bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Vibration serviceability assessment of office floors for realistic walking and floor layout scenarios: Literature review
Authors: Gonçalves Márcio S , Pavic Aleksandar , Pimentel Roberto L
Published: November 2019

Over the last two decades, office floors have been built progressively lightweight with increasing spans and slenderness. Therefore, vibration performance of office floors due to walking dynamic loads is becoming their governing design criterion, determining their size and shape, and therefore overall weight and embodied energy of the building. To date, floor design guidelines around the world recommend walking load scenarios in offices featuring some or all of the following standard characteristics: (a) walking loads are assumed to be periodic dynamic excitation represented by the Fourier series, including harmonics corresponding to up to the first four integer multiples of the pacing frequency of which at least one is exciting the floor at a resonant frequency and (b) single person walking. However, the literature surveyed provides evidence that such assessment methodology is potentially an over-simplification which does not reflect real walking load scenarios, since crucial features of the floor vibration source, path and receiver are missing. First, in terms of vibration source, realistic scenarios need to feature (a) moving rather than stationary walking forces, (b) stochastic nature of human gait, (c) simultaneous multi-person walking and (d) human–structure interaction. Second, for the transmission path (i.e. office floor structure), two features are needed to consider: (a) realistic office floor layouts and (b) presence, or absence, of non-structural elements. Finally, for the vibration receivers (i.e. floor occupants), (a) vibrations calculated at floor locations occupied by users (instead of at the potential highest response location which may not be occupied), (b) actual period over which occupants feel vibration due to such excitation and (c) assessment of vibration levels based on their probability of occurrence. This study therefore addresses these seldom considered but increasingly important features and discusses realistic approaches to floor design for vibration serviceability.
Kinetic studies of isothermal decomposition of (NH4)4UO2(CO3)3 to uranium oxide
Authors: Smain Korichi , Nacera Aoudia , Hanane Benelmaddjat , Smina Kaci , Nafissa Ousmaal
Published: November 2019

The ammonium uranyl carbonate, (NH4)4UO2(CO3)3, is an important material used in UO2 and U3O8 ceramics production for the nuclear fuel fabrication. Thermal study and kinetic analysis of ammonium uranyl carbonate conversion under isothermal conditions has been studied in air atmosphere to obtain the tri-uranium octoxide (U3O8), using muffle furnace equipment, UV–visible spectrophotometer, gas adsorption, Hg porosimetry, laser granulometry, and optic spectroscopy. The textural properties (specific surface area, morphology, pore size, grain size, inter-particular porosity, and intra-particular porosity) and characteristics (uranium content and stoichiometry) of the prepared samples were estimated from the physical–chemical characterization. The kinetic parameters were estimated by a fitting of the experimental data. The activation energy Ea, frequency factor A, and reaction rate constants k were calculated from the conventional and iso-conversion kinetic models and were within the range of literature values. The activation energy average values are 36.69 and 30.36 kJ mol−1 by conventional and iso-conversion models, respectively.
On ‘aristocratic’ dignity
Authors: Etinson Adam
Published: November 2019

In his recent book, Andrea Sangiovanni raises various objections against what he calls the ‘aristocratic’ conception of dignity – the idea that dignity represents a kind of high-ranking social status. In this short article, I suggest that Sangiovanni gives the aristocrats less credit than they deserve. Not only do his objections target an uncharitably narrow version of the view: Sangiovanni surreptitiously incorporates aspects of the aristocratic conception of dignity into his own (supposedly non-dignitarian) theory of moral equality.
Circulating DNA, a Potentially Sensitive and Specific Diagnostic Tool for Future Medicine
Authors: Jiang Fan , Yang Xiaoxiao , He Xiping , Yang Mingming
Published: November 2019

Liquid biopsy has the great potential of detecting early diseases before deterioration and is valued for screening abnormalities at early stage. In oncology, circulating DNA derived from shed cancer cells reflects the tissue of origin, so it could be used to locate tissue sites during early screening. However, the heterogenous parameters of different types limit the clinical application, making it inaccessible to encompass all the cancer types. Instead, for reproducible scenario as pregnancy, fetal cell-free DNA has been well utilized for screening aneuploidies. Noninvasive and convenient as is, it would be of great value in the next decades far more than early diagnosis. This review recapitulates the discovery and development of tumor and fetal cell-free DNA. The common factors are also present that could be taken into consideration when collecting, transporting, and preserving samples. Meanwhile, several protocols used for purifying cell-free DNA, either classic ones or through commercial kits, are compared carefully. In addition, the development of technologies for analyzing cell-free DNA have been summarized and discussed in detail, especially some up-to-date approaches. At the end, the potential prospect of circulating DNA is bravely depicted. In summary, although there would be a lot of efforts before it’s prevalent, cell-free DNA remains a promising tool in point-of-care diagnostic medicine.
Using Participant Observation to Enable Critical Understandings of Disability in Later Life: An Illustration Conducted With Older Adults With Low Vision
Authors: McGrath Colleen , Laliberte Rudman Debbie
Published: November 2019

