bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Tracking Algorithm of Multiple Pedestrians Based on Particle Filters in Video Sequences
Authors: Li Hui , Liu Yun , Wang Chuanxu , Zhang Shujun , Cui Xuehong
Published: October 2016

Pedestrian tracking is a critical problem in the field of computer vision. Particle filters have been proven to be very useful in pedestrian tracking for nonlinear and non-Gaussian estimation problems. However, pedestrian tracking in complex environment is still facing many problems due to changes of pedestrian postures and scale, moving background, mutual occlusion, and presence of pedestrian. To surmount these difficulties, this paper presents tracking algorithm of multiple pedestrians based on particle filters in video sequences. The algorithm acquires confidence value of the object and the background through extracting a priori knowledge thus to achieve multipedestrian detection; it adopts color and texture features into particle filter to get better observation results and then automatically adjusts weight value of each feature according to current tracking environment. During the process of tracking, the algorithm processes severe occlusion condition to prevent drift and loss phenomena caused by object occlusion and associates detection results with particle state to propose discriminated method for object disappearance and emergence thus to achieve robust tracking of multiple pedestrians. Experimental verification and analysis in video sequences demonstrate that proposed algorithm improves the tracking performance and has better tracking results.
Ethylene Glycol Poisoning: An Unusual Cause of Altered Mental Status and the Lessons Learned from Management of the Disease in the Acute Setting
Authors: Singh R. , Arain E. , Buth A. , Kado J. , Soubani A. , Imran N.
Published: October 2016

Ethylene glycol is found in many household products and is a common toxic ingestion. Acute ingestions present with altered sensorium and an osmolal gap. The true toxicity of ethylene glycol is mediated by its metabolites, which are responsible for the increased anion gap metabolic acidosis, renal tubular damage, and crystalluria seen later in ingestions. Early intervention is key; however, diagnosis is often delayed, especially in elderly patients presenting with altered mental status. There are several laboratory tests which can be exploited for the diagnosis, quantification of ingestion, and monitoring of treatment, including the lactate and osmolal gaps. As methods of direct measurement of ethylene glycol are often not readily available, it is important to have a high degree of suspicion based on these indirect laboratory findings. Mainstay of treatment is bicarbonate, fomepizole or ethanol, and, often, hemodialysis. A validated equation can be used to estimate necessary duration of hemodialysis, and even if direct measurements of ethylene glycol are not available, monitoring for the closure of the anion, lactate, and osmolal gaps can guide treatment. We present the case of an elderly male with altered mental status, acute kidney injury, elevated anion gap metabolic acidosis, and profound lactate and osmolal gaps.
Generalized Extreme Value Distribution Models for the Assessment of Seasonal Wind Energy Potential of Debuncha, Cameroon
Authors: Ayuketang Arreyndip Nkongho , Joseph Ebobenow
Published: October 2016

The method of generalized extreme value family of distributions (Weibull, Gumbel, and Frechet) is employed for the first time to assess the wind energy potential of Debuncha, South-West Cameroon, and to study the variation of energy over the seasons on this site. The 29-year (1983–2013) average daily wind speed data over Debuncha due to missing values in the years 1992 and 1994 is gotten from NASA satellite data through the RETScreen software tool provided by CANMET Canada. The data is partitioned into min-monthly, mean-monthly, and max-monthly data and fitted using maximum likelihood method to the two-parameter Weibull, Gumbel, and Frechet distributions for the purpose of determining the best fit to be used for assessing the wind energy potential on this site. The respective shape and scale parameters are estimated. By making use of the P values of the Kolmogorov-Smirnov statistic (K-S) and the standard error (s.e) analysis, the results show that the Frechet distribution best fits the min-monthly, mean-monthly, and max-monthly data compared to the Weibull and Gumbel distributions. Wind speed distributions and wind power densities of both the wet and dry seasons are compared. The results show that the wind power density of the wet season was higher than in the dry season. The wind speeds at this site seem quite low; maximum wind speeds are listed as between 3.1 and 4.2 m/s, which is below the cut-in wind speed of many modern turbines (6–10 m/s). However, we recommend the installation of low cut-in wind turbines like the Savonius or Aircon (10 KW) for stand-alone low energy need.
Semicircular Canal Size and Locomotion in Colobine Monkeys: A Cautionary Tale
Authors: Rae Todd C. , Johnson Paul Martin , Yano Wataru , Hirasaki Eishi
Published: October 2016

The semicircular canals of the inner ear constitute the organ of balance, tracking head rotation during movement and facilitating stabilisation of vision. Morphological characteristics of the canals are correlated with agility scores related to locomotion. To date, however, the relationship between canal morphology and specific locomotor behaviours, such as leaping, is unclear. Knowledge of such a relationship could strengthen the inferences of locomotion of extinct taxa. To test this, crania of two sets of closely related primate species (Presbytis melalophos and P. potenziani; Colobus guereza and C. polykomos) that differ in the percentage of leaping in their locomotor repertoire were examined using microscopic computed tomography. Three-dimensional virtual models of the bony labyrinth were derived, and the radius of curvature of each of the three canals was evaluated relative to cranial size. The findings are contradictory; one leaping form (P. melalophos) differs from its congener in possessing significantly larger lateral canals, a pattern seen in previous studies of primates, while the other leaper (C. guereza) has significantly smaller posterior canals than its close relative. These results undermine efforts to determine specific locomotor behaviours from the bony labyrinth of extinct primates.
Specific Antibodies for the Detection of Alternaria Allergens and the Identification of Cross-Reactive Antigens in Other Fungi
Authors: Twaroch Teresa E. , Curin Mirela , Sterflinger Katja , Focke-Tejkl Margit , Swoboda Ines , Valenta Rudolf
Published: October 2016

