bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Competency of peripheral health workers in detection & management of common syndromic conditions under surveillance, North 24 Parganas, West Bengal, India, 2016: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Debnath F. , Bhatnagar T. , Sundaramoorthy L. , Ponnaiah M. 
Published: October 2017

BackgroundCompetency of peripheral health workers in the detection and management of common syndromic conditions is crucial as they are the first point of contact for the majority of the Indian population.MethodsWe measured the competency of auxiliary nurse midwives (ANMs), and factors associated with inadequate competency, in the detection and management of common conditions-diarrhoea, acute respiratory tract infection, fever, malaria-through a cross-sectional study using condition specific validated clinical vignettes and structured questionnaires.ResultsOut of 272 selected ANMs, 68% (95% CI 62–74%) were adequately competent. Factors independently associated with inadequate competency were unavailability of essential drugs in preceding month [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 1.95; 95% CI 1.1–3.5] and ever trained in integrated management of childhood illness (AOR = 2.4; 95% CI 1.4–4.1).ConclusionMore than two third of the peripheral health workers were adequately competent to detect and manage common conditions. Ensuring uninterrupted drug availability and improved quality in service trainings might facilitate competency levels.
Exploring the dynamics of ‘2P’ wakes with reflective symmetry using point vortices
Authors: Basu Saikat , Stremler Mark A. 
Published: October 2017

Wakes formed behind bluff bodies frequently reveal complex patterns of coherent vortical structures, with emergence of streamwise spatial periodicity particularly in the mid-wake region. In some cases, the vortex positions also maintain symmetry about the wake centreline. For the case in which two pairs of vortices are generated per shedding cycle, thereby constituting the so-called ‘2P’ mode wake, assumptions of spatial periodicity and symmetry allow for development of a mathematically tractable model using the point-vortex approximation. Our previous work (Basu & Stremler, Phys. Fluids, vol. 27 (10), 2015, 103603) considered staggered 2P wake configurations with two glide-reflective pairs of vortices shed in each period. Here we investigate the dynamics of a spatially periodic point-vortex street consisting of two pairs of vortices arranged with reflective symmetry about the streamwise centreline. Because of the symmetry, it is possible to model the spatially periodic point-vortex dynamics as an integrable Hamiltonian system. For a particular choice of initial condition, the topological structure of the Hamiltonian level curves is determined by location in a circulation–impulse parameter space. These Hamiltonian level curves delineate multiple regimes of motion, with all vortex motions within one regime being qualitatively identical. This approach thus enables identification and a full classification of all possible vortex motions in this constrained system. There also exist a limited number of equilibrium configurations with no relative vortex motion; some of these relative equilibria are neutrally stable to (appropriate) perturbations. Only one such neutrally stable equilibrium configuration continues to preserve the distinct four-vortex array, and numerical experiments indicate that these configurations are also neutrally stable to small perturbations that break the spatial symmetry. We apply this analysis to identify the parameter values necessary for co-existence of two closely spaced, neutrally stable Kármán vortex streets that preserve the assumed symmetry. Finally, comparison of the model dynamics to a wake pattern reported in the literature suggests that the classification of exotic wakes should be based on more details than just the number of vortices periodically shed by the body.
On the macroscopic modelling of dilute emulsions under flow
Authors: Mwasame Paul M. , Wagner Norman J. , Beris Antony N. 
Published: October 2017

