bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Neoliberal ideas of government and the political empowerment of economists in advanced nation-states: the case of Israel
Authors: Mandelkern Ronen
Published: May 2019

What explains the continued political influence of economists, particularly after the 2008 financial crisis? The two commonly cited factors—professional authority and ideational persuasiveness—might seem inadequate as the financial crisis undermined both. This article focuses instead on how the institutionalization of neoliberal ideas of government (NIGs) politically empowered economists before 2008 and supported the preservation of their power afterwards. NIGs are economic theories of authoritative decision-making processes which link economic malaise to democratic political organization and offer prescriptions for rationalization through depoliticization of economic policy-making. Their institutionalization, following the economic crises of the 1970s and 1980s, empowered economists and reflected a transformation in their role in government, from policy experts to policy-makers. While the 2008 crisis has weakened economists’ professional authority and ideational persuasiveness, it has not impaired the institutionalization of their pivotal policy-making position. An historical examination of the Israeli community of economists illustrates this argument.
Lapidus Arthrodesis by an Anatomic Dorsomedial Plate
Authors: Alshalawi Saud , Teoh Kar Hao , Alrashidi Yousef , Galhoum Ahmed E. , Wiewiorski Martin , Herrera-Perez Mario , Barg Alexej , Valderrabano Victor
Published: May 2019

Background:

Arthrodesis of the first tarsometatarsal joint (Lapidus arthrodesis) is a powerful modality for correction of a bunion deformity because it both addresses the instability of the first tarsometatarsal joint and fuses the base of first and second metatarsal. The Lapidus arthrodesis can be modified to fuse only the first tarsometatarsal joint. A comprehensive clinical evaluation and appropriate imaging modalities are essential to ensure the right indications for Lapidus arthrodesis and to provide an excellent surgical outcome.

Objectives:

The purpose of our study was to present an anatomic dorsomedial low-profile locked compression plate with a dorsal crossing screw, which can be used for both the original and modified Lapidus arthrodesis.

Patients and Methods:

In total, 24 Lapidus arthrodesis were performed at our institution with the APTUS dorsomedial anatomic angular stable Lapidus plate (Medartis, Switzerland) for the correction of symptomatic bunion deformity. Severity of HV deformity was determined by the Hallux Valgus angle and the Intermetatarsal angle.

Results:

All original and modified Lapidus arthrodesis healed postoperatively within 3 months. There was significant improvement of radiographic parameters postoperatively with aP-value of <0.05.

Conclusions:

The Lapidus arthrodesis allows for long-term bunion correction and contributes to the correction of a possible concomitant Pes planovalgus. Modifications to the surgical technique and use of a stable, novel, anatomic locking plate fixation provide high union rates with minimal postoperative complications.
Sex and housing conditions modify the effects of adolescent caffeine exposure on anxiety-like and depressive-like behavior in the rat
Authors: Nelson Scott T. , Hsiao Lisa , Turgeon Sarah M.
Published: May 2019

Previously observed antidepressant-like effects of caffeine in adolescent rats have been shown in individually housed (IH) rats. Because IH presents a social stressor that may create depressant-like effects in control animals, this study sought to compare the effects of chronic caffeine in IH and pair-housed (PH) adolescent male and female rats. Housing conditions began on postnatal day 24 (P24) and half of the rats were provided caffeine (0.25 g/l) in their drinking water beginning on P28. Open-field behavior was assessed on P42, a light/dark test was conducted on P43, and a forced swim test was conducted on P44–P45. PH and caffeine separately increased behavior in the open-field test and females reared more than males. In the light/dark test, IH animals and males showed greater anxiety-like behavior than PH animals and females, respectively. In the forced swim test, PH animals showed less overall immobility and caffeine decreased immobility in IH rats and PH females but increased immobility in PH males. Swimming behavior was higher in PH rats overall and caffeine increased swimming in IH rats but decreased swimming in PH rats. Climbing behavior was increased by caffeine in all groups except PH males with the greatest increase in PH females. We conclude that the effects of caffeine on depressive-like and anxiety-like behavior in adolescents are dependent on sex and housing conditions.
Association of Hepatic Nuclear Factor 4 Alpha Gene Polymorphisms With Free Imatinib Plasma Levels and Adverse Reactions in Chinese Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor Patients
Authors: Chen Hanmei , Liu Jing , Zhou Yuhong , Hou Yingyong , Ma Guo , Cai Weimin
Published: May 2019

Background:

As the first-line treatment of gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST), the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic of imatinib (IM) were characterized by marked interindividual variability. Pharmacogenetics of IM involved metabolic enzymes and transporters have been extensively reported, but the results remained inconsistent. This study investigated the effect of genetic variants in hepatocyte nuclear factor 4 alpha (HNF4α, encoded by gene NR2A1), a pivotal transcriptional regulator of drug disposition genes, on dose-adjusted IM-free plasma levels and related adverse reactions in Chinese GIST patients.

