bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Infrared Thermography-Based Breast Cancer Detection — Comprehensive Investigation
Authors: Negied Nermin K.
Published: October 2018

Breast cancer has been reported to be the first deadly disease that affects women worldwide. This type of cancer has been reported to be the second leading cause of death in women worldwide. Medical reports have also reported that every woman is exposed to having breast cancer with an average probability of about 12%. It has also been reported to be the most common cancer that affects women. Fatality could be due to the cancer detection delay; in other words, early detection of the tumor can increase the survival rate of patients. Routine techniques of imaging modalities for cancer screening such as Mammography, Computated Tomography (CT) scan, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and ultrasound are impractical tools for many reasons such as the irreproducible nature, the high error rate in cases of thick breasts, the pain and the annoyance they cause. Consequently, there is a need for more convincing strategies with high accuracy rates in breast cancer detection. Therefore, among the large variety of medical breast scanning techniques, thermography has attracted attention in applications related to detection and diagnosis. It is capable of providing helpful and useful information about the physiological variations and accordingly, it can detect tumors even in early stages. In addition, it is a very safe scanning tool, so as many needed tests can be held in proper time and manner. Thermography relies on the fact that human body temperature generally is a natural norm for the diagnosis of diseases. Thermography in medical applications applies infrared body examination tool which is fast, noninvasive, noncontact, pain free, radiation free and flexible to monitor the temperature of the human body. The fundamental principle of thermography relies on physiology such as the distribution of temperature on the skin surface. Infrared thermography scanning for breasts is an imaging technique which essentially searches for temperature change in human body. Temperature variance could be considered as a good indicator of tumor occurrence in the scanned area. Tumor mainly causes a noteworthy increase in blood vessel circulation and metabolic activity, so it causes higher radiations emitted from the human body around the regions of tumor. The paper surveys the literature work conducted in the field of breast cancer detection from thermogram scans. The survey is followed by a discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of thermography-based tumor detection. A new research idea and some considerations are then suggested based on that discussion to achieve better results in this critical area.
Effect of magnetic field on the burning of a neutron star
Authors: Mallick Ritam , Singh Amit
Published: October 2018

In this paper, we present the effect of a strong magnetic field in the burning of a neutron star (NS). We have used relativistic magneto-hydrostatic (MHS) conservation equations for studying the PT from nuclear matter (NM) to quark matter (QM). We found that the shock-induced phase transition (PT) is likely if the density of the star core is more than three times nuclear saturation ([Formula: see text]) density. The conversion process from NS to quark star (QS) is found to be an exothermic process beyond such densities. The burning process at the star center most likely starts as a deflagration process. However, there can be a small window at lower densities where the process can be a detonation one. At small enough infalling matter velocities the resultant magnetic field of the QS is lower than that of the NS. However, for a higher value of infalling matter velocities, the magnetic field of QM becomes larger. Therefore, depending on the initial density fluctuation and on whether the PT is a violent one or not the QS could be more magnetic or less magnetic. The PT also have a considerable effect on the tilt of the magnetic axis of the star. For smaller velocities and densities the magnetic angle are not affected much but for higher infalling velocities tilt of the magnetic axis changes suddenly. The magnetic field strength and the change in the tilt axis can have a significant effect on the observational aspect of the magnetars.
Analysis of a system of nonlocal balance laws with weighted work in progress
Authors: Keimer Alexander , Leugering Günter , Sarkar Tanmay
Published: October 2018

We consider a system of nonlocal balance laws, modeling a multi-commodity supply edge. The coupling of the different goods is realized via a “weighted work in progress” (WWIP), such that the velocity of every balance law also depends on the “load” of the other commodities. This WWIP represents nonlocal impact and due to it, the proposed model offers it to weight goods which are close to the “entrance” different from goods which leave the supply edge. It also allows the nonlocal term to have an impact on the solution only on a subset of the space domain, changing over time. Incorporating weights and source terms in the right-hand side, we demonstrate the existence of weak solutions for the resulting model and, under some restrictions on the weight and the inhomogeneity, we ensure the uniqueness of weak solutions. Furthermore, we consider source terms which depend pointwise on the solution and prove existence of a solution under suitable conditions.
A zoo of growth functions of mapping class sets
Authors: Manin Fedor
Published: October 2018

Suppose [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] are finite complexes, with [Formula: see text] simply connected. Gromov conjectured that the number of mapping classes in [Formula: see text] which can be realized by [Formula: see text]-Lipschitz maps grows asymptotically as [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text] is an integer determined by the rational homotopy type of [Formula: see text] and the rational cohomology of [Formula: see text]. This conjecture was disproved in a recent paper of the author and Weinberger; we gave an example where the “predicted” growth is [Formula: see text] but the true growth is [Formula: see text]. Here we show, via a different mechanism, that the universe of possible such growth functions is quite large. In particular, for every rational number [Formula: see text], there is a pair [Formula: see text] for which the growth of [Formula: see text] is essentially [Formula: see text].
Effect of Sr-substitution on the structural and dielectric properties of LaFeO3 perovskite materials
Authors: Triyono D. , Kafa C. A. , Laysandra H.
Published: October 2018

