bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Identification of upper gastrointestinal malignancy in patients with uncomplicated dyspepsia referred under the two-week-wait cancer pathway: a single-centre, 10-year experience
Authors: Patel Janisha , McNair Alistair
Published: September 2019

Introduction

In the United Kingdom, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence 2015 guidance recommend that for suspected gastric or oesophageal cancer, general practitioners consider a non-urgent, direct-access endoscopy in patients over 55 years with only uncomplicated treatment-resistant dyspepsia. In practice, patients are referred under the urgent 2-week-wait cancer pathway.

Methods

We compared the frequency of gastric or oesophageal carcinoma in patients referred to our centre on the 2-week-wait pathway with uncomplicated dyspepsia to those who have a combination of additional alarm symptoms. The four most common indications for endoscopy referral on the 2-week-wait pathway and all combinations of those indications were examined: Dyspepsia (‘ulcer-like’, ‘non-ulcer-like’ or ‘reflux-like’ dyspepsia), anaemia, weight loss or dysphagia.

Results

Over 10 years, 9012 two-week-wait gastroscopies were performed, and a tumour was identified in 256 patients (2.84%). One thousand and three hundred six gastroscopies performed for uncomplicated dyspepsia and only 6 patients (0.46%) had a tumour. Therefore, uncomplicated dyspepsia alone had a poor positive predictive value of detecting gastric or oesophageal cancer. Our findings suggest dyspepsia had no significant cumulative effect on the number of patients with anaemia or weight loss found to have a lesion at endoscopy but indeed significantly decreased the likelihood of finding a tumour in those with dysphagia.

Conclusion

Dyspepsia as a parameter to investigate gastric or oesophageal cancer contributes significantly to the growth in number of 2-week-wait referrals at a time when endoscopy units battle to meet demand. Our data show patients with uncomplicated dyspepsia rarely have gastric or oesophageal cancer and should not undergo endoscopies under the urgent 2-week-wait pathway.
The Educational Impact of Implementing National Quality Registries in Sweden—A National Collaboration Project
Authors: Peterson Anette , Hedberg Berith , Fredholm Ståhl Ylva
Published: September 2019

Background and Objectives:

There is a need for improved clinical outcomes, and a useful tool in this endeavor is the use of National Quality Registries (NQRs). To learn more about the impact of NQRs, a National Collaboration Project was formed. This follow-up study had 2 aims: first, to describe the value and learning of a National Collaboration Project focusing on the use of NQRs in collaboration between universities, health care organizations, and the regional registry centers; and, second, to describe what activities are still ongoing.

Method:

A qualitative design was used to obtain a detailed description of the extent to which project leaders perceived that the goals had been achieved after participation in the national project. A qualitative descriptive content analysis was performed.

Results:

Four main categories were found. The context proved to be crucial for how the local projects were formed and developed. Networking was highlighted as an important part of learning. Another mentioned part of learning was the change planned and implemented in the curriculum to promote the use of NQRs. Finally, the importance of anchoring and spreading the lessons learned was also stressed.

Conclusion:

Using NQRs in multidisciplinary education is successful in many ways, but this study shows that certain factors need to be in place to make it work in practice.
Inducible degron-dependent depletion of the RNA polymerase I associated factor PAF53 demonstrates it is essential for cell growth and allows for the analysis of functional domains
Authors: McNamar Rachel , Abu-Adas Zakaria , Rothblum Katrina , Rothblum Lawrence I.
Published: September 2019

Our knowledge of the mechanism of rDNA transcription has benefitted from the combined application of genetic techniques in yeast, and progress on the biochemistry of the various components of yeast rDNA transcription. Nomura’s laboratory derived a system in yeast for screening for mutants essential for ribosome biogenesis. Such systems have allowed investigators to not only determine if a gene was essential, but to analyze domains of the proteins for different functions in rDNA transcriptionin vivo. However, because there are significant differences in both the structures and components of the transcription apparatus and the patterns of regulation between mammals and yeast, there are significant deficits in our understanding of mammalian rDNA transcription. We have developed a system combining CRISPR/Cas9 and an inducible degron that allows us to combine a “genetics-like” approach to studying mammalian rDNA transcription with biochemistry. Using this system, we show that the mammalian homologue of yeast A49, PAF53, is required for rDNA transcription and mitotic growth. Further, we have been able to study the domains of the protein required for activity. We have found that while the C-terminal, DNA-binding domain (tWH) was necessary for complete function, the heterodimerization and linker domains were also essential. Analysis of the linker identified a putative DNA-binding domain. We have confirmed that the helix-turn-helix (HTH) of the linker constitutes a second DNA-binding domain within PAF53 and that the HTH is essential for PAF53 function.
Does the basic farmland preservation hinder land transfers in rural China?
Authors: Qiu Tongwei , Luo Biliang , Li Shangpu , He Qinying
Published: September 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to assess the links between basic farmland preservation and land transfers in rural China.

Design/methodology/approach

The Chinese provincial panel data from 2006 to 2016 were analyzed with the use of Arellano–Bond linear dynamic panel data estimations.

