bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A spatial analytical approach for evaluating flood risk and property damages: Methodological improvements to modelling
Authors: Lorente Paula
Published: July 2018

Empirical evaluations of flood damage from past events are key for identifying the most important factors influencing household vulnerability to floods. However, creating accurate assessments of flood risk with observed records is challenging because of issues associated with data quality, analytical approach, and the successful integration of different information and measurement schemes into one comprehensive model. This paper reviews these issues and proposes ways to overcome them using revised research protocols and spatial analytical methods and techniques. Recommendations are then applied to an empirical evaluation of residential property damages resulting from a major coastal storm in the Houston area, Texas. Results indicate that a parcel‐based, spatial approach to modelling flood risk yields a more detailed and accurate assessment of impacts with an explained variance 2 to 4 times greater than other observation‐based flood damage models available in the literature. Structural improvements to analytical approach and measurement also made it possible to derive direct measures of flood risk at neighbourhood scales and assess the influence of specific land development decisions with respect to major disaster events. Such improvements to flood risk modelling can help reduce the uncertainty of damage estimates and support effective decision‐making in insurance, risk management, and community planning.
Late‐life living and care arrangements of older Filipino New Zealanders
Authors: Montayre Jed , Neville Stephen , Wright‐St Clair Valerie , Holroyd Eleanor , Adams Jeffery
Published: July 2018

Aims and objectives

To explore the living and care arrangement plans of older Filipino immigrants in New Zealand.

Background

New Zealand is rapidly becoming the host to an increasing number of ageing Filipino immigrants. Despite this sizeable population growth of ageing Filipinos in New Zealand, still very little is known about this ethnic group's care needs and living arrangement preferences in later life within the New Zealand context.

Design

Qualitative descriptive approach.

Methods

Data were collected from 15 older Filipinos who participated in face‐to‐face interviews. Data were analysed using a thematic analytical framework.

Results

Two major themes were identified from the data analysis. The first theme “preferred living and care arrangements” is about older Filipinos’ preferred plans for future residence and in receiving care when no longer able to function independently in their own homes. The second theme “negotiating readiness and acceptance” is about hypothetical situations that older Filipinos described and anticipated that will greatly facilitate their readiness and acceptance to living in aged care facilities.

Conclusion

The study results have implications for service delivery within the New Zealand residential aged care sector. Due to an increasing number of older Filipino immigrants requiring care, residential aged care facilities must ensure their care models meet the needs of this growing group of older people.

Relevance to clinical practice

Nursing staff skill sets in the aged care sector require sensitivity to older immigrants’ health needs without compromising cultural beliefs and practices while living in residential aged care facilities.
Improving the handover and transport of critically ill pediatric patients
Authors: VanGraafeiland Brigit , Foronda Cynthia , Vanderwagen Sarah , Allan Laura , Bernier Meghan , Fishe Jennifer , Hunt Elizabeth A. , Jeffers Justin M.
Published: July 2018

Aims and Objectives

The aims of this project were to (a) determine barriers to current handover and transport process, (b) develop a new protocol and process for team‐to‐team handover, and (c) evaluate staff satisfaction with the new process.

Background

The handover and transport of critically ill patients from the paediatric emergency department to the paediatric intensive care unit is a period of vulnerability associated with adverse events.

Design

A mixed‐methods study using a quasi‐experimental design and qualitative approach.

Methods

Focus groups were conducted to determine the barriers and facilitators of the current handover and transport process. Using these themes, a multidisciplinary team developed and implemented a new process including establishment of eight patient criteria for specialised transport and a standardised, interdisciplinary handover tool for team‐to‐team handover. Staff satisfaction was examined pre‐ and postintervention.

Results

Content analysis of focus groups revealed five categories: need for improved communication, cultural dissonance among units, defects in system and processes, need for standardisation and ambiguity between providers regarding acuity. Staff members reported improvements in their perceptions of satisfaction, safety, communication and role understanding associated with the new process.

Conclusions

Standardisation through the establishment of severity of illness criteria and communication tools creates shared mental models and decreases risks to safety. A paradigm shift of team‐to‐team handover and transport is recommended.

Relevance to clinical practice

This paper suggests the importance of improving communication during the handover and transport process through establishing standardised patient severity of illness criteria, use of standardised tools and team‐to‐team handover processes.
Performance and outcomes of noninvasive prenatal testing for twin pregnancies in Japan
Authors: Takeda Eri , Suzumori Nobuhiro , Kumagai Kyoko , Inuzuka Saki , Oseto Kumiko , Ohigashi Yuka , Yotsumoto Junko , Miyake Hidehiko , Sugiura‐Ogasawara Mayumi
Published: July 2018

Aim

The purpose of this study was to describe the characteristics of women with twin pregnancies who undergo noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT) as well as the post‐partum and neonatal outcomes of such cases in Japan.

Methods

The study population consisted of women who were pregnant with twins and who underwent NIPT using massively parallel sequencing (MPS) at Nagoya City University Hospital between April 2013 and June 2016. Questionnaires were completed pre‐NIPT and post‐partum.

