bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Probing dynamic response to temperature changes in Berea Sandstone using acoustic time-of-flight and resonant ultrasound spectroscopy
Authors: Davis Eric S. , Pantea Cristian , Sturtevant Blake , Sinha Dipen N.
Published: April 2018

In this study, through-transmission acoustic time-of-flight experiments and bulk resonance tracking were used to study the anomalous elastic behavior in Berea Sandstone with temperature cycling. Previously published results (Davis et al., 2016) using Resonant Ultrasound Spectroscopy (RUS) indicated that Berea Sandstone softens by as much as 10% when cooled from 205°C to 110°C. This result is in contrast to the behavior of most materials, which stiffen when cooled. The time-of-flight experiments confirmed the RUS results and revealed the need for additional analysis of this phenomenon. By tracking the location of resonant frequencies at each temperature step, the qualitative behavior of the sample was obtained without the need for a rigorous RUS analysis. The results from this analysis showed that Berea Sandstone has significant hysteretic behavior under temperature cycling. It was also revealed that the qualitative elastic behavior of Berea Sandstone is unchanged with increasing relaxation time from the thermal shock induced by rapid cooling of the sample.
Using the Disclosure Decision-Making Model to Understand High School Football Players’ Disclosures of Concussion Symptoms
Authors: Cranmer Gregory A. , LaBelle Sara
Published: April 2018

Despite advancements in concussion treatment and management, health and sports professionals largely depend on athletes’ self-reporting of symptoms to begin the process of diagnosis. With this in mind, recent scholarly attention has focused on understanding the barriers and processes of athletes’ self-disclosure of symptoms. The current study applied the disclosure decision-making model to understand high school football players’ disclosure decisions after experiencing symptoms of a concussion. Data obtained from 184 high school football players from across the United States demonstrated 2 significant paths by which players’ disclosures of concussion symptoms during a game can be understood. First, the perceived severity of these symptoms predicted athletes’ self-efficacy to disclose concussions, which subsequently predicted their intentions to disclose concussion symptoms during a game. Second, the felt stigma around disclosing concussion symptoms predicted athletes’ anticipated responses from coaches to such disclosures, which subsequently predicted their intentions to disclose concussion symptoms during a game. Furthermore, the effect of perceived stigma on the anticipated responses from coaches was moderated by the quality of athletes’ relationships with their coaches. These results highlight the importance of convincing athletes to take concussion symptoms seriously and the role of athlete–coach relationships in combatting stigma around concussion disclosures. These findings suggest that scholars and practitioners should acknowledge the social contexts surrounding disclosure of concussion symptom and shift educational efforts to focus on the dangers of concussions and the process by which athletes should report potential symptoms.
Noninvasive ovarian cancer biomarker detection via an optical nanosensor implant
Authors: Williams Ryan M. , Lee Christopher , Galassi Thomas V. , Harvey Jackson D. , Leicher Rachel , Sirenko Maria , Dorso Madeline A. , Shah Janki , Olvera Narciso , Dao Fanny , Levine Douglas A. , Heller Daniel A.
Published: April 2018

Ovarian cancer biomarker detection using a novel nanosensor implant in live mice.
Can robots assemble an IKEA chair?
Authors: Suárez-Ruiz Francisco , Zhou Xian , Pham Quang-Cuong
Published: April 2018

The limits of robotic manipulation were explored by automatic assembly of an IKEA chair.
Draft Genome Sequences of Five Neonatal Meningitis-Causing Escherichia coli Isolates (SP-4, SP-5, SP-13, SP-46, and SP-65)
Authors: Xu Aixia , Johnson James R. , Sheen Shiowshuh , Sommers Christopher
Published: April 2018

Neonatal meningitis-causing
Escherichia coli
isolates (SP-4, SP-5, SP-13, SP-46, and SP-65) were recovered between 1989 and 1997 from infants in the Netherlands. Here, we report the draft genome sequences of these five
E. coli
isolates, which are currently being used to validate food safety processing technologies.
Complete Genome Sequencing of 10 Brucella abortus Biovar 3 Strains Isolated from Water Buffalo
Authors: Paradiso Rubina , Orsini Massimiliano , Criscuolo Daniela , Borrelli Rosanna , Valvini Ornella , Cammà Cesare , Chiusano Maria Luisa , Galiero Giorgio , Borriello Giorgia
Published: April 2018

Brucellosis is a zoonotic disease that affects both humans and animals. Its distribution is global, concentrated in the Mediterranean area, India, Central Asia, and Latin America. Here, we present a complete genome assembly of 10
Brucella abortus
strains isolated from water buffaloes farmed in the Campania region of Italy.
Complete Genome Sequence of Marinobacter flavimaris LMG 23834
T
, Which Is Potentially Useful in Bioremediation
Authors: Palau Montserrat , Boujida Nadia , Manresa Àngels , Miñana-Galbis David
Published: April 2018

