bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Review of Trends in Computational Social Choice Edited by Ulle Endriss
Authors: Nagaraj S.V.
Published: June 2018

Social choice theory is an area of economics that studies collective decision making. Examples of collective decision making include sharing a cake or a resource among a group of people or friends, tallying votes in an election, and aggregating opinions of various experts. Computational social choice is a discipline which may be considered to be at the intersection of economics and computer science. This book deals with recent trends related to computational aspects of collective decision making. It contains contributions of experts in computational social choice. The book is divided into three parts that focus on scenarios, techniques, and applications, respectively. It has been published as a sequel to the Handbook of Computational Social Choice, Cambridge University Press, 2016, recently reviewed by me in this column (SIGACT News 48(4), December 2017, pp. 13-17). Ulle Endriss, the editor of this book, was also an editor of the Handbook. This book has been published by AI Access, a not-for-profit publisher. It is available for free online at the URL http://research.illc.uva.nl/COST-IC1205/Book/, and the hard copy is very nominally priced. The book's publication
Technical Report Column
Authors: Kelley Dean
Published: June 2018

Complexity Theory, Game Theory, and Economics, Tim Roughgarden, TR18-001. Which Distribution Distances are Sublinearly Testable?, Constantinos Daskalakis, Gautam Kamath, John Wright, TR18-002. Proving that prBPP = prP is as hard as \almost" proving that P 6= NP, Roei Tell, TR18-003. Circuit Complexity of Bounded Planar Cutwidth Graph Matching, Aayush Ojha, Raghunath Tewari, TR18-004. Adaptive Boolean Monotonicity Testing in Total In uence Time, C. Seshadhri, Deeparnab Chakrabarty, TR18-005. Pseudorandom Sets in Grassmann Graph have Near-Perfect Expansion, Subhash Khot, Dor Minzer, Muli Safra, TR18-006.
Open Problems Column
Authors: Gasarch William
Published: June 2018

There have been two polls asking theorists (and others) what they thought of P vs NP (and other questions) [4, 5]. Both were written by William Gasarch and appeared in the Complexity Column of SIGACT News, edited by Lane A. Hemaspaandra. They were in 2002 and 2012. Since William Gasarch is fond of Van der Waerden's theorem, you would think the next poll would be 2022; however, Lane asked if it could be a bit earlier so as to be the 100th issue of his column. So here we are. In the past the questions for the poll appeared in Lane's column. This time they appear here in the Open Problems Column, which makes sense since, well, P vs NP is indeed an open problem.
Distributed Computing Column 70
Authors: Welch Jennifer L.
Published: June 2018

Blockchains and distributed ledgers, the technologies underlying Bitcoin and other decentralized transaction systems, have been garnering increasing interest in the theoretical distributed comput- ing community. The current column, by Antonio Fernández Anta, Chryssis Georgiou, Kishori Konwar, and Nicolas Nicolaou, starts with an informative overview of the world of distributed ledgers and motivates the need for rigorous approaches. The authors present an approach for formally specifying a distributed ledger in the context of several popular consistency conditions. The authors then give algorithms that implement the di erent variants in message-passing systems subject to crash failures. The article closes with a discussion of intriguing open questions. Many thanks to Antonio, Chryssis, Kishori and Nicolas for their timely contribution!
Computational Geometry Column 67
Authors: Banyassady Bahareh , Korman Matias , Mulzer Wolfgang
Published: June 2018

In the limited workspace model, we consider algorithms whose input resides in read-only memory and that use only a constant or sublinear amount of writable memory to accomplish their task. We survey recent results in computational geometry that fall into this model and that strive to achieve the lowest possible running time. In addition to discussing the state of the art, we give some illustrative examples and mention open problems for further research.
Gem #145
Authors: Reboul Valentine
Published: June 2018

Let's get started? Ada is an imperative programming language, where the sequentially executed statement is a building block of the language (together with declarations). This Gem presents nine short questions on Ada statements. Try to answer them without using the compiler.
Gem #151
Authors: Moy Yannick
Published: June 2018

Let's get started? Integer overflows are exotic and dangerous beasts, that most programmers do not encounter very often, and tend to forget about. An integer overflow occurs when the result of an arithmetic computation does not fit in the machine integer type that needs to hold the result. Of course, Ada requires run-time checks to protect against integer overflows, which are enabled by the switch -gnato in GNAT. But it is common to compile without this switch for production binaries, in which case an integer overflow will result in what the Ada Reference Manual calls "erroneous behavior", which means that anything could happen (see Gems #132 to #135).
Hardware-Based Data Protection/Isolation at Runtime in Ada Code for Microcontrollers
Authors: Rivera J. Germán
Published: June 2018

This article describes an approach for using a memory protection unit (MPU) to enforce data protection/isolation at runtime, for individual data structures and memorymapped peripherals, in Ada bare-metal embedded software for microcontrollers. First, an MPU-based data protection architecture for Ada programs is described. Then, the changes required for the GNAT small-foot-print Ravenscar Ada runtime library, to implement this data protection architecture, are described.
IP Network Stack in Ada 2012 and the Ravenscar Profile
Authors: Carrez Stéphane
Published: June 2018

This article presents Ada Embedded Network, a small network stack intended to be used by small embedded Ada applications running on ARM. It implements the standard ARP, IPv4, UDP, DNS and DHCP protocols on top of an Ethernet driver. Its memory efficient design allows it to run on the STM32F746 board. The article presents the components from the Ada implementation point of view. It highlights the Ada features that have been used and shows some benefits of the Ravenscar profile that have helped the project.
Using GtkAda in Practice
Authors: Marriott Ahlan , Maurer Urs
Published: June 2018

