bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Global transcriptome analysis provides new insights in Thellungiella salsuginea stress response
Authors: Zhang Y. , Shi S. H. , Li F. L. , Zhao C. Z. , Li A. Q. , Hou L. , Xia H. , Wang B. S. , Baltazar J. L. , Wang X. J. , Zhao S. Z.
Published: May 2019

Thellungiella salsuginea is highly tolerant to abiotic stress, while its a close relative Arabidopsis thaliana is sensitive to stress. This characteristic makes T. salsuginea an excellent model for uncovering the mechanisms of abiotic stress tolerance. Abscisic acid (ABA) plays essential roles in plant abiotic and biotic stress tolerance.

To test the changes in gene expression of T. salsuginea under ABA treatment, in this study, the transcriptomes of T. salsuginea roots and leaves were compared in response to exogenously application of ABA.

The results showed that ABA treatment caused different expression of 2,200 and 3,305 genes in leaves and roots, respectively, compared with the untreated control. In particular, genes encoding transcription factors such as WRKY, MYB, NAC, GATA, ethylene‐responsive factors (ERFs), heat stress transcription factors, basic helix‐loop‐helix, PLATZ and B3 domain‐containing family members were enriched. In addition, 49 and 114 differentially expressed genes were identified as ABA‐regulated genes, separately in leaves and roots, respectively, which were related to biotic and abiotic stresses. The expression levels of some genes were validated by qRT‐PCR. Different responses of genes to ABA treatment were discovered in T. salsuginea and A. thaliana.

This transcriptome analysis expands our understanding of the role of ABA in stress tolerance in T. salsuginea. Our study provides a wealth of information for improving stress tolerance in crop plants.
A practical guide to measuring functional indicators and traits in biocrusts
Authors: Mallen‐Cooper Max , Bowker Matthew A. , Antoninka Anita J. , Eldridge David J.
Published: May 2019

Biocrusts are multifunctional communities that are increasingly being used to restore degraded or damaged ecosystems. Concurrently, restoration science is shifting away from the use of purely structural metrics, such as relative abundance, to more functional approaches. Although biocrust restoration technology is advancing, there is a lack of readily available information on how to monitor biocrust functioning and set appropriate restoration goals. We therefore compiled a selection of 22 functional indicators that can be used to monitor biocrust functions, such as CO2 exchange as an indicator of productivity or soil aggregate stability as a proxy for erosion resistance. We describe the functional importance of each indicator and the available protocols with which it may be measured. The majority of indicators can be measured as a functional trait of species by using patches of biocrust or cultures that contain only one species. Practitioners wishing to track the multifunctionality of an entire biocrust community would be advised to choose one indicator from each broad functional group (erosion resistance, nutrient accumulation, productivity, energy balance, hydrology), whereas a targeted approach would be more appropriate for projects with a key function of interest. Because predisturbance data are rarely available for biocrust functions, restoration goals can be based on a closely analogous site, literature values, or an expert elicitation process. Finally, we advocate for the establishment of a global trait database for biocrusts, which would reduce the damage resulting from repeated sampling, and provide a wealth of future research opportunities.
Student‐Athletes Performing Community Service: Examination of Community Service Motivation and Athletic Department Involvement
Authors: Huml Matt R. , Hancock Meg G. , Bergman Mathew J. , Hums Mary A.
Published: May 2019

Objective

For this study, we seek to examine how student‐athletes’ community service is influenced by (a) their university's athletic department and (b) student‐athlete demographics. This was examined from the theoretical lens of student involvement theory (SIT).

Methods

Data were collected from active student‐athletes at National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I, II, and III institutions via an electronic survey, which collected information on community service frequency, motivations to volunteer, and athletic department involvement.

Results

Student‐athletes were found to perform more community service during their upperclassmen years, if they had performed community service as punishment previously in college, and if they independently chose their community service activity instead of the athletic department.

Conclusions

These findings highlight both confirmation and rejection of SIT. First, results confirm SIT's belief that students will pursue more academically related activities if they choose the activity (i.e., choosing community service venue). Contrarily, findings related to punishment reject the tenets of SIT, highlighting that athletic departments forcing of student‐athletes to participate in an activity may be beneficial for their academic development.
How do hedgerows influence soil organic carbon stock in livestock‐grazed pasture?
Authors: Ford Hilary , Healey John R. , Webb Bid , Pagella Tim F. , Smith Andrew R.
Published: May 2019

Hedgerows have the potential to influence ecosystem function in livestock‐grazed pasture. Despite this, they are often ignored when quantifying farmland ecosystem service delivery. In this study, we assess the contribution of hedgerows to the ecosystem function of carbon (C) storage, with a particular emphasis on soil organic carbon (SOC). We measured SOC stock (kg C m−2), on an equivalent soil mass basis, at 0–0.15 m depth in pasture adjacent to 38 hedgerows (biotic) and 16 stone walls or fences (abiotic controls) across ten farms in the county of Conwy, Wales, UK. Pasture SOC stock (~7 kg C m−2) was similar adjacent to biotic and abiotic field boundaries, positively associated with soil moisture and negatively with soil bulk density (BD). For biotic boundaries, two further variables were significantly associated with SOC stock, distance from hedgerow (decrease in SOC stock) and slope orientation (upslope SOC stock greater than downslope). For pasture adjacent to hedgerows, a model combining the aforementioned variables (BD, soil moisture, distance from hedgerow, slope orientation) explained 78% of variation in SOC stock. This study demonstrates that whilst hedgerows do have subtle positive effects on SOC stock in adjacent pasture, SOC storage adjacent to field boundaries is influenced more by soil moisture content and BD than field boundary type.
Phylogenomic analysis suggests Coreidae and Alydidae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera) are not monophyletic
Authors: Forthman Michael , Miller Christine W. , Kimball Rebecca T.
Published: May 2019

