bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Development and Performance Measurements of a Beta-Type Free-Piston Stirling Engine Along With Dynamic Model Predictions
Authors: Sim Kyuho , Kim Dong-Jun
Published: June 2017

This paper presents the development and performance measurements of a beta-type free-piston Stirling engine (FPSE) along with dynamic model predictions. The FPSE is modeled as a two degrees-of-freedom (2DOF) vibration system with the equations of motion for displacer and piston masses, which are connected to the spring and damping elements and coupled by working pressure. A test FPSE is designed from root locus analyses and developed with flexure springs and a dashpot load. The stiffness of the test springs and the damping characteristics of the dashpot are identified through experiments. An experimental test rig is developed with an electric heater and a water cooler, operating under the atmospheric air. The piston dynamic behaviors, including the operating frequency, piston stroke, and phase angle, and engine output performance are measured at various heater temperatures and external loads. The experimental results are compared to dynamic model predictions. The test FPSE is also compared to a conventional kinematic engine in terms of engine output performance and dynamic adaptation to environments. Incidentally, nonlinear dynamic behaviors are observed during the experiments and discussed in detail.
Comparative Study on Thermal Performance of Ultrathin Miniature Loop Heat Pipes With Different Internal Wicks
Authors: Zhou Guohui , Li Ji , Lv Lucang , Peterson G. P.
Published: June 2017

Presented here are the results of an experimental investigation of two ultrathin miniature loop heat pipes (mLHPs) with different internal wicking structures: one with a primary wicking structure in the evaporator and a secondary wicking structure in the liquid line, and the other only with the same primary wicking structure in the evaporator, but no secondary wick. The systematic experimental investigation was conducted using natural convection as the cooling mechanism in order to study the heat transfer performance of the two mLHPs and fully examine the effects of the secondary wick. The results indicated that both of the test articles could effectively dissipate 12 W at all test orientations with a minimum total thermal resistances of 6.38 °C/W and 6.39 °C/W, respectively. However, the results indicated that the presence of the secondary wicking structure in the liquid line at low power loads resulted in more stable startup characteristics and a weaker dependence on the different orientations. Moreover, it was demonstrated that the steady-state evaporator temperatures of the test article with the secondary wicking structure in the liquid line were much lower than those observed for a 1-mm thick copper plate with the same geometric dimensions for all heat loads in the horizontal orientation, showing a higher thermal performance.
Impact of ultrathin Al2O3 interlayers on resistive switching in TiOx thin films deposited by atomic layer deposition
Authors: Liu Weixia , Gao Leiwen , Xu Kewei , Ma Fei
Published: June 2017

TiOx and TiOx/Al2O3/TiOx sandwiched thin films were fabricated by using atomic layer deposition at 250 °C. As compared to single-layered TiOx, TiOx/Al2O3/TiOx sandwiched thin films exhibit stable resistive switching with a substantially improved OFF/ON ratio and elongated endurance. Essentially, the embedded ultrathin Al2O3 interlayer will suppress the crystallization of amorphous TiOx and thus reduce the channels for current leakage. As a result, the resistive switching properties are substantially enhanced. The TiOx/Al2O3/TiOx sandwiched thin films with the Al2O3 thickness of more than 2 nm show stable unipolar resistive switching, and the rupture and reformation of conductive filaments mainly occur at the top interface between Al2O3 and TiOx layers. A physical model is proposed to understand the resistive switching behaviors.
Computational analysis of acoustic events in everyday environments
Authors: Virtanen Tuomas
Published: June 2017

Sounds carry a large amount of information about our everyday environment and physical events that take place in it. Recent advances in machine learning allows automatic methods to analyze this information, for example, by detecting and classifying acoustic events produced by various sources. This allows several applications, for example, in acoustic surveillance, context-aware devices, and multimedia indexing. This talk will present signal processing and machine learning methods that can be used to detect and classify everyday acoustic events originating, e.g., from vehicles, human activity, human and animal vocalizations, in everyday environments. It will describe the scientific challenges in such methods, for example, many sources having highly similar spectral characteristics and multiple sources being active simultaneously. It will explain how state-of-the-art methods based on advanced deep neural network topologies deal with these challenges. The talk will also discuss the practical challenges related to the development of the methods, such as acquisition of data that is used to develop the methods. It will present results from recent evaluations of event detection systems and illustrate them using audio and video examples.
Audible sonar images generated with proprioception for target analysis
Authors: Kuc Roman B.
Published: June 2017

Some blind humans have demonstrated the ability to detect and classify objects with echolocation using palatal clicks. An audible-sonar robot mimics human click emissions, binaural hearing, and head movements to extract interaural time and level differences from target echoes. Targets of various complexity are examined by transverse displacements of the sonar and by target pose rotations that model movements performed by the blind. Controlled sonar movements executed by the robot provide data that model proprioception information available to blind humans for examining targets from various aspects. The audible sonar uses this sonar location and orientation information to form two-dimensional target images that are similar to medical diagnostic ultrasound tomograms. Simple targets, such as single round and square posts, produce distinguishable and recognizable images. More complex targets configured with several simple objects generate diffraction effects and multiple reflections that produce image artifacts. The presentation illustrates the capabilities and limitations of target classification from audible sonar images.
Colistin and Polymyxin B Susceptibility Testing for Carbapenem-Resistant and
mcr
-Positive Enterobacteriaceae: Comparison of Sensititre, MicroScan, Vitek 2, and Etest with Broth Microdilution
Authors: Chew Ka Lip , La My-Van , Lin Raymond T. P. , Teo Jeanette W. P.
Published: June 2017

