bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ethylene signaling is critical for synergid cell functional specification and pollen tube attraction
Authors: Zhang Cheng , Teng Xiao‐Dong , Zheng Quan‐Quan , Zhao Yan‐Yun , Lu Jie‐Yang , Wang Yichuan , Guo Hongwei , Yang Zhong‐Nan
Published: July 2018

ETHYLENE INSENSITIVE 3 (EIN3) is a key regulator of ethylene signaling, and EIN3‐BINDING F‐BOX1 (EBF1) and EBF2 are responsible for EIN3 degradation. Previous reports have shown that the ebf1 ebf2 double homozygous mutant cannot be identified. In this study, the genetic analysis revealed that the ebf1 ebf2 female gametophyte is defective. The pollination experiment showed that ebf1 ebf2 ovules failed to attract pollen tubes. In female gametophyte/ovule, the synergid cell is responsible for pollen tube attraction. Observation of the pEIN3::EIN3‐GFP transgenic lines showed that EIN3 signal was over‐accumulated at the micropylar end of ebf1 ebf2 female gametophyte. The overexpression of stabilized EIN3 in synergid cell led to the defect of pollen tube guidance. These results suggested that the over‐accumulated EIN3 in ebf1 ebf2 synergid cell blocks its pollen tube attraction which leads to the failure of ebf1 ebf2 homozygous plant. We identified that EIN3 directly activated the expression of a sugar transporter, SENESCENCE‐ASSOCIATED GENE29 (SAG29/SWEET15). Overexpression of SAG29 in synergid cells blocked pollen tube attraction, suggesting that SAG29 might play a role in ethylene signaling to repel pollen tube entry. Taken together, our study reveals that strict control of ethylene signaling is critical for the synergid cell function during plant reproduction.
The pentatricopeptide repeat protein EMPTY PERICARP8 is required for the splicing of three mitochondrial introns and seed development in maize
Authors: Sun Feng , Zhang Xiaoyan , Shen Yun , Wang Hongchun , Liu Rui , Wang Xiaomin , Gao Dahai , Yang Yan‐Zhuo , Liu Yiwei , Tan Bao‐Cai
Published: July 2018

Splicing of plant organellar group II introns is under accurate nuclear control that employs many nucleus‐encoded protein cofactors from various families. For mitochondrial introns, only a few splicing factors have been characterized because disruption of their functions often causes embryo lethality. Here, we report the function of Empty Pericarp8 (Emp8) in the splicing of three group II introns in mitochondria, complex I biogenesis, and seed development in maize. Emp8 encodes a P subfamily pentatricopeptide repeat protein that localizes in mitochondria. The loss‐of‐function mutants of Emp8 are embryo lethal, showing severely arrested embryo and endosperm development in maize. The respiration rate in the emp8 mutants is reduced with substantially enhanced expression of alternative oxidases. Transcript analysis indicated that the trans‐splicing of nad1 intron 4 and cis‐splicing of nad4 intron 1 are abolished, and the cis‐splicing of nad2 intron 1 is severely impaired in the emp8 mutants. These defects consequently lead to the disassembly of mitochondrial complex I and a dramatic reduction in its activity. Together, these results suggest that Emp8 is required for the trans‐splicing of nad1 intron 4 and cis‐splicing of nad4 intron 1 and nad2 intron 1, which is essential to mitochondrial complex I assembly and hence to embryogenesis and endosperm development in maize.
Strength and Buckling Problems of Dished Heads of Pressure Vessels—Contemporary Look
Authors: Magnucki Krzysztof , Lewinski Jerzy , Cichy Rafal
Published: July 2018

The paper is a review work devoted to dished heads of various meridian shapes. Geometry of the shells of revolution, the membrane state, and the edge effect occurring in the shells are described. Exemplary analytical and numerical finite element method (FEM) studies of torispherical, ellipsoidal, Cassini-ovaloidal, and untypical special dished heads are presented. The results of the above-mentioned two methods are compared. Moreover, numerical research of elastic buckling of the above-mentioned selected heads under external pressure is carried out. Literature related to each of the considered head types is quoted and discussed, with special attention paid to the works developed in the 21st century. In concluding remarks, the stress concentration and buckling of these structures are commented, with consideration of the head meridian shapes.
The Drag Crisis and Thermowell Design
Authors: Bartran Dave
Published: July 2018

Documented thermowell failures designed to PTC 19.3TW and earlier, when evaluated with the drag crisis invoked, reveals the potential for enhanced reliability of the current standard in reducing the risk of failure. The code calculation remains largely intact apart from a conservative Strouhal number in conjunction with Reynolds number criteria marking the onset and terminus of the drag crisis.
A Methodology for Individual-Specific Modeling of Rat Optic Nerve Head Biomechanics in Glaucoma
Authors: Schwaner Stephen A. , Kight Alison M. , Perry Robert N. , Pazos Marta , Yang Hongli , Johnson Elaine C. , Morrison John C. , Burgoyne Claude F. , Ross Ethier C.
Published: July 2018

Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness and involves the death of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). Although biomechanics likely contributes to axonal injury within the optic nerve head (ONH), leading to RGC death, the pathways by which this occurs are not well understood. While rat models of glaucoma are well-suited for mechanistic studies, the anatomy of the rat ONH is different from the human, and the resulting differences in biomechanics have not been characterized. The aim of this study is to describe a methodology for building individual-specific finite element (FE) models of rat ONHs. This method was used to build three rat ONH FE models and compute the biomechanical environment within these ONHs. Initial results show that rat ONH strains are larger and more asymmetric than those seen in human ONH modeling studies. This method provides a framework for building additional models of normotensive and glaucomatous rat ONHs. Comparing model strain patterns with patterns of cellular response seen in studies using rat glaucoma models will help us to learn more about the link between biomechanics and glaucomatous cell death, which in turn may drive the development of novel therapies for glaucoma.
Bad to the Bone: Multifaceted Enrichment of Open-Ended Biomechanics Class Projects
Authors: Kuxhaus Laurel , Troy Karen L.
Published: July 2018

Equipping engineering students for career success requires more than technical proficiency; mindset and contextual interpretation also matter. Entrepreneurial mindset learning (EML) is one framework that faculty can use to systematically enrich course projects to encourage development of these important career skills. We present the thought process behind enriching two biomechanics class projects to foster both the entrepreneurial mindset and the technical proficiency in undergraduate engineering students. One project required students to analyze a court case surrounding vertebral fracture in an elderly woman diagnosed one year after a fall in an elevator. In addition to technical analysis, students had to make a recommendation about the likelihood that the injury occurred due to the fall, and contextualize the results within economic and societal terms—how much should the plaintiff sue for and how could such injuries be prevented through design and regulation? The second project asked students to evaluate cervine cancellous bone as a suitable laboratory model for biomechanics research. In addition to technical analysis, students considered the value of cervine vertebrae as a laboratory model within the context of societal and economic benefits of ex vivo animal models, including the relevant policy and regulatory issues. In both projects, implemented at different institutions with similar student demographics, students performed well and enjoyed the “real-world” nature of the projects, despite their frustrations with the open-ended nature of the questions posed. These and other similar projects can be further enhanced to foster the entrepreneurial mindset in undergraduate engineering students without undue burden on the instructor.
Sublethal effects of chlorfenapyr on the life table parameters of two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae (Acari: Tetranychidae)
Authors: Bozhgani Niloufar Sangak Sani , Ghobadi Hamid , Riahi Elham
Published: July 2018

The two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae) is a well-known pest mite with an extensive host range worldwide. The control of T. urticae populations mostly relies on the application of synthetic acaricides or pesticides. Chlorfenapyr is a broad spectrum insecticide/miticide effective against agriculturally important pests. In this study, sublethal effects (LC10, LC20 and LC30) of this insecticide on demographic parameters of T. urticae based on the age-stage, two-sex life table theory were investigated under laboratory conditions [25 ± 2 °C, 60 ± 5 % RH and 16:8 (L:D) h]. According to the obtained results, the LC50 value for females of T. urticae was 47.66 ppm. The egg incubation, protonymph, as well as deutonymph durations of both sexes were significantly reduced as a consequence of treatment with LC20 and LC30 of chlorfenapyr. In addition, our results indicated that oviposition period in LC10 lasted 9.62 days, which was closer to the control (9.73 days); while it significantly decreased with increasing the concentration from LC20 to LC30. Furthermore, LC20 and LC30 treatments decreased the fecundity of females by 55.5% and 61.6%, respectively. The values of both intrinsic (r) and finite rates of increase (λ) at LC20 and LC30 was significantly inferior to other experimental treatments. It could be concluded that along with the lethal doses, the sublethal concentrations of chlorfenapyr profoundly reduced the population growth rate of T. urticae.
The mitochondrial genome and phylogenetic analysis of the tick Dermacentor everestianus Hirst, 1926 (Acari: Ixodidae)
Authors: Yu Zhijun , Zhang Shiqi , Wang Tianhong , Yang Xiaolong , Wang Hui , Liu Jingze
Published: July 2018

The tick Dermacentor everestianus is widely distributed in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau of China and can transmit many zoonotic pathogens. In the current study, the complete mitochondrial (mt) genome of D. everestianus was sequenced through Illumina HiSeq sequencing. The mt genome is 15,191 bp in length which contains 37 genes, including 13 protein-coding genes, two ribosomal RNA genes and 22 transfer RNA genes. The overall GC content reached 21.20%, whereas the GC content in the gene region was 21.40%, and in the intergenetic region was 20.50%. Two control regions were sequenced from mt genome of D. everestianus, one located between tRNA-Cys and tRNA-Leu, and the other one was found between rrnS and tRNA-Ile. Two tandem repeats were found between tRNA-Glu and nad1. A phylogenetic tree was constructed based on the complete mitogenome of D. everestianus and 32 other ixodid tick mitogenomes to assess their phylogenetic relationships. D. everestianus is phylogenetically clustered with the tick D. silvarum and D. nuttalli. This is the first complete mt genome of D. everestianus, which provides a useful reference for future studies on systematics and population genetics of this tick species.
The development of perceptual averaging: Efficiency metrics in children and adults using a multiple-observation sound-localization task
Authors: Jones Pete R.
Published: July 2018

