bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Larger legume plants host a greater diversity of symbiotic nitrogen-fixing bacteria
Authors: Dinnage Russell , Simonsen Anna K. , Cardillo Marcel , Thrall Peter H. , Barrett Luke G. , Prober Suzanne M.
Published: January 2018

A major goal in microbial ecology is to understand the factors that structure bacterial communities across space and time. For microbes that have symbiotic relationships with plants, an important factor that may influence their communities is host size or age, yet this has received little attention.

Using tree diameter size as a proxy for age, we quantified the diversity of rhizobia that associate with an endemic legume,Acacia acuminata, of variable size across a climate gradient in southwest Australia. We examined the 16S rRNA diversity (V1-V3 hypervariable region) of rhizobia at the taxonomic level and at higher sequence level diversity within taxonomic groups.

We identified 3 major taxonomic clades that associated withAcacia acuminata:Bradyrhizobiaceae, Rhizobiaceae, and Burkholderiaceae. Within these groups, we found extensive genetic variability, especially within Bradyrhizobiaceae. Using binomial multivariate statistical models that controlled for other factors that affect plant size and rhizobia community structure (climate and local soil characteristics), we determined that soil sampled at the base of largerAcaciatrees was much more likely to contain a greater number of taxonomic clades and cryptic genetic variants within the Rhizobiaceae clade.

Despite strong influences of climate and highly heterogeneous soil conditions on rhizobial diversity, our results show that host tree size is a prominent factor in structuring nitrogen-fixing symbionts diversity across a large landscape. The identification of a positive relationship between plant host size and microbial diversity raise interesting questions about the role of plant host size in driving ecological processes that govern microbial community assembly. Specifically, our results suggest that hosts may modify the habitat of their surrounding soil to enhance growth (niche construction hypothesis) or that symbiotic microbes have large differences in dispersal capability. Our results also suggest that host plants may be analogous to ‘islands’, where larger legume hosts may accumulate diversity over time, through migration opportunities or in situ diversification. From a practical perspective, including plant size as an additional variable may assist sampling and analyses designs of future soil microbial studies.
Limitation of alignment-free tools in total RNA-seq quantification
Authors: Wu Douglas C. , Yao Jun , Ho Kevin S. , Lambowitz Alan M. , Wilke Claus O.
Published: January 2018

Background

Alignment-free RNA quantification tools have significantly increased the speed of RNA-seq analysis. However, it is unclear whether these state-of-the-art RNA-seq analysis pipelines can quantify small RNAs as accurately as they do with long RNAs in the context of total RNA quantification.

Result

We comprehensively tested and compared four RNA-seq pipelines on the accuracies of gene quantification and fold-change estimation on a novel total RNA benchmarking dataset, in which small non-coding RNAs are highly represented along with other long RNAs. The four RNA-seq pipelines were of two commonly-used alignment-free pipelines and two variants of alignment-based pipelines. We found that all pipelines showed high accuracies for quantifying the expressions of long and highly-abundant genes. However, alignment-free pipelines showed systematically poorer performances in quantifying lowly-abundant and small RNAs.

Conclusion

We have shown that alignment-free and traditional alignment-based quantification methods performed similarly for common gene targets, such as protein-coding genes. However, we identified a potential pitfall in analyzing and quantifying lowly-expressed genes and small RNAs with alignment-free pipelines, especially when these small RNAs contain mutations.
A genomic island of Streptomyces coelicolor with the self-contained regulon of an ECF sigma factor
Authors: Kao Camilla M. , Karoonuthaisiri Nitsara , Weaver David , Vroom Jonathan A. , Gai Shuning A. , Ho Mai-Lan , Patel Kedar G.
Published: January 2018

Streptomycetes constitute the largest genus of actinobacteria, living predominantly in soil and decaying vegetation. The bacteria are widely known for their filamentous morphologies and their capacity to synthesize antibiotics and other biologically active molecules. More than a decade ago, we and others identified 22 genomic islands thatStreptomyces coelicolorM145 possesses and otherStreptomycesstrains lack. One of these genomic islands, Genomic Island (GI) 6, encodes an extracytoplasmic function (ECF) sigma factor that we were characterizing in separate work. Here we report that artificial induction of the ECF sigma factor, which is encoded by SCO3450, causes the transcription of approximately one-fourth of GI 6, or ~26 mostly contiguous genes, to increase. More than half of the regulon encodes putative enzymes involved in small molecule metabolism. A putative haloacid dehalogenase is present. Genes encoding two putative anti-sigma factors flank SCO3450, the three genes residing within the regulon. Our data suggest that the ECF sigma factor and its regulon are a self-contained transcriptional unit that can be transferred by horizontal gene transfer. To our knowledge, only one other example has been identified of an ECF sigma factor and its contiguous regulon appearing to be transferrable by horizontal gene transfer [18,19]. Because the regulon appears not to be induced by the 44 growth conditions recently examined by Byung-Kwan Cho and colleagues [20], if it confers fitness toS. coelicolor, the regulon likely does so in as-yet unknown situations. Those situations might range from scavenging to detoxification to even communication within microbial communities.

