bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Organic Nanowire Lasers with Epitaxially Grown Crystals of Semiconducting Oligomers
Authors: Torii Kazuki , Higuchi Tetsuya , Mizuno Kei , Bando Kazuki , Yamashita Kenichi , Sasaki Fumio , Yanagi Hisao
Published: June 2017

Epitaxially grown nanowires of semiconducting thiophene/phenylene co‐oligomers (TPCOs) were prepared by mask‐shadowing deposition on a cleaved (001) surface of a potassium chloride (KCl) crystal. Under optical pumping, single nanowires of both unsubstituted (p‐type) and cyano‐substituted (n‐type) TPCOs exhibited axial Fabry–Pérot (F‐P) lasing above a threshold fluence which decreased to 11–15 μJ cm−2 with increasing nanowire lengths. Their lying molecular orientation and stacking along the nanowire axis in both TPCOs are suitable for effective light propagation with transverse‐electric mode resulting in better lasing performances compared to two‐dimensional platelet crystals of TPCOs.
Proximate composition, phytochemical analysis, and in vitro antioxidant potentials of extracts of Annona muricata (Soursop)
Authors: Agu Kingsley C. , Okolie Paulinus N.
Published: June 2017

Numerous bioactive compounds and phytochemicals have been reported to be present Annona muricata (Soursop). Some of these chemical compounds have been linked to the ethnomedicinal properties of the plant and its antioxidant properties. The aim of this study was to assess the proximate composition, phytochemical constituents and in vitro antioxidant properties of A. muricata using standard biochemical procedures. The defatted Annona muricata crude methanolic extracts of the different parts of the plant were used for the estimation of proximate composition and phytochemical screening. The crude methanolic extracts of the different parts of the plant were also fractionated using solvent–solvent partitioning. Petroleum ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate, methanol, and methanol‐water (90:10) were the solvents used for the fractionation. The different fractions obtained were then used to perform in vitro antioxidant analyses including, 1, 1‐diphenyl‐2‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging ability, ferric reducing properties, and hydroxyl radical scavenging ability. The leaf methanolic extract had a higher lipid content, whereas its chloroform fraction demonstrated a better ability to quench DPPH free radical. The root‐bark methanol‐water, leaf methanol, fruit pulp chloroform, and leaf petroleum ether fractions demonstrated potent ferric reducing properties. The leaf and stem‐bark petroleum ether fractions demonstrated better hydroxyl‐free radical scavenging abilities. The leaf and fruit pulp of Annona muricata have a very potent antioxidant ability compared to the other parts of the plant. This can be associated with the rich phytochemicals and other phytoconstituents like phenols, flavonoids, alkaloids, and essential lipids, etc. Significant correlations were observed between the antioxidant status and phytochemicals present. These results thus suggest that some of the reported ethnomedicinal properties of this plant could be due to its antioxidant potentials.
Investigation of perioperative complications associated with use of uterine compression sutures
Authors: Suzuki Yosuke , Matsuzaki Shinya , Mimura Kazuya , Kumasawa Keiichi , Tomimatsu Takuji , Endo Masayuki , Kimura Tadashi
Published: June 2017

Objective

To assess the association between use of uterine compression sutures (UCSs) and postoperative complications.

Methods

In a retrospective analysis, data were reviewed from cesarean deliveries at a medical center in Osaka, Japan, between January 2011 and March 2016. The deliveries were divided into elective and emergency cesarean groups. For each group, data on postoperative complications were compared between patients with UCSs and those without UCSs but at least 1500 mL of blood loss.

Results

Data from 158 patients were included in the study. No severe complications were observed. Among the patients who underwent elective cesarean, no differences were observed between the UCS and non‐UCS groups in the frequency of postoperative endometritis (3/28 [10.7%] vs 6/54 [11.1%]; P=0.957) or ileus (2/28 [7.1%] vs 3/54 [5.6%]; P=0.776). After emergency cesarean, postoperative endometritis was significantly more common in the UCS than in the non‐UCS group (8/39 [20.5%] vs 4/37 [10.8%]; P=0.021), but the frequency of ileus did not differ (1/39 [2.6%] vs 2/37 [5.4%]; P=0.61).

Conclusion

Use of UCSs during emergency cesarean delivery might increase the risk of postoperative endometritis.
Diagnostic utility of radiological heterogeneity in acute severe (fulminant) autoimmune hepatitis
Authors: Fujiwara Keiichi , Yasui Shin , Yokosuka Osamu , Oda Shigeto , Kato Naoya
Published: June 2017

Background

Histological examination is useful for the diagnosis of acute severe (fulminant) autoimmune hepatitis (AIH), but it is sometimes difficult to perform liver biopsy due to the complicated coagulopathy and ascites. We have shown that heterogeneous hypoattenuation on unenhanced computed tomography (CT) is a characteristic imaging feature of acute severe (fulminant) AIH. In the present study, we examined the utility of the imaging feature by applying the score to diagnose acute severe (fulminant) AIH.

Methods

Twenty‐three patients with acute severe (fulminant) AIH were analyzed retrospectively. Modified AIH score was created by adding three points to AIH score with/without histological points in case of the presence of heterogeneous hypoattenuation on unenhanced CT.

