bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Digitized Speech Characteristics in Patients with Maxillectomy Defects
Authors: Elbashti Mahmoud E. , Sumita Yuka I. , Hattori Mariko , Aswehlee Amel M. , Taniguchi Hisashi
Published: December 2017

Purpose

Accurate evaluation of speech characteristics through formant frequency measurement is important for proper speech rehabilitation in patients after maxillectomy. This study aimed to evaluate the utility of digital acoustic analysis and vowel pentagon space for the prediction of speech ability after maxillectomy, by comparing the acoustic characteristics of vowel articulation in three classes of maxillectomy defects.

Materials and Methods

Aramany's classifications I, II, and IV were used to group 27 male patients after maxillectomy. Digital acoustic analysis of five Japanese vowels—/a/, /e/, /i/, /o/, and /u/—was performed using a speech analysis system. First formant (F1) and second formant (F2) frequencies were calculated using an autocorrelation method. Data were plotted on an F1‐F2 plane for each patient, and the F1 and F2 ranges were calculated. The vowel pentagon spaces were also determined. One‐way ANOVA was applied to compare all results between the three groups.

Results

Class II maxillectomy patients had a significantly higher F2 range than did Class I and Class IV patients (p = 0.002). In contrast, there was no significant difference in the F1 range between the three classes. The vowel pentagon spaces were significantly larger in class II maxillectomy patients than in Class I and Class IV patients (p = 0.014).

Conclusion

The results of this study indicate that the acoustic characteristics of maxillectomy patients are affected by the defect area. This finding may provide information for obturator design based on vowel articulation and defect class.
Three‐Dimensional Static Articulation Accuracy of Virtual Models—Part II: Effect of Model Scanner‐CAD Systems and Articulation Method
Authors: Yee Sophia Hui Xin , Esguerra Roxanna Jean , Chew Amelia Anya Qin'An , Wong Keng Mun , Tan Keson Beng Choon
Published: December 2017

Purpose

Accurate maxillomandibular relationship transfer is important for CAD/CAM prostheses. This study compared the 3D‐accuracy of virtual model static articulation in three laboratory scanner‐CAD systems (Ceramill Map400 [AG], inEos X5 [SIR], Scanner S600 Arti [ZKN]) using two virtual articulation methods: mounted models (MO), interocclusal record (IR).

Materials and Methods

The master model simulated a single crown opposing a 3‐unit fixed partial denture. Reference values were obtained by measuring interarch and interocclusal reference features with a coordinate measuring machine (CMM). MO group stone casts were articulator‐mounted with acrylic resin bite registrations while IR group casts were hand‐articulated with poly(vinyl siloxane) bite registrations. Five test model sets were scanned and articulated virtually with each system (6 test groups, 15 data sets). STL files of the virtual models were measured with CMM software. dRR, dRC, and dRL, represented interarch global distortions at right, central, and left sides, respectively, while dRM, dXM, dYM, and dZM represented interocclusal global and linear distortions between preparations.

Results

Mean interarch 3D distortion ranged from –348.7 to 192.2 μm for dRR, –86.3 to 44.1 μm for dRC, and –168.1 to 4.4 μm for dRL. Mean interocclusal distortion ranged from –257.2 to –85.2 μm for dRM, –285.7 to 183.9 μm for dXM, –100.5 to 114.8 μm for dYM, and –269.1 to –50.6 μm for dZM. ANOVA showed that articulation method had significant effect on dRR and dXM, while system had a significant effect on dRR, dRC, dRL, dRM, and dZM. There were significant differences between 6 test groups for dRR, dRL dXM, and dZM. dRR and dXM were significantly greater in AG‐IR, and this was significantly different from SIR‐IR, ZKN‐IR, and all MO groups.

Conclusions

Interarch and interocclusal distances increased in MO groups, while they decreased in IR groups. AG‐IR had the greatest interarch distortion as well as interocclusal superior‐inferior distortion. The other groups performed similarly to each other, and the overall interarch distortion did not exceed 0.7%. In these systems and articulation methods, interocclusal distortions may result in hyper‐ or infra‐occluded prostheses.
Statins in nonsurgical and surgical periodontal therapy. A systematic review and meta‐analysis of preclinical in vivo trials
Authors: Bertl K. , Steiner I. , Pandis N. , Buhlin K. , Klinge B. , Stavropoulos A.
Published: December 2017

The cholesterol‐lowering drugs, statins, possess anti‐inflammatory, antimicrobial and pro‐osteogenic properties, and thus have been tested as an adjunct to periodontal treatment. The present systematic review aimed to answer the following focused research question: What is the effect of local and/or systemic statin use on periodontal tissues in preclinical in vivo studies of experimentally induced periodontitis (EIP) and/or acute/chronified periodontal defect (ACP) models? A literature search (of Medline/PubMed, Embase/Ovid, CENTRAL/Ovid) using the following main eligibility criteria was performed: (i) English or German language; (ii) controlled preclinical in vivo trials; (iii) local and/or systemic statin use in EIP and/or ACP models; and (iv) quantitative evaluation of periodontal tissues (i.e., alveolar bone level/amount, attachment level, cementum formation, periodontal ligament formation). Sixteen studies in EIP models and 7 studies in ACP models evaluated simvastatin, atorvastatin or rosuvastatin. Thirteen of the EIP (81%) and 2 of the ACP (29%) studies presented significantly better results in terms of alveolar bone level/amount in favor of statins. Meta‐analysis based on 14 EIP trials confirmed a significant benefit of local and systemic statin use (P < .001) in terms of alveolar bone level/amount; meta‐regression revealed that statin type exhibited a significant effect (P = .014) in favor of atorvastatin. Three studies reported a significantly higher periodontal attachment level in favor of statin use (P < .001). Complete periodontal regeneration was never observed; furthermore, statins did not exert any apparent effect on cementum formation. Neither local nor systemic use of statins resulted in severe adverse effects. Statin use in periodontal indications has a positive effect on periodontal tissue parameters, supporting the positive results already observed in clinical trials. Nevertheless, not all statins available have been tested so far, and further research is needed to identify the maximum effective concentration/dose and optimal carrier.
Does thalidomide prolong survival in dogs with splenic haemangiosarcoma?
Authors: Bray J. P. , Orbell G. , Cave N. , Munday J. S.
Published: December 2017

