bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Porphyromonas gingivalis‐derived lipopolysaccharide causes excessive hepatic lipid accumulation via activating NF‐κB and JNK signaling pathways
Authors: Ding Lu‐yang , Liang Li‐zong , Zhao Yong‐xu , Yang Ya‐nan , Liu Feng , Ding Qiu‐rong , Luo Li‐jun
Published: July 2019

Background

Porphyromonas gingivalis is the main pathogen of periodontal disease affecting over half of the worldwide adult population. Recent studies have shown that P. gingivalis is related to the development of non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a global major chronic liver disease, especially in developed countries. However, how P. gingivalis contributes to the pathogenesis of NAFLD has not been fully clarified. We aimed to conduct a preliminary exploration of the underlying mechanism of P. gingivalis infection in the development of NAFLD.

Methods

Human hepatocellular cells HepG2 were incubated with/without oleic acid (OA) and tested for lipid accumulation upon stimulation by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) derived from P. gingivalis or Escherichia coli. Intracellular lipid droplet formation was analyzed and quantified by Oil Red O staining. The involvement of signaling pathway molecules and pro‐inflammatory cytokines related to NF‐κB and MAPKs were examined with Western blot and quantitative real‐time PCR (qRT‐PCR) analyses and further evaluated with inhibitor treatment and RNA interference.

Results

HepG2 cells accumulated more intracellular lipids when stimulated with P. gingivalis LPS, as compared to cells treated with E. coli LPS or control. Further pathway analysis demonstrated that after stimulation with P. gingivalis LPS, cells displayed significantly upregulated MyD88 expression, increased phosphorylation of p65 and JNK, and more release of pro‐inflammatory cytokines, such as IL‐1, IL‐8, and TNF‐α. In addition, suppression of phosphorylation of p65 and JNK by inhibitors and RNA interference resulted in a reduction in lipid accumulation upon P. gingivalis LPS treatment.

Conclusions

These results suggest that P. gingivalis‐derived LPS may contribute to intracellular lipid accumulation and inflammatory reaction of HepG2 cells via the activation of NF‐κB and JNK signaling pathways. This study offers a possible explanation to the functional involvement of P. gingivalis infection in the pathological progression of NAFLD. These findings may help design new treatment strategies in NAFLD.
The environmental determinants of diversity management: Competition, collaboration and clients
Authors: McCrea Austin M. , Zhu Ling
Published: July 2019

Diversity management has received considerable attention in public management research. Most existing research, however, analyses the effects rather than the determinants of diversity management. Using panel data on American hospitals from 2008 to 2011, we probe how market competition, inter‐organizational collaboration and clientele diversity affect diversity management adoption. We find that all three environmental factors increase diversity management adoption. Hospitals in competitive markets are more likely to adopt diversity management strategies when they engage in extensive service collaboration and serve a diverse population. Monopolies in less collaborative environments lag behind in adopting diversity management, especially when they serve ethnically homogenous populations. Our findings broaden understandings about what drives diversity management practices and add to the literature on the external contingency of managerial practice.
Artificial elevation of glutathione contents in salicylic acid‐deficient tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum cv. Xanthi NahG) reduces susceptibility to the powdery mildew pathogen Euoidium longipes
Authors: Künstler A. , Kátay G. , Gullner G. , Király L.
Published: July 2019

The effects of elevated glutathione levels on defence responses to powdery mildew (Euoidium longipes) were investigated in a salicylic acid‐deficient tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum cv. Xanthi NahG) and wild‐type cv. Xanthi plants, where salicylic acid (SA) contents are normal.

Aqueous solutions of reduced glutathione (GSH) and its synthetic precursor R‐2‐oxothiazolidine‐4‐carboxylic acid (OTC) were injected into leaves of tobacco plants 3 h before powdery mildew inoculation.

SA‐deficient NahG tobacco was hyper‐susceptible to E. longipes, as judged by significantly more severe powdery mildew symptoms and enhanced pathogen accumulation. Strikingly, elevation of GSH levels in SA‐deficient NahG tobacco restored susceptibility to E. longipes to the extent seen in wild‐type plants (i.e. enhanced basal resistance). However, expression of the SA‐mediated pathogenesis‐related gene (NtPR‐1a) did not increase significantly in GSH or OTC‐pretreated and powdery mildew‐inoculated NahG tobacco, suggesting that the induction of this PR gene may not be directly involved in the defence responses induced by GSH.

Our results demonstrate that artificial elevation of glutathione content can significantly reduce susceptibility to powdery mildew in SA‐deficient tobacco.
Conversion to Islam: Narratives of Awakening, Continuity, and Return
Authors: Casey Patrick Michael
Published: July 2019

Previous research utilizing conversion narratives to understand how and why people convert has been troubled by the “accuracy” of the accounts. This study of Muslim converts in the United States sidesteps this problem by turning the focus away from the causes, motives, and drivers of conversion and placing it instead on the form or structure of their conversion narratives. More specifically, it foregrounds the subjective process of making sense of one's conversion story through the employment of formulaic narrative structures. Findings suggest that when accounting for their conversion to Islam, these respondents employed three different narrative structures: stories of awakening, continuity, and return. Although these stories vary in meaningful ways, each provides a different perspective on how conversion to Islam can be conceptualized and expressed narratively. The discussion centers on the similarities and differences between these stories in order to more fully articulate and distinguish their underlying premises. I conclude by considering how each of these stories are used by converts to convey the authenticity of their Muslim identities.
A mental health programme for medical students
Authors: Sugumar Dipti , Fleming Olivia , Ogden Kathryn
Published: July 2019

Background

It is critical that medical educators actively address the growing mental health burden affecting medical students. The motivation to present a mental health programme to medical students at the University of Tasmania arose in response to a recent tragedy within the student body. This emphasised the necessity of developing an effective skill‐based initiative for our students. We describe a peer‐led programme targeting mental health borne from this event. The aim of this article is to outline the development of this programme and to report on the preliminary feedback.

