bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fish and tetrapod communities across a marine to brackish salinity gradient in the Pennsylvanian (early Moscovian) Minto Formation of New Brunswick, Canada, and their palaeoecological and palaeogeographical implications
Authors: Ó Gogáin Aodhán , Falcon‐Lang Howard J. , Carpenter David K. , Miller Randall F. , Benton Michael J. , Pufahl Peir K. , Ruta Marcello , Davies Thomas G. , Hinds Steven J. , Stimson Matthew R.
Published: August 2016

Euryhaline adaptations in Pennsylvanian vertebrates allowed them to inhabit the marine to freshwater spectrum. This is illustrated by new assemblages of fish and tetrapods from the early Moscovian Minto Formation of New Brunswick, Canada. Fish include chondrichthyans (xenacanthids and the enigmaticAgeleodus), acanthodians (gyracanthids and acanthodiforms), sarcopterygians (rhizodontids, megalichthyids and dipnoans), and actinopterygians (eurynotiforms). Tetrapods include small‐ to medium‐sized, and largely aquatic, stem tetrapods (colosteids) and anthracosaurs (embolomeres). A key finding is that the parautochthonous fossil assemblages are preserved across a salinity gradient, with diversity (measured by the Simpson Index) declining from open marine environments, through brackish embayments, and reaching a nadir in tidal estuaries. Chondrichthyans dominate the entire salinity spectrum (65% of fossils), a distribution that demonstrates a euryhaline mode of life, and one large predatory chondrichthyan,Orthacanthus, may have practised filial cannibalism in coastal nurseries because its heteropolar coprolites contain juvenile xenacanthid teeth. In contrast, other fish communities were more common in open marine settings while tetrapods were more common in coastal brackish waters. While all these faunas were also likely to have been euryhaline, their osmoregulation was, perhaps, less versatile. The demonstration of widespread euryhalinity among fish and aquatic tetrapods explains why Pennsylvanian faunas generally show a cosmopolitan biogeography because taxa were able to disperse via seaways. It also resolves the paradox of enriched strontium isotopic signatures observed in these faunas because organisms would have been, at times, exposed to continental water bodies as well. Therefore, our new findings contribute to the long‐running debate about the ecology of Pennsylvanian fishes and tetrapods.
An Agrobacterium‐delivered CRISPR/Cas9 system for high‐frequency targeted mutagenesis in maize
Authors: Char Si Nian , Neelakandan Anjanasree K. , Nahampun Hartinio , Frame Bronwyn , Main Marcy , Spalding Martin H. , Becraft Philip W. , Meyers Blake C. , Walbot Virginia , Wang Kan , Yang Bing
Published: August 2016

CRISPR/Cas9 is a powerful genome editing tool in many organisms, including a number of monocots and dicots. Although the design and application of CRISPR/Cas9 is simpler compared to other nuclease‐based genome editing tools, optimization requires the consideration of the DNA delivery and tissue regeneration methods for a particular species to achieve accuracy and efficiency. Here, we describe a public sector system, ISU Maize CRISPR, utilizing Agrobacterium‐delivered CRISPR/Cas9 for high‐frequency targeted mutagenesis in maize. This system consists of an Escherichia coli cloning vector and an Agrobacterium binary vector. It can be used to clone up to four guide RNAs for single or multiplex gene targeting. We evaluated this system for its mutagenesis frequency and heritability using four maize genes in two duplicated pairs: Argonaute 18 (ZmAgo18a and ZmAgo18b) and dihydroflavonol 4‐reductase or anthocyaninless genes (a1 and a4). T0 transgenic events carrying mono‐ or diallelic mutations of one locus and various combinations of allelic mutations of two loci occurred at rates over 70% mutants per transgenic events in both Hi‐II and B104 genotypes. Through genetic segregation, null segregants carrying only the desired mutant alleles without the CRISPR transgene could be generated in T1 progeny. Inheritance of an active CRISPR/Cas9 transgene leads to additional target‐specific mutations in subsequent generations. Duplex infection of immature embryos by mixing two individual Agrobacterium strains harbouring different Cas9/gRNA modules can be performed for improved cost efficiency. Together, the findings demonstrate that the ISU Maize CRISPR platform is an effective and robust tool to targeted mutagenesis in maize.
Earnings Growth and Movements in Self‐Reported Health
Authors: Halliday Timothy J.
Published: August 2016

We employ data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics to investigate income to health causality. To account for unobserved heterogeneity, we focus on the relationship between earnings growth and changes in self‐reported health status. Causal claims are predicated upon appropriate moment restrictions and specification tests of their validity. We find evidence of causality running from income to health for married women and men. In addition, spousal income appears to be protective for married women.
Improved methods for evaluating pre‐clinical and histological effects of subcutaneous fat reduction using high‐intensity focused ultrasound in a porcine model
Authors: Kwon T.‐R. , Im S. , Jang Y.‐J. , Oh C. T. , Choi E. J. , Jung S. J. , Hong H. , Choi Y. S. , Choi S. Y. , Kim Y. S. , Kim B. J.
Published: August 2016

Background

Non‐invasive body sculpting procedures are becoming increasingly popular. High‐intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) treatment is a non‐surgical fat reduction procedure that permanently destroys unwanted abdominal fat. Despite its increasing popularity, evaluation methods for the procedure have not yet been fully developed.

Aims

The objective of this study was to develop evaluation methods for HIFU for non‐surgical, permanent fat reduction in the anterior abdomen using a porcine model.

