bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Nutrient demand and fungal access to resources control the carbon allocation to the symbiotic partners in tripartite interactions of Medicago truncatula
Authors: Kafle Arjun , Garcia Kevin , Wang Xiurong , Pfeffer Philip E. , Strahan Gary D. , Bücking Heike
Published: June 2018

Legumes form tripartite interactions with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and rhizobia, and both root symbionts exchange nutrients against carbon from their host. The carbon costs of these interactions are substantial, but our current understanding of how the host controls its carbon allocation to individual root symbionts is limited. We examined nutrient uptake and carbon allocation in tripartite interactions of Medicago truncatula under different nutrient supply conditions, and when the fungal partner had access to nitrogen, and followed the gene expression of several plant transporters of the Sucrose Uptake Transporter (SUT) and Sugars Will Eventually be Exported Transporter (SWEET) family. Tripartite interactions led to synergistic growth responses and stimulated the phosphate and nitrogen uptake of the plant. Plant nutrient demand but also fungal access to nutrients played an important role for the carbon transport to different root symbionts, and the plant allocated more carbon to rhizobia under nitrogen demand, but more carbon to the fungal partner when nitrogen was available. These changes in carbon allocation were consistent with changes in the SUT and SWEET expression. Our study provides important insights into how the host plant controls its carbon allocation under different nutrient supply conditions and changes its carbon allocation to different root symbionts to maximize its symbiotic benefits.
The US National Seed Strategy for Rehabilitation and Restoration: progress and prospects
Authors: Oldfield S.
Published: June 2018

The National Seed Strategy for Rehabilitation and Restoration was developed by a partnership of 12 federal agencies and over 300 non‐federal cooperators in the United States and launched in 2015. Implementation aims to ensure the availability of genetically appropriate native seed for ecological restoration across the country. Ecological restoration is required in response to a wide range of human impacts. The four main goals of the strategy are: identification of seed needs and availability of genetically appropriate seed; research to improve seed production and ecosystem restoration; development of decision support tools for ecological restoration; and communication and outreach. With the increasing occurrence and intensity of extreme weather events including drought and related wild fires, hurricanes and flooding, native seed is increasingly required in large quantities to build ecological resilience. Acceptance of this need will be crucial to implementation of the National Seed Strategy.
Dynamics and viability analysis of transplanted and natural lady's slipper (Cypripedium japonicum) populations under habitat management in South Korea
Authors: Cho Yong‐Chan , Kim Han‐Gyul , Koo Bon‐Yeol , Shin Jae‐Kwon
Published: June 2018

To assess the effectiveness of conservation‐based transplantation of the endangered orchid (Cypripedium japonicum), we compared the morphology, physiology, stem‐count change, and population viability of natural versus transplanted populations undergoing habitat management (repeated removal of competing understory vegetation) between 2009 and 2015 in South Korea. The restored site had lower transmitted light and soil humidity than the natural site. The natural and transplanted populations differed in leaf morphology and total chlorophyll content (natural: 1.00 ± 0.04, restored: 0.53 ± 0.06). No recruitment occurred during the monitoring period. Population viability tended to decrease in the restored population (λG = 0.97, μ = −0.05, σ2 = 0.036) and increase in the natural population (λG = 1.07, μ = 0.03, σ2 = 0.075). The repeated removal of competing understory vegetation had different effects on leaf traits, abundance, and reproductive properties of the endangered orchids in both populations. Notably, habitat management increased the stem count and flowering rate in natural C. japonicum but did not increase the fruit‐setting rate. Thus, despite repeated habitat management efforts (removal of competing understory vegetation), we conclude that the population viability of transplanted populations of the endangered orchid C. japonicum had poor long‐term viability compared with naturally occurring populations, a difference that is mainly attributed to inappropriate transplant‐site selection.
Where is tuberculosis transmission happening? Insights from the literature, new tools to study transmission and implications for the elimination of tuberculosis
Authors: Auld Sara C. , Shah N. Sarita , Cohen Ted , Martinson Neil A. , Gandhi Neel R.
Published: June 2018

More than 10 million new cases of tuberculosis (TB) are diagnosed worldwide each year. The majority of these cases occur in low‐ and middle‐income countries where the TB epidemic is predominantly driven by transmission. Efforts to ‘end TB’ will depend upon our ability to halt ongoing transmission. However, recent studies of new approaches to interrupt transmission have demonstrated inconsistent effects on reducing population‐level TB incidence. TB transmission occurs across a wide range of settings, that include households and hospitals, but also community‐based settings. While home‐based contact investigations and infection control programmes in hospitals and clinics have a successful track record as TB control activities, there is a gap in our knowledge of where, and between whom, community‐based transmission of TB occurs. Novel tools, including molecular epidemiology, geospatial analyses and ventilation studies, provide hope for improving our understanding of transmission in countries where the burden of TB is greatest. By integrating these diverse and innovative tools, we can enhance our ability to identify transmission events by documenting the opportunity for transmission—through either an epidemiologic or geospatial connection—alongside genomic evidence for transmission, based upon genetically similar TB strains. A greater understanding of locations and patterns of transmission will translate into meaningful improvements in our current TB control activities by informing targeted, evidence‐based public health interventions.
AdaPT: An Interactive Procedure for Multiple Testing with Side Information
Authors: Lei Lihua , Fithian William
Published: June 2018

