bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
AML and politically exposed persons: “good practice” recommendations from the Bank of Italy for policies and procedures to be implemented
Authors: Falco Francesco
Published: July 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide guidelines and inputs for the implementation of policies and procedures governing transactions and business relationships with politically exposed persons (PEPs) under the anti-money laundering (AML) legal framework.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper reviews AML PEPs’ regime in the perspective of the European Union Directive (EU) 2015/849 of May 20, 2015; the Italian Legislative Decree no. 231 of November 21, 2007; and the “good practice” recommendations issued by the Bank of Italy. In particular, it provides an overview of EU and Italian legislation in connection with PEPs and describes “good practice” recommendations provided by the Bank of Italy to implement policies and procedures to properly perform transactions with PEPs and comply with AML legislation.

Findings

Bank of Italy’s “good practice” recommendations are an important tool for credit and financial institutions managing transactions and business relationships with high-risk counterparties such as PEPs. They shall help determine how to properly implement policies and procedures for an enhanced identification and verification of PEPs.

Originality/value

This paper provides useful information on how to draft policies and procedures in order to be compliant with AML legislation related to PEPs.
Methodological roadmapping: a study of centering resonance analysis
Authors: Freitas Jonathan Simões , Ferreira Jéssica Castilho Andrade , Campos André Azevedo Rennó , Melo Júlio Cézar Fonseca de , Cheng Lin Chih , Gonçalves Carlos Alberto
Published: June 2018

Purpose

This paper aims to map the creation and evolution of centering resonance analysis (CRA). This method was an innovative approach developed to conduct textual content analysis in a semi-automatic, theory-informed and analytically rigorous way. Nevertheless, despite its robust procedures to analyze documents and interviews, CRA is still broadly unknown and scarcely used in management research.

Design/methodology/approach

To track CRA’s development, the roadmapping approach was properly adapted. The traditional time-based multi-layered map format was customized to depict, graphically, the results obtained from a systematic literature review of the main CRA publications.

Findings

In total, 19 papers were reviewed, from the method’s introduction in 2002 to its last tracked methodological development. In all, 26 types of CRA analysis were identified and grouped in five categories. The most innovative procedures in each group were discussed and exemplified. Finally, a CRA methodological roadmap was presented, including a layered typology of the publications, in terms of their focus and innovativeness; the number of analysis conducted in each publication; references for further CRA development; a segmentation and description of the main publication periods; main turning points; citation-based relationships; and four possible future scenarios for CRA as a method.

Originality/value

This paper offers a unique and comprehensive review of CRA’s development, favoring its broader use in management research. In addition, it develops an adapted version of the roadmapping approach, customized for mapping methodological innovations over time.
Thoracoscopic resection for mediastinal thymolipoma in a child
Authors: Furukawa Taizo , Sakai Kohei , Higashi Mayumi , Fumino Shigehisa , Aoi Shigeyoshi , Tajiri Tatsuro
Published: July 2018

Thymolipoma is a rare disease among benign tumors. We herein report the case of a child who underwent thoracoscopic resection of a large thymolipoma. A 3‐year‐old boy was diagnosed with an anterior mediastinal solid tumor. Thoracic imaging revealed a fat density mass that was 8.0 × 5.0 × 3.5 cm in size. Given the MRI findings of the tumor, we suspected that the lesion was a teratoma. We decided to perform thoracoscopic exploration and, if possible, resection of the solid tumor sequentially. We successfully resected the tumor thoracoscopically. A histological examination revealed thymolipoma. For large mediastinal tumors in the intrathoracic space in children, the thoracoscopic approach is recommended when the tumor is preoperatively considered to be benign and resectable.
Four‐directional approach to the meso‐transverse attachment combined with preoperative radiological vascular simulation facilitates short‐term surgical outcomes in laparoscopic transverse colon cancer surgery
Authors: Koinuma Koji , Horie Hisanaga , Ito Homare , Naoi Daishi , Sadatomo Ai , Tahara Makiko , Inoue Yoshiyuki , Kono Yoshihiko , Sasaki Takahiro , Sugimoto Hideharu , Lefor Alan Kawarai , Sata Naohiro
Published: July 2018

Introduction

Transverse colon resection is one of the most difficult laparoscopic procedures because of anatomic hazards such as variations in the mesenteric vascular anatomy and the complex structure of organs and surrounding membranes.

Methods

We evaluated the short‐term surgical outcomes of laparoscopic transverse colon resection using a creative approach. This approach included preoperative surgical simulation using virtual surgical anatomy by CT, a four‐directional approach to the mesentery, and 3‐D imaging during laparoscopic surgery.

Results

A total of 45 consecutive patients who underwent laparoscopic resection for transverse colon cancer from June 2013 to December 2017 were enrolled in this study. All procedures were completed safely, with minor postoperative complications, including two patients with anastomotic stenosis, two with intra‐abdominal phlegmon, one with delayed gastric emptying, and one with pneumonia, all treated non‐operatively. There were no conversions to open resection. Operation time was 203 min (range, 125–322 min), and the estimated blood loss during surgery was 5 mL (range, 0–370 mL). The mean postoperative hospital stay was 10 days (range, 7–21 days), and no patients required readmission.

