bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Agathisflavone isolated from Anacardium occidentale suppresses SIRT1‐mediated neuroinflammation in BV2 microglia and neurotoxicity in APPSwe‐transfected SH‐SY5Y cells
Authors: Velagapudi Ravikanth , Ajileye Olusiji O. , Okorji Uchechukwu , Jain Priya , Aderogba Mutalib A. , Olajide Olumayokun A.
Published: May 2018

Agathisflavone is a bioactive compound in Anacardium occidentale. In this study, we investigated inhibition neuroinflammation in BV2 microglia by agathisflavone. Neuroprotective activity of the compound was investigated in differentiated SH‐SY5Y cells. Experiments in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐activated BV2 microglia showed that pretreatment with agathisflavone (5–20 μM) produced significant reduction in the release of tumour necrosis factor‐α, interleukin‐6, interleukin‐1β, NO, and PGE2 from the cells. Immunoblotting experiments also revealed that agathisflavone reduced levels of iNOS and COX‐2 protein. Further studies revealed that agathisflavone reduced neuroinflammation by targeting critical steps in NF‐κB signalling in BV2 microglia. Treatment of SH‐SY5Y cells with conditioned medium from LPS‐activated BV2 microglia produced a significant reduction in neuronal viability. However, conditioned medium from BV2 cells that were stimulated with LPS in the presence of agathisflavone did not induce neurotoxicity. Agathisflavone also produced neuroprotection in APPSwe plasmid‐transfected SH‐SY5Y neurons. The compound further attenuated LPS‐induced and APPSwe plasmid‐induced reduction in SIRT1 in BV2 microglia and SH‐SY5Y, respectively. In the presence of EX527, agathisflavone lost its anti‐inflammatory and neuroprotective activities. Our results suggest that agathisflavone inhibits neuroinflammation in BV2 microglia by targeting NF‐κB signalling pathway. The compound also reduces neurotoxicity through mechanisms that are possibly linked to SIRT1 in the microglia and neurons.
A modified CUSUM control chart for monitoring industrial processes
Authors: Faisal Muhammad , Zafar Raja Fawad , Abbas Nasir , Riaz Muhammad , Mahmood Tahir
Published: May 2018

Control charts are the most popular tool of statistical process control for monitoring variety of processes. The detection ability of these control charts can be improved by introducing various transformations. In this study, we have enhanced the performance of CUSUM charts by introducing a link relative variable transformation technique. Link relative variable converts the original process variable in a form which is relative to its mean. So, the link relative represents the relative positioning of the observations. Average run length (ARL) is used to compare our technique with the previous studies. The comparison shows the overall good detection performance of our scheme for a span of shifts in the mean. A real‐world example from the electrical engineering process is also included to demonstrate the application of proposed control chart.
Mass spectrometry for characterization of homologous piperidine alkaloids and their activity as acetylcholinesterase inhibitors
Authors: Freitas Thamires R. , Danuello Amanda , Viegas Júnior Claudio , Bolzani Vanderlan S. , Pivatto Marcos
Published: May 2018

Rationale

Piperidine alkaloids from Senna spectabilis constitute a rare class of natural products with several biological activities. However, the absence of chromophores makes their structural elucidation by conventional methods a great challenge. In this context, mass spectrometry emerges as a powerful tool for metabolomics studies.

Methods

The piperidine alkaloids (−)‐cassine and (−)‐spectaline and the semisynthetic derivatives (−)‐3‐O‐acetylcassine and (−)‐3‐O‐acetylspectaline were investigated by electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (ESI‐MS/MS) in the positive mode and electron ionization mass spectrometry (EI‐MS). ESI fragmentation studies were performed with a quadrupole time‐of‐flight instrument; N2 was used as collision gas. The acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity of the investigated compounds was evaluated by bioautography and microplate screening assays.

Results

ESI‐MS/MS and EI‐MS provided valuable and complementary information about the structure of the piperidine compounds. Collision‐induced dissociation experiments (MS/MS) revealed that neutral elimination of water or acetic acid is the major fragmentation pathway, which agrees with the stereochemistry proposed for (−)‐cassine and (−)‐spectaline and the semisynthetic derivatives (−)‐3‐O‐acetylcassine and (−)‐3‐O‐acetylspectaline.

Conclusions

The ESI‐MS/MS and EI‐MS studies allowed us to propose fragmentation mechanisms for piperidine alkaloids and derivatives. Therefore, mass spectrometry is an important tool for characterizing the structure of these compounds and for supporting further metabolomics studies.
Bayesian measurement‐error‐driven hidden Markov regression model for calibrating the effect of covariates on multistate outcomes: Application to androgenetic alopecia
Authors: Yen Amy Ming‐Fang , Chen Hsiu‐Hsi
Published: May 2018