Findings

The basic farmland preservation policy negatively affects the land transfer rate. In addition, this policy is most likely to limit land transfers between local acquaintances in the major grain-producing areas. Further evidence indicates that the basic farmland preservation policy has a negative impact on land rentals in general. Considering that land transfers such as exchanges and take-overs are excluded from rental transactions between acquaintances, the policy’s constraints on land use are likely to hinder land rentals between acquaintances, which are market-oriented.

Practical implications

Overall, this study’s analysis suggests that the farmland preservation policy’s constraints on land use rights are likely to result in a major diminishment of the rural rental markets. Under this policy, land that is designated as basic farmland cannot be converted to another use. However, it remains possible to improve the productivity of agriculture through other means. These possible avenues for improvement include enhancing the efficiency of production through expanding the scale of farming operations and developing the social services aspect of agriculture (i.e. the basic farmland preservation policy is likely to realize more social revenue than can be gained from land transfers). Thus, the arrangement of the basic farmland preservation policy in China can be managed in a way that is both economical and reasonable.

Originality/value

To ensure food security, China has enacted several laws and regulations to preserve basic farmland, and it has promoted land transfers to improve farm productivity. Therefore, it is important to understand whether the basic farmland preservation policy restricts land use rights and hinders land transfers that could improve productivity. This study provides empirical evidence showing that the basic farmland preservation policy is actually not conducive to promoting land transfers and that it even discourages the market orientation of land rentals between acquaintances. In dealing with this issue, the Chinese Government should seek to balance the relationship between preserving basic farmland and promoting land transfers.
Determinants of China’s outward foreign direct investment in the Belt & Road economies
Authors: Shahriar Saleh , Kea Sokvibol , Qian Lu
Published: September 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the major determinants of China’s outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) in the economies along the “Belt & Road” Initiative (BRI afterward). China works on to advance the agenda of the BRI both at home and abroad. The BRI is set up to promote connectivity in five key areas: policy coordination, infrastructure connectivity, trade facilitation, financial cooperation and people-to-people contacts.

Design/methodology/approach

The existing literature is inconclusive with regards to the motives, patterns and determinants of the Chinese OFDI. The authors are, therefore, motivated to undertake this study to shed some new light on the influencing factors of the Chinese OFDI. The authors have made a unique data set that consists of China and its 64 partnering countries of the BRI over a time period of 12 years spanning from 2004 to 2015. This time period is chosen on the chief consideration of data availability. The authors have a balanced panel, and applied the gravity model in line with the theoretical arguments and econometric developments.

Findings

The paper assumes that China’s OFDI along the BRI was a function of gross domestic product (GDP), income per capita, distance and WTO. The findings showed that GDP, per capita income and distance were the key determinants of the OFDI. China’s entry into the WTO did not strongly affect the OFDI. China maintained a tradition of historical relationships along the BRI economies. After all, China is relocating its investment resources in line with the consideration of its partnering countries’ economic size, cross-border distance and per capita income.

Originality/value

This study is the first of its kinds to analyze the determinants of OFDI by means of gravity model. The authors have covered all the countries along the BRI. Hence, this paper aims to make a substantial contribution to the literature, both from a scientific and a policy perspective.
Leader’s integrity and interpersonal deviance
Authors: Erkutlu Hakan , Chafra Jamel
Published: September 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to posit that leader’s integrity decreases employee’s interpersonal deviance by increasing moral efficacy in the workplace. Specifically, the authors propose that perceptions of moral efficacy serve as a mechanism through which leader’s integrity affects workplace deviance. The authors further argue that the modeled relationships are moderated by moral identity.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from ten universities in Turkey. The sample included 693 randomly chosen faculty members along with their department chairs.

Findings

The results of this study supported the negative effect of leader integrity on employee’s interpersonal deviance as well as the mediating effect of moral efficacy. Moreover, when the level of moral identity is high, the relationship between leader integrity and interpersonal deviance is strong, whereas the relationship is weak when the level of moral identity is low.

Practical implications

This study’s findings indicate that higher education administrators should be cautious in treating their subordinates, as this will lead to a favorable interpersonal relationship, which in turn will reduce the interpersonal deviance of the subordinate. In addition, the buffering role of the moral identity should be paid more attention, particularly to people with low moral efficacy and high interpersonal deviance.

Originality/value

This study contributes to workplace deviance literature by revealing the relation between leader integrity and interpersonal deviance. Furthermore, it offers practical assistance to higher education employees and their leaders concerned with building trust, increasing the relationship between leaders and employees and reducing the interpersonal deviation.
Factors influencing acceptance of augmented reality in retail: insights from thematic analysis
Authors: Perannagari Krishna Teja , Chakrabarti Somnath
Published: September 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of augmented reality (AR) on retailing by conducting thematic analysis on variables studied in the existing literature.

Design/methodology/approach

The data set includes 232 variables studied in 35 research papers, collected using well-defined search and inclusion criteria. Thematic analysis is used to identify patterns in the data set.

Findings

The eight themes emerging from the analysis are arranged in the form of a conceptual framework to model the decision-making process of users. The position of themes in the model is determined by the most dominant variable type in the theme and by employing the technology acceptance model as the reference paradigm.

