bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparison of personas between two academic libraries
Authors: Zaugg Holt , Ziegenfuss Donna Harp
Published: August 2018

Purpose

A persona describes a group of library patrons as a single person to better identify and describe user patterns and needs. Identifying personas in academic libraries can assist in library planning by focusing on patrons. Initially, personas were thought to be unique to each library; additional insights led the researchers to rethink this assertion. The purpose of this paper is to determine if personas, developed in one library, are unique or more universal than previously thought.

Design/methodology/approach

In this study, 903 surveys were completed across two institutions asking library patrons to identify use patterns within each library. Mean score responses were analyzed using an ANOVA, principal component analysis and RapidMiner technology. All analyses were used to identify personas with common interests and places personas in groups or neighborhoods.

Findings

The findings provide evidence for the universality of academic library personas. However, differences occur in how the personas are grouped and use different library services and resources.

Originality/value

Personas allow librarians to view patrons in a more personal way as they connect personas to specific library spaces. While the personas appear to be universal, their interactions with each other depend on specific library amenities.
Effects of pH, UV-B radiation and NaCl on anthocyanin stability from vivid blue petals of Clitoria ternatea L., a potential natural colourant from legume crop
Authors: Mahmad Noraini , Taha R.M.
Published: August 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of pH, UV-B radiation and NaCl on anthocyanin extracted from vivid blue petals of Clitoria ternatea L. (legume crop), as a potential natural colourant for food, dye or coating technology.

Design/methodology/approach

The anthocyanin from petals of Clitoria ternatea was extracted using 0.5 per cent trifluroacetic (TFA) in methanol solution. The liquid colourant was exposed to different pH (1, 4.5 and 5.5), UV-B radiation and sodium chloride (NaCl). The results were compared using UV-vis spectrophotometric analysis.

Findings

Anthocyanins are sensitive and quickly degrade in the presence of light. In the dry powder form, the anthocyanin is easier to maintain and preserve (storage).

Research limitations/implications

Anthocyanins extracted from vivid blue petals of Clitoria ternatea L. are sensitive and quickly degrade in the presence of light.

Practical implications

The anthocyanin pigments extracted from Clitoria ternatea L. petals with methanolic acid were successfully coated on glass slides. The combination of binders and pigments had produced environmental paint which added with stabilisers (additives) for better durability. Acrylic has been known for its high weathering and embrittlement resistance, good mechanical and electrochemical properties and gloss retention.

Social implications

This anthocyanin is suitable as natural colourant especially in baby products, cosmetics production or for coating and varnish application.

Originality/value

Till date, the natural colourant of Clitoria ternatea L. petals is widely used in food. However, this result is a new finding, as there is no report on the potential of applications of this natural colourant for coating technology. Therefore, the current study with appropriate extraction method was significantly based on the relevant literatures of coating production from pigment by using other plant species. The findings and conclusion highlight the practicality as the potential applications in coating technology.
Anxiety about digital security and terrorism, and support for counter-terror measures
Authors: Gallova Viktoria , Palasinski Marek , Shortland Neil , Humann Michael , Grieve Lorraine Bowman
Published: August 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to determine the potential predictors of anxiety about digital security, terrorist threats and support for high-tech counter measures.

Design/methodology/approach

In Study 1, 195 participants indicated their anxiety about digital security systems, data protection and social networking sites. In Study 2, 107 participants indicated their anxiety about domestic terrorism, international terrorism and extremist groups. In Study 3, 261 participants indicated their support for high-tech counter-terrorism measures.

Findings

Study 1 suggests that whereas anxiety about digital security systems, data protection and social networking sites was positively predicted by right-wing authoritarianism, anxiety about social networking was also negatively predicted by time spent online. Study 2 shows that time spent online was a negative predictor of anxiety about domestic terrorism. Study 3 indicates that the strongest positive predictor of support for all the measures was right-wing authoritarianism, followed by national identity.

Research limitations/implications

The findings show the relevance of terror management theory to digital security and counter-terrorism.

Practical implications

It appears that right-wing authoritarianism and national identity may serve as mechanisms for people to subjectively counter the presented threats. This notion may inform relevant policy and practice aimed at making communities safer and potentially helps introduce counter-terror measures with less public backlash.

Social implications

When designing counter-terror measures, policy makers should consider compound national identities (e.g. Catalan or Basque people).

Originality/value

The paper makes contribution to under-explored areas of terrorism anxiety and support for counter-terror measures.
The spectrum of women's health care in Latin America
Authors: Wilkinson Jeffrey , Papageorghiou Aris , Witkin Steven S , Thorp John
Published: August 2018

Scientific Editor, Dr Jeffrey Wilkinson, discusses his top articles from this issue in an audio podcast available at: https://soundcloud.com/bjog/september-editors-choice-2018
Haem oxygenase‐1 up‐regulation by rosiglitazone via ROS‐dependent Nrf2‐antioxidant response elements axis or PPARγ attenuates LPS‐mediated lung inflammation
Authors: Cho Rou‐Ling , Yang Chien‐Chung , Tseng Hui‐Ching , Hsiao Li‐Der , Lin Chih‐Chung , Yang Chuen‐Mao
Published: August 2018

Background and Purpose

Haem oxygenase‐1 (HO‐1) is induced by thiazolidinediones including rosiglitazone and exerts anti‐inflammatory effects in various models. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying rosiglitazone‐induced HO‐1 expression remain largely unknown in human pulmonary alveolar epithelial cells (HPAEpiCs).

