bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Outcomes following balloon mitral valvuloplasty in pregnant females with mitral stenosis and significant sub valve disease with severe decompensated heart failure
Authors: Ananthakrishna Pillai Ajith , Ramasamy Chandramohan , V Saranya Gousy , Kottyath Harichandrakumar
Published: March 2018

Background

Mitral stenosis may present with decompensated heart failure during pregnancy. Many patients do have advanced sub valve disease and present late with decompensated state. The outcomes of balloon mitral valvuloplasty (BMV) in such advanced sub valve disease with severe heart failure in pregnancy has not been specifically studied till now.

Methods

A descriptive study looking at the immediate and long‐term outcomes of pregnant patients with MS who presented with severe heart failure and sub valve disease who had undergone BMV.

Results

Ninety‐six patients were studied. The mean gestational age was 23.4 ± 10.9 weeks .Mean SpO2 was 89% at admission,17% were in cardiogenic shock and 33.33 were on mechanical ventilation. The mean Wilkin's score was 9.71 ± 2.1 and sub valve score was 3.3 ± 0.12. BMV was successful in 77 (80.2%) patients and failed in 19. In 5.2% cases, acute severe MR occurred. There were 11 maternal deaths (six in failed and five in success group). A successful obstetric outcome was seen in 71 patients in success (92%) and 11/19 (57%) in failed (P < 0.001). The obstetric outcomes were better in success versus failure group. Anova post hoc analysis showed sustained gradient reductions at 1 and 5 year follow‐up (P = 0.03) in success group.

Conclusions

BMV offers substantial improvement in clinical outcomes among pregnant patients with MS and heart failure even with severe sub valve disease. The morality rate among failed was high at 31%. The obstetric outcomes were poor after a failed BMV. Outcomes following balloon mitral valvuloplasty in pregnant females with mitral stenosis and significant sub valve disease with severe decompensated heart failure.
Congruence effects of contingent reward leadership intended and experienced on team effectiveness: The mediating role of distributive justice climate
Authors: Carter Min Z. , Mossholder Kevin W. , Harris John N.
Published: March 2018

We examined why congruence in contingent reward leadership (CRL) between leaders and teams can stimulate positive team processes and effectiveness. Specifically, our study explored the effect of congruence between perceptions of CRL intended by leaders and experienced collectively by team members. We hypothesized that team distributive justice climate serves as an emergent team state through which the positive effects of CRL congruence on team effectiveness occur. We found support for hypothesized congruence effects and discuss the implications of our findings as well as future research possibilities.

Practitioner points

Our study demonstrates the benefits of getting leaders and teams to ‘see eye to eye’ on critical workplace perceptions such as CRL intended and experienced.

The study findings indicate that distributive justice climate underlies the process through which leader–team agreement on CRL intended and experienced influences team effectiveness.

Our study emphasizes the importance to examine CRL from the perspectives of both leaders and teams.

Our results suggest that organization HR specialists and line managers should work together in executing compensation strategies.
Translucency of Zirconia Ceramics before and after Artificial Aging
Authors: Walczak Katarzyna , Meißner Heike , Range Ursula , Sakkas Andreas , Boening Klaus , Wieckiewicz Mieszko , Konstantinidis Ioannis
Published: March 2018

Purpose

The aging of zirconia ceramics (Y‐TZP) is associated with tetragonal to monoclinic phase transformation. This change in microstructure may affect the optical properties of the ceramic. This study examines the effect of aging on the translucency of different zirconia materials.

Materials and Methods

120 disc‐shaped specimens were fabricated from four zirconia materials: Cercon ht white, BruxZir Solid Zirconia, Zenostar T0, Lava Plus (n = 30 per group). Accelerated aging was performed in a steam autoclave (134°C, 0.2 MPa, 5 hours). CIELab coordinates (L*, a*, b*) and luminous reflectance (Y) were measured with a spectrophotometer before and after aging. Contrast ratio (CR) and translucency parameter (TP) were calculated from the L*, a*, b*, and Y tristimulus values. The general linear model (Bonferroni adjusted) was used to compare both parameters before and after aging, as well as between the different zirconia materials (p ≤ 0.05).

Results

CR and TP differed significantly before and after aging in all groups tested. Before aging, Zenostar T showed the highest and Lava Plus showed the lowest translucency. After aging, Cercon ht and Zenostar T showed the highest and BruxZir and Lava Plus the lowest translucency.

Conclusions

Aging reduced the translucency in all specimens tested. Furthermore, translucency differed between the zirconia brands tested. Nevertheless, the differences were below the detectability threshold of the human eye. The aging process can influence the translucency and thus the esthetic outcome of zirconia restorations; however, the changes in translucency were minimal and probably undetectable by the human eye.
Natural disasters and relief assistance: Empirical evidence on the resilience of U.S. counties using dynamic propensity score matching
Authors: Bondonio Daniele , Greenbaum Robert T.
Published: March 2018

