bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Surface interactions of Fusarium graminearum on barley
Authors: Imboden Lori , Afton Drew , Trail Frances
Published: September 2017

The filamentous fungus Fusarium graminearum, a devastating pathogen of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), produces mycotoxins that pose a health hazard. To investigate the surface interactions of F. graminearum on barley, we focused on barley florets, as the most important infection site leading to grain contamination. The fungus interacted with silica‐accumulating cells (trichomes and silica/cork cell pairs) on the host surface. We identified variation in trichome‐type cells between two‐row and six‐row barley, and in the role of specific epidermal cells in the ingress of F. graminearum into barley florets. Prickle‐type trichomes functioned to trap conidia and were sites of fungal penetration. Infections of more mature florets supported the spread of hyphae into the vascular bundles, whereas younger florets did not show this spread. These differences related directly to the timing and location of increases in silica content during maturation. Focal accumulation of cellulose in infected paleae of two‐row and six‐row barley indicated that the response is in part linked to trichome type. Overall, silica‐accumulating epidermal cells had an expanded role in barley, serving to trap conidia, provide sites for fungal ingress and initiate resistance responses, suggesting a role for silica in pathogen establishment.
Obesity increases the risk of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO)
Authors: Roland B. C. , Lee D. , Miller L. S. , Vegesna A. , Yolken R. , Severance E. , Prandovszky E. , Zheng X. E. , Mullin G. E.
Published: September 2017

Background

Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) has been associated with anatomical and motility‐related abnormalities. Specifically, obesity has been postulated to alter small bowel motility, leading to SIBO.

Aims

(i) Assess the prevalence of SIBO in obesity; (ii) determine the relationship of obesity and SIBO, using small bowel transit time (SBTT) and pH; (iii) profile the gut microbiome in obese and non‐obese patients with SIBO.

Methods

Thirty consecutive participants referred for SIBO underwent lactulose breath tests (LBTs) and wireless motility capsule (WMC) studies. Composition of the intestinal microbiome was assessed by analyzing samples from three different gastrointestinal sites via 16S rRNA gene‐sequencing.

Key Results

SIBO was more frequent among obese patients vs non‐obese patients (88.9% vs 42.9%, P < .05). Obesity did not correlate with small bowel transit time (SBTT), gastric pH, and small bowel pH. In patients with normal SBTT, obesity was associated with an 11‐fold increase (P = .05) in the risk of SIBO. Whereas in those with prolonged SBTT, there was no correlation between obesity and SIBO. Obese vs non‐obese patients exhibited significant differences in microbiome diversity in rectal samples. Obesity was associated with increased odds of developing SIBO (P = .04) in multivariate regression analyses.

Conclusions and Inferences

While obesity was significantly associated with SIBO, our findings suggest that alterations in gut pH, SBTT, and decline in species richness do not account for the obesity–SIBO relationship.
From model to crop: functional characterization of SPL8 in M. truncatula led to genetic improvement of biomass yield and abiotic stress tolerance in alfalfa
Authors: Gou Jiqing , Debnath Smriti , Sun Liang , Flanagan Amy , Tang Yuhong , Jiang Qingzhen , Wen Jiangqi , Wang Zeng‐Yu
Published: September 2017

Biomass yield, salt tolerance and drought tolerance are important targets for alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) improvement. Medicago truncatula has been developed into a model plant for alfalfa and other legumes. By screening a Tnt1 retrotransposon‐tagged M. truncatula mutant population, we identified three mutants with enhanced branching. Branch development determines shoot architecture which affects important plant functions such as light acquisition, resource use and ultimately impacts biomass production. Molecular analyses revealed that the mutations were caused by Tnt1 insertions in the SQUAMOSA PROMOTER BINDING PROTEIN‐LIKE 8 (SPL8) gene. The M. truncatula spl8 mutants had increased biomass yield, while overexpression of SPL8 in M. truncatula suppressed branching and reduced biomass yield. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis showed that SPL8 inhibited branching by directly suppressing axillary bud formation. Based on the M. truncatula SPL8 sequence, alfalfa SPL8 (MsSPL8) was cloned and transgenic alfalfa plants were produced. MsSPL8 down‐regulated or up‐regulated alfalfa plants exhibited similar phenotypes to the M. truncatula mutants or overexpression lines, respectively. Specifically, the MsSPL8 down‐regulated alfalfa plants showed up to 43% increase in biomass yield in the first harvest. The impact was even more prominent in the second harvest, with up to 86% increase in biomass production compared to the control. Furthermore, down‐regulation of MsSPL8 led to enhanced salt and drought tolerance in transgenic alfalfa. Results from this research offer a valuable approach to simultaneously improve biomass production and abiotic stress tolerance in legumes.
Scrotal hair in infancy: A case series
Authors: Tatlı Zeynep Uzan , Gul Ulku , Hatipoglu Nihal , Kurtoglu Selim
Published: September 2017

Scrotal hair is a clinical condition that occurs rarely in infancy. Its prevalence is not known. We present a retrospective analysis of six patients referred to our pediatric endocrinology clinic. Except for scrotal hair development, all physical examinations were normal. Underlying pathologic hyperandrogenism was excluded in each case. Clinical regression was observed in all four infants with documented follow‐up visits. Scrotal hair in infancy is not well known to most pediatricians and dermatologists and can cause parental anxiety. Our cases are typical of the benign course of isolated scrotal hair.
Longing – a dynamic power in the becoming of health when suffering from cancer
Authors: Ueland Venke , Nåden Dagfinn , Lindström Unni Å.
Published: September 2017

Background

The aim of the study was to gain understanding of existential longing in health and suffering as experienced by persons who have been affected by a cancer disease. The theoretical perspective of the study is K. Eriksson's theory of Caring Science.