A new macroscopic model describing the rheology and microstructure of dilute emulsions with droplet morphology is developed based on an internal contravariant conformation tensor variable which is physically identified with the deformed ellipsoidal geometry of the dispersed phase. The model is consistent with existing first-order capillary number,$O(Ca)$, theory describing the microstructure as well as$O(Ca^{2})$theory describing the emulsion-contributed extra stress. These asymptotic solutions are also used to determine all of the model parameters, making it the only macroscopic emulsion model that is consistent with all available asymptotic theories in the limit of small$Ca$. The governing equations are obtained from the Poisson and dissipation brackets, as developed for an incompressible fluid system endowed with an internal contravariant second-order tensor, subject to the imposition of the constraint of a unit determinant. First proposed by Maffettone & Minale (J. Non-Newtonian Fluid Mech., vol. 78, 1998, pp. 227–241), this constraint physically corresponds to conservation of the volume of the dispersed phase in the emulsion. The Hamiltonian of the emulsion is expressed through the surface energy of the dispersed phase, in addition to the kinetic energy, following previous work by Grmelaet al.(J. Non-Newtonian Fluid Mech., vol. 212, 2014, pp. 1–12), but employing a more accurate evaluation of the surface area in terms of the internal contravariant conformation tensor. Structural predictions of the ellipsoid droplet morphology obtained with the new model are compared with classic experiments by Torzaet al.(J. Colloid Interface Sci., vol. 38, 1972, pp. 395–411), showing good agreement.
Clean versus contaminated bubbles in a solid-body rotating flow
Authors: Rastello Marie , Marié Jean-Louis , Lance Michel 
Published: October 2017

The behaviour of clean and contaminated bubbles in solid-body rotating flows is compared in terms of drag and lift forces. Both spherical and deformed bubbles are considered. For that comparison, we have completed the data published in Rastello et al. (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 624, 2009, pp. 159–178; J. Fluid Mech., vol. 682, 2011, pp. 434–459) by a new series of measurements. When they are contaminated, bubbles are subject to an additional lift force due to the spinning of their surfaces, while the clean ones are not. A detailed description of this spinning motion is presented and an expression for the Magnus-like lift it induces is given in the light of the new information. The component of the lift induced by flow rotation depends on the Rossby number $Ro$, contrary to the case of clean bubbles. Including the ‘spin’ induced lift component in the dynamical equations provides a better prediction of the bubble’s trajectory in contaminated fluid. The presence of contaminants immobilizes the rear part of the bubble and reduces significantly the deformation. The laws of deformation according to the nature of the surface are presented. The way deformation influences the drag and lift coefficients in pure and contaminated fluids is quantified and discussed. Expressions for these various coefficients are proposed.
New insights from XRF core scanning data into boreal lake ontogeny during the Eemian (Marine Isotope Stage 5e) at Sokli, northeast Finland
Authors: Kylander Malin E. , Plikk Anna , Rydberg Johan , Löwemark Ludvig , Salonen J. Sakari , Fernández-Fernández María , Helmens Karin 
Published: October 2017

AbstractBiological proxies from the Sokli Eemian (Marine Isotope Stage 5e) paleolake sequence from northeast Finland have previously shown that, unlike many postglacial records from boreal sites, the lake becomes increasingly eutrophic over time. Here, principal components (PC) were extracted from a high resolution multi-element XRF core scanning dataset to describe minerogenic input from the wider catchment (PC1), the input of S, Fe, Mn, and Ca-rich detrital material from the surrounding Sokli Carbonatite Massif (PC2), and chemical weathering (PC3). Minerogenic inputs to the lake were elevated early in the record and during two abrupt cooling events when soils and vegetation in the catchment were poor. Chemical weathering in the catchment generally increased over time, coinciding with higher air temperatures, catchment productivity, and the presence of acidic conifer species. Abiotic edaphic processes play a key role in lake ontogeny at this site stemming from the base cation- and nutrient-rich bedrock, which supports lake alkalinity and productivity. The climate history at this site, and its integrated effects on the lake system, appear to override development processes and alters its long-term trajectory.
NMEs and the Double Remedy Problem
Authors: PRUSA THOMAS J. 
Published: October 2017

AbstractIn 2007, the US reversed its long-standing policy prohibiting the simultaneous imposition of anti-dumping duties (ADDs) and countervailing duties (CVDs) against non-market economies. The EU followed the US lead and also began imposing simultaneous ADDs and CVDs. The practice, however, leads to double remedies, which are when a domestic subsidy is offset by both an ADD and a CVD. The WTO Appellate Body recently ruled that double remedies were inconsistent with the Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures and that the burden was on the investigating authorities to ensure that double remedies were not being imposed.
The Treatment of Chinese SOEs in China's WTO Protocol of Accession
Authors: LEVY PHILIP I. 
Published: October 2017

