bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cost‐effective production of tag‐less recombinant protein in Nicotiana benthamiana
Authors: Islam Md Reyazul , Kwak Ju‐Won , Lee Jeon‐soo , Hong Sung‐Wook , Khan Md Rezaul Islam , Lee Yongjik , Lee Yoontae , Lee Seung‐Woo , Hwang Inhwan
Published: November 2018

Plants have recently received a great deal of attention as a means of producing recombinant proteins. Despite this, a limited number of recombinant proteins are currently on the market and, if plants are to be more widely used, a cost‐effective and efficient purification method is urgently needed. Although affinity tags are convenient tools for protein purification, the presence of a tag on the recombinant protein is undesirable for many applications. A cost‐effective method of purification using an affinity tag and the removal of the tag after purification has been developed. The family 3 cellulose‐binding domain (CBM3), which binds to microcrystalline cellulose, served as the affinity tag and the small ubiquitin‐related modifier (SUMO) and SUMO‐specific protease were used to remove it. This method, together with size‐exclusion chromatography, enabled purification of human interleukin‐6 (hIL6) with a yield of 18.49 mg/kg fresh weight from leaf extracts of Nicotiana benthamiana following Agrobacterium‐mediated transient expression. Plant‐produced hIL6 (P‐hIL6) contained less than 0.2 EU/μg (0.02 ng/mL) endotoxin. P‐hIL6 activated the Janus kinase‐signal transducer and activator of transcriptional pathways in human LNCaP cells, and induced expression of IL‐21 in activated mouse CD4+ T cells. This approach is thus a powerful method for producing recombinant proteins in plants.
Stacking three late blight resistance genes from wild species directly into African highland potato varieties confers complete field resistance to local blight races
Authors: Ghislain Marc , Byarugaba Arinaitwe Abel , Magembe Eric , Njoroge Anne , Rivera Cristina , Román María Lupe , Tovar José Carlos , Gamboa Soledad , Forbes Gregory A. , Kreuze Jan F. , Barekye Alex , Kiggundu Andrew
Published: November 2018

Considered responsible for one million deaths in Ireland and widespread famine in the European continent during the 1840s, late blight, caused by Phytophthora infestans, remains the most devastating disease of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) with about 15%–30% annual yield loss in sub‐Saharan Africa, affecting mainly smallholder farmers. We show here that the transfer of three resistance (R) genes from wild relatives [RB, Rpi‐blb2 from Solanum bulbocastanum and Rpi‐vnt1.1 from S. venturii] into potato provided complete resistance in the field over several seasons. We observed that the stacking of the three R genes produced a high frequency of transgenic events with resistance to late blight. In the field, 13 resistant transgenic events with the 3R‐gene stack from the potato varieties ‘Desiree’ and ‘Victoria’ grew normally without showing pathogen damage and without any fungicide spray, whereas their non‐transgenic equivalent varieties were rapidly killed. Characteristics of the local pathogen population suggest that the resistance to late blight may be long‐lasting because it has low diversity, and essentially consists of the single lineage, 2_A1, which expresses the cognate avirulence effector genes. Yields of two transgenic events from ‘Desiree’ and ‘Victoria’ grown without fungicide to reflect small‐scale farm holders were estimated to be 29 and 45 t/ha respectively. This represents a three to four‐fold increase over the national average. Thus, these late blight resistant potato varieties, which are the farmers’ preferred varieties, could be rapidly adopted and bring significant income to smallholder farmers in sub‐Saharan Africa.
Genes regulating gland development in the cotton plant
Authors: Janga Madhusudhana R. , Pandeya Devendra , Campbell LeAnne M. , Konganti Kranti , Villafuerte Stephany Toinga , Puckhaber Lorraine , Pepper Alan , Stipanovic Robert D. , Scheffler Jodi A. , Rathore Keerti S.
Published: November 2018

In seeds and other parts of cultivated, tetraploid cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.), multicellular groups of cells lysigenously form dark glands containing toxic terpenoids such as gossypol that defend the plant against pests and pathogens. Using RNA‐seq analysis of embryos from near‐isogenic glanded (Gl2Gl2Gl3Gl3) versus glandless (gl2gl2gl3gl3) plants, we identified 33 genes that expressed exclusively or at higher levels in embryos just prior to gland formation in glanded plants. Virus‐induced gene silencing against three gene pairs led to significant reductions in the number of glands in the leaves, and significantly lower levels of gossypol and related terpenoids. These genes encode transcription factors and have been designated the ‘Cotton Gland Formation’ (CGF) genes. No sequence differences were found between glanded and glandless cotton for CGF1 and CGF2 gene pairs. The glandless cotton has a transposon insertion within the coding sequence of the GoPGF (synonym CGF3) gene of the A subgenome and extensive mutations in the promoter of D subgenome homeolog. Overexpression of GoPGF (synonym CGF3) led to a dramatic increase in gossypol and related terpenoids in cultured cells, whereas CRISPR/Cas9 knockout of GoPGF (synonym CGF3) genes resulted in glandless phenotype. Taken collectively, the results show that the GoPGF (synonym CGF3) gene plays a critical role in the formation of glands in the cotton plant. Seed‐specific silencing of CGF genes, either individually or in combination, could eliminate glands, thus gossypol, from the cottonseed to render it safe as food or feed for monogastrics.
Characterization of novel β‐1,3‐glucan recognition proteins from a Tibetan Plateau ghost moth Thitarodes pui (Lepidoptera, Hepialidae)
Authors: Sun Zixuan , Wu Wenjing , Zhang Guren
Published: November 2018

