bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Physics-based data analysis for wind turbine condition monitoring
Authors: Luo Huageng
Published: December 2017

This article presents methodologies for improving wind turbine condition monitoring using physics-based data analysis techniques. The unique operating conditions of the wind turbine drivetrain are described, and the complex kinematics of the gearbox is analyzed in detail. The pros and cons of the current wind turbine condition monitoring system (CMS) are evaluated. To improve the wind turbine CMS capability, it is suggested to use linear models with unsteady excitations, instead of using nonlinear and nonstationary process models, when dealing the wind turbine dynamics response model. An analysis is undertaken of the damage excitation mechanisms cause for various components in a gearbox, especially for those associated with lower-speed shafts. Physics (mechanics)-based data analysis methods are presented for different component damage excitation mechanisms. Validation results, using the wind farm and manufacturing floor data, are reported.
A Characterization of Ordinary Abelian Varieties by the Frobenius Push-Forward of the Structure Sheaf II
Authors: Ejiri Sho , Sannai Akiyoshi
Published: December 2017

In this paper, we prove that a smooth projective variety X of characteristic p > 0 is an ordinary abelian variety if and only if KX is pseudo-effective and $F_{*}^{e}{\mathcal {O}}_{X}$ splits into a direct sum of line bundles for an integer e with pe > 2.
Long-term UVB exposure promotes predator-inspection behaviour in a fish
Authors: Vitt Simon , Zierul Janina E. , Bakker Theo C. M. , Rick Ingolf P.
Published: December 2017

Ultraviolet-B radiation (UVB) reaching the earth's surface has increased due to human-caused stratospheric ozone depletion. Whereas the harmful effects of UVB on aquatic organisms are well studied at the molecular and cellular level, recent studies have also begun to address behavioural changes caused by sublethal amounts of UVB. However, the behavioural consequences of long-term exposure to ecologically relevant UVB levels over several life stages are virtually unknown, particularly with regard to predator–prey behaviour. We found increased predator-inspection behaviour together with a smaller body length in three-spined sticklebacks (
Gasterosteus aculeatus
) after fish were exposed for about seven months to natural sunlight conditions with enhanced UVB, compared with full siblings exposed to natural sunlight only. The observed change in antipredator behaviour may reflect a direct behavioural response mediated through UVB-induced oxidative stress during development. Alternatively, the smaller body size in UVB-exposed fish may result in an increased inspection effort allowing them to spend more time foraging. Our findings suggest that, within the scope of environmental change, UVB radiation constitutes an important stress factor by eliciting behavioural responses that influence crucial ecological processes, such as predator–prey interactions.
Flaccid skin protects hagfishes from shark bites
Authors: Boggett Sarah , Stiles Jean-Luc , Summers Adam P. , Fudge Douglas S.
Published: December 2017

Hagfishes defend themselves from fish predators by releasing large volumes of gill-clogging slime when they are attacked. Slime release is not anticipatory, but is only released after an attack has been initiated, raising the question of how hagfishes survive the initial attack, especially from biting predators such as sharks. We tested two hypotheses that could explain how hagfishes avoid damage from shark bites: puncture-resistant skin, and a loose and flaccid body design that makes it difficult for teeth to penetrate body musculature and viscera. Based on data from skin puncture tests from 22 fish species, we found that hagfish skin is not remarkably puncture resistant. Simulated shark bites on hagfish and their closest living relatives, lamprey, as well as whole animal inflation tests, revealed that the loose attachment of hagfish skin to the rest of the body and the substantial ‘slack volume' in the subcutaneous sinus protect hagfish musculature and viscera from penetrating teeth. While recent work has found evidence that the capacious subcutaneous sinus in hagfishes is important for behaviours such as knot-tying and burrowing, our work demonstrates that it also plays a role in predator defence.
Looking for unity in diversity: human cooperative childcare in comparative perspective
Authors: Burkart Judith M. , van Schaik Carel , Griesser Michael
Published: December 2017

Humans engage in cooperative childcare, which includes some elements not found in other animals, such as the presence of post-reproductive helpers, extensive food sharing among adults and a pervasive sexual division of labour. In animals, cooperative offspring care has typically been studied in two different contexts. The first mainly involves helpers contributing care in cooperatively breeding family groups; the second context is allomaternal care in species usually not categorized as cooperative breeders (e.g. plural and communal breeders, often without male care). Comparative analyses suggest that cooperative breeding and allomaternal care in plural and communal breeders have distinct evolutionary origins, with humans fitting neither pathway entirely. Nevertheless, some critical proximate mechanisms of helping, including hormonal regulators, are likely to be shared across species. Other mechanisms may vary among species, such as social tolerance, proactive prosociality or conditional mother–infant bonding. These are presumably associated with specific details of the care system, such as whether all group members contribute, or whether mothers can potentially raise offspring alone. Thus, cooperative offspring care is seen in different contexts across animal lineages, but may nonetheless share several important psychological characteristics. We end by discussing how work on humans may play a unifying role in studying cooperative offspring care.
Experimental evolution of insect immune memory versus pathogen resistance
Authors: Khan Imroze , Prakash Arun , Agashe Deepa
Published: December 2017

