bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Elafibranor interrupts adipose dysfunction-mediated gut and liver injury in mice with alcoholic steatohepatitis
Authors: Li Tzu-Hao , Yang Ying-Ying , Huang Chia-Chang , Liu Chih-Wei , Tsai Hung-Cheng , Lin Ming-Wei , Tsai Chang-Youh , Huang Shiang-Fen , Wang Ying-Wen , Lee Tzung-Yan , Huang Yi-Hsiang , Hou Ming-Chih , Lin Han-Chieh
Published: January 2019

Background: Reversal of alcohol-induced peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) α (PPARα) and PPARδ dysfunction has been reported to decrease the severity of alcoholic steatohepatitis (ASH). Autophagy is essential for cell survival and tissue energy homeostasis. Emerging evidence indicates that alcohol-induced adipose tissue (AT) autophagy dysfunction contributes to injury in the intestine, liver, and AT of ASH. Methods: The effects and mechanisms of dual PPARα/δ agonist elafibranor on autophagy stimulation were investigated using mice with ASH. Results: C57BL/6 mice on ethanol diet showed AT dysfunction, disrupted intestinal barrier, and ASH, which was accompanied by alcohol-mediated decrease in PPARα, PPARδ, and autophagy levels in intestine, liver, and AT. Chronic treatment with elafibranor attenuated AT apoptosis and inflammation by restoration of tissue PPARα, PPARδ, and autophagy levels. In ASH mice, alcohol-induced AT dysfunction along with increased fatty acid (FA) uptake and decreased free FA (FFA) release from AT was inhibited by elafibranor. The improvement of AT autophagy dysfunction by elafibranor alleviated inflammation and apoptosis-mediated intestinal epithelial disruption in ASH mice. Acute elafibranor incubation inhibited ethanol-induced ASH-mice-sera-enhanced autophagy dysfunction, apoptosis, barrier disruption, and intracellular steatosis in Caco-2 cells and primary hepatocytes (PHs). Conclusion: Altogether, these findings demonstrated that the PPARα/δ agonist, elafibranor, decreased the severity of liver injury by restoration of alcohol-suppressed AT autophagy function and by decreasing the release of apoptotic markers, inflammatory cytokines, and FFA, thereby reducing intestinal epithelium disruption and liver inflammation/apoptosis/steatosis in ASH mice. These data suggest that dual PPAR agonists can serve as potential therapeutic agents for the management of ASH.
Endoscopic ultrasound-guided radiofrequency ablation for management of benign solid pancreatic tumors
Authors: Choi Jun-Ho , Seo Dong-Wan , Song Tae Jun , Park Do Hyun , Lee Sang Soo , Lee Sung Koo , Kim Myung-Hwan
Published: January 2019

Background Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) has been increasingly employed in experimental and clinical settings for the management of pancreatic lesions. This study aimed to assess the safety and efficacy of endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided RFA for benign solid pancreatic tumors.

Methods In a single-center, prospective study, 10 patients with benign solid pancreatic tumors underwent EUS-RFA. After the RFA electrode had been inserted into the pancreatic mass, the radiofrequency generator was activated to deliver 50 W of ablation power.

Results Among the 10 patients, 16 sessions of EUS-RFA were successfully performed. Diagnoses included nonfunctioning neuroendocrine tumor (n = 7), solid pseudopapillary neoplasm (n = 2), and insulinoma (n = 1); the median largest diameter of the tumors was 20 mm (range 8 – 28 mm). During follow-up (median 13 months), radiologic complete response was achieved in seven patients. Two adverse events (12.4 %; 1 moderate and 1 mild) occurred.

Conclusions EUS-RFA may be a safe and potentially effective treatment option in selected patients with benign solid pancreatic tumors. Multiple sessions may be required if there is a remnant tumor, and adverse events must be carefully monitored.
Screening of esophageal varices in children using esophageal capsule endoscopy: a multicenter prospective study
Authors: Cardey Jacques , Le Gall Catherine , Michaud Laurent , Dabadie Alain , Talbotec Cécile , Bellaiche Marc , Lamireau Thierry , Mas Emmanuel , Bridoux-Henno Laure , Viala Jerome , Restier-Miron Lioara , Lachaux Alain
Published: January 2019

Background Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) is the standard method for diagnosis of esophageal and gastric varices in children. In this prospective study we evaluated the use of PillCam esophageal capsule endoscopy (ECE) in pediatric patients.

Methods Patients aged 7 to 18 years presenting with portal hypertension and/or cirrhosis underwent ECE (PillCam ESO 2, Given Imaging Ltd.) followed by EGD.

Results 102 patients were screened, 81 (52 boys; mean age 13.96 ± 0.25 years) were included and 21 were excluded (16 for “candy test” failure). Esophageal varices were identified by EGD in 62 patients (77 %) and by ECE in 57 patients (70 %) using the de Franchis classification (DFC). The sensitivity of ECE for esophageal varices was 92 % and the specificity was 100 % using DFC. Based upon 57/81 patients with small, medium, and large varices on both ECE and EGD, using DFC, the sensitivity, specificity, positive (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) were 55 %, 92 %, 89 %, and 63 %, respectively, giving a total overall accuracy of 72 %. To improve sensitivity and specificity in classification of esophageal varices, we propose using a modified score. This score detected esophageal varices with 100 % sensitivity, 93 % specificity, 94 % PPV, and 100 % NPV, giving a total overall accuracy of 97 %. All patients preferred ECE over EGD. No capsule retention was recorded.