Research limitations/implications

The current review contributes to the advancement of literature by setting a research agenda for scholars working in the field of consumer behavior and human–computer interaction. Future research should improve the generalizability of the research by replicating the method and testing the conceptual framework on other immersive technologies.

Practical implications

Marketers should incorporate AR technology into their experiential marketing strategies. Since integrating and managing AR technology requires expertise, organizations are advised to make use of existing toolkits or collaborate with technology companies to develop their offerings.

Originality/value

To maintain the uniqueness of the current study from other papers focusing on existing research done in this area, this review considers only studies using statistical techniques to study consumer behavior pertaining to AR in retail. The study uses an unconventional method for identifying patterns in the existing literature by employing theories and frameworks as the basis of classification.
Owned-by and made-in cues
Authors: Zolfagharian Mohammadali , Saldivar Roberto , Williams Jerome D.
Published: September 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the cognitive and affective dimensions of COO and the owned-by/made-in cue combinations in first-generation immigrant markets.

Design/methodology/approach

The cognitive and affective dimensions were manipulated in a scenario-based experiment administered on 261 Mexican Americans in three product categories.

Findings

The cognitive and affective dimensions each have a distinct impact. When the two dimensions combine, the effect is stronger within the specialty product category, followed by the shopping product category, and, to a lesser extent, in the convenience product category.

Research limitations/implications

The cognitive dimension was represented by the country’s degree of political, economic and technological development, whereas the affective dimension was traced by examining immigrants who identify with the emotional and symbolic meanings associated with countries involved in the country of origin (COO) message.

Practical implications

Managers should pursue emerging COO research whose concepts and designs are congruent with today’s global consumer culture. The authors find support for the stand-alone effects of made-in and owned-by COO cues, as well as the effects of the cognitive and affective dimensions of COO. When COO messages combine both made-in and owned-by cues, the cognitive and affective dimensions may work synergistically, depending on the product category.

Originality/value

This study adds to the nascent literature that recognizes the multiplicity of consumer identities, and bridges the gulf between the conventional COO research and the increasingly multicultural nature of the marketplace.
Do social capital and relationship quality matter to the key account management effectiveness?
Authors: Badawi Nada Saleh , Battor Moustafa
Published: September 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the influence of social capital and relationship quality on key account management (KAM) effectiveness.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on the literature, the authors designed a framework that links social capital, relationship quality and KAM effectiveness. Data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire. Using data from a sample of 172 business-to-business supplier firms, the authors examined this model.

Findings

The research results provide empirical support to the importance of relational aspects of KAM by showing how the relational aspects of relationship quality and social capital influence the effectiveness of the supplier-key account relationship.

Originality/value

The authors add to the literature on relational KAM by integrating theoretical perspectives on social capital, relationship quality and KAM. They develop a model that investigates the antecedents of the effectiveness of supplier–key account relationships from a relational perspective. The study explains the relationships between six constructs representing social capital (ability, benevolence, integrity, flexibility, information exchange and solidarity) and three constructs representing relationship quality (trust, satisfaction and relationship atmosphere), together with the relationships between these three constructs of relationship quality and KAM effectiveness.
To B or not to B: Etsy’s decision whether to re-incorporate as a public benefit corporation and maintain its B Lab certification
Authors: Lingenfelter Gabriele , Cohen Ronnie
Published: September 2019

Theoretical basis

As the regulatory system begins to recognize the role of social responsibility reporting, reliable disclosure measures will be required. Issues of transparency, reliability and assurance are likely to arise as securities regulators consider whether and how to require disclosure of non-financial information. Various reporting models are presented in the case to illustrate different ways that these issues can be addressed by privately held and publicly traded corporations.

Research methodology

The case uses the company, Etsy, Inc., which has established itself as a publicly traded, socially responsible corporation. Etsy must decide whether it will re-incorporate as a benefit corporation in order to maintain its B Lab certification. This decision introduces students to the various measures of corporate social responsibility, the interests of the stakeholders of a corporation and the regulatory environment in which socially responsible, publicly traded corporations operate. The case uses only publicly available information.

Case overview/synopsis

This teaching case addresses the decision faced by Etsy, Inc. when it became a publicly traded corporation. In order to maintain its certification as a socially responsible corporation by B Lab, it would have to re-incorporate as a Delaware Benefit Corporation. In making this decision, the company had to consider various measures used for corporate social responsibility reporting and transparency and how these might affect Etsy’s stakeholders.

Complexity academic level

Undergraduate or masters level case that could be used in a business law, commercial law, legal environment or auditing course.
Cutaneous tuberculosis in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: description of a series of 75 cases
Authors: Mann Danielle , Sant’Anna Flavia M. , Schmaltz Carolina A. S. , Rolla Valeria , Freitas Dayvison F. S. , Lyra Marcelo R. , Sampaio Felipe M. S. , do Valle Antonio C. F. , Lourenço Maria C. S , Quintella Leonardo P. , Teichner Tullia C. , Cavalcante Solange C. , Galhardo Maria C. G.
Published: September 2019

Background

Brazil is one of the highest tuberculosis (TB) burden countries of the world. Cutaneous tuberculosis (CTB) is a rare form of extrapulmonary manifestation of tuberculosis. This study aimed to describe the clinico‐evolutive, laboratory and therapeutic aspects of CTB cases among patients from a cohort with TB in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Methods

Cases of diagnosed CTB with microbiologic confirmation or clinical response to anti‐tuberculous treatment associated with positive smear or histopathological findings between the years 2000 and 2016 were selected.

