bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Functions of post‐conflict affiliation with a bystander differ between aggressors and victims in Japanese macaques
Authors: Katsu Noriko , Yamada Kazunori , Nakamichi Masayuki
Published: November 2017

Post‐conflict affiliative interactions with a bystander, an uninvolved third party, have been reported in several species. The functions of these interactions could vary depending on whether the individual was an aggressor or a victim in a conflict. We examined the occurrence of and three potential functions for bystander affiliation—substitute for reconciliation, self‐protection and consolation (stress reduction)—in a free‐ranging group of Japanese macaques. We predicted that in this despotic species, the function of bystander affiliations for victims was self‐protection, whereas this was not so for aggressors. We found that compared to control situations, both aggressors and victims engaged in bystander affiliation soon after a conflict, confirming the occurrence of bystander affiliation. Victims were less likely to receive further aggression when bystander affiliation occurred than when no such interaction occurred, consistent with the explanation that post‐conflict bystander affiliation functions as self‐protection for victims. Aggressors were less likely to perform self‐scratching, an indicator of post‐conflict stress, when bystander affiliation occurred. This suggests that such affiliations benefited aggressors by reducing stress. Self‐scratching was not less frequent after affiliation with a bystander who was familiar with the former opponent, indicating that substitute reconciliation did not apply for either aggressors or victims. When bystander affiliation occurred, the bystander was a more familiar individual for aggressors and victims than the former opponent was. In conclusion, aggressors benefited in stress reduction, whereas victims benefited in self‐protection through affiliation with bystanders with whom they have a good relationship. Our study indicated that monkeys cope with post‐conflict problems according to their roles or situations not only by reconciliation but also by bystander affiliation.
Pharmacokinetics of intravenous lithium chloride and assessment of agreement between two methods of lithium concentration measurement in the horse
Authors: Martin L. M. , Bukoski A. D. , Whelchel D. D. , Evans T. J. , Wiedmeyer C. E. , Black S. J. , Johnson P. J.
Published: November 2017

Background

Pharmacokinetics of lithium chloride (LiCl) administered as a bolus, once i.v. have not been determined in horses. There is no point‐of‐care test to measure lithium (Li+) concentrations in horses in order to monitor therapeutic levels and avoid toxicity.

Objectives

To determine the pharmacokinetics of LiCl in healthy adult horses and to compare agreement between two methods of plasma Li+ concentration measurement: spectrophotometric enzymatic assay (SEA) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP‐MS).

Study design

Nonrandomised, single exposure with repeated measures over time.

Methods

Lithium chloride was administered (0.15 mmol/kg bwt) as an i.v. bolus to eight healthy adult horses. Blood samples were collected pre‐administration and at multiple times until 48 h post‐administration. Samples were analysed by two methods (SEA and ICP‐MS) to determine plasma Li+ concentrations. Pharmacokinetics were determined based on the reference ICP‐MS data.

Results

Adverse side effects were not observed. The SEA showed linearity, R2 = 0.9752; intraday coefficient of variation, 2.5%; and recovery, 96.3%. Both noncompartmental and compartmental analyses (traditional two‐stage and nonlinear mixed‐effects [NLME] modelling) were performed. Geometric mean values of noncompartmental parameters were plasma Li+ concentration at time zero, 2.19 mmol/L; terminal elimination half‐life, 25.68 h; area under the plasma concentration–time curve from time zero to the limit of quantification, 550 mmol/L min; clearance, 0.273 mL/min/kg; mean residence time, 31.22 h; and volume of distribution at steady state, 511 mL/kg. Results of the traditional two‐stage analysis showed good agreement with the NLME modelling approach. Bland–Altman analyses demonstrated poor agreement between the SEA and ICP‐MS methods (95% limits of agreement = 0.14 ± 0.13 mmol/L).

Main limitations

Clinical effects of LiCl have not been investigated.

Conclusions

The LiCl i.v. bolus displayed pharmacokinetics similar to those reported in other species. The SEA displayed acceptable precision but did not agree well with the reference method (ICP‐MS).

The Summary is available in Spanish – see Supporting Information
Type 2N von Willebrand disease: Characterization and diagnostic difficulties
Authors: Casonato A. , Galletta E. , Sarolo L. , Daidone V.
Published: November 2017

Introduction

An abnormal factor VIII (FVIII) binding capacity of von Willebrand factor (VWF) identifies type 2N von Willebrand disease (VWD). Type 2N VWD patients are identified by means of the VWF FVIII binding (VWF:FVIIIB) assay, and especially their VWF:FVIIIB/VWF:Ag ratio (VWF:FVIIIB ratio).

Aim

We report on our 15‐year experience of diagnosing type 2N VWD.

Methods

We have performed 2178 VWF:FVIIIB assays in bleeders and normal subjects.

Results

von Willebrand factor (VWF):FVIIIB was reduced in 682, but only 60 had low VWF:FVIIIB ratios (<0.74). Among nine patients who had a VWF:FVIIIB ratio below 0.3, four had normal VWF levels and were homozygotes for the p.R854Q mutation; the other five had low VWF levels due to a quantitative VWF mutation combined with p.R854Q. The VWF:FVIIIB ratio ranged between 0.3 and 0.73 in 51 subjects; 34 of them were heterozygotes for the p.R854Q mutation, while one carried the p.R760C. The heterozygotes for type 2N included subjects with or without bleeding symptoms, the former with significantly lower mean VWF levels than the latter. Among the 116 normal subjects tested, six were heterozygotes for the p.R854Q mutation (all asymptomatic).