Colistin and polymyxin B remain part of the last line of antibiotics for multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria, such as carbapenem-resistant
Enterobacteriaceae
. Current joint EUCAST-CLSI recommendations are for broth microdilution (BMD) to be performed for MIC testing of colistin. Commercial susceptibility testing methods were evaluated and compared against the reference BMD, using a susceptibility breakpoint of ≤2 mg/liter for both colistin and polymyxin B. Seventy-six
Enterobacteriaceae
were included, of which 21 were
mcr-1
positive (18
Escherichia coli
isolates, 2
Klebsiella pneumoniae
isolates, and 1
Enterobacter aerogenes
isolate). Rates of essential agreement (EA) of colistin test results between BMD and Vitek 2, Sensititre, and Etest were 93.4%, 89.5%, and 75.0%, respectively. Rates of EA of polymyxin B test results between BMD and Vitek 2, Sensititre, and Etest were 96.1%, 96.1%, and 48.7%, respectively. A positive MIC correlation with a categorical agreement of >90% was achieved for Sensititre (colistin Spearman's ρ = 0.863, and polymyxin B Spearman's ρ = 0.877) and Vitek 2 (polymyxin B [only] Spearman's ρ = 0.8917). Although a positive MIC correlation (Spearman's ρ = 0.873) with the reference method was achieved for colistin testing with Vitek 2, categorical agreement was <90%, with very major error rates of 36%. Correlation with the Etest MIC was lower, with very major error rates of 12% (colistin) and 26.1% (polymyxin B). MicroScan (colistin) categorical agreement was 88.2%, with a very major error rate of 4%. Colistin MICs for 15 of the 21
mcr-1
-positive isolates were >2 mg/liter, and polymyxin MICs for 17 of them were >2 mg/liter by broth microdilution. The use of a lower breakpoint of ≤1 mg/liter further improves detection of
mcr-1
for all testing methods. However, further data on the correlation between MICs and clinical outcome are required to determine the most suitable breakpoint to guide clinical management.
Voltage-Dependent Anion Channel 1 Interacts with Ribonucleoprotein Complexes To Enhance Infectious Bursal Disease Virus Polymerase Activity
Authors: Han Chunyan , Zeng Xiangwei , Yao Shuai , Gao Li , Zhang Lizhou , Qi Xiaole , Duan Yulu , Yang Bo , Gao Yulong , Liu Changjun , Zhang Yanping , Wang Yongqiang , Wang Xiaomei
Published: June 2017

Infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) is a double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) virus. Segment A contains two overlapping open reading frames (ORFs), which encode viral proteins VP2, VP3, VP4, and VP5. Segment B contains one ORF and encodes the viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, VP1. IBDV ribonucleoprotein complexes are composed of VP1, VP3, and dsRNA and play a critical role in mediating viral replication and transcription during the virus life cycle. In the present study, we identified a cellular factor, VDAC1, which was upregulated during IBDV infection and found to mediate IBDV polymerase activity. VDAC1 senses IBDV infection by interacting with viral proteins VP1 and VP3. This association is caused by RNA bridging, and all three proteins colocalize in the cytoplasm. Furthermore, small interfering RNA (siRNA)-mediated downregulation of
VDAC1
resulted in a reduction in viral polymerase activity and a subsequent decrease in viral yield. Moreover, overexpression of VDAC1 enhanced IBDV polymerase activity. We also found that the viral protein VP3 can replace segment A to execute polymerase activity. A previous study showed that mutations in the C terminus of VP3 directly influence the formation of VP1-VP3 complexes. Our immunoprecipitation experiments demonstrated that protein-protein interactions between VDAC1 and VP3 and between VDAC1 and VP1 play a role in stabilizing the interaction between VP3 and VP1, further promoting IBDV polymerase activity.

IMPORTANCE
The cellular factor VDAC1 controls the entry and exit of mitochondrial metabolites and plays a pivotal role during intrinsic apoptosis by mediating the release of many apoptogenic molecules. Here we identify a novel role of VDAC1, showing that VDAC1 interacts with IBDV ribonucleoproteins (RNPs) and facilitates IBDV replication by enhancing IBDV polymerase activity through its ability to stabilize interactions in RNP complexes. To our knowledge, this is the first report that VDAC1 is specifically involved in regulating IBDV RNA polymerase activity, providing novel insight into virus-host interactions.
Comprehensive Cross-Clade Characterization of Antibody-Mediated Recognition, Complement-Mediated Lysis, and Cell-Mediated Cytotoxicity of HIV-1 Envelope-Specific Antibodies toward Eradication of the HIV-1 Reservoir
Authors: Mujib Shariq , Liu Jun , Rahman A. K. M. Nur-ur , Schwartz Jordan A. , Bonner Phil , Yue Feng Yun , Ostrowski Mario A.
Published: June 2017