Methods

The abdomens of female pigs (Sus scrofa, n = 7) were treated with a HIFU device (SCIZER™, Classys Inc, Seoul, Korea). We examined treatment effects using photography, ultrasound, gross and microscopic pathology, and serum lipid and liver function level analysis, carbon tracer test, and histological examination in order to determine the mechanism of action, efficacy, and safety of the procedure.

Results

HIFU treatment effectively reduced abdominal fat in a porcine model; it accurately treated the target subcutaneous fat layer and the subcutaneous fat was reduced effectively via ultrasonic measurement after HIFU treatment. On histological staining (H&E, toluidine blue, oil red O and immunohistochemistry), we found that subcutaneous fat reduction occurred effectively via accurate treatment of the targeted subcutaneous fat layer. On hematological assay, there were changes within normal range, and values remained stable after 48 h. Via carbon tracer test, the migration of activated macrophages was identified within the axillary lymph node (LN). PPAR‐delta, a protein defined by immunohistochemistry staining, was overexpressed in the early stage on days 1 and 7, but a gradual decreasing pattern was confirmed.

Conclusion

We successfully used a HIFU device for body contouring and fat reduction in a pre‐clinical study. These results provide that the essential clues toward the effective evaluation, guiding selection of the appropriate diagnostic investigations.
THEOLOGY, SCIENCE, AND CLOUD OF THE IMPOSSIBLE
Authors: Keller Catherine
Published: August 2016

As a work of constructive theology attentive to the deconstructive edge of theology itself, Cloud of the Impossible offers a contemplative space for fresh transdisciplinary encounters. The ancient apophatic practice (of “unsaying,” docta ignorantia) here fosters a knowledge tuned to its own currently indeterminate edges. The present conversation surfaces issues of religion in relation to both science and ethics. It effects a multilateral advance in thinking the “apophatic entanglement” by which a relational ontology, with its attention to the materiality of our fragile planetary interdependence, is intensified through a theology of disciplined uncertainty.
PETER HARRISON, LUDWIG WITTGENSTEIN, AND THE PROBLEM OF PRE‐MODERN RELIGION
Authors: Ristuccia Nathan J.
Published: August 2016

Peter Harrison's Gifford Lectures demonstrate that the modern concepts of “religion” and “science” do not correspond to any fixed sphere of life in the pre‐modern world. Because these terms are incommensurate and ideological, they misconstrue the past. I examine the influence and affinities of Ludwig Wittgenstein's philosophy on Harrison's study in order to argue that Harrison's project approaches Wittgenstein's. Harrison's book is a therapeutic history, untying a knot in scholarly language. I encourage Harrison, however, to clarify how future scholars can progress in their study of phenomena once termed “scientific” or “religious” without succumbing to these same mistakes.
THE MODERN INVENTION OF “SCIENCE‐AND‐RELIGION”: WHAT FOLLOWS?
Authors: Harrison Peter
Published: August 2016

I am grateful to the four reviewers of The Territories of Science and Religion for their careful and insightful readings of the book, and their kind words about it. They all got the central arguments pretty much right, and thus any critical comments are not the result of fundamental misunderstandings. While there are some common themes in the assessments, each reviewer, happily, has offered a distinct perspective on the book. For this reason I will deal with their comments in turn, but with a focus throughout on a generally expressed concern about the broader implications of the book's historical analysis, and what positive or concrete proposals might follow from it.
Ca2+ transport and signalling in enamel cells
Authors: Nurbaeva Meerim K. , Eckstein Miriam , Feske Stefan , Lacruz Rodrigo S.
Published: August 2016

Dental enamel is one of the most remarkable examples of matrix‐mediated biomineralization. Enamel crystals form de novo in a rich extracellular environment in a stage‐dependent manner producing complex microstructural patterns that are visually stunning. This process is orchestrated by specialized epithelial cells known as ameloblasts which themselves undergo striking morphological changes, switching function from a secretory role to a cell primarily engaged in ionic transport. Ameloblasts are supported by a host of cell types which combined represent the enamel organ. Fully mineralized enamel is the hardest tissue found in vertebrates owing its properties partly to the unique mixture of ionic species represented and their highly organized assembly in the crystal lattice. Among the main elements found in enamel, Ca2+ is the most abundant ion, yet how ameloblasts modulate Ca2+ dynamics remains poorly known. This review describes previously proposed models for passive and active Ca2+ transport, the intracellular Ca2+ buffering systems expressed in ameloblasts and provides an up‐dated view of current models concerning Ca2+ influx and extrusion mechanisms, where most of the recent advances have been made. We also advance a new model for Ca2+ transport by the enamel organ.

image
Fast and persistent adaptation to new spectral cues for sound localization suggests a many-to-one mapping mechanism
Authors: Trapeau Régis , Aubrais Valérie , Schönwiesner Marc
Published: August 2016