The study aims to investigate the structural and dielectric properties of perovskite La[Formula: see text]SrxFeO3 ([Formula: see text] = 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, and 0.4) synthesized by sol–gel and sintering methods. X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and LCR-Meter were used to identify the phase, crystallography parameters, morphology, particle size, and electrical behavior of the synthesized perovskite materials. The samples showed a single-phase orthorhombic crystal structure with Pbnm space group. Sr-substitution induced the volume unit cell and crystallite size to decrease. The synthesized nanoparticles were uniform and homogeneous with the particle size less than 200[Formula: see text]nm. Impedance spectroscopy (IS) was used to explain the electrical behavior as a function of frequency (100[Formula: see text]Hz to 1[Formula: see text]MHz) at various temperatures (300–373[Formula: see text]K). The presence of small polarons as charge carriers within the grain and grain boundary were elucidated from the electrical conductivity experiments. Sr-substitution caused the dielectric constant and electronic conductivity to increase with the highest values obtained from La[Formula: see text]SrxFeO3 ([Formula: see text]).
The search for my computer science
Authors: Uchidiuno Judith
Published: October 2018

A journey spanning Nigeria, the United States, and Tanzania, is one woman's search for meaning and validation as a computer scientist.
Computer science as a global language
Authors: Rodríguez María Andreína Francisco
Published: October 2018

How computer science helped me become a citizen of the world and the lessons real-life experiences taught me about effectively interacting with other people.
What is the role of a computer scientist in shaping a sustainable future?
Authors: Eriksson Elina
Published: October 2018

It is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore the warnings of a disrupted climate system, from melting ice caps to species extinction. But the problems are so far removed, and so large, we often wonder what does this have to do with our work as computer scientists?
How to publish research results for academic and non-academic audiences
Authors: Tondello Gustavo Fortes
Published: October 2018

The
XRDS
blog highlights a range of topics from conference coverage, to security and privacy, to CS theory. Selected blog posts, edited for print, are featured in every issue. Please visit xrds.acm.org/blog to read each post in its entirety. If you are interested in joining as a student blogger, please contact us.
Comprehensive anti-derivatives and parametric continuity
Authors: Corless Robert M. , Jeffrey David J. , Stoutemyer David R.
Published: October 2018

We present a poster and software demonstration regarding the calculation of indefinite integrals, or anti-derivatives, when parameters are present.
Multifunctional Energy Storage Composite Structures with Embedded Lithium-ion Batteries
Authors: Ladpli Purim , Nardari Raphael , Kopsaftopoulos Fotis , Chang Fu-Kuo
Published: October 2018

This work proposes and analyzes a structurally-integrated lithium-ion battery concept. The multifunctional energy storage composite (MESC) structures developed here encapsulate lithium-ion battery materials inside high-strength carbon-fiber composites and use interlocking polymer rivets to stabilize the electrode layer stack mechanically. These rivets enable load transfer between battery layers, allowing them to store electrical energy while also contributing to the structural load carrying performance, without any modifications to the battery chemistry. The design rationale, fabrication processes, and experimental mechano-electrical characterization of first-generation MESCs are discussed. Experimental results indicate that the MESCs offer electrochemically equivalent performance to the baseline chemistry, despite the disruptive design change. The mechanically-functionalized battery stack’s contribution is assessed via quasi-static three-point bending tests, with results showing significantly improved mechanical stiffness and strength over traditional pouch cells. The rivets minimize interlayer shear movement of the electrode stack, thus allowing it to maintain electrochemical functionalities while carrying mechanical bending. While minimal load application can cause permanent deformation of pouch cells, MESCs maintain their structural integrity and energy-storage capabilities after realistic repeated loading. The results obtained demonstrate the mechanical robustness of MESCs, which allows them to be fabricated as energy-storing structures for electric vehicles and other applications.
Transcriptomic analysis of the development of skeletal muscle atrophy in cancer-cachexia in tumor-bearing mice
Authors: Blackwell Thomas A. , Cervenka Igor , Khatri Bhuwan , Brown Jacob L. , Rosa-Caldwell Megan E. , Lee David E. , Perry Richard A. , Brown Lemuel A. , Haynie Wesley S. , Wiggs Michael P. , Bottje Walter G. , Washington Tyrone A. , Kong Byungwhi C. , Ruas Jorge L. , Greene Nicholas P.
Published: October 2018

Cancer-cachexia (CC) is a wasting condition directly responsible for 20–40% of cancer-related deaths. The mechanisms controlling development of CC-induced muscle wasting are not fully elucidated. Most investigations focus on the postcachectic state and do not examine progression of the condition. We recently demonstrated mitochondrial degenerations precede muscle wasting in time course progression of CC. However, the extent of muscle perturbations before wasting in CC is unknown. Therefore, we performed global gene expression analysis in CC-induced muscle wasting to enhance understanding of intramuscular perturbations across the development of CC. Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) was injected into the hind-flank of C57BL6/J mice at 8 wk of age with tumor allowed to develop for 1, 2, 3, or 4 wk and compared with PBS-injected control. Muscle wasting was evident at 4 wk LLC. RNA sequencing of gastrocnemius muscle samples showed widespread alterations in LLC compared with PBS animals with largest differences seen in 4 wk LLC, suggesting extensive transcriptomic alterations concurrent to muscle wasting. Commonly altered pathways included: mitochondrial dysfunction and protein ubiquitination, along with other less studied processes in this condition regulating transcription/translation and cytoskeletal structure. Current findings present novel evidence of transcriptomic shifts and altered cellular pathways in CC-induced muscle wasting.
Identifying SNPs and candidate genes for three litter traits using single-step GWAS across six parities in Landrace and Large White pigs
Authors: Wu Pingxian , Wang Kai , Yang Qiang , Zhou Jie , Chen Dejuan , Ma Jideng , Tang Qianzi , Jin Long , Xiao Weihang , Jiang Anan , Jiang Yanzhi , Zhu Li , Li Mingzhou , Li Xuewei , Tang Guoqing
Published: October 2018