Conclusions

The prevalence of type 2N in our VWD cohort was 2.5%, and 5.2% of the general population in Northeast Italy was found heterozygous for the p.R854Q mutation. It might be difficult to reveal a type 2N defect using routine tests alone, especially when it is combined with a quantitative VWF mutation. Accordingly, we always recommend VWF:FVIIIB assay in the diagnostic workup of VWD.
Serum autotaxin is a useful liver fibrosis marker in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection
Authors: Joshita Satoru , Ichikawa Yuki , Umemura Takeji , Usami Yoko , Sugiura Ayumi , Shibata Soichiro , Yamazaki Tomoo , Fujimori Naoyuki , Komatsu Michiharu , Matsumoto Akihiro , Igarashi Koji , Ota Masao , Tanaka Eiji
Published: November 2017

Aim

Autotaxin (ATX) is a secreted enzyme that is considered to be associated with liver damage as well as fibrosis. This study assessed the ability of ATX to diagnose liver fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection.

Methods

Serum ATX levels were retrospectively evaluated in 101 treatment‐naïve patients with HBV‐related chronic hepatitis or cirrhosis, all of whom had undergone liver biopsy at our hospital.

Results

Serum ATX concentration increased significantly according to liver fibrosis stage in overall (r = 0.46, P < 0.0001), male (r = 0.55, P < 0.0001), and female (r = 0.52, P = 0.0006) patient groups. When analyzed by gender, serum ATX was one of the most reliable markers for all fibrosis stages compared with other tested non‐invasive markers, which included hyaluronic acid, type IV collagen 7S, aspartate aminotransferase‐to‐platelet ratio index, and fibrosis index based on four factors, according to receiver operating characteristic curve analysis.

Conclusion

Based on this histologically proven data, ATX represents a novel non‐invasive biomarker for liver fibrosis in HBV‐infected patients.
Comparison of human umbilical cord blood‐derived mesenchymal stem cells with healthy fibroblasts on wound‐healing activity of diabetic fibroblasts
Authors: Jung Jae‐A , Yoon Young‐Don , Lee Hyup‐Woo , Kang So‐Ra , Han Seung‐Kyu
Published: November 2017

Various types of skin substitutes composed of fibroblasts and/or keratinocytes have been used for the treatment of diabetic ulcers. However, the effects have generally not been very dramatic. Recently, human umbilical cord blood‐derived mesenchymal stromal cells (hUCB‐MSCs) have been commercialised for cartilage repair as a first cell therapy product using allogeneic stem cells. In a previous pilot study, we reported that hUCB‐MSCs have a superior wound‐healing capability compared with fibroblasts. The present study was designed to compare the treatment effect of hUCB‐MSCs with that of fibroblasts on the diabetic wound healing in vitro. Diabetic fibroblasts were cocultured with healthy fibroblasts or hUCB‐MSCs. Five groups were evaluated: group I, diabetic fibroblasts without coculture; groups II and III, diabetic fibroblasts cocultured with healthy fibroblasts or hUCB‐MSCs; and groups IV and V, no cell cocultured with healthy fibroblasts or hUCB‐MSCs. After a 3‐day incubation, cell proliferation, collagen synthesis levels and glycosaminoglycan levels, which are the major contributing factors in wound healing, were measured. As a result, a hUCB‐MSC‐treated group showed higher cell proliferation, collagen synthesis and glycosaminoglycan level than a fibroblast‐treated group. In particular, there were significant statistical differences in collagen synthesis and glycosaminoglycan levels (P = 0·029 and P = 0·019, respectively). In conclusion, these results demonstrate that hUCB‐MSCs may have a superior effect to fibroblasts in stimulating diabetic wound healing.
An exploratory study of safety culture, biological risk management and hand hygiene of healthcare professionals
Authors: Bernard Laurence , Biron Alain , Lavigne Geneviève , Frechette Julie , Bernard Agnès , Mitchell Jonathan , Lavoie‐Tremblay Mélanie
Published: November 2017

Aims

The objectives of the study were to: (1) examine the relationships between three different qualitative perceptions of safety culture and the Canadian Patient Safety Climate Survey factors; (2) determine whether these perceptions are associated with different hand hygiene practices.

Background

Healthcare‐associated infections and safety cultures are a worldwide issue. During the A/H1N1 Influenza pandemic, Europe and North America did not have the same responses. Importantly, healthcare professionals' perceptions can influence patient safety through infection prevention practices like hand hygiene.

Design

A cross‐sectional design was used with data collected in 2015.

Methods

The Canadian Patient Safety Culture Survey and hand hygiene observations were gathered from three healthcare centres (two Canadian and one European). Descriptive analyses and ANOVAs were conducted to explore healthcare professionals' safety perceptions and practices.

Results

The rates of hand hygiene practices varied widely between the three sites, ranging from 35–77%. One site (Site 3) was found to have the highest scores of management follow‐up, feedback about incidents, supervisory leadership for safety, unit learning culture and senior leadership support for safety, and the highest levels of overall patient safety grades for the unit and organization.

