bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
GBGT1 is allelically diverse but dispensable in humans and naturally occurring anti‐FORS1 shows an ABO‐restricted pattern
Authors: Hult Annika K. , McSherry Eoin , Möller Mattias , Olsson Martin L.
Published: September 2018

BACKGROUND

The FORS histo‐blood group system was described in 2013 and much remains to be investigated regarding its genetic and immunohematologic characteristics, as well as its clinical importance. While presence of the c.887G>A‐mutated GBGT1 gene, which results in FORS1 glycosphingolipid expression on human red blood cells (RBCs), is rare in the populations tested so far, naturally occurring anti‐FORS1 in plasma appears common.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

The Erythrogene database was utilized to probe genetic variation in GBGT1 among 2504 individuals in the 1000 Genomes Project. We screened 1108 Swedish blood donors for three principally important single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (c.363C>A, c.886C>T, and c.887G>A) and selected samples were analyzed further. Screening for naturally occurring anti‐FORS1 in plasma from 100 donors was performed using antigen‐positive RBCs.

RESULTS

We identified 68 GBGT1 alleles, of which three were previously listed blood group alleles. Eight potential null alleles were observed, based on three different nonsense mutations. Four healthy donors were found homozygous for c.363C>A, which truncates the GBGT1‐encoded Fs synthase prematurely. This is the first description of human knock‐outs for GBGT1. The c.886C>T mutation that alters the same codon (p.Arg296Trp) changed by c.887G>A (p.Arg296Gln) was overexpressed to investigate if it induces the FORS1+ phenotype. However, c.886C>T did not result in synthesis of FORS1. We detected anti‐FORS1 in 10% of all donors tested but none in the A1 or A1B groups.

CONCLUSION

We have extended the knowledge of GBGT1 variants, allele frequencies, and the characteristics of naturally occurring antibodies in our newest carbohydrate blood group system, FORS. The finding of c.363C>A‐homozygous donors indicates that GBGT1 is dispensable.
Analytical validation of platelet microparticle quantification in cats
Authors: Cremer Signe E. , Koch Jørgen , Graversen Nanna , Gravgaard Anne S. , Langhorn Rebecca , Kristensen Annemarie T. , Willesen Jakob L. , Nielsen Lise N.
Published: September 2018

Background

Cardiogenic embolism (CE) in cats is a devastating condition primarily associated with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Hypercoagulability may pose a risk for thrombus formation; however, no single test can predictCEdevelopment. Platelet microparticles (PMPs) released from platelet membranes are associated with thrombosis in humans.

Objectives

The aims were to validate flow cytometricPMPquantification in cats analytically and, in a pilot study, evaluate the procoagulant annexin V (AnV) positivePMPconcentration in healthy cats and cats with asymptomaticHCM.

Methods

WithCD61 as a platelet marker,CD61+AnV+PMPs (0.3‐1.0 μm) were quantified in citrated whole blood (WB) and platelet‐poor plasma (PPP) using flow cytometry. Analyses were performed in 6 healthy cats and 5 cats with asymptomaticHCM. The coefficient of variation (CV) for duplicate (intra‐assay) and parallel (inter‐assay) analyses were calculated.

Results

PMPconcentrations were quantified with acceptable intra‐assayCVforWB(CD61+/AnV‐; 2.4%, 0.2%‐8.4% (median, range),CD61+/AnV+; 3.8%, 0.1%‐12.5%) andPPP(CD61+/AnV‐; 5.0%, 0.7%‐12.8%,CD61+/AnV+; 7.4%, 0.5%‐15.3%), and acceptable inter‐assayCVforWBin 10/11 cats (CD61+/AnV‐; 6.2%, 1.4%‐13.3%,CD61+/AnV+; 6.4%, 0.7%‐17.2%), but unacceptable forPPP(CD61+/AnV‐; 15.6%, 5.8%‐42.7%,CD61+/AnV+; 27.8%, 8.4%‐77.1%). ForWB PMPconcentrations, the pilot data demonstrated no differences between healthy cats and cats with asymptomaticHCM(4/5 with left ventricular outflow obstruction) for either theCD61+/AnV‐or theCD61+/AnV+PMPs.

Conclusions

OnlyWB PMPconcentrations could be quantified reliably in cats in a clinical setting.PMPconcentrations did not differ between healthy and asymptomaticHCMcats in this pilot study.
Photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine B based on membrane catalyst of H3O40PW12/quaternized chitosan
Authors: Wan Heting , Wang Yifu , Wang Lulu , Wang Jilin , Feng Ruijiang
Published: September 2018

Increasing environmental pollution caused by toxic dyes due to their hazardous nature is a matter of great concern, and lacks the effective methods to remove them. Therefore, in this research a series of H3O40PW12/Quaternized chitosan (PWX%/QCS) membrane catalyst is synthesized based on QCS (positively charged) and keggin‐type H3O40PW12 (negatively charged), which is available to degrade rhodamine B. The optimum experimental conditions are investigated and results reveal that the degradation rate is over 92.1% and the chemical oxygen demand (COD) decreases is 78.09%, which is obtained based on the follow conditions is that the UV radiation is 90 min, the dose of membrane catalyst is 0.1g, the doping amount PW12 (H3O40PW12) is 35 wt%, RB aqueous solution (30mL) is 5mg/L, the reaction temperature is 30°C, pH = 5 and H2O2 is 20mM. The simulation result reveals that the photocatalytic degradation reaction of RB with PWX%/QCS membrane catalyst in an aqueous solution can be described by the Langmuir–Hinshelwood equation. And the initiation rate constant and the initiation adsorption constant in this case are 4.082mg/(L/min) and 0.01090L/mg, respectively.
Bokeloh bat lyssavirus isolation in a Natterer’s bat, Poland
Authors: Smreczak Marcin , Orłowska Anna , Marzec Anna , Trębas Paweł , Müller Thomas , Freuling Conrad M. , Żmudziński Jan F.
Published: September 2018