Conclusions ECE is a well-tolerated and safe procedure in children. Using the modified score, the sensitivity of ECE is currently sufficient to detect esophageal varices and replace EGD in infants with suspicion of esophageal varices or when EGD is refused.
Einsatz der Vakuuminstillationstherapie für die Wundbehandlung – Ergebnis einer Expertenkonsensuskonferenz
Authors: Horch Raymund , Braumann Chris , Dissemond Joachim , Lehner Burkhard , Hirche Christoph , Woeste Guido , Wozniak Gernold , Wetzel-Roth Walter , Willy Christian
Published: January 2019

Das Spülen von Wunden mit einer Lösung zur Wundreinigung ist seit Langem ein anerkannter Eckpfeiler in der Wundbehandlung als Mittel zur Entfernung von Zelltrümmern und Oberflächenpathogenen in Wundexsudaten. In Kombination mit dem chirurgischen Débridement und einer lokalen Vakuumtherapie kann sie das Fortschreiten von der entzündlichen zur proliferativen Phase der Wundheilung erleichtern. Verfahren der topischen Vakuumtherapie mit Instillation und einer definierten Einwirk- bzw. Verweilzeit von topischen Lösungen unter zyklischer Kompression und Dekompression mit Schaumverbänden (Negative Pressure Wound Therapy with instillation and dwell time = NPWTi-d) können Rückstände entfernen, die ansonsten hemmend auf den Heilungsprozess wirken. Gleichzeitig helfen sie, die bakterielle Keimbelastung in kontaminierten oder infizierten Wunden zu verringern. Nachdem diese Technik nun kommerziell verfügbar und zunehmend verbreitet ist, wurden im Rahmen eines Konsensusmeetings durch eine interdisziplinäre Expertenkommission Empfehlungen zur Anwendung und zu den klinischen Indikationen erarbeitet. Auch wenn die Evidenzstufe von Expertenmeinungen einen geringeren Level besitzt, können allgemein gültige Richtlinien für einen sicheren und effizienten Einsatz von NPWTi-d ausgesprochen werden, die dem klinisch tätigen Arzt als Handlungsempfehlung dienen können. Die daraus abgeleiteten Konsensusempfehlungen umfassen basierend auf dem Stand der aktuellen wissenschaftlichen Datenlage die Ziele der Behandlung, die Anwendungsmodalitäten die Indikationsstellung bei verschiedenen Wunden einschließlich eventueller Kontraindikationen, Therapieeinstellungen sowie die Verwendung topischer Instillationslösungen, deren Volumen und Verweildauer (dwell time), die optimale Behandlungsdauer und zukünftige Weiterentwicklungen der NPWTi-d.
Optical diagnosis expanded to small polyps: post-hoc analysis of diagnostic performance in a prospective multicenter study
Authors: Vleugels Jasper , Hazewinkel Yark , Dijkgraaf Marcel , Koens Lianne , Fockens Paul , Dekker Evelien ,   on behalf of the DISCOUNT study group
Published: January 2019

Background: Optical diagnosis can replace histopathology of diminutive (1 – 5 mm) polyps if surveillance intervals based on optical diagnosis of polyps have ≥ 90 % agreement with intervals based on polyp histology and if the negative predictive value (NPV) for predicting neoplastic histology in the rectosigmoid is ≥ 90 %. This study aims to assess whether small (6 – 9 mm) polyps can be included in optical diagnosis strategies.

Method: This is a post-hoc analysis of a prospective multicenter study in which 27 endoscopists, all performing endoscopies for the Dutch screening program, were trained in optical diagnosis. For 1 year, endoscopists recorded the predicted histology for all lesions detected using narrow-band imaging during 3144 consecutive colonoscopies after a positive fecal immunochemical test, along with confidence levels. Surveillance interval agreement and NPV were calculated for high confidence predictions for polyps of 1 – 9 mm and compared with histopathology. Surveillance interval agreement was calculated using the European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy surveillance guideline.

Results: Surveillance interval agreement was 95.4 % (confidence interval [CI] 94.2 % – 96.4 %), and NPV for predicting neoplastic histology in the rectosigmoid 90.0 % (CI 87.3 % – 92.2 %). The reduction in histology (45.9 % vs. 30.5 %) and the proportion of patients who could have received direct surveillance advice (15.6 % vs. 7.3 %) was higher when small polyps were included (P < 0.001). T1 cancer was found in seven small polyps (0.33 %), five of which would have been discarded without histopathology.

