bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Work commitment, job satisfaction, and job performance: an empirical investigation
Authors: Carmeli Abraham , Freund Anat
Published: November 2017

This study examines the relationships between joint work commitments, job satisfaction, and job performance of lawyers employed by private law firms in Israel. Based on Morrowʼs (1993) concept of five universal forms of commitment, their interrelationship was tested with respect to the commitment model of Randall and Cote (1991), which appeared to show in previous studies (Cohen, 1999, 2000) a better fit compared to other models. In addition, the study examined the relationship between the commitment model and work attitude and outcome, namely, job satisfaction and job performance. The results show that the commitment model of Randall and Cote was almost fully supported, except for the relationship between job involvement and continuance commitment. This relationship is better understood via career commitment. An interesting finding of this study is that job satisfaction has a mediating role in the relationship between joint work commitment and job performance. The article concludes with suggestions regarding further investigation of the interrelationships between work commitment constructs, and the relationship between joint commitment forms, job satisfaction, and job performance.
The effects of urgency to reach agreement on the process and outcome of multi-party natural resource negotiations
Authors: Lamb Berton Lee , Taylor Jonathan G. , Burkardt Nina , Gillette Shana C.
Published: November 2017

We studied seven hydropower license consultations to examine the role of a sense of urgency to reach agreement. Hydropower licensing consultations were studied because the statutory requirement for consultation encourages negotiation, all such consultations are similar, and a negotiated settlement is not a foregone result. Cases selected for analysis met screening criteria. Structured interviews were conducted with participants after the negotiations had been concluded. Respondent recollections were checked against the documentary record. A sense of urgency to reach agreement was a significant factor in the completion of these negotiations; where there was no shared sense of urgency, purposeful delay adversely affected the negotiations. Although a sense of urgency was experienced by at least one party in each case, only a shared sense of urgency at the end of the process proved significant. Delay did not prevent ultimate agreement but a shared sense of urgency brought speedier agreement and greater satisfaction with the negotiation.
The construction of governance
Authors: Bevir Mark
Published: November 2017

This paper offers a constructivist theory of governance. It begins by challenging rational choice and institutionalist accounts for neglecting meanings. If we are to take meanings seriously, we need to allow for the constructed nature of governance − governance depends on concepts that are themselves in part products of wider webs of belief. The rest of the paper argues, first, that constructivism is compatible with various forms of realism, and, second, that constructivism is strengthened by recognition of situated agency.
Do libraries save LGBT students?
Authors: Wexelbaum Rachel S.
Published: November 2017

Purpose

Multiple research studies show a positive correlation between library usage and student retention. At the same time, no formal research studies focusing on the effect of library usage on LGBT student persistence and retention exist. The purpose of this paper is to provide information about today’s LGBT undergraduates, their personal and academic needs, and how academic libraries may meet those needs.

Design/methodology/approach

The author will challenge the grand narrative perpetuated by LGBT librarians that “libraries save [LGBT] lives” through a review of existing research literature on LGBT undergraduates and their personal and academic needs, where libraries play a role in LGBT undergraduate life, and whether or not academic libraries actually meet those needs.

Findings

No formal research studies on how libraries play a role in the retention of LGBT undergraduates exist. While LGBT undergraduates share many similarities with their peers, they seek out resources and spaces that the library may be able to provide independently or through collaborations with other units on campus. The existence of campus LGBT resource centers may impact LGBT undergraduate use of libraries.

Practical implications

The author will provide suggestions for academic libraries to create appropriate resources, services, and spaces for LGBT undergraduates so that they persist at their institutions and graduate.

Originality/value

This is the first research paper to address the role that academic libraries play in LGBT student retention.
Angiogenic factors: potential to change clinical practice in pre‐eclampsia?
Authors: Cerdeira AS , Agrawal S , Staff AC , Redman CW , Vatish M
Published: November 2017

Pre‐eclampsia is a complex disease with significant maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. Its syndromic nature makes diagnosis and management difficult. The field is rapidly evolving with the definition of pre‐eclampsia being challenged by some organisations, with proteinuria no longer being essential in the presence of other features. In the last decade, angiogenic factors, in particular soluble fms‐like tyrosine kinase 1 (sFlt‐1), have emerged as important molecules in the pathogenesis of pre‐eclampsia. Here we review the most recent evidence regarding the potential of these factors as biomarkers and therapeutic targets for pre‐eclampsia.

Tweetable abstract

A review of angiogenic factors, sFlt‐1 and PlGF, in the diagnosis, prediction and management of pre‐eclampsia.
Introducing 3D Printed Models as Demonstrative Evidence at Criminal Trials
Authors: Baier Waltraud , Warnett Jason M. , Payne Mark , Williams Mark A.
Published: November 2017

This case report presents one of the first reported uses of a 3D printed exhibit in an English homicide trial, in which two defendants were accused of beating their victim to death. The investigation of this crime included a micro‐CT scan of the victim's skull, which assisted the pathologist to determine the circumstances of the assault, in particular regarding the number of assault weapons and perpetrators. The scan showed two distinct injury shapes, suggesting the use of either two weapons or a single weapon with geometrically distinct surfaces. It subsequently served as the basis for a 3D print, which was shown in court in one of the first examples that 3D printed physical models have been introduced as evidence in a criminal trial in the United Kingdom. This paper presents the decision‐making process of whether to use 3D printed evidence or not.
Suppression of circadian secretion of glucagon‐like peptide‐1 by the saturated fatty acid, palmitate
Authors: Martchenko A. , Oh R. H. , Wheeler S. E. , Gurges P. , Chalmers J. A. , Brubaker P. L.
Published: November 2017