β‐1,3‐glucan recognition proteins (βGRPs) function as pattern recognition receptors in the innate immune response against invading pathogens. In the present study, we obtain full‐length cDNA clones for two novel putative βGRPs: TpβGRPc and TpβGRPd from the ghost moth Thitarodes pui (Lepidoptera: Hepialidae). Phylogenetic analysis shows a small distinct lineage, βGRP clade 4, consisting of T. pui βGRPs including TpβGRPa and TpβGRPb that have been identified previously. TpβGRPc and TpβGRPd, comprising 488 and 229 amino acids, have calculated molecular masses of 52 596 and 24 589 Da, respectively. TpβGRPc is 85.52% identical in sequence to TpβGRPa. TpβGRPb and TpβGRPd share the same deletion start site located at the conserved residue Pro 43, although TpβGRPd exhibits a much larger deletion of up to approximately 270 residues covering both the N‐ and C‐terminal regions. Affinity purification, associated with subsequent peptide sequencing, confirms the constitutive occurrence of TpβGRPa and TpβGRPc of similar size (approximately 65 kDa) in sixth‐instar larval haemolymph. These two βGRPs show clear binding affinities to curdlan, an insoluble β‐1,3‐glucan. A quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction analysis reveals the high‐level constitutive expression of TpβGRPc and TpβGRPd in the fat body of mid‐instar larvae, which are found to be susceptible to fungal pathogens in field investigations. Remarkable induction of both TpβGRPs occurs in response to haemocoelic challenge with entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana. The results of the present study suggest that TpβGRPs may contribute to the detection and control of fungal infections.
Manipulating the ecosystem enables management of soilborne pathogen complexes in annual legume forage systems
Authors: You M. P. , Barbetti M. J.
Published: November 2018

Studies were undertaken to examine the potential for manipulating the ecosystem by altering forage species composition, intensity of grazing or by adding Rhizobium, to enhance productivity of subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum) forages affected by the soilborne pathogens Pythium irregulare and Rhizoctonia solani. Levels of tap and lateral root disease on clover and its productivity were differentially and significantly affected by the relative proportions of clover to annual ryegrass (Lolium rigidum). In the presence of P. irregulare, both tap and lateral root disease decreased as percentage clover composition increased (R2 = 0.58, 0.59, respectively); there was no such significant effect in the presence of R. solani (R2 = 0.08, 0.18, respectively). Increasing and maintaining high clover content in forage offers a means to both reduce root disease and increase productivity and forage legume stand persistence. With simulated grazing studies, continuous (i.e. intensive) grazing in the presence of P. irregulare resulted in the most severe tap and lateral root disease, poorest nodulation and smallest roots and shoots compared with intermittent grazing. Hence, reducing grazing intensity also offers potential for significantly increasing productivity of root‐rot‐affected clover forage. For Rhizobium studies, nodulation was reduced in the presence of P. irregulare or R. solani; the extent of this was dependent upon which pathogen and the clover variety. Overall, these different studies highlight significant potential for manipulating the ecosystem to better manage soilborne pathogen complexes and improve productivity and persistence in annual legume forage systems adversely affected by soilborne oomycete and fungal pathogens.
Spinal injury analysis for typical snowboarding backward falls
Authors: Wei Wei , Evin Morgane , Bailly Nicolas , Llari Maxime , Laporte Jean‐Dominique , Arnoux Pierre‐Jean
Published: November 2018

Spinal injury (SPI) often causes death and disability in snow‐sport accidents. SPIs often result from spinal compression and flexion, but the injury risks due to over flexion have not been studied. Back protectors are used to prevent SPIs but the testing standards do not evaluate the flexion‐extension resistance. To investigate SPI risks and to better define back‐protector specifications, this study quantified the flexion‐extension range of motions (ROMs) of the thoracic‐lumbar spine during typical snowboarding backward falls. A human facet‐multibody model, which was calibrated against spinal flexion‐extension responses and validated against vehicle‐pedestrian impact and snowboarding backward fall, was used to reproduce typical snowboarding backward falls considering various initial conditions (initial velocity, slope steepness, body posture, angle of approach, anthropometry, and snow stiffness). The SPI risks were quantified by normalizing the numerical spinal flexion‐extension ROMs against the corresponding ROM thresholds from literature. A high risk of SPI was found in most of the 324 accident scenarios. The thoracic segment T6‐T7 had the highest injury risk and incidence. The thoracic spine was found more vulnerable than the lumbar spine. Larger anthropometries and higher initial velocities tended to increase SPI risks while bigger angles of approach helped to reduce the risks. SPIs can result from excessive spinal flexion‐extension during snowboarding backward falls. Additional evaluation of back protector's flexion‐extension resistance should be included in current testing standards. An ideal back protector should consider the vulnerable spinal segments, the snowboarder's skill level and anthropometry.
The International Corpus of English project: A progress report
Authors: Kirk John , Nelson Gerald
Published: November 2018