Conclusion

Short‐term surgical outcomes after laparoscopic transverse colon resection demonstrated that this creative approach was safe and feasible. The four‐directional approach to the meso‐transverse attachment combined with preoperative radiological simulation can facilitate laparoscopic transverse colon surgery.
Learning as Making: Using 3D computer‐aided design to enhance the learning of shape and space in STEM‐integrated ways
Authors: Ng Oi‐Lam , Chan To
Published: July 2018

The recent and popular “Maker” movement worldwide has revived conversations about creativity, hands‐on “Making,” arts and design, humans with tools and digital experiences beyond the flat‐screen. However, such conversation mainly revolved outside the realm of formal education. This article presents two learning tasks, one in upper primary (age 10–11) and one in lower secondary (age 12–13), which integrate “Making” and 3D computer‐aided design (CAD), thereby facilitating Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) learning in mathematics classrooms. By adopting a design‐based research methodology, we examine students' mathematics learning with respect to dissecting and forming 2D shapes and volume of composite solids with the use of 3D CAD and the kinds of integrated STEM learning practices they demonstrated in the activities. Qualitative data were collected in the form of videos of the students' communication and screenshots of their initial and final designs as they engaged with the 3D CAD environment, as well as students' written reflections and teachers' lesson analysis. Results showed that the students used 3D CAD to develop spatial skills and to achieve mathematics learning far beyond using formulae and performing procedures. The learning activities also enabled an integrated STEM learning experience in productive and unobtrusive ways.
A study of the facilitation of cross‐cultural understanding and intercultural sensitivity using speech‐enabled language translation technology
Authors: Shadiev Rustam , Sun Ai , Huang Yueh‐Min
Published: July 2018

We proposed speech‐enabled language translation (SELT) technology that consists of speech‐to‐text recognition (STR) and computer‐aided‐translation (CAT) systems to support intercultural communication. When the participants spoke in their native languages, the STR system generated texts from their voice input, and the CAT system translated the STR‐generated texts in foreign languages into English. We aimed to investigate whether our approach would be useful to facilitate cross‐cultural understanding and the intercultural sensitivity of the participants. Our results demonstrated that cross‐cultural learning literally took place during the learning activity and that the intercultural sensitivity of the participants improved. Furthermore, low intelligibility and accuracy rates were obtained for Mongolian, Filipino, Hindi, Mandarin, and Vietnamese, while high intelligibility and accuracy rates were obtained for Spanish, Russian and French during the SELT process. Finally, our results showed that the students highly valued the application of SELT as support for the cross‐cultural learning activity due to its ease of use, its ability to enable access to authentic content, and the collaboration that occurred among the participants. Based on our results, we provide some implications and useful suggestions to educators and researchers.
Visualization of Neural Network Predictions for Weather Forecasting
Authors: Roesch Isabelle , Günther Tobias
Published: June 2018

Recurrent neural networks are prime candidates for learning evolutions in multi‐dimensional time series data. The performance of such a network is judged by the loss function, which is aggregated into a scalar value that decreases during training. Observing only this number hides the variation that occurs within the typically large training and testing data sets. Understanding these variations is of highest importance to adjust network hyper‐parameters, such as the number of neurons, number of layers or to adjust the training set to include more representative examples. In this paper, we design a comprehensive and interactive system that allows users to study the output of recurrent neural networks on both the complete training data and testing data. We follow a coarse‐to‐fine strategy, providing overviews of annual, monthly and daily patterns in the time series and directly support a comparison of different hyper‐parameter settings. We applied our method to a recurrent convolutional neural network that was trained and tested on 25 years of climate data to forecast meteorological attributes, such as temperature, pressure and wind velocity. We further visualize the quality of the forecasting models, when applied to various locations on the Earth and we examine the combination of several forecasting models.
Organized physical activity programs: improving motor and non‐motor symptoms in neurodevelopmental disorders
Authors: Rinehart Nicole J , Jeste Shafali , Wilson Rujuta B
Published: July 2018

This commentary is on the original article by Mak et al. on pages 922–932 of this issue.
Paroxysmal torticollis of infancy: a benign phenomenon?
Authors: Blumkin Lubov
Published: July 2018

This commentary is on the original articles by Danielsson et al. on pages 1251–1255 of this issue and Humbertclaude et al. on pages 1256–1263 of this issue.
Regulation of hepatic glucose production and AMPK by AICAR but not by metformin depends on drug uptake through the equilibrative nucleoside transporter 1 (ENT1)
Authors: Logie Lisa , Lees Zoe , Allwood J. William , McDougall Gordon , Beall Craig , Rena Graham
Published: July 2018

Aim

Recently we have observed differences in the ability of metformin and AICAR to repress glucose production from hepatocytes using 8CPT‐cAMP. Previous results indicate that, in addition to activating protein kinase A, 8CPT‐modified cAMP analogues suppress the nitrobenzylthioinosine (NBMPR)‐sensitive equilibrative nucleoside transporter ENT1. We aimed to exploit 8CPT‐cAMP, 8CPT‐2‐Methyl‐O‐cAMP and NBMPR, which is highly selective for a high‐affinity binding‐site on ENT1, to investigate the role of ENT1 in the liver‐specific glucose‐lowering properties of AICAR and metformin.

Methods

Primary mouse hepatocytes were incubated with AICAR and metformin in combination with cAMP analogues, glucagon, forskolin and NBMPR. Hepatocyte glucose production (HGP) and AMPK signalling were measured, and a uridine uptake assay with supporting LC‐MS was used to investigate nucleoside depletion from medium by cells.