Methods:

Five common polymorphisms of NR2A1 (rs3818247, rs1884613, rs2071197, rs2425640, and rs736824) were genotyped in 70 Chinese GIST patients who had been administered IM 300–600 mg/d. The free IM trough plasma levels were determined based on a method of ultrafiltration coupled with high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

Results:

There were wide interpatient variations in free plasma levels of IM (range, 9.50–67.50 ng/mL), in which significant sex differences were observed (P < 0.01). The dose-adjusted IM-free plasma levels showed a significant negative correlation with body surface area (r = −0.302, P = 0.012). Although there were no significant effects of NR2A1 polymorphisms on dose-adjusted IM-free plasma levels among the study population, polymorphism in rs736824 was found to be significantly associated with dose-adjusted IM-free plasma levels in male subjects (P = 0.031). For the IM-related adverse reaction, polymorphisms in rs3818247 were found to be significantly associated with periorbital edema (P = 0.032). In addition, no significant correlations were found between IM-free plasma levels and IM-related adverse reactions, except for the correlation of IM-free plasma levels with periorbital edema among male patients (P = 0.013).

Conclusions:

The research demonstrated that NR2A1 polymorphisms may act as contributors of IM pharmacokinetics and responses in Chinese GIST patients. This represents an attractive opportunity for IM therapy optimization, worth testing in clinical trials.
Optic Nerve Tortuosity and Globe Proptosis in Normal and Glaucoma Subjects
Authors: Wang Xiaofei , Rumpel Helmut , Baskaran Mani , Tun Tin A. , Strouthidis Nicholas , Perera Shamira A. , Nongpiur Monisha E. , Lim Winston E.H. , Aung Tin , Milea Dan , Girard Michaël J.A.
Published: May 2019

Précis:

Eyes with glaucoma have tauter optic nerves compared with normal eyes, which may exert more force on the optic nerve head tissues during eye movements.

Purpose:

The purpose of this study was to assess the difference in optic nerve tortuosity during eye movements and globe proptosis between primary open angle glaucoma and normal subjects using orbital magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Methods:

Ten Chinese subjects matched for ethnicity and refractive errors were recruited, including 5 normal controls and 5 patients with primary open angle glaucoma. All subjects underwent MRI to assess their optic nerves and globes for 3 eye positions: primary gaze, adduction, and abduction. Optic nerve tortuosity (optic nerve length divided by the distance between 2 ends) and globe proptosis (maximum distance between the cornea and interzygomatic line) were measured from MRI images.

Results:

In adduction, the tortuosity of normal eyes was significantly larger than that of the glaucomatous eyes. Optic nerve tortuosity in adduction in the control and glaucoma groups were 1.004±0.003 (mean±SD) and 1.001±0.001, respectively (P=0.037). Globe proptosis (primary gaze) in glaucoma subjects (19.14±2.11 mm) was significantly higher than that in control subjects (15.32±2.79 mm; P=0.046).

Conclusions:

In this sample, subjects with glaucoma exhibited tauter optic nerves and more protruding eye globes compared with normal eyes. This may impact optic nerve head deformations in anatomically predisposed patients.
Screening for Undetected Depression in Physician Assistant Students
Authors: Cocke Kenzie D. , Klocko David J. , Kindratt Tiffany B.
Published: May 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this article was to measure and compare depressive symptoms among physician assistant students during didactic and clinical phases.

Methods

Students (n = 123) completed the PHQ-9, and responses were scored in 2 ways (PHQ-2 and PHQ-9). First, submissions were deemed positive and assigned a severity if question 1 or 2 scored 3 or above (PHQ-2 method). Second, all submissions were summed and assigned a severity (PHQ-9 method).

Results

Using the PHQ-2 method, 8.13% of students screened positive; using the PHQ-9 method, 98.37% screened positive for at least minimal depression. Almost half (47.15%) of the students reported mild to severe depression. No statistically significant differences were observed in total scores between classes (P = .1849). Statistically significant differences were observed when we examined feeling tired with little energy (P = .0028) and trouble with sleeping (P = .0436).

Conclusions

Implementing routine depression screening of trainees and restricting the number of clinical work hours could help combat increasing fatigue. Earlier intervention and resources for students struggling with depressive symptoms are needed.
Assessment of Oral Anticoagulant Adverse Drug Events Before and After Implementation of a Real-Time Clinical Surveillance Tool
Authors: Daniel Joel W. , Kramer Joan , Burgess L. Hayley
Published: May 2019

Objective

The aim of the study was to determine the effect on occurrence of oral anticoagulant adverse drug events (ADEs) after implementation of a real-time clinical surveillance tool in a large health system.

Methods

Records of patients receiving an oral anticoagulant during a 6-month period before and after implementation of a real-time clinical surveillance tool were reviewed for 31 hospitals within a nationwide health system. The real-time clinical surveillance tool analyzed clinical data from the electronic medical record and alerted the pharmacist of potential opportunities for patient clinical intervention. Oral anticoagulant administration data, International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Edition code documentation of ADEs caused by oral anticoagulants, and alert notification data from the real-time clinical surveillance tool were evaluated.

