bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Neurodegeneration beyond the primary visual pathways in a population with a high incidence of normal‐pressure glaucoma
Authors: Boucard Christine C. , Hanekamp Sandra , Ćurčić‐Blake Branislava , Ida Masahiro , Yoshida Masaki , Cornelissen Frans W.
Published: April 2016

Purpose

Glaucoma is the most common age‐related neurodegenerative eye disease in western society. It is an insidious disease that, when untreated or detected too late, leads inevitably to blindness. An outstanding issue is whether glaucoma should be considered exclusively an eye disease or also a brain disease. To further examine it, we used Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) to study white matter integrity in a Japanese glaucoma population. This population has a very high incidence of normal‐pressure glaucoma, in which optic nerve damage occurs in the absence of the elevated eye pressure that characterises the more common form of glaucoma.

Methods

We performed DTI in 30 participants with normal‐pressure glaucoma and 21 age‐matched healthy controls. We used voxel‐wise tract‐based spatial statistics to compare fractional anisotropy and mean diffusivity of the white matter of the brain between patients and control group. Whole‐brain and region of interest‐based analyses served to find associations between diffusion indices and clinical measures of glaucomatous damage.

Results

Fractional Anisotropy was significantly lower in glaucoma patients in a cluster in the right occipital lobe (p < 0.05; family‐wise error‐corrected) comprising fibres of both the optic radiation and the forceps major. Additional analysis confirmed bilateral involvement of the optic radiations and forceps major and additionally revealed damage to the corpus callosum and parietal lobe (p < 0.09; family‐wise error‐corrected). The region of interest‐based analysis revealed a positive association between Fractional Anisotropy of the optic radiation and optic nerve damage.

Conclusions

In this specific population, glaucoma is associated with lower Fractional Anisotropy in the optic radiations, forceps major and corpus callosum. We interpret these reductions as evidence for white matter degeneration in these loci. In particular, the degeneration of the corpus callosum suggests the presence of neurodegeneration of the brain beyond what can be explained on the basis of propagated retinal and pre‐geniculate damage. We discuss how this finding links to the emerging view that a brain component that is independent from the eye damage plays a role in the aetiology of glaucoma.
Clean Air for All by 2030? Air Quality in the 2030 Agenda and in International Law
Authors: Lode Birgit , Schönberger Philipp , Toussaint Patrick
Published: April 2016

Air pollution poses one of the greatest human health threats in the twenty‐first century, accounting for an estimated 7 million premature deaths annually. In the light of this, global efforts to promote clean air are ever more important and should feature among the key priorities on the agenda of the international community. The universal 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted in September 2015 by the United Nations General Assembly, offers an important opportunity to tackle air pollution at a global scale. Stressing the importance of air pollution as a human health hazard, this article examines to what extent air quality is covered by the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and provides an analysis of the added value of the 2030 Agenda vis‐à‐vis existing international regulatory instruments addressing air pollution. Even though the SDGs do not include a stand‐alone goal on air quality, the article concludes that the 2030 Agenda, by establishing clean air as an integral element of the principle of sustainable development, not only constitutes an important contribution to international (hard) law focusing on the atmosphere, but also sets out a much needed complementary pathway of tackling the issue in the absence of a global agreement on air pollution.
The Efficiencies of Internal Reforming Molten Carbonate Fuel Cell Fueled by Natural Gas and Synthetic Natural Gas From Coal
Authors: Seo Hai-Kyung , Park Won-shik , Lim Hee Chun
Published: April 2016

When synthetic natural gas (SNG) is produced from coal and used as a fuel in the internal reforming molten carbonate fuel cell (ir-MCFC), electric efficiency can be no greater than 31%. This is because there are several exothermic reactions in the processes of converting coal to SNG, so that a maximum 64% of coal's energy is converted into SNG energy. This results in a lower efficiency than when the ir-MCFC with the electric efficiency of 48% is fueled by natural gas (NG). To increase electric efficiency with SNG, it is necessary to recover the exothermic heat generated from the processes of converting coal to SNG as steam, which can then be used in a steam turbine. When steam produced in the gasification, water gas shift (WGS), and methanation processes is used in a steam turbine, the gross electric efficiency will become 41%. If the steam and auxiliary power for CO2 capture process is consumed more, the net efficiency will be 27%. Use of additional steam from the exhausted gas of fuel cell can increase the total net efficiency to 49%.
Normalization to Maximal Voluntary Contraction is Influenced by Subacromial Pain
Authors: Ettinger Lucas , Weiss Jason , Shapiro Matthew , Karduna Andrew
Published: April 2016