Multistate Markov regression models used for quantifying the effect size of state‐specific covariates pertaining to the dynamics of multistate outcomes have gained popularity. However, the measurements of multistate outcome are prone to the errors of classification, particularly when a population‐based survey/research is involved with proxy measurements of outcome due to cost consideration. Such a misclassification may affect the effect size of relevant covariates such as odds ratio used in the field of epidemiology. We proposed a Bayesian measurement‐error‐driven hidden Markov regression model for calibrating these biased estimates with and without a 2‐stage validation design. A simulation algorithm was developed to assess various scenarios of underestimation and overestimation given nondifferential misclassification (independent of covariates) and differential misclassification (dependent on covariates). We applied our proposed method to the community‐based survey of androgenetic alopecia and found that the effect size of the majority of covariate was inflated after calibration regardless of which type of misclassification. Our proposed Bayesian measurement‐error‐driven hidden Markov regression model is practicable and effective in calibrating the effects of covariates on multistate outcome, but the prior distribution on measurement errors accrued from 2‐stage validation design is strongly recommended.
The Influence of Hydrocolloids on the Properties Organic Red Jasmine Rice Noodles, Namely on Antioxidant Activity, Cooking, Texture, and Sensory Properties
Authors: Kraithong Supaluck , Lee Suyong , Rawdkuen Saroat
Published: May 2018

In this study, organic red Jasmine rice flour (RJF) is mixed with guar gum (GG), with carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), and with xanthan gum (XG) at 0.0% (control), 0.2%, and 0.4%, respectively. They are all subjected to noodle formation. The results showed that XG increased the peak and breakdown viscosities of RJF (p < 0.05), while GG and CMC improved the setback viscosity (p < 0.05). Final viscosity is induced by the use of hydrocolloids (p < 0.05). The conclusion temperature and gelatinization enthalpy of RJF increased remarkably by using GG and CMC (p < 0.05). The use of GG (0.2%) give the highest values with respect to the textural properties of the rice noodles, including the tensile strength (47.25 g) and extensibility (16.02 mm). In contrast, it notably decreased cooking loss (p < 0.05). These parameters are determined to have the highest acceptability (5.70) in the noodle (p < 0.05). The total phenolic content and anitioxidant activities of the rice noodle are not affected by using hydrocolloids (p > 0.05).
Sub-TeV quintuplet minimal dark matter with left-right symmetry
Authors: Agarwalla Sanjib Kumar , Ghosh Kirtiman , Patra Ayon
Published: May 2018

Abstract

A detailed study of a fermionic quintuplet dark matter in a left-right symmetric scenario is performed in this article. The minimal quintuplet dark matter model is highly constrained from the WMAP dark matter relic density (RD) data. To elevate this constraint, an extra singlet scalar is introduced. It introduces a host of new annihilation and co-annihilation channels for the dark matter, allowing even sub-TeV masses. The phenomenology of this singlet scalar is studied in detail in the context of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) experiment. The production and decay of this singlet scalar at the LHC give rise to interesting resonant di-Higgs or diphoton final states. We also constrain the RD allowed parameter space of this model in light of the ATLAS bounds on the resonant di-Higgs and diphoton cross-sections.
Temporal variation in reproductive costs and payoffs shapes the flowering strategy of a neotropical milkweed, Asclepias curassavica
Authors: Kellett Kimberly M. , Shefferson Richard P.
Published: May 2018

A central goal of evolutionary ecology is to understand the factors that select for particular life history strategies, such as delaying reproduction. For example, environmental variation and reproductive costs to survival and growth often select for reproductive delays in semelparous and iteroparous species. In this study, we examine how variation in reproductive cost, which we define as a reduction to growth, survival, or future reproduction after a reproductive event, may select for reproductive delay in an iteroparous Neotropical milkweed with no obvious reproductive season. We analyzed demographic data collected every 3 months for 3 years from four populations of Asclepias curassavica in Monteverde, Costa Rica. We detected costs of flowering to survival and growth that varied in magnitude between our 12 transition periods without a seasonal pattern. The populations also exhibited temporal variation in reproductive payoffs measured as seedling establishment. We incorporated these reproductive costs into demographic projection models, which predicted a delayed flowering strategy only when we included temporal variation in costs and payoffs. Temporal variation in reproductive costs and payoffs is an important selective force in the evolution of delayed flowering in iteroparous species. Further, a lack of predictable seasonal pattern to reproductive costs and payoffs may contribute to the lack of seasonal reproductive patterns observed in our study species and other Neotropical species.
Variations in herbaceous vegetation structures and vegetation–environment relationships from floodplain to terrace along a large semi‐humid river
Authors: Xia Huijuan , Kong Weijing , Li Xuesen , Zhang Yizhang , Guo Fen , Sun Osbert Jianxin
Published: May 2018

Riparian zones along semi‐humid rivers have significant lateral gradients of water, leading to the lateral pattern of riparian vegetation. However, less is known about the determinants of herbaceous vegetation structures between floodplain and terrace in semi‐humid region. The study was designed to assess the variations in herbaceous vegetation composition, species diversity, and vegetation‐environment relationships from floodplain to terrace. Fifty sampling lines that equally distributed in floodplain and terrace were established to collect herbaceous vegetation and corresponding environmental data. Results showed that soil moisture in floodplain was significantly higher than that in terrace, and herbaceous vegetation compositions shifted from hydric to mesic to xeric as soil moisture decreased. Phragmites australis and Artemisia selengensis were dominant species in floodplain, whereas Ambrosia trifid, Metaplexis japonica, Humulus japonicus, Glycine soja, Artemisia lavandulaefolia and Setaria glauca were dominant in terrace. Species diversity increased from floodplain to terrace and from upstream to downstream. Substrate and bank stability, rather than water availability, were the significant environmental drivers of herbaceous vegetation structures in water‐rich floodplain. However, herbaceous vegetation structures were mainly determined by water gradient and human disturbance in water‐poor terrace in semi‐humid region.
Intelligence Quotient at the Age of Six years of Iranian Children with Congenital Hypothyroidism
Authors: Rahmani Khaled , Yarahmadi Shahin , Etemad Koorosh , Mehrabi Yadollah , Aghang Nasrin , Koosha Ahmad , Soori Hamid
Published: May 2018

Objective

To evaluate the success rate of the National newborn screening program in maintenance of intelligent quotient (IQ) of children with congenital hypothyroidism in Iran.