Experimental Approach

HO‐1 expression was determined by real time‐PCR, Western blotting and promoter reporter analyses. Signalling pathways were investigated using pharmacological inhibitors or specific siRNAs. Interactions between nuclear factor erythroid‐2‐related factor (Nrf2) and antioxidant response elements (ARE) binding site of the HO‐1 promoter were investigated with chromatin immunoprecipitation assays.

Key Results

Up‐regulation of HO‐1 in HPAEpiCs or in mice by rosiglitazone blunted ICAM‐1 expression and monocyte adhesion to HPAEpiCs challenged with LPS. Rosiglitazone‐induced HO‐1 expression was significantly attenuated by NADPH oxidase (NOX) inhibitors (apocynin and diphenyleneiodonium) or ROS scavenger (N‐acetyl cysteine). The involvement of NOX activity and ROS generation in rosiglitazone‐induced HO‐1 expression was confirmed by transfection with p47phox or NOX2 siRNA. Moreover, pretreatment with the inhibitors of c‐Src (c‐Srci II), proline‐rich tyrosine kinase 2 (Pyk2) (PF431396), Akt (Akti VIII) or PPARγ (GW9662) and transfection with siRNA of c‐Src, Pyk2, Akt or PPARγ abolished the rosiglitazone‐induced HO‐1 expression in HPAEpiCs. Subsequently, Nrf2 was activated by phosphorylation of c‐Src, Pyk2 and Akt, which turned on transcription of HO‐1 gene by binding to AREs binding site and enhancing ARE promoter activity.

Conclusions and Implications

Rosiglitazone induces HO‐1 expression via either NOX/ROS/c‐Src/Pyk2/Akt‐dependent Nrf2 activation or PPARγ in HPAEpiCs and suppresses LPS‐mediated inflammatory responses, suggesting that PPARγ agonists may be useful for protection against pulmonary inflammation.
Climatically driven changes in primary production propagate through trophic levels
Authors: Stoner David C. , Sexton Joseph O. , Choate David M. , Nagol Jyothy , Bernales Heather H. , Sims Steven A. , Ironside Kirsten E. , Longshore Kathleen M. , Edwards Thomas C.
Published: August 2018

Climate and land‐use change are the major drivers of global biodiversity loss. Their effects are particularly acute for wide‐ranging consumers, but little is known about how these factors interact to affect the abundance of large carnivores and their herbivore prey. We analyzed population densities of a primary and secondary consumer (mule deer,Odocoileus hemionus, and mountain lion,Puma concolor) across a climatic gradient in western North America by combining satellite‐based maps of plant productivity with estimates of animal abundance and foraging area derived from Global Positioning Systems telemetry data (GPS). Mule deer density exhibited a positive, linear relationship with plant productivity (r2 = 0.58), varying by a factor of 18 across the climate‐vegetation gradient (range: 38–697 individuals/100 km2). Mountain lion home range size decreased in response to increasing primary productivity and consequent changes in the abundance of their herbivore prey (range: 20–450 km2). This pattern resulted in a strong, positive association between plant productivity and mountain lion density (r2 = 0.67). Despite varying densities, the ratio of prey to predator remained constant across the climatic gradient (mean ± SE = 363 ± 29 mule deer/mountain lion), suggesting that the determinacy of the effect of primary productivity on consumer density was conserved across trophic levels. As droughts and longer term climate changes reduce the suitability of marginal habitats, consumer home ranges will expand in order for individuals to meet basic nutritional requirements. These changes portend decreases in the abundance of large‐bodied, wide‐ranging wildlife through climatically driven reductions in carrying capacity, as well as increased human–wildlife interactions stemming from anthropogenic land use and habitat fragmentation.
Domain‐specific biological functions of the transcription factor Gata2 on hematopoietic differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells
Authors: Kitajima Kenji , Kanokoda Mai , Nakajima Marino , Hara Takahiko
Published: August 2018

The generation of mouse hematopoietic stem cells from hemogenic endothelial cells (HECs) in the aorta/gonad/mesonephros region of developing embryos requires a zinc finger transcription factor Gata2. In the previous study, an enforced expression of Gata2 in vitro promoted the production of HECs from mesodermal cells differentiated from mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs). Our research group has previously demonstrated that the enforced expression of Gata2 in ESC‐derived HECs enhances erythroid and megakaryocyte differentiation and inhibits macrophage differentiation. However, the manner in which the multiple functions of Gata2 are regulated remains unclear. Mouse ESCs differentiate into various types of hematopoietic cells when cocultured with OP9 stromal cells (OP9 system). Using this system and the inducible gene cassette exchange system, which facilitates the establishment of ESCs carrying inducible transgenes under an identical gene expression regulatory unit, the domain‐specific functions of Gata2 were systematically dissected in this study. We determined that the N‐terminal (amino acid 1–110) region of Gata2 was an erythroid‐inducing region, both the middle (amino acid 111–200) and C‐terminal (amino acid 413–480) regions were megakaryocyte‐inducing regions. Furthermore, the present data strongly suggest that intramolecular antagonistic interactions between each of these regions fine‐tune the biological functions of Gata2.
Kafka on gender, organization and technology: The role of ‘bureaucratic eros’ in administering change
Authors: Ossewaarde Marinus
Published: August 2018

