bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pregnancy outcomes among Chinese women with and without systemic lupus erythematosus: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Wu Jiayue , Ma Jinghang , Bao Chunde , Di Wen , Zhang Wei-Hong
Published: April 2018

Objective

To completely and quantifiably determine the effect of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) on pregnancy outcomes in a Chinese cohort.

Design

A retrospective cohort study.

Setting

Data were collected at a tertiary medical centre located in Shanghai, China, from September 2011 to May 2017.

Participants

We assigned 338 pregnant women with SLE to the study cohort and 1014 randomly selected pregnant women without SLE (three for every woman with SLE) to a comparison cohort. The relevant medical records of all pregnant women were retrospectively reviewed. Cases of multiple pregnancy and cases in which an artificial abortion was performed for personal reasons were excluded.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

Maternal and fetal outcomes were primary outcomes, and management of antenatal care was the secondary outcome.

Results

The risks of pregnancy-induced hypertension (OR 2.68, 95% CI 1.75 to 4.09), pre-eclampsia (OR 3.13, 95% CI 1.95 to 5.03) and premature rupture of membranes (OR 2.53, 95% CI 1.46 to 4.40) were significantly different between women with and without SLE. Gestational diabetes was negatively associated with SLE in pregnant women (OR 0.49, 95% CI 0.28 to 0.85). Pregnant women with SLE displayed significantly higher rates of fetal loss (OR 10.23, 95% CI 5.08 to 20.59), including spontaneous abortion (OR 4.42, 95% CI 1.52 to 12.80), therapeutic abortion (OR 16.57, 95% CI 5.80 to 47.35) and stillbirth (OR 13.25, 95% CI 1.49 to 118.11), and a higher risk of preterm birth (OR 3.15, 95% CI 2.21 to 4.50), intrauterine growth restriction (OR 2.20, 95% CI 1.35 to 3.58), a child who was small for the gestational age (OR 1.86, 95% CI 1.11 to 3.13), a caesarean section (OR 4.73, 95% CI 3.30 to 6.80) or a neonatal intensive care unit admission (OR 3.48, 95% CI 2.21 to 5.48) than women in the non-SLE population after adjusting for confounding factors.

Conclusions

In this study, SLE significantly increased the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes. Therefore, a preconception assessment and close antenatal monitoring by both rheumatologists and obstetricians should be performed in pregnant women with SLE.
Children and Young People-Mental Health Safety Assessment Tool (CYP-MH SAT) study: Protocol for the development and psychometric evaluation of an assessment tool to identify immediate risk of self-harm and suicide in children and young people (10–19 years) in acute paediatric hospital settings
Authors: Manning Joseph C , Walker Gemma M , Carter Tim , Aubeeluck Aimee , Witchell Miranda , Coad Jane
Published: April 2018

Introduction

Currently, no standardised, evidence-based assessment tool for assessing immediate self-harm and suicide in acute paediatric inpatient settings exists.

Aim

The aim of this study is to develop and test the psychometric properties of an assessment tool that identifies immediate risk of self-harm and suicide in children and young people (10–19 years) in acute paediatric hospital settings.

Methods and analysis

Development phase: This phase involved a scoping review of the literature to identify and extract items from previously published suicide and self-harm risk assessment scales. Using a modified electronic Delphi approach, these items will then be rated according to their relevance for assessment of immediate suicide or self-harm risk by expert professionals. Inclusion of items will be determined by 65%–70% consensus between raters. Subsequently, a panel of expert members will convene to determine the face validity, appropriate phrasing, item order and response format for the finalised items.

Psychometric testing phase: The finalised items will be tested for validity and reliability through a multicentre, psychometric evaluation. Psychometric testing will be undertaken to determine the following: internal consistency, inter-rater reliability, convergent, divergent validity and concurrent validity.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethical approval was provided by the National Health Service East Midlands—Derby Research Ethics Committee (17/EM/0347) and full governance clearance received by the Health Research Authority and local participating sites. Findings from this study will be disseminated to professionals and the public via peer-reviewed journal publications, popular social media and conference presentations.
Practical guide to the meta-analysis of rare events
Authors: Efthimiou Orestis
Published: April 2018

Objective

Meta-analysing studies with low event rates is challenging as some of the standard methods for meta-analysis are not well suited to handle rare outcomes. This is more evident when some studies have zero events in one or both treatment groups. In this article, we discuss why rare events require special attention in meta-analysis, we present an overview of some approaches suitable for meta-analysing rare events and we provide practical recommendations for their use.

Methods

We go through several models suggested in the literature for performing a rare events meta-analysis, highlighting their respective advantages and limitations. We illustrate these models using a published example from mental health. We provide the software code needed to perform all analyses in the appendix.

Results

Different methods may give different results, and using a suboptimal approach may lead to erroneous conclusions. When data are very sparse, the choice between the available methods may have a large impact on the results. Methods that use the so-called continuity correction (eg, adding 0.5 to the number of events and non-events in studies with zero events in one treatment group) may lead to biased estimates.