In this study, we aimed to determine if electromyography (EMG) normalization to maximal voluntary isometric contractions (MVIC) was influenced by subacromial pain in patients with subacromial impingement syndrome. Patients performed MVICs in unique testing positions for each shoulder muscle tested before and after subacromial injection of local anesthetic. In addition to collection of MVIC data, EMG data during an arm elevation task were recorded before and after injection. From a visual analog pain scale, patients had a 64% decrease in pain following the injection. Significant increases in MVICs were noted in 4 of the 7 shoulder muscles tested: anterior, middle and posterior deltoid, and lower trapezius. No significant differences were noticed for the upper trapezius, latissimus dorsi, or serratus anterior. MVIC condition (pre and post injection) had a significant influence on EMG normalization for the anterior deltoid and lower trapezius muscle. Results indicate that subacromial pain can influence shoulder muscle activity, especially for the deltoid muscles and lower trapezius. In addition, normalization to MVIC in the presence of pain can have unpredictable results. Caution should be taken when normalizing EMG data to MVIC in the presence of pain.
An Analysis of Countries’ Organizational Resources, Capacities, and Resource Configurations in Athletics
Authors: Truyens Jasper , De Bosscher Veerle , Sotiriadou Popi
Published: April 2016

Research on elite sport policy tends to focus on the policy factors that can influence success. Even though policies drive the management of organizational resources, the organizational capacity of countries in specific sports to allocate resources remains unclear. This paper identifies and evaluates the organizational capacity of five sport systems in athletics (Belgium [separated into Flanders and Wallonia], Canada, Finland, and the Netherlands). Organizational capacity was evaluated using the organizational resources and first-order capabilities framework (Truyens, De Bosscher, Heyndels, & Westerbeek, 2014). Composite indicators and a configuration analysis were used to collect and analyze data from a questionnaire and documents. The participating sport systems demonstrate diverse resource configurations, especially in relation to program centralization, athlete development, and funding prioritization. The findings have implications for high performance managers’ and policy makers’ approach to strategic management and planning for organizational resources in elite sport.
Young Female Soccer Players’ Perceptions of Their Modified Sport Environment
Authors: McCalpin Michelle , Evans Blair , Côté Jean
Published: April 2016

Competitive engineering is a process whereby sport organizations modify the rules, facilities, and equipment involved in sport to facilitate desirable athlete outcomes and experiences. Competitive engineering is being increasingly adopted by youth sport organizations with empirical evidence positively supporting its influence on skill development and performance. The purpose of this study was to explore young female athletes’ experiences in their modified soccer environment. Seventeen recreational and competitive soccer players, aged 8–11, participated in semistructured photo elicitation interviews that featured several visual qualitative methods (i.e., athlete-directed photography, drawing exercises, and pile-sorting) to facilitate insight on their sport environments. Results revealed that the athletes’ competitively engineered soccer experience was perceived as being a distinct environment that emphasized personal development, positive relationships, and the underlying enjoyment of sport. These findings shed light of how youth sport structure modifications influence the athletes’ experiences, providing practical implications to further promote positive youth sport experiences.
The
In Vitro
Redundant Enzymes PurN and PurT Are Both Essential for Systemic Infection of Mice in Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium
Authors: Jelsbak Lotte , Mortensen Mie I. B. , Kilstrup Mogens , Olsen John E.
Published: April 2016

Metabolic enzymes show a high degree of redundancy, and for that reason they are generally ignored in searches for novel targets for anti-infective substances. The enzymes PurN and PurT are redundant
in vitro
in
Salmonella enterica
serovar Typhimurium, in which they perform the third step of purine synthesis. Surprisingly, the results of the current study demonstrated that single-gene deletions of each of the genes encoding these enzymes caused attenuation (competitive infection indexes [CI] of <0.03) in mouse infections. While the Δ
purT
mutant multiplied as fast as the wild-type strain in cultured J774A.1 macrophages, net multiplication of the Δ
purN
mutant was reduced approximately 50% in 20 h. The attenuation of the Δ
purT
mutant was abolished by simultaneous removal of the enzyme PurU, responsible for the formation of formate, indicating that the attenuation was related to formate accumulation or wasteful consumption of formyl tetrahydrofolate by PurU. In the process of further characterization, we disclosed that the glycine cleavage system (GCV) was the most important for formation of C
1
units
in vivo
(CI = 0.03 ± 0.03). In contrast, GlyA was the only important enzyme for the formation of C
1
units
in vitro
. The results with the Δ
gcvT
mutant further revealed that formation of serine by SerA and further conversion of serine into C
1
units and glycine by GlyA were not sufficient to ensure C
1
formation in
S
. Typhimurium
in vivo
. The results of the present study call for reinvestigations of the concept of metabolic redundancy in
S
. Typhimurium
in vivo
.
Hypophosphataemia due to FGF-23 producing B cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
Authors: Elderman Jan H , Wabbijn Marike , de Jongh Felix
Published: April 2016

Oncogenic osteomalacia (or tumour-induced osteomalacia) is a rare paraneoplastic syndrome caused by overproduction of fibroblastic growth factor 23 (FGF-23) by tumours. Excessive production of FGF-23 can lead to severe, symptomatic hypophosphataemia. The majority of cases have been associated with benign tumours of bone or soft tissue, such as haemangiopericytomas or other neoplasms of mesenchymal origin. We present a case of a 68-year-old woman with an FGF-23 producing B cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Treatment with immunochemotherapy resulted in normalisation of serum FGF-23 and phosphate levels.
Fructated apolipoprotein A-I exacerbates cellular senescence in human umbilical vein endothelial cells accompanied by impaired insulin secretion activity and embryo toxicity
Authors: Park Ki-Hoon , Kim Jae-Yong , Choi Inho , Kim Jae-Ryong , Won Kyu Chang , Cho Kyung-Hyun
Published: April 2016

