bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Complete Genome Sequence of the Silicimonas algicola Type Strain, a Representative of the Marine
Roseobacter
Group Isolated from the Cell Surface of the Marine Diatom Thalassiosira delicatula
Authors: Crenn Klervi , Bunk Boyke , Spröer Cathrin , Overmann Jörg , Jeanthon Christian
Published: February 2019

Silicimonas algicola
strain KC90B
T
is an alphaproteobacterium of the
Roseobacter
clade that was isolated from a culture of the marine diatom
Thalassiosira delicatula
. Here, we report the complete genome sequence of this type strain, which is 4,351,658 bp in size with 4,272 coding sequences and an average G+C content of 65.2%.
Isolation of a Novel Beta-2 Human Papillomavirus from Skin
Authors: Brancaccio Rosario N. , Robitaille Alexis , Dutta Sankhadeep , Rollison Dana E. , Tommasino Massimo , Gheit Tarik
Published: February 2019

We report the complete genome characterization of a novel human papillomavirus (HPV) (ICB2) isolated from a skin swab. The L1 region of HPV ICB2 shares 87.9% nucleotide similarity with its closest relative, HPV37, and thus constitutes a novel human betapapillomavirus.
Case of autoimmune polyglandular syndrome type 2: how we uncovered the diagnosis
Authors: Arya P V Akhila , Kumar Jayesh , Unnikrishnan Dileep , Raj Rishi
Published: February 2019

A 24-year-old man with no significant medical history presented to the medical clinic with vomiting and giddiness for 2 days, loss of appetite for 1 month and progressive fatigability for the preceding 4 months. On examination, he was found to be hypotensive and was admitted to the hospital for work-up. Considering his abnormal labs and physical findings, he was worked up and was diagnosed with primary adrenal insufficiency. On further work-up for the aetiology of his Addison’s disease, he was found to have concurrent autoimmune thyroiditis and vitiligo. A final diagnosis of autoimmune polyglandular syndrome type 2 was made. The patient was started on hormone replacement therapy and reported improvement of symptoms on 3-month follow-up visit.
Rare mimic of recurrent anaphylaxis
Authors: Yuson Carlo , Kette Frank , Hissaria Pravin , Smith William
Published: February 2019

The distinction between true anaphylaxis and conditions that mimic it can be challenging. We present the unique case of a 23-year-old woman treated for recurrent episodes of anaphylaxis over the course of 11 years and the subsequent discovery of an unlikely condition. We also discuss our approach in managing cases where an anaphylactic mimic is suspected.
Obstacles for Iranian rural population to participate in health education programmes: a qualitative study
Authors: Hamidzadeh Yousef , Hashemiparast Mina , Hassankhani Hadi , Allahverdipour Hamid
Published: February 2019

Objective

To explore the obstacles of community participation in rural health education programmes from the viewpoints of Iranian rural inhabitants.

Design

This was a qualitative study with conventional content analysis approach which was carried out March to October 2016.

Setting

Data collected using semistructured interviews that were digitally recorded, transcribed and analysed until data saturation. MAXQDA 10 software was used to manage the textual data.

Participant

Participants were twenty-two seven clients from a rural community in Ardabil, Iran who were receiving health services from health centres.

Result

The main obstacles to participate in health education programmes in rural settings were ‘Lack of trust to the rural health workers’, ‘Adherence to neighbourhood social networks in seeking health information’ and ‘Lack of understanding on the importance of health education’.

Conclusion

Rural health education programmes in Iran are encountered with a variety of obstacles. We need to enhancing mutual trust between the rural health workers and villagers, and developing community-based education programmes to promote health information seeking behaviours among villagers. The finding of this study will be a referential evidence for the qualitative improvement of local health education programmes for rural inhabitants.
Parkinson’s disease GWAS-linked Park16 carriers show greater motor progression
Authors: Deng Xiao , Xiao Bin , Allen John Carson , Ng Ebonne , Foo Jia Nee , Lo Yew-Long , Tan Louis C S , Tan Eng-King
Published: February 2019

Background

Data on the long-term motor outcomes of genome-wide association study (GWAS)-linked Parkinson disease (PD) carriers are useful for clinical management.

Objectives

To characterise the association between GWAS-linked PARK16 gene variant and disease progression in PD over a 9-year time frame.

Methods

Over a 9-year period, carriers of PARK16 rs11240572 variant and non-carriers were followed up and evaluated using the modified Hoehn and Yahr (H&Y) staging scale and Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) part III. A longitudinal, linear mixed model was performed to compare the changes of H&Y staging scale, UPDRS motor score and UPDRS subscores between the two groups.

Results

A total of 156 patients (41 PARK16 carriers and 115 non-carriers) were evaluated and followed up for up to 9 years. Using longitudinal linear mixed model analysis, there was a greater rate of deterioration in the motor function as measured by the UPDRS scores compared with non-carriers after 5 years from the date of diagnosis (p=0.009). In addition, we demonstrated that PARK16 variant carriers had worse gait scores (p=0.043) and greater motor progression than non-carriers after 6 years based on the modified H&Y staging scale (p=0.040).

