bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Does ‘right to work’ imperil the right to health? The effect of labour unions on workplace fatalities
Authors: Zoorob Michael
Published: June 2018

Objective

Economic policies can have unintended consequences on population health. In recent years, many states in the USA have passed ‘right to work’ (RTW) laws which weaken labour unions. The effect of these laws on occupational health remains unexplored. This study fills this gap by analysing the effect of RTW on occupational fatalities through its effect on unionisation.

Methods

Two-way fixed effects regression models are used to estimate the effect of unionisation on occupational mortality per 100 000 workers, controlling for state policy liberalism and workforce composition over the period 1992–2016. In the final specification, RTW laws are used as an instrument for unionisation to recover causal effects.

Results

The Local Average Treatment Effect of a 1% decline in unionisation attributable to RTW is about a 5% increase in the rate of occupational fatalities. In total, RTW laws have led to a 14.2% increase in occupational mortality through decreased unionisation.

Conclusion

These findings illustrate and quantify the protective effect of unions on workers’ safety. Policymakers should consider the potentially deleterious effects of anti-union legislation on occupational health.
Physician alert: the legal risks associated with ‘on-call’ duties in the USA
Authors: Paterick Zachary R , Patel Nachiket J , Paterick Timothy Edward
Published: June 2018

On-call physicians encounter a diverse aggregate of interfaces with sundry persons concerning patient care that may surface potential legal peril. The duties and obligations of an on-call physician, who must act as a fiduciary to all patients, create a myriad of circumstances where there is a risk of falling prey to legal ambiguities. The understanding of the doctor–patient relationship, the obligations of physicians under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, the meaning of medical informed consent and the elements of negligence will help physicians avoid the legal risk associated with the various encounters of being on call. After introducing the legal concepts, we will explore the interactions that may put physicians at legal risk and outline how to mitigate that risk. Being on call is time consuming and arduous. While on call, physicians have a duty to act morally and ethically in the best interest of the patients.
Settlement of deep footings in reconstituted sand
Authors: Bagbag A.A. , Lehane B.M. , Doherty J.P.
Published: June 2018

The paper examines methods for predicting the settlement of deep footings in reconstituted sand. Results from vertical load tests on deep circular plates within a laboratory pressure chamber are interpreted using data from triaxial tests, cone penetration tests (CPTs), and pressuremeter tests obtained for the same reconstituted sand. A simple nonlinear CPT-based relationship is shown to match the response observed in the plate tests and be consistent with finite element analyses as well as other comparable physical tests. The relationships between foundation stiffness and the sand’s small-strain stiffness, its stiffness at 50% mobilized strength, and its response to pressuremeter loading are also explored. Comparisons with full-scale tests in the field reveal a strong effect of ageing on foundation stiffness, which appears to be better captured by small-strain stiffness than CPT end resistance. Measurements confirm that vertical loading of a deep plate is analogous to the expansion of a spherical cavity.
Effects of microencapsulated complex of organic acids and essential oils on growth performance, nutrient retention, blood profiles, fecal microflora, and lean meat percentage in weaning to finishing pigs
Authors: Oh Han Jin , Kim In Ho , Song Min Ho , Kwak Woo Gi , Yun Won , Lee Ji Hwan , Lee Chang Hee , Oh Seo Young , Liu Shudong , An Ji Seon , Kim Hyeun Bum , Cho Jin Ho
Published: June 2018

A total of 90 pigs (6.47 ± 0.27 kg; 21 d of age) were used in this 22 wk feeding trial to evaluate the effect of microencapsulated complex of organic acids and essential oils (MOE) on growth performance, nutrient retention, blood profile, fecal microflora, and lean meat percentage in pigs. Pigs were randomly distributed to one of three treatment groups (six replicate pens per treatment, five pigs per pen). Dietary treatments were CON, basal diet; MOE1, basal + 0.1% MOE; and MOE2, basal diet + 0.2% MOE. The average daily gain, average daily feed intake, and feed efficiency ratio were significantly different among treatments (P < 0.05). The apparent total tract digestibility of dry matter was linearly increased (P < 0.05) by MOE2. Red blood cells and immunoglobulin G were significantly different in pigs fed MOE (P < 0.05). The Lactobacillus concentration linearly increased (P < 0.05) in MOE2 treatments compared with other treatments. The meat color (a*, redness) and drip loss decreased linearly (P < 0.05) with increasing level of MOE. In conclusion, MOE supplementation could improve growth performance, nutrient retention, blood profile, fecal microflora, and meat quality in weaning to finishing pigs.
Risk factors for bruising and mortality of broilers during manual handling, module loading, transport, and lairage
Authors: Cockram Michael S. , Dulal Ketan Jung , Mohamed Radi A. , Revie Crawford W.
Published: June 2018

