bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Structural relatedness of enteric bacterial porins assessed with monoclonal antibodies to Salmonella typhimurium OmpD and OmpC
Authors: Singh S P , Upshaw Y , Abdullah T , Singh S R , Klebba P E
Published: November 2016

The immunochemistry and structure of enteric bacterial porins are critical to the understanding of the immune response to bacterial infection. We raised 41 monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) to Salmonella typhimurium OmpD and OmpC porin trimers and monomers. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, immunoprecipitations, and/or Western immunoblot techniques indicated that 39 MAbs (11 anti-trimer and 28 anti-monomer) in the panel are porin specific and one binds to the lipopolysaccharide; the specificity of the remaining MAb probably lies in the porin-lipopolysaccharide complex. Among the porin-specific MAbs, 10 bound cell-surface-exposed epitopes, one reacted with a periplasmic epitope, and the remaining 28 recognized determinants that are buried within the outer membrane bilayer. Many of the MAbs reacting with surface-exposed epitopes were highly specific, recognizing only the homologous porin trimers; this suggests that the cell-surface-exposed regions of porins tends to be quite different among S. typhimurium OmpF, OmpC, and OmpD porins. Immunological cross-reaction showed that S. typhimurium OmpD was very closely related to Escherichia coli NmpC and to the Lc porin of bacteriophage PA-2. Immunologically, E. coli OmpG and protein K also appear to belong to the family of closely related porins including E. coli OmpF, OmpC, PhoE, and NmpC and S. typhimurium OmpF, OmpC, and OmpD. It appears, however, that S. typhimurium "PhoE" is not closely related to this group. Finally, about one-third of the MAbs that presumably recognize buried epitopes reacted with porin domains that are widely conserved in 13 species of the family Enterobacteriaceae, but apparently not in the seven nonenterobacterial species tested. These data are evaluated in relation to host immune response to infection by gram-negative bacteria.
Cell density-dependent modulation of the Vibrio fischeri luminescence system in the absence of autoinducer and LuxR protein
Authors: Dunlap P V , Kuo A
Published: November 2016

Expression of the Vibrio fischeri luminescence genes (luxR and luxICDABEG) in Escherichia coli requires autoinducer (N-3-oxohexanoyl homoserine lactone) and LuxR protein, which activate transcription of luxICDABEG (genes for autoinducer synthase and the luminescence enzymes), and cyclic AMP (cAMP) and cAMP receptor protein (CRP), which activate transcription of the divergently expressed luxR gene. In E. coli and in V. fischeri, the autoinducer-LuxR protein-dependent induction of luxICDABEG transcription (called autoinduction) is delayed by glucose, whereas it is promoted by iron restriction, but the mechanisms for these effects are not clear. To examine in V. fischeri control of lux gene expression by autoinducer, cAMP, glucose, and iron, lux::Mu dI(lacZ) and lux deletion mutants of V. fischeri were constructed by conjugation and gene replacement procedures. beta-Galactosidase synthesis in a luxC::lacZ mutant exhibited autoinduction. In a luxR::lacZ mutant, complementation by the luxR gene was necessary for luminescence, and addition of cAMP increased beta-galactosidase activity four- to sixfold. Furthermore, a luxI::lacZ mutant produced no detectable autoinducer but responded to its addition with induced synthesis of beta-galactosidase. These results confirm in V. fischeri key features of lux gene regulation derived from studies with E. coli. However, beta-galactosidase specific activity in the luxI::lacZ mutant, without added autoinducer, exhibited an eight- to tenfold decrease and rise back during growth, as did beta-galactosidase and luciferase specific activities in the luxR::lacZ mutant and luciferase specific activity in a delta(luxR luxICD) mutant. The presence of glucose delayed the rise back in beta-galactosidase and luciferase specific activities in these strains, whereas iron restriction promoted it. Thus, in addition to transcriptional control by autoinducer and LuxR protein, the V. fischeri lux system exhibits a cell density-dependent modulation of expression that does not require autoinducer, LuxR protein, or known lux regulatory sites. The response of autoinducer-LuxR protein-independent modulation to glucose and iron may account for how these environmental factors control lux gene expressions.
Sphingolipid long-chain-base auxotrophs of Saccharomyces cerevisiae: genetics, physiology, and a method for their selection
Authors: Pinto W J , Srinivasan B , Shepherd S , Schmidt A , Dickson R C , Lester R L
Published: November 2016

A selection method for sphingolipid long-chain-base auxotrophs of Saccharomyces cerevisiae was devised after observing that strains that require a long-chain base for growth become denser when starved for this substance. Genetic analysis of over 60 such strains indicated only two complementation classes, lcb1 and lcb2. Mutant strains from each class grew equally well with 3-ketodihydrosphingosine, erythrodihydrosphingosine or threodihydrosphingosine, or phytosphingosine. Since these metabolites represent the first, second, and last components, respectively, of the long-chain-base biosynthetic pathway, it is likely that the LCB1 and LCB2 genes are involved in the first step of long-chain-base synthesis. The results of long-chain-base starvation in the Lcb- strains suggest that one or more sphingolipids have a vital role in S. cerevisiae. Immediate sequelae of long-chain-base starvation were loss of viability, exacerbated in the presence of alpha-cyclodextrin, and loss of phosphoinositol sphingolipid synthesis but not phosphatidylinositol synthesis. Loss of viability with long-chain-base starvation could be prevented by also blocking either protein or nucleic acid synthesis. Without a long-chain-base, cell division, dry mass accumulation, and protein synthesis continued at a diminished rate and were further inhibited by the detergent Tergitol. The cell density increase induced by long-chain-base starvation is thus explained as a differential loss of cell division and mass accumulation. Long-chain-base starvation in Lcb- S. cerevisiae and inositol starvation of Inos- S. cerevisiae share common features: an increase in cell density and a loss of cell viability overcome by blocking macromolecular synthesis.
Nucleotide sequence of the Escherichia coli cad operon: a system for neutralization of low extracellular pH
Authors: Meng S Y , Bennett G N
Published: November 2016

