bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of Acute Handling Stress on Expression of Growth‐Related Genes in Pampus argenteus
Authors: Sun Peng , Yin Fei , Tang Baojun
Published: July 2016

In fish, growth and development are mainly regulated by growth hormone/insulin‐like growth factors. Common aquaculture practices subject fish to stress. To investigate the effects of acute stress on growth‐related genes in cultured fish, the expression of growth hormone receptors (ghr1 and ghr2), insulin‐like growth factor binding proteins (igfbp1, igfbp4, and igfbp5), preprosomatostatin I and II (ppss1and ppss2), somatostatin receptors (sstr2 and sstr5), myostatin (mstn1 and mstn2), and glucocorticoid receptors (gr1 and gr2) were examined in Pampus argenteus subjected to handling stress. Plasma growth hormone levels increased significantly and peaked at 12 h and then decreased significantly at 24 h after treatment (P<0.05). Plasma cortisol and glucose concentrations in stressed fish began to increase significantly at 2 and 6 h after treatment, respectively. Real‐time quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis showed that hepatic ghr2 mRNA levels in liver and muscle decreased sharply in response to the stressor. Igfbp1, 4, and 5 mRNA expressions in muscle also decreased sharply after exposure, while expression of ppss1, sstr2, and mstn2 increased significantly. This study showed that acute handling stress can affect expression of growth‐related genes in P. argenteus. Our findings could be helpful for the further study on response to stress in this species.
The Effect of Kefir as a Dietary Supplement on Nonspecific Immune Response and Disease Resistance in Juvenile Rainbow Trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum 1792)
Authors: Uluköy Gülşen , Metin Seçil , Kubilay Ayşegül , Güney Şefik , Yıldırım Pınar , Güzel‐Seydim Zeynep , Kok‐Tas Tugba , Gümüş Erkan
Published: July 2016

In this study, juvenile rainbow trout fed with commercial pellets containing kefir provided increased nonspecific immune response and improved disease resistance against lactococcosis and yersiniosis. Kefir was used as a feed supplement at 2, 5, and 10% inclusion rates and several nonspecific immune parameters were observed at day(s) 1, 7, 14, 21, 28, and 35 following the treatment. A total of four experimental groups, including control, was established. The various parameters including hematocrits, nitroblue tetrazolium positive neutrophils, total leukocytes, serum lysozyme activity, total serum protein, and immunoglobulin M (IgM) levels were examined. As a result of this study, kefir‐fed fish had an increase in measured nonspecific immune parameters, especially in the group received the 10% kefir treatment. The challenged fish fed with kefir‐supplemented diet showed a better survival rate against Lactococcus garvieae than Yersinia ruckeri. Kefir supplementation reduced fish mortality significantly against L. garvieae.
Parliamentary Opposition Under Hybrid Regimes: Evidence from Egypt
Authors: Loidolt Bryce , Mecham Quinn
Published: July 2016

Why do opposition political parties choose to run for parliament in semiauthoritarian systems? Existing literature emphasizes the benefits that these parties derive from campaigning and running for elections, while paying little attention to the politics that occurs within legislative institutions under these regimes. Supplementing election‐centric theories, we argue that opposition actors in semiauthoritarian systems also benefit directly from serving in weak parliaments and that this helps explain their participation in biased elections. We demonstrate this by examining the Muslim Brotherhood's legislative performance in Mubarak's Egypt, highlighting the mechanisms through which it used its minority presence in parliament to its advantage.
Polarization and Policy: The Politics of Public‐Sector Pensions
Authors: Anzia Sarah F. , Moe Terry M.
Published: July 2016

For decades, America's state and local governments have promised their workers increasingly generous pensions but failed to fully fund them, producing a fiscal problem of staggering proportions. In this article, we examine the politics of public pensions. While mainstream theoretical ideas in the American politics literature would suggest the pension issue should be polarized, with Democrats pushing for generous pensions over Republican resistance, we develop an argument—rooted in more traditional theoretical work by Schattschneider, Lowi, Wilson, and others—implying thatbothparties should be expected to support generous pensions during normal times and that only after the onset of the Great Recession, which expanded the scope of conflict, should the parties begin to diverge. Using a new data set of state legislators' votes on hundreds of pension bills passed between 1999 and 2011, we carry out an empirical analysis that supports these expectations.
Dr Jekyll and Mrs Hyde: Risky hybrid sex by amphibian‐parasitizing chytrids in the Brazilian Atlantic Forests
Authors: Ghosh Pria , Fisher Matthew C.
Published: July 2016

In their article in this issue of Molecular Ecology, Jenkinson et al. () and colleagues address a worrying question—how could arguably the most dangerous pathogen known to science, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), become even more virulent? The answer: start having sex. Jenkinson et al. present a case for how the introduction into Brazil of the globally invasive lineage of Bd, BdGPL, has disrupted the relationship between native amphibians and an endemic Bd lineage, BdBrazil. BdBrazil is hypothesized to be native to the Atlantic Forest and so have a long co‐evolutionary history with biodiverse Atlantic Forest amphibian community. The authors suggest that this has resulted in a zone of hybrid Bd genotypes which are potentially more likely to cause fatal chytridiomycosis than either parent lineage. The endemic–nonendemic Bd hybrid genotypes described in this study, and the evidence for pathogen translocation via the global amphibian trade presented, highlights the danger of anthropogenic pathogen dispersal. This research emphasizes that biosecurity regulations may have to refocus on lineages within species if we are to mitigate against the danger of new, possibly hypervirulent genotypes of pathogens emerging as phylogeographic barriers are breached.
Gene duplication and divergence produce divergent MHC genotypes without disassortative mating
Authors: Dearborn Donald C. , Gager Andrea B. , McArthur Andrew G. , Gilmour Morgan E. , Mandzhukova Elena , Mauck Robert A.
Published: July 2016

