bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Motivational intensity modulates the effects of positive emotions on set shifting after controlling physiological arousal
Authors: Zhou Ya , Siu Angela F. Y.
Published: October 2015

Recent research on the construct of emotion suggests the integration of a motivational dimension into the traditional two‐dimension (subjective valence and physiological arousal) model. The motivational intensity of an emotional state should be taken into account while investigating the emotion‐cognition relationship. This study examined how positive emotional states varying in motivational intensity influenced set shifting, after controlling the potential confounding impacts of physiological arousal. In Experiment 1, 155 volunteers performed a set‐shifting task after being randomly assigned to five states: high‐ vs. low‐motivating positive affect (interest vs. serenity), high‐ vs. low‐motivating negative affect (disgust vs. anxiety), and neutral state. Eighty‐five volunteers participated in Experiment 2, which further examined the effects of higher vs. lower degree of interest. Both experiments measured and compared participants' physiological arousal (blood pressure and pulse rate) under the normal and experimental conditions as the covariate. Results showed no difference in switching performance between the neutral and serenity groups. As compared with the neutral state, the high‐motivating positive affect significantly increased set‐switching reaction time costs, but reduced error rate costs; the higher the motivational intensity, the greater the time‐costs impairment. This indicates a role of the high‐motivating positive affect in regulating the balance between the flexible and stable cognitive control. Motivational intensity also modulated the effects of negative emotional states, i.e., disgust caused a larger increase in time costs than anxiety. Further exploration into neurobiological mechanisms that may mediate the emotional effects on set shifting is warranted.
The August Krogh Institute: Capillaries and beyond
Authors: Sjøgaard G.
Published: October 2015

Bengt Saltin knew very well the history and work of the giants whose shoulders he was standing upon, such as August Krogh and Johannes Lindhard. He was basically a physiologist interested in physical activity and exercise, particularly in the cardiovascular and muscular responses. Some of his major original contributions were (a) the human muscle model in terms of the one‐legged, knee extensor quantifying work by the high‐precision Krogh ergometer and, using this, challenging Krogh's proposed autoregulation of capillary blood flow during exercise; (b) the electrolyte fluxes quantification on an intra‐ and extra‐cellular level in human muscle during exercise to reveal such changes as possible fatigue mechanisms; and (c) the evidence presented that underlined the health‐enhancing effect of physical exercise training from bedside to workplace.
The epidemiology of injuries in powerlifting at the London 2012 Paralympic Games: An analysis of 1411 athlete‐days
Authors: Willick S. E , Cushman D. M. , Blauwet C. A. , Emery C. , Webborn N. , Derman W. , Schwellnus M. , Stomphorst J. , Van de Vliet P.
Published: October 2015

Sport injury epidemiology has received increased recognition as a field of sport medicine research that can improve the health and safety of athletes. Injuries among Paralympic powerlifters have not previously been systematically studied. The purpose of this prospective cohort study was to characterize injuries among Paralympic powerlifters. Athletes competing in the sport of powerlifting were followed over the 7‐day competition period of the 2012 London Paralympic Games. The main outcome measurements were injury incidence rate (IR; number of injuries per 1000 athlete‐days) and injury incidence proportion (IP; injuries per 100 athletes). A total of 38 injuries among 163 powerlifters were documented. The overall IR was 33.3 injuries/1000 athlete‐days (95% CI 24.0–42.6) and the overall IP was 23.3 injuries per 100 athletes (95% CI 16.8–29.8). The majority of injuries were chronic overuse injuries (61%). The most commonly injured anatomical region was the shoulder/clavicle (32% of all injuries), followed by the chest (13%) and elbow (13%). The information obtained in this study opens the door for future study into the mechanisms and details of injuries into powerlifters with physical impairments.
Economic Vulnerability and Political Responses to International Pressure: Liechtenstein, Switzerland and the Struggle for Banking Secrecy
Authors: Eggenberger Katrin , Emmenegger Patrick
Published: October 2015

After doggedly opposing any increase in exchange of information on tax matters for several decades, both Liechtenstein and Switzerland have made significant concessions over recent years. However, the two countries have reacted rather differently to international pressure: while Liechtenstein has adopted a more proactive approach, offering far‐reaching bilateral deals to several major economies, Switzerland has been slow to react to international pressure, despite calls for a more proactive strategy by its financial services industry. We suggest that these differences have a range of causes; in Liechtenstein, in particular, the pressure was more evenly distributed, thus allowing the financial services industry to close ranks and use its privileged access to the government to shape the government's response decisively. By contrast, there was internal division in the Swiss financial services industry and it was soon on the back foot in public debate, eventually losing control over the issue.
Implementation of 350–2500 nm diffuse reflectance spectroscopy and High‐Performance Thin‐Layer Chromatography to rapidly assess manufacturing consistency and quality of cotrimoxazole tablets in Tanzania
Authors: Kaale Eliangiringa , Hope Samuel M. , Jenkins David , Layloff Thomas
Published: October 2015

Objective

To assess the quality of cotrimoxazole tablets produced by a Tanzanian manufacturer by a newly instituted quality assurance programme.

Methods

Tablets underwent a diffuse reflectance spectroscopy procedure with periodic quality assessment confirmation by assay and dissolution testing using validated HPTLC techniques (including weight variation and disintegration evaluations).

Results

Based on results from the primary test methods, the first group of product was <80% compliant, whereas subsequent groups reached >99% compliance.

