bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Use of 454‐Pyrosequencing for the Characterization of Sweet Potato Virus C and Sweet Potato Feathery Mottle Virus Isolates from Argentina and Development of a Multiplex One‐Step RT‐PCR for Their Simultaneous Detection
Authors: Bejerman Nicolás , Zanini Andrea , Rodríguez Pardina Patricia , Di Feo Liliana
Published: January 2016

454‐pyrosequencing was applied as a tool to identify etiological agents involved in the symptoms observed in a sweet potato sample from Argentina. RNA was purified from symptomatic material and sequenced using a Roche 454 GS‐FLX+. BLAST analysis of the viral reads identified the presence of Sweet potato feathery mottle virus (SPFMV)‐O and SPFMV‐RC strains and Sweet potato virus C (SPVC). For SPFMV‐O and SPFMV–RC, 10 878 and 10 812 nucleotides, respectively, were sequenced, whereas a sequence of 10 793 nucleotides was obtained for SPVC. Pairwise comparison of polyprotein nucleotide sequences of O and RC Argentinian isolates (Arg) showed 99% and 98.4% sequence identities with SPFMV‐O and SPFMV‐RC‐M2‐41, respectively, whereas SPVC‐Arg showed 94.2%, 92.9% and 94.6% sequence identities with SPVC‐Il, SPVC‐C1 and SPVC‐Bungo, respectively. These results allowed us to develop a one‐step multiplex reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction assay (mRT‐PCR) for the simultaneous detection and differentiation of SPFMV‐O‐Arg and SPFMV‐RC‐Arg and SPVC‐Arg. Three specific forward primers unique to each virus and one reverse primer based on a region conserved in all three viruses were designed and used in the assay. These primers were further evaluated using field samples collected from four provinces of Argentina. The results showed that SPVC was the most common virus in samples analysed. This study shows the usefulness of deep sequencing not only to rapidly identify mixed infections between SPFMV‐O and SPFMV‐RC and SPVC, but also to develop a reliable mRT‐PCR assay for detection of these sweet potato pathogens, which cannot be discriminated by serological techniques.
Xylella fastidiosa Does Not Occur in Lebanon
Authors: Habib Wassim , Nigro Franco , Gerges Elvis , Jreijiri Fouad , Al Masri Youssef , El Riachy Milad , Choueiri Elia
Published: January 2016

Xylella fastidiosa has been reported as responsible for a devastating disease on olive trees in Apulia region (south‐eastern Italy), characterized by a quick decline syndrome. In Lebanon, the pathogen was recently associated with leaf scorch symptoms on oleander, and reports on leaf scorch and dieback of olive trees branches by technicians and farmers have shown an increasing trend in the main agricultural areas. To assess the occurrence and distribution of the pathogen in Lebanon, samples of twigs from olive trees (82), olive seedlings (26), grapevine (30), oleander (32) and ornamentals imported from Italy (48) were analysed by isolation on four agarized media, serological techniques (ELISA and DTBIA) using Xylella fastidiosa‐specific antibodies and by PCR, using three specific sets of primers. Results unequivocally demonstrated that all the collected samples were free from the pathogen. As well, both detection protocols and attempts at isolating the pathogen on agarized media demonstrated that oleander samples gathered from American University campus in Beirut, where X. fastidiosa was previously reported, were not infected. Nevertheless, continuous monitoring and rigorous control measures of propagative materials are necessary to prevent the introduction of Xylella fastidiosa in Lebanon.
On the Margins of Pharmaceutical Citizenship: Not Taking HIV Medication in the “Treatment Revolution” Era
Authors: Persson Asha , Newman Christy E. , Mao Limin , de Wit John
Published: January 2016

With the expanding pharmaceuticalization of public health, anthropologists have begun to examine how biomedicine's promissory discourses of normalization and demarginalization give rise to new practices of and criteria for citizenship. Much of this work focuses on the biomedicine–citizenship nexus in less‐developed, resource‐poor contexts. But how do we understand this relationship in resource‐rich settings where medicines are readily available, often affordable, and a highly commonplace response to illness? In particular, what does it mean to not use pharmaceuticals for a treatable infectious disease in this context? We are interested in these questions in relation to the recent push for early and universal treatment for HIV infection in Australia for the twin purposes of individual and community health. Drawing on Ecks's concept of pharmaceutical citizenship, we examine the implications for citizenship among people with HIV who refuse or delay recommended medication. We find that moral and normative expectations emerging in the new HIV “treatment revolution” have the capacity to both demarginalize and marginalize people with HIV.
Caring for Strangers: Aging, Traditional Medicine, and Collective Self‐care in Post‐socialist Russia
Authors: Chudakova Tatiana
Published: January 2016

This article explores how aging patients in Russia assemble strategies of care in the face of commercialization of medical services and public health discourses and initiatives aimed at improving the population's lifestyle habits. By focusing on how the formation of pensioner publics intersects with the health‐seeking trajectories of elderly patients, it tracks an emerging ethic of collective self‐care—a form of therapeutic collectivity that challenges articulations of good health as primarily an extension of personal responsibility or solely as a corollary of access to medical resources. By drawing on traditional medicine, these pensioners rely on and advocate for stranger intimacies that offer tactics for survival in the present through the care of (and for) a shared and embodied post‐socialist condition of social, economic, and bodily precarity.
“Just One Thing after Another”: Recursive Cascades and Chronic Conditions
Authors: Manderson Lenore , Warren Narelle
Published: January 2016