Genes of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) exhibit heterozygote advantage in immune defence, which in turn can select for MHC‐disassortative mate choice. However, many species lack this expected pattern of MHC‐disassortative mating. A possible explanation lies in evolutionary processes following gene duplication: if two duplicated MHC genes become functionally diverged from each other, offspring will inherit diverse multilocus genotypes even under random mating. We used locus‐specific primers for high‐throughput sequencing of two expressed MHC Class II B genes in Leach's storm‐petrels, Oceanodroma leucorhoa, and found that exon 2 alleles fall into two gene‐specific monophyletic clades. We tested for disassortative vs. random mating at these two functionally diverged Class II B genes, using multiple metrics and different subsets of exon 2 sequence data. With good statistical power, we consistently found random assortment of mates at MHC. Despite random mating, birds had MHC genotypes with functionally diverged alleles, averaging 13 amino acid differences in pairwise comparisons of exon 2 alleles within individuals. To test whether this high MHC diversity in individuals is driven by evolutionary divergence of the two duplicated genes, we built a phylogenetic permutation model. The model showed that genotypic diversity was strongly impacted by sequence divergence between the most common allele of each gene, with a smaller additional impact of monophyly of the two genes. Divergence of allele sequences between genes may have reduced the benefits of actively seeking MHC‐dissimilar mates, in which case the evolutionary history of duplicated genes is shaping the adaptive landscape of sexual selection.
Scholarly Authority and Lay Mobilization: Yusuf al‐Qaradawi's vision of da‘wa, 1976‐1984
Authors: Rock‐Singer Aaron
Published: July 2016

The late 1970s and early 1980s were a propitious yet challenging time for the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, as its elites sought to define the movement's priorities in the face of new opportunities to spread their call (da‘wa). The debate over preaching, while one of strategic assessment, also involved a negotiation of intellectual hierarchy: Should laymen lead Egypt's oldest Islamist organization, or should scholars? In contrast to previous studies that focus on how laymen led the Brotherhood's return to grassroots preaching, this article reintegrates scholars into the story of da‘wa by focusing on the organization's most prominent ‘ālim, Shaykh Yusuf al‐Qaradawi, and his vision of institution‐based preacher education and extra‐institutional activism. Drawing on three books written by Qaradawi on this topic between the mid‐1970s and early 1980s, this article casts lights not only on this Islamist scholar's claim to religious authority as he sought to mold the Brotherhood, but also on the ways in which projects of mass mobilization – whether grassroots preaching or the reform of state‐sponsored educational curricula – have transformed scholarly claims to authority more broadly.
Staffing and the incidence of pressure ulcers in German hospitals: A multicenter cross‐sectional study
Authors: Schneider Paul Peter , Geraedts Max
Published: July 2016

In this study, we investigated the association between nurse and physician staffing and the incidence of hospital‐acquired pressure ulcers in acute care hospitals in Germany. The study population, derived from the Quality Reports of German Hospitals and the Hospital Directory, consisted of 710 hospitals covering 716,281 cases in the first quarter of 2010, and 672 hospitals covering 757,665 cases in the first quarter of 2012. The relationship between staffing variables and the standardized incidence ratios of pressure ulcers was examined using bivariate and multivariable linear regression models. Estimates were controlled for several patient and hospital characteristics. The total number of nurses and physicians per 100 beds did not show significant associations with outcome variables. However, the proportion of nurses with at least 3 years of training to total nursing staff was inversely associated with the incidence of pressure ulcers at hospital level, indicating a higher efficacy of pressure ulcer‐prevention measures.
Andean microrefugia: testing the Holocene to predict the Anthropocene
Authors: Valencia Bryan G. , Matthews‐Bird Frazer , Urrego Dunia H. , Williams Joseph J. , Gosling William D. , Bush Mark
Published: July 2016

Microrefugia are important for supporting populations during periods of unfavourable climate change and in facilitating rapid migration as conditions ameliorate. With ongoing anthropogenic climate change, microrefugia could have an important conservation value; however, a simple tool has not been developed and tested to predict which settings are microrefugial.

We provide a tool based on terrain ruggedness modelling of individual catchments to predict Andean microrefugia. We tested the predictions using nine Holocene Polylepis pollen records. We used the mid‐Holocene dry event, a period of peak aridity for the last 100 000 yr, as an analogue climate scenario for the near future.

The results suggest that sites with high terrain rugosity have the greatest chance of sustaining mesic conditions under drier‐than‐modern climates. Fire is a feature of all catchments; however, an increase in fire is only recorded in settings with low rugosity.