Results

Areas of hypoattenuation were present in 15 (65%) patients, all of which were heterogeneous pattern. Five (22%) patients were diagnosed as “definite” AIH, 16 (69%) as “probable” and two (9%) as “non‐diagnosis” by the revised original score without histological score. By adding three points, two of “non‐diagnosis” changed to “probable” AIH, and all patients were diagnosed as AIH.

Conclusions

Modified AIH score using heterogeneous CT image finding would be beneficial especially for patients in whom histological examinations cannot be performed because of complications.
Quantity and quality of particulate organic matter controls bacterial production in the Columbia River estuary
Authors: Crump Byron C. , Fine Lindy M. , Fortunato Caroline S. , Herfort Lydie , Needoba Joseph A. , Murdock Sheryl , Prahl Fredrick G.
Published: June 2017

Estuaries function as “bioreactors” for fluvial materials in which microbial, biogeochemical, and ecological processes transform organic matter and nutrients prior to export to coastal oceans. The impact of estuarine bioreactors is linked to the bioavailability and residence time of fluvial material, and to rates of microbial activity. In the Columbia River estuary, water residence time is short (approximately 2 d), but particle residence time is extended by estuarine turbidity maxima (ETM). To investigate relationships between organic matter and microbial activity, samples were collected in spring and fall 2012 and summer 2013, and ETM particles were fractionated by settling velocity using an Owen‐style settling column. Data were also analyzed from 16 other sampling campaigns conducted in 1990–2009. The composition of suspended particulate matter shifted seasonally following the spring freshet and river phytoplankton bloom with decreasing organic content, increasing C/N ratio, and an increasing contribution of autochthonous particulate organic matter (POM) produced in four shallow lateral bays (based on del‐PO13C and pigment ratios). Heterotrophic bacterial production responded to seasonal changes in POM and correlated most strongly with estimates of labile particulate nitrogen during any particular season, and with the riverine flux of chlorophyll a (Chl a) across all seasons. Regression models suggest that labile particulate nitrogen and bacterial production can be predicted from sensor‐based measurements including turbidity, salinity, and temperature in the estuary and Chl a in the river. These results demonstrate that heterotrophic activity in the Columbia River estuary is controlled by POM lability, and by the degree to which ETM retain and concentrate POM.
Metagenomic analysis of the complex microbial consortium associated with cultures of the oil‐rich alga Botryococcus braunii
Authors: Sambles Christine , Moore Karen , Lux Thomas M. , Jones Katy , Littlejohn George R. , Gouveia João D. , Aves Stephen J. , Studholme David J. , Lee Rob , Love John
Published: June 2017

Microalgae are widely viewed as a promising and sustainable source of renewable chemicals and biofuels. Botryococcus braunii synthesizes and secretes significant amounts of long‐chain (C30‐C40) hydrocarbons that can be subsequently converted into gasoline, diesel, and aviation fuel. B. braunii cultures are not axenic and the effects of co‐cultured microorganisms on B. braunii growth and hydrocarbon yield are important, but sometimes contradictory. To understand the composition of the B. braunii microbial consortium, we used high throughput Illumina sequencing of metagenomic DNA to profile the microbiota within a well established, stable B. braunii culture and characterized the demographic changes in the microcosm following modification to the culture conditions. DNA sequences attributed to B. braunii were present in equal quantities in all treatments, whereas sequences assigned to the associated microbial community were dramatically altered. Bacterial species least affected by treatments, and more robustly associated with the algal cells, included members of Rhizobiales, comprising Bradyrhizobium and Methylobacterium, and representatives of Dyadobacter, Achromobacter and Asticcacaulis. The presence of bacterial species identified by metagenomics was confirmed by additional 16S rDNA analysis of bacterial isolates. Our study demonstrates the advantages of high throughput sequencing and robust metagenomic analyses to define microcosms and further our understanding of microbial ecology.
Urinary manifestations in Isaacs's syndrome. Our experience in 8 cases
Authors: Gonzalez Primomo Silvia N. , Blas Leandro , Bertotti Alicia C. , Ameri Carlos
Published: June 2017

Introduction

Isaacs's syndrome (IS), is a rare neurological disorder, characterized by sustained muscular activity, fasciculations, cramps, myokymia, excessive sweating, and occasional elevation of creatine phosphokinase (CPK) enzyme.

Aim

To report our experience in patients with IS and urinary manifestations, describing clinical findings, test's results, and response to treatment.

Methods An observational, retrospective analysis of patients with IS and urinary manifestations treated at German Hospital of Buenos Aires between 2001 and 2011 was done. Diagnosis was performed with clinical examination and electromyography (EMG) of external sphincter of the anus and/or urethra. Demographic, clinical, and treatment variables were analyzed. International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS) at diagnosis and follow up was made.

Results

Eleven IS patients were recruited, of whom 8 (72.72%) were females with a mean age 47.87 years (DS ± 13.95) and presented associated lower tract urinary symptoms (LUTS). Six of them (75%) had voiding and 2 (25%) filling symptoms. Urodynamic and electromyographic findings reproduced symptomatology in all patients. Patients with voiding symptomatology were treated with combination of alpha‐blockers with benzodiazepines; membrane stabilizings agents; antiepileptics; neurotropic; corticoids; posterior tibial nerve stimulation and botulinum toxin, achieving improvement in 4/6. The two patients with storage symptoms were treated in first instance with anticholinergic drugs, one of which did not respond completely was added oral pentosansulfate and electrical stimulation, reversing the symptomatology. Four patients had associated pathologies: Hashimoto's thyroiditis; Sjögren's syndrome; dysautonomia, and myasthenia gravis.