Conclusion

The quantitative results of this study support the previously described model based on qualitative results: individual culture, blaming culture and collaborative culture. Differences between continents emerged regarding infection prevention practices and the way we qualify infections. The results raise concerns about infection practices and about safety cultures and challenges worldwide.
Consumer Litigation Funding and Medical Malpractice Litigation: Examining the Effect of Rancman v. Interim Settlement Funding Corporation
Authors: Xiao Jean
Published: November 2017

Consumer litigation funding, a growing industry in the United States, is an alternative credit source for cash‐strapped tort plaintiffs. Financiers give plaintiffs nonrecourse loans that are premised on lawsuit outcomes. This article is the first to empirically examine the effect of consumer litigation funding. Specifically, I explore the impact of nonrecourse loans on medical malpractice litigation outcomes by exploiting the variation in timing and geography from two Ohio policy changes: the Ohio Supreme Court's 2003 ban of funding in Rancman v. Interim Settlement Funding Corporation and the state's subsequent legislative legalization of funding in 2008. Using closed‐claim data from the National Practitioner Data Bank, I find evidence that the availability of funding increases claim payment and claim duration.
Chief physicians' attitudes towards early warning score systems in Switzerland: Results of a cross‐sectional survey
Authors: Richard Aline , Frank Olga , Schwappach David
Published: November 2017

Rationale, aims and objectives

Early warning score systems (EWS‐S) have been shown to be valuable tools to recognize otherwise unnoticed clinical deterioration (CDET) of patients. They have been associated with fewer unplanned transfers to the intensive care unit (UTICU) and lower in‐hospital mortality. Little is known about their current usage in Switzerland and about the attitudes towards such tools among chief physicians. We aimed to assess the use of EWS‐S in Switzerland and the attitudes of chief physicians towards EWS‐S depending on previously experienced CDET followed by UTICU, reanimation, or death.

Methods

Chief physicians of medical and surgical departments from all acute care hospitals in Switzerland were asked to participate within a project that aims to develop recommendations for the use of EWS‐S in Switzerland (n = 118). The explorative study assessed perceived CDET, which led to UTICU, reanimation, or death of a patient, the knowledge and usage about different EWS‐S and attitudes towards EWS‐S in a written questionnaire. Means and percentages were used, and differences were assessed with independent t tests, chi‐square, or Fisher exact test, as appropriate.

Results

Adverse events based on CDET were reported frequently, and awareness among chief physicians was high. Less than half of the chief physicians knew tools that systematically assess CDET with one‐fifth of responders reporting using tools at their department. Previous experiences of UTICU, reanimation, or death after due to CDET were associated with more positive attitudes towards EWS‐S.

Conclusions

Adverse events based on CDET of patients are frequent and the awareness of this problem is high among chief physicians. Positive attitudes were more common with previous experiences of adverse events due to CDET. Our results strengthen the argumentation that the recommendation and future implementation of EWS‐S in Switzerland would be meaningful.
Racial Differences in Patterns of Use of Rehabilitation Services for Adults Aged 65 and Older
Authors: Keeney Tamra , Jette Alan M. , Freedman Vicki A. , Cabral Howard
Published: November 2017

Objectives

To examine racial differences in the use of rehabilitation services and functional improvement during receipt of services.

Design

Secondary analysis of the 2016 National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS).

Setting

Standardized in‐person home interviews.

Participants

Community‐dwelling Medicare enrollees (N = 6,309), 1,276 of whom reported receiving rehabilitation services in the previous 12 months.

Measurements

Self‐reported use of rehabilitation services, setting (inpatient, outpatient, home based), reason for use, and perceptions of change in functioning after receiving services.

Results

Controlling for sex, dual eligibility for Medicaid, age, number of chronic conditions, functional mobility at the prior round, income, and geographic region, the odds of receiving rehabilitation services in any setting was 1.38 times as great in whites as in blacks (95% confidence interval = 1.09–1.75). Of those receiving therapy, whites were more likely to receive home‐based and inpatient rehabilitation services, but there were no racial differences in improvement in function.

Conclusion

Strategies are needed to identify possible barriers to use of rehabilitation services for vulnerable groups of aging individuals who need rehabilitation services, particularly older blacks.
Shifting rivers and stationary ground: biogeographic history of slimy salamanders on an isolated bluff in the Mississippi River floodplain
Authors: Shepard D. B. , Kuhns A. R.
Published: November 2017

Geographic barriers are integral to the processes of dispersal and vicariance, but some barriers, such as rivers, may vary spatiotemporally, potentially affecting biodiversity patterns in significant ways. Fountain Bluff is an isolated upland in the Mississippi River floodplain along the Illinois‐Missouri border, USA. The Mississippi River presently runs on the west side of Fountain Bluff, but the course ran on the east side prior to the Illinois glacial stage (~150 000 years ago). The northern slimy salamander (Plethodon glutinosus) occurs to the east in Illinois, whereas the morphologically similar western slimy salamander (Plethodon albagula) occurs to the west in Missouri. We used mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences to determine the species identity of slimy salamanders on Fountain Bluff and test whether they originated via vicariance (P. albagula) or dispersal (P. glutinosus). We found that slimy salamanders on Fountain Bluff are P. glutinosus, which supports the hypothesis that they originated via dispersal from the river bluffs ~6 km to the east. Divergence time estimates corroborated that dispersal likely occurred after the westward diversion of the Mississippi River. The shifting courses of large rivers have had important impacts on biodiversity through the creation and removal of geographic barriers as well as by facilitating passive dispersal across riverine barriers.
Scholarship on Delarivier Manley: Past, Present, and Future
Authors: Carnell Rachel
Published: November 2017