We consider the problem of multiple-hypothesis testing with generic side information: for each hypothesis Hi we observe both a p-value pi and some predictor xi encoding contextual information about the hypothesis. For large-scale problems, adaptively focusing power on the more promising hypotheses (those more likely to yield discoveries) can lead to much more powerful multiple-testing procedures. We propose a general iterative framework for this problem, the adaptive p-value thresholding procedure which we call AdaPT, which adaptively estimates a Bayes optimal p-value rejection threshold and controls the false discovery rate in finite samples. At each iteration of the procedure, the analyst proposes a rejection threshold and observes partially censored p-values, estimates the false discovery proportion below the threshold and proposes another threshold, until the estimated false discovery proportion is below α. Our procedure is adaptive in an unusually strong sense, permitting the analyst to use any statistical or machine learning method she chooses to estimate the optimal threshold, and to switch between different models at each iteration as information accrues. We demonstrate the favourable performance of AdaPT by comparing it with state of the art methods in five real applications and two simulation studies.
Dmitry Grigorovich and the Limits of Empiricism
Authors: MATZNER‐GORE GRETA
Published: June 2018

Although the influence of the natural sciences on writers of the “Natural School” has long been acknowledged, scholars have only recently begun to realize just how complex and multifaceted the interactions between the sciences and literature in mid‐nineteenth century Russia really were. This article proposes a new reading of the works of Dmitry Grigorovich in the context of popular articles on physiology that appeared between the 1830s and 1850s in Russia. It argues that Grigorovich both adopts an empirical‐scientific methodology in his novels and sketches and explores the limitations of his approach: those moments when we can no longer rely on our eyes and ears to provide accurate information about the external world. Grigorovich's empiricism ultimately led him to an artistic dead end, caught in a cycle of continually doubting the validity of his findings, but unable to formulate a new approach, and by the mid‐1860s he stopped writing entirely. Yet I submit that Grigorovich's very failure is instructive: it helps explain why so many other nineteenth‐century theorists and practitioners of Russian literary realism rejected pure empiricism, and struggled to find new, more conceptual ways of understanding and representing reality in their works.
Какая роскошь! Darwin as Artist in Chekhov's Fiction
Authors: MILLER MELISSA
Published: June 2018

In his creative practice Chekhov embraced and encouraged fertile crossover between art and science. This essay examines his relationship to Charles Darwin and his work as a fascinating case in point, for Chekhov ranked Darwin not only as a preeminent scientist, but as one of the world's leading creative geniuses, alongside figures such as Tolstoy and Shakespeare. And not unlike a fellow artist, Chekhov was also committed to investigating the potential that Darwin's work had for writing imaginative prose. Many of Chekhov's stories of the 1880s and 1890s served as a laboratory in which to test evolutionary ideas. I examine how one of these works, Chekhov's enigmatic novella “The Duel,” is in creative dialogue with Darwinian evolution, with a particular focus on the novella's gender relations. Out of all of Chekhov's stories, “The Duel” is one of the most commented on, and with respect to the scientist Von Koren, its unapologetic Darwinist hero, is arguably the easiest to discuss in an evolutionary framework. But while Von Koren's individual Darwinism has often been remarked upon, Darwin's artistic influence on Chekhov's novella as a whole has yet to be satisfactorily explored. The purpose of this essay is to elucidate “The Duel”'s Darwinian poetics, thus allowing us a new way to understand the traditionally Chekhovian “unmotivated” ending.
No Conflict on the Stage: The Theory of Beskonfliktnost' in Postwar Soviet Drama
Authors: GARDINER JESSE
Published: June 2018

The theory of beskonfliktnost’ (conflictlessness) is one of the most notorious examples of the stagnation of the cultural sphere under Stalin, yet its origins and exponents are little known. Condemned widely at the Second Soviet Writers’ Congress in 1954, the term became used as a catch‐all for the excesses of Socialist Realism which eschewed the need for deeper analysis of the atrophy of postwar Soviet theater. This article explores the development of the theory in cultural discourse and analyses some of the play texts that resulted from it. In the process it situates the concept of beskonfliktnost’ within the context of 1930s utopian idealism and the Stakhanovite drive to overreach. Finally the article discusses how it came about that dramatist Nikolai Virta was made a scapegoat for the theory, despite never having written a “conflictless” play, and positions his fall against the backdrop of the anti‐cosmopolitan campaign.
Decentralizing Dictatorship: Soviet Local Governance during World War II
Authors: KHLEVNIUK OLEG
Published: June 2018

Based on new archival documentation, this article investigates the process of localization (the decentralization of authority down to local actors) in the USSR during World War II. Local authorities managed the economy of some regions as a unified complex. They allocated the workforce, equipment, and materials among enterprises that reported to different commissariats (economic and state ministries) and determined production plans. In so doing, local party authorities challenged departmental interests and violated the planned centralization standards. The localization of governance is interpreted in this article as the result of interactions between several related processes. On the one hand, after the terror of the 1930s, the composition of regional managers became increasingly stable. On the other hand, during the critical conditions of war the center restructured its relationships with the regions. The overall contraction in manufacturing and the break‐down in cooperation between enterprises forced the government to rely on the initiatives of lower level management, which then acquired significant authority. Under the influence of these factors, many practices of formal and informal localization spread at the regional level. This article examines and categorizes these practices, their reasons, and their consequences.
Scotland as an optimal currency area
Authors: Binner Jane M. , Chaudhry Sajid M. , Mullineux Andrew W. , Swofford James L.
Published: June 2018

