bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Interference between arsenic‐induced toxicity and hypoxia
Authors: Kumar Vijay , Vogelsang Lara , Seidel Thorsten , Schmidt Romy , Weber Michael , Reichelt Michael , Meyer Andreas , Clemens Stephan , Sharma Shanti S. , Dietz Karl‐Josef
Published: September 2018

Plants often face combinatorial stresses in their natural environment. Here, arsenic (As) toxicity was combined with hypoxia (Hpx) in the roots of Arabidopsis thaliana as it often occurs in nature. Arsenic inhibited growth of both roots and leaves, whereas root growth almost entirely ceased in Hpx. Growth efficiently resumed, and Hpx marker transcripts decreased upon reaeration. Compromised recovery from HpxAs treatment following reaeration indicated some persistent effects of combined stresses despite lower As accumulation. Root glutathione redox potential turned more oxidized in Hpx and most strongly in HpxAs. The more oxidizing root cell redox potential and the lowered glutathione amounts may be conducive to the growth arrest of plants exposed to HpxAs. The stresses elicited changes in elemental and transcriptomic composition. Thus, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorous amounts decreased in rosettes, but the strongest decline was seen for potassium. The reorganized potassium‐related transcriptome supports the conclusion that disturbed potassium homeostasis contributes to the growth phenotype. In a converse manner, photosynthesis‐related parameters were hardly affected, whereas accumulated carbohydrates under all stresses and anthocyanins under Hpx exclude carbohydrate limitation. The study demonstrates the existence of both synergistic since mutually aggravating effects and antagonistic effects of single and combined stresses.
The Challenge of Adapting to Global Complexity: Lessons from Peace Education Practices in Hiroshima, Japan
Authors: Romano Arthur
Published: September 2018

This article examines how two peace educators in Hiroshima, Japan, expanded their curricular focus and pedagogical methods in the decades following the Second World War. It analyzes how they navigated the intersection of local and global peace education efforts as they developed their approach for engaging with increasing global complexity. The educators highlighted three emergent responses to this complexity over time: diversification of pedagogical strategies to employ participatory approaches inside and outside the classroom, development of broader interdisciplinary curricula with a widening array of peace‐related themes, and use of global connectivity to intensify communication, encounter, and feedback among educators and learners in Hiroshima and other areas. This expansion created both tensions and opportunities as educators engaged with local historical memory of the atomic bomb, their nuclear disarmament work, and their growing interest in broader peace education issues. Hiroshima offers insight into pedagogical adaptation in response to global complexity and highlights the need for more robust research that can account for emergent pedagogical developments that take place within and across regional and global educational networks.
Paying Attention to Peace: The Meal of Reconciliation and Positive Peacemaking in the 1960s
Authors: Moon Penelope Adams
Published: September 2018

Recent studies confirm the persistent dominance of negative peace frameworks in peace research. Such frameworks can marginalize the history of positive peacemaking and veil the richness of the American peace movement. Moreover, peace studies that adopt a negative peace framework—peace as the absence of war—often offer little insight into the peace visions that animate peacemakers. I examine the meal of reconciliation, a form of positive peacemaking developed in the 1960s by the American peacemaking organization, the Catholic Peace Fellowship. While connected to a larger effort to end the Vietnam War, the meal of reconciliation embodied and advanced a set of values and aspirations that transcended ending the war. As a peacemaking practice, the meal of reconciliation provides important insight into what peace meant to some of the era’s most radical peacemakers. Paying attention to positive peacemaking helps recast the American peace movement as an ongoing, iterative phenomenon, rather than an aberrational, sporadic reflex against war.
Genetics of periodontitis: Discovery, biology, and clinical impact
Authors: Schaefer Arne S
Published: September 2018

This review provides an update on genome‐wide association studies in periodontitis. Studies in populations with European ancestry have dominated the landscape of periodontitis genetics studies but, increasingly, studies in Asian populations are being reported. The review also summarizes evidence for suggested associated genetic variations. The loci associated with genome‐wide association studies consist of noncoding variations, many of which are predicted to modulate levels of gene expression. In this article, the biological functions of the genes that are nearest to the associations and their implications for disease etiology are also examined. A major challenge in the genetics of periodontitis is identification of the causal variant(s) underlying associations with periodontitis, elucidation of the molecular mechanisms that are potentially affected by the associated variants, and understanding how they contribute to disease phenotypes and traits. This will allow emerging medical initiatives to make clinical use of genetic discoveries. Large collaborative studies, across research centers and across subspecialties and disciplines, will be required to realize the promise of genetic discovery in periodontitis.
Lifestyle and periodontitis: The emergence of personalized periodontics
Authors: Bartold P. Mark
Published: September 2018

Personalized medicine is a medical model that involves the tailoring of healthcare ‐ with medical decisions, practices, and/or products being customized to an individual patient. In this model, diagnostic testing is often employed for selecting appropriate and optimal therapies based on the context of a patient's genetic content or other epidemiologic, sociologic, molecular, physiologic, or cellular analyses. With the advent of major advances in periodontal medicine, including genomic discoveries and greater understanding of the multifactorial nature of periodontitis, it seems that the time is ripe to use personalized medicine as a model for personalized periodontics. This volume of Periodontology 2000 explores how new advances in our understanding of periodontitis within a medical model can evolve into new treatment strategies tailor‐made for individual patients and not merely based on wholesale treatment paradigms.
The Special Case Thesis and the Dual Nature of Law
Authors: Alexy Robert
Published: September 2018