This essay offers an overview of scholarship on Delarivier Manley, from her marginalization by twentieth‐century literary historians, to her scholarly recuperation in the 1980s, to the recent critical reappraisal of her as an innovative writer of political secret histories and an important voice in the female theatre world of the 1690s. This recent scholarship corrects the misperception of Manley as a (mediocre) novelist and finally does her justice as an innovator in every genre in which she wrote—including drama, poetry, epistolary travelogue, secret history, periodical, pamphlet, memoir, and novella. An overview of the historical trends in the field is followed by summaries of recent research on her works in various literary genres.
How gut transcriptional function of Drosophila melanogaster varies with the presence and composition of the gut microbiota
Authors: Bost Alyssa , Franzenburg Soeren , Adair Karen L. , Martinson Vincent G. , Loeb Greg , Douglas Angela E.
Published: November 2017

Despite evidence from laboratory experiments that perturbation of the gut microbiota affects many traits of the animal host, our understanding of the effect of variation in microbiota composition on animals in natural populations is very limited. The core purpose of this study on the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster was to identify the impact of natural variation in the taxonomic composition of gut bacterial communities on host traits, with the gut transcriptome as a molecular index of microbiota‐responsive host traits. Use of the gut transcriptome was validated by demonstrating significant transcriptional differences between the guts of laboratory flies colonized with bacteria and maintained under axenic conditions. Wild Drosophila from six field collections made over two years had gut bacterial communities of diverse composition, dominated to varying extents by Acetobacteraceae and Enterobacteriaceae. The gut transcriptomes also varied among collections and differed markedly from those of laboratory flies. However, no overall relationship between variation in the wild fly transcriptome and taxonomic composition of the gut microbiota was evident at all taxonomic scales of bacteria tested for both individual fly genes and functional categories in Gene Ontology. We conclude that the interaction between microbiota composition and host functional traits may be confounded by uncontrolled variation in both ecological circumstance and host traits (e.g., genotype, age physiological condition) under natural conditions, and that microbiota effects on host traits identified in the laboratory should, therefore, be extrapolated to field population with great caution.
Coordinated delivery and function of bacterial MARTX toxin effectors
Authors: Woida Patrick J. , Satchell Karla J. F.
Published: November 2017

Bacteria often coordinate virulence factors to fine‐tune the host response during infection. These coordinated events can include toxins counteracting or amplifying effects of another toxin or though regulating the stability of virulence factors to remove their function once it is no longer needed. Multifunctional autoprocessing repeats‐in toxin (MARTX) toxins are effector delivery toxins that form a pore into the plasma membrane of a eukaryotic cell to deliver multiple effector proteins into the cytosol of the target cell. The function of these proteins includes manipulating actin cytoskeletal dynamics, regulating signal transduction pathways and inhibiting host secretory pathways. Investigations into the molecular mechanisms of these effector domains are providing insight into how the function of some effectors overlap and regulate one another during infection. Coordinated crosstalk of effector function suggests that MARTX toxins are not simply a sum of all their parts. Instead, modulation of cell function by effector domains may depend on which other effector domain are co‐delivered. Future studies will elucidate how these effectors interact with each other to modulate the bacterial host interaction.
Truncation of a P1 leader proteinase facilitates potyvirus replication in a non‐permissive host
Authors: Shan Hongying , Pasin Fabio , Tzanetakis Ioannis E. , Simón‐Mateo Carmen , García Juan Antonio , Rodamilans Bernardo
Published: November 2017

The Potyviridae family is a major group of plant viruses that includes c. 200 species, most of which have narrow host ranges. The potyvirid P1 leader proteinase self‐cleaves from the remainder of the viral polyprotein and shows large sequence variability linked to host adaptation. P1 proteins can be classified as Type A or Type B on the basis, amongst other things, of their dependence or not on a host factor to develop their protease activity. In this work, we studied Type A proteases from the Potyviridae family, characterizing their host factor requirements. Our in vitro cleavage analyses of potyvirid P1 proteases showed that the N‐terminal domain is relevant for host factor interaction and suggested that the C‐terminal domain is also involved. In the absence of plant factors, the N‐terminal end of Plum pox virus P1 antagonizes protease self‐processing. We performed extended deletion mutagenesis analysis to define the N‐terminal antagonistic domain of P1. In viral infections, removal of the P1 protease antagonistic domain led to a gain‐of‐function phenotype, strongly increasing local infection in a non‐permissive host. Altogether, our results shed new insights into the adaptation and evolution of potyvirids.
Food allergy and atopic dermatitis: Prediction, progression, and prevention
Authors: Mastrorilli Carla , Caffarelli Carlo , Hoffmann‐Sommergruber Karin
Published: November 2017