Aim

Glucagon‐like peptide‐1 is an incretin hormone secreted by the intestinal L‐cell with a circadian rhythm that parallels expression of the core clock gene, Bmal1. Although feeding rats a high‐fat/high‐sucrose Western diet impairs rhythmic glucagon‐like peptide‐1 release, the mechanisms underlying this effect remain unclear. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the pathway(s) by which the saturated fat, palmitate, a major component of the Western diet, impairs circadian glucagon‐like peptide‐1 secretion.

Methods

Murine mGLUTag L‐cells were synchronized, and the effects of palmitate pre‐treatment on gene expression and glucagon‐like peptide‐1 secretion were determined, in addition to metabolite quantification, mitochondrial function analysis and enzyme inhibition and activation assays. Glucagon‐like peptide‐1 secretion was also analysed in ileal crypt cultures from control and Bmal1 knockout mice.

Results

Pre‐treatment with palmitate dampened Bmal1 mRNA and protein expression and glucagon‐like peptide‐1 secretion at 8 but not 20 hours after cell synchronization (P < .05‐.001). Glucagon‐like peptide‐1 release was also impaired in Bmal1 knockout cultures as compared to wild‐type controls (P < .001). Palmitate pre‐treatment reduced expression of the Bmal1 downstream target, nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase, the rate‐limiting enzyme in the synthesis of NAD+. This was paralleled by dampening of total NAD+ levels, as well as impaired mitochondrial function and ATP production (P < .05‐.001). Whereas direct inhibition of nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase also decreased glucagon‐like peptide‐1 release, activation of this enzyme restored glucagon‐like peptide‐1 secretion in the presence of palmitate.

Conclusion

Palmitate impairs L‐cell clock function at the peak of Bmal1 gene expression, thereby impairing mitochondrial function and ultimately rhythmic glucagon‐like peptide‐1 secretion.
The Differential Impacts of Two Forms of Insufficient Effort Responding
Authors: DeSimone Justin A. , DeSimone Alice J. , Harms P. D. , Wood Dustin
Published: November 2017

Recent years have seen a renewed interest in insufficient effort responding (IER). Previous research has demonstrated that IER can have detrimental effects on survey research ranging from introducing untrustworthy data to influencing psychometric and statistical results. The present simulations examine two forms of IER, straightlining (SL) and random responding (RR), in an attempt to determine whether the presence of these response patterns have differential impacts on data. In three studies, we explore the combined effects of extreme SL and RR, the effects of full and partial RR, and the effects of full and partial SL on scale characteristics such as inter‐item correlations, alpha, and component structure. We also explore how various IER response distributions may influence these statistics. Empirical results demonstrate a tendency for SL to increase and RR to decrease the magnitude of inter‐item correlations, alpha, and the first component eigenvalue. Results also indicate that the impact of SL may be more pronounced than the impact of RR in the organisational sciences. It is important for researchers to consider the type of IER in addition to the prevalence of IER in a sample prior to conducting statistical analyses.
Octyl ester of ginsenoside compound K as novel anti‐hepatoma compound: Synthesis and evaluation on murine H22 cells in vitro and in vivo
Authors: Hou Jingang , Xue Jianjie , Zhao Xinghua , Wang Zi , Li Wei , Li Xindian , Zheng Yinan
Published: November 2017

Ginsenoside compound K (M1) is the active form of major ginsenosides deglycosylated by intestinal bacteria after oral administration. However, M1 was reported to selectively accumulate in liver and transform to fatty acid esters. Ester of M1 was not excreted by bile as M1 was, which means it was accumulated in the liver longer than M1. This study reported a synthetic method of M1‐O, a mono‐octyl ester of M1, and evaluated the anticancer property against murine H22 cell both in vitro and in vivo. As a result, both M1 and M1‐O showed a dose‐dependent manner in cytotoxicity assay in vitro. At lower dose of 12.5 μm, M1‐O showed moderate detoxification. Instead, M1‐O exhibited significantly higher inhibition in H22‐bearing mice than M1. M1‐O induced murine H22 tumor cellular apoptosis in caspase‐dependent pathway given that pan‐caspase inhibitor, Z‐VAD‐FMK, could reverse the cytotoxicity induced by M1‐O. Additionally, pro‐ and anti‐apoptosis proteins, Bcl‐2 and Bax, altered and consequently induced increased expression of cleaved caspase‐3. Interestingly, cyclophosphamide regimen significantly induced atrophy of spleen and thymus, main immune organs, while M1‐O treatment greatly alleviated this atrophy. Collectively, we propose M1‐O as a candidate for live cancer treatment.
Contribution of hiatal hernia to asthma in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease
Authors: Li Zhi‐Tong , Ji Feng , Han Xin‐Wei , Gu Lin‐Xia , Wang Li , Yue Yong‐Qiang , Wang Zhong‐Gao
Published: November 2017

Background

To determine the correlation between asthma and hiatal hernia (HH) in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)‐related asthma requiring laparoscopic anti‐reflux surgery.

