bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Filter Characteristics in Image Decomposition with Singular Spectrum Analysis
Authors: Kume Kenji , Nose-Togawa Naoko
Published: July 2016

Singular spectrum analysis is developed as a nonparametric spectral decomposition of a time series. It can be easily extended to the decomposition of multidimensional lattice-like data through the filtering interpretation. In this viewpoint, the singular spectrum analysis can be understood as the adaptive and optimal generation of the filters and their two-step point-symmetric operation to the original data. In this paper, we point out that, when applied to the multidimensional data, the adaptively generated filters exhibit symmetry properties resulting from the bisymmetric nature of the lag-covariance matrices. The eigenvectors of the lag-covariance matrix are either symmetric or antisymmetric, and for the 2D image data, these lead to the differential-type filters with even- or odd-order derivatives. The dominant filter is a smoothing filter, reflecting the dominance of low-frequency components of the photo images. The others are the edge-enhancement or the noise filters corresponding to the band-pass or the high-pass filters. The implication of the decomposition to the image denoising is briefly discussed.
Nocturnal sleep uniformly reduces numbers of different T-cell subsets in the blood of healthy men
Authors: Besedovsky Luciana , Dimitrov Stoyan , Born Jan , Lange Tanja
Published: July 2016

In humans, numbers of circulating T cells show a circadian rhythm with peak counts during the night and a steep decline in the morning. Sleep per se appears to counter this rhythm by acutely reducing the total number of T cells. The T-cell population, however, is rather heterogeneous, comprising various subpopulations with different features and functions and also different circadian rhythms. Therefore, we examined here whether sleep likewise differentially affects these subsets. We measured eight different T-cell subsets (naïve, central memory, effector memory, and effector CD4+and CD8+T cells) over a 24-h period under conditions of sustained wakefulness compared with a regular sleep-wake cycle in 14 healthy young men. Sleep reduced the number of all T-cell subsets during nighttime with this effect reaching the P < 0.05 level of significance in all but one subpopulation, i.e., effector CD4+T cells, where it only approached significance. Furthermore, sleep was associated with an increase in growth hormone, prolactin, and aldosterone levels, whereas concentrations of catecholamines tended to be lower than during nocturnal wakefulness. The effect of sleep uniformly decreasing the different T-cell subsets is surprising considering their differential function and circadian rhythms, and even more so, since the sleep-induced decreases in these subsets are probably conveyed by different hormonal mediators. Although the reductions in cell numbers are rather small, they are comparable to changes seen, for example, after vaccination and are, therefore, likely to be of physiological relevance.
Loss of REDD1 augments the rate of the overload-induced increase in muscle mass
Authors: Gordon Bradley S. , Liu Chang , Steiner Jennifer L. , Nader Gustavo A. , Jefferson Leonard S. , Kimball Scot R.
Published: July 2016

The overload-induced increase in muscle mass is accompanied by protein accretion; however, the initiating events are poorly understood. Regulated in Development and DNA Damage 1 (REDD1), a repressor of the mechanistic target of rapamycin in complex 1 (mTORC1), blunts the elevation in protein synthesis induced by acute muscle contractions. Therefore, this study was designed to determine whether REDD1 alters the rate of the overload-induced increase in muscle mass. Wild-type (WT) and REDD1-null mice underwent unilateral functional overload (OV) of the plantaris, while the contralateral sham leg served as a control. After 3 and 5 days of OV, puromycin incorporation was used as a measurement of protein synthesis. The percent increase in plantaris wet weight and protein content was greater in REDD1-null mice after 3, 5, and 10 days OV. The overload-stimulated rate of protein synthesis in the plantaris was similar between genotypes after 3 days OV, but translational capacity was lower in REDD1-null mice, indicating elevated translational efficiency. This was likely due to elevated absolute mTORC1 signaling [phosphorylation of p70S6K1 (Thr-389) and 4E-BP1 (Ser-65)]. By 5 days of OV, the rate of protein synthesis in REDD1-null mice was lower than WT mice with no difference in absolute mTORC1 signaling. Additionally, markers of autophagy (LC3II/I ratio and p62 protein) were decreased to a greater absolute extent after 3 days OV in REDD1-null mice. These data suggest that loss of REDD1 augments the rate of the OV-induced increase in muscle mass by altering multiple protein balance pathways.
Expansion of capacities for iron transport and sequestration reflects plasma volumes and heart mass among white-blooded notothenioid fishes
Authors: Kuhn Donald E. , O'Brien Kristin M. , Crockett Elizabeth L.
Published: July 2016

