bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of increasing root carbon investment on the mortality and resprouting of Haloxylon ammodendron seedlings under drought
Authors: Zhang Y. , Xie J.‐B. , Li Y.
Published: October 2016

Tree mortality induced by drought is one of the most complex processes in ecology. Although two mechanisms associated with water and carbon balance are proposed to explain tree mortality, outstanding problems still exist.

Here, in order to test how the root system benefits survival and resprouting of Haloxylon ammodendron seedlings, we examined the various water‐ and carbon‐related physiological indicators (shoot water potential, photosynthesis, dark respiration, hydraulic conductance and non‐structural carbohydrates [NSC]) of H. ammodendron seedlings, which were grown in drought and control conditions throughout a grow season in greenhouse.

The survival time of the seedling root system (died 70 days after drought) doubled the survival time of the shoot (died at 35 days). Difference in survival time between shoot and root resulted from sustained root respiration supported by increased NSC in roots under drought. Furthermore, investment into the root contributed to resprouting following drought. Based on these results, a death criterion is proposed for this species. The time sequence of major events indicated that drought shifted carbon allocation between shoot and root and altered the flux among different sinks (growth, respiration or storage). The interaction of water and carbon processes determined death or survival of droughted H. ammodendron seedlings.

These findings revealed that the ‘root protection’ strategy is critical in determining survival and resprouting of this species, and provided insights into the effects of carbon and water dynamics on tree mortality.
Creativity and Meaning in Life
Authors: Matheson David
Published: October 2016

To forestall scepticism about meaning in life as a distinct final value, I sketch a preliminary characterization of meaning as superlative final value in life. I then make the case that this characterization helps us better appreciate a neglected substantive account of meaning, namely, Richard Taylor's creativity account. After laying out the creativity account, I argue that it is not just very compelling, but more compelling under the superlativeness characterization than the most prominent of the recent substantive accounts.
Optimizing seed mixture diversity and seeding rates for grassland restoration
Authors: Barr Stephanie , Jonas Jayne L. , Paschke Mark W.
Published: October 2016

Revegetation by seeding is an important tool in restoration. Seeding practices for restoration often rely on standard prescriptions for seed mix diversity and seeding rates. Seed mix diversity and rates are generally low within restoration projects and these practices are typically not informed by research. The objective of this study was to explore a new method for determining an optimal seed mix diversity and seeding rate for restoration of a semiarid grassland. We examined restoration success associated with differing seed mix diversity levels (5–50 species) and seeding rates (400–1,600 pure live seeds [PLS]/m2) using a response surface regression (RSR) experimental design at 12 disturbed sites in northeastern Colorado. Overall restoration success was evaluated based on optimizing desirability across nine individual responses: biomass and diversity of seeded, volunteer native, noxious, non‐native species, and the density of seeded species. Greatest restoration success after four growing seasons occurred at a seed mix diversity of 35 species and a seeding rate of 1,366PLS/m2.RSRexperimental design and analysis has seldom been used to answer ecological questions. This novel approach to address a pressing restoration challenge provided unique insight into how seed mix diversity and seeding rate, singly or in combination, influence the first 4 years of plant community development and overall restoration success. These results suggest that including more native species and seeding at higher rates than current practice could lead to greater restoration success in grasslands.
Detection of Adaptive Shifts on Phylogenies by using Shifted Stochastic Processes on a Tree
Authors: Bastide Paul , Mariadassou Mahendra , Robin Stéphane
Published: October 2016

Comparative and evolutive ecologists are interested in the distribution of quantitative traits between related species. The classical framework for these distributions consists of a random process running along the branches of a phylogenetic tree relating the species. We consider shifts in the process parameters, which reveal fast adaptation to changes of ecological niches. We show that models with shifts are not identifiable in general. Constraining the models to be parsimonious in the number of shifts partially alleviates the problem but several evolutionary scenarios can still provide the same joint distribution for the extant species. We provide a recursive algorithm to enumerate all the equivalent scenarios and to count the number of effectively different scenarios. We introduce an incomplete-data framework and develop a maximum likelihood estimation procedure based on the expectation–maximization algorithm. Finally, we propose a model selection procedure, based on the cardinal of effective scenarios, to estimate the number of shifts and for which we prove an oracle inequality.
Second Thoughts About Decision Reversibility: An Empirical Overview
Authors: Bullens Lottie , van Harreveld Frenk
Published: October 2016

People generally expect that having the opportunity to reverse a decision contributes to the quality of decision‐making. However, previous research has unequivocally shown that reversible decisions actually yield lower levels of post‐choice satisfaction and higher levels of regret than irreversible decisions. Only recently, research has begun to investigate the underlying processes explaining these counterintuitive and detrimental consequences of decision reversibility. In the present paper, we will review and integrate this research and distinguish a number of important cognitive and motivational consequences of decision (ir)reversibility. With this paper, we aim to inspire future research into the discrepancy between people's wish for reversibility on the one hand and their need for irreversibility on the other.
Emphatic Topicalization and the Structure of the Left Periphery: Evidence from German and Bangla
Authors: Bayer Josef , Dasgupta Probal
Published: October 2016

