bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Anna Maria van Schurman
Authors: Larsen Anne , Lee Bo Karen
Published: June 2018

Anna Maria van Schurman (b. 1607–d. 1678) was regarded throughout the seventeenth century as the most learned woman not only of the Netherlands but also of Europe. She was “the Star of Utrecht,” “the Tenth Muse,” “a miracle of her sex.” As the first woman to attend non-officially a university, she was also the first to advocate, boldly, that women should be admitted into universities. A brilliant linguist, she mastered at least fourteen languages and was the first Dutch woman to seek publication of her correspondence. Her letters in several languages to the intellectual men and women of her time reveal the breadth of her interests in theology, philosophy, medicine, education, literature, painting, sculpture, embroidery, and instrumental music. Van Schurman advocated higher studies for women in a Latin scholastic disputation and in two Latin letters to her mentor, the French Calvinist theologian André Rivet (b. 1572–d. 1651). Her letters, with Rivet’s reply, were first published in 1638 in Paris in an unauthorized version, and again, with her treatise and exchanges with other scholars, in Leiden in 1641. In 1646, the French literary historian and poet Guillaume Colletet (b. 1598–d. 1659) translated these letters into French, publishing them in Paris under the title Question célèbre: S’il est necessaire, ou non, que les Filles soient sçavantes (A famous question: Whether it is necessary or not for girls to be learned). Van Schurman’s treatise on women’s learning was translated into English in 1659 by the educator Clement Barksdale (b. 1609–d. 1687), as The Learned Maid or, Whether a Maid May Be a Scholar? In 1639 she also completed a treatise, De Vitae Termino (On the temporal limits of life), on the roles that God and physicians play at the end of human life. Her most famous work—Opuscula Hebræa, Græca, Latina, Gallica: Prosaica & Metrica (Minor works in Hebrew, Greek, Latin, and French: In prose and verse)—appeared in 1648 at the height of her fame. In 1666, van Schurman met Jean de Labadie (b. 1610–d. 1674), the founder of the Labadist community, and her life was radically reoriented. She devoted herself to a new form of piety, one shaped by Catholic mysticism in addition to her Calvinist background. She continued her writing, however, arguing in her mature treatise of 1673, Eukleria, seu Meliores Partis Electio (Eukleria, or choosing the better part, referring to Mary’s choice, Luke 10:41–42) that her former ways of knowing God had left her spiritually bankrupt. Her previous theological teachers disowned her for her choices, but she writes of “joy unspeakable” in her new community. The Eukleria is a fine display of her erudition, marshaled to demonstrate the very limitations of learnedness, in favor of a life more singularly dedicated to God. We thank Dr. Pieta van Beek for her help on an earlier version of the section on Editions and Translations.
Organizational Legitimacy
Authors: Deephouse David L. , Zhang Rongrong
Published: June 2018

Organizational legitimacy is a central concept within organizational research. Most definitions of organizational legitimacy refer to the appropriateness or alignment of a subject with its social system as evaluated by social actors within it. The term “subjects” is used to refer to the many types of social arrangements whose legitimacy is evaluated; “subjects” is used instead of “objects” because “subjects” grants at least some level of autonomy to the social arrangement or the actors involved and because legitimacy is fundamentally subjective, not objective. Earlier examinations of legitimacy frequently considered a nation-state or other authoritative actors in an organizational field as the evaluator; later examinations have considered communities, world society, and the individual as evaluators. Organizational legitimacy has been studied for many subjects in addition to organizations themselves, including industries (such as electricity generators), populations of organizations (such as newspapers), classes of organizations (such as multinational enterprises), structures (such as the multidivisional form), practices (such as downsizing and specific technologies), and organizational leaders (such as CEOs). Consideration of leaders and authority structures within organizations demarks a boundary between organizational legitimacy and legitimacy in groups, a topic in social psychology that also has a large body of research, as mentioned in Legitimacy in Related Disciplines. This article focuses on organizational legitimacy rather than legitimacy of individuals within groups and organizations. This article begins with the emergence of legitimacy into organization theory literature in 1956 and traces its movement into resource dependence and institutional theories in the 1970s. The next section illustrates its entry into management and organization research. Three sections present a review of legitimacy research, theoretical advancements, and its relationships with other concepts. The next three sections consider different sources of legitimacy; two of these are related to field-level evaluators, and the third considers individuals as the micro-foundation of legitimacy in a social system. The section on managing legitimacy includes four subsections. Three are on gaining, maintaining, and losing legitimacy; the fourth focuses on the analysis of texts of those championing the legitimacy of a subject and of others responding with differing levels of support. Two sections about the importance of legitimacy in entrepreneurship and multinational enterprises follow. The final section presents brief introductions to research in related fields that also study legitimacy, both organizational and other types.
Internal Medicine Residents’ Knowledge and Practice of Pulmonary Tuberculosis Diagnosis
Authors: Chida Natasha , Brown Christopher , Mathad Jyoti , Carpenter Kelly , Nelson George , Schechter Marcos C , Giles Natalie , Rebolledo Paulina A , Ray Susan , Fabre Valeria , Cantillo Diana Silva , Longworth Sarah , Amorosa Valerianna , Petrauskis Christian , Boulanger Catherine , Cain Natalie , Gupta Amita , McKenzie-White Jane , Bollinger Robert , Melia Michael T
Published: June 2018

Background

Internal medicine physicians are often the first providers to encounter patients with a new diagnosis of tuberculosis. Given the public health risks of missed tuberculosis cases, assessing internal medicine residents’ ability to diagnose tuberculosis is important.