Next‐generation sequencing technologies (NGS) allow systematists to amass a wealth of genomic data from non‐model species for phylogenetic resolution at various temporal scales. However, phylogenetic inference for many lineages dominated by non‐model species has not yet benefited from NGS, which can complement Sanger sequencing studies. One such lineage, whose phylogenetic relationships remain uncertain, is the diverse, agriculturally important and charismatic Coreoidea (Hemiptera: Heteroptera). Given the lack of consensus on higher‐level relationships and the importance of a robust phylogeny for evolutionary hypothesis testing, we use a large data set comprised of hundreds of ultraconserved element (UCE) loci to infer the phylogeny of Coreoidea (excluding Stenocephalidae and Hyocephalidae), with emphasis on the families Coreidae and Alydidae. We generated three data sets by including alignments that contained loci sampled for at least 50%, 60%, or 70% of the total taxa, and inferred phylogeny using maximum likelihood and summary coalescent methods. Twenty‐six external morphological features used in relatively comprehensive phylogenetic analyses of coreoids were also re‐evaluated within our molecular phylogenetic framework. We recovered 439–970 loci per species (16%–36% of loci targeted) and combined this with previously generated UCE data for 12 taxa. All data sets, regardless of analytical approach, yielded topologically similar and strongly supported trees, with the exception of outgroup relationships and the position of Hydarinae. We recovered a monophyletic Coreoidea, with Rhopalidae highly supported as the sister group to Alydidae + Coreidae. Neither Alydidae nor Coreidae were monophyletic; the coreid subfamilies Hydarinae and Pseudophloeinae were recovered as more closely related to Alydidae than to other coreid subfamilies. Coreinae were paraphyletic with respect to Meropachyinae. Most morphological traits were homoplastic with several clades defined by few, if any, synapomorphies. Our results demonstrate the utility of phylogenomic approaches in generating robust hypotheses for taxa with long‐standing phylogenetic problems and highlight that novel insights may come from such approaches.
Listening benefits in speech-in-speech recognition are altered under reverberant conditions
Authors: Viswanathan Navin , Kokkinakis Kostas
Published: May 2019

In speech-in-speech recognition, listeners' performance improves when spatial and linguistic properties of background and target speech differ. However, it is unclear if these benefits interact or whether they persist under reverberant conditions typical of indoor listening. To address these issues, these benefits were tested together in the presence and absence of reverberation. Results demonstrate that, in the anechoic condition, both spatial and linguistic benefits are obtained but they do not constrain each other. Under reverberation, only the spatial benefit was obtained. This demonstrates the critical need to consider reverberation effects in order to fully characterize the challenges of speech-in-speech listening.
Rheological behavior of magnetic colloids in the borderline between ferrofluids and magnetorheological fluids
Authors: Shahrivar Keshvad , Morillas Jose R. , Luengo Yurena , Gavilan Helena , Morales Puerto , Bierwisch Claas , de Vicente Juan
Published: May 2019

Magnetic colloids were formulated by dispersion of magnetic oxide spheres in water. Their rheological behavior was investigated for a wide range of particle diameters covering in detail the magnetic single-multidomain transition and therefore spanning the gap between ferrofluids and conventional magnetorheological fluids. The magnetoviscous effect (i.e., the ratio between the viscosity increment under field and the viscosity value in the absence of field) was found to reach a maximum for a critical particle size in the single-multidomain transition region. The observations were explained in terms of magnetization changes with particle size. The results obtained are applicable to any magnetic material (not only iron oxides) and therefore constitute a new route to enhance the magnetorheological effect. For very small particle sizes (in the superparamagnetic region), thermal motion plays a crucial role and the dimensionless viscosity scales with the Peclet number as expected for Brownian Hard Spheres. For larger particle sizes and λ>1, the dimensionless viscosity scales with the Mason number and closely follows the structural viscosity model under the mean magnetization approximation.
Emerging
erm
(B)-Mediated Macrolide Resistance Associated with Novel Multidrug Resistance Genomic Islands in
Campylobacter
Authors: Liu Dejun , Liu Weiwen , Lv Ziquan , Xia Junjie , Li Xing , Hao Yuxin , Zhou Ying , Yao Hong , Liu Zhihai , Wang Yang , Shen Jianzhong , Ke Yuebin , Shen Zhangqi
Published: May 2019

