bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Riparian buffers in tropical agriculture: Scientific support, effectiveness and directions for policy
Authors: Luke Sarah H. , Slade Eleanor M. , Gray Claudia L. , Annammala Kogila V. , Drewer Julia , Williamson Joseph , Agama Agnes L. , Ationg Miklin , Mitchell Simon L. , Vairappan Charles S. , Struebig Matthew J.
Published: September 2018

There is a weak evidence base supporting the effective management of riparian ecosystems within tropical agriculture. Policies to protect riparian buffers—strips of non‐cultivated land alongside waterways—are vague and vary greatly between countries.

From a rapid evidence appraisal, we find that riparian buffers are beneficial to hydrology, water quality, biodiversity and some ecosystem functions in tropical landscapes. However, effects on connectivity, carbon storage and emissions reduction remain understudied. Riparian functions are mediated by buffer width and habitat quality, but explicit threshold recommendations are rare.

Policy implications. A one‐size fits all width criterion, commonly applied, will be insufficient to provide all riparian functions in all circumstances. Context‐specific guidelines for allocating, restoring and managing riparian buffers are necessary to minimise continued degradation of biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in tropical agriculture.
Practical considerations for operationalizing dynamic management tools
Authors: Welch Heather , Hazen Elliott L. , Bograd Steven J. , Jacox Michael G. , Brodie Stephanie , Robinson Dale , Scales Kylie L. , Dewitt Lynn , Lewison Rebecca
Published: September 2018

Dynamic management (DM) is a novel approach to spatial management that aligns scales of environmental variability, animal movement and human uses. While static approaches to spatial management rely on one‐time assessments of biological, environmental, economic, and/or social conditions, dynamic approaches repeatedly assess conditions to produce regularly updated management recommendations. Owing to this complexity, particularly regarding operational challenges, examples of applied DM are rare. To implement DM, scientific methodologies are operationalized into tools, i.e., self‐contained workflows that run automatically at a prescribed temporal frequency (e.g., daily, weekly, monthly).

Here we present a start‐to‐finish framework for operationalizing DM tools, consisting of four stages: Acquisition, Prediction, Dissemination, and Automation. We illustrate this operationalization framework using an applied DM tool as a case study.

Our DM tool operates in near real‐time and was designed to maximize target catch and minimize bycatch of non‐target and protected species in a US‐based commercial fishery. It is important to quantify the sensitivity of DM tools to missing data, because dissemination streams for observed (i.e., remotely sensed or directly sampled) data can experience delays or gaps. To address this issue, we perform a detailed example sensitivity analysis using our case study tool.

Synthesis and applications. Dynamic management (DM) tools are emerging as viable management solutions to accommodate the biological, environmental, economic, and social variability in our fundamentally dynamic world. Our four‐stage operationalization framework and case study can facilitate the implementation of DM tools for a wide array of resource and disturbance management objectives.
Best practices in co‐teaching mathematics with special needs students
Authors: Rexroat‐Frazier Nanna , Chamberlin Scott
Published: September 2018

Co‐teaching is an instructional teaching model that provides an opportunity for students to receive instruction in the least restrictive environment. An extensive literature review was completed in order to identify best practices and effective co‐teaching practices in mathematics classrooms. A clearly defined purpose for co‐teaching and selecting co‐teaching partners is a key to the success of co‐teaching. Also, student and teacher perceptions impact the implementation of co‐teaching. The effectiveness of co‐teaching is further impacted by co‐teaching practices, along with the use of effective mathematical teaching strategies. The balance of maintaining effective co‐teaching practices and mathematical teaching strategies is integral to the success of co‐teaching. The literature revealed a lack of a consistent definition of what effective co‐teachers are. Also, there is generally a lack of focus on student outcomes in co‐teaching research. Finally, there is minimal research on co‐teaching in mathematics.
Retinal oxygen saturation as a non‐invasive estimate for mixed venous oxygen saturation and cardiac output
Authors: Van Keer Karel , Van Keer Jan , Barbosa Breda João , Nassiri Vahid , Van Cleemput Johan , Abegão Pinto Luìs , Stalmans Ingeborg , Vandewalle Evelien
Published: October 2018

Purpose

To investigate the correlation between retinal vessel oxygen saturation and mixed venous oxygen saturation (SvO2‐mixed) and cardiac output (CO).

Methods

Retinal arterial (SaO2‐retinal) and venous (SvO2‐retinal) oxygen saturation were measured non‐invasively with dual‐wavelength retinal oximetry in subjects receiving invasive measurements of SvO2‐mixed and CO through right heart catheterization. Correlations were analysed using Spearman's rank correlation coefficients and linear regression models.

Results

Fourteen patients (median age 62.7 years, range: 21–77) were included in the analysis. When adjusted for age, SvO2‐retinal showed a positive correlation with SvO2‐mixed (β = 0.80, p = 0.003). Retinal arteriovenous oxygen saturation difference was significantly correlated with the inverse of CO (Spearman's ρ = 0.59, p = 0.026).

