bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Syringomas Accentuated on the Upper Lip
Authors: Barzegar Mohammadreza , Abdollahimajd Fahimeh , Golfeshan Atefe , Nikvar Mohammad 
Published: March 2016

AbstractAn 8‐year‐old boy presented with small, skin‐colored papules of 9‐months duration on the upper lip. Results of the histopathologic examination were consistent with syringoma. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case report of syringoma of the mustache area of a child.
Subungual Posttraumatic Ectopic Nail
Authors: Kong Tae Seok , Lee Young Chae , Son Sook‐Ja , Lee June Hyunkyung , Han Tae Young 
Published: March 2016

AbstractEctopic nail is defined as the malformation of nail tissue in a location other than the usual nail unit. We present a 12‐year‐old boy with a single dystrophic thumb nail after an injury. The nail was observed under the original nail and it is linked to the original nail plate by longitudinal bridge formation with parallel growth. According to these clinical findings, the diagnosis of subungual posttraumatic ectopic nail was made.
Semiparametric Quantile Regression Analysis of Right‐censored and Length‐biased Failure Time Data with Partially Linear Varying Effects
Authors: Chen Xuerong , Liu Yeqian , Sun Jianguo , Zhou Yong 
Published: March 2016

AbstractRight‐censored and length‐biased failure time data arise in many fields including cross‐sectional prevalent cohort studies, and their analysis has recently attracted a great deal of attention. It is well‐known that for regression analysis of failure time data, two commonly used approaches are hazard‐based and quantile‐based procedures, and most of the existing methods are the hazard‐based ones. In this paper, we consider quantile regression analysis of right‐censored and length‐biased data and present a semiparametric varying‐coefficient partially linear model. For estimation of regression parameters, a three‐stage procedure that makes use of the inverse probability weighted technique is developed, and the asymptotic properties of the resulting estimators are established. In addition, the approach allows the dependence of the censoring variable on covariates, while most of the existing methods assume the independence between censoring variables and covariates. A simulation study is conducted and suggests that the proposed approach works well in practical situations. Also, an illustrative example is provided.
The Russian Cyber‐Bride as Geopolitical Fantasy
Authors: Klinke Ian 
Published: March 2016

AbstractThis article unpacks the fantasy of the Russian online bride and its striking contamination with geopolitical language. Drawing on critical geopolitics and psychoanalysis, it explores the economy of desire and anxiety that accompanies British men's quest for sexually available ‘traditional’ housewives that are still untouched by ‘modern’ feminism. The paper argues that these men desire the slippery substance of Easternness – an ideal object of desire which is too elusive to be conquered or held. The paper thereby inverts existing accounts of the sexualised nature of the geopolitical gaze to expose the traces of geopolitics in sexual fantasies themselves. In doing so, it formulates the basis for a triadic understanding of otherness.
Revisiting Al‐Idrissi: The Eu and the (Euro)Mediterranean Archipelago Frontier
Authors: Ferrer‐Gallardo Xavier , Kramsch Olivier Thomas 
Published: March 2016

AbstractThis contribution has three overarching objectives. First, it seeks to describe the logics of fracture and cohesion governing current geopolitical dynamics in the Mediterranean. Second, in the face of these contradictory tendencies, it proposes the notion of archipelago‐frontier as a concept for deepening our understanding of an ever more dispersed and ubiquitous geography defining the Southern border of the EU. In this light we draw on the contemporary resonances of the destabilising cartographic imagination of Al‐Idrissi (1100‐1165). And we argue that, read today, it helps us rethink the current symbolic, terminological (and hence geopolitical) abduction of the Mediterranean by the European Union, which the very term ‘Euromediterranean’ encapsulates. Finally, the paper underlines the necessity of forging new vistas on the Mediterranean engendering perspectives that are more dialogical, plurivocal and sensitive to permanent transformation, as evoked by a long‐term spatial as well as political horizon of struggle.
Contemporary Geopolitical Positionings of Iceland Towards ‘Europe’ and the Nordic States
Authors: Jones Alun , Clark Julian 
Published: March 2016

