bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Anxiety, depression, and oral health among US pregnant women: 2010 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System
Authors: Silveira Marushka L. , Whitcomb Brian W. , Pekow Penelope , Carbone Elena T. , Chasan‐Taber Lisa
Published: August 2015

Objectives

Maternal periodontal disease is associated with adverse perinatal outcomes. Anxiety and depression adversely impact oral health in nonpregnant women; however, this association has not been evaluated during pregnancy, a time characterized by higher rates of anxiety and depression. Therefore, we examined the association between these factors and oral disease and oral healthcare utilization among 402 pregnant respondents to the 2010 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.

Methods

Self‐reported lifetime diagnoses of anxiety, depression, and current depression were assessed. Oral health outcomes included self‐reported tooth loss and dental visits in the past year.

Results

One‐fifth (21.2 percent) of respondents reported a tooth loss and 32.5 percent reported nonuse of oral health services. The prevalence of lifetime diagnosed anxiety and depression was 13.6 percent and 11.3 percent, respectively, whereas 10.6 percent reported current depression. After adjusting for risk factors, pregnant women with diagnosed anxiety had increased odds of one or more tooth loss [odds ratio (OR) = 3.30; 95 percent confidence interval (CI): 1.01‐10.77] compared with those without the disorder. Similarly, after adjusting for socioeconomic factors, women with anxiety had increased odds of nonuse of oral health services (OR = 2.67; 95 percent CI: 1.03‐6.90); however, this was no longer significant after adjusting for health behaviors and body mass index. We observed no significant association with depression.

Conclusions

In this population‐based sample, we found a two‐ to threefold increased odds of tooth loss and nonuse of oral health services among pregnant women with a lifetime diagnosis of anxiety. To our knowledge, this is the first study to examine these associations among pregnant women.
Relationship between Instrumental and Sensory Texture Profile of Bread Loaves Made with Whole‐Wheat Flour and Fat Replacer
Authors: Scheuer Patrícia Matos , Luccio Marco Di , Zibetti André Wüst , de Miranda Martha Zavariz , de Francisco Alicia
Published: August 2015

Food texture is one of the most widely measured quality attributes during processing and consumption, being measured by instrumental and sensory means. The aims of this study were to measure the textural parameters of the crumb of 14 whole‐wheat bread loaves made with whole‐wheat flour and fat replacer using instrumental methods and a sensory trained panel, and to determine the relationship between instrumental and sensory assessments. The data of instrumental and sensory texture were individually subjected to analysis of variance and correlated using principal component analysis. The analyses showed that for both (instrumental and sensory texture), the less firm, more elastic and more cohesive bread loaves have <60% whole‐wheat flour, regardless of the content of fat replacer. The hardness attribute, measured with a texturometer, was consistent with the results of other published works and with our sensory evaluation as the matrix showed correlation coefficients with high values.

Practical Applications

Wheat bread is a common staple food around the world that can be used to deliver ingredients for specific health purposes. Diets rich in whole grain foods and low fat may be suggested to help to protect against several chronic diseases, as well as for weight management. At a pilot plant scale, it is very difficult to keep good quality standards for whole‐wheat products. Therefore, instrumental and sensory studies on loaf texture were used to perform texture profile analysis on the crumb structure of 14 different types of whole‐wheat bread loaves made with fat replacer (enzymatically modified corn starch).
Time and Frequency Domain Response of Grape Berries to Nondestructive Impact during the Harvesting Period
Authors: Trnka J. , Pavloušek P. , Nedomova Š. , Buchar J.
Published: August 2015

An experimental system was set up to generate the impact force, measure the response wave signal and analyze the frequency spectrum for detection of the behavior of grape berries at different harvest days. Seven varieties of grape berries harvested for six consecutive weeks have been tested. The response of grape berries to a nondestructive impact is studied both in time and in frequency domains. The digitalized time history of the force was analyzed to extract some mechanical characteristics (peak force, impact duration, impulse). The evaluation of the modulus of elasticity of berries using frequency response characteristics was carried out. This modulus decreases with the total sugar content. This dependence can be used for the estimation of the maturity of grape berries.

Practical Applications

This paper describes the use of a technique of the nondestructive impact for monitoring grape texture, particularly during ripening. It was found that the response of the grape berries to this impact measured as the time history of the surface displacement provided reliable tool to monitor the progress of grape maturity. The described method could also be used to highlight important information on grape evolution during ripening including their composition (total sugar content) and help to provide better insight on the choice of the preferred/ideal harvest date. Owing to the available computer techniques, this method enables testing much more number of berries in comparison with classical methods of the evaluation of grape's mechanical properties.
Agricultural Productivity, Infrastructures and the Optimal Timing of Opening Trade
Authors: Kamei Keita , Sasaki Hiroaki
Published: August 2015

This study develops a dynamic Ricardian trade model that incorporates productive infrastructures into the manufacturing sector. The costs of building infrastructures are financed by tax. We investigate the relationship between the timing of opening trade and total welfare. The main results are as follows: (1) there is the optimal tax rate maximizing the total welfare; (2) an increase in agricultural productivity can accelerate the timing of opening trade, which, however, does not necessarily improve total welfare; and (3) total welfare under specialization in manufacturing can be higher than that under specialization in agriculture depending on the prevailing conditions.
The compliance and burden of treatment with the epinephrine auto‐injector in food‐allergic adolescents
Authors: Saleh‐Langenberg J. , Flokstra‐de Blok B. M. J. , Goossens N. J. , Kemna J. C. , van der Velde J. L. , Dubois A. E. J.
Published: August 2015