Under strong pathogen pressure, insects often evolve resistance to infection. Many insects are also protected via immune memory (immune priming), whereby sublethal exposure to a pathogen enhances survival after secondary infection. Theory predicts that immune memory should evolve when the pathogen is highly virulent, or when pathogen exposure is relatively rare. However, there are no empirical tests of these hypotheses, and the adaptive benefits of immune memory relative to direct resistance against a pathogen are poorly understood. To determine the selective pressures and ecological conditions that shape immune evolution, we imposed strong pathogen selection on flour beetle (
Tribolium castaneum
) populations, infecting them with
Bacillus thuringiensis
(Bt) for 11 generations. Populations injected first with heat-killed and then live Bt evolved high basal resistance against multiple Bt strains. By contrast, populations injected only with a high dose of live Bt evolved a less effective but strain-specific priming response. Control populations injected with heat-killed Bt did not evolve priming; and in the ancestor, priming was effective only against a low Bt dose. Intriguingly, one replicate population first evolved priming and subsequently evolved basal resistance, suggesting the potential for dynamic evolution of different immune strategies. Our work is the first report showing that pathogens can select for rapid modulation of insect priming ability, allowing hosts to evolve divergent immune strategies (generalized resistance versus specific immune memory) with potentially distinct mechanisms.
Oceanic swarms of Antarctic krill perform satiation sinking
Authors: Tarling Geraint A. , Thorpe Sally E.
Published: December 2017

Antarctic krill form some of the highest concentrations of animal biomass observed in the world's oceans potentially due to their prolific ability to swarm. Determining the movement of Antarctic krill within swarms is important to identify drivers of their behaviour and their biogeochemical impact on their environment. We examined vertical velocity within approximately 2000 krill swarms through the combined use of a shipborne echosounder and an acoustic Doppler current profiler. We revealed a pronounced downward anomaly in vertical velocity within swarms of −0.6 cm s
−1
compared with vertical motion outside the swarm. The anomaly changed over the diel cycle, with smaller downward anomalies occurring at night. Swarms in regions of high phytoplankton concentrations (a proxy for food availability) also exhibited significantly smaller downward anomalies. We propose that the anomaly is the result of downward velocities generated by the action of krill beating their swimming appendages. During the night and in high phytoplankton availability, when krill are more likely to feed to the point of satiation, swimming activity is lowered and the anomaly is reduced. Our findings are consistent with laboratory work where krill ceased swimming and adopted a parachute posture when sated. Satiation sinking behaviour can substantially increase the efficiency of carbon transport to depth through depositing faecal pellets at the bottom of swarms, avoiding the reingestion and break-up of pellets by other swarm members.
Humans as a model for understanding biological fundamentals
Authors: Brosnan Sarah F. , Postma Erik
Published: December 2017

How special are humans? This question drives scholarly output across both the sciences and the humanities. Whereas some disciplines, and the humanities in particular, aim at gaining a better understanding of humansper se, most biologists ultimately aim to understand life in general. This raises the question of whether and when humans are acceptable, or even desirable, models of biological fundamentals. Especially for basic biological processes, non-human species are generally accepted as a relevant model to study topics for which studying humans is impractical, impossible, or ethically inadvisable, but the reverse is controversial: are humans ‘too unique’ to be informative with respect to biological fundamentals relevant to other species? Or are there areas where we share key components, or for which our very uniqueness serves to allow novel explorations? In this special feature, authors from disciplines including biology, psychology, anthropology, neuroscience and philosophy tackle this question. Their overall conclusion is a qualified yes: humans do tell us about biological fundamentals, in some contexts. We hope this special feature will spur a discussion that will lead to a more careful delineation of the similarities and the differences between humans and other species, and how these impact the study of biological fundamentals.
Differences between hard and soft phylogenetic data
Authors: Sansom Robert S. , Wills Matthew A.
Published: December 2017

When building the tree of life, variability of phylogenetic signal is often accounted for by partitioning gene sequences and testing for differences. The same considerations, however, are rarely applied to morphological data, potentially undermining its use in evolutionary contexts. Here, we apply partition heterogeneity tests to 59 animal datasets to demonstrate that significant differences exist between the phylogenetic signal conveyed by ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ characters (bones, teeth and shells versus myology, integument etc). Furthermore, the morphological partitions differ significantly in their consistency relative to independent molecular trees. The observed morphological differences correspond with missing data biases, and as such their existence presents a problem not only for phylogeny reconstruction, but also for interpretations of fossil data. Evolutionary inferences drawn from clades in which hard, readily fossilizable characters are relatively less consistent and different from other morphology (mammals, bivalves) may be less secure. More secure inferences might be drawn from the fossil record of clades that exhibit fewer differences, or exhibit more consistent hard characters (fishes, birds). In all cases, it will be necessary to consider the impact of missing data on empirical data, and the differences that exist between morphological modules.
Human infancy and parenting in global perspective: specificity
Authors: Bornstein Marc H. , Putnick Diane L. , Park Yoonjung , Suwalsky Joan T. D. , Haynes O. Maurice
Published: December 2017

