bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Editorial Perspective: The use of person‐first language in scholarly writing may accentuate stigma
Authors: Gernsbacher Morton Ann
Published: June 2017

Numerous style guides, including those issued by the American Psychological and the American Psychiatric Associations, prescribe that writers use only person‐first language so that nouns referring to persons (e.g. children) always precede phrases referring to characteristics (e.g. children with typical development). Person‐first language is based on the premise that everyone, regardless of whether they have a disability, is a person‐first, and therefore everyone should be referred to with person‐first language. However, my analysis of scholarly writing suggests that person‐first language is used more frequently to refer to children with disabilities than to refer to children without disabilities; person‐first language is more frequently used to refer to children with disabilities than adults with disabilities; and person‐first language is most frequently used to refer to children with the most stigmatized disabilities. Therefore, the use of person‐first language in scholarly writing may actually accentuate stigma rather than attenuate it. Recommendations are forwarded for language use that may reduce stigma.
Plasma microRNA‐16‐5p, ‐17‐5p and ‐20a‐5p: Novel diagnostic biomarkers for gestational diabetes mellitus
Authors: Cao Ya‐Lei , Jia Yan‐Ju , Xing Bao‐Heng , Shi Dan‐Dan , Dong Xiu‐Juan
Published: June 2017

Aim

To explore whether plasma microRNA‐16‐5p, ‐17‐5p and ‐20a‐5p can be used as diagnostic biomarkers in gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and to investigate the relationship between those microRNAs and the risk factors of GDM (body mass index [BMI], insulin resistance [IR] and tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α)).

Methods

A total of 85 pregnant women with GDM and 72 pregnant women without GDM were enrolled in this study. The plasma concentration of microRNAs (microRNA‐16‐5p, ‐17‐5p, ‐19a‐3p, ‐19b‐3p, ‐20a‐5p) was measured using quantitative reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR). Spearman's correlation analysis was used to evaluate the correlation between those microRNAs and the risk factors of GDM, and receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was used to evaluate diagnostic sensitivity and specificity.

Results

Compared with non‐GDM women, the relative and absolute expression of plasma microRNA‐16‐5p, ‐17‐5p, ‐20a‐5p from GDM women were significantly upregulated, when those women were diagnosed as GDM. During pregnancy, the expression of those microRNAs from GDM women also were significantly upregulated. The expression of those microRNAs was also positively correlated with IR, a risk factor of GDM. Plasma microRNA‐16‐5p, ‐17‐5p, ‐20a‐5p reflected an obvious separation between GDM women and non‐GDM women, with areas under the curve of 0.92 (95%CI: 0.871–0.984), 0.88 (95%CI: 0.798–0.962), and 0.74 (95%CI: 0.618–0.870), respectively, cut‐offs >2554, 1820, 3886 copies/μL, respectively; sensitivity 41.6%, 21.4% and 17.8%, respectively; and specificity 95.8%, 95.4% and 95.4%, respectively.

Conclusion

Plasma microRNA‐16‐5p, ‐17‐5p and ‐20a‐5p are potential diagnostic biomarkers in GDM.
A focus group approach to understanding food‐related emotions with children using words and emojis
Authors: Gallo Katherine E. , Swaney‐Stueve Marianne , Chambers Delores H.
Published: June 2017

Focus groups were conducted to understand children's use of emotion words and emojis to describe reactions to foods. A total of 17 children, ages 8–11, in three groups of 4–8, were asked to use words and emojis to describe how they felt in response to self‐selected favorite, least favorite, and “just okay” foods before, during, and after recalled consumption occasions. Participants also provided responses to three food interventions before tasting, after tasting, and after seeing product packaging. In addition, the group discussed emotion words and emoji valence. Although children initially were concerned with product characteristics, such as flavor, when explaining their food preferences, participants readily used both words and emojis in discussion and activities to communicate how foods made them feel. Words and emojis not considered for further testing were either infrequently used, redundant (based on children's usage), or not used to describe a feeling in response to a stimulus. Based on children's use of the words and emojis through discussion and activities, a list of 51 words and 38 emojis were considered appropriate for further emotion testing with children ages 8–11.

Practical applications

This research addresses the need for a food emotion tool for use with children. The findings show that children are able to use both words and emojis to describe their emotions in response to varied products. The resulting lists of words and emojis can be used in subsequent quantitative testing with children.
Healthy Futures: Engaging the oral health community in childhood obesity prevention – Conference summary and recommendations
Authors: Garcia Raul I. , Kleinman Dushanka , Holt Katrina , Battrell Ann , Casamassimo Paul , Grover Jane , Tinanoff Norman
Published: June 2017