Chronic conditions and their resultant difficulties in daily living frequently occur with other health problems, sometimes due to interactions or complications at a biological level, or as a result of common pathogens or risk factors. On other occasions, they develop independently. Drawing on research conducted with Australian women that began in the mid‐2000s and is still ongoing, we highlight how chronic structural factors shape the risk factors of “chronic” conditions, influencing health seeking, continuity of care, and health outcomes. Institutional, economic, and other circumstantial factors pertain and impact health trajectories as much in highly industrialized as in resource poor settings. In illustrating how poverty and social exclusion create the preconditions of multiple chronic health problems, and how chronic health problems increase such disadvantages for individuals and their households, we introduce the idea of “recursive cascades” to capture the often inevitable trajectory of increasing ill health and growing empoverishment.
Limited dispersal in an ectoparasitic mite,Laelaps giganteus, contributes to significant phylogeographic congruence with the rodent host,Rhabdomys
Authors: Engelbrecht Adriaan , Matthee Sonja , du Toit Nina , Matthee Conrad A.
Published: January 2016

To explore how biogeography, parasite life history and host vagility influences evolutionary codivergences, we followed a comparative phylogeography approach using a host‐specific nonpermanent mite,Laelaps giganteus,that occurs on four rodent species within the genusRhabdomys. A mtDNA COIhaplotype network derived for 278 parasite specimens showed marked phylogeographic congruence with host distributions. Analysis of the less variable nuclear intron Tropomyosin was in part consistent with these results. Although distance‐based cophylogenetic analyses inaxparafitfailed to support significant mtDNAcodivergences (P ≥ 0.02), event‐based analyses revealed significant cophylogeny between sampling localities ofRhabdomysandLaelapsusingcore‐pa(P = 0.046) andjane(P = 0.026;P = 0.00). These findings, in conjunction with the weak congruence previously reported among the permanent ectoparasitic licePolyplaxandRhabdomys, suggest that host–parasite intimacy is not the most important driver of significant codivergence in our study system. Instead, the more restricted dispersal ability ofL. giganteus, when compared toPolyplax, resulted in stronger spatial structuring and this could have resulted in significant codivergence. Host switching occurred predominantly on the edges of host distributions and was probably facilitated by climate‐induced range shifts. When host ranges shift, the phylogeographic structure ofL. giganteusis not reflecting the host movements as most of the nest bound parasites do not disperse with the host (they miss the boat) and the genetic contribution of the few dispersing mite individuals is often overwhelmed by the large number of individuals already present in nests within the new environment (causing them to drown on arrival).
Genetic inviability is a major driver of type III survivorship in experimental families of a highly fecund marine bivalve
Authors: Plough L. V. , Shin G. , Hedgecock D.
Published: January 2016

The offspring of most highly fecund marine fish and shellfish suffer substantial mortality early in the life cycle, complicating prediction of recruitment and fisheries management. Early mortality has long been attributed to environmental factors and almost never to genetic sources. Previous work on a variety of marine bivalve species uncovered substantial genetic inviability among the offspring of inbred crosses, suggesting a large load of early‐acting deleterious recessive mutations. However, genetic inviability of randomly bred offspring has not been addressed. Here, genome‐wide surveys reveal widespread, genotype‐dependent mortality in randomly bred, full‐sib progenies of wild‐caught Pacific oysters (Crassostrea gigas). Using gene‐mapping methods, we infer that 11–19 detrimental alleles per family render 97.9–99.8% of progeny inviable. The variable genomic positions of viability loci among families imply a surprisingly large load of partially dominant or additive detrimental mutations in wild adult oysters. Although caution is required in interpreting the relevance of experimental results for natural field environments, we argue that the observed genetic inviability corresponds with type III survivorship, which is characteristic of both hatchery and field environments and that our results, therefore, suggest the need for additional experiments under the near‐natural conditions of mesocosms. We explore the population genetic implications of our results, calculating a detrimental mutation rate that is comparable to that estimated for conifers and other highly fecund perennial plants. Genetic inviability ought to be considered as a potential major source of low and variable recruitment in highly fecund marine animals.
Navigating the pitfalls and promise of landscape genetics
Authors: Richardson Jonathan L. , Brady Steven P. , Wang Ian J. , Spear Stephen F.
Published: January 2016

