bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Esthetic evaluation and patient‐centered outcomes in root‐coverage procedures
Authors: Mounssif Ilham , Stefanini Martina , Mazzotti Claudio , Marzadori Matteo , Sangiorgi Matteo , Zucchelli Giovanni
Published: March 2018

Treatment of buccal gingival recession is performed for esthetic concerns, root sensitivity, root caries and cervical abrasion resulting from incorrect toothbrushing. Over the years, clinicians and researchers have improved surgical techniques to achieve surrogate end points, such as complete root coverage, gingival recession reduction or keratinized tissue increase, ignoring the input from the patient regarding the true indications for treatment. In the past few years there has been an emphasis to include patient‐centered outcomes in the evaluation of root‐coverage procedures. The aim of this narrative review is to describe the professional objective assessment of the esthetic results after root‐coverage procedures and the patient perception of outcome in terms of esthetics, postoperative morbidity and dentinal hypersensitivity resolution after the treatment of gingival recessions. The need to align professional (surrogate) end points with patient‐centered outcomes (true end points) in the future is emphasized.
The Ability to Influence: A Comparative Analysis of the Role of Advocacy Coalitions in Brazilian Climate Politics
Authors: Aamodt Solveig
Published: March 2018

Cooperation between environmentalists, scientists, and governmental actors was a crucial driver behind Brazil's efforts to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the forest sector from 2004 onward. The same climate coalition's advocacy work to reduce emissions in the energy sector, Brazil's second‐most emitting sector, has been unsuccessful. Why has climate‐policy development been so different in the two sectors? Building on the advocacy coalition framework, this paper analyzes the climate coalition's role, systematically comparing how the coalition has worked to influence policy development in the two key sectors for Brazilian GHG emissions between 2003 and 2015. The paper finds that strong climate‐coalition unity, unambiguous scientific knowledge, economic growth, and international pressure functioned as a constellation of factors that enhanced the climate coalition's ability to take advantage of a climate‐policy window and frame deforestation as a core climate concern. The same constellation of factors was missing in the energy sector.
The significance of superimposed dunes in the Amazon River: Implications for how large rivers are identified in the rock record
Authors: Galeazzi Cristiano P. , Almeida Renato P. , Mazoca Carlos E. M. , Best Jim L. , Freitas Bernardo T. , Ianniruberto Marco , Cisneros Julia , Tamura Larissa N.
Published: March 2018

The recognition of large fluvial channels in the geological record is of great importance for regional palaeohydraulic and palaeogeographical reconstructions, inputs to reservoir modelling, and estimating the input of sediment to sedimentary basins, with consequent larger‐scale implications for modelling basin fill. However, available criteria for the interpretation of the scale of ancient fluvial systems are still poorly tested, particularly the widely‐adopted assumption that the abundance of large‐scale dunes in some deep channels implies that abundant large‐scale cross‐strata sets will be preserved in similar palaeochannels. To test this hypothesis, high‐resolution multibeam echo‐sounding imaging of two reaches in the Amazon River where large dunes are common were investigated, yielding an extensive dataset concerning dune geometry, position within the channel and, most importantly, the presence and distribution of smaller superimposed dunes on their lee sides. These results show that despite 90% of the bedforms at water depths >20 m being constituted by up to 12·2 m high compound dunes, 94% of the lee sides of these dunes are covered by smaller superimposed dunes. These results suggest that steep avalanche foresets that are several metres in height may be rare in the preserved stratigraphic record of these large channels, which are instead more commonly represented by decimetre‐scale cross‐stratified cosets formed by superimposed dunes migrating down the lee side of the large‐scale host bedforms. This observation thus suggests that the recognition of compound dune cosets is key to the interpretation of river‐channel scale, since compound dunes are the principal bedform in most large river channels. Consequently, successions dominated by decimetre‐scale thick cross‐strata sets, but that show rarer preservation of outsized metre‐scale avalanche foresets, and abundant similar‐sized cosets near the base of fining‐upward cycles are probably the most common bedform record of large‐river channels.
On the Preferences for Strong Leadership*
Authors: Chong Alberto , Gradstein Mark
Published: March 2018

Objectives

This article aims to answer the question of who favors strong political leadership, with a few checks on its power.

Methods

First, we specify a formal model to generate testable hypotheses on the relationship between income and attitudes toward strong political leadership support. Then, we test these claims using a rich survey of individual attitudes across countries from 1999 to 2004.

Results

We present evidence indicating that the support for such strong leadership is inversely related to individual income, even after controlling for additional characteristics, such as education. Individual attitudes toward strong leadership are also inversely related to country‐level indicators such as income inequality, level of GDP per capita, and institutional characteristics.

Conclusion

We rationalize these findings by suggesting that a strong leader, sometimes with little legislative oversight, nevertheless benefits from public support in expectation that his policies would provide protection from the expropriation by powerful elites.
Courts and Issue Attention in Canada
Authors: Conway Nicholas D. , Jordan Soren , Ura Joseph Daniel
Published: March 2018

Objective

To inform international discourse about judicial countermajoritarianism, we assess whether decisions enhancing gay rights by Canadian courts increase the media's attention to homosexuality and related topics.

Method

We first collect a data set of monthly counts of relevant articles published in two prominent Canadian newspapers and then estimate Markov‐switching models to evaluate whether increases in media attention to homosexuality are coincident with judicial decisions enhancing gay rights in Canada.

