authors: Tan Wei , Yu Wenwu , Hayat Tasawar , Alsaadi Fuad , Fardoun Habib M.
Published: September 2018

In this paper, we consider a predator–prey model with Beddington–DeAngelis functional response with or without diffusion. For this system, we give a complete and rigorous analysis of the dynamics including the existence of a global positive solution, the stability/Turing instability and the Hopf bifurcation. In the meanwhile, we show, via numerical simulations, that there appears Hopf bifurcation, steady state solution and Turing–Hopf bifurcation with the changes of some parameters of the system.
Modeling, Analysis and Bifurcation Control of a Delayed Fractional-Order Predator–Prey Model
Authors: Huang Chengdai , Song Xinyu , Fang Bin , Xiao Min , Cao Jinde
Published: September 2018

This paper basically concentrates on the bifurcation control of a fractional delayed predator–prey system via feedback control methodology. Firstly, time delay is regarded as a bifurcation parameter, and the delay-induced bifurcation conditions for such uncontrolled predator–prey system are established. Secondly, state feedback controllers are implemented to suitably control the Hopf bifurcation for the proposed system. Surprisingly, it is discovered that bifurcation control cost can be highly cut down by a single controller as compared with three. Particularly, the effects of control for the first feedback gain surpass the other two. The desirable dynamics can be acquired by cautiously selecting advisable feedback gains. Finally, numerical examples exhibit the theoretical analysis which coincides with the schemed methods.
CASE REPORT: SUBCONJUNCTIVAL INJECTION WITH AUTOLOGOUS PLATELET-RICH PLASMA FOR REFRACTORY CORNEAL ULCERS IN A DOG
Authors: Yang Shu-Fang , Yang Heng-Leng , Liang Sao-Ling , Wang Peng-Chen
Published: September 2018

A 12-year-old, intact, male Golden Retriever dog presented with a 1-month history of corneal ulcer, redness, and occasional squint in the left eye (oculus sinister [OS]). A thorough ophthalmological examination revealed corneal edema, diffuse corneal vascularization, and excessive granulation tissue growth. The tentative diagnosis was chronic superficial keratitis or pannus. After 3 weeks of treatment for OS, blepharospasm and superficial corneal ulceration with a lip of nonadherent epithelium of the right eye (oculus dexter [OD]) developed. No improvement was observed after autologous serum eye drop treatment combined with simple debridement and grid keratotomy on both eyes (oculi uterque [OU]) for 3 months; thereafter, blindness developed. The diagnosis was refractory corneal ulcers. The application of autologous platelet-rich plasma (PRP) was instilled via subconjunctival injection OU every 2 weeks for 2 months. The OU corneas started to re-epithelialize and heal, and the granulation tissues significantly decreased while the vision improved. Therefore, PRP was continued to be administered every 1–2 months for 6 months. After more than 1 year, the OU corneas have healed without recurrent ulceration and with only mild haze. In conclusion, autologous PRP subconjunctival injection is a potentially beneficial addition to the medical management of refractory corneal ulcers in dogs.
The spectra of a new join of graphs
Authors: Paul Somnath
Published: September 2018

Let [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] be three graphs on disjoint sets of vertices and [Formula: see text] has [Formula: see text] edges. Let [Formula: see text] be the graph obtained from [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] in the following way:

(1) Delete all the edges of [Formula: see text] and consider [Formula: see text] disjoint copies of [Formula: see text].

(2) Join each vertex of the [Formula: see text]th copy of [Formula: see text] to the end vertices of the [Formula: see text]th edge of [Formula: see text].

Let [Formula: see text] be the graph obtained from [Formula: see text] by joining each vertex of [Formula: see text] with each vertex of [Formula: see text] In this paper, we determine the adjacency (respectively, Laplacian, signless Laplacian) spectrum of [Formula: see text] in terms of those of [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] As an application, we construct infinite pairs of cospectral graphs.
Cross-Domain Noise Impact Evaluation for Black Box Two-Level Control CPS
Authors: Tan Feng , Liu Liansheng , Winter Stefan , Wang Qixin , Suri Neeraj , Bu Lei , Peng Yu , Liu Xue , Peng Xiyuan
Published: September 2018

Control
Cyber-Physical Systems
(CPSs) constitute a major category of CPS. In control CPSs, in addition to the well-studied noises within the physical subsystem, we are interested in evaluating the impact of
cross-domain noise
: the noise that comes from the physical subsystem, propagates through the cyber subsystem, and goes back to the physical subsystem. Impact of cross-domain noise is hard to evaluate when the cyber subsystem is a black box, which cannot be explicitly modeled. To address this challenge, this article focuses on the two-level control CPS, a widely adopted control CPS architecture, and proposes an emulation based evaluation methodology framework. The framework uses hybrid model reachability to quantify the cross-domain noise impact, and exploits Lyapunov stability theories to reduce the evaluation benchmark size. We validated the effectiveness and efficiency of our proposed framework on a representative control CPS testbed. Particularly, 24.1% of evaluation effort is saved using the proposed benchmark shrinking technology.
Feedback and Guidance to Support Children with Intellectual Disabilities in Discovery Learning with a Tangible Interactive Tabletop
Authors: falcão Taciana Pontual
Published: September 2018