Methods

One hundred and thirty‐six GERD patients with medically refractory asthma with (80 patients) or without HH (56 patients) were enrolled. Gastroesophageal reflux disease was assessed by endoscopy, esophageal manometry, reflux monitoring and symptom questionnaires, and treated with laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication (LNF) or LNF with concomitant hiatal hernia repair (LNF‐HHR). The outcome measures included patients' satisfaction and drug independence.

Results

The patients with HH had lower esophageal sphincters (P = .005) and higher DeMeester scores (P = .014) than those without HH. After an average follow‐up of 24 months, symptom scores were significantly decreased from the preoperative values (P < .05). Compared to LNF, LNF‐HHR showed a better improvement in both esophageal and asthmatic symptoms (P < .0001 and P = .016, respectively).

Conclusions

The patients with GERD with asthma have a high prevalence of HH. The presence of HH maybe correlated with asthma and severe GERD. Actively treating HH not only improved reflux, but also controlled asthma symptoms.
Product market competition and earnings management: A firm‐level analysis
Authors: Shi Guifeng , Sun Jianfei , Zhang Li
Published: November 2017

In this paper, we employ a firm‐level measure of product market competition constructed from the textual analysis of firms’ 10‐K filings to examine the relationship between managers’ perceived competition pressure and earnings management. We find that accounting irregularities and accrual‐based earnings management are positively related to product market competition. This finding is consistent with the notion that competition pressure increases managerial incentives to manage earnings, due to their career concerns. We also find that real earnings management is negatively related to product market competition. This finding suggests that real earnings management involves actions that decrease firms’ competitiveness and thus is costly for firms confronted with high competition pressure.
Development of interstitial cells of Cajal in the human digestive tract as the result of reciprocal induction of mesenchymal and neural crest cells
Authors: Radenkovic Goran , Radenkovic Dina , Velickov Aleksandra
Published: November 2017

Neural crest cells (NCC) can migrate into different parts of the body and express their strong inductive potential. In addition, they are multipotent and are able to differentiate into various cell types with diverse functions. In the primitive gut, NCC induce differentiation of muscular structures and interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC), and they themselves differentiate into the elements of the enteric nervous system (ENS), neurons and glial cells. ICC develop by way of mesenchymal cell differentiation in the outer parts of the primitive gut wall around the myenteric plexus (MP) ganglia, with the exception of colon, where they appear simultaneously also at the submucosal border of the circular muscular layer around the submucosal plexus (SMP) ganglia. However, in a complex process of reciprocal induction of NCC and local mesenchyma, c‐kit positive precursors are the first to differentiate, representing probably the common precursors of ICC and smooth muscle cells (SMC). C‐kit positive precursors could represent a key impact factor regarding the final differentiation of NCC into neurons and glial cells with neurons subsequently excreting stem cell factor (SCF) and other signalling molecules. Under the impact of SCF, a portion of c‐kit positive precursors lying immediately around the ganglia differentiate into ICC, while the rest differentiate into SMC.
FHL2 promotes tubular epithelial‐to‐mesenchymal transition through modulating β‐catenin signalling
Authors: Cai Ting , Sun Danqin , Duan Ying , Qiu Yumei , Dai Chunsun , Yang Junwei , He Weichun
Published: November 2017

β‐Catenin signalling plays an important role in regulating tubular epithelial‐to‐mesenchymal transition (EMT), an indispensable programme for driving renal fibrosis. As an adapter protein, four and a half LIM domain protein 2 (FHL2) acts as a coregulator of β‐catenin in several other cell types. To determine whether FHL2 affects β‐catenin signalling and thus is involved in tubular EMT, we examined its expression and function in the process of TGF‐β1‐induced EMT. FHL2 mRNA and protein were induced by TGF‐β1 in rat tubular epithelial cells (NRK‐52E), an effect that intracellular Smad signalling was required. Ectopic expression of FHL2 inhibited E‐cadherin and enhanced α‐smooth muscle actin (α‐SMA) and fibronectin expression, whereas knockdown of FHL2 partially restored E‐cadherin and reduced α‐SMA and fibronectin induction stimulated by TGF‐β1. Overexpression of FHL2 increased β‐catenin dephosphorylation (Ser37/Thr41), nuclear translocation and β‐catenin‐mediated transcription and up‐regulated expression of β‐catenin target, EMT‐related genes, such as Snail, Twist, vimentin, plasminogen activator inhibitor‐1 and matrix metalloproteinase‐7. Conversely, knockdown of FHL2 increased β‐catenin phosphorylation (Ser33/37/Thr41), decreased its nuclear translocation and inhibited β‐catenin‐mediated transcription and target genes expression. TGF‐β1 induced a FHL2/β‐catenin interaction in NRK‐52E cells, especially in the nuclei. In a mouse model of obstructive nephropathy, FHL2 mRNA and protein were induced in a time‐dependent fashion, and the extent and pattern of renal β‐catenin activation were positively correlated with FHL2 induction. Collectively, this study suggests that FHL2, via modulating β‐catenin signalling, may implicate in regulation of TGF‐β1‐mediated tubular EMT and could be a potential therapeutic target for fibrotic kidney disease.
Targeting Behavioral Symptoms and Functional Decline in Dementia: A Randomized Clinical Trial
Authors: Gitlin Laura N. , Arthur Paul , Piersol Catherine , Hessels Virginia , Wu Samuel S. , Dai Yunfeng , Mann William C.
Published: November 2017

Background/Objectives

Dementia‐related behavioral symptoms and functional dependence result in poor quality of life for persons with dementia and their caregivers. The goal was to determine whether a home‐based activity program (Tailored Activity Program; TAP‐VA) would reduce behavioral symptoms and functional dependence of veterans with dementia and caregiver burden.