Results

Each of five landmark gay rights decisions is coincident with a period of heightened media attention to homosexuality. The data show that Canadian newspapers publish nearly twice as many relevant stories during these “active” regimes compared to “inactive” periods.

Conclusion

Canadian courts can increase attention to issues in the national media. This result supports a dynamic view of the interaction between courts and democratic majorities in place of the static view of democracy endemic to normative discourse about judicial countermajoritarianism.
U.S. Return Migration and the Decline in Southern Black Disadvantage, 1970–2000*
Authors: Curtis Katherine J.
Published: March 2018

Objective

This study investigates how the Return Migration altered racial inequality in poverty in the American South.

Methods

I disaggregate southern poverty into its separate constituents using household data from the Integrated Public Use Microdata Series (IPUMS) for 1970 through 2000.

Results

The prevalence of poverty declined most dramatically for black southern households and the racial gap in poverty narrowed to the extent that previous substantial regional differences disappeared. A central focus is the contrast between higher poverty and inequality among migrants who returned to their birth state relative to other southern‐born migrants who returned to the South.

Conclusions

The migration experience is diverse and has conflicting consequences for racial inequality; for some, migration maintained economic vulnerability. Given the complex force of migration, I conclude that a nuanced theoretical approach to migration that gives weight to economic and noneconomic motivations is critical to understand the racial dimensions of migration and the associated changes in racial inequality.
Flavonol rhamnosylation indirectly modifies the cell wall defects of RHAMNOSE BIOSYNTHESIS1 mutants by altering rhamnose flux
Authors: Saffer Adam M. , Irish Vivian F.
Published: March 2018

Rhamnose is required in Arabidopsis thaliana for synthesizing pectic polysaccharides and glycosylating flavonols. RHAMNOSE BIOSYNTHESIS1 (RHM1) encodes a UDP‐l‐rhamnose synthase, and rhm1 mutants exhibit many developmental defects, including short root hairs, hyponastic cotyledons, and left‐handed helically twisted petals and roots. It has been proposed that the hyponastic cotyledons observed in rhm1 mutants are a consequence of abnormal flavonol glycosylation, while the root hair defect is flavonol‐independent. We have recently shown that the helical twisting of rhm1 petals results from decreased levels of rhamnose‐containing cell wall polymers. In this study, we found that flavonols indirectly modify the rhm1 helical petal phenotype by altering rhamnose flux to the cell wall. Given this finding, we further investigated the relationship between flavonols and the cell wall in rhm1 cotyledons. We show that decreased flavonol rhamnosylation is not responsible for the cotyledon phenotype of rhm1 mutants. Instead, blocking flavonol synthesis or rhamnosylation can suppress rhm1 defects by diverting UDP‐l‐rhamnose to the synthesis of cell wall polysaccharides. Therefore, rhamnose is required in the cell wall for normal expansion of cotyledon epidermal cells. Our findings suggest a broad role for rhamnose‐containing cell wall polysaccharides in the morphogenesis of epidermal cells.
Use of a modifiedBoari flap for the treatment of a proximal ureteral obstruction in a cat
Authors: Aronson Lillian R. , Cleroux Andreanne , Wormser Chloe
Published: March 2018

Objective

To describe the use and long term outcome of a novel surgical technique developed to treat a proximal ureteral obstruction in a cat.

Study design

Case report.

Animals

A 3‐year‐old female spayed Russian blue cat.

Methods

A 3‐year‐old female spayed Russian blue cat presented with a fever, decreased appetite, vomiting, and abdominal discomfort. A proximal left ureteral obstruction was noted on ultrasonographic examination. No filling defect was noted on antegrade pyelography. Due to the proximal location of the obstruction, a modification of a Boari flap was performed. In the current technique, the ureter was cut proximal to the level of obstruction, and the distal ureter was resected. A flap was created on the ventral surface of the bladder, the cut end of the ureter was pulled through the flap, and a ureteroneocystostomy was performed. The bladder was closed in a simple interrupted pattern.

Results

At re‐evaluation 2 and 4 weeks after surgery, azotemia had resolved. According to ultrasonography, the ureteroneocystostomy site appeared to be healing, and pelvic dilation had resolved. One year later, the cat continued to do well, with no lower urinary tract signs and no abnormality noted on blood tests or ultrasonography.

Conclusion

The tubularized bladder flap originally described by Boari was modified to create a tension‐free ureteroneocystostomy, without complication. This technique relied on surrounding native tissues and resulted in long‐term resolution of the ureteral obstruction.

Clinical significance

A modified Boari flap can lead to long‐term resolution of proximal ureteral obstruction in cats, without requiring stents or permanent implants.
Normally-off operating GaN-based pseudovertical MOSFETs with MBE grown source region
Authors: Hentschel Rico , Schmult Stefan , Wachowiak Andre , Großer Andreas , Gärtner Jan , Mikolajick Thomas
Published: March 2018

In this report, the operation of a normally-off vertical gallium nitride (GaN) metal-oxide field effect transistor with a threshold voltage of 5 V is demonstrated. A crucial step during device fabrication is the formation of the highly n-doped source layer. The authors infer that the use of molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) is highly beneficial for suppressing diffusion of the magnesium (Mg) p-type dopants from the body layer grown by metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy into the source cap. Repassivation of the previously activated Mg acceptors by a hydrogen out-diffusion treatment is suppressed in the ultrahigh vacuum growth environment. Structural and electrical data indicate that the defect density of the GaN substrate is currently limiting device performance much more compared to other effects like varying surface morphology resulting from fluctuations in III/N stoichiometry during the MBE growth.
Array invariant-based calibration of array tilt using a source of opportunity
Authors: Byun Gihoon , Cho Chomgun , Song H. C. , Kim J. S. , Byun Sung-Hoon
Published: March 2018