The field of landscape genetics has been evolving rapidly since its emergence in the early 2000s. New applications, techniques and criticisms of techniques appear like clockwork with each new journal issue. The developments are an encouraging, and at times bewildering, sign of progress in an exciting new field of study. However, we suggest that the rapid expansion of landscape genetics has belied important flaws in the development of the field, and we add an air of caution to this breakneck pace of expansion. Specifically, landscape genetic studies often lose sight of the fundamental principles and complex consequences of gene flow, instead favouring simplistic interpretations and broad inferences not necessarily warranted by the data. Here, we describe common pitfalls that characterize such studies, and provide practical guidance to improve landscape genetic investigation, with careful consideration of inferential limits, scale, replication, and the ecological and evolutionary context of spatial genetic patterns. Ultimately, the utility of landscape genetics will depend on translating the relationship between gene flow and landscape features into an understanding of long‐term population outcomes. We hope the perspective presented here will steer landscape genetics down a more scientifically sound and productive path, garnering a field that is as informative in the future as it is popular now.
Climate structures genetic variation across a species' elevation range: a test of range limits hypotheses
Authors: Sexton Jason P. , Hufford Matthew B. , C.Bateman Ashley , Lowry David B. , Meimberg Harald , Strauss Sharon Y. , Rice Kevin J.
Published: January 2016

Gene flow may influence the formation of species range limits, and yet little is known about the patterns of gene flow with respect to environmental gradients or proximity to range limits. With rapid environmental change, it is especially important to understand patterns of gene flow to inform conservation efforts. Here we investigate the species range of the selfing, annual plant, Mimulus laciniatus, in the California Sierra Nevada. We assessed genetic variation, gene flow, and population abundance across the entire elevation‐based climate range. Contrary to expectations, within‐population plant density increased towards both climate limits. Mean genetic diversity of edge populations was equivalent to central populations; however, all edge populations exhibited less genetic diversity than neighbouring interior populations. Genetic differentiation was fairly consistent and moderate among all populations, and no directional signals of contemporary gene flow were detected between central and peripheral elevations. Elevation‐driven gene flow (isolation by environment), but not isolation by distance, was found across the species range. These findings were the same towards high‐ and low‐elevation range limits and were inconsistent with two common centre‐edge hypotheses invoked for the formation of species range limits: (i) decreasing habitat quality and population size; (ii) swamping gene flow from large, central populations. This pattern demonstrates that climate, but not centre‐edge dynamics, is an important range‐wide factor structuring M. laciniatus populations. To our knowledge, this is the first empirical study to relate environmental patterns of gene flow to range limits hypotheses. Similar investigations across a wide variety of taxa and life histories are needed.
Genotyping of clinical and environmental Aspergillus flavus isolates from Iran using microsatellites
Authors: Khodavaisy Sadegh , Badali Hamid , Rezaie Sassan , Nabili Mojtaba , Moghadam Keivan G. , Afhami Shirin , Hagen Ferry , Aala Farzad , Hashemi Sayed‐Jamal , Meis Jacques F.
Published: January 2016

Aspergillus flavus is the second most important Aspergillus species causing human infections in tropical countries. Despite an increasing number of infections of A. flavus in Iran, the molecular epidemiology of clinical and environmental strains has not been well studied. We used a panel of nine microsatellite markers to analyse the genetic relatedness of A. flavus. Microsatellite typing of 143 (n = 119 clinical and n = 24 environmental) isolates demonstrated 118 different genotypes. A possible outbreak at a pulmonary ward was discovered. The discriminatory power for the individual markers ranged from 0.4812 to 0.9457 and the panel of all nine markers combined yielded a diversity index of 0.9948. This high‐resolution typing method assists in better understanding of the molecular epidemiology of A. flavus.
Insomnia, anxiety, and heart rate variability among nurses working different shift systems in Taiwan
Authors: Shen Shu‐Hua , Yen Miaofen , Yang Shou‐Lin , Lee Chiung‐Ying
Published: January 2016

This cross‐sectional comparative study investigated the levels of insomnia, anxiety, and heart rate variability of nurses members working different shift systems. One hundred and twenty‐four participants were recruited from members of the nurses of two Taiwanese hospitals. Data were collected using the Chinese versions of the Athens Insomnia Scale and Beck Anxiety Scale questionnaires and electrocardiograms recorded immediately upon completion of each participant's work shift. A binary logistic regression model was used for analysis. Insomnia, anxiety, and abnormal parasympathetic activity were more acute in nurses who worked a rotating shift than in those performing day or night shift work. Logistic regression analysis showed that age significantly increased the incidence and level of insomnia. Age, years of service, and nurses’ status as a parent significantly intensified incidences of anxiety and abnormal parasympathetic activity. Rotating shift work is one of the main factors causing adverse effects on the physical and psychological health of nurses; therefore, when a shift work system cannot be avoided, a practice of day and night shifts for nurses is preferable to rotating shifts.
Incidence and outcomes of school‐based injuries during four academic years in Kocaeli, Turkey
Authors: Ozkan Ozlem
Published: January 2016

Background

School‐based injuries are an important public health problem. The aim of this study was to determine the incidence as well as outcomes of school‐based injuries at a public primary and secondary school.

Methods

This retrospective cohort study involved 2956 students enrolled at a public primary and secondary school in the central district of Kocaeli province in Turkey from the academic year 2010–2011 to 2013–2014. The data were collected by intern public health nurses at school health units using a school‐based injury form.

