bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Metrological Evaluation of a Novel Medical Robot and Its Kinematic Calibration
Authors: Zhao Longfei , Joubair Ahmed , Bigras Pascal , Bonev Ilian A.
Published: September 2015

The vessels are twisted in a longitudinal 3D space in the lower limbs of humans. Thus, it is difficult to perform an ultrasound scanning examination in this area. In this paper, a new medical parallel robot is introduced to effectively diagnose vessel disease in the lower limbs. The robot's position repeatability and accuracy are evaluated. Furthermore, the robot's accuracy is improved through a calibration process in which the kinematic parameters are identified through a simple identification approach.
Untangling the Hairballs of Multi-Centered, Small-World Online Social Media Networks
Authors: Nocaj Arlind , Ortmann Mark , Brandes Ulrik
Published: September 2015

Small-world graphs have characteristically low average distance and thus cause force-directed methods to generate drawings that look like hairballs. This is by design as the inherent objective of these methods is a globally uniform edge length or, more generally, accurate distance representation. The problem arises, for instance, with graphs of high density or high conductance, or in the presence of high-degree vertices, all of which tend to pull vertices together and thus result in clutter overspreading variation in local density. We here propose a method specifically for a class of small-world graphs that are typical for online social networks. The method is based on a spanning subgraph that is sparse but connected and consists of strong ties holding together communities. To identify these ties we propose a novel criterion for structural embeddedness. It is based on a weighted accumulation of triangles in quadrangles and can be determined efficiently. An evaluation on empirical and generated networks indicates that our approach improves upon previous methods using other edge indices. Although primarily designed to achieve more informative drawings, our spanning subgraph may also serve as a sparsifier that trims a small-world graph prior to the application of a clustering algorithm.
Anthropogenic CO2 uptake, transport, storage, and dynamical controls in the ocean imposed by the meridional overturning circulation: A modeling study
Authors: Nakano H. , Ishii M. , Rodgers K. B. , Tsujino H. , Yamanaka G.
Published: September 2015

Using an ocean carbon cycle model embedded in an ocean general circulation model, we examine how the budget of anthropogenic CO2 (Cant) is controlled by ocean dynamics. To complement recent studies showing only vertically integrated budgets, we provide a step‐by‐step description by making use of three different coarse grainings of the full vertical resolution of the ocean model in our budget analysis. For the 11 subdomains of the global ocean, these coarse grainings are (1) a one‐layer (vertically integrated) budget, (2) a three‐layer budget, and (3) an 11‐layer budget. We largely focus on the Pacific circulation. We identify and quantify substantial carbon transport associated with the subtropical cells (STCs), which are dominant contributors to the meridional overturning circulation in the upper ocean in the tropics and subtropics, as playing a fundamental role in governing the ocean interior distribution of Cant. The upper branch of the STCs transports Cant‐rich water from the tropics to the subtropics, contributing to the precondition for the high Cant inventory in mode waters. The lower branch of the STCs carries about two thirds of the transported Cant back to the tropics, while it largely excludes Subtropical Mode Waters. This work implies that the reemergence of Cant through recirculation within the STCs may lead to a reduced capacity for further Cant uptake via gas exchange into the surface ocean, potentially contributing to a positive carbon‐climate feedback.
Impact of local winter cooling on the melt of Pine Island Glacier, Antarctica
Authors: St‐Laurent P. , Klinck J. M. , Dinniman M. S.
Published: September 2015

The rapid thinning of the ice shelves in the Amundsen Sea is generally attributed to basal melt driven by warm water originating from the continental slope. We examine the hypothesis that processes taking place on the continental shelf contribute significantly to the interannual variability of the ocean heat content and ice shelf melt rates. A numerical model is used to simulate the circulation of ocean heat and the melt of the ice shelves over the period 2006–2013. The fine model grid (grid spacing 1.5 km) explicitly resolves the coastal polynyas and mesoscale processes. The ocean heat content of the eastern continental shelf exhibits recurrent decreases around September with a magnitude that varies from year to year. The heat loss is primarily caused by surface heat fluxes along the eastern shore in areas of low ice concentration (polynyas). The cold winter water intrudes underneath the ice shelves and reduces the basal melt rates. Ocean temperatures upstream (i.e., at the shelf break) are largely constant over the year and cannot account for the cold events. The cooling is particularly marked in 2012 and its effect on the ocean heat content remains visible over the following years. The study suggests that ocean‐atmosphere interactions in coastal polynyas contribute to the interannual variability of the melt of Pine Island Glacier.
Comparing carbon storage of Siberian tundra and taiga permafrost ecosystems at very high spatial resolution
Authors: Siewert Matthias B. , Hanisch Jessica , Weiss Niels , Kuhry Peter , Maximov Trofim C. , Hugelius Gustaf
Published: September 2015