Conclusion

This pilot study provides proof of concept for the use of retinal oximetry as a non‐invasive tool to assess systemic cardiovascular function.
The emerging role of stimulator of interferons genes signaling in sepsis: Inflammation, autophagy, and cell death
Authors: Hu Qiongyuan , Knight Patrick H. , Ren Yanhan , Ren Huajian , Zheng Jiashuo , Wu Xiuwen , Ren Jianan , Sawyer Robert G.
Published: September 2018

Stimulator of interferons genes (STING) is an adaptor protein that plays a critical role in the secretion of type I interferons and pro‐inflammatory cytokines in response to cytosolic nucleic acid. Recent research indicates the involvement of the STING pathway in uncontrolled inflammation, sepsis, and shock. STING signaling is significantly up‐regulated in human sepsis, and STING agonists are suggested to contribute to the pathogenesis of sepsis and shock. Nevertheless, little is known about the consequences of activated STING‐mediated signaling during sepsis. It has been shown that aberrant activation of the STING‐dependent way can result in increased inflammation, type I interferons responses, and cell death (including apoptosis, necroptosis, and pyroptosis). In addition, autophagy modulation has been demonstrated to protect against multiple organs injuries in animal sepsis model. However, impaired autophagy may contribute to the aberrant activation of STING signaling, leading to uncontrolled inflammation and cell death. Here we present a comprehensive review of recent advances in the understanding of STING signaling, focusing on the regulatory mechanisms and the roles of this pathway in sepsis.
The sympathetic nervous system regulates skeletal muscle motor innervation and acetylcholine receptor stability
Authors: Rodrigues Anna C. Z. , Messi Maria L. , Wang Zhong‐Min , Abba Martin C. , Pereyra Andrea , Birbrair Alexander , Zhang Tan , O’Meara Meaghan , Kwan Ping , Lopez Elsa I. S. , Willis Monte S. , Mintz Akiva , Files D. Clark , Furdui Cristina , Oppenheim Ronald W. , Delbono Osvaldo
Published: September 2018

Aim

Symptoms of autonomic failure are frequently the presentation of advanced age and neurodegenerative diseases that impair adaptation to common physiologic stressors. The aim of this work was to examine the interaction between the sympathetic and motor nervous system, the involvement of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) in neuromuscular junction (NMJ) presynaptic motor function, the stability of postsynaptic molecular organization, and the skeletal muscle composition and function.

Methods

Since muscle weakness is a symptom of diseases characterized by autonomic dysfunction, we studied the impact of regional sympathetic ablation on muscle motor innervation by using transcriptome analysis, retrograde tracing of the sympathetic outflow to the skeletal muscle, confocal and electron microscopy, NMJ transmission by electrophysiological methods, protein analysis, and state of the art microsurgical techniques, in C57BL6, MuRF1KO and Thy‐1 mice.

Results

We found that the SNS regulates motor nerve synaptic vesicle release, skeletal muscle transcriptome, muscle force generated by motor nerve activity, axonal neurofilament phosphorylation, myelin thickness, and myofibre subtype composition and CSA. The SNS also modulates the levels of postsynaptic membrane acetylcholine receptor by regulating the Gαi2‐Hdac4‐Myogenin‐MuRF1pathway, which is prevented by the overexpression of the guanine nucleotide‐binding protein Gαi2 (Q205L), a constitutively active mutant G protein subunit.

Conclusion

The SNS regulates NMJ transmission, maintains optimal Gαi2 expression, and prevents any increase in Hdac4, myogenin, MuRF1, and miR‐206. SNS ablation leads to upregulation of MuRF1, muscle atrophy, and downregulation of postsynaptic AChR. Our findings are relevant to clinical conditions characterized by progressive decline of sympathetic innervation, such as neurodegenerative diseases and aging.
Ratios of specific IgG4 over IgE antibodies do not improve prediction of peanut allergy nor of its severity compared to specific IgE alone
Authors: Datema Mareen R. , Eller Esben , Zwinderman Aeilko H. , Poulsen Lars K. , Versteeg Serge A. , van Ree Ronald , Bindslev‐Jensen Carsten
Published: September 2018

Background

IgG4 antibodies have been suggested to play a protective role in the translation of peanut sensitization into peanut allergy. Whether they have added value as diagnostic read‐out has not yet been reported.

Objective

To evaluate whether (a) peanut‐specific IgG, IgG4 and/or IgA antibodies are associated with tolerance and/or less severe reactions and (b) they can improve IgE‐based diagnostic tests.

Methods

Sera of 137 patients with challenge‐proven peanut allergy and of 25 subjects that tolerated peanut, both with known IgE profiles to peanut extract and five individual peanut allergens, were analyzed for specific IgG and IgG4. Antibody levels and ratios thereof were associated with challenge outcome including symptom severity grades. For comparison of the discriminative performance, receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis was used.

Results

IgE against Ara h 2 was significantly higher in allergic than in tolerant patients and associated with severity of reactions (P < 0.001) with substantial diagnostic capability (AUC 0.91, 95%CI 0.87‐0.96 and 0.80, 95%CI 0.73‐0.87, respectively). IgG and IgG4 were also positively associated albeit significantly weaker (AUCs from 0.65 to 0.72). On the other hand, ratios of IgG and IgG4 over IgE were greater in patients that were tolerant or had mild symptoms as compared to severe patients but they did not predict challenge outcomes better than IgE alone (AUCs from 0.54 to 0.89).

