bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Formation, structure, and function of extra‐skeletal bones in mammals
Authors: Nasoori Alireza
Published: April 2020

This review describes the formation, structure, and function of bony compartments in antlers, horns, ossicones, osteoderm and the os penis/os clitoris (collectively referred to herein as AHOOO structures) in extant mammals. AHOOOs are extra‐skeletal bones that originate from subcutaneous (dermal) tissues in a wide variety of mammals, and this review elaborates on the co‐development of the bone and skin in these structures. During foetal stages, primordial cells for the bony compartments arise in subcutaneous tissues. The epithelial–mesenchymal transition is assumed to play a key role in the differentiation of bone, cartilage, skin and other tissues in AHOOO structures. AHOOO ossification takes place after skeletal bone formation, and may depend on sexual maturity. Skin keratinization occurs in tandem with ossification and may be under the control of androgens. Both endochondral and intramembranous ossification participate in bony compartment formation. There is variation in gradients of density in different AHOOO structures. These gradients, which vary according to function and species, primarily reduce mechanical stress. Anchorage of AHOOOs to their surrounding tissues fortifies these structures and is accomplished by bone–bone fusion and Sharpey fibres. The presence of the integument is essential for the protection and function of the bony compartments. Three major functions can be attributed to AHOOOs: mechanical, visual, and thermoregulatory. This review provides the first extensive comparative description of the skeletal and integumentary systems of AHOOOs in a variety of mammals.
Gender Fluidity and Nonbinary Gender Identities Among Children and Adolescents
Authors: Diamond Lisa M.
Published: April 2020

A growing number of children and adolescents report having gender identities or expressions that differ from their birth‐assigned gender or from social and cultural gender norms. Some identify as transgender, whereas others consider themselves nonbinary or gender fluid. Nonbinary and gender fluid youth are distinct from transgender youth in that they typically report that their gender identity (i.e., their internal sense of gender) or their gender expression (i.e., their public presentation of their gender through appearance, dress, and behavior) fall outside the traditional male–female binary. For example, nonbinary youth may identify as both male and female or neither male nor female. In this article, I discuss what we know about nonbinary forms of gender identity and expression among children and adolescents, and how these experiences converge and diverge from binary forms of the transgender experience. I also identify the most important priorities for fostering well‐being among all youth.
“Several times I have asked the judge to get my children back”: 10 years of foster care complaints at the Flemish Office of the Children's Rights Commissioner
Authors: De Wilde Lieselot , Vanobbergen Bruno
Published: April 2020

European societies struggle with the question of how to deal best with, and organize care for, those children who, for various reasons, need to be placed out of their home. In an attempt to protect these children, states organize different forms of care. Under the influence of testimonies of abuse and neglect, the image of residential care has become tainted and the placement of looked‐after children in foster families has become increasingly favoured. This evolution towards a manifest choice for foster care is defended as being more in “the interests of the child.” However, the “best interests of the child” notion is applicable in decisions concerning substitute care in many different ways. During the last decade, the shift towards a child's perspective away from a family‐preservation perspective is noticeable. We argue in this paper that this focus on children's needs is at the expense of the rights and identity of the parents. Based on an analysis of 342 complaints concerning foster care reported to the Flemish Office of the Children's Rights Commissioner, we analysed which “alarming situations” are reported and highlight a number of pressing concerns from the perspective of parents.
A synergy Thompson sampling hyper‐heuristic for the feature selection problem
Authors: Lassouaoui Mourad , Boughaci Dalila , Benhamou Belaid
Published: April 2020

To classify high‐dimensional data, feature selection plays a key role to eliminate irrelevant attributes and enhance the classification accuracy and efficiency. Since feature selection is an NP‐Hard problem, many heuristics and metaheuristics have been used to tackle in practice this problem. In this article, we propose a novel approach that consists in a probabilistic selection hyper‐heuristic called the synergy Thompson sampling hyper‐heuristic. The Thompson sampling selection strategy is a probabilistic reinforcement learning mechanism to assess the behavior of the low‐level heuristics, and to predict which one will be more efficient at each point during the search process. The proposed hyper‐heuristic is combined with a 1 nearest neighbor classifier from the Weka framework. It aims to find the best subset of features that maximizes the classification accuracy rate. Experimental results show a good performance in favor of the proposed method when comparing with other existing approaches.
The importance of public support in the implementation of green transportation in the smart cities
Authors: Mao Jia , Sun Qi , Wang Xi , Muthu BalaAnand , Krishnamoorthy Sujatha
Published: April 2020

Smart cities are increasingly evolving, initializing new strategies, and programs that have a significant influence on policy making and scheduling while coexisting with urban facilities. To recognize urban planning offers to a smarter city context, it is now necessary to understand the contribution of the smart city in overall urban planning and vice versa. Currently, transportation has been seen as a connection to all aspects of life across the world. This article presents the results of a survey testing into whether the public supports the concept of green transportation in the smart cities. The green urban mobility model has been proposed to investigate urban traffic information to characterize important features of smart mobility in the smart cities. The development of intelligent transportation systems using the proposed model that makes traffic easier in the city to transport safe and more comfortable. The experimental results suggest the required factors of green transportation and realistic behavior of smart mobility.
Cover Image, Volume 22, Issue 5
Authors: Ji Linong , Wan Hailong , Wen Binhong , Wang Xueying , Wang Junfen , Bian Rongwen , Pang Wuyan , Tian Jian , Wang Yan , Bian Fang , Gao Zhengnan , Condoleon Alex , Feng Wei , Zhang Xia , Cui Nan
Published: April 2020