The complete genome sequence of the halophilic strain
Marinobacter flavimaris
LMG 23834
T
is presented here. The genomic information of this type strain will be useful for taxonomic purposes and for its potential use in bioremediation studies.
d
-Alanyl-
d
-Alanine Ligase as a Broad-Host-Range Counterselection Marker in Vancomycin-Resistant Lactic Acid Bacteria
Authors: Zhang Shenwei , Oh Jee-Hwan , Alexander Laura M. , Özçam Mustafa , van Pijkeren Jan-Peter
Published: April 2018

The peptidoglycan composition in lactic acid bacteria dictates vancomycin resistance. Vancomycin binds relatively poorly to peptidoglycan ending in
d
-alanyl-
d
-lactate and binds with high affinity to peptidoglycan ending in
d
-alanyl-
d
-alanine (
d
-Ala-
d
-Ala), which results in vancomycin resistance and sensitivity, respectively. The enzyme responsible for generating these peptidoglycan precursors is dipeptide ligase (Ddl). A single amino acid in the Ddl active site, phenylalanine or tyrosine, determines depsipeptide or dipeptide activity, respectively. Here, we established that heterologous expression of dipeptide ligase in vancomycin-resistant lactobacilli increases their sensitivity to vancomycin in a dose-dependent manner and overcomes the effects of the presence of a native
d
-Ala-
d
-Ala dipeptidase. We incorporated the dipeptide ligase gene on a suicide vector and demonstrated that it functions as a counterselection marker (CSM) in lactobacilli; vancomycin selection allows only those cells to grow in which the suicide vector has been lost. Subsequently, we developed a liquid-based approach to identify recombinants in only 5 days, which is approximately half the time required by conventional approaches. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that Ddl serves as a marker to predict vancomycin resistance and consequently indicated the broad applicability of the use of Ddl as a counterselection marker in the genus
Lactobacillus
. Finally, our system represents the first “plug and play” counterselection system in lactic acid bacteria that does not require prior genome editing and/or synthetic medium.

IMPORTANCE
The genus
Lactobacillus
contains more than 200 species, many of which are exploited in the food and biotechnology industries and in medicine. Prediction of intrinsic vancomycin resistance has thus far been limited to selected
Lactobacillus
species. Here, we show that heterologous expression of the enzyme Ddl (dipeptide ligase)—an essential enzyme involved in peptidoglycan synthesis—increases sensitivity to vancomycin in a dose-dependent manner. We exploited this to develop a counterselection marker for use in vancomycin-resistant lactobacilli, thereby expanding the poorly developed genome editing toolbox that is currently available for most strains. Also, we showed that Ddl is a phylogenetic marker that can be used to predict vancomycin resistance in
Lactobacillus
; 81% of
Lactobacillus
species are intrinsically resistant to vancomycin, which makes our tool broadly applicable.
Preharvest Farming Practices Impacting Fresh Produce Safety
Authors: Gutierrez-Rodriguez Eduardo , Adhikari Achyut
Published: April 2018

Advancements in agriculture and food processing techniques have been instrumental in the development of modern human societies. Vast improvements in agronomic practices, handling, and processing have allowed us to produce and preserve mass quantities of food. Yet despite all these innovations and potentially as a consequence of these mass production practices, more and more outbreaks of human pathogens linked to raw and processed foods are identified every year. It is evident that our increased capacity for microbial detection has contributed to the greater number of outbreaks detected. However, our understanding of how these events originate and what agronomic, packaging, and environmental factors influence the survival, persistence, and proliferation of human pathogens remains of scientific debate. This review seeks to identify those past and current challenges to the safety of fresh produce and focuses on production practices and how those impact produce safety. It reflects on 20 years of research, industry guidelines, and federal standards and how they have evolved to our current understanding of fresh produce safety. This document is not intended to summarize and describe all fruit and vegetable farming practices across the United States and the rest of the world. We understand the significant differences in production practices that exist across regions. This review highlights those general farming practices that significantly impact past and current food safety issues. It focuses on current and future research needs and on preharvest food safety control measures in fresh-produce safety that could provide insight into the mechanisms of pathogen contamination, survival, and inactivation under field and packinghouse conditions.
RNase E and the High-Fidelity Orchestration of RNA Metabolism
Authors: Bandyra Katarzyna J. , Luisi Ben F.
Published: April 2018

The bacterial endoribonuclease RNase E occupies a pivotal position in the control of gene expression, as its actions either commit transcripts to an irreversible fate of rapid destruction or unveil their hidden functions through specific processing. Moreover, the enzyme contributes to quality control of rRNAs. The activity of RNase E can be directed and modulated by signals provided through regulatory RNAs that guide the enzyme to specific transcripts that are to be silenced. Early in its evolutionary history, RNase E acquired a natively unfolded appendage that recruits accessory proteins and RNA. These accessory factors facilitate the activity of RNase E and include helicases that remodel RNA and RNA-protein complexes, and polynucleotide phosphorylase, a relative of the archaeal and eukaryotic exosomes. RNase E also associates with enzymes from central metabolism, such as enolase and aconitase. RNase E-based complexes are diverse in composition, but generally bear mechanistic parallels with eukaryotic machinery involved in RNA-induced gene regulation and transcript quality control. That these similar processes arose independently underscores the universality of RNA-based regulation in life. Here we provide a synopsis and perspective of the contributions made by RNase E to sustain robust gene regulation with speed and accuracy.
Technology-enabled examinations of cardiac rhythm, optic nerve, oral health, tympanic membrane, gait and coordination evaluated jointly with routine health screenings: an observational study at the 2015 Kumbh Mela in India
Authors: Shah Pratik , Yauney Gregory , Gupta Otkrist , Patalano II Vincent , Mohit Mrinal , Merchant Rikin , Subramanian S V
Published: April 2018

Objectives

Technology-enabled non-invasive diagnostic screening (TES) using smartphones and other point-of-care medical devices was evaluated in conjunction with conventional routine health screenings for the primary care screening of patients.

