bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The role of robotic gait training coupled with virtual reality in boosting the rehabilitative outcomes in patients with multiple sclerosis
Authors: Russo Margherita , Dattola Vincenzo , De Cola Maria C. , Logiudice Anna L. , Porcari Bruno , Cannavò Antonino , Sciarrone Francesca , De Luca Rosaria , Molonia Francesco , Sessa Edoardo , Bramanti Placido , Calabrò Rocco S.
Published: January 2018

Motor impairment is the most common symptom in multiple sclerosis (MS). Thus, a variety of new rehabilitative strategies, including robotic gait training, have been implemented, showing their effectiveness. The aim of our study was to investigate whether an intensive robotic gait training, preceding a traditional rehabilitative treatment, could be useful in improving and potentiating motor performance in MS patients. Forty-five patients, who fulfilled the inclusion criteria, were enrolled in this study and randomized into either the control group (CG) or the experimental group (EG). A complete clinical evaluation, including the Expanded Disability Severity Scale, the Functional Independence Measure, the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression, the time up and go test (TUG), and the Tinetti balance scale, was performed at baseline (T0), after 6 week (T1), at the end of rehabilitative training (T2), and 1 month later (T3). A significant improvement was observed in the EG for all the outcome measures, whereas the CG showed an improvement only in TUG. In contrast, from T1 to T2, only CG significantly improved in all outcomes, whereas the EG had an improvement only regarding TUG. From T2 to T3, no significant differences in Functional Independence Measure scores emerged for both the groups, but a significant worsening in Tinetti balance scale and TUG was observed for the CG and in TUG for the EG. Our study provides evidence that robotic rehabilitationn coupled with two-dimensional virtual reality may be a valuable tool in promoting functional recovery in patients with MS.
Inotropic Therapy for Sepsis
Authors: Louden Drew Taylor , Rutman Lori Ellen
Published: January 2018

Sepsis, severe sepsis, and septic shock represent a dynamic clinical syndrome involving a systemic inflammatory response, circulatory changes, and end-organ dysfunction from an infection. Early aggressive management to restore perfusion and/or improve hypotension is critical to improving outcomes. Although the basic management principles of early goal-directed therapy for sepsis have not undergone significant changes, there has been a recent shift in recommendations related to the timing and type of inotropic support. The purpose of this article is to review fluid management along with previous and current inotrope recommendations in pediatric sepsis and septic shock.
Using Contact Patterns to Inform HIV Interventions in Persons Who Inject Drugs in Northern Vietnam
Authors: Smith M. Kumi , Graham Matthew , Latkin Carl A. , Go Vivian L.
Published: January 2018

Objectives:

Population mixing patterns can greatly inform allocation of HIV prevention interventions such as treatment as prevention or preexposure prophylaxis. Characterizing contact patterns among subgroups can help identify the specific combinations of contact expected to result in the greatest number of new infections.

Setting:

Baseline data from an intervention to reduce HIV-related risk behaviors in male persons who inject drugs (PWID) in the Northern Vietnamese province of Thai Nguyen were used for the analysis.

Methods:

Egocentric network data were provided by PWID who reported any drug-injection equipment sharing in the previous 3 months. Age-dependent mixing was assessed to explore its epidemiological implications on risk of HIV transmission risk (among those HIV-infected) and HIV acquisition risk (among those not infected) in PWID.

Results:

A total of 1139 PWID collectively reported 2070 equipment-sharing partnerships in the previous 3 months. Mixing by age identified the 30–34 and 35–39 years age groups as the groups from whom the largest number of new infections was transmitted, making them primary targets for treatment as prevention. Among the uninfected, 25–29, 30–35, and 35–39 years age groups had the highest HIV acquisition rate, making them the primary targets for preexposure prophylaxis.

Conclusions:

Collection and analysis of contact patterns in PWID is feasible and can greatly inform infectious disease dynamics and targeting of appropriate interventions. Results presented also provide much needed empirical data on mixing to improve mathematical models of disease transmission in this population.
Whole Genome Methylation Analysis of Nondysplastic Barrett Esophagus that Progresses to Invasive Cancer
Authors: Dilworth Mark P. , Nieto Tom , Stockton Jo D. , Whalley Celina M. , Tee Louise , James Jonathan D. , Noble Fergus , Underwood Tim J. , Hallissey Michael T. , Hejmadi Rahul , Trudgill Nigel , Tucker Olga , Beggs Andrew D.
Published: January 2018

Objective:

To investigate differences in methylation between patients with nondysplastic Barrett esophagus who progress to invasive adenocarcinoma and those who do not.

Background:

Identifying patients with nondysplastic Barrett esophagus who progress to invasive adenocarcinoma remains a challenge. Previous studies have demonstrated the potential utility of epigenetic markers for identifying this group.

Methods:

A whole genome methylation interrogation using the Illumina HumanMethylation 450 array of patients with nondysplastic Barrett esophagus who either develop adenocarcinoma or remain static, with validation of findings by bisulfite pyrosequencing.