The adult human auditory system can adapt to changes in spectral cues for sound localization. This plasticity was demonstrated by changing the shape of the pinna with earmolds. Previous results indicate that participants regain localization accuracy after several weeks of adaptation and that the adapted state is retained for at least one week without earmolds. No aftereffect was observed after mold removal, but any aftereffect may be too short to be observed when responses are averaged over many trials. This work investigated the lack of aftereffect by analyzing single-trial responses and modifying visual, auditory, and tactile information during the localization task. Results showed that participants localized accurately immediately after mold removal, even at the first stimulus presentation. Knowledge of the stimulus spectrum, tactile information about the absence of the earmolds, and visual feedback were not necessary to localize accurately after adaptation. Part of the adaptation persisted for one month without molds. The results are consistent with the hypothesis of a many-to-one mapping of the spectral cues, in which several spectral profiles are simultaneously associated with one sound location. Additionally, participants with acoustically more informative spectral cues localized sounds more accurately, and larger acoustical disturbances by the molds reduced adaptation success.
Derivation of the state matrix for dynamic analysis of linear homogeneous media
Authors: Parra Martinez Juan Pablo , Dazel Olivier , Göransson Peter , Cuenca Jacques
Published: August 2016

A method to obtain the state matrix of an arbitrary linear homogeneous medium excited by a plane wave is proposed. The approach is based on projections on the eigenspace of the governing equations matrix. It is an alternative to manually obtaining a linearly independent set of equations by combining the governing equations. The resulting matrix has been validated against previously published derivations for an anisotropic poroelastic medium.
The challenge of climate-change neoskepticism
Authors: Stern Paul C. , Perkins John H. , Sparks Richard E. , Knox Robert A.
Published: August 2016

Decision science and risk management are underutilized
Imprinting and recalling cortical ensembles
Authors: Carrillo-Reid Luis , Yang Weijian , Bando Yuki , Peterka Darcy S. , Yuste Rafael
Published: August 2016

Building new networks in the brain

Donald Hebb's hypothesis that coactivation of neurons leads to the formation of ensembles of neurons has inspired neuroscientists for decades. The experimental creation of such ensembles has been technically challenging. Using two-photon optogenetic stimulation with single-cell resolution, Carrillo-Reid
et al.
discovered that recurrent activation of a group of neurons creates an ensemble that is imprinted in the brain circuitry. Activation of a single neuron can lead to recall of the entire ensemble in a phenomenon called pattern completion. The artificial ensemble persists over days and can be reactivated at later time points without interfering with endogenous circuitry.

Science
, this issue p.
691
Novel Acylguanidine-Based Inhibitor of HIV-1
Authors: Mwimanzi Philip , Tietjen Ian , Miller Scott C. , Shahid Aniqa , Cobarrubias Kyle , Kinloch Natalie N. , Baraki Bemuluyigza , Richard Jonathan , Finzi Andrés , Fedida David , Brumme Zabrina L. , Brockman Mark A.
Published: August 2016

The emergence of transmissible HIV-1 strains with resistance to antiretroviral drugs highlights a continual need for new therapies. Here we describe a novel acylguanidine-containing compound, 1-(2-(azepan-1-yl)nicotinoyl)guanidine (or SM111), that inhibits
in vitro
replication of HIV-1, including strains resistant to licensed protease, reverse transcriptase, and integrase inhibitors, without major cellular toxicity. At inhibitory concentrations, intracellular p24
Gag
production was unaffected, but virion release (measured as extracellular p24
Gag
) was reduced and virion infectivity was substantially impaired, suggesting that SM111 acts at a late stage of viral replication. SM111-mediated inhibition of HIV-1 was partially overcome by a Vpu I17R mutation alone or a Vpu W22* truncation in combination with Env N136Y. These mutations enhanced virion infectivity and Env expression on the surface of infected cells in the absence and presence of SM111 but also impaired Vpu's ability to downregulate CD4 and BST2/tetherin. Taken together, our results support acylguanidines as a class of HIV-1 inhibitors with a distinct mechanism of action compared to that of licensed antiretrovirals. Further research on SM111 and similar compounds may help to elucidate knowledge gaps related to Vpu's role in promoting viral egress and infectivity.

IMPORTANCE
New inhibitors of HIV-1 replication may be useful as therapeutics to counteract drug resistance and as reagents to perform more detailed studies of viral pathogenesis. SM111 is a small molecule that blocks the replication of wild-type and drug-resistant HIV-1 strains by impairing viral release and substantially reducing virion infectivity, most likely through its ability to prevent Env expression at the infected cell surface. Partial resistance to SM111 is mediated by mutations in Vpu and/or Env, suggesting that the compound affects host/viral protein interactions that are important during viral egress. Further characterization of SM111 and similar compounds may allow more detailed pharmacological studies of HIV-1 egress and provide opportunities to develop new treatments for HIV-1.
In Vitro
Studies Show that Sequence Variability Contributes to Marked Variation in Hepatitis B Virus Replication, Protein Expression, and Function Observed across Genotypes
Authors: Sozzi Vitina , Walsh Renae , Littlejohn Margaret , Colledge Danni , Jackson Kathy , Warner Nadia , Yuen Lilly , Locarnini Stephen A. , Revill Peter A.
Published: August 2016

The hepatitis B virus (HBV) exists as 9 major genotypes (A to I), one minor strain (designated J) and multiple subtypes. Marked differences in HBV natural history, disease progression and treatment response are exhibited by many of these genotypes and subtypes. For example, HBV genotype C is associated with later hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) seroconversion and high rates of liver cancer compared to other HBV genotypes, whereas genotype A2 is rarely associated with HBeAg-negative disease or liver cancer. The reasons for these and other differences in HBV natural history are yet to be determined but could in part be due to sequence differences in the HBV genome that alter replicative capacity and/or gene expression. Direct comparative studies on HBV replication and protein expression have been limited to date due largely to the absence of infectious HBV cDNA clones for each of the HBV genotypes present in the same genetic arrangement. We have produced replication-competent infectious cDNA clones of the most common subtypes of genotypes A to D, namely, A2, B2, C2, D3, and the minor strain J, and compared their HBV replication phenotype using transient-transfection models. We identified striking differences in HBV replicative capacity as well as HBeAg and surface (HBsAg) protein expression across genotypes, which may in part be due to sequence variability in regulatory regions of the HBV genome. Functional analysis showed that sequence differences in the major upstream regulatory region across genotypes impacted promoter activity.

