bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of radiofrequency on adipose tissue: A systematic review with meta‐analysis
Authors: Vale Ana Luísa , Pereira Ana Sofia , Morais Andreia , Noites Andreia , Mendonça Adriana Clemente , Martins Pinto Juliana , Vilarinho Rui , Carvalho Paulo
Published: September 2018

Background

Equipment that acts in the reduction in adipose tissue are becoming widely investigated. One of the resources that begin to gain recognition is radiofrequency.

Purpose

To verify the existence of scientific evidence and the methodological quality of the articles on the effects of radiofrequency in the reduction in adipose tissue.

Methodology

Systematic review with meta‐analysis on the effects of radiofrequency on adipose tissue. The research was carried out using several databases and including experimental studies only in humans. The evaluation of the methodological quality of the articles was done based on the PEDro Scale.

Results

Twelve articles related with adipose tissue and cellulitis were included. There was a great variability of protocols, and the methodological quality was generally low and the methods most used for the evaluation of results were anthropometry, photography, and histopathology. Clinical results suggest a positive effect of radiofrequency on the reduction in adipose tissue, proving an increase in adipocyte lipolysis. After statistical analysis, it was verified that the anthropometry presented questionable results.

Conclusion

The clinical results of the studies point to the positive effects of radiofrequency on the reduction in adipose tissue; however, the low methodological make this topic still debatable, requiring more controlled studies.
Biological films adhering to the oral soft tissues: Structure, composition, and potential impact on taste perception
Authors: Neyraud Eric , Morzel Martine
Published: September 2018

The role of free‐flowing saliva in taste perception is increasingly recognized, but saliva is also present in the mouth as films intimately associated to soft or hard tissues. On mucosal surfaces, particularly on the tongue, the structure and composition of such films (including its microbial constitutive part) may play a particular role in the sense of taste due to their proximity with the taste anatomical structures. This review compiles the current knowledge on the structure of biological films adhering to oral mucosae and on their biochemical and microbiological composition, before presenting possible implications for taste perception.

Practical applications

The understanding of the role of oral biological films on taste perception may provide new avenues of research and development for the industry or academia interested broadly in chemosensation.
The Necessity of Mathematics
Authors: Yli‐Vakkuri Juhani , Hawthorne John
Published: September 2018

Some have argued for a division of epistemic labor in which mathematicians supply truths and philosophers supply their necessity. We argue that this is wrong: mathematics is committed to its own necessity. Counterfactuals play a starring role.
From Amazonia to southern Africa: atmospheric moisture transport through low‐level jets and atmospheric rivers
Authors: Ramos Alexandre M. , Blamey Ross C. , Algarra Iago , Nieto Raquel , Gimeno Luis , Tomé Ricardo , Reason Chris J.C. , Trigo Ricardo M.
Published: September 2018

A Lagrangian analysis is applied to identify the main moisture source areas associated with atmospheric rivers (ARs) making landfall along the west coast of South Africa during the extended austral winter months from 1980 to 2014. The results show that areas that provide the anomalous uptake of moisture can be categorized into four regions: (1) the South Atlantic Ocean between 10°S and 30°S, (2) a clear local maximum in the eastern South Atlantic, (3) a continental source of anomalous uptake to the north of the Western Cape, and (4) over South America at a distance of more than 7000 km from the target region. It emerges that the South American moisture source can be linked to a particular phase of the South American low‐level jet, known as a no Chaco jet event (NCJE), which transports moisture to the western and central South Atlantic basin. Concisely, we provide strong evidence that the two margins of the South Atlantic Ocean appear connected by two meteorological structures, with the NCJE playing a key role of transporting moisture from South America to the western and central South Atlantic basin, feeding the AR that transports some of the moisture to the west coast of South Africa.
Street Authorities: Community Policing in Mozambique and Swaziland
Authors: Kyed Helene Maria
Published: September 2018

This article explores the politics produced by civilian community policing groups in the urban margins of Mozambique and Swaziland. By taking over those streets that no one else could control, young unemployed men established themselves as alternative police forces and vectors of power in the neighborhoods. This made them politically significant to local leaders, politicians, and state police officers who both saw them as competitors and enrolled them in their own political agendas. By expanding upon the concept of “street politics,” I argue that the community policing groups developed into what I conceptualize as “street authorities.” Street authority involves a style of politics that relies on the capacity for swift, direct actions, often through violent means, to order the streets, but it is also characterized by momentariness that prevents the formation of stable organizations. Such politics emerge in urban contexts where poor urban citizens mistrust the state and where there is a preference for immediate outcomes because livelihood uncertainties are high, security is low, and it is difficult to express grievances through official political channels.
From Moral Protest to Religious Politics: Ethical Demands and Beur Political Action in France
Authors: Bloul Rachel
Published: September 2018