Results:

In all, 12 patients with “progressive” versus 12 with “nonprogressive” nondysplastic Barrett esophagus were analyzed via methylation array. Forty-four methylation markers were identified that may be able to discriminate between nondysplastic Barrett esophagus that either progress to adenocarcinoma or remain static. Hypomethylation of the recently identified tumor suppressor OR3A4 (probe cg09890332) validated in a separate cohort of samples (median methylation in progressors 67.8% vs 96.7% in nonprogressors; P = 0.0001, z = 3.85, Wilcoxon rank-sum test) and was associated with the progression to adenocarcinoma. There were no differences in copy number between the 2 groups, but a global trend towards hypomethylation in the progressor group was observed.

Conclusion:

Hypomethylation of OR3A4 has the ability to risk stratify the patient with nondysplastic Barrett esophagus and may form the basis of a future surveillance program.
Too little too late: Hypotension and blood transfusion in the trauma bay are independent predictors of death in injured children
Authors: Leeper Christine M. , McKenna Christine , Gaines Barbara A.
Published: January 2018

BACKGROUND

Hypotension is a late finding in pediatric shock despite significant blood loss; consequently, recognition of hemodynamic compromise can be delayed. We sought to describe the impact of late stage shock in children, indicated by hypotension or trauma bay blood transfusion, and quantify the association with poor outcome.

METHODS

Children age < 18 from the Pennsylvania Trauma Outcome Study registry (2000–2013) were included. Primary outcome was mortality. Demographics, transfusion volume, vitals and injury severity were recorded. Multivariable logistic regression modeling was performed, with multiple imputation sensitivity analysis for missing data (<8% for all variables).

RESULTS

Sixty-four thousand three hundred forty-four subjects were included with median (interquartile range) age, 9 years (4–15 years); 51% interfacility transfers; 2.0% mortality; 4.4% admission hypotension; and 1.6% trauma bay transfusion rate. Overall, 46% of hypotensive patients, 42% of transfused patients, and 63% both hypotensive and transfused died. Hypotension (odds ratio, 12.8; 95% confidence interval, 10.7–15.4; p < 0.001) and transfusion (odds ratio, 3.1; 95% confidence interval, 2.8–3.4; p < 0.001) significantly increased odds of death after controlling for injury severity, penetrating and child abuse mechanisms, admission Glasgow Coma Scale score, and age. Survival curves demonstrated worse survival for transfused patients in early (<24 hours), intermediate (1–5 days), and late (>5 days) periods (all p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Hypotension and trauma bay blood transfusion are poor prognostic indicators. These events should signal high acuity and prompt immediate and aggressive resuscitation. Earlier recognition of shock and appropriate interventions, including increased availability of blood products to prehospital providers, may facilitate timely hemostatic resuscitation, preventing circulatory collapse and secondary brain injury.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Epidemiological, level III.
Cardiac Disorders in Patients With Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy
Authors: Orssaud Christophe
Published: January 2018

Background:

Cardiac abnormalities have been described in patients with Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON). Some are life-threatening because of the risk of ventricular fibrillation and sudden death. The purpose of our study was to better characterize the cardiac abnormalities in a large patient cohort with LHON.

Methods:

A retrospective study of the electrocardiogram (EKG) results performed on all patients with LHON evaluated at The Reference Center for Rare Diseases in Ophthalmology, Paris, France, from January 2015 to June 2017.

Results:

Our series included 73 patients with LHON (9 women/64 men) with a mean age of 30.29 ± 14.48 years. Although only 1 patient had cardiac complaints, cardiac abnormalities were detected in 17 patients (23.2%): 9 patients had an excitation syndrome, 6 had atrioventricular block, and 2 had repolarization abnormalities. All patients harbored mtDNA point mutations 11778 or 3460.

Conclusions:

Cardiac abnormalities occur frequently enough in patients with LHON that a baseline EKG is warranted. However, further studies are needed to determine the true cardiac risk associated with specific LHON mtDNA mutations.
Optimal Intereye Difference Thresholds in Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Thickness for Predicting a Unilateral Optic Nerve Lesion in Multiple Sclerosis
Authors: Nolan Rachel C. , Galetta Steven L. , Frohman Teresa C. , Frohman Elliot M. , Calabresi Peter A. , Castrillo-Viguera Carmen , Cadavid Diego , Balcer Laura J.
Published: January 2018

Background:

The optic nerve is a frequent site for involvement in multiple sclerosis (MS). Optical coherence tomography (OCT) detects thinning of the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) in eyes of patients with MS and in those meeting criteria for clinically or radiologically isolated demyelinating syndromes. Current international diagnostic criteria for MS do not include the optic nerve as an imaging lesion site despite the high prevalence of acute optic neuritis (ON), or occult optic neuropathy, among early MS and clinically isolated syndrome patients; as well as most MS patients over the course of the disease. We sought to determine optimal thresholds for intereye difference in peripapillary RNFL thickness that are most predictive of a unilateral optic nerve lesion.

