bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
ATP evokes Ca2+ signals in cultured foetal human cortical astrocytes entirely through G protein‐coupled P2Y receptors
Authors: Muller Margit S. , Taylor Colin W.
Published: July 2017

Extracellular ATP plays important roles in coordinating the activities of astrocytes and neurons, and aberrant signalling is associated with neurodegenerative diseases. In rodents, ATP stimulates opening of Ca2+‐permeable channels formed by P2X receptor subunits in the plasma membrane. It is widely assumed, but not verified, that P2X receptors also evoke Ca2+ signals in human astrocytes. Here, we directly assess this hypothesis. We showed that cultured foetal cortical human astrocytes express mRNA for several P2X receptor subunits (P2X4, P2X5, P2X6) and G protein‐coupled P2Y receptors (P2Y1, P2Y2, P2Y6, P2Y11). In these astrocytes, ATP stimulated Ca2+ release from intracellular stores through IP3 receptors and store‐operated Ca2+ entry. These responses were entirely mediated by P2Y1 and P2Y2 receptors. Agonists of P2X receptors did not evoke Ca2+ signals, and nor did ATP when Ca2+ release from intracellular stores and store‐operated Ca2+ entry were inhibited. We conclude that ATP‐evoked Ca2+ signals in cultured human foetal astrocytes are entirely mediated by P2Y1 and P2Y2 receptors, with no contribution from P2X receptors.

image
The influence of Chinese culture on family caregivers of stroke survivors: A qualitative study
Authors: Qiu Xichenhui , Sit Janet W H , Koo Fung Kuen
Published: July 2017

Aims and objectives

To explore and describe the caregiving experiences of Chinese stroke caregivers.

Background

Previous research has indicated that culture can have a significant impact on the stroke caregiving experience. Moreover, scant research exists on stroke caregivers’ experience within the Chinese culture.

Design

A qualitative descriptive design was used.

Methods

In‐depth, semistructured interviews were conducted with 25 family caregivers of stroke survivors. The interviews were audiotaped, transcribed and analysed. Content analysis was also performed.

Findings

Twenty‐five family caregivers of stroke survivors were recruited for the study. On average, respondents were 66 years old (range 45–82 years). Of 25 interviewees, 76% were female, 64% were spouse‐caregivers and 36% were children‐caregivers. Three themes reflecting the influence of Chinese culture on stroke caregiving emerged from the interviews. (i) Caregiving role perception. Informants accepted caregiving for the sick family member as an expected part of life, a culturally prescribed obligation and an expression of reciprocal love. (ii) Coping strategies. Connecting with family resources and connecting with inner strength were frequently reported coping strategies. (iii) Self‐sacrifice. Informants identified self‐reliance and feeling of restraint in their utilisation or access of formal caregiving service. Chinese caregivers sacrifice themselves for the care recipients regardless of the hardships and the neglect of their own health.

Conclusion

Our findings provide a comprehensive and culturally sensitive perspective in understanding the experience of stroke caregivers in Chinese communities. Cultural and religious backgrounds were found to influence Chinese stroke caregivers’ experience, coping strategies and self‐sacrifice behaviour in idiosyncratic ways.

Relevance to clinical practice

Research on the practice of culture can serve as a basis for the formulation of specific policies and effective interventions for supporting stroke caregivers of different cultural backgrounds.
The development of the Person‐Centred Situational Leadership Framework: Revealing the being of person‐centredness in nursing homes
Authors: Lynch Brighide M , McCance Tanya , McCormack Brendan , Brown Donna
Published: July 2017

Aims and objectives

To implement and evaluate the effect of using the Person‐Centred Situational Leadership Framework to develop person‐centred care within nursing homes.

Background

Many models of nursing leadership have been developed internationally in recent years but do not fit with the emergent complex philosophy of nursing home care. This study develops the Person‐Centred Situational Leadership Framework that supports this philosophy. It forms the theoretical basis of the action research study described in this article.

Methods

This was a complex action research study using the following multiple methods: nonparticipatory observation using the Workplace Culture Critical Analysis Tool (n = 30); critical and reflective dialogues with participants (n = 39) at time 1 (beginning of study), time 2 (end of study) and time 3 (6 months after study had ended); narratives from residents at time 1 and time 2 (n = 8); focus groups with staff at time 2 (n = 12) and reflective field notes. Different approaches to analyse the data were adopted for the different data sources, and the overall results of the thematic analysis were brought together using cognitive mapping.

Results

The Person‐Centred Situational Leadership Framework captures seven core attributes of the leader that facilitate person‐centredness in others: relating to the essence of being; harmonising actions with the vision; balancing concern for compliance with concern for person‐centredness; connecting with the other person in the instant; intentionally enthusing the other person to act; listening to the other person with the heart; and unifying through collaboration, appreciation and trust.

Conclusions

This study led to a theoretical contribution in relation to the Person‐Centred Practice Framework. It makes an important key contribution internationally to the gap in knowledge about leadership in residential care facilities for older people.

Relevance to clinical practice

The findings can be seen to have significant applicability internationally, across other care settings and contexts.
Research on the cause of death for severe stroke patients
Authors: Yuan Mei‐zhen , Li Feng , Fang Qin , Wang Wei , Peng Jing‐jing , Qin De‐yu , Wang Xue‐feng , Liu Guang‐wei
Published: July 2017

Aims and objectives

To explore the characteristics of mortality among severe stroke patients, analyse their causes of death and provide evidence for improving the survival rate of stroke patients.