This paper traces the responses of Muslim youths ('Beurs') to their marginalisation in France. The Beur movement acquired national significance via the politicisation of moral protest in the early 1980s. In spite of early successes, the movement stumbled when the 'politics of austerity' adopted by the French state amplified a social crisis for which migrants became the scapegoats. The Beur movement, like other youth movements of the period, expressed a search for solidarity and a stress on ethical demands. Beurs' disenchantment when their civic elan ran out in the face of everyday difficulties led some to transfer their search for solidarity to the terrain of Islam. Islam, the paper argues, often appears to provide answers to the particular complex of politico‐ethical demands for social justice and dignity that the Beur movement expressed. However, the Islamist re‐conversion of some Beur militants is to be read as the result of a particular conjunction of multiple power relations which would integrate economic, social, cultural and gender dimensions. It is not necessarily indicative of a failure of the politics of moral protest to promote progressive transformational politics.
Anthropologists and the Rhizomatic Study of Migration
Authors: Bottomley Gillian
Published: September 2018

Beginning with a commitment to the idea of connections rather than ruptures, I have traced some of the associations between anthropology and movements of populations, taking a long view in order to place theoretical developments in context while noting continuities and changes. For example, theory and methods constructed in early 20th century US or colonial Africa have been transformed in specific ways that deserve attention. With this comparative aim in mind, I have analysed a range of studies around particular themes, including processes of community formation, delineation of ethnocultural differences, political influences and practices in the control of heterogeneous populations, and forms of knowledge. This paper moves from US, colonial and diaspora studies through discussion of Australian‐based research and a too‐brief reference to recent transnational and transdisciplinary studies.
Kung Fu Fighting: The Cultural Pedagogy of the Body in the Vovinam Overseas Vietnamese Martial Arts School
Authors: Carruthers Ashley
Published: September 2018

This paper explores the pedagogic practices by which Overseas Vietnamese elites seek to enlist the young in a shared conception of Vietnamese identity in the context of a martial arts organisation. It shows how the contradictory principles of gerontocratic and meritocratic social structuration, identified in the Vietnamese system of person reference, are given embodied form in the school's practice. The paper concludes with a reflection on how incorporation into this habitus and the relation to the Vietnamese body it offers may act as a defence, albeit an ambivalent one, against classifications of the Vietnamese body as abject emanating from the host society.
Phenylketonuria in pregnancy
Authors: Munyame Carol R , Vaithilingam Nirmala , Rahman Yusof , Vara Roshni , Freeman Amanda
Published: September 2018

Key content

Phenylketonuria (PKU) is a rare, autosomal recessive metabolic disorder characterised by the body's inability to utilise the essential amino acid phenylalanine. There are three different subgroups of this disorder.

Untreated or poorly controlled phenylalanine levels are associated with intrauterine growth restriction and other fetal abnormalities.

Fetuses born to mothers with PKU exhibit clinical similarities to those born with fetal alcohol syndrome.

Management of pregnant women with PKU is best performed under a multidisciplinary team with close monitoring of phenylalanine blood levels.

Learning objectives

To understand the importance of pre‐conception counselling in women born with PKU.

To understand the implications of hyperphenylalaninaemia on pregnancy and fetal outcomes.

To understand the importance of involving a multidisciplinary team in the management of patients with PKU.

Ethical issues

Women with poor compliance to PKU management in the prepregnancy period are at significant risk of fetal abnormalities. Should we recommend alternative reproductive options?
The quality of platelet concentrates related to corrected count increment: linking in vitro to in vivo
Authors: Saris Anno , Kreuger Aukje L. , ten Brinke Anja , Kerkhoffs Jean Louis H. , Middelburg Rutger A. , Zwaginga Jaap Jan , van der Meer Pieter F.
Published: September 2018

BACKGROUND

Storage of platelet concentrates (PCs) results in reduced recovery and survival of transfused platelets (PLTs). Upon storage PLTs develop storage lesion that can be monitored by several laboratory tests. However, correlation of these descriptive tests with corrected count increments (CCIs), a marker frequently used to establish the effectiveness of PLT transfusions, is limited or unknown. This study investigated to what extent a functional test or a combined in vitro rating score improves the correlation of laboratory tests with 1‐hour CCI.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

PCs were analyzed using six different laboratory tests (n = 123) before transfusion in a prophylactic setting to 74 hematooncologic patients. Linear regression and Spearman correlation were used to determine associations between descriptive (either separately or combined in an in vitro rating score) or functional test results and 1‐hour CCIs obtained after transfusion.