This article begins by introducing the International Corpus of English project and proceeds to summarize the findings and outcomes of an extensive review by written questionnaire conducted by the present authors (Kirk & Nelson, 2017). Although critically concerned with practice hitherto, the review also discusses possible second generation components, and the issues in need of addressing before they should begin. The report contains many comments from a questionnaire that respondents complete, giving a flavour of the importance with which the corpus is valued. Respondents also raise a number of fundamental questions about the nature of L2 varieties of English in multilingual contexts. An Appendix sets out a prospectus for a possible component of electronic texts. Other Appendices list the corpus's text categories and their quantities as well as the 27 national components and their directors.
Contemporary Challenges for the Academic
Authors: Ferreira Carlos Miguel , Serpa Sandro
Published: November 2018

This reflection aims to offer a contribution on some of the main challenges that academics have to face in their professional practice. To this end, we will analyse two components of the academic’s activity – teaching and research –, as well as the potentialities of their association, mobilising in this reflection the authors’ academic experience, especially in the disciplinary field of Sociology. It is concluded that, despite the academic’s high expertise, there are several instigations that lead us to consider the need for a permanent update, so as to encourage, in an intentional and successful way, his/her action.
An elephant-sized Late Triassic synapsid with erect limbs
Authors: Sulej Tomasz , Niedźwiedzki Grzegorz
Published: November 2018

A proto-mammalian giant

Early terrestrial amniotes evolved into two groups: the sauropsids, which led to the bird and dinosaur lineages, and the synapsids, which led to mammals. Synapsids were diverse during the Permian but were greatly reduced after the end-Permian extinction (about 252 million years ago). The few groups that survived into the Triassic were mostly small and retained a sprawling gait. Sulej and Niedźwiedzki, however, describe a dicynodont from the Late Triassic of Poland that is as large as some coexisting dinosaurs and appears to have had an erect gait—like modern mammals. Thus, megaherbivores in the Triassic were not only dinosaurs.

Science
, this issue p.
78
Maternal Huluwa dictates the embryonic body axis through β-catenin in vertebrates
Authors: Yan Lu , Chen Jing , Zhu Xuechen , Sun Jiawei , Wu Xiaotong , Shen Weimin , Zhang Weiying , Tao Qinghua , Meng Anming
Published: November 2018

Maternal factor sets axis

The vertebrate body form changes from the round shape of the fertilized egg to a cylindrical shape when the body plan is established. However, it is unknown whether a maternal factor controls this body axis formation. Yan
et al.
identified such a maternal factor and named it Huluwa. Loss of maternal Huluwa, a transmembrane protein, in zebrafish or frog eggs resulted in embryos that lacked the body axis and were missing the head and dorsoanterior tissues. Huluwa promoted Axin degradation, likely independent of Wnt ligand–receptor signaling, to protect β-catenin from degradation and induce body axis development during embryogenesis.

Science
, this issue p.
eaat1045
Neutral mass spectrometry of virus capsids above 100 megadaltons with nanomechanical resonators
Authors: Dominguez-Medina Sergio , Fostner Shawn , Defoort Martial , Sansa Marc , Stark Ann-Kathrin , Halim Mohammad Abdul , Vernhes Emeline , Gely Marc , Jourdan Guillaume , Alava Thomas , Boulanger Pascale , Masselon Christophe , Hentz Sébastien
Published: November 2018

Bridging the mass gap

Viruses and many large biomolecule complexes are in a mass range that is challenging to measure with conventional mass spectrometry methods. Nanomechanical resonators can determine masses of impacting molecules, but separation methods often lose too much of the sample to be efficient. Dominguez-Medina
et al.
used an aerodynamic lens that improved separation and focusing of nebulized molecules with increasing mass. The mass of both filled and empty viral capsids was determined with an array of 20 nanoresonators.

Science
, this issue p.
918
How behavioral science can help conservation
Authors: Cinner Joshua
Published: November 2018

Leveraging cognitive biases and social influence can make conservation efforts more effective
Fixing the internet
Authors: Zittrain Jonathan
Published: November 2018

Data breaches at Facebook and Google—and along with Amazon, those firms' online dominance—crest a growing wave of anxiety around the internet's evolving structure and its impact on humanity. Three keys to the decades-long global expansion of the internet and the World Wide Web are breaking down.
Evaluation of a deep learning image assessment system for detecting severe retinopathy of prematurity
Authors: Redd Travis K , Campbell John Peter , Brown James M , Kim Sang Jin , Ostmo Susan , Chan Robison Vernon Paul , Dy Jennifer , Erdogmus Deniz , Ioannidis Stratis , Kalpathy-Cramer Jayashree , Chiang Michael F
Published: November 2018

Background

Prior work has demonstrated the near-perfect accuracy of a deep learning retinal image analysis system for diagnosing plus disease in retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). Here we assess the screening potential of this scoring system by determining its ability to detect all components of ROP diagnosis.