Method

Qualitative interviews with nine women with cancer were transcribed and interpreted using Gadamer's ontological hermeneutics.

Results

Four perspectives of longing when suffering from cancer are presented: Longing as a source to call upon for survival, Longing for the life prior to the illness, Longing directed towards deeper relations in everyday life, and Transcending longing moves towards the ultimate fulfilment.

Interpretation

The overall interpretation led to the following thesis about the dimension of longing in the human being: Longing is becoming in a movement towards reconciliation of life, and, Longing is becoming in a movement towards transcending life.

Conclusion

The results show that there seems to be a dynamic power in longing that can transform suffering and create health.
Wearable tech, bodies, and gender
Authors: Wissinger Elizabeth
Published: September 2017

New forms of wearable technology are blurring the lines between technology and bodies, raising questions about personhood, selfhood, and what it means to be human. Consequently, scholars are examining these iterations of body/machine interface and human machine communication from a variety of angles. While fashion scholars focused primarily on garments and celebrating potential techno‐futures, media and communication scholars more critically examined how wearable tech mediates bodies and relationships. Social scientists are concerned with issues of labor, privacy, data ownership, and value, drawing on ethnographic studies of the Quantified Self (QS) community and the phenomenon of self‐tracking more generally. This scholarship is rooted in studies and theorizations of ubiquitous computing, feminist science and technology studies (STS), and fashion and dress as both ornament and second skin. Generally, it asks how wearable technology can augment the human body, how it affects human relationships to self and other, and whether wearable technology can promote human autonomy, when it is locked into commercial and power relationships that don't necessarily have the users' best interests at heart. The essay ends by briefly outlining of directions for further research, urging further investigation into wearable tech exhibiting gendered attitudes toward “femme” women, and calling for increased attention to issues raised by wearable technology's coming merger with the growing fields of biotech and synthetic biology.
Does (mixed‐)race matter? The role of race in interracial sex, dating, and marriage
Authors: Buggs Shantel Gabrieal
Published: September 2017

Though sociologists have long focused on the role of race as a dynamic in romantic and sexual relationships, there is currently limited research on the experiences of mixed‐race people and the ways their racial identities may be influencing how people navigate race and/or ethnicity as part of these intimate relationships. Due to the increase in the number of Americans—in both opposite‐sex and same‐sex relationships—reporting partners of a different race or ethnic background between the 2000 and 2010 censuses, race, and intimacy remain at the forefront of mainstream social concerns. However, research exploring how multiracial people—a rapidly growing population—fit in these trends is underrepresented. In this review, I discuss the existing research on race, dating, and marriage, particularly the meanings attached to interracial relationships in an online era. I also assess how recent research has begun to discuss the impact of mixed‐race identity on intimate relationships both online and offline.
Financing Children's Futures: Economic Strategies for Postsecondary Education Among Middle‐Income Families
Authors: Tevington Patricia , Napolitano Laura , Furstenberg Frank F.
Published: September 2017

This paper, based on three waves of qualitative data with middle‐income families outside of Philadelphia, explores how families deal with the challenge of financing postsecondary education over time. Because of economic setbacks, these families adopt a variety of financial maneuvers to support their young adult children's postsecondary educational plans. In particular, families are driven to sacrifice familial savings accounts and retirement funds, take on significant student loan burdens, and downgrade children's college plans to cheaper, often less prestigious, options. These results highlight the financial vulnerability of families in the middle of the income distribution and the complicated relationship between family economics and postsecondary educational plans for children.
Investigating the Relationship Between Real Estate Agents, Segregation, and House Prices: Steering and Upselling in New York State
Authors: Besbris Max , Faber Jacob William
Published: September 2017

This article leverages a unique data set, recently developed regression methods, and qualitative interviews to investigate the multiple ways real estate agents produce housing inequality. We find that the clustering of agents in and around certain neighborhoods correlates positively with house prices. Our results also show a significant relationship between agent concentration and racial segregation. Our qualitative data reveal how agents engage in steering and upselling. The findings enhance our understanding of mechanisms in the housing market, and provide more empirical clarity on the role real estate agents play in asset and place inequality.
Self-Awareness and Leadership Skills of Female Students in Outdoor Camp
Authors: Esentaş Melike , Özbey Selhan , Güzel Pınar
Published: September 2017

