bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Stable Nonlinear Trilateral Impedance Control for Dual-User Haptic Teleoperation Systems With Communication Delays
Authors: Sharifi Mojtaba , Salarieh Hassan , Behzadipour Saeed , Tavakoli Mahdi
Published: June 2017

A new nonlinear adaptive impedance-based trilateral controller is proposed to ensure the absolute stability of multi-degrees-of-freedom (DOFs) dual-user haptic teleoperation systems subjected to communication delays. Using this strategy, reference impedance models are realized for the trilateral teleoperation system represented by a three-port network to facilitate cooperation of two human operators in order to perform a remote physical task. For this purpose, an impedance model defines the desired haptic interaction between the two human operators, while another impedance model specifies the desired behavior of the slave robot in terms of tracking the mater robots' trajectories during interaction with the remote environment. It is shown that different performance goals such as position synchronization and force reflection can be achieved via different adjustments to the impedance parameters. The sufficient conditions for the trilateral haptic system's absolute stability are investigated in terms of the impedance models' parameters. Accordingly, guidelines for modification of the impedance parameters are obtained to guarantee the absolute stability of the trilateral haptic system in the presence of communication time delays. A trilateral nonlinear version of the model reference adaptive impedance control (MRAIC) scheme is developed for implementing the proposed reference impedance models on the masters and the slave. The convergence of robots' trajectories to desired responses and the robustness against modeling uncertainties are ensured using the proposed controller as proven by the Lyapunov stability theorem. The proposed impedance-based control strategy is evaluated experimentally by employing a nonlinear multi-DOFs teleoperated trilateral haptic system with and without communication delays.
Comparison of Two Methods for Sensitivity Analysis of Compressor Blades
Authors: Schmidt Robin , Voigt Matthias , Vogeler Konrad , Meyer Marcus
Published: June 2017

This paper will compare two approaches of sensitivity analysis, namely (i) the adjoint method which is used to obtain an initial estimate of the geometric sensitivity of the gas-washed surfaces to aerodynamic quantities of interest and (ii) a Monte Carlo type simulation with an efficient sampling strategy. For both approaches, the geometry is parameterized using a modified NACA parameterization. First, the sensitivity of those parameters is calculated using the linear (first-order) adjoint model. Since the effort of the adjoint computational fluid dynamics (CFD) solution is comparable to that of the initial flow CFD solution and the sensitivity calculation is simply a postprocessing step, this approach yields fast results. However, it relies on a linear model which may not be adequate to describe the relationship between relevant aerodynamic quantities and actual geometric shape variations for the derived amplitudes of shape variations. Second, in order to better capture nonlinear and interaction effects, a Monte Carlo type simulation with an efficient sampling strategy is used to carry out the sensitivity analysis. The sensitivities are expressed by means of the coefficient of importance (CoI), which is calculated based on modified polynomial regression and therefore able to describe relationships of higher order. The methods are applied to a typical high-pressure compressor (HPC) stage. The impact of a variable rotor geometry is calculated by three-dimensional (3D) CFD simulations using a steady Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes model. The geometric variability of the rotor is based on the analysis of a set of 400 blades which have been measured using high-precision 3D optical measurement techniques.
Development of an adaptive scaling method for subjective listening effort
Authors: Krueger Melanie , Schulte Michael , Brand Thomas , Holube Inga
Published: June 2017

An adaptive procedure for controlling the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) when rating the subjectively perceived listening effort (Adaptive Categorical Listening Effort Scaling) is described. For this, the listening effort is rated on a categorical scale with 14 steps after the presentation of three sentences in a background masker. In a first phase of the procedure, the individual SNR range for ratings from “no effort” to “extreme effort” is estimated. In the following phases, stimuli with randomly selected SNRs within this range are presented. One or two linear regression lines are fitted to the data describing subjective listening effort as a function of SNR. The results of the adaptive procedure are independent of the initial SNR. Although a static procedure using fixed, predefined SNRs produced similar results, the adaptive procedure avoided lengthy pretests for suitable SNRs and limited possible bias in the rating procedures. The adaptive procedure resolves individual differences, as well as differences between maskers. Inter-individual standard deviations are about three times as large as intra-individual standard deviations and the intra-class correlation coefficient for test-retest reliability is, on average, 0.9.
Two Tales of Cytauxzoon felis Infections in Domestic Cats
Authors: Wang Jin-Lei , Li Ting-Ting , Liu Guo-Hua , Zhu Xing-Quan , Yao Chaoqun
Published: June 2017

Cytauxzoonosis is an emerging infectious disease that affects wild felids as well as the domestic cat; it is caused by the apicomplexan protozoan parasites belonging to the genusCytauxzoon.Cytauxzoonfelisis the species of major concern, whose transmission occurs via the bite of an infected tick. Cytauxzoonosis of the domestic cat has historically been considered uniformly fatal, with a short course of illness, and most domestic cats die within 9 to 15 days postinfection. However, increasing evidence of domestic cats survivingC. felisinfection suggests the existence of different strains with various levels of pathogenicity. Although wild felids are considered natural reservoirs for this parasite, a number of studies suggest that domestic cats that have survived nonlethal infections may serve as an additional reservoir. The current article comprehensively reviews the parasite and its life cycle, geographic distribution, genetic variability, and pathogenesis, as well as host immunology and the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of infection in the domestic cat. This information should provide a basis for better understanding the parasite as well as the pathogenesis of the disease.
The Pneumococcal Serotype 15C Capsule Is Partially O-Acetylated and Allows for Limited Evasion of 23-Valent Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Vaccine-Elicited Anti-Serotype 15B Antibodies
Authors: Spencer Brady L. , Shenoy Anukul T. , Orihuela Carlos J. , Nahm Moon H.
Published: June 2017