The goal of this article is to explore the structure of the clausal “left periphery” with respect to a phenomenon that has so far only rarely been identified as a root‐clause phenomenon: emphatic topicalization (ET). It is a form of movement by which a phrase (not necessarily awh‐phrase) targets the specifier of a complementizer. This movement prevents theCPcomplement from remaining in its embedded position. For convergence, the entireCPin whichEThas applied must move to the left periphery of the clause that immediately dominates it. It is argued that this latter move is necessary becauseETinduces a feature that is only interpretable in the domain of illocutionary force, illocutionary force being a property of the utterance (i.e., typically of the root clause). The data come from the Bavarian dialect of German (Germanic) and from Bangla (Indo‐Aryan). In spite of the differences between these languages, the similarity of the constraints that are revealed by this study cannot be accidental. For Bangla, a typicalwh‐in‐situ language, it is shown that the syntax ofETscope is to a large extent parallel to the syntax ofwh‐scope. Thus, the syntax ofwh‐scope can be argued to follow from general properties of the parametric choices made in Bangla (and perhaps in closely related languages).
A literature review of reports of the stability and storage of common injectable chemotherapy agents used in veterinary patients
Authors: Chan C. M. , Frimberger A. E. , Moore A. S.
Published: October 2016

Many chemotherapy drugs used in human patients are discarded after single use or within 24 h of reconstitution, as per the manufacturer's product label recommendations. This can be wasteful and costly to veterinary clients. This report reviews the published stability and storage data for 19 injectable chemotherapy drugs commonly used in veterinary medicine. Based on these data, storage procedures are presented, assuming aseptic technique and a closed system drug transfer device (CSDTD) are used for drug preparation and handling. Further studies on the risk of microbiological contamination of chemotherapeutics using aCSDTD, and validated high quality drug assays such as stability‐indicating high‐performance liquid chromatography, are required. The authors' intent is not to supersede product label recommendations, but to suggest that longer storage without significant loss of drug efficacy may be possible, thus reducing the costs of chemotherapeutics to some veterinary clients.
The Underwater Blast Resistance of Sacrificial Claddings With Stepwise Graded Cellular Cores
Authors: Yin Caiyu , Jin Zeyu , Chen Yong , Hua Hongxing
Published: October 2016

One-dimensional (1D) analytical model and finite element (FE) simulation are employed to investigate the shock mitigation capability of stepwise graded cellular claddings to underwater blast. To build the analytical model, two types of core configurations are considered: (i) “low → high” with the weakest layer being placed at the impinged end and (ii) the “high → low” configuration. Details of fluid–structure interaction (FSI), response of the graded cladding, and the cavitation phenomenon are thoroughly studied. Then the fidelity of the analytical model is assessed by FE simulations. The results reveal that the analytical model can accurately predict the whole process of such problem. Subsequently, the validated analytical models are used to analyze the influence of density gradient on the shock mitigation capability of cellular claddings in terms of the densification loading, the partial impulse imparted to the cladding, and the work done on the cladding by the external impulse. The results illustrate that the graded claddings perform better than the equivalent uniform case. Compared with the negative density gradient case, the “low → high” configuration with weaker layer being placed at the impinged end is preferable since lower force is transmitted to the protected structure.
Investigating and Rationalizing Influence of Saline Environment on Response of an Aluminum Alloy: Experimental and Numerical Study
Authors: Lv Sheng-Li , Zhang Maofei , Gao Xiaosheng , Srivatsan T. S.
Published: October 2016

A sizeable number of structures, as key load-bearing components, are currently being made using both high-strength and medium-strength alloys of aluminum. During their service life, these alloys are often exposed to environments spanning a range of aggressiveness. In this study, the corrosion behavior of a high-strength aluminum alloy in both static and flowing saline solution was conducted using both experimental and numerical analysis. The damage resulting from environment-induced degradation, or corrosion, of the test specimens upon exposure to flowing saline solution was noticeably severe in comparison with the damage caused by exposure to static saline solution. Subsequent to flow-induced degradation, an analysis of dispersion of the corrosion products over the surface revealed it to be in the direction of flowing saline solution. The higher the flow rate of saline solution over the sample surface, the more severe and visibly evident was the severity of damage due to environment-induced degradation. Microscopic observations of the corrosion morphology for the three different flow rates revealed a greater degree of damage to the surface with an increase in flow rate of the saline solution. This can be quantified by both an increase in area of the sample that is degraded and depth of the corrosion-induced pits. Using cellular automata algorithm in conjunction with matlab software, the damage caused by flowing saline solution for three different flow rates predicted fairly accurately the severity of the environment-induced damage due to corrosion and resultant morphology of the corrosion-related debris.
Reconstruction of a Nearly Complete
Pseudomonas
Draft Genome Sequence from a Coalbed Methane-Produced Water Metagenome
Authors: Ross Daniel E. , Gulliver Djuna
Published: October 2016

The draft genome sequence of
Pseudomonas stutzeri
strain K35 was separated from a metagenome derived from a produced water microbial community of a coalbed methane well. The genome encodes a complete nitrogen fixation pathway and the upper and lower naphthalene degradation pathways.
Complete Genome Sequences of Four Different
Bordetella
sp. Isolates Causing Human Respiratory Infections
Authors: Weigand Michael R. , Peng Yanhui , Loparev Vladimir , Batra Dhwani , Bowden Katherine E. , Cassiday Pamela K. , Davis Jamie K. , Johnson Taccara , Juieng Phalasy , Miner Christine E. , Rowe Lori , Sheth Mili , Tondella M. Lucia , Williams Margaret M.
Published: October 2016