In this article, it is argued that Kafka's novels are satirical portraits of the workings of ‘bureaucratic eros’ in gendered organizations. In Kafka's tragi‐comical fiction, a sexually perverse and uncreative ‘bureaucratic eros’ — the opposite of the ‘poetic eros’ — administers highly sexualized gender relationships in hierarchical organizations: law, bureaucratic regulation, administration and execution are expressions of the male officials' sexual desires. Given the lustful manifestations of ‘bureaucratic eros’, Kafka reveals that organizational and technological change is not some process of rationalization (as Max Weber suggests), but, instead, must be poetically understood as metamorphosis. In Kafka's comical portraits of metamorphoses, the remnants of old myths, old desires, tribe‐like organizational forms and primitive uses of technology continue to operate in distorting, disorienting, sexually perverse ways. Thereby, ‘bureaucratic eros’ brings about an incomprehensible world of lawlessness and anxiety — a deplorable condition that, Kafka suggests, can only be overcome by fleeing administrative dictates, into the aesthetic sphere.
Exploring the utility of the Prescribing Safety Assessment in pharmacy education in England: experiences of pre-registration trainees and undergraduate (MPharm) pharmacy students
Authors: Hardisty Jessica , Davison Kathryn , Statham Louise , Fleming Gail , Bollington Lynne , Maxwell Simon
Published: August 2018

Objectives

(i) To provide a preliminary indication of the performance of pharmacy undergraduate students and pre-registration pharmacy trainees in the Prescribing Safety Assessment (PSA). (ii) To determine the feasibility of administering and delivering the PSA in schools of pharmacy. (iii) To examine the potential relevance of the PSA and associated training materials to pharmacy education. (iv) To assess the attitudes of the cohort towards the PSA and their readiness to prescribe.

Methods

Four schools of pharmacy in England recruited final year undergraduate pharmacy students and pre-registration pharmacy trainees undertaking training with both hospital and community pharmacy employers in their locality to undertake the PSA. Performance data and feedback from candidates were obtained.

Key findings

Pre-registration pharmacy trainees in community (n = 27) and hospital (n = 209) settings mean average scores were 86.3% and 85.3%, respectively. There was a significant performance differential between undergraduate pharmacy students (n = 397) and those in pre-registration training, with the mean average score for undergraduate students being 73.0% (t test P < 0.05). Candidates felt their current course did prepare them for the PSA, some highlighted that additional curriculum content would be needed should this become a compulsory high-stakes assessment for pharmacy trainees. The majority of candidates felt that this assessment was useful and applicable to their training.

Conclusions

The PSA process and associated learning tools could be introduced to pre-registration pharmacy education to support trainees in their development towards future prescribing roles.
Abstract egalitarianism and men as victims: strategic choice of frames by men's rights organisations
Authors: Palmer Zachary D. , Subramaniam Mangala
Published: August 2018

Departing from the typical emphasis on the oppressed and the frames they deploy to make claims for rights, we analyse the frames deployed by a dominant group – in this case, organisations within the men's rights movement. Adopting a purposive comparative lens, we examine how men's rights organisations strategically shape and use frames across the sub‐national, national, and transnational levels. Using textual data from the websites of three men's rights organisations – a US‐based transnational organisation, one national organisation based in India, and one sub‐national organisation based in Pune, India – we discern two key frames deployed by the organisations: abstract egalitarianism and men as victims. However, the organisations emphasise different aspects of each of the two frames based on cultural context, either focusing on specific laws and their implementation or adopting a notion of a general “global culture”.
Cryofixation during live‐imaging enables millisecond time‐correlated light and electron microscopy
Authors: FUEST M. , NOCERA G.M. , MODENA M.M. , RIEDEL D. , MEJIA Y.X. , BURG T.P.
Published: August 2018

Correlating live‐cell imaging with electron microscopy is among the most promising approaches to relate dynamic functions of cells or small organisms to their underlying ultrastructure. The time correlation between light and electron micrographs, however, is limited by the sample handling and fixation required for electron microscopy. Current cryofixation methods require a sample transfer step from the light microscope to a dedicated instrument for cryofixation. This transfer step introduces a time lapse of one second or more between live imaging and the fixed state, which is studied by electron microscopy. In this work, we cryofix Caenorhabditis elegans directly within the light microscope field of view, enabling millisecond time‐correlated live imaging and electron microscopy. With our approach, the time‐correlation is limited only by the sample cooling rate. C. elegans was used as a model system to establish compatibility of in situ cryofixation and subsequent transmission electron microscopy (TEM). TEM images of in situ cryofixed C. elegans show that the ultrastructure of the sample was well preserved with this method. We expect that the ability to correlate live imaging and electron microscopy at the millisecond scale will enable new paradigms to study biological processes across length scales based on real‐time selection and arrest of a desired state.