As a species,
Streptococcus pneumoniae
(the pneumococcus) utilizes a diverse array of capsular polysaccharides to evade the host. In contrast to large variations in sugar composition and linkage formation, O-acetylation is a subtle capsular modification that nonetheless has a large impact on capsular shielding and recognition of the capsule by vaccine-elicited antibodies. Serotype 15B, which is included in the 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPV23), carries the putative O-acetyltransferase gene
wciZ
. The coding sequence of
wciZ
contains eight consecutive TA repeats [(TA)
8
]. Replication slippage is thought to result in the addition or loss of TA repeats, subsequently causing frameshift and truncation of WciZ to yield a nonacetylated serotype, 15C. Using sensitive serological tools, we show that serotype 15C isolates whose
wciZ
contains seven or nine TA repeats retain partial O-acetylation, while serotype 15C isolates whose
wciZ
contains six TA repeats have barely detectable O-acetylation. We confirmed by inhibition enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay that (TA)
7
serotype 15C is ∼0.1% as acetylated as serotype 15B, while serotype 15X is nonacetylated. To eliminate the impact of genetic background, we created isogenic serotype 15B, (TA)
7
serotype 15C, and 15BΔ
wciZ
(15X) strains and found that reduction or absence of WciZ-mediated O-acetylation did not affect capsular shielding from phagocytes, biofilm formation, adhesion to nasopharyngeal cells, desiccation tolerance, or murine colonization. Sera from PPV23-immunized persons opsonized serotype 15B significantly but only slightly better than serotypes 15C and 15X; thus, PPV23 may not result in expansion of serotype 15C.
Rapid Differentiation of Haemophilus influenzae and Haemophilus haemolyticus by Use of Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization–Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry with ClinProTools Mass Spectrum Analysis
Authors: Chen Jonathan H. K. , Cheng Vincent C. C. , Wong Chun-Pong , Wong Sally C. Y. , Yam Wing-Cheong , Yuen Kwok-Yung
Published: June 2017

Haemophilus influenzae
is associated with severe invasive disease, while
Haemophilus haemolyticus
is considered part of the commensal flora in the human respiratory tract. Although the addition of a custom mass spectrum library into the matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization–time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) system could improve identification of these two species, the establishment of such a custom database is technically complicated and requires a large amount of resources, which most clinical laboratories cannot afford. In this study, we developed a mass spectrum analysis model with 7 mass peak biomarkers for the identification of
H. influenzae
and
H. haemolyticus
using the ClinProTools software. We evaluated the diagnostic performance of this model using 408
H. influenzae
and
H. haemolyticus
isolates from clinical respiratory specimens from 363 hospitalized patients and compared the identification results with those obtained with the Bruker IVD MALDI Biotyper. The IVD MALDI Biotyper identified only 86.9% of
H. influenzae
(311/358) and 98.0% of
H. haemolyticus
(49/50) clinical isolates to the species level. In comparison, the ClinProTools mass spectrum model could identify 100% of
H. influenzae
(358/358) and
H. haemolyticus
(50/50) clinical strains to the species level and significantly improved the species identification rate (McNemar's test,
P
< 0.0001). In conclusion, the use of ClinProTools demonstrated an alternative way for users lacking special expertise in mass spectrometry to handle closely related bacterial species when the proprietary spectrum library failed. This approach should be useful for the differentiation of other closely related bacterial species.
Genome-Wide Analysis of 18 Epstein-Barr Viruses Isolated from Primary Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Biopsy Specimens
Authors: Tu Chaofeng , Zeng Zhaoyang , Qi Peng , Li Xiayu , Yu Zhengyuan , Guo Can , Xiong Fang , Xiang Bo , Zhou Ming , Gong Zhaojian , Liao Qianjin , Yu Jianjun , He Yi , Zhang Wenling , Li Xiaoling , Li Yong , Li Guiyuan , Xiong Wei
Published: June 2017

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a ubiquitous gammaherpesvirus that is highly prevalent in almost all human populations and is associated with many human cancers, such as nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), Hodgkin's disease, and gastric carcinoma. However, in these EBV-associated cancers, only NPC exhibits remarkable ethnic and geographic distribution. We hypothesized that EBV genomic variations might contribute to the pathogenesis of different human cancers in different geographic areas. In this study, we collected 18 NPC biopsy specimens from the Hunan Province in southern China and
de novo
assembled 18 NPC biopsy specimen-derived EBV (NPC-EBV) genomes, designated HN1 to HN18. This was achieved through target enrichment of EBV DNA by hybridization, followed by next-generation sequencing, to reveal sequence diversity. These EBV genomes harbored 20,570 variations totally, including 20,328 substitutions, 88 insertions, and 154 deletions, compared to the EBV reference genome. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that all NPC-EBV genomes were distinct from other EBV genomes. Furthermore, HN1 to HN18 had some nonsynonymous variations in EBV genes including genes encoding latent, early lytic, and tegument proteins, such as substitutions within transmembrane domains 1 and 3 of LMP1, FoP_duplication, and zf-AD domains of ENBA1, in addition to aberrations in noncoding regions, especially in BamHI A rightward transcript microRNAs. These variations might have potential biological significance. In conclusion, we reported a genome-wide view of sequence variation in EBV isolated from primary NPC biopsy specimens obtained from the Hunan Province. This might contribute to further understanding of how genomic variations contribute to carcinogenesis, which would impact the treatment of EBV-associated cancer.

IMPORTANCE
Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is highly associated with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection and exhibits remarkable ethnic and geographic distribution. Hunan Province in southern China has a high incidence rate of NPCs. Here, we report 18 novel EBV genome sequences from viruses isolated from primary NPC biopsy specimens in this region, revealing whole-genome sequence diversity.
Mother-to-Child HIV Transmission Bottleneck Selects for Consensus Virus with Lower Gag-Protease-Driven Replication Capacity
Authors: Naidoo Vanessa L. , Mann Jaclyn K. , Noble Christie , Adland Emily , Carlson Jonathan M. , Thomas Jake , Brumme Chanson J. , Thobakgale-Tshabalala Christina F. , Brumme Zabrina L. , Brockman Mark A. , Goulder Philip J. R. , Ndung'u Thumbi
Published: June 2017

In the large majority of cases, HIV infection is established by a single variant, and understanding the characteristics of successfully transmitted variants is relevant to prevention strategies. Few studies have investigated the viral determinants of mother-to-child transmission. To determine the impact of Gag-protease-driven viral replication capacity on mother-to-child transmission, the replication capacities of 148 recombinant viruses encoding plasma-derived Gag-protease from 53 nontransmitter mothers, 48 transmitter mothers, and 47 infected infants were assayed in an HIV-1-inducible green fluorescent protein reporter cell line. All study participants were infected with HIV-1 subtype C. There was no significant difference in replication capacities between the nontransmitter (
n
= 53) and transmitter (
n
= 44) mothers (
P
= 0.48). Infant-derived Gag-protease NL4-3 recombinant viruses (
n
= 41) were found to have a significantly lower Gag-protease-driven replication capacity than that of viruses derived from the mothers (
P
< 0.0001 by a paired
t
test). High percent similarities to consensus subtype C Gag, p17, p24, and protease sequences were also found in the infants (
n
= 28) in comparison to their mothers (
P
= 0.07,
P
= 0.002,
P
= 0.03, and
P
= 0.02, respectively, as determined by a paired
t
test). These data suggest that of the viral quasispecies found in mothers, the HIV mother-to-child transmission bottleneck favors the transmission of consensus-like viruses with lower viral replication capacities.

IMPORTANCE
Understanding the characteristics of successfully transmitted HIV variants has important implications for preventative interventions. Little is known about the viral determinants of HIV mother-to-child transmission (MTCT). We addressed the role of viral replication capacity driven by Gag, a major structural protein that is a significant determinant of overall viral replicative ability and an important target of the host immune response, in the MTCT bottleneck. This study advances our understanding of the genetic bottleneck in MTCT by revealing that viruses transmitted to infants have a lower replicative ability as well as a higher similarity to the population consensus (in this case HIV subtype C) than those of their mothers. Furthermore, the observation that “consensus-like” virus sequences correspond to lower
in vitro
replication abilities yet appear to be preferentially transmitted suggests that viral characteristics favoring transmission are decoupled from those that enhance replicative capacity.
Functional Evolution of Influenza Virus NS1 Protein in Currently Circulating Human 2009 Pandemic H1N1 Viruses
Authors: Clark Amelia M. , Nogales Aitor , Martinez-Sobrido Luis , Topham David J. , DeDiego Marta L.
Published: June 2017

In 2009, a novel H1N1 influenza virus emerged in humans, causing a global pandemic. It was previously shown that the NS1 protein from this human 2009 pandemic H1N1 (pH1N1) virus was an effective interferon (IFN) antagonist but could not inhibit general host gene expression, unlike other NS1 proteins from seasonal human H1N1 and H3N2 viruses. Here we show that the NS1 protein from currently circulating pH1N1 viruses has evolved to encode 6 amino acid changes (E55K, L90I, I123V, E125D, K131E, and N205S) with respect to the original protein. Notably, these 6 residue changes restore the ability of pH1N1 NS1 to inhibit general host gene expression, mainly by their ability to restore binding to the cellular factor CPSF30. This is the first report describing the ability of the pH1N1 NS1 protein to naturally acquire mutations that restore this function. Importantly, a recombinant pH1N1 virus containing these 6 amino acid changes in the NS1 protein (pH1N1/NSs-6mut) inhibited host IFN and proinflammatory responses to a greater extent than that with the parental virus (pH1N1/NS1-wt), yet virus titers were not significantly increased in cell cultures or in mouse lungs, and the disease was partially attenuated. The pH1N1/NSs-6mut virus grew similarly to pH1N1/NSs-wt in mouse lungs, but infection with pH1N1/NSs-6mut induced lower levels of proinflammatory cytokines, likely due to a general inhibition of gene expression mediated by the mutated NS1 protein. This lower level of inflammation induced by the pH1N1/NSs-6mut virus likely accounts for the attenuated disease phenotype and may represent a host-virus adaptation affecting influenza virus pathogenesis.

IMPORTANCE
Seasonal influenza A viruses (IAVs) are among the most common causes of respiratory infections in humans. In addition, occasional pandemics are caused when IAVs circulating in other species emerge in the human population. In 2009, a swine-origin H1N1 IAV (pH1N1) was transmitted to humans, infecting people then and up to the present. It was previously shown that the NS1 protein from the 2009 pandemic H1N1 (pH1N1) virus is not able to inhibit general gene expression. However, currently circulating pH1N1 viruses have evolved to encode 6 amino acid changes (E55K, L90I, I123V, E125D, K131E, and N205S) that allow the NS1 protein of contemporary pH1N1 strains to inhibit host gene expression, which correlates with its ability to interact with CPSF30. Infection with a recombinant pH1N1 virus encoding these 6 amino acid changes (pH1N1/NSs-6mut) induced lower levels of proinflammatory cytokines, resulting in viral attenuation
in vivo
. This might represent an adaptation of pH1N1 virus to humans.
Analysis of Herpes Simplex Virus Reactivation in Explant Reveals a Method-Dependent Difference in Measured Timing of Reactivation
Authors: Doll Jessica R. , Sawtell Nancy M.
Published: June 2017

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection is widespread in the human population. Following orofacial infection, HSV establishes latency in innervating sensory neurons, primarily located in the trigeminal ganglia. A central feature of HSV pathogenesis is the ability to periodically reactivate in those neurons and be transported back to the body surface. Both transmission and disease, such as keratitis, encephalitis, and neurodegeneration, have been linked to reactivation. Despite invaluable insights obtained from model systems, interactions between viral and host functions that regulate reactivation are still incompletely understood. Various assays are used for measuring reactivation in animal models, but there have been limited comparisons between methods and the accuracy of detecting the timing of reactivation and the corresponding amount of infectious virus produced in the ganglia per reactivation event. Here, we directly compare two approaches for measuring reactivation in latently infected explanted ganglia by sampling media from the explanted cultures or by homogenization of the ganglia and compare the results to viral protein expression in the whole ganglia. We show that infectious virus detection by direct homogenization of explanted ganglia correlates with viral protein expression, but detection of infectious virus in medium samples from explanted cultures does not occur until extensive spread of virus is observed in the ganglia. The medium-sampling method is therefore not reflective of the initial timing of reactivation, and the additional variables influencing spread of virus in the ganglia should be considered when interpreting results obtained using this method.

IMPORTANCE
The development of treatments to prevent and/or treat HSV infection rely upon understanding viral and host factors that influence reactivation. Progress is dependent on experimental methods that accurately measure the frequency and timing of reactivation in latently infected neurons. In this study, two methods for detecting reactivation using the explant model are compared. We show through direct tissue homogenization that reactivation occurs much earlier than can be detected by the indirect method of sampling media from explanted cultures. Thus, the sampling method does not detect the initial timing of reactivation, and results obtained using this method are subject to additional variables with the potential to obscure reactivation outcomes.
Gene Knockout Shows That PML (TRIM19) Does Not Restrict the Early Stages of HIV-1 Infection in Human Cell Lines
Authors: Masroori Nasser , Cherry Pearl , Merindol Natacha , Li Jia-xin , Dufour Caroline , Poulain Lina , Plourde Mélodie B. , Berthoux Lionel
Published: June 2017

PML is involved in innate immune mechanisms against both DNA and RNA viruses. Although the mechanism by which PML inhibits highly divergent viruses is unclear, it was recently found that it can increase the transcription of interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs). However, whether human PML inhibits HIV-1 has been debated. Here we provide unambiguous, knockout-based evidence that PML does not restrict the early postentry stages of HIV-1 infection in a variety of human cell types and does not participate in the inhibition of HIV-1 by IFN-I. Although this study does not exclude the possibility of other mechanisms by which PML may interfere with HIV-1, we nonetheless demonstrate that PML does not generally act as an HIV-1 restriction factor in human cells and that its presence is not required for IFN-I to stimulate the expression of anti-HIV-1 genes. These results contribute to uncovering the landscape of HIV-1 inhibition by ISGs in human cells.
A pilot study of interprofessional palliative care education of medical students in the UK and USA
Authors: Gadoud Amy , Lu Wei-Hsin , Strano-Paul Lisa , Lane Susan , Boland Jason W
Published: June 2017

Background

Educating medical students to care for patients at the end-of-life is increasingly recognised as an essential component of training. Traditionally, medical student programmes are run by doctors, but patient care is delivered by an interprofessional team. Our programmes in the UK and USA independently developed a teaching experience led by an interprofessional team of palliative care health professionals.

Objectives

This study explores the palliative care health professionals’ perceptions, regarding their unique role in medical student palliative care education.

Methods

This is the first study to ascertain views of an interprofessional team delivering palliative care education to medical students. Focus groups enable interaction between members of the group as well as the generation of consensus of comments among group members.

Results

Two major themes were identified: perceived benefits and value of the experience, and the challenges and lessons learnt from the experiences.

Conclusions

Despite different structures and settings, this experiential learning in palliative care provided a rewarding interprofessional experience that has historically been difficult to achieve.
Reduced angiomotin p130 expression correlates with poor prognosis in lung adenocarcinoma
Authors: Jang Si-Hyong , Cho Hyun Deuk , Lee Ji-Hye , Lee Hyun Ju , Hong Soon Auck , Cho Junhun , Kim Han Jo , Oh Mee-Hye
Published: June 2017

Aims

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, and it still results in a poor prognosis despite research and development of a treatment modality. Angiomotin (AMOT) was first described as a protein involved in angiogenesis, and although the oncogenic and tumour-suppressive roles of AMOT were recently reported, the biological function of AMOT has not yet been clarified. The aim of this study was thus to evaluate the relationship between reduced AMOT p130 expression and clinicopathological parameters, including patients' survival.

Methods

We enrolled 67 patients with lung adenocarcinoma in this study and measured the immunoreactivity of AMOT p130 in a tissue microarray. The data were analysed using a χ2test, Cox regression hazards model and log-rank test with Kaplan–Meier curves.

Results

Reduced AMOT p130 expression is related to lung adenocarcinoma developed at a young age with statistical significance, but there is no statistical significance for the other clinicopathological parameters. Kaplan–Meier curves with log-rank test showed that reduced AMOT p130 expression had significantly better survival rate compared with the retained group (p=0.002). Univariable and multivariable analyses of the disease free survival revealed that the decreased AMOT expression was an independent prognostic factor (p=0.004, p=0.008, respectively).

Conclusions

Decreased AMOT p130 could be an independent indicator of poor survival in patients with lung adenocarcinoma.
Performance of urinalysis tests and their ability in predicting results of urine cultures: a comparison between automated test strip analyser and flow cytometry in various subpopulations and types of samples
Authors: Yusuf Erlangga , Van Herendael Bruno , van Schaeren Jef
Published: June 2017

Aims

Results of urinalysis are available earlier than urine culture results. If urinalysis can predict results of culture, early decision can be made on treatment and whether urine samples should be cultured. This study sought to compare the performance of urinalysis tests by automated test strip analyser (nitrite and leucocyte esterase) with flow cytometry (bacteria and white cell count) in different subpopulations and types of samples.

Methods

Consecutive urine samples (n=2351) from a population with a median age of 45 years, 37.2% men, were tested. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value (NPV) of the tests were calculated using contingency tables. The gold standard was positive urine culture with cut-off >105CFU/mL.

Results

14% of the cultures were positive (95.6% monomicrobial, 74.7%Enterobacteriaceae). Overall, nitrite test was the most specific (98.7%) but the least sensitive (43.2%). Bacteria count was the most sensitive (91.7%) and highly specific (87.5%). In infants <24 months, the sensitivity of bacteria count was reduced (86.1%), but specificity was high (95.9%). The specificity of nitrite was reduced in urine from the in-and-out procedure (81.9%). The sensitivity of bacteria count was reduced in bag specimens urine (83.3%) and in urine from indwelling catheter (84.7%). All tests showed a high NPV. The NPV of the combined flow cytometry tests was higher than those of automated test strip analyser (99.1% vs 97.4%).

Conclusions

Overall, the performance of urinalysis is excellent. Flow cytometry tests performed better than automated test strip analyser in ruling out urine to be cultured.
Pattern of pressure gradient alterations after venous sinus stenting for idiopathic intracranial hypertension predicts stent-adjacent stenosis: a proposed classification system
Authors: Raper Daniel , Buell Thomas J , Ding Dale , Chen Ching-Jen , Starke Robert M , Liu Kenneth C
Published: June 2017

Objective

Venous sinus stenting (VSS) is a safe and effective treatment for idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) with angiographic venous sinus stenosis. However, predictors of stent-adjacent stenosis (SAS) remain poorly defined.

Methods

We performed a retrospective review of 47 patients with IIH and intracranial venous stenosis who underwent VSS with pre- and post-stent venography. Patient characteristics, treatments and outcomes were reviewed. Changes in pressure gradient after VSS were classified according to pattern of gradient resolution into types I–III.

Results

Type I gradient resolution, in which mean venous pressure (MVP) in the transverse sinus (TS) decreases towards MVP in the sigmoid sinus (SS), occurred in 18 patients (38.3%). Type II gradient resolution pattern, in which SS MVP increases towards that in the TS, occurred in 7patients (14.9%). Type III pattern, in which MVP equilibrates to a middle value, occurred in 22patients (46.8%). SAS occurred in 0%, 28.6%, and 22.7% of patients in types I, II and III, respectively. Compared with patients with type I gradient resolution, SAS was more common in those with type II (p=0.0181) and type III (p=0.0306) patterns.

