bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Regeneration of Escherichia coli from Minicells through Lateral Gene Transfer
Authors: Kobayashi Hideki
Published: February 2018

Recently, artificial life has been created with artificial materials and methods. Life can be created when genomic DNA molecules are integrated in liposomes containing biochemical reactions for biogenic needs. However, it is not yet known whether the integration of these parts will be able to occur in nature and constitute a living system. I planned to regenerate bacteria from biologically active liposomes by inserting genomic DNA using only natural materials and methods. Minicells of
Escherichia coli
, containing plasmids and activated SOS proteins, act as protocells. Four new
E. coli
strains were regenerated from minicells by inserting the genomes by using the system for conjugation between F
−
and Hfr strains. Cells of the four regenerated strains showed the same genetic markers as the two genome donors. Pulse-field gel electrophoresis of their genomes showed admixing of those of both donors. In addition, the genomes of the four regenerated strains had chimeric genome of the two donors. These results show that synthesis of life can occur in nature without artificial arrangement.

IMPORTANCE
What is the difference between inanimate objects and organisms? Organisms always have genomic DNA. When organisms lose their genomes, they can neither grow nor reproduce. As the result, organisms turn into inanimate objects without their genomes. In this study, I regenerated microbes from cells that had lost their genomes (cell corpses) by inserting another genome. All steps of regeneration used the natural behavior of microbes. The same regeneration of microbes could happen in nature. These primitive lives have plasticity, which accelerates evolution and provides various kinds of life in the world.
Elegant Science
Authors: Casadevall Arturo , Fang Ferric C.
Published: February 2018

Elegance is a prized quality in science that is associated with simplicity and explanatory power. This essay considers the qualities that make a scientific model, experiment, method, or theory “elegant,” with a focus on the life sciences. We propose a definition of elegance that includes clarity, cleverness, correctness, explanatory power, parsimony, and beauty. The pursuit of elegance can improve the quality of science, but elegance must be pursued with caution, as the truth is sometimes inelegant.
N-glycosylation of Viral E Protein Is the Determinant for Vector Midgut Invasion by Flaviviruses
Authors: Wen Dan , Li Suhua , Dong Fangfang , Zhang Yanan , Lin Yongfang , Wang Jumei , Zou Zhen , Zheng Aihua
Published: February 2018

Transmission of flaviviruses by hematophagous insects such as mosquitoes requires acquisition of the virus during blood feeding on the host, with midgut as the primary infection site. Here, we report that N-glycosylation of the E protein, which is conserved among most flaviviruses, is critical for the Zika virus (ZIKV) to invade the vector midgut by inhibiting the reactive oxygen species (ROS) pathway of the mosquito immune system. Our data further show that removal of the ZIKV E glycosylation site prevents mosquito infection by flaviviruses via the oral route, whereas there is no effect on infection by intrathoracic microinjection, which bypasses the midgut. Interestingly, the defect in infection of the mosquito midgut by the mutant virus through blood feeding is rescued by reduction of the ROS level by application of vitamin C, a well-known antioxidant. Therefore, our data demonstrate that ZIKV utilizes the glycosylation on the envelope to antagonize the vector immune defense during infection.

IMPORTANCE
Most flaviviruses, including Zika virus (ZIKV), are transmitted between hosts by arthropod vectors, such as mosquitoes, which acquire the virus during a blood meal. Here, by mutagenesis, we found a major role of the N-glycosylation of flavivirus E protein in its transmission circle, facilitating its survival against the vector immune system during invasion of the mosquito midgut while blood feeding on the host. In spite of the extensive studies of the involvement of N-glycan modification of flavivirus E protein in virus-host interactions, we discovered its critical role in virus-vector interaction and the evolution of flavivirus. Given the deleterious effects of ZIKV on human health, this study might have a significant impact on development of novel transmission-blocking strategies.
Yersinia pestis
Targets the Host Endosome Recycling Pathway during the Biogenesis of the
Yersinia
-Containing Vacuole To Avoid Killing by Macrophages
Authors: Connor Michael G. , Pulsifer Amanda R. , Chung Donghoon , Rouchka Eric C. , Ceresa Brian K. , Lawrenz Matthew B.
Published: February 2018

Yersinia pestis
has evolved many strategies to evade the innate immune system. One of these strategies is the ability to survive within macrophages. Upon phagocytosis,
Y. pestis
prevents phagolysosome maturation and establishes a modified compartment termed the
Yersinia
-containing vacuole (YCV).
Y. pestis
actively inhibits the acidification of this compartment, and eventually, the YCV transitions from a tight-fitting vacuole into a spacious replicative vacuole. The mechanisms to generate the YCV have not been defined. However, we hypothesized that YCV biogenesis requires
Y. pestis
interactions with specific host factors to subvert normal vesicular trafficking. In order to identify these factors, we performed a genome-wide RNA interference (RNAi) screen to identify host factors required for
Y. pestis
survival in macrophages. This screen revealed that 71 host proteins are required for intracellular survival of
Y. pestis
. Of particular interest was the enrichment for genes involved in endosome recycling. Moreover, we demonstrated that
Y. pestis
actively recruits Rab4a and Rab11b to the YCV in a type three secretion system-independent manner, indicating remodeling of the YCV by
Y. pestis
to resemble a recycling endosome. While recruitment of Rab4a was necessary to inhibit YCV acidification and lysosomal fusion early during infection, Rab11b appeared to contribute to later stages of YCV biogenesis. We also discovered that
Y. pestis
disrupts global host endocytic recycling in macrophages, possibly through sequestration of Rab11b, and this process is required for bacterial replication. These data provide the first evidence that
Y. pestis
targets the host endocytic recycling pathway to avoid phagolysosomal maturation and generate the YCV.