Conclusions

This approach provides a model for rapidly assuring product quality of future procurements of other products that is more cost‐effective than traditional pharmaceutical testing techniques.
RopGEF2 is involved in ABA‐suppression of seed germination and post‐germination growth of Arabidopsis
Authors: Zhao Shujuan , Wu Yuxuan , He Yuqing , Wang Yarui , Xiao Jun , Li Lin , Wang Yanping , Chen Xi , Xiong Wei , Wu Yan
Published: October 2015

The involvement of Rho of Plants (ROP) GTPases in abscisic acid (ABA) signalling in Arabidopsis has been demonstrated in many studies. However, the roles of RopGEFs (Rop guanine nucleotide exchange factors), which modulate ROP activities in ABA signalling, are poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that RopGEF2 may play a negative role in ABA‐suppressed seed germination and post‐germination growth. We show that disruption of RopGEF2 enhances sensitivity to exogenous ABA in seed germination assays and that RopGEF2pro‐GUS is mainly expressed in developing embryos and germinating seeds. Interestingly, YFP‐RopGEF2 is located in both the cytoplasmic region and in mitochondria. Notably, the PRONE2 (plant‐specific ROP nucleotide exchanger 2) domain of RopGEF2 is detected in mitochondria, whereas the N‐terminus of RopGEF2 is shown to be in the cytosol. After ABA treatment, degradation of RopGEF2 is triggered in the cytosol through the ubiquitin‐26S proteasome system. The binding of RopGEF2 to ROP2, ROP6 or ROP10, which has been demonstrated to be involved in ABA signalling, not only alters the localization of RopGEF2 but also enables RopGEF2 to escape degradation in the cell. Thus, in this study, we deduce a sophisticated mechanism of ABA‐mediated RopGEF2‐ROP signalling, which potentially implicates the inactivation of ROPs in responsiveness to ABA.
HSV‐1 Glycoproteins Are Delivered to Virus Assembly Sites Through Dynamin‐Dependent Endocytosis
Authors: Albecka Anna , Laine Romain F. , Janssen Anne F.J. , Kaminski Clemens F. , Crump Colin M.
Published: October 2015

Herpes simplex virus‐1 (HSV‐1) is a large enveloped DNA virus that belongs to the family of Herpesviridae. It has been recently shown that the cytoplasmic membranes that wrap the newly assembled capsids are endocytic compartments derived from the plasma membrane. Here, we show that dynamin‐dependent endocytosis plays a major role in this process. Dominant‐negative dynamin and clathrin adaptor AP180 significantly decrease virus production. Moreover, inhibitors targeting dynamin and clathrin lead to a decreased transport of glycoproteins to cytoplasmic capsids, confirming that glycoproteins are delivered to assembly sites via endocytosis. We also show that certain combinations of glycoproteins colocalize with each other and with the components of clathrin‐dependent and ‐independent endocytosis pathways. Importantly, we demonstrate that the uptake of neutralizing antibodies that bind to glycoproteins when they become exposed on the cell surface during virus particle assembly leads to the production of non‐infectious HSV‐1. Our results demonstrate that transport of viral glycoproteins to the plasma membrane prior to endocytosis is the major route by which these proteins are localized to the cytoplasmic virus assembly compartments. This highlights the importance of endocytosis as a major protein‐sorting event during HSV‐1 envelopment.
VEGFR2 Trafficking, Signaling and Proteolysis is Regulated by the Ubiquitin Isopeptidase USP8
Authors: Smith Gina A. , Fearnley Gareth W. , Abdul‐Zani Izma , Wheatcroft Stephen B. , Tomlinson Darren C. , Harrison Michael A. , Ponnambalam Sreenivasan
Published: October 2015

Vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF‐A) regulates many aspects of vascular function. VEGF‐A binding to vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2) stimulates endothelial signal transduction and regulates multiple cellular responses. Activated VEGFR2 undergoes ubiquitination but the enzymes that regulate this post‐translational modification are unclear. In this study, the de‐ubiquitinating enzyme, USP8, is shown to regulate VEGFR2 trafficking, de‐ubiquitination, proteolysis and signal transduction. USP8‐depleted endothelial cells displayed altered VEGFR2 ubiquitination and production of a unique VEGFR2 extracellular domain proteolytic fragment caused by VEGFR2 accumulation in the endosome–lysosome system. In addition, perturbed VEGFR2 trafficking impaired VEGF‐A‐stimulated signal transduction in USP8‐depleted cells. Thus, regulation of VEGFR2 ubiquitination and de‐ubiquitination has important consequences for the endothelial cell response and vascular physiology.
Estimates of Ad Valorem Equivalents of Barriers Against Foreign Suppliers of Services in Eleven Services Sectors and 103 Countries
Authors: Jafari Yaghoob , Tarr David G.
Published: October 2015

A new database on the barriers faced by foreign suppliers of services has been produced by the World Bank. Data for 103 countries are available on eleven of the most important services sectors in international trade. To date, however, these data have not been converted into ad valorem equivalents. Based on these data, and building on the methodology and publications supported by the Australian Productivity Commission, we produce estimates of the ad valorem equivalents of the barriers for all these sectors and countries. Compared with estimates available in the literature that are based on assessments of country and sector‐specific barriers to services providers, our estimates expand the set of sectors and more than triple the set of countries for which estimates of the ad valorem equivalents of the services barriers are available.
ULTRASONOGRAPHIC FINDINGS IN 13 HORSES WITH LYMPHOMA
Authors: Janvier Valentin , Evrard Laurence , Cerri Simona , Gougnard Alexandra , Busoni Valeria
Published: October 2015