Conclusions

Researchers should define the primary analysis a priori, in order to avoid selective reporting. A sensitivity analysis using a range of methods should be used to assess the robustness of results. Suboptimal methods such as using a continuity correction should be avoided.
A Novel Method of Building Functional Brain Network Using Deep Learning Algorithm with Application in Proficiency Detection
Authors: Hua Chengcheng , Wang Hong , Wang Hong , Lu Shaowen , Liu Chong , Khalid Syed Madiha
Published: April 2018

Functional brain network (FBN) has become very popular to analyze the interaction between cortical regions in the last decade. But researchers always spend a long time to search the best way to compute FBN for their specific studies. The purpose of this study is to detect the proficiency of operators during their mineral grinding process controlling based on FBN. To save the search time, a novel semi-data-driven method of computing functional brain connection based on stacked autoencoder (BCSAE) is proposed in this paper. This method uses stacked autoencoder (SAE) to encode the multi-channel EEG data into codes and then computes the dissimilarity between the codes from every pair of electrodes to build FBN. The highlight of this method is that the SAE has a multi-layered structure and is semi-supervised, which means it can dig deeper information and generate better features. Then an experiment was performed, the EEG of the operators were collected while they were operating and analyzed to detect their proficiency. The results show that the BCSAE method generated more number of separable features with less redundancy, and the average accuracy of classification (96.18%) is higher than that of the control methods: PLV (92.19%) and PLI (78.39%).
Simulation and test of the thermal behavior of pressure switch
Authors: Liu Yifang , Chen Daner , Zhang Yao , Dai Tingting
Published: April 2018

Little, lightweight, low-power microelectromechanical system (MEMS) pressure switches offer a good development prospect for small, ultra-long, simple atmosphere environments. In order to realize MEMS pressure switch, it is necessary to solve one of the key technologies such as thermal robust optimization. The finite element simulation software is used to analyze the thermal behavior of the pressure switch and the deformation law of the pressure switch film under different temperature. The thermal stress releasing schemes are studied by changing the structure of fixed form and changing the thickness of the substrate, respectively. Finally, the design of the glass substrate thickness of 2.5 mm is used to ensure that the maximum equivalent stress is reduced to a quarter of the original value, only 154 MPa when the structure is in extreme temperature (80[Formula: see text]C). The test results show that after the pressure switch is thermally optimized, the upper and lower electrodes can be reliably contacted to accommodate different operating temperature environments.
Theoretical study of high-order harmonic generation from the hydrogen molecular ion with a dichromatic spatially inhomogeneous field
Authors: Xu Xiao-Hu , Wang Yan-Jun , Miao Xiang-Yang
Published: April 2018

We theoretically investigate the enhancement of high-order harmonic generation by numerically solving the non-Born–Oppenheimer time-dependent Schrödinger equation from the hydrogen molecular ion in a dichromatic inhomogeneous laser field. An ultrabroad supercontinuum up to 300 orders spectral width is generated. It is found that not only the inhomogeneity, but also the dichromatic field contributes to the significant extension of the harmonic cutoff compared with a monochromatic inhomogeneous laser field. Meanwhile, the long quantum paths can be suppressed and short ones can be enhanced by selecting optimized inhomogeneous parameter [Formula: see text], intensity and carrier envelope phase of the dichromatic inhomogeneous laser field. Furthermore, by superposing a properly selected range of the harmonic spectrum in the continuum region, an isolated 29-as pulse is generated. Both the classical theory and quantum time–frequency analysis are adopted to explain the physical mechanism.
Stability of Periodic Orbits in the Averaging Theory: Applications to Lorenz and Thomas Differential Systems
Authors: Cândido Murilo R. , Llibre Jaume
Published: April 2018

We provide new results in studying a kind of stability of periodic orbits provided by the higher-order averaging theory. Then, we apply these results to determining the [Formula: see text]-hyperbolicity of some periodic orbits of the Lorenz and Thomas differential systems.
A Study of Chaos in Cellular Automata
Authors: Kamilya Supreeti , Das Sukanta
Published: April 2018

This paper presents a study of chaos in one-dimensional cellular automata (CAs). The communication of information from one part of the system to another has been taken into consideration in this study. This communication is formalized as a binary relation over the set of cells. It is shown that this relation is an equivalence relation and all the cells form a single equivalence class when the cellular automaton (CA) is chaotic. However, the communication between two cells is sometimes blocked in some CAs by a subconfiguration which appears in between the cells during evolution. This blocking of communication by a subconfiguration has been analyzed in this paper with the help of de Bruijn graph. We identify two types of blocking — full and partial. Finally a parameter has been developed for the CAs. We show that the proposed parameter performs better than the existing parameters.
Dynamics of a Nonlocal Dispersal Model with a Nonlocal Reaction Term
Authors: Ma Li , Guo Shangjiang , Chen Ting
Published: April 2018