The family Channichthyidae or “icefishes” (suborder Notothenioidei) represents the only vertebrates lacking hemoglobin (Hb) as adults. Several icefish species also do not express cardiac myoglobin (Mb). We address how levels of proteins involved in iron (Fe) processing (transport, sequestration, and export) vary among white- and red-blooded notothenioids, and whether absence of Hb and/or Mb in channichthyids is accompanied by expansion of contents of Fe-binding proteins to protect against unchaperoned Fe. Levels of transferrin (Tf), ferritin (Ft), ceruloplasmin (Cp), and non-heme Fe were quantified in plasma, serum, and/or nonhematopoietic tissues (cardiac ventricle, skeletal muscle, and liver) from species of white-blooded ( Chaenocephalus aceratus, Champsocephalus gunnari, Chionodraco rastrospinosus, Pseudochaenichthys georgianus) (the first two species not expressing Mb) and red-blooded ( Notothenia coriiceps, Gobionotothen gibberifrons) notothenioids. We also measured levels of ascorbate (Asc), a mediator of Fe uptake. While plasma concentrations of Tf and tissue levels of Asc are similar among species, concentrations of plasma Asc are lower in white-blooded species. Concentrations of Ft and non-heme Fe and activities of Cp are also generally reduced in icefishes compared with red-blooded notothenioids. The presence of cardiac Mb in some icefish species does not appear to influence levels of proteins involved in Fe processing. To address further the question of Fe sequestration within a physiological context, we account for well-characterized differences in blood volume and heart mass among white- and red-blooded notothenioids. We report that total contents of plasma Tf are greater, while ventricle non-heme Fe is at least at parity in white- vs. red-blooded species.
Contrast response functions in the visual wulst of the alert burrowing owl: a single-unit study
Authors: Vieira Pedro Gabrielle , de Sousa João Paulo Machado , Baron Jerome
Published: July 2016

The neuronal representation of luminance contrast has not been thoroughly studied in birds. Here we present a detailed quantitative analysis of the contrast response of 120 individual neurons recorded from the visual wulst of awake burrowing owls ( Athene cunicularia). Stimuli were sine-wave gratings presented within the cell classical receptive field and optimized in terms of eye preference, direction of drift, and spatiotemporal frequency. As contrast intensity was increased from zero to near 100%, most cells exhibited a monotonic response profile with a compressive, at times saturating, nonlinearity at higher contrasts. However, contrast response functions were found to have a highly variable shape across cells. With the view to capture a systematic trend in the data, we assessed the performance of four plausible models (linear, power, logarithmic, and hyperbolic ratio) using classical goodness-of-fit measures and more rigorous statistical tools for multimodel inferences based on the Akaike information criterion. From this analysis, we conclude that a high degree of model uncertainty is present in our data, meaning that no single descriptor is able on its own to capture the heterogeneous nature of single-unit contrast responses in the wulst. We further show that the generalizability of the hyperbolic ratio model established, for example, in the primary visual cortex of cats and monkeys is not tenable in the owl wulst mainly because most neurons in this area have a much wider dynamic range that starts at low contrast. The challenge for future research will be to understand the functional implications of these findings.
Responses of Spinothalamic Lamina I Neurons to Maintained Noxious Mechanical Stimulation in the Cat
Authors: Andrew D. , Craig A. D.
Published: July 2016

Noxious mechanical stimuli that are maintained for minutes produce a continuous sensation of pain in humans that augments during the stimulus. It has recently been shown with systematic force-controlled stimuli that, while all mechanically responsive nociceptors adapt to these stimuli, the basis for such pain can be ascribed to A-fiber rather than C-fiber nociceptors, based on distinctions in their respective response profiles and stimulus-response functions. The present experiments investigated whether similar distinctions could be made in subsets of nociceptive lamina I spinothalamic tract (STT) neurons using similar maintained stimuli. Twenty-eight lamina I STT neurons in the lumbosacral dorsal horn of barbiturate-anesthetized cats were tested with noxious mechanical stimuli applied with a probe of 0.1 mm2 contact area at forces of 25, 50, and 100 g for 2 min. The neurons were classified as nociceptive-specific (NS, n = 14) or polymodal nociceptive (HPC, n = 14) based on their responses to quantitative thermal stimuli. The NS neurons had greater responses and showed less adaptation than the HPC neurons in response to these stimuli, and they encoded stimulus intensity better. Comparison of the normalized response profiles of all 28 nociceptive lamina I STT neurons, independent of cell classification, revealed 2 subgroups that differed significantly: “Maintained” cells with responses that remained above 50% of the initial peak rate during stimulation and “Adapting” cells with responses that quickly declined to <50%. The Maintained neurons encoded the intensity of the mechanical stimuli better than the Adapting neurons, based on ratiometric functions. A k-means cluster analysis of all 28 cells distinguished the identical two subgroups. These categories corresponded closely to the NS and HPC categories: Maintained cells were mostly NS neurons (10 NS, 3 HPC), and Adapting cells were mostly HPC neurons (4 NS, 11 HPC). Thus the present data are consistent with the distinctions between A-fiber and C-fiber nociceptors observed previously, because A-fiber nociceptors are the predominant input to NS lamina I STT neurons and C-fiber nociceptors are the predominant input to HPC neurons. These findings support the view that NS, but perhaps not HPC, lamina I STT neurons have a role in the pain caused by maintained mechanical stimuli and contribute to the sensations of “first” pain and “sharpness.” Nonetheless, none of the units studied showed increasing responses during the stimuli, suggesting a role for other ascending neurons or forebrain integration in the augmenting pain produced by maintained mechanical stimulation.
Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Educated Macrophages Ameliorate LPS-Induced Systemic Response
Authors: Hu Yaoqin , Qin Chaojin , Zheng Guoping , Lai Dengming , Tao Huikang , Zhang Yan , Qiu Guanguan , Ge Menghua , Huang Lanfang , Chen Lina , Cheng Baoli , Shu Qiang , Xu Jianguo
Published: July 2016

