bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Bacterial bioluminescence onset and quenching: a dynamical model for aquorum sensing-mediated property
Authors: Side Domenico Delle , Nassisi Vincenzo , Pennetta Cecilia , Alifano Pietro , Di Salvo Marco , Talà Adelfia , Chechkin Aleksei , Seno Flavio , Trovato Antonio
Published: December 2017

We present an effective dynamical model for the onset of bacterial bioluminescence, one of the most studied quorum sensing-mediated traits. Our model is built upon simple equations that describe the growth of the bacterial colony, the production and accumulation of autoinducer signal molecules, their sensing within bacterial cells, and the ensuing quorum activation mechanism that triggers bioluminescent emission. The model is directly tested to quantitatively reproduce the experimental distributions of photon emission times, previously measured for bacterial colonies ofVibrio jasicida, a luminescent bacterium belonging to the Harveyi clade, growing in a highly drying environment. A distinctive and novel feature of the proposed model is bioluminescence ‘quenching’ after a given time elapsed from activation. Using an advanced fitting procedure based on the simulated annealing algorithm, we are able to infer from the experimental observations the biochemical parameters used in the model. Such parameters are in good agreement with the literature data. As a further result, we find that, at least in our experimental conditions, light emission in bioluminescent bacteria appears to originate from a subtle balance between colony growth and quorum activation due to autoinducers diffusion, with the two phenomena occurring on the same time scale. This finding is consistent with a negative feedback mechanism previously reported forVibrio harveyi.
Cues of upper body strength account for most of the variance in men's bodily attractiveness
Authors: Sell Aaron , Lukazsweski Aaron W. , Townsley Michael
Published: December 2017

Evolution equips sexually reproducing species with mate choice mechanisms that function to evaluate the reproductive consequences of mating with different individuals. Indeed, evolutionary psychologists have shown that women's mate choice mechanisms track many cues of men's genetic quality and ability to invest resources in the woman and her offspring. One variable that predicted both a man's genetic quality and his ability to invest is the man's formidability (i.e. fighting ability or resource holding power/potential). Modern women, therefore, should have mate choice mechanisms that respond to ancestral cues of a man's fighting ability. One crucial component of a man's ability to fight is his upper body strength. Here, we test how important physical strength is to men's bodily attractiveness. Three sets of photographs of men's bodies were shown to raters who estimated either their physical strength or their attractiveness. Estimates of physical strength determined over 70% of men's bodily attractiveness. Additional analyses showed that tallness and leanness were also favoured, and, along with estimates of physical strength, accounted for 80% of men's bodily attractiveness. Contrary to popular theories of men's physical attractiveness, there was no evidence of a nonlinear effect; the strongest men were the most attractive in all samples.
Stabilizing selection on microsatellite allele length at arginine vasopressin 1a receptor and oxytocin receptor loci
Authors: Watts Phillip C. , Kallio Eva R. , Koskela Esa , Lonn Eija , Mappes Tapio , Mokkonen Mikael
Published: December 2017

The loci arginine vasopressin receptor 1a (
avpr1a
) and oxytocin receptor (
oxtr
) have evolutionarily conserved roles in vertebrate social and sexual behaviour. Allelic variation at a microsatellite locus in the 5′ regulatory region of these genes is associated with fitness in the bank vole
Myodes glareolus
. Given the low frequency of long and short alleles at these microsatellite loci in wild bank voles, we used breeding trials to determine whether selection acts against long and short alleles. Female bank voles with intermediate length
avpr1a
alleles had the highest probability of breeding, while male voles whose
avpr1a
alleles were very different in length had reduced probability of breeding. Moreover, there was a significant interaction between male and female
oxtr
genotypes, where potential breeding pairs with dissimilar length alleles had reduced probability of breeding. These data show how genetic variation at microsatellite loci associated with
avpr1a
and
oxtr
is associated with fitness, and highlight complex patterns of selection at these loci. More widely, these data show how stabilizing selection might act on allele length frequency distributions at gene-associated microsatellite loci.
Sex-specific adaptation and genomic responses to Y chromosome presence in female reproductive and neural tissues
Authors: Branco Alan T. , Brito Rute M , Lemos Bernardo
Published: December 2017

Y chromosomes typically harbour a small number of genes and an abundance of repetitive sequences. InDrosophila,the Y chromosome comprises multimegabase long segments of repetitive DNA and a handful of protein-coding genes. In mammals, the Y chromosome also harbours a disproportionally high abundance of repeats. Here, we built on aDrosophila melanogastermodel in which the Y chromosome is decoupled from sexual determination. Genotypes were genetically identical for the autosomes, X chromosome, and mitochondria, but differ by the presence or dose of the Y chromosome. Addition of an extra Y chromosome had limited impact in males. However, the presence of a Y chromosome in females induced a disproportionate response in genes expressed in the ovaries as well as genes encoded by the mitochondrial genome. Furthermore, the data revealed significant consequences of Y chromosome presence in larvae neuronal tissue. This included the repression of genes implicated in reproductive behaviour, courtship, mating and synaptic function. Our findings exhibit the Y chromosome as a hotspot for sex-specific adaptation. They suggest roles for natural selection on Y-linked genetic elements exerting impact on sex-specific tissues as well as somatic tissues shared by males and females.
Using knowledge from human research to improve understanding of contest theory and contest dynamics
Authors: Kasumovic Michael M. , Blake Khandis , Denson Thomas F.
Published: December 2017