Glycation of apolipoproteins is a major feature of the production of dysfunctional high-density lipoprotein (HDL), which is associated with the incidence of several metabolic diseases such as coronary artery disease and diabetes. In this report, fructated apoA-I (fA-I) induced by fructose treatment showed a covalently multimerized band without cross-linking, and lysine residues were irreversibly modified to prevent crosslinking. Using pancreatic β-cells, insulin secretion was impaired by fA-I in the lipid-free and reconstituted HDL (rHDL) states, by up to 35%, and 40%, respectively, under hyperglycemic conditions (25 mmol/L glucose). Treatment of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) with fA-I and HDL from elderly patients caused a 1.8-fold and 1.5-fold increased cellular senescence, respectively, along with increased lysosomal enlargement. In the lipid-free and rHDL states, fA-I increased embryo death by 1.5-fold and 2.5-fold, respectively, along with the production of oxidized species. Furthermore, rHDL containing fA-I (fA-I-rHDL) showed a higher isoelectric point (pI, approximately 8.5), whereas rHDL containing nA-I (nA-I-rHDL) showed a narrow band range with lower pI (around 8.0) as well as a much smaller particle size than that of nA-I-rHDL. In conclusion, fructose-mediated apoA-I fructation resulted in the severe loss of several beneficial functions of apoA-I and HDL, including anti-senescence and insulin secretion activities, accompanied with increased susceptibility to protein degradation and structural modification.
Electronic properties and nonlinear optical responses of boron/nitrogen-doped zigzag graphene nanoribbons
Authors: Hu Yang-Yang , Li Wei-Qi , Yang Li , Feng Ji-Kang , Tian Wei Quan
Published: April 2016

The electronic properties and second-order nonlinear optical (NLO) responses of B/N-doped zigzag graphene nanoribbon (ZGNR) have been investigated using quantum chemistry methods. The electron-deficient B atoms prefer to form π-conjugation with the C atoms nearby along the B-doped zigzag edge. On the other hand, the electron-rich N atoms with radical characteristics weaken the conjugated bonding effects in the N-doped ZGNR. The NLO response of the ZGNR is enhanced by doping only one zigzag edge with B or N atoms. The conjugated B-doped zigzag edge takes the role of electron donor, while the N-doped zigzag edge serves as electron acceptor, giving rise to the discordant impact on the second-order NLO response of the BN-doped ZGNR.
Development of particle induced X-ray emission-computed tomography in Takasaki Advanced Radiation Research Institute, Japan Atomic Energy Agency
Authors: Satoh Takahiro
Published: April 2016

A new micro-particle induced X-ray emission-computed tomography (PIXE-CT) system was developed at Takasaki Ion Accelerators for Advanced Radiation Application in Japan Atomic Energy Agency. In this system, scanning transmission ion microscopy-CT was performed as well as PIXE-CT for three-dimensional (3D) measurement of major elements' distributions, which are required for corrections of X-ray yields due to energy losses of projectiles and absorption of X-rays. Moreover, maximum likelihood expectation maximization algorithm has been introduced to image reconstruction because higher spatial resolution can be obtained even with less X-ray yields. Consequently, 3D distribution of trace elements in a minute biological cell less than 100 μm has been successfully obtained.
Micron X-ray computed tomography based on micro-particle-induced X-ray emission
Authors: Ishii Keizo
Published: April 2016

Particle-induced X-ray emission (PIXE) is a phenomenon of atomic inner shell ionization and characteristic X-ray emission due to ion-atomic collisions. The intensity of continuous X-rays in the PIXE energy spectrum is much lower than that of characteristic X-rays. Therefore, PIXE can be used as a semi-monochromatic X-ray source. Furthermore, PIXE produced by a heavily charged particle beam with a diameter of several micrometers (micro-PIXE) can be used as a monochromatic X-ray point source for Xray computed tomography (CT) to investigate internal structures of objects <1 mm. We developed micron X-ray CT based on micro-PIXE with a spatial resolution of about 4 μm. Because the photoelectric effect cross-section is proportional to the fifth power of the atomic number, the distributions of small amounts of heavy elements can be investigated using this CT technique, and the element can be identified using its absorption edge. We applied this CT to observe the internal structure of hair, a head of an ant, and Drosophila. We were able to identify the medulla configuration and cortex of the hair, and the mandibular glands, pharynx, and brain in the ant head. We confirmed a high Mn concentration in the mandibular glands. We used a contrast agent to visualize the internal organs of Drosophila. Furthermore, we applied this CT to research clay particles contaminated by the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear accident and confirmed that cesium atoms were distributed on the surfaces of clay particles.
Micro-PIXE analysis system at NIRS-electrostatic accelerator facility for various applications
Authors: Oikawa Masakazu , Suya Noriyoshi , Konishi Teruaki , Ishikawa Takahiro , Hamano Tsuyoshi , Homma-Takeda Shino
Published: April 2016

