bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Partner communication and role of nutrients in the arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis
Authors: Lanfranco Luisa , Fiorilli Valentina , Gutjahr Caroline
Published: May 2018

Contents

Summary
1031

I.
Introduction
1031

II.
Interkingdom communication enabling symbiosis
1032

III.
Nutritional and regulatory roles for key metabolites in the AM symbiosis
1035

IV.
The plant–fungus genotype combination determines the outcome of the symbiosis
1039

V.
Perspectives
1039

Acknowledgements
1041

References
1041

The evolutionary and ecological success of the arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) symbiosis relies on an efficient and multifactorial communication system for partner recognition, and on a fine‐tuned and reciprocal metabolic regulation of each symbiont to reach an optimal functional integration. Besides strigolactones, N‐acetylglucosamine‐derivatives released by the plant were recently suggested to trigger fungal reprogramming at the pre‐contact stage. Remarkably, N‐acetylglucosamine‐based diffusible molecules also are symbiotic signals produced by AM fungi (AMF) and clues on the mechanisms of their perception by the plant are emerging. AMF genomes and transcriptomes contain a battery of putative effector genes that may have conserved and AMF‐ or host plant‐specific functions. Nutrient exchange is the key feature of AM symbiosis. A mechanism of phosphate transport inside fungal hyphae has been suggested, and first insights into the regulatory mechanisms of root colonization in accordance with nutrient transfer and status were obtained. The recent discovery of the dependency of AMF on fatty acid transfer from the host has offered a convincing explanation for their obligate biotrophism. Novel studies highlighted the importance of plant and fungal genotypes for the outcome of the symbiosis. These findings open new perspectives for fundamental research and application of AMF in agriculture.
Sex differences in brain responses to food stimuli: a meta‐analysis on neuroimaging studies
Authors: Yeung A. W. K.
Published: May 2018

The aims of the current study were to update the inclusion list of relevant neuroimaging studies, meta‐analyse the neuroimaging data and thus synthesize a brain map showing locations with differential activations between men and women. Published studies to 2017 were retrieved and included into the analysis if they evaluated patients' brain responses to food or eating stimuli with functional magnetic resonance imaging or positron emission tomography and reported activation differences between the sexes in the form of brain coordinates based on whole‐brain analysis. Eight studies that comprised a total of 231 participants fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Men had larger neural responses to food stimuli than women in the anterior and middle cingulate, which are related to emotion regulation. Meanwhile, women had larger neural responses to food stimuli than men in the parahippocampus, the thalamus and the precuneus, which are collectively relevant in the context of promotion of eating. The differential brain responses to food or eating stimuli between men and women may shed light on the neurobiology to help explain the sex differences in eating behaviour.
Risk factors for competing non‐cancer mortality after definitive treatment for advanced‐stage head and neck cancer
Authors: Kim Yong Han , Roh Jong‐Lyel , Kim Sung‐Bae , Choi Seung‐Ho , Nam Soon Yuhl , Kim Sang Yoon
Published: May 2018

Objective

Patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) can die of index tumor progression and second tumor or non‐cancer causes. Here, we investigated the risk factors for competing non‐cancer mortality (NCM) in a prospective cohort of patients with advanced‐stage HNC.

Materials and Methods

A prospective observational study was conducted with 604 patients who underwent definitive treatment for advanced‐stage HNC between 2010 and 2015. Main outcomes were NCM and cancer mortality (CM) defined as death from non‐cancer causes and HNC or second cancers, respectively. Cumulative incidence and cause‐specific hazard functions were used to analyze the risk factors of NCM and CM.

Results

Age, smoking, Charlson comorbidity index (CCI), performance status, body mass index, rural residence, education and hemoglobin level at diagnosis, and chemotherapy were significantly associated with NCM (all p < 0.05). Multivariate analyses showed that age, CCI, and hemoglobin were independent factors of NCM. Age (≥65 years), CCI (≥2), and hemoglobin (<11 g/dl) were related to 4.5‐, 3.2‐, and 2.7‐fold increased adjusted risk of NCM, respectively.

Conclusions

Old age, comorbidity, and hemoglobin at diagnosis were independent predictors of NCM. The risk factors could be used to predict non‐cancer death after definitive treatment for advanced‐stage HNC.
Leptin/osteopontin axis contributes to enhanced T helper 17 type responses in allergic rhinitis
Authors: Liu Wenlong , Zeng Qingxiang , Zhou Lifeng , Li Yan , Chen Yanqiu , Luo RenZhong
Published: May 2018

Background

Recent studies suggest that T helper 17 (Th17) cell subset, a distinct pro‐inflammatory CD4 +  T cell lineage, may play an important role in the pathophysiology of allergic rhinitis (AR). However, the regulation of Th17 response in allergic disease is not well characterized.

Methods

Thirty AR and 30 healthy children were enrolled. Serum leptin and OPN levels were measured, and their correlation with IL‐17 expression was analyzed using enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Th17 cell differentiation and cytokine production in peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMCs) stimulated by leptin and OPN and related inhibitors were analyzed by ELISA. AR mice models were also established to verify the effect of leptin and OPN on Th17 cell regulation. Immunoprecipitation was performed to explore the interaction between OPN and leptin in Th17 cells.

