bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Occurrence and Nature of Double Alleles in Variable-Number Tandem-Repeat Patterns of More than 8,000 Mycobacterium tuberculosis Complex Isolates in The Netherlands
Authors: Jajou Rana , Kamst Miranda , van Hunen Rianne , de Zwaan Carolina Catherina , Mulder Arnout , Supply Philip , Anthony Richard , van der Hoek Wim , van Soolingen Dick
Published: November 2017

Since 2004, variable-number tandem-repeat (VNTR) typing of
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
complex isolates has been applied on a structural basis in The Netherlands to study the epidemiology of tuberculosis (TB). Although this technique is faster and technically less demanding than the previously used restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) typing, reproducibility remains a concern. In the period from 2004 to 2015, 8,532 isolates were subjected to VNTR typing in The Netherlands, with 186 (2.2%) of these exhibiting double alleles at one locus. Double alleles were most common in loci 4052 and 2163b. The variables significantly associated with double alleles were urban living (odds ratio [OR], 1.503; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.084 to 2.084;
P
= 0.014) and pulmonary TB (OR, 1.703; 95% CI, 1.216 to 2.386;
P
= 0.002). Single-colony cultures of double-allele strains were produced and revealed single-allele profiles; a maximum of five single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) was observed between the single- and double-allele isolates from the same patient when whole-genome sequencing (WGS) was applied. This indicates the presence of two bacterial populations with slightly different VNTR profiles in the parental population, related to genetic drift. This observation is confirmed by the fact that secondary cases from TB source cases with double-allele isolates sometimes display only one of the two alleles present in the source case. Double alleles occur at a frequency of 2.2% in VNTR patterns in The Netherlands. They are caused by biological variation rather than by technical aberrations and can be transmitted either as single- or double-allele variants.
Autographa californica Nucleopolyhedrovirus AC141 (Exon0), a Potential E3 Ubiquitin Ligase, Interacts with Viral Ubiquitin and AC66 To Facilitate Nucleocapsid Egress
Authors: Biswas Siddhartha , Willis Leslie G. , Fang Minggang , Nie Yingchao , Theilmann David A.
Published: November 2017

During the infection cycle of Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV), two forms of virions are produced, budded virus (BV) and occlusion-derived virus (ODV). Nucleocapsids that form BV have to egress from the nucleus, whereas nucleocapsids that form ODV remain inside the nucleus. The molecular mechanism that determines whether nucleocapsids remain inside or egress from the nucleus is unknown. AC141 (a predicted E3 ubiquitin ligase) and viral ubiquitin (vUbi) have both been shown to be required for efficient BV production. In this study, it was hypothesized that vUbi interacts with AC141, and in addition, that this interaction was required for BV production. Deletion of both
ac141
and
vubi
restricted viral infection to a single cell, and BV production was completely eliminated. AC141 was ubiquitinated by either vUbi or cellular Ubi, and this interaction was required for optimal BV production. Nucleocapsids in BV, but not ODV, were shown to be specifically ubiquitinated by vUbi, including a 100-kDa protein, as well as high-molecular-weight conjugates. The viral ubiquitinated 100-kDa BV-specific nucleocapsid protein was identified as AC66, which is known to be required for BV production and was shown by coimmunoprecipitation and mass spectrometry to interact with AC141. Confocal microscopy also showed that AC141, AC66, and vUbi interact at the nuclear periphery. These results suggest that ubiquitination of nucleocapsid proteins by vUbi functions as a signal to determine if a nucleocapsid will egress from the nucleus and form BV or remain in the nucleus to form ODV.

IMPORTANCE
Baculoviruses produce two types of virions called occlusion-derived virus (ODV) and budded virus (BV). ODVs are required for oral infection, whereas BV enables the systemic spread of virus to all host tissues, which is critical for killing insects. One of the important steps for BV production is the export of nucleocapsids out of the nucleus. This study investigated the molecular mechanisms that enable the selection of nucleocapsids for nuclear export instead of being retained within the nucleus, where they would become ODV. Our data show that ubiquitination, a universal cellular process, specifically tags nucleocapsids of BV, but not those found in ODV, using a virus-encoded ubiquitin (vUbi). Therefore, ubiquitination may be the molecular signal that determines if a nucleocapsid is destined to form a BV, thus ensuring lethal infection of the host.
Refactoring the Genetic Code for Increased Evolvability
Authors: Pines Gur , Winkler James D. , Pines Assaf , Gill Ryan T.
Published: November 2017

The standard genetic code is robust to mutations during transcription and translation. Point mutations are likely to be synonymous or to preserve the chemical properties of the original amino acid. Saturation mutagenesis experiments suggest that in some cases the best-performing mutant requires replacement of more than a single nucleotide within a codon. These replacements are essentially inaccessible to common error-based laboratory engineering techniques that alter a single nucleotide per mutation event, due to the extreme rarity of adjacent mutations. In this theoretical study, we suggest a radical reordering of the genetic code that maximizes the mutagenic potential of single nucleotide replacements. We explore several possible genetic codes that allow a greater degree of accessibility to the mutational landscape and may result in a hyperevolvable organism that could serve as an ideal platform for directed evolution experiments. We then conclude by evaluating the challenges of constructing such recoded organisms and their potential applications within the field of synthetic biology.