The rapid dissemination of the macrolide resistance gene
erm
(B) will likely compromise the efficacy of macrolides as the treatment of choice for campylobacteriosis. More importantly,
erm
(B) is always associated with several multidrug resistance genomic islands (MDRGIs), which confer resistance to multiple other antimicrobials.
Complex Microbial Communities Drive Iron and Sulfur Cycling in Arctic Fjord Sediments
Authors: Buongiorno J. , Herbert L. C. , Wehrmann L. M. , Michaud A. B. , Laufer K. , Røy H. , Jørgensen B. B. , Szynkiewicz A. , Faiia A. , Yeager K. M. , Schindler K. , Lloyd K. G.
Published: May 2019

Glacial runoff is a key source of iron for primary production in the Arctic. In the fjords of the Svalbard archipelago, glacial retreat is predicted to stimulate phytoplankton blooms that were previously restricted to outer margins. Decreased sediment delivery and enhanced primary production have been hypothesized to alter sediment biogeochemistry, wherein any free reduced iron that could potentially be delivered to the shelf will instead become buried with sulfide generated through microbial sulfate reduction. We support this hypothesis with sequencing data that showed increases in the relative abundance of sulfate reducing taxa and sulfate reduction rates with increasing distance from the glaciers in Van Keulenfjorden, Svalbard. Community structure was driven by organic geochemistry, suggesting that enhanced input of organic material will stimulate sulfate reduction in interior fjord sediments as glaciers continue to recede.
Modeling Pneumonic Plague in Human Precision-Cut Lung Slices Highlights a Role for the Plasminogen Activator Protease in Facilitating Type 3 Secretion
Authors: Banerjee Srijon K. , Huckuntod Samantha D. , Mills Shalynn D. , Kurten Richard C. , Pechous Roger D.
Published: May 2019

Pneumonic plague is the deadliest form of disease caused by
Yersinia pestis
. Key to the progression of infection is the activity of the plasminogen activator protease Pla. Deletion of Pla results in a decreased
Y. pestis
bacterial burden in the lung and failure to progress into the lethal proinflammatory phase of disease. While a number of putative functions have been attributed to Pla, its precise role in the pathogenesis of pneumonic plague is yet to be defined.
CRISPR Genome Editing Systems in the Genus
Clostridium
: a Timely Advancement
Authors: McAllister Kathleen N. , Sorg Joseph A.
Published: May 2019

The genus
Clostridium
is composed of bioproducers, which are important for the industrial production of chemicals, as well as pathogens, which are a significant burden to the patients and on the health care industry. Historically, even though these bacteria are well known and are commonly studied, the genetic technologies to advance our understanding of these microbes have lagged behind other systems. New tools would continue the advancement of our understanding of clostridial physiology.
Surface Plasmon Resonance Reveals Direct Binding of Herpes Simplex Virus Glycoproteins gH/gL to gD and Locates a gH/gL Binding Site on gD
Authors: Cairns Tina M. , Ditto Noah T. , Atanasiu Doina , Lou Huan , Brooks Benjamin D. , Saw Wan Ting , Eisenberg Roselyn J. , Cohen Gary H.
Published: May 2019

HSV entry is a multistep process that requires the actions of four glycoproteins, gD, gH/gL, and gB. Our current model predicts that gD must interact with both its receptor and gH/gL to promote viral entry. Although we know a great deal about how gD binds its receptors, until now we have been unable to demonstrate a direct interaction between gD and gH/gL. Here, we used a highly sensitive surface plasmon resonance technique to clearly demonstrate that gD and gH/gL interact. Furthermore, using multiple MAbs with defined epitopes, we have delineated a domain on gD that is independent of that used for receptor binding and which likely represents the gH/gL interaction domain. Targeting this interaction to prevent fusion may enhance both therapeutic and vaccine strategies.
Differential Effects of Influenza Virus NA, HA Head, and HA Stalk Antibodies on Peripheral Blood Leukocyte Gene Expression during Human Infection
Authors: Walters Kathie-Anne , Zhu Ruoqing , Welge Michael , Scherler Kelsey , Park Jae-Keun , Rahil Zainab , Wang Hao , Auvil Loretta , Bushell Colleen , Lee Min Young , Baxter David , Bristol Tyler , Rosas Luz Angela , Cervantes-Medina Adriana , Czajkowski Lindsay , Han Alison , Memoli Matthew J. , Taubenberger Jeffery K. , Kash John C.
Published: May 2019

Influenza A viruses are significant human pathogens that caused 83,000 deaths in the United States during 2017 to 2018, and there is need to understand the molecular correlates of illness and to identify prognostic markers of viral infection, symptom severity, and disease course. Preexisting antibodies against viral neuraminidase (NA) and hemagglutinin (HA) proteins play a critical role in lessening disease severity. We performed global gene expression profiling of peripheral blood leukocytes collected during acute and convalescent phases from a large cohort of people infected with A/H1N1pdm virus. Using statistical and machine-learning approaches, populations of genes were identified early in infection that correlated with active viral shedding, predicted length of shedding, or disease severity. Finally, these gene expression responses were differentially affected by increased levels of preexisting influenza antibodies, which could mask detection of these markers of contagiousness and disease severity in people with active clinical disease.
Comparative Genomics of Cyanobacterial Symbionts Reveals Distinct, Specialized Metabolism in TropicalDysideidaeSponges
Authors: Schorn Michelle A. , Jordan Peter A. , Podell Sheila , Blanton Jessica M. , Agarwal Vinayak , Biggs Jason S. , Allen Eric E. , Moore Bradley S.
Published: May 2019