Background

Stroke is an important fatal and disabling disease that poses a large burden on its patients, and its high death rates have caused substantial concern to the World Health Organization.

Design

A retrospective case–control study.

Methods

A total of 188 patients who died of stroke in the neurological intensive care unit of the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University from January 2012–December 2015 were selected as cases. Additionally, 188 stroke survivors from the same neurological intensive care unit were randomly selected as paired cases. The clinical characteristics of the severe stroke patient deaths were analysed, and a univariate analysis was conducted to determine potential mortality risk factors. A logistic regression analysis was then conducted to determine the independent risk factors of mortality.

Results

We investigated a total of 231 cases of death in neurological intensive care unit patients, 188 of whom died of stroke. Therefore, the death rate from stroke accounted for 81.3% of the total population, with ischaemic, haemorrhagic and mixed strokes accounting for 47.19%, 26.84% and 7.36% of the patients, respectively. The leading cause of death was central nervous system‐related causes (central respiratory and circulatory failure, brain herniation), followed by multisystemic causes. The independent risk factors of death among the neurological intensive care unit patients were as follows: brain herniation (OR = 18.15), multiple organ failure (OR = 13.12), dyslipidemia (OR = 4.64), community‐acquired lung infection (OR = 4.15), use of mechanical ventilation (OR = 3.37), hypoproteinemia (OR = 2.29), history of hypertension (OR = 2.03) and hospital‐acquired pneumonia (OR = 1.75).

Conclusions

The most common cause of death in stroke patients was damage to the central nervous system. Independent risk factors were brain herniation, multiple organ failure, dyslipidemia, community‐acquired lung infection, the use of mechanical ventilation, hypoproteinemia, a history of hypertension and hospital‐acquired pneumonia. Clinicians should be aware of the presence and possible effects of these conditions. Early prevention, monitoring and intervention to modify controllable risk factors will improve patient prognosis.

Relevance to clinical practice

Clinicians should be aware of the multiple independent risk factors of death and implement timely treatment measures to reduce the incidence of death in severe stroke patients.
Advances toward fully automated in vivo assessment of oral epithelial dysplasia by nuclear endomicroscopy—A pilot study
Authors: Liese Jan , Winter Karsten , Glass Änne , Bertolini Julia , Kämmerer Peer Wolfgang , Frerich Bernhard , Schiefke Ingolf , Remmerbach Torsten W.
Published: July 2017

Background

Uncertainties in detection of oral epithelial dysplasia (OED) frequently result from sampling error especially in inflammatory oral lesions. Endomicroscopy allows non‐invasive, “en face” imaging of upper oral epithelium, but parameters of OED are unknown.

Methods

Mucosal nuclei were imaged in 34 toluidine blue‐stained oral lesions with a commercial endomicroscopy. Histopathological diagnosis showed four biopsies in “dys‐/neoplastic,” 23 in “inflammatory,” and seven in “others” disease groups. Strength of different assessment strategies of nuclear scoring, nuclear count, and automated nuclear analysis were measured by area under ROC curve (AUC) to identify histopathological “dys‐/neoplastic” group. Nuclear objects from automated image analysis were visually corrected.

Results

Best‐performing parameters of nuclear‐to‐image ratios were the count of large nuclei (AUC=0.986) and 6‐nearest neighborhood relation (AUC=0.896), and best parameters of nuclear polymorphism were the count of atypical nuclei (AUC=0.996) and compactness of nuclei (AUC=0.922). Excluding low‐grade OED, nuclear scoring and count reached 100% sensitivity and 98% specificity for detection of dys‐/neoplastic lesions. In automated analysis, combination of parameters enhanced diagnostic strength. Sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 87% were seen for distances of 6‐nearest neighbors and aspect ratios even in uncorrected objects. Correction improved measures of nuclear polymorphism only. The hue of background color was stronger than nuclear density (AUC=0.779 vs 0.687) to detect dys‐/neoplastic group indicating that macroscopic aspect is biased.

Conclusions

Nuclear‐to‐image ratios are applicable for automated optical in vivo diagnostics for oral potentially malignant disorders. Nuclear endomicroscopy may promote non‐invasive, early detection of dys‐/neoplastic lesions by reducing sampling error.
Mitochondrial genomes of the green macroalga Ulva pertusa (Ulvophyceae, Chlorophyta): novel insights into the evolution of mitogenomes in the Ulvophyceae
Authors: Liu Feng , Melton James T. , Bi Yuping
Published: July 2017

To further understand the trends in the evolution of mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes or mtDNAs) in the Ulvophyceae, the mitogenomes of two separate thalli of Ulva pertusa were sequenced. Two U. pertusa mitogenomes (Up1 and Up2) were 69,333 bp and 64,602 bp in length. These mitogenomes shared two ribosomal RNAs (rRNAs), 28 transfer RNAs (tRNAs), 29 protein‐coding genes, and 12 open reading frames. The 4.7 kb difference in size was attributed to variation in intron content and tandem repeat regions. A total of six introns were present in the smaller U. pertusa mtDNA (Up2), while the larger mtDNA (Up1) had eight. The larger mtDNA had two additional group II introns in two genes (cox1 and cox2) and tandem duplication mutations in noncoding regions. Our results showed the first case of intraspecific variation in chlorophytan mitogenomes and provided further genomic data for the undersampled Ulvophyceae.
A Genetic Assessment of a Red Drum, Sciaenops ocellatus, Stock Enhancement Program
Authors: Katalinas Christopher J. , Brenkert Karl , Darden Tanya , Denson Michael R.
Published: July 2017