Conclusion: Including small polyps in the optical diagnosis strategy improves its efficacy while maintaining performance thresholds. However, there is a small risk of missing T1 cancers when small polyps are included in the optical diagnosis strategy.
Endoscopic ultrasound measurements for detection of residual disease after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy for esophageal cancer
Authors: van der Bogt Ruben , Noordman Bo , Krishnadath Kausilia , Roumans Carlijn , Schoon Erik , Oostenbrug Liekele , Siersema Peter , Vleggaar Frank , van Lanschot J. , Spaander Manon
Published: January 2019

Background Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) measurements of residual thickness and residual area have been suggested to correlate with histopathological residual tumor after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) for esophageal cancer. This study assessed the predictive value of EUS-based measurements using tumor thickness and tumor area before nCRT, and residual thickness and residual area 6 and 12 weeks after completion of nCRT for detection of residual disease.

Methods This was a substudy of the diagnostic multicenter preSANO trial. The primary end point of the current study was the percentage of tumor regression grade (TRG) 3 – 4 (> 10 % vital tumor cells) residual disease that was detected using EUS-based measurements. Associations of absolute measurements of residual thickness/area and proportional change compared with baseline were evaluated. In the case of a statistically significant association, optimal cut-offs to distinguish TRG3 – 4 residual disease from TRG1 (no vital tumor cells) were determined using Youden’s J index.

Results 138 patients were included. Residual thickness and residual area were statistically significantly associated with TRG3 – 4 residual disease 12 weeks after completion of nCRT (odds ratio 1.36, P < 0.01 and 1.64, P = 0.02, respectively). The cut-off for residual thickness was 4.5 mm, which correctly detected 87 % of TRG3 – 4 residual disease and 52 % of TRG1. The cut-off for residual area was 0.92 cm2, which detected 89 % of TRG3 – 4 residual disease and 40 % of TRG1.

Conclusions EUS measurements of residual thickness and residual area adequately detected TRG3 – 4 residual disease with a sensitivity of almost 90 % 12 weeks after completion of nCRT. Hence, residual thickness and residual area may aid in the restaging of esophageal cancer after nCRT.
Delineation of the extent of early gastric cancer by magnifying narrow-band imaging and chromoendoscopy: a multicenter randomized controlled trial
Authors: Nagahama Takashi , Yao Kenshi , Uedo Noriya , Doyama Hisashi , Ueo Tetsuya , Uchita Kunihisa , Ishikawa Hideki , Kanesaka Takashi , Takeda Yasuhito , Wada Kurato , Imamura Kentaro , Arima Hisatomi , Shimokawa Toshio
Published: January 2019

Background Accurate delineation of tumor margins is necessary for curative resection of early gastric cancer (EGC). The objective of this multicenter, randomized, controlled study was to compare the accuracy with which magnifying narrow-band imaging (M-NBI) and indigo carmine chromoendoscopy delineate EGC margins.

Methods Patients with EGC ≥ 10 mm undergoing endoscopic or surgical resection were enrolled. The oral-side margins of the lesions were first evaluated with conventional white-light endoscopy in both groups and then delineated by either chromoendoscopy or M-NBI. Biopsies were taken from noncancerous and cancerous mucosa, each at 5 mm from the margin. Accurate delineation was judged to have been achieved when the histological findings in all biopsy samples were consistent with endoscopic diagnoses. The primary end point was the difference in rate of accurate delineation between the two techniques.

Results Data on 343 patients were analyzed. The accurate delineation rate (95 % confidence interval) was 85.7 % (80.4 – 91.0) in the chromoendoscopy group (n = 168), and 88.0 % (83.2 – 92.8) in the M-NBI group (n = 175; P = 0.63). Lower third tumor location (odds ratio [OR] 2.9; P = 0.01), nonflat macroscopic type (OR 4.4; P < 0.01), and high diagnostic confidence (OR 3.6; P < 0.001) were associated with accurate delineation, whereas use of M-NBI was not (OR 1.2; P = 0.39). Even after adjustment for identified confounders, the difference in accurate delineation between the groups was not significant (OR 1.0; P = 0.82).

Conclusions M-NBI does not offer superior delineation of EGC margins compared with chromoendoscopy; the two methods appear to be clinically equivalent.
Finite-part integration of the generalized Stieltjes transform and its dominant asymptotic behavior for small values of the parameter. II. Non-integer orders
Authors: Tica Christian D. , Galapon Eric A.
Published: January 2019

This paper constitutes the second part on the subject of finite part integration of the generalized Stieltjes transform Sλ[f]=∫0∞f(x)(ω+x)−λdx about ω = 0, where now λ is a non-integer positive real number. Divergent integrals with singularities at the origin are induced by writing (ω + x)−λ as a binomial expansion about ω = 0 and interchanging the order of operations of integration and summation. The prescription of finite part integration is then implemented by interpreting these divergent integrals as finite part integrals which are rigorously represented as complex contour integrals. The same contour is then used to express Sλ[f] itself as a complex contour integral. This led to the recovery of the terms missed by naïve term-wise integration which themselves are finite parts of divergent integrals whose singularity is at the finite upper limit of integration. When the function f(x) has a zero at the origin of order m = 0, 1, … such that m − λ < 0, the correction terms missed out by the naïve term by term integration give the dominant contribution to Sλ[f] as ω → 0. Otherwise, the correction term is sub-dominant to the leading convergent terms in the naïve term by term integration. We apply these results by obtaining exact and asymptotic representations of the Kummer and Gauss hypergeometric functions by evaluating their known Stieltjes integral representations. We then apply the method of finite part integration to obtain the asymptotic behavior of a generalization of the Stieltjes integral which is relevant in the calculation of the effective index of refraction of a shallow potential well.
Ultra-low noise and high bandwidth bipolar current driver for precise magnetic field control
Authors: Yang Yu-Meng , Xie Hong-Tai , Ji Wen-Chao , Wang Yue-Fei , Zhang Wei-Yong , Chen Shuai , Jiang Xiao
Published: January 2019