In this article, I take up two arguments in favor of the discursive model of legal argumentation: the claim to correctness argument and the dual nature thesis. The argument of correctness implies the dual nature thesis, and the dual nature thesis implies a nonpositivistic concept of law. The nonpositivistic concept of law comprises five ideas. One of them is the special case thesis. The special case thesis says that positivistic elements, that is, statutes, precedents, and prevailing doctrines, are necessary for law in order to achieve legal certainty. Without this, law would not be as perfect as it could possibly be. But it says, at the same time, that this alone would not be enough to fulfill the claim to correctness. The claim to correctness refers not only to the real dimension of law, defined by statutes, precedents, and prevailing doctrines, but also to its ideal dimension, defined, first and foremost, by justice. The special case thesis is my oldest thesis. It has remained an essential element of my system over the years. Its connection with four other theses—the Radbruch formula, the human rights thesis, the idea of deliberative democracy, and principles theory—does not change this at all. On the contrary, this connection has lent greater strength to the special case thesis.
Theoretical Disagreement, Legal Positivism, and Interpretation
Authors: Patterson Dennis
Published: September 2018

Ronald Dworkin famously argued that legal positivism is a defective account of law because it has no account of Theoretical Disagreement. In this article I argue that legal positivism—as advanced by H.L.A. Hart—does not need an account of Theoretical Disagreement. Legal positivism does, however, need a plausible account of interpretation in law. I provide such an account in this article.
The Purity Thesis
Authors: Paulson Stanley L.
Published: September 2018

Hans Kelsen’s purity thesis is the basic methodological principle of the Pure Theory of Law. Indeed, it is no exaggeration to say that virtually everything that is peculiar to Kelsen’s legal theory stems from the purity thesis. This includes Kelsen’s normativism or non‐naturalism and his polemic against various dualisms in legal science. I set out Kelsen’s position on these issues after looking at the nomenclature of purity in his writings as well as the philosophical and contextual sources of purity as he understands them.
Is International Law a Hartian Legal System?
Authors: Pavel Carmen E.
Published: September 2018

H. L. A. Hart proposed one of the most influential accounts of law, according to which law is a union of primary rules, which guide the behavior of the law’s subjects, and secondary rules, which guide officials in recognizing, changing, and interpreting primary rules. Writing at the end of the 1950s, Hart had serious doubts about whether international law meets the necessary criteria for a legal system. But there are several reasons to reconsider his position. One is that international law has grown significantly since then, but a more important reason is that Hart provided an oversimplified description of the necessary and sufficient conditions for law provided by his account, and therefore of the nature of the international legal order. A proper understanding of Hart’s view gives us a richer and more accurate understanding of the essential features of law, but also a less precise yardstick by which to measure and characterize the various systems of rules, including international law. According to this new yardstick, international law fails to meet the criteria for a Hartian legal system, but for reasons other than those identified by Hart.
The Possibility of Interimperial Law
Authors: Dobrzeniecki Karol
Published: September 2018

This article identifies the contemporary criteria of imperiality and then considers the normative aspects of the existence of certain great powers (empires) in international relations. It is argued that there is a body of norms valid among empires that may be referred to as interimperial law, in the sense of a normative order that is intended to lower the costs and dangers of competition between empires. The article outlines a basic theory of coexistence between the emerging interimperial law and the existing international law, derived from theoretical and historical models of the coexistence of various legal orders within one territory.
Reference intervals for coagulation variables in healthy adult domestic goats (Capra aegagrus hircus)
Authors: Zersen Kristin M. , Russell Moore A , Olver Christine S. , Mathis Justin C.
Published: September 2018

Background

Coagulation has not been studied extensively in adult goats, and reference intervals (RIs) for coagulation variables have not yet been established and would be clinically useful.

Objectives

The goal of this study was to establish coagulation variable RIs in adult goats for future coagulation interpretation.

Methods

Blood samples from 40 healthy adult goats were collected, and assays for PT, APTT, D‐dimers, antithrombin III, and fibrinogen were performed. Coagulation variable RIs were established using the Reference Value Advisor v2.1.

Results

The RIs included: PT, 15.7‐19.8 seconds; APTT, 16.2‐24.3 seconds; D‐dimer, 0‐0.68 μg/mL; antithrombin III, 108.6%‐156.5%; fibrinogen, 89.5‐303.2 mg/dL.

Conclusions

In this brief communication, we report the RIs for coagulation variables in healthy adult goats. Further research will be needed to identify coagulation changes that are associated with specific disease processes of goats.
Comparison of inhibitory neuromuscular transmission in the Cynomolgus monkey IAS and rectum: special emphasis on differences in purinergic transmission
Authors: Cobine C. A. , McKechnie M. , Brookfield R. J. , Hannigan K. I. , Keef K. D.
Published: September 2018

Key points

Inhibitory neuromuscular transmission (NMT) was compared in the internal anal sphincter (IAS) and rectum of the Cynomolgus monkey, an animal with high gene sequence identity to humans.

Nitrergic NMT was present in both muscles while purinergic NMT was limited to the rectum and VIPergic NMT to the IAS. The profile for monkey IAS more closely resembles humans than rodents.