Background

Food‐allergic patients at high risk of potential fatal anaphylaxis should carry an epinephrine auto‐injector (EAI) at all times. This treatment may be perceived as burdensome and this may affect compliance and health‐related quality of life (HRQL). The aims of the study were (1) to determine the burden of treatment (BoT) of an EAI, (2) to examine the relationship between this burden and compliance, and (3) to analyze which factors contribute to the BoT of the EAI as perceived by food‐allergic adolescents and their parents.

Methods

Dutch food‐allergic adolescents prescribed an EAI, and their parents completed a questionnaire package (n = 55). Relationships between BoT and HRQL, illness severity and perception, and anxiety measures were investigated.

Results

Food‐allergic adolescents and their parents were (extremely) positive about the EAI (54.5%; 72.7%, respectively) (=low BoT). The BoT measure showed a significantly greater burden in food‐allergic adolescents prescribed an EAI who reported not carrying the EAI at all times than adolescents who reported they did. The BoT scores of both adolescents and their parents were not associated with HRQL, illness severity and perception, or trait anxiety.

Conclusions

The majority of food‐allergic adolescents and their parents were positive about the EAI (=low BoT). However, the BoT was significantly associated with self‐reported compliance with carrying the EAI. The BoT was higher in food‐allergic adolescents prescribed an EAI who reported not carrying the EAI at all times. The BoT measure seems to be a useful tool to study compliance with carrying an EAI. The BoT of an EAI is not associated with HRQL. The BoT measures a distinct concept related to compliance behavior.
Dyschromatosis Universalis Hereditaria with Oral Leukokeratosis—A Case of Mistaken Identity and Review of the Literature
Authors: Sorensen Robert H. , Werner Kimberly A. , Kobayashi Todd T.
Published: August 2015

Dyschromatosis universalis hereditaria (DUH) is a rare pigmentary genodermatosis characterized by reticulated hyper‐ and hypopigmented macules distributed over the trunk and extremities in otherwise healthy patients. DUH presents in a fashion similar to that of a variety of reticulate and pigmentary dermatoses, some of which are associated with precancerous entities and other comorbidities. It is therefore imperative that the clinician recognize and differentiate these disorders so that appropriate screening and counseling can be offered to the patient. We report a case of DUH in a 13‐year‐old boy presenting with oral leukokeratosis, with a review of the literature exploring the differential diagnoses.
Understanding The Curvilinear Relationships between LMX Differentiation and Team Coordination and Performance
Authors: Sui Yang , Wang Hui , Kirkman Bradley L. , Li Ning
Published: August 2015

The leader–member exchange (LMX) literature argues that leaders develop different quality dyadic relationships with members in the same team (i.e., LMX differentiation). Research has generally not found support for a linear (i.e., main effect) relationship between LMX differentiation and team performance; rather, moderators typically determine whether the relationship is significantly positive or negative. Examining linear effect moderators alone, however, does not account for (a) potential curvilinear (i.e., inverted U‐shaped) effects, (b) explanatory mechanisms of how LMX differentiation influences team performance, or (c) moderators of curvilinear effects. Integrating social identity theory with LMX differentiation research, we propose inverted U‐shaped relationships between LMX differentiation and both team coordination (as a mediator) and team performance (as an outcome), and we examine both team size and team power distance orientation as moderators. Using data from 928 employees in 145 teams in 3 organizations, we found an inverted U‐shaped relationship between LMX differentiation and team coordination, which, in turn, partially mediated LMX differentiation's inverted U‐shaped relationship with team performance. Larger teams, or those with higher team power distance orientation, benefit more from LMX differentiation. By integrating social identity theory with LMX differentiation research, we enhance the understanding of the processes by, and conditions under, which LMX differentiation affects team performance both positively and negatively.
Hannah Arendt's Moral Ontology: Comments on David Luban's Arendt on the Crime of Crimes
Authors: Coutinho Luís Pereira
Published: August 2015

David Luban identifies a tension between Arendt's conception of ethnic identification in a context of persecution and her conception of humanity. That tension pertains to the reality—or realities—that Arendt addresses: the moral reality of her Bildung that appears throughout her work, and is centered on the “dignity of man,” on the one hand, and the divisive, “political” reality that she was forced to face when “attacked as a Jew,” on the other. By implicitly accepting that in a context of persecution one cannot escape the framing relevance of the “political” —an idea that is also present in her imaginary condemnation speech of Eichmann—Arendt betrays a fundamental theme of her work: “forgiveness” and the inherent possibility of a “new beginning.”
Characterizing the Long‐Term PM2.5Concentration‐Response Function: Comparing the Strengths and Weaknesses of Research Synthesis Approaches
Authors: Fann Neal , Gilmore Elisabeth A. , Walker Katherine
Published: August 2015