Research with older adults aging with vision loss has typically been informed by a biomedical theoretical framework. With a growing focus, however, on critical disability perspectives, which locates disability within the environment, new methods of data collection, such as participant observation, are needed. This article, which reports on the findings from a critical ethnographic study conducted with older adults with age-related vision loss (ARVL), aims to share those insights gained through participant observation and to demonstrate the utility of this method. Three insights were gained including the adaptive strategies tacitly employed to navigate the physical environment, a grounded understanding of social interactions that transpire in everyday contexts, and negating the presence of older adults with ARVL when accompanied by a perceived caregiver. The study findings unpack how participant observation can be used to understand social constructions of disability and gain a holistic understanding of environmental influences on the disability experience of older adults with ARVL.
Audience engagement in the discourse of TV news kernels: The case ofBBC News at Ten
Authors: Feng Debing
Published: November 2019

Existing studies have extensively explored audience engagement in TV news, but not enough attention has been paid to the discursive (re)presentation of this phenomenon in the discourse of TV news kernels. Based on a pool of news items collected from BBC News at Ten, this article aims to investigate how the discourse of news kernels is constructed and presented to engage the audience. The analysis shows that news values and (simulated) journalist–audience interaction are two main ways employed by the journalists to achieve audience engagement in presenting TV news kernels. On one hand, a news kernel tends to cover the most newsworthy information of the news story, and the news text; on the other hand, it is often styled as newsworthy, too. In the meanwhile, the presentation of the news kernel tends to create a sense of (simulated) interaction between the journalist and the audience by practices such as pre-opening remarks, introducing the reporter and alerting the audience, among others. The findings reflect quite different journalistic practice of TV news kernels from that of print news leads.
Patient’s satisfaction beyond hand function in Dupuytren’s disease: analysis of 1106 patients
Authors: Poelstra Ralph , van Kooij Yara E. , van der Oest Mark J. W. , Slijper Harm P. , Hovius Steven E. R. , Selles Ruud W. ,   the Hand-Wrist Study Group
Published: November 2019

This study investigates the outcomes of 1106 patients with Dupuytren’s disease treated with limited fasciectomy or percutaneous needle fasciotomy over 16 years according to the different domains of patient-reported hand function. These patients completed the Michigan Hand Outcomes Questionnaire before and 3 months after surgery. Scores for the various outcome parameters were calculated and linear regression analyses were used to examine associations between the changes in digital extension deficit and change in Michigan Hand Outcomes Questionnaire (sub)scores. We found the largest effects of surgical treatment in the decreases in extension deficit, the appearance of the hand, and the satisfaction with the hand function. However, associations between different domains of evaluation were weak. We conclude that improvement of digital extension deficits is not parallel to varying aspects of patient satisfaction. The findings underline the importance of assessing domains relating to patient satisfaction other than objective hand function measures in Dupuytren’s disease.

Level of evidence: IV
Study of the activation of the PI3K/Akt pathway by the motif of σA and σNS proteins of avian reovirus
Authors: Xie Liji , Xie Zhixun , Wang Sheng , Deng Xianwen , Xie Zhiqin
Published: November 2019

The present study was conducted to determine whether avian reovirus (ARV) activates the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-dependent Akt (PI3K/Akt) pathway according to the PXXP or YXXXM motifs of σA and σNS proteins. Gene splicing by overlap extension PCR was used to change the PXXP or YXXXM motifs of the σA and σNS genes. Plasmid constructs that contain mutant σA and σNS genes were generated and transfected into Vero cells, and the expression levels of the corresponding genes were quantified according to immunofluorescence and Western blot analyses. The Akt phosphorylation (P-Akt) profile of the transfected Vero cells was examined by flow cytometry and Western blot. The results showed that the σA and σNS genes were expressed in the Vero cells, and P-Akt expression in the σA mutant groups (amino acids 110–114 and 114–117) was markedly decreased. The results indicated that the σA protein of ARV activates the PI3K/Akt pathway via the PXXP motif. The results of this study reveal the mechanisms by which ARV manipulates the cellular signal transduction pathways, which may provide new ideas for novel drug targets.
Let’s quarrel (streiten)! Introducing a Kantian framework for social interaction in international politics
Authors: Bang Jiun
Published: November 2019

Actors in international politics have been driven predominantly by two (maybe three) logics of social interaction: fighting, bargaining, and some arguing. Yet, if international politics is characterized by a lack of determinate laws unlike its domestic corollary, it would be unrealistic to expect leaders to simply rely on a singular mode of evaluating facts based primarily on cognition and interests. In turn, I offer quarreling to address this gap. As a type of affective social interaction based on the subjective validity of one’s feelings and thus one that goes beyond mere disagreement to disapproval, quarreling tries to establish who is right about what is right. I establish a theoretical framework based on Kant’s intuitions of a quarrel ( streiten) and in so doing clarify both the purpose and utility of quarreling: to demand assent for one’s feelings (in the absence of established rules and norms) and expose an underlying contention involving values.
Concentration-Dependent Effects of Cobalt and Chromium Ions on Osteoarthritic Chondrocytes
Authors: Bauer Christoph , Stotter Christoph , Jeyakumar Vivek , Niculescu-Morzsa Eugenia , Simlinger Bojana , Rodríguez Ripoll Manel , Klestil Thomas , Franek Friedrich , Nehrer Stefan
Published: November 2019

Objective

Cobalt and chromium (CoCr) ions from metal implants are released into the joint due to biotribocorrosion, inducing apoptosis and altering gene expression in various cell types. Here, we asked whether CoCr ions concentration-dependently changed viability, transcriptional activity, and inflammatory response in human articular chondrocytes.