Owing to rising temperatures and greater precipitation variability, Andean ecosystems are threatened by increasing moisture stress. Our results suggest that high terrain rugosity helps to create more resilient catchments by trapping moisture through orographic rainfall and providing firebreaks that shelter forest from fire. On this basis, conservation policy should target protection and management of catchments with high terrain rugosity.
Closure of aortopulmonary window using Nit‐Occlud® PDA‐R device in a 3‐month‐old infant
Authors: Odemis Ender , Guvenc Osman , Saygi Murat , Demir Ibrahim Halil
Published: July 2016

Aortopulmonary window (APW) is a rare abnormality in which a pulmonary defect exists between the ascending aorta and the main pulmonary artery. Given that it may result in cardiac failure and pulmonary vascular disease in the early period, treatment needs to be performed without delay. In addition to surgical treatment, transcatheter closure may also be performed for selected patients. This study describes the case of an infant diagnosed with APW and who underwent successful transcatheter closure using a Nit‐Occlud®PDA‐R device.
Safety of peritoneal and pleural drain placement in pediatric stem cell transplant recipients with severe veno‐occlusive disease
Authors: Madenci Arin L. , Stetson Alyssa , Weldon Christopher B. , Lehmann Leslie E.
Published: July 2016

Hepatic VOD (veno‐occlusive disease) is a serious complication of HSCT (hematopoietic stem cell transplantation) and has historically been associated with high mortality. This obstruction to hepatic flow often results in fluid collections in the peritoneal and pleural cavities. Catheter placement to drain ascites or pleural fluid may reduce intra‐abdominal hypertension and/or improve respiratory parameters. The safety of these interventions among critically ill, immunocompromised children is unknown. Among 32 HSCT recipients (2000–2012) with severe VOD, we assessed the primary outcome of procedural complication from peritoneal drain placement. Twenty‐four (75%) patients underwent peritoneal drain placement. No patient sustained visceral perforation or hemorrhage with drain placement. Overall mortality was 47% (n = 15). The procedure was not associated with increased overall mortality (p > 0.99). Eight (25%) peritoneal drains required replacement for malfunction. Of 24 patients with peritoneal drains, one (4%) patient had a positive culture from ascitic fluid. Eight (25%) patients underwent pleural drain placement. No pleural drain‐related procedural complication or infection occurred. Four (50%) of the eight patients with pleural drains had de‐escalation in oxygen requirement at drain removal, compared to time of placement. In this study, peritoneal and pleural drains were safe interventions for children with severe VOD.
Epistemic Reasons I: Normativity
Authors: Sylvan Kurt
Published: July 2016

This paper is an opinionated guide to the literature on normative (i.e., good) epistemic reasons. After making some distinctions in §1, I begin in §2 by discussing the ontology of normative epistemic reasons, assessing arguments for and against the view that they are mental states, and concluding that they are not mental states. In §3, I examine the distinction between normative epistemic reasons there are and normative epistemic reasons we possess. I offer a novel account of this distinction and argue that we in fact ought to acknowledge a threefold distinction between objective, possessed, and apparent normative epistemic reasons. In §4, I discuss the question of which normative reasons for doxastic attitudes are the epistemic ones, evaluating reasons against a simple evidentialist answer. Finally, in §5, I look at the role of reasons in epistemology, considering challenges to viewing reasons as the building blocks of epistemic normativity and maintaining that the challenges recommend a novel bi‐level epistemology rather than a marginalization of reasons in epistemology.
The Multiple Readings of Irigaray's Concept of Sexual Difference
Authors: Hill Rebecca
Published: July 2016

Luce Irigaray's project elaborates an original concept of sexual difference. While this concept is widely discussed in feminist philosophy, there are multiple readings of sexual difference and some of these are contradictory. This essay surveys the various readings of sexual difference in English. Foci include the debate over the status of essentialism, ontology, and the controversy over the primacy of sexual difference, including discussion of whether her oeuvre marginalizes differences of race and sexuality. I conclude by arguing that her thinking of difference is open to the future and non‐totalisable in principle. This means that, difference, the concept at the heart of her thinking of sexual difference, cannot be primarily oriented toward engendering sexual difference because it is necessarily open to engendering relations that cannot be predicted.
Superstitious behavior in sport: A literature review
Authors: Dömötör Zsuzsanna , Ruíz‐Barquín Roberto , Szabo Attila
Published: July 2016

The objective of this first literature review, in this area, is to unveil the current status of knowledge on superstition in sport. Its outcome reveals that superstitious behaviors vary with the type of sport, athletic level, as well as athletic role. In agreement with past theories, they increase with the level of challenge, as reflected by the importance of the competition, as well as with the level of uncertainty. Cultural factors, in conjunction with the education level, as well as gender, have a strong influence on superstitious behaviors in sports. Based on current thoughts, religiosity and superstition are different psychological constructs used as psychological aids by several athletes. Personality factors appear to mediate the manifestation of the behavior. Elite athletes are clearly more superstitious than non‐elite athletes, An interaction between athletic skill and task‐difficulty emerges to be another strong predictor of superstition in sport. It is evident that a set of complex personal and situational factors interact in the manifestation of superstitious behavior in sport that is used for the regulation of emotions in a quest for optimal performance. It is concluded that the objective benefits (i.e., success) of superstition in sport may be ascribed to the placebo effect that yields an increased sense of control and mental reassurance in unpredictable contest situations.
Intersections of Gender and National Identity in Sport: A Cultural Sociological Overview
Authors: Broch Trygve B.
Published: July 2016