Lysine decarboxylase of Escherichia coli has been the subject of enzymological studies, and the gene encoding lysine decarboxylase (cadA) and a regulatory gene (cadR) have been mapped. This enzyme is induced at low pH in the presence of lysine and achieves maximal level under anaerobic conditions. The induction of lysine decarboxylase increases the pH of the extracellular medium and provides a distinctive marker in tests of clinical strains. We report the sequence of the cad operon encoding lysine decarboxylase, a protein of 715 amino acids, and another protein, CadB, of 444 amino acids. The amino acid sequence of lysine decarboxylase showed high homology to that of the lysine decarboxylase of Hafnia alvei with less homology to the sequence of speC, which encodes the biosynthetic ornithine decarboxylase of E. coli. The cadA and cadB genes were separately cloned and placed under the control of lac and tac promoters, respectively, to facilitate independent study of their physiological effects. The cadB gene product had a mobility characteristic of a smaller protein on protein gels, analogous to that found for some other membrane proteins. The CadB sequence showed homology to that of ArcD of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, encoding an arginine/ornithine antiporter. Excretion studies of various strains, the coinduction of cadB and cadA, and the attractive physiological role for an antiport system led to a model for the coupled action of cadA and cadB in uptake of lysine, the reduction of H+ concentration, and excretion of cadaverine.
Functional relationship between the J proteins of bacteriophages phi X174 and G4 during phage morphogenesis
Authors: Fane B A , Head S , Hayashi M
Published: November 2016

The functions of the small DNA-binding protein, gpJ, of bacteriophages phi X174 and G4 were examined by in vivo cross-complementation and sucrose gradient sedimentation. The morphogenetic roles of the two proteins may differ. The phi X174 J protein may be required for the formation or stabilization of the phi X174 prohead.
A diamictite dichotomy: Glacial conveyor belts and olistostromes in the Neoproterozoic of Death Valley, California, USA
Authors: Le Heron D.P. , Tofaif S. , Vandyk T. , Ali D.O.
Published: November 2016

Multiple intercalations of glacially derived and slope-derived diamictites testify to the drawbacks of correlating Neoproterozoic diamictites more widely, but shed new light on the close interrelationship of these processes in the Cryogenian world. In the Neoproterozoic of Death Valley, California (USA), rifting of Rodinia occurred concomitantly with a major glacial event that deposited the Kingston Peak Formation. A new sedimentologic investigation of this formation in the Silurian Hills demonstrates, for the first time, that some diamictites are ultimately of glacial origin. Abundant dropstone textures occur in interstratified heterolithic deposits, with clasts of identical composition (gneiss, schist, granite, metabasite, quartzite) to those of boulder-bearing diamictites suggesting a common source (the glacial conveyor belt). In stark contrast, megaclast-bearing diamictites, yielding clasts of carbonate and siliciclastic preglacial strata as much as 100 m across, are interpreted as olistostromes. The occurrence of syn-sedimentary faults within the succession allows glacial versus slope-derived material to be distinguished for the first time.
Conodonts in Silurian hypersaline environments: Specialized and unexpectedly diverse
Authors: Jarochowska Emilia , Viira Viive , Einasto Rein , Nawrot Rafał , Bremer Oskar , Männik Peep , Munnecke Axel
Published: November 2016

Hypersaline environments are commonly assumed to be barren of metazoans and therefore are avoided by paleontologists, yet a number of early Paleozoic jawless vertebrate groups specialized to live in such settings. Sampling bias against restricted settings resulted in substantial underestimation of their diversity. Rare studies venturing into such environments yielded multiple new species of conodonts, suggesting that the diversity and habitat range of these hyperdiverse predators of the early oceans are equally underestimated. We describe here autochthonous conodont fauna from evaporite-bearing horizons from the middle Silurian of Estonia that provide evidence for efficient osmoregulation in this group. Based on a global compilation of coeval conodont assemblages, we show that marginal-marine, periodically emergent environments were characterized by higher conodont diversity than open-marine shallow settings. This diversity is due to a high number of species occurring in these environments only. The high degree of specialization is also reflected by the highest within-habitat variability (β diversity) in marginal settings. Most conodont species had narrow environmental niches and, unlike in marine invertebrates, extreme environments were inhabited by the most specialized taxa. Such environments represent a large proportion of early Paleozoic tropical epicratonic basins. Our analysis allows quantification of the degree to which mid-Silurian conodont diversity is underestimated as a result of sampling bias against marginal-marine settings.
Constraining the time scales of magmatic differentiation with U-Pb zircon geochronology
Authors: Bucholz C.E. , Eddy M.P. , Jagoutz O. , Bowring S.A. , Schmidt M.W. , Sambuu O.
Published: November 2016