We address three long-standing fundamental questions about early human development and parental caregiving within a specificity framework using data from 796 infant–mother dyads from 11 societies worldwide. Adopting a cross-society view opens a vista on universal biological origins of, and contextual influences on, infant behaviours and parenting practices. We asked: how do infant behaviours and parenting practices vary across societies? How do infant behaviours relate to other infant behaviours, and how do parent practices relate to other parent practices? Are infant behaviours and parent practices related to one another? Behaviours of firstborn five-month infants and parenting practices of their mothers were microanalysed from videorecords of extensive naturally occurring interactions in the home. In accord with behavioural specificity, biological expectations and cultural influences, we find that infants and mothers from diverse societies exhibit mean-level society differences in their behaviours and practices; domains of infant behaviours generally do not cohere, nor do domains of maternal practices; and only specific infant behaviours and mother practices correspond. Few relations were moderated by society.
Abiotic niche partitioning and negative density dependence drive tree seedling survival in a tropical forest
Authors: Johnson Daniel J. , Condit Richard , Hubbell Stephen P. , Comita Liza S.
Published: December 2017

In tropical tree communities, processes occurring during early life stages play a critical role in shaping forest composition and diversity through differences in species' performance. Predicting the future of tropical forests depends on a solid understanding of the drivers of seedling survival. At the same time, factors determining spatial and temporal patterns of seedling survival can play a large role in permitting species coexistence in diverse communities. Using long-term data on the survival of more than 45 000 seedlings of 238 species in a Neotropical forest, we assessed the relative importance of key abiotic and biotic neighbourhood variables thought to influence individual seedling survival and tested whether species vary significantly in their responses to these variables, consistent with niche differences. At the community level, seedling survival was significantly correlated with plant size, topographic habitat, neighbourhood densities of conspecific seedlings, conspecific and heterospecific trees and annual variation in water availability, in descending order of effect size. Additionally, we found significant variation among species in their sensitivity to light and water availability, as well as in their survival within different topographic habitats, indicating the potential for niche differentiation among species that could allow for species coexistence.
Iran’s roads: mitigating the most serious threat to the critically endangered Asiatic cheetah Acinonyx jubatus venaticus
Authors: Parchizadeh Jamshid , Gatta Maria , Bencini Roberta , Qashqaei Ali Turk , Adibi Mohammad Ali , Williams Samual T.
Published: December 2017

Wildlife-vehicle collisions are an important cause of mortality for many species, and the number of collisions is expected to grow rapidly as the global road network quickly expands over the next few decades. Wildlife-vehicle collisions also have the potential to be extremely detrimental to small wildlife populations, such as the critically endangered Asiatic cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus venaticus), with only 43 individuals remaining in the wild. We assessed the spatial distribution of road mortalities between 2004 and 2016 to identify roadkill hotspots involving Asiatic cheetahs in Iran using network kernel density estimation. A total of sixteen cheetah fatalities due to wildlife-vehicle collisions were recorded, and we identified six road fragments as roadkill hotspots. Efforts to reduce wildlife-cheetah collisions should be targeted in the densest hotspots. We review the options available to achieve this, and we recommend a strategic shift away from the ineffective warning signage currently used, and instead suggest adopting an evidence-based approach focusing on installing wildlife crossing structures in conjunction with fencing in roadkill hotspots. These measures will help to enhance the conservation status of the Asiatic cheetah, as the current high level of mortality of Asiatic cheetahs on Iran’s roads could have potentially dramatic impacts on this critically endangered subspecies.
Evolutionary stability of topologically associating domains is associated with conserved gene regulation
Authors: Krefting Jan , Andrade-Navarro Miguel A. , Ibn-Salem Jonas
Published: December 2017

Background

The human genome is highly organized in the three-dimensional nucleus. Chromosomes fold locally into topologically associating domains (TADs) defined by increased intra-domain chromatin contacts. TADs contribute to gene regulation by restricting chromatin interactions of regulatory sequences, such as enhancers, with their target genes. Disruption of TADs can result in altered gene expression and is associated to genetic diseases and cancers. However, it is not clear to which extent TAD regions are conserved in evolution and whether disruption of TADs by evolutionary rearrangements can alter gene expression.

Results

Here, we hypothesize that TADs represent essential functional units of genomes, which are selected against rearrangements during evolution. We investigate this using whole-genome alignments to identify evolutionary rearrangement breakpoints of different vertebrate species. Rearrangement breakpoints are strongly enriched at TAD boundaries and depleted within TADs across species. Furthermore, using gene expression data across many tissues in mouse and human, we show that genes within TADs have more conserved expression patterns. Disruption of TADs by evolutionary rearrangements is associated with changes in gene expression profiles, consistent with a functional role of TADs in gene expression regulation.