Conclusions

In our experience, IS urinary manifestations are common and usually has a good evolution with adequate treatment for each patient.
A Community Health Worker–Delivered Intervention in African American Women with Type 2 Diabetes: A 12‐Month Randomized Trial
Authors: Lutes Lesley D. , Cummings Doyle M. , Littlewood Kerry , Dinatale Emily , Hambidge Bertha
Published: June 2017

Objective

To evaluate the effectiveness of a community health worker (CHW)–delivered lifestyle intervention for African American women with type 2 diabetes.

Methods

Participants were randomized to either 16 phone‐based lifestyle intervention sessions aimed at making small changes in their diet and activity or 16 educational mailings sent across 12 months. Main outcomes included glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), blood pressure (BP), and weight (kg) changes.

Results

Two hundred middle‐aged (mean = 53 ± 10.24 years), rural, African American women with moderate obesity (mean BMI = 37.7 ± 8.02) and type 2 diabetes (mean HbA1c = 9.1 ± 1.83) were enrolled. At 12 months, the intervention group exhibited no significant differences in HbA1c (−0.29 ± 1.84 vs. + 0.005 ± 1.61; P = 0.789) or BP (−1.01 ± 20.46/+0.66 ± 13.24 vs. + 0.22 ± 25.33/−2.87 ± 1.52; P = 0.100) but did exhibit greater weight loss (−1.35 ± 6.22  vs. −0.39 ± 4.57 kg, respectively; P = 0.046) compared with controls. Exploratory post hoc analyses revealed that participants not using insulin had significantly greater reductions in HbA1c (−0.70 ± 1.86 vs. + 0.07 ± 2.01; P = 0.000), diastolic BP (−5.17 ± 14.16 vs. −3.40 ± 14.72 mmHg; P = 0.035), and weight (−2.36 ± 6.59 vs. −1.64 ± 4.36 kg; P = 0.003) compared to controls not on insulin.

Conclusions

A phone‐based CHW intervention resulted in no significant improvements in HbA1c or BP but did demonstrate modest improvements in weight. Women not using insulin showed significant improvements in all primary outcomes.
Automated robot‐assisted surgical skill evaluation: Predictive analytics approach
Authors: Fard Mahtab J. , Ameri Sattar , Darin Ellis R. , Chinnam Ratna B. , Pandya Abhilash K. , Klein Michael D.
Published: June 2017

Background

Surgical skill assessment has predominantly been a subjective task. Recently, technological advances such as robot‐assisted surgery have created great opportunities for objective surgical evaluation. In this paper, we introduce a predictive framework for objective skill assessment based on movement trajectory data. Our aim is to build a classification framework to automatically evaluate the performance of surgeons with different levels of expertise.

Methods

Eight global movement features are extracted from movement trajectory data captured by a da Vinci robot for surgeons with two levels of expertise – novice and expert. Three classification methods – k‐nearest neighbours, logistic regression and support vector machines – are applied.

Results

The result shows that the proposed framework can classify surgeons' expertise as novice or expert with an accuracy of 82.3% for knot tying and 89.9% for a suturing task.

Conclusion

This study demonstrates and evaluates the ability of machine learning methods to automatically classify expert and novice surgeons using global movement features.
Molecular cloning and biochemical characterization of two novel oligo‐1,6‐glucosidases from Bacillus mycoides and Thermomyces lanuginosus
Authors: Dong Zixing , Hao Xiaoming , Pokhrel Daman S. , Chen Xiaoling , Liu Xiaoguang , Mchunu Nokuthula P. , Permaul Kugenthiren , Singh Suren , Niu Dandan , Wang Zhengxiang
Published: June 2017

High‐glucose syrup has wide applications in the feed and fermentation industries. However, during its regular production process, because of the slow hydrolysis of α‐1,6‐glucosidic linkages in maltodextrins by glucoamylase, yields of glucose higher than 96% are rarely achieved. To find a suitable enzyme for the saccharification process, two novel genes encoding oligo‐1,6‐glucosidases (OGL, EC 3.2.1.10) from Bacillus mycoides (bmogl) and Thermomyces lanuginosus (tlogl) were successfully cloned and overexpressed in Pichia pastoris GS115. At the shake‐flask fermentation level, the OGL activities of the two recombinants GS115 (pPIC9K‐bmogl) and GS115 (pPIC9K‐tlogl) were 994 and 1219 U/mL, respectively; and mature enzymes around 66–68 kDa were purified for characterization. Recombinant enzyme TlOGL exhibited higher thermostability than ever reported for OGLs, whereas BmOGL was stable under acidic pH, ranging from 4.0 to 8.0. Among the substrates tested, these two recombinant enzymes efficiently hydrolyzed isomaltose and isomaltotriose, but had no activity against maltose and maltotriose. Besides these characteristics, nearly complete hydrolysis of isomaltotriose and 90% of isomaltooligosaccharides (IMOs) into glucose was also observed for them, which makes them good candidates for subsequent use in improving the yield of glucose from starch. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the expression and characterization of OGLs from B. mycoides and T. lanuginosus.
The effect of timescales on wind farm power variability with nonlinear model predictive control
Authors: Curtis Saunders D. , Marshall Jeffrey S. , Hines Paul D.
Published: June 2017