Conclusions

In a 9-year longitudinal study, we demonstrated that PD PARK16 variant carriers exhibited greater motor progression after 5 years of disease compared with non-carriers, suggesting that GWAS-linked gene variants may influence disease progression over time. Closer monitoring and management of these higher risk patients can facilitate a better quality of life.
Hemodynamic differences between Pipeline and coil-adjunctive intracranial stents
Authors: Jankowitz Brian Thomas , Gross Bradley A , Seshadhri Santhosh , Girdhar Gaurav , Jadhav Ashutosh , Jovin Tudor G , Wainwright John Michael
Published: February 2019

Introduction

Modern coil-adjunctive intracranial stent designs have increased metal surface coverage to construct putative ‘flow diverter lights.’ This is rooted in the assumption that flow diversion is linearly correlated with metal surface coverage rather than being a threshold to be reached by device porosity and design.

Objective

To evaluate this assumption, by performing computational flow analysis on three aneurysm models treated with low metal surface coverage stents (ATLAS and Enterprise), a Pipeline flow diverter, and the LVIS Blue stent.

Methods

Computational flow analysis was performed on virtual deployment models entailing deployment of an ATLAS, Enterprise, LVIS Blue, or Pipeline. The impact of device deployment on velocity vectors at the neck, maximum wall shear stress, inflow rate into the aneurysm, and turnover time was determined.

Results

Velocity vector plots demonstrated low magnitude, localized inflow jets for Pipeline only; asymmetric, selectively high inflow jets were seen for LVIS Blue, and broader velocity vector clusters were seen for Atlas and Enterprise. Reduction in wall shear stress as compared with baseline was significant for all devices and greatest for the Pipeline. Mean peak wall shear stress was significantly lower for LVIS Blue in comparison with ATLAS or Enterprise but significantly lower for Pipeline than for LVIS Blue. Reduction of inflow rate into the aneurysm was significant for LVIS Blue and Pipeline but significantly lower for Pipeline than for LVIS Blue. Turnover time was statistically similar for ATLAS, Enterprise, and LVIS Blue, but significantly increased for Pipeline.

Conclusion

Considerable differences in peak wall shear stress, inflow rates, and turnover time between flow diverters, moderate- and low-porosity stents reinforce the assumption that effective flow diversion represents a threshold in device design, encompassing metal surface coverage only in part.
Associations of depression and anxiety symptoms with sexual behaviour in women and heterosexual men attending sexual health clinics: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Coyle Rachel Margaret , Lampe Fiona C , Miltz Ada Rose , Sewell Janey , Anderson Jane , Apea Vanessa , Collins Simon , Dhairyawan Rageshri , Johnson Anne M , Lascar Monica , Mann Sue , O'Connell Rebecca , Sherr Lorraine , Speakman Andrew , Tang Alan , Phillips Andrew N , Rodger Alison
Published: February 2019

Objective

To assess the association of symptoms of depression and anxiety with sexual risk behaviour and history, among women and heterosexual men attending genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinics.

Methods

Attitudes to and Understanding of Risk of Acquisition of HIV (AURAH) was a cross-sectional, self-administered questionnaire study recruited from 20 GUM clinics in England, 2013–2014. This analysis included women and heterosexual men. The prevalence of depression and anxiety symptoms was assessed. Modified Poisson regression was used to produce adjusted prevalence ratios (aPR) for the association of t demographic, socioeconomic and lifestyle factors with depression and anxiety, adjusted for gender, age, ethnicity, education level and study region. Among individuals reporting sex in the past 3 months, associations of depression and anxiety with sexual risk behaviour and history were assessed separately by gender, adjusted for age, ethnicity, study region, education and relationship status.

Results

Questionnaires were completed by 676 women and 470 heterosexual men. Depression symptoms were reported by 100 (14.8%) women and 33 men (7.0%). Anxiety symptoms were reported by 79 women (11.7%) and 21 men (4.5%). Among women reporting recent sex, those with depression symptoms were more likely to report condomless sex with a non-regular partner, aPR 1.38 (1.07–1.77) and recent condomless sex with two or more partners, 1.80 (1.25–2.59). Women with anxiety symptoms more likely to report recent condomless sex with two or more partners, 1.68 (1.13–2.50), low self-efficacy for condom use, 1.54 (1.02–2.31) and STI diagnosis in the last year 1.51 (1.04–2.20). Among heterosexual men reporting recent sex, depression and anxiety symptoms were associated with low self-efficacy with condom use, 2.32 (1.29–4.19) for depression and 2.23 (1.26–3.94) for anxiety, but not with measures of condomless sex.

Discussion

The associations between psychological symptoms and sexual risk behaviours highlight the importance of holistic assessment of need by both general and sexual health clinicians. We highlight the challenge in delivering holistic care associated with fragmentation of sexual health services.
Continental collisions and the origin of subcrustal continental earthquakes
Authors: McKenzie Dan , Jackson James , Priestley Keith
Published: February 2019