Design

Dental conditions, cardiac ECG arrhythmias, tympanic membrane disorders, blood oxygenation levels, optic nerve disorders and neurological fitness were evaluated using FDA-approved advanced smartphone powered technologies. Routine health screenings were also conducted. A novel remote web platform was developed to allow expert physicians to examine TES data and compare efficacy with routine health screenings.

Setting

The study was conducted at a primary care centre during the 2015 Kumbh Mela in Maharashtra, India.

Participants

494 consenting 18–90 years old adults attending the 2015 Kumbh Mela were tested.

Results

TES and routine health screenings identified unique clinical conditions in distinct patients. Intraoral fluorescent imaging classified 63.3% of the population with dental caries and periodontal diseases. An association between poor oral health and cardiovascular illnesses was also identified. Tympanic membrane imaging detected eardrum abnormalities in 13.0% of the population, several with a medical history of hearing difficulties. Gait and coordination issues were discovered in eight subjects and one subject had arrhythmia. Cross-correlations were observed between low oxygen saturation and low body mass index (BMI) with smokers (p=0.0087 and p=0.0122, respectively), and high BMI was associated with elevated blood pressure in middle-aged subjects.

Conclusions

TES synergistically identified clinically significant abnormalities in several subjects who otherwise presented as normal in routine health screenings. Physicians validated TES findings and used routine health screening data and medical history responses for comprehensive diagnoses for at-risk patients. TES identified high prevalence of oral diseases, hypertension, obesity and ophthalmic conditions among the middle-aged and elderly Indian population, calling for public health interventions.
An evaluation of prescribing trends and patterns of claims within the Preferred Drugs Initiative in Ireland (2011–2016): an interrupted time-series study
Authors: McDowell Ronald , Bennett Kathleen , Moriarty Frank , Clarke Sarah , Barry Michael , Fahey Tom
Published: April 2018

Objective

To examine the impact of the Preferred Drugs Initiative (PDI), an Irish health policy aimed at enhancing evidence-based cost-effective prescribing, on prescribing trends and the cost of prescription medicines across seven medication classes.

Design

Retrospective repeated cross-sectional study spanning the years 2011–2016.

Setting

Health Service Executive Primary Care Reimbursement Service pharmacy claims data for General Medical Services (GMS) patients, approximately 40% of the Irish population.

Participants

Adults aged ≥18 years between 2011 and 2016 are eligible for the GMS scheme.

Primary and secondary outcomes

The percentage of PDI medications within each drug class per calendar quarter. Linear regression was used to model prescribing of the preferred drug within each medication group and to assess the impact of PDI guidelines and other relevant changes in prescribing practice. Savings in drug expenditure were estimated.

Results

Between 2011 and 2016, around a quarter (23.59%) of all medications were for single-agent drugs licensed in the seven drug classes. There was a small increase in the percentage of PDI drugs, increasing from 4.64% of all medications in 2011 to 4.76% in 2016 (P<0.001). The percentage of preferred drugs within each drug class was significantly higher immediately following publication of the guidelines for all classes except urology, with the largest increases noted for lansoprazole (1.21%, 95% CI: 0.84% to 1.57%, P<0.001) and venlafaxine (0.71%, 95% CI: 0.15% to 1.27%, P=0.02). Trends in prescribing of the preferred drugs between PDI guidelines and the end of 2016 varied between drug classes. Total cost savings between 2013 and 2016 were estimated to be €2.7 million.

Conclusion

There has been a small increase in prescribing of PDI drugs in response to prescribing guidelines, with inconsistent changes observed across therapeutic classes. These findings are relevant where health services are seeking to develop more active prescribing interventions aimed at changing prescribing practice.
‘I’m not a smoker…yet’: a qualitative study on perceptions of tobacco control in Chinese high schools
Authors: Zhao Xiang , Young Ross ­M­cD , White Katherine M
Published: April 2018

Objective

Chinese adolescents’ perceptions about tobacco control at schools are rarely researched. We explored how current antismoking strategies work in middle school environments, as well as the attitudes towards these strategies held by students and teaching staff members.

Methods

Four focus groups (24 eleventh graders;Mage=16 years) and five indepth interviews (teaching staff members with tobacco control experience in schools) were conducted in Kunming, Yunnan Province, China. We used thematic analysis combining inductive and deductive processes, along with field observations and research group discussions, for data analysis.