Results

Among 4009 women who underwent NIPT during the study period, 75 women (1.9%) were pregnant with twins. Fifteen women (20%) experienced vanishing twin/intrauterine fetal deaths at <22 weeks, and 60 women (80%) had normal twin pregnancies at the time of genetic counseling for NIPT. The use of NIPT was correlated with increased proportions of women using assisted reproductive technology (ART). The test had a high performance, with a false‐positive rate of 1.7% and no false negatives.

Conclusion

In this study, NIPT had a high performance, with a false positive rate of 1.7% and no false negatives. When treating women with twin pregnancies, the efficacy of NIPT should be explained during genetic counseling. Further larger studies are required to assess the reliability and validity of NIPT in twin pregnancies.
The level of vitamin D using the LC–MS/MS method and related factors in healthy Korean postmenopausal women
Authors: Park Eun Jung , Lee Hong Soo , Lee Sang Hwa , Shim Kyung Won , Cho Chooyon , Yoo Byung‐Wook
Published: July 2018

Aim

The main purposes of the study were (i) to evaluate serum vitamin D concentration in the forms of 25(OH)D2, 25(OH)D3 and total 25(OH)D in Korean postmenopausal women using the LC–MS/MS method, which offers increased sensitivity and selectivity; (ii) to determine the relationship between the bone turnover marker, parathyroid hormone (PTH) and 25(OH)D3, total 25(OH)D separately; and (iii) to determine the factors that may be associated with vitamin D deficiency using body composition analysis and laboratory blood tests.

Method

A total of 200 postmenopausal women were recruited from November 2012 to March 2014. To control for seasonal ultraviolet exposure time differences in serum 25(OH)D, laboratory tests were performed only from November to March when vitamin D is not synthesized. Independent relationships between 25(OH)D3, total 25(OH)D and other variables were assessed by multiple regression analysis.

Results

The mean serum 25(OH)D2, 25(OH)D3 and total 25(OH)D levels were 0.51 (±0.44) ng/mL, 14.23 (±7.05) ng/mL and 14.69 (±7.13) ng/mL, respectively. Both 25(OH)D3 and total 25(OH)D were positively correlated with erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), Apo A‐I and C‐terminal cross‐linked telopeptides of type I collagen in Korean postmenopausal women. Both serum 25(OH)D3 and total 25(OH)D were negatively correlated with alkaline phosphatase , PTH and percent body fat. However, osteocalcin showed a negative correlation (r = −0.451; P = 0.041) with only 25(OH)D3 and not with total 25(OH)D (r = −0.417; P = 0.064).

Conclusion

Both 25(OH)D3 and total 25(OH)D were negatively correlated with PTH, a bone formation marker (alkaline phosphatase) and percent body fat. Both 25(OH)D3 and total 25(OH)D were positively correlated with a bone resorption marker (C‐terminal cross‐linked telopeptides of type I collagen), ESR and Apo A‐I after multiple regression analysis.
Quantitative comparison of taxa and taxon concepts in the diatom genus Fragilariopsis: a case study on using slide scanning, multiexpert image annotation, and image analysis in taxonomy1
Authors: Beszteri Bánk , Allen Claire , Almandoz Gastón O. , Armand Leanne , Barcena María Ángeles , Cantzler Hannelore , Crosta Xavier , Esper Oliver , Jordan Richard W. , Kauer Gerhard , Klaas Christine , Kloster Michael , Leventer Amy , Pike Jennifer , Rigual Hernández Andrés S.
Published: July 2018

Semiautomated methods for microscopic image acquisition, image analysis, and taxonomic identification have repeatedly received attention in diatom analysis. Less well studied is the question whether and how such methods might prove useful for clarifying the delimitation of species that are difficult to separate for human taxonomists. To try to answer this question, three very similar Fragilariopsis species endemic to the Southern Ocean were targeted in this study: F. obliquecostata, F. ritscheri, and F. sublinearis. A set of 501 extended focus depth specimen images were obtained using a standardized, semiautomated microscopic procedure. Twelve diatomists independently identified these specimen images in order to reconcile taxonomic opinions and agree upon a taxonomic gold standard. Using image analyses, we then extracted morphometric features representing taxonomic characters of the target taxa. The discriminating ability of individual morphometric features was tested visually and statistically, and multivariate classification experiments were performed to test the agreement of the quantitatively defined taxa assignments with expert consensus opinion. Beyond an updated differential diagnosis of the studied taxa, our study also shows that automated imaging and image analysis procedures for diatoms are coming close to reaching a broad applicability for routine use.
Clemency and Conversion: Theological Reflections on Mozart’s La Clemenzadi Tito
Authors: Lösel Steffen
Published: July 2018

This essay suggests that Mozart's serious opera La clemenza di Tito encapsulates both a political philosophy and a theological anthropology, which reflect the composer's dual commitments to the late Enlightenment and Catholicism. I argue that the opera advocates for the rule of law and specifically for a renewed (Beccarian) understanding of clemency as general lenience in punishing rather than as the absolute ruler's extraordinary use of pardons based in his liberum arbitrium. At the same time, Mozart's Clemenza offers the audience a Christian account of the journey from concupiscence and sin to salvation, caused by mercy, love, and suffering.
Explaining the survival of public organizations: Applying density dependence theory to a population of US federal agencies
Authors: van Witteloostuijn Arjen , Boin Arjen , Kofman Celesta , Kuilman Jeroen , Kuipers Sanneke
Published: July 2018