Quantifying the time scales of magmatic differentiation is critical for understanding the rate at which silicic plutonic and volcanic rocks form. Directly dating this process is difficult because locations with both clear evidence for fractional crystallization and the accessory phases necessary for radiometric dating are rare. Early zircon saturation, however, appears to be characteristic of many high-K, arc-related melts due to their generally elevated initial Zr concentrations. Thus, high-K plutonic series are ideal candidates to study the time scales of magmatic differentiation using zircon U-Pb geochronology. This study focuses on the Dariv Igneous Complex in western Mongolia where early saturation of zircon in a suite of cogenetic, upper crustal (<0.5 GPa) igneous rocks ranging from ultramafic cumulates to evolved granitoids allows us to date magmatic differentiation. Crystallization ages from six samples across the sequence indicate that magmatic fractionation from a basalt to high-silica (>65 wt% SiO2) melt occurred in ≤590 ± 350 k.y. This estimate is greater than modeled time scales of conductive cooling of a single intrusion and physical segregation of minerals from a melt, suggesting that continued influx of heat through magmatic activity in the complex may have prolonged cooling and thus time scales associated with the production of silica-enriched melts.
Impact of laparoscopic versus open surgery on hospital costs for colon cancer: a population-based retrospective cohort study
Authors: Laudicella Mauro , Walsh Brendan , Munasinghe Aruna , Faiz Omar
Published: November 2016

Objective

Laparoscopy is increasingly being used as an alternative to open surgery in the treatment of patients with colon cancer. The study objective is to estimate the difference in hospital costs between laparoscopic and open colon cancer surgery.

Design

Population-based retrospective cohort study.

Settings

All acute hospitals of the National Health System in England.

Population

A total of 55 358 patients aged 30 and over with a primary diagnosis of colon cancer admitted for planned (elective) open or laparoscopic major resection between April 2006 and March 2013.

Primary outcomes

Inpatient hospital costs during index admission and after 30 and 90 days following the index admission.

Results

Propensity score matching was used to create comparable exposed and control groups. The hospital cost of an index admission was estimated to be £1933 (95% CI 1834 to 2027; p<0.01) lower among patients who underwent laparoscopic resection. After including the first unplanned readmission following index admission, laparoscopy was £2107 (95% CI 2000 to 2215; p<0.01) less expensive at 30 days and £2202 (95% CI 2092 to 2316; p<0.01) less expensive at 90 days. The difference in cost was explained by shorter hospital stay and lower readmission rates in patients undergoing minimal access surgery. The use of laparoscopic colon cancer surgery increased 4-fold between 2006 and 2012 resulting in a total cost saving in excess of £29.3 million for the National Health Service (NHS).

Conclusions

Laparoscopy is associated with lower hospital costs than open surgery in elective patients with colon cancer suitable for both interventions.
Wavelet coherence analysis of cerebral oxygenation signals measured by near-infrared spectroscopy in sailors: an exploratory, experimental study
Authors: Bu Lingguo , Li Jianfeng , Li Fangyi , Liu Heshan , Li Zengyong
Published: November 2016

Objective

The objective of this study was to assess the effects of long-term offshore work on cerebral oxygenation oscillations in sailors based on the wavelet phase coherence (WPCO) of near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) signals.

Methods

The fatigue severity scale (FSS) was first applied to assess the fatigue level of sailors and age-matched controls. Continuous recordings of NIRS signals were then obtained from the prefrontal lobes in 30 healthy sailors and 30 age-matched controls during the resting state. WPCO between the left and right prefrontal oscillations was analysed and Pearson correlation analysis was used to study the relationship between the FSS and the wavelet amplitude (WA), and between the FSS and the WPCO level.

Results

The periodic oscillations of Delta (HbO2) signals were identified at six frequency intervals: I (0.6–2 Hz); II (0.145–0.6 Hz); III (0.052–0.145 Hz); IV (0.021–0.052 Hz); V (0.0095–0.021 Hz); and VI (0.005–0.0095 Hz). The WA in intervals I (F=8.823, p=0.004) and III (F=4.729, p=0.034) was significantly lower in sailors than that in the controls. The WPCO values of sailor group were significantly lower in intervals III (F=4.686, p=0.039), IV (F=4.864, p=0.036) and V (F=5.195, p=0.03) than those of the control group. In the sailor group, the WA in interval I (r=−0.799, p<0.01) and in interval III (r=−0.721, p<0.01) exhibited a negative correlation with the FSS. Also, the WPCO exhibited a negative correlation with the FSS in intervals III (r=−0.839, p<0.01), IV (r=−0.765, p<0.01) and V (r=−0.775, p<0.01) in the sailor group.