IMPORTANCE

Streptomycesbacteria grow as hyphae that colonize soil and differentiate into spores when nutrients become scarce. In their terrestrial habitats, the bacteria encounter diverse conditions. Presumably so that the bacteria can cope with those conditions, the chromosomes of streptomycetes are highly dynamic, varying greatly in structure not only between species but also between closely related strains of a single species. The bacteria also have large numbers of extracytoplasmic function (ECF) sigma factors, which undoubtedly help the microorganisms respond to the plethora of challenges coming from the environment. This work illustrates these two threads ofStreptomycesbiology dovetailing: Genetic adaptability through horizontal gene transfer seems to have enabledStreptomyces coelicolorto acquire a self-contained transcriptional unit that consists of an ECF sigma factor and its regulon. The suggested facile movement of the regulon between microbial hosts indicates the value of the metabolism of small molecules possibly mediated by the regulon.
MethylN-(2-bromo-4-chlorophenyl)carbamate
Authors: El-Hiti Gamal A. , Smith Keith , Hegazy Amany S. , Alshammari Mohammed B. , Kariuki Benson M.
Published: January 2018

In the title molecule, C8H7BrClNO2, the bromochlorophenyl ring is inclined to the methylcarbamate unit by 32.73 (7)°. In the crystal, N—H...O hydrogen bonds form chains of molecules parallel to [100].
Influence of social media technologies on organizational performance through knowledge and innovation
Authors: Garcia-Morales Victor Jesus , Martín-Rojas Rodrigo , Lardón-López María Esmeralda
Published: January 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to show how social media technologies (SMT) make the firm proficient to act on business opportunities and reconfigure business resources by encouraging networks to routinize the firm’s knowledge and innovation competencies.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper analyzes data obtained from a sample of 201 technological firms located in Spain. Structural equation modeling with Lisrel is used to test the hypotheses.

Findings

This paper contributes to the literature by reflecting empirically in a structural model how SMT drive technological knowledge competencies to improve organizational performance directly and indirectly by leveraging processes of innovation capability in the firm.

Research limitations/implications

The study has some limitations, among them transversal analysis of different constructs. The number of relationships analyzed is limited, as is the literature focuses on a digital vision from a social media point of view.

Practical implications

Some implications for managers emerge. SMT both enable an emergent participatory culture through ubiquitous digital devices and social networks and balance constant connectivity afforded by digital devices.

Originality/value

Drawing on complexity science, the authors develop a conceptual framework to explain how social media, as emergent IS phenomena, help firms to create business value, leveraging network effects and knowledge flows, and increasing innovative capability.
Market entry strategy for a digital platform provider
Authors: Kim Junic
Published: January 2018

Purpose

How can a digital platform provider successfully secure users in its early stage to build an ecosystem? The purpose of this paper is to explore this issue through a case study on the deployment of the digital platform service RecordFarm and identifies the reasons behind its successful market access, overcoming the chronic chicken-egg problem in a two-sided market.

Design/methodology/approach

The study empirically analyses the core user groups’ diffusion and usage rates by using a susceptible-infectious-recovery model of an epidemic based on a user survey and extensive archival data from the RecordFarm database.

Findings

The study identifies two important early stage characteristics for a business platform to be successful: the core users’ activities on the platform are a critical element for the network’s expansion and usage, and user relationships are more important than user contents on the digital platform.

Originality/value

This study confirms that organic interactions through active behaviours, such as visit frequency, uploading contents, and comment activities, are core elements for a successful digital platform to settle in the market early in the face of the difficulties of a two-sided market.
Role of sialic acid‐containing glycans of matrix metalloproteinase‐9 (MMP‐9) in the interaction between MMP‐9 and staphylococcal superantigen‐like protein 5
Authors: Kurisaka Chisato , Oku Teruaki , Itoh Saotomo , Tsuji Tsutomu
Published: January 2018

Staphylococcal superantigen‐like proteins (SSL) show no superantigenic activity but have recently been considered to act as immune suppressors. It was previously reported that SSL5 bound to P‐selectin glycoprotein ligand‐1 (PSGL‐1) and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)‐9, leading to inhibition of leukocyte adhesion and invasion. These interactions were suggested to depend on sialic acid‐containing glycans of MMP‐9, but the roles of sialic acids in the interaction between SSL5 and MMP‐9 are still controversial. In the present study, we prepared recombinant glutathione S‐transferase‐tagged SSL5 (GST‐SSL5) and analyzed its binding capacity to MMP‐9 by pull‐down assay after various modifications of its carbohydrate moieties. We observed that GST‐SSL5 specifically bound to MMP‐9 from a human monocytic leukemia cell line (THP‐1 cells) and inhibited its enzymatic activity in a concentration‐dependent manner. After MMP‐9 was treated with neuraminidase, its binding activity towards GST‐SSL5 was markedly decreased. Furthermore, recombinant MMP‐9 produced by sialic acid‐deficient Lec2 mutant cells showed much lower affinity for SSL5 than that produced by wild‐type CHO‐K1 cells. Treatment of MMP‐9 with PNGase F to remove N‐glycan resulted in no significant change in the GST‐SSL5/MMP‐9 interaction. In contrast, the binding of GST‐SSL5 to MMP‐9 secreted from THP‐1 cells cultured in the presence of an inhibitor for the biosynthesis of O‐glycan (benzyl‐GalNAc) was weaker than the binding of GST‐SSL5 to MMP‐9 secreted from untreated cells. These results strongly suggest the importance of the sialic acid‐containing O‐glycans of MMP‐9 for the interaction of MMP‐9 with GST‐SSL5.
Negotiating inter‐professional interaction: playing the general practitioner‐pharmacist game
Authors: Bradley Fay , Ashcroft Darren M. , Crossley Nick
Published: January 2018