This article is an extract from the industrial presentation "Astronomical Ada" which was given at the 2017 Ada- Europe conference in Vienna. The presentation was an experience report on the problems we encountered getting a program written entirely in Ada to work on three popular operating systems: Microsoft Windows (XP and later), Linux (Ubuntu Tahr) and OSX (Sierra). The main problem we had concerned the implementation of the Graphical User Interface (GUI). This article describes our work using GtkAda.
Yap regulates mitochondrial structural remodeling during myoblast differentiation
Authors: Huang Shiyuan , Wang Xiaona , Wu Xinmei , Yu Jiale , Li JinJing , Huang Xiaoyuan , Zhu Chunfang , Ge Hongshan
Published: June 2018

Yes-associated protein (Yap) is a core transcriptional coactivator in the downstream Hippo pathway that regulates cell proliferation and tissue growth. However, its role in the regulation of myoblast differentiation remains unclear. Regulation of mitochondrial networks by dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1) and mitofusion 2 (Mfn2) is crucial for the activation of myoblast differentiation. In the present study, we investigated the interplay between the Hippo/Yap pathway and protein contents of Mfn2 and Drp1 during myoblast differentiation. The Hippo/Yap pathway was inactivated at the early stage of myoblast differentiation due to the decreased ratio of phosphorylated mammalian sterile 20 kinases 1/2 (p-Mst1/2) to Mst1/2, phosphorylated large tumor suppressor 1 (p-Lats1) to Lats1, and phosphorylated Yap (serine 112, p-Yap S112) to Yap, which resulted in the translocation of Yap from cytoplasm to nucleus, increased protein content of Drp1, and mitochondrial fission events. Downregulation of Yap inhibited myoblast differentiation and decreased the content of Drp1, which resulted in elongated mitochondria, fused mitochondrial networks, and collapsed mitochondrial membrane potential. Together, our data indicate that inactivation of the Hippo/Yap pathway could induce mitochondrial fission by promoting Drp1 content at the early stage of myoblast differentiation.
Time course of changes in maternal left ventricular function during subsequent pregnancy in women with a history of gestational hypertensive disorders
Authors: Hieda Michinari , Yoo Jeung-Ki , Sun Dan-dan , Okada Yoshiyuki , Parker Rosemary S. , Roberts-Reeves Monique A. , Adams-Huet Beverley , Nelson David B. , Levine Benjamin D. , Fu Qi
Published: June 2018

Women with a history of gestational hypertensive disorders (GHD) are at increased risk for developing perinatal cardiovascular complications (e.g., gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, etc.) in subsequent pregnancies. The underlying mechanisms remain uncertain, but impaired maternal left ventricular function may be one contributing factor for these complications. We evaluated the time course of changes in left ventricular function before, during, and after pregnancy in women with prior GHD. Sixteen women with a history of GHD (the high-risk group) and 25 women without such a history (controls) were enrolled. Resting hemodynamic and echocardiographic measurements were longitudinally performed before pregnancy, during early pregnancy (4–8 wk of gestation), during late pregnancy (32–36 wk of gestation), and postpartum (6–10 wk after delivery). Pregnancy outcomes were obtained after delivery. At prepregnancy, there was no difference in blood pressure and heart rate between the groups. Corrected isovolumic relaxation time was longer, E/ eʹ was larger, and Tei index was greater in the high-risk group than controls. Moreover, the rate of GHD during the study was significantly greater in the high-risk group than controls [odds ratio = 8.94 (95% confidence interval: 1.55–51.5), P = 0.007]. Multiple logistic regression analysis adjusted for age demonstrated that prepregnancy E/ eʹ was an independent predictor for GHD ( P = 0.017). Thus, women with a history of GHD have modestly impaired cardiac function prepregnancy compared with controls, which identifies an increased susceptibility to developing cardiovascular complications during a subsequent pregnancy.
Preoptic area cooling increases the sympathetic outflow to brown adipose tissue and brown adipose tissue thermogenesis
Authors: Mohammed Mazher , Madden Christopher J. , Burchiel Kim J. , Morrison Shaun F.
Published: June 2018

Modest cold exposures are likely to activate autonomic thermogenic mechanisms due to activation of cutaneous thermal afferents, whereas central thermosensitive neurons set the background tone on which this afferent input is effective. In addition, more prolonged or severe cold exposures that overwhelm cold defense mechanisms would directly activate thermosensitive neurons within the central nervous system. Here, we examined the involvement of the canonical brown adipose tissue (BAT) sympathoexcitatory efferent pathway in the response to direct local cooling of the preoptic area (POA) in urethane-chloralose-anesthetized rats. With skin temperature and core body temperature maintained between 36 and 39°C, cooling POA temperature by ~1–4°C evoked increases in BAT sympathetic nerve activity (SNA), BAT temperature, expired CO2, and heart rate. POA cooling-evoked responses were inhibited by nanoinjections of ionotropic glutamate receptor antagonists or the GABAAreceptor agonist muscimol into the median POA or by nanoinjections of ionotropic glutamate receptor antagonists into the dorsomedial hypothalamic nucleus (bilaterally) or into the raphe pallidus nucleus. These results demonstrate that direct cooling of the POA can increase BAT SNA and thermogenesis via the canonical BAT sympathoexcitatory efferent pathway, even in the face of warm thermal input from the skin and body core.
Kir5.1 regulates Nedd4-2-mediated ubiquitination of Kir4.1 in distal nephron
Authors: Wang Ming-Xiao , Su Xiao-Tong , Wu Peng , Gao Zhong-Xiuzi , Wang Wen-Hui , Staub Olivier , Lin Dao-Hong
Published: June 2018