This paper utilizes a novel dynamic propensity score matching approach for multiple cohorts of U.S. counties between 1989 and 1999 to examine local economy resilience to rare natural disasters. Affected counties are sorted based on disaster intensity and are carefully matched to similar counties that did not experience a disaster. A difference‐in‐difference estimator compares trends of affected counties’ postdisaster business establishments, employment, and payroll to counterfactual trends in the matched counties. All affected counties experienced short‐run drops in economic activity that was particularly noticeable in higher‐intensity disasters. In the longer run, less distressed counties returned to their estimated counterfactual trends, but counties with lower predisaster socioeconomic conditions still lagged in growth, particularly in cases of lower‐intensity disasters. Policymakers can use this information to better prepare responses to future disasters.
Identification of sensory characteristics that drive consumer preferences of commercially mass‐produced doenjang in Korea
Authors: Kim Mina K. , Kwak Han Sub , Kim Mi Jeong , Kim Sang Sook
Published: March 2018

The objective of this study was to identify the drivers of liking for commercially mass‐produced doenjang (fermented soybean paste) among Korean consumers, by correlating the results from descriptive analysis and consumer acceptance testing. Ten doenjang samples were tested, seven of which were manufactured through a modified method and three via applying traditional method for mass production. Significant differences were found in all sensory attributes among the samples (p < .05). The principal component analysis of the descriptive analysis revealed clear discrimination among doenjang samples, according to their sensory characteristics: one group favored mild flavors (high in “sweet” and “umami” tastes and “cooked soybean flavor,” while the other preferred strong fermentation‐related flavors, such as “musty,” “biting,” “soy sauce,” and “fermented fish sauce.” Overall, consumer preference was directed toward doenjang that is high in sweet and umami tastes, meaning that customers favored doenjang produced by the modified method more than traditional‐style doenjang.

Practical applications

The doenjang market is currently greatly expanding, as consumer interests in health and traditional foods are increasing. Therefore, it is more important than ever to identify the sensory characteristics driving consumer preference, in order to meet consumer expectations. The present study identified consumers who preferred traditional doenjang characteristics as well as sweet and umami characteristics. This suggests the direction in which to proceed in optimizing doenjang flavors, in order to ensure that they match Korean consumer preferences.
Effect of calibration methods on the accuracy of angiographic measurements during transcatheter procedures in dogs
Authors: Markovic Lauren E. , Scansen Brian A.
Published: March 2018

Background

Different methods to perform reference calibration of an angiographic image exist; however, a prospective comparison of calibration methods has yet to be investigated in veterinary medicine.

Objective

To compare angiographic measurements using two commonly employed reference calibration methods, an esophageal pigtail marker catheter (EC) versus a radiopaque table ruler (TR).

Animals

Thirty‐five client‐owned dogs undergoing transcatheter intervention.

Methods

Prospective comparison study. Two reference calibration methods, EC and TR, were recorded in dogs undergoing transcatheter procedures from May 2016 to July 2017. Relevant measurements were performed in triplicate and averaged after image calibration to either EC or TR. Comparisons between methods were made by correlation, paired t‐test, the method of Bland and Altman, and Passing‐Bablok regression.

Results

A total of 39 angiographic structures were measured. Interventions included balloon pulmonary valvuloplasty (n = 21), patent ductus arteriosus occlusion (n = 11), subaortic or sub‐pulmonary balloon dilatation (n = 4), and cor triatriatum membranostomy (n = 3). Angiographic measurements were larger when calibrated to EC versus TR (P < .0001). The mean bias was 0.86 mm, with greater bias for larger measurements. The EC measurements were ∼10% greater than TR based on regression analysis. Weight was correlated to the difference between methods (ρ = 0.55, P = .0003).

Conclusions and Clinical Importance

Angiographic image calibration using a ruler placed on the fluoroscopy table underestimates the size of a structure by ∼10% as compared with a marker catheter placed within the esophagus. This effect is greatest when measuring larger structures such as the pulmonary valve annulus and in larger dogs.
Environmental evidence for a pygmy blue whale aggregation area in the Subtropical Convergence Zone south of Australia
Authors: Garcia‐Rojas Maria I. , Jenner K. Curt S. , Gill Peter C. , Jenner Micheline‐Nicole M. , Sutton Alicia L. , McCauley Robert D.
Published: March 2018

The importance of the Subtropical Convergence Zone south of Australia as a feeding area to the pygmy blue whale of the eastern Indian Ocean was investigated to better understand migration patterns and habitat use. A combination of satellite tagging studies during 2003–2005 and acoustic and visual surveys during the austral summer of 2013 confirmed the presence of pygmy blue whales in the Subtropical Convergence Zone and provided evidence for feeding throughout the region. Of the 67 pygmy blue whales acoustically detected, many were localized in proximity to sea surface temperature fronts and high chlorophyll concentrations, which could be a behavioral strategy to attract conspecifics to good feeding sites. Aggregations of up to four pygmy blue whales, along with decreased call rates during the day, may suggest feeding despite no direct observations of pygmy blue whales consuming euphausiids. The oceanographic features present throughout the Subtropical Convergence Zone continue to create an environment productive enough to support the world's largest living mammals during their migratory foraging movements between the Southern Ocean and Indonesia.
Hybrid social media: employees’ use of a boundary‐spanning technology
Authors: Archer‐Brown Chris , Marder Ben , Calvard Thomas , Kowalski Tina
Published: March 2018