Background: The mould Alternaria alternata is an important source of respiratory allergens. A. alternata extracts show great variations regarding allergenic potency. The aim of this study was to generate antibody probes specific for important Alternaria allergens and to use them to study allergen expression, depending on different culture conditions, as well as to search for cross-reactive allergens in other mould species. Methods: Synthetic peptides from antigenic regions of A. alternata allergens (Alt a 1, Alt a 2, Alt a 3, Alt a 6 and Alt a 8) were used to raise highly specific rabbit antibodies. These antibodies and IgE from allergic patients were used to detect allergens by immunoblotting in extracts of 4 A. alternata strains grown under varying culturing conditions, in commercial skin-prick extracts and in closely (Cladosporium herbarum and Aureobasidium pullulans) or distantly related (Aspergillus niger and Penicillium chrysogenum) mould species. Results: There was a wide variation of expression of the individual A. Alternata allergens, depending on the strain and culture conditions, but the antibody probes allowed us to distinguish strains and culture conditions with low and high allergen expression. In the commercial skin-prick solutions, varying levels of Alt a 1 were found, but no other allergens were detectable. Alt a 1 was identified as species-specific A. Alternata allergen, whereas Alt a 3, 6- and Alt a 8-cross-reactive antigens were found in C.herbarum and/or A. pullulans. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance: Peptide-specific antibodies are useful to analyze diagnostic and therapeutic mould extracts, to study the presence of A. Alternata allergens in biological samples and to search for cross-reactive allergens in other mould species.
The Effects of Carvedilol on Cardiac Function and the AKT/XIAP Signaling Pathway in Diabetic Cardiomyopathy Rats
Authors: Zheng Wencheng , Shang Xiaoming , Zhang Chunlai , Gao Xiang , Robinson Barry , Liu Jing
Published: October 2016

Objectives: Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) is characterized by cardiac dysfunction, myocardial inflammation, interstitial fibrosis and cardiomyocytes apoptosis. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of carvedilol on cardiac function and the AKT/XIAP signaling pathway in DCM rats. Methods: Male Wistar rats were randomly divided into 3 groups: the control group, diabetic mellitus (DM) group and DM with carvedilol treatment group. DM rats were induced by streptozotocin accompanied by high energy intake. Carvedilol was orally administered at a dose of 10 mg/kg/day. After 16 weeks, the interrelated blood data were detected by biochemical analysis. Cardiac function was evaluated by echocardiography and the serum NT-proBNP level. The changes of myocardium ultrastructural and fibrosis were determined by electron microscopy and Masson's staining. Apoptotic cells were examined by TUNEL staining and interrelated proteins were measured by immunohistochemical and Western blots. Results: Rats in the DM group showed significant serum elevation of glucose, cholesterol, triglyceride, NT-proBNP, IL-1β and TNF-α, along with decreased cardiac function. Moreover, in the DM group, the levels of myocardial apoptosis and fibrosis were all increased accompanied by upregulation of caspase-3 and downregulation of phos-AKT and phos-XIAP, whereas carvedilol treatment prevented or reversed all the changes without influencing plasma levels of glucose, cholesterol and triglyceride. Conclusions: The AKT/XIAP signaling pathway may be involved in DCM. Carvedilol can improve cardiac function, possibly not only by upregulating the AKT/XIAP antiapoptotic signaling pathway and subsequently attenuating myocardial fibrosis, but also through suppressing the myocardial inflammation response.
Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy Is Effective in the Treatment of Bone Marrow Edema of the Medial Compartment of the Knee: A Comparative Study
Authors: Sansone Valerio , Romeo Pietro , Lavanga Vito
Published: October 2016

Objective: To test the hypothesis that shock wave therapy can produce a statistically significant improvement in symptoms and imaging features of the knee bone marrow edema syndrome (BMES) within 6 months of treatment. Subjects and Methods: Eighty-six consecutive patients suffering from BMES of the medial compartment of the knee were prescribed a course of high-energy extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) and clinically followed up at 3 and 6 months and finally from 14 to approximately 18 months after treatment. Thirty-one patients were unable to undergo ESWT but returned for the 6-month and final follow-up; these were referred to as the conservative (control) group, while the other 55 patients constituted the ESWT group. The Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC) and Visual Analog Scale (VAS) score of each patient were calculated at every follow-up. The BME area was assessed using magnetic resonance imaging before treatment and at the 6-month follow-up. Results: Statistically significant improvements were observed in clinical scores and in the BME area for both the ESWT and the control group (p < 0.05). The improvements in the ESWT group were statistically better in all parameters compared with the control group: the ESWT group had a reduction in the BME area of 86% versus 41% in the control group, the VAS pain score improved by 88% in the ESWT group versus 42% in the control group, and the WOMAC score improved by 65% in the ESWT group versus 22% in the control group. Clinical scores were significantly better for patients with medial tibial lesions in the ESWT group. Conclusion: In this study, ESWT reduced pain and the BME area in the knee, with significant clinical improvement noticed 3 months after treatment.
Characterization of Capacitive Comb-finger MEMS Accelerometers
Authors: Joshi Aaditi , Redkar Sangram , Sugar Thomas
Published: October 2016