The rising burden of allergic diseases in childhood requires a compelling need to identify individuals at risk for atopy very early in life or even predict the onset of food allergy and atopic dermatitis since pregnancy. The development and clinical phenotypes of atopic diseases in childhood depend on a complex interaction between genetic and environmental factors, such as allergen exposure, air pollution, and infections. Preventive strategies may include avoidance measures, diet supplements, and early complementary food introduction. Overall, the management of allergic diseases has been improving to date toward a patient's tailored approach. This review will cover the current understanding of risk factors, prediction, and management of food allergy and atopic dermatitis in childhood and discuss how these may contribute to the modification of the natural history of food allergy and atopic dermatitis.
Population axiology
Authors: Greaves Hilary
Published: November 2017

Population axiology is the study of the conditions under which one state of affairs is better than another, when the states of affairs in question may differ over the numbers and the identities of the persons who ever live. Extant theories include totalism, averagism, variable value theories, critical level theories, and “person‐affecting” theories. Each of these theories is open to objections that are at least prima facie serious. A series of impossibility theorems shows that this is no coincidence: It can be proved, for various lists of prima facie intuitively compelling desiderata, that no axiology can simultaneously satisfy all the desiderata on the list. One's choice of population axiology appears to be a choice of which intuition one is least unwilling to give up.
Deactivation and Regeneration of NaTaO3 Photocatalyst in Cooperating Dehydrogenation Coupling of Isopropanol and Hydrogenation Coupling of Acetone Reaction System
Authors: Cao Baoyue , Yu Yan , Xu Shan , Wang Xiangting , Zhang Li , Wang Zhijian , Wang Shumin , Zhang Guochun
Published: November 2017

Photocatalyst activity is influenced by many factors, such as adsorption of by‐products, runoff of surface hydroxyl groups and carriers. In this study, a simple and efficient photocatalyst regeneration method was developed. Results indicated that NaTaO3 photocatalyst lost its photoactivity after three cycles of reaction that involves coupling of isopropanol and hydrogenation coupling of acetone reaction system. Runoff of Na on the surface was the main reason for the deactivation of NaTaO3 photocatalyst. After hydrothermal treatment of the deactivated NaTaO3 with 10 m NaOH at 180°C for 12 h, its photocatalytic activity was restored to the original level. The photocatalytic activity remained stable even after 10 cycles.
Expanding the spectrum of shallow‐marine, mixed carbonate–siliciclastic systems: Processes, facies distribution and depositional controls of a siliciclastic‐dominated example
Authors: Schwarz Ernesto , Veiga Gonzalo D. , Álvarez Trentini Gastón , Isla Manuel F. , Spalletti Luis A.
Published: November 2017

Most of the present knowledge of shallow‐marine, mixed carbonate–siliciclastic systems relies on examples from the carbonate‐dominated end of the carbonate–siliciclastic spectrum. This contribution provides a detailed reconstruction of a siliciclastic‐dominated mixed system (Pilmatué Member of the Agrio Formation, Neuquén Basin, Argentina) that explores the variability of depositional models and resulting stratigraphic units within these systems. The Pilmatué Member regressive system comprises a storm‐dominated, shoreface to basinal setting with three subparallel zones: a distal mixed zone, a middle siliciclastic zone and a proximal mixed zone. In the latter, a significant proportion of ooids and bioclasts were mixed with terrigenous sediment, supplied mostly via along‐shore currents. Storm‐generated flows were the primary processes exporting fine sand and mud to the middle zone, but were ineffective to remove coarser sediment. The distal zone received low volumes of siliciclastic mud, which mixed with planktonic‐derived carbonate material. Successive events of shoreline progradation and retrogradation of the Pilmatué system generated up to 17 parasequences, which are bounded by shell beds associated with transgressive surfaces. The facies distribution and resulting genetic units of this siliciclastic‐dominated mixed system are markedly different to the ones observed in present and ancient carbonate‐dominated mixed systems, but they show strong similarities with the products of storm‐dominated, pure siliciclastic shoreface–shelf systems. Basin‐scale depositional controls, such as arid climatic conditions and shallow epeiric seas might aid in the development of mixed systems across the full spectrum (i.e. from carbonate‐dominated to siliciclastic‐dominated end members), but the interplay of processes supplying sand to the system, as well as processes transporting sediment across the marine environment, are key controls in shaping the tridimensional facies distribution and the genetic units of siliciclastic‐dominated mixed systems. Thus, the identification of different combinations of basin‐scale factors and depositional processes is key for a better prediction of conventional and unconventional reservoirs within mixed, carbonate–siliciclastic successions worldwide.
Design of an optimal state derivative feedback LQR controller and its application to an offshore steel jacket platform
Authors: Yazici Hakan , Sever Mert
Published: November 2017

This paper concerns with the optimal state derivative feedback LQR controller design for vibration control of an offshore steel jacket platform having active tuned mass damper against the wave induced disturbances. Considering that the state derivative signals such as acceleration and velocity are easier to measure rather than the state variables such as displacement, state derivative feedback control strategy is proposed to obtain practically applicable and easily realizable synthesis method. On the basis of convex optimization approach, state derivative feedback LQR controller design is formulated in Linear Matrix Inequalities (LMIs) form to get an optimal feasible solution set. Finally, an offshore steel jacket platform subject to nonlinear self excited wave force is used to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach through simulations. The results show that proposed state derivative LQR controller is very effective in reducing vibration amplitudes of each floor of modeled offshore steel jacket platform and achieves compitable control performance to classical LQR controller design.
Hyperglycaemia induced by chronic i.p. and oral glucose loading leads to hypertension through increased Na+ retention in proximal tubule
Authors: Fakhruddin Selim , Alanazi Wael A. , Alhamami Hussain N. , Briski Karen P. , Jackson Keith E.
Published: November 2017

New Findings

What is the central question of the study?