Kir4.1/5.1 heterotetramer participates in generating the negative cell membrane potential in distal convoluted tubule (DCT) and plays a critical role in determining the activity of Na-Cl cotransporter (NCC). Kir5.1 contains a phosphothreonine motif at its COOH terminus (AA249–252). Coimmunoprecipitation showed that Nedd4-2 was associated with Kir5.1 in HEK293 cells cotransfected with Kir5.1 or Kir4.1/Kir5.1. GST pull-down further confirmed the association between Nedd4-2 and Kir5.1. Ubiquitination assay showed that Nedd4-2 increased the ubiquitination of Kir4.1/Kir5.1 heterotetramer in the cells cotransfected with Kir4.1/Kir5.1, but it has no effect on Kir4.1 or Kir5.1 alone. Patch-clamp and Western blot also demonstrated that coexpression of Nedd4-2 but not Nedd4-1 decreased K currents and Kir4.1 expression in the cells cotransfected with Kir4.1 and Kir5.1. In contrast, Nedd4-2 fails to inhibit Kir4.1 in the absence of Kir5.1 or in the cells transfected with the inactivated form of Nedd4-2 (Nedd4-2C821A). Moreover, the mutation of TPVT motif in the COOH terminus of Kir5.1 largely abolished the association of Nedd4-2 with Kir5.1 and abolished the inhibitory effect of Nedd4-2 on K currents in HEK293 cells transfected with Kir4.1 and Kir5.1 mutant (Kir5.1T249A). Finally, the basolateral K conductance in the DCT and Kir4.1 expression is significantly increased in the kidney-specific Nedd4-2 knockout or in Kir5.1 knockout mice in comparison to their corresponding wild-type littermates. We conclude that Nedd4-2 binds to Kir5.1 at the phosphothreonine motif of the COOH terminus, and the association of Nedd4-2 with Kir5.1 facilitates the ubiquitination of Kir4.1, thereby regulating its plasma expression in the DCT.
Intermittent hypoxia exacerbates increased blood pressure in rats with chronic kidney disease
Authors: Riggs Jennifer L. , Pace Carolyn E. , Ward Heather H. , Gonzalez Bosc Laura V. , Rios Lynnette , Barrera Adelaeda , Kanagy Nancy L.
Published: June 2018

Kidney injury and sleep apnea (SA) are independent risk factors for hypertension. Exposing rats to intermittent hypoxia (IH) to simulate SA increases blood pressure whereas adenine feeding causes persistent kidney damage to model chronic kidney disease (CKD). We hypothesized that exposing CKD rats to IH would exacerbate the development of hypertension and renal failure. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed a 0.2% adenine diet or control diet (Control) until blood urea nitrogen was >120 mg/dl in adenine-fed rats (14 ± 4 days, mean ± SE). After 2 wk of recovery on normal chow, rats were exposed to IH (20 exposures/h of 5% O2-5% CO2 7 h/day) or control conditions (Air) for 6 wk. Mean arterial pressure (MAP) was monitored with telemeters, and plasma and urine samples were collected weekly to calculate creatinine clearance as an index of glomerular filtration rate (GFR). Prior to IH, adenine-fed rats had higher blood pressure than rats on control diet. IH treatment increased MAP in both groups, and after 6 wk, MAP levels in the CKD/IH rats were greater than those in the CKD/Air and Control/IH rats. MAP levels in the Control/Air rats were lower than those in the other three groups. Kidney histology revealed crystalline deposits, tubule dilation, and interstitial fibrosis in both CKD groups. IH caused no additional kidney damage. Plasma creatinine was similarly increased in both CKD groups throughout whereas IH alone increased plasma creatinine. IH increases blood pressure further in CKD rats without augmenting declines in GFR but appears to impair GFR in healthy rats. We speculate that treating SA might decrease hypertension development in CKD patients and protect renal function in SA patients.
Autophagy activation in circulating proangiogenic cells aggravates AKI in type I diabetes mellitus
Authors: Schwarze K. , Kribben A. , Ritter O. , Müller G. A. , Patschan D.
Published: June 2018

Acute kidney injury (AKI) occurs frequently in hospitals worldwide, but the therapeutic options are limited. Diabetes mellitus (DM) affects more and more people around the globe. The disease worsens the prognosis of AKI even further. In recent years, cell-based therapies have increasingly been applied in experimental AKI. The aim of the study was to utilize two established autophagy inducers for pharmacological preconditioning of so-called proangiogenic cells (PACs) in PAC treatment of diabetic AKI. Insulin-dependent DM was induced in male C57/Bl6N mice by intraperitoneal injections of streptozotocine. Six weeks later, animals underwent bilateral renal ischemia for 45 min, followed by intravenous injections of either native or zVAD (benzyloxycarbonyl-Val-Ala-Asp-fluoro-methylketone)- or Z-Leu-Leu-Leu-al (MG132)-pretreated syngeneic murine PACs. Mice were analyzed 48 h (short term) and 6 wk (long term) later, respectively. DM worsened postischemic AKI, and PAC preconditioning with zVAD and MG132 resulted in a further decline of excretory kidney function. Injection of native PACs reduced fibrosis in nondiabetic mice, but cell preconditioning promoted interstitial matrix accumulation significantly. Both substances aggravated endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndoMT) under diabetic conditions; these effects occurred either exclusively in the short (zVAD) or in the short and long term (MG132). Preconditioned cells stimulated the autophagocytic flux in intrarenal endothelial cells, and all experimental groups displayed increased endothelial abundances of senescence-associated β-galactosidase, a marker of premature cell senescence. Pharmacological autophagy activation may not serve as an effective strategy for improving PAC competence in diabetic AKI in general. On the contrary, several outcome parameters (excretory function, fibrosis, EndoMT) may even be worsened.
Distinct cell types in the superficial superior colliculus project to the dorsal lateral geniculate and lateral posterior thalamic nuclei
Authors: Gale Samuel D. , Murphy Gabe J.
Published: June 2018