AbstractIn the context of the spatialities of Europeanisation, we demonstrate the manoeuvrability of states through the selection and deployment of geopolitical positioning strategies. Specifically, we highlight how geographic quantities (territory, location, resources, natural conditions) are bundled together to substantiate a mutable national interest as well as underpin the advocacy by states of particular geopolitical positionings. We argue that the diplomatic use of geographic quantities in state‐led efforts to structure and shape international interactions has demonstrable geopolitical consequences. Using the case study of Iceland, one of the first casualties of the international financial crisis, we examine this state's geopolitical repositioning towards ‘EUrope’ through use of geographical uniqueness and concomitant reaffirmation of Nordic closeness. We expose the diplomatic challenges to the use of geographical categories such as uniqueness in geopolitical (re)positioning towards the emerging ‘EUropean’ order.
Treatment of blood with a pathogen reduction technology using ultraviolet light and riboflavin inactivates Ebola virus in vitro
Authors: Cap Andrew P. , Pidcoke Heather F. , Keil Shawn D. , Staples Hilary M. , Anantpadma Manu , Carrion Ricardo , Davey Robert A. , Frazer‐Abel Ashley , Taylor Audra L. , Gonzales Richard , Patterson Jean L. , Goodrich Raymond P. 
Published: March 2016

BACKGROUNDTransfusion of plasma from recovered patients after Ebolavirus (EBOV) infection, typically called “convalescent plasma,” is an effective treatment for active disease available in endemic areas, but carries the risk of introducing other pathogens, including other strains of EBOV. A pathogen reduction technology using ultraviolet light and riboflavin (UV+RB) is effective against multiple enveloped, negative‐sense, single‐stranded RNA viruses that are similar in structure to EBOV. We hypothesized that UV+RB is effective against EBOV in blood products without activating complement or reducing protective immunoglobulin titers that are important for the treatment of Ebola virus disease (EVD).STUDY DESIGN AND METHODSFour in vitro experiments were conducted to evaluate effects of UV+RB on green fluorescent protein EBOV (EBOV‐GFP), wild‐type EBOV in serum, and whole blood, respectively, and on immunoglobulins and complement in plasma. Initial titers for Experiments 1 to 3 were 4.21 log GFP units/mL, 4.96 log infectious units/mL, and 4.23 log plaque‐forming units/mL. Conditions tested in the first three experiments included the following: 1—EBOV‐GFP plus UV+RB; 2—EBOV‐GFP plus RB only; 3—EBOV‐GFP plus UV only; 4—EBOV‐GFP without RB or UV; 5—virus‐free control plus UV only; and 6—virus‐free control without RB or UV.RESULTSUV+RB reduced EBOV titers to nondetectable levels in both nonhuman primate serum (≥2.8‐ to 3.2‐log reduction) and human whole blood (≥3.0‐log reduction) without decreasing protective antibody titers in human plasma.CONCLUSIONOur in vitro results demonstrate that the UV+RB treatment efficiently reduces EBOV titers to below limits of detection in both serum and whole blood. In vivo testing to determine whether UV+RB can improve convalescent blood product safety is indicated.
The treatment of canine mast cell tumours with electrochemotherapy with or without surgical excision
Authors: Lowe R. , Gavazza A. , Impellizeri J. A. , Soden D. M. , Lubas G. 
Published: March 2016

AbstractTo describe the results of electrochemotherapy (ECT) in dogs with mast cell tumours (MCTs) either as first line therapy or as an adjuvant to surgery. The treatment combines administration of low dose chemotherapeutic drugs with the application of microsecond electric pulses, which cause the temporary permeabilization and increased porosity of the tumour cell membranes. The design of this study is a retrospective case series. A total of 51 dogs with MCTs were included and classified according to ECT procedure into 4 groups (ECT only, 15 cases, intra‐surgery ECT, 11, ECT Adjuvant to surgery, 14, Surgery followed by ECT, 11). The four groups (staged with location, size and grade) were evaluated to assess complete or partial remission, disease free interval, overall survival time and local toxicity. In this case series, Boxers, mixed breed and Labrador Retrievers, male dogs, between 4 and 9 years old were more represented. MCTs were predominantly grade 2 (Patnaik) and T stage 0–1, I‐1 (World Health Organization). Treated lesions were most commonly identified on the hindlimb and head where curative surgery would involve cosmetic or functional compromise. The intra‐surgery group of dogs showed the best disease free interval with Kaplan–Meyer analysis. Local toxicity induced by ECT ranged mostly from 1 to 4 in a 5‐point arbitrary scale with 0 – no toxicity to 5 – highest toxicity. In this study, ECT can be applied successfully as an exclusive therapy in smaller MCTs as an alternative to surgery. ECT can be combined with surgery either intra‐operatively or post operatively for larger lesions without significant toxicity.
A Copper Microchannel Heat Exchanger for MEMS-Based Waste Heat Thermal Scavenging
Authors: Borquist E. , Baniya A. , Thapa S. , Wood D. , Weiss L. 
Published: March 2016