Species of the genus
Bordetella
associate with various animal hosts, frequently causing respiratory disease.
Bordetella pertussis
is the primary agent of whooping cough and other
Bordetella
species can cause similar cough illness. Here, we report four complete genome sequences from isolates of different
Bordetella
species recovered from human respiratory infections.
Effect of Acupuncture ‘dose— on Modulation of the Default Mode Network of the Brain
Authors: Lin Yii-Jeng , Kung Yen-Ying , Kuo Wen-Jui , Niddam David M , Chou Chih-Che , Cheng Chou-Ming , Yeh Tzu-Chen , Hsieh Jen-Chuen , Chiu Jen-Hwey
Published: October 2016

Objective

Recent functional MRI (fMRI) studies show that brain activity, including the default mode network (DMN), can be modulated by acupuncture. Conventional means to enhance the neurophysiological ‘dose’ of acupuncture, including an increased number of needles and manual needle manipulation, are expected to enhance its physiological effects. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of both methods on brain activity.

Methods

58 healthy volunteers were randomly assigned into four groups that received single needle acupuncture (SNA, n=15) or transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS, n=13) as active controls, or enhanced acupuncture by way of three needle acupuncture (TNA, n=17) or SNA plus manual stimulation (SNA+MS, n=13). Treatment-associated sensations were evaluated using a visual analogue scale. Central responses were recorded before, during, and after treatment at LI4 on the left hand using resting state fMRI.

Results

TNA and SNA+MS induced DMN-insula activity and extensive DMN activity compared to SNA, despite comparable levels of de qi sensation. The TNA and SNA+MS groups exhibited a delayed and enhanced modulation of the DMN, which was not observed followed SNA and TENS. Furthermore, TNA increased precuneus activity and increased the DMN-related activity of the cuneus and left insula, while SNA+MS increased activity in the right insula.

Conclusions

The results showed that conventional methods to enhance the acupuncture dose induce different DMN modulatory effects. TNA induces the most extensive DMN modulation, compared with other methods. Conventional methods of enhancing the acupuncture dose could potentially be applied as a means of modulating brain activity.
Treatment of orbital solitary fibrous tumour with gamma knife radiosurgery and systematic review of literature
Authors: Tata Athreya , Cohen-Inbar Or , Sheehan Jason P
Published: October 2016

Solitary fibrous tumours (SFTs) are relatively rare tumours that were originally thought to arise from the pleura but have thereafter been demonstrated as occurring anywhere in the body. These tumours are generally considered benign but have frequently been noted for recurrence and local invasion. Furthermore, their indolence is controversial due to increasing evidence implicating the existence of a spectrum that includes hemangiopericytoma (HPC). Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) has been well characterised in the treatment of benign, malignant and vascular conditions, and it appears to be a reasonable option as adjuvant or recurrent treatment for intracranial SFTs. We present in this case the first complete description of an SFT of the orbit treated by SRS as well as a systematic review of available English literature for intracranial SFTs treated by SRS. We report effective local tumour control in our case and conclude that SRS is a reasonable treatment option for recurrent SFT.
Infant's sex, birth control policy and postpartum well-being: a prospective cohort study in Shanghai, China
Authors: Hua Jing , Zhu Liping , Du Wenchong , Du Li , Luo Ting , Wu Zhuochun
Published: October 2016

Objectives

The majority of Chinese families were under either one-child or two-child birth control policy status from 2001 to 2015. We explore the association between an infant's sex and the mother's postpartum well-being, which may be moderated by birth control policy status in China.

Setting and participants

We conducted a prospective cohort study in Shanghai City, one of the largest cities in China. A total number of 1730 childbearing women from eight obstetric hospitals across Shanghai were included in the study at baseline, with 1503 women completing the survey 7 days postpartum in 2013.

Measures

The General Well-Being Schedule (GWBS) was used to assess maternal well-being at baseline and follow-up investigation in the study. The women's demographic, clinical characteristics, and well-being were measured at baseline. Maternal satisfaction and postpartum well-being were assessed in the follow-up survey.

Results

Multivariable linear regression analyses showed that women who gave birth to male infants were positively associated with the total score of maternal well-being, when the participating hospitals, maternal well-being at baseline, sociodemographic characteristics, and maternal and infant health outcomes were added to the adjustments (β=1.462, p<0.05). The association disappeared when the two-child policy status was added to the adjustments (p>0.05). The results of a multiple logistic regression model showed that having a male infant was a risk factor of ‘severe distress’ (OR=1.607, p<0.05), which was moderated by the two-child policy status (p>0.05).

Conclusions

Our results emphasise the importance of conducting interventions to increase maternal general well-being, especially for those with a female infant in a society such as China where preference is for a son, and enhance the necessity of sustainability of a newly relaxed two-child policy which allows more couples to have a second child in China.
Not an ‘iron pipeline’, but many capillaries: regulating passive transactions in Los Angeles' secondary, illegal gun market
Authors: Chesnut Kelsie Y , Barragan Melissa , Gravel Jason , Pifer Natalie A , Reiter Keramet , Sherman Nicole , Tita George E
Published: October 2016

Objectives

California has strict firearm-related laws and is exceptional in its regulation of firearms retailers. Though evidence suggests that these laws can reduce illegal access to guns, high levels of gun violence persist in Los Angeles (LA), California. This research seeks to describe the sources of guns accessed by active offenders in LA, California and reports offenders' motivations for obtaining guns.