This study examined the ability of older children to integrate spatial information across sequential observations of bandpass noise. In experiment I, twelve adults and twelve 8–14 yr olds localized 1–5 sounds, all presented at the same location along a 34° speaker array. Rate of gain in response precision (as a function of N observations) was used to measure integration efficiency. Children were no worse at localizing a single sound than adults, and—unexpectedly—were no less efficient at integrating information across observations. Experiment II repeated the task using a Reverse Correlation paradigm. The number of observations was fixed (N = 5), and the location of each sound was independently randomly jittered. Relative weights were computed for each observation interval. Distance from the ideal weight-vector was used to index integration efficiency. The data showed that children were significantly less efficient integrators than adults: only reaching adult-like performance by around 11 yrs. The developmental effect was small, however, relative to the amount of individual variability, with some younger children exhibiting greater efficiency than some adults. This work indicates that sensory integration continues to mature into late childhood, but that this development is relatively gradual.
Source characteristics of voiceless dorsal fricatives
Authors: Redmon Charles , Jongman Allard
Published: July 2018

Aerodynamic and acoustic data on voiceless dorsal fricatives [x/χ] in Arabic, Persian, and Spanish were recorded to measure the extent to which such productions involve trilling of the uvula, thus exhibiting a sound source which, contrary to assumptions for voiceless fricatives, is mixed rather than aperiodic. Oscillation in airflow indicative of uvular vibration was present more often than not in Arabic (63%) and Persian (75%), while Spanish dorsal fricatives were more commonly produced with unimodal flow indicative of an aperiodic source. When present, uvular vibration frequencies averaged 68 Hz in Arabic and 67 Hz in Persian. Rates of uvular vibration were highly variable, however, and ranged between 40 and 116 Hz, with oscillatory periods averaging 4–5 cycles in duration, with a range of 1–12. The effect of these source characteristics on dorsal fricative acoustics was to significantly skew the spectral shape parameters (M1–M4) commonly used to characterize properties of the anterior filter; however, spectral peak frequency was found to be stable to changes in source characteristics, suggesting the occurrence of trilled tokens is not due to velar-uvular allophony, but rather is more fundamental to dorsal fricative production.
Subjective rating of the jet noise crackle percept
Authors: Gee Kent L. , Russavage Paul B. , Neilsen Tracianne B. , Hales Swift S. , Vaughn Aaron B.
Published: July 2018

Results of the first formal perceptual study of jet crackle are presented. Prior studies examined noise waveform properties believed to be linked to the jet crackle percept from a physics perspective or using signal processing and informal subjective evaluation. This investigation involves 31 listeners that rated 15 jet noise waveforms with a category subdivision scaling test. Results reveal a strong log-linear correlation between the pressure waveform time derivative's skewness and crackle rating. A regression analysis establishes practical derivative skewness bounds for a five-point categorical crackle scale and results in the suggested definition of the crepit as the unit of crackliness.
MR1 displays the microbial metabolome driving selective MR1-restricted T cell receptor usage
Authors: Harriff Melanie J. , McMurtrey Curtis , Froyd Cara A. , Jin Haihong , Cansler Meghan , Null Megan , Worley Aneta , Meermeier Erin W. , Swarbrick Gwendolyn , Nilsen Aaron , Lewinsohn Deborah A. , Hildebrand William , Adams Erin J. , Lewinsohn David M.
Published: July 2018

A diverse array of microbial metabolites binds to MR1 and selectively activates MR1-restricted T cells.
Pharmacodynamics of Daptomycin against Enterococcus faecium and Enterococcus faecalis in the Murine Thigh Infection Model
Authors: Kidd James M. , Abdelraouf Kamilia , Asempa Tomefa E. , Humphries Romney M. , Nicolau David P.
Published: July 2018

The Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) daptomycin MIC susceptibility breakpoint for the treatment of enterococcal infections is ≤4 μg/ml. However, patients receiving daptomycin for the treatment of infections caused by enterococci with MICs of ≤4 μg/ml may experience treatment failures.
Characterization of the AmpC β-Lactamase from Burkholderia multivorans
Authors: Becka Scott A. , Zeiser Elise T. , Barnes Melissa D. , Taracila Magdalena A. , Nguyen Kevin , Singh Indresh , Sutton Granger G. , LiPuma John J. , Fouts Derrick E. , Papp-Wallace Krisztina M.
Published: July 2018

Burkholderia multivorans
is a member of the
Burkholderia cepacia
complex, a group of >20 related species of nosocomial pathogens that commonly infect individuals suffering from cystic fibrosis. β-Lactam antibiotics are recommended as therapy for infections due to
B
.
Fetal surgery for spina bifida aperta
Authors: Joyeux Luc , Danzer Enrico , Flake Alan W , Deprest Jan
Published: July 2018

Spina bifida aperta (SBA) is one of the most common congenital malformations. It can cause severe lifelong physical and neurodevelopmental disabilities. Experimental and clinical studies have shown that the neurological deficits associated with SBA are not simply caused by incomplete neurulation at the level of the lesion. Additional damage is caused by prolonged exposure of the spinal cord and nerves to the intrauterine environment and a suction gradient due to cerebrospinal fluid leakage, leading to progressive downward displacement of the hindbrain. This natural history can be reversed by prenatal repair. A randomised controlled trial demonstrated that mid-gestational maternal-fetal surgery for SBA decreases the need for ventriculoperitoneal shunting and hindbrain herniation at 12 months and improves neurological motor function at 30 months of age. This came at the price of maternal and fetal risks, the most relevant ones being increased prematurity and a persistent uterine corporeal scar. Recently minimally invasive fetal approaches have been introduced clinically yet they lack extensive experimental or clinical trials. We aim to provide clinicians with the essential information necessary to counsel SBA parents as the basis for considering referral of selected patients to expert fetal surgery centres. We review the reported clinical outcomes and discuss recent developments of potentially less invasive fetal SBA approaches.
Relaxation processes and mechanical responses of ring hard-sphere polymers
Authors: Tu Zhong-Hao , Hou Ji-Xuan
Published: July 2018