Conclusions

The negative correlation between WA and FSS indicates that the lower oscillatory activities might contribute to the development of fatigue. The low WPCO in intervals III, IV and V represents a reduced phase synchronisation of myogenic, neurogenic and endothelial metabolic activities respectively and this may suggest a decline of cognitive function.
Veterinarian's dilemma: a study of how Danish small animal practitioners handle financially limited clients
Authors: Kondrup S. V. , Anhøj K. P. , Rødsgaard‐Rosenbeck C. , Lund T. B. , Nissen M. H. , Sandøe P.
Published: November 2016

This study examined the extent to which Danish veterinary practices encounter financially limited clients and how different factors relating to the animal, the client and the veterinarian affect decisions to provide treatment for these clients. 300 small animal practices were invited to participate in an online survey. 195 participated, giving a response rate of 65 per cent. The results show that Danish small animal veterinary practices encounter clients with limited finances regularly: 33.8 per cent of them 3–4 times, 24.6 per cent 5–10 times and 19.5 per cent 1–2 times a month. Only around 9 per cent reported having a written practice policy on handling financially limited clients. Factors affecting decisions to treat include the severity and type of the animal's condition, the medical care needed and the client's expressed emotions. The propensity to treat is significantly higher in female veterinarians and in situations involving unborn animals. The overall conclusion is that small animal veterinary practices often provide treatment to clients who are not able to pay—far beyond what is legally required. This can be considered a major economic and psychological challenge for the practising veterinarians.
Solubilization of aluminum-bound phosphorus by root cell walls: evidence from Chinese fir, Cunninghamia lanceolata
Authors: Wu Pengfei , Wang Guang-Yu , El-Kassaby Yousry A. , Wang Pan , Zou Xianhua , Ma Xiangqing
Published: October 2016

This paper considered whether it was possible to activate nonavailable phosphorus (P) with tree root organs in lateritic soils. We investigated the cell wall content and P-solubilizing activity of xylem and phloem from six different sizes of roots from 10, 22, and 34 year old plantations of the Chinese fir Cunninghamia lanceolata (Lamb.) Hook. We found that, on average, cell wall content accounted for 81.07% of the root biomass (dry mass), and the mean solubilization of aluminum-bound phosphate by cell wall preparations was 1.89 g·kg−1. Tissue type (i.e., phloem or xylem) had a significant effect on cell wall content, with more cell wall material in the xylem, whereas P-solubilizing activity was greater in the phloem. In addition, the cell wall content of xylem increased with increasing root diameter, but P-solubilizing activity did not. A significant difference was also observed among the P-solubilizing activity of the three age classes, with lower P-solubilizing activity in the roots of 10 year old trees than in those of 22 and 34 year old trees. Since the establishment of Chinese fir plantations is increasing in southern China, where lateritic soils are widely distributed, the findings of the present study undoubtedly provide pertinent information for improving the utilization of nonavailable P by the cell walls of tree roots.
Chromosomal distribution patterns of the (AC)10 microsatellite and other repetitive sequences, and their use in chromosome rearrangement analysis of species of the genus Avena
Authors: Fominaya Araceli , Loarce Yolanda , Montes Alexander , Ferrer Esther
Published: November 2016

Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) was used to determine the physical location of the (AC)10 microsatellite in metaphase chromosomes of six diploid species (AA or CC genomes), two tetraploid species (AACC genome), and five cultivars of two hexaploid species (AACCDD genome) of the genus Avena, a genus in which genomic relationships remain obscure. A preferential distribution of the (AC)10 microsatellite in the pericentromeric and interstitial regions was seen in both the A- and D-genome chromosomes, while in C-genome chromosomes the majority of signals were located in the pericentromeric heterochromatic regions. New large chromosome rearrangements were detected in two polyploid species: an intergenomic translocation involving chromosomes 17AL and 21DS in Avena sativa ‘Araceli’ and another involving chromosomes 4CL and 21DS in the analyzed cultivars of Avena byzantina. The latter 4CL-21DS intergenomic translocation differentiates clearly between A. sativa and A. byzantina. Searches for common hybridization patterns on the chromosomes of different species revealed chromosome 10A of Avena magna and 21D of hexaploid oats to be very similar in terms of the distribution of 45S and Am1 sequences. This suggests a common origin for these chromosomes and supports a CCDD rather than an AACC genomic designation for this species.
A conceptual design of circular Higgs factory
Authors: Cai Yunhai
Published: November 2016

Similar to a super B-factory, a circular Higgs factory (CHF) will require strong focusing systems near the interaction points and a low-emittance lattice in the arcs to achieve a factory luminosity. At electron beam energy of 125 GeV, beamstrahlung effects during the collision pose an additional challenge to the collider design. In particular, a large momentum acceptance at the 2% level is necessary to retain an adequate beam lifetime. This turns out to be the most challenging aspect in the design of a CHF. In this paper, an example will be provided to illustrate the beam dynamics in a CHF, emphasizing the chromatic optics. Basic optical modules and advanced analysis will be presented. Most importantly, we will show that 2% momentum aperture is achievable.
A Discriminant Parameter Determining Technique in Variational Multiscale Method for Stokes Equations
Authors: Chen Lin-Feng , Hu Xu-Qu
Published: November 2016

A Goal-Oriented and Model-Constrained Optimization (GOMCO) approach was proposed as a discriminant technique for the Variational Geomano Method (VGM) in the coefficient determinations of variational multiscale Unresolved-Scale (URS) model in steady Stokes equations. Numerical implementations using both linear and nonlinear models were performed with both the GOMCO and VGM. Numerical results show that the coefficients determined by the GOMCO are scale-invariant, while they are scale-variant by the VGM. The GOMCO technique is found to be more appropriate for coefficient determinations in steady Stokes equations, as the VGM is sensitive to the computing procedures. Moreover, the GOMCO could provide reliable coefficients for the URS model.
Control of extensional transfer zones on syntectonic and post-tectonic sedimentation: implications for hydrocarbon exploration
Authors: Moustafa Adel R. , Khalil Samir M.
Published: November 2016