Methods

Clinical examination and fundus photography were performed at seven participating centres. A deep learning system was trained to detect plus disease, generating a quantitative assessment of retinal vascular abnormality (the i-ROP plus score) on a 1–9 scale. Overall ROP disease category was established using a consensus reference standard diagnosis combining clinical and image-based diagnosis. Experts then ranked ordered a second data set of 100 posterior images according to overall ROP severity.

Results

4861 examinations from 870 infants were analysed. 155 examinations (3%) had a reference standard diagnosis of type 1 ROP. The i-ROP deep learning (DL) vascular severity score had an area under the receiver operating curve of 0.960 for detecting type 1 ROP. Establishing a threshold i-ROP DL score of 3 conferred 94% sensitivity, 79% specificity, 13% positive predictive value and 99.7% negative predictive value for type 1 ROP. There was strong correlation between expert rank ordering of overall ROP severity and the i-ROP DL vascular severity score (Spearman correlation coefficient=0.93; p<0.0001).

Conclusion

The i-ROP DL system accurately identifies diagnostic categories and overall disease severity in an automated fashion, after being trained only on posterior pole vascular morphology. These data provide proof of concept that a deep learning screening platform could improve objectivity of ROP diagnosis and accessibility of screening.
Potentially serious incidental findings on brain and body magnetic resonance imaging of apparently asymptomatic adults: systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Gibson Lorna M , Paul Laura , Chappell Francesca M , Macleod Malcolm , Whiteley William N , Salman Rustam Al-Shahi , Wardlaw Joanna M , Sudlow Cathie L M
Published: November 2018

Objectives

To determine prevalence and types of potentially serious incidental findings on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in apparently asymptomatic adults, describe factors associated with potentially serious incidental findings, and summarise information on follow-up and final diagnoses.

Design

Systematic review and meta-analyses.

Data sources

Citation searches of relevant articles and authors’ files in Medline and Embase (from inception to 25 April 2017).

Review methods

Eligible studies included prevalence and types of incidental findings detected among apparently asymptomatic adults undergoing MRI of the brain, thorax, abdomen, or brain and body. Data on study population and methods, prevalence and types of incidental findings, and final diagnoses were extracted. Pooled prevalence was estimated by random effects meta-analysis, and heterogeneity by τ
2
statistics.

Main outcome measures

Prevalence of potentially serious incidental findings on MRI of the brain, thorax, abdomen, and brain and body.

Results

Of 5905 retrieved studies, 32 (0.5%) met the inclusion criteria (n=27 643 participants). Pooled prevalence of potentially serious incidental findings was 3.9% (95% confidence interval 0.4% to 27.1%) on brain and body MRI, 1.4% (1.0% to 2.1%) on brain MRI, 1.3% (0.2% to 8.1%) on thoracic MRI, and 1.9% (0.3% to 12.0%) on abdominal MRI. Pooled prevalence rose after including incidental findings of uncertain potential seriousness (12.8% (3.9% to 34.3%), 1.7% (1.1% to 2.6%), 3.0% (0.8% to 11.3%), and 4.5% (1.5% to 12.9%), respectively). There was generally substantial heterogeneity among included studies. About half the potentially serious incidental findings were suspected malignancies (brain, 0.6% (95% confidence interval 0.4% to 0.9%); thorax, 0.6% (0.1% to 3.1%); abdomen, 1.3% (0.2% to 9.3%); brain and body, 2.3% (0.3% to 15.4%)). There were few informative data on potential sources of between-study variation or factors associated with potentially serious incidental findings. Limited data suggested that relatively few potentially serious incidental findings had serious final diagnoses (48/234, 20.5%).

Conclusions

A substantial proportion of apparently asymptomatic adults will have potentially serious incidental findings on MRI, but little is known of their health consequences. Systematic, long term follow-up studies are needed to better inform on these consequences and the implications for policies on feedback of potentially serious incidental findings.

Systematic review registration

Prospero CRD42016029472.
Comparison of the use of lung ultrasound and chest radiography in the diagnosis of rib fractures: a systematic review
Authors: Battle Ceri , Hayward Simon , Eggert Sabine , Evans Phillip Adrian
Published: November 2018

Introduction

It is well-recognised that the detection of rib fractures is unreliable using chest radiograph. The aim of this systematic review was to investigate whether the use of lung ultrasound is superior in accuracy to chest radiography, in the diagnosis of rib fractures following blunt chest wall trauma.

Methods

The search filter was used for international online electronic databases including MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane and ScienceDirect, with no imposed time or language limitations. Grey literature was searched. Two review authors completed study selection, data extraction and data synthesis/analysis process. Quality assessment using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies Tool (QUADAS-2) was completed.

Results

13 studies were included. Overall, study results demonstrated that the use of lung ultrasound in the diagnosis of rib fractures in blunt chest wall trauma patients appears superior compared with chest radiograph. All studies were small, single centre and considered to be at risk of bias on quality assessment. Meta-analysis was not possible due to high levels of heterogeneity, lack of appropriate reference standard and poor study quality.