The magnitude, shape, and degree of certainty in the association between long‐term population exposure to ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and the risk of premature death is one of the most intensely studied issues in environmental health. For regulatory risk analysis, this relationship is described quantitatively by a concentration‐response (C‐R) function that relates exposure to ambient concentrations with the risk of premature mortality. Four data synthesis techniques develop the basis for, and derive, this function: systematic review, expert judgment elicitation, quantitative meta‐analysis, and integrated exposure‐response (IER) assessment. As part of an academic workshop aiming to guide the use of research synthesis approaches, we developed criteria with which to evaluate and select among the approaches for their ability to inform policy choices. These criteria include the quality and extent of scientific support for the method, its transparency and verifiability, its suitability to the policy problem, and the time and resources required for its application. We find that these research methods are both complementary and interdependent. A systematic review of the multidisciplinary evidence is a starting point for all methods, providing the broad conceptual basis for the nature, plausibility, and strength of the associations between PM exposure and adverse health effects. Further, for a data‐rich application like PM2.5and premature mortality, all three quantitative approaches can produce estimates that are suitable for regulatory and benefit analysis. However, when fewer data are available, more resource‐intensive approaches such as expert elicitation may be more important for understanding what scientists know, where they agree or disagree, and what they believe to be the most important areas of uncertainty. Whether implicitly or explicitly, all require considerable judgment by scientists. Finding ways for all these methods to acknowledge, appropriately elicit, and examine the implications of that judgment would be an important step forward for research synthesis.
Residential Multi‐Locality: In Search of Theoretical Frameworks
Authors: Weichhart Peter
Published: August 2015

Residential multi‐locality is a highly complex social phenomenon. Its explanation requires consideration of most diverse aspects of the social world. On the one hand, this calls for identifying the decision‐making processes that make the agents involved choose multi‐local living arrangements to achieve their intentions. On the other hand, the socio‐economic framework conditions need to be explored that induce people to select residential multi‐locality as option to practise the ‘good life’. Last but not least, the impact of the material world on the implementation of these arrangements must be considered. To the author's knowledge, a social theory comprising all aspects of residential multi‐locality is still lacking. He discusses various conceptual fields that seem appropriate to provide theoretical approaches to the complexity of the phenomenon and that should be related to one another. The author proposes the complementary use of building blocks of theories even though they belong to paradigms considered incommensurable.
Trade and Urbanisation
Authors: Thia Jang P.
Published: August 2015

Insights from economics of geography suggest that greater urbanisation should lead to an increased level of trade. Larger exporting markets should also provide incentives for agglomeration. Using a novel instrumental variables approach, this study provides empirical evidence that suggests that within country urbanisation has a strong positive impact on exports of the modern sector, while exports too have a positive impact on urbanisation. Consistent with model predictions, urbanisation is also associated with a decline in exports and increase in imports in the primary sector.
Screw Loosening and Pelvic Canal Narrowing After Lateral Plating of Feline Ilial Fractures With Locking and Nonlocking Plates
Authors: Schmierer Philipp A. , Kircher Patrick R. , Hartnack Sonja , Knell Sebastian C.
Published: August 2015

Objective

To compare the frequency of complications, including screw loosening and pelvic canal narrowing, associated with dynamic compression plating, locking plating, and double locking plating of ilial fractures in cats.

Study Design

Historical cohort study.

Methods

The radiographs and medical records of cats with pelvic fractures that were presented between 2004 and 2013 were reviewed. The cases were categorized based on the plate type and number as dynamic compression plate (DCP), single locking plate (LPS) and double locking plates (dLPS). The frequency of screw loosening was compared across categories using a Fisher's exact test. The change in pelvic alignment, described by the change in sacral index (postoperative sacral index–followup sacral index), was compared across plate categories using ANOVA.

Results

The frequency of screw loosening for DCP (5/10) was significantly higher than LPS (1/13) and dLPS (0/11) (P = .05, P = .012, respectively). There was no significant difference in the SI change across plate categories. The mean change in sacral index for DCP was −0.11 (95%CI −0.25 to 0.03), for LPS was 0.0007 (95%CI −0.07 to 0.08), and for dLPS was −0.01 (95%CI −0.04 to 0.02). None of the cats showed constipation postoperatively.

Conclusion

Screw loosening occurred less often but the change in pelvic canal alignment was not significantly different in ilial fractures repaired with LPS or dLPS compared to ilial fractures repaired with DCP. Locking plating of ilial fractures in cats may offer advantages compared to nonlocking plating.
Solving Differential-Algebraic Equation Systems: Alternative Index-2 and Index-1 Approaches for Constrained Mechanical Systems
Authors: Schweizer Bernhard , Li Pu
Published: August 2015

Regarding constrained mechanical systems, we are faced with index-3 differential-algebraic equation (DAE) systems. Direct discretization of the index-3 DAE systems only enforces the position constraints to be fulfilled at the integration-time points, but not the hidden constraints. In addition, order reduction effects are observed in the velocity variables and the Lagrange multipliers. In literature, different numerical techniques have been suggested to reduce the index of the system and to handle the numerical integration of constrained mechanical systems. This paper deals with an alternative concept, called collocated constraints approach. We present index-2 and index-1 formulations in combination with implicit Runge–Kutta methods. Compared with the direct discretization of the index-3 DAE system, the proposed method enforces also the constraints on velocity and—in case of the index-1 formulation—the constraints on acceleration level. The proposed method may very easily be implemented in standard Runge–Kutta solvers. Here, we only discuss mechanical systems. The presented approach can, however, also be applied for solving nonmechanical higher-index DAE systems.
A Simple Physically Based Phenomenological Model for the Strengthening/Softening Behavior of Nanotwinned Copper
Authors: Zhang X. , Romanov A. E. , Aifantis E. C.
Published: August 2015