Both bone marrow and adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ASCs) have immunomodulatory effects. The goal of this study was to determine whether ASCs-educated macrophages could directly ameliorate LPS-induced systemic response in a mouse model. Mouse peritoneal macrophages were cocultured with ASCs in a Transwell system for 2 days to educate macrophages. Mice were divided into 5 groups: control, LPS, LPS + ASCs, LPS + untreated macrophages, and LPS + educated macrophages. Educated macrophages decreased lung inflammation, weight loss, pulmonary edema, and inflammatory cytokine response. In vitro, ASCs increased expression of M2 macrophages independent of direct cell-to-cell contact when macrophages were treated with LPS or serum from patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). When macrophages were cultured with serum from ARDS patients who were treated with ASCs or placebo in our previous clinical trial, there was no difference in M2 macrophage levels before and after ASCs treatment indicating a suboptimal response to the treatment protocol. ASCs also reduced the levels of LPS-induced proinflammatory cytokines in vitro which were mimicked by IL-10 and blocked by antibodies for IL-10 and IL-10 receptor supporting the notion that educated macrophages exert their anti-inflammatory effects via IL-10-dependent mechanisms.
The Optimization Model for Electric System Emergency Facility Storage and Transportation Considering Information Credibility
Authors: Wang Guan , Li Huan-Huan , Ju Li-Wei , Tan Zhong-Fu , Deng Chuang , Liu Jun-Yong
Published: July 2016

When dealing with power system emergency caused by natural disaster, information survey is the important foundation of emergency power supply and repair. The information credibility would directly inflect the credibility and timeliness of electric system emergency work. Therefore, this paper starts the study from the point of information credibility and sets minimizing total cost and loss as the objective function, taking time constraint, transportation road constraint, information credibility constraint, and the parameters of different facilities into consideration and building a location and storage optimization model for electric system emergency facility. And a corresponding facility transportation model was built considering the power loss in demand points. The simulation result shows that the models proposed by this paper could satisfy the requirement of information credibility, improve the adaptability to demand change, and cut down total cost and loss.
NSC23766, a Known Inhibitor of Tiam1-Rac1 Signaling Module, Prevents the Onset of Type 1 Diabetes in the NOD Mouse Model
Authors: Veluthakal Rajakrishnan , Sidarala Vaibhav , Kowluru Anjaneyulu
Published: July 2016

Background/Aims: Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is characterized by absolute insulin deficiency due to destruction of pancreatic β-cells by cytokines (e.g., interleukin-1β; IL-1β) released by invading immune cells. The mechanisms by which these cytokines induce β-cell dysfunction remain poorly understood. Recent evidence suggests that excessive generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by the phagocyte-like NADPH oxidase2 (Nox2), along with significantly low levels of antioxidants in β-cells, drive them toward oxidative damage. Rac1, a small G-protein, is one of the members of Nox2 holoenzyme. We recently reported that NSC23766, a known inhibitor of Rac1, significantly attenuated cytokine-induced Nox2 activation and ROS generation in pancreatic islet β-cells in vitro. Herein, we determined the effects of NSC23766 (2.5 mg/kg/day, i.p/daily) on the development of diabetes in the NOD mouse, a model for T1D. Methods: Two groups of experimental animals (Balb/c and NOD mice) received NSC23766, while the two control groups received equal volume of saline. Body weights and blood glucose were measured every week for 34 weeks. Rac1 activation in pancreatic islets was measured by GLISA activation assay. Rac1 and CHOP expression was determined by Western Blotting. Results: Our findings indicate that administration of NSC23766 significantly prevented the development of spontaneous diabetes in the NOD mice. Furthermore, NSC23766 markedly suppressed Rac1 expression and activity and the endoplasmic reticulum stress (CHOP expression) in NOD islets. Conclusions: Our findings provide the first evidence implicating the role of Tiam1-Rac1-Nox2 signaling pathway in the onset of spontaneous diabetes in the NOD mouse model.
Immune pathogenesis of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia
Authors: Khandelwal Sanjay , Arepally Gowthami M.
Published: July 2016

The immune response to heparin is one of the most common drug-induced allergies, and yet, atypical for a drug hypersensitivity reaction. Whereas most drug-induced allergies are rare, idiosyncratic and lifelong, the allergic response to heparin is common, predictable in certain clinical settings and transient. Advances in the last decade with regards to structural characterisation of the PF4/heparin antigenic complex, contributions of innate immunity and development of animal models have provided insights into the distinctive features of the HIT immune response. Recent descriptions of the crystal structure of the PF4/heparin complex, alongside other biophysical studies, have clarified the structural requirements for immunogenicity and heparin-dependency of antibody formation. Studies of interactions of PF4 with bacterial cell walls as well as epidemiologic associations of anti-PF4/heparin antibody formation and infection suggest a role for immune priming and explain the rapid evolution of an isotype-switched immune response in sensitised patients. Murine models have greatly facilitated investigations of cellular basis of the HIT response and identified a major role for T-cells and marginal zone B-cells, but key findings have yet to be validated in human disease. This chapter will summarise recent investigations of the HIT immune response in the context of major pathways of immune activation and identify areas of uncertainty.
Current incidence of venous thromboembolism and comparison with 1998: a community-based study in Western France
Authors: Delluc Aurélien , Tromeur Cécile , Le Ven Florent , Gouillou Maelenn , Paleiron Nicolas , Bressollette Luc , Nonent Michel , Salaun Pierre-Yves , Lacut Karine , Leroyer Christophe , Le Gal Grégoire , Couturaud Francis , Mottier Dominique ,   for the EPIGETBO study group
Published: July 2016