Model predictive control techniques enable operators to balance multiple objectives in large wind farms, but the controller design depends on modeling effects that propagate at different timescales. This paper uses nonlinear model predictive control to investigate how wind farm power variability can be reduced both by varying ratios of three timescales impacting the system control and by inclusion of a power variability minimization measure in the controller objective function. Tests were conducted to assess how different timescale ratios affect the average farm power and power variability. Power variability measures are shown to be sensitive to the ratio of the incident wind period and the turbine time delay, particularly for cases with dominant incident wind frequencies. The average farm power increases in a series of steps as the controller time horizon increases, which corresponds to time horizon values required for wakes disturbances to propagate to downstream turbines. A second set of tests was conducted in which various measures of power variability were incorporated into the controller objective function and shown to yield significant reductions in farm power variability without significant reductions in farm power output. The controller was found to utilize two different approaches for achieving power variability reduction depending on the formulation of the controller objective function. These results have important implications for the design and operation of wind power plants, including the importance of considering the frequency components of wind during turbine siting and the potential to reduce power variability through the use of farm‐level coordinated control. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
“Making people buy and eat differently”: lessons from the modernisation of small independent grocery stores in the early twentieth century
Authors: Cochoy Franck
Published: June 2017

Food studies teach us much about foods and eaters, but despite their impressive coverage and richness, they pay little attention to what occurs between the two: they tend to neglect the many market professionals and “market-things” that act as a bridge between food products and consumers. This paper proposes to fill the gap by examining how the transformation of the grocery business and related techniques contributed to reshaping the food industry’s strategies, the content of foods and the identity of eaters. This investigation was conducted by studying the trade magazineProgressive Grocerover the period 1922–1959. It shows how the journal promoted a new art of “making people buy and eat”. Grocers were invited to modify their practices, hence the eaters’ experience, by implementing two different strategies: a movement of “betterment” of their previous service know-how and then a more radical movement of “replacement” of this know-how by the new “self-service” arrangement. By following these two movements, we understand how grocery professionals and techniques made us buy and eat, but made us do so differently, to the extent that the grocery business and related devices changed foods as well as consumers’ identities.
Left atrial remodeling: Regional differences between paroxysmal and persistent atrial fibrillation
Authors: Kogawa Rikitake , Okumura Yasuo , Watanabe Ichiro , Nagashima Koichi , Takahashi Keiko , Iso Kazuki , Watanabe Ryuta , Arai Masaru , Kurokawa Sayaka , Ohkubo Kimie , Nakai Toshiko , Hirayama Atsushi , Sonoda Kazumasa , Tosaka Toshimasa
Published: June 2017

Background

The mechanisms underlying self‐perpetuation of persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) are not well understood. To gain insight into these mechanisms, we conducted a study comparing left atrial (LA) electroanatomic maps obtained during sinus rhythm between patients with paroxysmal AF (PAF) and patients with persistent AF (PerAF).

Methods

The study included 23 men with PAF (age, 56.3±12.1 years) and 13 men with PerAF (age, 54.3±13.4 years). LA voltage mapping was performed during sinus rhythm. The clinical and electroanatomic characteristics of the two groups were evaluated and analyzed statistically.

Results

The bipolar voltages at the LA septum, roof, and posterior wall, right superior pulmonary vein (PV) and its antrum, right superior PV carina, and right inferior PV antrum were significantly lower in patients with PerAF than in those with PAF. The bipolar voltages in other parts of the LA did not differ statistically between the two groups.

Conclusion

PAF and PerAF seem to be characterized by differences in the regional voltage in the LA and PVs. The LA structural remodeling of PerAF may initiate from the right PVs and their antra and LA septum, roof, and posterior wall.
From the Editor
Authors: Scott John C.
Published: June 2017

The goal of focal articles in Industrial and Organizational Psychology: Perspectives on Science and Practice is to present new ideas or different takes on existing ideas and stimulate a conversation in the form of comment articles that extend the arguments in the focal article or that present new ideas stimulated by those articles. The two focal articles in this issue stimulated a wide range of reactions and a good deal of constructive input.
Serological study of Neospora caninum in dogs and wildlife in a nature conservation area in southern Portugal
Authors: WAAP H. , NUNES T. , VAZ Y. , LEITÃO A.
Published: June 2017

A serological survey was performed to evaluate the presence of specific antibodies againstNeospora caninumin dogs and native animals in a wildlife conservation area in southern Portugal. The study involved 463 animals, including dogs (n = 286), European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus;n = 32), Egyptian mongoose (Herpestes ichneumon;n = 34), wild boars (Sus scrofa;n = 26), foxes (Vulpes vulpes,n = 25), common genets (Genetta genetta;n = 17), red deer (Cervus elaphus;n = 14), wildcats (Felis silvestris;n = 6), four mustelid species (n = 17) and rodents (n = 6). Samples from dogs were analysed by Indirect Fluorescent Antibody Test (IFAT). Samples from wild animals were screened by the modified agglutination test and positive and doubtful results were confirmed by IFAT. The seroprevalence ofN. caninumin dogs was 32·5% [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 27·3–38·1]. Among wild animals, exposure toN. caninumwas confirmed only in foxes (12%, 95% CI 4·2–30) and rabbits (25%, 95% CI 13·3–42·1). This is the first evidence of natural exposure toN. caninumin foxes and rabbits in Portugal, and our results suggest that rabbits may play a role as reservoirs of infection to dogs, foxes and other wildlife carnivores. The relevance of this finding in the sylvatic cycle ofN. caninumneeds further studies, since infection may affect wildlife species and cattle grazing in the same areas.
Carbohydrate nutrition and risk of adiposity-related cancers: results from the Framingham Offspring cohort (1991–2013)
Authors: Makarem Nour , Bandera Elisa V. , Lin Yong , Jacques Paul F. , Hayes Richard B. , Parekh Niyati
Published: June 2017