A robust phenomenological model based on a modified size-dependent Voce-type constitutive equation is proposed to describe the dependence of strength on twin thickness, for nanotwinned copper (nt-Cu) polycrystals, in agreement with experiments and related atomistic simulations. A gradient plasticity argument is employed to determine the critical nanotwin thickness where the transition from Hall–Petch (HP) hardening to inverse Hall–Petch (IHP) softening occurs. Strain rate and temperature effects are also discussed. The proposed constitutive equation may be used for engineering design purposes by controlling the interplay between grain size and twin thickness.
A Novel Inexpensive Use of Smartphone Technology for Ecological Momentary Assessment in Middle-Aged Women
Authors: Ehlers Diane K. , Huberty Jennifer , Buman Matthew , Hooker Steven , Todd Michael , de Vreede Gert-Jan
Published: August 2015

Background:

Commercially available mobile and Internet technologies present a promising opportunity to feasibly conduct ecological momentary assessment (EMA). The purpose of this study was to describe a novel EMA protocol administered on middle-aged women’s smartphones via text messaging and mobile Internet.

Methods:

Women (N = 9; mean age = 46.2 ± 8.2 y) received 35 text message prompts to a mobile survey assessing activity, self-worth, and self-efficacy over 14 days. Prompts were scheduled and surveys were administered using commercial, Internet-based programs. Prompting was tailored to each woman’s daily wake/sleep schedule. Women concurrently wore a wrist-worn accelerometer. Feasibility was assessed via survey completion, accelerometer wear, participant feedback, and researcher notes.

Results:

Of 315 prompted surveys, 287 responses were valid (91.1%). Average completion time was 1.52 ± 1.03 minutes. One participant’s activity data were excluded due to accelerometer malfunction, resulting in complete data from 8 participants (n = 252 [80.0%] valid observations). Women reported the survey was easily and quickly read/completed. However, most thought the accelerometer was inconvenient.

Conclusions:

High completion rates and perceived usability suggest capitalizing on widely available technology and tailoring prompting schedules may optimize EMA in middle-aged women. However, researchers may need to carefully select objective monitors to maintain data validity while limiting participant burden.
Circuit-specific signaling in astrocyte-neuron networks in basal ganglia pathways
Authors: Martín R. , Bajo-Grañeras R. , Moratalla R. , Perea G. , Araque A.
Published: August 2015

Cell type–specific glial networks

Glial cells respond to neurotransmitters when nerve cells communicate with each other. Glial cells themselves release gliotransmitters that regulate neural synaptic transmission. Martín
et al.
studied this reciprocal relationship in a brain region called the dorsal striatum, which has two types of experimentally identifiable neurons and two types of synapses (see the Perspective by Gittis and Brasier). Subpopulations of glial cells selectively responded to the activity of one specific type of neuron. In turn, these specifically activated glial cells signaled only to the same type of neurons but not the other, indicating that glial-nerve signaling is largely cell-type specific.

Science
, this issue p.
730
; see also p.
690
The developmental dynamics of marmoset monkey vocal production
Authors: Takahashi D. Y. , Fenley A. R. , Teramoto Y. , Narayanan D. Z. , Borjon J. I. , Holmes P. , Ghazanfar A. A.
Published: August 2015

Marmosets learn to talk baby-talk

As human infants grow, their vocalizations change from cries, to babbles, to words. This pattern has been presumed to be absent from other primates. Indeed, the development of bird song is often regarded as a closer approximation of human language development. Takahashi
et al.
, however, observed that marmoset cries and calls in the first 2 months after birth mature in much the same way as they do in humans (see the Perspective by Margoliash and Tchernichovski). Calls changed as the infants' vocal structures grew and were influenced by feedback from their parents.

Science
, this issue p.
734
; see also p.
688
Layered deformation in the Taiwan orogen
Authors: Huang T.-Y. , Gung Y. , Kuo B.-Y. , Chiao L.-Y. , Chen Y.-N.
Published: August 2015

Lower crustal deformation takes a turn

Collisions creating mountain belts frequently involve a tectonic plate plunging into the mantle. Huang
et al.
connect the deformation of rock from the subducting plate to the surface topography in Taiwan (see the Perspective by Long). Subsurface deformation mapping required interpreting certain seismic wave velocities as they travel through the crust. The subsequent images of Taiwan's deep crust show two distinct layers of deformation. The bottom layer comprises the subducting slab, which is being pulled into the mantle. This mechanically couples with the upper layer of crust, compressing it into a mountain range.

Science
, this issue p.
720
; see also p.
687
The on-ramp to the all-optical quantum information processing highway
Authors: Rohde Peter P. , Dowling Jonathan P.
Published: August 2015

An optical waveguide circuit can be flexibly programmed with near-perfect fidelity

[Also see Research Article by

Carolan
et al.