IMPORTANCE
The conservative nature of the genetic code prevents bioengineers from efficiently accessing the full mutational landscape of a gene via common error-prone methods. Here, we present two computational approaches to generate alternative genetic codes with increased accessibility. These new codes allow mutational transitions to a larger pool of amino acids and with a greater extent of chemical differences, based on a single nucleotide replacement within the codon, thus increasing evolvability both at the single-gene and at the genome levels. Given the widespread use of these techniques for strain and protein improvement, along with more fundamental evolutionary biology questions, the use of recoded organisms that maximize evolvability should significantly improve the efficiency of directed evolution, library generation, and fitness maximization.
A Synthetic Community System for Probing Microbial Interactions Driven by Exometabolites
Authors: Chodkowski John L. , Shade Ashley
Published: November 2017

Understanding microbial interactions is a fundamental objective in microbiology and ecology. The synthetic community system described here can set into motion a range of research to investigate how the diversity of a microbiome and interactions among its members impact its function, where function can be measured as exometabolites. The system allows for community exometabolite profiling to be coupled with genome mining, transcript analysis, and measurements of member productivity and population size. It can also facilitate discovery of natural products that are only produced within microbial consortia. Thus, this synthetic community system has utility to address fundamental questions about a diversity of possible microbial interactions that occur in both natural and engineered ecosystems.
Non-acid gastro-oesophageal reflux is associated with squamous cell carcinoma of the oesophagus
Authors: Kgomo Mpho , Mokoena Taole R , Ker James A
Published: November 2017

Introduction

Squamous cell carcinoma of the oesophagus is a common cancer among South Africans. Due to the absence of effective screening and surveillance programme for early detection and late presentation, squamous cell carcinoma of the oesophagus is usually diagnosed at an advanced stage or when metastasis has already occurred. The 5-year survival is often quoted at 5%–10%, which is poor.

Objectives

To determine the association between oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and non-acid gastro-oesophageal reflux disease.

Methods

Study design

A cross-sectional case–control analytical study of patients referred to the Gastroenterology Division of Steve Biko Academic Hospital in Pretoria, South Africa. All patients had combined multichannel impedance and pH studies done and interpreted after upper gastroscopy using the American College of Gastroenterology guidelines by two clinicians.

Results

Thirty-two patients with OSCC were recruited: non-acid reflux was found in 23 patients (73%), acid reflux in 2 patients (6%) and 7 patients (22%) had normal multichannel impedance and pH studies.

Forty-nine patients matched by age, gender and race were recruited as a control group. Non-acid reflux was found in 11 patients (22%), acid reflux in 31 patients (63%) and 7 patients (14%) had normal multichannel impedance and pH monitoring study.

Conclusion

The significance of the association between non-acid reflux and OSCC was tested using χ2, and simple logistic regression was used to adjust for the effects of potential confounders.

The OR of developing OSCC in patients with non-acid gastro-oesophageal reflux was 8.8 (95% CI 3.2 to 24.5, P<0.0001) in this South African group.

Alcohol and smoking had no effect on these results.
20 years of gender mainstreaming in health: lessons and reflections for the neglected tropical diseases community
Authors: Theobald Sally , MacPherson Eleanor E , Dean Laura , Jacobson Julie , Ducker Camilla , Gyapong Margaret , Hawkins Kate , Elphick-Pooley Thoko , Mackenzie Charles , Kelly-Hope Louise A , Fleming Fiona M , Mbabazi Pamela S
Published: November 2017

Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) affect the poorest of the poor. NTD programmes can and should rise to the challenge of playing a part in promoting more gender equitable societies. Gender equity shapes poverty and the experience of disease in multiple ways; yet to date, there has been little attention paid to gender equity in NTD control efforts. Drawing on a synthesis of relevant literature, the tacit knowledge and experience of the authors, and discussions at a meeting on women, girls and NTDs, this analysis paper distills five key lessons from over 20 years of gender mainstreaming in health. The paper links this learning to NTDs and Mass Drug Administration (MDA). Our first lesson is that tailored gender frameworks support gender analysis within research and programming. We present a gender review framework focusing on different MDA strategies. Second, gender interplays with other axes of inequality, such as disability and geographical location; hence, intersectionality is important for inclusive and responsive NTD programmes. Third, gender, power and positionality shape who is chosen as community drug distributors (CDDs). How CDDs interact with communities and how this interface role is valued and practised needs to be better understood. Fourth, we need to unpack the gender and power dynamics at household level to assess how this impacts MDA coverage and interactions with CDDs. Finally, we need to collect and use sex disaggregated data to support the development of more equitable and sustainable NTD programmes.
Prevalence of non-communicable disease risk factors among poor shantytown residents in Dhaka, Bangladesh: a community-based cross-sectional survey
Authors: Khalequzzaman Md , Chiang Chifa , Choudhury Sohel Reza , Yatsuya Hiroshi , Al-Mamun Mohammad Abdullah , Al-Shoaibi Abubakr Ahmed Abdullah , Hirakawa Yoshihisa , Hoque Bilqis Amin , Islam Syed Shariful , Matsuyama Akiko , Iso Hiroyasu , Aoyama Atsuko
Published: November 2017

Objectives

This study aims to describe the prevalence of non-communicable disease (NCD) risk factors among the urban poor in Bangladesh.