Childhood obesity is a major public health problem. An association between obesity and dental caries, the most prevalent disease of childhood, has been identified. One explanation for the association is that consumption of sugar‐sweetened beverages and frequent snacking on carbohydrate‐rich foods are common risk factors for development of both obesity and caries. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) has been at the forefront of national efforts to promote healthy weight in children. As part of these efforts, RWJF sponsored the Healthy Futures: Engaging the Oral Health Community in Childhood Obesity Prevention National Conference, held on November 3–4, 2016, at Georgetown University in Washington, DC. The aim of the conference was to increase awareness of evidence‐based recommendations; identify strategies; and promote collaborative efforts that oral health professionals, oral‐health‐related organizations, and others can employ to prevent childhood obesity. This report summarizes the findings presented at the conference and discusses their implications. The report also reviews recommendations made in the areas of research, education, and policy that resulted from the conference.
Amphiphilic naproxen prodrugs: differential scanning calorimetry study on their interaction with phospholipid bilayers
Authors: Giuffrida Maria Chiara , Pignatello Rosario , Castelli Francesco , Sarpietro Maria Grazia
Published: June 2017

Objectives

Naproxen, a nonsteroid anti-inflammatory drug studied for Alzheimer's disease, was conjugated with lipoamino acids (LAA) directly or through a diethylamine (EDA) spacer to improve the drug lipophilicity and the interaction with phospholipid bilayers.

Methods

The interaction of naproxen and its prodrugs with biomembrane models consisting of dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine multilamellar vesicles was studied by differential scanning calorimetry. The transfer of prodrugs from a lipophilic carrier to a biomembrane model was also studied.

Key findings

Naproxen conjugation to lipoamino acids improves its interaction with biomembrane models and affects the transfer from a lipophilic carrier to biomembrane model. LAA portion may localize between the phospholipid chains; the entity of the interaction depends not only on the presence of the spacer but also on the LAA chain length.

Conclusions

Variation of LAA portion can modulate the naproxen prodrugs affinity towards the biological membrane as well as towards the lipophilic carrier.
Denervation effectively aggravates rat experimental periodontitis
Authors: Yu X. , Gong Z. , Lin Q. , Wang W. , Liu S. , Li S.
Published: June 2017

Background

Nerve and its related factors in the occurrence and development of periodontitis are worthy of further study. Denervation research is a useful addition to nerve and innervation studies. The aim of this study is to establish a rat model of inferior alveolar nerve transection combined with ligature‐induced periodontitis to elucidate the effects of denervation on ligature‐induced rat periodontitis.

Material and Methods

Sixty‐four Wistar rats were distributed to the four groups randomly: ligation (L); denervation (D); ligation+denervation (LD); and normal (N) as control. A ligation‐inducing rat experimental periodontitis model was established in the L and LD groups. Rats in the D and LD groups also underwent the transection of the right inferior alveolar nerve simultaneously. Four weeks after the operation, the mandibles were taken out for micro‐computed tomography analysis. Osteoclast number was observed through TRAP staining. The gingival tissues around the first molars were homogenized and measured by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay for interleukin (IL)‐1β and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‐α. Collagen fibers were observed using Picro‐Sirius Red staining. Nuclear factor (NF)‐κB p65 and IκBα phosphorylation and osteoprotegerin (OPG)/receptor activator of NF‐κB ligand (RANKL) ratio in the gingival tissues were detected by western blotting.

Results

Denervation strongly promoted ligature‐induced alveolar bone loss in the LD group. The alveolar bone loss of the LD group was significantly increased compared with the L group. Furthermore, denervation aggravated trabecular bone breakdown in the bone specific parameters, including percentage bone area, trabecular thickness and bone mineral density. Increased TRAP‐positive osteoclasts were detected in alveolar bone of the LD group. More serious collagen fiber destructions and increased expressions of IL‐1β and TNF‐α were found in the LD group. NF‐κB p65 and IκBα phosphorylation were also significantly upregulated in the LD group. OPG/RANKL ratio in the gingival extracts was markedly decreased in the LD group compared with the L group. Decreased OPG/RANKL ratio was observed in the D group, compared with the N group.

Conclusion

Denervation effectively aggravates ligature‐induced rat periodontitis by the NF‐κB signaling pathway for excessive production of IL‐1β and TNF‐α and increased osteoclasts for decreased OPG/RANKL ratio. The rat model of inferior alveolar nerve transection that combined ligature‐induced periodontitis provides an animal model to observe further the change of nerve‐related factors in the occurrence and development of periodontitis, so as to select positive nerve‐related factors to regulate inflammation and promote periodontal regeneration in the future.
Explicit Instruction: Historical and Contemporary Contexts
Authors: Hughes Charles A. , Morris Jared R. , Therrien William J. , Benson Sarah K.
Published: June 2017

Over the past 20‐plus years, the instructional approach referred to as “explicit instruction” has been increasingly mentioned as an instructional method in the learning disabilities literature. Explicit instruction is not a unitary intervention, but can be a combination of over a dozen teaching behaviors or components used to design and deliver instruction. This multicomponent aspect likely contributes to the variability of the descriptions and definitions of explicit instruction found in journals, books, and other published documents. Because explicit instruction has become a prominent and often discussed topic in special education, we attempt to define and describe the term more precisely in order to increase the clarity and consistency of its use in both research and practice. In addition, we expand our discussion to include a brief historical perspective of the evolution of explicit instruction from earlier programs and research efforts such as “Direct Instruction” and “direct instruction,” as well as providing a summary of its effectiveness, especially for students with learning disabilities.
Delivery mode and breastfeeding outcomes among new mothers in Nicaragua
Authors: Kiani Sara N. , Rich Katherine M. , Herkert Darby , Safon Cara , Pérez‐Escamilla Rafael
Published: June 2017