Multiple factors can affect the risk of bruising and mortality of broilers during loading, transport, and lairage. The risk factors affecting the percentages of broilers in each load that were “dead-on-arrival” (DOA) or bruised were studied from records provided by a processing plant, by undertaking direct observations during on-farm loading and then carrying out multivariable analyses. Selected loads between 2014 and 2015 from seven producers were included in the study. The median DOA per load was 0.13% (Q1 = 0.06, Q3 = 0.25, n = 212), the median total duration from loading to unloading was 8.6 h, and the external temperature ranged from −22 to 22 °C. Although it was not possible to adequately characterise thermal conditions within each load, the analysis indicated that the main risk factors for increased mortality were in spring and winter, an increased duration between loading and end of lairage, and a period of feed withdrawal before loading longer than 6 h. The risk of mortality increased with the weight of the birds and with an increase in rearing mortality. No relationships were found between the manner in which the broilers were handled and the percentages of DOAs or bruised birds.
New character of a laser channel for squeezed chaotic state
Authors: Cheng Da , Hong-Yi Fan
Published: June 2018

We in this paper report a new character of laser channel, namely, during squeezed chaotic state evolving in the laser channel. Its density operator keeps form-invariant, only two newly found typical parameters evolve with time in a well-regulated way, so they can describe the features of this physical process well. The typical parameter is comparable to the variance of normal distribution.
Carbon allocation and fate in paddy soil depending on phosphorus fertilization and water management: results of 13C continuous labelling of rice
Authors: Atere Cornelius Talade , Ge Tida , Zhu Zhenke , Wei Liang , Zhou Ping , He Xinhua , Kuzyakov Yakov , Wu Jinshui
Published: June 2018

We grew rice in phosphorus (P) deficient subtropical paddy soil in a field study and used 13CO2 continuous labelling to investigate photosynthetic carbon (C) partitioning and allocation under FLOOD versus WET/DRY conditions, with and without P fertilization (80 mg P kg−1). The plants and soil were sampled after each of three WET/DRY cycles to determine 13C allocation in above- and belowground plant biomass, microbial biomass, the rhizosphere, and bulk soil. Irrespective of water management, P-fertilized plants had higher biomass and P content and more total 13C in the rice-soil system, especially the 13C incorporation into the shoots (51%–96%), than samples without P fertilization. Root and bulk-soil 13C were largely independent of both P fertilization and water management. However, by the third sampling, P fertilization had increased the amount of 13C and microbial biomass 13C in the rhizosphere soil (RS) by 28% (WET/DRY) and 95% (FLOOD), and by 47% (WET/DRY) and 50% (FLOOD), respectively. The WET/DRY condition had significantly higher microbial biomass and 13C contents than FLOOD condition only in the RS. These results indicate that a well-established aboveground plant biomass following P fertilization is required to increase belowground C allocation. Thus, WET/DRY conditions, like FLOOD conditions, can provide moisture sufficient for unhindered P availability in rice-paddy system.
The eternal naked singularity formation in the case of gravitational collapse of generalized Vaidya space–time
Authors: Vertogradov Vitalii
Published: June 2018

In this paper, we consider the gravitational collapse of generalized Vaidya space–time when the matter satisfies the equation of the state either [Formula: see text] or [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text]. We show that in the case when type I of matter field is dust, then the apparent horizon will never appear but there is no a family of null radial future-directed geodesics which terminate at the central singularity in the past. Also, we show that in the case of negative pressure, the result of the gravitational collapse might be the naked singularity and the apparent horizon appears and in very short time disappears again. In the case of the negative pressure, we show that the result of the gravitational collapse might be the eternal naked singularity.
Variational Iteration Approach for Flexural Vibration of Rotating Timoshenko Cantilever Beams
Authors: Chen Yanfei , Dong Shaohua , Zang Zhipeng , Zhang Qi , Zhang Juan , Liu Xiaoben , Zhang Hong , Lou Fangyu , Ao Chuan
Published: June 2018

This paper is concerned with the flexural vibration analysis of rotating Timoshenko beams by using the variational iteration method (VIM). Accurate natural frequencies and mode shapes of rotating Timoshenko beams under various rotation speeds and rotary inertia are obtained. The VIM solutions are verified by comparing with some existing results in the literature as well as validated from a comparison study with experimentally measured ones. High accuracy and efficiency of VIM are demonstrated by the use of only a small number of iteration steps required for convergence of the first to the tenth mode frequencies of rotating Timoshenko beam.
Investigation of Multiferroic BiFeO3 Nanorods Using 2-MOE(C3H8O2)-Assisted Citrate Sol–Gel Method
Authors: William R. V. , Marikani A. , Gangatharan K.
Published: June 2018

Bismuth ferrite (BiFeO[Formula: see text] nanorods have been prepared from 2-methoyethanol (2-MOE)-assisted sol–gel technique. Structure, dielectric, and magnetic properties of BiFeO3 nanorods are briefly discussed in this paper. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) results suggest that the BiFeO3 peaks calcined at 500∘C exhibit a distorted rhombohedral perovskite structure with the absence of other secondary phases like Bi2Fe4O9. Meanwhile, the BiFeO3 showed excellent photoluminescence (PL) behavior due to the transmission of electrons from conduction band to the valence band. Ferroelectric hysteresis loop of BiFeO3 shows an increase of coercivity from 5.5–6[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]C/cm2 in a frequency range of 6–12[Formula: see text]kHz. The magnetization measurement resulted in a well-saturated ferromagnetic behavior, and in addition, the temperature-dependent magnetization was discussed for BiFeO3 nanorod using superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) method. The zero-field-cooled (ZFC) and field-cooled (FC) curves reveal spin-glass effect owing to size effects, spin exchange, and anisotropy of material assembly.
Effect of external electric field on the adsorption of ethylene oxide on pristine and Al-doped coronenes: A DFT study
Authors: Afshari Tooba , Mohsennia Mohsen
Published: June 2018

