bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Randomised controlled trial on the impact of kinesthetic stimulation on early somatic growth of preterm infants in Kangaroo position
Authors: Aldana Acosta Andrea Carolina , Tessier Rejean , Charpak Nathalie , Tarabulsy George
Published: December 2018

Aim

Evaluation of early growth in preterm infants receiving kinesthetic stimulation with massage in Kangaroo position or in incubator.

Methods

A cohort of 66 infants between 30 and 33 weeks of gestational age (GA), born at a university hospital in 2013 in Bogota, were randomised when eligible to intervention. We measured weight gain (g/kg/day) at five days and 15 days postrandomisation and weight at 40 weeks, according to chronological age at randomisation.

Results

Daily weight gain was significantly higher (p = 0.02) with kinesthetic stimulation in Kangaroo position with a growth at five days of 11.0 g/kg/day (95% CI 5.7;16.3) and at 15 days of 12.1 g/kg/day (95% CI 10.4;13.7) versus 2.1 g/kg/day (95% CI −3.1;7.4) at five days and 9.4 g/kg/day (95% CI 7.7;11.1) at 15 days in incubator. Weight at 40 weeks was higher (p = 0.05) in Kangaroo position group (2.904 g) than in incubator group (2.722 g) (95% CI 2.784;3.007). Daily weight gain according to chronological age at randomisation was higher when kinesthetic stimulation initiates before five days of life in Kangaroo position with 1.53 g/kg/day (95% CI 5.9;9.0) versus −11.9 g/kg/day (95% CI −19.0;−4.8) in incubator.

Conclusion

Early kinesthetic stimulation in Kangaroo position reduces the initial weight loss in infants between 30–33 weeks born without major health problems.
Maternal psychological distress after severe pregnancy hypertension was associated with increased child behavioural problems at the age of 12
Authors: Beukers Fenny , Aarnoudse‐Moens Cornelieke S. H. , van Weissenbruch Mirjam M. , Ganzevoort Wessel , van Goudoever Johannes B. , van Wassenaer‐Leemhuis Aleid G.
Published: December 2018

Aim

We examined the association between early maternal psychological distress after severe hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) and behavioural issues in their 12‐year‐old offspring.

Methods

This secondary analyses of a prospective mother–child birth cohort focused on 95 women with severe HDP and their singleton offspring. The mothers were recruited during pregnancy from 2000 to 2003 in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Maternal distress at child term age and three months post‐term was measured using the Symptom Checklist‐90. The Child Behaviour Checklist for six years to 18 years was used to quantify social and attention problems in their offspring at 12 years of age. Perinatal and neonatal risk factors were also analysed.

Results

The children were born at a mean age of just under 32 weeks and 90% weighed below the 10th percentile. High psychological distress (score ≥133) affected 45% of the mothers at term age and 44% three months post‐term. Child social problems were significantly associated with maternal distress at three months and were highest in cases of high maternal distress in combination with major neonatal morbidity. Child attention problems were associated with maternal anxiety at three months post‐term.

Conclusion

Early maternal psychological distress after severe maternal HDP was associated with childhood behavioural issues at the age of 12.
Secularisation and resistant politics of sacred space in Guangzhou's ancestral temple, China
Authors: Gao Quan , Yin Duo , Zhu Hong
Published: December 2018

Recent theoretical advancements in geographies of religion have reconceptualised secularisation as a multi‐scaled, grounded process of place‐making that reconciles the “agent‐in‐place” with large, institutional differentiation and fragmentation. This paper contributes to this re‐theorisation by examining the context of urban regeneration in which macro‐ and meso‐scaled secularisation is performed, negotiated and contested at the scale of the local community. The empirical research focuses on state‐enforced secularisation imposed on the ancestral temple of a lineage village during the urban regeneration project in Guangzhou, China. This paper considers the resistance conducted by local villagers to defend the sacredness and authority of their ancestral temple and to reclaim their own space from the totalising party‐state. We suggest that the effect of secularisation at the micro‐scale implies the formation of new religiosities as new legitimising religious thoughts and discourses of the sacred arose within villagers’ embodied practices of resistance. This paper therefore highlights both secularisation and re‐sacralisation as scalar constructs that mutually interact at different scales.
Land use change in the high mountain belts of the central Apennines led to marked changes of the grassland mosaic
Authors: Malatesta Luca , Tardella Federico Maria , Tavoloni Marco , Postiglione Nicola , Piermarteri Karina , Catorci Andrea
Published: December 2018

Aims

High mountain pastures are hotspots of biodiversity, but grazing cessation and climate change are causing tall‐grass encroachment and expansion of scrublands and forests. As part of biodiversity conservation efforts, grassland variation needs to be investigated at different spatial scales. We aimed to assess the landscape mosaic variation that occurred between 1988 and 2015 in the higher Mediterranean mountains. We investigated the recovery or land‐degradation processes related to land use change, the effects of site condition, the impacts on grassland mosaic heterogeneity, and the threats to biodiversity.

Location

Sibillini Mountains (central Italy), over 1,650 m a.s.l.