]
A year of change
Gods of the Morning A Bird's-Eye View of a Changing World
John Lister-Kaye
Pegasus, 2015. 304 pp.
Authors: Kemp Christopher
Published: August 2015

A naturalist turns a reverent eye to the birds of the Scottish highlands
Has there been a hiatus?
Authors: Trenberth Kevin E.
Published: August 2015

Internal climate variability masks climate-warming trends
Astrocytes tell neurons when to listen up
Authors: Gittis Aryn H. , Brasier Daniel J.
Published: August 2015

Astrocytes ensure communication between neurons of the same circuit

[Also see Report by

Martín
et al.

]
An Echinococcus multilocularis Antigen B3 Proteoform That Shows Specific Antibody Responses to Active-Stage Alveolar Echinococcosis
Authors: Ahn Chun-Seob , Cai Huixia , Kim Jeong-Geun , Han Xiumin , Ma Xiao , Bae Young-An , Yang Hyun-Jong , Kang Insug , Wang Hu , Kong Yoon
Published: August 2015

Alveolar echinococcosis (AE), caused by the
Echinococcus multilocularis
metacestode, represents one of the most frequently fatal zoonoses. Early diagnosis significantly reduces morbidity and mortality associated with AE. Diagnosis of AE largely depends on a combination of imaging and serological tests due to its minimal clinical manifestations. Several antigens derived from the whole worm and protoscolex have been targeted for AE serodiagnosis, while the antigenic properties of
E. multilocularis
hydatid fluid (EmHF) are unclear. We observed two AE-specific 6- and 8-kDa antigen proteoforms through an immunoproteome array of the EmHF. We identified these proteins as representing an
E. multilocularis
antigen B3 (EmAgB3) isoform, and the proteins were shown to be encoded by the same gene. We cloned the gene and expressed the recombinant EmAgB3 protein (rEmAgB3) in
Escherichia coli
. rEmAgB3 exhibited sensitivity of 90.9% (80/88 cases) and specificity of 98.5% (597/606 samples) by immunoblotting. The positive and negative predictive values were 89.9% and 98.6%, respectively. The protein did not show antibody responses to 33 AE sera collected during posttreatment follow-up monitoring. Mouse sera experimentally infected with AE protoscoleces began to demonstrate specific antibody responses to native and recombinant EmAgB3 6 months after infection. At that stage, fully mature metacestode vesicles that harbored the brood capsule, primary cell, and protoscolex were observed within an AE mass(es). The response declined along with worm degeneration. Our results demonstrate that the immune responses to this EmAgB3 isoform were highly correlated with worm viability accompanied with AE progression. rEmAgB3 is a promising biomarker for serological assessment of AE patients.
Performance of the CLSI Carba NP and the Rosco Carb Screen Assays Using North American Carbapenemase-Producing Enterobacteriaceae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa Isolates
Authors: Gallagher Lauren C. , Roundtree Sylvester S. , Lancaster Diana P. , Rudin Susan D. , Bard Jennifer Dien , Roberts Amity L. , Marshall Steven H. , Bonomo Robert A. , Sullivan Kaede V.
Published: August 2015

This study compared the performance of the Carba NP assay, published by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute, and the Rosco Rapid Carb Screen kit. Carba NP had superior sensitivity, but both assays required an increased inoculum to detect carbapenemase production in isolates with
bla
NDM
,
bla
IMP
, and
bla
OXA-48
.
New Real-Time PCR Assays for Detection of Inducible and Acquired Clarithromycin Resistance in the Mycobacterium abscessus Group
Authors: Shallom Shamira J. , Moura Natalia S. , Olivier Kenneth N. , Sampaio Elizabeth P. , Holland Steven M. , Zelazny Adrian M.
Published: August 2015

Members of the
Mycobacterium abscessus
group (MAG) cause lung, soft tissue, and disseminated infections. The oral macrolides clarithromycin and azithromycin are commonly used for treatment. MAG can display clarithromycin resistance through the inducible
erm
(41) gene or via acquired mutations in the
rrl
(23S rRNA) gene. Strains harboring a truncation or a T28C substitution in
erm
(41) lose the inducible resistance trait. Phenotypic detection of clarithromycin resistance requires extended incubation (14 days), highlighting the need for faster methods to detect resistance. Two real-time PCR-based assays were developed to assess inducible and acquired clarithromycin resistance and tested on a total of 90 clinical and reference strains. A SYBR green assay was designed to distinguish between a full-length and truncated
erm
(41) gene by temperature shift in melting curve analysis. Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) allele discrimination assays were developed to distinguish T or C at position 28 of
erm
(41) and 23S rRNA
rrl
gene mutations at position 2058 and/or 2059. Truncated and full-size
erm
(41) genes were detected in 21/90 and 69/90 strains, respectively, with 64/69 displaying T at nucleotide position 28 and 5/69 containing C at that position. Fifteen isolates showed
rrl
mutations conferring clarithromycin resistance, including A2058G (11 isolates), A2058C (3 isolates), and A2059G (1 isolate). Targeted sequencing and phenotypic assessment of resistance concurred with molecular assay results. Interestingly, we also noted cooccurring strains harboring an active
erm
(41), inactive
erm
(41), and/or acquired mutational resistance, as well as slowly growing MAG strains and also strains displaying an inducible resistance phenotype within 5 days, long before the recommended 14-day extended incubation.
Intermonomer Interactions in Hemagglutinin Subunits HA1 and HA2 Affecting Hemagglutinin Stability and Influenza Virus Infectivity
Authors: Wang Wei , DeFeo Christopher J. , Alvarado-Facundo Esmeralda , Vassell Russell , Weiss Carol D.
Published: August 2015