RESULTS

CD62P expression (r = −0.45), annexin V binding (r = −0.36), the updated in vitro rating score (r = 0.50), and PLT responsiveness after thrombin receptor activator for peptide‐6 (TRAP) (r = 0.43‐0.57) or adenosine diphosphate stimulation (r = 0.11‐0.51) significantly correlated to 1‐hour CCIs obtained after transfusion, whereas lactate concentration, ThromboLUX score, and thromboelastography measurements did not. The strongest correlations were observed for in vitro rating score and PLT responsiveness after TRAP stimulation and these tests could explain 24 and 33% of the observed variation in 1‐hour CCI, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Combining descriptive markers in one in vitro rating score improved correlation to 1‐hour CCI compared to the tests separately. Of all tests investigated, mean PLT responsiveness after TRAP stimulation showed the strongest clinical correlation and was best able to predict the 1‐hour CCI.
Remediation of suspended solids and turbidity by improved settling tank design in a small‐scale, free‐standing toilet system using recycled blackwater
Authors: Hawkins Brian T. , Sellgren Katelyn L. , Cellini Enzo , J. D. Klem Ethan , Rogers Tess , Lynch Brendon J. , Piascik Jeffrey R. , Stoner Brian R.
Published: September 2018

Our research is focused on the development of decentralized waste water treatment technologies enabling onsite water reuse. Accumulation of solids with recycling of treated blackwater increases the energy required for disinfection with an electrochemical process. We hypothesized that improving the preprocess settling of blackwater by increasing the tortuosity of the liquid flow path would reduce this energy demand by reducing particle‐associated chemical oxygen demand (COD). This approach successfully reduced the total suspended solids and turbidity in the process liquid accumulated per user‐day equivalent. A modest reduction in the apparent steady‐state accumulation of COD was also observed, likely because of the retention of COD associated with larger particles in the settling tanks. Interestingly, these improvements did not improve the energy efficiency of the electrochemical disinfection process, as predicted. These observations suggest that improving the energy efficiency of electrochemical disinfection will require remediation of dissolved COD.
Performance evaluation of different membrane types in the textile mercerization wastewater treatment
Authors: Zebić Avdičević Maja , Košutić Krešimir , Dobrović Slaven
Published: September 2018

This study investigates the performance of three ultrafiltration membranes, i.e. a submerged polyethylene (PE) hollow fibre membrane, a multibore polyethersulfone (PES) membrane and a tubular multichannel ceramic membrane in the textile mercerization wastewater treatment. Experiments were carried out on two laboratory dead end membranes and on a cross flow membrane set‐up using wastewater with and without the addition of MgCl2 as a coagulant. Investigation into energy consumption was also carried out. According to the obtained results, the submerged membrane could be used as the pretreatment of mercerization wastewater to significantly reduce the amount of suspended solids, to remove organic carbon and to decrease turbidity. The results showed that the tested membranes could be used for the treatment of wastewater from the textile mercerization process in terms of permeate quality. The cross‐flow ultrafiltration consumes far more energy than the dead‐end process.
Simulation of Volcanic Ash Ingestion Into a Large Aero Engine: Particle–Fan Interactions
Authors: Vogel Andreas , Durant Adam J. , Cassiani Massimo , Clarkson Rory J. , Slaby Michal , Diplas Spyros , Krüger Kirstin , Stohl Andreas
Published: September 2018

Volcanic ash (VA) clouds in flight corridors present a significant threat to aircraft operations as VA particles can cause damage to gas turbine engine components that lead to a reduction of engine performance and compromise flight safety. In the last decade, research has mainly focused on processes such as erosion of compressor blades and static components caused by impinging ash particles as well as clogging and/or corrosion effects of soft or molten ash particles on hot section turbine airfoils and components. However, there is a lack of information on how the fan separates ingested VA particles from the core stream flow into the bypass flow and therefore influences the mass concentration inside the engine core section, which is most vulnerable and critical for safety. In this numerical simulation study, we investigated the VA particle–fan interactions and resulting reductions in particle mass concentrations entering the engine core section as a function of particle size, fan rotation rate, and for two different flight altitudes. For this, we used a high-bypass gas-turbine engine design, with representative intake, fan, spinner, and splitter geometries for numerical computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations including a Lagrangian particle-tracking algorithm. Our results reveal that particle–fan interactions redirect particles from the core stream flow into the bypass stream tube, which leads to a significant particle mass concentration reduction inside the engine core section. The results also show that the particle–fan interactions increase with increasing fan rotation rates and VA particle size. Depending on ingested VA size distributions, the particle mass inside the engine core flow can be up to 30% reduced compared to the incoming particle mass flow. The presented results enable future calculations of effective core flow exposure or dosages based on simulated or observed atmospheric VA particle size distribution, which is required to quantify engine failure mechanisms after exposure to VA. As an example, we applied our methodology to a recent aircraft encounter during the Mt. Kelud 2014 eruption. Based on ambient VA concentrations simulated with an atmospheric particle dispersion model (FLEXPART), we calculated the effective particle mass concentration inside the core stream flow along the actual flight track and compared it with the whole engine exposure.
The
Effects of Combustor Cooling Features on Nozzle Guide Vane Film Cooling
Experiments
Authors: Holgate Nicholas
E. , Ireland Peter
T. , Romero Eduardo
Published: September 2018