Methods

We used two‐step object‐based supervised classification on Landsat 5 and 8 satellite images to analyze changes in landscape patterns and vegetation cover on formerly low‐intensity pastures, by assessing the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index variation between 1988 and 2015. Twenty percent of the polygons obtained from segmentation were visually interpreted and assigned to five land cover classes. We generated a land use transition matrix and used Fourier Transforms to detect trends in variation of landscape mosaics and fragmentation.

Results

We observed prominent dynamics of the grassland mosaic leading to the homogenization of its structure through decreasing patch heterogeneity, especially on south‐facing slopes. Grasslands shifted from open communities to dense pastures, with a reduction of scree and spread of tall grasses. The former trend could be understood as a recovery process reverting screes to conditions in equilibrium with local landform and climatic features, while the invasion of tall grasses is a land‐degradation process that might lead to local species extinction and loss of habitat connectivity.

Conclusions

Pronounced changes in the large‐scale landscape characteristics, mainly due to land use changes, of which scientists and managers of protected areas are not fully aware, are underway in the top mountain sectors of the study area.
Bottom‐up gamma and bipolar disorder, clinical and neuroepigenetic implications
Authors: Garcia‐Rill Edgar , D'Onofrio Stasia , Mahaffey Susan C , Bisagno Veronica , Urbano Francisco J
Published: December 2018

Objectives

This limited review examines the role of the reticular activating system (RAS), especially the pedunculopontine nucleus (PPN), one site of origin of bottom‐up gamma, in the symptoms of bipolar disorder (BD).

Methods

The expression of neuronal calcium sensor protein 1 (NCS‐1) in the brains of BD patients is increased. It has recently been found that all PPN neurons manifest intrinsic membrane beta/gamma frequency oscillations mediated by high threshold calcium channels, suggesting that it is one source of bottom‐up gamma. This review specifically addresses the involvement of these channels in the manifestation of BD.

Results

Excess NCS‐1 was found to dampen gamma band oscillations in PPN neurons. Lithium, a first line treatment for BD, was found to decrease the effects of NCS‐1 on gamma band oscillations in PPN neurons. Moreover, gamma band oscillations appear to epigenetically modulate gene transcription in PPN neurons, providing a new direction for research in BD.

Conclusions

This is an area needing much additional research, especially since the dysregulation of calcium channels may help explain many of the disorders of arousal in, elicit unwanted neuroepigenetic modulation in, and point to novel therapeutic avenues for, BD.
Aberrant accrual of BIN1 near Alzheimer’s disease amyloid deposits in transgenic models
Authors: De Rossi Pierre , Andrew Robert J. , Musial Timothy F. , Buggia‐Prevot Virginie , Xu Guilian , Ponnusamy Moorthi , Ly Han , Krause Sofia V. , Rice Richard C. , de l’Estoile Valentine , Valin Tess , Salem Someya , Despa Florin , Borchelt David R. , Bindokas Vytas P. , Nicholson Daniel A. , Thinakaran Gopal
Published: December 2018

Bridging integrator 1 (BIN1) is the most significant late‐onset Alzheimer’s disease (AD) susceptibility locus identified via genome‐wide association studies. BIN1 is an adaptor protein that regulates membrane dynamics in the context of endocytosis and membrane remodeling. An increase in BIN1 expression and changes in the relative levels of alternatively spliced BIN1 isoforms have been reported in the brains of patients with AD. BIN1 can bind to Tau, and an increase in BIN1 expression correlates with Tau pathology. In contrast, the loss of BIN1 expression in cultured cells elevates Aβ production and Tau propagation by insfluencing endocytosis and recycling. Here, we show that BIN1 accumulates adjacent to amyloid deposits in vivo. We found an increase in insoluble BIN1 and a striking accrual of BIN1 within and near amyloid deposits in the brains of multiple transgenic models of AD. The peri‐deposit aberrant BIN1 localization was conspicuously different from the accumulation of APP and BACE1 within dystrophic neurites. Although BIN1 is highly expressed in mature oligodendrocytes, BIN1 association with amyloid deposits occurred in the absence of the accretion of other oligodendrocyte or myelin proteins. Finally, super‐resolution microscopy and immunogold electron microscopy analyses highlight the presence of BIN1 in proximity to amyloid fibrils at the edges of amyloid deposits. These results reveal the aberrant accumulation of BIN1 is a feature associated with AD amyloid pathology. Our findings suggest a potential role for BIN1 in extracellular Aβ deposition in vivo that is distinct from its well‐characterized function as an adaptor protein in endocytosis and membrane remodeling.
Between “Families in Trouble” and “Children at Risk”: Historicising “Troubled Family” Policy in England since 1945
Authors: Lambert Michael
Published: December 2018

The launch of the Troubled Families Programme in 2011 has thrown into sharp relief how governments develop policies and practices to intervene in the lives of so‐called ‘troubled families’. Commentators were quick to make comparisons with historic efforts to rehabilitate ‘problem families’ in the post‐war period. However, beyond discursive similarities, there are also marked continuities in how family policies have been developed and implemented. This review narrates the rise, fall and rise of concern about ‘problem’ and ‘troubled’ families in England in the context of anxieties about child and family welfare, and the appropriate response of the state.
French validation of the FACE‐Q Rhinoplasty module
Authors: Radulesco Thomas , Penicaud Martin , Santini Laure , Graziani Jade , Dessi Patrick , Michel Justin
Published: December 2018

Objectives

The aim of this study was to translate the FACE‐Q "Rhinoplasty" module into French and validate its use for the French‐speaking population.