Results

With educational approaches and practical strategies, antismoking education reported in the middle schools had limited effectiveness. Although smoking is banned in schools, students can circumvent schools’ controls easily. Notably salient is the pessimistic attitude towards school-based antismoking strategies at school. Detrimental influences within (teachers’ smoking) and beyond schools (high societal smoking prevalence) largely challenged the efforts to manage students’ smoking.

Conclusions

Current antismoking approaches in schools fail to curb smoking among Chinese high school students. Their effectiveness is undermined by both within-campus and off-campus influences. Students’ perceptions of smoking should be valued as their knowledge of smoking is actively constructed. Future antismoking education at school should incorporate interactive sessions rather than merely didactic approaches about the harms of smoking. Although stricter rules for teachers’ smoking are needed, complementary strategies such as population-level interventions and policy measures in wider society will assist in efforts within schools.
Physical activities and influencing factors among public health nurses: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Lin Miao-Ling , Huang Joh-Jong , Chuang Hung-Yi , Tsai Hsiu-Min , Wang Hsiu-Hung
Published: April 2018

Objectives

Public health nurses are responsible for promoting and managing the health of community members, and if they do not have enough physical activity or ignore their own health, not only will their own health decline but the quality of life of the public will also be affected. This study investigated the physical activity of public health nurses and analysed the effects of attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control and behavioural intention to engage in physical activity.

Methods

This study adopted a cross-sectional research design, and convenience sampling was used to select the research subjects. 198 public health nurses were invited to participate, and 172 completed the questionnaire. Multiple linear regression was used to analyse the influencing factors of physical activity intention and physical activity.

Results

Attitudes towards physical activity and perceived behavioural control of physical activity affected physical activity intention. When they had higher behavioural intention, their physical activity behaviour also improved. The physical activity intention significantly influenced the number of days that they had engaged in vigorous physical activity (95% CI 0.1786 to 0.3060, p<0.0001), and significantly influenced the number of days that they walked daily for 10 min (95% CI 0.2158 to 0.4144, p<0.0001), and also significantly influenced their daily sedentary time (95% CI −0.3020 to 0.0560, p=0.0046).

Conclusions

Encouraging public health nurses to heed their own health and motivating them to engage in physical activity warrants attention from policy-makers and government health agencies.
Impact of tailored falls prevention education for older adults at hospital discharge on engagement in falls prevention strategies postdischarge: protocol for a process evaluation
Authors: Naseri Chiara , McPhail Steven M , Netto Julie , Haines Terrence P , Morris Meg E , Etherton-Beer Christopher , Flicker Leon , Lee Den-Ching A , Francis-Coad Jacqueline , Hill Anne-Marie
Published: April 2018

Introduction

Older adults recently discharged from hospital have greater incidence of adverse events, functional decline, falls and subsequent readmission. Providing education to hospitalised patients on how to prevent falls at home could reduce postdischarge falls. There has been limited research investigating how older adults respond to tailored falls prevention education provided at hospital discharge. The aim of this study is to evaluate how providing tailored falls prevention education to older patients at the point of, and immediately after hospital discharge in addition to usual care, affects engagement in falls prevention strategies in the 6-months postdischarge period, including their capability and motivation to engage in falls prevention strategies.

Methods and analyses

This prospective observational cohort study is a process evaluation of a randomised controlled trial, using an embedded mixed-method design. Participants (n=390) who have been enrolled in the trial are over the age of 60 years, scoring greater than 7/10 on the Abbreviated Mental Test Score. Participants are being discharged from hospital rehabilitation wards in Perth, Western Australia, and followed up for 6 months postdischarge. Primary outcome measures for the process evaluation are engagement in falls prevention strategies, including exercise, home modifications and receiving assistance with activities of daily living. Secondary outcomes will measure capability, motivation and opportunity to engage in falls prevention strategies, based on the constructs of the Capability Opportunity Motivation Behaviour system. Quantitative data are collected at baseline, then at 6 months postdischarge using structured phone interviews. Qualitative data are collected from a purposive sample of the cohort, using semistructured in-depth phone interviews. Quantitative data will be analysed using regression modelling and qualitative data will be analysed using interpretive phenomenological analysis.

Ethics and dissemination

Results will be presented in peer-reviewed journals and at conferences worldwide. This study is approved by hospital and university Human Research Ethics Committees.
The Neuroform Atlas stent to assist coil embolization of intracranial aneurysms: a multicentre experience
Authors: Ulfert Christian , Pham Mirko , Sonnberger Michael , Amaya Franco , Trenkler Johannes , Bendszus Martin , Möhlenbruch Markus A
Published: April 2018

Objective

To assess the clinical safety and efficacy of the Atlas microstent in stent-assisted coil embolization of wide-necked intracranial aneurysms.

Methods

Single-center observational study in 36 patients (24 female, 12 male, mean age 56 years) with 37 aneurysms for the endovascular treatment of wide-necked aneurysms. After giving informed consent, patients were included according to the following criteria: aneurysm dome-to-neck ratio <2 or neck diameter >4 mm, and a parent vessel diameter of ≤4.5 mm. Primary endpoint for clinical safety was absence of death, absence of major or minor stroke, and absence of transient ischemic attack. Primary endpoint for treatment efficacy was complete angiographic occlusion according to the Raymond-Roy occlusion classification (RROC) immediately after the procedure.