IMPORTANCE
There have been very few studies directly comparing the replication phenotype of different HBV genotypes, for which there are marked differences in natural history and disease progression worldwide. We have generated replication-competent 1.3-mer cDNA clones of the major genotypes A2, B2, C2, and D3, as well as a recently identified strain J, and identified striking differences in replicative capacity and protein expression that may contribute to some of the observed differences in HBV natural history observed globally.
Evaluation of a minor eye conditions scheme delivered by community optometrists
Authors: Konstantakopoulou E , Edgar D F , Harper R A , Baker H , Sutton M , Janikoun S , Larkin G , Lawrenson J G
Published: August 2016

Background

The establishment of minor eye conditions schemes (MECS) within community optometric practices provides a mechanism for the timely assessment of patients presenting with a range of acute eye conditions. This has the potential to reduce waiting times and avoid unnecessary referrals to hospital eye services (HES).

Objective

To evaluate the clinical effectiveness, impact on hospital attendances and patient satisfaction with a minor eye service provided by community optometrists.

Methods

Activity and outcome data were collected for 12 months in the Lambeth and Lewisham MECS. A patient satisfaction questionnaire was given to patients at the end of their MECS appointment. A retrospective difference-in-differences analysis of hospital activity compared changes in the volume of referrals by general practitioners (GPs) from a period before (April 2011–March 2013) to after (April 2013–March 2015) the introduction of the scheme in Lambeth and Lewisham relative to a neighbouring area (Southwark) where the scheme had not been commissioned. Appropriateness of case management was assessed by consensus using clinical members of the research team.

Results

A total of 2123 patients accessed the scheme. Approximately two-thirds of patients (67.5%) were referred by their GP. The commonest reasons for patients attending for a MECS assessment were ‘red eye’ (36.7% of patients), ‘painful white eye’ (11.1%) and ‘flashes and floaters’ (10.2%). A total of 64.1% of patients were managed in optometric practice and 18.9% were referred to the HES; of these, 89.2% had been appropriately referred. First attendances to HES referred by GPs reduced by 26.8% (95% CI −40.5% to −13.1%) in Lambeth and Lewisham compared to Southwark.

Conclusions

The Lambeth and Lewisham MECS demonstrates clinical effectiveness, reduction in hospital attendances and high patient satisfaction and represents a successful collaboration between commissioners, local HES units and primary healthcare providers.
Vedolizumab: early experience and medium-term outcomes from two UK tertiary IBD centres
Authors: Samaan Mark A , Pavlidis Polychronis , Johnston Emma , Warner Ben , Digby-Bell Jonathan , Koumoutsos Ioannis , Fong Steven , Goldberg Rimma , Patel Kamal , Gulati Shraddha , Medcalf Lucy , Sastrillo Marlene , Brown-Clarke Cordella , Bidewell-Sullivan Johanna , Forsyth Katrina , Lee Emma , Stanton Anna , Duncan Julie , Chung-Faye Guy , Dubois Patrick , Powell Nick , Anderson Simon , Sanderson Jeremy , Hayee Bu'Hussain , Irving Peter M
Published: August 2016

Objective

To gain an understanding of the efficacy of vedolizumab in a ‘real-world’ setting.

Design

Retrospective cohort study using prospectively maintained clinical records.

Setting

Two UK tertiary inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) centres.

Patients

Patients with IBD commenced on vedolizumab at Guy's & St Thomas' and King's College Hospitals during November 2014–November 2015.

Intervention

Vedolizumab, a monoclonal antibody to α-4 β-7 integrins that selectively inhibit leucocyte migration into the gut.

Main outcome measures

Clinical disease activity was assessed at baseline, weeks 14 and 30 using Harvey–Bradshaw Index (HBI) for Crohn's disease (CD) and Simple Clinical Colitis Activity Index (SCCAI) for ulcerative colitis (UC). Response was defined as HBI or SCCAI reduction ≥3. Remission was defined as HBI <5 or SCCAI <3. Continuous data are summarised as medians, followed by range.

Results

Fifty patients were included: 27 CD, 20 UC and 3 IBD-U (included in the UC group for analysis). At baseline visit, the median HBI was 8 (1–16) and SCCAI was 6 (0–15). At week 14, these values had fallen to 5 (0–15) (p=0.117) and 4 (0–10) (p=0.005), respectively. Additionally, week 30 data were available for 19 patients (9 CD, 10 UC). The clinical disease activity scores at that point were HBI 2 (0–7) (p=0.039) and SCCAI 2 (0–10) (p=0.023). At baseline, 37 (74%) of the 50 patients had clinically active disease. Of the patients with active disease, 22 (59%) responded and 14 (38%) achieved remission at week 14.