The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources began a stock enhancement research program for red drum, Sciaenops ocellatus, as a possible management strategy for augmenting the availability of juveniles for recreational harvest in South Carolina estuaries. Between 1999 and 2011, approximately 6 million juveniles and 260 million larvae were stocked into the Charleston Harbor (CH) estuary, and proportions of stocked fish were found through standardized sampling as high as 49.6% within a subadult year‐class and up to 12% within the spatially separate spawning population. This study evaluated the genetic influences of stocking on the spawning population, using microsatellite loci, and examined any changes in genetic diversity metrics over the course of the stock enhancement program. Percent contribution of stocked fish among subadult and adult collections was compared against measures of genetic diversity. No statistically significant correlations were found among genetic diversity metrics, suggesting that responsible stocking of red drum as small juveniles has not altered the genetic diversity of adults spawning offshore the CH. Life‐history characteristics likely play a large role in mitigating changes in genetic diversity, despite high contributions of stocked fish in some years, because red drum exhibit a long adult life span and benefit from overlapping generations.
The Strategic Instruction Model: The Less Addressed Aspects of Effective Instruction for High School Students with Learning Disabilities
Authors: Hock Michael F. , Bulgren Janis A. , Brasseur‐Hock Irma F.
Published: July 2017

In this article, we discuss research supporting the Strategic Instruction Model's™ (SIM) effort to address higher order reasoning and thinking skills in two lines of programmatic research. We review the extant body of evidence supporting the two lines of the SIM library, the Content Enhancement Routines and a comprehensive reading program, and the impact that the materials have on high school students with learning disabilities (LD). This body of research includes studies utilizing multiple research designs including randomized control trials, single case multiplebaseline, quasi‐experimental comparison group, single group, and descriptive data analysis. We have included studies that have been conducted with a SIM comprehensive reading program and instructional routines that reflect higher order thinking. These studies provide support for the positive impact the interventions have on high school students with LD.
Hepatic iron is the major determinant of serum ferritin in NAFLD patients
Authors: Ryan John D. , Armitage Andrew E. , Cobbold Jeremy F. , Banerjee Rajarshi , Borsani Oscar , Dongiovanni Paola , Neubauer Stefan , Morovat Reza , Wang Lai Mun , Pasricha Sant‐Rayn , Fargion Silvia , Collier Jane , Barnes Eleanor , Drakesmith Hal , Valenti Luca , Pavlides Michael
Published: July 2017

Background and Aims

Elevated serum ferritin is common in NAFLD, and is associated with more advanced disease and increased mortality. Hyperferritinaemia in NAFLD is often attributed to inflammation, while in other conditions ferritin closely reflects body iron stores. The aim of this study was to clarify the underlying cause of hyperferritinaemia in NAFLD.

Methods

Ferritin levels were examined with markers of iron status, inflammation and liver injury across the clinical spectrum of NAFLD using blood, tissue and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. A separate larger group of NAFLD patients with hepatic iron staining and quantification were used for validation.

Results

Serum ferritin correlated closely with the iron regulatory hormone hepcidin, and liver iron levels determined by MR. Furthermore, ferritin levels reflected lower serum adiponectin, a marker of insulin resistance, and liver fat, but not cytokine or CRP levels. Ferritin levels differed according to fibrosis stage, increasing from early to moderate disease, and declining in cirrhosis. A similar pattern was found in the validation cohort of NAFLD patients, where ferritin levels were highest in those with macrophage iron deposition. Multivariate analysis revealed liver iron and hepcidin levels as the major determinants of serum ferritin.

Conclusions

While hyperferritinaemia is associated with markers of liver injury and insulin resistance, serum hepcidin and hepatic iron are the strongest predictors of ferritin levels. These findings highlight the role of disordered iron homeostasis in the pathogenesis of NAFLD, suggesting that therapies aimed at correcting iron metabolism may be beneficial.
Mineralogy and petrogenesis of lunar magnesian granulitic meteorite Northwest Africa 5744
Authors: Kent Jeremy J. , Brandon Alan D. , Joy Katherine H. , Peslier Anne H. , Lapen Thomas J. , Irving Anthony J. , Coleff Daniel M.
Published: July 2017

Lunar meteorite Northwest Africa (NWA) 5744 is a granulitic breccia with an anorthositic troctolite composition that may represent a distinct crustal lithology not previously described. This meteorite is the namesake and first‐discovered stone of its pairing group. Bulk rock major element abundances show the greatest affinity to Mg‐suite rocks, yet trace element abundances are more consistent with those of ferroan anorthosites. The relatively low abundances of incompatible trace elements (including K, P, Th, U, and rare earth elements) in NWA 5744 could indicate derivation from a highlands crustal lithology or mixture of lithologies that are distinct from the Procellarum KREEP terrane on the lunar nearside. Impact‐related thermal and shock metamorphism of NWA 5744 was intense enough to recrystallize mafic minerals in the matrix, but not intense enough to chemically equilibrate the constituent minerals. Thus, we infer that NWA 5744 was likely metamorphosed near the lunar surface, either as a lithic component within an impact melt sheet or from impact‐induced shock.
Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 polymutants deploying coronatine and two type III effectors produce quantifiable chlorotic spots from individual bacterial colonies in Nicotiana benthamiana leaves
Authors: Chakravarthy Suma , Worley Jay N. , Montes‐Rodriguez Adriana , Collmer Alan
Published: July 2017