Sport is a global phenomenon that is assigned different meanings in different countries. This article reviews how we can understand the intersections of national identity and gender in sport. Two diverging analytic pathways reveal themselves. On the one hand, we have an intersectional approach, wherein national identity and gender are understood to be formed by universal notions of nationalism and patriarchy, respectively. On the other, we have a cultural analysis by which specific national‐identity repertoires are understood to form local gendered meaning. These two analytic pathways are exposed by comparing selected sport studies with developments in cultural sociology. I find that intersectional sport studies draw attention away from cultural sociologists' aim to uncover variation in global and local meaning‐making. Cultural sociology can thus help take apart the universalities argued for in many sport studies and explicate variations across national representations of gendered identities.
Surveying Issues That Arise in Women's Prisons: A Content Critique ofOrange Is the New Black
Authors: Terry April
Published: July 2016

The character Piper Chapman is presented in the Netflix original series,Orange Is the New Black(OITNB). Piper's story opens the door to the female correctional facility. With the mass incarceration of non‐violent, drug offending females comes the need for gender‐specific assessment, programming, and reentry efforts. It is the goal of this essay to briefly review several issues observed inOITNB(gender, victimization, sexuality, mental health/addiction, and race) and to raise awareness on additional issues related to women and crime. The essay will also provide a discussion on female relationships to include both outside loved ones as well as newfound friends within the facility and the accompanied policy implications. Research supports the idea that contact with prosocial loved ones reduces distress and recidivism. Policy implications suggest a need for more open visitation, assistance with welfare agencies, collaboration for reentry, and overall gender‐specific programming needs for female offenders.
Italian Echo‐Questions at the Interface
Authors: Badan Linda , Gryllia Stella , Fiorin Gaetano
Published: July 2016

This paper investigates the prosodic, semantic and syntactic properties of fronted wh‐echo questions (FWhEQs) in Italian, comparing them to information seeking wh‐questions (WhQs). Results from a production experiment showed that the two differ prosodically: FWhEQs start low, rise later (the pitch accent was realized on the verb participle) and end with a high boundary tone, whereas WhQs in most of the cases start with a rise, followed by a small plateau and end with a rise or a low F0. At the syntactic level we argue that a FWhEQ moves as a whole to the specifier of a TopicP within a higher superordinate ForceP. At the semantic level, we propose that FWhEQs differ from regular WhQs in that they express a meta speech act: with a FWhEQ the speaker asks the addressee to repeat an assertion. We formalize this idea arguing that the movement of the whole ForceP to a higher ForceP, together with the obligatory final rising intonation, activates a REQUEST operator in the superordinate ForceP. The REQUEST operator is a meta speech act as it applies to another speech act, rather than to a sentence radical.
Mismatch of geophysical datasets in distal rifted margin studies
Authors: Peron‐Pinvidic Gwenn , Osmundsen Per Terje , Ebbing Jörg
Published: July 2016

The interpretation protocols for defining offshore rifted margin architecture normally include seismic‐reflection analysis supplemented by refraction and/or potential field modelling to help constrain sedimentary, basement and Moho geometries at depth and/or the presence of magmatic material. Interpretation of modern high‐resolution long‐offset reflection profiles shows that significant mismatches may arise between the structural observations made from these data and the common translation of density, magnetic or velocity values into specific rock types made by geophysical models. We illustrate this problem with three examples from the Mid‐Norwegian rifted system, and discuss the implications with respect to the geological interpretation.
Market‐specific Sunk Export Costs: The Impact of Learning and Spillovers
Authors: Maurseth Per Botolf , Medin Hege
Published: July 2016

Firms may face sunk costs when entering an export market. Previous studies have focused on global or country‐specific sunk export costs. This study analyses the importance of market‐specific sunk export costs (defining ‘market’ as a product–country combination). We also study how market‐specific export costs can be affected by various kinds of learning and spillover effects. We use firm‐level panel data for Norwegian seafood exports distributed on products and countries. The results lend support to the hypothesis of market‐specific sunk costs. We also find evidence of learning and spillover effects, particularly within the same product group.
Residual antibacterial activity of canine hair treated with topical antimicrobial sprays against Staphylococcus pseudintermedius in vitro
Authors: Mesman Mollie L. , Kirby Allison L. , Rosenkrantz Wayne S. , Griffin Craig E.
Published: July 2016

Background

Topical antimicrobial therapy is increasingly important in the treatment of canine pyoderma as the incidence of multidrug resistance has risen. However, little information is reported on the persistence of activity of topical antimicrobial products.

Objective

To determine the residual antibacterial activity of canine hairs treated with antimicrobial sprays.

Animals

Twelve privately owned dogs with no history of dermatological disease.

Methods

Dogs were treated once with four different spray products [(A) 1% chlorhexidine digluconate, (B) 2% miconazole nitrate, 2% chlorhexidine gluconate, tromethamine USP/disodium EDTA (TrizEDTA), (C) 3% chlorhexidine gluconate, phytosphingosine salicyloyl and (D) 4% chlorhexidine gluconate, TrizEDTA] in separate 5 × 5 cm sections on the trunk. Hairs were collected via shaving before, one hour after and 2, 4, 7 and 10 days after treatment. Hairs were incubated on agar plates streaked with Staphylococcus pseudintermedius for 24 h and the bacterial growth inhibition zone around the hairs was measured.

Results

There were significant overall treatment and day (P < 0.0001) differences in inhibition zones. The largest zones of inhibition were from hairs treated with spray B, followed by sprays D, C and A, respectively. All sprays demonstrated residual antimicrobial activity for the ten days evaluated.