Conclusion

IgE against Ara h 2 is the best biomarker for predicting peanut challenge outcomes including severity and IgG and IgG4 antibody ratios over IgE do not improve these outcomes.
Chronic pain after rectal cancer surgery – development and validation of a scoring system
Authors: Mortensen A. R. , Thyø A. , Emmertsen K. J. , Laurberg S.
Published: September 2018

Aim

The aim was to develop and validate a scoring system for the assessment of chronic pain on quality of life (QoL) following surgical treatment of rectal cancer (RC).

Method

Patients diagnosed with RC between 2001 and 2014 in Denmark were evaluated for inclusion. Eligible patients were mailed questionnaires concerning pain and QoL. Questionnaire items were associated with QoL by odds ratio using regression analyses. The patients were randomized into a development group and a validation group. The most significant items were each assigned a score value based on multivariate‐adjusted odds ratio. Validity was tested in the validation group using receiver operating characteristic curves and European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire – Core 30 (EORTC QLQ‐30).

Results

A total of 1928 eligible patients completed the questionnaire; 1072 were randomized to the development group and 856 to the validation group. The calculated scores included the six most important questionnaire items giving a score range of 0–45 which identified three groups: no significant pain, minor pain syndrome and major pain syndrome. Our results suggest a significant correlation between QoL assessment and the presence of major pain.

Conclusion

We have developed and validated a reliable, QoL‐based scoring system for chronic post‐surgical pain following RC.
Self‐completion method of endoscopic submucosal dissection using a novel endo‐knife in an ex vivo porcine model
Authors: Esaki Mitsuru , Suzuki Sho , Gotoda Takuji
Published: September 2018

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Viewpoint: Developing drugs for levodopa‐induced dyskinesia in PD: Lessons learnt, what does the future hold?
Authors: Fox Susan H. , Brotchie Jonathan M.
Published: September 2018

The drive to develop drugs to treat PD starts and ends with the patient. Herein, we discuss how the experience with drug development for LID has led the field in translational studies in PD with advancing ground‐breaking science via rigorous clinical trial design, to deliver clinical proof‐of‐concepts across multiple therapeutic targets. However, issues remain in advancing drugs efficacious preclinically to the clinic, and future studies need to learn from past successes and failures. Such lessons include implementing better early indicators of tolerability, for instance evaluating non‐motor symptoms in preclinical models; improving patient‐related outcome measures in clinical trials, as well as considering the unique nature of dyskinesia in an individual patient. The field of translational studies needs to become more patient focused to improve successful outcomes.
Midfrontal theta transcranial alternating current stimulation modulates behavioural adjustment after error execution
Authors: Fusco Gabriele , Scandola Michele , Feurra Matteo , Pavone Enea F. , Rossi Simone , Aglioti Salvatore M.
Published: September 2018

Cognitive control during conflict monitoring, error processing, and post‐error adjustment appear to be associated with the occurrence of midfrontal theta (MFϴ). While this association is supported by correlational EEG studies, much less is known about the possible causal link between MFϴ and error and conflict processing. In the present study, we aimed to explore the role of band‐specific effects in modulating the error system during a conflict resolution. In turn, we delivered transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) at different frequency bands (delta δ, theta θ, alpha α, beta β, gamma γ) and sham stimulation over the medial frontal cortex (MFC) in 36 healthy participants performing a modified version of the Flanker task. Task performance and reports about the sensations (e.g. visual flickering, cutaneous burning) induced by the different frequency bands, were also recorded. We found that online θ‐tACS increased the response speed to congruent stimuli after error execution with respect to sham stimulation. Importantly, the accuracy following the errors did not decrease because of speed‐accuracy trade off. Moreover, tACS evoked visual and somatosensory sensations were significantly stronger at α‐tACS and β‐tACS compared to other frequencies. Our findings suggest that theta activity plays a causative role in modulating behavioural adjustments during perceptual choices in a stimulus‐response conflict task.
The Linked Clinical Trials initiative (LCT) for Parkinson's disease
Authors: Brundin Patrik , Wyse Richard K.
Published: September 2018

The Linked Clinical Trials (LCT) initiative is a drug repurposing programme specifically aimed at identifying drugs that can slow the progression of Parkinson's disease (PD). Tom Isaacs was one of the key people behind the idea of LCT in 2011. He ensured it became a priority of The Cure Parkinson's Trust (CPT), a philanthropic funding body based in the UK which Tom had co‐founded 7 years earlier. During the latter 6 years of his life, Tom Isaacs was heavily involved in the LCT initiative and held the programme dear to his heart. This article describes the genesis of LCT and how the LCT scientific committee evaluates candidate drugs. From 2012, this committee has met annually to prioritise drugs suitable for repurposing in PD. This article does not catalogue every clinical trial within the LCT programme, but describes the 10 clinical trials that emerged either directly, or as an offspring from discussions, at the first meeting of the LCT scientific committee. Some, but not all, are funded by CPT, and all 10 trials are now either completed or ongoing. These trials use drugs developed to address one of the four therapeutic targets: glucagon‐like peptide 1 receptor, iron, and c‐abl tyrosine kinase. We conclude the LCT programme has already sparked a large number of promising clinical trials aimed at slowing PD progression. In doing so, it is a major legacy of Tom Isaacs, carrying the torch he once lit and conveying a sense of urgency for new and life‐transforming therapies for people with PD.
Aging and the clock: Perspective from flies to humans
Authors: De Nobrega Aliza K. , Lyons Lisa C.
Published: September 2018