Results

A total of 56,761 patients were included in the study. The oral anticoagulant ADE ratio decreased from 0.69% during the period before implementation of the real-time clinical surveillance tool to 0.41% during the period after implementation (P < 0.001). Most alert notifications and greatest impact on ADE ratio occurred in patients administered a single oral anticoagulant during hospitalization.

Conclusions

Implementation of a real-time clinical surveillance tool prompting pharmacist intervention reduced the oral anticoagulant ADE ratio for the health system.
Progress on combat damage control resuscitation/surgery and its application in the Chinese People's Liberation Army
Authors: Chen Sixu , Yang Jiazhi , Zhang Lin , Yang Lei , Qin Hao , Liu Daocheng , Ye Zhao , Du Wenqiong , Zhong Xin , Zong Zhaowen
Published: May 2019

Damage control resuscitation (DCR) and damage control surgery (DCS) has now been developed as a well-established standard of care for severely injured civilian patients worldwide. On the other hand, the application of combat DCR/DCS has saved the lives of thousands of severely injured casualties in several wars during the last two decades. This article describes the great progress on DCR/DCS in the last two decades and its application in the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA). The main development of the advanced theories of combat DCR/DCS including the global integration of DCR/DCS, application of remote battlefield DCR, balanced hemostatic resuscitation in combat hospitals and enhancement of en route DCR. There are two key factors that determine the feasibility of combat DCR: one is the availability of resources and supplies to implement the advanced theories of combat DCR/DCS, the other is the availability of qualified personnel who master the skills needed for the implementation of DCR/DCS. In the PLA, the advanced theories of combat DCR/DCS have now been widely accepted, and some of related advanced products, such as fresh-frozen plasma, packed red blood cells, and platelets, have been available in Level III medical facilities. In conclusion, great progress in combat DCR/DCS has been achieved in recent years, and the Chinese PLA is keeping good pace with this development, although there is still room for improvement.
Outcomes of open abdomen versus primary closure following emergent laparotomy for suspected secondary peritonitis: A propensity-matched analysis
Authors: Kao Angela M. , Cetrulo Lawrence N. , Baimas-George Maria R. , Prasad Tanushree , Heniford Brant Todd , Davis Bradley R. , Kasten Kevin R.
Published: May 2019

BACKGROUND

Optimal management following index laparotomy is poorly defined in secondary peritonitis patients. Although “open abdomen” (OA), or temporary abdominal closure with planned relaparotomy, is used to reassess bowel viability or severity of contamination, recent studies demonstrate comparable morbidity and mortality with primary abdominal closure (PC). This study evaluates differences between OA and PC following emergent laparotomy.

METHODS

Using the Premier database at a quaternary care center (2012–2016), nontrauma patients with secondary peritonitis requiring emergent laparotomy were identified (N = 534). Propensity matching for PC (n = 331; 62%) or OA (n = 203; 38%) was performed using variables: Mannheim Peritonitis Index, lactate, and vasopressor requirement. One hundred eleven closely matched pairs (PC:OA) were compared.

RESULTS

Five hundred thirty-four patients (55.0% female; mean age, 59.6 ± 15.5 years) underwent emergent laparotomy. Of the OA patients, 136 (67.0%) had one relaparotomy, while 67 (33.0%) underwent multiple reoperations. Compared to daytime cases, laparotomies performed overnight (6 pm–6 am) had more temporary closures with OA (42.8% OA vs. 57.2% PC, p = 0.04). When assessing by surgeon type, PC was performed in 78.7% of laparotomies by surgical subspecialties compared to 56.7% (p < 0.0001) of acute care surgeons. After propensity matching, OA patients had increased postoperative complications (71.2% vs. 41.4%, p < 0.0001), mortality (22.5% vs. 11.7%, p = 0.006), and longer median length of stay (13 vs. 9 days, p = 0.0001).

CONCLUSION

Open abdomen was performed in 38.0% of patients, with one-third of those requiring multiple reoperations. Complications, mortality rates, and costs associated with OA were significantly increased when compared to PC. Given these findings, future studies are needed to determine appropriate indications for OA.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Therapeutic/care management, level IV.
Clinical implementation of the Humacyte human acellular vessel: Implications for military and civilian trauma care
Authors: Morrison Jonathan J. , McMahon John , DuBose Joseph J. , Scalea Thomas M. , Lawson Jeffrey H. , Rasmussen Todd E.
Published: May 2019

The incidence of wartime vascular injury has increased and is a leading cause of mortality and morbidity. While ligation remains an option, current resuscitation and damage control techniques have resulted in vascular repair being pursued in more than half of wartime injuries. Options for vascular reconstruction are currently limited to autologous vein or synthetic conduits, choices which have not changed in decades, both of which have problems. Autologous vein is preferable but requires time to harvest and may not be available. Synthetic grafts are poorly resistant to infection and associated with thrombotic complications. Recognizing this capability gap, the US Combat Casualty Care Research Program has partnered with academia and industry to support the development and clinical introduction of a bioengineered human acellular vessel. This human acellular vessel has the potential to be an off-the-shelf conduit that is resistant to infection and incorporates well into native tissues. This report reviews the rationale of this military-civilian partnership in medical innovation and provides an update on the clinical use and ongoing study of this new vascular technology.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Therapeutic, level III.
Integrating plant species contribution to mycorrhizal and seed dispersal mutualistic networks
Authors: Correia Marta , Rodríguez-Echeverría Susana , Timóteo Sérgio , Freitas Helena , Heleno Ruben
Published: May 2019

