bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Non-invasive prenatal diagnosis using fetal DNA in maternal plasma: a preliminary study for identification of paternally-inherited alleles using single nucleotide polymorphisms
Authors: Chen J J , Tan J A M A , Chua K H , Tan P C , George E
Published: July 2015

Objectives

Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) with a mutation can be used to identify the presence of the paternally-inherited wild-type or mutant allele as result of the inheritance of either allele in the fetus and allows the prediction of the fetal genotype. This study aims to identify paternal SNPs located at the flanking regions upstream or downstream from the β-globin gene mutations at CD41/42 (HBB:c.127_130delCTTT), IVS1-5 (HBB:c.92+5G>C) and IVS2-654 (HBB:c.316-197C>T) using free-circulating fetal DNA.

Setting

Haematology Lab, Department of Biomedical Science, University of Malaya.

Participants

Eight couples characterised as β-thalassaemia carriers where both partners posed the same β-globin gene mutations at CD41/42, IVS1-5 and IVS2-654, were recruited in this study.

Outcome measures

Genotyping was performed by allele specific-PCR and the locations of SNPs were identified after sequencing alignment.

Results

Genotype analysis revealed that at least one paternal SNP was present for each of the couples. Amplification on free-circulating DNA revealed that the paternal mutant allele of SNP was present in three fcDNA. Thus, the fetuses may be β-thalassaemia carriers or β-thalassaemia major. Paternal wild-type alleles of SNP were present in the remaining five fcDNA samples, thus indicating that the fetal genotypes would not be homozygous mutants.

Conclusions

This preliminary research demonstrates that paternal allele of SNP can be used as a non-invasive prenatal diagnosis approach for at-risk couples to determine the β-thalassaemia status of the fetus.
Providers contextualise care more often when they discover patient context by asking: meta-analysis of three primary data sets
Authors: Schwartz Alan , Weiner Saul J , Binns-Calvey Amy , Weaver Frances M
Published: July 2015

Objectives

One important component of patient-centred care is provider incorporation of patient contextual factors—life circumstances relevant to their care—in managing the patient's health. The current study uses data sets collected from direct observation of care to examine ifhowa provider learns contextual information influences whether the provider incorporates the information into a care plan.

Methods

Three data sets were reanalysed: a research study with physicians, a quality improvement project with physicians and a performance measurement project with telephone health assistants. In each data set, investigators compute rates of incorporation of patient contextual factors into the care plan for encounters in which factors were elicited in response to a probe by the provider versus revealed spontaneously by the patient. We report the rates, CIs and associated ORs for each study and overall using a random effects meta-analysis.

Results

Providers elicited 57%, 49% and 30% of patient contextual factors identified in encounters in each data set. Patient contextual factors identified in response to probes were incorporated into the plan of care more frequently than those revealed spontaneously by patients (68% vs 46%, 71% vs 54% and 93% vs 77%, respectively). The summary OR for incorporation of patient contextual factors into the care plan when the factor was probed versus revealed spontaneously was 4.16 (95% CI 2.0 to 8.6). While this estimate was associated with significant heterogeneity (I2=76%), the ORs for the individual data sets were 2.53 (1.4 to 4.5), 6.25 (4.9 to 8.0) and 4.2 (0.9 to 19.3).

Conclusions

In encounters where addressing patient contextual factors may play an important role in care decisions, factors that are elicited actively by the provider are more likely to be incorporated in the care plan than factors revealed spontaneously by the patient. These differences in the care process associated with provider performance can only be demonstrated through direct observation.
Extraneural hemangioblastoma of the kidney: the challenge for clinicopathological diagnosis
Authors: Wu Yong , Wang Tao , Zhang Pei-Pei , Yang Xiaoqun , Wang Jian , Wang Chao-Fu
Published: July 2015

Background

Hemangioblastoma is a benign cerebellar tumour which may occur as a sporadic entity or in association with von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease in approximately 25% of cases. Renal hemangioblastoma (RH) is an extremely rare and newly recognised tumour. Here, we describe five cases of RH, one discovered by CT in an accident and the other four detected during routine examinations.

Methods

Five cases of renal hemangioblastoma retrieved from the Department of Pathology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center were studied and the literatures were reviewed. Immunohistochemistry was used to differentiate and confirm this tumour.

Results

Pathological examination following tumour resection revealed RH in all cases, the first patient was also diagnosed with renal cell carcinoma (RCC), suggesting the possibility of VHL syndrome, but PCR sequencing analysis of the VHL gene confirmed no mutation in any of the three exons, implying sporadic disease .Histologically, the tumours were circumscribed, composed of sheets of oval or polygonal cells and a prominent vascular network. Tumour cells had pleomorphic nuclei, but mitotic figures were rare. The diagnosis of hemangioblastoma was confirmed by immunohistochemistry.