The existence of subcrustal continental earthquakes beneath the Alpine–Himalayan Belt was recognised more than 60 years ago. There is general agreement that most of those beneath the western part of the belt in the Mediterranean result from the subduction of oceanic lithosphere. There is less agreement about the origin of those beneath Vrancea in Romania, the Hindu Kush, and the Pamir. Because there is little evidence for the former existence of oceanic lithosphere beneath these regions, many authors have argued that these seismic zones result from the separation of the mantle part of the continental lithosphere from the crust before it sinks into the mantle. However, this model has become steadily less satisfactory. Detailed studies of the depth of earthquakes beneath all stable regions of continents have shown that substantial subcrustal earthquakes, with magnitudes greater than 5.5, are rare. We show that this distribution is controlled by temperature, with material hotter than ∼600 °C being aseismic. This simple rule accounts for the distribution of almost all earthquakes in oceanic and continental lithosphere, including those in subduction zones. We argue that the subcrustal continental earthquakes must also result from the subduction of oceanic lithosphere. This proposal is not new but has generally been dismissed because of the lack of surface geological evidence that suitable pieces of oceanic lithosphere existed. However, the depth distribution of continental earthquakes makes it steadily harder to avoid.
Freezing the driven pulsed information of a single qubit
Authors: Metwally N. , Al-Shawaikh F. , Hassan S.S.
Published: February 2019

We use a rectangular pulse to freeze the possibility of estimating the coherent parameters (θ, [Formula: see text]) of a single qubit, the local information, and the fidelity of the driven qubit. The possibility of freezing these three quantities depends on the initial state settings and the strength of the pulse. It is shown that the freezing areas increase as the detuning increases, while they decrease at smaller values of the pulse strength. Moreover, as the Fisher information reaches its minimum bounds, the local information and the fidelity are maximized. We show that, when the Fisher information is completely frozen, the pulsed local information and the fidelity are frozen. The freezing degree depends on the initial detuning and the pulse strength. Our results show that, despite the initial and final states of the system being different, the amount of local information is independent of the initial state of the system. These results may be useful in the context of quantum cryptography, teleportation, and secure communication.
ITAP
Authors: Sadrosadati Mohammad , Ehsani Seyed Borna , Falahati Hajar , Ausavarungnirun Rachata , Tavakkol Arash , Abaee Mojtaba , Orosa Lois , Wang Yaohua , Sarbazi-Azad Hamid , Mutlu Onur
Published: February 2019

Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) are widely used as the accelerator of choice for applications with massively data-parallel tasks. However, recent studies show that GPUs suffer heavily from resource underutilization, which, combined with their large static power consumption, imposes a significant power overhead. One of the most power-hungry components of a GPU—the execution units—frequently experience idleness when (1) an underutilized warp is issued to the execution units, leading to partial lane idleness, and (2) there is no active warp to be issued for the execution due to warp stalls (e.g., waiting for memory access and synchronization). Although large in total, the idle time of execution units actually comes from short but frequent stalls, leaving little potential for common power saving techniques, such as power-gating.

In this article, we propose
ITAP
, a novel idle-time-aware
power
management technique, which aims to effectively reduce the static energy consumption of GPU execution units. By taking advantage of different power management techniques (i.e., power-gating and different levels of voltage scaling),
ITAP
employs three static power reduction modes with different overheads and capabilities of static power reduction.
ITAP
estimates the idle period length of execution units using prediction and peek-ahead techniques in a synergistic way and then applies the most appropriate static power reduction mode based on the estimated idle period length. We design
ITAP
to be power-aggressive or performance-aggressive, not both at the same time. Our experimental results on several workloads show that the power-aggressive design of
ITAP
outperforms the state-of-the-art solution by an average of 27.6% in terms of static energy savings, with less than 2.1% performance overhead. However, the performance-aggressive design of
ITAP
improves the static energy savings by an average of 16.9%, while keeping the GPU performance almost unaffected (i.e., up to 0.4% performance overhead) compared to the state-of-the-art static energy savings mechanism.
Polyvalent Nanoobjects for Precision Diagnostics
Authors: Omstead David T. , Sjoerdsma Jenna , Bilgicer Basar
Published: February 2019

As our ability to synthesize and modify nanoobjects has improved, efforts to explore nanotechnology for diagnostic purposes have gained momentum. The variety of nanoobjects, especially those with polyvalent properties, displays a wide range of practical and unique properties well suited for applications in various diagnostics. This review briefly covers the broad scope of multivalent nanoobjects and their use in diagnostics, ranging from ex vivo assays and biosensors to in vivo imaging. The nanoobjects discussed here include silica nanoparticles, gold nanoparticles, quantum dots, carbon dots, fullerenes, polymers, dendrimers, liposomes, nanowires, and nanotubes. In this review, we describe recent reports of novel applications of these various nanoobjects, particularly as polyvalent entities designed for diagnostics.
On the role of tubulin, plectin, desmin, and vimentin in the regulation of mitochondrial energy fluxes in muscle cells
Authors: Mado Kati , Chekulayev Vladimir , Shevchuk Igor , Puurand Marju , Tepp Kersti , Kaambre Tuuli
Published: February 2019

