bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Uncanny Excavations: Khodasevich, Pompeii, and Remains of the Past
Authors: PRESTO JENIFER
Published: March 2015

On Easter Monday in 1925, shortly before leaving Sorrento for Paris, the Russian émigré writer Vladislav Khodasevich made a day trip to Pompeii, which provided him with the inspiration for his travel sketch, “Pompeiskii uzhas” (“Pompeian Horror”, 1925). In undertaking the trip, he followed in the footsteps of a long line of Russian artists and writers, including, most notably, Pavel Muratov, who had included a sketch of Pompeii in his Obrazy Italii (Images of Italy, 1911–12, 1924). Taking Muratov's account of Pompeii as a point of departure, this article argues that, for Khodasevich, Pompeii is not the museum city of Roman art and culture that it is for Muratov. Instead, it is a site of uncanny excavations of the past—a past that is embodied in skeletons, plaster casts, and other forms of remains and that calls forth a disturbing memory from his childhood. In its merging of the past and the present and the strange and the familiar, “Pompeian Horror” also evokes comparison with another work by Khodasevich inspired by the Easter he spent in Sorrento: the poem “Sorrentinskie fotografii” (“Sorrento Photographs,” 1925–26), which envisions memory as a series of double‐exposed snapshots. “Sorrento Photographs” recalls the earlier text not just in the general way in which images from the poet's past blend with those of his more recent experiences in southern Italy, but also in its repetition of key scenes and motifs from “Pompeian Horror.” However, in “Sorrento Photographs,” whose central tableau focuses on a religious procession in Sorrento on Good Friday, recollection of the past produces not horror but a sense of wonder, and remains of the past are miraculously transformed consonant with the Paschal themes of resurrection and renewal.
Measuring the Impacts of Health Conditions on Work Incapacity – Evidence from the British Household Panel Survey
Authors: Whittaker William , Sutton Matt
Published: March 2015

The UK has experienced substantial increases in both the number of claimants of work incapacity benefit and the proportion of claims for mental health reasons. However, identifying causality between experiencing mental health problems and claiming benefits is complex as claiming disability benefits may be the instigator or result of having a mental health problem. We use longitudinal data from the British Household Panel Survey (1991–2008) to disentangle the relationship between claiming benefits and mental health problems. We model the probability of claiming disability benefits using a dynamic random‐effects probit model, which reduces the endogeneity bias in modelling the effects of health on claiming disability benefits. Mental health has the largest effect of all health conditions modelled on the probability of disability benefit claiming. We find that the causal effect of mental health on claiming disability benefits is substantially over‐estimated by cross‐sectional associations. The effect decreases in magnitude from 12.5 to 0.5 percentage points for males and 8 to 0.7 percentage points for females. Policymakers should pay attention to other important influences on claiming disability benefits as well as interventions to improve the health of the working‐age population.
Root systems for Lorentzian Kac–Moody algebras in rank 3
Authors: Allcock Daniel
Published: March 2015

Sometimes a hyperbolic Kac–Moody algebra (KMA) admits an automorphic correction, meaning a generalized KMA with the same real simple roots and whose denominator function has good automorphic properties. These, for example, allow one to work out the root multiplicities. Gritsenko and Nikulin have formalized this in their theory of Lorentzian Lie algebras and shown that the real simple roots must satisfy certain conditions in order for the algebra to admit an automorphic correction. We classify the hyperbolic root systems of rank 3 that satisfy their conditions and have only finite many simple roots, or equivalently a timelike Weyl vector. There are 994 of them, with as many as 24 simple roots. Patterns in the data suggest that some of the non‐obvious cases may be the richest.
Stability of Carotid Artery Under Steady-State and Pulsatile Blood Flow: A Fluid–Structure Interaction Study
Authors: Saeid Khalafvand Seyed , Han Hai-Chao
Published: March 2015

It has been shown that arteries may buckle into tortuous shapes under lumen pressure, which in turn could alter blood flow. However, the mechanisms of artery instability under pulsatile flow have not been fully understood. The objective of this study was to simulate the buckling and post-buckling behaviors of the carotid artery under pulsatile flow using a fully coupled fluid–structure interaction (FSI) method. The artery wall was modeled as a nonlinear material with a two-fiber strain-energy function. FSI simulations were performed under steady-state flow and pulsatile flow conditions with a prescribed flow velocity profile at the inlet and different pressures at the outlet to determine the critical buckling pressure. Simulations were performed for normal (160 ml/min) and high (350 ml/min) flow rates and normal (1.5) and reduced (1.3) axial stretch ratios to determine the effects of flow rate and axial tension on stability. The results showed that an artery buckled when the lumen pressure exceeded a critical value. The critical mean buckling pressure at pulsatile flow was 17–23% smaller than at steady-state flow. For both steady-state and pulsatile flow, the high flow rate had very little effect (<5%) on the critical buckling pressure. The fluid and wall stresses were drastically altered at the location with maximum deflection. The maximum lumen shear stress occurred at the inner side of the bend and maximum tensile wall stresses occurred at the outer side. These findings improve our understanding of artery instability in vivo.
Feasibility Study of Thermal Autofrettage of Thick-Walled Cylinders
Authors: Kamal S. M. , Dixit U. S.
Published: March 2015