Primary virulence factors of Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 include the phytotoxin coronatine (COR) and a repertoire of 29 effector proteins injected into plant cells by the type III secretion system (T3SS). DC3000 derivatives differentially producing COR, the T3SS machinery and subsets of key effectors were constructed and assayed in leaves of Nicotiana benthamiana. Bacteria were inoculated by the dipping of whole plants and assayed for population growth and the production of chlorotic spots on leaves. The strains fell into three classes. Class I strains are T3SS+ but functionally effectorless, grow poorly in planta and produce faint chlorotic spots only if COR+. Class II strains are T3SS– or, if T3SS+, also produce effectors AvrPtoB and HopM1. Class II strains grow better than class I strains in planta and, if COR+, produce robust chlorotic spots. Class III strains are T3SS+ and minimally produce AvrPtoB, HopM1 and three other effectors encoded in the P. syringae conserved effector locus. These strains differ from class II strains in growing better in planta, and produce chlorotic spots without COR if the precursor coronafacic acid is produced. Assays for chlorotic spot formation, in conjunction with pressure infiltration of low‐level inoculum and confocal microscopy of fluorescent protein‐labelled bacteria, revealed that single bacteria in the apoplast are capable of producing colonies and associated leaf spots in a 1 : 1 : 1 manner. However, COR makes no significant contribution to the bacterial colonization of the apoplast, but, instead, enables a gratuitous, semi‐quantitative, surface indicator of bacterial growth, which is determined by the strain's effector composition.
Construction of a multicontrol sterility system for a maize male‐sterile line and hybrid seed production based on the ZmMs7 gene encoding a PHD‐finger transcription factor
Authors: Zhang Danfeng , Wu Suowei , An Xueli , Xie Ke , Dong Zhenying , Zhou Yan , Xu Liwen , Fang Wen , Liu Shensi , Liu Shuangshuang , Zhu Taotao , Li Jinping , Rao Liqun , Zhao Jiuran , Wan Xiangyuan
Published: July 2017

Although hundreds of genetic male sterility (GMS) mutants have been identified in maize, few are commercially used due to a lack of effective methods to produce large quantities of pure male‐sterile seeds. Here, we develop a multicontrol sterility (MCS) system based on the maize male sterility 7 (ms7) mutant and its wild‐type Zea mays Male sterility 7 (ZmMs7) gene via a transgenic strategy, leading to the utilization of GMS in hybrid seed production. ZmMs7 is isolated by a map‐based cloning approach and encodes a PHD‐finger transcription factor orthologous to rice PTC1 and Arabidopsis MS1. The MCS transgenic maintainer lines are developed based on the ms7‐6007 mutant transformed with MCS constructs containing the (i) ZmMs7 gene to restore fertility, (ii) α‐amylase gene ZmAA and/or (iii) DNA adenine methylase gene Dam to devitalize transgenic pollen, (iv) red fluorescence protein gene DsRed2 or mCherry to mark transgenic seeds and (v) herbicide‐resistant gene Bar for transgenic seed selection. Self‐pollination of the MCS transgenic maintainer line produces transgenic red fluorescent seeds and nontransgenic normal colour seeds at a 1:1 ratio. Among them, all the fluorescent seeds are male fertile, but the seeds with a normal colour are male sterile. Cross‐pollination of the transgenic plants to male‐sterile plants propagates male‐sterile seeds with high purity. Moreover, the transgene transmission rate through pollen of transgenic plants harbouring two pollen‐disrupted genes is lower than that containing one pollen‐disrupted gene. The MCS system has great potential to enhance the efficiency of maize male‐sterile line propagation and commercial hybrid seed production.
Survey and new insights in the application of PCR‐based molecular markers for identification of HMW‐GS at the Glu‐B1 locus in durum and bread wheat
Authors: Janni Michela , Cadonici Stefania , Pignone Domenico , Marmiroli Nelson
Published: July 2017

Wheat, among all cereal grains, possesses unique characteristics conferred by gluten; in particular, high molecular weight glutenin subunits (HMW‐GS) are of considerable interest as they strictly relate to bread‐making quality and contribute to strengthening and stabilizing dough. Thus, the identification of allelic composition, in particular at the Glu‐B1 locus, is very important to wheat quality improvement. Several PCR‐based molecular markers to tag‐specific HMW glutenin genes encoding Bx and By subunits have been developed in recent years. This study provides a survey of the molecular markers developed for the HMW‐GS at the Glu‐B1 locus. In addition, a selection of molecular markers was tested on 31 durum and bread wheat cultivars containing the By8, By16, By9, Bx17, Bx6, Bx14 and Bx17 Glu‐B1 alleles, and a new assignation was defined for the ZSBy9_aF1/R3 molecular marker that was specific for the By20 allele. We believe the results constitute a practical guide for results that might be achieved by these molecular markers on populations and cultivars with high variability at the Glu‐B1 locus.
A clinical approach to the threat of emerging influenza viruses in the Asia‐Pacific region
Authors: Hui David S.C. , Lee Nelson , Chan Paul K.S.
Published: July 2017