Mitochondria perform a central role in life and death of the eukaryotic cell. They are major players in the generation of macroergic compounds and function as integrated signaling pathways, including the regulation of Ca2+ signals and apoptosis. A growing amount of evidence is demonstrating that mitochondria of muscle cells use cytoskeletal proteins (both microtubules and intermediate filaments) not only for their movement and proper cellular positioning, but also to maintain their biogenesis, morphology, function, and regulation of energy fluxes through the outer mitochondrial membrane (MOM). Here we consider the known literature data concerning the role of tubulin, plectin, desmin and vimentin in bioenergetic function of mitochondria in striated muscle cells, as well as in controlling the permeability of MOM for adenine nucleotides (ADNs). This is of great interest since dysfunctionality of these cytoskeletal proteins has been shown to result in severe myopathy associated with pronounced mitochondrial dysfunction. Further efforts are needed to uncover the pathways by which the cytoskeleton supports the functional capacity of mitochondria and transport of ADN(s) across the MOM (through voltage-dependent anion channel).
NADPH oxidase-mediated induction of reactive oxygen species and extracellular matrix deposition by insulin-like growth factor binding protein-5
Authors: Yasuoka Hidekata , Garrett Sara M. , Nguyen Xinh-Xinh , Artlett Carol M. , Feghali-Bostwick Carol A.
Published: February 2019

Insulin-like growth factor binding protein-5 (IGFBP-5) induces production of the extracellular matrix (ECM) components collagen and fibronectin both in vitro and in vivo and is overexpressed in patients with fibrosing lung diseases, such as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and systemic sclerosis (SSc). However, the mechanism by which IGFBP-5 exerts its fibrotic effect is incompletely understood. Recent reports have shown a substantial role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in fibrosis; thus we hypothesized that IGFBP-5 induces production of ROS to mediate the profibrotic process. In vitro analyses revealed that ROS production was induced by recombinant and adenoviral vector-mediated IGFBP-5 (AdBP5) in a dose- and time-dependent manner, regulated through MEK/ERK and JNK signaling, and primarily mediated by NADPH oxidase (Nox). Silencing IGFBP-5 in SSc and IPF fibroblasts reduced ROS production. The antioxidants diphenyleneiodonium and N-acetylcysteine blocked IGFBP-5-stimulated ECM production in normal, SSc, and IPF human primary lung fibroblasts. In murine fibroblasts lacking critical components of the Nox machinery, AdBP5-stimulated ROS production and fibronectin expression were reduced compared with wild-type fibroblasts. IGFBP-5 stimulated transcriptional expression of Nox3 in human fibroblasts while selective knockdown of Nox3 reduced ROS production by IGFBP-5. Thus IGFBP-5 mediates fibrosis through production of ROS in a Nox-dependent manner.
A dual blocker of endothelin A/B receptors mitigates hypertension but not renal dysfunction in a rat model of chronic kidney disease and sleep apnea
Authors: Morales-Loredo Humberto , Jones David , Barrera Adelaeda , Mendiola Perenkita J. , Garcia Joshua , Pace Carolyn , Murphy Minerva , Kanagy Nancy L. , Gonzalez Bosc Laura V.
Published: February 2019

Obstructive sleep apnea is characterized by recurrent episodes of pharyngeal collapse during sleep, resulting in intermittent hypoxia (IH), and is associated with a high incidence of hypertension and accelerated renal failure. In rodents, endothelin (ET)-1 contributes to IH-induced hypertension, and ET-1 levels inversely correlate with glomerular filtration rate in patients with end-stage chronic kidney disease (CKD). Therefore, we hypothesized that a dual ET receptor antagonist, macitentan (Actelion Pharmaceuticals), will attenuate and reverse hypertension and renal dysfunction in a rat model of combined IH and CKD. Male Sprague-Dawley rats received one of three diets (control, 0.2% adenine, and 0.2% adenine + 30 mg·kg−1·day−1macitentan) for 2 wk followed by 2 wk of recovery diet. Rats were then exposed for 4 wk to air or IH (20 short exposures/h to 5% O2-5% CO27 h/day during sleep). Macitentan prevented the increases in mean arterial blood pressure caused by CKD, IH, and the combination of CKD + IH. However, macitentan did not improve kidney function, fibrosis, and inflammation. After CKD was established, rats were exposed to air or IH for 2 wk, and macitentan feeding continued for 2 more wk. Macitentan reversed the hypertension in IH, CKD, and CKD + IH groups without improving renal function. Our data suggest that macitentan could be an effective antihypertensive in patients with CKD and irreversible kidney damage as a way to protect the heart, brain, and eyes from elevated arterial pressure, but it does not reverse toxin-induced tubule atrophy.
Dynamic changes in histone deacetylases following kidney ischemia-reperfusion injury are critical for promoting proximal tubule proliferation
Authors: Hyndman Kelly A. , Kasztan Malgorzata , Mendoza Luciano D. , Monteiro-Pai Sureena
Published: February 2019