Methods

Internal medicine resident knowledge and practice patterns in pulmonary tuberculosis diagnosis at 7 academic hospitals were assessed utilizing (a) a 10-item validated pulmonary tuberculosis diagnosis assessment tool and (b) a retrospective chart review of 343 patients who underwent a pulmonary tuberculosis evaluation while admitted to a resident-staffed internal medicine or infectious disease service. Our primary outcomes were the mean score and percentage of correct responses per assessment tool question, and the percentage of patients who had Centers for Disease Control and Prevention–recommended tuberculosis diagnostic tests obtained.

Results

Of the 886 residents who received the assessment, 541 responded, yielding a response rate of 61%. The mean score on the assessment tool (SD) was 4.4 (1.6), and the correct response rate was 57% (311/541) or less on 9 of 10 questions. On chart review, each recommended test was obtained for ≤43% (148/343) of patients, other than chest x-ray (328/343; 96%). A nucleic acid amplification test was obtained for 18% (62/343) of patients, whereas 24% (83/343) had only 1 respiratory sample obtained. Twenty patients were diagnosed with tuberculosis.

Conclusions

Significant knowledge and practice gaps exist in internal medicine residents’ abilities to diagnose tuberculosis. As residents represent the future providers who will be evaluating patients with possible tuberculosis, such deficiencies must be addressed.
Tomato 14-3-3 Proteins Are Required for Xv3 Disease Resistance and Interact with a Subset of Xanthomonas euvesicatoria Effectors
Authors: Dubrow Zoe , Sunitha Sukumaran , Kim Jung-Gun , Aakre Chris D. , Girija Anil Madhusoodana , Sobol Guy , Teper Doron , Chen Yun Chu , Ozbaki-Yagan Nejla , Vance Hillary , Sessa Guido , Mudgett Mary Beth
Published: June 2018

The 14-3-3 phospho-binding proteins with scaffolding activity play central roles in the regulation of enzymes and signaling complexes in eukaryotes. In plants, 14-3-3 isoforms are required for disease resistance and key targets of pathogen effectors. Here, we examined the requirement of the tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) 14-3-3 isoform (TFT) protein family for Xv3 disease resistance in response to the bacterial pathogen Xanthomonas euvesicatoria. In addition, we determined whether TFT proteins interact with the repertoire of X. euvesicatoria type III secretion effector proteins, including AvrXv3, the elicitor of Xv3 resistance. We show that multiple TFT contribute to Xv3 resistance. We also show that one or more TFT proteins physically interact with multiple effectors (AvrXv3, XopE1, XopE2, XopN, XopO, XopQ, and XopAU). Genetic analyses indicate that none of the identified effectors interfere with AvrXv3-elicited resistance into Xv3 tomato leaves; however, XopE1, XopE2, and XopO are required to suppress symptom development in susceptible tomato leaves. Phospho-peptide mapping revealed that XopE2 is phosphorylated at multiple residues in planta and residues T66, T131, and S334 are required for maximal binding to TFT10. Together, our data support the hypothesis that multiple TFT proteins are involved in immune signaling during X. euvesicatoria infection.
Characteristics of Citrus Canker Lesions Associated with Premature Drop of Sweet Orange Fruit
Authors: Lanza Fabrício E. , Marti Weber , Silva Geraldo J. , Behlau Franklin
Published: June 2018

During the development of a citrus fruit, many cycles of infection by Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri may occur leading to the development of a range of characteristics of citrus canker lesions scattered across the fruit surface. This study aimed to determine whether the size of the lesions, their distance from the peduncle, and the number and time of appearance of the lesions on fruit of sweet orange were associated with premature fruit drop. A multiple linear regression analysis revealed a negative relationship between the fruit detachment force and the lesion diameter, the proximity of the nearest lesion to the peduncle and the number of lesions. A survival analysis demonstrated that these characteristics significantly influenced the probability and the time that a cankered fruit remained attached to the tree. More than 90% of dropped fruit had large lesions (>5 mm) but not all fruit with large lesions dropped before harvest. Approximately 50% of the harvested fruit had lesions >5 mm. On the harvested fruit remaining on the tree, although large, the lesions had a smaller diameter, were located farther from the peduncle, and were less numerous than those observed on dropped fruit. Small canker lesions neither reduced the detachment force nor the survival of fruit in the tree. The earlier a fruit expressed canker symptoms, the higher the probability the fruit developed large lesions near the peduncle and/or developed lesions in greater numbers. This study provides a better understanding on the relationship between the time of appearance of lesions of citrus canker on fruit and premature fruit drop. This information defines the critical period for fruit protection and may be used to improve disease management.
Chronic heel pain: when is surgery indicated?
Authors: Abdel Salam Mohamed A. , Mansour Mohammed M. , El Naggar Ahmed
Published: June 2018

Background:

Chronic recalcitrant heel pain is a commonly observed painful condition that often frustrates both the patient and the treating physician.