Design

Retrospective cohort study.

Methods

The IQ scores, in three subsets of verbal, non verbal (Performance) and full scale IQ, of 240 children diagnosed with Transient congenital hypothyroidism (TCH) and Permanent congenital hypothyroidism (PCH), from 5 provinces in 5 different geographical areas of Iran, were measured at the age of 6 years using revised Wechsler pre school and primary scale of intelligence and compared with 240 healthy children. We used independent sample t test and two-way ANOVA for data analysis.

Results

Mean of verbal, performance, and full scale IQ scores were lower in the CH cases (permanent and transient) than the control group. Most of the IQ differences in two studied groups related to the PCH cases (P=0.005). Mean difference of IQs between children in the two groups in Yazd province (center of Iran) was higher than other provinces, and they also had significantly lower IQ than their control (healthy) children (P=0.001). No treated child had IQ<70.

Conclusion

Although mean IQs of CH children was lower than their controls, IQ of all treated CH cases were close to the healthy children.
Mortality in Children with Severe Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease in Guangxi, China
Authors: Yang Zhi-Yong , Chen Xiu-Qi , Sun Dan , Wei Dan
Published: May 2018

Objective

To analyze the clinical features of children with hand foot and mouth disease (HFMD) who died.

Methods

331 deaths due to HFMD between 2010 and 2014 were included in this retrospective study; 15 autopsies were performed.

Results

Most deaths were seen in children aged below 3 y, and with enterovirus 71 infection (91%). The mean (SD) duration of HFMD from onset to death was 3.7(2.9) d. The mean (SD) age of fast progressors (from onset to death less than 4 days) was 17.4 (9.2) mo. Most of them were diagnosed as stage 3 and stage 4 of HFMD. Various pathological changes were observed in brain after autopsy, especially in brain stem and medulla.

Conclusions

The brain stem encephalitis with the neurotropism of enteroviruses seems to be the main contributor to the death in HFMD.
Belangrijk werk
Authors: van der Poel Henk G.
Published: May 2018

Samenvatting

Deze voorjaarsvergadering doen Nederlandse onderzoekers een belangrijke (internationale) duit in de wetenschappelijke zak. De data van twee grote langer lopende studies zijn nu duidelijk. De FUTURE- en HoRRAD-studie, beide op het gebied van prostaatkanker, zullen in de internationale literatuur en richtlijnen medebepalend worden.
Sleep spindles and cognitive performance across adolescence: A meta‐analytic review☆
Authors: Reynolds C.M. , Short M.A. , Gradisar M.
Published: May 2018

Higher sleep spindle activity generally relates to better cognitive performance in adults, while studies in children often show the opposite. As children become young adults, there is rapid brain maturation and development of higher‐order cognitive functions, and therefore investigations within this age group may elucidate the relationship between spindles and cognition in this developmental period. Twelve studies published between 2009 and 2016 were identified. Meta‐analyses revealed a positive relationship between spindles and cognition overall (r = 0.27), however effects varied depending on cognitive domain. Moderate positive relationships were seen for fluid IQ (r = 0.44), working memory/executive function (r = 0.40) and speed/accuracy (r = 0.33), while full IQ/verbal IQ was not significantly associated (r = −0.05). Meta‐regressions indicated cognitive domain and spindle characteristic had a small influence over effect sizes, while age and gender did not have a significant influence. The relationship between spindles and cognition in adolescents is likely influenced by individual neural makeup and brain maturation.
Using Intuitive Awakening for Business Students to Enhance Strategic Thinking Skills
Authors: Prince Melvin , Priporas Constantinos
Published: May 2018

Intuition is essential to marketing scholarship and practice. Furthermore, under certain business conditions, it becomes invaluable as a primary mode of decision making. Reflecting this perspective, conceptual research on the topic is abundant. Empirical studies in business school settings that address marketing intuitive decision making are scarce. Without application of intuitive thinking at the marketing education class level, diffusion of this important skill in the educational sphere will not take place. In this paper using case themes, we test role-playing and experiential knowledge effects on graduate business students’ assessments and intuitive decision making.
Toward an Instrumental Right to Democracy
Authors: Alfadhel Khalifa A.
Published: May 2018

