bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Morphological and molecular characterization of Paramphistomum epiclitum of small ruminants
Authors: Jadav Mehul M. , Kumar Niranjan , Das Bhupamani , Solanki Jaesh B.
Published: July 2018

Morphological and molecular identification can pave the way to design the most effective control measures against theParamphistomum epiclitumin small ruminants. Morphology of the flukes had described the features ofParamphistomumgenus. Body was conical with concave ventral and convex dorsal surface, tegumental spines all around the body in the immature stage, terminal funnel shape oral sucker, sub-terminal acetabulum, blind caeca with a serpentine course touching the anterior level of the acetabulum. Vitelline glands were at the lateral margins of the body extended from the pharynx to the posterior sucker. Testes were lobed and tandem, wavy post-testicular uterus and genital pore behind intestinal bifurcation. Sequence analyses of internal transcribed spacer (ITS)-2+ (PCR products of approximately 500 bp) of 10 flukes yielded 2 genotypes, Navsari isolate 1 and 2. In BLAST analysis, ITS-2+ genotypes were 97.3–99% similar with published sequences (KF564870, JF834888, KF642983 and JX678254) ofP.epiclitumof Paramphistomatidae. Two genotypes depicted 4 single nucleotide polymorphisms (NPs) in the form of transitions (C-T at 10 and 18; G-A at 255; A-G at 367 locus), 1 triple NPs (CGT-GAA between 21–23 loci) and missing A base at codon 40 in the genotype 1. Average AT and GC content was 49.61% and 50.38%, respectively. Trees topology inferred by Neighbor Joining and Maximum Likelihood methods of ITS2+ of trematodes were similar, with small difference of bootstrap values. Navsari genotypes formed a tight cluster with theP.epiclitum, originated from different location with high bootstrap value and 0.004–0.011 estimated evolutionary divergence.
Further study on Procamallanus (Spirocamallanus) pintoi (Kohn et Fernandes, 1988) (Nematoda: Camallanidae) in Corydoras paleatus and Corydoras micracanthus (Siluriformes: Callichthyidae) from Salta, Argentina, with a key to congeneric species from Neotropical Realm
Authors: Ailán-Choke Lorena G. , Ramallo Geraldine , Davies Dora
Published: July 2018

This study describes the morphology of Procamallanus (Spirocamallanus) pintoi (Kohn et Fernandes, 1988), isolated from the intestine of Corydoras micracanthus Regan, 1912 and C. paleatus (Jenyns, 1842) (both Callichthyidae, Siluriformes) from Bermejo and Juramento River basins, respectively, province of Salta, Argentina. This is the first record of P. (S.) pintoi in C. micracanthus from Northwestern Argentina. The light and scanning electron microscopy observations of P. (S.) pintoi, revealed a few previously unreported morphological details of the cephalic region, vulva and caudal region of males. In addition, morphometric variability was observed in, mainly body size, glandular oesophagus length and position of the vulva between present specimens and those described in previous studies. A key to the species of Procamallanus (Spirocamallanus) from the Neotropical Realm is proposed.
Epidemiological and genetic characterization of larval stages of Fasciola gigantica in snail intermediate hosts in Karnataka State, India
Authors: Rajanna Rangappa , Thimmareddy Pamalapati Mahadevareddy , Sengupta Pinaki Prasad , Siju Susan Jacob , Mamatha Gotakanapura Sanjeevamurthy
Published: July 2018

Fasciolosis in ruminants in India is caused by the liver fluke Fasciola gigantica. Radix (Lymnaea) spp. are known to carry the infective stages of this parasite. Understanding the seasonal prevalence of F. gigantica infection in the intermediate host is of extreme importance in order to elucidate the transmission dynamics of the parasite. So the present study was designed to determine the bioclimatic distribution of larval stages of F. gigantica in Radix spp. snails as well as to explore the genetic diversity of F. gigantica in three geographical regions (Deccan plateau, Western Ghats and coastal region) of Karnataka. The lymnaeid snails were sampled (n = 2077) for a period of one year (June 2015 to May 2016) at 24 sites. The snails were morphologically identified and the infection status was established through cercarial shedding and nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based technique targeting second internal transcribed spacers (ITS-2) of nuclear ribosomal DNA. The sensitivity of PCR (8.2%) for detection of F. gigantica infection within snail is significantly higher than cercarial shedding (4.3%) with an overall prevalence of 5.1%. The prevalence of infection was higher in winter than in the rainy and summer seasons (6.2% instead of 4.6% and 4.3% respectively). Deccan plateau (5.8%) showed a higher prevalence of infection compared to Western Ghats (5.2%) and Coastal region (3.6%). The sequencing ITS-2 region permitted the identification of the parasite as F. gigantica which is having high implication in studying the population genetic structure of the parasite in the country. In conclusion, overall results indicated that Radix spp. snails harboured F. gigantica developmental stages throughout the year and nested PCR was found to be sensitive and specific for detection of F. gigantica infection in snails compared to routine parasitological techniques.
Does apicortin, a characteristic protein of apicomplexan parasites and placozoa, occur in Eumetazoa?
Authors: Orosz Ferenc
Published: July 2018