The adsorption interactions between ethylene oxide (EO) molecule and pristine and aluminum-doped coronene (Al-coronene) were studied in the presence and absence of perpendicular external electric fields (EFs) with strengths [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] a.u. using density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The geometry optimizations and adsorption calculations were carried out by employing 6-31[Formula: see text]G** basis set. The changes in geometric and electronic structures after the adsorption were investigated to characterize the sensitivity of pristine and Al-coronene toward EO molecules. For all the studied systems, adsorption energies ([Formula: see text], band gap energy ([Formula: see text], Mulliken charge transfer, molecular electrostatic potential (MEP) and density of electron state (DOS) were calculated and discussed. According to the obtained results, the high impact of the applied EFs on the adsorption characteristics of EO molecules on the pristine and Al-doped coronenes showed that applying EF is a good strategy for enhancing the EO adsorption capability of the pristine and Al-doped coronenes, improving the potential application of coronene-based sensors for detection of EO in trace amounts.
Second-order nonlinear optical response of phenyl-substituted cationic BIS-cyclometalated iridium(III) complexes: Effect of different position
Authors: Wang Hui-Ying , Jing Li-Xue , Ye Jin-Ting , Wang Hong-Qiang , Qiu Yong-Qing
Published: June 2018

In this paper, a series of cationic iridium complexes [(2-phenylpyridine)2(2,2[Formula: see text]-bipyridine)Ir][Formula: see text] which substituted phenyl on different ligands position have been systematically investigated by density functional theory (DFT) method. Significantly, the first hyperpolarizability [Formula: see text] values can be enhanced by introducing phenyl on 2-phenylpyridine ligands R1 or R2, whereas substituting phenyl on 2,2[Formula: see text]-bipyridine ligands R3 result in a decreasing [Formula: see text] values. The [Formula: see text] values exhibit obvious connection with the corresponding HOMO and LUMO energy gap. Furthermore, the time-dependent (TD) DFT calculations suggest that the enhanced [Formula: see text] values are related to obvious charge transfer from 2-phenylpyridine ligands to 2,2[Formula: see text]-bipyridine ligands. The investigation of frequency-dependent first hyperpolarizability [Formula: see text] ([Formula: see text]; [Formula: see text], 0) and [Formula: see text] ([Formula: see text]; [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text]) shown less dispersion effect at the low-frequency region for all of the studied complexes. Overall, tuning phenyl on the different ligands position can be seen as an effective strategy to modulate the second-order nonlinear optical response for these iridium complexes, which is benefit to theoretical and experimental further investigation.
A Complex Variable Boundary Element-Free Method for Potential and Helmholtz Problems in Three Dimensions
Authors: Li Xiaolin , Zhang Shougui , Wang Yan , Chen Hao
Published: June 2018

The complex variable boundary element-free method (CVBEFM) is a meshless method that takes the advantages of both boundary integral equations (BIEs) in dimension reduction and the complex variable moving least squares (CVMLS) approximation in element elimination. The CVBEFM is developed in this paper for solving 3D problems. This paper is an attempt in applying complex variable meshless methods to 3D problems. Formulations of the CVMLS approximation on 3D surfaces and the CVBEFM for 3D potential and Helmholtz problems are given. In the current implementation, the CVMLS shape function of 3D problems is formed with 1D basis functions, and the boundary conditions in the CVBEFM can be applied directly and easily. Some numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the method.
Predicting User Confidence During Visual Decision Making
Authors: Smith Jim , Legg Phil , Matovic Milos , Kinsey Kristofer
Published: June 2018

People are not infallible consistent “oracles”: their confidence in decision-making may vary significantly between tasks and over time. We have previously reported the benefits of using an interface and algorithms that
explicitly
captured and exploited users’ confidence: error rates were reduced by up to 50% for an industrial multi-class learning problem; and the number of interactions required in a design-optimisation context was reduced by 33%. Having access to users’ confidence judgements could significantly benefit intelligent interactive systems in industry, in areas such as intelligent tutoring systems and in health care. There are many reasons for wanting to capture information about confidence
implicitly
. Some are ergonomic, but others are more “social”—such as wishing to understand (and possibly take account of) users’ cognitive state without interrupting them.

We investigate the hypothesis that users’ confidence can be accurately predicted from measurements of their behaviour. Eye-tracking systems were used to capture users’ gaze patterns as they undertook a series of visual decision tasks, after each of which they reported their confidence on a 5-point Likert scale. Subsequently, predictive models were built using “conventional” machine learning approaches for numerical summary features derived from users’ behaviour. We also investigate the extent to which the deep learning paradigm can reduce the need to design features specific to each application by creating “gaze maps”—visual representations of the trajectories and durations of users’ gaze fixations—and then training deep convolutional networks on these images.