Results

The total incidence of school‐based injuries during 4 academic years was 10.52% person‐year. The majority of the injured students were aged 10–15 years (73.3%), and boys (65%). Around one‐tenth of the injuries were serious, such as burn, fracture‐dislocation and soft‐tissue injuries. Outdoor injuries were more prevalent for girls while boys had more indoor injuries (50.5%, 53.0%, P > 0.05). The number of the incidence of ≥two injuries increased as the academic year progressed, and there was a weak positive association between the variables (P < 0.05, Cramer's V = 0.311). One out of six injuries were intentional, with the highest incidence in the 6–9 year age group (20.5%) and boys sex (19.8%; P > 0.05).

Conclusions

School‐based injuries at primary and secondary school still challenge the health as well as the security of the students. © 2016 Japan Pediatric Society.
Transient hyperphosphatasemia after pediatric liver transplantation
Authors: Yoshimaru Koichiro , Matsuura Toshiharu , Hayashida Makoto , Kinoshita Yoshiaki , Takahashi Yoshiaki , Yanagi Yusuke , Esumi Genshiro , Taguchi Tomoaki
Published: January 2016

Background

Transient hyperphosphatasemia (TH), the incidence of which in healthy children is 1.5–2.8%, is associated with a temporary elevation of serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) without any other liver function test (LFT) abnormalities. Fast α2 band, detected on agarose gel electrophoresis, is known to be a highly sensitive phenomenon in TH. The aim of this study was to elucidate the characteristics of TH after liver transplantation (LT).

Methods

Five TH patients (6.0%) out of 83 who underwent LT between October 1996 and October 2014, were included in this study. Patient background, duration of TH, peak ALP, time course of ALP and its isoenzyme in TH, other LFT, and imaging results were retrospectively investigated.

Results

Median patient age at the time of peak ALP during TH was 24 months (range, 16–98 months). Mean duration of TH was 111.0 ± 48.0 days. At 6887 IU/L, median ALP was elevated without any other LFT abnormalities. The first α2 band was detected in all patients, and the band disappeared at the same phase of ALP normalization. All of the patients improved without any treatment. The prevalence of TH was significantly higher in the patients after LT than in age‐matched healthy children (P < 0.05).

Conclusions

The detection of fast α2 band in the early phase allows for effective diagnosis of TH after LT, and 3–4 month follow up without treatment is feasible.
Nutrition, sex and season contribute to variation in fat and glycerol levels in the long‐lived moth Caloptilia fraxinella
Authors: Andrea Sean J. , Mori Boyd A. , Evenden Maya L.
Published: January 2016

The ash leaf cone roller Caloptilia fraxinella Ely (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae) is an invasive leaf‐mining moth pest of horticultural ash Fraxinus spp. in the Canadian Prairie Provinces. Caloptilia fraxinella overwinter as adults in reproductive diapause and mating occurs after overwintering in the spring. The effect of a carbohydrate food source on fat and glycerol reserves throughout the long adult life stage of this moth is investigated. Insects collected as pupae are given access to either water or sugar water upon adult eclosion. Moths held under the different feeding regimes are sampled before (summer and autumn) and after overwintering in the spring. Analysis of either glycerol or lipid content is conducted for male and female moths from each collection period. Both moth weight and glycerol concentration are affected by moth sex, food regime and season of collection. Although female moths are heavier than males, a higher glycerol concentration occurs in males. Moths fed sugar are heavier and have a higher glycerol concentration than water‐fed moths late in reproductive diapause and after overwintering. Moths collected in the spring after overwintering are lighter and have a lower glycerol content than moths collected before winter. There is a significant influence of feeding regime and season on moth body lipid content, with sugar‐fed moths having more fat than water‐fed moths; however, this difference is smaller in the summer than the autumn or spring. An initial understanding of the overwintering biology and diapause of this pest is provided in the present study.
Ability of the desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria) to compensate for visual deprivation during the final pre‐adult and adult stages
Authors: Kral Karl
Published: January 2016

In the desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria Forsskål), vision is a seemingly indispensable prerequisite for many behaviour patterns. The question arises as to whether and to what extent other senses can compensate for the loss of vision, and whether this can take place in the adult stage. To answer this question, both of the compound eyes of nymphs in the final pre‐adult stage are blinded (but not the ocelli), resulting in permanent visual deprivation during adult life. The results are somewhat unexpected: under laboratory conditions, in comparison with sighted controls, the blinded locusts do not exhibit any noticeable change in overall agility relative to daily activity, nor any detriment in terms of the final moult, reproductive rate or longevity. In their search for a specific food source in an experimental arena with a narrow passage between the compartment where the animals are released and the compartment containing food, in the first trial, visually deprived females need significantly more time than the sighted controls. However with an increasing number of trials, each performed after 1 day of food deprivation, the food finding latency of blinded locusts (S. gregaria) approaches or even surpasses that of normally sighted locusts. The blinded locusts use their antennae, mouthparts and tarsi more extensively, suggesting a more frequent use of tactile and chemical cues, which they gradually learn to use more efficiently. The results indicate that pre‐adult and adult S. gregaria can respond to abrupt, permanent changes in their sensory inputs, and have a significant capacity for adaptation.
Stereoselective Self‐Aggregation of 31‐Epimerically Pure Amino Analogs of Zinc Bacteriochlorophyll‐d in an Aqueous Micelle Solution
Authors: Watanabe Hiroaki , Mizoguchi Tadashi , Tamiaki Hitoshi
Published: January 2016