Methods:

Twenty-four patients (14 men and 10 women) with chronic resistant heel pain were included in this study. All patients were locally injected by platelet rich plasma (PRP), and according to the results of injection, patients were divided into two groups: group A patients had significant improvement and group B had no specific progress. Group B patients underwent surgical decompression of the first branch of lateral planter nerve “Baxter’s nerve” with release of medial planter fascia and calcaneal drilling.

Results:

PRP injection showed 58.3% satisfactory results with improvement of the Plantar Fasciitis Pain/Disability Scale (PFPS) from 79.15 (range, 71.8 to 83.8) to 22.3 (range, 15.4 to 25.5) and improvement of the Foot Function Index (FFI) from 160.42 (range, 155 to 166) to 30.4 (range, 23 to 38). PRP injection failed to provide satisfactory results in 10 patients (41.7%). This group of patients showed 90% satisfactory outcome after surgical interference with improvement of the PFPS from 60.8 (range, 55.4 to 63.8) to 21.8 (range, 16.4 to 25.6) and improvement of the FFI from 143.4 (range, 122 to 155) to 38 (range, 31 to 52).

Conclusions:

Conservative methods can provide satisfactory outcome in up to 90% in the treatment of chronic heel pain. Resistant cases can be managed by a local injection of PRP; surgical management should be reserved for patients who do not respond to PRP injection. Surgical management requires release of Baxter’s nerve and medial planter fascia, and calcaneal drilling.
Retrospective Evaluation of the Safety of Large Skin Flap, Large Skin Graft, and Interpolation Flap Surgery in the Outpatient Setting
Authors: Schmitt Adam , DePry Jennifer , Tsai Sheena , Bordeaux Jeremy
Published: June 2018

BACKGROUND

As the number of cutaneous surgeries continues to increase, it is important to evaluate the safety of dermatologic surgery in the outpatient setting.

OBJECTIVE

The authors sought to determine postoperative bleeding, infection, dehiscence, and necrosis rates in office-based dermatologic surgery using large flap, large graft, and interpolation flap repairs. The authors evaluated the relationship between these complications and surgical site, closure type, repair size, antibiotic use, and antithrombotic use.

METHODS

Eligible patients were identified through searching the electronic medical records from one Mohs micrographic surgeon at University Hospitals Medical Center. Patient information, surgery characteristics, and complication information were collected. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to reveal associations between each complication and closure type, repair size, repair site, antithrombotic use, and antibiotic use.

RESULTS

Three hundred and thirty-one reconstruction procedures after Mohs micrographic surgery and excision qualified for the study. The rates of postoperative infection, hemorrhage, hematoma, necrosis, and dehiscence were 5%, 0.3%, 2.4%, 3%, and 0.9%, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Complications were infrequent and non–life-threatening. The authors' results indicate that dermatologic surgery using large flaps, interpolation flaps, and large grafts is safe in the office setting.
Grading Severity and Activity in Thyroid Eye Disease
Authors: Dolman Peter J.
Published: June 2018

Purpose:

Thyroid eye disease (TED) is an autoimmune disorder causing inflammation, expansion, and fibrosis of orbital fat, muscle, and lacrimal gland. This article reviews the different methods of grading severity and activity of TED and focuses on the VISA Classification for disease evaluation and planning management.

Methods:

Accurate evaluation of the clinical features of TED is essential for early diagnosis, identification of high-risk disease, planning medical and surgical intervention, and assessing response to therapy. Evaluation of the activity and severity of TED is based on a number of clinical features: appearance and exposure, periorbital tissue inflammation and congestion, restricted ocular motility and strabismus, and dysthyroid optic neuropathy. The authors review these clinical features in relation to disease activity and severity.

Results:

Several classification systems have been devised to grade severity of these clinical manifestations. These include the NO SPECS Classification, the European Group on Graves Orbitopathy severity scale, the Clinical Activity Score of Mourits, and the VISA Classification as outlined here. The authors compare and contrast these evaluation schemes.

Conclusions:

An accurate clinical assessment of TED, including grading of disease severity and activity, is necessary for early diagnosis, recognition of those cases likely to develop more serious complications, and appropriate management planning. The VISA Classification grades both disease severity and activity using subjective and objective inputs. It organizes the clinical features of TED into 4 discrete groupings: V (vision, dysthyroid optic neuropathy); I (inflammation, congestion); S (strabismus, motility restriction); A (appearance, exposure). The layout follows the usual sequence of the eye examination and facilitates comparison of measurements between visits and data collation for research.
Phi, Fat, and the Mathematics of a Beautiful Midface
Authors: Stein Ran , Holds John B. , Wulc Allan E. , Swift Arthur , Hartstein Morris E.
Published: June 2018

Purpose:

The Golden ratio, or Phi, has been used to explain the substrates of two-dimensional beauty utilizing the faces of models. A “Phi point” has been identified at the apex of the cheek mound that can be targeted in filler injections. The authors report herein how they have applied this algorithm for surgical shaping of the “beautiful” cheek as a routine part of their lower blepharoplasty procedure. The authors present their technique and results with patients undergoing lower blepharoplasty along with the adjunct of liposculpture to areas of volume deficiency in the midface with a particular goal of enhancing the Phi point.