Apicortin is a characteristic protein of apicomplexan parasites which has recently been identified in their free-living cousins, chromerids as well. The placozoan Trichoplax adhaerens is the only animal possessing this protein and apicortin is one of its most abundant proteins. The recently published transcriptome of the cnidarian Porites astreoides contains an apicortin-like sequence. Other cnidarians do not have it, thus it is its first occurrence not only in this phylum but also in Eumetazoa. However, its translated amino acid sequence is more similar to apicomplexan apicortins than to that of T. adhaerens, the GC ratio is much higher than either the genome-wide GC ratio of P. astreoides or that of the placozoan apicortin gene, and phylogenetic analyses suggest that this apicortin has an apicomplexan origin. Although these data might be indicative for a horizontal gene transfer event, we should be cautious to state it; it is more probable that it is a contamination from a gregarine, a marine Apicomplexa. Thus T. adhaerens remains the only animal where the presence of apicortin is proved.
Dirofilaria repens infection as a cause of intensive peripheral microfilariemia in a Polish patient: process description and cases review
Authors: Kłudkowska Matylda , Pielok Łukasz , Frąckowiak Krystyna , Masny Aleksander , Gołąb Elżbieta , Paul Małgorzata
Published: July 2018

Dirofilariasis is a parasitic disease of dogs and other carnivores transmitted mainly by the mosquitoes of the genera Culex, Aedes, Anopheles. Full life cycle of the Dirofilaria nematodes in humans is extremely rarely observed, usually lacking species determination at the molecular level. We report fully documented unusual clinical manifestation of subcutaneous dirofilariasis with intensive microfilariemia in peripheral blood revealed by the Knott’s concentration technique. The identification of the Dirofilaria repens nematode was based on typical morphological findings for adult gravid female nematode found in the histopathological preparations. The morphology of microfilariae obtained from patient’s peripheral blood was also typical for D. repens. The final identification was confirmed by the molecular analysis of microfilariae collected from the blood.
Setup and initial testing of an endoscope manipulator system for assistance in transoral endoscopic surgery
Authors: Boese Axel , Hündorf Philipp , Arens Christoph , Friedrich Daniel T. , Friebe Michael
Published: July 2018

Purpose

For the treatment of malignant diseases of the oral cavity and the larynx, a total or partial resection is the standard therapy, while in special cases chemo- and/or external radiation therapy is considered. Transoral access reduces trauma and hospitalization time. Transoral surgery is usually executed using external microscopic imaging. Therefore, the microscope is placed in the visual line of the opening of the mouth and throat. However, specific anatomical structures like the posterior commissure (dorsal end of the vocal cords) are not visible in these procedures. An endoscopic approach can improve this problem. We introduce a new prototype system for endoscopic assisted transoral surgery.

Methods

Based on clinical observation and discussions with professional users and surgeons, the clinical need was identified and specified. A general concept or an endoscopic manipulator to assist microlaryngeal surgery was designed. For that a steerable rigid endoscope was combined with an actuator that allows translational and rotational movement. A quick release fastener was designed allowing for fast change of the endoscope and independence from its shape and type. The actuator was fixed on a commercially available, semi-active medical holding arm for easy positioning. The holder can be fixed to the standard rails of the surgical table. The piezoelectric drives integrated in the actuator are activated with a foot pedal. This allows easy and fast fine positioning, while the hands are free to perform the surgery with standard instruments for microlaryngeal surgery.

Results

A prototype of the system for endoscopic assisted transoral surgery was developed. The entire technical setup was tested in terms of usability and performance in a simulated surgical scenario. A basic phantom, representing the throat and vocal cords was created and placed on a surgical table. The system was installed on the table and the clinical workflow of a simulated endoscopic assisted surgery on the vocal cords was performed. The performance of the setup and the procedure success was evaluated by clinical users.

Conclusion

Fixture of the system on the surgical table is fast and easy due to its low weight and compact design. The medical holder allows a fast initial positioning of the system in front of the phantom patient. An easy insertion and removal of the endoscope was realized using the quick release fastener. The developed endoscope fixation is universally adaptable and not limited to a single type of endoscope. The piezoelectric drives, combined with the foot pedal, allow a precise placement and readjustment of the endoscope during surgery. The use of a multi view endoscope enables a variable view on the surgical situs. The size and shape of the whole setup offer excellent access to the targeted structures. The development was classified beneficial by the clinical users.
Rayleigh Quotient Methods for Estimating Common Roots of Noisy Univariate Polynomials
Authors: Stegeman Alwin , De Lathauwer Lieven
Published: July 2018