In both muscles, SK3 channels were localized to PDGFRα+ cells that were closely associated with nNOS+/VIP+ nerves. Gene expression levels of P2RY subtypes were the same in IAS and rectum while KCNN expression levels were very similar.

SK3 channel activation and inhibition caused faster/greater changes in contractile activity in rectum than IAS. P2Y1 receptor activation inhibited contraction in rectum while increasing contraction in IAS.

The absence of purinergic NMT in the IAS may be due to poor coupling between P2Y1 receptors and SK3 channels on PDGFRα+ cells.

Inhibitory neuromuscular transmission (NMT) was compared in the internal anal sphincter (IAS) and rectum of the Cynomolgus monkey, an animal with a high gene sequence identity to humans. Electrical field stimulation produced nitric oxide synthase (NOS)‐dependent contractile inhibition in both muscles whereas P2Y1‐dependent purinergic NMT was restricted to rectum. An additional NOS‐independent, α‐chymotrypsin‐sensitive component was identified in the IAS consistent with vasoactive intestinal peptide‐ergic (VIPergic) NMT. Microelectrode recordings revealed slow NOS‐dependent inhibitory junction potentials (IJPs) in both muscles and fast P2Y1‐dependent IJPs in rectum. The basis for the difference in purinergic NMT was investigated. PDGFRα+/SK3+ cells were closely aligned with nNOS+/VIP+ neurons in both muscles. Gene expression of P2RY was the same in IAS and rectum (P2RY1>>P2RY2‐14) while KCNN3 expression was 32% greater in rectum. The SK channel inhibitor apamin doubled contractile activity in rectum while having minimal effect in the IAS. Contractile inhibition elicited with the SK channel agonist CyPPA was five times faster in rectum than in the IAS. The P2Y1 receptor agonist MRS2365 inhibited contraction in rectum but increased contraction in the IAS. In conclusion, both the IAS and the rectum have nitrergic NMT whereas purinergic NMT is limited to rectum and VIPergic NMT to the IAS. The profile in monkey IAS more closely resembles that of humans than rodents. The lack of purinergic NMT in the IAS cannot be attributed to the absence of PDGFRα+ cells, P2Y1 receptors or SK3 channels. Rather, it appears to be due to poor coupling between P2Y1 receptors and SK3 channels on PDGFRα+ cells.
Growth hormone secretagogue receptor constitutive activity impairs voltage‐gated calcium channel‐dependent inhibitory neurotransmission in hippocampal neurons
Authors: Martínez Damonte Valentina , Rodríguez Silvia Susana , Raingo Jesica
Published: September 2018

Key points

Presynaptic CaV2 voltage‐gated calcium channels link action potentials arriving at the presynaptic terminal to neurotransmitter release. Hence, their regulation is essential to fine tune brain circuitry.

CaV2 channels are highly sensitive to G protein‐coupled receptor (GPCR) modulation. Our previous data indicated that growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHSR) constitutive activity impairs CaV2 channels by decreasing their surface density.

We present compelling support for the impact of CaV2.2 channel inhibition by agonist‐independent GHSR activity exclusively on GABA release in hippocampal cultures. We found that this selectivity arises from a high reliance of GABA release on CaV2.2 rather than on CaV2.1 channels.

Our data provide new information on the effects of the ghrelin–GHSR system on synaptic transmission, suggesting a putative physiological role of the constitutive signalling of a GPCR that is expressed at high levels in brain areas with restricted access to its natural agonist.

Growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHSR) displays high constitutive activity, independent of its endogenous ligand, ghrelin. Unlike ghrelin‐induced GHSR activity, the physiological role of GHSR constitutive activity and the mechanisms that underlie GHSR neuronal modulation remain elusive. We previously demonstrated that GHSR constitutive activity modulates presynaptic CaV2 voltage‐gated calcium channels. Here we postulate that GHSR constitutive activity‐mediated modulation of CaV2 channels could be relevant in the hippocampus since this brain area has high GHSR expression but restricted access to ghrelin. We performed whole‐cell patch‐clamp in hippocampal primary cultures from E16‐ to E18‐day‐old C57BL6 wild‐type and GHSR‐deficient mice after manipulating GHSR expression with lentiviral transduction. We found that GHSR constitutive activity impairs CaV2.1 and CaV2.2 native calcium currents and that CaV2.2 basal impairment leads to a decrease in GABA but not glutamate release. We postulated that this selective effect is related to a higher CaV2.2 over CaV2.1 contribution to GABA release (∼40% for CaV2.2 in wild‐type vs. ∼20% in wild‐type GHSR‐overexpressing cultures). This effect of GHSR constitutive activity is conserved in hippocampal brain slices, where GHSR constitutive activity reduces local GABAergic transmission of the granule cell layer (intra‐granule cell inhibitory postsynaptic current (IPSC) size ∼−67 pA in wild‐type vs. ∼−100 pA in GHSR‐deficient mice), whereas the glutamatergic output from the dentate gyrus to CA3 remains unchanged. In summary, we found that GHSR constitutive activity impairs IPSCs both in hippocampal primary cultures and in brain slices through a CaV2‐dependent mechanism without affecting glutamatergic transmission.
Estimating relative channel impulse responses from ships of opportunity in a shallow water environment
Authors: Gemba Kay L. , Sarkar Jit , Cornuelle Bruce , Hodgkiss William S. , Kuperman W. A.
Published: September 2018