ABSTRACT

Seasonal influenza epidemics and periodic pandemics are important causes of morbidity and mortality. Patients with chronic co‐morbid illness, those at the extremes of age and pregnant women are at higher risks of complications requiring hospitalization, whereas young adults and obese individuals were also at increased risk during the A(H1N1) pandemic in 2009. Avian influenza A(H5N1) and A(H7N9) viruses have continued to circulate widely in some poultry populations and infect humans sporadically since 1997 and 2013, respectively. The recent upsurge in human cases of A(H7N9) infections in Mainland China is of great concern. Sporadic human cases of avian A(H5N6), A(H10N8) and A(H6N1) have also emerged in recent years while there are also widespread poultry outbreaks due to A(H5N8) in many countries. Observational studies have shown that treatment with a neuraminidase inhibitor (NAI) for adults hospitalized with severe influenza is associated with lower mortality and better clinical outcomes, especially when administered early in the course of illness. Whether higher than standard doses of NAI would provide greater antiviral effects in such patients will require further investigation. High‐dose systemic corticosteroids were associated with worse outcomes in patients with severe influenza. There is an urgent need for developing more effective antiviral therapies for treatment of influenza infections.
Broader implications for the widened pulmonary artery?
Authors: MacDonald Martin I.
Published: July 2017

See related Article
Oral sucking habits among children with Down syndrome and cerebral palsy
Authors: Carneiro Natália Cristina Ruy , Monteiro Luisa Ribeiro , Pordeus Isabela Almeida , Borges‐Oliveira Ana Cristina
Published: July 2017

Aims

Identify factors associated with the presence of oral sucking habits among children with Down syndrome (DS) and cerebral palsy (CP).

Methods

The sample consisted of 181 children with DS or CP from two public healthcare institutions that treat children with special needs in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The children's mothers answered a questionnaire about the individual and behavioral characteristics and the medical history of their children. The study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais.

Results

The presence of oral sucking habits (bottle feeding and pacifier/finger sucking) was observed in 83.0% of children. Children with artificial sucking habits had a 3.42 times greater chance of having a history of throat infection during the previous 6 months (5.61 to 48). A mother in the group of children with oral sucking habits had a 10.28 chance of not having breastfed her child (2.86 to 36.93).

Conclusion

The history of throat infections in the preceding 6 months and the lack of breastfeeding were associated with the presence of oral sucking habits in children with DS and CP.
Does Marriage Protect Health? A Birth Cohort Comparison*
Authors: Tumin Dmitry
Published: July 2017

Objective

Marriage is considered to protect health via multiple mechanisms, but this effect may have weakened as marriage has become deinstitutionalized in the United States. This article tests for cross‐cohort decline in the protective effect of marriage.

Methods

Change in the association between marital status and subjective general health over three birth cohorts was estimated using the 1984–2011 Panel Study of Income Dynamics (N = 12,373). Analyses included least‐squares, random‐effects, and fixed‐effects regression models, representing increasingly conservative approaches to ruling out selection bias.

Results

Despite associations between marriage and better health among both men and women, estimated by least‐squares and random‐effects regression, the fixed‐effects models found health improvement relative to remaining unmarried only in very long (≥10 year) marriages, and only among women. This effect was completely attenuated among women in the youngest birth cohort.

Conclusion

The modest benefit of marriage for women's subjective health has eroded in recent cohorts.
Biology and mechanisms of sulfonylurea resistance in Schoenoplectiella juncoides, a noxious sedge in the rice paddy fields of Japan
Authors: Sada Yoshinao , Uchino Akira
Published: July 2017

Schoenoplectiella juncoides is a noxious sedge weed in rice paddy fields that has evolved resistance to sulfonylurea (SU) herbicides. The molecular basis of resistance is amino acid substitutions at Pro197, Trp574 or Asp376 in the acetolactate synthase (ALS) enzyme, which is the target of SUs. Schoenoplectiella juncoides has two ALS genes and resistant plants have point mutations that cause amino acid substitutions in either encoded protein. Single‐nucleotide substitutions at the codon for Pro197 in the ALS genes can cause six types of amino acid substitutions and all of these substitutions have been found in both ALS genes among Japanese SU‐resistant biotypes. Whole‐plant herbicide responses differ among the amino acid substitution types. Furthermore, analyses of ALS activity in plant extracts show that the extracts’ responses to herbicides differ, depending on which ALS gene is mutated. The activity responses of the ALS extracts to the SU, imazosulfuron, showed double‐sigmoid curves with plateaus of ~30% inhibition for Pro197 substitutions in ALS1 and ~70% for Pro197 substitutions in ALS2. This indicates that ALS1 and ALS2 contribute to the responses with a proportion of 7:3. The double‐sigmoid curves can be reconstructed to show the responses of the resistant and susceptible enzymes separately by regression analysis. The resistance levels of the separate ALS1 or ALS2 mutated enzyme are highly correlated with the whole‐plant responses, with a relationship that the former is the square of the latter. This could provide a quantitative insight into the physiological basis of resistance.
Matrix weighted norm inequalities for commutators and paraproducts with matrix symbols
Authors: Isralowitz Joshua , Kwon Hyun‐Kyoung , Pott Sandra
Published: July 2017