The cover image is based on the Original Article Higher versus standard starting dose of insulin glargine 100 U/mL in overweight or obese Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes: results of a multicentre, open‐label, randomised controlled trial (BEYOND VII) by Linong Ji, Xia Zhang, Wuyan Pang et al., https://doi.org/10.1111/dom.13967.

image
Effect of temperature on egg production in the common housefly
Authors: Francuski Ljubinka , Jansen Walter , Beukeboom Leo W.
Published: April 2020

Musca domestica L. (Diptera: Muscidae), better known as the common housefly, is increasingly considered to be a new, alternative protein source for animal nutrition. By transferring low‐value organic side streams into high‐value protein products, its commercial production contributes to a circular economy. Next to technical innovations for scaling‐up the production capacity, efficient egg production has been identified as one of the bottlenecks of housefly production systems. We investigated egg production in two strains, one originally from Spain (SPA) and one from The Netherlands (GK), at 25 and 32 °C. At 25 °C, duration of preoviposition period, laying phase, and adult longevity was longer than at 32 °C. Lifetime egg production was lower at 32 °C, but the number of clutches laid per female was unaffected by temperature. Daily egg production at 32 °C was higher during the first 7 days, revealing a trade‐off between higher early‐in‐life reproductive effort and adult longevity. The combination of shorter sexual maturation period and higher daily egg‐laying rate resulted in reaching 50% of total egg production only 6 days after emergence at 32 °C for both strains, compared to 13 and 14 days at 25 °C for SPA and GK, respectively. We conclude that, in the absence of a need for high adult survival rates, houseflies have favourable production performances at higher temperature, and that efficacy and yield of the production process could be maximized by increasing the rearing temperature to 32 °C.
The effects of ecoregions and local environmental characteristics on spatial patterns in boreal riverine fish assemblages
Authors: Vehanen Teppo , Sutela Tapio , Harjunpää Anna
Published: April 2020

The conservation, management and monitoring of aquatic resources should benefit from understanding their spatial structuring. In this paper, we used the reference condition approach (RCA) to test if the variability in biotic communities, riverine fish assemblages in the present case, is better controlled with a spatial delineation based on ecoregions or by grouping rivers with local catchment characteristics. Electrofishing data from 493 riffles in 99 rivers in Finland were used in the analysis. We completed multivariate analyses (nonmetric multidimensional scaling, multiresponse permutation procedures) to identify differences in fish community composition among groups based on ecoregions or catchment characteristics. We concluded that both regional processes and local environmental characteristics structured fish populations, and bioassessment of freshwaters should be based on regional spatial delineations, supported by local scale characteristics. Spatial delineations like ecoregions should be used to assist the bioassessment to improve the efficiency to detect the human impacts.
Intuitive and broadly applicable definitions of niche and fitness differences
Authors: Spaak Jurg W. , De Laender Frederik
Published: April 2020

Explaining nature’s biodiversity is a key challenge for science. To persist, populations must be able to grow faster when rare, a feature called negative frequency dependence and quantified as ‘niche differences’ () in modern coexistence theory. Here, we first show that available definitions of differ in how link to species interactions, are difficult to interpret and often apply to specific community types only. We then present a new definition of that is intuitive and applicable to a broader set of (modelled and empirical) communities than is currently the case, filling a main gap in the literature. Given , we also redefine fitness differences () and illustrate how and determine coexistence. Finally, we demonstrate how to apply our definitions to theoretical models and experimental data, and provide ideas on how they can facilitate comparison and synthesis in community ecology.
An estimation of true Ramberg‐Osgood curve parameters for materials with and without Luder's strain using yield and ultimate strengths
Authors: Kujawski Daniel , Patwardhan Pranav S. , Nalavde Rajprasad A.
Published: April 2020

Engineering tensile stress–strain curves for metallic materials typically show two different behaviours, namely, with Luder's strain and without Luder's strain. Luder's strain is more common for ductile materials, whereas high‐strength steels deform without Luder's strain. Usually, the stress–strain curves of ductile steels exhibit ultimate load where necking starts to develop. On the other hand, steels with low ductility exhibit monotonic increase of the applied load till failure without necking. Recently, Kamaya proposed a method to estimate the Ramberg‐Osgood relationship parameters for true stress–strain curves on the basis of conventional yield and ultimate strengths. This method can be not accurate enough for ductile materials exhibiting Luder's strain. Hence, a more general procedure for the materials exhibiting Luder's strain is proposed. In addition, an inverse method for assessing an ‘apparent ultimate tensile stress’ (akin to the ultimate stress of ductile materials at point of zero slope) for materials with low ductility (due to quenching or carburizing) is suggested.
A Potential New Chalcopyrite Reference Material for Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry Sulfur Isotope Ratio Analysis
Authors: Li Rucao , Xia Xiao‐Ping , Chen Huayong , Wu Nanping , Zhao Taiping , Lai Chunkit , Yang Qing , Zhang Yanqiang
Published: April 2020