This paper discusses various methods for testing the performance of MEMS capacitive comb-finger accelerometers manufactured by Sandia National Laboratories. The use of Capacitive MEMS devices requires complex circuits for measurement of capacitance. Sandia MEMS accelerometer’s capacitance changes in a very small femto-farad (fF) range. The performance of accelerometer is tested using Analog Devices AD7747 sigma-delta capacitance to digital converter. The response of a MEMS capacitive accelerometer to various tests is useful for testing and characterization and investigate it’s suitability for various applications
Location-Based Services and Privacy Protection under Mobile Cloud Computing
Authors: Yan Yan , Xiaohong Hao , Wanjun Wang
Published: October 2016

Location-based services can provide personalized services based on location information of moving objects and have already been widely used in public safety services, transportation, entertainment and many other areas. With the rapid development of mobile communication technology and popularization of intelligent terminals, there will be great commercial prospects to provide location-based services under mobile cloud computing environment. However, the high adhesion degree of mobile terminals to users not only brings facility but also results in the risk of privacy leak. The paper introduced the necessities and advantages to provide location-based services under mobile cloud computing environment, stressed the importance to protect location privacy in LBS services, pointed out new security risks brought by mobile cloud computing, and proposed a new framework and implementation method of LBS service. The cloud-based LBS system proposed in this paper is able to achieve privacy protection from the confidentiality of outsourced data and integrity of service results, and can be used as a reference while developing LBS system under mobile cloud computing environment.
New Model Reference Adaptive System Speed Observer for Field-Oriented Control Induction Motor Drives Using Neural Networks
Authors: Khoei Hossein Rahimi , Zolfaghari Mahdi
Published: October 2016

One of the primary advantages of field-oriented controlled induction motor for high performance application is the capability for easy field weakening and the full utilization of voltage and current rating of the inverter to obtain a wide dynamic speed rangeThis paper describes a Model Reference Adaptive System (MRAS) based scheme using Artificial Neural Network (ANN) for online speed estimation of sensorless vector controlled induction motor drive. The proposed MRAS speed observer uses the current model as an adaptive model. The neural network has been then designed and trained online by employing a back propagation network (BPN) algorithm. The estimator was designed and simulated in Matlab/Simulink. Simulation result shows a good performance of speed estimator. The simulation results show good performance in various operating conditions. Also Performance analysis of speed estimator with the change in resistances of stator is presented. Simulation results show this estimator robust to parameter variations especially resistances of stator.
Design of Filter Using MOS Current Mode Logic
Authors: Joice J Princy , Anitha M , Sheeba I Rexlin
Published: October 2016

MCML (MOS Current Mode Logic) is a method used for the purpose of reducing the delay and power of the circuit. In high speed application this method is used to reduce the power. In this method the sleep transistor is inserted in series with the supply voltage (or) current source to reduce the power. Different power gating techniques are been used to reduce the static power and to improve the speed and efficiency of the circuit. In this paper, the filter can be designed by using MCML logic. The fourth order band pass filter by using MCML logic is introduced. In order to reduce the power and delay this method is proposed.
Organic Thin Film Transistor with Carbon Nanotube Electrodes
Authors: Safari Kianoosh , Rafiee Ali , Oskouei Hamidreza Dalili
Published: October 2016

The contact resistance between organic semiconductors and metallic electrodesaffectsthe performance of the organic thin film transistor (OTFT) negatively so that it may make thefield effect mobility of charge carrier seem small. In order to reduce the contact resistance weused conducting Carbon Nanotube (CNT) films, which consist of the same element as the basicmaterial of the organic semiconductors, as source or drain electrodes. The measurements oftransistor properties based on pentacene single crystals have been carried out by using both CNTfilm electrodes and metal electrodes
A Survey of Fault-Injection Methodologies for Soft Error Rate Modeling in Systems-on-Chips
Authors: Jeong Yeong Seob , Lee Seong Mo , Lee Seung Eun
Published: October 2016

The development of process technology has increased system performance, but the system failure probability has also significantly increased. It is important to consider the system reliability in addition to the cost, performance, and power consumption. In this paper, we describe the types of faults that occur in a system and where these faults originate. Then, fault-injection techniques, which are used to characterize the fault rate of a system-on-chip (SoC), are investigated to provide a guideline to SoC designers for the realization of resilient SoCs.
Electromagnetic Modeling of Active Circuit using Wave Concept Iterative Process
Authors: Houda Amri , Mourad Zaabat
Published: October 2016