The superficial layers of the superior colliculus (sSC) receive retinal input and project to thalamic regions, the dorsal lateral geniculate (dLGN) and lateral posterior (LP; or pulvinar) nuclei, that convey visual information to cortex. A critical step toward understanding the functional impact of sSC neurons on these parallel thalamo-cortical pathways is determining whether different classes of sSC neurons, which are known to respond to different features of visual stimuli, innervate overlapping or distinct thalamic targets. Here, we identified a transgenic mouse line that labels sSC neurons that project to dLGN but not LP. We utilized selective expression of fluorophores and channelrhodopsin in this and previously characterized mouse lines to demonstrate that distinct cell types give rise to sSC projections to dLGN and LP. We further show that the glutamatergic sSC cell type that projects to dLGN also provides input to the sSC cell type that projects to LP. These results clarify the cellular origin of parallel sSC-thalamo-cortical pathways and reveal an interaction between these pathways via local connections within the sSC.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY The superficial layers of the superior colliculus (sSC) project to two visual thalamic targets: the dorsal lateral geniculate (dLGN) and lateral posterior (LP) nuclei. We show that distinct excitatory sSC cell types give rise to these projections; stellate cells project to dLGN and wide-field (WF) cells project to LP. Moreover, these pathways interact via a connection within the sSC from stellate to WF cells.
Calcium channel subtypes on glutamatergic mossy fiber terminals synapsing onto rat hippocampal CA3 neurons
Authors: Shin Min-Chul , Nonaka Kiku , Yamaga Toshitaka , Wakita Masahito , Akaike Hironari , Akaike Norio
Published: June 2018

The current electrophysiological study investigated the functional roles of high- and low-voltage-activated Ca2+ channel subtypes on glutamatergic small mossy fiber nerve terminals (SMFTs) that synapse onto rat hippocampal CA3 neurons. Experiments combining both the “synapse bouton” preparation and single-pulse focal stimulation technique were performed using the conventional whole cell patch configuration under voltage-clamp conditions. Nifedipine, at a high concentration, and BAY K 8644 inhibited and facilitated the glutamatergic excitatory postsynaptic currents (eEPSCs) that were evoked by 0.2-Hz stimulation, respectively. However, these drugs had no effects on spontaneous EPSCs (sEPSCs). Following the use of a high stimulation frequency of 3 Hz, however, nifedipine markedly inhibited eEPSCs at the low concentration of 0.3 µM. Moreover, ω-conotoxin GVIA and ω-agatoxin IVA significantly inhibited both sEPSCs and eEPSCs. Furthermore, SNX-482 slightly inhibited eEPSCs. R(−)-efonidipine had no effects on either sEPSCs or eEPSCs. It was concluded that glutamate release from SMFTs depends largely on Ca2+ entry through N- and P/Q-type Ca2+ channels and, to a lesser extent, on R-type Ca2+ channels. The contribution of L-type Ca2+ channels to eEPSCs was small at low-firing SMFTs but more significant at high-firing SMFTs. T-type Ca2+ channels did not appear to be involved in neurotransmission at SMFTs.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY Action potential-evoked glutamate release from small mossy fiber nerve terminals (SMFTs) that synapse onto rat hippocampal CA3 neurons is regulated by high-threshold but not low-threshold Ca2+ channel subtypes. The functional contribution mainly depends on N- and P/Q-type Ca2+ channels and, to a lesser extent, on R-type Ca2+ channels. However, in SMFTs stimulated at a high 3-Hz frequency, L-type Ca2+ channels contributed significantly to the currents. The present results are consistent with previous findings from fluorometric studies of large mossy fiber boutons.
The modulation of locomotor speed is maintained following partial denervation of ankle extensors in spinal cats
Authors: Harnie Jonathan , Côté-Sarrazin Célia , Hurteau Marie-France , Desrochers Etienne , Doelman Adam , Amhis Nawal , Frigon Alain
Published: June 2018