Ultrasonography and radiography are commonly used for staging of lymphoma in horses, however there is little published information on imaging characteristics for horses with confirmed disease. The purpose of this retrospective, case series study was to describe ultrasonographic and radiographic findings for a group of horses with a confirmed diagnosis of lymphoma. A total of 13 horses were sampled. Lymphadenopathy (8/13), peritoneal effusion (6/13), splenic (6/13), and hepatic (5/13) lesions were the most frequently identified. The predominant splenic and hepatic ultrasonographic lesions were hypoechoic nodules, organomegaly, and changes in echogenicity. Digestive tract lesions were detected in three horses and these included focal thickening and decreased echogenicity of the small (2/13) and large intestinal (2/13) wall. Thoracic lesions were predominantly pleural effusion (4/13), lymphadenopathy (4/13), and lung parenchymal changes (3/13). Enlarged lymph nodes were detected radiographically (4/13) and/or ultrasonographically (2/13) in the thorax and ultrasonographically in the abdomen (7/13) and in the caudal cervical region (4/13). Findings supported the use of abdominal and thoracic ultrasonography for lymphoma staging in horses. Ultrasound landmarks for localizing cecal and caudal deep cervical lymph nodes were also provided.
Sex‐based differences in endurance exercise muscle metabolism: impact on exercise and nutritional strategies to optimize health and performance in women
Authors: Devries Michaela C.
Published: October 2015

New Findings

What is the topic of this review?

The topic is how sex influences carbohydrate and fat metabolism during exercise and whether this influences adaptation to nutritional and exercise regimens aiming to improve health and performance.

What advances does it highlight?

Women respond differently to certain nutritional and training regimens aimed at improving health and performance. Few studies have included women in trials and thus we are unsure how women respond to nutritional and training strategies aimed at improving health and performance.

Sex‐based differences in substrate metabolism during moderate‐intensity endurance exercise (END) have been well established. Specifically, during END of the same relative intensity women have a lower respiratory exchange ratio than men, indicative of a lesser reliance on carbohydrate oxidation to support fuel requirements for exercise. In fact, compared with men, women show a lesser reliance on both liver and muscle glycogen during END. Sex‐based differences in intramyocellular lipid (IMCL) utilization during END are controversial. However, women have a larger depot of IMCL available to support END fuel needs and a greater percentage of IMCL in contact with mitochondria after a bout of END compared with men, suggestive of a greater capacity to use IMCL. These sex‐based differences in metabolism during END are known to be mediated by oestrogen. Despite the well‐recognized sexual dimorphisms in substrate metabolism during END, there is a paucity of research examining the effects of exercise and nutritional regimens aimed to enhance performance and/or health in women. Furthermore, the evidence that does exist is suggestive of discordance in the effectiveness of nutritional and exercise regimens between the sexes. The focus of this review is to provide an overview of the well‐established sex‐based differences in metabolism during END and how they relate to the physiological responses to nutritional and exercise strategies intended to improve exercise performance and/or health.
An Effective Approach for Optimization of a Composite Intramedullary Nail for Treating Femoral Shaft Fractures
Authors: Samiezadeh Saeid , Tavakkoli Avval Pouria , Fawaz Zouheir , Bougherara Habiba
Published: October 2015

The high stiffness of conventional intramedullary (IM) nails may result in stress shielding and subsequent bone loss following healing in long bone fractures. It can also delay union by reducing compressive loads at the fracture site, thereby inhibiting secondary bone healing. This paper introduces a new approach for the optimization of a fiber-reinforced composite nail made of carbon fiber (CF)/epoxy based on a combination of the classical laminate theory, beam theory, finite-element (FE) method, and bone remodeling model using irreversible thermodynamics. The optimization began by altering the composite stacking sequence and thickness to minimize axial stiffness, while maximizing torsional stiffness for a given range of bending stiffnesses. The selected candidates for the seven intervals of bending stiffness were then examined in an experimentally validated FE model to evaluate their mechanical performance in transverse and oblique femoral shaft fractures. It was found that the composite nail having an axial stiffness of 3.70 MN and bending and torsional stiffnesses of 70.3 and 70.9 N⋅m2, respectively, showed an overall superiority compared to the other configurations. It increased compression at the fracture site by 344.9 N (31%) on average, while maintaining fracture stability through an average increase of only 0.6 mm (49%) in fracture shear movement in transverse and oblique fractures when compared to a conventional titanium-alloy nail. The long-term results obtained from the bone remodeling model suggest that the proposed composite IM nail reduces bone loss in the femoral shaft from 7.9% to 3.5% when compared to a conventional titanium-alloy nail. This study proposes a number of practical guidelines for the design of composite IM nails.
Temporal characteristics of Punjabi word-medial singletons and geminates
Authors: Hussain Qandeel
Published: October 2015

Many studies have investigated the temporal characteristics of the word-medial singletons and geminates in Indo-Aryan languages. However, little is known about the acoustic cues distinguishing between the word-medial singletons and geminates of Punjabi. The present study examines the temporal characteristics of Punjabi word-medial singleton and geminate stops in a C1V1C2V2 template. The results from five Punjabi speakers showed that, unlike previous studies of Indo-Aryan languages, the durations of C2 and V2 are the most important acoustic correlates of singleton and geminate stops in Punjabi. These findings therefore point towards the cross-linguistic differences in the acoustic correlates of singletons and geminates.
Functional Analysis of the Exocyst Subunit Sec15 in Candida albicans
Authors: Chavez-Dozal Alba A. , Bernardo Stella M. , Rane Hallie S. , Lee Samuel A.
Published: October 2015