Design

We conducted a community-based cross-sectional epidemiological study.

Setting

The study was conducted in a shantytown in the city of Dhaka. There were 8604 households with 34 170 residents in the community. Those households were categorised into two wealth strata based on the housing structure.

Participants

The study targeted residents aged 18–64 years. A total of 2986 eligible households with one eligible individual were selected by simple random sampling stratified by household wealth status. A total of 2551 residents completed the questionnaire survey, and 2009 participated in the subsequent physical and biochemical measurements.

Outcome measures

A modified WHO survey instrument was used for assessing behavioural risk factors and physical and biochemical measurements, including glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c). The prevalence of NCD risk factors, such as tobacco use, fruit and vegetable intake, overweight/obesity, hypertension, diabetes (HbA1c ≥6.5%) and dyslipidaemia, was described according to household wealth status and gender differences.

Results

The prevalence of current tobacco use was 60.4% in men and 23.5% in women. Most of them (90.8%) consumed more than 1 serving of fruits and vegetables per day; however, only 2.1% consumed more than 5 servings. Overweight/obesity was more common in women (39.2%) than in men (18.9%), while underweight was more common in men (21.0%) than in women (7.1%). The prevalence of hypertension was 18.6% in men and 20.7% in women. The prevalence of diabetes was 15.6% in men and 22.5% in women, which was much higher than the estimated national prevalence (7%). The prevalence of raised total cholesterol (≥190 mg/dL) was 25.7% in men and 34.0% in women.

Conclusion

The study identified that tobacco use, both overweight and underweight, diabetes, hypertension and dyslipidaemia were prevalent among the urban poor in Bangladesh.
Current status of postnatal depression smartphone applications available on application stores: an information quality analysis
Authors: Zhang Melvyn WB , Ho Roger CM , Loh Alvona , Wing Tracey , Wynne Olivia , Chan Sally Wai Chi , Car Josip , Fung Daniel Shuen Sheng
Published: November 2017

Objectives

It is the aim of the current research to identify some common functionalities of postnatal application, and to determine the quality of the information content of postnatal depression application using validated scales that have been applied for applications in other specialties.

Settings and participants

To determine the information quality of the postnatal depression smartphone applications, the two most widely used smartphone application stores, namely Apple iTunes as well as Google Android Play store, were searched between 20May and 31 May. No participants were involved. The inclusion criteria for the application were that it must have been searchable using the keywords ‘postnatal’, ‘pregnancy’, ‘perinatal’, ‘postpartum’ and ‘depression’, and must be in English language.

Intervention

The Silberg Scale was used in the assessment of the information quality of the smartphone applications.

Primary and secondary outcomes measure

The information quality score was the primary outcome measure.

Results

Our current results highlighted that while there is currently a myriad of applications, only 14 applications are specifically focused on postnatal depression. In addition, the majority of the currently available applications on the store have only disclosed their last date of modification as well as ownership. There remain very limited disclosures about the information of the authors, as well as the references for the information included in the application itself. The average score for the Silberg Scale for the postnatal applications we have analysed is 3.0.

Conclusions

There remains a need for healthcare professionals and developers to jointly conceptualise new applications with better information quality and evidence base.
Effect of iron and zinc-biofortified pearl millet consumption on growth and immune competence in children aged 12–18 months in India: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial
Authors: Mehta Saurabh , Finkelstein Julia L , Venkatramanan Sudha , Huey Samantha L , Udipi Shobha A , Ghugre Padmini , Ruth Caleb , Canfield Richard L , Kurpad Anura V , Potdar Ramesh D , Haas Jere D
Published: November 2017

Introduction

Biofortified crops represent a sustainable agricultural solution for the widespread micronutrient malnutrition in India and other resource-limited settings. This study aims to investigate the effect of the consumption of foods prepared with iron- and zinc-biofortified pearl millet (FeZn-PM) by children on biomarkers of iron and zinc status, growth, and immune function.

Methods and analysis

We will conduct a randomised controlled feeding trial in identified slums of Mumbai, India among 200 children aged between 12 and 18 months. Children will be randomised to receive foods prepared with the biofortified PM (FeZn-PM, ICTP8203-Fe) or non-biofortified PM. Anthropometric and morbidity data will be gathered every month for 9 months. Biological samples will be collected at baseline, midline and endline to assess iron and zinc status, including haemoglobin, serum ferritin, serum transferrin receptor, serum zinc, C-reactive protein and alpha-1 acid glycoprotein. Biological samples will be archived for future analyses. The midline measurement will be a random serial sample between baseline and endline. Immune function will be assessed at each time point by the measurement of T cell counts and vaccine responses in a subset, respectively.