Treating the prediction of user confidence as a two-class problem (confident/not confident), we attained classification accuracy of 88% for the scenario of new users on known tasks, and 87% for known users on new tasks. Considering the confidence as an ordinal variable, we produced regression models with a mean absolute error of ≈0.7 in both cases. Capturing just a simple subset of non-task-specific numerical features gave slightly worse, but still quite high accuracy (e.g., MAE ≈ 1.0). Results obtained with gaze maps and convolutional networks are competitive, despite not having access to longer-term information about users and tasks, which was vital for the “summary” feature sets. This suggests that the gaze-map-based approach forms a viable, transferable alternative to handcrafting features for each different application. These results provide significant evidence to confirm our hypothesis, and offer a way of substantially improving many interactive artificial intelligence applications via the addition of cheap non-intrusive hardware and computationally cheap prediction algorithms.
GPSonflow
Authors: Varki Elizabeth
Published: June 2018

This article evaluates the maximum data flow from a sender to a receiver via the internet when all transmissions are scheduled for early morning hours. The significance of early morning hours is that internet congestion is low while users sleep. When the sender and receiver lie in proximal time zones, a direct transmission from sender to receiver can be scheduled for early morning hours. When the sender and receiver are separated by several time zones such that their sleep times are non-overlapping, data can still be transmitted during early morning hours with an indirect store-and-forward transfer. The data are transmitted from the sender to intermediate end networks or data centers that serve as storage hops en route to receiver. The storage hops are placed in zones that are time proximal to the sender or the receiver so that all transmissions to and from storage hops occur during low-congestion early morning hours. This article finds the optimal locations and bandwidth distributions of storage hops for maximum nice internet flow from a sender to a receiver.
LTERadar
Authors: Vlachou Christina , Pefkianakis Ioannis , Kim Kyu-Han
Published: June 2018

Major cellular hardware vendors (e.g. Qualcomm, Ericsson), mobile service providers (e.g. Verizon, T-Mobile) and standardization bodies (LTE-U forum, 3GPP) are seeking to extend LTE networks into unlicensed bands to boost LTE speeds and coverage. However, the advent of LTE unlicensed technologies has raised serious concerns on Wi-Fi networks that are operating in the same bands. In this work, we evaluate LTE/Wi-Fi coexistence, by conducting experiments with commodity LTE unlicensed and state-of-the-art 802.11ac Wi-Fi testbeds. Our experimental results show that LTE-induced interference not only can decrease Wi-Fi throughput by an order of magnitude, but also significantly impact the operation of 802.11ac high-throughput features (MU-MIMO, channel bonding, rate adaptation). To this end, we design LTERadar, a lightweight interference detector that runs on Wi-Fi devices and accurately detects LTE interference. LTERadar is independent of the technology of LTE interferer (LTE-U or LAA, the dominant LTE unlicensed protocols). Our implementation and evaluation with off-the-shelf Wi-Fi APs show LTERadar's interference detection accuracy to be more than 90% in realistic settings. We corroborate the 90% accuracy of LTERadar out in the wild, under dense enterprise Wi-Fi environments.
Beyond Number of Bit Erasures
Authors: Grochow Joshua A. , Wolpert David H.
Published: June 2018

Recent advances in nonequilibrium statistical mechanics have led to a deeper understanding of the thermodynamic cost of computation than that put forth by Landauer and then studied extensively in the computational complexity community. In particular, Landauer's work led to a focus on the number of bit erasures in a computation, due to its relation to the change in entropy between input and output. However new advances in physics|which have been experimentally con rmed|mean we can now calculate additional thermodynamic costs beyond merely the change in entropy between input and output. As a consequence, we now understand that while logically reversible computing can have some thermodynamic bene ts, it is far from the end of the story. The purpose of this paper is to highlight new open questions in computational complexity raised by consideration of these new thermodynamic costs. Beyond leading to a revised viewpoint on the bene ts of logical reversibility, these questions touch on randomized algorithms, average-case complexity, the thermodynamic cost of error correcting codes, and noisy/inexact/approximate computation.
Gem #142
Authors: An Unknown AdaCore developer
Published: June 2018

The standard Ada run-time library provides the package Ada.Exceptions. This package provides a number of services to help analyze exceptions. Each exception is associated with a (short) message that can be set by the code that raises the exception. In more recent versions of Ada, these messages can be set very simply, as in the following code:
Gem #147
Authors: Moy Yannick
Published: June 2018

Let's get started? The previous Gem in this series showed how the aspect Static_Predicate can be used to state properties of scalar objects that should be respected at all times. This Gem is concerned with the Dynamic_Predicate aspect, which can be used on all type and subtype declarations (not just scalar ones). Consider for example a type Message encoding the dates when a message was sent and received, where dates are represented by strings, such as "1789-07-14" for the fourteenth of July 1789:
Gem #148
Authors: Moy Yannick
Published: June 2018

Let's get started? In the previous two Gems, we saw how aspects Static_Predicate and Dynamic_Predicate can be used to state properties of objects that should be respected at all times. This third and final Gem in the series is concerned with an aspect called Type_Invariant. The Type_Invariant aspect can be used with private types, to define a property that all objects of the types should respect outside of the package where the types are declared. Take for example a type Communication storing the messages between various parties, based on the Message type used in the previous Gem:
The Complex Rcs Regulatory Cascade
Authors: Wall Erin , Majdalani Nadim , Gottesman Susan
Published: June 2018