Methods

This article presents a peer‐led programme, delivered to medical students in the fourth year of a 5‐year undergraduate degree by peers from within the student cohort. We used a multipronged approach, with the programme consisting of a five‐session workshop and a supplementary resource book. A post‐workshop survey was administered as formative evaluation. A total of 19 out of 20 participants responded to the survey.

Results and discussion

All respondents agreed that the programme helped to reduce the stigma of mental health disease in medicine and improved both peer support and self‐care practices. All students agreed that they would recommend this programme to peers, and that it provided a welcome opportunity to talk about mental health and normalised mental health concerns. Key to the success of the programme was its peer‐led nature. The programme is an example of an innovative and effective programme design that can help to guide medical educators to further support the next generation of medical practitioners with their mental health skills.

Our focus was on building practical skills for students to support their own and others’ mental health
Every single street? Rethinking full coverage across street‐level imagery platforms
Authors: Quinn Sterling , Alvarez León Luis
Published: July 2019

Street‐level images taken by vehicles and pedestrians have found a role in various companies’ location‐based intelligence services. Some platforms collect their images using their own cars and drivers, while others rely on crowdsourcing; however, to what extent can we expect crowdsourced approaches to reach the imagery coverage levels obtained by paid drivers? Is capturing every single street a useful or obtainable goal? We use online coverage maps to compare Google Street View, Mapillary, and OpenStreetCam in 24 major world cities and 25 differently sized cities in Brazil. We find that Google has often taken an all‐or‐nothing approach to collecting coverage in world cities, whereas crowdsourced platforms have achieved a more even distribution of coverage across space. Extremely low‐ and high‐income neighborhoods are sometimes omitted due to visible and invisible barriers. Coverage patterns are influenced by how and why each company procures imagery, along with other social, economic, and geographic factors.
Targeting subsidised inpatient services to the poor in a setting with limited state capacity: proxy means testing in Myanmar's hospital equity fund scheme
Authors: Htet Soe , Ludwick Teralynn , Mahal Ajay
Published: July 2019

Objectives

Many low‐ and middle‐income countries (LMICs) provide subsidised access to health services for the poor. Proxy means tests (PMTs) for income are typically employed to identify eligible beneficiaries for subsidised services but often result in significant mistargeting of benefits. We assessed the PMT approach used in Myanmar's hospital equity fund (HEF).

Methods

We analysed inclusion/exclusion errors by comparing household eligibility under the PMT used for HEF with household consumption (the gold standard proxy for income in LMICs). We assessed receipt of benefits post‐hospitalisation against HEF eligibility rules and household income. Focus groups/interviews were conducted to understand administrative factors that influence targeting. We modelled (linear regression) predictors of household consumption to improve PMT accuracy.

Results

We found large targeting errors (86% of households in the bottom consumption quartile would be excluded and 15% of households in the top consumption quartile deemed eligible). HEF scores for PMT held little explanatory power for household income: 93% of individuals meeting the HEF eligibility criteria did not receive benefits post‐hospitalisation, while 23% of ineligible individuals received programme support. Re‐weighting PMT indicators on electricity access, land ownership and livestock ownership, and assigning weights to home‐ownership, households with elderly/disabled members and household head education levels could significantly improve targeting accuracy. Poor programme awareness and uneven adherence to official eligibility determination procedures among staff likely affected targeting.

Conclusions

Re‐weighting PMT indicators and increasing training and communication about qualification procedures could improve allocation of limited funds, though accurate targeting may continue to be challenging in contexts of low state capacity.
Review of low titre group O whole blood use for massively bleeding patients around the world in 2019
Authors: Yazer Mark H. , Spinella Philip C.
Published: July 2019

Background

The use of low titre group O whole blood (LTOWB) is increasing at civilian transfusion services in the United States and around the world as it has several advantages over conventional components for the resuscitation of traumatically injured and massively bleeding patients. This report documents the implementation of these LTOWB programmes.

Methods

The AABB/THOR (Trauma, Hemostasis, and Oxygenation Research network) working party developed an electronic survey that was sent to the medical directors of transfusion services where an LTOWB programme had been implemented. Various aspects of the transfusion service's practice were explored.