Deranged histone deacetylase (HDAC) activity causes uncontrolled proliferation, inflammation, fibrosis, and organ damage. It is unclear whether deranged HDAC activity results in acute kidney injury in the renal hypoperfusion model of bilateral ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) and whether in vivo inhibition is an appropriate therapeutic approach to limit injury. Male mice were implanted with intraperitoneal osmotic minipumps containing vehicle, the class I HDAC inhibitor, MS275, or the pan-HDAC inhibitor, trichostatin A (TSA), 3 days before sham/bilateral IRI surgery. Kidney cortical samples were analyzed using histological, immunohistochemical, and Western blotting techniques. HDAC-dependent proliferation rate was measured in immortalized rat epithelial cells and primary mouse or human proximal tubule (PT) cells. There were dynamic changes in cortical HDAC localization and abundance following IRI including a fourfold increase in HDAC4 in the PT. HDAC inhibition resulted in a significantly higher plasma creatinine, increased kidney damage, but reduced interstitial fibrosis compared with vehicle-treated IRI mice. HDAC-inhibited mice had reduced interstitial α-smooth muscle actin, fibronectin expression, and Sirius red-positive area, suggesting that IRI activates HDAC-mediated fibrotic pathways. In vivo proliferation of the kidney epithelium was significantly reduced in TSA-treated, but not MS275-treated, IRI mice, suggesting class II HDACs mediate proliferation. Furthermore, HDAC4 activation increased proliferation of human and mouse PTs. Kidney HDACs are activated during IRI with isoform-specific expression patterns. Our data point to mechanisms whereby IRI activates HDACs resulting in fibrotic pathways but also activation of PT proliferation and repair pathways. This study demonstrates the need to develop isoform-selective HDAC inhibitors for the treatment of renal hypoperfusion-induced injury.
Modulation of exteroceptive electromyographic responses in defensive peripersonal space
Authors: Versace Viviana , Campostrini Stefania , Sebastianelli Luca , Saltuari Leopold , Kofler Markus
Published: February 2019

The cutaneous silent period (CSP) to noxious finger stimulation constitutes a robust spinal inhibitory reflex that protects the hand from injury. In certain conditions, spinal inhibition is interrupted by a brief burst-like electromyographic activity, dividing the CSP into two inhibitory phases (I1 and I2). This excitatory component is termed long-loop reflex (LLR) and is presumed to be transcortical in origin. Efficient defense from environmental threats requires sensorimotor integration between multimodal sensory afferents and planning of defensive movements. In the defensive peripersonal space (DPPS) immediately surrounding the body, we interact with objects and persons with increased alertness. We investigated whether CSP differs when the stimulated hand is in the DPPS of the face compared with a distant position. Furthermore, we investigated the possible role of vision in CSP modulation. Fifteen healthy volunteers underwent CSP testing with the handheld either within 5 cm from the nose (near) or away from the body (far). Recordings were obtained from first dorsal interosseous muscle following index (D2) or little finger (D5) stimulation with varying intensities. A subgroup of subjects underwent CSP recordings in near and far conditions, both with eyes open and with eyes closed. No inhibitory CSP parameter differed between stimulation in near and far conditions. LLRs occurring following D2 stimulation were significantly larger in near than far conditions at all stimulus intensities, irrespective of subjects seeing their hand. Similar to the hand-blink reflex, spinally organized protective reflexes may be modulated by corticospinal facilitatory input when the hand enters the DPPS of the face.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY The present findings demonstrate for the first time that a spinally organized protective reflex, the cutaneous silent period (CSP), may be modulated by top-down corticospinal facilitatory input when the stimulated hand enters the defensive peripersonal space (DPPS) of the face. In particular, the cortically mediated excitatory long-loop reflex, which may interrupt the CSP, is facilitated when the stimulated hand is in the DPPS, irrespective of visual control over the hand. No spinal inhibitory CSP parameter differs significantly in or outside the DPPS.
Uncertainty in contextual and kinematic cues jointly modulates motor resonance in primary motor cortex
Authors: Cretu Andreea Loredana , Ruddy Kathy , Germann Maria , Wenderoth Nicole
Published: February 2019

Contextual information accompanying others’ actions modulates “motor resonance”, i.e., neural activity within motor areas that is elicited by movement observation. One possibility is that we weigh and combine such information in a Bayesian manner according to their relative uncertainty. Therefore, contextual information becomes particularly useful when others’ actions are difficult to discriminate. It is unclear, however, whether this uncertainty modulates the neural activity in primary motor cortex (M1) during movement observation. Here, we applied single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) while subjects watched different grasping actions. We operationalized motor resonance as grip-specific modulation of corticomotor excitability measured in the index (FDI) versus the little finger abductor (ADM). We experimentally modulated either the availability of kinematic information ( experiment 1) or the reliability of contextual cues ( experiment 2). Our results indicate that even in the absence of movement kinematics, reliable contextual information is enough to trigger significant muscle-specific corticomotor excitability changes in M1, which are strongest when both kinematics and contextual information are available. These findings suggest that bottom-up mechanisms that activate motor representations as a function of the observed kinematics and top-down mechanisms that activate motor representations associated with arbitrary cues converge in M1.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY Our study reveals new neurophysiological insights in support of the Bayesian account of action observation by showing that “motor resonance”, i.e., neural activity evoked by observing others’ actions, incorporates the uncertainty related to both contextual (prior beliefs) and kinematic (sensory evidence) cues. Notably, we show that muscle-specific modulation of M1 is strongest when context and movement kinematics are available, and it can be elicited even in the absence of movement kinematics.
On the interrelation of 1/f neural noise and norepinephrine system activity during motor response inhibition
Authors: Pertermann Maik , Mückschel Moritz , Adelhöfer Nico , Ziemssen Tjalf , Beste Christian
Published: February 2019