Why do some public organizations survive for many decades, whereas others are terminated within a few years? This question of organizational survival has long intrigued public administration scholars. To explain longevity, public administration research has focused on organizational design features and adaptive capacities. The results have been inconclusive. This article explores an additional explanation for survival and demise: the density dependence theory as formulated in the field of organizational ecology. The underlying premise of this theory is that certain environments can only sustain a certain number of similar‐type organizations. A rising number of organizations fuels competition for scarce resources, which inevitably leads to the demise of organizations. Density theory has often been tested in the business literature, but has been rarely applied to public sector organizations. In this article, we test whether this theory can help explain organizational survival in a population of US federal independent public agencies (n= 142). Our results show that density matters. This is good news for public administration research: the inclusion of density boosts the explanatory power of traditional variables such as design and adaptation.
Bronchial hyper‐responsiveness in preterm‐born subjects: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Kotecha Sailesh , Clemm Hege , Halvorsen Thomas , Kotecha Sarah J.
Published: July 2018

Background

Preterm‐born survivors have increased respiratory symptoms and decreased lung function, but the nature of bronchial hyper‐responsiveness (BHR) is unclear. We conducted a systematic review and meta‐analysis for BHR in preterm‐born survivors including those with and without chronic lung disease in infancy (CLD) comparing results to term‐born subjects.

Methods

We searched eight databases up to December 2016. Included articles compared BHR in preterm‐born and term‐born subjects. Studies reporting BHR as decreases in forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) after provocation stimuli were included. The analysis used Review Manager V5.3.

Results

From 10 638 titles, 265 full articles were screened, and 28 included in a descriptive analysis. Eighteen articles were included in a meta‐analysis as they reported the proportion of subjects who had BHR. Pooled odds ratio (OR) estimates (95% confidence interval) for BHR comparing the preterm and term‐born groups was 1.88 (1.32, 2.66). The majority of the studies reported BHR after a methacholine challenge or an exercise test. Odds ratio was 1.89 (1.12, 3.19) after methacholine challenge and 2.59 (1.50, 4.50) after an exercise test. Nine of fifteen articles reporting BHR in CLD subjects were included in a meta‐analysis. Differences for BHR including for methacholine (OR 4.35; 2.36, 8.03) and exercise (OR 5.13; 1.82, 14.47) were greater in the CLD group compared to the term group.

Conclusions

Preterm‐born subjects especially those who had CLD had increased rates of BHR to direct (methacholine) and indirect (exercise) stimuli compared to term‐born subjects suggesting subgroups might benefit from anti‐inflammatory or bronchodilator therapies.
The mechanism of SO2‐induced stomatal closure differs from O3 and CO2 responses and is mediated by nonapoptotic cell death in guard cells
Authors: Ooi Lia , Matsuura Takakazu , Munemasa Shintaro , Murata Yoshiyuki , Katsuhara Maki , Hirayama Takashi , Mori Izumi C.
Published: July 2018

Plants closing stomata in the presence of harmful gases is believed to be a stress avoidance mechanism. SO2, one of the major airborne pollutants, has long been reported to induce stomatal closure, yet the mechanism remains unknown. Little is known about the stomatal response to airborne pollutants besides O3. SLOW ANION CHANNEL‐ASSOCIATED 1 (SLAC1) and OPEN STOMATA 1 (OST1) were identified as genes mediating O3‐induced closure. SLAC1 and OST1 are also known to mediate stomatal closure in response to CO2, together with RESPIRATORY BURST OXIDASE HOMOLOGs (RBOHs). The overlaying roles of these genes in response to O3 and CO2 suggested that plants share their molecular regulators for airborne stimuli. Here, we investigated and compared stomatal closure event induced by a wide concentration range of SO2 in Arabidopsis through molecular genetic approaches. O3‐ and CO2‐insensitive stomata mutants did not show significant differences from the wild type in stomatal sensitivity, guard cell viability, and chlorophyll content revealing that SO2‐induced closure is not regulated by the same molecular mechanisms as for O3 and CO2. Nonapoptotic cell death is shown as the reason for SO2‐induced closure, which proposed the closure as a physicochemical process resulted from SO2 distress, instead of a biological protection mechanism.
Influence of infantile hemangioma severity and activity on QoL of patients and their parents: A cross‐sectional study
Authors: Moyakine Andre V. , Spillekom‐van Koulil Saskia , Küpers Elselien M. , van der Vleuten Catharina J. M.
Published: July 2018

Background

Quality of life (QoL) data are lacking in children with infantile hemangioma (IH) and their parents/caregivers. Available data are conflicting.

Objectives

To determine QoL of (parents of) patients with IH in the proliferative phase related to IH‐severity and activity.

Methods

Parents of 59 IH‐patients (≤ 6 months) were asked to fill in the Dutch IH‐specific QoL‐questionnaire (D‐IH‐QoL) within 1 month after their first visit to our tertiary referral center. Hemangioma Severity Scale (HSS) score and Hemangioma Activity Score (HAS) were assessed.

Results

D‐IH‐QoL‐scores were low; mean: 22.6 (range 1‐56; max 116). Mean HSS score and HAS score were 8.4 (range 2‐28) and 4.0 (range 1.5‐6), respectively. Higher HSS scores correlated with worse QoL (ρ = .358; P = .005). HAS scores did not correlate with QoL scores.