In recent years, Bokeloh bat lyssavirus (BBLV), a member of the novel lyssavirus genus Bokeloh bat lyssavirus in the family Rhabdoviridae, has been detected in Germany (five cases) and France (two cases). Here, we report the isolation of BBLV in a Natterer's bat (Myotis nattereri) in Poland. The bat brain tested positive for rabies using classical diagnostics tests (FAT and RTCIT) and then subsequently confirmed by molecular techniques. Viral RNA was found in all peripheral organs tested, and the highest viral loads were detected in brain, the salivary gland and bladder. Phylogenetic analysis performed on complete viral genome sequences revealed the closest homology to representatives of BBLV lineage B, isolated previously in southern Germany. This case provides further evidence that BBLV is widespread in Europe.
Acoustic source characterization for a logging while drilling tool: Theoretical and experimental modeling
Authors: Xu Song , Zhuang Chunxi , Su Yuanda , Liu Yukai , Zhang Zhengpeng , Guo Shangjing , Tang Xiaoming
Published: September 2018

The development of acoustic source technology has been an important task for acoustic logging while drilling (LWD) and various source designs have been implemented. Using a multipole wave expansion theory, this study demonstrates that a LWD acoustic source can be represented as a combination of monopole, dipole, and quadrupole constituents and characterized by the contribution of each constituent. The theoretical analysis is experimentally demonstrated with a cylindrical pipe simulating the LWD collar. The result of this study can be used to provide a method for evaluating the performance of a LWD acoustic source.
Novel Self-Assembled Micelles Based on Cholesterol-Modified Antimicrobial Peptide (DP7) for Safe and Effective Systemic Administration in Animal Models of Bacterial Infection
Authors: Zhang Rui , Wu Fengbo , Wu Lei , Tian Yaomei , Zhou Bailing , Zhang Xueyan , Huang Rong , Yu Chaoheng , He Gu , Yang Li
Published: September 2018

Owing to their broad-spectrum antibacterial properties, multitarget effects, and low drug resistance, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have played critical roles in the clinical therapy of drug-resistant bacterial infections. However, the potential hazard of hemolysis following systemic administration has greatly limited their application.
Expression of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Antibiotic Resistance Genes Varies Greatly during Infections in Cystic Fibrosis Patients
Authors: Martin Lois W. , Robson Cynthia L. , Watts Annabelle M. , Gray Andrew R. , Wainwright Claire E. , Bell Scott C. , Ramsay Kay A. , Kidd Timothy J. , Reid David W. , Brockway Ben , Lamont Iain L.
Published: September 2018

The lungs of individuals with cystic fibrosis (CF) become chronically infected with
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
that is difficult to eradicate by antibiotic treatment. Two key
P. aeruginosa
antibiotic resistance mechanisms are the AmpC β-lactamase that degrades β-lactam antibiotics and MexXYOprM, a three-protein efflux pump that expels aminoglycoside antibiotics from the bacterial cells.
Oxidative Damage Control during Decay of Wood by Brown Rot Fungus Using Oxygen Radicals
Authors: Castaño Jesus D. , Zhang Jiwei , Anderson Claire E. , Schilling Jonathan S.
Published: September 2018

Wood is one of the largest pools of carbon on Earth, and its decomposition is dominated in most systems by fungi. Wood-degrading fungi specialize in extracting sugars bound within lignin, either by removing lignin first (white rot) or by using Fenton-generated reactive oxygen species (ROS) to “loosen” wood cell walls, enabling selective sugar extraction (brown rot). Although white rot lignin-degrading pathways are well characterized, there are many uncertainties in brown rot fungal mechanisms. Our study addressed a key uncertainty in how brown rot fungi deploy ROS without damaging themselves or the enzymes they secrete. In addition to revealing differentially expressed genes to promote ROS generation only in early decay, our study revealed three spatial control mechanisms to avoid/tolerate ROS: (i) constraining Fenton reactant concentrations (H
2
O
2
, Fe
2+
), (ii) quenching ROS via antioxidants, and (iii) secreting ROS-tolerant enzymes. These results not only offer insight into natural decomposition pathways but also generate targets for biotechnological development.
Interplay between the Poly(A) Tail, Poly(A)-Binding Protein, and Coronavirus Nucleocapsid Protein Regulates Gene Expression of Coronavirus and the Host Cell
Authors: Tsai Tsung-Lin , Lin Ching-Houng , Lin Chao-Nan , Lo Chen-Yu , Wu Hung-Yi
Published: September 2018

