bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Tomato I2 Immune Receptor Can Be Engineered to Confer Partial Resistance to the Oomycete Phytophthora infestans in Addition to the Fungus Fusarium oxysporum
Authors: Giannakopoulou Artemis , Steele John F. C. , Segretin Maria Eugenia , Bozkurt Tolga O. , Zhou Ji , Robatzek Silke , Banfield Mark J. , Pais Marina , Kamoun Sophien
Published: September 2015

Plants and animals rely on immune receptors, known as nucleotide-binding domain and leucine-rich repeat (NLR)-containing proteins, to defend against invading pathogens and activate immune responses. How NLR receptors respond to pathogens is inadequately understood. We previously reported single-residue mutations that expand the response of the potato immune receptor R3a to AVR3aEM, a stealthy effector from the late blight oomycete pathogen Phytophthora infestans. I2, another NLR that mediates resistance to the wilt-causing fungus Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici, is the tomato ortholog of R3a. We transferred previously identified R3a mutations to I2 to assess the degree to which the resulting I2 mutants have an altered response. We discovered that wild-type I2 protein responds weakly to AVR3a. One mutant in the N-terminal coiled-coil domain, I2I141N, appeared sensitized and displayed markedly increased response to AVR3a. Remarkably, I2I141N conferred partial resistance to P. infestans. Further, I2I141N has an expanded response spectrum to F. oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici effectors compared with the wild-type I2 protein. Our results suggest that synthetic immune receptors can be engineered to confer resistance to phylogenetically divergent pathogens and indicate that knowledge gathered for one NLR could be exploited to improve NLR from other plant species.
Phylogenetic Relationships ofPseudomonas syringaepv.syringaeIsolates Associated with Bacterial Inflorescence Rot in Grapevine
Authors: Hall Stewart J. , Dry Ian B. , Blanchard Christopher L. , Whitelaw-Weckert Melanie A.
Published: September 2015

Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae causes extensive yield losses in wine-grape production in some Australian cool-climate vineyards. Putative P. syringae pv. syringae isolates from infected grapevines within a range of vineyards were genotyped using RNA polymerase β-subunit (rpoB) and multilocus sequence typing (MLST) using primers for glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (gapA), citrate synthase (gltA), DNA gyrase B (gyrB), and σ factor 70 (rpoD). The isolates were also evaluated for pathogenicity by inoculation of detached grapevine leaves. The isolates were grouped by MLST data into two well-supported clades, each containing a mixture of pathogenic and nonpathogenic grapevine isolates, indicating that P. syringae pv. syringae in Australian vineyards is genetically diverse. Each clade also contained P. syringae pv. syringae from nongrape hosts pathogenic to grapevine, demonstrating a lack of host specificity and possible potential for cross-infection of grape and other horticultural crops. Furthermore, the isolation of pathogenic P. syringae pv. syringae isolates from grapevine sucker shoots suggests that sucker shoots may allow overwintering of the pathogen. The vineyard quarantine status of P. syringae pv. syringae may need to be reconsidered, due to its easy dispersal through pruning equipment.
Sensitive, Secure Detection of Race 3 Biovar 2 and Native U.S. Strains of Ralstonia solanacearum
Authors: Tran Tuan Minh , Jacobs Jonathan M. , Huerta Alejandra , Milling Annett , Weibel Jordan , Allen Caitilyn
Published: September 2015

Detecting and correctly identifying Ralstonia solanacearum in infected plants is important because the race 3 biovar 2 (R3bv2) subgroup is a high-concern quarantine pathogen, while the related sequevar 7 group is endemic to the southeastern United States. Preventing accidental import of R3bv2 in geranium cuttings demands sensitive detection methods that are suitable for large-volume use both onshore and offshore. However, detection is complicated by frequent asymptomatic latent infections, uneven pathogen distribution within infected plants, pathogen viable-but-not-culturable state, and biosecurity laws that restrict transport of R3bv2 strains for diagnosis. There are many methods to detect R3bv2 strains but their relative utility is unknown, particularly in the realistic context of infected plant hosts. Therefore, we compared the sensitivity, cost, and technical complexity of several assays to detect and distinguish R3bv2 and sequevar 7 strains of R. solanacearum in geranium, tomato, and potato tissue in the laboratory and in naturally infected tomato plants from the field. The sensitivity of polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based methods in infected geranium tissues was significantly improved by use of Kapa3G Plant, a polymerase with enhanced performance in the presence of plant inhibitors. R3bv2 cells were killed within 60 min of application to Whatman FTA(R) nucleic acid-binding cards, suggesting that samples on FTA cards can be safely transported for diagnosis. Overall, culture enrichment followed by dilution plating was the most sensitive detection method (101 CFU/ml) but it was also most laborious. Conducting PCR from FTA cards was faster, easier, and sensitive enough to detect approximately 104 CFU/ml, levels similar to those found in latently infected geranium plants.
Eastern spirituality in the western marketplace
Authors: Kniazeva Maria
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– The paper aims to understand how Eastern spiritual and Western secular traditions coexist in the US commercial marketplace and what lessons spiritual messages of Eastern wisdom offer Western consumers.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper uses qualitative methods by engaging in close reading and analysis of the narratives on food and drink packages that have a direct reference to Eastern spirituality in the form of symbolic Eastern vocabulary and images.