In this paper, we study a class of nonlocal dispersal problem with a nonlocal term arising in population dynamics: [Formula: see text] where [Formula: see text] is a bounded domain, [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] represents the nonlocal dispersal operator with continuous and non-negative dispersal kernel. The kernel [Formula: see text] is assumed to be non-negative and is allowed to have a degeneracy in a smooth subdomain [Formula: see text] of [Formula: see text]. When [Formula: see text] is either positive or vanishes in a subdomain, we respectively investigate the existence, multiplicity and asymptotical stability of positive steady states under the local/global variation of parameter by means of sub-supersolution method, Lyapunov–Schmidt reduction, and bifurcation theory.
An Extension of Fuzzy Linguistic Summarization Considering Probabilistic Uncertainty
Authors: Aydogan Sena , Akay Diyar , Boran Fatih Emre , Yager Ronald R.
Published: April 2018

Linguistic summarization provides to express large volumes of quantitative data in easy understandable natural language based forms. While various methods have been recommended for linguistic summarization, there is not any approach for linguistic summarization where possibilistic and probabilistic uncertainties exist together in data. In this study, we establish a tie between Z-number concept and type-I and type-II quantified sentences in order to calculate the truth degree of a linguistic summary covering possibilistic and probabilistic information. The proposed approach employs copulas to obtain a joint probability distribution of the variables included in type-II quantified sentence.
Group Decision Model Based on Ordered Weighted Distance to Aid Decisions on Logistics
Authors: Silva Filho Jose Leao E , Morais Danielle Costa
Published: April 2018

This paper presents a group decision-making model using a distance aggregator based on Ordered Weighted Distance (OWD) which offers a solution that can reduce disagreement between decision makers (DMs). This paper discusses decision rules and sets out measures to evaluate compensatory effects that have a bearing on DMs’ opinions. The model uses formulations of distances to reveal the differences in opinion among DMs and discusses the meanings of distance and the information presented by each DM. Finally, a case study of a logistics problem is used to illustrate how the model is applied.
Interval Methods in Knowledge Representation
Authors: Kreinovich Vladik
Published: April 2018

Please send your abstracts (or copies of papers that you want to see reviewed here) to vladik@utep.edu, or by regular mail to Vladik Kreinovich, Department of Computer Science, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA.
Gas position effect on single attosecond pulse generation in crossed metal nanostructure
Authors: Liu Hang , Kapteyn Henry J. , Liu Katheryn , Feng April Y.
Published: April 2018

An effect method to obtain the single attosecond pulses (SAPs) by using the inhomogeneous polarization gating (PG) technology in the crossed metal nanostructure has been proposed and investigated. It is found that by properly injecting the gas into the negative position of the nanostructure, the emitted harmonics at the very highest orders used for the SAPs only occurs at one side of the region inside the nanostructure. As a result, not only the extension of the harmonic cutoff can be achieved, but also the modulations of the harmonics can be decreased. Further, with the introduction of a weak near-infrared field, the harmonic yield can be enhanced by 3.5 orders of magnitudes in comparison with that from the single PG technology. Finally, by superposing the selected harmonics from the inhomogeneous PG scheme, a 32 as SAP with the high signal intensity can be obtained.
Static and Dynamic Analyses of Mindlin Plates Resting on Viscoelastic Foundation by Using Moving Element Method
Authors: Luong Van Hai , Cao Tan Ngoc Than , Reddy J. N. , Ang Kok Keng , Tran Minh Thi , Dai Jian
Published: April 2018

Presented herein is a novel computational approach using the moving element method (MEM) for simulating the dynamic response of Mindlin plate resting on a viscoelastic foundation and subjected to moving loads. The governing equations and the element mass, damping and stiffness matrices are formulated in a convected coordinate system in which the origin is attached to the point of the moving applied load. Thus, the method simply treats moving loads as ‘stationary’ at the nodes of the plate to avoid updating the locations of moving loads due to the change of the contact points on the plate. To verify the accuracy of the proposed computational approach, static and free vibration analyses of plates are investigated first. Next, the dynamic response of plate resting on a viscoelastic foundation subjected to a moving load is examined. A parametric study is performed to determine the effects of the load’s velocity, foundation damping and foundation stiffness on the dynamic response of a plate. Finally, the comparisons of the dynamic response of plates resting on viscoelastic foundation and subjected to moving vehicles with three models of load (single-wheel, single-axle and tandem-axle) are discussed.
Algorithm for primary submodule decomposition without producing intermediate redundant components
Authors: Sadiq Afshan
Published: April 2018

The aim of this paper is to present an algorithm for the primary decomposition of a submodule [Formula: see text] of [Formula: see text]. We will use for this purpose the algorithms for primary decomposition for ideals in polynomial rings. We will generalize the method of Kawazoe and Noro to primary decomposition for submodules of free modules.
A Hybrid Model for Aircraft Type Determination Following Flight Cancellation
Authors: Pineda Pedro Jose Gudiel , Hsu Chao-Che , Liou James J. H. , Lo Huai-Wei
Published: April 2018