IMPORTANCE
Yersinia pestis
can infect and survive within macrophages. However, the mechanisms that the bacterium use to subvert killing by these phagocytes have not been defined. To provide a better understanding of these mechanisms, we used an RNAi approach to identify host factors required for intracellular
Y. pestis
survival. This approach revealed that the host endocytic recycling pathway is essential for
Y. pestis
to avoid clearance by the macrophage. We further demonstrate that
Y. pestis
remodels the phagosome to resemble a recycling endosome, allowing the bacterium to avoid the normal phagolysosomal maturation pathway. Moreover, we show that infection with
Y. pestis
disrupts normal recycling in the macrophage and that disruption is required for bacterial replication. These findings provide the first evidence that
Y. pestis
targets the host endocytic recycling pathway in order to evade killing by macrophages.
The Essential Genome of
Escherichia coli
K-12
Authors: Goodall Emily C. A. , Robinson Ashley , Johnston Iain G. , Jabbari Sara , Turner Keith A. , Cunningham Adam F. , Lund Peter A. , Cole Jeffrey A. , Henderson Ian R.
Published: February 2018

Transposon-directed insertion site sequencing (TraDIS) is a high-throughput method coupling transposon mutagenesis with short-fragment DNA sequencing. It is commonly used to identify essential genes. Single gene deletion libraries are considered the gold standard for identifying essential genes. Currently, the TraDIS method has not been benchmarked against such libraries, and therefore, it remains unclear whether the two methodologies are comparable. To address this, a high-density transposon library was constructed in
Escherichia coli
K-12. Essential genes predicted from sequencing of this library were compared to existing essential gene databases. To decrease false-positive identification of essential genes, statistical data analysis included corrections for both gene length and genome length. Through this analysis, new essential genes and genes previously incorrectly designated essential were identified. We show that manual analysis of TraDIS data reveals novel features that would not have been detected by statistical analysis alone. Examples include short essential regions within genes, orientation-dependent effects, and fine-resolution identification of genome and protein features. Recognition of these insertion profiles in transposon mutagenesis data sets will assist genome annotation of less well characterized genomes and provides new insights into bacterial physiology and biochemistry.

IMPORTANCE
Incentives to define lists of genes that are essential for bacterial survival include the identification of potential targets for antibacterial drug development, genes required for rapid growth for exploitation in biotechnology, and discovery of new biochemical pathways. To identify essential genes in
Escherichia coli
, we constructed a transposon mutant library of unprecedented density. Initial automated analysis of the resulting data revealed many discrepancies compared to the literature. We now report more extensive statistical analysis supported by both literature searches and detailed inspection of high-density TraDIS sequencing data for each putative essential gene for the
E. coli
model laboratory organism. This paper is important because it provides a better understanding of the essential genes of
E. coli
, reveals the limitations of relying on automated analysis alone, and provides a new standard for the analysis of TraDIS data.
Functional and Expression Analyses of the
Pneumocystis MAT
Genes Suggest Obligate Sexuality through Primary Homothallism within Host Lungs
Authors: Richard S. , Almeida J. M. G. C. F. , Cissé O. H. , Luraschi A. , Nielsen O. , Pagni M. , Hauser P. M.
Published: February 2018

Fungi of the genus
Pneumocystis
are obligate parasites that colonize mammals’ lungs and are host species specific.
Pneumocystis jirovecii
and
Pneumocystis carinii
infect, respectively, humans and rats. They can turn into opportunistic pathogens in immunosuppressed hosts, causing severe pneumonia. Their cell cycle is poorly known, mainly because of the absence of an established method of culture
in vitro
. It is thought to include both asexual and sexual phases. Comparative genomic analysis suggested that their mode of sexual reproduction is primary homothallism involving a single mating type (
MAT
) locus encompassing plus and minus genes (
matMc
,
matMi
, and
matPi
; Almeida et al., mBio 6:e02250-14, 2015). Thus, each strain would be capable of sexual reproduction alone (self-fertility). However, this is a working hypothesis derived from computational analyses that is, in addition, based on the genome sequences of single isolates. Here, we tested this hypothesis in the wet laboratory. The function of the
P. jirovecii
and
P. carinii matMc
genes was ascertained by restoration of sporulation in the corresponding mutant of fission yeast. Using PCR, we found the same single
MAT
locus in all
P. jirovecii
isolates and showed that all three
MAT
genes are often concomitantly expressed during pneumonia. Extensive homology searches did not identify other types of
MAT
transcription factors in the genomes or
cis
-acting motifs flanking the
MAT
locus that could have been involved in
MAT
switching or silencing. Our observations suggest that
Pneumocystis
sexuality through primary homothallism is obligate within host lungs to complete the cell cycle, i.e., produce asci necessary for airborne transmission to new hosts.