The array invariant, a robust approach to source-range estimation in shallow water, is based on the dispersion characteristics of broadband signals in ideal waveguides. It involves time-domain plane-wave beamforming using a vertical line array (VLA) to separate multiple coherent arrivals in beam angle and travel time. Typically, a probe signal (i.e., a cooperating source) is required to estimate the Green's function, but the array invariant has been recently extended to a ship of opportunity radiating random signals using a ray-based blind deconvolution [Byun, Kim, Cho, Song, and Byun, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 142, EL286–EL291 (2017)]. Still, one major drawback is its sensitivity to the array tilt, shifting the beam angles and adversely affecting the array invariant parameter that determines the source range. In this paper, a simple optimization algorithm for simultaneous estimation of the array tilt and the source range is presented. The method is applied to a ship of opportunity (200–900 Hz) circling around a 56-m long VLA at a speed of 3 knots (1.5 m/s) at ranges of 1.8–3.6 km in approximately 100-m deep shallow water. It is found that the standard deviation of the relative range error significantly reduces to about 4%, from 14% with no compensation of the array tilt. The estimated tilt angle displayed as a function of the ship's azimuth angle reveals that the VLA is tilted about 3° towards the northwest, suggesting that the array invariant can serve as a remote sensing technique for calibration of the array tilt using a source of opportunity.
Bifidobacterium breve UCC2003 Employs Multiple Transcriptional Regulators To Control Metabolism of Particular Human Milk Oligosaccharides
Authors: James Kieran , O'Connell Motherway Mary , Penno Christophe , O'Brien Rebecca Louise , van Sinderen Douwe
Published: March 2018

Bifidobacterial carbohydrate metabolism has been studied in considerable detail for a variety of both plant- and human-derived glycans, particularly involving the bifidobacterial prototype strain
Bifidobacterium breve
UCC2003. We recently elucidated the metabolic pathways by which the
h
uman
m
ilk
o
ligosaccharide (HMO) constituents lacto-
N
-tetraose (LNT), lacto-
N
-neotetraose (LNnT) and lacto-
N
-biose (LNB) are utilized by
B. breve
UCC2003. However, to date, no work has been carried out on the regulatory mechanisms that control the expression of the genetic loci involved in these HMO metabolic pathways. In this study, we describe the characterization of three transcriptional regulators and the corresponding operator and associated (inducible) promoter sequences, with the latter governing the transcription of the genetic elements involved in LN(n)T/LNB metabolism. The activity of these regulators is dependent on the release of specific monosaccharides, which are believed to act as allosteric effectors and which are derived from the corresponding HMOs targeted by the particular locus.

IMPORTANCE
Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) are a key factor in the development of the breastfed-infant microbiota. They function as prebiotics, selecting for a specific range of microbes, including a number of infant-associated species of bifidobacteria, which are thought to provide a range of health benefits to the infant host. While much research has been carried out on elucidating the mechanisms of HMO metabolism in infant-associated bifidobacteria, to date there is very little understanding of the transcriptional regulation of these pathways. This study reveals a multicomponent transcriptional regulation system that controls the recently identified pathways of HMO metabolism in the infant-associated
Bifidobacterium breve
prototype strain UCC2003. This not only provides insight into the regulatory mechanisms present in other infant-associated bifidobacteria but also provides an example of a network of sequential steps regulating microbial carbohydrate metabolism.
Large Blooms of
Bacillales
(
Firmicutes
) Underlie the Response to Wetting of Cyanobacterial Biocrusts at Various Stages of Maturity
Authors: Karaoz Ulas , Couradeau Estelle , da Rocha Ulisses Nunes , Lim Hsiao-Chien , Northen Trent , Garcia-Pichel Ferran , Brodie Eoin L.
Published: March 2018

Biological soil crusts (biocrusts) account for a substantial portion of primary production in dryland ecosystems. They successionally mature to deliver a suite of ecosystem services, such as carbon sequestration, water retention and nutrient cycling, and climate regulation. Biocrust assemblages are extremely well adapted to survive desiccation and to rapidly take advantage of the periodic precipitation events typical of arid ecosystems. Here we focus on the wetting response of incipient cyanobacterial crusts as they mature from “light” to “dark.” We sampled a cyanobacterial biocrust chronosequence before (dry) and temporally following a controlled wetting event and used high-throughput 16S rRNA and rRNA gene sequencing to monitor the dynamics of microbial response. Overall, shorter-term changes in phylogenetic beta diversity attributable to periodic wetting were as large as those attributable to biocrust successional stage. Notably, more mature crusts showed significantly higher resistance to precipitation disturbance. A large bloom of a few taxa within the
Firmicutes
, primarily in the order
Bacillales
, emerged 18 h after wetting, while filamentous crust-forming cyanobacteria showed variable responses to wet-up across the successional gradient, with populations collapsing in less-developed light crusts but increasing in later-successional-stage dark crusts. Overall, the consistent
Bacillales
bloom accompanied by the variable collapse of pioneer cyanobacteria of the
Oscillatoriales
order across the successional gradient suggests that the strong response of few organisms to a hydration pulse with the mortality of the autotroph might have important implications for carbon (C) balance in semiarid ecosystems.

