bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of Properties and Turgor Pressure on the Indentation Response of Plant Cells
Authors: Tvergaard Viggo , Needleman Alan
Published: March 2018

The indentation of plant cells by a conical indenter is modeled. The cell wall is represented as a spherical shell consisting of a relatively stiff thin outer layer and a softer thicker inner layer. The state of the interior of the cell is idealized as a specified turgor pressure. Attention is restricted to axisymmetric deformations, and the wall material is characterized as a viscoelastic solid with different properties for the inner and outer layers. Finite deformation, quasi-static calculations are carried out. The effects of outer layer stiffness, outer layer thickness, turgor pressure, indenter sharpness, cell wall thickness, and loading rate on the indentation hardness are considered. The calculations indicate that the small indenter depth response is dominated by the cell wall material properties, whereas for a sufficiently large indenter depth, the value of the turgor pressure plays a major role. The indentation hardness is found to increase approximately linearly with a measure of indenter sharpness over the range considered. The value of the indentation hardness is affected by the rate of indentation, with a much more rapid decay of the hardness for slow loading, because there is more time for viscous relaxation during indentation.
Finite Time Fractional-Order Sliding Mode-Based Tracking for a Class
of Fractional-Order Nonholonomic Chained System
Authors: Deepika  , Narayan Shiv , Kaur Sandeep
Published: March 2018

This paper formulates a fractional-order finite time tracking scheme for a perturbed n-dimensional fractional-order extended chained form of nonholonomic system. First, the hierarchical sliding surfaces are properly selected, and then, a novel fractional-order sliding mode methodology is derived mathematically to accomplish the prescribed goal. With the introduction of new virtual controls, the proposed strategy renders finite time tracking of a fractional-order reference model in-spite of various system uncertainties. Further, the closed loop system stability is procured with the proposed method through fractional-Lyapunov and Mittag–Leffler-based stability theorems. It has also been verified analytically that the error dynamics converge to the chosen sliding surfaces in finite time. Finally, two examples including an engineering application of mobile robot are illustrated through matlab simulations to demonstrate the usefulness of the introduced control technique.
Capturing Pressure Oscillations in Numerical Simulations of Internal Combustion Engines
Authors: Gubba Sreenivasa Rao , Jupudi Ravichandra S. , Pasunurthi Shyam Sundar , Wijeyakulasuriya Sameera D. , Primus Roy J. , Klingbeil Adam , Finney Charles E. A.
Published: March 2018

In an earlier publication (Jupudi et al., 2016, “Application of High Performance Computing for Simulating Cycle-to-Cycle Variation in Dual-Fuel Combustion Engines,” SAE Paper No. 2016-01-0798), the authors compared numerical predictions of the mean cylinder pressure of diesel and dual-fuel combustion, to that of measured pressure data from a medium-speed, large-bore engine. In these earlier comparisons, measured data from a flush-mounted in-cylinder pressure transducer showed notable and repeatable pressure oscillations which were not evident in the mean cylinder pressure predictions from computational fluid dynamics (CFD). In this paper, the authors present a methodology for predicting and reporting the local cylinder pressure consistent with that of a measurement location. Such predictions for large-bore, medium-speed engine operation demonstrate pressure oscillations in accordance with those measured. The temporal occurrences of notable pressure oscillations were during the start of combustion and around the time of maximum cylinder pressure. With appropriate resolutions in time steps and mesh sizes, the local cell static pressure predicted for the transducer location showed oscillations in both diesel and dual-fuel combustion modes which agreed with those observed in the experimental data. Fast Fourier transform (FFT) analysis on both experimental and calculated pressure traces revealed that the CFD predictions successfully captured both the amplitude and frequency range of the oscillations. Resolving propagating pressure waves with the smaller time steps and grid sizes necessary to achieve these results required a significant increase in computer resources.
User's guide to Monte Carlo methods for evaluating path integrals
Authors: Westbroek Marise J. E. , King Peter R. , Vvedensky Dimitri D. , Dürr Stephan
Published: March 2018

We give an introduction to the calculation of path integrals on a lattice, with the quantum harmonic oscillator as an example. In addition to providing an explicit computational setup and corresponding pseudocode, we pay particular attention to the existence of autocorrelations and the calculation of reliable errors. The over-relaxation technique is presented as a way to counter strong autocorrelations. The simulation methods can be extended to compute observables for path integrals in other settings.
Genotypic and Phenotypic Characterization of the
O
-Linked Protein Glycosylation System Reveals High Glycan Diversity in Paired Meningococcal Carriage Isolates
Authors: Børud Bente , Bårnes Guro K. , Brynildsrud Ola Brønstad , Fritzsønn Elisabeth , Caugant Dominique A.
Published: March 2018

Bacterial meningitis is a serious global health problem, and one of the major causative organisms is
Neisseria meningitidis
, which is also a common commensal in the upper respiratory tract of healthy humans. In bacteria, numerous loci involved in biosynthesis of surface-exposed antigenic structures that are involved in the interaction between bacteria and host are frequently subjected to homologous recombination and phase variation. These mechanisms are well described in
Neisseria
, and phase variation provides the ability to change these structures reversibly in response to the environment. Protein glycosylation systems are becoming widely identified in bacteria, and yet little is known about the mechanisms and evolutionary forces influencing glycan composition during carriage and disease.
Age-Associated Differences in Infection of Human Skin in the SCID Mouse Model of Varicella-Zoster Virus Pathogenesis
Authors: Zerboni Leigh , Sung Phillip , Lee Gordon , Arvin Ann
Published: March 2018

Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) is the skin-tropic human alphaherpesvirus responsible for both varicella-zoster and herpes zoster. Varicella-zoster and herpes zoster skin lesions have similar morphologies, but herpes zoster occurs disproportionally in older individuals and is often associated with a more extensive local rash and severe zoster-related neuralgia. We hypothesized that skin aging could also influence the outcome of the anterograde axonal transport of VZV to skin. We utilized human skin xenografts maintained in immunodeficient (SCID) mice to study VZV-induced skin pathology
in vivo
in fetal and adult skin xenografts. Here we found that VZV replication is enhanced in skin from older compared to younger adults, correlating with clinical observations. In addition to measures of VZV infection, we examined the expression of type I interferon (IFN) pathway components in adult skin and investigated elements of the cutaneous proliferative and inflammatory response to VZV infection
in vivo
. Our results demonstrated that VZV infection of adult skin triggers intrinsic IFN-mediated responses such as we have described in VZV-infected fetal skin xenografts, including MxA as well as promyelocytic leukemia protein (PML), in skin cells surrounding lesions. Further, we observed that VZV elicited altered cell signaling and proliferative and inflammatory responses that are involved in wound healing, driven by follicular stem cells. These cellular changes are consistent with VZV-induced activation of STAT3 and suggest that VZV exploits the wound healing process to ensure efficient delivery of the virus to keratinocytes. Adult skin xenografts offer an approach to further investigate VZV-induced skin pathologies
in vivo
.

IMPORTANCE
Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) is the agent responsible for both varicella-zoster and herpes zoster. Herpes zoster occurs disproportionally in older individuals and is often associated with a more extensive local rash and severe zoster-related neuralgia. To examine the effect of skin aging on VZV skin lesions, we utilized fetal and adult human skin xenografts maintained in immunodeficient (SCID) mice. We measured VZV-induced skin pathology, examined the expression of type I interferon (IFN) pathway components in adult skin, and investigated elements of the cutaneous proliferative and inflammatory response to VZV infection
in vivo
. Our results demonstrate that characteristics of aging skin are preserved in xenografts; that VZV replication is enhanced in skin from older compared to younger adults, correlating with clinical observations; and that VZV infection elicits altered cell signaling and inflammatory responses. Adult skin xenografts offer an approach to further investigate VZV-induced skin pathologies
in vivo
.
Aggregative Adherence and Intestinal Colonization by Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli Are Produced by Interactions among Multiple Surface Factors
Authors: Blanton Laura V. , Wang Lawrence T. , Hofmann Jennifer , DuBow Joshua , Lafrance Alexander , Kwak Stephen , Bowers Levi , Levine Mandara A. , Hale Charles O. , Meneely Philip M. , Okeke Iruka N.
Published: March 2018

Enteroaggregative
Escherichia coli
(EAEC) bacteria are exceptional colonizers of the human intestine and can cause diarrhea. Compared to other
E. coli
pathogens, little is known about the genes and pathogenic mechanisms that differentiate EAEC from harmless commensal
E. coli
. EAEC bacteria attach via multiple proteins and structures, including long appendages produced by assembling molecules of AafA and a short surface protein called Hra1. EAEC also secretes an antiadherence protein (Aap; also known as dispersin) which remains loosely attached to the cell surface. This report shows that dispersin covers Hra1 such that the adhesive properties of EAEC seen in the laboratory are largely produced by AafA structures. When the bacteria colonize worms, dispersin is sloughed off, or otherwise removed, such that Hra1-mediated adherence occurs. All three factors are required for optimal colonization, as well as to produce the signature EAEC stacked-brick adherence pattern. Interplay among multiple colonization factors may be an essential feature of exceptional colonizers.
Clinical significance of FAP-α on microvessel and lymphatic vessel density in lung squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Chen Ling , Chen Meihui , Han Zenglei , Jiang Fengxing , Xu Chunyuan , Qin Yue , Ding Ning , Liu Yang , Zhang Tenglong , An Zhijie , Guo Chengye
Published: March 2018

Aims

We aimed to determine whether cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are associated with microvessel density (MVD) and lymphatic vessel density (LVD) in lung squamous cell carcinoma, as well as their clinical significance in predicting survival.

Methods

122 patients were enrolled in the study. Samples were obtained on resection at the Department of Thoracic Surgery of the Qingdao Municipal Hospital between January 2011 and December 2014. Immunohistochemistry was used to determine vessel and lymphatic vessel density, and CAF abundance (fibroblast activation protein α (FAP-α) positivity). Statistical analyses were performed on 85 patients to test for correlation of CAF density and other clinicopathological variables with 3-year overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS).

Results

High stromal CAF abundance significantly correlated with increased MVD and LVD in lung squamous cell carcinoma (p<0.05). χ2test revealed a significant association of CAF density with lymph node metastasis. Cox proportional hazards model showed that both higher CAF density and lymph node metastasis negatively correlate with survival. CAF density or lymph node status can be used as an independent prognostic factor to predict 3-year OS and DFS.