Gene expression in coronavirus is a complicated and dynamic process. In this study, we demonstrated that coronavirus N protein is able to bind to the poly(A) tail with high affinity, establishing N protein as a PABP. We also show how the interplay between coronavirus 3′ poly(A) tail, PABP, and N protein regulates gene expression of the coronavirus and host cell. Of the interactions, poly(A) tail binding by the N protein negatively regulates translation, and to our knowledge, this inhibition of translation by binding of the N protein to poly(A) tail has not been previously studied. Accordingly, the study provides fundamental molecular details regarding coronavirus infection and expands our knowledge of coronavirus gene expression.
Induction of HIF-1α by HIV-1 Infection in CD4
+
T Cells Promotes Viral Replication and Drives Extracellular Vesicle-Mediated Inflammation
Authors: Duette Gabriel , Pereyra Gerber Pehuen , Rubione Julia , Perez Paula S. , Landay Alan L. , Crowe Suzanne M. , Liao Zhaohao , Witwer Kenneth W. , Holgado María Pía , Salido Jimena , Geffner Jorge , Sued Omar , Palmer Clovis S. , Ostrowski Matias
Published: September 2018

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) is a very important global pathogen that preferentially targets CD4
+
T cells and causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) if left untreated. Although antiretroviral treatment efficiently suppresses viremia, markers of immune activation and inflammation remain higher in HIV-1-infected patients than in uninfected individuals. The hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) is a transcription factor that plays a fundamental role in coordinating cellular metabolism and function. Here we show that HIV-1 infection induces HIF-1α activity and that this transcription factor upholds HIV-1 replication. Moreover, we demonstrate that HIF-1α plays a key role in HIV-1-associated inflammation by promoting the release of extracellular vesicles which, in turn, trigger the secretion of inflammatory mediators by noninfected bystander lymphocytes and macrophages. In summary, we identify that the coordinated actions of HIF-1α and extracellular vesicles promote viral replication and inflammation, thus contributing to HIV-1 pathogenesis.
Overexpression or Deletion of Ergosterol Biosynthesis Genes Alters Doubling Time, Response to Stress Agents, and Drug Susceptibility in
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: Bhattacharya Somanon , Esquivel Brooke D. , White Theodore C.
Published: September 2018

Ergosterol (ERG) is a critical sterol in the cell membranes of fungi, and its biosynthesis is tightly regulated by 25 known enzymes along the ERG production pathway. The effects of changes in expression of each ERG biosynthesis enzyme in
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
were analyzed by the use of gene deletion or plasmid-borne overexpression constructs. The strains overexpressing the ERG pathway genes were examined for changes in doubling time and responses to a variety of stress agents. In addition, ERG gene overexpression strains and ERG gene deletion strains were tested for alterations in antifungal drug susceptibility. The data show that disruptions in ergosterol biosynthesis regulation can affect a diverse set of cellular processes and can cause numerous phenotypic effects. Some of the phenotypes observed include dramatic increases in doubling times, respiratory deficiencies on glycerol media, cell wall insufficiencies on Congo red media, and disrupted ion homeostasis under iron or calcium starvation conditions. Overexpression or deletion of specific enzymes in the ERG pathway causes altered susceptibilities to a variety of classes of antifungal ergosterol inhibitors, including fluconazole, fenpropimorph, lovastatin, nystatin, amphotericin B, and terbinafine. This analysis of the effect of perturbations to the ERG pathway caused by systematic overexpression of each of the ERG pathway genes contributes significantly to the understanding of the ergosterol biosynthetic pathway and its relationship to stress response and basic biological processes. The data indicate that precise regulation of ERG genes is essential for cellular homeostasis and identify several ERG genes that could be exploited in future antifungal development efforts.

IMPORTANCE
A common target of antifungal drug treatment is the fungal ergosterol biosynthesis pathway. This report helps to identify ergosterol biosynthesis enzymes that have not previously been appreciated as drug targets. The effects of overexpression of each of the 25 ERG genes in
S. cerevisiae
were analyzed in the presence of six stress agents that target essential cellular processes (cell wall biosynthesis, protein translation, respiration, osmotic/ionic stress, and iron and calcium homeostasis), as well as six antifungal inhibitors that target ergosterol biosynthesis. The importance of identifying cell perturbations caused by gene overexpression or deletion is emphasized by the prevalence of gene expression alterations in many pathogenic and drug-resistant clinical isolates. Genes whose altered expression causes the most extensive phenotypic alterations in the presence of stressors or inhibitors have the potential to be drug targets.
Structural Basis of Pan-Ebolavirus Neutralization by a Human Antibody against a Conserved, yet Cryptic Epitope
Authors: West Brandyn R. , Moyer Crystal L. , King Liam B. , Fusco Marnie L. , Milligan Jacob C. , Hui Sean , Saphire Erica Ollmann
Published: September 2018

There are five different members of the
Ebolavirus
genus. Provision of vaccines and treatments able to protect against any of the five ebolaviruses is an important goal of public health. Antibodies are a desired result of vaccines and can be delivered directly as therapeutics. Most antibodies, however, are effective against only one or two, not all, of these pathogens. Only one human antibody has been thus far described to neutralize all five ebolaviruses, antibody ADI-15878. Here we describe the molecular structure of ADI-15878 bound to the relevant target proteins of Ebola virus and Bundibugyo virus. We explain how it achieves its rare breadth of activity and propose strategies to design improved vaccines capable of eliciting more antibodies like ADI-15878.
Coordinated Hibernation of Transcriptional and Translational Apparatus during Growth Transition of Escherichia coli to Stationary Phase
Authors: Yoshida Hideji , Shimada Tomohiro , Ishihama Akira
Published: September 2018