The uncertainty of estimating relative channel impulse responses (CIRs) obtained using the radiated signature from a ship of opportunity is investigated. The ship observations were taken during a 1.4 km (11 min) transect in a shallow water environment during the Noise Correlation 2009 (NC09) experiment. Beamforming on the angle associated with the direct ray-path yields an estimate of the ship signature, subsequently used in a matched filter. Relative CIRs are estimated every 2.5 s independently at three vertical line arrays (VLAs). The relative arrival-time uncertainty is inversely proportional to source bandwidth and CIR signal-to-noise ratio, and reached a minimum standard deviation of 5 μs (equivalent to approximately 1 cm spatial displacement). Time-series of direct-path relative arrival-times are constructed for each VLA element across the 11 min observation interval. The overall structure of these time-series compares favorably with that predicted from an array element localization model. The short-term standard deviations calculated on the direct-path (7 μs) and bottom-reflected-path (17 μs) time-series are in agreement with the predicted arrival-time accuracies. The implications of these observed arrival-time accuracies in the context of estimating sound speed perturbations and bottom-depth are discussed.
Steroid Degradation in Comamonas testosteroni TA441: Identification of Metabolites and the Genes Involved in the Reactions Necessary before D-Ring Cleavage
Authors: Horinouchi Masae , Koshino Hiroyuki , Malon Michal , Hirota Hiroshi , Hayashi Toshiaki
Published: September 2018

Studies on representative steroid degradation bacteria
Rhodococcus equi
(
Nocardia restrictus
) and
Comamonas testosteroni
were initiated more than 50 years ago primarily to obtain materials for steroid drugs. A recent study showed that steroid-degrading bacteria are globally distributed and found particularly in wastewater treatment plants, the soil, plant rhizospheres, and the marine environment, but the role of bacterial steroid degradation in the environment is yet to be revealed. This study aimed to uncover the whole steroid degradation process in
C. testosteroni
TA441, in which major enzymes for steroidal A- and B-ring cleavage were elucidated, to provide basic information for further studies on bacterial steroid degradation.
C. testosteroni
is suitable for exploring the degradation pathway because the involvement of degradation-related genes can be determined by gene disruption. We elucidated the two indispensable oxidative reactions and hydration before D-ring cleavage, which appeared to differ from those present in
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
H37Rv.
Assembly Order of Flagellar Rod Subunits in Bacillus subtilis
Authors: Burrage Andrew M. , Vanderpool Eric , Kearns Daniel B.
Published: September 2018

Bacteria rotate propeller-like flagella to find and colonize environmental niches. The flagellum is a complex machine, and the understanding of its structure is still incomplete. Here, we characterize and biochemically define the assembly order of the subunits that make up the axle-like rod. The rod is a critical structure for the assembly of subsequent components and is central to our understanding of how the flagellum is anchored but still free spinning within the context of the cell envelope.
Proficiency of WHO Global Foodborne Infections Network External Quality Assurance System Participants in Identification and Susceptibility Testing of Thermotolerant Campylobacter spp. from 2003 to 2012
Authors: Pedersen Susanne Karlsmose , Wagenaar Jaap A. , Vigre Håkan , Roer Louise , Mikoleit Matthew , Aidara-Kane Awa , Cawthorne Amy L. , Aarestrup Frank M. , Hendriksen Rene S.
Published: September 2018

Campylobacter
spp. are foodborne and waterborne pathogens.
Transcriptional Regulation Buffers Gene Dosage Effects on a Highly Expressed Operon in
Salmonella
Authors: Garmendia Eva , Brandis Gerrit , Hughes Diarmaid
Published: September 2018

A feature of bacterial chromosomes is that highly expressed essential genes are usually located close to the origin of replication. Because bacteria have overlapping cycles of replication, genes located close to the origin will often be present in multiple copies, and this is thought to be of selective benefit where high levels of expression support high growth rate. However, the magnitude of this selective effect and whether other forces could be at play are poorly understood. To study this, we translocated a highly expressed essential operon,
tufB
, to different locations and measured growth fitness. We found that transcriptional regulation buffered the effects of translocation and that even under conditions where growth rate was reduced, genetic changes that increased the expression of
tufB
were easily and rapidly selected. We conclude, at least for
tufB
, that forces other than gene dosage may be significant in selecting for chromosomal location.
Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha Induces Reactivation of Human Cytomegalovirus Independently of Myeloid Cell Differentiation following Posttranscriptional Establishment of Latency
Authors: Forte Eleonora , Swaminathan Suchitra , Schroeder Mark W. , Kim Jeong Yeon , Terhune Scott S. , Hummel Mary
Published: September 2018

HCMV is an important human pathogen that establishes lifelong latent infection in myeloid progenitor cells and reactivates frequently to cause significant disease in immunocompromised people. Our observation that viral gene expression is first turned on and then turned off to establish latency suggests that there is a host defense, which may be myeloid cell specific, responsible for transcriptional silencing of viral gene expression. Our observation that TNF-α induces reactivation independently of differentiation provides insight into molecular mechanisms that control reactivation.
The Impact of STRICTA and CONSORT on Reporting of Randomised Control Trials of Acupuncture: A Systematic Methodological Evaluation
Authors: Svenkerud Simen , MacPherson Hugh
Published: September 2018

Background

Clear and unambiguous reporting is essential for researchers and clinicians to be able to assess the quality of research. To enhance the quality of reporting, consensus-based reporting guidelines are commonly used.