Findings

– The paper proposes that artful sacralization of the spiritual to brand the mundane is an additional mode of cultural production used by marketers, and that this proposed mode extends the two modes (sacralization of the mundane and commodification of the spiritual) reported in previous studies.

Research limitations/implications

– The relationship between Eastern spirituality and Western commercialism deserves more in-depth studies. For example, how does the Western treatment of Eastern spirituality affect its perceived authenticity and purity? Finally, what do the newly wise Westerners do with mastery of an Eastern science of life?

Practical implications

– This work finds Western supermarkets to be emerging channels of Eastern spirituality. The author argues that narratives on food and drink packages perform as carriers of Eastern wisdom.

Social implications

– The author also finds that the borrowed spiritual wisdom of the East has yet to be reconciled with the prevailing secular norms of Western society.

Originality/value

– This has been the first known academic attempt to explore the spiritual connotation of the labels on branded food and drink packages sold in Western supermarkets.
How the hungry ghost mythology reconciles materialism and spirituality in Thai death rituals
Authors: Hackley Rungpaka Amy , Hackley Chris
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to contribute to a more nuanced understanding of Asian consumer culture by exploring how hungry ghost death ritual in the Buddhist world reconciles spiritual asceticism and materialism.

Design/methodology/approach

– This is an interpretive study that incorporates elements of visual semiotics, ethnography and qualitative data analysis. The native-speaking first author interviewed local ritual leaders of the Pee Ta Khon festival in Dansai, Thailand, while both authors witnessed examples of other Buddhist death rituals in Thailand and visited temples and markets selling death ritual paraphernalia. Data include translated semi-structured interview transcripts, field notes, photographs and videos, the personal introspection of the first author and also news articles and website information.

Findings

– The paper reveals how hungry ghost death ritual resolves cultural contradictions by connecting materialism and spirituality through consumption practices of carnival celebration with feasting, music, drinking, costumes and spirit offerings of symbols of material wealth, such as paper money and branded goods.

Research limitations/implications

– Further research in the form of full ethnographic studies of the same and other rituals would add additional detail and depth to the understanding of the ritual in Asian consumer culture.

Originality/value

– The paper extends existing qualitative consumer research into death ritual into a new area and sheds light on the way managers must locate Asian marketing initiatives within distinctively local contexts.
Methodological troubles as problems and phenomena: ethnomethodology and the question of ‘method’ in the social sciences
Authors: Greiffenhagen Christian , Mair Michael , Sharrock Wes
Published: September 2015

Across the disciplinary frontiers of the social sciences, studies by social scientists treating their own investigative practices as sites of empirical inquiry have proliferated. Most of these studies have been retrospective, historical, after‐the‐fact reconstructions of social scientific studies mixing interview data with the (predominantly textual) traces that investigations leave behind. Observational studies of in situ work in social science research are, however, relatively scarce.

Ethnomethodology was an early and prominent attempt to treat social science methodology as a topic for sociological investigations and, in this paper, we draw out what we see as its distinctive contribution: namely, a focus on troubles as features of the in situ, practical accomplishment of method, in particular, the way that research outcomes are shaped by the local practices of investigators in response to the troubles they encounter along the way. Based on two case studies, we distinguish methodological troubles as problems and methodological troubles as phenomena to be studied, and suggest the latter orientation provides an alternate starting point for addressing social scientists' investigative practices.
Genome‐wide association study of growth traits in Jinghai Yellow chicken hens using SLAF‐seq technology
Authors: Wang W. H. , Wang J. Y. , Zhang T. , Wang Y. , Zhang Y. , Han K.
Published: September 2015

In this study, we performed a new genome‐wide association study using SLAF‐seq technology. A total of 19 single nucleotide polymorphism effects involving nine different SNP markers reached 5% Bonferroni‐corrected genome‐wide significance. In addition, a 5‐Mb region spanning 72.9–77.9 Mb on GGA4, exhibiting many significant SNP effects, was identified. The LDB2 gene in this region had a very strong association with body weight. Another SNP on GGA1, located in the INTS6 gene, had the strongest association with late body weight (weeks 10–16). Some of the SNPs that reached suggestive significance level overlapped with previously reported quantitative trait locus regions.
Improved recombinant Api m 1‐ and Ves v 5‐based IgE testing to dissect bee and yellow jacket allergy and their correlation with the severity of the sting reaction
Authors: Šelb J. , Kogovšek R. , Šilar M. , Košnik M. , Korošec P.
Published: September 2015

Background

No study has assessed the diagnostic sensitivity of rApi m 1 and rVes v 5 on Immulite testing system.

Objective

To compare the diagnostic sensitivity of commercially available venom recombinant allergens between the currently available immunoassays [ImmunoCAP (CAP) and Immulite (LITE)] and establish their correlation with the severity of the sting reaction.

Methods

This study evaluated 95 bee venom and 110 yellow jacket venom‐allergic subjects. We measured the levels of sIgE to rApi m 1, rVes v 5 (LITE and CAP), rApi m 2 (LITE), rVes v 1 (CAP) and total IgE (CAP). Forty‐nine healthy subjects served as controls.

