bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The effects of stress on reactions in the Earth: Sometimes rather mean, usually normal, always important
Authors: Wheeler John
Published: December 2017

Stress affects chemical processes on all scales in the Earth but the magnitude of its effect is debated. Here, I give a new synthesis of the theory that describes the effects of stress on chemistry, elaborating upon work in Materials Science which is built from fundamental thermodynamic laws, and show its significance in Earth Science. There are separate but compatible relationships describing what happens (1) at interfaces and (2) within grains. (1) The main chemical effects of stress in the Earth are due to variations in normal stress along grain interfaces and between interfaces with different orientations. For reactions involving diffusion these variations give effects on mineral stability broadly equivalent to pressure changes of (molar volume)/(molar volume change during reaction) × (stress variation). The volume ratio is generally large and so the effects of normal stress variations are always important since all stressed rocks have interfaces supporting different normal stresses. There is no global chemical equilibrium in a stressed system, so reaction kinetics contribute to ongoing evolution until stresses relax: this evolution can include deformation by diffusion creep and pressure solution, possibly with new mineral growth. These effects are relevant for predicting the conditions for reactions involving fluids, such as serpentinite formation and breakdown (relevant for the Earth's volatile cycles) and for other reactions such as ringwoodite breakdown (relevant for understanding the 660 km mantle discontinuity). (2) Within stressed solid solution grains it is not possible to define chemical potentials of all chemical components since one has to be specified as “immobile.” The chemical potential of a “mobile” component such as an exchange vector can be defined. It depends on the “partial molar strain,” a second rank tensor defining the variation in unit cell geometry with composition. In cubic crystals the partial molar strain is isotropic and the chemical potential of a mobile component depends on mean stress. In other crystal systems the partial molar strain is anisotropic and the chemical potential depends on a “weighted” mean stress; orientation as well as magnitude of stress has an influence. I propose “chemical palaeopiezometry”—the possibility of measuring past stress levels via chemistry. Examples show that stress variations in hundreds of MPa to GPa are required to produce 2% variations in composition but high stresses and/or precise chemical analyses will allow this proposal to be tested. High stresses around inclusions and dislocations could be targeted. So, the weighted mean stress inside grains has an effect which is relatively minor although potentially valuable in explaining chemical variations; the normal stress at interfaces plays the main role in chemical processes and its effects are of significant magnitude.
Weber's secret admirer in the Caucasus: Saakashvili and the nationalisation of Georgia's Armenian and Azeri borderlands
Authors: Berglund Christofer
Published: December 2017

After the 2003 Rose Revolution, the Georgian government strove to integrate its disaffected Armenian and Azeri minorities, settled in southern Georgia across the border from their kin states. This article sheds novel light on this nationalisation drive. It argues that the centre's nation‐building entrepreneurs – the Mississippdaleulni – laboured to spur minorities in the ethnic enclaves first to interact with the heartland and then to adapt to its language. Officials invested in infrastructure and extended the state's clout into the borderlands so as to foster inter‐ethnic contacts. In tandem, the authorities promoted the Georgian language in the civil service, demoted the Russian tongue, and acculturated pupils to the state language. This nationalisation drive, I conclude, drew upon the same set of tools that Eugen Weber recorded French authorities as using in the opposite corner of Europe centuries ago.
Association between end‐stage diabetic nephropathy and MTHFR (C677T and A1298C) gene polymorphisms
Authors: Ramanathan Gnanasambandan , Harichandana Bollimpalli , Kannan Suresh , Elumalai Ramprasad , SFD Paul
Published: December 2017

Aim

Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) is a regulatory enzyme of homocysteine metabolism. The C677T and A1298C polymorphism of the MTHFR gene has been reported to be associated with elevated plasma homocysteine in patients with Diabetic nephropathy. This study aimed to investigate the influence of the C677T and A1298C polymorphisms on the progression chronic kidney disease in diabetic nephropathy of south Indian population.

Methods

We genotyped 145 DN cases and 100 controls for the C677T and A1298C polymorphisms using PCR‐RFLP based protocols, and all diabetic nephropathy cases divided into two groups based on CKD stages: 60 DN cases were early stage (CKD1 to CKD3) and 85 DN cases were advanced stage (CKD4 and CKD5). Association χ2 and univariate analysis were performed.

Results

The C677T (OR = 4.2; 95% CI = 2.31–7.64 and P = 0.001) and A1298C (OR = 2.8; 95% CI = 1.05–7.57 and P = 0.033) polymorphism was shown that the significant association between the cases and control. Furthermore, the MTHFR gene polymorphism C677T (OR = 2.48; 95% CI = 1.25–4.9 and P = 0.008) was observed that the significant contribution of the progression of CKD in DN.