Recent advances in experimental methods have allowed researchers to study nozzle guide vane (NGV) film cooling in the presence of combustor dilution ports and endwall films. The dilution injection creates nonuniformities in temperature, velocity, and turbulence, and an understanding of the vane film cooling performance is complicated by competing influences. In this study, dilution port temperature profiles have been measured in the absence of vane film cooling and compared to film effectiveness measurements in the presence of both films and dilution, illustrating the effects of the dilution port turbulence on film cooling performance. It is found that dilution port injection can create significant effectiveness benefits at the difficult-to-cool vane stagnation region due to the more turbulent hot mainstream enhancing the mixing of film coolant jets that have left the airfoil surface. Also explored are the implications of endwall film cooling for infrared (IR) vane surface temperature measurements. The reduced endwall temperatures reduce the thermal emissions from this surface, so reducing the amount of extraneous radiation reflected from the vane surface where measurements are being made. The results of a detailed calibration show that the maximum local film effectiveness measurement error could be up to 0.05 if this effect were to go unaccounted for.
Plane Deformations of an Inhomogeneity–Matrix System Incorporating a Compressible Liquid Inhomogeneity and Complete Gurtin–Murdoch Interface Model
Authors: Dai Ming , Li Min , Schiavone Peter
Published: September 2018

We consider the plane deformations of an infinite elastic solid containing an arbitrarily shaped compressible liquid inhomogeneity in the presence of uniform remote in-plane loading. The effects of residual interface tension and interface elasticity are incorporated into the model of deformation via the complete Gurtin–Murdoch (G–M) interface model. The corresponding boundary value problem is reformulated and analyzed in the complex plane. A concise analytical solution describing the entire stress field in the surrounding solid is found in the particular case involving a circular inhomogeneity. Numerical examples are presented to illustrate the analytic solution when the uniform remote loading takes the form of a uniaxial compression. It is shown that using the simplified G–M interface model instead of the complete version may lead to significant errors in predicting the external loading-induced stress concentration in gel-like soft solids containing submicro- (or smaller) liquid inhomogeneities.
Specific Adhesion of Finite Soft Elastic Solid
Authors: Zhang Zibin , Wang Jizeng
Published: September 2018

Specific adhesion of soft elastic half spaces via molecular bond clusters has been extensively studied in the past ten years. In this study, the adhesion of a soft elastic solid with finite size is considered aiming to investigate how their size and shape may affect the adhesion strength. To model this problem, plane strain assumption is adopted to describe the deformation of the elastic solid. This deformation couples the stochastic behavior of adhesive bonds, for which we have considered the mean field treatment based on the classical Bell theory. Numerical solutions have revealed that, besides the elastic modulus, size of the elastic solid and spatial arrangement of the bond clusters are all crucial factors in mediating the adhesion strength. Most interestingly, there clearly exists an optimal size/shape of the elastic solid that corresponds to the largest adhesion strength. These findings provide new insights and inspirations in understanding various phenomena of cellular adhesion and designing advanced functional biomaterials.
Component-Centric Reduced Order Modeling for the Prediction of the Nonlinear Geometric Response of a Part of a Stiffened Structure
Authors: Wang Yuting , Wang X. Q. , Mignolet Marc P.
Published: September 2018

Component-centric reduced order models (ROMs) have recently been developed in the context of linear structural dynamics. They lead to an accurate prediction of the response of a part of structure (referred to as the β component) while not requiring a similar accuracy in the rest of the structure (referred to as the α component). The advantage of these ROMs over standard modal models is a significantly reduced number of generalized coordinates for structures with groups of close natural frequencies. This reduction is a very desirable feature for nonlinear geometric ROMs, and thus, the focus of the present investigation is on the formulation and validation of component-centric ROMs in the nonlinear geometric setting. The reduction in the number of generalized coordinates is achieved by rotating close frequency modes to achieve unobservable modes in the β component. In the linear case, these modes then completely disappear from the formulation owing to their orthogonality with the rest of the basis. In the nonlinear case, however, the generalized coordinates of these modes are still present in the nonlinear stiffness terms of the observable modes. A closure-type algorithm is then proposed to finally eliminate the unobserved generalized coordinates. This approach, its accuracy and computational savings, is demonstrated first on a simple beam model and then more completely on the 9-bay panel model considered in the linear investigation.
Three-Dimensional Inner Surface Inspection System Based on Circle-Structured Light
Authors: Ye Zhu , Lianpo Wang , Yonggang Gu , Songlin Bi , Chao Zhai , Jiang Baoyang , Ni Jun
Published: September 2018

A three-dimensional (3D) inner surface inspection system is developed in this research based on circle-structured light, which is an improved laser triangulation method. A conical reflector is used to reflect the laser and generate radial laser plane that is called circle-structured light, and a CCD camera is used to capture the light stripe on the inner surface. Then, the 3D coordinates of points on the light stripe are calculated through laser triangulation algorithm. Compared with existing inner surface measurement systems, this research takes assembly errors and refraction distortion into consideration and proposes a laser plane mathematical model with four degrees-of-freedom along with corresponding flexible laser plane calibration technique based on binocular vision that is easy to operate. The proposed inspection system calibrated by proposed algorithm performs well in diameter measurement experiment, in which the absolute error is superior to 3 μm, and defect detecting experiment, in which the defect resolution is superior to 0.02 mm. Moreover, the system also performs well in straightness and roundness evaluation. Experiments indicate that this system is applicable in inner surface measurement and inspection, and the calibration method is accurate and easy to operate.
Model-Based Design of Energy Accumulators for Control of Subsea Wells
Authors: Cipollone Roberto , Fatigati Fabio , Di Battista Davide
Published: September 2018