Results

There were 27 respondents from four different countries. The majority of the respondents (24/27, 89%) were from the United States, while the others were from Israel, Norway and the United Kingdom. At the 20 sites with a limit on the number of LTOWB units for transfusion in massive bleeding, the average (SD) was 4 (1). Most respondents, 20/27 (74%), use LTOWB for trauma patients only, and the majority, 16/27 (59%), use leucoreduced LTOWB. The most common titre threshold was <200 (15/27, 56%) although the range was generally between <50 and <256. The most common storage lengths for the LTOWB were 14 days (11/27, 41%) and 21 days (12/27, 44%). Most centres, 15/27 (56%), discarded unused LTOWB units after the storage length had been exceeded although some centres, 9/27 (33%), were able to produce an RBC unit for transfusion.

Conclusion

Low titre group O whole blood programmes have different characteristics in the transfusion services where they have been developed predominantly to support trauma programmes.
A Review of Grooved Dynamic Gas Bearings
Authors: Gu Lili , Guenat Eliott , Schiffmann Jürg
Published: July 2019

This paper offers an extensive review of publications dealing with the modeling, the design, and the experimental investigation of grooved dynamic gas-lubricated bearings. Recent years have witnessed a rise in small-scale and high-speed turbomachinery applications. Besides the well-known gas foil bearings, grooved bearings offer attractive advantages, which unveil their potential in particular at small scale due to the structural simplicity as well as satisfying predictability. This paper starts with a general background of the application of gas-lubricated bearings and introduces and compares the different gas bearing topologies. Further, the state-of-the-art modeling of grooved gas-lubricated bearings is introduced, systematically assessing the advantages and inconveniences of two major approaches, i.e., the narrow groove theory (NGT) and direct discretization method. Since the NGT method is an elegant and efficient approach to model the complex effects of periodic grooves, a critical section is dedicated to the NGT. In a second phase, different models to include additional physical phenomena such as real gas lubrication, rarefaction, or turbulence effects are reviewed. The paper concludes with a critical assessment of the state-of-the-art and indicates potential fields of research that would allow to shed more light into the understanding of these bearings, as well as with some thoughts on the integrated design methodologies of gas bearing supported rotors.
A Vibrio cholerae BolA-Like Protein Is Required for Proper Cell Shape and Cell Envelope Integrity
Authors: Fleurie Aurore , Zoued Abdelrahim , Alvarez Laura , Hines Kelly M. , Cava Felipe , Xu Libin , Davis Brigid M. , Waldor Matthew K.
Published: July 2019

BolA-like proteins are conserved across prokaryotes and eukaryotes. These proteins have been linked to a variety of phenotypes, but the pathways and mechanisms through which they act have not been extensively characterized. Here, we unraveled the role of the BolA-like protein IbaG in the cholera pathogen
Vibrio cholerae
. The absence of IbaG was associated with dramatic changes in cell morphology, sensitivity to envelope stressors, and intestinal colonization defects. IbaG was found to be required for biogenesis of several components of the
V. cholerae
cell envelope and to interact with numerous iron-sulfur cluster-containing proteins and factors involved in their assembly. Thus, our findings suggest that IbaG governs
V. cholerae
cell shape and cell envelope homeostasis through its effects on iron-sulfur proteins and associated pathways. The diversity of processes involving iron-sulfur-containing proteins is likely a factor underlying the range of phenotypes associated with BolA family proteins.
Bactericidal Disruption of Magnesium Metallostasis in Mycobacterium tuberculosis Is Counteracted by Mutations in the Metal Ion Transporter CorA
Authors: Lopez Quezada Landys , Silve Sandra , Kelinske Mark , Liba Amir , Diaz Gonzalez Constantino , Kotev Martin , Goullieux Laurent , Sans Stephanie , Roubert Christine , Lagrange Sophie , Bacqué Eric , Couturier Cedric , Pellet Alain , Blanc Isabelle , Ferron Marlène , Debu Fabrice , Li Kelin , Aubé Jeffrey , Roberts Julia , Little David , Ling Yan , Zhang Jun , Gold Ben , Nathan Carl
Published: July 2019

Antimycobacterial agents might shorten the course of treatment by reducing the number of phenotypically tolerant bacteria if they could kill
M. tuberculosis
in diverse metabolic states. Here we report two chemically disparate classes of agents that kill
M. tuberculosis
both when it is replicating and when it is not. Under replicating conditions, the tricyclic 4-hydroxyquinolines and a barbituric acid analogue deplete intrabacterial magnesium as a mechanism of action, and for both compounds, mutations in CorA, a putative Mg
2+
/Co
2+
transporter, conferred resistance to the compounds when
M. tuberculosis
was under replicating conditions but not under nonreplicating conditions, illustrating that a given compound can kill
M. tuberculosis
in different metabolic states by disparate mechanisms. Targeting magnesium metallostasis represents a previously undescribed antimycobacterial mode of action that might cripple
M. tuberculosis
in a Mg
2+
-deficient intraphagosomal environment of macrophages.
Sirtuin Inhibitors Are Broadly Antiviral against Arboviruses
Authors: Hackett Brent A. , Dittmar Mark , Segrist Elisha , Pittenger Nathan , To Julie , Griesman Trevor , Gordesky-Gold Beth , Schultz David C. , Cherry Sara
Published: July 2019