Design

Human articular chondrocytes were exposed to Co (1.02-16.33 ppm) and Cr (0.42-6.66 ppm) ions and cell viability and early/late apoptosis (annexin V and 7-AAD) were assessed in 2-dimensional cell cultures using the XTT assay and flow cytometry, respectively. Changes in chondrocyte morphology were assessed using transmitted light microscopy. The effects of CoCr ions on transcriptional activity of chondrocytes were evaluated by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). The inflammatory responses were determined by measuring the levels of released pro-inflammatory cytokines (interleukin-1β [IL-1β], IL-6, IL-8, and tumor necrosis factor–α [TNF-α]).

Results

CoCr ions concentration-dependently reduced metabolic activity and induced early and late apoptosis after 24 hours in culture. After 72 hours, the majority of chondrocytes (>90%) were apoptotic at the highest concentrations of CoCr ions (16.33/6/66 ppm). SOX9 expression was concentration-dependently enhanced, whereas expression of COL2A1 linearly decreased after 24 hours. IL-8 release was enhanced proportionally to CoCr ions levels, whereas IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α levels were not affected by the treatments.

Conclusions

CoCr ions showed concentration- and time-dependent effects on articular chondrocytes. Fractions of apoptotic articular chondrocytes were proportional to CoCr ion concentrations. In addition, metabolic activity and expression of chondrocyte-specific genes were decreased by CoCr ions. Furthermore, exposure to CoCr ions caused a release of pro-inflammatory cytokines.
Does gender matter for the use of learning opportunities? Potential explanation for the gender gap in financial literacy
Authors: Rudeloff Michelle , Brahm Taiga , Pumptow Marina
Published: November 2019

Financial literacy is becoming increasingly important, in particular for adolescents since they are exposed to financial services earlier and earlier. At the same time, empirical studies indicate that male learners show higher financial literacy than women; however, other studies find significant or contrary differences between male and female learners. These partially contradictory results make it necessary to investigate such gender-specific effects in more detail. This article addresses two questions to contribute to the literature on financial literacy: first, in which financial content areas are there significant performance differences between female and male adolescents? Secondly, does the relationship between learning opportunities and financial education differ among pupils? The analyses are based on a sample of 530 secondary students from Germany. The results indicate that female students show higher test results for the financial literacy dimensions money and payments, and insurance, male students perform better regarding the dimensions savings and monetary policy. Furthermore, learning opportunities may contribute differently to the gender gaps. We contribute to the literature by investigating the important question of gender gap for five different dimensions of financial literacy and by showing that different learning opportunities play a role in the development of students’ financial literacy.
A Randomized Controlled Trial in the Evaluation of a Novel Stress Management Tool: A Lounge Chair Experience
Authors: Rieck Thomas M , Lee Jennifer R , Ferguson Jennifer A , Peterson Laura A , Martin Lillie Charlene M , Clark Matthew M , Limburg Paul J , Bauer Brent A
Published: November 2019

Objectives

The aim of this study was to compare the stress reduction effects of spending 25 minutes reclining in a SolTec™ Lounge between 2 intervention groups. Group 1 experienced the Lounge with multilayered music on an external speaker, while group 2 experienced the Lounge with multilayered music and synchronous vibration and magnetic stimulation from within the chair.

Subjects

In total, 110 participants with a self-reported stress level of 4 or higher on a 0- to 10-point scale were recruited from the local community including employees. Participants were randomized into receiving 1 of the 2 interventions. There were no significant differences between the group’s average stress levels prior to the interventions.

Interventions

Both groups received a 25-minute session in a dimly lit, quiet area on the Lounge with multilayered music. The second group also received vibration and magnetic stimulation that were synchronized with the music.

Design

Current stress level as well as ratings or feelings of anxiety, tenseness, energy, focus, happiness, relaxation, nervousness, creativeness, and being rested were recorded before and after the session.

Results

Both groups of participants reported equivalent decreased feelings of stress after using the Lounge. Participants receiving the synchronous multilayered music, vibration, and magnetic stimulation did report significantly reduced feelings of tenseness, feeling more relaxed, and feeling more creative when compared with the group that received music only.