The wave concept iterative process is a procedure used for analyses planar circuits, this method consists in generating a recursive relationship between a wave source and reflected waves from the discontinuity plane which is divided into cells. A high computational speed has been achieved by using Fast Modal Transform (FMT). In this paper we study a patch antenna and MESFET transistor, to determine the electromagnetic characteristics of these structures.
Unrestricted Charging Controllar Design Magnitude
Authors: Sachan Amit , Ranjan Ashish
Published: October 2016

This paper presents to be routine in DC/DC phase of Bi-directional battery charger. The neutral is to analyst the filter latitude that will additional shrink the system cost and capacity. Key area is to moderate current ripple of the charging current which produce will approximately ripple unrestricted charging for batteries. Ripple unrestricted charging will shrink the further warmth triggered by the current ripple and surge the battery life. The filter-centered controller is project to transaction with the latent variability problem carried by a high order filter. The filter-centered technique has the compensations of effortlessly operation and no essential of additional current or voltage sensors. This dc/dc phase communicate converter to ease the charging purpose. Together low pass filter centered controller and nick filter based controller are evaluated and nick filter based controller has improved routine.
Zinc Oxide Thin Film Transistors: Advances, Challenges and Future Trends
Authors: Kandpal Kavindra , Gupta Navneet
Published: October 2016

This paper presents a review on recent developments and future trends in zinc oxide thin film transistors (ZnO TFTs) together with challenges involved in this technology. It highlights ZnO TFT as next generation choice over other available thin film transistor technology namely a – Si: H (amorphous hydrogenated silicon), poly-Si (polycrystalline silicon) and OTFT (organic thin film transistor). This paper also provides a comparative analysis of various TFTs on the basis of performance parameters.  Effect of high –k dielectrics, grain boundaries, trap densities, and threshold voltage shift on the performance of ZnO TFT is also explained.
Beaconless Packet Forwarding Approach for Vehicular Urban Environment
Authors: Qureshi Kashif Naseer , Abdullah Abdullah Hanan , Ullah Fasee
Published: October 2016

Existing wireless technologies provide communication and information services to all fields of life. The one of the emerging and popular field is vehicular ad hoc networks, with its unique characteristics and highly mobile environment. Different types of routing protocols have been proposed to address the routing issues in network and one of the most efficient types is geographical routing. In this type of protocols, the beacon messages are using to update the node locations and positions. However, these protoocls have been suffered with high channel congestion issue in the network. To this end, we propose a beaconless packet forwarding strategy based on modified handshake messages mechanism. The protocol uses some realistic metrics to select the next forwarder node such as forward progresss and link quality. The protocol performance is evaluated with existing beacon and beaconless geographical routing protocols. The simulation results showed the better performance of the proposed protocol in terms of packet delay and data delivery ratio in realistic wireless channel conditions.
Experimental Results of a Wind Energy Conversion System with STATCOM Using Fuzzy Logic Controller
Authors: Gawish S. A. , Sharaf S. M. , El-Harony MS
Published: October 2016

This paper describes a complete implementation of the experimental voltage regulation of a wind energy conversion system using STATCOM. Firstly conventional control technique is used which is proportional plus integral controller. The control technique is performed using a PC computer through a suitable interfacing and opt-isolating facilities. Secondly fuzzy logic controller is facilitated in this scheme to improve the performance of the experimental setup. Several efforts are done to choose the suitable gains of the fuzzy controller to achieve superior performance of the wind system. Experimental results of the system show the effectiveness of the proposed technique in regulating the output voltage. Thanks to the operation of the STATCOM in controlling the reactive power of the system to fix the output voltage at the desired value regardless of the wind speed.
New Electromagnetic Force-Displacement Sensor
Authors: Benabdellah Amine , Abbassi Zakarya , Nakheli Abdelrhani
Published: October 2016

A new electromagnetic force-displacement sensor is presented. Its operating principle is based on the fundamental laws of electromagnetism (Faraday-Lenz law) and the mechanical properties of a spring. The active elements are two coils made by a wire of 60 µm in diameter. Using different wire diameters or different number of wire turns in the coil modify the intensity of the magnetic field and the sensor response. The average accuracy of the sensor is about ∆d=1µm, and as a force sensor is about ∆F=1µN. This sensor could be successfully used for the manufacture of several measuring instruments.
Security Technology by using Firewall for Smart Grid
Authors: Khosroshahi Ayla Hasanalizadeh , Shahinzadeh Hossein
Published: October 2016

Due to the increasing development of computer systems and information networks, power grids should change extensively too. Nowadays, substantial movement has begun to implement the Smart Grid industry around the world. Since with the creation of smart electricity grids, it is possible to access the internal network from the external spaces, it is also necessary to protect information and data against unauthorized access. Therefore, a firewall should be used for information security. The firewall based on existing security regulations, decides which data is incoming to the network or going out of the network. Considering the discussions of passive defense topics at the national level and also the high importance of information security in Smart Grids, in this paper, in addition to examining the Firewalls, its advantages and disadvantages are also stated. Although the firewall has a major role in establishing security, and its installation and appropriate configuration can only be one of the primary activities in this field, we should also take advantage of other security mechanisms to enhance the security of the Smart Grid.
Transcriptome Pathway Analysis of Pathological and Physiological Aldosterone-Producing Human Tissues
Authors: Zhou Junhua , Lam Brian , Neogi Sudeshna G. , Yeo Giles S.H. , Azizan Elena A.B. , Brown Morris J.
Published: October 2016