Design

"Satisfaction with the nose" and "Satisfaction with nostrils" questionnaires were used and translated.

Settings

We were granted permission to use the FACE‐Q rhinoplasty module by the development team. These two questionnaires constitute the rhinoplasty module of the FACE‐Q questionnaire. ISPOR and WHO recommendations were used to complete the translation process from English into French in six steps.

Main outcome measurement

Our goal was to obtain, not a literal translation, but rather a translation of the idea or concept.

Results

Each step allowed us to make changes to achieve a conceptual translation equivalent to the original version.

Conclusion

The FACE‐Q questionnaire is a reference in the field of cosmetic surgery outcome evaluation. The use of two validated translation recommendations, with a six‐step translation‐back translation process, leads to a French version corresponding to the original. This version is usable in a French‐speaking population.
Mammary analogue secretory carcinoma of salivary gland diagnosed on submandibular gland cytology: A case report and review of the literature
Authors: Al‐Husseinawi Ethar , Hamidpour Soheila , Omoscharka Evanthia
Published: December 2018

Mammary analogue secretory carcinoma of the salivary glands has morphological shares molecular similarities to secretory carcinoma of the breast. Here, we report a 46‐year‐old woman who presented with a right submandibular gland mass. Fine needle aspiration differential diagnosis included oncocytosis, oncocytoma, acinic cell carcinoma and mammary analogue secretory carcinoma. We also review the current literature regarding clinical presentation and diagnostic workup of this entity.
Novel peroral direct digital cholangioscopy‐assisted lithotripsy using a monorail technique through the overtube in patients with surgically altered anatomy (with video)
Authors: Tonozuka Ryosuke , Itoi Takao , Sofuni Atsushi , Tsuchiya Takayoshi , Ishii Kentaro , Tanaka Reina , Honjo Mitsuyoshi , Mukai Shuntaro , Yamamoto Kenjiro , Fujita Mitsuru , Asai Yasutsugu , Mastunami Yukitoshi , Kurosawa Takashi , Kojima Hiroyuki , Kogure Hirofumi , Nagakawa Yuichi
Published: December 2018

Efficacy of cholangioscopy‐assisted lithotripsy for difficult stones such as huge stones, multiple large stones and an impacted stone in patients with non‐altered anatomy has been reported. Herein, we describe peroral direct digital cholangioscopy (PDCS)‐assisted electrohydraulic lithotripsy (EHL) with a new technique in patients with surgically altered anatomy. Five patients received PDCS‐assisted EHL with the monorail technique due to failed conventional stone extraction. Balloon enteroscope was removed, leaving the stiff guidewire in the bile duct and an overtube with inflated balloons. The cholangioscope was then inserted into the bile duct over the wire through the overtube. After direct visualization of the stone, PDCS‐assisted EHL was carried out. This technique was named the ‘monorail technique’. Complete removal of biliary stones in one session was accomplished in four patients and only one case required two sessions. There was no adverse event in any of the cases. PDCS‐assisted EHL using the monorail technique was effective and safe for difficult biliary stones in patients with surgically altered anatomy.
Infant gaze following depends on communicative signals: An eye‐tracking study of 5‐ to 7‐month‐olds in Vanuatu
Authors: Hernik Mikołaj , Broesch Tanya
Published: December 2018

Gaze is considered a crucial component of early communication between an infant and her caregiver. When communicatively addressed, infants respond aptly to others’ gaze by following its direction. However, experience with face‐to‐face contact varies across cultures, begging the question whether infants’ competencies in receiving others’ communicative gaze signals are universal or culturally specific . We used eye‐tracking to assess gaze‐following responses of 5‐ to 7‐month olds in Vanuatu, where face‐to‐face parent–infant interactions are less prevalent than in Western populations. We found that—just like Western 6‐month‐olds studied previously—5‐ to ‐7‐month‐olds living in Vanuatu followed gaze only, when communicatively addressed. That is, if presented gaze shifts were preceded by infant‐directed speech, but not if they were preceded by adult‐directed speech. These results are consistent with the notion that early infant gaze following is tied to infants’ early emerging communicative competencies and rooted in universal mechanisms rather than being dependent on cultural specificities of early socialization.
Prediction in infants and adults: A pupillometry study
Authors: Zhang Felicia , Jaffe‐Dax Sagi , Wilson Robert C. , Emberson Lauren L.
Published: December 2018