In 1998 we estimated the incidence of venous thromboembolism (VTE) to be 1.8/1,000 per year. The aim of this study was to compare current VTE incidence to that observed in 1998. We prospectively recorded all cases of symptomatic pulmonary embolism (PE) and deep vein thrombosis (DVT) of the lower limbs diagnosed between March 1, 2013 and February 28, 2014 in hospitals and in the community, using the same method and geographic area than in 1998. The 2013 incidence rates of VTE were computed and compared with those of 1998 using age- and sex-specific standardised incidence ratios (SIRs). In 2013, we recorded 576 VTE cases (279 isolated DVT and 297 PE ± DVT). Among 367,911 inhabitants, the overall incidence of VTE was 1.57/1,000 (95 % CI 1.44–1.69). The overall VTE incidence was significantly lower in 2013 as compared with 1998: SIR 0.72 (95 % CI 0.67–0.79) as well as the incidence of isolated DVT: SIR 0.53 (95 % CI 0.47–0.60); conversely, the overall incidence of PE was unchanged: SIR 1.10 (95 % CI, 0.98–1.23) despite an increase in the incidence of isolated PE: SIR 1.29 (95 % CI, 1.10–1.52). In 1998, 4.4 % of PE cases were diagnosed using CTPA as compared with 73.7 % in 2013 (p < 0.001). In conclusion, between 1998 and 2013, the incidence of symptomatic DVT decreased. Conversely, we found no similar reduction in the incidence of symptomatic PE; whether this is due to changes in diagnostic tests and algorithms in the management of suspected PE requires further investigations.

Supplementary Material to this paper is available online at www.thrombosis-online.com.
Theatre and War
Authors: Dinesh Nandita
Published: July 2016

Nandita Dinesh places Kipling’s "six honest serving-men" (who, what, when, where, why, how) in productive conversation with her own experiences in conflict zones across the world to offer a theoretical and practical reflection on making theatre in times of war. This timely and important book weaves together Dinesh’s personal narrative with the public story of modern conflict, illustrating as it does, the importance of theatre as a force for ethical deliberation and social justice. In it Dinesh asks how theatre might intervene in times and places of conflict and how we might reflect on such interventions. In pursuit of answers, Theatre and War adopts the methods of auto-ethnography, positioning the theatrical practitioner at the heart of conflict zones in northern Uganda, Guatemala, Northern Ireland, Mexico, Rwanda, Kenya, Nagaland, and Kashmir. No longer a detached observer, the researcher and practitioner has to be able to meld theory with practice; to speak to ‘doing’, without undervaluing the importance of ‘thinking about doing’.

Each chapter approaches the need for a synthesis of theory and practice by way of a term of inquiry―Why, Where, Who, What, When―and each is equipped with a set of unflinchingly honest field notes that are designed to reveal some of the ‘hows’ from the author’s own repertoire: questions and issues that were encountered during her own theatrical undertakings, along with first hand reflection on the complexities, potential, and challenges that attended her global work in community theatre. Within these notes are strategies that give the reader a practical insight into how the discussion might find its footing on the ground of war.

The range and scope of this book make it required reading for those interested in theatre―practitioners, researchers, and students alike—as well as those seeking to understand the applications of the arts for ethics, politics, and education.
February Drying in Southeastern Brazil and the Australian Monsoon: Global Mechanism for a Regional Rainfall Feature
Authors: Kelly Patrick , Mapes Brian
Published: July 2016

A dry February rainfall signal in southeastern Brazil is shown to be a robust, repeatable feature of climatology. This February depression or minimum in climatological rain curves has an amplitude of about 30% of the seasonal mean and coincides with a poleward excursion of tropical barotropic easterlies to about 25°S in austral midsummer. Momentum budget decomposition indicates that stationary eddy momentum flux [u*υ*] near 150 hPa in Australian longitudes is a main sink in that latitude belt’s zonal momentum budget. A physical linkage among these phenomena is suggested by statistically significant interannual correlations among February anomalies of southeastern Brazil rainfall, zonal-mean zonal wind, and indices of the Australian monsoon. To test a causality hypothesis that the sharply peaked Australian region monsoon drives the sharp climatological dry signal over Brazil, an observation-inspired tropospheric heating signal near Australia is added to the temperature equation of the full-physics Community Atmosphere Model. Results indicate the near linearity of the global subtropical responses for the modest (roughly 1 and 2 K day−1) magnitudes and scales of imposed heating. Consistent with the hypothesis, this imposed heating robustly causes easterly changes to subtropical, barotropic, zonal-mean momentum, a westward displacement of the mean synoptic-scale pattern in the western Atlantic (the western edge of the subtropical high), and reduced rainfall in southeastern Brazil. These results are closely analogous to the previous findings on a related boreal summer subtropical signal.
Education and trust
Authors: Frederiksen Morten , Larsen Christian A , Lolle Henrik L
Published: July 2016