Conclusions

Together, these results indicate that TADs are conserved building blocks of genomes with regulatory functions that are often reshuffled as a whole instead of being disrupted by rearrangements.
A eDNA-qPCR assay to non-invasively detect the presence of the parasiteSchistocephalus solidusinside its threespine stickleback host
Authors: Suzanne Berger Chloé , Aubin-Horth Nadia
Published: December 2017

Detecting the presence of a parasite within its host is crucial to the study of host-parasite interactions. TheSchistocephalus solidus- threespine stickleback pair has been studied extensively to investigate host phenotypic alterations associated with a parasite with a complex life cycle. This cestode is localized inside the stickleback’s abdominal cavity and can be visually detected only once it passes a mass threshold. We present a non-invasive quantitative PCR approach based on detection of environmental DNA from the worm(eDNA),sampled in the fish abdominal cavity. Using this approach on two fish populations (n=151), 98% of fish were correctly assigned to theirS. solidusinfection status. There was a significant correlation between eDNA concentration and total parasitic mass. We also assessed ventilation rates as a complimentary mean to detect infection. Our eDNA detection method gives a reliable presence/absence response and its future use for quantitative assessment is promising.
The effect of single pyramidal neuron firing across and within layers in mouse V1
Authors: Meyer Jochen , Golshani Peyman , Smirnakis Stelios M.
Published: December 2017

The influence of cortical cell spiking activity on nearby cells has been studied extensively in vitro. Less is known, however, about the impact of single cell firing on local cortical networks in vivo. In a pioneering study, Kwan et al. (Kwan et al., 2012) reported that in mouse layer 2/3 (L2/3), under anesthesia, stimulating a single pyramidal cell recruits ~1.7% of neighboring pyramidal units. Here we employ two-photon calcium imaging, in conjunction with single-cell patch clamp stimulation, to probe, in both the awake and lightly anesthetized states, how i) activating single L2/3 pyramidal neurons recruits neighboring units within L2/3 and from layer 4 (L4) to L2/3, and whether ii) activating single pyramidal neurons changes population activity in local circuit. To do this, it was essential to develop an algorithm capable of quantifying how sensitive the calcium signal is at detecting effectively recruited units (“followers”). This algorithm allowed us to estimate the chance of detecting a follower as a function of the probability that an epoch of stimulation elicits one extra action potential (AP) in the follower cell. Using this approach, we found only a small fraction (<0.75%) of L2/3 cells to be significantly activated within a radius of ~200 μm from a stimulated neighboring L2/3 pyramidal cell. This fraction did not change significantly in the awake versus the lightly anesthetized state, nor when stimulating L2/3 versus underlying L4 pyramidal neurons. These numbers are in general agreement with, though lower than, the percentage of neighboring cells (2.1%) reported by Kwan et al. to be activated upon stimulating single L2/3 pyramidal neurons under anesthesia (Kwan et al., 2012). Interestingly, despite the small number of individual units found to be reliably driven, we did observe a modest but significant elevation in aggregate population responses compared to sham stimulation. This underscores the distributed impact that single cell stimulation has on neighboring microcircuit responses, revealing only a small minority of relatively strongly connected partners.

One Sentence Summary

Patch-clamp stimulation in conjunction with 2-photon imaging shows that activating single layer-2/3 or layer-4 pyramidal neurons produces few (<1% of local units) reliable singlecell followers in L2/3 of mouse area V1, either under light anesthesia or in quiet wakefulness: instead, single cell stimulation was found to elevate aggregate population activity in a weak but highly distributed fashion.
The impact of internal and external market orientation on the performance of non-conventional Islamic financial institutions
Authors: Zebal Mostaque Ahmed
Published: December 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of internal and external market orientations on monetary and non-monetary performances of non-conventional Islamic financial institutions. This study further aimed at proposing a conceptual framework, testing it and examining relationships among the variables.

Design/methodology/approach

Data for this study were collected from 132 branches of 11 non-conventional financial institutions in Bangladesh using a closed-ended questionnaire. The study considered a structural equation modeling approach for testing the proposed model. A two-step procedure was used for this purpose. First, a measurement model was analyzed through a confirmatory factor analysis; second, the structured model was evaluated to examine relationships between the constructs. Data used in this study confirmed the adequate reliability, convergent and discriminant validity.

Findings

The results of the study met the expectations and provided an evidence that both monetary and non-monetary business performances are functions of internal and external market orientations’ efforts. As the results are reported, all three components of internal market orientation, e.g. internal intelligence generation, dissemination and responsiveness, were found to be statistically significant and positively related to monetary and non-monetary performances, except internal intelligence responsiveness with employees’ team spirits. The study also revealed a significant relationship between all three external market orientation components, and business performance, except external intelligence responsiveness, was not found to have a significant relationship with team spirit and customer retention. The results, however, imply that the performance of non-conventional financial institutions is an integrated effort of both internal and external orientations rather than using a single approach.