Objectives

To investigate thalidomide as an adjuvant treatment for canine haemangiosarcoma.

Materials and Methods

Fifteen dogs with splenic haemangiosarcoma, initially treated by splenectomy, were included. Following recovery from surgery, all dogs received thalidomide continuously until their death. Tumour stage was established using CT scans of the chest and abdomen immediately before starting thalidomide treatment and again three months later. Cause of death was confirmed by post mortem examination.

Results

The median survival time of dogs receiving thalidomide was 172 days (95% confidence interval: 93 to 250 days). Five dogs (33% of the population receiving thalidomide) survived more than 1 year (range 458 to 660 days) after surgery. Dogs with stage 2 disease that received thalidomide also had a longer survival time than dogs with stage 3 disease (median survival time 303 versus 40 days). Of 15 dogs, 13 died from metastatic haemangiosarcoma.

Clinical Significance

Treatment using thalidomide may improve survival of dogs with splenic haemangiosarcoma and should be considered a possible adjuvant therapy.
Learning Words and Definitions in Two Languages: What Promotes Cross‐Language Transfer?
Authors: Pham Giang , Donovan Danaee , Dam Quynh , Contant Amy
Published: December 2017

This study used a brief vocabulary training paradigm to examine two factors for cross‐language transfer: how similar the first language (L1) is to the second language (L2) and L1‐L2 proficiency levels. Fifty‐four sequential bilingual children (aged 6–8) with similar L2 English proficiency levels were assigned to three equal groups: a Vietnamese‐English group with low L1 proficiency, a Spanish‐English group with low L1 proficiency, and a Spanish‐English group with high L1 proficiency. Individual training consisted of two mediated learning experiences conducted in the L1 targeting eight vocabulary items using narrative‐based activities. Four of eight target words were cognates between Spanish and English. Pre‐ and posttesting measured definition quality in the L1 and L2. All groups showed improvement in the L1 following training, but only the Spanish‐English group with high L1 proficiency improved in L2 English, revealing a degree of spontaneous cross‐language transfer among children with high L1‐L2 proficiency.

Open Practices

This article has been awarded an Open Materials badge. Study materials are publicly accessible in the IRIS digital repository at http://www.iris-database.org. Learn more about the Open Practices badges from the Center for Open Science: https://osf.io/tvyxz/wiki.
Perivascular adipose tissue and the dynamic regulation of Kv7 and Kir channels: Implications for resistant hypertension
Authors: Gollasch Maik , Welsh Donald G. , Schubert Rudolf
Published: December 2017

Resistant hypertension is defined as high blood pressure that remains uncontrolled despite treatment with at least three antihypertensive drugs at adequate doses. Resistant hypertension is an increasingly common clinical problem in older age, obesity, diabetes, sleep apnea, and chronic kidney disease. Although the direct vasodilator minoxidil was introduced in the early 1970s, only recently has this drug been shown to be particularly effective in a subgroup of patients with treatment‐resistant or uncontrolled hypertension. This pharmacological approach is interesting from a mechanistic perspective as minoxidil is the only clinically used K+ channel opener today, which targets a subclass of K+ channels, namely KATP channels in VSMCs. Beside KATP channels, two other classes of VSMC K+ channels could represent novel effective targets for treatment of resistant hypertension, namely Kv7 (KCNQ) and inward rectifier potassium (Kir2.1) channels. Interestingly, these channels are unique among VSMC potassium channels. First, both have been implicated in the control of microvascular tone by perivascular adipose tissue. Second, they exhibit biophysical properties strongly controlled and regulated by membrane voltage, but not intracellular calcium. This review focuses on Kv7 (Kv7.1‐5) and Kir (Kir2.1) channels in VSMCs as potential novel drug targets for treatment of resistant hypertension, particularly in comorbid conditions such as obesity and metabolic syndrome.
The potential beginning of a postwhaling recovery in New Zealand humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae)
Authors: Gibbs Nadine J. , Dunlop Rebecca A. , Gibbs E. John , Heberley Joseph A. , Olavarría Carlos
Published: December 2017

Between the 1940s and 1970s Southern Hemisphere populations of humpback whales (including eastern Australia and Oceania populations) were hunted to near extinction by extensive commercial whaling activities in Antarctica, with fewer whales taken in shore whaling operations in New Zealand, Australia (including Norfolk Island) and Tonga. Variable rates of recovery of these populations have been documented, ranging from recovery to prewhaling numbers in eastern Australian humpbacks to very little sign of recovery in many Oceania populations. Here we analyze recent sighting data collected over 12 yr, from annual surveys in Cook Strait, New Zealand. The data show an increase in sightings, at an estimated rate of 13% (95% CI of 4.9% and 21.7%) in 2015, of humpback whales migrating through Cook Strait. The wide confidence intervals preclude substantive conclusions about the rate of increase but suggest humpback whales are returning to this region in increasing numbers, indicating an influx of immigrants from neighboring areas, namely eastern Australia.
Sudden death in paediatrics as a traumatic experience for critical care nurses
Authors: Lima Lígia , Gonçalves Sandra , Pinto Cândida
Published: December 2017

Background

Research shows that nurses working in critical care units and in particular, paediatric units, are at risk of developing symptoms of secondary traumatic stress (STS). However, little attention has been given to this phenomenon when associated with situations of sudden death in paediatrics.