Zinc bacteriochlorophyll‐d analogs possessing an amino group instead of the original hydroxy group at the C31 position were prepared by chemical modification of naturally occurring chlorophyll‐a. The synthetic 31‐epimers were successfully separated by reverse phase HPLC to give diastereomerically pure samples. The stereochemistry of the chiral C31‐center in the separated amines was determined by NMR analysis of their diastereomeric amides as well as by their asymmetric synthesis from authentic stereoisomers. Both the epimers were monomeric in tetrahydrofuran to give sharp electronic absorption bands, while they self‐aggregated to form chlorosomal oligomers with the redshifted bands in an aqueous Triton X‐100 micelle solution (pH = 6.9). The resulting oligomers deaggregated by addition of p‐toluenesulfonic acid to give monomeric N‐protonated ammonium species. The aggregation and deaggregation were dependent on the 31‐stereochemistry, indicating that each epimer produced supramolecularly different self‐aggregates.
The Triplet State of 6‐thio‐2′‐deoxyguanosine: Intrinsic Properties and Reactivity Toward Molecular Oxygen
Authors: Pollum Marvin , Ortiz‐Rodríguez Luis A. , Jockusch Steffen , Crespo‐Hernández Carlos E.
Published: January 2016

Thiopurine prodrugs are currently among the leading treatment options for leukemia, immunosuppression, and arthritis. Patients undergoing long‐term thiopurine treatment are at a higher risk of developing sunlight‐induced skin cancers than the general population. This side effect originates from the cellular metabolization of thiopurine prodrugs to form 6‐thio‐2′‐deoxyguanosine, which can absorb UVA radiation, populating its reactive triplet state and leading to oxidatively generated damage. However, the photo‐oxidation mechanism is not fully understood. In this contribution, the oxidation potential and the adiabatic triplet energy of 6‐thio‐2′‐deoxyguanosine are estimated computationally, whereas the intrinsic rate of triple‐state decay and the rate constant for triplet quenching by molecular oxygen are determined using time‐resolved spectroscopic techniques. A singlet oxygen quantum yield of 0.24 ± 0.02 is measured in aqueous solution (0.29 ± 0.02 in acetonitrile). Its magnitude correlates with the relatively low percentage of triplet‐O2 collision events that generate singlet oxygen (SΔ = 37%). This behavior is rationalized as being due to the exergonic driving force for electron transfer between the triplet state of 6‐thio‐2′‐deoxyguanosine and molecular oxygen (ΔGET = −69.7 kJ mol−1), resulting in the formation of a charge‐transfer complex that favors nonradiative decay to the ground state over triplet energy transfer.
The Involvement of Splicing Factor hnRNP A1 in UVB‐induced Alternative Splicing of hdm2
Authors: Feng Jianguo , Li Li , Tong Lingying , Tang Liling , Wu Shiyong
Published: January 2016

Human homolog double minute 2 (hdm2), an oncoprotein, which binds to tumor suppressor p53 to facilitate its degradation, has been known to contribute to tumorigenesis. Its splicing variants are reported to be highly expressed in many cancers and can be induced by ultraviolet B light (UVB). However, the mechanisms of how UVB radiation induces hdm2 alternative splicing still remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the roles of two common splicing factors, heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoproteins (hnRNP) A1 and serine/arginine‐rich splicing factor 1 (SRSF1), in regulating UVB‐induced hdm2 splicing. Our study indicated that while the expression of both hnRNP A1 and SRSF1 are induced, only hnRNP A1 is involved in hdm2 alternative splicing upon UVB irradiation. Overexpression of hnRNP A1 resulted in decrease of full‐length hdm2 (hdm2‐FL) and increase of hdm2B, one of hdm2 alternate‐splicing forms; while down‐regulated hnRNP A1 expression led to the decrease of the hdm2‐FL and hdm2B in HaCaT cells. Protein‐mRNA binding assay confirmed that UVB irradiation could increase the binding of hnRNP A1 to hdm2 pre‐mRNA. In conclusion, we elucidated that UVB induces alternative splicing of hdm2 by increasing the expression and the binding of hnRNP A1 to hdm2 full‐length mRNA.
The presence of cutan limits the interpretation of cuticular chemistry and structure: Ficus elastica leaf as an example
Authors: Guzmán‐Delgado Paula , Graça José , Cabral Vanessa , Gil Luis , Fernández Victoria
Published: January 2016