In prior studies of exocyst-mediated late secretion in
Candida albicans
, we have determined that Sec6 contributes to cell wall integrity, secretion, and filamentation. A conditional mutant lacking
SEC6
expression exhibits markedly reduced lateral hyphal branching. In addition, lack of the related t-SNAREs Sso2 and Sec9 also leads to defects in secretion and filamentation. To further understand the role of the exocyst in the fundamental processes of polarized secretion and filamentation in
C. albicans
, we studied the exocyst subunit Sec15. Since
Saccharomyces cerevisiae SEC15
is essential for viability, we generated a
C. albicans
conditional mutant strain in which
SEC15
was placed under the control of a tetracycline-regulated promoter. In the repressed state, cell death occurred after 5 h in the tetR-SEC15 strain. Prior to this time point, the tetR-SEC15 mutant was markedly defective in Sap and lipase secretion and demonstrated increased sensitivity to Zymolyase and chitinase. Notably, tetR-SEC15 mutant hyphae were characterized by a hyperbranching phenotype, in direct contrast to strain tetR-SEC6, which had minimal lateral branching. We further studied the localization of the Spitzenkörper, polarisomes, and exocysts in the tetR-SEC15 and tetR-SEC6 mutants during filamentation. Mlc1-GFP (marking the Spitzenkörper), Spa2-GFP (the polarisome), and Exo70-GFP (exocyst) localizations were normal in the tetR-SEC6 mutant, whereas these structures were mislocalized in the tetR-SEC15 mutant. Following alleviation of gene repression by removing doxycycline, first Spitzenkörper, then polarisome, and finally exocyst localizations were recovered sequentially. These results indicate that the exocyst subunits Sec15 and Sec6 have distinct roles in mediating polarized secretion and filamentation in
C. albicans
.
Measurement in the angiography suite: evaluation of vessel sizing techniques
Authors: Yang Pengfei , Schafer Sebastian , Royalty Kevin , Ahmed Azam , Niemann David , Strother Charles
Published: October 2015

Background

Accurate vessel size measurement is important for neurointervention. Modern angiographic equipment offers various two-dimensional (2D) and 3D measurement methods that have not been systematically evaluated for accuracy and reliability.

Objective

To evaluate these methods using anthropomorphic vessel phantoms.

Materials and methods

Tubing of known sizes (2–5 mm, 1 mm increments) was embedded in 3D-printed skulls to simulate the middle cerebral artery, internal carotid artery, and basilar artery. Each phantom was imaged to gain 3D DSA, 2D DSA, and DynaCT images. Three identical measurement locations were identified on each simulated vessel. Eight measurement methods (four 2D, three 3D, and one DynaCT) were evaluated. Measurements were performed by three independent experienced users on three separate occasions. Intraclass correlation and independent non-parametric analysis were carried out to evaluate the reliability and accuracy of these measurement methods.

Results

Better reliability was noted for the automatic measurement methods than for the corresponding manual measurement methods. The mean differences with the ground truth for all methods ranged from −0.12 to 0.03 with small SEs (0.02–0.03) and SDs (0.10–0.18). The smallest absolute mean differences were achieved in two automatic measurement methods based on 2D manual calibration and 3D images. In comparison with these two methods, results of measurements based on 2D autocalibration were statistically different.

Conclusions

In our study, automatic analysis using 3D or 2D was the preferred measurement method. Manual calibration on 2D angiograms is necessary to improve the measurement accuracy. It is not known how our results may pertain to other angiographic systems.
MLVA typing of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae bacterins and field strains
Authors: Tamiozzo P. , Zamora R. , Lucchesi P. M. A. , Estanguet A. , Parada J. , Carranza A. , Camacho P. , Ambrogi A.
Published: October 2015

Because of the lack of information about both the genetic characteristics of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae commercial vaccines and their relationship with field strains, the authors attempted to identify genetic subtypes of some M hyopneumoniae bacterins, and to compare them with M. hyopneumoniae field strains. Six commercial M hyopneumoniae bacterins and 28 bronchoalveolar lavages from pigs at slaughter from three herds were analysed by Multiple‐Locus Variable number tandem repeat Analysis (MLVA) on p146R1, p146R3, H4, H5 and p95 loci. The results obtained showed the presence of more than one M hyopneumoniae genotype in some pigs and also in one of the bacterins analysed. It is also worth noting that MLVA typing allowed the distinction among circulating field strains and also when comparing them with vaccine strains, which, knowing the relatedness among them, could be useful in the research of the efficacy of the vaccines.
The responses of phytoplankton communities to elevated CO2 show seasonal variations in the highly eutrophic Lake Taihu
Authors: Shi Xiaoli , Zhao Xuhui , Zhang Min , Yang Zhou , Xu Ping , Kong Fanxiang
Published: October 2015

From April 2012 to January 2013 (over four seasons), in situ microcosm experiments were conducted in Lake Taihu, perturbed over a range of pCO2 scenarios (270, 380, and 750 μatm; 1 atm = 101.325 kPa). The influence of CO2 level on microcosms was greatest during the spring because of the high growth rate of phytoplankton. In this season, rising CO2 levels caused a pH reduction, and the maximum reduction was 0.6 units when CO2 level was enhanced from the present level to 750 μatm. The doubling of CO2 level could increase the net primary production (NPP) by 65% during spring when the concentrations of other nutrients were maintained. The rise of NPP could cause a decline of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) concentration, and CO2 enrichment might mitigate the extent of this decline. Meanwhile, higher CO2 may slow or prevent a loss of diversity of phytoplankton in microcosms in this season. During the other three seasons, Microcystis predominated, and the percentage of cyanobacteria did not alter with the change of CO2. We did not observe a significant increase in the abundance of any taxa with the rise of CO2 during the in situ microcosm experiments.
Elementary modes of coupled oscillators as whispering-gallery microresonators
Authors: Banerjee Rabin , Mukherjee Pradip
Published: October 2015

