bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Starvation resistance is associated with developmentally specified changes in sleep, feeding, and metabolic rate
Authors: Brown Elizabeth B. , Slocumb Melissa E. , Szuperak Milan , Kerbs Arianna , Gibbs Allen G. , Kayser Matthew S. , Keene Alex C. 
Published: August 2018

ABSTRACTFood shortage represents a primary challenge to survival, and animals have adapted diverse developmental, physiological, and behavioral strategies to survive when food becomes unavailable. Starvation resistance is strongly influenced by ecological and evolutionary history, yet the genetic basis for the evolution of starvation resistance remains poorly understood. The fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, provides a powerful model for leveraging experimental evolution to investigate traits associated with starvation resistance. While control populations only live a few days without food, selection for starvation resistances results in populations that can survive weeks. We have previously shown that selection for starvation resistance results in increased sleep and reduced feeding in adult flies. Here, we investigate the ontogeny of starvation resistance-associated behavioral and metabolic phenotypes in these experimentally selected flies. We find that selection for starvation resistance results in delayed development and a reduction in metabolic rate in larvae that persists into adulthood, suggesting that these traits may allow for the accumulation of energy stores and an increase in body size within these selected populations. In addition, we find that sleep is largely unaffected by starvation- selection and that feeding increases during the late larval stages, suggesting that experimental evolution for starvation resistance produces developmentally specified changes in behavioral regulation. Together, these findings reveal a critical role for development in the evolution of starvation resistance and indicate that selection can selectively influence behavior during defined developmental timepoints.SUMMARY STATEMENTDrosophila melanogaster selected for starvation resistance take longer to develop and exhibit development-specific changes in traits associated with the accumulation and conservation of energy stores.
Theoretical and experimental study on driving force and flow characteristics of damping control valve of shock absorber
Authors: Xie Fangwei , Wang Dengshuai , Wang Cuntang 
Published: August 2018

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to study the flow characteristics of damping control valve of shock absorber, and obtain the minimum driving current required under different working conditions.

Design/methodology/approach
Based on the simplified model of the internal structure of damping control valve and the theory of fluid mechanics, the mathematical model of the damping control valve driving current under rated load is established. The test bench was designed to study the relationship between flow characteristics and driving current of the damping control valve.

Findings
The results show that the minimum driving current of switching and flowrate show a linear relationship and the minimum current required for the 4-1 switching is the largest that means the minimum current as long as meets the 4-1 switching to meet the needs of all levels switching.

Originality/value
These results of the theoretical and experimental study provide a reliable guide and reference for the design and application of damping control valve.
Quantification of weld size parameters for throat failure prevention in a brake flange axle weld subjected to torsional loading with structural stress approach
Authors: Vasu Anoop , Chung Jerry , Padfield Cory , Desai Ravi 
Published: August 2018

Purpose
The brake reaction test performed on a rear axle assembly revealed that the brake flange weld could not sustain the load needed to pass the minimum requirement of the test. Evaluation of the failure mode indicated that the fracture of the weld originated at the root of the weld and cracked through the fusion zone of the weld instead of cracking through base material (toe failure). The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach
A computational methodology is presented to quantify the critical parameters to prevent throat failure. The torsion dominated loading created high in-plane shear stress on the weld which can contribute significantly to the premature failure.

Findings
The failure through the fusion zone, often termed as weld throat/root failure, was not accounted for during the design phase by numerical simulation which led to the wrong conclusion that the design will pass the test requirement. Although weld sizing and weld penetration depth can explain such unexpected failure modes, fatigue life of this particular failure was still over-predicted using the Master SN curve formulation of structural stress approach which is well established for Mode I type of failure. Accounting for the shear component in the structural stress approach led to good correlation with the test specimen. Weld throat depth is a significant parameter contributing to throat failure.

Practical implications
The failure of the weld joining the brake flange and the tube of an axle is a high severity failure mode which can result in loss of vehicle control and injury or death and hence the failure should be prevented at any cost.