Improved employee collaboration and communication can be facilitated by social technologies that extend within and beyond organisations. These social technologies have increasingly come to be represented by social media sites, which are used to extend workplace relationships across personal and professional boundaries in a hybrid role. This presents opportunities and risks as those boundaries are collapsed. Using boundary management as a theoretical lens, we evaluate the associations of relationship initiation between colleagues at different levels of organisations with employees’ strategies and their well‐being. We also investigate relationships with social media usage, age and propensity to self‐monitor and group employees using cluster analysis. We consider implications of our findings for developing more sophisticated policies, training and guidance for employees on the use of social media as a workplace tool.
Comprehensive review and annotation of susceptibility SNPs associated with obesity‐related traits
Authors: Dong S.‐S. , Zhang Y.‐J. , Chen Y.‐X. , Yao S. , Hao R.‐H. , Rong Y. , Niu H.‐M. , Chen J.‐B. , Guo Y. , Yang T.‐L.
Published: March 2018

We aimed to summarize the results of genetic association studies for obesity and provide a comprehensive annotation of all susceptibility single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). A total of 72 studies were summarized, resulting in 90,361 susceptibility SNPs (738 index SNPs and 89,623 linkage disequilibrium SNPs). Over 90% of the susceptibility SNPs are located in non‐coding regions, and it is challenging to understand their functional significance. Therefore, we annotated these SNPs by using various functional databases. We identified 24,623 functional SNPs, including 4 nonsense SNPs, 479 missense SNPs, 399 untranslated region SNPs which might affect microRNA binding, 262 promoter and 5,492 enhancer SNPs which might affect transcription factor binding, 7 splicing sites, 76 SNPs which might affect gene methylation levels, 1,839 SNPs under natural selection and 17,351 SNPs which might modify histone binding. Expression quantitative trait loci analyses for functional SNPs identified 98 target genes, including 69 protein coding genes, 27 long non‐coding RNAs and 3 processed transcripts. The percentage of protein coding genes that could be correlated with obesity‐related pathways directly or through gene–gene interaction is 75.36 (52/69). Our results may serve as an encyclopaedia of obesity susceptibility SNPs and offer guide for functional experiments.
Integrating GWAS and gene expression data for functional characterization of resistance to white mould in soya bean
Authors: Wen Zixiang , Tan Ruijuan , Zhang Shichen , Collins Paul J. , Yuan Jiazheng , Du Wenyan , Gu Cuihua , Ou Shujun , Song Qijian , An Yong‐Qiang Charles , Boyse John F. , Chilvers Martin I. , Wang Dechun
Published: March 2018

White mould of soya bean, caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (Lib.) de Bary, is a necrotrophic fungus capable of infecting a wide range of plants. To dissect the genetic architecture of resistance to white mould, a high‐density customized single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array (52 041 SNPs) was used to genotype two soya bean diversity panels. Combined with resistance variation data observed in the field and greenhouse environments, genome‐wide association studies (GWASs) were conducted to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) controlling resistance against white mould. Results showed that 16 and 11 loci were found significantly associated with resistance in field and greenhouse, respectively. Of these, eight loci localized to previously mapped QTL intervals and one locus had significant associations with resistance across both environments. The expression level changes in genes located in GWAS‐identified loci were assessed between partially resistant and susceptible genotypes through a RNA‐seq analysis of the stem tissue collected at various time points after inoculation. A set of genes with diverse biological functionalities were identified as strong candidates underlying white mould resistance. Moreover, we found that genomic prediction models outperformed predictions based on significant SNPs. Prediction accuracies ranged from 0.48 to 0.64 for disease index measured in field experiments. The integrative methods, including GWAS, RNA‐seq and genomic selection (GS), applied in this study facilitated the identification of causal variants, enhanced our understanding of mechanisms of white mould resistance and provided valuable information regarding breeding for disease resistance through genomic selection in soya bean.
Generating Partially Synthetic Geocoded Public Use Data with Decreased Disclosure Risk by Using Differential Smoothing
Authors: Quick Harrison , Holan Scott H. , Wikle Christopher K.
Published: March 2018

When collecting geocoded confidential data with the intent to disseminate, agencies often resort to altering the geographies before making data publicly available. An alternative to releasing aggregated and/or perturbed data is to release synthetic data, where sensitive values are replaced with draws from models designed to capture distributional features in the data collected. The issues associated with spatially outlying observations in the data, however, have received relatively little attention. Our goal here is to shed light on this problem, to propose a solution—referred to as ‘differential smoothing’—and to illustrate our approach by using sale prices of homes in San Francisco.
Pro‐Consumer Price Ceilings under Regulatory Uncertainty*
Authors: Bennett John , Chioveanu Ioana
Published: March 2018

We examine optimal price ceilings when the regulator is uncertain about demand and maximizes expected consumer surplus. With perfect competition, if regulatory uncertainty is large enough, then softer intervention is called for, with the price ceiling set at a relatively high level compared with a full information scenario. In an imperfectly competitive setting where symmetric firms compete in supply functions, with large enough uncertainty, the optimal ceiling increases with the degree of competition, so greater competitive pressure justifies less restrictive regulation. Under perfect competition, we also determine a cut‐off level of rationing efficiency below which a price ceiling should not be used.
A Model of Educational Investment, Social Concerns, and Inequality
Authors: Gallice Andrea , Grillo Edoardo
Published: March 2018

We consider a model in which educational investments entail productivity gains, signaling power, and social status. The latter depends on the agent's relative achievement in one of three dimensions: innate skills, level of schooling, and income. We study the three scenarios separately and characterize the conditions under which social concerns increase or decrease educational and income inequality. Inequality increases (decreases) if education lowers the stigma suffered by low‐skilled workers less (more) than it boosts the prestige enjoyed by high‐skilled workers. We discuss the expected results of some policies in light of these findings.
The Criminal Self‐View: How Do Identity Discrepancies Affect Emotions and Projected Conformity Among Offenders?
Authors: Keith Shelley , Scheuerman Heather L.
Published: March 2018