Contemporary research on trust has come to assume that education has a universal positive effect on trust. Using the survey item that has dominated the trust literature –‘whether one believes most people can be trusted or one can never be too careful’ – education is often found to be one of the strongest predictors of trust, more important than age, income, wealth, health or any another individual characteristic. Thus there are indeed reasons to believe that education sometimes increases the propensity to trust other people. However, this article argues that there are limits to the positive effect derived from education. Using the fifth wave of the World Values Survey, it is demonstrated that there is no positive effect from education on trust within the family, among friends or among persons living in one’s neighbourhood. In the latter case, a negative effect is found. It is also demonstrated that the positive effect on ‘generalized trust’ is largely a phenomenon found in low-corruption countries. The article demonstrates that in high-corruption countries, education decreases trust in other people – both generalized trust and trust in more proximate relationships.
Reforming the French health-care system: the quest for accountability
Authors: Simonet Daniel
Published: July 2016

The resurgence of New Right politics in the late 1970s and 1980s (e.g. ‘Reaganomics’ and ‘Thatcherism’), which were pro-market and pro-private sector ( Lorenz, 2012 ), has increased the reliance on the private sector for the provision of public services. In France, the support for the private sector is no longer a partisan or ideological issue, but rather a pragmatic and increasingly routine approach to the delivery of public services. Whether this will improve the efficiency of the health-care system is still open to question. The article: investigates the use of the New Public Management toolbox ( Goldfinch and Wallis, 2009 : 151) in the French health-care system; examines its selective adoption; and assesses its impact on the accountability and transparency of the medical profession. The French government eventually opted for a re-centralization of the health-care system for monitoring purposes. The reforms antagonized the medical profession and strengthened private care providers.

Point for practitioners

Despite reiterated calls for devolution, the implementation of New Public Management in the French health-care system led to a greater re-centralization and rising regulations for efficiency purposes. It also allowed the French administrative elite to regain its prerogatives and regional health agencies to reform more rapidly than a multitude of local public organizations. The quest for greater accountability remains an ongoing process.
Nano and macromechanical properties of aluminium (A356) based hybrid composites reinforced with multiwall carbon nanotubes/alumina fiber
Authors: Babu JSS , Srinivasan A , Kang CG
Published: July 2016

Nano-microhybrid reinforced metal matrix composites are the novel combination of composite system which enhanced the mechanical properties of the metal matrix composites. The aim of this study is to determine the nano- and macromechanical properties of aluminium (A356)-based hybrid composites reinforced with multiwall carbon nanotubes and alumina short fibers (Al2O3sf). Hybrid preforms were developed initially, by a combination of multiwall carbon nanotubes and Al2O3sf with total volume fractions of 10%, 15% and 20% and by varying the weight percentage of multiwall carbon nanotubes such as 1%, 2% and 3%. The fabricated hybrid preforms were then infiltrated with aluminium alloy (A356), and the microstructure and mechanical properties of the composites were evaluated. The distribution of multiwall carbon nanotubes within the array of the Al2O3sf network which exists in clusters was found to be relatively good. The mechanical properties such as the hardness and tensile strength of Al-based hybrid metal matrix composites were found to be improved by up to 2 wt% of multiwall carbon nanotubes. The causative reason for this is attributed to a combined effect of both multiwall carbon nanotubes and Al2O3sf, which contributed to better load sharing between the fibers and the Al matrix, and also accounted for the resistance of dislocation movements caused by the presence of the multiwall carbon nanotubes. In addition, the continuous stiffness measurement method was also used to evaluate the nanomechanical properties of the composites. The results showed that the influence of multiwall carbon nanotubes highlighted the properties on a nanoscale.
Ingestion of safety razor blade and delayed hanging in a complex suicide
Authors: Chauhan Mohit Singh , Behera C , Naagar Sunil , Sreenivas M
Published: July 2016

Ingestion of a foreign body is mostly accidental in children and intentional in prisoners to achieve hospitalization; however, use of this method of suicide is rare. We report a case where the victim first ingested a safety razor blade, but failed to die and then hanged himself, but failed again and finally succumbed to the complications on the sixth day. He had also attempted suicide by inflicting multiple incised wounds on his neck four days before the safety blade ingestion, but none were fatal.
Design and characterization of PDO biodegradable intravascular stents
Authors: Wang Cong-er , Zhang Pei-hua
Published: July 2016

Two novel biodegradable intravascular stents (BIS) with different structures are introduced. Braiding-structural BIS and Z-structural BIS were fabricated from polydioxanone (PDO) monofilament by a hand-braiding method with a perforated mold, imitating commercial stents that have been used clinically. The fabrication process of these two BIS is described and stent parameters, mechanical properties, and degradation properties are reported. The findings reveal that Z-structural BIS have higher porosity, smaller longitudinal shortening rate, and higher radial force and recovery rate compared with the braiding-structural stent. During the degradation process, braiding-structural BIS maintained their mechanical properties higher than international standards for 12 weeks, while Z-structural stents maintained them for 16 weeks.
A naive method of applying fuzzy logic to CMAC in electric load simulator
Authors: Zhang Meng , Yang Bo
Published: July 2016