Chronic glucose feeding accompanied by glucose injection (i.p.) causes sustained hyperglycaemia and hypertension in rats. The exact reason for the hypertension is not known. We explore some molecular pathways of the renal proximal tubule that might promote Na+ retention.

What is the main finding and its importance?

Development of hypertension was mediated by upregulation of the renal renin–angiotensin system and oxidative stress, acting via the Na+–K+‐ATPase α1‐subunit in the proximal tubule, which appears to pump intracellular Na+ into the extracellular space, increasing Na+ reabsorption and blood pressure. Targeting the Na+–K+‐ATPase α1‐subunit might provide a therapeutic strategy for treatment of hypertension.

Feeding animals glucose‐, fructose‐, sucrose‐ and fat‐enriched diets can lead to diet‐induced hyperglycaemia, the severity of which largely depends on the types and concentrations of the nutrients used and duration of the dietary intervention. As a dietary intervention strategy, we adopted glucose‐enriched diet and drinking water, with i.p. glucose injection at a dose previously determined to be effective to establish a sustained hyperglycaemia over a period of 2 weeks. We used four groups of Sprague–Dawley rats: control; glucose treated; glucose plus tempol treated; and glucose plus captopril treated. Blood glucose concentrations started to increase gradually from day 3, peaked (321 mg dl−1) at day 12 and remained at similar levels until the end of the study on day 14 in the glucose treated‐group compared with the control group. In contrast, the tempol‐ and captopril‐treated groups showed significantly high glucose concentrations only in the second week. The plasma insulin concentration was significantly increased in glucose‐treated animals but not in tempol‐ and captopril‐treated groups when compared with the control rats. We also observed elevated blood pressure in the glucose‐treated group compared with the control group, which can be attributed to the increase in angiotensin II concentrations from 46.67 to 99 pg ml−1 (control versus glucose), increased oxidative stress in the cortical proximal tubule (PT), decreased urine flow, and increased expression and activity of the PT‐specific α1‐subunit of Na+–K+‐ATPase in the renal cortex, which is responsible for increased sodium reabsorption from epithelial cells of PT into the peritubular capillaries, leading to increased blood volume and eventual blood pressure. All these events were reversed in captopril‐ and tempol‐treated animals.
Hypoxia‐sensitive pathways in intestinal inflammation
Authors: Brown Eric , Taylor Cormac T.
Published: November 2017

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a common chronic intestinal disorder characterised by a loss of epithelial barrier function leading to the unregulated movement of luminal antigenic material into mucosal tissue with resultant inflammation. In IBD, multiple components of the inflammatory response lead to tissue hypoxia. Mucosal hypoxia leads to the inactivation of prolyl hydroxylase domain‐containing (PHD) enzymes, which in turn leads to the stabilisation of the hypoxia‐inducible factor (HIF), which induces the expression of barrier protective genes. Furthermore, pharmacological hydroxylase inhibition has been shown to be protective in colitis, at least in part through enhancing intestinal epithelial barrier function through HIF‐1‐dependent barrier‐protective gene expression. Therefore, targeting hypoxia‐sensitive pathways represents a new and promising therapeutic approach in IBD.

image
Delay-Dependent Exponential Stabilization for Linear Distributed Parameter Systems With Time-Varying Delay
Authors: Wang Jun-Wei , Sun Chang-Yin
Published: November 2017

This paper extends the framework of Lyapunov–Krasovskii functional to address the problem of exponential stabilization for a class of linearly distributed parameter systems (DPSs) with continuous differentiable time-varying delay and a spatiotemporal control input, where the system model is described by parabolic partial differential-difference equations (PDdEs) subject to homogeneous Neumann or Dirichlet boundary conditions. By constructing an appropriate Lyapunov–Krasovskii functional candidate and using some inequality techniques (e.g., spatial integral form of Jensen's inequalities and vector-valued Wirtinger's inequalities), some delay-dependent exponential stabilization conditions are derived, and presented in terms of standard linear matrix inequalities (LMIs). These stabilization conditions are applicable to both slow-varying and fast-varying time delay cases. The detailed and rigorous proof of the closed-loop exponential stability is also provided in this paper. Moreover, the main results of this paper are reduced to the constant time delay case and extended to the stochastic time-varying delay case, and also extended to address the problem of exponential stabilization for linear parabolic PDdE systems with a temporal control input. The numerical simulation results of two examples show the effectiveness and merit of the main results.
Determination of Viscosity and Wall Slip Behavior of a Polymer-Gel Used for Leakage Control From Couette Viscometry Data
Authors: Wang Gui , Du Hui , Guo Boyun
Published: November 2017