Results

Our results showed that elevated serum leptin and OPN in AR children were correlated with serum IL‐17 level (r = .53, P < .01). The recombinant leptin and OPN enhanced Th17 responses from PBMCs synergistically through nuclear factor κB (NF‐κB), mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK), and c‐Jun N‐terminal kinase (JNK) pathway and β3 integrin receptor. The AR mice showed as more severe Th17 responses and symptoms compared with control mice. Immunoprecipitation showed that OPN and leptin may interact with each other directly, and this process may be mediated by β3 integrin.

Conclusions

Our data provide evidence that upregulation of leptin and OPN promotes Th17 responses in AR, and this process may be achieved through NF‐κB, MAPK, and JNK pathway and β3 integrin.
Evolution of jaw disparity in fishes
Authors: Hill Jennifer J. , Puttick Mark N. , Stubbs Thomas L. , Rayfield Emily J. , Donoghue Philip C. J.
Published: May 2018

The morphology of the vertebrate lower jaw has been used to infer feeding ecology, with transformations in mandibular shape and structure likely to have facilitated the emergence of different feeding behaviours in vertebrate evolution. Here we present elliptical Fourier shape and principal component analyses, characterizing and comparing the disparity of jaw shape in early gnathostomes and their modern primitively aquatic counterparts. 83% of shape variation is summarized on the first three principal component axes and all component clades of early gnathostomes exhibit overlapping morphological variation. Non‐tetrapodomorph Palaeozoic sarcopterygians are more disparate than their extant counterparts whereas extant chondrichthyans are more disparate than their Palaeozoic counterparts. More generally, extant jawed fishes are more disparate than their Palaeozoic relatives largely because of the extensive shape variation exhibited by mandibles of extant actinopterygians. Only some areas of shape space vacated by Palaeozoic gnathostomes have been convergently refilled by living taxa. Characterization of theoretical jaw morphologies demonstrates that fewer than half of all possible shapes are realized by the jawed fishes that comprise our empirical dataset; many of these morphologies are realized by unrepresented terrestrial tetrapods, implying environmental constraint. Our results are incompatible with the early burst model of clade evolution and contradict the hypothesis that maximum disparity is reached early in the evolutionary history of jawed fishes.
Sudden infant death syndrome: Knowledge and practise in parents of preterm infants
Authors: Rohana Jaafar , Ishak Shareena , Wan Nurulhuda Wan Md Zin
Published: May 2018

Background

Preterm infants are at higher risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) compared with term born infants and the risk is inversely proportional to the gestational age and birthweight. Parents of these infants should have adequate knowledge and practise the recommended SIDS risk reduction measures.

Methods

A survey was conducted between December 2016 and August 2017 at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur. Parents of preterm infants ≤36 weeks’ gestation were invited to answer a self‐administered questionnaire to assess their knowledge and practise regarding SIDS risk reduction.

Results

Forty‐nine (61.33%) of the 80 parents had heard of SIDS prior to the interview, with social media being the commonest source of information (67.3%). Only 35 (43.7%) correctly answered at least five of nine questions on knowledge of SIDS risk reduction (“good knowledge”). When compared with the group of parents who answered less than five questions correctly (“poor knowledge”), there was no significant difference in the demographic and infant characteristics between the groups. The majority (68.8%) of parents practised bed sharing with their infants, and this was significantly more common in the group of parents with poor knowledge (P = 0.01). Household smoking was also significantly more common in the group of parents with poor knowledge (P = 0.048).

Conclusion

Knowledge on SIDS risk reduction measures was generally poor among parents of preterm infants in this study. Cigarette smoking, bed sharing and non‐supine sleep positions, which are associated with increased risk of SIDS, were common practise among the present subjects.
Oral diatrizoate acid for meconium‐related ileus in extremely preterm infants
Authors: Michikata Kaori , Kodama Yuki , Kaneko Masatoki , Sameshima Hiroshi , Ikenoue Tsuyomu , Machigashira Seiro , Mukai Motoi , Torikai Motofumi , Nakame Kazuhiko
Published: May 2018

Background

Intestinal disorders are common in very low‐birthweight infants. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of prophylactic oral Gastrografin® (diatrizoate acid) on meconium‐related ileus (MRI) in extremely preterm infants.

Methods

This was a retrospective case–control study of infants born extremely preterm at <28 weeks of gestation and treated with diatrizoate acid (prophylactic group) or not (control group) in the periods 2007–2014 and 2000–2009, respectively. In the 2007–2014 period, 120 infants received prophylactic diatrizoate acid solution. From the 165 infants in the control group, we selected 120 infants matched for gestational age. Cases of death before 72 h of life or congenital abnormalities were excluded. Intestinal disorders, time until full enteral feeding, duration of hospital stay, mortality rate, and neurodevelopmental outcome were compared.

Results

MRI occurred in six infants in the control group and in none of the infants in the prophylactic group (P = 0.039). Median time until full enteral feeding was 25 versus 22 days (P < 0.01), hospital stay was 142 versus 126 days (P < 0.01), and mortality rate for infants aged 24–27 weeks was 8.2% versus 0% (P = 0.021), respectively.