Total number born (TNB), number born alive (NBA), and litter weight born alive (LWB) are critically important traits in pig production. The sow’s parity is one of the major factors influencing litter traits. Because of monogenic or polygenic contributions and the presence of temporal gene effects in different sows’ parities, it is difficult to clarify the biological and genetic background. To systematically explore the genetic mechanism of litter traits, we conducted 18 GWASs using single-step GWAS (ssGWAS) based on two breeds (908 Landrace and 1,130 Large White sow litter records) for each litter trait in different parities. A total of 300 Landrace and 300 Large White sows were genotyped by sequencing (GBS). ssGWAS was performed separately for each breed and each parity due to population stratification and temporal gene effect. In summary, we identified 80 (15 for Landrace and 65 for Large White), 227 (52 for Landrace, 175 for Large White), and 187 (34 for Landrace, 153 for Large White) single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) affecting TNB, NBA, and LWB, respectively. Of them, we suggest that a total of 22 loci (SSC1: 125098202, SSC1: 117560058, SSC14: 147794697, SSC8: 84823302, SSC9: 143554876, and SSC9: 138766097 for Landrace; SSC1: 4023577, SSC1: 3859573, SSC1: 4891063, SSC16: 5197665, SSC10: 32050819, SSC13: 13552924, SSC13: 92819, SSC17: 3579607, SSC13: 196698221, SSC7: 30918403, SSC16: 46221484, SSC16: 46169204, SSC2: 41988642, SSC2: 44475457, SSC2: 42521875, and SSC7: 58411951 for Large White) are shared by TNB, NBA, and LWB. These results indicate the existence of gene temporal effect in each parity. Furthermore, our findings suggest four interesting candidate genes (FBXL7, ALDH1A2, LEPR, and DDX1) associated with litter traits in different parities that have a major effect on embryonic development progression. In conclusion, 22 crucial SNPs and four interesting candidate genes were identified for three litter traits across six parities. These findings advance our understanding of the genetic architecture of litter traits and confirm the presence of temporal gene effects in different parities. Importantly, functional validation studies for findings of particular interest are recommended in litter traits.
EI24 Suppresses Tumorigenesis in Pancreatic Cancer via Regulating c-Myc
Authors: Zang Yi , Zhu Lei , Li Tong , Wang Qi , Li Juanjuan , Qian Yuting , Wei Lumin , Xie Mingping , Tang Wen-Hao , Liu Xu , Zhu Ying , Wang Lifu
Published: October 2018

The EI24 autophagy-associated transmembrane protein is frequently associated with tumor growth and patient survival. In the present study, we found that EI24 was downregulated in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) tissues compared with adjacent normal tissues and was associated with cancer cell differentiation. Overexpression of EI24 suppressed cancer cell growth in vitro and in vivo and induced cell cycle S phase arrest, with no impact on caspase-dependent apoptosis. EI24 overexpression also resulted in reduced c-Myc expression, an oncogene in PDAC, accompanied with increased LC3B-II formation, increased Beclin-1, and diminished p62. Together, we propose that EI24 suppresses cell proliferation and prompts cell cycle arrest in pancreatic cancer cells by activating the autophagic lysosomal degradation of c-Myc. Our results suggest a potential mechanism underlying the antitumor effects of EI24 in PDAC and provide insight into the crosstalk between autophagy and cell proliferation involving a possible EI24/Beclin-1/p62/c-Myc signaling pathway.
Association of Impaired Vascular Endothelial Function with Increased Cardiovascular Risk in Asymptomatic Adults
Authors: Zhong Qiuan , Nong Qingjiao , Mao Baoyu , Pan Xue , Meng Liuren
Published: October 2018

Impaired vascular endothelial function has attracted attention as a prognostic indicator of cardiovascular prevention. The association between impaired endothelial function and cardiovascular risk in the asymptomatic population, however, has been poorly explored. We evaluated the association of brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD) with Framingham-estimated 10-year cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in subjects free of CVD, especially by cardiovascular risk profiles. In total, 680 adults aged 30-74 years were enrolled from Rongan and Rongshui of Liuzhou, Guangxi, China, through a cross-sectional study in 2015. In the full-adjusted model, the odds ratio for the estimated 10-year CVD risk comparing the low FMD (<6%) with the high FMD (≥10%) was 2.81 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.21, 6.53;Pfor trend = 0.03). In subgroup analyses, inverse associations between FMD and the estimated 10-year CVD risk were found in participants with specific characteristics. The adjusted odds ratios, comparing the 25th and the 75th percentiles of FMD, were 2.77 (95% CI: 1.54, 5.00) for aged ≥60 years, 1.77 (95% CI: 1.16, 2.70) for female, 1.59 (95% CI: 1.08, 2.35) for nonsmokers, 1.74 (95% CI: 1.02, 2.97) for hypertension, 1.59 (95% CI: 1.04, 2.44) for normal glycaemia, 2.03 (95% CI: 1.19, 3.48) for C-reactive protein ≥10 mg/L, and 1.85 (95% CI: 1.12, 3.06) for eGFR <106 mL/minute per 1.73 m2. Therefore, impaired endothelial function is associated with increased CVD risk in asymptomatic adults. This inverse association is more likely to exist in subjects with higher cardiovascular risk.
Pretraining Convolutional Neural Networks for Image-Based Vehicle Classification
Authors: Han Yunfei , Jiang Tonghai , Ma Yupeng , Xu Chunxiang
Published: October 2018