This study aims to determine the role of youth camp practices, organised by the Ministry of Youth and Sports, in the development of self-awareness and leadership skills of female students participating in youth camps. As a result of analysis of the data collected with triangulation method -observation, focus group discussions and document analysis-, common ten (10) kernel categories were obtained. These themes are prejudice, communication, friendships, acculturation, team work, responsibility, self-confidence, consciousness, volunteering and taking role model. Finally, it is determined that youth camp practices contribute in the development of self-awareness and leadership skills in female students according to “obtained kernel themes”.
Intersectionality takes it to the streets: Mobilizing across diverse interests for the Women’s March
Authors: Fisher Dana R. , Dow Dawn M. , Ray Rashawn
Published: September 2017

Participants at the Women’s March were motivated by issues that cross identity and issue-based themes in systematic ways.
Why is the flu vaccine so mediocre?
Authors: Cohen Jon
Published: September 2017

The complex factors behind failure are coming into sharper focus.
Researchers parse ecosystems fueled by chemistry, not light
Authors: Pennisi Elizabeth
Published: September 2017

New technologies reinvigorate 1977 deep-sea discovery.
How
ApoE4
endangers brains
Authors: Underwood Emily
Published: September 2017

Study of Alzheimer's risk gene reveals surprise mechanism.
Embryo edit makes human ‘knockout’
Authors: Vog Gretchen
Published: September 2017

CRISPR inactivation of gene allows developmental study.
Trispecific broadly neutralizing HIV antibodies mediate potent SHIV protection in macaques
Authors: Xu Ling , Pegu Amarendra , Rao Ercole , Doria-Rose Nicole , Beninga Jochen , McKee Krisha , Lord Dana M. , Wei Ronnie R. , Deng Gejing , Louder Mark , Schmidt Stephen D. , Mankoff Zachary , Wu Lan , Asokan Mangaiarkarasi , Beil Christian , Lange Christian , Leuschner Wulf Dirk , Kruip Jochen , Sendak Rebecca , Do Kwon Young , Zhou Tongqing , Chen Xuejun , Bailer Robert T. , Wang Keyun , Choe Misook , Tartaglia Lawrence J. , Barouch Dan H. , O’Dell Sijy , Todd John-Paul , Burton Dennis R. , Roederer Mario , Connors Mark , Koup Richard A. , Kwong Peter D. , Yang Zhi-yong , Mascola John R. , Nabel Gary J.
Published: September 2017

A triple threat for HIV

The HIV virus continually evolves tricks to evade elimination by the host. Prevention and a cure will likely rely on broadly neutralizing antibodies that can recognize and conquer multiple viral strains or subtypes. Xu
et al.
engineered a single antibody molecule to recognize three highly conserved proteins needed for HIV infection (see the Perspective by Cohen and Corey). This “trispecific” antibody uses two sites (V1V2 and MPER) to bind HIV-infected cells, while the third site (CD4bs) recruits killer T lymphocytes that can eliminate the virus. When tested against >200 different HIV strains, trispecific antibodies were highly potent and broadly neutralized ∼99% of HIV viruses. This approach could potentially simplify HIV treatment regimens and improve therapy response.

Science
, this issue p.
85
; see also p.
46
Sociotechnical transitions for deep decarbonization
Authors: Geels Frank W. , Sovacool Benjamin K. , Schwanen Tim , Sorrell Steve
Published: September 2017

Accelerating innovation is as important as climate policy
New angle on cosmic rays
Authors: Gallagher John S. , Halzen Francis
Published: September 2017

A substantial directional anisotropy is observed for ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays
Advances in organ transplant from pigs
Authors: Denner Joachim
Published: September 2017

Inactivation of PERVs in the pig genome increases the safety of xenotransplantation
Genetic Mimetics of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus as Verification Standards for Molecular Diagnostics
Authors: Machowski Edith Erika , Kana Bavesh Davandra
Published: September 2017

Molecular diagnostics have revolutionized the management of health care through enhanced detection of disease or infection and effective enrollment into treatment. In recognition of this, the World Health Organization approved the rollout of nucleic acid amplification technologies for identification of
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
using platforms such as GeneXpert MTB/RIF, the GenoType MTBDR
plus
line probe assay, and, more recently, GeneXpert MTB/RIF Ultra. These assays can simultaneously detect tuberculosis infection and assess rifampin resistance. However, their widespread use in health systems requires verification and quality assurance programs. To enable development of these, we report the construction of genetically modified strains of
Mycobacterium smegmatis
that mimic the profile of
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
on both the GeneXpert MTB/RIF and the MTBDR
plus
line probe diagnostic tests. Using site-specific gene editing, we also created derivatives that faithfully mimic the diagnostic result of rifampin-resistant
M. tuberculosis
, with mutations at positions 513, 516, 526, 531, and 533 in the rifampin resistance-determining region of the
rpoB
gene. Next, we extended this approach to other diseases and demonstrated that a
Staphylococcus aureus
gene sequence can be introduced into
M. smegmatis
to generate a positive response for the SCC
mec
probe in the GeneXpert SA Nasal Complete molecular diagnostic cartridge, designed for identification of methicillin-resistant
S. aureus
. These biomimetic strains are cost-effective, have low biohazard content, accurately mimic drug resistance, and can be produced with relative ease, thus illustrating their potential for widespread use as verification standards for diagnosis of a variety of diseases.
Natural Reassortants of Potentially Zoonotic Avian Influenza Viruses H5N1 and H9N2 from Egypt Display Distinct Pathogenic Phenotypes in Experimentally Infected Chickens and Ferrets
Authors: Naguib Mahmoud M. , Ulrich Reiner , Kasbohm Elisa , Eng Christine L. P. , Hoffmann Donata , Grund Christian , Beer Martin , Harder Timm C.
Published: September 2017