Immunotherapy with passive administration of broadly neutralizing HIV-1 envelope-specific antibodies (bnAbs) in the setting of established infectionin vivohas yielded mixed results. The contribution of different antibodies toward the direct elimination of infected cells is poorly understood. In this study, we determined the ability of 12 well-characterized anti-HIV-1 neutralizing antibodies to recognize and eliminate primary CD4 T cells infected with HIV-1 belonging to clades A, B, C, and D, via antibody-dependent complement-mediated lysis (ADCML) and antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC),in vitro. We further tested unique combinations of these antibodies to determine the optimal antibody cocktails to be tested in future clinical trials. We report that antibody binding to infected CD4 T cells is highly variable and correlates with ADCML and ADCC processes. Particularly, antibodies targeting the envelope glycan shield (2G12) and V1/V2 site (PG9, PG16, and PGT145) are best at recognizing HIV-1-infected CD4 T cells. However, only PG9 and PG16 and their combinations with other bnAbs sufficiently induced the elimination of HIV-1-infected CD4 T cells by ADCML, ADCC, or both. Notably, CD4 binding site antibodies VRC01, 3BNC117, and NIH45-46 G54W did not exhibit recognition of infected cells and were unable to induce their killing. Future trials geared toward the development of a cure for HIV/AIDS should incorporate V1/V2 antibodies for maximal clearance of infected cells. With the use of only primary immune cells, we conducted a comprehensive cross-clade physiological analysis to aid the direction of antibodies as therapeutics toward the development of a cure for HIV/AIDS.

IMPORTANCESeveral antibodies capable of neutralizing the majority of circulating HIV-1 strains have been identified to date and have been shown to prevent infection in animal models. However, the use of combinations of such broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) for the treatment and eradication of HIV-1 in infected humans remains uncertain. In this study, we tested the ability of bnAbs to directly recognize and eliminate primary human CD4 T cells infected with diverse HIV-1 strains representative of the global epidemic by antibody-dependent pathways. We also tested several combinations of bnAbs in our assays in order to maximize the clearance of infected cells. We show that the ability of bnAbs to identify and kill infected cells is highly variable and that only a few of them are able to exert this function. Our data will help guide the formulation of bnAbs to test in future human trials aimed at the development of a cure.
HIV-1 Epitope Variability Is Associated with T Cell Receptor Repertoire Instability and Breadth
Authors: Balamurugan Arumugam , Claiborne Deon , Ng Hwee L. , Yang Otto O.
Published: June 2017

Mutational escape of HIV-1 from HIV-1-specific CD8
+
T lymphocytes (CTLs) is a major barrier for effective immune control. Each epitope typically is targeted by multiple clones with distinct T cell receptors (TCRs). While the clonal repertoire may be important for containing epitope variation, determinants of its composition are poorly understood. We investigate the clonal repertoire of 29 CTL responses against 23 HIV-1 epitopes longitudinally in nine chronically infected untreated subjects with plasma viremia of <3,000 RNA copies/ml over 17 to 179 weeks. The composition of TCRs targeting each epitope varied considerably in stability over time, although clonal stability (Sorensen index) was not significantly time dependent within this interval. However, TCR stability inversely correlated with epitope variability in the Los Alamos HIV-1 Sequence Database, consistent with TCR evolution being driven by epitope variation. Finally, a robust inverse correlation of TCR breadth against each epitope versus epitope variability further suggested that this variability drives TCR repertoire diversification. In the context of studies demonstrating rapidly shifting HIV-1 sequences
in vivo
, our findings support a variably dynamic process of shifting CTL clonality lagging in tandem with viral evolution and suggest that preventing escape of HIV-1 may require coordinated direction of the CTL clonal repertoire to simultaneously block escape pathways.

IMPORTANCE
Mutational escape of HIV-1 from HIV-1-specific CD8
+
T lymphocytes (CTLs) is a major barrier to effective immune control. The number of distinct CTL clones targeting each epitope is proposed to be an important factor, but the determinants are poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that the clonal stability and number of clones for the CTL response against an epitope are inversely associated with the general variability of the epitope. These results show that CTLs constantly lag epitope mutation, suggesting that preventing HIV-1 escape may require coordinated direction of the CTL clonal repertoire to simultaneously block escape pathways.
Role of Autophagy in HIV-1 Matrix Protein p17-Driven Lymphangiogenesis
Authors: Mazzuca Pietro , Marsico Stefania , Schulze Kai , Mitola Stefania , Pils Marina C. , Giagulli Cinzia , Guzman Carlos A. , Caruso Arnaldo , Caccuri Francesca
Published: June 2017

AIDS-related lymphomas (ARLs) are expected to increase in the future since combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) enhances the life expectancy of HIV-1-infected (HIV
+
) patients but does not affect the occurrence of ARLs to the same extent as that of other tumors. Lymphangiogenesis is essential in supporting growth and metastatic spreading of ARLs. HIV-1 does not infect the neoplastic B cells, but HIV-1 proteins have been hypothesized to play a key role in sustaining a prolymphangiogenic microenvironment in lymphoid organs. The HIV-1 matrix protein p17 is detected in blood and accumulates in the germinal centers of lymph nodes of HIV
+
patients under successful cART. The viral protein displays potent lymphangiogenic activity
in vitro
and
in vivo
. This is, at least in part, mediated by the secretion of the lymphangiogenic factor endothelin-1, suggesting that activation of a secretory pathway sustains the lymphangiogenic activity of p17. Here, we show that the p17 lymphangiogenic activity occurs on human lymph node-derived lymphatic endothelial cells (LN-LECs) under stress conditions only and relies entirely on activation of an autophagy-based pathway. In fact, induction of autophagy by p17 promotes lymphangiogenesis, whereas pharmacological and genetic inhibition of autophagy inhibits p17-triggered lymphangiogenesis. Similarly, the vasculogenic activity of p17 was totally inhibited in autophagy-incompetent mice. Our findings reveal a previously unrecognized role of autophagy in lymphangiogenesis and open the way to identify novel treatment strategies aimed at inhibiting aberrant tumor-driven lymphangiogenesis in HIV
+
patients.