Adults use both bottom‐up sensory inputs and top‐down signals to generate predictions about future sensory inputs. Infants have also been shown to make predictions with simple stimuli and recent work has suggested top‐down processing is available early in infancy. However, it is unknown whether this indicates that top‐down prediction is an ability that is continuous across the lifespan or whether an infant's ability to predict is different from an adult's, qualitatively or quantitatively. We employed pupillometry to provide a direct comparison of prediction abilities across these disparate age groups. Pupil dilation response (PDR) was measured in 6‐month olds and adults as they completed an identical implicit learning task designed to help learn associations between sounds and pictures. We found significantly larger PDR for visual omission trials (i.e. trials that violated participants’ predictions without the presentation of new stimuli to control for bottom‐up signals) compared to visual present trials (i.e. trials that confirmed participants’ predictions) in both age groups. Furthermore, a computational learning model that is closely linked to prediction error (Rescorla‐Wagner model) demonstrated similar learning trajectories suggesting a continuity of predictive capacity and learning across the two age groups.
Doppler ultrasound diagnosis of transient leg malperfusion caused by dynamic obstruction in a patient with chronic aortic dissection
Authors: Yoshimuta Tsuyoshi , Tsuneto Akira , Okajima Toshiya , Tanaka Hiroshi , Minami Takako , Yamagishi Masakazu , Ikeda Satoshi , Kawano Hiroaki , Maemura Koji
Published: December 2018

Leg malperfusion caused by dynamic obstruction is a serious complication of aortic dissection. A diagnosis of the malperfusion is difficult because it is made mainly on the basis of nonspecific symptoms such as intermittent claudication and numbness on walking. In the present study, we reported on a case of a 51‐year‐old man with leg malperfusion in chronic aortic dissection diagnosed by Doppler ultrasound. The combination of bisferious and dampened velocity waveform changes after walking may lead us to suspect a leg malperfusion caused by dynamic obstruction.
Tei index is associated with survival in cirrhosis patients treated with transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt
Authors: Song Yan , Li Weizhi , Xue Hui , Ruan Litao
Published: December 2018

Background

Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) is the method of choice for the treatment of portal hypertension. The Tei index is the most sensitive indicator of myocardial function.

Design

This study enrolled 31 patients with cirrhosis who underwent TIPS and were followed up over a median period of 34 months (range 2–60 months). Baseline Meld score and the changes in the Tei index within 1 month after TIPS and their potential relationship with prognosis were evaluated. The primary endpoint was mortality.

Results

Thirteen patients (42%) died during follow‐up. Survival analysis showed that the pre‐TIPS Tei index (RR = −7.660, 95% confidence interval 0.000–0.069, P < 0.05) and the baseline MELD score > 10 (RR = 0.305,95% CI:1.036–1.778, P < 0.05) were significantly associated with survival rate after TIPS.

Conclusion

The Tei index before TIPS is associated with the survival of patients with cirrhosis after TIPS, and is potentially a predictive factor of mortality.
Test–retest variability for quantitative two‐dimensional and Doppler measurements in the fetus
Authors: Allen Catherine C. , Keller Regina , Barnard Krystle C. , Gao Zhiqian , King Eileen C. , Michelfelder Erik C.
Published: December 2018

Objectives

Echocardiography is used to quantitatively characterize cardiovascular function in fetuses with cardiac abnormalities and inform decisions for fetal or perinatal interventions. It is clinically important to understand the reproducibility of these measures, particularly between testers. While studies have reported intra‐observer variability and inter‐observer variability, little is known about test–retest variability for these measures. We hypothesized that even in a high volume echocardiography laboratory, quantitative measurements will demonstrate higher test–retest variability compared with inter‐observer variability and intra‐observer variability of the same measurements.

Methods

Prospective study of uncomplicated, singleton pregnancies to evaluate fetal measures of cardiovascular function obtained by echocardiography. One sonographer obtained predefined variables, and then, a second sonographer obtained the same variables 15 minutes after the first sonographer. Separate data acquisitions were obtained by the two sonographers to evaluate test–retest variability. Intra‐observer variability and inter‐observer variability were also evaluated.

Results

Thirty fetuses between 17‐ and 36‐week gestation were enrolled. Time‐based variables had the best intra‐observer agreement and inter‐observer agreement (1.2%–7.4%), while 2D (7.5%–10%), M‐mode (4.9%–10.1%), and velocity‐time integral (VTI; 2.6%–13.8%) measurements had poorer agreement. For all variables, test–retest agreement was worse (3%–32.1%), particularly for measurement of myocardial performance index (MPI; 19.7%–21.1%), cardiac output estimation (27.2%–27.9%), and VTI‐based indices (14.7%–32.1%).

Conclusions

In a laboratory highly experienced in quantitative fetal echocardiography, intra‐observer agreement and inter‐observer agreement are good for most quantitative parameters. However, test–retest agreement is fair or poor for several variables, notably the MPI, cardiac output estimation, and VTI‐based indices. Understanding how these measures vary between separate acquisitions is important for clinical interpretation and decision making.
The transverse and oblique sinuses of the pericardium: Anatomic and echocardiographic insights
Authors: Penmasta Swetha , Silbiger Jeffrey J.
Published: December 2018

A number of masses and pseudomasses may be encountered during the echocardiographic examination of the transverse and oblique sinuses with significant clinical implications. This review discusses the clinically relevant anatomy of the pericardial sinuses emphasizing diagnostic pitfalls that may be encountered during their echocardiographic examination.
Could a bioenergy program stimulate electric vehicle market penetration? Potential impacts of biogas to electricity annual rebate program
Authors: Xie Fei , Lin Zhenhong , Podkaminer Kara
Published: December 2018