Thick-walled cylinders such as gun barrels, high pressure containers, and rocket shells are designed to withstand high pressure. The cylinder material may crack if the induced pressure exceeds the material yield strength. Therefore, the thick-walled cylinders are autofrettaged in order to withstand very high pressure in service condition. The most commonly practiced autofrettage processes are hydraulic autofrettage and swage autofrettage. Hydraulic autofrettage involves very high internal pressure at the bore of the cylinder, and in swage autofrettage an oversized mandrel is pushed through the cylinder bore to cause the plastic deformation of the inner wall of the cylinder leaving the outer wall at the elastic state. This results in compressive residual stresses at and around the inner wall of the cylinder, which reduces the maximum stress in the cylinder during next stage of loading by pressurization. Both the processes are well established, but still there are certain disadvantages associated with the processes. The present work proposes a novel method of autofrettage for increasing the pressure carrying capacity of thick-walled cylinders. The method involves only radial temperature gradient in the cylinder for achieving autofrettage. The proposed process is analyzed theoretically for thick-walled cylinders with free ends. The numerical simulations of the process for typical cases and preliminary experiments show encouraging results for the feasibility of the proposed autofrettage process.
The Maori Teachings of Pakeha Rapper Maitreya
Authors: Mitchell Tony
Published: March 2015

The Christchurch MC Maitreya was ejected from his school class at age 15 and banished to a third form te reo Māori class. This fostered a life-long interest in te reo, which he deployed when he started rapping, first with Christchurch crew Nil State in 1995, then with Dark Tower in Auckland in 1998. He also began studying with Māori DJ DLT, who suggested he take the name ‘Maitreya’, or ‘emerging teacher’. After moving to the USA in 2003 and managing to crowd-fund his debut album Closer to Home in 2007 through Sellaband, his track ‘Waitaha’ was nominated for a MAIOHA Silver Scroll award in 2008, which he eventually won in 2010 for the te reo version of his track ‘Sin City’. After the Christchurch earthquake, he helped organise the Band Together concert and released a benefit EP, Chur to the Chur, featuring Che Fu and King Kapisi. In 2012 he released Āio (Be calm, at peace), a double album with one CD in te reo, the other in English, which was funded by Māori language government body Te Mangai Paho. This essay examines Maitreya’s career in the light of a continuing lack of sympathy or understanding for te reo music on New Zealand radio, and the small number of pākehā New Zealanders who are able to speak te reo.

Key words: Māori popular music, hip hop, language, community music.
Youth Drinking Cultures in Aotearoa
Authors: Lyons Antonia , McCreanor Tim , Goodwin Ian , Griffin Christine , Hutton Fiona , Moewaka Barnes Helen , O'Carroll (Acushla) Dee , Samu Lina , Niland Patricia , Vroman Kerry-Ellen
Published: March 2015

Consuming alcohol to intoxication is a commonplace leisure-time activity among young people in Aotearoa New Zealand, producing a formidable suite of harms and consequences that are proving challenging to redress. Youth drinking cultures are similar to those observed in Western Europe, where processes of globalization are increasingly “homogenizing” practice.
The current study employed in-depth qualitative methods to explore micro-cultures of young people’s drinking in three key ethnic groups, namely indigenous Maori, Pasifika (Pacific Island) and Pakeha (European) settlers. 34 focus groups involving 141 men and women aged between 18 and 25 provided rich data that were transcribed and thematically analysed.
Major convergences across ethnic groups were apparent in terms of the importance of alcohol to social life, but major differences were seen in the meanings attached to drinking and intoxication. For Pakeha participants, these were positively naturalised behaviours that were unquestioned. For Maori and Pasifika (particularly female) participants, however, these were seen as more transgressive and problematic, partially due to the scrutiny they face living in Aotearoa. Diverse sub-themes around frequency/degree of intoxication, psychological/social drivers and regulatory, social and interpersonal constraints upon alcohol use, are discussed.
Findings provide new insights into both the detail of youth drinking cultures and within-population cultural specificities that have important implications for policy and public health.
Free Plants at Your Disposal: Report on a Wellington Community Greening Trial
Authors: Lloyd Mike , Martinussen Maree
Published: March 2015

People often have good intentions towards the environment but fail to act upon them. Here we report on a trial utilising free plants as an ‘object-ive’ means to get people involved in community greening programs. The trials used free plants combined with an organised planting event. The results suggest that offering free plants to householders living near common land is a promising way of increasing initial engagement in community greening programs. The numbers participating in the trial were encouraging, and feedback received from participants was very positive. The trial reiterates the important role of objects in the people-place interactions that constitute the urban environment, though it has to be emphasised that the practical ‘doability’ and success of any green initiative can only be found in its actual, continued use.
‘BEING THERE’: MOTHERING AND ABSENCE/PRESENCE IN THE FIELD
Authors: Farrelly Trisia , Stewart-Withers Rochelle , Dombroski Kelly
Published: March 2015

Much has been written about families and their influence on relationships and research in fieldwork. However, seldom has the absence of family in the field received analytical attention. The authors of this paper contribute to an emerging ‘anthropology of absence’ in a number of ways: We direct the focus of absence away from our participants to reflect on our own child/ren’s absences in the field; we attend to the absence of individual persons whereas most work in this field to date focuses on material objects and ethnic groups; we argue that the embodied traces felt in our child/ren's absence make mother-child relationships unique to other unaccompanied fieldwork experiences; we illustrate the relational and contingent character of absence as absence/presence; we examine the agency of our child/ren’s absence on the process and product of our fieldwork research; and we reflect on how our child/ren’s absence/presence in the field alters our subjectivities as mother-researchers.
Yoga: Meaning and Embodiment—A Dunedin Inquiry
Authors: Bailly Hannah
Published: March 2015

