bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Estimating thermal response metrics for North American freshwater fish using Bayesian phylogenetic regression
Authors: Hasnain Sarah S. , Escobar Michael D. , Shuter Brian J.
Published: June 2018

Physiological performance in fish peaks within a well-defined range of temperatures, which is distinct for each species. Species-specific thermal responses for growth, survival, and reproduction are most commonly quantified directly through laboratory experiment or field observation, with a focus on six specific metrics: optimum growth temperature and final temperature preferendum (growth), upper incipient lethal temperature and critical thermal maximum (survival), and optimum spawning temperature and optimum egg development temperature (reproduction). These values remain unknown for many North American freshwater fish species. In this paper, we present a new statistical method (Bayesian phylogenetic regression) that uses relationships between these metrics and phenetic relatedness to estimate unknown metric values. The reliability of these estimates was compared with those derived from models incorporating taxonomic family and models without any taxonomic information. Overall, incorporating taxonomic family relatedness improved estimation accuracy across all metrics. For Salmonidae and Cyprinidae, estimates derived from Bayesian phylogenetic regression typically had the highest expected reliability. We used our methods to generate 274 estimates of unknown metric values for over 100 North American freshwater fish species.
Canada: Playing catch-up on phosphorus policy
Authors: Ross Jessica Zane , Omelon Sidney
Published: June 2018

The concept of sustainable phosphorus is studied in depth around the world, as the scientific community largely agrees that the non-renewable phosphorus reserves in the form of phosphorite ore must be used judiciously. Unfortunately, many developed countries, including Canada, have yet to implement a phosphorus management plan. The Netherlands, Germany, and Switzerland can be heralded as success stories of effective, committed, cross-sector phosphorus management. We examine factors that contributed to their success and consider how these may be transferred to Canada. We also consider Canadian geographic and research factors and contrast the Canadian policy environment and phosphorus recycling efforts with those in the EU. Finally, we analyze active Canadian and North American phosphorus interest groups and seek to determine why their collective efforts have yet to coalesce around tangible action. Canada produces phosphorus fertilizer from imported deposits of phosphate rock. Canada produces potassium fertilizer from its rich potash mines, making it a global power in nutrient production. It is imperative that Canada earns a respected leadership role in efficient global phosphorus and potassium nutrient management and recycling.
Strong convexity of sandwiched entropies and related optimization problems
Authors: Bhatia Rajendra , Jain Tanvi , Lim Yongdo
Published: June 2018

We present several theorems on strict and strong convexity, and higher order differential formulae for sandwiched quasi-relative entropy (a parametrized version of the classical fidelity). These are crucial for establishing global linear convergence of the gradient projection algorithm for optimization problems for these functions. The case of the classical fidelity is of special interest for the multimarginal optimal transport problem (the [Formula: see text]-coupling problem) for Gaussian measures.
Zeros and amoebas of partition functions
Authors: Angelelli Mario , Konopelchenko Boris
Published: June 2018

Singular sectors [Formula: see text] (loci of zeros) for real-valued non-positively defined partition functions [Formula: see text] of [Formula: see text] variables are studied. It is shown that [Formula: see text] have a stratified structure where each stratum is a set of certain hypersurfaces in [Formula: see text]. The concept of statistical amoeba is introduced and the properties of a family of statistical amoebas are studied. The relation with algebraic amoebas is discussed. Tropical limits of statistical amoebas are considered too. Applications of the concept of statistical amoeba to the analysis of singular sectors for integrable equations and properties of macroscopic systems with multiple equilibria, including frustrated systems, are discussed.
Neutrino-induced reactions in core-collapse supernovae: Effects on the electron fraction
Authors: Saez M. M. , Civitarese O. , Mosquera M. E.
Published: June 2018

Neutrino-induced reactions are a basic ingredient in astrophysical processes like star evolution. The existence of neutrino oscillations affects the rate of nuclear electroweak decays which participates in the chain of events that determines the fate of the star. Among the processes of interest, the production of heavy elements in core-collapse supernovae is strongly dependent upon neutrino properties, like the mixing between different species of neutrinos. In this work, we study the effects of neutrino oscillations upon the electron fraction as a function of the neutrino mixing parameters, for two schemes: the [Formula: see text]-scheme (one active neutrino and one sterile neutrino) and the [Formula: see text]-scheme (two active neutrinos and one sterile neutrino). We have performed this analysis considering a core-collapse supernovae and determined the physical conditions needed to activate the nuclear reaction chains involved in the r-process. We found that the interactions of the neutrinos with matter and among themselves and the initial amount of sterile neutrinos in the neutrino-sphere might change the electron fraction, therefore affecting the onset of the r-process. We have set constrains on the active-sterile neutrino mixing parameters. They are the square-mass-difference [Formula: see text], the mixing angle [Formula: see text], and the hindrance factor [Formula: see text] for the occupation of sterile neutrinos. The calculations have been performed for different values of [Formula: see text], which is the fraction of [Formula: see text]-particles. For [Formula: see text] the r-process is taking place if [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]. For larger values of [Formula: see text] the region of parameters is strongly reduced. The present results are compared to results available in the literature.
Positive Region Reduct Based on Relative Discernibility and Acceleration Strategy
Authors: Ge Hao , Yang Chuanjian , Li Longshu
Published: June 2018