Natural products provide the inspiration for most clinical drugs. With the rise in antibiotic resistance, it is imperative to discover new sources of chemical diversity. Bacteria living in symbiosis with marine invertebrates have emerged as an untapped source of natural chemistry. While symbiotic bacteria are often recalcitrant to growth in the lab, advances in metagenomic sequencing and assembly now make it possible to access their genetic blueprint. A cell enrichment procedure, combined with a hybrid sequencing and assembly approach, enabled detailed genomic analysis of uncultivated cyanobacterial symbiont populations in two chemically rich tropical marine sponges. These population genomes reveal a wealth of secondary metabolism potential as well as possible reasons for historical difficulties in their cultivation.
CRISPR-Cas9 Screening of Kaposi’s Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus-Transformed Cells Identifies XPO1 as a Vulnerable Target of Cancer Cells
Authors: Gruffaz Marion , Yuan Hongfeng , Meng Wen , Liu Hui , Bae Sangsu , Kim Jin-Soo , Lu Chun , Huang Yufei , Gao Shou-Jiang
Published: May 2019

Using a model of oncogenic virus KSHV-driven cellular transformation of primary cells, we have performed a genome-wide CRISPR-Cas9 screening to identify vulnerable genes of cancer cells. This screening is unique in that this virus-induced oncogenesis model does not depend on any cellular genetic alterations and has matched primary and KSHV-transformed cells, which are not available for similar screenings in other types of cancer. We have identified genes that are both growth promoting and growth suppressive in primary and transformed cells, some of which could represent novel proto-oncogenes and tumor suppressors. In particular, we have demonstrated that the exportin XPO1 is a critical factor for the survival of transformed cells. Using a XPO1 inhibitor (KPT-8602) and siRNA-mediated knockdown, we have confirmed the essential role of XPO1 in cell proliferation and in growth transformation of KSHV-transformed cells, as well as of gastric and liver cancer cells. XPO1 inhibition induces cell cycle arrest by activating p53, but the mechanisms of p53 activation differed among different types of cancer cells. p53 activation is dependent on the formation of PML nuclear bodies in gastric and liver cancer cells. Mechanistically, XPO1 inhibition induces relocalization of autophagy adaptor protein p62 (SQSTM1), recruiting p53 for activation in PML nuclear bodies. These results illustrate that XPO1 is a vulnerable target of cancer cells and reveal a novel mechanism for blocking cancer cell proliferation by XPO1 inhibition as well as a novel PML- and p62-mediated mechanism of p53 activation in some types of cancer cells.
Selection, Succession, and Stabilization of Soil Microbial Consortia
Authors: Zegeye Elias K. , Brislawn Colin J. , Farris Yuliya , Fansler Sarah J. , Hofmockel Kirsten S. , Jansson Janet K. , Wright Aaron T. , Graham Emily B. , Naylor Dan , McClure Ryan S. , Bernstein Hans C.
Published: May 2019

The soil microbiome carries out important ecosystem functions, but interactions between soil microbial communities have been difficult to study due to the high microbial diversity and complexity of the soil habitat. In this study, we successfully obtained stable consortia with reduced complexity that contained species found in the original source soil. These consortia and the methods used to obtain them can be a valuable resource for exploration of specific mechanisms underlying soil microbial community ecology. The results of this study also provide new experimental context to better inform how soil microbial communities are shaped by new environments and how a combination of initial taxonomic structure and physical environment influences stability.
Natural Products and Synthetic Biology: Where We Are and Where We Need To Go
Authors: Kunakom Sylvia , Eustáquio Alessandra S.
Published: May 2019

The biosynthetic talent of microorganisms has been harnessed for drug discovery for almost a century. Microbial metabolites not only account for the majority of antibiotics available today, but have also led to anticancer, immunosuppressant, and cholesterol-lowering drugs.
Social-Stress-Responsive Microbiota Induces Stimulation of Self-Reactive Effector T Helper Cells
Authors: Werbner Michal , Barsheshet Yiftah , Werbner Nir , Zigdon Mor , Averbuch Itamar , Ziv Oren , Brant Boris , Elliott Evan , Gelberg Shachaf , Titelbaum Moran , Koren Omry , Avni Orly
Published: May 2019

How do stressful life events increase the risk for autoimmune disorders? Here we show that chronic social stress in mice promotes the expression of virulent genes in the gut microbiota and alters the microbial translocation into the mesenteric lymph nodes. Our results also suggest that the consequent immune response to the stress-affected microbiota may endanger the tolerance for self. The presence of specific translocated bacteria and the immune response in the mesenteric lymph nodes can be diminished using an inhibitor of the bacterial communication system without drastically affecting the gut microbial composition as antibiotics do.
Needs must: living donor liver transplantation from an HIV-positive mother to her HIV-negative child in Johannesburg, South Africa
Authors: Etheredge Harriet Rosanne , Fabian June , Duncan Mary , Conradie Francesca , Tiemessen Caroline , Botha Jean
Published: May 2019