Primary aldosteronism is present in ≈10% of hypertensives. We previously performed a microarray assay on aldosterone-producing adenomas and their paired zona glomerulosa and fasciculata. Confirmation of top genes validated the study design and functional experiments of zona glomerulosa selective genes established the role of the encoded proteins in aldosterone regulation. In this study, we further analyzed our microarray data using AmiGO 2 for gene ontology enrichment and Ingenuity Pathway Analysis to identify potential biological processes and canonical pathways involved in pathological and physiological aldosterone regulation. Genes differentially regulated in aldosterone-producing adenoma and zona glomerulosa were associated with steroid metabolic processes gene ontology terms. Terms related to the Wnt signaling pathway were enriched in zona glomerulosa only. Ingenuity Pathway Analysis showed "NRF2-mediated oxidative stress response pathway" and "LPS (lipopolysaccharide)/IL-1 (interleukin-1)–mediated inhibition of RXR (retinoid X receptor) function" were affected in both aldosterone-producing adenoma and zona glomerulosa with associated genes having up to 21- and 8-fold differences, respectively. Comparing
KCNJ5
-mutant aldosterone-producing adenoma, zona glomerulosa, and zona fasciculata samples with wild-type samples, 138, 56, and 59 genes were differentially expressed, respectively (fold-change >2;
P
<0.05).
ACSS3
, encoding the enzyme that synthesizes acetyl-CoA, was the top gene upregulated in
KCNJ5
-mutant aldosterone-producing adenoma compared with wild-type.
NEFM
, a gene highly upregulated in zona glomerulosa, was upregulated in
KCNJ5
wild-type aldosterone-producing adenomas.
NR4A2
, the transcription factor for aldosterone synthase, was highly expressed in zona fasciculata adjacent to a
KCNJ5
-mutant aldosterone-producing adenoma. Further interrogation of these genes and pathways could potentially provide further insights into the pathology of primary aldosteronism.
Prolonged Baroreflex Activation Abolishes Salt-Induced Hypertension After Reductions in Kidney Mass
Authors: Hildebrandt Drew A. , Irwin Eric D. , Lohmeier Thomas E.
Published: October 2016

Chronic electric activation of the carotid baroreflex produces sustained reductions in sympathetic activity and arterial pressure and is currently being evaluated for therapy in patients with resistant hypertension. However, patients with significant impairment of renal function have been largely excluded from clinical trials. Thus, there is little information on blood pressure and renal responses to baroreflex activation in subjects with advanced chronic kidney disease, which is common in resistant hypertension. Changes in arterial pressure and glomerular filtration rate were determined in 5 dogs after combined unilateral nephrectomy and surgical excision of the poles of the remaining kidney to produce ≈70% reduction in renal mass. After control measurements, sodium intake was increased from ≈45 to 450 mol/d. While maintained on high salt, animals experienced increases in mean arterial pressure from 102±4 to 121±6 mm Hg and glomerular filtration rate from 40±2 to 45±2 mL/min. During 7 days of baroreflex activation, the hypertension induced by high salt was abolished (103±6 mm Hg) along with striking suppression of plasma norepinephrine concentration from 139±21 to 81±9 pg/mL, but despite pronounced blood pressure lowering, there were no significant changes in glomerular filtration rate (43±2 mL/min). All variables returned to prestimulation values during a recovery period. These findings indicate that after appreciable nephron loss, chronic suppression of central sympathetic outflow by baroreflex activation abolishes hypertension induced by high salt intake. The sustained antihypertensive effects of baroreflex activation occur without significantly compromising glomerular filtration rate in remnant nephrons.
Medial Prefrontal–Medial Temporal Theta Phase Coupling in Dynamic Spatial Imagery
Authors: Kaplan Raphael , Bush Daniel , Bisby James A. , Horner Aidan J. , Meyer Sofie S. , Burgess Neil
Published: October 2016

Hippocampal–medial prefrontal interactions are thought to play a crucial role in mental simulation. Notably, the frontal midline/medial pFC (mPFC) theta rhythm in humans has been linked to introspective thought and working memory. In parallel, theta rhythms have been proposed to coordinate processing in the medial temporal cortex, retrosplenial cortex (RSc), and parietal cortex during the movement of viewpoint in imagery, extending their association with physical movement in rodent models. Here, we used noninvasive whole-head MEG to investigate theta oscillatory power and phase-locking during the 18-sec postencoding delay period of a spatial working memory task, in which participants imagined previously learned object sequences either on a blank background (object maintenance), from a first-person viewpoint in a scene (static imagery), or moving along a path past the objects (dynamic imagery). We found increases in 4- to 7-Hz theta power in mPFC when comparing the delay period with a preencoding baseline. We then examined whether the mPFC theta rhythm was phase-coupled with ongoing theta oscillations elsewhere in the brain. The same mPFC region showed significantly higher theta phase coupling with the posterior medial temporal lobe/RSc for dynamic imagery versus either object maintenance or static imagery. mPFC theta phase coupling was not observed with any other brain region. These results implicate oscillatory coupling between mPFC and medial temporal lobe/RSc theta rhythms in the dynamic mental exploration of imagined scenes.
Early Cross-modal Plasticity in Adults
Authors: Lo Verde Luca , Morrone Maria Concetta , Lunghi Claudia
Published: October 2016