The problem is considered of approximately solving a system of univariate polynomials with one or more common roots and its coefficients corrupted by noise. The goal is to estimate the underlying common roots from the noisy system. Symbolic algebra methods are not suitable for this. New Rayleigh quotient methods are proposed and evaluated for estimating the common roots. Using tensor algebra, reasonable starting values for the Rayleigh quotient methods can be computed. The new methods are compared to Gauss–Newton, solving an eigenvalue problem obtained from the generalized Sylvester matrix, and finding a cluster among the roots of all polynomials. In a simulation study it is shown that Gauss–Newton and a new Rayleigh quotient method perform best, where the latter is more accurate when other roots than the true common roots are close together.
Analysis of the Effects of Neuro-Fuzzy Control Configuration Parameters on PH Neutralization Process
Authors: Mazzali D. G. Z. , Franco I. C. , Silva F. V.
Published: July 2018

The pH neutralization process is typical in chemical, biological and petrochemical industries. One of the major challenges to control it is to understand its nonlinearities and that requires several fine adjustments from conventional controls. Artificial Intelligence has been used to study these nonlinearities; one of them is Neuro-Fuzzy Logic, which was investigated in this work to develop controls dedicated to this process. These controls are formed by logical structures and may be adjusted to different configurations. In practical applications, it is highly important to adapt control parameters based on artificial intelligence to obtain better performance. The present work studied the effect of different configurations of a neuro-fuzzy control on the performance of a regulatory control to pH neutralization process by means of a virtual plant developed in both Indusoft© and Matlab© environments. For both variables, pH and reactor level control, membership function (MF) = [Gaussian], method “OR” = [probabilistic], method “E” = [product], type of MF output = [linear] and the optimization method = [hybrid], have improved control performance, which confirms the importance of configuration choices in neuro-fuzzy control adjustments. Moreover, the most determining factor in NFC performance is the types of membership functions.
Diagnostic stewardship and the 2017 update of the IDSA-SHEA Clinical Practice Guidelines for Clostridium difficile Infection
Authors: Madden Gregory R. , Poulter Melinda D. , Sifri Costi D.
Published: July 2018

Diagnostic stewardship is an increasingly recognized means to reduce unnecessary tests and diagnostic errors. As a leading cause of healthcare-associated infection for which accurate laboratory diagnosis remains a challenge, Clostridium difficile offers an ideal opportunity to apply the principles of diagnostic stewardship. The recently updated 2017 Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA)-Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) Clinical Practice Guidelines for C. difficile infection now recommend separate diagnostic strategies depending on whether an institution has adopted diagnostic stewardship in test decision making. IDSA-SHEA endorsement of diagnostic stewardship for C. difficile highlights the increasing role of diagnostic stewardship in hospitals. In this opinion piece, we introduce the concept of diagnostic stewardship by discussing the new IDSA-SHEA diagnostic recommendations for laboratory diagnosis of C. difficile. We outline recent examples of diagnostic stewardship, challenges to implementation, potential downsides and propose future areas of study.
Is FGF23 effective on insulin resistance in individuals with metabolic syndrome?
Authors: Sit Dede , Tanrıverdi Ender , Kayabasi Hasan , Erdem Muslum , Sari Hakan
Published: July 2018

Purpose

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a polymetabolic syndrome has high morbidity and mortality rates. Insulin resistance (IR) plays a key role in the increasing frequency of this situation and has been cited as being an important etiologic factor in MetS. In this study, the relationship between IR and fibroblast growth factor-23 (FGF23), was investigated in a population with MetS.

Materials and methods

Forty patients with diagnosis of MetS and 40 healthy volunteers with an equal number of males and females were included in the study and classified as patient group and control group. Blood samples were obtained after 12-h fasting period to study FGF23 and other parameters. MetS, defined according to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) guidelines, FGF23 was studied by Enzyme-Linked ImmunoSorbent Assay (ELISA) method and IR was calculated using the homeostatic model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) formula.

Results

There was a statistically significant difference in HOMA-IR between the patient and control group as expected, while levels of FGF23 were similar. According to gender, levels of FGF23 was statistically significantly higher in male patients compared with controls (p = 0.037). A relationship was not detected between HOMA-IR and FGF23 in the correlation analysis.

Conclusion

Although there are many studies suggesting the correlation between FGF23 and IR in different populations, we did not find any statistically significant relationship between IR and FGF23 levels in MetS in this study.
Scrutinization of Chemical Reaction Effect on Flow and Mass Transfer of Prandtl Liquid over a Riga Plate in the Presence of Solutal Slip Effect
Authors: Gireesha B.J. , Ganesh Kumar K. , Prasannakumar B.C.
Published: July 2018

In the present paper focused on flow and mass transfer of Prandtl fluid over a Riga plate. The effects of chemical reaction and solutal slip are taken into the account. The governing partial differential equations are reduced into a set of coupled non linear ordinary differential equations using suitable similarity transformations. These equations are then solved using Runge-Kutta-Fehlberg-45 method. Behaviour of emerging parameters are presented graphically and discussed for velocity and concentration distribution. Numerical values of reduced skin friction coefficient and Sherwood number are shown in table and are discussed. From the plotted results it can be observed that the solutal boundary layer thickness decreases for larger values of chemical reaction parameter and Schmidt number. Also, momentum boundary layer thickness rise with stronger modified Hartman number.
Improving Community Resilience through Disaster Simulation: How Simulation-based Education Augments Emergency Management Exercises
Authors: Zavaleta Kathryn Walker , Asirvatham Usha , Callies Byron , Franz Walter B. , Scanlan-Hanson Lori , Molella Robin G.
Published: July 2018