Mutualistic interactions like those established between plants and mycorrhizal fungi or seed dispersers are key drivers of plant population dynamics and ecosystem functioning; however, these interactions have rarely been explored together. We assembled a tripartite fungi–plant–disperser network in the Gorongosa National Park—Mozambique, to test (1) if diversity and importance of plant mutualists above- and belowground are correlated, and (2) whether biotically and abiotically dispersed plants are associated with distinct arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). We quantified seed dispersal by animals for 1 year and characterized the AMF of 26 common plant species. Sixteen plant species were dispersed by 15 animals and colonized by 48 AMF virtual taxa (VT), while the remaining 10 plant species were not dispersed by animals and associated with 34 AMF VT. We found no evidence for a correlation between the number of plant partners above- and belowground or on plant specialization on both types of partners. We also found no evidence for differentiation of AMF communities between biotically and abiotically dispersed plants. Our results suggest that the establishment of plant interactions with seed dispersers and mycorrhizal fungi is largely independent and that both biotically and abiotically dispersed plants seem to associate with similar communities of AMF.
The sicker the better: nematode-infected passalus beetles provide enhanced ecosystem services
Authors: Davis Andrew K. , Prouty Cody
Published: May 2019

There is growing appreciation for the role that parasites have in ecosystems and food webs, though the possibility that they could improve an ecosystem service has never been considered. In forest ecosystems, fallen trees naturally decay over time and slowly return their nutrients to the soil. Beetles in the family Passalidae play a key role by excavating tunnels and consuming wood from these logs, thereby breaking down the wood into smaller debris. In the eastern United States, the horned passalus (
Odontotaenius disjunctus
) is host to a naturally occurring nematode,
Chondronema passali
, which appears to cause little harm to the beetles. We suspected this was due to compensatory food consumption by parasitized individuals, which we tested here. We collected and housed 113 adult beetles in individual containers with wood for three months, then determined the amount of wood each beetle had processed into fine debris and frass. We then assessed beetles for
C. passali
and compared wood processing rates between parasitized and non-parasitized groups. Results showed the average daily processing rate of parasitized beetles (

x
¯

= 0.77 g d
−1
) was 15% greater than that of unparasitized ones (

x
¯

= 0.67 g d
−1
). Parasitized beetles were 6% larger, and this may explain some of this pattern, though the effect of parasitism was still significant in our analysis. By extrapolating the daily rates, we estimate that 10 adult beetles
without
nematodes would break down approximately 2.4 kg of wood in a single year, while a group of 10 parasitized beetles would break down 2.8 kg. While our data are consistent with the idea of compensatory feeding, because these results are based on natural infections, we cannot rule out the possibility that beetles with heightened wood consumption are simply more likely to acquire the parasite. At an ecosystem level, it may not matter which is the case; parasitized beetles provide a more effective ecosystem service.
How many cubs can a mum nurse? Maternal age and size influence litter size in polar bears
Authors: Folio Dorinda Marie , Aars Jon , Gimenez Olivier , Derocher Andrew E. , Wiig Øystein , Cubaynes Sarah
Published: May 2019

Life-history theory predicts that females' age and size affect the level of maternal investment in current reproduction, balanced against the future reproductive effort, maintenance and survival. Using long-term (30 years) individual data on 193 female polar bears (
Ursus maritimus
), we assessed age- and size-specific variation on litter size. Litter size varied with maternal age, younger females had higher chances of losing a cub during their first months of life. Results suggest an improvement in reproductive abilities early in life due to experience with subsequent reproductive senescence. Litter size increased with maternal size, indicating that size may reflect individual quality. We also found an optimum in the probability of having twins, suggesting stabilizing selection on female body size. Heterogeneity was observed among the largest females, suggesting that large size comes at a cost.
Rise of the titans: baleen whales became giants earlier than thought
Authors: Bianucci Giovanni , Marx Felix G. , Collareta Alberto , Di Stefano Agata , Landini Walter , Morigi Caterina , Varola Angelo
Published: May 2019

Baleen whales (Mysticeti) are major ecosystem engineers, thanks to their enormous size and bulk filter feeding strategy. Their signature gigantism is thought to be a relatively recent phenomenon, resulting from a Plio-Pleistocene mode shift in their body size evolution. Here, we report the largest whale fossil ever described: an Early Pleistocene (1.5–1.25 Ma) blue whale from Italy with an estimated body length of up to 26 m. Macroevolutionary modelling taking into account this specimen, as well as additional material from the Miocene of Peru, reveals that the proposed mode shift occurred either somewhat earlier, or perhaps not at all. Large-sized mysticetes comparable to most extant species have existed since at least the Late Miocene, suggesting a long-term impact on global marine ecosystems.
Maternal and fetal cardiometabolic recovery following ultrasound-guided high-intensity focused ultrasound placental vascular occlusion
Authors: Shaw Caroline J. , Rivens Ian , Civale John , Botting Kimberley J. , Allison Beth J. , Brain Kirsty L. , Niu Y. , ter Haar Gail , Giussani Dino A. , Lees Christoph C.
Published: May 2019