IMPORTANCE
Fungi of the genus
Pneumocystis
colonize the lungs of mammals. In immunosuppressed human hosts,
Pneumocystis jirovecii
may cause severe pneumonia that can be fatal. This disease is one of the most frequent life-threatening invasive fungal infections in humans. The analysis of the genome sequences of these uncultivable pathogens suggested that their sexual reproduction involves a single partner (self-fertilization). Here, we report laboratory experiments that support this hypothesis. The function of the three genes responsible for sexual differentiation was ascertained by the restoration of sexual reproduction in the corresponding mutant of another fungus. As predicted by self-fertilization, all
P. jirovecii
isolates harbored the same three genes that were often concomitantly expressed within human lungs during infection. Our observations suggest that the sexuality of these pathogens relies on the self-fertility of each isolate and is obligate within host lungs to complete the cell cycle and allow dissemination of the fungus to new hosts.
Novel Segment- and Host-Specific Patterns of Enteroaggregative
Escherichia coli
Adherence to Human Intestinal Enteroids
Authors: Rajan Anubama , Vela Lucy , Zeng Xi-Lei , Yu Xiaomin , Shroyer Noah , Blutt Sarah E. , Poole Nina M. , Carlin Lily G. , Nataro James P. , Estes Mary K. , Okhuysen Pablo C. , Maresso Anthony W.
Published: February 2018

Enteroaggregative
Escherichia coli
(EAEC) is an important diarrheal pathogen and a cause of both acute and chronic diarrhea. It is a common cause of pediatric bacterial diarrhea in developing countries. Despite its discovery in 1987, the intestinal tropism of the pathogen remains unknown. Cell lines used to study EAEC adherence include the HEp-2, T-84, and Caco-2 lines, but they exhibit abnormal metabolism and large variations in gene expression. Animal models either do not faithfully manifest human clinical symptoms or are cumbersome and expensive. Using human intestinal enteroids derived from all four segments of the human intestine, we find that EAEC demonstrates aggregative adherence to duodenal and ileal enteroids, with donor-driven differences driving a sheet-like and layered pattern. This contrasts with the colon, where segment-specific tropisms yielded a mesh-like adherence pattern dominated by interconnecting filaments. Very little to no aggregative adherence to jejunal enteroids was observed, regardless of the strain or donor, in contrast to a strong duodenal association across all donors and strains. These unique patterns of intestinal segment- or donor-specific adherence, but not the overall numbers of associated bacteria, were dependent on the major subunit protein of aggregative adherence fimbriae II (AafA), implying that the morphology of adherent clusters and the overall intestinal cell association of EAEC occur by different mechanisms. Our results suggest that we must give serious consideration to inter- and intrapatient variations in what is arguably the first step in pathogenesis, that of adherence, when considering the clinical manifestation of these infections.

IMPORTANCE
EAEC is a leading cause of pediatric bacterial diarrhea and a common cause of diarrhea among travelers and immunocompromised individuals. Heterogeneity in EAEC strains and lack of a good model system are major roadblocks to the understanding of its pathogenesis. Utilizing human intestinal enteroids to study the adherence of EAEC, we demonstrate that unique patterns of adherence are largely driven by unidentified factors present in different intestinal segments and from different donors. These patterns are also dependent on aggregative adherence fimbriae II encoded by EAEC. These results imply that we must also consider the contribution of the host to understand the pathogenesis of EAEC-induced inflammation and diarrhea.
Adalimumab for the treatment of refractory active and inactive non-infectious uveitis
Authors: Lee Jonathan TL , Yates William B , Rogers Sophie , Wakefield Denis , McCluskey Peter , Lim Lyndell L
Published: February 2018

Background/aims

To compare the efficacy of adalimumab in eyes with active and inactive non-infectious uveitis in the real-world setting.

Methods

Multicentre, retrospective, chart review of patients with refractory non-infectious uveitis treated with adalimumab. Main outcome measures included reduction of prednisolone dose, ability to taper immunosuppressives and a composite endpoint of treatment failure encompassing active inflammatory chorioretinal or retinal vascular lesions, intraocular inflammation grade and visual acuity.

Results

Thirty-seven eyes of 22 patients were studied. Mean follow-up was 20.1 months (median: 13). Most had either posterior or panuveitis (n=12, 55%). Mean duration of uveitis at baseline was 83.2 months (median: 61), where the majority (n=15, 68%) had already been treated with two or more conventional immunosuppressive agents in addition to prednisolone. Oral prednisolone was reduced to ≤10 mg/day in 9 of 12 patients (75%) by 6 weeks. At 6 months of therapy, nine (90%) of the active eyes achieved a 2-step improvement in anterior chamber inflammation, with six (60%) demonstrating a similar improvement in vitreous haze grade. Almost all (n=17, 94%) of the initially inactive eyes maintained clinical quiescence at this time point. The incidence rate of treatment failure during follow-up was 88 per 100 eye-years for the active eyes and 24 per 100 eye-years for the initially inactive eyes. There were no serious adverse effects.