Let be a locally integrable matrix function, a matrix A weight with , and be any of the Riesz transforms. We will characterize the boundedness of the commutator on in terms of the membership of in a natural matrix weighted BMO space. To do this, we will characterize the boundedness of dyadic paraproducts on via a new matrix weighted Carleson embedding theorem. Finally, we will use some of the ideas from these proofs to (among other things) obtain quantitative weighted norm inequalities for these operators and also use them to prove sharp bounds for the Christ/Goldberg matrix weighted maximal function associated with matrix A weights.
Retelling Noah and the Flood: A Fictional Encounter with Genesis 6-9
Authors: Tiemeyer Lena-Sofia
Published: July 2017

This article explores the retellings of and interactions with the biblical account of Noah and the flood (Gen 6–9) in modern literature. The four novels under scrutiny range from children’s literature, via young adult fiction, to mainstream fiction. They also represent diverse traditions and perspectives: from markedly Jewish or Christian perspectives to more secular viewpoints. The article investigates how these novels fill in narrative gaps and provide the key dramatis personae with personality, background, and motivation for their actions. It also looks at how the novels respond to theological problems that the biblical account raises. Why did God decide to send the flood? Why were Noah and his family spared from the destruction? Did Noah preach repentance/intercede while building the ark? Finally, it notes how several of the novels engage with extra-biblical texts (e.g., the Gilgamesh Epic, the book of Enoch) in order to produce a coherent and involving plot.
Hugo Chávez’s Appropriation of the Liberationist Legacy in Latin America
Authors: Løland Ole Jakob
Published: July 2017

Hugo Chávez (1954–2013), the former president of Venezuela (1999–2013), brought Latin American populism to a global audience through his rhetorical remarks and controversial appearance in the global media. Theological and biblical metaphors were part of this rhetoric. The article argues that Chávez’s appropriation of theological metaphors in his populist political discourse could be considered as a symptom of the continuing influence and relevance of liberation theology in Latin America during the two last decades of victorious leftism on the continent. On one hand, liberation theology as a social movement had been weakened, especially within the Catholic Church. On the other, the bureaucratic language from the neoliberal era, tied to the Washington consensus, was to a high degree exhausted and replaced by a populist language that paved the way for the inflow of religious and Christian metaphors into politics. Chávez’s use of these metaphors in a way that was consistent with liberation theology points to Christian and Latin American liberationist discourse as a crucial factor in the resurgence of the political left within a religiously vibrant region
How the "New Testament" Shaped Deaf People at St Saviour’s, Oxford Street: A Study in Reception History and in Reception Exegesis
Authors: Lyons William John
Published: July 2017

Within the burgeoning area of the Bible's reception history is a variant approach, termed "reception exegesis" by Paul Joyce and Diana Lipton. Investigation of an occasion of reception can generate new insights into the meaning of the biblical texts, they suggest. Introducing the results of a Leverhulme Trust Research Project on Britain’s first purpose-built deaf church to a scholarly readership interested in biblical reception, I show here how the New Testament—especially Mark 7:32–37—was used to construct the deaf people of Victorian London. Specific details of my argument will be compared with the Markan text as constructed by modern commentators in order to test Joyce and Lipton’s hypothesis. The article questions reception exegesis’s usefulness as a generator of long-term interest in biblical studies and proposes a different response to its difficulties, that biblical scholars dedicate themselves to developing a broad conception of reception history in order to generate collaborations across disciplinary boundaries while they are still in a position to do so.
Bioactivity of cottonseed oil against the coconut mite Aceria guerreronis (Acari: Eriophyidae) and side effects on Typhlodromus ornatus (Acari: Phytoseiidae)
Authors: Teodoro Adenir , Sousa Silva Maria de Jesus , Sena Filho José Guedes , Oliveira Eugenio , Galvão Andréia , Silva Shênia
Published: July 2017

The coconut mite, Aceria guerreronis Keifer (Acari: Eriophyidae), is a major pest of coconut plantations. In Brazil, the control of A. guerreronis, when accomplished, is heavily dependent on applications of conventional acaricides, which further increases the risks associated with pest resistance, hazards to human health and environmental contamination. Therefore, the development of alternatives to the chemical control concerns outlined above is urgently needed. Here, we assessed the composition, toxicity and repellent activities of cottonseed oil to A. guerreronis and its naturally occurring predator Typhlodromus ornatus Denmark & Muma (Acari: Phytoseiidae). Our results revealed that the major compounds in cottonseed oil were linoleic and oleic acids, which have been shown to be bioactive against pests. Concentration-mortality bioassays revealed that A. guerreronis (LC50 = 0.65 μL/cm2) was more susceptible to cottonseed oil than its predator (LC50 = 5.11 μL/cm2). Similarly, as demonstrated for the conventional acaricides (i.e., abamectin, azadirachtin, espirodiclofen, and fenpyroximate), cottonseed oil was shown to repel A. guerreronis and its predator. Overall, our findings support the use of cottonseed oil as a desirable tool to be integrated in management programs aimed at controlling A. guerreronis.
A new species of larval Marantelophus (Acari: Prostigmata: Erythraeidae) parasitic on insects from China
Authors: Xu Si-Yuan , Yi Tian-Ci , Jin Dao-Chao
Published: July 2017