Aim

This study aimed to examine the impact of sudden death in paediatrics on nurses working in paediatrics critical care units and to explore nurses' experiences of this event.

Methods

This study used a mixed‐methods design. The Impact of Event Scale – Revised was used for investigating the presence of STS symptoms. In addition, an interview was conducted with six nurses.

Results

Fifty‐seven percent of nurses responded to the surveys and six nurses were interviewed. The results showed that the sudden death of children and adolescents is an event that elicits symptoms of STS in nurses. The quantitative assessment, revealed that 19·4% presented total scores indicating high impact. The participants interviewed described experiences of subjective distress, such as intrusive thoughts, avoidance and hyperarousal. Other factors were also reported as influencing the experience of the sudden death of a child/adolescent, namely, the child's age, the cause of death and the family's reaction to the loss. According to the participants, the emotional impact was also determined by parenthood, previous training and professional experience.

Conclusions

Sudden death in paediatric critical care units is one of the most difficult situations in nursing practice and elicits STS symptoms, which may severely impact the physical and psychological health of nurses and ultimately affect the quality of the provided care.

Relevance for clinical practice

This study emphasizes the need for promoting better conditions for professional practice, namely, with regard to emotional support, as well as training programmes for skills development in the area of management of traumatic situations and of communication with clients.
Caterpillars induce jasmonates in flowers and alter plant responses to a second attacker
Authors: Chrétien Lucille T. S. , David Anja , Daikou Eirini , Boland Wilhelm , Gershenzon Jonathan , Giron David , Dicke Marcel , Lucas‐Barbosa Dani
Published: December 2017

In nature, herbivorous insects and plant pathogens are generally abundant when plants are flowering. Thus, plants face a diversity of attackers during their reproductive phase. Plant responses to one attacker can interfere with responses to a second attacker, and phytohormones that orchestrate plant reproduction are also involved in resistance to insect and pathogen attack. We quantified phytohormonal responses of flowering plants exposed to single or dual attack and studied resistance mechanisms of plants in the flowering stage.

Flowering Brassica nigra were exposed to either a chewing caterpillar, a phloem‐feeding aphid or a bacterial pathogen, and plant hormonal responses were compared with dual attack situations. We quantified phytohormones in inflorescences and leaves, and determined the consequences of hormonal changes for components of direct and indirect plant resistance.

Caterpillars were the main inducers of jasmonates in inflorescences, and the phytohormonal profile of leaves was not affected by either insect or pathogen attack. Dual attack increased plant resistance to caterpillars, but compromised resistance to aphids. Parasitoid performance was negatively correlated with the performance of their hosts.

We conclude that plants prioritize resistance of reproductive tissues over vegetative tissues, and that a chewing herbivore species is the main driver of responses in flowering B. nigra.
Exodermis and endodermis are the sites of xanthone biosynthesis in Hypericum perforatum roots
Authors: Tocci Noemi , Gaid Mariam , Kaftan Filip , Belkheir Asma K. , Belhadj Ines , Liu Benye , Svatoš Aleš , Hänsch Robert , Pasqua Gabriella , Beerhues Ludger
Published: December 2017

Xanthones are specialized metabolites with antimicrobial properties, which accumulate in roots of Hypericum perforatum. This medicinal plant provides widely taken remedies for depressive episodes and skin disorders. Owing to the array of pharmacological activities, xanthone derivatives attract attention for drug design. Little is known about the sites of biosynthesis and accumulation of xanthones in roots.

Xanthone biosynthesis is localized at the transcript, protein, and product levels using in situ mRNA hybridization, indirect immunofluorescence detection, and high lateral and mass resolution mass spectrometry imaging (AP‐SMALDI‐FT‐Orbitrap MSI), respectively.

The carbon skeleton of xanthones is formed by benzophenone synthase (BPS), for which a cDNA was cloned from root cultures of H. perforatum var. angustifolium. Both the BPS protein and the BPS transcripts are localized to the exodermis and the endodermis of roots. The xanthone compounds as the BPS products are detected in the same tissues.

The exodermis and the endodermis, which are the outermost and innermost cell layers of the root cortex, respectively, are not only highly specialized barriers for controlling the passage of water and solutes but also preformed lines of defence against soilborne pathogens and predators.
Testing an app for reporting health concerns—Experiences from older people and home care nurses
Authors: Göransson Carina , Eriksson Irene , Ziegert Kristina , Wengström Yvonne , Langius‐Eklöf Ann , Brovall Maria , Kihlgren Annica , Blomberg Karin
Published: December 2017

Aims and objectives

To explore the experiences of using an app among older people with home‐based health care and their nurses.

Background

Few information and communication technology innovations have been developed and tested for older people with chronic conditions living at home with home‐based health care support. Innovative ways to support older people's health and self‐care are needed.