Arthropod-borne viruses are diverse pathogens and are associated with human disease. Through high-throughput drug screening, we found that sirtuin inhibitors are potently antiviral against diverse arboviruses, including flaviviruses such as West Nile virus, bunyaviruses such as Rift Valley fever virus, and alphaviruses such as chikungunya virus. Sirtuin inhibitors block infection of these viruses in multiple human cell types. Moreover, we found that sirtuin inhibitors arrest infection downstream of entry but that they do so at an early step, preventing the accumulation of viral RNA and protein. Since these viruses infect vector insects, we also tested whether sirtuin inhibitors impacted infection of adult flies and found that these inhibitors blocked infection; therefore, they target highly conserved facets of replication. Taken together, these results suggest that sirtuin inhibitors represent a new class of potent host-targeting antivirals.
Deletion of Plasmodium falciparum Protein RON3 Affects the Functional Translocation of Exported Proteins and Glucose Uptake
Authors: Low Leanne M. , Azasi Yvonne , Sherling Emma S. , Garten Matthias , Zimmerberg Joshua , Tsuboi Takafumi , Brzostowski Joseph , Mu Jianbing , Blackman Michael J. , Miller Louis H.
Published: July 2019

The malarial parasite within the erythrocyte is surrounded by two membranes.
Plasmodium
translocon of exported proteins (PTEX) in the parasite vacuolar membrane critically transports proteins from the parasite to the erythrocytic cytosol and membrane to create protein infrastructure important for virulence. The components of PTEX are stored within the dense granule, which is secreted from the parasite during invasion. We now describe a protein, RON3, from another invasion organelle, the rhoptry, that is also secreted during invasion. We find that RON3 is required for the protein transport function of the PTEX and for glucose transport from the RBC cytoplasm to the parasite, a function thought to be mediated by PTEX component EXP2.
Volume-targeted ventilation with a Fabian ventilator: maintenance of tidal volumes and blood CO2
Authors: Belteki Gusztav , Széll András , Lantos Lajos , Kovács Gabor , Szántó Gyula , Berényi Aniko , Szilágyi Mónika , Liszkay Gábor , Kőhalmi Ferenc , Morley Colin J , Somogyvári Zsolt
Published: July 2019

Objective

To analyse the performance of the Fabian +NCPAP evolution ventilator during volume guarantee (VG) ventilation in neonates at maintaining the target tidal volume and what tidal and minute volumes are required to maintain normocapnia.

Methods

Clinical and ventilator data were collected and analysed from 83 infants receiving VG ventilation during interhospital transfer. Sedation was used in 26 cases. Ventilator data were downloaded with a sampling rate of 0.5 Hz. Data were analysed using the Python computer language and its data analysis packages.

Results

~107 hours of ventilator data were analysed, consisting of ~194 000 data points. The median absolute difference between the actual expiratory tidal volume (VTe) of the ventilator inflations and the target tidal volume (VTset) was 0.29 mL/kg (IQR: 0.11–0.79 mL/kg). Overall, VTe was within 1 mL/kg of VTset in 80% of inflations. VTe decreased progressively below the target when the endotracheal tube leak exceeded 50%. When leak was below 50%, VTe was below VTset by >1 mL/kg in less than 12% of inflations even in babies weighing less than 1000 g. Both VTe (r=−0.34, p=0.0022) and minute volume (r=−0.22, p=0.0567) showed a weak inverse correlation with capillary partial pressure of carbon dioxide (Pco2) values. Only 50% of normocapnic blood gases were associated with tidal volumes between 4 and 6 mL/kg.

Conclusions

The Fabian ventilator delivers volume-targeted ventilation with high accuracy if endotracheal tube leakage is not excessive and the maximum allowed inflating pressure does not limit inflations. There is only weak inverse correlation between tidal or minute volumes and Pco2.
The estimated healthcare cost of diabetic retinopathy in Indonesia and its projection for 2025
Authors: Sasongko Muhammad Bayu , Wardhana Firman Setya , Febryanto Gandhi Anandika , Agni Angela Nurini , Supanji Supanji , Indrayanti Sarah Rizqia , Widayanti Tri Wahyu , Widyaputri Felicia , Widhasari Idhayu Anggit , Lestari Yeni Dwi , Adriono Gitalisa Andayani , Sovani Iwan , Kartasasmita Arief Sjamsulaksan
Published: July 2019

Purpose

To estimate the total healthcare cost associated with diabetic retinopathy (DR) in type 2 diabetes in Indonesia and its projection for 2025.

Methods

A prevalence-based cost-of-illness model was constructed from previous population-based DR study. Projection for 2025 was derived from estimated diabetes population in 2025. Direct treatment costs of DR were estimated from the perspective of healthcare. Patient perspective costs were obtained from thorough interview including only transportation cost and lost of working days related to treatment. We developed four cost-of-illness models according to DR severity level, DR without necessary treatment, needing laser treatment, laser +intravitreal (IVT) injection and laser + IVT +vitrectomy. All costs were estimated in 2017 US$.

Results

The healthcare costs of DR in Indonesia were estimated to be $2.4 billion in 2017 and $8.9 billion in 2025. The total cost in 2017 consisted of the cost for no DR and mild–moderate non-proliferative DR (NPDR) requiring eye screening ($25.9 million), severe NPDR or proliferative DR (PDR) requiring laser treatment ($0.25 billion), severe NPDR or PDR requiring both laser and IVT injection ($1.75 billion) and advance level of PDR requiring vitrectomy ($0.44 billion).