Conclusions

RH is very rare and is challenging to differentially diagnose. Distinguishing RCC and RH is difficult and each has a different prognosis, so differentiating between them is essential for avoiding over-diagnosis and unnecessary treatment.
Born to be a VN
Authors: Redbond John
Published: July 2015

John Redbond is a veterinary nurse in the practice where he trained 14 years ago. As a self‐confessed computer geek, he provides the practice IT support, organises the rota, runs the practice lab and still has time to get involved with dermatology work‐ups
The plant vigor hypothesis applies to a holoparasitic plant on a drought-stressed host
Authors: Evans Bethany A. , Borowicz Victoria A.
Published: July 2015

Parasitic plants extract resources from host vascular tissues but their responses to environmental fluctuation experienced by the host are poorly studied. Three frequently-cited hypotheses for effects of environmental stress on plant resistance to herbivores predict decreased, increased, or fluctuation in herbivore performance in response to drought stress. We tested which hypothesis best accounts for how drought stress applied to a perennial herb affects growth of the holoparasite, Cuscuta gronovii Willd. ex Roem. & Schult. (common dodder), an obligate shoot parasite. Verbesina alternifolia (L.) Britton ex Kearney (wingstem) supporting single, young C. gronovii were exposed to continuous, pulsed, or no water stress for 32 days and then dry mass of each parasite was determined. Consistent with the plant vigor hypothesis, C. gronovii grew significantly better on well-watered hosts. Continuous and pulsed drought stress of the host resulted in similar growth reduction relative to no drought stress. In addition to reducing absolute growth of the holoparasite, continuous and pulsed drought stress reduced the growth of the holoparasite relative to host growth. Although functionally similar to insect phloem feeders, growth of holoparasites such as C. gronovii is constrained by source–sink relations. Our results suggest drought stress experienced by a host weakens source strength and reduces uptake by the holoparasite acting as a sink.
Glacier velocities and dynamic discharge from the ice masses of Baffin Island and Bylot Island, Nunavut, Canada
Authors: Van Wychen Wesley , Copland Luke , Burgess David O. , Gray Laurence , Schaffer Nicole
Published: July 2015

Speckle tracking of ALOS PALSAR fine beam data from 2007–2011 are used to determine the surface motion of major ice masses on Baffin Island and Bylot Island in the southern Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Glacier velocities are low overall, with peaks of ∼100 m a−1 and means of ∼20–60 m a−1 common along the main trunk of many outlet glaciers. Peak velocities on Penny and Bylot Island ice caps tend to occur near the mid-sections of their primary outlet glaciers, while the fastest velocities on all other glaciers usually occur near their termini due to relatively large accumulation areas draining through narrow outlets. Estimates of ice thickness at the fronts of tidewater-terminating glaciers are combined with the velocity measurements to determine a regional dynamic discharge rate of between ∼17 Mt a−1 and ∼108 Mt a−1, with a mid-point estimate of ∼55 Mt a−1, revising downward previous approximations. These velocities can be used as inputs for glacier flow models, and provide a baseline dataset against which future changes in ice dynamics can be detected.
Experimental evaluation of agonistic behaviour, chemical communication, spacing, and intersexual associations of the Eastern Red-backed Salamander (Plethodon cinereus) near its northern range limit
Authors: Rollinson N. , Hackett D.
Published: July 2015

Territorial behaviour is the use of aggression and advertisement in the defense of a fixed area. In the Eastern Red-backed Salamander (Plethodon cinereus (Green, 1818)), territoriality is prevalent in Virginia, USA, near the southern extent of its range, but few studies have examined whether northern populations exhibit territorial behaviour. We tested for some prerequisites of territorial behaviour in P. cinereus at the northern extent its range, near North Bay, Ontario, Canada. In laboratory trials, we found that adult male P. cinereus exhibited a modest degree of aggression, and intruding salamanders attempted to escape the experimental chamber more often than residents. We also found that P. cinereus were able to differentiate between familiar and unfamiliar substrates, suggesting pheromonal communication and a potential for territorial advertisement. However, while male–female pairs were common at six sampling sites during the mating season, adult salamanders consistently exhibited a random spatial distribution during the nonmating season. Our study suggests that local P. cinereus exhibit low-level aggression but may not defend fixed areas. One possibility is that P. cinereus may generally not benefit from territorial behaviour in cooler climates, as evapotranspiration rates will be lower and foraging activity less restricted compared with more southern climates.
Helminths of grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) and American black bears (Ursus americanus) in Alberta and British Columbia, Canada
Authors: Catalano S. , Lejeune M. , Tizzani P. , Verocai G.G. , Schwantje H. , Nelson C. , Duignan P.J.
Published: July 2015

Between May 2011 and June 2013, we collected the carcasses and gastrointestinal tracts of 40 American black bears (Ursus americanus Pallas, 1780) and 13 grizzly bears (Ursus arctos L., 1758) from populations of Alberta and British Columbia, Canada. Specimens were examined for helminths, which were identified to the species level by applying an integrated morphological and molecular approach. Our goal was to investigate parasite biodiversity and infection parameters in the sampled grizzly and black bears. We found seven parasite taxa: Dirofilaria ursi Yamaguti, 1941, Baylisascaris transfuga (Rudolphi, 1819), Uncinaria rauschi Olsen, 1968, Uncinaria yukonensis (Wolfgang, 1956), Taenia arctos Haukisalmi, Lavikainen, Laaksonen and Meri, 2011, Diphyllobothrium dendriticum (Nitzsch, 1824), and Diphyllobothrium nihonkaiense Yamane, Kamo, Bylund and Wikgren, 1986. The statistical significance of infection prevalence, intensity, and abundance for each helminth species was assessed relative to host species, gender, age class, sampling season, and location. This is the first unequivocal report of the potentially zoonotic tapeworms D. dendriticum and D. nihonkaiense in North American bears. Furthermore, we provide insight into the biology and ecology of the nematodes B. transfuga, D. ursi, and species of Uncinaria Frölich, 1789, and enrich the information available on the recently described tapeworm T. arctos.
Geophagic behavior in the mountain goat (Oreamnosamericanus): support for meeting metabolic demands
Authors: Slabach B.L. , Corey T.B. , Aprille J.R. , Starks P.T. , Dane B.
Published: July 2015