Polymer-gel, as a rheological complex fluid, is vulnerable to slip at solid walls. If wall slip occurs, the accuracy of viscosity measurements that are based on the no-slip boundary condition assumption is affected. This paper presents a general numerical procedure based on Tikhonov regularization for correcting Couette viscometry data in the presence of wall slip. This procedure needs only two-measurement viscosity data from two different annular gap sizes. Using the presented procedure, we determined the viscosity and wall slip behavior of a special polymer-gel used for leakage control. The results show that, the polymer-gel ZND-2 does not always exhibit significant wall slip, until the polymer content reaches a critical level of 0.3–0.5% by mass. An empirical correlation was proposed in power law form to describe the relationship between wall slip velocity and wall shear stress. It indicates that there is a minimum wall shear stress that needs to be overcome for a given polymer-gel sample manifesting wall slip phenomenon. The critical minimum wall shear stress and the gel structure strength increase drastically when the polymer content increases beyond a certain value, which is 1.0% by mass for ZND-2. When wall slip occurs, the difference is remarkable between the slip-corrected and apparent rheological parameters for different annular gap sizes. The slip-corrected rheological properties indicate that the polymer-gel ZND-2 used for leakage control behaves as a yield plastic fluid and has good shear thinning capability.
Effects of Asymmetric Radial Clearance on Performance of a Centrifugal Compressor
Authors: Xu Cheng , Amano Ryoichi S.
Published: November 2017

The centrifugal compressors are widely used in industrial applications. The design, manufacturing, and installation are all critical for the compressor performance. Many studies have been carried out in the past to optimize the compressor performance during compressor design. The manufacturing tolerances and installation errors can cause the performance drop. There are many compressor performance distortions that are not fully understood due to manufacturing and facilities. In this paper, an asymmetrical radial clearance of the impeller due to manufacturing and installation is studied in detail for the performance impacts. The numerical studies and experiments indicated that the asymmetric radial clearance impacts the compressor flow field structure and performance. Experimental results suggested that the manufacturing and installation cause asymmetric radial clearance which decreased the compressor performance in whole operating range. The numerical analysis demonstrated that the impeller asymmetric clearance impacts performance near the design pressure ratio more than other pressure ratios. The numerical studies showed that the maximum clearance location of asymmetric clearance might impact the compressor performance. The proper asymmetricity of diffuser verse the volute may benefit the compressor performance. The excellent compressor performances for centrifugal compressors especially for small centrifugal compressors not only need to have a good aerodynamic design but also need to control manufacturing and installation carefully.
The Motor Active Flexible Suspension and Its Dynamic Effect on the High-Speed Train Bogie
Authors: Yao Yuan , Yan Yapeng , Hu Zhike , Chen Kang
Published: November 2017

We put forward the motor active flexible suspension and investigate its dynamic effects on the high-speed train bogie. The linear and nonlinear hunting stability are analyzed using a simplified eight degrees-of-freedom bogie dynamics with partial state feedback control. The active control can improve the function of dynamic vibration absorber of the motor flexible suspension in a wide frequency range, thus increasing the hunting stability of the bogie at high speed. Three different feedback state configurations are compared and the corresponding optimal motor suspension parameters are analyzed with the multi-objective optimal method. In addition, the existence of the time delay in the control system and its impact on the bogie hunting stability are also investigated. The results show that the three control cases can effectively improve the system stability, and the optimal motor suspension parameters in different cases are different. The direct state feedback control can reduce corresponding feed state's vibration amplitude. Suppressing the frame's vibration can significantly improve the running stability of bogie. However, suppressing the motor's displacement and velocity feedback are equivalent to increasing the motor lateral natural vibration frequency and damping, separately. The time delay over 10 ms in control system reduces significantly the system stability. At last, the effect of preset value for getting control gains on the system linear and nonlinear critical speed is studied.
Circadian actin dynamics drive rhythmic fibroblast mobilization during wound healing
Authors: Hoyle Nathaniel P. , Seinkmane Estere , Putker Marrit , Feeney Kevin A. , Krogager Toke P. , Chesham Johanna E. , Bray Liam K. , Thomas Justyn M. , Dunn Ken , Blaikley John , O’Neill John S.
Published: November 2017

The circadian clock in fibroblasts determines the efficiency of wound healing through rhythmic regulation of actin cytoskeletal dynamics.
Direct Detection of Shigella in Stool Specimens by Use of a Metagenomic Approach
Authors: Liu Jie , Almeida Mathieu , Kabir Furqan , Shakoor Sadia , Qureshi Shahida , Zaidi Anita , Li Shan , Tamboura Boubou , Sow Samba O. , Mandomando Inacio , Alonso Pedro L. , Ramamurthy Thandavarayan , Sur Dipika , Kotloff Karen , Nataro James , Levine Myron M. , Stine O. Colin , Houpt Eric
Published: November 2017