Influenza virus hemagglutinin (HA) mediates virus entry by binding to cell surface receptors and fusing the viral and endosomal membranes following uptake by endocytosis. The acidic environment of endosomes triggers a large-scale conformational change in the transmembrane subunit of HA (HA2) involving a loop (B loop)-to-helix transition, which releases the fusion peptide at the HA2 N terminus from an interior pocket within the HA trimer. Subsequent insertion of the fusion peptide into the endosomal membrane initiates fusion. The acid stability of HA is influenced by residues in the fusion peptide, fusion peptide pocket, coiled-coil regions of HA2, and interactions between the surface (HA1) and HA2 subunits, but details are not fully understood and vary among strains. Current evidence suggests that the HA from the circulating pandemic 2009 H1N1 influenza A virus [A(H1N1)pdm09] is less stable than the HAs from other seasonal influenza virus strains. Here we show that residue 205 in HA1 and residue 399 in the B loop of HA2 (residue 72, HA2 numbering) in different monomers of the trimeric A(H1N1)pdm09 HA are involved in functionally important intermolecular interactions and that a conserved histidine in this pair helps regulate HA stability. An arginine-lysine pair at this location destabilizes HA at acidic pH and mediates fusion at a higher pH, while a glutamate-lysine pair enhances HA stability and requires a lower pH to induce fusion. Our findings identify key residues in HA1 and HA2 that interact to help regulate H1N1 HA stability and virus infectivity.

IMPORTANCE
Influenza virus hemagglutinin (HA) is the principal antigen in inactivated influenza vaccines and the target of protective antibodies. However, the influenza A virus HA is highly variable, necessitating frequent vaccine changes to match circulating strains. Sequence changes in HA affect not only antigenicity but also HA stability, which has important implications for vaccine production, as well as viral adaptation to hosts. HA from the pandemic 2009 H1N1 influenza A virus is less stable than other recent seasonal influenza virus HAs, but the molecular interactions that contribute to HA stability are not fully understood. Here we identify molecular interactions between specific residues in the surface and transmembrane subunits of HA that help regulate the HA conformational changes needed for HA stability and virus entry. These findings contribute to our understanding of the molecular mechanisms controlling HA function and antigen stability.
Propranolol Decreases Proliferation of Endothelial Cells Transformed by Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus and Induces Lytic Viral Gene Expression
Authors: McAllister Shane C. , Hanson Ryan S. , Manion Rory D.
Published: August 2015

Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) is common in Africa, but economic constraints hinder successful treatment in most patients. Propranolol, a generic β-adrenergic antagonist, decreased proliferation of KS-associated herpesvirus (KSHV)-infected cells. Downregulation of cyclin A2 and cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (CDK1) recapitulated this phenotype. Additionally, propranolol induced lytic gene expression in association with downregulation of CDK6. Thus, propranolol has diverse effects on KSHV-infected cells, and this generic drug has potential as a therapeutic agent for KS.
MicroRNA-Attenuated Clone of Virulent Semliki Forest Virus Overcomes Antiviral Type I Interferon in Resistant Mouse CT-2A Glioma
Authors: Martikainen Miika , Niittykoski Minna , von und zu Fraunberg Mikael , Immonen Arto , Koponen Susanna , van Geenen Maartje , Vähä-Koskela Markus , Ylösmäki Erkko , Jääskeläinen Juha E. , Saksela Kalle , Hinkkanen Ari
Published: August 2015

Glioblastoma is a terminal disease with no effective treatment currently available. Among the new therapy candidates are oncolytic viruses capable of selectively replicating in cancer cells, causing tumor lysis and inducing adaptive immune responses against the tumor. However, tumor antiviral responses, primarily mediated by type I interferon (IFN-I), remain a key problem that severely restricts viral replication and oncolysis. We show here that the Semliki Forest virus (SFV) strain SFV4, which causes lethal encephalitis in mice, is able to infect and replicate independent of the IFN-I defense in mouse glioblastoma cells and cell lines originating from primary human glioblastoma patient samples. The ability to tolerate IFN-I was retained in SFV4-miRT124 cells, a derivative cell line of strain SFV4 with a restricted capacity to replicate in neurons due to insertion of target sites for neuronal microRNA 124. The IFN-I tolerance was associated with the viral nsp3-nsp4 gene region and distinct from the genetic loci responsible for SFV neurovirulence. In contrast to the naturally attenuated strain SFV A7(74) and its derivatives, SFV4-miRT124 displayed increased oncolytic potency in CT-2A murine astrocytoma cells and in the human glioblastoma cell lines pretreated with IFN-I. Following a single intraperitoneal injection of SFV4-miRT124 into C57BL/6 mice bearing CT-2A orthotopic gliomas, the virus homed to the brain and was amplified in the tumor, resulting in significant tumor growth inhibition and improved survival.