Current sources with extremely low noise are significant for many branches of scientific research, such as experiments of ultra-cold atoms, superconducting quantum computing, and precision measurements. Here we construct and characterize an analog-controlled bipolar current source with high bandwidth and ultra-low noise. A precise and stable resistor is connected in series with the output for current sensing. After being amplified with an instrumentation amplifier, the current sensing signal is compared with an ultra-low noise reference, and proportional-integral (PI) calculations are performed via a zero-drift low-noise operational amplifier. The result of the PI calculation is sent to the output power operational amplifier for closed-loop control of the output current. In this way, a current of up to 16 A can be sourced to or sunk from a load with a compliance voltage of greater than ±12 V. The broadband current noise of our bipolar current source is about 0.5 μA/Hz and 1/f corner frequency is less than 1 Hz. Applications of this current source in a cold atom interferometer, as well as active compensation of a stray magnetic field, are presented. A method for measuring high-frequency current noise in a 10 A DC current with a sensitivity down to a level of 10 μA is also described.
Hamiltonian flows of Lorentzian polyhedra: Kapovich-Millson phase space and SU(1, 1) intertwiners
Authors: Livine Etera R.
Published: January 2019

We describe the Lorentzian version of the Kapovitch-Millson phase space for polyhedra with N faces. Starting with the Schwinger representation of the su(1,1) Lie algebra in terms of a pair of complex variables (or spinor), we define the phase space for space-like vectors in the three-dimensional Minkowski space R1,2. Considering N copies of this space, quotiented by a closure constraint forcing the sum of those 3-vectors to vanish, we obtain the phase space for Lorentzian polyhedra with N faces whose normal vectors are space-like, up to Lorentz transformations. We identify a generating set of SU(1, 1)-invariant observables, whose Hamiltonian flows generate geometrical deformations of polyhedra. We distinguish area-preserving and area-changing deformations. We then show that the area-preserving observables form a glN(R) Lie algebra and that they generate a GLN(R) action on Lorentzian polyhedra at fixed total area. This action is cyclic and all Lorentzian polyhedra can be obtained from a totally squashed polyhedron (with only two non-trivial faces) by a GLN(R) transformation. All those features carry on to the quantum level, where quantum Lorentzian polyhedra are defined as SU(1, 1) intertwiners between unitary SU(1, 1)-representations from the principal continuous series. Those SU(1, 1)-intertwiners are the building blocks of spin network states in loop quantum gravity in 3 + 1 dimensions for time-like slicing, and the present analysis applies to deformations of the quantum geometry of time-like boundaries in quantum gravity, which is especially relevant to the study of quasi-local observables and holographic duality.
Experimental demonstration of the DPTS QKD protocol over a 170 km fiber link
Authors: Da Lio B. , Bacco D. , Cozzolino D. , Ding Y. , Dalgaard K. , Rottwitt K. , Oxenløwe L. K.
Published: January 2019

Quantum key distribution (QKD) is a promising technology that aims to solve the security problem arising from the advent of quantum computers. While the main theoretical aspects are well developed today, limited performances, in terms of the achievable link distance and the secret key rate, are preventing the deployment of this technology on a large scale. More recent QKD protocols, which use multiple degrees of freedom for encoding of the quantum states, allow enhancement of the system performances. Here, we present the experimental demonstration of the differential phase-time shifting protocol up to 170 km of the fiber link. We compare its performance with the well-known coherent one-way and differential phase shifting protocols, demonstrating a higher secret key rate up to 100 km. Moreover, we propagate a classical signal in the same fiber, proving the compatibility of quantum and classical light.
The effect of molecular architecture on the physical properties of supercooled liquids studied by MD simulations: Density scaling and its relation to the equation of state
Authors: Koperwas K. , Grzybowski A. , Paluch M.
Published: January 2019

Theoretical concepts in condensed matter physics are typically verified and also developed by exploiting computer simulations mostly in simple models. Predictions based on these usually isotropic models are often at odds with measurement results obtained for real materials. One of the examples is an intriguing problem within the density scaling idea that has attracted attention in recent decades due to its hallmarks of universality, i.e., the fact that the difference between the density scaling exponent and the exponent of the equation of state is observed for real materials, whereas it has not been reported for the model system. In this paper, we use new model molecules of simple but anisotropic architecture to study the effect of molecular anisotropy on the dynamic and thermodynamic properties of the system. We identify the applicable range of intermolecular interactions for a given physical process, and then we explain the reason for observed differences between the behavior of the model and real systems. It demonstrates that the new model systems open broad perspectives for simulation and theoretical research, for example, into unifying concepts in the glass transition physics.
A novel seamless droop control method for load-sharing in photovoltaic-based AC microgrids
Authors: Shajari Sadegh , Keypour Reza
Published: January 2019