Conclusion

An IH only seems to have limited influence on QoL in young children and their parents in the first month of their first doctor's visit. QoL is more affected in more severe IH. Physicians should be alert to the impact of IH, optionally guided by the HSS score.
Parental absence, remittances and educational investment in children left behind: Evidence from Nepal
Authors: Raut Nirmal Kumar , Tanaka Ryuichi
Published: July 2018

This paper utilizes the third wave of the Nepal Living Standards Survey to assess the causal impact of parental absence and remittances on the educational investment in children left behind. Unlike previous studies, we separately identify parental absence and remittances, with careful consideration of self‐selection into migration and endogeneity of remittances. Using a two‐step estimation strategy, we show that parental absence has a substantive disruptive effect on education of children left behind, while remittances have a positive effect. In addition, we show that non‐parental absence has no effect on education. Further, we provide supporting evidence about the channels to disruption. Finally, we show some heterogeneity results by the child’s gender and education status of the mother. The results by child’s gender confirm that remittances relax the liquidity constraints of households by investing in education of the girls. Further, the results by education status of the mother provide evidence that an educated mother can play a role in neutralizing or mitigating the negative effects of parental absence.
“Impact of comprehendible learning modes on oral health among visually impaired adults”
Authors: Vyas Shaleen , Nagarajappa Sandesh , Dasar Pralhad L. , Mishra Prashant
Published: July 2018

Aim

To assess changes in oral hygiene status, oral health knowledge and behavior among visually impaired individuals using dental health education material transcribed in Braille and Compressed speech.

Methodology

A nonrandomized before and after comparison study was conducted among 4 purposively selected institutes for visually impaired in Indore region, Central India. A stratified random sampling was employed to select 144 visually impaired individuals aged 15–35 years. Oral health education (OHE) material was developed in Braille and compressed speech. Participants were intervened using OHE material. A self‐administered Braille transcribed proforma was used to record participants responses on oral health knowledge and behavior at baseline, 1‐week, 1‐month, and 3‐months followed by clinical examination. Descriptive statistics was used for frequencies, mean, and standard deviation of variables. Bivariate regression analysis was performed to assess the effect of independent variables on self‐reported oral health, knowledge score and oral hygiene status.

Results

The mean knowledge score of participants in Braille group at 3‐month was significantly higher (11.86 ± 2.41) than in compressed speech group (8.59 ± 2.74). Compressed speech showed significant reduction in mean gingival score (1.02 ± 0.73) at 3‐month (P ≤ 0.001). Bivariate regression indicated Braille education was significantly effective in improving knowledge (OR: 6.02) and oral hygiene status (OR: 8.24) (P ≤ 0.001).

Conclusion

Braille method of intervention was more effective in improving knowledge scores and oral hygiene status among visually impaired participants.
The relations of children’s emotion knowledge to their observed social play and reticent/uninvolved behavior in preschool: Moderation by effortful control
Authors: Gal‐Szabo Diana E. , Spinrad Tracy L. , Eisenberg Nancy , Sulik Michael J.
Published: July 2018

Using data from a study of 140 preschool children (39% female), we examined the relations between direct assessments of emotion knowledge and naturalistic observations of behavior during free‐play periods, and tested parent‐ and teacher‐reported effortful control as a moderator of these relations. Basic emotion recognition was unrelated to social play and reticent behavior, whereas situational understanding of emotions (thought to be a relatively sophisticated aspect of emotion knowledge) was negatively related to reticent/uninvolved behavior and marginally positively related to social play. Effortful control significantly moderated these relations, such that situational emotion understanding was more strongly related to reticent/uninvolved behavior and social play at low levels of effortful control, and unrelated to outcomes at high levels of effortful control. These results highlight the unique role of situational understanding in predicting children’s social competence and suggest that emotion knowledge is particularly important for children who struggle with effortful regulation skills.
It's written all over their faces: Preschoolers' emotion understanding
Authors: Bailey Bisson Jennifer
Published: July 2018

Emotion understanding is a multifaceted construct made up of several components. To identify how several common components of emotion understanding relate to one another, five emotion understanding tasks were compared within the same group of children. Fifty‐four preschool children (M = 3.81 years, SD = 0.40) were asked to display the typical facial expression of six emotions after hearing their corresponding emotion label. They were then read six vignettes and asked to: “use your face to show how [the protagonist] would feel,” provide an emotion label for the main character, and “choose a picture of a face that would look like [the main character].” Finally, they were asked to provide a label for emotions presented to them in photographs. For all tasks, six emotions were examined: happiness, sadness, anger, fear, surprise, and disgust. With the exception of the two modeling tasks, results show correlations among the emotion understanding tasks. There was a significant interaction between task and emotion category for emotion understanding accuracy. However, there was some consistency in the pattern of discrete emotion categorization emergence across the tasks. Additionally, accuracy scores (representing emotion understanding) across tasks were not equivalent. Findings are discussed in the broader context of emotion understanding.
Heat maps: a case for inclusion in secondary statistics instruction
Authors: Engledowl Christopher
Published: July 2018