Hydraulic accumulators are vessels charged with inert gas used to store pressurized fluid to actuate specific functions. In particular, they are widely used as controls for remote system such as in deep water drilling. In this application, they assume a fundamental importance because they are responsible of the actuation of the blowout preventer valves (BOP), which have to be intrinsically safe and reliable. A direct method (DM) for the design of the subsea rapid discharge accumulators is presented and compared with the API 16D Method C, which is the primary international standard concerning the accumulators sizing. The design must ensure that the entire functional volume required (FVRtot) by all the functions will be delivered at or above the minimum operating pressure (MOPi). The DM presented is based on a fully mathematical model of the charging and discharging phases, which evaluates the pressure inside the accumulators during all the actuations. The actuator design includes physical representation of the processes, the influence of the operating conditions, and the effect of thermal uncertainties. A specific “failure plane” has been demonstrated, in a sequence of three actuations, where failure at specific condition of subsea and surface temperatures may occur.
Size
Effect on Thermal Characteristic of Tubular Heat Exchanger at Miniscale and
Microscale
Authors: Tharkar Ankush
D. , Mahulikar Shripad
P.
Published: September 2018

The scope for the heat transfer enhancement in the tubular heat exchanger is high due to its unique property of having two separate convective heat transfer coefficients. The variation of diameter and annular space has a direct effect on the value of convective heat transfer coefficients due to their inverse relation. Thus, the strong emphasis must be given on the influence of diameter and annular space on the thermal characteristics of the tubular heat exchanger. In this numerical analysis, peculiarities in the improvement of the performance parameters are studied with the variation in the value of inlet velocities of the fluids (cold and hot), inner pipe diameter, and annular space for the combination of dimensional range such as miniscale and microscale range. The inner tube diameter is observed to be sensitive to the improvement in the performance parameter. The growth in the performance parameter of the tubular micro heat exchanger is found to be higher when both the values of diameter and annular space are in the microscale range.
Measurements Selection for Bias Reduction in Structural Damage Identification
Authors: Liu Yuhang , Zhou Shiyu , Chen Yong , Tang Jiong
Published: September 2018

Linearization of the eigenvalue problem has been widely used in vibration-based damage detection utilizing the change of natural frequencies. However, the linearization method introduces bias in the estimation of damage parameters. Moreover, the commonly employed regularization method may render the estimation different from the true underlying solution. These issues may cause wrong estimation in the damage severities and even wrong damage locations. Limited work has been done to address these issues. It is found that particular combinations of natural frequencies will result in less biased estimation using linearization approach. In this paper, we propose a measurement selection algorithm to select an optimal set of natural frequencies for vibration-based damage identification. The proposed algorithm adopts L1-norm regularization with iterative matrix randomization for estimation of damage parameters. The selection is based on the estimated bias using the least square method. Comprehensive case analyses are conducted to validate the effectiveness of the method.
Start-Up Optimization of Combined Cycle Power Plants: A Field Test in a Commercial Power Plant
Authors: Yoshida Yasuhiro , Yoshida Takuya , Enomoto Yuki , Osaki Nobuhiro , Nagahama Yoshito , Tsuge Yoshifumi
Published: September 2018

Requirements for the start-up operations of gas turbine combined cycle (GTCC) power plants have become more diverse and now include such items as reduced start-up time, life consumption, and fuel gas consumption. In this paper, an optimization method is developed to solve these multi-objective problems. The method obtains optimized start-up curves by iterating the search for the optimal combination of the start-up parameter values and the evaluation of multiple objective functions. The start-up curves generated by this method were found to converge near the Pareto-front representing the best trade-off between the fuel gas consumption of the gas turbine (GT) and thermal stress in the steam turbine (ST) rotor which are defined as the objective functions. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the developed method, field tests were performed in a commercial power plant. As a result, the fuel gas consumption of HOT start-up was reduced by 22.8% compared with the past operation data. From this result, the developed method was shown to be capable of optimizing the start-up process for GTCC power plants.
Macroscopic observations of diel fish movements around a shallow water artificial reef using a mid-frequency horizontal-looking sonar
Authors: Lee Wu-Jung , Tang Dajun , Stanton Timothy K. , Thorsos Eric I.
Published: September 2018