Vehicle detection and classification are very important for analysis of vehicle behavior in intelligent transportation system, urban computing, etc. In this paper, an approach based on convolutional neural networks (CNNs) has been applied for vehicle classification. In order to achieve a more accurate classification, we removed the unrelated background as much as possible based on a trained object detection model. In addition, an unsupervised pretraining approach has been introduced to better initialize CNNs parameters to enhance the classification performance. Through the data enhancement on manual labeled images, we got 2000 labeled images in each category of motorcycle, transporter, passenger, and others, with 1400 samples for training and 600 samples for testing. Then, we got 17395 unlabeled images for layer-wise unsupervised pretraining convolutional layers. A remarkable accuracy of 93.50% is obtained, demonstrating the high classification potential of our approach.
Parallel Computing Sparse Wavelet Feature Extraction for P300 Speller BCI
Authors: Huang Zhihua , Li Minghong , Ma Yuanye
Published: October 2018

This work is intended to increase the classification accuracy of single EEG epoch, reduce the number of repeated stimuli, and improve the information transfer rate (ITR) of P300 Speller. Target EEG epochs and nontarget EEG ones are both mapped to a space by Wavelet. In this space, Fisher Criterion is used to measure the difference between target and nontarget ones. Only a few Daubechies wavelet bases corresponding to big differences are selected to construct a matrix, by which EEG epochs are transformed to feature vectors. To ensure the online experiments, the computation tasks are distributed to several computers that are managed and integrated by Storm so that they could be parallelly carried out. The proposed feature extraction was compared with the typical methods by testing its performance of classifying single EEG epoch and detecting characters. Our method achieved higher accuracies of classification and detection. The ITRs also reflected the superiority of our method. The parallel computing scheme of our method was deployed on a small scale Storm cluster containing three desktop computers. The average feedback time for one round of EEG epochs was 1.57 ms. The proposed method can improve the performance of P300 Speller BCI. Its parallel computing scheme is able to support fast feedback required by online experiments. The number of repeated stimuli can be significantly reduced by our method. The parallel computing scheme not only supports our wavelet feature extraction but also provides a framework for other algorithms developed for P300 Speller.
Epithelial Ovarian Carcinoma Associated with Metastases to Central Nervous System: Two Case Reports
Authors: Kawagoe Yasuyuki , Nakayama Tetsuo , Matuzawa Satoshi , Fukushima Kazuko , Onishi Junji , Sato Yuichiro , Nagai Kimihiro , Sameshima Hiroshi
Published: October 2018

We experienced two rare cases of metastases to the central nervous system (cerebral and leptomeningeal metastases) from primary epithelial ovarian carcinoma. The first case was a 55-year-old woman who developed carcinomatous meningitis while on chemotherapy for ovarian cancer stage IIIC. Cytological analysis confirmed carcinomatous cells of ovarian origin in the cerebrospinal fluid. Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated abnormal hyperintensity in the cerebral sulci on fluid attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) sequence with enhanced gadolinium indicating leptomeningeal metastases. Her consciousness rapidly declined and she died 42 days after diagnosis. The second case was a 63-year-old woman who underwent surgery for ovarian cancer and who was diagnosed as stage IA. Thirty-eight months after surgery, she developed weakness of the left hand and headaches. A CT scan revealed metastases to the right cerebrum and she was treated with surgical resection followed by radiotherapy. Five months after resection, she developed ileus caused by multiple relapses in the pelvis. Despite chemotherapy, her performance status declined and she died nine months after the resection. Both cases were rare because the first case was isolated leptomeningeal metastases, and the second case was confirmed relapse site in the cerebrum due to neurological symptoms despite her early clinical stage.
The Edge Connectivity of Expanded k-Ary n-Cubes
Authors: Wang Shiying , Wang Mujiangshan
Published: October 2018