Discussion

The results demonstrate that lung ultrasound may be superior to chest radiography, but the low quality of the studies means that no definitive statement can be made.
Approach to syncope in the emergency department
Authors: Reed Matthew James
Published: November 2018

Syncope is a common reason for ED attendance and it presents a major management challenge with regard to the appropriate workup and disposition. Nearly 50% of patients are admitted, and for many this is unnecessary; clinical decision rules have not proven to decrease unnecessary admissions. The European Society of Cardiology has recently developed guidance for managing syncope in the ED. This article highlights the key steps in evaluating syncope in the ED, factors involved in determining risk of a cardiac cause, and considerations for admission, observation or discharge.
Prospective impact of individual, family and community youth assets on adolescent suicide ideation
Authors: Lensch Taylor , Clements-Nolle Kristen , Oman Roy F , Lu Minggen , Dominguez Amanda
Published: November 2018

Background

Studies have found that youth assets have a protective influence on many risk behaviours. However, the relationship between youth assets and adolescent suicide ideation is poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to determine if youth assets were prospectively associated with suicide ideation.

Methods

Four waves of data were collected from 1111 youth and their parents living in randomly sampled census tracts that were stratified by income and race/ethnicity using census data. Computer-assisted, in-person data collection methods were used to measure assets at the individual (6 assets), family (4 assets) and community (6 assets) levels. Generalised linear mixed models were used to prospectively assess the relationship between the number of individual-level, family-level and community-level assets and suicide ideation, while controlling for known confounders.

Results

About half of the sample was female (53%). Participants were racially/ethnically diverse (white (41%), Hispanic (29%) and black (24%)). Eleven of the 16 assets were associated with reduced odds of suicide ideation. In addition, there was a graded relationship between the number of assets at each level (individual, family and community) and the odds of suicide ideation. For example, compared with youth with 0–2 family assets, those with 3 (OR 0.61; 95% CI 0.42 to 0.90) or 4 (OR 0.32; 95% CI 0.21 to 0.51) family assets had lower odds of suicide ideation.

Conclusions

This prospective analysis showed a protective relationship between youth assets and suicide ideation, with the greatest protection among youth with the most assets. Interventions designed to build youth assets may be a useful strategy for reducing adolescent suicide ideation.
Retrospective self-reported dietary supplement use by Australian military personnel during deployment to Iraq and Afghanistan: results from the Middle East Area of Operations Health Study
Authors: Lui Chi-Wai , Waller Michael , Bell Alison , van der Pols Jolieke C.
Published: November 2018

The use of dietary supplements is popular among military personnel. However, there is a lack of understanding about the changes in use during deployment and the specific factors associated with such changes. This study retrospectively examined changes in the pattern of supplement use among Australian veterans during their deployment to Iraq (n = 8848) and Afghanistan (n = 6507) between 2001 and 2009 and identified work-related circumstances that were associated with these changes. The frequency of use of supplements at present and during deployment was assessed. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to compare the use of supplements among different groups and among those with different deployment experiences. The study found that overall use of supplements was highest on deployment to Afghanistan (27.8%) compared with deployment to Iraq (22.0%, p < 0.001) or after deployment (current use, 21.2%; p < 0.001). Personnel who were younger or who were at the rank of noncommissioned officer were more likely to use dietary supplements. Men were more likely to use body-building supplements, whereas women more often used weight-loss supplements. Those veterans who did not report using supplements regularly on deployment were far less likely to use them subsequently. Combat exposure, mixed duty cycles, and working long hours during deployment were associated with higher supplement use. The findings confirmed that supplement use in the military reflects the unique demands and stressors of defence service.
The effect of dominant first dorsal interosseous fatigue on the force production of a contralateral homologous and heterologous muscle
Authors: Li Yimeng , Power Kevin E. , Marchetti Paulo H. , Behm David G.
Published: November 2018

Crossover and nonlocal muscle fatigue (NLMF) has generally focused on large muscle groups. It is unclear if fatigue of a small muscle can result in NLMF of a larger muscle. The purpose of the present study was to examine the effect of small muscle (first dorsal interosseous; FDI) fatigue on the force and activation of contralateral homologous and larger heterologous muscles (biceps brachii; BB). Fifteen right-handed male subjects performed 3 pre-test index finger abduction or elbow flexion maximum voluntary isometric contractions (MVICs) on the nondominant side. Subsequently, they performed two 100-s index finger abduction MVICs on the dominant side (experimental (fatigue) group) or rested for 5 min (control group). Afterwards, a single MVIC and a 12-repetition MVIC fatiguing protocol were completed with index finger abduction or elbow flexion on the nondominant side. Force and electromyography (EMG) were measured from both sides. The force and EMG (median frequency; MDF) of nonexercised index finger abductors (IFA)/FDI and elbow flexors (EF)/BB significantly decreased after the fatiguing protocol. Compared with the control condition, the nonexercised IFA (12.5% and 5.7%) had significantly greater force and MDF fatigue indexes than the EF (5.2% and 1.7%). There were no significant force differences with the single MVIC test between conditions. The small muscle fatiguing protocol produced NLMF effects on both contralateral homologous and larger heterologous muscles, with the force decrements greater with the homologous muscle.
Relationship between water transparency and walleye (Sander vitreus) muscle glycolytic potential in northwestern Ontario lakes
Authors: Edmunds Nicholas B. , Bartley Timothy J. , Caskenette Amanda , Laberge Frédéric , McCann Kevin S.
Published: November 2018