The June 2016 UK referendum on continued EU membership where the people of Scotland voted to remain, while the rest of the United Kingdom voted to leave, once again makes the issue of whether Scotland is an optimal currency area very topical. England voted strongly to leave Europe while Scotland backed remain by 62% to 38%. The Scottish government published its draft bill on a second independence referendum in October 2016. The move does not mean another referendum will definitely be held, but this does raise the possibility that Scotland might choose independence and staying in the EU without the rest of the United Kingdom. If Scotland charts a course of independence from the rest of the United Kingdom, then they would likely either issue their own currency or join or form another currency area.

In this paper, we test the microeconomic foundations of a common currency area for Scotland, United Kingdom, and the rest of the United Kingdom without Scotland. We find that the United Kingdom, Scotland, and the United Kingdom without Scotland all meet the microeconomic criteria for a common currency area. In contrast, banking data suggest that lending in Scotland is different from lending in the rest of the United Kingdom, adding some doubt to the issue of whether or not Scotland is a common currency area with the United Kingdom.
Unsafe Sex in the City: Risk Pricing in the London Area
Authors: Muravyev Alexander , Talavera Oleksandr
Published: June 2018

This paper studies the incidence, determinants, and pricing of unprotected oral sex in the London sex services market. The analysis is based upon matched sex worker–client panel data, which were collected from ‘field reports’ on PunterNet.com website over the 1999–2009 time period. We find a steady increase in the incidence of unprotected oral sex during this period, rising from <20% to over 50% of all transactions. We show that the average premium for unprotected oral sex amounts to about 10–14% of the transaction price, and that this premium is higher if a sex worker has agency affiliation. Agency affiliated sex workers are also less likely to engage in unprotected oral sex compared to independent sex workers.
Correlations between resistance training‐induced changes on phase angle and biochemical markers in older women
Authors: Tomeleri C. M. , Ribeiro A. S. , Cavaglieri C. R. , Deminice R. , Schoenfeld B. J. , Schiavoni D. , dos Santos L. , de Souza M. F. , Antunes M. , Venturini D. , Barbosa D. S. , Sardinha L. B. , Cyrino E. S.
Published: June 2018

The main purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of 12 weeks of resistance training (RT) on phase angle (PhA), inflammatory and oxidative stress biomarkers, and to evaluate whether these RT‐induced adaptations are related to PhA changes. Fifty‐one older women (70.6 ± 5.1 years; 26.9 ± 4.2 kg/m2) were randomly allocated into a training group (TG) that performed 12‐week RT or a nonexercising control group (CG). The PhA (Xitron), body composition (DXA), and blood sample measurements (after a 12 hours fast) were performed before and after the intervention. The TG showed a significant (P < .05) increase in PhA (TG: +7.4±5.9% vs CG: −3.6 ± 8.8%), and interleukin‐10 (IL‐10; TG: +51.8 ± 71.1% vs CG: −46.6 ± 38.0%), and a decrease in tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF‐α; TG: −15.2 ± 11.1% vs CG: +6.9±17.7%), interleukin‐6 (IL‐6; TG: −17.9 ± 17.8% vs CG: +6.1 ± 24.8%), and C‐reactive protein (CRP; TG: −24.1 ± 19.9% vs CG: +43.8 ± 31.1%). Moreover, TG upregulated catalase (TG: +11.4 ± 15.0% vs CG: −6.7 ± 10.2%). Changes in TNF‐α (r = −.71), CRP (r = −.65), lower advanced oxidation protein products (r = −.55), and catalase (r = +.73) after RT were correlated with changes in PhA (P < .05). These results suggest that RT improves PhA, inflammatory and oxidative stress biomarkers, and the changes in inflammatory and oxidative damage markers are correlated with changes in PhA.
Post‐exercise ankle blood pressure and ankle to brachial index after heavy load bicycle exercise
Authors: Godet R. , Bruneau A. , Vielle B. , Vincent F. , Le Tourneau T. , Carre F. , Hupin D. , Hamel J. F. , Abraham P. , Henni S.
Published: June 2018