A hard-sphere model strictly guaranteeing the uncrossability of polymer chains is used to simulate the relaxation process of the linear and ring polymers. The statistical and dynamic properties of both linear and ring chains are obtained by using Monte Carlo algorithm. We find that the relaxation time of a self-avoiding ring polymer is smaller than the time required for the polymer to move a distance of order of its own size. Moreover, the stretching properties of linear and ring polymers are also studied, and the results show that the elongation curve of a ring polymer is almost identical to that of a linear polymer except under the situation of small external force.
Groups with an automorphism which inverts at least one-third of the elements
Authors: Amiri Mohsen
Published: July 2018

Let [Formula: see text] be a finite group and [Formula: see text] be the set of the elements [Formula: see text] of [Formula: see text] such that [Formula: see text] where [Formula: see text]. In this paper, we give strong restrictions on the structure of the quotients [Formula: see text] where [Formula: see text] is a finite group with an automorphism [Formula: see text] such that [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] is the largest normal [Formula: see text]-subgroup of [Formula: see text].
Almost prime and weakly prime submodules
Authors: Beiranvand P. Karimi , Beyranvand R.
Published: July 2018

Let [Formula: see text] be an arbitrary ring and [Formula: see text] be a right [Formula: see text]-module. A proper submodule [Formula: see text] of [Formula: see text] is called almost prime (respectively, weakly prime) if for each submodule [Formula: see text] of [Formula: see text] and each ideal [Formula: see text] of [Formula: see text] that [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] (respectively, [Formula: see text]), then [Formula: see text] or [Formula: see text]. We study these notions which are new generalizations of the prime submodules over noncommutative rings and we obtain some related results. We show that these two concepts in some classes of modules coincide. Moreover, we investigate the conditions that [Formula: see text] is almost prime, where [Formula: see text] is a submodule of [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] is an ideal of [Formula: see text]. Also, the almost prime radical of modules will be introduced and we extend some known results.
From Boltzmann to incompressible Navier–Stokes in Sobolev spaces with polynomial weight
Authors: Briant Marc , Merino-Aceituno Sara , Mouhot Clément
Published: July 2018

We study the Boltzmann equation on the [Formula: see text]-dimensional torus in a perturbative setting around a global equilibrium under the Navier–Stokes linearization. We use a recent functional analysis breakthrough to prove that the linear part of the equation generates a [Formula: see text]-semigroup with exponential decay in Lebesgue and Sobolev spaces with polynomial weight, independently of the Knudsen number. Finally, we prove well-posedness of the Cauchy problem for the nonlinear Boltzmann equation in perturbative setting and an exponential decay for the perturbed Boltzmann equation, uniformly in the Knudsen number, in Sobolev spaces with polynomial weight. The polynomial weight is almost optimal. Furthermore, this result only requires derivatives in the space variable and allows to connect solutions to the incompressible Navier–Stokes equations in these spaces.
A Genetic Algorithm for Hybrid Job-Shop Scheduling Problems with Minimizing the Makespan or Mean Flow Time
Authors: Gholami Omid , Sotskov Yuri N. , Werner Frank
Published: July 2018

We address a generalization of the classical job-shop problem which is called a hybrid job-shop problem. The criteria under consideration are the minimization of the makespan and mean flow time. In the hybrid job-shop, machines of type [Formula: see text] are available for processing the specific subset [Formula: see text] of the given operations. Each set [Formula: see text] may be partitioned into subsets for their processing on the machines of type [Formula: see text]. Solving the hybrid job-shop problem implies the solution of two subproblems: an assignment of all operations from the set [Formula: see text] to the machines of type [Formula: see text] and finding optimal sequences of the operations for their processing on each machine. In this paper, a genetic algorithm is developed to solve these two subproblems simultaneously. For solving the subproblems, a special chromosome is used in the genetic algorithm based on a mixed graph model. We compare our genetic algorithms with a branch-and-bound algorithm and three other recent heuristic algorithms from the literature. Computational results for benchmark instances with 10 jobs and up to 50 machines show that the proposed genetic algorithm is rather efficient for both criteria. Compared with the other heuristics, the new algorithm gives most often an optimal solution and the average percentage deviation from the optimal function value is about 4%.
Sweep Algorithm and Mixed Integer Linear Program for Vehicle Routing Problem with Time Windows
Authors: Savitri H. , Kurniawati D. A.
Published: July 2018

CV. Jogja Transport is a company that distribute cakes “Sari Roti” in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. It has responsibility to distribute the cakes for every customer during the customers’ time windows. The distribution problem of CV. Jogja Transport belongs to Vehicle Routing Problem with Time Window (VRPTW). This paper tries to solve the problem of CV. Jogja Transport by proposing “cluster first route second” algorithm of simple heuristic method. Then the algorithm is combined with sweep algorithm for clustering the customers and Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP) to select the best route so that it can minimize the distance of each cluster. The result indicate that implementation of sweep algorithm and MILP can reduce the distances and the fuel up to 10.95% and the travel distance up to 2.60%.
Intelligent Manufacturing Mode for Sophisticated Equipment Assembly Workshop
Authors: Yin Chao , Deng Pengcheng , Li Xiaobin
Published: July 2018

In order to meet with the requirements of equipment network integration, flexible customized assembly, lean logistics management and control of assembly process, an intelligent manufacturing model of sophisticated equipment assembly workshop is proposed in this paper. By modeling the requirement of intelligent manufacturing mode in sophisticated equipment assembly workshop, an intelligent manufacturing technology architecture system and its operation mode are built, which include six layers as user layer, core functional layer, system integration layer, intelligent perception layer, resource layer and basic support layer. The key technologies such as the intelligent perception technology of assembly resources by using intelligent information interaction device based on IPv6 and the abnormal early warning method of critical assembly process based on BP neural network are studied. Finally, the analysis is illustrated in the case of a realistic application from a local manufacturing enterprise to highlight the proposal’s feasibility and applicability by applying the proposed intelligent manufacturing model.
Experimental Investigation on Mechanical and Distortion Characteristics of Titanium/Aluminium Dissimilar Metal Joint Using Laser Beam Welding
Authors: Kalaiselvan K. , Elango A. , Nagarajan N. M. , Sekar K.
Published: July 2018

Laser beam welding (LBW) is based on interaction between the laser source and base metals. Different methods have been developed recently to produce weld joints of light metals. This produces good weld bead to simplify the structure and reduce the weight and cost to meet the important concerns of aerospace industry. To achieve these, Ti (Ti6Al4V) and Al (AA2024) dissimilar alloy sheets are welded with butt joint configuration using Nd: YAG pulsed laser welding unit. The weldment is subjected to tests to evaluate mechanical and distortion characteristics. From the test results, it is found that LBW is very much suitable for joining Titanium/Aluminium (Ti/Al) alloy sheets.
A scale-invariant, Machian theory of gravitation and electrodynamics unified
Authors: Vishwakarma Ram Gopal
Published: July 2018

As gravitation and electromagnetism are closely analogous long-range interactions, and the current formulation of gravitation is given in terms of geometry, we expect the latter also to appear through the geometry. This unification has however, remained an unfulfilled goal.

The goal is achieved here in a new theory, which results from the principles of equivalence and Mach supplemented with a novel insight that the field tensors in a geometric theory of gravitation and electromagnetism must be traceless, since these long-range interactions are mediated by virtual exchange of massless particles whose mass is expected to be related to the trace of the field tensors. Hence, the Riemann tensor, like the analogous electromagnetic field tensor, must be traceless.

Thence emerges a scale-invariant, Machian theory of gravitation and electrodynamics unified, wherein the vanishing of the Ricci tensor appears as a boundary condition. While the field equations of the theory are given by the vanishing divergence of the respective field tensors and their duals, the matter and charge emerge from the spacetime. A quantitative formulation thereof, embodied in “energy-momentum super tensors”, follows from the respective Bianchi identities for the two fields. The resulting theory is valid at all scales and explains the observations without invoking the non-baryonic dark matter, dark energy or inflation. Moreover, it answers the questions that the general relativity-based standard paradigm could not address.
FRAMING SECOND GENERATION GENDER BIAS: IMPLICATIONS FOR WOMEN’S ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Authors: SWARTZ ETHNÉ , AMATUCCI FRANCES
Published: July 2018

The effect of second generation gender bias or ‘implicit bias’ on women’s careers is receiving greater attention. Recent research has linked second generation gender bias to the entrepreneurial process — in particular, term sheet negotiations and female entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurship researchers have not integrated the labor economics literature on the gender wage gap — a structural impediment that shapes the options that women have in terms of careers and entrepreneurship, including negotiation. This paper proposes an interdisciplinary analytical framework for understanding second generation gender bias female entrepreneurs encounter as a barrier to success.
It’s Not Just about Accuracy
Authors: Hammond Tracy , Kumar Shalini Priya Ashok , Runyon Matthew , Cherian Josh , Williford Blake , Keshavabhotla Swarna , Valentine Stephanie , Li Wayne , Linsey Julie
Published: July 2018

Design sketching is an important skill for designers, engineers, and creative professionals, as it allows them to express their ideas and concepts in a visual medium. Being a critical and versatile skill for many different disciplines, courses on design sketching are often taught in universities. Courses today predominately rely on pen and paper; however, this traditional pedagogy is limited by the availability of human instructors, who can provide personalized feedback. Using a stylus-based intelligent tutoring system called
SketchTivity
, we aim to eventually mimic the feedback given by an instructor and assess student-drawn sketches to give students insight into areas for improvement. To provide effective feedback to users, it is important to identify what aspects of their sketches they should work on to improve their sketching ability. After consulting with several domain experts in sketching, we came up with several classes of features that could potentially differentiate expert and novice sketches. Because improvement on one metric, such as speed, may result in a decrease in another metric, such as accuracy, the creation of a single score may not mean much to the user. We attempted to create a single internal score that represents overall drawing skill so that the system can track improvement over time and found that this score correlates highly with expert rankings. We gathered over 2,000 sketches from 20 novices and four experts for analysis. We identified key metrics for quality assessment that were shown to significantly correlate with the quality of expert sketches and provide insight into providing intelligent user feedback in the future.
Chronic treatment with the mitochondrial peptide humanin prevents age-related myocardial fibrosis in mice
Authors: Qin Qing , Mehta Hemal , Yen Kelvin , Navarrete Gerardo , Brandhorst Sebastian , Wan Junxiang , Delrio Silvia , Zhang Xin , Lerman Lilach O. , Cohen Pinchas , Lerman Amir
Published: July 2018