Results

AICAR and metformin increased AMPK pathway phosphorylation and decreased HGP induced by dibutyryl cAMP and glucagon. HGP was also induced by 8CPT‐cAMP, 8CPT‐2‐Methyl‐O‐cAMP and NBMPR; however, in each case this was resistant to suppression by AICAR but not by metformin. Cross‐validation of tracer and mass spectrometry studies indicates that 8CPT‐cAMP, 8CPT‐2‐Methyl‐O‐cAMP and NBMPR inhibited the effects of AICAR, at least in part, by impeding its uptake into hepatocytes.

Conclusions

We report for the first time that suppression of ENT1 induces HGP. ENT1 inhibition also impedes uptake and the effects of AICAR, but not metformin, on HGP. Further investigation of nucleoside transport may illuminate a better understanding of how metformin and AICAR each regulate HGP.
Game‐theoretic approach for the optimal configuration computing of an interoperable fleet of unmanned vehicles
Authors: Gigante Gabriella , Pascarella Domenico , Luongo Salvatore , Di Benedetto Carlo , Vozella Angela , Persechino Giuseppe
Published: July 2018

This paper investigates the problem of fleet configuration for a set of unmanned vehicles. Without the need of on‐board pilots, unmanned vehicles have proven to accomplish different types of missions both in military and civil domain. In addition, a multi‐vehicle fleet is able to guarantee better performances and minimum costs, as long as they are coordinated. In futuristic scenarios, it is conceivable to quickly identify the best team of unmanned vehicles to perform a given mission by considering all the appropriate means made available. Thus, the problem to guarantee the better platform configuration becomes identifying the best fleet. This work proposes a possible approach to process the best fleet of unmanned vehicles to perform an envelope of missions, by transforming the fleet configuration activity in an optimization problem under some basic hypotheses. The optimality of the fleet is meant with respect to the needed costs, which have to be minimized. The addressed concept envisages a distributed and decentralized planning to achieve a proper level of interoperability among different organizations that are involved in the fleet provision. The paper presents the formal definition of the problem and a game‐theoretic solution. In the end, preliminary simulation results are discussed.
Assessment of sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia Scop.) germplasm for agro‐morphological traits and nutritive value
Authors: Bhattarai Surendra , Coulman Bruce , Beattie Aaron D. , Biligetu Bill
Published: July 2018

Sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia Scop.) is a bloat‐free, perennial forage legume adapted to the northern temperate regions of the world. This study was carried out to evaluate phenotypic variation and nutritive value of 38 sainfoin accessions from 21 different countries. A field trial was established in 2014 using a randomized complete block design with four replications near Saskatoon, Canada, with data collected in 2015 and 2016. Analysis of variance revealed significant (p < 0.05) differences among sainfoin accessions for winter survival, dry‐matter (DM) yield, regrowth per seed yield plant, 1,000‐seed weight, plant height, growth rate, spring vigour, days to flower, stem number, crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fibre (NDF) and acid detergent fibre (ADF). Dry‐matter yield of sainfoin accessions ranged from 74 to 239 g/plant, plant height ranged from 37 to 70 cm, winter survival ranged from 20% to 94%, and seed yield ranged from 5 to 64 g/plant. Sainfoin accessions from North America produced the highest DM yield. Dry‐matter yield was positively correlated with plant height (r = 0.82), stem number (r = 0.75), growth rate (r = 0.72), spring vigour (r = 0.43), regrowth (r = 0.30), 1,000‐seed weight (r = 0.29), NDF (r = 0.71) and ADF (r = 0.74). Dry‐matter yield was negatively correlated with days to flower (r = −0.57) and CP concentration (r = −0.62). Sainfoin accessions were grouped into three main groups according to their agro‐morphological traits and nutritive value. Several promising sainfoin accessions have been identified to select for high forage yield and high winter survival in the cold climatic zone of temperate grassland.
The Pricing Kernel Puzzle: A Real Phenomenon or a Statistical Artifact?
Authors: Siddiqi Hammad , Anwar Sajid
Published: July 2018

A large literature finds evidence that the pricing kernels estimated from option prices and historical returns are not monotonically decreasing in market returns. We show that the inevitable coalescence of contingencies, especially in the left‐tail, associated with estimating a distribution function may give rise to a nonmonotonic empirical pricing kernel even if the actual pricing kernel is monotonic. Hence, the observed nonmonotonicity of pricing kernels may be a statistical artifact rather than a real phenomenon. We argue that empirical work should explicitly correct for this effect by widening the option pricing bounds associated with monotonic pricing kernels.
Song performance is a condition‐dependent dynamic trait honestly indicating the quality of paternal care in the bull‐headed shrike
Authors: Nishida Yuusuke , Takagi Masaoki
Published: July 2018