Conclusions

Our early experience with vedolizumab demonstrates a clear benefit in terms of disease control as well as a steroid-sparing effect in a cohort, which included patients with complex and previously refractory disease.
Hypotensive, cardiodepressant, and vasorelaxant activities of black currant (Ribes nigrum ‘Ben Sarek’) juice
Authors: Branković Suzana , Miladinović Bojana , Radenković Mirjana , Gočmanac Ignjatović Marija , Kostić Milica , Šavikin Katarina , Kitić Dušanka
Published: August 2016

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of black currant (Ribes nigrum L. ‘Ben Sarek’) juice on the blood pressure and frequency of cardiac contractions, as well as vasomotor responses of rat aortic rings. Arterial blood pressure was measured directly from the carotid artery in the anaesthetized rabbits. The aortic rings were pre-contracted with KCl (80 mmol·L−1), after which black currant juice was added. An intravenous injection of black currant juice (0.33–166.5 mg·kg−1) induced a significant and dose-dependent decrease of rabbit arterial blood pressure and heart rate. The black currant juice decreased arterial blood pressure of rabbit by 22.33% ± 3.76% (p < 0.05) and heart rate by 17.18% ± 2.93% (p < 0.05). Cumulative addition of the black currant juice (0.01–3 mg·mL−1) inhibited concentration-dependent KCl induced contractions of the isolated rat aorta. The black currant juice, at the concentration of 3 mg·mL−1, caused a maximum relaxation of 21.75% ± 3.15% (p < 0.05). These results demonstrate that black currant juice can induce hypotension. The hypotensive effect of the black currant may occur as the consequence of its inhibitory activity on the rate of heart contraction and vasorelaxant effects.
Variable effects of snow conditions across boreal mesocarnivore species
Authors: Pozzanghera C.B. , Sivy K.J. , Lindberg M.S. , Prugh L.R.
Published: August 2016

Mesocarnivores are increasingly recognized as key drivers of community dynamics, but the effects of bottom-up and abiotic factors on mesocarnivore populations remain poorly understood. We evaluated the effects of snow conditions, prey abundance, and habitat type on the distribution of five sympatric mesocarnivore species in interior Alaska using repeated snow-track surveys and occupancy modelling. Snow depth and snow compaction were the best predictors of mesocarnivore occupancy, with differential effects across species. Coyotes (Canis latrans Say, 1823) and red foxes (Vulpes vulpes (L., 1758)) occurred in areas of shallow, compact snow; Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis Kerr, 1792) occurred in areas of shallow, fluffy snow; and wolverines (Gulo gulo (L., 1758)) and marten (Martes americana (Turton, 1806)) occurred in areas of deep, fluffy snow. These findings indicate that altered snow conditions due to climate change may have strong direct effects on the distribution of northern mesocarnivores, with divergent effects across species.
“Climate Change” Frames Detection and Categorization Based on Generalized Concepts
Authors: Alashri Saud , Alzahrani Sultan , Tsai Jiun-Yi , Corman Steven R. , Davulcu Hasan
Published: August 2016

The subliminal impact of framing of social, political and environmental issues such as climate change has been studied for a long time in political science and communications research. Media framing offers “interpretative package” for average citizens on how to make sense of climate change and its consequences to their livelihoods, how to deal with its negative impacts, and which mitigation or adaptation policies to support. A line of related work has used bag of words and word-level features to detect frames automatically in text. Such works face limitations since standard keyword based features may not generalize well to accommodate surface variations in text when different keywords are used for similar concepts. In this paper, we develop a new type of textual features that generalize (subject,verb,object) triplets extracted from text, by clustering them into high-level concepts. We utilize these concepts as features to detect frames in text. Our corpus comprises more than 45,000 climate change related sentences. Expert coders annotated those sentences as Frame/Non-Frame and framed sentences were mapped into one of four general frame categories: solution, problem threat, cause, and motivation. Compared to uni-gram and bi-gram based models, classification and clustering using our generalized concepts yielded better discriminating features and a higher accuracy classifier with a 12% boost (i.e. from 74% to 83% in f-measure) and 0.91 clustering purity for Frame/Non-Frame detection.
Git4Voc: Collaborative Vocabulary Development Based on Git
Authors: Halilaj Lavdim , Grangel-González Irlán , Coskun Gökhan , Lohmann Steffen , Auer Sören
Published: August 2016

Collaborative vocabulary development in the context of data integration is the process of finding consensus between experts with different backgrounds, system understanding and domain knowledge. The complexity of this process increases with the number of people involved, the variety of the systems to be integrated and the dynamics of their domain. In this paper, we advocate that the usage of a powerful version control system is one of the keys to address this problem. Driven by this idea and the success of the version control system Git in the context of software development, we investigate the applicability of Git for collaborative vocabulary development. Even though vocabulary development and software development have much more similarities than differences, there are still important challenges. These need to be considered in the development of a successful versioning and collaboration system for vocabulary development. Therefore, this paper starts by presenting the challenges we are faced with during the collaborative creation of vocabularies and discusses its distinction to software development. Drawing from these findings, we present Git4Voc which comprises guidelines on how Git can be adopted to vocabulary development. Finally, we demonstrate how Git hooks can be implemented to go beyond the plain functionality of Git by realizing vocabulary-specific features like syntactic validation and semantic diffs.
A Meta-Framework for Modeling the Human Reading Process in Sentiment Analysis
Authors: Baly Ramy , Hobeica Roula , Hajj Hazem , El-Hajj Wassim , Shaban Khaled Bashir , Al-Sallab Ahmad
Published: August 2016