Speed modulation requires spatiotemporal adjustments and altered neural drive to different muscles. The loss of certain muscles produces changes in the locomotor pattern and functional compensation. However, how the loss of specific muscles affects speed modulation has not been specifically investigated. Here, we denervated the lateral gastrocnemius and soleus muscles unilaterally in seven cats that had recovered hindlimb locomotion following complete spinal transection (spinal cats). Hindlimb locomotion was tested at 10 speeds, from 0.1 to 1.0 m/s, before, 1–2 days, and 1–8 wk after denervation. Six of seven cats performed hindlimb locomotion 1–2 days postdenervation at all speeds, with the exception of two out of those six cats that did not perform stable stepping at 0.9 and 1.0 m/s. All seven cats performed hindlimb locomotion 1–8 wk postdenervation at all speeds. In some cats, at 1–2 days postdenervation, the ipsilateral hindlimb performed more steps than the contralateral hindlimb, particularly at slow speeds. This 2:1 coordination disappeared over time. In three cats, the linear increase in the amplitude of the electromyography of the ipsilateral medial gastrocnemius was reduced with increasing speed early after denervation before recovering later on. Overall, the results indicate that spinal circuits interacting with sensory feedback from the hindlimbs compensate for the partial loss of ankle extensors, retaining the ability to modulate locomotor speed.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY We investigated speed modulation after denervating 2 ankle extensors unilaterally at 10 treadmill speeds in spinal-transected cats. Although we observed new forms of left-right coordination and changes in muscle activity of a remaining synergist, modulation of spatiotemporal variables with increasing speed was largely maintained after denervation. The results indicate that spinal locomotor centers interacting with sensory feedback compensate for the loss of ankle extensors, allowing speed modulation.
The Effect of Steep Trendelenburg Positioning on Retinal Structure and Function during Robotic-Assisted Laparoscopic Procedures
Authors: Hirooka Kazuyuki , Ukegawa Kaori , Nitta Eri , Ueda Nobufumi , Hayashida Yushi , Hirama Hiromi , Taoka Rikiya , Sakura Yuma , Yamasaki Mari , Tsunemori Hiroyuki , Sugimoto Mikio , Kakehi Yoshiyuki
Published: June 2018

Purpose. Robotic-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (RALP) has become a standard treatment choice for localized prostate cancer. RALP requires a steep Trendelenburg position, which leads to a significant increase in intraocular pressure (IOP). This study evaluated the effect on the retinal structure and function in patients undergoing RALP. Methods. Standard automated perimetry (SAP) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) were performed in 20 males scheduled for RALP at 1 month and 1 day before the operation and at 1 and 3 months after the operation. IOP measurements were made in the supine position at 5 min after intubation under general anesthesia (T1), at 6 discrete time points (5, 30, 60, 120, 180, and 240 min; T2-7), and at 5 min after returning to a horizontal supine position (T8). Serial retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thicknesses and visual field progression were assessed using the guided progression analysis software program. RNFL thickness progression and visual field progression were evaluated by event analysis. Results. Average IOP (mmHg) for each time point was as follows: T1 = 12.3 ± 2.6, T2 = 20.4 ± 4.2, T3 = 23.3 ± 3.8, T4 = 24.0 ± 3.2, T5 = 24.3 ± 3.4, T6 = 27.1 ± 7.2, T7 = 29.8 ± 8.7, and T8 = 20.1 ± 4.4. During RALP, IOP significantly increased. There was no progression of the visual field and RNFL thickness after surgery or any other ocular complications found. Conclusions. Although IOP significantly increased during RALP, there were no significant changes in the retinal structure and function between the pre- and postoperation observations.
Research on Property of Multicomponent Thickening Water Fracturing Fluid and Application in Low Permeability Oil Reservoirs
Authors: Zhang Chengli , Wang Peng , Song Guoliang
Published: June 2018

The clean fracturing fluid, thickening water, is a new technology product, which promotes the advantages of clean fracturing fluid to the greatest extent and makes up for the deficiency of clean fracturing fluid. And it is a supplement to the low permeability reservoir in fracturing research. In this paper, the study on property evaluation for the new multicomponent and recoverable thickening fracturing fluid system (2.2% octadecyl methyl dihydroxyethyl ammonium bromide (OHDAB) +1.4% dodecyl sulfonate sodium +1.8% potassium chloride and 1.6% organic acids) and guar gum fracturing fluid system (hydroxypropyl guar gum (HGG)) was done in these experiments. The proppant concentration (sand/liquid ratio) at static suspended sand is up to 30% when the apparent viscosity of thickening water is 60 mPa·s, which is equivalent to the sand-carrying capacity of guar gum at 120 mPa·s. When the dynamic sand ratio is 40%, the fracturing fluid is not layered, and the gel breaking property is excellent. Continuous shear at room temperature for 60 min showed almost no change in viscosity. The thickening fracturing fluid system has good temperature resistance performance in medium and low temperature formations. The fracture conductivity of thickening water is between 50.6 μm2·cm and 150.4 μm2·cm, and the fracture conductivity damage rate of thickening water is between 8.9% and 17.9%. The fracture conductivity conservation rate of thickening water is more than 80% closing up of fractures, which are superior to the guar gum fracturing fluid system. The new wells have been fractured by thickening water in A block of YC low permeability oil field. It shows that the new type thickening water fracturing system is suitable for A block and can be used in actual production. The actual production of A block shows that the damage of thickening fracturing fluid is low, and the long retention in reservoir will not cause great damage to reservoir.
Frequency-Division Combination Forecasting of Stock Market Based on Wavelet Multiresolution Analysis
Authors: Luo Shihua , Huo Jiangyou , Dai Zian
Published: June 2018

Put forward a novel combination forecasting method (M-ARIMA-BP) that could make a more accurate and concise prediction of stock market based on wavelet multiresolution analysis. This innovative method operated by parsing of the low-frequency trend series and the high-frequency volatility series of stock market and gives an insight into the price series. Using the daily closing price data of SSE (Shanghai Stock Exchange) Composite Index and Shenzhen Component Index as samples, compared with conventional wavelet prediction model, ARIMA model, and BP neural network model, the empirical results show that the new algorithm M-ARIMA-BP can improve the accuracy of volatility forecasting and perform better in predicting prices rising and falling.
Incontinentia Pigmenti Misdiagnosed as Neonatal Herpes Simplex Virus Infection
Authors: Abdollahimajd Fahimeh , Fallahi Minoo , Kazemian Mohammad , Nilipour Yalda , Radfar Mitra , Tehranchi Sedigheh Tahereh
Published: June 2018