Conclusion

Spending 25 minutes in the SolTec™ Lounge with multilayered music is an effective way to reduce self-reported stress in individuals who self-report having a high stress level. If confirmed by future studies, including synchronous vibration and magnetic stimulation with the multilayered music might be an effective stress reduction strategy.
Economic transactions in our deep past
Authors: Paddayya K.
Published: November 2019

The much longer period of mankind’s past is customarily called ‘prehistory’, as if before writing began, there could be no ‘history’. It is, however, true that during what we may call ‘deep past’, there were features in the organisation of human societies that were different from what was to be found when towns arose and civilisations came to be established. This article examines how in the realm of exchange and what goes today by the name of commerce, the early societies were different from their later successors. Taking India, especially South India as our field, we examine how systems of exchange existed in early societies without the development of a ‘business’ class.
The ideology of India’s corporate-financial oligarchy—A note
Authors: Patnaik Prabhat
Published: November 2019

Nationalism in India arose out of resistance to colonialism and thus had a different character than the bourgeois nationalism of European countries after the treaty of Westphalia. The inclusive nature of Indian nationalism has been eroded, however, as a big corporate sector has grown in the economy and the Hindutva ideology has grown alongside it. What has now happened is an alliance between the two forces, the ‘neo-liberal’ regime in the economy having its counterpart in a ruling semi-fascist ideology. The latter presents the Hindus as a homogenous whole, whose dominance, it aims at establishing. In reality, it serves the interests of the corporate-financial oligarchy, and so is adverse to the well-being of the vast majority of India’s population.
Application of Organizational Agility to Enhance the Predictability of Costs and Increase the Probability of Creating Value
Authors: Heisterkamp Tom
Published: November 2019

In order to create any value, an organization needs to incur costs. This article builds on the original concept of the ‘Cone of Uncertainty’ for costs. However, the focus of an organization should mainly be on value. To visualize value, the concept of a ‘Double Cone of Uncertainty’ is introduced. Organizations often focus on reducing costs instead of enhancing the creation of value because costs are easier to measure and in control of the organization. Value is harder to measure, and here the customer is in charge. In addition, value creation lies further in the future. The article shows, with IT development as an example, how organizational agility and emergent product development can enhance the predictability of costs by time-boxing with stable, multidisciplinary teams. Although organizational agility cannot enhance the predictability of value, it can enhance the probability of value with emergent product development and quick and frequent feedback from customers. This evolutionary process of trial and error is essential in complicated and complex fast-changing environments.
Correction of Posttraumatic Enopthalmos: Still a Challenge
Authors: Pandey Arun , Singh Akhilesh Kumar , Kumar Naresh , Verma Vishal , Singh Shreya , Agrawal Amiya
Published: November 2019

Orbital reconstruction is very challenging due to complex anatomy of the orbit and desirable functional and aesthetic results. Timing of intervention, indications for open reduction, choice of implant material, and placement play a very crucial role in the treatment protocol. Correction of posttraumatic enophthalmos and residual diplopia remain difficult to achieve and even sometimes need secondary revision. In the present case, we have discussed about the correction of posttraumatic enophthalmos and the challenges faced during and postsurgery and review about the management protocol for orbital reconstruction.
Bicoronal Approach in Correction of Post-traumatic Frontal Bone Deformity: Report of Two Cases
Authors: Mishra Madan , Singh Gaurav , Singh Harmurti , Tewari Abhivyakti
Published: November 2019

Presence of head injury in patients with maxillofacial trauma is a potentially life threatening condition. Frontal bone injuries are uncommon but significant and may appear with facial deformation and impaired aesthetics. Bicoronal approach provides excellent surgical access for frontal bone reconstruction with a very low rate of morbidity. This paper present two cases of posttraumatic frontal bone deformity treated with bicoronal approach.
κ0 for soil sites: Observations from KiK-net sites and their use in constraining small-strain damping profiles for site response analysis
Authors: Xu Boqin , Rathje Ellen M , Hashash Youssef , Stewart Jonathan , Campbell Kenneth , Silva Walter J
Published: November 2019

Small-strain damping profiles developed from geotechnical laboratory testing have been observed to be smaller than the damping inferred from the observed site amplification from downhole array recordings. This study investigates the high-frequency spectral decay parameter ( κ0) of earthquake motions from soil sites and evaluates the use of κ0 to constrain the small-strain damping profile for one-dimensional site response analysis. Using data from 51 sites from the Kiban-Kyoshin strong motion network (KiK-net) array in Japan and six sites from California, a relationship was developed between κ0 at the surface and both the 30-m time-averaged shear wave velocity ( V s30) and the depth to the 2.5 km/s shear wave velocity horizon ( Z2.5). This relationship demonstrates that κ0 increases with decreasing V s30 and increasing Z2.5. An approach is developed that uses this relationship to establish a target κ0 from which to constrain the small-strain damping profile used in one-dimensional site response analysis. This approach to develop κ0-consistent damping profiles for site response analysis is demonstrated through a recent site amplification study of Central and Eastern North America for the NGA-East project.
Repair costs of reinforced concrete building components: from actual data analysis to calibrated consequence functions
Authors: Del Vecchio Ciro , Ludovico Marco Di , Prota Andrea
Published: November 2019