Breastfeeding has been shown to benefit infants and mothers. Women who have caesarean deliveries (C‐sections) are expected to be less likely to initiate and continue breastfeeding than those who have vaginal deliveries. Given the high rate of C‐sections in Nicaragua, the importance of breastfeeding, and the centrality of culture in choices about breastfeeding, this study sought to examine if mode of delivery relates with breastfeeding initiation and exclusivity in Nicaragua. Two hundred fifty mothers were surveyed about birth experiences and breastfeeding behaviour in 3 public clinics in León, Nicaragua, between June and August 2015. Logistic regression analyses were performed to examine the association of mode of delivery with initiation of breastfeeding within 1 hr of birth (early initiation) and exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months post‐partum. The rate of early initiation was 68.8% and that of exclusively breastfeeding for 6 months was 12.7%. Mode of delivery was not significantly associated with early initiation (p = .383) or exclusive breastfeeding (p = .518). Early initiation was negatively associated with prelacteal feeding, AOR = 0.30, 95% CI [0.16, 0.58]; p = .001. Mothers who had perceived their infants as large at birth were significantly less likely to exclusively breastfeed for 6 months, AOR (95%CI) = 0.25 (0.06–0.97); p = 0.046. Mode of delivery was not significantly associated with optimal breastfeeding initiation and exclusivity among mothers in Nicaragua. The 2 risk factors identified for delayed initiation of breastfeeding and lack of exclusive breastfeeding were prelacteal feeding and maternal perception of a large infant at birth, respectively.
Childhood preoperative anxiolysis: Is sedation and distraction better than either alone? A prospective randomized study
Authors: Sola Chrystelle , Lefauconnier Audrey , Bringuier Sophie , Raux Olivier , Capdevila Xavier , Dadure Christophe
Published: June 2017

Background

Preoperative anxiety management receives special attention in pediatric anesthesia. Different pharmacological and nonpharmacological techniques can be employed. This study was designed to assess three different strategies for childhood preoperative anxiolysis: midazolam premedication, midazolam in combination with portable Digital Video‐Disk player, or video distraction strategy alone.

Methods

In this prospective randomized study, children aged 2‐12 years were assigned to one of the three study groups. The primary outcome was a change in preoperative children's anxiety, from baseline (before transfer to the preanesthetic holding area) to separation from parents, assessed by the Modified Yale Preoperative Anxiety Scale (mYPAS) and the Visual Analog Anxiety Scale (VAS‐Anxiety). Delirium emergence, postoperative pain, and parental satisfaction were also collected.

Results

One hundred and thirty‐five patients were enrolled. The three preventive strategies allowed control of preoperative distress. Within the three study groups, no significant change was objectified in the anxiety level from baseline to separation from parents (mean change in mYPAS midazolam group: 2.4 95% CI [−1.7 to 6.3]; midazolam+Digital Video‐Disk group: −1.0 95% CI [−5.9 to 3]; and Digital Video‐Disk group: 1.4 95% CI [−4 to 6.7]). Comparison of change in preoperative children's anxiety between the groups did not show any difference. Emergence delirium, postoperative pain scores, and analgesic consumption were similar between the groups and parents' satisfaction was excellent.

Conclusion

Both pharmacological premedication and video distraction are effective strategies for controlling preoperative childhood anxiety. The combination of midazolam and Digital Video‐Disk player was not better than either alone.
Taxonomical diversity of Pseudo‐nitzschia from the Central Adriatic Sea
Authors: Arapov Jasna , Skejić Sanda , Bužančić Mia , Bakrač Ana , Vidjak Olja , Bojanić Natalia , Ujević Ivana , Gladan Živana N.
Published: June 2017

The aim of our research was to study the composition of Pseudo‐nitzschia species during a period when neurotoxin domoic acid (DA) was present in shellfish. Sampling was conducted in Kaštela Bay (Central Adriatic Sea), between November 2015 and January 2016. Concentrations of DA analyzed in various shellfish species were low, below the regulatory limit, while the highest abundance of Pseudo‐nitzschia spp. reached 1.85 × 105 cells L−1 in the surface layer, at the beginning of November. Within the temperature and salinity range recorded during the investigated period, a positive correlation of Pseudo‐nitzschia spp. abundance was recorded with temperature. Morphological analyses by scanning electron microscopy revealed the presence of five Pseudo‐nitzschia species that had already been reported in the Adriatic Sea – P. calliantha, P. delicatissima, P. fraudulenta, P. pseudodelicatissima
/P. cuspidata and P. subfraudulenta – as well as an unknown Pseudo‐nitzschia sp. The composition of the Pseudo‐nitzschia assemblage changed over the investigated period. The species P. pseudodelicatissima/P.cuspidata was found throughout the entire period and the highest diversity was noticed in January, when all six observed species were recorded. These results represent the first taxonomical investigation of the genus Pseudo‐nitzschia in Kaštela Bay, as well as the first report of DA in shellfish from this area.
Stability and reliability of error‐related electromyography over the corrugator supercilii with increasing trials
Authors: Elkins‐Brown Nathaniel , Saunders Blair , He Frank , Inzlicht Michael
Published: June 2017