Conclusions

CAF density, identified by FAP-α staining pattern, should be considered as a novel biomarker for disease prognosis in patients with lung squamous cell carcinoma.
Protection of the lung from blast overpressure by stress wave decouplers, buffer plates or sandwich panels
Authors: Sedman Andrew , Hepper A
Published: March 2018

Introduction

This paper outlines aspects of UK Ministry of Defence’s research and development of blast overpressure protection technologies appropriate for use in body armour, with the aim of both propagating new knowledge and updating existing information.

Methods

Two simple models are introduced not only to focus the description of the mechanism by which the lungs can be protected, but also to provide a bridge between fields of research that may hold the key to further advances in protection technology and related body armour.

Results

Protection can be provided to the lungs by decoupling the stress wave transmission into the thorax by managing the blast energy imparted through the protection system.

Conclusions

It is proposed that the utility of the existing ‘simple decoupler’ blast overpressure protection is reviewed in light of recent developments in the treatment of those sustaining both overpressure and fragment injuries. It is anticipated that further advances in protection technology may be generated by those working in other fields on the analogous technologies of ‘buffer plates’ and ‘sandwich panels’.
Cross‐sectional area and fat content in dachshund epaxial muscles: an MRI and CT reliability study
Authors: Boström Anna Fredrika , Lappalainen Anu K , Danneels Lieven , Jokinen Tarja S , Laitinen‐Vapaavuori Outi , Hielm‐Björkman Anna K
Published: March 2018

MRI and CT are frequently used to diagnose spinal diseases in dogs. These modalities have detected epaxial muscle degeneration in dachshunds with intervertebral disc herniation. However, research on the reliability of epaxial muscular measurements is limited in veterinary medicine. The aims of the study were to assess the intrarater and inter‐rater reliability of epaxial muscle cross‐sectional area (CSA) and fat content measurements on MRI and CT images in dachshunds, and to compare the CSA measurement between the two modalities. MRI and CT images of 10 healthy dachshunds were evaluated. Two blinded observers assessed MRI CSA, MRI fat content, CT CSA and CT muscle attenuation of three thoracolumbar epaxial muscles using OsiriX. The results showed ‘substantial’ to ‘almost perfect’ intrarater reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) 0.828–0.998) and inter‐rater reliability (ICC 0.685–0.854) for all variables. When individual spinal segments were analysed, the intrarater and inter‐rater reliability decreased and the confidence intervals increased. There was positive correlation (r= 0.719–0.841, P=0.001) and high agreement (0.824–0.894) for the measured CSA between MRI and CT. Epaxial muscle CSA and fat content can be reliably measured on MRI and CT, bearing in mind that measurement of certain segments requires adequate training.
Acute metabolic responses following different resistance exercise protocols
Authors: Aguiar Samuel Silva , Sousa Caio Victor , Simões Herbert Gustavo , Neves Rodrigo Vanerson Passos , Costa Fernando , de Souza Michel Kendy , de Moraes Milton Rocha , Prestes Jonato , Sales Marcelo Magalhães , Haro Anderson Sola , Willardson Jeffrey M. , Rosa Thiago dos Santos
Published: March 2018

Resistance exercise (RE) can be an excellent modality for glycemic control. Studies have demonstrated that a single RE session can reduce glycemia in subjects with or without diabetes. Little is known about the dose–response effect of RE on glycemic control. This study aimed to investigate the acute metabolic responses after different RE protocols. Eighty-nine males were separated into six groups that completed RE protocols: 2 sets of 18 repetitions (2 × 18 at 50% of 1-repetition maximum (1RM); n = 19); 3 sets of 12 repetitions (3 × 12 at 70% of 1RM; n = 14); 4 sets of 9 repetitions (4 × 9 at 80% of 1RM; n = 13); 6 sets of 6 repetitions (6 × 6 at 90% of 1RM; n = 19); circuit (2 × 18 at 50% of 1RM; n = 12); and a control session (n = 12). The exercise sequence consisted of 8 exercises. An oral glucose tolerance test was conducted with metabolic measurements immediately after each RE protocol and every 15 min until 120 min of recovery. All groups exhibited significantly lower values (p < 0.05) in the glucose area under the curve (AUC) when compared with control over a 120 min monitoring period. The 6 × 6 group showed a significantly lower glucose AUC versus the 3 × 12 and 4 × 9 groups (p = 0.004; p = 0.001, respectively). As for blood lactate, the control and 6 × 6 groups exhibited lower AUC values versus all other groups (p < 0.05), and AUC for glucose and lactate concentration showed a negative and significant correlation (r = –0.46; p < 0.0001). It appears that a combination of 9–12 repetitions per set and 3–4 sets per muscle group might be optimal for acute postprandial glucose control.
Don’t believe the mike: behavioural, directional, and environmental impacts on recorded bat echolocation call measures
Authors: Ratcliffe J.M. , Jakobsen L.
Published: March 2018