The world’s first living donor liver transplant from an HIV-positive mother to her HIV-negative child, performed by our team in Johannesburg, South Africa (SA) in 2017, was necessitated by disease profile and health system challenges. In our country, we have a major shortage of donor organs, which compels us to consider innovative solutions to save lives. Simultaneously, the transition of the HIV pandemic, from a death sentence to a chronic illness with excellent survival on treatment required us to rethink our policies regarding HIV infection and living donor liver transplantation . Although HIV infection in the donor is internationally considered an absolute contraindication for transplant to an HIV-negative recipient, there have been a very small number of unintentional transplants from HIV-positive deceased donors to HIV-negative recipients. These transplant recipients do well on antiretroviral medication and their graft survival is not compromised. We have had a number of HIV-positive parents in our setting express a desire to be living liver donors for their critically ill children. Declining these parents as living donors has become increasingly unjustifiable given the very small deceased donor pool in SA; and because many of these parents are virally suppressed and would otherwise fulfil our eligibility criteria as living donors. This paper discusses the evolution of HIV and transplantation in SA, highlights some of the primary ethical considerations for us when embarking on this case and considers the new ethical issues that have arisen since we undertook this transplant.
Surgical team: improving teamwork, a review
Authors: Kumar Hemant , Morad Raimand , Sonsati Manish
Published: May 2019

Teams within surgery have been through countless cycles of refinement with an ever-increasing list of surgical team members. This results in a more dispersed team, making effective teamwork harder to achieve. Furthermore, the ad hoc nature of surgical teams means that team familiarity is not always given. The impact of this is seen across the field, with inadequacies leading to disastrous outcomes. This is a review of research that has been done into the topic of surgical teams. It will investigate barriers and consider the evidence available on how to improve the current system. Studies show an increased effectiveness of surgical teams with structures that allowed consistency in team members. The research advocates that advancements made in improving teamwork and efficiency can prove to be a low-cost but high-yield strategy for development. This can be in terms of simulated training, staff turnover management and fixed team allocation.
Rationale and design of Patient-centered Retrospective Observation of Guideline-Recommended Execution for Stroke Sufferers in China: China PROGRESS
Authors: Li Zixiao , Wang Chunjuan , Jiang Yong , Zhang Xinmiao , Xian Ying , Liu Liping , Zhao Xingquan , Gu Hongqiu , Meng Xia , Li Hao , Wang Yilong , Wang Yongjun
Published: May 2019

Background

In 2009, China launched ambitious healthcare reform plans to provide affordable and equitable basic healthcare for all patients, including the substantial number of patients who had a stroke. However, little is known about the pattern of evidence-based stroke care and outcomes across hospitals, regions and time during the last decade.

Aims

The Patient-centered Retrospective Observation of Guideline-Recommended Execution for Stroke Sufferers in China (China PROGRESS) Study aims to use findings from a representative sample of Chinese hospitals over the last decade to improve future stroke care for patients hospitalised with ischaemic stroke (IS) or transient ischaemic attack (TIA).

Design

The China PROGRESS Study will use a two-stage cluster sampling method to identify over 32000 patient records from 208 hospitals across the Eastern, Central and Western geographical regions in China. To assess the temporal trends in patient characteristics, treatment and outcomes, study investigators will select records from 2005, 2010 and 2015. A double data reading/entry system will be developed to conduct this assessment. A central coordinating centre will monitor case ascertainment, data abstraction and data management. Analyses will examine patient characteristics, testing patterns, in-hospital treatment and outcomes, and variations across regions and across time.

Conclusions

The China PROGRESS Study is the first nationally representative study that aims to better understand care quality and outcomes for patients with IS or TIA before and after the national healthcare reform in China. This initiative will translate findings into clinical practices that improve care quality for patients who had a stroke and policy recommendations that allow these changes to be implemented widely.

Ethics approval

This study has also been approved by the central institutional review board (IRB) at Beijing Tiantan Hospital.
Use of computed tomography in the diagnosis of caecal inversion in a dog and a cat
Authors: Phipps William Bertram , Mortier Jeremy Raphael , Booth Malcolm , Rossanese Matteo
Published: May 2019

Case 1: A nine‐month‐old entire male beagle presented with a history of chronic diarrhoea, intermittent haematochezia and rectal prolapse. An exploratory laparotomy performed prior to presentation reported visualisation of a suspected caecocolic intussusception. Physical examination revealed a non‐painful, mid‐abdominal mass and laboratory findings were consistent with non‐specific gastrointestinal disease. Abdominal CT identified intraluminal inversion of the caecum into the ascending colon. Intraoperatively, the inversion was unreducible and a colotomy followed by stapled typhlectomy was performed.

Case 2: An eight‐year‐old neutered male domestic shorthair presented with a history of chronic haematochezia and intermittent partial rectal prolapse. Physical examination and laboratory findings were unremarkable. Abdominal CT revealed a caecal inversion. A midline coeliotomy followed by manual correction of the inversion and a stapled typhlectomy were performed.