The inherent non-linear factors and the interference of external surplus torque of the electric load simulator make it difficult for the conventional control methods to achieve satisfactory control effect. The cerebellar model articulation controller (CMAC) is widely used because of its simple structure and quick learning. However, conventional CMAC utilizes binary 0 and 1 logic, which will lead to the divergence during the torque tracking. Inspired by the cognitive characteristics of the human brain, the fuzzy logic is implemented to CMAC. In this paper, we design a naive method of applying fuzzy logic to CMAC (NFCMAC), which can take both advantages of the local neural network and the global neural network, and present a new interpretation of the entire network. With parallel control of a PD controller, the NFCMAC–PD control strategy has been successfully applied to the electric load simulator. Dynamic simulation and experimental results have indicated that the NFCMAC–PD control strategy can ensure the control precision, restrain interference and be free of divergence, while satisfy the control requirement of the passive loading system.
Outsourcing Strategy of E-waste Collection Activity for a Manufacturer
Authors: Kushwaha Siddhartha
Published: July 2016

A pair of mixed integer linear programming model is developed for manufacturers to formulate e-waste collection outsourcing strategy in India. The pair consists of single and multi-period decision models for manufacturer to choose from based on their requirement.
Critique of Accelerationism
Authors: Gardiner Michael E.
Published: July 2016

The global financial crisis beginning in 2008 has encouraged the revitalization of a wide spectrum of leftist theorizing, but arguably the most audacious is that of ‘accelerationism’. Left-accelerationism sees the intensification of certain tendencies in late capitalist society as a way to escape its gravitational orbit and ‘repurpose’ the very material infrastructure of capitalism itself, to universally emancipatory ends. The central task here is to engage accelerationism with a thinker of the post-Autonomist tradition, Franco ‘Bifo’ Berardi. Contrary to Williams and Srnicek, co-authors of the #Accelerate manifesto, Bifo asserts that acceleration per se only augments the power and dynamism of capital, and posits instead a ‘post-politics’ of ironic detachment, aesthetic cultivation, and ‘therapy’. Contrasting Bifo and accelerationism clarifies each of their assumptions and core arguments, and points the way to a more nuanced perspective on these issues, in a contemporaneous moment marked in equal measure by inestimable threat and liberatory promise.
What makes a landscape contemplative?
Authors: Olszewska Agnieszka A , Marques Paulo F , Ryan Robert L , Barbosa Fernando
Published: July 2016

For centuries, landscape architects, architects, and urban planners have been designing outdoor green spaces for one to contemplate. In today’s urban realm, we can understand a contemplative space more specifically as one joining esthetic and environmental values with mental health benefits for its visitors. So far, the concept of contemplativeness of a space has not been operationalized and a definitive list of design principles of such a space has not been developed. In response to this gap of knowledge, we have identified a set of features that may be used in order to design and create a space of contemplation within seven categories: Landscape Layers, Landform, Vegetation, Light and Color, Compatibility, Archetypal Elements, and a Character of Peace and Silence. The developed framework is based on development and analysis of a Contemplative Landscape Questionnaire. This instrument was developed based on literature review and Delphi expert evaluation of multiple landscapes. The statistical tests on the Contemplative Landscape Questionnaire revealed satisfactory reliability and validity measures, which provided evidence-based support for the efficacy of designed spaces. This approach could enhance the practice of landscape architects and urban designers by reinforcing intuition-based designs with scientific evidence. The developed framework can also serve to identify contemplative spaces for subsequent research purposes.
KIR channels tune electrical communication in cerebral arteries
Authors: Sancho Maria , Samson Nina C , Hald Bjorn O , Hashad Ahmed M , Marrelli Sean P , Brett Suzanne E , Welsh Donald G
Published: July 2016

The conducted vasomotor response reflects electrical communication in the arterial wall and the distance signals spread is regulated by three factors including resident ion channels. This study defined the role of inward-rectifying K+ channels (KIR) in governing electrical communication along hamster cerebral arteries. Focal KCl application induced a vasoconstriction that conducted robustly, indicative of electrical communication among cells. Inhibiting dominant K+ conductances had no attenuating effect, the exception being Ba2+ blockade of KIR. Electrophysiology and Q-PCR analysis of smooth muscle cells revealed a Ba2+-sensitive KIR current comprised of KIR2.1/2.2 subunits. This current was surprisingly small and when incorporated into a model, failed to account for the observed changes in conduction. We theorized a second population of KIR channels exist and consistent with this idea, a robust Ba2+-sensitive KIR2.1/2.2 current was observed in endothelial cells. When both KIR currents were incorporated into, and then inhibited in our model, conduction decay was substantive, aligning with experiments. Enhanced decay was ascribed to the rightward shift in membrane potential and the increased feedback arising from voltage-dependent-K+ channels. In summary, this study shows that two KIR populations work collaboratively to govern electrical communication and the spread of vasomotor responses along cerebral arteries.
Multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging including oxygenation mapping of experimental ischaemic stroke
Authors: Boisserand Ligia Simões Braga , Lemasson Benjamin , Hirschler Lydiane , Moisan Anaïck , Hubert Violaine , Barbier Emmanuel L , Rémy Chantal , Detante Olivier
Published: July 2016