IMPORTANCE
AIDS-related lymphomas (ARLs) are the most common malignancies in HIV-1-infected (HIV
+
) patients after the introduction of combined antiretroviral therapy (cART). Lymphangiogenesis is of critical importance in sustaining growth and metastasis of ARLs. Indeed, enhanced lymphangiogenesis occurs in the lymph nodes of HIV
+
patients under successful cART. The HIV-1 matrix protein p17 is detected in blood and accumulates in the lymph node germinal centers even in the absence of virus replication. Several findings suggest a key role for p17 as a microenvironmental factor capable of promoting lymphangiogenesis. Here, we show that p17 promotes lymphangiogenesis of human lymph node-derived lymphatic endothelial cells (LN-LECs). The lymphangiogenic activity of p17 is sustained by an autophagy-based pathway that enables LN-LECs to release prolymphangiogenic factors into the extracellular microenvironment. Our findings indicate that specific targeting of autophagy may provide an important new tool for treating ARLs.
Rationally Designed Influenza Virus Vaccines That Are Antigenically Stable during Growth in Eggs
Authors: Harding Alfred T. , Heaton Brook E. , Dumm Rebekah E. , Heaton Nicholas S.
Published: June 2017

Influenza virus vaccine production is currently limited by the ability to grow circulating human strains in chicken eggs or in cell culture. To facilitate cost-effective growth, vaccine strains are serially passaged under production conditions, which frequently results in mutations of the major antigenic protein, the viral hemagglutinin (HA). Human vaccination with an antigenically drifted strain is known to contribute to poor vaccine efficacy. To address this problem, we developed a replication-competent influenza A virus (IAV) with an artificial genomic organization that allowed the incorporation of two independent and functional HA proteins with different growth requirements onto the same virion. Vaccination with these viruses induced protective immunity against both strains from which the HA proteins were derived, and the magnitude of the response was as high as or higher than vaccination with either of the monovalent parental strains alone. Dual-HA viruses also displayed remarkable antigenic stability; even when using an HA protein known to be highly unstable during growth in eggs, we observed high-titer virus amplification without a single adaptive mutation. Thus, the viral genomic design described in this work can be used to grow influenza virus vaccines to high titers without introducing antigenic mutations.

IMPORTANCE
Influenza A virus (IAV) is a major public health threat, and vaccination is currently the best available strategy to prevent infection. While there have been many advances in influenza vaccine production, the fact that we cannot predict the growth characteristics of a given strain under vaccine production conditions
a priori
introduces fundamental uncertainty into the process. Clinically relevant IAV strains frequently grow poorly under vaccine conditions, and this poor growth can result in the delay of vaccine production or the exchange of the recommended strain for one with favorable growth properties. Even in strains that grow to high titers, adaptive mutations in the antigenic protein hemagglutinin (HA) that make it antigenically dissimilar to the circulating strain are common. The genomic restructuring of the influenza virus described in this work offers a solution to the problem of uncertain or unstable growth of IAV during vaccine production.
A Small
Wolbachia
Protein Directly Represses Phage Lytic Cycle Genes in “
Candidatus
Liberibacter asiaticus” within Psyllids
Authors: Jain Mukesh , Fleites Laura A. , Gabriel Dean W.
Published: June 2017

Host acquisition of a new microbial species can readily perturb the dynamics of preexisting microbial associations. Molecular cross talk between microbial associates may be necessary for efficient resource allocation and enhanced survival. Classic examples involve quorum sensing (QS), which detects population densities and is both used and coopted to control expression of bacterial genes, including host adaptation factors. We report that a 56-amino-acid repressor protein made by the resident psyllid endosymbiont
Wolbachia
can enter cells of
Liberibacter crescens
, a cultured proxy for the uncultured psyllid endosymbiont “
Ca
. Liberibacter asiaticus” and repress “
Ca
. Liberibacter asiaticus” phage lytic cycle genes. Such repression in “
Ca
. Liberibacter asiaticus” may be critical to survival of both endosymbionts, since phage-mediated lysis would likely breach the immunogenic threshold of the psyllid, invoking a systemic and nonspecific innate immune reaction.
Pituitary abscess
Authors: Al salman Jameela Mohammed , Al Agha Rawan Al Muataz Billa , Helmy Mohamed
Published: June 2017

Pituitary abscess is an uncommon pituitary lesion. Its clinical diagnosis can be difficult to distinguish from other pituitary lesions. This pathology is characterised by vague symptoms of headaches, generalised tiredness and hypopituitarism manifestations. A history of recent meningitis, paranasal sinusitis or head surgery can be a suggestive of the source of infection.