The underestimation of
Shigella
species as a cause of childhood diarrhea disease has become increasingly apparent with quantitative PCR (qPCR)-based diagnostic methods versus culture. We sought to confirm qPCR-based detection of
Shigella
via a metagenomics approach. Three groups of samples were selected from diarrheal cases from the Global Enteric Multicenter Study: nine
Shigella
culture-positive and qPCR-positive (culture
+
qPCR
+
) samples, nine culture-negative but qPCR-positive (culture
−
qPCR
+
) samples, and nine culture-negative and qPCR-negative (culture
−
qPCR
−
) samples. Fecal DNA was sequenced using paired-end Illumina HiSeq, whereby 3.26 × 10
8
± 5.6 × 10
7
high-quality reads were generated for each sample. We used Kraken software to compare the read counts specific to “
Shigella
” among the three groups. The proportions of
Shigella
-specific nonhuman sequence reads between culture
+
qPCR
+
(0.65 ± 0.42%) and culture
−
qPCR
+
(0.55 ± 0.31%) samples were similar (Mann-Whitney U test,
P
= 0.627) and distinct from the culture
−
qPCR
−
group (0.17 ± 0.15%,
P
< 0.05). The read counts of sequences previously targeted by
Shigella/
enteroinvasive
Escherichia coli
(EIEC) qPCR assays, namely,
ipaH
,
virA
,
virG
,
ial
,
ShET2
, and
ipaH3
, were also similar between the culture
+
qPCR
+
and culture
−
qPCR
+
groups and distinct from the culture
−
qPCR
−
groups (
P
< 0.001). Kraken performed well versus other methods: its precision and recall of
Shigella
were excellent at the genus level but variable at the species level. In summary, metagenomic sequencing indicates that
Shigella
/EIEC qPCR-positive samples are similar to those of
Shigella
culture-positive samples in
Shigella
sequence composition, thus supporting qPCR as an accurate method for detecting
Shigella
.
Laboratory Focus on Improving the Culture of Biosafety: Statewide Risk Assessment of Clinical Laboratories That Process Specimens for Microbiologic Analysis
Authors: Munson Erik , Bowles Erin J. , Dern Richard , Beck Eric , Podzorski Raymond P. , Bateman Allen C. , Block Timothy K. , Kropp Joshua L. , Radke Tyler , Siebers Karen , Simmons Brian , Smith Mary A. , Spray-Larson Frances , Warshauer David M.
Published: November 2017

The Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene challenged Wisconsin laboratories to examine their biosafety practices and improve their culture of biosafety. One hundred three clinical and public health laboratories completed a questionnaire-based, microbiology-focused biosafety risk assessment. Greater than 96% of the respondents performed activities related to specimen processing, direct microscopic examination, and rapid nonmolecular testing, while approximately 60% performed culture interpretation. Although they are important to the assessment of risk, data specific to patient occupation, symptoms, and travel history were often unavailable to the laboratory and, therefore, less contributory to a microbiology-focused biosafety risk assessment than information on the specimen source and test requisition. Over 88% of the respondents complied with more than three-quarters of the mitigation control measures listed in the survey. Facility assessment revealed that subsets of laboratories that claim biosafety level 1, 2, or 3 status did not possess all of the biosafety elements considered minimally standard for their respective classifications. Many laboratories reported being able to quickly correct the minor deficiencies identified. Task assessment identified deficiencies that trended higher within the general (not microbiology-specific) laboratory for core activities, such as packaging and shipping, direct microscopic examination, and culture modalities solely involving screens for organism growth. For traditional microbiology departments, opportunities for improvement in the cultivation and management of highly infectious agents, such as acid-fast bacilli and systemic fungi, were revealed. These results derived from a survey of a large cohort of small- and large-scale laboratories suggest the necessity for continued microbiology-based understanding of biosafety practices, vigilance toward biosafety, and enforcement of biosafety practices throughout the laboratory setting.
Respiratory Syncytial Virus: Targeting the G Protein Provides a New Approach for an Old Problem
Authors: Tripp Ralph A. , Power Ultan F. , Openshaw Peter J. M. , Kauvar Lawrence M.
Published: November 2017

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a major cause of lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) annually affecting >2 million children in the United States <5 years old. In the elderly (>65 years old), RSV results in ∼175,000 hospitalizations annually in the United States with a worldwide incidence of ∼34 million. There is no approved RSV vaccine, and treatments are limited. Recently, a phase 3 trial in the elderly using a recombinant RSV F protein vaccine failed to meet its efficacy objectives, namely, prevention of moderate-to-severe RSV-associated LRTI and reduced incidence of acute respiratory disease. Moreover, a recent phase 3 trial evaluating suptavumab (REGN2222), an antibody to RSV F protein, did not meet its primary endpoint of preventing medically attended RSV infections in preterm infants. Despite these setbacks, numerous efforts targeting the RSV F protein with vaccines, antibodies, and small molecules continue based on the commercial success of a monoclonal antibody (MAb) against the RSV F protein (palivizumab). As the understanding of RSV biology has improved, the other major coat protein, the RSV G protein, has reemerged as an alternative target reflecting progress in understanding its roles in infecting bronchial epithelial cells and in altering the host immune response. In mouse models, a high-affinity, strain-independent human MAb to the RSV G protein has shown potent direct antiviral activity combined with the alleviation of virus-induced immune system effects that contribute to disease pathology. This MAb, being prepared for clinical trials, provides a qualitatively new approach to managing RSV for populations not eligible for prophylaxis with palivizumab.