Higher carbohydrate intake, glycaemic index (GI), and glycaemic load (GL) are hypothesised to increase cancer risk through metabolic dysregulation of the glucose-insulin axis and adiposity-related mechanisms, but epidemiological evidence is inconsistent. This prospective cohort study investigates carbohydrate quantity and quality in relation to risk of adiposity-related cancers, which represent the most commonly diagnosed preventable cancers in the USA. In exploratory analyses, associations with three site-specific cancers: breast, prostate and colorectal cancers were also examined. The study sample consisted of 3184 adults from the Framingham Offspring cohort. Dietary data were collected in 1991–1995 using a FFQ along with lifestyle and medical information. From 1991 to 2013, 565 incident adiposity-related cancers, including 124 breast, 157 prostate and sixty-eight colorectal cancers, were identified. Cox proportional hazards models were used to evaluate the role of carbohydrate nutrition in cancer risk. GI and GL were not associated with risk of adiposity-related cancers or any of the site-specific cancers. Total carbohydrate intake was not associated with risk of adiposity-related cancers combined or prostate and colorectal cancers. However, carbohydrate consumption in the highestv. lowest quintile was associated with 41 % lower breast cancer risk (hazard ratio (HR) 0·59; 95 % CI 0·36, 0·97). High-, medium- and low-GI foods were not associated with risk of adiposity-related cancers or prostate and colorectal cancers. In exploratory analyses, low-GI foods, were associated with 49 % lower breast cancer risk (HR 0·51; 95 % CI 0·32, 0·83). In this cohort of Caucasian American adults, associations between carbohydrate nutrition and cancer varied by cancer site. Healthier low-GI carbohydrate foods may prevent adiposity-related cancers among women, but these findings require confirmation in a larger sample.
The Origins of American International Retailing: Tiffany of New York in London and Paris, 1837–1914
Authors: Alexander Nicholas , Doherty Anne Marie
Published: June 2017

This article considers the international retailing activities of Tiffany of New York between 1837 and 1914. Using data from the company archive alongside other sources, the findings indicate that five factors were determinants of sustainable international retailing: a centralized organizational structure, a stable ownership structure, existing international engagement, a strong brand identity, and a relevant international retail format. Placing Tiffany's activities in its wider commercial and consumer context, the findings illustrate the organizational changes and asset combination required to support the development of early international retail operations. The article contributes to theoretical understanding of the dynamics of retail internationalization.
Magazines and the Making of America: Modernization, Community, and Print Culture, 1741–1860
Authors: O'Donnell Catherine
Published: June 2017

Someone could go a long way toward telling the story of my life through its magazines: the Highlights my parents gave me, determined that my small self should be as entertained and enlightened as possible; my grandparents’ neatly collected Readers’ Digests, which I eagerly read until learning my freshman year in college that they were hopelessly bourgeois; the New Yorkers I loved and displayed in my graduate student apartment, the Vanity Fairs I loved and hid under the bed. Magazines tell the story of who I was supposed to be and who I wanted to be. Or perhaps they don't; how much of what the magazines meant to me is visible in the historical record? I didn't purchase all that I read, after all, nor did I read all that I purchased. A magazine I loved one year might embarrass me the next, and then find its way back into favor, my subscription all the while remaining unchanged. Magazines, in short, are both perplexing and promising subjects of analysis, with the question of how they create communities of readers posing perhaps the most promising and perplexing question of all.
The Time and the Place to Network: Werner Siemens during the Era of Prussian Industrialization, 1835–1846
Authors: Johnston Jean-Michel
Published: June 2017

This article revisits the interplay between enterprise, technology, science, and the state in the latter stages of Prussia's “early industrialization.” Tracing the footsteps of Werner Siemens as he sought to establish a business in Berlin during the 1840s, it highlights the social networks that enabled individuals and ideas to circulate between the military establishment, administrative departments, scientific circles, and entrepreneurial communities. At heart, these abstract entities constituted dense clusters of individuals who shared strong connections to one another, but whose contacts with other groups also enabled them to mobilize resources. During the 1840s, fostered by the dynamism of Berlin's expansion, social networks stepped into the breach caused by the Reform Era's upheaval of traditional employment structures and the emergence of a market economy. They provided a means of negotiating the uncertain socioeconomic circumstances that characterizedVormärzPrussia.
Loss of CD40 attenuates experimental diabetes-induced retinal inflammation but does not protect mice from electroretinogram defects
Authors: SAMUELS IVY S. , PORTILLO JOSE-ANDRES C. , MIAO YANLING , KERN TIMOTHY S. , SUBAUSTE CARLOS S.
Published: June 2017

