bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
MiR-16-1*and miR-16-2*possess strong tumor suppressive and anti-metastatic properties in osteosarcoma
Authors: Maximov Vadim V. , Khawaled Saleh , Salah Zaidoun , Jaber Lina , Bengaiev Nataly , Barhoum Ahlam , Galasso Marco , Yavin Eylon , Aqeilan Rami I.
Published: September 2018

Osteosarcoma (OS) is an aggressive malignancy affecting mostly children and adolescents. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play important roles in OS development and progression. Here we found that miR-16-1* and miR-16-2* “passenger” strands as well as the “lead” miR-16 strand possess strong tumor suppressive functions in human OS. We report different although strongly overlapping functions for miR-16-1* and miR-16-2* in OS cells. Ectopic expression of these miRNAs affected primary tumor growth, metastasis seeding, and chemoresistance and invasiveness of human OS cells. Loss-of-function experiments verified tumor suppressive functions of these miRNAs at endogenous levels of expression. Using RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assays, we identify direct targets of miR-16-1* and miR-16-2* in OS cells. Furthermore, validation experiments identifiedFGFR2as a direct target for miR-16-1* and miR-16-2*. Overall, our findings underscore the importance of passenger strand miRNAs in osteosarcomagenesis.

Novelty and Impact

Osteosarcoma (OS) can be a fatal disease. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play crucial roles in osteosarcomagenesis. In this study, we identify miR-16-1* and miR-16-2* as strong tumor suppressors and anti-metastatic genes in OS. This is the first report demonstrating tumor suppressive functions of passenger strands of these miRNAs in OS. Given thatMIR-16-1is located in 13q14 region that is commonly deleted in several human malignancies, our findings shed light on oncogenic mechanisms triggered by 13q14 deletion.
Regulation of Cell-Type-Specific Transcriptomes by miRNA Networks During Human Brain Development
Authors: Nowakowski Tomasz J , Rani Neha , Golkaram Mahdi , Zhou Hongjun R , Alvarado Beatriz , Huch Kylie , West Jay A , Leyrat Anne , Pollen Alex A , Kriegstein Arnold R , Petzold Linda R , Kosik Kenneth S.
Published: September 2018

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) regulate many cellular events by regulating hundreds of mRNA transcripts. However, it is unclear how miRNA-mRNA interactions are contextualized into the framework of transcriptional heterogeneity among closely related cells of the developing human brain. By combining the multiple complementary approaches, AGO2-HITS-CLIP, single-cell profiling and bipartite network analysis, we show that the miRNA-mRNA network operates as functional modules related to cell-type identities and undergo dynamic transitions during brain development.
Residual avoidance: a new consistent and repeatable readout of chronic stress-induced conflict anxiety reversible by antidepressant treatment
Authors: Prevot Thomas D. , Misquitta Keith A. , Fee Corey , Newton Dwight F. , Chatterjee Dipashree , Nikolova Yuliya S. , Sibille Etienne , Banasr Mounira
Published: September 2018

Stress-related illnesses such as major depressive and anxiety disorders are characterized by maladaptive responses to stressful life events. Chronic stress-based animal models have provided critical insight into the understanding of these responses. Currently available assays measuring chronic stress-induced behavioral states in mice are limited in their design (short, not repeatable, sensitive to experimenter-bias) and often inconsistent. Using the Noldus PhenoTyper apparatus, we identified a new readout that repeatedly assesses behavioral changes induced by chronic stress in two mouse models i.e. chronic restraint stress (CRS) and chronic unpredictable mild stress (UCMS). The PhenoTyper test consists of overnight monitoring of animals’ behavior in home-cage setting before, during and after a 1hr light challenge applied over a designated food zone. We tested the reproducibility and reliability of the PhenoTyper test in assessing the effects of chronic stress exposure, and compared outcomes with commonly-used tests. While chronic stress induced heterogeneous profiles in classical tests, CRS- and UCMS-exposed mice showed a very consistent response in the PhenoTyper test. Indeed, CRS and UCMS mice continue avoiding the lit zone in favor of the shelter zone. This “residual avoidance” after the light challenge, lasted for hours beyond termination of the challenge, was not observed after acute stress and was consistently found throughout stress exposure in both models. Chronic stress-induced residual avoidance was alleviated by chronic imipramine treatment but not acute diazepam administration. This behavioral index should be instrumental for studies aiming to better understand the trajectory of chronic stress-induced deficits and potentially screen novel anxiolytics and antidepressants.
BNMCMC: a software for inferring and visualizing Bayesian networks using MCMC methods
Authors: Azad A. K. M. , Alyami Salem A. , Keith Jonathan M.
Published: September 2018

Motivation

Bayesian networks (BNs) are widely used to model biological networks from experimental data. Many software packages exist to infer BN structures, but the chance of getting trapped in local optima is a common challenge. Some recently developed Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) samplers called the Neighborhood sampler (NS) and Hit-and-Run (HAR) sampler, have shown great potential to substantially avoid this problem compared to the standard Metropolis-Hastings (MH) sampler.