Conclusion

Adalimumab appears to reduce the corticosteroid burden in active and inactive non-infectious uveitis in the real-world setting. Inflammatory activity at the time of adalimumab commencement may determine long-term treatment success.
Role of allostatic load and health behaviours in explaining socioeconomic disparities in mortality: a structural equation modelling approach
Authors: Kim Gyu Ri , Jee Sun Ha , Pikhart Hynek
Published: February 2018

Background

The relationship between socioeconomic status and mortality has been well established; however, the extent to which biological factors mediate this relationship is less clear, and empirical evidence from non-Western settings is limited. Allostasis, a cumulative measure of physiological dysregulation, has been proposed as the underlying mechanism linking socioeconomic status to adverse health outcomes. The current study aimed to ascertain the contribution of allostatic load (AL) and health behaviours to socioeconomic inequalities in mortality among Korean adults.

Methods

The sample comprised 70 713 middle-aged and older-aged adults, aged 40–79 years from the Korean Metabolic Syndrome Mortality Study. Using structural equation modelling (SEM), mediation analyses were performed to estimate the effects of socioeconomic position (SEP) on mortality over the follow-up and the extent to which AL, physical exercise and non-smoking status mediate the association between SEP and mortality.

Results

A total of 5618 deaths (7.9%) occurred during the mean follow-up of 15.2 years (SD 2.9). SEM confirmed a direct significant effect of SEP on mortality, as well as significant indirect paths through AL, physical exercise and non-smoking status.

Conclusions

Our findings provide support for the mediating role of AL and health behaviours in the link between SEP and mortality. Policies designed to reduce social disparities in mortality in the long term should primarily focus on reducing stress and promoting healthy lifestyles among the socially disadvantaged groups. Future studies should further assess the role of other mediators such as psychosocial factors, which may contribute to socioeconomic inequalities in mortality.
Role of Laser Power, Wavelength, and Pulse Duration in Laser Assisted Tin-Induced Crystallization of Amorphous Silicon
Authors: Neimash V. B. , Goushcha A. O. , Fedorenko L. L. , Shepelyavyi P. Ye. , Strelchuk V. V. , Nikolenko A. S. , Isaiev M. V. , Kuzmich A. G.
Published: February 2018

This work describes tin-induced crystallization of amorphous silicon studied with Raman spectroscopy in thin-film structures Si-Sn-Si irradiated with pulsed laser light. We have found and analyzed dependencies of the nanocrystals’ size and concentration on the laser pulse intensity for 10 ns and 150 μm duration laser pulses at the wavelengths of 535 nm and 1070 nm. Efficient transformation of the amorphous silicon into a crystalline phase during the 10 ns time interval of the acting laser pulse in the 200 nm thickness films of the amorphous silicon was demonstrated. The results were analyzed theoretically by modeling the spatial and temporal distribution of temperature in the amorphous silicon sample within the laser spot location. Simulations confirmed importance of light absorption depth (irradiation wavelength) in formation and evolution of the temperature profile that affects the crystallization processes in irradiated structures.
Validating User Flows to Protect Software Defined Network Environments
Authors: Abdulqadder Ihsan H. , Zou Deqing , Aziz Israa T. , Yuan Bin
Published: February 2018

Software Defined Network is a promising network paradigm which has led to several security threats in SDN applications that involve user flows, switches, and controllers in the network. Threats as spoofing, tampering, information disclosure, Denial of Service, flow table overloading, and so on have been addressed by many researchers. In this paper, we present novel SDN design to solve three security threats: flow table overloading is solved by constructing a star topology-based architecture, unsupervised hashing method mitigates link spoofing attack, and fuzzy classifier combined with L1-ELM running on a neural network for isolating anomaly packets from normal packets. For effective flow migration Discrete-Time Finite-State Markov Chain model is applied. Extensive simulations using OMNeT++ demonstrate the performance of our proposed approach, which is better at preserving holding time than are other state-of-the-art works from the literature.
Generalized‐Disturbance Rejection Control for Vibration Suppression of Piezoelectric Laminated Flexible Structures
Authors: Zhang Xiao-Yu , Wang Run-Xiao , Zhang Shun-Qi , Wang Zhan-Xi , Qin Xian-Sheng , Schmidt Rüdiger
Published: February 2018

In the framework of disturbance rejection (DR) control, the paper proposes a generalized‐disturbance rejection (GDR) control with proportional‐integral (PI) observer for vibration suppression of smart structures under any unknown continuous disturbances. In the proposed GDR‐PI control, a refined state space model is first constructed, and a generalized disturbance including the disturbance influence matrices, unknown physical disturbances, and state variables is defined. In the closed loop of GDR‐PI control, physical disturbances can be counteracted indirectly by feeding back estimated generalized disturbances. By this means, the GDR‐PI control remedies most of the defects in conventional DR control and has excellent performances especially in the following situations: (i) the disturbances are completely unknown; (ii) the number of sensor signals is less than the number of disturbances; (iii) the unknown disturbances vary fast. Finally, the GDR‐PI control is validated and compared with H∞ state feedback control and conventional DR control available in the literature for vibration suppression of smart beams.
Modeling the Combined Effects of Temperature, pH, and Sodium Chloride and Sodium Lactate Concentrations on the Growth Rate of Lactobacillus plantarum ATCC 8014
Authors: Dalcanton Francieli , Carrasco Elena , Pérez-Rodríguez Fernando , Posada-Izquierdo Guiomar Denisse , Falcão de Aragão Gláucia Maria , García-Gimeno Rosa María
Published: February 2018