Chronic low grade inflammation is considered to contribute to the development of experimental diabetic retinopathy (DR). We recently demonstrated that lack of CD40 in mice ameliorates the upregulation of inflammatory molecules in the diabetic retina and prevented capillary degeneration, a hallmark of experimental diabetic retinopathy. Herein, we investigated the contribution of CD40 to diabetes-induced reductions in retinal function via the electroretinogram (ERG) to determine if inflammation plays a role in the development of ERG defects associated with diabetes. We demonstrate that diabetic CD40−/− mice are not protected from reduction to the ERG b-wave despite failing to upregulate inflammatory molecules in the retina. Our data therefore supports the hypothesis that retinal dysfunction found in diabetics occurs independent of the induction of inflammatory processes.
The International Law Collections of the IALS Library
Authors: Swift Hester
Published: June 2017

This article concerns the international law collections at the library of the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (IALS) in London. It is based on a talk given by Hester Swift at the training day entitled ‘Socio-Legal Sources and Methods in International Law’ which was held at IALS on 25 November 2016.
The Impact of Occupational Rewards on Risk Taking Among Managers
Authors: Ceschi Andrea , Costantini Arianna , Dickert Stephan , Sartori Riccardo
Published: June 2017

Abstract. Managers often have to deal with the financial and ethical risks that companies face. Evidence from risk management research suggests a negative relationship between people’s age and risk taking tendencies. Within such a framework, the present contribution examines how different perceived occupational rewards may mediate or interact with the relationship between age and risk taking of managers at the company level. Our results show that perceived rewards in terms of job security partially mediate the relationship between age and ethical risk taking, while perceived rewards related to job promotion moderate the effect of age on financial risk taking. We further discuss the role of different organizational strategies to preserve an organization’s health.
Measurement of nanoscale three-dimensional diffusion in the interior of living cells by STED-FCS
Authors: Lanzanò Luca , Scipioni Lorenzo , Di Bona Melody , Bianchini Paolo , Bizzarri Ranieri , Cardarelli Francesco , Diaspro Alberto , Vicidomini Giuseppe
Published: June 2017

The observation of molecular diffusion at different spatial scales, and in particular below the optical diffraction limit (<200 nm), can reveal details of the subcellular topology and its functional organization. Stimulated-emission depletion microscopy (STED) has been previously combined with fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) to investigate nanoscale diffusion (STED-FCS). However, stimulated-emission depletion fluorescence correlation spectroscopy has only been used successfully to reveal functional organization in two-dimensional space, such as the plasma membrane, while, an efficient implementation for measurements in three-dimensional space, such as the cellular interior, is still lacking. Here we integrate the STED-FCS method with two analytical approaches, the recent separation of photons by lifetime tuning and the fluorescence lifetime correlation spectroscopy, to simultaneously probe diffusion in three dimensions at different sub-diffraction scales. We demonstrate that this method efficiently provides measurement of the diffusion of EGFP at spatial scales tunable from the diffraction size down to ∼80 nm in the cytoplasm of living cells.
Molecular epidemiology of Mycobacterium bovis in Cameroon
Authors: Egbe N. F. , Muwonge A. , Ndip L. , Kelly R. F. , Sander M. , Tanya V. , Ngwa V. Ngu , Handel I. G. , Novak A. , Ngandalo R. , Mazeri S. , Morgan K. L. , Asuquo A. , de C. Bronsvoort B. M.
Published: June 2017

We describe the largest molecular epidemiological study of Bovine Tuberculosis (bTB) in a sub-Saharan African country with higher spatial resolution providing new insights into bTB. Four hundred and ninety-nine samples were collected for culture from 201 and 179 cattle with and without bTB-like lesions respectively out of 2,346 cattle slaughtered at Bamenda, Ngaoundere, Garoua and Maroua abattoirs between 2012–2013. Two hundred and fifty-five M. bovis were isolated, identified and genotyped using deletion analysis, Hain® Genotype MTBC, spoligotyping and MIRU-VNTR. African 1 was the dominant M. bovis clonal complex, with 97 unique genotypes including 19 novel spoligotypes representing the highest M. bovis genetic diversity observed in Africa to date. SB0944 and SB0953 dominated (63%) the observed spoligotypes. A third of animals with multiple lesions had multiple strain infections. Higher diversity but little evidence of recent transmission of M. bovis was more common in Adamawa compared to the North-West Region. The Adamawa was characterised by a high frequency of singletons possibly due to constant additions from an active livestock movement network compared to the North-West Region where a local expansion was more evident. The latter combined with population-based inferences suggest an unstable and stable bTB-endemic status in the North-West and Adamawa Regions respectively.
Transplanted adipose-derived stem cells can be short-lived yet accelerate healing of acid-burn skin wounds: a multimodal imaging study
Authors: Muhammad Ghulam , Xu Jiadi , Bulte Jeff W. M. , Jablonska Anna , Walczak Piotr , Janowski Miroslaw
Published: June 2017