Our understanding of animal contests and the factors that affect contest dynamics and decisions stems from a long and prosperous collaboration between empiricists and theoreticians. Over the last two decades, however, theoretical predictions regarding the factors that affect individual decisions before, during and after a contest are becoming increasingly difficult to test empirically. Extremely large sample sizes are necessary to experimentally test the nuanced theoretical assumptions surrounding how information is used by animals during a contest, how context changes the information used, and how individuals change behaviour as a result of both the information available and the context in which the information is acquired. In this review, we discuss how the investigation of contests in humans through the collaboration of biologists and psychologists may advance contest theory and dynamics in general. We argue that a long and productive history exploring human behaviour and psychology combined with technological advancements provide a unique opportunity to manipulate human perception during contests and collect unbiased data, allowing more targeted examinations of particular aspects of contest theory (e.g. winner/loser effects, information use as a function of age). We hope that our perspective provides the impetus for many future collaborations between biologists and psychologists.
The early Cambrian fossil embryoPseudooidesis a direct-developing cnidarian, not an early ecdysozoan
Authors: Duan Baichuan , Dong Xi-Ping , Porras Luis , Vargas Kelly , Cunningham John A. , Donoghue Philip C. J.
Published: December 2017

Early CambrianPseudooides primahas been described from embryonic and post-embryonic stages of development, exhibiting long germ-band development. There has been some debate about the pattern of segmentation, but this interpretation, as among the earliest records of ecdysozoans, has been generally accepted. Here, we show that the ‘germ band’ ofP. primaembryos separates along its mid axis during development, with the transverse furrows between the ‘somites’ unfolding into the polar aperture of the ten-sided theca ofHexaconularia sichuanensis, conventionally interpreted as a scyphozoan cnidarian; co-occurring post-embryonic remains of ecdysozoans are unrelated. We recognizeH. sichuanensisas a junior synonym ofP. primaas a consequence of identifying these two form-taxa as distinct developmental stages of the same organism. Direct development inP. primaparallels the co-occuring olivooidsOlivooides,andQuadrapyrgitesand Bayesian phylogenetic analysis of a novel phenotype dataset indicates that, despite differences in their tetra-, penta- and pseudo-hexa-radial symmetry, these hexangulaconulariids comprise a clade of scyphozoan medusozoans, withArthrochitesand conulariids, that all exhibit direct development from embryo to thecate polyp. The affinity of hexangulaconulariids and olivooids to extant scyphozoan medusozoans indicates that the prevalence of tetraradial symmetry and indirect development are a vestige of a broader spectrum of body-plan symmetries and developmental modes that was manifest in their early Phanerozoic counterparts.
incR: a new R package to analyse incubation behaviour
Authors: Capilla-Lasheras Pablo
Published: December 2017

Incubation represents a life stage of crucial importance for the optimal development of avian embryos. For most birds, incubation poses a trade-off between investing in self-maintenance and offspring care. Furthermore, incubation is affected by environmental temperatures and, therefore, will be likely impacted by climate change. Despite its relevance and readily available temperature logging methods, avian incubation research is hindered by recognised limitations in available software. In this paper, a new quantitative approach to analyse incubation behaviour is presented. This new approach is embedded in a free R package, incR. The flexibility of the R environment eases the analysis, validation and visualisation of incubation temperature data. The core algorithm in incR is validated here and it is shown that the method extracts accurate metrics of incubation behaviour (e.g. number and duration of incubation bouts). This paper also presents a suggested workflow along with detailed R code to aid the practical implementation of incR.
Genetic and cellular sensitivity ofCaenorhabditis elegansto the chemotherapeutic agent cisplatin
Authors: García-Rodríguez Francisco Javier , Martínez-Fernández Carmen , Brena David , Nadal Ernest , Boxem Mike , Honnen Sebastian , Miranda-Vizuete Antonio , Villanueva Alberto , Cerón Julián
Published: December 2017