Objectives

To update and extend previous research by evaluating the more recent impact of STRICTA (STandards for Reporting Interventions in Controlled Trials of Acupuncture) and CONSORT (CONsolidated Standards Of Reporting Trials) guidelines on the quality of reporting of acupuncture trials.

Methods

By random sampling, approximately 45 trials from each of five 2-year time periods between 1994 and 2015 were included in the study. Using scoring sheets based on the STRICTA and CONSORT checklist items (range 0 to 7 and 0 to 5, respectively), the distribution of items reported over time was investigated, with changes shown using scatterplots. The primary analysis used a before-and-after t-test to compare time periods. A meta-analysis investigated whether or not trials published in journals that endorsed STRICTA were associated with better reporting.

Results

The study included 207 trials. Improved reporting of items over time was observed, as represented by changes in the scatterplot slope and intercept. The mean STRICTA score increased from 4.27 in the 1994–1995 period to 5.53 in 2014–2015, an 18% improvement. The mean CONSORT score rose from 1.01 in the 1994–1995 period to 3.32 in 2014–2015, an increment of 46%. There was proportionately lower reporting for items related to practitioner background (STRICTA) and for randomisation implementation and allocation concealment (CONSORT). Trials published in journals that endorsed STRICTA had statistically significantly superior reporting of both STRICTA and CONSORT items overall.

Conclusion

This study has provided evidence of an improvement in reporting of STRICTA and CONSORT items over the time period from 1994 to 2015. Journals that endorse STRICTA have a better record in terms of reporting quality. Some evidence suggests that the publication of STRICTA has had a positive impact on reporting quality.
Bayesian approach to determining penetrance of pathogenic SDH variants
Authors: Benn Diana E , Zhu Ying , Andrews Katrina A , Wilding Mathilda , Duncan Emma L , Dwight Trisha , Tothill Richard W , Burgess John , Crook Ashley , Gill Anthony J , Hicks Rodney J , Kim Edward , Luxford Catherine , Marfan Helen , Richardson Anne Louise , Robinson Bruce , Schlosberg Arran , Susman Rachel , Tacon Lyndal , Trainer Alison , Tucker Katherine , Maher Eamonn R , Field Michael , Clifton-Bligh Roderick J
Published: September 2018

Background

Until recently, determining penetrance required large observational cohort studies. Data from the Exome Aggregate Consortium (ExAC) allows a Bayesian approach to calculate penetrance, in that population frequencies of pathogenic germline variants should be inversely proportional to their penetrance for disease. We tested this hypothesis using data from two cohorts for succinate dehydrogenase subunits A, B and C (SDHA–C) genetic variants associated with hereditary pheochromocytoma/paraganglioma (PC/PGL).

Methods

Two cohorts were 575 unrelated Australian subjects and 1240 unrelated UK subjects, respectively, with PC/PGL in whom genetic testing had been performed. Penetrance of pathogenic SDHA–C variants was calculated by comparing allelic frequencies in cases versus controls from ExAC (removing those variants contributed by The Cancer Genome Atlas).

Results

Pathogenic SDHA–C variants were identified in 106 subjects (18.4%) in cohort 1 and 317 subjects (25.6%) in cohort 2. Of 94 different pathogenic variants from both cohorts (seven in SDHA, 75 in SDHB and 12 in SDHC), 13 are reported in ExAC (two in SDHA, nine in SDHB and two in SDHC) accounting for 21% of subjects with SDHA–C variants. Combining data from both cohorts, estimated lifetime disease penetrance was 22.0% (95% CI 15.2% to 30.9%) for SDHB variants, 8.3% (95% CI 3.5% to 18.5%) for SDHC variants and 1.7% (95% CI 0.8% to 3.8%) for SDHA variants.

Conclusion

Pathogenic variants in SDHB are more penetrant than those in SDHC and SDHA. Our findings have important implications for counselling and surveillance of subjects carrying these pathogenic variants.
k-Jet field approximations to geodesic deviation equations
Authors: Gallego Torromé Ricardo , Gratus Jonathan
Published: September 2018

Let [Formula: see text] be a smooth manifold and [Formula: see text] a semi-spray defined on a sub-bundle [Formula: see text] of the tangent bundle [Formula: see text]. In this work, it is proved that the only non-trivial [Formula: see text]-jet approximation to the exact geodesic deviation equation of [Formula: see text], linear on the deviation functions and invariant under an specific class of local coordinate transformations, is the Jacobi equation. However, if the linearity property on the dependence in the deviation functions is not imposed, then there are differential equations whose solutions admit [Formula: see text]-jet approximations and are invariant under arbitrary coordinate transformations. As an example of higher-order geodesic deviation equations, we study the first- and second-order geodesic deviation equations for a Finsler spray.
Eu3+/Tb3+ Co-Doped Cerium Oxide Transparent Nanocomposite for Color-Tunable Emission
Authors: Li Xiaoyan , Yu Yunlong , Guan Xiangfeng , Luo Peihui , Jiang Linqin , Zheng Zhiqiang , Chen Dagui
Published: September 2018