Research indicates that mismatches between individuals’ identity standards and how they perceive others view them, or reflected appraisals (RAs), produce distress that individuals may attempt to alleviate by altering their behavior so as to achieve identity verification. While there has been a recent interest in understanding how individuals negotiate a criminal identity, little research has been conducted in naturalistic settings based on specific experiences and feedback received from others. We assess how discrepancies between one's criminal self‐view and RAs affect negative emotions and projected conformity after individuals are processed in the criminal justice system. Using a sample of 973 participants in the Australian Reintegrative Shaming Experiments, we find that discrepancies between criminal identities and RAs affect the amount of shame/guilt and embarrassment experienced by offenders and their projected conformity and that embarrassment mediates this relationship.
Prognostic significance of hypermethylation of death‐associated protein kinase (DAPK) gene CpG island in dogs with high‐grade B‐cell lymphoma
Authors: Sato M. , Mochizuki H. , Goto‐Koshino Y. , Fujiwara‐Igarashi A. , Takahashi M. , Ohno K. , Tsujimoto H.
Published: March 2018

Death‐associated protein kinase (DAPK) is a serine/threonine kinase and a tumour suppressor gene. Diffuse large B‐cell lymphomas with inactivated DAPK through hypermethylation of a CpG island is known to result in a biologically aggressive phenotype in humans. This retrospective study was carried out to analyse the prognostic significance of DAPK CpG island hypermethylation in canine lymphoma. We hypothesized that DAPK CpG island hypermethylation can be a negative prognostic indicator in dogs with nodal high‐grade B‐cell lymphoma. Forty‐seven dogs with high‐grade B‐cell lymphoma, according to the updated Kiel classification, were evaluated after being treated with a CHOP (vincristine, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin and prednisolone)‐based chemotherapy protocol. The methylation status of the DAPK CpG island was examined by methylation‐specific PCR. Progression‐free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were compared using the Kaplan‐Meier analysis and log‐rank test. The cox proportional hazard regression model was used to evaluate the effect of multiple variables. Hypermethylation of the DAPK CpG island was detected in 21 of the 47 dogs. The PFS and OS in dogs with the hypermethylation (median: 220 and 266 days, respectively) were significantly shorter than those of dogs without hypermethylation (median: 301 and 412 days, respectively) (PFS, P = .036; OS, P = .007). In the multivariate analysis, hypermethylation of the DAPK CpG island remained an independent prognostic factor in predicting shortened PFS (P = .047) and OS (P = .021) as well as clinical substage b. Overall, hypermethylation of the DAPK CpG island was a negative prognostic factor in canine high‐grade B‐cell lymphoma.
The geometry of Hida families II: -adic -modules and -adic Hodge theory
Authors: Cais Bryden
Published: March 2018

We construct the$\unicode[STIX]{x1D6EC}$-adic crystalline and Dieudonné analogues of Hida’s ordinary$\unicode[STIX]{x1D6EC}$-adic étale cohomology, and employ integral$p$-adic Hodge theory to prove$\unicode[STIX]{x1D6EC}$-adic comparison isomorphisms between these cohomologies and the$\unicode[STIX]{x1D6EC}$-adic de Rham cohomology studied in Cais [The geometry of Hida families I:$\unicode[STIX]{x1D6EC}$-adic de Rham cohomology, Math. Ann. (2017), doi:10.1007/s00208-017-1608-1] as well as Hida’s$\unicode[STIX]{x1D6EC}$-adic étale cohomology. As applications of our work, we provide a ‘cohomological’ construction of the family of$(\unicode[STIX]{x1D711},\unicode[STIX]{x1D6E4})$-modules attached to Hida’s ordinary$\unicode[STIX]{x1D6EC}$-adic étale cohomology by Dee [$\unicode[STIX]{x1D6F7}$–$\unicode[STIX]{x1D6E4}$modules for families of Galois representations, J. Algebra235(2001), 636–664], and we give a new and purely geometric proof of Hida’s finiteness and control theorems. We also prove suitable$\unicode[STIX]{x1D6EC}$-adic duality theorems for each of the cohomologies we construct.
Central chemosensitivity is augmented during 2 h of thermoneutral head‐out water immersion in healthy men and women
Authors: Sackett James R. , Schlader Zachary J. , O'Leary Morgan C. , Chapman Christopher L. , Johnson Blair D.
Published: March 2018

New Findings

What is the central question of the study?

Is central chemosensitivity blunted during thermoneutral head‐out water immersion in healthy humans?

What is the main finding and its importance?

Central chemosensitivity is augmented during thermoneutral head‐out water immersion in healthy men and women. Thus, we suggest that the central chemoreceptors do not contribute to CO2 retention during head‐out water immersion.