Methods:

This study was retrospective, consecutive, nonrandomized, interventional case series. The authors reviewed the medical records of 113 consecutive patients who underwent lower blepharoplasty with autologous fat transfer to the Phi point. The aesthetic outcome, patient satisfaction, and complication/revisions were evaluated.

Results:

One hundred two out of 113 patients achieved excellent lower lid position and cheek enhancement as assessed by both patient and surgeon. In these 102 patients, there was significant improvement in lower lid appearance, contour, transition to the cheek, and cheek projection as observed by the surgeon. Three patients required revision to achieve sufficient volume. Eight patients were satisfied with the outcome, nevertheless, requested additional filler injection to optimize.

Conclusions:

Lower blepharoplasty combined with autologous fat transfer to reshape the Phi point is a safe and reliable technique and another step further in our quest for recreating the beautiful face.
Preparticipation Cardiovascular Screening: An Infrastructure Assessment in Collegiate Athletics
Authors: Conway Justin J. , Toresdahl Brett G. , Asplund Chad A. , Asif Irfan M.
Published: June 2018

Objective:

To assess the available infrastructure for secondary testing after preparticipation cardiovascular screening of collegiate athletes.

Design:

Cross-sectional study.

Setting:

National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) athletic programs

Participants:

Team physicians.

Interventions:

Online survey distributed by the NCAA and American Medical Society for Sports Medicine.

Main Outcome Measures:

Availability of secondary cardiovascular diagnostic testing and services.

Results:

Team physicians from 235 schools completed the assessment, representing 21% of all NCAA schools. Ninety (38.3%) NCAA team physicians reported screening athletes using electrocardiogram (ECG). Division I schools were more likely than Division II and III schools to perform both screening ECG (RR, 2.38, P < 0.0001) and echocardiogram (RR, 2.83, P = 0.01). More than 97% of schools had access to resting echocardiogram, stress ECG/echocardiogram, and Holter monitoring within 25 miles with no significant variability between divisions, regions, or size of undergraduate student body. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging and electrophysiology studies were available within 25 miles of more than 80% of schools, and genetics testing was available within 25 miles for 64.8%.

Conclusions:

Secondary testing for cardiovascular abnormalities seems to be readily available for NCAA athletes, regardless of division, region, or school size.
Management of Pain in Elite Athletes: Identified Gaps in Knowledge and Future Research Directions
Authors: Zideman David A. , Derman Wayne , Hainline Brian , Moseley G. Lorimer , Orchard John , Pluim Babette M. , Siebert Christian H. , Turner Judith A.
Published: June 2018

Objective:

For elite athletes to train and compete at peak performance levels, it is necessary to manage their pain efficiently and effectively. A recent consensus meeting on the management of pain in elite athletes concluded that there are many gaps in the current knowledge and that further information and research is required. This article presents the crystallization of these acknowledged gaps in knowledge.

Data sources:

Information was gathered from a wide variety of published scientific sources that were reviewed at the consensus meeting and the gaps in knowledge identified.

Main Results:

Gaps have been identified in the epidemiology of analgesic use, the management of pain associated with minor injuries, and the field of play management of pain for athletes with major injuries. From a pharmacological perspective, there is a lack of information on the prescribing of opioid medications in elite athletes and more data are required on the use of local anesthetics injections, corticosteroids, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs during training and in competition. Pain management strategies for the general population are widely available, but there are few for the elite sporting population and virtually none for elite athletes with a disability. More research is also needed in assessing cognitive-behavior therapies in improving specific outcomes and also into the new process of psychologically informed physiotherapy. A key issue is the paucity of data relating to incidence or prevalence of persistent pain and how this relates to persistent dysfunction, exercise performance, and physiological function in later life.

Conclusions:

The identification of the gaps in knowledge in the management of pain in elite athletes will provide a unified direction for the retrieval of information and further research that will provide reassurance, speed return to active sport, and benefit performance.
EWSR1-SMAD3–rearranged Fibroblastic Tumor
Authors: Michal Michael , Berry Ryan S. , Rubin Brian P. , Kilpatrick Scott E. , Agaimy Abbas , Kazakov Dmitry V. , Steiner Petr , Ptakova Nikola , Martinek Petr , Hadravsky Ladislav , Michalova Kvetoslava , Szep Zoltan , Michal Michal
Published: June 2018