Endogenous circadian oscillators regulate molecular, cellular and physiological rhythms, synchronizing tissues and organ function to coordinate activity and metabolism with environmental cycles. The technological nature of modern society with round‐the‐clock work schedules and heavy reliance on personal electronics has precipitated a striking increase in the incidence of circadian and sleep disorders. Circadian dysfunction contributes to an increased risk for many diseases and appears to have adverse effects on aging and longevity in animal models. From invertebrate organisms to humans, the function and synchronization of the circadian system weakens with age aggravating the age‐related disorders and pathologies. In this review, we highlight the impacts of circadian dysfunction on aging and longevity and the reciprocal effects of aging on circadian function with examples from Drosophila to humans underscoring the highly conserved nature of these interactions. Additionally, we review the potential for using reinforcement of the circadian system to promote healthy aging and mitigate age‐related pathologies. Advancements in medicine and public health have significantly increased human life span in the past century. With the demographics of countries worldwide shifting to an older population, there is a critical need to understand the factors that shape healthy aging. Drosophila melanogaster, as a model for aging and circadian interactions, has the capacity to facilitate the rapid advancement of research in this area and provide mechanistic insights for targeted investigations in mammals.
Recurring circadian disruption alters circadian clock sensitivity to resetting
Authors: Leise Tanya L. , Goldberg Ariella , Michael John , Montoya Grace , Solow Sabrina , Molyneux Penny , Vetrivelan Ramalingam , Harrington Mary E.
Published: September 2018

A single phase advance of the light:dark (LD) cycle can temporarily disrupt synchrony of neural circadian rhythms within the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) and between the SCN and peripheral tissues. Compounding this, modern life can involve repeated disruptive light conditions. To model chronic disruption to the circadian system, we exposed male mice to more than a month of a 20‐hr light cycle (LD10:10), which mice typically cannot entrain to. Control animals were housed under LD12:12. We measured locomotor activity and body temperature rhythms in vivo, and rhythms of PER2::LUC bioluminescence in SCN and peripheral tissues ex vivo. Unexpectedly, we discovered strong effects of the time of dissection on circadian phase of PER2::LUC bioluminescent rhythms, which varied across tissues. White adipose tissue was strongly reset by dissection, while thymus phase appeared independent of dissection timing. Prior light exposure impacted the SCN, resulting in strong resetting of SCN phase by dissection for mice housed under LD10:10, and weak phase shifts by time of dissection in SCN from control LD12:12 mice. These findings suggest that exposure to circadian disruption may desynchronize SCN neurons, increasing network sensitivity to perturbations. We propose that tissues with a weakened circadian network, such as the SCN under disruptive light conditions, or with little to no coupling, for example, some peripheral tissues, will show increased resetting effects. In particular, exposure to light at inconsistent circadian times on a recurring weekly basis disrupts circadian rhythms and alters sensitivity of the SCN neural pacemaker to dissection time.
The unlikely partnership between LRRK2 and α‐synuclein in Parkinson's disease
Authors: Cresto Noémie , Gardier Camille , Gubinelli Francesco , Gaillard Marie‐Claude , Liot Géraldine , West Andrew B. , Brouillet Emmanuel
Published: September 2018

Our understanding of the mechanisms underlying Parkinson's disease, the once archetypical nongenetic neurogenerative disorder, has dramatically increased with the identification of α‐synuclein and LRRK2 pathogenic mutations. While α‐synuclein protein composes the aggregates that can spread through much of the brain in disease, LRRK2 encodes a multidomain dual‐enzyme distinct from any other protein linked to neurodegeneration. In this review, we discuss emergent datasets from multiple model systems that suggest these unlikely partners do interact in important ways in disease, both within cells that express both LRRK2 and α‐synuclein as well as through more indirect pathways that might involve neuroinflammation. Although the link between LRRK2 and disease can be understood in part through LRRK2 kinase activity (phosphotransferase activity), α‐synuclein toxicity is multilayered and plausibly interacts with LRRK2 kinase activity in several ways. We discuss common protein interactors like 14‐3‐3s that may regulate α‐synuclein and LRRK2 in disease. Finally, we examine cellular pathways and outcomes common to both mutant α‐synuclein expression and LRRK2 activity and points of intersection. Understanding the interplay between these two unlikely partners in disease may provide new therapeutic avenues for PD.
Factors affecting the likelihood of pregnancy and embryonic loss after transfer of cryopreserved in vitro produced equine embryos
Authors: Claes A. , Cuervo‐Arango J. , van den Broek J. , Galli C. , Colleoni S. , Lazzari G. , Deelen C. , Beitsma M. , Stout T. A.
Published: September 2018

Background

In vitro embryo production (IVEP) is increasingly popular but data assessing the outcome of transferred embryos are scarce.

Objectives

To determine the likelihood of pregnancy and embryonic loss after transfer of frozen‐thawed IVP embryos and identify factors influencing success.

Study design

Retrospective clinical study.

Methods

Blastocysts (n = 261) were produced from immature oocytes of Warmblood mares (n = 116) by Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) and in vitro culture, and cryopreserved. Thawed IVP embryos were transferred into recipient mares on day 4, 5 or 6 after ovulation. The influence of donor mare (age, reproductive history), recipient mare (age, reproductive status, management; in‐house vs. outpatient, day post‐ovulation), embryo (interval from ICSI to blastocyst formation) and management factors (season when ovum pickup was performed, year and method of transfer) on likelihood of pregnancy and embryonic loss was examined, and the developmental stage of the IVP embryo at the time of transfer was estimated.