The twilight feeding migration of fish around a shallow water artificial reef (a shipwreck) was observed by a horizontal-looking, mid-frequency sonar. The sonar operated at frequencies between 1.8 and 3.6 kHz and consisted of a co-located source and horizontal line array deployed at 4 km from the reef. The experiment was conducted in a well-mixed shallow water waveguide which is conducive to characterizing fish aggregations at these distances. Large aggregations of fish were repeatedly seen to emerge rapidly from the shipwreck at dusk, disperse into the surrounding area during the night, and quickly converge back to the shipwreck at dawn. This is a rare, macroscopic observation of an ecologically-important reef fish behavior, delivered at the level of aggregations, instead of individual fish tracks that have been documented previously. The significance of this observation on sonar performance associated with target detection in the presence of fish clutter is discussed based on analyses of echo intensity and statistics. Building on previous studies of long-range fish echoes, this study further substantiates the unique utility of such sonar systems as an ecosystem monitoring tool, and illustrates the importance of considering the impact of the presence of fish on sonar applications.
Epigenetic Regulation Alters Biofilm Architecture and Composition in Multiple Clinical Isolates of Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae
Authors: Brockman Kenneth L. , Azzari Patrick N. , Branstool M. Taylor , Atack John M. , Schulz Benjamin L. , Jen Freda E.-C. , Jennings Michael P. , Bakaletz Lauren O.
Published: September 2018

Upper respiratory tract infections are the number one reason for a child to visit the emergency department, and otitis media (middle ear infection) ranks third overall. Biofilms contribute significantly to the chronic nature of bacterial respiratory tract infections, including otitis media, and make these diseases particularly difficult to treat. Several mucosa-associated human pathogens utilize a mechanism of rapid adaptation termed the phasevarion, or
phase
vari
able regul
on
, to resist environmental and host immune pressures. In this study, we assessed the role of the phasevarion in regulation of biofilm formation by nontypeable
Haemophilus influenzae
(NTHI), which causes numerous respiratory tract diseases. We found that the NTHI phasevarion regulates biofilm structure and critical biofilm matrix components under disease-specific conditions. The findings of this work could be significant in the design of improved strategies against NTHI infections, as well as diseases due to other pathogens that utilize a phasevarion.
Treatment of Human Glioblastoma with a Live Attenuated Zika Virus Vaccine Candidate
Authors: Chen Qi , Wu Jin , Ye Qing , Ma Feng , Zhu Qian , Wu Yan , Shan Chao , Xie Xuping , Li Dapei , Zhan Xiaoyan , Li Chunfeng , Li Xiao-Feng , Qin Xiaoling , Zhao Tongyan , Wu Haitao , Shi Pei-Yong , Man Jianghong , Qin Cheng-Feng
Published: September 2018

Glioblastoma (GBM), the deadliest type of brain tumor, is currently incurable because of its high recurrence rate after traditional treatments, including surgery to remove the main part of the tumor and radiation and chemotherapy to target residual tumor cells. These treatments fail mainly due to the presence of a cell subpopulation called glioma stem cells (GSCs), which are resistant to radiation and chemotherapy and capable of self-renewal and tumorigenicity. Because Zika virus (ZIKV) has an oncolytic tropism for infecting GSCs, we tested a live attenuated ZIKV vaccine candidate (ZIKV-LAV) for the treatment of human GBM in a human GSC-derived orthotopic model. Our results showed that ZIKV-LAV retained good efficacy against glioblastoma by selectively killing GSCs within the tumor. In addition, ZIKV-LAV exhibited an excellent safety profile upon intracerebral injection into the treated animals. The good balance between the safety of ZIKV-LAV and its efficacy against human GSCs suggests that it is a potential candidate for combination with the current treatment regimen for GBM therapy.
Prevalence and burden of hepatitis D virus infection in the global population: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Chen Hai-Yan , Shen Dan-Ting , Ji Dong-Ze , Han Pei-Chun , Zhang Wei-Ming , Ma Jian-Feng , Chen Wen-Sen , Goyal Hemant , Pan Shiyang , Xu Hua-Guo
Published: September 2018

Objective

Hepatitis D virus (HDV) is a defective virus that completes its life cycle only with hepatitis B virus (HBV). The HBV with HDV super-infection has been considered as one of the most severe forms of the chronic viral hepatitis. However, there is a scarcity of data on the global burden of HDV infection.

Design

We searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library and China Knowledge Resource Integrated databases from 1 January 1977 to 31 December 2016. We included studies with a minimum sample size of 50 patients. Our study analysed data from a total of 40 million individuals to estimate the prevalence of HDV by using Der-Simonian Laird random-effects model. The data were further categorised according to risk factors.

Results

From a total of 2717 initially identified studies, only 182 articles from 61 countries and regions met the final inclusion criteria. The overall prevalence of HDV was 0.98% (95% CI 0.61 to 1.42). In HBsAg-positive population, HDV pooled prevalence was 14.57% (95% CI 12.93 to 16.27): Seroprevalence was 10.58% (95% CI 9.14 to 12.11) in mixed population without risk factors of intravenous drug use (IVDU) and high-risk sexual behaviour (HRSB). It was 37.57% (95% CI 29.30 to 46.20) in the IVDU population and 17.01% (95% CI 10.69 to 24.34) in HRSB population.