Three cases of superficial acral fibroblastic spindle cell neoplasms with EWSR1-SMAD3 fusion have been recently reported. Their differential diagnosis is broad, primarily comprising rare tumors from the fibroblastic/myofibroblastic category. The aim of this report is to present 4 new cases of this entity and to discuss the appropriate differential diagnosis. Also, as the ERG antibody seems to be a characteristic marker for these tumors, we analyzed ERG immunostaining characteristics in potential mimics of this entity. All cases in our cohort occurred in women aged 5 to 68 years (mean, 36.5 y). Two were located on the hand, 1 on foot, and the last case arose on the calf. The tumor size ranged from 1 to 1.5 cm in the greatest dimension, with a mean size of 1.2 cm. Except for one recent case, follow-up was available, ranging from 7 to 18 years (mean, 11.7 y), with a recurrence noted in 1 case after 10 years. All tumors were subcutaneous and showed 2 main components. One consisted of bland, spindled cells with elongated nuclei which were round when observed on the cross-section. These cells mostly grew in relatively hypercellular, well-organized, and intersecting fascicles. The second component was prominently hyalinized and paucicellular, but lacked calcifications. Both components showed either a distinct zonation pattern, or they were randomly intermingled with each other. In all 3 analyzable tumors, next-generation sequencing showed EWSR1-SMAD3 gene fusion in each case. By fluorescence in situ hybridization, one tested case also revealed unbalanced rearrangement of the EWSR1 gene. All 4 cases showed strong, diffuse nuclear expression of ERG, whereas none of the mimics stained with this antibody except for weak to moderate staining in calcifying aponeurotic fibromas (9/10 cases). Two tumors showed focal weak to moderate expression of SAT-B2. The 4 herein presented cases further broaden the clinicopathologic spectrum of tumors with EWSR1-SMAD3 gene fusion. They also confirm that they represent a novel entity for which we propose the name EWSR1-SMAD3–rearranged fibroblastic Tumor. Our study also proves that in the context of fibroblastic/myofibroblastic tumors, ERG immunohistochemistry is a relatively specific marker for these neoplasms.
Chronic Physiologic Effects of Stress Among Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Adults: Results From the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey
Authors: Mays Vickie M. , Juster Robert-Paul , Williamson Timothy J. , Seeman Teresa E. , Cochran Susan D.
Published: June 2018

Objective

Social disadvantage is associated with markers of physiological dysregulation, which is linked to disease trajectories. Chronic experiences with discrimination are thought to result in the accumulation of physiological “wear and tear” known as allostatic load (AL) among socially marginalized populations such as sexual minorities. Using a nationally representative US sample, we examined whether (1) people who self-identified as homosexual or bisexual display higher levels of AL than heterosexual individuals and (2) subgroups of sexual identity would further differ from each other as a consequence of distinct experiences of marginalization.

Methods

We use data from the 2001–2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Employing multivariate regression methods with sex-specific analyses, we examined AL score differences among lesbian/gay (n = 211), bisexual (n = 307), homosexually experienced (n = 424), and exclusively heterosexual (n = 12,969) individuals, adjusting for possible confounding due to demographics, health indicators, and, among men, HIV infection status.

Results

Results indicate that elevated AL was more common in bisexual men compared with exclusively heterosexual men (adjusted β = 0.25, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.05 to 0.44), with significantly higher levels of glycosylated hemoglobin A1c (adjusted odd ratio = 3.51, 95% CI = 1.46–7.92) and systolic blood pressure (adjusted odd ratio = 2.07, 95% CI = 1.02 to 4.18). Gay-identified men evidenced significantly lower AL (adjusted β = −0.22, 95% CI = −0.41 to −0.04). No significant differences in AL were observed among women.

Conclusions

These findings indicate that physiological dysregulation is more common in bisexual males compared with all other men. The results are discussed with regard to differences in health outcomes between individuals with different sexual orientations.
Ecological specialization, variability in activity patterns and response to environmental change
Authors: Hammond Talisin T. , Palme Rupert , Lacey Eileen A.
Published: June 2018

Differences in temporal patterns of activity can modulate the ambient conditions to which organisms are exposed, providing an important mechanism for responding to environmental change. Such differences may be particularly relevant to ecological generalists, which are expected to encounter a wider range of environmental conditions. Here, we compare temporal patterns of activity for partially sympatric populations of a generalist (the lodgepole chipmunk,
Tamias speciosus
) and a more specialized congener (the alpine chipmunk,
Tamias alpinus
) that have displayed divergent responses to the past century of environmental change. Although mean activity budgets were similar between species, analyses of individual-level variation in locomotion revealed that
T. alpinus
exhibited a narrower range of activity patterns than
T
.
speciosus
. Further analyses revealed that
T. alpinus
was more active earlier in the day, when temperatures were cooler, and that activity patterns for both species changed with increased interspecific co-occurrence. These results are consistent with the greater responsiveness of
T. alpinus
to changes in environmental conditions. In addition to highlighting the utility of accelerometers for collecting behavioural data, our findings add to a growing body of evidence, suggesting that the greater phenotypic variability displayed by ecological generalists may be critical to
in situ
responses to environmental change.
The relative fitness of drug-resistant
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
: a modelling study of household transmission in Peru
Authors: Knight Gwenan M. , Zimic Mirko , Funk Sebastian , Gilman Robert H. , Friedland Jon S. , Grandjean Louis
Published: June 2018