Design

Single‐blind (interviewer), parallel, randomized, controlled trial (Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT01357564).

Setting

Veteran's homes.

Participants

Veterans with dementia and their family caregivers (N = 160 dyads).

Intervention

Dyads in TAP‐VA underwent 8 sessions with occupational therapists to customize activities to the interests and abilities of the veterans and educate their caregivers about dementia and use of customized activity. Caregivers assigned to attention control received up to 8 telephone‐based dementia education sessions with a research team member.

Measurements

Primary outcomes included number of behaviors and frequency of their occurrence multiplied by severity of occurrence; secondary outcomes were functional dependence, pain, emotional well‐being, caregiver burden (time spent caregiving, upset with behaviors) and affect at 4 (primary endpoint) and 8 months.

Results

Of 160 dyads (n = 76 TAP‐VA; n = 84 control), 111 completed 4‐month interviews (n = 51 TAP‐VA; n = 60 control), and 103 completed 8‐month interviews (n = 50 TAP‐VA; n = 53 control). At 4 months, compared to controls, the TAP‐VA group showed reductions in number (difference in mean change from baseline = −0.68, 95% CI = −1.23 to −0.13) and frequency by severity (−24.3, 95% CI = −45.6 to −3.1) of behavioral symptoms, number of activities needing assistance with (−0.80, 95% CI = −1.41 to −0.20), functional dependence level (4.09, 95% CI = 1.06, 7.13), and pain (−1.18, 95% CI = −2.10 to −0.26). Caregivers of veterans in TAP‐VA reported less behavior‐related distress. Benefits did not extend to 8 months.

Conclusion

TAP‐VA had positive immediate effects and no adverse events. Because TAP‐VA reduces behavioral symptoms, slows functional dependence, and alleviates pain and caregiver distress, it is a viable treatment option for families.
The calcium‐dependent kinase OsCPK24 functions in cold stress responses in rice
Authors: Liu Yu , Xu Chunjue , Zhu Yanfen , Zhang Lina , Chen Taiyu , Zhou Fei , Chen Hao , Lin Yongjun
Published: November 2017

Calcium‐dependent protein kinases (CPKs) are serine/threonine protein kinases that function in plant stress responses. Although CPKs are recognized as key messengers in signal transduction, the specific roles of CPKs and the molecular mechanisms underlying their activity remain largely unknown. Here, we characterized the function of OsCPK24, a cytosol‐localized calcium‐dependent protein kinase in rice. OsCPK24 was universally and highly expressed in rice plants and was induced by cold treatment. Whereas OsCPK24 knockdown plants exhibited increased sensitivity to cold compared to wild type (WT), OsCPK24‐overexpressing plants exhibited increased cold tolerance. Plants overexpressing OsCPK24 exhibited increased accumulation of proline (an osmoprotectant) and glutathione (an antioxidant) and maintained a higher GSH/GSSG (reduced glutathione to oxidized glutathione) ratio during cold stress compared to WT. In addition to these effects in response to cold stress, we observed the kinase activity of OsCPK24 varied under different calcium concentrations. Further, OsCPK24 phosphorylated OsGrx10, a glutathione‐dependent thioltransferase, at rates modulated by changes in calcium concentration. Together, our results support the hypothesis that OsCPK24 functions as a positive regulator of cold stress tolerance in rice, a process mediated by calcium signaling and involving phosphorylation and the inhibition of OsGrx10 to sustain higher glutathione levels.
Clinical and Supervisory Considerations for Transgender Therapists: Implications for Working with Clients
Authors: Shipman Daran , Martin Tristan
Published: November 2017

Transgender therapists have unique and valuable perspectives into how gender organizes the therapeutic process. Currently, in the MFT field, there is discussion of the cisgender therapist's experience in the therapy room, but no known articles on the transgender therapist's experience. This article provides insight into the experiences of transgender therapists around issues of self‐disclosure, social locations of both therapist and client, and clinical supervision. Drawing from our clinical experiences as transmen, we highlight special considerations for working with cisgender, queer, and transgender clients. Implications for supervision of transgender therapists are also discussed. As more gender diverse students seek MFT training, there is an urgent need to acknowledge their perspectives. This article is a call for beginning conversations in this direction.
Perceived Infection Prevention Climate and Its Predictors Among Nurses in Saudi Arabia
Authors: Colet Paolo C. , Cruz Jonas Preposi , Cacho Gabby , Al‐Qubeilat Hikmet , Soriano Shiela S. , Cruz Charlie P.
Published: November 2017

Purpose

This study investigated the staff nurses' perception of the infection prevention climate and its predictors in two hospitals.

Design

This is a cross‐sectional study employing a convenience sample of 224 staff nurses at two general hospitals in Riyadh province.