Lay Description

Researchers seek to link cellular functions to their smallest structural components. Currently this requires correlation of two imaging techniques, live imaging and electron microscopy. Current correlative methods, however, have limited time resolution due to the sample preparation procedures for electron microscopy. Following live imaging, samples are transferred from the light microscope to a cryofixation, or ultra‐fast freezing, instrument. The biological process progresses until the sample freezes, 1 second or more after the last live image. In this work, samples are cryofixed directly within the light microscope field of view. By eliminating the transfer step, time correlation between light and electron microscopy images of our samples is limited only by the freezing rate to the order of milliseconds rather than seconds.
Phase‐shifting differential interference contrast microscope with Savart shear prism and rotatable analyser
Authors: LIN S.‐T. , TRỊNH H.‐X. , CHEN Z.‐W. , LEE T.‐H.
Published: August 2018

A novel differential interference contrast microscope (DICM) is proposed in this research. It is constituted by inserting a Savart shear prism between the objective and sample of a polarising microscope having a rotatable analyser as the phase‐shifter, and it is with the ability to enhance image contrast using the principle of shearing interferometry. This letter is to introduce the configuration, interpret the interference patterns and present the experimental setup of the DICM. In addition, this letter is to display the experimental results from the uses of the setup; the results demonstrate the validity and ability of the DICM.
Countermovement Mobilization and State Raids on Minority Religious Communities
Authors: Wright Stuart A. , Palmer Susan J.
Published: August 2018

An ongoing study of government raids on minority religious communities in 19 Western‐style democracies over seven‐plus decades shows a dramatic increase in raids beginning in the 1990s. Two distinct and related patterns are found to explain this escalation in frequency. Both patterns involved countermovement mobilization by coalitions of oppositional groups that effectively framed new or nontraditional religious movements (NRMs) as threats to their own members and the larger society, thereby prompting state actions of social control. The patterns are distinguished by a new relationship of countermovement actors to the state. In one pattern, we found the development of a transnational network forging a common collective action frame, movement ideology, and organizational strategy. Seizing political opportunities in the wake of increasing concerns regarding child endangerment, countermovement actors targeted NRMs as harbingers of child abuse and pressed authorities to take action. In the second pattern, we found a concentration of raids in one country (France). Here, the oppositional networks were not simply third‐party interest groups but were fully integrated into the state apparatus, hence awarded power and given extraordinary influence. Consequently, state raids increased exponentially. The study also provides five years of new data from a previous report examining their impact on the larger set of findings and identifying new trends.
Sequential Refined Partitioning for Probabilistic Dependence Assessment
Authors: Werner Christoph , Bedford Tim , Quigley John
Published: August 2018

Modeling dependence probabilistically is crucial for many applications in risk assessment and decision making under uncertainty. Neglecting dependence between multivariate uncertainties can distort model output and prevent a proper understanding of the overall risk. Whenever relevant data for quantifying and modeling dependence between uncertain variables are lacking, expert judgment might be sought to assess a joint distribution. Key challenges for the use of expert judgment for dependence modeling are over‐ and underspecification. An expert can provide assessments that are infeasible, i.e., not consistent with any probability distribution (overspecification), and on the other hand, without making very restrictive parametric assumptions an expert cannot fully define a probability distribution (underspecification). The sequential refined partitioning method addresses over‐ and underspecification while allowing for flexibility about which part of a joint distribution is assessed and its level of detail. Potential overspecification is avoided by ensuring low cognitive complexity for experts through eliciting single conditioning sets and by offering feasible assessment ranges. The feasible range of any (sequential) assessment can be derived by solving a linear programming problem. Underspecification is addressed by modeling the density of directly and indirectly assessed distribution parts as minimally informative given their constraints. Hence, our method allows for modeling the whole distribution feasibly and in accordance with experts' information. A nonparametric way of assessing and modeling dependence flexibly in such detail has not been presented in the expert judgment literature for probabilistic dependence models so far. We provide an example of assessing terrorism risk in insurance underwriting.
Valuable components of CyberGIS: Expert viewpoints through Q‐method interviews
Authors: Bowlick Forrest J. , Goldberg Daniel W. , Bednarz Sarah
Published: August 2018

CyberGIS is an interdisciplinary field that merges components of cyber‐infrastructure, geographic information science, and spatial analysis. This fusion combines the technical capabilities of advanced cyber‐infrastructure with the spatial analysis capabilities of GIS. How expert GIS practitioners perceive, use, and value the various components of CyberGIS is unknown, making student preparation for CyberGIS competency difficult. To address this gap, we reviewed the CyberGIS literature to develop a set of 37 key CyberGIS concepts. Then, we used Q‐methodology to interview 20 expert GIS users to understand the components of CyberGIS they viewed as most applicable to their GIS practice. Three distinct conceptions of CyberGIS expertise emerged: the spatial analyst, the domain‐specific problem solver, and the CyberGIS‐enabled computer scientist. The CyberGIS‐enabled computer scientist emphasized the underlying technologies which allow spatial analysts to discover and implement advanced methods and processes in GIS, which are then utilized by problem solvers to address domain‐focused issues. These three contrasting perceptions of CyberGIS expertise raise questions about the nature of curriculum and instruction appropriate to develop competent CyberGIS practitioners. With the identified variety of expert practices concerning CyberGIS, confusing practices and contrasting visions of the nature of CyberGIS reveal a need for instructional organization.
Two months sodium nitrate supplementation alleviates testicular injury in streptozotocin‐induced diabetic male rats
Authors: Oghbaei Hajar , Alipour Mohammad Reza , Hamidian Gholamreza , Ahmadi Mahdi , Ghorbanzadeh Vajihe , Keyhanmanesh Rana
Published: August 2018

New Findings

What is the central question of this study?