Cisplatin and derivatives are commonly used as chemotherapeutic agents. Although the cytotoxic action of cisplatin on cancer cells is very efficient, clinical oncologists need to deal with two major difficulties: (i) the onset of resistance to the drug, and (ii) the cytotoxic effect in patients. Here we useCaenorhabditis elegansto investigate factors influencing the response to cisplatin in multicellular organisms. In this hermaphroditic model organism, we observed that sperm failure is a major cause in cisplatin-induced infertility. RNA-seq data indicate that cisplatin triggers a systemic stress response in which DAF-16/FOXO and SKN-1/Nrf2, two conserved transcription factors, are key regulators. We determined that inhibition of the DNA-damage induced apoptotic pathway does not confer cisplatin protection to the animal. However, mutants for the pro-apoptotic BH3-only geneced-13are sensitive to cisplatin, suggesting a protective role of the intrinsic apoptotic pathway. Finally, we demonstrate that our system can also be used to identify mutations providing resistance to cisplatin and therefore potential biomarkers of innate cisplatin-refractory patients. We show that mutants for the redox regulatortrxr-1, ortholog of the mammalian Thioredoxin-Reductase-1 TrxR1, display cisplatin resistance and that such resistance relies on a single selenocysteine residue.
Outbreak of invasive wound mucormycosis in a burn unit due to multiple strains of Mucor circinelloides f. circinelloides resolved by whole genome sequencing
Authors: Garcia-Hermoso Dea , Criscuolo Alexis , Lee Soo chan , Legrand Matthieu , Chaouat Marc , Denis Blandine , Lafaurie Matthieu , Rouveau Martine , Soler Charles , Schaal Jean-Vivien , Mimoun Maurice , Mebazaa Alexandre , Heitman Joseph , Dromer Françoise , Brisse Sylvain , Bretagne Stéphane , Alanio Alexandre
Published: December 2017

Mucorales are ubiquitous environmental molds responsible for mucormycosis in diabetic, immunocompromised, and severely burned patients. Small outbreaks of invasive wound mucormycosis (IWM) have already been reported in burn units without extensive microbiological investigations. We faced an outbreak of IWM in our center and investigated the clinical isolates with whole genome sequencing (WGS) analysis.

We analyzed M. circinelloides isolates from patients in our burn unit (BU1) together with non-outbreak isolates from burn unit 2 (BU2, Paris area) and from France over a two-year period (2013-2015). For each isolate, WGS and a de novo genome assembly was performed from read data extracted from the aligned contig sequences of the reference genome (1006PhL).

A total of 21 isolates were sequenced including 14 isolates from six BU1 patients. Phylogenetic classification showed that the clinical isolates clustered in four highly divergent clades. Clade1 contained at least one of the strains from the six epidemiologically-linked BU1 patients. The clinical isolates seemed specific to each patient. Two patients were infected with more than two strains from different clades suggesting that an environmental reservoir of clonally unrelated isolates was the source of contamination. Only two patients shared one strain in BU1, suggesting direct transmission or contamination with the same environmental source.

WGS coupled with precise epidemiological data and analysis of several isolates per patients revealed in our study a complex situation with both potential cross-transmission and multiple contaminations with a heterogeneous pool of strains from a cryptic environmental reservoir.

Importance

Invasive wound mucormycosis (IWM) is a severe infection due to the environmental molds belonging to the order Mucorales. Severely burned patients are particularly at risk for IWM. Here, we used Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) analysis to resolve an outbreak of IWM due to Mucor circinelloides that occurred in our hospital (BU1). We sequenced 21 clinical isolates, including 14 from BU1 and 7 unrelated isolates, and compared them to the reference genome (1006PhL). This analysis revealed that the outbreak was mainly due to multiple strains that seemed patient-specific, suggesting that the patients were more likely infected from a pool of diverse strains from the environment rather than from direct transmission between the patients. This study revealed the complexity of a Mucorales outbreak in the settings of IWM in burn patients, which has been highlighted based on whole genome sequencing and careful sampling.
P-like controllers with collision avoidance for passive bilateral teleoperation of a UAV
Authors: Sun Huiyu , Song Guangming , Wei Zhong , Zhang Ying
Published: December 2017

Purpose

This paper aims to tele-operate the movement of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in the obstructed environment with asymmetric time-varying delays. A simple passive proportional velocity errors plus damping injection (P-like) controller is proposed to deal with the asymmetric time-varying delays in the aerial teleoperation system.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper presents both theoretical and real-time experimental results of the bilateral teleoperation system of a UAV for collision avoidance over the wireless network. First, a position-velocity workspace mapping is used to solve the master-slave kinematic/dynamic dissimilarity. Second, a P-like controller is proposed to ensure the stability of the time-delayed bilateral teleoperation system with asymmetric time-varying delays. The stability is analyzed by the Lyapunov–Krasovskii function and the delay-dependent stability criteria are obtained under linear-matrix-inequalities conditions. Third, a vision-based localization is presented to calibrate the UAV’s pose and provide the relative distance for obstacle avoidance with a high accuracy. Finally, the performance of the teleoperation scheme is evaluated by both human-in-the-loop simulations and real-time experiments where a single UAV flies through the obstructed environment.

Findings

Experimental results demonstrate that the teleoperation system can maintain passivity and collision avoidance can be achieved with a high accuracy for asymmetric time-varying delays. Moreover, the operator could tele-sense the force reflection to improve the maneuverability in the aerial teleoperation.

Originality/value

A real-time bilateral teleoperation system of a UAV for collision avoidance is performed in the laboratory. A force and visual interface is designed to provide force and visual feedback of the slave environment to the operator.
Fuzzy logic PD controller for trajectory tracking of an autonomous differential drive mobile robot (i.e. Quanser Qbot)
Authors: Alouache Ali , Wu Qinghe
Published: December 2017

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to propose a robust robot fuzzy logic proportional-derivative (PD) controller for trajectory tracking of autonomous nonholonomic differential drive wheeled mobile robot (WMR) of the type Quanser Qbot.

