bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Survey of veterinary antimicrobial prescribing practices, Washington State 2015
Authors: Fowler H. , Davis M. A. , Perkins A. , Trufan S. , Joy C. , Buswell M. , McElwain T. F. , Moore D. , Worhle R. , Rabinowitz P. M.
Published: November 2016

Antimicrobial resistance is a growing global health issue. It is also a recognised problem in veterinary medicine. Between September and December 2015 the authors administered a cross‐sectional survey to licensed veterinarians in Washington State to assess factors affecting antimicrobial prescribing practices among veterinarians in Washington State. Two hundred and three veterinarians completed the survey. The majority of respondents (166, 82 per cent) were engaged in small animal or exotic animal practice. 24 per cent of respondents reported not ordering culture and sensitivity (C/S) testing in practice. Of the 76 per cent of veterinarians who reported ordering C/S tests, 36 per cent reported ordering such testing ‘often’ or ‘always’ when treating presumptive bacterial infections. Most respondents (65 per cent) mentioned cost as the most common barrier to ordering a C/S test. Only 16 (10 per cent) respondents reported having access to or utilising a clinic‐specific antibiogram. This survey demonstrated that while antimicrobials are commonly used in veterinary practice, and veterinarians are concerned about antimicrobial resistance, cost is a barrier to obtaining C/S tests to guide antimicrobial therapy. Summaries of antimicrobial resistance patterns are rarely available to the practising veterinarian. Efforts to promote antimicrobial stewardship in a ‘One Health’ manner should address barriers to the judicious use of antimicrobials in the veterinary practice setting.
Hands‐on experience of neutering
Authors: Ennett Kitty
Published: November 2016

Kitty Ennett is a final‐year student at Nottingham. Last autumn – in search of some EMS in better weather than the UK could offer – she volunteered with Spay Panama and gained experience of neutering cats and dogs
Ten‐minute chat
Authors: Crotaz Ivan , Hinde Jo
Published: November 2016

Vet Ivan Crotaz and registered veterinary nurse Jo Hinde recently set up a veterinary CPD company, Lagolearn, that focuses purely on rabbits.
Temporal and bidirectional associations between physical activity and sleep in primary school-aged children
Authors: Vincent Grace E. , Barnett Lisa M. , Lubans David R. , Salmon Jo , Timperio Anna , Ridgers Nicola D.
Published: November 2016

The directionality of the relationship between children’s physical activity and sleep is unclear. This study examined the temporal and bidirectional associations between objectively measured physical activity, energy expenditure, and sleep in primary school-aged children. A subgroup of children (n = 65, aged 8–11 years) from the Fitness, Activity and Skills Testing Study conducted in Melbourne, Australia, had their sleep and physical activity assessed using the SenseWear Pro Armband for 8 consecutive days. Outcome measures included time spent in light-intensity physical activiy (LPA), moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity (MVPA), activity energy expenditure (AEE), time in bed, total sleep time, and sleep efficiency. Multilevel analyses were conducted using generalized linear latent mixed models to determine whether physical activity on 1 day was associated with sleep outcomes that night, and whether sleep during 1 night was associated with physical activity the following day. No significant associations were observed between time in bed, total sleep time, and sleep efficiency with LPA, MVPA, and AEE in either direction. This study found no temporal or bidirectional associations between objectively measured physical activity, AEE, and sleep. Future research is needed to understand other sleep dimensions that may impact on or be influenced by physical activity to provide potential intervention targets to improve these outcomes.
Relationships between cycles of economic expansion in construction and craft workers’ job satisfaction and preferences
Authors: Albattah Mohammed , Shan Yongwei , Goodrum Paul M. , Taylor Timothy R.B.
Published: November 2016

When construction craft workers consider potential career alternatives, overall job satisfaction is a fundamental factor that influences their retention and productivity. This paper analyzes changes in job satisfaction and job preferences of craft workers in the US construction industry across successive economic recession–expansion cycles. The analysis used data from the General Social Survey (GSS) collected from 1974 to 2014 and compared job satisfaction and preferences of construction craft workers with those in other industries. The authors found that job preferences of the sampled construction respondents changed with each successive recession–expansion cycle and that the desire for high income became more prevalent than that for a sense of accomplishment in physical work, which has traditionally been the top job preference among construction workers in general. Overall job satisfaction among sampled construction respondents was equal to or slightly exceeded the overall job satisfaction of sampled respondents in other industries. Industry craft recruitment efforts can use these insights to design future recruitment and retention strategies.
Effects of multispecies and density-dependent factors on MSY reference points: example of the Baltic Sea sprat
Authors: Horbowy Jan , Luzeńczyk Anna
Published: November 2016