AbstractThe two central issues in China's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) were its economic size and the large role the state had played in economic decisions – the treatment of State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) as central to addressing the latter point. While the Protocol of Accession imposed obligations on China that went beyond what was required of other WTO members, it has not been effective at resolving concerns about Chinese SOEs. This demonstrates, in part, the limitations in using the WTO as a vehicle to promote economic reform.
Multi-stakeholder initiatives and the divergent construction and implementation of sustainable agriculture in the USA
Authors: Konefal Jason , Hatanaka Maki , Constance Douglas H. 
Published: October 2017

AbstractMulti-stakeholder initiatives (MSIs) have emerged as a leading institutional approach for advancing sustainability globally. This paper examines three prominent MSIs that have developed sustainability metrics and a standard for US agriculture: Field to Market, the Stewardship Index for Specialty Crops and the National Sustainable Agricultural Standard Initiative. Using data from interviews and content analysis of initiative reports, two sets of analyses are presented. First, building on Paul Thompson's tri-partite theorization of sustainability, how each initiative is conceptualizing agricultural sustainability is analyzed. We find that two contrasting visions of sustainable agriculture for the USA have emerged from the three MSIs. One vision is a resource sufficiency approach focused on eco-efficiencies and the other vision is a functional integrity approach that emphasizes the maintenance of resilient agricultural and ecological systems. Second, we examine the governance practices of the MSIs to explain why such divergent conceptualizations of sustainability have been mapped out. We find that far from being a neutral forum, the internal dynamics of MSIs often reflect and reproduce existing power relationships among stakeholders. In concluding, we suggest that incremental improvements in sustainability can be achieved using MSIs, but more transformative changes may require other forms of governance.
Bacterial secretion of D-arginine controls environmental microbial biodiversity
Authors: Alvarez Laura , Aliashkevich Alena , de Pedro Miguel A , Cava Felipe 
Published: October 2017

Abstract
Bacteria face tough competition in polymicrobial communities. To persist in a specific niche, many species produce toxic extracellular effectors to interfere with the growth of nearby microbes. These effectors include the recently reported non-canonical D-amino acids (NCDAAs). In Vibrio cholerae, the causative agent of cholera, NCDAAs control cell wall integrity in stationary phase. Here, an analysis of the composition of the extracellular medium of V. cholerae revealed the unprecedented presence of D-Arg. Compared with other D-amino acids, D-Arg displayed higher potency and broader toxicity in terms of the number of bacterial species affected. Tolerance to D-Arg was associated with mutations in the phosphate transport and chaperone systems, whereas D-Met lethality was suppressed by mutations in cell wall determinants. These observations suggest that NCDAAs target different cellular processes. Finally, even though virtually all Vibrio species are tolerant to D-Arg, only a few can produce this D-amino acid. Indeed, we demonstrate that D-Arg may function as part of a cooperative strategy in vibrio communities to protect non-producing members from competing bacteria. Because NCDAA production is widespread in bacteria, we anticipate that D-Arg is a relevant modulator of microbial subpopulations in diverse ecosystems.
CryoEM structure of Saccharomyces cerevisiae U1 snRNP offers insight into alternative splicing
Authors: Li Xueni , Liu Shiheng , Jiang Jiansen , Zhang Lingdi , Espinosa Sara , Hill Ryan C. , Hansen Kirk C. , Zhou Z. Hong , Zhao Rui 
Published: October 2017

AbstractU1 snRNP plays a critical role in 5ʹ-splice site recognition and is a frequent target of alternative splicing factors. These factors transiently associate with human U1 snRNP and are not amenable for structural studies, while their Saccharomyces cerevisiae (yeast) homologs are stable components of U1 snRNP. Here, we report the cryoEM structure of yeast U1 snRNP at 3.6 Å resolution with atomic models for ten core proteins, nearly all essential domains of its RNA, and five stably associated auxiliary proteins. The foot-shaped yeast U1 snRNP contains a core in the “ball-and-toes” region architecturally similar to the human U1 snRNP. All auxiliary proteins are in the “arch-and-heel” region and connected to the core through the Prp42/Prp39 paralogs. Our demonstration that homodimeric human PrpF39 directly interacts with U1C-CTD, mirroring yeast Prp42/Prp39, supports yeast U1 snRNP as a model for understanding how transiently associated auxiliary proteins recruit human U1 snRNP in alternative splicing.
A low lasing threshold and widely tunable spaser based on two dark surface plasmons
Authors: Huo Yanyan , Jia Tianqing , Ning Tingyin , Tan Chaohua , Jiang Shouzhen , Yang Cheng , Jiao Yang , Man Baoyuan 
Published: October 2017