Several lines of evidence suggest that there is a close interrelation between the degree of noise in neural circuits and the activity of the norepinephrine (NE) system, yet the precise nexus between these aspects is far from being understood during human information processing and cognitive control in particular. We examine this nexus during response inhibition in n = 47 healthy participants. Using high-density EEG recordings, we estimate neural noise by calculating “1/ f noise” of those data and integrate these EEG parameters with pupil diameter data as an established indirect index of NE system activity. We show that neural noise is reduced when cognitive control processes to inhibit a prepotent/automated response are exerted. These neural noise variations were confined to the theta frequency band, which has also been shown to play a central role during response inhibition and cognitive control. There were strong positive correlations between the 1 /f neural noise parameter and the pupil diameter data within the first 250 ms after the Nogo stimulus presentation at centro-parietal electrode sites. No such correlations were evident during automated responding on Go trials. Source localization analyses using standardized low-resolution brain electromagnetic tomography show that inferior parietal areas are activated in this time period in Nogo trials. The data suggest an interrelation of NE system activity and neural noise within early stages of information processing associated with inferior parietal areas when cognitive control processes are required. The data provide the first direct evidence for the nexus between NE system activity and the modulation of neural noise during inhibitory control in humans.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY This is the first study showing that there is a nexus between norepinephrine system activity and the modulation of neural noise or scale-free neural activity during inhibitory control in humans. It does so by integrating pupil diameter data with analysis of EEG neural noise.
Fault Identification Method of Diesel Engine in Light of Pearson Correlation Coefficient Diagram and Orthogonal Vibration Signals
Authors: Zhiyong Li , Hongdong Zhao , Ruili Zeng , Kewen Xia , Qiang Guo , Yuhai Li
Published: February 2019

In order to select fault feature parameters simply and quickly and improve the identification rate of diesel engine faults by using the vibration signals, this paper proposes a diesel engine fault identification method on the basis of the Pearson correlation coefficient diagram (PCC Diagram) and the orthogonal vibration signals. At first, the orthogonal vibration acceleration signals are synchronously acquired in the direction of the top and side of the cylinder head. And the time‐domain feature parameters are extracted from the orthogonal vibration acceleration signals to obtain the Pearson correlation coefficient (PCC). Then, the correlation coefficient diagram used to do feature parameter screening is constructed by selecting the feature parameters with the correlation coefficient of more than 0.9. Finally, generalized regression neural network (GRNN) is adopted to classify and identify fuel supply fault in diesel engine. The results show that using the PCC Diagram can simplify the selection process of the feature parameters of the orthogonal vibration signals quickly and effectively. It can also improve the fault identification rate of diesel engine significantly with the help of adding the newly proposed cross‐correlation coefficient of the orthogonal vibration signals into the GRNN input feature vector set.
The Chaotic Properties of Increasing Gap Shifts
Authors: Kamarudin Nor Syahmina , Baloush Malouh , Che Dzul-Kifli Syahida
Published: February 2019

It is well known that locally everywhere onto, totally transitive, and topologically mixing are equivalent on shift of finite type. It turns out that this relation does not hold true on shift of infinite type. We introduce the increasing gap shift and determine its chaotic properties. The increasing gap shift and the sigma star shift serve as counterexamples to show the relation between the three chaos notions on shift of infinite type.
Geothermal and Mineralogic Analysis of Hot Springs in the Puracé-La Mina Sector in Cauca, Colombia
Authors: Torres-Ceron Darwin Augusto , Acosta-Medina Carlos Daniel , Restrepo-Parra Elisabeth
Published: February 2019

Thermal waters are natural resources of great value to geothermal sciences, the tourism industry, and health. In this work, geochemical classification of physicochemical results of 17 sources at the Puracé-La Mina (Cauca, Colombia) sector was implemented in order to strengthen and determine their potential applications and enhance the continental tourism in Colombia. The analyzed parameters were developed following the Standard Methods 22nd edition, at Universidad Nacional de Colombia-Manizales. According to the results obtained by means of a geochemical classification, it was found that most of the sources have a sulfated-acid nature which makes them heated vapor waters and volcanic waters. Likewise, it was observed that all the sources are immature waters and still do not reach chemical equilibrium. On the other hand, mineralogical and chemical characterization by means of XRD and XRF showed a high content of silica isomorphous minerals with a low concentration. In addition, the presence of Fe2O3 was observed, which is insoluble at pH > 5 and remains in the rock. Nevertheless, considering that mine sources possess pH ± 2 and temperatures of 40°C, leaching is possible for iron justifying its presence in the water. Instead, elements like Na+, K+, Mg2+, and Ca2+ have high mobility at the conditions of mine sources (low pH) as a consequence of hydrolysis processes, which produce variations in water composition.
Smart Nanoparticles for Drug Delivery Application: Development of Versatile Nanocarrier Platforms in Biotechnology and Nanomedicine
Authors: Lombardo Domenico , Kiselev Mikhail A. , Caccamo Maria Teresa
Published: February 2019