Heat maps have become ubiquitous in the media, yet students are rarely exposed to them and their inherent limitations and potential for misleading consumers. This article makes a case for exposing students to them in statistics instruction at the secondary and tertiary level.
Successful treatment of primary donor‐derived human herpesvirus‐8 infection and hepatic Kaposi Sarcoma in an adult liver transplant recipient
Authors: Fu Whitney , Merola Jonathan , Malinis Maricar , Lacy Jill , Barbieri Andrea , Liapakis Annmarie H. , Mulligan David C. , Yoo Peter S.
Published: July 2018

Kaposi sarcoma (KS) may rarely occur in transplant recipients through primary human herpesvirus‐8 (HHV‐8) infection from a seropositive donor. This report describes a patient who developed hepatic KS after receiving a split liver transplant from an HHV‐8‐positive donor. The recipient was treated with liposomal doxorubicin after reduction in immunosuppression led to acute cellular rejection. This treatment achieved regression of KS while preserving allograft function, demonstrating a successful therapeutic strategy for this malignancy.
Ultrasonographic features of colonic B‐cell lymphoma with mesenteric lymphomatosis in a cat
Authors: Oetelaar Garrett S. , Lim Chee Kin , Heng Hock Gan , Fulkerson Christopher M , Shaevitz Marejka H , Thompson Craig A.
Published: July 2018

A 10‐year‐old male neutered Domestic Shorthair cat was referred for chronic inappetence, weight loss, and hematochezia and an abdominal mass. Abdominal ultrasonography revealed a heterogeneously hypoechoic transmural colonic mass, which extended beyond the serosa and into the adjacent mesentery. Cytology and clonality assays of fine needle aspirates of the mass and mesenteric nodules yielded a diagnosis of B‐cell lymphoma. Colonic lymphoma with mesenteric involvement can have a similar appearance to carcinomatosis, therefore a definitive diagnosis requires sampling and further testing of the mesenteric lesions.
ERG3 potassium channel‐mediated suppression of neuronal intrinsic excitability and prevention of seizure generation in mice
Authors: Xiao Kuo , Sun Zhiming , Jin Xueqin , Ma Weining , Song Yan , Lai Shirong , Chen Qian , Fan Minghua , Zhang Jingliang , Yue Weihua , Huang Zhuo
Published: July 2018

Key points

ERG3 channels have a high expression level in the central nervous system.

Knockdown of ERG3 channels enhances neuronal intrinsic excitability (caused by decreased fast afterhyperpolarization, shortened delay time to the generation of an action potential and enhanced summation of somatic excitatory postsynaptic potentials) in hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons and dentate gyrus granule cells.

The expression of ERG3 protein is reduced in human and mouse hippocampal epileptogenic foci.

Knockdown of ERG3 channels in hippocampus enhanced seizure susceptibility, while mice treated with the ERG channel activator NS‐1643 were less prone to epileptogenesis.

The results provide strong evidence that ERG3 channels have a crucial role in the regulation of neuronal intrinsic excitability in hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons and dentate gyrus granule cells and are critically involved in the onset and development of epilepsy.

The input–output relationship of neuronal networks depends heavily on the intrinsic properties of their neuronal elements. Profound changes in intrinsic properties have been observed in various physiological and pathological processes, such as learning, memory and epilepsy. However, the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying acquired changes in intrinsic excitability are still not fully understood. Here, we demonstrate that ERG3 channels are critically involved in the regulation of intrinsic excitability in hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons and dentate gyrus granule cells. Knock‐down of ERG3 channels significantly increases neuronal intrinsic excitability, which is mainly caused by decreased fast afterhyperpolarization, shortened delay time to the generation of an action potential and enhanced summation of somatic excitatory postsynaptic potentials. Interestingly, the expression level of ERG3 protein is significantly reduced in human and mouse brain tissues with temporal lobe epilepsy. Moreover, ERG3 channel knockdown in hippocampus significantly enhanced seizure susceptibility, while mice treated with the ERG channel activator NS‐1643 were less prone to epileptogenesis. Taken together, our results suggest ERG3 channels play an important role in determining the excitability of hippocampal neurons and dysregulation of these channels may be involved in the generation of epilepsy. ERG3 channels may thus be a novel therapeutic target for the prevention of epilepsy.
Novel mechanisms regulating endothelial barrier function in the pulmonary microcirculation
Authors: Simmons Szandor , Erfinanda Lasti , Bartz Christoph , Kuebler Wolfgang M.
Published: July 2018

The pulmonary epithelial and vascular endothelial cell layers provide two sequential physical and immunological barriers that together form a semi‐permeable interface and prevent alveolar and interstitial oedema formation. In this review, we focus specifically on the continuous endothelium of the pulmonary microvascular bed that warrants strict control of the exchange of gases, fluid, solutes and circulating cells between the plasma and the interstitial space. The present review provides an overview of emerging molecular mechanisms that permit constant transcellular exchange between the vascular and interstitial compartment, and cause, prevent or reverse lung endothelial barrier failure under experimental conditions, yet with a clinical perspective. Based on recent findings and at times seemingly conflicting results we discuss emerging paradigms of permeability regulation by altered ion transport as well as shifts in the homeostasis of sphingolipids, angiopoietins and prostaglandins.