Ethics and dissemination

This study has obtained clearance from the Health Ministry Screening Committee of the Indian Council of Medical Research. Ethical clearance has been obtained from Cornell University’s Institutional Review Board, the Inter System Biomedica Ethics Committee and St John’s Research Institute’s Institutional Ethics Review Board. The results of this study will be disseminated at several research conferences and as published articles in peer-reviewed journals.

Trial registration number

Clinical trial registration numberNCT02233764. CTRI registration number REF/2014/10/007731.
Adherent-invasive Escherichia coli in inflammatory bowel disease
Authors: Palmela Carolina , Chevarin Caroline , Xu Zhilu , Torres Joana , Sevrin Gwladys , Hirten Robert , Barnich Nicolas , Ng Siew C , Colombel Jean-Frederic
Published: November 2017

Intestinal microbiome dysbiosis has been consistently described in patients with IBD. In the last decades, Escherichia coli, and the adherent-invasive E coli (AIEC) pathotype in particular, has been implicated in the pathogenesis of IBD. Since the discovery of AIEC, two decades ago, progress has been made in unravelling these bacteria characteristics and its interaction with the gut immune system. The mechanisms of adhesion of AIEC to intestinal epithelial cells (via FimH and cell adhesion molecule 6) and its ability to escape autophagy when inside macrophages are reviewed here. We also explore the existing data on the prevalence of AIEC in patients with Crohn’s disease and UC, and the association between the presence of AIEC and disease location, activity and postoperative recurrence. Finally, we highlight potential therapeutic strategies targeting AIEC colonisation of gut mucosa, including the use of phage therapy, bacteriocins and antiadhesive molecules. These strategies may open new avenues for the prevention and treatment of IBD in the future.
Inflammatory natalizumab-associated PML: baseline characteristics, lesion evolution and relation with PML-IRIS
Authors: Wattjes Mike P , Wijburg Martijn T , van Eijk Jeroen , Frequin Stephan , Uitdehaag Bernard M J , Barkhof Frederik , Warnke Clemens , Killestein Joep
Published: November 2017

Background and objective

Natalizumab-associated progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (NTZ-PML) patients may show imaging signs suggestive of inflammation at diagnosis (‘inflammatory PML’), reminiscent of PML-immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (PML-IRIS). We investigated the imaging characteristics of inflammatory NTZ-PML lesions and PML-IRIS to determine differentiating and overlapping features.

Methods

We scored the presence, localisation and pattern of imaging characteristics of inflammation on brain MRI scans of inflammatory NTZ-PML patients. The imaging characteristics were followed up until the occurrence of PML-IRIS.

Results

Ten out of the 44 NTZ-PML patients included showed signs suggestive of inflammation at the time of diagnosis. The inflammation pattern at diagnosis was similar to the pattern seen at PML-IRIS, with contrast enhancement representing the most frequent sign of inflammation (90% at diagnosis, 100% at PML-IRIS). However, the severity of inflammation differed, with absence of swelling and low frequency of perilesional oedema (10%) at diagnosis, as compared with the PML-IRIS stage (40%).

Conclusion

Patterns of inflammation at the time of PML diagnosis and at the PML-IRIS stage overlap but differ in their severity of inflammation. This supports histopathological evidence that the inflammation seen at both stages of the same disease shares a similar underlying pathophysiology, representing the immune response to the JC virus to a variable extend.
Illness representations of systemic lupus erythematosus and systemic sclerosis: a comparison of patients, their rheumatologists and their general practitioners
Authors: Arat Seher , Lenaerts Jan L , De Langhe Ellen , Verschueren Patrick , Moons Philip , Vandenberghe Joris , Taelman Veerle , Westhovens Rene
Published: November 2017

Objective

Discrepancies in illness representations between patients and physicians result in treatment difficulties, decreased well-being of patients and misunderstandings and disrupted communication. Hence, the objective of this study was to compare illness perceptions of individual patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and systemic sclerosis (SSc), their rheumatologists and their general practitioners (GPs) and explore potential differences.

Methods

This study has a cross-sectional design. Patients with SLE and SSc, who were followed at the rheumatology department of the University Hospitals Leuven (Belgium), completed the revised Illness Perception Questionnaire which measures patients’ perceptions of their condition and captures nine dimensions. Physicians completed the Revised Illness Perception Questionnaire for Healthcare Professionals which consists of seven dimensions and measures perceptions of the healthcare professional regarding the disease of their patients. Intraclass correlation was performed to examine relationships between pairs of respondents; Cohen’s d was used for estimating the magnitude of the difference.

Results

Questionnaires were sent to 284 patients of whom 241 (113 SSc and 128 SLE patients) were included. Five rheumatologists and 160 GPs participated. For both diseases, positive correlations were found for ‘consequences’, ‘illness coherence’ and ‘emotional representations’ among patients, rheumatologists and GPs. GPs scored higher on the ‘consequences’ of these diseases for the patient (d=0.71 for SLE; d=0.80 for SSc). Differences between rheumatologists and GPs were small for SSc and moderate to large for ‘consequences’ (d=0.56) and ‘timeline acute/chronic’ (d=0.95) in SLE with higher scores for GPs.