Geophagy, the intentional consumption of earth or earth matter, occurs across taxa. Nutrient and mineral supplementation is most commonly cited to explain its adaptive benefits; yet many specific hypotheses exist. Previous research on mountain goats (Oreamnos americanus (Blainville, 1816)) broadly supports nutrient supplementation as the adaptive benefit of geophagy. Here, we use data from an undisturbed population of mountain goats inhabiting a geologically distinct coastal mountain range in southwestern British Columbia to test the hypothesis that geophagic behavior is a proximate mechanism for nutrient supplementation to meet metabolic demands. Our population, observed for over 30 consecutive years, returned each year with high fidelity to the same geophagic lick sites. Logistic regression demonstrated an overall effect of sodium and phosphorus, but not magnesium and calcium, on lick preferences. These data, in conjunction with field observations, provide support for the hypothesis that geophagy provides nutrient supplementation and that geophagy may be an obligate behavior to meet necessary metabolic demands within this population. The implications of our results suggest the necessity to preserve historically important habitats that may be necessary for population health.
Identification and analysis of retrogenes in the East Asian nematode Caenorhabditis sp. 5 genome
Authors: Zhou Kun , Zou Ming , Duan Mingyue , He Shunping , Wang Guoxiu
Published: July 2015

Retroposition, a molecular mechanism generating new genes, helps the formation of retrogenes and new functions, contributing to the evolution of genomes. The completed genome sequence of Caenorhabditis sp. 5 presents an excellent opportunity to identify retrogenes within C. sp. 5. We identified a total of 43 retrogenes and their corresponding chimeric genes. Among these, 29 were found to be intact retrogenes and 14 to be retropseudogenes. Unexpectedly, a high number of retrogenes appear to be functional and possibly involved in catalysis. Also, the proportion of the retrogenes forming chimeric structure is the highest among Caenorhabditis nematodes. In addition, the Ks distribution shows that C. sp. 5 has more retrogenes with high Ks, which may explain the high functionality of them among Caenorhabditis species. Our study will be helpful in the understanding of the functional and evolutionary impact of retroposition on C. sp. 5 genome.
Insights into the novel members of the FAD2 gene family involved in high-oleate fluxes in peanut
Authors: Wang Yun , Zhang Xingguo , Zhao Yongli , Prakash C.S. , He Guohao , Yin Dongmei
Published: July 2015

The FAD2 gene family is functionally responsible for the conversion of oleic acid to linoleic acid in oilseed plants. Multiple members of the FAD gene are known to occur in several oilseed species. In this study, six novel full-length cDNA sequences (named as AhFAD2-1, -2, -3, -4, -5, and -6) were identified in peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.), an analysis of which revealed open reading frames of 379, 383, 394, or 442 amino acids. Sequence comparisons showed that AhFAD2-1 and AhFAD2-2 shared 76% identity, while AhFAD2-2, -3, and -4 displayed highly significant homology. There was only 27% identity overlap between the microsomal ω-6 fatty acid desaturase and the chloroplast ω-6 fatty acid desaturase encoded by AhFAD2-1, -2, -3, -4, and AhFAD2-5, -6, respectively. The phylogeny tree of FAD2 transcripts showed five major groups, and AhFAD2-1 was clearly separated from other groups. Analysis of AhFAD2-1 and AhFAD2-2 transcript distribution in different peanut tissues showed that the AhFAD2-1 gene showed upward of a 70-fold increase in expression of fatty acid than the AhFAD2-2 gene in peanut developing seeds, while the AhFAD2-2 gene expressed most abundantly in peanut flowers. Because the AhFAD2-1 gene played a major role in the conversion of oleic to linoleic acid during seed development, the identification of this novel member in this study would facilitate the further genetic manipulation of peanut oil quality. The implications of overall results also suggest that there may be more candidate genes controlling levels of oleate acid in developing seeds. Results also may be due to the presence of complex gene networks controlling the fluxes between the endoplasmic reticulum and the chloroplast within the peanut cells.
A New Storage-Ring Light Source
Authors: Chao Alex
Published: July 2015

A recently proposed technique in storage ring accelerators is applied to provide potential high-power sources of photon radiation. The technique is based on the steady-state microbunching (SSMB) mechanism. As examples of this application, one may consider a high-power DUV photon source for research in atomic and molecular physics or a high-power EUV radiation source for industrial lithography. A less challenging proof-of-principle test to produce IR radiation using an existing storage ring is also considered.
Study of the bending vibration characteristic of phononic crystals beam-foundation structures by Timoshenko beam theory
Authors: Zhang Yan , Ni Zhi-Qiang , Jiang Lin-Hua , Han Lin , Kang Xue-Wei
Published: July 2015