The American Heart Association (AHA) recommendations for diagnosing peripheral artery disease (PAD) after exercise are a decrease >20% of ankle brachial index (ABI) or >30 mm Hg of ankle systolic blood pressure (ASBP) from resting values. We evaluated ABI and ASBP values during incremental maximal exercise in physically active and asymptomatic patients. Patients (n = 726) underwent incremental bicycle tests with pre‐ and post‐exercise recording of all four limbs arterial pressures simultaneously. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to define the correlation between post‐exercise ABI with various clinical factors, including age. Thereafter, the population was divided into groups of age: less than 40 (G < 40), from 40 to 44 (G40/44) from 45 to 49 (G45/49), from 50 to 54 (G50/54), from 55 to 59 (G55/59), from 60 to 64 (G60/64), and 65 and above (G ≥ 65) years. Results are mean ± SD. * is two‐tailed P < .05 for ANOVA with Dunnett's post‐hoc test from G40. Changes from rest in ASBP were −3 ± 22 (G < 40), −2 ± 20 (G40/44), 4 ± 22* (G45/49), 10 ± 25* (G50/54), 18 ± 21* (G55/59), 23 ± 27* (G60/64), and 16 ± 22* (G ≥ 65) mm Hg. Decreases from rest in ABI were 32 ± 9 (G < 40), 33 ± 9 (G40/44), 29 ± 8 (G45/49), 27 ± 10* (G50/54), 24 ± 7* (G55/59), 22 ± 12* (G60/64), and 21 ± 12* (G ≥ 65) % of resting ABI. Maximal incremental exercise results in ABI and ASBP changes are mostly dependent on age. The AHA limits for post‐exercise ABI are inadequate following maximal incremental bicycle testing. Future studies detecting PAD in active patients should account for the effect of age.
Evolution, systematics, and natural history of a new genus of cryptobiotic fungus‐growing ants
Authors: SOSA‐CALVO JEFFREY , SCHULTZ TED R. , JEŠOVNIK ANA , DAHAN ROMAIN A. , RABELING CHRISTIAN
Published: June 2018

Xerolitor, a new, monotypic genus of fungus‐growing ants, is described to accommodate the phylogenetically isolated, relict speciesMycetosoritis explicatusKempf. We also diagnose the male and the larva ofXerolitor explicatus(Kempf)comb.n.and report ecological observations for the species, including nest architecture and foraging behaviour.Xerolitor explicatuscomb.n.inhabits the dry habitats of the Brazilian Cerrado and the Bolivian and Paraguayan Gran Chaco. Bayesian multilocus phylogenetic analyses indicate thatX. explicatuscomb.n.is, contrary to some prior hypotheses, a member of the ‘higher’ fungus‐growing ants and the sister taxon of the genusSericomyrmexMayr. Results from phylogenetic analyses of the fungal cultivar grown byX. explicatuscomb.n.in Paraguay, as well as the presence of gongylidia, indicate that the fungal mutualist is a member of the clade of higher fungal cultivar species and that it is probably the same species cultivated by someTrachymyrmexForel andSericomyrmexspecies.
Long‐term high altitude hypoxia during gestation suppresses large conductance Ca2+‐activated K+ channel function in uterine arteries: a causal role for microRNA‐210
Authors: Hu Xiang‐Qun , Dasgupta Chiranjib , Xiao Jeffery , Yang Shumei , Zhang Lubo
Published: June 2018

Key points

Gestational hypoxia represses ten–eleven translocation methylcytosine dioxygenase 1 (TET1) expression in uterine arteries, which is recovered by inhibiting endogenous miR‐210.

Inhibition of miR‐210 rescues BKCa channel expression and current in uterine arteries of pregnant animals acclimatized to high altitude hypoxia in a TET‐dependent manner.

miR‐210 blockade restores BKCa channel‐mediated relaxations and attenuates pressure‐dependent myogenic tone in uterine arteries of pregnant animals acclimatized to high altitude.

Gestational hypoxia at high altitude has profound adverse effects on the uteroplacental circulation, and is associated with increased incidence of preeclampsia and fetal intrauterine growth restriction. Previous studies demonstrated that suppression of large‐conductance Ca2+‐activated K+ (BKCa) channel function played a critical role in the maladaptation of uteroplacental circulation caused by gestational hypoxia. Yet, the mechanisms underlying gestational hypoxia‐induced BKCa channel repression remain undetermined. The present study investigated a causal role of microRNA‐210 (miR‐210) in hypoxia‐mediated repression of BKCa channel expression and function in uterine arteries using a sheep model. The results revealed that gestational hypoxia significantly decreased ten–eleven translocation methylcytosine dioxygenase 1 (TET1) expression in uterine arteries, which was recovered by inhibiting endogenous miR‐210 with miR‐210 locked nucleic acid (miR‐210‐LNA). Of importance, miR‐210‐LNA restored BKCa channel β1 subunit expression in uterine arteries, which was blocked by a competitive TET inhibitor, fumarate, thus functionally linking miR‐210 to the TET1–BKCa channel cascade. In addition, miR‐210‐LNA reversed hypoxia‐mediated suppression of BKCa channel function and rescued the effect of steroid hormones in upregulating BKCa channel expression and function in uterine arteries, which were also ablated by fumarate. Collectively, the present study demonstrates a causative effect of miR‐210 in the downregulation of TET1 and subsequent repression of BKCa channel expression and function, providing a novel mechanistic insight into the regulation of BKCa channel function and the molecular basis underlying the maladaptation of uterine vascular function in gestational hypoxia.
Multiscale prediction of acoustic properties for glass wools: Computational study and experimental validation
Authors: He M. , Perrot C. , Guilleminot J. , Leroy P. , Jacqus G.
Published: June 2018