Mass data processing and complex problem solving have higher and higher demands for performance of multiprocessor systems. Many multiprocessor systems have interconnection networks as underlying topologies. The interconnection network determines the performance of a multiprocessor system. The network is usually represented by a graph where nodes (vertices) represent processors and links (edges) represent communication links between processors. For the network G, two vertices u and v of G are said to be connected if there is a (u,v)-path in G. If G has exactly one component, then G is connected; otherwise G is disconnected. In the system where the processors and their communication links to each other are likely to fail, it is important to consider the fault tolerance of the network. For a connected network G=(V,E), its inverse problem is that G-F is disconnected, where F⊆V or F⊆E. The connectivity or edge connectivity is the minimum number of F. Connectivity plays an important role in measuring the fault tolerance of the network. As a topology structure of interconnection networks, the expanded k-ary n-cube XQnk has many good properties. In this paper, we prove that (1) XQnk is super edge-connected (n≥3); (2) the restricted edge connectivity of XQnk is 8n-2 (n≥3); (3) XQnk is super restricted edge-connected (n≥3).
Assessment of Urban Water Supply System Based on Query Optimization Strategy
Authors: Lu Shibao , Shang Yizi , Li Wei , Wang Zhimin
Published: October 2018

As a complicated water treatment system project, an urban water supply plays a significant role in enhancing ecological civilization construction, promoting social‐economic sustainable development, and improving the living environment of humans. This paper has the goal of improving water treatment efficiency and reducing water treatment cost based on comparative studies by applying two types of distributed database query optimization methods, including the system for a distributed database (SDD‐1) and all reduction algorithms. The approach involves the components of partial relations and deletes the database components that are unrelated to a query, using only attributes related to a query. Thereby, the realization process becomes simple, with a small amount of transmitted data. The results show that the validity and convenience of all reduction algorithms involve the whole query process. An algorithm is independent of the chart of static characteristics and can realize all reduction states without depending on analyzing the benefits from intermediate semijoin results, which will ultimately contribute to reductions in the transmission of useless data in the network and communication costs. Implementation of the query optimization strategy can improve water treatment efficiency, reduce water treatment cost, lower water treatment expense, and implement effective communication.
Intraosseous Schwannoma of the Calcaneus: A Rare Tumor of the Bone
Authors: Haberal Bahtiyar , Turkbey Simsek Duygu , Simsek Ekin Kaya
Published: October 2018

Schwannomas (also called neurilemmomas) are slow-growing nerve sheath tumors derived from Schwann cells. However, intraosseous schwannoma is a rare entity with an incidence of only 0.2% in overall primary bone tumors. The purpose of this case report is to present a case of an intraosseous schwannoma of the calcaneus. A 35-year-old woman was admitted to our outpatients’ clinics with a complaint of long-time right heel pain (for approximately eight months). After a suspicious cystic lesion was observed on the patient’s plain radiograph examination, a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed. The MRI showed a 22 × 20 mm intraosseous cystic lesion at the posterior part of the calcaneus. Extended curettage and iliac bone grafting were performed. In the presence of postoperative histopathologic and immunohistochemical examination, histopathologic diagnosis of the patient was reported as intraosseous schwannoma. After 4 weeks of nonweight-bearing, she completely recovered with no pain. In conclusion, intraosseous schwannoma of the calcaneus must be kept in mind for patients who have chronic heel pain.
Blood-Based Prediction of Tumor Relapse: The cfDNA Forecast
Authors: Siravegna Giulia , Corcoran Ryan B.
Published: October 2018

Summary: Khan and colleagues demonstrate how serial blood-based liquid biopsies integrated with imaging and mathematical modeling can accurately “forecast” the time to treatment failure in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer treated with EGFR blockade, by early detection of molecular alterations associated with drug resistance in cell-free DNA. Cancer Discov; 8(10); 1213–5. ©2018 AACR.

See related article by Khan et al., p. 1270.
Does Dietary Provision of Guanidinoacetic Acid Induce Global DNA Hypomethylation in Healthy Men and Women?
Authors: Ostojic Sergej M. , Mojsin Marija , Drid Patrik , Vranes Milan
Published: October 2018

Background/Aims: Guanidinoacetic acid (GAA) is an experimental dietary additive and has been reported to induce methyl depletion when provided by the diet. However, no study evaluated whether supplemental GAA affects DNA methylation, a critical epigenetic process for genome regulation. Methods: In this open-label, repeated-measure interventional trial, we evaluated the impact of 12 weeks of GAA supplementation on global DNA methylation in 14 healthy participants (8 women and 6 men, age 22.2 ± 2.3 years, body mass index 24.8 ± 5.7). Results: Dietary provision of GAA had no effect on global DNA methylation, with 5-methylcytosine (m5C) nonsignificantly increased by 13.4% at postadministration when averaged across participants (95% confidence interval –5.5 to 32.3; p = 0.26). Notable DNA hypomethylation (corresponding to a 5% drop in m5C) was found in 3 of 14 participants at follow-up. Conclusion: Global DNA methylation seems to be unaltered by dietary provision of 3 g of GAA per day for 12 weeks in healthy men and women.
Effect of Delayed Cord Clamping of Term Babies on Neurodevelopment at 12 Months: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Rana Nisha , KC Ashish , Målqvist Mats , Subedi Kalpana , Andersson Ola
Published: October 2018