Results

We have developed a software called BNMCMC for inferring and visualizing BNs from given datasets. This software runs NS, HAR and MH samplers using a discrete Bayesian model. The main advantage of BNMCMC is that it exploits adaptive techniques to efficiently explore BN space and evaluate the posterior probability of candidate BNs to facilitate large-scale network inference.

Availability

BNMCMC is implemented with C#.NET, ASP.NET, Jquery, Javascript and D3.js. The standalone version (BN visualization missing) available for downloading at https://sourceforge.net/projects/bnmcmc/, where the user-guide and an example file are provided for a simulation. A dedicated BNMCMC web server will be launched soon feature a physics-based BN visualization technique.

Contact

akm.azad@unsw.edu.au
Miro-dependent mitochondrial pool of CENP-F and its farnesylated C-terminal domain are dispensable for normal development in mice
Authors: Peterka Martin , Kornmann Benoît
Published: September 2018

CENP-F is a large, microtubule-binding protein that regulates multiple cellular processes including chromosome segregation and mitochondrial trafficking at cytokinesis. This multiplicity of function is mediated through the binding of various partners, like Bub1 at the kinetochore and Miro at mito-chondria. Due to the multifunctionality of CENP-F, the cellular phenotypes observed upon its depletion are difficult to interpret and there is a need to genetically separate its different functions by preventing binding to selected partners. Here we engineer a CENP-F point-mutant that is deficient in Miro binding and thus is unable to localize to mitochondria, but retains other localizations. We introduced this mutation in cultured human cells using CRISPR/Cas9 and show it causes a defect in mitochondrial spreading similar to that observed upon Miro depletion. We further create a mouse model carrying this CENP-F variant, as well as truncated CENP-F mutants lacking the farnesylated C-terminus of the protein. Importantly, one of these truncations leads to ∼80% downregulation of CENP-F expression. We observe that, despite the phenotypes apparent in cultured cells, mutant mice develop normally. Taken together, these mice will serve as important models to study CENP-F biology at organismal level. In addition, because truncations of CENP-F in humans cause a lethal disease termed Strømme syndrome and because CENP-F is involved in cancer development, they might also be relevant disease models.
Establishment and Characterization of a Multi-Purpose Large Animal Exposure Chamber for Investigating Health Effects
Authors: Peng Xinze , Maltz Mia R. , Botthoff Jon K. , Aronson Emma L. , Nordgren Tara M. , Lo David D. , Cocker David R.
Published: September 2018

Air pollution poses a significant threat to the environment and human health. Most in-vivo health studies conducted regarding air pollutants, including particulate matter (PM) and gas phase pollutants, have been either through traditional medical intranasal treatment or using a tiny chamber, which limit animal activities. In this study, we designed and tested a large, whole-body, multiple animal exposure chamber with uniform dispersion and exposure stability for animal studies. The chamber simultaneously controls particle size distribution and PM mass concentration. Two different methods were used to generate aerosol suspension through either soluble material (Alternaria extract), liquid particle suspension (Nanosilica solution) or dry powder (silica powder). We demonstrate that the chamber system provides well controlled and characterized whole animal exposures, where dosage is by inhalation of particulate matter.
Framework for successful supply chain implementation in healthcare area from provider’s prospective
Authors: Kwon Ik-Whan , Kim Sung-Ho
Published: September 2018

Purpose

This paper aims to explore avenue where suppliers and manufacturers are aligned with health-care providers to improve supply chain visibility. Supply chain finance is explored to link suppliers/manufacturers with health-care providers.

Design/methodology/approach

Existing literature on supply chain visibility in health care forms a basis to achieve the study purpose. Alignment calls also for financial health where supply chain partners’ working capital is readily available to execute joint supply chain plan.

Findings

There is a disjoint in supply chain alliance between suppliers/manufacturers and providers where providers are unable to trace the origin of supplies. Quality care suffers and cost of care rises as providers search for supplies on an emergency basis. This paper provides a framework where solution can be formulated.

Research limitations/implications

Suppliers/manufactures form a direct strategic alliance with providers where product visibility enables health-care providers with a better patient management with lower cost of supplies. Inventory management and logistics cost will be lowered as better planning/forecasting is in place. This paper does not call for testing any hypothesis. Perhaps, next move along this line will be to investigate financial health of supply chain partners based on supplier relationship management practices.

Originality/value

This paper proposes health-care supply chain as an alternative solution to achieve the following twin purposes: controlling the cost while improving quality of care through supply chain finance. As far as we know, this study is the first attempt to achieve the goals.
Numerical analysis on thermal performance of cooling plates with wavy channels in PEM fuel cells
Authors: Li Shian , Ake Sunden Bengt
Published: September 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the thermal performance of the cooling plates with conventional straight channel and wavy channel designs.

Design/methodology/approach

A three-dimensional model involving coupled fluid flow and heat transfer processes is developed to study the thermal performance of the cooling plates. The effects of wavelength and amplitude on the cooling performance are also studied. In addition, two novel wavy channels with varying wavelength are proposed and investigated.