This work is concerned with the multiscale prediction of the transport and sound absorption properties associated with industrial glass wool samples. In the first step, an experimental characterization is performed on various products using optical granulometry and porosity measurements. A morphological analysis, based on scanning electron imaging, is further conducted to identify the probability density functions associated with the fiber angular orientation. The key morphological characterization parameters of the microstructure, which serve as input parameters of the model, include the porosity, the weighted volume diameter accounting for both lengths and diameters of the analyzed fibers (and therefore the specific surface area of the random fibrous material), and the preferred out-of-plane fiber orientation generated by the manufacturing process. A computational framework is subsequently proposed and allows for the reconstruction of an equivalent fibrous network. A fully stochastic microstructural model, parameterized by the probability laws inferred from the database, is also proposed herein. Multiscale simulations are carried out to estimate transport properties and sound absorption. With no adjustable parameter, the results accounting for ten different samples obtained with various processing parameters are finally compared with the experimental data and used to assess the relevance of the reconstruction procedures and the multiscale computations.
Pentamidine for Prophylaxis against Pneumocystis jirovecii Pneumonia in Pediatric Oncology Patients Receiving Immunosuppressive Chemotherapy
Authors: Quinn Melissa , Fannin J. T. , Sciasci Joseph , Bragg Allison , Campbell Patrick K. , Carias Delia , Crews Kristine R. , Gregornik David , Jeha Sima , Maron Gabriela , Pauley Jennifer L. , Swanson Hope D. , Wolf Joshua , Greene William
Published: June 2018

Pneumocystis jirovecii
pneumonia is a life-threatening opportunistic infection in children receiving immunosuppressive chemotherapy. Without prophylaxis, up to 25% of pediatric oncology patients receiving chemotherapy will develop
Pneumocystis jirovecii
pneumonia.
Pharmacodynamic and Immunomodulatory Effects of Micafungin on Host Responses against Biofilms of Candida parapsilosis in Comparison to Those of Candida albicans
Authors: Simitsopoulou Maria , Chlichlia Katerina , Kyrpitzi Daniela , Walsh Thomas J. , Roilides Emmanuel
Published: June 2018

Micafungin (MFG) demonstrates potent activity against biofilms of
Candida albicans
and
Candida parapsilosis
, the most frequent opportunistic fungal pathogens. Little is known about its immunopharmacologic effect on antibiofilm activity of phagocytic cells following exposure to
Candida
biofilms.
CpxR/CpxA ControlsscsABCDTranscription To Counteract Copper and Oxidative Stress in Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium
Authors: López Carolina , Checa Susana K. , Soncini Fernando C.
Published: June 2018

Copper intoxication triggers both specific and nonspecific responses inSalmonella. Thescslocus, which codes for periplasmic thiol/disulfide-oxidoreductase/isomerase-like proteins, has been the focus of attention because it is necessary for copper resistance, oxidative stress responses, and virulence and because it is not present in nonpathogenicEscherichia coli. Still, the conditions under which thescslocus is expressed and the roles of its individual components remain unknown. In this report, we examine the contribution of each Scs factor to survival under H2O2and copper stress. We establish that thescsgenes form a copper-activated operon controlled by the CpxR/CpxA signal transduction system, and we provide evidence of its conserved gene arrangement and regulation in other bacterial pathogens.
Early excessive growth with distinct seasonality in preschool obesity
Authors: Isojima Tsuyoshi , Kato Noriko , Yokoya Susumu , Ono Atsushi , Tanaka Toshiaki , Yokomichi Hiroshi , Yamagata Zentaro , Tanaka Soichiro , Matsubara Hiroko , Ishikuro Mami , Kikuya Masahiro , Chida Shoichi , Hosoya Mitsuaki , Kuriyama Shinichi , Kure Shigeo
Published: June 2018

Objectives

Healthy-weight children tend to gain weight during winter but lose weight during summer. However, overweight elementary school children have shown accelerated summertime weight gain. Whether this seasonal growth variation occurs during preschool period is of substantial interest.

Methods

Data were derived from a nationwide retrospective cohort of nursery school children. Eight consecutive sets of longitudinal measurements on height and weight were obtained from 15 259 preschool children. Thereafter, growth in height, weight and body mass index (BMI) over a period of 6 months was calculated. Summertime growth was defined as that from April to October, whereas wintertime growth was defined as that from October to April of the following year. Longitudinal growth seasonality was analysed by classifying children according to their BMI status at the age of elementary school entry.

Results

Accelerated summertime weight and BMI gain were observed among children with obesity. This distinctive growth seasonality was detected from around age 2. Children having this growth seasonality at approximately 2 years of age tended to be obese at the age of elementary school entry (OR: 3.7; 95% CI: 2.9 to 4.6; p<0.0001). In height gain, obese children were growing apparently faster than those in the other groups at all ages.

Conclusion

Early excessive growth with distinct seasonality was observed in preschool obese children. These findings suggest that individuals involved in child healthcare should pay closer attention to early excessive growth with distinct seasonality in preschool obesity.
Using mHealth tools to improve access, coverage and treatment of uninsured people with high cardiovascular disease risk in Argentina: a study protocol for a pragmatic cluster randomised trial
Authors: Abrahams-Gessel Shafika , Beratarrechea Andrea , Irazola Vilma , Gutierrez Laura , Moyano Daniela , Fernandez Ariel , Ciganda Alvaro , Celis Leo Anthony , Winkler Eric , Rubinstein Adolfo , Gaziano Thomas A
Published: June 2018

Introduction

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) accounts for approximately one-third of Argentina’s deaths. Despite government provision of free primary care health services to the uninsured population, with a focus on non-communicable diseases, screening and management of those with high CVD risk at primary care clinics (PCCs) remain low.