Results

The percentage of mares pregnant 7–10, 23 and 37 days after transfer was 56% (147/261), 49% (129/261), and 48% (124/261), respectively. Development of IVP embryos after transfer equated to day 5 or 6 in vivo embryos. With the exception of year of transfer, none of the factors had an impact on the likelihood of pregnancy or embryonic loss. Nevertheless, the likelihood of pregnancy tended to be lower for IVP embryos from infertile mares or when embryos were transferred into recipient mares on day 6 after ovulation rather than on day 4 or 5. Finally, the diameter of the embryonic vesicle 7 days post transfer was lower for pregnancies that were lost compared to those that were maintained.

Main limitations

Small sample size in some of the donor and recipient mare categories.

Conclusions

Cryopreserved IVP embryos should be transferred into recipient mares on day 4 or 5 after ovulation and a slower rate of post transfer vesicle expansion indicates a higher risk of subsequent embryonic loss

The Summary is available in Portuguese ‐ see Supporting Information
Crystal structure of yeast xylose reductase in complex with a novel NADP‐DTT adduct provides insights into substrate recognition and catalysis
Authors: Paidimuddala Bhaskar , Mohapatra Samar B. , Gummadi Sathyanarayana N. , Manoj Narayanan
Published: September 2018

Aldose reductases (ARs) belonging to the aldo‐keto reductase (AKR) superfamily catalyze the conversion of carbonyl substrates into their respective alcohols. Here we report the crystal structures of the yeast Debaryomyces nepalensis xylose reductase (DnXR, AKR2B10) in the apo form and as a ternary complex with a novel NADP‐DTT adduct. Xylose reductase, a key enzyme in the conversion of xylose to xylitol, has several industrial applications. The enzyme displayed the highest catalytic efficiency for l‐threose (138 ± 7 mm−1·s−1) followed by d‐erythrose (30 ± 3 mm−1·s−1). The crystal structure of the complex reveals a covalent linkage between the C4N atom of the nicotinamide ring of the cosubstrate and the S1 sulfur atom of DTT and provides the first structural evidence for a protein mediated NADP–low‐molecular‐mass thiol adduct. We hypothesize that the formation of the adduct is facilitated by an in‐crystallo Michael addition of the DTT thiolate to the specific conformation of bound NADPH in the active site of DnXR. The interactions between DTT, a four‐carbon sugar alcohol analog, and the enzyme are representative of a near‐cognate product ternary complex and provide significant insights into the structural basis of aldose binding and specificity and the catalytic mechanism of ARs.

Database

Structural data are available in the PDB under the accession numbers 5ZCI and 5ZCM.
Off‐Mount Calibration and One New Potential Pyrrhotite Reference Material for Sulfur Isotope Measurement by Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry
Authors: Li Rucao , Xia Xiaoping , Yang Shenghong , Chen Huayong , Yang Qing
Published: September 2018

Sulfur isotope measurements in three sulfide (two pyrite and one pyrrhotite) samples on two epoxy mounts showed that the mount‐to‐mount variation of raw δ34S values was negligible when secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) analytical settings remained stable. In consequence, an off‐mount calibration procedure for SIMS sulfur isotope analysis was applied in this study. YP136 is a pyrrhotite sample collected from northern Finland. Examination of thin sections with a polarising microscope, backscattered electron image analyses and wavelength dispersive spectrometry mapping showed that the sample grains display no internal growth or other zoning. A total of 318 sulfur isotope (spot) measurements conducted on more than 100 randomly selected grains yielded highly consistent sulfur isotope ratios. The repeatability of all the analytical results of 34S/32S was 0.3‰ (2s, n = 318), which is the same as that of the well‐characterised pyrite reference materials PPP‐1 and UWPy‐1. Its δ34S value determined by gas mass spectrometry was 1.5 ± 0.1‰ (2s, n = 11), which agrees with the SIMS data (1.5 ± 0.3‰, 2s) calibrated by pyrrhotite reference material Po‐10. Therefore, YP136 pyrrhotite is considered a candidate reference material for in situ sulfur isotope determination.
Experimental investigation of mechanical, thermal, and ablation performance of ZrO2/SiC modified C‐Ph composites
Authors: Subha Sivakumar , Singh Dalbir , Venkatanarayanan Pappakudi Srinivasan , Kavitha Narayanan
Published: September 2018

In this study, an effort has been made to improve the mechanical, thermal, and ablation performance of carbon‐phenolic (C‐Ph) composites. The ZrO2, SiC, and ZrO2/SiC hybrid fillers were synthesized using sol‐gel method followed by individual incorporation into C‐Ph composites. The thermal stability and flexural strength of these C‐Ph composites were analyzed using thermogravimetry analysis and three‐point bending test, respectively. A significant improvement in the flexural strength and modulus of the reinforced C‐Ph composites was observed and also exhibited the higher thermal stability. The oxyacetylene flame test was conducted to measure the ablation behavior of these filler reinforced C‐Ph composites under a heat flux of 4.0 MW/m2 for 60 seconds. ZrO2/SiC0.5 reinforcement in the C‐Ph composite decreased the linear and mass ablation rates by 46% and 22%, respectively when compared with pure C‐Ph composite. The surface morphology analysis revealed that the burnt composite covered with the ZrC ceramic phase and SiO2 bubble‐like structure, which could have improved the ablation resistance of composites. These results were found well within the acceptable range when using the surface energy dispersive spectroscopy and X‐ray diffraction analysis.
Aligned continuous cylindrical pores derived from electrospun polymer fibers in titanium diboride
Authors: Hicks David Cyprian , Zhou Zhengping , Liu Guoliang , Tallon Carolina
Published: September 2018