Originality/value

Findings of this study support the theoretical arguments that non-conventional financial institutions can be successful in attaining all types of performances by initiating and adopting internal and external market-oriented activities. The study further argues the importance of the activities under each market orientation component and suggests non-conventional financial institutions to promote such an initiative if they are to be consistent in their performances.
Review article: Methodology for the ‘rapid review’ series on musculoskeletal injuries in the emergency department
Authors: Strudwick Kirsten , McPhee Megan , Bell Anthony , Martin‐Khan Melinda , Russell Trevor
Published: December 2017

Musculoskeletal injuries are a common presentation to the ED, with significant costs involved in the management of these injuries, variances in care within the ED and associated morbidity. A series of rapid review papers were completed to guide best practice for the assessment and management of common musculoskeletal injuries presenting to the ED. This paper presents the methodology used across the rapid reviews. PubMed, CINAHL, EMBASE, TRIP and the grey literature, including relevant organisational websites, were searched in 2015. The search was repeated consistently for each topic area (injuries of the foot and ankle, knee, hand and wrist, elbow, shoulder, lumbar spine and cervical spine). English‐language primary studies, systematic reviews and guidelines that were published in the last 10 years and addressed acute musculoskeletal injury management were considered for inclusion. Data extraction of each included article was conducted, followed by a quality appraisal. The extracted data from each article was synthesised to group similar evidence together. For each rapid review, the evidence has been organised in a way that a clinician can direct their attention to a specific component of the clinical cycle of care in the ED, such as the assessment, diagnostic tests, management and follow‐up considerations from ED. The series of rapid reviews are designed to foster evidence‐based practice within the ED, targeting the injuries most commonly presenting. The reviews provide clinicians in EDs with rapid access to the best current evidence, which has been synthesised and organised to assist decision‐making.
Major haemorrhage fatalities in the Australian national coronial database
Authors: Gipson Jacob S , Wood Erica M , Cole‐Sinclair Merrole F , McQuilten Zoe , Waters Neil , Woodford Noel W
Published: December 2017

Objective

The aim of the study is to describe the epidemiology of major bleeding fatalities.

Methods

A case series analysis of Australia's National Coronial Information System was conducted. Keywords were used to search for closed cases of major haemorrhage in the state of Victoria for the period 1 January 2009 to 31 December 2011. Coroners’ findings, autopsy reports and police reports of cases were reviewed. Demographic data were extracted, and cases were assigned to a clinical bleeding context.

Results

A total of 427 cases of major bleeding causing death were identified. The cohort was predominately men (69%), with a median age of 63 years (interquartile range 45–77 years). Trauma accounted for 38%, gastrointestinal haemorrhage 28%, surgical/procedural bleeding 14%, ruptured/leaking aneurysms 12% and other 8%. Most events began in homes (46%), hospitals (22%) and at the roadside (17%). Of those whose haemorrhage began in the community, 69% did not survive to hospital.

Conclusions

Major bleeding fatalities occurred across a diverse range of contexts, with trauma and gastrointestinal bleeding accounting for most deaths. The majority of patients did not survive to reach hospital. Major haemorrhage occurring entirely outside hospital may be underrecognised from analyses of datasets based primarily on traumatic or in‐hospital bleeding. These findings have implications for management of pre‐hospital resuscitation and development of clinical practice guidelines for identification and management of major bleeding in the community.
Homelessness and Emergency Medicine: A Review of the Literature
Authors: Salhi Bisan A. , White Melissa H. , Pitts Stephen R. , Wright David W.
Published: December 2017

Objectives

We aimed to synthesize the available evidence on the demographics, prevalence, clinical characteristics, and evidence‐based management of homeless persons in the emergency department (ED). Where appropriate, we highlight knowledge gaps and suggest directions for future research.

Methods

We conducted a systematic literature search following databases: PubMed, Ovid, and Google Scholar for articles published between January 1, 1990, and December 31, 2016. We supplemented this search by cross‐referencing bibliographies of the retrieved publications. Peer‐reviewed studies written in English and conducted in the United States that examined homelessness within the ED setting were included. We used a qualitative approach to synthesize the existing literature.

Results

Twenty‐eight studies were identified that met the inclusion criteria. Based on our study objectives and the available literature, we grouped articles examining homeless populations in the ED into four broad categories: 1) prevalence and sociodemographic characteristics of homeless ED visits, 2) ED utilization by homeless adults, 3) clinical characteristics of homeless ED visits, and 4) medical education and evidence‐based management of homeless ED patients.

Conclusion

Homelessness may be underrecognized in the ED setting. Homeless ED patients have distinct care needs and patterns of ED utilization that are unmet by the current disease‐oriented and episodic models of emergency medicine. More research is needed to determine the prevalence and characteristics of homelessness in the ED and to develop evidence‐based treatment strategies in caring for this vulnerable population.
Personalized stepwise vascular control during complex hepatectomy involving hepatocaval confluence
Authors: Dou Lei , Yu Zong‐ping , Yang Hui‐yuan , Ran Ji , Chen Yi‐Fa , Chen Xiao‐Ping
Published: December 2017

Background

This study introduces an innovative stepwise vascular control technique to address the high risk of massive bleeding from main hepatic veins and the retro‐hepatic inferior vena cava during hepatectomy involving hepatocaval confluence.

Methods

From January 2010 to July 2016, 80 patients underwent stepwise vascular occlusion during complex liver resection involving hepatocaval confluence. Relevant clinical data were collected and compared with those obtained in parallel studies. The protocol has been registered in the Protocol Registration and Results System as protocol NCT02996006.