Chalcopyrite is an important sulfide mineral in many types of ore deposits, but matrix‐matched chalcopyrite reference materials for microanalysis are lacking. A new natural chalcopyrite‐bearing specimen (HTS4‐6) was analysed in this study to investigate its potential as a reference material for microbeam sulfur isotope ratio measurement. Detailed textural examination and major element determination showed that the HTS4‐6 chalcopyrite grains have no growth rim or zoning. A total of 607 sulfur isotope ratio spot measurements with secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) conducted on the cruciform sections, and over 120 randomly selected grains yielded highly consistent sulfur isotope ratio. The intermediate measurement precision for four measurement sessions of the 34S/32S measurement results was better than 0.39‰ (2s). Randomly selected chalcopyrite grains of HTS4‐6 were further analysed by LA‐MC‐ICP‐MS, which gave a mean δ34S value of +0.58 ± 0.38‰ (2s, n = 95). The maximum variance (expressed as intermediate precision from SIMS and LA‐MC‐ICP‐MS measurements) is not worse than 0.39‰ (the SIMS value), indicating that HTS4‐6 chalcopyrite is a potential reference material for in situ microbeam sulfur isotope measurements. The mean δ34S value determined by gas source isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GS‐IRMS) is +0.63 ± 0.16‰ (2s, n = 23), consistent with that derived by LA‐MC‐ICP‐MS, and can represent the recommended value for this potential reference material.
Postauthorization safety surveillance study of antihaemophilic factor (recombinant) reconstituted in 2 mL sterile water for injection in children with haemophilia A
Authors: Motwani Jayashree , Guillet Benoit , Blatny Jan , Schilling Freimut H. , Wibaut Bénédicte , Goldstine Jimena , Nagy Andras , Doralt Jennifer , Engl Werner , Tangada Srilatha , Spotts Gerald
Published: April 2020

Introduction

Antihaemophilic factor (recombinant) (rAHF; ADVATE®) is approved for prophylaxis and treatment of bleeding in children and adults with haemophilia A. Reconstitution in 2 mL sterile water for injection instead of 5 mL allows for a 60% reduction in infusion volume and administration time, but could increase the likelihood of hypersensitivity and infusion‐related reactions, especially in children.

Aim

To assess local tolerability, safety and effectiveness of rAHF 2 mL during routine clinical practice factor VIII (FVIII) replacement (on‐demand and prophylaxis) in children with severe (FVIII < 1%) or moderately severe (FVIII 1%‐2%) haemophilia A.

Methods

This was a prospective, non‐interventional, postauthorization safety surveillance study (NCT02093741). Eligible patients were previously treated with rAHF and had a negative inhibitor test result during ≤10 exposure days prior to study entry.

Results

Of 65 patients enrolled (0‐11 years of age), 54 and 11 had severe and moderately severe haemophilia A, respectively; 56 patients received prophylaxis, and 11 had ≤50 exposure days, of which 4 had ≤4 exposure days. No patients reported local hypersensitivity reactions, treatment‐related adverse events or developed inhibitors. Investigators rated overall effectiveness of rAHF 2 mL prophylaxis as excellent or good. Ninety‐four bleeding events in 34 patients were treated. Haemostatic effectiveness was rated as excellent or good for 75.8% of bleeds; 86.2% of bleeds required 1 or 2 infusions.

Conclusion

In children with severe/moderately severe haemophilia A, no hypersensitivity reactions were reported with rAHF 2 mL treatment, and the safety and effectiveness are consistent with data previously reported for rAHF 5 mL.
The revised Patient Perception of Patient‐Centeredness Questionnaire: Exploring the factor structure in French‐speaking patients with multimorbidity
Authors: Nguyen Tu Ngoc , Ngangue Patrice Alain , Ryan Bridget L. , Stewart Moira , Brown Judith Belle , Bouhali Tarek , Fortin Martin
Published: April 2020

Background

The Patient Perception of Patient‐Centeredness (PPPC) questionnaire was revised, and there is a need for the questionnaire to be tested in diverse primary care populations.

Objectives

This study aimed to examine the factor structure of the Revised PPPC questionnaire (PPPC‐R) in French‐speaking patients with multimorbidity.

Design

Secondary analysis from baseline data of the French arm of Patient‐Centered Innovations for Persons with Multimorbidity Study (PACEinMM Study).

Setting and participants

Participants were adult patients with multimorbidity attending primary health‐care settings.

Outcome measures

Exploratory factor analyses were applied to examine the factor structure of the PPPC‐R. Cronbach's alpha values were calculated to assess the internal consistency of the whole questionnaire and of each factor explored.

Results

There were 301 participants, mean age 61.0, 53.2% female. The PPPC‐R showed very good internal consistency, with three factors: Patient‐Centered Clinical Method (PCCM) Component 1‐Exploring the health, disease and illness experience + PCCM Component 4‐Enhancing the patient–clinician relationship (Factor 1); PCCM Component 2‐Understanding the whole person (Factor 2); and PCCM Component 3‐Finding common ground (Factor 3). There was a good internal consistency within each factor (Cronbach's α = 0.87 for 8 items in Factor 1, 0.77 for 5 items in Factor 2 and 0.87 for 5 items in Factor 3).