Findings

The simulated results are compared in terms of pressure drop, average temperature, maximum surface temperature, temperature difference between the maximum temperature and minimum temperature and surface temperature uniformity index. It is concluded that the cooling performance is significantly improved by the wavy channel.

Practical implications

The current study can improve the understanding of transport characterization of the cooling plates with wavy channel design and provide guidelines for the design of cooling plates.

Originality/value

The design of cooling plates with wavy channels can be used in proton exchange membrane fuel cells to improve the cooling performance.
Do as you say
Authors: Biron Caroline , Parent-Lamarche Annick , Ivers Hans , Baril-Gingras Genevieve
Published: September 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to uncover the effect of psychosocial safety climate (PSC – a climate for psychological health) on managerial quality and the mediating processes explaining that association. It is posited that the alignment between what is said (espoused PSC) and what is done (enacted PSC via managerial quality) is important for successful organizational interventions. Managers’ own psychosocial work factors act as resources to facilitate the enactment of managerial quality.

Design/methodology/approach

Two waves of survey were administered over a three-month period (n at Time 1=144, n at Time 2=166, overall n=115) in a study of four organizations involved in implementing the Quebec Healthy Enterprise Standard (QHES). A cross-lagged panel analysis was used to determine the temporal direction of the PSC–managerial quality relationship. A longitudinal mediation model of PSC as a determinant of managerial quality was tested using job demands, job control, social support and quality of relationships with subordinates as mediators.

Findings

The cross-lagged panel analysis showed that PSC is temporally prior to managerial quality in that the relationship between PSC at T1 and managerial quality at T2 was stronger than the relationship between managerial quality at T1 and PSC at T2. A two-wave mediation analysis showed that PSC was positively associated with managerial quality, and that job control partially mediated this relationship. Contrary to expectations, managers’ workload, their social support and the quality of their relationships with subordinates did not mediate the PSC–managerial quality relationship.

Research limitations/implications

Despite the small sample size and short timeframe of this study, it contributes to knowledge on the resources facilitating managerial quality, which is important for employees’ psychological health. Little is known regarding the mediating processes that explain how managers’ own context and psychosocial work factors affect their management practices during organizational health interventions.

Practical implications

From a practical view point, this study contributes to the literature showing that managers need to be supported during the implementation of health interventions, and need the leeway to pursue the organization’s prevention objectives.

Originality/value

Whereas previous studies have focused on describing the impact of leadership behaviors on employee health outcomes, the study offers insights into the resources that help managers translate PSC into action in the implementation of a national standard, the QHES.
Barriers to smart services for manufacturing companies – an exploratory study in the capital goods industry
Authors: Klein Maximilian Michael , Biehl Sebastian Simon , Friedli Thomas
Published: September 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify and investigate non-technical barriers for smart services in the capital goods industry.

Design/methodology/approach

A multiple methodology approach is adopted. First, qualitative workshops and interviews were conducted with 14 experts from five companies. The findings generated subsequently provided a basis for a large-scale quantitative survey of manufacturing company service representatives in the capital goods industry, the data from which were analyzed using explorative factor analysis.

Findings

In total, 25 items that represent barriers to smart service businesses were identified, using qualitative research. Large-scale quantitative research revealed 24 items structured into four factors. Additionally, the respondents’ assessment of the individual barriers’ impact on their smart service businesses is presented.

Research limitations/implications

The study focuses on manufacturing companies in the capital goods industry, mainly, in the European countries. Caution should be exercised in seeking to generalize the results to other industries. The findings should be confirmed with subsequent confirmatory analyses using additional data.

Practical implications

The authors’ findings provide a comprehensive list and classification of barriers, as well as an assessment of their severity, serving as a practical guideline for managers.

Originality/value

This paper explores the barriers to smart services from a provider’s perspective. Its holistic approach and use of large-scale quantitative data qualify it as one of the first studies of this kind.
Determinants of low adoption of Islamic banking in Pakistan
Authors: Butt Irfan , Ahmad Nisar , Naveed Amjad , Ahmed Zeeshan
Published: September 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the reasons behind low penetration of Islamic banking in Pakistan. Specifically, the study investigates the differentiation of Islamic banks (IBs) from conventional banks, the role of religion in choosing Islamic banking and the perception of IBs amongst the consumers.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses a mixed-method approach, qualitative research along with a survey of users of conventional and Islamic banking. Factor analysis identified underlying dimensions and cluster analysis ascertained the differences between users and non-users of Islamic banking. Inferential statistics were used to test purported hypotheses.

Findings

The study finds that the users and non-users both perceive that Islamic banking is not completely interest-free. Furthermore, consumers presume that IBs are more of eyewash and are not truly practicing Islamic banking. Moreover, religion is not a major factor that attracts new users but there are also other important factors in marketing Islamic banking, such as service quality, convenience, branch network, etc.