A micro-PIXE analysis system based on the ion beam analysis system by Oxford Microbeams Ltd. has been developed at the NIRS-electrostatic accelerator facility. The introduction of the CdTe X-ray detector dramatically improved the detection efficiencies for heavy elements that are important in the life sciences and environmental science. This system has been used for various projects and has provided several meaningful results, thus establishing the micro-PIXE system as an effective tool for the determination of elemental distribution with a high spatial resolution. In this paper, outline of the features of the micro-PIXE system at NIRS along with its recent application in research are introduced.
Microbeam system at the Wakasa Wan Energy Research Center
Authors: Yasuda Keisuke
Published: April 2016

A microbeam system at the Wakasa Wan Energy Research Center is presented. A magnetic quadrupole doublet is used for the focusing of ion beams from a 5 MV tandem accelerator. Micro-PIXE and micro-PIGE measurements both in the vacuum and air are applicable with this system. Examples of the measurements for tooth and tea leaves are also presented.
A Spectral Graph Theoretical Approach to Oriented Energy Features
Authors: Demir Güleser Kalaycı
Published: April 2016

In this work, we propose a novel method for determining oriented energy features of an image. Oriented energy features, useful for many machine vision applications like contour detection, texture segmentation and motion analysis, are determined from the filters whose outputs are enhanced at the edges of the image at a given orientation. We use the eigenvectors and eigenvalues of graph Laplacian for determining the oriented energy features of an image. Our method is based on spectral graph theoretical approach in which a graph is assigned complex-valued edge weights whose phases encode orientation information. These edge weights give rise to a complex-valued Hermitian Laplacian whose spectrum enables us to extract oriented energy features of the image. We perform a set of numerical experiments to determine the efficiency and characteristics of the proposed method. In addition, we apply our feature extraction method to texture segmentation problem. We do this in comparison with other known methods, and show that our method performs better for various test textures.
Categorification of the colored 𝔰𝔩3-invariant
Authors: Robert Louis-Hadrien
Published: April 2016

We give explicit resolutions of all finite-dimensional simple [Formula: see text]-modules. We use these resolutions to categorify the colored [Formula: see text]-invariant of framed links via a complex of complexes of graded [Formula: see text]-modules.
Three-body systems in physics of cold atoms and halo nuclei
Authors: Ji Chen
Published: April 2016

Few-body systems, such as cold atoms and halo nuclei, share universal features at low energies, which are insensitive to the underlying inter-particle interactions at short ranges. These low-energy properties can be investigated in the framework of effective field theory with two-body and three-body contact interactions. I review the effective-field-theory studies of universal physics in three-body systems, focusing on the application in cold atoms and halo nuclei.
Cumulative Second Harmonic Generation of Ultrasonic Guided Waves Propagation in Tube-Like Structure
Authors: Li Weibin , Deng Mingxi , Cho Younho
Published: April 2016

Second harmonic generation of ultrasonic waves propagating in unbounded media and plate-like structure has been vigorously studied for tracking material nonlinearity, however, second harmonic guided wave propagation in tube-like structures is rarely studied. Considering that second harmonics can provide sensitive information for structural health condition, this paper aims to study the second harmonic generation of guided waves in metallic tube-like structures with weakly nonlinearity. Perturbation method and modal analysis approach are used to analyze the acoustic field of second harmonic solutions. The conditions for generating second harmonics with cumulative effect are provided in present investigation. Flexible polyvinylidene fluoride comb transducers are used to measure fundamental wave modes and second harmonic ones. The work experimentally verifies that the second harmonics of guided waves in pipe have a cumulative effect with propagation distance. The proposed procedure of this work can be applied to detect material nonlinearity due to damage mechanism in tube-like structure.
Some Feller and Osgood type criteria for semilinear stochastic differential equations
Authors: León Jorge A. , Peralta Liliana
Published: April 2016

By means of Itô’s formula and a comparison theorem for integral equations, we study the blow up in finite time of semilinear stochastic differential equations of the form [Formula: see text] Here, [Formula: see text] is non-negative and non-decreasing by components, [Formula: see text] is a predictable and continuous process, [Formula: see text] is an [Formula: see text]-Brownian motion and [Formula: see text] is an [Formula: see text]-measurable random variable. The results of this paper can be seen as extensions of the Feller and Osgood criteria.
Convergence rates in precise asymptotics for a kind of complete moment convergence
Authors: Kong Lingtao , Dai Hongshuai
Published: April 2016

Liu and Lin (Statist. Probab. Lett. 2006) introduced a kind of complete moment convergence which includes complete convergence as a special case. In this paper, we study the convergence rates of the precise asymptotics for complete moment convergence introduced by Liu and Lin (2006) and get the corresponding convergence rates.
Monads and Qregularity of odd and even instantons bundles on quadric hypersurfaces
Authors: Malaspina Francesco
Published: April 2016

Qregularity is a notion of Castelnuovo–Mumford regularity for quadric hypersurfaces introduced in [3]. Here, we give bounds for the Qregularity of bundles arising from a quasi-linear monad. Then, we study the Qregularity of odd and even instantons bundles and we discuss sharpness. These results are the analogous of those on projective spaces for Castelnuovo–Mumford regularity.
Zerotree wavelet image compression with weighted sub-block-trees and adaptive coding order
Authors: Liu Hui , Huang Ke-Kun
Published: April 2016