Originality/value
Most of the previous work of welded components relates to Mode I loading. There is very few research performed to discuss the Mode III loading and failure. This research illustrates the importance of considering the throat failure mode and quantifies the weld parameters to prevent such failures in design applications.
The role of transformational leadership style, organizational structure and job characteristics in developing psychological empowerment among banking professionals
Authors: Shahzad Imran Ahmad , Farrukh Muhammad , Ahmed Nazar OmerAbdallah , Lin Li , Kanwal Nagina 
Published: August 2018

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the antecedents of psychological empowerment among bank managers in Beijing, China. Specifically, it aims at investigating the impact of transformational leadership, organization structure and job characteristics on psychological empowerment among banking professionals.Design/methodology/approachQuestionnaires were distributed to bank managers in Beijing which were randomly selected through the cluster sampling technique. PLS-SEM was used for analysis to testify the hypotheses.FindingsStatistical results showed; transformational leadership, organization structure and job characteristics were directly and positively related to psychological empowerment.Originality/valueThe proposed model is essential in providing guideline for the development of employees. These recommendations can be adopted by the organizational trainers and human resource personnel for the betterment of their organization.
SECI driven creativity: the role of team trust and intrinsic motivation
Authors: Baldé Mariama , Ferreira Aristides I. , Maynard Travis 
Published: August 2018

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine employees’ knowledge creation processes by leveraging a conceptual framework based on the socialisation, externalisation, combination and internalisation (SECI) model introduced by Nonaka and Takeuchi (1995). Given that many employees work within teams, in the current study, the authors examine the impact that team-level trust and intrinsic motivation have on an employee’s SECI model and, in turn, the relationship between SECI model and individual creativity. As such, this work represents one of the first works to examine team-level factors that shape individual knowledge creation and creativity. Additionally, building on and extending previous SECI research, the authors develop a scale to measure SECI models that uses peer-rated assessments.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from 431 employees who worked in 59 teams drawn from 51 companies in a variety of industry sectors, both SME’s and corporate. To minimise common method bias, the SECI model questionnaire was adapted to the individual level through peer ratings instead of self-ratings (each employee rated three peers). To assess the hypotheses, hierarchical linear models using IBM SPSS were applied. The questionnaires were completed using both paper and online versions.FindingsResults showed that SECI mediates the relationships between individual-level creativity and both team-level intrinsic motivation and trust. Furthermore, findings suggest that the scale developed is a reliable measure of SECI.Practical implicationsKnowledge creation and sharing practices should take into account both, a team’s trust and its intrinsic motivation, which would result in creativity.Originality/valueThis paper examines the impact that team-level factors (i.e. team trust and team intrinsic motivation) have on individual SECI and creativity across a variety of industries. As such, this work is one of the first to examine the impact of team-level factors in shaping individual knowledge creation and creativity. Given the support that the study found for this hypothesis, this work demonstrates that team trust and intrinsic motivation are salient factors in shaping individual employee knowledge creation and creativity. Given the novelty of this work, the authors hope is that this study will be the foundation upon future cross-level studies of individual-level SECI and individual creativity can be built so as to improve SECI models.
Sustainable Fabrication of Glass Nanostructures Using Infrared
Transparent Mold Assisted by CO2 Laser Scanning
Irradiation
Authors: Bin Mohd Zawawi Mohd Zairulnizam , Kim Taekyung , Jung Myungki , Im Jaehun , Kang Shinill 
Published: August 2018