Results

Seventy‐five patients with CTB were included, most were women (58.7%) with a median age of 42 years. CTB diagnosis was based on culture in only 42.7% of the cases. Scrofuloderma represented 50.7% of the cases, followed by erythema induratum of Bazin (EIB) (18.7%), tuberculous gumma (13.3%), lupus vulgaris (8%), TB verrucosa cutis (4%), orificial TB (2.7%) and associated forms (2.7%). Other TB presentations were pulmonary (22.7%), mammary (6.6%) and osteoarticular (4%). All patients who completed the treatment (97.3%) had their lesions healed. Only two patients (2.6%) needed to change the therapy due to adverse reactions. Fifty percent of EIB patients presented recurrence.

Conclusions

These data highlight the diversity of CTB presentations and the importance of the skin to assist in early identification and treatment of TB. More studies are necessary to improve the knowledge on EIB for a better approach towards these patients, mainly in cases of recurrence.
Subcellular NAMPT‐mediated NAD+ salvage pathways and their roles in bioenergetics and neuronal protection after ischemic injury
Authors: Wang Xiaowan , Zhang Zhe , Zhang Nannan , Li Hailong , Zhang Li , Baines Christopher P. , Ding Shinghua
Published: September 2019

NAD+ is a cofactor required for glycolysis, tricarboxylic acid cycle, and complex I enzymatic reaction. In mammalian cells, NAD+ is predominantly synthesized through the salvage pathway, where nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT) is the rate‐limiting enzyme. Previously, we demonstrated that NAMPT exerts a neuroprotective effect in ischemia through the suppression of mitochondrial dysfunction. Mammalian cells maintain distinct NAD+ pools in the cytosol, mitochondria, and nuclei. However, it is unknown whether mitochondria have an intact machinery for NAD+ salvage, and if so, whether it plays a dominant role in bioenergetics, mitochondrial function, and neuronal protection after ischemia. Here, using mouse primary cortical neuron and cortical tissue preparations, and multiple technologies including cytosolic and mitochondrial subfractionation, viral over‐expression of transgenes, molecular biology, and confocal microscopy, we provided compelling evidence that neuronal mitochondria possess an intact machinery of NAMPT‐mediated NAD+ salvage pathway, and that NAMPT and nicotinamide mononucleotide adenylyltransferase 3 (NMNAT3) are localized in the mitochondrial matrix. By knocking down NMNAT1‐3 and NAMPT with siRNA, we found that NMNAT3 has a larger effect on basal and ATP production‐related mitochondrial respiration than NMNAT1‐2 in primary cultured neurons, while NMNAT1‐2 have a larger effect on glycolytic flux than NMNAT3. Using an oxygen glucose deprivation model, we found that mitochondrial, cytoplasmic, and non‐subcellular compartmental over‐expressions of NAMPT have a comparable effect on neuronal protection and suppression of apoptosis‐inducing factor translocation. The current study provides novel insights into the roles of subcellular compartmental NAD+ salvage pathways in NAD+ homeostasis, bioenergetics, and neuronal protection in ischemic conditions.

image
Inhibition of transglutaminase activity in periodontitis rescues periodontal ligament collagen content and architecture
Authors: Moore Rosset Emilie , Trombetta‐eSilva Jessica , Hepfer Glenn , Chen Peng , Yao Hai , Bradshaw Amy D.
Published: September 2019

Background and objective

Periodontal disease (PD) afflicts approximately 50% of the population in the United States and is characterized by chronic inflammation of the periodontium that can lead to loss of the periodontal ligament through collagen degradation, loss of alveolar bone, and to eventual tooth loss. Previous studies have implicated transglutaminase (TG) activity in promoting thin collagen I fiber morphology and decreased mechanical strength in homeostatic PDL. The aim of this study was to determine whether TG activity influenced collagen assembly in PDL in the setting of periodontal disease.

Material and methods

A ligature model was used to induce clinically relevant PD in mice. Mice with ligature were assessed at 5 and 14 days to determine PDL collagen morphology, transglutaminase (TG) activity, and bone loss. The effects of inhibition of TG on PDL were assessed by immunohistochemistry and second‐harmonic generation (SHG) to visualize collagen fibers in native tissue.

Results

Ligature placement around the 2nd molar resulted in significant bone loss and a decrease in total collagen content after 5 days of ligature placement. A significant increase in thin over thick fibers was also demonstrated in mice with ligature at 5 days associated with apparent increases in immunoreactivity for TG2 and for TG‐mediated N‐ε‐γ‐glutamyl cross‐links in PDL. Inhibition of TG activity increased total collagen and thick collagen fiber content over vehicle control in mice with ligature for 5 days. SHG of PDL was used to visualize and quantify the effects of TG inhibition on enhanced collagen fiber organization in unfixed control and diseased PDL.