Results

The diagnostic sensitivity of rApi m 1 and rVes v 5 was significantly higher with the LITE than with the CAP system (71% vs. 88% and 82% vs. 93%). The specificity of both assays for both allergens was between 94% and 98%. Twenty‐nine patients that tested negative for rApi m 1 or rVes v 5 with CAP were positive with LITE, but none of the patients that tested negative with LITE were positive with CAP. The positive values of rApi m 1 and rVes v 5 were on average 2.7 and 2.3 times higher, with the LITE than with the CAP system. The combination of rApi m 1 and rApi m 2 (LITE) and the combination of rVes v 5 (LITE) and rVes v 1 (CAP) almost matched the sensitivity of native venoms (95% and 97%, respectively), whereas the diagnostic sensitivity of the combination of rVes v 5 and rVes v 1 (CAP) did not reach the sensitivity of rVes v 5 (LITE) alone (90% vs. 93%). IgE levels to venom recombinants and total IgE did not correlate with the severity of sting reaction.

Conclusions & Clinical Relevance

The use of rApi m 1 and rVes v 5 with the LITE system significantly enhanced diagnostic utility of venom recombinants and should improve the dissection of bee and yellow jacket venom allergy.
A cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) study of buccal plate thickness of the maxillary and mandibular posterior dentition
Authors: Temple Kayleigh E. , Schoolfield John , Noujeim Marcel E. , Huynh‐Ba Guy , Lasho David J. , Mealey Brian L.
Published: September 2015

Background

Buccal plate thickness is of clinical importance in treatment planning for implants. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the buccal plate thickness in posterior dentate areas of both the maxilla and mandible using cone beam computed tomography in order to estimate the approximate distributions of this anatomic variable.

Methods

Two hundred and sixty‐five subjects were included for a total of nine hundred and thirty‐four roots assessed by cone beam computed tomography. CBCT scans were taken and evaluated at the ideal buccolingual cross‐sections of each root at 1 mm, 3 mm, and 5 mm apical to the alveolar crest to measure buccal plate thickness. Data are reported by geometric means and 95% confidence intervals.

Results

Both arches demonstrated increasing buccal plate thickness from anterior to posterior. Maxillary teeth had a significant decrease in thickness from coronal to apical along the tooth root (P < 0.001), except at second molars. The first premolar and mesial root of the first molar were significantly thinner than all other roots in the maxilla. Conversely, the mandible demonstrated a significant increase in buccal plate thickness from coronal to apical (P < 0.001). The premolars were significantly thinner than all other roots. Age and sex were found to have limited impact on buccal plate thickness in both arches.

Conclusions

Buccal plate thickness is highly dependent upon the arch position, tooth location, and measurement point, but age and sex have limited impact.
Spirometric prediction equations and the relationship between metabolic syndrome and spirometric parameters from an island in Fujian, China
Authors: Chen Yu‐Sheng , Li Xiao‐Qin , Li Hong‐Ru , Yu Xiao‐Li , Lu Feng‐Feng , Huang Li‐Ping , Miao Yan , Wang Gui‐Qing , Lin Xiao , Lian Shuang‐Qing , Lin Yun‐Hua , Zhang Xiang‐E , Liu Ting , Wu Yan‐Ling
Published: September 2015

Background

We investigated risk factors for decreased lung function among Chinese island residents (≥30 years) to determine the relationship between metabolic syndrome (MS) and decreased lung function.

Methods

From October 17, 2011 to November 1, 2011, 2607 residents aged ≥30 years who lived on the Huangqi Peninsula of Fujian were enlisted by random cluster sampling. They completed a questionnaire designed according to the Burden of Obstructive Lung Disease (BOLD) questionnaire, and underwent physical examination, blood test, and lung function evaluation. We constructed spirometric prediction equations for forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), determined the lower limits of normal for FVC, FEV1 and FEV1/FVC, and examined the relationship between lung function and MS.

Results

Prediction equations for normal island residents were as follows:

FVC (L) = −0.023 × age (years) + 0.042 × height (cm) + 0.641 × weight (kg) – 3.607 (males);

FVC (L) = −0.017 × age (years) + 0.030 × height (cm) + 0.009 × weight (kg) – 1.741 (females);

FEV1 (L) = −0.023 × age (years) + 0.040 × height (cm) + 0.010 × weight (kg) – 2.999 (males);

FEV1 (L) = −0.017 × age (years) + 0.026 × height (cm) + 0.007 × weight (kg) −1.135 (females).

The odds ratio for MS for increased risk of decreased FVC was 4.623 (95%CI =3.626–5.894, P<0.001), and for increased risk of decreased FEV1 was 3.043 (95%CI =2.447–3.785, P<0.001).

Conclusions

MS is a risk factor for decreased lung function in island residents ≥30 years old.
Breast metastasis and lung large‐cell neuroendocrine carcinoma: first clinical observation
Authors: Papa Anselmo , Rossi Luigi , Verrico Monica , Di Cristofano Claudio , Moretti Valentina , Strudel Martina , Zoratto Federica , Minozzi Marina , Tomao Silverio
Published: September 2015

Background and Aims

The lung large‐cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC) is a very rare aggressive neuroendocrine tumor with a high propensity to metastasize and very poor prognosis. We report an atypical presentation of lung LCNEC was diagnosed from a metastatic nodule on the breast.