The growing necessity for increased efficiency and sustainability in energy systems such as MEMS devices has driven research in waste heat scavenging. This approach uses thermal energy, which is typically rejected to the surrounding environment, transferred to a secondary device to produce useful power output. This paper investigates a MEMS-based micro-channel heat exchanger (MHE) designed to operate as part of a micro-scale thermal energy scavenging system. Fabrication and operation of the MHE is presented. MHE operation relies on capillary action which drives working fluid from surrounding reservoirs via micro-channels above a heated surface. Energy absorption by the MHE is increased through the use of a working fluid which undergoes phase change as a result of thermal input.
In a real-world implementation, the efficiency at which the MHE operates contributes to the thermal efficiency of connected small-scale devices, such as those powered by thermoelectrics which require continual heat transfer. This full system can then more efficiently power MEMS-based sensors or other devices in diverse applications. In this work, the MHE and micro-channels are fabricated entirely of copper with 300μm width channels. Copper electro-deposition onto a copper substrate provides enhanced thermal conductivity when compared to other materials such as silicon or aluminum. The deposition process also increases the surface area of the channels due to porosity. Fabrication with copper produces a robust device, which is not limited to environments where fragility is a concern.
The MHE operation has been designed for widespread use in varied environments. The exchanger working fluid is also non-specific, allowing for fluid flexibility for a range of temperatures, depending on the thermal source potential. In these tests, the exchanger shows approximately 8.7 kW/m2 of thermal absorption and 7.6 kW/m2 of thermal transfer for a dry MHE while the wetted MHE had an energy throughput of 8.3 kW/m2. The temperature gradient maintained across the MHE bottom plate and lid is approximately 30 °C for both the dry and wetted MHE tests though overall temperatures were lower for the wetted MHE.
Molten Salt Spectroscopy for Quantification of Radiative Absorption in Novel Metal Chloride-Enhanced Thermal Storage Media
Authors: Myers Philip D. , Goswami D. Yogi , Stefanakos Elias 
Published: March 2016

This study describes the development and characterization of novel high-temperature thermal storage media, based on inclusion of transition metal chlorides in the potassium-sodium chloride eutectic system, (K-Na)Cl (melting temperature of 657°C, latent heat of 278 J/g). At the melting temperature of (K-Na)Cl, infrared (IR) radiation can play a major role in the overall heat transfer process — 90 percent of spectral blackbody radiation falls in the range of 2 to 13 μm. The authors propose inclusion of small amounts (less than 0.2 wt %) of IR-active transition metal chlorides to increase radiative absorption and thereby enhance heat transfer rates.
A new IR reflectance apparatus was developed to allow for determination of the spectral absorption coefficient of the newly formulated PCMs in the molten state. The apparatus consisted of an alumina crucible coated at the bottom with a reflective (platinum) or absorptive (graphite) surface, a heated ceramic crucible-holder, and a combination of zinc sulfide (ZnS) and zinc selenide (ZnSe) windows for containment of the salt and allowance of inert purge gas flow. Using this apparatus, IR spectra were obtained for various transition metal chloride additives in (K-Na)Cl, and improved infrared activity and radiative transfer properties were quantified. Further, thermophysical properties relevant to thermal energy storage (i.e., melting temperature, latent heat) are measured for the pure and additive-enhanced thermal storage medium.
SpoVG Regulates Cell Wall Metabolism and Oxacillin Resistance in Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Strain N315
Authors: Liu Xiaoyu , Zhang Shijie , Sun Baolin 
Published: March 2016

ABSTRACT

Increasing cases of infections caused by methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus
(MRSA) strains in healthy individuals have raised concerns worldwide. MRSA strains are resistant to almost the entire family of β-lactam antibiotics due to the acquisition of an extra penicillin-binding protein, PBP2a. Studies have shown that
spoVG
is involved in oxacillin resistance, while the regulatory mechanism remains elusive. In this study, we have found that SpoVG plays a positive role in oxacillin resistance through promoting cell wall synthesis and inhibiting cell wall degradation in MRSA strain N315. Deletion of
spoVG
in strain N315 led to a significant decrease in oxacillin resistance and a dramatic increase in Triton X-100-induced autolytic activity simultaneously. Real-time quantitative reverse transcription-PCR revealed that the expression of 8 genes related to cell wall metabolism or oxacillin resistance was altered in the
spoVG
mutant. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay indicated that SpoVG can directly bind to the putative promoter regions of
lytN
(murein hydrolase),
femA
, and
lytSR
(the two-component system). These findings suggest a molecular mechanism in which SpoVG modulates oxacillin resistance by regulating cell wall metabolism in MRSA.
Candida albicans Airway Colonization Facilitates Subsequent Acinetobacter baumannii Pneumonia in a Rat Model
Authors: Tan Xiaojiang , Chen Ruilan , Zhu Song , Wang Huijun , Yan Dongxing , Zhang Xiangdong , Farmakiotis Dimitrios , Mylonakis Eleftherios 
Published: March 2016