Methods

The study utilized a two‐part questionnaire that captures respondents' characteristics and the validated tool on Leading a Culture of Quality for Infection Prevention (LCQ‐IP). Both descriptive and inferential statistics were utilized accordingly.

Results

The prioritization of quality received the highest mean score among the four factors of the scale (mean = 3.89, SD = 0.65), followed by supportive work environment (mean = 3.88, SD = 0.68), psychological safety (mean = 3.85, SD = 0.65), and improvement orientation (mean = 3.84, SD = 0.64). Nationality, clinical experience, and attendance to seminars or training were identified as significant predictors.

Conclusions

The respondents perceived the infection prevention climate of the two general hospitals positively. This study strengthens the idea that organizational context influences negatively or positively the programs on infection prevention being implemented in the hospitals.

Clinical Relevance

The result may facilitate nursing and hospital management to reflect, examine, and review their organizational climate, the impact of infection prevention initiatives and patient safety strategies, and the reason to amend related policies or improve procedures, including the promotion of a healthy work environment.
Diminished long‐term recovery of peak flow rate (PFR) after robotic prostatectomy in men with baseline PFR <10 mL/s and incidental association with high‐risk prostate cancer
Authors: Gordon Adam , Skarecky Douglas , Babaian Kara N. , Dhaliwal Harleen , Ahlering Thomas E.
Published: November 2017

Objective

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of robot‐assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) on uroflowmetry (UF) parameters among men with baseline peak flow rates (PFR) <10 mL/s.

Methods

A single‐surgeon RARP database of 1082 men who underwent prospective UF testing was analyzed. Men filled out International Prostate Symptom Score questionnaires and underwent uroflowmetry and post‐void bladder ultrasound before surgery and at each follow‐up visit. Patients were divided into 2 groups based on preoperative PFR: those with PFR <10 mL/s (n = 158) and those with PFR ≥10 mL/s (n = 924). Univariate and multivariate regression models tested the association of preoperative characteristics in predicting postoperative PFR improvement. Within the PFR <10 mL/s group, preoperative variables were analyzed to predict pathologic outcomes.

Results

Three months after RARP, men with baseline PFR <10 mL/s had a 3‐fold improvement in PFR (from mean of 7.0 to 24.2 mL/s), whereas in men with PFR ≥10 mL/s there was a 50% improvement (from mean of 19.7 to 28.9 mL/s; P < .001). Improvement in PFR remained stable for >5 years, but mean postoperative PFR was 20% lower in men with baseline PFR <10 mL/s. Preoperative prostate‐specific antigen (odds ratio [OR] 0.75; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.59–0.95) and PFR (OR 0.52; 95% CI 0.34–0.80) were independent predictors of the percentage improvement in men with baseline PFR <10 mL/s. Preoperative PFR ≤7 mL/s was an independent predictor of Gleason score ≥8 (P = .016), seminal vesicle invasion (P = .010), and lymph node invasion (0.029).

Conclusions

After RARP, PFR improved significantly, with the improvement persisting over long‐term follow‐up. However, men with baseline PFR <10 mL/s had a 20% lower postoperative PFR over 5 years, suggesting permanent damage to the bladder and the need for early treatment to maintain bladder health. There appears to be an association between baseline PFR ≤7 mL/s and adverse pathologic features.
Spatial and Temporal Quantification of Community Resilience: Gotham City under Attack
Authors: Mahmoud Hussam , Chulahwat Akshat
Published: November 2017

Mitigating the impact of disasters on communities requires not only a deep understanding of the essential features of infrastructure, social, and economical components that make a community resilient; but also the development of mathematical models that can seamlessly integrate these features. This article lays the foundation for an integrative model that captures interaction between these components. The underlying fundamentals of the proposed model hinges on the principle of a damped harmonic oscillator by assuming the behavior of a community in response to a hazard is equivalent to the response of a vibrating mass of finite stiffness and damping. We implemented the dynamic model by developing a novel finite element formulation capable of quantifying resilience both temporally and spatially. We then used the developed model to devise a suitable hazard‐agnostic definition of community resilience. This was realized through a set of demonstration and logical verification tests conducted on Gotham City, the fictional city of the infamous character, Batman. It was observed that the model can be used to identify sensitive and vulnerable areas in a community, provide a spatial and temporal quantification of community resilience, and accommodate various types of hazards such as physical disruptions, economic downtimes, and even social disorders.
Clostridium butyricum exerts a neuroprotective effect in a mouse model of traumatic brain injury via the gut‐brain axis
Authors: Li H. , Sun J. , Du J. , Wang F. , Fang R. , Yu C. , Xiong J. , Chen W. , Lu Z. , Liu J.
Published: November 2017

Background

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a common occurrence following gastrointestinal dysfunction. Recently, more and more attentions are being focused on gut microbiota in brain and behavior. Glucagon‐like peptide‐1 (GLP‐1) is considered as a mediator that links the gut‐brain axis. The aim of this study was to explore the neuroprotective effects of Clostridium butyricum (Cb) on brain damage in a mouse model of TBI.