Methods and analysis

This pragmatic cluster randomised trial will take place in two provinces of Argentina and will recruit 740 participants. Eight PCCs will be randomised to either the intervention or current practice arm. Community health workers (CHWs) in the intervention arm will be trained to use a set of integrated mHealth tools (a validated risk screening tool mobile application; electronic scheduling system using wireless access to PCCs; and educational text messages) to screen for CVD and to schedule appointments with primary care providers for persons with high CVD risk (≥10%). The primary aims of this study are to determine if the use of mHealth tools will (1) increase attendance of first appointments scheduled by CHWs for persons determined to have high risk for CVD during screening and, (2) lead to an increase in follow-up visits at PCCs by high risk patients. Secondary outcomes include assessing the proportion of high-risk patients receiving appropriate medications and a cost-effective analysis of the intervention.

Ethics and dissemination

This study has been approved by the Institutional Review Boards at Partners/Brigham and Women’s Hospital (USA) and the Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires (Argentina). The open-source software for the mHealth tools will be made publicly available at the end of the study.

Trial registration number

NCT02913339.
Effects of a blend of organic acids and medium-chain fatty acids with and without Enterococcus faecium on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, blood parameters, and meat quality in finishing pigs
Authors: Lei Xin Jian , Lee Sang In , Lee Kwang Yong , Nguyen Dinh Hai , Kim In Ho
Published: June 2018

An experiment was conducted to assess effects of Enterococcus faecium and a blend of organic acids (OAs) and medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs) in finishing pigs. A total of 120 pigs [Duroc × (Yorkshire × Landrace); 51.04 ± 1.82 kg] were randomly assigned to five dietary treatments: CON, basal diet; BOM1, CON + 500 mg kg−1 blend of OAs and MCFAs; BOM2, CON + 1000 mg kg−1 blend of OAs and MCFAs; EBOM1, BOM1 + 20 mg kg−1 E. faecium; EBOM2, BOM2 + 20 mg kg−1 E. faecium. Pigs fed EBOM1 and EBOM2 diets had higher average daily gain and average daily feed intake (during days 36–70 and days 1–70) and greater digestibility of dry matter (days 35 and 70) compared with those fed BOM1 and BOM2 diets (P < 0.05). However, no differences on blood parameters and meat quality were observed between pigs offered BOM1 and BOM2 diets and those fed EBOM1 and EBOM2 diets (P > 0.05). In conclusion, supplementation with the combination of E. faecium and a blend of OAs and MCFAs was more effective in improving growth performance and nutrient digestibility than supplementation with blend of OAs and MCFAs alone in finishing pigs.
Effects of dried citrus pulp and fermented medicinal plants on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, blood characteristics, and meat quality in growing–finishing pigs
Authors: Lei Xin Jian , Kim Yong Min , Kim In Ho
Published: June 2018

The present experiment was conducted to determine the effects of dried citrus pulp and fermented medicinal plants in growing–finishing pigs. A total of 96 pigs (62.34 ± 1.96 kg body weight) were randomly allotted into three dietary treatments: (1) control, basal diet (CON); (2) diet containing 10% dried citrus pulp (DCP); (3) diet containing 10% dried citrus pulp supplemented with 0.1% fermented medicinal plants (DCPFMP). From weeks 0 to 5 and 0 to 10, pigs fed the DCPFMP diet had significantly decreased (P < 0.05) average daily feed intake and increased (P < 0.05) gain:feed ratio compared with those fed the CON diet. The apparent total tract digestibility of gross energy was greater (P < 0.05), and serum total cholesterol concentration was decreased (P < 0.05) for pigs fed the DCPFMP diet compared with those fed the DCP diet in week 10. In addition, an increase (P < 0.05) in Longissimus muscle area was observed for pigs fed the DCPFMP diet compared with those fed the CON diet. In conclusion, supplementation with fermented medicinal plants in a diet containing 10% dried citrus pulp improved growth performance and Longissimus muscle area and lowered serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and total cholesterol concentrations.
Comparative efficacy of antibiotic growth promoter and benzoic acid on growth performance, nutrient utilization, and indices of gut health in nursery pigs fed corn–soybean meal diet
Authors: Kiarie E. , Voth C. , Wey D. , Zhu C. , Vingerhoeds P. , Borucki S. , Squires E.J.
Published: June 2018

Benzoic acid (BA) supplement was evaluated as an alternative to antimicrobial growth promoter (AGP). Ninety-six piglets (21-d-old at weaning) were placed in pens (four piglets pen−1) based on body weight (BW) and allocated (n = 8) to either control corn–soybean meal diet or control + in-feed antibiotic (AGP, 220 mg chlortetracycline hydrochloride and 31.2 mg tiamulin kg−1) or control + 0.5% BA. Feed intake and BW were measured weekly. Fecal scores for incidence of diarrhea and fecal samples for apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of components were taken in week 2. One pig per pen was euthanized on day 14 for jejunal histomorphology and digesta for pH and short-chain fatty acids concentration. In weeks 1–6, pigs fed AGP and BA had better (P < 0.01) gain to feed ratio compared with control fed pigs. On day 12, pigs fed AGP and BA showed lower (P = 0.01) fecal score than control fed pigs. Pigs fed BA had (P < 0.05) higher ATTD of crude protein and taller villi compared with the control or AGP fed pigs. Pigs fed AGP showed higher (P = 0.05) lactic acid concentrations than pigs fed BA, however, none differed (P > 0.05) with control pigs. In conclusion, BA supported piglet growth performance to the same extent as AGP.
Chronic aerobic exercise training alleviates myocardial fibrosis in aged rats through restoring bioavailability of hydrogen sulfide
Authors: Ma Ning , Liu Hong-Mei , Xia Ting , Liu Jian-Dong , Wang Xiao-Ze
Published: June 2018