Methods

Our patient is a 59‐years‐old woman that presented in March 2014 nonproductive cough. A CT scan showed multiple brain, lung, adrenal gland and liver secondary lesions; moreover, it revealed a breast right nodule near the chest measuring 1.8 cm. The breast nodule and lung lesions were biopsied and their histology and molecular diagnosis were LCNEC of the lung. To our knowledge, this is the first documented case of breast metastasis from LCNEC of the lung.

Results

Furthermore, breast metastasis from extramammary malignancy is uncommon and its diagnosis is difficult but important for proper management and prediction of prognosis. Therefore, a careful clinical history with a thorough clinical examination is needed to make the correct diagnosis. Moreover, metastasis to the breast should be considered in any patient with a known primary malignant tumor history who presents with a breast lump. Anyhow, pathological examination should be performed to differentiate the primary breast cancer from metastatic tumor.

Conclusion

Therefore, an accurate diagnosis of breast metastases may not only avoid unnecessary breast resection, more importantly it is crucial to determine an appropriate and systemic treatment.
A Bootstrap Mechanism for Response Masking in Remote Analysis Systems
Authors: Muralidhar Krishnamurty , O'Keefe Christine M. , Sarathy Rathindra
Published: September 2015

National Statistical Agencies and other data custodian agencies hold a wealth of data regarding individuals and organizations, collected from censuses, surveys and administrative sources. In many cases, these data are made available to external researchers, for the investigation of questions of social and economic importance. To enhance access to this information, several national statistical agencies are developing remote analysis systems (RAS) designed to accept queries from a researcher, run them on data held in a secure environment, and then return the results. RAS prevent a researcher from accessing the underlying data, and most rely on manual checking to ensure the responses have acceptably low disclosure risk. However, the need for scalability and consistency will increasingly require automated methods. We propose a RAS output confidentialization procedure based on statistical bootstrapping that automates disclosure control while achieving a provably good balance between disclosure risk and usefulness of the responses. The bootstrap masking mechanism is easy to implement for most statistical queries, yet the characteristics of the bootstrap distribution assure us that it is also effective in providing both useful responses and low disclosure risk. Interestingly, our proposed bootstrap masking mechanism represents an ideal application of Efron's bootstrap—one that takes advantage of all the theoretical properties of the bootstrap, without ever having to construct the bootstrap distribution.
Managing a Portfolio of Product Development Projects under Resource Constraints
Authors: Browning Tyson R. , Yassine Ali A.
Published: September 2015

Managers of product development (PD) project portfolios face difficult decisions in allocating limited resources to minimize project or portfolio delay. Although PD projects are highly iterative (cyclical), almost all of the vast literature on project scheduling assumes that projects are acyclical. This article addresses this gap with a comprehensive analysis of 31 priority rules (PRs) on 18,480 portfolios containing 55,440 iterative projects. We find that the best PRs for iterative project portfolios differ significantly from those for acyclical ones, and that the best PRs at the project level differ from those at the portfolio level. The best PR depends on project and portfolio characteristics such as network density, iteration intensity, resource loading profile, and amount of resource contention. In particular, by amplifying the effects of iteration, high‐density networks hold dramatically different implications for iterative projects. Moreover, the best PR also differs depending on whether the objective is to minimize the average delay to all projects or to minimize delay to the overall portfolio. Thus, a project or portfolio manager who uses the same PR on all occasions will exhibit unnecessarily poor performance in most cases.
Neurodevelopmental, emotional, and behavioural problems in Duchenne muscular dystrophy in relation to underlying dystrophin gene mutations
Authors: Ricotti Valeria , Mandy William P L , Scoto Mariacristina , Pane Marika , Deconinck Nicolas , Messina Sonia , Mercuri Eugenio , Skuse David H , Muntoni Francesco
Published: September 2015

Aim

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is associated with neuropsychiatric disorders. The aim of the study was to characterize the DMD neuropsychiatric profile fully and to explore underlying genotype/phenotype associations.

Method

One hundred and thirty males with DMD (mean age 9y 10mo, range 5–17y) in four European centres were included and completed IQ assessment and a neurodevelopmental‐screening questionnaire. Of these, 87 underwent comprehensive neuropsychiatric assessment using structured diagnostic interview and parent‐reported questionnaires.

Results

The overall mean score on the neurodevelopmental questionnaire was significantly abnormal compared with the general population of children (p<0.001). On average, intelligence was below the population mean, with intellectual disability observed in 34 males (26%). Autistic spectrum disorder was identified in 18 (21%), hyperactivity in 21 (24%), and inattention in 38 (44%). Clinical levels of internalizing and externalizing problems were observed in 21 (24%) and 13 (15%) respectively. Over a third of males scored more than two measures of emotional, behavioural, or neurodevelopmental problems. Males with mutations at the 3′ end of the DMD gene affecting all protein isoforms had higher rates of intellectual disability and clusters of symptoms.