During the growth transition of
E. coli
from exponential phase to stationary, the genome expression pattern is altered markedly. For this alteration, the transcription apparatus is altered by binding of anti-sigma factor Rsd to the RpoD sigma factor for sigma factor replacement, while the translation machinery is modulated by binding of RMF to 70S ribosome to form inactive ribosome dimer. Using the PS-TF screening system, a number of TFs were found to bind to both the
rsd
and
rmf
promoters, of which the regulatory roles of 5 representative TFs (one repressor ArcA and the four activators McbR, RcdA, SdiA, and SlyA) were analyzed in detail. The results altogether indicated the involvement of a common set of TFs, each sensing a specific environmental condition, in coordinated hibernation of the transcriptional and translational apparatus for adaptation and survival under stress conditions.
Incidence and risk of major heart diseases in middle-aged adults with moderate to severe vision impairment: a population-based cohort study
Authors: Hsueh Chun-Mei , Wey Jing-Hwa , Yeh Jong-Shiuan , Wu Chien-Hua , Liou Tsan-Hon , Chang Kwang-Hwa
Published: September 2018

Background/aim

To estimate the incidence and risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs), including heart failure and ischaemic heart disease, among middle-aged people with a visual disability (VD).

Methods

We used a national health insurance research database to conduct a population-based cohort study from 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2013. Patients with VD aged 35~65 years were recruited. For each VD patient, five age-matched, sex-matched and comorbidity-matched patients were randomly selected and recruited as controls. Control patients had no documented disability.

Results

This study recruited 978 patients with VD (mean age±SD, 55.1±7.8 years; 48.9% male) and 4677 controls. Compared with the same sex of the controls, women with VD had higher incidence of MACE 1 (7.9 vs 2.8/1000 person-years, p<0.001), MACE 2 (27.5 vs 16.9/1000 person-years, p<0.001), MACE 3 (3.7 vs 1.4/1000 person-years, p<0.005) and MACE 4 (4.5 vs 2.5/1000 person-years, p<0.05), and men with VD had higher incidence of MACE 1 (4.6 vs 2.0/1000 person-years, p<0.005). Compared with the controls, patients with VD had lower cumulative MACE 1~MACE 4-free probabilities and had an independently higher risk of MACE 1~MACE 4 during the 13-year study, yielding an adjusted hazard ratio range of 1.31~2.75. Those persons with VD who had diabetes and hypertension had greater risks of MACE 1~MACE 4.

Conclusions

Middle-aged adults with VD were at risk of MACEs. A programme for MACE prevention is important for middle-aged people with VD. This is especially true for women and for those who also have diabetes and hypertension.
Efficacy of PD-1 or PD-L1 inhibitors and PD-L1 expression status in cancer: meta-analysis
Authors: Shen Xian , Zhao Bin
Published: September 2018

Objective

To evaluate the relative efficacy of programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) or programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) inhibitors versus conventional drugs in patients with cancer that were PD-L1 positive and PD-L1 negative.

Design

Meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.

Data sources

PubMed, Embase, Cochrane database, and conference abstracts presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology and European Society of Medical Oncology up to March 2018.

Review methods

Studies of PD-1 or PD-L1 inhibitors (avelumab, atezolizumab, durvalumab, nivolumab, and pembrolizumab) that had available hazard ratios for death based on PD-L1 positivity or negativity were included. The threshold for PD-L1 positivity or negativity was that PD-L1 stained cell accounted for 1% of tumour cells, or tumour and immune cells, assayed by immunohistochemistry staining methods.

Results

4174 patients with advanced or metastatic cancers from eight randomised controlled trials were included in this study. Compared with conventional agents, PD-1 or PD-L1 inhibitors were associated with significantly prolonged overall survival in both patients that were PD-L1 positive (n=2254, hazard ratio 0.66, 95% confidence interval 0.59 to 0.74) and PD-L1 negative (1920, 0.80, 0.71 to 0.90). However, the efficacies of PD-1 or PD-L1 blockade treatment in patients that were PD-L1 positive and PD-L1 negative were significantly different (P=0.02 for interaction). Additionally, in both patients that were PD-L1 positive and PD-L1 negative, the long term clinical benefits from PD-1 or PD-L1 blockade were observed consistently across interventional agent, cancer histotype, method of randomisation stratification, type of immunohistochemical scoring system, drug target, type of control group, and median follow-up time.

Conclusions

PD-1 or PD-L1 blockade therapy is a preferable treatment option over conventional therapy for both patients that are PD-L1 positive and PD-L1 negative. This finding suggests that PD-L1 expression status alone is insufficient in determining which patients should be offered PD-1 or PD-L1 blockade therapy.
A mathematical model of the locomotion of bacteria near an inclined solid substrate: effects of different waveforms and rheological properties of couple-stress slime
Authors: Asghar Z. , Ali N.
Published: September 2018