Eu[Formula: see text]/Tb[Formula: see text] co-doped nanocomposite containing CeO2 nanocrystals was successfully prepared by an in situ sol–gel polymerization approach. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy demonstrated the homogeneous precipitation of CeO2 nanocrystals among the polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) matrix. The thermal stability and UV-shielding capability of the obtained nanocomposite were improved with increase of CeO2 content. The tuning of the emissive color from green and yellow to red can be easily achieved by varying the dopant species and concentration. These results suggested that the obtained nanocomposite could be potentially applicable in transparent solid-state luminescent devices.
Pseudo-differential type operators and Gevrey spaces
Authors: Waphare B. B. , Gajbhiv S. G.
Published: September 2018

In this paper, the pseudo-differential type operator [Formula: see text] associated with the Bessel type operator [Formula: see text] defined by (2.3) involving the symbol [Formula: see text] whose derivatives satisfy certain growth conditions depending on some increasing sequences, is studied on certain Gevrey spaces. It is shown that the operator [Formula: see text] is a continuous linear map of one Gevrey space into another Gevrey space. A special pseudo-differential type operator called the Gevrey–Hankel type potential is defined and some of its properties are investigated. A variant of [Formula: see text] is also studied.
The eccentric adjacency index of unicyclic graphs and trees
Authors: Akhter Shehnaz , Farooq Rashid
Published: September 2018

Let [Formula: see text] be a simple connected graph with vertex set [Formula: see text] and edge set [Formula: see text]. The eccentricity [Formula: see text] of a vertex [Formula: see text] in [Formula: see text] is the largest distance between [Formula: see text] and any other vertex of [Formula: see text]. The eccentric adjacency index (also known as Ediz eccentric connectivity index) of [Formula: see text] is defined as [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text] is the sum of degrees of neighbors of the vertex [Formula: see text]. In this paper, we determine the unicyclic graphs with largest eccentric adjacency index among all [Formula: see text]-vertex unicyclic graphs with a given girth. In addition, we find the tree with largest eccentric adjacency index among all the [Formula: see text]-vertex trees with a fixed diameter.
Mosaic5G
Authors: Nikaein Navid , Chang Chia-Yu , Alexandris Konstantinos
Published: September 2018

Network slicing is one of the key enablers to provide the required flexibility and to realize the service-oriented vision toward fifth generation (5G) mobile networks. In that sense, virtualization, softwarization, and disaggregation are core concepts to accommodate the requirements of an end-to-end (E2E) service to be either isolated, shared, or customized. They lay the foundation for a multi-service and multi-tenant architecture, and are realized by applying the principles of software-defined networking (SDN), network function virtualization (NFV), and cloud computing to the mobile networks. Research on these principles requires agile and flexible platforms that offer a wide range of real-world experimentations over different domains to open up innovations in 5G. To this end, we present Mosaic5G, a community-led consortium for sharing platforms, providing a number of software components, namely FlexRAN, LL-MEC, JOX and Store, spanning application, management, control and user plane on top of OpenAirInterface (OAI) platform. Finally, we show several use cases of Mosaic5G corresponding to widely-mentioned 5G research directions.
Chronic, Recreational Chloroform-Induced Liver Injury
Authors: Minor Emily A. , Newman Mackenzie S. , Kupec Justin T.
Published: September 2018

Historically used as an anesthetic, chloroform is a halogenated hydrocarbon that is associated with central nervous system depression, arrhythmias, and hepatotoxicity. It is no longer used clinically, but accidental and intentional poisonings still occur. We report a case of chronic chloroform abuse leading to severe hepatotoxicity in a 26-year-old male graduate student. The patient presented to the emergency department with a three-day history of abdominal pain, dehydration, and scleral icterus. He drank several beers the night before the onset of symptoms, but denied taking acetaminophen, ibuprofen, or other drugs. An extensive work-up revealed an aspartate aminotransferase (AST) of 13,527 U/L and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) of 8,745 U/L, but the cause of his liver injury could not be determined. It was not until many months later that the patient admitted to inhaling chloroform in the weeks leading up to his illness.
Microarray-Based Detection and Clinical Evaluation for Helicobacter pylori Resistance to Clarithromycin or Levofloxacin and the Genotype of CYP2C19 in 1083 Patients
Authors: Song Yi , Dou Fengna , Zhou Zhe , Yang Ningmin , Zhong Jing , Pan Jie , Liu Qiqi , Zhang Jianzhong , Wang Shengqi
Published: September 2018