Discussion and conclusions

The French PPPC‐R factor structure was in accordance with the underpinning conceptual model and presented with three factors. Further assessment of its validity and reproducibility are needed to allow its use as a measure of patient's perception of patient‐centeredness.
Classifying the Implementation of the EU's Normative Power in its Southern Neighbourhood: The Role of Local Actors
Authors: Dandashly Assem , Kourtelis Christos
Published: April 2020

This article examines the role of local actors in the implementation of the European Union (EU) norms in the Arab Mediterranean countries (AMCs) after 2011. It argues that their role is determined by two parameters: their degree of involvement in policy formulation and the position of other external actors towards the EU norms. Based on this categorization, the article generates a typology of the application of the EU norms, and claims that their implementation in the AMCs takes a thin or a thick form. The findings of this typology suggest that holistic and Eurocentric narratives of the EU's normative power should be revisited. The implementation of EU norms must be contextualized and is conditional upon the differentiated role of local sectoral actors. For explaining the articulation of the EU's norms, this study considers two key sectors of the revised European Neighbourhood Policy: (1) democracy promotion and (2) sustainable development.
Gut microbiota dysbiosis signature is associated with the colorectal carcinogenesis sequence and improves the diagnosis of colorectal lesions
Authors: Gao Renyuan , Wang Zhiguo , Li Hao , Cao Zhan , Gao Zhiguang , Chen Hongqi , Zhang Xiaohui , Pan Dengdeng , Yang Rong , Zhong Hui , Shen Rongrong , Yin Lu , Jia Zhenyi , Shen Tongyi , Qin Nan , Hu Zhiqian , Qin Huanlong
Published: April 2020

Background and Aim

The gut microbiota is associated with colorectal lesions in cases of precancer and colorectal cancer (CRC). However, there are apparent differences in studies on the gut microbiota in the pathogenic sequence from precancer to cancer. Here, we characterize the gut microbiota signatures of colorectal precancer and cancer and test their utility in detecting colorectal lesions in two independent Chinese cohorts.

Methods

Stool samples collected from patients with precancer and CRC were subjected to 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing and metagenomic shotgun sequencing analyses, which revealed the microbial signatures of the two disease stages.

Results

In comparison with healthy controls, lower microbial richness and diversity were observed in precancer and intensive interbacterial associations were found in CRC. We identified 41 bacteria that showed gradual increases while 12 bacteria showed gradual decreases at the genus level gradually during the development of CRC. Novel CRC‐associated pathogenetic species were identified. Species units that contributed to altered microbial functions were identified in CRC patients and healthy controls. The microbial panel showed a comparable ability to fecal immunochemical test (FIT) in detecting CRC. However, the combination of microbes and FIT significantly improved the detection ability and sensitivity of colon lesions based on 18 genera. Microbial network analysis revealed a significant positive correlation among beneficial microbes and a negative correlation in detrimental phenotypes.

Conclusions

Microbial dysbiosis was revealed in colorectal lesions. The combination of microbial markers and FIT improved the CRC detection ability, which might assist in the early diagnosis of CRC.
Pharmacokinetics and in vivo distribution of optimized PLGA nanoparticles for pulmonary delivery of levofloxacin
Authors: Shah Sunny R , Prajapati Hani R , Sheth Devang B , Gondaliya Ekta M , Vyas Amit J , Soniwala Moinuddin M , Chavda Jayant R
Published: April 2020

Objectives

The aim of this study was to develop and optimize levofloxacin loaded PLGA nanoparticles (LN) for pulmonary delivery employing screening and experimental design and evaluate their in-vitro and in-vivo performance. The objective was to achieve Mass Median Aerodynamic Diameter (MMAD) of LN of less than 5μm, sustain the drug release up to 120 h and a higher AUC/MIC at the site of action.

Methods

LN were prepared by modified emulsion solvent evaporation technique employing high speed homogenization, probe sonication and subsequent lyophilization.

Key Findings

The Pareto chart from Placket Burman screening design revealed that homogenization speed and amount of PLGA were found to be significant (P < 0.05). Further analysis by 3 full-factorial design revealed that F-ratio was found to be far greater than the theoretical value (P < 0.05) for each regression model.

Conclusion

The optimized formulation with desirability value 0.9612 showed mean particle size of 146 nm, MMAD of 4.40 μm and sustained the drug release up to 120 h in simulated lung fluid. Augmentation in Cmax (1.71-fold), AUC 0-∞ (5.46-fold), Mean Residence Time (6.64-fold) and AUC/MIC (6.21-fold) of LN through pulmonary route was found to significantly higher (P < 0.05) than levofloxacin (p. o.).
Clinical features and radiographic findings in cats with eosinophilic, neutrophilic, and mixed airway inflammation (2011‐2018)
Authors: Lee Elizabeth A. , Johnson Lynelle R. , Johnson Eric G. , Vernau William
Published: April 2020

Background

Idiopathic inflammatory airway disease (IAD) in cats often is described as asthmatic (eosinophilic) or bronchitic (neutrophilic), but this designation requires collection of airway fluid and it fails to consider cats with mixed airway inflammation.

Objective

To identify clinical features that would differentiate inflammatory disease types.

Animals

Forty‐nine cats with nonspecific airway inflammation identified by bronchoscopic bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) between 2011 and 2018 were evaluated.

Methods

This is a retrospective study. Cats were categorized by BAL differential cytology as having eosinophilic (eosinophils >20% with neutrophils <14%, or eosinophils >50%), mixed (eosinophils 20%‐50% and neutrophils >14% or discordant inflammation from 2 BAL sites), or neutrophilic (neutrophils >14% and eosinophils <20%) inflammation. Type and duration of presenting complaints, signalment, body condition score, respiratory rate, CBC results, bronchoscopy, BAL results (% recovery, total nucleated cell count, differential cell count), and radiographic findings were compared among groups.