Increased interest among leaders and practitioners in the field of emergency preparedness in the concept of whole community resilience can create new ways reaching the community. This paper explores one approach to community-engaged preparedness education. By drawing on the fields of emergency management and simulation–based instructional design, we describe an approach to preparedness events with broad community participation. We describe the education methodology used to plan the event and the core concepts related to simulation-based education. We offer key principles for event planners to engage a diverse group of participants ranging from youth, pre-professional healthcare students, practicing healthcare professionals, and staff from local community organizations. Our experience through seven years of events offers a proof of concept available to local communities; community organizational leaders concerned with the resilience for their own organizations; and academic organizations preparing our citizens to deal with the challenges of living and serving in a world of increasing risk of disaster.
Molecular Dynamics Visualization (MDV): Stereoscopic 3D Display of Biomolecular Structure and Interactions Using the Unity Game Engine
Authors: Wiebrands Michael , Malajczuk Chris J. , Woods Andrew J. , Rohl Andrew L. , Mancera Ricardo L.
Published: July 2018

Molecular graphics systems are visualization tools which, upon integration into a 3D immersive environment, provide a unique virtual reality experience for research and teaching of biomolecular structure, function and interactions. We have developed a molecular structure and dynamics application, the Molecular Dynamics Visualization tool, that uses the Unity game engine combined with large scale, multi-user, stereoscopic visualization systems to deliver an immersive display experience, particularly with a large cylindrical projection display. The application is structured to separate the biomolecular modeling and visualization systems. The biomolecular model loading and analysis system was developed as a stand-alone C# library and provides the foundation for the custom visualization system built in Unity. All visual models displayed within the tool are generated using Unity-based procedural mesh building routines. A 3D user interface was built to allow seamless dynamic interaction with the model while being viewed in 3D space. Biomolecular structure analysis and display capabilities are exemplified with a range of complex systems involving cell membranes, protein folding and lipid droplets.
Ensembles of Text and Time-Series Models for Automatic Generation of Financial Trading Signals from Social Media Content
Authors: Bari Omar A. , Agah Arvin
Published: July 2018

Event studies in finance have focused on traditional news headlines to assess the impact an event has on a traded company. The increased proliferation of news and information produced by social media content has disrupted this trend. Although researchers have begun to identify trading opportunities from social media platforms, such as Twitter, almost all techniques use a general sentiment from large collections of tweets. Though useful, general sentiment does not provide an opportunity to indicate specific events worthy of affecting stock prices. This work presents an event clustering algorithm, utilizing natural language processing techniques to generate newsworthy events from Twitter, which have the potential to influence stock prices in the same manner as traditional news headlines. The event clustering method addresses the effects of pre-news and lagged news, two peculiarities that appear when connecting trading and news, regardless of the medium. Pre-news signifies a finding where stock prices move in advance of a news release. Lagged news refers to follow-up or late-arriving news, adding redundancy in making trading decisions. For events generated by the proposed clustering algorithm, we incorporate event studies and machine learning to produce an actionable system that can guide trading decisions. The recommended prediction algorithms provide investing strategies with profitable risk-adjusted returns. The suggested language models present annualized Sharpe ratios (risk-adjusted returns) in the 5–11 range, while time-series models produce in the 2–3 range (without transaction costs). The distribution of returns confirms the encouraging Sharpe ratios by identifying most outliers as positive gains. Additionally, machine learning metrics of precision, recall, and accuracy are discussed alongside financial metrics in hopes of bridging the gap between academia and industry in the field of computational finance.
Generalized Trapezoidal Companding Technique for PAPR Reduction in OFDM Systems
Authors: Gupta Saruti , Goel Ashish
Published: July 2018

The main drawback in the performance of the Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) system is the higher Peak-to-Average Power Ratio (PAPR) of the OFDM signals at the transmitter side. Companding is a well-known technique useful for reducing PAPR in the OFDM signal. This paper proposes a new nonlinear companding scheme that transforms the magnitude of Rayleigh distributed OFDM signal of specific degree into trapezoidal distribution. Additional design parameter is used in the proposed companding scheme to make the companding function more flexible. In the designed OFDM system the companding function has more degree of freedom which improves the PAPR and bit error rate (BER) parameters of the designed system. It has been demonstrated that the designed companding scheme provides more flexibility to accomplish an optimum trade-off between the performance parameters PAPR and BER of the designed OFDM system.
Evaluation of recent combined global geopotential models in Brazil
Authors: Nicacio E. , Dalazoana R. , Freitas S. R. C. de
Published: July 2018