We obtain the elementary modes of a system of parity-time reversal (PT)-symmetric coupled oscillators with balanced loss and gain. These modes are used to give a physical picture of the phase transition recently reported [C. M. Bender, M. Gianfreda, B. Peng, S. K. Özdemir and L. Yang, Phys. Rev. A 88, 062111 (2013); L. Yang, S. K. Özdemir and B. Peng, 12th Int. Workshop and Conf. Pseudo-Hermitian Hamiltonians in Quantum Physics, Istanbul, Turkey, July 2013; B. Peng, S. K. Özdemir, F. Lei, F. Monifi, M. Gianfreda, G. L. Long, S. Fan, F. Nori, C. M. Bender and L. Yang, Nat. Phys. 10, 394 (2014)] in experiments with whispering-gallery microresonators.
Dark matter balls help supernovae to explode
Authors: Froggatt C. D. , Nielsen H. B.
Published: October 2015

As a solution to the well-known problem that the shock wave potentially responsible for the explosion of a supernova actually tends to stall, we propose a new energy source arising from our model for dark matter. Our earlier model proposed that dark matter should consist of cm-large white dwarf-like objects kept together by a skin separating two different sorts of vacua. These dark matter balls or pearls will collect in the middle of any star throughout its lifetime. At some stage during the development of a supernova, the balls will begin to take in neutrons and then other surrounding material. By passing into a ball nucleons fall through a potential of order 10 MeV, causing a severe production of heat — of order 10 foe for a solar mass of material eaten by the balls. The temperature in the iron core will thereby be raised, splitting up the iron into smaller nuclei. This provides a mechanism for reviving the shock wave when it arrives and making the supernova explosion really occur. The onset of the heating due to the dark matter balls would at first stop the collapse of the supernova progenitor. This opens up the possibility of there being two collapses giving two neutrino outbursts, as apparently seen in the supernova SN1987A — one in Mont Blanc and one 4 h 43 min later in both IMB and Kamiokande.
Dielectric studies of environmentally friendly and flexible lignocelluloses fibrils for miniaturization of patch antenna
Authors: Razaq Aamir , Khan Asim Ali , Asif M. H. , Iqbal Shahid , Ali Jawad , Manzoor Faisal , Awan M. S.
Published: October 2015

Naturally, existing lignocelluloses fibers showed outstanding potential in paper industry and other conventional applications. On the other hand, lignocellulose fibers are suitable candidate for high-tech applications under the scope of abundance, flexibility, light-weight and environment friendliness. In this study, paper sheets were prepared from lignocelluloses fibers extracted from self-growing plant, typha angustifolia. Lignocelluloses paper sheets were characterized for scanning electron microscopy (SEM), universal testing machine (UTM) and vector network analyzer (VNA). Flexible paper sheets displayed a tensile strength of 9.1 MPa and further used as a substrate in patch antenna to observe dielectric characteristics. The patch antenna is designed at 5.1 GHz which showed return loss less than −10 dB and dielectric constant 3.71. The use of lignocelluloses paper sheet as a substrate in patch antenna will provide the opportunity of miniaturization of size and weight in comparison of a jean substrate based antenna.
The third way to 3D gravity
Authors: Bergshoeff Eric , Merbis Wout , Routh Alasdair J. , Townsend Paul K.
Published: October 2015

Consistency of Einstein’s gravitational field equation [Formula: see text] imposes a “conservation condition” on the [Formula: see text]-tensor that is satisfied by (i) matter stress tensors, as a consequence of the matter equations of motion and (ii) identically by certain other tensors, such as the metric tensor. However, there is a third way, overlooked until now because it implies a “nongeometrical” action: one not constructed from the metric and its derivatives alone. The new possibility is exemplified by the 3D “minimal massive gravity” model, which resolves the “bulk versus boundary” unitarity problem of topologically massive gravity with Anti-de Sitter asymptotics. Although all known examples of the third way are in three spacetime dimensions, the idea is general and could, in principle, apply to higher dimensional theories.
Complete structure of the Fučík spectrum of the p-Laplacian with integrable potentials on an interval
Authors: Chen Wei , Chu Jifeng , Yan Ping , Zhang Meirong
Published: October 2015

To characterize the complete structure of the Fučík spectrum of the [Formula: see text]-Laplacian on higher dimensional domains is a long-standing problem. In this paper, we study the [Formula: see text]-Laplacian with integrable potentials on an interval under the Dirichlet or the Neumann boundary conditions. Based on the strong continuity and continuous differentiability of solutions in potentials, we will give a comprehensive characterization of the corresponding Fučík spectra: each of them is composed of two trivial lines and a double-sequence of differentiable, strictly decreasing, hyperbolic-like curves; all asymptotic lines of these spectral curves are precisely described by using eigenvalues of the [Formula: see text]-Laplacian with potentials; and moreover, all these spectral curves have strong continuity in potentials, i.e. as potentials vary in the weak topology, these spectral curves are continuously dependent on potentials in a certain sense.
On a fractional degenerate Kirchhoff-type problem
Authors: Molica Bisci Giovanni , Vilasi Luca
Published: October 2015