The downfall of the Soviet Bloc in the early 1990s led to an atmosphere of exaggerated victory, notably captured in Francis Fukuyama's famous book, The End of History, which celebrated the ideological triumph of democracy as a unanimously agreed-upon ideal form of government. The international law literature was not immune from the sense of democratic rejoicing. Of special note in this regard was the notion of an entitlement to democracy, introduced by the late Thomas Franck. Drawing on ideas of self-determination in international law, which themselves date back to the American Declaration of Independence, Franck postulated an “emerging right to democratic governance.” He stipulated that “[s]elf-determination postulates the right of a people organised in an established territory to determine its collective political destiny in a democratic fashion and is therefore at the core of the democratic entitlement.” This essay considers Franck's claims, and argues that his view of democracy was too thin; instead, the essay argues for an instrumental conception of democracy that ties it to other rights and entitlements.
The Emerging Right to Good Governance
Authors: Bach-Golecka Dobrochna
Published: May 2018

From the perspective of international law, democracy may be regarded as a multifaceted phenomenon. On the one hand, it reflects the collective right of self-governance of a particular political community; on the other hand, it reflects an individual entitlement to participate in the conduct of public affairs of one's country. Democracy is connected to the principle of self-determination, understood as the freedom of a group to decide the system under which it wishes to live, while requiring a formalized set of voting procedures in order to implement this freedom. Democracy is focused on the procedural aspect of organizing elections, while not mandating any particular substantive outcome of those elections. In this essay, I propose that the right to democratic governance should be supplemented with a more robust concept: the substantive notion of good governance.
Enlisting Internal and External Financial Gatekeepers: Problems of Multiple Centres of Knowledge Construction
Authors: MINTO Andrea
Published: May 2018

Over the last decade complexity has impaired financial regulators’ and supervisors’ ability to cope with informational asymmetries, moral hazards and other market failures. Recent regulatory responses have been to include external auditors in the range of “gatekeepers” and “watchdogs” that serve regulatory objectives. On the other hand, the compliance function gained greater prominence as a form of internalised law enforcement, being increasingly seen as facilitating the achievement of public regulatory needs in maintaining the safety and soundness of financial institutions. Yet, uncertainty has pervaded the issue of what modes of interaction supervisors, compliance and external auditors should be subject to. International experience and anecdotal evidence show, in fact, that the current informal, discretion-based, relationship between such gatekeepers brings about risks of knowledge fragmentation and ambiguity, calling for better gathering and use of “gatekeepers’ knowledge”. The objective of this article is to address and rectify problems of multiple centres of knowledge construction, by approaching questions pertaining to the interaction between the “internal” and “external” gatekeepers. A primary contribution of this article is to examine this problem by reconciling the strand of research concerning multiple gatekeepers´ liability and the developing legal scholarship on compliance as a delegated form of external enforcement. The explanatory nature of multiple gatekeepers’ liability is twofold: first, it contributes in emphasising the complexity stemming from the interactions between multiple gatekeepers; second, it offers a solid working hypothesis to detect the market failures that can arise from such complexity, namely relating to fragmentation – and construction – of knowledge.
First molecular phylogeny ofAgrilus(Coleoptera: Buprestidae), the largest genus on Earth, with DNA barcode database for forestry pest diagnostics
Authors: Kelnarova I. , Jendek E. , Grebennikov V.V. , Bocak L.
Published: May 2018

All more than 3000 species ofAgrilusbeetles are phytophagous and some cause economically significant damage to trees and shrubs. Facilitated by international trade,Agrilusspecies regularly invade new countries and continents. This necessitates a rapid identification ofAgrilusspecies, as the first step for subsequent protective measures. This study provides the first DNA reference library for ~100Agrilusspecies from the Northern Hemisphere based on three mitochondrial markers:cox1–5′(DNA barcode fragment),cox1–3′, andrrnL. All 329Agrilusrecords available in the Barcode of Life Database format, including specimen images and geo data, are released through a public dataset ‘Agrilus1 329’ available at: dx.doi.org/10.5883/DS-AGRILUS1. AllAgrilusspecies were identified using adult morphology and by using molecular phylogenetic trees, as well as distance- and tree-based algorithms. Most DNA-based species limits agree well with the morphology-based identification. Our results include cases of high intraspecific variability and multiple species para- and polyphyly. DNA barcoding is a powerful species identification tool inAgrilus, although it frequently fails to recover morphologically-delimitedAgrilusspecies-group. Even though the current three-gene database covers only ~3% of the knownAgrilusdiversity, it contains representatives of all principal lineages from the Northern Hemisphere and represents the most extensive dataset built for DNA-delimited species identification within this genus so far. Molecular data analyses can rapidly and cost-effectively identify an unknown sample, including immature stages and/or non-native taxa, or species not yet formally named.
Insulin suppresses the AMPK signaling pathway to regulate lipid metabolism in primary cultured hepatocytes of dairy cows
Authors: Li Xinwei , Li Yu , Ding Hongyan , Dong Jihong , Zhang Renhe , Huang Dan , Lei Lin , Wang Zhe , Liu Guowen , Li Xiaobing
Published: May 2018