The use of electrospun polystyrene (PS) fibers to create continuous long range ordered multi‐scale porous structures in titanium diboride (TiB2) is investigated in this work. The introduction of electrospunPSfibers as a sacrificial filler into a colloidal suspension of TiB2allows for easy control over the pore size, porosity, and long range ordering of the porous structures of the sintered ceramics. Green bodies were formed by vacuum infiltrating an electrospun‐fiber‐filled mold with the colloidal TiB2suspension. The size, volume, distribution, and dispersion of the pores were optimized by carefully selecting the sacrificial polymer, the fiber diameter, the solvent, and the solid content of TiB2. The green bodies were partially sintered at 2000°C to form a multi‐scale porous structureviathe removal of thePSfibers. Aligned continuous cylindrical pores homogeneously distributed across the samples were derived from thePSfibers in a range of ~5‐20 μm and partial sintering produced inter‐particle porosity with sizes of ~0.3‐1 μm. TiB2near‐net‐shaped parts with the multi‐scale porosities (~50‐70%) were successfully cast and sintered. This low‐cost processing technique can be used in the production of thermally and mechanically anisotropic structures into near‐net shape parts, for extreme environment applications, such as high temperature insulation.
Survival analysis and development of a prognostic nomogram for bone‐metastatic prostate cancer patients: A single‐center experience in Indonesia
Authors: Afriansyah Andika , Hamid Agus Rizal AH , Mochtar Chaidir A , Umbas Rainy
Published: September 2018

Objectives

To analyze predictive clinical factors of survival in bone‐metastatic prostate cancer, and to develop a prognostic nomogram for patients with this condition.

Methods

The present study included 392 patients with bone‐metastatic prostate cancer treated with androgen deprivation therapy. Pretreatment parameters were analyzed using the Cox proportional hazards model to identify the predictors of overall survival. Covariates – which showed statistical significance on multivariate analysis – were used to develop a nomogram. A linear predictor model was utilized to develop the nomogram.

Results

The median overall survival was 40.3 months (95% confidence interval 32.2–48.5). Univariate analysis showed that clinical T stage, Gleason score, initial prostate‐specific antigen value and the number of metastatic lesions were independent prognostic factors for overall survival. These predictors remained significant as independent prognostic factors for overall survival after analysis using the multivariate Cox regression model. The nomogram constructed from those prognostic factors showed good discrimination for predicting the 5‐year overall survival, with an area under the curve of 0.69. Acceptable agreement of the observed and predicted probabilities was observed in the calibration plot.

Conclusions

The present prognostic nomogram might be a useful tool for predicting overall survival in pretreatment bone‐metastatic prostate cancer, specifically among Indonesian patients. Further studies are required to provide external validation to support the utilization of this nomogram.
Chemical interaction of D9 alloy clad with B4C in liquid sodium: Studies employing XPS, XRD, and SEM
Authors: Chandran Kannan , Clinsha Pollayil Claxton , Lavanya Mani , Anthonysamy Savari , Gnanasekar Kovilpillai Immanuvel
Published: September 2018

A cell representing typical control rod subassembly of the prototype fast breeder reactor is designed to probe the liquid sodium‐mediated chemical interaction of boron carbide (B4C) control rod with the D9 alloy clad. The cell was equilibrated at 973 K for 5000 hours with liquid sodium in the annular gap. XRD shows the formation of Cr3C2 and Fe2B along with oxides of Ni, Cr, and Fe. XPS studies reveal the diffusion of boron and carbon up to a depth of about 160 and 120 μm, respectively. A boron‐rich region is observed up to a depth of about 40 μm which consists of B3+ arising from oxides and a nearly constant elemental boron region, extending up to a depth of 160 μm. The highly reacted zone extends up to a depth of about 40 μm consisting of oxides of most of the elements of D9 clad exhibiting a higher valence states. As the cell is helium leak tested, oxygen out gassed from B4C at 973 K played a major role in chemical oxidation of the constituents of the D9 alloy which can be minimized by using high‐density B4C.
The histone deacetylase inhibitor nicotinamide exacerbates neurodegeneration in the lactacystin rat model of Parkinson's disease
Authors: Harrison Ian F. , Powell Nicholas M. , Dexter David T.
Published: September 2018