The Gulf of Suez–Red Sea rift system exhibits superb outcrop examples of extensional transfer zones and displays the control of these zones on syntectonic and post-tectonic sedimentation. Hard and soft linkage transfer zones were identified at variable scales. Hard linkage transfer zones form inward and outward fault kinks whereas soft linkage transfer zones form relay ramps between overlapping rift-parallel faults. The two types of transfer zones invariably exerted fundamental control on the deposition of syn- and post-tectonic sediments, flow direction of drainage systems and locations of sediment entry points, as well as the intensity of erosion patterns of the structurally high sediment source areas. This study highlights the close relationship between the transfer zones and hydrocarbon accumulations in clastic syntectonic reservoirs in rift basins.
A scientometric analysis of 9 ACM SIGWEB cooperating conferences
Authors: Agarwal Swati , Mittal Nitish , Sureka Ashish
Published: November 2016

ACM SIGWEB is one of the ACM's special interest groups (SIG) supporting communities and researches focused in the areas of hypermedia, world wide web, hypertext, digital libraries, document engineering and social networks. In adition to seven sponsored conferences, ACM SIG-WEB cooperates with various computer science conferences called as the
SIGWEB Cooperating Conference.
Compared to ACM SIGWEB sponsored conference, cooperating conferences keep undergoing addition and removal of conference more often based on the topics of interest and themes. Similar to SIGWEB sponsored conferences, cooperating conferences also publish in a wide range of topics in hypermedia and multi-disciplinary domains. In this paper, we present a bibliometric analysis of scientific publications records of 9 SIGWEB cooperating conferences. We use DBLP bibliographical database as a base database and enhance the DBLP records of cooperating conferences using AMiner and Google Scholar. We perform and exploratory and scientometric analysis on publications, authors and conference database of 10 years (2006-2015) of SIGWEB cooperating conferences. We propose 4 research questions around the topics of research community in cooperating conferences such as authors participation, number of publications and relative comparison of google scholar h-index with overall citations received on each article published in an year in cooperating conferences.

Our results reveal that over the past decade conferences like ASONAM and IWCMC have an increment in growth rate of the conference every year. These conferences have been publishing a large number of articles with maximum number of authors participation from the community. Further, despite having a large number of articles, h5-index and overall citation rate, RecSys covers only a limited range of topics and focused in the domain of base topics in recommender systems only. For example, matrix factorization and collaborative filtering. On a contrary, our empirical analysis reveal that due to the focused topics and domain, articles published in RecSys has received maximum number of citations over the past decade. While, conferences like Compute and RuleML has very low citation rate and h5-index upto 14 which is reasonably lower than the h5-index of other conferences (greater than 25). We further study the research community of ACM SIGWEB cooperating conferences and find that despite having a small number of papers in ACM-SCopC community, many researchers make among top 20 prolific authors receiving maximum number of citations on their articles published in ACM-SCopC.
Retrograde Signals: Integrators of Interorganellar Communication and Orchestrators of Plant Development
Authors: de Souza Amancio , Wang Jin-Zheng , Dehesh Katayoon
Published: November 2016

Interorganellar cooperation maintained via exquisitely controlled retrograde-signaling pathways is an evolutionary necessity for maintenance of cellular homeostasis. This signaling feature has therefore attracted much research attention aimed at improving understanding of the nature of these communication signals, how the signals are sensed, and ultimately the mechanism by which they integrate targeted processes that collectively culminate in organellar cooperativity. The answers to these questions will provide insight into how retrograde-signal-mediated regulatory mechanisms are recruited and which biological processes are targeted, and will advance our understanding of how organisms balance metabolic investments in growth against adaptation to environmental stress. This review summarizes the present understanding of the nature and the functional complexity of retrograde signals as integrators of interorganellar communication and orchestrators of plant development, and offers a perspective on the future of this critical and dynamic area of research.
Immune-Suppressing Cellular Elements of the Tumor Microenvironment
Authors: Fearon Douglas T.
Published: November 2016

Despite continual hints from preclinical and clinical research of its relevance, cancer immunology existed for many years at the periphery of cancer therapeutics. It is now the focus of intense and widespread interest after observations that blocking the activity of inhibitory receptors on T cells, known as T cell checkpoints, elicits durable clinical responses in many patients. The urgent challenge is now to understand the tissue-protective cellular elements of the tumor microenvironment (TME) that explain why the majority of patients do not respond to T cell checkpoint therapy. Analysis of human cancers and mouse models has shown that this nonresponsiveness is caused by the exclusion of T cells from the vicinity of cancer cells and that cells of the TME mediate this restriction. This review examines the immunosuppressive functions of the cells of the TME and discusses the steps of the antitumor immune reaction that, if inhibited, would diminish intratumoral T cell accumulation.
Habitat Management to Suppress Pest Populations: Progress and Prospects
Authors: Gurr Geoff M. , Wratten Steve D. , Landis Douglas A. , You Minsheng
Published: November 2016