Originality/value

This is one of the sparse studies in the field of Islamic banking consumer behaviour, which uses focus groups of users and non-users, and in-depth interviews of experts, to identify the issues and factors considered relevant and important by the users rather than relying only on literature review. Furthermore, it also provides a profile of users versus non-users of Islamic banking which is very useful for segmentation and targeting of customers.
Teaching in the moment: educational experience in the age of tomorrow
Authors: McConnell Moroye Christy , Uhrmacher P. Bruce
Published: September 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine, from a curricular perspective, fresh ideas emanating from the USA that have potential to improve educational settings across the globe. As such, this conceptual undertaking begins by arguing that little attention is being paid to the quality of present experiences in schools and classrooms. Stated differently, there is too much focus on tests, standards, workforce development and college readiness. Subsequently, educators are ignoring present experiences, which in the authors’ view may lead to mis-education rather than education.

Design/methodology/approach

To assist the authors in understanding this problem, as well as remedying it, they examine John Dewey’s ideas about experience generally and his notions of continuity and interaction in particular. From there, the authors argue that to delve deeply into present experiences, educators might use ideas found in aesthetic and ecological education. They elaborate upon each based on their prior research into a style of aesthetic education called CRISPA, an acronym that stands for connections, risk-taking, sensory experiences, perceptivity and active engagement, and a mode of ecological education called ecological mindedness.

Findings

The authors suggest that educators use CRISPA. Further, they argue that attention be paid to ecological care, interconnectedness and integrity.

Originality/value

The authors believe that workforce development and college readiness are important goals, but to achieve these goals, as well as any others deemed important by educators in their local contexts, we must focus on the quality of present experiences for both teachers and students. Only then will we have an education worthy of the appellation.
Termination of pregnancy or abortion?
Authors: Chien Patrick
Published: September 2018

Deputy Editor‐in‐Chief, Dr Patrick Chien, discusses his top articles from this issue in an audio podcast available at: https://soundcloud.com/bjog/october-editors-choice-2018
The Role of Revenue Volatility in Local Expenditure Volatility: A Comparison of Tokyo Metropolitan Local Governments
Authors: Tran Thien Vu , Drew Joseph , Noguchi Masayoshi
Published: September 2018

Local expenditure volatility can have significant implications for the health of local economies. It is therefore essential to understand how fluctuations in the various components of municipal revenue translate into expenditure volatility. We examine the association between revenue and expenditure volatility for Tokyo Metropolitan Governments – which are comprised of both Special Wards and Tama Cities – through recourse to a six‐year panel of fiscal data (2010–2015 inclusive). We find evidence of statistically significant positive associations between the volatility of most local taxes and expenditure volatility, but negative associations between the volatility of grants and expenditure volatility. This suggests that grants play an important role in smoothing out local expenditures in Tokyo and that the prescription for greater reliance on local taxation, found in much of the literature, may not be appropriate for Japanese local governments.
Using plant, microbe, and soil fauna traits to improve the predictive power of biogeochemical models
Authors: Fry Ellen L. , De Long Jonathan R. , Álvarez Garrido Lucía , Alvarez Nil , Carrillo Yolima , Castañeda‐Gómez Laura , Chomel Mathilde , Dondini Marta , Drake John E. , Hasegawa Shun , Hortal Sara , Jackson Benjamin G. , Jiang Mingkai , Lavallee Jocelyn M. , Medlyn Belinda E. , Rhymes Jennifer , Singh Brajesh K. , Smith Pete , Anderson Ian C. , Bardgett Richard D. , Baggs Elizabeth M. , Johnson David
Published: September 2018

Process‐based models describing biogeochemical cycling are crucial tools to understanding long‐term nutrient dynamics, especially in the context of perturbations, such as climate and land‐use change. Such models must effectively synthesize ecological processes and properties. For example, in terrestrial ecosystems, plants are the primary source of bioavailable carbon, but turnover rates of essential nutrients are contingent on interactions between plants and soil biota. Yet, biogeochemical models have traditionally considered plant and soil communities in broad terms. The next generation of models must consider how shifts in their diversity and composition affect ecosystem processes.

One promising approach to synthesize plant and soil biodiversity and their interactions into models is to consider their diversity from a functional trait perspective. Plant traits, which include heritable chemical, physical, morphological and phenological characteristics, are increasingly being used to predict ecosystem processes at a range of scales, and to interpret biodiversity–ecosystem functional relationships. There is also emerging evidence that the traits of soil microbial and faunal communities can be correlated with ecosystem functions such as decomposition, nutrient cycling, and greenhouse gas production.

Here, we draw on recent advances in measuring and using traits of different biota to predict ecosystem processes, and provide a new perspective as to how biotic traits can be integrated into biogeochemical models. We first describe an explicit trait‐based model framework that operates at small scales and uses direct measurements of ecosystem properties; second, an integrated approach that operates at medium scales and includes interactions between biogeochemical cycling and soil food webs; and third, an implicit trait‐based model framework that associates soil microbial and faunal functional groups with plant functional groups, and operates at the Earth‐system level. In each of these models, we identify opportunities for inclusion of traits from all three groups to reduce model uncertainty and improve understanding of biogeochemical cycles.