Vibration problems wildly exist in beam-foundation structures. In this paper, finite periodic composites inspired by the concept of ideal phononic crystals (PCs), as well as Timoshenko beam theory (TBT), are proposed to the beam anchored on Winkler foundation. The bending vibration band structure of the PCs Timoshenko beam-foundation structure is derived from the modified transfer matrix method (MTMM) and Bloch's theorem. Then, the frequency response of the finite periodic composite Timoshenko beam-foundation structure by the finite element method (FEM) is performed to verify the above theoretical deduction. Study shows that the Timoshenko beam-foundation structure with periodic composites has wider attenuation zones compared with homogeneous ones. It is concluded that TBT is more available than Euler beam theory (EBT) in the study of the bending vibration characteristic of PCs beam-foundation structures with different length-to-height ratios.
Built-in-polarization field effect on intrinsic and extrinsic thermal conductivities of AlN/GaN/AlN quantum well
Authors: Pansari A. , Gedam V. , Sahoo B. K.
Published: July 2015

In this paper, the effect of built-in-polarization field on lattice thermal conductivity of AlN/GaN/AlN quantum well (QW) has been theoretically investigated. The built-in-polarization field at the hetero-interface of GaN/AlN modifies elastic constant, phonon velocity and Debye temperature of GaN QW. The relaxation time of acoustic phonons (AP) in various scattering processes in GaN with and without built-in-polarization field has been computed at room temperature. The result shows that combined relaxation time of AP is enhanced by built-in-polarization field and implies a longer mean free path. The revised intrinsic and extrinsic thermal conductivities of GaN have been estimated. The theoretical analysis shows that up to a certain temperature the polarization field acts as negative effect and reduces the thermal conductivities. However, after this temperature both thermal conductivities are significantly contributed by polarization field. This gives the idea of temperature dependence of polarization effect which signifies the pyro-electric character of GaN. The intrinsic thermal conductivity at room temperature for with and without polarization mechanism is found to be 491 Wm-1K-1and 409 Wm-1K-1, respectively i.e., 20% enhancement. However, the extrinsic thermal conductivity at room temperature for with and without polarization mechanism is found to be 280 Wm-1K-1and 245 Wm-1K-1, respectively i.e., 13% enhancement. The method we have developed may be taken into account during the simulation of heat transport in optoelectronic nitride devices to minimize the self-heating processes and in polarization engineering strategies to optimize the thermoelectric performance of GaN alloys.
Enhancing Coverage and Rate of Cell Edge User in Multi-Antenna Poisson Voronoi Cells
Authors: Balaji S. , Santhakumar R. , Mallick P. S.
Published: July 2015

This paper analyzes the cell edge mobile user performance in the downlink cellular system. We develop frame-work for coverage probability and spectral efficiency. In particular, we analyzed the performance of multi-antenna mobile users under multi-antenna base stations (BSs). The expressions of coverage probability and spectral efficiency are derived for cell edge user using stochastic geometry. We investigate how much the performance of cell edge user is improved when distances connecting BSs and cell edge users are modeled with cell edge null probability distribution. The probability of coverage and spectral efficiency is studied using zero-forcing beam-forming and the performance metrics are compared between coordinated scheduling (CS) and without coordinated scheduling (w/o CS). The interesting observation from our results is that the edge user coverage and rate is closely approaching towards the inner cell typical mobile user's rate and coverage, and the performance is verified with relative probability of coverage gain analysis.
An Ultra Low Voltage Low Power Self Biased Latched Comparator with Wide Input Common Mode Range for Biomedical Applications
Authors: Hoseini Seied Zaniar , Abdekhoda Johar , Lee Kye-Shin
Published: July 2015

This work describes an ultra low voltage, low power and self biased comparator with wide input common-mode range. The proposed comparator consists of a preamplifier followed by a regenerative back-to-back inverter latch, where two push pull NMOS and PMOS pairs are exploited to bias the preamplifier and adjust its output common mode voltage. This leads to a wide input common mode voltage range (from 0 V to 390 mV). Furthermore, the operation of proposed structure is relatively insensitive to process and temperature variations due to the push pull transistors, and low power consumption is achieved through sub-threshold region operation. The comparator circuit is designed using 65-nm CMOS technology with minimum supply voltage of 0.4 V. Simulation results show an average power consumption ranging from 141 nW to 188 nW for different input common mode voltage levels, where a simple power gating technique is employed to further reduce the power consumption. The Monte Carlo simulation shows an average offset of 450 μV with standard deviation of 3.3 mV. In addition, the comparator shows a kickback noise range of 0.3–2.4 mV (with input common mode range from 0 V to 390 mV) and input referred noise of 0.9 mV. The proposed comparator operates up to clock frequency of 1 MHz in most process corners and temperature range of 0–100°C which is suitable for most of the biomedical sensing applications.
Smooth braneworld models possibility in modified gravities
Authors: de Brito G. P. , Hoff da Silva J. M. , Michel L. T. da Silva P. , de Souza Dutra A.
Published: July 2015