Conclusions and clinical significance

Results suggest that the efficacy of an antimicrobial spray is dependent on both the concentration and combination of active ingredients. Several ingredient profiles appear to effectively inhibit S. pseudintermedius growth for at least 10 days, which may be beneficial in the treatment of canine pyoderma.
Thyroid hormone: relevance to xenotransplantation
Authors: Iwase Hayato , Ekser Burcin , Hara Hidetaka , Ezzelarab Mohamed B. , Long Cassandra , Thomson Angus W. , Ayares David , Cooper David K. C.
Published: July 2016

Background

It has been well documented that the level of serum/plasma free triiodothyronine (fT3) falls rapidly following brain death or during certain surgical procedures, for example, heart surgery carried out on cardiopulmonary bypass. The level in patients following cardiopulmonary bypass usually recovers within 2 days.

Methods

We have measured serum fT3 in healthy naïve baboons (n = 31), healthy naïve monkeys (n = 5), and after pig‐to‐baboon heterotopic heart xenotransplantation (xenoTx) (Group 1, n = 9), orthotopic liver xenoTx (Group 2, n = 10), artery patch xenoTx (Group 3, n = 9), and in monkey‐to‐monkey heterotopic heart alloTx (Group 4, n = 5).

Results

The mean level of fT3 in healthy naïve baboons was 3.1 ± 0.9 pg/ml and in healthy naïve monkeys was 2.6 ± 0.3 pg/ml. Following pig heart, liver, and artery patch xenoTx and monkey heart alloTx, there was an immediate rapid fall in fT3 level. Recovery of fT3 was more rapid in Groups 3 and 4 than in Groups 1 and 2. In Group 1, within 4 days fT3 had recovered, but only to the lower limit of normal range, where it remained throughout follow‐up (for up to 42 days). In Group 2, no recovery was seen during the 7 days of follow‐up. In immunosuppressed baboons with pig patch grafts that received IL‐6R blockade (n = 2), the fT3 tended to rise higher than in those that received no IL‐6R blockade (n = 6).

Conclusions

Following operative procedures, there is a dramatic fall in serum fT3 levels. The persistent low level of fT3 after pig heart and liver xenoTx may be associated with a continuing inflammatory state. We suggest that consideration should be given to the replacement of T3 therapy to maintain normal fT3 levels, particularly in nonhuman primates undergoing orthotopic pig heart or liver xenoTx.
Electrolyte transport pathways induced in the midgut epithelium of Drosophila melanogaster larvae by commensal gut microbiota and pathogens
Authors: Shanbhag Shubha R. , Vazhappilly Abraham T. , Sane Abhay , D'Silva Natalie M. , Tripathi Subrata
Published: July 2016

Key points

The digestive tract of larval and adult Drosophila is an excellent analogue of the mammalian gut. Enterocytes of the posterior midgut are separated by septa, with no paracellular path, and therefore perform both immune and transport functions.

Using microperfusion electrophysiology, we show that larvae emerging from the embryo into sterile medium have symmetrical apical and basal membrane conductances while larvae emerging into non‐sterile medium have apical membranes fivefold more conductive than basal membranes. The channels inserted into the apical membranes could originate in microbiata or host and mediate recognition of microbes.

Entomopathogenic cyclic peptide toxins deplete intracellular ions reversibly, forming transient ion channels that do not conduct water, unlike an ionophore like nystatin that depletes ions irreversibly.

We show the feasibility of studying the interaction of a single microbial species, or tractable combinatorials of microbial species, with only enterocytes in the primary epithelial barrier.

Microbiota colonizing exposed epithelial surfaces are vital for sustenance of metazoan life, but communication between microbiota, epithelial cells and the host immune system is only beginning to be understood. We address this issue in the posterior midgut epithelium of Drosophila larvae where nutrient transport and immune functions are exclusively transcellular. We showed that larvae emerging into a sterile post‐embryonic environment have symmetrical apical and basal membranes. In contrast, larvae emerging into non‐sterile media, the source of microbiota, have markedly asymmetrical membranes, with apical membrane conductance more than fivefold higher than the basal membrane. As an example of pathogen action, we showed that the entomopathogenic fungal toxin destruxin A (Dx) depleted intracellular ions. Reversibility of action of Dx was verified by bilayer reconstitution in forming transient non‐specific channels that conduct ions but not water. Dx was also less effective from the apical side as compared to the basal side of the epithelium. We also showed that intercellular septa are not conductive in non‐sterile cells, even though most cells are isopotential. Luminal microbiota therefore impart asymmetry to the epithelium, by activation of apical membrane conductance, enhancing inter‐enterocyte communication, separated by insulating septa, via the gut lumen. These results also open the possibility of studying the basis of bidirectional molecular conversation specifically between enterocytes and microbiota that enables discrimination between commensals and pathogens, establishment of the former, and elimination of the latter.
Safety of reduced antibiotic prescribing for self limiting respiratory tract infections in primary care: cohort study using electronic health records
Authors: Gulliford Martin C , Moore Michael V , Little Paul , Hay Alastair D , Fox Robin , Prevost A Toby , Juszczyk Dorota , Charlton Judith , Ashworth Mark
Published: July 2016

Objective
 To determine whether the incidence of pneumonia, peritonsillar abscess, mastoiditis, empyema, meningitis, intracranial abscess, and Lemierre’s syndrome is higher in general practices that prescribe fewer antibiotics for self limiting respiratory tract infections (RTIs).