ABSTRACT

The objective of the study was to determine the effects of
Candida albicans
respiratory tract colonization on
Acinetobacter baumannii
pneumonia in a rat model. Rats were colonized with
C. albicans
by instillation of 3 × 10
6
CFU into their airways, while sterile saline was instilled in the control group. The colonized rats were further divided into two groups: treated with amphotericin B or not. The rats were subsequently infected with
A. baumannii
(10
8
CFU by tracheobronchial instillation).
A. baumannii
lung CFU counts, cytokine lung levels, and rates of
A. baumannii
pneumonia were compared between groups.
In vitro
expression of
A. baumannii
virulence genes was measured by reverse transcription (RT)-PCR after 24-hour incubation with
C. albicans
or with Mueller-Hinton (MH) broth alone. Rats with
Candida
colonization developed
A. baumannii
pneumonia more frequently and had higher
A. baumannii
CFU burdens and heavier lungs than controls. After
A. baumannii
infection, lung interleukin 17 (IL-17) concentrations were lower and gamma interferon (IFN-γ) concentrations were higher in
Candida
-colonized rats than in controls.
Candida-
colonized rats treated with amphotericin B had a decreased rate of
A. baumannii
pneumonia and lower IFN-γ levels but higher IL-17 levels than untreated rats. Expression of
basC
,
barB
,
bauA
,
ptk
,
plc2
, and
pld2
was induced while expression of
ompA
and
abaI
was suppressed in
A. baumannii
cultured in the presence of
C. albicans
.
C. albicans
colonization facilitated the development of
A. baumannii
pneumonia in a rat model. Among
Candida
-colonized rats, antifungal treatment lowered the incidence of
A. baumannii
pneumonia. These findings could be due to modification of the host immune response and/or expression of
A. baumannii
virulence genes by
Candida
spp.
Displacement of Pathogens by an Engineered Bacterium Is a Multifactorial Process That Depends on Attachment Competition and Interspecific Antagonism
Authors: Al-Saedi Fitua , Stones Daniel Henry , Vaz Diana Pereira , Krachler Anne Marie 
Published: March 2016

ABSTRACT
Pathogen attachment to host cells is a key process during infection, and inhibition of pathogen adhesion is a promising approach to the prevention of infectious disease. We have previously shown that multivalent adhesion molecules (MAMs) are abundant in both pathogenic and commensal bacterial species, mediate early attachment to host cells, and can contribute to virulence. Here, we investigated the efficacy of an engineered bacterium expressing a commensal MAM on its surface in preventing pathogen attachment and pathogen-mediated cytotoxicity in a tissue culture infection model. We were able to dissect the individual contributions of adhesion and interspecific antagonism on the overall outcome of infection for a range of different pathogens by comparison with the results obtained with a fully synthetic adhesion inhibitor. We found that the potential of the engineered bacterium to outcompete the pathogen is not always solely dependent on its ability to hinder host attachment but, depending on the pathogenic species, may also include elements of interspecific antagonism, such as competition for nutrients and its ability to cause a loss of fitness due to production of antimicrobial factors.
The Inhibitory Site of a Diguanylate Cyclase Is a Necessary Element for Interaction and Signaling with an Effector Protein
Authors: Dahlstrom Kurt M. , Giglio Krista M. , Sondermann Holger , O'Toole George A. 
Published: March 2016

ABSTRACT

Many bacteria contain large cyclic diguanylate (c-di-GMP) signaling networks made of diguanylate cyclases (DGCs) and phosphodiesterases that can direct cellular activities sensitive to c-di-GMP levels. While DGCs synthesize c-di-GMP, many DGCs also contain an autoinhibitory site (I-site) that binds c-di-GMP to halt excess production of this small molecule, thus controlling the amount of c-di-GMP available to bind to target proteins in the cell. Many DGCs studied to date have also been found to signal for a specific c-di-GMP-related process, and although recent studies have suggested that physical interaction between DGCs and target proteins may provide this signaling fidelity, the importance of the I-site has not yet been incorporated into this model. Our results from
Pseudomonas fluorescens
indicate that mutation of residues at the I-site of a DGC disrupts the interaction with its target receptor. By creating various substitutions to a DGC's I-site, we show that signaling between a DGC (GcbC) and its target protein (LapD) is a combined function of the I-site-dependent protein-protein interaction and the level of c-di-GMP production. The dual role of the I-site in modulating DGC activity as well as participating in protein-protein interactions suggests caution in interpreting the function of the I-site as only a means to negatively regulate a cyclase. These results implicate the I-site as an important positive and negative regulatory element of DGCs that may contribute to signaling specificity.