Using participant observation, qualitative interviews and autoethnographic research methods, I inquire into the perceptions and experience of six contemporary yoga practitioners, as well as my own, to explore some of the embodied meanings of yoga in the context of Dunedin. Suggesting that yoga's surge of popularity in the West may have more to do with aspirations for health and body maintenance than the spiritual aspirations of classical yoga's original design, I ask whether engaging with the age old postures and techniques of hatha yoga might bring about unanticipated and sometimes transformational outcomes for its practitioners. To explore the strong appeal of yoga to its Western—and more specifically, Dunedin—practitioners, I invoke Foucault's (1983) sociopolitical theories of embodiment, and address how the subjective self is constituted through alignment with dominant ideologies of health and fitness. To explore whether an embodied practice of hatha yoga might subvert ideologies which reinforce an obsession with body-image, I invoke phenomenological theories of embodiment and practice—especially the insights of Marcel Mauss ([1935]1973) and Pierre Bourdieu (1990) who elucidate how culturally shared techniques of the body are stored as bodily memory and accessed through schemas of movement. I am interested in whether the enactment of asana (yogic posture) and pranayama (yogic breathing) predisposes the practitioner to (latent) spiritual qualities embedded in yoga's original design.
‘Hostility Won’t Deter Me, Says PM’: The Print Media, the Production of Affect and Waitangi Day
Authors: McConville Alex , Wetherell Margaret , McCreanor Tim , Moewaka Barnes Helen
Published: March 2015

This paper explores affect, discourse and emotion in national life. We focus on the print media’s use of Waitangi Day as an affective-discursive distribution channel maintaining and reinforcing the hegemony of settler culture. Applying new thinking around affect, we consider how the cultural production of emotion in print media privileges settler identity, whilst simultaneously devaluing indigenous struggle. One hegemonic interpretive repertoire is discussed; that ‘Waitangi Day is a day of conflict.’ Two subordinate repertoires are juxtaposed against this: that it should be ‘a day of celebration’ and that it should be ‘a day of conversation.’ We argue that these repertoires and their associated affective-discursive positions encourage readers to move into episodes of pejorative affect directed towards Māori ‘ruining the day.’ Productive engagement with bi-culturalism requires a broader and deeper range of affective-discursive resources. Popular journalism fails its readers and limits debate through its narrow modelling of the emotional experiences Waitangi Day might evoke.
Large scale validation of the M5L lung CAD on heterogeneous CT datasets
Authors: Lopez Torres E. , Fiorina E. , Pennazio F. , Peroni C. , Saletta M. , Camarlinghi N. , Fantacci M. E. , Cerello P.
Published: March 2015

Purpose:

M5L, a fully automated computer‐aided detection (CAD) system for the detection and segmentation of lung nodules in thoracic computed tomography (CT), is presented and validated on several image datasets.

Methods:

M5L is the combination of two independent subsystems, based on the Channeler Ant Model as a segmentation tool [lung channeler ant model (lungCAM)] and on the voxel‐based neural approach. The lungCAM was upgraded with a scan equalization module and a new procedure to recover the nodules connected to other lung structures; its classification module, which makes use of a feed‐forward neural network, is based of a small number of features (13), so as to minimize the risk of lacking generalization, which could be possible given the large difference between the size of the training and testing datasets, which contain 94 and 1019 CTs, respectively. The lungCAM (standalone) and M5L (combined) performance was extensively tested on 1043 CT scans from three independent datasets, including a detailed analysis of the full Lung Image Database Consortium/Image Database Resource Initiative database, which is not yet found in literature.

Results:

The lungCAM and M5L performance is consistent across the databases, with a sensitivity of about 70% and 80%, respectively, at eight false positive findings per scan, despite the variable annotation criteria and acquisition and reconstruction conditions. A reduced sensitivity is found for subtle nodules and ground glass opacities (GGO) structures. A comparison with other CAD systems is also presented.

Conclusions:

The M5L performance on a large and heterogeneous dataset is stable and satisfactory, although the development of a dedicated module for GGOs detection could further improve it, as well as an iterative optimization of the training procedure. The main aim of the present study was accomplished: M5L results do not deteriorate when increasing the dataset size, making it a candidate for supporting radiologists on large scale screenings and clinical programs.
Quadratic Association Between Corticomotor and Spinal-Reflexive Excitability and Self-Reported Disability in Participants With Chronic Ankle Instability
Authors: Harkey Matthew , McLeod Michelle M. , Terada Masafumi , Gribble Phillip A. , Pietrosimone Brian G.
Published: March 2015

Context:

Spinal-reflexive and corticomotor excitability may have a critical role in altering muscle function needed to stabilize the ankle in people with chronic ankle instability (CAI).

Objective:

To determine the association between self-reported disability and both spinal-reflexive and corticomotor excitability in people with CAI.

Design:

Descriptive laboratory study.

Setting:

Research laboratory.

Participants:

30 participants with CAI.

Main Outcome Measures:

Soleus spinal-reflexive excitability was measured with normalized Hoffmann reflexes (H:M ratio), and corticomotor excitability was measured with transcranial magnetic stimulation and quantified by normalized motor-evoked-potential (MEP) amplitudes at 120% of active motor threshold (120%MEP). Self-reported disability was quantified with the activities-of-daily-living and sport subscales of the Foot and Ankle Ability Measure (FAAM-ADL and FAAM-S). Separate linear Pearson product–moment correlations and nonlinear quadratic correlations were used to determine associations between the neural-excitability and disability variables.