Carbon dioxide retention occurs during water immersion. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that central chemosensitivity to hypercapnia is blunted during 2 h of thermoneutral head‐out water immersion (HOWI) in healthy young adults. Twenty‐six participants (age 22 ± 2 years; body mass index 24 ± 3 kg m−2; 14 women) participated in two experimental visits: a HOWI visit (HOWI) and a dry time‐control visit (Control). Central chemosensitivity was assessed via a rebreathing test at baseline, 10, 60, 90 and 120 min and after HOWI and Control. End‐tidal CO2 tension (), minute ventilation, blood pressure and heart rate were recorded continuously. The increased from baseline throughout HOWI (peak increase at 120 min 2 ± 2 mmHg; P < 0.001), and the change in was greater throughout HOWI than Control (P < 0.001). The change in minute and alveolar ventilation was not different throughout time (P ≥ 0.173) or between conditions (P ≥ 0.052). Central chemosensitivity was greater than at baseline throughout HOWI (peak increase 0.74 ± 1.01 l min−1 mmHg−1 at 120 min; P < 0.001), and the change in central chemosensitivity was greater throughout HOWI than Control (P  ≤  0.006). We also divided the cohort into tertiles based on baseline central chemosensitivity (i.e. Low, Intermediate and High) and compared Low versus High during HOWI. Low demonstrated an increase in starting at 10 min (2 ± 3 mmHg; P < 0.001), whereas High did not exhibit an increase in until 60 min (2 ± 2 mmHg; P = 0.018). These data indicate that CO2 retention occurs throughout HOWI despite augmented central chemosensitivity and that having a high baseline central chemosensitivity might delay the onset of CO2 retention.
Gaudalges averianovi sp. nov. (Acariformes: Psoroptidae)—a new parasite of Malagasy lemurs
Authors: Bochkov Andre V.
Published: March 2018

A new species Gaudalges averianovi sp. nov. (Acariformes: Psoroptidae: Makialginae) is described from Lepidolemur ruficaudatus Grandidier (Primates: Lepilemuridae) from Madagascar. A key to all known species of the genus Gaudalges Fain, 1963 is given. This is the first finding of mites of the genus Gaudalges on lemurs of the family Lepilemuridae.
High temperature diode sensors based on InGaN/AlGaN structures
Authors: Krasnov Vasily A. , Shutov Stanislav V. , Yerochin Sergey Y. , Demenskiy Aleksey N.
Published: March 2018

The authors have established the factors defining the maximum temperature limit of operating as well as the thermal sensitivity of the diode temperature sensors based on double heterostructures InGaN/AlGaN in a condition when tunnel current flow prevails. The authors have obtained analytic dependencies for the maximum temperature and sensitivity and have analyzed a connection of these characteristics with the parameters of the semiconductor material and the diode structure. In particular, it was shown that the sensitivity did not depend on the diode sensor operation current and, in the case of double heterostructure, its value was proportional to the energy gap difference of the heterojunction. Relying on the experimental data, the authors state that to design a diode temperature sensor possessing maximum values of operation temperature and thermal sensitivity at minimal operation current, it is necessary to utilize double heterostructures based on wide bandgap semiconductors. Base and emitter layers of the structure should be heavily doped. The optimal value of the energy gap difference between active and confining layers of about 0.2–0.3 eV should be provided. In addition, in the double heterostructure chosen, the tunnel transport of the charge carriers with smaller effective mass should dominate.
Electronic structure of BaSnO3 investigated by high-energy-resolution electron energy-loss spectroscopy and ab initio calculations
Authors: Yun Hwanhui , Topsakal Mehmet , Prakash Abhinav , Ganguly Koustav , Leighton Chris , Jalan Bharat , Wentzcovitch Renata M. , Mkhoyan K. Andre , Jeong Jong Seok
Published: March 2018

There has been growing interest in perovskite BaSnO3 due to its desirable properties for oxide electronic devices, including high electron mobility at room temperature and optical transparency. As these electronic and optical properties originate largely from the electronic structure of the material, here the basic electronic structure of epitaxially grown BaSnO3 films is studied using high-energy-resolution electron energy-loss spectroscopy in a transmission electron microscope and ab initio calculations. This study provides a detailed description of the dielectric function of BaSnO3, including the energies of bulk plasmon excitations and critical interband electronic transitions, the band structure and partial densities of states, the measured band gap, and more.
Mutation in the Squalene Epoxidase Gene of Trichophyton interdigitale and Trichophyton rubrum Associated with Allylamine Resistance
Authors: Rudramurthy Shivaprakash M. , Shankarnarayan Shamanth A. , Dogra Sunil , Shaw Dipika , Mushtaq Khurram , Paul Raees A. , Narang Tarun , Chakrabarti Arunaloke
Published: March 2018

Dermatophytosis, the commonest superficial fungal infection, has gained recent attention due to its change of epidemiology and treatment failures. Despite the availability of several agents effective against dermatophytes, the incidences of chronic infection, reinfection, and treatment failures are on the rise.
Trichophyton rubrum
and
Trichophyton interdigitale
are the two species most frequently identified among clinical isolates in India. Consecutive patients (
n
= 195) with suspected dermatophytosis during the second half of 2014 were included in this study. Patients were categorized into relapse and new cases according to standard definitions. Antifungal susceptibility testing of the isolated
Trichophyton
species (
n
= 127) was carried out with 12 antifungal agents: fluconazole, voriconazole, itraconazole, ketoconazole, sertaconazole, clotrimazole, terbinafine, naftifine, amorolfine, ciclopirox olamine, griseofulvin, and luliconazole. The squalene epoxidase gene was evaluated for mutation (if any) in 15
T. interdigitale
and 5
T. rubrum
isolates exhibiting high MICs for terbinafine. A T1189C mutation was observed in four
T. interdigitale
and two
T. rubrum
isolates. This transition leads to the change of phenylalanine to leucine in the 397th position of the squalene epoxidase enzyme. In homology modeling the mutant residue was smaller than the wild type and positioned in the dominant site of squalene epoxidase during drug interaction, which may lead to a failure to block the ergosterol biosynthesis pathway by the antifungal drug.
Translation Stress Positively Regulates MscL-Dependent Excretion of Cytoplasmic Proteins
Authors: Morra Rosa , Del Carratore Francesco , Muhamadali Howbeer , Horga Luminita Gabriela , Halliwell Samantha , Goodacre Royston , Breitling Rainer , Dixon Neil
Published: March 2018