Nowadays, microorganisms with probiotic or antimicrobial properties are receiving major attention as alternative resources for food preservation. Lactic acid bacteria are able to synthetize compounds with antimicrobial activity against pathogenic and spoilage flora. Among them, Lactobacillus plantarum ATCC 8014 has exhibited this capacity, and further studies reveal that the microorganism is able to produce bacteriocins. An assessment of the growth of L. plantarum ATCC 8014 at different conditions becomes crucial to predict its development in foods. A response surface model of the growth rate of L. plantarum was built in this study as a function of temperature (4, 7, 10, 13, and 16°C), pH (5.5, 6.0, 6.5, 7.0, and 7.5), and sodium chloride (0, 1.5, 3.0, 4.5, and 6.0%) and sodium lactate (0, 1, 2, 3, and 4%) concentrations. All the factors were statistically significant at a confidence level of 90%  (p<0.10). When temperature and pH increased, there was a corresponding increase in the growth rate, while a negative relationship was observed between NaCl and Na-lactate concentrations and the growth parameter. A mathematical validation was carried out with additional conditions, demonstrating an excellent performance of the model. The developed model could be useful for designing foods with L. plantarum ATCC 8014 added as a probiotic.
A Modified Technique for Laparoscopic Spleen Preserving Distal Pancreatectomy
Authors: Papatriantafyllou Andreas , Mavromatis Theodoros , Demestiha Theano , Filippou Dimitrios , Skandalakis Panagiotis
Published: February 2018

Spleen preserving laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy is considered as first choice operation for symptomatic benign or small malignant lesions located at the body or tail of the pancreas. The two main surgical techniques that have been proposed and widely adopted for spleen preserving laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy are the Warshaw and Kimura techniques. A novel modified approach for laparoscopic spleen preserving distal pancreatectomy is presented. The technique was initially performed in a 57-year-old female patient with mucinous cystadenoma. Following the surgical planes created by the fascia fusion and the organ rotation during embryogenesis (fascia of Toldt and renal fascia) with the patient in a right lateral decibutus position, the tumor was accessed retroperitoneally, without dividing the gastrocolic ligament and entering the lesser sac. The tail of the pancreas was mobilized anteriorly and medially, the lesion was visually identified and resected, and short gastric and left gastroepiploic vessels were preserved. We present the technical details and tips; we define the surgical anatomy of it and discuss the perioperative course of the patient as well as the possible benefits of the proposed technique. The proposed technique seems to be safe, easy to perform, and may present a promising alternative approach for patients with pancreatic disease that can be treated by laparoscopic pancreatectomy.
Research on Biomimetic Models and Nanomechanical Behaviour of Membranous Wings of Chinese Bee Apis cerana cerana Fabricius
Authors: Zhao Yanru , Wang Dongsheng , Tong Jin , Sun Jiyu , Zhang Jin
Published: February 2018

The structures combining the veins and membranes of membranous wings of the Chinese bee Apis cerana cerana Fabricius into a whole have excellent load-resisting capacity. The membranous wings of Chinese bees were taken as research objects and the mechanical properties of a biomimetic model of membranous wings as targets. In order to understand and learn from the biosystem and then make technical innovation, the membranous wings of Chinese bees were simulated and analysed with reverse engineering and finite element method. The deformations and stress states of the finite element model of membranous wings were researched under the concentrated force, uniform load, and torque. It was found that the whole model deforms evenly and there are no unusual deformations arising. The displacements and deformations are small and transform uniformly. It was indicated that the veins and membranes combine well into a whole to transmit loads effectively, which illustrates the membranous wings of Chinese bees having excellent integral mechanical behaviour and structure stiffness. The realization of structure models of the membranous wings of Chinese bees and analysis of the relativity of structures and performances or functions will provide an inspiration for designing biomimetic thin-film materials with superior load-bearing capacity.
Hamiltonian Approach to QCD in Coulomb Gauge: A Survey of Recent Results
Authors: Reinhardt H. , Burgio G. , Campagnari D. , Ebadati E. , Heffner J. , Quandt M. , Vastag P. , Vogt H.
Published: February 2018

We report on recent results obtained within the Hamiltonian approach to QCD in Coulomb gauge. Furthermore this approach is compared to recent lattice data, which were obtained by an alternative gauge-fixing method and which show an improved agreement with the continuum results. By relating the Gribov confinement scenario to the center vortex picture of confinement, it is shown that the Coulomb string tension is tied to the spatial string tension. For the quark sector, a vacuum wave functional is used which explicitly contains the coupling of the quarks to the transverse gluons and which results in variational equations which are free of ultraviolet divergences. The variational approach is extended to finite temperatures by compactifying a spatial dimension. The effective potential of the Polyakov loop is evaluated from the zero-temperature variational solution. For pure Yang–Mills theory, the deconfinement phase transition is found to be second order for SU(2) and first order for SU(3), in agreement with the lattice results. The corresponding critical temperatures are found to be 275 MeV and 280 MeV, respectively. When quarks are included, the deconfinement transition turns into a crossover. From the dual and chiral quark condensate, one finds pseudocritical temperatures of 198 MeV and 170 MeV, respectively, for the deconfinement and chiral transition.
Impact of Wall Configurations on Seismic Fragility of Steel‐Sheathed Cold‐Formed Steel‐Framed Buildings
Authors: Jiang Liqiang , Ye Jihong
Published: February 2018