Modern seismic design and the retrofitting of buildings necessarily need to account for expected economic losses. Available refined and simplified procedures implemented in automatic computer tools allow for probabilistic loss assessments. These mostly rely on consequence functions derived by simulating the repair actions needed to restore a component to its pre-earthquake condition. However, due to the lack of data, only a few studies have benchmarked theoretical loss assessments with actual repair costs monitored in the aftermath of earthquake events. This paper analyses the actual repair costs of a database of 120 reinforced concrete residential buildings damaged by the 2009 earthquake in L’Aquila, Italy. The repair cost distributions and the correlation with observed earthquake damage are provided at the building and component levels. The repair costs of drift- and acceleration-sensitive components are also reported. This study outlines that repairing hollow clay brick infills and partitions that are typical of the Mediterranean construction standard constitutes the majority of total repair costs. Reliable consequence functions calibrated on actual cost data are proposed for different damage states.
Ultrasonic Scattered Field Distribution of One and Two Cylindrical Solids with Phased Array Technique
Authors: Liu Xiaozhou , Ma Jian , Wang Haibin , Gao Sha , Li Yifeng , Liu Jiehui
Published: November 2019

The scattered fields of plane waves in a solid from a cylinder or sphere are critical in determining its acoustic characteristics as well as in engineering applications. This paper investigates the scattered field distributions of different incident waves created by elastic cylinders embedded in an elastic isotropic medium. Scattered waves, including longitudinal and transverse waves both inside and outside the cylinder, are described with specific modalities under an incident plane wave. A model with a scatterer embedded in a structural steel matrix and filled with aluminum is developed for comparison with the theoretical solution. The frequency of the plane wave ranged from 235 kHz to 2348 kHz, which corresponds to scaling factors from 0.5 to 5. Scattered field distributions in matrix materials blocked by an elastic cylindrical solid have been obtained by simulation or calculated using existing parameters. The simulation results are in good agreement with the theoretical solution, which supports the correctness of the simulation analysis. Furthermore, ultrasonic phased arrays are used to study scattered fields by changing the characteristics of the incident wave. On this foundation, a partial preliminary study of the scattered field distribution of double cylinders in a solid has been carried out, and the scattered field distribution at a given distance has been found to exhibit particular behaviors at different moments. Further studies on directivities and scattered fields are expected to improve the quantification of scattered images in isotropic solid materials by the phased array technique.
Teleological pitfalls in reading evolutionary trees and ways to avoid them
Authors: Schramm Thilo , Schmiemann Philipp
Published: November 2019

Despite evolution being the central idea in modern biology, considerable variation exists in its acceptance around the globe, and reports of anti-evolutionist and creationist movements are widespread. Educators need to re-evaluate the approaches used for teaching students about evolution in order to facilitate its understanding and acceptance. A major hurdle in understanding the concepts of evolution is that humans tend to view the world in a teleological way. Learners create obstacles to understanding the concepts of evolution by ascribing purpose or intent-driven actions to animals, processes, or inanimate objects. An indispensable learning tool in the field of evolution is the evolutionary tree, as it is a direct representation of evolutionary hypotheses. The ability to read and understand this form of representation is prerequisite to fully understanding the concepts of evolution. In this work, we present issues faced when attempting to teach students to read evolutionary trees as well as troublesome diagrammatic properties that may foster teleological thinking. Further, we present teaching practices and methods that may be used to avoid the above challenges (from diagrammatic and instructional perspectives). With this work, we aim to raise awareness among educators about the different potential teleological pitfalls in the field of teaching how to read evolutionary trees, and to present different approaches for minimizing teleological reasoning and thinking in evolution education.
HKPocket: human kinase pocket database for drug design
Authors: Wang Huiwen , Qiu Jiadi , Liu Haoquan , Xu Ying , Jia Ya , Zhao Yunjie
Published: November 2019

Background

The kinase pocket structural information is important for drug discovery targeting cancer or other diseases. Although some kinase sequence, structure or drug databases have been developed, the databases cannot be directly used in the kinase drug study. Therefore, a comprehensive database of human kinase protein pockets is urgently needed to be developed.

Results

Here, we have developed HKPocket, a comprehensive Human Kinase Pocket database. This database provides sequence, structure, hydrophilic-hydrophobic, critical interactions, and druggability information including 1717 pockets from 255 kinases. We further divided these pockets into 91 pocket clusters using structural and position features in each kinase group. The pocket structural information would be useful for preliminary drug screening. Then, the potential drugs can be further selected and optimized by analyzing the sequence conservation, critical interactions, and hydrophobicity of identified drug pockets. HKPocket also provides online visualization and pse files of all identified pockets.