Results

In 36/37 (97%) cases, the primary endpoint of safety was reached, one patient had a transitory ischemic attack which completely resolved until discharge. In 31/37 (84%) cases, complete occlusion (RROC 1) was reached, and in 6/36 (17%), a residual neck remained (RROC 2). A sequential approach (first stent, then coiling through the same catheter) was used in 21 cases; the other 16 were treated with the jailing technique. Deployment was technically successful in all cases. Follow-up at a median of 6.1 months was available for 29/37 (78%) aneurysms and showed complete occlusion in 27/29 aneurysms (93%) and a neck remnant in 2 cases (7%).

Conclusion

Deployment of the Neuroform Atlas microstent is a safe and effective method for the treatment of intracranial wide-necked aneurysms.
Bovine spastic syndrome: a review
Authors: Goeckmann Victoria , Rothammer Sophie , Medugorac Ivica
Published: April 2018

Bovine spastic syndrome (BSS) was described for the first time in 1941. The disease occurs in various—maybe even all—cattle breeds and is a chronic‐progressive neuromuscular disorder that commonly affects cattle of at least three years of age. Typical clinical signs of the disease are clonic‐tonic cramps of the hindlimbs that occur in attacks. Since BSS does not recover, affected animals can only be treated symptomatically by improving welfare conditions and management factors, or with physical therapy or drugs. Although still not irrevocably proven, BSS is assumed to be a hereditary disease. Therefore, affected animals should be excluded from breeding, which negatively affects economics and breeding. Besides epidemiology, clinical signs, aetiopathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment, this review discusses genetic aspects and differences to the similar disease bovine spastic paresis. Furthermore, this review also picks up the discussion on possible parallels between human multiple sclerosis and BSS as a further interesting aspect, which might be of great interest for future research.
FP-LAPW investigation of Al3(Sc1−xTix) alloys properties in L12 and D022 structures
Authors: Khenioui Youcef , Boulechfar Rahima , Maazi Noureddine , Ghemid Sebti
Published: April 2018

The ab-initio calculations based on the density functional theory (DFT) have been performed to study the structural, mechanical, electronic, thermal and thermodynamic properties of Al3Sc and Al3Ti binary compounds and their ternary mixture Al3(Sc[Formula: see text]Ti[Formula: see text]) in L12 and D0[Formula: see text] structures. The total energy calculations show that the L12 structure is the more stable one. The Al3Sc[Formula: see text]Ti[Formula: see text] undergoes a martensitic transformation and the formation enthalpies and the lattice parameters decrease with increasing concentration x. The elastic constants are determined and the results show that all compounds are mechanically stable and the cubic cells are more easily deformed by shearing than by unidirectional compression. The elastic modulus indicates that the addition of Ti atoms to Al3Sc improves its ductility. The densities of states (DOSs) calculations show the strong spd hybridization which leads to the formation of a pseudo-gap near the Fermi level in ternary alloys. The densities of states at the Fermi level N(E[Formula: see text]) confirm the phase stability. The quasi-harmonic Debye model is used to predict the thermal properties such as heat capacity, Debye temperature, Grüneisen parameter and thermal expansion coefficient of the considered alloys. The determination of Gibbs free mixing energy at different concentrations has been used to calculate the T–x diagram.
Unmixing-Based Soft Color Segmentation for Image Manipulation
Authors: Aksoy Yağiz , Aydin Tunç Ozan , Smolić Aljoša , Pollefeys Marc
Published: April 2018

We present a new method for decomposing an image into a set of soft color segments that are analogous to color layers with alpha channels that have been commonly utilized in modern image manipulation software. We show that the resulting decomposition serves as an effective intermediate image representation, which can be utilized for performing various, seemingly unrelated, image manipulation tasks. We identify a set of requirements that soft color segmentation methods have to fulfill, and present an in-depth theoretical analysis of prior work. We propose an energy formulation for producing compact layers of homogeneous colors and a color refinement procedure, as well as a method for automatically estimating a statistical color model from an image. This results in a novel framework for automatic and high-quality soft color segmentation that is efficient, parallelizable, and scalable. We show that our technique is superior in quality compared to previous methods through quantitative analysis as well as visually through an extensive set of examples. We demonstrate that our soft color segments can easily be exported to familiar image manipulation software packages and used to produce compelling results for numerous image manipulation applications without forcing the user to learn new tools and workflows.
Amandroid
Authors: Wei Fengguo , Roy Sankardas , Ou Xinming , Robby
Published: April 2018