In this paper, maximum sustainable yield (MSY) parameters for the Baltic Sea sprat (Sprattus sprattus) are estimated in relation to pressure from cod (Gadus morhua) predation and the influence of density dependence on sprat growth. This study is based on long-term deterministic and stochastic simulations in which sprat density-dependent growth and predation mortality are considered. The resultant model is a relatively simple tool that allows for streamlined analyses of problems typically approached using complex multispecies models. The analysis indicates that estimates of the MSY parameters (i.e., MSY and FMSY) and equilibrium biomass differ significantly between approaches that hold growth and natural mortality constant and those that allow for density-dependent growth and natural mortality. Based on the cod biomass observed in the 1980s, the MSY parameters estimated by a model that accounts for density-dependent growth and by a model assuming constant growth may differ by a factor of 2. As such, the MSY parameters decline (approximately linearly) with the size of the cod stock.
Self-Trained Stacking Model for Semi-Supervised Learning
Authors: Karlos Stamatis , Fazakis Nikos , Kotsiantis Sotiris , Sgarbas Kyriakos
Published: November 2016

The most important characteristic of semi-supervised learning methods is the combination of available unlabeled data along with an enough smaller set of labeled examples, so as to increase the learning accuracy compared with the default procedure of supervised methods, which on the other hand use only the labeled data during the training phase. In this work, we have implemented a hybrid Self-trained system that combines a Support Vector Machine, a Decision Tree, a Lazy Learner and a Bayesian algorithm using a Stacking variant methodology. We performed an in depth comparison with other well-known Semi-Supervised classification methods on standard benchmark datasets and we finally reached to the point that the presented technique had better accuracy in most cases.
Spatial Co-Location Pattern Discovery from Fuzzy Objects
Authors: Ouyang Zhiping , Wang Lizhen , Wu Pingping
Published: November 2016

A spatial co-location pattern is a group of spatial objects whose instances are frequently located in the same region. The spatial co-location pattern mining problem has been investigated extensively in the past due to its broad range of applications. In this paper we study this problem for fuzzy objects. Fuzzy objects play an important role in many areas, such as the geographical information system and the biomedical image database. In this paper, we propose two new kinds of co-location pattern mining for fuzzy objects, single co-location pattern mining (SCP) and range co-location pattern mining (RCP), to mining co-location patterns at a membership threshold or within a membership range. For efficient SCP mining, we optimize the basic mining algorithm to accelerate the co-location pattern generation. To improve the performance of RCP mining, effective pruning strategies are developed to significantly reduce the search space. The efficiency of our proposed algorithms as well as the optimization techniques are verified with an extensive set of experiments.
A Constraint-Based Local Search for Offline and Online General Vehicle Routing
Authors: Pham Quang Dung , Le Kim Thu , Nguyen Hoang Thanh , Pham Van Dinh , Bui Quoc Trung
Published: November 2016

Vehicle routing is a class of combinatorial optimization problems arising in the industry of transportation and logistics. The goal of these problems is to compute an optimal route plan for a set of vehicles for serving transport requests of customers. There are many variants of the vehicle routing problems: routing for delivering goods, routing for demand responsive transport (taxi, school bus, …). Each problem might have different constraints, objectives. In this paper, we introduce a Constraint-Based Local Search (CBLS) framework for general offline and online vehicle routing problems. We extend existing neighborhood structures in the literature by proposing new neighborhoods to facilitate the resolution of different class of vehicle routing problems in a unified platform. A novel feature of the framework is the available APIs for online vehicle routing problems where requests arrive online during the execution of the computed route plan. Experimental results on three vehicle routing problems (the min-max capacitated vehicle routing problem, the multi-vehicle covering tour problem, and the online people-andparcel share-a-ride taxis problem) show the modelling flexibility, genericity, extensibility and efficiency of the proposed framework.
Regression learning with non-identically and non-independently sampling
Authors: Zhang Meijian , Sun Hongwei
Published: November 2016

In this paper, we study the performance of kernel-based regression learning with non-iid sampling. The non-iid samples are drawn from different probability distributions with the same conditional distribution. A more general marginal distribution assumption is proposed. Under this assumption, the consistency of the regularization kernel network (RKN) and the coefficient regularization kernel network (CRKN) are proved. Satisfactory capacity independently error bounds and learning rates are derived by the techniques of integral operator.
Contribution of bacterial promoter elements to transcription start site detection accuracy
Authors: Nikolic Milos , Stankovic Tamara , Djordjevic Marko
Published: November 2016

Accurately detecting transcription start sites (TSS) is a starting point for understanding gene transcription, and an important ingredient in a number of applications necessary for functional gene annotation, such as gene and operon predictions. Available methods for TSS detection in bacteria use very different description of the bacterial promoter structure and all of them show low accuracy. It is therefore unclear which promoter features should be included in TSS recognition, and how their accuracy impacts the search detection. We here address this question for [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] (an alternative [Formula: see text] factor) promoters in E. coli. We find that [Formula: see text]35 element, which is considered exchangeable, and is often not included in TSS search, contributes to the search accuracy equally (for [Formula: see text], or more (for [Formula: see text] than the ubiquitous [Formula: see text]10 element. Surprisingly, the sequence of the spacer between [Formula: see text]35 and [Formula: see text]10 promoter elements, which is commonly included in TSS detection, significantly decreases the search accuracy for [Formula: see text] promoters. However, the spacer sequence improves the search accuracy for [Formula: see text] promoters, which we attribute to a presence of sequence conservation. Overall, there is as much as [Formula: see text]50% false positive reduction for optimally implemented promoter features in [Formula: see text], underlying necessity for accurate promoter element alignments.
On the well-posedness of boundary value problems for nonclassical differential equations of higher order
Authors: Pinigina N. R.
Published: November 2016