Conclusions

The estimated healthcare cost of DR in Indonesia in 2017 was considerably high, nearly 2% of the 2017 national state budget, and projected to increase significantly to more than threefold in 2025. The highest cost may incur for DR requiring both laser and IVT injection. Therefore, public health intervention to delay or prevent severe DR may substantially reduce the healthcare cost of DR in Indonesia.
Tight control for Crohn’s disease with adalimumab-based treatment is cost-effective: an economic assessment of the CALM trial
Authors: Panaccione Remo , Colombel Jean-Frederic , Travis Simon P L , Bossuyt Peter , Baert Filip , Vaňásek Tomáš , Danalıoğlu Ahmet , Novacek Gottfried , Armuzzi Alessandro , Reinisch Walter , Johnson Scott , Buessing Marric , Neimark Ezequiel , Petersson Joel , Lee Wan-Ju , D’Haens Geert R
Published: July 2019

Objective

To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of an inflammatory biomarker and clinical symptom directed tight control strategy (TC) compared with symptom-based clinical management (CM) in patients with Crohn’s disease (CD) naïve to immunosuppressants and biologics using a UK public payer perspective.

Design

A regression model estimated weekly CD Activity Index (CDAI)-based transition matrices (remission: CDAI <150, moderate: CDAI ≥150 to <300, severe: CDAI ≥300 to <450, very severe: CDAI ≥450) based on the Effect of Tight Control Management on Crohn’s Disease (CALM) trial. A regression predicted hospitalisations. Health utilities and costs were applied to health states. Work productivity was monetised and included in sensitivity analyses. Remission rate, CD-related hospitalisations, adalimumab injections, other direct medical costs, quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) and incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) were calculated.

Results

Over 48 weeks, TC was associated with a higher clinical remission (CDAI <150) rate (58.2% vs 46.8%), fewer CD-related hospitalisations (0.124 vs 0.297 events per patient) and more injections of adalimumab (40 mg sc) (mean 31.0 vs 24.7) than CM. TC was associated with 0.032 higher QALYs and £593 higher total medical costs. The ICER was £18 656 per QALY. The ICER was cost-effective in 57.9% of simulations. TC became dominant, meaning less costly but more effective, when work productivity was included.

Conclusion

A TC strategy as used in the CALM trial is cost-effective compared with CM. Incorporating costs related to work productivity increases the economic value of TC. Cross-national inferences from this analysis should be made with caution given differences in healthcare systems.

Trial registration number

NCT01235689; Results.
Model-based evaluation of the long-term cost-effectiveness of systematic case-finding for COPD in primary care
Authors: Lambe Tosin , Adab Peymane , Jordan Rachel E , Sitch Alice , Enocson Alex , Jolly Kate , Marsh Jen , Riley Richard , Miller Martin , Cooper Brendan G , Turner Alice Margaret , Ayres Jon G , Stockley Robert , Greenfield Sheila , Siebert Stanley , Daley Amanda , Cheng KK , Fitzmaurice David , Jowett Sue
Published: July 2019

Introduction

‘One-off’ systematic case-finding for COPD using a respiratory screening questionnaire is more effective and cost-effective than routine care at identifying new cases. However, it is not known whether early diagnosis and treatment is beneficial in the longer term. We estimated the long-term cost-effectiveness of a regular case-finding programme in primary care.

Methods

A Markov decision analytic model was developed to compare the cost-effectiveness of a 3-yearly systematic case-finding programme targeted to ever smokers aged ≥50 years with the current routine diagnostic process in UK primary care. Patient-level data on case-finding pathways was obtained from a large randomised controlled trial. Information on the natural history of COPD and treatment effects was obtained from a linked COPD cohort, UK primary care database and published literature. The discounted lifetime cost per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) gained was calculated from a health service perspective.

Results

The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of systematic case-finding versus current care was £16 596 per additional QALY gained, with a 78% probability of cost-effectiveness at a £20 000 per QALY willingness-to-pay threshold. The base case result was robust to multiple one-way sensitivity analyses. The main drivers were response rate to the initial screening questionnaire and attendance rate for the confirmatory spirometry test.

Discussion

Regular systematic case-finding for COPD using a screening questionnaire in primary care is likely to be cost-effective in the long-term despite uncertainties in treatment effectiveness. Further knowledge of the natural history of case-found patients and the effectiveness of their management will improve confidence to implement such an approach.
Developmental Cell Death in the Cerebral Cortex
Authors: Wong Fong Kuan , Marín Oscar
Published: July 2019

In spite of the high metabolic cost of cellular production, the brain contains only a fraction of the neurons generated during embryonic development. In the rodent cerebral cortex, a first wave of programmed cell death surges at embryonic stages and affects primarily progenitor cells. A second, larger wave unfolds during early postnatal development and ultimately determines the final number of cortical neurons. Programmed cell death in the developing cortex is particularly dependent on neuronal activity and unfolds in a cell-specific manner with precise temporal control. Pyramidal cells and interneurons adjust their numbers in sync, which is likely crucial for the establishment of balanced networks of excitatory and inhibitory neurons. In contrast, several other neuronal populations are almost completely eliminated through apoptosis during the first two weeks of postnatal development, highlighting the importance of programmed cell death in sculpting the mature cerebral cortex.
Shared Transcriptional Control of Innate Lymphoid Cell and Dendritic Cell Development
Authors: Bagadia Prachi , Huang Xiao , Liu Tian-Tian , Murphy Kenneth M.
Published: July 2019

Innate immunity and adaptive immunity consist of highly specialized immune lineages that depend on transcription factors for both function and development. In this review, we dissect the similarities between two innate lineages, innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) and dendritic cells (DCs), and an adaptive immune lineage, T cells. ILCs, DCs, and T cells make up four functional immune modules and interact in concert to produce a specified immune response. These three immune lineages also share transcriptional networks governing the development of each lineage, and we discuss the similarities between ILCs and DCs in this review.
Origins and Assembly of Malesian Rainforests
Authors: Kooyman Robert M. , Morley Robert J. , Crayn Darren M. , Joyce Elizabeth M. , Rossetto Maurizio , Slik J.W. Ferry , Strijk Joeri S. , Su Tao , Yap Jia-Yee S. , Wilf Peter
Published: July 2019

Unraveling the origins of Malesia's once vast, hyperdiverse rainforests is a perennial challenge. Major contributions to rainforest assembly came from floristic elements carried on the Indian Plate and montane elementsfrom the Australian Plate (Sahul). The Sahul component is now understood to include substantial two-way exchanges with Sunda inclusive of lowland taxa. Evidence for the relative contributions of the great Asiatic floristic interchanges (GAFIs) with India and Sahul, respectively, to the flora of Malesia comes from contemporary lineage distributions, the fossil record, time-calibrated phylogenies, functional traits, and the spatial structure of genetic diversity. Functional-trait and biome conservatism are noted features of montane austral lineages from Sahul (e.g., diverse Podocarpaceae), whereas the abundance and diversity of lowland lineages, including Syzygium (Myrtaceae) and the Asian dipterocarps (Dipterocarpoideae), reflect a less well understood combination of dispersal, ecology, and adaptive radiations. Thus, Malesian rainforest assembly has been shaped by sharply contrasting evolutionary origins and biogeographic histories.
DrosophilaMyoblast Fusion: Invasion and Resistance for the Ultimate Union
Authors: Lee Donghoon M. , Chen Elizabeth H.
Published: July 2019

Cell–cell fusion is indispensable for creating life and building syncytial tissues and organs. Ever since the discovery of cell–cell fusion, how cells join together to form zygotes and multinucleated syncytia has remained a fundamental question in cell and developmental biology. In the past two decades, Drosophila myoblast fusion has been used as a powerful genetic model to unravel mechanisms underlying cell–cell fusion in vivo. Many evolutionarily conserved fusion-promoting factors have been identified and so has a surprising and conserved cellular mechanism. In this review, we revisit key findings in Drosophila myoblast fusion and highlight the critical roles of cellular invasion and resistance in driving cell membrane fusion.
Improving Predictions of Salt Marsh Evolution Through Better Integration of Data and Models
Authors: Wiberg Patricia L. , Fagherazzi Sergio , Kirwan Matthew L.
Published: July 2019

Salt marshes are recognized as valuable resources that are threatened by climate change and human activities. Better management and planning for these ecosystems will depend on understanding which marshes are most vulnerable, what is driving their change, and what their future trajectory is likely to be. Both observations and models have provided inconsistent answers to these questions, likely in part because of comparisons among sites and/or models that differ significantly in their characteristics and processes. Some of these differences almost certainly arise from processes that are not fully accounted for in marsh morphodynamic models. Here, we review distinguishing properties of marshes, important processes missing from many morphodynamic models, and key measurements missing from many observational studies. We then suggest some comparisons between models and observations that will provide critical tests and insights to improve our ability to forecast future change in these coastal landscapes.
The Relationship Between Fuel and Food Prices: Methods and Outcomes
Authors: Janda Karel , Krištoufek Ladislav
Published: July 2019

We review the fuel-food price linkage model—time-series, structural, and general or partial equilibrium models, with most attention devoted to the time-series literature. Our assessment is nested in both the discussion of general commodity prices comovement and the prediction of the most likely development of biofuel policies and production. We show that the introduction of significant biofuels policies around 2005 increased the price transmission between fossil fuels and food commodities, illustrating the intuitively expected leading role of fuel prices over food prices. Particular price linkages dynamically evolve over time, depending on the particular market under consideration. The econometric results show that owing to policy-induced trade barriers, there is no evidence of a sufficiently integrated international biofuels market with the US, European, and Brazilian markets and that biofuel policies in these countries follow separate paths.
Regulation of Latency in the Human T Cell Leukemia Virus, HTLV-1
Authors: Bangham Charles R.M. , Miura Michi , Kulkarni Anurag , Matsuoka Masao
Published: July 2019