Morphological mutations in bacterial cell make them the most miscellaneous microscopic group. Their non-flagellated species known as gliding bacteria exhibit self-powered motion and leave an adhesive trail of slime. The self-propelled motion in some gliding bacteria is achieved as a result of backward surface wave in the cell envelope. Motivated by this fact, an undulating surface on a layer of couple-stress fluid is used to model the motion of such gliding bacteria. Five different wave profiles, namely, sawtooth, sinusoidal, triangular, trapezoidal, and square profiles are used to model the waveform of the undulating wave in the outer cell surface. The inclination of the surface is also integrated into the model. The flow equations are set up under the lubrication assumption. Stream function is derived as an elementary function of an organism’s speed, undulation amplitude, and couple-stress parameter with its flow rate. Speed of the glider and flow rate (satisfying equilibrium conditions) are computed by employing modified Newton–Raphson method. These refined values are further utilized to compute the power dissipation. Effects of different waveforms, inclination angle, gravitational and couple-stress parameters on the speed of the microorganism and rate of energy expended are also quantified. Slime velocity is also plotted for fixed glider. In addition, making use of the obtained realistic set of values of the organism’s speed, flow rate, occlusion parameter, and couple-stress parameter, streamline patterns of the slime are plotted and discussed in detail.
Photophysical properties of novel fluorescent 1-(3-Hydroxy-benzofuran-2-yl)-benzo[f]chromen-3-one derivative: models for correlation solvent polarity scales
Authors: Renuka C.G. , Kumar Anil , Pramod A.G. , Shivashankar K. , Puttaraj K.B. , Basappa M. , Nadaf Y.F.
Published: September 2018

Photophysical and spectral properties of a new benzofuran-derivative-based fluorescent probe 1-(3-Hydroxy-benzofuran-2-yl)-benzo[f]chromen-3-one (1-HBBC) were considered in various parameters of solvents, making use of UV–Vis absorption and fluorescence emission spectroscopy. The absorption and fluorescence emission peak maxima were observed between 260–349 and 400–485 nm, respectively, prompting Stokes’ shift between 13 993 and 18 495 cm−1. Diverse solvent parameters have been utilized to understand the solvatochromism of 1-HBBC. This information is applied to understand the effects of the solvent, on the shifting in the spectra of 1-HBBC and access the execution of empirical solvatochromic models: the well-known Kamlet–Taft model and two recent Catalan models. Linear solvation energy relationships proposed by the Kamlet–Taft treatment for the 1-HBBC molecule indicate that it is appealing as a molecule for the hydrogen bond and solvent polarity properties it has exhibited. The models offer good statistical execution for all solvents studied in this work. A general decency of fit is found for benzofuran values for the models’ contractions, whereas these solvents are incorporated directly into the solvatochromic analysis. These reductions are comparable for the Kamlet–Taft and Catalan 4P models but important for the Catalan 3P model. The results shown herein can be used for outlining new luminescent tests for nonpolar and polar microenvironment.
The Institution of Petition and Authoritarian Social Control in Contemporary China
Authors: PAIK WOOYEAL
Published: September 2018

This paper discusses the Xinfang institution of petitions (letters and visits) and explores the ways in which the Chinese Communist Party regime utilizes social control mechanisms to identify, oversee, and suppress socially discontented people with grievances in the post-Mao market reform era. This public-facing institution for managing participation and rightful resistance, which aims to oversee local officials and redress mass grievances, also plays an unexpected role in social control. Unlike the social control exercised by police patrols in police states, Xinfang functions first as a “fire alarm” in this authoritarian regime; then, if necessary, as a selective “police patrol,” collecting information on discontented people with grievances, monitoring them, quelling and even preempting their protests, and referring dangerous petitioners to higher levels of government to prevent disruption in politically critical regions. This argument is supported with a detailed institutional analysis of the nationwide structure of Xinfang and several case studies of Xinfang’s multi-layered response to petitioners to Beijing, during the Falun Gong incidents in 1999 and 2000 in particular. Several complementary case studies on the behavior of local petition mechanisms and statistical evidence are also analyzed.
HOW FIRMS ABSORB EXTERNAL KNOWLEDGE — MODELLING AND MANAGING THE ABSORPTIVE CAPACITY PROCESS
Authors: HORVAT DJERDJ , DREHER CARSTEN , SOM OLIVER
Published: September 2018

This paper contributes to the literature and management practice by opening the “black box” of firms’ absorptive capacity (AC) processes. Following a process research approach and based on in-depth comparative case studies of four German manufacturing companies, we develop and empirically validate a procss model of the firm-internal AC process. Our model integrates the different single elements (e.g., individuals, teams, departments) as well as the different linear and nonlinear causal interactions that constitute the firm’s ability to identify, adopt, implement and exploit external information and knowledge. Furthermore, the paper elaborates on various organizational leverages to increase the effectiveness of the identified process flows. The findings provide explanatory insight into the organisational prerequisites of AC. Thus, the paper simultaneously contributes to enhance the academic and management’s understanding of firms’ AC by identifying its constitutional key elements, their different kinds of processual interrelation as well as organisational prerequisites and points of leverage to modify, measure, and improve the AC of a company.
INFLUENCE OF THE BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT IN THE DYNAMICS OF INNOVATION AND IN THE PERFORMANCE OF SMEs
Authors: PÉREZ-DE-LEMA DOMINGO GARCÍA , HANSEN PETER BENT , MADRID-GUJJARRO ANTONIA , SILVA-SANTOS JANE LUCIA
Published: September 2018

The main aim of this paper is to study the influence of the business environment on innovation strategy, innovative activity and performance in the SMEs. Business environment has been considered, taking into account its dynamism and its hostility. An empirical study is carried out on a sample composed by 302 Spanish firms. Results show that SMEs react in hostile and dynamic business environment by means of strengthening their innovation strategy. Innovation strategy allows firms to carry out higher levels of product and process innovations, which turn out into a positive effect on performance. Results offer important implications for SMEs, as such the relevance to reinforce the importance of developing an innovation strategy in the framework of their formal strategic planning.
Efficient Computation of the Optimal Accessible Location for a Group of Mobile Agents
Authors: Khan A. K. M. Mustafizur Rahman , Kulik Lars , Tanin Egemen , Hua Hua , Hashem Tanzima
Published: September 2018