A 20-year-old man was admitted to neurosurgery department with complain of headache, fatigue, polyuria, polydipsia, blurred vision and sexual dysfunction. MRI of the head revealed a suprasellar mass that was centrally hyperintense lesion on T2-weighted images with peripheral hypointensity and isointense centrally on T1 images with peripheral hyperintensity images. Treatment of this lesion pituitary abscess was surgical drainage of the pituitary area through a trans-sphenoidal approach and broad spectrum antibiotic therapy with ceftriaxone, metronidazole and vancomycin for 6 weeks. The patient continues to have pituitary insufficiency and treated with oral hydrocortisone.

Although pituitary abscess is a rare condition, it should always be kept in mind when evaluating a patient with hypopituitarism. After the diagnosis, the surgery and antibiotics should be commenced rapidly. The outcome is usually good with proper treatment.
Delayed progression of bull’s eye maculopathy
Authors: Jain Sunila , Jain Neel Gautam
Published: June 2017

Chloroquine-induced maculopathy may progress years after drug cessation and an apparent period of visual stability. Both doctor and patients should be fully aware of the risks of retinal toxicity, including delayed onset and progression. It is therefore crucial that regular monitoring continues in affected patients, long after the initial diagnosis of maculopathy.
Bacterial meningitis in Finland, 1995–2014: a population-based observational study
Authors: Polkowska Aleksandra , Toropainen Maija , Ollgren Jukka , Lyytikäinen Outi , Nuorti J. Pekka
Published: June 2017

Objectives

Bacterial meningitis remains an important cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Its epidemiological characteristics, however, are changing due to new vaccines and secular trends. Conjugate vaccines againstHaemophilus influenzaetype b andStreptococcus pneumoniae(10-valent) were introduced in 1986 and 2010 in Finland. We assessed the disease burden and long-term trends of five common causes of bacterial meningitis in a population-based observational study.

Methods

A case was defined as isolation ofS. pneumoniae,Neisseria meningitidis,Streptococcus agalactiae,Listeria monocytogenesorH. influenzaefrom cerebrospinal fluid and reported to national, population-based laboratory surveillance system during 1995–2014. We evaluated changes in incidence rates (Poisson or negative binomial regression), case fatality proportions (χ2) and age distribution of cases (Wilcoxon rank-sum).

Results

During 1995–2014,S. pneumoniaeandN. meningitidisaccounted for 78% of the total 1361 reported bacterial meningitis cases.H. influenzaeaccounted for 4% of cases (92% of isolates were non-type b). During the study period, the overall rate of bacterial meningitis per 1 00 000 person-years decreased from 1.88 cases in 1995 to 0.70 cases in 2014 (4% annual decline (95% CI 3% to 5%). This was primarily due to a 9% annual reduction in rates ofN. meningitidis(95% CI 7% to 10%) and 2% decrease inS. pneumoniae(95% CI 1% to 4%). The median age of cases increased from 31 years in 1995–2004 to 43 years in 2005–2014 (p=0.0004). Overall case fatality proportion (10%) did not change from 2004 to 2009 to 2010–2014.

Conclusions

Substantial decreases in bacterial meningitis were associated with infant conjugate vaccination against pneumococcal meningitis and secular trend in meningococcal meningitis in the absence of vaccination programme. Ongoing epidemiological surveillance is needed to identify trends, evaluate serotype distribution, assess vaccine impact and develop future vaccination strategies.
A systematic review of alcohol screening and assessment measures for young people: a study protocol
Authors: Toner Paul , Böhnke Jan R , McCambridge Jim
Published: June 2017

Introduction

Alcohol consumption creates a significant public health burden, and young people who drink alcohol place themselves at risk of harm. Expert guidance and reviews have highlighted the pressing need for reliable and valid, age-appropriate alcohol screening and assessment measures for young people. The proposed systematic review will evaluate existing alcohol screening and assessment measures for young people aged 24 and under.

Methods and analysis

Six electronic databases will be searched for published and grey literature. In addition, reverse and forward citation searching and consultation with experts will be performed. Three sets of search terms will be combined, including alcohol use/problems, young people and validation studies. The titles and abstracts of reports from the searches will be screened, and potentially relevant full-text reports will be retrieved and independently assessed for inclusion by two reviewers based on prespecified criteria. Discrete validation studies within included reports will then be assessed for eligibility. There will be an a priori basic quality threshold for predictive validity, internal and test–retest for studies to warrant full data extraction. Studies above the quality threshold will be assessed for quality using the modified consensus-based standards for the selection of health measurement instruments checklist and a quality assessment tool for diagnostic accuracy studies.

Dissemination

This review will highlight the best performing measures both for screening and assessment based on their psychometric properties and the quality of the validation studies supporting their use. Providing clear guidance on which existing measures perform best to screen and assess alcohol use and problems in young people will inform policy, practice and decision-making, and clarify the need for further research.