Despite a mutual interest in optimising the benefits of medication for patients, the general practitioner (GP) and community pharmacist (CP) often work in isolation from one another, both physically and figuratively. Sources of tension include pharmacy's ‘shopkeeper’ image, traditional medical hierarchies and potential encroachment on professional boundaries. This article examinesGPandCPperceptions of their interactions and negotiations and, drawing on the works of Stein and Goffman, identifies a set of ‘unwritten’ rules, termed the ‘GP‐pharmacist game’, which involves the concept of ‘face‐work’. Qualitative interviews with 20GPs and 23CPs located in four geographically and demographically different areas in England were conducted during 2010–11. Key rules of the game include the pharmacist avoiding blaming theGP, using discretion in front of patients, and balancing the necessity and frequency of the communication. This article argues that whilst adhering to the ‘GP‐pharmacist game’ may avoid conflict and ‘get the job done’, it may also constrain efforts to meet wider health care policy aims of a more collaborative relationship.
Collecting the World: Female Friendship and Domestic Craft at Bulstrode Park
Authors: Pelling Madeleine
Published: January 2018

This article explores the gendered translation of global objects collected by Margaret Cavendish Bentinck, duchess of Portland (1715‐1785), and displayed in her museum at Bulstrode Park. It does so by engaging with the epistolary and craft productions of women associated with the site, revealing how materials assembled from around the world served to advance Bluestocking values and female friendship. It demonstrates how processes of collecting and crafting served to map a complex and rapidly expanding material world within an elite domestic environment to reflect the carefully cultivated identities of the duchess and her circle.
Human factors in preventing complications in anaesthesia: a systematic review
Authors: Jones C. P. L. , Fawker‐Corbett J. , Groom P. , Morton B. , Lister C. , Mercer S. J.
Published: January 2018

Human factors in anaesthesia were first highlighted by the publication of the Anaesthetists Non‐Technical Skills Framework, and since then an awareness of their importance has gradually resulted in changes in routine clinical practice. This review examines recent literature around human factors in anaesthesia, and highlights recent national reports and guidelines with a focus on team working, communication, situation awareness and human error. We highlight the importance of human factors in modern anaesthetic practice, using the example of complex trauma.
No Impact of Pre‐existing Cardiovascular Disease on Prescribing Patterns of Sulphonylureas in Denmark – A Registry‐based Nationwide Study
Authors: Nilsson Malin , Rungby Jørgen , Lassota Nathan , Jørgensen Andreas D. , Ibsen Rikke , Kjellberg Jakob
Published: January 2018

Uncertainty exists regarding cardiovascular (CV) safety of sulphonylureas (SUs) as reflected in package labels and treatment guidelines. This study evaluated clinical treatment practice for SUs by analysing prescription patterns for SUs relative to patient history of CV disease (CVD). Patients in Denmark initiating treatment with SU or other anti‐hyperglycaemic drugs during 2006–12 were retrospectively identified using national health registries. Pre‐existing (previous 12 years) overall CVD, coronary heart disease (CHD) and myocardial infarction (MI) were subsequently identified. Proportion of patients with pre‐existing CVD was compared between new users of SU and new users of other anti‐hyperglycaemic drugs. In total, 50,425 (42.2% females, mean ± SD age 63.3 ± 13.5 years) and 190,438 (46.5% females, age 60.3 ± 15.0 years) patients initiated treatment with SU or other anti‐hyperglycaemic drugs, respectively, during 2006–12. The number of patients initiating SU treatment decreased by 63% during 2006–12. The proportion of patients with pre‐existing CVD varied between 46.9% and 49.8% among new SU users versus 39.9% and 44.8% among new users of other anti‐hyperglycaemic drugs. Corresponding proportions for CHD (17.9–19.9% versus 15.4–16.9%) and MI (6.3–7.5% versus 5.8–6.2%) showed the same pattern. Excluding new gliclazide users (9.6% of all new SU users) from the SU definition did not alter the results. Despite a potentially increased CV risk associated with use of SUs, pre‐existing CVD did not decrease clinicians’ relative prescriptions of SUs.
Student survey trends in reported alcohol use and influencing factors in Australia
Authors: Toumbourou John W. , Rowland Bosco , Ghayour‐Minaie Matin , Sherker Shauna , Patton George C. , Williams Joanne W.
Published: January 2018

Introduction and Aims

There is a need to explain reported trends of reduced alcohol and drug (substance) use in school‐aged children in Australia. This study used student survey data collected in the states of Victoria, Western Australia and Queensland to examine trends in substance use and associated influencing factors.

Design and Methods

Youth self‐reports were examined from 11 cross‐sectional surveys completed by 41 328 adolescents (average age 13.5 years, 52.5% female) across 109 Australian communities between 1999 and 2015. Multi‐level modelling was used to identify trends in adolescent reports of lifetime alcohol, tobacco and cannabis use, adjusted for age, gender, social disadvantage and minority status. Trends in influencing factors were also examined that included: individual attitudes, and family, school and community environments. Multivariate analyses estimated the main contributors to alcohol use trends.