Results:

Thirty participants were included in the spinal-reflexive-excitability analysis, while only 19 were included in the corticomotor analysis. There was a significant, weak linear association between H:M ratio and FAAM-ADL (R = .39, P = .03) and a nonsignificant, weak linear association between H:M ratio and FAAM-S (R = .36, P = .06). There were significant, moderate quadratic associations between H:M ratio and both FAAM-ADL (R = .48, P = .03) and FAAM-S (R = .50, P = .02). There was a significant, moderate linear association between 120%MEP and FAAM-ADL (R = –.48, P = .04) and a nonsignificant, moderate negative linear association between FAAM-S (R = –.42, P = .07). There was a significant, moderate quadratic association between 120%MEP and FAAM-ADL (R = .57, P = .046) and a significant, strong quadratic correlation between 120%MEP and FAAM-S (R = .71, P = .004).

Conclusions:

There are significant quadratic associations between self-reported disability and both spinal-reflexive and corticomotor excitability of the soleus. CAI participants with low or high neural excitability present with lower function.
Third Grade Students’ Mental Models of Blood Circulation Related to Exercise
Authors: Pasco Denis , Ennis Catherine D.
Published: March 2015

Students’ prior knowledge has been identified to play an important role in the learning process through conceptual change. In physical education, positive changes in students’ lifestyles may come from changes in their conceptual understanding. In this study 45 third grade students (mean age = 8.54 years) were interviewed during their regular physical education class to examine their mental models and naïve theories of blood circulation related to exercise. Results revealed one initial mental model (when you exercise, your blood goes everywhere in your body) and three synthetic mental models. These mental models were generated under the constraint of a naïve framework theory. Results are discussed in relation to: (a) the nature of gradual growth of students’ mental models through enrichment, (b) children’s prior experience of the physical world and their subsequent explanations of physiological changes related to exercise, and (c) physical education as a domain-specific knowledge.
Conservatives report, but liberals display, greater happiness
Authors: Wojcik Sean P. , Hovasapian Arpine , Graham Jesse , Motyl Matt , Ditto Peter H.
Published: March 2015

Be mindful of a self-reported gap

Happiness is a notoriously hard to pin down quantity possibly best described by the phrase, “I know it when I see it.” Self-reported ratings of happiness are generally higher for political conservatives in the United States than for those with more liberal leanings. Wojcik
et al.
examined three data sets based on behavioral measures, such as tweets and smiles. Despite self-reported claims to the contrary, liberals exhibited more happiness than their more conservative counterparts. For instance, as judged from their photographs on a business-oriented social network, more employees of the
New York Times
smiled genuinely than did those of the
Wall Street Journal
.

Science
, this issue p.
1243
Excitement, anxiety greet LHC restart
Authors: Cho Adrian
Published: March 2015

Some worry the massive accelerator could produce nothing besides the Higgs boson.
Second sight
Authors: Couzin-Frankel Jennifer
Published: March 2015

Eye transplants are science fiction. A team of researchers wants to change that.
Scanning ultrasound removes amyloid-β and restores memory in an Alzheimer’s disease mouse model
Authors: Leinenga Gerhard , Götz Jürgen
Published: March 2015

Repeated scanning ultrasound in the absence of a therapeutic agent removes amyloid-β and restores memory in an Alzheimer’s disease mouse model.
SQ109, a New Drug Lead for Chagas Disease
Authors: Veiga-Santos Phercyles , Li Kai , Lameira Lilianne , de Carvalho Tecia Maria Ulisses , Huang Guozhong , Galizzi Melina , Shang Na , Li Qian , Gonzalez-Pacanowska Dolores , Hernandez-Rodriguez Vanessa , Benaim Gustavo , Guo Rey-Ting , Urbina Julio A. , Docampo Roberto , de Souza Wanderley , Oldfield Eric
Published: March 2015

We tested the antituberculosis drug SQ109, which is currently in advanced clinical trials for the treatment of drug-susceptible and drug-resistant tuberculosis, for its
in vitro
activity against the trypanosomatid parasite
Trypanosoma cruzi
, the causative agent of Chagas disease. SQ109 was found to be a potent inhibitor of the trypomastigote form of the parasite, with a 50% inhibitory concentration (IC
50
) for cell killing of 50 ± 8 nM, but it had little effect (50% effective concentration [EC
50
], ∼80 μM) in a red blood cell hemolysis assay. It also inhibited extracellular epimastigotes (IC
50
, 4.6 ± 1 μM) and the clinically relevant intracellular amastigotes (IC
50
, ∼0.5 to 1 μM), with a selectivity index of ∼10 to 20. SQ109 caused major ultrastructural changes in all three life cycle forms, as observed by light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). It rapidly collapsed the inner mitochondrial membrane potential (Δψ
m
) in succinate-energized mitochondria, acting in the same manner as the uncoupler FCCP [carbonyl cyanide 4-(trifluoromethoxy)phenylhydrazone], and it caused the alkalinization of internal acidic compartments, effects that are likely to make major contributions to its mechanism of action. The compound also had activity against squalene synthase, binding to its active site; it inhibited sterol side-chain reduction and, in the amastigote assay, acted synergistically with the antifungal drug posaconazole, with a fractional inhibitory concentration index (FICI) of 0.48, but these effects are unlikely to account for the rapid effects seen on cell morphology and cell killing. SQ109 thus most likely acts, at least in part, by collapsing Δψ/ΔpH, one of the major mechanisms demonstrated previously for its action against
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
. Overall, the results suggest that SQ109, which is currently in advanced clinical trials for the treatment of drug-susceptible and drug-resistant tuberculosis, may also have potential as a drug lead against Chagas disease.
Missense Mutations in PBP2A Affecting Ceftaroline Susceptibility Detected in Epidemic Hospital-Acquired Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Clonotypes ST228 and ST247 in Western Switzerland Archived since 1998
Authors: Kelley William L. , Jousselin Ambre , Barras Christine , Lelong Emmanuelle , Renzoni Adriana
Published: March 2015