Conclusion

These studies support a role of TG in regulating collagen fiber assembly and suggest that strategies to inhibit TG activity in disease might contribute to restoration of PDL tissue integrity.
The ocean is key to achieving climate and societal goals
Authors: Hoegh-Guldberg Ove , Northrop Eliza , Lubchenco Jane
Published: September 2019

Ocean-based approaches can help close mitigation gaps
Type 3 Immunity during Clostridioides difficile Infection: Too Much of a Good Thing?
Authors: Saleh Mahmoud M. , Petri William A.
Published: September 2019

Clostridioides(formerly known asClostridium)difficileis the leading cause of hospital-acquired gastrointestinal infections in the United States and one of three urgent health care threats identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.C. difficiledisease is mediated by the production of toxins that disrupt the epithelial barrier and cause a robust host inflammatory response.
Sequencing and Analysis of Three Mycobacterium tuberculosis Genomes of the B0/N-90 Sublineage
Authors: Zakharevich Natalia V. , Zaychikova Marina V. , Shur Kirill V. , Bekker Olga B. , Maslov Dmitry A. , Danilenko Valery N.
Published: September 2019

We report the draft genome sequences of three
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
isolates belonging to the B0/N-90 sublineage, EKB34, EKB53, and EKB79. The B0/N-90 sublineage belongs to the prevalent (in Russia) and highly virulent Beijing-B0/W148 sublineage. Isolates EKB34 and EKB79 were obtained from people with immune deficiency.
Are submarine and subaerial drainages morphologically distinct?
Authors: Dobbs Stephen C. , McHargue Tim , Malkowski Matthew A. , Gooley Jared T. , Jaikla Chayawan , White Colin J. , Hilley George E.
Published: September 2019

The qualitative resemblance between terrestrial and submarine branched valley networks has led to speculation that common underlying processes control their formation. However, quantitative comparisons have been impeded by methodological limitations and coarse resolution in marine systems. We analyze channel concavity and steepness indices of 23 terrestrial and 29 submarine catchments to determine whether their profile morphologies are distinct. Statistical comparisons of these quantities demonstrate that concavity indices in submarine systems are, in general, lower than in subaerial systems, and that submarine tributaries are steeper than their associated mainstem. These differences may reflect distinct drainage formation mechanisms and dynamics of submarine sediment gravity flows as compared to overland flow processes.
Biomarker evidence for nitrogen-fixing cyanobacterial blooms in a brackish surface layer in the Nile River plume during sapropel deposition
Authors: Bale Nicole J. , Hennekam Rick , Hopmans Ellen C. , Dorhout Denise , Reichart Gert-Jan , van der Meer Marcel , Villareal Tracy A. , Sinninghe Damsté Jaap S. , Schouten Stefan
Published: September 2019

Sapropels are organic-rich sediment layers deposited in the eastern Mediterranean Sea during precession minima, resulting from an increase in export productivity and/or preservation. Increased freshwater delivery from the African continent resulted in stratification, causing deepwater anoxia, while nutrient input stimulated productivity, presumably at the deep chlorophyll maximum. Previous studies have suggested that during sapropel deposition, nitrogen fixation was widespread in the highly stratified surface waters, and that cyanobacteria symbiotic with diatoms (diatom-diazotroph associations, DDAs) were responsible. Here we analyzed sapropel S5 sediments for heterocyst glycolipids (HGs) from three locations in the eastern Mediterranean. HG biomarkers can differentiate between those heterocystous cyanobacteria that are free living (found predominately in freshwater or brackish environments) and those that are from DDAs (found in marine settings). In our primary core, from a location which would have been influenced by the Nile River outflow, we detected a HG with a pentose (C5) head group specific for DDAs. However, HGs with a hexose (C6) head group, specific to free-living cyanobacteria, were present in substantially (up to 60×) higher concentration. These data suggest that at our study location, free-living cyanobacteria were the dominant diazotrophs, rather than DDAs. The C6 HGs increased substantially at the onset of sapropel S5 deposition, suggesting that substantial seasonal cyanobacterial blooms were associated with a brackish surface layer flowing from the Nile into the eastern Mediterranean. Two additional S5 sapropels were analyzed, one also from the Nile delta region and one from the region between Libya and southwestern Crete. Overall, comparison of the HG distribution in the three S5 sapropels provides evidence that all three locations were initially influenced by surface salinities that were sufficiently low to support free-living heterocystous cyanobacteria. While free-living heterocystous cyanobacteria continued to outnumber DDAs during sapropel deposition at the two Nile-influenced sites, DDAs, indicators of persistent marine salinities, were the dominant diazotrophs in the upper part of the sapropel at the more westerly site. These results indicate that N2 fixation by free-living cyanobacteria offers an important additional mechanism to stimulate productivity in regions with strong river discharge during sapropel deposition.
Advances in Stable Isotope Tracer Methodology Part 1: Hepatic Metabolism via Isotopomer Analysis and Postprandial Lipolysis Modeling
Authors: Diniz Behn Cecilia , Jin Eunsook S , Bubar Kate , Malloy Craig , Parks Elizabeth J , Cree-Green Melanie
Published: September 2019