Results

Alcohol, tobacco and cannabis use all fell significantly from 1999 to 2015. Higher levels of use were observed in Victoria compared to Western Australia or Queensland. Multivariate analyses identified reductions in favourable parent attitudes and lower availability of substances as direct contributors to reducing alcohol use trends. Indicators of school and family adjustment did not show similar trend reductions.

Discussion and Conclusions

Reductions in adolescent alcohol, tobacco and cannabis use from 1999 to 2015 were associated with similar reductions in parent favourable attitudes and availability of substances. It is plausible that a reduced tendency for parents and other adults to supply adolescent alcohol are implicated in the reductions in adolescent alcohol use observed across Australia.
Short and medium‐term efficacy of sodium glucose co‐transporter‐2 (SGLT‐2) inhibitors: A meta‐analysis of randomized clinical trials
Authors: Monami Matteo , Liistro Francesco , Scatena Alessia , Nreu Besmir , Mannucci Edoardo
Published: January 2018

Aims

Sodium glucose co‐transport‐2 (SGLT‐2) inhibitors reduce tubular glucose reabsorption, producing a reduction of blood glucose without stimulating insulin release. The aim of this meta‐analysis was the systematic collection of available data from randomized trials, in order to establish the durability of the efficacy of SGLT‐2 inhibitors on glycaemic control and body mass index.

Methods

A meta‐analysis was performed, including all trials with a duration of at least 12 weeks, comparing SGLT‐2 inhibitors with non‐SGLT‐2 inhibitor agents in type 2 diabetes. The principal outcome was the effect of SGLT‐2 inhibitors on hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) at 12, 24, 52 and 104 weeks. Data on body mass index at the same time points were also collected.

Results

Among 66 randomized trials, HbA1c reduction at 12, 24, 52 and 104 weeks was 0.63% (0.57; 0.68, 0.63% (0.57; 0.70), 0.66% (0.57; 0.74) and 0.60% (0.40; 0.81), respectively. SGLT‐2 inhibitors showed a greater efficacy than dipeptidyl‐peptidase‐4 inhibitors (DPP‐4i). Sulfonylureas appeared to be superior to SGLT‐2 inhibitors at 12 weeks, but not at 24 and 52 weeks; SGLT‐2 inhibitors produced a greater reduction in HbA1c than did sulfonylureas at 104 weeks. SGLT‐2 inhibitor‐induced weight loss in placebo‐controlled trials appeared to increase progressively with the duration of treatment.

Conclusions

SGLT‐2 inhibitors showed a good persistence of efficacy, at least up to 2 years, with a small but significant superiority over DPP‐4i. Sulfonylureas are more effective in the very short term, but less effective in the longer term.
Estimation of high‐temperature fracture parameters for small punch specimen with a surface crack
Authors: Yoon Kee Bong , Nguyen Thanh Tuan
Published: January 2018

An outline of a newly proposed methodology for evaluating creep crack growth (CCG) parameters using cracked small‐punch (SP) specimens is explained. Three‐dimensional finite element analyses were performed to calculate the stress intensity factor along the crack front for a surface crack formed at the centre of a SP specimen. Effects of crack ratio, (a/t); crack aspect ratio, (a/c); and thickness of the specimen, (t), on the fracture parameters were studied. It was observed that the minimum variation of K‐value along the crack front can be achieved when a/c was 0.50 except the location very near the intersection of the crack and free surface. This condition is similar to the case of constant K‐values along the crack front of the conventional compact tension specimen. Thus, it can be argued that the SP specimen with a surface crack is a suitable specimen geometry for CCG testing. The proposed CCG test method was found to be practically applicable for the crack geometry of 0.10 to 0.30 of a/t with constant aspect ratio of 0.50. An estimation of the K and Ct‐parameter under the small scale creep condition was derived. Future work for further development of the suggested CCG testing is discussed.
Validating taxonomic identifications in entomological research
Authors: Packer Laurence , Monckton Spencer K. , Onuferko Thomas M. , Ferrari Rafael R.
Published: January 2018

We surveyed the treatment of taxonomic information in 567 papers published in nine entomological journals in 2016.

The proportion of papers that provide taxonomic data in sufficient detail to permit precise validation of taxonomic identifications is vanishingly small: most did not cite identification methods, most did not state whether identified material had been vouchered, and taxon concepts were almost universally absent in non‐taxonomic papers. Overall, the combination of all three factors was provided less than 2% of the time and almost two‐thirds of all papers provided none of the three.

We suggest that journals should modify the templates used by editors and reviewers by overtly including the following questions:

Are Order and Family named in the title, abstract or keywords?

Are the methods used for identification of all studied taxa stated clearly?

Is it clear who did the identifications, are they named and is their contact information and/or institutional affiliation provided?

Is the literature whereupon these identifications are based cited appropriately? This would include some reference to as thorough a revisional taxon concept statement as possible, preferably from recent revisions if available.

Are exemplars of all focal species (or all sampled individuals) vouchered in a named repository (ideally with contact person name and accession numbers or other means of ready detection)?