The cocirculation of zoonotic highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) of subtype H5N1 and avian influenza virus (AIV) of subtype H9N2 among poultry in Egypt for at least 6 years should render that country a hypothetical hot spot for the emergence of reassortant, phenotypically altered viruses, yet no reassortants have been detected in Egypt. The present investigations proved that reassortants of the Egyptian H5N1 clade 2.2.1.2 virus and H9N2 virus of the G1-B lineage can be generated by coamplification in embryonated chicken eggs. Reassortants were restricted to the H5N1 subtype and acquired between two and all six of the internal segments of the H9N2 virus. Five selected plaque-purified reassortant clones expressed a broad phenotypic spectrum both
in vitro
and
in vivo
. Two groups of reassortants were characterized to have retarded growth characteristics
in vitro
compared to the H5N1 parent virus. One clone provoked reduced mortality in inoculated chickens, although the characteristics of a highly pathogenic phenotype were retained. Enhanced zoonotic properties were not predicted for any of these clones, and this prediction was confirmed by ferret inoculation experiments: neither the H5N1 parent virus nor two selected clones induced severe clinical symptoms or were transmitted to sentinel ferrets by contact. While the emergence of reassortants of Egyptian HPAIV of subtype H5N1 with internal gene segments of cocirculating H9N2 viruses is possible in principle, the spread of such viruses is expected to be governed by their fitness to outcompete the parental viruses in the field. The eventual spread of attenuated phenotypes, however, would negatively impact syndrome surveillance on poultry farms and might foster enzootic virus circulation.

IMPORTANCE
Despite almost 6 years of the continuous cocirculation of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus H5N1 and avian influenza virus H9N2 in poultry in Egypt, no reassortants of the two subtypes have been reported. Here, the principal compatibility of the two subtypes is shown by forcing the reassortment between copassaged H5N1 und H9N2 viruses in embryonated chicken eggs. The resulting reassortant viruses displayed a wide range of pathogenicity including attenuated phenotypes in chickens, but did not show enhanced zoonotic propensities in the ferret model.
Protective Humoral Immunity in the Central Nervous System Requires Peripheral CD19-Dependent Germinal Center Formation following Coronavirus Encephalomyelitis
Authors: Atkinson Jeffrey R. , Bergmann Cornelia C.
Published: September 2017

B cell subsets with phenotypes characteristic of naive, non-isotype-switched, memory (Bmem) cells and antibody-secreting cells (ASC) accumulate in various models of central nervous system (CNS) inflammation, including viral encephalomyelitis. During neurotropic coronavirus JHMV infection, infiltration of protective ASC occurs after T cell-mediated viral control and is preceded by accumulation of non-isotype-switched IgD+and IgM+B cells. However, the contribution of peripheral activation events in cervical lymph nodes (CLN) to driving humoral immune responses in the infected CNS is poorly defined. CD19, a signaling component of the B cell receptor complex, is one of multiple regulators driving B cell differentiation and germinal center (GC) formation by lowering the threshold of antigen-driven activation. JHMV-infected CD19−/−mice were thus used to determine how CD19 affects CNS recruitment of B cell subsets. Early polyclonal ASC expansion, GC formation, and virus-specific ASC were all significantly impaired in CLN of CD19−/−mice compared to wild-type (WT) mice, consistent with lower and unsustained virus-specific serum antibody (Ab). ASC were also significantly reduced in the CNS, resulting in increased infectious virus during persistence. Nevertheless, CD19 deficiency did not affect early CNS IgD+B cell accumulation. The results support the notion that CD19-independent factors drive early B cell mobilization and recruitment to the infected CNS, while delayed accumulation of virus-specific, isotype-switched ASC requires CD19-dependent GC formation in CLN. CD19 is thus essential for both sustained serum Ab and protective local Ab within the CNS following JHMV encephalomyelitis.