Conclusion

The HKPocket database would be helpful for drug screening and optimization. Besides, drugs targeting the non-catalytic pockets would cause fewer side effects. HKPocket is available at http://zhaoserver.com.cn/HKPocket/HKPocket.html.
Binding of Brucella protein, Bp26, to select extracellular matrix molecules
Authors: ElTahir Yasmin , Al-Araimi Amna , R. Nair Remya , Autio Kaija J. , Tu Hongmin , Leo Jack C. , Al-Marzooqi Waleed , H. Johnson Eugene
Published: November 2019

Background

Brucella is a facultative intracellular pathogen responsible for zoonotic disease brucellosis. Little is known about the molecular basis of Brucella adherence to host cells. In the present study, the possible role of Bp26 protein as an adhesin was explored. The ability of Brucella protein Bp26 to bind to extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and biolayer interferometry (BLI).

Results

ELISA experiments showed that Bp26 bound in a dose-dependent manner to both immobilized type I collagen and vitronectin. Bp26 bound weakly to soluble fibronectin but did not bind to immobilized fibronectin. No binding to laminin was detected. Biolayer interferometry showed high binding affinity of Bp26 to immobilized type I collagen and no binding to fibronectin or laminin. Mapping of Bp26 antigenic epitopes by biotinylated overlapping peptides spanning the entire sequence of Bp26 using anti Bp26 mouse serum led to the identification of five linear epitopes. Collagen and vitronectin bound to peptides from several regions of Bp26, with many of the binding sites for the ligands overlapping.

The strongest binding for anti-Bp26 mouse serum, collagen and vitronectin was to the peptides at the C-terminus of Bp26. Fibronectin did not bind to any of the peptides, although it bound to the whole Bp26 protein.

Conclusions

Our results highlight the possible role of Bp26 protein in the adhesion process of Brucella to host cells through ECM components. This study revealed that Bp26 binds to both immobilized and soluble type I collagen and vitronectin. It also binds to soluble but not immobilized fibronectin. However, Bp26 does not bind to laminin.

These are novel findings that offer insight into understanding the interplay between Brucella and host target cells, which may aid in future identification of a new target for diagnosis and/or vaccine development and prevention of brucellosis.
Trans-splicing of mRNAs links gene transcription to translational control regulated by mTOR
Authors: Danks Gemma B. , Galbiati Heloisa , Raasholm Martina , Torres Cleuren Yamila N. , Valen Eivind , Navratilova Pavla , Thompson Eric M.
Published: November 2019

Background

In phylogenetically diverse organisms, the 5′ ends of a subset of mRNAs are trans-spliced with a spliced leader (SL) RNA. The functions of SL trans-splicing, however, remain largely enigmatic.

Results

We quantified translation genome-wide in the marine chordate, Oikopleura dioica, under inhibition of mTOR, a central growth regulator. Translation of trans-spliced TOP mRNAs was suppressed, consistent with a role of the SL sequence in nutrient-dependent translational control of growth-related mRNAs. Under crowded, nutrient-limiting conditions, O. dioica continued to filter-feed, but arrested growth until favorable conditions returned. Upon release from unfavorable conditions, initial recovery was independent of nutrient-responsive, trans-spliced genes, suggesting animal density sensing as a first trigger for resumption of development.

Conclusion

Our results are consistent with a proposed role of trans-splicing in the coordinated translational down-regulation of nutrient-responsive genes under growth-limiting conditions.
Transcriptional profiling of long noncoding RNAs associated with leaf-color mutation in Ginkgo biloba L
Authors: Wu Yaqiong , Guo Jing , Wang Tongli , Cao Fuliang , Wang Guibin
Published: November 2019

Background

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play an important role in diverse biological processes and have been widely studied in recent years. However, the roles of lncRNAs in leaf pigment formation in ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba L.) remain poorly understood.

Results

In this study, lncRNA libraries for mutant yellow-leaf and normal green-leaf ginkgo trees were constructed via high-throughput sequencing. A total of 2044 lncRNAs were obtained with an average length of 702 nt and typically harbored 2 exons. We identified 238 differentially expressed lncRNAs (DELs), 32 DELs and 49 differentially expressed mRNAs (DEGs) that constituted coexpression networks. We also found that 48 cis-acting DELs regulated 72 target genes, and 31 trans-acting DELs regulated 31 different target genes, which provides a new perspective for the regulation of the leaf-color mutation. Due to the crucial regulatory roles of lncRNAs in a wide range of biological processes, we conducted in-depth studies on the DELs and their targets and found that the chloroplast thylakoid membrane subcategory and the photosynthesis pathways (ko00195) were most enriched, suggesting their potential roles in leaf coloration mechanisms. In addition, our correlation analysis indicates that eight DELs and 68 transcription factors (TFs) might be involved in interaction networks.

Conclusions

This study has enriched the knowledge concerning lncRNAs and provides new insights into the function of lncRNAs in leaf-color mutations, which will benefit future selective breeding of ginkgo.
The role of OX40L and ICAM-1 in the stability of coronary atherosclerotic plaques and their relationship with sudden coronary death
Authors: Wang Yu , Sun Xiaoyu , Xia Bing , Le Cuiyun , Li Zhu , Wang Jie , Huang Jiang , Wang Jiawen , Wan Changwu
Published: November 2019

Background

Coronary heart disease is related to sudden death caused by multi-factors and a major threat to human health.This study explores the role of OX40L and ICAM-1 in the stability of coronary plaques and their relationship with sudden coronary death.