The apparent mislocalization or excretion of cytoplasmic proteins is a commonly observed phenomenon in both bacteria and eukaryotes. However, reports on the mechanistic basis and the cellular function of this so-called “nonclassical protein secretion” are limited. Here we report that protein overexpression in recombinant cells and antibiotic-induced translation stress in wild-typeEscherichia colicells both lead to excretion of cytoplasmic protein (ECP). Condition-specific metabolomic and proteomic analyses, combined with genetic knockouts, indicate a role for both the large mechanosensitive channel (MscL) and the alternative ribosome rescue factor A (ArfA) in ECP. Collectively, the findings indicate that MscL-dependent protein excretion is positively regulated in response to both osmotic stress andarfA-mediated translational stress.

IMPORTANCEProtein translocation is an essential feature of cellular organisms. Bacteria, like all single-cell organisms, interact with their environment by translocation of proteins across their cell membranes via dedicated secretion pathways. Proteins destined for secretion are directed toward the secretion pathways by the presence of specific signal peptides. This study demonstrates that under conditions of both osmotic stress and translation stress,E. colicells undergo an excretion phenomenon whereby signal peptide-less proteins are translocated across both the inner and outer cell membranes into the extracellular environment. Confirming the presence of alternative translocation/excretion pathways and understanding their function and regulation are thus important for fundamental microbiology and biotechnology.
The Biosynthesis of Lipooligosaccharide from
Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron
Authors: Jacobson Amy N. , Choudhury Biswa P. , Fischbach Michael A.
Published: March 2018

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a cell-associated glycolipid that makes up the outer leaflet of the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria, is a canonical mediator of microbe-host interactions. The most prevalent Gram-negative gut bacterial taxon,
Bacteroides
, makes up around 50% of the cells in a typical Western gut; these cells harbor ~300 mg of LPS, making it one of the highest-abundance molecules in the intestine. As a starting point for understanding the biological function of
Bacteroides
LPS, we have identified genes in
Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron
VPI 5482 involved in the biosynthesis of its lipid A core and glycan, generated mutants that elaborate altered forms of LPS, and used matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization–time of flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry to interrogate the molecular features of these variants. We demonstrate,
inter alia
, that the glycan does not appear to have a repeating unit, and so this strain produces lipooligosaccharide (LOS) rather than LPS. This result contrasts with
Bacteroides vulgatus
ATCC 8482, which by SDS-PAGE analysis appears to produce LPS with a repeating unit. Additionally, our identification of the
B. thetaiotaomicron
LOS oligosaccharide gene cluster allowed us to identify similar clusters in other
Bacteroides
species. Our work lays the foundation for developing a structure-function relationship for
Bacteroides
LPS/LOS in the context of host colonization.

IMPORTANCE
Much is known about the bacterial species and genes that make up the human microbiome, but remarkably little is known about the molecular mechanisms through which the microbiota influences host biology. A well-known mechanism by which bacteria influence the host centers around lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a component of the Gram-negative bacterial outer membrane. Pathogen-derived LPS is a potent ligand for host receptor Toll-like receptor 4, which plays an important role in sensing bacteria as part of the innate immune response. Puzzlingly, the most common genus of human gut bacteria,
Bacteroides
, produces LPS but does not elicit a potent proinflammatory response. Previous work showing that
Bacteroides
LPS differs structurally from pathogen-derived LPS suggested the outlines of an explanation. Here, we take the next step, elucidating the biosynthetic pathway for
Bacteroides
LPS and generating mutants in the process that will be of great use in understanding how this molecule modulates the host immune response.
Microbial Unmasking of Plant Glycosides
Authors: Biernat Kristen A. , Li Bo , Redinbo Matthew R.
Published: March 2018

The therapeutic potential of plants is widely recognized and harnessed in plant-based remedies and drug discovery. However, the factors that modulate the bioavailability and bioactivities of plant-derived phytochemicals are poorly understood. In a recent article in
mBio
, M. C. Theilmann et al. (mBio 8:e01421-17, 2017,
https://doi.org/10.1128/mBio.01421-17
) describe how one gut microbe,
Lactobacillus acidophilus
, catalytically unwraps plant glucosides to make deglucosylated bioactive aglycones available to human tissues. They demonstrate that understanding the metabolism of plant glycosides by intestinal bacteria is essential to appreciating how bacteria manipulate the levels of bioactive plant metabolites in the human host.
Inhibition of Cyanobacterial Growth on a Municipal Wastewater Sidestream Is Impacted by Temperature
Authors: Korosh Travis C. , Dutcher Andrew , Pfleger Brian F. , McMahon Katherine D.
Published: March 2018