IMPORTANCECD19 activation is known to promote GC formation and to sustain serum Ab responses following antigen immunization and viral infections. However, the contribution of CD19 in the context of CNS infections has not been evaluated. This study demonstrates that antiviral protective ASC in the CNS are dependent on CD19 activation and peripheral GC formation, while accumulation of early-recruited IgD+B cells is CD19 independent. This indicates that IgD+B cells commonly found early in the CNS do not give rise to local ASC differentiation and that only antigen-primed, peripheral GC-derived ASC infiltrate the CNS, thereby limiting potentially harmful nonspecific Ab secretion. Expanding our understanding of activation signals driving CNS migration of distinct B cell subsets during neuroinflammatory insults is critical for preventing and managing acute encephalitic infections, as well as preempting reactivation of persistent viruses during immune-suppressive therapies targeting B cells in multiple sclerosis (MS), such as rituximab and ocrelizumab.
Vertical Transmission of Hepatitis C Virus: Variable Transmission Bottleneck and Evidence of Midgestation
In Utero
Infection
Authors: Fauteux-Daniel Sébastien , Larouche Ariane , Calderon Virginie , Boulais Jonathan , Béland Chanel , Ransy Doris G. , Boucher Marc , Lamarre Valérie , Lapointe Normand , Boucoiran Isabelle , Le Campion Armelle , Soudeyns Hugo
Published: September 2017

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) can be transmitted from mother to child during pregnancy and childbirth. However, the timing and precise biological mechanisms that are involved in this process are incompletely understood, as are the determinants that influence transmission of particular HCV variants. Here we report results of a longitudinal assessment of HCV quasispecies diversity and composition in 5 cases of vertical HCV transmission, including 3 women coinfected with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). The population structure of HCV variant spectra based on E2 envelope gene sequences (nucleotide positions 1491 to 1787), including hypervariable regions 1 and 2, was characterized using next-generation sequencing and median-joining network analysis. Compatible with a loose transmission bottleneck, larger numbers of shared HCV variants were observed in the presence of maternal coinfection. Coalescent Bayesian Markov chain Monte Carlo simulations revealed median times of transmission between 24.9 weeks and 36.1 weeks of gestation, with some confidence intervals ranging into the 1st trimester, considerably earlier than previously thought. Using recombinant autologous HCV pseudoparticles, differences were uncovered in HCV-specific antibody responses between coinfected mothers and mothers infected with HCV alone, in whom generalized absence of neutralization was observed. Finally, shifts in HCV quasispecies composition were seen in children around 1 year of age, compatible with the disappearance of passively transferred maternal immunoglobulins and/or the development of HCV-specific humoral immunity. Taken together, these results provide insights into the timing, dynamics, and biologic mechanisms involved in vertical HCV transmission and inform preventative strategies.

IMPORTANCE
Although it is well established that hepatitis C virus (HCV) can be transmitted from mother to child, the manner and the moment at which transmission operates have been the subject of conjecture. By carrying out a detailed examination of viral sequences, we showed that transmission could take place comparatively early in pregnancy. In addition, we showed that when the mother also carried human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), many more HCV variants were shared between her and her child, suggesting that the mechanism and/or the route of transmission of HCV differed in the presence of coinfection with HIV-1. These results could explain why cesarean section is ineffective in preventing vertical HCV transmission and guide the development of interventions to avert pediatric HCV infection.
Conformational Changes in the 5′ End of the HIV-1 Genome Dependent on the Debranching Enzyme DBR1 during Early Stages of Infection
Authors: Galvis Alvaro E. , Fisher Hugh E. , Fan Hung , Camerini David
Published: September 2017

Previous studies in our laboratory showed that the RNA debranching enzyme (DBR1) is not required for early steps in HIV cDNA formation but is necessary for synthesis of intermediate and late cDNA products. To further characterize this effect, we evaluated the topology of the 5′ end of the HIV-1 RNA genome during early infection with and without inhibition of DBR1 synthesis. Cells were transfected with DBR1 short hairpin RNA (shRNA) followed 48 h later by infection with an HIV-1-derived vector containing an RNase H-deficient reverse transcriptase (RT). RNA was isolated at several times postinfection and treated with various RNA-modifying enzymes prior to rapid amplification of 5′ cDNA ends (5′ RACE) for HIV-1 RNA and quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR (qRT-PCR). In infected cells, DBR1 knockdown inhibited detection of free HIV-1 RNA 5′ ends at all time points. The difference in detection of free HIV-1 RNA 5′ ends in infected DBR1 knockdown versus control cells was eliminated by
in vitro
incubation of infected cell RNAs with yeast or human DBR1 enzyme prior to 5′ RACE and qRT-PCR. This was dependent on the 2′-5′ phosphatase activity of DBR1, since it did not occur when we used the catalytically inactive DBR1(N85A) mutant. Finally, HIV-1 RNA from infected DBR1 knockdown cells was resistant to RNase R that degrades linear RNAs but not RNAs in circular or lariat-like conformations. These results provide evidence for formation of a lariat-like structure involving the 5′ end of HIV-1 RNA during an early step in infection and the involvement of DBR1 in resolving it.

IMPORTANCE
Our findings support a new view of the early steps in HIV genome replication. We show that the HIV genomic RNA is rapidly decapped and forms a lariat-like structure after entering a cell. The lariat-like structure is subsequently resolved by the cellular enzyme DBR1, leaving a 5′ phosphate. This pathway is similar to the formation and resolution of pre-mRNA intron lariats and therefore suggests that similar mechanisms may be used by HIV. Our work therefore opens a new area of investigation in HIV replication and may ultimately uncover new targets for inhibiting HIV replication and for preventing the development of AIDS.
Clinical and cost-effectiveness of the Lightning Process in addition to specialist medical care for paediatric chronic fatigue syndrome: randomised controlled trial
Authors: Crawley Esther M , Gaunt Daisy M , Garfield Kirsty , Hollingworth William , Sterne Jonathan A C , Beasant Lucy , Collin Simon M , Mills Nicola , Montgomery Alan A
Published: September 2017

Objective

Investigate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the Lightning Process (LP) in addition to specialist medical care (SMC) compared with SMC alone, for children with chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalitis (CFS/ME).