Seismic fragility of steel‐sheathed cold‐formed steel‐framed (CFSF) structures is scarcely investigated; thus, the information for estimation of seismic losses of the steel‐sheathed CFSF buildings is insufficient. This study aims to investigate the seismic fragility of steel‐sheathed CFSF buildings with different wall configurations. Analytic models for four 2‐story steel‐sheathed CFSF buildings are established based on shaking table tests on steel‐sheathed CFS walls. Then, a group of fragility curves for these buildings are generated. The results show that the thickness of steel sheathing and the fastener spacing of the wall have significant impact on seismic fragility of steel‐sheathed CFSF buildings. The seismic fragility of the CFSF building can be reduced by increasing the thickness of steel sheathing or decreasing the fastener spacing. By increasing the thickness of steel sheathing, the reduction on probability is more obvious for the CP limit. It is also found that the exceeding probability is approximately linear with fastener spacing, with a slope in the range from 0.25%/mm to 0.50%/mm.
Multimodal Feature Learning for Video Captioning
Authors: Lee Sujin , Kim Incheol
Published: February 2018

Video captioning refers to the task of generating a natural language sentence that explains the content of the input video clips. This study proposes a deep neural network model for effective video captioning. Apart from visual features, the proposed model learns additionally semantic features that describe the video content effectively. In our model, visual features of the input video are extracted using convolutional neural networks such as C3D and ResNet, while semantic features are obtained using recurrent neural networks such as LSTM. In addition, our model includes an attention-based caption generation network to generate the correct natural language captions based on the multimodal video feature sequences. Various experiments, conducted with the two large benchmark datasets, Microsoft Video Description (MSVD) and Microsoft Research Video-to-Text (MSR-VTT), demonstrate the performance of the proposed model.
A Rare Case of Carotid Web Presenting with Ischemic Stroke in a Young Woman and a Brief Review of the Literature
Authors: Kyaw Kyaw , Latt Htun , Aung Sammy San Myint , Babu Jay , Rangaswamy Rajesh
Published: February 2018

Carotid web is a radiological description of a shelf-like intraluminal filling defect in the carotid bulb. It is histologically defined as atypical fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD), with abnormal fibrosis and smooth muscle cell hyperplasia in the tunica intima. The spur-like intraluminal protrusion can serve as a nidus for thrombus formation, which could cause systemic embolism and ischemic strokes. We report a case of a 20-year-old female patient presenting with acute ischemic stroke in the ipsilateral middle cerebral artery (MCA) territory. We also discuss the incidence, the prevalence, the pathophysiology, the treatment, and the recurrence of carotid web based on the currently available literature.
Iatrogenic Spinal Subdural Hematoma due to Apixaban: A Case Report and Review of the Literature
Authors: Colell Alba , Arboix Adrià , Caiazzo Francesco , Grivé Elisenda
Published: February 2018

In the last decade, the clinical relevance for developing safer oral anticoagulants prompted the development of new classes of drugs that have shown a lower risk of life-threatening bleeding events as compared to standard warfarin. Nontraumatic spinal subdural hematoma is an uncommon urgent complication that can be associated with the use of these agents. An unusual case of spinal subdural hematoma related to apixaban treatment for nonrheumatic atrial fibrillation is reported here.
Image-Guided Rendering with an Evolutionary Algorithm Based on Cloud Model
Authors: Wu Tao
Published: February 2018

The process of creating nonphotorealistic rendering images and animations can be enjoyable if a useful method is involved. We use an evolutionary algorithm to generate painterly styles of images. Given an input image as the reference target, a cloud model-based evolutionary algorithm that will rerender the target image with nonphotorealistic effects is evolved. The resulting animations have an interesting characteristic in which the target slowly emerges from a set of strokes. A number of experiments are performed, as well as visual comparisons, quantitative comparisons, and user studies. The average scores in normalized feature similarity of standard pixel-wise peak signal-to-noise ratio, mean structural similarity, feature similarity, and gradient similarity based metric are 0.486, 0.628, 0.579, and 0.640, respectively. The average scores in normalized aesthetic measures of Benford’s law, fractal dimension, global contrast factor, and Shannon’s entropy are 0.630, 0.397, 0.418, and 0.708, respectively. Compared with those of similar method, the average score of the proposed method, except peak signal-to-noise ratio, is higher by approximately 10%. The results suggest that the proposed method can generate appealing images and animations with different styles by choosing different strokes, and it would inspire graphic designers who may be interested in computer-based evolutionary art.
Diaphragm Muscle Weakness Following Acute Sustained Hypoxic Stress in the Mouse Is Prevented by Pretreatment with N‐Acetyl Cysteine
Authors: O’Leary Andrew J. , Drummond Sarah E. , Edge Deirdre , O’Halloran Ken D.
Published: February 2018