Habitat management involving manipulation of farmland vegetation can exert direct suppressive effects on pests and promote natural enemies. Advances in theory and practical techniques have allowed habitat management to become an important subdiscipline of pest management. Improved understanding of biodiversity-ecosystem function relationships means that researchers now have a firmer theoretical foundation on which to design habitat management strategies for pest suppression in agricultural systems, including landscape-scale effects. Supporting natural enemies with shelter, nectar, alternative prey/hosts, and pollen (SNAP) has emerged as a major research topic and applied tactic with field tests and adoption often preceded by rigorous laboratory experimentation. As a result, the promise of habitat management is increasingly being realized in the form of practical worldwide implementation. Uptake is facilitated by farmer participation in research and is made more likely by the simultaneous delivery of ecosystem services other than pest suppression.
Zooplankton and the Ocean Carbon Cycle
Authors: Steinberg Deborah K. , Landry Michael R.
Published: November 2016

Marine zooplankton comprise a phylogenetically and functionally diverse assemblage of protistan and metazoan consumers that occupy multiple trophic levels in pelagic food webs. Within this complex network, carbon flows via alternative zooplankton pathways drive temporal and spatial variability in production-grazing coupling, nutrient cycling, export, and transfer efficiency to higher trophic levels. We explore current knowledge of the processing of zooplankton food ingestion by absorption, egestion, respiration, excretion, and growth (production) processes. On a global scale, carbon fluxes are reasonably constrained by the grazing impact of microzooplankton and the respiratory requirements of mesozooplankton but are sensitive to uncertainties in trophic structure. The relative importance, combined magnitude, and efficiency of export mechanisms (mucous feeding webs, fecal pellets, molts, carcasses, and vertical migrations) likewise reflect regional variability in community structure. Climate change is expected to broadly alter carbon cycling by zooplankton and to have direct impacts on key species.
Pattern analysis uncovers a chronic ethanol-induced disruption of the switch-like dynamics of C/EBP-β and C/EBP-α genome-wide binding during liver regeneration
Authors: Kuttippurathu Lakshmi , Patra Biswanath , Cook Daniel , Hoek Jan B. , Vadigepalli Rajanikanth
Published: November 2016

Chronic ethanol intake impairs liver regeneration through a system-wide alteration in the regulatory networks driving the response to injury. Our study focused on the initial phase of response to 2/3rd partial hepatectomy (PHx) to investigate how adaptation to chronic ethanol intake affects the genome-wide binding profiles of the transcription factors C/EBP-β and C/EBP-α. These factors participate in complementary and often opposing functions for maintaining cellular differentiation, regulating metabolism, and governing cell growth during liver regeneration. We analyzed ChIP-seq data with a comparative pattern count (COMPACT) analysis, which exhaustively enumerates temporal patterns of discretized binding profiles to identify dominant as well as subtle patterns that may not be apparent from conventional clustering analyses. We found that adaptation to chronic ethanol intake significantly alters the genome-wide binding profile of C/EBP-β and C/EBP-α before and following PHx. A subset of these ethanol-induced changes include C/EBP-β binding to promoters of genes involved in the profibrogenic transforming growth factor-β pathway, and both C/EBP-β and C/EBP-α binding to promoters of genes involved in the cell cycle, apoptosis, homeostasis, and metabolic processes. The shift in C/EBP binding loci, coupled with an ethanol-induced increase in C/EBP-β binding at 6 h post-resection, indicates that ethanol adaptation may change both the amount and nature of C/EBP binding postresection. Taken together, our results suggest that chronic ethanol consumption leads to a spatially and temporally reorganized activity at many genomic loci, resulting in a shift in the dynamic balance and coordination of cellular processes underlying regenerative response.
Design of Wideband Dual-Polarized Planar Antenna Using Multimode Concept
Authors: Yang Deqiang , Zeng Huiling , Wen Yubo , Zou Meng , Pan Jin
Published: October 2016

A wideband dual-polarized planar antenna is designed and analyzed by using the theory of characteristic modes (TCM). The eigenvalue, eigencurrent, characteristic pattern, and modal weighting coefficient are analyzed to bring physical insight to this kind of antenna. The results demonstrate that there are two modes resonant in the operating band for each polarization, which have been combined to form a wider frequency band. A bandwidth of 60.2% (1.72–3.2 GHz) for VSWR < 1.5 with high isolation of 32 dB is achieved simultaneously. The size of the radiator structure is 0.33λ0× 0.33λ0× 0.22λ0(λ0refers to the center operating frequency).
Primary Lymphangioma of the Palatine Tonsil in a 9-Year-Old Boy: A Case Presentation and Literature Review
Authors: Iliadou Eleftheria , Papapetropoulos Nektarios , Karamatzanis Eleftherios , Saravakos Panagiotis , Saravakos Konstantinos
Published: October 2016

Primary lymphangiomas or lymphangiomatous polyps of the palatine tonsil are rare benign lesions that are described infrequently in the literature. The majority of the published cases concern adults. We report a case of a lymphangiomatous lesion of the right palatine tonsil of a 9-year-old boy. Our clinical suspicion was confirmed by the histological examination after tonsillectomy and the diagnosis of primary lymphangioma of the tonsil was made. In this case we discuss the clinical and histopathological features of this lesion and present a short review of the current literature.
A Game-Theoretic Based Resource Allocation Strategy for Cloud Computing Services
Authors: Yan Wang , Jinkuan Wang , Jinghao Sun
Published: October 2016