Plant cuticles have been traditionally classified on the basis of their ultrastructure, with certain chemical composition assumptions. However, the nature of the plant cuticle may be misinterpreted in the prevailing model, which was established more than 150 years ago. Using the adaxial leaf cuticle of Ficus elastica, a study was conducted with the aim of analyzing cuticular ultrastructure, chemical composition and the potential relationship between structure and chemistry. Gradual chemical extractions and diverse analytical and microscopic techniques were performed on isolated leaf cuticles of two different stages of development (i.e. young and mature leaves). Evidence for the presence of cutan in F. elastica leaf cuticles has been gained after chemical treatments and tissue analysis by infrared spectroscopy and electron microscopy. Significant calcium, boron and silicon concentrations were also measured in the cuticle of this species. Such mineral elements which are often found in plant cell walls may play a structural role and their presence in isolated cuticles further supports the interpretation of the cuticle as the most external region of the epidermal cell wall. The complex and heterogeneous nature of the cuticle, and constraints associated with current analytical procedures may limit the chance for establishing a relationship between cuticle chemical composition and structure also in relation to organ ontogeny.
Factors related to dementia patients' length of day‐care clinic attendance
Authors: Ono Toshiyuki , Tamai Akira , Takeuchi Daisuke , Tamai Yuzuru , Hasegawa Yuka
Published: January 2016

Background

In our previous study, we reported that patients using a day‐care clinic for less than 1 year were older than those who continued day‐care activities for more than 1 year. We found that dementia symptoms, as assessed by caregivers using the initial Assessment Scale for Symptoms of Dementia score, influenced the length of day‐care clinic attendance (LDC). However, these results were obtained by univariate analysis. In this study, we investigated the factors that influenced LDC using multivariate analysis.

Methods

We studied data from 457 patients with dementia who attended our day‐care clinic for dementia patients from 1 April 2000 to 31 March 2012 and continued intervention until 31 March 2013. We evaluated the factors that influenced LDC using Cox's proportional hazards model for each sex.

Results

Kaplan–Meier analysis showed a gender difference in LDC. The median LDC was 18 months (interquartile range: 3–37 months) for men and 21 months (interquartile range: 5–53 months) for women (P = 0.027). In model 1, the low initial Assessment Scale for Symptoms of Dementia score for each sex and high initial scores for Hasegawa's Dementia Scale‐Revised and Nishimura's activity of daily living scale in women were related to the long‐term use of day care. Model 2 indicated that a low final score for Nishimura's activity of daily living scale increased LDC for each sex. LDC was not affected by variables related to the caregiving system except for the number of cohabitants in men.

Conclusions

It was suggested that patients with high cognitive and physical functions attend the day‐care clinic for a long time. It was necessary to control the behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia for those using day care in the long term. However, patients with low physical function at the end of day‐care attendance may also attend our day‐care service in the long term if they receive favourable assistance.
Disturbed social recognition and impaired risk judgement in older residents with mild cognitive impairment after the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011: the Tome Project
Authors: Akanuma Kyoko , Nakamura Kei , Meguro Kenichi , Chiba Masanori , Gutiérrez Ubeda Sergio Ramón , Kumai Keiichi , Kato Yuka , Oonuma Jiro , Kasai Mari , Nakatsuka Masahiro , Seki Takashi , Tomita Hiroaki ,   The Tome Project Members
Published: January 2016

Aim

After the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011, we investigated the safety of residents in the affected communities. Most of the people requiring help were elderly and had previously been assessed as Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) 0.5 (i.e. as having mild cognitive impairment (MCI)). We examined how well they understood the television news and whether they could make appropriate decisions.

Methods

This community‐based study of dementia and difficulties following a disaster started in Tome, northern Japan. The subjects were 188 randomly selected older residents who underwent CDR, blood tests, magnetic resonance imaging, and cognitive tests, including an original visual risk cognition task. They were shown NHK news broadcasts from the day of the earthquake to determine whether they could understand the content.

Results

Neither the CDR 0 (healthy) nor the CDR 0.5 (MCI) subjects fully understood the television news. Some subjects did not recognize the danger of aftershocks and engaged in risky behaviour. CDR 0.5 subjects who exhibited such behaviour scored lower on the visual risk cognition task.

Conclusions

It is noteworthy that television news is difficult to understand, even for healthy older adults. We found that MCI subjects had particular difficulties due to the disaster and suggest that risk cognition could be evaluated using visually presented materials.
Attention‐dependent sound offset‐related brain potentials
Authors: Horváth János
Published: January 2016

When performing sensory tasks, knowing the potentially occurring goal‐relevant and irrelevant stimulus events allows the establishment of selective attention sets, which result in enhanced sensory processing of goal‐relevant events. In the auditory modality, such enhancements are reflected in the increased amplitude of the N1 ERP elicited by the onsets of task‐relevant sounds. It has been recently suggested that ERPs to task‐relevant sound offsets are similarly enhanced in a tone‐focused state in comparison to a distracted one. The goal of the present study was to explore the influence of attention on ERPs elicited by sound offsets. ERPs elicited by tones in a duration‐discrimination task were compared to ERPs elicited by the same tones in not‐tone‐focused attentional setting. Tone offsets elicited a consistent, attention‐dependent biphasic (positive‐negative—P1‐N1) ERP waveform for tone durations ranging from 150 to 450 ms. The evidence, however, did not support the notion that the offset‐related ERPs reflected an offset‐specific attention set: The offset‐related ERPs elicited in a duration‐discrimination condition (in which offsets were task relevant) did not significantly differ from those elicited in a pitch‐discrimination condition (in which the offsets were task irrelevant). Although an N2 reflecting the processing of offsets in task‐related terms contributed to the observed waveform, this contribution was separable from the offset‐related P1 and N1. The results demonstrate that when tones are attended, offset‐related ERPs may substantially overlap endogenous ERP activity in the postoffset interval irrespective of tone duration, and attention differences may cause ERP differences in such postoffset intervals.
Functional Assessment in End‐Stage Renal Disease: Enhancing Quality of Life
Authors: Saby Adam , Miller Lawrence S.
Published: January 2016