Design/methodology/approach

Fuzzy robot control approach is used for developing a robust fuzzy PD controller for trajectory tracking of a nonholonomic differential drive WMR. The linear/angular velocity of the differential drive mobile robot are formulated such that the tracking errors between the robot’s trajectory and the reference path converge asymptotically to zero. Here, a new controller zero-order Takagy–Sugeno trajectory tracking (ZTS-TT) controller is deduced for robot’s speed regulation based on the fuzzy PD controller. The WMR used for the experimental implementation is Quanser Qbot which has two differential drive wheels; therefore, the right/left wheel velocity of the differential wheels of the robot are worked out using inverse kinematics model. The controller is implemented using MATLAB Simulink with QUARC framework, downloaded and compiled into executable (.exe) on the robot based on the WIFI TCP/IP connection.

Findings

Compared to other fuzzy proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controllers, the proposed fuzzy PD controller was found to be robust, stable and consuming less resources on the robot. The comparative results of the proposed ZTS-TT controller and the conventional PD controller demonstrated clearly that the proposed ZTS-TT controller provides better tracking performances, flexibility, robustness and stability for the WMR.

Practical implications

The proposed fuzzy PD controller can be improved using hybrid techniques. The proposed approach can be developed for obstacle detection and collision avoidance in combination with trajectory tracking for use in environments with obstacles.

Originality/value

A robust fuzzy logic PD is developed and its performances are compared to the existing fuzzy PID controller. A ZTS-TT controller is deduced for trajectory tracking of an autonomous nonholonomic differential drive mobile robot (i.e. Quanser Qbot).
POLIBOT – POwer Lines Inspection RoBOT
Authors: Lima Eduardo José , Bomfim Marcelo Henrique Souza , Mourão Miguel Augusto de Miranda
Published: December 2017

Purpose

Several studies have aimed to develop robotic systems which move in transmission lines. Until this moment, all of them have a high weight and cost associated with the equipment and reduced battery autonomy time. In this context, this paper aims to propose the POLIBOT (POwer Lines Inspection roBOT) with low cost and weight, enabling the movement over the lines and an easier installation and remove.

Design/methodology/approach

The designed robot uses the Profiles Manufacturing Methodology (PMM). The construction of the robot mechanical structure uses modularized aluminum parts built through square profiles. Thus, it’s possible a drastic reduction in production time as well as cost reduction and weight when comparing this method with other manufacturing processes like foundry, for example. For hardware and software systems, the use of free and open source software causes a significant reduction in cost and project execution time. The benefits of using open source systems are immeasurable, both from academic and industrial applications.

Findings

The POLIBOT platform is one solution to the problem of inspection in power lines. With this robot, more lines are maintained with lower time. In its constructive aspect, the robotic mechanism is designed using principles of bioengineering. The use of this principle was successful, considering that obstacle transposition is performed with stability and low energy consumption.

Research limitations/implications

The suggestion for future researches is to replace the battery for solar energy and construction in polymeric material to avoid high magnetic fields.

Practical implications

The commercial application is evident because manual inspections are inefficient, very expensive and dangerous. Thus, it is growing the number of researches that develop mechatronics systems for this kind of inspection.

Social implications

The impact is the reduction of accidents because the present procedure requires precision of movements, where the pilot and electrical technician are close to high electrical and magnetic fields. In addition, for some tasks, the worker has to walk on the line to reach some important points. Thus, those tasks involve high risk of death.

Originality/value

The PMM methodology represents an innovation to the state of the art because others robotic mechanisms proposed for inspection tasks present total structure mass between 50 and 100 kg and POLIBOT has only 9 kg. Other fact is its price for implementation as this robot used the robot operating system (ROS) framework, what dispense the use of licenses. Other important features are that the robot performs the tasks autonomously, which reduces errors introduced by the operator and its low manufacturing cost as compared with other projects.
Influencing consumer boycott: between sympathy and pragmatic
Authors: Ishak Suraiya , Khalid Kartini , Sulaiman Nidzam
Published: December 2017

Purpose

This paper aims to examine consumers’ responses to products that are influenced by their moral justification. Specifically, this paper examines the factors related to consumers’ moral response and choices, including religious affiliation and obligation, group memberships, group reference, type of product and link of egregious conduct to particular products. This study explicates Adam Smith’s concept of people’s proprietary emotion that potentially affects their purchasing behavior.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses focus group discussion with nine consumers across ethnic groups in Malaysia. A recent boycott case was used to stimulate the group discussion. Their statements are displayed in the findings to show their expressions verbatim.