Conclusion

We found that approximately 10.58% HBsAg carriers (without IVDU and HRSB) were coinfected with HDV, which is twofold of what has been estimated before. We also noted a substantially higher HDV prevalence in the IVDU and HRSB population. Our study highlights the need for increased focus on the routine HDV screening and rigorous implementation of HBV vaccine programme.
B-type natriuretic peptide, disease progression and clinical outcomes in atrial fibrillation
Authors: Inohara Taku , Kim Sunghee , Pieper Karen , Blanco Rosalia G , Allen Larry A , Fonarow Gregg C , Gersh Bernard J , Ezekowitz Michael D , Kowey Peter R , Reiffel James A , Naccarelli Gerald V , Chan Paul S , Mahaffey Kenneth W , Singer Daniel E , Freeman James V , Steinberg Benjamin A , Peterson Eric D , Piccini Jonathan P
Published: September 2018

Objective

The association with B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP), disease progression and outcomes in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) has not been thoroughly investigated.

Methods

We evaluated the association between BNP levels and outcomes, including AF progression, composite outcome of major adverse cardiovascular or neurological events (MACNE) and major bleeding, via pooled logistic regression and Cox frailty models in Outcomes Registry for Better Informed Treatment of Atrial Fibrillation II registry. AF progression was defined as either paroxysmal becoming persistent or permanent, or persistent becoming permanent at any follow-up.

Results

Among 13 375 patients with AF, 2797 with BNP values at baseline (median age (IQR), 72.0 (63.0–80.0) years; 43.0% women; median BNP, 238 (102–502) ng/L; 42.3% prior heart failure) were included in the models evaluating the association between BNP levels and MACNE or major bleeding. Of these, 1282 patients with paroxysmal or persistent AF at baseline were analysed in AF progression model. The likelihood of AF progression (adjusted OR, 1.11 for every 100 ng/mL; 95% CI 1.03 to 1.19) and MACNE (adjusted HR, 1.11 for every doubling in BNP values; 95% CI 1.01 to 1.22) increased with BNP concentration, while the elevated BNP values were not associated with increased risks of major bleeding. BNP values improved the risk prediction of AF progression and MACNE when added to conventional risk estimates.

Conclusions

BNP levels are associated with increased risk of AF progression and cardiovascular outcomes in patients with AF. Further studies are required to assess whether biomarker-based risk stratification improves patient outcomes.

Clinical trial registration

NCT01701817.
Laboratory assessment of folate (vitamin B9) status
Authors: Sobczyńska-Malefora Agata , Harrington Dominic J
Published: September 2018

Folate (vitamin B9) plays a crucial role in fundamental cellular processes, including nucleic acid biosynthesis, methyl group biogenesis and amino acid metabolism. The detection and correction of folate deficiency prevents megaloblastic anaemia and reduces the risk of neural tube defects. Coexisting deficiencies of folate and vitamin B12are associated with cognitive decline, depression and neuropathy. Folate deficiency and excess has also been implicated in some cancers. Excessive exposure to folic acid, a synthetic compound used in supplements and fortified foods, has also been linked to adverse health effects. Of at least three distinct laboratory markers of folate status, it is the total abundance of folate in serum/plasma that is used by the majority of laboratories. The analysis of folate in red cells is also commonly performed. Since the folate content of red cells is fixed during erythropoiesis, this marker is indicative of folate status over the preceding ~4 months. Poor stability, variation in polyglutamate chain length and unreliable extraction from red cells are factors that make the analysis of folate challenging. The clinical use of measuring specific folate species has also been explored. 5-Methyltetrahydrofolate, the main form of folate found in blood, is essential for the vitamin B12-dependent methionine synthase mediated remethylation of homocysteine to methionine. As such, homocysteine measurement reflects cellular folate and vitamin B12use. When interpreting homocysteine results, age, sex and pregnancy, specific reference ranges should be applied. The evaluation of folate status using combined markers of abundance and cellular use has been adopted by some laboratories. In the presence of discordance between laboratory results and strong clinical features of deficiency, treatment should not be delayed. High folate status should be followed up with the assessment of vitamin B12status, a review of previous results and reassessment of folic acid supplementation regime.
Core needle biopsy as an alternative to whole section in IHC4 score assessment for breast cancer prognostication
Authors: Liu Ming , Tang Shao-Xian , Tsang Julia Y S , Shi Yu-Jie , Ni Yun-Bi , Law Bonita K B , Tse Gary M K
Published: September 2018

Aims

IHC4 score, based on expression of four routine markers (oestrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) and proliferation marker, Ki67), is a recently developed, cost-effective prognostic tool in breast cancer. Possibly, the score may be useful also in advanced diseases where only core needle biopsy (CNB) is available and neoadjuvant therapy. However, its studies on CNB are scant. This study examined whether IHC4 score assessment on CNB is comparable to that from whole section (WS).

Methods

Immunohistochemical (IHC) analysis was performed for ER, PR, HER2 and Ki67 on 108 paired CNB and WS to evaluate IHC4 score (with follow-up range 1–230 months and 5 relapse/death). Concordance between the two was examined. Factors that affected the concordance were analysed. Additionally, IHC4 score was compared with Nottingham Prognostic Index (NPI).