Attribute reduction is one of key issues in rough set theory, and positive region reduct is a classical type of reducts. However, a lot of reduction algorithms have more high time expenses when dealing with high-volume and high-dimensional data sets. To overcome this shortcoming, in this paper, a relative discernibility reduction method based on the simplified decision table of the original decision table is researched for obtaining positive region reduct. Moreover, to further improve performance of reduction algorithm, we develop an accelerator for attribute reduction, which reduces the radix sort times of the reduction process to raise algorithm efficiency. By the accelerator, two positive region reduction algorithms, i.e., FARA-RS and BARA-RS, based on the relative discernibility are designed. FARA-RS simultaneously reduce the size of the universe and the number of radix sort to achieve speedup and BARA-RS only reduce the number of radix sort to achieve acceleration. The experimental results show that the proposed reduction algorithms are effective and feasible for high dimensional and large data sets.
DEDSC: A Domain Expert Discovery Method Based on Structure and Content
Authors: Liu Lu , Zuo Wanli , Han Jiayu , Peng Tao
Published: June 2018

Researchers usually extract domain experts only through analyzing network structure or partitioning users into several communities according to their label information. Combining structure and content to discovery domain experts is a new attempt. Motivated by that, this paper proposes a domain expert discovery method based on network structure and content semantics, called DEDSC, which can extract authority nodes in overlapping communities. To analyze the overall authority for each user in the social network, two definitions, structure authority value and content authority value, are proposed to evaluate the authority of users in different perspectives. Partitioning users into communities can make the results more accurate. Experimental results show that our proposed method can discover domain experts effectively. In addition, when we need to extract domain experts in a new test dataset, we do not need to re-train the data in the training dataset.
The Novel Computational Model of Unbalanced Linguistic Variables Based on Archimedean Copula
Authors: Tao Zhifu , Han Bing , Zhou Ligang , Chen Huayou
Published: June 2018

We develop a novel computation model of unbalanced linguistic variables on the basis of Archimedean copulas and corresponding co-copulas, which provides a new tool to aggregate unbalanced linguistic information. The properties of the proposed computational model are also studied. We present the concepts of weighted unbalanced Archimedean copula arithmetic aggregation operators and weighted unbalanced Archimedean copula geometric aggregation operators. The properties of these aggregation operators are further investigated. Finally, a group decision making of sensory evaluation is introduced to illustrate the feasibility and validity of our proposed computational model.
Increasing the SOFIA Secondary Mirror Mechanism’s Fast Steering Capability by Identification of a Structural Resonance and Its Subsequent Elimination Through Mass Re-Distribution
Authors: Lammen Yannick , Reinacher Andreas , Greiner Benjamin , Wagner Jörg , Krabbe Alfred
Published: June 2018

The Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) consists of a 2.7[Formula: see text]m infrared telescope integrated into a Boeing 747 SP. One of the most complex subsystems of the observatory is the secondary mirror assembly (SMA). This active steering mechanism is used for image stabilization and infrared chopping. Since its integration in 2002, the performance of the mechanism is limited by a structural resonance. Based on Finite Element (FE) simulations and experimental modal surveys, a ring shaped reaction mass was identified to be the causing element of this structural mode. Attenuating the resonance on the hardware level would result in a larger actuation bandwidth for faster chopping and image stabilization. Concentrating mass at the suspension points while keeping the inertia of the ring structure is expected to take strain energy out of the mode. An end-to-end simulation, including a FE model of the mechanism and a controller model was set up to predict the in-flight performance of this concept. A segmented ring made from tungsten and AlSiC (i.e. strong mass redistribution) mounted on the original suspension was selected for the design of a prototype. The prototype was manufactured and thoroughly tested on a full-scale mockup of the mechanism confirming the predicted performance. An actuation bandwidth improvement of 80% was achieved. The settling time for infrared chopping was reduced from 10 to 7[Formula: see text]ms providing about 3.3% higher efficiency for observations with 5[Formula: see text]Hz chopping.
Development and prospects of acupuncture and moxibustion of TCM under the “One Belt & One Road” Initiative — Based on survey of foreigners' cognition on Acu-moxi in Shanghai
Authors: Chen Juan , Qi Li , Zhao Chen , Shi Xiehong , Yi Tao
Published: June 2018

The paper analyzes China's top designs including the “One Belt and One Road” (B&R) Initiative and the B&R Development Plan of TCM, and discusses measures of actors including governmental institutions, academic groups, medical institutions, and research institutes. Survey to foreigners in Shanghai on acupuncture and moxibustion of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) reflects the recognition level, advantages and disadvantages, and overseas spread of Chinese Acu-moxi internationally. Based on the above as well as comprehensive inspection on various factors, the paper provides several suggestions to Chinese Acu-moxi development under the background of the B&R Initiative.
Welcome Letter
Authors: Stumpf Simone , Nichols Jeffrey
Published: June 2018

Welcome to this issue of the Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction, which will focus on contributions from the research community Engineering Interactive Computing Systems (EICS). This diverse research community explores the methods, processes, techniques and tools that support specifying, designing, developing, deploying and verifying interactive systems. Building interactive systems is a multifaceted and challenging activity, involving a plethora of different actors and roles. This is particularly true in the domain of HCI, where we continuously push the edge of what is possible, where there is a crucial need for adequate processes, tools and methods to build reliable, useful and usable systems that help people cope with the ever-increasing complexity of work and life.

The contents of this issue on EICS is the sum of four separate rounds of submissions, evenly spaced from July 2017 through May 2018. In total, the rounds attracted a total of 81 submissions from Asia, Canada, Australia, Europe, Africa, and the United States. Promising submissions in a round that were not accepted were invited to resubmit to a subsequent round, and 6 of the papers appearing in this issue were accepted after at least one round of resubmission. In each round, papers were subject to a rigorous reviewing process where they were reviewed by two EICS senior editors, as well as external reviewers. At the conclusion of each round, a Virtual Committee meeting was held to discuss all of the papers and arrive at final decisions. Ultimately, 14 papers were accepted over all rounds.

This issue exists because of the dedicated volunteer effort of 20 senior editors who handled two to four papers each round, and 115 expert reviewers to ensure high quality and insightful reviews for all papers in all rounds. Reviewers and committee members were kept constant as much as possible for papers that were submitted to multiple rounds. Senior members of the editorial group also helped shepherd some papers, reflecting the deep commitment of this research community.

We are excited by the detailed and insightful work that resulted in this PACMHCI EICS issue and look forward to equally high quality submissions in subsequent submission cycles over the coming year. For those interested in this area, this group holds their next annual conference June 19-22, 2018 in Paris, France. That conference will provide many opportunities to share ideas with other researchers and practitioners from institutions around the world.
Augmented Reality Supported Modeling of Industrial Systems to Infer Software Configuration
Authors: Tomlein Matúš , Grønbæk Kaj
Published: June 2018

This paper proposes and evaluates an approach for building models of installed industrial Cyber-Physical Systems using augmented reality on smartphones. It proposes a visual language for annotating devices, containers, flows of liquids and networking connections in augmented reality. Compared to related work, it provides a more lightweight and flexible approach for building 3D models of industrial systems. The models are further used to automatically infer software configuration of controllable industrial products. This addresses a common problem of error-prone and time-consuming configuration of industrial systems in the current practice. The proposed approach is evaluated in a study with 16 domain experts. The study participants are involved in creating a model of an industrial system for water treatment. Their comments show that the approach can enable a less error-prone configuration for more complex systems. Opportunities for improvement in usability and reflections on the potential of the approach are discussed.
360Anywhere
Authors: Speicher Maximilian , Cao Jingchen , Yu Ao , Zhang Haihua , Nebeling Michael
Published: June 2018

360-degree video is increasingly used to create immersive user experiences; however, it is typically limited to a single user and not interactive. Recent studies have explored the potential of 360 video to support multi-user collaboration in remote settings. These studies identified several challenges with respect to 360 live streams, such as the lack of gaze awareness, out-of-sync views, and missed gestures. To address these challenges, we created 360Anywhere, a framework for 360 video-based multi-user collaboration that, in addition to allowing collaborators to view and annotate a 360 live stream, also supports projection of annotations in the 360 stream back into the real-world environment in real-time. This enables a range of collaborative augmented reality applications not supported with existing tools. We present the 360Anywhere framework and tools that allow users to generate applications tailored to specific collaboration and augmentation needs with support for remote collaboration. In a series of exploratory design sessions with users, we assess 360Anywhere's power and flexibility for three mobile ad-hoc scenarios. Using 360Anywhere, participants were able to set up and use fairly complex remote collaboration systems involving projective augmented reality in less than 10 minutes.
G-Gene
Authors: Carcangiu Alessandro , Spano Lucio Davide
Published: June 2018

The large availability of touch-sensitive screens fostered the research in gesture recognition. The Machine Learning community focused mainly on accuracy and robustness to noise, creating classifiers that precisely recognize gestures after their performance. Instead, the User Interface Engineering community developed compositional gesture descriptions that model gestures and their sub-parts. They are suitable for building guidance systems, but they lack a robust and accurate recognition support. In this paper, we establish a compromise between the accuracy and the provided information introducing G-Gene, a method for transforming compositional stroke gesture definitions into profile Hidden Markov Models (HMMs), able to provide both a good accuracy and information on gesture sub-parts. It supports online recognition without using any global feature, and it updates the information while receiving the input stream, with an accuracy useful for prototyping the interaction. We evaluated the approach in a user interface development task, showing that it requires less time and effort for creating guidance systems with respect to common gesture classification approaches.
The Molecular Basis of G Protein–Coupled Receptor Activation
Authors: Weis William I. , Kobilka Brian K.
Published: June 2018

G protein–coupled receptors (GPCRs) mediate the majority of cellular responses to external stimuli. Upon activation by a ligand, the receptor binds to a partner heterotrimeric G protein and promotes exchange of GTP for GDP, leading to dissociation of the G protein into α and βγ subunits that mediate downstream signals. GPCRs can also activate distinct signaling pathways through arrestins. Active states of GPCRs form by small rearrangements of the ligand-binding, or orthosteric, site that are amplified into larger conformational changes. Molecular understanding of the allosteric coupling between ligand binding and G protein or arrestin interaction is emerging from structures of several GPCRs crystallized in inactive and active states, spectroscopic data, and computer simulations. The coupling is loose, rather than concerted, and agonist binding does not fully stabilize the receptor in an active conformation. Distinct intermediates whose populations are shifted by ligands of different efficacies underlie the complex pharmacology of GPCRs.
Transition Metal Sequestration by the Host-Defense Protein Calprotectin
Authors: Zygiel Emily M. , Nolan Elizabeth M.
Published: June 2018

In response to microbial infection, the human host deploys metal-sequestering host-defense proteins, which reduce nutrient availability and thereby inhibit microbial growth and virulence. Calprotectin (CP) is an abundant antimicrobial protein released from neutrophils and epithelial cells at sites of infection. CP sequesters divalent first-row transition metal ions to limit the availability of essential metal nutrients in the extracellular space. While functional and clinical studies of CP have been pursued for decades, advances in our understanding of its biological coordination chemistry, which is central to its role in the host–microbe interaction, have been made in more recent years. In this review, we focus on the coordination chemistry of CP and highlight studies of its metal-binding properties and contributions to the metal-withholding innate immune response. Taken together, these recent studies inform our current model of how CP participates in metal homeostasis and immunity, and they provide a foundation for further investigations of a remarkable metal-chelating protein at the host–microbe interface and beyond.
Protein Serine/Threonine Phosphatases: Keys to Unlocking Regulators and Substrates
Authors: Brautigan David L. , Shenolikar Shirish
Published: June 2018

Protein serine/threonine phosphatases (PPPs) are ancient enzymes, with distinct types conserved across eukaryotic evolution. PPPs are segregated into types primarily on the basis of the unique interactions of PPP catalytic subunits with regulatory proteins. The resulting holoenzymes dock substrates distal to the active site to enhance specificity. This review focuses on the subunit and substrate interactions for PPP that depend on short linear motifs. Insights about these motifs from structures of holoenzymes open new opportunities for computational biology approaches to elucidate PPP networks. There is an expanding knowledge base of posttranslational modifications of PPP catalytic and regulatory subunits, as well as of their substrates, including phosphorylation, acetylation, and ubiquitination. Cross talk between these posttranslational modifications creates PPP-based signaling. Knowledge of PPP complexes, signaling clusters, as well as how PPPs communicate with each other in response to cellular signals should unlock the doors to PPP networks and signaling “clouds” that orchestrate and coordinate different aspects of cell physiology.
A Rich Man, Poor Man Story of S-Adenosylmethionine and Cobalamin Revisited
Authors: Bridwell-Rabb Jennifer , Grell Tsehai A.J. , Drennan Catherine L.
Published: June 2018

S-adenosylmethionine (AdoMet) has been referred to as both “a poor man's adenosylcobalamin (AdoCbl)” and “a rich man's AdoCbl,” but today, with the ever-increasing number of functions attributed to each cofactor, both appear equally rich and surprising. The recent characterization of an organometallic species in an AdoMet radical enzyme suggests that the line that differentiates them in nature will be constantly challenged. Here, we compare and contrast AdoMet and cobalamin (Cbl) and consider why Cbl-dependent AdoMet radical enzymes require two cofactors that are so similar in their reactivity. We further carry out structural comparisons employing the recently determined crystal structure of oxetanocin-A biosynthetic enzyme OxsB, the first three-dimensional structural data on a Cbl-dependent AdoMet radical enzyme. We find that the structural motifs responsible for housing the AdoMet radical machinery are largely conserved, whereas the motifs responsible for binding additional cofactors are much more varied.
Protective role of Trpc6 knockout in the progression of diabetic kidney disease
Authors: Spires Denisha , Ilatovskaya Daria V. , Levchenko Vladislav , North Paula E. , Geurts Aron M. , Palygin Oleg , Staruschenko Alexander
Published: June 2018

Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is a chronic kidney pathology that leads to end-stage renal disease. Previous studies from our laboratory indicate that there is an association between the development of DKD and the transient receptor potential canonical 6 (TRPC6) channel. Trpc6 expression and activity were increased in the streptozotocin (STZ)-treated Dahl Salt-sensitive (Dahl SS) rat, an established model of type 1 diabetes. Here, using a Trpc6 knockout created on the Dahl SS rat background (SSTrpc6−/−), we test the hypothesis that the absence of Trpc6 will protect podocytes and kidney function during the development of DKD. Four groups of animals (control SSWT, SSTrpc6−/−, STZ-treated SSWT, and STZ-SSTrpc6−/−) were utilized in this study. Diabetes development was monitored for 11 wk after STZ injection with periodic weight, glucose, and urinary output measurements. There was an increase in albuminuria and glomerular injury following STZ treatment, which was not different between Dahl SS and SSTrpc6−/− groups. Western blot analysis revealed elevated levels of nephrin in urine samples of STZ-SSWT rats, which was higher compared with STZ-SSTrpc6−/− rats. Furthermore, pathological increases in basal [Ca2+]i levels and foot process damage of podocytes during the development of DKD was attenuated in the STZ-SSTrpc6−/− compared with STZ-SSWT rats. Overall, our data indicate that TRPC6 channel inhibition may have at least partial renoprotective effects, which could lead to the development of new pharmacological tools to treat or prevent the progression of DKD.
Task context determines whether common or separate inhibitory signals underlie the control of eye-hand movements
Authors: Jana Sumitash , Murthy Aditya
Published: June 2018