Histone hypoacetylation is associated with dopaminergic neurodegeneration in Parkinson's disease (PD), because of an imbalance in the activities of the enzymes responsible for histone (de)acetylation. Correction of this imbalance, with histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibiting agents, could be neuroprotective. We therefore hypothesize that nicotinamide, being a selective inhibitor of HDAC class III as well as having modulatory effects on mitochondrial energy metabolism, would be neuroprotective in the lactacystin rat model of PD, which recapitulates the formation of neurotoxic accumulation of altered proteins within the substantia nigra to cause progressive dopaminergic cell death. Rats received nicotinamide for 28 days, starting 7 days after unilateral injection of the irreversible proteasome inhibitor, lactacystin, into the substantia nigra. Longitudinal motor behavioural testing and structural magnetic resonance imaging were used to track changes in this model of PD, and assessment of nigrostriatal integrity, histone acetylation and brain gene expression changes post‐mortem used to quantify nicotinamide‐induced neuroprotection. Counterintuitively, nicotinamide dose‐dependently exacerbated neurodegeneration of dopaminergic neurons, behavioural deficits and structural brain changes in the lactacystin‐lesioned rat. Nicotinamide treatment induced histone hyperacetylation and over‐expression of numerous neurotrophic and anti‐apoptotic factors in the brain, yet failed to result in neuroprotection, rather exacerbated dopaminergic pathology. These findings highlight the importance of inhibitor specificity within HDAC isoforms for therapeutic efficacy in PD, demonstrating the contrasting effects of HDAC class III inhibition upon cell survival in this animal model of the disease.

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The crosstalk between glycosphingolipids and neural stem cells
Authors: Bottai Daniele , Adami Raffaella , Ghidoni Riccardo
Published: September 2018

Until a few years ago, the majority of cell functions were envisioned as the result of protein and DNA activity. The cell membranes were considered as a mere structure of support and/or separation. In the last years, the function of cell membranes has, however, received more attention and their components of lipid nature have also been depicted as important cell mediators and the membrane organization was described as an important determinant for membrane‐anchored proteins activity. In particular, because of their high diversity, glycosphingolipids offer a wide possibility of regulation. Specifically, the role of glycosphingolipids, in the fine‐tuning of neuron activity, has recently received deep attention. For their pivotal role in vertebrate and mammals neural development, neural stem cells regulation is of main interest especially concerning their further functions in neurological pathology progression and treatment. Glycosphingolipids expression present a developmental regulation. In this view, glycosphingolipids can hold an important role in neural stem cells features because of their heterogeneity and their consequent capacity for eclectic interaction with other cell components.

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JQ1 and PI3K inhibition synergistically reduce salivary adenoid cystic carcinoma malignancy by targeting the c‐Myc and EGFR signaling pathways
Authors: Liu Xiaojing , Wu Haitao , Huang Ping , Zhang Fenghe
Published: September 2018

Background

To investigate the therapeutic mechanism of the BRD4 inhibitor JQ1 in SACC‐83 cells and explore strategies to enhance its therapeutic potential.

Material and Methods

SACC‐83 cells were used in the experiment. Immunohistochemistry was used to assess BRD4 expression in SACC tissues and corresponding adjacent non‐tumor tissues. Cell viability and proliferation were evaluated using the Cell Counting Kit‐8 assay. Flow cytometry was used to quantitate apoptosis. Levels of cleaved caspase‐3, BRD4, c‐Myc, pEGFR (γ‐1173), and EGFR were determined by quantitative real‐time PCR and Western blot. To study the role of EGFR in JQ1 resistance, we generated EGFR knockdown SACC‐83 cells by siRNA transfection.

Results

Our study revealed that BRD4 was overexpressed and could be a treatment target in SACC. The BRD4 inhibitor JQ1 markedly inhibited c‐Myc expression in SACC‐83 cells, which produced modest therapeutic effects. Nevertheless, the EGFR pathway was strongly activated following JQ1 treatment, which led to JQ1 resistance. Combined JQ1 and PI3K inhibitor treatment effectively increased the therapeutic potential by inhibiting the EGFR and c‐Myc signaling pathways in SACC‐83 cells. Moreover, EGFR knockdown sensitized SACC‐83 cells to JQ1.

Conclusion

These data demonstrate that EGFR and c‐Myc signaling synergistically drive SACC progression. The JQ1 and PI3K inhibitor combination exhibited a strong synergistic effect by suppressing c‐Myc and EGFR in SACC‐83 cells, identifying a novel rational combinatorial treatment. Moreover, EGFR expression influences the sensitivity of SACC‐83 cells to JQ1, which is useful for planning treatment.
Introduction to Focus Issue on Laudato Si'
Authors: Jenkins Willis
Published: September 2018

The encyclical Laudato si’ can be read as a religious ethic in several different ways. Contributors to this focus issue read it as magisterial teaching, as environmental thought, as Global South criticism, as Latinx theology, and as philosophy of religion. Foregrounding South American and Latinx receptions, the cumulative argument of this focus issue is that LS represents a cultural event that invites interpretations from contexts and disciplines beyond North Atlantic theological ethics.
Laudato Si’: Care for Creation at the Center of a New Social Issue
Authors: Blanco Pablo A.
Published: September 2018

This essay reviews the documents of the pontifical magisterium of the Church from the encyclical Mater et magistra () to the exhortation Evangelii gaudium (2013), in order to show the Church’s historical commitment to the defense of the environment. It then argues that Laudato si’ elevates the theological status of the environmental crisis to that of a new social issue, much as Leo XIII did for the industrial crisis with his encyclical letter Rerum novarum ().
“Our Sister, Mother Earth”: Solidarity and Familial Ecology in Laudato Si’
Authors: Flores Nichole M.
Published: September 2018