Oxygen deficit (hypoxia) is a major feature of cardiorespiratory diseases characterized by diaphragm dysfunction, yet the putative role of hypoxic stress as a driver of diaphragm dysfunction is understudied. We explored the cellular and functional consequences of sustained hypoxic stress in a mouse model. Adult male mice were exposed to 8 hours of normoxia, or hypoxia (FiO2 = 0.10) with or without antioxidant pretreatment (N‐acetyl cysteine, 200 mg/kg i.p.). Ventilation and metabolism were measured. Diaphragm muscle contractile function, myofibre size and distribution, gene expression, protein signalling cascades, and oxidative stress (TBARS) were determined. Hypoxia caused pronounced diaphragm muscle weakness, unrelated to increased respiratory muscle work. Hypoxia increased diaphragm HIF‐1α protein content and activated MAPK, mTOR, Akt, and FoxO3a signalling pathways, largely favouring protein synthesis. Hypoxia increased diaphragm lipid peroxidation, indicative of oxidative stress. FoxO3 and MuRF‐1 gene expression were increased. Diaphragm 20S proteasome activity and muscle fibre size and distribution were unaffected by acute hypoxia. Pretreatment with N‐acetyl cysteine substantially enhanced cell survival signalling, prevented hypoxia‐induced diaphragm oxidative stress, and prevented hypoxia‐induced diaphragm dysfunction. Hypoxia is a potent driver of diaphragm weakness, causing myofibre dysfunction without attendant atrophy. N‐acetyl cysteine protects the hypoxic diaphragm and may have application as a potential adjunctive therapy.
Improved Integral Attacks on SIMON32 and SIMON48 with Dynamic Key-Guessing Techniques
Authors: Chu Zhihui , Chen Huaifeng , Wang Xiaoyun , Dong Xiaoyang , Li Lu
Published: February 2018

Dynamic key-guessing techniques, which exploit the property of AND operation, could improve the differential and linear cryptanalytic results by reducing the number of guessed subkey bits and lead to good cryptanalytic results for SIMON. They have only been applied in differential and linear attacks as far as we know. In this paper, dynamic key-guessing techniques are first introduced in integral cryptanalysis. According to the features of integral cryptanalysis, we extend dynamic key-guessing techniques and get better integral cryptanalysis results than before. As a result, we present integral attacks on 24-round SIMON32, 24-round SIMON48/72, and 25-round SIMON48/96. In terms of the number of attacked rounds, our attack on SIMON32 is better than any previously known attacks, and our attacks on SIMON48 are the same as the best attacks.
Simulation of Turbulent Wake at Mixing of Two Confined Horizontal Flows
Authors: Krpan Rok , Končar Boštjan
Published: February 2018

The development of a turbulent mixing layer at mixing of two horizontal water streams with slightly different densities is studied by the means of numerical simulation. The mixing of such flows can be modelled as the flow of two components, where the concentration of one component in the mixing region is described as a passive scalar. The velocity field remains common over the entire computational domain, where the density and viscosity difference due to the concentration mainly affects the turbulent fluctuations in the mixing region. The numerical simulations are performed with the open source code OpenFOAM using two different approaches for turbulence modelling, Reynolds Averaged Navier Stokes equations (RANS) and Large Eddy Simulation (LES). The simulation results are discussed and compared with the benchmark experiment obtained within the frame of OECD/NEA benchmark test. A good agreement with experimental results is obtained in the case of the single liquid experiment. A high discrepancy between the simulated and the experimental velocity fluctuations in the case of mixing of the flows with the slightly different densities and viscosities triggered a systematic investigation of the modelling approaches that helped us to find out and interpret the main reasons for the disagreement.
Emergent Presentation of an Adult with Undiagnosed Coarctation of the Aorta
Authors: Armistead Shannon , Mullins David , Sherick Stephen , Ashurst John
Published: February 2018

Coarctation of the aorta is typically thought to be a childhood disease. However, emergency physicians must keep a broad differential diagnosis when faced with a young patient with signs and symptoms of acute congestive heart failure. The authors present a case of newly diagnosed coarctation of the aorta in a 26-year-old male who was first misdiagnosed with pneumonia.
Health Information System Role-Based Access Control Current Security Trends and Challenges
Authors: de Carvalho Junior Marcelo Antonio , Bandiera-Paiva Paulo
Published: February 2018

Objective. This article objective is to highlight implementation characteristics, concerns, or limitations over role-based access control (RBAC) use on health information system (HIS) using industry-focused literature review of current publishing for that purpose. Based on the findings, assessment for indication of RBAC is obsolete considering HIS authorization control needs. Method. We have selected articles related to our investigation theme “RBAC trends and limitations” in 4 different sources related to health informatics or to the engineering technical field. To do so, we have applied the following search query string: “Role-Based Access Control” OR “RBAC” AND “Health information System” OR “EHR” AND “Trends” OR “Challenges” OR “Security” OR “Authorization” OR “Attacks” OR “Permission Assignment” OR “Permission Relation” OR “Permission Mapping” OR “Constraint”. We followed PRISMA applicable flow and general methodology used on software engineering for systematic review. Results. 20 articles were selected after applying inclusion and exclusion criteria resulting contributions from 10 different countries. 17 articles advocate RBAC adaptations. The main security trends and limitations mapped were related to emergency access, grant delegation, and interdomain access control. Conclusion. Several publishing proposed RBAC adaptations and enhancements in order to cope current HIS use characteristics. Most of the existent RBAC studies are not related to health informatics industry though. There is no clear indication of RBAC obsolescence for HIS use.
Dissecting the Evolving Risk of Relapse over Time in Surveillance for Testicular Cancer
Authors: Nayan Madhur , Hamilton Robert J.
Published: February 2018