Incontinentia pigmenti (IP) is an X-linked dominant neurocutaneous syndrome with ophthalmologic, neurologic, cutaneous, and dental manifestations and in most cases antenatally lethal in boys. Occasionally, typical IP may occur in boys due to Klinefelter syndrome or a genomic mosaicism. Skin lesions are observed in 4 stages: blistering, verrucous linear plaques, swirling macular hyperpigmentation, followed by linear hypopigmentation that develop during adolescence and early adulthood. Neonatal herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection can be manifested in 3 forms: localized, disseminated, and central nervous system (CNS) involvement. Timely diagnosis and treatment of neonatal HSV infection is critical. In this case report, we present a 12-day female newborn with a history of maternal genital HSV in second trimester and vesicular lesions on the upper and lower limbs that was appeared at first hours of life. She was admitted in the maternity hospital that was born and was treated by antibiotic and acyclovir for 11 days. Then, she readmitted for her distributed vesicular lesions. The results of blood and CSF for HSV PCR were negative. Eventually the diagnosis for incontinentia pigmenti was made by consultation with a dermatologist, and skin biopsy confirmed the diagnosis.
Comparison of Sn‐5Sb and Sn‐10Sb Alloys in Tensile and Fatigue Properties Using Miniature Size Specimens
Authors: Kobayashi Tatsuya , Kobayashi Kyosuke , Mitsui Kohei , Shohji Ikuo
Published: June 2018

Tensile and low cycle fatigue properties of Sn‐5Sb (mass%) and Sn‐10Sb (mass%) were investigated using miniature size specimens, and fracture behaviors of the specimens were observed. Tensile strength and 0.1% proof stress of both alloys decrease with increasing the temperature. The tensile strength and 0.1% proof stress of Sn‐10Sb are higher than those of Sn‐5Sb at 25°C. Elongation of Sn‐5Sb decreases with increasing the temperature except for a strain rate of 2 × 10−1 s−1, while Sn‐10Sb increases with increasing temperature. Although elongation of Sn‐10Sb is lower than that of Sn‐5Sb at 25°C, the difference between them is small at 150°C. Chisel‐point fracture was observed in both alloys regardless of conditions of the tensile test. The low cycle fatigue lives of Sn‐5Sb and Sn‐10Sb alloys obey the Manson–Coffin equation, and the fatigue ductility exponent, α, was 0.54 for Sn‐5Sb and 0.46 for Sn‐10Sb in the temperature range from 25°C to 150°C. On the basis of the observation of fractured specimens and the investigation of α, it was clarified that the crack progress can be delayed by the formation of coarse SbSn compounds in the Sn‐Sb alloy, and thus the fatigue properties can be improved.
Stenotrophomonas maltophilia Meningitis in a Term Healthy Neonate: A Case Report and Literature Review
Authors: Ibrahim Judy , Hamwi Nadia , Rabei Hala , Abdelghafar Mohamed , Al-Dulaimi Zahraa , Al Tatari Hossam
Published: June 2018

Stenotrophomonas maltophilia is an environmental bacterium of growing concern due to its multidrug resistance and pathogenic potential. It is considered an opportunistic pathogen of nosocomial origin most of the time, targeting a specific patients' population. We describe a case of a previously healthy full-term neonate who was found to have S. maltophilia meningitis and was successfully treated with a combination of Trimethoprim-Sulfamethoxazole and Ciprofloxacin.
Efficacy of Nivolumab in a Patient with Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma and End-Stage Renal Disease on Dialysis: Case Report and Literature Review
Authors: Ansari Jawaher , Ali Muhammad , Farrag Ashraf , Ali Arwa M. , Alhamad Abdulaziz
Published: June 2018

Treatment of patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) on dialysis poses a therapeutic challenge, particularly as this patient group was excluded from the pivotal clinical trials. In addition, there is uncertainty regarding drug dosing/pharmacokinetics, lack of safety and efficacy data, and potential for increased toxicity when using targeted therapy or immunotherapy for the management of patients with mRCC on dialysis. Nivolumab, an anti-programmed death-1 immune checkpoint inhibitor antibody, is indicated for the treatment of patients with mRCC who have received prior antiangiogenic therapy. Given the above-mentioned uncertainties, clinicians may be reluctant to use nivolumab for this patient population, leading to potential denial of life-prolonging medications. We report the case of a 72-year-old gentleman with mRCC and ESRD on dialysis who received second-line nivolumab therapy and achieved an excellent symptomatic and radiological response, remaining progression-free for over 22 months. In addition, we have reviewed the pharmacokinetic data and published retrospective case studies to review the management options for patients with mRCC and ESRD on dialysis.
Sample Entropy Analysis of Noisy Atrial Electrograms during Atrial Fibrillation
Authors: Cirugeda-Roldán Eva María , Molina Picó Antonio , Novák Daniel , Cuesta-Frau David , Kremen Vaclav
Published: June 2018