Background: Delayed cord clamping (DCC) is associated with an improved iron status at 8 months, a reduction of anemia at 12 months, and an improved development at 4 years. Assessment of the development after DCC has not been performed earlier in a setting with a high prevalence of iron deficiency. Objective: The aim of this paper was to investigate the effects of DCC compared to early cord clamping (ECC) on the development evaluated with the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) at 12 months of age. Method: We conducted a randomized controlled trial investigating the effect of DCC (≥180 s) versus ECC (≤60 s) in 540 full-term deliveries. Twelve months after delivery, the parents reported their infant’s development by ASQ. Infants having a score < 1 standard deviation (SD) under the mean score were considered “at risk” of affected neurodevelopment. Results: At 12 months of age, 332 (61.5%) infants were assessed. Fewer children in the DCC group were “at risk” of having affected neurodevelopment measured by the ASQ total score, 21 (7.8%) versus 49 (18.1%) in the ECC group. The relative risk was 0.43 (0.26–0.71). Infants in the DCC group had higher mean total scores (SD), 290.4 (10.4) versus 287.2 (10.1), p = 0.01. Significantly fewer infants in the delayed group were “at risk” and had higher scores in the domains “communication”, “gross motor”, and “personal-social”. Conclusions: DCC after 3 min was associated with an improvement of the overall neurodevelopment assessed at 12 months of age as compared to infants in the group with cord clamping within 1 min.
The Effect of Autoantibody against M2-Muscarinic Acetylcholine Receptor in Heart Failure Patients on Digoxin Treatment
Authors: Hou Dongyan , Fan Zhenping  , Xu Lin  , Wang Hua  , Zhang Zhiyong  , Ma Guiling  , Xu Xiaorong , Wang Xin  , Zhang Juan  , Liu Jiamei  , Zhang Lin
Published: October 2018

Background: Autoantibody against M2-muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (anti-M2AChR) has a biological effect similar to a vagus agonist. Digoxin has a function of vagus nervous system stimulation. We hypothesized that anti-M2AChR is highly correlated with digoxin in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). Methods: Synthetic M2AChR peptides served as the target antigen in an ELISA were used to screen the sera of 80 CHF patients, who were separated into a negative (–) or positive (+) anti-M2AChR group according to their anti-M2AChR reactivity. Echocardiography and serum digoxin concentration (SDC) were performed at baseline and after 1 year of digoxin in combination with the standard treatment regime. The end-point events were compared over 1 year of follow-up. Results: Seventy-two CHF patients completed the final data analysis, including 32 (+)anti-M2AChR and 40 (–)anti-M2AChR patients. The resting heart rate of the positive group was higher than that of the negative group at baseline (p < 0.05; 89.0 ± 1.6 vs. 83.8 ± 1.1 bpm). Both groups showed improvement in the left ventricular end-diastolic and end-systolic dimensions and ejection fraction with digoxin in combination with the standard treatment regime for 1 year (all p < 0.01). However, the 32 patients with (–)anti-M2AChR had greater improvements than the 40 patients with (+)anti-M2AChR, and this was accompanied by a marked decrease of rehospitalization (all p < 0.01) but not of cardiovascular mortality after 1 year. The SDC of patients with (–)anti-M2AChR was significantly lower than that of patients with (+)anti-M2AChR (p < 0.05; 0.63 ± 0.05 vs.1.16 ± 0.06 ng/mL) and had a positive correlation with anti-M2AChR (r = 0.81, p < 0.001). Conclusion: These results suggested that anti-M2AChR could be a useful biomarker of vagus nerve overactivation and is associated with a poor response to digoxin treatment in CHF patients.
MARCH9 Suppresses Lung Adenocarcinoma Progression by Downregulating ICAM-1
Authors: Shen Qi-ming , Wang Hao-you , Xu Shun
Published: October 2018

Background/Aims: To investigate the clinical significance and functional mechanisms of membrane-associated RING-CH protein 9 (MARCH9) in lung adenocarcinoma (LAC). Methods: Immunohistochemistry staining was performed to explore the expression of MARCH9 in LAC tissues and adjacent normal lung tissues. Patients’ prognosis was evaluated using overall survival. The prognostic role of MARCH9 was tested with univariate and multivariate analyses. To confirm the effect of MARCH9 in cell proliferation and invasion, overexpression of MARCH9 was induced in two LAC cell lines. Cell cycle, apoptosis, migration, invasion, and immunoprecipitation experiments were performed to further explore the signaling pathways involved. Results: Analysis of a series of 143 clinical samples revealed that MARCH9 was down-regulated in tumor tissues compared with normal lung tissues, and this was closely associated with lymph node metastasis (P = 0.004). Univariate and multivariate analyses indicated that MARCH9 was an independent prognostic biomarker for LAC; low MARCH9 expression indicated poor overall survival. Cellular studies with A549 and H1299 cells demonstrated that MARCH9 can attenuate tumor migration and invasion but had little effect on cell cycle or apoptosis. Moreover, an interaction between MARCH9 and ICAM-1 protein was identified, and overexpression of MARCH9 was found to attenuate the oncogenic effect of ICAM-1, suggesting that MARCH9 may inhibit tumor progression by downregulating ICAM-1 signaling. Conclusion: MARCH9 downregulation in LAC tissues correlated with poor clinical outcomes. MARCH9 may serve as a novel biomarker and potential therapeutic target for LAC.
Criminal Responsibility for Omissions in ICTY and ICTR Jurisprudence
Authors: Peterson Ines
Published: October 2018