Methods

Male C57BL/6 mice were subjected to a model of TBI‐induced by weight‐drop impact head injury and were treated intragastrically with Cb. The cognitive deficits, brain water content, neuronal death, and blood‐brain barrier (BBB) permeability were evaluated. The expression of tight junction (TJ) proteins, Bcl‐2, Bax, GLP‐1 receptor (GLP‐1R), and phosphorylation of Akt (p‐Akt) in the brain were also measured. Moreover, the intestinal barrier permeability, the expression of TJ protein and GLP‐1, and IL‐6 level in the intestine were detected.

Results

Cb treatment significantly improved neurological dysfunction, brain edema, neurodegeneration, and BBB impairment. Meanwhile, Cb treatment also significantly increased the expression of TJ proteins (occludin and zonula occluden‐1), p‐Akt and Bcl‐2, but decreased expression of Bax. Moreover, Cb treatment exhibited more prominent effects on decreasing the levels of plasma d‐lactate and colonic IL‐6, upregulating expression of Occludin, and protecting intestinal barrier integrity. Furthermore, Cb‐treated mice showed increased the secretion of intestinal GLP‐1 and upregulated expression of cerebral GLP‐1R.

Conclusions

Our findings demonstrated the neuroprotective effect of Cb in TBI mice and the involved mechanisms were partially attributed to the elevating GLP‐1 secretion through the gut‐brain axis.
The Braess Paradox and Coordination Failure in Directed Networks with Mixed Externalities
Authors: Mak Vincent , Seale Darryl A. , Gisches Eyran J. , Yang Rui , Cheng Meng , Moon Myounghee , Rapoport Amnon
Published: November 2017

The Braess Paradox (BP) illustrates an important counterintuitive observation that adding links to a directed transportation network with usage externalities may raise the costs of all users. Research on the BP traditionally focuses on congestible networks. We propose and experimentally test a new and more dramatic version of the BP, where the network exhibits both congestion (negative externalities) and cost‐sharing (positive externalities) characteristics. Our design also involves experimental manipulation of choice observability, where players choose routes simultaneously in one condition and sequentially in the other. We report robust behavioral evidence of the BP in both conditions. In nine of 10 sessions in the basic network, subjects coordinated successfully to achieve the welfare‐maximizing equilibrium. But once the network was augmented with a new link, coordination failure resulted in a major proportion of subjects switching to a new route, resulting in a 37% average increase in individual travel cost across conditions.
Comparison of multiple regression analysis using dummy variables and a NARX network model: an example of a heavy metal adsorption process
Authors: Bingöl Deniz , Xiyili Haibibu , Elevli Sermin , Kılıç Erdal , Çetintaş Seda
Published: November 2017

In the present study, the adsorption characteristics of coal fly ash obtained from the Kangal Power Plant, Turkey and activated fly ash in the planetary ball mill were investigated to remove the heavy metal ions from aqueous solutions. The adsorption capacity was compared for the first time using a multiple regression analysis with dummy variables and a non‐linear auto regressive exogenous (NARX) network model. An equation was obtained for all types of adsorbents or heavy metals using the regression of qe on the dummy variables. The predictive ability of NARX was found to be better than that of multiple regression using dummy variables. These models can also be successfully implemented on the experimental data to evaluate the adsorption process. In addition, fly ash is a low cost alternative since it is a more economical and environmentally friendly adsorbent and it is abundant in both nature and from waste material from industry.
Development and Validation of a Real-Time PCR Assay for Rapid Detection of Candida auris from Surveillance Samples
Authors: Leach L. , Zhu Y. , Chaturvedi S.
Published: November 2017

Candida auris
is an emerging multidrug-resistant yeast causing invasive health care-associated infection with high mortality worldwide. Rapid identification of
C. auris
is of primary importance for the implementation of public health measures to control the spread of infection. To achieve these goals, we developed and validated a TaqMan-based real-time PCR assay targeting the internal transcribed spacer 2 (
ITS
2) region of the ribosomal gene. The assay was highly specific, reproducible, and sensitive, with the detection limit of 1
C. auris
CFU/PCR. The performance of the
C. auris
real-time PCR assay was evaluated by using 623 surveillance samples, including 365 patient swabs and 258 environmental sponges. Real-time PCR yielded positive results from 49 swab and 58 sponge samples, with 89% and 100% clinical sensitivity with regard to their respective culture-positive results. The real-time PCR also detected
C. auris
DNA from 1% and 12% of swab and sponge samples with culture-negative results, indicating the presence of dead or culture-impaired
C. auris
. The real-time PCR yielded results within 4 h of sample processing, compared to 4 to 14 days for culture, reducing turnaround time significantly. The new real-time PCR assay allows for accurate and rapid screening of
C. auris
and can increase effective control and prevention of this emerging multidrug-resistant fungal pathogen in health care facilities.
Type III Interferon Restriction by Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus and the Role of Viral Protein nsp1 in IRF1 Signaling
Authors: Zhang Qingzhan , Ke Hanzhong , Blikslager Anthony , Fujita Takashi , Yoo Dongwan
Published: November 2017