The good parent hypothesis in sexual selection predicts that if females can increase their fitness by mating with males who provide high‐quality parental care, then female preferences for male phenotypes honestly indicating the quality of paternal care will evolve. In order to test this hypothesis, we investigated correlations between male song, the timing of pair formation of males, male feeding rate, and reproductive success, in the bull‐headed shrike Lanius bucephalus (an altricial oscine passerine with biparental care). Analysis revealed that although the timing of pair formation was not correlated with most song characteristics (e.g. repertoire size), male morphological traits (e.g. tail length), or male territory size, it was negatively correlated with male singing tempo (i.e. the number of notes uttered per second). Those males that sang at higher speeds were in better body condition (i.e. body mass standardized by tarsus length3 was higher), fed their chicks frequently during the nestling period, and raised heavy chicks. These results show that in the bull‐headed shrike male singing tempo is a condition‐dependent dynamic trait honestly indicating the quality of paternal care, and strongly supports the good parent hypothesis.
Feasibility of concomitant vacuum‐assisted removal of lead‐related vegetations and cardiac implantable electronic device extraction
Authors: Godara Hemant , Jia Kelly Qi , Augostini Ralph S. , Houmsse Mahmoud , Okabe Toshimasa , Hummel John D. , Weiss Raul , Kalbfleisch Steven J. , Afzal Muhammad R. , Badin Auroa , Cavalcanti Rafael , Franco Diego Alcivar , Tyler Jaret , Daoud Emile G.
Published: July 2018

Background

Cardiac implantable electronic device (CIED) infections associated with large, mobile vegetation adds to the complexity of lead extraction and is associated with significant patient morbidity and mortality.

Objective

To show the feasibility of concomitant cardiovascular implantable electronic device extraction and vacuum‐assisted removal of lead‐related vegetations.

Methods

This is a single‐center retrospective case series of consecutive patients with persistent bacteremia, sepsis, or endocarditis despite medical therapy who have vegetations >2 cm and subsequently underwent immediate CIED lead extraction after debulking with vacuum‐assisted suction.

Results

Eight patients underwent successful removal of 17 leads immediately after debulking of vegetations with vacuum‐assisted device suction. Debulking procedure was not successful in 1 patient due to inability to direct the vacuum suction device into proper position. There were no intraprocedure complications related to the vacuum‐assisted debulking. One patient required open sternotomy for tear of the coronary sinus ostium related to extraction of a left ventricular pacing electrode. There was no mortality within 30 days of the procedure.

Conclusions

Based upon these clinical results, it is feasible for patients with infected CIED systems that have large right‐sided vegetations to undergo vacuum‐assisted debulking then immediately followed by percutaneous CIED removal in whom surgical removal is considered high risk.
Dying of Thirst in Palliative Care
Authors: Finucane Thomas E.
Published: July 2018

See the Reply by John W. Wax et al.
Prevalence of Morbidity at Extreme Old Age in Germany: An Observational Study Using Health Claims Data
Authors: Doblhammer Gabriele , Barth Alexander
Published: July 2018

We assessed the prevalence of morbidity in long‐lived individuals according to age and age at death and explored the association between dementia and other diseases and surviving to age 90 and 100. Using health claims data from the largest German health insurer from 2004 to 2013, we followed birth cohorts from 1908 to 1913 from age 95 until death or survival to age 100 (n=2,865) and compared them with birth cohorts from 1918 to 1923 and their survival from age 85 to age 90 (n=17,013). We observed their exact date of death and main categories of morbidity based on International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, diagnoses. For all diseases studied, when differentiated according to age at death, prevalence continued to increase with age. Nonagenarians and centenarians had significantly lower disease prevalence at each age. Dementia was associated with the highest risk of dying before becoming a centenarian (hazard ratio (HR)=1.63, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.50–1.78), followed closely by the residual category other chronic heart disease (HR=1.42, 95% CI=1.30–1.56). Results were even stronger for the younger cohort. Our study shows that exceptionally long‐lived individuals are different in terms of good health. Survival at these high ages depends primarily on the absence of dementia and chronic heart disease, with acute heart disease and pneumonia playing important roles as diseases leading directly to death.
Host species determines egg size in Oriental cuckoo
Authors: Meshcheryagina S. G. , Mashanova A. , Bachurin G. N. , Mitiay I. S. , Golovatin M. G.
Published: July 2018

The Oriental cuckooCuculus optatusis an obligate brood parasite associated with species of the genusPhylloscopus. Four distinct phenotypes of Oriental cuckoo eggs, matching eggshell colour patterns of Arctic warblerPhylloscopus borealis, common chiffchaff (Siberian)P. collybita tristis, yellow‐browed warblerP. inornatusand Pallas's leaf warblerP. proregulus, have been identified in the Russian part of its breeding area. We compared egg length, breadth and volume of Oriental cuckoo egg phenotypes with eggs of the corresponding hosts from three geographical regions in Russia: the Urals, Siberia and the Far East. We found significant oometric differences between Oriental cuckoo egg phenotypes. Egg breadth of each cuckoo group matched the egg breadth of the host species, while the length of cuckoo eggs did not match egg length in host species. Our results can be explained in terms of clutch geometry. An egg sticking out above the clutch is likely to be rejected by the host and so breadth should match the host's egg. This constrains cuckoos in maintaining large egg volumes, which are essential for providing a cuckoo chick with the energy required to eject the host eggs and chicks. An increased egg length might compensate for breadth constraints. We suggest that the size of cuckoo eggs might also be affected by parental care – when only one parent is involved in feeding, eggs need to be larger. This might explain why the longest cuckoo eggs belonged to the phenotype parasitizing the smallest host, Pallas's leaf warbler, where only one parent feeds the chicks. In our view, differences in egg sizes of Oriental cuckoo phenotypes provide evidence of their adaptations to brood parasitism on small leaf warbler species.
Influence of isotope fractionation on the nitrogen isotope composition of the brown macroalga Undaria pinnatifida
Authors: Endo Hikaru , Fukuda Hideki , Takahashi Daisuke , Okumura Yutaka , Inomata Eri , Ito Kinuko , Yoshimizu Chikage , Tayasu Ichiro , Nagata Toshi
Published: July 2018