Dairy cows with type II ketosis display hepatic fat accumulation and hyperinsulinemia, but the underlying mechanism is not completely clear. This study aimed to clarify the regulation of lipid metabolism by insulin in cow hepatocytes. In vitro, cow hepatocytes were treated with 0, 1, 10, or 100 nm insulin in the presence or absence of AICAR (an AMP-activated protein kinase alpha (AMPKα) activator). The results showed that insulin decreased AMPKα phosphorylation. This inactivation of AMPKα increased the gene and protein expression levels of carbohydrate responsive element-binding protein (ChREBP) and sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1c (SREBP-1c), which downregulated the expression of lipogenic genes, thereby decreasing lipid biosynthesis. Furthermore, AMPKα inactivation decreased the gene and protein expression levels of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α (PPARα), which upregulated the expression of lipid oxidation genes, thereby increasing lipid oxidation. In addition, insulin decreased the very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) assembly. Consequently, triglyceride content was significantly increased in insulin treated hepatocytes. Activation of AMPKα induced by AICAR could reverse the effect of insulin on PPARα, SREBP-1c, and ChREBP, thereby decreasing triglyceride content. These results indicate that insulin inhibits the AMPKα signaling pathway to increase lipid synthesis and decrease lipid oxidation and VLDL assembly in cow hepatocytes, thereby inducing TG accumulation. This mechanism could partly explain the causal relationship between hepatic fat accumulation and hyperinsulinemia in dairy cows with type II ketosis.
Hepatic Sirt3 expression declines postpartum in dairy goats
Authors: Liu Lei , Yao Li , Peng Tao , Wen Lixin , Cai Wenjie , Jia Xinglin , He Jianhua
Published: May 2018

The experiments reported in this research communication aimed to plot the expression pattern of Sirt3, a master regulator of energy metabolism and antioxidation defence, in the liver of dairy goats during perinatal period. Ten healthy dairy goats in late pregnancy were chosen, and needle biopsy was applied to collect liver samples at 1-week intervals. Protein levels of hepatic Sirt3 were analysed by western-blotting. Serum enzyme activities of manganese superoxide dismutase (Mn-SOD) and non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) levels were measured, and their correlation with Sirt3 mRNA levels was also estimated. Compared with >3-week before parturition (BP), Sirt3 proteins were significantly reduced at 1-week after parturition (AP) and 2-week AP (P < 0·05), but increased on the day of parturition (P < 0·01). Correlation analysis revealed a positive association between hepatic Sirt3 mRNA levels and serum enzyme activity of Mn-SOD (r = 0·46), but a negative association between that and serum NEFA levels (r = −0·41). These data indicate that the decreased hepatic expression of Sirt3 might be one of the reasons that dairy goats undergo oxidative stress after parturition.
Effect of season and breed on physiological and blood parameters in buffaloes
Authors: Shenhe Liu , Jun Li , Zipeng Li , Tingxian Deng , Rehman Zia ur , Zichao Zhou , Liguo Yang
Published: May 2018

In this Research Communication we describe the effect of temperature and humidity index (THI) on various physiological traits, the plasma heat shock protein 70 (HSP70), heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) and cortisol levels and other blood parameters in crossbred buffalo (Nili-Ravi × Murrah) and Mediterranean buffalo to compare their tolerance to heat stress. As expected, crossbred buffalo had a significantly higher rectal temperature (RT), body surface temperature (BT), respiratory rate (RR), HSP70 and HSP90 levels in summer compared to spring and winter. RT and BT were also significantly higher in spring compared to winter. A significant correlation existed between THI and RT (r = 0·81) and RR (r = 0·84). Importantly, in summer the crossbred buffalo had a significantly lower RT, BT and RR and higher HSP70, HSP90 and cortisol levels than the Mediterranean buffalo. In conclusion, higher THI was associated with significant increase in RT, RR, BT, HSP70, HSP90 and cortisol levels, and the crossbred buffalo were more heat tolerant than Mediterranean buffalo.
Survey of trematodes in intertidal snails from Patagonia, Argentina: new larval forms and diversity assessment
Authors: Gilardoni C. , Di Giorgio G. , Bagnato E. , Cremonte F.
Published: May 2018

Larval trematodes are the main parasites of snails, and they play a crucial role because they usually castrate their snail hosts and can thus alter their population and community dynamics. This study involved a survey of seven gastropod species (Crepipatella dilatata,Fissurella radiosa,Nacella magellanica,Pareuthria fuscata,Siphonaria lessonii, S. lateralisandTrophon geversianus) parasitized by 12 trematode species (one hemiurid, one gymnophallid, two lepocreadiids, two microphallids, one notocotylid, two renicolids, one philophtalmid, one schistosomatid and one zoogonid) from southern Patagonia (47°S, 65°W), Argentina. OnlyF. radiosawas free of parasites. The study included the description of five new larvae, based on morphological and molecular information, and a comparison of the parasite diversity with that of a northern locality (42°S, 64°W), characterized by a lower mollusc diversity. Species richness and diversity of parasites were higher in the southern site. This suggests a correlation between the level of parasitism and the diversity of molluscs (first intermediate hosts), which is higher at the high-latitude site and seems to attract shorebirds, which disperse the digenean eggs and facilitate the completion of their life cycles. These results support the notion that parasitism is influenced by large-scale factors such as biogeographical patterns, and small-scale factors such as diversity or abundance of intermediate and definitive hosts.
CHARACTERIZATIONS OF MULTINORMALITY AND CORRESPONDING TESTS OF FIT, INCLUDING FOR GARCH MODELS
Authors: Henze Norbert , Jiménez–Gamero M. Dolores , Meintanis Simos G.
Published: May 2018