Design
 Cohort study.

Setting
 610 UK general practices from the UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink.

Participants
 Registered patients with 45.5 million person years of follow-up from 2005 to 2014.

Exposures
 Standardised proportion of RTI consultations with antibiotics prescribed for each general practice, and rate of antibiotic prescriptions for RTIs per 1000 registered patients.

Main outcome measures
 Incidence of pneumonia, peritonsillar abscess, mastoiditis, empyema, meningitis, intracranial abscess, and Lemierre’s syndrome, adjusting for age group, sex, region, deprivation fifth, RTI consultation rate, and general practice.

Results
 From 2005 to 2014 the proportion of RTI consultations with antibiotics prescribed decreased from 53.9% to 50.5% in men and from 54.5% to 51.5% in women. From 2005 to 2014, new episodes of meningitis, mastoiditis, and peritonsillar abscess decreased annually by 5.3%, 4.6%, and 1.0%, respectively, whereas new episodes of pneumonia increased by 0.4%. Age and sex standardised incidences for pneumonia and peritonsillar abscess were higher for practices in the lowest fourth of antibiotic prescribing compared with the highest fourth. The adjusted relative risk increases for a 10% reduction in antibiotic prescribing were 12.8% (95% confidence interval 7.8% to 17.5%, P<0.001) for pneumonia and 9.9% (5.6% to 14.0%, P<0.001) for peritonsillar abscess. If a general practice with an average list size of 7000 patients reduces the proportion of RTI consultations with antibiotics prescribed by 10%, then it might observe 1.1 (95% confidence interval 0.6 to 1.5) more cases of pneumonia each year and 0.9 (0.5 to 1.3) more cases of peritonsillar abscess each decade. Mastoiditis, empyema, meningitis, intracranial abscess, and Lemierre’s syndrome were similar in frequency at low prescribing and high prescribing practices.

Conclusions
 General practices that adopt a policy to reduce antibiotic prescribing for RTIs might expect a slight increase in the incidence of treatable pneumonia and peritonsillar abscess. No increase is likely in mastoiditis, empyema, bacterial meningitis, intracranial abscess, or Lemierre’s syndrome. Even a substantial reduction in antibiotic prescribing was predicted to be associated with only a small increase in numbers of cases observed overall, but caution might be required in subgroups at higher risk of pneumonia.
Compressible Navier–Stokes Equations with hyperbolic heat conduction
Authors: Hu Yuxi , Racke Reinhard
Published: July 2016

We investigate the system of compressible Navier–Stokes equations with hyperbolic heat conduction, i.e. replacing the Fourier’s law by Cattaneo’s law. First, by using Kawashima’s condition on general hyperbolic parabolic systems, we show that for small relaxation time [Formula: see text], global smooth solution exists for small initial data. Moreover, as [Formula: see text] goes to zero, we obtain the uniform convergence of solutions of the relaxed system to that of the classical compressible Navier–Stokes equations.
BOUNDARY CONTROL OF THE BLACK–SCHOLES PDE FOR OPTION DYNAMICS STABILIZATION
Authors: RIGATOS GERASIMOS G.
Published: July 2016

The objective of the paper is to develop a boundary control method for the Black–Scholes PDE which describes option dynamics. It is shown that the procedure for numerical solution of Black–Scholes PDE results into a set of nonlinear ordinary differential equations (ODEs) and an associated state equations model. For the local subsystems, into which a Black–Scholes PDE is decomposed, it becomes possible to apply boundary-based feedback control. The controller design proceeds by showing that the state-space model of the Black–Scholes PDE stands for a differentially flat system. Next, for each subsystem which is related to a nonlinear ODE, a virtual control input is computed, that can invert the subsystem’s dynamics and can eliminate the subsystem’s tracking error. From the last row of the state-space description, the control input (boundary condition) that is actually applied to the Black–Scholes PDE system is found. This control input contains recursively all virtual control inputs which were computed for the individual ODE subsystems associated with the previous rows of the state-space equation. Thus, by tracing the rows of the state-space model backwards, at each iteration of the control algorithm, one can finally obtain the control input that should be applied to the Black–Scholes PDE system so as to assure that all its state variables will converge to the desirable setpoints.
Sex‐Dependent Effects of Dietary Genistein on Echocardiographic Profile and Cardiac GLUT4 Signaling in Mice
Authors: Leung Lana , Martin Joshua B. , Lawmaster Todd , Arthur Kathryn , Broderick Tom L. , Al-Nakkash Layla
Published: July 2016

This study aimed to determine whether genistein diet resulted in changes in cardiac function, using echocardiography, and expression of key proteins involved in glucose uptake by the myocardium. Intact male and female C57BL/6J mice (aged 4–6 weeks) were fed either 600 mg genistein/kg diet (600 G) or 0 mg genistein/kg diet (0 G) for 4 weeks. Echocardiography data revealed sex‐dependent differences in the absence of genistein: compared to females, hearts from males exhibited increased systolic left ventricle internal dimension (LVIDs), producing a decrease in function, expressed as fractional shortening (FS). Genistein diet also induced echocardiographic changes in function: in female hearts, 600G induced a 1.5‐fold (P < 0.05) increase in LVIDs, resulting in a significant decrease in FS and whole heart surface area when compared to controls (fed 0 G). Genistein diet increased cardiac GLUT4 protein expression in both males (1.51‐fold, P < 0.05) and females (1.76‐fold, P < 0.05). However, no effects on the expression of notable intracellular signaling glucose uptake‐regulated proteins were observed. Our data indicate that consumption of genistein diet for 4 weeks induces echocardiographic changes in indices of systolic function in females and has beneficial effects on cardiac GLUT4 protein expression in both males and females.
Design of a Compact Quad-Band Slot Antenna for Integrated Mobile Devices
Authors: Dong Jian , Yu Xiaping , Hu Guoqiang
Published: July 2016