Although the stable nitrogen isotope ratio (δ15N value) of macroalgae is used to indicate sources of dissolved inorganic nitrogen in coastal marine environments, little is known about the effects of isotope fractionation on the δ15N value. We compared the δ15N values of Undaria pinnatifida cultivated at an inner bay and an exposed site (sites A and B, respectively) in Shizugawa Bay on the northeastern Pacific coast of Japan. Values for algal growth indicators, including thallus length, area, and weight, were higher at site B than at site A. The δ15N value of U. pinnatifida was significantly lower at site B (4.7 ± 1.0‰; mean ± standard deviation) than at site A (6.7 ± 0.4‰). This difference in the δ15N value of U. pinnatifida could not be explained by the δ15N value of seawater NO3 (source isotopic signature), which was similar at the two sites (7.5 ± 0.3‰). The pooled data from the two sites indicated that the δ15N value of U. pinnatifida decreased with increasing thallus size. The results suggest that the δ15N value of U. pinnatifida is influenced by isotope fractionation.
Identification of seven novel HLA class I and II alleles
Authors: Ferrari‐Lacraz Sylvie , Masson Dominique , Villard Jean , Buhler Stéphane
Published: July 2018

Seven novel alleles were identified using two next generation sequencing technologies. Three alleles were confirmed.
A novel HLA‐A null allele, HLA‐A*66:28N
Authors: Yin Y. , Takemura P. , Reed E. F. , Zhang Q.
Published: July 2018

The novel HLA‐A*66:28N allele differs from HLA‐A*66:03 by a single nucleotide deletion at codon 185.
Comprehension of peculiar local emission behavior of InGaAs quantum well by colocalized nanocharacterization combining cathodoluminescence and electron microscopy techniques
Authors: Roque Joyce , Beainy Georges , Rochat Névine , Bernier Nicolas , David Sylvain , Moeyaert Jérémy , Martin Mickael , Baron Thierry , Rouvière Jean-Luc
Published: July 2018

The electronic and structural properties of an InxGa1−xAs quantum well (QW) stacking between AlAs barriers grown on 300 mm (001) silicon substrate by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition were investigated. Nanometer scale and spatially colocalized characterization combining low temperature cathodoluminescence (CL) and scanning transmission electron microscopy was performed. The combined interpretation of luminescence and strain measurement provides an exhaustive landscape of such complex sample. Particularly, CL analysis highlights luminescent regions characterized by quasicircular shapes and a peculiar optical emission consisting of a double peak. The characterizations provide a comprehensive analysis of these specific luminescence features. These luminescent regions, detected all over the sample, seem to be correlated to local increases in carbon and indium content in AlAs barriers and in the InGaAs QW, respectively, induced by local strain variations. These modifications alter InGaAs QW properties and thus its optical emission efficiency.
Inward growth by nucleation: Multiscale self-assembly of ordered membranes
Authors: Landman Jasper , Ouhajji Samia , Prévost Sylvain , Narayanan Theyencheri , Groenewold Jan , Philipse Albert P. , Kegel Willem K. , Petukhov Andrei V.
Published: June 2018

Time-resolved: Self-assembly mechanism and inward growth of multiwalled microtubes.
Sampling molecular conformations and dynamics in a multiuser virtual reality framework
Authors: O’Connor Michael , Deeks Helen M. , Dawn Edward , Metatla Oussama , Roudaut Anne , Sutton Matthew , Thomas Lisa May , Glowacki Becca Rose , Sage Rebecca , Tew Philip , Wonnacott Mark , Bates Phil , Mulholland Adrian J. , Glowacki David R.
Published: June 2018

VR combined with cloud computing enables surgical manipulation of real-time molecular simulations, accelerating 3D research tasks.
High-Throughput Microfluidic Sorting of Live Magnetotactic Bacteria
Authors: Tay Andy , Pfeiffer Daniel , Rowe Kathryn , Tannenbaum Aaron , Popp Felix , Strangeway Robert , Schüler Dirk , Di Carlo Dino
Published: July 2018

Our magnetic microfluidic technology can greatly facilitate biological applications with magnetotactic bacteria, from selection and screening to analysis. This technology will be of interest to microbiologists, chemists, and bioengineers who are interested in the biomineralization and selection of magnetotactic bacteria (MTB) for applications such as directed evolution and magnetogenetics.
Finding Some Good in an Invasive Species: Introduction and Assessment of a Novel CURE to Improve Experimental Design in Undergraduate Biology Classrooms
Authors: Laungani Ramesh , Tanner Colby , Brooks Tessa Durham , Clement Barbara , Clouse Melissa , Doyle Erin , Dworak Scott , Elder Brad , Marley Kate , Schofield Brett
Published: June 2018