There are several factors that need to be considered in fleet management when it is necessary to resolve disturbances which necessitate aircraft re-assignment due to flight cancellations, making this a multiple-criteria decision-making problem. A change in the type of aircraft assigned can lead to additional alterations as well as directly affecting connecting flights and interconnected schedules serving specific flight segments. Decision-making is crucial and involves the consideration of complex cost effects, with possible disruptive actions evaluated according to the priorities of airline management and the available resources. Airline managers require a practical and flexible tool to help them make appropriate decisions in a rapidly changing and highly competitive environment. Differing from prior studies using mathematical programming, we propose a hybrid model based on the decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory method and the concepts of analytic network process (DANP) to aid in the decision-making process. We also recommend using the VIKOR method to select the most appropriate alternatives, with the corresponding weights obtained using the DANP method. The efficiency and effectiveness of the proposed method is demonstrated by testing it on a real-world flight cancellation case and in consultation with experts. The results show that this hybrid model is an effective resource that airline managers can use to address and resolve aircraft re-assignment irregularities.
Cross-Organisational Process Mining in Cloud Environments
Authors: Bernardi Mario Luca , Cimitile Marta , Mercaldo Francesco
Published: April 2018

Cloud computing market is continually growing in the last years and becoming a new opportunity for business for private and public organisations. The diffusion of multi-tenants distributed systems accessible by clouds leads to the birth of some cross-organisational environments, increasing the organisation efficiency, promoting the business dynamism and reducing the costs. In spite of these advantages, this new business model drives the interest of researchers and practitioners through new critical issues. First of all, the multi-tenant distributed systems need new techniques to improve the traditional resource management distribution along the different tenants. Secondly, new approaches to the process analysis and monitoring analysed since cross-organisational environments allow various organisations to execute the same process in different variants. Hence, information about how each process variant characterised can be collected by the system and stored as process logs. The usefulness of such logs is twofold: these logs can be analysed using some process mining techniques to understand and improve the business processes and can be used to find better resource management and scalability. This paper proposes a cloud computing multi-tenancy architecture to support cross-organisational process executions and improve resource management distribution. Moreover, the approach supports the systematic extraction/composition of distributed data from the system event logs that are assumed to carry information of each process variant. To this aim, the approach also integrates an online process mining technique for the runtime extraction of business rules from event logs. Declarative processes are used to represent process variants running on the analysed infrastructure as they are particularly suited to represent the business process in a context characterised by low predictability and high variability. In this work, we also present a case study where the proposed architecture is implemented and applied to the execution of a real-life process of online products selling.
Cardiovascular Diseases Due to Stress Arisen from Social Risk Factors: A Synopsis and Prospectiveness
Authors: Jiang Bin , Chen Jielin , Wang Lan
Published: April 2018

This paper reviews the causes of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) from a perspective other than traditional clinical pathology. We look at social factors that could arouse stressful feelings, and could further lead to cardiovascular diseases. Major social factors including job stress, daily hassles, life events, social inequity and trauma are covered in our review. This paper also discusses potential interventions which could be taken by environmental professionals to create dynamism within the existing static structures so as to eventually eradicate the causes of mental stress and ameliorate the quality of life for urban dwellers.
Solving Two-Dimensional Rectangle Packing Problem Using Nature-Inspired Metaheuristic Algorithms
Authors: Virk Amandeep Kaur , Singh Kawaljeet
Published: April 2018

This paper applies cuckoo search and bat metaheuristic algorithms to solve two-dimensional non-guillotine rectangle packing problem. These algorithms have not been found to be used before in the literature to solve this important industrial problem. The purpose of this work is to explore the potential of these new metaheuristic methods and to check whether they can contribute in enhancing the performance of this problem. Standard benchmark test data has been used to solve the problem. The performance of these algorithms was measured and compared with genetic algorithm and tabu search techniques which can be found to be used widely in the literature to solve this problem. Good optimal solutions were obtained from all the techniques and the new metaheuristic algorithms performed better than genetic algorithm and tabu search. It was seen that cuckoo search algorithm excels in performance as compared to the other techniques.
Indicator minerals of the Meliadine orogenic gold deposits, Nunavut (Canada), and application to till surveys
Authors: Manéglia N. , Beaudoin G. , Simard M.
Published: April 2018

The Meliadine Gold District is located about 25 km north of Rankin Inlet, Nunavut (Canada), in the Archean Rankin Inlet greenstone belt. The bedrock is composed of greenschist facies metamorphic rocks. The composition of tourmaline and scheelite is investigated by electron probe micro-analyser (EPMA) and laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA ICP-MS). The chemical composition of these indicator minerals from the Meliadine deposits is compared with the composition of grains extracted from till samples along a 2 km transect parallel to the direction of ice flow at the Mustang showing. Tourmaline from the deposit is characterized by a flat rare earth element (REE) pattern having a positive europium anomaly also found in tourmaline grains in till samples down-ice of the Mustang showing. Scheelite from the Mustang showing shows a bell-shaped REE pattern with a negative europium anomaly, which is also found in scheelite from down-ice till samples. Scheelite and tourmaline recovered from till down-ice from the Mustang showing have a composition diagnostic of the gold mineralization. Determining the composition of tourmaline and scheelite in unconsolidated sediments can serve to identify gold mineralization and has the potential to be applied in mineral exploration in the Meliadine Gold District and elsewhere.
The response of 12 different plant materials and one mushroom to Mo and Pb mineralization along a 100-km transect in southern central Norway
Authors: Reimann Clemens , Englmaier Peter , Flem Belinda , Eggen Ola A. , Finne Tor Erik , Andersson Malin , Filzmoser Peter
Published: April 2018