Can low‐dose inorganic nitrate supplementation prevent testicular structural and functional alterations in streptozotocin‐induced type 1 diabetic male rats?

What is the main finding and it's important?

Treatment with a low dose of inorganic nitrate for 2 months had protective effects on the male reproductive system in diabetic rats including improved body weight loss, sperm and testis parameters, spermatogenesis index and testicular histology as well as increased serum testosterone levels. These favourable effects may be associated with increased serum insulin and decreased serum glucose, and with modulation of apoptosis in testis.

Inorganic nitrate supplementation is a possible therapeutic agent in diabetes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of nitrate on the reproductive system in streptozotocin‐induced diabetic male rats. Fifty male Wistar rats were allocated randomly to five groups: control (C), control plus nitrate (CN), diabetic (D), diabetic plus insulin (DI) and diabetic plus nitrate (DN). Sodium nitrate was administered for 2 months in the drinking water (100 mg l−1) of the CN and DN groups. Insulin was injected at 2–4 U daily in the DI group. Serum glucose level and body weight were measured at the beginning of the study and at regular intervals. At the end of the study, serum levels of glucose, insulin, nitrogen oxides (NOx), luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle‐stimulating hormone (FSH) and testosterone were assessed as well as sperm parameters, testis morphometry and histology, and testicular miR‐34b and p53 mRNA expression. Nitrate treatment in diabetic rats significantly improved sperm parameters, epididymal weight, spermatogenesis and testicular histology as well as decreasing serum glucose and testicular p53 gene and miR‐34b expression, although it had no effect on serum LH and FSH levels. In diabetic rats, serum insulin and NOx, body weight, testicular and epididymal weight, sperm count and motility, testis morphology, spermatogenesis indices, Johnsen's score, and testosterone were significantly lower than in controls. Nitrate administration increased serum insulin, NOx and testosterone levels in the DN group. Consuming water supplemented with sodium nitrate could improve diabetes‐induced testicular functional and structural disorders; these favourable effects may be related to increased serum insulin and decreased serum glucose, as well as modulation of apoptosis in testis.
Short‐term feeding of a ketogenic diet induces more severe hepatic insulin resistance than an obesogenic high‐fat diet
Authors: Grandl Gerald , Straub Leon , Rudigier Carla , Arnold Myrtha , Wueest Stephan , Konrad Daniel , Wolfrum Christian
Published: August 2018

Key points

A ketogenic diet is known to lead to weight loss and is considered metabolically healthy; however there are conflicting reports on its effect on hepatic insulin sensitivity.

KD fed animals appear metabolically healthy in the fasted state after 3 days of dietary challenge, whereas obesogenic high‐fat diet (HFD) fed animals show elevated insulin levels.

A glucose challenge reveals that both KD and HFD fed animals are glucose intolerant.

Glucose intolerance correlates with increased lipid oxidation and lower respiratory exchange ratio (RER); however, all animals respond to glucose injection with an increase in RER.

Hyperinsulinaemic–euglycaemic clamps with double tracer show that the effect of KD is a result of hepatic insulin resistance and increased glucose output but not impaired glucose clearance or tissue glucose uptake in other tissues.

Despite being a relevant healthcare issue and heavily investigated, the aetiology of type 2 diabetes (T2D) is still incompletely understood. It is well established that increased endogenous glucose production (EGP) leads to a progressive increase in glucose levels, causing insulin resistance and eventual loss of glucose homeostasis. The consumption of high carbohydrate, high‐fat, western style diet (HFD) is linked to the development of T2D and obesity, whereas the consumption of a low carbohydrate, high‐fat, ketogenic diet (KD) is considered healthy. However, several days of carbohydrate restriction are known to cause selective hepatic insulin resistance. In the present study, we compare the effects of short‐term HFD and KD feeding on glucose homeostasis in mice. We show that, even though KD fed animals appear to be healthy in the fasted state, they exhibit decreased glucose tolerance to a greater extent than HFD fed animals. Furthermore, we show that this effect originates from blunted suppression of hepatic glucose production by insulin, rather than impaired glucose clearance and tissue glucose uptake. These data suggest that the early effects of HFD consumption on EGP may be part of a normal physiological response to increased lipid intake and oxidation, and that systemic insulin resistance results from the addition of dietary glucose to EGP‐derived glucose.
A new feather mite genus of the family Proctophyllodidae (Acariformes: Analgoidea) from the Olivaceus flatbill Rhynchocyclus olivaceus (Passeriformes: Tyrannidae) in Panama
Authors: Mironov Sergey V , Bermudez Sergio
Published: August 2018