IMPORTANCE
Desert biological soil crusts are terrestrial topsoil microbial communities common to arid regions that comprise 40% of Earth’s terrestrial surface. They successionally develop over years to decades to deliver a suite of ecosystem services of local and global significance. Ecosystem succession toward maturity has been associated with both resistance and resilience to disturbance. Recent work has shown that the impacts of both climate change and physical disturbance on biocrusts increase the potential for successional resetting. A larger proportion of biocrusts are expected to be at an early developmental stage, hence increasing susceptibility to changes in precipitation frequencies. Therefore, it is essential to characterize how biocrusts respond to wetting across early developmental stages. In this study, we document the wetting response of microbial communities from a biocrust chronosequence. Overall, our results suggest that the cumulative effects of altered precipitation frequencies on the stability of biocrusts will depend on biocrust maturity.
Unraveling Interactions between the Microbiome and the Host Immune System To Decipher Mechanisms of Disease
Authors: Lozupone Catherine A.
Published: March 2018

In recent years, there has been a deluge of papers linking altered microbiome compositions to a myriad of diseases. Mechanistic insight into microbial drivers of disease phenotypes is essential for translation to novel therapies.
Reference values for peak oxygen uptake: cross-sectional analysis of cycle ergometry-based cardiopulmonary exercise tests of 10 090 adult German volunteers from the Prevention First Registry
Authors: Rapp Daniel , Scharhag Jürgen , Wagenpfeil Stefan , Scholl Johannes
Published: March 2018

Objective

This study aims to construct quantile reference values for peak oxygen uptake (V̇O2peak) measured by cycle ergometry-based incremental cardiopulmonary exercise tests.

Design

Cross-sectional study using quantile regressions to fit sex-specific and age-specific quantile curves. Exercise tests were conducted using cycle ergometry. Maximal effort in the exercise tests was assumed when respiratory exchange ratio  ≥1.1 or lactate ≥8 mmol/L or maximal heart rate ≥90% of the age-predicted maximal heart rate. This was assessed retrospectively for a random subsample with an a priori calculated sample size of n=252 participants.

Setting

A network of private outpatient clinics in three German cities recorded the results of cycle ergometry-based cardiopulmonary exercise tests to a central database (Prevention First Registry) from 2001 to 2015.

Participants

10 090 participants (6462 men, 3628 women) from more than 100 local companies volunteered in workplace health promotion programmes. Participants were aged 21 to 83 years, were free of acute complaints and had primarily sedentary working environments.

Main outcome measure

Peak oxygen uptake was measured as absolute V̇O2peakin litres of oxygen per minute and relative V̇O2peakin millilitres of oxygen per kilogram of body mass per minute.

Results

The mean age for both men and women was 46 years. Median relative V̇O2peakwas 36 and 30 mL/kg/min at 40 to 49 years, as well as 32 and 26 mL/kg/min at 50 to 59 years for men and women, respectively. An estimated proportion of 97% of the participants performed the exercise test until exertion.

Conclusions

Reference values and nomograms for V̇O2peakwere derived from a large sample of preventive healthcare examinations of healthy white-collar workers. The presented results can be applied to participants of exercise tests using cycle ergometry who are part of a population that is comparable to this study.
Clinical features, antimicrobial susceptibility patterns and genomics of bacteria causing neonatal sepsis in a children’s hospital in Vietnam: protocol for a prospective observational study
Authors: Toan Nguyen Duc , Darton Thomas C , Boinett Christine J , Campbell James I , Karkey Abhilasha , Kestelyn Evelyne , Thinh Le Quoc , Mau Nguyen Kien , Thanh Tam Pham Thi , Nhan Le Nguyen Thanh , Quang Minh Ngo Ngoc , Phuong Cam Ngoc , Hung Nguyen Thanh , Xuan Ngo Minh , Thuong Tang Chi , Baker Stephen
Published: March 2018

Introduction

The clinical syndrome of neonatal sepsis, comprising signs of infection, septic shock and organ dysfunction in infants ≤4 weeks of age, is a frequent sequel to bloodstream infection and mandates urgent antimicrobial therapy. Bacterial characterisation and antimicrobial susceptibility testing is vital for ensuring appropriate therapy, as high rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), especially in low-income and middle-income countries, may adversely affect outcome. Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) in Vietnam is a rapidly expanding city in Southeast Asia with a current population of almost 8 million. There are limited contemporary data on the causes of neonatal sepsis in Vietnam, and we hypothesise that the emergence of multidrug resistant bacteria is an increasing problem for the appropriate management of sepsis cases. In this study, we aim to investigate the major causes of neonatal sepsis and assess disease outcomes by clinical features, antimicrobial susceptibility profiles and genome composition.

Method and analysis

We will conduct a prospective observational study to characterise the clinical and microbiological features of neonatal sepsis in a major children’s hospital in HCMC. All bacteria isolated from blood subjected to whole genome sequencing. We will compare clinical variables and outcomes between different bacterial species, genome composition and AMR gene content. AMR gene content will be assessed and stratified by species, years and contributing hospital departments. Genome sequences will be analysed to investigate phylogenetic relationships.