Conclusions

For both diseases and among the three groups, significant correlations are detected for the dimensions ‘consequences’, ‘illness coherence’ and ‘emotional representations’. Differences between rheumatologists and GPs were mainly detected in the case of SLE patients. This can have implications for the collaboration between these two groups of physicians in daily clinical practice.

Clinical trial registration

NCT02655640; Pre-results.
Tree biomass allometry during the early growth of Norway spruce (Picea abies) varies between pure stands and mixtures with European beech (Fagus sylvatica)
Authors: Dutcă Ioan , Mather Richard , Ioraş Florin
Published: November 2017

In this paper, we report an investigation of how forest stand mixture may affect biomass allometric relationships in Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.). Analysis of aboveground biomass data was conducted for 50 trees: 25 sample trees from a pure Norway spruce stand and 25 from a mixed stand of Norway spruce with European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.). ANCOVA results demonstrated that individual-tree biomass allometry of the pure stand significantly differed from that of the mixed stand. Allometric characteristics depended on the biomass component recorded and the type of biomass predictor used. When predicted by diameter at breast height and (or) height, the total aboveground biomass of mixed-stand trees was significantly less than that for pure-stand trees. This “apparent” lower aboveground biomass was attributed to the lower branch and needle biomass proportions of trees growing in mixed stand. The findings indicate that caution should be exercised when applying biomass allometric models developed from pure stands to predict tree biomass in mixed stands (and vice versa), as such data treatment may introduce significant bias.
A multiplicative process for generating a beta-like survival function with application to the UK 2016 EU referendum results
Authors: Fenner Trevor , Kaufmann Eric , Levene Mark , Loizou George
Published: November 2017

Human dynamics and sociophysics suggest statistical models that may explain and provide us with better insight into social phenomena. Contextual and selection effects tend to produce extreme values in the tails of rank-ordered distributions of both census data and district-level election outcomes. Models that account for this nonlinearity generally outperform linear models. Fitting nonlinear functions based on rank-ordering census and election data therefore improves the fit of aggregate voting models. This may help improve ecological inference, as well as election forecasting in majoritarian systems. We propose a generative multiplicative decrease model that gives rise to a rank-order distribution and facilitates the analysis of the recent UK EU referendum results. We supply empirical evidence that the beta-like survival function, which can be generated directly from our model, is a close fit to the referendum results, and also may have predictive value when covariate data are available.
EDUCATION PREMIUM IN THE ONLINE PEER-TO-PEER LENDING MARKETPLACE: EVIDENCE FROM THE BIG DATA IN CHINA
Authors: CHEN JUANJUAN , ZHANG YABIN , YIN ZHUJIA
Published: November 2017

We study the education premiums in the online peer-to-peer (P2P) lending marketplace in which individuals bid on unsecured microloans applied by individual borrowers. Using more than 100,000 consummated and failed listings from the largest online P2P lending marketplace in China — Paipaidai.com, we examine whether higher education level lead to lower interest rates and lower risk of default. We find that controlling for other characteristics of borrowers, borrowing rates of borrowers with bachelor’s degrees is 0.141 percent higher than that of borrowers with associate’s degrees, and that female borrowers’ education premiums were higher than their male counterparts. With regard to loan performance, borrowers with bachelor’s degrees are 13% less likely to default than the borrowers with associate’s degrees. Therefore, the education premiums in the P2P lending marketplace are rational.
Experimental determination of the field shift factor and the mass shift coefficient for the 1S0–3P1 spin-forbidden transition at 791 nm in neutral barium
Authors: Yu Geng-Hua , Yan Hui , Zhong Jia-Qi , Liu Hong , Zhu Xiao-Ling , Yang Wei
Published: November 2017

The experimental measurements of the isotope shifts (ISs) for the 1S0–3P1 spin-forbidden transition at 791 nm in neutral barium have been carried out with a thermal barium atom beam. The hyperfine structure (HFS) constants a and b of the odd isotopes [Formula: see text]Ba and [Formula: see text]Ba for this transition have been extracted from the experimental results: a([Formula: see text]Ba) = 1149.9(1.0) MHz, b([Formula: see text]Ba)= −41.6(0.5) MHz, a([Formula: see text]Ba) = 1028.0(1.0) MHz, b([Formula: see text]Ba) = −27.5(0.5) MHz. The measured IS results with the reference isotope [Formula: see text]Ba are 183.7(1.0) MHz ([Formula: see text]Ba–[Formula: see text]Ba), 108.5(0.3) MHz ([Formula: see text]Ba–[Formula: see text]Ba) and 218.9(1.0) MHz ([Formula: see text]Ba–[Formula: see text]Ba). Our IS measurements are in good agreement with the previous experiments. The field shift (FS) factor [Formula: see text] and the mass shift (MS) coefficient [Formula: see text] for this spin-forbidden transition have be determined experimentally as −3.19(4) GHz ⋅ fm[Formula: see text] and −242(20) GHz ⋅ amu, respectively. The results provided herein could be used for further checks theoretically and experimentally, and could also contribute to the study on the nuclear structure of the barium isotopic nuclei.
Some global results for a class of homogeneous nonlocal eigenvalue problems
Authors: Dai Guowei
Published: November 2017