The present article analyses the International Criminal Tribunals for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and Rwanda (ICTR) jurisprudence on omission liability – as a perpetrator or accomplice – for crimes actively committed by others. After explaining how the Tribunals have applied the concept in relation to specific modes of liability, an in-depth assessment of the case law is undertaken with respect to relevant duties to act, the material ability to behave in accordance with such duties, the link between a failure to do so and the commission of crimes, as well as the requisite mens rea. The intellectual foundations of this form of liability remain, to a large extent, unexplored and unexplained in the jurisprudence, which sometimes even appears to treat omissions and actions as equivalent. The article addresses the potentially far-reaching implications of the Tribunals’ findings for the future and explores some of the questions yet unanswered.
Historiography and Negativity in the Paintings of Chaïm Soutine
Authors: Soussloff Catherine M.
Published: October 2018

This article addresses the theoretical dimensions of the consolidation of identity and formal expression in the historiography of the painter Chaïm Soutine (1893–1943), including the central place of his Jewish identity in it. It contends that the anormative historical archive related to Soutine and the centrality of the expressive object in the criticism on him have obscured his historiographical significance in favor of a synchronic singularity. Portraits of and by Soutine and his contemporaries will be used to offer alternative approaches to the interpretation of the artist and his paintings.
Morphological, cytological, palynological and molecular evidence on two new hybrids from Turkey: an example of homoploid hybridization in Origanum (Lamiaceae)
Authors: DİRMENCİ TUNCAY , ÖZCAN TANER , YAZICI TÜRKER , ARABACI TURAN , MARTİN ESRA
Published: October 2018

Two new hybrids of Origanum, O. ×malyeri and O. ×sevcaniae, are described and illustrated in detail. The general morphology, pollen and chromosome features, and nuclear (ITS) and chloroplast (rpl32) genomes of collected specimens were studied. Origanum ×malyeri is a hybrid between O. boissieri and O. vulgare subsp. hirtum and O. ×sevcaniae is another hybrid between O. vulgare subsp. hirtum and O. vogelii. These two new hybrids have some morphological intermediate characters between their parents. The pollen morphology of O. ×sevcaniae and its parents were studied and documented in detail using light microscopy (LM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). O. ×sevcaniae pollen is small to medium (P=18.49–21.03 µm, E=22.20–26.63 µm), suboblate (73%) to oblate (22%), the range of P/E ratio is from 0.73 to 0.85. Pollen grains are hexacolpate with granular membranes. Pollen grains were identified as bireticulate exine ornamentation with scanning electron microscopy examinations. The somatic chromosome number of O. boissieri, O. vulgare subsp. hirtum, O. vogelii, and O. ×sevcaniae were counted as 2n = 30. Pollen characters and somatic chromosome numbers of O. ×malyeri could not be examined because it has only female flowers and has not any nutlets. Also, according to molecular results, O. ×malyeri and O. ×sevcaniae have some polymorphic nucleotide regions in their nuclear ITS genomes and which means they have two different DNA dataset belonging to their parents. Also, some individuals of O. ×sevcaniae parents have single nucleotide polymorphism, too. These individuals live together with their hybrids and hybridization is probably a continuing process in that hybrid swarms. These present results support previous reports for the speciation of Origanum members via hybridization.
Three new earthworm species of the tokioensis-group in the genus Amynthas (Oligochaeta: Megascolecidae) from Guangxi Province, China
Authors: JIANG JI-BAO , DONG YAN , YUAN ZHU , QIU JIANG-PING
Published: October 2018

Three new species of the genus Amynthas are described from Guangxi Province, China. They are named A. dissimilis sp. nov., A. anteporus sp. nov. and A. marsupiformis sp. nov. All of them have two pairs of spermathecal pores in 6/7–7/8, and belong to the tokioensis-group. Their morphological characteristics are compared to similar species in tokioensis-group from China and other Asian countries. In addition, the mitochondrial COI and 12S-tRNA-Val-16S sequence of three new species were determined, then pairwise distances between species were calculated. Both morphological and molecular evidences could easily distinguish the new species from earthworms previously reported in the tokioensis-group.
Earthworm species in public parks in Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
Authors: FERREIRA TALITA , SANTOS ALESSANDRA , DEMETRIO WILIAN C. , CARDOSO GUILHERME B.X. , MORAES RAFAEL , ASSIS ORLANDO , NIVA CINTIA , SMOKANIT MANOELA , KNÓPIK JULIANE , SAUTTER KLAUS D. , BROWN GEORGE G. , BARTZ MARIE L.C.
Published: October 2018

Earthworms are important macroinvertebrates that provide soil ecosystem services and are also useful environmental bioindicators. Urban areas around the world have major impacts on biodiversity and the objective of the present study was to assess the role of urban parks of Curitiba, Paraná State, in preserving native earthworm species. Earthworm populations were sampled in five parks (Barigui, Tingui, Barreirinha, Passaúna and the Botanic Garden), in two land use systems (grass lawns and secondary forest fragments) in two seasons, summer (November 2013) and winter (June 2014). A total of twelve earthworm species were identified, belonging to six families: Glossoscolex sp.1, Fimoscolex sp.1, sp.2 and sp.3 (Glossoscolecidae), Pontoscolex corethrurus (Rhinodrilidae), Eukerria tucumana (Ocnerodrilidae), Amynthas gracilis, Amynthas corticis, Metaphire californica (Megascolecidae), Aporrectodea rosea and Lumbricus rubellus (Lumbricidae), the latter being the first record for this species in Brazil. In addition, a single unidentified juvenile Dichogaster sp. (Acanthodrilidae) was found. Four new species were found and three out of five urban parks of Curitiba (especially the Botanic Garden) were able to preserve native species, though their abundance was low and exotic species (n=8) predominated, attributed to human disturbance that favors invasion and colonization of exotic earthworms.
Morphological and molecular distinction of two Fridericia species (Clitellata, Enchytraeidae) having same spermatheca type
Authors: NAGY HAJNALKA , FELFÖLDI TAMÁS , DÓZSA-FARKAS KLÁRA
Published: October 2018