Conclusions

Prophylactic oral diatrizoate acid reduced MRI in extremely preterm infants without side‐effects and decreased the mortality rate of infants born at 24–27 weeks, and is thus beneficial in extremely preterm infants.
Feasibility of implementing cervical cancer screening program using smartphone imaging as a training aid for nurses in rural India
Authors: Sharma Drishti , Rohilla Latika , Bagga Rashmi , Srinivasan Radhika , Jindal Har Ashish , Sharma Nikita , Kankaria Ankita , Jamir Limalemla , Suri Vanita , Singh Rakesh Kumar , Duggal Mona
Published: May 2018

Background

The Indian national program stresses implementation of cervical cancer screening by health workers/nurses using VIA (Visual Inspection under Acetic acid). We demonstrate its feasibility and reliability in rural setting, assessing the role of smartphone‐imaging for continuous training of nurses.

Design

A cross‐sectional design to assess the reliability of the nurse‐led VIA test. To assess feasibility, VIA positive patients were observed till confirmative diagnosis was made.

Sample

Hospital‐based purposive sampling was used to recruit participants.

Measures

A structured questionnaire for recording participants' details, VIA findings and follow‐up information; and an observational checklist to record implementation parameters during each clinic. An expert assessed the nurse's judgment using smartphone‐images of cervix.

Results

During October 2016–June 2017, 2758 patients attended the weekly clinic; 238 (8.6%) met the criteria, of those 180 (75.6%) tested after consent. Nurse reported 25 (13.8%) VIA‐positive cases, but only 19 accessed the referral service. Kappa statistic: 0.45 (CI: 0.26‐0.63) suggested moderate nurse‐expert agreement. Image retrieval and quality affected expert's evaluation. Implementation challenges include low awareness among the population and referral link‐up.

Conclusion

Appropriately trained nurses can reliably conduct screening. Real‐time expert feedback might improve reporting. Rigorous awareness activities and on‐site treatment can reduce drop‐outs. The medical institute's involvement and administrative will were instrumental.
Social administration revisited: Traditions of observational fieldwork and their value
Authors: Exley Sonia
Published: May 2018

This article revisits traditions of observational fieldwork inside welfare institutions which formed a core part of past social administration teaching and research in the United Kingdom. Drawing on archive materials, a historical exploration of journal contents and some supplementary interview data, it is argued that such approaches—though carried out in a less theoretically pluralist, more vocationally‐oriented time for the subject of social policy and administration—were at the same time valuable in facilitating critical perspectives on how welfare bureaucracies work. Their popularity is potentially rising once again in social policy teaching. Where cultivated alongside an appreciation of theory and where carefully integrated into university social policy departments' wider pedagogical and curricular strategies, they may be of benefit today to students and more senior scholars alike.
Honouring the elders: The common good among Karen communities – a multi‐sited ethnography
Authors: Jolliffe Pia , Worland Shirley
Published: May 2018

This article discusses intergenerational relations and moral values among Karen communities in Thailand, Myanmar, Australia, Norway and the UK. We use a conceptual framework inspired by Christian anthropology and the notion of the “common good” to analyse how the practice of honouring the elderly is sustained by virtues of “acknowledged dependence” and “rational independence” (MacIntyre ). The article argues that honour of the elders in Karen communities is an intergenerational process. The younger's “acknowledged dependence” of the vulnerability of the elder results in respect and support enabling the elder's “rational independence”. In turn, this facilitates ongoing imparting of wisdom and socially valuable knowledge contributing to an effective social order; thus, the common good of their communities. Research processes of long‐term participant observation and more recent interviews revealed that honour and respect of older persons in diverse Karen communities across five countries remains a virtue valued by younger and older alike.
The Golden Ticket Project for peer recognition
Authors: Gribben Valerie , Bogetz Alyssa , Bachrach Laura , Blankenburg Rebecca
Published: May 2018

Background

A supportive working environment can be protective against burnout in residency training. To help foster a positive culture, we developed the ‘Golden Ticket Project’ (GTP) and evaluated it as a tool for peer appreciation.

Methods

In October 2013–July 2014, all paediatric residents (n = 83) at a paediatric residency programme were invited to participate in the GTP. Through an electronic form, residents could award a co‐resident with a ‘Golden Ticket’ for any behaviour that they were grateful for. Two authors manually coded and analysed the tickets using content analysis to identify recurring themes. We also distributed an anonymous survey to all residents to assess their attitudes toward the GTP.

Results

The majority (61%) of residents either gave or received ‘Golden Tickets’ (51/83). Reasons for receiving tickets fell into five categories: (i) teamwork; (ii) positive attitude; (iii) patient care; (iv) resident–resident support; and (v) supervisory skills. Across all three classes, teamwork was recognised most frequently, noted in 43% of all tickets. The recognition of other behaviours varied by class. Fifty‐five percent (46/83) of residents completed the programme evaluation survey. Seventy‐six percent (35/46) of respondents wanted the programme to continue; of those, 49% (17/35) ‘agreed’ or ‘strongly agreed’ that they were ‘more aware of acts of kindness in the residency program because of the GTP’.