Whereas inhibitory control of single effector movements has been widely studied, the control of coordinated eye-hand movements has received less attention. Nevertheless, previous studies have contradictorily suggested that either a common or separate signal/s is/are responsible for inhibition of coordinated eye-hand movements. In continuation of our previous study, we varied behavioral contexts and used a stochastic accumulation-to-threshold model, which predicts a scaling of the mean reaction time distribution with its variance, to study the inhibitory control of eye-hand movements. Participants performed eye-hand movements in different task conditions, and in each condition they had to redirect movements in a fraction of trials. Task contexts where the behavior could be best explained by a common initiation signal had similar error responses for eye and hand, despite having different mean reaction times, indicating a common inhibitory signal. In contrast, behavior that could be best explained by separate initiation signals had dissimilar error responses for eye and hand indicating separate inhibitory signals. These behavioral responses were further validated using electromyography and computational models having either a common or separate inhibitory control signal/s. Interestingly, in a particular context, whereas in majority trials a common initiation and inhibitory signal could explain the behavior, in a subset of trials separate initiation and inhibitory signals predicted the behavior better. This highlights the flexibility that exists in the brain and in effect reconciles the heterogeneous results reported by previous studies.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY Prior studies have contradictorily suggested either a single or separate inhibitory signal/s underlying inhibition of coordinated eye-hand movements. With the use of different tasks, we observed that when eye-hand movements were initiated by a common signal, they were controlled by a common inhibitory signal. However, when the two effectors were initiated by separate signals, they were controlled by separate inhibitory signals. This highlights the flexible control of eye-hand movements and reconciles the heterogeneous results previously reported in the literature.
Anticonvulsant effect of dipropofol by enhancing native GABA currents in cortical neurons in mice
Authors: Zhang Jingliang , Chen Xiaoling , Kårbø Matti , Zhao Yi , An Long , Wang Rutao , Wang KeWei , Huang Zhuo
Published: June 2018

Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), the most common pharmacoresistant focal epilepsy disorder, remains a major unmet medical need. Propofol is used as a short-acting medication for general anesthesia and refractory status epilepticus with issues of decreased consciousness and memory loss. Dipropofol, a derivative of propofol, has been reported to exert antioxidative and antibacterial activities. Here we report that dipropofol exerted anticonvulsant activity in a mouse model of kainic acid-induced seizures. Whole cell patch-clamp recordings of brain slices from the medial entorhinal cortex (mEC) revealed that dipropofol hyperpolarized the resting membrane potential and reduced the number of action potential firings, resulting in suppression of cortical neuronal excitability. Furthermore, dipropofol activated native tonic GABAA currents of mEC layer II stellate neurons in a dose-dependent manner with an EC50 value of 9.3 ± 1.6 μM (mean ± SE). Taken together, our findings show that dipropofol activated GABAA currents and exerted anticonvulsant activities in mice, thus possessing developmental potential for new anticonvulsant therapy.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY The anticonvulsant effect of dipropofol was shown in a mouse model of kainic acid-induced seizures. Whole cell patch-clamp recordings of brain slices showed suppression of cortical neuronal excitability by dipropofol. Dipropofol activated the native tonic GABAA currents in a dose-dependent manner.
Sensory-evoked propagating waves of activity in the primary sensory cortices: poorly understood, yet ubiquitous
Authors: Corbo Julien , Caron-Guyon Jeanne
Published: June 2018

Any sensory stimulus evokes a propagating wave of activity in the corresponding sensory cortex that exceeds its topographical boundaries within the primary sensory map. Hama and colleagues (Hama N, Kawai M, Ito S-I, Hirota A. J Neurophysiol 119: 1934–1946, 2018) provided a first study, in the tactile modality, of the interactions between two successively evoked waves. We argue that the difficulty in finding a simple rule to account for all the various observed interactions calls for an effort to clarify the mechanisms and substrates of the propagating waves and their role in sensory processing.
Glutamate and GABA concentrations following mild traumatic brain injury: a pilot study
Authors: Yasen Alia L. , Smith Jolinda , Christie Anita D.
Published: June 2018

Animal models of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) suggest that metabolic changes in the brain occur immediately after a mechanical injury to the head. Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) can be used to determine relative concentrations of metabolites in vivo in the human brain. The purpose of this study was to determine concentrations of glutamate and GABA in the brain acutely after mTBI and throughout 2 mo of recovery. Concentrations of glutamate and GABA were obtained using 1H-MRS in nine individuals who had suffered an mTBI and nine control individuals in two brain regions of interest: the primary motor cortex (M1), and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), and at three different time points postinjury: 72 h, 2 wk, and 2 mo postinjury. There were no differences between groups in concentrations of glutamate or GABA, or the ratio of glutamate to GABA, in M1. In the DLPFC, glutamate concentration was lower in the mTBI group compared with controls at 72 h postinjury (d = 1.02), and GABA concentration was lower in the mTBI group at 72 h and 2 wk postinjury (d = 0.81 and d = 1.21, respectively). The ratio of glutamate to GABA in the DLPFC was higher in the mTBI group at 2 wk postinjury (d = 1.63). These results suggest that changes in glutamate and GABA concentrations in the brain may be region-specific and may depend on the amount of time that has elapsed postinjury.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY To our knowledge, this is the first study to examine neurotransmitter concentrations in vivo at multiple time points throughout recovery from mild traumatic brain injury in humans.
Microneurography: how it started and how it works
Authors: Vallbo Åke Bernhard
Published: June 2018

In the first section, this historical review describes endeavors to develop the method for recording normal nerve impulse traffic in humans, designated microneurography. The method was developed at the Department of Clinical Neurophysiology of the Academic Hospital in Uppsala, Sweden. Microneurography involves the impalement of a peripheral nerve with a tungsten needle electrode. Electrode position is adjusted by hand until the activity of interest is discriminated. Nothing similar had previously been tried in animal preparations, and thus the large number of preceding studies that recorded afferent activity in other mammals did not offer pertinent methodological guidance. For 2 years, the two scientists involved in the research impaled their own nerves with electrodes to test various kinds of needles and explore different neural systems, all the while carefully watching for signs of nerve damage. Temporary paresthesiae were common, whereas enduring sequelae never followed. Single-unit impulse trains could be discriminated, even those originating from unmyelinated fibers. An explanation for the discrimination of unitary impulses using a coarse electrode is inferred based on the electrical characteristics of the electrode placed in the flesh and the impulse shapes, as discussed in the second section of this paper. Microneurography and the microstimulation of single afferents, combined with psychophysical methods and behavioral tests, have generated new knowledge particularly regarding four neural systems, namely the proprioceptive system, the cutaneous mechanoreceptive system, the cutaneous nociceptive system, and the sympathetic efferent system to skin structures and muscular blood vessels. Examples of achievements based on microneurography are presented in the final section.
Δ3,2‐Hydroxybakuchiol Attenuates Depression in Multiple Rodent Models Possibly by Inhibition of Monoamine Transporters in Brain
Authors: Zhao Gang , Guo Li-he , Huang Wei , Hu Jia-liang
Published: June 2018

Δ3,2‐Hydroxybakuchiol is isolated from Psoralea corylifolia (L.), which has therapeutic applications in traditional Chinese medicine. Our previous studies have showed that Δ3,2‐hydroxybakuchiol inhibited the decreased activity of reserpinized mice, suggestive of its antidepressive potential. In this study, we explored the antidepressant profile of Δ3,2‐hydroxybakuchiol in various rodent models and its possible monoamine‐modulating mechanism. Δ3,2‐Hydroxybakuchiol significantly reduced immobility time of mice in forced swim test and tail suspension test. Δ3,2‐Hydroxybakuchiol also significantly increased sucrose consumption in chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) rat model. Furthermore, isotope uptake study showed that Δ3,2‐hydroxybakuchiol inhibited the activity of human dopamine transporter (DAT) and norepinephrine transporter (NET) in transporter‐overexpressing pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells with IC50 values similar to the potency of bupropion. Microdialysis showed that Δ3,2‐hydroxybakuchiol increased dopamine and norepinephrine concentration in rat striatum. In summary, Δ3,2‐hydroxybakuchiol exerts antidepressant effects on various types of depression models through a possible mechanism of monoamine transporter inhibition.
Influence of Seeker Disturbance Rejection and Radome Error on the Lyapunov Stability of Guidance Systems
Authors: Chen Kaiwei , Xia Qunli , Du Xiao , Yao Yuemin
Published: June 2018

This study analyzes the effects of disturbance rejection and radome error on the stability of guidance systems. First, disturbance rejection rate transfer function (DRRTF) models are established. Second, the Lyapunov stability of a proportional navigation guidance system is proposed. The passivity theorems are introduced for the analysis of the Lyapunov stability of the nonlinear time-varying system. Finally, the influence of the different DRRTF models on the stability of the guidance system is analyzed by mathematical simulations. The simulation results indicate that the stable boundary of the guidance system varies and its tolerance to disturbance differs significantly for various disturbance torque types and radome slope.
Influence of Buton Rock Asphalt on the Physical and Mechanical Properties of Asphalt Binder and Asphalt Mixture
Authors: Li Yafei , Chen Jing , Yan Jin , Guo Meng
Published: June 2018