High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) is a non-invasive method of selective placental vascular occlusion, providing a potential therapy for conditions such as twin–twin transfusion syndrome. In order to translate this technique into human studies, evidence of prolonged fetal recovery and maintenance of a healthy fetal physiology following exposure to HIFU is essential. At 116 ± 2 days gestation, 12 pregnant ewes were assigned to control (
n
= 6) or HIFU vascular occlusion (
n
= 6) groups and anaesthetized. Placental blood vessels were identified using colour Doppler ultrasound; HIFU-mediated vascular occlusion was performed through intact maternal skin (1.66 MHz, 5 s duration,
in situ
I
SPTA
1.8–3.9 kW cm
−2
). Unidentifiable colour Doppler signals in targeted vessels following HIFU exposure denoted successful occlusion. Ewes and fetuses were then surgically instrumented with vascular catheters and transonic flow probes and recovered from anaesthesia. A custom-made wireless data acquisition system, which records continuous maternal and fetal cardiovascular data, and daily blood sampling were used to assess wellbeing for 20 days, followed by post-mortem examination. Based on a comparison of pre- and post-treatment colour Doppler imaging, 100% (36/36) of placental vessels were occluded following HIFU, and occlusion persisted for 20 days. All fetuses survived. No differences in maternal or fetal blood pressure, heart rate, heart rate variability, metabolic status or oxygenation were observed between treatment groups. There was evidence of normal fetal maturation and no evidence of chronic fetal stress. There were no maternal injuries and no placental vascular haemorrhage. There was both a uterine and fetal burn, which did not result in any obstetric or fetal complications. This study demonstrates normal long-term recovery of fetal sheep from exposure to HIFU-mediated placental vascular occlusion and underlines the potential of HIFU as a potential non-invasive therapy in human pregnancy.
Efficiency and shrinking in evolving networks
Authors: Bottinelli Arianna , Gherardi Marco , Barthelemy Marc
Published: May 2019

Characterizing the spatio-temporal evolution of networks is a central topic in many disciplines. While network expansion has been studied thoroughly, less is known about how empirical networks behave when shrinking. For transportation networks, this is especially relevant on account of their connection with the socio-economical substrate, and we focus here on the evolution of the French railway network from its birth in 1840 to 2000, in relation to the country’s demographic dynamics. The network evolved in parallel with technology (e.g. faster trains) and under strong constraints, such as preserving a good population coverage and balancing cost and efficiency. We show that the shrinking phase that started in 1930 decreased the total length of the network while preserving efficiency and population coverage: efficiency and robustness remained remarkably constant while the total length of the network shrank by 50% between 1930 and 2000, and the total travel time and time-diameter decreased by more than 75% during the same period. Moreover, shrinking the network did not affect the overall accessibility with an average travel time that decreases steadily since its formation. This evolution leads naturally to an increase in transportation multimodality (such as a massive use of cars) and shows the importance of considering together transportation modes acting at different spatial scales. More generally, our results suggest that shrinking is not necessarily associated with a decay in performance and functions but can be beneficial in terms of design goals and can be part of the natural evolution of an adaptive network.
The rotary component of leg force during walking and running
Authors: Anand Manish , Seipel Justin
Published: May 2019

The component of ground reaction force (GRF) acting perpendicular to the leg in the sagittal plane during human locomotion (acting in a rotary direction) has not been systematically investigated and is not well understood. In this paper, we investigate this rotary component of the GRF of 11 human subjects (mean age ± s.d.: 26.6 ± 2.9 years) while walking and speed walking on a treadmill, along with eight human subjects (mean age ± s.d.: 26.3 ± 3.1) running on a treadmill. The GRF on both legs was measured, along with estimates of the subject's mass centre and the centre of pressure of each foot to yield total leg lengths and leg angle. Across all steady walking and running speeds, we find that the rotary component of the GRF has significant magnitude (peak values from 5% to 38% of body weight, from slow walking to moderate running, respectively) and implies leg propulsion of the mass centre in the rotary direction. Furthermore, peak rotary force magnitude over stance increases with locomotion speed for both walking and running (
p
< 0.05), and the time-averaged (mean) rotary force shows a slight increase with walking speed (though the mean force trend is uncertain for running). Also, an estimate of average power input from the rotary force of the leg acting at the mass centre shows moderate and strong positive correlation with locomotion speed for running and walking respectively (
p
< 0.05). This study also shows that the rotary force acts differently in walking versus running: rotary force is predominantly positive during running, but during walking it exhibits both positive and negative phases with net positive force found over the whole stride.
Prestige and dominance-based hierarchies exist in naturally occurring human groups, but are unrelated to task-specific knowledge
Authors: Brand C. O. , Mesoudi A.
Published: May 2019