The genus Marantelophus (Acari: Erythraeidae) is reported for the first time from China. Marantelophus dubifurcatus sp. nov. is described based on larvae parasitic on Cacopsylla sp. (Hemiptera: Psyllidae) and Psocoptera collected from southwest China. An updated key to the species of Marantelophus around the world is presented.
Manipulation of single Si adatoms and observation of fast diffusion of Si dimers on a Pb-covered Si(111) surface
Authors: Kumar Rakesh , Lee Chih-Hao , Hwang Ing-Shouh
Published: July 2017

The authors demonstrate lateral manipulation of individual Si adatoms on the Si(111) (7×3)-Pb surface at ∼125 K using the tip of a scanning tunneling microscope (STM). At this sample temperature, Si adatoms are not mobile. However, a Si adatom could be moved along, or across, the surface trimer row through a vertical movement of the tip toward the surface at certain positions near the Si adatom. The repulsive interaction between the tip and the Si adatom pushed the adatom toward a neighboring adsorption site. Through this manipulation, the authors also moved a Si adatom to meet another Si adatom. When a Si dimer was formed, it diffused rapidly on the Pb-covered surface until it was trapped by a defect site. This work demonstrates the potential to use atomic manipulation methods to reveal the surface dynamic processes that cannot be observed with scanning tunneling microscopy alone. In addition, the manipulation revealed the true atomic positions of Si adatoms on the surface, which solves a common problem that STM images may not reflect the real positions of adsorbed atoms.
Binaural masking release in symmetric listening conditions with spectro-temporally modulated maskers
Authors: Ewert Stephan D. , Schubotz Wiebke , Brand Thomas , Kollmeier Birger
Published: July 2017

Speech reception thresholds (SRTs) decrease as target and maskers are spatially separated (spatial release from masking, SRM). The current study systematically assessed how SRTs and SRM for a frontal target in a spatially symmetric masker configuration depend on spectro-temporal masker properties, the availability of short-time interaural level difference (ILD) and interaural time difference (ITD), and informational masking. Maskers ranged from stationary noise to single, interfering talkers and were modified by head-related transfer functions to provide: (i) different binaural cues (ILD, ITD, or both) and (ii) independent maskers in each ear (“infinite ILD”). Additionally, a condition was tested in which only information from short-time spectro-temporal segments of the ear with a favorable signal-to-noise ratio (better-ear glimpses) was presented. For noise-based maskers, ILD, ITD, and spectral changes related to masker location contributed similarly to SRM, while ILD cues played a larger role if temporal modulation was introduced. For speech maskers, glimpsing and perceived location contributed roughly equally and ITD contributed less. The “infinite ILD” condition might suggest better-ear glimpsing limitations resulting in a maximal SRM of 12 dB for maskers with low or absent informational masking. Comparison to binaural model predictions highlighted the importance of short-time processing and helped to clarify the contribution of the different binaural cues and mechanisms.
Sound radiation from impact-driven raked piles
Authors: Wilkes Daniel R. , Gavrilov Alexander N.
Published: July 2017

Sound emissions from impact pile driving of raked piles present a significant azimuthal dependence in the radiated sound field due to the non-axisymmetric orientation of the pile. In this work the sound radiation from raked piles is modeled using a finite element method (FEM) model of the pile and near-field region. The near-field model of the sound field is then used as input into a normal mode model to predict the sound radiation in the far-field. The azimuthal dependence of the radiated sound field is shown to be accurately predicted using an equivalent axisymmetric FEM model of the pile configuration, thus negating the need to construct a fully three-dimensional model (3D) of the raked pile. This is achieved by matching the radiated field from the equivalent axisymmetric pile model to a vertical array of phased point sources, and then horizontally offsetting the source locations to match the incline of the raked pile. The resulting sound field closely matches the numerical predictions from a fully 3D FEM model of the raked pile. The results of numerical modeling are compared to corresponding acoustic measurements taken on the North West shelf of Western Australia.
Cooperation between Strain-Specific and Broadly Neutralizing Responses Limited Viral Escape and Prolonged the Exposure of the Broadly Neutralizing Epitope
Authors: Anthony Colin , York Talita , Bekker Valerie , Matten David , Selhorst Philippe , Ferreria Roux-Cil , Garrett Nigel J. , Karim Salim S. Abdool , Morris Lynn , Wood Natasha T. , Moore Penny L. , Williamson Carolyn
Published: July 2017

V3-glycan-targeting broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) are a focus of HIV-1 vaccine development. Understanding the viral dynamics that stimulate the development of these antibodies can provide insights for immunogen design. We used a deep-sequencing approach, together with neutralization phenotyping, to investigate the rate and complexity of escape from V3-glycan-directed bNAbs compared to overlapping early strain-specific neutralizing antibody (ssNAb) responses to the V3/C3 region in donor CAP177. Escape from the ssNAb response occurred rapidly via an N334-to-N332 glycan switch, which took just 7.5 weeks to reach >50% frequency. In contrast, escape from the bNAbs was mediated via multiple pathways and took longer, with escape first occurring through an increase in V1 loop length, which took 46 weeks to reach 50% frequency, followed by an N332-to-N334 reversion, which took 66 weeks. Importantly, bNAb escape was incomplete, with contemporaneous neutralization observed up to 3 years postinfection. Both the ssNAb response and the bNAb response were modulated by the presence/absence of the N332 glycan, indicating an overlap between the two epitopes. Thus, selective pressure by ssNAbs to maintain the N332 glycan may have constrained the bNAb escape pathway. This slower and incomplete viral escape resulted in prolonged exposure of the bNAb epitope, which may in turn have aided the maturation of the bNAb lineage.