Laudato si’, with its articulation of a familial ecology reflecting Francis’s Latin American context, expands the subject of solidarity in Catholic social teaching and thought. Yet, this ecological vision of family fails to attend to the problem of gender subordination latent in Catholic social teaching, including in its approaches to ecology. A vision of solidarity that eradicates gender and ecological subordination must elaborate a familial ecology characterized by both mercy and equality.
Let Black People Be: A Plea for Racial Specificity in the Afterlife of Africanized Slavery
Authors: Grimes Katie
Published: September 2018

This article introduces a new term, “anti‐blackness supremacy,” in order to supplement existing theological discourse about the ethical life of racism. To a much greater extent than the terms “racism, ” “white privilege” or even “white supremacy,” this term also better positions scholars to address what I identify as the two most pressing problems in anti‐racist discourse: first, the inability to diagnose the relation between classism and racism without reducing one into the other; and second, the tendency to treat racism as a monolithic evil that falls upon all people of color equally and in the same way. The former error has distorted political discourse for decades; the latter misconception intensifies as the United States undergoes demographic shifts in the wake of immigration from Asia, Latin America, and Africa. Both of these errors arise from a pervasive misunderstanding of the slave regime that has set our current racial system in motion. In truth, slavery primarily represents not a mechanism of profit extraction, but a relation of a unique type of power. The term “anti‐blackness supremacy,” I contend, corrects both of these misperceptions, affirming both the singularity of black oppression and its fundamental connection to enslaving power. In so doing, it enables ethicists to disarm an older racial foe while thwarting the ascension of a newer one.
Assessing the Augustinian Democrats
Authors: Tran Jonathan
Published: September 2018

In this essay I argue that Christian political participation as envisioned by those I term “Augustinian democrats”—a group of Protestant ethicists following a path cleared by Jeffrey Stout’s 2004Democracy and Tradition—is founded upon an elegantly rendered political ontology, but leaves incomplete a description of the practical task and place of the church. My contention is that this incompletely developed practical task is not accidental to the manner in which these Augustinians complete the speculative, ontological task. The completion of the speculative task combined with the incompletion of the practical task, I conclude, nevertheless results in a hybrid and especially interesting picture of personhood that points to an understanding of Protestantism as the attempt to recover human individuality within Christianity.
Religion and Civic Purpose in Sophocles'sPhiloctetes
Authors: Herbel Jerry
Published: September 2018

Why should citizens participate in civic endeavors they oppose? In thePhiloctetes, Sophocles dramatizes the actions of three interlocutors who struggle for answers to an intractable personal and political conflict amid an existential civic crisis. The characters try several methods to resolve the impasse, specifically deceit, sympathy and appeals to duty. Ultimately, civic religion succeeds in creating unity where other methods of resolution fail. The civic religion framework in thePhiloctetescan be seen as Sophocles's statement that resolution of the most extreme political conflicts can be obtained through a combination of piety and reason that respects foundational civic doctrines transcending politics. In this way, civic religion serves to unify political communities divided by self‐interest, intolerance, and desire for revenge while preserving self‐determination and the dignity of free will.
Circulating markers of gut barrier function associated with disease severity in primary sclerosing cholangitis
Authors: Dhillon Amandeep K. , Kummen Martin , Trøseid Marius , Åkra Sissel , Liaskou Evaggelia , Moum Bjørn , Vesterhus Mette , Karlsen Tom H. , Seljeflot Ingebjørg , Hov Johannes R.
Published: September 2018

Background & Aims

One important hypothesis in primary sclerosing cholangitis pathophysiology suggests that bacterial products from an inflamed leaky gut lead to biliary inflammation. We aimed to investigate whether circulating markers of bacterial translocation were associated with survival in a Norwegian primary sclerosing cholangitis cohort.

Methods

Serum levels of zonulin, intestinal fatty acid binding protein, soluble CD14, lipopolysaccharide and lipopolysaccharide‐binding protein were measured in 166 primary sclerosing cholangitis patients and 100 healthy controls.

Results

Lipopolysaccharide‐binding protein and soluble CD14 were elevated in primary sclerosing cholangitis compared with healthy controls (median 13 662 vs 12 339 ng/mL, P = 0.010 and 1657 vs 1196 ng/mL, P < 0.001, respectively). High soluble CD14 and lipopolysaccharide‐binding protein (values >optimal cut‐off using receiver operating characteristics) were associated with reduced liver transplantation–free survival (P < 0.001 and P = 0.005, respectively). The concentration of soluble CD14 was higher in patients with hepatobiliary cancer compared to other primary sclerosing cholangitis patients and healthy controls. Zonulin was lower in primary sclerosing cholangitis than controls, but when excluding primary sclerosing cholangitis patients with increased prothrombin time zonulin concentrations were similar in primary sclerosing cholangitis and healthy controls. Concomitant inflammatory bowel disease did not influence the results, while inflammatory bowel disease patients without primary sclerosing cholangitis (n = 40) had lower concentration of soluble CD14. In multivariable Cox regression, high soluble CD14 and high lipopolysaccharide‐binding protein were associated with transplantation‐free survival, independent from Mayo risk score (HR: 2.26 [95% CI: 1.15‐4.43], P = 0.018 and HR: 2.00 [95% CI: 1.17‐3.43], P = 0.011, respectively).

Conclusions

Primary sclerosing cholangitis patients show increased levels of circulating markers of bacterial translocation. High levels are associated with poor prognosis measured by transplantation‐free survival, indicating that ongoing gut leakage could have clinical impact in primary sclerosing cholangitis.