Results

Idiopathic IAD was diagnosed in 49 cats, with BAL eosinophilic inflammation in 23, mixed inflammation in 14, and neutrophilic inflammation in 12. Cough was the predominant presenting complaint with no difference in duration of signs among groups (median, 5.5 months). Respiratory rate and effort also did not differ. Cats with eosinophilic inflammation were significantly younger (4.4 ± 3.3 years) than those with neutrophilic (8.0 ±5.6 years) or mixed inflammation (7.5 ± 4.0 years;P= .03). Results of CBC and interpretation of radiographic findings did not differ among groups.

Conclusions and Clinical Importance

Substantial overlap exists in clinical and radiographic findings in cats with various forms of idiopathic airway inflammation.
Glucose availability dictates the export of the soluble and prion forms of Sup35p via periplasmic or extracellular vesicles
Authors: Kabani Mehdi , Pilard Marion , Melki Ronald
Published: April 2020

The yeast [PSI+] prion originates from the self‐perpetuating transmissible aggregates of the translation termination factor Sup35p. We previously showed that infectious Sup35p particles are exported outside the cells via extracellular vesicles (EV). This finding suggested a function for EV in the vertical and horizontal transmission of yeast prions. Here we report a significant export of Sup35p within periplasmic vesicles (PV) upon glucose starvation. We show that PV are up to three orders of magnitude more abundant than EV. However, PV and EV are different in terms of size and protein content, and their export is oppositely regulated by glucose availability in the growth medium. Overall, our work suggests that the export of prion particles to both the periplasm and the extracellular space needs to be considered to address the physiological consequences of vesicle‐mediated yeast prions trafficking.
Effects and sites of action of a M1 receptor positive allosteric modulator on colonic motility in rats and dogs compared with 5‐HT4 agonism and cholinesterase inhibition
Authors: Tsukimi Yasuhiro , Pustovit Ruslan V. , Harrington Andrea M. , Garcia‐Caraballo Sonia , Brierley Stuart M. , Di Natale Madeleine , Molero Juan C. , Furness John B.
Published: April 2020

Background

Muscarinic receptor 1 positive allosteric modulators (M1PAMs) enhance colonic propulsive contractions and defecation through the facilitation of M1 receptor (M1R)‐mediated signaling. We examined M1R expression in the colons of 5 species and compared colonic propulsion and defecation caused by the M1PAM, T440, the 5‐HT4 agonist, prucalopride, and the cholinesterase inhibitor, neostigmine, in rats and dogs.

Methods

M1R expression was profiled by immunostaining and in situ hybridization. In vivo studies utilized male SD rats and beagle dogs. Colonic propulsive contractions were recorded by manometry in anesthetized rats. Gut contractions in dogs were assessed using implanted force transducers in the ileum, proximal, mid, and distal colons.

Key Results

M1R was localized to neurons of myenteric and submucosal plexuses and the epithelium of the human colon. A similar receptor localization was observed in rat, dog, mouse, and pig. T440 enhanced normal defecation in rats in a dose‐dependent manner. Prucalopride also enhanced defecation in rats, but the maximum effect was half that of T440. Neostigmine and T440 were similarly effective in enhancing defecation, but the effective dose of neostigmine was close to its lethal dose. In rats, all 3 compounds induced colonic contractions, but the associated propulsion was strongest with T440. In dogs, intestinal contractions elicited by T440 propagated from ileum to distal colon. Prucalopride and neostigmine also induced intestinal contractions, but these were less well coordinated. No loss of effectiveness of T440 on defecation occurred after 5 days of repeated dosing.

Conclusion and Inferences

These results suggest that M1PAMs produce highly coordinated propagating contraction by actions on the enteric nervous system of the colon. The localization of M1R to enteric neurons in both animals and humans suggests that the M1PAM effects would be translatable to human. M1PAMs provide a potential novel therapeutic option for constipation disorders.
Photosynthetic quantum efficiency in south‐eastern Amazonian trees may be already affected by climate change
Authors: Tiwari Rakesh , Gloor Emanuel , da Cruz Wesley Jonatar A. , Schwantes Marimon Beatriz , Marimon‐Junior Ben Hur , Reis Simone M. , de Souza Igor Araújo , Krause Heinrich G. , Slot Martijn , Winter Klaus , Ashley David , Béu Raiane G. , Borges Camila S. , Da Cunha Maura , Fauset Sophie , Ferreira Laura D. S. , Gonçalves Maélly Dállet A. , Lopes Thaynara T. , Marques Eduardo Q. , Mendonça Natalia G. , Mendonça Natana G. , Noleto Pedro T. , de Oliveira Carla Heloísa L. , Oliveira Milene A. , Pireda Saulo , dos Santos Prestes Nayane C. C. , Santos Denilson M. , Santos Eduarda B. , da Silva Ediméia Laura S. , de Souza Izabel A. , de Souza Luciana J. , Vitória Angela P. , Foyer Christine H. , Galbraith David
Published: April 2020