IMPORTANCE
Although progress has been made in development of replicative oncolytic viruses, information regarding their overall therapeutic potency in a clinical setting is still lacking. This could be at least partially dependent on the IFN-I sensitivity of the viruses used. Here, we show that the conditionally replicating SFV4-miRT124 virus shares the IFN-I tolerance of the pathogenic wild-type SFV, thereby allowing efficient targeting of a glioma that is refractory to naturally attenuated therapy vector strains sensitive to IFN-I. This is the first evidence of orthotopic syngeneic mouse glioma eradication following peripheral alphavirus administration. Our findings indicate a clear benefit in harnessing the wild-type virus replicative potency in development of next-generation oncolytic alphaviruses.
Idiopathic septic arthritis of a lumbar facet joint associated with paraspinal abscess
Authors: Kitova-John Margarita Borislavova , Azim-Araghi Ali , Sheikh Faraz Tariq , Kitov Borislav Dimitrov
Published: August 2015

A 48-year-old woman presented with a 1-month history of severe lower back pain on a background of 24 h of mild fever and general tiredness with an associated right-sided foot drop. Five weeks after the onset and with no improvement in symptoms in spite of analgesia and physiotherapy, the patient had a lumbar spine MRI which demonstrated a collection extending from the facet joints of L5 and L6 to the iliacus muscle on the right. A CT-guided aspiration was performed with a lengthy hospital stay for intravenous antibiotic treatment. The culture and sensitivity study of the aspirate isolated Streptococcus pneumoniae.
Implementation of health risk assessments with family health history: barriers and benefits
Authors: Wu R Ryanne , Orlando Lori A
Published: August 2015

Health risk assessments provide an opportunity to emphasise health promotion and disease prevention for individuals and populations at large. A key component of health risk assessments is the detailed collection of family health history information. This information is helpful in determining risk both for common chronic conditions and more rare diseases as well. While the concept of health risk assessments has been around since the Framingham Heart Study was launched in the 1950s, and such assessments are commonly performed in the workplace today, the US healthcare system has been slow to embrace them and the emphasis on prevention that they represent. Before wider implementation of health risk assessments within healthcare can be seen, several concerns must be addressed: (1) provider impact, (2) patient impact, (3) validity of patient-entered data and (4) health outcomes effect. Here, we describe recent developments in health risk assessment design that are helping to address these issues.
Efficacy and safety of tabalumab, an anti-BAFF monoclonal antibody, in patients with moderate-to-severe rheumatoid arthritis and inadequate response to TNF inhibitors: results of a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 study
Authors: Schiff Michael , Combe Bernard , Dörner Thomas , Kremer Joel M , Huizinga Thomas W , Veenhuizen Melissa , Gill Anne , Komocsar Wendy , Berclaz Pierre-Yves , Ortmann Robert , Lee Chin
Published: August 2015

Background

Tabalumab is a human monoclonal antibody that neutralises B-cell activating factor.

Objectives

To evaluate tabalumab efficacy and safety in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods

This phase 3, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study evaluated 456 patients with active RA after 24-week treatment with subcutaneous tabalumab (120 mg every 4 weeks (120/Q4W) or 90 mg every 2 weeks (90/Q2W)) versus placebo, with loading doses (240 or 180 mg) at week 0. Patients were allowed background disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs and previously discontinued ≥1 tumour necrosis factor α inhibitors for lack of efficacy/intolerance. Primary end point was American College of Rheumatology 20% (ACR20) response at 24 weeks. This study was terminated early due to futility.

Results

Most patients had moderate-to-high baseline disease activity. There was no significant difference in week 24 ACR20 responses between 120/Q4W, 90/Q2W, and placebo (17.6%, 24.3%, 20%) per non-responder imputation analysis. Mean percent changes in CD20+ B-cell count (−10.8%, −9.6%, +10.9%) demonstrated expected pharmacodynamic effects. Treatment-emergent adverse events (AEs) were similar (59.5%, 51.7%, 52.6%), as were AE discontinuations (2.6%, 2.7%, 2.6%), serious AEs (4.6%, 4.1%, 3.9%), serious infectious events (1.3%, 0, 0) and events of interest: infections (23.5%, 25.9%, 24%), injection site reactions (13.1%, 25.8%, 11%) and allergy/hypersensitivity (3.9%, 4.1%, 3.9%) reports. Incidence of treatment-emergent antidrug antibodies was similar to placebo (3.9%, 4.8%, 3.9%). No deaths or new/unexpected safety findings were reported.

Conclusions

Tabalumab did not demonstrate clinical efficacy in patients with RA in this phase 3 study, despite evidence of biological activity. There were no notable differences in safety parameters between tabalumab treatment groups and placebo.