We propose an economics-oriented cloud computing resources allocation strategy with the use of game theory. Then we develop a resource allocation algorithm named NCGRAA (noncooperative game resource allocation algorithm) to search the Nash equilibrium solution that makes the utility of various resource providers achieve optimum. We also propose an algorithm named BGRAA (bargaining game resource allocation algorithm) to further increase the overall revenue with the constraints of efficiency and fairness. Based on numerical results, we discuss the influence of NCGRAA and BGRAA for the utility of resource on the system performance. It shows that the choice of parameters of the two algorithms is significant in improving the system performance and converging to the Nash equilibrium and Nash bargaining.
Responsivity Dependent Anodization Current Density of Nanoporous Silicon Based MSM Photodetector
Authors: Al-Jumaili Batool Eneaze B. , Talib Zainal A. , Ramizy Asmiet , Ahmed Naser M. , Josephine L. Y. , Paiman Suriati B. , Muhd Ibrahim B. , Abdulateef Sinan A.
Published: October 2016

Achieving a cheap and ultrafast metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) photodetector (PD) for very high-speed communications is ever-demanding. We report the influence of anodization current density variation on the response of nanoporous silicon (NPSi) based MSM PD with platinum (Pt) contact electrodes. Such NPSi samples are grown from n-type Si (100) wafer using photoelectrochemical etching with three different anodization current densities. FESEM images of as-prepared samples revealed the existence of discrete pores with spherical and square-like shapes. XRD pattern displayed the growth of nanocrystals with (311) lattice orientation. The nanocrystallite sizes obtained using Scherrer formula are found to be between 20.8 nm and 28.6 nm. The observed rectifying behavior in theI-Vcharacteristics is ascribed to the Pt/PSi/n-Si Schottky barrier formation, where the barrier height at the Pt/PSi interface is estimated to be 0.69 eV. Furthermore, this Pt/PSi/Pt MSM PD achieved maximum responsivity of 0.17 A/W and quantum efficiency as much as 39.3%. The photoresponse of this NPSi based MSM PD demonstrated excellent repeatability, fast response, and enhanced saturation current with increasing anodization current density.
F4/80+Host Macrophages Are a Barrier to Murine Embryonic Stem Cell-Derived Hematopoietic Progenitor EngraftmentIn Vivo
Authors: Thompson Heather L. , van Rooijen Nico , McLelland Bryce T. , Manilay Jennifer O.
Published: October 2016

Understanding how embryonic stem cells and their derivatives interact with the adult host immune system is critical to developing their therapeutic potential. Murine embryonic stem cell-derived hematopoietic progenitors (ESHPs) were generated via coculture with the bone marrow stromal cell line, OP9, and then transplanted into NOD.SCID.Common Gamma Chain (NSG) knockout mice, which lack B, T, and natural killer cells. Compared to control mice transplanted with adult lineage-negative bone marrow (Lin−BM) progenitors, ESHP-transplanted mice attained a low but significant level of donor hematopoietic chimerism. Based on our previous studies, we hypothesized that macrophages might contribute to the low engraftment of ESHPsin vivo. Enlarged spleens were observed in ESHP-transplanted mice and found to contain higher numbers of host F4/80+macrophages compared to BM-transplanted controls.In vivodepletion of host macrophages using clodronate-loaded liposomes improved the ESHP-derived hematopoietic chimerism in the spleen but not in the BM. F4/80+macrophages demonstrated a striking propensity to phagocytose ESHP targetsin vitro. Taken together, these results suggest that macrophages are a barrier to both syngeneic and allogeneic ESHP engraftmentin vivo.
Novel Burst Suppression Segmentation in the Joint Time-Frequency Domain for EEG in Treatment of Status Epilepticus
Authors: Lee Jaeyun , Song Woo-Jin , Lee Hyang Woon , Shin Hyun-Chool
Published: October 2016

We developed a method to distinguish bursts and suppressions for EEG burst suppression from the treatments of status epilepticus, employing the joint time-frequency domain. We obtained the feature used in the proposed method from the joint use of the time and frequency domains, and we estimated the decision as to whether the measured EEG was a burst segment or suppression segment by the maximum likelihood estimation. We evaluated the performance of the proposed method in terms of its accordance with the visual scores and estimation of the burst suppression ratio. The accuracy was higher than the sole use of the time or frequency domains, as well as conventional methods conducted in the time domain. In addition, probabilistic modeling provided a more simplified optimization than conventional methods. Burst suppression quantification necessitated precise burst suppression segmentation with an easy optimization; therefore, the excellent discrimination and the easy optimization of burst suppression by the proposed method appear to be beneficial.
Numerical Simulation of Entropy Growth for a Nonlinear Evolutionary Model of Random Markets
Authors: Keshtkar Mahdi , Navidi Hamidreza , Shivanian Elyas
Published: October 2016

In this communication, the generalized continuous economic model for random markets is revisited. In this model for random markets, agents trade by pairs and exchange their money in a random and conservative way. They display the exponential wealth distribution as asymptotic equilibrium, independently of the effectiveness of the transactions and of the limitation of the total wealth. In the current work, entropy of mentioned model is defined and then some theorems on entropy growth of this evolutionary problem are given. Furthermore, the entropy increasing by simulation on some numerical examples is verified.
Optimizing Ship Speed to Minimize Total Fuel Consumption with Multiple Time Windows
Authors: Kim Jae-Gon , Kim Hwa-Joong , Jun Hong Bae , Kim Chong-Man
Published: October 2016