The study of nanostructured drug delivery systems allows the development of novel platforms for the efficient transport and controlled release of drug molecules in the harsh microenvironment of diseased tissues of living systems, thus offering a wide range of functional nanoplatforms for smart application in biotechnology and nanomedicine. This article highlights recent advances of smart nanocarriers composed of organic (including polymeric micelles and vesicles, liposomes, dendrimers, and hydrogels) and inorganic (including quantum dots, gold and mesoporous silica nanoparticles) materials. Despite the remarkable developments of recent synthetic methodologies, most of all nanocarriers’ action is associated with a number of unwanted side effects that diminish their efficient use in biotechnology and nanomedicine applications. This highlights some critical issues in the design and engineering of nanocarrier systems for biotechnology applications, arising from the complex environment and multiform interactions established within the specific biological media.
Calculation Method of Overburden Damage Height Based on Fracture Mechanics Analysis of Soft and Hard Rock Layers
Authors: Chen Liang , Fan Shaowu , Zhao Can , Zhang Lang , Cheng Zhiheng
Published: February 2019

Under the geological condition of soft and hard rock interaction stratum, the overburden damage height can provide a quantitative support for the design of the locations of gas drainage boreholes in the roof mining fracture zone and the determination of the hydraulic fracture zone in coal seam mining. The interbedded structure of overlying mud rock and sandstone in the Lu’an mining area in Shanxi is a typical soft and hard rock interaction stratum. In view of the lack of soft rock fracture mechanics analysis and the improper calculation of the damage height of overburden rock caused by constant rock residual bulking coefficient to be used regularly in the analysis, in this paper, we constructed a fracture model of soft and hard strata by giving a quantitative classification criterion of soft and hard rocks and introducing a fracture failure criterion of soft rock strata and the space constraint condition of broken-expansion rock formation. Aiming at improving the calculation precision of overburden damage height, we presented a calculation method based on fracture mechanics analysis of soft and hard strata, which could delineate the extent of intact rock in overlying strata from bottom to top to determine the damage height of overburden rock. This research took Yuwu coal mine in Lu’an mining area as an example. Results showed that (1) by the calculation method, the overburden damage height of the N1102 fully mechanized caving face in Yuwu coal mine was 51.44 m, which was less than the value obtained by an actual borehole TV method as well as the numerical simulation result of 53.46 m, with a calculation accuracy about 96.22%, which is quite high for both. The calculation accuracy of the proposed method was higher than that of the three conventional theoretical methods, and it effectively solved the limitation of the fracture analysis method without the inclusion of the soft rock layer in design and the distortion problem due to the residual bulking coefficient to be improperly used in simulation. (2) There was no noticeable fractures in the broken soft rock zone, and the whole fractures were mainly low-angle rupture; the fractures in hard rock layer had obvious ruptures and multiangle cracks, and the average fracture width of soft rock was 2.8 mm smaller than that of hard rock. The fracture modes of soft rock and hard rock were mainly tensile failure and tensile shear failure, which verified the correctness of the fracture mechanics model of soft and hard rock layers constructed in this paper. (3) It is noticed that the tensile strength of rock in this method needs to be obtained through rock mechanics experiment on overlying strata in the study area, and our proposed method was applicable to the mining conditions of near horizontal coal seam. The calculation accuracy of this method meets the engineering error requirements and can be applied to the prediction of overburden damage height in near horizontal coal seam mining.
Ensemble Classification Based on Feature Selection for Environmental Sound Recognition
Authors: Zhao Shuai , Zhang Yan , Xu Haifeng , Han Te
Published: February 2019

Environmental sound recognition has been a hot topic in the domain of audio recognition. How to select the optimal feature subsets and enhance the performance of classification precisely is an urgent problem to be solved. Ensemble learning, a new kind of method presented recently, has been an effective way to improve the accuracy of classification in feature selection. In this paper, experiments were performed on environmental sound dataset. An improved method based on constraint score and multimodels ensemble feature selection methods (MmEnFs) were exploited in the experiments. The experimental results show that when enough attributes are selected, the improved method can get a better performance compared to other feature selection methods. And the ensemble feature selection method, which combines other methods, can obtain the optimal performance in most cases.
Galloping Control for Iced Conductors Using Tuned Mass Dampers with Fixed Time‐Delayed Feedback
Authors: Li Guo , Li Li , Zhu Peng
Published: February 2019

A tuned mass damper with fixed time‐delay feedbacks (TTMD) is first applied to suppress galloping of iced conductors. It is different from general time‐delay feedback control, which also connects an added mass to a galloping body and can absorb vibrational energy. The two‐degrees‐of‐freedom model captures the essential mechanical behaviors of iced conductors with TTMD undergoing galloping. The harmonic balance method is then employed to obtain the approximate analytical solutions of the system. Particularly, the expressions of galloping amplitude and angle frequency were obtained. Then the influence regulations of the time‐delay parameter T and strength parameter K on galloping control are fully analysed. The results show the added fixed time‐delay feedback control can promote the TTMD’s effect, when suitable time‐delay parameter T and strength parameter K are chosen. Moreover, the response amplitude and natural frequency change periodically with time‐delay parameter T. With strength parameter K increasing, the response amplitude increases or decreases for a fixed value of T and the TTMD’s effect can be enhanced.
Analytical Solutions of Functionally Graded Curved Beams under an Arbitrarily Directed Single Force
Authors: Zhang Liangliang , Shang Lange , Gao Yang
Published: February 2019