Along a transect crossing the Oslo rift Mo and Pb mineralizations occur, among them the Nordli Mo and the Snertingdal Pb deposit. In total 15 different sample media (soil C and O horizon and 13 plant materials) were collected at each of 41 sites along a
c.
100-km transect to the north of Oslo and analysed for 53 chemical elements. The responses of 12 different plant media (birch, spruce, cowberry and blueberry leaves and twigs, fern, horsetail and pine bark) and one mushroom (rufous milkcap) to the mineralization and lithological changes along the transect were studied. Most sample materials show a clear reaction to the mineralization, horsetail emerges as the plant that provides the strongest signal and milkcap is the sample medium least suited for mineral exploration. Birch and cowberry emerge as the best compromise for biogeochemical exploration in terms of signal strength and widespread availability in Norway. The uptake of many elements in the plants is strongly controlled, surprisingly few elements indicate the major lithological changes along the transect, e.g. the presence of the Oslo Rift. Most plants react strongly to the presence of Pb mineralization, this can be due to direct uptake or to deposition of local soil dust but cannot be attributed to long range atmospheric transport.

Supplementary material:
Transect plots for all elements is available at
https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.4039130
Paramoudra: observations on large flint structures from the Chalk (Upper Cretaceous) and flint formation
Authors: Yeomans Russell
Published: April 2018

The primary endeavour of the present paper is to classify the types of paramoudra. The discovery of a Cretaceous sponge reef at West Runton (North Norfolk), with a NE tidal influence noted on the rims of paramoudra and next generation placement across the reef, revealed a benthic origin of these flints. Additional evidence suggests that sponges were the causative organism of paramoudra and the majority of primary flint. Photographic and field observations are presented to organize these curious flint structures into recognizable categories and offer an alternative interpretation of flint formation.
Debris flows and water tracks in northern Victoria Land, continental East Antarctica: a new terrestrial analogue site for gullies and recurrent slope lineae on Mars
Authors: Hauber E. , Sassenroth C. , de Vera J.-P. , Schmitz N. , Jaumann R. , Reiss D. , Hiesinger H. , Johnsson A.
Published: April 2018

Although the present environmental conditions on Mars prohibit the generation of significant volumes of liquid water, observations of several very young landforms, such as gullies and recurrent slope lineae, have been interpreted as signals for aqueous processes. To explore the range of conditions under which such features can be formed on Earth, a field site in northern Victoria Land, East Antarctica, was geomorphologically investigated. Despite the small size of the ice-free area, the site displays gullies, water tracks and other traces of liquid water. The gullies show clear evidence of sediment transport by debris flows, and are typical of paraglacial processes on steep slopes in a recently deglaciated area. Water tracks appear in different forms, and seem to recur seasonally in the austral summer. Melting of snow and surface glacier ice is the major water source for both debris flows and water tracks. The observations presented here highlight the potential for hyperarid polar deserts to generate morphogenetically significant amounts of meltwater. The gullies are morphologically analogous to Martian gullies, and water tracks on steep slopes appear very similar to recurrent slope lineae. The observations suggest that even small ice-free sites in continental Antarctica may enable observations which can serve as a basis for working hypotheses in Mars analogue studies, and future field work should consider more areas in Antarctica in addition to the McMurdo Dry Valleys to search for Mars analogue landforms.
Archibald Geikie and the Elgin reptiles
Authors: Benton Michael J.
Published: April 2018

Archibald Geikie had some involvement in Victorian controversies over the age and interpretation of the Permian–Triassic Elgin reptiles. His early patronage by Roderick Murchison, and his biography of Murchison, gave him an unusual position, both in praising his older mentor and also in dealing with some of the mistakes he made. Murchison long held to the notion that the yellow sandstones at Elgin were all Devonian in age, even as more and more specimens of Mesozoic-style reptiles emerged. He eventually accepted that the palaeontological evidence trumped his beloved field observations, and it is likely Geikie never doubted the true age. Later, Geikie was honoured when a dicynodont from Elgin,
Geikia
, was named after him by Geological Survey staff palaeontologist E.T. Newton (1840–1930). The circumstances surrounding this choice of name remain uncertain.
A Conceptual Framework for Designing Virtual Heritage Environment for Cultural Learning
Authors: Ibrahim Nazrita , Ali Nazlena Mohamad
Published: April 2018

Virtual environment has the potential to be used as a medium to facilitate cultural learning. However, this requires guidelines on how to design the environment. This article provides a conceptual framework that guides the design of a virtual environment that facilitates cultural learning for casual users. The exploratory sequential mixed-method design approach was used as the basis for the overall research design. Five studies involving experts and end users were performed to identify and evaluate the framework components. The framework consists of four important components: (i) Information Design, (ii) Information Presentation, (iii) Navigation Mechanism, and (iv) Environment Setting, and outlines two types of design elements: basic elements, which are essential for cultural learning to take place, and extended elements, which provide options for enhanced user experience. Results from the framework evaluation suggest that the proposed design elements are useful in facilitating learning and that the experience of using the virtual environment affected the end users’ sense of awareness and appreciation toward heritage value and preservation.
Regulated Proteolysis in Bacteria
Authors: Mahmoud Samar A. , Chien Peter
Published: April 2018