Reports such as
Vision and Change in Undergraduate Biology Education
call for integration of course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) into biology curricula and less emphasis on “cookbook” laboratories. CUREs, often characterized by a single open-ended research question, allow students to develop hypotheses, design experiments, and collaborate with peers. Conversely, “cookbook” labs incentivize task completion and have pre-determined experimental outcomes. While research comparing CUREs and “cookbook” labs is growing, there are fewer comparisons among CUREs. Here, we present a novel CURE built around an invasive grass,
Bromus inermis
. We evaluated this CURE’s effectiveness in improving students’ understanding of the
Vision and Change
competency relating to the application of the scientific process through development and testing of hypotheses. We did so by comparing changes in pre- and posttest scores on the Experimental Design Ability Test (EDAT) between Brome CURE students and students in a concurrent CURE, SEA-PHAGES. While students in both CUREs showed improvements at the end of the semester, Brome CURE students showed a greater increase in EDAT scores than did SEA-PHAGES CURE students. Additionally, Brome CURE students had significantly higher gains in 6 of the 10 EDAT criteria. We conclude that the Brome CURE is an effective ecological parallel to the SEA-PHAGES CURE and can help students gain a meaningful understanding of
Vision and Change
competencies. Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education
Crowdsourcing Our National Gut
Authors: Grieneisen Laura E. , Blekhman Ran
Published: June 2018

The microbes of the human intestinal tract play a profound role in our health. The complex interactions between our gut microbial communities and the external environment, and the resulting functional consequences, can be difficult to disentangle.
Adverse effect of long work hours on incident diabetes in 7065 Ontario workers followed for 12 years
Authors: Gilbert-Ouimet Mahée , Ma Huiting , Glazier Rick , Brisson Chantal , Mustard Cameron , Smith Peter M
Published: July 2018

Objective

According to the International Diabetes Federation, the most important challenge for prevention is now to identify social and environmental modifiable risk factors of diabetes. In this regard, long work hours have recently been linked with diabetes, but more high-quality prospective studies are needed. We evaluated the relationship between long work hours and the incidence of diabetes among 7065 workers over a 12-year period in Ontario, Canada.

Research design and methods

Data from Ontario respondents (35–74 years of age) to the 2003 Canadian Community Health Survey were prospectively linked to the Ontario Health Insurance Plan database for physician services and the Canadian Institute for Health Information Discharge Abstract Database for hospital admissions. Our sample consisted of actively employed participants with no previous diagnoses of diabetes. Cox proportional hazard regression models were then performed to evaluate the relationship between long work hours (≥45 hours per week) and the incidence of diabetes.

Results

Long work hours did not increase the risk of developing diabetes among men. However, among women, those usually working 45 hours or more per week had a significantly higher risk of diabetes than women working between 35 and 40 hours per week (HR: 1.63 (95% CI 1.04 to 2.57)). The effect was slightly attenuated when adjusted for the potentially mediating factors which are smoking, leisure time physical activity, alcohol consumption and body mass index.

Conclusion

Working 45 hours or more per week was associated with an increased incidence of diabetes among women, but not men. Identifying modifiable risk factors such as long work hours is of major importance to improve prevention strategies and orient policy making.
Second-Order Occlusion-Aware Volumetric Radiance Caching
Authors: Marco Julio , Jarabo Adrian , Jarosz Wojciech , Gutierrez Diego
Published: July 2018

We present a second-order gradient analysis of light transport in participating media and use this to develop an improved radiance caching algorithm for volumetric light transport. We adaptively sample and interpolate radiance from sparse points in the medium using a second-order Hessian-based error metric to determine when interpolation is appropriate. We derive our metric from each point’s incoming light field, computed by using a proxy triangulation-based representation of the radiance reflected by the surrounding medium and geometry. We use this representation to efficiently compute the first- and second-order derivatives of the radiance at the cache points while accounting for occlusion changes. We also propose a self-contained 2D model for light transport in media and use it to validate and analyze our approach, demonstrating that our method outperforms previous radiance caching algorithms both in terms of accurate derivative estimates and final radiance extrapolation. We generalize these findings to practical 3D scenarios, where we show improved results while reducing computation time by up to 30% compared to previous work.
Direct-Gap Photoluminescence from a Si-Ge Multilayer Super Unit Cell Grown on Si0.4Ge0.6
Authors: Lockwood David J. , Rowell N.L. , Favre L. , Ronda A. , Berbezier I.
Published: July 2018

Both Si and Ge possess indirect band gaps, which makes them very inefficient light emitters. One way to overcome this limitation is through band gap engineering. In this regard, M. d’Avezac et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett., 108, 027401 (2012)] predicted that a strained SiGe2Si2Ge2SiGen super unit cell on Si0.4Ge0.6 would have a direct and dipole-allowed gap of 0.863 eV, which is ideally suited for optical fiber applications. Here we report on the epitaxial growth of such a structure and its optical properties, for which purpose two similar samples were prepared by molecular beam epitaxy and solid phase epitaxy. Photoluminescence (PL) spectra were obtained at low temperatures (6–25 K) with excitation at wavelengths of 405 and 458 nm, selected to emphasize the light emission from the sample superstructure. A strong low-energy PL quadruplet is seen, with peaks near 727, 758, 792 and 822 meV at 6 K, together with a much weaker peak at 871 MeV. The ratio of intensities of the strong and weak peaks is the same in both samples. The weak peak at 871 meV is assigned to the dipole-allowed direct-gap transition associated with the super unit cell. The four strong peaks are attributed to dislocation related emission lines of the thick relaxed Si0.4Ge0.6 transition layer on Si.
Low Cost Corrosion and Oxidation Resistance Coatings for Improved System Reliability
Authors: Xu Jing , Hall Tim , Taylor Jennings E. , Inman Maria , Zhang Ying , Snyder Stephen
Published: July 2018