Trial registration number

International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews, CRD42016053330.
Chelonian haematology 2. Identification of blood cells
Authors: Perpiñán David
Published: June 2017

Chelonian blood cells can have great morphological variability and their identification may be problematic and subjective. This article, the second in a two‐part series, describes the types of blood cells found in turtles and tortoises, discusses the main problems with their identification, and reviews the possible sources of variation in haematological results. The first article, published in last month's issue ofIn Practice(May 2017, pp 194‐202), described the collection and handling of chelonian blood samples.
Treatment of presumed allergic skin disease in cats
Authors: Buckley Laura
Published: June 2017

Feline dermatology presents a number of challenges when it comes to diagnosing individual diseases, due to the more subtle and varied nature of skin lesions in cats compared to those commonly seen in dogs. In feline allergic skin disease (FASD), the diagnostic challenge is increased further as cats present with one or more of four patterns of disease, rather than the more typical character and distribution of lesions seen in canine hypersensitivity dermatitis cases. Cats are also generally more solitary animals and secretive in their behaviour, which can lead to the absence of important clues in the clinical history. There can also be challenges in both the administration of treatment and the comparatively poor treatment responses seen in some patients. This article reviews the important steps that should be taken to diagnose and successfully manage FASD, with particular reference to head and neck excoriations or pruritus, which can be among the more challenging presentations to treat.
Pseudomonasotitis in dogs: a general practitioner's guide to treatment
Authors: Barnard Natalie , Foster Aiden
Published: June 2017

Otitis externa in dogs is a very common clinical problem encountered in general practice; it is also a very frustrating one to treat, especially when cases are recurrent. Many organisms can be implicated in cases of otitis, including Gram‐positive cocci, Gram‐negative rods, such asPseudomonas, and the yeastMalassezia pachydermatis. This article will focus on the investigation and treatment of cases ofPseudomonasotitis.
Alcohol-flavoured tobacco products
Authors: Jackler Robert K , VanWinkle Callie K , Bumanlag Isabela M , Ramamurthi Divya
Published: June 2017

Background

In 2009, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned characterising flavours in cigarettes (except for menthol) due to their appeal to teen starter smokers. In August 2016, the agency deemed all tobacco products to be under its authority and a more comprehensive flavour ban is under consideration.

Objectives

To determine the scope and scale of alcohol-flavoured tobacco products among cigars & cigarillos, hookahs and electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes).

Methods

Alcohol-flavoured tobacco products were identified by online search of tobacco purveyors’ product lines and via Google search cross-referencing the various tobacco product types versus a list of alcoholic beverage flavours (eg, wine, beer, appletini, margarita).

Results

48 types of alcohol-flavoured tobacco products marketed by 409 tobacco brands were identified. Alcohol flavours included mixed drinks (n=25), spirits (11), liqueurs (7) and wine/beer (5). Sweet and fruity tropical mixed drink flavours were marketed by the most brands: piña colada (96), mojito (66) and margarita (50). Wine flavours were common with 104 brands. Among the tobacco product categories, brands offering alcohol-flavoured e-cigarettes (280) were most numerous, but alcohol-flavoured products were also marketed by cigars & cigarillos (88) and hookah brands (41). Brands by major tobacco companies (eg, Philip Morris, Imperial Tobacco) were well represented among alcohol-flavoured cigars & cigarillos with five companies offering a total of 17 brands.

Conclusions

The widespread availability of alcohol-flavoured tobacco products illustrates the need to regulate characterising flavours on all tobacco products.
Heat-induced coacervation for purification of Lycium barbarum polysaccharide based on amphiphilic polymer–protein complex formation
Authors: Han Juan , Wang Yun , Chen Tong , Hu Xiaowei , Gu Lei , Tang Xu , Wang Lei , Ni Liang
Published: June 2017

Heat-induced coacervation of triblock copolymer solution was described, and its application in the purification of Lycium barbarum polysaccharide (LBP) was investigated. The formation of coacervate micelles–protein complex combined with the incompatibility between coacervate micelles and polysaccharide made it an ideal system for the separation of protein and LBP. This separation process was governed by a series of parameters including polymer concentration, amount of crude LBP solution, and pH. In the primary coacervation extraction process, LBP was preferentially distributed to dilute phase with a high recovery ratio of 82%, whereas 87% of protein was partitioned to the coacervate phase. The coacervate micelles–protein interaction and the interphase potential was regulated by temperature and electrolytes, respectively, which contributed to the recovery and recycling of the polymer. After phase separation, LBP was precipitated with the addition of ethanol. The FTIR spectrum was used to identify LBP. In addition, the antioxidant activity of LBP was measured.
Traversable asymptotically flat wormholes in Rastall gravity
Authors: Moradpour H. , Sadeghnezhad N. , Hendi S.H.
Published: June 2017

There are some gravitational theories in which the ordinary energy–momentum conservation law is not valid in the curved space–time. Rastall gravity is one of the known theories in this regard, which includes a non-minimal coupling between geometry and matter fields. Equipped with the basis of such theory, we study the properties of traversable wormholes with flat asymptotes. We investigate the possibility of exact solutions by a source with the baryonic matter state parameter. Our survey indicates that Rastall theory has considerable effects on the wormhole characteristics. In addition, we study various case studies and show that the weak energy condition may be met for some solutions. We also give a discussion regarding traversibility of such wormhole geometry with phantom sources.
Transient flows past arrays of yawed finite prisms
Authors: Liu I-Han , Attiya Bashar , Oztekin Alparslan
Published: June 2017