Information distortion in regions of image edge is more perceptible for people than those in other regions. To improve the performance on the edge, we present an improved embedded zero-tree wavelet image compression algorithm with weighted sub-block-trees and adaptive coding order. First, we assign bigger weights to the sub-block-trees around image edge. The weights assigned to the sub-blocks in the same spatial location and the same orientation at different scales are equal so that the zero-tree structure of wavelet coefficients is maintained and only a little extra storage is needed. Then we prefer scanning the coefficients on the neighbor of previous significant coefficients and all of them are refined even they are not significant. Adaptive arithmetic coding is applied to the symbols of these coefficients and others respectively. The proposed method pays more attention to the edge and its neighborhood so that the decoded image on the edge is clearer. Compared with similar algorithms, experimental results show that the proposed method can improve the PSNR and SSIM, as well as the subjective visual experience. The proposed method is applicable to any genre of embedded wavelet image codec.
A novel Arg H52/Tyr H33 conservative motif in antibodies: A correlation between sequence of antibodies and antigen binding
Authors: Petrov Artem , Arzhanik Vladimir , Makarov Gennady , Koliasnikov Oleg
Published: April 2016

Antibodies are the family of proteins, which are responsible for antigen recognition. The computational modeling of interaction between an antigen and an antibody is very important when crystallographic structure is unavailable. In this research, we have discovered the correlation between the amino acid sequence of antibody and its specific binding characteristics on the example of the novel conservative binding motif, which consists of four residues: Arg H52, Tyr H33, Thr H59, and Glu H61. These residues are specifically oriented in the binding site and interact with each other in a specific manner. The residues of the binding motif are involved in interaction strictly with negatively charged groups of antigens, and form a binding complex. Mechanism of interaction and characteristics of the complex were also discovered. The results of this research can be used to increase the accuracy of computational antibody–antigen interaction modeling and for post-modeling quality control of the modeled structures.
Covalent or supramolecular combinations of resorcinarenes and porphyrinoids
Authors: Dumoulin Fabienne , Topkaya Derya , Yaşar Songül , Ahsen Vefa , İşci Ümit
Published: April 2016

Cavitands and porphyrinoids are two major groups of molecules. If cyclodextrins are maybe the most famous type of cavitands, the properties of resorcinarenes are now well known and rise rapidly increasing attention. This mini-review aims at detailing all the combinations of resorcinarenes with porphyrinoids reported so far, evidencing the bright future of such combos. In addition, two newly synthesized porphyrins-resorcinarene hybrids are reported.
In Situ Synthesis of Ti3+ Self-Doped TiO2/N-Doped Carbon Nanocomposites and its Visible Light Photocatalytic Performance
Authors: Wu Chaoyi , Gao Zhenggang , Gao Shanmin , Wang Qingyao , Wang Zeyan , Huang Baibiao , Dai Ying
Published: April 2016

Ti[Formula: see text] self-doped TiO2 (TiO[Formula: see text])/N-doped carbon nanostructure composites were prepared via a facile one-step hydrothermal method to optimize the use of visible light and reduce recombination of photogenerated electrons and holes. The composites were characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution TEM, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. The amounts of carbon and nitrogen sources affect the morphology and photocatalytic performance. At low amounts of the sources, the N-doped carbon nanostructure is an amorphous film and is well-combined with TiO[Formula: see text] nanoparticles through surface carbon–oxygen groups. At high amounts of the sources, N-doped carbon quantum dots (NCQDs) were obtained, and carbon atoms could substitute for oxygen atoms in the TiO2 lattice to form Ti–C structures, which are responsible for the high photocatalytic activity under visible light illumination. Transient photocurrent response and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy results indicate that the amorphous hybrid film becomes a trap for electrons and that NCQDs can accelerate electron transfer. The improved visible light photocatalytic property for the TiO[Formula: see text]/NCQDs composite can be attributed to the enhancement of light absorption and inhibition of the photogenerated electron–hole recombination of anchored NCQDs.
An integrated project of fish and broiler: SIS model with optimal harvesting
Authors: De A. , Maity K. , Maiti M.
Published: April 2016

The paper analyzes the influence of a susceptible–infectious–susceptible (SIS) infectious disease affecting both fish and broiler species. The paper also considers a joint SIS project of fish and broiler in which the growth rates of both species vary with available nutrients and environmental carrying capacities of biomasses. The nutrients for both species are functions of the biomasses of the two species. The harvesting rates of fish and broiler depend linearly on common effort function. It is assumed that the diseases are transmitted to the susceptible populations by direct contact with the infected populations. Using the medicine, some portion of the infected populations are transmitted to the susceptible populations. The existence of steady states and their stability are investigated analytically. The joint profit of the SIS model is maximized using Pontryagin’s maximum principle and corresponding optimum harvesting rates are also obtained. Using Mathematica software, the models are illustrated and the optimum results are obtained and presented in tabular and graphical forms.
Stochastic rules for predator and prey hunting and escape behavior in a lattice-based model
Authors: Jeon Wonju , Lee Sang-Hee
Published: April 2016