A functionally graded curved beam subjected to a shear tension force as well as a concentrated force at the free end is solved based on the inverse method, and a general two‐dimensional solution is presented. The explicit expressions are derived by assuming that the elastic properties within curved beams vary in the radial direction according to a power law, i.e., E = E0rn, but are constant across the depth. After degenerating it into the isotropic homogeneous elastic cases, the results are in good consistency with existing analytical solutions. The stresses and displacements are firstly observed in different forms in terms of the different power function exponent n. These results will be useful as a guide for designing devices or as benchmark to assess other approximate methodologies.
Dynamic Permeability Related to Greisenization Reactions in Sn-W Ore Deposits: Quantitative Petrophysical and Experimental Evidence
Authors: Launay Gaëtan , Sizaret Stanislas , Guillou-Frottier Laurent , Fauguerolles Colin , Champallier Rémi , Gloaguen Eric
Published: February 2019

Massive greisens are commonly associated with Sn-W mineralization and constitute low-grade high-tonnage deposits. The formation of this type of deposit results from an intense pervasive metasomatic alteration involving a major fluid and mass transfer through a nominally impermeable parental granite. A decrease in the volume of the solid phases associated with the mineral replacement reactions may be a potential process for creating pathways to enhance fluid flow. Here, we explore the effects of the replacement reactions related to greisenization on the granite’s mineralogy and petrophysical properties (density, porosity, and permeability), as well as their potential implications for fluid flow in the case of the world-class Panasqueira W-Sn-(Cu) deposit, Portugal. Mineralogical and microtextural analyses of greisenized facies show that the total replacement of feldspars by muscovite is associated with a volume decrease of the solid phases that induces a significant porosity generation in greisen (~8.5%). Greisenization experiments coupled with permeability measurements show that the replacement of feldspars by muscovite permits new pathways at the crystal scale that significantly enhance the transient permeability. Moreover, permeability measurements performed on representative samples with different degrees of greisenization show that permeability increases progressively with the level of alteration from 10-20 m2 in least granite to 10-17 m2 in greisen. The correlation between the permeability and porosity evolutions demonstrates that the porous texture developed during replacement reactions creates new pathways that enhance significantly the permeability in greisen systems. The occurrences of mineral-bearing metals such as cassiterite in the newly formed porosity of greisen provide evidence that greisenization can be a decisive process for enhancing fluid flow and promoting transport of metals in Sn-W deposits. Finally, we present a model involving a positive feedback between greisenization and permeability, in which mineralizing fluids are able to generate their own pathways in initially impermeable granite via replacement reactions, which in turn promote further hydrothermal alteration and mass transport.
Contribution of Statins towards Periodontal Treatment: A Review
Authors: Petit Catherine , Batool Fareeha , Bugueno Isaac Maximiliano , Schwinté Pascale , Benkirane-Jessel Nadia , Huck Olivier
Published: February 2019

The pleiotropic effects of statins have been evaluated to assess their potential benefit in the treatment of various inflammatory and immune-mediated diseases including periodontitis. Herein, the adjunctive use of statins in periodontal therapy in vitro, in vivo, and in clinical trials was reviewed. Statins act through several pathways to modulate inflammation, immune response, bone metabolism, and bacterial clearance. They control periodontal inflammation through inhibition of proinflammatory cytokines and promotion of anti-inflammatory and/or proresolution molecule release, mainly, through the ERK, MAPK, PI3-Akt, and NF-κB pathways. Moreover, they are able to modulate the host response activated by bacterial challenge, to prevent inflammation-mediated bone resorption and to promote bone formation. Furthermore, they reduce bacterial growth, disrupt bacterial membrane stability, and increase bacterial clearance, thus averting the exacerbation of infection. Local statin delivery as adjunct to both nonsurgical and surgical periodontal therapies results in better periodontal treatment outcomes compared to systemic delivery. Moreover, combination of statin therapy with other regenerative agents improves periodontal healing response. Therefore, statins could be proposed as a potential adjuvant to periodontal therapy. However, optimization of the combination of their dose, type, and carrier could be instrumental in achieving the best treatment response.
Deep Electrical Resistivity Tomography for the Hydrogeological Setting of Muro Lucano Mounts Aquifer (Basilicata, Southern Italy)
Authors: Rizzo E. , Giampaolo V. , Capozzoli L. , Grimaldi S.
Published: February 2019

The proposed work concerns the application of a deep geoelectrical survey to a carbonate aquifer in order to define the best location for exploitation well drilling for increasing water supply. However, an optimal characterization of a groundwater resource is the necessary condition to reach the indicated aim. Therefore, the geoelectrical investigation was guided from the previous geological and hydrogeological characterization. Moreover, geophysical methods are good tools to improve the groundwater model when detailed information is necessary, such as the localization of a pumping well. The work summarizes the hydrogeological knowledge at the West of the Basilicata Region (Muro Lucano, Italy). The investigated area is characterized by the presence of a karst aquifer which is made up of a carbonate ridge (Castelgrande, Muro Lucano) that tectonically dips southward and is widely covered by Pliocene deposits (sands and conglomerates), by the Irpinian unit and Sicilide unit formations, and by debris slope and landslide deposits. The assessment of the complex hydrogeological framework of the area was detailed by the use of a new multichannel deep geoelectrical technique (DERT). In details, the proposed technique was able to successfully locate a less resistive zone connected to a more fractured limestone and then it was suitable for the localization of a groundwater exploitation well.