Load sharing is one of the main concerns in AC microgrids (MGs) which should be treated differently in the presence of photovoltaic (PV) sources. There are two modes of operation for photovoltaic sources, namely, maximum power point tracking (MPPT) mode and DC link voltage control (DCLV) mode. When the total load of MGs is higher than the maximum power of the photovoltaic source, the PV source operates in the MPPT mode, while other sources share the remaining loads; otherwise, it should reduce its power to provide a balance between the generation and load sides by operation in the DCLV mode. Here, a new seamless approach for sharing the load among a photovoltaic (PV) generation system and other sources is proposed based on a conventional droop control method that helps the PV source to locally select its control mode in AC MGs. The proposed method helps the MG to extract as much photovoltaic power as possible while balancing the generations and load sides. The proposed method is simulated in the MATLAB/SIMULINK environment, and the results validate the feasibility of the proposed method.
Water hydrogen degrees of freedom and the hydrophobic effect
Authors: Islam Naeyma , Flint Mahalia , Rick Steven W.
Published: January 2019

Hydrogen bonds are the key interaction that establishes the liquid and solvent properties of water. Nevertheless, it is possible to construct an accurate molecular model of water which does not include hydrogens or any orientational interactions. Using this model, we calculate the structural and thermodynamic properties for the hydration of methane and ethane. The addition of the hydrophobic solute leads to changes in structure, as can be seen in slightly enhanced tetrahedral geometries and slightly reduced Voronoi volumes of water near the solute. The entropy of hydration from the model is about half the experimental value, suggesting that what is left out of the model—the orientational or hydrogen response—contributes to about half the entropy. For the hydrophobic association of two methane molecules in water, the hydrogen degrees of freedom do not seem to play an important role and the entropy of association is similar to all-atom models.
Determination of 3D electrostatic field at an electron nano-emitter
Authors: Wu Mingjian , Tafel Alexander , Hommelhoff Peter , Spiecker Erdmann
Published: January 2019

Differential phase contrast in scanning transmission electron microscopy has been applied to image nanoscale electrostatic fields of a sharp tungsten electron emitter with an apex radius of about 20 nm and under field emission conditions. Assuming axial symmetry of the nano-emitter, we derived a method based on the inverse Abel transform to quantitatively reconstruct an axial slice of the 3D electrostatic field from a single projection measurement. The highest field strength of 2.92 V/nm is measured at the nano-emitter apex under the condition of a bias voltage of −140 V with respect to the grounded counter electrode located at about 650 nm from the apex, resulting in an emission current of more than 2 μA. The experimental results are compared with simulations based on a finite element numerical Maxwell equation solver. Quantitative agreement between experiment and simulation has been achieved.
Transformations of body-centered cubic crystals composed of hard or soft spheres to liquids or face-centered cubic crystals
Authors: Wang Feng , Han Yilong
Published: January 2019

The monodispersed hard-sphere system is one of the simplest models for the study of phase transitions. Despite intensive studies of crystallization and melting of hard-sphere face-centered cubic (FCC) crystals, the phase transformations of hard-sphere body-centered cubic (BCC) crystals have not been explored because hard spheres cannot form a stable BCC lattice. In fact, unstable BCC hard-sphere crystals and their related phase transformations can be experimentally achieved. Here, we measured the kinetics of the melting and solid-solid transformations of BCC hard-sphere crystals at various volume fractions via molecular dynamics simulations. When the volume fraction ϕ < 0.494, the system melts catastrophically. At ϕ > 0.545, the BCC crystal transforms to a metastable polycrystal consisting of FCC and hexagonal close-packed (HCP) domains, which is different from those crystallized from supercooled liquids, and then slowly equilibrates toward the FCC crystal. At 0.494 < ϕ < 0.545, the BCC crystal transforms to an intermediate-order metastable state consisting of BCC and non-crystal particles without FCC and HCP symmetries and then equilibrates toward the coexistence of the FCC crystal and liquid. We further studied the melting and BCC-FCC transitions of crystals composed of soft spheres with potential u(r) = ϵ(r/σ)−n. The unstable BCC crystals at n = 12, 9, 8 exhibit similar melting and BCC-FCC transitions as hard-sphere BCC crystals, while the metastable BCC crystals at n = 5, 6, 7 melt quickly at low densities but take very long time for the BCC-FCC transition at high densities. We also estimate the BCC-FCC interfacial energy and critical nucleus size. These results cast light on the melting and solid-solid transformations of atomic BCC crystals, which exist widely in nature.
Efficiency of pea seeds in sow, piglet and fattener feeding
Authors: Hanczakowska E. , Księżak J. , Świątkiewicz M.
Published: January 2019