Interpretation

Males with DMD are at very high risk of neuropsychiatric disturbance, and this risk appears to increase with mutations at the 3′ end of the gene. Patterns of symptom clusters suggest a DMD neuropsychiatric syndrome, which may require prompt evaluation and early intervention.
Research on fatigue crack propagation behaviour of 4003 ferritic stainless steel based on infrared thermography
Authors: Zhang H. X. , Wei C. Y. , Yan Z. F. , Wang W. X. , Guo S. F. , Zhou Y. G.
Published: September 2015

Fatigue crack propagation (FCP) behaviour of 4003 ferritic stainless steel was investigated using infrared thermography. Four stages of superficial temperature evolution were observed during the FCP tests: an initial temperature decrease stage, a temperature equilibrium stage, a slow temperature increase stage and an abrupt temperature increase stage; a thermal model is developed to explain the observed temperature evolution. The experimental results indicate that: when the range of stress intensity factor (ΔK) is at a low level where the crack is located in slow propagation region, thermoelastic effect will be in dominant status; when the ΔKis at a high level where the crack is located in stable propagation region, the temperature rise can be used to describe FCP rate. The fatigue fracture surfaces were examined using scanning electron microscope (SEM) in order to understand the effect of the fatigue mechanisms on temperature variation.
Experiments and model predictions for fatigue crack propagation in riveted lap‐joints with multiple site damage
Authors: Galatolo R. , Lazzeri R.
Published: September 2015

In this paper, the growth of long fatigue cracks up to failure in aircraft components is studied. A deterministic model is presented, able to simulate the growth of fatigue through cracks located at rivet holes in lap‐joint panels. It also includes criteria to assess the link‐up of collinear adjacent cracks in a MSD scenario. To validate the model, a fatigue test campaign was carried out on riveted lap‐joint specimens in order to produce experimental crack growth and link‐up data. Accurate measurements of naturally occurred surface cracks were automatically performed by the Image Analysis technique, thus allowing the tests to run 24 h a day. The comparison between experimental tests and numerical simulations is good, thus confirming the model as a useful tool for the assessment of fatigue life of aircraft riveted joints.
The health of parents with and without intellectual impairment in the UK
Authors: Emerson E. , Llewellyn G. , Hatton C. , Hindmarsh G. , Robertson J. , Man W. Y. N. , Baines S.
Published: September 2015

Background

Little is known about the health and well‐being of the ‘hidden majority’ of parents with mild intellectual disability (ID), who are less likely to be in contact with disability services.

Method

We sought to add to knowledge in this area by examining the health and living conditions of parents with and without intellectual impairment in a large contemporary nationally representative sample of UK parents aged between 16 and 49 years old (n = 14 371).

Results

Our results indicated that, as expected, parents with intellectual impairment were at significantly greater risk than other parents of having poorer self‐reported general, mental and physical health. They were also at significantly greater risk of experiencing higher rates of household socio‐economic disadvantage and environmental adversities and lower rates of neighbourhood social capital and intergenerational support. Adjusting risk estimates to take account of between group differences in household socio‐economic disadvantage eliminated statistically significant differences in health status between parents with and without intellectual impairment on all but one indicator (obesity). Further adjusting risk estimates to take account of between group differences in neighbourhood adversity, neighbourhood social capital and intergenerational support had minimal impact on the results.

Conclusions

That controlling for between‐group differences in exposure to socio‐economic disadvantage largely eliminated evidence of poorer health among parents with intellectual impairment is consistent with the view that a significant proportion of the poorer health of people with IDs may be attributable to their poorer living conditions rather than biological factors associated with ID per se.
Differentiating the extent of cartilage repair in rabbit ears using nonlinear optical microscopy
Authors: ZHU X.Q. , XU Y.H. , LIAO C.X. , LIU W.G. , CHENG K.K. , CHEN J.X.
Published: September 2015

Nonlinear optical microscopy (NLOM) was used as a noninvasive and label‐free tool to detect and quantify the extent of the cartilage recovery. Two cartilage injury models were established in the outer ears of rabbits that created a different extent of cartilage recovery based on the presence or absence of the perichondrium. High‐resolution NLOM images were used to measure cartilage repair, specifically through spectral analysis and image texture. In contrast to a wound lacking a perichondrium, wounds with intact perichondria demonstrated significantly larger TPEF signals from cells and matrix, coarser texture indicating the more deposition of type I collagen. Spectral analysis of cells and matrix can reveal the matrix properties and cell growth. In addition, texture analysis of NLOM images showed significant differences in the distribution of cells and matrix of repaired tissues with or without perichondrium. Specifically, the decay length of autocorrelation coefficient based on TPEF images is 11.2 ± 1.1 in Wound 2 (with perichondrium) and 7.5 ± 2.0 in Wound 1 (without perichondrium), indicating coarser image texture and faster growth of cells in repaired tissues with perichondrium (p < 0.05). Moreover, the decay length of autocorrelation coefficient based on collagen SHG images also showed significant difference between Wound 2 and 1 (16.2 ± 1.2 vs. 12.2 ± 2.1, p < 0.05), indicating coarser image texture and faster deposition of collagen in repaired tissues with perichondrium (Wound 2). These findings suggest that NLOM is an ideal tool for studying cartilage repair, with potential applications in clinical medicine. NLOM can capture macromolecular details and distinguish between different extents of cartilage repair without the need for labelling agents.
Female sex hormones modulate Porphyromonas gingivalislipopolysaccharide‐induced Toll‐like receptor signaling in primary human monocytes
Authors: Jitprasertwong P. , Charadram N. , Kumphune S. , Pongcharoen S. , Sirisinha S.
Published: September 2015

Background and Objective

Female sex hormones are elevated and are potential host response modifiers during pregnancy. Modulation of immune responses by estrogen and progesterone may be responsible for periodontal inflammation. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the role of β‐estradiol and progesterone in human monocyte immune responses, at cellular and molecular levels, to identify their role as a possible immunological link between pregnancy and periodontal disease.