These model frameworks will generate improved predictive capacity of how changes in biodiversity regulate biogeochemical cycles in terrestrial ecosystems. Further, they will assist in developing a new generation of process‐based models that include plant, microbial, and faunal traits and facilitate dialogue between empirical researchers and modellers.
Microclima: An r package for modelling meso‐ and microclimate
Authors: Maclean Ilya M. D. , Mosedale Jonathan R. , Bennie Jonathan J.
Published: September 2018

Climate is of fundamental importance to the ecology and evolution of all organisms. However, studies of climate–organism interactions usually rely on climate variables interpolated from widely spaced measurements or modelled at coarse resolution, whereas the conditions experienced by many organisms vary over scales from millimetres to metres.

To help bridge this mismatch in scale, we present models of the mechanistic processes that govern fine‐scale variation in near‐ground air temperature. The models are flexible (enabling application to a wide variety of locations and contexts), can be run using freely available data and are provided as an R package.

We apply a mesoclimate model to the Lizard Peninsula in Cornwall to provide hourly estimates of air temperature at resolution of 100 m for the period Jan‐Dec 2010. A microclimate model is then applied to a 1 km2 region of the Lizard Peninsula, Caerthillean Valley (49.969°N, 5.215°W), to provide hourly estimates of near‐ground air temperature at resolution of 1 m2 during May 2010.

Our models reveal substantial spatial variation in near‐ground temperatures, driven principally by variation in topography and, at the microscale, by vegetation structure. At the meso‐scale, hours of exposure to air temperatures at 1 m height in excess of 25°C ranged from 23 to 158 hr, despite this temperature never being recorded by the weather station within the study area during the study period. At the micro‐scale, steep south‐facing slopes with minimal vegetation cover experienced temperatures in excess of 40°C.

The microclima package is flexible and efficient and provides an accurate means of modelling fine‐scale variation in temperature. We also provide functions that facilitate users to obtain and process a variety of freely available datasets needed to drive the model.
A theory of youth mental health recovery from a parental perspective
Authors: Kelly Mary , Coughlan Barry
Published: September 2018

Background

Mental health disorders have a negative impact on the individual, society and global economy. The prevalence of mental disorders is increasing in young people, if unaddressed, they may develop into severe and chronic illnesses. Despite this, research into youth mental health recovery is limited. The current study aims to develop a theoretical framework of recovery in youth mental health and identify what facilitates this process.

Methods

Fourteen parents of children engaged with the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service were interviewed in relation to their understanding of youth mental health recovery. The transcripts of these interviews were analysed using the constructivist grounded theory approach.

Results

A theoretical model of youth mental health was developed. The model provides an understanding of (a) the characteristics of youth mental health recovery, (b) the facilitators of recovery and (c) the barriers to recovery. The theory suggests that due to developmental factors youth mental health recovery occurs within the ecological context of complex social systems.

Conclusions

The theory reflects elements of existing developmental and recovery research and provides a novel understanding of youth mental health recovery. This model may inform social, government and service attitudes and policy, and highlights areas for future research.
An Efficient Solver for Two‐way Coupling Rigid Bodies with Incompressible Flow
Authors: Aanjaneya Mridul
Published: September 2018

We present an efficient solver for monolithic two‐way coupled simulation of rigid bodies with incompressible fluids that is robust to poor conditioning of the coupled system in the presence of large density ratios between the solid and the fluid. Our method leverages ideas from the theory of Domain Decomposition, and uses a hybrid combination of direct and iterative solvers that exploits the low‐dimensional nature of the solid equations. We observe that a single Multigrid V‐cycle for the fluid equations serves as a very effective preconditioner for solving the Schur‐complement system using Conjugate Gradients, which is the main computational bottleneck in our pipeline. We use spectral analysis to give some theoretical insights behind this observation. Our method is simple to implement, is entirely assembly‐free besides the solid equations, allows for the use of large time steps because of the monolithic formulation, and remains stable even when the iterative solver is terminated early. We demonstrate the efficacy of our method on several challenging examples of two‐way coupled simulation of smoke and water with rigid bodies. To illustrate that our method is applicable to other problems, we also show an example of underwater bubble simulation.
HairControl: A Tracking Solution for Directable Hair Simulation
Authors: Milliez A. , Sumner R.W. , Gross M. , Thomaszewski B.
Published: September 2018

We present a method for adding artistic control to physics‐based hair simulation. Taking as input an animation of a coarse set of guide hairs, we constrain a subsequent higher‐resolution simulation of detail hairs to follow the input motion in a spatially‐averaged sense. The resulting high‐resolution motion adheres to the artistic intent, but is enhanced with detailed deformations and dynamics generated by physics‐based simulation. The technical core of our approach is formed by a set of tracking constraints, requiring the center of mass of a given subset of detail hair to maintain its position relative to a reference point on the corresponding guide hair. As a crucial element of our formulation, we introduce the concept of dynamically‐changing constraint targets that allow reference points to slide along the guide hairs to provide sufficient flexibility for natural deformations. We furthermore propose to regularize the null space of the tracking constraints based on variance minimization, effectively controlling the amount of spread in the hair. We demonstrate the ability of our tracking solver to generate directable yet natural hair motion on a set of targeted experiments and show its application to production‐level animations.
Cosserat Rods with Projective Dynamics
Authors: Soler Carlota , Martin Tobias , Sorkine‐Hornung Olga
Published: September 2018