A supportive working environment can be protective against burnout in residency training

Discussion

The GTP is a feasible and valued peer‐support initiative for residents. The GTP characterised behaviours and attitudes that residents were grateful for in their peers. These behaviours could inform the development of wellness interventions for residents that focus on building supportive working environments.
The interplay between microbes and the immune response in inflammatory bowel disease
Authors: Goethel Ashleigh , Croitoru Kenneth , Philpott Dana J.
Published: May 2018

The aetiology and pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) remains unclear but involves a complex interplay between genetic risk, environmental exposures, the immune system and the gut microbiota. Nearly two decades ago, the first susceptibility gene for Crohn's disease, NOD2, was identified within the IBD 1 locus. Since then, over 230 genetic risk loci have been associated with IBD and yet NOD2 remains the strongest association to date. As an intracellular innate immune sensor of bacteria, investigations into host–microbe interactions, involving both innate and adaptive immune responses, have become of particular interest in understanding the pathogenesis of IBD. Advancements in sequencing technology have lead to the groundbreaking characterization of the gut microbiota and its role in health and disease. While an altered microbiome has been described for IBD, whether it is a cause or an effect of the intestinal inflammation has yet to be determined. Moreover, the bidirectional relationship between the gut microbiota and the mucosal immune system adds to the multifaceted complexity of intestinal homeostasis. A better understanding of how host genetics, including NOD2, influence immune–microbe interactions and alter susceptibility to IBD is necessary in order to develop therapeutic and preventative treatments.

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Application of physico-chemical indexes and BMWP / Col. to establish the impact of urbanization on Río Frío (Bucaramanga, Colombia)
Authors: Restrepo-Manrique Ricardo
Published: May 2018

In this study, samples from four different sites were collected from Río Frío, a stream crossing the city of Bucaramanga (Colombia). The course evaluated started in the suburban area and finished in the vicinity where Río Frío becomes the tributary of Río de Oro. Invertebrates were identified belonging to different phyla: Annelida, Mollusca, and Arthropoda, corresponding to five classes, 14 orders, and 51 families. Biological monitoring working party (BMWP)/Col., ICO, and ICA-CETESB (Environmental Agency of the State of São Paulo) indexes were evaluated to determine water quality and environmental impact caused by urban growth. Statistical analysis of collected data revealed progressive basin deterioration from the first site of collection to the last site. At the beginning of the evaluated course, good water quality was observed. However, after flowing through the urban area, very poor quality indexes were detected. Based on the Wenger et al. guidelines two main problems were identified: weak enforcement of environmental laws, in addition to poorly legislated environmental urban planning.
A Novel Sialylation Site on Neisseria gonorrhoeae Lipooligosaccharide Links Heptose II Lactose Expression with Pathogenicity
Authors: Ram Sanjay , Gulati Sunita , Lewis Lisa A. , Chakraborti Srinjoy , Zheng Bo , DeOliveira Rosane B. , Reed George W. , Cox Andrew D. , Li Jianjun , St. Michael Frank , Stupak Jacek , Su Xiao-Hong , Saha Sudeshna , Landig Corinna S. , Varki Ajit , Rice Peter A.
Published: May 2018

Sialylation of lacto-N-neotetraose (LNnT) extending from heptose I (HepI) of gonococcal lipooligosaccharide (LOS) contributes to pathogenesis. Previously, gonococcal LOS sialyltransterase (Lst) was shown to sialylate LOS in Triton X-100 extracts of strain 15253, which expresses lactose from both HepI and HepII, the minimal structure required for monoclonal antibody (MAb) 2C7 binding.
Toxicant inhalation among singleton waterpipe tobacco users in natural settings
Authors: Jawad Mohammed , Eissenberg Thomas , Salman Rola , Soule Eric , Alzoubi Karem H , Khabour Omar F , Karaoghlanian Nareg , Baalbaki Rima , El Hage Rachel , Saliba Najat A , Shihadeh Alan
Published: May 2018

Background

Studies that assess waterpipe tobacco smoking behaviour and toxicant exposure generally use controlled laboratory environments with small samples that may not fully capture real-world variability in human behaviour and waterpipe products. This study aimed to conduct real-time sampling of waterpipe tobacco use in natural environments using an in situ device.

Methods

We used the REALTIME sampling instrument: a validated, portable, self-powered device designed to sample automatically a fixed percentage of the aerosol flowing through the waterpipe mouthpiece during every puff. We recruited participants at café and home settings in Jordan and measured puffing behaviour in addition to inhalation exposure of total particulate matter (TPM), carbon monoxide (CO), nicotine, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and volatile aldehydes. We correlated total inhaled volume with five selected toxicants and calculated the regression line of this relationship.

Results

Averaged across 79 singleton sessions (52% male, mean age 27.0, 95% home sessions), sessions lasted 46.9 min and participants drew 290 puffs and inhaled 214 L per session. Mean quantities of inhaled toxicants per session were 1910 mg TPM, 259 mg CO, 5.0 mg nicotine, 117 ng benzo[a]pyrene and 198 ng formaldehyde. We found positive correlations between total inhaled volume and TPM (r=0.472; p<0.001), CO (r=0.751; p<0.001), nicotine (r=0.301, p=0.035) and formaldehyde (r=0.526; p<0.001), but a non-significant correlation for benzo[a]pyrene (r=0.289; p=0.056).