The relative fitness of drug-resistant versus susceptible bacteria in an environment dictates resistance prevalence. Estimates for the relative fitness of resistant
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
(
Mtb
) strains are highly heterogeneous and mostly derived from
in vitro
experiments. Measuring fitness in the field allows us to determine how the environment influences the spread of resistance. We designed a household structured, stochastic mathematical model to estimate the fitness costs associated with multidrug resistance (MDR) carriage in
Mtb
in Lima, Peru during 2010–2013. By fitting the model to data from a large prospective cohort study of TB disease in household contacts, we estimated the fitness, relative to susceptible strains with a fitness of 1, of MDR-
Mtb
to be 0.32 (95% credible interval: 0.15–0.62) or 0.38 (0.24–0.61), if only transmission or progression to disease, respectively, was affected. The relative fitness of MDR-
Mtb
increased to 0.56 (0.42–0.72) when the fitness cost influenced both transmission and progression to disease equally. We found the average relative fitness of MDR-
Mtb
circulating within households in Lima, Peru during 2010–2013 to be significantly lower than concurrent susceptible
Mtb
. If these fitness levels do not change, then existing TB control programmes are likely to keep MDR-TB prevalence at current levels in Lima, Peru.
Exploring the intrinsic behaviour of multisite phosphorylation systems as part of signalling pathways
Authors: Suwanmajo Thapanar , Krishnan J.
Published: June 2018

Multisite phosphorylation is a basic way of chemically encoding substrate function and a recurring feature of cell signalling pathways. A number of studies have explored information processing characteristics of multisite phosphorylation, through studies of the intrinsic kinetics. Many of these studies focus on the module in isolation. In this paper, we build a bridge to connect the behaviour of multisite modification in isolation to that as part of pathways. We study the effect of activation of the enzymes (which are basic ways in which the module may be regulated), as well the effects of the modified substrates being involved in further modifications or exiting reaction compartments. We find that these effects can induce multiple kinds of transitions, including to behaviour not seen intrinsically in the multisite modification module. We then build on these insights to investigate how these multisite modification systems can be tuned by enzyme activation to realize a range of information processing outcomes for the design of synthetic phosphorylation circuits. Connecting the complexity of multisite modification kinetics, with the pathways in which they are embedded, serves as a basis for teasing out many aspects of their interaction, providing insights of relevance in systems biology, synthetic biology/chemistry and chemical information processing.
Induction of zonal-specific cellular morphology and matrix synthesis for biomimetic cartilage regeneration using hybrid scaffolds
Authors: Owida H. A. , Yang R. , Cen L. , Kuiper N. J. , Yang Y.
Published: June 2018

Cartilage is anisotropic in nature and organized into distinct zones. Our goal was to develop zonal-specific three-dimensional hybrid scaffolds which could induce the generation of zonal-specific cellular morphology and extracellular matrix (ECM) composition. The superficial and middle zones comprised two layers of hyaluronic acid (HA) hydrogel which enveloped specifically orientated or randomly arranged polylactic acid nanofibre meshes. The deep zone comprised a HA hydrogel with multiple vertical channels. Primary bovine chondrocytes were seeded into the individual zonal scaffolds, cultured for 14 days and then the ECM was analysed. The aligned nanofibre mesh used in the superficial zone induced an elongated cell morphology, lower glycosaminoglycan (GAG) and collagen II production, and higher cell proliferation and collagen I production than the cells in the middle zone scaffold. Within the middle zone scaffold, which comprised a randomly orientated nanofibre mesh, the cells were clustered and expressed more collagen II. The deep zone scaffold induced the highest GAG production, the lowest cell proliferation and the lowest collagen I expression of the three zones. Assembling the three zones and stabilizing the arrangement with a HA hydrogel generated aligned, randomly aggregated and columnar cells in the superficial, middle and deep zones. This study presents a method to induce zonal-specific chondrocyte morphology and ECM production.
Fabrication of optimized skin biomimics for improved interfacial retention of cosmetic emulsions
Authors: Gkotsis Georgios , Rickard Jonathan James Stanley , Brooker Anju , Bakalis Serafim , Grover Liam M. , Goldberg Oppenheimer Pola
Published: June 2018

Retention of hydrophobic active agents on human skin following the use of skin-care formulations is an important indication of the performance of the deposited product. We have developed a novel system which replicates the interaction between human skin and a cosmetic emulsion to systematically establish and characterize the key parameters driving the retention process at the interface. This included a comprehensive study of the skin's biology and physical properties which influenced the process, the fabrication of advanced, improved skin biomimics, the formulation of a cosmetic model-system emulsion, comprising a hydrophobic active agent i.e. petrolatum, commonly used in cosmetic products, the development of a dedicated and highly consistent deposition rig with a corresponding cleaning set-up and the systematic characterization of retention processes on the developed mimics. This study further explores the interplay of petrolatum with skin biomimics and studies the mechanisms that give rise to improved interfacial retention. Petrolatum has been found to create an occlusive layer on the skin mimic, displaying high coverage from emulsion formulations. The large particle size emulsions yielded improved retention on the developed skin biomimics due to the microstructure of the emulsion and the counter effect of the surfactant.
Exploring the links between cancer and placenta development
Authors: Costanzo Vincenzo , Bardelli Alberto , Siena Salvatore , Abrignani Sergio
Published: June 2018