A new feather mite genus Armophyllodes gen. n. (Proctophyllodidae: Proctophyllodinae) is established based on two new species, Armophyllodes gracilis sp. n. (type species) and A. robustus sp. n., described from the Olivaceous flatbill, Rhynchocyclus olivaceus (Temminck) (Passeriformes: Tyrannidae), in Panama. The new genus is related to the Nycteridocaulus generic group and clearly differs from other genera in having the strongly sclerotized lateral parts of coxal fields II in both sexes, the epigynum fused with the inner tips of epimerites IIIa in females, and vestigial terminal lamellae in males. The fusion of the epigynum with epimerites is an extremely rare character state in the subfamily Proctophyllodinae; among other known members of this subfamily, it was previously known only in females of Anisophyllodes pipromorphae Atyeo, 1967. In contrast to the subfamily Pterodectinae, in all representatives of which the fusion of the epigynum with epimerites is complete and these sclerites constitute a uniformly sclerotized arch-like structure, in the two species of the genus Armophyllodes and in An. pipromorphae, the traces of fusion between these sclerites are clearly distinct. This gives evidence that the fusion of the epigynum with epimerites in pterodectines and proctophyllodines originated independently.
Chimeric camel/human heavy-chain antibodies protect against MERS-CoV infection
Authors: Stalin Raj V. , Okba Nisreen M. A. , Gutierrez-Alvarez Javier , Drabek Dubravka , van Dieren Brenda , Widagdo W. , Lamers Mart M. , Widjaja Ivy , Fernandez-Delgado Raul , Sola Isabel , Bensaid Albert , Koopmans Marion P. , Segalés Joaquim , Osterhaus Albert D. M. E. , Bosch Berend Jan , Enjuanes Luis , Haagmans Bart L.
Published: August 2018

Dromedary camel heavy chain–only antibodies may provide novel intervention strategies against MERS coronavirus.
Kisspeptin/GPR54 signaling restricts antiviral innate immune response through regulating calcineurin phosphatase activity
Authors: Huang Hongjun , Xiong Qingqing , Wang Ning , Chen Ruoyu , Ren Hua , Siwko Stefan , Han Honghui , Liu Mingyao , Qian Min , Du Bing
Published: August 2018

Blocking signaling by the neuropeptide hormone kisspeptin enhances antiviral immune responses.
The environmental niche of the global high seas pelagic longline fleet
Authors: Crespo Guillermo Ortuño , Dunn Daniel C. , Reygondeau Gabriel , Boerder Kristina , Worm Boris , Cheung William , Tittensor Derek P. , Halpin Patrick N.
Published: August 2018

The distribution of global high seas longline fishing is predictable across space and time using environmental variables.
Unexpected contribution of lymphatic vessels to promotion of distant metastatic tumor spread
Authors: Ma Qiaoli , Dieterich Lothar C. , Ikenberg Kristian , Bachmann Samia B. , Mangana Johanna , Proulx Steven T. , Amann Valerie C. , Levesque Mitchell P. , Dummer Reinhard , Baluk Peter , McDonald Donald M. , Detmar Michael
Published: August 2018

Lymphatic vessels promote organ-to-organ metastasis in addition to mediating tumor cell dissemination from the primary site.
Therapy going viral
Authors: Conway Claire
Published: August 2018

Virus-loaded microparticles can successfully treat lung infections in mice.
Loss-of-Function Mutations in
epaR
Confer Resistance to ϕNPV1 Infection in Enterococcus faecalis OG1RF
Authors: Ho Khang , Huo Wenwen , Pas Savannah , Dao Ryan , Palmer Kelli L.
Published: August 2018

Enterococcus faecalis
is a Gram-positive opportunistic pathogen that inhabits the human gastrointestinal tract. Because of the high frequency of antibiotic resistance among
Enterococcus
clinical isolates, interest in using phage to treat enterococcal infections and to decolonize high-risk patients for antibiotic-resistant
Enterococcus
is rising.
Adjuvant Potential of Poly-α-
l
-Glutamine from the Cell Wall of Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Authors: Mani Rajesh , Gupta Manish , Malik Anshu , Tandon Ravi , Prasad Rajendra , Bhatnagar Rakesh , Banerjee Nirupama
Published: August 2018

Novel adjuvants are in demand for improving the efficacy of human vaccines. The immunomodulatory properties of
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
cell wall components have been highlighted in the formulation of complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA).
Selective 4-Thiouracil Labeling of RNA Transcripts within Latently Infected Cells after Infection with Human Cytomegalovirus Expressing Functional Uracil Phosphoribosyltransferase
Authors: Roche Kathryn L. , Nukui Masatoshi , Krishna Benjamin A. , O'Connor Christine M. , Murphy Eain A.
Published: August 2018