Design

Explorative qualitative design.

Methods

For 3 months to report health concerns, older people receiving home‐based health care used an interactive app, which included direct access to self‐care advice, graphs and a risk assessment model that sends alerts to nurses for rapid management. Interviews with older people (n = 17) and focus group discussions with home care nurses (n = 12) were conducted and analysed using thematic analysis.

Results

The findings reveal that a process occurs. Using the app, the older people participated in their care, and the app enabled learning and a new way of communication. The interaction gave a sense of security and increased self‐confidence among older people. The home care nurses viewed the alerts as appropriate for the management of health concerns. However, all participants experienced challenges in using new technology and had suggestions for improvement.

Conclusions

The use of an app appears to increase the older people's participation in their health care and offers them an opportunity to be an active partner in their care. The app as a new way to interact with home care nurses increased the feeling of security. The older people were motivated to learn to use the app and described potential use for it in the future.

Implications for practice

The use of an app should be considered as a useful information and communication technology innovation that can improve communication and accessibility for older people with home‐based health care.
Xylem hydraulic safety and construction costs determine tropical tree growth
Authors: B. Eller Cleiton , de V. Barros Fernanda , R.L. Bittencourt Paulo , Rowland Lucy , Mencuccini Maurizio , S. Oliveira Rafael
Published: December 2017

Faster growth in tropical trees is usually associated with higher mortality rates, but the mechanisms underlying this relationship are poorly understood. In this study, we investigate how tree growth patterns are linked with environmental conditions and hydraulic traits, by monitoring the cambial growth of 9 tropical cloud forest tree species coupled with numerical simulations using an optimization model. We find that fast‐growing trees have lower xylem safety margins than slow‐growing trees and this pattern is not necessarily linked to differences in stomatal behaviour or environmental conditions when growth occurs. Instead, fast‐growing trees have xylem vessels that are more vulnerable to cavitation and lower density wood. We propose the growth ‐ xylem vulnerability trade‐off represents a wood hydraulic economics spectrum similar to the classic leaf economic spectrum, and show through numerical simulations that this trade‐off can emerge from the coordination between growth rates, wood density, and xylem vulnerability to cavitation. Our results suggest that vulnerability to hydraulic failure might be related with the growth‐mortality trade‐off in tropical trees, determining important life history differences. These findings are important in furthering our understanding of xylem hydraulic functioning and its implications on plant carbon economy.
Dynamic interplay between photodamage and photoprotection in photosystem II
Authors: Townsend Alexandra J. , Ware Maxwell A. , Ruban Alexander V.
Published: December 2017

Photoinhibition is the light‐induced reduction in photosynthetic efficiency and is usually associated with damage to the D1 photosystem II (PSII) reaction centre protein. This damage must either be repaired, through the PSII repair cycle, or prevented in the first place by nonphotochemical quenching (NPQ). Both NPQ and D1 repair contribute to light tolerance because they ensure the long‐term maintenance of the highest quantum yield of PSII. However, the relative contribution of each of these processes is yet to be elucidated. The application of a pulse amplitude modulation fluorescence methodology, called protective NPQ, enabled us to evaluate of the protective effectiveness of the processes. Within this study, the contribution of NPQ and D1 repair to the photoprotective capacity of Arabidopsis thaliana was elucidated by using inhibitors and mutants known to affect each process. We conclude that NPQ contributes a greater amount to the maintenance of a high PSII yield than D1 repair under short periods of illumination. This research further supports the role of protective components of NPQ during light fluctuations and the value of protective NPQ and qPd as unambiguous fluorescence parameters, as opposed to qI and Fv/Fm, for quantifying photoinactivation of reaction centre II and light tolerance of photosynthetic organisms.
MdATG18a overexpression improves tolerance to nitrogen deficiency and regulates anthocyanin accumulation through increased autophagy in transgenic apple
Authors: Sun Xun , Jia Xin , Huo Liuqing , Che Runmin , Gong Xiaoqing , Wang Ping , Ma Fengwang
Published: December 2017

Nitrogen (N) availability is an essential factor for plant growth. Recycling and remobilization of N have strong impacts on crop yield and quality under N deficiency. Autophagy is a critical nutrient‐recycling process that facilitates remobilization under starvation. We previously showed that an important AuTophaGy (ATG) protein from apple, MdATG18a, has a positive role in drought tolerance. In this study, we explored its biological role in response to low‐N. Overexpression of MdATG18a in both Arabidopsis and apple improved tolerance to N‐depletion and caused a greater accumulation of anthocyanin. The increased anthocyanin concentration in transgenic apple was possibly due to up‐regulating flavonoid biosynthetic and regulatory genes (MdCHI, MdCHS, MdANS, MdPAL, MdUFGT, and MdMYB1) and higher soluble sugars concentration. MdATG18a overexpression enhanced starch degradation with up‐regulating amylase gene (MdAM1) and up‐regulated sugar metabolism related genes (MdSS1, MdHXKs, MdFK1, and MdNINVs). Furthermore, MdATG18a functioned in nitrate uptake and assimilation by up‐regulating nitrate reductase MdNIA2 and 3 high‐affinity nitrate transporters MdNRT2.1/2.4/2.5. MdATG18a overexpression also elevated other important MdATG genes expression and autophagosomes formation under N‐depletion, which play key contributions to above changes. Together, these results demonstrate that overexpression of MdATG18a enhances tolerance to N‐deficiencies and plays positive roles in anthocyanin biosynthesis through greater autophagic activity.
Safety of mTOR inhibitor continuation in pediatric heart transplant recipients undergoing surgical procedures
Authors: Heble Ann , Everitt Melanie D. , Gralla Jane , Miyamoto Shelley D. , Lahart Michael , Eshelman Jennifer
Published: December 2017