We provide novel characterizations of multivariate normality that incorporate both the characteristic function and the moment generating function, and we employ these results to construct a class of affine invariant, consistent and easy-to-use goodness-of-fit tests for normality. The test statistics are suitably weightedL2-statistics, and we provide their asymptotic behavior both for i.i.d. observations as well as in the context of testing that the innovation distribution of a multivariate GARCH model is Gaussian. We also study the finite-sample behavior of the new tests and compare the new criteria with alternative existing tests.
Evaluating vaccination strategies to control foot-and-mouth disease: a country comparison study
Authors: Rawdon T.G. , Garner M.G. , Sanson R.L. , Stevenson M.A. , Cook C. , Birch C. , Roche S.E. , Patyk K.A. , Forde-Folle K.N. , Dubé C. , Smylie T. , Yu Z.D.
Published: May 2018

Vaccination is increasingly being recognised as a potential tool to supplement ‘stamping out’ for controlling foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreaks in non-endemic countries. Infectious disease simulation models provide the opportunity to determine how vaccination might be used in the face of an FMD outbreak. Previously, consistent relative benefits of specific vaccination strategies across different FMD simulation modelling platforms have been demonstrated, using a UK FMD outbreak scenario. We extended this work to assess the relative effectiveness of selected vaccination strategies in five countries: Australia, New Zealand, the USA, the UK and Canada. A comparable, but not identical, FMD outbreak scenario was developed for each country with initial seeding of Pan Asia type O FMD virus into an area with a relatively high density of livestock farms. A series of vaccination strategies (in addition to stamping out (SO)) were selected to evaluate key areas of interest from a disease response perspective, including timing of vaccination, species considerations (e.g. vaccination of only those farms with cattle), risk area vaccination and resources available for vaccination. The study found that vaccination used with SO was effective in reducing epidemic size and duration in a severe outbreak situation. Early vaccination and unconstrained resources for vaccination consistently outperformed other strategies. Vaccination of only those farms with cattle produced comparable results, with some countries demonstrating that this could be as effective as all species vaccination. Restriction of vaccination to higher risk areas was less effective than other strategies. This study demonstrates consistency in the relative effectiveness of selected vaccination strategies under different outbreak start up conditions conditional on the assumption that each of the simulation models provide a realistic estimation of FMD virus spread. Preferred outbreak management approaches must however balance the principles identified in this study, working to clearly defined outbreak management objectives, while having a good understanding of logistic requirements and the socio-economic implications of different control measures.
Relationships between compound lipophilicity on seed coat permeability and embryo uptake by soybean and corn
Authors: Yang Daibin , Donovan Stephen , Black Bruce C , Cheng Lailiang , Taylor Alan G
Published: May 2018

Systemic uptake of organic compounds from roots to leaves follows a Gaussian distribution in relation to the lipophilicity, as measured by the logKow. Quantification of compound uptake with different lipophilicities, and applied as a seed treatment that diffuses through the seed coat into the embryo during imbibition, has not been reported. The aim of this investigation was to quantify the uptake of non-ionic compounds into seeds of soybean and corn. A series of fluorescent piperonyl amides were synthesized and a novel combinatorial pharmacodynamic technique was developed that provided a range of compounds from logKow0.02 to 5.7. Seeds were treated with a mixture of amides, imbibed and compounds chemically extracted and quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography using a fluorescence detector. The maximum uptake efficiency of the applied amide mixture from whole soybean and corn seeds was 67% at logKow2.9, and 43% at logKow3.4, respectively. The critical partition coefficient for uptake for both species was <4.2 logKow. Seeds were dissected and separated as soybean embryo and testa, and corn internal tissues (embryo + endosperm) or seed covering layers (pericarp + testa), and >75% of the amides were found in the soybean embryo or corn internal tissues compared with the covering layers at logKow<4.2. The distribution of amides showed that the corn seed covering layer had similar hydrophilic/lipophilic properties as internal tissues, while soybean tissues had different hydrophilic/lipophilic properties. Collectively, the Gaussian uptake pattern for systemic uptake into plants was not found for either seed species.
Developmental and molecular responses of buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) cumulus–oocyte complex maturedin vitrounder heat shock conditions
Authors: El-Sayed Ashraf , Nagy Rehab , El-Asheeri Amal K. , Eid Liala N.
Published: May 2018