Nowadays, people can access location-based services (LBSs) as a group via mobile devices to plan their daily activities with friends and relatives. In this article, we introduce an important class of group-oriented LBSs, group optimal accessible location (GOAL) queries that enable users to identify the location of a point of interest (POI) that has the minimum total distance to a given set of paths. GOAL queries have many applications, such as the selection of an optimal location for group meet-ups or for a mobile facility such as a food truck. In a GOAL query, each trip or path is represented as a set of line segments, and the distance of a POI from a path is computed as the minimum distance of the POI to any line segment of the path. We develop an efficient approach to evaluate GOAL queries. The novelty of our GOAL query processing algorithm in contrast to other spatial query processing algorithms is the reformulation of a GOAL query by considering only a subset of path segments from the given set of paths, which is also the key factor behind the efficiency of our proposed algorithm. We exploit geometric properties and develop pruning techniques to eliminate both POIs and path segments that cannot provide the optimal solution for a GOAL query. Our experimental results demonstrate that we provide a readily deployable solution for real-life applications.
Accelerating network measurement in software
Authors: Zhou Yang , Alipourfard Omid , Yu Minlan , Yang Tong
Published: September 2018

Network measurement plays an important role for many network functions such as detecting network anomalies and identifying big flows. However, most existing measurement solutions fail to achieve high performance in software as they often incorporate heavy computations and a large number of random memory accesses. We present Agg-Evict, a generic framework for accelerating network measurement in software. Agg-Evict aggregates the incoming packets on the same flows and sends them as a batch, reducing the number of computations and random memory accesses in the subsequent measurement solutions. We perform extensive experiments on top of DPDK with 10G NIC and observe that almost all the tested measurement solutions under Agg-Evict can achieve 14.88 Mpps throughput and see up to 5.7X lower average processing latency per packet.
Practical challenge-response for DNS
Authors: Al-Dalky Rami , Rabinovich Michael , Allman Mark
Published: September 2018

Authoritative DNS servers are susceptible to being leveraged in denial of service attacks in which the attacker sends DNS queries while masquerading as a victim---and hence causing the DNS server to send the responses to the victim. This reflection off innocent DNS servers hides the attackers identity and often allows the attackers to amplify their traffic by employing small requests to elicit large responses. Several challenge-response techniques have been proposed to establish a requester's identity before sending a full answer. However, none of these are practical in that they do not work in the face of "resolver pools"---or groups of DNS resolvers that work in concert to lookup records in the DNS. In these cases a challenge transmitted to some resolver
R
1
may be handled by a resolver
R
2
, hence leaving an authoritative DNS server wondering whether
R
2
is in fact another resolver in the pool or a victim. We offer a practical challenge-response mechanism that uses challenge chains to establish identity in the face of resolver pools. We illustrate that the practical cost of our scheme in terms of added delay is small.
Towards Sophisticated Air Traffic Control System Using Formal Methods
Authors: Jarrar Abdessamad , Balouki Youssef
Published: September 2018

We propose a general formal modeling and verification of the air traffic control system (ATC). This study is based on the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) standards and recommendations. It provides a sophisticated assistance system that helps in visualizing aircrafts and presents automatic bugs detection. In such a critical safety system, the use of robust formal methods that assure bugs absence is highly required. Therefore, this work suggests a formalism of discrete transition systems based on abstraction and refinement along proofs. These ensure the consistency of the system by means of invariants preservation and deadlock freedom. Hence, all invariants hold permanently providing a handy solution for bugs absence verification. It follows that the said deadlock freedom ensures a continuous running of a given system. This specification and modeling technique enable the system to be corrected by construction.
Dynamic Response of a 100,000 m3 Cylindrical Oil‐Storage Tank under Seismic Excitations: Experimental Tests and Numerical Simulations
Authors: Li Honghao , Zhao Wei , Wang Wei
Published: September 2018

Considering the disastrous consequences of the oil tank failure, it is of great importance to ensure the safety of the large‐scale oil tank under earthquakes. This study sheds light on investigating the dynamic response of a prototype 100,000 m3 cylindrical oil‐storage tank under various seismic excitations. The foundation of the tank is also considered in this study so that the obtained results are closer to the reality. Shaking table tests are conducted using a 1/20 scale liquid‐tank‐foundation system under various seismic excitations. The test results reveal that the dynamic responses such as accelerations and the deformation of the test specimen in the major and minor vibration directions do not differ significantly. Finite element models are constructed for the test specimen and the prototype tank and are validated through comparing the simulation results with the test data. The simulation results suggest that it might be necessary to stiffen the locations on the tank wall where the thickness of the tank wall changes because the stresses at such locations may be close or even exceed the yield strength of the structural steel under severe earthquakes.
Haploidentical Stem Cell Transplantation: A Gateway to Infrequent Availability of HLA-Matched Related Donors
Authors: Aslam Hafiz Muhammad , Iqbal Shumaila Muhammad , Shaikh Hira , Faizee Faizan A. , Merchant Ambreen A. , Shaheen Marwan , Hashmi Shahrukh K.
Published: September 2018