Recent advances in MRI methodology, such as microvascular and brain oxygenation (StO2) imaging, may prove useful in obtaining information about the severity of the acute stroke. We assessed the potential of StO2 to detect the ischaemic core in the acute phase compared to apparent diffusion coefficient and to predict the final necrosis. Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 38) were imaged during acute stroke (D0) and 21 days after (D21). A multiparametric MRI protocol was performed at 4.7T to characterize brain damage within three region of interest: ‘LesionD0’ (diffusion), ‘Mismatch’ representing penumbra (perfusion/diffusion) and ‘Hypoxia’ (voxels < 40% of StO2 within the region of interest LesionD0). Voxel-based analysis of stroke revealed heterogeneity of the region of interest LesionD0, which included voxels with different degrees of oxygenation decrease. This finding was supported by a dramatic decrease of vascular and perfusion parameters within the region of interest hypoxia. This zone presented the lowest values of almost all parameters analysed, indicating a higher severity. Our study demonstrates the potential of StO2 magnetic resonance imaging to more accurately detect the ischaemic core without the inclusion of any reversible ischaemic damage. Our follow-up study indicates that apparent diffusion coefficient imaging overestimated the final necrosis while StO2 imaging did not.
Using Simulation to Model and Validate Invasive Breast Cancer Progression in Women in the Study and Control Groups of the Canadian National Breast Screening Studies I and II
Authors: Taghipour Sharareh , Caudrelier Laurent N. , Miller Anthony B. , Harvey Bart
Published: July 2016

Background. Modeling breast cancer progression and the effect of various risk is helpful in deciding when a woman should start and end screening, and how often the screening should be undertaken. Methods. We modeled the natural progression of breast cancer using a hidden Markov process, and incorporated the effects of covariates. Patients are women aged 50–59 (older) and 40–49 (younger) years from the Canadian National Breast Screening Studies. We included prevalent cancers, estimated the screening sensitivities and rates of over-diagnosis, and validated the models using simulation. Results. We found that older women have a higher rate of transition from a healthy to preclinical state and other causes of death but a lower rate of transition from preclinical to clinical state. Reciprocally, younger women have a lower rate of transition from a healthy to preclinical state and other causes of death but a higher rate of transition from a preclinical to clinical state. Different risk factors were significant for the age groups. The mean sojourn times for older and younger women were 2.53 and 2.96 years, respectively. In the study group, the sensitivities of the initial physical examination and mammography for older and younger women were 0.87 and 0.81, respectively, and the sensitivity of the subsequent screens were 0.78 and 0.53, respectively. In the control groups, the sensitivities of the initial physical examination for older and younger women were 0.769 and 0.671, respectively, and the sensitivity of the subsequent physical examinations for the control group aged 50–59 years was 0.37. The upper-bounds for over-diagnosis in older and younger women were 25% and 27%, respectively. Conclusions. The present work offers a basis for the better modeling of cancer incidence for a population with the inclusion of prevalent cancers.
Prediction of the resin fillet size in honeycomb sandwich composites with self-adhesive prepreg skin
Authors: Chen Chao , Li Yanxia , Gu Yizhuo , Li Min , Zhang Zuoguang
Published: July 2016

A facile and efficient method was developed to gain accurate prediction of the resin fillet size for self-adhesive prepreg skin to honeycomb core bonding in sandwich composites fabricated by co-curing process. The proposed method mainly contained numerical simulation of the fiber compaction and experimental measurement of the resin fillet. The influences of processing parameters, including pressure applying moment and processing pressure, on the resin fillet size were analyzed and discussed. Some other factors such as skin thickness and initial resin content of prepreg, which are difficult to be investigated using traditional test method, were also researched by means of this method. The obtained results were in good agreement with the experimental data, which indicated the accuracy of this method. These outcomes are greatly helpful to establish and optimize the processing parameters of co-cured honeycomb sandwich composite materials.
Biocompatibility study of quaternized chitosan on the proliferation and differentiation of Caco-2 cells as an in vitro model of the intestinal barrier
Authors: Wongwanakul Ratjika , Jianmongkol Suree , Gonil Pattarapond , Sajomsang Warayuth , Maniratanachote Rawiwan , Aueviriyavit Sasitorn
Published: July 2016

The development of different chitosan derivatives for medical applications has increased recently. Among these chitosan derivatives, quaternized chitosan was designed to improve the solubility of chitosan in biological fluids for oral drug delivery while retaining the cationic character for mucoadhesion. However, the biocompatibility of quaternized chitosan on the human intestine is unknown. In this study, we aimed to examine the potential biological effects of quaternized chitosan on the intestinal barrier, in terms of cell proliferation and cell differentiation, using the Caco-2 cell line as an in vitro model. The lower the degree of substitution of quaternized chitosan, the lower the cytotoxic and anti-proliferative effect on Caco-2 cells. In addition, the anti-proliferative effect of quaternized chitosan might induce a cell cycle disturbance and differentiation delay. Long-term continuous exposure (9 days) to quaternized chitosan caused a delay in differentiation of the Caco-2 cells even at non-cytotoxic quaternized chitosan doses (0.005% (w/v)), as shown by the low level of alkaline phosphatase in the quaternized chitosan–treated group compared to the control cells. In contrast, short-term discontinuous exposure to quaternized chitosan (0.005% (w/v) for 4 h/day over 9 days) that more realistically mimics the daily intestinal exposure did not inhibit the intestinal differentiation of Caco-2 cells. Thus, the use of a low degree of substitution and a low concentration of quaternized chitosan resulted in a good biocompatibility to the intestinal barrier supporting the potential usefulness of quaternized chitosan in the application of an oral drug delivery system.
A review of expanders for power generation in small-scale organic Rankine cycle systems: Performance and operational aspects
Authors: Zywica Grzegorz , Kaczmarczyk Tomasz Zygmunt , Ihnatowicz Eugeniusz
Published: July 2016