Accurate and replicable taxonomic identification is the cornerstone of biology, without which entomological research risks becoming irreproducible and thus not scientific.
Synthesis of dense, fine‐grained hexagonal barium ferrite ceramics by two‐step sintering process
Authors: Zhou Enmin , Zheng Hui , Zheng Liang , Zheng Peng , Ying Zhihua , Deng Jiangxia , Zhou Jijun
Published: January 2018

Two‐step sintering (TSS) process has been used to fabricate hexagonal barium ferrite (BaFe12O19, BaM) ceramics with high density and fine grain size. The densification, microstructure, and magnetic properties were investigated. The sample prepared by the TSS process with the first‐step sintering temperature of 1325°C, the second‐step sintering temperature of 1300°C, and holding time of 20 hours has a density of 98.01 ± 0.25% of the theoretical density (5.29 g/cm3) and exhibits a uniform microstructure with small average grain size (2.92 ± 0.05 μm). In addition, the saturation magnetization of BaM ceramics has been effectively improved and the value is around 69 emu/g, which is close to theoretical saturation magnetization (72 emu/g). Briefly, using the TSS process can obtain dense and fine‐grained BaM ceramics with high saturation magnetization.
PIKKing a way to regulate inflammation
Authors: Quek Hazel , Lim Yi Chieh , Lavin Martin F , Roberts Tara L
Published: January 2018

The phosphoinositide‐3‐kinase like kinases are a family of very large protein kinases. These PI3‐kinase like kinase (PIKK) proteins have well‐established roles in detection and repair of damage to the genome, regulation of the transcriptome and cellular metabolism. Recently there has emerged, evidence for links between these proteins and inflammation. While some of these links come from an increased understanding of the impacts of damage to the cell on inflammatory responses, others suggest that PIKK proteins also have direct roles in regulation of immune responses. Particularly evident is the link between DNA damage and innate immune response pathways. Here, we review recent findings on the PIKK family of proteins and how they impact on inflammation, particularly activation of the innate immune system.
An Aza resveratrol–chalcone derivative 6b protects mice against diabetic cardiomyopathy by alleviating inflammation and oxidative stress
Authors: You Shengban , Qian Jianchang , Sun Chuchu , Zhang Hailing , Ye Shiju , Chen Taiwei , Xu Zheng , Wang Jingying , Huang Weijian , Liang Guang
Published: January 2018

Inflammation and oxidative stress play a crucial role in the development of diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM). We previously had synthesized an Aza resveratrol–chalcone derivative 6b, of which effectively suppressing lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐induced inflammatory response in macrophages. This study aimed to investigate the potential protective effect of 6b on DCM and underlying mechanism. In H9c2 myocardial cells, 6b potently decreased high glucose (HG)‐induced cell fibrosis, hypertrophy and apoptosis, alleviating inflammatory response and oxidant stress. In STZ‐induced type 1 diabetic mice (STZ‐DM1), orally administration with 6b for 16 weeks significantly attenuated cardiac hypertrophy, apoptosis and fibrosis. The expression of inflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress biomarkers was also suppressed by 6b distinctly, without affecting blood glucose and body weight. The anti‐inflammatory and antioxidative activities of 6b were mechanistic associated with nuclear factor‐kappa B (NF‐κB) nucleus entry blockage and Nrf2 activation both in vitro and in vivo. The results indicated that 6b can be a promising cardioprotective agent in treatment of DCM via inhibiting inflammation and alleviating oxidative stress. This study also validated the important role of NF‐κB and Nrf2 taken in the pathogenesis of DCM, which could be therapeutic targets for diabetic comorbidities.
A spike in mechanotransductive adenosine triphosphate release from red blood cells in microfluidic constrictions only occurs with rare donors
Authors: Mancuso Jordan E. , Ristenpart William D.
Published: January 2018

Objective

Wan et al (Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 105, 2008, 16432) demonstrated that RBCs rapidly and transiently release a spike of 300% more ATP shortly downstream from a short microfluidic constriction where the cells experience a sudden increase in shear stress. More recent work by Cinar et al (Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 112, 2015, 11783), however, yielded no evidence for a similar spike in ATP release downstream of the constriction. Our aim was to determine whether a transient spike in mechanotransduction is the typical response of RBCs to the sudden onset of increased shear.

Methods

We investigate ATP release downstream of a microfluidic constriction for 15 participants using a luciferase‐based photoluminescent assay.

Results

While we observe mechanotransductive ATP release from blood drawn from all donors, we find evidence of a spike in ATP concentration after the microfluidic constriction for only 2 of 15 participants. No clear trends in ATP release are found with respect to the magnitude of the applied shear stress, or to the gender, age, or physical activity (Baecke) index of the donor.