Setting

Los Angeles County Jail (LACJ) system (four facilities).

Methods

Random sampling from a screened pool of eligible participants was used to conduct qualitative semistructured interviews with 140 incarcerated gun offenders in one of four (LACJ) facilities. Researchers collected data on firearm acquisition, experiences related to gun violence, and other topics, using a validated survey instrument. Grounded theory guided the collection and analysis of data.

Results

Respondents reported possession of 77 specific guns (79.2% handguns) collectively. Social networks facilitate access to illegal guns; the majority of interviewees acquired their illegal guns through a social connection (85.7%) versus an outside broker/unregulated retailer (8.5%). Most guns were obtained through illegal purchase (n=51) or gift (n=15). A quarter of gun purchasers report engaging in apassivetransaction, or one initiated by another party. Passive gun buyers were motivated by concerns for personal safety and/or economic opportunity.

Conclusions

In LA's illegal gun market, where existing social relationships facilitate access to guns across a diffuse network, individuals, influenced by both fear and economic opportunity, have frequent opportunities to illegally possess firearms through passive transactions. Gun policies should better target and minimise these transactions.
Visionary medicine: speculative fiction, racial justice and Octavia Butler's ‘Bloodchild’
Authors: Pasco John Carlo , Anderson Camille , DasGupta Sayantani
Published: October 2016

Medical students across the USA have increasingly made the medical institution a place for speculating racially just futures. From die-ins in Fall 2014 to silent protests in response to racially motivated police brutality, medical schools have responded to the public health crisis that is racial injustice in the USA. Reading science fiction may benefit healthcare practitioners who are already invested in imagining a more just, healthier futurity. Fiction that rewrites the future in ways that undermine contemporary power regimes has been termed ‘visionary fiction’. In this paper, the authors introduce ‘visionary medicine’ as a tool for teaching medical students to imagine and produce futures that preserve health and racial justice for all. This essay establishes the connections between racial justice, medicine and speculative fiction by examining medicine's racially unjust past practices, and the intersections of racial justice and traditional science and speculative fiction. It then examines speculative fiction author Octavia Butler's short story ‘Bloodchild’ as a text that can introduce students of the medical humanities to a liberatory imagining of health and embodiment, one that does not reify and reinscribe boundaries of difference, but reimagines the nature of Self and Other, power and collaboration, agency and justice.
Real-Time Control of an Exoskeleton Hand Robot with Myoelectric Pattern Recognition
Authors: Lu Zhiyuan , Chen Xiang , Zhang Xu , Tong Kay-Yu , Zhou Ping
Published: October 2016

Robot-assisted training provides an effective approach to neurological injury rehabilitation. To meet the challenge of hand rehabilitation after neurological injuries, this study presents an advanced myoelectric pattern recognition scheme for real-time intention-driven control of a hand exoskeleton. The developed scheme detects and recognizes user’s intention of six different hand motions using four channels of surface electromyography (EMG) signals acquired from the forearm and hand muscles, and then drives the exoskeleton to assist the user accomplish the intended motion. The system was tested with eight neurologically intact subjects and two individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI). The overall control accuracy was [Formula: see text] for the neurologically intact subjects and [Formula: see text] for the SCI subjects. The total lag of the system was approximately 250[Formula: see text]ms including data acquisition, transmission and processing. One SCI subject also participated in training sessions in his second and third visits. Both the control accuracy and efficiency tended to improve. These results show great potential for applying the advanced myoelectric pattern recognition control of the wearable robotic hand system toward improving hand function after neurological injuries.
Color dipole picture of deep inelastic scattering, revisited
Authors: Kuroda Masaaki , Schildknecht Dieter
Published: October 2016

Based upon the color-dipole picture, we provide closed analytic expressions for the longitudinal and the transverse photoabsorption cross-sections at low values of the Bjorken variable of [Formula: see text]. We compare with the experimental data for the longitudinal-to-transverse ratio of the (virtual) photoabsorption cross-section and with our previous fit to the experimental data for the total photoabsorption cross-section. Scaling in terms of the low-[Formula: see text] scaling variable [Formula: see text] is analyzed in terms of the reduced cross-section of deep inelastic scattering.
FPGA Implementation for Modified RCM-RW on Digital Images
Authors: Maity Hirak Kumar , Maity Santi P.
Published: October 2016

Reversible contrast mapping (RCM) and its various modified forms are used extensively in reversible watermarking (RW) on digital images to embed secret information. Sometimes RW demands real-time implementation that can be made by hardware realization and RCM-based RW becomes appealing due to its integer transform nature followed by least significant bit (LSB) substitution for embedding. This motivates us to propose RCM-RW on digital images with two objectives: modification on the existing RCM algorithm to increase embedding rate with low visual distortion. Later on, prototype design through field-programmable gate array (FPGA) is developed for a (256 × 256), 8-bit gray scale image using (32 × 32) image block and pipeline architecture. For a cover image of size (256 × 256), the proposed architecture requires 8,971 slices, 8,246 slice flip-flops, 9,706 numbers of four-input LUTs and 2 FIFO 16/RAMB for watermark embedding purpose. Proposed architecture consumes a power of 636[Formula: see text]mW and offers a data rate of 1.0493[Formula: see text]Mbps at an operating frequency as high as 95.3[Formula: see text]MHz.
A Dual-Band Bandpass Filter Using Quad-Mode Resonator for Bluetooth and WLAN Applications
Authors: Murmu Lakhindar , Das Sushrut
Published: October 2016