Methods

A total of 118 human coronary arteries with different degrees of atherosclerosis and/or sudden coronary death comprised the experimental group and 28 healthy subjects constituted the control group were isolated from patients. The experimental group was subdivided based on whether the cause of death was sudden coronary death and whether it was accompanied by thrombosis, plaque rupture, plaque outflow and other secondary changes: group I: patients with coronary atherosclerosis but not sudden coronary death, group II: sudden coronary death without any of the secondary changes mentioned above, group III: sudden coronary death with coronary artery atherosclerotic lesions accompanied by either of the above secondary changes. The histological structure of the coronary artery was observed under a light microscope after routine HE staining, and the related indexes of atherosclerotic plaque lesions were assessed by image analysis software. The expressions of OX40L and ICAM-1 were detected by real-time quantitative PCR (RT-PCR), immunohistochemistry (IHC) and Western blotting, and the correlations between the expressions and the stability of coronary atherosclerotic plaque and sudden coronary death were analyzed.

Results

(1) The expression of OX40L protein in the control group and the three experimental groups showed an increasing trend, and the difference between groups was statistically significant (P < 0.05). (2) The expression of the ICAM-1 protein in the control group and the three experimental groups showed a statistically significant (P < 0.05) increasing trend. (3) The expression of OX40L and ICAM-1 mRNAs increased in the control and the three experimental groups and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

The expression of OX40L and ICAM-1 proteins and mRNAs is positively correlated with the stability of coronary atherosclerotic plaque and sudden coronary death.
Effectiveness of eHealth cardiac rehabilitation on health outcomes of coronary heart disease patients: a randomized controlled trial protocol
Authors: Su Jing Jing , Yu Doris Sau Fung
Published: November 2019

Background

Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) uptake and adherence remain sub-optimal despite the apparent health benefits of modifying healthy behavior and slowing disease progression. eHealth is the use of information and communication technology (ICT) for health. eHealth lifestyle interventions and disease management have emerged as modalities to enhance CR accessibility, enable an individualized progress page, and enrich real-time contact, video-based information, and technology monitored functionality. This study aims to develop a nurse-led eHealth cardiac rehabilitation (NeCR) intervention and investigate its effectiveness on coronary heart disease (CHD) patients’ health outcomes.

Methods

This single-blinded two-arm parallel randomized controlled trial will randomize 146 patients from the inpatient cardiovascular units of a hospital in Wuhan, China to receive either the NeCR or the usual care. The NeCR intervention uses a hybrid approach consisting of a brief face-to-face preparatory phase and an empowerment phase delivered by health technology. The preparatory phase aims at identifying self-care needs, developing a goal-oriented patient centered action plan, incorporating a peer support network and orientation to the use of the e-platform. The empowerment phase includes use of the multi-media interactive NeCR for promoting symptom management, monitoring lifestyle changes and offering psychological support. A tele-care platform is also integrated to enhance health care dialogue with health professionals and peer groups. The control group will receive the usual care. An evaluation of lifestyle behavioral changes, self-efficacy, health-related quality of life, anxiety and depression, cardiovascular risk parameters, and unplanned health services use will be conducted at baseline, 6 weeks and 12 weeks post-intervention.

Discussion

This protocol proposes an individualized, comprehensive, and interactive NeCR delivered using a hybrid approach and guided by an empowerment model to optimize health outcomes of CHD patients. The intervention content and web-design is based on international health guidelines to improve credibility, comprehensibility and implementation. This study also proposes a new method of peer support in which the researcher shares participants’ progress toward goal attainment with the peer group. Results of this research have the potential to increase accessibility and availability of CR, improve cardiac rehabilitation service development in China, and inform eHealth lifestyle interventions.

Trial registration

Chinese Clinical Trial Registry:ChiCTR1800020411; Date of registration: December 28, 2018.
Meningitis gone viral: description of the echovirus wave 2013 in Germany
Authors: Graf Jonas , Hartmann Christian J. , Lehmann Helmar C. , Otto Carolin , Adams Ortwin , Karenfort Michael , Schneider Christian , Ruprecht Klemens , Bosse Hans Martin , Diedrich Sabine , Böttcher Sindy , Schnitzler Alfons , Hartung Hans-Peter , Aktas Orhan , Albrecht Philipp
Published: November 2019

Background

Aseptic meningitis epidemics may pose various health care challenges.

Methods

We describe the German enterovirus meningitis epidemics in the university hospital centers of Düsseldorf, Cologne and Berlin between January 1st and December 31st, 2013 in order to scrutinize clinical differences from other aseptic meningitis cases.