In this paper, we study a highly nonlocal parametric problem involving a fractional-type operator combined with a Kirchhoff-type coefficient. The latter is allowed to vanish at the origin (degenerate case). Our approach is of variational nature; by working in suitable fractional Sobolev spaces which encode Dirichlet homogeneous boundary conditions, and exploiting an abstract critical point theorem for smooth functionals, we derive the existence of at least three weak solutions to our problem for suitable values of the parameters. Finally, we provide a concrete estimate of the range of these parameters in the autonomous case, by using some properties of the fractional calculus on a specific family of test functions. This estimate turns out to be deeply related to the geometry of the domain. The methods adopted here can be exploited to study different classes of elliptic problems in presence of a degenerate nonlocal term.
Permutation Min-Entropy and Statistical Complexity Analysis of Electricity Spot Price
Authors: Fan Qingju , Li Dan
Published: October 2015

In this study, we investigate the subtle temporal dynamics of California 1999–2000 spot price series based on permutation min-entropy (PME) and complexity-entropy causality plane. The dynamical transitions of price series are captured and the temporal correlations of price series are also discriminated by the recently introduced PME. Moreover, utilizing the CECP, we provide a refined classification of the monthly price dynamics and obtain an insight into the stochastic nature of price series. The results uncover that the spot price signal presents diverse temporal correlations and exhibits a higher stochastic behavior during the periods of crisis.
On categorical equivalence of finite rings
Authors: Kaarli Kalle , Košik Oleg , Waldhauser Tamás
Published: October 2015

We reduce the problem of categorical equivalence for finite rings to the case of rings of prime power characteristics. It is proved that categorically equivalent rings of coprime characteristics must be semisimple. The categorical equivalence problem for finite semisimple rings is completely solved.
Data-Aware Vaccine Allocation Over Large Networks
Authors: Zhang Yao , Prakash B. Aditya
Published: October 2015

Given a graph, like a social/computer network or the blogosphere, in which an infection (or meme or virus) has been spreading for some time, how to select thekbest nodes for immunization/quarantining immediately? Most previous works for controlling propagation (say via immunization) have concentrated on developing strategies for vaccinationpreemptivelybefore the start of the epidemic. While very useful to provide insights in to which baseline policies can best control an infection, they may not be ideal to makereal-timedecisions as the infection is progressing.

In this paper, we study how to immunize healthy nodes, in the presence of already infected nodes. Efficient algorithms for such a problem can help public-health experts make more informed choices, tailoring their decisions to the actual distribution of the epidemic on the ground. First we formulate theData-Aware Vaccinationproblem, and prove it is NP-hard and also that it is hard to approximate. Secondly, we propose three effective polynomial-time heuristics DAVA, DAVA-prune and DAVA-fast, of varying degrees of efficiency and performance. Finally, we also demonstrate the scalability and effectiveness of our algorithms through extensive experiments on multiple real networks including large epidemiology datasets (containing millions of interactions). Our algorithms show substantial gains of up toten timesmore healthy nodes at the end against many other intuitive and nontrivial competitors.
Roles of store-operated Ca2+channels in regulating cell cycling and migration of human cardiac c-kit+progenitor cells
Authors: Che Hui , Li Gang , Sun Hai-Ying , Xiao Guo-Sheng , Wang Yan , Li Gui-Rong
Published: October 2015

Cardiac c-kit+progenitor cells are important for maintaining cardiac homeostasis and can potentially contribute to myocardial repair. However, cellular physiology of human cardiac c-kit+progenitor cells is not well understood. The present study investigates the functional store-operated Ca2+entry (SOCE) channels and the potential role in regulating cell cycling and migration using confocal microscopy, RT-PCR, Western blot, coimmunoprecipitation, cell proliferation, and migration assays. We found that SOCE channels mediated Ca2+influx, and TRPC1, STIM1, and Orai1 were involved in the formation of SOCE channels in human cardiac c-kit+progenitor cells. Silencing TRPC1, STIM1, or Orai1 with the corresponding siRNA significantly reduced the Ca2+signaling through SOCE channels, decreased cell proliferation and migration, and reduced expression of cyclin D1, cyclin E, and/or p-Akt. Our results demonstrate the novel information that Ca2+signaling through SOCE channels regulates cell cycling and migration via activating cyclin D1, cyclin E, and/or p-Akt in human cardiac c-kit+cells.
Sympathetic activation is associated with increased IL-6, but not CRP in the absence of obesity: lessons from postural tachycardia syndrome and obesity
Authors: Okamoto Luis E. , Raj Satish R. , Gamboa Alfredo , Shibao Cyndya A. , Arnold Amy C. , Garland Emily M. , Black Bonnie K. , Farley Ginnie , Diedrich André , Biaggioni Italo
Published: October 2015