We present a new approach to static analysis for security vetting of Android apps and a general framework called Amandroid. Amandroid determines points-to information for all objects in an Android app component in a flow and context-sensitive (user-configurable) way and performs data flow and data dependence analysis for the component. Amandroid also tracks inter-component communication activities. It can stitch the component-level information into the app-level information to perform intra-app or inter-app analysis. In this article, (a) we show that the aforementioned type of comprehensive app analysis is completely feasible in terms of computing resources with modern hardware, (b) we demonstrate that one can easily leverage the results from this general analysis to build various types of specialized security analyses—in many cases the amount of additional coding needed is around 100 lines of code, and (c) the result of those specialized analyses leveraging Amandroid is at least on par and often exceeds prior works designed for the specific problems, which we demonstrate by comparing Amandroid’s results with those of prior works whenever we can obtain the executable of those tools. Since Amandroid’s analysis directly handles inter-component control and data flows, it can be used to address security problems that result from interactions among multiple components from either the same or different apps. Amandroid’s analysis is sound in that it can provide assurance of the absence of the specified security problems in an app with well-specified and reasonable assumptions on Android runtime system and its library.
Molecular and Functional Neuroscience in Immunity
Authors: Pavlov Valentin A. , Chavan Sangeeta S. , Tracey Kevin J.
Published: April 2018

The nervous system regulates immunity and inflammation. The molecular detection of pathogen fragments, cytokines, and other immune molecules by sensory neurons generates immunoregulatory responses through efferent autonomic neuron signaling. The functional organization of this neural control is based on principles of reflex regulation. Reflexes involving the vagus nerve and other nerves have been therapeutically explored in models of inflammatory and autoimmune conditions, and recently in clinical settings. The brain integrates neuro-immune communication, and brain function is altered in diseases characterized by peripheral immune dysregulation and inflammation. Here we review the anatomical and molecular basis of the neural interface with immunity, focusing on peripheral neural control of immune functions and the role of the brain in the model of the immunological homunculus. Clinical advances stemming from this knowledge within the framework of bioelectronic medicine are also briefly outlined.
Signaling and Function of Interleukin-2 in T Lymphocytes
Authors: Ross Sarah H. , Cantrell Doreen A.
Published: April 2018

The discovery of interleukin-2 (IL-2) changed the molecular understanding of how the immune system is controlled. IL-2 is a pleiotropic cytokine, and dissecting the signaling pathways that allow IL-2 to control the differentiation and homeostasis of both pro- and anti-inflammatory T cells is fundamental to determining the molecular details of immune regulation. The IL-2 receptor couples to JAK tyrosine kinases and activates the STAT5 transcription factors. However, IL-2 does much more than control transcriptional programs; it is a key regulator of T cell metabolic programs. The development of global phosphoproteomic approaches has expanded the understanding of IL-2 signaling further, revealing the diversity of phosphoproteins that may be influenced by IL-2 in T cells. However, it is increasingly clear that within each T cell subset, IL-2 will signal within a framework of other signal transduction networks that together will shape the transcriptional and metabolic programs that determine T cell fate.
Vibrational and Nonadiabatic Coherence in 2D Electronic Spectroscopy, the Jahn–Teller Effect, and Energy Transfer
Authors: Jonas David M.
Published: April 2018

Femtosecond two-dimensional (2D) Fourier transform spectroscopy generates and probes several types of coherence that characterize the couplings between vibrational and electronic motions. These couplings have been studied in molecules with Jahn–Teller conical intersections, pseudo-Jahn–Teller funnels, dimers, molecular aggregates, photosynthetic light harvesting complexes, and photosynthetic reaction centers. All have closely related Hamiltonians and at least two types of vibrations, including one that is decoupled from the electronic dynamics and one that is nonadiabatically coupled. Polarized pulse sequences can often be used to distinguish these types of vibrations. Electronic coherences are rapidly obscured by inhomogeneous dephasing. The longest-lived coherences in these systems arise from delocalized vibrations on the ground electronic state that are enhanced by a nonadiabatic Raman excitation process. These characterize the initial excited-state dynamics. 2D oscillation maps are beginning to isolate the medium lifetime vibronic coherences that report on subsequent stages of the excited-state dynamics.
Effect of sex, menstrual cycle phase, and monophasic oral contraceptive pill use on local and central arterial stiffness in young adults
Authors: Priest Stacey E. , Shenouda Ninette , MacDonald Maureen J.
Published: April 2018

Arterial stiffness is associated with increased cardiovascular disease risk. Previous sex-based investigations of local and central stiffness report inconsistent findings and have not controlled for menstrual cycle phase in women. There is also evidence that sex hormones influence the vasculature, but their impact on arterial stiffness across a natural menstrual (NAT) or oral contraceptive pill (OCP) cycle has been understudied. This study sought to 1) examine potential sex differences in local and central stiffness, 2) compare stiffness profiles between NAT and OCP cycles, and 3) investigate the relationship between duration of OCP use and arterial stiffness. Sex hormone concentrations, β-stiffness index (local stiffness), and carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity [cfPWV (central stiffness)] were assessed in 53 healthy adults (22 ± 3 yr old, 20 men, 15 NAT women, and 18 OCP women). All participants were tested three times: men on the same day and time 1 wk apart, NAT women in menstrual, midfollicular and luteal phases of the menstrual cycle, and OCP women in placebo, early active and late active pill phases. β-Stiffness was higher in men than NAT and OCP women ( P < 0.001), whereas cfPWV was similar between groups ( P = 0.09). β-Stiffness and cfPWV did not differ across or between NAT and OCP cycles ( P > 0.05 for both) and were not associated with duration of OCP use (β-stiffness: r = 0.003, P = 0.99; cfPWV: r = −0.26, P = 0.30). The apparent sex differences in local, but not central, stiffness highlight the importance of assessing both indexes in comparisons between men and women. Furthermore, fluctuating sex hormone levels do not appear to influence β-stiffness or cfPWV. Therefore, these stiffness indexes may need to be assessed during only one cycle phase in women in future investigations.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY We observed higher local, but not central, arterial stiffness in men than women. We also demonstrated that there are no differences in arterial stiffness between naturally cycling women and women who use monophasic oral contraceptive pills, and that the duration of oral contraceptive pill use does not influence arterial stiffness.