Conclusions

In aggregate, all data acquired to date suggest that a spike in mechanotransductive ATP due to a suddenly applied increase in shear stress occurs in blood drawn from only 14% of the population.
Population genomic footprints of host adaptation, introgression and recombination in coffee leaf rust
Authors: Silva Diogo Nuno , Várzea Vítor , Paulo Octávio Salgueiro , Batista Dora
Published: January 2018

Coffee leaf rust, caused by Hemileia vastatrix (Hv), represents the biggest threat to coffee production worldwide and ranks amongst the most serious fungal diseases in history. Despite a recent series of outbreaks and emergence of hypervirulent strains, the population evolutionary history and potential of this pathogen remain poorly understood. To address this issue, we used restriction site‐associated DNA sequencing (RADseq) to generate ∼19 000 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) across a worldwide collection of 37 Hv samples. Contrary to the long‐standing idea that Hv represents a genetically unstructured and cosmopolitan species, our results reveal the existence of a cryptic species complex with marked host tropism. Using phylogenetic and pathological data, we show that one of these lineages (C3) infects almost exclusively the most economically valuable coffee species (tetraploids that include Coffea arabica and interspecific hybrids), whereas the other lineages (C1 and C2) are severely maladapted to these hosts, but successfully infect diploid coffee species. Population dynamic analyses suggest that the C3 group may be a recent ‘domesticated’ lineage that emerged via host shift from diploid coffee hosts. We also found evidence of recombination occurring within this group, which could explain the high pace of pathotype emergence despite the low genetic variation. Moreover, genomic footprints of introgression between the C3 and C2 groups were discovered and raise the possibility that virulence factors may be quickly exchanged between groups with different pathogenic abilities. This work advances our understanding of the evolutionary strategies used by plant pathogens in agro‐ecosystems with direct and far‐reaching implications for disease control.
Does Financial Slack Reduce Municipal Short‐Term Borrowing?
Authors: Su Min , Hildreth W. Bartley
Published: January 2018

Many municipal governments face the challenge of temporary cash deficits due to the mismatched schedules of cash flow‐ins and flow‐outs. To smooth the temporary deficits, they can use either internal financial resources such as financial slack or external financial resources such as short‐term borrowing. This paper applies the pecking order theory to examine municipal governments' financial preference when they experience cash flow problems. Results show that municipal governments prefer accumulated financial slack to short‐term borrowing when both options are available. This finding demonstrates financial slack's role as a convenient cash management tool in municipal financial management. It also suggests the applicability of the pecking order theory in future public financial management research.
Investigating the static and dynamic tensile mechanical behaviour of polymer‐bonded explosives
Authors: Xiao Y. C. , Sun Y. , Wang Z. J.
Published: January 2018

The tensile properties of a polymer‐bonded explosive (PBX) were systematically studied by using quasi‐static and dynamic experiments. A non‐linear constitutive relation was developed to describe the tensile behaviour of the PBX. The tensile properties of the PBX under different strain rates and temperatures were measured in quasi‐static tests. The tensile behaviour of the PBX was found to exhibit high strain rate and strong temperature dependence, attributable to the large fraction of the polymer binder. To obtain the rational dynamic tensile results, a modified split Hopkinson tensile bar (SHTB) setup was designed such that the specimens were in dynamic stress equilibrium and deformed homogeneously at nearly constant strain rates. To characterise the viscoelastic behaviour, the master modulus curve was derived from the tensile stress relaxation tests at different temperatures. The non‐linear constitutive model was implemented in ABAQUS to predict the tensile behaviour of the PBX. The computational results were found to be in good agreement with the experimental results.
The Choreography of Group Affiliation
Authors: von Zimmermann Jorina , Vicary Staci , Sperling Matthias , Orgs Guido , Richardson Daniel C.
Published: January 2018

When two people move in synchrony, they become more social. Yet it is not clear how this effect scales up to larger numbers of people. Does a group need to move in unison to affiliate, in what we term unitary synchrony; or does affiliation arise from distributed coordination, patterns of coupled movements between individual members of a group? We developed choreographic tasks that manipulated movement synchrony without explicitly instructing groups to move in unison. Wrist accelerometers measured group movement dynamics and we applied cross‐recurrence analysis to distinguish the temporal features of emergent unitary synchrony (simultaneous movement) and distributed coordination (coupled movement). Participants’ unitary synchrony did not predict pro‐social behavior, but their distributed coordination predicted how much they liked each other, how they felt toward their group, and how much they conformed to each other's opinions. The choreography of affiliation arises from distributed coordination of group movement dynamics.
Direct Power Output Forecasts From Remote Sensing Image Processing
Authors: Larson David P. , Coimbra Carlos F. M.
Published: January 2018

A direct methodology for intra-day forecasts (1–6 h ahead) of power output (PO) from photovoltaic (PV) solar plants is proposed. The forecasting methodology uses publicly available images from geosynchronous satellites to predict PO directly without resorting to intermediate irradiance (resource) forecasting. Forecasts are evaluated using four years (January 2012–December 2015) of hourly PO data from 2 nontracking, 1 MWp PV plants in California. For both sites, the proposed methodology achieves forecasting skills ranging from 24% to 69% relative to reference persistence model results, with root-mean-square error (RMSE) values ranging from 90 to 136 kW across the studied horizons. Additionally, we consider the performance of the proposed methodology when applied to imagery from the next generation of geosynchronous satellites, e.g., Himawari-8 and geostationary operational environmental satellite (GOES-R).
Numerical Simulation of Forced Convective Boiling in a Microchannel
Authors: Na Yun Whan , Chung J. N.
Published: January 2018