RcsB, a response regulator of the FixJ/NarL family, is at the center of a complex network of regulatory inputs and outputs. Cell surface stress is sensed by an outer membrane lipoprotein, RcsF, which regulates interactions of the inner membrane protein IgaA, lifting negative regulation of a phosphorelay. In vivo evidence supports a pathway in which histidine kinase RcsC transfers phosphate to phosphotransfer protein RcsD, resulting in phosphorylation of RcsB. RcsB acts either alone or in combination with RcsA to positively regulate capsule synthesis and synthesis of small RNA (sRNA) RprA as well as other genes, and to negatively regulate motility. RcsB in combination with other FixJ/NarL auxiliary proteins regulates yet other functions, independent of RcsB phosphorylation. Proper expression of Rcs and its targets is critical for success of Escherichia coli commensal strains, for proper development of biofilm, and for virulence in some pathogens. New understanding of how the Rcs phosphorelay works provides insight into the flexibility of the two-component system paradigm.
The Personal Journey of a Resource Economist
Authors: Brown Gardner M.
Published: June 2018

This perspective article begins with speculation about my early interest in conservation at age six and traces my personal development until I became an assistant professor. My contribution to the beginning and development of nonmarket valuation, including an early publication on the stated preference method, is included. All but one of the discussed articles was about a nonmarket context. I also explore my research on endangered species in general and the spotted owl and black rhinoceros in particular. The arc of interest represented in my publications embraces biodiversity. For example, one article covers a metapopulation model, whereas others discuss the bio-economics of antibiotics and an early treatment of uncertainty in a public utility setting. My reconsideration of the analytical and empirical resource scarcity literature in the field is distinctive, while the necessity to work in an interdisciplinary setting is shown as transparent.
Androgens induce growth of the limb skeletal muscles in a rapamycin-insensitive manner
Authors: Rossetti Michael L. , Fukuda David H. , Gordon Bradley S.
Published: June 2018

Signaling through the mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) has been well defined as an androgen-sensitive transducer mediating skeletal muscle growth in vitro; however, this has yet to be tested in vivo. As such, male mice were subjected to either sham or castration surgery and allowed to recover for 7 wk to induce atrophy of skeletal muscle. Then, castrated mice were implanted with either a control pellet or a pellet that administered rapamycin (~2.5 mg·kg−1·day−1). Seven days postimplant, a subset of castrated mice with control pellets and all castrated mice with rapamycin pellets were given once weekly injections of nandrolone decanoate (ND) to induce muscle growth over a six-week period. Effective blockade of mTORC1 by rapamycin was noted in the skeletal muscle by the inability of insulin to induce phosphorylation of ribosomal S6 kinase 1 70 kDa (Thr389) and uncoordinated-like kinase 1 (Ser757). While castration reduced tibialis anterior (TA) mass, muscle fiber cross-sectional area, and total protein content, ND administration restored these measures to sham levels in a rapamycin-insensitive manner. Similar findings were also observed in the plantaris and soleus, suggesting this rapamycin-insensitive effect was not specific to the TA or fiber type. Androgen-mediated growth was not due to changes in translational capacity. Despite these findings in the limb skeletal muscle, rapamycin completely prevented the ND-mediated growth of the heart. In all, these data indicate that mTORC1 has a limited role in the androgen-mediated growth of the limb skeletal muscle; however, mTORC1 was necessary for androgen-mediated growth of heart muscle.
The uroplakin plaque promotes renal structural integrity during congenital and acquired urinary tract obstruction
Authors: Jackson Ashley R. , Li Birong , Cohen Shira H. , Ching Christina B. , McHugh Kirk M. , Becknell Brian
Published: June 2018

Urinary tract obstruction represents a common cause of kidney injury across the human life span, resulting in chronic kidney disease and end-stage renal disease. Yet, the extent of obstructive renal damage can be heterogeneous between individuals, implying the existence of unknown mechanisms that protect against or accelerate kidney injury. In this study, we investigated the role of urothelial remodeling in renal adaptation during congenital and acquired obstruction. In the Megabladder ( Mgb−/−) model of congenital obstruction and unilateral ureteral ligation model of acute obstruction, progressive hydronephrosis is strongly associated with dynamic reorganization of the renal urothelium, which elaborates a continuous uroplakin (Upk) plaque. This led us to postulate that the Upk plaque prevents parenchymal injury during urinary tract obstruction. To test this hypothesis, we interbred Mgb−/− and Upk1b−/− mice, which lack the critical Upk1b subunit for Upk plaque formation. Upk1b−/−; Mgb−/− mice experienced an accelerated onset of bilateral hydronephrosis with severe (>67%) parenchymal loss, leading to renal failure and mortality in adolescence. To investigate the function of the renal Upk plaque during acute obstruction, we destabilized the Upk plaque by Upk1b deletion or genetically depleted Upk+ cells following unilateral ureteral obstruction. Both of these strategies accelerated renal parenchymal loss following ureteral ligation, attesting to a conserved, stabilizing role for Upk plaque deposition in the acutely obstructed kidney. In aggregate, these complementary experiments provide the first evidence that the Upk plaque confers an essential, protective adaptation to preserve renal parenchymal integrity during congenital and acquired urinary tract obstruction.
Divergent effects of AKI to CKD models on inflammation and fibrosis
Authors: Black L. M. , Lever J. M. , Traylor A. M. , Chen B. , Yang Z. , Esman S. K. , Jiang Y. , Cutter G. R. , Boddu R. , George J. F. , Agarwal A.
Published: June 2018