Design

Pragmatic randomised controlled open trial. Participants were randomly assigned to SMC, or SMC plus the LP (SMC+LP). Randomisation was minimised by age and gender.

Setting

Specialist paediatric CFS/ME service.

Patients

Aged 12–18 years with mild/moderate CFS/ME.

Main outcome measures

The primary outcome was the SF-36 physical function subscale (PFS) at 6 months. Secondary outcomes included the SF-36-PFS at 3 and 12 months, and pain, anxiety, depression, school attendance and cost-effectiveness from a health service perspective at 3, 6 and 12 months.

Results

We recruited 100 participants between September 2010 and September 2013. We tested the feasibility of running the trial with a feasibility phase (29 September 2010 to 18 September 2012). The full trial was registered in June 2012 when we had determined it was a feasible study. Of the 100 participants, 51 were randomised to SMC+LP. Data from 81 participants were analysed at 6 months. Physical function (SF-36-PFS) was better in those allocated SMC+LP (adjusted difference in means 12.5 [95% CI 4.5 to 20.5], p=0.003) and this improved further at 12 months (15.1 [95% CI 5.8 to 24.4], p=0.002). At 6 months, fatigue and anxiety were reduced and at 12 months, fatigue, anxiety, depression and school attendance had improved in the SMC+LP arm. Results were similar following multiple imputation. SMC+LP was more cost-effective in the multiple imputation data set (difference in means in net monetary benefit at 12 months £1474 [95% CI £111 to £2836], p=0.03) but not for complete cases.

Conclusion

The LP is effective and is probably cost-effective when provided in addition to SMC for mild/moderately affected adolescents with CFS/ME.

Trial registration number

ISRCTN81456207.
Study on C–S and P–R EOS in pseudo-potential lattice Boltzmann model for two-phase flows
Authors: Peng Yong , Mao Yun Fei , Wang Bo , Xie Bo
Published: September 2017

Equations of State (EOS) is crucial in simulating multiphase flows by the pseudo-potential lattice Boltzmann method (LBM). In the present study, the Peng and Robinson (P–R) and Carnahan and Starling (C–S) EOS in the pseudo-potential LBM with Exact Difference Method (EDM) scheme for two-phase flows have been compared. Both of P–R and C–S EOS have been used to study the two-phase separation, surface tension, the maximum two-phase density ratio and spurious currents. The study shows that both of P–R and C–S EOS agree with the analytical solutions although P–R EOS may perform better. The prediction of liquid phase by P–R EOS is more accurate than that of air phase and the contrary is true for C–S EOS. Predictions by both of EOS conform with the Laplace’s law. Besides, adjustment of surface tension is achieved by adjusting [Formula: see text]. The P–R EOS can achieve larger maximum density ratio than C–S EOS under the same [Formula: see text]. Besides, no matter the C–S EOS or the P–R EOS, if [Formula: see text] tends to 0.5, the computation is prone to numerical instability. The maximum spurious current for P–R is larger than that of C–S. The multiple-relaxation-time LBM still can improve obviously the numerical stability and can achieve larger maximum density ratio.
Analytical studies on holographic superconductor in the probe limit
Authors: Peng Yan , Liu Guohua
Published: September 2017

We investigate the holographic superconductor model constructed in the (2[Formula: see text]+[Formula: see text]1)-dimensional AdS soliton background in the probe limit. With analytical methods, we obtain the formula of critical phase transition points with respect to the scalar mass. We also generalize this formula to higher-dimensional space–time. We mention that these formulas are precise compared to numerical results. In addition, we find a correspondence between the value of the charged scalar field at the tip and the scalar operator at infinity around the phase transition points.
Products of several commutators in a Lie nilpotent associative algebra
Authors: Deryabina Galina , Krasilnikov Alexei
Published: September 2017

Let [Formula: see text] be a field of characteristic [Formula: see text] and let [Formula: see text] be a unital associative [Formula: see text]-algebra. Define a left-normed commutator [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text] recursively by [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text]. For [Formula: see text], let [Formula: see text] be the two-sided ideal in [Formula: see text] generated by all commutators [Formula: see text] ([Formula: see text]. Define [Formula: see text].

Let [Formula: see text] be integers such that [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text]. Let [Formula: see text] be positive integers such that [Formula: see text] of them are odd and [Formula: see text] of them are even. Let [Formula: see text]. The aim of the present note is to show that, for any positive integers [Formula: see text], in general, [Formula: see text]. It is known that if [Formula: see text] (that is, if at least one of [Formula: see text] is even), then [Formula: see text] for each [Formula: see text] so our result cannot be improved if [Formula: see text].

Let [Formula: see text]. Recently, Dangovski has proved that if [Formula: see text] are any positive integers then, in general, [Formula: see text]. Since [Formula: see text], Dangovski’s result is stronger than ours if [Formula: see text] and is weaker than ours if [Formula: see text]; if [Formula: see text], then [Formula: see text] so both results coincide. It is known that if [Formula: see text] (that is, if all [Formula: see text] are odd) then, for each [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] so in this case Dangovski’s result cannot be improved.
Innate Receiver Bias: Its Role in the Ecology and Evolution of Plant–Animal Interactions
Authors: Schiestl Florian P.
Published: September 2017

Receiver bias in plant–animal interactions is here defined as “selection mediated by behavioral responses of animals, where those responses have evolved in a context outside the interactions.” As a consequence, the responses are not necessarily linked to fitness gains in interacting animals. Thus, receiver bias can help explain seemingly maladaptive patterns of behavior in interacting animals and the evolution of plant traits that trigger such behavior. In this review, I discuss principles of receiver bias, show its overlap with mimicry and how it differs from mimicry, and outline examples in different plant–animal interactions. The most numerous and best documented examples of receiver bias occur within plant–pollinator interactions. I elaborate on the ability of some plants to heat up their flowers (i.e., floral thermogenesis) and argue that this trait likely evolved under receiver bias, especially in pollination systems with oviposition mimicry. Further examples include signals in insect-mediated seed dispersal and plant defense through repellence of aphids. These examples show that receiver bias is widespread in different plant–animal interactions. For a broader understanding of the role of receiver bias in those interactions, we need more data on how animals respond to plant signals, the context and evolutionary history of those behaviors, and the evolutionary patterns of plant signals.
An Overview of China's Financial System
Authors: Allen Franklin , Qian Jun “QJ” , Gu Xian
Published: September 2017

We provide a review of China's financial system and consider the challenges it faces and future reforms. The formal sectors of the financial system, which include a fast-growing stock market and are dominated by a banking sector with large state-owned banks, have played a critical role in financing the state sectors and the investment-driven economic growth model. However, the formal sectors have not served the needs of the private sectors or of households; these dynamic sectors have been financed by alternative finance sectors operating largely outside the markets and formal institutions. Going forward, financial markets need to be further developed to provide more support for the private sectors, including technology and services industries; the formal and alternative sectors should work together to improve the efficiency of resource allocation to better support the new model of consumption- and innovation-driven growth. Finally, the financial system needs to reduce the likelihood of damaging financial crises, which have included a real estate crisis, a banking crisis triggered by defaults on corporate and local government debt, and a twin crisis in the currency market and the banking sector.
Instabilities of Internal Gravity Wave Beams
Authors: Dauxois Thierry , Joubaud Sylvain , Odier Philippe , Venaille Antoine
Published: September 2017

Internal gravity waves play a primary role in geophysical fluids: They contribute significantly to mixing in the ocean, and they redistribute energy and momentum in the middle atmosphere. Until recently, most studies were focused on plane wave solutions. However, these solutions are not a satisfactory description of most geophysical manifestations of internal gravity waves, and it is now recognized that internal wave beams with a confined profile are ubiquitous in the geophysical context. We discuss the reason for the ubiquity of wave beams in stratified fluids, which is related to the fact that they are solutions of the nonlinear governing equations. We focus more specifically on situations with a constant buoyancy frequency. Moreover, in light of recent experimental and analytical studies of internal gravity beams, it is timely to discuss the two main mechanisms of instability for those beams: (a) the triadic resonant instability generating two secondary wave beams and (b) the streaming instability corresponding to the spontaneous generation of a mean flow.
The Enduring Legacy of 250 Years of Pharmacology in Edinburgh
Authors: Kelly John S. , Mackay Angus V.P.
Published: September 2017

In 1768, 250 years ago, the University of Edinburgh appointed Francis Home to the first chair of materia medica, the accumulated knowledge of materials used in healing. Francis Home and his colleagues were determined to improve the quality of medical training in Edinburgh by introducing a final examination and compiling a catalog of medicines validated by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The catalog, known as the Edinburgh Pharmacopoeia, was a great success, partly due to the orderly nature of its contents, its routine editing to eliminate worthless entries, and the introduction of new treatments whose preparation was precisely documented. In a relatively short time, the worth of the Edinburgh Pharmacopoeia was recognized throughout Europe, America, and the British Empire. Today, the British and European Pharmacopoeias are catalogs of publicly available, legally enforceable standards for active pharmaceutical ingredients and finished dosage forms of pharmaceutical products and medical devices. Home and the many luminaries who succeeded him would surely take pleasure and pride in the fact that the mantra of today's medicines regulators worldwide is little different from that of these early visionaries: “To take better advantage of the best possible science in the service of the public health and our health-care systems” ( 1 , p. 492).
Aging in the Cardiovascular System: Lessons from Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome
Authors: Hamczyk Magda R. , del Campo Lara , Andrés Vicente
Published: September 2017