Age-related fibrosis is attenuated by aerobic exercise; however, little is known concerning the underlying molecular mechanism. To address this question, aged rats were given moderate-intensity exercise for 12 weeks. After exercise in aged rats, hydrogen sulfide levels in plasma and heart increased 39.8% and 90.9%, respectively. Exercise upregulated expression of cystathionine γ-lyase and 3-mercaptopyruvate sulfurtransferase in heart of aged rats. Furthermore, aged rats were given moderate-intensity exercise for 12 weeks or treated with NaHS (intraperitoneal injection of 0.1 mL/kg per day of 0.28 mol/L NaHS). After exercise in aged rats, Masson-trichrome staining area decreased 34.8% and myocardial hydroxyproline levels decreased 29.6%. Exercise downregulated expression of collagen-I and α- smooth muscle actin in heart of aged rats. Exercise in aged rats reduced malondialdehyde levels in plasma and heart and 3-nitrotyrosine in heart. Exercise in aged rats reduced mRNA and protein expression of C/EBP homologous protein, glucose regulated protein 78, and X-box protein 1. Exercise also reduced mRNA and protein expression of interleukin 6 and monocyte chemotactic protein 1and suppressed activation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase in aging heart. Similar effects were demonstrated in aged rats treated with NaHS. Collectively, exercise restored bioavailability of hydrogen sulfide in the heart of aged rats, which partly explained the benefits of exercise against myocardial fibrosis of aged population.
Completeness of the Bethe Ansatz for the Periodic Isotropic Heisenberg Model
Authors: Tarasov V.
Published: June 2018

For the periodic isotropic Heisenberg model with arbitrary spins and inhomogeneities, we describe the system of algebraic equations whose solutions are in bijection with eigenvalues of the transfer-matrix. The system describes pairs of polynomials with the given discrete Wronskian (Casorati determinant) and additional divisibility conditions on discrete Wronskians with multiple steps. If the polynomial of the smaller degree in the pair is coprime with the Wronskian, this system turns into the standard Bethe ansatz equations. Moreover, if the transfer-matrix is diagonalizable, then its spectrum is necessarily simple modulo natural degeneration.
Analytic Scattering Theory for Jacobi Operators and Bernstein–Szegö Asymptotics of Orthogonal Polynomials
Authors: Yafaev D. R.
Published: June 2018

We study semi-infinite Jacobi matrices [Formula: see text] corresponding to trace class perturbations [Formula: see text] of the “free” discrete Schrödinger operator [Formula: see text]. Our goal is to construct various spectral quantities of the operator [Formula: see text], such as the weight function, eigenfunctions of its continuous spectrum, the wave operators for the pair [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], the scattering matrix, the spectral shift function, etc. This allows us to find the asymptotic behavior of the orthonormal polynomials [Formula: see text] associated to the Jacobi matrix [Formula: see text] as [Formula: see text]. In particular, we consider the case of [Formula: see text] inside the spectrum [Formula: see text] of [Formula: see text] when this asymptotic has an oscillating character of the Bernstein–Szegö type and the case of [Formula: see text] at the end points [Formula: see text].
Improving Registration of Augmented Reality by Incorporating DCNNS into Visual SLAM
Authors: Chen Yongbin , He Hanwu , Chen Heen , Zhu Teng
Published: June 2018

Augmented reality (AR) by analyzing the characteristics of the scene, the computer-generated geometric information which can be added to the real environment in the way of visual fusion, reinforces the perception of the world. Three-dimensional (3D) registration is one of the core issues of in AR. The key issue is to estimate the visual sensor’s posture in the 3D environment and figure out the objects in the scene. Recently, computer vision has made significant progress, but the registration based on natural feature points in 3D space for AR system is still a severe problem. There is the difficulty of working out the mobile camera’s posture in the 3D scene precisely due to the unstable factors, such as the image noise, changing light and the complex background pattern. Therefore, to design a stable, reliable and efficient scene recognition algorithm is still very challenging work. In this paper, we propose an algorithm which combines Visual Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) and Deep Convolutional Neural Networks (DCNNS) to boost the performance of AR registration. Semantic segmentation is a dense prediction task which aims to predict categories for each pixel in an image when applying to AR registration, and it will be able to narrow the searching range of the feature point between the two frames thus enhancing the stability of the system. Comparative experiments in this paper show that the semantic scene information will bring a revolutionary breakthrough to the AR interaction.
Quantification of Numerical Damping in the Acoustic Boundary Element Method for Two-Dimensional Duct Problems
Authors: Baydoun Suhaib Koji , Marburg Steffen
Published: June 2018