The development and maintenance of an arsenal of antibiotics is a major health care challenge. Ceftaroline is a new cephalosporin with activity against methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus
(MRSA); however, no reports concerning MRSA ceftaroline susceptibility have been reported in Switzerland. We tested the
in vitro
activity of ceftaroline against an archived set of 60 MRSA strains from the University Hospital of Geneva collected from 1994 to 2003. Our results surprisingly revealed ceftaroline-resistant strains (MIC, >1 μg/ml in 40/60 strains; EUCAST breakpoints, susceptible [S], ≤1 μg/ml; resistant [R], >1 μg/ml) were present from 1998 to 2003. The detected resistant strains predominantly belonged to sequence type 228 (ST228) (South German clonotype) but also to ST247 (Iberian clonotype). A sequence analysis of these strains revealed missense mutations in the penicillin-binding protein 2A (PBP2A) allosteric domain (N146K or E239K and N146K-E150K-G246E). The majority of our ST228 PBP2A mutations (N146K or E150K) were distinct from ST228 PBP2A allosteric domain mutations (primarily E239K) recently described for MRSA strains collected in Thailand and Spain during the 2010 Assessing Worldwide Antimicrobial Resistance Evaluation (AWARE) global surveillance program. We also found that similar allosteric domain PBP2A mutations (N146K) correlated with ceftaroline resistance in an independent external ST228 MRSA set obtained from the nearby University Hospital of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland, collected from 2003 to 2008. Thus, ceftaroline resistance was observed in our archived strains (including two examples of an MIC of 4 µg/ml for the Iberian ST247 clonotype with the triple mutation N146K/E150K/G246E), at least as far back as 1998, considerably predating the commercial introduction of ceftaroline. Our results reinforce the notion that unknown parameters can potentially exert selective pressure on PBP2A that can subsequently modulate ceftaroline resistance.
In Vitro
Antibiotic Susceptibilities of Yersinia pestis Determined by Broth Microdilution following CLSI Methods
Authors: Heine Henry S. , Hershfield Jeremy , Marchand Charles , Miller Lynda , Halasohoris Stephanie , Purcell Bret K. , Worsham Patricia L.
Published: March 2015

In vitro
susceptibilities to 45 antibiotics were determined for 30 genetically and geographically diverse strains of
Yersinia pestis
by the broth microdilution method at two temperatures, 28°C and 35°C, following Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) methods. The
Y. pestis
strains demonstrated susceptibility to aminoglycosides, quinolones, tetracyclines, β-lactams, cephalosporins, and carbapenems. Only a 1-well shift was observed for the majority of antibiotics between the two temperatures. Establishing and comparing antibiotic susceptibilities of a diverse but specific set of
Y. pestis
strains by standardized methods and establishing population ranges and MIC
50
and MIC
90
values provide reference information for assessing new antibiotic agents and also provide a baseline for use in monitoring any future emergence of resistance.
Multicenter Evaluation of Candida QuickFISH BC for Identification of Candida Species Directly from Blood Culture Bottles
Authors: Abdelhamed Ayman M. , Zhang Sean X. , Watkins Tonya , Morgan Margie A. , Wu Fann , Buckner Rebecca J. , Fuller DeAnna D. , Davis Thomas E. , Salimnia Hossein , Fairfax Marilynn R. , Lephart Paul R. , Poulter Melinda D. , Regi Sarah B. , Jacobs Michael R.
Published: March 2015

Candida
species are common causes of bloodstream infections (BSI), with high mortality. Four species cause >90% of
Candida
BSI:
C. albicans
,
C. glabrata
,
C. parapsilosis
, and
C. tropicalis
. Differentiation of
Candida
spp. is important because of differences in virulence and antimicrobial susceptibility.
Candida
QuickFISH BC, a multicolor, qualitative nucleic acid hybridization assay for the identification of
C. albicans
(green fluorescence),
C. glabrata
(red fluorescence), and
C. parapsilosis
(yellow fluorescence), was tested on Bactec and BacT/Alert blood culture bottles which signaled positive on automated blood culture devices and were positive for yeast by Gram stain at seven study sites. The results were compared to conventional identification. A total of 419 yeast-positive blood culture bottles were studied, consisting of 258 clinical samples (89
C. glabrata
, 79
C. albicans
, 23
C. parapsilosis
, 18
C. tropicalis
, and 49 other species) and 161 contrived samples inoculated with clinical isolates (40
C. glabrata
, 46
C. albicans
, 36
C. parapsilosis
, 19
C. tropicalis
, and 20 other species). A total of 415 samples contained a single fungal species, with
C. glabrata
(
n
= 129; 30.8%) being the most common isolate, followed by
C. albicans
(
n
= 125; 29.8%),
C. parapsilosis
(
n
= 59; 14.1%),
C. tropicalis
(
n
= 37; 8.8%), and
C. krusei
(
n
= 17; 4.1%). The overall agreement (with range for the three major
Candida
species) between the two methods was 99.3% (98.3 to 100%), with a sensitivity of 99.7% (98.3 to 100%) and a specificity of 98.0% (99.4 to 100%). This study showed that
Candida
QuickFISH BC is a rapid and accurate method for identifying
C. albicans
,
C. glabrata
, and
C. parapsilosis
, the three most common
Candida
species causing BSI, directly from blood culture bottles.
HIV-1 Nef and Vpu Interfere with L-Selectin (CD62L) Cell Surface Expression To Inhibit Adhesion and Signaling in Infected CD4+T Lymphocytes
Authors: Vassena Lia , Giuliani Erica , Koppensteiner Herwig , Bolduan Sebastian , Schindler Michael , Doria Margherita
Published: March 2015