Trial registration number:

NCT01202773.
Dipolar clusters and ferroelectricity in high Tc superconductors
Authors: Kusmartsev F. V. , Saarela M.
Published: August 2015

In this paper, we show that doping of hole charge carriers induces formation of resonance plaquettes (RPs) having electric dipolar moments and fluctuating stripes in cuprates. A single RP is created by many-body interactions between the dopant ion or a charge fluctuation outside and holes inside the CuO plane. In such a process, Coulomb interacting holes in the CuO plane are self-organized into four-particles resonance valence bond plaquettes bound with dopants or polarons located in the spacer layer between CuO planes. Such RPs have ordered and disordered phases. They are ordered into charge density waves (CDW) or stripes only at certain conditions. The lowest energy of the ordered phase corresponds to a local antiferroelectric ordering. The RPs mobility is very low at low temperatures and they are bound into dipole–dipole pairs. Electromagnetic radiation interacts strongly with RPs electric dipoles and when the sample is subjected to it, the mobility changes significantly. This leads to a fractal growth of dipolar RP clusters. The existence of electric dipoles and CDW reveal a series of new phenomena such as ferroelectricity, strong light and microwave absorption and the field induced superconductivity.
Fractional-Order 2 × n RLC Circuit Network
Authors: Zhou Rui , Chen Diyi , Iu Herbert H. C.
Published: August 2015

This paper introduces new fundamentals of the 2 × n RLC circuit network in the fractional-order domain. First, we derive the three general formulae of the equivalent impedances of the circuit network by using the matrix transform methods and constructing the differential equation models in three different cases. Moreover, we systematically study the effects of the system parameters on the impedence characteristics in the three different cases. Specifically, the new phenomena and laws are presented by the results of the numerical simulations, which are impossible in the conventional cases. Finally, a comparative sensitivity analysis about the three cases with respect to the fractional orders for the fractional-order circuit network is carried out in detail. Mathematical analyses and numerical simulations are included to validate the study.
SPEEDING UP INNOVATION: BUILDING NETWORK STRUCTURES FOR PARALLEL INNOVATION
Authors: SØRENSEN FLEMMING , MATTSSON JAN
Published: August 2015

Minimisation of time-to-market strategies can provide companies with a competitive advantage in dynamic and competitive environments. Using parallel innovation processes has been emphasised as one strategy to speed up innovation processes and consequently minimise the time-to-market of innovations. Much innovation today takes place in open structures in which networks play an important role. However, little is known about how innovation networks can facilitate parallel innovation processes. This paper discusses how innovation network structures develop and support exploration and exploitation in parallel innovation processes and in this way sustain speedy innovation processes. A case study of an innovation network is carried out by analysing communication structures and the information contents of emails related to a particular innovation process. The analysis shows how certain characteristics of the network facilitate the parallel innovation process but also how such processes place new requirements on such networks and their management.
An application of intuitionistic fuzzy sets in medicine
Authors: Davvaz Bijan , Hassani Sadrabadi Elham
Published: August 2015

Intuitionistic fuzzy sets have many applications in different sciences. In this paper we verify one of the applications of intuitionistic fuzzy sets in medical diagnosis according to the ideas of Shannon et al., Wang and Xin, Grzregorzewski, Hung and Yang, and Yang and Chiclana. Actually by using the relationships between intuitionistic fuzzy sets and symptoms of patient we determine the kind of illness and finally we compare the methods.
Parameters and design optimization of the ring piezoelectric ceramic transformer
Authors: Erhart Jiří
Published: August 2015

Main aim of the presented paper is the theoretical analysis and experimental verification of the transformation parameters for the new type of nonhomogeneously poled ring transformer. The input part is poled in the thickness direction and output part in the radial direction. Two transformer geometries are studied — the input part is at inner ring segment, or it is at the outer ring segment. The optimum electrode size aspect ratios have been found experimentally as [Formula: see text] for the ring with aspect ratio [Formula: see text]. The fundamental as well as higher overtone resonances were studied for the transformation ratio, the optimum resistive load, efficiency and no-load transformation ratio. Higher overtones have better transformation parameters compared to the fundamental resonance. The new type ring transformer exhibits very high transformation ratios up to 200 under no-load and up to 13.4 under a high efficiency of 97% at the optimum load conditions of 10 [Formula: see text]. Strong electric field gradient at the output circuit is applicable for the electrical discharge generation.
Palaeomagnetic results from the fold and thrust belt of the Western Carpathians: an overview
Authors: Márton Emő , Grabowski Jacek , Tokarski Antek K. , Túnyi Igor
Published: August 2015

The Western Carpathians are separated into an Outer and Inner Carpathians (both comprising several nappe systems) by the extremely narrow and highly deformed Pieniny Klippen Belt. The main phase of deformation and thrusting took place during the Late Cretaceous in the Inner Carpathians, at the end of Cretaceous–Paleocene in the Pieniny Klippen Belt and in the Miocene in the Outer Carpathians. In this paper a large amount of palaeomagnetic results of different quality available from several nappe stacks and from overstep sequences were reviewed and interpreted in terms of tectonics. The data suggest that all three main units participated in two phases of anticlockwise rotation starting at 18.5 Ma, that is, the Outer Carpathian nappes in front of the already consolidated Alpine–Carpathian–Pannonian block became accreted to the block. Late Cretaceous nappe transport, Neogene uplift of ‘core mountains’ and possibly oroclinal bending of pre-Oligocene age can account for important differences in pre-Cenozoic palaeomagnetic declinations. Most of them exhibit less or no anticlockwise rotation suggested by the overstep sequences, implying pre-Cenozoic clockwise rotations of variable angles.