Conclusions

In the natural environment, waterpipe tobacco users inhale large quantities of toxicants that induce tobacco-related disease, including cancer. Toxicant content per waterpipe session is at least equal, but for many toxicants several magnitudes of order higher, than that of a cigarette. Health warnings based on early controlled laboratory studies were well founded; if anything our findings suggest a greater exposure risk.
Numerical simulation of one-way concrete slabs reinforced with glass fiber reinforced polymer bars under service temperatures
Authors: Lardjane Samia , Bellakehal Hizia , Zaidi Ali , Masmoudi Radhouane
Published: May 2018

The thermal incompatibility between fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) bars and concrete may cause splitting cracks within the concrete and, eventually, the deterioration of the bond between the FRP bar and the concrete. This paper presents a numerical study using ADINA finite elements software to investigate the thermal behavior of actual one-way concrete slabs reinforced with glass FRP (GFRP) bars varying the ratio of concrete cover thickness to FRP bar diameter (c/db) from 1.3 to 2.8. Slabs are submitted to temperature variations varied from −50 to 60 °C. The main results prove that first radial cracks occur in concrete, at the FRP bar – concrete interface, at thermal loads (ΔTcr) varied between 15 °C and 30 °C. While, the circumferential cracks appear within concrete, at FRP bar – concrete interface, at ΔTcr varied between −15 °C and −35 °C depending of the ratio c/db (1.3 to 2.8) and the tensile strength of concrete fct (1.9 to 2.9 MPa). These numerical thermal loading values are relatively in good agreement with those predicted from the analytical model. The numerical model shows that there is no failure of the concrete cover for low temperatures for slabs having c/db = 1.3 to 2.8 and fct = 1.9 to 2.9 MPa. Nevertheless, for high temperatures, the splitting failure of concrete cover is produced at thermal loads ΔTsp′ varied from 30 °C to 59 °C. While, for concrete situated between GFRP bars, the splitting failure occurred at thermal loads ΔTsp′ equal to 46 °C. Thermal stresses and strains, and also cracking thermal loads predicted from the numerical model are compared with those obtained from analytical models and experimental tests.
Proof of concept investigation of unbonded reinforcement in concrete block masonry
Authors: Miranda Henry P. , Feldman Lisa R. , Sparling Bruce F.
Published: May 2018

The use of grout in conventional reinforced masonry construction increases the cost and time of construction but allows walls subject to out-of-plane loads an enhanced ability to span between lateral support levels. An experimental investigation including a total of 21 walls was conducted in an attempt to identify potential alternatives to conventionally grouted walls. The strength and serviceability of walls containing unbonded reinforcement anchored at its ends was evaluated. All walls were two and a half blocks wide and 14 courses tall and were constructed in running bond using standard 200 mm concrete blocks. Six replicate unreinforced and partially grouted, conventionally reinforced walls served as control specimens. Walls with unbonded reinforcement were determined to be inherently stable with maximum loads approaching those of partially grouted, conventionally reinforced walls. If used in practice, these walls would need to be limited to indoor exposures due to the wide crack widths that develop.
Yellow nutsedge (Cyperus esculentus L.) control in corn with various rates of halosulfuron
Authors: Soltani Nader , Shropshire Christy , Sikkema Peter H.
Published: May 2018

There are a limited number of herbicide options that provide commercially acceptable control of yellow nutsedge in corn. A study consisting of nine field experiments was conducted during 2013–2016 in growers’ fields in Ontario to evaluate the efficacy of glyphosate plus various rates of halosulfuron applied after emergence (postemergence, POST) for the control of yellow nutsedge in glyphosate-resistant corn. Glyphosate (900 g a.e. ha−1) plus halosulfuron applied POST at the registered rate of 34–68 g a.i. ha−1 caused minimal injury in glyphosate-resistant corn. The predicted halosulfuron rates needed to control yellow nutsedge 50%, 80%, and 90% were 3, 24, and >140 g a.i. ha−1 at 4 weeks after herbicide application (WAA) and 2, 13, and 73 g a.i. ha−1 at 8 WAA, respectively. The predicted halosulfuron rates required to reduce yellow nutsedge density 50%, 80%, and 90% were 13, 42, and 109 g a.i. ha−1, respectively. In addition, the predicted halosulfuron rates required to reduce yellow nutsedge dry weight 50%, 80%, and 90% were 6, 23, and 54 g a.i. ha−1, respectively. Contrasts comparing halosulfuron (35 g a.i. ha−1) with other herbicides showed that glyphosate plus halosulfuron provided as much as 35% greater control of yellow nutsedge than glyphosate plus bentazon (1080 g a.i. ha−1) and as much as 22% greater control of yellow nutsedge than glyphosate plus tembotrione/thiencarbazone (45 g a.i. ha−1).
Separate or perish — the coevolving voter model
Authors: Kułakowski K. , Stojkow M. , Żuchowska-Skiba D. , Gawroński P.
Published: May 2018

Recent generalization of the coevolving voter model [J. Toruniewska, K. Kułakowski, K. Suchecki and J. Hołyst, Phys. Rev. E 96, 042306 (2017).] is further generalized here, including spin-dependent probability of rewiring. Mean field results indicate that either the system splits into two separate networks with different spins, or one spin orientation goes extinct. In both cases, the density of active links is equal to zero. The results are discussed in terms of homophily in social contacts.
The impact of aggressive driving behaviors on multi-lane highway traffic flow
Authors: Zhu H. B. , Chen G. Y. , Lin H. , Zhou Y. J.
Published: May 2018