Why do functional assessments in patients with end‐stage renal disease (ESRD) matter? Multiple studies show that new dialysis patients undergo a substantial decline among activities of daily living. Moreover, poor functional status in ESRD patients is associated with early morality. That is why CMS has developed new criteria to assess ESRD patients in regards to their functional, psychologic, and cognitive capabilities. Functional assessments by health providers have been used in field of Rehabilitation Medicine for over 50 years; rehabilitation physicians have found them effective in establishing goals and monitoring improvement. Assessments can provide guidance by identifying the needs and types of intervention most suited for patients. Impairments can be addressed with referrals to physical therapy for gross motor issues, occupational therapy for self‐care problems, psychiatry for mental disorders, and neurology for cognitive deficits. The more accurate the assessments over time, the more targeted and effective the therapies become. We believe that the new CMS goals to assess functionality will improve ESRD patient's quality of life, longevity, and long‐term healthcare costs.
How Can We Improve the Quality of Life of Dialysis Patients?
Authors: Mitema Donald , Jaar Bernard G.
Published: January 2016

As medical advances are made in the care of persons with chronic illnesses including those with end‐stage renal disease (ESRD), patients are not only experiencing increasing life expectancy but also bearing the burden of illness and treatment for a longer duration of time. With this in mind, it is increasingly important for health care providers to pay close attention to their individual patient's perceptions of their health, fitness, life satisfaction, and well‐being. This assessment of Health‐Related Quality of Life (HRQOL) also includes an evaluation of the patient's level of satisfaction with treatment, outcome, and health status, also taking into account their perspective on future prospects. In addition to improving patient–provider communication by helping in the identification and prioritization of problems, it is important to note that high HRQOL has been shown to be associated with better medical outcomes, including reduction in hospitalizations and death. In this review, we outline several validated tools that are used to quantitatively measure HRQOL in the ESRD population and incorporate these instruments in a review of specific, evidence‐based measures by which we can measurably improve health‐related quality of life in dialysis patients.
Paired comparison of methylene blue‐ and amotosalen‐treated plasma and cryoprecipitate
Authors: Backholer L. , Wiltshire M. , Proffitt S. , Cookson P. , Cardigan R.
Published: January 2016

Background and objectives

Cryoprecipitate is used in the treatment of patients with acquired hypofibrinogenaemia. Studies have not directly compared cryoprecipitate produced following pathogen inactivation (PI) of fresh‐frozen plasma (FFP) using different systems. The effects of methylene blue (MB) and amotosalen (AS) PI systems on the quality of FFP and cryoprecipitate were investigated in a paired study.

Materials and Methods

Seven group A and 7 group O pools of plasma were prepared and split into individual units and rapidly frozen to produce FFP. Units of FFP were thawed and either PI treated with MB or amotosalen, or left untreated (control). Samples of FFP along with the corresponding cryoprecipitate were tested for a range of coagulation factors, thrombin generation (TGT) and rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM).

Results

AS‐FFP showed a smaller decrease following treatment for most coagulation factors analysed than MB‐FFP, except fibrinogen (antigen) and factor VII, partly due to lower volume losses. There was no significant difference between treatment methods for fibrinogen content of cryoprecipitate with treated units meeting current UK specification, or TGT and ROTEM parameters studied.

Conclusions

MB‐cryo contained a significantly higher content of FVIII and lower content of FXIII when compared to AS‐cryo, with no difference in fibrinogen activity.
Idiopathic Canine Laryngeal Paralysis as One Sign of a Diffuse Polyneuropathy: An Observational Study of 90 Cases (2007–2013)
Authors: Bookbinder Lauren C. , Flanders James , Bookbinder Paul F. , Harvey H. Jay , Barry Jay S. , Cheetham Jon
Published: January 2016

Objective

To determine survival and incidence of complications in dogs with idiopathic laryngeal paralysis (ILP) and concurrent neurologic signs.

Study Design

Observational study.

Animals

Dogs (n = 90) with ILP.

Methods

Medical records (January 2007–June 2013) of dogs with ILP were reviewed. Neurologic comorbidities, including pelvic limb neurologic abnormalities and esophageal abnormalities were identified. Using medical record information and client interviews, the relationship between these comorbidities and postoperative survival (primary outcome measure) and postoperative complications (secondary outcome measure) was identified.

Results

Dogs that had surgical correction of ILP had a 2.6‐fold reduction in the hazard of death throughout the study period (HR = 2.6; 95% CI: 1.34–4.84,P = .006). Owner assessed patient quality of life (10‐point scale) increased by an average of 4.1 ± 1.4 units immediately postoperatively, and 4.9 ± 0.9 units until death or followup compared with preoperative values. Thirty‐five of 72 dogs available for followup had evidence of diffuse neurologic comorbidities. Overall complication rate for dogs with neurologic comorbidities was 74%, compared with 32% for dogs without neurologic comorbidities. Presence of any neurologic comorbidity was associated with a significantly greater odds of any complication (OR = 4.04; 95% CI: 1.25–13.90,P = .019) as well as recurring complications (OR = 8.00; 95% CI: 1.49–54.38;P = .015).