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By The Numbers: Grid Energy Storage gets Cheaper
Authors: Winters Jeffrey
Published: July 2018

This article discusses introduction of modern technologies to enhance electric grid storage. The New York investment firm Lazard released an analysis of energy storage technologies, based on the levelized cost. The analysis looked at two different common battery chemistries—lithium-ion and lead-acid—as well as flow batteries. Lazard analyzed the cost of ‘behind the meter’ applications, such as battery backups for residential solar systems or businesses trying to save demand at peak times. Lazard expects lithium-ion storage prices to continue dropping over the next 5 years. It is expected that the cost of storage may soon become cheap enough to make the spotty service of wind and solar power an annoyance, not a deal-breaker.
The Chain Gang
Authors: Shah Agam
Published: July 2018

This article discusses blockchain technology's benefits as a more effective way to digitize and decentralize manufacturing. Blockchain involves a digital ledger that is continually updated to record and track transactions, accounting and asset movement. In the context of manufacturing, blockchain can establish an organized digital thread tracking the history of apart from its digital design to production all the way to end of life. A blockchain can be shared with multiple parties that get access to the same information. According to an expert, the blockchain technology could potentially change the way how 3D printing or manufacturing processes are structured. This article also highlights that the digitization and distribution of the manufacturing process can help the companies save on transportation and warehousing costs, while getting parts to customers almost immediately. Blockchain is a technology that is attractive to manufacturers looking to solve a problem. Blockchain could also help the US Navy do just-in-time 3D printing of parts on ships at sea, and establish a superior tendering process.
The State of American Manufacturing 2018
Authors: Brown Alan S.
Published: July 2018

This article highlights the state of American manufacturing industrial and job market. According to economists and consultants, technology—and specifically Industry 4.0—can change manufacturing’s playing field. Embedded intelligence could bring manufacturers closer to their customers, making it more difficult for other nations to compete on price alone. However, experts emphasize that manufacturing jobs require advanced degrees or skills. Boston Consulting Group’s Sirkin analyzed manufacturing jobs by dividing them into skilled workers—college-educated professionals and such trades as machinists and welders—and low skill labor. Between 2003 and 2014, Sirkin found the number of skilled employees rose modestly while unskilled laborers fell by near 3 million workers, or 20 percent. Even on the factory floor, workers increasingly need computer and analytical skills to manage highly instrumented machinery. The article suggests that creating programs to teach critical-thinking, problem-solving, time-management, and decision-making skills will be critical to U.S. competitiveness in the future.
Without Engineering, Civilization does not Exist
Authors: Bejan Adrian
Published: July 2018

This article emphasizes on the role engineering plays in the existence and working of any civilization. The power of engineering is that it provides the foundation for further advancements. That enables access to natural resources, the access increases the potential for human freedom and creativity, and that freedom allows for the creation of new engineering advances. The engineered contrivances are diverse—coming in many sizes and configurations, being as ancient as rope or as new as self-driving vehicles—and at first sight appear complicated, disorganized. Access to more power—that is, the ability to move across space, in opposition to the forces that oppose motion—due to the application of engines touched off an explosion in new contrivances. It is only when access to the fruits of engineering is severed, due to earthquakes and hurricanes or accidents and acts of despotism that most people become aware of the monumental role that engineering plays in our lives today. Today, biomedical engineers are working to improve and extend lives. They are part of an engineering tradition that extends for millennia.
Hands-On Workshops to Assist in Students' Conceptual Understanding of Heat Transfer
Authors: Cirenza Christopher F. , Diller Thomas E. , Williams Christopher B.
Published: July 2018

A two-year study was conducted to engage undergraduate mechanical engineering students to approach heat transfer education in an active, hands-on manner and excite them to pursue research and graduate studies in the field. Physical workshops were designed and implemented into junior level heat transfer classes, allowing students to feel and observe heat transfer using heat flux and temperature sensors that provided real-time data. These instruments, coupled with open-ended, challenge-based pedagogy, provided opportunities for students to explore important heat transfer concepts, such as the differences between heat and temperature. The conceptual knowledge of the students was assessed through concept-specific questions. These results were compared to those of a control group who took the traditional lecture without the workshops. The results yielded significantly higher scores for the experimental group in the first year but much less of a difference in the second year, which added video-enhanced workshops in place of the purely hands-on workshops. In addition to concept questions, surveys taken by the students reveal that the students much preferred the workshops in either form over not having them. They also believed the workshops strongly enhanced their learning by giving them a real, hands-on experience.
Brain Activation During Passive and Volitional Pedaling After Stroke
Authors: Cleland Brice T. , Schindler-Ivens Sheila
Published: July 2018

Background: Prior work indicates that pedaling-related brain activation is lower in people with stroke than in controls. We asked whether this observation could be explained by between-group differences in volitional motor commands and pedaling performance. Methods: Individuals with and without stroke performed passive and volitional pedaling while brain activation was recorded with functional magnetic resonance imaging. The passive condition eliminated motor commands to pedal and minimized between-group differences in pedaling performance. Volume, intensity, and laterality of brain activation were compared across conditions and groups. Results: There were no significant effects of condition and no Group × Condition interactions for any measure of brain activation. Only 53% of subjects could minimize muscle activity for passive pedaling. Conclusions: Altered motor commands and pedaling performance are unlikely to account for reduced pedaling-related brain activation poststroke. Instead, this phenomenon may be due to functional or structural brain changes. Passive pedaling can be difficult to achieve and may require inhibition of excitatory descending drive.
Unique BIR domain sets determine inhibitor of apoptosis protein–driven cell death and NOD2 complex signal specificity
Authors: Chirieleison Steven M. , Rathkey Joseph K. , Abbott Derek W.
Published: July 2018