A modified cellular automata traffic model is proposed to simulate four-lane traffic flow, in which drivers are classified into aggressive drivers and cautious drivers and the anticipative velocity of the adjacent vehicles is considered. Analysis from the vehicles’ evolution pattern indicates that vehicles driven by the aggressive drivers are more powerful in behaviors of lane-changing and car-following. The model is refined by using the small cell of one meter long in order to simulate the traffic flow meticulously and realistically. The results indicate that the lane-changing maneuver exhibits different property as the density varies, and it does have a significant impact on the characteristics of the surrounding traffic flow due to their interfering effects on the following vehicles. Furthermore, the phenomenon of high-speed car-following is exhibited, and the results coincide with the empirical data very well. It is shown that the proposed model is reasonable and can partially reflect the real traffic.
The scalar and pseudoscalar hidden-charm tetraquark states with QCD sum rules
Authors: Di Zun-Yan , Wang Zhi-Gang
Published: May 2018

Based on the diquark configuration, we construct the diquark–antidiquark interpolating tetraquark currents with [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], which can couple to the scalar and pseudoscalar tetraquark states, respectively, since they are not conserved currents. Then, we investigate their two-point correlation functions including the contributions of the vacuum condensates up to dimension-10 and extract the masses and pole residues of the tetraquark states with [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] through the QCD sum rule approach. The predicted masses can be confronted with the experimental data in the future. Moreover, we briefly discuss the possible decay patterns of the tetraquark states.
MicroBlaze-Based Multiprocessor Embedded Cryptosystem on FPGA for Elliptic Curve Scalar Multiplication Over Fp
Authors: Bellemou A. , Benblidia N. , Anane M. , Issad M.
Published: May 2018

In this paper, we present Microblaze-based parallel architectures of Elliptic Curve Scalar Multiplication (ECSM) computation for embedded Elliptic Curve Cryptosystem (ECC) on Xilinx FPGA. The proposed implementations support arbitrary Elliptic Curve (EC) forms defined over large prime field ([Formula: see text]) with different security-level sizes. ECSM is performed using Montgomery Power Ladder (MPL) algorithm in Chudnovsky projective coordinates system. At the low abstraction level, Montgomery Modular Multiplication (MMM) is considered as the critical operation. It is implemented within a hardware Accelerator MMM (AccMMM) core based on the modified high radix, [Formula: see text] MMM algorithm. The efficiency of our parallel implementations is achieved by the combination of the mixed SW/HW approach with Multi Processor System on Programmable Chip (MPSoPC) design. The integration of multi MicroBlaze processor in single architecture allows not only the flexibility of the overall system but also the exploitation of the parallelism in ECSM computation with several degrees. The Virtex-5 parallel implementations of 256-bit and 521-bis ECSM computations run at 100[Formula: see text]MHZ frequency and consume between 2,739 and 6,533 slices, 22 and 72 RAMs and between 16 and 48 DSP48E cores. For the considered security-level sizes, the delays to perform single ECSM are between 115[Formula: see text]ms and 14.72[Formula: see text]ms.
Two-Dimensional Direction Finding Estimation for Uniform Rectangular Array with Unknown Mutual Coupling via Real-Valued PARAFAC Decomposition
Authors: Xu Lingyun , Wen Fangqing
Published: May 2018

Two-dimensional direction-of-arrival (2D-DOA) estimation for uniform rectangular array (URA) is a canonical problem with numerous applications, e.g., wireless communications, sonar and radar systems. The conventional 2D-DOA estimators usually are derived with the assumption of ideal arrays. However, in practice, the arrays may not be well calibrated and suffer from unknown mutual coupling. Using the conventional estimators may lead to low accuracy estimation and high computational complexity in the condition of large number of array elements. In this paper, a novel real-valued parallel factor (PARAFAC) decomposition algorithm is proposed to tackle this problem. The proposed algorithm has better angle estimation performance than the multiple signal classification (MUSIC) algorithm, estimation of signal parameters via rotational invariance techniques (ESPRIT) algorithm and conventional PARAFAC algorithm. But it has lower complexity than MUSIC algorithm. Moreover, the proposed algorithm can obtain automatically paired 2D-DOA estimation, and it is suitable to coherent or closely spaced signals and can eliminate the mutual coupling. Simulation results verify the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.
Monolayer Graphene Field Effect Transistor-Based Operational Amplifier
Authors: Safari Ali , Dousti Massoud , Tavakoli Mohammad Bagher
Published: May 2018

Graphene Field Effect Transistor (GFET) is a promising candidate for future high performance applications in the beyond CMOS roadmap for analog circuit applications. This paper presents a Verilog-A implementation of a monolayer graphene field-effect transistor (mGFET) model. The study of characteristic curves is carried out using advanced design system (ADS) tools. Validation of the model through comparison with measurements from the characteristic curves is carried out using Silvaco TCAD tools. Finally, the mGFET is used to design a GFET-based operational amplifier (Op-Amp). The GFET Op-Amp performances are tuned in term of the graphene channel length in order to obtain a reasonable gain and bandwidth. The main characteristics of the Op-Amp performance are compared with 0.18[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]m CMOS technology.
A 3–14 GHz, Self-Body Biased Common-Gate UWB LNA for Wireless Applications in 90 nm CMOS
Authors: Singh Vikram , Arya Sandeep Kumar , Kumar Manoj
Published: May 2018