Most cardiac arrhythmias can be classified as atrial flutter, focal atrial tachycardia, or atrial fibrillation. They have been usually treated using drugs, but catheter ablation has proven more effective. This is an invasive method devised to destroy the heart tissue that disturbs correct heart rhythm. In order to accurately localise the focus of this disturbance, the acquisition and processing of atrial electrograms form the usual mapping technique. They can be single potentials, double potentials, or complex fractionated atrial electrogram (CFAE) potentials, and last ones are the most effective targets for ablation. The electrophysiological substrate is then localised by a suitable signal processing method. Sample Entropy is a statistic scarcely applied to electrograms but can arguably become a powerful tool to analyse these time series, supported by its results in other similar biomedical applications. However, the lack of an analysis of its dependence on the perturbations usually found in electrogram data, such as missing samples or spikes, is even more marked. This paper applied SampEn to the segmentation between non-CFAE and CFAE records and assessed its class segmentation power loss at different levels of these perturbations. The results confirmed that SampEn was able to significantly distinguish between non-CFAE and CFAE records, even under very unfavourable conditions, such as 50% of missing data or 10% of spikes.
Persistent Stress-Induced Neuroplastic Changes in the Locus Coeruleus/Norepinephrine System
Authors: Borodovitsyna Olga , Joshi Neal , Chandler Daniel
Published: June 2018

Neural plasticity plays a critical role in mediating short- and long-term brain responses to environmental stimuli. A major effector of plasticity throughout many regions of the brain is stress. Activation of the locus coeruleus (LC) is a critical step in mediating the neuroendocrine and behavioral limbs of the stress response. During stressor exposure, activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis promotes release of corticotropin-releasing factor in LC, where its signaling promotes a number of physiological and cellular changes. While the acute effects of stress on LC physiology have been described, its long-term effects are less clear. This review will describe how stress changes LC neuronal physiology, function, and morphology from a genetic, cellular, and neuronal circuitry/transmission perspective. Specifically, we describe morphological changes of LC neurons in response to stressful stimuli and signal transduction pathways underlying them. Also, we will review changes in excitatory glutamatergic synaptic transmission in LC neurons and possible stress-induced modifications of AMPA receptors. This review will also address stress-related behavioral adaptations and specific noradrenergic receptors responsible for them. Finally, we summarize the results of several human studies which suggest a link between stress, altered LC function, and pathogenesis of posttraumatic stress disorder.
Finite Particle Method‐Based Collapse Simulation of Space Steel Frame Subjected to Earthquake Excitation
Authors: Long Xiao-Hong , Yue Rong , Ma Yong-Tao , Fan Jian
Published: June 2018

In the process of collapse failure of the space steel frame subjected to earthquake excitation, complex behaviors often are involved, including geometric nonlinearity, material nonlinearity, fracture, contact, and collisions. In view of the unique advantages of the finite particle method to analyze complex structural nonlinear problems, this paper utilized the finite particle method as the basic means of analysis and used MATLAB software for computational analysis. This paper first derived a finite particle method‐based space steel frame model, conducted static analysis and dynamic response analysis under earthquake excitation, and compared findings with ANSYS analysis results to validate reliability. This paper established the fracture criterion and failure mode of a steel frame member. Theoretical derivation and numerical simulation indicate that the finite particle method is a feasible and effective way to simulate the collapse of space steel frame structures subjected to earthquake excitation. This method provides a new approach to study the collapse and anticollapse seismic design of space steel frame structures subjected to earthquake excitation.
Novel Approach for Endoscopic Management of Duodenal Injury during Perirenal Infected Haematoma Drainage after Shock-Wave Lithotripsy
Authors: Gadzhiev Nariman , Gorelov Dmitry , Smirnov Alexander , Al-Shukri Salman , Petrov Sergei
Published: June 2018

Background. Gaining percutaneous access during percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PNL) can be complicated with the bowel injury. We report a novel approach of management of duodenal injury complicating percutaneous drainage of infected haematoma after Shock-Wave Lithotripsy (SWL). Case Presentation. A 57-year-old patient with the 15 mm right pelvic kidney stone underwent uneventful SWL. Patient visited emergency department 3 days later with high fever and chills with severe right flank pain. CT urography revealed lower pole kidney injury with signs of infected hematoma due to low attenuation areas but without signs of obstruction or urine leakage. Infected haematoma was drained percutaneously under ultrasound and X-ray control and a pigtail catheter 10 Fr was left beneath the lower pole of the right kidney. Postoperatively duodenal injury was suspected due to amber color, low creatinine, and high bilirubin level in the drainage output. CT demonstrated that the pigtail of the drain had entered the second part of the duodenum. Catheter was withdrawn and defect of the duodenal wall was stapled with four staples endoscopically. After 2 days of fasting patient was allowed to start oral food intake and was discharged on the 5th day. Conclusion. Injury of the duodenum during percutaneous kidney manipulation is an extremely rare complication. Conservative management consisting of endoscopic stapling of the duodenal wall defect is a safe and feasible approach to expediting the recovery of the patient.
Dynamics of a Upright Pole Coupled with Nonlinear Hysteretic Isolators under Harmonic Base Excitation
Authors: Cheng Yongfeng , Guo Hulun , Zhu Zhubing , Su Xiaochao , Chen Yushu
Published: June 2018

Leady isolator shows hysteretic nonlinearity. The isolation efficiency of leady isolator is an important problem in many engineering structures. In this paper, vibrations of a ceramic upright pole coupled with four leady isolators under harmonic base excitation are studied. A hysteretic force‐deformation model of leady isolator is derived from experimental results. With this model, the vibration of the pole in rotation is studied. The frequency response is obtained analytically by employing harmonic balance method. The analytical results are agreed well with numerical results. The vibration of the pole is decreased greatly by leady isolator, especially near resonant case. The influences of system parameters on vibration response and resonant peak are discussed in detail.
A Stochastic TB Model for a Crowded Environment
Authors: Maku Vyambwera Sibaliwe , Witbooi Peter
Published: June 2018