Findings

The findings outline that consumers’ participation in the boycott of products is influenced by their moral judgment with frequent addressing of the religious affiliation and obligation, group reference and group membership factors. Additionally, there is a tendency that certain issue(s), although perceived as a universal humanistic issue, would be relatively closer to people with backgrounds similar to the majority of the victims of a particular issue. However, such a boycott action has issues such as duration of action, consistency of action and choice of pragmatic over moral decision that weigh the efficacy of the boycott action toward products related to certain egregious actions. Overall, the non-participation decision had been attached to factors such as type of product, boycotting cost, brand attraction and function or usefulness of products. These factors may also moderate consumers’ sentiment to boycott a particular product(s) in the long term.

Originality/value

This paper offers new insight regarding factors influencing participation in the boycott of products which were suspected to have link with egregious conduct towards certain Muslim groups. This paper offers a different perspective by integrating ethical theory into the discussion. In addition, it explores the influence of Muslims’ brotherhood concept on participation in boycott activities.
Toward advancing debates on Islamic marketing: a renewed perspective
Authors: Ahmad Norlia
Published: December 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to offer a renewed perspective on the intersections of Islam and marketing.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is based on Islamic marketing literature, Islam’s view on human and economic progress, insights from other marketing disciplines and phenomena that focus on treating consumers as “individuals” instead of merely target markets. It consists of an inclusive approach guided by a notion that Islamic marketing debates should not merely attempt to “see” (understand) Muslim consumers or Islamic markets but to also enhance efforts to “see” and (re)discover Islam.

Findings

This paper reiterates a view of Islam as both a faith and activity; it argues that this view should be the basis of critical analysis on the intersections of Islam and marketing. It also highlights the overlap between Islamic marketing and humanistic marketing, thus offers more inclusive approach to Islamic marketing debates. Based on the arguments of Islam as a deen and marketing as part of human activity, it provides further directions for critical and continuous efforts to explore the questions of “what, why and how” Islam can contribute to the advancement of marketing theory and practice.

Originality/value

This paper presents a renewed perspective to current debates on Islamic marketing; it stresses on the importance of building a case in which Islam has something to commit to contemporary marketing issues and problems.
Supporting the purchase decisions of consumers
Authors: Fan Zhi-Ping , Xi Yang , Li Yongli
Published: December 2017

Purpose

Online product ratings play an important role in the decision-making process of consumers, which are not only sources of information used by consumers to understand the function and quality of a product or service but also sources of information used to find desirable products. The purpose of this paper is to develop a decision-based method for supporting the purchase decisions of consumers based on not only the online product ratings but also the actual product attributes.

Design/methodology/approach

First, two types of utility values are designed to measure the preference of the consumer based on either online ratings or actual product attributes. Then, the traditional TOPSIS method is adopted to achieve a comprehensive value by integrating the two types of utility values so that all of the alternative products can be ranked. Further, a product selection support system prototype is designed and developed to support the purchase decisions of consumers.

Findings

To help consumers select desirable products efficiently, it is necessary to develop a product selection method based on the online ratings of alternative products and consumer expectations.

Practical implications

The research shows that the proposed method can not only support consumers’ purchase decisions based on a large number of online product ratings but also help manufacturers to find out consumers’ demands or requirements on products so as to facilitate the design of new products or the improvement of products. On the basis of the proposed method, the developed system prototype is helpful for consumers to select desirable products.

Originality/value

To support the purchase decisions of consumers, a new decision-based method for selecting desirable online products is proposed.
Application of Bayesian networks in analysing tanker shipping bankruptcy risks
Authors: Wang Grace W.Y. , Yang Zhisen , Zhang Di , Huang Anqiang , Yang Zaili
Published: December 2017

Purpose

This study aims to develop an assessment methodology using a Bayesian network (BN) to predict the failure probability of oil tanker shipping firms.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper proposes a bankruptcy prediction model by applying the hybrid of logistic regression and Bayesian probabilistic networks.

Findings

The proposed model shows its potential of contributing to a powerful tool to predict financial bankruptcy of shipping operators, and provides important insights to the maritime community as to what performance measures should be taken to ensure the shipping companies’ financial soundness under dynamic environments.

Research limitations/implications

The model and its associated variables can be expanded to include more factors for an in-depth analysis in future when the detailed information at firm level becomes available.

Practical implications

The results of this study can be implemented to oil tanker shipping firms as a prediction tool for bankruptcy rate.

Originality/value

Incorporating quantitative statistical measurement, the application of BN in financial risk management provides advantages to develop a powerful early warning system in shipping, which has unique characteristics such as capital intensive and mobile assets, possibly leading to catastrophic consequences.
Portable negative‐pressure wound therapy for pyoderma gangrenosum: Report of two cases
Authors: Yamaguchi Yasuyuki , Yanagi Teruki , Sato Kazumasa , Yoshimoto Norihiro , Hirata Yu , Ujiie Inkin , Nishimura Machiko , Natsuga Ken , Shiiya Chihiro , Tsukinaga Ichiro , Shimizu Hiroshi
Published: December 2017