Understanding of ecosystem resilience and stability requires comprehending predator–prey dynamics because ecosystems consist of dynamically interacting subsystems that include predator–prey relationships. This relationship is closely related to the hunting–escaping strategies employed by the predator and prey. Therefore, understanding the effects of hunting and escaping strategies on ecosystems will lead to a better understanding of these systems. As an approach for describing the predator–prey interaction, lattice-based models have been adopted because this approach has strong advantages for simulating various dynamical processes of individual–individual interaction. In the models, each lattice cell is either considered as an attractive/repulsive cell, or an individual cell, or else it is empty. The attractive (or repulsive cell) can be interpreted as the prey (or predator) of the individual. These states allow us to incorporate the ecological processes of local antagonistic interactions, namely the spread of disturbances (by the predator) and regrowth or recovery (by the prey). These processes are directly related to the strategic behavior of individuals, such as hunting and escaping. In this study, we suggest a simple and effective mapping formula as a stochastic rule to describe the hunting and escaping behavior. This formula could be widely used not only in the behavior but also in competitive and cooperative relationships.
Extending the spatiotemporal resolution of super-resolution microscopies using photomodulatable fluorescent proteins
Authors: Zhang Mingshu , Fu Zhifei , Xu Pingyong
Published: April 2016

In the past two decades, various super-resolution (SR) microscopy techniques have been developed to break the diffraction limit using subdiffraction excitation to spatially modulate the fluorescence emission. Photomodulatable fluorescent proteins (FPs) can be activated by light of specific wavelengths to produce either stochastic or patterned subdiffraction excitation, resulting in improved optical resolution. In this review, we focus on the recently developed photomodulatable FPs or commonly used SR microscopies and discuss the concepts and strategies for optimizing and selecting the biochemical and photophysical properties of PMFPs to improve the spatiotemporal resolution of SR techniques, especially time-lapse live-cell SR techniques.
Effect of spatial spectrum overlap on Fourier ptychographic microscopy
Authors: Liu Qiulan , Kuang Cuifang , Fang Yue , Xiu Peng , Li Yicheng , Wen Ruixin , Liu Xu
Published: April 2016

Fourier ptychographic microscopy (FPM) is a newly developed imaging technique which stands out by virtue of its high-resolution and wide FOV. It improves a microscope’s imaging performance beyond the diffraction limit of the employed optical components by illuminating the sample with oblique waves of different incident angles, similar to the concept of synthetic aperture. We propose to use an objective lens with high-NA to generate oblique illuminating waves in FPM. We demonstrate utilizing an objective lens with higher NA to illuminate the sample leads to better resolution by simulations, in which a resolution of 0.28[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]m is achieved by using a high-NA illuminating objective lens (NA[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]) and a low-NA collecting objective lens (NA[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]) in coherent imaging ([Formula: see text][Formula: see text]nm). We then deeply study FPM’s exact relevance of convergence speed to spatial spectrum overlap in frequency domain. The simulation results show that an overlap of about 60% is the optimal choice to acquire a high-quality recovery (520*520 pixels) with about 2 min’s computing time. In addition, we testify the robustness of the algorithm of FPM to additive noises and its suitability for phase objects, which further proves FPM’s potential application in biomedical imaging.
Survivability of bouncing robots
Authors: Czyzowicz J. , Dobrev S. , Kranakis E. , Pacheco Eduardo
Published: April 2016

Bouncing robots are mobile agents with limited sensing capabilities adjusting their movements upon collisions either with other robots or obstacles in the environment. They behave like elastic particles sliding on a cycle or a segment. When two of them collide, they instantaneously update their velocities according to the laws of classical mechanics for elastic collisions. They have no control on their movements which are determined only by their masses, velocities, and upcoming sequence of collisions. We suppose that a robot arriving for the second time to its initial position dies instantaneously. We study the survivability of collections of swarms of bouncing robots. More exactly, we are looking for subsets of swarms such that after some initial bounces which may result in some robots dying, the surviving subset of the swarm continues its bouncing movement, with no robot reaching its initial position. For the case of robots of equal masses and speeds we prove that all robots bouncing in the segment must always die while there are configurations of robots on the cycle with surviving subsets. We show the smallest such configuration containing four robots with two survivors. We show that any collection of less than four robots must always die. On the other hand, we show that [Formula: see text] robots always die where [Formula: see text] (and [Formula: see text]) is the number of robots starting their movements in clockwise (respectively, counterclockwise) direction in swarm [Formula: see text]. When robots bouncing on a cycle or a segment have arbitrary masses we show that at least one robot must always die. Further, we show that in either environment it is possible to construct swarms with [Formula: see text] survivors. We prove, however, that the survivors in the segment must remain static indefinitely while in the case of the cycle it is possible to have surviving collections with strictly positive kinetic energy.
Protecting and Restoring Aquatic Ecosystems in Multiple Stressor Environments
Authors: Ranjan Ram , Shortle James
Published: April 2016