Prestige and dominance are thought to be two evolutionarily distinct routes to gaining status and influence in human social hierarchies. Prestige is attained by having specialist knowledge or skills that others wish to learn, whereas dominant individuals use threat or fear to gain influence over others. Previous studies with groups of unacquainted students have found prestige and dominance to be two independent avenues of gaining influence within groups. We tested whether this result extends to naturally occurring social groups. We ran an experiment with 30 groups of people from Cornwall, UK (
n
= 150). Participants answered general knowledge questions individually and as a group, and subsequently nominated a representative to answer bonus questions on behalf of the team. Participants then anonymously rated all other team-mates on scales of prestige, dominance, likeability and influence on the task. Using a model comparison approach with Bayesian multi-level models, we found that prestige and dominance ratings were predicted by influence ratings on the task, replicating previous studies. However, prestige and dominance ratings did not predict who was nominated as team representative. Instead, participants nominated team members with the highest individual quiz scores, despite this information being unavailable to them. Interestingly, team members who were initially rated as being high status in the group, such as a team captain or group administrator, had higher ratings of both dominance and prestige than other group members. In contrast, those who were initially rated as someone from whom others would like to learn had higher prestige, but not higher dominance, supporting the claim that prestige reflects social learning opportunities. Our results suggest that prestige and dominance hierarchies do exist in naturally occurring social groups, but that these hierarchies may be more domain-specific and less flexible than we anticipated.
Physico-chemical characterization of caesium and strontium using fluorescent intensity of bacteria in a microfluidic platform
Authors: Roh Changhyun , Nguyen Thi Toan , Shim Jae-Jin , Kang Chankyu
Published: May 2019

Recently, the impact of radioactive caesium (Cs) and strontium (Sr) on human health and the ecosystem has been a major concern due to the use of nuclear energy. However, this study observed changes in green-fluorescent (GFP)-tagged
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
PAO1 biofilms by injecting non-radioactive caesium chloride (CsCl) and strontium chloride (SrCl
2
) into microstructures embedded in polydimethylsiloxane microfluidic devices, which were used due to their strong toxicity limitations. Four types of microstructures with two different diameters were used in the study. The change of biofilm thickness from fluid velocity and wall shear stress was estimated using computational fluid dynamics and observed throughout the experiment. The effect of pore space became a significant physical factor when the fluid was flowing through the microfluidic devices. As the pore space increased, the biofilm growth increased; therefore, triangular microstructures with the largest pore space showed the best growth of biofilm. Caesium chloride (CsCl) and strontium chloride (SrCl
2
), less toxic than radioactive caesium (Cs) and strontium (Sr), completely eradicated the
P. aeruginosa
PAO1 biofilm with low concentrations. The combined effect of toxicity, fluid velocity, wall shear stress and microstructures increased the efficiency of biofilm eradication. These findings on microfluidic chips can help to indirectly predict the impact on human public health and ecosystems without using radioactive chemicals.
Polysilazane as a new foaming agent to prepare high-strength, low-density epoxy foam
Authors: Chang Yucheng , Luo Yongming , Xu Caihong , Zhao Jianling
Published: May 2019

Polysilazane (PSN2) was used as chemical foaming agent to prepare epoxy foam for the first time. Using the new foaming agent, epoxy foams with high strength and low density were successfully prepared. The density of epoxy foam can be tuned from 0.321 to 0.151 g cm
−3
by changing the content of PSN2 from 2.50 to 7.50 wt%, with the compressive strength varied from 7.39 to 1.25 MPa. The morphology, porosity, mechanical property, thermal conductivity and adhesive property of foams with different polysilazane content were investigated. Besides, the effect of polyamine curing agent and surfactant on foams was also investigated to optimize the as-prepared epoxy foam.
Investigation of the influence mechanism of rock damage on rock fragmentation and cutting performance by the discrete element method
Authors: Liu Si-fei , Lu Shuai-feng , Wan Zhi-jun , Cheng Jing-yi
Published: May 2019

Rock damage is one of the key factors in the design and model choice of mining machinery. In this paper, the influence of rock damage on rock fragmentation and cutting performance was studied using PFC
2D
. In PFC
2D
software, it is feasible to get rock models with different damage factors by reducing the effective modulus, tensile and shear strength of bond by using the proportional factors. A linear relationship was obtained between the proportion factor and damage factor. Furthermore, numerical simulations of rock cutting with different damage factors were carried out. The results show that with the increase of damage factor, the rock cutting failure mode changes from tensile failure to brittle failure, accompanied by the propagation of macro cracks, the formation of large debris and a notable decrease in the peak cutting force. The mean cutting force is negatively correlated with the damage factor. Besides this, the instability of cutting force was evaluated by the fluctuation index and the pulse number of unit displacement. It was found that the cutting force was quite stable when the damage factor was 0.3, which improves the reliability of cutting machines. Finally, the cutting energy consumption of rock cutting with different damage factors was analysed. The results reveal that an increase of damage factor can raise the rock cutting efficiency. The aforementioned findings play a significant role in the development of assisted rock-breaking technologies and the design of cutting head layout of mining machinery.
Interactions between gas–liquid mass transfer and bubble behaviours
Authors: Li Xin , Wang Weiwen , Zhang Pan , Li Jianlong , Chen Guanghui
Published: May 2019