In this paper, it is shown that the consideration of the braneworld consistency conditions within the framework of bulk modified gravities allows for the existence of thick branes in the five-dimensional case with compact extra dimension. On studying the specific consistency conditions in the Brans–Dicke gravity, we were able to show that the brane generating scalar field potential is relevant for relaxing the gravitational constraints.
FRICTIONAL BEHAVIOR OF MICRO/NANOTEXTURED SURFACES INVESTIGATED BY ATOMIC FORCE MICROSCOPE: A REVIEW
Authors: ZHANG XIAOLIANG , JIA JUNHONG
Published: July 2015

Tribological issues between friction pair are fundamental problems for minimized devices because of their higher surface-to-volume ratio. Micro/nanotexturing is an effective technique to reduce actual contact area between contact pair at the nanoscale. Micro/nanotexture made a great impact on the frictional behavior of textured surfaces. This paper summarizes the recent advancements in the field of frictional behavior of micro/nanotextured surfaces, which are based on solid surface contact in atmosphere environment, especially focusing on the factors influencing the frictional behavior: Surface property, texturing density, texturing height, texturing structure and size of contact pair (atomic force microscope (AFM) tip) and texturing structures. Summarizing the effects of these factors on the frictional behavior is helpful for the understanding and designing of the surfaces in sliding micro/nanoelectromechanical systems (MEMS/NEMS). Controlling and reducing the friction force in moving mechanical systems is very important for the performance and reliability of nanosystems, which contribute to a sustainable future.
Design and Validation of a Talking Face for the iCub
Authors: Parmiggiani Alberto , Randazzo Marco , Maggiali Marco , Metta Giorgio , Elisei Frederic , Bailly Gerard
Published: July 2015

Recent developments in human–robot interaction show how the ability to communicate with people in a natural way is of great importance for artificial agents. The implementation of facial expressions has been found to significantly increase the interaction capabilities of humanoid robots. For speech, displaying a correct articulation with sound is mandatory to avoid audiovisual illusions like the McGurk effect (leading to comprehension errors) as well as to enhance the intelligibility in noisy conditions. This work describes the design, construction and testing of an animatronic talking face developed for the iCub robot. This talking head has an articulated jaw and four independent lip movements actuated by five motors. It is covered by a specially designed elastic tissue cover whose hemlines at the lips are attached to the motors via connecting linkages. The mechanical design and the control scheme have been evaluated by speech intelligibility in noise (SPIN) perceptual tests that demonstrate an absolute 10% intelligibility gain provided by the jaw and lip movements over the audio-only display.
Pouring Skills with Planning and Learning Modeled from Human Demonstrations
Authors: Yamaguchi Akihiko , Atkeson Christopher G. , Ogasawara Tsukasa
Published: July 2015

We explore how to represent, plan and learn robot pouring. This is a case study of a complex task that has many variations and involves manipulating non-rigid materials such as liquids and granular substances. Variations of pouring we consider are the type of pouring (such as pouring into a glass or spreading a sauce on an object), material, container shapes, initial poses of containers and target amounts. The robot learns to select appropriate behaviors from a library of skills, such as tipping, shaking and tapping, to pour a range of materials from a variety of containers. The robot also learns to select behavioral parameters. Planning methods are used to adapt skills for some variations such as initial poses of containers. We show using simulation and experiments on a PR2 robot that our pouring behavior model is able to plan and learn to handle a wide variety of pouring tasks. This case study is a step towards enabling humanoid robots to perform tasks of daily living.
Determining the Important Subjective Criteria in the Perception of Human-Like Robot Movements Using Virtual Reality
Authors: Hugues Olivier , Weistroffer Vincent , Paljic Alexis , Fuchs Philippe , Karim Ahmad Abdul , Gaudin Thibaut , Buendia Axel
Published: July 2015

This paper deals with the design and the evaluation of human-like robot movements. Three criteria were proposed and evaluated regarding their impact on the human-likeness of the robot movements: The inertia of the base, the inertia of the end-effector and the velocity profile. A specific tool was designed to generate different levels of anthropomorphism according to these three parameters. An industrial use case was designed to compare several robot movements. This use case was implemented with a virtual robot arm in a virtual environment, using virtual reality. A user study was conducted to determine what were the important criteria in the perception of human-like robot movements and what were their correlations with other notions such as safety and preference. The results showed that inertia on the end-effector was of most importance for a movement to be perceived as human-like and nonaggressive, and that those characteristics helped the users feel safer, less stressed and more willing to work with the robot.
A bias in Mertens’ product formula
Authors: Lamzouri Youness
Published: July 2015

Rosser and Schoenfeld remarked that the product [Formula: see text] exceeds [Formula: see text] for all [Formula: see text], and raised the question whether the difference changes sign infinitely often. This was confirmed in a recent paper of Diamond and Pintz. In this paper, we show (under certain hypotheses) that there is a strong bias in the race between the product [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] which explains the computations of Rosser and Schoenfeld.
The Galois Brumer–Stark conjecture for SL2(𝔽3)-extensions
Authors: Dejou Gaelle , Roblot Xavier-François
Published: July 2015