Inspired from continuous growth in the field of low power and low noise wireless communication devices, a low noise amplifier (LNA) using self-body biased common-gate (CG) configuration is presented in this paper. The proposed LNA is designed for 3–14[Formula: see text]GHz ultra-wideband (UWB) frequency range using 90[Formula: see text]nm CMOS process. Common-gate configuration with self-body biasing has been used at the input stage to provide wideband input matching with low noise figure (NF) for the complete UWB frequency. An impedance matching network consisting of parallel to series RLC network has been used between common-gate and cascaded common source (CS) stages. Two stages of the CS configuration have been used for bandwidth enhancement and to increase the power gain (S[Formula: see text]) with acceptable NF. Buffer stage at the output has been used to achieve output reflection coefficient (S[Formula: see text]) less than [Formula: see text]10.8[Formula: see text]dB. The proposed LNA achieves an average S[Formula: see text] of 15.9[Formula: see text][Formula: see text][Formula: see text]0.7[Formula: see text]dB with a maximum of 16.7[Formula: see text]dB at 3.0[Formula: see text]GHz and NF of 1.68–2.7[Formula: see text]dB for 3.1–10.6[Formula: see text]GHz UWB frequency range. It provides input reflection coefficient (S[Formula: see text]) less than [Formula: see text]10.2[Formula: see text]dB, reverse isolation (S[Formula: see text]) less than [Formula: see text]75.8[Formula: see text]dB and a NF of 1.68–4.0[Formula: see text]dB throughout the proposed UWB frequency range. The proposed LNA provides input 1[Formula: see text]dB compression point (P1dB) of [Formula: see text]13[Formula: see text]dBm and input third-order intercept point (IIP3) of [Formula: see text]8[Formula: see text]dBm at 6[Formula: see text]GHz. It consumes 20.1[Formula: see text]mW of power from a 1.2[Formula: see text]V power supply.
Fast Transaction-Level Model for Direct Memory Access Controller
Authors: Safar Mona , El-Moursy Magdy A. , Tarek Ahmed , Emad Ahmed , Hesham Ahmed , Salem Ashraf , Mahroos Mohsen
Published: May 2018

Transaction-Level Modeling (TLM) has been widely used in system-level design in the past few years. Simulation speed of Virtual Platforms (VPs) depends mainly on the transactions which are initiated by the Programmer’s View (PV) models of the VP devices. PV models are required to run at highest simulation speed. Data bus width as a hardware (HW) parameter should not reduce simulation speed of the modeled transactions. Furthermore, HW-related parameters should only be accounted for when considering timing of the models. A fast SystemC-TLM model is developed for the widely used ARM PrimeCell PL080 DMAC IP. The performance of the proposed model is validated against a developed RTL model for the same device. The effect of the transactions granularity on simulation speed is determined. Different programmed transfers are simulated and compared with open-source Quick Emulator (QEMU)-based models. The developed model is compared with the developed RTL, the open-source QEMU model, and the existing ARM Fast Model (AFM). It is shown that simulation time of the developed model is reduced by two orders of magnitude as compared to the other existing models.
Automated Generation of Synchronous Formal Models from SystemC Descriptions
Authors: Kalla Hamoudi , Berner David , Talpin Jean-Pierre
Published: May 2018

SystemC is one of the most popular electronic system-level design language and it is embraced by a growing community that seeks to move to a higher level of abstraction. It lacks however a standard way of integrating formal methods and formal verification techniques into a SystemC design flow. In this paper, we show how SystemC descriptions are automatically transformed into the formal synchronous language Signal, while conserving the original structure and enabling the application of formal verification techniques. Signal provides a simple semantics of concurrency and time, and allows verification with an existing theorem prover and model checker. The approach that we propose consists of two steps: the extraction of the structure and the transformation of the behavior. In the first step, SystemC model is analyzed and the structural information is extracted. In the second step, for each SystemC module, the corresponding Signal behavior is generated and filled into the already prepared Signal structure.
Decompositions of congruence subgroups of Chevalley groups
Authors: Sinchuk Sergey , Smolensky Andrei
Published: May 2018

We formulate and prove relative versions of several decompositions known in the theory of Chevalley groups over commutative rings. These decompositions are used to obtain factorizations in terms of subsystem subgroups of type [Formula: see text] and upper estimates of the width of principal congruence subgroups with respect to Tits–Vaserstein generators.
Neutron skin thickness of finite nuclei with finite range effective interaction in droplet model
Authors: Pal M. , Chakraborty S. , Sahoo B. , Sahoo S.
Published: May 2018

We analyze the relation between the symmetry energy coefficient [Formula: see text] of finite nuclei with mass number [Formula: see text] in the semi-empirical mass formula. The nuclear matter symmetry energy [Formula: see text] at reference density [Formula: see text] in the subsaturation density region can be determined by the symmetry energy [Formula: see text] and its density slope [Formula: see text] at the saturation density [Formula: see text]. From this relation, the neutron skin thickness ‘[Formula: see text]’ in finite nuclei with droplet model are correlated to the various symmetry energy parameters. A prominent role of the bulk symmetry energy [Formula: see text] to the so-called surface stiffness coefficient [Formula: see text] is observed in deriving the size of the neutron skin. Two types of neutron skins are distinguished: the “surface” and the “bulk”. The linear dependence of the neutron skin thickness for different stable nuclei ([Formula: see text]) on the slope [Formula: see text] of the symmetry energy as well as on the relative neutron excess [Formula: see text] is observed. Though the value of the surface width is found to be limited within 0.1[Formula: see text]fm, its contribution should not be neglected to measure neutron skin thickness.
THE APPLICATION PROSPECT OF MICROCANTILEVER SENSORS TECHNOLOGY ON MINERAL SURFACE ADSORPTION
Authors: FANG FEI , MIN FANFEI , XUE CHANGGUO , DU JIA
Published: May 2018

