bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Tumor necrosis factor α‐308 G/A and interleukin 1 β‐511 C/T gene polymorphisms in patients with scarring acne
Authors: Akoglu Gulsen , Tan Cagman , Ayvaz Deniz Cagdas , Tezcan Ilhan
Published: April 2018

Background

Acne is a chronic inflammatory skin disorder which may heal with scarring. Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF α) and interleukin 1 β (IL‐1β) are considered as the main responsible proinflammatory mediators of acne pathogenesis. Oversecretion of these cytokines was found to be associated with TNF α‐308 G>A and IL‐1β‐511 C<T polymorphisms.

Aim

To evaluate the association of TNF α‐308 and IL‐1β‐511 gene polymorphisms with acne and postacne scarring susceptibility and acne severity.

Methods

Study subjects included 90 patients with acne vulgaris (31 males, 59 females; mean age: 19.6 ± 3.7 years) and 30 healthy controls (11 males, 19 females; mean age: 19.2 ± 5.1 years). Patients were sub‐grouped on the basis of acne severity into mild, moderate, and severe acne groups and on the presence postacne scarring into scarring acne and nonscarring acne groups. Peripheral venous blood samples were obtained for performing real‐time PCR analysis for detecting TNF α‐308 and IL‐1β‐511 genotypic variants.

Results

Among patients, 21.7% (n = 26) had mild, 22.5% (n = 27) had moderate, 30.8% (n = 37) had severe, and 30% (n = 36) had scarring acne. Genotypic variants of TNF α‐308 and IL‐1β‐511 did not statistically differ between acne patients and controls (P values: .245 and .466). When compared in terms of acne severity and the presence of postacne scarring, no statistical significance was observed regarding frequencies of genotypic variants related to the both TNF α‐308 and IL‐1β polymorphisms (P > .05).

Conclusion

TNF α‐308 and IL‐1β polymorphic variants are not associated with acne and postacne scarring susceptibility and acne severity.
Does Hypoxia‐Inducible Factor ‐1 α (HIF‐1α) C1772T polymorphism predict short‐term prognosis in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC)?
Authors: Prasad Jitender , Goswami Binita , Gowda Srinivas H. , Gupta Nikhil , Kumar Shilpa , Agarwal Kiran , Mehra Pravesh , Pahuja Bindiya K. , Chauhan Anju
Published: April 2018

Background

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a cancer of the oral cavity that is a major health problem in India. There is an urgent need to identify biomarkers that have prognostic significance. We studied HIF‐1α levels as well as single‐nucleotide polymorphism of HIF‐1α gene in cancer and healthy controls.

Methods

Fifty newly diagnosed OSCC patients and 50 age and sex‐matched healthy control were included in the study. Serum concentrations of HIF‐1α were measured by sandwich ELISA; whereas HIF‐1α gene polymorphism study was performed using restriction enzyme digestion by HpH I.

Results

The major genotype observed was CC genotype in both control (84%) and patients (86%) followed by CT genotype (control 16%, cases 14%). CT genotype led to more aggressive tumors. On subgroup analysis based on prognosis, the median overall survival of patients who were treatment responders was 488 days (16.2 months) and that of the patients with progressive disease was 365 days (12.1 months). The patients who expired during the study observation period had median survival of 330 days (11 months).

Conclusion

Our study showed that CT genotype for C1772T polymorphism of HIF‐1α predisposes to aggressive tumor phenotype in patients with OSCC. Moreover, patients with CT genotype had poor survival rate as compared to CC genotype. A cut‐off value of 460 pg/mL of HIF‐1α can help to segregate patients with OSCC from healthy controls.
Survival of Phytophthora cinnamomi and Fusarium verticillioides in commercial potting substrates for ornamental plants
Authors: Puértolas Alexandra , Boa Eric , Bonants Peter J. M. , Woodward Steve
Published: April 2018

Live plants, particularly when accompanied by soil or potting substrates, are considered the main pathway for international spread of plant pathogens. Modern, rapid shipping technologies for international plant trade increase the probability of plant pathogen survival during transport and the subsequent chances of disease outbreaks in new locations. The survival of two model pathogens, an Oomycete, Phytophthora cinnamomi, and a filamentous fungus, Fusarium verticillioides, was studied in two different commercial potting substrates (peat and peat‐free) under glasshouse conditions in the absence of a plant host. Survival rates were analysed at 2, 7, 12 and 17 months after substrate inoculation. Fusarium verticillioides had the longest survival rate, and was still present at 17 months. In contrast, P. cinnamomi survived up to 7 months but was not recovered after 12 or 17 months. There was no significant difference in the number of colony‐forming units (CFUs) of either pathogen in the two substrates, except at 2 months, when higher numbers were recovered from peat substrates.
The Cost of Banking Crises: New Evidence from Life Satisfaction Data
Authors: Montagnoli Alberto , Moro Mirko
Published: April 2018

It is known that banking crises produce large economic costs. Yet might their consequences be even more far‐reaching? We investigate an issue as yet largely unexplored and provide some of the first evidence that banking crises also lead to major, widespread, and lasting psychological losses. We estimate the costs of banking crises with individual life satisfaction; we show that these extend beyond GDP declines and other macroeconomic and financial leakages. For the 2007‐8 financial crisis, we find some evidence that the losses are larger for those countries that had previously experienced a credit boom.
Generic sofosbuvir‐based direct‐acting antivirals in hepatitis C virus‐infected patients with chronic kidney disease
Authors: Manoj Kumar  , Nayak Suman L. , Gupta Ekta , Kataria Ashish , Sarin Shiv K.
Published: April 2018