HCMV is a significant pathogen that accounts for a substantial amount of complications within the immunosuppressed and immunocompromised. Of particular significance is the capacity of HCMV to reactivate within solid tissue and bone marrow transplant recipients. While it is known that HCMV latency resides within a fraction of HPCs and monocytes, the exact subset of cells that harbor latent viral genomes during natural infections remain uncharacterized. The capacity to identify changes within the host transcriptome during latent infections is critical for developing approaches that therapeutically or physically eliminate latent viral genome containing cells and will represent a major breakthrough for reducing complications due to HCMV reactivation posttransplant. In this report, we describe the generation and use of a recombinant HCMV that allows specific and distinct labeling of RNA species that are produced within virally infected cells. This is a critical first step in identifying how HCMV affects the host cell during latency and more importantly, allows one to characterize cells that harbor latent HCMV.
Draft Genome Sequence of Pseudomonas citronellolis LA18T, a Bacterium That Uses Levulinic Acid
Authors: Inaba Tomohiro , Sato Yuya , Koike Hideaki , Hori Tomoyuki , Kanno Manabu , Kimura Nobutada , Kirimura Kohtaro , Habe Hiroshi
Published: August 2018

Pseudomonas citronellolis
LA18T catabolizes levulinic acid (LA) from cellulosic biomass hydrolysate via acetyl-coenzyme A (acetyl-CoA) and propionyl-CoA. This study reports the 7.22-Mbp draft genome sequence of
P. citronellolis
LA18T.
A different methodology to control and predict ground vibrations from mine blasting
Authors: Silva-Castro Jhon
Published: August 2018

Ground vibration prediction and control from mine blasting is a complex task involving disciplines such as geotechnical engineering, explosives engineering, and geology. Despite the importance of controlling ground vibrations, the mining industry commonly uses empirical methodologies based on concepts related to the nuclear tests era (charge weight scaling relationships). Over the past decade, attempts have been made to popularize more elaborate methodologies. These methods range from basic waveform superposition to analytical and numerical methods. Such methodologies are difficult to utilize daily because of their complexity, sometimes low accuracy (despite their sophistication), requirement for difficult to obtain parameters, and time needed to reach solutions using complex algorithms. In this paper, a different methodology to control and predict ground vibrations from blasting is presented. This methodology uses a semi-empirical approach, where the generation and propagation of ground vibration waves and the ground vibration characteristics at a point of interest are considered through the collection of a signature waveform. The methodology allows assessment of the optimum delay between charges to minimize and control ground vibration levels. A case study is included to demonstrate the benefits and the methodology in detail.
Late Wisconsinan Cordilleran and Laurentide glaciation of the Peace River Valley east of the Rocky Mountains, British Columbia
Authors: Hartman Gregory M.D. , Clague John J. , Barendregt René W. , Reyes Alberto V.
Published: August 2018

In the past, researchers have disagreed over the maximum extent of the Cordilleran Ice Sheet in the Peace River valley during the Late Wisconsinan. Some workers argued that Cordilleran ice reached beyond the Rocky Mountains and briefly coalesced with the Laurentide Ice Sheet on the westernmost Interior Plains. In contrast, others asserted that Cordilleran ice did not reach beyond the eastern front of the Rocky Mountains. Stratigraphic interpretation of three sections within a Middle Wisconsinan paleovalley and re-examination of a previously published regional stratigraphic framework show that western-sourced ice (likely the Cordilleran Ice Sheet) extended east of the mountain front during the Late Wisconsinan, prior to the incursion of the Laurentide Ice Sheet into the area. This conclusion has implications for Cordilleran Ice Sheet reconstruction and modelling, and provides insight into the interactions between the Cordilleran and Laurentide ice sheets during the last glaciation.
Neonatal stress and resilience — lasting effects of antenatal corticosteroids
Authors: Jobe Alan H.
Published: August 2018

Antenatal corticosteroids (ACS) are standard of care for women at risk of preterm delivery between 24 and 34 weeks gestation. Their use decreases preterm morbidities and mortality. However, ACS treatments mimic a stress response by increasing fetal steroid levels at early gestational ages when the fetus is normally protected from high glucocorticoid levels. Within the context of concept of the developmental origins of adult health and disease, ACS are effective stressors in fetal animal models that alter developmental programs and outcome in adult animals. Although few short-term adverse effects of ACS in infants and children are apparent, there are cohort studies demonstrating cognitive, metabolic, and cardiovascular effects in humans beyond 30 years of age. ACS likely interact with other stresses — maternal diseases complicating prematurity, premature delivery, and nutritional deficiencies — to program outcomes that may not be known for many years. The risks of ACS will increase as indications for ACS increase to late gestation preterm infants and possibly Cesarean-section deliveries.
On Generic Properties of Nonautonomous Dynamical Systems
Authors: Balibrea Francisco , Smítal Jaroslav , Štefánková Marta
Published: August 2018

We consider nonautonomous dynamical systems consisting of sequences of continuous surjective maps of a compact metric space [Formula: see text]. Let [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] denote the space of systems [Formula: see text], which are uniformly convergent, or equicontinuous, or pointwise convergent (to a continuous map), respectively. We show that for [Formula: see text], the generic system in any of the spaces has infinite topological entropy, while, if [Formula: see text] is the Cantor set, the generic system in any of the spaces has zero topological entropy. This shows, among others, that the general results of the above type for arbitrary compact space [Formula: see text] are difficult if not impossible.
In vitro investigation of chitosan-polygalacturonic acid polyelectrolyte complex (PEC) biomaterials as anti-adhesive substrates for preventing adhesion formation
Authors: Mistry Shiv A. , Desai Avi M. , He Peidong , Desai Karishma , Tutnauer Jordan , Schloss Rene , Langrana Noshir A.
Published: August 2018