The unique positioning of similar domains determines the signaling specificity of IAP family proteins.
Synthetic lethality of TNK2 inhibition in PTPN11-mutant leukemia
Authors: Jenkins Chelsea , Luty Samuel B. , Maxson Julia E. , Eide Christopher A. , Abel Melissa L. , Togiai Corinne , Nemecek Eneida R. , Bottomly Daniel , McWeeney Shannon K. , Wilmot Beth , Loriaux Marc , Chang Bill H. , Tyner Jeffrey W.
Published: July 2018

Dasatinib or TNK2-specific inhibitors may treat PTPN11-mutant leukemia.
CRISPR, cancer, and p53
Authors: Ferrarelli Leslie K.
Published: July 2018

CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing is most efficient in cells lacking functional p53 protein, a phenotype common to cancer cells.
Increased Doses Lead to Higher Drug Exposures of Levofloxacin for Treatment of Tuberculosis
Authors: Peloquin Charles A. , Phillips Patrick P. J. , Mitnick Carole D. , Eisenach Kathleen , Patientia Ramonde F. , Lecca Leonid , Gotuzzo Eduardo , Gandhi Neel R. , Butler Donna , Diacon Andreas H. , Martel Bruno , Santillan Juan , Hunt Kathleen Robergeau , Vargas Dante , von Groote-Bidlingmaier Florian , Seas Carlos , Dianis Nancy , Moreno-Martinez Antonio , Kaur Pawandeep , Horsburgh C. Robert
Published: July 2018

Patients with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in Peru and South Africa were randomized to a weight-banded nominal dose of 11, 14, 17, or 20 mg/kg/day levofloxacin (minimum, 750 mg) in combination with other second-line agents. A total of 101 patients were included in noncompartmental pharmacokinetic analyses.
Microdialysis Study of Aztreonam-Avibactam Distribution in Peritoneal Fluid and Muscle of Rats with or without Experimental Peritonitis
Authors: Chauzy Alexia , Lamarche Isabelle , Adier Christophe , Couet William , Marchand Sandrine
Published: July 2018

The purpose of this study was to investigate aztreonam (ATM) and avibactam (AVI) distribution in intraperitoneal fluid and muscle interstitial fluid by microdialysis in rats, with or without peritonitis, and to compare the unbound concentrations in tissue with the unbound concentrations in blood. Microdialysis probes were inserted into the jugular veins, hind leg muscles, and peritoneal cavities of control rats (
n
= 5) and rats with intra-abdominal sepsis (
n
= 9) induced by cecal ligation and punctures.
In VitroAntiviral Activity of Cabotegravir against HIV-2
Authors: Smith Robert A. , Wu Vincent H. , Zavala Christopher G. , Raugi Dana N. , Ba Selly , Seydi Moussa , Gottlieb Geoffrey S. ,   for the University of Washington-Dakar HIV-2 Study Group Fatima Sall Khardiata Diallo Mbaye Mouhamadou Baïla Diallo Khadim Faye Samba Cisse Marie Pierre Sy Bintou Diaw Ousseynou Ndiaye Babacar Faye Ndeye Astou Diop Amadou Bale Diop Marianne Fadam Diome Jean Jacques Malomar ElHadji Ibrahima Sall Ousseynou Cisse Ibrahima Tito Tamba Dominique Faye Jean Philippe Diatta Raphael Bakhoum Jacque Francois Sambou Juliette Gomis Therese Dieye Stephen Hawes Noelle Benzekri John Lin Jennifer Song Robbie Nixon Ming Chan
Published: July 2018

We examined the antiviral activity of the integrase inhibitor (INI) cabotegravir against HIV-2 isolates from INI-naive individuals. HIV-2 was sensitive to cabotegravir in single-cycle and spreading-infection assays, with 50% effective concentrations (EC50s) in the low to subnanomolar range; comparable results were obtained for HIV-1 in both assay formats.
Response of Secondary Metabolism of Hypogean Actinobacterial Genera to Chemical and Biological Stimuli
Authors: Covington Brett C. , Spraggins Jeffrey M. , Ynigez-Gutierrez Audrey E. , Hylton Zachary B. , Bachmann Brian O.
Published: July 2018