This article introduces a sentiment analysis approach that adopts the way humans read, interpret, and extract sentiment from text. Our motivation builds on the assumption that human interpretation should lead to the most accurate assessment of sentiment in text. We call this automated process Human Reading for Sentiment (HRS). Previous research in sentiment analysis has produced many frameworks that can fit one or more of the HRS aspects; however, none of these methods has addressed them all in one approach. HRS provides a meta-framework for developing new sentiment analysis methods or improving existing ones. The proposed framework provides a theoretical lens for zooming in and evaluating aspects of any sentiment analysis method to identify gaps for improvements towards matching the human reading process. Key steps in HRS include the automation of humans low-level and high-level cognitive text processing. This methodology paves the way towards the integration of psychology with computational linguistics and machine learning to employ models of pragmatics and discourse analysis for sentiment analysis. HRS is tested with two state-of-the-art methods; one is based on feature engineering, and the other is based on deep learning. HRS highlighted the gaps in both methods and showed improvements for both.
Angiotensin II counteracts the effects of cAMP/PKA on NHE3 activity and phosphorylation in proximal tubule cells
Authors: Crajoinas Renato O. , Polidoro Juliano Z. , Carneiro de Morais Carla P. A. , Castelo-Branco Regiane C. , Girardi Adriana C. C.
Published: August 2016

Binding of angiotensin II (ANG II) to the AT1 receptor (AT1R) in the proximal tubule stimulates Na+/H+ exchanger isoform 3 (NHE3) activity through multiple signaling pathways. However, the effects of ANG II/AT1R-induced inihibitory G protein (Gi) activation and subsequent decrease in cAMP accumulation on NHE3 regulation are not well established. We therefore tested the hypothesis that ANG II reduces cAMP/PKA-mediated phosphorylation of NHE3 on serine 552 and, in doing so, stimulates NHE3 activity. Under basal conditions, ANG II stimulated NHE3 activity but did not affect PKA-mediated NHE3 phosphorylation at serine 552 in opossum kidney (OKP) cells. However, in the presence of the cAMP-elevating agent forskolin (FSK), ANG II blocked FSK-induced NHE3 inhibition, reduced intracellular cAMP concentrations, lowered PKA activity, and prevented the FSK-mediated increase in NHE3 serine 552 phosphorylation. All effects of ANG II were blocked by pretreating OKP cells with the AT1R antagonist losartan, highlighting the contribution of the AT1R/Gi pathway in ANG II-mediated NHE3 upregulation under cAMP-elevating conditions. Accordingly, Gi inhibition by pertussis toxin treatment decreased NHE3 activity both in vitro and in vivo and, more importantly, prevented the stimulatory effect of ANG II on NHE3 activity in rat proximal tubules. Collectively, our results suggest that ANG II counteracts the effects of cAMP/PKA on NHE3 phosphorylation and inhibition by activating the AT1R/Gi pathway. Moreover, these findings support the notion that NHE3 dephosphorylation at serine 552 may represent a key event in the regulation of renal proximal tubule sodium handling by ANG II in the presence of natriuretic hormones that promote cAMP accumulation and transporter phosphorylation.
Ion channelopathies in functional GI disorders
Authors: Beyder Arthur , Farrugia Gianrico
Published: August 2016

In the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, abnormalities in secretion, absorption, motility, and sensation have been implicated in functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs). Ion channels play important roles in all these GI functions. Disruptions of ion channels' ability to conduct ions can lead to diseases called ion channelopathies. Channelopathies can result from changes in ion channel biophysical function or expression due to mutations, posttranslational modification, and accessory protein malfunction. Channelopathies are strongly established in the fields of cardiology and neurology, but ion channelopathies are only beginning to be recognized in gastroenterology. In this review, we describe the state of the emerging field of GI ion channelopathies. Several recent discoveries show that channelopathies result in alterations in GI motility, secretion, and sensation. In the epithelium, mutations in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) or CFTR-associating proteins result in channelopathies with constipation or diarrhea as phenotypes. In the muscle, mutations in the SCN5A-encoded voltage-gated sodium channel NaV1.5 are associated with irritable bowel syndrome. In the sensory nerves, channelopathies of voltage-gated sodium channels NaV1.7 and NaV1.9 (encoded by SCN9A, SCN11A, respectively) manifest by either GI hyper- or hyposensation. Recent advances in structural biology and ion channel biophysics, coupled with personalized medicine, have fueled rapid discoveries of novel channelopathies and direct drug targeting of specific channelopathies. In summary, the emerging field of GI ion channelopathies has significant implications for functional GI disease stratification, diagnosis, and treatment.
Potential of IL-33 for Preventing the Kidney Injury via Regulating the Lipid Metabolism in Gout Patients
Authors: Duan Lihua , Huang Yan , Su Qun , Lin Qingyan , Liu Wen , Luo Jiao , Yu Bing , He Yan , Qian Hongyan , Liu Yuan , Chen Jie , Shi Guixiu
Published: August 2016