Tropical forests are experiencing unprecedented high‐temperature conditions due to climate change that could limit their photosynthetic functions. We studied the high‐temperature sensitivity of photosynthesis in a rainforest site in southern Amazonia, where some of the highest temperatures and most rapid warming in the Tropics have been recorded. The quantum yield (Fv/Fm) of photosystem II was measured in seven dominant tree species using leaf discs exposed to varying levels of heat stress. T50 was calculated as the temperature at which Fv/Fm was half the maximum value. T5 is defined as the breakpoint temperature, at which Fv/Fm decline was initiated. Leaf thermotolerance in the rapidly warming southern Amazonia was the highest recorded for forest tree species globally. T50 and T5 varied between species, with one mid‐storey species, Amaioua guianensis, exhibiting particularly high T50 and T5 values. While the T50 values of the species sampled were several degrees above the maximum air temperatures experienced in southern Amazonia, the T5 values of several species are now exceeded under present‐day maximum air temperatures.
CD147 regulates melanoma metastasis via the NFAT1‐MMP‐9 pathway
Authors: Liu Nian , Qi Min , Li Keke , Zeng Weiqi , Li Jiaoduan , Yin Mingzhu , Liu Hong , Chen Xiang , Zhang JiangLin , Peng Cong
Published: April 2020

Although accumulating evidence had revealed that NFAT1 has oncogenic characteristics, the role of this molecule in melanoma cells remains unclear. Previous studies proved that CD147 plays a crucial function in melanoma cell metastasis and invasion through matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP‐9) expression; however, the details of how CD147 regulates MMP‐9 expression remain elusive. In this study, we demonstrated that CD147 and NFAT1 are overexpressed in the tissues of patients with primary and metastatic melanoma, which has shown a positive correlation. Further, we observed that CD147 regulates NFAT1 activation through the [Ca2+]i‐calcineurin pathway. Knockdown of NFAT1 significantly suppresses melanoma metastasis, and we demonstrated that CD147 affects melanoma metastasis in an NFAT1‐dependent manner. Moreover, we verified that NFAT1 directly binds to MMP‐9 promoter. Inhibition of CD147 expression significantly abrogates MMP‐9 promoter luciferase gene reporter activity as well as NFAT1 association with MMP‐9 promoter. Taken together, this study demonstrated that CD147 affects MMP‐9 expression through regulating NFAT1 activity and provided a novel mechanism by which NFAT1 contributes to melanoma metastasis through the regulation of MMP‐9.
Healthcare Professionals Risk Assessments for Alert Overrides in High‐Risk IV Infusions Using Simulated Scenarios
Authors: Su Wan‐Ting K. , Lehto Mark R. , Degnan Dan D. , Yih Yuehwern , Duffy Vincent G. , DeLaurentis Poching
Published: April 2020

This study aimed to use healthcare professionals’ assessments to calculate expected risk of intravenous (IV) infusion harm for simulated high‐risk medications that exceed soft limits and to investigate the impact of relevant risk factors. We designed 30 infusion scenarios for four high‐risk medications, propofol, morphine, insulin, and heparin, infused in adult intensive care unit (AICU) and adult medical and surgical care unit (AMSU). A total of 20 pharmacists and 5 nurses provided their assessed expected risk of harm in each scenario. Descriptive statistics, analysis of variance with least square mean, and post hoc test were conducted to test the effects of field limit type, soft (SoftMax), and hard maximum drug limit types (HardMax), and care area‐medication combination on risk of harm. The results showed that overdosing scenarios with continuous and bolus dose limit types were assessed with significantly higher risks than those of bolus dose rate type. An overdose infusion in AICU over a large SoftMax was assessed to be of higher risk than over a small one, but not in AMSU. For overdose infusions with three levels of drug amount, greater drug amount in AICU and AMSU was assessed to have higher risk, except insignificant risk difference between the infusions with higher and moderate drug amount in AMSU. This study obtained expected risk for simulated high‐risk IV infusions and found that different field limit and SoftMax types can affect expected risk based on healthcare professionals’ perspectives. The findings will be regarded as benchmarks for validating risk quantification models in future research.
Simulating Gene Silencing through Intervention Analysis
Authors: Djordjilović Vera , Chiogna Monica , Romualdi Chiara
Published: April 2020

We propose a novel method for simulating the effects of gene silencing. Our approach combines relevant subject matter information provided by biological pathways with gene expression levels measured in regular conditions to predict the behaviour of the system after one of the genes has been silenced. We achieve this by modelling gene silencing as an external intervention in a causal graphical model. To account for the uncertainty that is associated with the structure learning of the graphical model, we adopt a bootstrap approach. We illustrate our proposal on a Drosophila melanogaster gene silencing experiment.
Marvel, DC, and Sport: Investigating Rivalry in the Sport and Comic Settings
Authors: Havard Cody T. , Grieve Frederick G. , Lomenick Megan E.
Published: April 2020

Objective

The current article empirically investigated differences in fandom and rivalry between fans of a sport team and fans of the Marvel or DC comic brands.

Methods

An online survey was distributed to fans of a sport team and/or the comic genre to measure how fans identified with their favorite brands (both sport and comics), and how they felt toward their rival brands.

Results

Results illustrated that sport fans reported higher identification with their favorite teams than did fans of Marvel or DC toward their favorite brands. Additionally, fans of sport reported more negative perceptions of their rival teams than fans of the comic genre. Finally, people who were fans of both a sport team and the comic genre were more positive regarding their rival than fans who were a fan of only a sport team or the comic genre.

Conclusion

Theoretical implications include support for the measures in a nonsport setting along with support for the common in‐group model. Practical implications deriving from the findings are discussed, and avenues for future research are presented.
Intracellular acidification facilitates receptor‐operated TRPC4 activation through PLCδ1 in a Ca2+‐dependent manner
Authors: Thakur Dhananjay P. , Wang Qiaochu , Jeon Jaepyo , Tian Jin‐Bin , Zhu Michael X.
Published: April 2020

Key points

Receptor‐operated activation of TRPC4 cation channels requires Gi/o proteins and phospholipase‐Cδ1 (PLCδ1) activation by intracellular Ca2+.