Pyoderma gangrenosum is a chronic non‐infectious neutrophilic dermatosis that causes undermining ulcers. Topical therapies for the deep ulcers of pyoderma gangrenosum have not been established. To investigate whether negative‐pressure wound therapy is effective for a pyoderma gangrenosum ulcer, we used the PICO single use negative‐pressure wound therapy system (Smith & Nephew, London, UK) for two pyoderma gangrenosum patients. In these cases, the ulcers decreased in size and necrolytic tissue was removed notably. Moreover, there were no secondary infections nor was there Koebner phenomena. Our cases suggest that portable negative‐pressure wound therapy can be a treatment option for deep, intractable ulcers caused by pyoderma gangrenosum. Because portable negative‐pressure wound therapy devices afford increased mobility to patients, they can give the patient a better quality of life than standard negative‐pressure wound therapy systems do.
Localized high abundance of Marine Group II archaea in the subtropical Pearl River Estuary: implications for their niche adaptation
Authors: Xie Wei , Luo Haiwei , Murugapiran Senthil K. , Dodsworth Jeremy A. , Chen Songze , Sun Ying , Hedlund Brian P. , Wang Peng , Fang Huaying , Deng Minghua , Zhang Chuanlun L.
Published: December 2017

Marine Group II archaea are widely distributed in global oceans and dominate the total archaeal community within the upper euphotic zone of temperate waters. However, factors controlling the distribution of MGII are poorly delineated and the physiology and ecological functions of these still‐uncultured organisms remain elusive. In this study, we investigated the planktonic MGII associated with particles and in free‐living forms in the Pearl River Estuary (PRE) over a 10‐month period. We detected high abundance of particle‐associated MGII in PRE (up to ∼108 16S rRNA gene copies/l), which was around 10‐fold higher than the free‐living MGII in the same region, and an order of magnitude higher than previously reported in other marine environments. 10‰ salinity appeared to be a threshold value for these MGII because MGII abundance decreased sharply below it. Above 10‰ salinity, the abundance of MGII on the particles was positively correlated with phototrophs and MGII in the surface water was negatively correlated with irradiance. However, the abundances of those free‐living MGII showed positive correlations with salinity and temperature, suggesting the different physiological characteristics between particle‐attached and free‐living MGIIs. A nearly completely assembled metagenome, MGIIa_P, was recovered using metagenome binning methods. Compared with the other two MGII genomes from surface ocean, MGIIa_P contained higher proportions of glycoside hydrolases, indicating the ability of MGIIa_P to hydrolyse glycosidic bonds in complex sugars in PRE. MGIIa_P is the first assembled MGII metagenome containing a catalase gene, which might be involved in scavenging reactive oxygen species generated by the abundant phototrophs in the eutrophic PRE. Our study presented the widespread and high abundance of MGII in the water columns of PRE, and characterized the determinant abiotic factors affecting their distribution. Their association with heterotrophs, preference for particles and resourceful metabolic traits indicate MGII might play a significant role in metabolising organic matters in the PRE and other temperate estuarine systems.
Tales from the tomb: the microbial ecology of exposed rock surfaces
Authors: Brewer Tess E. , Fierer Noah
Published: December 2017

Although a broad diversity of eukaryotic and bacterial taxa reside on rock surfaces where they can influence the weathering of rocks and minerals, these communities and their contributions to mineral weathering remain poorly resolved. To build a more comprehensive understanding of the diversity, ecology and potential functional attributes of microbial communities living on rock, we sampled 149 tombstones across three continents and analysed their bacterial and eukaryotic communities via marker gene and shotgun metagenomic sequencing. We found that geographic location and climate were important factors structuring the composition of these communities. Moreover, the tombstone‐associated microbial communities varied as a function of rock type, with granite and limestone tombstones from the same cemeteries harbouring taxonomically distinct microbial communities. The granite and limestone‐associated communities also had distinct functional attributes, with granite‐associated bacteria having more genes linked to acid tolerance and chemotaxis, while bacteria on limestone were more likely to be lichen associated and have genes involved in photosynthesis and radiation resistance. Together these results indicate that rock‐dwelling microbes exhibit adaptations to survive the stresses of the rock surface, differ based on location, climate and rock type, and seem pre‐disposed to different ecological strategies (symbiotic versus free‐living lifestyles) depending on the rock type.
Anterior urethral strictures
Authors: Cheung Man‐Hung , Lam Kin‐Man
Published: December 2017

Aim

The aim of the present study was to determine the practice patterns in the management of anterior urethral strictures among urologists in Hong Kong.

Patients and Methods

A 14‐item questionnaire was delivered either directly or by mail to all 126 registered urologists in Hong Kong. Information including demographic data, number of anterior urethral strictures treated, diagnostic methods, treatment options and follow‐up strategy were collected. The questionnaire also asked for the personal opinion about the treatment plan of two stricture case scenarios.

Results

The response rate was 48 per cent. The majority (87 per cent) of urologists treated <10 anterior urethral strictures per year. Minimal invasive procedures, including urethral dilatation using metal sounds (77 per cent) or cystoscopy‐guided (74 per cent) and direct visual internal urethrotomy (57 per cent), were more commonly performed by urologists to treat urethral strictures. The majority of urologists (82.6 per cent) performed less than five urethroplasties per year.