Abstract
Direct thermal imprinting of nanostructures on glass substrates is reliable when manufacturing net-shaped glass devices with various surface functions. However, several problems are recognized, including a long thermal cycle, tedious optimization, difficulties in ensuring high level replication fidelity, and unnecessary thermal deformation of the glass substrate. Here, we describe a more sustainable and energy efficient method for direct thermal imprinting of nanostructures onto glass substrates; we use silicon mold transparent to infrared between 2.5 and 25 μm in wavelength combined with CO2 laser scanning irradiation. The glass strongly absorbed the 10.6 μm wavelength irradiation, triggering substantial heating of a thin layer on the glass surface, which significantly enhanced the filling of pressed glass material into nanostructured silicon mold cavities. For comparison, we conducted conventional direct glass thermal imprinting experiments, further emphasizing the advantages of our new method, which outperformed conventional methods. The thermal mass cycle was shorter and the imprint pattern quality and yield, higher. Our method is sustainable, allowing more rapid scalable fabrication of glass nanostructures using less energy without sacrificing the quality and productivity of the fabricated devices.
Strength training as superior, dose-dependent and safe prevention of acute and overuse sports injuries: a systematic review, qualitative analysis and meta-analysis
Authors: Lauersen Jeppe Bo , Andersen Thor Einar , Andersen Lars Bo 
Published: August 2018

ObjectiveThis review aims to analyse strength training-based sports injury prevention randomised controlled trials (RCT) and present best evidence recommendations for athletes and future research. A priori PROSPERO registration; CRD42015006970.DesignSystematic review, qualitative analysis and meta-analysis. Sorting of studies and quality assessments were performed by two independent authors. Qualitative analyses, relative risk (RR) estimate with robustness and strength of evidence tests, formal tests of publication bias and post-hoc meta-regression were performed.Data sourcesPubMed, Embase, Web of Science and SPORTDiscus were searched to July 2017.Eligibility criteria for selecting studiesRCTs on strength training exercises as primary prevention of sports injuries.ResultsSix studies analysed five different interventions with four distinct outcomes. 7738 participants aged 12–40 years were included and sustained 177 acute or overuse injuries. Studies were published in 2003–2016, five from Europe and one from Africa. Cluster-adjusted intention-to-treat analysis established RR 0.338 (0.238–0.480). The result was consistent across robustness tests and strength of evidence was high. A 10% increase in strength training volume reduced the risk of injury by more than four percentage points. Formal tests found no publication bias.ConclusionThe included studies were generally well designed and executed, had high compliance rates, were safe, and attained consistently favourable results across four different acute and overuse injury outcomes despite considerable differences in populations and interventions. Increasing strength training volume and intensity were associated with sports injury risk reduction. Three characteristically different approaches to prevention mechanisms were identified and incorporated into contemporary strength training recommendations.
Can resistance training improve the symptoms of polycystic ovary syndrome?
Authors: Pericleous Paraskevi , Stephanides Savvas 
Published: August 2018

ObjectivesIt has been suggested that the symptoms of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) could be improved by resistance training.DesignThis review focuses on identifying studies that use resistance training to examine how it can affect the symptoms of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).MethodsMedline, Cochrane, Dare and PubMed databases were searched to find relevant articles. All studies were assessed in terms of their design and methods.ResultsWe found 10 studies that used resistance training to examine how it affects the symptoms of PCOS.ConclusionsThere is a need for further investigation. Most studies that examine the effects of resistance training on the symptoms of PCOS needed to consider the diet (macronutrient) of the participants along with the resistance training to have a better picture of how resistance training can affect the PCOS symptoms. Many questions are still unanswered.
Changes in soil phosphorus balance and phosphorus-use efficiency under long-term fertilization conducted on agriculturally used Chernozem in Germany
Authors: Medinski Tetiana , Freese Dirk , Reitz Thomas 
Published: August 2018