The aim of this paper is to present a quantitative analysis of the adequacy of the main currently existing combined Global Geopotential Models (GGMs) for modeling normal-geoid heights throughout Brazil. As major advances have been reached since mid-2016 in the combined GGMs elaboration and development, the main objective of this analysis is to verify if, in fact, the most recent models present superior or equivalent performance to the most performant previous models. The analysis was based on comparisons between normal-geoid height values obtained fromGNSS/leveling solutions and values calculated from GGMs XGM2016, GOCO05C, EIGEN-6C4 and EGM2008, according to different geopotential functionals - geoid height and height anomaly - and in different degrees of development, always through the relative method. This procedure was applied to 997 stations which carry information of both ellipsoidal and normal-orthometric heights, located all over Brazil. As a main result, it was observed the superior performance of the recent combined GGMs, GOCO05C and XGM2016, when compared to the older models, EIGEN-6C4 and EGM2008, when all of them are developed up to degree 720, the maximum degree of the recent models; and a approximate equality of results when all of the models are used in their individual maximum degrees.
Symptomatic Rathke cleft cyst in paediatric patients – clinical presentations, surgical treatment and postoperative outcomes – an analysis of 38 cases
Authors: Prokop-Piotrkowska Monika , Moszczyńska Elżbieta , Daszkiewicz Paweł , Roszkowski Marcin , Szalecki Mieczysław
Published: July 2018

Background:

Rathke cleft cysts (RCC) are benign, epithelium-lined intrasellar and/or suprasellar cysts believed to originate from the remnants of the Rathke pouch. The aim of this study was to analyse the symptoms and surgical outcome of patients with the diagnosis of RCC verified in a histopathological examination of the postoperative material.

Methods:

The study is a retrospective analysis of 38 cases of children who underwent a neurosurgical treatment due to RCC at the Children’s Memorial Health Institute in Warsaw, Poland, between 1994 and 2015.

Results:

At diagnosis, the mean age was 13 years and 8 months (6 years and 11 months–17 years and 10 months, sex ratio was 1:0.9 with a female prevalence). The most common symptoms were the following: headache (50%), hypothyroidism (50%), short stature and/or decreased growth velocity (47%), delayed puberty and menstrual abnormalities (37%), diabetes insipidus or polydipsia and polyuria (26%), adrenal dysfunction (26%), sleepiness and general weakness (13%) and visual disturbances (11%). Due to the gravity of symptoms and size of the lesion, all the patients underwent a surgical treatment. All but one were successful (one patient died due to postoperative neurosurgical complications). The most common postoperative complications were the following: adenohypopituitarism (67%) and diabetes insipidus (45%).

Conclusions:

RCC can present with serious symptoms that significantly deteriorate patients’ quality of life. Despite a successful neurosurgical treatment in most of the analysed cases, patients required long-term pharmacological treatment.
Sequential measurements of IGF-I serum concentrations in adolescents with Laron syndrome treated with recombinant human IGF-I (rhIGF-I)
Authors: Breil Thomas , Kneppo Carolin , Bettendorf Markus , Müller Hermann L. , Kapelari Klaus , Schnabel Dirk , Woelfle Joachim
Published: July 2018

Background

Recombinant human insulin-like growth factor 1 (rhIGF-I) has been approved as an orphan drug for the treatment of growth failure in children and adolescents with severe primary IGF-I deficiency (SPIGFD) with little pharmacokinetic data available. Therefore, sequential measurements of serum IGF-I, glucose, potassium, insulin and cortisol were performed in patients treated with rhIGF-I to evaluate their significance in safety and efficacy.

Methods

Repetitive blood samples were taken after meals before and 30, 60, 120, 180 and 360 min after rhIGF-I injections in two male patients with Laron syndrome at times of dose adjustments.

Results

Maximal IGF-I concentrations were observed 2 h after injections (495 ng/mL) and concentrations were still higher 6 h after injections than at baseline (303 ng/mL vs. 137 ng/mL). Thirteen percent of all and 33% of maximum IGF-I concentrations were greater than +2 standard deviation score (SDS) calculated for bone age (BA) (IGF-I SDS BA) rather than chronological age (CA) as BA was significantly delayed to CA by 3.2 years (p=0.0007). Height velocities correlated with individual maximum IGF-I SDS BA (ρ=0.735; p<0.0001). Serum insulin, cortisol and glucose did not correlate with IGF-I concentrations, but serum potassium showed a negative correlation (ρ=−0.364; p<0.0001) with IGF-I concentrations.

Conclusions

Sequential measurements of serum IGF-I, glucose and potassium in patients with Laron syndrome may aid in optimizing and individualizing rhIGF-I treatment. IGF-I concentrations should be referenced according to BA which better reflects the biological age. The inverse correlation of IGF-I and serum potassium concentrations after injections of rhIGF-I has not been reported before and warrants further consideration.
Single center experience of biotinidase deficiency: 259 patients and six novel mutations
Authors: Canda Ebru , Yazici Havva , Er Esra , Kose Melis , Basol Gunes , Onay Huseyin , Ucar Sema Kalkan , Habif Sara , Ozkinay Ferda , Coker Mahmut
Published: July 2018

Background

Biotinidase deficiency (BD) is an autosomal recessively inherited disorder of biotin recycling. It is classified into two levels based on the biotinidase enzyme activity: partial deficiency (10%–30% enzyme activity) and profound deficiency (0%–10% enzyme activity). The aims of this study were to evaluate our patients with BD, identify the spectrum of biotinidase (BTD) gene mutations in Turkish patients and to determine the clinical and laboratory findings of our patients and their follow-up period.