The development of metastatic cancer is a multistage process, which often requires decades to complete. Impairments in DNA damage control and DNA repair in cancer cell precursors generate genetically heterogeneous cell populations. However, despite heterogeneity most solid cancers have stereotypical behaviours, including invasiveness and suppression of immune responses that can be unleashed with immunotherapy targeting lymphocyte checkpoints. The mechanisms leading to the acquisition of stereotypical properties remain poorly understood. Reactivation of embryonic development processes in cells with unstable genomes might contribute to tumour expansion and metastasis formation. However, it is unclear whether these events are linked to immune response modulation. Tumours and embryos have non-self-components and need to avoid immune responses in their microenvironment. In mammalian embryos, neo-antigens are of paternal origin, while in tumour cells DNA mismatch repair and replication defects generate them. Inactivation of the maternal immune response towards the embryo, which occurs at the placental–maternal interface, is key to ensuring embryonic development. This regulation is accomplished by the trophoblast, which mimics several malignant cell features, including the ability to invade normal tissues and to avoid host immune responses, often adopting the same cancer immunoediting strategies. A better understanding as to whether and how genotoxic stress promotes cancer development through reactivation of programmes occurring during early stages of mammalian placentation could help to clarify resistance to drugs targeting immune checkpoint and DNA damage responses and to develop new therapeutic strategies to eradicate cancer.
Optimized modelling and application of exhaust gas recirculation performance evaluation of turbocharged diesel engine
Authors: Yang Chuan-lei , Zu Xiang-huan , Wang He-Chun , Wang Yin-yan
Published: June 2018

Aimed at the problem of exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) performance evaluation and optimal EGR rate determination of turbocharged diesel engines, an optimized decision-making method, based on grey theory and entropy weight, was proposed. The internal combustion pressure, fuel consumption rate, NO
X
, CO and smoke were selected as the decision-making targets and the initial decision-making model was established based on the traditional grey decision-making theory. According to the characteristics and optimization requirements of EGR, the optimal compromise between combustion and emission performance is proposed to transform into decision-making target weighting problem, then an optimized subjective weighting method based on expert scoring and grey relational analysis is proposed. Finally, the entropy weight method was used to solve the objective weight and the optimized multi-objective grey decision-making model was established, which can not only weaken the human error of subjective empowerment, but also fully explore the intrinsic relationship of the evaluation indexes. At last, an optimization simulation platform for EGR performance evaluation based on MATLB/GUIDE was designed and established. The results show that the optimization simulation platform can effectively improve the efficiency of simulation calculation, which is more convenient for practical engineering applications. The optimized method can successfully realize EGR performance evaluation and optimal EGR rate determination under different working conditions. The decision-making result was consistent with the present EGR control strategies, which provide a new research idea for EGR performance optimization.
Preparation of palladized carbon nanotubes encapsulated iron composites: highly efficient dechlorination for trichloroethylene and low corrosion of nanoiron
Authors: Wang Xinyu , Wang Wei , Lowry Greg , Li Xiaoyan , Guo Yajie , Li Tielong
Published: June 2018

A method developed based on the capillary effect and capillary condensation theory was used to synthesize an innovative Fe/C/Pd composite in this study. This composite (Fe@CNTs@Pd) consists of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with nanoscale zerovalent iron (NZVI) on the inner surface and palladium nanoparticles supported on the outer surface of CNTs. This structure successfully addresses the problems of high iron corrosion rate and lower utilization rate of hydrogen in the application of bimetal nanoparticles for trichloroethylene (TCE) removal. TCE degradation experiments and electrochemical tests were conducted to investigate the material properties and reaction mechanisms of the composite. It is found that the prepared composite material contribute a high level of TCE dechlorination rate and substantially reduced hydrogen production during iron corrosion in water compared with the conventional CNTs-supported bimetal materials (Fe/Pd@CNTs). Hydrogen spillover effect helps the reactivity of Fe@CNTs@Pd for TCE degradation and suppressed the galvanic cell effect, which results in a stronger resistance to corrosion. Although theKobsof Fe@CNTs@Pd was 16.87% lower than that of Fe/Pd@CNTs, the hydrogen production rate of Fe@CNTs@Pd was 10 times slower than that of Fe/Pd@CNTs. Therefore, Fe@CNTs@Pd shows a significant reduction in the corrosion rate at a cost of slightly slower degradation of TCE. In sum, the prepared composites demonstrate important characteristics, including alleviating NZVI agglomeration, maintaining high TCE removal efficiency and reducing the corrosion of NZVI.
Technology networks: the autocatalytic origins of innovation
Authors: Napolitano Lorenzo , Evangelou Evangelos , Pugliese Emanuele , Zeppini Paolo , Room Graham
Published: June 2018