In both animals, CT allowed an accurate diagnosis and appropriate management of caecal inversion, a rarely reported small animal large intestinal disease.
Preventive effects of l-glutamine on gestational fructose-induced cardiac hypertrophy: involvement of pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase-4
Authors: Olaniyi Kehinde Samuel , Olatunji Lawrence Aderemi
Published: May 2019

Gestational fructose exposure has detrimental health consequences on both the maternal and fetus or offspring in the early or later life, contributing to epidemic rise in cardiometabolic syndrome including cardiac events. l-Glutamine has been shown to mitigate cardiac metabolic stress. However, the effect of l-glutamine on cardiac hypertrophy induced by gestational fructose exposure is not known. We therefore hypothesized that l-glutamine would prevent gestational fructose-induced cardiac hypertrophy, possibly by suppression of pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase-4 (PDK-4). Pregnant Wistar rats were allotted into the control, l-glutamine, gestational fructose exposure, and gestational fructose exposure plus l-glutamine groups (6 rats in each group). The groups received distilled water (vehicle, per os), 1 g/kg body weight l-glutamine (per os), 10% fructose (w/v) and 10% fructose (w/v) plus 1 g/kg l-glutamine (per os), respectively, daily for 19 days. Data from this study showed that gestational fructose-enriched drink caused cardiac hypertrophy with correspondent body weight gain, glucose dysregulation, increased cardiac PDK-4, triglyceride, glycogen, lactate, and uric acid production. On the other hand, defective glutathione-dependent antioxidant barrier was also observed in pregnant rats taking fructose-enriched drink. However, the gestational fructose-induced cardiac hypertrophy and its correlates were attenuated by l-glutamine. The present results demonstrate that gestational fructose-enriched drink induces cardiac hypertrophy that is accompanied by increased PDK-4. The findings also suggest that the inhibitory effect of l-glutamine on PDK-4 prevents the development of cardiac hypertrophy, thereby implying that PDK-4 may be a potential novel therapeutic intervention for cardiac hypertrophy especially in pregnancy.
Do Parental Absence and Children’s Gender Affect Early Childhood Investment? Evidence from Rural Thailand
Authors: ĐINH NGỌC TÚ T. , KILENTHONG WEERACHART T.
Published: May 2019

This paper studies how parental absence and children’s gender affect early childhood investment using a new dataset from rural Thailand. We found that relative to boys, girls received more time but less material investment. Relative to children with at least one parent present, children with absent parents received significantly less material investment; however, time investment was not significantly different between the two groups. Based on an economic model of early childhood investment, these results suggest that relative to material investment, time investment is more important for girls than for boys, and for households with absent parents than for households with at least one parent present. The estimation of the elasticity of substitution between time and material investments suggests that both types of investments are surprisingly complementary.
A Digital-Based Ultra-Low-Voltage Pseudo-Differential CMOS Schmitt Trigger
Authors: Bastan Yasin , Amiri Parviz
Published: May 2019

A digital-based Pseudo-differential Schmitt trigger is proposed in this paper which is suitable for ultra-low voltages and pure digital integrated circuit technologies. The proposed Schmitt trigger is implemented according to the design procedure of an analog Schmitt trigger and only using digital CMOS inverters. It is composed of a differential comparator consisting of two CMOS inverters and a cross-coupled inverter pair positive feedback which has simultaneously two outputs of noninverting and inverting. The proposed circuit is the only digital Schmitt trigger which operates in differential mode and its hysteresis center can be changed by the input voltage. Implementing the circuit in digital-based allows the proposed Schmitt trigger to operate in 0.4[Formula: see text]V ultra-low-voltage. Principle operation of the proposed circuit is discussed theoretically and using formulas and its performance is verified by simulation in TSMC 0.18[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]m CMOS process. The proposed circuit occupies only [Formula: see text][Formula: see text][Formula: see text]m2 chip area due to the very low number of transistors. The hysteresis width of the proposed Schmitt trigger is 205[Formula: see text]mV and consumes only 6.64[Formula: see text]nW power.
On n-irreducible ideals of commutative rings
Authors: Zeidi Nabil
Published: May 2019

Let [Formula: see text] be a commutative ring with [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] a positive integer. The main purpose of this paper is to study the concepts of [Formula: see text]-irreducible and strongly [Formula: see text]-irreducible ideals which are generalizations of irreducible and strongly irreducible ideals, respectively. A proper ideal [Formula: see text] of [Formula: see text] is called [Formula: see text]-irreducible (respectively, strongly [Formula: see text]-irreducible) if for each ideals [Formula: see text] of [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] (respectively, [Formula: see text]) implies that there are [Formula: see text] of the [Formula: see text]’s whose intersection is [Formula: see text] (respectively, whose intersection is in [Formula: see text]).
Post-Yielding Behavior of Hinge-Supported Wall with Buckling-Restrained Braces in Base
Authors: Yang Xiaoyan , Wu Jing , Zhang Jian , Feng Yulong
Published: May 2019