Stable isotope tracers have been used to gain an understanding of integrative animal and human physiology. More commonly studied organ systems include hepatic glucose metabolism, lipolysis from adipose tissue, and whole body protein metabolism. Recent improvements in isotope methodology have included the use of novel physiologic methods/models and mathematical modeling of data during different physiologic states. Here we review some of the latest advancements in this field and highlight future research needs. First we discuss the use of an oral [U-13C3]-glycerol tracer to determine the relative contribution of glycerol carbons to hepatic glucose production after first cycling through the tricarboxylic acid cycle, entry of glycerol into the pentose phosphate pathway or direct conversion of glycerol into the glucose. Second, we describe an adaptation of the established oral minimal model used to define postprandial glucose dynamics to include glycerol dynamics in an oral glucose tolerance test with a [2H5]-glycerol tracer to determine dynamic changes in lipolysis. Simulation results were optimized when parameters describing glycerol flux were determined with a hybrid approach using both tracer-based calculations and constrained parameter optimization. Both of these methodologies can be used to expand our knowledge of not only human physiology, but also the effects of various nutritional strategies and medications on metabolism.
Cascading failure model for improving the robustness from the perspective of traffic planning
Authors: Wang Cheng , Huang Zhengdong
Published: September 2019

In the field of complex networks, construction cost and operational stability are the main topics for traffic networks. Increasing the investment in key edges and reducing the investment in nonkey edges can effectively reduce the cost and improve the network stability. Much empirical evidence shows that an edge with a high load is not always the priority. A new method of unifying the weights is presented. This method can compare the importance of edges in different cascading failure models. By studying a large number of research experiments, a new model for controlling the cascading failure and construction cost is proposed. The performance of three models for the scale-free network and the traffic network has been explored. The reason why the new model shows a more stable performance than the other models has been explained through the computational methods. In conclusion, the new model can control the spreading of a cascading failure in the traffic network well. This paper might be useful for preventing and mitigating cascading failures in other traffic networks.
Improved Delay-Dependent Stability of Nonlinear Quadratic TS Fuzzy Systems
Authors: Naamane Khadija , Tissir El Houssaine
Published: September 2019

This paper focuses on the problem of delay-dependent stability for nonlinear quadratic Takagi–Sugeno (TS) fuzzy systems with time-varying delay using the input–output approach. The results are based on the model transformation by employing a three-terms approximation of delayed state vector. By applying the scaled small-gain theorem and Lyapunov–Krasovskii functional, the stability criteria is obtained in terms of linear matrix inequalities. Furthermore, the Wirtinger-based integral inequality approach has been employed to derive less conservative results. Finally, the numerical examples are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the obtained results and for comparison with previous work.
Dynamics of an autonomous food chain model and existence of global attractor of the associated non-autonomous system
Authors: Roy Jyotirmoy , Alam Shariful
Published: September 2019

In this paper, we have analyzed a tri-trophic food chain model consisting of phytoplankton, zooplankton and fish population in an aquatic environment. Here, the pelagic water column is divided into two layers namely, the upper layer and the lower layer. The zooplankton population makes a diel vertical migration (DVM) from lower portion to upper portion and vice-versa to trade-off between food source and fear from predator (Fish). Here, mathematical model has been developed and analyzed in a rigorous way. Apart from routine calculations like boundedness and positivity of the solution, local stability of the equilibrium points, we performed Hopf bifurcation analysis of the interior equilibrium point of our model system in a systematic way. It is observed that the migratory behavior of zooplankton plays a crucial role in the dynamics of the model system. Both the upward and downward migration rates of DVM leads the system into Hopf bifurcation. The upward migration rate of zooplankton deteriorates the stable coexistence of all the species in the system, whereas the downward migration rate enhance the stability of the system. Further, we analyze the non-autonomous version of the system to capture seasonal effect of environmental variations. We have shown that under certain parametric restrictions periodic coexistence of all the species of our system is possible. Finally, extensive numerical simulation has been performed to support our analytical findings.
Computing top-
k
Closeness Centrality Faster in Unweighted Graphs
Authors: Bergamini Elisabetta , Borassi Michele , Crescenzi Pierluigi , Marino Andrea , Meyerhenke Henning
Published: September 2019