Adhesions are an abnormal union of membranous surfaces. They are a painful and expensive consequence of abdominal surgeries, specifically in the peritoneal cavity. This complication requires a second surgery to remove the problem, known as adhesiolysis, which we are trying to avoid. Current solutions to adhesion formation either lack efficacy or induce an inflammatory response in the peritoneum. Our focus is to develop a post-surgical adhesion prevention polyelectrolyte complex (PEC) film, composed of an optimal ratio of chitosan (Chi) and polygalacturonic acid (PgA) to prevent adhesion formation. Adhesive properties of fibroblasts and macrophages on the PEC were also studied, since both cell types play a central role in the adhesion formation process. Additionally, we examined PEC attachment methods, ultimately for in vivo application. Current in vitro studies evaluated the material properties of the film to determine the stability of the material. The results of our studies identified certain ratios of Chi-PgA films which are mechanically consistent for use as intra-peritoneal barriers. Furthermore, their potential as anti-adhesive barriers were further supported by the fact that their surfaces are non-permissive for viable fibroblast and macrophage attachment.
On the Assessment of Systematic Risk in Networked Systems
Authors: Laszka Aron , Johnson Benjamin , Grossklags Jens
Published: August 2018

In a networked system, the risk of security compromises depends not only on each node’s security but also on the topological structure formed by the connected individuals, businesses, and computer systems. Research in network security has been exploring this phenomenon for a long time, with a variety of modeling frameworks predicting how many nodes we should expect to lose, on average, for a given network topology, after certain types of incidents. Meanwhile, the pricing of insurance contracts for risks related to information technology (better known as cyber-insurance) requires determining additional information, for example, the maximum number of nodes we should expect to lose within a 99.5% confidence interval. Previous modeling research in network security has not addressed these types of questions, while research on cyber-insurance pricing for networked systems has not taken into account the network’s topology. Our goal is to bridge that gap, by providing a mathematical basis for the assessment of systematic risk in networked systems.

We define a
loss-number distribution
to be a probability distribution on the total number of compromised nodes within a network following the occurrence of a given incident, and we provide a number of modeling results that aim to be useful for cyber-insurers in this context. We prove NP-hardness for the general case of computing the loss-number distribution for an arbitrary network topology but obtain simplified computable formulas for the special cases of star topologies, ER-random topologies, and uniform topologies. We also provide a simulation algorithm that approximates the loss-number distribution for an arbitrary network topology and that appears to converge efficiently for many common classes of topologies.

Scale-free network topologies have a degree distribution that follows a power law and are commonly found in real-world networks. We provide an example of a scale-free network in which a cyber-insurance pricing mechanism that relies naively on incidence reporting data will fail to accurately predict the true risk level of the entire system. We offer an alternative mechanism that yields an accurate forecast by taking into account the network topology, thus highlighting the lack/importance of topological data in security incident reporting. Our results constitute important steps toward the understanding of systematic risk and help to contribute to the emergence of a viable cyber-insurance market.
Measuring Third-party Tracker Power across Web and Mobile
Authors: Binns Reuben , Zhao Jun , Kleek Max Van , Shadbolt Nigel
Published: August 2018

Third-party networks collect vast amounts of data about users via websites and mobile applications. Consolidations among tracker companies can significantly increase their individual tracking capabilities, prompting scrutiny by competition regulators. Traditional measures of market share, based on revenue or sales, fail to represent the tracking capability of a tracker, especially if it spans both web and mobile. This article proposes a new approach to measure the concentration of tracking capability, based on the reach of a tracker on popular websites and apps. Our results reveal that tracker prominence and parent–subsidiary relationships have significant impact on accurately measuring concentration.
RenderMan
Authors: Christensen Per , Fong Julian , Shade Jonathan , Wooten Wayne , Schubert Brenden , Kensler Andrew , Friedman Stephen , Kilpatrick Charlie , Ramshaw Cliff , Bannister Marc , Rayner Brenton , Brouillat Jonathan , Liani Max
Published: August 2018

Pixar’s RenderMan renderer is used to render all of Pixar’s films and by many film studios to render visual effects for live-action movies. RenderMan started as a scanline renderer based on the Reyes algorithm, and it was extended over the years with ray tracing and several global illumination algorithms.

This article describes the modern version of RenderMan, a new architecture for an extensible and programmable path tracer with many features that are essential to handle the fiercely complex scenes in movie production. Users can write their own materials using a bxdf interface and their own light transport algorithms using an integrator interface—or they can use the materials and light transport algorithms provided with RenderMan. Complex geometry and textures are handled with efficient multi-resolution representations, with resolution chosen using path differentials. We trace rays and shade ray hit points in medium-sized groups, which provides the benefits of SIMD execution without excessive memory overhead or data streaming. The path-tracing architecture handles surface, subsurface, and volume scattering. We show examples of the use of path tracing, bidirectional path tracing, VCM, and UPBP light transport algorithms. We also describe our progressive rendering for interactive use and our adaptation of denoising techniques.