Leukocyte recirculation between blood and lymphoid tissues is required for the generation and maintenance of immune responses against pathogens and is crucially controlled by the L-selectin (CD62L) leukocyte homing receptor. CD62L has adhesion and signaling functions and initiates the capture and rolling on the vascular endothelium of cells entering peripheral lymph nodes. This study reveals that CD62L is strongly downregulated on primary CD4+T lymphocytes upon infection with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). Reduced cell surface CD62L expression was attributable to the Nef and Vpu viral proteins and not due to increased shedding via matrix metalloproteases. Both Nef and Vpu associated with and sequestered CD62L in perinuclear compartments, thereby impeding CD62L transport to the plasma membrane. In addition, Nef decreased total CD62L protein levels. Importantly, infection with wild-type, but not Nef- and Vpu-deficient, HIV-1 inhibited the capacity of primary CD4+T lymphocytes to adhere to immobilized fibronectin in response to CD62L ligation. Moreover, HIV-1 infection impaired the signaling pathways and costimulatory signals triggered in primary CD4+T cells by CD62L ligation. We propose that HIV-1 dysregulates CD62L expression to interfere with the trafficking and activation of infected T cells. Altogether, this novel HIV-1 function could contribute to virus dissemination and evasion of host immune responses.

IMPORTANCEL-selectin (CD62L) is an adhesion molecule that mediates the first steps of leukocyte homing to peripheral lymph nodes, thus crucially controlling the initiation and maintenance of immune responses to pathogens. Here, we report that CD62L is downmodulated on the surfaces of HIV-1-infected T cells through the activities of two viral proteins, Nef and Vpu, that prevent newly synthesized CD62L molecules from reaching the plasma membrane. We provide evidence that CD62L downregulation on HIV-1-infected primary T cells results in impaired adhesion and signaling functions upon CD62L triggering. Removal of cell surface CD62L may predictably keep HIV-1-infected cells away from lymph nodes, the privileged sites of both viral replication and immune response activation, with important consequences, such as systemic viral spread and evasion of host immune surveillance. Altogether, we propose that Nef- and Vpu-mediated subversion of CD62L function could represent a novel determinant of HIV-1 pathogenesis.
Secretome Analysis of Vibrio cholerae Type VI Secretion System Reveals a New Effector-Immunity Pair
Authors: Altindis Emrah , Dong Tao , Catalano Christy , Mekalanos John
Published: March 2015

The type VI secretion system (T6SS) is a dynamic macromolecular organelle that many Gram-negative bacteria use to inhibit or kill other prokaryotic or eukaryotic cells. The toxic effectors of T6SS are delivered to the prey cells in a contact-dependent manner. In
Vibrio cholerae
, the etiologic agent of cholera, T6SS is active during intestinal infection. Here, we describe the use of comparative proteomics coupled with bioinformatics to identify a new T6SS effector-immunity pair. This analysis was able to identify all previously identified secreted substrates of T6SS except PAAR (proline, alanine, alanine, arginine) motif-containing proteins. Additionally, this approach led to the identification of a new secreted protein encoded by VCA0285 (TseH) that carries a predicted hydrolase domain. We confirmed that TseH is toxic when expressed in the periplasm of Escherichia coli and V. cholerae cells. The toxicity observed in V. cholerae was suppressed by coexpression of the protein encoded by VCA0286 (TsiH), indicating that this protein is the cognate immunity protein of TseH. Furthermore, exogenous addition of purified recombinant TseH to permeabilized E. coli cells caused cell lysis. Bioinformatics analysis of the TseH protein sequence suggest that it is a member of a new family of cell wall-degrading enzymes that include proteins belonging to the YD repeat and Rhs superfamilies and that orthologs of TseH are likely expressed by species belonging to phyla as diverse as
Bacteroidetes
and
Proteobacteria
.

IMPORTANCE
The Gram-negative bacterium
Vibrio cholerae
causes cholera, a severe and often lethal diarrheal disease. The 2010-2012 epidemic in Haiti and new explosive epidemics in Africa show that cholera remains a significant global public health problem. The type VI secretion system (T6SS) is a dynamic organelle expressed by many Gram-negative bacteria, which use it to inject toxic effector proteins into eukaryotic and bacterial prey cells. In this study, we applied a comparative proteomics approach to the V. cholerae T6SS secretome to identify new substrates of this secretion apparatus. We show that the product of the gene VCA0285 is likely a new peptidoglycan hydrolase that is secreted by T6SS and that its cognate immunity protein is encoded by the gene that is immediately downstream (VCA0286). Bioinformatics analysis shows that VCA0285 carries four conserved motifs that likely define a large family of hydrolases with antibacterial activity. The identification of new antibacterial T6SS effectors provides useful information for the development of novel antibiotics and therapeutic agents.
Macular pattern dystrophy and homonymous hemianopia in MELAS syndrome
Authors: Kamal-Salah Radua , Baquero-Aranda Isabel , Grana-Pérez María del Mar , García-Campos Jose Manuel
Published: March 2015