Given a connected graph
G
=(
V
,
E
), where
V
denotes the set of nodes and
E
the set of edges of the graph, the length (that is, the number of edges) of the shortest path between two nodes
v
and
w
is denoted by
d
(
v
,
w
). The closeness centrality of a vertex
v
is then defined as
n
=1/Σ

w
∈
V

d
(
v
,
w
), where
n
=|
V
|. This measure is widely used in the analysis of real-world complex networks, and the problem of selecting the
k
most central vertices has been deeply analyzed in the last decade. However, this problem is computationally not easy, especially for large networks: in the first part of the article, we prove that it is not solvable in time
O
(|
E
|
2=ϵ
) on directed graphs, for any constant ϵ > 0, under reasonable complexity assumptions. Furthermore, we propose a new algorithm for selecting the
k
most central nodes in a graph: we experimentally show that this algorithm improves significantly both the textbook algorithm, which is based on computing the distance between all pairs of vertices, and the state of the art. For example, we are able to compute the top
k
nodes in few dozens of seconds in real-world networks with millions of nodes and edges. Finally, as a case study, we compute the 10 most central actors in the Internet Movie Database (IMDB) collaboration network, where two actors are linked if they played together in a movie, and in the Wikipedia citation network, which contains a directed edge from a page
p
to a page
q
if
p
contains a link to
q
.
Calcium and muscle contraction: the triumph and tragedy of Lewis Victor Heilbrunn
Authors: Rall Jack A.
Published: September 2019

Lewis Victor Heilbrunn has been called the pioneer of Ca2+as an intracellular regulator (Campbell AK. Cell Calcium 7: 287–296, 1986; Campbell AK. Intracellular Calcium, 2015). In 1947, he was the first to provide convincing evidence that Ca2+triggered muscle contraction (Heilbrunn LV, Wiercinski FJ. J Cell Comp Physiol 29: 15–32, 1947). Yet his work was met mostly with silence and neglect. One wonders why. Heilbrunn was a general physiologist who believed in the uniformity of nature with regard to movement. He believed that “. . . the theory of what makes cells divide should not be very different from the theory of what makes muscle contract . . .” (Heilbrunn LV. The Dynamics of Living Protoplasm, 1956). He did not believe that one could understand how the living machine worked by investigating its parts. He believed that, to understand life, one must study the dynamics of living protoplasm. The origin and evolution of Heilbrunn’s thought process regarding the role of Ca2+as a physiological activator will be traced back to the 1920s. The ways in which he tested the Ca2+hypothesis in sea urchin eggs in the 1920s and 1930s will be explored. This work shaped Heilbrunn’s thinking about the role of Ca2+in muscle contraction. Importantly, why he and his results were ignored for years will be examined. It turned out that being right was not enough. Bad luck and a stubborn belief in an outmoded scientific philosophy contributed to the neglect.
Histoprotective Effect of Essential Oil from Citrus aurantifolia in Testosterone-Induced Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia Rat
Authors: Acheampong Desmond O. , Barffour Isaac K. , Boye Alex , Asiamah Ernest A. , Armah Francis A. , Adokoh Christian K. , Oluyemi Joy F. , Adrah Benjamin , Opoku Richard , Adakudugu Emmanuel
Published: September 2019

Background. Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a common urological disorder reported among ageing men. Objective. The study assessed histoprotective effect of lime essential oil (LEO) in a rat model of testosterone-induced benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and evaluated its ability to reverse testosterone-mediated changes in the testis, kidney, and liver. Materials and Methods. Adult Sprague Dawley (aged 12 weeks, 240–390 g) male rats were intramuscularly injected with testosterone enanthate (TE) (10 mg/kg) reconstituted in olive oil for ten days to establish benign prostatic hyperplasia (serum PSA level ≥ 1.24 ng/ml) in. After confirmation of BPH (sustained serum PSA level ≥ 1.24 ng/ml), rats in all groups (LEO: 30, 100, and 300 mg/kg, po, n = 6; finasteride: 15 mg/kg, po, n = 6) except model (BPH without treatment) and sham (no BPH and no treatment) groups were treated for 21 days. At the end of treatment, rats were anesthetised and blood was collected via cardiac puncture to determine serum PSA and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) levels. The prostate gland, testis, kidney, and liver were harvested, weighed, histologically processed and stained with H&E. Results. LEO- and finasteride-treated groups recorded lesser mean prostatic weights relative to their model group. Baseline mean serum PSA level of LEO- and finasteride-treated groups reduced significantly (p<0.05) relative to model group. Serum TAC levels were also higher in LEO- and finasteride-treated groups relative to model group. LEO-treated groups had less thickened glandular epithelium, smaller acini, fewer prostatic secretions and more fibromuscular stroma relative to model group. LEO and finasteride treatment produced improved histomorphological characteristics of testis, kidney, and liver compared to model group. Conclusion. By the current results, Citrus aurantifolia LEO may possess active agents that can be explored for translational medicine against BPH.
A Novel Small Molecule Targets Androgen Receptor and Its Splice Variants in Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer
Authors: Yang Zhenyu , Wang Dan , Johnson James K. , Pascal Laura E. , Takubo Keita , Avula Raghunandan , Chakka Anish Bhaswanth , Zhou Jianhua , Chen Wei , Zhong Mingming , Song Qiong , Ding Hui , Wu Zeyu , Chandran Uma R. , Maskrey Taber S. , Nelson Joel B. , Wipf Peter , Wang Zhou
Published: September 2019