Cardiac fibrosis is a biological process that increases with age and contributes to myocardial dysfunction. Humanin (HN) is an endogenous mitochondria-derived peptide that has cytoprotective effects and reduces oxidative stress. The present study aimed to test the hypothesis that chronic supplementation of exogenous HN in middle-aged mice could prevent and reverse cardiac fibrosis and apoptosis in the aging heart. Female C57BL/6N mice at 18 mo of age received 14-mo intraperitoneal injections of vehicle (old group; n = 6) or HN analog (HNG; 4 mg/kg 2 times/wk, old + HNG group, n = 8) and were euthanized at 32 mo of age. C57BL/6N female mice (young group, n = 5) at 5 mo of age were used as young controls. HNG treatment significantly increased the ratio of cardiomyocytes to fibroblasts in aging hearts, as shown by the percentage of each cell type in randomly chosen fields after immunofluorescence staining. Furthermore, the increased collagen deposition in aged hearts was significantly reduced after HNG treatment, as indicated by picrosirius red staining. HNG treatment also reduced in aging mice cardiac fibroblast proliferation (5′-bromo-2-deoxyuridine staining) and attenuated transforming growth factor-β1, fibroblast growth factor-2, and matrix metalloproteinase-2 expression (immunohistochemistry or real-time PCR). Myocardial apoptosis was inhibited in HNG-treated aged mice (TUNEL staining). To decipher the pathway involved in the attenuation of the myocardial fibrosis by HNG, Western blot analysis was done and showed that HNG upregulated the Akt/glycogen synthase kinase -3β pathway in aged mice. Exogenous HNG treatment attenuated myocardial fibrosis and apoptosis in aged mice. The results of the present study suggest a role for the mitochondria-derived peptide HN in the cardioprotection associated with aging.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY Cardiac fibrosis is a biological process that increases with age and contributes to myocardial dysfunction. Humanin is an endogenous mitochondria-derived peptide that has cytoprotective effects and reduces oxidative stress. Here, we demonstrate, for the first time, that exogenous humanin treatment attenuated myocardial fibrosis and apoptosis in aging mice. We also detected upregulated Akt/glycogen synthase kinase-3β pathway in humanin analog-treated mice, which might be the mechanism involved in the cardioprotective effect of humanin analog in aging mice.
Persistent pulmonary hypertension alters the epigenetic characteristics of endothelial nitric oxide synthase gene in pulmonary artery endothelial cells in a fetal lamb model
Authors: Ke Xingrao , Johnson Hollis , Jing Xigang , Michalkiewicz Teresa , Huang Yi-Wen , Lane Robert H. , Konduri Girija G.
Published: July 2018

Decreased expression of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), a key mediator of perinatal transition, characterizes persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN) in neonates and a fetal lamb model; the mechanisms are unclear. We investigated whether increased DNA CpG methylation at the eNOS promoter in estrogen response elements (EREs) and altered histone code together contribute to decreased eNOS expression in PPHN. We isolated pulmonary artery endothelial cells (PAEC) from fetal lambs with PPHN induced by prenatal ductus arteriosus constriction from 128 to 136 days gestation or gestation-matched twin controls. We measured right ventricular systolic pressure (RVSP) and Fulton index and determined eNOS expression in PAEC in control and PPHN lambs. We determined DNA CpG methylation by pyrosequencing and activity of ten eleven translocase demethylases (TET) by colorimetric assay. We quantified the occupancy of transcription factors, specificity protein 1 (Sp1), and estrogen receptors and density of four histone marks around Sp1 binding sites by chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays. Fetal lambs with PPHN developed increased RVSP and Fulton index. Levels of eNOS mRNA and protein were decreased in PAEC from PPHN lambs. PPHN significantly increased the DNA CpG methylation in eNOS promoter and decreased TET activity in PAEC. PPHN decreased Sp1 occupancy and density of the active mark, lysine 12 acetylation of histone 4, and increased density of the repression mark, lysine 9 trimethylation of histone 3 around Sp1 binding sites in eNOS promoter. These results suggest that epigenetic modifications are primed to decrease Sp1 binding at the eNOS gene promoter in PPHN.
An Improved Particle Swarm Optimization with Biogeography‐Based Learning Strategy for Economic Dispatch Problems
Authors: Chen Xu , Xu Bin , Du Wenli
Published: July 2018

Economic dispatch (ED) plays an important role in power system operation, since it can decrease the operating cost, save energy resources, and reduce environmental load. This paper presents an improved particle swarm optimization called biogeography‐based learning particle swarm optimization (BLPSO) for solving the ED problems involving different equality and inequality constraints, such as power balance, prohibited operating zones, and ramp‐rate limits. In the proposed BLPSO, a biogeography‐based learning strategy is employed in which particles learn from each other based on the quality of their personal best positions, and thus it can provide a more efficient balance between exploration and exploitation. The proposed BLPSO is applied to solve five ED problems and compared with other optimization techniques in the literature. Experimental results demonstrate that the BLPSO is a promising approach for solving the ED problems.
The Effect of MitoQ on Aging‐Related Biomarkers: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis
Authors: Braakhuis Andrea J. , Nagulan Rohith , Somerville Vaughan
Published: July 2018