Background. Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is one of the most frequent and persistent bacterial infections that affect nearly half of the world’s population. Antibiotic resistance is a constantly evolving process and local surveillance of antibiotic resistance is warranted to guide clinicians in their choice of therapy. The aim of this study was to establish a microarray-based detection to identify H. pylori infection, clarithromycin and levofloxacin susceptibility, and CYP2C19 genetic polymorphism and guide to potential choice of proton pump inhibitor (PPI), antibiotic administration for tailored H. pylori eradication therapy. Methods. By analyzing the sequence of human genomic CYP2C19⁎2 and CYP2C19⁎3 and mutations within the 23S rRNA and gyrA gene regions conferring clarithromycin and levofloxacin resistance, respectively, we developed a microarray for individual therapy detection of H. pylori infection. Plasmids were established as positive or limit of detection (LOD) reference materials. The specificity and sensitivity of the microarray had been performed. And a total of 1083 gastric biopsy samples were tested and the Kappa value had been calculated between the array and Sanger sequencing. We also analyzed the resistance to clarithromycin and levofloxacin in China, as well as the CYP2C19 polymorphisms. Results. The LOD of detecting H. pylori was 103 CFU/mL and human genome DNA was 2 ng/μL. The detection results of 1083 gastric biopsy samples showed that 691 (63.80%) were H. pylori positive, of which 266 (38.49%) were resistant to clarithromycin, 192 (27.79%) were resistant to levofloxacin, and 61 (8.83%) were resistant to both of them. For the type of CYP2C19 polymorphism, 412 (38.04%) were homozygous fast type (HomEM), 574 (53%) were heterozygous EM (HetEM), and 97 (8.96%) were poor metabolizer (PM). Conclusions. The proposed microarray-based detection has high specificity, sensitivity, and reproducibility for detecting the resistance of clarithromycin or levofloxacin as well as CYP2C19 polymorphism, which may help to improve the clinical eradication rate of H. pylori.
On the Q–S Chaos Synchronization of Fractional-Order Discrete-Time Systems: General Method and Examples
Authors: Ouannas Adel , Khennaoui Amina-Aicha , Grassi Giuseppe , Bendoukha Samir
Published: September 2018

In this paper, we propose two control strategies for the Q–S synchronization of fractional-order discrete-time chaotic systems. Assuming that the dimension of the response system m is higher than that of the drive system n, the first control scheme achieves n-dimensional synchronization whereas the second deals with the m-dimensional case. The stability of the proposed schemes is established by means of the linearization method. Numerical results are presented to confirm the findings of the study.
Economic Disparities: SPARK Ohio and Narrowing the Kindergarten Readiness Gap
Authors: Kenne Deric R. , Fischbein Rebecca , DeLuca Thomas A. , Bryant Jennifer A. , Laurene Kimberly , Mulvany Jessica L. , Leahy Peter , Banks Diane M.
Published: September 2018

The present study investigated the extent to which children of various economic backgrounds were prepared for kindergarten literacy activities, as measured by the Kindergarten Readiness Assessment-Literacy (KRA-L). The study also assessed the extent to which children’s economic disadvantagement status moderates the relationship between KRA-L scores and the level of participation in SPARK Ohio, an early education intervention focused on increasing parental engagement and advocacy. KRA-L scores for children entering kindergarten in fall 2012 were analyzed for 548 SPARK Ohio participants and 1594 comparison children. Both SPARK Ohio and comparison children identified as economically disadvantaged scored significantly lower on the KRA-L, compared to children not classified as economically disadvantaged. Economic disadvantage status may moderate the influence of participating in SPARK Ohio; children identified as economically disadvantaged scored significantly higher on the KRA-L when they participated in SPARK Ohio, compared to those that did not participate in SPARK Ohio.
A Shallow Angle Short-Axis Out-of-Plane Approach Reduces the Rate of Posterior Wall Injuries in Central Venous Catheterization: A Simulation Study
Authors: Watanabe Kunitaro , Tokumine Joho , Lefor Alan Kawarai , Motoyasu Akira , Moriyama Kumi , Yorozu Tomoko
Published: September 2018

The short-axis out-of-plane approach (SAX-OOP) is commonly used in ultrasound-guided internal jugular vein catheterization. However, this approach has a risk of posterior vein wall injuries. The authors hypothesized that a shallow angle of approach may reduce the rate of posterior wall injuries compared with the conventional steep angle approach. The present study aimed to evaluate whether a difference in the angle of approach of the needle affects the rate of posterior wall injuries. The present study was a randomized crossover-controlled trial involving 40 medical residents, conducted in the clinical training center at a hospital with a residency program. The primary outcome measure was the rate of posterior vessel wall injuries. Subjects received a didactic lecture during which the instructors taught three SAX-OOP techniques including the conventional free-hand method (procedure C), a needle navigation system (procedure N), and a shallow puncture angle using a guidance system (procedure S). Participants were trained in these approaches under supervision and each technique tested in a simulation environment. Thirty-four of 40 residents had no previous experience with central venous catheterization and were included in the final analysis. The rate of posterior vessel wall injuries in procedure S (9%) was significantly lower than using the other approaches (procedure C, 53%; procedure N, 41%). In conclusion, a shallow angle of approach using the SAX-OOP technique resulted in significantly fewer posterior vein wall injuries in central venous catheterization compared with steep angle techniques.
Atrial Structural Remodeling Gene Variants in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation
Authors: Doñate Puertas Rosa , Millat Gilles , Ernens Isabelle , Gache Vincent , Chauveau Samuel , Morel Elodie , Christin Emilie , Couturier Nathalie , Devaux Yvan , Chevalier Philippe
Published: September 2018