We study the ship speed optimization problem with the objective of minimizing the total fuel consumption. We consider multiple time windows for each port call as constraints and formulate the problem as a nonlinear mixed integer program. We derive intrinsic properties of the problem and develop an exact algorithm based on the properties. Computational experiments show that the suggested algorithm is very efficient in finding an optimal solution.
Role of Membrane Lipids in the Regulation of Erythrocytic Oxygen-Transport Function in Cardiovascular Diseases
Authors: Revin Victor V. , Gromova Natalia V. , Revina Elvira S. , Martynova Maria I. , Seikina Angelina I. , Revina Nadezhda V. , Imarova Oksana G. , Solomadin Ilia N. , Tychkov Alexander Yu. , Zhelev Nikolai
Published: October 2016

The composition and condition of membrane lipids, the morphology of erythrocytes, and hemoglobin distribution were explored with the help of laser interference microscopy (LIM) and Raman spectroscopy. It is shown that patients with cardiovascular diseases (CVD) have significant changes in the composition of their phospholipids and the fatty acids of membrane lipids. Furthermore, the microviscosity of the membranes and morphology of the erythrocytes are altered causing disordered oxygen transport by hemoglobin. Basic therapy carried out with the use of antiaggregants, statins, antianginals, beta-blockers, and calcium antagonists does not help to recover the morphofunctional properties of erythrocytes. Based on the results the authors assume that, for the relief of the ischemic crisis and further therapeutic treatment, it is necessary to include, in addition to cardiovascular disease medicines, medication that increases the ability of erythrocytes’ hemoglobin to transport oxygen to the tissues. We assume that the use of LIM and Raman spectroscopy is advisable for early diagnosis of changes in the structure and functional state of erythrocytes when cardiovascular diseases develop.
An Atypical Case of Myxedema Coma with Concomitant Nonconvulsive Seizure
Authors: Patel Pratik , Bekkerman Mikhael , Varallo-Rodriguez Cristina , Rampersaud Rajendra
Published: October 2016

Hypothyroidism is a prevalent condition in the general population that is treatable with appropriately dosed thyroid hormone replacement medication. Infrequently, patients will present with myxedema coma, characterized by hypothermia, hypotension, bradycardia, and altered mental status in the setting of severe hypothyroidism. Myxedema coma has also been known to manifest in a number of unusual and dangerous forms. Here, we present the case of a woman we diagnosed with an uncharacteristic expression of myxedema coma and nonconvulsive seizure complicated by a right middle cerebral artery infarct.
Effect of Elastomeric Nanoparticles on Polystyrene/Organic Nanocomposites
Authors: Ma Sungwon , Thio Yonathan
Published: October 2016

The rheological behavior of nanosheet composites and the effect of morphology between elastomeric nanofiber and nanosheet composites were studied using a Cross-Williamson model and critical volume concentration was investigated by percolation threshold theory for fiber and sheet morphologies. Nanofiber and nanosheet particles were synthesized by a cold vulcanization process using a S2Cl2cross-linking reagent resulting from self-assembly of a PS-PI block copolymer. Nanofiber and nanosheet characterization was done by SEM. Rheological properties were measured and analyzed in terms of varying nanofiller and nanosheet loading from 0.5 to 10 wt%. For the nanofiber and nanosheet composites, the moduli were increased with increasing filler loading, whereas moduli of SI23 and SI43 composite decreased with increasing content. Both nanofiber and nanosheet composites showed a nanosized filler effect and their structural changes were between 5 and 10 wt%. Cross-Williamson three-parameter model was used to find zero-shear viscosity and relaxation time. Percolation threshold theory was used to study structural changes and calculate values.
A Cognitive Model Based on Neuromodulated Plasticity
Authors: Huang Jing , Ruan Xiaogang , Yu Naigong , Fan Qingwu , Li Jiaming , Cai Jianxian
Published: October 2016

Associative learning, including classical conditioning and operant conditioning, is regarded as the most fundamental type of learning for animals and human beings. Many models have been proposed surrounding classical conditioning or operant conditioning. However, a unified and integrated model to explain the two types of conditioning is much less studied. Here, a model based on neuromodulated synaptic plasticity is presented. The model is bioinspired including multistored memory module and simulated VTA dopaminergic neurons to produce reward signal. The synaptic weights are modified according to the reward signal, which simulates the change of associative strengths in associative learning. The experiment results in real robots prove the suitability and validity of the proposed model.
Efficient CSR-Based Sparse Matrix-Vector Multiplication on GPU
Authors: Gao Jiaquan , Qi Panpan , He Guixia
Published: October 2016

Sparse matrix-vector multiplication (SpMV) is an important operation in computational science and needs be accelerated because it often represents the dominant cost in many widely used iterative methods and eigenvalue problems. We achieve this objective by proposing a novel SpMV algorithm based on the compressed sparse row (CSR) on the GPU. Our method dynamically assigns different numbers of rows to each thread block and executes different optimization implementations on the basis of the number of rows it involves for each block. The process of accesses to the CSR arrays is fully coalesced, and the GPU’s DRAM bandwidth is efficiently utilized by loading data into the shared memory, which alleviates the bottleneck of many existing CSR-based algorithms (i.e., CSR-scalar and CSR-vector). Test results on C2050 and K20c GPUs show that our method outperforms a perfect-CSR algorithm that inspires our work, the vendor tuned CUSPARSE V6.5 and CUSP V0.5.1, and three popular algorithms clSpMV, CSR5, and CSR-Adaptive.