In a previous work, we stated a conjecture, called the Galois Brumer–Stark conjecture, that generalizes the (abelian) Brumer–Stark conjecture to Galois extensions. We also proved that, in several cases, the Galois Brumer–Stark conjecture holds or reduces to the abelian Brumer–Stark conjecture. The first open case is the case of extensions with Galois group isomorphic to [Formula: see text]. This is the case studied in this paper. These extensions split naturally into two different types. For the first type, we prove the conjecture outside of [Formula: see text]. We also prove the conjecture for [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text]-extensions of [Formula: see text] using computations. The version of the conjecture that we study is a stronger version, called the Refined Galois Brumer–Stark conjecture, that we introduce in the first part of the paper.
Explicit formulas of a generalized Ramanujan sum
Authors: Kühn Patrick , Robles Nicolas
Published: July 2015

In this paper, explicit formulas involving a generalized Ramanujan sum are derived. An analogue of the prime number theorem is obtained and equivalences of the Riemann hypothesis are shown. Finally, explicit formulas of Bartz are generalized.
Solving the maximal matching problem with DNA molecules in Adleman–Lipton model
Authors: Wang Zhaocai , Ji Zuwen , Su Ziyi , Wang Xiaoming , Zhao Kai
Published: July 2015

The maximal matching problem (MMP) is to find maximal edge subsets in a given undirected graph, that no pair of edges are adjacent in the subsets. It is a vitally important NP-complete problem in graph theory and applied mathematics, having numerous real life applications in optimal combination and linear programming fields. It can be difficultly solved by the electronic computer in exponential level time. Meanwhile in previous studies deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) molecular operations usually were used to solve NP-complete continuous path search problems, e.g. HPP, traveling salesman problem, rarely for NP-hard problems with discrete vertices or edges solutions, such as the minimum vertex cover problem, graph coloring problem and so on. In this paper, we present a DNA algorithm for solving the MMP with DNA molecular operations. For an undirected graph with [Formula: see text] vertices and [Formula: see text] edges, we reasonably design fixed length DNA strands representing vertices and edges of the graph, take appropriate steps and get the solutions of the MMP in proper length range using [Formula: see text] time. We extend the application of DNA molecular operations and simultaneously simplify the complexity of the computation.
On injective chromatic polynomials of graphs
Authors: Kishore Anjaly , Sunitha M. S.
Published: July 2015

The injective chromatic number χi(G) [G. Hahn, J. Kratochvil, J. Siran and D. Sotteau, On the injective chromatic number of graphs, Discrete Math. 256(1–2) (2002) 179–192] of a graph G is the minimum number of colors needed to color the vertices of G such that two vertices with a common neighbor are assigned distinct colors. The nature of the coefficients of injective chromatic polynomials of complete graphs, wheel graphs and cycles is studied. Injective chromatic polynomial on operations like union, join, product and corona of graphs is obtained.
Analysis of the Indoor Thermal Load Variations Depending on the Shading Device Parameters and Window Orientation
Authors: Yoon Yeo Beom , Manandhar Rashmi , Lee Kwang Ho
Published: July 2015

Many studies have been done to study the advantage of using window shading devices as a means of controlling solar penetration into the building. Shading devices like blinds have been proved to have a significant effect on the heating and cooling load of the building. As it is easier and less costly to change blinds than changing the window system in a building, using blinds is a very effective way of improving building performance. Although many studies have been done, mostly the study focuses on window that is oriented towards the south. As it is obvious that in a real building windows can be facing any direction, in this study the effect of blinds on heating and cooling loads of a building has been done, when the design of blind is either horizontal or vertical, when it is placed either inside or outside and when the slat angle automatically changes based on either solar energy received on vertical wall or on horizontal surface (roof).
Palaeomagnetism of Mesozoic magmatic bodies of the Fuegian Cordillera: implications for the formation of the Patagonian Orocline
Authors: Rapalini Augusto E. , Peroni Javier , Luppo Tomás , Tassone Alejandro , Elena Cerredo María , Esteban Federico , Lippai Horacio , Franciscovilas Juan
Published: July 2015

It is not known whether the Patagonian Orocline, the major bend of the southern Andes at the southern tip of South America, is a primary or secondary feature. Palaeomagnetic data along the Patagonian Orocline are still too scarce to provide a reliable and unambiguous answer to this question. New palaeomagnetic results on Late Jurassic–Late Cretaceous magmatic units along the central segment of the Fuegian Cordillera are reported. Data from four Late Cretaceous small intrusions and three sites on Late Jurassic–Early Cretaceous metabasalts and metagabbros showed anticlockwise declination deviations between 21° and 46° with respect to South America. From these and previous data, a picture of a nearly homogeneous post-Late Cretaceous regional rotation of the central Fuegian Cordillera is suggested. This supports a model of nearly 30° of anticlockwise secondary bending of the Patagonian Orocline since the Late Cretaceous (72 Ma). Lack of rotation of post-50 Ma sedimentary rocks exposed to the north of our study region, and larger rotations (of
c.
90°) reported to the south of it suggest that a geographical and/or temporal progression of rotation values from south to north in the Fuegian part of the Patagonian Orocline should be investigated.
Determining the timing of formation of the Rawil Depression in the Helvetic Alps by palaeomagnetic and structural methods
Authors: Cardello G. L. , Almqvist B. S. G. , Hirt A. M. , Mancktelow N. S.
Published: July 2015

Anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility, palaeomagnetism and structural methods are used in order to test the relative timing of antiform updoming and formation of the Rawil Depression in the Helvetic Alps. Samples were collected from all nappes currently exposed in the study region. The magnetic fabric is consistent with extension oblique and parallel to the regional fold trend and with palaeostress reconstructions from fault planes and veins. Palaeomagnetic analyses show a stable characteristic remanence (ChRM), with samples recording both normal and reverse polarity. A successful fold test performed across the antiformal dome structure suggests that the palaeomagnetic signal was acquired prior to doming. By comparison with thermochronometric data, the ChRM was acquired between 25 and 10 Ma and is pre- to synfolding. A secondary post-doming palaeomagnetic component (A), whose magnetization is likely to have occurred between 10 and 3.5 Ma, appears to be too steep with regards to the inclination of the Earth's field, suggesting recent large-scale tilting has occurred in the region. These combined analyses indicate that widespread orogen-parallel extension occurred prior to the formation of the Rawil Depression, which is finally interpreted as the result of a stepover structure at the curvature between Central and Western Alps.
Renin expression in developing zebrafish is associated with angiogenesis and requires the Notch pathway and endothelium
Authors: Rider Sebastien A. , Mullins Linda J. , Verdon Rachel F. , MacRae Calum A. , Mullins John J.
Published: July 2015

Although renin is a critical regulatory enzyme of the cardiovascular system, its roles in organogenesis and the establishment of cardiovascular homeostasis remain unclear. Mammalian renin-expressing cells are widespread in embryonic kidneys but are highly restricted, specialized endocrine cells in adults. With a functional pronephros, embryonic zebrafish are ideal for delineating the developmental functions of renin-expressing cells and the mechanisms governing renin transcription. Larval zebrafish renin expression originates in the mural cells of the juxtaglomerular anterior mesenteric artery and subsequently at extrarenal sites. The role of renin was determined by assessing responses to renin-angiotensin system blockade, salinity variation, and renal perfusion ablation. Renin expression did not respond to renal flow ablation but was modulated by inhibition of angiotensin-converting enzyme and altered salinity. Our data in larval fish are consistent with conservation of renin's physiological functions. Using transgenic renin reporter fish, with mindbomb and cloche mutants, we show that Notch signaling and the endothelium are essential for developmental renin expression. After inhibition of angiogenesis, renin-expressing cells precede angiogenic sprouts. Arising from separate lineages, but relying on mutual interplay with endothelial cells, renin-expressing cells are among the earliest mural cells observed in larval fish, performing both endocrine and paracrine functions.
Activation of α1-adrenoceptors facilitates excitatory inputs to medullary airway vagal preganglionic neurons
Authors: Ge Dengyun , Yan Xianxia , Guo Yuhong , Chen Xingxin , Guan Ruijuan , Chen Yonghua , Qiu Dongying , Wang Jijiang
Published: July 2015

In mammals, the neural control of airway smooth muscle is dominated by a subset of airway vagal preganglionic neurons in the ventrolateral medulla. These neurons are physiologically modulated by adrenergic/noradrenergic projections, and weakened α2-adrenergic inhibition of them is indicated to participate in the pathogenesis and exacerbation of asthma. This study tests whether these neurons are modulated by α1-adrenoceptors, and if so, how. In anesthetized adult rats, microinjection of the α1A-adrenoceptor agonist A61603 (1 pmol) unilaterally into the medullary region containing these neurons caused a significant increase in airway resistance, which was prevented by intraperitoneal atropine (0.5 mg/kg). In rhythmically firing medullary slices of newborn rats, A61603 (10 nM) caused depolarization in both the inspiratory-activated and inspiratory-inhibited airway vagal preganglionic neurons that were retrogradely labeled, and a significant increase in the spontaneous firing rate. Under voltage clamp, A61603 significantly enhanced the spontaneous excitatory inputs to both types of neurons and caused a tonic inward current in the inspiratory-activated neurons along with significantly increased peak amplitude of the inspiratory inward currents. The responses in vitro were prevented by α1A-adrenoceptor antagonist RS100329 (1 μM), which alone significantly inhibited the spontaneous excitatory inputs to both types of the neurons. After pretreatment with tetrodotoxin (1 μM), A61603 (10 or 100 nM) had no effect on either type of neuron. We conclude that in rats, activation of α1-adrenoceptors in the medullary region containing airway vagal preganglionic neurons increases airway vagal tone, and that this effect is primarily mediated by facilitation of the excitatory inputs to the preganglionic neurons.
Role of the retrotrapezoid nucleus/parafacial respiratory group in coughing and swallowing in guinea pigs
Authors: Sugiyama Yoichiro , Shiba Keisuke , Mukudai Shigeyuki , Umezaki Toshiro , Sakaguchi Hirofumi , Hisa Yasuo
Published: July 2015