Electromyographic activity over the corrugator supercilii (cEMG), the primary facial muscle involved in negative emotions, is increased during the commission of errors on speeded reaction‐time tasks. In the present paper, data from two previously published studies were reanalyzed to investigate the reliability and stability of error‐related, correct‐related, and difference cEMG across increasing numbers of trials. For a modified go/no‐go and a flanker task, we found that error‐related cEMG was highly stable and reliable in 14 trials, and correct‐related cEMG between 56 and 82 trials, respectively. Given the typical number of trials used in studies of cognitive control, these findings suggest that many investigations of error monitoring are already sufficient to obtain acceptable error‐ and correct‐related cEMG signals. Error‐related cEMG activity is relatively easy to measure and, as such, it shows great promise for future research investigating the cognitive and affective mechanisms of error monitoring.
Froude supercritical flow bedforms in deepwater slope channels? Field examples in conglomerates, sandstones and fine‐grained deposits
Authors: Ono Kenya , Plink‐björklund Piret
Published: June 2017

Active margin continental slope outcrops from the Eocene Juncal Formation, the Eocene La Jolla Group and the Miocene Capistrano Formation display sedimentary structures and depositional geometries that suggest deposition from Froude supercritical flow, based on comparison to strata produced by flume experiments. These deposits range from boulder‐size soft clasts and cobble‐size hard clasts to silt and mud, and display long‐wavelength and low‐amplitude convex‐up and concave‐up geometries that range from centimetre to hundreds of metres scale, low‐angle foresets and backsets, and common internal and bounding erosion surfaces from centimetres to tens of metres in depth. In places, planar laminations, structureless beds and normally graded beds are laterally or vertically associated with such structures. In other places, consistent backsets or deep and steep‐sided scours occur. This study aimed to discuss the origin of the observed bedforms, contributed to recognition of supercritical flow deposits on continental slopes and expanded the outcrop examples of supercritical flow deposits to silt and mud. This work implies that the erosive and powerful Froude supercritical flow turbidity currents may have a substantial impact on erosional and depositional dynamics on deepwater slopes, especially on active margins due to the steep gradients and high sediment supply.
Evaluation of the Nigerian Urban Reproductive Health Initiative (NURHI) Program
Authors:   Measurement, Learning and Evaluation Project Nigeria Team
Published: June 2017

Gaps remain in understanding whether family planning (FP) programs can change urban women's FP behaviors. Even less is known about what works among poor urban women. This article presents results of the impact evaluation of the Nigerian Urban Reproductive Health Initiative (NURHI). Findings are based on recently collected longitudinal data from women and facilities in six cities in Nigeria. Over the four‐year follow‐up period, there was an increase of about ten percentage points in modern method use. Impact evaluation analyses using fixed‐effects regression methods indicate that both demand‐ and supply‐side program activities increased modern method use. Radio, television, community events, and living near program‐enrolled health facilities all significantly increased modern method use or were related to a desire for no more children among all women and among poor women. Results are discussed with an eye toward the design and scale‐up of future family planning programs in urban Nigeria and elsewhere in sub‐Saharan Africa.
Media work in change: Understanding the role of media professionals in times of digital transformation and convergence
Authors: Malmelin Nando , Villi Mikko
Published: June 2017

This article discusses media work and the changes that have swept the media industry from the vantage point of professionals working in media companies and organisations. The concept of media work guides towards new understanding about the media industry and media professions under digital transition. Media work indicates a move towards more diversified job tasks, closer cooperation among different media professions, increased commercial thinking, and interaction with audiences.
The sociology of U.S. gun culture
Authors: Yamane David
Published: June 2017

Despite the fact that a robust culture centered on the legal ownership and use of guns by law‐abiding gun owners exists in the United States, there is no sociology of U.S. gun culture. Rather, the social scientific study of guns is dominated by criminological and epidemiological studies of gun violence. As a corrective to this oversight, I outline what a sociology of U.S. gun culture should look like. In the first section, I give a brief history of U.S. gun culture from the founding era through the 1960s. Guns began as tools of necessity in the colonies and on the frontier, but evolved into equipment for sport hunting and shooting, as well as desired commodities for collecting. The second section examines these recreational pursuits which formed the core of U.S. gun culture for most of the 20th century. Although recreation remains an important segment, the central emphasis of U.S. gun culture has gradually shifted to armed self‐defense over the course of the past half‐century. The third section examines the rise of this culture of armed citizenship, what I call “Gun Culture 2.0,” the current iteration of the country's historic gun culture. I conclude by suggesting important avenues for future research.
Changing tides: Mothers’ supportive emotion socialization relates negatively to third‐grade children's social adjustment in school
Authors: Castro Vanessa L. , Halberstadt Amy G. , Garrett‐Peters Patricia T.
Published: June 2017