Results

All 80 patients underwent portal triad (PT), infra‐hepatic inferior vena cava (IIVC) and supra‐hepatic inferior vena cava (SIVC) preparation for occlusion in that order; PT, PT + SIVC and PT + IIVC + SIVC occlusions were performed during liver resection for six, 42 and 32 patients, respectively. The PT, IIVC and SIVC clamping times were 12.9 ± 2.5, 9.1 ± 2.1 and 5.1 ± 1.4 min, respectively. The mean blood loss was 504.1 ± 234.5 mL. Sixteen patients received blood transfusions. Haemodynamic parameters remained stable. No patients had life‐threatening complications or died (Clavien‐Dindo grade IV or V). Compared with other techniques used in parallel studies, this technique has the advantage of decreased blood loss in less warm ischaemia time.

Conclusion

For complex hepatectomy involving hepatocaval confluence, this newly described stepwise vascular control technique was efficacious and feasible for controlling intraoperative bleeding.
Long‐term cardiovascular reprogramming by short‐term perinatal exposure to nicotine's main metabolite cotinine
Authors: Bastianini Stefano , Lo Martire Viviana , Silvani Alessandro , Zoccoli Giovanna , Berteotti Chiara , Lagercrantz Hugo , Arner Anders , Cohen Gary
Published: December 2017

Aim

Gather ‘proof‐of‐concept’ evidence of the adverse developmental potential of cotinine (a seemingly benign biomarker of recent nicotine/tobacco smoke exposure).

Methods

Pregnant C57 mice drank nicotine‐ or cotinine‐laced water for 6 wks from conception (NPRE = 2% saccharin + 100 μg nicotine/mL; CPRE = 2% saccharin + 10 μg cotinine/mL) or 3 wks after birth (CPOST = 2% saccharin + 30 μg cotinine/mL). Controls drank 2% saccharin (CTRL). At 17 ± 1 weeks (male pups; CTRL n = 6; CPOST n = 6; CPRE n = 8; NPRE n = 9), we assessed (i) cardiovascular control during sleep; (ii) arterial reactivity ex vivo; and (iii) expression of genes involved in arterial constriction/dilation.

Results

Blood cotinine levels recapitulated those of passive smoker mothers’ infants. Pups exposed to cotinine exhibited (i) mild bradycardia – hypotension at rest (p < 0.001); (ii) attenuated (CPRE, p < 0.0001) or reverse (CPOST; p < 0.0001) BP stress reactivity; (iii) adrenergic hypocontractility (p < 0.0003), low protein kinase C (p < 0.001) and elevated adrenergic receptor mRNA (p < 0.05; all drug‐treated arteries); and (iv) endothelial dysfunction (NPRE only).

Conclusion

Cotinine has subtle, enduring developmental consequences. Some cardiovascular effects of nicotine can plausibly arise via conversion into cotinine. Low‐level exposure to this metabolite may pose unrecognised perinatal risks. Adults must avoid inadvertently exposing a foetus or infant to cotinine as well as nicotine.
Cortisol and blood pressure levels decreased in fathers during the first hour of skin‐to‐skin contact with their premature babies
Authors: Varela Natalia , Tessier Réjean , Tarabulsy George , Pierce Tamarha
Published: December 2017

Aim

Premature birth is an extremely stressful experience. In 2013 to 2014, we explored the physiological stress responses of fathers during their first skin‐to‐skin contact (SSC) with their new baby.

Methods

We recruited 49 fathers whose partners had given birth to a premature baby of up to 33 weeks and three days. The study, in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of a Quebec hospital, measured the physiological stress responses of the fathers before and after they first experienced SSC with their new baby. Cortisol levels and blood pressure were measured, and a generalised estimating equation was used for the data analysis.

Results

The fathers’ cortisol levels decreased from 10.55 nmol/L, with a 95% confidence interval (95% CI) of 9.61–11.59 at the beginning of the experiment to 8.26 nmol/L (95% CI: 7.51–9.07) after 75 minutes. Meanwhile, their systolic blood pressure decreased from 135.16 mmHg (95% CI: 130–140) to 125.25 mmHg (95% CI: 121–129).

Conclusion

Fathers who held their baby in SSC for the first time showed a significant reduction in physiological stress responses. Our findings support hospital practices that enable fathers to experience their first intimate contact with their newborn infant in the NICU.
Ophiolites Associated with Pottery Production in Bronze Age Crete
Authors: Liard F. , Pomonis P. , Koutsovitis P. , Gait J. , Stamatakis M.
Published: December 2017

This study investigates diversity among ophiolite‐bearing sediments that were exploited for pottery production in Bronze Age Crete (c.3000–1200 bc). The focus is on loose and consolidated formations of Upper Tertiary to Quaternary ages that contain some detrital products of Mesozoic ophiolitic source rocks. A literature review, geological fieldwork, sediment sampling and petrographic analysis are combined to identify the origin, the geographical distribution and the stratigraphic position of these ophiolitic sediments, and to assess regional diversity in their mineralogy and texture. The results provide insights into current archaeological problems regarding the provenance and production of ophiolite‐bearing pottery in Bronze Age Crete.
Closure of the cystic duct orifice in laparoscopic subtotal cholecystectomy for severe cholecystitis
Authors: Matsumura Tatsuki , Komatsu Shunichiro , Komaya Kenichi , Ando Keiichi , Arikawa Takashi , Ishiguro Seiji , Saito Takuya , Osawa Takaaki , Kurahashi Shintaro , Uchino Tairin , Yasui Kohei , Kato Shoko , Suzuki Kenta , Kato Yoko , Sano Tsuyoshi
Published: December 2017