Conclusion

Surgical correction of ILP was positively associated with survival, and dogs with neurologic comorbidities were at greater risk for developing postoperative complications.
Enhanced Motion Control of Powertrain Using a Combination of Active and Passive Mounts
Authors: Liette Jared , Singh Rajendra
Published: January 2016

Vibration control of a realistic coupled powertrain and frame system is analytically and computationally studied using a combination of active and passive mounts. Actuators are placed in the powertrain paths for active control, and passive mounts are employed such that the powertrain roll motion is dominant using the torque roll axis motion decoupling concept. To facilitate this study, a new 24 degree of freedom mathematical model for a coupled powertrain and frame is developed with versatility where passive only, active only, or combined active and passive powertrain paths can be selected. Active control forces are defined as constant, real valued amplitudes to counteract the dominate powertrain roll motion. Alternate path models are then quantitatively compared based on the global powertrain motion magnitudes. It is found that superior vibration control is achieved with combined paths, provided all powertrain paths are aligned with the torque roll axis coordinates. Additionally, successful control is dependent on which paths are selected as a combination of active and passive mounts, dictated by the interaction between active control forces and the passive system dynamics.
Investigation of Torque Security Problems in Electrified Vehicles
Authors: Zhang Jiyu , Amodio Alessandro , Aksun Guvenc Bilin , Rizzoni Giorgio , Pisu Pierluigi
Published: January 2016

Functional safety of hybrid electric and electric vehicles has attracted a great deal of attention among automobile industries worldwide. Torque security is one of the main hazards that should be considered for functional safety of electrified vehicles. Over the past decades, a significant number of accidents have been reported to be caused by unintended acceleration that results from torque security problems. This paper investigates the factors related to torque security problems in electric vehicles using the Failure Modes and Effect Analysis (FMEA) approach. The fault scenarios that can potentially result in loss of torque security in electrified vehicles are evaluated in a simulation study.
Time- and State-Dependent Input Delay-Compensated Bang-Bang Control of a Screw Extruder for 3D Printing
Authors: Diagne Mamadou , Bekiaris-Liberis Nikolaos , Krstic Miroslav
Published: January 2016

We extend the recently developed delay-compensated “Bang-Bang” control design methodology for control of the nozzle output flow rate of isothermal screw-extruder-based 3D printing processes to the non-isothermal case, in which, the viscosity of the material that convects in the extruder chamber varies with time, resulting in periodic fluctuations of the material’s transport speed. We model the dynamics of the material convection in the extruder chamber with a nonlinear system with an input delay that simultaneously depends on the state and the time variable to account for the time variations of the transport speed. By combining a nominal, piecewise exponential feedback controller, which achieves global exponential stability in the nominal delay-free case, with nonlinear predictor feedback, the compensation of the time- and state-dependent input delay of the extruder model is achieved. Global asymptotic stability of the closed-loop system under the Bang-Bang predictor feedback is established when certain conditions, which are easy to verify, related to the extruder design and the material properties, as well as to the magnitude and frequency of the material’s transport speed variations, are satisfied. Simulations results are presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed control design.
Towards ECU-Executable Control-Oriented Models of a Three-Way Catalytic Converter
Authors: Santillo Mario , Magner Steve , Uhrich Mike , Jankovic Mrdjan
Published: January 2016

The nonlinear dynamics of an automotive three-way catalyst (TWC) present a challenge to developing simple control-oriented models that are both useful for control and/or diagnostics and real-time executable within a vehicle engine-control unit (ECU). As such, we begin by developing a first-principles control-oriented TWC model and then proceed to apply simplifications. The TWC models are spatially discretized along the catalyst length to better understand and exploit the oxygen-storage dynamics. The TWC models also include the oxidation reaction of ceria by H2O, which is considered important since it represents the production of H2 within the catalyst. We present automated optimization routines to calibrate the TWC model along with a heated exhaust-gas oxygen (HEGO) sensor model using measured vehicle and emissions data. Finally, we demonstrate the combined models’ ability to accurately reproduce the measured HEGO voltage using engine feedgas constituent inputs, which is necessary for designing a robust model-based feedback controller.
Average Bridge Consensus: Dealing With Active-Passive Sensors
Authors: Casbeer David W. , Cao Yongcan , Garcia Eloy , Milutinović Dejan
Published: January 2016

In network average consensus problems, a failure, in which a node cannot provide the initial value, but can communicate with its neighbors gives rise to the bridge consensus problem. In its formulation, the failed node serves as a bridge which maintains the network communication connectivity, and its failure to provide the value does not impact the capability of the rest of the network nodes to reach a consensus. The proposed bridge consensus solution can deal with multiple failing nodes and large networks in a scalable manner. The solution properties are proven and illustrated by a numerical example.