This paper investigates a high even-order nonclassical differential equation with a spectral parameter. We proved that this equation has a countable system of nontrivial solutions if spectral parameter is negative. We consider two cases, one where the spectral parameter is equal to eigenvalues and one where the spectral parameter is not equal to eigenvalues. In both cases, we proved the existence of regular solutions of boundary value problems for this equation. To do this, we combined the Fourier method and the method of a priori estimates. Moreover, we found some conditions for unsolvability of boundary value problems. In addition, for adjoint problems, we proved that there is no complex eigenvalues.
Design of outstanding random-patterns surface for enhancement of light scattering in Perovskite solar cell
Authors: Kim Dong In , Nam Sang-Hun , Hwang Ki-Hwan , Lee Yong-Min , Boo Jin-Hyo
Published: November 2016

Glass texturing is an efficient method for changing the surface morphology to enhance the solar cell spectral response. In this study, we present a method for optimizing the light scattering (LS) properties of uneven surface with random-patterns for perovskite solar cell (PSC) applications. Glass substrates were textured with a random structure assisted wet etching process using diluted hydrofluoric acid solution at a constant concentration of etchants. Then, the light trapping (LT) properties of suitable films were controlled over a wide range by varying the etching time (1–5[Formula: see text]min.). The optical properties of the surface and the reflection efficiency of the rugged surface should be maximized in the visible region at 5[Formula: see text]min. As a result in terms of short-circuit current density (Jsc), a gain of 23.0[Formula: see text]mA/cm2 (more than 29.9%) and power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 12.3% (more than 31.7%) are achieved with the introduction of textured interface.
Review on MIEC Cathode Materials for Solid Oxide Fuel Cells
Authors: Burnwal Suman Kumar , Bharadwaj S. , Kistaiah P.
Published: November 2016

The cathode is one of the most important components of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). The reduction of oxygen at the cathode (traditional cathodes like LSM, LSGM, etc.) is the slow step in the cell reaction at intermediate temperature (600–800[Formula: see text]C) which is one of the key obstacles to the development of SOFCs. The mixed ionic and electronic conducting cathode (MIEC) like LSCF, BSCF, etc., has recently been proposed as a promising cathode material for SOFC due to the improvement of the kinetic of the cathode reaction. The MIEC materials provide not only the electrons for the reduction of oxygen, but also the ionic conduction required to ensure the transport of the formed oxygen ions and thereby improves the overall electrochemical performance of SOFC system. The characteristics of MIEC cathode materials and its comparison with other traditional cathode materials is studied and presented in the paper.
Active Control of a UAV Helicopter with a Slung Load for Precision Airborne Cargo Delivery
Authors: Kang Keeryun , Prasad J. V. R. , Johnson Eric
Published: November 2016

An active controller for a UAV helicopter carrying a slung load is described in this paper. The objective of the controller is to allow the UAV to safely transport a slung load and to place it precisely on a moving ground platform such as a moving truck or a ship. In order to fulfill this objective, an active slung load controller is synthesized that forms an outer loop in providing trajectory commands to an existing automatic flight control system (AFCS) of an unmanned helicopter. The synthesized controller consists of three sub-components; first a target position tracker which generates position tracking commands, second a load oscillation controller which generates load oscillation damping commands, and third an adaptive neural network which compensates for uncertainties associated with flight environment and/or modeling errors. A linear proportional-plus-derivative (PD) controller is used for the target position tracking control. A nonlinear controller based on feedback linearization of the slung load dynamics is used for the load oscillation control. A single hidden layer neural network with an adaptive gain update is used for uncertainty compensation. The proposed controller is evaluated in simulations within the Georgia Tech UAV Simulation Tool (GUST) and inflight tests using the GTMax UAV helicopter test-bed. Both simulation and flight test results are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed controller in dampening of load oscillations while simultaneously reducing position errors relative to a virtual moving ground platform, in the presence of random ground vehicle motion, wind gusts, and modeling errors.
Guidance of Multi-Agent Fixed-Wing Aircraft Using a Moving Mesh Method
Authors: Kim A Ram , Keshmiri Shawn , Huang Weizhang , Garcia Gonzalo
Published: November 2016

This paper presents a novel guidance logic for multi-agent fixed-wing unmanned aerial systems using a moving mesh method. The moving mesh method is originally designed for use in the adaptive numerical solution of partial differential equations, where a high proportion of mesh points are placed in the regions of large solution variations and few points in the rest of the domain. In this work, the positions of the aircraft are considered as mesh nodes connected to form a triangular mesh in two spatial dimensions. The outer aircraft positions are planned with the reference point algorithm. This logic provides the outer agents moving point positions that are relative to a virtual point position with the desired heading angle and velocity. The inner agents, or interior mesh nodes, are moved with a moving mesh technique to keep the whole mesh as uniform as possible. The moving mesh technique has built-in mechanisms to keep the mesh as uniform as possible and prevent nodes from crossing over or tangling. This property can be seen as an automatic internal collision avoidance mechanism. It also has explicit formulas for nodal velocities, making the technique easy to implement on computer. The mesh nodes are replaced by unmanned aerial systems with nonlinear six degrees of freedom dynamics. The centralized moving mesh guidance is complimented by a decentralized nonlinear predictive controller to control each aircraft. To validate flexibility and coherency of agents and formation, the moving point concept is used in the simulation to follow an arbitrary, linear, sinewave-like, or curvature shaped flight segments. Robustness of the algorithm is also verified where agents were affected by external wind.
‘
Intrites
’ from the Ediacaran Longmyndian Supergroup, UK: a new form of microbially-induced sedimentary structure (MISS)
Authors: Menon Latha R. , McIlroy Duncan , Brasier Martin D.
Published: November 2016

Simple discoidal impressions are the only evidence of complex life in some Ediacaran and older rocks, but their interpretation is notoriously difficult. We reassessed a puzzling discoidal form from the
c.
560 Ma upper Burway Formation of the Ediacaran Longmyndian Supergroup, Shropshire, UK. The structures, previously described as
Intrites punctatus
Fedonkin, are found on both the bed tops and soles. They vary in morphology from mounds with central depressions to incomplete rings and pairs of short ridges. Examination of the purported
Intrites
documented from the Longmyndian in cross-section revealed a torus-shaped structure bounded by microbial mat layers and commonly containing white laminae. We interpret the ‘Longmyndian
Intrites
’ as a product of microbial trapping, sediment binding and authigenic clay mineral and carbonate precipitation on the flanks of small sediment volcanoes. Subsidence of the ring-like structure into muddy sediments resulted in a torus-shaped microstromatolite. Preferential stromatolitic growth parallel to the prevailing current produced the observed partial rings or parallel ridges and explains their preferential orientation as current alignment. This interpretation of ‘Longmyndian
Intrites
’ expands the known variety of microbially-induced sedimentary structures (MISS) and emphasizes the importance of considering microbially-induced structures and abiological processes when interpreting discoidal impressions in ancient rocks.
Ecological Opportunity and Adaptive Radiation
Authors: Stroud James T. , Losos Jonathan B.
Published: November 2016

The process of adaptive radiation—the proliferation of species from a single ancestor and diversification into many ecologically different forms—has been of great interest to evolutionary biologists since Darwin. Since the middle of the last century, ecological opportunity has been invoked as a potential key to understanding when and how adaptive radiation occurs. Interest in the topic of ecological opportunity has accelerated as research on adaptive radiation has experienced a resurgence, fueled in part by advances in phylogenetic approaches to studying evolutionary diversification. Nonetheless, what the term actually means, much less how it mechanistically leads to adaptive diversification, is currently debated; whether the term has any predictive value or is a heuristic useful only for post hoc explanation also remains unclear. Recent recognition that evolutionary change can occur rapidly and on a timescale commensurate with ecological processes suggests that it is time to synthesize ecological and evolutionary approaches to the study of community assembly and evolutionary diversification.
Field Research on Law in Conflict Zones and Authoritarian States
Authors: Massoud Mark Fathi
Published: November 2016

Scholars of law and social science have challenged conventional wisdom that law and courts in authoritarian states are, at best, the tools of dictators and that law fails to matter in places riven by violence or warfare. Less discussed is how this expansive body of research is being carried out in conflict zones and authoritarian states. This article takes on that challenge: to describe the state of the study of field research on law by paying close attention to those unlikely places—conflict-affected and authoritarian states—that illuminate law's power in unexpected ways and to those close-to-the-ground methods—ethnographic, interview-based, and archival—that generate new hypotheses for law and social science research.
The protective effect of apolipoprotein in models of trophoblast invasion and preeclampsia
Authors: Charlton Francesca , Bobek Gabriele , Stait-Gardner Tim , Price William S. , Mirabito Colafella Katrina M. , Xu Bei , Makris Angela , Rye Kerry-Anne , Hennessy Annemarie
Published: November 2016

Preeclampsia is a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy. It is associated with abnormal placentation via poor placental invasion of the uterine vasculature by trophoblast cells, leading to poor placental perfusion, oxidative stress, and inflammation, all of which are implicated in its pathogenesis. A dyslipidemia characterized by low plasma levels of high-density lipoproteins (HDL) and elevated triglycerides has been described in preeclampsia. Apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I), a constituent of HDL is an anti-inflammatory agent. This study investigated whether apoA-I protects against hypertension and adverse placental changes in a proinflammatory cytokine (TNF-α)-induced model of preeclampsia. Further, this study investigated whether apoA-I protects against the inhibitory effect of TNF-α in a human in vitro model of trophoblast invasion. Administration of apoA-I to pregnant mice before infusion with TNF-α resulted in a significant reduction in the cytokine-induced increase in systolic blood pressure. MRI measurement of T2relaxation, a parameter that is tissue specific and sensitive to physiological changes within tissues, showed a reversal of TNF-α-induced placental changes. Preincubation of endothelial cells with apoA-I protected against the TNF-α-induced inhibition of HTR-8/SVneo (trophoblast) cell integration into endothelial (UtMVEC) networks. These data suggest that a healthy lipid profile may affect pregnancy outcomes by priming endothelial cells in preparation for trophoblast invasion.
Dietary α-linolenic acid supplementation alters skeletal muscle plasma membrane lipid composition, sarcolemmal FAT/CD36 abundance, and palmitate transport rates
Authors: Chorner Zane , Barbeau Pierre-Andre , Castellani Laura , Wright David C. , Chabowski Adrian , Holloway Graham P.
Published: November 2016

The cellular processes influenced by consuming polyunsaturated fatty acids remains poorly defined. Within skeletal muscle, a rate-limiting step in fatty acid oxidation is the movement of lipids across the sarcolemmal membrane, and therefore, we aimed to determine the effects of consuming flaxseed oil high in α-linolenic acid (ALA), on plasma membrane lipid composition and the capacity to transport palmitate. Rats fed a diet supplemented with ALA (10%) displayed marked increases in omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) within whole muscle and sarcolemmal membranes (approximately five-fold), at the apparent expense of arachidonic acid (−50%). These changes coincided with increased sarcolemmal palmitate transport rates (+20%), plasma membrane fatty acid translocase (FAT/CD36; +20%) abundance, skeletal muscle triacylglycerol content (approximately twofold), and rates of whole body fat oxidation (~50%). The redistribution of FAT/CD36 to the plasma membrane could not be explained by increased phosphorylation of signaling pathways implicated in regulating FAT/CD36 trafficking events (i.e., phosphorylation of ERK1/2, CaMKII, AMPK, and Akt), suggesting the increased n-3 PUFA composition of the plasma membrane influenced FAT/CD36 accumulation. Altogether, the present data provide evidence that a diet supplemented with ALA increases the transport of lipids into resting skeletal muscle in conjunction with increased sarcolemmal n-3 PUFA and FAT/CD36 contents.
High-fat diet-induced glucose dysregulation is independent of changes in islet ACE2 in mice
Authors: Chodavarapu Harshita , Chhabra Kavaljit H. , Xia Huijing , Shenoy Vinayak , Yue Xinping , Lazartigues Eric
Published: November 2016

While restoration of ACE2 activity in the pancreas leads to improvement of glycemia in experimental models of Type 2 diabetes, global deficiency in ACE2 disrupts β-cell function and impairs glucose tolerance in mice, demonstrating the physiological role of ACE2 in glucose homeostasis. Although the contribution of pancreatic ACE2 to glucose regulation has been demonstrated in genetic models of diabetes and in models with overexpression of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS), it is unclear whether islet ACE2 is involved in glycemic control in common models of human Type 2 diabetes. To determine whether diet-induced diabetes deregulates glucose homeostasis via reduction of ACE2 in the pancreatic islets, wild-type (WT) and ACE2 knockout (KO) male mice were fed a high-fat diet (HFD) for 16 wk. ACE2 KO mice were more susceptible than WT mice to HFD-mediated glycemic dysregulation. Islet ACE2 activity and expression of various genes, including ANG II type 1a receptor (mAT1aR) were then assessed. Surprisingly, we observed no change in islet ACE2 activity and expression despite local RAS overactivity, indicated by an upregulation of mAT1aR expression. Despite a predominant expression in islet α-cells, further investigation highlighted a minor role for ACE2 on glucagon expression. Further, pancreatic ACE2 gene therapy improved glycemia in HFD-fed WT mice, leading to enhanced glucose-stimulated insulin secretion, reduced pancreatic ANG II levels, fibrosis, and ADAM17 activity. Altogether, our study demonstrates that HFD feeding increases RAS activity and mediates glycemic dysregulation likely through loss of ACE2 present outside the islets but independently of changes in islet ACE2.
Visual search for object categories is predicted by the representational architecture of high-level visual cortex
Authors: Cohen Michael A. , Alvarez George A. , Nakayama Ken , Konkle Talia
Published: November 2016

Visual search is a ubiquitous visual behavior, and efficient search is essential for survival. Different cognitive models have explained the speed and accuracy of search based either on the dynamics of attention or on similarity of item representations. Here, we examined the extent to which performance on a visual search task can be predicted from the stable representational architecture of the visual system, independent of attentional dynamics. Participants performed a visual search task with 28 conditions reflecting different pairs of categories (e.g., searching for a face among cars, body among hammers, etc.). The time it took participants to find the target item varied as a function of category combination. In a separate group of participants, we measured the neural responses to these object categories when items were presented in isolation. Using representational similarity analysis, we then examined whether the similarity of neural responses across different subdivisions of the visual system had the requisite structure needed to predict visual search performance. Overall, we found strong brain/behavior correlations across most of the higher-level visual system, including both the ventral and dorsal pathways when considering both macroscale sectors as well as smaller mesoscale regions. These results suggest that visual search for real-world object categories is well predicted by the stable, task-independent architecture of the visual system.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY Here, we ask which neural regions have neural response patterns that correlate with behavioral performance in a visual processing task. We found that the representational structure across all of high-level visual cortex has the requisite structure to predict behavior. Furthermore, when directly comparing different neural regions, we found that they all had highly similar category-level representational structures. These results point to a ubiquitous and uniform representational structure in high-level visual cortex underlying visual object processing.
Calcium dynamics and regulation in horizontal cells of the vertebrate retina: lessons from teleosts
Authors: Country Michael W. , Jonz Michael G.
Published: November 2016

Horizontal cells (HCs) are inhibitory interneurons of the vertebrate retina. Unlike typical neurons, HCs are chronically depolarized in the dark, leading to a constant influx of Ca2+. Therefore, mechanisms of Ca2+homeostasis in HCs must differ from neurons elsewhere in the central nervous system, which undergo excitotoxicity when they are chronically depolarized or stressed with Ca2+. HCs are especially well characterized in teleost fish and have been used to unlock mysteries of the vertebrate retina for over one century. More recently, mammalian models of the retina have been increasingly informative for HC physiology. We draw from both teleost and mammalian models in this review, using a comparative approach to examine what is known about Ca2+pathways in vertebrate HCs. We begin with a survey of Ca2+-permeable ion channels, exchangers, and pumps and summarize Ca2+influx and efflux pathways, buffering, and intracellular stores. This includes evidence for Ca2+-permeable α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptors and N-methyl-d-aspartate receptors and for voltage-gated Ca2+channels. Special attention is given to interactions between ion channels, to differences among species, and in which subtypes of HCs these channels have been found. We then discuss a number of unresolved issues pertaining to Ca2+dynamics in HCs, including a potential role for Ca2+in feedback to photoreceptors, the role for Ca2+-induced Ca2+release, and the properties and functions of Ca2+-based action potentials. This review aims to highlight the unique Ca2+dynamics in HCs, as these are inextricably tied to retinal function.
Individual differences in implicit motor learning: task specificity in sensorimotor adaptation and sequence learning
Authors: Stark-Inbar Alit , Raza Meher , Taylor Jordan A. , Ivry Richard B.
Published: November 2016

In standard taxonomies, motor skills are typically treated as representative of implicit or procedural memory. We examined two emblematic tasks of implicit motor learning, sensorimotor adaptation and sequence learning, asking whether individual differences in learning are correlated between these tasks, as well as how individual differences within each task are related to different performance variables. As a prerequisite, it was essential to establish the reliability of learning measures for each task. Participants were tested twice on a visuomotor adaptation task and on a sequence learning task, either the serial reaction time task or the alternating reaction time task. Learning was evident in all tasks at the group level and reliable at the individual level in visuomotor adaptation and the alternating reaction time task but not in the serial reaction time task. Performance variability was predictive of learning in both domains, yet the relationship was in the opposite direction for adaptation and sequence learning. For the former, faster learning was associated with lower variability, consistent with models of sensorimotor adaptation in which learning rates are sensitive to noise. For the latter, greater learning was associated with higher variability and slower reaction times, factors that may facilitate the spread of activation required to form predictive, sequential associations. Interestingly, learning measures of the different tasks were not correlated. Together, these results oppose a shared process for implicit learning in sensorimotor adaptation and sequence learning and provide insight into the factors that account for individual differences in learning within each task domain.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY We investigated individual differences in the ability to implicitly learn motor skills. As a prerequisite, we assessed whether individual differences were reliable across test sessions. We found that two commonly used tasks of implicit learning, visuomotor adaptation and the alternating serial reaction time task, exhibited good test-retest reliability in measures of learning and performance. However, the learning measures did not correlate between the two tasks, arguing against a shared process for implicit motor learning.
Molecular Pathophysiology of Congenital Long QT Syndrome
Authors: Bohnen M. S. , Peng G. , Robey S. H. , Terrenoire C. , Iyer V. , Sampson K. J. , Kass R. S.
Published: November 2016

Ion channels represent the molecular entities that give rise to the cardiac action potential, the fundamental cellular electrical event in the heart. The concerted function of these channels leads to normal cyclical excitation and resultant contraction of cardiac muscle. Research into cardiac ion channel regulation and mutations that underlie disease pathogenesis has greatly enhanced our knowledge of the causes and clinical management of cardiac arrhythmia. Here we review the molecular determinants, pathogenesis, and pharmacology of congenital Long QT Syndrome. We examine mechanisms of dysfunction associated with three critical cardiac currents that comprise the majority of congenital Long QT Syndrome cases: 1) IKs, the slow delayed rectifier current; 2) IKr, the rapid delayed rectifier current; and 3) INa, the voltage-dependent sodium current. Less common subtypes of congenital Long QT Syndrome affect other cardiac ionic currents that contribute to the dynamic nature of cardiac electrophysiology. Through the study of mutations that cause congenital Long QT Syndrome, the scientific community has advanced understanding of ion channel structure-function relationships, physiology, and pharmacological response to clinically employed and experimental pharmacological agents. Our understanding of congenital Long QT Syndrome continues to evolve rapidly and with great benefits: genotype-driven clinical management of the disease has improved patient care as precision medicine becomes even more a reality.
Mechanistic Pathways of Sex Differences in Cardiovascular Disease
Authors: Regitz-Zagrosek Vera , Kararigas Georgios
Published: November 2016

Major differences between men and women exist in epidemiology, manifestation, pathophysiology, treatment, and outcome of cardiovascular diseases (CVD), such as coronary artery disease, pressure overload, hypertension, cardiomyopathy, and heart failure. Corresponding sex differences have been studied in a number of animal models, and mechanistic investigations have been undertaken to analyze the observed sex differences. We summarize the biological mechanisms of sex differences in CVD focusing on three main areas, i.e., genetic mechanisms, epigenetic mechanisms, as well as sex hormones and their receptors. We discuss relevant subtypes of sex hormone receptors, as well as genomic and nongenomic, activational and organizational effects of sex hormones. We describe the interaction of sex hormones with intracellular signaling relevant for cardiovascular cells and the cardiovascular system. Sex, sex hormones, and their receptors may affect a number of cellular processes by their synergistic action on multiple targets. We discuss in detail sex differences in organelle function and in biological processes. We conclude that there is a need for a more detailed understanding of sex differences and their underlying mechanisms, which holds the potential to design new drugs that target sex-specific cardiovascular mechanisms and affect phenotypes. The comparison of both sexes may lead to the identification of protective or maladaptive mechanisms in one sex that could serve as a novel therapeutic target in one sex or in both.
The Synthesis of Wavelength-Controlled CdTe/Hydroxyapatite Composites and Their Fluorescence Enhancement by Bovine Serum Albumin
Authors: Jin Li , Na Lihua , Cao Xueling , Zhong Fangli , Zhang Jianpo
Published: November 2016

For the last ten years, quantum dots modified by biological materials have made it possible to study biochemical processes by means of biomedical imaging. This thesis introduced how the fluorescence CdTe quantum dots/hydroxyapatite composites were synthesized and how their structure, morphology, and fluorescence property were characterized by using TEM, XRD, EDS, UV-vis absorption spectra, and fluorescence spectra. The fluorescence spectra indicated the superb photometric characteristics of CdTe/HA composites. We also found that refluxing temperature and time had prominent effects on fluorescence wavelength and intensity of CdTe/HA composites, so the fluorescence emission wavelength of CdTe/HA composites could be controlled. In addition, the effect of BSA on the fluorescence properties of CdTe/HA composites was studied. The fluorescent emission intensity of CdTe/HA composites was enhanced directly with increasing concentrations of BSA; meanwhile, the fluorescence emission intensity of BSA dramatically decreased, which indicated that a Förster nonradiative energy transfer process occurred through the formation of chemical bonds between BSA and CdTe/HA composites. And the two-dimensional correlation (2D COS) was used to analyze the BSA solution before and after the reaction, which indicated that CdTe/HA composites have bound to a site at the surface of the molecule in the first subdomain IA. We also found that there was a linear relationship between the fluorescence intensity enhancement (F/F0) of CdTe/HA composites and the concentration of the bovine serum albumin, which might become a method for quantitative analysis of BSA in a real sample.
Magnetization Transfer and Amide Proton Transfer MRI of Neonatal Brain Development
Authors: Zheng Yang , Wang Xiaoming , Zhao Xuna
Published: November 2016

Purpose.This study aims to evaluate the process of brain development in neonates using combined amide proton transfer (APT) imaging and conventional magnetization transfer (MT) imaging.Materials and Methods.Case data were reviewed for all patients hospitalized in our institution’s neonatal ward. Patients underwent APT and MT imaging (a single protocol) immediately following the routine MR examination. Single-slice APT/MT axial imaging was performed at the level of the basal ganglia. APT and MT ratio (MTR) measurements were performed in multiple brain regions of interest (ROIs). Data was statistically analyzed in order to assess for significant differences between the different regions of the brain or correlation with patient gestational age.Results.A total of 38 neonates were included in the study, with ages ranging from 27 to 41 weeks’ corrected gestational age. There were statistically significant differences in both APT and MTR measurements between the frontal lobes, basal ganglia, and occipital lobes (APT: frontal lobe versus occipital lobeP=0.031and other groupsP=0.00; MTR: frontal lobe versus occipital lobeP=0.034and other groupsP=0.00). Furthermore, APT and MTR in above brain regions exhibited positive linear correlations with patient gestational age.Conclusions.APT/MT imaging can provide valuable information about the process of the neonatal brain development at the molecular level.
2,3,5,4′‐Tetrahydroxystilbene‐2‐O‐β‐D‐glucoside Promotes Expression of the Longevity Gene Klotho
Authors: Ling Shuang , Duan Ju , Ni Rongzhen , Xu Jin-Wen
Published: November 2016