It is known that, after a prolonged period of visual deprivation, the adult visual cortex can be recruited for nonvisual processing, reflecting cross-modal plasticity. Here, we investigated whether cross-modal plasticity can occur at short timescales in the typical adult brain by comparing the interaction between vision and touch during binocular rivalry before and after a brief period of monocular deprivation, which strongly alters ocular balance favoring the deprived eye. While viewing dichoptically two gratings of orthogonal orientation, participants were asked to actively explore a haptic grating congruent in orientation to one of the two rivalrous stimuli. We repeated this procedure before and after 150 min of monocular deprivation. We first confirmed that haptic stimulation interacted with vision during rivalry promoting dominance of the congruent visuo-haptic stimulus and that monocular deprivation increased the deprived eye and decreased the nondeprived eye dominance. Interestingly, after deprivation, we found that the effect of touch did not change for the nondeprived eye, whereas it disappeared for the deprived eye, which was potentiated after deprivation. The absence of visuo-haptic interaction for the deprived eye lasted for over 1 hr and was not attributable to a masking induced by the stronger response of the deprived eye as confirmed by a control experiment. Taken together, our results demonstrate that the adult human visual cortex retains a high degree of cross-modal plasticity, which can occur even at very short timescales.
Decoding Dynamic Brain Patterns from Evoked Responses: A Tutorial on Multivariate Pattern Analysis Applied to Time Series Neuroimaging Data
Authors: Grootswagers Tijl , Wardle Susan G. , Carlson Thomas A.
Published: October 2016

Multivariate pattern analysis (MVPA) or brain decoding methods have become standard practice in analyzing fMRI data. Although decoding methods have been extensively applied in brain–computer interfaces, these methods have only recently been applied to time series neuroimaging data such as MEG and EEG to address experimental questions in cognitive neuroscience. In a tutorial style review, we describe a broad set of options to inform future time series decoding studies from a cognitive neuroscience perspective. Using example MEG data, we illustrate the effects that different options in the decoding analysis pipeline can have on experimental results where the aim is to “decode” different perceptual stimuli or cognitive states over time from dynamic brain activation patterns. We show that decisions made at both preprocessing (e.g., dimensionality reduction, subsampling, trial averaging) and decoding (e.g., classifier selection, cross-validation design) stages of the analysis can significantly affect the results. In addition to standard decoding, we describe extensions to MVPA for time-varying neuroimaging data including representational similarity analysis, temporal generalization, and the interpretation of classifier weight maps. Finally, we outline important caveats in the design and interpretation of time series decoding experiments.
New Caledonian crows show behavioural flexibility when manufacturing their tools
Authors: Knaebe Brenna , Taylor Alex H. , Elliffe Douglas M. , Gray Russell D.
Published: October 2016

New Caledonian crows have demonstrated flexible behaviour when using tools and solving novel problems. However, we do not know whether this flexibility extends to tool manufacture. Here, we show that these crows respond to different tool-using problems by altering the length of the tools that they manufacture; on average, crows made shorter tools for tasks requiring short tools and longer tools for tasks requiring long tools. They continued to do so when they could not simultaneously see the tool-manufacturing material and the apparatus requiring the use of a tool. Despite altering the length of their tools, the crows frequently did not make tools short or long enough to reliably extract the bait, though this may have been due to shortcomings in the task presented to them. Our results demonstrate that these crows have a degree of behavioural flexibility when making tools, which may be used in the wild during foraging.
Multiple Realities: The Changing Life Worlds of Actors
Authors: Doyle Charlotte L.
Published: October 2016

This is an empirical phenomenological interview study into the experiences of professional actors as they create and perform roles for the stage. Prior research was inadequate for capturing actors’ changing life worlds over time. Analyzing the interviews using the descriptive phenomenological method yielded general structural descriptions and pointed to the relevance of Schütz’s description of multiple realities. Being cast in a role changes the pace and goals of actors’ everyday worlds and leads the actors intermittently and with intention to enter other realities—fictional, theoretical, and/or pictorial. A province unique to acting is the drama world in which the actors live incarnate as their characters. The drama world is infused pre-reflectively with discoveries from other provinces of meaning, unfolds spontaneously, and, in performance, has the audience as horizon. The drama world and the experiences that give rise to it provide new material for comparative phenomenological analysis of various forms of imagining.
The Interactive Now: A Second-Person Approach to Time-Consciousness
Authors: Langfur Stephen
Published: October 2016