Mitochondria are metabolically active organelles that produce significant reactive oxygen species, linked with aging and degenerative diseases. In recent years, particular focus has been put on mitochondria‐targeted antioxidants, to decrease the concentration of reactive oxygen species and help alleviate the accumulation of oxidative damage and associated aging. MitoQ is a mitochondria‐targeted antioxidant of which is reported to support healthy aging. The aim of this systematic review is to investigate the effects of MitoQ on oxidative outcomes related to the aging process. A predeveloped search strategy was run against MEDLINE (Ovid), EMBASE (Ovid), and CINAHL databases, which identified 10,255 articles of interest, with 27 of these finalised for use after screening. Three outcomes had sufficient data to meta‐analyse nitrotyrosine concentration (190 animals, SMD −0.67, 95% CI (−1.30, −0.05), p = 0.04), membrane potential (63 animals, MD 11.44, 95% CI (1.28–21.60), p = 0.03), and protein carbonyl concentration (182 animals, SMD −0.13, 95% CI (−0.44, 0.18), p = 0.41). MitoQ intervention produced a statistically significant reduction in nitrotyrosine concentration and increased membrane potential. MitoQ may be of some benefit in alleviating oxidative stress related to aging.
D-2-Hydroxyglutarate Is an Intercellular Mediator in IDH-Mutant Gliomas Inhibiting Complement and T Cells
Authors: Zhang Lingjun , Sorensen Mia D. , Kristensen Bjarne W. , Reifenberger Guido , McIntyre Thomas M. , Lin Feng
Published: July 2018

Purpose: Somatic mutations in the isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH)-1 and -2 genes are remarkably penetrant in diffuse gliomas. These highly effective gain-of-function mutations enable mutant IDH to efficiently metabolize isocitrate to D-2-hydroxyglutarate (D 2-HG) that accumulates to high concentrations within the tumor microenvironment. D 2-HG is an intracellular effector that promotes tumor growth through widespread epigenetic changes in IDH-mutant tumor cells, but its potential role as an intercellular immune regulator remains understudied.

Experimental Design: Complement activation and CD4+, CD8+, or FOXP3+ T-cell infiltration into primary tumor tissue were determined by immunohistochemistry using sections from 72 gliomas of World Health Organization (WHO) grade III and IV with or without IDH mutations. Ex vivo experiments with D 2-HG identified immune inhibitory mechanisms.

Results: IDH mutation associated with significantly reduced complement activation and decreased numbers of tumor-infiltrating CD4+ and CD8+ T cells with comparable FOXP3+/CD4+ ratios. D 2-HG potently inhibited activation of complement by the classical and alternative pathways, attenuated complement-mediated glioma cell damage, decreased cellular C3b(iC3b) opsonization, and impaired complement-mediated phagocytosis. Although D 2-HG did not affect dendritic cell differentiation or function, it significantly inhibited activated T-cell migration, proliferation, and cytokine secretion.

Conclusions: D 2-HG suppresses the host immune system, potentially promoting immune escape of IDH-mutant tumors. Clin Cancer Res; 24(21); 5381–91. ©2018 AACR.
Der Vergebungsprozess als ein psychotherapeutischer Behandlungsansatz
Authors: Mavrogiorgou Paraskevi , Meister Klara , Juckel Georg
Published: July 2018

Nahezu jeder Mensch erlebt im Laufe seines Lebens interpersonale Konflikte, Verletzungen und Kränkungen und kann dabei in unterschiedlichem Maße durch Unversöhnlichkeit und Rachegedanken vereinnahmt und belastet sein. Dabei kann ein «Nichtvergeben können» deutliche Einschränkungen der psychosozialen Funktionalität und Lebensqualität bedingen und mit erhöhter Psychopathologie im Sinne einer posttraumatischen Verbitterungsstörung einhergehen. Vergebung kann als eine Coping-Methode für Kränkungen, Verletzungen, Unrecht und Verbitterung verstanden und auch als eine psychotherapeutische Intervention angesehen werden, die eine nachhaltige Reduktion von Inkonsistenz erzeugt und das personale Wohlbefinden entscheidend verbessert. Im folgenden Übersichtsartikel werden zunächst die verschiedenen Begrifflichkeiten und die psychologisch-theoretischen Modelle zur Vergebung vorgestellt. Daran anschließend werden die Modalitäten der praktischen Anwendung der Vergebungstherapie dargestellt. Zusammenfassend muss jedoch gesagt werden, dass Forschung insbesondere zu «Vergebung» sich noch ganz am Anfang befindet, sodass wirklich valide Aussagen derzeit noch nicht zu treffen sind.
Transarterial Chemoembolization (TACE) Using Mitomycin with or without Irinotecan for Hepatocellular Carcinoma in European Patients
Authors: Gruber-Rouh Tatjana , Kamal Ahmed , Eichler Katrin , Naguib Nagy N. , Beeres Martin , Langenbach Marcel , Vogl Thomas J.
Published: July 2018