Sympathetic activation is thought to contribute to the inflammatory process associated with obesity, which is characterized by elevated circulating C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6). To evaluate whether sympathetic activation is associated with inflammation in the absence of obesity, we studied patients with postural tachycardia syndrome (POTS), a condition characterized by increased sympathetic tone in otherwise healthy individuals. Compared with 23 lean controls, 43 lean female POTS had greater vascular sympathetic modulation (low-frequency blood pressure variability, LFSBP, 3.2 ± 0.4 vs. 5.5 ± 0.6 mmHg2, respectively, P = 0.006), lower cardiac parasympathetic modulation (high-frequency heart rate variability, 1,414 ± 398 vs. 369 ± 66 ms2, P = 0.001), and increased serum IL-6 (2.33 ± 0.49 vs. 4.15 ± 0.54 pg/ml, P = 0.011), but this was not associated with increases in hsCRP, which was low in both groups (0.69 ± 0.15 vs. 0.82 ± 0.16 mg/l, P = 0.736). To explore the contribution of adiposity to inflammation, we then compared 13 obese female POTS patients and 17 obese female controls to matched lean counterparts (13 POTS and 11 controls). Compared with lean controls, obese controls had increased LFSBP(3.3 ± 0.5 vs. 7.0 ± 1.1 mmHg2; P = 0.016), IL-6 (2.15 ± 0.58 vs. 3.92 ± 0.43 pg/ml; P = 0.030) and hsCRP (0.69 ± 0.20 vs. 3.47 ± 0.72 mg/l; P = 0.001). Obese and lean POTS had similarly high IL-6 but only obese POTS had increased hsCRP (5.76 ± 1.99 mg/l vs. 0.65 ± 0.26; P < 0.001). In conclusion, sympathetic activation in POTS is associated with increased IL-6 even in the absence of obesity. The coupling between IL-6 and CRP, however, requires increased adiposity, likely through release of IL-6 by visceral fat.
Pim1 kinase activity preserves airway epithelial integrity upon house dust mite exposure
Authors: de Vries M. , Hesse L. , Jonker M. R. , van den Berge M. , van Oosterhout A. J. M. , Heijink I. H. , Nawijn M. C.
Published: October 2015

Most patients with allergic asthma are sensitized to house dust mite (HDM). The allergenicity of HDM largely depends on disruption of the integrity and proinflammatory activation of the airway epithelium. In this study, we hypothesized that Pim1 kinase activity attenuates HDM-induced asthma by preserving airway epithelial integrity. The effects of Pim1 kinase activity on barrier function and release of the proinflammatory mediators IL-1α and CCL20 were studied in vitro in 16HBE and primary bronchial epithelial cells (PBECs). Pim1-proficient and -deficient mice were exposed to a HDM-driven model of allergic asthma, and airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) was measured upon methacholine challenge. Airway inflammation and proinflammatory mediators in lung tissue and BAL fluid were determined. We observed that inhibition of Pim1 kinase prolongs the HDM-induced loss of barrier function in 16HBE cells and sensitizes PBECs to HDM-induced barrier dysfunction. Additionally, inhibition of Pim1 kinase increased the HDM-induced proinflammatory activity of 16HBE cells as measured by IL-1α secretion. In line herewith, HDM exposure induced an enhanced production of the proinflammatory chemokines CCL17 and CCL20 in Pim1-deficient mice compared with wild-type controls. While we observed a marked increase in eosinophilic and neutrophilic granulocytes as well as mucus cell metaplasia and AHR to methacholine in mice exposed to HDM, these parameters were independent of Pim1 kinase activity. In contrast, levels of the Th2-cytokines IL-5 and IL-10 were significantly augmented in HDM-treated Pim1-deficient mice. Taken together, our study shows that Pim1 kinase activity maintains airway epithelial integrity and protects against HDM-induced proinflammatory activation of the airway epithelium.
Hydrogen peroxide-induced calcium influx in lung microvascular endothelial cells involves TRPV4
Authors: Suresh Karthik , Servinsky Laura , Reyes Jose , Baksh Syeda , Undem Clark , Caterina Michael , Pearse David B. , Shimoda Larissa A.
Published: October 2015

In acute respiratory distress syndrome, both reactive oxygen species (ROS) and increased intracellular calcium ([Ca2+]i) are thought to play important roles in promoting endothelial paracellular permeability, but the mechanisms linking ROS and [Ca2+]iin microvascular endothelial cells are not known. In this study, we assessed the effect of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) on [Ca2+]iin mouse and human lung microvascular endothelial cells (MLMVEC and HLMVEC, respectively). We found that in both MLMVECs and HLMVECs, exogenously applied H2O2increased [Ca2+]ithrough Ca2+influx and that pharmacologic inhibition of the calcium channel transient receptor potential vanilloid 4 (TRPV4) attenuated the H2O2-induced Ca2+influx. Additionally, knockdown of TRPV4 in HLMVEC also attenuated calcium influx following H2O2challenge. Administration of H2O2or TRPV4 agonists decreased transmembrane electrical resistance (TER), suggesting increased barrier permeability. To explore the regulatory mechanisms underlying TRPV4 activation by ROS, we examined H2O2-induced Ca2+influx in MLMVECs and HLMVECs with either genetic deletion, silencing, or pharmacologic inhibition of Fyn, a Src family kinase. In both MLMVECs derived from mice deficient for Fyn and HLMVECs treated with either siRNA targeted to Fyn or the Src family kinase inhibitor SU-6656 for 24 or 48 h, the H2O2-induced Ca2+influx was attenuated. Treatment with SU-6656 decreased the levels of phosphorylated, but not total, TRPV4 protein and had no effect on TRPV4 response to the external agonist, GSK1016790A. In conclusion, our data suggest that application of exogenous H2O2increases [Ca2+]iand decreases TER in microvascular endothelial cells via activation of TRPV4 through a mechanism that requires the Src kinase Fyn.
Maxillary Sinus Augmentation Combining Bio-Oss with the Bone Marrow Aspirate Concentrate: A Histomorphometric Study in Humans
Authors: Pasquali Paulo José , Teixeira Marcelo Lucchesi , Oliveira Thiago Altro de , de Macedo Luis Guilherme Scavone , Aloise Antonio Carlos , Pelegrine André Antonio
Published: October 2015