Concurrent stimulation of the Gq/11 pathway accelerates Gi/o activation of TRPC4, which is not mimicked by increasing cytosolic Ca2+.

The kinetic effect of Gq/11 was diminished by alkaline intracellular pH (pHi) and increased pHi buffer capacity.

Acidic pHi (6.75–6.25) together with the cytosolic Ca2+ rise accelerated Gi/o‐mediated TRPC4 activation.

Protons exert their facilitation effect through Ca2+‐dependent activation of PLCδ1.

The data suggest that the Gq/11‐PLCβ pathway facilitates Gi/o activation of TRPC4 through hydrolysing phosphatidylinositol 4,5‐bisphosphate (PIP2) to produce the initial proton signal that triggers a self‐propagating PLCδ1 activity supported by regenerative H+ and Ca2+.

The findings provide novel mechanistic insights into receptor‐operated TRPC4 activation by coincident Gq/11 and Gi/o pathways and shed light on how aberrant activation of TRPC4 may occur under pathological conditions to cause cell damage.

Transient Receptor Potential Canonical 4 (TRPC4) forms non‐selective cation channels activated downstream from receptors that signal through G proteins. Our recent work suggests that TRPC4 channels are particularly coupled to pertussis toxin‐sensitive Gi/o proteins, with a co‐dependence on phospholipase‐Cδ1 (PLCδ1). The Gi/o‐mediated TRPC4 activation is dually dependent on and bimodally regulated by phosphatidylinositol 4,5‐bisphosphate (PIP2), the substrate hydrolysed by PLC, and intracellular Ca2+. As a byproduct of PLC‐mediated PIP2 hydrolysis, protons have been shown to play an important role in the activation of Drosophila TRP channels. However, how intracellular pH affects mammalian TRPC channels remains obscure. Here, using patch‐clamp recordings of HEK293 cells heterologously co‐expressing mouse TRPC4β and the Gi/o‐coupled μ opioid receptor, we investigated the role of intracellular protons on Gi/o‐mediated TRPC4 activation. We found that acidic cytosolic pH greatly accelerated the rate of TRPC4 activation without altering the maximal current density and this effect was dependent on intracellular Ca2+ elevation. However, protons did not accelerate channel activation by directly acting upon TRPC4. We additionally demonstrated that protons exert their effect through sensitization of PLCδ1 to Ca2+, which in turn promotes PLCδ1 activity and further potentiates TRPC4 via a positive feedback mechanism. The mechanism elucidated here helps explain how Gi/o and Gq/11 co‐stimulation induces a faster activation of TRPC4 than Gi/o activation alone and highlights again the critical role of PLCδ1 in TRPC4 gating.
Structural and electrical properties of Pd/p-GaN contacts for GaN-based laser diodes
Authors: Norman-Reiner Maria , Freier Erik , Mogilatenko Anna , Ostermay Ina , Hoffmann Veit , Szukiewicz Rafal , Krüger Olaf , Hommel Detlef , Einfeldt Sven , Weyers Markus , Tränkle Günther
Published: April 2020

In this paper, the properties of Pd-based p-contacts on GaN-based laser diodes are discussed. Pd is often the metal of choice for ohmic contacts on p-GaN. However, for Pd/p-GaN ohmic contacts, nanovoids observed at the metal/semiconductor interface can have a negative impact on reliability and also reproducibility. The authors present a thorough analysis of the microstructure of the Pd/p-GaN interface by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). STEM data show that the microvoids at the p-GaN/Pd interface form during rapid thermal annealing. A combination of the following effects is suggested to support the void formation: (1) the differences in thermal expansion coefficients of the materials; (2) excess matrix or impurity atoms in the semiconductor, at the interface, and in the metals, which are released as gases; and (3) the strong antisurfactant effect of Pd on Ga-rich p-GaN surfaces. A slow temperature ramp during contact annealing reduces the formation of voids likely by suppressing the accumulation of gases at the interface. XPS data show that the Ga/N ratio can be reduced by suitable cleaning of the p-GaN surface, which enhances Pd adhesion. As a result, the quality of the contact system is improved by the systematic optimization of the surface cleanliness as well as the annealing parameters, leading to void-free and clean Pd/p-GaN interfaces. The specific contact resistance, extracted from linear transmission line method measurements, is reduced by an order of magnitude to 2 × 10−3 Ω cm² at 1 mA for the same epitaxial layer stack.
Synthesis of AlOx thin films by atmospheric-pressure mist chemical vapor deposition for surface passivation and electrical insulator layers
Authors: Rajib Arifuzzaman , Enamul Karim Md , Kurosu Shunji , Ukai Tomofumi , Tokuda Masahide , Fujii Yasuhiko , Hanajiri Tatsuro , Ishikawa Ryo , Ueno Keiji , Shirai Hajime
Published: April 2020