In order to incorporate different communication standards into a single device, a compact quad-band slot antenna is proposed in this paper. The proposed antenna is composed of a dielectric substrate, T-shaped microstrip patch with a circle slot and an inverted L-slot, and a comb-shaped ground on the back of the substrate. By adopting these structures, it can produce four different bands, while maintaining a small size and a simple structure. Furthermore, a prototype of the quad-band antenna is designed and fabricated. The simulated and measured results show that the proposed antenna can operate over the 1.79–2.63 GHz, 3.46–3.97 GHz, 4.92–5.85 GHz, and 7.87–8.40 GHz, which can cover entire PCS (Personal Communications Service, 1.85–1.99 GHz), UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System, 1.92–2.17 GHz), WCDMA (wideband code-division multiple access, 2.1 GHz), Bluetooth (2.4–2.48 GHz), WiBro (Wireless Broad band access service, 2.3–3.39 GHz), WLAN (Wireless Local Area Networks, 2.4/5.2/5.8 GHz), WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access, 2.5/3.5/5.5 GHz), and X-band SATcom applications (7.9~8.4 GHz). The proposed antenna is particularly attractive for mobile devices integrating multiple communication systems.
Developmental Variation of Indian Thermophilic Variety of Scuttle FlyMegaselia (Megaselia) scalaris(Loew, 1866) (Diptera: Phoridae) on Different Substrates
Authors: Chakraborty Abesh , Naskar Atanu , Parui Panchanan , Banerjee Dhriti
Published: July 2016

The scuttle flies (Diptera: Phoridae) are important in forensic dipterology, because of their necrophagous habit. They are amongst the first wave of insects visiting human corpses in mechanically barricaded environments; hence their immature stages are generally used for estimation of PMI. The effect of different substrates commonly used for developmental studies was studied to analyze the variation of growth of the thermophilic variety ofMegaselia (M.) scalarisprevalent in India on GDM, EDM, and SMS (n=3). One approach of PMI estimation depends on larvae collected from the crime scene and comparing them with reference data derived from larval rearing to establish PMI. Results showed that there was a significant variation in avg. length (F(2,111)=15.79873,p=0.000000917), width (F(2,111)=14.60528,p=0.00000234), and biomass (F(2,111)=37.01727,p=0.000000000000482) of the immature stages in the three media and the larvae grow maximally in the SMS medium. The results of the present study thus provide baseline data on the growth and developmental pattern of theMegaselia (M.) scalaris, which can be utilized in conjunction with specific geoclimatic reference data, for forensic entomological studies and also for using the phorid as a biocontrol agent of pestiferous insects.
The Application of OCTA in Assessment of Anti-VEGF Therapy for Idiopathic Choroidal Neovascularization
Authors: Chen Qin , Yu Xiaobing , Sun Zihan , Dai Hong
Published: July 2016

Purpose. To assess the morphology of idiopathic choroidal neovascularization (ICNV) by optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) and determine the therapeutic effects of intravitreal antivascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF).Method. Patients with naive ICNV were assessed by spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) and OCTA in this observational study. The timing of observation was before treatment, 1 day after treatment with intravitreal anti-VEGF injection, and 1 month after the treatment. The central retina thickness (CRT) on SD-OCT, selected CNV area, and flow area on OCTA were measured.Results. A total of 17 eyes from 17 patients with ICNV were included in this study. OCTA showed visible irregular choroidal neovascularization with “tree-in-bud” form on outer retinal layer. After treatment, as well as in the 1-day follow-up, CNV decreased in size from the periphery, and the vessel density was reduced. As shown on OCTA, the selected CNV area and flow area were significantly reduced compared to pretreatment. The rate of CNV vessel area changes was higher on OCTA than the changes in CRT on SD-OCT at 1-day and 1-month follow-up.Conclusion. Intravitreal injection of anti-VEGF is effective for idiopathic choroidal neovascularization, and the treatment outcomes are observable after 1 day. OCTA provides a useful approach for monitoring and evaluating the treatment of intravitreal anti-VEGF for CNV.
Design and Evaluation of a Fiber-Optic Grip Force Sensor with Compliant 3D-Printable Structure for (f)MRI Applications
Authors: Bützer Tobias L. , Rinderknecht Mike D. , Johannes Gunda H. , Popp Werner L. , Lehner Rea , Lambercy Olivier , Gassert Roger
Published: July 2016