Cyanobacteria are viewed as promising platforms to produce fuels and/or high-value chemicals as part of so-called “biorefineries.” Their integration into wastewater treatment systems is particularly interesting because removal of the nitrogen and phosphorus in many wastewater streams is an expensive but necessary part of wastewater treatment. In this study, we evaluated strategies for cultivatingSynechococcussp. strain PCC 7002 on media comprised of two wastewater streams, i.e., treated secondary effluent supplemented with the liquid fraction extracted from sludge following anaerobic digestion. This strain is commonly used for metabolic engineering to produce a variety of valuable chemical products and product precursors (e.g., lactate). However, initial attempts to grow PCC 7002 under otherwise-standard conditions of light and temperature failed. We thus systematically evaluated alternative cultivation conditions and then used multiple methods to dissect the apparent toxicity of the media under standard cultivation conditions.
It Takes a Village: Microbial Communities Thrive through Interactions and Metabolic Handoffs
Authors: Hug Laura A. , Co Rebecca
Published: March 2018

An enduring theme in microbial ecology is the interdependence of microbial community members. Interactions between community members include provision of cofactors, establishment of redox gradients, and turnover of key nutrients to drive biogeochemical cycles.
Gut Microbiota Offers Universal Biomarkers across Ethnicity in Inflammatory Bowel Disease Diagnosis and Infliximab Response Prediction
Authors: Zhou Youlian , Xu Zhenjiang Zech , He Yan , Yang Yunsheng , Liu Le , Lin Qianyun , Nie Yuqiang , Li Mingsong , Zhi Fachao , Liu Side , Amir Amnon , González Antonio , Tripathi Anupriya , Chen Minhu , Wu Gary D. , Knight Rob , Zhou Hongwei , Chen Ye
Published: March 2018

In the present report, we show that the human fecal microbiota contains promising and universal biomarkers for the noninvasive evaluation of inflammatory bowel disease severity and IFX treatment efficacy, emphasizing the potential ability to mine the gut microbiota as a modality to stratify IBD patients and apply personalized therapy for optimal outcomes.
Linking Nitrogen Load to the Structure and Function of Wetland Soil and Rhizosphere Microbial Communities
Authors: Hester Eric R. , Harpenslager Sarah F. , van Diggelen Josepha M. H. , Lamers Leon L. , Jetten Mike S. M. , Lüke Claudia , Lücker Sebastian , Welte Cornelia U.
Published: March 2018

Microorganisms living within the rhizospheres of wetland plants significantly contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. Understanding how microbes produce these gases under conditions that have been imposed by human activities (i.e., nitrogen pollution) is important to the development of future management strategies. Our results illustrate that within the rhizosphere of the wetland plant
Juncus acutiflorus
, physiological differences associated with nitrogen availability can influence microbial activity linked to greenhouse gas production. By pairing taxonomic information and environmental conditions like nitrogen availability with functional outputs of a system such as greenhouse gas fluxes, we present a framework to link certain taxa to both nitrogen load and greenhouse gas production. We view this type of combined information as essential in moving forward in our understanding of complex systems such as rhizosphere microbial communities.
Drivers for successful long-term lifestyle change, the role of e-health: a qualitative interview study
Authors: Brandt Carl Joakim , Clemensen Jane , Nielsen Jesper Bo , Søndergaard Jens
Published: March 2018

Objectives

Assisting patients in lifestyle change using collaborative e-health tools can be an efficient treatment for non-communicable diseases like diabetes, cardiovascular disease and chronic obstructive lung disease that are caused or aggravated by unhealthy living in the form of unhealthy diet, physical inactivity or tobacco smoking. In a prospective pilot study, we tested an online collaborative e-health tool in general practice. The aim of this study was to identify drivers of importance for long-term personal lifestyle changes from a patient perspective when using a collaborative e-health tool, including the support of peers and healthcare professionals.

Setting

General practice clinics in the Region of Southern Denmark.

Participants

10 overweight patients who had previously successfully used a hybrid online collaborative e-health tool with both face-to-face and online consultations to lose weight.

Results

The main themes identified were facilitators, barriers and support from family and peers. Establishment of a trustworthy relationship with the healthcare professionals was of paramount importance. It was important for the patients to monitor the measurable outcomes with realistic goals and feedback from a trusted person. Often, significant life events were identified as catalysts for successful long-term lifestyle changes. Dominant barriers to change were perception of insurmountable obstacles, experience of lack of self-efficacy and excess eating of high-calorie food. Finally, experiencing of trustworthy person-to-person forums, need for acknowledgement from referent others and support from family and peers were important drivers for long-term lifestyle change.

Conclusion

The most important driver in long-term weight loss was a strong relationship with a healthcare professional. Collaborative e-health tools can support the relationship and behavioural changes through monitoring and providing relevant feedback. The support from family and peers also matters, and long-term success depends on the ability to establish strong, positive support on a day-to-day basis.
National trends in emergency readmission rates: a longitudinal analysis of administrative data for England between 2006 and 2016
Authors: Friebel Rocco , Hauck Katharina , Aylin Paul , Steventon Adam
Published: March 2018

Objective

To assess trends in 30-day emergency readmission rates across England over one decade.

Design

Retrospective study design.

Setting

150 non-specialist hospital trusts in England.