Methods

A total of 259 patients who were diagnosed with BD were enrolled in the study. One hundred and forty-eight patients were male (57.1%), and 111 patients were female (42.9%).

Results

The number of patients detected by newborn screening was 221 (85.3%). By family screening, 31 (12%) patients were diagnosed with BD. Seven patients (2.7%) had different initial complaints and were diagnosed with BD. Partial BD was detected in 186 (71.8%) patients, and the profound deficiency was detected in 73 (28.2%) patients. Most of our patients were asymptomatic. The most commonly found variants were p.D444H, p.R157H, c.98_104delinsTCC. The novel mutations which were detected in this study are p.D401N(c.1201G>A), p.A82G (c.245C>G), p.F128S(c.383T>C), c617_619del/TTG (p.Val207del), p.A287T(c.859G>A), p.S491H(c.1471A>G). The most common mutation was p.R157H in profound BD and p.D444H in partial BD. All diagnosed patients were treated with biotin.

Conclusions

The diagnosis of BD should be based on plasma biotinidase activity and molecular analysis. We determined the clinical and genetic spectra of a large group of patients with BD from Western Turkey. The frequent mutations in our study were similar to the literature. In this study, six novel mutations were described.
Modelling the dynamic pattern of surface area in basketball and its effects on team performance
Authors: Metulini Rodolfo , Manisera Marica , Zuccolotto Paola
Published: July 2018

Because of the advent of GPS techniques, a wide range of scientific literature on Sport Science is nowadays devoted to the analysis of players’ movement in relation to team performance in the context of big data analytics. A specific research question regards whether certain patterns of space among players affect team performance, from both an offensive and a defensive perspective. Using a time series of basketball players’ coordinates, we focus on the dynamics of the surface area of the five players on the court with a two-fold purpose: (i) to give tools allowing a detailed description and analysis of a game with respect to surface areas dynamics and (ii) to investigate its influence on the points made by both the team and the opponent. We propose a three-step procedure integrating different statistical modelling approaches. Specifically, we first employ a Markov Switching Model (MSM) to detect structural changes in the surface area. Then, we perform descriptive analyses in order to highlight associations between regimes and relevant game variables. Finally, we assess the relation between the regime probabilities and the scored points by means of Vector Auto Regressive (VAR) models. We carry out the proposed procedure using real data and, in the analyzed case studies, we find that structural changes are strongly associated to offensive and defensive game phases and that there is some association between the surface area dynamics and the points scored by the team and the opponent.
Redetermination of methyl 4-(4-chlorophenyl)-2,7,7-trimethyl-5-oxo-1,4,5,6,7,8-hexahydro-quinoline-3-carboxylate, C20H22ClNO3
Authors: Wang Qian-Qian , Wang Da-Xiang , Liu Qian-Qian
Published: July 2018

C20H22ClNO3, monoclinic, P21/n (no. 14), a = 9.275(5) Å, b = 18.213(9) Å, c = 11.403(6) Å, β = 109.718(9)°, V = 1813.4(16) Å3, Z = 4, R
gt(F) = 0.0483, wR
ref(F
2) = 0.1346, T = 296(2) K.
Crystal structure of 2,5-bis(4-(10H-phenothiazin-10-yl)phenyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazole, C38H24N4OS2
Authors: Wu Qiong , Zhang Heng-Qiang , Ramanaskanda Braveenth , Chai Kyu-Yun
Published: July 2018

C38H24N4OS2, monoclinic, P21/c (no. 14), a = 10.9621(6) Å, b = 19.7851(11) Å, c = 14.1928(9) Å, β = 100.957(6)°, V = 3022.1(3) Å3, Z = 4, R
gt(F) = 0.0528, wR
ref(F
2) = 0.1294, T = 172.99(10) K.
Gedächtnismechanismen in Drosophila
Authors: Felsenberg Johannes , Owald David
Published: July 2018

Zielgerichtetes Verhalten wird durch neuronale Schaltkreise im Gehirn gesteuert. Erfahrungen können die Dynamiken dieser neuronalen Schaltkreise verändern, indem spezifische synaptische Verbindungen modifiziert werden. Die Lokalisierung einer solchen lerninduzierten synaptischen Plastizität hat sich jedoch bis heute als anspruchsvoll erwiesen. Technische Fortschritte in der Kontrolle und Messung von neuronaler Aktivität haben es nun ermöglicht, die dem Lernen und der Gedächtnisbildung zugrunde liegenden Strukturen im Gehirn des ModelsystemsDrosophila in vivozu charakterisieren. Die Taufliege (Drosophila melanogaster)hat ein numerisch einfacheres Gehirn, was die Erforschung identifizierter Netzwerkkomponenten realisierbar macht. In diesem Artikel erörtern wir die Mechanismen, auf denen assoziatives Lernen, Gedächtnisabruf sowie die Reevaluierung von existierenden Gedächtnissen inDrosophilaberuhen.
Motion detection: cells, circuits and algorithms
Authors: Ramos-Traslosheros Giordano , Henning Miriam , Silies Marion
Published: July 2018