We analyse the autocatalytic structure of technological networks and evaluate its significance for the dynamics of innovation patenting. To this aim, we define a directed network of technological fields based on the International Patents Classification, in which a source node is connected to a receiver node via a link if patenting activity in the source field anticipates patents in the receiver field in the same region more frequently than we would expect at random. We show that the evolution of the technology network is compatible with the presence of a growing autocatalytic structure, i.e. a portion of the network in which technological fields mutually benefit from being connected to one another. We further show that technological fields in the core of the autocatalytic set display greater fitness, i.e. they tend to appear in a greater number of patents, thus suggesting the presence of positive spillovers as well as positive reinforcement. Finally, we observe thatcore shiftstake place whereby different groups of technology fields alternate within the autocatalytic structure; this points to the importance of recombinant innovation taking place between close as well as distant fields of the hierarchical classification of technological fields.
Benzothiazole heterogeneous photodegradation in nano α-Fe
2
O
3
/oxalate system under UV light irradiation
Authors: Han Xiangyun , Zhang Xi , Zhang Lei , Pan Mei , Yan Jinlong
Published: June 2018

The photodegradation of benzothiazole (BTH) in wastewater with the coexistence of iron oxides and oxalic acid under UV light irradiation was investigated. Results revealed that an effective heterogeneous photo-Fenton-like system could be set up for BTH abatement in wastewater under UV irradiation without additional H
2
O
2
, and 88.1% BTH was removed with the addition of 2.0 mmol l
−1
oxalic acid and 0.2 g l
−1
α-Fe
2
O
3
using a 500 W high-pressure mercury lamp (365 nm). The degradation of BTH in the photo-Fenton-like system followed the first-order kinetic model. The photoproduction of hydroxyl radicals (·OH) in different systems was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. Identification of transformation products by using liquid chromatography coupled with high resolution tandem mass spectrometry provided information about six transformation products formed during the photodegradation of BTH. Further insight was obtained by monitoring concentrations of the sulfate ion

(

SO

4

2
−

)

and nitrate ion

(

NO

3

−

)

, which demonstrated that the intermediate products of BTH could be decomposed ultimately. Based on the results, the potential photodegradation pathway of BTH was also proposed.
Cerium promoted V-g-C
3
N
4
as highly efficient heterogeneous catalysts for the direct benzene hydroxylation
Authors: Wang Cheng , Hu Liya , Wang Meiyin , Yue Bin , He Heyong
Published: June 2018

A series of Ce

x

-V-g-C
3
N
4
catalysts with different cerium content were synthesized by a facile co-assembly method. Compared with pure V-g-C
3
N
4
catalyst, the addition of cerium facilitated the high dispersion of vanadium species as well as the benzene adsorption ability of the corresponding catalysts. Also, the existence of cerium promoted the partial reduction of vanadium species, which improved the redox property of vanadium species as the active centres. The Ce

x

-V-g-C
3
N
4
catalysts showed considerably improved activity in the benzene hydroxylation reaction compared with V-g-C
3
N
4
catalyst. Among the catalysts studied, Ce
0.07
-0.07 V-g-C
3
N
4
exhibited the best catalytic activity with a benzene conversion of 33.7% and a phenol yield of 32.3% with good structural and catalytic stability, while only 24.7% of benzene conversion and phenol yield of 24.2% were obtained over 0.07 V-g-C
3
N
4
.
High-performance single-walled carbon nanotube transparent conducting film fabricated by using low feeding rate of ethanol solution
Authors: Ding Er-Xiong , Zhang Qiang , Wei Nan , Khan Abu Taher , Kauppinen Esko I.
Published: June 2018

We report floating catalyst chemical vapour deposition synthesis of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) for high-performance transparent conducting films (TCFs) using low feeding rate of precursor solution. Herein, ethanol acts as carbon source, ferrocene and thiophene as catalyst precursor and growth promoter, respectively. By adopting a low feeding rate of 4 µl min
−1
, the fabricated TCFs present one of the lowest sheet resistances of
ca
78 Ω sq.
−1
. at 90% transmittance. Optical characterizations demonstrate that the mean diameter of high-quality SWCNTs is up to 2 nm. Additionally, electron microcopy observations provide evidence that the mean length of SWCNT bundles is as long as 28.4 µm while the mean bundle diameter is only 5.3 nm. Moreover, very few CNT loops can be found in the film. Remarkably, the fraction of individual SWCNTs reaches 24.6%. All those morphology data account for the superior optoelectronic performance of our SWCNT TCFs.
Analysing the effect of paddy rice variety on fluorescence characteristics for nitrogen application monitoring
Authors: Shen Chaoyong , Feng Zhongke , Zhou Daoqin
Published: June 2018

Paddy rice is one of the most important cereal crops worldwide, so it is very important to accurately monitor its growth status and photosynthetic efficiency. The nitrogen (N) level is a key factor closely related to crop growth. In this study, laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) technology combined with multi-variate analysis was applied to investigate the effect of paddy rice variety on N fertilizer level monitoring. Principal components analysis was conducted to extract the variables of the main fluorescence characteristics to identify N levels. Experimental results demonstrated that no nitrogen fertilizer can be completely identified for each paddy rice variety. In addition, other N levels can also be well classified based on the fluorescence characteristics. The relationship between the fluorescence ratio (F735/F685 : F735, and F685 denote the fluorescence intensity at 735 nm, and 685 nm, respectively) and leaf N content of different paddy rice varieties is also discussed. Experimental results revealed that LIF technology is an effective method of monitoring the N fertilizer and leaf biochemical components of paddy rice.