By coupling dynamic digital representations to physical objects, tangible environments expand the possibilities for providing scaffolding in discovery learning processes. This is particularly promising in the case of children with intellectual disabilities, for whom the typical lack of structure of discovery-based activities is challenging. In this research, empirical studies were undertaken where children with intellectual disabilities engaged in a process of discovery using a tangible interactive tabletop, which provided a substantial amount of feedback. Two conditions of human mediation (free and guided exploration) were compared, to identify which one enabled more opportunities for discovery, in combination with design aspects of system feedback. Episodes of discovery were found to be much more frequent than episodes of disruption in both conditions, confirming the potential of tangible tabletops, in particular the importance of informational system feedback to learners' exploratory actions. Nevertheless, human mediation is still needed for children with intellectual disabilities despite the feedback capabilities of tangible environments. Although children explored more in free sessions (in terms of amount of exploratory actions), guided exploration produced more episodes of discovery, reinforcing the importance of external guidance for increasing the attention to learning concepts.
“I knew that, I was just testing you”
Authors: Franz Rachel L. , Baecker Ron , Truong Khai N.
Published: September 2018

Research has shown that participants often engage in impression management (IM) to present themselves in a favorable way, out of desire to increase self-esteem or enhance how others perceive them. This tendency has also been shown to affect the validity and reliability of studies. Yet, little is known about how older adults’ IM efforts influence the process of usability studies, even though the literature suggests that individuals perform more IM as they age, possibly to avoid negative stereotypes of ageing. Through a mixed-methods approach, we conducted two exploratory usability studies with older adults (65+). We found that participants performed a range of IM tactics including supplication (i.e., portraying oneself as weak or dependent to obtain help) and exemplification (i.e., doing more than is necessary). We discuss how IM tactics influence the study and define strategies to manage them.
Growth differentiation factor 11 ameliorates experimental colitis by inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome activation
Authors: Wang Lanju , Wang Yaohui , Wang Zhenfeng , Qi Yu , Zong Beibei , Liu Meichen , Li Xuefang , Zhang Xingkun , Liu Chengguo , Cao Run , Ma Yuanfang
Published: September 2018

Growth differentiation factor 11 (GDF11) has an anti-inflammatory effect in the mouse model of atherosclerosis and Alzheimer's disease, but how GDF11 regulates intestinal inflammation during ulcerative colitis (UC) is poorly defined. The Nod-like receptor family pyrin domain-1 containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome is closely associated with intestinal inflammation because of its ability to increase IL-1β secretion. Our aim is to determine whether GDF11 has an effect on attenuating experimental colitis in mice. In this study, using a dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced acute colitis mouse model, we reported that GDF11 treatment attenuated loss of body weight, the severity of the disease activity index, shortening of the colon, and histological changes in the colon. GDF11 remarkably suppressed IL-1β secretion and NLRP3 inflammasome activation in colon samples and RAW 264.7 cells, such as the levels of NLRP3 and activated caspase-1. Furthermore, we found that GDF11 inhibited NLRP3 inflammasome activation by downregulating the Toll-like receptor 4/NF-κB p65 pathway and reactive oxygen species production via the typical Smad2/3 pathway. Thus, our research shows that GDF11 alleviates DSS-induced colitis by inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome activation, providing some basis for its potential use in the treatment of UC.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY Here, we identify a new role for growth differentiation factor 11 (GDF11), which ameliorates dextran sodium sulfate-induced acute colitis. Meanwhile, we discover a new phenomenon of GDF11 inhibiting IL-1β secretion and Nod-like receptor family pyrin domain-1 containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome activation. These findings reveal that GDF11 is a new potential candidate for the treatment of ulcerative colitis patients with a hyperactive NLRP3 inflammasome.
Effects of modest iron loading on iron indices in healthy individuals
Authors: Bart Nicole K. , Hungerford Sara L. , Curtis M. Kate , Cheng Hung-Yuan , Southern Jennifer L. , Petousi Nayia , Dorrington Keith L. , Robbins Peter A.
Published: September 2018

Intravenous iron administration is typically indicated in individuals who have iron deficiency refractory to oral iron. However, in certain chronic disease states such as heart failure, it may be beneficial to administer intravenous iron to individuals who are not strictly iron deficient. The purpose of this study was to define a dose-response relationship between clinical indices of iron status and modest loading with intravenous iron in healthy, iron-replete participants. This was a double-blind, controlled study involving 18 male participants. Participants were block-randomized 2:1 to the iron and saline (control) groups. Participants in the iron group received 3.75 mg/kg body wt up to a maximum of 250 mg of intravenous iron, once a month for 6 mo, provided that their ferritin remained measured <300 µg/l within the week before a dose was due and their transferrin saturation remained <45%. Otherwise they received a saline infusion, as did the control participants. Iron indices were measured monthly during the study. The pulmonary vascular response to sustained hypoxia and total hemoglobin mass were measured before, at 3 mo (hemoglobin mass only), and at 6 mo as variables that may be affected by iron loading. Serum ferritin was robustly elevated by intravenous iron by 0.21 µg·l−1·mg−1of iron delivered (95% confidence interval: 0.15–0.26 µg·l−1·mg−1), but the effects on all other iron indices did not reach statistical significance. The pulmonary vascular response to sustained hypoxia was significantly suppressed by iron loading at 6 mo, but the hemoglobin mass was unaffected. We conclude that the robust effect on ferritin provides a quantitative measure for the degree of iron loading in iron-replete individuals.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY There has been an increasing interest in administering intravenous iron to patients to alter their iron status. Here, we explore various indices of iron loading and show that in healthy volunteers serum ferritin provides a robust indicator of the amount of iron loaded, with a value of 21 µg/l increase in ferritin per 100 mg of iron loaded.