This paper presents a quad-mode dual-band bandpass filter (BPF) using one shorted stub and two pairs of open stubs. The proposed filter simultaneously operates at Bluetooth (2.4–2.485[Formula: see text]GHz) and WLAN (5.1–5.35[Formula: see text]GHz) band. The filter has been designed and fabricated on Rogers’s RO4350 substrate and has a size of 13 × 12.26mm2.
The Alexander polynomial for virtual twist knots
Authors: Benioff Isaac , Mellor Blake
Published: October 2016

We define a family of virtual knots generalizing the classical twist knots. We develop a recursive formula for the Alexander polynomial [Formula: see text] (as defined by Silver and Williams [Polynomial invariants of virtual links, J. Knot Theory Ramifications 12 (2003) 987–1000]) of these virtual twist knots. These results are applied to provide evidence for a conjecture that the odd writhe of a virtual knot can be obtained from [Formula: see text].
COMPARISON OF SPINAL AND PELVIC POSTURE AND MUSCLE FLEXIBILITY IN THOSE WITH SPONDOLYTIC AND NON-SPONDOLYTIC LOW BACK PAIN
Authors: Young Julie A. , Cuff Steven C. , Yang Jingzhen , Pommering Thomas L.
Published: October 2016

Purpose: The rate of spondylolysis in adolescent athletes ranges from 11–47%. Due to the long recovery process associated with a spondylolysis and the fact that bony union only occurs in 25–37% of patients necessitates that risk factors for this condition are identified so that prevention techniques can be developed. Research has shown that those with spondylolysis have different sagittal alignment than normal populations. The purpose of this study was to compare hip flexibility and sagittal plane alignment of subjects with NSLBP and SLBP. Methods: A total of 61 subjects between the ages of 12–21 with back pain for at least 2 weeks were enrolled. All subjects had radiographs and advanced imaging to evaluate for spondylolysis. A Thomas test and 90-90 test were used to assess hip flexor and hamstring flexibility, respectively. Pelvic incidence, sacral slope, pelvic tilt, and lumbar lordosis were measured on a standing lateral radiograph. Results: After adjusting for age, gender, and sport, those with SLBP had greater pelvic incidence ([Formula: see text]), sacral slope ([Formula: see text]) and tighter hamstrings ([Formula: see text]) Conclusions: Athletes with SLBP have tighter hamstrings and increased sacral slope and pelvic incidence when compared with athletes with NSLBP.
Geometric characterizations of virtually free groups
Authors: Araújo Vítor , Silva Pedro V.
Published: October 2016

Four geometric conditions on a geodesic metric space, which are stronger variants of classical conditions characterizing hyperbolicity (featuring [Formula: see text]-thin polygons, the Gromov product or the mesh of triangles), are proved to be equivalent. They define the class of polygon hyperbolic geodesic metric spaces. In the particular case of the Cayley graph of a finitely generated group, it is shown that they characterize virtually free groups.
STUDY ON MECHANICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF LIVER TISSUE BASED ON HAPTIC DEVICES FOR VIRTUAL SURGICAL SIMULATION
Authors: YANG JING , YU LINGTAO , WANG LAN , LI HONGYANG , AN QI
Published: October 2016

In recent years, virtual surgical simulation has been one of the hot direction of digital medical research, it is mainly used in teaching, training, diagnosis, preoperative planning, rehabilitation and modeling and analysis of surgical instruments. The modeling of soft tissue of human organs is the basis to realize the virtual surgical simulation. The quasi-linear viscoelastic (QLV) theory has been proposed by Fung, and it was widely used for modeling the constitutive equation of soft tissues. The purpose of this study is to determine the mechanical characterization of the liver soft tissue based on the PHANTOM Omni Haptic devices. Five parameters are included in the constitutive equation with QLV theory, which must be determined experimentally. The specimens were obtained from fresh porcine liver tissues in vitro. The liver tissues were cut into 14[Formula: see text]mm[Formula: see text][Formula: see text][Formula: see text]14[Formula: see text]mm[Formula: see text][Formula: see text][Formula: see text]14[Formula: see text]mm cubes. Two types of unconfined compression tests were performed on cube liver specimens. Puncture tests were performed on the complete liver. The material parameters of the QLV constitutive equation were obtained by fitting the experimental data. These parameters will provide the references for the computational modeling of the liver in the virtual surgical simulation.
ARE MRIs NECESSARY TO DEVELOP SUBJECT-SPECIFIC CARTILAGE AND MENISCI GEOMETRIES FOR SUBJECT-SPECIFIC KNEE MODELS?
Authors: PIANIGIANI SILVIA , D'AIUTO MARTA , CROCE DAVIDE , INNOCENTI BERNARDO
Published: October 2016