Aquatic ecosystems around the globe are under threat from pollution, invasive species, over-exploitation, and other stressors. Given synergistic effects, policy measures to address particular stressors should be developed in tandem with policy measures to address others. We present a bio-economic model that addresses the optimal management of an aquatic ecosystem subject to multiple stressors. Specifically, we consider optimal management of a native fishery in a lake ecosystem subject to risks from pollution and an invasive species. Optimal plans exist for various cases defined by whether, one, both, or neither of the stressor events has occurred. Optimal fishery stocks vary between these cases, and depend on the order in which the stressor event occur if realized. The optimal native stock is the highest in the absence of either stressor. However, the combined influence of the multiple risks can rapidly reduce the probability of maintaining an un-invaded and un-polluted state for long. The synergistic effects of the risks interconnect optimal policies in interesting ways. We find that optimal pollution abatement in absence of both these stressors may turn out to be lower than when either or both stressors are present. The effectiveness of native fish stock in mitigating the risk of alien fish invasion can have a bearing on whether optimal native fish stock and abatement effort are used as substitutes or as complements. Pollution abatement levels that are chosen without consideration of alien invasion risk can lead indirectly to increased societal costs for invasion risk mitigation.
TISoN
Authors: Hamdi Sana , Gancarski Alda Lopes , Bouzeghoub Amel , Yahia Sadok Ben
Published: April 2016

Trust systems represent a significant trend in decision support for social networks’ service provision. The basic idea is to allow users to rate each other even without being direct neighbours. In this case, the purpose is to derive a trust score for a given user, which could be of help to decide whether to trust other users or not. In this article, we investigate the properties of trust propagation within social networks, based on the notion of
transitivity
, and we introduce the

TISoN

model to generate and evaluate
T
rust
I
nference within online
So
cial
N
etworks. To do so, (
i
) we develop a novel

TPS

algorithm for
T
rust
P
ath
S
earching where we define neighbours’ priority based on their direct trust degrees, and then select trusted paths while controlling the path length; and, (
ii
) we develop different

TIM

algorithms for
T
rust
I
nference
M
easuring and build a trust network. In addition, we analyse existing algorithms and we demonstrate that our proposed model better computes transitive trust values than do the existing models. We conduct extensive experiments on a real online social network dataset, Advogato. Experimental results show that our work is scalable and generates better results than do the pioneering approaches of the literature.
Epicardial Fat: Physiological, Pathological, and Therapeutic Implications
Authors: Salazar Juan , Luzardo Eliana , Mejías José Carlos , Rojas Joselyn , Ferreira Antonio , Rivas-Ríos José Ramón , Bermúdez Valmore
Published: April 2016

Epicardial fat is closely related to blood supply vessels, both anatomically and functionally, which is why any change in this adipose tissue’s behavior is considered a potential risk factor for cardiovascular disease development. When proinflammatory adipokines are released from the epicardial fat, this can lead to a decrease in insulin sensitivity, low adiponectin production, and an increased proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells. These adipokines move from one compartment to another by either transcellular passing or diffusion, thus having the ability to regulate cardiac muscle activity, a phenomenon called vasocrine regulation. The participation of these adipokines generates a state of persistent vasoconstriction, increased stiffness, and weakening of the coronary wall, consequently contributing to the formation of atherosclerotic plaques. Therefore, epicardial adipose tissue thickening should be considered a risk factor in the development of cardiovascular disease, a potential therapeutic target for cardiovascular pathology and a molecular point of contact for “endocrine-cardiology.”
Secure Electronic Cash Scheme with Anonymity Revocation
Authors: Kang Baoyuan , Xu Danhui
Published: April 2016

In a popular electronic cash scheme, there are three participants: the bank, the customer, and the merchant. First, a customer opens an account in a bank. Then, he withdraws ane-cash from his account and pays it to a merchant. After checking the electronic cash’s validity, the merchant accepts it and deposits it to the bank. There are a number of requirements for an electronic cash scheme, such as, anonymity, unforgeability, unreusability, divisibility, transferability, and portability. Anonymity property of electronic cash schemes can ensure the privacy of payers. However, this anonymity property is easily abused by criminals. In 2011, Chen et al. proposed a novel electronic cash system with trustee-based anonymity revocation from pairing. On demand, the trustee can disclose the identity fore-cash. But, in this paper we point out that Chen et al.’s scheme is subjected to some drawbacks. To contribute secure electronic cash schemes, we propose a new offline electronic cash scheme with anonymity revocation. We also provide the formally security proofs of the unlinkability and unforgeability. Furthermore, the proposed scheme ensures the property of avoiding merchant frauds.
Inversion for Refractivity Parameters Using a Dynamic Adaptive Cuckoo Search with Crossover Operator Algorithm
Authors: Zhang Zhihua , Sheng Zheng , Shi Hanqing , Fan Zhiqiang
Published: April 2016

Using the RFC technique to estimate refractivity parameters is a complex nonlinear optimization problem. In this paper, an improved cuckoo search (CS) algorithm is proposed to deal with this problem. To enhance the performance of the CS algorithm, a parameter dynamic adaptive operation and crossover operation were integrated into the standard CS (DACS-CO). Rechenberg’s 1/5 criteria combined with learning factor were used to control the parameter dynamic adaptive adjusting process. The crossover operation of genetic algorithm was utilized to guarantee the population diversity. The new hybrid algorithm has better local search ability and contributes to superior performance. To verify the ability of the DACS-CO algorithm to estimate atmospheric refractivity parameters, the simulation data and real radar clutter data are both implemented. The numerical experiments demonstrate that the DACS-CO algorithm can provide an effective method for near-real-time estimation of the atmospheric refractivity profile from radar clutter.
Novel Damage Detection Techniques for Structural Health Monitoring Using a Hybrid Sensor
Authors: Wang Dengjiang , He Jingjing , Dong Banglin , Liu Xiaopeng , Zhang Weifang
Published: April 2016