We report an unusual association of a pattern dystrophy of the retinal pigment epithelium and homonymous hemianopia in a woman diagnosed with mitochondrial myopathy, encephalopathy, lactic acidosis and stroke-like episodes syndrome.
Sturge-Weber syndrome: oral and extra-oral manifestations
Authors: Tripathi Amitandra Kumar , Kumar Vivek , Dwivedi Rahul , Saimbi Charanjit Singh
Published: March 2015

Sturge-Weber syndrome is a rare, congenital, neuro-oculo-cutaneous disorder which is characterised extra-orally by unilateral port wine stains on the face, glaucoma, seizures and mental retardation, and intra-orally by ipsilateral gingival haemangioma which frequently affects the maxilla or mandible. In the present case, a 15-year-old female patient presented with a port wine stain on the right side of the face and glaucoma of the right eye, and intra-orally with gingival haemangioma on the right side of the maxilla.
Soluble plasma VE-cadherin concentrations are elevated in patients with STEC infection and haemolytic uraemic syndrome: a case–control study
Authors: Doulgere Julia , Otto Benjamin , Nassour Maher , Wolters-Eisfeld Gerrit , Rohde Holger , Magnus Tim , Wagener Christoph , Streichert Thomas
Published: March 2015

Objectives

To investigate whether the adherens junction protein vascular endothelial cadherin (VE-cadherin) is released during Shiga toxin 2 producingEscherichia coli(STEC) infection with haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS) and thus could be used to assist diagnosis.

Design

Using data from the large 2011 STEC outbreak in northern Europe, we determined VE-cadherin plasma concentrations in 356 patients distributed over three patient cohorts: patients with STEC infection accompanied by HUS (STEC-HUS), STEC patients without HUS (STEC) and control patients with diarrhoea but without STEC infection. We then looked for associations between VE-cadherin concentrations and disease severity defined by changes in lactate dehydrogenase, haemoglobin, creatinine, platelet count, haptoglobin and neurological symptoms.

Setting

This study was conducted at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany.

Participants

79 STEC-HUS patients, 77 STEC patients and 200 control patients were enrolled in the study.

Results

We analysed 864 specimens (207 STEC, 449 STEC-HUS and 208 controls) in total. At admission, VE-cadherin concentration tended to be lower in STEC-HUS patients compared to other patients. However, HUS patients later showed an increase in VE-cadherin concentrations with prolonged elevation beyond remission. This pattern clearly differs from that observed in non-HUS patients.

Conclusions

VE-cadherin concentrations are elevated in STEC-HUS patients and might be a biomarker reflecting endothelial damage in patients with HUS.
The accuracy of the general practitioner's sense of alarm when confronted with dyspnoea and/or thoracic pain: protocol for a prospective observational study
Authors: Barais Marie , Barraine Pierre , Scouarnec Florie , Mauduit Anne Sophie , Le Floc'h Bernard , Van Royen Paul , Liétard Claire , Stolper Erik
Published: March 2015

Introduction

Dyspnoea and chest pain are signs shared with multiple pathologies ranging from the benign to life-threatening diseases. Gut feelings such as the sense of alarm and the sense of reassurance are known to play a substantial role in the diagnostic reasoning of general practitioners (GPs). A Gut Feelings Questionnaire (GFQ) has been validated to measure the GP's sense of alarm. A French version of the GFQ is available following a linguistic validation procedure. The aim of the study is to calculate the diagnostic test accuracy of a GP's sense of alarm when confronted with dyspnoea and chest pain.

Methods and analysis

Prospective observational study. Patients aged between 18 and 80 years, consulting their GP for dyspnoea and/or thoracic pain will be considered for enrolment in the study. These GPs will have to complete the questionnaire immediately after the consultation for dyspnoea and/or thoracic pain. The follow-up and the final diagnosis will be collected 4 weeks later by phone contact with the GP or with the patient if their GP has no information. Life-threatening and non-life-threatening diseases have previously been defined according to the pathologies or symptoms in the (ICPC2) International Collegiate Programming Contest classification. Members of the research team, blinded to the actual outcomes shown on the index questionnaire, will judge each case in turn and will, by consensus, classify the expected outcomes as either life-threatening or non-life-threatening diseases. The sensitivity, the specificity, the positive and negative likelihood ratio of the sense of alarm will be calculated from the constructed contingency table.