A novel structural wall with hinge support and buckling restrained braces (BRBs) set in the base (HWBB) is studied. HWBB can be applied to precast manufacturing due to its considerable ductility and the separate loading mechanism in HWBB–frame structure. In elastic stage, BRBs play a brace role to make the hinged wall resist horizontal forces like a shear wall. BRBs dissipate seismic energy through plastic and hysteresis effects after yielding and the damage is only concentrated in BRBs. The performance of an HWBB is equivalent to a shear wall structure with excellent ductility and stable energy dissipation capacity. Numerical analysis indicates that the hinged wall body in the HWBB well controls the deformation mode of the structure, avoiding the concentration of story drifts, thereby protecting the remaining parts of the structure. It is revealed that the moments of the wall body will generate significant increments after BRBs yielding, and the Seismic Intensity Superposition Method is proposed to calculate the moments. In this method, nonlinear response of an HWBB can be regarded as the sum of the responses of two elastic corresponding structures excited with two parts of the seismic intensity, respectively. Modes and moments equations of the hinged wall with uniform distribution of stiffness and mass are derived, and calculation results coincide with that of the nonlinear time history analysis (NHA). For a more general case, the white noise scan method is proposed to solve the structure’s natural characteristics and to further calculate the response. Finally, the post-yielding moment calculation method and the process based on design response spectrum are proposed. It is proved that the moments from proposed Seismic Intensity Superposition Method can envelop most of the moments from NHA, and it is a good estimate of the response of HWBB in nonlinear stage.
Numerical Simulation of Tsunami Propagation and Assessment of Its Impact on Dayawan Bay Nuclear Power Plant
Authors: Wang Dong , Li Shaowu
Published: May 2019

Tsunami propagation over the entire Dayawan Bay was simulated using a 2D shallow water model to provide hydrodynamic boundary conditions for a 3D flow model, by which tsunami propagation inside the inlet of water-intake basin of the Dayawan Nuclear Power Plant (DNPP) was simulated. The 2D model covers the whole bay plus a little extension of the waters around the bay mouth. The sea side open boundary of the 2D model is generated from a superposition of an assumed tsunami process on a tide with exceedance probability of 10%. The event of encounter of a 10-min highest waters of the assumed tsunami process with such level of tide is estimated to be approximately a return period of 1490 years. Tsunami run-up in front of the revetment of the pump room was simulated using the 3D flow models. The rubble-mound breakwater was treated as porous medium in the simulation. Computational results of flow velocity indicate that tsunami propagation inside the basin is effectively prevented by the east breakwater. Computational results of waters in front of the revetment of the pump room indicate that the possible maximum water level is lower than the present elevation of the revetment, therefore the pump room has low risk of inundation.
THE EFFECT OF DOMESTIC AIR POLLUTION MITIGATION AND FRACKING ON RETIREMENTS OF COAL POWER PLANTS
Authors: SCHIAVO JOSEPH G. , MENDELSOHN ROBERT
Published: May 2019

This paper quantifies the magnitude of multiple potential causes of coal-fired power plant retirements since 1997. The paper finds that although the low natural gas prices from fracking have increased retirements, the foremost cause of retirements has been the tightening of criteria air pollutant regulations. These pollution regulations encouraged significant mitigation investments to reduce sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and small particulate emissions. But the regulations also induced higher coal plant retirement rates which then reduced carbon dioxide emissions. Even accounting for the resulting increase in emissions from new natural gas plants, the regulations eliminated over a billion tons of carbon dioxide emissions. In this example, strict mitigation to protect domestic public health has led to sizable global co-benefits.
Legislative and Multilateral Bargaining
Authors: Eraslan Hülya , Evdokimov Kirill S.
Published: May 2019

This review of the theoretical literature on legislative and multilateral bargaining begins with presentation of the seminal Baron-Ferejohn model. The review then encompasses the extensions to bargaining among asymmetric players in terms of bargaining power, voting weights, and time and risk preferences; spatial bargaining; bargaining over a stochastic surplus; bargaining over public goods; legislative bargaining with alternative bargaining protocols in which players make demands, compete for recognition, or make counterproposals; and legislative bargaining with cheap talk communication.
Global Wealth Inequality
Authors: Zucman Gabriel
Published: May 2019

This article reviews the recent literature on the dynamics of global wealth inequality. I first reconcile available estimates of wealth inequality in the United States. Both surveys and tax data show that wealth inequality has increased dramatically since the 1980s, with a top 1% wealth share of approximately 40% in 2016 versus 25–30% in the 1980s. Second, I discuss the fast-growing literature on wealth inequality across the world. Evidence points toward a rise in global wealth concentration: For China, Europe, and the United States combined, the top 1% wealth share has increased from 28% in 1980 to 33% today, while the bottom 75% share hovered around 10%. Recent studies, however, may underestimate the level and rise of inequality, as financial globalization makes it increasingly hard to measure wealth at the top. I discuss how new data sources (leaks from financial institutions, tax amnesties, and macroeconomic statistics of tax havens) can be leveraged to better capture the wealth of the rich.
The Economics of Parenting
Authors: Doepke Matthias , Sorrenti Giuseppe , Zilibotti Fabrizio
Published: May 2019

Parenting decisions are among the most consequential choices that people make throughout their lives. Starting with the work of pioneers such as Gary Becker, economists have used the tool set of their discipline to understand what parents do and how parents’ actions affect their children. In recent years, the literature on parenting within economics has increasingly leveraged findings and concepts from related disciplines that also deal with parent–child interactions. For example, economists have developed models to understand the choice among various parenting styles that were first explored in the developmental psychology literature and have estimated detailed empirical models of children's accumulation of cognitive and noncognitive skills in response to parental and other inputs. In this review, we survey the economic literature on parenting and point out promising directions for future research.
Bayesian Statistics in Sociology: Past, Present, and Future
Authors: Lynch Scott M. , Bartlett Bryce
Published: May 2019