Two varieties of pea, one white flowering (cv. Tarchalska) and one colour flowering (cv. Milwa), partly replaced soybean meal in the diet of sows and their progeny, namely, piglets and growing pigs. The effect of a feed enzyme supplement (Ronozyme VP) was also determined Animal performance and carcass and meat quality were estimated using standard methods. There was no significant difference in the sow bodyweight, number of piglets born and litter weight between the treatments. After weaning, bodyweight gains of piglets in all groups were similar. During the fattening periods, the bodyweight gains of the pigs receiving cv. Milwa were significantly higher than those fed with cv. Tarchalska. The bodyweight gains in the control group were intermediate. The enzyme supplement did not improve bodyweight gains. The digestibility of protein (and in the grower period, also crude fibre and N-free extractives) was higher in the pigs receiving cv. Milwa than in those fed with cv. Tarchalska. There was no significant difference in carcass traits, except for the amount of meat in the ham, which was the highest in the control and lowest in the Milwa group. The intramuscular fat of the pigs fed with cv. Milwa contained significantly more of saturated fatty acids and less of unsaturated fatty acids than did both the control and the pigs fed with cv. Tarchalska. The peas had little effect on the physical traits of the meat; they improved its water-holding capacity but did not change its colour and lightness. Cv. Tarchalska significantly lowered all estimated sensory properties. It is concluded that pea seeds, especially the colour-flowering varieties, may be replacements of soybean meal, in moderate amounts, in the whole cycle of pig nutrition.
Ethnic nationalism and gatekeeping in the European media
Authors: Tarasevich Sofiya , Khalitova Liudmila , Arceneaux Phillip , Myslik Barbara , Kiousis Spiro
Published: January 2019

This study explores relationships between agenda building, agenda indexing (reflected through share of voice as the key variable), and agenda-setting effects, measured through the combination of public opinion survey data and quantitative content analysis. It conceptually distinguishes between the three metrics often used interchangeably in the professional discourse by advertising and media practitioners – share of voice, share of influence, and share of conversation – and explores how they could be applied in political communication research to become useful tools for agenda-setting researchers. The results of the study indicate that an increased level of nationalism serves as a significant predictor for EU policy support through the pathway of decreased pro-EU sentiment, which, on the agenda level, is reflective of pro-nationals being less supportive of the EU policies and the idea of European integration.
Diachrony of Personal Pronouns in Japanese
Authors: Ishiyama Osamu
Published: January 2019

Personal pronouns in Japanese form a heterogeneous category. This book investigates their historical development from a functional perspective. It shows that while nouns give rise to personal pronouns through semanticization of pragmatic inferences, the use of non-nominal forms such as demonstratives and reflexives for person referents can be resolved within their original functions, offering little reason to treat them as personal pronouns. The cross-linguistic investigation into the common sources of personal pronouns reveals that the development of personal pronouns from nouns is largely consistent with grammaticalization, but that of forms of non-nominal origins requires separate mechanisms such as spatial/empathetic perspectives and displacement of semantic features for politeness, showing that a one-size-fits-all approach to diachrony of personal pronouns is not sufficient. This book will be of special interest to researchers and students in historical linguistics, pragmatics, and Japanese linguistics, who take a functional view of language.
Interactions between prosody and morphosyntax in Fuzhou VO phrases
Authors: Chen Aishu
Published: January 2019

This study examines how tone sandhi domains (TSDs) are determined in Fuzhou. The data include: (i) regular verb-object phrases (VOs) where the verb takes a direct bare noun object; and (ii) non-canonical VOs where the verb takes an adverbial expression as a surface object.

Several observations are made. First, a three-way sandhi exists within every TSD. All antepenultimate syllables neutralize to low tones. A penultimate syllable’s sandhi tone is dependent on the final syllable’s citation tone, which remains unchanged. Second, in regular VOs, a monosyllabic verb consistently forms a single TSD with its direct bare noun object, but a disyllabic verb and its object are separated into two TSDs. Third, in non-canonical VOs, a monosyllabic verb never forms a single TSD with its adverbial object. Three questions are raised. First, what is the nature of each TSD? Second, why does the number of syllables in a verb determine the distinct TSDs formed in regular VOs? Third, how can we account for the different patterns of TSD formation in two types of VOs?

We propose that each TSD equals to a prosodic word (PrWd). OT analyses are provided to show how PrWds are derived. The analysis of regular VOs relies on the ranking of a prosodic markedness constraintft binabove the word-level interface correspondence constraints. The contrast between two types of VOs is explained by applying the model of Multiple Spell-Out and a cyclic interaction of morphosyntax and prosody. This approach is new in explaining the TSDs that are constrained by morphosyntax.
Commitment fulfillment and politeness
Authors: King Jeremy
Published: January 2019

The present study investigates commissive speech acts in the Spanish colony of Louisiana in order to present insight into Spain’s perspective on linguistic politeness in light of European regime change during the period of the French Revolution. The corpus chosen for the current study consists of 200 institutional letters penned by Spaniards in the North American colony in the last quarter of the eighteenth century. I argue that owing to their frequent mitigation commissives should not be understood as intrinsically polite speech acts. I tentatively posit that, due to evident changes in linguistic strategy employed by Louisiana Spaniards, colonial North America felt the effects of the revolutionary fervor.
Navigating commercial constraints in a service call
Authors: Márquez Reiter Rosina
Published: January 2019