We propose a stochastic compartmental model for the population dynamics of tuberculosis. The model is applicable to crowded environments such as for people in high density camps or in prisons. We start off with a known ordinary differential equation model, and we impose stochastic perturbation. We prove the existence and uniqueness of positive solutions of a stochastic model. We introduce an invariant generalizing the basic reproduction number and prove the stability of the disease-free equilibrium when it is below unity or slightly higher than unity and the perturbation is small. Our main theorem implies that the stochastic perturbation enhances stability of the disease-free equilibrium of the underlying deterministic model. Finally, we perform some simulations to illustrate the analytical findings and the utility of the model.
Use of Self-Assembling Peptides to Enhance Stem Cell Function for Therapeutic Angiogenesis
Authors: Park Hyung Sub , Choi Geum Hee , Kim Daehwan , Jung Tae Woo , Jung In Mok , Chung Jung Kee , Lee Taeseung
Published: June 2018

The use of nanomaterials for biomedical applications has become a promising field in regenerative medicine. Self-assembling peptides (SAPs) have been proposed as a good candidate because they are able to self-assemble into stable hydrogels and interact with cells or molecules when combined together. This in turn can lead to the improved survival or action of cells or molecules to obtain the desired effects. In this study, we investigated whether the combination of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) with SAPs could improve angiogenesis in ischemic hindlimbs of rats compared to MSC or SAP treatment alone. The combination of MSCs and SAPs showed an overall higher expression of angiogenesis markers on fluorescent immunohistochemical analysis and a lower degree of fibrosis and cell apoptosis, which in turn led to an overall tendency for improved perfusion of the ischemic hindlimbs. Finally, SAPs also showed the ability to recruit endogenous host MSCs into the site of action, especially when modified to incorporate substance P as a functional motif, which when injected with exogenous MSCs, allowed for the dual presence of MSCs at the site of action. Overall, these results suggest that SAPs can be applied with stem cells to potentiate angiogenesis, with potential therapeutic application in vascular diseases.
Multiple‐Model Adaptive Estimation with A New Weighting Algorithm
Authors: Zhang Weicun , Wang Sufang , Zhang Yuzhen
Published: June 2018

The state estimation of a complex dynamic stochastic system is described by a discrete‐time state‐space model with large parameter (including the covariance matrices of system noises and measurement noises) uncertainties. A new scheme of weighted multiple‐model adaptive estimation is presented, in which the classical weighting algorithm is replaced by a new weighting algorithm to reduce the calculation burden and to relax the convergence conditions. Finally, simulation results verified the effectiveness of the proposed MMAE scheme for each possibility of parameter uncertainties.
Generation of Retinal Organoids with Mature Rods and Cones from Urine-Derived Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
Authors: Li Guilan , Xie Bingbing , He Liwen , Zhou Tiancheng , Gao Guanjie , Liu Shengxu , Pan Guangjin , Ge Jian , Peng Fuhua , Zhong Xiufeng
Published: June 2018

Urine cells, a body trash, have been successfully reprogrammed into human induced pluripotent stem cells (U-hiPSCs) which hold a huge promise in regenerative medicine. However, it is unknown whether or to what extent U-hiPSCs can generate retinal cells so far. With a modified retinal differentiation protocol without addition of retinoic acid (RA), our study revealed that U-hiPSCs were able to differentiate towards retinal fates and form 3D retinal organoids containing laminated neural retina with all retinal cell types located in proper layer as in vivo. More importantly, U-hiPSCs generated highly mature photoreceptors with all subtypes, even red/green cone-rich photoreceptors. Our data indicated that a supplement of RA to culture medium was not necessary for maturation and specification of U-hiPSC-derived photoreceptors at least in the niche of retinal organoids. The success of retinal differentiation with U-hiPSCs provides many opportunities in cell therapy, disease modeling, and drug screening, especially in personalized medicine of retinal diseases since urine cells can be noninvasively collected from patients and their relatives.
Thermodynamic Volume Product in Spherically Symmetric and Axisymmetric Spacetime
Authors: Pradhan Parthapratim
Published: June 2018

We have examined the thermodynamic volume products for spherically symmetric and axisymmetric spacetime in the framework of extended phase space. Such volume products are usually formulated in terms of the outer horizon (H+) and the inner horizon (H-) of black hole (BH) spacetime. Besides volume product, the other thermodynamic formulations like volume sum, volume minus, and volume division are considered for a wide variety of spherically symmetric spacetime and axisymmetric spacetime. Like area (or entropy) product of multihorizons, the mass-independent (universal) features of volume products sometimes also fail. In particular, for a spherically symmetric AdS spacetime, the simple thermodynamic volume product of H± is not mass-independent. In this case, more complicated combinations of outer and inner horizon volume products are indeed mass-independent. For a particular class of spherically symmetric cases, i.e., Reissner Nordström BH of Einstein gravity and Kehagias-Sfetsos BH of Hořava Lifshitz gravity, the thermodynamic volume products of H± are indeed universal. For axisymmetric class of BH spacetime in Einstein gravity, all the combinations are mass-dependent. There has been no chance to formulate any combinations of volume product relation to be mass-independent. Interestingly, only the rotating BTZ black hole in 3D provides that the volume product formula is mass-independent, i.e., universal, and hence it is quantized.