mTOR inhibitors have been associated with SWC when used in the perioperative period. Limited literature is available to guide providers in managing chronic mTOR inhibitor use in the perioperative period, especially in the pediatric setting. The primary aim of this study was to describe the prevalence of SWC with mTOR inhibitor continuation during the perioperative period for major surgeries. Heart transplant recipients ≤25 years old at the time of primary heart transplant receiving sirolimus maintenance therapy during a surgical procedure and within the study period were included. Surgeries identified within the study period included otolaryngology procedures (46.2%), such as tonsillectomies with or without adenoidectomies, cardiac surgeries (30.8%) including a sternal revision, pulmonary vein repair, and pacemaker placement in two patients, orthopedic surgeries (15.4%) including a posterior spinal fusion and an Achilles tendon lengthening with ankle and subtalar joint release, and a neurosurgery (7.7%), which was a ventriculoperitoneal shunt revision. Thirteen surgical encounters were examined. One SWC was observed, an infected pacemaker requiring systemic antibiotics and removal of the device. The results of this study suggest that sirolimus may be continued in the perioperative period based on the low rate of SWC observed.
First report of paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) caused by Alexandrium tamiyavanichii in Kuantan Port, Pahang, East Coast of Malaysia
Authors: Mohammad‐Noor Normawaty , Adam Aimimuliani , Lim Po T. , Leaw Chui P. , Lau Winnie L.S. , Liow Guat R. , Muhamad‐Bunnori Noraslinda , Hamdan Nurul‐Ashima , Md‐Nor Azlan , Kemat Norazizah , Muniandi Devaraj
Published: December 2017

Harmful algal bloom (HAB) is a proliferation of algae, which naturally produce biotoxins and cause harmful effects to humans, the environment and organisms associated with it. Paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) was reported for the first time in Kuantan Port, Pahang, Malaysia, in November 2013, followed by a second episode in August 2014. The toxicity level reported during the second event was as high as 3500 μg of STX equiv./100 g shellfish. Ten people were hospitalized with PSP symptoms after consuming contaminated shellfish. This study was conducted at Kuantan Port to identify the organisms responsible for these events. Water samples were collected monthly for a period of 12 months beginning in September 2014. HAB species were identified based on their morphology using light and fluorescence microscopes, and their classification was supported by molecular evidence based on internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences. Monthly cell abundance of Alexandrium tamiyavanichii was measured at four sampling stations. Toxin production by three strains isolated from the area was determined using HPLC. Our results revealed the presence of several HAB species, including the PSP‐producing species A. tamiyavanichii. The highest cell density of A. tamiyavanichii was 840 cells L−1. The presence of GTX components was detected in these strains. However, other toxin components could not be determined. This study reported, for the first time, the presence of PSP‐producing A. tamiyavanichii on the Pahang coast of east Peninsular Malaysia and confirmed that the PSP events in Kuantan Port were attributable to this species. The presence of this species further indicates that several safety measures need to be considered to safeguard public health, particularly in Pahang coastal waters.
Unfavourable outcome of glucocorticoid treatment in suspected idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
Authors: Wiertz Ivo A. , Wuyts Wim A. , van Moorsel Coline H.M. , Vorselaars Adriane D.M. , van Es Hendrik W. , van Oosterhout Matthijs F.M. , Grutters Jan C.
Published: December 2017

Background and objective

The diagnostic classification of ‘possible idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (posIPF)’ is characterized by a radiological pattern of inconsistent usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) on high‐resolution computed tomography (HRCT) scan and a UIP pattern in surgical lung biopsy (SLB). The evidence base to guide treatment for patients with posIPF is lacking; the clinician must choose between observation, treatment with immunomodulatory agents or anti‐fibrotic agents.

Methods

To evaluate outcomes of immunomodulatory treatment, a multicentre cohort of 59 posIPF patients treated with prednisone was analysed retrospectively. Prednisone starting dose was 0.5 mg/kg/day and tapered to 0.15 mg/day/kg over 6 months. Outcome measures were forced vital capacity (FVC) and serious adverse events (SAE), defined as death or hospital admissions.

Results

The majority of prednisone‐treated posIPF patients were non‐responders (68%) with a decrease in FVC >5% or death within 6 months from baseline; 90% of patients with radiographical presence of honeycombing were non‐responders. In contrast, six out of seven patients with focal desquamative interstitial pneumonia‐like reaction in the SLB who had stopped smoking for <5 years ago were responders to prednisone, demonstrating <5% FVC decline. The mean decline of FVC was 8.7% (95% CI: 3.1–14.3%) before treatment and 20% (95% CI: 9.4–31.1%) after treatment (P = 0.018) in the 32 patients with available FVC data. Twelve SAE occurred within the first 3 months on prednisone (at dosage >0.3 mg/kg/day), including five deaths.