Conclusion

These findings suggest that the C677T and A1298C polymorphism of MTHFR gene was associated with diabetic nephropathy in a south Indian population. Furthermore, the present study provides evidence that the C677T polymorphism was associated with CKD progression in DN.
The Realization of Qualia, Persons, and Artifacts
Authors: White Ben
Published: December 2017

This article argues that standard causal and functionalist definitions of realization fail to account for the realization of entities that cannot be individuated in causal or functional terms. By modifying such definitions to require that realizers also logically suffice for any historical properties of the entities they realize, one can provide for the realization of entities whose resistance to causal/functional individuation stems from their possession of individuative historical properties. But if qualia cannot be causally or functionally individuated, then qualia can be physically realized only if the thesis that all things are physical or physically realized is insufficient for physicalism.
Detection of Neuropathic Pain in End‐Stage Cancer Patients: Diagnostic Accuracy of Two Questionnaires
Authors: Tzamakou Eleftheria , Petrou Anastasios , Tefa Louiza , Siafaka Vassiliki , Laou Eleni , Tzimas Petros , Pentheroudakis Georgios , Papadopoulos Georgios
Published: December 2017

Introduction

Neuropathic pain is a frequent consequence of cancer pain. Quite often, in the end stage, it is difficult to discern its presence and delineate its characteristics in the context of painful cancer complications. The aim of this study was to compare the diagnostic accuracy of the Douleur Neuropathique en 4 Questions (DN4) and painDETECT questionnaires, which were translated to the patient's native language, for the diagnosis of peripheral neuropathic pain in oncology patients.

Methods

End‐stage cancer patients who presented to the outpatient pain clinic were prospectively followed. At presentation, all patients completed the DN4 and painDETECT questionnaires, which had been translated to their native language, and the output was compared to the pain specialist's diagnosis of the neuropathic or non‐neuropathic nature of the pain, which was considered as the gold standard. The diagnostic accuracy of both questionnaires was tested with receiver operating characteristic curves plotted from the data collected.

Results

Ninety patients (48.5% of 185 in total) presented with severe pain. Seventy‐six had neuropathic pain (41.1%) and 109 had non‐neuropathic pain. Of those with neuropathic pain, most had a mixed pain (bone or visceral in addition to neuropathic pain). The DN4 questionnaire had a sensitivity of 71.1% and a specificity of 88.7% in detecting neuropathic pain, with a cutoff value of ≥ 4, while the painDETECT questionnaire had a sensitivity of 26.3% and a specificity of 100%, with a cutoff value of ≥ 19.

Conclusion

At standard cutoff values, the DN4 and painDETECT questionnaires, despite having been translated to the patient's native language, failed to adequately discriminate between neuropathic and non‐neuropathic pain in our end‐stage cancer patients.
Callose and β‐1,3‐glucanase inhibit Phytophthora cinnamomi in a resistant avocado rootstock
Authors: van den Berg N. , Christie J. B. , Aveling T. A. S. , Engelbrecht J.
Published: December 2017

Phytophthora root rot (PRR) of avocado, caused by Phytophthora cinnamomi, is a significant threat to sustainable production wherever the crop is grown. Resistant rootstocks in combination with phosphite applications are the most effective options for managing this disease. Recently, the mechanisms underpinning PRR resistance have been investigated by the avocado community. Here, biochemical assays and confocal and scanning electron microscopy were used to investigate early defence responses in PRR resistant and ‐susceptible avocado rootstocks. Zoospore germination and subsequent hyphal growth for the pathogen were significantly inhibited on the surface of resistant avocado roots. When penetration occurred in the resistant R0.06 rootstock, callose was deposited in the epidermal cells, parenchyma and cortex of roots. In addition, β‐1,3‐glucanase was released early (6 h post‐inoculation, hpi) in response to the pathogen, followed by a significant increase in catalase by 24 hpi. In contrast, susceptible R0.12 roots responded only with the deposition of lignin and phenolic compounds incapable of impeding pathogen colonization. In this study, PRR resistance was attributed to a timely multilayered response to infection by P. cinnamomi.
Brain reflections: A circuit‐based framework for understanding information processing and cognitive control
Authors: Gratton Gabriele
Published: December 2017

Here, I propose a view of the architecture of the human information processing system, and of how it can be adapted to changing task demands (which is the hallmark of cognitive control). This view is informed by an interpretation of brain activity as reflecting the excitability level of neural representations, encoding not only stimuli and temporal contexts, but also action plans and task goals. The proposed cognitive architecture includes three types of circuits: open circuits, involved in feed‐forward processing such as that connecting stimuli with responses and characterized by brief, transient brain activity; and two types of closed circuits, positive feedback circuits (characterized by sustained, high‐frequency oscillatory activity), which help select and maintain representations, and negative feedback circuits (characterized by brief, low‐frequency oscillatory bursts), which are instead associated with changes in representations. Feed‐forward activity is primarily responsible for the spread of activation along the information processing system. Oscillatory activity, instead, controls this spread. Sustained oscillatory activity due to both local cortical circuits (gamma) and longer corticothalamic circuits (alpha and beta) allows for the selection of individuated representations. Through the interaction of these circuits, it also allows for the preservation of representations across different temporal spans (sensory and working memory) and their spread across the brain. In contrast, brief bursts of oscillatory activity, generated by novel and/or conflicting information, lead to the interruption of sustained oscillatory activity and promote the generation of new representations. I discuss how this framework can account for a number of psychological and behavioral phenomena.
Masking exposure to phobic stimuli reduces fear without inducing electrodermal activity
Authors: Siegel Paul , Warren Richard , Jacobson Gabriella , Merritt Edward
Published: December 2017