Parents’ supportive reactions to children's negative emotions are thought to promote children's social adjustment. Research heretofore has implicitly assumed that such reactions are equally supportive of children's adjustment across ages. Recent findings challenge this assumption, suggesting that during middle childhood, socialization practices previously understood as supportive may in fact impede children's social adjustment. We explored this possibility in a sample of 203 third‐grade children and their mothers. Using structural equation modeling, we tested associations between mothers’ supportive (i.e., problem‐ and emotion‐focused) reactions to children's negative emotions and children's social skills and problems as reported by mothers and teachers. Mothers’ supportive reactions predicted greater social adjustment in children as reported by mothers. Inverse associations, however, were found with teachers’ reports of children's social adjustment: mothers’ supportive reactions predicted fewer socioemotional skills and more problem behaviors. These contrasting patterns suggest potential unperceived costs associated with mothers’ supportiveness of children's negative emotions for third‐grade children's social adjustment in school and highlight the importance of considering associations between socialization practices and children's various social contexts. The findings also highlight a need for greater consideration of what supportiveness means across different developmental periods.
Welfare Chauvinism in Populist Radical Right Platforms: The Role of Redistributive Justice Principles
Authors: Ennser‐Jedenastik Laurenz
Published: June 2017

Welfare chauvinism has become an important element in the agenda of the populist radical right. This article proposes a novel argument to explain variation in the strength of welfare chauvinist appeals across social policy programmes. It theorizes that the redistributive justice principles (equity, equality, and need) that underpin a social programme matter. Equality‐ and need‐based programmes are more likely to contradict a nativist worldview in principle or practice, whereas equity‐based schemes are less vulnerable to welfare chauvinistic appeals. As a consequence, welfare chauvinism should be targeted at social policies that provide universal or means‐tested benefits. Insurance‐based systems are more likely to be immune. This argument is tested through a qualitative content analysis of populist radical right election manifestos in four West European democracies. The results show that insurance‐based systems (pensions, unemployment) are less likely to attract welfare chauvinism, whereas universal healthcare and means‐tested social assistance programmes are more prone to draw nativist appeals. Universal family allowances, however, are less likely to attract welfare chauvinism than predicted by the theory.
Analogy and Abstraction
Authors: Gentner Dedre , Hoyos Christian
Published: June 2017

A central question in human development is how young children gain knowledge so fast. We propose that analogical generalization drives much of this early learning and allows children to generate new abstractions from experience. In this paper, we review evidence for analogical generalization in both children and adults. We discuss how analogical processes interact with the child's changing knowledge base to predict the course of learning, from conservative to domain‐general understanding. This line of research leads to challenges to existing assumptions about learning. It shows that (a) it is not enough to consider the distribution of examples given to learners; one must consider the processes learners are applying; (b) contrary to the general assumption, maximizing variability is not always the best route for maximizing generalization and transfer.
GBF1 differentially regulates CAT2 and PAD4 transcription to promote pathogen defense in Arabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Giri Mrunmay K. , Singh Nidhi , Banday Zeeshan Z. , Singh Vijayata , Ram Hathi , Singh Deepjyoti , Chattopadhyay Sudip , Nandi Ashis K.
Published: June 2017

G‐BOX BINDING FACTOR 1 (GBF1) influences light‐regulated seedling development in Arabidopsis, and inhibits CATALASE 2 (CAT2) expression during senescence. CAT2 functions as a scavenger of hydrogen peroxide. The role of GBF1 in the defense response is not known. We report here that GBF1 positively influences the defense against virulent and avirulent strains of Pseudomonas syringae. The gbf1 mutants are susceptible, whereas GBF1 over‐expresser transgenic plants are resistant to bacterial pathogens. GBF1 negatively regulates pathogen‐induced CAT2 expression and thereby positively regulates the hypersensitive response. In addition to CAT2 promoter, GBF1 binds to the G‐box‐like element present in the intron of PHYTOALEXIN DEFICIENT 4 (PAD4). This association of GBF1 with PAD4 intron is enhanced upon pathogenesis. GBF1 positively regulates PAD4 transcription in an intron‐dependent manner. GBF1‐mediated positive regulation of PAD4 expression is also evident in gbf1 mutant and GBF1 over‐expression lines. Similar to pad4 mutants, pathogen‐induced camalexin and salicylic acid (SA) accumulation, and expression of SA‐inducible PATHOGENESIS RELATED1 (PR1) gene are compromised in the gbf1 mutant. Exogenous application of SA rescues the loss‐of‐defense phenotypes of gbf1 mutant. Thus, altogether, our results demonstrate that GBF1 is an important component of the plant defense response that functions upstream of SA accumulation and, by oppositely regulating CAT2 and PAD4, promotes disease resistance in Arabidopsis.
Phytochelatin synthase OsPCS1 plays a crucial role in reducing arsenic levels in rice grains
Authors: Hayashi Shimpei , Kuramata Masato , Abe Tadashi , Takagi Hiroki , Ozawa Kenjirou , Ishikawa Satoru
Published: June 2017

Reduction of the level of arsenic (As) in rice grains is an important challenge for agriculture. A recent study reported that the OsABCC1 transporter prevents the accumulation of As in grains by sequestering As–phytochelatin complexes into vacuoles in the upper nodes. However, how phytochelatins are provided in response to As remains unclear. Here, we show that the phytochelatin synthase OsPCS1 plays a crucial role in reducing As levels in rice grains. Using a forward genetic approach, we isolated two rice mutants (has1andhas2) in which As levels were much higher in grains but significantly lower in node I compared with the wild type. Map‐based cloning identified the genes responsible asOsABCC1inhas1andOsPCS1inhas2. The levels of As in grains and node I were similar between the two mutants, suggesting that OsABCC1 preferentially cooperates with OsPCS1 to sequester As, although rice has another phytochelatin synthase, OsPCS2. Anin vitrophytochelatin synthesis assay indicated that OsPCS1 was more sensitive to activation by As than by cadmium, whereas OsPCS2 was more weakly activated by As than by cadmium. Transgenic plants highly expressingOsPCS1showed significantly lower As levels in grains than did wild‐type plants. Our results provide new knowledge of the relative contribution of ricePCSparalogs to As sequestration and suggest a good candidate tool to reduce As levels in rice grains.
Prospective evaluation of toceranib phosphate in metastatic canine osteosarcoma
Authors: Laver T. , London C. A. , Vail D. M. , Biller B. J. , Coy J. , Thamm D. H.
Published: June 2017

Efficacious therapies for measurable metastatic canine osteosarcoma (OSA) are generally lacking. Preliminary retrospective studies suggested that approximately 50% of dogs with measurable metastaticOSAexperienced clinical benefit (objective response or clinically meaningful disease stabilisation) following toceranib (TOC) treatment. The purpose of this clinical trial was to prospectively evaluate the clinical outcome followingTOCtreatment in dogs with measurable pulmonary metastaticOSA. A secondary goal was to identify potential biomarkers of clinical benefit by measuring changes in plasma vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and circulating regulatory T‐cell (Treg) percentage.

Twenty‐two dogs with pulmonary metastasis from appendicularOSAhaving undergone previous amputation were treated prospectively withTOC. Adverse events (AEs) were common but predominantly low grade. Nine patients were withdrawn from the study prior to the week 8 assessment of response either due to progressive disease (PD), decreased quality of life or owner perceived unacceptableAEs. Of the patients evaluable for disease progression at week 8 (or earlier), 3/17 (17.6 %) had stable disease with the remainder havingPD. The median progression‐free survival time for all patients was 57 days (range 7‐176 days) with a median overall survival time of 89 days (range 7‐574 days). PlasmaVEGFconcentrations were significantly elevated in patients after 4 weeks ofTOCtreatment, but no changes were observed in percentage of Treg in peripheral blood. Overall, the results of this clinical trial do not support the use ofTOCas single agent therapy for canine metastaticOSA.
-homotopy invariants of topological Fukaya categories of surfaces
Authors: Dyckerhoff Tobias
Published: June 2017

We provide an explicit formula for localizing$\mathbb{A}^{1}$-homotopy invariants of topological Fukaya categories of marked surfaces. Following a proposal of Kontsevich, this differential$\mathbb{Z}$-graded category is defined as global sections of a constructible cosheaf of dg categories on any spine of the surface. Our theorem utilizes this sheaf-theoretic description to reduce the calculation of invariants to the local case when the surface is a boundary-marked disk. At the heart of the proof lies a theory of localization for topological Fukaya categories which is a combinatorial analog of Thomason–Trobaugh’s theory of localization in the context of algebraic$K$-theory for schemes.
Cluster categories for marked surfaces: punctured case
Authors: Qiu Yu , Zhou Yu
Published: June 2017

We study cluster categories arising from marked surfaces (with punctures and non-empty boundaries). By constructing skewed-gentle algebras, we show that there is a bijection between tagged curves and string objects. Applications include interpreting dimensions of $\operatorname{Ext}^{1}$ as intersection numbers of tagged curves and Auslander–Reiten translation as tagged rotation. An important consequence is that the cluster(-tilting) exchange graphs of such cluster categories are connected.
Conservation of alternative splicing in sodium channels reveals evolutionary focus on release from inactivation and structural insights into gating
Authors: Liavas A. , Lignani G. , Schorge S.
Published: June 2017

Key points

Sodium channels are critical for supporting fast action potentials in neurons; even mutations which cause small changes in sodium channel activity can have devastating consequences for the function of the nervous system.

Alternative splicing also changes the activity of sodium channels, and while it is highly conserved, it is not known whether the functional role of this splicing is also conserved.

Our data reveal that splicing has a highly conserved impact on the availability of sodium channels during trains of rapid stimulations, and suggest that in one mammalian channel, Nav1.1 encoded by SCN1A, the increased availability of one splice variant is detrimental.

A model reproducing the effects of splicing on channel behaviour suggests that the voltage sensor in the first domain is a rate limiting step for release of the inactivation domain, and highlights the functional specialization of channel domains.

Voltage‐gated sodium channels are critical for neuronal activity, and highly intolerant to variation. Even mutations that cause subtle changes in the activity these channels are sufficient to cause devastating inherited neurological diseases, such as epilepsy and pain. However, these channels do vary in healthy tissue. Alternative splicing modifies sodium channels, but the functional relevance and adaptive significance of this splicing remain poorly understood. Here we use a conserved alternate exon encoding part of the first domain of sodium channels to compare how splicing modifies different channels, and to ask whether the functional consequences of this splicing have been preserved in different genes. Although the splicing event is highly conserved, one splice variant has been selectively removed from Nav1.1 in multiple mammalian species, suggesting that the functional variation in Nav1.1 is less well tolerated. We show for three human channels (Nav1.1, Nav1.2 and Nav1.7) that splicing modifies the return from inactivated to deactivated states, and the differences between splice variants are occluded by antiepileptic drugs that bind to and stabilize inactivated states. A model based on structural data can replicate these changes, and indicates that splicing may exploit a distinct role of the first domain to change channel availability, and that the first domain of all three sodium channels plays a role in determining the rate at which the inactivation domain dissociates. Taken together, our data suggest that the stability of inactivated states is under tight evolutionary control, but that in Nav1.1 faster recovery from inactivation is associated with negative selection in mammals.
The Experimental and Model Study on Variable Mass Flow for Horizontal Wells With Perforated Completion
Authors: Jianguang Wei , Xuesong Lin , Xuemei Liu , Yuanyuan Ma
Published: June 2017

The variable mass flow in perforated horizontal wells is very complex. One reason is that the perforation can increase the roughness of the pipe wall which will increase the frictional pressure drop. The other is the fluid boundary layer and velocity profile of axial flow will be changed due to the “mixing” of the inflow with the axial flow. The influences of the perforation parameters and flux rate on the pressure drawdown in horizontal wellbore are investigated. The perforation parameters include perforation phasing, perforation diameter, and perforation density. According to the experiment results, some modes such as friction factor calculation model (the accuracy of the model is 4%), “mixing” pressure drop calculation model (the accuracy of the model is 3%), and total pressure drop calculation model (the accuracy of the model is 2%) are developed.
Assessment of the Noise Generated by Wind Turbines at Low Frequencies
Authors: Marini Martino , Baccoli Roberto , Mastino Costantino C. , Di Bella Antonino , Bernardini Carlo , Masullo Massimiliano
Published: June 2017

The noise production from wind turbines (WT) and its propagation into the surrounding environment have an impact on the receptors (RC) that have to be accurately predicted within the environmental impact assessment. The low-frequency noise (LFN) is of special concern for it is typical of wind systems and it involves specific computational issues. The purpose of this study is to apply and compare the assessment procedures currently used in different European countries for the prediction of LFN produced by wind turbines, with reference to a specific case. The results of the calculations for a planned wind farm in northern Sardinia, Italy, obtained by the available computational tools and with the help of the presented predictive models are presented and discussed. It can be deduced from this that the impact due to the low frequencies noise generated by wind turbines in the vicinity of sensitive receptors is negligible in terms of generated sound pressure levels (SPLs), even though further investigations on such a topic are needed.
A Solar Reactor Design for Research on Calcium Oxide-Based Carbon Dioxide Capture
Authors: Reich Leanne , Melmoth Luke , Yue Lindsey , Bader Roman , Gresham Robert , Simon Terrence , Lipiński Wojciech
Published: June 2017

An engineering design for a novel 1-kW solar-driven reactor to capture carbon dioxide via the calcium oxide-based two-step carbonation–calcination cycle has been completed. The reactor consists of a downward-facing cylindrical dual cavity. The inner cavity serves as the radiation receiver, while the outer cavity is the reaction chamber that contains a packed- or fluidized-bed of reacting particles. Several aspects have been incorporated in this reactor design, including high flexibility, mechanical rigidity and simplicity, high-temperature and thermal shock resistance, accommodation of thermal expansion, low convective heat losses, uniform gas distribution inside the reaction chamber, and simple reactor assembly. The final reactor design is presented, and the reactor assembly is illustrated.
Computational Fluid Dynamics Simulation and Experimental Study of Key Design Parameters of Solar Thermal Collectors
Authors: Allan James , Dehouche Zahir , Stankovice Sinisa , Harries Alan
Published: June 2017

Numerical simulation enables the optimization of a solar collector without the expense of building prototypes. This study details an approach using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to simulate the performance of a solar thermal collector. Inputs to the simulation include; heat loss coefficient, irradiance, and ambient temperature. A simulated thermal efficiency was validated using experimental results by comparing the calculated heat removal factor. The validated methodology was then applied to five different inlet configurations of a header–riser collector. The most efficient designs had uniform flow through the risers. The worst performing configurations had low flow rates in the risers that led to high surface temperatures and poor thermal efficiency. The calculated heat removal factor differed by between 4.2% for the serpentine model and 12.1% for the header–riser. The discrepancies were attributed to differences in thermal contact between plate and tubes in the simulated and actual design.
Research on the Influence of Helical Strakes and Its Parameters on Dynamic Response of Platform of Floating Wind Turbine Based on Optimization Method of Orthogonal Design
Authors: Ding Qinwei , Li Chun , Li Binxin , Hao Wenxing , Ye Zhou
Published: June 2017

The stability of platform is the most fundamental guarantee for the safe operation of floating wind turbine in complex marine environment. The helical strakes used on spar platform in the traditional oil industry are useful and effective. This paper is to investigative the validity of helical strakes when used for offshore wind energy harvesting. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) 5 MW wind turbine based on OC3-Hywind spar-buoy platform with the attachment of helical strakes is modeled for the purpose to analysis the impact of helical strakes and its design parameters (number, height, and pitch ratio) on the dynamic response of the floating wind turbine spar platform. The dynamic response of spar platform under wind, wave, and current loads is calculated and analyzed based on the radiation and diffraction theory, the finite element method, and the orthogonal design method. The research result shows that the helical strakes can effectively suppress the dynamic response of the platform but enlarge the wave exciting force, and helical strakes cannot change peak frequency of response amplitude operator (RAO) and wave exciting force of spar in frequency-domain. The best parameter combination is two pieces of helical strakes with height of 15%D and the pitch ratio of 5. Height and pitch ratio of the helical strakes have significant influence on pitch response, while the number and interaction of height and pitch ratio have slight effect.
Oblique collisions of baseballs and softballs with a bat
Authors: Kensrud Jeffrey R. , Nathan Alan M. , Smith Lloyd V.
Published: June 2017

Experiments are done by colliding a swinging bat with a stationary baseball or softball. Each collision was recorded with high-speed cameras from which the post-impact speed, launch angle, and spin of the ball could be determined. Initial bat speeds were in the range 63–88 mph, producing launch angles in the range 0°–30° and spins in the range 0–3,500 rpm. The results are analyzed in the context of a ball-bat collision model, and the parameters of that model are determined. For both baseballs and softballs, the data are consistent with a mechanism whereby the ball grips the surface of the bat, stretching the ball in the transverse direction and resulting in a spin that was up to 40% greater than would be obtained by rolling contact of rigid bodies. Using a lumped parameter contact model, baseballs are shown to be less compliant tangentially than softballs. Implications of our results for batted balls in game situations are presented.
Gravity discharge vessel revisited: An explicit Lambert W function solution
Authors: Digilov Rafael M.
Published: June 2017

Based on the generalized Poiseuille equation modified by a kinetic energy correction, an explicit solution for the time evolution of a liquid column draining under gravity through an exit capillary tube is derived in terms of the Lambert W function. In contrast to the conventional exponential behavior, as implied by the Poiseuille law, a new analytical solution gives a full account for the volumetric flow rate of a fluid through a capillary of any length and improves the precision of viscosity determination. The theoretical consideration may be of interest to students as an example of how implicit equations in the field of physics can be solved analytically using the Lambert function.
Room acoustic modal analysis using Bayesian inference
Authors: Beaton Douglas , Xiang Ning
Published: June 2017

Strong modal behavior can produce undesirable acoustical effects, particularly in recording studios and other small rooms. Although closed-form solutions exist to predict modes in rectangular rooms with parallel walls, such solutions are typically not available for rooms with even modest geometrical complexity. This work explores a method to identify multiple decaying modes in experimentally measured impulse responses from existing spaces. The method adopts a Bayesian approach working in the time domain to identify numerous decaying modes in an impulse response. Bayesian analysis provides a unified framework for two levels of inference: model selection and parameter estimation. In this context model selection determines the number of modes present in an impulse response, while parameter estimation determines the relevant parameters (e.g., decay time and frequency) of each mode. The Bayesian analysis in this work is implemented using an approximate numerical technique called nested sampling. Experimental measurements are performed in a test chamber in two different configurations. Experimentally measured results are compared with simulated values from the Bayesian analyses along with other, more classical calculations. Discussion of the results and the applicability of the method is provided.
Music perception improves in children with bilateral cochlear implants or bimodal devices
Authors: Polonenko Melissa J. , Giannantonio Sara , Papsin Blake C. , Marsella Pasquale , Gordon Karen A.
Published: June 2017

The objectives of this study were to determine if music perception by pediatric cochlear implant users can be improved by (1) providing access to bilateral hearing through two cochlear implants or a cochlear implant and a contralateral hearing aid (bimodal users) and (2) any history of music training. The Montreal Battery of Evaluation of Musical Ability test was presented via soundfield to 26 bilateral cochlear implant users, 8 bimodal users and 16 children with normal hearing. Response accuracy and reaction time were recorded via an iPad application. Bilateral cochlear implant and bimodal users perceived musical characteristics less accurately and more slowly than children with normal hearing. Children who had music training were faster and more accurate, regardless of their hearing status. Reaction time on specific subtests decreased with age, years of musical training and, for implant users, better residual hearing. Despite effects of these factors on reaction time, bimodal and bilateral cochlear implant users' responses were less accurate than those of their normal hearing peers. This means children using bilateral cochlear implants and bimodal devices continue to experience challenges perceiving music that are related to hearing impairment and/or device limitations during development.