Conclusion

Patients with posIPF demonstrated an accelerated FVC decline and a substantial number of SAE on steroid therapy.
Improvement of monoclonal antibody–immobilized granulocyte antigen assay for the detection of anti‐HNA‐1 alloantibodies
Authors: Simtong Piyapong , Romphruk Amornrat V. , Hofmann Christine , Reil Angelika , Sachs Ulrich J. , Santoso Sentot
Published: December 2017

BACKGROUND

Currently, the gold standard for the identification of antibodies against human neutrophil antigens (HNAs) is the monoclonal antibody–immobilized granulocyte antigen (MAIGA) assay. However, the handling of this assay is laborious and therefore cumbersome for the rapid screening of neutrophil antibodies.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

In this study, we simplified the performance of the conventional MAIGA procedure and approved it for the identification of anti‐HNA‐1 with HNA‐1–typed neutrophils and stable transfected (HEK293) cell line expressing HNA‐1a, ‐1b, and ‐1c.

RESULTS

In contrast to the conventional MAIGA, all working steps including the incubation of antibodies with cells, washings, cell lysis, and subsequent antibody detection could be performed on microtiter plates. This modification accelerates the work schedule of MAIGA and reduces pipetting errors. Comparison between both assay performances using neutrophils as target showed concordant results. Subsequently, stable mammalian cell lines were tested. In comparison to neutrophils, cell lines were stable for a longer period of time (>4 weeks) and results obtained with these cell lines showed better interassay precision. Analysis of different FcγRIIIb capture monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) for the MAIGA assay showed that MoAb LNK16 is superior for the detection of anti‐HNA‐1a, ‐1b, and ‐1c, whereas MoAb 3G8 showed false‐negative results, caused by competitive inhibition of anti‐HNA‐1c alloantibodies.

CONCLUSION

The modification of MAIGA and the use of transfected HEK293 cells improve the detection of anti‐HNA‐1 alloantibodies that may allow screening analysis in large cohort of samples.
Self-Excited Oscillations of a Finite-Thickness Elastic Layer Sliding Against a Rigid Surface With a Constant Coefficient of Friction
Authors: Mohammadi Neda Karami , Adams George G.
Published: December 2017

This investigation considers the dynamic stability of the steady-state frictional sliding of a finite-thickness elastic layer pressed against a moving rigid and flat surface of infinite extent. The elastic layer is fixed on its bottom surface; on its entire top surface, the rigid surface slides with constant speed and with a constant friction coefficient. The plane-strain equations of motion for a linear isotropic elastic solid are solved analytically for small dynamic disturbances. The analysis shows that even with a constant (speed-independent) friction coefficient, the steady solution is dynamically unstable for any finite friction coefficient. Eigenvalues with positive real parts lead to self-excited vibrations which occur for any sliding speed and which increase with increasing coefficient of friction. This is in contrast to the behavior of an elastic half-space sliding against a rigid surface in which the instability only occurs if the coefficient of friction is greater than unity. This work and its extensions are expected to be relevant in the theoretical aspects of sliding friction as well as in a variety of areas such as earthquake motion and brake dynamics.
Adaptive Fuzzy Fractional-Order Nonsingular Terminal Sliding Mode Control for a Class of Second-Order Nonlinear Systems
Authors: Duc Tran Minh , Van Hoa Ngo , Dao Thanh-Phong
Published: December 2017

This paper investigates a novel adaptive fuzzy fractional-order nonsingular terminal sliding mode controller (AFFO-NTSMC) for second-order nonlinear dynamic systems. The technique of fractional calculus and nonsingular terminal sliding mode control (NTSMC) are combined to establish fractional-order NTSMC (FO-NTSMC), in which a new fractional-order (FO) nonsingular terminal sliding mode (NTSM) surface is proposed. Then, a corresponding controller is designed to provide robustness, high performance control, finite time convergence in the presence of uncertainties and external disturbances. Furthermore, a fuzzy system with online adaptive learning algorithm is derived to eliminate the chattering phenomenon in conventional sliding mode control (SMC). The stability of the closed-loop system is rigorously proven. Numerical simulation results are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed control method.
Fractional Dynamics of an Infection Model With Time-Varying Drug Exposure
Authors: Pinto Carla M. A. , Carvalho Ana R. M.
Published: December 2017

We introduce a fractional order model for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) dynamics, where time-varying drug exposure and drug resistance are assumed. We derive conditions for the local and global asymptotic stability of the disease-free equilibrium. We find periodic stable endemic states for certain parameter values, for sinusoidal drug efficacies, and when considering a density-dependent decay rate for the T cells. Other classes of periodic drug efficacies are considered and the effect of the phases of these functions on the dynamics of the model is also studied. The order of the fractional derivative plays an important role in the severity of the epidemics.
Lab-Scale Experimental Characterization and Dynamic Scaling Assessment for Closed-Loop Crosswind Flight of Airborne Wind Energy Systems
Authors: Cobb Mitchell , Deodhar Nihar , Vermillion Christopher
Published: December 2017

This paper presents the experimental validation and dynamic similarity analysis for a lab-scale version of an airborne wind energy (AWE) system executing closed-loop motion control. Execution of crosswind flight patterns, achieved in this work through the asymmetric motion of three tethers, enables dramatic increases in energy generation compared with stationary operation. Achievement of crosswind flight in the lab-scale experimental framework described herein allows for rapid, inexpensive, and dynamically scalable characterization of new control algorithms without recourse to expensive full-scale prototyping. We first present the experimental setup, then derive dynamic scaling relationships necessary for the lab-scale behavior to match the full-scale behavior. We then validate dynamic equivalence of crosswind flight over a range of different scale models of the Altaeros Buoyant airborne turbine (BAT). This work is the first example of successful lab-scale control and measurement of crosswind motion for an AWE system across a range of flow speeds and system scales. The results demonstrate that crosswind flight can achieve significantly more power production than stationary operation, while also validating dynamic scaling laws under closed-loop control.
Fuzzy Control of a Robotic Finger Actuated by Shape Memory Alloy Wires
Authors: Silva André F. C. , da Silva Simplício A. , dos Santos Alexsandro J. V. , Ries Andreas , Souto Cícero R. , de Araújo Carlos J.
Published: December 2017