A series of experiments has shown that limiting awareness of exposure to feared stimuli through visual masking—or very brief exposure (VBE)—reduces avoidance of a live tarantula by spider‐phobic participants. We investigated this process of fear reduction by directly relating the effects of VBE on electrodermal activity to its ensuing effects on phobic behavior. Sixty spider‐phobic participants, identified by approaching a live tarantula and a questionnaire, were administered either VBE to masked spiders or control exposure to masked flowers. Skin conductance levels (SCLs) were continuously recorded during exposure. The participants approached the tarantula again immediately thereafter. VBE reduced avoidance of the tarantula and did not increase SCLs or cause subjective distress relative to control exposure. SCL increases during VBE were strongly negatively correlated with the reduction of self‐reported fear of the tarantula: the less that SCLs increased during VBE, the more it reduced fear. VBE only increased SCLs in participants whose fear was not reduced; it did not increase SCLs in participants whose fear of the tarantula was reduced. Awareness of the stimuli did not mediate these effects. Control exposure did not yield any of these effects. In a second experiment, clearly visible exposure to spider images increased SCLs and subjective distress more than both VBE and control exposure, whereas VBE did not increase SCLs or subjective distress relative to control exposure within the same spider‐phobic participants. These findings suggest that exposure to phobic images can reduce fear even when it bypasses the induction of electrodermal activity.
“Its Own Kind of Torture”: Denial, Acknowledgment, and the Debate About Force Feeding at Guantánamo Bay
Authors: Del Rosso Jared
Published: December 2017

Social science research has revealed how U.S. political and media elites, as well as U.S. citizens, downplayed and denied allegations of torture during the country's wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. This research effectively applies and extends Stanley Cohen's () typology of the rhetoric of denial. We lack, however, a typology of the rhetoric of acknowledgment. In this article, I synthesize studies of discourse of torture to develop just such a typology. I propose three rhetorical forms of acknowledgment, which parallel Cohen's forms of denial. Literal or factual acknowledgment includes claims to convince audiences that alleged incidents indeed occurred. Interpretive acknowledgment consists of claims to affirm that those allegations constitute serious human rights violations, such as cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or torture. Implicatory acknowledgment includes efforts to delegitimize torture. I then illustrate the use of the rhetoric of acknowledgment through a qualitative content analysis of newspaper coverage of force feeding at the United States' detention center at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. This case allows me to extend our understanding of the rhetoric of denial and acknowledgment by revealing ways in which discourse around force feeding deviates from that around the United States' use of “enhanced interrogation” and torture.
Automatizing the comparison of NMR depth profiles
Authors: Rehorn C. , Kehlet C. , Del Federico E. , Zia W. , Meldrum T. , Blümich B.
Published: December 2017

A MATLAB‐based graphical user interface for simplified comparisons of nuclear magnetic resonance depth profiles or other 1‐dimensional datasets was developed. It allows for the application and combination of 3 statistical methods for computing and visualising similarities. The methods included in the program are principal component analysis, linear discriminant analysis, and dynamic time warping. The toolkit was utilised to analyse affinity and differences between depth profiles of ancient Roman wall paintings on stratified mortar backings. Whereas principal component analysis and linear discriminant analysis serve to characterise similarities in a single class or multiple classes, respectively, differences in mortar‐layer thickness can be corrected with the help of dynamic time warping.
Accumulation of the coumarin scopolin under abiotic stress conditions is mediated by the Arabidopsis thaliana THO/TREX complex
Authors: Döll Stefanie , Kuhlmann Markus , Rutten Twan , Mette Michael F. , Scharfenberg Sarah , Petridis Antonios , Berreth Dorothee‐Carina , Mock Hans‐Peter
Published: December 2017

Secondary metabolites are involved in the plant stress response. Among these are scopolin and its active form scopoletin, which are coumarin derivatives associated with reactive oxygen species scavenging and pathogen defence. Here we show that scopolin accumulation can be induced in the root by osmotic stress and in the leaf by low‐temperature stress in Arabidopsis thaliana. A genetic screen for altered scopolin levels in A. thaliana revealed a mutant compromised in scopolin accumulation in response to stress; the lesion was present in a homologue of THO1 coding for a subunit of the THO/TREX complex. The THO/TREX complex contributes to RNA silencing, supposedly by trafficking precursors of small RNAs. Mutants defective in THO, AGO1, SDS3 and RDR6 were impaired with respect to scopolin accumulation in response to stress, suggesting a mechanism based on RNA silencing such as the trans‐acting small interfering RNA pathway, which requires THO/TREX function.
The method of lines solution of the Forced Korteweg-de Vries-Burgers equation
Authors: Mohd Yazid Nazatulsyima , Gaik Tay Kim , King Tiong Wei , Yee Choy Yaan , Md Sudin Azila , Tiong Ong Chee
Published: December 2017

In this paper, the application of the method of lines (MOL) to the Forced Korteweg-de Vries-Burgers equation with variable coefficient (FKdVB) is presented. The MOL is a powerful technique for solving partial differential equations by typically using finite-difference approximations for the spatial derivatives and ordinary differential equations (ODEs) for the time derivative. The MOL approach of the FKdVB equation leads to a system of ODEs. The solution of the system of ODEs is obtained by applying the Fourth-Order Runge-Kutta (RK4) method. The numerical solution obtained is then compared with its progressive wave solution in order to show the accuracy of the MOL method.
The use of artificial neural network and multiple linear regressions for stock market forecasting
Authors: Sagir Abdu Masanawa , Sathasivan Saratha
Published: December 2017