This study presents a technique for detecting fatigue cracks based on a hybrid sensor monitoring system consisting of a combination of intelligent coating monitoring (ICM) and piezoelectric transducer (PZT) sensors. An experimental procedure using this hybrid sensor system was designed to monitor the cracks generated by fatigue testing in plate structures. A probability of detection (POD) model that quantifies the reliability of damage detection for a specific sensor or the nondestructive testing (NDT) method was used to evaluate the weight factor for the ICM and PZT sensors. To estimate the uncertainty of model parameters in this study, the Bayesian method was employed. Realistic data from fatigue testing was used to validate the overall method, and the results show that the novel damage detection technique using a hybrid sensor can quantify fatigue cracks more accurately than results obtained by conventional sensor methods.
Study of1DStrange Charmed Meson Family Using HQET
Authors: Gupta Pallavi , Upadhyay A.
Published: April 2016

Recently LHCb predicted spin 1 and spin 3 statesDs1⁎(2860)andDs3⁎(2860)which are studied through their strong decays and are assigned to fit the13D1and13D3states in the charm spectroscopy. In this paper, using the heavy quark effective theory, we state that assigningDs1⁎(2860)as the mixing of13D1-23S1states is rather a better justification to its observed experimental values than a pure state. We study its decay modes variation with hadronic coupling constantgxhand the mixing angleθ. We appoint spin 3 stateDs3⁎(2860)as the missing1D  3-JPstate and also study its decay channel behavior with coupling constantgyh. To appreciate the above results, we check the variation of decay modes for their spin partners states, that is,1D2and1D2′, with their masses and strong coupling constant, that is,gxhandgyh. Our calculation using HQET approach gives mixing angle of the13D1-23S1state forDs1⁎(2860)to lie in the range (-1.6radians≤θ≤-1.2radians). Our calculation for coupling constant values givesgxhto lie within value range of0.17–0.20andgyhto be 0.40. We expect from experiments to observe this mixing angle to verify our results.
A Canadian Study toward Changing Local Practice in the Diagnosis of Pediatric Celiac Disease
Authors: Rajani Seema , Huynh Hien Q. , Shirton Leanne , Kluthe Cheryl , Spady Donald , Prosser Connie , Meddings Jon , Rempel Gwen R. , Persad Rabindranath , Turner Justine M.
Published: April 2016

Background. The European Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition endorses serological diagnosis (SD) for pediatric celiac disease (CD). The objective of this study was to pilot SD and to prospectively evaluate gastrointestinal permeability and mucosal inflammation at diagnosis and after one year on the gluten-free diet (GFD). We hypothesized that SD would be associated with similar short term outcomes as ED.Method. Children, 3–17 years of age, referred for possible CD were eligible for SD given aTTG level ≥200 U/mL, confirmed by repeat aTTG and HLA haplotypes. Gastrointestinal permeability, assessed using sugar probes, and inflammation, assessed using fecal calprotectin (FC), at baseline and after one year on a GFD were compared to patients who had ED.Results. Enrolled SD (n=40) and ED (n=48) patients had similar demographics. ED and SD groups were not different in baseline lactulose: mannitol ratio (L : M) (0.049 versus 0.034;p=0.07), fractional excretion of sucrose (%FES; 0.086 versus 0.092;p=0.44), or fecal calprotectin (FC; 89.6 versus 51.4;p=0.05). At follow-up, urine permeability improved and was similar between groups, L : M (0.022 versus 0.025;p=0.55) and %FES (0.040 versus 0.047;p=0.87) (p>0.05). FC improved but remained higher in the SD group (37.1 versus 15.9;p=0.04).Conclusion. Patients on the GFD showed improved intestinal permeability and mucosal inflammation regardless of diagnostic strategy. This prospective study supports that children diagnosed by SD have resolving mucosal disease early after commencing a GFD.
Influence of Lead on the Interpretation of Bone Samples with Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy
Authors: Shahedi Abdolhamed , Eslami Esmaeil , Nourani Mohammad Reza
Published: April 2016

This study is devoted to tracing and identifying the elements available in bone sample using Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS). The bone samples were prepared from the thigh of laboratory rats, which consumed 325.29 g/mol lead acetate having 4 mM concentration in specified time duration. About 76 atomic lines have been analyzed and we found that the dominant elements are Ca I, Ca II, Mg I, Mg II, Fe I, and Fe II. Temperature curve and bar graph were drawn to compare bone elements of group B which consumed lead with normal group, group A, in the same laboratory conditions. Plasma parameters including plasma temperature and electron density were determined by considering Local Thermodynamic Equilibrium (LTE) condition in the plasma. An inverse relationship has been detected between lead absorption and elements like Calcium and Magnesium absorption comparing elemental values for both the groups.