Type III interferons (IFNs) play a vital role in maintaining the antiviral state of the mucosal epithelial surface in the gut, and in turn, enteric viruses may have evolved to evade the type III IFN responses during infection. To study the possible immune evasion of the type III IFN response by porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV), a line of porcine intestinal epithelial cells was developed as a cell model for PEDV replication. IFN-λ1 and IFN-λ3 inhibited PEDV replication, indicating the anti-PEDV activity of type III IFNs. Of the 21 PEDV proteins, nsp1, nsp3, nsp5, nsp8, nsp14, nsp15, nsp16, open reading frame 3 (ORF3), E, M, and N were found to suppress type III IFN activities, and IRF1 (interferon regulatory factor 1) signaling mediated the suppression. PEDV specifically inhibited IRF1 nuclear translocation. The peroxisome is the innate antiviral signaling platform for the activation of IRF1-mediated IFN-λ production, and the numbers of peroxisomes were found to be decreased in PEDV-infected cells. PEDV nsp1 blocked the nuclear translocation of IRF1 and reduced the number of peroxisomes to suppress IRF1-mediated type III IFNs. Mutational studies showed that the conserved residues of nsp1 were crucial for IRF1-mediated IFN-λ suppression. Our study for the first time provides evidence that the porcine enteric virus PEDV downregulates and evades IRF1-mediated type III IFN responses by reducing the number of peroxisomes.

IMPORTANCE
Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) is a highly contagious enteric coronavirus that emerged in swine in the United States and has caused severe economic losses. PEDV targets intestinal epithelial cells in the gut, and intestinal epithelial cells selectively induce and respond to the production of type III interferons (IFNs). However, little is known about the modulation of the type III IFN response by PEDV in intestinal epithelial cells. In this study, we established a porcine intestinal epithelial cell model for PEDV replication. We found that PEDV inhibited IRF1-mediated type III IFN production by decreasing the number of peroxisomes in porcine intestinal epithelial cells. We also demonstrated that the conserved residues in the PEDV nsp1 protein were crucial for IFN suppression. This study for the first time shows PEDV evasion of the type III IFN response in intestinal epithelial cells, and it provides valuable information on host cell-virus interactions not only for PEDV but also for other enteric viral infections in swine.
Exosomes Mediate Intercellular Transmission of Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus
Authors: Wang Ting , Fang Liurong , Zhao Fuwei , Wang Dang , Xiao Shaobo
Published: November 2017

Exosomes are small membrane-enclosed vesicles produced by various cells and actively released into the extracellular space. They participate in intercellular communication and transfer of biologically active proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids. Accumulating evidence suggests that exosomes derived from cells infected by some viruses selectively encapsulate viral proteins, genetic materials, or even virions to mediate cell-to-cell communication and/or virus transmission. Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) is an
Arterivirus
that has been devastating the global swine industry since the late 1980s. Recent studies have shown that major proteins secreted from PRRSV-infected cells are exosomal proteins and that the serum-derived exosomes from PRRSV-infected pigs contain viral proteins. However, the role of exosomes in PRRSV infection remains unclear. In this study, purified exosomes isolated from PRRSV-infected cells were shown with reverse transcription-PCR and mass spectrometry to contain viral genomic RNA and partial viral proteins. Furthermore, exosomes from PRRSV-infected cells established productive infection in both PRRSV-susceptible and -nonsusceptible cells. More importantly, exosome-mediated infection was not completely blocked by PRRSV-specific neutralizing antibodies. In summary, this study demonstrated that exosomes can mediate PRRSV transmission and are even resistant to antibody neutralization, identifying a potential immune evasion mechanism utilized by PRRSV.

IMPORTANCE
Exosomes have recently been characterized as bioactive vesicles that function to promote intercellular communication. The exosomes from virally infected cells containing altered compositions confer numerous novel functionalities. A study of the secretome of cells infected with PRRSV indicated that the exosomal pathway is strongly activated by PRRSV infection. Here, we demonstrate that PRRSV can utilize host exosomes to infect naive healthy cells. Furthermore, exosome-mediated viral transmission is largely resistant to PRRSV-specific neutralizing antibodies. Our study provides novel insights into an alternative mechanism of PRRSV transmission that can compromise the host's anti-PRRSV immune response.
Microbial Community Structure and Arsenic Biogeochemistry in Two Arsenic-Impacted Aquifers in Bangladesh
Authors: Gnanaprakasam Edwin T. , Lloyd Jonathan R. , Boothman Christopher , Ahmed Kazi Matin , Choudhury Imtiaz , Bostick Benjamin C. , van Geen Alexander , Mailloux Brian J.
Published: November 2017

Long-term exposure to trace levels of arsenic (As) in shallow groundwater used for drinking and irrigation puts millions of people at risk of chronic disease. Although microbial processes are implicated in mobilizing arsenic from aquifer sediments into groundwater, the precise mechanism remains ambiguous. The goal of this work was to target, for the first time, a comprehensive suite of state-of-the-art molecular techniques in order to better constrain the relationship between indigenous microbial communities and the iron and arsenic mineral phases present in sediments at two well-characterized arsenic-impacted aquifers in Bangladesh. At both sites, arsenate [As(V)] was the major species of As present in sediments at depths with low aqueous As concentrations, while most sediment As was arsenite [As(III)] at depths with elevated aqueous As concentrations. This is consistent with a role for the microbial As(V) reduction in mobilizing arsenic. 16S rRNA gene analysis indicates that the arsenic-rich sediments were colonized by diverse bacterial communities implicated in both dissimilatory Fe(III) and As(V) reduction, while the correlation analyses involved phylogenetic groups not normally associated with As mobilization. Findings suggest that direct As redox transformations are central to arsenic fate and transport and that there is a residual reactive pool of both As(V) and Fe(III) in deeper sediments that could be released by microbial respiration in response to hydrologic perturbation, such as increased groundwater pumping that introduces reactive organic carbon to depth.