The main purpose of this review is to present a new method to study the adsorption mechanism of reagents on mineral surfaces based on a microcantilever sensor system. The mechanisms of micro/nanoscale adsorption are of great significance in the interface sorting of minerals in the field of mineral processing. The sensing technique based on a microcantilever has become attractive with the advantages of label-free detection, high sensitivity, high-throughput, and fast response time. This review first discusses the structure, working principle, working modes, detection methods, and reported applications of microcantilever sensors. When combined with the working principle and applications, microcantilever sensors can monitor the adsorption process of reagents on mineral surfaces in real time. In the second part of this review, we will discuss the potential applications of microcantilever sensors in the interfacial adsorption of minerals.
Differentially Private Outlier Detection in a Collaborative Environment
Authors: Asif Hafiz , Talukdar Tanay , Vaidya Jaideep , Shafiq Basit , Adam Nabil
Published: May 2018

Outlier detection is one of the most important data analytics tasks and is used in numerous applications and domains. The goal of outlier detection is to find abnormal entities that are significantly different from the remaining data. Often, the underlying data is distributed across different organizations. If outlier detection is done locally, the results obtained are not as accurate as when outlier detection is done collaboratively over the combined data. However, the data cannot be easily integrated into a single database due to privacy and legal concerns. In this paper, we address precisely this problem. We first define privacy in the context of collaborative outlier detection. We then develop a novel method to find outliers from both horizontally partitioned and vertically partitioned categorical data in a privacy-preserving manner. Our method is based on a scalable outlier detection technique that uses attribute value frequencies. We provide an end-to-end privacy guarantee by using the differential privacy model and secure multiparty computation techniques. Experiments on real data show that our proposed technique is both effective and efficient.
A Contingent/Assimilation Framework for Public Interorganizational Systems Decisions: Should the City of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County Consolidate Information Technology Services?
Authors: Mu Enrique , Stern Howard
Published: May 2018

Many times, benefit-opportunity-cost-risk (BOCR) information system (IS)-related decisions are based mainly on short-term financial variables. We propose a broader decision-making framework, using contingency theory to identify environmental specific factors and assimilation theory to identify post-implementation factors to be considered in the decision. This approach is demonstrated within the context of a case study: the decision to merge the City of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County IS functions using an analytic network process (ANP)/BOCR analysis. ANP is a multi-criteria decision-making approach toward making decisions taking into account multiple criteria, alternatives and their interrelationships. The contingency/assimilation approach proposed here can be used in all sorts of IS decisions while the proposed IS merge decision model can be applied, with some contextual modifications, to similar public IS merge decisions. In addition, the ANP/BOCR approach is meticulously explained to serve as a useful reference for prospective users.
Euclidean Best–Worst Method and Its Application
Authors: Kocak Huseyin , Caglar Atalay , Oztas Gulin Zeynep
Published: May 2018

In this study, we propose Euclidean best–worst method (Euclidean BWM), which does not require any other extra calculations and analysis compared to nonlinear Chebyshev BWM. Using numerical examples, we illustrate and discuss the efficiency of the Euclidean BWM based on minimizing Euclidean norm instead of Chebyshev norm and using the consistency index matrix. Obtained results show that Euclidean BWM is an efficient tool resulting in reliable unique solutions, regardless of the number of the criteria, comparing with the linear and nonlinear model of the Chebyshev BWM. Moreover, we develop a MAPLE package “BWM” using only pairwise comparison vectors as the arguments to obtain the unique solution of a given problem by both the Euclidean BWM and linear model of Chebyshev BWM.
A Language for Financial Chart Patterns
Authors: Zhu Jiajun , Wan Yuqing , Si Yain-Whar
Published: May 2018

In stock markets around the world, financial analysts continuously monitor and screen chart patterns (technical patterns) to predict future price trends. Although a plethora of methods have been proposed for classification of these patterns, there is no uniform standard in defining their shapes. To facilitate the classification and discovery of chart patterns in financial time series, we propose a novel domain-specific language called “Financial Chart Pattern Language” (FCPL). The proposed language is formally described in Extended Backus–Naur Form (EBNF). FCPL allows incremental composition of complex shapes from simple basic units called primitive shapes. Hence, patterns defined in FCPL can be reused for composing new chart patterns. FCPL separates the specification of a chart pattern from the mechanism of its implementation. Due to its simplicity, FCPL can be used by stock market experts and end users to describe the patterns without programming expertise. To highlight its capabilities, several representative financial chart patterns are defined in FCPL for illustration. In the experiments, we classify several representative chart patterns from the datasets of HANG SENG INDEX (HSI), NYSE AMEX COMPOSITE INDEX (NYSE), and Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI).