bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
New connections: HIPK2 becomes crystal clear
Authors: Foley John F.
Published: July 2019

Solving the crystal structure of HIPK2 may lead to therapeutic targeting of this versatile kinase.
Putative Adhesion Factors in Vaginal Lactobacillus gasseri DSM 14869: Functional Characterization
Authors: Zeng Zhu , Zuo Fanglei , Marcotte Harold
Published: July 2019

Lactobacilli are known to contribute to the maintenance of a healthy vaginal microbiota and some are selected as probiotics for the prevention or treatment of urogenital diseases, such as bacterial vaginosis. However, the molecular mechanisms for these health-promoting effects are not fully understood. Here, we functionally identified three cell surface factors of a
Lactobacillus gasseri
strain potentially involved in its adhesion to vaginal epithelial cells, including exopolysaccharides (EPSs) and two sortase-dependent proteins (N506_1778 and N506_1709). We could demonstrate the tissue-specific adhesion of EPSs to vaginal cells and that N506_1709 might be a novel adhesin specifically mediating bacterial binding to stratified squamous epithelial cells. The results provide important new information on the molecular mechanisms of vaginal
Lactobacillus
spp. adhesion.
Fecal Microbiotas of Indonesian and New Zealand Children Differ in Complexity and Bifidobacterial Taxa during the First Year of Life
Authors: Lawley Blair , Otal Anna , Moloney-Geany Kit , Diana Aly , Houghton Lisa , Heath Anne-Louise M. , Taylor Rachael W. , Tannock Gerald W.
Published: July 2019

This study addresses the microbiology of a natural ecosystem (the infant bowel) for children in a rural setting in Indonesia and in an urban environment in New Zealand. Analysis of DNA sequences generated from the microbial community (microbiota) in the feces of the infants during the first year of life showed marked differences in the composition and complexity of the bacterial collections. The differences were most likely due to differences in the prevalence and duration of breastfeeding of infants in the two countries. These kinds of studies are essential for developing concepts of microbial ecology related to the influence of nutrition and environment on the development of the gut microbiota and for determining the long-term effects of microbiological events in early life on human health and well-being.
Ethanol Adaptation Strategies in Salmonella enterica Serovar Enteritidis Revealed by Global Proteomic and Mutagenic Analyses
Authors: He Shoukui , Qin Xiaojie , Wong Catherine W. Y. , Shi Chunlei , Wang Siyun , Shi Xianming
Published: July 2019

Stress adaptation in foodborne pathogens has been recognized as a food safety concern since it may compromise currently employed microbial intervention strategies. While adaptation to sublethal levels of ethanol is able to induce ethanol tolerance in foodborne pathogens, the molecular mechanism underlying this phenomenon is poorly characterized. Hence, global proteomic analysis and mutagenic analysis were conducted in the current work to understand the strategies employed by
Salmonella enterica
subsp.
enterica
serovar Enteritidis to respond to ethanol adaptation. It was revealed that coordinated regulation of multiple pathways involving metabolism, ABC transporters, regulators, enterobactin biosynthesis and uptake, the ribosome, flagellar assembly, and virulence was responsible for the development of ethanol adaptation response in this pathogen. Such knowledge will undoubtedly contribute to the development and implementation of more-effective food safety interventions.
Effects of Methanol on Carotenoids as Well as Biomass and Fatty Acid Biosynthesis in
Schizochytrium limacinum
B4D1
Authors: Du Huanmin , Liao Xiaoping , Gao Zhengquan , Li Yang , Lei Yu , Chen Wuxi , Chen Limei , Fan Xiang , Zhang Ke , Chen Shulin , Ma Yanhe , Meng Chunxiao , Li Demao
Published: July 2019

Schizochytrium
strains are usually studied as oil-producing strains, but they can also synthesize other secondary metabolites, such as astaxanthin. In this study, methanol was used as an inducer, and we explored its effects on the production of astaxanthin, a highly valuable substance in
Schizochytrium
. Methanol induced
Schizochytrium
to synthesize large amounts of astaxanthin. Transcriptomic analysis was used to investigate the regulation of signaling and metabolic pathways (mainly relative gene expression) in
Schizochytrium
grown in the presence of various concentrations of methanol. These results contribute to the understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms and may aid in the future optimization of
Schizochytrium
for astaxanthin biosynthesis.
Functional Differences in the Blooming Phytoplankton Heterosigma akashiwo and Prorocentrum donghaiense Revealed by Comparative Metaproteomics
Authors: Zhang Hao , He Yan-Bin , Wu Peng-Fei , Zhang Shu-Feng , Xie Zhang-Xian , Li Dong-Xu , Lin Lin , Chen Feng , Wang Da-Zhi
Published: July 2019

A deep understanding of the mechanisms driving bloom formation is a prerequisite for effective bloom management. Metaproteomics was applied in this study to reveal the adaptive and responsive strategies of two coexisting phytoplankton species,
H. akashiwo
and
P. donghaiense
, during their bloom periods. Metabolic features and niche divergence in light harvesting, as well as carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus acquisition and assimilation likely promoted the bloom occurrence under different environments. The molecular behaviors of coexisting bloom-causing species will give clues for bloom monitoring and management in the oceans.
Plasmodium
Genomics and Genetics: New Insights into Malaria Pathogenesis, Drug Resistance, Epidemiology, and Evolution
Authors: Su Xin-zhuan , Lane Kristin D. , Xia Lu , Sá Juliana M. , Wellems Thomas E.
Published: July 2019

Protozoan
Plasmodium
parasites are the causative agents of malaria, a deadly disease that continues to afflict hundreds of millions of people every year. Infections with malaria parasites can be asymptomatic, with mild or severe symptoms, or fatal, depending on many factors such as parasite virulence and host immune status. Malaria can be treated with various drugs, with artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) being the first-line choice.
The Cyclopropane Fatty Acid Synthase Mediates Antibiotic Resistance and Gastric Colonization of Helicobacter pylori
Authors: Jiang Xueqing , Duan Yuanyuan , Zhou Boshen , Guo Qiaoqiao , Wang Haihong , Hang Xudong , Zeng Liping , Jia Jia , Bi Hongkai
Published: July 2019

The increasing prevalence of multidrug-resistant
Helicobacter pylori
strains has created an urgent need for alternative therapeutic regimens that complement the current antibiotic treatment strategies for
H. pylori
eradication; however, this is greatly hampered due to a lack of “druggable” targets. Although the CFAs are present in
H. pylori
cytoplasmic membranes at high levels, their physiological role has not been established. In this report, deletion of the CFA synthase CfaS was shown to attenuate acid and drug resistance, immune escape, and gastric colonization of
H. pylori
. These findings were validated by inhibition of the CfaS activity with the tool compound dioctylamine. These studies identify this enzyme as an attractive target for further drug discovery efforts against
H. pylori
.
The
ecnA
Antitoxin Is Important Not Only for Human Pathogens: Evidence of Its Role in the Plant Pathogen
Xanthomonas citri
subsp.
citri
Authors: Granato Laís Moreira , Picchi Simone Cristina , Andrade Maxuel de Oliveira , Martins Paula Maria Moreira , Takita Marco Aurélio , Machado Marcos Antonio , de Souza Alessandra Alves
Published: July 2019

Very little is known about TA systems in phytopathogenic bacteria.
ecnAB
, in particular, has only been studied in bacterial human pathogens. Here, we showed that it is present in a wide range of
Xanthomonas
sp. phytopathogens; moreover, this is the first work to investigate the functional role of this TA system in
Xanthomonas citri
biology, suggesting an important new role in adaptation and survival with implications for bacterial pathogenicity.
Heterogeneous Nuclear Ribonucleoprotein A1 and Lamin A/C Modulate Nucleocytoplasmic Shuttling of Avian Reovirus p17
Authors: Chiu Hung-Chuan , Huang Wei‐Ru , Wang Yu-Yang , Li Jyun‐Yi , Liao Tsai-Ling , Nielsen Brent L. , Liu Hung-Jen
Published: July 2019

Avian reoviruses (ARVs) cause considerable economic losses in the poultry industry. The ARV p17 protein continuously shuttles between the nucleus and the cytoplasm to regulate several cellular signaling pathways and interacts with several cellular proteins to cause translation shutoff, cell cycle arrest, and autophagosome formation, all of which enhance virus replication. To date the mechanisms underlying nucleocytoplasmic shuttling of p17 remain largely unknown. Here we report that hnRNP A1 and lamin A/C serve as carrier and mediator proteins to modulate nucleocytoplasmic shuttling of p17. The formation of p17-hnRNP A1-transportin 1 carrier-cargo complex is required to modulate p17 nuclear import. Furthermore, we have identified an NES-containing nucleocytoplasmic shuttling domain (aa 19 to 40) of p17 that is critical for binding to hnRNP A1 and for nucleocytoplasmic shuttling of p17. This study provides novel insights into how hnRNP A1 and lamin A/C modulate nucleocytoplasmic shuttling of the ARV p17 protein.
Neighbors Working Together: a
Toxoplasma
Rhoptry Protein That Facilitates Dense Granule Protein Translocation into the Host Cell
Authors: Arrizabalaga Gustavo
Published: July 2019

The opportunistic pathogen
Toxoplasma gondii
is highly adept at manipulating host cell functions. While inside a host cell,
Toxoplasma
divides within a parasitophorous vacuole from which it secretes numerous effector proteins from its dense granules. Many of these so-called GRA proteins are translocated from the parsitophorous vacuole into the host cell where they directly disrupt host signaling pathways.
Improved care and survival in severe malnutrition through eLearning
Authors: Choi Sunhea , Yuen Ho Ming , Annan Reginald , Monroy-Valle Michele , Pickup Trevor , Aduku Nana Esi Linda , Pulman Andy , Portillo Sermeño Carmen Elisa , Jackson Alan A , Ashworth Ann
Published: July 2019

Background

Scaling up improved management of severe acute malnutrition (SAM) has been identified as the nutrition intervention with the greatest potential to reduce child mortality but it requires improved operational capacity.

Objective

To investigate whether an eLearning course, which can be used at scale in resource-poor countries, leads to improved diagnosis, clinical management and survival of children with SAM.

Design

A 2-year preintervention and postintervention study between January 2015 and February 2017.

Setting

Eleven healthcare facilities: nine in Ghana, one in Guatemala, and one in El Salvador.

Intervention

Scenario-based eLearning course ‘Caring for infants and young children with severe malnutrition’.

Main outcome measures

Identification of children with SAM, quality of care, case-fatality rate.

Methods

Medical record reviews of children aged 0–60 months attending eleven hospitals between August 2014 and July 2016, observations in paediatric wards, and interviews with senior hospital personnel.

Results

Postintervention there was a significant improvement in the identification of SAM: more children had the requisite anthropometric data (34.9% (1300/3723) vs 15.9% (629/3953)) and more were correctly diagnosed (58.5% (460/786) vs 47.1% (209/444)). Improvements were observed in almost all aspects of the WHO ‘Ten Steps’ of case-management, and case-fatality fell from 5.8% (26/449) to 1.9% (14/745) (Post-pre difference=−3.9%, 95% CI −6.6 to −1.7, p<0.001).

Conclusions

High quality, interactive eLearning can be an effective intervention in scaling up capacity building of health professionals to manage SAM effectively, leading to a reduction in mortality.
Eighty-two per cent of male professional football (soccer) players return to play at the previous level two seasons after Achilles tendon rupture treated with surgical repair
Authors: Grassi Alberto , Rossi Guendalina , D'Hooghe Pieter , Aujla Randeep , Mosca Massimiliano , Samuelsson Kristian , Zaffagnini Stefano
Published: July 2019

Objective

To evaluate the time to return to playing following acute Achilles tendon rupture (ATR) and surgical repair in professional male football (soccer) players.

Methods

Professional male football (soccer) players who sustained an ATR and underwent surgical repair were identified through internet-based injury reports from January 2008 to August 2018. Only League 1 and 2 players with injuries who had at least 1 year of follow-up from the search date were included. Injury history and time to return to play were retrieved from the public platformtransfermarkt.com. For athletes who competed for at least two seasons after returning to play, re-ruptures and number of matches played were reported.

Results

118 athletes (mean age 27.2±7.2 years) were included. 113 (96%) returned to unrestricted practice after a mean of 199±53 days, with faster recovery in players involved in national teams. Return to competition was after a mean of 274±114 days. In the 76 athletes with at least two seasons of follow-up, 14 (18%) did not compete at the pre-injury level during the two seasons following the index injury. Six players (8%) sustained a re-rupture within the first two seasons after return to play; four re-ruptures were in footballers who returned to play <180 days after injury. Age >30 years and re-ruptures had higher odds ratios of not returning to the same level of play.

Conclusions

96% of professional male football players who underwent surgery to repair an ATR returned to unrestricted practice and then competition after an average time of 7 and 9 months, respectively. However, 18% did not return to the same level of play within the two seasons following their return, with a higher risk in those experiencing a re-rupture.
Frequency of self-monitoring of blood glucose in relation to weight loss and A1C during intensive multidisciplinary weight management in patients with type 2 diabetes and obesity
Authors: Tomah Shaheen , Mahmoud Noor , Mottalib Adham , Pober David M , Tasabehji Mhd Wael , Ashrafzadeh Sahar , Hamdy Osama
Published: July 2019

Objective

We evaluated the relationship between frequency of self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) and body weight, A1C, and cardiovascular risk factors in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and obesity enrolled in a 12-week intensive multidisciplinary weight management (IMWM) program.

Research design and methods

We conducted a retrospective analysis of 42 patients who electronically uploaded their SMBG data over 12 weeks of an IMWM program and divided them into tertiles based on their average frequency of SMBG per day. Mean (range) SMBG frequencies were 2.3 (1.1–2.9) times/day, 3.4 (3–3.9) times/day, and 5 (4–7.7) times/day in the lowest, middle, and highest tertiles, respectively. Anthropometric and metabolic parameters were measured at baseline and after 12 weeks of intervention.

Results

Participants in the highest tertile achieved a median change (IQR) in body weight of −10.4 kg (−7.6 to −14.4 kg) compared with −8.3 kg (−5.2 to −12.2 kg), and −6.9 kg (−4.2 to −8.9 kg) in the middle and lowest tertiles, respectively (p=0.018 for trend). Participants in the highest tertile had a median change (IQR) in A1C of −1.25% (−0.6 to −3.1%) compared with −0.8% (−0.3% to −2%) and −0.5% (−0.2% to −1.2%) in the middle and lowest tertiles, respectively (p=0.048 for trend). The association between change in body weight and SMBG frequency remained significant after adjusting for age, sex, baseline body mass index, diabetes duration, and use of insulin therapy.

Conclusions

Increased frequency of SMBG during IMWM is associated with significantly better weight loss and improvement of A1C in patients with T2D and obesity. These findings may suggest future clinical recommendations aimed at increasing SMBG frequency to achieve the most favorable outcomes.
Segregation of two variants suggests the presence of autosomal dominant and recessive forms of WFS1-related disease within the same family: expanding the phenotypic spectrum of Wolfram Syndrome
Authors: Lusk Laina , Black Emily , Vengoechea Jaime
Published: July 2019

Background

WFS1 was initially described as causative agent of autosomal recessive (AR) Wolfram syndrome, a childhood-onset disorder involving diabetes, optic atrophy, hearing loss and neurodegenerative features. However, the discovery of autosomal dominant (AD) disorders caused by this gene has resulted in clinical counselling and result interpretation challenges.

Objective

We seek to report a family that appears to segregate dominant and recessive forms of WFS1-related disease.

Methods/results

A 19-year-old woman presented with progressive childhood sensorineural hearing loss and recent optic atrophy, with biallelic mutations in WFS1: c.2486T>C (likely pathogenic) and c.2470G>A (uncertain significance). Her A1C was normal. Her sister carried the same variants and had a similar phenotype. Their father carried c.2486T>C and was found to have mild–moderate hearing loss but no optic atrophy or neurological symptoms. The mother carried c.2470G>A and had a normal audiogram and ophthalmological exam. Providing anticipatory guidance for this family was difficult given the phenotypic variability of WFS1-related disorders and the uncertainty surrounding whether the inheritance pattern was AR or AD.

Conclusion

The clinical correlation of the variants identified in this family suggests an AR Wolfram-like syndrome, without the typical diabetes mellitus or diabetes insipidus nor neurological decline. To our knowledge, this is a novel WFS1-related phenotype.
Tobacco control in Nepal during a time of government turmoil (1960–2006)
Authors: Bhatta Dharma , Crosbie Eric , Bialous Stella , Glantz Stanton
Published: July 2019

Background

Nepal was a monarchy, then a dictatorship, then a democracy. This paper reviews how tobacco control progressed in Nepal in the context of these changes in government from 1950 through 2006.

Methods

We triangulated tobacco industry documents, newspaper articles and key informant interviews.

Results

Until 1983, the tobacco industry was mostly state owned. Transnational tobacco companies entered the Nepalese market through ventures with Surya Tobacco Company Private Limited (with Imperial Tobacco Company and British American Tobacco) in 1983 and Seti Cigarette Factory Limited (with Philip Morris International [PMI]) in 1985. Seminars and conferences on tobacco, celebrations of World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) and efforts by WHO helped promote tobacco control in Nepal beginning in the 1970s. Tobacco advocates in Nepal pushed the government to issue executive orders banning smoking in public places in 1992 and tobacco advertising in electronic media in 1998, and to introduce a tobacco health tax in 1993. The tobacco industry lobbied against these measures and succeeded in keeping the tobacco tax low by challenging it in court. Tobacco advocates sued the government in 2003 and 2005, resulting in a June 2006 Supreme Court decision upholding the smoking and advertising bans and requiring the government to enact a comprehensive tobacco control law.

Conclusions

Political instability, conflict, weak governance and the dictatorship significantly affect tobacco control activities in low-income and middle-income countries. Nepal shows that tobacco control advocates can take advantage of global events, such as WNTD, and use domestic litigation to maintain support from civil societies and to advocate for stronger tobacco control policies.
Borrowing external information to estimate angler size selectivity: model development and application to Murray cod
Authors: Gwinn Daniel C. , Butler Gavin , Ingram Brett , Raymond Scott , Lintermans Mark , Ye Qifeng
Published: July 2019

Estimating the size selectivity of fishery users and sampling methods can be difficult to achieve due to data limitations. However, these limitations can be moderated by borrowed information from other sources such as other systems, times, and species. Here we develop a model that integrates an externally sourced boat electrofishing length–vulnerability model with internally sourced boat electrofishing and angling catch data to estimate length-dependent vulnerability of fish to angling in a data-limited situation. We apply the model to Murray cod (Maccullochella peelii) as an example and show that angling for Murray cod selectively captures a narrow range of sizes that includes medium to large size fish. Although boat electrofishing also followed a similar pattern, the range of fish sizes vulnerable to capture was much broader, including a more uniform vulnerability of all size classes evaluated. Understanding the length selectivity to capture has key implications for effective determination of fisheries regulations, as well as interpreting monitoring data. Thus, we see this modelling approach as a good option when more informative data are not available to support the estimation process.
Postfire deciduous canopies drive patterns in snowshoe hare herbivory of regenerating black spruce
Authors: Olnes Justin , Kielland Knut , Genet Hélène , Ruess Roger
Published: July 2019

The future of boreal forests in Alaska, United States, will likely consist of more deciduous-dominant stands because larger and more severe fires facilitate the establishment of deciduous species such as trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) and Alaska birch (Betula neoalaskana Sarg.). Whether stands transition to a deciduous-dominant system or mixed-wood forest or return to being dominated by black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) Britton, Sterns & Poggenb.) depends on the capacity of regenerating black spruce to grow and produce seed before the next fire. We hypothesized that winter herbivory by snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus Erxleben, 1777) can suppress black spruce under deciduous canopies. We addressed this question by measuring changes in spruce height and herbivory across 54 plots in Interior Alaska that burned 8–88 years ago and related these data to plot-level data collected by the Bonanza Creek Long-Term Ecological Research program. Spruce were more likely browsed at deciduous-dominant sites with dense canopies, and this browsing likely reduced their height growth. Although we found more subtle effects of browsing on height at the individual level, browsing was an important variable in a confirmatory path analysis at the plot level. These observations affirm our broader hypothesis of the selectivity of hare browsing, in that snowshoe hares prefer to browse spruce that are taller and faster growing, effectively “leveling” regenerating seedlings and saplings so that browsed and unbrowsed individuals within a site are the same height.
Gravitational lensing, precession of periapsis and time delay due to wormhole in quintessence polytropic spacetime
Authors: Manna Tuhina , Rahaman Farook , Molla Sabiruddin , Ali Amna
Published: July 2019

The classical tests of General Relativity, namely, precession of periapsis, deflection of light and time delay serve to establish observational evidence for the theory of general relativity, so they are considered for several spherically symmetric astrophysical objects. In this paper, we investigate a stationary, spherically symmetric wormhole supported by a quintessence polytropic energy satisfying a polytropic equation of state: [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text] is the polytropic index and [Formula: see text] is a positive constant such that [Formula: see text]. The solution of such an equation admits the negative null energy, which is the key ingredient for sustaining traversable wormholes. Motivated by the above-mentioned classical tests, we perform similar studies to explore the range of polytropic index [Formula: see text] which gives us promising results. The advance of periapsis with respect to a test particle and angle of deflection is calculated graphically for those values of [Formula: see text] which cannot be obtained analytically. The time delay has also been calculated numerically and tabulated.
The “Planckonions”
Authors: Azam Mofazzal , Rahaman Farook , Sami M. , Bhatt Jitesh R.
Published: July 2019

We consider a spherically symmetric stellar configuration with a density profile [Formula: see text]. This configuration satisfies the Schwarzchild black hole condition [Formula: see text] for every [Formula: see text]. We refer to it as “Planckonion”. The interesting thing about the Planckonion is that it has an onion-like structure. The central sphere with radius of the Planck-length [Formula: see text] has one unit of the Planck-mass [Formula: see text]. Subsequent spherical shells of radial width [Formula: see text] contain exactly one unit of [Formula: see text]. We study this stellar configuration using Tolman–Oppenheimer–Volkoff equation and show that the equation is satisfied if pressure [Formula: see text]. On the geometrical side, the space component of the metric blows up at every point. The time component of the metric is zero inside the star but only in the sense of a distribution (generalized function). The Planckonions mimic some features of black holes but avoid appearance of central singularity because of the violation of null energy conditions.
Atomic stability and the quantum mass equivalence
Authors: Sancho Pedro
Published: July 2019

We consider an unexplored aspect of the mass equivalence principle in the quantum realm, its connection with atomic stability. We show that if the gravitational mass were different from the inertial one, a Hydrogen atom placed in a constant gravitational field would become unstable in the long term. In contrast, independently of the relation between the two masses, the atom does not become ionized in a uniformly accelerated frame. This work, in the line of previous analyses studying the properties of quantum systems in gravitational fields, contributes to the extension of that program to internal variables.
IntermetallicMPt3(M= Ti, Zr, Hf): Elastic, electronic, optical and thermal properties
Authors: Mitro S. K. , Rahman M. A. , Parvin F. , Islam A. K. M. A.
Published: July 2019

In this study, the structural and unexplored elastic, electronic, optical and thermal properties of Pt-based alloys MPt3(M = Ti, Hf) and only optical and thermal properties of ZrPt3are subjected to investigation using the method of the first principles. The results of pressure dependence of mechanical and thermal properties are discussed. The electronic band structures and density of state data show metallic conductivity for all the compounds. The main contribution at Fermi level comes from Ti 3d and Zr 4d (for TiPt3and ZrPt[Formula: see text] and Pt 5d (for HfPt[Formula: see text] orbitals.

The materials’ optical reflectivity values, relatively high in the IR-visible-UV regions, range from [Formula: see text]62% to 72% in the visible region which show better performance values in comparison to those of some representative materials PtAl2, AuAl2and GdX3(X = In, Sn, Tl, Pb). The unexplored thermal behaviors are also investigated via quasi-harmonic Debye model at T = 0 and P = 0 as well as at elevated temperatures and pressures. In addition, when used as bonding materials, studied intermetallics with moderately high thermal expansion coefficients can match other substrates.

This coupled with the estimated thermal conductivities (k[Formula: see text]) compared to several other species indicate that the intermetallics can be used in applications, such as thermal barrier coatings (TBC). This study has thus indicated possible alternative candidates for high-temperature applications which would initiate further research and development on the intermetallics under study.
Zernike moments-based fingerprint recognition using weighted-support vector machine
Authors: Kaur Harinder , Pannu Husanbir Singh
Published: July 2019

Moments play an important role in image analysis and invariant pattern recognition. There are two types: orthogonal moments and non-orthogonal moments. Orthogonal moments perform better than non-orthogonal moments, they have properties such as robustness to image noise and geometrical invariant properties such as scale, rotation and translation. In this paper, an improvement in fingerprint recognition is done by using the Non-subsampled contourlet transform (NSCT) and the Zernike moments (ZMs). NSCT decomposes the fingerprint images into NSCT subbands. Thereafter, ZMs are used to evaluate the features of fingerprint images. Thereafter, feature selection technique is applied to select potential features from the obtained features using coefficient of determination. Thereafter, a well-known weighted-support vector machine is also used to train and test the evaluated features. Extensive experiments reveal that the proposed technique achieves significant improvement over the existing techniques in terms of accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, [Formula: see text]-measure, kappa statistics and execution time.
High-Q terahertz Fano-like resonance effect based on robust metamaterial resonator
Authors: Tang Chao , Niu Qingshan , He Yuanhao , Zhu Huaxin , Wang Ben-Xin , Zhang Xiangyang
Published: July 2019

It is well known that Fano effect usually requires the introduction of asymmetric (or breaking) in their structure designs. The smaller the degree of breaking, the more obvious the Fano effect. However, the small degree of breaking demands extremely precise manufacturing capabilities and levels. This paper proposes a novel robust metallic array structure that can achieve a Fano-like effect with a high [Formula: see text]-factor as 73, consisting of a square patch and a closed-ring resonator. This distinct Fano-like resonance originates from the interactions of quadrupole resonance mode and dipole resonance mode. Moreover, the effect of the size and conductivity of the square patch on the Fano effect are discussed, and the sensing performance of this structure is also discussed. These results will pave the way for designing practical sensors and optical switches in the terahertz frequency range.
Electron acceleration of a surface wave propagating in wiggler-assisted plasma
Authors: Abedi-Varaki Mehdi
Published: July 2019

In this paper, we study the electron acceleration by a surface plasma wave (SPW) propagating through two parallel metal sheets in the presence of wiggler magnetic field strength. The configuration of interest consists of a helical magnetostatic wiggler, an external magnetic field and two parallel metal half-spaces. Dispersion relation of SPW in the attendance of helical magnetostatic wiggler is recognized and observed as compared with that of without wiggler field. A numerical calculation in Matlab software was developed by employing the fourth-order Runge–Kutta method for studying the electron energy and electron trajectory in SPW. Numerical results depict that with increasing of [Formula: see text]-parameter [Formula: see text] is the ratio of wiggler frequency to plasma frequency), minimum modes of SPW have an increasing trend and with increase of the wiggler frequency, the normalized frequencies decreased and a gap appeared between them. Furthermore, it is seen that with increase of the [Formula: see text]-parameter, the value of the kinetic energy as compared with the absence of the wiggler magnetic field increased. In fact, the electron energy gained is higher in the presence of a helical magnetostatic wiggler as compared with the absence of wiggler field. In addition, it is observed that due to effects of the wiggler field and SPW field, the electron traverses more distance in the propagation direction of the laser pulse.
Three-dimensional few-cycle optical pulses of Gaussian and super-Gaussian cross-section inside the Bragg medium based on carbon nanotubes with dissipation
Authors: Dvuzhilova Y. V. , Dvuzhilov I. S. , Ten A. V. , Boroznina E. V. , Belonenko M. B.
Published: July 2019

We have considered the problem of dynamic propagation of the three-dimensional few-cycle optical pulses of Gaussian and super-Gaussian cross-section inside the Bragg medium with carbon nanotubes. The system has dissipation and additional energy “pumping”. We have shown that the pulse propagation is stable inside the considered environment. The special aspect of the pulse evolution of different cross-sections has been determined.
The origin of Galactic cosmic rays: Challenges to the standard paradigm
Authors: Gabici Stefano , Evoli Carmelo , Gaggero Daniele , Lipari Paolo , Mertsch Philipp , Orlando Elena , Strong Andrew , Vittino Andrea
Published: July 2019

A critical review of the standard paradigm for the origin of Galactic cosmic rays (CRs) is presented. Recent measurements of local and far-away CRs reveal unexpected behaviors, which challenge the commonly accepted scenario. These recent findings are discussed, together with long-standing open issues. Despite the progress made thanks to ever-improving observational techniques and theoretical investigations, at present our understanding of the origin and of the behavior of CRs remains incomplete. We believe it is still unclear whether a modification of the standard paradigm, or rather a radical change of the paradigm itself is needed in order to interpret all the available data on CRs within a self-consistent scenario.
Constant-roll inflation driven by a scalar field with nonminimal derivative coupling
Authors: Oliveros A. , Noriega Hernán E.
Published: July 2019

In this work, we study constant-roll inflation driven by a scalar field with nonminimal derivative coupling to gravity, via the Einstein tensor. This model contains a free parameter, [Formula: see text], which quantifies the nonminimal derivative coupling and a parameter [Formula: see text] which characterizes the constant-roll condition. In this scenario, using the Hamilton–Jacobi-like formalism, an ansatz for the Hubble parameter (as a function of the scalar field) and some restrictions on the model parameters, we found new exact solutions for the inflaton potential which include power-law, de Sitter, quadratic hilltop and natural inflation, among others. Additionally, a phase-space analysis was performed and it is shown that the exact solutions associated to natural inflation and a “cosh-type” potential, are attractors.
Data structure in the HIJING 2.0 Monte Carlo program
Authors: Xu Rong
Published: July 2019

The Heavy-Ion Jet Interaction Generator (HIJING) Monte Carlo model was developed to simulate hadron production in proton–proton, proton–nucleus and nucleus–nucleus collisions. It has been updated recently with the latest parton distributions functions (PDFs) and new set of the parameters in the two-component mini-jet model that controls total [Formula: see text] cross-section and the central pseudorapidity density. We will discuss these new elements in the HIJING 2.0 model, derive the two-component model from the eikonal formalism of hadron–hadron collisions and review the hadron spectra and multiplicity distributions as compared to recent experimental data at the LHC energies. We will review in particular the data structure of the Monte Carlo program and discuss future improvements.
Cost Allocation in Common Facilities Sharing
Authors: Briata Federica , Fragnelli Vito
Published: July 2019