Methods:

We analyzed spectral domain OCT data of 31 healthy volunteers and 124 patients with MS at a single center as part of an ongoing collaborative investigation of visual outcomes. Intereye differences in peripapillary (360°) RNFL thickness were calculated as the absolute value of the difference. First, we determined the 95th percentile value of intereye difference for the healthy volunteers. This value was applied to the convenience sample group of MS patients as a validation cohort determining how well this threshold could distinguish patients with vs without a history of unilateral ON. The relation of intereye differences in peripapillary RNFL thickness to binocular low-contrast letter acuity scores was also examined.

Results:

Among healthy volunteer participants (n = 31), the 95th percentile value for intereye difference (upper boundary of expected for normal controls) was 6.0 μm. This value was applied to the convenience sample group of MS patients (n = 124, validation cohort). Positive predictive value, negative predictive value, sensitivity, and specificity for identifying MS patients with a history of unilateral ON were calculated for the 6-μm threshold value in a 2 × 2 table analysis with the application ofχ2tests (P< 0.0001). The 6-μm threshold was predictive of worse binocular low-contrast acuity scores at 2.5% (P= 0.03) and 1.25% (P= 0.002 by linear regression analyses). A receiver operating characteristic curve analysis demonstrated an optimal intereye difference threshold of 5 μm for identifying unilateral ON in the MS cohort.

Conclusions:

An intereye difference of 5–6 μm in RNFL thickness is a robust structural threshold for identifying the presence of a unilateral optic nerve lesion in MS.
Exploring the difference in xerogels and organogels through
in situ
observation
Authors: Bai Binglian , Li Zhiming , Wang Haitao , Li Min , Ozaki Yukihiro , Wei Jue
Published: January 2018

Solvent–gelator interactions play a key role in mediating organogel formation and ultimately determine the physico-chemical properties of the organogels and xerogels. The ethanol organogels of 1,4-bis[(3,4,5-trihexyloxy phenyl)hydrazide]phenylene (TC6) were investigated
in situ
by FT-IR, Raman and fluorescence spectra, and XRD, and it was confirmed that the intermolecular interaction and aggregation structure of TC6 ethanol organogels were quite different from those of xerogels. Simultaneously, unprecedented phase transition from organogel to suspension upon heating was observed in ethanol organogel, and the suspension phase exhibited lytropic liquid crystalline behaviour with a rectangular columnar structure. This study may open the possibility to design new gelators with a new dimension of versatility.
Substrate specificity of healthy human sera IgG antibodies with peroxidase and oxydoreductase activities
Authors: Tolmacheva Anna S. , Ermakov Evgeny A. , Buneva Valentina N. , Nevinsky Georgy A.
Published: January 2018

We have carried out an analysis of whether blood IgG antibodies can protect humans from oxidative stress by oxidizing different harmful compounds. A somewhat unexpected result was obtained. We show here for the first time that healthy human sera IgGs with the peroxidase (in the presence H2O2) efficiently oxidize different compounds: 3,3′-diaminobenzidine (1; DAB), 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt (2; ATBS),o-phenylenediamine (3; OPD), homovanillic acid (4; HVA), α-naphthol (5), 5-aminosalicylic acid (6; 5-ASA) and 3-amino-9-ethylcarbazole (7; AEC), but seven of nine IgG preparations from different volunteers cannot oxidizep-hydroquinone (8: pHQ). The average apparentkcatvalues in the H2O2-dependent oxidation by human IgGs decreased in the following order (min−1): ATBS (73.7) ≥ DAB (66.3) > AEC (38.0) ≥ HVA (19.8) ≥ α-naphthol (8.6) > OPD (0.62) ≥ 5-ASA (0.48) > pHQ (0.24). In the absence of H2O2(oxidoreductase activity), the relative averagekcatvalues decreased in the following order (min−1): DAB (52.1) ≥ ATBS (50.5) > OPD (0.25). The peroxidase average activity of human IgGs was higher than the oxidoreductase one: 1.2-, 1.5- and 2.5-fold for DAB, ATBS and OPD, respectively. It should be assumed that antibodies can oxidize in addition to the large number of other different compounds analysed by us. As a whole, the specific wide repertoire of polyclonal human IgGs oxidizing various compounds could play an important role in protecting humans from oxidative stress and serve as an additional natural system destroying H2O2and different toxic mutagenic and carcinogenic compounds.
Hierarchical VOOH hollow spheres for symmetrical and asymmetrical supercapacitor devices
Authors: Jing Xuyang , Wang Cong , Feng Wenjing , Xing Na , Jiang Hanmei , Lu Xiangyu , Zhang Yifu , Meng Changgong
Published: January 2018

Hierarchical VOOH hollow spheres with low crystallinity composed of nanoparticles were prepared by a facile and template-free method, which involved a precipitation of precursor microspheres in aqueous solution at room temperature and subsequent hydrothermal reaction. Quasi-solid-state symmetric and asymmetric supercapacitor (SSC and ASC) devices were fabricated using hierarchical VOOH hollow spheres as the electrodes, and the electrochemical properties of the VOOH//VOOH SSC device and the VOOH//AC ASC device were studied by cyclic voltammetry (CV), galvanostatic charge–discharge (GCD) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Results demonstrated that the electrochemical performance of the VOOH//AC ASC device was better than that of the VOOH//VOOH SSC device. After 3000 cycles, the specific capacitance of the VOOH//AC ASC device retains 83% of the initial capacitance, while the VOOH//VOOH SSC device retains only 7.7%. Findings in this work proved that hierarchical VOOH hollow spheres could be a promising candidate as an ideal electrode material for supercapacitor devices.
Visual processing: conscious until proven otherwise
Authors: Balsdon Tarryn , Clifford Colin W. G.
Published: January 2018

Unconscious perception, or perception without awareness, describes a situation where an observer's behaviour is influenced by a stimulus of which they have no phenomenal awareness. Perception without awareness is often claimed on the basis of a difference in thresholds for tasks that do and do not require awareness, for example, detecting the stimulus (requiring awareness) and making accurate judgements about the stimulus (based on unconscious processing). Although a difference in thresholds would be expected if perceptual evidence were processed without awareness, such a difference does not necessitate that this is actually occurring: a difference in thresholds can also arise from response bias, or through task differences. Here we ask instead whether the pattern of performance could be obtained if the observer were aware of the evidence used in making their decisions. A backwards masking paradigm was designed using digits as target stimuli, with difficulty controlled by the time between target and mask. Performance was measured over three tasks: detection, graphic discrimination and semantic discrimination. Despite finding significant differences in thresholds measured using proportion correct, and in observer sensitivity, modelling suggests that these differences were not the result of perception without awareness. That is, the observer was not relying solely on unconscious information to make decisions.
Qualitative models and experimental investigation of chaotic NOR gates and set/reset flip-flops
Authors: Rahman Aminur , Jordan Ian , Blackmore Denis
Published: January 2018

It has been observed through experiments and
SPICE
simulations that logical circuits based upon Chua’s circuit exhibit complex dynamical behaviour. This behaviour can be used to design analogues of more complex logic families and some properties can be exploited for electronics applications. Some of these circuits have been modelled as systems of ordinary differential equations. However, as the number of components in newer circuits increases so does the complexity. This renders continuous dynamical systems models impractical and necessitates new modelling techniques. In recent years, some discrete dynamical models have been developed using various simplifying assumptions. To create a robust modelling framework for chaotic logical circuits, we developed both deterministic and stochastic discrete dynamical models, which exploit the natural recurrence behaviour, for two chaotic NOR gates and a chaotic set/reset flip-flop. This work presents a complete applied mathematical investigation of logical circuits. Experiments on our own designs of the above circuits are modelled and the models are rigorously analysed and simulated showing surprisingly close qualitative agreement with the experiments. Furthermore, the models are designed to accommodate dynamics of similarly designed circuits. This will allow researchers to develop ever more complex chaotic logical circuits with a simple modelling framework.
Determination of macro-scale soil properties from pore-scale structures: model derivation
Authors: Daly K. R. , Roose T.
Published: January 2018

In this paper, we use homogenization to derive a set of macro-scale poro-elastic equations for soils composed of rigid solid particles, air-filled pore space and a poro-elastic mixed phase. We consider the derivation in the limit of large deformation and show that by solving representative problems on the micro-scale we can parametrize the macro-scale equations. To validate the homogenization procedure, we compare the predictions of the homogenized equations with those of the full equations for a range of different geometries and material properties. We show that the results differ by≲2%for all cases considered. The success of the homogenization scheme means that it can be used to determine the macro-scale poro-elastic properties of soils from the underlying structure. Hence, it will prove a valuable tool in both characterization and optimization.
Imitation of novel conspecific and human speech sounds in the killer whale (Orcinus orca)
Authors: Abramson José Z. , Hernández-Lloreda Mª Victoria , García Lino , Colmenares Fernando , Aboitiz Francisco , Call Josep
Published: January 2018

Vocal imitation is a hallmark of human spoken language, which, along with other advanced cognitive skills, has fuelled the evolution of human culture. Comparative evidence has revealed that although the ability to copy sounds from conspecifics is mostly uniquely human among primates, a few distantly related taxa of birds and mammals have also independently evolved this capacity. Remarkably, field observations of killer whales have documented the existence of group-differentiated vocal dialects that are often referred to as traditions or cultures and are hypothesized to be acquired non-genetically. Here we use ado-as-I-doparadigm to study the abilities of a killer whale to imitate novel sounds uttered by conspecific (vocal imitative learning) and human models (vocal mimicry). We found that the subject made recognizable copies of all familiar and novel conspecific and human sounds tested and did so relatively quickly (most during the first 10 trials and three in the first attempt). Our results lend support to the hypothesis that the vocal variants observed in natural populations of this species can be socially learned by imitation. The capacity for vocal imitation shown in this study may scaffold the natural vocal traditions of killer whales in the wild.
Redirected aggression as a conflict management tactic in the social cichlid fishJulidochromis regani
Authors: Ito Munehiko H. , Yamaguchi Motoomi , Kutsukake Nobuyuki
Published: January 2018