Material and Methods

Primary human monocytes were purified from human peripheral blood mononuclear cells by adherent method. Expression of Toll‐like receptor (TLR) 2, 4 and CD14 was analyzed by flow cytometry. TLR2, TLR4, cyclooxygenase‐2 (COX2), nuclear factor‐kappa B (NF‐κB) and NF‐κB inhibitor‐alpha mRNA expressions were measured using real‐time reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction and prostaglandin E2 secretion was assayed by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. NF‐κB expression was also examined by immunofluorescence. Western blotting was performed to determine the activation of mitogen‐activated protein kinase pathway.

Results

We report herein that both β‐estradiol and progesterone significantly reduced TLR2 expression at both protein and mRNA levels but had less of an effect on TLR4 expression in primary human monocytes. We also found that the hormones decreased monocyte cell surface protein expression of CD14. Significantly, β‐estradiol and progesterone dose‐dependently downregulated monocyte expression of COX2 mRNA. Pretreatment monocytes with β‐estradiol or progesterone reduced effects of Porphyromonas gingivalis lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on COX2 mRNA expression and decreased prostaglandin E2 secretion by the monocytes. Furthermore, we demonstrated that both β‐estradiol and progesterone inhibited P. gingivalis LPS‐induced NF‐κB signaling pathway through the upregulation of NF‐κB inhibitor‐alpha expression. However, neither β‐estradiol nor progesterone altered the phosphorylation of the p38, the extracellular signal‐regulated kinase 1/2 and the c‐Jun N‐terminal activated kinase in P. gingivalis LPS‐stimulated monocytes. Thus, the inhibitory effects of these hormones on the response of human monocytes to P. gingivalis LPS appear to be independent on mitogen‐activated protein kinase signaling pathway.

Conclusion

The results of the present study suggest that β‐estradiol and progesterone could influence the immune response of human monocytes to periodontal pathogens and this process may have a role in the clinical manifestations of periodontal disease associated with pregnancy.
Variability in recording and scoring of respiratory events during sleep in Europe: a need for uniform standards
Authors: Arnardottir Erna S. , Verbraecken Johan , Gonçalves Marta , Gjerstad Michaela D. , Grote Ludger , Puertas Francisco Javier , Mihaicuta Stefan , McNicholas Walter T. , Parrino Liborio ,   The National Representatives as Study Collaborators
Published: September 2015

Uniform standards for the recording and scoring of respiratory events during sleep are lacking in Europe, although many centres follow the published recommendations of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. The aim of this study was to assess the practice for the diagnosis of sleep‐disordered breathing throughout Europe. A specially developed questionnaire was sent to representatives of the 31 national sleep societies in the Assembly of National Sleep Societies of the European Sleep Research Society, and a total of 29 countries completed the questionnaire. Polysomnography was considered the primary diagnostic method for sleep apnea diagnosis in 10 (34.5%), whereas polygraphy was used primarily in six (20.7%) European countries. In the remaining 13 countries (44.8%), no preferred methodology was used. Fifteen countries (51.7%) had developed some type of national uniform standards, but these standards varied significantly in terms of scoring criteria, device specifications and quality assurance procedures between countries. Only five countries (17.2%) had published these standards. Most respondents supported the development of uniform recording and scoring criteria for Europe, which might be based partly on the existing American Academy of Sleep Medicine rules, but also take into account differences in European practice when compared to North America. This survey highlights the current varying approaches to the assessment of patients with sleep‐disordered breathing throughout Europe and supports the need for the development of practice parameters in the assessment of such patients that would be suited to European clinical practice.
Comparing multiple sampling platforms for measuring the behavior of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae)
Authors: Godwin Elise M. , Noad Michael J. , Kniest Eric , Dunlop Rebecca A.
Published: September 2015

Multiple platform approaches for measuring the behavior of marine mammals may strengthen data quality and quantity. However, if this approach is chosen, reconciliation of behavioral measures between each platform is required. This study compared typical measures of humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) behavior collected from three different sampling platforms; land‐based, boat‐based, and digital tags (Dtags), to explore similarities and/or discrepancies in data. Visual observations from land‐based platforms significantly underestimated group blow rate when compared to boat‐based platforms, whereas broad‐scale spatial movements (speed and course traveled) were measured similarly by these two platforms. Dtags were used to define dive behavior based on a time and depth criteria, where bouts of short shallow respiration dives (≤80 s and ≤10 m) were separated from longer, deeper dives (>80 s and >10 m). At a group level, land and boat platforms agreed on the number of long dives but land platforms missed bouts of short dives. At an individual level, the number of short and long dives observed by boat‐based platforms agreed with Dtag recordings. This study highlights the importance of data exploration prior to analyses in multiple platform studies to identify potential discrepancies and appropriately account for any biases.
Maternal Health‐Seeking on Behalf of Low‐Income Children
Authors: Kaiser Katherine Laux , Barry Hultquist Teresa , Chen Li‐Wu
Published: September 2015

Background

Women receiving Medicaid account for almost one‐third of the childbearing population in the United States, an extensive investment for federal and state governments. Gaps and conflicting research results exist that explain/predict maternal health‐seeking behavior for vulnerable children. Public health nurses (PHN) need evidence to design interventions that improve maternal health‐seeking and child health outcomes. The purpose of this study was to examine factors: maternal (key influences), child, and household that contribute to maternal health‐seeking behavior.