Results

There was moderate concordance between IHC4 score on CNB and WS (all cases: κ=0.699, p<0.001; ER+ cases: κ=0.595, p<0.001). Among the IHC4 components, concordance for HER2 was the poorest (κ=0.178, p<0.001 in all cases; ER+ cases: κ=0.082, p<0.097). Significant factors affecting concordance between CNB and WS included number of cores, total core length and percentage of tumour cells in cores (p≤0.030), indicating the importance of sufficient sampling. Interestingly, the concordance was also affected by patients’ age (p=0.039). There was poor agreement between IHC4 score and NPI (κ≤0.160).

Conclusion

Our results suggested that IHC4 score can be used on adequately sampled CNB. Its poor agreement with NPI highlights the independence of the two factors.
Graphic illustration of impairment: science fiction,Transmetropolitanand the social model of disability
Authors: Gibson Richard
Published: September 2018

The following paper examines the cyberpunk transhumanist graphic novelTransmetropolitanthrough the theoretical lens of disability studies to demonstrate how science fiction, and in particular this series, illustrate and can influence how we think about disability, impairment and difference. WhileTransmetropolitanis most often read as a scathing political and social satire about abuse of power and the danger of political apathy, the comic series also provides readers with representations of impairment and the source of disability as understood by the Social Model of Disability (SMD). Focusing on the setting and fictional world in whichTransmetropolitantakes place, as well as key events and illustration styling, this paper demonstrates that the narrative in this work encompasses many of the same theoretical underpinnings and criticisms of society’s ignorance of the cause of disability as the SMD does. This paper aims, by demonstrating howTransmetropolitancan be read as an allegory for the disabling potential of society as experienced by individuals with impairments, to prompt readers into thinking more creatively about how narratives, seemingly unconcerned with disability, are informed and can be understood via disability theory.
Critical black holes in a large charge limit
Authors: Johnson Clifford V.
Published: September 2018

The extended thermodynamics of Reissner–Nordström charged black holes in D-dimensional anti-de Sitter spacetime has a phase structure in the (T, p) plane that includes a line of first-order phase transitions ending in a second-order transition point. For each D[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]4, properties of the critical black hole at that point are explored, motivated by the observation that in D[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]4 its neighborhood plays a core role in defining a very special class of heat engines that asymptote to Carnot efficiency in the large charge limit. This new limit provides a model of a novel low-temperature thermodynamic system. The double limit of approaching the horizon while sending the charge large at an appropriate rate yields a fully decoupled D-dimensional Rindler spacetime with zero cosmological constant.
Massive gravity with Lorentz symmetry breaking: Black holes as heat engines
Authors: Fernando Sharmanthie
Published: September 2018

In extended phase space, a static black hole in massive gravity is studied as a holographic heat engine. In the massive gravity theory considered, the graviton gains a mass due to Lorentz symmetry breaking. Exact efficiency formula is obtained for a rectangle engine cycle for the black hole considered. The efficiency is computed by varying two parameters in the theory, the scalar charge Q and [Formula: see text]. The efficiency is compared with the Carnot efficiency for the heat engine. It is observed that when Q and [Formula: see text] are increased that the efficiency for the rectangle cycle increases. When compared to the Schwarzschild–AdS black hole, the efficiency for the rectangle cycle is larger for the massive gravity black hole.
Mixed sectional-Ricci curvature obstructions on tori
Authors: Kloeckner Benoît , Sabourau Stéphane
Published: September 2018

We establish new obstruction results to the existence of Riemannian metrics on tori satisfying mixed bounds on both their sectional and Ricci curvatures. More precisely, from Lohkamp’s theorem, every torus of dimension at least three admits Riemannian metrics with negative Ricci curvature. We show that the sectional curvature of these metrics cannot be bounded from above by an arbitrarily small positive constant. In particular, if the Ricci curvature of a Riemannian torus is negative, bounded away from zero, then there exist some planar directions in this torus where the sectional curvature is positive, bounded away from zero. All constants are explicit and depend only on the dimension of the torus.
Spatio-temporal plastic instabilities at the nano/micro scale
Authors: Cui Yinan , Ghoniem Nasr
Published: September 2018

Recent experimental observations revealed the inherent nature of strong intermittent and heterogeneous plastic deformation at the nano- to micrometer scale. We present here a review of quantitative measures of temporal and spatial material instabilities associated with small-scale plastic flow. Spatial correlation characterization methods are developed and used to obtain information on the width of shear bands resulting from spatial instabilities. The effects of atomic-scale barriers to dislocation motion and the influence of sample size on temporal and spatial plastic instabilities are discussed. A simplified branching model of dislocation source activation is extended to predict dislocation barrier effects on strain burst statistics, and the transition from power law scaling to an exponential-like distribution. The connection between temporal and spatial plastic instabilities is discussed, and the efforts of considering these effects in crystal plasticity theory are also highlighted.