Echolocation calls produced by bats in their larynges allow these flying, nocturnal mammals to orient and find food at night. The acoustic signals are not like bird song, and even individual bats exhibit great flexibility in call design and between-species overlap is common. As a result, identifying bats to species by their echolocation calls even in communities with few bat species can be difficult. Unfortunately, the situation is worse still. As a result of several factors — some to do with microphones, some with environment, some with bats, and the calls themselves — acoustic information transmitted to and transduced by microphones can be dramatically different from the actual signal produced by the bat and as would be recorded on axis, close to its mouth using ideal microphones under ideal conditions. We outline some of these pitfalls and discuss ways to make the best of a bad situation. Overall, however, we stress that many of these factors cannot be ignored and do impact our recordings.
A Family of Scheduling Algorithms for Hybrid Parallel Platforms
Authors: Kedad-Sidhoum Safia , Monna Florence , Mounié Grégory , Trystram Denis
Published: March 2018

More and more parallel computing platforms are built upon hybrid architectures combining multi-core processors (CPUs) and hardware accelerators like General Purpose Graphics Processing Units (GPGPUs). We present in this paper a new method for scheduling efficiently parallel applications with [Formula: see text] CPUs and [Formula: see text] GPGPUs, where each task of the application can be processed either on an usual core (CPU) or on a GPGPU. We consider the problem of scheduling [Formula: see text] independent tasks with the objective to minimize the time for completing the whole application (makespan). This problem is NP-hard, thus, we present two families of approximation algorithms that can achieve approximation ratios of [Formula: see text] or [Formula: see text] for any integer [Formula: see text] when only one GPGPU is considered, and [Formula: see text] or [Formula: see text] for [Formula: see text] GPGPUs, where [Formula: see text] is an arbitrary small value which corresponds to the target accuracy of a binary search. The proposed method is based on a dual approximation scheme that uses a dynamic programming algorithm. The associated computational costs are for the first (resp. second) family in [Formula: see text] (resp. [Formula: see text]) per step of dual approximation. The greater the value of parameter [Formula: see text], the better the approximation, but the more expensive the computational cost. Finally, we propose a relaxed version of the algorithm which achieves a running time in [Formula: see text] with a constant approximation bound of [Formula: see text]. This last result is compared to the state-of-the-art algorithm HEFT. The proposed solving method is the first general purpose algorithm for scheduling on hybrid machines with a theoretical performance guarantee that can be used for practical purposes.
k ⋅ p calculations of bismuth induced changes in band structure of InN1−xBix, GaN1−xBix and AlN1−xBix alloys
Authors: Zhang Junyu , Lu Pengfei , Chen Yingjie , Liang Dan , Zhang Chunfang , Quhe Ruge , Wang Shumin
Published: March 2018

Valence band anticrossing (VBAC) model is used to investigate band structure of InN[Formula: see text]Bi[Formula: see text], GaN[Formula: see text]Bi[Formula: see text] and AlN[Formula: see text]Bi[Formula: see text] for the purpose of optimal performance group-III nitride related devices. Obvious reduction in band gap and increase in spin–orbit splitting energy are founded by doping dilute concentration of bismuth in all these III-N material. The band gap of GaN[Formula: see text]Bi[Formula: see text] and AlN[Formula: see text]Bi[Formula: see text] show a step change, and this can be explained by the special position relation between of Bi impurity energy level with corresponding host’s band offsets. We also show how bismuth may be used to form alloys by finding the doping region [Formula: see text] which can provide a means of suppressing non-radiative CHSH (hot-hole producing) Auger recombination and inter-valence band absorption. For InN[Formula: see text]Bi[Formula: see text], bismuth concentration beyond 1.25% is found to be corresponding to the range of [Formula: see text] and it shows a continuous adjustable band gap from 0.7 eV to zero. This may make InN[Formula: see text]Bi[Formula: see text] a potential candidate for near or mid-infrared optoelectronic applications.
DYNAMICS OF AN INSERTION SEQUENCE INFECTION IN A SPATIALLY STRUCTURED ENVIRONMENT
Authors: BICHSEL MANUEL , BARBOUR A. D. , WAGNER ANDREAS
Published: March 2018

Bacterial insertion sequences (ISs), the simplest form of autonomous mobile DNA, depend on their prokaryote hosts to spread in a spatially structured environment. We use a spatially explicit metapopulation model to simulate the spread of an IS that can have both detrimental and beneficial effects on its host cell. We find that, on the one hand, the spatial structure of the metapopulation and cell dispersal between subpopulations have no strong effect on the time to full infection of the metapopulation. On the other hand, factors that influence the IS infection dynamics within a subpopulation have a strong effect on that time. These factors are mainly the fitness benefit of an IS and the rate of horizontal gene transfer. We also find that the infection process of a metapopulation is very erratic in its early phase. Finally, we show that the infection’s success depends critically on the initially infected subpopulation.
MAGNETIC BEHAVIOR OF Ni-DOPED CuO NANOPARTICLES SYNTHESIZED BY MICROWAVE IRRADIATION METHOD
Authors: THANGAMANI C. , PONNAR M. , PRIYADHARSHINI P. , MONISHA P. , GOMATHI S. S. , PUSHPANATHAN K.
Published: March 2018