Briata, F. and Fragnelli, V. [2017] Free-riding in common facility sharing, in Transaction on Computation Collective Intelligence XXVII, pp. 129–138. dealt with the inefficiency and the free-riding situations that may arise from sharing the maintenance cost of a facility among its potential users and from dividing the cost of a check to assess who the users are among the agents that asked for it.They introduced two mechanisms for reducing the free-riding behaviors and considered the possibility that the check provides also information on the level at which the facility is used by each agent.

In this paper, we improve the profitability of the check, introducing a TU-cost game for determining the quota of the total cost assigned to each agent in order to satisfy as many agents as possible. Two solutions are proposed and analyzed and the balancedness of the TU-cost game is studied and characterized.
Monotone Iterative Technique for a Class of Four Point BVPs with Reversed Ordered Upper and Lower Solutions
Authors: Verma Amit K. , Urus Nazia , Singh Mandeed
Published: July 2019

Consider the class of four point nonlinear BVPs [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text] where [Formula: see text] is continuous, [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] such that [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]. In this paper, we demonstrate an iterative technique. The iterative scheme is deduced by using quasilinearization. Then we consider upper-lower solutions in well ordered and reverse ordered cases and prove existence of solutions under some sufficient conditions. We show that under certain conditions, generated sequences are monotone, uniformly convergent and converges to the solution of the above problem. We also provide examples which validate that all the conditions derived in this paper, are realistic and can be satisfied. We have also plotted upper and lower solutions for the test examples and have shown that under the conditions, the derived upper and lower solutions are monotonic in nature.
Hydrothermal Synthesis of SnO2Nanorod as Anode Materials for Lithium-Ion Battery
Authors: Zhang Wei , Feng Lili , Chen Haiyun , Zhang Yinyin
Published: July 2019

In this study, SnO2nanorods are successfully prepared by simple template-free hydrothermal method without surfactant. SnO intermediate with lamellar morphology is first formatted by hydrothermal method and SnO2nanorods are obtained after calcinations. The results of XRD characterization show that lamellar structured SnO intermediate has preferred orientation in 0 0 1 direction. According to supposed mechanism during formation process of SnO2 nanorods, tiny crystal nucleus of Sn(OH)2and a bit of SnCO3are generated from SnCl2and urea. Then the crystal nucleus gather together to form a nanorod. With continued reaction, nanorods gather together to form sheets and the sheets grow up to lamellar morphology and the intermediate decomposes into SnO because of the hydrothermal process. The SnO intermediate convert to SnO2with sheets breaking to nanorods after calcination. The results of galvanostatic cell cycling show that SnO2particle has high specific discharge capacity capacity. This experiment of SnO2nanorod preparation provides us an effective way of easy processing, low cost, and more environmentally synthesis strategy to synthesize SnO2nanorods.
The pointed intrinsic flat distance between locally integral current spaces
Authors: Takeuchi Shu
Published: July 2019

In this note, we define a distance between two pointed locally integral current spaces. We prove that a sequence of pointed locally integral current spaces converges with respect to this distance if and only if it converges in the sense of Lang–Wenger. This enables us to state the compactness theorem by Lang–Wenger for pointed locally integral current spaces in terms of a distance function.
Enhanced photodegradation activity of electrospun porous TiO2 fibers
Authors: Zhao Peng , Huo Peipei , Han Xinxu , Liu Bo
Published: July 2019

Mesoporous titanium dioxide (TiO2) hollow nanofibers (HNFs) were successfully prepared by a facile electrospinning and calcination method. Techniques such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were utilized to characterize TiO2 fibers. It was revealed that TiO2 crystals with an appropriate anatase fraction (71.58%) were grown and a tubular mesoporous structure was formed with a high specific surface area. Photodecomposition of methyl orange (MO) solution showed that TiO2 HNFs exhibited much higher photocatalytic activity than corresponding TiO2 nanofibers (NFs) and loose-structured nanofibers (LNFs). The significant enhancement of photocatalytic activity was attributed to both the sufficient growth of active anatase phase primarily and a tubular mesoporous nature of TiO2 HNFs.
Electrical transport properties of focused ion beam lithography Au contacts on PbTiO3 nanorods
Authors: Wang Jian , Chen Bin , Deng Heming , Zhang Xiaojun , Li Xiaoguang , Cao Yuancheng , Hu Yongming
Published: July 2019

PbTiO3 nanorods with tetragonal phase were synthesized by hydrothermal method and heat treatment, and temperature-dependent electrical transport properties of individual PbTiO3 nanorod were investigated. The results show that the conductivities of PbTiO3 nanorods are gradually enhanced with temperature increasing from 77.4 to 295[Formula: see text]K, and exhibit the typical nonlinear I–V characteristics. The barrier height between Au electrode and nanorod is reduced from 0.137 to 0.088[Formula: see text]eV with increasing bias from 0.2 to 1[Formula: see text]V. The corresponding values of thermal activation energies are 0.172 and 0.06[Formula: see text]eV below the conduction band for 180–295 and 77.4–180[Formula: see text]K, respectively. This semiconductor-like behavior may result from the larger number of surface defects or localized states in the amorphorized PbTiO3.
Multiple Function Approximation — A New Approach Using Asymmetric Complex Fuzzy Inference System
Authors: Tu Chia-Hao , Li Chunshien
Published: July 2019