Piscivorous predators at the apex of aquatic food webs are thought to exhibit foraging behaviours that depend on environmental conditions. Walleye (Sander vitreus), for example, is a freshwater predator that is most active under low light conditions. This study examined walleye resource use and swimming activity across lakes located in northwestern Ontario representing a gradient of water transparency. Muscle glycolytic potential, an index of swimming activity, was estimated by the activity of the enzyme lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). We show that walleye white muscle LDH activity increased with lake water transparency, but that this relationship is not determined by the use of nearshore resources, estimated from δ13C stable isotope signatures, or by prey abundance. On the other hand, walleye muscle LDH activity decreased with increasing prey size, and prey size was larger in lakes of low water transparency. These results support a positive relationship between water transparency and swimming activity in walleye, with prey size as an important factor contributing to this effect.
Factors influencing fire suppression success in the province of Quebec (Canada)
Authors: Cardil A. , Lorente M. , Boucher D. , Boucher J. , Gauthier S.
Published: November 2018

In the managed forest of Canada, forest fires are actively suppressed through efficient initial attack capability; however, the impact of different factors on the suppression success remains to be understood. The aim of this paper was to analyze the influence of operational suppression objectives (fire detection, initial attack, and fire control) along with fire intensity, fuel type, fire ignition cause, year, workload, and homogeneous fire regime zones on the achievement of the fire suppression objective (fire < 3 ha) using the Forest Fire Protection Agency of Quebec (SOPFEU) as a case study. The overall success of the suppression objective was very high (88%) over the study period (1994–2015). Both detection and control had significant effects on the suppression success through their interaction with fuel type, ignition cause, fire intensity, and zone variables. When the suppression objective was not achieved, final fire size was influenced by control, fuel type, fire intensity, and zone. The paper highlights the importance of the operational objectives and of regional differences for both fire suppression success and final fire size. Our results can help forest fire protection agencies to better understand their wildland fire suppression systems for a better adaptation to the upcoming fire regime changes.
Host galaxy effects in the SUSY model for Supernovae Ia
Authors: Clavelli L.
Published: November 2018

For more than 40 years virtually all work on the theory of type Ia Supernovae (SN Ia) has assumed that these explosions were due to the transfer of mass to a degenerate star from a partner in a binary system. In these binary models, when the mass of one partner closely approaches the Chandrasekhar maximum for a stable degenerate system, fusion can be initiated and the star explodes. However, a number of long-standing nagging problems and the inability of any specific binary model to fit any significant fraction of SN Ia events suggest that fusion could instead be triggered by a phase transition in a sub-Chandrasekhar white dwarf star. It is possible that remarkable host galaxy effects not considered in previous work on phase transition models could point to a specific source of the supernova trigger. Performing a least [Formula: see text] fit to the delay time distribution to fix parameters, we give predictions from the SUSY phase transition model for the host galaxy effects. In addition we discuss a SUSY insight into the Phillips relation which is basic to the cosmological importance of the type Ia supernovae.
Quantum color image watermarking based on fast bit-plane scramble and dual embedded
Authors: Zhou Ri-Gui , Yang Peng Liu , Liu Xing Ao , Ian Hou
Published: November 2018

Most of the studied quantum encryption algorithms are based on square images. In this paper, based on the improved novel quantum representation of color digital images model (INCQI), a quantum color image watermarking scheme is proposed. First, INCQI improved from NCQI is used to represent the carrier and watermark images with the size [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], respectively. Secondly, before embedding, the watermarking needs to be preprocessed. That is, the watermark image with the size of [Formula: see text] with 24-qubits color information is disordered by the fast bit-plane scramble algorithm, and then further expanded to an image with the size [Formula: see text] with 6-qubits pixel information by the nearest-neighbor interpolation method. Finally, the dual embedded algorithm is executed and a key image with 3-qubits information is generated for retrieving the original watermark image. The extraction process of the watermark image is the inverse process of its embedding, including inverse embedding, inverse expand and inverse scrambling operations. To show that our method has a better performance in visual quality and histogram graph, a simulation of different carrier and watermark images are conducted on the classical computer’s MATLAB.
Design of BCD to Excess-3 code converter circuit with optimized quantum cost, garbage output and constant input using reversible gate
Authors: Maity Heranmoy , Biswas Arindam , Pal Anita , Bhattacharjee Anup Kumar
Published: November 2018

In this paper, we have proposed the optimized BCD to Excess-3 code converter using reversible logic gate. BCD to Excess-3 code can be generated by adding “0011” to BCD number, but in the proposed work, addition is not required. The proposed reversible circuit can be designed using peres gate, Feynman gate and NOT gate optimized quantum cost, garbage output and constant input. The quantum cost (QC), garbage output and constant input of proposed reversible BCD to Excess-3 code converter are respectively 14, 1 and 1 which is better with respect to previously reported results. The improvement is, respectively 0–65%, 66.66–91.66% and 66.66–87.5%.
Homologically trivial symplectic cyclic actions need not extend to Hamiltonian circle actions
Authors: Chiang River , Kessler Liat
Published: November 2018