Nickel-substituted copper oxide nanoparticles at various concentrations were synthesized by the microwave irradiation technique. The consequence of nickel doping on crystal structure, optical properties, and magnetic properties was examined by means of X-ray diffractometer, ultraviolet-visible spectrometer, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrometer, transmission electron microscope, and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). X-ray diffraction analysis shows that the samples are monoclinic and their crystallite size varies from 25[Formula: see text]nm to 42[Formula: see text]nm, and lattice constant significantly increases with nickel concentration. Additional increase of nickel content (7%) decreases the lattice constant. TEM micrograph witnessed that the prepared nanoparticles were sphere-shaped and the particle distribution is in the range between 20 and 40[Formula: see text]nm. Bandgap measurement reveals that both undoped and nickel-doped copper oxides are direct bandgap semiconductor materials with bandgaps of 3.21 and 3.10[Formula: see text]eV, respectively, FT-IR spectra of the synthesized samples confirmed the nickel doping. VSM studies confirmed the ferromagnetic behavior of the synthesized samples at room temperature. The results revealed that the nickel-doped copper oxide nanoparticles synthesized via the microwave irradiation method exhibit better magnetic properties than the undoped copper oxide.
A Government-Run Online Community to Support Recipients of Welfare Payments
Authors: Paris Cecile , Nepal Surya , Dennett Amanda
Published: March 2018

With the ubiquitous presence of smart phones and the availability of easy-to-use applications, there is an increase in the number of online services. A growing number of people now search for information and interact online. They expect to see services available and accessible online. To meet citizens’ expectations, governments have also increased their online presence. However, information and services are not the only reasons people go online. People also build their social circle online, seeking support and empathy, looking for someone with whom they can talk and who can understand their situation and worries. Online communities (and social networks in general) have been shown to have the potential to provide social and emotional peer-support. Our work aimed at determining whether online communities could be deployed in the public administration domain, in particular to support people receiving welfare payments, with similar benefits. We hypothesized that an online community could provide such support to disadvantaged citizens. Toward testing this hypothesis, after a user requirements analysis and some preparatory work, we designed and developed an online community for a specific target group of welfare recipients, as a collaboration between CSIRO and the Australian Department of Human Services. The community was deployed for one year. In this paper, we briefly explain our aims and the work that went into preparing for the community. We introduce the portal and the support it offered. We then report our observations and findings about both the informational and emotional support participants received, through an analysis of the comments posted in the community, and whether this support was perceived as welcome and useful.
CONIC CPPIs
Authors: MARQUET INE , SCHOUTENS WIM
Published: March 2018

Constant proportion portfolio insurance (CPPI) is a structured product created on the basis of a trading strategy. The idea of the strategy is to have an exposure to the upside potential of a risky asset while providing a capital guarantee against downside risk with the additional feature that in case the product has since initiation performed well more risk is taken while if the product has suffered mark-to-market losses, the risk is reduced. In a standard CPPI contract, a fraction of the initial capital is guaranteed at maturity. This payment is assured by investing part of the fund in a riskless manner. The other part of the fund’s value is invested in a risky asset to offer the upside potential. We refer to the floor as the discounted guaranteed amount at maturity. The percentage allocated to the risky asset is typically defined as a constant multiplier of the fund value above the floor. The remaining part of the fund is invested in a riskless manner. In this paper, we combine conic trading in the above described CPPIs. Conic trading strategies explore particular sophisticated trading strategies founded by the conic finance theory i.e. they are valued using nonlinear conditional expectations with respect to nonadditive probabilities. The main idea of this paper is that the multiplier is taken now to be state dependent. In case the algorithm sees value in the underlying asset the multiplier is increased, whereas if the assets is situated in a state with low value or opportunities, the multiplier is reduced. In addition, the direction of the trade, i.e. going long or short the underlying asset, is also decided on the basis of the policy function derived by employing the conic finance algorithm. Since nonadditive probabilities attain conservatism by exaggerating upwards tail loss events and exaggerating downwards tail gain events, the new Conic CPPI strategies can be seen on the one hand to be more conservative and on the other hand better in exploiting trading opportunities.
SArdinia Roach2-based Digital Architecture for Radio Astronomy (SARDARA)
Authors: Melis A. , Concu R. , Trois A. , Possenti A. , Bocchinu A. , Bolli P. , Burgay M. , Carretti E. , Castangia P. , Casu S. , Pestellini C. Cecchi , Corongiu A. , D’Amico N. , Egron E. , Govoni F. , Iacolina M. N. , Murgia M. , Pellizzoni A. , Perrodin D. , Pilia M. , Pisanu T. , Poddighe A. , Poppi S. , Porceddu I. , Tarchi A. , Vacca V. , Aresu G. , Bachetti M. , Barbaro M. , Casula A. , Ladu A. , Leurini S. , Loi F. , Loru S. , Marongiu P. , Maxia P. , Mazzarella G. , Migoni C. , Montisci G. , Valente G. , Vargiu G.
Published: March 2018