Interactions between gas–liquid mass transfer and bubble behaviours were investigated to improve the understanding of the relationship between the two sides. The CO
2
/N
2
-water system was applied to study the bubble behaviours based on the volume-of-fluid (VOF) model. The mass transfer conditions were taken into consideration when the fluid field was analysed. The bubble behaviours were compared with and without mass transfer. The results show that the absolute slopes of the curves for mass fraction inside the single rising bubbles, with diameters from 3 to 6 mm, decrease from 0.09325 to 0.02818. It means that small single bubbles have higher mass transfer efficiency. The daughter bubbles of cutting behaviour and initial side-by-side bubbles of coalescence behaviour also perform better than the initial large bubbles and coalesced bubbles, respectively. The bubble behaviours affect the mass transfer process. However, the latter also reacts upon the former. The critical intervals between the side-by-side bubbles decrease from 2.0 to 0.9 mm when the bubble diameter changes from 3 to 7 mm. For the coalescence behaviour without mass transfer, the critical intervals are larger because there is no influence of concentration around the bubbles on the bubble motion. The coalescence of cut daughter bubbles is also influenced by the concentration. It was suggested that the interaction between the gas–liquid mass transfer and bubble behaviours cannot be ignored.
Identification of AtHsp90.6 involved in early embryogenesis and its structure prediction by molecular dynamics simulations
Authors: Luo An , Li Xinbo , Zhang Xuecheng , Zhan Huadong , Du Hewei , Zhang Yubo , Peng Xiongbo
Published: May 2019

Heat-shock protein of 90 kDa (Hsp90) is a key molecular chaperone involved in folding the synthesized protein and controlling protein quality. Conformational dynamics coupled to ATPase activity in N-terminal domain is essential for Hsp90's function. However, the relevant process is still largely unknown in plant Hsp90s, especially those required for plant embryogenesis which is inextricably tied up with human survival. Here, AtHsp90.6, a member of Hsp90 family in
Arabidopsis
, was firstly identified as a protein essential for embryogenesis. Thus we modelled AtHsp90.6 in its functionally closed ‘lid-down’ and open ‘lid-up’ states, exploring the nucleotide binding mechanism in these two states. Free energy landscape and electrostatic potential analysis revealed the switching mechanism between these two states. Collectively, this study quantitatively analysed the conformational changes of AtHsp90.6 bound to ATP or ADP. This result may help us understand the mechanism of action of AtHsp90.6 in future.
Eley–Rideal model of heterogeneous catalytic carbamate formation based on CO
2
–MEA absorptions with CaCO
3
, MgCO
3
and BaCO
3
Authors: Shi Huancong , Huang Min , Huang Yuandong , Cui Lifeng , Zheng Linna , Cui Mingqi , Jiang Linhua , Ibrahim Hussameldin , Tontiwachwuthikul Paitoon
Published: May 2019

The mechanism was proposed of heterogeneous catalytic CO
2
absorptions with primary/secondary amines involving ‘catalytic carbamate formation’. Compared with the non-catalytic ‘Zwitterion mechanism’, this Eley–Rideal model was proposed for CO
2
+ RR′NH with MCO
3
(M = Ca, Mg, and Ba) with four elementary reaction steps: (B1) amine adsorption, (B2) Zwitterion formation, (B3) carbamate formation, and (B4) carbamate desorption. The rate law if determining step of each elementary step was generated based on ‘steady-state approximation’. Furthermore, the solid chemicals were characterized by SEM and BET, and this rate model was verified with 39 sets of experimental datasets of catalytic CO
2
–MEA absorptions with the existence of 0–25 g CaCO
3
, MgCO
3
and BaCO
3
. The results indicated that the rate-determining step was B1 as amine adsorption onto solid surface, which was pseudo-first-order for MEA. This was the first time that the Eley–Rideal model had been adopted onto the reactions of CO
2
+ primary/secondary amines over alkaline earth metal carbonate (MCO
3
).
Rational approximations to the zeta function
Authors: Ball Keith
Published: May 2019

This article describes a sequence of rational functions which converges locally uniformly to
ζ
. The numerators (and denominators) of these rational functions can be expressed as characteristic polynomials of matrices that are on the face of it very simple. As a consequence, the Riemann hypothesis can be restated as what looks like a rather conventional spectral problem but which is related to the one found by Connes and by Berry and Keating. However the point here is that the rational approximations look to be susceptible of quantitative estimation.
Timing between successive introduction events determines establishment success in bacteria with an Allee effect
Authors: Dressler Michael D. , Conde Josue , Eldakar Omar Tonsi , Smith Robert P.
Published: May 2019