We give examples of symplectic actions of a cyclic group, inducing a trivial action on homology, on four-manifolds that admit Hamiltonian circle actions, and show that they do not extend to Hamiltonian circle actions. Our work applies holomorphic methods to extend combinatorial tools developed for circle actions to study cyclic actions.
Nonlinear unknown input observer using mean value theorem and genetic algorithm
Authors: Messaoud Ramzi Ben
Published: November 2018

In this note, we consider a new unknown input observer design for nonlinear systems. The main idea consists in determining the estimation error and mean value theorem parameters ([Formula: see text]) to introduce them into proposed observer structure. This process is designed on the basis of mean value theorem and genetic algorithm. The stability study relies on the use of a classical quadratic Lyapunov function. The observer’s gains are determined systematically. For the validation of theoretical development proposed in this paper, we consider two practical realizations that deals with the secure communication problem.
Spectral Kurtosis-Based RFI Mitigation for CHIME
Authors: Taylor Jacob , Denman Nolan , Bandura Kevin , Berger Philippe , Masui Kiyoshi , Renard Andre , Tretyakov Ian , Vanderlinde Keith
Published: November 2018

We present the implementation of a spectral kurtosis-based Radio-Frequency Interference detection system on the CHIME instrument and its reduced-scale pathfinder. Our implementation extends single-receiver formulations to the case of a compact array, combining samples from multiple receivers to improve the confidence with which RFI is detected. Through comparison between on-sky data and simulations, we show that the statistical properties of the canonical spectral kurtosis estimator are functionally unchanged by cross-array integration. Moreover, by comparison of simultaneous data from CHIME and the Pathfinder, we evaluate our implementation’s capacity for interference discrimination for compact arrays of various sizes. We conclude that a spectral kurtosis-based implementation provides a scalable, high cadence RFI discriminator for compact multi-receiver arrays.
Baryon Acoustic Oscillations from Integrated Neutral Gas Observations: Radio Frequency Interference Measurements and Telescope Site Selection
Authors: Peel M. W. , Wuensche C. A. , Abdalla E. , Antón S. , Barosi L. , Browne I. W. A. , Caldas M. , Dickinson C. , Fornazier K. S. F. , Monstein C. , Strauss C. , Tancredi G. , Villela T.
Published: November 2018

The Baryon acoustic oscillations from Integrated Neutral Gas Observations (BINGO) telescope is a new 40[Formula: see text]m class radio telescope to measure the large-angular-scale intensity of H i emission at 980–1260[Formula: see text]MHz to constrain dark energy parameters. As it needs to measure faint cosmological signals at the milliKelvin level, it requires a site that has very low radio frequency interference (RFI) at frequencies around 1[Formula: see text]GHz. We report on measurement campaigns across Uruguay and Brazil to find a suitable site, which looked at the strength of the mobile phone signals and other radio transmissions, the location of wind turbines, and also included mapping airplane flight paths. The site chosen for the BINGO telescope is a valley at Serra do Urubu, a remote part of Paraíba in North-East Brazil, which has sheltering terrain. During our measurements with a portable receiver, we did not detect any RFI in or near the BINGO band, given the sensitivity of the equipment. A radio quiet zone around the selected site has been requested from the Brazilian authorities ahead of the telescope construction.
Structural Model for Fibre‐Reinforced Precast Concrete Sandwich Panels
Authors: Segura-Castillo Luis , García Nicolás , Rodríguez Viacava Iliana , Rodríguez de Sensale Gemma
Published: November 2018

Fibre‐reinforced concrete (FRC) has been used in numerous types of precast elements around the world, as has been shown that reductions in production costs and time can be obtained; however, there is little experience of this material in Uruguay. Therefore, our study analysed the feasibility of its utilisation in this country. This paper reports on the development of a simple analysis model that is useful for the design of FRC precast elements. The model efficiency was evaluated through its application to a practical case study—vertical precast concrete sandwich panel systems tested by bending. Three different types of reinforcement were analysed: synthetic fibres, metal fibres, and steel mesh. With the developed model, the cost‐efficiency of different panel geometries and amounts of reinforcement were evaluated. The model allowed consideration of the contribution of the fibres to withstand internal tensile forces of the panels and therefore be able to substitute for the steel mesh in the panel wythes. It was found that it was possible to optimise panel reinforcement and geometry, thereby reducing wythe thickness. Besides the reduction in production time, it was possible to achieve cost savings of up to 10% by replacing steel mesh with fibres and of more than 20% if the geometry was also modified.
African Herbal Remedies with Antioxidant Activity: A Potential Resource Base for Wound Treatment
Authors: Gulumian Mary , Yahaya Ewura Seidu , Steenkamp Vanessa
Published: November 2018