AbstractWe theoretically demonstrate a low threshold and widely tunable spaser based on a plasmonic nanostructure consisting of two sets of disk-rings (TSDR). The TSDR nanostructure supports two dark surface plasmons (SPs), which are excited simultaneously by two bright SPs at Fano dips. The two dark SPs support lower effective mode volume, higher quality factor and higher Purcell factors. When the dark SPs serve as the pumping and lasing mode of a spaser, the spaser has a lower lasing threshold, a higher pump absorption efficiency and a lower threshold absorbed pump power than the spaser based on a bright SP. In addition, the lasing and pumping wavelengths of the spaser proposed in this article can each be tuned over a very wide wavelength range. Our results should be significant for the development of spasers.
Electron tunneling through double magnetic barriers in Weyl semimetals
Authors: Hu Xunwu , Cheng Fang 
Published: October 2017

AbstractWe theoretically investigate the transport in a magnetic/normal/magetic hybrid structure on the surface of a Weyl semimetal. We find a directional-dependent tunneling which is sensitive to the magnetic field configuration and the electric gate voltage. The momentum filtering behavior becomes more significant for two-delta-function-shaped magnetic barriers. There are many Fabry-Pérot resonances in the transmission determined by the distance between the two magnetic barriers. The combined effects of the magnetic field and the electrostatic potential can enhance the difference in the transmission between the parallel and antiparallel magnetization configurations, and consequently lead to a giant magnetoresistance.
Antioxidant enzymes in chickpea colonized by Piriformospora indica participate in defense against the pathogen Botrytis cinerea
Authors: Narayan Om Prakash , Verma Nidhi , Singh Alok Kumar , Oelmüller Ralf , Kumar Manoj , Prasad Durga , Kapoor Rupam , Dua Meenakshi , Johri Atul Kumar 
Published: October 2017

AbstractPiriformospora indica, a root endophytic fungus, promotes growth of the economically important chickpea plant (Cicer arietinum Linn.) and protects it against the pathogenic fungus Botrytis cinerea. Biomass and root development were found to be significantly improved in chickpea plants colonized with P. indica as compared to the plants grown without P. indica as well as from the plants infected with the B. cinerea. Our PCR analyses showed that gradual increase in the colonization of P. indica in the plants result in the inhibition of the colonization of B. cinerea. P. indica colonized plants showed increased antioxidant enzyme activities. Interestingly, there were pronounced decrease in the antioxidant enzyme activities in shoots infected with B. cinerea and colonized with P. indica in alternate and simultaneous mode as compared to plants infected with B. cinerea alone. We conclude that P. indica helps plants to overcome the disease load by enhancing antioxidant enzyme defense system. Our data suggest that, bio-protective action of P. indica might be mediated via systemic induction of antioxidant defense in the host plants.
Quantitative assessment of the blood-brain barrier opening caused by Streptococcus agalactiae hyaluronidase in a BALB/c mouse model
Authors: Luo Su , Cao Qing , Ma Ke , Wang Zhaofei , Liu Guangjin , Lu Chengping , Liu Yongjie 
Published: October 2017