Aluminum oxide (AlOx) thin films were grown using aluminum acetylacetonate [Al(acac)3] as a source material with methanol and water as the solvent by mist chemical vapor deposition, while also exposing some films to water or methanol mists after fabrication. The incorporation of –OH groups into the AlOx network that is fabricated from Al(acac)3 and using solely methanol as a solvent generates both malformed Al(OH) network and nonuniformity. However, the addition of a small amount of water in the solvent during film growth decreases the deposition rate due to the hydrogen bond in water molecules but markedly removes –OH groups from the growth surface of the AlOx network and improves the surface uniformity. The AlOx thin films grown with a methanol:water ratio of 7:3 at 400 °C exhibit a recombination velocity of 16 cm/s, a breakdown field of 6.9 MV/cm, and an interface trap density of 4.2 × 1010 cm−2 eV−1, which are compatible with the AlOx grown by the other vacuum-based methods.
Analytic solutions for calculating the surface inclination of isotropic media and bare substrates by using reflection-based generalized ellipsometry
Authors: Negara Christian , Längle Thomas , Beyerer Jürgen
Published: April 2020

Using ellipsometry for curved-surface characterization requires the knowledge of the surface normal vector in order to determine material-related surface parameters like refractive index, layer thickness, or birefringence of the surface material at the incidence point, because the recorded signal depends on both the (unknown) surface normal vector n→ and material-related surface characteristics. It is convenient in ellipsometry to parametrize the surface normal vector by the angle of incidence θ and the azimuthal rotation angle ϕ. Depending on the design of the ellipsometer, there may be two angles, ϕ1 and ϕ2, necessary, which describe the azimuthal rotation before and after the light is reflected off the sample, respectively. The authors present analytic formulas to determine ϕ1 and ϕ2 for optically isotropic samples using generalized ellipsometry. The resulting measurement uncertainty is lower than that of previously known methods. Furthermore, the authors provide an analytic formula to calculate θ from the ellipsometric angles Ψ and Δ for bare substrates with known refractive index N1=n1−ik1. The formulas have been evaluated with experimental data acquired with a conventional and an imaging retroreflection-based return-path ellipsometer.
Impact of
vanA
-Positive Enterococcus faecium Exhibiting Diverse Susceptibility Phenotypes to Glycopeptides on 30-Day Mortality of Patients with a Bloodstream Infection
Authors: Kim Dokyun , Yoon Eun-Jeong , Hong Jun Sung , Lee Hyukmin , Shin Kyeong Seob , Shin Jeong Hwan , Kim Young Ree , Kim Hyun Soo , Kim Young Ah , Uh Young , Shin Jong Hee , Park Yoon Soo , Jeong Seok Hoon
Published: April 2020

This study was performed to evaluate the impacts of
vanA
positivity of
Enterococcus faecium
exhibiting diverse susceptibility phenotypes to glycopeptides on clinical outcomes in patients with a bloodstream infection (BSI) through a prospective, multicenter, observational study. A total of 509 patients with
E. faecium
BSI from eight sentinel hospitals in South Korea during a 2-year period were enrolled in this study. Risk factors of the hosts and causative
E. faecium
isolates were assessed to determine associations with the 30-day mortality of
E. faecium
BSI patients via multivariable logistic regression analyses.
Influence of Human Cytomegalovirus Glycoprotein O Polymorphism on the Inhibitory Effect of Soluble Forms of Trimer- and Pentamer-Specific Entry Receptors
Authors: Brait Nadja , Stögerer Tanja , Kalser Julia , Adler Barbara , Kunz Ines , Benesch Max , Kropff Barbara , Mach Michael , Puchhammer-Stöckl Elisabeth , Görzer Irene
Published: April 2020

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is known for its broad cell tropism, as reflected by the different organs and tissues affected by HCMV infection. Hence, inhibition of HCMV entry into distinct cell types could be considered a promising therapeutic option to limit cell-free HCMV infection. Soluble forms of cellular entry receptor PDGFRα rather than those of entry receptor neuropilin-2 inhibit infection of multiple cell types. sPDGFRα specifically interacts with gO of the trimeric gH/gL/gO envelope glycoprotein complex. HCMV strains may differ with respect to the amounts of trimer in virions and the highly polymorphic gO sequence. In this study, we show that the major gO genotypes of HCMV that are also found
in vivo
are similarly well inhibited by sPDGFRα. Novel gO genotypic forms potentially emerging through recombination, however, may evade sPDGFRα inhibition on epithelial cells. These findings provide useful additional information for the future development of anti-HCMV therapeutic compounds based on sPDGFRα.
Ahr1 and Tup1 Contribute to the Transcriptional Control of Virulence-Associated Genes in Candida albicans
Authors: Ruben Sophia , Garbe Enrico , Mogavero Selene , Albrecht-Eckardt Daniela , Hellwig Daniela , Häder Antje , Krüger Thomas , Gerth Katrin , Jacobsen Ilse D. , Elshafee Osama , Brunke Sascha , Hünniger Kerstin , Kniemeyer Olaf , Brakhage Axel A. , Morschhäuser Joachim , Hube Bernhard , Vylkova Slavena , Kurzai Oliver , Martin Ronny
Published: April 2020

Candida albicans
is a major human fungal pathogen and the leading cause of systemic
Candida
infections. In recent years, Als3 and Ece1 were identified as important factors for fungal virulence. Transcription of both corresponding genes is closely associated with hyphal growth. Here, we describe how Tup1, normally a global repressor of gene expression as well as of filamentation, and the transcription factor Ahr1 contribute to full expression of
ALS3
and
ECE1
in
C. albicans
hyphae. Both regulators are required for high mRNA amounts of the two genes to ensure functional relevant protein synthesis and localization. These observations identified a new aspect of regulation in the complex transcriptional control of virulence-associated genes in
C. albicans
.