Purpose. To investigate the regenerative results obtained with the association of bone marrow aspirate concentrate using the Bone Marrow Aspirate Concentrate (BMAC) method to a xenogeneic bone graft (Bio-Oss) in sinus floor elevation.Materials and Methods. Using a randomized controlled study design in eight consecutive patients (age of 55.4 ± 9.2 years), 16 sinus floor lift procedures were performed with Bio-Oss alone (control group, CG,n=8) or combined with bone marrow aspirate concentrate obtained via the BMAC method (test group, TG,n=8). Six months after the grafting procedures, bone biopsies were harvested during implant placement and were analyzed by histomorphometry.Results. Histomorphometric analysis revealed a significantly higher amount(p<0.05)of vital mineralized tissue in TG when compared to the CG (55.15 ± 20.91% and 27.30 ± 5.55%, resp.). For nonvital mineralized tissue, TG presented a statistically higher level of Bio-Oss resorption(p<0.05)when compared with the CG (6.32 ± 12.03% and 22.79 ± 9.60%, resp.). Both groups (TG and CG) showed no significantly different levels (p>0.05) of nonmineralized tissue (38.53 ± 13.08% and 49.90 ± 7.64%, resp.).Conclusion. The use of bone marrow concentrate obtained by BMAC method increased bone formation in sinus lift procedures.
Superconductivity, Antiferromagnetism, and Kinetic Correlation in Strongly Correlated Electron Systems
Authors: Yanagisawa Takashi
Published: October 2015

We investigate the ground state of two-dimensional Hubbard model on the basis of the variational Monte Carlo method. We use wave functions that include kinetic correlation and doublon-holon correlation beyond the Gutzwiller ansatz. It is still not clear whether the Hubbard model accounts for high-temperature superconductivity. The antiferromagnetic correlation plays a key role in the study of pairing mechanism because the superconductive phase exists usually close to the antiferromagnetic phase. We investigate the stability of the antiferromagnetic state when holes are doped as a function of the Coulomb repulsionU. We show that the antiferromagnetic correlation is suppressed asUis increased exceeding the bandwidth. High-temperature superconductivity is possible in this region with enhanced antiferromagnetic spin fluctuation and pairing interaction.
Accounting for Recent Changes of Gain in Dealing with Ties in Iterative Methods for Circuit Partitioning
Authors: Kim Yong-Hyuk , Yoon Yourim
Published: October 2015

In iterative methods for partitioning circuits, there is often a choice among several modules which will all produce the largest available reduction in cut size if they are moved between subsets in the partition. This choice, which is usually made by popping modules off a stack, has been shown to have a considerable impact on performance. By considering the most recent change in the potential reduction in cut size associated with moving each module between subsets, the performance of this LIFO (last-in first-out) approach can be significantly improved.
Population-Based Seroprevalence of Malaria in Hormozgan Province, Southeastern Iran: A Low Transmission Area
Authors: Hatam Gholam Reza , Nejati Fatemeh , Mohammadzadeh Tahereh , Shahriari Rad Reza , Sarkari Bahador
Published: October 2015

The seroepidemiological condition of malaria in three main districts of Hormozgan Province, a low transmission area in southeast of Iran, was investigated. Methods. Sera samples (803) were collected from healthy volunteers from the three main districts (Bandar Lengeh in the west, Bandar Abbas in the center, and Bandar Jask in the east) of Hormozgan Province. A questionnaire was used to record the sociodemographic features of the participants during sample collecting. An in-house ELISA test, using crude antigens obtained from cell culture of Plasmodium falciparum, was adapted and used to detect anti-malaria antibodies in the sera. Results. The overall seroprevalence of malaria was 8.7% (70 out of 803 samples). A significant correlation was found between seropositivity and place of residence, where the highest rate of seropositivity was seen in Bandar Lengeh (west of the province). The highest seroprevalence of malaria (13.2%) was seen in the age group of 11–20 years and also in low educated individuals. Correlation between seropositivity and gender, age, and educational levels of the participants was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Conclusion. Findings of this study indicate that the rate of seropositivity to malaria in this area is not high and this might be linked to the success of malaria control programs during the last decades in the region.
Early Fluid Resuscitation and High Volume Hemofiltration Decrease Septic Shock Progression in Swine
Authors: Zhao Ping , Zheng Ruiqiang , Xue Lu , Zhang Min , Wu Xiaoyan
Published: October 2015

This study aimed to assess the effects of early fluid resuscitation (EFR) combined with high volume hemofiltration (HVHF) on the cardiopulmonary function and removal of inflammatory mediators in a septic shock swine model. Eighteen swine were randomized into three groups: control(n=6)(extracorporeal circulating blood only), continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) (n=6; ultrafiltration volume = 25 mL/Kg/h), and HVHF (n=6; ultrafiltration volume = 85 mL/Kg/h). The septic shock model was established by intravenous infusion of lipopolysaccharides (50 µg/kg/h). Hemodynamic parameters (arterial pressure, heart rate, cardiac output, stroke volume variability, left ventricular contractility, systemic vascular resistance, and central venous pressure), vasoactive drug parameters (dose and time of norepinephrine and hourly fluid intake), pulmonary function (partial oxygen pressure and vascular permeability), and cytokines (interleukin-6 and interleukin-10) were observed. Treatment resulted in significant changes at 4–6 h. HVHF was beneficial, as shown by the dose of vasoactive drugs, fluid intake volume, left ventricular contractility index, and partial oxygen pressure. Both CRRT and HVHF groups showed improved removal of inflammatory mediators compared with controls. In conclusion, EFR combined with HVHF improved septic shock in this swine model. The combination decreased shock progression, reduced the need for vasoactive drugs, and alleviated the damage to cardiopulmonary functions.