The retrotrapezoid/parafacial respiratory group (RTN/pFRG) located ventral to the facial nucleus plays a key role in regulating breathing, especially enhanced expiratory activity during hypercapnic conditions. To clarify the roles of the RTN/pFRG region in evoking coughing, during which reflexive enhanced expiration is produced, and in swallowing, during which the expiratory activity is consistently halted, we recorded extracellular activity from RTN/pFRG neurons during these fictive behaviors in decerebrate, paralyzed, and artificially ventilated guinea pigs. The activity of the majority of recorded respiratory neurons was changed in synchrony with coughing and swallowing. To further evaluate the contribution of RTN/pFRG neurons to these nonrespiratory behaviors, the motor output patterns during breathing, coughing, and swallowing were compared before and after brain stem transection at the caudal margin of RTN/pFRG region. In addition, the effects of transection at its rostral margin were also investigated to evaluate pontine contribution to these behaviors. During respiration, transection at the rostral margin attenuated the postinspiratory activity of the recurrent laryngeal nerve. Meanwhile, the late expiratory activity of the abdominal nerve was abolished after caudal transection. The caudal transection also decreased the amplitude of the coughing-related abdominal nerve discharge but did not abolish the activity. Swallowing could be elicited even after the caudal end transection. These findings raise the prospect that the RTN/pFRG contributes to expiratory regulation during normal respiration, although this region is not an essential element of the neuronal networks involved in coughing and swallowing.
Syntaxin 1B is important for mouse postnatal survival and proper synaptic function at the mouse neuromuscular junctions
Authors: Wu Yuan-Ju , Tejero Rocio , Arancillo Marife , Vardar Gülcin , Korotkova Tatiana , Kintscher Michael , Schmitz Dietmar , Ponomarenko Alexey , Tabares Lucia , Rosenmund Christian
Published: July 2015

STX1 is a major neuronal syntaxin protein located at the plasma membrane of the neuronal tissues. Rodent STX1 has two highly similar paralogs, STX1A and STX1B, that are thought to be functionally redundant. Interestingly, some studies have shown that the distribution patterns of STX1A and STX1B at the central and peripheral nervous systems only partially overlapped, implying that there might be differential functions between these paralogs. In the current study, we generated an STX1B knockout (KO) mouse line and studied the impact of STX1B removal in neurons of several brain regions and the neuromuscular junction (NMJ). We found that either complete removal of STX1B or selective removal of it from forebrain excitatory neurons in mice caused premature death. Autaptic hippocampal and striatal cultures derived from STX1B KO mice still maintained efficient neurotransmission compared with neurons from STX1B wild-type and heterozygous mice. Interestingly, examining high-density cerebellar cultures revealed a decrease in the spontaneous GABAergic transmission frequency, which was most likely due to a lower number of neurons in the STX1B KO cultures, suggesting that STX1B is essential for neuronal survival in vitro. Moreover, our study also demonstrated that although STX1B is dispensable for the formation of the mouse NMJ, it is required to maintain the efficiency of neurotransmission at the nerve-muscle synapse.
Cellular Mechanisms Underlying Complete Hematological Response of Chronic Myeloid Leukemia to BRAF and MEK1/2 Inhibition in a Patient with Concomitant Metastatic Melanoma
Authors: Andrews Miles C. , Turner Natalie , Boyd Janis , Roberts Andrew W. , Grigg Andrew P. , Behren Andreas , Cebon Jonathan
Published: July 2015

Purpose: Targeted MEK inhibition is an emerging therapy in a number of solid tumors. It holds particular promise in BRAF V600E mutation–positive malignant melanoma, where constitutive activation and cell growth through the MAP kinase (MAPK) pathway is well established. In vitro and preclinical research indicates that MAPK pathway activation is important in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) leukemogenesis; however, the potential of MEK inhibition has not yet been investigated clinically in the setting of such hematologic malignancies.

Experimental Design: We report a case of complete hematologic response of CML to MEK inhibition in a patient with synchronous metastatic melanoma, who received treatment with combination BRAF and MEK1/2 inhibitors. We studied the effects of these agents on proliferation and outgrowth of myeloid precursors, and longitudinal shifts in peripheral blood phenotyping during the course of treatment. A model cell line system was used to examine the effects of dabrafenib and trametinib on MAPK and BCR–ABL1 signaling.

Results: After 35 weeks on treatment with BRAF and MEK inhibitors, complete hematologic response was observed without recourse to BCR–ABL1–targeted therapy. MEK inhibition was principally responsible for impaired proliferation of both mature and primitive myeloid precursors, as well as growth and hemoglobinization of erythroid precursors. Paradoxical activation of the MAPK pathway was seen in response to BRAF inhibitor therapy but this was easily overcome by clinically relevant doses of concurrent MEK inhibitor.

Conclusions: These studies suggest that further evaluation of the optimal MAPK targeting approach is warranted to extend therapeutic options in CML. Clin Cancer Res; 21(23); 5222–34. ©2015 AACR.
Perception and Production of Singleton and Geminate Stops in Japanese: Implications for the Theory of Acoustic Invariance
Authors: Amano Shigeaki , Hirata Y.
Published: July 2015

The theory of relational acoustic invariance claims that there are stable acoustic properties in speech signals that correspond to a phonological feature, and that the perception system utilizes these acoustic properties for stable perception of a phoneme. The present study examines whether such an invariance exists in native listeners' perception of Japanese singleton and geminate stops despite variability in speaking rate and word length, and whether this perception corresponds to production. Native Japanese listeners identified singleton and geminate stops in continua of 3- and 4-mora words spoken at different speaking rates. Results indicated that the perception boundary is well predicted by a linear function with two variables: durations of stop closure and the (C)V(C)CV portion (with the contrasting stops underlined) of the 3- and 4-mora words. In addition, these two variables were in a consistent relationship for both perception and production of words containing 2-4 moras. The results support the relational acoustic invariance theory.