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a condition with significant morbidity and mortality that affects 15% of adults in the United States. One cause of CKD is acute kidney injury (AKI), which commonly occurs secondary to sepsis, ischemic events, and drug-induced nephrotoxicity. Unilateral ischemia-reperfusion injury (UIRI) without contralateral nephrectomy (CLN) and repeated low-dose cisplatin (RLDC) models of AKI to CKD demonstrate responses characteristic of the transition; however, previous studies have not effectively compared the pathogenesis. We demonstrate both models instigate renal dysfunction, inflammatory cytokine responses, and fibrosis. However, the models exhibit differences in urinary excretory function, inflammatory cell infiltration, and degree of fibrotic response. UIRI without CLN demonstrated worsening perfusion and function, measured with 99mTc-mercaptoacetyltriglycine-3 imaging, and physiologic compensation in the contralateral kidney. Furthermore, UIRI without CLN elicited a robust inflammatory response that was characterized by a prolonged polymorphonuclear cell and natural killer cell infiltrate and an early expansion of kidney resident macrophages, followed by T-cell infiltration. Symmetrical diminished function occurred in RLDC kidneys and progressively worsened until day 17 of the study. Surprisingly, RLDC mice demonstrated a decrease in inflammatory cell numbers relative to controls. However, RLDC kidneys expressed increased levels of kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1), high mobility group box-1 ( HMGB1), and colony stimulating factor-1 ( CSF-1), which likely recruits inflammatory cells in response to injury. These data emphasize how the divergent etiologies of AKI to CKD models affect the kidney microenvironment and outcomes. This study provides support for subtyping AKI by etiology in human studies, aiding in the elucidation of injury-specific pathophysiologic mechanisms of the AKI to CKD transition.
Dual gain and loss of cullin 3 function mediates familial hyperkalemic hypertension
Authors: Cornelius Ryan J. , Zhang Chong , Erspamer Kayla J. , Agbor Larry N. , Sigmund Curt D. , Singer Jeffrey D. , Yang Chao-Ling , Ellison David H.
Published: June 2018

Familial hyperkalemic hypertension is caused by mutations in with-no-lysine kinases (WNKs) or in proteins that mediate their degradation, kelch-like 3 (KLHL3) and cullin 3 (CUL3). Although the mechanisms by which WNK and KLHL3 mutations cause the disease are now clear, the effects of the disease-causing CUL3Δ403–459 mutation remain controversial. Possible mechanisms, including hyperneddylation, altered ubiquitin ligase activity, decreased association with the COP9 signalosome (CSN), and increased association with and degradation of KLHL3 have all been postulated. Here, we systematically evaluated the effects of Cul3Δ403–459 using cultured kidney cells. We first identified that the catalytically active CSN subunit jun activation domain-binding protein-1 (JAB1) does not associate with the deleted Cul3 4-helix bundle domain but instead with the adjacent α/β1 domain, suggesting that altered protein folding underlies the impaired binding. Inhibition of deneddylation with JAB1 siRNA increased Cul3 neddylation and decreased KLHL3 abundance, similar to the Cul3 mutant. We next determined that KLHL3 degradation has both ubiquitin ligase-dependent and -independent components. Proteasomal KLHL3 degradation was enhanced by Cul3Δ403–459; however, autophagic degradation was also upregulated by this Cul3 mutant. Finally, to evaluate whether deficient substrate adaptor was responsible for the disease, we restored KLHL3 to wild-type (WT) Cul3 levels. In the absence of WT Cul3, WNK4 was not degraded, demonstrating that Cul3Δ403–459 itself cannot degrade WNK4; conversely, when WT Cul3 was present, as in diseased humans, WNK4 degradation was restored. In conclusion, deletion of exon 9 from Cul3 generates a protein that is itself ubiquitin-ligase defective but also capable of enhanced autophagocytic KLHL3 degradation, thereby exerting dominant-negative effects on the WT allele.
Vascular type 1 angiotensin receptors control blood pressure by augmenting peripheral vascular resistance in female mice
Authors: Wolf Erin , Diaz Edward J. , Hollis Alison N. , Hoang Thien A. , Azad Hooman A. , Bendt Katharine M. , Griffiths Robert C. , Sparks Matthew A.
Published: June 2018

Angiotensin II (ANG II) is a major mediator of hypertension pathogenesis. In addition, there are well-documented differences in expression of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) components and ANG II responses between males and females, which may explain sex differences in blood pressure (BP) and hypertension epidemiology. We previously showed that type 1A angiotensin (AT1A) receptors in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) play a critical role in BP regulation and hypertension pathogenesis, but these studies were carried out in male mice. Therefore, the major goal of the current studies was to examine the impact of VSMC AT1Areceptors on BP and hypertension pathogenesis in female mice. We found that elimination of VSMC AT1Areceptors in female mice reduced (≈8 mmHg) baseline BP without altering sodium sensitivity. The severity of ANG II-induced hypertension was diminished (≈33% reduction in BP), particularly during the last 2 wk of chronic ANG II infusion, compared with controls, but natriuresis was not altered during the first 5 days of ANG II infusion. Urinary norepinephrine levels were enhanced in female SMKO compared with control mice. There was a virtually complete elimination of ANG II-induced kidney hemodynamic responses with attenuation of acute vasoconstrictor responses in the systemic vasculature. These findings demonstrate that direct vascular actions of AT1Areceptors play a prominent role in BP control and hypertension pathogenesis in female mice.
Neural mechanisms for sigh generation during prenatal development
Authors: Thoby-Brisson Muriel
Published: June 2018