Background & Aims

There is scant data on use of sofosbuvir containing directly acting antiviral (DAA) regimens in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. Recently generic versions of DAAs have become available in low‐income countries including India. The aim of this study was to study the efficacy and safety of generic sofosbuvir in combination with generic ribavirin, ledipasvir or daclatasvir in HCV‐infected patients with CKD including patients with advanced CKD (CKD stage 4 or 5 with an estimated glomerular filtration rate (GFR) <30 mL/min or those on dialysis).

Methods

Seventy‐one CKD patients (76% male, 84.5% on maintenance haemodialysis, 23.9% cirrhosis) with HCV infection were included in the study. Full‐dose sofosbuvir was used in combination with ribavirin (n = 26, for 24 weeks, 69.2% genotype 1, 30.8% genotype 3), ledipasvir (n = 26, for 12 weeks, all genotype 1) and daclatasvir (n = 19, for 12 weeks, all genotype 3).

Results

Sustained virological response (SVR) (HCV RNA <12 IU/mL) at 12 weeks after stopping treatment was seen in 100% of the patients in all the 3 groups. At 24‐week follow‐up after end of therapy, 1 patient in sofosbuvir plus ledipasvir group relapsed. At 48‐week follow‐up after end of therapy, 1 more patient in sofosbuvir plus ribavirin group relapsed.

Conclusion

Full‐dose sofosbuvir‐based DAA therapy using generics is highly effective for individuals with HCV infection and CKD including advanced CKD (CKD stage 4 or 5 with an e‐GFR <30 mL/min or those on dialysis).
Origin of Production Shocks, Agricultural Price Spikes and Trade Policy
Authors: Yan Wenshou , Deng Guoqu
Published: April 2018

This paper incorporates exogenous production shocks into short‐run policy making process, and altruism is introduced into government utility functions under cooperative policy making scenario. The results reveal that the noisy signal from production shocks and government's self‐interested behaviors consist of the main barriers to make cooperative trade negotiations between agricultural importers and exporters. Finally, the project puts forward that domestic public storage policy is a feasible way for storable agricultural products to buffer production shocks and to stabilize domestic price in the context of agricultural price fluctuations with high frequency, and limited function of the WTO with respect to restricting governments' trade policies.
Demography or selection on linked cultural traits or genes? Investigating the driver of low mtDNA diversity in the sperm whale using complementary mitochondrial and nuclear genome analyses
Authors: Morin Phillip A. , Foote Andrew D. , Baker Charles Scott , Hancock‐Hanser Brittany L. , Kaschner Kristin , Mate Bruce R. , Mesnick Sarah L. , Pease Victoria L. , Rosel Patricia E. , Alexander Alana
Published: April 2018

Mitochondrial DNA has been heavily utilized in phylogeography studies for several decades. However, underlying patterns of demography and phylogeography may be misrepresented due to coalescence stochasticity, selection, variation in mutation rates and cultural hitchhiking (linkage of genetic variation to culturally‐transmitted traits affecting fitness). Cultural hitchhiking has been suggested as an explanation for low genetic diversity in species with strong social structures, counteracting even high mobility, abundance and limited barriers to dispersal. One such species is the sperm whale, which shows very limited phylogeographic structure and low mtDNA diversity despite a worldwide distribution and large population. Here, we use analyses of 175 globally distributed mitogenomes and three nuclear genomes to evaluate hypotheses of a population bottleneck/expansion vs. a selective sweep due to cultural hitchhiking or selection on mtDNA as the mechanism contributing to low worldwide mitochondrial diversity in sperm whales. In contrast to mtDNA control region (CR) data, mitogenome haplotypes are largely ocean‐specific, with only one of 80 shared between the Atlantic and Pacific. Demographic analyses of nuclear genomes suggest low mtDNA diversity is consistent with a global reduction in population size that ended approximately 125,000 years ago, correlated with the Eemian interglacial. Phylogeographic analysis suggests that extant sperm whales descend from maternal lineages endemic to the Pacific during the period of reduced abundance and have subsequently colonized the Atlantic several times. Results highlight the apparent impact of past climate change, and suggest selection and hitchhiking are not the sole processes responsible for low mtDNA diversity in this highly social species.
The Eternity of the Triune God: Preliminary Considerations on the Relationship between the Trinity and the Time of Creation
Authors: Schwöbel Christoph
Published: April 2018

How may we avoid falling into the traps of representations of God as wholly timeless or enmeshed in creaturely time? What may be needed is a Trinitarian account which, in the footsteps of Basil of Caesarea and Calvin's proposals, articulates God's atemporal, eternal presence in time (God the Father), God's eternally temporal presence (the Son), and God's eternally perfecting relationship to creation in its created time (the Holy Spirit). By construing the Trinity not just causally, but as a conversation in which we are made participants, we might gain a richer understanding of God's eternity which, far from excluding time, takes it up within God's own life.
God's Freedom: Free to be Bound
Authors: Lohmann Friedrich
Published: April 2018

It is a rather undisputed fact that God is free. Things become more intriguing when we ask how God exercises this freedom. The following essay answers this question by starting with the New Testament narrative concerning Jesus Christ, who is believed to be the image of God (John 14:9). In Jesus Christ, God uses God's freedom to restrict Godself. God is free to be bound. Taking into account God's covenantal relationship with humanity and the act of creation, which can be interpreted as God's free decision in favor of an independent world, God's self‐restriction appears to be a generous act of giving, determined by God's all‐encompassing attitude of faithful love. God's free self‐restriction is actually an act of self‐fulfillment.
The endosomal recycling of FgSnc1 by FgSnx41–FgSnx4 heterodimer is essential for polarized growth and pathogenicity in Fusarium graminearum
Authors: Zheng Wenhui , Lin Yahong , Fang Wenqin , Zhao Xu , Lou Yi , Wang Guanghui , Zheng Huawei , Liang Qifu , Abubakar Yakubu Saddeeq , Olsson Stefan , Zhou Jie , Wang Zonghua
Published: April 2018

Endosomal sorting machineries regulate the transport of their cargoes among intracellular compartments. However, the molecular nature of such intracellular trafficking processes in pathogenic fungal development and pathogenicity remains unclear.

Here, we dissect the roles and molecular mechanisms of two sorting nexin proteins and their cargoes in endosomal recycling in Fusarium graminearum using high‐resolution microscopy and high‐throughput co‐immunoprecipitation strategies.

We show that the sorting nexins, FgSnx41 and FgSnx4, interact with each other and assemble into a functionally interdependent heterodimer through their respective BAR domains. Further analyses demonstrate that the dimer localizes to the early endosomal membrane and coordinates endosomal sorting. The small GTPase FgRab5 regulates the correct localization of FgSnx41–FgSnx4 and is consequently required for its trafficking function. The protein FgSnc1 is a cargo of FgSnx41–FgSnx4 and regulates the fusion of secreted vesicles with the fungal growing apex and plasma membrane. In the absence of FgSnx41 or FgSnx4, FgSnc1 is mis‐sorted and degraded in the vacuole, and null deletion of either component causes defects in the fungal polarized growth and virulence.

Overall, for the first time, our results reveal the mechanism of FgSnc1 endosomal recycling by FgSnx41–FgSnx4 heterodimer which is essential for polarized growth and pathogenicity in F. graminearum.
Applications of social network analysis to obesity: a systematic review
Authors: Zhang S. , de la Haye K. , Ji M. , An R.
Published: April 2018

People's health behaviours and outcomes can be profoundly shaped by the social networks they are embedded in. Based on graph theory, social network analysis is a research framework for the study of social interactions and the structure of these interactions among social actors. A literature search was conducted in PubMed and Web of Science for articles published until August 2017 that applied social network analysis to examine obesity and social networks. Eight studies (three cross‐sectional and five longitudinal) conducted in the US (n = 6) and Australia (n = 2) were identified. Seven focused on adolescents' and one on adults' friendship networks. They examined structural features of these networks that were associated with obesity, including degree distribution, popularity, modularity maximization and K‐clique percolation. All three cross‐sectional studies that used exponential random graph models found individuals with similar body weight status and/or weight‐related behaviour were more likely to share a network tie than individuals with dissimilar traits. Three longitudinal studies using stochastic actor‐based models found friendship network characteristics influenced change in individuals' body weight status and/or weight‐related behaviour over time. Future research should focus on diverse populations and types of social networks and identifying the mechanisms by which social networks influence obesity to inform network‐based interventions.
The Feasibility of Using the BrightHearts Biofeedback‐Assisted Relaxation Application for the Management of Pediatric Procedural Pain: A Pilot Study
Authors: Burton Karen L.O. , Morrow Angela M. , Beswick Brooke V. , Khut George P.
Published: April 2018

Objective

The objective of this pilot study was to assess the acceptability and feasibility of using BrightHearts, a biofeedback‐assisted relaxation application (app), in children undergoing painful procedures.

Methods

Thirty children 7 to 18 years of age undergoing a medical procedure (peripheral blood collection, botulinum toxin injection, or intravenous cannula insertion) participated. Participants used BrightHearts, a heart rate–controlled biofeedback‐assisted relaxation training app delivered via an iPad with heart rate measured through a pulse oximeter worn on the ear or thumb. Feasibility was assessed through observations and patient, parent/carer, and healthcare professional feedback. Patient, parent/carer, and healthcare professional satisfaction with BrightHearts was rated using investigator‐developed surveys.

Results

Eighty‐three percent of child participants reported that they found BrightHearts helpful during the procedure and that they would use BrightHearts again. All parents and 96% of healthcare professionals indicated they would use BrightHearts again. Sixty‐four percent of healthcare providers perceived that BrightHearts assisted with the ease of performing the procedure. Qualitative analyses found 2 themes: (1) BrightHearts calms through providing distraction and biofeedback and (2) the impact of BrightHearts on the procedure.

Conclusions

This pilot study demonstrates the feasibility of using biofeedback‐assisted relaxation delivered via the BrightHearts app in children undergoing peripheral blood collection and cannulation. Future studies are required to evaluate BrightHearts’ efficacy in reducing pain and anxiety during painful procedures and distinguish the effects of a biofeedback‐mediated app from distraction.
An Inventory of FearThe Witch: A History of Fear from Ancient Times to the Present, RonaldHutton, Yale University Press, 2017 (ISBN 978‐0‐3002‐2904‐2), xv + 360 pp., hb $30The Oxford Illustrated History of Witchcraft and Magic, OwenDavies (ed.), Oxford University Press, 2017 (ISBN 978‐0‐19‐960844‐7), xiv + 314 pp., hb £25
Authors: Kotva Simone
Published: April 2018

A study of two recent contributions to the scholarship on witchcraft and magic uncovers an uncomfortable dilemma. On the one hand, authors argue that magical practices should now be interpreted on their own premises; on the other hand, attempts to take seriously the experience of magic are bracketed and ‘disbelief’ in magic is encouraged. I argue that such disbelief affirms, ironically, the polarization between religion and magic which is the object of critique and arises from an unexamined fear, directed principally at religion and Christianity. When left unexamined, this fear of religion takes the place of the historically attested religious maligning of magic studied by contemporary scholars, and, it is proposed, results in discourses of violence that repeat, unwittingly, the very stereotypes which modern accounts of witchcraft and magic set out to eradicate.
The Association Between Anhedonia, Suicide Ideation, and Suicide Attempts: A Replication in a Persian Student Sample
Authors: Daghigh Ahmad , Daghigh Vahid , Niazi Mohsen , Nadorff Michael R.
Published: April 2018

Research suggests that anhedonia, a common symptom of depression, may be uniquely associated with suicidal behavior. However, little research has examined this association across cultures. To address this limitation, this study attempted to replicate a recent anhedonia and suicide study (conducted in a western culture) in a Persian sample using the Specific Loss of Interest and Pleasure Scale, Persian version. Participants consisted of 404 students who were recruited from a Persian university. Surprisingly, our results indicated that anhedonia levels were more than double those found in similar American student sample. Despite this marked difference in anhedonia symptoms, we found that anhedonia was associated with suicide risk, even when it was statistically accounting for other depressive symptoms. These findings suggest that anhedonia is a robust predictor of suicide risk across these two cultures. Further, anhedonia may be a particularly important treatment target among Persian students.
Maternal cognition talk in the mother–toddler dyad mediates the influence of early maternal emotional availability on preschoolers' belief reasoning
Authors: Kristen‐Antonow Susanne , Licata‐Dandel Maria , Müller Mitho , Sodian Beate
Published: April 2018

The present longitudinal study of 83 mother–child dyads (40 girls) assessed how emotional availability (EA) and maternal mental state language (MSL) are related to children's first‐ and second‐order false belief understanding (FBU). EA was measured with the emotional availability scales at 7 and 50 months, maternal MSL within free play at 7 months, and within a book context at 24 months. First‐order FBU was assessed at 50 months and second‐order FBU at 70 months. The results emphasize the specific importance of high emotional connectedness between mother and infant for early and later mother–child conversations about inner states. They also stress the prominent role of maternal cognition MSL for children's first‐ and second‐order FBU. Thereby, maternal cognition MSL seems to mediate the influence of early EA on preschoolers' first‐order FBU. The results are discussed within different theoretical frameworks of FBU development.
Voting Advice Applications and the Estimation of Party Positions – A Reliable Tool?
Authors: König Pascal D. , Jäckle Sebastian
Published: April 2018

Data contained in Voting Advice Applications (VAAs) is not only a prerequisite for the vote recommendations they provide but can also be used for estimating party positions in low‐dimensional spaces. Given that VAAs can be designed differently in terms of their number of items and their measurement level, how much can one trust the party positions obtained from this source? We tackle this question by exploiting relevant variation in a real‐world setting: three VAAs offered at the 2017 Lower Saxony election. Despite substantial design differences, the policy spaces extracted through an inductive scaling approach are highly convergent. Simulated random item removal from the pooled dataset of all three VAAs furthermore suggests that about 40 items yield satisfactory reliability of the party positions. Finally, we find that a priori assigning VAA‐items to ideological dimensions is potentially problematic as the interpretation of resulting party spaces may differ from the ones derived inductively.
Risk factors and long‐term outcomes of pediatric liver transplant recipients with chronic high Epstein‐Barr virus loads
Authors: Kamei Hideya , Ito Yoshinori , Kawada Junichi , Ogiso Satoshi , Onishi Yasuharu , Komagome Masahiko , Kurata Nobuhiko , Ogura Yasuhiro
Published: April 2018

Background

Serial monitoring of Epstein‐Barr virus (EBV) reveals that certain pediatric liver transplant (LT) recipients exhibit high EBV loads for long periods. We investigated the incidence and risk factors of chronic high EBV (CHEBV) loads (continuous EBV DNA >10 000 IU/mL of whole blood for ≥6 months) and long‐term outcomes.

Methods

This single center, retrospective observational study investigated pediatric LT recipients who survived ≥6 months. We quantitated EBV DNA weekly during hospitalization and subsequently every 4 or 6 weeks at the outpatient clinic. Tacrolimus was maintained at a low trough level (<3 ng/mL, EBV DNA load >5000 IU/mL).

Results

Thirty‐one of 77 LT recipients developed CHEBV. Univariate analysis revealed that age <2 years and body weight <10 kg upon LT, operation time <700 minutes, warm ischemia time (WIT) >35 minutes, graft‐to‐recipient weight ratio (GRWR) >2.7%, and preoperative EBV seronegativity were significantly associated with the development of CHEBV loads. Multivariate analysis identified significant associations of CHEBV with WIT >35 minutes, GRWR >2.7%, and preoperative seronegative. None of the recipients developed post‐transplantation lymphoproliferative disorder. Survival rates of patients with and without CHEBV loads were not significantly different.

Conclusions

A significant number of pediatric LT recipients developed CHEBV loads. Long WIT, high GRWR, and preoperative EBV seronegativity were significantly associated with the development of CHEBV loads. Although the long‐term outcomes of patients with or without CHEBV loads were not significantly different, further studies of more subjects are warranted.
Fowler's syndrome: a primary disorder of urethral sphincter relaxation
Authors: Panicker Jalesh N , Pakzad Mahreen , Fowler Clare J
Published: April 2018

Key content

Urinary retention is a relatively uncommon presentation in young women.

Women with Fowler's syndrome are often found to have an abnormally elevated urethral pressure profile, increased urethral sphincter volume and characteristically abnormal electromyography of the urethral sphincter.

The only treatment that has been found to restore voiding in women with Fowler's syndrome is sacral neuromodulation.

Sphincter injections of botulinum toxin are a possible outpatient‐based alternative.

Learning objectives

To review the typical symptoms and signs associated with Fowler's syndrome.

To share the current understanding about why this condition may occur.

To understand how to evaluate and treat a woman with suspected Fowler's syndrome.

Ethical issues

Fowler's syndrome should be considered in women presenting with urinary retention where the cause for retention is uncertain.
The effects of AtRad52 over‐expression on homologous recombination in Arabidopsis
Authors: Samach Aviva , Gurevich Vyacheslav , Avivi‐Ragolsky Naomi , Levy Avraham A.
Published: April 2018

AtRad52 homologs are involved in DNA recombination and repair, but their precise functions in different homologous recombination (HR) pathways or in gene‐targeting have not been analyzed. In order to facilitate our analyses, we generated an AtRad52‐1A variant that had a stronger nuclear localization than the native gene thanks to the removal of the transit peptide for mitochondrial localization and to the addition of a nuclear localization signal. Over‐expression of this variant increased HR in the nucleus, compared with the native AtRad52‐1A: it increased intra‐chromosomal recombination and synthesis‐dependent strand‐annealing HR repair rates; but conversely, it repressed the single‐strand annealing pathway. The effect of AtRad52‐1A over‐expression on gene‐targeting was tested with and without the expression of small RNAs generated from an RNAi construct containing homology to the target and donor sequences. True gene‐targeting events at the Arabidopsis Cruciferin locus were obtained only when combining AtRad52‐1A over‐expression and target/donor‐specific RNAi. This suggests that sequence‐specific small RNAs might be involved in AtRad52‐1A‐mediated HR.
Histone chaperones play crucial roles in maintenance of stem cell niche during plant root development
Authors: Ma Jing , Liu Yuhao , Zhou Wangbin , Zhu Yan , Dong Aiwu , Shen Wen‐Hui
Published: April 2018

Stem cells in both plant and animal kingdoms reside in a specialized cellular context called the stem cell niche (SCN). SCN integrity is crucial for organism development. Here we show that the H3/H4 histone chaperone CHROMATIN ASSEMBLY FACTOR‐1 (CAF‐1) and the H2A/H2B histone chaperone NAP1‐RELATED PROTEIN1/2 (NRP1/2) play synergistic roles in Arabidopsis root SCN maintenance. Compared with either the m56‐1 double mutant deprived of NRP1 and NRP2 or the fas2‐4 mutant deprived of CAF‐1, the combined m56‐1fas2‐4 triple mutant displayed a much more severe short‐root phenotype. The m56‐1fas2‐4 mutant root lost the normal organizing center Quiescent Center (QC), and some initial stem cells differentiated precociously. Microarray analysis unraveled the deregulation of 2735 genes within the Arabidopsis genome (representing >8% of all genes) in the m56‐1fas2‐4 mutant roots. Expression of some SCN key regulatory genes (e.g. WOX5, PLT1, SHR) was not limiting, rather the plant hormone auxin gradient maximum at QC was impaired. The mutant roots showed programmed cell death and high levels of the DNA damage marked histone H2A.X phosphorylation (γ‐H2A.X). Knockout of either ATAXIA‐TELANGIECTASIA MUTATED (ATM) or ATR, encoding a DNA damage response kinase, rescued in part the cell death and the short‐root phenotype of the m56‐1fas2‐4 mutant. Collectively, our study indicated that NRP1/2 and CAF‐1 act cooperatively in regulating proper genome transcription, in sustaining chromatin replication and in maintaining genome integrity, which are crucial for proper SCN function during continuous post‐embryonic root development.
Epidermal auxin biosynthesis facilitates rhizobial infection in Lotus japonicus
Authors: Nadzieja Marcin , Kelly Simon , Stougaard Jens , Reid Dugald
Published: April 2018

Symbiotic nitrogen fixation in legumes requires nodule organogenesis to be coordinated with infection by rhizobia. The plant hormone auxin influences symbiotic infection, but the precise timing of auxin accumulation and the genetic network governing it remain unclear. We used a Lotus japonicus optimised variant of the DII‐based auxin accumulation sensor and identified a rapid accumulation of auxin in the epidermis, specifically in the root hair cells. This auxin accumulation occurs in the infected root hairs during rhizobia invasion, while Nod factor application induces this response across a broader range of root hairs. Using the DR5 auxin responsive promoter, we demonstrate that activation of auxin signalling also occurs specifically in infected root hairs. Analysis of root hair transcriptome data identified induction of an auxin biosynthesis gene of the Tryptophan Amino‐transferase Related (LjTar1) family following both bacteria inoculation and Nod factor treatment. Genetic analysis showed that both expression of the LjTar1 biosynthesis gene and the auxin response requires Nod factor perception, while common symbiotic pathway transcription factors are only partially required or act redundantly to initiate auxin accumulation. Using a chemical genetics approach, we confirmed that auxin biosynthesis has a functional role in promoting symbiotic infection events in the epidermis.
Are seminars on export promotion effective? Evidence from a randomised controlled trial
Authors: Kim Yu Ri , Todo Yasuyuki , Shimamoto Daichi , Matous Petr
Published: April 2018

This paper investigates the impacts of informational and motivational seminars on export promotion targeting small and medium enterprises in the traditional apparel and textile clusters in Vietnam. To control for biases due to self‐selection, we conducted a randomised controlled trial and invited randomly selected firms to participate in 1‐day seminars. Because only some of the invited firms participated in the seminars, we employ an instrumental variable approach in which the dummy variable for a random invitation is used as an instrument for quantifying the effects of participation. We find that seminar participants were more likely to sense the difficulties of the export procedures and were, on average, unlikely to start exporting in the short run. However, the seminars encouraged large firms, which possibly embody higher productivity and absorptive capacity, to start exporting shortly after the seminars. This effect was not sustained in the long term without additional stimuli. We have also identified spillover effects of participants on non‐participants through informal information networks within the cluster. Overall, the results suggest that the provision of information about export is useful only to adequately productive larger firms with a sufficient absorptive capacity.
Crimean–Congo haemorrhagic fever virus: Past, present and future insights for animal modelling and medical countermeasures
Authors: Mendoza E. J. , Warner B. , Safronetz D. , Ranadheera C.
Published: April 2018

Crimean–Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a widespread tick‐borne viral zoonosis with a case‐fatality rate ranging from 9% to 50% in humans. Although a licensed vaccine to prevent infection by the CCHF virus (CCHFV) exists, its ability to induce neutralizing antibodies is limited and its efficacy against CCHFV remains undetermined. In addition, controlling CCHF infections by eradication of the tick reservoir has been ineffective, both economically and logistically, and the treatment options for CCHF remain limited. In this review, we first critically discuss the existing animal models to evaluate therapeutics for CCHF. We then review the therapeutic options for CCHF that have been investigated in human cases, followed by investigational drugs that have been evaluated in pre‐clinical studies. We highlight the importance of understanding human prognostic factors in developing an animal model for CCHF that recapitulates hallmarks of human disease and its implication for selecting therapeutic candidates.
Selective anisotropic etching of GaN over AlGaN for very thin films
Authors: Wong Joel C. , Micovic Miroslav , Brown David F. , Khalaf Isaac , Williams Adam , Corrion Andrea
Published: April 2018

Selective etching of gallium nitride (GaN) over aluminum gallium nitride (AlxGa1-xN) with inductively coupled plasma and reactive ion etching (RIE) was examined using only chlorine and oxygen gasses. Etch selectivity was heavily influenced by the amount of oxygen present during etching and was slightly influenced by RIE power. Surface roughness was also influenced heavily by the oxygen flow and RIE power which is important for local and across-wafer uniformity. Etch rates were intentionally minimized for use for highly controlled etching of very thin GaN and Al0.25Ga0.75N epitaxial layers. Maximum tested etch rates for GaN and Al0.25Ga0.75N were 200 and 15 Å/min, respectively, and maximum selectivity between GaN and Al0.25Ga0.75N achieved was at least 68.5 to 1. Above a certain oxygen flow, the etch rate of both GaN and Al0.25Ga0.75N drop so drastically that it was impractical to obtain the etch rate and selectivity in a timely manner. Optimum selectivity was obtained with a low oxygen flow to inhibit Al0.25Ga0.75N etching while steadily etching GaN. Although Al0.25Ga0.75N acts as an etch stop with excellent selectivity, significant over-etching can still cause damage to the underlying layers through ion bombardment. This damage can be predicted through an extrapolation of collected experimental data points for a target a specific epitaxial sheet resistance. This allows sufficient over etch to maximize process margin while minimizing epitaxial damage.
Nitride etching with hydrofluorocarbons III: Comparison of C4H9F and CH3F for low-k′ nitride spacer etch processes
Authors: Miyazoe Hiroyuki , Marchack Nathan , Bruce Robert L. , Zhu Yu , Nakamura Masahiro , Miller Eric , Kanakasabapathy Sivananda , Suzuki Takefumi , Ito Azumi , Matsumoto Hirokazu , Engelmann Sebastian U. , Joseph Eric A.
Published: April 2018

The performance of low-k nitride spacer etch processes for fin-field effect transistor device fabrication was investigated using C4H9F based and CH3F based plasma gas chemistries. C4H9F showed a larger process window of O2 gas flow rate to obtain infinite etch selectivities of blanket SiN/SiO and SiN/poly-Si than CH3F. The etch selectivity increased in both gases with the reduction of duty cycle in synchronously pulsed plasmas. Low-k spacer formation using a 60-nm gate pitch testsite was demonstrated resulting in the minimized fin recess of 4.7 nm using C4H9F-O2-He plasma at a duty cycle of 30%. This was 2.2 times smaller than that by the CH3F-He plasma. Fifty percent extended etch time resulted in a fin recess of 5.1 nm, suggesting self-limiting behavior using C4H9F-O2-He plasma chemistry. Gap structure analysis on the blanket films suggested that the selective deposition of fluorocarbon, which enhances the selectivity, is driven by plasma assisted deposition in case of the C4H9F-O2-He plasma. These unique characteristics of C4H9F can facilitate innovative plasma etch processes for nitride-based materials patterning in a wide range of applications.
Temperature dependence of photoinduced hydrogen production and simultaneous separation in TiO2 nanotubes/palladium bilayer membrane
Authors: Asai Junki , Noda Kei
Published: April 2018

Temperature dependence of photoinduced hydrogen production and simultaneous separation was examined in a bilayer membrane comprised by an anodized TiO2 nanotube array (TNA) and a palladium layer. This membrane was fabricated by transferring a TNA embedded in a titanium sheet onto an electroless-plated palladium film. Sacrificial water splitting with methanol was photocatalytically performed under ultraviolet (UV) irradiation and only generated hydrogen gas was concurrently separated with the Pd layer. The H2 production rate (rH2) with the membrane at various temperatures was evaluated by using a home-made characterization system. The measured rH2 showed larger values at higher temperature of the membrane and increased abruptly after several hours of UV irradiation. This inflection behavior appeared earlier at the higher temperature of the membrane, which can be related to the permeation and adsorption characteristics of hydrogen in the Pd layer.
Across Europe to CERN: Taking students on the ultimate physics experience
Authors: Wheeler Sam
Published: April 2018

In 2013, I was an Einstein Fellow with the U.S. Department of Energy and I was asked by a colleague, working in a senator’s office, if I would join him in a meeting with a physicist to “translate” the science into something more understandable. That meeting turned out to be a wonderful opportunity I would never have otherwise had. During the meeting I met Michael Tuts, a physicist who was working on project ATLAS at CERN. Afterwards, I walked with him out of the Senate office building to Union Station and, in parting, he gave me his card and told me that if I were in Geneva that he could help me get a tour of CERN and the LHC.
Explorations of in-situ passive source localization in the Philippine Sea using frequency-difference matched field processing
Authors: Geroski David J. , Dzieciuch Matthew , Dowling David R.
Published: April 2018

Matched Field Processing (MFP) is a well-known technique for source localization in challenging acoustic environments. Accurate source localization using this method requires a correlation between array-recorded and replica acoustic fields calculated using knowledge of the acoustic environment. For a well-understood acoustic environment, this method is successful. However, recorded signals may be sensitive to details of the environment which are unknown and not included in the calculation of the replica field. The severity of this mismatch increases with frequency, as phase coherence is lost more easily at higher frequencies. In this case, a mismatch between the recorded and calculated fields will occur which can cause MFP to fail at relevant frequencies and ranges in the deep ocean. A proposed remedy to this problem may be analyzing the frequency-difference autoproduct of the measured acoustic field instead of analyzing the field itself. This presentation explores using this method to localize moored sources using data from the North Pacific Acoustic Library. Localization statistics are presented based on sources which are moored hundreds of kilometers from the receiving array, broadcasting between 200 and 350 Hz, and are matched using out-of-band frequencies between 10 and 50 Hz. [Sponsored by ONR.]
Mating vibrational signal transmission through and between plants of an agricultural pest, the Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter
Authors: Gordon Shira D. , Tiller Benjamin , Windmill James F. , Narins Peter M. , Krugner Rodrigo
Published: April 2018

The agricultural pest, glassy-winged sharpshooter (GWSS), Homalodisca vitripennis, relies primarily on successful vibrational communication across its home plant. Males and females engage in a vibrational duet to identify correct species, attractiveness of mate, and location on the plant. The signal produced by these animals has a dominant frequency component between 80 and 120 Hz, with harmonics spaced approximately 100 Hz apart. However, our analysis revealed that not all harmonics are present in every recorded signal. Therefore, we sought to understand how the GWSS vibrational communication signal changes over distance on the plant. We have confirmed that first, with increasing distance fewer high frequency harmonics are present. Second, at distances of only 50 cm, there is a difference in the latency of signal arrival based on the frequency, with higher frequencies arriving sooner. Finally, the animal appears to generate no airborne signal component, yet, the low frequencies are clearly detectable in neighboring plants by the signal “jumping” from leaf-to-air-to-leaf. Together, these results highlight the complexity of vibration transmission in plants and the possibility of alteration and disruption of the GWSS signal.
Finite element analysis of lung ultrasound surface wave elastography
Authors: Zhou Boran , Zhang Xiaoming
Published: April 2018

Interstitial lung disease manifested as fibrotic and stiffened lung tissue, resulting in symptoms such as dyspnea and may lead to respiratory failure. We recently developed a lung ultrasound surface wave elastography for evaluating the elastic properties of superficial lung tissue. In this abstract, we present a finite element analysis to investigate the effects of pleural effusion on the shear wave propagation of superficial lung tissue. The muscle, pleural effusion, and lung tissue were simulated by a 2D planar model of an infinite elastic medium with densities for different materials. A nearly incompressible, linear elastic model was used to model muscle, pleural effusion and lung. The model was excited using a line source on the muscle surface. Harmonic excitations were performed at 100, 150 and 200 Hz with duration of 0.1 s. The boundaries of lung and muscle were attached to an infinite. The mesh of muscle, pleural effusion, and lung were constructed using linear quadrilateral elements. The infinite region was meshed by infinite elements (type CINPE4). The dynamic responses of the tissue model to the excitations were solved by the ABAQUS explicit dynamic solver with automatic step size control. Insignificant difference in shear wave speeds of lung tissue at different excitation frequencies was found in both simulations with and without taking into account the pleural effusion, indicating that pleural effusion does not affect the measurements of shear wave speeds in ultrasound elastography.
A hearing test simulator GUI for clinical testing
Authors: Tokgoz Serkan , Hao Yiya , Panahi Issa M.
Published: April 2018

This paper presents an overview of a useful MATLAB based GUI for hearing testing to evaluate the subjects’ hearing ability in noisy environments with different SNR values. With this software package, the examiner will be able to identify which words are correctly perceived and then collect test data in various conditions to measure the performance of the subjects in hearing tests. From the subjects’ responses, word recognition rates are saved by the examiner with different noise types such as babble, traffic, machinery, and white noise. Additionally, the subjective tests are completed through repeated testing circles. All hearing testing data and word recognition rate are saved into the database for later use purpose and analysis. This computer aided simulation makes a reliable and cost effective to create real environmental conditions for clinical testing. Our MATLAB based GUI addresses the needs of both clinical evaluation and engineering.
Modal beamformer analysis of ambisonics decoders
Authors: Meyer Jens , Elko Gary W. , Backer Steven
Published: April 2018

Ambisonic recording and playback is experiencing a revival with the introduction of higher-order Ambisonics (HOA) and is included in the recent MPEG-H and ATSC 3.0 standards. Higher-Order Ambisonics processing results in an improved spatial resolution compared to the original first-order Ambisonics proposed in 1970s. From a signal processing point of view, Ambisonics is a two-step process. In the first step spherical harmonic signals are generated by an Ambisonic encoder. Based on these spherical harmonic signals an Ambisonic decoder generates the output signals in the second step. Many different decoder flavors have emerged over time. Various decoder designs are motivated by different optimization criterion for the resulting soundfield. In this presentation we will analyze the Ambisonic decoders based on the fact that the two-step Ambisonics processing is closely related to spherical harmonic modal beamforming. It is shown that the decoder output signals can be interpreted in terms of beampatterns. The resulting beampatterns for the different decoders are computed and some performance criteria are presented.
Boundary condition effects of porous material in absorption measurements: Comparison of two impedance tubes
Authors: Fengler Bárbara , Fonseca William D. , Mareze Paulo , Brandao Eric , Zorzo ARTUR
Published: April 2018

Porous materials are widely used for acoustical treatment and insulation of various environments. Its main feature is acoustic absorption, yielding the acoustical absorption coefficient over frequency. One of the ways to extract this parameter experimentally is with impedance tube (or Kundt's Tube) measurement via the transfer function method. However, the compression of the sample or the existence of gaps between the sample and the tube causes of uncertainty in the experiment. This research focuses upon the study of these effects. In order to analyze the influence of the boundary condition in the measurements, they were performed into two impedance tubes of slightly different internal diameters (both have the maximum frequency of analysis up to 6.4 kHz, approximately). Two different porous materials with samples of the same thickness were characterized using both tubes. In this situation, the procedure forces the influence of lateral leakage or compression of the samples against the tube to arise. Thus, this allows the analysis on the effect of the material structure in the acoustical absorption coefficient.
A research about influences to piano players’ perception and behavior control in brushing up processes of music pieces under the condition of different reverberation time sonic fields
Authors: Matsuo Ayako , Akita Takeshi
Published: April 2018

Dividing piano players’ proficiency processes of music pieces into three categories of early, middle and final stages, we have studied about the difference and characteristics of their perception for sonic environment and control of performance behaviour at each stage.In our previous studies, it has been shown that we could measure the difference and characteristics of their “perception and behaviour control” on performance mainly at the early and the final stages in brain activity, using NIRS (Near-infrared spectroscopy) method and having some supplementary interviews after the experiments.Moreover in this paper, we carried out experiments about players’ “perception and behavior control” on performance at the two stages under some different reverberation time sonic fields using same method.We also made sure of the cognition of the players’ performances by having some supplementary interviews after the performance experiments.As a result, we could obtain that players’ “perception and behavior control” on performance is being influenced from the condition of reverberation time difference of sonic field.