In the recent economic crises, one of the precise uniqueness that all stock markets have in common is the uncertainty. An attempt was made to forecast future index of the Malaysia Stock Exchange Market using artificial neural network (ANN) model and a traditional forecasting tool – Multiple Linear Regressions (MLR). This paper starts with a brief introduction of stock exchange of Malaysia, an overview of artificial neural network and machine learning models used for prediction. System design and data normalization using MINITAB software were described. Training algorithm, MLR Model and network parameter models were presented. Best training graphs showing the training, validation, test and all regression values were analyzed.
Polytechnic English Language Lecturers’ Attitudes Towards The Teaching Of Communicative English
Authors: Sanmugam S. Thivviyah , Shamsudin Sarimah , Subramaniam Gunadevi Jeevi
Published: December 2017

The aim of this study is to explore the polytechnic English Language lecturers’ attitudes towards the teaching of Communicative English, which has been introduced in 2010 in the current English syllabus. It also sets out to investigate the challenges the lecturers face in teaching Communicative English syllabus. Participants of this study were 15 English language lecturers teaching at Malaysian Polytechnics and the main mode of data collection was informal interview. Interview data were qualitatively analysed with initial descriptive codes being assigned to lecturers’ responses. Results from the study indicate that the English language lecturers felt that the current Communicative English syllabus could help to prepare students for the workplace needs. However, issues related to students, institutional policy, non-academic tasks and professionalism were reported as challenges in teaching Communicative English courses. This study allows relevant authorities to identify the attitudes and challenges faced by English language lecturers and to facilitate these lecturers who are teaching the new Communicative English syllabus at Malaysian polytechnics.
Noting as Learning: Its Significance for Teaching and Learning Japanese in Volunteer Language Classrooms for Migrants
Authors: Fan Sau Kuen
Published: December 2017

This paper discusses problems in volunteer Japanese classrooms as a field of teaching foreign language for special purposes, which is to enhance migrant learners in the neighbourhood to participate in the host society through the target language. The data on which the discussion is based was collected from a case study conducted in a volunteer Japanese classroom in eastern Japan. From the point of view of “noting” in the Language Management Theory (LMT; cf. Neustupný 1985, 1994; Jernudd and Neustupný 1987), the findings suggest that although all the learners in the classroom intend to stay in Japan permanently, they appear to be reluctant to interact with local Japanese and to expand their Japanese social network due to the inability to note deviations from norms underlying in Japanese speech situations. In the second half of the paper, I raise an example of teaching materials to illustrate that noting as learning can be enhanced through systematic classroom activities. It is suggested that the ability to become sensitive about possible problems when interacting with local Japanese people can help foreigners in the neighbourhood to be more prepared and thus more confident to use the target language in real life.
Truenos: ruidos, sonidos y modos de escucha en la creación sonora
Authors: Bejarano Calvo Carlos Mauricio
Published: December 2017

A partir de una práctica artística personal con el sonido del trueno en los campos de la música concreta y el arte sonoro este texto presenta una interpretación libre en torno a este fenómeno atmosférico que acompaña a la humanidad a largo de su existencia. El trueno siempre ha estado presente en la vida cotidiana como un hecho contundente que marca dramáticamente el paisaje. Es asociado a los poderes de la creación del mundo y en prácticamente todas las mitologías y religiones existen deidades portadores de sus poderes con diversos rituales que lo ponen en escena para reivindicar sus potenciales. En este texto se abordan ejemplos del campo del arte que han trabajado con el sonido del trueno como el teatro, el arte sonoro y las músicas experimentales y se exalta el deseo y el gusto de crear y experimentar con esta compleja, potente y significativa materialidad sonora.

 

Participación: dossier.
Modelos de intermedialidad en la adaptación cinematográfica del teatro homosexual en el cine de Pedro Almodóvar
Authors: De la Torre Espinosa Mario
Published: December 2017

El cine de Pedro Almodóvar es complejo y pleno de intertextos, siendo el teatro una de sus fuentes de recursos principales. El objetivo de este trabajo es analizar cómo en su filmografía ha ido adaptando las obras de dramaturgos que podrían ser englobados dentro de la categoría de queer drama, caracterizado por una focalización novedosa donde el hombre se convertía en objeto del deseo. Utilizando la narratología fílmica y la teoría queer, se ha analizado cómo obras de Lorca, Feydeau, Tennessee Williams o Jean Cocteau, con una sensibilidad queer latente en unos y evidente en otros, sirven así de modelo para parte de su cine. Como conclusión, se puede vislumbrar una línea de continuidad entre los modos de representación de las sexualidades “no normativas” en todos estos autores, que enlazan con la categoría de enunciación paranoica formulada por Alberto Mira. Queda demostrado así cómo estas rupturas con el modo de representación institucional, según la definición de Nöel Burch, manifestadas en la cinematografía almodovariana, tienen uno de sus hipotextos principales en el teatro homosexual.
“Haciendo el amor en la cocina”: mujeres, espacio doméstico y cultura rock en los tempranos ochenta
Authors: Sánchez Trolliet Ana
Published: December 2017