Many animals use visual motion cues to inform different behaviors. The basis for motion detection is the comparison of light signals over space and time. How a nervous system performs such spatiotemporal correlations has long been considered a paradigmatic neural computation. Here, we will first describe classical models of motion detection and introduce core motion detecting circuits in Drosophila. Direct measurements of the response properties of the first direction-selective cells in the Drosophila visual system have revealed new insights about the implementation of motion detection algorithms. Recent data suggest a combination of two mechanisms, a nonlinear enhancement of signals moving into the preferred direction, as well as a suppression of signals moving into the opposite direction. These findings as well as a functional analysis of the circuit components have shown that the microcircuits that process elementary motion are more complex than anticipated. Building on this, we have the opportunity to understand detailed properties of elementary, yet intricate microcircuits.
Enhancement of eucalypt pulp yield through extended impregnation cooking
Authors: Souza Gustavo B. de , Colodette Jorge Luiz , Borges Gomes Fernando José , Carvalho Danila Morais de
Published: July 2018

The improvement caused by eucalypt chip impregnation on kraft pulping performance was assessed for terminating the cook at kappa in the range of 15–27 and at controlled residual effective alkali (REA) of 6–8 g/L NaOH. Extended impregnation cooking of eucalypt chips (EIC) increased about 1 %lignin- and HexA-freescreen yield gains in relation to conventional cooking (CC), regardless of kappa number in the range of 15–27. The EIC technology allows for cooking eucalypt wood to kappa number up to 27, without rejects production, but without significant improvement inlignin- and HexA-freescreen yield and with larger chlorine dioxide (ClO2) consume during bleaching. The optimum kappa number for both CC and EIC cooking was about 19 with similar refinability and strength properties for both technologies, CC and EIC. It was concluded that extended impregnation cooking is an attractive technique for enhancing bleached eucalypt Kraft pulp yield.
Thermal and natural aging of bagasse paper sheets coated with gelatin
Authors: El-Sakhawy Mohamed , Nashy EL-Shahat H. A. , El-Gendy Ahmed , Kamel Samir
Published: July 2018

The utilization of the solid tannery wastes as a promoting agent to improve paper sheet properties was investigated. Solid tannery wastes from pickled hide shavings are treated to remove acid and salts, and hydrolyzed at pH 10 by using potassium carbonate. The produced hydrolysable collagen (gelatin) was used as coating for paper sheets. The gelatin concentrations from 0.5–2.5 % were used as coating solution and its effect on thermal aging and mechanical properties was studied. A direct proportion between gelatin concentration and improvements of paper mechanical properties was observed. A kinetic study based on paper strength properties confirmed the stabilizating effect of gelatin on paper sheets. Paper sheets coated with 2.5 % gelatin solution were thermally aged at temperatures range between 100–200 °C for different time intervals from 1–6 h, and after that it was subjected to natural aging for two years. Gelatin coating improves the paper sheets mechanical properties and thermal stability.
How big is the potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) yield gap in Sub-Saharan Africa and why? A participatory approach
Authors: Harahagazwe Dieudonné , Condori Bruno , Barreda Carolina , Bararyenya Astère , Byarugaba Arinaitwe Abel , Kude Danbaba Anthony , Lung’aho Charles , Martinho Carolino , Mbiri Daniel , Nasona Bouwe , Ochieng Bruce , Onditi John , Randrianaivoarivony Jean Marc , Tankou Christopher M. , Worku Alemu , Schulte-Geldermann Elmar , Mares Victor , Mendiburu Felipe de , Quiroz Roberto Quiroz
Published: July 2018

According to potato experts from ten Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) countries working together in a community of practice (CoP) over a 3-years period, potato farmers across SSA can increase their current annual production of 10.8 million metric tons by 140% if they had access to high quality seed along with improved management practices. This paper describes this innovative new methodology tested on potato for the first time, combining modelling and a comprehensive online survey through a CoP. The intent was to overcome the paucity of experimental information required for crop modelling. Researchers, whose data contributed to estimating model parameters, participated in the study using Solanum, a crop model developed by the International Potato Center (CIP). The first finding was that model parameters estimated through participatory modelling using experts’ knowledge were good approximations of those obtained experimentally. The estimated yield gap was 58 Mg ha-1, of which 35 corresponded to a research gap (potential yield minus research yield) and 24 to farmers’ gap (research yield minus farmer’s yield). Over a 6-month period, SurveyMonkey, a Web-based platform was used to assess yield gap drivers. The survey revealed that poor quality seed and bacterial wilt were the main yield gap drivers as perceived by survey respondents.
Agro-ecological distribution of the phenotypic diversity of aerial yam (Dioscorea bulbifera L.) in Cameroon using multivariate analysis: prospect for germplasm conservation and improvement
Authors: Kouam Eric B. , Avana-Tientcheu Marie L. , Lekeumo Vanessa D. , Akitio Hermine M. , Khasa Damase P. , Pasquet Remy S.
Published: July 2018