To investigate the effects of physiologically relevant heat shock during oocyte maturation, buffalo cumulus–oocyte complexes (COCs) were cultured at 38.5°C (control) or were exposed to 39.5°C (T1) or 40.5°C (T2) for the first 6 h ofin vitromaturation (IVM), followed by 38.5°C through the next 18 h/IVM and early embryonic development up to the blastocyst stage. Gene expression analysis was performed on selected target genes (HSF-1,HSF-2,HSP-70,HSP-90,BAX,p53,SOD1,COX1,MAPK14) in denuded oocytes and their isolated cumulus cells resulting from control COCs as well as from COCs exposed to a temperature of 39.5°C (T1). The results indicated that heat shock significantly (P< 0.01) decreased the maturation rate in T1 and T2 cells compared with the control. Afterin vitrofertilization (IVF), cleavage rate was lower (P< 0.01) for oocytes exposed to heat stress, and the percentage of oocytes arrested at the 2- or 4-cell stage was higher (P< 0.01) than that of the control. The percentage of oocytes that developed to the 8-cell, 16-cell or blastocyst stage was lower (P< 0.01) in both T1 and T2 groups compared with the control group. mRNA expression levels for the studied genes were decreased (P< 0.05) in treated oocytes (T1) except forHSP-90andHSF-1, which were increased. In cumulus cells isolated from COCs (T1), the expression for the target genes was upregulated except forBAX, which was downregulated. The results of this study demonstrated that exposure of buffalo oocytes to elevated temperatures for 6 h severely compromised their developmental competence and gene expression.
Exploring Citizens’ Hierarchical Government Satisfaction: Evidence from China and Taiwan
Authors: HUANG HSIN-HAO
Published: May 2018

Although the importance of public satisfaction is well documented, few studies have been conducted on the diversity of citizens’ evaluations of the various levels of government. This study explored hierarchical government satisfaction among the public in two culturally Chinese societies, namely China and Taiwan. Basing the analysis on the perspective of responsibility attribution, this paper proposes that the two publics’ distinctive perceptions, which are shaped by different information flows, lead hierarchical government satisfaction in the two societies in separate directions. This argument is supported by the empirical findings from the sixth wave of the World Values Survey. The findings confirm that personal evaluations, including household economic satisfaction, democratic evaluation, and public service confidence, exert more influence over local government satisfaction in China, but conversely have a greater impact on central government satisfaction in Taiwan. Moreover, these evaluations are shown to affect hierarchical government satisfaction differently in the two societies. The evidence reveals that the two publics attribute blame for problems to different administrative objects: Chinese citizens tend to blame local governments, whereas Taiwanese citizens are inclined to criticize the central government.
A Tale of Two Hybrid Regimes: A Study of Cabinets and Parliaments in Indonesia and Thailand
Authors: SAWASDEE SIRIPAN NOGSUAN
Published: May 2018

This article applies the concept of hybrid regimes to evaluate the state of political transition in Indonesia and Thailand. It aims to answer why the transition to democracy in Indonesia during 1999–2004 was successful, while the transition in Thailand during 1997–2006 culminated in a reversion to authoritarianism by examining the social profiles and formation of cabinet and parliament members as well as the design of constitutions. The study suggests that the lack of inclusiveness helps explain why democratization in Thailand was in failure. During the transition period, inclusiveness has not markedly increased because of the leadership strongman style, the flaws in the recruitment process, and the problem with the party system. This was unlike Indonesia, where cabinet, parliament, and multiparty system were able to include a variety groups and broad societal segments that played a significant role in deliberating political rules of the game. Indonesia's institutional rearrangements appear to sustain popular participation and engender momentum for fostering democracy, while Thailand's constitutional re-engineering contains many provisions to disempower the elected bodies. The perpetuation of the hybrid regime in Thailand is foreseeable as the hybridity satisfies the needs and concerns of the traditional elites and the urban middle class.
Vibration Isolation Critical to Measuring Neuronal Patterns in the Brain
Authors: Platus David L
Published: May 2018

Researchers at Georgetown University's Department of Physiology and Biophysics use negative-stiffness vibration isolators to help measure micron-level patterns of neuronal activity in the mammalian neocortex. The research is shedding new light into brain sensory and motor processing functions relating to cardiac fibrillation and epilepsy.

Isolating a laboratory's sensitive microscopy equipment against low-frequency vibration has become increasingly more vital to maintaining imaging quality and data integrity for neurobiology researches. Ever more frequently, laboratory researchers are discovering that conventional air tables and the more recent active (electronic) vibration isolation systems are not able to adequately cancel out the lower frequency perturbations derived from air conditioning systems, outside vehicular movements and ambulatory personnel. Such was the case with the Department of Physiology and Biophysics at Georgetown University Medical Center, where Professor Jian-Young Wu has been conducting research on waves of neuronal activity in the neocortex of the brain.
Distinguishing the Data from the Dark: Single Source Software or Microscopy Mix and Match?
Authors: Oliver Tim
Published: May 2018

This article contains my personal views and was inspired by the many years of problem solving I have applied to imaging biological samples generated by microscopy. Although I come from a background in electron microscopy, I have for the last eighteen years worked exclusively in light microscopy and more recently in live cell imaging.

Here at Duke, I mentor fellow faculty, postdocs and students in finding the best ways, not only to image their experiments in the right microscope, but to anticipate the kind of data they expect to extract from their images.
A Very Simple Method for Quickly Making Large Numbers of Measurements on Micrographs
Authors: Anderson Ron
Published: May 2018