Methods

The design was a descriptive, correlational, longitudinal study (n = 1,141 mother‐child dyads).

Results

Children were more likely to receive preventive medical care if they had a medical condition (OR: 1.60, p < .01) and had access to private transportation (OR: 1.49, p < .05). Children of married mothers (OR: 1.51, p < .01) and access to private transportation (OR: 1.47, p < .05) received more preventive dental care. African‐American mothers (OR: 0.61, p < .01) and mothers with higher self‐reported health status (OR: 0.84, p < .05) sought less illness‐related medical child health services (CHS).

Conclusion

Maternal health‐seeking behavior in low‐income households is complex. Predictors may depend on whether care is preventive or illness‐related, medical, or dental. Further study should clarify what factors predict what type of CHS use to better specify PHN interventions.
HLA‐G 14‐bp Ins/Ins Genotype in Patients Harbouring Helicobacter pylori Infection: A Potential Risk Factor?
Authors: Genre J. , Santos Reginaldo F. P. , Marco de Leon Andrade J. , Lima F. P. , Coutinho da Camara A. V. , Donadi E. A. , Crispim J. C.
Published: September 2015

H. pylori is a potent pathogen due to its capacity to successfully evade host defence mechanisms. Despite inducing immune responses in infected individuals, sometimes these responses fail to clear the infection and the bacterium establishes a persistent infection leading to chronic inflammation. In this context, we hypothesized that human leucocyte antigen G (HLA‐G), a non‐classical major histocompatibility complex molecule that has the ability to regulate immune responses both in physiological and in pathological conditions, may play an important role in promoting tolerance and helping H. pylori to subvert host defence and consequently establish a chronic infection. Therefore, we evaluated the expression of HLA‐G 14‐bp Ins/Del polymorphism in patients harbouring H. pylori infection, as well as their relationship with histological and demographic variables, to gain a better understanding of the actual role of HLA‐G and its genetic polymorphisms in bacterial infection. Sixty‐eight patients with clinical symptoms suggestive of H. pylori infection were enrolled to assess HLA‐G 14‐bp Ins/Del polymorphism allele and genotype frequencies. After adjustment for covariates (age and gender), the odds of having the genotype Ins/Ins, compared to Del/Del, were 3.77 times greater among HP+ cases than among controls. These findings suggest that the 14‐bp Ins/Ins genotype, already associated with inflammatory and autoimmune diseases as well as some viral and parasitic infections, could confer a greater risk of developing H. pylori infection.
Silicon (100)/SiO2 by ToF-SIMS
Authors: Kanyal Supriya S. , Jensen David S. , Zhu Zihua , Linford Matthew R.
Published: September 2015

The authors report the time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry of Si (100)/SiO2. Both positive and negative ion spectra were obtained using a cluster ion source (Bi32+ primary ions at 50 keV). Si+ is the base peak in positive ion mode. The negative ion spectrum shows signals characteristic of the native oxide: SiO2−, SiO2H−, SiO3−, and SiO3H−.
Technical Note: Influence of Compton currents on profile measurements in small‐volume ion chambers
Authors: Tanny Sean , Holmes Shannon , Sperling Nicholas , Parsai E. Ishmael
Published: September 2015

Purpose:

This work is to evaluate the effects of Compton current generation in three small‐volume ionization chambers on measured beam characteristics for electron fields.

Methods:

Beam scans were performed using Exradin A16, A26, and PTW 31014 microchambers. Scans with varying chamber components shielded were performed. Static point measurements, output factors, and cable only irradiations were performed to determine the contribution of Compton currents to various components of the chamber. Monte Carlo simulations were performed to evaluate why one microchamber showed a significant reduction in Compton current generation.

Results:

Beam profiles demonstrated significant distortion for two of the three chambers when scanned parallel to the chamber axis, produced by electron deposition within the wire. Measurements of ionization produced within the cable identified Compton current generation as the cause of these distortions. The size of the central collecting wire was found to have the greatest influence on the magnitude of Compton current generation.