Introduction

Laparoscopic subtotal cholecystectomy (LSC) has been recognized as an alternative to conversion to laparotomy for severe cholecystitis. However, it may be associated with an increased risk of recurrent stones in the gallbladder remnant. The objective of this study was to evaluate the safety and feasibility of the complete removal of the gallbladder cavity in LSC for severe cholecystitis using the cystic duct orifice suturing (CDOS) technique.

Methods

In a consecutive series of 412 laparoscopic cholecystectomies that were performed from January 2015 to June 2017, 12 patients who underwent LSC with CDOS were enrolled in this retrospective study. In this procedure, Hartmann's pouch was carefully identified, and the infundibulum–cystic duct junction was transected while the posterior wall adherent to Calot's triangle was left behind. The clinical records, including the operative records and outcomes, were analyzed.

Results

The median operating time and blood loss were 158 min and 20 mL, respectively. In all cases, LSC with CDOS was completed without conversion to open surgery. No injuries to the bile duct or vessels were experienced. The median postoperative hospital stay was 6 days. Postoperative complications occurred in two patients (bile leakage, n = 1: common bile duct stones, n = 1) and were successfully treated by endoscopic management. A gallbladder remnant was not delineated by postoperative imaging in any of the cases.

Conclusion

These results suggest that LSC with CDOS is a promising approach that can avoid dissection of Calot's triangle and achieve the complete removal of the gallbladder cavity in patients with severe cholecystitis.
Downregulation of 15‐hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase by interleukin‐1β from activated macrophages leads to poor prognosis in pancreatic cancer
Authors: Arima Kota , Komohara Yoshihiro , Bu Luke , Tsukamoto Masayo , Itoyama Rumi , Miyake Keisuke , Uchihara Tomoyuki , Ogata Yoko , Nakagawa Shigeki , Okabe Hirohisa , Imai Katsunori , Hashimoto Daisuke , Chikamoto Akira , Yamashita Yo‐ichi , Baba Hideo , Ishimoto Takatsugu
Published: December 2017

Chronic inflammation has a crucial role in cancer development and the progression of various tumors, including pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). The arachidonate cascade is a major inflammatory pathway that produces several metabolites, such as prostaglandin E2. The enzyme 15‐hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase (15‐PGDH) degrades prostaglandin and is frequently decreased in several types of cancer; however, the molecular mechanisms of 15‐PGDH suppression are unclear. The current study was carried out to elucidate the molecular mechanisms and clinical significance of 15‐PGDH suppression in PDAC. Here, we showed that interleukin‐1β (IL‐1β), a pro‐inflammatory cytokine, downregulates 15‐PGDH expression in PDAC cells, and that IL‐1β expression was inversely correlated with 15‐PGDH levels in frozen PDAC tissues. We also found that activated macrophages produced IL‐1β and reduced 15‐PGDH expression in PDAC cells. Furthermore, the number of CD163‐positive tumor‐associated macrophages was shown to be inversely correlated with 15‐PGDH levels in PDAC cells by immunohistochemical staining of 107 PDAC samples. Finally, we found that low 15‐PGDH expression was significantly associated with advanced tumors, presence of lymph node metastasis and nerve invasion, and poor prognosis in PDAC patients. Our results indicate that IL‐1β derived from TAMs suppresses 15‐PGDH expression in PDAC cells, resulting in poor prognosis of PDAC patients.
Newcastle disease virus co‐expressing interleukin 7 and interleukin 15 modified tumor cells as a vaccine for cancer immunotherapy
Authors: Xu Xiaojing , Sun Qing , Mei Yu , Liu Yonghao , Zhao Lixiang
Published: December 2017

Interleukin 15 (IL15) and IL7 are two cytokines essential for T cell development and homeostasis. In order to improve the antitumor activity by Newcastle disease virus (NDV)‐modified tumor vaccine, we generated a recombinant NDV co‐expressing IL15 and IL7 (LX/IL(15+7)) through incorporation of a 2A self‐processing peptide into IL15 and IL7 using reverse genetics. B16 cells infected with LX/IL(15+7) expressed both IL15 and IL7 stably. The cytotoxicity assay showed that murine melanoma cells modified with LX/IL(15+7) could significantly enhance the antitumor immune response in vitro. Then, the antitumor effects of tumor vaccine modified with recombinant virus were tested in the murine tumor models. We observed strong antitumor responses induced by LX/IL(15+7)‐modified tumor cells both in prophylaxis and therapeutic models. Although the tumor‐infiltrating CD4+ T cells and CD8+ T cells were both increased, the antitumor activity of the tumor vaccine modified with LX/IL(15+7) was dependent on CD8+ T cells. Taken together, our data strongly indicated that tumor vaccine modified with NDV strain LX/IL(15+7) is a promising agent for cancer immunotherapy.
Are Trees Rooting for Us? The Heritage of Greening in Qatar
Authors: Rico Trinidad
Published: December 2017