This paper studies the global bifurcation phenomenon for the following homogeneous nonlocal eigenvalue problem [Formula: see text] Under some natural hypotheses on [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], we show that [Formula: see text] is a bifurcation point of the nontrivial solution set of the above problem. As application of the above result, we determine the interval of [Formula: see text], in which there exist positive solutions for the following Kirchhoff type problem [Formula: see text] where [Formula: see text] is asymptotically 3-linear at zero and infinity. Our results provide a positive answer to an open problem. Moreover, we also study the spectral structure for a homogeneous nonlocal eigenvalue problem.
Entanglement classification in the noninteracting Fermi gas
Authors: Jafarizadeh M. A. , Eghbalifam F. , Nami S. , Yahyavi M.
Published: November 2017

In this paper, entanglement classification shared among the spins of localized fermions in the noninteracting Fermi gas is studied. It is proven that the Fermi gas density matrix is block diagonal on the basis of the projection operators to the irreducible representations of symmetric group [Formula: see text]. Every block of density matrix is in the form of the direct product of a matrix and identity matrix. Then it is useful to study entanglement in every block of density matrix separately. The basis of corresponding Hilbert space are identified from the Schur–Weyl duality theorem. Also, it can be shown that the symmetric part of the density matrix is fully separable. Then it has been shown that the entanglement measure which is introduced in Eltschka et al. [New J. Phys. 10, 043104 (2008)] and Guhne et al. [New J. Phys. 7, 229 (2005)], is zero for the even [Formula: see text] qubit Fermi gas density matrix. Then by focusing on three spin reduced density matrix, the entanglement classes have been investigated. In three qubit states there is an entanglement measure which is called 3-tangle. It can be shown that 3-tangle is zero for three qubit density matrix, but the density matrix is not biseparable for all possible values of its parameters and its eigenvectors are in the form of W-states. Then an entanglement witness for detecting non-separable state and an entanglement witness for detecting nonbiseparable states, have been introduced for three qubit density matrix by using convex optimization problem. Finally, the four spin reduced density matrix has been investigated by restricting the density matrix to the irreducible representations of [Formula: see text]. The restricted density matrix to the subspaces of the irreducible representations: [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] are denoted by [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], respectively. It has been shown that some highly entangled classes (by using the results of Miyake [Phys. Rev. A 67, 012108 (2003)] for entanglement classification) do not exist in the blocks of density matrix [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], so these classes do not exist in the total Fermi gas density matrix.
A Locking-Free Face-Based S-FEM via Averaging Nodal Pressure using 4-Nodes Tetrahedrons for 3D Explicit Dynamics and Quasi-statics
Authors: Jiang Chen , Han Xu , Zhang Zhi-Qian , Liu G. R. , Gao Guang-Jun
Published: November 2017

A locking-free face-based S-FEM, combined with the Averaging Nodal Pressure (ANP) technique, is proposed to solve explicit dynamics of geometric nonlinear nearly-incompressible solids, using simplest linear tetrahedral elements (FS-FEM/ANP-T4). An explicit Adaptive Dynamic Relaxation (ADR) technique is also implemented for the analysis of quasi-static problems. Our studies have found that the proposed method has better accuracy and convergence compared to the standard FEM with ANP (FEM/ANP) and previous selective face-based and Node-based S-FEM (FS/NS-FEM). With the ADR, proposed method can reach the nonlinear quasi-static response much faster than the conventional explicit dynamic relaxation. No temporal instability is observed in FS-FEM/ANP-T4 in large deformation case. In addition, FS-FEM/ANP-T4 also equips the robustness against mesh distortion as FS/NS-FEM but uses less computational time. It has also been applied to solve a practical 3D problem, a rubber hanger for the car exhaust system. FS-FEM/ANP-T4 can be considered as an excellent numerical method other than FS/NS-FEM for simulating rubber-like materials.
Recent Researches on Steam Generation Heat Pump System
Authors: Kang Dae Hoon , Na Sun-Ik , Kim Min Soo
Published: November 2017

This paper reviews the latest researches on steam generation heat pump (SGHP) to cover diverse technologies to enhance the performance depending on its applications. High temperature heat pump that can produce steam was reviewed first, and SGHP which recovers waste heat from low grade heat source (evaporator) was outlined. Conventional waste heat recovery from many industrial sites was reviewed, and SGHP to produce higher temperature steam by re-compression after heat sink (condenser) was discussed.
Prediction of the Heat Transfer Coefficient in a Small Channel with the Superposition and Asymptotic Correlations
Authors: Mohd-Yunos Yushazaziah , Mohd-Ghazali Normah , Mohamad Maziah , Pamitran Agus Sunjarianto , Oh Jong-Taek
Published: November 2017