This study investigates changes in soil phosphorus (P) in different fertilization treatments applied since 1902 on Chernozem soil at a “Static Fertilization Experiment” in Germany. Total and plant-available soil P, and soil P balances were assessed at 0–30, 30–60, and 60–90 cm depth layers in unfertilized “Zero”, mineral “NK” and “NPK”, and combined mineral and organic “FYM + NK” (farmyard manure + NK) and “FYM + NPK” fertilization treatments. P-use efficiencies were determined for each crop in rotation (sugar beet, spring barley, potato, and winter wheat). The 110 yr of P fertilization at rates between 22 and 55 t ha−1 yr−1 resulted in a significant increase of available P contents. P stocks increased up to 60 cm depth. Total P accumulation comprised 1.4 t ha−1 for NPK, 1.3 t ha−1 for FYM + NK, and 3.1 t ha−1 for FYM + NPK. Crops cultivation without P fertilization in Zero and NK treatments resulted in negative P balances and reduction of available P below recommended levels. Reduction of mineral P application rates after 1981, along with crop variety-dependent yield increases, resulted in an improved P-use efficiency. An organic fertilization combined with mineral N and K fertilizers (FYM + NK) was found to be the most P-efficient treatment for Chernozem soils.
Counting, Generating, Analyzing and Sampling Tree Alignments
Authors: Chauve Cedric , Courtiel Julien , Ponty Yann 
Published: August 2018

Pairwise ordered tree alignment are combinatorial objects that appear in important applications, such as RNA secondary structure comparison. However, the usual representation of tree alignments as supertrees is ambiguous, i.e. two distinct supertrees may induce identical sets of matches between identical pairs of trees. This ambiguity is uninformative, and detrimental to any probabilistic analysis. In this work, we consider tree alignments up to equivalence. Our first result is a precise asymptotic enumeration of tree alignments, obtained from a context-free grammar by mean of basic analytic combinatorics. Our second result focuses on alignments between two given ordered trees [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]. By refining our grammar to align specific trees, we obtain a decomposition scheme for the space of alignments, and use it to design an efficient dynamic programming algorithm for sampling alignments under the Gibbs-Boltzmann probability distribution. This generalizes existing tree alignment algorithms, and opens the door for a probabilistic analysis of the space of suboptimal alignments.
Decreased Suppression and Increased Phosphorylated STAT3 in Regulatory T Cells are Associated with Benefit from Adjuvant PD-1 Blockade in Resected Metastatic Melanoma
Authors: Woods David M. , Ramakrishnan Rupal , Laino Andressa S. , Berglund Anders , Walton Kelly , Betts Brian C. , Weber Jeffrey S. 
Published: August 2018

Abstract

Purpose:
PD-1 blockade induces durable responses in patients with metastatic melanoma and prolongs relapse-free survival in patients with resected melanoma; however, current biomarkers do not consistently associate with patient responses. In this study, we investigated the impact of nivolumab therapy on peripheral blood regulatory T cells (Treg) and its relation to patient outcomes.

Experimental Design:
Peripheral blood Tregs and conventional CD4+ T cells from patients with resected high-risk melanoma treated with adjuvant nivolumab were assessed for gene expression changes by RNA-seq. Percentages of circulating Tregs and phosphorylated-STAT3 (pSTAT3) expression levels were assessed by flow cytometry and validated in an independent cohort of active disease patients. Suppressive function of Tregs was assessed in allogeneic mixed lymphocyte reactions.

Results:
Tregs from non-relapse patients had increased expression of proliferation associated genes. An increase in the proportion of circulating Tregs and pSTAT3 expression and a reduction in Treg-suppressive capacity were observed in non-relapsing, but not relapsing patient samples 13 weeks after starting treatment. In vitro blockade of PD-1 increased Treg percentages and pSTAT3 expression, and reduced Treg-suppressive function. PD-1 blockade also led to IL10 production by T cells, resulting in higher Treg proliferation. The addition of a STAT3 inhibitor ameliorated the increase in Tregs, enhanced suppressive function, and decreased T-cell IL10 production in vitro.

Conclusions:
These results demonstrate that induction of pSTAT3, reduced suppressive function, and a paradoxical increase in Treg proliferation are novel correlates of patient benefit from PD-1 blockade.
Germline and Somatic DNA Damage Repair Gene Mutations and Overall Survival in Metastatic Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma Patients Treated with FOLFIRINOX
Authors: Sehdev Amikar , Gbolahan Olumide , Hancock Brad A. , Stanley Melissa , Shahda Safi , Wan Jun , Wu Howard H. , Radovich Milan , O’Neil Bert H. 
Published: August 2018

Abstract

Purpose:
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a lethal cancer with lack of predictive biomarkers. We conducted a study to assess DNA damage repair (DDR) gene mutations as a predictive biomarker in PDAC patients treated with FOLFIRINOX.