Conflict management consists of social behaviours that reduce the costs of conflict among group members. Redirected aggression—that is, when a recently attacked individual attacks a third party immediately after the original aggression—is considered a conflict management tactic, as it may reduce the victim's probability of being the object of further aggression. Redirected aggression has been reported in many vertebrates, but few quantitative studies have been conducted on this behaviour in fishes. We examined the function of redirected aggression inJulidochromis regani, a social cichlid fish. Behavioural experiments showed that redirected aggression functioned to divert the original aggressor's attention towards a third party and to pre-empt an attack towards the victim by the third-party individual, specifically among females. We found, however, that redirected aggression did not delay the recurrence of aggression by the original aggressor. These results suggest that a primary function of redirected aggression is to maintain the dominance of its actor against a subordinate occupying an adjacent rank. This study provides, to our knowledge, the first evidence that redirected aggression functions to manage conflict in social fish.
Data mining and classification of polycystic ovaries in pelvic ultrasound reports
Authors: Cheng J. Jojo , Mahalingaiah Shruthi
Published: January 2018

Objectives

To develop and evaluate the performance of a rules-based classifier and a gradient boosted tree model for automatic feature extraction and classification of polycystic ovary morphology (PCOM) in pelvic ultrasounds

Methods

Pelvic ultrasound reports from patients at Boston Medical Center between October 1, 2003 and December 12, 2016 were included for analysis, which resulted in 39,093 ultrasound reports from 25,535 unique women. Following the 2003 Rotterdam Consensus Criteria for polycystic ovary syndrome, 2000 randomly selected ultrasounds were manually labeled for PCOM status as present, absent, or unidentifiable. Half of the labeled data was used as a training set, and the other half was used as a test set.

Results

On the test set of 1000 random US reports, the accuracy of rules-based classifier (RBC) was 97.6% (95% CI: 96.5%, 98.5%) and 96.1% (94.7%, 97.2%) for the gradient boosted tree model (GBT). Both models were more adept at identifying non-PCOM ultrasounds than either unidentifiable or PCOM ultrasounds. The two classifiers estimated prevalence of PCOM within our population’s ultrasounds to be about 44%, unidentifiable 32%, and PCOM 24%.

Conclusions

Although accuracy measured on the test set and inter-rater agreement between the two classifiers (Cohen’s Kappa = 0.988) was high, a major limitation of our approach is that it uses the ultrasound report text as a proxy and does not directly count follicles from the ultrasound images themselves.
Cocaine Self-Administration and Time-dependent Decreases in Prelimbic Activity
Authors: Dennis Torry S. , Jhou Thomas C. , McGinty Jacqueline F.
Published: January 2018

Cocaine self-administration causes dephosphorylation of proteins in prelimbic (PL) cortex that mediate excitation-transcription coupling, suggesting that cocaine causes decreased activity in PL neurons. Thus, we used in vivo single-unit extracellular recordings in awake, behaving rats to measure activity in PL neurons before, during, and after cocaine self-administration on the first and last session day (range 12-14 days). On the last day, cocaine suppressed 52% of recorded neurons in the PL cortex when compared to a 20 min baseline, significantly more than the 23% of neurons suppressed on the first day of cocaine. There was no change in the percentage of neurons that were excited on the first vs. the last day of self-administration (14% vs. 13%, respectively). To determine whether the tonic inhibitory shift was induced by the behavior or by the drug itself, rats received a final session in which cocaine availability was delayed for the first 30 min or in which cocaine was administered non-contingently in the absence of levers or cues in a subset of rats. These manipulations indicated that cocaine was both necessary and sufficient to induce a downshift in PL neuronal activity. However, this activity decrease was not observed in rats that received only non-contingent cocaine for 12-14 days, indicating that contingency during self-administration training contributes to the cocaine-induced tonic downshift in PL activity. These data suggest that the session-by-session decrease in PL neuronal activity induced by cocaine is a reflection of learned drug-seeking behavior and, hence, reducing this inhibition may lessen cocaine addiction.
Honesty needs no cost: beneficial signals can be honest and evolutionarily stable
Authors: Számadó Szabolcs
Published: January 2018

How and why animals communicate honestly is a key issue in biology. The role of signal cost is strongly entrenched in the maintenance in honest signalling. The handicap principle claims that honest signals have to be costly at the equilibrium and this cost is a theoretical necessity. The handicap principle further claims that signalling is fundamentally different from any other adaptation because honest signalling would collapse in the absence of cost. Here I investigate this claim in simple action-response game where signals do not have any cost, instead they have benefits. I show that such beneficial signals can be honest and evolutionarily stable. These signals can be beneficial to both high and low-quality signallers independently of the receiver’s response, yet they can maintain honest signalling just as much as costly signals. Signal cost-at or out of equilibrium-is not a necessary condition of honesty. Benefit functions can maintain honest signalling as long as the marginal cost-loss of benefit-is high enough for potential cheaters.
Prospective control of movement in the basal ganglia
Authors: Lee David N. , Georgopoulos Apostolos P. , Pepping Gert-Jan
Published: January 2018

Neural systems control purposeful movements both within an animal’s body (e.g., pumping blood) and in the environment (e.g., reaching). This is vital for all animals. The movement control functions of globus pallidus (GP), subthalamic nucleus (STN) and zona incerta (ZI) were analyzed in monkeys reaching for seen targets. Temporal profiles of their hand movements and the synchronized pattern of neuropower (rate of flow of electrochemical energy) through the basal ganglia were analyzed in terms of general tau theory of movement control (Lee et al., 2009), using the variable rho (=1/tau). The results suggest: (i) the neuroinformation for controlling movement is the relative-rate-of-change, rho, of neuropower in the nervous system; (ii) GP is involved in creating prescriptive rhos of neuropower to guide movements; (iii) STN is involved in registering perceptual rhos of neuropower to monitor the movement; (iv) ZI is involved in combining the prescriptive and perceptual rhos of neuropower to generate performatory rhos of neuropower to activate the muscles to produce the movement. Possible implications for Parkinson’s disease are discussed.
Reconciling S-LDSC and LDAK models and functional enrichment estimates
Authors: Gazal Steven , Marquez-Luna Carla , Finucane Hilary K. , Price Alkes L.
Published: January 2018

Recent work has highlighted the importance of accounting for linkage disequilibrium (LD)-dependent genetic architectures in analyses of heritability, motivating the development of the baseline-LD model used by stratified LD score regression (S-LDSC) and the LDAK model. Although both models include LD-dependent effects, they produce very different estimates of functional enrichment (with larger estimates using the baseline-LD model), leading to different interpretations of the functional architecture of complex traits. Here, we perform formal model comparisons and empirical analyses to reconcile these findings. First, by performing model comparisons using a likelihood approach, we determined that the baseline-LD model attains likelihoods across 16 UK Biobank traits that are substantially higher than the LDAK model. Second, we determined that S-LDSC using a combined model (unlike methods that use the LDAK or baseline-LD models) produces robust enrichment estimates in simulations under both the LDAK and baseline-LD models, validating the combined model as a gold standard. Third, in analyses of 16 UK Biobank traits, we determined that enrichment estimates obtained by S-LDSC using the combined model were nearly identical to those obtained by S-LDSC using the baseline-LD model (concordance correlation coefficient ρc = 0.99), but were larger than those obtained using LDAK (ρc = 0.54). Notably, LDAK enrichment estimates were much higher for a non-default version of LDAK that models SNPs in perfect LD differently by assigning non-zero weights to all SNPs. Our results support the use of the baseline-LD model and confirm the existence of functional annotations that are highly enriched for complex trait heritability.
Escherichia coliβ-clamp slows down DNA polymerase I dependent nick translation while accelerating ligation
Authors: Bhardwaj Amit , Ghose Debarghya , Thakur Krishan Gopal , Dutta Dipak
Published: January 2018

The nick translation property of DNA polymerase I (Pol I) ensures the maturation of Okazaki fragments by removing primer RNAs and facilitating ligation. However, prolonged nick translation traversing downstream DNA is an energy wasting futile process, as Pol I simultaneously polymerizes and depolymerizes at the nick sites utilizing energy-rich dNTPs. Using anin vitroassay system, we demonstrate that the β-clamp of theEscherichia colireplisome strongly inhibits nick translation on the DNA substrate. To do so, β-clamp inhibits the strand displacement activity of Pol I by interfering with the interaction between the finger subdomain of Pol I and the downstream primer-template junction. Conversely, β-clamp stimulates the 5’ exonuclease property of Pol I to cleave single nucleotides or shorter oligonucleotide flaps. This single nucleotide flap removal at high frequency increases the probability of ligation between the upstream and downstream DNA strands at an early phase, terminating nick translation. Besides β-clamp-mediated ligation helps DNA ligase to seal the nick promptly during the maturation of Okazaki fragments.
CozEa and CozEb play overlapping and essential roles in controlling cell division inStaphylococcus aureus
Authors: Stamsås Gro Anita , Myrbråten Ine Storaker , Straume Daniel , Salehian Zhian , Veening Jan-Willem , Håvarstein Leiv Sigve , Kjos Morten
Published: January 2018

Staphylococcus aureusneeds to control the position and timing of cell division and cell wall synthesis to maintain its spherical shape. We identified two membrane proteins, named CozEa and CozEb, which together are important for proper cell division inS. aureus. CozEa and CozEb are homologs of the cell elongation regulator CozESpnofStreptococcus pneumoniae. WhilecozEaandcozEbwere not essential individually, the ΔcozEaΔcozEbdouble mutant was lethal. To study the functions ofcozEaandcozEb, we constructed a CRISPR interference (CRISPRi) system forS. aureus, allowing transcriptional knockdown of essential genes. CRISPRi knockdown ofcozEain the ΔcozEbstrain (and vice versa) causes cell morphological defects and aberrant nucleoid staining, showing thatcozEaandcozEbhave overlapping functions and are important for normal cell division. We found that CozEa and CozEb interact with the cell division protein EzrA, and that EzrA-GFP mislocalizes in the absence of CozEa and CozEb. Furthermore, the CozE-EzrA interaction is conserved inS. pneumoniae, and cell division is mislocalized incozESpn-depletedS. pneumoniaecells. Together, our results show that CozE proteins mediate control of cell division inS. aureusandS. pneumoniae, likely via interactions with key cell division proteins such as EzrA.
Sequence Alignment Through the Looking Glass
Authors: Appuswamy Raja , Fellay Jacques , Chaturvedi Nimisha
Published: January 2018

Rapid advances in sequencing technologies are producing genomic data on an unprecedented scale. The first, and often one of the most time consuming, step of genomic data analysis is sequence alignment, where sequenced reads must be aligned to a reference genome. Several years of research on alignment algorithms has led to the development of several state-of-the-art sequence aligners that can map tens of thousands of reads per second.