Native subject-specific knee geometries are usually based on CT and MRI images reconstruction. Unfortunately, while the definition of bone geometries using CTs is quite consistent, MRIs are often hardly readable, due to the usual lower resolution, and the final shape of cartilage and menisci is not consequently detailed enough. Moreover, further smoothing techniques, necessary to efficiently use these structures for numerical modeling, could result in bad interfaces and/or geometry inaccuracies. In this study a CAD-based approach to generate 3D cartilages and menisci geometries, avoiding the use of MRIs, was proposed and tested versus the traditional methods that use MRIs segmentation. The femoral, tibial and patellar cartilage layers were generated as offset from the bone geometries, the menisci were obtained by an extrusion based on tibia borders. Such geometries were compared to the reconstructions obtained from MRIs of healthy knee specimens. Overlapping the resulting geometries with the ones traditionally reconstructed, volumes differ from 2% to 14%. By using the new methodology, the geometries are obtained in 75% less time. The CAD-based methods shown in this pilot study is able to generate faster and accurate subject-specific knee cartilage layers and menisci geometries and can be suitable to be applied for numerical modeling.
On the EMD Sifting Property and Instantaneous Parameters
Authors: Zhao Mingshu , Liu Jianzheng , Wang Yi , Zhu Hao
Published: October 2016

Recently proposed Hilbert–Huang transform (HHT), consisting of empirical mode decomposition (EMD) and Hilbert spectrum analysis (HSA), has been proved to be an effective approach in both scientific researches and engineering applications. However, this method is still empirical because of lacking rigorously mathematical foundation. This paper primarily focuses on providing a mathematical contribution on its sifting characteristics and instantaneous features. Firstly, the theory of the original methods as well as their advantages and restrictions are briefly reviewed. Secondly, we conduct in-depth investigations of the instantaneous parameters (IPs) and sifting ability. Thirdly, we proposed a new EMD stopping criterion, determined an optimal number of sifting iterations, employed a new masking signal to fix the mode mixing problem and investigated into the sifting property according to the extremum distribution. Finally, comparative studies, simulations and real data analyses depending on the proposed method are presented to demonstrate the validity of the novel research. The simulations illustrate that the typically defined intrinsic mode functions (IMFs) are not perfectly symmetric with zero-mean, there is still no rigorous mathematical standard to determine the “watershed” between mono and multi-component IMFs. The comparative researches indicate that unlike the prism property of the Fourier transform (FT) and the mathematical microscope property of the wavelet transform (WT), the ultimate goal of the HHT is to work as raindrops.
Ion channel mechanisms of rat tail artery contraction-relaxation by menthol involving, respectively, TRPM8 activation and L-type Ca2+ channel inhibition
Authors: Melanaphy Donal , Johnson Christopher D. , Kustov Maxim V. , Watson Conall A. , Borysova Lyudmyla , Burdyga Theodor V. , Zholos Alexander V.
Published: October 2016

Transient receptor potential melastatin 8 (TRPM8) is the principal cold and menthol receptor channel. Characterized primarily for its cold-sensing role in sensory neurons, it is expressed and functional in several nonneuronal tissues, including vasculature. We previously demonstrated that menthol causes variable mechanical responses (vasoconstriction, vasodilatation, or biphasic reactions) in isolated arteries, depending on vascular tone. Here we aimed to dissect the specific ion channel mechanisms and corresponding Ca2+ signaling pathways underlying such complex responses to menthol and other TRPM8 ligands in rat tail artery myocytes using patch-clamp electrophysiology, confocal Ca2+ imaging, and ratiometric Ca2+ recording. Menthol (300 μM, a concentration typically used to induce TRPM8 currents) strongly inhibited L-type Ca2+ channel current (L- ICa) in isolated myocytes, especially its sustained component, most relevant for depolarization-induced vasoconstriction. In contraction studies, with nifedipine present (10 μM) to abolish L- ICa contribution to phenylephrine (PE)-induced vasoconstrictions of vascular rings, a marked increase in tone was observed with menthol, similar to resting (i.e., without α-adrenoceptor stimulation by PE) conditions, when L-type channels were mostly deactivated. Menthol-induced increases in PE-induced vasoconstrictions could be inhibited both by the TRPM8 antagonist AMTB (thus confirming the specific role of TRPM8) and by cyclopiazonic acid treatment to deplete Ca2+ stores, pointing to a major contribution of Ca2+ release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum in these contractile responses. Immunocytochemical analysis has indeed revealed colocalization of TRPM8 and InsP3 receptors. Moreover, menthol Ca2+ responses, which were somewhat reduced under Ca2+-free conditions, were strongly reduced by cyclopiazonic acid treatment to deplete Ca2+ store, whereas caffeine-induced Ca2+ responses were blunted in the presence of menthol. Finally, two other common TRPM8 agonists, WS-12 and icilin, also inhibited L- ICa. With respect to L- ICa inhibition, WS-12 is the most selective agonist. It augmented PE-induced contractions, whereas any secondary phase of vasorelaxation (as with menthol) was completely lacking. Thus TRPM8 channels are functionally active in rat tail artery myocytes and play a distinct direct stimulatory role in control of vascular tone. However, indirect effects of TRPM8 agonists, which are unrelated to TRPM8, are mediated by inhibition of L-type Ca2+ channels and largely obscure TRPM8-mediated vasoconstriction. These findings will promote our understanding of the vascular TRPM8 role, especially the well-known hypotensive effect of menthol, and may also have certain translational implications (e.g., in cardiovascular surgery, organ storage, transplantation, and Raynaud's phenomenon).
Nur77 attenuates endothelin-1 expression via downregulation of NF-κB and p38 MAPK in A549 cells and in an ARDS rat model
Authors: Jiang Yujie , Zeng Yi , Huang Xia , Qin Yueqiu , Luo Weigui , Xiang Shulin , Sooranna Suren R. , Pinhu Liao
Published: October 2016