El artículo examina la incorporación de mujeres en la escena rock de Buenos Aires durante los primeros años de la década de los ochenta. Se estudia cómo hombres y mujeres percibieron su práctica artística y las representaciones de mujer que las roqueras transmitieron a partir de las referencias al ámbito doméstico, en especial la cocina. A través del análisis de las canciones, la gráfica de los discos y las declaraciones públicas en las revistas y la televisión, se indaga sobre los contradictorios modos con que las jóvenes contraculturales procesaron los tradicionales roles y aspiraciones de las mujeres de clase media. Se plantea que el contexto de tránsito de la dictadura a la democracia y las expectativas generadas en torno a la ampliación de las libertades civiles generaron una imagen positiva de los roqueros entre amplios sectores de la sociedad que posibilitó a las mujeres concebir al rock como un posible medio de vida alternativo.
Pola Weiss, registrando cuerpos, movimientos y desbordes
Authors: Lucero Maria Elena
Published: December 2017

Pola Weiss (1947-1990) es considerada una artista emblem.tica dentro de la videograf.a mexicana contempor.nea. Inaugur. una l.nea de trabajo inusual y de profuso nivel experimental con el uso de c.maras filmadoras. Obras como Videodanza, viva videodanza o Autovideato, de 1979, o Mi co-ra-z.n, de 1986, resaltaron la puesta en escena de movimientos libres y osados y estimularon la expansi.n f.sica en tiempos y espacios singulares. Su obra abri. una serie de interrogantes sobre tem.ticas que ocuparon a las te.ricas feministas. Este trabajo procura trazar algunos se.alamientos te.ricos a partir de las modalidades con las que Pola exhibe e interpreta los cuerpos. Esos rasgos peculiares se enlazan con los desbordes y las din.micas que caracterizan los cuerpos presentes en sus videos, donde la materia, los fluidos org.nicos, las emociones y los movimientos f.sicos se desregulan y perturban las conductas normativas y las convenciones culturales. Para ello, se examinar.n documentos originales del Fondo Pola Weiss existente en el Museo Universitario de Arte Contempor.neo de la Universidad Nacional Aut.noma de M.xico, en pos de analizar su itinerario art.stico. Se considerar.n las reflexiones de Rebecca Schneider sobra la performance y las nociones fundamentales sobre la perspectiva de g.nero de Judith Butler, Carol Maier, Laura Mulvey y Nelly Richard. Finalmente, se arribar. a una serie de conclusiones que nos permitir.n articular los lazos entre la producci.n de la artista y los conceptos provenientes del feminismo. M.s all. de las connotaciones est.ticas, se aportar. una lectura renovada sobre Pola Weiss al subrayar el potencial cr.tico de su legado videogr.fico.

 
Sequencing of
FKS
Hot Spot 1 from Saprochaete capitata To Search for a Relationship to Reduced Echinocandin Susceptibility
Authors: Arrieta-Aguirre Inés , Menéndez-Manjón Pilar , Cuétara María Soledad , Fernández de Larrinoa Iñigo , García-Ruiz Juan Carlos , Moragues María Dolores
Published: December 2017

Saprochaete capitata
, formerly known as
Geotrichum capitatum
, is an emerging fungal pathogen with low susceptibility to echinocandins. Here, we report the nucleotide sequence of the
S. capitata
hot spot 1 region of the
FKS
gene (
FKS
HS1), which codifies for the catalytic subunit of β-1,3-
d
-glucan synthase, the target of echinocandins. For that purpose, we first designed degenerated oligonucleotide primers derived from conserved flanking regions of the
FKS1
HS1 segment of 12 different fungal species. Interestingly, analysis of the translated
FKS
HS1 sequences of 12 isolates of
S. capitata
revealed that all of them exhibited the same F-to-L substitution in a position that is highly related to reduced echinocandin susceptibility.
Elucidating the Pharmacokinetics/Pharmacodynamics of Aerosolized Colistin against Multidrug-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii and Klebsiella pneumoniae in a Mouse Lung Infection Model
Authors: Lin Yu-Wei , Zhou Qi Tony , Han Mei-Ling , Chen Ke , Onufrak Nikolas J. , Wang Jiping , Turnidge John D. , Howden Benjamin P. , Forrest Alan , Chan Hak-Kim , Li Jian
Published: December 2017

The pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics (PK/PD) of aerosolized colistin was investigated against
Acinetobacter baumannii
and
Klebsiella pneumoniae
over 24 h in a neutropenic mouse lung infection model. Dose fractionation studies were performed over 2.64 to 23.8 mg/kg/day, and the data were fitted to a sigmoid inhibitory model. The area under the concentration-time curve over 24 h in the steady state divided by the MIC (AUC/MIC) in the epithelial lining fluid was the most predictive PK/PD index for aerosolized colistin against both pathogens. Our study provides important pharmacological information for optimizing aerosolized colistin.
Hyperbaric Oxygen Reduces Aspergillus fumigatus Proliferation
In Vitro
and Influences
In Vivo
Disease Outcomes
Authors: Dhingra Sourabh , Buckey Jay C. , Cramer Robert A.
Published: December 2017

Recent estimates suggest that more than 3 million people have chronic or invasive fungal infections, causing more than 600,000 deaths every year.
Aspergillus fumigatus
causes invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) in patients with compromised immune systems and is a primary contributor to increases in human fungal infections. Thus, the development of new clinical modalities as stand-alone or adjunctive therapy for improving IPA patient outcomes is critically needed. Here we tested the
in vitro
and
in vivo
impacts of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) (100% oxygen, >1 atmosphere absolute [ATA]) on
A. fumigatus
proliferation and murine IPA outcomes. Our findings indicate that HBO reduces established fungal biofilm proliferation
in vitro
by over 50%. The effect of HBO under the treatment conditions was transient and fungistatic, with
A. fumigatus
metabolic activity rebounding within 6 h of HBO treatment being removed.
In vivo
, daily HBO provides a dose-dependent but modest improvement in murine IPA disease outcomes as measured by survival analysis. Intriguingly, no synergy was observed between subtherapeutic voriconazole or amphotericin B and HBO
in vitro
or
in vivo
with daily HBO dosing, though the loss of fungal superoxide dismutase genes enhanced HBO antifungal activity. Further studies are needed to optimize the HBO treatment regimen and better understand the effects of HBO on both the host and the pathogen during a pulmonary invasive fungal infection.
Activation of Porcine Alveolar Macrophages by Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae Lipopolysaccharide via the Toll-Like Receptor 4/NF-κB-Mediated Pathway
Authors: Li Bi , Fang Jing , Zuo Zhicai , Yin Sirui , He Tingting , Yang Mingxian , Deng Junliang , Shen Liuhong , Ma Xiaoping , Yu Shumin , Wang Ya , Ren Zhihua
Published: December 2017

Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniaeis the causative agent of porcine contagious pleuropneumonia. Overproduction of proinflammatory cytokines, like interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-6, tumor necrosis factor alpha, and resistin, in the lung is an important feature ofA. pleuropneumoniaeinfection. These proinflammatory cytokines enhance inflammatory and immunological responses. However, the mechanism that leads to cytokine production remains unclear. As a major virulence factor ofA. pleuropneumoniae, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) may act as a potent stimulator of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), triggering a number of intracellular signaling pathways that lead to the synthesis of proinflammatory cytokines. Porcine alveolar macrophages (PAMs) are the first line of defense against pathogenic microbes during pathogen invasion. The results of the present study demonstrate thatA. pleuropneumoniaeLPS induces PAMs to produce inflammatory cytokines in time- and dose-dependent manners. Moreover, PAMs were activated byA. pleuropneumoniaeLPS, resulting in upregulation of signaling molecules, including TLR4, MyD88, TRIF-related adaptor molecule, and NF-κB. In contrast, the activation effects ofA. pleuropneumoniaeLPS on PAMs could be suppressed by specific inhibitors, like small interfering RNA and Bay11-7082. Taken together, our data indicate thatA. pleuropneumoniaeLPS can induce PAMs to produce proinflammatory cytokines via the TLR4/NF-κB-mediated pathway. These findings partially reveal the mechanism of the overproduction of proinflammatory cytokines in the lungs of swine withA. pleuropneumoniaeinfection and may provide targets for the prevention ofA. pleuropneumoniae-induced pneumonia. All the data could be used as a reference for the pathogenesis of respiratory infection.
Protocol for developing a Database of Zoonotic disease Research in India (DoZooRI)
Authors: Chatterjee Pranab , Bhaumik Soumyadeep , Chauhan Abhimanyu Singh , Kakkar Manish
Published: December 2017

Introduction

Zoonotic and emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) represent a public health threat that has been acknowledged only recently although they have been on the rise for the past several decades. On an average, every year since the Second World War, one pathogen has emerged or re-emerged on a global scale. Low/middle-income countries such as India bear a significant burden of zoonotic and EIDs. We propose that the creation of a database of published, peer-reviewed research will open up avenues for evidence-based policymaking for targeted prevention and control of zoonoses.

Methods and analysis

A large-scale systematic mapping of the published peer-reviewed research conducted in India will be undertaken. All published research will be included in the database, without any prejudice for quality screening, to broaden the scope of included studies. Structured search strategies will be developed for priority zoonotic diseases (leptospirosis, rabies, anthrax, brucellosis, cysticercosis, salmonellosis, bovine tuberculosis, Japanese encephalitis and rickettsial infections), and multiple databases will be searched for studies conducted in India. The database will be managed and hosted on a cloud-based platform called Rayyan. Individual studies will be tagged based on key preidentified parameters (disease, study design, study type, location, randomisation status and interventions, host involvement and others, as applicable).