The longevity gene klotho has numerous physiological functions, such as regulating calcium and phosphorus levels, delaying senescence, improving cognition, reducing oxidative stress, and protecting vascular endothelial cells. This study tested whether 2,3,5,4′‐Tetrahydroxystilbene‐2‐O‐β‐D‐glucoside (THSG), a small molecule with antiaging effects, regulates the expression and physiological effects of klotho. Our results showed that THSG dose‐dependently increased the luciferase reporter activity of the klotho gene, reversed the decrease in mRNA and protein expression of klotho which was induced by angiotensin II in NRK‐52E renal tubular epithelial cells, and increased klotho mRNA expression in the cerebral cortex, hippocampus, testis, and kidney medulla of spontaneously hypertensive rats. THSG also reduced the number of senescent cells induced by angiotensin II and improved the antioxidant capacity and enhanced the bone strength in vivo. Based on klotho’s role in promoting cognition, regulating bone metabolism, and improving renal function, the effect of THSG on klotho expression will be beneficial to the functional improvement or enhancement of the expressed organs or tissues.
Surgical Removal of an Extrauterine Device Migrating to Appendix
Authors: Uysal Gulsum , Nazik Hakan , Tanridan Okçu Nefise , Seyfettinoglu Sevtap , Kazgan Halil
Published: November 2016

Intrauterine devices (IUDs) remain highly effective reversible family planning methods in developing countries. We aimed to report one of the complications of extrauterine and intrauterine devices. A 44-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with mislocated intrauterine device and abnormal uterine bleeding. Extrauterine IUD device was proven by ultrasound and X-ray. She had normal blood test count with a negative pregnancy test. There are several cases of complications with intrauterine devices, but this is the first case report about an extrauterine IUD embedded by inflame enlarged appendix presenting with abnormal uterine bleeding. Although intrauterine devices are a common safe method for contraception, there is no risk-free insertion even with advanced ultrasounds. A regular self-examination should be taught to the patients and ultrasonography should be performed in the follow-up of the patients especially for inserted devices during lactation period. Extrauterine IUDs can be successfully removed by laparotomy.
Astragalus Polysaccharide Suppresses 6‐Hydroxydopamine‐Induced Neurotoxicity in Caenorhabditis elegans
Authors: Li Haifeng , Shi Ruona , Ding Fei , Wang Hongyu , Han Wenjing , Ma Fangli , Hu Minghua , Ma Chung Wah , Huang Zebo
Published: November 2016

Astragalus membranaceus is a medicinal plant traditionally used in China for a variety of conditions, including inflammatory and neural diseases. Astragalus polysaccharides are shown to reduce the adverse effect of levodopa which is used to treat Parkinson’s disease (PD). However, the neuroprotective effect of Astragalus polysaccharides per se in PD is lacking. Using Caenorhabditis elegans models, we investigated the protective effect of astragalan, an acidic polysaccharide isolated from A. membranaceus, against the neurotoxicity of 6‐hydroxydopamine (6‐OHDA), a neurotoxin that can induce parkinsonism. We show that 6‐OHDA is able to degenerate dopaminergic neurons and lead to the deficiency of food‐sensing behavior and a shorter lifespan in C. elegans. Interestingly, these degenerative symptoms can be attenuated by astragalan treatment. Astragalan is also shown to alleviate oxidative stress through reducing reactive oxygen species level and malondialdehyde content and increasing superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase activities and reduce the expression of proapoptotic gene egl-1 in 6‐OHDA‐intoxicated nematodes. Further studies reveal that astragalan is capable of elevating the decreased acetylcholinesterase activity induced by 6‐OHDA. Together, our results demonstrate that the protective effect of astragalan against 6‐OHDA neurotoxicity is likely due to the alleviation of oxidative stress and regulation of apoptosis pathway and cholinergic system and thus provide an important insight into the therapeutic potential of Astragalus polysaccharide in neurodegeneration.
Venous Adventitial Cystic Disease: A Review of 45 Cases Treated Since 1963
Authors: Bascone Corey , Iqbal Mazen , Narh-Martey Patrick , Szuchmacher Mauricio , Cicchillo Michael , Krishnasastry Kambhampaty V.
Published: November 2016

Purpose. To review and identify the most accurate ways of diagnosing and treating adventitial cystic disease (ACD) of the venous system.Methods. Cases of ACD were collected through three popular medical databases, including PubMed, Cochrane, OVID, and MEDLINE. After reviewing the literature, the sites of occurrence of 323 cases of adventitial cystic disease were documented, and all cases of arterial ACD were excluded. The clinical features, treatment, and subsequent course of 45 cases of venous ACD are included in this paper.Results. After reviewing all 45 cases of venous ACD , we have confirmed that the most common vessel affected is the common femoral vein, which reproduces the most common symptom of venous ACD: asymmetric lower extremity swelling worsening over time.Conclusion. Venous ACD most commonly affects the common femoral vein. When unilateral leg swelling occurs with or without a noticeable mass, ACD should be considered. It is best confirmed with CT venography and the treatment of choice is transluminal cyst evacuation and excision.