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is characterized by inflammatory injury to the alveolar and capillary barriers that results in impaired gas exchange and severe acute respiratory failure. Nuclear orphan receptor Nur77 has emerged as a regulator of gene expression in inflammation, and its role in the pathogenesis of ARDS is not clear. The objective of this study is to investigate the potential role of Nur77 and its underlying mechanism in the regulation of endothelin-1 (ET-1) expression in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced A549 cells and an ARDS rat model. We demonstrate that LPS induced Nur77 expression and nuclear export in A549 cells. Overexpression of Nur77 markedly decreased basal and LPS-induced ET-1 expression in A549 cells, whereas knockdown of Nur77 increased the ET-1 expression. LPS-induced phosphorylation and nuclear translocation of NF-κB and p38 MAPK were blocked by Nur77 overexpression and augmented by Nur77 knockdown in A549 cells. In vivo, LPS induced Nur77 expression in lung in ARDS rats. Pharmacological activation of Nur77 by cytosporone B (CsnB) inhibited ET-1 expression in ARDS rats, decreased LPS-induced phosphorylation of NF-κB and p38 MAPK, and relieved lung, liver, and kidney injury. Pharmacological deactivation of Nur77 by 1,1-bis-(3′-indolyl)-1-(p-hydroxyphenyl)methane (DIM-C-pPhOH, C-DIM8) had no effect on ET-1 expression and lung injury. These results indicated that Nur77 decreases ET-1 expression by suppressing NF-κB and p38 MAPK in LPS-stimulated A549 cells in vitro, and, in an LPS-induced ARDS rat model, CsnB reduced ET-1 expression and lung injury in ARDS rats.
Exosomes Promote Ovarian Cancer Cell Invasion through Transfer of CD44 to Peritoneal Mesothelial Cells
Authors: Nakamura Koji , Sawada Kenjiro , Kinose Yasuto , Yoshimura Akihiko , Toda Aska , Nakatsuka Erika , Hashimoto Kae , Mabuchi Seiji , Morishige Ken-ichirou , Kurachi Hirohisa , Lengyel Ernst , Kimura Tadashi
Published: October 2016

Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) cells metastasize within the peritoneal cavity and directly encounter human peritoneal mesothelial cells (HPMC) as the initial step of metastasis. The contact between ovarian cancer cells and the single layer of mesothelial cells involves direct communications that modulate cancer progression but the mechanisms are unclear. One candidate mediating cell–cell communications is exosomes, 30–100 nm membrane vesicles of endocytic origin, through the cell–cell transfer of proteins, mRNAs, or microRNAs. Therefore, the goal was to mechanistically characterize how EOC-derived exosomes modulate metastasis. Exosomes from ovarian cancer cells were fluorescently labeled and cocultured with HPMCs which internalized the exosomes. Upon exosome uptake, HPMCs underwent a change in cellular morphology to a mesenchymal, spindle phenotype. CD44, a cell surface glycoprotein, was found to be enriched in the cancer cell–derived exosomes, transferred, and internalized to HPMCs, leading to high levels of CD44 in HPMCs. This increased CD44 expression in HPMCs promoted cancer invasion by inducing the HPMCs to secrete MMP9 and by cleaning the mesothelial barrier for improved cancer cell invasion. When CD44 expression was knocked down in cancer cells, exosomes had fewer effects on HPMCs. The inhibition of exosome release from cancer cells blocked CD44 internalization in HPMCs and suppressed ovarian cancer invasion. In ovarian cancer omental metastasis, positive CD44 expression was observed in those mesothelial cells that directly interacted with cancer cells, whereas CD44 expression was negative in the mesothelial cells remote from the invading edge. This study indicates that ovarian cancer–derived exosomes transfer CD44 to HPMCs, facilitating cancer invasion.

Implications: Mechanistic insight from the current study suggests that therapeutic targeting of exosomes may be beneficial in treating ovarian cancer. Mol Cancer Res; 15(1); 78–92. ©2016 AACR.
2016 Scientific Sessions Sol Sherry Distinguished Lecturer in Thrombosis
Authors: Griffin John H. , Mosnier Laurent O. , Fernández José A. , Zlokovic Berislav V.
Published: October 2016

APC (activated protein C), derived from the plasma protease zymogen, is antithrombotic and anti-inflammatory. In preclinical injury models, recombinant APC provides neuroprotection for multiple injuries, including ischemic stroke. APC acts directly on brain endothelial cells and neurons by initiating cell signaling that requires multiple receptors. Two or more major APC receptors mediate APC’s neuroprotective cell signaling. When bound to endothelial cell protein C receptor, APC can cleave protease-activated receptor 1, causing biased cytoprotective signaling that reduces ischemia-induced injury. Pharmacological APC alleviates bleeding induced by tissue-type plasminogen activator in murine ischemic stroke studies. Remarkably, APC’s signaling promotes neurogenesis. The signaling-selective recombinant variant of APC, 3K3A-APC, was engineered to lack most of the APC’s anticoagulant activity but retain APC’s cell signaling actions. Recombinant 3K3A-APC is in ongoing National Institutes of Health (NIH)–funded clinical trials for ischemic stroke.
ABCA1 (ATP-Binding Cassette Transporter A1) Mediates ApoA-I (Apolipoprotein A-I) and ApoA-I Mimetic Peptide Mobilization of Extracellular Cholesterol Microdomains Deposited by Macrophages
Authors: Jin Xueting , Sviridov Denis , Liu Ying , Vaisman Boris , Addadi Lia , Remaley Alan T. , Kruth Howard S.
Published: October 2016

Objective—

We examined the function of ABCA1 (ATP-binding cassette transporter A1) in ApoA-I (apolipoprotein A-I) mobilization of cholesterol microdomains deposited into the extracellular matrix by cholesterol-enriched macrophages. We have also determined whether an ApoA-I mimetic peptide without and with complexing to sphingomyelin can mobilize macrophage-deposited cholesterol microdomains.