The use of traditional herbal remedies as alternative medicine plays an important role in Africa since it forms part of primary health care for treatment of various medical conditions, including wounds. Although physiological levels of free radicals are essential to the healing process, they are known to partly contribute to wound chronicity when in excess. Consequently, antioxidant therapy has been shown to facilitate healing of such wounds. Also, a growing body of evidence suggests that, at least, part of the therapeutic value of herbals may be explained by their antioxidant activity. This paper reviews African herbal remedies with antioxidant activity with the aim of indicating potential resources for wound treatment. Firstly, herbals with identified antioxidant compounds and, secondly, herbals with proven antioxidant activity, but where the compound(s) responsible for the activity has not yet been identified, are listed. In the latter case it has been attempted to ascribe the activity to a compound known to be present in the plant family and/or species, where related activity has previously been documented for another genus of the species. Also, the tests employed to assess antioxidant activity and the potential caveats thereof during assessment are briefly commented on.
Traffic Signal Coordination for Tramlines with Passive Priority Strategy
Authors: Bai Yun , Li Jiajie , Li Tang , Yang Lingling , Lyu Chenxi
Published: November 2018

Prioritizing traffic signals for trams crossing intersections without stops can increase the service punctuality and travel speed of trams, but it may also increase the delays of other vehicles at intersections. This paper presents a model on coordinated control of traffic signals among successive intersections along the tramline, taking into account driving characteristics of trams and vehicles. The objective is maximizing the valid bandwidth of vehicle green wave to reduce vehicle delays, while the trams cross intersections without stops. Linear Interactive and General Optimizer (LINGO) is applied to solve the proposed model and VISSIM simulation software is adopted to assess the solutions attained by the proposed model and the previous TRAMBAND model. Case studies show that the solutions given by the proposed model facilitate trams to go through all intersections along the tramline without stops. In comparison with the TRAMBAND model, the proposed model reduces tram delay by 13.14 s/pcu and increases the throughput of vehicles at intersections by 4.45% and reduces vehicle delays by 2.22%. Extensive simulations have verified that the performance of the proposed model is stable under different tram headways, dwell time, and traffic volumes. It is also found that the tram headway must be multiple of traffic signal cycle time to completely realize green wave control of all trams at all intersections along the tramline.
Machine Learning and Imaging Informatics in Oncology
Authors: Tseng Huan-Hsin , Wei Lise , Cui Sunan , Luo Yi , Ten Haken Randall K. , El Naqa Issam
Published: November 2018

In the era of personalized and precision medicine, informatics technologies utilizing machine learning (ML) and quantitative imaging are witnessing a rapidly increasing role in medicine in general and in oncology in particular. This expanding role ranges from computer-aided diagnosis to decision support of treatments with the potential to transform the current landscape of cancer management. In this review, we aim to provide an overview of ML methodologies and imaging informatics techniques and their recent application in modern oncology. We will review example applications of ML in oncology from the literature, identify current challenges and highlight future potentials.
Stroke due to Paradoxical Embolization Related to Fibroid Uterus Enlargement Compressing the Right Common Iliac Vein
Authors: Morales Vidal Sarkis , Verma Geeta , Goldschmidt Carolyn , Biller José
Published: November 2018

Stroke in young women is commonly cryptogenic or associated with an underlying hypercoagulable state (e.g., hormonal contraception). Paradoxical embolization has been postulated as a potential risk factor for stroke in young adults. Many sources of venous thrombosis leading to paradoxical embolization have been described. There have been few reported cases of uterine enlargement leading to iliac vein compression and paradoxical embolization. We present the case of a young adult woman who had a left middle cerebral artery infarction related to patent foramen ovale and right common iliac vein compression from an enlarged fibroid uterus.
Medical Cannabis for Adult Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Sociological Patient Case Report of Cannabinoid Therapeutics in Finland
Authors: Hupli Aleksi Mikael Markunpoika
Published: November 2018

This paper presents a detailed patient case report of a male patient who was diagnosed in adulthood (aged 33) with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and treated initially with immediate-release methylphenidate (Ritalin® 10 mg twice daily). After experiencing adverse effects from prolonged use of this medication and afterwards other medications that were prescribed as alternatives, the patient discovered that cannabinoid therapeutics (CT) had been experimented inside the EU area to treat patients with ADHD. Subsequently, he was evaluated by a physician in Germany (June 2010) who prescribed CT (Bedrocan®, Bediol®). A Finnish neurologist later confirmed the two prescribed medicines (Bedrocan®, October 2010; Bediol®, May 2011) in the patient’s own country of permanent residence (Finland). During a 5-year period of access, Bedrocan®, which mainly contains Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC), was found to be helpful in alleviating the patient’s ADHD symptoms, in particular poor tolerance to frustration, outbursts of anger, boredom, and problems related to concentration. The second CT medication, Bediol®, which contains both Δ9-THC and the phytocannabinoid cannabidiol, was found to neutralize the excessive dronabinol effects of Bedrocan® as well as zo offer other medical benefits (e.g., improved sleep). In addition to the case report, this paper also offers a brief review of the literature surrounding the medical benefits of CT for AD(H)D, which includes observational studies, clinical case reports, and one randomized clinical experiment. This paper also briefly discusses the endocannabinoid system in relation to ADHD, although more preclinical and clinical research is warranted to establish the optimal levels of cannabinoids, terpenes, and dosing regimens, which vary between different ADHD patients.