The biogas‐to‐electricity pathway under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) allows for Renewable Identification Number (RIN) credits to be generated when electricity produced from biogas is used in the transportation sector. Though approved as a general pathway, EPA has proposed multiple credit allocation methods to functionalize this pathway. This study describes and evaluates a potential credit allocation framework where vehicle manufacturers generate electricity RIN (E‐RIN) credits and use these credits to increase the sales of plug‐in electric vehicles (PEVs). Under this framework, manufacturers use part of the credit value to reimburse electricity generators, offsetting potential higher biogas electricity generation cost. The remaining credit value is passed on to consumers as an annual PEV rebate to stimulate PEV sales. An iterative simulation framework is developed to fulfill two tasks: (a) to estimate the annual rebate amounts and their upfront value to consumers based on various factors, such as vehicle mileage, E‐RIN equivalence value, and biogas capacity, and (b) to evaluate potential impacts of the E‐RIN program on electrification of the future light‐duty vehicles (LDVs) and energy use. The annual rebate amount varies by vehicle technology and could be up to $870/year for battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and range between $230 and 825/year for plug‐in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) depending on the electric range. These per vehicle rebates decrease when demand for electricity exceeds biogas electricity availability. The effectiveness of the program as modeled here is subject to different factors, such as the E‐RIN equivalence value, biogas electricity generation cost, biogas electricity generation capacity, and consumers’ valuation of the E‐RIN rebate. Our modeling results indicate that an E‐RIN program has the potential to produce nearly $12 billion in E‐RIN credits annually and to significantly increase PEV annual sales by up to 2.3 million and the PEV population by about 19.7 million in 2030.
Polyphenols bioaccessibility and bioavailability assessment in ipecac infusion using a combined assay of simulated in vitro digestion and Caco‐2 cell model
Authors: Ben Hlel Takoua , Borges Thays , Rueda Ascensión , Smaali Issam , Marzouki M. Nejib , Seiquer Isabel
Published: December 2018

In this report, we investigated for the first time the total polyphenols content (TPC) and antioxidant activity before and after digestion of Carapichea ipecacuanha root infusion, better known as ipecac, prepared at different concentrations. An in vitro digestion system coupled to a Caco‐2 cell model was applied to study the bioavailability of antioxidant compounds. The ability of ipecac bioaccessible fractions to inhibit reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation at cellular level was also evaluated. The findings revealed that water volume of 50 mL g−1 of sample provided the maximum yield of extraction of TPC and antioxidant activity. Polyphenols increased in content and activity after digestion and they were highly bioavailable (75% of intestinal absorption). Polyphenols were also present in the residual parts which indicate a possible local activity. Results also suggest that ipecac infusion could represent a promising source of effective bioavailable antioxidants to be exploited in functional foods field.
Parametric Models forAN: Splitting Processes and Mixtures
Authors: Hill Bruce M.
Published: December 2018

A class of parametric models, called splitting processes, is defined, by using de Finetti's concept of adherent mass. Such splitting processes give rise to complex mixtures of distributions. It is proved that the nonparametric Bayesian predictive procedureAn, of Hill, holds exactly for a member of this class called a nested splitting process. The connection betweenAnand the Dirichlet process is stated and proved. A multivariate version ofAn, based on splitting processes, is proposed.
Stabilization of cubic phase in scandium‐doped zirconia nanocrystals synthesized with sol‐gel method
Authors: Sobolev Alexander , Musin Albina , Whyman Gene , Borodianskiy Konstantin , Krichevski Olga , Kalashnikov Alexander , Zinigrad Michael
Published: December 2018

A new room‐temperature synthesis of nanocrystals of scandium‐doped zirconium oxide by sol‐gel method is reported. The structure of the obtained product is checked with standard structural analysis methods. The crystal phase of ZrO2‐Sc2O3 nanocrystals changes from monoclinic to tetragonal and cubic with the increase in scandium concentration. The importance of the cubic phase, which appears at 10 mol% and refines at 16 mol% of Sc2O3 concentration, is emphasized. The UV‐Vis absorption spectra of the product are measured, and its bandgap is evaluated from the fundamental absorption edge. The value of the bandgap was calculated as 5.65 eV for the cubic phase.
First printing of continuous fibers into ceramics
Authors: Mei Hui , Yan Yuekai , Feng Liping , Dassios Konstantinos G. , Zhang Hui , Cheng Laifei
Published: December 2018

This article reports a novel method for three‐dimensional (3D) printing of continuous fibers into ceramics to improve the mechanical properties of printed ceramics, which is difficult in other 3D printing technologies. The ceramics were derived by pyrolysis of thermoplastic ceramic precursor feedstocks, which were prepared by two methods. One is homogeneously mixing thermoplastic resins and ceramic precursors. The feedstocks prepared by this method exhibit good thermoplastic properties and can be extruded into filaments. Ceramics were obtained by heating the feedstocks to 1100°C in argon atmosphere. The ceramics were amorphous and remained stable during 1100‐1300°C; at 1400°C they decomposed into β–SiC with simultaneous volatile gas generation. Above 1400°C, their quality decreased significantly due to cracking of ceramic skeletons. The other method is directly heating, extruding and printing the ceramic precursor. The precursors showed good printability and complex ceramic structures were printed with continuous carbon fibers inside. The continuous carbon fibers improved the flexural strength of pyrolytic ceramics, which is about 7.6 times better than that of the ceramics without fibers. The novel method unravels the potential of 3D printing of continuous fibers into ceramics with complex lightweight structures to improve the strength.
New liquid processing of oxide/oxide 3D wowen ceramic matrix composites
Authors: Scola Alessandro , Eberling‐Fux Nicolas , Turenne Sylvain , Ruiz Edu
Published: December 2018