The article discusses various types of expanders used in the organic Rankine cycle systems to turn thermal energy into electrical energy. In addition to basic information on scroll, screw, vane, piston, and turbine expanders, the paper also describes the principles of their operation as well as major advantages and disadvantages. The following characteristics of expanders have been developed on the basis of the most recent scientific publications and own experimental research conducted at the IFFM PASci, in Gdansk. The analysis of various expansion devices available on the market, including those that are still in the development phase, revealed a wide variety of problems related to their operation. The design differences between them have a significant impact on their efficiency and reliability when operating with different working fluids. The article is an authoritative compendium of research-based information about designs and performance of various types of expansion devices. It may be useful for people who want to apply such devices in different types of cogeneration systems.
Dietary change in seabirds on Guangjin Island, South China Sea, over the past 1200 years inferred from stable isotope analysis
Authors: Wu Libin , Liu Xiaodong , Fu Pingqing , Xu Liqiang , Li Daning , Li Yeling
Published: July 2016

Quantifying variation in animals’ paleodiet from the fossil record is difficult as a continuous record of their remains is difficult to obtain. Here we assess dietary change in seabirds from Guangjin Island, Xisha Archipelago, South China Sea, by using stable nitrogen isotopes in seabird bones and prey remains collected from a coral sand ornithogenic sediment profile. δ15N of seabird bone collagen varied from 11.7‰ to 14.1‰ (averaging 12.8‰ ± 0.4‰), but that of fish bones and scales showed minor variations. Flying fish and squid are two favorite foods of tropical seabirds, and the average values of muscle δ15N in typical flying fish and squid samples were 9.2‰ and 10.2‰, respectively. Based on nitrogen isotope mass balance calculation, we conclude that flying fish accounts for 80% ± 40% of seabird diet averaged over the past 1200 years, but this prey accounted for only about 37% ± 30% during the ‘Little Ice Age’ (AD 1400–1850). Flying fish averaged up to 88% ± 2% during the ‘Medieval Warm Period’ (AD 850–1200), close to modern observed value of 89.6%. Thus, it appears that seabirds on Guangjin Island mainly preyed on flying fish during warm periods, and shift to squid during cooler periods. Our results suggest that recent global warming and human activities have likely caused a rapid decrease in tropical seabird population and dietary shift.
Personal Values and Intergroup Empathy
Authors: Zibenberg Alexander , Kupermintz Haggai
Published: July 2016

Empirical evidence shows that personal values have an influence on empathy in intrapersonal relationships. We examine the relationship between the values of self-enhancement and self-transcendence among members of the majority group (Israeli Jews) and empathy towards in-group and out-group members (Israeli Arabs). Two hundred and ninety-seven Israeli Jewish students took part in the study. While the results show that self-transcendence values have a consistent effect on empathy whether it is towards in-group or out-group members, the hypotheses regarding the impact of self-enhancement values on empathy towards out-group members were partly supported. We discuss the universality of self-transcendence values in their influence on empathy in different contexts and emphasize the complex relationships among in-group members.
A model of multi-agent consensus for vague and uncertain beliefs
Authors: Crosscombe Michael , Lawry Jonathan
Published: July 2016

Consensus formation is investigated for multi-agent systems in which agents’ beliefs are both vague and uncertain. Vagueness is represented by a third truth state meaning borderline. This is combined with a probabilistic model of uncertainty. A belief combination operator is then proposed, which exploits borderline truth values to enable agents with conflicting beliefs to reach a compromise. A number of simulation experiments are carried out, in which agents apply this operator in pairwise interactions, under the bounded confidence restriction that the two agents’ beliefs must be sufficiently consistent with each other before agreement can be reached. As well as studying the consensus operator in isolation, we also investigate scenarios in which agents are influenced either directly or indirectly by the state of the world. For the former, we conduct simulations that combine consensus formation with belief updating based on evidence. For the latter, we investigate the effect of assuming that the closer an agent’s beliefs are to the truth the more visible they are in the consensus building process. In all cases, applying the consensus operators results in the population converging to a single shared belief that is both crisp and certain. Furthermore, simulations that combine consensus formation with evidential updating converge more quickly to a shared opinion, which is closer to the actual state of the world than those in which beliefs are only changed as a result of directly receiving new evidence. Finally, if agent interactions are guided by belief quality measured as similarity to the true state of the world, then applying the consensus operator alone results in the population converging to a high-quality shared belief.