Forced convective flow boiling in a single microchannel with different channel heights was studied through a numerical simulation method to investigate bubble dynamics, two-phase flow patterns, and boiling heat transfer. The momentum and energy equations were solved using a finite volume (FV) numerical method, while the liquid–vapor interface of a bubble is captured using the volume of fluid (VOF) technique. The effects of different constant wall heat fluxes and different channel heights on the boiling mechanisms were investigated. The effects of liquid velocity on the bubble departure diameter were also analyzed. The predicted bubble shapes and distribution profiles together with two-phase flow patterns are also provided.
Chemical imaging of aggressive basal cell carcinoma using time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry
Authors: Munem Marwa , Zaar Oscar , Dimovska Nilsson Kelly , Neittaanmäki Noora , Paoli John , Fletcher John S.
Published: January 2018

A set of basal cell carcinoma samples, removed by Mohs micrographic surgery and pathologically identified as having an aggressive subtype, have been analyzed using time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). The SIMS analysis employed a gas cluster ion beam (GCIB) to increase the sensitivity of the technique for the detection of intact lipid species. The GCIB also allowed these intact molecular signals to be maintained while surface contamination and delocalized chemicals were removed from the upper tissue surface. Distinct mass spectral signals were detected from different regions of the tissue (epidermis, dermis, hair follicles, sebaceous glands, scar tissue, and cancerous tissue) allowing mass spectral pathology to be performed. The cancerous regions of the tissue showed a particular increase in sphingomyelin signals that were detected in both positive and negative ion mode along with increased specific phosphatidylserine and phosphatidylinositol signals observed in negative ion mode. Samples containing mixed more and less aggressive tumor regions showed increased phosphatidylcholine lipid content in the less aggressive areas similar to a punch biopsy sample of a nonaggressive nodular lesion.
Buruli Ulcer: Review of a Neglected Skin Mycobacterial Disease
Authors: Guarner Jeannette
Published: January 2018

Buruli ulcer is caused byMycobacterium ulcerans. This neglected disease occurs in scattered foci around the world, with a higher concentration of cases in West Africa. The mycobacteria produce mycolactones that cause tissue necrosis. The disease presents as a painless skin nodule that ulcerates as necrosis expands. Finding acid-fast bacilli in smears or histopathology, culturing the mycobacteria, and performingM. ulceransPCR in presumptive cases confirm the diagnosis. Medical treatment with oral rifampin and intramuscular streptomycin or oral treatment with rifampin plus clarithromycin for 8 weeks is supported by the World Health Organization. This review summarizes the epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical presentation, diagnostic tests, and advances in treatment.
An Alternate Route for Adeno-associated Virus (AAV) Entry Independent of AAV Receptor
Authors: Dudek Amanda M. , Pillay Sirika , Puschnik Andreas S. , Nagamine Claude M. , Cheng Fang , Qiu Jianming , Carette Jan E. , Vandenberghe Luk H.
Published: January 2018

Determinants and mechanisms of cell attachment and entry steer adeno-associated virus (AAV) in its utility as a gene therapy vector. Thus far, a systematic assessment of how diverse AAV serotypes engage their proteinaceous receptor AAVR (KIAA0319L) to establish transduction has been lacking, despite potential implications for cell and tissue tropism. Here, a large set of human and simian AAVs as well as
in silico
-reconstructed ancestral AAV capsids were interrogated for AAVR usage. We identified a distinct AAV capsid lineage comprised of AAV4 and AAVrh32.33 that can bind and transduce cells in the absence of AAVR, independent of the multiplicity of infection. Virus overlay assays and rescue experiments in nonpermissive cells demonstrate that these AAVs are unable to bind to or use the AAVR protein for entry. Further evidence for a distinct entry pathway was observed
in vivo
, as AAVR knockout mice were equally as permissive to transduction by AAVrh32.33 as wild-type mice upon systemic injection. We interestingly observe that some AAV capsids undergo a low level of transduction in the absence of AAVR, both
in vitro
and
in vivo
, suggesting that some capsids may have a multimodal entry pathway. In aggregate, our results demonstrate that AAVR usage is conserved among all primate AAVs except for those of the AAV4 lineage, and a non-AAVR pathway may be available to other serotypes. This work furthers our understanding of the entry of AAV, a vector system of broad utility in gene therapy.

IMPORTANCE
Adeno-associated virus (AAV) is a nonpathogenic virus that is used as a vehicle for gene delivery. Here, we have identified several situations in which transduction is retained in both cell lines and a mouse model in the absence of a previously defined entry receptor, AAVR. Defining the molecular determinants of the infectious pathway of this highly relevant viral vector system can help refine future applications and therapies with this vector.
Seasonal variations in tuberculosis diagnosis among HIV-positive individuals in Southern Africa: analysis of cohort studies at antiretroviral treatment programmes
Authors: Ballif Marie , Zürcher Kathrin , Reid Stewart E , Boulle Andrew , Fox Matthew P , Prozesky Hans W , Chimbetete Cleophas , Zwahlen Marcel , Egger Matthias , Fenner Lukas
Published: January 2018

Objectives

Seasonal variations in tuberculosis diagnoses have been attributed to seasonal climatic changes and indoor crowding during colder winter months. We investigated trends in pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) diagnosis at antiretroviral therapy (ART) programmes in Southern Africa.

Setting

Five ART programmes participating in the International Epidemiology Database to Evaluate AIDS in South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Participants

We analysed data of 331 634 HIV-positive adults (>15 years), who initiated ART between January 2004 and December 2014.