Interleukin-33 (IL-33), the most recently discovered member of the IL-1 superfamily, has been linked to several human pathologies including autoimmune diseases, sepsis, and allergy through its specific IL-1 receptor ST2. However, there is little information regarding the role of IL-33 in gout. In this study, we investigated the potential role of IL-33 in gout patients. The serum level of IL-33 was measured by ELISA, and the clinical and laboratory parameters, serum creatinine, urea, and lipid, were extracted from medical record system. The serum IL-33 expression was predominantly increased in gout patients compared to healthy controls, and the IL-33 levels were higher in patients without kidney injury. Furthermore, IL-33 showed a negative correlation with biomarkers of kidney injury, such as CRE and urea. The lipid metabolism dysfunction, tophi, and hypertension are the common reasons for kidney injury in gout. Interestingly, inverse and positive correlation of IL-33 expression was observed in LDL and HDL, respectively. However, there was no significant alteration in the gout patients with hypertension and tophi. These data suggested that IL-33 might act as a protective role in kidney injury through regulating the lipid metabolism in gout.
Cloud for Distributed Data Analysis Based on the Actor Model
Authors: Kholod Ivan , Petukhov Ilya , Shorov Andrey
Published: August 2016

This paper describes the construction of a Cloud for Distributed Data Analysis (CDDA) based on the actor model. The design uses an approach to map the data mining algorithms on decomposed functional blocks, which are assigned to actors. Using actors allows users to move the computation closely towards the stored data. The process does not require loading data sets into the cloud and allows users to analyze confidential information locally. The results of experiments show that the efficiency of the proposed approach outperforms established solutions.
Pulse Wave Variation during the Menstrual Cycle in Women with Menstrual Pain
Authors: Jeon Soo Hyung , Kim Kyu Kon , Lee In Seon , Lee Yong Tae , Kim Gyeong Cheol , Chi Gyoo Yong , Cho Hye Sook , Kang Hee Jung , Kim Jong Won
Published: August 2016

Objective. This study is performed to obtain objective diagnostic indicators associated with menstrual pain using pulse wave analysis.Methods. Using a pulse diagnostic device, we measured the pulse waves of 541 women aged between 19 and 30 years, placed in either an experimental group with menstrual pain (n=329) or a control group with little or no menstrual pain (n=212). Measurements were taken during both the menstrual and nonmenstrual periods, and comparative analysis was performed.Results. During the nonmenstrual period, the experimental group showed a significantly higher value in the left radial artery for the radial augmentation index (RAI) (p=0.050) but significantly lower values for pulse wave energy (p=0.021) and time to first peak from baseline (T1) (p=0.035) in the right radial artery. During the menstrual period, the experimental group showed significantly lower values in the left radial artery for cardiac diastole and pulse wave area during diastole and significantly higher values for pulse wave area during systole, ratio of systolic phase to the full heartbeat, and systolic-diastolic ratio.Conclusion. We obtained indicators of menstrual pain in women during the menstrual period, including prolonged systolic and shortened diastolic phases, increases in pulse wave energy and area of representative pulse wave, and increased blood vessel resistance.
Using SVD on Clusters to Improve Precision of Interdocument Similarity Measure
Authors: Zhang Wen , Xiao Fan , Li Bin , Zhang Siguang
Published: August 2016

Recently, LSI (Latent Semantic Indexing) based on SVD (Singular Value Decomposition) is proposed to overcome the problems of polysemy and homonym in traditional lexical matching. However, it is usually criticized as with low discriminative power for representing documents although it has been validated as with good representative quality. In this paper, SVD on clusters is proposed to improve the discriminative power of LSI. The contribution of this paper is three manifolds. Firstly, we make a survey of existing linear algebra methods for LSI, including both SVD based methods and non-SVD based methods. Secondly, we propose SVD on clusters for LSI and theoretically explain that dimension expansion of document vectors and dimension projection using SVD are the two manipulations involved in SVD on clusters. Moreover, we develop updating processes to fold in new documents and terms in a decomposed matrix by SVD on clusters. Thirdly, two corpora, a Chinese corpus and an English corpus, are used to evaluate the performances of the proposed methods. Experiments demonstrate that, to some extent, SVD on clusters can improve the precision of interdocument similarity measure in comparison with other SVD based LSI methods.
Static Anthropometric Characteristics of Bangladeshi Vehicle Driver: A Case Study
Authors: Halder P. K. , Sarker E.
Published: August 2016

Background. Inappropriate design of sitting furniture and working equipment causes the serious musculoskeletal injuries and various pains as well as reducing working efficiency. Uncomfortable sitting posture in prolonged driving in Bangladesh is an issue to be solved immediately. Therefore, anthropometric databank of user population is significantly essential for the suitable dimensional design for avoiding these remarkable problems.Methods. This study analyses the anthropometric data of the Bangladeshi male vehicle driver aged between 30 and 60 years. A total of 210 Bangladeshi healthy drivers are considered for 15 anthropometric measurements and compared with the similar anthropometrics of other nationalities.Results.The mean stature and sitting height erect of Bangladeshi driver are 1645 mm and 843 mm, respectively. The mean of body mass index (BMI) of the drivers is 26.09 kg/m2, which indicates that the drivers are overweight. The mean stature of Bangladeshi driver is 17 mm shorter than the driver of Korea and 115 mm shorter than the driver of Iran.Conclusion. There are substantial differences between the body dimensions of Bangladeshi driver and similar dimensions of other countries. In comparison, Bangladeshi driver is found to be the shortest compared with the sample of other nationalities.
Experimental Analysis of the Feasibility of Shaving Process Applied for High-Strength Steel Sheets
Authors: Phanitwong Wiriyakorn , Sontamino Arkarapon , Thipprakmas Sutasn
Published: August 2016