The respiratory network of the preBötzinger complex (preBötC), which controls inspiratory behavior, can in normal conditions simultaneously produce two types of inspiration-related rhythmic activities: the eupneic rhythm composed of monophasic, low-amplitude, and relatively high-frequency bursts, interspersed with sigh rhythmic activity, composed of biphasic, high-amplitude, and lower frequency bursts. By combining electrophysiological recordings from transverse brainstem slices with computational modeling, new advances in the mechanisms underlying sigh production have been obtained during prenatal development. The present review summarizes recent findings that establish when sigh rhythmogenesis starts to be produced during embryonic development as well as the cellular, membrane, and synaptic properties required for its expression. Together, the results demonstrate that although generated by the same network, the eupnea and sigh rhythms have different developmental onset times and rely on distinct network properties. Because sighs (also known as augmented breaths) are important in maintaining lung function (by reopening collapsed alveoli), gaining insight into their underlying neural mechanisms at early developmental stages is likely to help in the treatment of prematurely born babies often suffering from breathing deficiencies.
Visual and vestibular involvement in postural deficits following concussion
Authors: Nowak Madeleine K.
Published: June 2018

Postural assessment is often recommended as a component of postconcussion examination; however, a reliable, objective approach to identify and monitor the recovery of postural deficits is still needed. Degani et al. (Degani AM, Santos MM, Leonard CT, Rau TF, Patel SA, Mohapatra S, and Danna-Dos-Santos A. Brain Inj 31: 49–56, 2017) suggest that effects of concussion on postural control can be identified at the group level through spatiotemporal, frequency, and dynamic characteristics of balance. In contrast, Wright et al. (Wright WG, Tierney RT, and McDevitt J. J Vestib Res 27: 27–37, 2017) propose additional vestibular and oculomotor assessments to identify processing deficits that impair balance following concussion in individuals.
Human Olfactory Receptors: Novel Cellular Functions Outside of the Nose
Authors: Maßberg Désirée , Hatt Hanns
Published: June 2018

Olfactory receptors (ORs) are not exclusively expressed in the olfactory sensory neurons; they are also observed outside of the olfactory system in all other human tissues tested to date, including the testis, lung, intestine, skin, heart, and blood. Within these tissues, certain ORs have been determined to be exclusively expressed in only one tissue, whereas other ORs are more widely distributed in many different tissues throughout the human body. For most of the ectopically expressed ORs, limited data are available for their functional roles. They have been shown to be involved in the modulation of cell-cell recognition, migration, proliferation, the apoptotic cycle, exocytosis, and pathfinding processes. Additionally, there is a growing body of evidence that they have the potential to serve as diagnostic and therapeutic tools, as ORs are highly expressed in different cancer tissues. Interestingly, in addition to the canonical signaling pathways activated by ORs in olfactory sensory neurons, alternative pathways have been demonstrated in nonolfactory tissues. In this review, the existing data concerning the expression, as well as the physiological and pathophysiological functions, of ORs outside of the nose are highlighted to provide insights into future lines of research.
Topological Characterization of Human and Mouse m5C Epitranscriptome Revealed by Bisulfite Sequencing
Authors: Wei Zhen , Panneerdoss Subbarayalu , Timilsina Santosh , Zhu Jingting , Mohammad Tabrez A. , Lu Zhi-Liang , de Magalhães João Pedro , Chen Yidong , Rong Rong , Huang Yufei , Rao Manjeet K. , Meng Jia
Published: June 2018

Background. Compared with the well-studied 5-methylcytosine (m5C) in DNA, the role and topology of epitranscriptome m5C remain insufficiently characterized. Results. Through analyzing transcriptome-wide m5C distribution in human and mouse, we show that the m5C modification is significantly enriched at 5′ untranslated regions (5′UTRs) of mRNA in human and mouse. With a comparative analysis of the mRNA and DNA methylome, we demonstrate that, like DNA methylation, transcriptome m5C methylation exhibits a strong clustering effect. Surprisingly, an inverse correlation between mRNA and DNA m5C methylation is observed at CpG sites. Further analysis reveals that RNA m5C methylation level is positively correlated with both RNA expression and RNA half-life. We also observed that the methylation level of mitochondrial RNAs is significantly higher than RNAs transcribed from the nuclear genome. Conclusions. This study provides an in-depth topological characterization of transcriptome-wide m5C modification by associating RNA m5C methylation patterns with transcriptional expression, DNA methylations, RNA stabilities, and mitochondrial genome.
Flexural Design and Analysis of Composite Beams with Inverted‐T Steel Girder with Ultrahigh Performance Concrete Slab
Authors: Choi Wonchang , Choi Youngcheol , Yoo Sung-Won
Published: June 2018