This paper presents the development of a robotic finger driven by nonconventional actuators, consisting of thin shape memory alloy (SMA) wires. In order to monitor and control the angles formed by each phalanx, a specific system for capturing and interpreting digital images was implemented. By image processing, this system is capable to determine the angles without the need for installation of phalanx rotation sensors, leading to weight and volume reduction of the prototype. For this artificial vision system, a simple camera with a fuzzy logic control technique was used, which was very effective in monitoring the position of the robotic finger.
Erratum: “The Effect of Nickel on Fracture Toughness at Low Temperature for Hydrogen Pre-Charged Steel Samples” [ASME 2014 33rd International Conference on Ocean, Offshore and Arctic Engineering, Volume 5: Materials Technology; Petroleum Technology, San Francisco, California, USA, June 8–13, 2014, Conference Sponsors: Ocean, Offshore and Arctic Engineering Division, ISBN: 978-0-7918-4545-5, Copyright © 2014 by ASME. Paper No. OMAE2014-23274, pp. V005T03A007; 7 pages; doi:10.1115/OMAE2014-23274]
Authors: Félix Lorenzo Marzari , da Fonseca José Eduardo Ferreira , Kwietniewski Carlos Fortis , Borges Marcelo Favaro , Haag Jefferson , Dalpiaz Giovanni
Published: December 2017

This erratum corrects errors that appeared in the paper “The Effect of Nickel on Fracture Toughness at Low Temperature for Hydrogen Pre-Charged Steel Samples” which was published in Proceedings of the ASME 2014 33rd International Conference on Ocean, Offshore and Arctic Engineering, Volume 5: Materials Technology; Petroleum Technology, V005T03A007, June 2014, OMAE2014-23274, doi: 10.1115/OMAE2014-23274.
Carceral Recognition and the Colonial Present at the Okimaw Ohci Healing Lodge
Authors: Boyce Margaret Rose
Published: December 2017

Glen Coulthard’s 2014 book, Red Skin, White Masks is a much needed critique of the Canadian state’s increasing use of colonial recognition politics. I suggest that Coulthard’s approach is also well-attuned to interrogate current forms of prison reform in Canada. At stake is the possibility that unchecked recognition-based policies in Correctional Service of Canada’s (CSC) mandate – such as the utilization of ‘traditional healing’ in penal programming and the construction of prisons designed solely for Indigenous inmates –undermine the needs of Indigenous people in prison, while propagating settler colonialism through the often invisible mechanisms of the prison system. By analyzing the Okimaw Ohci Healing Lodge federal prison for Indigenous women, in Maple Creek, Saskatchewan, I posit the emergence of a carceral recognition politics in Canadian prisons: a strategy whereby the penal system parades its willingness to accommodate Indigenous difference in order to reconcile Indigenous peoples with the authority of the State – often through the implementation of colonial teleologies towards a supposedly non-colonial present – while simultaneously developing a durable and comprehensive prison system for the more effective incarceration of federally sentenced Indigenous women.
Towards a Cosmopolitan Anthropology of Anyone: A Response to Brigitte Lewis
Authors: Rapport Nigel Julian
Published: December 2017

In response to a critique of ‘cosmopolitanism’ and what it might offer ‘anthropology’, this article sets out to formulate a relation between the two that encompasses an ambitious programme of both knowledge and justice. A cosmopolitan anthropology would look beyond cultural difference to common civilisation, beyond local traditions to truth, and beyond conventions of personhood to a universal individuality. To know the human, to find ways justly to represent the human and to secure the human in moral social arrangements, is necessarily to come to terms with the individuality of life and identity.
'Skills to Pay the Bills': Gender Difference in Mountain Biking on Display
Authors: Lloyd Mike
Published: December 2017

This paper analyses a short video showing the opening of a skills area in a mountain bike park. After viewing the mayor cutting a ribbon to officially open the skills area, we watch 19 mountain bikers putting in 32 runs in the skills area. Only three of these feature women, and in contrast to a core group of young male riders who display showy and risky jumping skills, the women appear to ride very cautiously. Given this contrast, the video could be used to analyse the social construction of gender difference in mountain biking, bolstering an existing view that ‘mountain biking is for men’. However, by bracketing this assumption and focusing on fine detail, this paper attempts to move closer to the noticed difference itself. By considering the specifics of mountain biking skills, and its emplaced situated logics, the gender difference may not be as stark as first thought. Care has to be taken over this argument because there is a pressing question of data adequacy: given that the video under examination is edited and framed, does this limit its analytic purchase? An answer is provided not by conceptual discussion, but by showing what can be made of the video in analysing key visual fragments. Additionally, the details of the video are supplemented by reference to one other key piece of cycling research, and one other ‘natural video record’ of mountain biking practice. The paper contributes to the growing recognition of the value of video data in the ethnographic analysis of mobile interactive practices.
A Final Note
Authors: Lewis Brigitte
Published: December 2017