Ethics and dissemination

The study will be conducted in accordance with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki and the International Council on Harmonization Guidelines for Good Clinical Practice. Ethics approval has been provided by the Oxford Tropical Research Ethics Committee 35-16 and Vietnam Children’s Hospital 1 Ethics Committee 73/GCN/BVND1. The findings will be disseminated at international conferences and peer-reviewed journals.

Trial registration number

ISRCTN69124914; Pre-results.
Stock structure and connectivity of the American lobster (Homarus americanus) in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence: Do benthic movements matter?
Authors: Morse Bryan L. , Quinn Brady K. , Comeau Michel , Rochette Rémy
Published: March 2018

The long-range dispersal of pelagic larvae is often assumed to be the dominant force behind connectivity in the marine environment, with little consideration given to benthic movements. We analyzed data from an American lobster (Homarus americanus) tagging study (1980–1996) in the Gulf of St. Lawrence during which 37 579 adults from 14 locations were tagged and 6296 were recaptured after 1–6 years at large. The 10th percentile greatest distance moved by tagged lobsters after 1 year at large contributed to demographic connectivity between neighbouring statistical districts, fishing ports, and (in one location) management areas. Considering the incremental dispersal of lobsters after 2 versus 1 year at large, we estimated that the 10th percentile greatest benthic dispersal distances after 1, 2, and 5 years at large represented, respectively, 7%, 14%, and 35% of larval dispersal in the “downstream” direction and 75%, 111%, and 220% of larval dispersal in the “upstream” direction (similar results obtained based on mean dispersal values). We conclude that more attention should be given to benthic movements in estimating connectivity and stock structure in American lobster.
The impact of calcium-rich diamond mining effluent on downstream cladoceran communities in softwater lakes of the Northwest Territories, Canada
Authors: Griffiths Katherine , Thienpont Joshua , Jeziorski Adam , Smol John P.
Published: March 2018

Effluent from diamond mining operations rich in calcium (Ca) has transformed softwater tundra lakes in the Northwest Territories, Canada. Lakes downstream of the Dominion Diamond Corporation Ekati Mine have experienced marked changes in water chemistry and cladoceran community composition since establishment of the mine in 1998. The greatest changes have occurred at the sites closest to the effluent discharge, with [Ca] increasing from <1 to >30 mg·L−1and corresponding increases in pH from <7 to >8. A split was identified in the cladoceran communities with Holopedium glacialis (a jelly-clad cladoceran tolerant of low [Ca]) generally dominating the cladoceran community at [Ca] < 2.5 mg·L−1, while in impacted lakes with [Ca] ≥ 2.5 mg·L−1, Daphnia longiremis and Daphnia middendorffiana (taxa with higher [Ca] requirements) were often dominant. In contrast, the three study lakes that did not receive mining effluent maintained stable and low [Ca] (mean [Ca] = 0.66 ± 0.06 mg·L−1(SD)) throughout the monitoring period and have not experienced directional shifts in their cladoceran communities.
Do low-elevation ravines provide climate refugia for subalpine limber pine (Pinus flexilis) in the Great Basin, USA?
Authors: Millar Constance I. , Charlet David A. , Westfall Robert D. , King John C. , Delany Diane L. , Flint Alan L. , Flint Lorraine E.
Published: March 2018

Climate refugia are locations where decoupled climate processes enable species to persist despite unfavorable climate changes in surrounding landscapes. Despite theoretic bases and paleo-ecological evidence, refugia have not been widely characterized under modern conditions in mountain regions. Conifers in the Great Basin, USA, provide an opportunity to evaluate the potential of low-elevation ravine and riparian (LERR) contexts to function as climate refugia. We provide evidence for significantly higher than expected occurrence of limber pine (Pinus flexilis E. James) in LERR contexts (mean 64%) across 43 mountain ranges. We document with observed and modeled data that LERR contexts are cooler and wetter than expected for their elevations, have low solar radiation, and produce larger (more positive) lapse rates relative to upland slopes. Together these findings suggest that LERR contexts generate decoupled microclimates that provide climate refugia for limber pine. In that refugia management has been promoted as a contemporary climate adaptation strategy, our findings suggest that LERR contexts be further evaluated for their conservation potential.
Climate and habitat influences on bee community structure in Western Canada
Authors: Villalobos Soraya , Vamosi Jana C.
Published: March 2018

The persistence of pollinators in a given habitat is determined in part by traits that affect their response to environmental variables. Here, we show that climate and habitat features are the main drivers of trait distribution in bees across spatially separated habitats. We determined that trait and clade filtering results in bee assemblages in Western Canada exhibiting clustering that is correlated with differences in temperature, humidity, and rainfall. Phylogenetic signals were detected in all traits associated with pollinator life-history strategies, including phenology. The Bombus Latreille, 1802 clade (including the social parasite subgenus Psithyrus Lepeletier, 1833) comprised a higher proportion of prairie bees, whereas assemblages in Garry oak sites exhibited higher representation from solitary bees (e.g., genera Osmia Panzer, 1806, Andrena Fabricius, 1775, Ceratina Latreille, 1802). Because these same traits influence which plant species are pollinated, this selective environmental occupancy within the two different habitats could promote local adaptation of flowering plant species pollinated by more social clades in prairies and more solitary bees in Garry oak.
Heterogeneity and Robustness in Plant Morphogenesis: From Cells to Organs
Authors: Hong Lilan , Dumond Mathilde , Zhu Mingyuan , Tsugawa Satoru , Li Chun-Biu , Boudaoud Arezki , Hamant Olivier , Roeder Adrienne H.K.
Published: March 2018