Experimental Design:
Indiana University Simon Cancer Center pancreatic cancer database was used to identify patients with metastatic PDAC, treated with FOLFIRINOX and had tissue available for DNA sequencing. Baseline demographic, clinical, and pathologic information was gathered. DNA isolation and targeted sequencing was performed using the Ion AmpliSeq protocol. Overall survival (OS) analysis was conducted using Kaplan–Meier, logistic regression and Cox proportional hazard methods. Multivariate models were adjusted for age, gender, margin status, CA 19-9, adjuvant chemotherapy, tumor and nodal stage.

Results:
Overall, 36 patients were sequenced. DDR gene mutations were found in 12 patients. Mutations were seen in BRCA1 (N = 7), BRCA2 (N = 5), PALB2 (N = 3), MSH2 (N = 1), and FANCF (N = 1) of all the DDR genes sequenced. Median age was 65.5 years, 58% were male, 97.2% were Caucasian and 51.4% had any family history of cancer. The median OS was near significantly superior in those with DDR gene mutations present vs. absent [14 vs. 5 months; HR, 0.58; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.29–1.14; log-rank P = 0.08]. Multivariate logistic (OR, 1.47; 95% CI, 1.04–2.06; P = 0.04) and Cox regression (HR, 0.37; 95% CI, 0.15–0.94; P = 0.04) showed presence of DDR gene mutations was associated with improved OS.

Conclusions:
In a single institution, retrospective study, we found that the presence of DDR gene mutations are associated with improved OS in PDAC patients treated with FOLFIRINOX.
First-in-Human Phase I Trial of a Tumor-Targeted Cytokine (NHS-IL12) in Subjects with Metastatic Solid Tumors
Authors: Strauss Julius , Heery Christopher R. , Kim Joseph W. , Jochems Caroline , Donahue Renee N. , Montgomery Agnes S. , McMahon Sheri , Lamping Elizabeth , Marté Jennifer L. , Madan Ravi A. , Bilusic Marijo , Silver Matthew R. , Bertotti Elisa , Schlom Jeffrey , Gulley James L. 
Published: August 2018

Abstract

Purpose:
The NHS-IL12 immunocytokine is composed of two IL12 heterodimers fused to the NHS76 antibody. Preclinical studies have shown that this antibody targets IL12 to regions of tumor necrosis by binding histones on free DNA fragments in these areas, resulting in enhanced antitumor activity. The objectives of this phase I study were to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and pharmacokinetics of NHS-IL12 in subjects with advanced solid tumors.

Patients and Methods:
Subjects (n = 59) were treated subcutaneously with NHS-IL12 in a single ascending-dose cohort followed by a multiple ascending-dose cohort (n = 37 with every 4-week dosing).

Results:
The most frequently observed treatment-related adverse events (TRAE) included decreased circulating lymphocytes, increased liver transaminases, and flu-like symptoms. Of the grade ≥3 TRAEs, all were transient and only one was symptomatic (hyperhidrosis). The MTD is 16.8 μg/kg. A time-dependent rise in IFNγ and an associated rise in IL10 were observed following NHS-IL12. Of peripheral immune cell subsets evaluated, most noticeable were increases in frequencies of activated and mature natural killer (NK) cells and NKT cells. Based on T-cell receptor sequencing analysis, increases in T-cell receptor diversity and tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte density were observed after treatment where both biopsies and peripheral blood mononuclear cells were available. Although no objective tumor responses were observed, 5 subjects had durable stable disease (range, 6–30+ months).

Conclusions:
NHS-IL12 was well tolerated up to a dose of 16.8 μg/kg, which is the recommended phase II dose. Early clinical immune-related activity warrants further studies, including combination with immune checkpoint inhibitors.
See related commentary by Lyerly et al., p. 9