The incidence of accidental and intentional acid skin burns is rising. Current treatment strategies are mostly inadequate, leaving victims disfigured and without treatment options. Here, we have shown that transplantation of adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) accelerates the process of acid burn wound-healing. Pre-conditioning of ASCs using ascorbic acid (AA) or hypoxic conditions provided additional benefit. While the wounds were ultimately healed in all mice, histological analysis revealed that, in non-transplanted animals, the number of hair follicles was reduced. Bioluminescent imaging (BLI) of transplanted ASCs revealed a gradual loss of transplanted cells, with a similar rate of cell death for each treatment group. The signal of fluorinated cells detected by a clinically applicable19F MRI method correlated with the BLI findings, which points to19F MRI as a reliable method with which to track ASCs after transplantation to skin wounds. No difference in therapeutic effect or cell survival was observed between labeled and non-labeled cells. We conclude that, despite being short-lived, transplanted ASCs can accelerate wound-healing and reduce hair loss in acid-burn skin injury. The fluorine nanoemulsion is a clinically applicable cell label capable of reporting on the survival of transplanted cells.
A novel function for globulin in sequestering plant hormone: Crystal structure of Wrightia tinctoria 11S globulin in complex with auxin
Authors: Kumar Pramod , Kesari Pooja , Dhindwal Sonali , Choudhary Ashish K. , Katiki Madhusudhanarao , Neetu  , Verma Aparna , Ambatipudi Kiran , Tomar Shailly , Sharma Ashwani Kumar , Mishra Girish , Kumar Pravindra
Published: June 2017

Auxin levels are tightly regulated within the plant cell, and its storage in the isolated cavity of proteins is a measure adopted by cells to maintain the availability of auxin. We report the first crystal structure of Wrightia tinctoria 11S globulin (WTG) in complex with Indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), an auxin, at 1.7 Å resolution. WTG hexamers assemble as a result of the stacking interaction between the hydrophobic surfaces of two trimers, leaving space for the binding of charged ligands. The bound auxin is stabilized by non-covalent interactions, contributed by four chains in each cavity. The presence of bound ligand was confirmed by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) and high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS). Here, we hypothesize that the cleavage of globulins by endopeptidases leads to the movement of the hydrophilic loop region from the surface to the periphery, leaving space for the binding of auxin, and promotes hexamer formation. As the process of germination proceeds, there is a change in the pH, which induces the dissociation of the hexamer and the release of auxin. The compact hexameric assembly ensures the long-term, stable storage of the hormone. This suggests a role for globulin as a novel player in auxin homeostasis.
High-dose fluconazole in combination with amphotericin B is more efficient than monotherapy in murine model of cryptococcosis
Authors: Santos Julliana Ribeiro Alves , Ribeiro Noelly Queiroz , Bastos Rafael Wesley , Holanda Rodrigo Assunção , Silva Letícia Chagas , Queiroz Estela Rezende , Santos Daniel Assis
Published: June 2017

Cryptococcus spp., the causative agents of cryptococcosis, are responsible for deaths of hundreds of thousands of people every year worldwide. The drawbacks of available therapeutic options are aggravated by the increased resistance of yeast to the drugs, resulting in inefficient therapy. Also, the antifungal 5FC is not available in many countries. Therefore, a combination of antifungal drugs may be an interesting option, but in vitro and theoretical data point to the possible antagonism between the main antifungals used to treat cryptococcosis, i.e., fluconazole (FLC), and amphotericin B (AMB). Therefore, in vivo studies are necessary to test the above hypothesis. In this study, the efficacy of FLC and AMB at controlling C. gattii infection was evaluated in a murine model of cryptococcosis caused by C. gattii. The infected mice were treated with FLC + AMB combinations and showed a significant improvement in survival as well as reduced morbidity, reduced lung fungal burden, and the absence of yeast in the brain when FLC was used at higher doses, according to the Tukey test and principal component analysis. Altogether, these results indicate that combinatorial optimization of antifungal therapy can be an option for effective control of cryptococcosis.
3D Printed Silicones with Shape Memory
Authors: Wu Amanda S. , Small IV Ward , Bryson Taylor M. , Cheng Emily , Metz Thomas R. , Schulze Stephanie E. , Duoss Eric B. , Wilson Thomas S.
Published: June 2017

Direct ink writing enables the layer-by-layer manufacture of ordered, porous structures whose mechanical behavior is driven by architecture and material properties. Here, we incorporate two different gas filled microsphere pore formers to evaluate the effect of shell stiffness and Tg on compressive behavior and compression set in siloxane matrix printed structures. The lower Tg microsphere structures exhibit substantial compression set when heated near and above Tg, with full structural recovery upon reheating without constraint. By contrast, the higher Tg microsphere structures exhibit reduced compression set with no recovery upon reheating. Aside from their role in tuning the mechanical behavior of direct ink write structures, polymer microspheres are good candidates for shape memory elastomers requiring structural complexity, with potential applications toward tandem shape memory polymers.
Attenuation of Innate Immunity by Andrographolide Derivatives Through NF-κB Signaling Pathway
Authors: Nie Xin , Chen Shao-Ru , Wang Kun , Peng Yuran , Wang Yi-Tao , Wang Decai , Wang Ying , Zhou Guo-Chun
Published: June 2017