Ethics and dissemination

This study was approved by the ethical committee of the University de Bretagne Occidentale. A written informed consent form will be signed and dated by GPs and patients at the beginning of the study. The results will be published in due course.
Acoustic measures of lake community size spectra
Authors: Wheeland Laura J. , Rose George A.
Published: March 2015

Acoustic methods were tested as an alternative to catch data to measure size spectra of freshwater fish communities in Lac du Bonnet (LdB), Manitoba, Canada. Eleven daytime hydroacoustic surveys conducted in 2011 and 2012 enabled length-frequency spectra of fish communities to be calculated within LdB. Fish echoes tracked and converted to length (>5 cm) formed size spectra with significant linear regressions in all cases (p values < 0.05, R2 values from 0.87 to 0.99). Fish abundance (spectral height) was greater in 2011 (mean ± SD = 0.19 ± 0.15) than in 2012 (–0.19 ± 0.20), decreasing through the summer sampling season. Both abundance and size composition (spectral slope) of fish communities differed between three basins of varying bathymetry, with steepest slopes and lowest heights associated with the shallowest waters. We conclude that acoustically derived size spectra provide an efficient means to detect and monitor fish community dynamics over varied spatial and temporal scales in aquatic ecosystems where fish are not highly aggregated and hence single acoustic targets predominate.
Dispersal capacities of anadromous Allis shad population inferred from a coupled genetic and otolith approach
Authors: Martin Jean , Rougemont Quentin , Drouineau Hilaire , Launey Sophie , Jatteau Philippe , Bareille Gilles , Berail Sylvain , Pécheyran Christophe , Feunteun Eric , Roques Séverine , Clavé David , Nachón David Jose , Antunes Carlos , Mota Micaela , Réveillac Elodie , Daverat Françoise
Published: March 2015

Understanding dispersal capacities for migratory species is crucial for their management. By coupling otolith microchemistry and microsatellite genetic analyses, we provided information on snapshot and long-term dispersal capacity of Allis shad (Alosa alosa), an anadromous clupeid in decline throughout its distribution range. The allocation of natal origin was obtained from water chemistry and signatures in otoliths of juveniles and spawners within a Bayesian model. The majority of adults were assigned to a source river with high degrees of confidence; only 4% were undetermined. Otolith natal origins were used to define a population baseline by grouping individuals from the same natal river and not from the same sampling location as usually done. While A. alosa exhibited a high level of natal site fidelity, this species showed weak genetic structure, which supported the evidence of a substantial flow of strayers between river basins in the vicinity or at longer distances. However, long distance straying was probable but not frequent. In a context of global change, straying would be a key mechanism to drive dispersal and allow resilience of Allis shad populations.
Experiment and simulation of the bidirectional pedestrian flow model with overtaking and herding behavior
Authors: Hu Jun , Li Zhongwen , Zhang Hong , Wei Juan , You Lei , Chen Peng
Published: March 2015

In order to effectively depict the characteristics of bidirectional pedestrian flow, a novel pedestrian flow model is proposed based on cellular automata. At first, according to direction gain, velocity gain and herding gain, the calculation formula of target position is defined, and the walking rules by combining overtaking behavior and herding behavior are given in the model. Meanwhile, the actual channel is used for experiments, where the self-organizing effect formed by pedestrian flow is observed. The simulation platform is established to study the key factors influencing pedestrian flow characteristics. The numerical analysis results showed that when the pedestrian density in the channel reached to the critical degree, the overtaking behavior can easily produce jamming. Moreover, pedestrians' rational choice is good for relieving jamming.
Thermal conductivity of the quark matter for the SU(2) light-flavor sector
Authors: Nam Seung-il
Published: March 2015

We investigate the thermal conductivity (κ) of the quark matter at finite quark chemical potential (μ) and temperature (T), employing the Green–Kubo formula, for the SU(2) light-flavor sector with the finite current-quark mass m = 5 MeV . As a theoretical framework, we construct an effective thermodynamic potential from the (μ, T)-modified liquid-instanton model (mLIM). Note that all the relevant model parameters are designated as functions of T, using the trivial-holonomy caloron solution. By solving the self-consistent equation of mLIM, we acquire the constituent-quark mass M0 as a function of T and μ, satisfying the universal-class patterns of the chiral phase transition. From the numerical results for κ, we observe that there emerges a peak at μ≈200 MeV for the low-T region, i.e. T≲100 MeV . As T increase over T≈100 MeV , the curve for κ is almost saturated as a function of T in the order of ~ 10-1 GeV 2, and grows with respect to μ smoothly. At the normal nuclear-matter density ρ0 = 0.17 fm -3, κ shows its maximum 6.22 GeV 2 at T≈10 MeV , then decreases exponentially down to κ≈0.2 GeV 2. We also compute the ratio of κ and the entropy density, i.e. κ/s as a function of (μ, T) which is a monotonically decreasing function for a wide range of T, then approaches a lower bound at very high T: κ/s min ≳0.3 GeV -1 in the vicinity of μ = 0.
Dielectric properties and electric modulus of Au/PPy/n-Si (MPS) type Schottky barrier diodes (SBDS) as a function of frequency and applied bias voltage
Authors: Yücedağ İbrahim , Ersöz Gülçin , Gümüş Ahmet , Altındal Şemsettin
Published: March 2015

Au/PPy/n-Si Schottky barrier diodes (SBDs) were fabricated by forming polypyrrole (PPy) organic layer on n-Si using the spin coating technique. Frequency-dependent dielectric constant (ε′), dielectric loss (ε″), loss tangent ( tan δ), real and imaginary parts of electrical modulus (M′ and M″) and AC electrical conductivity (σ ac ) parameters of the structure were investigated in the frequency range of 10–500 kHz. It was found that the values of the ε′, ε″ and tan δ, in general, decrease with increasing frequency while an increase is observed in σ ac , M′ and M″. The tan δ and M″ also exhibit a peak at about zero-bias voltage, while peak intensity weakens with increasing frequency. The values of ε′ and M′ decrease with increasing voltage while an increase is observed in ε″, tan δ, σ ac and M″. These changes in ε′, ε″, tan δ, M′, M″ and σ ac values was attributed to surface charge polarization and the particular density distribution of surface states localized at PPy/n-Si interface.