Listen to this article’s corresponding podcast at https://ajpheart.podbean.com/e/behind-the-bench-episode-2/ .
Improving the quality of preclinical research echocardiography: observations, training, and guidelines for measurement
Authors: Donner Daniel G. , Kiriazis Helen , Du Xiao-Jun , Marwick Thomas H. , McMullen Julie R.
Published: April 2018

Informal training in preclinical research may be a contributor to the poor reproducibility of preclinical cardiology research and low rates of translation into clinical research and practice. Mouse echocardiography is a widely used technique to assess cardiac structure and function in drug intervention studies using disease models. The interobserver variability of clinical echocardiographic measurements has been shown to improve with formalized training, but preclinical echocardiography lacks similarly critical standardization of training. The aims of this investigation were to assess the interobserver variability of echocardiographic measurements from studies in mice and address any technical impediments to reproducibility by implementing standardized guidelines through formalized training. In this prospective, single-site, observational cohort study, 13 scientists performing preclinical echocardiographic image analysis were assessed for measurement of short-axis M-mode-derived dimensions and calculated left ventricular (LV) mass. Ten M-mode images of mouse hearts acquired and analyzed by an expert researcher with a spectrum of LV mass were selected for assessment and validated by autopsy weight. After the initial observation, a structured formal training program was introduced, and accuracy and reproducibility were reevaluated. Mean absolute percentage error for expert-calculated LV mass was 6 ± 4% compared with autopsy LV mass and 25 ± 21% for participants before training. Standardized formal training improved participant mean absolute percentage error by ~30% relative to expert-calculated LV mass ( P < 0.001). Participants initially categorized with high-range error (25–45%) improved to low-moderate error ranges (<15–25%). This report reveals an example of technical skill training insufficiency likely endemic to preclinical research and provides validated guidelines for echocardiographic measurement for adaptation to formalized in-training programs.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY The informal training common to academic/research institutions may be a contributor to the relatively poor reproducibility observed for preclinical cardiac research. In our observation of echocardiography analysis in murine models, we present evidence of moderate interobserver variability in standard preclinical research practice at an Australian heart research institute. These observations give rise to our recommendations for practical guidelines for echocardiography analysis in an adaptable approach to general preclinical research skill training.

Listen to this article’s corresponding podcast at https://ajpheart.podbean.com/e/preclinical-echocardiography-training-and-guidelines/ .
Genome-wide association study identifies loci and candidate genes for internal organ weights in Simmental beef cattle
Authors: An Bingxing , Xia Jiangwei , Chang Tianpeng , Wang Xiaoqiao , Miao Jian , Xu Lingyang , Zhang Lupei , Gao Xue , Chen Yan , Li Junya , Gao Huijiang
Published: April 2018

Cattle internal organs as accessible raw materials have a long history of being widely used in beef processing, feed and pharmaceutical industry. These traits not only are of economic interest to breeders, but they are intrinsically linked to many valuable traits, such as growth, health, and productivity. Using the Illumina Bovine HD 770K SNP array, we performed a genome-wide association study for heart weight, liver weight, spleen weight, lung weight, and kidney weight in 1,217 Simmental cattle. In our research, 38 significant single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) ( P < 1.49 × 10−6) were identified for five internal organ weight traits. These SNPs are within or near 13 genes, and some of them have been reported previously, including NDUFAF4, LCORL, BT.94996, SLIT2, FAM184B, LAP3, BBS12, MECOM, CD300LF, HSD17B3, TLR4, MXI1, and MB21D2. In addition, we detected four haplotype blocks on BTA6 containing 18 significant SNPs associated with spleen weight. Our results offer worthy insights into understanding the genetic mechanisms of internal organs' development, with potential application in breeding programs of Simmental beef cattle.
Checking and Increasing the Accuracy of the Dns64perf++ Measurement Tool for Benchmarking DNS64 Servers
Authors: Lencse Gábor , Pivoda Attila
Published: April 2018