Transient flows past arrays of yawed finite-length prisms in tandem and staggered arrangements are simulated. Large eddy simulation method is employed to characterize spatial and temporal characteristics of flows in the vicinity of prisms. Drag coefficients of prisms are determined for different spacing and yaw angle of prisms. Three-dimensional effects are investigated for different spacings of prisms in a tandem array. Drag coefficient of downstream prism is significantly lower compared to that of upstream prism when prisms are tightly spaced. Drag coefficient of downstream prism predicted by simulations in three-dimensional geometry is recovered fully as spacing approaches 10 times the height of the prism while drag coefficient predicted by simulations in two-dimensional geometry is only about 30% of the upstream prism even when two prisms are separated by 20 times the height of the prism. The wake flow patterns do not influence the drag coefficient strongly for the staggered arrays of yawed prisms. Prisms can be placed in a tighter arrangement without a significant penalty of drag reduction. Mathematical models and numerical methods employed are validated by comparing simulation results against experimental results. Drag exerted on these prisms can directly be related to power generation by devices containing translating blades of marine-current applications. This study demonstrates that arrangement, spacing, and yaw angle can be used to design and optimize energy harvesting devices and other offshore structures.
Dissipative cylindrical collapse of a charged anisotropic fluid in f(R) gravity
Authors: Shamir M. Farasat , Fayyaz M. Atif
Published: June 2017

This paper is devoted to investigating the cylindrical collapse of an anisotropic fluid in f(R) gravity. For this purpose, the viscous charged anisotropic fluid dissipating energy with heat flow and shear is assumed. We use the perturbation scheme to develop the dynamical equations for the variables that ultimately lead to the disturbance of the physical variables and the Starobinksy-like f(R) model chosen. The evolution of the matter variables is discussed with the help of these equations. It can be concluded that the range of dynamic instabilities depends on the field strength, density distribution, pressure, and the curvature term of the f(R) model. We find that our results of Newtonian and post-Newtonian regimes reduce asymptotically to general relativity solutions in the limiting case.
Influences of migration phenology on survival are size-dependent in juvenile Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar)
Authors: Jonsson B. , Jonsson M. , Jonsson N.
Published: June 2017

Long-distance migratory species can reduce mortality risks by synchronizing the migration event and create confusion by swamping predators with high densities. To reduce confusion, predators are known to primarily select aberrant prey. We hypothesized that at the start of their sea sojourn, particularly small and large Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L., 1758) would spread the risk by also migrating at other times of the year. Based on data from the Norwegian river Imsa between 1976 and 2015, we found that juveniles, 14–19 cm in total length, started their sea sojourn during a short period between late April and early June. However, more than 20% of fish 13 cm or shorter migrated downstream between October and March, whereas 55% of fish 20 cm or longer migrated downstream between July and September. The regular-sized, spring-migrating juveniles had 2–3 times higher survival at sea than similar-sized conspecifics migrating to sea at other times of the year. The survival at sea for smaller juveniles was not improved by migration in spring relative to winter, and the survival of the largest juveniles was similar in spring and summer. Thus, the migration phenology appears adapted to survival in a high-risk environment by changing the timing according to their sizes.
Host–parasite transcriptomics during immunostimulant-enhanced rejection of salmon lice (Lepeophtheirus salmonis) by Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar)
Authors: Sutherland Ben J.G. , Covello Jennifer M. , Friend Sarah E. , Poley Jordan D. , Koczka Kim W. , Purcell Sara L. , MacLeod Tara L. , Donovan Bridget R. , Pino Jorge , González-Vecino Jose Luis , Gonzalez Javier , Troncoso Jose , Koop Ben F. , Wadsworth Simon L. , Fast Mark D.
Published: June 2017

Salmon lice ( Lepeophtheirus salmonis) are important ectoparasites of wild and farmed salmonids and cause major losses to the salmon farming industry throughout the Northern Hemisphere. With the emergence of resistance to several commonly used parasiticides, novel control strategies and integration of multiple treatment options are needed, including host immunostimulation. Here, we investigate the effects of a functional feed containing a peptidoglycan and nucleotide formulation on L. salmonis infection of Atlantic salmon ( Salmo salar) by characterizing lice infection levels, the expression of several host immune genes, and the parasite transcriptomic response to the immunostimulated host. Although initial infection intensities were low, the low dose (LD) immunostimulant diet reduced the total lice burden by 50% relative to controls. Immunostimulant fed hosts up-regulated interleukin-1β in the skin and spleen. This gene has been implicated in successful responses of several salmonid species to salmon lice but is typically not observed in Atlantic salmon, suggesting a favorable influence on the immune response. Lice infecting LD immunostimulated salmon overexpressed genes putatively involved in parasite immunity, including carboxylesterases, and underexpressed genes putatively involved in feeding (e.g., proteases). These lice response genes further improve the characterization of the transcriptome of the non-model parasite by identifying genes potentially involved in evading host immunity.
Magnetic and electrical transport properties of Sr2Ti1−xCoxO4 ceramics by sol–gel
Authors: Zhang Li , Li Yibao , Tang Zhen , Deng Yan , Yuan Hui , Yu Jiangying , Zhu Xuebin
Published: June 2017