Heat transfer coefficient as an important characteristic in heat exchanger design is determined by the correlation developed from previous experimental work or accumulation of published data. Although discrepancies still exist between the existing correlations and practical data, several researchers claimed theirs as a generalized heat transfer correlation. Through optimization method, this study predicts the heat transfer coefficient of two-phase flow of propane in a small channel at the saturation temperature of 10[Formula: see text]C using two categories of correlation — superposition and asymptotic. Both methods consist of the contribution of nucleate boiling and forced convective heat transfer, the mechanisms that contribute to the total two-phase heat transfer coefficient, which become as two objective functions to be maximized. The optimization of experimental parameters of heat flux, mass flux, channel diameter and vapor quality is done by using genetic algorithm within a range of 5–20[Formula: see text]kW/m2, 100–250[Formula: see text]kg/m2[Formula: see text]s, 1.5–3[Formula: see text]mm and 0.009–0.99, respectively. In the result, the selected correlations under optimized condition agreed on the dominant mechanism at low and high vapor qualities are caused by the nucleate boiling and forced convective heat transfer, respectively. The optimization work served as an alternative approach in identifying optimized parameters from different correlations to achieve high heat transfer coefficient by giving a fast prediction of parameter range, particularly for the investigation of any new refrigerant. In parallel with some experimental works, a quick prediction is possible to reduce time and cost. From the four selected generalized correlations, Bertsch et al. show the closer trend with the reference experimental work until vapor quality of 0.6.
Resource Auto-Scaling and Sparse Content Replication for Video Storage Systems
Authors: Niu Di , Xu Hong , Li Baochun
Published: November 2017

Many video-on-demand (VoD) providers are relying on public cloud providers for video storage, access, and streaming services. In this article, we investigate how a VoD provider may make optimal bandwidth reservations from a cloud service provider to guarantee the streaming performance while paying for the bandwidth, storage, and transfer costs. We propose a predictive resource auto-scaling system that dynamically books the minimum amount of bandwidth resources from multiple servers in a cloud storage system to allow the VoD provider to match its short-term demand projections. We exploit the anti-correlation between the demands of different videos for statistical multiplexing to hedge the risk of under-provisioning. The optimal load direction from video channels to cloud servers without replication constraints is derived with provable performance. We further study the joint load direction and sparse content placement problem that aims to reduce bandwidth reservation cost under sparse content replication requirements. We propose several algorithms, and especially an iterative L
1
-norm penalized optimization procedure, to efficiently solve the problem while effectively limiting the video migration overhead. The proposed system is backed up by a demand predictor that forecasts the expectation, volatility, and correlation of the streaming traffic associated with different videos based on statistical learning. Extensive simulations are conducted to evaluate our proposed algorithms, driven by the real-world workload traces collected from a commercial VoD system.
On Ordering Multi-Robot Task Executions within a Cyber Physical System
Authors: Semwal Tushar , Jha Shashi Shekhar , Nair Shivashankar B.
Published: November 2017

With robots entering the world of Cyber Physical Systems (CPS), ordering the execution of allocated tasks during runtime becomes crucial. This is so because, in the real world, there can be several physical tasks that use shared resources that need to be executed concurrently. In this article, we propose a mechanism to solve this issue of ordering task executions within a CPS that inherently handles mutual exclusion. The mechanism caters to a decentralized and distributed CPS comprising nodes such as computers, robots, and sensor nodes and uses mobile software agents that knit through them to aid the execution of the various tasks while also ensuring mutual exclusion of shared resources. The computations, communications, and control are achieved through these mobile agents. Physical execution of the tasks is performed by the robots in an asynchronous and pipelined manner without the use of a clock. The mechanism also features addition and deletion of tasks and insertion and removal of robots facilitating
On-The-Fly Programming
. As an application, a Warehouse Management System as a CPS has been implemented. The article concludes with the results and discussions on using the mechanism in both emulated and real-world environments.
MARC
Authors: Ferroni Matteo , Corna Andrea , Damiani Andrea , Brondolin Rolando , Kubiatowicz John D. , Sciuto Donatella , Santambrogio Marco D.
Published: November 2017

Autonomicity is a golden feature when dealing with a high level of complexity. This complexity can be tackled partitioning huge systems in small autonomous modules, i.e., agents. Each agent then needs to be capable of extracting knowledge from its environment and to learn from it, in order to fulfill its goals: this could not be achieved without proper modeling techniques that allow each agent to gaze beyond its sensors. Unfortunately, the simplicity of agents and the complexity of modeling do not fit together, thus demanding for a third party to bridge the gap.

Given the opportunities in the field, the main contributions of this work are twofold: (1) we propose a general methodology to model resource consumption trends and (2) we implemented it into MARC, a Cloud-service platform that produces Models-as-a-Service, thus relieving self-aware agents from the burden of building their custom modeling framework. In order to validate the proposed methodology, we set up a custom simulator to generate a wide spectrum of controlled traces: this allowed us to verify the correctness of our framework from a general and comprehensive point of view.
From DevOps to BizOps
Authors: Fokaefs Marios , Barna Cornel , Litoiu Marin
Published: November 2017