Approach and Results—

Extracellular cholesterol microdomains deposited by cholesterol-enriched macrophages were detected with a monoclonal antibody, 58B1. ApoA-I and an ApoA-I mimetic peptide 5A mobilized cholesterol microdomains deposited by ABCA1
+/+
macrophages but not by ABCA1
−/−
macrophages. In contrast, ApoA-I mimetic peptide 5A complexed with sphingomyelin could mobilize cholesterol microdomains deposited by ABCA1
−/−
macrophages.

Conclusions—

Our findings show that a unique pool of extracellular cholesterol microdomains deposited by macrophages can be mobilized by both ApoA-I and an ApoA-I mimetic peptide but that mobilization depends on macrophage ABCA1. It is known that ABCA1 complexes ApoA-I and ApoA-I mimetic peptide with phospholipid, a cholesterol-solubilizing agent, explaining the requirement for ABCA1 in extracellular cholesterol microdomain mobilization. Importantly, ApoA-I mimetic peptide already complexed with phospholipid can mobilize macrophage-deposited extracellular cholesterol microdomains even in the absence of ABCA1.
Downregulation of Renal G Protein–Coupled Receptor Kinase Type 4 Expression via Ultrasound‐Targeted Microbubble Destruction Lowers Blood Pressure in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats
Authors: Huang Hefei , Li Xiaolong , Zheng Shuo , Chen Yue , Chen Caiyu , Wang Jialiang , Tong Haipeng , Zhou Lin , Yang Jian , Zeng Chunyu
Published: October 2016

Background

G protein–coupled receptor kinase type 4 (
GRK
4) plays a vital role in the long‐term control of blood pressure (BP) and sodium excretion by regulating renal G protein–coupled receptor phosphorylation, including dopamine type 1 receptor (D
1
R). Ultrasound‐targeted microbubble destruction (
UTMD
) is a promising method for gene delivery. Whether this method can deliver
GRK
4 small interfering RNA (si
RNA)
and lower BP is not known.

Methods and Results

BP, 24‐hour sodium excretion, and urine volume were measured after
UTMD
‐targeted
GRK
4 si
RNA
delivery to the kidney in spontaneously hypertensive rats. The expression levels of
GRK
4 and D
1
R were determined by immunoblotting. The phosphorylation of D
1
R was investigated using immunoprecipitation. The present study revealed that
UTMD
‐mediated renal
GRK
4 si
RNA
delivery efficiently reduced
GRK
4 expression and lowered BP in spontaneously hypertensive rats, accompanied by increased sodium excretion. The increased sodium excretion might be accounted for by the
UTMD
regulation of D
1
R phosphorylation and function in spontaneously hypertensive rats. Further analysis showed that, although
UTMD
had no effect on D
1
R expression, it reduced D
1
R phosphorylation in spontaneously hypertensive rats kidneys and consequently increased D
1
R‐mediated natriuresis and diuresis.

Conclusions

Taken together, these study results indicate that
UTMD
‐targeted
GRK
4 si
RNA
delivery to the kidney effectively reduces D
1
R phosphorylation by inhibiting renal
GRK
4 expression, improving D
1
R‐mediated natriuresis and diuresis, and lowering BP, which may provide a promising novel strategy for gene therapy for hypertension.
The Family and the Imperial City
Authors: Vandevoorde Lindsey
Published: October 2016

A freedwoman, Vetilia Egloge, was married to a member of the city council of Mutina. Her son was, however, a freedman with a name identical to that of his mother’s husband, adecurio. This son was appointed asaugustalisandapollinaris. As is made clear in the first and second part of the paper, this means that the homonymous male characters mentioned in this inscription (ae2008, 535) were connected both on a local institutional and a familial level—asdecurioandaugustalis(andapollinaris) and as adoptive father and adoptive son respectively. The third part investigates how these familial and institutional connections may have interacted. The sociological concept of ‘transgenerational mobility’ provides a link between the family and the city. This inscription offers exceptional insight into the complexity of social situations, and shows how family strategies influence the workings of local institutions.
The Language of Freedom and Slavery in Tacitus’ Agricola
Authors: Damtoft Poulsen Aske
Published: October 2016

TheAgricolahas long been a popular object of study for the connection that it makes between the British narrative of resistance against Roman domination and the Roman narrative of resistance against imperial domination. However, no agreement has been reached on the question of how exactly the two narratives ‘affect’ each other. Simultaneously, while it has often been remarked that Tacitus’ language is inherently metaphorical, there have been curiously few studies devoted to Tacitean metaphor. Based on the theory of conceptual metaphor promoted by George Lakoff, this article takes the metaphors of freedom and slavery that appear in theAgricolaas starting point for a re-evaluation of the connection between the two narratives. This novel approach to the text facilitates a deeper analysis of certain key passages of the text, and provides some much-needed nuance to the current scholarly debate.