Aging, the main risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD), is becoming progressively more prevalent in our societies. A better understanding of how aging promotes CVD is therefore urgently needed to develop new strategies to reduce disease burden. Atherosclerosis and heart failure contribute significantly to age-associated CVD-related morbimortality. CVD and aging are both accelerated in patients suffering from Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS), a rare genetic disorder caused by the prelamin A mutant progerin. Progerin causes extensive atherosclerosis and cardiac electrophysiological alterations that invariably lead to premature aging and death. This review summarizes the main structural and functional alterations to the cardiovascular system during physiological and premature aging and discusses the mechanisms underlying exaggerated CVD and aging induced by prelamin A and progerin. Because both proteins are expressed in normally aging non-HGPS individuals, and most hallmarks of normal aging occur in progeria, research on HGPS can identify mechanisms underlying physiological aging.
The secret life of ion channels: Kv1.3 potassium channels and proliferation
Authors: Pérez-García M. Teresa , Cidad Pilar , López-López José R.
Published: September 2017

Kv1.3 channels are involved in the switch to proliferation of normally quiescent cells, being implicated in the control of cell cycle in many different cell types and in many different ways. They modulate membrane potential controlling K+ fluxes, sense changes in potential, and interact with many signaling molecules through their intracellular domains. From a mechanistic point of view, we can describe the role of Kv1.3 channels in proliferation with at least three different models. In the “membrane potential model,” membrane hyperpolarization resulting from Kv1.3 activation provides the driving force for Ca2+ influx required to activate Ca2+-dependent transcription. This model explains most of the data obtained from several cells from the immune system. In the “voltage sensor model,” Kv1.3 channels serve mainly as sensors that transduce electrical signals into biochemical cascades, independently of their effect on membrane potential. Kv1.3-dependent proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) could fit this model. Finally, in the “channelosome balance model,” the master switch determining proliferation may be related to the control of the Kv1.3 to Kv1.5 ratio, as described in glial cells and also in VSMCs. Since the three mechanisms cannot function independently, these models are obviously not exclusive. Nevertheless, they could be exploited differentially in different cells and tissues. This large functional flexibility of Kv1.3 channels surely gives a new perspective on their functions beyond their elementary role as ion channels, although a conclusive picture of the mechanisms involved in Kv1.3 signaling to proliferation is yet to be reached.
The Role of Complementary and Alternative Medicine in the Healthcare System: A German Paradox
Authors: Jansen Eva
Published: September 2017

Background: This paper examines a paradox in the German healthcare system: Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practices are a major element of medical encounters in Germany. Patients seek them, physicians provide them, and public health insurances pay for them in part. Despite all this, CAM practices are not acknowledged as scientifically valid. Material and Method: I will examine this situation in detail based on 2 ethnographic studies. The first study refers to an attempt to introduce homeopathic education at a German university. The second one is a study in the context of cancer and CAM. These cases are perfect examples of the current power struggles that are impeding the expansion of CAM practices in Germany. Results: The results should be seen from the theoretical angle of the study of science. The conventional method of proving scientific validity is in contradiction to those frameworks in which the impact of CAM might be demonstrated. There are economic interests invested in preventing the integration of CAM into existing scientific structures. However, the current hybridization of CAM with conventional medicine might be a step towards an institutionalized heterogenization of medical practices in Germany. Conclusions: A broader understanding of scientific methods within the CAM community could provide a useful frame for future research. I suggest that the CAM community more actively takes part in the discourse with representatives of conventional medicine and come out of the closet.
The Effect of Perceived Stress on Epstein-Barr Virus Antibody Titers in Appalachian Ohio Women
Authors: Brook Melissa J. , Christian Lisa M. , Hade Erinn M. , Ruffin Mack T.
Published: September 2017

Objective: The Appalachian population suffers a disparate burden of chronic stress leading to high perceived stress. The study aim was to determine the association between perceived stress and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) antibody titers, along with the impact of perceived social support, Appalachian self-identify, and health behaviors. Methods: Serum EBV VCA-IgG antibody titer levels from 169 female Appalachian residents (aged 18-26 years) were examined. Perceived stress, perceived social support, Appalachian self-identity, and health behaviors were assessed via self-administered questionnaires. Results: There were 169 of 185 women positive for EBV. Among these women, the median EBV antibody titer level was 404 U/mL (range 101-6,464), and the overall geometric mean was 563.2 (95% CI 486.6-651.9). For a 1-point increase in perceived stress, the EBV antibody titer increased by 1.92% (95% CI 0.04-3.76%). For every point increase in perceived social support, the EBV antibody titer decreased by 1.00% (95% CI 0.06-1.98%). Perceived stress was significantly associated with sleep quality, BMI, and current smoking status, but not with binge-drinking, drug use, or Appalachian self-identity. No mediating effects of sleep quality, BMI, binge-drinking, current drug use, or >4 sexual partners were observed in the relationship between perceived stress and EBV titer level. Conclusion: Young Appalachian women reported high levels of perceived stress that were significantly associated with higher EBV titers. Higher perceived social support was associated with lower EBV titers. Health behaviors and Appalachian self-identity did not impact the relationship between perceived stress and EBV titers.