Results

A total of 72 enterovirus (EV-positive) meningitis cases were detected in our multicenter cohort, corresponding to 5.8% of all EV-positive cases which were voluntarily reported within the National Enterovirus surveillance (EVSurv, based on investigation of patients with suspected aseptic meningitis/encephalitis and/or acute flaccid paralysis) by physicians within this period of time. Among these 72 patients, 38 (52.8%) were enterovirus positive and typed as echovirus (18 pediatric and 20 adult cases, median age 18.5 years; echovirus 18 (1), echovirus 2 (1), echovirus 30 (31), echovirus 33 (1), echovirus 9 (4)). At the same time, 45 aseptic meningitis cases in our cohort were excluded to be due to enteroviral infection (EV-negative). Three EV-negative patients were tested positive for varicella zoster virus (VZV) and 1 EV-negative patient for herpes simplex virus 2. Hospitalization was significantly longer in EV-negative cases. Cerebrospinal fluid analysis did not reveal significant differences between the two groups. After discharge, EV-meningitis resulted in significant burden of sick leave in our pediatric cohort as parents had to care for the children at home.

Conclusions

Voluntary syndromic surveillance, such as provided by the EVSurv in our study may be a valuable tool for epidemiological research. Our analyses suggest that EV-positive meningitis predominantly affects younger patients and may be associated with a rather benign clinical course, compared to EV-negative cases.
Exercise and Progressive Supranuclear Palsy: the need for explicit exercise reporting
Authors: Slade Susan C. , Underwood Martin , McGinley Jennifer L. , Morris Meg E.
Published: November 2019

Background

Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) is the most frequent form of atypical Parkinsonism. Although there is preliminary evidence for the benefits of gait rehabilitation, balance training and oculomotor exercises in PSP, the quality of reporting of exercise therapies appears mixed. The current investigation aims to evaluate the comprehensiveness of reporting of exercise and physical activity interventions in the PSP literature.

Methods

Two independent reviewers used the Consensus on Exercise Reporting Template (CERT) to extract all exercise intervention data from 11 studies included in a systematic review. CERT items covered: ‘what’ (materials), ‘who’ (instructor qualifications), ‘how’ (delivery), ‘where’ (location), ‘when’, ‘how much’ (dosage), ‘tailoring’ (what, how), and ‘how well’ (fidelity) exercise delivery complied with the protocol. Each exercise item was scored ‘1’ (adequately reported) or ‘0’ (not adequately reported or unclear). The CERT score was calculated, as well as the percentage of studies that reported each CERT item.

Results

The CERT scores ranged from 3 to 12 out of 19. No PSP studies adequately described exercise elements that would allow exact replication of the interventions. Well-described items included exercise equipment, exercise settings, exercise therapy scheduling, frequency and duration. Poorly described items included decision rules for exercise progression, instructor qualifications, exercise adherence, motivation strategies, safety and adverse events associated with exercise therapies.

Discussion

The results revealed variability in the reporting of physical therapies for people living with PSP. Future exercise trials need to more comprehensively describe equipment, instructor qualifications, exercise and physical activity type, dosage, setting, individual tailoring of exercises, supervision, adherence, motivation strategies, progression decisions, safety and adverse events.

Conclusion

Although beneficial for people living with PSP, exercise and physical therapy interventions have been inadequately reported. It is recommended that evidence-based reporting templates be utilised to comprehensively document therapeutic exercise design, delivery and evaluation.
The risk of cesarean delivery after labor induction among women with prior pregnancy complications: a subgroup analysis of the AFFIRM study
Authors:   for the AFFIRM investigators, Skeith Leslie , Le Gal Grégoire , de Vries Johanna I. P. , Middeldorp Saskia , Goddijn Mariëtte , Kaaja Risto , Gris Jean-Christophe , Martinelli Ida , Schleußner Ekkehard , Petroff David , Langlois Nicole , Rodger Marc A.
Published: November 2019

Background

To determine the risk of cesarean delivery after labor induction among patients with prior placenta-mediated pregnancy complications (pre-eclampsia, late pregnancy loss, placental abruption or intrauterine growth restriction).

Methods

The AFFIRM database includes patient level data from 9 randomized controlled trials that evaluated the role of LMWH versus no LMWH during pregnancy to prevent recurrent placenta-mediated pregnancy complications. The primary outcome of this sub-study was the proportion of women who had an unplanned cesarean delivery after induction of labor compared to after spontaneous labor.

Results

There were 512 patients from 7 randomized trials included in our sub-study. There was no difference in the risk of cesarean delivery between women with labor induction (21/148, 14.2%) and spontaneous labor (79/364, 21.7%) (odds ratio (OR) 0.60, 95% CI, 0.35–1.01; p = 0.052). Among 274 women who used LMWH prophylaxis during pregnancy, the risk of cesarean delivery was lower among those that underwent labor induction (9.8%) compared to spontaneous labor (22.4%) (OR 0.38, 95% CI, 0.17–0.84; p = 0.01).

Conclusions

The risk of cesarean delivery is not increased after labor induction among a higher risk patient population with prior pregnancy complications. Our results suggest that women who receive LMWH during pregnancy might benefit from labor induction.