In order to improve high-temperature oxidation and corrosion resistance of critical superalloy components in turbine engines innovative processing methods must be devised to improve coating and materials properties at a higher reliability and lower costs. Whether or not thermal barrier coating are applied to the engine components, the resistance to oxidation and hot corrosion relies on metallic coatings protecting the superalloy substrate. These metallic coatings are commonly either diffusion aluminides or MCrAlY overlays (where M=Ni, Co, Fe, Ni+Co, etc…). , Compared with diffusion coatings, MCrAlY coatings are more flexible in terms of composition selection for achieving a more balanced combination of coating properties and having a lower ductile to brittle transition temperature, which makes them more resistant to cracking upon thermal cycling.2 Several techniques have been developed to deposit an MCrAlY coating (which commonly contain 18 to 22% Cr, 8 to 12% Al, and up to 0.5% Y) including physical vapor deposition, electrolytic codeposition, , electrophoresis, and autocatalytic electroless deposition , of which electrolytic codeposition appears to be a promising, low cost, non-line of sight approach. Furthermore, electrolytic codeposition can be used to incorporate varying percentages of existing elements (Cr, Al, Y) or be used to incorporate other elements of interest (Re, Si, Ta, Nb, W, C…). Therefore this approach has the potential to enable the formation of previously unidentified metallic material systems that could inhibit corrosion and oxidation to temperatures in excess of 760°C (1400°F).The potential of this scalable, low-cost, electrolytic codeposition approach to produce state-of-the-art alloys on the existing wide range of turbine disk components (Figure 1) sets the stage for this program. The objective of the program is to develop a scalable cost effective process to produce coatings that can enhance high temperature reliability and corrosion/oxidation resistance. We have designed, installed, and demonstrated the potential of scalable system to produce high quality electrolytic codeposits of NiCoCrAlY. The potential of the system to maintain the particle suspension of a large volume of solution has also been demonstrated. Additionally, we evaluated the potential of designing new state of the art coatings, based on our scalable approach, to further improve resistance to operating temperatures in excess of 760°C. This program resulted in a manufacturing pathway to produce these high value coatings for turbine disk materials and provide a pathway to identify better alloys systems for higher temperature operations.
An Information Geometric Perspective on the Complexity of Macroscopic Predictions Arising from Incomplete Information
Authors: Ali Sean Alan , Cafaro Carlo , Gassner Steven , Giffin Adom
Published: July 2018

Motivated by the presence of deep connections among dynamical equations, experimental data, physical systems, and statistical modeling, we report on a series of findings uncovered by the authors and collaborators during the last decade within the framework of the so-called Information Geometric Approach to Chaos (IGAC). The IGAC is a theoretical modeling scheme that combines methods of information geometry with inductive inference techniques to furnish probabilistic descriptions of complex systems in presence of limited information. In addition to relying on curvature and Jacobi field computations, a suitable indicator of complexity within the IGAC framework is given by the so-called information geometric entropy (IGE). The IGE is an information geometric measure of complexity of geodesic paths on curved statistical manifolds underlying the entropic dynamics of systems specified in terms of probability distributions. In this manuscript, we discuss several illustrative examples wherein our modeling scheme is employed to infer macroscopic predictions when only partial knowledge of the microscopic nature of a given system is available. Finally, we include comments on the strengths and weaknesses of the current version of our proposed theoretical scheme in our concluding remarks.
Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Cirrhosis: A Review of Its Epidemiology, Risk Factors, Clinical Presentation, Diagnosis, Management, and Prognosis
Authors: Li Bei , Zhang Chuan , Zhan Yu-Tao
Published: July 2018

Cirrhosis is the common end stage of a number of chronic liver conditions and a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. With the growing epidemic of obesity and metabolic syndrome, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become the most common cause of chronic liver disease worldwide and will become one of the leading causes of cirrhosis. Increased awareness and understanding of NAFLD cirrhosis are essential. To date, there has been no published systematic review on NAFLD cirrhosis. Thus, this article reviews recent studies on the epidemiology, risk factors, clinical presentation, diagnosis, management, and prognosis of NAFLD cirrhosis.
Effect of Dietary Content of Menhaden Oil with or without Salsalate on Neuropathic Endpoints in High-Fat-Fed/Low-Dose Streptozotocin-Treated Sprague Dawley Rats
Authors: Davidson Eric P. , Coppey Lawrence J. , Shevalye Hanna , Obrosov Alexander , Yorek Mark A.
Published: July 2018