Development is remarkably reproducible, producing organs with the same size, shape, and function repeatedly from individual to individual. For example, every flower on the Antirrhinum stalk has the same snapping dragon mouth. This reproducibility has allowed taxonomists to classify plants and animals according to their morphology. Yet these reproducible organs are composed of highly variable cells. For example, neighboring cells grow at different rates in Arabidopsis leaves, sepals, and shoot apical meristems. This cellular variability occurs in normal, wild-type organisms, indicating that cellular heterogeneity (or diversity in a characteristic such as growth rate) is either actively maintained or, at a minimum, not entirely suppressed. In fact, cellular heterogeneity can contribute to producing invariant organs. Here, we focus on how plant organs are reproducibly created during development from these highly variable cells.
Sorting in the Labor Market
Authors: Eeckhout Jan
Published: March 2018

This review surveys the literature on sorting in the labor market. There are inherent differences in worker ability and across-firm productivity. Two fundamental questions are whether the exact composition of skills of workers and productivity of firms affects output and how this composition determines the equilibrium allocation of workers within a firm and between firms. There has been a surge of research investigating the causes and consequences of the process of allocation of heterogeneous workers to firms. The focus in this review is on theory that sheds light on open questions in macroeconomics, labor, and industrial organization, with a particular emphasis on the role of firm size. Those models allow us to infer from the observed sorting patterns (who matches with whom) what the underlying technological determinants are and how they have evolved in recent decades. Furthermore, they help us understand the technological origins of important labor market trends, such as the increase in wage inequality and the change in labor market and firm dynamics.
Modeling of Corrosion Rate and Resistivity of Steel Reinforcement of Calcium Aluminate Cement Mortar
Authors: Argiz Cristina , Sanjuán Miguel Ángel , Borges Pedro Castro , Álvarez Emiliano
Published: March 2018

Calcium aluminate cement (CAC) is a binder whose hydrated compounds change over time from cubic phases to hexagonal phases, producing an increase of porosity in reinforced concretes. Thereby, chloride ions, among other steel corrosion promoters, can enter the concrete more easily leading to an increase of the reinforcement corrosion process. When such a transformation of phases is completed, a characteristic value regarding both corrosion intensity (Icorr) and resistivity (related to the ohmic drop of the cementitious material) is reached, which depends mainly on the mix proportions of the material and the curing procedure. This paper presents the characteristic corrosion intensity values of steel embedded in mortars made of CAC after five years of exposure to either a 0.5 mol/l or 1.5 mol/l NaCl solution in order to be applied to estimate the service life of reinforced concrete made of calcium aluminate cement (CAC) which is used in real construction structures. Ohmic drop measurements are also presented to support the values obtained. The aim of this paper is to model the corrosion rate and resistivity of the steel reinforcement of calcium aluminate cement mortar with regard to environmental factors (temperature and chloride content) and mortar quality (water/cement ratio).
Efficacy and Safety of Daikenchuto for Constipation and Dose-Dependent Differences in Clinical Effects
Authors: Hirose Tatsuya , Shinoda Yasutaka , Kuroda Ayaka , Yoshida Aya , Mitsuoka Machiko , Mori Kouki , Kawachi Yuki , Moriya Akihiro , Tanaka Kouji , Takeda Atsuko , Yoshimura Tomoaki , Sugiyama Tadashi
Published: March 2018

Background. Daikenchuto (DKT) is a Kampo medicine used for the treatment of constipation. In this study, we evaluated the effectiveness of DKT against constipation. Patients and Methods. Thirty-three patients administered DKT for constipation were selected and divided into low-dose (7.5 g DKT; n=22) and high-dose (15 g DKT; n=11) groups. We retrospectively evaluated weekly defaecation frequency, side effects, and clinical laboratory data. Results. Median defaecation frequencies after DKT administration (5, 5.5, 5, and 8 for the first, second, third, and fourth weeks, resp.) were significantly higher than that before DKT administration (2) in all 33 cases (P<0.01). One case (3%) of watery stool, one case of loose stools (3%), and no cases of abdominal pain (0%) were observed. Median defaecation frequencies in the high-dose group (7 and 9) were significantly higher than those in the low-dose group (4 and 3) in the first (P=0.0133) and second (P=0.0101) weeks, respectively. There was no significant change in clinical laboratory values. Conclusion. We suggest that DKT increases defaecation frequency and is safe for treating constipation.
Context‐Aware Cloud Service Selection Model for Mobile Cloud Computing Environments
Authors: Wu Xu
Published: March 2018

Mobile cloud computing (MCC) has attracted extensive attention in recent years. With the prevalence of MCC, how to select trustworthy and high quality mobile cloud services becomes one of the most urgent problems. Therefore, this paper focuses on the trustworthy service selection and recommendation in mobile cloud computing environments. We propose a novel service selection and recommendation model (SSRM), where user similarity is calculated based on user context information and interest. In addition, the relational degree among services is calculated based on PropFlow algorithm and we utilize it to improve the accuracy of ranking results. SSRM supports a personalized and trusted selection of cloud services through taking into account mobile user’s trust expectation. Simulation experiments are conducted on ns3 simulator to study the prediction performance of SSRM compared with other two traditional approaches. The experimental results show the effectiveness of SSRM.
Learning Automata Based Caching for Efficient Data Access in Delay Tolerant Networks
Authors: Ma Zhenjie , Wang Haoran , Shi Ke , Wang Xinda
Published: March 2018