One enchytraeid species, proved to be new to science, is described in this paper as Fridericia ventrochaetosa sp. nov. The new species is distinguished from similar species, especially from F. galba (Hoffmeister, 1843), which has almost the same type of spermatheca, on the basis of morphological characters and molecular data (nuclear ribosomal ITS region, mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I and nuclear histone 3 gene sequences). Apart form the new species, GenBank reference sequences are provided for the first time for F. hegemon and F. regularis. The results show that, although the shape of the spermatheca is a very important marker in the case of Fridericia species, other characters can be equally important for their taxonomic identification.
A Hypothesis for the Intensification of Tropical Cyclones under Moderate Vertical Wind Shear
Authors: Rios-Berrios Rosimar , Davis Christopher A. , Torn Ryan D.
Published: October 2018

A major open issue in tropical meteorology is how and why some tropical cyclones intensify under moderate vertical wind shear. This study tackles that issue by diagnosing physical processes of tropical cyclone intensification in a moderately sheared environment using a 20-member ensemble of idealized simulations. Consistent with previous studies, the ensemble shows that the onset of intensification largely depends on the timing of vortex tilt reduction and symmetrization of precipitation. A new contribution of this work is a process-based analysis following a shear-induced midtropospheric vortex with its associated precipitation. This analysis shows that tilt reduction and symmetrization precede intensification because those processes are associated with a substantial increase in near-surface vertical mass fluxes and equivalent potential temperature. A vorticity budget demonstrates that the increased near-surface vertical mass fluxes aid intensification via near-surface stretching of absolute vorticity and free-tropospheric tilting of horizontal vorticity. Importantly, tilt reduction happens because of a vortex merger process—not because of advective vortex alignment—that yields a single closed circulation over a deep layer. Vortex merger only happens after the midtropospheric vortex reaches upshear left, where the flow configuration favors near-surface vortex stretching, deep updrafts, and a substantial reduction of low-entropy fluxes. These results lead to the hypothesis that intensification under moderate shear happens if and when a “restructuring” process is completed, after which a closed circulation favors persistent vorticity spinup and recirculating warm, moist air parcels.
Adopting an External Focus of Attention Enhances Musical Performance
Authors: Mornell Adina , Wulf Gabriele
Published: October 2018

Two experiments are reported in which skilled musicians playing different instruments performed a piece of their choice under various attentional focus conditions. In the external focus condition, they were asked to focus on playing for the audience and the expressive sound of the music. In the internal focus condition, they were asked to focus on the precision of their finger movements (or lip movements for singers) and correct notes. In the control condition, they were asked to play the way they normally did. Expert raters evaluated the musicians’ performances for both musical expression and technical precision. In Experiment 1, external focus instructions enhanced musical expression relative to both internal focus and control conditions. There was no effect on technical precision. In Experiment 2, raters were given more detailed evaluation criteria. An external focus again led to superior musical expression compared with internal focus and control conditions. In addition, technical precision was higher within the external relative to the internal focus condition. The findings show that the advantages of focusing on the intended movement effect (i.e., externally) generalize to experienced musicians. Music teachers could offer their students specific recommendations for focus of attention during training and in concert situations to optimize learning and performance.
Stable super-hydrophobic lauryl methacrylate film fabrication on the surface of cotton fabrics in plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition with different duty cycles
Authors: Xu Liyun , Wang Wei , Deng Jiawen , Guo Ying , Zhang Ruiyun , Yu Jianyong , Ji Feng
Published: October 2018

In this paper, stable super-hydrophobic lauryl methacrylate (LMA) film on the surface of cotton fabrics was fabricated by a simple process of pulsed plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) with different duty cycles. The influence of duty cycles on the surface structure and properties of cotton fabrics was analyzed after a series of measurements. The results showed that water contact angles (WCAs) of samples were inversely proportional to the duty cycle values and exhibited the highest WCA (162°) at a duty cycle of 2%. The optimized washing durability of samples was obtained under the treatment of duty cycle of 25% and the WCA could still reach 127° after 15 laundering cycles. The formation of a micro-nano-composite structure and evenness of film could be observed by atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Nevertheless, the sample, which was treated by plasma with a 25% duty cycle, had the best uniformity of film deposition. The results of attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy illustrated that the LMA monomer was grafted and deposited on the surface of cotton fabrics successfully in covalent binding after PECVD treatment, and this was supposed to be the cause of the washing stability of the films. The results indicated that cotton fabrics modified with the proposed method can exhibit excellent super-hydrophobicity and washing durability, while the duty cycle was an appreciable effect factor in the modification.