Aerial yam (Dioscorea bulbifera L.) is a crop of great economic importance and an excellent candidate for improving food security in developing countries. Understanding the genetic variability of any crop species is a decisive step for its improvement and requires characterization and evaluation of available germplasm. The objectives of this study were to determine the extent of genetic variability, estimate the association between agromorphological traits and clustering among 57 genotypes of aerial yam from three distinct agro-ecological zones in Cameroon using multivariate analysis. Thirty nine characters (23 qualitative and 16 quantitative) were used for the study. Significant differences in genetic diversity indices were found. Accessions from the bimodal humid forest zone (Na = 2.08, He = 0.27) showed significantly lower diversity compared to both western highland (Na = 2.30, He = 0.34) and humid monomodal forest zones (Na = 2.57, He = 0.32). Means values of most quantitative traits also showed significant differences between agro-ecological zones. Batingla-3 and Bawouwoua-1 had important bulbil yield, reaching 3500 g / plant. Significant associations were found between many traits. The use of the Unweighted Pair Group Method with Arithmetic Mean allowed the distribution of the 57 genotypes into six distinct clusters with the clustering pattern not showing any parallelism with location sites or agro-ecological zones. Mahalanobis D2 statistics revealed the highest inter-cluster distance between cluster II and VI. Accessions of these clusters are potential parents for future breeding programs. This study showed that aerial yam from Cameroon has an enormous wealth of traits variation, indicating huge potential for its genetic improvement through selection and hybridization.
Understandable robots - What, Why, and How
Authors: Hellström Thomas , Bensch Suna
Published: July 2018

As robots become more and more capable and autonomous, there is an increasing need for humans to understand what the robots do and think. In this paper, we investigate what such understanding means and includes, and how robots can be designed to support understanding. After an in-depth survey of related earlier work, we discuss examples showing that understanding includes not only the intentions of the robot, but also desires, knowledge, beliefs, emotions, perceptions, capabilities, and limitations of the robot. The term understanding is formally defined, and the term communicative actions is defined to denote the various ways in which a robot may support a human’s understanding of the robot. A novel model of interaction for understanding is presented. The model describes how both human and robot may utilize a first or higher-order theory of mind to understand each other and perform communicative actions in order to support the other’s understanding. It also describes simpler cases in which the robot performs static communicative actions in order to support the human’s understanding of the robot. In general, communicative actions performed by the robot aim at reducing the mismatch between the mind of the robot, and the robot’s inferred model of the human’s model of the mind of the robot. Based on the proposed model, a set of questions are formulated, to serve as support when developing and implementing the model in real interacting robots.
Comparative studies of energy saving polymers and fabrication of high performance transparent polymer by solvent bonding
Authors: Aadhy S.P. , Sinega T. Hema , Karthikeyan C. , Akshay S. , Kumar Pitchan Mohan , Bhowmik Shantanu
Published: July 2018

This work investigates the possibility of using polyetherimide (PEI) as an energy saving alternative to glass, polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) and polycarbonate (PC) by carrying out heat transfer analysis and suggests vaporized solvent bonding as a viable bonding technique for the fabrication of PEI. By heat transfer analysis using building energy simulation, it is observed that less energy is expended for space-conditioning of a building with windows made of PEI when compared to glass, PMMA and PC. The compression moulding technique is used to mould PEI and fabrication is done using a solvent mixture of dimethyl sulfoxide and tetrahydrofuran in 1:1 ratio. The optical properties of the bonded specimen are studied using UV-visible spectrophotometry and it is found that PEI does not allow UV wavelength radiation to pass through while transmitting visible wavelengths. The mechanical strength of the bond is tested using lap shear tensile strength test and the type of failure is observed to be cohesive from the structure. This is indicative of the fact that using this particular solvent to bond PEI results in the maximum possible strength.
Thermal degradation kinetics of oxo-degradable PP/PLA blends
Authors: Mandal Dev K. , Bhunia Haripada , Bajpai Pramod K.
Published: July 2018

In this article, the influence of polylactide and pro-oxidant on the thermal stability, degradation kinetics, and lifetime of polypropylene has been investigated using thermogravimetric analysis under nitrogen atmosphere at four different heating rates (i.e. 5, 10, 15, and 20°C/min). The kinetic parameters of degradation were studied over a temperature range of 30–550°C. The derivative thermogravimetric curves have indicated single stage and two stage degradation processes. The activation energy was evaluated by using the Kissinger, Kim-Park, and Flynn-Wall methods under the nitrogen atmosphere. The activation energy value of polypropylene was much higher than that of polylactide. Addition of polylactide and pro-oxidant in polypropylene decreased the activation energy. The lifetime of polypropylene has also decreased with the addition of polylactide and pro-oxidant.