AbstractStreptococcus agalactiaeis a pathogen causing meningitis in animals and humans. However, little is known about the entry ofS. agalactiaeinto brain tissue. In this study, we developed a BALB/c mouse model based on the intravenous injection of β-galactosidase-positiveEscherichia coliM5 as an indicator of blood-brain barrier (BBB) opening. Under physiological conditions, the BBB is impermeable toE. coliM5. In pathological conditions caused byS. agalactiae,E. coliM5 is capable of penetrating the brain through a disrupted BBB. The level of BBB opening can be assessed by quantitative measurement ofE. coliM5 loads per gram of brain tissue. Further, we used the model to evaluate the role ofS. agalactiaehyaluronidase in BBB opening. The inactivation ofhylBgene encoding a hyaluronidase, HylB, resulted in significantly decreasedE. coliM5 colonization, and the intravenous injection of purified HylB protein induced BBB opening in a dose-dependent manner. This finding verified the direct role of HylB in BBB invasion and traversal, and further demonstrated the practicability of thein vivomouse model established in this study. This model will help to understand theS. agalactiae–host interactions that are involved in this bacterial traversal of the BBB and to develop efficacious strategies to prevent central nervous system infections.
A mammalian blood odor component serves as an approach-avoidance cue across phylum border - from flies to humans
Authors: Arshamian Artin , Laska Matthias , Gordon Amy R. , Norberg Matilda , Lahger Christian , Porada Danja K. , Jelvez Serra Nadia , Johansson Emilia , Schaefer Martin , Amundin Mats , Melin Harald , Olsson Andreas , Olsson Mats J. , Stensmyr Marcus , Lundström Johan N. 
Published: October 2017

AbstractChemosignals are used by predators to localize prey and by prey to avoid predators. These cues vary between species, but the odor of blood seems to be an exception and suggests the presence of an evolutionarily conserved chemosensory cue within the blood odor mixture. A blood odor component, E2D, has been shown to trigger approach responses identical to those triggered by the full blood odor in mammalian carnivores and as such, is a key candidate as a food/alarm cue in blood. Using a multidisciplinary approach, we demonstrate that E2D holds the dual function of affecting both approach and avoidance behavior in a predator-prey predicted manner. E2D evokes approach responses in two taxonomically distant blood-seeking predators, Stable fly and Wolf, while evoking avoidance responses in the prey species Mouse. We extend this by demonstrating that this chemical cue is preserved in humans as well; E2D induces postural avoidance, increases physiological arousal, and enhances visual perception of affective stimuli. This is the first demonstration of a single chemical cue with the dual function of guiding both approach and avoidance in a predator-prey predicted manner across taxonomically distant species, as well as the first known chemosignal that affects both human and non-human animals alike.
Quantifying Quantum-Mechanical Processes
Authors: Hsieh Jen-Hsiang , Chen Shih-Hsuan , Li Che-Ming 
Published: October 2017

AbstractThe act of describing how a physical process changes a system is the basis for understanding observed phenomena. For quantum-mechanical processes in particular, the affect of processes on quantum states profoundly advances our knowledge of the natural world, from understanding counter-intuitive concepts to the development of wholly quantum-mechanical technology. Here, we show that quantum-mechanical processes can be quantified using a generic classical-process model through which any classical strategies of mimicry can be ruled out. We demonstrate the success of this formalism using fundamental processes postulated in quantum mechanics, the dynamics of open quantum systems, quantum-information processing, the fusion of entangled photon pairs, and the energy transfer in a photosynthetic pigment-protein complex. Since our framework does not depend on any specifics of the states being processed, it reveals a new class of correlations in the hierarchy between entanglement and Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen steering and paves the way for the elaboration of a generic method for quantifying physical processes.
Controlling for Confounding Effects in Single Cell RNA Sequencing Studies Using both Control and Target Genes
Authors: Chen Mengjie , Zhou Xiang 
Published: October 2017

AbstractSingle cell RNA sequencing (scRNAseq) technique is becoming increasingly popular for unbiased and high-resolutional transcriptome analysis of heterogeneous cell populations. Despite its many advantages, scRNAseq, like any other genomic sequencing technique, is susceptible to the influence of confounding effects. Controlling for confounding effects in scRNAseq data is a crucial step for accurate downstream analysis. Here, we present a novel statistical method, which we refer to as scPLS (single cell partial least squares), for robust and accurate inference of confounding effects. scPLS takes advantage of the fact that genes in a scRNAseq study often can be naturally classified into two sets: a control set of genes that are free of effects of the predictor variables and a target set of genes that are of primary interest. By modeling the two sets of genes jointly using the partial least squares regression, scPLS is capable of making full use of the data to improve the inference of confounding effects. With extensive simulations and comparisons with other methods, we demonstrate the effectiveness of scPLS. Finally, we apply scPLS to analyze two scRNAseq data sets to illustrate its benefits in removing technical confounding effects as well as for removing cell cycle effects.