Husserl offers insight into the constituting of the self-aware ego through time-consciousness. Yet his account does not satisfactorily explain how this ego can experience itself as presently acting. Furthermore, although he acknowledges that the Now is not a knife-edge present, he does not show what determines its duration. These shortfalls and others are overcome through a change of starting point. Citing empirical evidence, I take it as a basic given that when a caregiver frontally engages an infant of two months or so, the infant is aware of a person attending. The attending, I propose, is experienced by the infant as having an implicit target, a focal center. In the infant’s awareness, the carer’s focal center is the self. When a You is perceived as attending, a self is apperceived. I argue that such dependence on a You’s attending continues lifelong in derivative forms. I explore the idea that original time is a partial oscillation of awareness between the perceived You and the apperceived self. I then show how, from this oscillation, the ordinary experience of time is derived.
Revision of the coral-inhabiting genus Conopea (Cirripedia: Archaeobalanidae) with description of two new species of the genera Conopea and Acasta
Authors: KOLBASOV GREGORY A. , CHAN BENNY K.K. , MOLODTSOVA TINA N. , ACHITUV YAIR
Published: October 2016

The morphology of archaeobalanid barnacles of the genera Conopea and Acasta inhabiting cnidarians of the orders Alcyonacea and Antipatharia was surveyed. Based on morphological characteristics, it became evident that the species of the nominal genus Conopea fell into three natural groups affiliated to three archaeobalanid genera, Conopea s.s., Acasta and Solidobalanus. The relationships between the species of Conopea s.l. and those of Acasta inhabiting alcyanaceans are analyzed using a cladistic approach. The barnacles of the genus Conopea s.s. are characterized by a strong, firm shell; the orifice is not dentate; rostral and sometimes carinal plates are often elongated in their basal parts; the rostro-carinal axis of the basis is often elongated and clasps the axis of the host coral; the radii have summits parallel to the basal margin of the parietes, and denticulated sutural margins; the scutum has simple growth ridges without longitudinal striation or ribs; the basitergal angle is truncated (sinusoid); and the basidorsal point of the penis is developed. The genus Conopea s.s. encompasses 20 epizoic species from tropical and temperate seas, inhabiting alcyonaceans (sea fans or gorgonians) and antipatharians. A new species of Conopea and a new species of Acasta are described, and a key to the species of Conopea s.s. is provided.
Sponge epizoism in the Caribbean and the discovery of new Plakortis and
Haliclona species, and polymorphism of Xestospongia deweerdtae (Porifera)
Authors: VICENTE JAN , ZEA SVEN , HILL RUSSELL T.
Published: October 2016

The new discovery by Vicente et al. (2014) of specialized epizoic symbioses between sponges of the genera Plakortis and Xestospongia revealed the obligate interaction of two new Plakortis spp. associating with Xestospongia deweerdtae and a new Xestospongia sp. In this study we formally describe the two new Plakortis spp. as Plakortis deweerdtaephila sp. nov. (previously reported as Plakortis sp. 1), Plakortis symbiotica sp. nov. (previously reported as Plakortis sp. 2) and describe the new Xestospongia sp. epibiont as Haliclona (Halichoclona) plakophila sp. nov.  Plakortis deweerdtaephila associates only with X. deweerdtae, and has very small to large straight diods (24.2–233.7 μm long) and triods (26.4–102.6 μm long) that form large ectosomal circular meshes (114–329 μm diameter). P. symbiotica associates with both X. deweerdtae and H. plakophila, has larger curved diods (71.9–141.8 μm long) and triods (20.4–70.6 μm long) that form smaller ectosomal circular meshes (43–121 μm diameter) than P. deweerdtaephila. Phylogenetic analysis of cox1 and cob gene fragments revealed a strongly supported clade that grouped both Plakortis spp. nov. distantly from any other known Plakortis spp. H. plakophila is described as a thin encrusting veneer of tissue with occasional papillae, so far only found associated with P. symbiotica in La Parguera, Puerto Rico. Phylogenetic analysis of 18S rRNA and cox1 gene fragments place it distantly from any known clade of Haplosclerida. We found a new associated morphotype of X. deweerdtae from Bocas del Toro Panama, which completely overgrew P. deweerdtaephila. In addition, free-living morphotypes from Panama produce larger S-shaped and round bracket shaped strongyles never before observed for this species, leading us to redescribe X. deweerdtae. All X. deweerdtae morphotypes shared >99% sequence homology of cox1, 18S rRNA and 28S rRNA genes with the holotype of X. deweerdtae. This study highlights the highly variable morphological characters of X. deweerdtae influenced by lifestyle and environmental factors. This is also the first time that an obligate symbiosis with a heterospecific sponge is used as a key taxonomic character.
Hungarosoma bokori Verhoeff, 1928 (Diplopoda: Chordeumatida): new insights into its taxonomy, systematics, molecular genetics, biogeography and ecology
Authors: MOCK ANDREJ , TAJOVSKÝ KAREL , ŽUROVCOVÁ MARTINA , JAROŠOVÁ ANDREA , KOCOUREK PAVEL , GRUBER JÜRGEN , ANGYAL DOROTTYA , SPELDA JÖRG
Published: October 2016