The human T cell leukemia virus persists in vivo in 103 to 106 clones of T lymphocytes that appear to survive for the lifetime of the host. The plus strand of the provirus is typically transcriptionally silent in freshly isolated lymphocytes, but the strong, persistently activated cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) response to the viral antigens indicates that the virus is not constantly latent in vivo. There is now evidence that the plus strand is transcribed in intense intermittent bursts that are triggered by cellular stress, modulated by hypoxia and glycolysis, and inhibited by polycomb repressive complex 1 (PRC1). The minus-strand gene hbz is transcribed at a lower, more constant level but is silent in a proportion of infected cells at a given time. Viral genes in the sense and antisense strands of the provirus play different respective roles in latency and de novo infection: Expression of the plus-strand gene tax is essential for de novo infection, whereas hbz appears to facilitate survival of the infected T cell clone in vivo.
Adenovirus Entry: From Infection to Immunity
Authors: Greber Urs F. , Flatt Justin W.
Published: July 2019

More than 80 different adenovirus (AdV) types infect humans through the respiratory, ocular, or gastrointestinal tracts. They cause acute clinical mani-festations or persist under humoral and cell-based immunity. Immuno-suppressed individuals are at risk of death from an AdV infection. Concepts about cell entry of AdV build on strong foundations from molecular and cellular biology—and increasingly physical virology. Here, we discuss how virions enter and deliver their genome into the nucleus of epithelial cells. This process breaks open the virion at distinct sites because the particle has nonisometric mechanical strength and reacts to specific host factors along the entry pathway. We further describe how macrophages and dendritic cells resist AdV infection yet enhance productive entry into polarized epithelial cells. A deep understanding of the viral mechanisms and cell biological and biophysical principles will continue to unravel how epithelial and antigen-presenting cells respond to AdVs and control inflammation and persistence in pathology and therapy.
Emerging Human Parvoviruses: The Rocky Road to Fame
Authors: Söderlund-Venermo Maria
Published: July 2019

Parvoviruses are structurally simple viruses with linear single-stranded DNA genomes and nonenveloped icosahedral capsids. They infect a wide range of animals from insects to humans. Parvovirus B19 is a long-known human pathogen, whereas adeno-associated viruses are nonpathogenic. Since 2005, many parvoviruses have been discovered in human-derived samples: bocaviruses 1–4, parvovirus 4, bufavirus, tusavirus, and cutavirus. Some human parvoviruses have already been shown to cause disease during acute infection, some are associated with chronic diseases, and others still remain to be proven clinically relevant—or harmless commensals, a distinction not as apparent as it might seem. One initially human-labeled parvovirus might not even be a human virus, whereas another was originally overlooked due to inadequate diagnostics. The intention of this review is to follow the rocky road of emerging human parvoviruses from discovery of a DNA sequence to current and future clinical status, highlighting the perils along the way.
How Sleep Shapes Thalamocortical Circuit Function in the Visual System
Authors: Durkin Jaclyn M. , Aton Sara J.
Published: July 2019

Recent data have shown that sleep plays a beneficial role for cognitive functions such as declarative memory consolidation and perceptual learning. In this article, we review recent findings on the role of sleep in promoting adaptive visual response changes in the lateral geniculate nucleus and primary visual cortex following novel visual experiences. We discuss these findings in the context of what is currently known about how sleep affects the activity and function of thalamocortical circuits and current hypotheses regarding how sleep facilitates synaptic plasticity.
A Novel Generalized Memristor Based on Three‐Phase Diode Bridge Rectifier
Authors: Wu Chaojun , Yang Ningning , Xu Cheng , Jia Rong , Liu Chongxin
Published: July 2019

Memristive characteristics in three‐phase diode bridge rectifier circuit are proposed in this paper. The conduction of the diodes is discussed and the characteristics of the pinched hysteresis loop are analyzed by both numerical simulations and circuit simulations. The hysteresis loops of each phase not only are pinched at the origin but also have the other two intersection points in the first quadrant and the third quadrant when three‐phase bridge rectifier circuit is running under normal operation. Other conditions are also discussed when a variety of faults conditions occur. The simulation results verify that the three‐phase bridge rectifier circuit can be described as a generalized memristor element during several operation states.
Investigation of Concrete Base‐Roadbed Surface Contact Variation‐Induced Vibration Characteristics of Vehicle‐Slab Track‐Subgrade System considering Fluid‐Solid Interaction
Authors: Liu Kai-Wen , Yue Fei , Su Qian , Liu Bao , Zhou Pengfei
Published: July 2019

The excessive pumping of fines in saturated roadbed surface layer, which is induced by the fluid‐solid interaction under dynamic loads from high‐speed train, is a special form of high‐speed railway subgrade defect reported recently. This can deteriorate the interface between nonballasted track structure bottom layer and roadbed surface layer and therefore lead to associated contact variation with the moving of trains. According to the dynamic Biot’s equations known as u‐p formulation and the vehicle‐track coupling dynamics theory, a vertical vehicle‐slab track‐subgrade coupling vibration model is developed to investigate the aforementioned contact variation‐induced dynamic behavior of the whole system considering the fluid‐solid interaction. Dynamic measurements from a field case study are adopted to verify the computation model proposed. Based on the numerical model validated, the effects of three contact variation statuses (continuous contact, vibrating contact, and contact loss) on dynamic responses of track subsystem and subgrade subsystem, such as dynamic pore‐water pressure, vertical accelerations, and dynamic displacements both in time and frequency domains, are investigated. Also, a sensitivity analysis involving rail speeds and lengths of contact loss zone is performed, and the critical length of contact loss zone is suggested.
TrustChain: A Privacy Preserving Blockchain with Edge Computing
Authors: Jayasinghe Upul , Lee Gyu Myoung , MacDermott Áine , Rhee Woo Seop
Published: July 2019