Conclusions

The pattern of change in the trans-stenosis venous pressure gradient may be predictive of SAS and is a useful tool for classifying the response of the venous obstruction to stenting. A type I pattern appears to represent the ideal response to VSS. Some patients with type II and III changes, particularly if they have other predictors of recurrent stenosis, may benefit from longer initial stent constructs.
Effects of microstructure and liquid loading on velocity dispersion of leaky Rayleigh waves at liquid–solid interface
Authors: Sharma Vikas , Kumar Satish
Published: June 2017

Inner atomic interactions at the micro scale produce new effects that cannot be accounted for by the classical theory of elasticity. To study the impact of the microstructures of the material, generalized continuum theories involving additional microstructural material parameters are preferred. One such microcontinuum theory involving an additional material parameter called internal characteristic length (l) is a consistent couple stress theory. The study of leaky Rayleigh waves generated at the interface of solid half-space with liquid layer is of great importance for quick scanning and imaging of large civil engineering structures. The problem of leaky Rayleigh waves propagating in elastic half-space under liquid loading has been studied in the context of this consistent couple stress theory. Dispersion equations are obtained by developing the mathematical model of the problem. Phase velocity of leaky Rayleigh waves is studied for three different values of characteristic length parameter (l), which is of the order of internal cell size of the material. Effects of thickness of liquid layer are also studied on the phase velocity profiles.
An Optimal Control Problem in a Risk Model with Stochastic Premiums and Periodic Dividend Payments
Authors: Yang Xixi , Tan Jiyang , Zhang Hanjun , Li Ziqiang
Published: June 2017

In this paper, a discrete-time risk model is considered. We assume that the premium received in each time interval is a positive real-valued random variable, and the sequence of premiums is a Markov chain. In any time interval the probability of a claim occurrence is related to the premium received in the corresponding period. We discuss control strategies for dividends paid periodically to the shareholders under two cases: absence and presence of ceiling restriction for dividend rates. We provide algorithms and some properties for the optimal control strategies by transforming the value function.
Inflationary cosmology in unimodular F(T) gravity
Authors: Bamba Kazuharu , Odintsov Sergei D. , Saridakis Emmanuel N.
Published: June 2017

We investigate the inflationary realization in the context of unimodular F(T) gravity, which is based on the F(T) modification of teleparallel gravity, in which one imposes the unimodular condition through the use of Lagrange multipliers. We develop the general reconstruction procedure of the F(T) form that can give rise to a given scale-factor evolution, and then we apply it in the inflationary regime. We extract the Hubble slow-roll parameters that allow us to calculate various inflation-related observables, such as the scalar spectral index and its running, the tensor-to-scalar ratio, and the tensor spectral index. Then, we examine the particular cases of de Sitter and power-law inflation, of Starobinsky inflation, as well as inflation in a specific model of unimodular F(T) gravity. As we show, in all cases the predictions of our scenarios are in a very good agreement with Planck observational data. Finally, inflation in unimodular F(T) gravity has the additional advantage that it always allows for a graceful exit for specific regions of the model parameters.
Revealing the Gap Between Skills of Students and the Evolving Skills Required by the Industry of Information and Communication Technology
Authors: Mohammad Akhriza Tubagus , Ma Yinghua , Li Jianhua
Published: June 2017

Along with the fast development in information and communication technology (ICT), job skills required by ICT industries are also evolving very rapidly. It becomes difficult for ICT students to assess the gap between their skills and such evolving skills. Even though schools perform periodical curriculum evaluations, the time gap between the evaluations causes the curriculum to get out-of-date easily since it is unable to cope with the tremendous and quick changes occurring in the industry. We propose novel solutions by introducing some measures and visualization tools to reveal such skills’ gap. Using evolutionary-based data mining, the skillsets mastered by students were collected from their study reports, while the frequent skillsets required by the industry were mined out from job adverts; and based on these skillsets the skill coverage of the students was approximated. The proposed solutions were then tested on data obtained from an Indonesian higher education institution since Indonesia implements competence-based curriculum in its education system. Experimental works show that the proposed approaches not only reveal and visualize the gap, but also monitor the changes in the skills requirements, which also help the school’s administrator while updating the curriculum.
Functional Reward Markov Decision Processes: Theory and Applications
Authors: Weng Paul , Spanjaard Olivier
Published: June 2017

Markov decision processes (MDP) have become one of the standard models for decisiontheoretic planning problems under uncertainty. In its standard form, rewards are assumed to be numerical additive scalars. In this paper, we propose a generalization of this model allowing rewards to be functional. The value of a history is recursively computed by composing the reward functions. We show that several variants of MDPs presented in the literature can be instantiated in this setting. We then identify sufficient conditions on these reward functions for dynamic programming to be valid. We also discuss the infinite horizon case and the case where a maximum operator does not exist. In order to show the potential of our framework, we conclude the paper by presenting several illustrative examples.
rSLA: An Approach for Managing Service Level Agreements in Cloud Environments
Authors: Mohamed Mohamed , Anya Obinna , Tata Samir , Mandagere Nagapramod , Baracaldo Nathalie , Ludwig Heiko
Published: June 2017

Cloud providers offer services at different levels of abstraction from infrastructure to applications. The quality of Cloud services is a key determinant of the overall service level a provider offers to its customers. Service Level Agreements (SLAs) are (1) crucial for Cloud customers to ensure that promised levels of services are met, (2) an important sales instrument and (3) a differentiating factor for providers. Cloud providers and services are often selected more dynamically than in traditional IT services, and as a result, SLAs need to be set up and their monitoring implemented to match the same speed. In this context, managing SLAs is complex: different Cloud providers expose different management interfaces and SLA metrics differ from one provider to another. In this paper, we will analyze how IT service quality has been defined and managed over time, discuss how to manage SLAs in today’s multi-layer, multi-sourced Cloud environments, and what to expect going forward. A particular focus will be made on the rSLA framework that enables fast setup of SLA monitoring in dynamic and heterogeneous Cloud environments. The rSLA framework is made up of three main components: the rSLA language to formally represent SLAs, the rSLA Service, which interprets the SLAs and implements the behavior specified in them, and a set of Xlets-lightweight, dynamically bound adapters to monitoring and controlling interfaces. rSLA has been tested in the context of a real pilot and found to reduce the client on-boarding process from months to weeks.
Study of the Non-Linearity on TiO2(0 0 1) Surface with Oxygen Defects: A First-Principles Study
Authors: Dai Yuehua , Zhang Xu , Ma Chengzhi , Pan Zhiyong , Wang Feifei , Lu Wenjuan , Yang Jin , Yang Fei
Published: June 2017

First-principles plane-wave pseudopotential calculations were performed to study the energetics and electronic structures of oxygen defects on rutile TiO2(0 0 1). The influence of the material thickness on non-linearity (NL) was studied. With the increase in the thickness, the NL became stronger. Calculating the site-projected density of states by applying an external electric field showed that the NL of the bulk is due to the exchange of electrons between O 2p orbitals and Ti 3d orbitals. Finally, the influence of oxygen defects — oxygen vacancies (Vo), oxygen interstitials (Oi), and oxygen vacancies/oxygen interstitial (Vo[Formula: see text]Oi) pairs (Frenkel pair defects) — on the NL of TiO2 was studied. These results demonstrate that the band gap ([Formula: see text] of TiO2 became gradually narrower as the electric field increased. The Stark effect and defects can lead to the splitting of degenerate energy levels. Stronger electric fields increase the band splitting and reduce [Formula: see text]. With the increase in the Vo concentration, the decrease in the splitting amplitude and width of the energy level lead to weakening of the transfer of electrons between O and Ti atoms and optimizing the NL of TiO2. Therefore, the incorporation of Vo plays a significant role in improving the NL of TiO2.
Removal of Plasma-Induced Physical Damage Formed in Nanoscale Three-Dimensional FinFETs
Authors: Yoon Junho , Lee Jeongyun , Yoo Won Jong
Published: June 2017

During plasma etching for fin patterning in the three-dimensional (3D) FinFET structure, the exposure of the Si surface to plasma with reactive ions can induce physical damages, resulting in the degradation of electrical properties of the device. In this study, we evaluated the damage with a measurable value by simulation and surface damage analyses using HR-TEM and RBS. As a result, the degree of the damaged layer was strongly dependent on the energy of the ions bombarding the Si substrate during plasma etching. The damage was quantified with the interface defect density measured by the charge pumping method. Plasma etching with high ion energy showed approximately one order of magnitude higher defect density than that with low ion energy and/or wet etching with no ion bombardment. We introduced Si soft treatment (with very low ion energy) to remove the damaged layer. The Si soft treatment was very effective to remove the damage on a highly damaged silicon surface. However, the Si soft treatment itself increased the number of defects for a low damage silicon surface.
Surveillance to Inform Control of Emerging Plant Diseases: An Epidemiological Perspective
Authors: Parnell Stephen , van den Bosch Frank , Gottwald Tim , Gilligan Christopher A.
Published: June 2017

The rise in emerging pathogens and strains has led to increased calls for more effective surveillance in plant health. We show how epidemiological insights about the dynamics of disease spread can improve the targeting of when and where to sample. We outline some relatively simple but powerful statistical approaches to inform surveillance and describe how they can be adapted to include epidemiological information. This enables us to address questions such as: Following the first report of an invading pathogen, what is the likely incidence of disease? If no cases of disease have been found, how certain can we be that the disease was not simply missed by chance? We illustrate the use of spatially explicit stochastic models to optimize targeting of surveillance and control resources. Finally, we discuss how modern detection and diagnostic technologies as well as information from passive surveillance networks (e.g., citizen science) can be integrated into surveillance strategies.
Oxidative stress destabilizes protein arginine methyltransferase 4 via glycogen synthase kinase 3β to impede lung epithelial cell migration
Authors: Li Xiuying , Lai Yandong , Li Jin , Zou Mingyi , Zou Chunbin
Published: June 2017

Oxidative stress impacts normal cellular function leading to the pathogenesis of various diseases including pulmonary illnesses. Protein arginine methyltransferase 4 (PRMT4) is critical for normal lung alveolar epithelial cell development; however, the regulation of PRMT4 within such pulmonary diseases has yet to be elucidated. Using biochemical approaches, we uncovered that peroxide (H2O2) treatment decreases PRMT4 protein stability in murine lung epithelial (MLE12) cells to impede cell migration. Protein kinase glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK-3β) interacts with PRMT4 and catalyzes PRMT4 T132 phosphorylation that protects PRMT4 from ubiquitin proteasomal degradation. H2O2 downregulates GSK-3β to reduce PRMT4 at protein level. PRMT4 promotes cell migration and H2O2 degrades PRMT4 to inhibit lung epithelial cell migration. These observations demonstrate that oxidative stress destabilizes PRMT4 via GSK-3β signaling to impede lung epithelial cell migration that may hinder the lung repair and regeneration process.
Characterization of ectonucleotidase expression in the rat carotid body: regulation by chronic hypoxia
Authors: Salman Shaima , Vollmer Cathy , McClelland Grant B. , Nurse Colin A.
Published: June 2017