In this work, a novel process named Flexible Injection Process (FIP) was developed to manufacture near‐net shape oxide/oxide composites reinforced with 3D interlock fibers. This process uses a flexible membrane to apply pressure to promote transverse impregnation of the fibrous reinforcement by a slurry charged with sub‐micron ceramic particles. Due to the through‐thickness filtration and compaction, FIP process is much faster than typical in‐plane impregnation and results in composites with lower residual porosity than those produced by traditional processes. In this study, a mathematical modeling of the impregnation in FIP was developed and compared to experimental infiltration experiments. Furthermore, ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) produced by FIP were compared to composites manufactured via an established RTM‐like process. The two molding processes were compared to determine if the different flow behaviors have an impact on material densification, porosity formation, mechanical properties, and manufacturing time. CMCs produced by both methods resulted in similar microstructures, as determined by mercury intrusion porosimetry, even if FIP composites were marginally less porous. Finally, a comparison of mechanical properties resulting from the two manufacturing methods has shown a similar behavior. Thus, the main advantages of FIP molding were identified to be the shorter cycle time and the robustness of the impregnation compared to RTM‐like processes.
LOXL2 promotes vasculogenic mimicry and tumour aggressiveness in hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Shao Bing , Zhao Xiulan , Liu Tieju , Zhang Yanhui , Sun Ran , Dong Xueyi , Liu Fang , Zhao Nan , Zhang Danfang , Wu Lili , Wang Yong , Wang Meili , Meng Jie , Lin Xian , Sun Baocun
Published: December 2018

Lysyl oxidase‐like 2 (LOXL2) has shown to promote metastasis and poor prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Also, we have previously reported that vasculogenic mimicry (VM) is associated with invasion, metastasis and poor survival in HCC patients. In the present study, we investigated molecular function of LOXL2 in HCC and VM. We used the immunohistochemical and CD31/periodic acid‐Schiff double staining to detect the relationship between LOXL2 and VM formation. We performed the gain and loss of function studies and analysed the migratory, invasion and tube formation in HCC cell lines. We analysed the function of LOXL2 in VM formation and HCC metastasis both in vitro and in vivo. We have showed that LOXL2 was overexpression in HCC and was positively correlated with tumour grade, metastasis, VM formation and poor survival in 201 HCC patients. Secondly, our studies have showed that LOXL2 overexpression in HCC cells significantly promoted migration, invasion and tube formation. Finally, we found that LOXL2 may increase SNAIL expression, thereby enabling VM. Our study indicated that LOXL2 may promote VM formation and tumour metastasis by collaborating with SNAIL in HCC. What's more, the overexpression of LOXL2 indicated a poor prognosis in HCC patients.
The dysregulation profile in preschoolers with and without a family history of autism spectrum disorder
Authors: Miller Meghan , Iosif Ana‐Maria , Young Gregory S. , Bell Laura J. , Schwichtenberg A.J. , Hutman Ted , Ozonoff Sally
Published: December 2018

Background

The ‘dysregulation profile’ (DP) is a measure of emotional and behavioral dysregulation that may cut across diagnostic boundaries. Siblings of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who do not develop ASD themselves are at risk for atypical outcomes including behavioral challenges and therefore may be a useful population in which to investigate the structure of the DP in preschoolers.

Methods

We sought to examine the factor structure and predictors of the DP in a sample enriched for a wide range of phenotypic variation—36‐month‐olds with and without family histories of ASD—and to determine whether children with genetic liability for ASD are at risk for a phenotype characterized by elevated dysregulation. Data were collected from 415 children with (n = 253) and without (n = 162) an older sibling with ASD, all without ASD themselves, at 18, 24, and 36 months of age.

Results

Our findings replicate prior reports, conducted in predominantly clinically referred and older samples, supporting the superiority of a bifactor model of the DP in the preschool period compared to the second‐order and one‐factor models. Examiner ratings were longitudinally and concurrently associated with the DP at 36 months of age. Family history of ASD was associated with higher dysregulation in the Anxious/Depressed dimension.

Conclusions

These findings support the relevance of examining the structure of psychopathology in preschoolers and suggest that examiner observations as early as 18 months of age, particularly of overactivity, may help identify risk for later DP‐related concerns. Non‐ASD preschoolers with family histories of ASD may be at risk for a phenotype characterized by elevated dysregulation particularly in the Anxious/Depressed dimension by age 3.
Causality Rules: Performance Feedback on Hierarchically Related Goals and Capital Investment Variability
Authors: Mazzelli Ambra , Nason Robert S. , De Massis Alfredo , Kotlar Josip
Published: December 2018