It has been in the back of my mind to write this up for MT since I retired from a certain large computer company. Inasmuch as Paul's article above is a perfect lead-in, there is no time like the present. Our lab supported a semiconductor integrated circuit and a ceramic substrate manufacturing facility. We were continually required to measure circuit line widths on plan-view specimens and layer thicknesses on cross-section specimens for both semiconductor and ceramic substrate specimens and we were often asked to determine thin film grain size and ceramic raw material particle size data. A large number of measurements were required for each specimen to guarantee statistically sound data. We had image analysis software available that we used whenever we could, but often found that measuring things on a system using grey-level image analysis as input simply did not work. This is especially true for thin film grain size determination when using diffraction contrast TEM images for input.
Atomic Layer Deposition and Vapor Deposited SAMS in a CrossBeam FIB-SEM Platform: A Path To Advanced Materials Synthesis
Authors: Principe E L , Hartfield Cheryl , Kruger Rocky , Smith Aaron , Dubois Ray , Scammon Kirk , Kempshall Brian
Published: May 2018

Nanopatterning refers to the fabrication of nanometer-scale structures, meaning patterns with at least one lateral dimension between the size of an individual atom and approximately 100 nm. Direct Write or Maskless Lithography as discussed in this article refers to the use of a focused beam, either an ion beam or an electron beam, to create a patterned image directly into (etch), or on top of (deposition), the target material. Both electron beams and ion beams can be used together with gas injection technology to deposit three dimensional structures on the nanometer scale through the process of either electron beam assisted or ion beam assisted chemical vapor deposition (CVD). The deposition occurs only in the vicinity where the electron beam or ion beam is being scanned. Therefore, the deposit will follow the form of the scanned beam in two dimensions. This approach can be applied to produce three-dimensional objects by successively layering upon the two-dimensional pattern. In the case of ion beams in particular, the direct write process can also produce an etch pattern on the nanometer scale as the ion beam physically mills away the material via ion bombardment. This process can also be chemically enhanced for certain materials such as simultaneous use of water to selectively etch carbon.
A Compact Field Emission SEM for Low Voltage Imaging
Authors: Rynne Jim
Published: May 2018

A disruptive innovation in how scanning electron microscopes (SEMs) are designed and built has produced a low cost, but highperformance compact field emission SEM. By leveraging silicon processing technologies, Novelx has miniaturized the core technology inside a SEM. This miniaturization enabled the design of an all-electrostatic electron beam column that when coupled with a thermal field emission (TFE) electron source is optimized for lowvoltage imaging and sub-10nm resolution. In addition, the mySEM© has a quad-segmented microchannel plate (MCP) detector that has a topographic imaging mode that is capable of electron channeling contrast imaging (ECCI) at low imaging voltages. These capabilities were previously only available in high-end and much larger sized field emission SEMs outfitted with additional detectors. The Novelx mySEM show in Fig. 1 is now being used in material science and life science applications for characterizing a variety of energy sensitive nanomaterials, biomaterials and thin films.
Microparticles/Exosomes: Isolation and TEM Analysis
Authors: Bauer Natalie , Rai Jyoti , Chen Hairu , Harris Lillianne , Shevde Lalita , Moore Tim , King Judy
Published: May 2018

Microparticles and exosomes are small vesicular fragments of cell membrane which are released from activated and apoptotic cells. Microparticles (MPs) range in size from 0.5-1.5 μm, and exosomes are 0.5 μm and under. For the purposes of this article we will refer to both categories as microparticles. They differ from apoptotic bodies based on their smaller size, intact structure, and lack of degraded nuclear material. MPs have been shown to be released from a variety of cell types including platelets, endothelium, vascular smooth muscle cells, dendritic cells, and tumor cells. Jimenez and others have shown that based on the stimulus and cell type the MPs released are both quantitatively and phenotypically distinct. More recent data have shown the proteomics of MPs released from human umbilical vein endothelial cells differ dependent on whether they are stimulated with PAI or TNF-α.
Glass Knives verses Diamond Knives
Authors: Miller Lou Ann
Published: May 2018

In regards to the purchase of a histology diamond knife for preparing light microscopy sections, I was one of those folks, in possession of a nice glass knife maker, who was very comfortable with breaking, making and using glass knives. So the question was—did I really need a costly diamond knife for making light microscopy sections?

Once I finally tried a diamond histo knife, I never went back to glass. There are some very good incentives for this: long lasting cutting surface, much time saved in sample preparation, larger block faces can be prepared, and more consistent cutting results obtained. A histo diamond knife is also a big aid in preparing specimens for diagnostic or biological microscopy. These very important bonuses make a good list to have in hand when justifying the purchase to your organization. However, are they worth the price? Yes, I think so—even so far as providing each tech with their own diamond histo knife.
Microscopy Today New Publication Directions
Authors: Anderson Ron , Lyman Charles
Published: May 2018

Everything evolves. The Microscopy Society of America (MSA) purchased Microscopy Today (MT) from its founding editor, Don Grimes, and named Ron Anderson editor in 2002. Ron and Dale Anderson (MT Art Director) reformatted the magazine in 2002 and the magazine has enjoyed continuing success since that time. The format philosophy for Microscopy Today is to present 10 to 12 editorial articles plus NetNotes and Microscopy 101 as scientific content. Our aim has been to cover the entire field of microscopy giving even weight to all modalities. We have made progress in our efforts to be more universal with regard to different microscopies. We have made a point of providing editorial content in a dense format, with no white space, essentially, cramming in as much content for our readers as possible. We have kept MT as informal as possible—not mandating strict adherence to style rules—for example, we allow authors to format references any way they like as long as the reader can find the citation in question. And a little humor now and then can be found in our pages.