IMPORTANCE
Some bacteria contain several dozen diguanylate cyclases (DGCs), nearly all of which signal to specific receptors using the same small molecule, c-di-GMP. Signaling specificity in these networks may be partially driven by physical interactions between DGCs and their receptors, in addition to the autoinhibitory site of DGCs preventing the overproduction of c-di-GMP. In this study, we show that disruption of the autoinhibitory site of a DGC in
Pseudomonas fluorescens
can result in the loss of interactions with its target receptor and reduced biofilm formation, despite increased production of c-di-GMP. Our findings implicate the autoinhibitory site as both an important feature for signaling specificity through the regulation of c-di-GMP production and a necessary element for the physical interaction between a diguanylate cyclase and its receptor.
Allosteric Activation of Escherichia coli Glucosamine-6-Phosphate Deaminase (NagB)
In Vivo
Justified by Intracellular Amino Sugar Metabolite Concentrations
Authors: Álvarez-Añorve Laura I. , Gaugué Isabelle , Link Hannes , Marcos-Viquez Jorge , Díaz-Jiménez Dana M. , Zonszein Sergio , Bustos-Jaimes Ismael , Schmitz-Afonso Isabelle , Calcagno Mario L. , Plumbridge Jacqueline 
Published: March 2016

ABSTRACT

We have investigated the impact of growth on glucosamine (GlcN) and
N
-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) on cellular metabolism by quantifying glycolytic metabolites in
Escherichia coli
. Growth on GlcNAc increased intracellular pools of both GlcNAc6P and GlcN6P 10- to 20-fold compared to growth on glucose. Growth on GlcN produced a 100-fold increase in GlcN6P but only a slight increase in GlcNAc6P. Changes to the amounts of downstream glycolytic intermediates were minor compared to growth on glucose. The enzyme glucosamine-6P deaminase (NagB) is required for growth on both GlcN and GlcNAc. It is an allosteric enzyme in
E. coli
, displaying sigmoid kinetics with respect to its substrate, GlcN6P, and is allosterically activated by GlcNAc6P. The high concentration of GlcN6P, accompanied by the small increase in GlcNAc6P, drives
E. coli
NagB (NagB
Ec
) into its high activity state, as observed during growth on GlcN (L. I. Álvarez-Añorve, I. Bustos-Jaimes, M. L. Calcagno, and J. Plumbridge, J Bacteriol 191:6401–6407, 2009,
http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/JB.00633-09
). The slight increase in GlcNAc6P during growth on GlcN is insufficient to displace NagC, the GlcNAc6P-responsive repressor of the
nag
genes, from its binding sites, so there is only a small increase in
nagB
expression. We replaced the gene for the allosteric NagB
Ec
enzyme with that of the nonallosteric,
B. subtilis
homologue, NagB
Bs
. We detected no effects on growth rates or competitive fitness on glucose or the amino sugars, nor did we detect any effect on the concentrations of central metabolites, thus demonstrating the robustness of amino sugar metabolism and leaving open the question of the role of allostery in the regulation of NagB.

IMPORTANCE
Chitin, the polymer of
N
-acetylglucosamine, is an abundant biomaterial, and both glucosamine and
N
-acetylglucosamine are valuable nutrients for bacteria. The amino sugars are components of numerous essential macromolecules, including bacterial peptidoglycan and mammalian glycosaminoglycans. Controlling the biosynthetic and degradative pathways of amino sugar metabolism is important in all organisms to avoid loss of nitrogen and energy via a futile cycle of synthesis and breakdown. The enzyme glucosamine-6P deaminase (NagB) is central to this control, and
N
-acetylglucosamine-6P is the key signaling molecule regulating amino sugar utilization in
Escherichia coli
. Here, we investigate how the metabolic status of the bacteria impacts on the activity of NagB
Ec
and the
N
-acetylglucosamine-6P-sensitive transcriptional repressor, NagC.