Andrographolide derivatives or analogs exhibit potent anti-inflammatory effects in several disease models through NF-κB activity. In this study, we synthesized different andrographolide derivatives and investigated their effects on the toll-like receptor (TLR)-induced production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Among these compounds, 3b, 5a, and 5b inhibited both TNF-α/NF-κB and TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathways. Treatment with compounds 3b, 5a, and 5b and their structural analogs, 3a and 6b, suppressed the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines upon the activation of TLR3 and TLR4 ligands. Compounds 3b and 5a, but not 3a, 5b, or 6b, inhibited the nuclear translocation of the NF-κB p65 subunit. Treatment with compounds 3b, 5a, 3a, 5b, and 6b attenuated the phosphorylation of p65 and IκBα. Compounds 6b suppressed the expression of the NF-κB p65 subunit. However, these compounds, except for 5b, did not affect the TLR9-induced NF-κB-independent production of the pro-inflammatory cytokines, TNF-α, and IFN-β. Compound 3b potentially protected mice from LPS-induced acute pulmonary inflammation through the inhibition of p65 phosphorylation and the decrease of serum pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokine. Our study revealed a functional structure–activity relationship between andrographolide derivatives and innate immunity. We identified compound 3b as a potent immune suppressive agent with the potential to protect acute pulmonary infection.
Whole Mitogenomes Reveal the History of Swamp Buffalo: Initially Shaped by Glacial Periods and Eventually Modelled by Domestication
Authors: Wang S. , Chen N. , Capodiferro M. R. , Zhang T. , Lancioni H. , Zhang H. , Miao Y. , Chanthakhoun V. , Wanapat M. , Yindee M. , Zhang Y. , Lu H. , Caporali L. , Dang R. , Huang Y. , Lan X. , Plath M. , Chen H. , Lenstra J. A. , Achilli A. , Lei C.
Published: June 2017

The newly sequenced mitochondrial genomes of 107 Asian swamp buffalo (Bubalus bubalis carabensis) allowed the reconstruction of the matrilineal divergence since ~900 Kya. Phylogenetic trees and Bayesian skyline plots suggest a role of the glacial periods in the demographic history of swamp buffalo. The ancestral swamp-buffalo mitogenome is dated ~232 ± 35 Kya. Two major macro-lineages diverged during the 2nd Pleistocene Glacial Period (~200–130 Kya), but most (~99%) of the current matrilines derive from only two ancestors (SA1′2 and SB) that lived around the Last Glacial Maximum (~26–19 Kya). During the late Holocene optimum (11–6 Kya) lineages differentiated further, and at least eight matrilines (SA1, SA2, SB1a, SB1b, SB2a, SB2b, SB3 and SB4) were domesticated around 7–3 Kya. Haplotype distributions support an initial domestication process in Southeast Asia, while subsequent captures of wild females probably introduced some additional rare lineages (SA3, SC, SD and SE). Dispersal of domestic buffaloes created local population bottlenecks and founder events that further differentiated haplogroup distributions. A lack of maternal gene flow between neighboring populations apparently maintained the strong phylogeography of the swamp buffalo matrilines, which is the more remarkable because of an almost complete absence of phenotypic differentiation.
Osteopontin facilitates West Nile virus neuroinvasion via neutrophil “Trojan horse” transport
Authors: Paul Amber M. , Acharya Dhiraj , Duty Laurel , Thompson E. Ashley , Le Linda , Stokic Dobrivoje S. , Leis A. Arturo , Bai Fengwei
Published: June 2017

West Nile virus (WNV) can cause severe human neurological diseases including encephalitis and meningitis. The mechanisms by which WNV enters the central nervous system (CNS) and host-factors that are involved in WNV neuroinvasion are not completely understood. The proinflammatory chemokine osteopontin (OPN) is induced in multiple neuroinflammatory diseases and is responsible for leukocyte recruitment to sites of its expression. In this study, we found that WNV infection induced OPN expression in both human and mouse cells. Interestingly, WNV-infected OPN deficient (Opn−/−) mice exhibited a higher survival rate (70%) than wild type (WT) control mice (30%), suggesting OPN plays a deleterious role in WNV infection. Despite comparable levels of viral load in circulating blood cells and peripheral organs in the two groups, WNV-infected polymorphonuclear neutrophil (PMN) infiltration and viral burden in brain of Opn−/− mice were significantly lower than in WT mice. Importantly, intracerebral administration of recombinant OPN into the brains of Opn−/− mice resulted in increased WNV-infected PMN infiltration and viral burden in the brain, which was coupled to increased mortality. The overall results suggest that OPN facilitates WNV neuroinvasion by recruiting WNV-infected PMNs into the brain.
Effective Dispersal of Caribbean Reef Fish is Smaller than Current Spacing Among Marine Protected Areas
Authors: Beltrán Diana M. , Schizas Nikolaos V. , Appeldoorn Richard S. , Prada Carlos
Published: June 2017

The oceans are deteriorating at a fast pace. Conservation measures, such as Marine Protected Areas, are being implemented to relieve areas from local stressors and allow populations to restore to natural levels. Successful networks of MPAs operate if the space among MPAs is smaller than the dispersal capacity of the species under protection. We studied connectivity patterns across populations in a series of MPAs in the common yellowhead Jawfish, Opistognathus aurifrons. Using the power of genome-wide variation, we estimated that the maximum effective dispersal is 8.3 km. We found that MPAs exchange migrants likely via intermediate unprotected habitats through stepping stone dispersal. At scales >50 km such connectivity is decreased, particularly across the Mona Passage. The MPA network studied would be unable to maintain connectivity of these small benthic fishes if habitat in between them is extirpated. Our study highlights the power of SNPs to derive effective dispersal distance and the ability of SNPs to make inferences from single individuals. Given that overall reef fish diversity is driven by species with life histories similar to that of the yellowhead jawfish, managers face a challenge to develop strategies that allow connectivity and avoid isolation of populations and their possible extinction.