In this work, we answer the question “How do sequence aligners utilize modern processors?” We examine four state-of-the-art aligners running on an Intel processor and identify that all aligners leave the processor substantially underutilized. We perform an in-depth microarchitectural analysis to explore the interaction between aligner software and processor hardware. We identify bottlenecks that lead to processor underutilization and discuss the implications of our analysis on next-generation sequence aligner design.
S-Benzyl 3-[1-(6-methylpyridin-2-yl)ethylidene]dithiocarbazate: crystal structure and Hirshfeld surface analysis
Authors: Omar Siti Aminah , Chah Chee Keong , Ravoof Thahira B. S. A. , Jotani Mukesh M. , Tiekink Edward R. T.
Published: January 2018

In the title dithiocarbazate ester, C16H17N3S2 (systematic name: (Z)-{[(benzylsulfanyl)methanethioyl]amino}[1-(6-methylpyridin-2-yl)ethylidene]amine), the central methylidenehydrazinecarbodithioate (C2N2S2) core is almost planar (r.m.s. deviation = 0.0111 Å) and forms dihedral angles of 71.67 (3)° with the approximately orthogonally inclined thioester phenyl ring, and 7.16 (7)° with the approximately coplanar substituted pyridyl ring. The latter arrangement and the Z configuration about the imine-C=N bond allows for the formation of an intramolecular hydrazine-N—H...N(pyridyl) hydrogen bond that closes an S(6) loop. In the crystal, phenyl-C—H...S(thione), methylene-C—H...π(pyridyl), methylene- and phenyl-C—H...π(phenyl) contacts connect molecules into supramolecular layers propagating in the bc plane; the layers stack along the a axis with no directional interactions between them. The analysis of the Hirshfeld surface indicates the relative importance of an intralayer phenyl-H...H(pyridyl) contact upon the molecular packing.
Balancing self/collective-interest: equity theory for prosocial consumption
Authors: M. Ross Spencer , Kapitan Sommer
Published: January 2018

Purpose

This work aims to use equity theory to explore how consumers assess prosocial actions as part of a mental portfolio of purchases and behaviors in a broader marketplace, seeking balance in market exchanges. Conceptualizing marketing exchange as both an exchange of perceived value and a balance between self- and collective-interest allows for segmentation by consumer sensitivity to equity and sheds light on why prosocial consumption might occur.

Design/methodology/approach

Two studies validate and segment consumers via their equity sensitivity. Between-subject designs with samples of consumers and marketing managers validate an equity sensitivity index that segments how people balance self- and collective-interests in marketplace exchange and predicts prosocial consumption choices.

Findings

The results indicate that Entitled decision makers are more willing to exchange collective-interest for self-interest and emphasize choices that maximize lower prices for consumers or greater profits for firms in lieu of prosocial outcomes. Benevolent decision makers, however, are more willing to exchange self-interest for collective-interest and support prosocial outcomes.

Originality/value

This work moves beyond research that focuses on attitudes, values and situational factors, instead using equity theory to uncover broader marketplace motivations for prosocial consumption. The research reveals that a motivating force behind prosocial consumption is how much consumers perceive they have given to, and gotten, from, the marketplace. Segmenting the market according to how consumers balance gains and losses provides an alternate approach to studying prosocial consumption, as well as a practical approach to developing targeted marketing strategies.
Authentic leadership and work engagement: the mediating effect of practicing core values
Authors: Oh Jihye , Cho Daeyeon , Lim Doo Hun
Published: January 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the mediating effect of practicing core values on the relationship between authentic leadership and work engagement in a Korean corporate environment.

Design/methodology/approach

Self-report data on authentic leadership, practicing core values, and work engagement were obtained from 281 employees of three major corporations in South Korea. Structural equation modeling was adopted to analyze the data.

Findings

The results revealed a direct and significant influence of authentic leadership on both practicing core values and work engagement. In addition, practicing core values was found to have a partial mediating effect on the relationship between authentic leadership and work engagement.

Research limitations/implications

This study revealed a three-factor model of authentic leadership compared to the four-factor model found in western cultural contexts. Similar findings are indicated for other Asian countries. A rigorous future study is warranted to validate the psychometric structure across different cultural settings. Harman’s single factor test was performed to address the common method variance issue.

Practical implications

Practicing core values functioned as a catalyst for developing authentic leaders. Therefore, it is necessary that organizational development practitioners perform developmental activities to purposefully facilitate practicing core values.