Although Bayes’ theorem has been around for more than 250 years, widespread application of the Bayesian approach only began in statistics in 1990. By 2000, Bayesian statistics had made considerable headway into social science, but even now its direct use is rare in articles in top sociology journals, perhaps because of a lack of knowledge about the topic. In this review, we provide an overview of the key ideas and terminology of Bayesian statistics, and we discuss articles in the top journals that have used or developed Bayesian methods over the last decade. In this process, we elucidate some of the advantages of the Bayesian approach. We highlight that many sociologists are, in fact, using Bayesian methods, even if they do not realize it, because techniques deployed by popular software packages often involve Bayesian logic and/or computation. Finally, we conclude by briefly discussing the future of Bayesian statistics in sociology.
Pitfalls in Geriatric Prescribing: Antidepressants and Extreme Sedation
Authors: Namiki Hirofumi
Published: May 2019

In this study, a case is presented in which initiation of an antidepressant drug was associated with an episode of extreme sedation. This case provides an opportunity to highlight possible pitfalls in geriatric prescribing.
A Comparison on Prevalence of Hypertension and Related Risk Factors between Island and Rural Residents of Dalian City, China
Authors: Liu Baiting , Liu Hainiang , Na Rongmei , Li Xiaofei , Li Qianxiao , Chen Libo , Tu Wencheng , Hu Jiahui , Cheng Dong , Cao Yalan , Li Zhu , Fang Weiyi , Zhu Ning , Yu Qin
Published: May 2019

This study aimed to compare the prevalence of hypertension between the island and rural residents in Dalian, China, and to explore associated risk factors of hypertension in order to provide evidence for the establishment of targeted strategy of hypertension prevention and treatment for island and rural residents. The modified MONICA questionnaire survey was performed on 7764 island and rural residents aged ≥40 years (including 2652 island residents and 5112 rural residents). Our data showed that totally weighted prevalence of hypertension was significantly higher in rural residents than in island residents (61.9% vs. 55.2%, P<0.001). Multivariate binary logistic regression analysis showed that older age, higher BMI, lower education level, and higher LDL-C and UA levels were independently associated with increased risk of having hypertension both in island and in rural residents. The weighted awareness rate (29.9% vs. 17.3%, P<0.001), treatment rate (51.4% vs. 28.5%, P<0.001), and control rate (36.3% vs. 24.0%, P=0.001) of hypertension were all significantly higher in island residents than those in rural residents. In conclusion, our survey shows that the epidemics of hypertension are extremely high in surveyed residents in island and rural areas of Dalian city, while awareness, treatment, and control rats of hypertension in these residents are much lower than the national level. The scenario is even worse in rural residents as compared with island residents of Dalian, China.
Probabilistic Evaluation of Tibetan Plateau Mesoscale Vortex on 18 July 2013
Authors: Liu Haiwen , Wu Kaijun , Du Mengxing , Fu Ning
Published: May 2019

Tibetan Plateau (TP) mesoscale vortex (TPMV) was regarded as one of the most important rain bearing systems in China. Previous studies focused on the mechanisms of the TPMV in the viewpoint of deterministic forecast; however, few studies investigate the predictability of the TPMV using the Observing System Research and Predictability Experiment (THORPEX) Interactive Grand Global Ensemble (TIGGE) from the European Center for Medium Range Weather Forecasts (ECWMF). This paper investigates the location and the intensity of the larger-scale synoptic systems that influenced the development of the TPMV and its associated heavy rainfall by correlation and composite analysis. The case study on 18 July 2013 shows that stronger Balkhash Lake ridge, weaker Baikal Lake trough, and weaker western Pacific subtropical high (WPSH) are favorable to formation of TPMV over the Sichuan basin (SCB); otherwise, weaker Balkhash Lake ridge, stronger Baikal Lake trough, and stronger WPSH result in formation of TPMV to west of the SCB slightly. After the initial time, forecast for next 48 h of the geopotential height over the SCB can be viewed as a precursor of the subsequent time-averaged 90–108 h forecast of TPMV. TPMV had critical contributions to the heavy rainfall over the SCB on 18 July 2013.
Alternating Projections Filtering Algorithm to Track Moving Objects
Authors: Qranfal Youssef
Published: May 2019

An interest is often present in knowing evolving variables that are not directly observable; this is the case in aerospace, engineering control, medical imaging, or data assimilation. What is at hand, though, are time-varying measured data, a model connecting them to variables of interest, and a model of how to evolve the variables over time. However, both models are only approximation and the observed data are tainted with noise. This is an ill-posed inverse problem. Methods, such as Kalman filter (KF), have been devised to extract the time-varying quantities of interest. These methods applied to this inverse problem, nonetheless, are slow, computation wise, since they require large matrices multiplications and even matrix inversion. Furthermore, these methods are not usually suitable to impose some constraints. This article introduces a new iterative filtering algorithm based on alternating projections. Experiments were run with simulated moving projectiles and were compared with results using KF. The new optimization algorithm proves to be slightly more accurate than KF, but, more to the point, it is much faster in terms of CPU time.