Hungarosoma bokori Verhoeff, 1928 is a millipede species which was originally classified solely on the basis of a female specimen. Subsequently, a long history of field searching for and surmising about the systematic position of this small, enigmatic species followed. In April 2013, 85 years after its first description, a series of nine specimens were sampled in the type locality, the Abaliget Cave, in southern Hungary. An adult male was collected for the first time, along with females and juveniles. Descriptions of the gonopods and the female vulvae, both important for considerations of the systematic position of the species, are presented for the first time. Revision and re-designation of the type material was made.The cryptic life of the species is connected with its activity in winter, and its known fragmented distribution corresponds with its presence in undisturbed microhabitats having a specific microclimate, often in the soil at cave entrances.Molecular methods showed a positive detection of the intracellular prokaryotic parasite Wolbachia in H. bokori, reflecting its highly probable parthenogenetic character in the main part of its known area of occurrence. This is the first demonstration of Wolbachia in a millipede.The legitimacy of the family Hungarosomatidae Ceuca, 1974, as a separate taxon was analysed using morphological and molecular approaches. Results of both methods confirmed the existence of a distinct phyletic line. DNA barcoding has shown its closest position to Attemsiidae Verhoeff, 1899, or Neoatractosomatidae Verhoeff, 1901. Based on records from Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia, the residual circum-pannonic distribution that the whole genus (family) probably represents is proposed.
Metrocoris Mayr (Insecta: Hemiptera: Gerridae) of India with descriptions of five new species
Authors: BASU SRIMOYEE , POLHEMUS D. A. , SUBRAMANIAN K. A. , SAHA G. K. , VENKATESAN T.
Published: October 2016

The Metrocoris fauna of India is reviewed and five new species are described from India: M. murtiensis Basu, Polhemus and Subramanian sp. nov. belonging to the nigrofasciatus species group, M. dinendrai Basu, Polhemus and Subramanian sp. nov. and M. darjeelingensis Basu, Polhemus and Subramanian sp. nov. of the compar species group, M. deceptor Basu, Polhemus and Subramanian sp. nov. (previously treated as M. quynhi Tran & Zettel in Basu et al., 2015) of the anderseni species group, and M. lavitra Basu, Polhemus, Subramanian and Saha sp. nov., which does not fit well into any currently established species group. The new species proposed are compared to all other known species, and a key to all the species of Indian Metrocoris is provided, accompanied by a table for comparison of key morphological characters, and a map and table of distributional details.
Re-visiting the Aphidius urticae s. str. group: re-description of Aphidius rubi Starý and A. silvaticus Starý (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Aphidiinae)
Authors: JAMHOUR AIMAN , MITROVIĆ MILANA , PETROVIĆ ANDJELJKO , STARÝ PETR , TOMANOVIĆ ŽELJKO
Published: October 2016

Here we tested Aphidius urticae s. str. host-associated lineages from Microlophium carnosum (Buckton), Amphorophora rubi (Kaltenbach), Macrosiphum funestum (Macchiati) and Aulacorthum vaccinii Hille Ris Lambers with the barcoding region of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I gene used to analyse population differences and elucidate phylogenetic relationships between the separated taxa. This molecular marker has been shown to be the most informative molecular marker in resolving species complexes in aphidiine parasitoids. Analyses of the mitochondrial sequences revealed the existence of three clearly separated mitochondrial lineages of A. urticae s. str. group associated with: i) Macrosiphum funestum and Aulacorthum vaccinii aphid hosts, ii) Microlophium carnosum and iii) Amphorophora rubi. This corresponds to the initial descriptions of A. rubi, A. silvaticus and A. urticae and their aphid host associations prior to synonymization of A. rubi and A. silvaticus with A. urticae. On the other hand, significant evolutionary distances ranging from 2.3 to 9.2% between the three mitochondrial lineages were not accompanied by clear morphological differences. Therefore, re-descriptions of A. rubi and A. silvaticus are presented, together with their morphological differentiation in a key, as well as their phylogenetic relationships and genetical differentiation.
Leptophlebiidae (Ephemeroptera) from Roraima State, Brazil: description of two new species of Ulmeritoides Domínguez, 1991
Authors: NETO JAIME DE LIEGE GAMA , BASTOS MAHEDY ARAUJO PASSOS
Published: October 2016

Two new species of Ulmeritoides Traver, 1959 from Northern Brazil are described based on male imagos. Ulmeritoides aurantifrons sp. nov. differs from all other species of the genus by the following combination of characters: mesonotum with a yellow spot in the apical and medial portions of the mesoscutal suture and a yellowish spot between the apex of the medioscutum and the posterior scutal protuberances, scutellum dark brown with base and apex yellow; forewing hyaline with two cross veins basal to bulla; penis lobes with a ventral groove, apically rounded. Ulmeritoides mirr sp. nov. differs from all other species of the genus by the following combination of characters: mesonotum with mesoscutal suture yellow; apex of the posterior scutal protuberance with a yellow transversal line; forewing hyaline, costal and subcostal areas tinged with light brown; penis lobes with a ventral groove, apically rounded.