This paper proposes an asymmetric complex fuzzy inference system (ACFIS) that improves a conventional fuzzy inference system (FIS) in two ways. First, the proposed model uses the novel neural-net-like aim–object parts, making the model flexible, in terms of model size of parameters and terse asymmetric structure. Second, the enhanced complex fuzzy sets (ECFSs) are used to expand membership degree from a single real-valued state to complex-valued vector state. Hence, the ACFIS can have the ability to predict multiple targets simultaneously. In addition, a hybrid learning algorithm, combining the particle swarm optimization (PSO) and the recursive least-square estimator (RLSE), is utilized to optimize the proposed model. To test the proposed approach, we did experimentation on four-function approximation using one single model only with 10 repeated trails. Based on the experimental results, the ACFIS has shown excellent performance.
Religion and Adolescent Outcomes: How and Under What Conditions Religion Matters
Authors: Pearce Lisa D. , Uecker Jeremy E. , Denton Melinda Lundquist
Published: July 2019

This review discusses the state of theory and research on how and under what conditions religion shapes various adolescent outcomes such as health, education, sexual behavior, and substance use. We focus on the latest theoretical advancements with respect to the avenues through which religious practice and belief might play positive or negative roles in the lives of adolescents. We also summarize an emerging literature on the conditions under which religion has stronger or weaker relationships with certain outcomes. In the end, we call on sociologists to extend the study of religion and adolescents through greater attention to the religious and sociocultural contexts in which religiousness is experienced (e.g., religious tradition or congregation, gender, race/ethnicity, sexuality, and social class).
Disruptions to the limb muscle core molecular clock coincide with changes in mitochondrial quality control following androgen depletion
Authors: Rossetti Michael L. , Esser Karyn A. , Lee Choogon , Tomko Robert J. , Eroshkin Alexey M. , Gordon Bradley S.
Published: July 2019

Androgen depletion in humans leads to significant atrophy of the limb muscles. However, the pathways by which androgens regulate limb muscle mass are unclear. Our laboratory previously showed that mitochondrial degradation was related to the induction of autophagy and the degree of muscle atrophy following androgen depletion, implying that decreased mitochondrial quality contributes to muscle atrophy. To increase our understanding of androgen-sensitive pathways regulating decreased mitochondrial quality, total RNA from the tibialis anterior of sham and castrated mice was subjected to microarray analysis. Using this unbiased approach, we identified significant changes in the expression of genes that compose the core molecular clock. To assess the extent to which androgen depletion altered the limb muscle clock, the tibialis anterior muscles from sham and castrated mice were harvested every 4 h throughout a diurnal cycle. The circadian expression patterns of various core clock genes and known clock-controlled genes were disrupted by castration, with most genes exhibiting an overall reduction in phase amplitude. Given that the core clock regulates mitochondrial quality, disruption of the clock coincided with changes in the expression of genes involved with mitochondrial quality control, suggesting a novel mechanism by which androgens may regulate mitochondrial quality. These events coincided with an overall increase in mitochondrial degradation in the muscle of castrated mice and an increase in markers of global autophagy-mediated protein breakdown. In all, these data are consistent with a novel conceptual model linking androgen depletion-induced limb muscle atrophy to reduced mitochondrial quality control via disruption of the molecular clock.
Sexual dimorphism in hypothalamic inflammation in the offspring of dams exposed to a diet rich in high fat and branched-chain amino acids
Authors: Sadagurski Marianna , Debarba Lucas Kniess , Werneck-de-Castro Joao Pedro , Ali Awada Abear , Baker Tess A. , Bernal-Mizrachi Ernesto
Published: July 2019

Branched-chain amino acid (BCAAs: leucine, isoleucine, and valine) contribute to the development of obesity-associated insulin resistance in the context of consumption of a high-fat diet (HFD) in humans and rodents. Maternal diet is a major determinant of offspring health, and there is strong evidence that maternal HFD alters hypothalamic developmental programming and disrupts offspring energy homeostasis in rodents. In this study, we exposed pregnant and lactating C57BL/6JB female mice to either HFD, HFD with supplemented BCAA (HFD+BCAA), or standard diet (SC), and we studied offspring metabolic phenotypes. Both maternal HFD and HFD supplemented with BCAA had similar effect rendering the offspring metabolic imbalance and impairing their ability to cope with HFD when challenged during aging. The metabolic effects of HFD challenge were more profound in females, worsening female offspring ability to cope with an HFD challenge by activating hypothalamic inflammation in aging. Moreover, the sex differences in hypothalamic estrogen receptor α (ER-α) expression levels were lost in female offspring upon HFD challenge, supporting a link between ER-α levels and hypothalamic inflammation in offspring and highlighting the programming potential of hypothalamic inflammatory responses and maternal nutrition.