Effective data access is one of the major challenges in Delay Tolerant Networks (DTNs) that are characterized by intermittent network connectivity and unpredictable node mobility. Currently, different data caching schemes have been proposed to improve the performance of data access in DTNs. However, most existing data caching schemes perform poorly due to the lack of global network state information and the changing network topology in DTNs. In this paper, we propose a novel data caching scheme based on cooperative caching in DTNs, aiming at improving the successful rate of data access and reducing the data access delay. In the proposed scheme, learning automata are utilized to select a set of caching nodes as Caching Node Set (CNS) in DTNs. Unlike the existing caching schemes failing to address the challenging characteristics of DTNs, our scheme is designed to automatically self‐adjust to the changing network topology through the well‐designed voting and updating processes. The proposed scheme improves the overall performance of data access in DTNs compared with the former caching schemes. The simulations verify the feasibility of our scheme and the improvements in performance.
Spacelike Hypersurfaces in Weighted Generalized Robertson-Walker Space-Times
Authors: Liu Ximin , Zhang Ning
Published: March 2018

Applying generalized maximum principle and weak maximum principle, we obtain several uniqueness results for spacelike hypersurfaces immersed in a weighted generalized Robertson-Walker (GRW) space-time under suitable geometric assumptions. Furthermore, we also study the special case when the ambient space is static and provide some results by using Bochner’s formula.
Exploring the Pharmacological Mechanism of Danzhi Xiaoyao Powder on ER‐Positive Breast Cancer by a Network Pharmacology Approach
Authors: Yang Kailin , Zeng Liuting , Ge Jinwen
Published: March 2018

Background. Breast cancer is the most common malignancy among women worldwide, but the long‐term endocrine therapy is frequently associated with adverse side effects. Danzhi Xiaoyao powder (DXP) is a herbal formula that has an effect on breast cancer, especially ER‐positive breast cancer. However, the active compounds, potential targets, and pharmacological and molecular mechanism of its action against cancer remain unclear. Methods. A network pharmacology approach comprising drug‐likeness evaluation, oral bioavailability prediction, Caco‐2 permeability prediction, multiple compound target prediction, multiple known target collection, breast cancer genes collection, and network analysis has been used in this study. Results. Four networks are set up—namely, ER‐positive breast cancer network, compound‐compound target network of DXP, DXP‐ER‐positive breast cancer network, and compound‐known target‐ER‐positive breast cancer network. Some ER‐positive breast cancer and DXP related targets, clusters, biological processes, and pathways, and several potential anticancer compounds are found. Conclusion. This network analysis successfully predicted, illuminated, and confirmed the molecular synergy of DXP for ER‐positive breast cancer, got potential anticancer active compounds, and found the potential ER‐positive breast cancer associated targets, cluster, biological processes, and pathways. This work also provides clues to the researcher who explores ethnopharmacological or/and herbal medicine’s or even multidrugs’ various synergies.
Inorganic Polyphosphate, Exopolyphosphatase, andPho84-Like Transporters May Be Involved in Copper Resistance inMetallosphaera sedulaDSM 5348T
Authors: Rivero Matías , Torres-Paris Constanza , Muñoz Rodrigo , Cabrera Ricardo , Navarro Claudio A. , Jerez Carlos A.
Published: March 2018

Polyphosphates (PolyP) are linear polymers of orthophosphate residues that have been proposed to participate in metal resistance in bacteria and archaea. In addition of having a CopA/CopB copper efflux system, the thermoacidophilic archaeonMetallosphaera sedulacontains electron-dense PolyP-like granules and a putative exopolyphosphatase (PPXMsed,Msed_0891) and four presumedpho84-like phosphate transporters (Msed_0846,Msed_0866,Msed_1094, andMsed_1512) encoded in its genome. In the present report, the existence of a possible PolyP-based copper-resistance mechanism inM. sedulaDSM 5348Twas evaluated.M. sedulaDSM 5348Taccumulated high levels of phosphorous in the form of granules, and its growth was affected in the presence of 16 mM copper. PolyP levels were highly reduced after the archaeon was subjected to an 8 mM CuSO4shift. PPXMsedwas purified, and the enzyme was found to hydrolyze PolyPin vitro. Essential residues for catalysis of PPXMsedwere E111 and E113 as shown by a site-directed mutagenesis of the implied residues. Furthermore,M. sedula ppx,pho84-like, andcopTMAgenes were upregulated upon copper exposure, as determined by qRT-PCR analysis. The results obtained support the existence of a PolyP-dependent copper-resistance system that may be of great importance in the adaptation of this thermoacidophilic archaeon to its harsh environment.
Identification of Pathogenic Genes of Nonsyndromic Hearing Loss in Uyghur Families Using Massively Parallel DNA Sequencing Technique
Authors: Chen Yu , Lu Yu , Kuyaxi Pilidong , Cheng Jing , Zhao Juan , Zhao Qi , Musha Patiguli , Zhang Hua , Yuan Huijun
Published: March 2018