Microbial secondary metabolites are an important source of biologically active and therapeutically relevant small molecules. However, much of this active molecular diversity is challenging to access due to low production levels or difficulty in discerning secondary metabolites within complex microbial extracts prior to isolation. Here, we demonstrate that ecological stimuli increase secondary metabolite production in phylogenetically diverse actinobacteria isolated from understudied hypogean environments. Additionally, we show that comparative metabolomics linking stimuli to metabolite response data can effectively reveal secondary metabolites within complex biological extracts. This approach highlighted secondary metabolites in almost all observed natural product classes, including low-abundance analogs of biologically relevant metabolites, as well as a new linear aminopolyol polyketide, funisamine. This study demonstrates the generality of activating stimuli to potentiate secondary metabolite production across diverse actinobacterial genera.
Simultaneous Improvements of Pseudomonas Cell Growth and Polyhydroxyalkanoate Production from a Lignin Derivative for Lignin-Consolidated Bioprocessing
Authors: Wang Xiaopeng , Lin Lu , Dong Junde , Ling Juan , Wang Wanpeng , Wang Hongling , Zhang Zhichao , Yu Xinwei
Published: July 2018

With the recent advances in processing carbohydrates in lignocellulosics for bioproducts, almost all biological conversion platforms result in the formation of a significant amount of lignin by-products, representing the second most abundant feedstock on earth. However, this resource is greatly underutilized due to its heterogeneity and recalcitrant chemical structure. Thus, exploiting lignin valorization routes would achieve the complete utilization of lignocellulosic biomass and improve cost-effectiveness. The culture conditions that encourage cell growth and polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) accumulation are different. Such an inconsistency represents a major hurdle in lignin-to-PHA bioconversion. In this study, we traced and compared transcription levels of key genes involved in PHA biosynthesis pathways in
Pseudomonas putida
A514 under different nitrogen concentrations to unveil the unusual features of PHA synthesis. Furthermore, an inducible strong promoter was identified. Thus, the molecular features and new genetic tools reveal a strategy to coenhance PHA production and cell growth from a lignin derivative.
Evaluation of a Culture-Dependent Algorithm and a Molecular Algorithm for Identification of Shigella spp., Escherichia coli, and Enteroinvasive E. coli
Authors: van den Beld Maaike J. C. , de Boer Richard F. , Reubsaet Frans A. G. , Rossen John W. A. , Zhou Kai , Kuiling Sjoerd , Friedrich Alexander W. , Kooistra-Smid Mirjam A. M. D.
Published: July 2018

Identification of
Shigella
spp.,
Escherichia coli
, and enteroinvasive
E. coli
(EIEC) is challenging because of their close relatedness. Distinction is vital, as infections with
Shigella
spp.
Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid Cytology in Culture-Documented Invasive Pulmonary Aspergillosis in Patients with Hematologic Diseases: Analysis of 67 Episodes
Authors: Fernández-Cruz A. , Magira E. , Heo S. T. , Evans S. , Tarrand J. , Kontoyiannis D. P.
Published: July 2018

There is a paucity of studies on the yield of Gomori-methenamine-silver (GMS) staining in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid cytology and its comparison with fluorescent dye staining for the diagnosis of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) in patients with hematologic malignancies. To that end, we analyzed the yield of direct fungal visualization in BAL fluid cytology with GMS staining, in a series of culture-positive IPA cases in 67 patients with hematologic malignancies, and we compared the results with those of direct examination with calcofluor white staining and BAL fluid galactomannan assays, when available.
Hepatitis B Virus Deregulates the Cell Cycle To Promote Viral Replication and a Premalignant Phenotype
Authors: Xia Yuchen , Cheng Xiaoming , Li Yao , Valdez Kristin , Chen Weiping , Liang T. Jake
Published: July 2018

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a major health problem with high risk of developing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). By using a biologically relevant system of HBV infection of primary human hepatocytes (PHHs), we studied how HBV perturbs gene expression and whether these effects are relevant to HBV-associated HCC. HBV induced a distinct profile of growth factor production, marked particularly by significantly lower levels of the transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) family of proteins. Transcriptome profiling revealed multiple changes in cell proliferation and cell cycle control pathways. Cell cycle analysis demonstrated that HBV-infected PHHs are enriched in the G
2
/M phase. HBV proviral host factors were upregulated upon infection and particularly enriched in cells in the G
2
/M phase. Together, these results support the notion that HBV deregulates cell cycle control to render a cellular environment that is favorable for productive infection. This may coincidently induce a premalignant phenotype that predisposes infected hepatocytes to subsequent malignant transformation.
Rifampin- or Capreomycin-Induced Remodeling of the
Mycobacterium smegmatis
Mycolic Acid Layer Is Mitigated in Synergistic Combinations with Cationic Antimicrobial Peptides
Authors: Man DeDe Kwun-Wai , Kanno Tokuwa , Manzo Giorgia , Robertson Brian D. , Lam Jenny K. W. , Mason A. James
Published: July 2018

We have used a combined NMR metabolomics/biophysical approach to better understand differences in the mechanisms of two closely related antimicrobial peptides, as well as the response of the model organism
Mycobacterium smegmatis
to challenge with first- or second-line antibiotics used against mycobacterial pathogens. We show that, in addition to membrane damage, the triggering of oxidative stress may be an important part of the mechanism of action of one AMP. The metabolic shift that accompanied rifampin and, particularly, capreomycin challenge was associated with modest and more dramatic changes, respectively, in the mycomembrane, providing a rationale for how the response to one antibiotic may affect bacterial penetration and, hence, the action of another. This study presents the first insights into how antimicrobial peptides may operate synergistically with existing antibiotics whose efficacy is waning or sensitize MDR mycobacteria and/or latent mycobacterial infections to them, prolonging the useful life of these drugs.