None
Study of the high-temperature oxidation resistance mechanism of magnetron sputtered Hf7B23Si17C4N45 film
Authors: Zhang Minghui , Jiang Jiechao , Zeman Petr , Zuzjaková Šárka , Vlček Jaroslav , Meletis Efstathios I.
Published: December 2017

The microstructure evolution and high temperature oxidation mechanism of a hard, amorphous, and optically transparent Hf7B23Si17C4N45 film was studied by x-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. The Hf7B23Si17C4N45 films were deposited by reactive pulse dc magnetron sputtering and annealed in air at temperatures from 1100 to 1500 °C. All annealed films were found to have a two-layered structure composed of the original amorphous and homogeneous layer followed by a nanocomposite oxidized surface layer. The top nanocomposite layer consists of an amorphous SiOx-based matrix and a population of HfO2 nanoparticles with two distinct sublayers. The first sublayer is next to the original amorphous layer and has a dense population of small HfO2 nanoparticles (up to several nanometers) followed by a surface sublayer with coarsened and dispersed HfO2 nanoparticles (up to several tens nm). The HfO2 nanoparticles in the bottom sublayer form by a nucleation and growth process whereas the ones in the surface sublayer coarsen via Ostwald ripening. An estimate of the activation energy for oxygen diffusion through the oxidized layer produced a value around 3.43 eV attesting to the high oxidation resistance of the film. The oxidation resistance mechanism is attributed to the precipitation of HfO2 nanoparticles within a dense SiOx-based matrix and quartz SiO2 in front of the base layer interface that can act as a barrier to heat transfer and O diffusion.
BCAS1 expression defines a population of early myelinating oligodendrocytes in multiple sclerosis lesions
Authors: Fard Maryam K. , van der Meer Franziska , Sánchez Paula , Cantuti-Castelvetri Ludovico , Mandad Sunit , Jäkel Sarah , Fornasiero Eugenio F. , Schmitt Sebastian , Ehrlich Marc , Starost Laura , Kuhlmann Tanja , Sergiou Christina , Schultz Verena , Wrzos Claudia , Brück Wolfgang , Urlaub Henning , Dimou Leda , Stadelmann Christine , Simons Mikael
Published: December 2017

BCAS1 expression identifies newly formed and actively myelinating oligodendrocytes in development, adulthood, and disease.
Who’s afraid of the big bad pathogen?
Authors: Christenson Stephanie A.
Published: December 2017

Bacterial predation by
Acinetobacter baylyi
substantially increases cross-species horizontal gene transfer, leading to rapid acquisition of antimicrobial resistance genes.
Brain leak, mind bleak
Authors: Dzirasa Kafui
Published: December 2017

Stress-induced changes in blood-brain barrier permeability contribute to depression pathology.
The Alere BinaxNOW Pneumococcal Urinary Antigen Test: Diagnostic Sensitivity for Adult Pneumococcal Pneumonia and Relationship to Specific Serotypes
Authors: Shoji Hisashi , Domenech Arnau , Simonetti Antonella Francesca , González Aida , García-Somoza Dolores , Cubero Meritxell , Martí Sara , Maeda Masayuki , Tubau Fe , Liñares Josefina , Domínguez Maria Angeles , Carratalà Jordi , Ardanuy Carmen
Published: December 2017

Little is known about the sensitivity of the BinaxNOW pneumococcal urinary antigen (PUA) test for adult pneumococcal pneumonia caused by different serotypes. In this study, we aimed to analyze the trends in the sensitivity of the PUA test over a 15-year period (2001 to 2015) and to analyze its sensitivity for pneumococcal pneumonia caused by different serotypes. In total, we analyzed 1,096 pneumococcal isolates from adults with pneumococcal pneumonia who had a PUA test performed at the onset of the episode. Three periods were analyzed: 2001 to 2005 (early use of the seven-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine [early PCV7]), 2006 to 2010 (late PCV7), and 2011 to 2015 (early PCV13). The sensitivity of the PUA test varied from 76.4% (95% confidence interval [CI], 70.5% to 82.4%) in the period from 2001 to 2005 to 77.9% in 2006 to 2010 (95% CI, 74.4% to 81.4%) and decreased to 60.5% (95% CI, 55.4% to 65.6%) in 2011 to 2015. This decrease was observed in 560 proven (83.2% in 2001 to 2005, 86.5% in 2006 to 2010, and 78.1%) and 536 probable (70.0% in 2001 to 2005, 68.7% in 2006 to 2010, and 41.5% in 2011 to 2015) episodes of pneumococcal pneumonia. Differences were observed in the sensitivity of the PUA test for diagnosing pneumonia caused by certain serotypes, being highest for the 9V (90.6%), 14 (86.8%), 18C (100%), and 20 (100%) serotypes and lowest for the 8 (55.2%), 9L/N (39.1%), 11A (48.8%), 23B (33.3%), and nontypeable (47.8%) serotypes. Comparing 2001 to 2005, 2006 to 2010, and 2011 to 2015, the prevalence of serotypes 9V (3.1%, 3.7%, and 1.7%, respectively) and 14 (7.2%, 5.1%, and 3.1%, respectively) decreased, while the prevalence of serotypes 23B (0%, 0.7%, and 1.4%, respectively), 9L/N (1.0%, 1.6%, and 3.4%, respectively), 11A (2.6%, 4.2%, and 3.7%, respectively), and 8 (1.5%, 1.5%, and 5.1%, respectively) increased. The PUA test sensitivity varied by pneumococcal pneumonia serotype, and these differences and the changes in serotype distribution were associated with an overall decrease in the sensitivity of the PUA test.