The Sardinia Radio Telescope (SRT) is a 64-m, fully-steerable single-dish radio telescope that was recently commissioned both technically and scientifically with regard to the basic observing modes. In order to improve the scientific capability and cover all the requirements for an advanced single-dish radio telescope, we developed the SArdinia Roach2-based Digital Architecture for Radio Astronomy (SARDARA), a wide-band, multi-feed, general-purpose, and reconfigurable digital platform, whose preliminary setup was used in the early science program of the SRT in 2016. In this paper, we describe the backend both in terms of its scientific motivation and technical design, how it has been interfaced with the telescope environment during its development and, finally, its scientific commissioning in different observing modes with single-feed receivers.
From the Asia-Pacific to the Indo-Pacific: Expanding Sino-U.S. Strategic Competition
Authors: Saeed Muhammad
Published: March 2018

As a pivotal region, the Indo-Pacific has become the power center of world geopolitics. China is actively working on strengthening win-win cooperation and inter-connectivity within the region. Toward this goal, it has launched the “Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)” from which all regional countries can benefit. From the geopolitical perspective, however, the United States has perceived growing challenge from China and is determined to maintain global supremacy by continuing to increase its military presence in the Indo-Pacific and enhancing its quadrilateral strategic cooperation with Japan, Australia and India. After the Obama administration’s “Rebalancing” efforts to sustain U.S. leadership in the Asia-Pacific by strengthening political, security and economic ties with regional countries, the Trump administration puts much emphasis on the security aspect of its Indo-Pacific strategy under the “America First” doctrine, and this is proving to be rather unwelcome among regional countries. As a result, China’s regional influence is expected to continue expanding with the promotion of the BRI and other initiatives to enhance regional integration.
Altered Redox Homeostasis in Branched‐Chain Amino Acid Disorders, Organic Acidurias, and Homocystinuria
Authors: Richard Eva , Gallego-Villar Lorena , Rivera-Barahona Ana , Oyarzábal Alfonso , Pérez Belén , Rodríguez-Pombo Pilar , Desviat Lourdes R.
Published: March 2018

Inborn errors of metabolism (IEMs) are a group of monogenic disorders characterized by dysregulation of the metabolic networks that underlie development and homeostasis. Emerging evidence points to oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction as major contributors to the multiorgan alterations observed in several IEMs. The accumulation of toxic metabolites in organic acidurias, respiratory chain, and fatty acid oxidation disorders inhibits mitochondrial enzymes and processes resulting in elevated levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS). In other IEMs, as in homocystinuria, different sources of ROS have been proposed. In patients’ samples, as well as in cellular and animal models, several studies have identified significant increases in ROS levels along with decreases in antioxidant defences, correlating with oxidative damage to proteins, lipids, and DNA. Elevated ROS disturb redox‐signaling pathways regulating biological processes such as cell growth, differentiation, or cell death; however, there are few studies investigating these processes in IEMs. In this review, we describe the published data on mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, and impaired redox signaling in branched‐chain amino acid disorders, other organic acidurias, and homocystinuria, along with recent studies exploring the efficiency of antioxidants and mitochondria‐targeted therapies as therapeutic compounds in these diseases.
Changes in the Antioxidant Properties of Quince Fruit (Cydonia oblonga Miller) during Jam Production at Industrial Scale
Authors: Baroni María V. , Gastaminza Joaquín , Podio Natalia S. , Lingua Mariana S. , Wunderlin Daniel A. , Rovasio Jose L. , Dotti Roberto , Rosso Juan Carlos , Ghione Silvina , Ribotta Pablo D.
Published: March 2018

The content of phenolic compounds and their relationship with the antioxidant capacity of quince fruit were evaluated before and after jam processing at industrial scale. Waste samples from industrial processing were also analyzed. Twelve phenolics and one organic acid were identified and quantified by HPLC-DAD-QTOF. According to the results, jam processing did not produce a decrease in polyphenolic content, and, in some cases, the polyphenolic content even increased. Antioxidant capacities determined by DPPH and FRAP assays showed similar results. On the other hand, the waste samples analyzed retained large amounts of polyphenols, even though their antioxidant capacity was lower than that in pulp samples. Boosted Regression Trees analysis showed a good correlation between phenolic profile and antioxidant capacity, with 5-p-coumaroylquinic acid being the most relevant compound to explain the antioxidant capacity by both methods.
A Potentially Useful Addition to Predict Spontaneous Resolution of Uterine Artery Pseudoaneurysm: Absence of Diastolic Flow
Authors: Baba Yosuke , Takahashi Hironori , Morisawa Hiroyuki , Matsubara Daisuke , Tamura Kohei , Usui Rie , Matsubara Shigeki
Published: March 2018

Pregnancy-associated uterine artery pseudoaneurysm (UAP) usually requires transarterial embolization (TAE) irrespective of the presence/absence of current bleeding. Some UAP cases spontaneously resolve without TAE; however, such UAP is not well characterized. Here, we suggest that Pulse Wave Doppler may become an addition to predict its spontaneous resolution. A woman underwent 1st-trimester vaginal termination. Vaginal bleeding repeated and, 36 days later, an intrauterine low-echoic mass (24 mm) with swirling blood flow and arterial waveforms (Pulse Wave Doppler) and an enhanced intrauterine sac-like structure without current extravasation were observed, leading to the diagnosis of UAP. Subsequently, the low-echoic mass mostly disappeared but the swirling flow was still observed, with Pulse Wave Doppler revealing arterial flow but the absence of diastolic flow. Finally, the flow disappeared and UAP resolved. This observation reconfirmed spontaneous UAP resolution. The “absent diastolic flow,” possibly indicative of decreased intrasac blood flow, may be a candidate for predicting UAP resolution.
A Rapid Prototyping Environment for Cooperative Advanced Driver Assistance Systems
Authors: Massow Kay , Radusch Ilja
Published: March 2018

Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) were strong innovation drivers in recent years, towards the enhancement of traffic safety and efficiency. Today’s ADAS adopt an autonomous approach with all instrumentation and intelligence on board of one vehicle. However, to further enhance their benefit, ADAS need to cooperate in the future, using communication technologies. The resulting combination of vehicle automation and cooperation, for instance, enables solving hazardous situations by a coordinated safety intervention on multiple vehicles at the same point in time. Since the complexity of such cooperative ADAS grows with each vehicle involved, very large parameter spaces need to be regarded during their development, which necessitate novel development approaches. In this paper, we present an environment for rapidly prototyping cooperative ADAS based on vehicle simulation. Its underlying approach is either to bring ideas for cooperative ADAS through the prototyping stage towards plausible candidates for further development or to discard them as quickly as possible. This is enabled by an iterative process of refining and assessment. We reconcile the aspects of automation and cooperation in simulation by a tradeoff between precision and scalability. Reducing precise mapping of vehicle dynamics below the limits of driving dynamics enables simulating multiple vehicles at the same time. In order to validate this precision, we also present a method to validate the vehicle dynamics in simulation against real world vehicles.
Cell Type‐Specific Mechanisms in the Pathogenesis of Ischemic Stroke: The Role of Apoptosis Signal‐Regulating Kinase 1
Authors: Cheon So Yeong , Kim Eun Jung , Kim Jeong Min , Koo Bon-Nyeo
Published: March 2018

Stroke has become a more common disease worldwide. Despite great efforts to develop treatment, little is known about ischemic stroke. Cerebral ischemia activates multiple cascades of cell type‐specific pathomechanisms. Ischemic brain injury consists of a complex series of cellular reactions in various cell types within the central nervous system (CNS) including platelets, endothelial cells, astrocytes, neutrophils, microglia/macrophages, and neurons. Diverse cellular changes after ischemic injury are likely to induce cell death and tissue damage in the brain. Since cells in the brain exhibit different functional roles at distinct time points after injury (acute/subacute/chronic phases), it is difficult to pinpoint genuine roles of cell types after brain injury. Many experimental studies have shown the association of apoptosis signal‐regulating kinase 1 (ASK1) with cellular pathomechanisms after cerebral ischemia. Blockade of ASK1, by either pharmacological or genetic manipulation, leads to reduced ischemic brain injury and subsequent neuroprotective effects. In this review, we present the cell type‐specific pathophysiology of the early phase of ischemic stroke, the role of ASK1 suggested by preclinical studies, and the potential use of ASK suppression, either by pharmacologic or genetic suppression, as a promising therapeutic option for ischemic stroke recovery.
Learning a Mid-Level Representation for Multiview Action Recognition
Authors: Liu Cuiwei , Li Zhaokui , Shi Xiangbin , Du Chong
Published: March 2018

Recognizing human actions in videos is an active topic with broad commercial potentials. Most of the existing action recognition methods are supposed to have the same camera view during both training and testing. And thus performances of these single-view approaches may be severely influenced by the camera movement and variation of viewpoints. In this paper, we address the above problem by utilizing videos simultaneously recorded from multiple views. To this end, we propose a learning framework based on multitask random forest to exploit a discriminative mid-level representation for videos from multiple cameras. In the first step, subvolumes of continuous human-centered figures are extracted from original videos. In the next step, spatiotemporal cuboids sampled from these subvolumes are characterized by multiple low-level descriptors. Then a set of multitask random forests are built upon multiview cuboids sampled at adjacent positions and construct an integrated mid-level representation for multiview subvolumes of one action. Finally, a random forest classifier is employed to predict the action category in terms of the learned representation. Experiments conducted on the multiview IXMAS action dataset illustrate that the proposed method can effectively recognize human actions depicted in multiview videos.
Transcutaneous Bilirubin Measurements Can Be Used to Measure Bilirubin Levels during Phototherapy
Authors: Alsaedi Saad Abdullah
Published: March 2018

Objective. To determine whether transcutaneous bilirubin measurements (TcB) before and during phototherapy taken from covered skin during phototherapy correlate with total serum bilirubin (TSB) levels.Study Design. In this prospective observational study, healthy term newborns who required TSB measurements were included. TcB measurements were taken from the forehead before starting and during phototherapy using the BiliChek device. Before starting phototherapy, part of the forehead was covered. Blood for TSB measurement was collected within 5 minutes of TcB measurements. Correlations and mean differences between TcB and TSB before and during phototherapy were calculated.Result. Paired TSB and TcB measurements before and during phototherapy in 151 newborns were performed. The mean gestational age was 38.8 weeks and birth weight was 3.1 kg; 53% were male. Before starting phototherapy, TSB and TcB were183.8±41.6and 190.5 ± 43 μmol/l, respectively. During phototherapy, TSB and TcB were191.8±39.4and187.8±45.3 μmol/l, respectively. Linear regression analysis showed a significant correlation between TcB and TSB before starting phototherapy and during phototherapy (r: 0.85;p<0.001andr: 80.0;p<0.001), respectively. Before starting phototherapy, the mean difference between TSB and TcB was6.2±23.2 μmol/l, with a 95% CI of −39.3 to 51.7 μmol. During phototherapy, the mean difference was −2.8±23.5 μmol/l, with a 95% CI of −48.9 to 43.3 μmol/l.Conclusion. TcB measurements from covered skin in jaundiced term infants during phototherapy correlate with TSB and can be used to monitor bilirubin levels during phototherapy.
Quality of Life, Depression, and Anxiety in Patients with Uveal Melanoma: A Review
Authors: Miniati Mario , Fabrini Maria Grazia , Genovesi Ebert Federica , Mancino Maricia , Maglio Alessandra , Massimetti Gabriele , Massimetti Enrico , Marazziti Donatella
Published: March 2018