We present a novel method to simulate Cosserat rods with Projective Dynamics (PD). The proposed method is both numerically robust and accurate with respect to the underlying physics, making it suitable for a variety of applications in computer graphics and related disciplines. Cosserat theory assigns an orientation frame to each point and is thus able to realistically simulate stretching and shearing effects, in addition to bending and twisting. Within the PD framework, it is possible to obtain accurate simulations given the implicit integration over time and its decoupling of the local‐global solve. In the proposed method, we start from the continuous formulation of the Cosserat theory and derive the constraints for the PD solver. We extend the standard definition of PD and add body orientations as system variables. Thus, we include the preservation of angular momentum, so that twisting and bending can be accurately simulated. Our formulation allows the simulation of different bending behaviors with respect to a user‐defined Young's modulus, the radius of the rod's cross‐section, and material density. We show how different material specifications in our simulations converge within a few iterations to a reference solution, generated with a high‐precision finite element method. Furthermore, we demonstrate mesh independence of our formulation: Refining the simulation mesh still results in the same characteristic motion, which is in contrast to previous position based methods.
A Temporally Adaptive Material Point Method with Regional Time Stepping
Authors: Fang Yu , Hu Yuanming , Hu Shi‐Min , Jiang Chenfanfu
Published: September 2018

Spatially and temporally adaptive algorithms can substantially improve the computational efficiency of many numerical schemes in computational mechanics and physics‐based animation. Recently, a crucial need for temporal adaptivity in the Material Point Method (MPM) is emerging due to the potentially substantial variation of material stiffness and velocities in multi‐material scenes. In this work, we propose a novel temporally adaptive symplectic Euler scheme for MPM with regional time stepping (RTS), where different time steps are used in different regions. We design a time stepping scheduler operating at the granularity of small blocks to maintain a natural consistency with the hybrid particle/grid nature of MPM. Our method utilizes the Sparse Paged Grid (SPGrid) data structure and simultaneously offers high efficiency and notable ease of implementation with a practical multi‐threaded particle‐grid transfer strategy. We demonstrate the efficacy of our asynchronous MPM method on various examples including elastic objects, granular media, and fluids.
880. EUPHORBIA TUCKEYANA
Authors: Molero Julià , Romeiras Maria M. , Duarte Maria Cristina , Santos‐Guerra Arnoldo , Jestrow Brett , Francisco‐Ortega Javier
Published: September 2018

Euphorbia tuckeyana is a dendroid spurge endemic to Cabo Verde. It belongs to E. subgenus Esula section Aphyllis subsection Macaronesicae, a monophyletic group of eleven species restricted to the Canaries, Madeira archipelago, the Selvagens islands, Cabo Verde, a small area of Atlantic Morocco, and Portugal, that have high horticultural potential for xeric gardens. Among them E. tuckeyana grows well in tropical environments with a summer rainy season. History of early collections and records is reviewed. The species has been previously depicted on one postage stamp and in papers focusing on the Cabo Verde flora. Three other phylogenetically distant groups of dendroid spurges, also with leaves spirally arranged in clusters located on stem tips, occur in the West Indies, Africa, and Asia. They also show high potential for tropical gardens. We present a previously unpublished ink‐drawing of E. tuckeyana that was made by the great Spanish plant illustrator Eugeni Sierra Ràfols (1919–1999). The name is lectotypified with a specimen housed in the Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle (Paris) that was collected by the Portuguese naturalist João da Silva Feijó in the late 18th century.
The Truncated Commercialization of Microinsurance and the Limits of Neoliberalism
Authors: Bernards Nick
Published: September 2018

Microinsurance — defined as low‐cost insurance products targeting low‐income populations — exemplifies key themes in contemporary neoliberalism, and has figured prominently in neoliberalism's turn to discourses such as ‘risk management’ and ‘financial inclusion’. The development of commercial markets for microinsurance, however, has in practice been highly variable and often very limited. This article considers the implications of this process of ‘truncated commercialization’. It draws on a Polanyian analytical framework that emphasizes the contradictory regulatory dynamics involved in the commodification of labour. The article applies this approach by tracing multiscalar efforts to promote microinsurance, examining the emergence of the concept in the efforts of the International Labour Organization to promote social security for informal workers in the 1980s and 1990s, looking at the adoption of explicitly commercializing imperatives in the work of the International Association of Insurance Supervisors in the 2000s, and, finally, considering a case study of South Africa. The truncated commercialization of microinsurance, it is argued, provides a useful lens through which to see the practical impossibility of neoliberal development strategies.
Longitudinal relationships between speech perception, phonological skills and reading in children at high‐risk of dyslexia
Authors: Snowling Margaret J , Lervåg Arne , Nash Hannah M , Hulme Charles
Published: September 2018