In order to study the effect of different rock asphalt contents on the physical and mechanical properties of an asphalt binder and asphalt mixture, the physical and mechanical tests and analysis were conducted. An on‐site case was investigated to verify the effectiveness of rock asphalt‐modified pavement. The results show that the activation treatment can effectively enhance the molecular polarity of Buton rock asphalt. The “wet process” was used to prepare the Buton rock asphalt‐modified asphalt binder, and the high‐temperature performance and aging resistance were significantly improved. The modified asphalt prepared by mixing 30% rock asphalt shows the optimum balance between service performance and segregation. The on‐site full‐scale application of the Buton rock asphalt‐modified asphalt pavement showed the good workability and service performance. This research demonstrated the ability of rock asphalt improving asphalt pavement on multiscales. It is helpful for the broader application of rock asphalt in asphalt pavement.
The Association between Female Reproductive Factors and Open-Angle Glaucoma in Korean Women: The Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey V
Authors: Shin Yong Un , Hong Eun Hee , Kang Min Ho , Cho Heeyoon , Seong Mincheol
Published: June 2018

Purpose. We investigated associations between female reproductive factors and open-angle glaucoma (OAG) in Korean females using the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). Methods. A nationwide, population-based, cross-sectional study was conducted. We enrolled 23,376 participants from the KNHANES who had undergone ophthalmologic exams from 2010 through 2012. Associations between undiagnosed OAG and female reproductive factors such as age at menarche and menopause, parity, history of lactation, and administration of oral contraceptives (OC) or hormone replacement therapy (HRT) were determined using stepwise logistic regression analyses. Results. Of the enrolled participants, 6,860 participants (397 with OAG and 6,463 without OAG) met our study criteria and were included in the analyses. In the multivariate logistic regression analysis after adjusting for all potential confounding factors, only early menopause (younger than 45 years) was significantly associated with OAG in participants with natural menopause (OR 2.28, 95% CI 1.17–4.46). Age at menarche, parity, history of lactation, and administration of OC or HRT were not significantly associated with OAG. Conclusions. Only early menopause was associated with an increased risk of OAG in our study, in contrast to previous Western studies reporting both early menopause and late menarche as associated factors.
Clinical Efficacy of Platelet-Rich Plasma in the Treatment of Neurotrophic Corneal Ulcer
Authors: Wróbel-Dudzińska Dominika , Alio Jorge , Rodriguez Alejandra , Suchodoła-Ratajewicz Ewa , Kosior-Jarecka Ewa , Rymgayłło-Jankowska Beata , Ćwiklińska-Haszcz Agnieszka , Żarnowski Tomasz
Published: June 2018

Purpose. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is an autologous blood product without preservatives and rich in proteins and growth factors which make it possible for cells to differentiate, proliferate, and migrate, thus stimulating healing and regeneration of tissues. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of autologous platelet-rich plasma in the treatment of neurotrophic keratopathy. Methods. The study group consists of 25 patients with nonhealing corneal ulcers due to herpes simplex or herpes zoster infection and facial nerve or trigeminal nerve paralysis as a result of a neurosurgical operation caused by a tumour or stroke. The patients were given autologous platelet-rich plasma drops five times a day and additionally preservative-free artificial tears and a vitamin A ointment at night for maximum 3 months. The following were evaluated: best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), healing of corneal surface, subjective symptoms, and changes in corneal thickness with the use of anterior segment optical coherent tomography (AS-OCT). Results. BCVA before the treatment was 0.10 ± 0.14, and after the treatment it was –0.3 ± 0.27 (p=0.001). Improved visual acuity and less subjective symptoms were observed in all patients. Complete healing of the ulceration was observed in 20 patients (80%). Four patients (16%) experienced considerable improvement of their clinical condition (reduced size and depth of the ulceration and inflammatory state: smaller conjunctival injection and swelling, improved visual acuity, and less subjective symptoms). In one of the patients, an amniotic membrane was transplanted due to the lack of improvement of his local condition. In all patients, the progression of corneal thinning was stopped. An average corneal thickness in its thinnest point was 322.3 ± 125.8 µm before the treatment, and 404.5 ± 118.7 µm (p<0.05) after the treatment. None of the patients reported general or local side effects of the treatment. Conclusions. Autologous platelet-rich plasma is a blood-based product which seems efficient in the treatment of neurotrophic keratopathy.
Experimental Study of the Basic Mechanical Properties of Directionally Distributed Steel Fibre‐Reinforced Concrete
Authors: Li Fang-Yuan , Cao Cheng-Yuan , Cui Yun-Xuan , Wu Pei-Feng
Published: June 2018

Directionally distributed steel fibre‐reinforced concrete (SFRC) cannot be widely applied due to the limitations of current construction technology, which hinders research on its mechanical properties. With the development of new construction technologies, such as self‐compacting concrete or 3D printing, directionally distributed SFRC has found new developmental opportunities. This study tested, compared, and analysed the basic mechanical properties of ordinary concrete, randomly distributed SFRC, and directionally distributed SFRC. The differences between the damage patterns parallel and perpendicular to the direction of the steel fibres were evaluated in directionally distributed SFRC. When the fibre volume fraction is high and the compression is applied perpendicular to the fibre direction, as the loading increases, the transverse deformation of the specimen is constrained by the fibres. When the compression is applied parallel to the fibre direction, the fibre cannot effectively constrain the transverse deformation of the specimens. When the volume fraction of directionally distributed steel fibres was 1.6%, the elastic modulus of the directionally distributed steel fibres was 39% higher than that of ordinary concrete. Comparison of the experimental values of the elastic modulus with those estimated by existing calculation methods revealed that a modification of the current calculation theories may be required to calculate the changes in the elastic modulus of directionally distributed SFRC with a high volume fraction of steel fibres.
Static and Dynamic Analysis of Android Malware and Goodware Written with Unity Framework
Authors: Shim Jaewoo , Lim Kyeonghwan , Cho Seong-je , Han Sangchul , Park Minkyu
Published: June 2018

Unity is the most popular cross-platform development framework to develop games for multiple platforms such as Android, iOS, and Windows Mobile. While Unity developers can easily develop mobile apps for multiple platforms, adversaries can also easily build malicious apps based on the “write once, run anywhere” (WORA) feature. Even though malicious apps were discovered among Android apps written with Unity framework (Unity apps), little research has been done on analysing the malicious apps. We propose static and dynamic reverse engineering techniques for malicious Unity apps. We first inspect the executable file format of a Unity app and present an effective static analysis technique of the Unity app. Then, we also propose a systematic technique to analyse dynamically the Unity app. Using the proposed techniques, the malware analyst can statically and dynamically analyse Java code, native code in C or C ++, and the Mono runtime layer where the C# code is running.
An Imbalanced Malicious Domains Detection Method Based on Passive DNS Traffic Analysis
Authors: Liu Zhenyan , Zeng Yifei , Zhang Pengfei , Xue Jingfeng , Zhang Ji , Liu Jiangtao
Published: June 2018

Although existing malicious domains detection techniques have shown great success in many real-world applications, the problem of learning from imbalanced data is rarely concerned with this day. But the actual DNS traffic is inherently imbalanced; thus how to build malicious domains detection model oriented to imbalanced data is a very important issue worthy of study. This paper proposes a novel imbalanced malicious domains detection method based on passive DNS traffic analysis, which can effectively deal with not only the between-class imbalance problem but also the within-class imbalance problem. The experiments show that this proposed method has favorable performance compared to the existing algorithms.
A Case of Undetected Neuroborreliosis in a 75-Year-Old Chinese Male
Authors: Lamichhane Jenny , Haider Rohail , Bekkerman Michael , Tilford Sean , Hijaz Shireen , Bhattarai Bikash , Bobde Rajanish
Published: June 2018

Lyme disease is a multisystem infection caused by the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto that manifests with characteristic symptoms in patients. Patients are identified based on their clinical symptoms and then diagnosed through enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), Western blot, and blood culture techniques. Here, we present the case of a 75-year-old, Northeast suburban resident complaining of unstable gait, high fevers, malaise, myalgia, and confusion. This patient’s symptoms were nonspecific, and his lab titers and blood cultures were repeatedly negative during his stay. It was only late in the course of his treatment that blood titers and cerebrospinal fluid analysis were positive for Lyme IgG and IgM. He was treated with intravenous doxycycline and prescribed oral doxycycline on discharge, resulting in a full recovery. We express the need for physicians to consider Lyme disease in endemic patients presenting with nonspecific systemic signs.
Genetic Polymorphism in the RYR1 C6487T Is Associated with Severity of Hypospadias in Chinese Han Children
Authors: Zhang Haiyan , Zhang Zhuo , Jia Linpei , Ji Wei , Li Hai
Published: June 2018

Objective. Hypospadias is a common congenital malformation of the male external genitalia. Most cases have an unknown etiology, which is probably a mix of monogenic and multifactorial forms, implicating both genetic and environmental factors. Ryanodine receptor 1 (RYR1) mutations are a common cause of congenital diseases associated with both dominant and recessive inheritance in humans. Herein, we evaluated the correlations of RYR1 C6487T polymorphism with the risk and severity of hypospadias. Methods. 263 congenital hypospadias children and 312 healthy children were recruited. The polymorphism of RYR1 C6487T in the peripheral blood was detected by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism, and different genotypes and allelic genes were analyzed to explore their associations with the risk of congenital hypospadias. Results. The distribution frequencies of CC/CT/TT genotypes and two alleles (C and T) at RYR1 C6487T showed significant differences between the case and control groups (P < 0.05). The frequency of C allele in the case and control groups was 46.95% and 54.94%, respectively, and of T allele was 53.05% and 45.06% (P < 0.05). In addition, the distribution frequency of CC/CT/TT genotypes exhibited significant difference between patients with mild hypospadias and those with moderate or severe hypospadias (all P > 0.05), suggesting that RYR1 C6487T polymorphism is correlated with the severity of congenital hypospadias (X2 = 13.722, P = 0.001). Conclusion. Our study demonstrated that RYR1 C6487T polymorphism might be associated with an increased risk of congenital hypospadias in Chinese Han children. Our findings highlight the heterogeneous nature of hypospadias genetic susceptibility.