In this study, we wanted to extend our investigation of the efficacy of fish oil with or without salsalate on vascular and neural complications using a type 2 diabetic rat model. Four weeks after the onset of hyperglycemia, diabetic rats were treated via the diet with 3 different amounts of menhaden oil with or without salsalate for 12 weeks. Afterwards, vascular reactivity of epineurial arterioles and neuropathy-related endpoints were examined. The addition of salsalate to high-fat diets enriched with 10% or 25% kcal of menhaden oil protected vascular reactivity to acetylcholine and calcium gene-related peptide, motor and sensory nerve conduction velocity, thermal nociception, intraepidermal nerve fiber density, and cornea sensitivity to a greater extent than 10% or 25% menhaden oil alone. Vascular and neural function was maximally protected with diet containing 45% kcal as menhaden oil, and adding salsalate did not provide any additional benefit. Salsalate alone in the high-fat diet of diabetic rats provided minimal protection/improvement of vascular and neural dysfunction. These studies imply that dietary salsalate in combination with lower amounts of menhaden oil can provide greater benefit toward diabetes-induced vascular and neural impairment than menhaden oil alone.
In Vitro Activity of β-Lactams in Combination with β-Lactamase Inhibitors against Mycobacterium tuberculosis Clinical Isolates
Authors: Li Fu , Wan Li , Xiao Tongyang , Liu Haican , Jiang Yi , Zhao Xiuqin , Wang Ruibai , Wan Kanglin
Published: July 2018

Objectives. Evaluating the activity of nineteen β-lactams in combination with different β-lactamase inhibitors to determine the most potent combination against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) in vitro. Methods. Drug activity was examined by drug susceptibility test with 122 clinical isolates from China. Mutations of blaC and drug targets ldtMt1, ldtMt2, dacB2, and crfA were analyzed by nucleotide sequencing. Results. Tebipenem (TBM) in combination with clavulanate (CLA) exhibited the highest anti-TB activity. The MIC of β-lactam antibiotics was reduced most evidently in the presence of CLA, compared to avibactam (AVI) and sulbactam (SUB). Eight polymorphism sites were identified in blaC, which were not associated with β-lactams resistance. Interestingly, one strain carrying G514A mutation in blaC was highly susceptible to β-lactams regardless of the presence of inhibitors. The transpeptidase encoding genes, ldtMt1, ldtMt2, and dacB2, harboured three mutations, two mutations, and one mutation, respectively, but no correlation was found between these mutations and drug resistance. Conclusion. The activity of β-lactams against MTB and different synergetic effect of β-lactamase inhibitors were indicated. TBM/CLA exhibited the most activity and has a great prospect in developing novel anti-TB regimen; however, further clinical research is warranted. Moreover, the resistance to the β-lactam antibiotics might not be conferred by single target mutation in MTB and requires further studies.
Fibrosis-4 Model Influences Results of Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma Undergoing Hepatectomy
Authors: Wang Haiqing , Liu Aixiang , Bo Wentao , Feng Xielin , Hu Yong , Tian Lang , Zhang Hui , Tang Xiaoli , Zhang Lixia
Published: July 2018

Background. Several noninvasive models based on routine laboratory index have been developed to predict liver fibrosis. Our aim is to discuss whether these indexes could predict prognosis in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma undergoing hepatectomy. Methods. This study retrospectively enrolled 788 consecutive hepatocellular carcinoma patients undergoing liver resection in the cohort. Univariate and multivariate analysis were used to identify the risk factors of complications, survival, and disease-free survival. Results. Fibrosis-4 index had the best prediction ability for cirrhosis among other noninvasive models. Both the univariate and multivariate analyses showed that fibrosis-4 was independent risk factor for survival and disease-free survival. With the optimal cutoff value of 3.15, patients with fibrosis-4 ⩾3.15 had higher postoperative hepatic insufficiency (P=0.006) and worse survival than the fibrosis-4<3.15 group. The corresponding 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year overall survival were 80.9%, 56.3%, and 44.6% in the High fibrosis-4 group and were 86.5%, 69.9%, and 63.2% in the Low fibrosis-4 group, respectively (P<0.001). Worse disease-free survival was also observed in the fibrosis-4 ⩾3.15 group; the corresponding 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year disease-free survival were 74.9%, 45.3%, and 24.6% for the fibrosis-4 ⩾3.15 group and were 81.8%, 54.9%, and 34.4% for the fibrosis-4<3.15 group (P=0.009). Conclusions. Fibrosis-4 is useful for assessing the short-term and long-term results for hepatocellular carcinoma patients with liver resection.
A New Strain-Softening Constitutive Model for Circular Opening considering Plastic Bearing Behavior and Its Engineering Application
Authors: Chen Liang , Mao Xianbiao , Li Ming , Zhou Wei
Published: July 2018

Geomaterials generally show strain-softening characteristics after peak-load. Based on the triaxial test for sandy mudstone, a simple elastopeak plastic-strain-softening-damage model (EPSDM) was proposed. Compared with the traditional strain-softening model, EPSDM shows obvious plastic bearing characteristics before strain softening. Then, the closed-formed solution of circular opening was deduced based on the newly proposed model. A plastic shear strain increment was introduced as the extension constraint condition of peak plastic zone. The solution correctness of EPSDM was also verified by comparing with other research results. In addition, the solution based on EPSDM could degenerate for a series of results obtained by elastobrittle plastic model (EBM), elasto-strain-softening model (ESM), and elasto-perfectly plastic model (EPM) under certain conditions. Hence, it could be regarded as a unified solution. Finally, the research results denoted that when the inner pressure was fully released, the maximum postpeak failure radii and surface displacement of surrounding rock indicated the characteristics of EBM>ESM>EPSDM>EPM. Therefore, the plastic bearing behavior could effectively decrease the postpeak failure zone radii and surface displacement. The dilation coefficient noticeably influenced postpeak failure range and surface displacement, particularly the damage zone radii and tunnel wall convergence. The research results can provide very important theoretical bases for evaluating the tunnel stability and support design reliability for underground engineering.