Reactivation of androgen receptor (AR) appears to be the major mechanism driving the resistance of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) to second-generation antiandrogens and involves AR overexpression, AR mutation, and/or expression of AR splice variants lacking ligand-binding domain. There is a need for novel small molecules targeting AR, particularly those also targeting AR splice variants such as ARv7. A high-throughput/high-content screen was previously reported that led to the discovery of a novel lead compound, 2-(((3,5-dimethylisoxazol-4-yl)methyl)thio)-1-(4-(2,3-dimethylphenyl)piperazin-1-yl)ethan-1-one (IMTPPE), capable of inhibiting nuclear AR level and activity in CRPC cells, including those resistant to enzalutamide. A novel analogue of IMTPPE, JJ-450, has been investigated with evidence for its direct and specific inhibition of AR transcriptional activity via a pulldown assay and RNA-sequencing analysis, PSA-based luciferase, qPCR, and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays, and xenograft tumor model 22Rv1. JJ-450 blocks AR recruitment to androgen-responsive elements and suppresses AR target gene expression. JJ-450 also inhibits ARv7 transcriptional activity and its target gene expression. Importantly, JJ-450 suppresses the growth of CRPC tumor xenografts, including ARv7-expressing 22Rv1. Collectively, these findings suggest JJ-450 represents a new class of AR antagonists with therapeutic potential for CRPC, including those resistant to enzalutamide.
Astragaloside IV Attenuates Lipopolysaccharides-Induced Pulmonary Epithelial Cell Injury through Inhibiting Autophagy
Authors: Liu Biwang , Zhao Huan , Wang Yonghui , Zhang Huizhong , Ma Yanmiao
Published: September 2019

Background: Astragaloside IV has shown its promising effect on acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Objectives: We aim to explore whether astragaloside IV is effective for ARDS treatment in a lipopolysaccharides (LPS)-induced cell model and whether autophagy is involved in the therapeutic function of astragaloside IV. Methods: MLE-12 cells were induced by LPS to construct an ARDS model in vitro. Cell viability was estimated by cell counting kit-8 and cell apoptosis by flow cytometry. Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), malondialdehyde (MDA) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit. The expression of tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-6, zonula occludens (ZO)-1, Beclin-1 and autophagy-related (atg) 5 mRNA was evaluated by quantitative PCR, and the expression of ZO-1, microtubule-associated proteins 1A/1B light chain 3B (LC3B) I and, LC3B II protein by Western blot. Results: LPS effectively inhibited cell viability and LC3B I expression and enhanced LC3B II, Beclin-1 and atg5 expressions in MLE-12 cells. In LPS-induced ARDS cell model, astragaloside IV up-regulated cell viability, SOD activity and ZO-1 and LC3B I expressions but down-regulated cell apoptosis, TNF-α, IL-6, LC3B II, Beclin-1 and atg5 expressions and LDH and MDA levels. 3-methyladenine promoted cell viability and ZO-1 expression, down-regulated Beclin-1 and atg5 expression, while Rapamycin (Rap) had an opposite effect. Astragaloside IV suppressed cell viability and ZO-1 expression after the Rap treatment. Conclusions: Astragaloside IV might suppress autophagy initiation directly or indirectly through suppressing the oxidative stress and inflammatory response, which further enhances the cell viability and tight junction and reduces apoptosis in LPS-stimulated pulmonary endothelial ARDS cell model, thus exerting its therapeutic function in ARDS.
Inter-relações entre culturas, tecnicidade e cidadania na obra de Jesús Martín-Barbero
Authors: Bonin Jiani Adriana
Published: September 2019

O texto objetiva reconstruir os modos como Jesús Martín-Barbero problematiza os nexos entre a cultura, a cidadania e a tecnicidade e refletir sobre sua contribuição para a pesquisa contemporânea dedicada a esta problemática. Na reflexão do pesquisador o campo da cultura, em suas imbricações com a tecnicidade, é pensado como espaço crucial de constituição da conflitividade social e de emergência de novas figuras de cidadania. A tecnicidade opera como dimensão estruturante destes processos, em articulações socioculturais complexas e multidimensionais. Suas propostas continuam oferecendo bases produtivas para pensar estas questões e nos convocam, também, a considerar outros aspectos que se afiguram nos ambientes e nas culturas digitais na atualidade.
Dissonâncias estruturais na comunicação do Poder Judiciário no Brasil:
Authors: Bucci Eugenio
Published: September 2019

Este artigo se inscreve no subcampo dos estudos da Comunicação Pública, em diálogo com as Ciências da Linguagem. A partir das distinções entre a Ordem do Simbólico e a Ordem do Imaginário, procura refletir sobre a comunicação institucional do Supremo Tribunal Federal e sobre a TV Justiça, investigando se é possível compatibilizar a função da Justiça com a função do entretenimento e, especialmente, com o Espetáculo. Ao final, o artigo apresenta um breve diagnóstico dos sintomas de desajuste na comunicação do Poder Judiciário no Brasil e propõe diretrizes para que ela seja repensada.
Reflections on Cartography: Notes on the Process of Mapping Design Inequalities
Authors: Beecham Nell
Published: September 2019

This article provides a bookend to the collection and situates this Design Issues special issue “Design Inequalities” within the wider context of the studies of inequalities and design. Drawing on the theory of reflexivity as its guide, the article provides a narrative to processes of collating and editing a journal collection that draws into conversation two fields of research which rarely converge.