The aim is to summarize current knowledge on both QoL and depressive/anxious symptoms in patients with UM, including studies on the effect on QoL and psychological status of genetic testing related to the risk of metastatic disease. A review from the last 25 years by using the databases “PsycInfo,” “Medline,” and “Science Direct” was performed. As a total result, eighteen papers were retrieved. Eight studies (44.4%) used a prospective design methodology: two were retrospective observations (11.1%), three were cross-sectional observational studies (16.6%), and three (16.6%) were naturalistic follow-up studies. One trial was conducted with a case-control design (5.5%), and one was a methodological paper (5.5%). The number of subjects included in the studies ranged widely, between 7 and 842 (mean: 152.1 ± 201.3), for a total of 2587 patients, 1306 males (50.5%) and 1281 females (49.5%). The mean age of subject enrolled was 61.3 ± 4.1 years. Twenty-six different scales, questionnaires, or interviews were utilized. No significant differences in QoL between radiotherapy and enucleation emerged. Genetic testing did not significantly affect QoL or psychological status.
Stability and Failure Mechanism Analyses of the Zhenggang Landslide in Southwestern China
Authors: Wang Shengnian , Xu Weiya , Liu Jinyuan
Published: March 2018

The Zhenggang landslide is an ancient complex landslide located at southeastern Tibetan Plateau, China. Due to intensive rainfalls in 2008 and heavy snowfalls in 2009, the Zhenggang landslide exhibited a high probability of reactivation once again. In this study, geological structure, matter features, and macrodeformations of the Zhenggang landslide (including Zone I and Zone II) were investigated for uncovering its formation mechanism and evolution tendency first, and then the stability and failure mechanism analyses of the Zhenggang landslide were conducted in detail by a combined limit equilibrium and finite element analysis method. Results of geological investigations indicate that the Zhenggang landslide has undergone sliding several times and is in a metastable state now. The distribution of the activity of the landslide is a retrogressive landslide in Zone I but an advancing landslide in Zone II. Such conclusions are further proved by the numerical stability and failure analyses.
The Effect of a Textured Insole on Symmetry of Turning
Authors: Curuk Etem , Lee Yunju , Aruin Alexander S.
Published: March 2018

Turning while walking is a common daily activity. Individuals with unilateral impairment frequently perform turns asymmetrically. The purpose of the study was to investigate the effect of a discomfort-inducing textured insole on symmetry of turning. Nine healthy individuals performed turns to the right while walking with no insole, immediately after the insole was inserted in the right shoe, and after walking for six minutes with the insole. The duration of turning, displacements of pelvic markers, and perceived level of discomfort were evaluated. Utilizing the insole was associated with the increased level of perceived discomfort (p<0.05). Moreover, using the insole was linked to changes in the displacement of two pelvic markers and larger asymmetry index while turning immediately after the insole was inserted in the right shoe as compared to no insole condition (p<0.05). The duration of right turning increased immediately after the insole was inserted (p<0.05) and after walking with the insole for six minutes. The results indicate that the textured insole creates asymmetry of turning in healthy individuals. The outcome provides a background for future studies focused on using a textured insole to minimize the asymmetry of turning commonly seen in individuals with unilateral impairment.
New Possibilities in Life with Type 2 Diabetes: Experiences from Participating in a Guided Self-Determination Programme in General Practice
Authors: Karlsen Bjørg , Rasmussen Bruun Bettina , Oftedal Bjørg
Published: March 2018

Research suggests that guided self-determination programmes can support self-management of diabetes by empowering self-determined goal setting and competence building. As most research in this area has focused on people with type 1 diabetes, knowledge is lacking on how adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus experience participation in such programmes. This study reports the modelling phase of a complex intervention design that explored the experiences of adults with type 2 diabetes who participated in a nurse-led guided self-determination programme in general practice and examines how the programme affected patients’ motivation to self-manage diabetes. The qualitative design with semistructured interviews included 9 adults with type 2 diabetes who participated in the programme. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyse the data. The findings indicate that the participants experienced new life possibilities after participating in the programme, which seemed to have a positive influence on their motivation for self-management. Through reflections about how to live with diabetes, the participants reinterpreted their life with diabetes by gradually developing a closer relationship with the disease, moving towards acceptance. The fact that dialogue with the nurses was seen to be on an equal footing helped support the participants to become more self-determined.