Propagule pressure is a leading determinant of population establishment. Yet, an experimental understanding of how propagule size and number (two principal parts of propagule pressure) determine establishment success remains incomplete. Theoretical studies suggest that the timing between introduction events, a component of propagule number, can influence establishment success. However, this dynamic has rarely been explored experimentally. UsingEscherichia coliengineered with an Allee effect, we investigated how the timing of two introduction events influences establishment. For populations introduced below the Allee threshold, establishment occurred if the time between two introduction events was sufficiently short, with the length of time between events further reduced by reducing growth rate. Interestingly, we observed that as the density of bacteria introduced in one introduction event increased, the time between introduction events that allowed for establishment increased. Using a mathematical model, we provide support that the mechanism behind these trends is the ability of the first population to modify the environment, which can pave the way for establishment of the second population. Our results provide experimental evidence that the temporal distribution of introduction events regulates establishment, furthering our understanding of propagule pressure and may have implications in invasion biology and infectious disease.
Proximity inheritance explains the evolution of cooperation under natural selection and mutation
Authors: Tan Shaolin
Published: May 2019

In this paper, a mechanism called proximity inheritance is introduced in the birth–death process of a networked population involving the Prisoner's Dilemma game. Different from the traditional birth–death process, in the proposed model, players are distributed in a spatial space and offspring is distributed in the neighbourhood of its parents. That is, offspring inherits not only the strategy but also the proximity of its parents. In this coevolutionary game model, a cooperative neighbourhood gives more neighbouring cooperative offspring and a defective neighbourhood gives more neighbouring defective offspring, leading to positive feedback among cooperative interactions. It is shown that with the help of proximity inheritance, natural selection will favour cooperation over defection under various conditions, even in the presence of mutation. Furthermore, the coevolutionary dynamics could lead to self-organized substantial network clustering, which promotes an assortment of cooperative interactions. This study provides a new insight into the evolutionary mechanism of cooperation in the absence of social attributions such as reputation and punishment.
Multi-walled carbon nanotubes/nano-Ag-TiO2 membrane DNA electrochemical biosensor
Authors: Zheng Zhongguo , Schultz Lisa , Smith John
Published: May 2019

A highly sensitive DNA electrochemical biosensor was prepared based on multi-walled carbon nanotube/nano-Ag-TiO2 composite membrane. The Ag-TiO2 composite is mixed with a suitable amount of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNT) dispersed in N,N-dimethylformamide to form a uniform and stable mixed solution, which is applied onto the surface of the bare carbon paste electrode. A MWNT/Ag-TiO2 modified carbon paste electrode was prepared. The large specific surface area and good electron transport properties of carbon nanotubes have a good synergistic effect on the good biocompatibility of Ag-TiO2 nanocomposites and excellent adsorption capacity of DNA, which significantly improves the immobilization and DNA hybridization of DNA probes. Detection sensitivity. The preparation of the sensing membrane and the immobilization and hybridization of DNA were characterized by cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The exogenous glufosinate acetyltransferase gene fragment of transgenic plants was detected by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The linear range was 1. 0 × 10 - 11 ∼1. 0 × 10 - 6 mol / L. The detection limit was 3. 12 × 10 - 12 mol / L.
Time-resolved genome-scale profiling reveals a causal expression network
Authors: Hackett Sean R. , Baltz Edward A. , Coram Marc , Wranik Bernd J. , Kim Griffin , Baker Adam , Fan Minjie , Hendrickson David G. , Berndl Marc , McIsaac R. Scott
Published: May 2019

We present an approach for inferring genome-wide regulatory causality and demonstrate its application on a yeast dataset constructed by independently inducing hundreds of transcription factors and measuring timecourses of the resulting gene expression responses. We discuss the regulatory cascades in detail for a single transcription factor, Aft1; however, we have 201 TF induction timecourses that include >100,000 signal-containing dynamic responses. From a single TF induction timecourse we can often discriminate the direct from the indirect effects of the induced TF. Across our entire dataset, however, we find that the majority of expression changes are indirectly driven by unknown regulators. By integrating all timecourses into a single whole-cell transcriptional model, potential regulators of each gene can be predicted without incorporating prior information. In doing so, the indirect effects of a TF are understood as a series of direct regulatory predictions that capture how regulation propagates over time to create a causal regulatory network. This approach, which we call CANDID (Causal Attribution Networks Driven by Induction Dynamics), resulted in the prediction of multiple transcriptional regulators that were validated experimentally.
MCSS-based Predictions of Binding Mode and Selectivity of Nucleotide Ligands
Authors: González-Alemán Roy , Chevrollier Nicolas , Simoes Manuel , Montero-Cabrera Luis , Leclerc Fabrice
Published: May 2019

Computational fragment-based approaches are widely used in drug design and drug discovery. One of the limitations of their application is the lack of performance of docking methods, mainly the scoring functions. With the emergence of new fragment-based approaches for single-stranded RNA ligands, we propose an analysis of an MCSS-based approach evaluated for its docking power on nucleotide-binding sites. Hybrid solvent models based on some partial explicit representation are shown to improve docking and screening powers. Clustering of the n best-ranked poses can also contribute to a lesser extent to better performance. The results suggest that we can apply the approach to the fragment-based design of sequence-selective oligonucleotides.