In the two case scenarios of long bulbous urethral stricture and recurrent short urethral stricture, approximately 10 per cent of respondents would refer the cases to other urologists and approximately 75 per cent would choose to perform reconstructive surgeries. The remaining 15 per cent of respondents would choose minimally‐invasive procedures for these strictures. Nearly two‐thirds (62.3 per cent) of urologists believed that urethroplasty should be proposed only after failed endoscopic treatment.

Workups for urethral stricture disease were consistent, while the modalities to access the outcome were highly heterogeneous.

Conclusion

In Hong Kong, the majority of urologists choose to perform urethroplasty for long bulbous urethral strictures and recurrent short bulbous urethral strictures in a case scenario situation. However, in actual practice, most perform less than five urethroplasties per year. A small caseload, lack of experience and understanding of urethral reconstructive surgery means that most urologists in Hong Kong would hesitate to carry out primary urethroplasty in correctly‐selected patients for whom primary reconstruction would have been the treatment of choice.
Initial public offer pricing, corporate governance and contextual relevance: Australian evidence
Authors: Hartnett Neil A. , Shamsuddin Abul
Published: December 2017

This study examines the relationship between initial public offer (IPO) corporate governance, IPO pricing and possible contextual relevance. A comprehensive inventory of IPO governance attributes is modelled. A positive association is reported between the inventory and IPO initial returns. This relationship is attenuated for IPOs where a diminished price relevance of governance structure is posited: smaller scale firms and/or those with alternative monitoring agents in place. Relevance appears modified and even supplanted by particular corporate priorities or the presence of other monitoring mechanisms. These contexts inform the motivation of key players regarding whether and how to act in response to the governance signal.
Corrugated Bruch′s membrane in high myopia
Authors: Jonas Jost B. , Jonas Rahul A. , Ohno‐Matsui Kyoko , Holbach Leonard , Panda‐Jonas Songhomitra
Published: December 2017

Purpose

To assess the appearance of Bruch′s membrane (BM) in axially elongated eyes.

Methods

The light‐microscopical investigation included histological anterior–posterior sections of human eyes. Using a light microscope, we assessed whether BM in the posterior segment was straight or locally corrugated. Corrugation of BM was defined as an elevation of BM with a height >20 μm over a basis of 50 μm without collateral proliferations of retinal pigment epithelium or choroidal swelling.

Results

The investigation included 85 eyes (age: 62.0 ± 14.1 years; axial length: 26.7 ± 3.5 mm). In multivariate analysis, the presence of a corrugated BM, detected in eight eyes (9.4%), was strongly associated with the presence of macular BM defects [p = 0.001; odds ratio (OR): 418; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1 215 000], but not with axial length (p = 0.54). Bruch′s membrane (BM) corrugation was detected in seven (54%) of 13 eyes with macular BM defects. The single eye with BM corrugation and without macular BM defect showed the corrugated BM located in the parapapillary region at the peripheral end of a large parapapillary gamma zone.

Conclusion

Bruch′s membrane (BM) corrugation can be present in the vicinity of macular BM defects in highly myopic eyes, perhaps due to differences in the tension within BM in various regions at the margin of the BM defect. Bruch′s membrane (BM) corrugation may also develop at the papillary end of BM in eyes with a large parapapillary gamma zone, potentially due to a disinsertion of BM at the end of the peripapillary choroidal border tissue of Jacoby. The observation of BM corrugation may help elucidating the aetiology of axial myopia.
A waiting time of 7 min is sufficient to reduce bleeding in oculoplastic surgery following the administration of epinephrine together with local anaesthesia
Authors: Hult Jenny , Sheikh Rafi , Nguyen Cu Dinh , Tenland Kajsa , Dahlstrand Ulf , Malmsjö Malin
Published: December 2017

Objective

The time taken to reach maximal haemostatic effect following local anaesthesia with epinephrine is generally believed to be <10 min. This is based on clinical experience and indirect measurements of perfusion using methods such as laser Doppler flowmetry and oxygen spectroscopy. However, the only study in which bleeding has been measured quantitatively in an intra‐operative setting in humans showed that the full haemostatic effect was not achieved until 30 min after anaesthesia. The aim of this study was to determine the time taken to reach maximum haemostatic effect when using epinephrine for local anaesthesia in oculoplastic surgery.

Methods

Intra‐operative bleeding following infiltration anaesthesia with either lidocaine 20 mg/ml (2%) or lidocaine + epinephrine 12.5 μg/ml (1:80 000) was measured after 7, 15 and 30 min in the eyelids of 16 patients undergoing upper eyelid blepharoplasty.

Results

Bleeding was decreased by 74.6% (with 95% CI, 6.16–87.6%) 7 min after the injection of lidocaine + epinephrine (p = 0.0048) compared with lidocaine without epinephrine. There was no further decrease in bleeding after 15 or 30 min (p = n.s.).