Microstructures, electrical transport and magnetic properties of Sr[Formula: see text]Ti[Formula: see text]Co[Formula: see text]O[Formula: see text] ceramics are investigated. With Co doping, the Sr[Formula: see text]Ti[Formula: see text]Co[Formula: see text]O[Formula: see text] ceramics remain tetragonal structure while the grain size is decreased with doping. Magnetic moment is enhanced with Co doping and ferromagnetism is observed at low temperatures for Co-doped Sr[Formula: see text]TiO[Formula: see text]. The Sr[Formula: see text]Ti[Formula: see text]Co[Formula: see text]O[Formula: see text] and Sr[Formula: see text]Ti[Formula: see text]Co[Formula: see text]O[Formula: see text] show semiconductor-like transport properties, which can be well fitted by Mott variable range hopping model. The results will provide an effective route to synthesize Sr[Formula: see text]Ti[Formula: see text]Co[Formula: see text]O[Formula: see text] ceramics as well as to investigate the physical properties.
Phase transition and holographic in modified Horava–Lifshitz black hole
Authors: Jafarzade Kh. , Sadeghi J.
Published: June 2017

In this paper, we take cosmological constant as a thermodynamical pressure and its conjugate quantity as a thermodynamical volume. This expression helps us to investigate the phase transition and holographic heat engine. So, in order to have Van der Waals fluid behavior in Horava–Lifshitz (HL) black hole, we modified the solution of such black hole with some cosmology ansatz. Also from holographic heat engine, we obtain Carnot efficiency for the HL black hole. The phase transition of the system lead us to investigate the stability condition for the corresponding black hole. In that case, we show that the stability exist only in special region of black hole.
Superradiant instability of D-dimensional Reissner–Nordström-anti-de Sitter black hole mirror system
Authors: Huang Yang , Liu Dao-Jun , Li Xin-Zhou
Published: June 2017

In this paper, a detailed analysis for superradiant stability of the system composed by a [Formula: see text]-dimensional Reissner–Nordström-anti-de Sitter (RN-AdS) black hole and a reflecting mirror under charged scalar perturbations are presented in the linear regime. It is found that the stability of the system is heavily affected by the mirror radius as well as the mass of the scalar perturbation, AdS radius and the dimension of spacetime. In a higher dimensional spacetime, the degree of instability of the superradiant modes will be severely weakened. Nevertheless, the degree of instability can be magnified significantly by choosing a suitable value of the mirror radius. Remarkably, when the mirror radius is smaller than a threshold value the system becomes stable. We also find that massive charged scalar fields cannot trigger the instabilities in the background of [Formula: see text]-dimensional asymptotically flat RN black hole. For a given scalar charge, a small RN-AdS black hole can be superradiantly unstable, while a large one may be always stable under charged scalar field with or without a reflecting mirror. We also show that these results can be easily expounded and understood with the help of factorized potential analysis.
A SEVERITY SCORING SYSTEM FOR OUTCOME PREDICTION IN CATS WITH PANCREATITIS
Authors: Su Bi-Ling , Wang Shu-Yu , Liu Pin-Chen
Published: June 2017

In order to develop a clinically applicable severity scoring system in cats with pancreatitis, 41 cats diagnosed with pancreatitis and hospitalized between 2011 and 2013 with their complete medical history were selected for analysis. Clinical signs, physical examination findings, laboratory findings, diagnostic imaging results, complications and concurrent diseases were analyzed to evaluate potential prognostic factors and further establish the severity scoring system. The mortality of cats selected in this study due to pancreatitis was 48.8%. Abnormalities in hemoglobin, albumin, blood urea nitrogen, total bilirubin, phosphorous and blood pressure were significantly associated with disease severity and prognosis and were selected for constructing the system. The abnormal range for each variable was further partitioned into quartiles, which were recorded into categorical variables. The weighting factors were calculated from the odds ratios (OR) between each of the quartiles and the normal range category. The area under curve (AUC) of the six continuous variables system at presentation and after rehydration of the cats was 0.873 and 0.976, respectively. The scores of 41 cats after rehydration ranged from 7 to 36 points. The mean score was [Formula: see text], the median 17 points and the mode 32 points. The optimal cut-off point for outcome prediction was 17.5 with a sensitivity of 95.2% and specificity of 95.5%. The mortality was 95% with a [Formula: see text], whereas 4.8 % had a [Formula: see text]. The severity scoring system provides a reliable and clinically applicable method to predict disease severity in cats with pancreatitis.
Driving Forces for Nonnative Protein Aggregation and Approaches to Predict Aggregation-Prone Regions
Authors: Meric Gulsum , Robinson Anne S. , Roberts Christopher J.
Published: June 2017

Nonnative protein aggregation is the process by which otherwise folded, monomeric proteins are converted to stable aggregates composed of protein chains that have undergone some degree of unfolding. Often, a conformational change is needed to allow certain sequences of amino acids—so-called aggregation-prone regions (APRs)—to form stable interprotein contacts such as β-sheet structures. In addition to APRs that are needed to stabilize aggregates, other factors or driving forces are also important in inducing aggregation in practice. This review focuses first on the overall process and mechanistic drivers for nonnative aggregation, followed by a more detailed summary of the factors currently thought to be important for determining which amino acid sequences most greatly stabilize nonnative protein aggregates, as well as a survey of many of the existing algorithms that are publicly available to attempt to predict APRs. Challenges with experimental validation of predicted APRs for proteins are briefly discussed.