Virtualization of resources in cloud computing has enabled developers to commission and recommission resources at will and on demand. This virtualization is a coin with two sides. On one hand, the flexibility in managing virtual resources has enabled developers to efficiently manage their costs; they can easily remove unnecessary resources or add resources temporarily when the demand increases. On the other hand, the volatility of such environment and the velocity with which changes can occur may have a greater impact on the economic position of a stakeholder and the business balance of the overall ecosystem. In this work, we recognise the business ecosystem of cloud computing as an economy of scale and explore the effect of this fact on decisions concerning scaling the infrastructure of web applications to account for fluctuations in demand. The goal is to reveal and formalize opportunities for economically optimal scaling that takes into account not only the cost of infrastructure but also the revenue from service delivery and eventually the profit of the service provider. The end product is a scaling mechanism that makes decisions based on both performance and economic criteria and takes adaptive actions to optimize both performance and profitability for the system.
The changing culture of computer science
Authors: Snodgrass Richard T.
Published: November 2017

In this second interview with Marianne Winslett, our conversation mines the temporal and spatial aspects of the culture of CS research and development within academia, labs, and startups, delving into recent trends that are fundamentally changing our profession.
An efficient visual fiducial localisation system
Authors: Lightbody Peter , Krajník Tomáš , Hanheide Marc
Published: November 2017

With use cases that range from external localisation of single robots or robotic swarms to self-localisation in marker-augmented environments and simplifying perception by tagging objects in a robot's surrounding, fiducial markers have a wide field of application in the robotic world. We propose a new family of circular markers which allow for both computationally efficient detection, tracking and identification and full 6D position estimation. At the core of the proposed approach lies the separation of the detection and identification steps, with the former using computationally efficient circular marker detection and the latter utilising an open-ended 'necklace encoding', allowing scalability to a large number of individual markers. While the proposed algorithm achieves similar accuracy to other state-of-the-art methods, its experimental evaluation in realistic conditions demonstrates that it can detect markers from larger distances while being up to two orders of magnitude faster than other state-of-the art fiducial marker detection methods. In addition, the entire system is available as an open-source package at https://github.com/LCAS/whycon.
Population Genomics of Herbicide Resistance: Adaptation via Evolutionary Rescue
Authors: Kreiner Julia M. , Stinchcombe John R. , Wright Stephen I.
Published: November 2017

The evolution of herbicide resistance in weed populations is a highly replicated example of adaptation surmounting the race against extinction, but the factors determining its rate and nature remain poorly understood. Here, we explore theory and empirical evidence for the importance of population genetic parameters—including effective population size, dominance, mutational target size, and gene flow—in influencing the probability and mode of herbicide resistance adaptation and its variation across species. We compiled data on the number of resistance mutations across populations for 79 herbicide-resistant species. Our findings are consistent with theoretical predictions that self-fertilization reduces resistance adaptation from standing variation within populations, but increases independent adaptation across populations. Furthermore, we provide evidence for a ploidy–mating system interaction that may reflect trade-offs in polyploids between increased effective population size and greater masking of beneficial mutations. We highlight the power of population genomic approaches to provide insights into the evolutionary dynamics of herbicide resistance with important implications for understanding the limits of adaptation.
Parathyroid hormone-related protein modulates inflammation in mouse mesangial cells and blunts apoptosis by enhancing COX-2 expression
Authors: Hochane Mazène , Raison Denis , Coquard Catherine , Béraud Claire , Bethry Audrey , Danilin Sabrina , Massfelder Thierry , Barthelmebs Mariette
Published: November 2017

Injury of mesangial cells (MC) is a prominent feature of glomerulonephritis. Activated MC secrete inflammatory mediators that induce cell apoptosis. Parathyroid hormone-related peptide (PTHrP) is a locally active cytokine that enhances cell survival and is upregulated by proinflammatory factors in many cell types. The aim of this study was to analyze the regulation of PTHrP expression by inflammatory cytokines and to evaluate whether PTHrP itself acts as a proinflammatory and/or survival factor on male murine MC in primary culture. Our results showed that IL-1β (10 ng/ml) and TNF-α (10 ng/ml) rapidly and transiently upregulated PTHrP expression in MC. The effects of IL-1β were both transcriptional and posttranscriptional, with stabilization of the PTHrP mRNA by human antigen R (HuR). Proteome profiler arrays showed that PTHrP itself enhanced cytokines within 2 h in cell lysates, mainly IL-17, IL-16, IL-1α, and IL-6. PTHrP also stimulated sustained expression (2–4 h) of chemokines, mainly regulated upon activation normal T cell expressed and secreted (RANTES)/C-C motif chemokine 5 (CCL5) and macrophage inflammatory protein-2 (MIP-2)/C-X-C motif chemokine 2 (CXCL2), thymus and activation-regulated chemokine (TARC)/CCL17, and interferon-inducible T cell α-chemoattractant (I-TAC)/CXCL11. Moreover, PTHrP markedly enhanced cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression and elicited its autoinduction through the activation of the NF-κB pathway. PTHrP induced MC survival via the COX-2 products, and PTHrP overexpression in MC blunted the apoptotic effects of IL-1β and TNF-α. Altogether, these findings suggest that PTHrP functions as a booster of glomerular inflammatory processes and may be a negative feedback loop preserving MC survival.