Our DNS64 benchmarking program, dns64perf++, is the world’s first standard DNS64 benchmarking tool, which complies with the requirements of RFC 8219 (Benchmarking methodology for IPv6 transition technologies) including DNS64. The aim of our current effort is to check and ensure its accuracy. In this paper, we disclose our measurement method and results.We have found inaccuracies at higher rates, which were caused by the self-correcting timing algorithm. We have replaced the timing algorithm by a simpler one, which resulted in accurate results at any tested rates. We have also tested the corrected version during real measurements: we compared the quality of the measurements results produced by the original and thecorrected version.
Arterial Stiffness Is Associated With Basal Ganglia Enlarged Perivascular Spaces and Cerebral Small Vessel Disease Load
Authors: Riba-Llena Iolanda , Jiménez-Balado Joan , Castañé Xavier , Girona Anna , López-Rueda Antonio , Mundet Xavier , Jarca Carmen I. , Álvarez-Sabin José , Montaner Joan , Delgado Pilar
Published: April 2018

Background and Purpose—

We assessed whether the load of cerebral small vessel disease (cSVD) and its individual markers, including lacunes, white matter hyperintensities, microbleeds, and enlarged perivascular spaces (EPVS), are associated with arterial stiffness.

Methods—

We evaluated cSVD markers in a cohort of 782 hypertensive individuals without history of stroke or dementia. The load of the disease was calculated using an ordinal scale ranging from 0 to 4 (1 point was given for each of the 4 markers examined). The arterial stiffness was tested by measuring the carotid–femoral pulse wave velocity with an oscillometric automatic device.

Results—

The mean age of the participants (49.6% women) was 62.7±5.4 years, and the mean systolic/diastolic blood pressure was 142.9/77.3 mm Hg (55.5% of the participants had poor blood pressure control). We found 7.2% cases with lacunes, 6.4% with microbleeds, 6.7% with extensive white matter hyperintensities, 24.5% with extensive basal ganglia EPVS, and 40.1% with extensive EPVS in the centrum semiovale. Regarding the cSVD load, 19.7% of the participants scored 1, 6.5% scored 2, and 1.4% scored ≥3. The median carotid–femoral pulse wave velocity was 10.5 m/s (interquartile range, 9.2–11.9) and was associated with lacunes (odds ratio per carotid–femoral pulse wave velocity SD increase, 1.51; 95% confidence interval, 1.13–2.03), extensive basal ganglia EPVS (odds ratio, 1.39; 95% confidence interval, 1.16–1.67), and cSVD load (common odds ratio, 1.42; 95% confidence interval, 1.19–1.68).

Conclusions—

We found that, in a cohort of hypertensive individuals, the arterial stiffness is associated with the total load of the cSVD, especially with lacunes and basal ganglia EPVS.
Recognizing Facial Slivers
Authors: Gilad-Gutnick Sharon , Harmatz Elia Samuel , Tsourides Kleovoulos , Yovel Galit , Sinha Pawan
Published: April 2018

We report here an unexpectedly robust ability of healthy human individuals ( n = 40) to recognize extremely distorted needle-like facial images, challenging the well-entrenched notion that veridical spatial configuration is necessary for extracting facial identity. In face identification tasks of parametrically compressed internal and external features, we found that the sum of performances on each cue falls significantly short of performance on full faces, despite the equal visual information available from both measures (with full faces essentially being a superposition of internal and external features). We hypothesize that this large deficit stems from the use of positional information about how the internal features are positioned relative to the external features. To test this, we systematically changed the relations between internal and external features and found preferential encoding of vertical but not horizontal spatial relationships in facial representations ( n = 20). Finally, we employ magnetoencephalography imaging ( n = 20) to demonstrate a close mapping between the behavioral psychometric curve and the amplitude of the M250 face familiarity, but not M170 face-sensitive evoked response field component, providing evidence that the M250 can be modulated by faces that are perceptually identifiable, irrespective of extreme distortions to the face's veridical configuration. We theorize that the tolerance to compressive distortions has evolved from the need to recognize faces across varying viewpoints. Our findings help clarify the important, but poorly defined, concept of facial configuration and also enable an association between behavioral performance and previously reported neural correlates of face perception.
Survival and recruitment in the population ecology of the endangered Bombina pachypus (Amphibia: Anura)
Authors: Angelini Claudio , Tiberi Andrea , Cari Bruno , Giachi Filippo
Published: April 2018

Global amphibian decline is a subject of great conservation concern, yet often basic demographic information is absent, which prevents the understanding of population trends and the planning of effective conservation management. We analysed capture-mark-recapture data from six populations of the endangered Bombina pachypus in order to understand the relative contribution of survival and recruitment to population growth, and to assess if any differences exist among populations in terms of their population dynamics. We found that survival was rather high and generally constant among sites, and recruitment was low, with the exception of two single years at one site. Population growth depended on survival on all sites, except the years following high recruitment at one site. Annual population size was generally lower than 30 individuals, but in one site it was estimated to be larger than 50. Our findings suggest that juvenile survival is more important for population dynamics than recruitment from the larval to the juvenile stage. We also suggest that the low recruitment rates we recorded was a result of juvenile dispersal, and that when populations exhibited high recruitment it was due to occasional successful migration or local recruitment. This pattern could represent a way to counterbalance the risk of inbreeding in populations composed of few individuals, a common characteristic of populations of B. pachypus. Finally, we suggest that conservation measures for B. pachypus should be planned at the landscape scale, and should not be limited solely to the breeding site and its close surroundings.