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common arrhythmia for which the genetic studies mainly focused on the genes involved in electrical remodeling, rather than left atrial muscle remodeling. To identify rare variants involved in atrial myopathy using mutational screening, a high-throughput next-generation sequencing (NGS) workflow was developed based on a custom AmpliSeq™ panel of 55 genes potentially involved in atrial myopathy. This workflow was applied to a cohort of 94 patients with AF, 76 with atrial dilatation and 18 without. Bioinformatic analyses used NextGENe® software and in silico tools for variant interpretation. The AmpliSeq custom-made panel efficiently explored 96.58% of the targeted sequences. Based on in silico analysis, 11 potentially pathogenic missense variants were identified that were not previously associated with AF. These variants were located in genes involved in atrial tissue structural remodeling. Three patients were also carriers of potential variants in prevalent arrhythmia-causing genes, usually associated with AF. Most of the variants were found in patients with atrial dilatation (n=9, 82%). This NGS approach was a sensitive and specific method that identified 11 potentially pathogenic variants, which are likely to play roles in the predisposition to left atrial myopathy. Functional studies are needed to confirm their pathogenicity.
Improvement for Construction of Concrete‐Wall with Resistance to Gas‐Explosion
Authors: Kim Daegeon
Published: September 2018

The research was initiated to investigate the performance of fiber‐reinforced concrete for protecting people or assets in the building against the explosion or debris missiles. The fiber‐reinforced concrete has the difficulty with being applied in the actual construction conditions with the normal ready‐mixed concrete system. The fibers for the protection performance require high toughness to endure the huge energy from an explosion, but the large amount of the fiber is required. The required amount of fibers can result in decreased workability and insufficient dispersion of fibers. It has been difficult to apply fiber‐reinforced concrete on field placing with the ready‐mixed concrete system of plant mixing, delivering, and placing. This research carried out the investigation of properties of combined fiber of steel and polymeric fiber to improve workability and agitating in the mixer. Based on the preliminary experimental test results in a laboratory, combined fiber‐reinforced concrete was applied on the actual field construction of chemical plant. According to the results from the laboratory tests and application in the real construction project, it is expected to introduce the combined fiber for desirable mechanical performance with less adverse effect on workability of the mixture.
Association between the Anatomy of the Mandibular Canal and Facial Types: A Cone-Beam Computed Tomography Analysis
Authors: dos Santos Oliveira Rudyard , Maria Gomes Oliveira Arlete , Cintra Junqueira José Luiz , Kühl Panzarella Francine
Published: September 2018

We evaluated the anatomical variations of the mandibular canal associated with various facial types, age, sex, and side of the face studied. We analyzed 348 hemimandibles in subjects without a history of trauma, lesions in the lower arch, or orthognathic or repair surgery in the posterior mandible. Facial type was determined using the VERT index. The canal path was classified as Type 1 (a large, single structure passing very close to the root tips); Type 2 (a canal passing closest to the mandibular base); and Type 3 (a canal present in the posterior mandibular region, with a lower canal running through the mandibular branch, reaching the anterior region). Bifid canals (type 3) were classified into four categories according to the course and number of mandibular canals. The brachyfacial and mesofacial types presented a Type 1 canal in 95.5% (n=166) of subjects, in dolichofacial types, 68.2% (n=45) presented a Type 2 canal, while in the mesofacial type, a lower prevalence of the bifid mandibular canal was observed (13.0%, n=23) than in the other facial types. The bifid canal showed significant association with facial type only (p<0.05), but no significant association was observed with the anterior loop type (p>0.05). Facial type is significantly associated with the path and morphological variations of the mandibular canal, independently of the side of the face studied, age, and sex.
Small Molecule Inhibitor of Type Three Secretion System Belonging to a Class 2,4-disubstituted-4H-[1,3,4]-thiadiazine-5-ones Improves Survival and Decreases Bacterial Loads in an AirwayPseudomonas aeruginosaInfection in Mice
Authors: Sheremet Anna B. , Zigangirova Naylia A. , Zayakin Egor S. , Luyksaar Sergei I. , Kapotina Lydia N. , Nesterenko Ludmila N. , Kobets Natalie V. , Gintsburg Alexander L.
Published: September 2018

Pseudomonas aeruginosais a cause of high mortality in burn, immunocompromised, and surgery patients. High incidence of antibiotic resistance in this pathogen makes the existent therapy inefficient. Type three secretion system (T3SS) is a leading virulence system ofP. aeruginosathat actively suppresses host resistance and enhances the severity of infection. Innovative therapeutic strategies aiming at inhibition of type three secretion system ofP. aeruginosaare highly attractive, as they may reduce the severity of clinical manifestations and improve antibacterial immune responses. They may also represent an attractive therapy for antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Recently our laboratory developed a new small molecule inhibitor belonging to a class 2,4-disubstituted-4H-[1,3,4]-thiadiazine-5-ones, Fluorothiazinon (FT), that effectively suppressed T3SS in chlamydia and salmonellain vitroandin vivo.In this study, we evaluate the activity of FT towards antibiotic-resistant clinical isolates ofP. aeruginosaexpressing T3SS effectors ExoU and ExoS in an airway infection model. We found that FT reduced mortality and bacterial loads and decrease lung pathology and systemic inflammation. In addition, we show that FT inhibits the secretion of ExoT and ExoY, reduced bacteria cytotoxicity, and increased bacteria internalizationin vitro. Overall, FT shows a strong potential as an antibacterial therapy of antibiotic-resistantP. aeruginosainfection.