Conclusion

The optimal time for skin incision in eyelid surgery is within 7 min of injection of lidocaine with epinephrine. Waiting longer does not lead to a further decrease in bleeding.
Canadian contributions to family economics
Authors: Lundberg Shelly , Siow Aloysius
Published: December 2017

Canadian scholars have made substantial contributions to the relatively new field of family economics. These include new models of how men and women match in marriage markets, and of how decisions are made in multi‐person households. Several were early contributors to the literature on married women's labour supply and labour supply in a family context, and helped to develop empirical methods in this area. A particular focus has been on the impacts of policy‐relevant parameters, such childcare costs, on family labour supply and child well‐being. New work on child development, the impact of early life conditions, and the processes of intergenerational transmission also highlight the importance of family context in determining economic well‐being.
The UK's Money Advice Service: Edu‐Regulating Consumer Decision‐Making
Authors: Zokaityte Asta
Published: December 2017

The UK's Money Advice Service provides financial information, education and advice to consumers to help them navigate the complexities of the financial services market. As an edu‐regulatory measure, it seeks to build consumer financial resilience by improving their financial skills and financial behaviour. While its effectiveness in responding to some consumer behavioural problems is plausible, its ambition to strengthen consumer financial resilience is less feasible. This is mainly because consumer financial resilience does not merely depend on the financial information that consumers use to make financial decisions. But the fact that their resilience is heavily and principally contingent on the socio‐economic and cultural context within which they live.
VBP1 represses cancer metastasis by enhancing HIF‐1α degradation induced by pVHL
Authors: Kim Ji Ae , Choi Da Kyung , Min Jung Sun , Kang Inho , Kim Jin Chul , Kim Semi , Ahn Jeong Keun
Published: December 2017

von Hippel‐Lindau‐binding protein 1 (VBP1) physically interacts with pVHL, an E3‐ubiquitin ligase, which degrades HIF‐1α in an oxygen‐dependent manner. HIF‐1 is a key regulator of adaptive responses to a lack of oxygen that controls glucose metabolism, angiogenesis, proliferation, invasion, and metastasis. However, the role of VBP1 in pVHL‐mediated degradation of HIF‐1α is not yet known. In this study, we show that VBP1 enhances the stability of pVHL and facilitates pVHL‐mediated ubiquitination of HIF‐1α. Furthermore, VBP1 suppresses HIF‐1α‐induced epithelial‐mesenchymal transition in vitro and tumor metastasis in vivo. These findings suggest that VBP1 is a bona fide tumor suppressor protein associated with HIF‐1α regulation.
Host genetic variations associated with disease progression in chronic hepatitis C virus infection
Authors: Matsuura Kentaro , Tanaka Yasuhito
Published: December 2017

Treatment with recently developed interferon‐free oral regimens combining direct‐acting antiviral agents (DAAs) results in the elimination of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in almost all chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients. In the era of DAAs, surveillance of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after eradication of HCV by anti‐HCV therapy is particularly important. As is well known, an advanced state of hepatic fibrosis is the major risk factor for developing HCC. Therefore, an increased understanding of various factors associated with disease progression and development of HCC in CHC patients is essential for implementing personalized treatment and surveillance of disease progression and HCC. Recent genome‐wide association studies (GWAS) have identified several host genetic variants influencing treatment efficacy or clinical course in HCV infection. This review focuses on these host genetic variations recently identified, mainly by GWAS, which are associated with the clinical course of chronic HCV infection, especially disease progression and hepatocarcinogenesis.
Community‐based preventive activities in the Public Dental Service in Norway
Authors: Widström E , Tillberg A , Byrkjeflot LI , Stein L , Skudutyte‐Rysstad R
Published: December 2017

Objectives

The purpose of this study was to describe community‐based preventive interventions undertaken by the dental team outside the dental clinics in Norway, from the dental hygienists' and the dentists' perspective, with the main focus on target groups and existing guidelines and routines for these activities. A secondary aim was to identify the personnel responsible for developing the local guidelines and the knowledge sources for the guidelines.

Methods

With the assistance of the Chief Dental Officers in 15 Public Dental Service (PDS) regions, questionnaires were emailed to the local clinics (n = 421). In each, the most experienced dental hygienist and dentist were asked to respond; 215 dentists and 166 and dental hygienists responded (60%).

Results

Almost 40% of the respondents reported that their clinic had guidelines on community‐based activities conducted outside the clinics. Dental hygienists and local chief dentists were responsible for planning them. The main target groups were young children and the dependent elderly; the majority of the activities were carried out at child welfare centres and for personnel at nursing homes or for home care nurses.

Conclusion

At the regional and local level, a more strategic and coordinated approach to the provision of community‐based activities is needed, including assessment of oral health needs among population groups. Continuous documentation and evaluation of results are necessary for optimal use of available resources and to facilitate an evidence‐based approach.
Letter to the Editor: Unreported statistics lead to unverifiable results in study of vitamin D supplementation in children with autism spectrum disorder ‐ Comment regarding Saad, K., et al. (2016)
Authors: Stevenson Jim
Published: December 2017

Read the full article at doi: 10.1111/jcpp.12652