Speech perception deficits are commonly reported in dyslexia but longitudinal evidence that poor speech perception compromises learning to read is scant. We assessed the hypothesis that phonological skills, specifically phoneme awareness and RAN, mediate the relationship between speech perception and reading. We assessed longitudinal predictive relationships between categorical speech perception, phoneme awareness, RAN, language, attention and reading at ages 5½ and 6½ years in 237 children many of whom were at high risk of reading difficulties. Speech perception at 5½ years correlated with language, attention, phoneme awareness and RAN concurrently and was a predictor of reading at 6½ years. There was no significant indirect effect of speech perception on reading via phoneme awareness, suggesting that its effects are separable from those of phoneme awareness. Children classified with dyslexia at 8 years had poorer speech perception than age‐controls at 5½ years and children with language disorders (with or without dyslexia) had more severe difficulties with both speech perception and attention control. Categorical speech perception tasks tap factors extraneous to perception, including decision‐making skills. Further longitudinal studies are needed to unravel the complex relationships between categorical speech perception tasks and measures of reading and language and attention.
The Anthropocene
Authors: Zalasiewicz Jan , Waters Colin , Summerhayes Colin , Williams Mark
Published: September 2018

What is the reach of geology, today? The word evokes strata, minerals and fossils. But how about metro systems, farmyard animals, factory smoke, ballpoint pens, tree‐rings and the fluff that comes off our clothes? These kinds of objects are just part of the evidence that is now being assembled to build a picture of the Anthropocene—the idea that human activities are now sufficiently powerful and pervasive to build the geology of the present—and to influence the course of the geology of our planet's future, too.
Adivasi studies: From a historian's perspective
Authors: Dasgupta Sangeeta
Published: September 2018

As adivasis become increasingly visible as subjects in debates around conversion, identity, indigeneity, and development, the field of “Adivasi Studies,” centred on the subject of the adivasi, becomes increasingly relevant. As a newly emerging field, it engages with archaeology, anthropology, agrarian history, environmental history, subaltern studies, indigenous studies, aboriginal studies, and developmental economics but adds to these debates that are specific to the Indian context. This essay discusses some of the imperatives that make a revisit to the field of Adivasi Studies compelling. It engages with the ongoing dialogue amongst those who write the adivasis into the larger project of history‐writing, and sets out the markers of the field of Adivasi Studies from a historian's perspective. It reflects as much some of the dilemmas that one faces while engaging with the field of Adivasi Studies.
Popular politics in the Medieval Middle East
Authors: Elbendary Amina
Published: September 2018

Premodern Middle Eastern regimes were in general despotic, yet various social groups and communities did take part in the politics of their societies. Incidents of urban protest in Egypt and Syria in the late Mamluk period allow us to see some of their politics in practice, to understand some of the dynamics that operated in medieval Middle Eastern cities and the alliances between various groups and the social and political transformations that were taking place from the 15th century onwards. Recent research has added more nuance to understanding urban protest, not simply as reflexive reactions to economic strife but more as part of the dynamic that maintained city life and integrated various communities and which reflected new ideas of shared values and expectations of power. In riots, crowds of common people allied with and protested against military elites, religious scholars, merchants, and craftsmen. Recent studies have highlighted various roles of non‐elite urban groups in politics, analyzed urban politics in a regional and global context, and revised assumptions about unchanging autocratic Middle Eastern political culture. Some attention has also been given to the roles of peasants in rural politics. Studying popular politics allows us a better understanding of the role of various communities in pre‐modern Middle Eastern history.
Biomarkers of disseminated intravascular coagulation in pediatric intensive care unit in Thailand
Authors: Padungmaneesub Wiralpat , Reungrongrat Sanit , Manowong Suphara , Fanhchaksai Kanda , Panyasit Noppamas , Natesirinilkul Rungrote
Published: September 2018

Introduction

Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) is a systemic activation of hemostatic system caused by several causes. Biomarkers including antithrombin (AT), protein C (PC), and thrombomodulin (TM) were reported as the additional markers for DIC in adults. This study aimed to determine the association between biomarkers among patients with overt DIC (ODIC) and nonovert DIC (NDIC) in children in PICU.

Methods

We enrolled 103 subjects, aged 1 month‐18 years, who were admitted to PICU at Chiang Mai University (CMU) Hospital >24 hours with underlying conditions predisposing to DIC were enrolled. Biomarkers were tested after 24 hours of admission. Subject who had NDIC on the 1st investigations would have other tests on days 3‐5 of admission.

Results

The incidence of ODIC by the International Society on Thrombosis and Hemostasis (ISTH) DIC score was found 24%. The bleeding, thrombosis, and death were significantly higher in ODIC group (P < 0.05). Mean levels of AT and PC in ODIC group were significantly different from NDIC one (66.9% vs 79.9%, P < 0.001 and 46.1% vs 59.2%, P = 0.004, respectively) while mean level of TM was not different between two groups. Adding AT to DIC score was better than the original score for predict mortality [area under curve (AUC) = 0.662 vs AUC = 0.65] and bleeding (AUC = 0.751 vs AUC = 0.732).