Primary outcome measure

We calculated aggregated averages in monthly counts of PTB diagnoses and ART initiations. To account for time trends, we compared deviations of monthly event counts to yearly averages, and calculated correlation coefficients. We used multivariable regressions to assess associations between deviations of monthly ART initiation and PTB diagnosis counts from yearly averages, adjusted for monthly air temperatures and geographical latitude. As controls, we used Kaposi sarcoma and extrapulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB) diagnoses.

Results

All programmes showed monthly variations in PTB diagnoses that paralleled fluctuations in ART initiations, with recurrent patterns across 2004–2014. The strongest drops in PTB diagnoses occurred in December, followed by April–May in Zimbabwe and South Africa. This corresponded to holiday seasons, when clinical activities are reduced. We observed little monthly variation in ART initiations and PTB diagnoses in Zambia. Correlation coefficients supported parallel trends in ART initiations and PTB diagnoses (correlation coefficient: 0.28, 95% CI 0.21 to 0.35, P<0.001). Monthly temperatures and latitude did not substantially change regression coefficients between ART initiations and PTB diagnoses. Trends in Kaposi sarcoma and EPTB diagnoses similarly followed changes in ART initiations throughout the year.

Conclusions

Monthly variations in PTB diagnosis at ART programmes in Southern Africa likely occurred regardless of seasonal variations in temperatures or latitude and reflected fluctuations in clinical activities and changes in health-seeking behaviour throughout the year, rather than climatic factors.
One hundred years (and counting) of blast-associated traumatic brain injury
Authors: Kinch Kevin , Fullerton J L , Stewart W
Published: January 2018

Blast-associated traumatic brain injury (TBI) has become one of the signature issues of modern warfare and is increasingly a concern in the civilian population due to a rise in terrorist attacks. Despite being a recognised feature of combat since the introduction of high explosives in conventional warfare over a century ago, only recently has there been interest in understanding the biology and pathology of blast TBI and the potential long-term consequences. Progress made has been slow and there remain remarkably few robust human neuropathology studies in this field. This article provides a broad overview of the history of blast TBI and reviews the pathology described in the limitedscientific studies found in the literature.
Nutritional correlates of spatiotemporal variations in the marine habitat use of brown trout (Salmo trutta) veteran migrants
Authors: Bordeleau Xavier , Davidsen Jan G. , Eldøy Sindre H. , Sjursen Aslak D. , Whoriskey Fred G. , Crossin Glenn T.
Published: January 2018

The brown trout (Salmo trutta) is an iteroparous, anadromous salmonid that exhibits a complex continuum of feeding migration tactics, ranging from freshwater residency, to potamodromy, to estuarine migration, as well as short- to long-distance coastal migrations. While anadromous migrants are believed to play an important role in the species’ population dynamics, little is known about the factors driving differences in the extent of individual marine habitat use. In this study, 32 brown trout veteran migrants were acoustically tagged prior to their seaward migration and sampled for indices of their nutritional state. Our findings suggest that (i) body condition factor differed among fish adopting different migratory tactics, with outer fjord migrant being in poorer condition; and (ii) within migratory groups, plasma triglyceride concentration was negatively correlated with the duration of marine residency. Results support the idea of condition-dependent migration in veteran migrants, with individual variation in nutritional state influencing the spatiotemporal aspects of marine habitat use. Furthermore, overall marine minimum survival during the summer feeding migration was 86%, the highest reported estimate for this life stage.
Performance Analysis of a Positive Output Voltage Dual Input DC–DC Converter for Hybrid Energy Application
Authors: Athikkal Sivaprasad , Guru Kumar Gangavarapu , Sundaramoorthy Kumaravel , Sankar Ashok
Published: January 2018

Renewable energy sources and storage devices are combined as a hybrid energy system to provide reliable electricity to the load. Naturally, such sources have distinct voltage–current characteristics. In this paper, a dual input positive output voltage DC–DC converter is used as power electronic interface for integration of the above nature of sources. Different modes of operation of the above converter such as buck, boost and buck–boost are discussed with necessary circuit and equations. A detailed current and voltage stress analysis of various switching devices available in the converter is also discussed. This analysis helps to select the switching devices in an optimized and cost-effective manner. The effect of equivalent series resistance of such storage elements on the output voltage is investigated in detail. The MATLAB simulation of the power converter is carried out, and a prototype of the converter is also fabricated. A power control strategy is proposed for the power converter with the objective of voltage regulation during the load side and source side disturbances. Different experimental analyses of the fabricated converter in the laboratory environment have been conducted, and the test results are presented in this paper.
Mathematical Analysis of an Epidemic System in the Presence of Optimal Control and Population Dispersal
Authors: Nandi Swapan Kumar , Jana Soovoojeet , Mandal Manotosh , Kar T. K.
Published: January 2018

In this paper, we proposed and analyzed a susceptible-infected-recovered (SIR) type epidemic model to investigate the effect of transport-related infectious diseases namely tuberculosis, measles, rubella, influenza, sexually transmitted diseases, etc. The existence and stability criteria of both the diseases include free equilibrium point and endemic equilibrium point which are established and the threshold parametric condition for which the system passes through a transcritical bifurcation is also obtained. Optimal control strategy for control parameters is formulated and solved both theoretically and numerically. Lastly, we not only illustrate our theoretical results through graphical illustrations but also computer simulation is used to show that our model would be a good model to study the SARS epidemic in 2003.