This article considers the emergence and role of “heritage trees” in Qatar. I suggest these trees are emblematic of a cultural heritage discourse that constructs a specific relationship to the landscape, one that is simultaneously informed by an imagined past and a desired future. I contextualize this development within the phenomenon of “survivor trees,” a global discourse that mobilizes a heritage rhetoric about anxieties of loss and desires for adaptation, in order to account for the recent appearance of “heritage trees” in Qatar as part of its efforts to build and mobilize its citizens’ support for a sustainable future. This discussion highlights the ways in which heritage discourses may be mobilized as powerful technologies in the construction of environmental imaginaries.
After Wheat: Revitalizing Sicilian Agriculture through Heritage Tourism
Authors: Samuels Joshua
Published: December 2017

Sicily was once the breadbasket of the Roman Empire, but by the 20th century Sicilian wheat production had declined dramatically due to deforestation and changing economic, political, and climactic conditions. Alternatives to wheat production are now being actively promoted in order to revitalize Sicily's rural economy. These include the Via dei Borghi, an ambitious project proposed by Sicily's Agency for Agricultural Development (ESA) to promote “slow tourism” through the island's interior using the appeal of traditional agricultural heritage. The borghi at the heart of the project are rural centers associated with the Fascist “Battle for Wheat” that were designed to hobble the traditional agricultural systems that ESA is valorizing. The result is an ironic but creative requalification of the borghi that incentivizes farmers to focus on diverse and unique local products, providing one answer to the question of what to produce after wheat.
You Can't Grow Potatoes in the Sky: Building Resilience in the Face of Climate Change in the Potato Park of Cuzco, Peru
Authors: Sayre Matthew , Stenner Tammy , Argumedo Alejandro
Published: December 2017

Although Quechua farmers contribute little to climate change, they are disproportionately experiencing the impacts of rapid changes in the high‐altitude environment of the Andes. We describe how Quechua farmers and Association ANDES, a local non‐profit organization, are rising to the challenge in Peru, using traditional knowledge and science in community‐led research to mitigate and adapt to the impacts of climate change. A globally important food crop, the potato (Solanum sp.) originated in the central Andean Mountains. Indigenous farmers collectively manage the Potato Park as a Biocultural Heritage Territory, and together with ANDES, are implementing the Pluriversity for Biocultural Landscapes and Resilient Food Systems to facilitate knowledge exchange and creative solution seeking for complex global problems such as climate change. We describe programs that support community resilience, local biocultural heritage, biocultural products and services, and global policy processes strengthening the rights of Pacha Mama (Mother Earth) and world indigenous peoples.
An observational study of benzodiazepine prescription during inpatient alcohol detoxification for patients with vs. without chronic pretreatment with high‐dosage baclofen
Authors: Martinez Laura , Vorspan Florence , Declèves Xavier , Azuar Julien , Fortias Maeva , Questel Franck , Dereux Alexandra , Grichy Leslie , Barreteau Hélène , Bellivier Frank , Lépine Jean‐Pierre , Bloch Vanessa
Published: December 2017

High‐dose baclofen is prescribed as a maintenance treatment to reduce alcohol use in patients with alcohol use disorder. Nevertheless, some patients still have massive alcohol intakes and require inpatient alcohol withdrawal. To compare the oral dose of benzodiazepine prescribed to manage alcohol withdrawal symptoms in patients with vs. without steady‐state pretreatment with high‐dose baclofen. Retrospective chart review study. Prescribed benzodiazepine dose expressed in diazepam‐equivalent was compared between groups. Thirty‐one patients were assessed in the high‐dose maintenance baclofen group and compared to 31 matched patients not receiving baclofen. No statistically significant difference was evident between groups regarding levels of benzodiazepines prescribed. The mean diazepam‐equivalent dose during the first 7 days was 294 ± 149 mg in the baclofen group vs. 310 ± 133 mg (t‐test = 0.440, P = 0.661) in matched controls. Steady‐state high‐dose baclofen before an inpatient alcohol cessation hospitalization does not lower the needed benzodiazepine dose in the management of alcohol withdrawal symptoms.
Assortative mating patterns of multiple phenotypic traits in a long‐lived seabird
Authors: Wojczulanis‐Jakubas Katarzyna , Drobniak Szymon M. , Jakubas Dariusz , Kulpińska‐Chamera Monika , Chastel Olivier
Published: December 2017

Choosing the right mate is crucial for successful breeding, particularly in monogamous species with long and extensive bi‐parental care, and when the breeding pair is presumed to last many seasons. We investigated the degree of assortative mating in the Little Auk Alle alle, a long‐lived seabird with long‐term pair bonds and bi‐parental care for fixed (morphological) and labile (physiological, behavioural) traits. Using randomization tests, we suggest assortative mating with respect to wing length, extent of the white area on the upper eyelid and hormonal stress response (the difference between stress‐induced and baseline corticosterone levels). We discuss how the assortative mating patterns that we found in the Little Auk may be adaptive.