Spurious numerical damping in the collocation boundary element method is considered for plane sound waves in two-dimensional ducts subjected to rigid and absorbing boundary conditions. Its extent is quantified in both conditions based on a damping model with exponential decay, and meshes of linear and quadratic continuous elements are studied. An exponential increase of numerical damping with respect to frequency is found and the results suggest an upper bound for given element-to-wavelength ratios. The quantification of numerical damping is required for evaluation of meshes covering a large number of waves, and real damping phenomena can be prevented from overestimation.
Determination of Acoustic Scattering Matrices from Linearized Compressible Flow Equations with Application to Thermoacoustic Stability Analysis
Authors: Meindl Max , Merk Malte , Fritz Fabian , Polifke Wolfgang
Published: June 2018

The acoustic transmissions and reflections of plane waves at duct singularities can be represented with so-called scattering matrices. This paper shows how to extract scattering matrices utilizing linearized compressible flow equations and provides a comparative study of different governing equations, namely the Helmholtz, linearized Euler and linearized Navier–Stokes equations. A discontinuous Galerkin finite element method together with a two-source forcing is employed. With this method, the scattering matrix for a radial swirler of a combustion test-rig is computed and validated against the results of a fully compressible Large-Eddy-Simulation. Analogously, the scattering behavior of an axial swirler is investigated. The influence of acoustic-hydrodynamic interactions, viscous effects as well as unsteady boundary layers on the results is investigated for both configurations. A thermoacoustic stability analysis of the combustion test-rig housing the axial swirler is carried out, utilizing the scattering matrix of the swirler. Major influence of the reflections coming from the swirler on the thermoacoustic eigenfrequencies is found.
Site identity, artifact duplication, and disambiguation in Alabama Local Emergency Management Agencies (LEMAs)
Authors: Youngblood Susan A.
Published: June 2018

Local Emergency Management Agencies (LEMAs) are vital components of the U.S. National Incident Management System (NIMS). As such, their official digital presences need to be identifiable as official and should not have to compete with other digital artifacts, including web pages and whole sites, that can be mistaken for official presences. After exploring the nature of digital identity, this study examines the prevalence of competing digital artifacts and the common sources of these artifacts, such as legacy sites and hosted development sites. The study also explores ways some sites disambiguate between artifacts that represent their organizations versus those of similarly named organizations. The findings lead to several recommendations for best practices.
Principles of technical communication and design can enrich writing practice in regulated contexts
Authors: DeTora Lisa
Published: June 2018

Technical communication skirts the fringes of regulated biomedical research, which generally falls into the purview of specialized regulatory writers. However, a worldwide move toward increasing data transparency in regulatory contexts has resulted in a need for specialized documentation for lay audiences as well as added disclosure of investigational interpretations regarding the benefits and risks of new or experimental therapies. Experts in biomedical writing believe that these materials require additional attention to meet reader needs, an endeavor that falls well within the traditional bailiwick of technical communication. Technical communicators who understand information gathered in regulated biomedical research should be able to improve the general accessibility of this complex information for a general readership; however, knowledge of regulatory practices is a gap in this group.
Impact of a one-year lifestyle modification program on cholesterol efflux capacities in men with abdominal obesity and dyslipidemia
Authors: Boyer Marjorie , Mitchell Patricia L. , Poirier Paul , Alméras Natalie , Tremblay Angelo , Bergeron Jean , Després Jean-Pierre , Arsenault Benoit J.
Published: June 2018

Cholesterol efflux capacities (CECs) are negatively associated with cardiovascular disease risk, irrespective of plasma high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels. Whether interventions targeting lifestyle improve HDL-CECs is unknown. Our objective was to determine whether improving dietary quality and increasing physical activity levels improves HDL-CECs in men with abdominal obesity and dyslipidemia. Our study sample included men (48 ± 8.5 yr) with an elevated waist circumference (≥90 cm) associated with dyslipidemia (triglycerides ≥1.69 and/or HDL cholesterol <1.03 mmol/l); 113 men completed a 1-yr intervention, consisting of a healthy eating and physical activity/exercise program, and 32 were included in a control group. An oral lipid tolerance test (OLTT) was performed in a subsample of 28 men who completed the intervention, and blood was collected every 2 h for 8 h. HDL-CECs were measured using [3H]cholesterol-labeled J774 macrophages and HepG2 hepatocytes. The lifestyle modification program led to an overall improvement in the cardiometabolic risk profile, increases in J774-HDL-CEC by 14.1% (+0.88 ± 1.09%, P < 0.0001), HepG2-HDL-CEC by 3.4% (+0.17 ± 0.75%, P = 0.01), and HDL cholesterol and apolipoprotein A-1 levels (13.5%, P < 0.0001 and 14.9%, P < 0.0001, respectively). J774-HDL-CECs and HepG2-HDL-CECs did not change in the control group. The best predictor for changes in HDL-CEC was apolipoprotein A-1 level. The lifestyle modification program also improved HDL-CEC response in postprandial lipemia during an OLTT. HDL-CEC did not change during the OLTT. Our results suggest that increasing physical activity levels and improving diet quality can have a positive impact on both HDL quantity and quality in men with abdominal obesity and dyslipidemia.