Haploidentical stem cell transplantation provides a plausible alternative for the patients when a fully matched donor is unavailable. Historically, the decision of considering haploidentical transplant has remained elusive; however, with the recent advances, the consideration of haploidentical grafts as a treatment option has become more apparent for both allografting for diseases and engraftment failure. We are reporting here an anecdotal case of a successful haploidentical engraftment in a patient with the prior graft failure of an HLA-matched related donor. Since the patient was severely alloimmunized, desensitization protocol was utilized before the haploidentical transplant, and the patient after 8 months of her second allogeneic transplantation is doing great with successful engraftment, no relapse, and no graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). Numerous reports pertinent to haploidentical graft have shown favorable outcomes in the graft placement, a decline in the rate of GVHD, and an improvement in the morbidity and mortality in affected individuals. Based on the current reports, haploidentical transplantation might be more feasible and has meaningful implications in the situations where matched donors are infrequent.
Reduced Triangular Form of Polynomial 3-by-3 Matrices with One Characteristic Root and Its Invariants
Authors: Shavarovskii B. Z.
Published: September 2018

In this paper the semiscalar equivalence of polynomial matrices is investigated. We introduce the notion of the so-called reduced triangular form with respect to semiscalar equivalence for the 3-by-3 matrices with one characteristic root and indicate the invariants of this reduced form.
Catalytic Activity of a Composition Based on Strontium Bismuthate and Bismuth Carbonate at the Exposure to the Light of the Visible Range
Authors: Makarevich K. S. , Zaitsev A. V. , Kaminsky O. I. , Kirichenko E. A. , Astapov I. A.
Published: September 2018

This paper presents the results pertaining to studying the properties of the photocatalytically active composition of strontium bismuthate SrBi2.70O5.05, SrBi2.90O5.35, and SrBi3.25O5.88 and bismuth carbonate (BiO)2CO3 in molar ratios 1/0.67, 1/0.56, and 1/0.37, respectively. These compositions are obtained through pyrolytic synthesis from organic precursor complexes of strontium and bismuth with sorbitol. It has been established that the synthesised powder materials absorb the light of the visible range up to 500 nm owing to the presence of a narrow-gap semiconductor strontium bismuthate. The presence of a wide-band semiconductor (BiO)2CO3 ensures an effective separation of electron-hole pairs. The diffuse reflection spectra (DRS) of compositions differ from the analogous spectra of a mechanical mixture of these semiconductor phases with the same composition, which allows one to assume the heterostructural structure of the semiconductor system. The same heterostructure is confirmed by the results of mapping. Catalytic particles that are synthesised at a temperature of 500°C containing 27 mass% (BiO)2CO3 (corresponding to SrBi2.9O5.35/(BiO)2CO3 = 1/0.56) have the greatest activity with respect to the photodecomposition of methylene blue (MB). The possibility of controlling the optical properties and photocatalytic activity of the composition is depicted due to the joint formation of the strontium bismuthate phase and the bismuth carbonate phase.
Therapeutic Potential of Fulvic Acid in Chronic Inflammatory Diseases and Diabetes
Authors: Winkler John , Ghosh Sanjoy
Published: September 2018

Chronic inflammatory diseases like diabetes are on a rise in the Western world. Based on the tsunami of new cases every year, new therapeutic measures must be considered. A promising avenue might involve the attenuation of underlying inflammation through natural health products (NHPs). This is because most NHPs have a rich history in traditional medicine and might be considered safer under appropriate doses and conditions. However, the biggest impediment in NHP research is that rarely do these products come with verified health benefits or dosing schedules established through modern scientific research. Fulvic acid (FvA), one such NHP, comes from humic substances produced by microorganisms in soil. Traditional medicine and modern research claim FvA can modulate the immune system, influence the oxidative state of cells, and improve gastrointestinal function; all of which are hallmarks of diabetes. This minireview outlines the available peer-reviewed research on FvA and examines its anecdotal health claims. We show that although available research has been minimal, there is substantial evidence to pursue FvA research in preventing chronic inflammatory diseases, including diabetes.
Lateral Superharmonic Resonance of the Rotor in 12/8 Poles Switched Reluctance Motor
Authors: Wang Feng , Wu Zhiqiang , Wang Yuancen , Li Yajie
Published: September 2018

Switched reluctance motor (SRM) generates a very large electromagnetic radial force when the stator windings commutate because of its doubly salient structure and magnetic saturation. Lateral vibration appears when electromagnetic radial force is applied onto the rotational rotor, which causes continual changes of airgap and further radical electromagnetic force. Nonlinear vibration of the rotor under the interaction of electromagnetic radial force and displacement becomes very complicated, which is becoming a research hotspot at present. A whole lateral vibration dynamics equation is established by finite element method. The radical force formula of single rotor tooth was deduced by integration of equivalent electromagnetic circuit and Maxwell stress method, and final functional expression of radial electromagnetic resultant when stator windings are energized with ideal square wave is also obtained. The critical speeds and vibration modes of the rotor are analyzed by Campbell diagram and lateral vibration displacement locus is solved by Newmark-Beta numerical integration method. The results show that the vibration locus of the rotor distributes in a circular domain. The frequency distribution of electromagnetic resultant relates to rotation speed, current switch frequency, and current wave, while the frequency distribution of the displacement also closely relates to the first-order critical speed of the rotor. When the rotor runs at some specific speed, lateral superharmonic resonance phenomenon appears and its displacement locus shows rich diversity. Lateral vibration characteristic of the rotor could be quickly grasped through this study, which makes vibration evaluation possible for advanced motor design.
Mechanical-Chemical-Mineralogical Controls on Permeability Evolution of Shale Fractures
Authors: Jia Yunzhong , Lu Yiyu , Tang Jiren , Fang Yi , Xia Binwei , Ge Zhaolong
Published: September 2018