In recent years, the engineered materials were developed to improve their mechanical properties. A high-strength steel sheet is one of them, developed to serve the requirement of reducing weight of vehicles. Therefore, as a new material, many researches have been carried out to examine the use of sheet metal forming process applied for high-strength steel sheet. However, the feasibility of shaving process applied for it has not been investigated yet. In the present study, this feasibility was revealed by using experiments on two types of high-strength steel sheets: SAPH 440 and SPFH 590Y (JIS). The relationship between shaved surface feature and shearing clearance of high-strength steel sheets corresponded well with those of their conventional metal sheets. However, due to the high ultimate strength of these materials, it was revealed in this present study that there were not any suitable conditions of shaving process that could be applied to achieve the requirements of smooth cut surface overall material thickness.
Does Quantitative Research in Child Maltreatment Tell the Whole Story? The Need for Mixed-Methods Approaches to Explore the Effects of Maltreatment in Infancy
Authors: Glass Samuel , Gajwani Ruchika , Turner-Halliday Fiona
Published: August 2016

Background and Aims.Research on child maltreatment has largely overlooked the under-five age group and focuses primarily on quantitative measurement. This mixed-methods study of maltreated children (N=92) entering care (age 6–60 months) combines a quantitative focus on the associations between care journey characteristics and mental health outcomes with a qualitative exploration of maltreatment in four different families.Methods.Care journey data was obtained from social care records; mental health and attachment assessments were carried out following entry to care; qualitative data comprised semistructured interviews with professionals, foster carers, and parents.Results.Significant associations were found between suspected sexual abuse and increased DAI inhibited attachment symptoms (p=0.001) and between reported domestic violence and decreased DAI inhibited (p=0.016) and disinhibited (p=0.004) attachment symptoms. Qualitative results: two themes demonstrate the complexity of assessing maltreatment: (1) overlapping maltreatment factors occur in most cases and (2) maltreatment effects may be particularly challenging to isolate. Conclusions.Qualitative exploration has underscored the complexity of assessing maltreatment, indicating why expected associations were not found in this study and posing questions for the quantitative measurement of maltreatment in general. We therefore suggest a new categorisation of maltreatment and call for the complimentary research lenses of further mixed-methods approaches.
The Quality of Colonoscopy Reporting in Usual Practice: Are Endoscopists Reporting Key Data Elements?
Authors: Hadlock S. D. , Liu N. , Bernstein M. , Gould M. , Rabeneck L. , Ruco A. , Sutradhar R. , Tinmouth J. M.
Published: August 2016

Background. High quality reporting of endoscopic procedures is critical to the implementation of colonoscopy quality assurance programs.Objective. The aim of our research was to (1) determine the quality of colonoscopy (CS) reporting in “usual practice,” (2) identify factors associated with good quality reporting, and (3) compare CS reporting in open-access and non-open-access procedures.Methods. 557 CS reports were randomly selected and assigned a score based on the number of mandatory data elements included in the report. Reports documenting greater than 70% of the mandatory data elements were considered to be of good quality. Physician and procedure factors associated with good quality CS reporting were identified.Results. Variables that were consistently well documented included date of the procedure (99.6%), procedure indication (88.9%), a description of the most proximal anatomical segment reached (98.6%), and documentation of polyp location (97.8%). Approximately 79.4% of the reports were considered to be of good quality. Gastroenterology specialty, lower annual CS volume, and fewer years in practice were associated with good quality reporting.Discussion. CS reporting in usual practice in Ontario lacks quality in several areas. Almost 1 in 5 reports was of poor quality in our study.Conclusions. Targeted interventions and/or use of mandatory fields in synoptic reports should be considered to improve CS reporting.
Prophylactic Role of Oral Melatonin Administration on Neurogenesis in Adult Balb/C Mice during REM Sleep Deprivation
Authors: López-Armas Gabriela , Flores-Soto Mario Eduardo , Chaparro-Huerta Verónica , Jave-Suarez Luis Felipe , Soto-Rodríguez Sofía , Rusanova Iryna , Acuña-Castroviejo Dario , González-Perez Oscar , González-Castañeda Rocío Elizabeth
Published: August 2016

Purpose. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of melatonin in the proliferation of neural progenitors, melatonin concentration, and antiapoptotic proteins in the hippocampus of adult mice exposed to 96 h REM sleep deprivation (REMSD) prophylactic administration of melatonin for 14 days. Material and Methods. Five groups of Balb/C mice were used: (1) control, (2) REMSD, (3) melatonin (10 mg/kg) plus REMSD, (4) melatonin and intraperitoneal luzindole (once a day at 5 mg/kg) plus REMSD, and (5) luzindole plus REMSD. To measure melatonin content in hippocampal tissue we used HPLC. Bcl‐2 and Bcl‐xL proteins were measured by Western Blot and neurogenesis was determined by injecting 5‐bromo‐2‐deoxyuridine (BrdU) and BrdU/nestin expressing cells in the subgranular zone of the dentate gyrus were quantified by epifluorescence. Results. The melatonin‐treated REMSD group showed an increased neural precursor in 44% with respect to the REMSD group and in 28% when contrasted with the control group (P < 0.021). The melatonin‐treated REMSD group also showed the highest expression of Bcl‐2 and Bcl‐xL as compared to the rest of the groups. Conclusion. The exogenous administration of melatonin restores the tissue levels of sleep‐deprived group and appears to be an efficient neuroprotective agent against the deleterious effects of REMSD.