The carotid body (CB) chemoreflex maintains blood Po2 and Pco2/H+ homeostasis and displays sensory plasticity during exposure to chronic hypoxia. Purinergic signaling via P1 and P2 receptors plays a pivotal role in shaping the afferent discharge at the sensory synapse containing catecholaminergic chemoreceptor (type I) cells, glial-like type II cells, and sensory (petrosal) nerve endings. However, little is known about the family of ectonucleotidases that control synaptic nucleotide levels. Using quantitative PCR (qPCR), we first compared expression levels of ectonucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolases (NTPDases1,2,3,5,6) and ecto-5′-nucleotidase (E5′Nt/CD73) mRNAs in juvenile rat CB vs. brain, petrosal ganglia, sympathetic (superior cervical) ganglia, and a sympathoadrenal chromaffin (MAH) cell line. In whole CB extracts, qPCR revealed a high relative expression of surface-located members NTPDase1,2 and E5′Nt/CD73, compared with low NTPDase3 expression. Immunofluorescence staining of CB sections or dissociated CB cultures localized NTPDase2,3 and E5′Nt/CD73 protein to the periphery of type I clusters, and in association with sensory nerve fibers and/or isolated type II cells. Interestingly, in CBs obtained from rats reared under chronic hypobaric hypoxia (~60 kPa, equivalent to 4,300 m) for 5–7 days, in addition to the expected upregulation of tyrosine hydroxylase and VEGF mRNAs, there was a significant upregulation of NTPDase3 and E5′Nt/CD73 mRNA, but a downregulation of NTPDase1 and NTPDase2 relative to normoxic controls. We conclude that NTPDase1,2,3 and E5′Nt/CD73 are the predominant surface-located ectonucleotidases in the rat CB and suggest that their differential regulation during chronic hypoxia may contribute to CB plasticity via control of synaptic ATP, ADP, and adenosine pools.
Effective assessments of electroencephalography during stroke recovery: contemporary approaches and considerations
Authors: Iyer Kartik K.
Published: June 2017

Stroke is one of the leading causes of permanent disability worldwide, relying conventionally on extended periods of physiotherapy to recover functional ability. While neuroimaging techniques and emerging neurorehabilitation paradigms have advanced our understanding of pathophysiological mechanisms underlying stroke, recent evidence has renewed focus on quantifying features of cortical activity present in electroencephalography recordings to greatly enhance our understanding of stroke treatment and recovery. This Neuro Forum article reviews these key advances and discusses the importance of quantifying electroencephalography in future assessments of stroke survivors.
Modeling Chronic Dacryocystitis in Rabbits by Nasolacrimal Duct Obstruction with Self-Curing Resin
Authors: Hou Kai , Ai Tao , Liu Rong , Xiang Nan , Jin Jing , Hu Weikun , Luo Ban
Published: June 2017

We established a chronic dacryocystitis model by injecting of 0.05, 0.1, and 0.15 ml self-curing resin via the lacrimal punctum in rabbits. Animals were randomized into four groups (n=11animals/group). The control group received 0.15 ml normal saline. Within three months postinjection, epiphora and eye discharge were observed. At the 90th day postlacrimal passage irrigation, CT dacryocystography was performed to find changes in the lacrimal image, and hematoxylin and eosin staining was made to identify pathological changes of the lacrimal sac. Three months postinjection, the rabbits in control group and those who received 0.05 and 0.1 ml self-curing resin failed to develop chronic dacryocystitis. However, 8/11 (72.7%) rabbits those received 0.15 ml self-curing resin were symptomatic and showed complete reflux in lacrimal passage irrigation, indicating the obstruction of the nasolacrimal duct. CT dacryocystography showed that the obstruction was present only in the animals with chronic dacryocystitis. Pathological examinations of chronic dacryocystitis also revealed significantly inflammatory changes, such as mucus epithelium thickening, irregular papillary proliferation, and submucosal fibrous deposition. Local injection of 0.15 ml self-curing resin can induce permanent obstruction of the nasolacrimal duct in rabbits and establish a model of chronic dacryocystitis.
Integrated Crop-Livestock Management Effects on Soil Quality Dynamics in a Semiarid Region: A Typology of Soil Change Over Time
Authors: Ryschawy J. , Liebig M. A. , Kronberg S. L. , Archer D. W. , Hendrickson J. R.
Published: June 2017

Integrated crop-livestock systems can have subtle effects on soil quality over time, particularly in semiarid regions where soil responses to management occur slowly. We tested if analyzing temporal trajectories of soils could detect trends in soil quality data which were not detected using traditional statistical and index approaches. Principal component and cluster analyses were used to assess the evolution in ten soil properties at three sampling times within two production systems (annually cropped, perennial grass). Principal component 1 explained 33% of the total variance of the complete dataset and corresponded to gradients in extractable N, available P, and C : N ratio. Principal component 2 explained 25.4% of the variability and corresponded to gradients of soil pH, soil organic C, and total N. While previous analyses found no differences in Soil Quality Index (SQI) scores between production systems, annually cropped treatments and perennial grasslands were clearly distinguished by cluster analysis. Cluster analysis also identified greater dispersion between plots over time, suggesting an evolution in soil condition in response to management. Accordingly, multivariate statistical techniques serve as a valuable tool for analyzing data where responses to management are subtle or anticipated to occur slowly.