We extend March and Simon’s (1958) analysis of strategic decisions by distinguishing between two rules for allocating attention – priority versus causality. We develop theory concerning causality rules which have been largely overlooked in prior literature. Specifically, we examine how performance feedback on the intermediate productivity goal and the higher‐order profitability goal independently and jointly influence the variability of firm capital investments. Panel analysis of 2,477 Spanish manufacturing firms reveals that these goals jointly affect the variability of capital investments through both priority and causality attention rules. Our study provides new insights on how firms handle multiple goals, deconstruct performance feedback, and cope with the attentional constraints of bounded rationality.
Implicit core self‐evaluations and work outcomes: Validating an indirect measure
Authors: Dietl Erik , Meurs James A.
Published: December 2018

Core self‐evaluations (CSE) represent the fundamental appraisals individuals make about their self‐worth and capabilities. Although scholars characterize CSE as evaluations that are both conscious and subconscious, the implicit aspect of CSE has not yet been examined. Drawing on models of dual information processing, we develop and validate an indirect measure (Implicit Association Test) assessing implicit CSE. Therefore, we investigate how explicit, implicit, and acquaintance‐rated CSE relate to task performance, organizational citizenship behaviours (OCB), and income. We argue that implicit CSE accounts for incremental variance in these three outcomes beyond explicit and acquaintance‐rated CSE. We found that implicit CSE accounted for incremental variance in OCB and income above and beyond explicit CSE. Our effects for implicit CSE held even when controlling for acquaintance ratings of CSE. Also, acquaintance ratings accounted for incremental variance in income and OCB beyond explicit CSE. We discuss implications for CSE measurement and research, and the practical implications of our findings.

Practitioner points

In evaluative situations, such as personnel selection, self‐reported core self‐evaluations (CSE) are susceptible to impression management and social desirability.

We developed an indirect measure (i.e., an Implicit Association Test) to assess implicit CSE and demonstrated that it accounts for incremental variance in job performance and income beyond self‐reported and other‐rated CSE.

Organizations and practitioners should measure self‐rated, implicit, and other‐rated CSE to predict job performance and income more accurately.
Protective role of α2‐macroglobulin against jaw osteoradionecrosis in a preclinical rat model
Authors: Li Jie , Kong Xiang‐Bo , Chen Xue‐Ying , Zhong Wan‐Zhen , Chen Jie‐Yu , Liu Yang , Yin Ping , Fang Si‐Lian
Published: December 2018

Objective

We have previously demonstrated the effect of alpha‐2‐macroglobulin (α2M) in the remediation of radiation‐induced cellular damage. Here, we investigated the protective effects of α2M in a preclinical rat model of jaw osteoradionecrosis (ORN).

Methods

Eighteen rats were divided randomly into three groups: the control group, the radiation therapy (RT) alone group, and the radiated mandibles pretreated with α2M (α2M + RT) group. One month after radiation, all left molar teeth were extracted. After another 3 months, the animals were sacrificed and body weight, histopathology, microcomputed tomography and immunofluorescence were evaluated in all groups.

Results

The RT group showed serious alopecia, bone exposure, inflammation, necrosis, fibrosis, and the absence of new bone formation within the socket. The α2M + RT group exhibited less alopecia than the RT group and slight inflammation and fibrosis in the bone marrow cavity. The cortical bone was similar to normal bone tissue. Interestingly, compared with RT group, serum superoxide dismutase levels in the α2M + RT group increased at the 1th day (P = 0.037), 14th day (P = 0.012), while reactive oxygen species levels clearly decreased at the 1th day (P< 0.001), 14th day (P = 0.007), and 28th day (P = 0.013).

Conclusions

A clinically translational model of jaw ORN was successfully established and the application of α2M prior to radiation protected the bone from being injured by the radiation, possibly related to oxidative stress.
Moral decisionism and its discontents
Authors: Abend Gabriel
Published: December 2018

Decisionists use decision/choice concepts to understand and representX: bees, Deep Blue, and Ron Carter make decisions. Explicit decisionists argue thatXshould be understood and represented using decision/choice concepts: it's correct to speak of bees', computers', and jazz improvisers' decision‐making. Explicit anti‐decisionists disagree: bees, computers, jazz improvisers, algorithms, and drug addicts aren't correctly understood and represented as decision‐makers. Sociologists look at decisionism and explicit decisionism as social phenomena, which show up in discourses, practices, technologies, and organizations. I make a contribution to the sociology of decisionism and the sociology of morality by examining three kinds of explicit moral anti‐decisionism: Murdochian, sociological/structural, and Confucian/Daoist. I show why these discontents are discontent, what theories and evidence they draw on, what assumptions they make, and how they conceive of morality without decision/choice concepts. Then, I consider how moral anti‐decisionism might matter, how the sociology of decisionism might matter, and where to go from here (if anywhere).
Targeting of tail‐anchored proteins to Trichomonas vaginalis hydrogenosomes
Authors: Rada Petr , Makki Abhijith , Žárský Vojtěch , Tachezy Jan
Published: December 2018