Testicular cancer is the most common malignancy in young men, and the incidence is increasing in most countries worldwide. The vast majority of patients present with clinical stage I disease, and surveillance is being increasingly adopted as the preferred management strategy. At the time of diagnosis, patients on surveillance are often counselled about their risk of relapse based on risk factors present at diagnosis, but this risk estimate becomes less informative in patients that have survived a period of time without experiencing relapse. Conditional survival estimates, on the other hand, provide information on a patient’s evolving risk of relapse over time. In this review, we describe the concept of conditional survival and its applications for surveillance of clinical stage I seminoma and nonseminoma germ cell tumours. These estimates can be used to tailor surveillance protocols based on future risk of relapse within risk subgroups of seminoma and nonseminoma, which may reduce the burden of follow-up for some patients, physicians, and the health care system. Furthermore, conditional survival estimates provide patients with a meaningful, evolving risk estimate and may be helpful to reassure patients and reduce potential anxiety of being on surveillance.
Assessment of Ground-Based and Aerial Cloud Seeding Using Trace Chemistry
Authors: Fisher James M. , Lytle Marion L. , Kunkel Melvin L. , Blestrud Derek R. , Dawson Nicholas W. , Parkinson Shaun K. , Edwards Ross , Benner Shawn G.
Published: February 2018

Targeting seedable clouds with silver iodide in complex terrain adds considerable uncertainty in weather modification studies. This study explores the geographic and temporal distribution of silver iodide associated with an active cloud seeding program in central Idaho snowpack using trace chemistry. Over 4,000 snow samples were analyzed for the presence of a cloud seeding silver iodide (AgI) signature over two winter seasons. The results indicate the following.(1)At sites within 70 km of AgI sources, silver enrichments were detected at 88% of cases involving seeding efforts from ground generators, but none from aircraft seeded cases.(2)Real-time snow collection methods were replicable within 0.41 ppt and confirmed seeding signatures for the entire duration of a seeded storm (n=3).(3)Sites sampled beyond 70 km of AgI sources (n=13) lacked detectable seeding signatures in snow. The results of this study demonstrate some of the strengths and limitations of chemical tracers to evaluate cloud seeding operations and provide observational data that can inform numerical simulations of these processes. The results also indicate that this chemical approach can be used to help constrain the spatiotemporal distribution of silver from cloud seeding efforts.
Repeat Intravitreal Dexamethasone Implant for Refractory Cystoid Macular Edema in Syphilitic Uveitis
Authors: Lautredou Cassandra C. , Hardin Joshua S. , Chancellor John R. , Uwaydat Sami H. , Ellabban Abdallah A. , Sallam Ahmed B.
Published: February 2018

Purpose. To report the successful utilization of adjunctive repeat intravitreal corticosteroid therapy for the treatment of cystoid macular edema in syphilis-related uveitis. Methods/Patients. An HIV-positive patient with treated ocular syphilis who developed refractory cystoid macular edema (CME) was treated with repeat intravitreal corticosteroid therapy including dexamethasone intravitreal implants. Results. Treatment led to the resolution of CME and improvement in visual acuity. Conclusions. Intravitreal corticosteroid therapy may be a viable adjunctive treatment for refractory CME in patients with treated syphilitic uveitis. Corticosteroid-induced exacerbation of infection is unlikely in patients with an adequate serologic treatment response.
Analysis of Titania Nanosheet Adsorption Behavior Using a Quartz Crystal Microbalance Sensor
Authors: Tashiro Yuichiro , Komasa Satoshi , Miyake Akiko , Nishizaki Hiroshi , Okazaki Joji
Published: February 2018

We investigated the adsorption of albumin and fibronectin on a titania nanosheet‐ (TNS‐) modified quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) sensor. A Ti QCM sensor was fabricated by reactive magnetron sputtering. A thin layer of Ti was deposited on the QCM sensor. This sensor was then alkali‐modified by treatment with NaOH at room temperature to fabricate the titania nanosheets. Scanning probe microscopy, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy were performed to investigate the surface topology and chemical components of each sensor. The TNS had a titanium oxide film exhibiting a nodular structure and a thickness of 13 nm on the QCM sensor. Furthermore, QCM measurements showed significantly greater amounts of albumin and fibronectin adsorbed on the TNS than on titanium. The NaOH treatment of titanium modified the sensor surface and improved the adsorption behaviors of proteins related to the initial adhesion of bone marrow cells. Therefore, we concluded that TNS improves the initial adhesion between the implant materials and the surrounding tissues.
Multiple Arterial Thrombosis Related with Cantharidin Ingestion
Authors: Narli Ozdemir Zehra , Sahin Ugur , Civriz Bozdag Sinem , Ilhan Osman
Published: February 2018

Inherited and/or acquired thrombophilic defects can result in venous or arterial thrombosis. This case report describes arterial thrombotic episodes triggered by the ingestion of an aphrodisiac remedy containing cantharidin in a 46-year-old female patient later discovered to be heterozygous for prothrombin G20210A mutation and seropositive for anti-β2 glycoprotein-I (anti-β2-GPI) antibodies of IgA isotype.