IMPORTANCE
The development of an HIV-1 vaccine is of paramount importance, and broadly neutralizing antibodies are likely to be a key component of a protective vaccine. The V3-glycan-targeting bNAb responses are among the most promising vaccine targets, as they are commonly elicited during infection. Understanding the interplay between viral evolution and the development of these antibodies provides insights that may guide immunogen design. Our work contrasted the dynamics of the early strain-specific antibodies and the later broadly neutralizing responses to a common Env target (V3C3), showing slower and more complex escape from bNAbs. Constrained bNAb escape, together with evidence of contemporaneous autologous virus neutralization, supports the proposal that prolonged exposure of the bNAb epitope enabled the maturation of the bNAb lineage.
Determining the pattern and prevalence of alcohol consumption in pregnancy by measuring biomarkers in meconium
Authors: Abernethy Carolyn , McCall Karen E , Cooper Gail , Favretto Donata , Vaiano Fabio , Bertol Elisabetta , Mactier Helen
Published: July 2017

Objective

To investigate the feasibility of determining the pattern and prevalence of alcohol consumption in pregnancy by measuring ethanol biomarkers in meconium.

Design

Population-based observational study.

Setting

Inner-city maternity unit in Scotland, UK.

Population

Random sample of singleton infants delivered after 36 completed weeks’ gestation.

Methods

Fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEEs) and ethyl glucuronide (EtG) in meconium were measured by liquid chromatography-mass spectroscopy. Samples were frozen at −20°C before analysis. Results were compared anonymously with demographic data including maternal age, parity, smoking, ethnicity and postcode and with infant gestation, birth weight and head circumference. Written informed consent was obtained from all subjects.

Results

235 samples of meconium were analysed (70% of eligible babies). Only four (1%) of mothers declined to participate. FAAEs were detected in all, including four samples below the limit of quantification (10 ng/g). 98 (42%) samples had FAEE concentrations >600 ng/g. EtG was detectable in 93 (40%) samples; in 35 (15%) EtG concentration was >30 ng/g. No mother reported heavy alcohol consumption in pregnancy. FAAE concentration correlated with EtG (Pearson’s coefficient; p<0.001). There was no association between either biomarker and maternal age, parity, smoking, ethnicity or postcode, or infant gestation, birth weight or head circumference.

Conclusion

Measurement of ethanol biomarkers in meconium is a feasible tool for determining the pattern and prevalence of alcohol consumption in pregnancy. Data suggest that at least 15% of pregnant women in the west of Scotland are consuming significant quantities of alcohol during latter pregnancy.
Guillain-Barré syndrome in association with antitumour necrosis factor therapy: a case of mistaken identity
Authors: Patwala Kurvi , Crump Nicholas , De Cruz Peter
Published: July 2017

Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is an immune-mediated disease characterised by evolving ascending limb weakness, sensory loss and areflexia. Two-thirds of GBS cases are associated with preceding infection. However, GBS has also been described in association with antitumour necrosis factor (TNF) therapies including infliximab and adalimumab for chronic inflammatory disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis and inflammatory bowel disease. We present the case of a patient who developed GBS while undergoing treatment with adalimumab in combination with azathioprine for severe fistulising Crohn’s disease, and review the literature on neurological adverse events that occur in association with anti-TNF therapy. We also propose an approach to the optimal management of patients who develop debilitating neurological sequelae in the setting of anti-TNF therapy.
The ID genotype of MDM2 40 bp insertion/deletion polymorphism was associated with lower risk of SLE
Authors: Salimi Saeedeh , Rezaei Mahnaz , Mohammadpour-Gharehbagh Abbas , Sajadian Mojtaba , Sandoughi Mahnaz
Published: July 2017

Background

In patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), loss of immunological tolerance to self-nuclear antigens and abnormal activation of self-reactive T and B cells lead to self-antibodies and immune complex production. The autoreactive lymphocytes are removed by the apoptotic process in healthy individuals; however, apoptosis disruption could cause accumulation of apoptotic bodies and nuclear debris. Therefore, apoptosis plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases.

Purpose

To investigate the association between two polymorphisms in an apoptotic-related gene, MDM2, and SLE.

Study design

A case–control study was conducted on 200 patients with SLE and 206 healthy volunteers matched for age, sex, and ethnicity. Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) and PCR methods were used for genotyping.

Results

No association was found between the MDM2 T309G polymorphism (rs2279744) and SLE. The ID genotype of the insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism (rs3730485) was significantly lower in patients with SLE, and the ID genotype could be a protective factor for SLE. The DD genotype was not associated with SLE. The frequency of combined TT/ID and GG/ID genotypes of MDM2 T309G and I/D polymorphisms was lower in the patients with SLE and was associated with a lower risk of SLE. The frequency of the TD haplotype of MDM2 T309G and I/D polymorphisms was significantly lower in patients with SLE and could reduce the SLE risk.

Conclusions

The ID genotype of the MDM2 I/D polymorphism was associated with a lower risk of SLE. There was no association between MDM2 T309G polymorphism and SLE.