We report experimental observations of permeation of CO2-rich aqueous fluids of varied acidic potential (pH) on three different shales to investigate mechanical, chemical, and mineralogical effects on fracture permeability evolution. Surface profilometry and SEM-EDS (scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy) methods are employed to quantify the evolution in both roughness on and chemical constituents within the fracture surface. Results indicate that, after 12 hours of fluid flow, fracture effective hydraulic apertures evolve distinctly under different combinations of shale mineralogy, effective stress, and fluid acidity. The evolution of roughness and transformation of chemical elements on the fracture surface are in accordance with the evolution of permeability. The experimental observations imply that (1) CO2-rich aqueous fluids have significant impact on the evolution of fracture permeability and may influence (and increase) shale gas production; (2) shale mineralogy, especially calcite mineral, decides the chemical reaction and permeability increasing when CO2-rich aqueous fluids flow through fractures by free-face dissolution effect; (3) clay mineral swelling reduces fracture aperture and additively calcite pressure solution removes the bridging asperities, which are the main reasons for fracture permeability decrease; (4) competition roles among clay mineral swelling, mineral pressure solution, and free-face dissolution determine how fracture permeability changes. Furthermore, a multiple parameter model is built to analyze effective hydraulic aperture evolution in considering above three mechanisms, which provide a reference to forecast fracture permeability evolution in shale formations.
Topology Optimization of Constrained Layer Damping Structures Subjected to Stationary Random Excitation
Authors: Fang Zhanpeng , Hou Junjian , Zhai Hongfei
Published: September 2018

This paper deals with an optimal layout design of the constrained layer damping (CLD) treatment of vibrating structures subjected to stationary random excitation. The root mean square (RMS) of random response is defined as the objective function as it can be used to represent the vibration level in practice. To circumvent the computationally expensive sensitivity analysis, an efficient optimization procedure integrating the pseudoexcitation method (PEM) and the double complex modal superposition method is introduced into the dynamic topology optimization. The optimal layout of CLD treatment is obtained by using the method of moving asymptote (MMA). Numerical examples are given to demonstrate the validity of the proposed optimization procedure. The results show that the optimized CLD layouts can effectively reduce the vibration response of the structures subjected to stationary random excitation.
Chemical Composition and Antimicrobial Potential of Satureja hortensis L. in Fresh Cow Cheese
Authors: Alexa Ersilia , Danciu Corina , Cocan Ileana , Negrea Monica , Morar Adriana , Obistioiu Diana , Dogaru Diana , Berbecea Adina , Radulov Isidora
Published: September 2018

This study presents data about the chemical composition and antimicrobial effect of Satureja hortensis L. used as both dry plant and essential oil, on fresh cow’s cheese, in order to extend its shelf-life. The proximate and elemental composition of dry plant of Satureja hortensis L. highlights important level of microelements. The content of microelements increases even when small amounts of Satureja hortensis in fresh cheese were added. The addition of Satureja hortensis dry plant leads to an increase in Fe (13.46–65.54%) and Mn (8.33–88.33%) content of fresh cheese, depending on the amount of plant added. The composition of essential oil isolated from Satureja hortensis L. was analyzed by GC-MS and the main compounds found were carvacrol (19.68%), o-cymene (30.86%), and p-cymene (28.07%). In order to use Satureja hortensis L. as natural preservative in food industry, in vitro effect of plant extract and essential oil against Staphylococcus aureus Gram-positive bacteria was tested. The oil of Satureja hortensis L. showed antimicrobial activity at 0.50–1.5%, while the alcoholic extract does not inhibit Staphylococcus aureus mycelial growth. The antimicrobial effect of Satureja hortensis L. dry plant in various proportions (0.5–1.5%) and essential oil (0.1%; 0.25%; 0.5%), on fresh cow’s cheese, was assessed after 3 and 7 days by counting colonies obtained at 30°C. Results have shown that the addition of Satureja hortensis L. dry plant and essential oil led to a reduction in the total number of germs, this reduction being more significant when the essential oil was used. Regarding the effect of Satureja hortensis L. essential oil against Staphylococcus aureus inoculated in fresh cow’s cheese, the results highlight that the essential oil of Satureja hortensis L. may be a natural solution to prevent the development of this bacteria, while the ethanol extract does not prove to be effective.
Ventral Stabilization of a T2-T3 Vertebral Luxation via Median Sternotomy in a Dog
Authors: Klatzkow Sarah , Johnson Matthew D. , James Michele , Carrera-Justiz Sheila
Published: September 2018

An 8-year-old neutered male miniature Poodle presented for evaluation of a suspected T3-L3 lesion with cervical component following vehicular trauma. Magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography revealed a T2-T3 luxation with right displacement of T3. A T2 caudal endplate fracture was present as well as multifocal noncompressive bulges of cervical intervertebral discs. Conservative management failed and ventral stabilization of C7-T4 was performed via a median sternotomy. Paired String-of-Pearls plates were placed on the ventral aspect of vertebrae. Eight weeks postoperatively, the dog was ambulatory with moderate pelvic limb paraparesis. A luxation of T2-T3 is uncommon in small animals and surgical stabilization is poorly described in literature. This case report demonstrates the use of a ventral approach to cranial thoracic vertebral stabilization with a successful outcome.