Ethics and dissemination

The database will incorporate already published studies, obviating the need for additional ethical clearances. The database will be made available online, and in collaboration with multisectoral teams, domains of enquiries will be identified and subsequent research questions will be raised. The database will be queried for these and resulting evidence will be analysed and published in peer-reviewed journals.
Informing future research for carriage of multiresistant Gram-negative bacteria: problems with recruiting to an English stool sample community prevalence study
Authors: Lecky Donna M , Nakiboneka-Ssenabulya Deborah , Nichols Tom , Hawkey Peter , Turner Kim , Chung Keun-Taik , Thomas Mike , Thomas Helen Lucy , Xu McCrae Li , Shabir Sahida , Manzoor Susan , Alvarez-Buylla Adela , Smith Steve , McNulty Cliodna
Published: December 2017

Objectives

This study aims to highlight problems with recruiting to an English stool sample community prevalence study. It was part of a larger cross-sectional research to determine the risk factors for the presence of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase and carbapenemase-producing coliforms in stool samples of the asymptomatic general English population.

Setting

Four National Health Service primary care trusts (PCTs) of England representing a different section of the population of England: Newham PCT; Heart of Birmingham Teaching PCT; Shropshire County PCT; and Southampton City PCT.

Participants

Sixteen general practices across the four PCTs were purposefully selected. After stratification of GP lists by age, ethnicity and antibiotic use, 58 337 randomly selected patients were sent a postal invitation.

Patients who had died, moved to a different surgery, were deemed too ill by their General Practitioner or hospitalised at the time of mailing were excluded.

Results

Stool and questionnaire returns varied by area, age, gender and ethnicity; the highest return rate of 27.3% was in Shropshire in the age group of over 60 years; the lowest, 0.6%, was in Birmingham in the age group of 18–39 years. Whereas only 3.9%(2296) returned a completed questionnaire and stool sample, 94.9% of participants gave permission for their sample and data to be used in future research.

Conclusion

Researchers should consider the low stool specimen return rate and wide variation by ethnicity and age when planning future studies involving stool specimen collection. This is particularly pertinent if the study has no health benefit to participants. Further research is needed to explore how to improve recruitment in multicultural communities and in younger people.
Rationale and design of GENEiUS: a prospective observational study on the genetic and environmental determinants of body mass index evolution in Canadian undergraduate students
Authors: Morassut Rita E , Langlois Christine , Alyass Akram , Ishola Adeola F , Yazdi Fereshteh T , Mayhew Alexandra J , Reddon Hudson , MacKillop James , Pigeyre Marie , Meyre David
Published: December 2017

Introduction

Obesity is a global epidemic and is a risk factor for developing other comorbidities. Young adulthood is a critical period for body weight change and establishing healthy lifestyle behaviours. The ‘Freshman 15’ suggests that undergraduate students gain 15 lbs (6.8 kg) during their first year of university, although evidence estimates a more modest weight gain of approximately 3–5 lbs (1.4–2.3 kg). Previous studies have only investigated weight change in the first year and do not study potential risk factors. Genetic and EnviroNmental Effects on weight in University Students (GENEiUS) is a prospective observational study which will investigate the environmental and biological determinants of weight change in undergraduate students over 4 years.

Methods and analysis

The GENEiUS study will recruit 2500 multiethnic undergraduates aged 17–25 years at McMaster University at the start of their first year and will follow them every 6 months for 4 years. Primary outcomes are obesity traits: body mass index, waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, body fat mass and body fat percentage. The contribution of well-established and novel genetic variants for obesity traits and heritability values will be derived from whole-genome single-nucleotide polymorphism genotyping arrays. Civil status, age, sex, ethnicity, length of residence in Canada, religiosity, energy intake, physical activity, exercise motivation, electronic screen time, sleep patterns, history of assault, smoking status, alcohol consumption, medication and drug use, stress, impulsivity, body image perception, self-esteem, anxiety, eating disorders and depression will be investigated for their effect on obesity traits. The findings of the GENEiUS study will be used to help design obesity prevention programme in North American universities with multiethnic populations.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethical approval of the study protocol has been obtained from the Hamilton Integrated Research Ethics Board. Study results will be disseminated through scientific publications, scholarly meetings, and collaborative meetings with university administration and student groups.
Study of coherent beam–beam instability in CEPC-H and Z
Authors: Ohmi Kazuhito
Published: December 2017

Design work using beam–beam simulation has been done since starting the CEPC and Future Circular Collider (FCC) proposals. In recent [Formula: see text] colliders, a collision scheme with a large crossing angle is popular to overcome the hourglass effect. The crab waist scheme is adopted to further boost luminosity performance. Weak–strong simulations were mainly used in the early stage. Strong–strong simulations have been done since last year for the collision with a large crossing angle. Coherent beam–beam instability has been seen in the simulation for FCC. We discuss the instability for the CEPC. a

a A general introduction to the CEPC can be found in Ref. 1.
Electromagnetic design of a 12 T twin-aperture dipole magnet
Authors: Wang Chengtao , Kong Ershuai , Cheng Da , Wang Yingzhe , Zhang Kai , Xu Qingjin
Published: December 2017

A 12 T twin-aperture subscale magnet is under development at the Institute of High Energy Physics (IHEP, Beijing, China), as the R&D of high-field accelerator magnet technology for SPPC (Super Proton–Proton Collider) pre-study. Four NbTi coils and two Nb3Sn coils will be fabricated firstly, to provide a 12 T dipole field in two apertures with the load line ratio of 20% at 4.2 K. After that, the HTS (ReBCO and Bi-2212) coils will be inserted between the Nb3Sn coils to realize a higher dipole field. The ReBCO coils with the block-type configuration will be inserted between the Nb3Sn coils with common-coil configuration (Combined Common-coil and Block type configuration, CCB), to make the broad plane of the tape parallel with the magnetic flux and maximize current-carrying capacity. The electromagnetic design, mechanical design and quench protection design have been completed. The fabrication is ongoing. The magnet will be assembled and tested in 2017.
Protein structure prediction
Authors: Deng Haiyou , Jia Ya , Zhang Yang
Published: December 2017

Predicting 3D structure of protein from its amino acid sequence is one of the most important unsolved problems in biophysics and computational biology. This paper attempts to give a comprehensive introduction of the most recent effort and progress on protein structure prediction. Following the general flowchart of structure prediction, related concepts and methods are presented and discussed. Moreover, brief introductions are made to several widely-used prediction methods and the community-wide critical assessment of protein structure prediction (CASP) experiments.
Transport properties of concrete-like granular materials interacted by their microstructures and particle components
Authors: Xu Wenxiang , Sun Hongguang , Chen Wen , Chen Huisu
Published: December 2017

Granular materials as typical soft matter, their transport properties play significant roles in durability and service life in relevant practical engineering structures. Physico-mechanical properties of materials are generally dependent of their microstructures including interfacial and porous characteristics. The formation of such microstructures is directly related to particle components in granular materials. Understanding the interactive mechanism of particle components, microstructures, and transport properties is a problem of great interest in materials research community. The resulting rigorous component-structure-property relations are also valuable for material design and microstructure optimization. This review article describes state-of-the-art progresses on modeling particle components, interfacial and porous configurations and incorporating these internal structural characteristics into modeling transport properties of granular materials. We mainly focus on three issues involving the simulation for geometrical components, the quantitative characterization for interfacial and porous microstructures, and the modeling strategies for diffusive behaviors of granular materials. In the first aspect, in-depth reviews are presented to realize complex morphologies of geometrical particles, to detect the overlap between adjacent nonspherical particles, and to simulate the random packings of nonspherical particles. In the second aspect, we emphasize the development progresses on the interfacial thickness and porosity distribution, the interfacial volume fraction, and the continuum percolation of soft particles representing compliant interfaces and discrete pores. In the final aspect, a literature review is also provided on modeling of transport properties on the forefront of the effective diffusion and anomalous diffusion in multiphase granular materials. Finally, some conclusions and perspectives for future studies are provided.
INVESTIGATION ON MECHANICAL AND WEAR PROPERTIES OF ZINC-COATED STEEL WIRES REINFORCED LM6 ALUMINIUM ALLOY COMPOSITES BY SQUEEZE CASTING
Authors: CHELLADURAI SAMSON JEROLD SAMUEL , ARTHANARI RAMESH
Published: December 2017

Zinc-coated steel wires (1–5 numbers) reinforced in LM6 matrix composites have been prepared by squeeze casting process. Microstructure, hardness, tensile strength, ductility and dry sliding wear behavior of composites have been investigated by varying sliding distance and load. Fracture surface of tensile specimens and worn out surface of wear samples have been examined using field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM). The results reveal that hardness of composites increased with increasing distance from matrix to steel wires. Maximum hardness values of 751 VHN and 611 VHN are observed in steel wire and at the interface of steel wire — aluminium, respectively. Tensile strength of composites increased upto 24% by reinforcing three steel wires in matrix. During the wear test, weight loss, wear rate and coefficient of friction decreased with increasing number of wires embedded in matrix and increased with increasing sliding distance and load. LM6 aluminium alloy reinforced with five numbers of steel wires decreased the weight loss upto 17% as compared to matrix under 40[Formula: see text]N load and a sliding distance of 2000[Formula: see text]m. Fracture surface of tensile specimen shows dimple formation in matrix and broken wires are observed in composites. Worn surface of composites shows fine grooves, whereas delamination is observed in matrix. In general, reinforcement of zinc-coated steel wires in LM6 aluminium alloy exhibited better mechanical properties and wear resistance compared to matrix.
A numerical method for solutions of Lotka–Volterra predator–prey model with time-delay
Authors: Yüzbaşı Şuayip , Karaçayır Murat
Published: December 2017

In this paper, we present a numerical scheme to obtain polynomial approximations for the solutions of continuous time-delayed population models for two interacting species. The method includes taking inner product of a set of monomials with a vector obtained from the problem under consideration. Doing this, the problem is transformed to a nonlinear system of algebraic equations. This system is then solved, yielding coefficients of the approximate polynomial solutions. In addition, the technique of residual correction, which aims to increase the accuracy of the approximate solution by estimating its error, is discussed in some detail. The method and the residual correction technique are illustrated with two examples.
MPEG column
Authors: Timmerer Christian
Published: December 2017

The original blog post can be found at the Bitmovin Techblog and has been updated here to focus on and highlight research aspects.
Report from ACM MMSys 2017
Authors: Timmerer Christian
Published: December 2017

The ACM Multimedia Systems Conference (MMSys) provides a forum for researchers to present and share their latest research findings in multimedia systems. It is a unique event targeting "multimedia systems" from various angles and views across all domains instead of focusing on a specific aspect or data type. ACM MMSys'17 was held in Taipei, Taiwan in June 20-23, 2017.