Background: We evaluated survival data and local tumor control in 2 groups of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treated with different chemotherapeutic agents for transarterial chemoembolization (TACE). Methods: 28 patients (median age 63 years) with HCC were repeatedly treated with chemoembolization at 4-week intervals. 20 patients had Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stage B, while 8 patients obtained chemoembolization for bridging purposes (BCLC stage A). In total, 98 chemoembolizations were performed (median 3.0 treatments/patient). The administered chemotherapeutic agent comprised either mitomycin only (n = 14; 50%) or mitomycin in combination with irinotecan (n = 14; 50%). Lipiodol plus degradable starch microspheres was used for all embolizations. Local tumor response was assessed by magnetic resonance imaging using modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (mRECIST) criteria. Progression-free survival (PFS) was evaluated. Results: In the mitomycin-irinotecan group, complete response (CR) was observed in 21.4%, partial response (PR) in 42.9%, stable disease (SD) in 28.6%, and progressive disease (PD) in 7.1%. In the mitomycin group, PR was observed in 57.2% of patients, SD in 21.4%, and PD in 21.4% (p = 0.043). The PFS of patients after chemoembolization with mitomycin was 4 months compared to the significantly longer PFS of 12 months in the mitomycin-irinotecan group (p = 0.003). Conclusion: Chemoembolization of HCC with mitomycin and irinotecan is the preferred treatment option for achieving local control and better PFS.
Partially Hydrolyzed Whey Infant Formula: Literature Review on Effects on Growth and the Risk of Developing Atopic Dermatitis in Infants from the General Population
Authors: Sauser Julien , Nutten Sophie , de Groot Nanda , Pecquet Sophie , Simon Dagmar , Simon Hans-Uwe , Spergel Jonathan M. , Koletzko Sibylle , Blanchard Carine
Published: July 2018

Limited evidence is available regarding the effect of partially hydrolyzed whey-based formula (pHF-W) on growth and atopic dermatitis (AD) risk reduction in infants within the general infant population, and without a familial history of allergy as an inclusion or exclusion criterion. We reviewed the current evidence available from studies using pHF-W in the general population and summarized the data on safety (growth) and efficacy outcomes (reduction of AD), comparing the studies side by side. A total of 8 clinical trials were identified from the literature search, 7 of which used the same pHF-W. Six out of 8 studies indicated a reduction of atopic manifestations using a specific pHF-W versus cow’s milk formula (CMF) in the first years of life. Data were summarized and compared side by side for growth (3 studies) and efficacy (5 studies). In these diverse general populations, the results on growth and AD were consistent with the previous findings reported on infants with a family history of allergy, but numerous limitations to these studies were identified. This literature review confirms that pHF-W supports normal growth in infants, and suggests that the risk of AD may be reduced in not-fully breastfed infants from the general population when supplemented with a specific pHF-W when compared to CMF during the first 4–6 months of life. Further studies are warranted to confirm these results.
The Natural History of Colonic Diverticulosis: Much Ado about Nothing?
Authors: Rustom Luma Basma O. , Sharara Ala I.
Published: July 2018

Background: Colonic diverticulosis is the most common incidental lesion found on routine colonoscopy. However, its true natural history is unclear. The aim of this review is to examine the epidemiology of colonic diverticulosis and the incidence of complications, namely acute diverticulitis and diverticular hemorrhage. Summary: Many studies have evaluated the epidemiology and risk factors of diverticulosis. Despite the common nature of this entity, little is known about the risk of complications in asymptomatic individuals. It has been suggested that the lifetime risk of acute diverticulitis is 10–25% and that of diverticular hemorrhage is 3–5%. These risk estimates were based on older literature without accurate studies on true prevalence. Three recent retrospective observational cohort studies including subjects identified at colonoscopy have addressed this issue, providing information on the long-term risk of complications of colonic diverticulosis. Cumulative data from these studies support an incidence of acute diverticulitis of 1.5–6.0 per 1,000 patient-years and 0.46 per 1,000 patient-years for diverticular hemorrhage. Key Messages: Diverticulosis is a very common condition in individuals > 50 years of age. Based on population-based colonoscopy studies, the natural history of colonic diverticulosis appears favorable with a far lower incidence of complications than previously thought.
Gene Expression Profiling as an Adjunctive Measure to Guide the Management of Indeterminate, High-Risk Choroidal Melanocytic Lesions: A Pilot Study
Authors: Weis Ezekiel , Roelofs Kelsey , Larocque Matthew , Murtha Albert
Published: July 2018

Purpose: To describe our early experience with gene expression profiling (GEP) assessment for juxtafoveal, subfoveal, and peripapillary indeterminate high-risk melanocytic lesions to assist in making early treatment decisions in patients who did not feel comfortable with either close observation or definitive treatment. Methods: A prospective cohort of patients with indeterminate lesions who underwent GEP were enrolled. Nonparametric statistical analysis was utilized given the small sample size. Results: Fifteen patients were included in this series. Six (40%) were class 1A and 9 (60%) class 1B. Class 1A and 1B lesions had a median of three and four clinical risk factors, respectively (p = 0.27). There was no statistically significant difference for the largest basal diameter between the classes (p = 0.31); however, class 1B lesions were thicker than class 1A lesions (p = 0.03). None of the class 1A lesions showed definite growth or metastasis over a mean follow-up period of 17.1 ± 1.8 months from fine needle aspiration biopsy. All class 1B patients opted for plaque brachytherapy, and to date none of these patients have developed metastasis, with a mean follow-up of 18.7 ± 8.4 months. Conclusion: There may be a role for GEP assessment in high-risk, indeterminate, posteriorly located choroidal lesions to assist in treatment planning.