In this chapter I examine a call from a telephone agent to a client in which the former tries to obtain a sale irrespective of the client’s interest in the product and, the latter seizes this opportunity to obtain access to a product that she is not entitled to. A central aspect of the organization of the exchange examined is, on the one hand, that it is never clear if the client is ready to proceed with the depositing of one of the products, and, on the other hand, that the agent remains ambiguous as to the rights that depositing the product in question would give the client. In view of this, the chapter explores how the conversational participants avoid explicitly stating what each will do or indeed offer before they can determine what the other party will give in exchange. The chapter thus contributes to the literature on (mediated) service encounters by shedding empirical light on how conversational participants create and maintain ambiguity to pursue different commercial agendas.
Responding to bargaining moves in a digital era
Authors: Placencia María Elena
Published: January 2019

This chapter investigates the different ways in which sellers on Mercado Libre Ecuador, a virtual market place, refuse bargaining offers. Drawing on work on offers, refusals, bargaining, and computer-mediated discourse analysis, among other areas, and on the basis of a corpus of refusals taken from 227 buyer-vendor exchanges, it examines how refusals are realized, and the extent to which sellers pay attention to interpersonal concerns in their formulation of refusals. Despite the interactions being anonymous, most sellers were found to use one or more verbal strategies with a mitigating function (e.g. affiliative address, greetings, apologies, justifications, expressions of thanks). Possible factors exerting influence on this behaviour are considered. They include, for example, features of the genre and the site’s norms and controls in place.
FBXW7 regulates endothelial barrier function by suppression of the cholesterol synthesis pathway and prenylation of RhoB
Authors: Pronk Manon C. A. , Majolée Jisca , Loregger Anke , van Bezu Jan S. M. , Zelcer Noam , Hordijk Peter L. , Kovačević Igor
Published: January 2019

Rho GTPases control both the actin cytoskeleton and adherens junction stability and are recognized as essential regulators of endothelial barrier function. They act as molecular switches and are primarily regulated by the exchange of GDP and GTP. However, posttranslational modifications such as phosphorylation, prenylation, and ubiquitination can additionally alter their localization, stability, and activity. F-box proteins are involved in the recognition of substrate proteins predestined for ubiquitination and subsequent degradation. Given the importance of ubiquitination, we studied the effect of the loss of 62 members of the F-box protein family on endothelial barrier function in human umbilical vein endothelial cells. Endothelial barrier function was quantified by electrical cell impedance sensing and macromolecule passage assay. Our RNA interference–based screen identified FBXW7 as a key regulator of endothelial barrier function. Mechanistically, loss of FBXW7 induced the accumulation of the RhoB GTPase in endothelial cells, resulting in their increased contractility and permeability. FBXW7 knockdown induced activation of the cholesterol biosynthesis pathway and changed the prenylation of RhoB. This effect was reversed by farnesyl transferase inhibitors and by the addition of geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate. In summary, this study identifies FBXW7 as a novel regulator of endothelial barrier function in vitro. Loss of FBXW7 indirectly modulates RhoB activity via alteration of the cholesterol biosynthesis pathway and, consequently, of the prenylation status and activity of RhoB, resulting in increased contractility and disruption of the endothelial barrier.
Dual RXR motifs regulate nerve growth factor–mediated intracellular retention of the delta opioid receptor
Authors: Shiwarski Daniel J. , Crilly Stephanie E. , Dates Andrew , Puthenveedu Manojkumar A.
Published: January 2019

The delta opioid receptor (DOR), a physiologically relevant prototype for G protein–coupled receptors, is retained in intracellular compartments in neuronal cells. This retention is mediated by a nerve growth factor (NGF)-regulated checkpoint that delays the export of DOR from the trans-Golgi network. How DOR is selectively retained in the Golgi, in the midst of dynamic membrane transport and cargo export, is a fundamental unanswered question. Here we address this by investigating sequence elements on DOR that regulate DOR surface delivery, focusing on the C-terminal tail of DOR that is sufficient for NGF-mediated regulation. By systematic mutational analysis, we define conserved dual bi-arginine (RXR) motifs that are required for NGF- and phosphoinositide-regulated DOR export from intracellular compartments in neuroendocrine cells. These motifs were required to bind the coatomer protein I (COPI) complex, a vesicle coat complex that mediates primarily retrograde cargo traffic in the Golgi. Our results suggest that interactions of DOR with COPI, via atypical COPI motifs on the C-terminal tail, retain DOR in the Golgi. These interactions could provide a point of regulation of DOR export and delivery by extracellular signaling pathways.
salto/CG13164is required for sperm head morphogenesis inDrosophila
Authors: Augière Céline , Lapart Jean-André , Duteyrat Jean-Luc , Cortier Elisabeth , Maire Charline , Thomas Joëlle , Durand Bénédicte
Published: January 2019