Grip force sensors compatible with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are used in human motor control and decision-making research, providing objective and sensitive behavioral outcome measures. Commercial sensors are expensive, cover limited force ranges, rely on pneumatic force transmission that cannot detect fast force changes, or are electrically active, which increases the risk of electromagnetic interference. We present the design and evaluation of a low-cost, 3D-printed, inherently MRI-compatible grip force sensor based on a commercial intensity-based fiber-optic sensor. A compliant monobloc structure with flexible hinges transduces grip force to a linear displacement captured by the fiber-optic sensor. The structure can easily be adapted for different force ranges by changing the hinge thickness. A prototype designed for forces up to 800 N was manufactured and showed a highly linear behavior (nonlinearity of 2.37%) and an accuracy of 1.57% in a range between zero and 500 N. It can be printed and assembled within one day and for less than $300. Accurate performance was confirmed, both inside and outside a 3 T MRI scanner within a pilot study. Given its simple design allowing for customization of sensing properties and ergonomics for different applications and requirements, the proposed grip force handle offers researchers a valuable scientific tool.
Investigation of Mechanical and Wear Properties of LM24/Silicate/Fly Ash Hybrid Composite Using Vortex Technique
Authors: Senthil Kumar B. R. , Thiagarajan M. , Chandrasekaran K.
Published: July 2016

This work has investigated to find the influence of silicate on the wear behavior of LM 24/4 wt.% fly ash hybrid composite. The investigation reveals the effectiveness of incorporation of silicate in the composite for gaining wear reduction. Silicate particles with fly ash materials were incorporated into aluminum alloy matrix to accomplish reduction in wear resistance and improve the mechanical properties. The LM24/silicate/fly ash hybrid composite was prepared with 4 wt.% fly ash particles with 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, and 24 wt.% of silicate using vortex technique. Tribological properties were evaluated under different load (15, 30, 45, 60, and 75 N); sliding velocity (0.75, 1.5, 2.25, and 3 m/sec) condition using pin on disc apparatus and mechanical properties like density, hardness, impact strength, and tensile strength of composites were investigated. In addition, the machining of the aluminum hybrid composite was studied using Taguchi L9orthogonal array with analysis of variance. The properties of the hybrid composites containing 24 wt.% silicates exhibit the superior wear resistance and mechanical properties.
Telomerase, Autophagy and Acute Kidney Injury
Authors: Harris Raymond C. , Cheng Huifang
Published: July 2016

In humans, aging is associated with telomere shortening and increased susceptibility to acute kidney injury. Telomerase is essential to maintain telomere length. The fourth generation mice with telomerase deletion have progressive shortening of telomeres. Those mice delayed recovery from ischemia-reperfusion injury, due to an increase in tubule cell senescence and impairment of autophagy, the latter of which may be mediated in part by increased mTOR signaling.
SV40 T-Antigen Amino Acid Changes that Disrupt Cul-7 or Bub-1 Binding Do Not Globally Distort the T-Common Region
Authors: Cavender Jane F. , Tevethia Mary J.
Published: July 2016

Background: Amino acids 1-107 of the SV40 T antigen constitute a functionally important and complex region. Cellular proteins, Hsc70, Bub-1, Cul-7, and Rb, each of which is involved in cell growth control or genomic stability, bind within this portion of the T antigen. Mutational analysis has mapped the J domain/Hsc70, Bub-1, and the Rb binding motifs. Two regions of the T antigen have been implicated in Cul-7 binding. Mutation of F98A diminished Cul-7 binding, and deletion of amino acids 68-83 abolished it. The authors suggest, based on T-antigen structure, that F98 is inaccessible and that the F98A change altered the configuration of the upstream region, preventing Cul-7 binding. Our objective was to determine, by using monoclonal T-antigen antibodies, whether F98 is accessible and whether F98A substitution globally distorted the T-common region. Methods: Cell-expressing T antigens, immunoprecipitation, and immunoblot were used to determine the accessibility of amino acids. Conclusion: Full-length T-antigen and N-terminal fragments containing F98A were immunoprecipitated by monoclonal antibody PAb902, which recognizes a conformation-dependent epitope within the first 82 amino acids. Therefore, this alteration does not globally distort the entire T-common region. Additionally, PAb416, which displaces Cul-7 from the T antigen and immunoprecipitates bound pRb peptides, depends on F98 for binding, implying that amino acid 98 is part of the epitope and accessible in the native T antigen.
Persistence of Lactobacilli in Postmenopausal Women - A Double-Blind, Randomized, Pilot Study
Authors: Kwak Young-Keun , Daroczy Katalin , Colque Patricia , Kühn Inger , Möllby Roland , Kopp Kallner Helena
Published: July 2016

Aim: To investigate the ability of lactobacilli to persist in the genital area (vagina and labia) of women after the topical application of an ointment containing Lactobacillus gasseri LN40, L. fermentum LN99 and L. rhamnosus LN113. Secondary objectives were to study the presence of Escherichia coli and other contaminants, as well as subjective symptoms in the genital tract. Methods: Eighteen healthy postmenopausal women were randomized to use either the study product or placebo for 10 days. Gynecological examinations, labial and vaginal samplings for bacterial cultivation were performed at baseline (visit 1), after treatment (visit 2), and at a 10-day follow-up (visit 3). LN strains were identified by specific cultivation methods. Subjective symptoms were evaluated by a self-administered questionnaire. Results: The presence of LN99 was shown in 7 out of 8 women in the investigational group at visit 2 (p < 0.001 compared to placebo) and in 5 out of 8 at visit 3 (p < 0.05), whereas the presence of LN113 was shown in 2 out of 8 at visit 2 and in 1 out of 8 at visit 3. Subjective symptoms were significantly reduced (p < 0.01) at visits 2 and 3 for both products. Conclusion: Topical application of a probiotic ointment is feasible to achieve persistence of lactobacilli for at least 10 days.