Originality/value

The study falls under the isolated or disregarded researched topic of the practicing core values in relation to authentic leadership and work engagement.
Clinical experience of ingenol mebutate gel for the treatment of Bowen's disease
Authors: Lee Dong Won , Ahn Hyo Hyun , Kye Young Chul , Seo Soo Hong
Published: January 2018

There are only a few anecdotal case reports about Bowen's disease (BD) treated with ingenol mebutate (IM) gel but no clinical study has been published yet. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of IM gel in the treatment of BD and to observe the therapeutic efficacy of IM alone or IM with ablative fractional laser pretreatment. Nineteen patients with BD or squamous cell carcinoma in situ confirmed by skin biopsy were enrolled. IM was applied with 0.015% gel on facial lesions for 3 days consecutively and 0.05% gel on other sites for 2 days consecutively, with a 5‐mm application margin around the visible lesion. Nine patients applied IM gel immediately following fractional CO2 laser treatment. Two patients were lost to follow up and a total of 17 patients were enrolled. Nine patients (9/17, 52.9%) had a clinically complete response at 2 months after treatment. Among the patients treated with the fractional CO2 laser before applying IM gel, eight (8/9, 88.9%) showed a complete response and one (1/9, 11.1%) showed partial response. Among the patients treated with IM gel alone, only one patient (1/8, 12.5%) showed a complete response, four (4/8, 50%) showed a partial response and three (3/8, 37.5%) did not respond to therapy. IM gel alone seems to have limited value for treatment of BD; however, a combination therapy with the ablative fractional laser can increase its therapeutic effectiveness.
Mass‐independent maximal metabolic rate predicts geographic range size of placental mammals
Authors: Hayes Jack P. , Feldman Chris R. , Araújo Miguel B.
Published: January 2018

Understanding the mechanisms driving geographic range sizes of species is a central issue in ecology, but remarkably few rules link physiology with the distributions of species. Maximal metabolic rate (MMR) during exercise is an important measure of physiological performance. It sets an upper limit to sustained activity and locomotor capacity, so MMR may influence ability to migrate, disperse and maintain population connectivity. Using both conventional ordinary least squares (OLS) analyses and phylogenetically generalized least squares (PGLS), we tested whether MMR helps explain geographic range size in 51 species of placental mammals.

Log body mass alone (OLS r2 = .074, p = .053; PGLS r2 = .016, p = .373) and log MMR alone (OLS r2 = .140, p = .007; PGLS r2 = .061, p = .081) were weak predictors of log range size.

However, multiple regression of log body mass and log MMR accounted for over half of the variation in log range size (OLS R2 = .527, p < .001). The relationship was also strong after correcting for the phylogenetic non‐independence (PGLS R2 = .417, p < .001).

In analyses restricted to rodents (34 species), neither log body mass alone (OLS r2 = .004, p = .720; PGLS r2 = .003, p = .77) nor log MMR alone was useful in predicting log geographic range size (OLS r2 = .008, p = .626; PGLS r2 = .046, p = .225), but multiple regressions of log body mass and log MMR accounted for roughly a third to a half of the variation in log range size (OLS R2 = .443, p < .001, PGLS R2 = .381, p < .001).

Mass‐independent MMR is a strong predictor of mass‐independent geographic range size in placental mammals. The ability of body mass and MMR to explain nearly 50% of the variation in the geographic ranges of mammals is surprising and powerful, particularly when neither variable alone is strongly predictive.

A better understanding of MMR during exercise may be important to understanding the limits of geographic ranges of mammals, and perhaps other animal groups.

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Hot Spots of Crime and Place‐Based Prevention
Authors: Weisburd David
Published: January 2018

The August Vollmer Award Address is intended to focus on contributions to justice and on the recipient's research and policy experiences. This contribution begins with the recipient recapping his personal journey to recognizing hot spots of crime and their importance for prevention. He then goes on to summarize the “law of crime concentration” and its importance for the logic model underlying this approach. He describes the seminal Minneapolis Hot Spots Patrol Experiment and the subsequent evaluation research in hot‐spots policing and place‐based prevention more generally that led to its broad acceptance as an effective crime prevention strategy. Finally, the author turns to key unanswered questions in place‐based prevention, focusing on police legitimacy, identifying jurisdictional effects, and emphasizing the importance of harnessing informal social controls.
Evidence for selective avoidance of traffic noise by anuran amphibians
Authors: Grace M. K. , Noss R. F.
Published: January 2018

Roads create many challenges for conservation, and amphibians are particularly vulnerable to their negative effects. This experiment evaluates the impact that traffic noise has on amphibian populations, specifically anurans (frogs and toads). It is thought that traffic noise may act to reduce population abundances; however, it is difficult to disentangle the impact of noise from other road effects, such as roadkill and chemical pollution. To test this, we created a ‘phantom road’ by playing different traffic noise treatments in three roadless areas and measured resulting anuran abundance using vocalizations as a proxy. We also tested the vocalizations of one species, the Oak Toad Anaxyrus quercicus for changes in response to noise. We found that broadcasting traffic noise caused a significant reduction in vocalizations heard, but, intriguingly, we did not observe this effect when the traffic noise was digitally altered to remove frequencies that overlap with anuran vocalizations. This suggests that avoidance of traffic noise could be a tactic that increases the success of communication with conspecifics. We also found that Oak Toads increase the redundancy of their calls in response to traffic noise, but not in response to the altered noise.