Recent advancements in the Internet of Things (IoT) has enabled the collection, processing, and analysis of various forms of data including the personal data from billions of objects to generate valuable knowledge, making more innovative services for its stakeholders. Yet, this paradigm continuously suffers from numerous security and privacy concerns mainly due to its massive scale, distributed nature, and scarcity of resources towards the edge of IoT networks. Interestingly, blockchain based techniques offer strong countermeasures to protect data from tampering while supporting the distributed nature of the IoT. However, the enormous amount of energy consumption required to verify each block of data make it difficult to use with resource-constrained IoT devices and with real-time IoT applications. Nevertheless, it can expose the privacy of the stakeholders due to its public ledger system even though it secures data from alterations. Edge computing approaches suggest a potential alternative to centralized processing in order to populate real-time applications at the edge and to reduce privacy concerns associated with cloud computing. Hence, this paper suggests the novel privacy preserving blockchain called TrustChain which combines the power of blockchains with trust concepts to eliminate issues associated with traditional blockchain architectures. This work investigates how TrustChain can be deployed in the edge computing environment with different levels of absorptions to eliminate delays and privacy concerns associated with centralized processing and to preserve the resources in IoT networks.
Study on Surface Hardness and Microstructure of Pure Copper Chip Strips Prepared by LSEM
Authors: Pi Yunyun , Yin Xiaolong , Deng Wenjun , Xia Wei
Published: July 2019

Large strain extrusion machining (LSEM) is one of the severe plastic deformation (SPD) methods that can improve the mechanical properties of materials. The purpose of this experiment is to study the surface hardness and microstructure of the pure copper chip strips. It was found that most of the grains of the chip strips had been refined to the ultrafine grain grade. Finite element analysis (FEA) simulations were conducted to predict the von Mises equivalent strains. Based on the analysis of variance (ANOVA), further study indicated that the surface hardness of the chip strips was decided by several key parameters including the chip thickness compression ratio, rake angle, and uncut chip thickness during LSEM. Through this analysis, a set of parameters which have the greatest impact on the properties of the material can be found. This set of parameters helps us to achieve the strip with the best performance.
Hopfield Neural Network Method for Problem of Telescoping Path Optimization of Single‐Cylinder Pin‐Type Multisection Boom
Authors: Mao Yan , Cheng Kai
Published: July 2019

Telescoping path optimization (TPO) of single‐cylinder pin‐type multisection boom (SPMB) is a practical engineering problem that is valuable to investigate. This article studies the TPO problem and finds the key of TPO is to obtain the maximum retraction backmost combination. A mathematic model on the basis of the quadratic penalty function of a Hopfield neural network (HNN) is constructed. Two strategies are presented to improve the performance of TPO model: one is proportional integral derivative (PID) strategy that adaptively adjusts the parameter λ of the constrained term and the parameter γ of the optimization objective term by controlling the value of constraint violation gk and the other is efficiency factor strategy that an efficiency factor is introduced in model for prioritizing the constrained term over the objective term. Data test shows that compared with the path of boom length changing before optimization, both the number of sections that need to be moved and the total travels of cylinder can be reduced by 10%‐30% after optimization. Both the PID strategy and the efficiency factor strategy achieve good optimization effects. The efficiency factor strategy is excellent at moderating the conflicts between the constrained term and the objective term; thus the generations of the valid and the optimal solutions get well improved.
Superresolution 2D DOA Estimation for a Rectangular Array via Reweighted Decoupled Atomic Norm Minimization
Authors: Liu Ming-Ming , Dong Chun-Xi , Dong Yang-Yang , Zhao Guo-Qing
Published: July 2019

This paper proposes a superresolution two‐dimensional (2D) direction of arrival (DOA) estimation algorithm for a rectangular array based on the optimization of the atomic norm and a series of relaxation formulations. The atomic norm of the array response describes the minimum number of sources, which is derived from the atomic norm minimization (ANM) problem. However, the resolution is restricted and high computational complexity is incurred by using ANM for 2D angle estimation. Although an improved algorithm named decoupled atomic norm minimization (DAM) has a reduced computational burden, the resolution is still relatively low in terms of angle estimation. To overcome these limitations, we propose the direct minimization of the atomic norm, which is demonstrated to be equivalent to a decoupled rank optimization problem in the positive semidefinite (PSD) form. Our goal is to solve this rank minimization problem and recover two decoupled Toeplitz matrices in which the azimuth‐elevation angles of interest are encoded. Since rank minimization is an NP‐hard problem, a novel sparse surrogate function is further proposed to effectively approximate the two decoupled rank functions. Then, the new optimization problem obtained through the above relaxation can be implemented via the majorization‐minimization (MM) method. The proposed algorithm offers greatly improved resolution while maintaining the same computational complexity as the DAM algorithm. Moreover, it is possible to use a single snapshot for angle estimation without prior information on the number of sources, and the algorithm is robust to noise due to its iterative nature. In addition, the proposed surrogate function can achieve local convergence faster than existing functions.