Tail‐anchored (TA) proteins are membrane proteins that are found in all domains of life. They consist of an N‐terminal domain that performs various functions and a single transmembrane domain (TMD) near the C‐terminus. In eukaryotes, TA proteins are targeted to the membranes of mitochondria, the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), peroxisomes and in plants, chloroplasts. The targeting of these proteins to their specific destinations correlates with the properties of the C‐terminal domain, mainly the TMD hydrophobicity and the net charge of the flanking regions. Trichomonas vaginalis is a human parasite that has adapted to oxygen‐poor environment. This adaptation is reflected by the presence of highly modified mitochondria (hydrogenosomes) and the absence of peroxisomes. The proteome of hydrogenosomes is considerably reduced; however, our bioinformatic analysis predicted 120 putative hydrogenosomal TA proteins. Seven proteins were selected to prove their localization. The elimination of the net positive charge in the C‐tail of the hydrogenosomal TA4 protein resulted in its dual localization to hydrogenosomes and the ER, causing changes in ER morphology. Domain mutation and swap experiments with hydrogenosomal (TA4) and ER (TAPDI) proteins indicated that the general principles for specific targeting are conserved across eukaryotic lineages, including T. vaginalis; however, there are also significant lineage‐specific differences.
Sulfur availability for Vibrio fischeri growth during symbiosis establishment depends on biogeography within the squid light organ
Authors: Wasilko Nathan P. , Larios‐Valencia Jessie , Steingard Caroline H. , Nunez Briana M. , Verma Subhash C. , Miyashiro Tim
Published: December 2018

The fitness of host‐associated microbes depends on their ability to access nutrients in vivo. Identifying these mechanisms is significant for understanding how microbes have evolved to fill specific ecological niches within a host. Vibrio fischeri is a bioluminescent bacterium that colonizes and proliferates within the light organ of the Hawaiian bobtail squid, which provides an opportunity to study how bacteria grow in vivo. Here, the transcription factor CysB is shown to be necessary for V. fischeri both to grow on several sulfur sources in vitro and to establish symbiosis with juvenile squid. CysB is also found to regulate several genes involved in sulfate assimilation and to contribute to the growth of V. fischeri on cystine, which is the oxidized form of cysteine. A mutant that grows on cystine but not sulfate could establish symbiosis, suggesting that V. fischeri acquires nutrients related to this compound within the host. Finally, CysB‐regulated genes are shown to be differentially expressed among the V. fischeri populations occupying the various colonization sites found within the light organ. Together, these results suggest the biogeography of V. fischeri populations within the squid light organ impacts the physiology of this symbiotic bacterium in vivo through CysB‐dependent gene regulation.
Effect of periodontal treatment on Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans colonization and serum IgG levels against A. actinomycetemcomitans serotypes and Omp29 of aggressive periodontitis patients
Authors: Rebeis Estela Sanches , Albuquerque‐Souza Emmanuel , Paulino da Silva Maike , Giudicissi Marcela , Mayer Marcia P. A. , Saraiva Luciana
Published: December 2018

Objective

To evaluate the effect of the periodontal treatment on Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans JP2 clone, and the IgG serum levels against its outer membrane protein (Omp29) and A. actinomycetemcomitans serotypes in aggressive periodontitis (AgP).

Subjects and Methods

Seventeen patients with generalized (GAgP), 10 with localized (LAgP), and 10 healthy controls were included. AgP participants were submitted to periodontal treatment—scaling and root planing plus antibiotics (SRP+A). Periodontal parameters, for example, probing depth (PD) and clinical attachment loss (CAL), were evaluated at baseline and at 1‐year. Serum IgG against Omp29 and serotypes a, b, and c were determined by ELISA. The levels of A. actinomycetemcomitans JP2 clone were determined in subgingival biofilm samples by qPCR.

Results

Periodontal treatment resulted in significant reductions of PD, CAL, and IgG levels against Omp29, serotypes b, and c. After therapy, IgG levels against A. actinomycetemcomitans serotypes, as well as the levels of the JP2 clone in AgP, became similar to controls. The reduction in JP2 clone count was correlated with a reduction of PD and IgG response against Omp29.

Conclusion

Scaling and root planing plus antibiotics decreased IgG levels response against Omp29 and A. actinomycetemcomitans serotypes involved in the disease (b and c), while the serum response increased against tne commensal serotype (a), similar to what occurs in periodontally healthy individuals.
In vivo multiphoton microscopy of melasma
Authors: Lentsch Griffin , Balu Mihaela , Williams Joshua , Lee Sanghoon , Harris Ronald M. , König Karsten , Ganesan Anand , Tromberg Bruce J. , Nair Nirmala , Santhanam Uma , Misra Manoj
Published: December 2018

Melasma is a skin disorder characterized by hyperpigmented patches due to increased melanin production and deposition. In this pilot study, we evaluate the potential of multiphoton microscopy (MPM) to characterize non‐invasively the melanin content, location, and distribution in melasma and assess the elastosis severity. We employed a clinical MPM tomograph to image in vivo morphological features in melasma lesions and adjacent normal skin in 12 patients. We imaged dermal melanophages in most dermal melasma lesions and occasionally in epidermal melasma. The melanin volume fraction values measured in epidermal melasma (14% ± 4%) were significantly higher (p < 0.05) than the values measured in perilesional skin (11% ± 3%). The basal keratinocytes of melasma and perilesions showed different melanin distribution. Elastosis was predominantly more severe in lesions than in perilesions and was associated with changes in melanin distribution of the basal keratinocytes. These results demonstrate that MPM may be a non‐invasive imaging tool for characterizing melasma.