We aim to identify the mutations of deafness genes using massively parallel DNA sequencing in the 12 Uyghur families. SNPscan method was used to screen against the 124 sites in the common deafness genes in probands. Subjects with SNPscan negativity were subject to massively parallel DNA sequencing for the sequencing of 97 genes known to be responsible for hearing loss. Eight families (66.7%) showed biallelic mutations in probands, including MYO15A mutation (6892C>T in J02 family, 9514C>T/7894G>T in J07 family, and 9514C>T in J16 family), MYO7A mutation (1258A>T in J03 family), TMC1 mutation (773G>A in J09 family and 1247T>G/1312G>A in J11 family), and PCDH15 mutation (4658delT in J08 and J13 families). Six novel types of mutation were identified including 6892C>T, 9514C>T/7894G>T, and 9514C>T in MYO15A gene, 1258A>T in MYO7A, 773G>A in TMC1, and 4658delT in PCDH15. The ratio of nonsense mutation and frameshift mutation was comparatively high. All these indicated that the mutation types reported in this study were rare. In conclusion, rare deafness genes were identified in the Uyghur families using massively parallel DNA sequencing, part of which were suggested to be related to the pathogenesis of the disease.
One-Step 18F-Labeling of Estradiol Derivative for PET Imaging of Breast Cancer
Authors: Huang Hongbo , Li Ke , Lv Gaochao , Liu Guiqing , Zhao Xueyu , Liu Qingzhu , Wang Shanshan , Li Xi , Qiu Ling , Lin Jianguo
Published: March 2018

Positron emission tomography (PET) imaging is a useful method to evaluate in situ estrogen receptor (ER) status for the early diagnosis of breast cancer and optimization of the appropriate treatment strategy. The 18F-labeled estradiol derivative has been successfully used to clinically assess the ER level of breast cancer. In order to simplify the radiosynthesis process, one-step 18F-19F isotope exchange reaction was employed for the 18F-fluorination of the tracer of [18F]AmBF3-TEG-ES. The radiotracer was obtained with the radiochemical yield (RCY) of ~61% and the radiochemical purity (RCP) of >98% within 40 min. Cell uptake and blocking assays indicated that the tracer could selectively accumulate in the ER-positive human breast cancer cell lines MCF-7 and T47D. In vivo PET imaging on the MCF-7 tumor-bearing mice showed relatively high tumor uptake (1.4~2.3 %D/g) and tumor/muscle uptake ratio (4~6). These results indicated that the tracer is a promising PET imaging agent for ER-positive breast cancers.
Kidney Transplantation: The Challenge of Human Leukocyte Antigen and Its Therapeutic Strategies
Authors: Alelign Tilahun , Ahmed Momina M. , Bobosha Kidist , Tadesse Yewondwossen , Howe Rawleigh , Petros Beyene
Published: March 2018

Kidney transplantation remains the treatment of choice for end-stage renal failure. When the immune system of the recipient recognizes the transplanted kidney as a foreign object, graft rejection occurs. As part of the host immune defense mechanism, human leukocyte antigen (HLA) is a major challenge for graft rejection in transplantation therapy. The impact of HLA mismatches between the donor and the potential recipient prolongs the time for renal transplantation therapy, tethered to dialysis, latter reduces graft survival, and increases mortality. The formation of pretransplant alloantibodies against HLA class I and II molecules can be sensitized through exposures to blood transfusions, prior transplants, and pregnancy. These preformed HLA antibodies are associated with rejection in kidney transplantation. On the other hand, the development of de novo antibodies may increase the risk for acute and chronic rejections. Allograft rejection results from a complex interplay involving both the innate and the adaptive immune systems. Thus, further insights into the mechanisms of tissue rejection and the risk of HLA sensitization is crucial in developing new therapies that may blunt the immune system against transplanted organs. Therefore, the purpose of this review is to highlight facts about HLA and its sensitization, various mechanisms of allograft rejection, the current immunosuppressive approaches, and the directions for future therapy.
EBV-Associated Lymphoproliferative Disorder and Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis in a Patient with Severe Celiac Disease
Authors: Kinross-Wright John Jacob , Potu Kalyan Chakravarthy , Pownell Brandy , Lamfers Randall , Bleeker Jonathan S.
Published: March 2018

Background. Epstein-Barr virus- (EBV-) associated lymphoproliferative disease (LPD) is a rare condition, usually occurring in immunocompromised patients. We report a case of EBV-associated LPD in a patient with severe celiac disease, the first report to describe this syndrome in a patient with this diagnosis.Case Summary. A 69-year-old Caucasian woman with recent diagnosis of celiac sprue presented to our hospital with persistent diarrhea, abdominal pain, weight loss, and fatigue despite adherence to gluten-free diet for a number of weeks prior to presentation. She underwent evaluation for occult malignancy and was found to have diffuse intra-abdominal mesenteric lymphadenopathy on CT scan. Biopsy of mesenteric nodes revealed an EBV positive, CD20 positive mixed lymphoproliferative process with T-cell predominance, but without a monoclonal cell population felt to be consistent with EBV-associated LPD. Bone marrow biopsy revealed hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, complicating her course. She was treated with steroids and rituximab but continued to decline, eventually developing MSSA bacteremia and succumbing to her disease.Conclusion. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the constellation of celiac sprue, EBV-associated LPD, and hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis. Providers caring for patients with severe, uncontrolled celiac disease and adenopathy should consider EBV-associated LPD.