This study intends to improve the efficiency of the composite beam combining a slab made of steel fiber‐reinforced ultrahigh performance concrete (UHPC) and a steel girder without top flange. To that goal, the experiment is conducted on 24 composite beams fabricated with varying compressive strength of UHPC, steel fiber content, stud spacing, and slab thickness to evaluate the behavior of the studs and the flexural behavior of the composite beam combining the UHPC slab and the inverted‐T steel girder. The experimental results show the test members developed sufficient ductile behavior with respect to the slip limit of 6 mm stipulated in Eurocode‐4 and regardless of the considered test variables. The experimental ultimate horizontal shear force is seen to be clearly larger than the static strengths of the stud predicted by Eurocode‐4 and AASHTO‐LRFD. Improved design formulae for the composite beam shall be derived to reflect the UHPC slab thickness.
A Case of Euthyroid Graves’ Ophthalmopathy in a Patient Sero-Negative for TSH Receptor Autoantibody
Authors: Hotta Asami , Tanaka Tomohiro , Kato Haruka , Kakoi Shota , Shimizu Yuki , Hasegawa Chie , Hayakawa Akiko , Yasuda Satoshi , Ogawa Kento , Ito Shunsuke , Ohguchi Hideomi , Yagi Takashi , Koyama Hiroyuki , Kawamura Mihoko , Sugitani Kazuhiko , Ogura Yuichiro , Joh Takashi , Imaeda Kenro
Published: June 2018

We report of a case of Graves’ ophthalmopathy presented solely with symptoms of the eyes with normal thyroid function tests and negative immunoreactive TSH receptor autoantibody. 40-year-old male was referred to our hospital due to 2-month history of ocular focusing deficit without any signs or symptoms of hyper- or hypothyroidism. Serum thyroid function tests and 99mTc uptake were both within the normal range. Anti-thyroid autoantibodies were all negative except for the cell-based assay for serum TSH receptor stimulating activity. Since orbital CT scan and MRI gave typical results compatible with Graves’ ophthalmopathy, we treated the patients with corticosteroid pulse therapy and orbital radiation therapy, leading to a partial improvement of the symptoms. This case gives insights into the potential pathophysiologic mechanism underlying Graves’ ophthalmopathy and casts light upon the difficulties of establishing the diagnosis in a euthyroid case with minimal positive results for anti-thyroid autoantibodies.
Rapidly Growing Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma Presenting as an Irreducible Umbilical Hernia
Authors: Reddi Deepti M. , Scherpelz Kathryn P. , Lerma Angelica , Shriki Jabi , Virgin Jeffrey
Published: June 2018

Hernia sacs are a common anatomic pathology specimen, which rarely contain malignancy. We present a case of rapidly growing pancreatic adenocarcinoma, which initially presented as metastasis to an umbilical hernia sac. The patient was a 55-year-old male with a two-year history of umbilical hernia. Two months prior to herniorrhaphy, the hernia became painful and the patient experienced nausea and weight loss. The gross examination did not reveal distinct lesions. Microscopically, the hernia sac was diffusely infiltrated by moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma, which was positive for CK7 and pancytokeratin and negative for TTF-1, CK20, PSA, and CDX2. Clinical laboratory tests found elevated levels of CA 19-9 and CEA. Computed tomography scan with intravenous contrast showed a 5 cm ill-defined and hypoattenuating mass involving the pancreatic tail and body, as well as numerous ill-defined lesions in the liver and peritoneal carcinomatosis. The patient had an earlier noncontrast computed tomography scan four months prior to the surgery, which did not detect any lesions in the abdomen. This case highlights the importance of intravenous contrast with computed tomography for the evaluation of pancreatic lesions and also emphasizes the importance of thorough histologic evaluation of hernia sacs for the detection of occult malignancy.
String Grammar Unsupervised Possibilistic Fuzzy C-Medians for Gait Pattern Classification in Patients with Neurodegenerative Diseases
Authors: Klomsae Atcharin , Auephanwiriyakul Sansanee , Theera-Umpon Nipon
Published: June 2018

Neurodegenerative diseases that affect serious gait abnormalities include Parkinson's disease (PD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and Huntington disease (HD). These diseases lead to gait rhythm distortion that can be determined by stride time interval of footfall contact times. In this paper, we present a new method for gait classification of neurodegenerative diseases. In particular, we utilize a symbolic aggregate approximation algorithm to convert left-foot stride-stride interval into a sequence of symbols using a symbolic aggregate approximation. We then find string prototypes of each class using the newly proposed string grammar unsupervised possibilistic fuzzy C-medians. Then in the testing process the fuzzy k-nearest neighbor is used. We implement the system on three 2-class problems, i.e., the classification of ALS against healthy patients, that of HD against healthy patients , and that of PD against healthy patients. The system is also implemented on one 4-class problem (the classification of ALS, HD, PD, and healthy patients altogether) called NDDs versus healthy. We found that our system yields a very good detection result. The average correct classification for ALS versus healthy is 96.88%, and that for HD versus healthy is 97.22%, whereas that for PD versus healthy is 96.43%. When the system is implemented on 4-class problem, the average accuracy is approximately 98.44%. It can provide prototypes of gait signals that are more understandable to human.