IMPORTANCE
The consumption of arsenic in waters collected from tube wells threatens the lives of millions worldwide and is particularly acute in the floodplains and deltas of southern Asia. The cause of arsenic mobilization from natural sediments within these aquifers to groundwater is complex, with recent studies suggesting that sediment-dwelling microorganisms may be the cause. In the absence of oxygen at depth, specialist bacteria are thought able to use metals within the sediments to support their metabolism. Via these processes, arsenic-contaminated iron minerals are transformed, resulting in the release of arsenic into the aquifer waters. Focusing on a field site in Bangladesh, a comprehensive, multidisciplinary study using state-of-the-art geological and microbiological techniques has helped better understand the microbes that are present naturally in a high-arsenic aquifer and how they may transform the chemistry of the sediment to potentially lethal effect.
Forward Genetics Approach Reveals Host Genotype-Dependent Importance of Accessory Chromosomes in the Fungal Wheat Pathogen
Zymoseptoria tritici
Authors: Habig Michael , Quade Jakob , Stukenbrock Eva Holtgrewe
Published: November 2017

The fungal wheat pathogen
Zymoseptoria tritici
possesses a large complement of accessory chromosomes showing presence/absence polymorphism among isolates. These chromosomes encode hundreds of genes; however, their functional role and why the chromosomes have been maintained over long evolutionary times are so far not known. In this study, we addressed the functional relevance of eight accessory chromosomes in reference isolate IPO323. We induced chromosome losses by inhibiting the β-tubulin assembly during mitosis using carbendazim and generated several independent isogenic strains, each lacking one of the accessory chromosomes. We confirmed chromosome losses by electrophoretic karyotyping and whole-genome sequencing. To assess the importance of the individual chromosomes during host infection, we performed
in planta
assays comparing disease development results in wild-type and chromosome mutant strains. Loss of the accessory chromosomes 14, 16, 18, 19, and 21 resulted in increased virulence on wheat cultivar Runal but not on cultivars Obelisk, Titlis, and Riband. Moreover, some accessory chromosomes affected the switch from biotrophy to necrotrophy as strains lacking accessory chromosomes 14, 18, 19, and 21 showed a significantly earlier onset of necrosis than the wild type on the Runal cultivar. In general, we observed that the timing of the lifestyle switch affects the fitness of
Z. tritici
. Taking the results together, this study was the first to use a forward-genetics approach to demonstrate a cultivar-dependent functional relevance of the accessory chromosomes of
Z. tritici
during host infection.

IMPORTANCE
Zymoseptoria tritici
is a prominent fungal pathogen of wheat of worldwide distribution. This fungus shows a remarkable genome organization, with a large number of chromosomes that are present in only some isolates and therefore considered to be “accessory” chromosomes. To date, the function of these accessory chromosomes in
Z. tritici
has been unknown, although their maintenance in the species over evolutionary times suggests a functional relevance. Here we deleted whole accessory chromosomes to test the effect of these chromosomes on host specificity and virulence of the fungus. We show for the first time that some accessory chromosomes of
Z. tritici
affect the fitness of the fungus during host infection in a cultivar-dependent manner. These results show that the accessory chromosomes encode host-specific virulence determinants having a negative effect on fitness. Understanding the population dynamic of the accessory chromosomes and the molecular interaction of pathogen and plant traits is crucial to improve wheat-breeding strategies.
Classical and quantum dynamics of higher-derivative systems
Authors: Smilga Andrei
Published: November 2017

A brief review of the physics of systems including higher derivatives in the Lagrangian is given. All such systems involve ghosts, i.e. the spectrum of the Hamiltonian is not bounded from below and the vacuum ground state is absent. Usually, this leads to collapse and loss of unitarity. In certain special cases, this does not happen, however, ghosts are benign.

We speculate that the Theory of Everything is a higher-derivative field theory, characterized by the presence of such benign ghosts and defined in a higher-dimensional bulk. Our Universe then represents a classical solution in this theory, having the form of a 3-brane embedded in the bulk.
CROWDING AND LIGHT LIMITATION AFFECT PHYTOPLANKTON COMPETITION FOR NITROGEN
Authors: KHONTHAPAGDEE SUBHORN , PILYUGIN SERGEI S.
Published: November 2017

We consider a chemostat model of phytoplankton competing for nitrogen taking into account effects of both intra- and interspecific crowding and the light limitation. We consider crowding as an additive density-dependent mortality rate. Crowding effects may be classified into intra- and interspecific crowding depending on whether the additional mortality is caused by the same or alternate species.

We analyze the existence and local and global stability of single species and coexistence equilibria using the linearization and stability method of Lyapunov. We present a numerical example illustrating the fact that the crowding effects may lead to the bistable coexistence of two phytoplankton species. We demonstrate that the crowding effects and the light limitation affect the outcome of exploitative competition for a single resource and promote coexistence. We also show that while the crowding has a stabilizing effect on phytoplankton community, the light limitation may destabilize the system and produce sustained oscillations.