Regulated proteolysis is a vital process that affects all living things. Bacteria use energy-dependent AAA+ proteases to power degradation of misfolded and native regulatory proteins. Given that proteolysis is an irreversible event, specificity and selectivity in degrading substrates are key. Specificity is often augmented through the use of adaptors that modify the inherent specificity of the proteolytic machinery. Regulated protein degradation is intricately linked to quality control, cell-cycle progression, and physiological transitions. In this review, we highlight recent work that has shed light on our understanding of regulated proteolysis in bacteria. We discuss the role AAA+ proteases play during balanced growth as well as how these proteases are deployed during changes in growth. We present examples of how protease selectivity can be controlled in increasingly complex ways. Finally, we describe how coupling a core recognition determinant to one or more modifying agents is a general theme for regulated protein degradation.
Violent Video Games, Sexist Video Games, and the Law: Why Can't We Find Effects?
Authors: Ferguson Christopher J.
Published: April 2018

During the early 2000s, several states and municipalities sought to regulate minors’ access to violent video games owing to perceived harms to minors. The resultant case law, culminating in the US Supreme Court case Brown v. EMA (2011), demonstrated court skepticism of the science linking violent games to harm in minors. Such skepticism was increasingly confirmed as numerous newer studies could not link violent games to socially relevant outcomes. In more recent years, there has been a newer focus on sexist games and the harm these might cause. This field appears at risk for repeating some of the problems of the violent game field, including exaggeration of mixed findings, lack of curiosity regarding null findings, and unreliable research designs. By persisting in advancing a narrative of public health crisis, despite evidence to the contrary, social science has risked damaging its reputation in the eyes of the courts.
Role of mitophagy regulation by ROS in hepatic stellate cells during acute liver failure
Authors: Tian Zhen , Chen Yi , Yao Naijuan , Hu Chunhua , Wu Yuchao , Guo Dandan , Liu Jinfeng , Yang Yuan , Chen Tianyan , Zhao Yingren , He Yingli
Published: April 2018

Liver sinusoids serve as the first line of defense against extrahepatic stimuli from the intestinal tract. Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) are pericytes residing in the perisinusoidal space that integrate cytokine-mediated inflammatory responses in the sinusoids and relay these signals to the liver parenchyma. Oxidative stress has been shown to promote inflammation during acute liver failure (ALF). Whether and how oxidative stress is involved in HSC inflammation during ALF remains unclear. Level of systemic oxidative stress is reflected by superoxide dismutase (SOD). Thus, ALF patients were recruited to investigate the correlation between plasma SOD levels and clinical features. Liver tissues were collected from chronic hepatitis patients by biopsy and from ALF patients who had undergone liver transplantation. SOD2 expression and HSCs activation were investigated by immunohistochemistry. Inflammation, mitophagy, and apoptosis were investigated by immunoblot analysis and flow cytometry in HSCs treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) donors. The plasma SOD level was significantly increased in patients with ALF compared with those with cirrhosis (444.4 ± 23.58 vs. 170.07 ± 3.52 U/ml, P < 0.01) and was positively correlated with the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease-Na score ( R2 = 0.4720, P < 0.01). In vivo observations revealed that SOD2 immunostaining was increased in ALF patients and mice models, and in vitro experiments demonstrated that LPS/ROS promoted inflammation via inhibiting mitophagy. Moreover, the regulation of inflammation was apoptosis independent in HSCs. LPS-induced increases in oxidative stress promote inflammation through inhibiting mitophagy in HSCs during the process of ALF, providing a novel strategy for the treatment of patients with ALF.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY Here we demonstrate that the serum superoxide dismutase (SOD) level is significantly increased in patients with acute liver failure (ALF), and, correlated with the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease-Na score, SOD level dropped in the remission stage of ALF. We identify that, in liver tissue from ALF patients and mice models, manganese-dependent SOD was overexpressed, and show lipopolysaccharide/H2O2 inhibits mitophagy via reactive oxygen species in hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). We show that inhibited mitophagy promotes inflammation in HSCs, whereas mitophagy inducer rescues HSCs from lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation.
Protective effect of Lactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938 against experimental necrotizing enterocolitis is mediated by Toll-like receptor 2
Authors: Hoang Thomas K. , He Baokun , Wang Ting , Tran Dat Q. , Rhoads J. Marc , Liu Yuying
Published: April 2018

Lactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938 (LR 17938) has been shown to reduce the incidence and severity of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). It is unclear if preventing NEC by LR 17938 is mediated by Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2), which is known to mediate proinflammatory responses to bacterial cell wall components. NEC was induced in newborn TLR2−/− or wild-type (WT) mice by the combination of gavage-feeding cow milk-based formula and exposure to hypoxia and cold stress. Treatment groups were administered formula supplemented with LR 17938 or placebo (deMan-Rogosa-Sharpe media). We observed that LR 17938 significantly reduced the incidence of NEC and reduced the percentage of activated effector CD4+T cells, while increasing Foxp3+ regulatory T cells in the intestinal mucosa of WT mice with NEC, but not in TLR2−/− mice. Dendritic cell (DC) activation by LR 17938 was mediated by TLR2. The percentage of tolerogenic DC in the intestine of WT mice was increased by LR 17938 treatment during NEC, a finding not observed in TLR2−/− mice. Furthermore, gut levels of proinflammatory cytokines IL-1β and IFN-γ were decreased after treatment with LR 17938 in WT mice but not in TLR2−/− mice. In conclusion, the combined in vivo and in vitro findings suggest that TLR2 receptors are involved in DC recognition and DC-priming of T cells to protect against NEC after oral administration of LR 17938. Our studies further clarify a major mechanism of probiotic LR 17938 action in preventing NEC by showing that neonatal immune modulation of LR 17938 is mediated by a mechanism requiring TLR2.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY Lactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938 (LR 17938) has been shown to protect against necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in neonates and in neonatal animal models. The role of Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) as a sensor for gram-positive probiotics, activating downstream anti-inflammatory responses is unclear. Our current studies examined TLR2 −/− mice subjected to experimental NEC and demonstrated that the anti-inflammatory effects of LR 17938 are mediated via a mechanism requiring TLR2.
Impact of recurrent laryngeal nerve lesion on oropharyngeal muscle activity and sensorimotor integration in an infant pig model
Authors: DeLozier Katherine R. , Gould Francois D. H. , Ohlemacher Jocelyn , Thexton Allan J. , German Rebecca Z.
Published: April 2018

The successful performance of a swallow requires dynamic integration between a wide range of sensory inputs and muscle activities to produce the coordinated kinematics of oropharyngeal structures. Damage to the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) produces dysphagia in infants, with food or liquid entering the airway despite this nerve having minimal direct sensory or motor connections to the act of swallowing, apart from vocal fold closure. Previous results have demonstrated that a complete RLN lesion disrupts both performance and kinematics before initiation of the pharyngeal swallow in infants. We tested the hypothesis that a RLN lesion produces changes in the normal activity of oral floor, tongue, and infrahyoid muscles during a swallow. We recorded swallowing in our validated infant pig model, with synchronous high-speed imaging and fine-wire, chronic electromyography. We found changes in the timing, duration, and amplitude of the motor pattern in an array of muscles that are supplied by several different cranial and cervical nerves. Some of these changes in muscle activity are associated with the preparatory aspects of bolus aggregation or movement and so occur before the pharyngeal swallow. Taken with previous biomechanical results, these patterns suggest an intricate brain stem sensorimotor integration that occurs as part of a swallow. In particular, the execution of oral motor function is changed as a result of this simple lesion.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY Damage to the recurrent laryngeal nerve compromises swallowing despite an absent or minimal contribution to either the motor or sensory aspects of this function. This study documents EMG changes, following RLN lesion, to non-RLN innervated muscles that are active during swallowing in an infant model. Some of these muscles fire before the pharyngeal swallow and are associated with the preparatory aspects of bolus aggregation and movement, suggesting important sensorimotor integration at a brain stem level.
[Retracted] Heme Oxygenase‐2 Localizes to Mitochondria and Regulates Hypoxic Responses in Hepatocytes
Authors: Waltz Paul K. , Kautza Benjamin , Luciano Jason , Dyer Mitch , Stolz Donna Beer , Loughran Patricia , Neal Matthew D. , Sperry Jason L. , Rosengart Matthew R. , Zuckerbraun Brian S.
Published: April 2018

Hypoxia occurs as a part of multiple disease states, including hemorrhagic shock. Adaptive responses occur within the cell to limit the consequences of hypoxia. This includes changes in mitochondrial respiration, stress‐induced cell signaling, and gene expression that is regulated by hypoxia inducible factor‐1α (HIF‐1α). Heme oxygenase‐2 (HO‐2) has been shown to be involved in oxygen sensing in several cell types. The purpose of these experiments was to test the hypothesis that HO‐2 is a critical regulator of mitochondrial oxygen consumption and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production to influence hypoxia‐adaptive responses such as HIF‐1α protein levels and JNK signaling. Methods and Results. In vitro studies were performed in primary mouse hepatocytes. HO‐2, but not HO‐1, was expressed in mitochondria at baseline. Decreased oxygen consumption and increased mitochondrial ROS production in response to hypoxia were dependent upon HO‐2 expression. HO‐2 expression regulated HIF‐1α and JNK signaling in a mitochondrial ROS‐dependent manner. Furthermore, knockdown of HO‐2 led to increased organ damage, systemic inflammation, tissue hypoxia, and shock in a murine model of hemorrhage and resuscitation. Conclusion. HO‐2 signaling plays a role in hypoxic signaling and hemorrhagic shock. This pathway may be able to be harnessed for therapeutic effects.
Toxicity, Phytochemical Composition, and Enzyme Inhibitory Activities of Some Indigenous Weed Plant Extracts in Fruit Fly, Drosophila melanogaster
Authors: Riaz Bushra , Zahoor Muhammad Kashif , Zahoor Muhammad Asif , Majeed Humara Naz , Javed Irum , Ahmad Aftab , Jabeen Farhat , Zulhussnain Muhammad , Sultana Kishwar
Published: April 2018

Drosophila melanogaster being used as model organism is considered as pest of homes, restaurants, and fruit markets. The damaged fruits are also reported to serve as a carrier for various diseases. The current study was designed to evaluate the toxicity of petroleum extract of some weed plants, namely, Euphorbia prostrata, Parthenium hysterophorus, Fumaria indica, Chenopodium murale, and Azadirachta indica, against D. melanogaster. Mortality at 10, 20, and 30% concentrations after 24 and 48 hours was found comparatively low. E. prostrata caused high mortality (51.64%) at 30% concentration and was found more toxic (LC50 27.76; P value 0.00) after 72 hours. A. indica showed high LC50 value (P value 0.15) compared to other weed plants. The combination of E. prostrata and Bti showed highest mortality (100%; LC50 12.49; P value 0.00) after 72 hours. Similarly, the same combination caused maximum reduction in the activity of AChE, AcP, AkP, α‐Carboxyl, and β‐Carboxyl enzymes. Phytochemical analysis showed the presence of flavonoids, saponins, tannins, steroids, cardiac glycosides, alkaloids, anthraquinones, and terpenoids. FTIR analysis of E. prostrata showed the presence of phenolic compounds. It is suggested that further studies are needed in order to incorporate weed plant extracts in combination with Bti for the management of fruit flies.
Synthesis, Characterization, and Biological Evaluation of Unimetallic and Heterobimetallic Complexes of Bivalent Copper
Authors: Singh Anshul , Chaudhary Ashu
Published: April 2018

We present an inclusive characterization of the unimetallic and heterobimetallic complexes of copper synthesized using CuCl2 and diamine (4-fluoro 1,2-phenylenediamine) resulting in monometallic complex which further undergoes treatment with organometallic dichlorides of group 4 and 14 in 1 : 2 molar ratio resulting in heterobimetallic complexes. These complexes thoroughly characterized using various physical, analytical, and spectroscopic techniques indicate square planar and distorted octahedral geometry for the synthesized unimetallic and heterobimetallic complexes, respectively. These complexes were evaluated for their antimicrobial efficacy against various bacterial and fungal strains while hepatoprotective activity was also examined in male albino rats.
Wound Healing and Omega-6 Fatty Acids: From Inflammation to Repair
Authors: Silva Jéssica R. , Burger Beatriz , Kühl Carolina M. C. , Candreva Thamiris , dos Anjos Mariah B. P. , Rodrigues Hosana G.
Published: April 2018

Wound healing is an evolutionarily conserved process that is essential for species survival. Wound healing involves a series of biochemical and cellular events that are tightly controlled, divided into 3 concomitant and overlapping phases: inflammation, proliferation, and remodelling. Poor wound healing or a chronic wound represents a silent epidemic that affects billions of people worldwide. Considering the involvement of immune cells in its resolution, recent studies are focused on investigating the roles of immune nutrients such as amino acids, minerals, and fatty acids on wound healing. Among the fatty acids, much attention has been given to omega-6 (ω-6) fatty acids since they can modulate cell migration and proliferation, phagocytic capacity, and production of inflammatory mediators. The present review summarizes current knowledge about the role ofω-6 fatty acids in the wound healing context.
Vibration Suppression of a Cantilever Plate Using Magnetically Multimode Tuned Mass Dampers
Authors: Bae Jae-Sung , Park Jung-Sun , Hwang Jai-Hyuk , Roh Jin-Ho , Pyeon Bong-do , Kim Jong-Hyuk
Published: April 2018

For a few decades, various methods of suppressing structural vibration have been proposed. The present study proposes and exploits an effective method of suppressing the vibration of cantilever plates similar to the solar panels of a satellite. Magnetically tuned mass dampers (mTMDs) are a tuned mass damper (TMD) with eddy current damping (ECD). We introduce the mTMD concept for the multimode vibration suppression of the cantilever plate. The design parameters of the mTMD are determined based on the parametric study of the theoretical four‐degree‐of‐freedom model, which was derived for a cantilever plate with TMDs. Two TMDs are optimized for the first bending mode and first torsion mode of the plate, and they are verified analytically and experimentally. To increase the damping performance of the TMDs, ECD is introduced. Its damping ratios are estimated analytically and verified experimentally.
Total Internal Reflection in a Hybrid Nematic Cell Submitted to Weak Boundary Conditions
Authors: Mendoza Carlos I. , Reyes Juan Adrian
Published: April 2018

We calculate the trajectory of a monochromatic optical beam propagating in a planar-homeotropic hybrid nematic crystal cell submitted to weak anchoring conditions. We apply a uniform electric field perpendicular to the cell to control the trajectories for various values of the anchoring elastic energy. We have found that the anchoring energy has a strong influence on the ray penetration length and trajectory. Our calculations are consistent with a previously found Frederick’s type transition only present for weak anchoring in which electric fields above an anchoring-energy dependent critical field align completely the director field.