Producing mature spermatozoa is essential for sexual reproduction in metazoans. Spermiogenesis involves dramatic cell morphological changes going from sperm tail elongation and nuclear reshaping to cell membrane remodeling during sperm individualization and release. The sperm manchette plays a critical scaffolding function during nuclear remodeling by linking the nuclear lamina to the cytoskeleton. Here, we describe the role of an uncharacterized protein in Drosophila, salto/CG13164, involved in nuclear shaping and spermatid individualization. Salto has dynamic localization during spermatid differentiation, being progressively relocated from the sperm-nuclear dense body, which is equivalent to the mammalian sperm manchette, to the centriolar adjunct and acrosomal cap during spermiogenesis. salto-null male flies are sterile and exhibit complete spermatid individualization defects. salto-deficient spermatids show coiled spermatid nuclei at late maturation stages and stalled individualization complexes. Our work sheds light on a novel component involved in cytoskeleton-based cell-morphological changes during spermiogenesis.
Aggression and Anger in Sport and Performance
Authors: Kosiewicz Jerzy
Published: January 2019

Aggressive behaviors and attitudes are investigated first of all from the viewpoint of psychology, sociology, and philosophy. These three disciplines could provide a coherent groundwork for the science on aggression in sport. The science on aggression in sport would be a discipline united by a bond between related issues and a unity of subject, and not by one uniform method.

There are two different viewpoints concerning aggression in sport: the cognitive and the ideological. The cognitive viewpoint approaches sports phenomena objectively in order to describe, explain, and compare them—that is, to present the real situation. The ideological viewpoint approaches the subject in an ideological way; that is, it strives for to presenting sport in the most favorable light, while attempting to hide its vices. This viewpoint makes it nearly impossible to diagnose the existing state of affairs, Attitudes towards aggression in sport, while taking into account other criteria, may be divided into the cognitive and the commonsense interpretations. Proponents of the commonsense viewpoint suggest that aggression is a solely negative entity and that it takes place only in the form of emotionally driven aggression meant to do harm. The cognitive interpretation suggests that there exist two forms of aggression in athletic rivalry: emotional aggression aimed at doing harm to an opponent and necessary aggression resulting from the regulations of a given sport.

Aggression in sport—considered from the viewpoint of regulations of particular sports—may be either necessary (that is, instrumental) or non-instrumental (that is, potential in the sense that it enables expression of emotions which are not provided for by regulations). Aggressive behavior is necessary when called for by the regulations of a given sport, specifically, among others, combat sports such as boxing, judo, or wrestling. Competitors who avoid fighting and who do not manifest aggressive behaviors in such a field are induced to manifest them and—if this does not bring results—may be punished by referees and, as a last resort, sent off.
Resilience in Later Life
Authors: Pachana Nancy A. , Burton Nicola W. , McLaughlin Deirdre , Depp Colin A.
Published: January 2019

Research on healthy aging has begun to address mental health issues in later life. Despite the debates about exactly what constitutes healthy aging and which are the most useful or valid determinants of this construct to study, there is substantial evidence for several determinants of successful aging, including physical activity, cognitive stimulation, and social networks. All three of these determinants support mental health, including cognition, in later life. Resilience is another construct that plays an important role in healthy aging, but it has not received as much research attention at the end of life as in earlier periods. Factors that reduce the risk of mental distress or promote resilience with respect to mental health in the face of challenges in later life remain fruitful areas for further investigations.
Pottery chaînes opératoires as Historical Documents
Authors: Gosselain Olivier P.
Published: January 2019

Technical processes—or chaînes opératoires—are heterogeneous cultural aggregates articulating raw materials, tools, knowledge, representations, and agents. The nature and arrangement of these elements stem from a web of social, historical, and ecological relations that not only delineate a sociohistorical framework within which artisans operate, but also determine how individuals shape and give meaning to their daily engagement in the craft. Pottery chaînes opératoires have been the focus of a large body of ethnographical studies in Africa since the beginning of the 20th century, most of them developing within the subfield of ethnoarchaeology. Yet pottery chaînes opératoires may also provide crucial information to historians when analyzed through an approach inspired from historical linguistics and tentatively called “comparative technology.” Pioneered by Haudricourt, this approach combines two levels of comparison. The first consists in a minute comparison of different chaînes opératoires within a given field of activity and geographical area in order to identify similarities and differences in tools, materials, gestures, and the organization of operations. This allows for the identification of specific “technical traditions”; that is, shared ways of doing that stem from a shared set of knowledge. The second level of comparison implies a mapping of the technical traditions (be it whole chaînes opératoires or particular stages or components), with the aim of identifying and characterizing their respective spatial distributions: for example, the effects of aggregation or disintegration, possible boundaries, or interpenetrations.

The relevance of spatial distributions in history-oriented analyses of technical processes is twofold. First, spatial distributions compel us to explore the sociohistorical processes from which they resulted; that is, the set of relations—social, economic, political, and ecological—that determine how artisans interact with each other, share knowledge, use tools and materials, cope with changing situations, or seize new opportunities. Second, spatial distributions may reveal strong and time-enduring connections with various kinds of social identities (e.g., languages, political factionalism, regional affiliation, gender, and ethnicity). When the underlying mechanisms of such connections are appropriately understood, they may be used to formulate hypotheses about past processes, including population movements, the development and evolution of political boundaries, identity negotiations, or socio-economical transformations. Here, chaînes opératoires may prove especially reliable for historians since they are less easily and deliberately manipulated than written or oral documents