Participants

23 069 134 patients above 18 years of age who were readmitted following an initial admission (n=62 584 297) between April 2006 and February 2016.

Primary and secondary outcomes

We examined emergency admissions that occurred within 30 days of discharge from hospital (‘emergency readmissions’) as a measure of healthcare quality. Presented are overall readmission rates, and disaggregated by the nature of the indexed admission, including whether it was elective or emergency, and by clinical health condition recorded. All rates were risk-adjusted for patient age, gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, comorbidities and length of stay.

Results

The average risk-adjusted, 30-day readmission rate increased from 6.56% in 2006/2007 to 6.76% (P<0.01) in 2012/2013, followed by a small decrease to 6.64% (P<0.01) in 2015/2016. Emergency readmissions for patients discharged following elective procedures decreased by 0.13% (P<0.05), whereas those following emergency admission increased by 1.27% (P<0.001). Readmission rates for hip or knee replacements decreased (−1.29%; P<0.001); for acute myocardial infarction (−0.04%; P<0.49), stroke (+0.62%; P<0.05), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (+0.41%; P<0.05) and heart failure (+0.15%; P<0.05) remained stable; and for pneumonia (+2.72%; P<0.001), diabetes (+7.09%; P<0.001), cholecystectomy (+1.86%; P<0.001) and hysterectomy (+2.54%; P<0.001) increased.

Conclusions

Overall, emergency readmission rates in England remained relatively stable across the observation period, with trends of slight increases contained post 2012/2013. However, there were large variations in trends across clinical areas, with some experiencing marked increases in readmission rates. This highlights the need to better understand variations in outcomes across clinical subgroups to allow for targeted interventions that will ensure highest standards of care provided for all patients.
Physical characteristics cannot be used to predict cooling time using cold-water immersion as a treatment for exertional hyperthermia
Authors: Poirier Martin P. , Notley Sean R. , Flouris Andreas D. , Kenny Glen P.
Published: March 2018

We examined if physical characteristics could be used to predict cooling time during cold water immersion (CWI, 2 °C) following exertional hyperthermia (rectal temperature ≥39.5 °C) in a physically heterogeneous group of men and women (n = 62). Lean body mass was the only significant predictor of cooling time following CWI (R2 = 0.137; P < 0.001); however, that prediction did not provide the precision (mean residual square error: 3.18 ± 2.28 min) required to act as a safe alternative to rectal temperature measurements.
The massless Dirac–Weyl equation with deformed extended complex potentials
Authors: Yeşiltaş Özlem , Çag̃atay Bengü
Published: March 2018

Basically (2 + 1)-dimensional Dirac equation with real deformed Lorentz scalar potential is investigated in this study. The position-dependent Fermi velocity function transforms Dirac Hamiltonian into a Klein–Gordon-like effective Hamiltonian system. The complex Hamiltonian and its real energy spectrum and eigenvectors are obtained analytically. Moreover, the Lie algebraic analysis is also performed.
Calculation of the tilt angle and susceptibility as functions of temperature and the electric field close to the Sm A – Sm C* transition in C7
Authors: Aksoy S. , Yurtseven H. , Kurt M.
Published: March 2018

Smectic A – Smectic C* transition in the ferroelectric liquid crystal (C7) is studied as a function of the electric field and the temperature. By expanding the free energy in terms of the tilt angle θ (Smectic C* phase) and the polarization P with a linear coupling between θ and P (Pθ) in mean field theory, the tilt angle is calculated as a function of the electric field (θ versus E) at constant temperatures with respect to the transition temperature for C7 using the observed data from the literature. Also, by extracting the tilt angle from the observed electric displacements at various temperatures (at constant field strength) the inverse tilt angle susceptibility ([Formula: see text]), derived from the free energy, is fitted to the observed data for the dielectric constant and the fitted parameters are determined. Our calculated θ and χθ. show that the mean field theory explains adequately the observed behavior of the Smectic A – Smectic C* transition in the liquid crystals C7.
GEODESICS OF THE SIERPINSKI GASKET
Authors: SALTAN MUSTAFA , ÖZDEMİR YUNUS , DEMİR BÜNYAMİN
Published: March 2018

In this paper, we examine the number of geodesics between two points of the Sierpinski Gasket ([Formula: see text]) via code representations of the points and as a main result we show that the maximum number of geodesics between different two points with respect to the intrinsic metric on [Formula: see text] is five.
FRACTAL MODEL FOR THE CORRELATION RELATING TOTAL SUCTION TO WATER CONTENT OF BENTONITES
Authors: XU YONGFU
Published: March 2018

Great efforts have been made to determine total suction using elaborate laboratory tests, because there is no a specific correlation relating the total suction to the water content of bentonites. However, elaborate laboratory tests are difficult and time consuming to perform on bentonites. Thus, a theoretical equation is a necessary choice to correlate the total suction to the water content. A simple method is proposed to calculate the total suction from the water content based on the surface fractal model for bentonites. The correlation relating the total suction to the water content is expressed by a power-law function with the exponent of [Formula: see text] is the surface fractal dimension of bentonites. The surface fractal dimension can be determined using the nitrogen adsorption isotherm tests. The total suction of bentonites calculated from the proposed method is in satisfactory agreement with the experimental data found in the literature. In addition, the correlation of the total suction to the water content also offers another method to determine the surface fractal dimension of bentonites.