Conclusions:

Microchambers can demonstrate significant (>5%) deviations from properties as measured with larger volume chambers (0.125 cm3 and above). These deviations can be substantially reduced by averaging measurements conducted at opposite polarities.
Dual-carrier processing to convey temporal fine structure cues: Implications for cochlear implants
Authors: Apoux Frédéric , Youngdahl Carla L. , Yoho Sarah E. , Healy Eric W.
Published: September 2015

Speech intelligibility in noise can be degraded by using vocoder processing to alter the temporal fine structure (TFS). Here it is argued that this degradation is not attributable to the loss of speech information potentially present in the TFS. Instead it is proposed that the degradation results from the loss of sound-source segregation information when two or more carriers (i.e., TFS) are substituted with only one as a consequence of vocoder processing. To demonstrate this segregation role, vocoder processing involving two carriers, one for the target and one for the background, was implemented. Because this approach does not preserve the speech TFS, it may be assumed that any improvement in intelligibility can only be a consequence of the preserved carrier duality and associated segregation cues. Three experiments were conducted using this “dual-carrier” approach. All experiments showed substantial sentence intelligibility in noise improvements compared to traditional single-carrier conditions. In several conditions, the improvement was so substantial that intelligibility approximated that for unprocessed speech in noise. A foreseeable and potentially promising implication for the dual-carrier approach involves implementation into cochlear implant speech processors, where it may provide the TFS cues necessary to segregate speech from noise.
Marketing Football Bowl Subdivision Football to Students at Wisconsin State
Authors: Barnhill Chris , Palmero Mauro
Published: September 2015

Wisconsin State University (WSU) is on the verge of receiving an invitation to join the Mid-Atlantic Conference (a conference with Football Bowl Subdivision [FBS] status). To successfully transition to FBS, WSU needs its students to approve a fee increase to offset the additional costs. Alex Pence, the assistant director of marketing, has been placed in charge of developing a marketing plan to influence students to support the fee increase. Unfortunately for Pence, WSU students have a history of opposing fees for athletics. With pressure from the school’s administration, Pence must figure out how create support for the move while balancing the ethical and political pressures he is facing.
Lumbar Mechanics in Tennis Groundstrokes: Differences in Elite Adolescent Players With and Without Low Back Pain
Authors: Campbell Amity , Straker Leon , Whiteside David , O’Sullivan Peter , Elliott Bruce , Reid Machar
Published: September 2015

Adolescent tennis players are at risk for low back pain (LBP). Recent research has demonstrated a potential mechanical etiology during serves; however, groundstrokes have also been suggested to load this region. Therefore, this study compared lumbar mechanics between players with and without a history of LBP during open and square stance tennis forehands and backhands. Nineteen elite, adolescent, male tennis players participated, 7 with a history of recurrent disabling LBP and 12 without. Differences in three-dimensional lumbar kinetics and kinematics were compared between pain/no pain groups and groundstrokes using linear mixed models (P < .01). There were no significant differences between pain/no pain groups. Relative to a right-handed player, groundstroke comparisons revealed that forehands had greater racquet velocity, greater lumbar right lateral flexion force, as well as upper lumbar extension/rightward rotation and lower lumbar right rotation/lateral flexion movements that were closer to or further beyond end of range than backhands. Backhands required upper lumbar leftward rotation that was beyond end range, while forehands did not. Given that players typically rotated near to their end of range during the backswing of both forehands and backhands, independent of pain, groundstrokes may contribute to the cumulative strain linked to LBP in tennis players.
Postnatal diagnosis of maternal congenital heart disease: missed opportunities
Authors: Vashisht Ananya , Katakam Narmada , Kausar Samina , Patel Neena , Stratton Jane
Published: September 2015

A 30-year-old primigravida with no known comorbidities presented to the emergency department at 29+6/40 gestation, with breathlessness. The initial diagnosis was pulmonary embolism, which was later revised following initial investigations and considered to be pre-eclampsia/HELLP (haemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, low platelets) syndrome. Following caesarean section and delivery of a live baby, the patient had episodes of cyanotic hypoxia and was admitted to intensive care. A provisional diagnosis of idiopathic pulmonary hypertension was performed. Decompensation led to transfer to a specialist intensive care unit for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, where a diagnosis of patent ductus arteriosus and Eisenmenger's syndrome was made. Heart disease is the leading indirect cause of maternal death, and Eisenmenger's syndrome in pregnancy carries a 50–65% mortality. A literature review demonstrated that this is the only reported case of a postnatal diagnosis of Eisenmenger's syndrome. We considered missed opportunities to make an earlier diagnosis, so that patients and doctors will benefit from the lessons we learnt.
Thermodynamics of rotating black branes in higher dimensional Einstein – nonlinear electrodynamics – dilaton gravity
Authors: Sheykhi A. , Hendi S.H.
Published: September 2015

In this paper, we propose a n-dimensional action in which gravity is coupled to exponential nonlinear electrodynamics and scalar dilaton field with Liouville-type potential. By varying the action, we obtain the field equations. Then, we construct a new class of charged, rotating black brane solutions, with k = [(n – 1)/2] rotation parameters, of this theory. Because of the presence of the Liouville-type dilaton potential, the asymptotic behavior of the obtained solutions is neither flat nor (anti)-de Sitter. We investigate the causal structure of the space–time in ample details. We find the suitable counter term that removes the divergences of the action in the presence of the dilaton field, and calculate the conserved and thermodynamic quantities of the space–time. Interestingly enough, we find that the conserved quantities crucially depend on the dilaton coupling constant, α, while they are independent of the nonlinear parameter, β. We also check the validity of the first law of thermodynamics on the black brane horizon. Finally, we study thermal stability of the solutions by computing the heat capacity in the canonical ensemble. We disclose the effects of rotation parameter, nonlinearity of electrodynamics, and dilaton field on the thermal stability conditions.