Conclusions

ODIC is prevalent among critically ill children. Adverse outcomes were more commonly found in children with ODIC. AT and PC levels after 24 hours of PICU admission seem to be the useful biomarkers for ODIC in PICU.
Effects of interleukin‐17A in nucleus pulposus cells and its small‐molecule inhibitors for intervertebral disc disease
Authors: Suyama Kaori , Sakai Daisuke , Hirayama Noriaki , Nakamura Yoshihiko , Matsushita Erika , Terayama Hayato , Qu Ning , Tanaka Osamu , Sakabe Kou , Watanabe Masahiko
Published: September 2018

Intervertebral discs (IVD) degeneration, which is caused by ageing or mechanical stress, leads to IVD disease, including back pain and sciatica. The cytokine interleukin (IL)‐17A is elevated in NP cells during IVD disease. Here we explored the pharmacotherapeutic potential of IL‐17A for the treatment of IVD disease using small‐molecule inhibitors that block binding of IL‐17A to the IL‐17A receptor (IL‐17RA). Treatment of NP cells with IL‐17A increased expression of cyclooxygenase‐2 (COX‐2), IL‐6, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)‐3 and MMP‐13. These increases were suppressed by an IL‐17A‐neutralizing antibody, and small molecules that were identified as inhibitors by binding to the IL‐17A‐binding region of IL‐17RA. IL‐17A signalling also altered sulphated glycosaminoglycan deposition and spheroid colony formation, while treatment with small‐molecule inhibitors of IL‐17A attenuated this response. Furthermore, mitogen‐activated protein kinase pathways were activated by IL‐17A stimulation and induced IL‐6 and COX‐2 expression, while small‐molecule inhibitors of IL‐17A suppressed their expression. Taken together, these results show that IL‐17A is a valid target for IVD disease therapy and that small‐molecule inhibitors that inhibit the IL‐17A–IL‐17RA interaction may be useful for pharmacotherapy of IVD disease.
The efficacy of oral Zhizhu Kuanzhong, a traditional Chinese medicine, in patients with postprandial distress syndrome
Authors: Xiao Yinglian , Li Yuwen , Shu Jianchang , Li Yan , Xu Jianming , Ren Jianlin , Liu Deliang , Wang Jiangbin , Zhou Liya , Li Yanqing , Tang Guodou , Tian De'an , Zhang Shutian , Hou Xiaohua , Wang Huahong , Li Zhaoshen , Lv Nonghua , Chen Minhu
Published: September 2018

Background and Aim

The treatment of patients with functional dyspepsia (FD) remains unsatisfactory. We assessed the efficacy of Zhizhu Kuanzhong (ZZKZ) capsule, a traditional Chinese medicine formula, in patients with postprandial distress syndrome (PDS) of FD.

Methods

The study was designed as a multicenter, randomized, double‐blinded, controlled clinical trial. Three‐hundred ninety‐two patients with PDS defined by Rome III criteria from 16 centers in China were randomly assigned to receive either ZZKZ or placebo. The proportion of the responders at 4 weeks after randomization was considered primary endpoint. Secondary endpoint was the symptom score reduction of each dyspeptic symptom relative to the baseline at 4 weeks after randomization in all subjects.

Results

In terms of the primary endpoint, the proportion of the responders concerning the composite PDS symptom score was 38.8% and 54.7% in placebo group and ZZKZ group, respectively (P = 0.003), in per protocol analysis at 4 weeks after randomization. Concerning the individual evaluated upper gastrointestinal symptoms, only postprandial fullness and early satiety showed significant difference in symptom score reduction at 4 weeks after randomization between placebo and ZZKZ groups.

Conclusions

Zhizhu Kuanzhong is superior to placebo in the treatment of PDS with FD. The exact mechanisms by which ZZKZ improves symptoms remain to be established (http://www.chictr.org.cn/ChinCTR‐TRC‐14004714).
Plant–microbe competition: does injection of isotopes of C and N into the rhizosphere effectively characterise plant use of soil N?
Authors: Hill Paul W. , Jones Davey L.
Published: September 2018

Despite considerable attention over the last 25 yr, the importance of early protein breakdown products to plant nitrogen (N) nutrition remains uncertain.

We used rhizosphere injection of 15N‐, 13C‐ and 14C‐labelled inorganic N and amino acid (l‐alanine), with chase periods from 1 min to 24 h, to investigate the duration of competition for amino acid between roots (Triticum aestivum) and soil microorganisms. We further investigated how microbial modification of l‐alanine influenced plant carbon (C) and N recovery.

From recovery of C isotopes, intact alanine uptake was 0.2–1.3% of added. Soil microbes appeared to remove alanine from soil solution within 1 min and release enough NH4+ to account for all plant 15N recovery (over 24 h) within 5 min. Microbially generated inorganic or keto acid C accounted for < 25% of the lowest estimate of intact alanine uptake.

Co‐location of C and N labels appears a reasonable measure of intact uptake. Potential interference from microbially modified C is probably modest, but may increase with chase period. Similarly, competition for l‐alanine is complete within a few minutes in soil, whereas NO3− added at the same rate is available for > 24 h, indicating that long chase periods bias outcomes and fail to accurately simulate soil processes.