Permafrost‐affected ecosystems are important components in the global carbon (C) cycle that, despite being vulnerable to disturbances under climate change, remain poorly understood. This study investigates ecosystem carbon storage in two contrasting continuous permafrost areas of NE and East Siberia. Detailed partitioning of soil organic carbon (SOC) and phytomass carbon (PC) is analyzed for one tundra (Kytalyk) and one taiga (Spasskaya Pad/Neleger) study area. In total, 57 individual field sites (24 and 33 in the respective areas) have been sampled for PC and SOC, including the upper permafrost. Landscape partitioning of ecosystem C storage was derived from thematic upscaling of field observations using a land cover classification from very high resolution (2 × 2 m) satellite imagery. Nonmetric multidimensional scaling was used to explore patterns in C distribution. In both environments the ecosystem C is mostly stored in the soil (≥86%). At the landscape scale C stocks are primarily controlled by the presence of thermokarst depressions (alases). In the tundra landscape, site‐scale variability of C is controlled by periglacial geomorphological features, while in the taiga, local differences in catenary position, soil texture, and forest successions are more important. Very high resolution remote sensing is highly beneficial to the quantification of C storage. Detailed knowledge of ecosystem C storage and ground ice distribution is needed to predict permafrost landscape vulnerability to projected climatic changes. We argue that vegetation dynamics are unlikely to offset mineralization of thawed permafrost C and that landscape‐scale reworking of SOC represents the largest potential changes to C cycling.
Nitrogen reduction pathways in estuarine sediments: Influences of organic carbon and sulfide
Authors: Plummer Patrick , Tobias Craig , Cady David
Published: September 2015

Potential rates of sediment denitrification, anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox), and dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA) were mapped across the entire Niantic River Estuary, CT, USA, at 100–200 m scale resolution consisting of 60 stations. On the estuary scale, denitrification accounted for ~ 90% of the nitrogen reduction, followed by DNRA and anammox. However, the relative importance of these reactions to each other was not evenly distributed through the estuary. A Nitrogen Retention Index (NIRI) was calculated from the rate data (DNRA/(denitrification + anammox)) as a metric to assess the relative amounts of reactive nitrogen being recycled versus retained in the sediments following reduction. The distribution of rates and accompanying sediment geochemical analytes suggested variable controls on specific reactions, and on the NIRI, depending on position in the estuary and that these controls were linked to organic carbon abundance, organic carbon source, and pore water sulfide concentration. The relationship between NIRI and organic carbon abundance was dependent on organic carbon source. Sulfide proved the single best predictor of NIRI, accounting for 44% of its observed variance throughout the whole estuary. We suggest that as a single metric, sulfide may have utility as a proxy for gauging the distribution of denitrification, anammox, and DNRA.
A framework of change‐point detection for multivariate hydrological series
Authors: Xiong Lihua , Jiang Cong , Xu Chong‐Yu , Yu Kun‐xia , Guo Shenglian
Published: September 2015

Under changing environments, not only univariate but also multivariate hydrological series might become nonstationary. Nonstationarity, in forms of change‐point or trend, has been widely studied for univariate hydrological series, while it attracts attention only recently for multivariate hydrological series. For multivariate series, two types of change‐point need to be distinguished, i.e., change‐point in marginal distributions and change‐point in the dependence structure among individual variables. In this paper, a three‐step framework is proposed to separately detect two types of change‐point in multivariate hydrological series, i.e., change‐point detection for individual univariate series, estimation of marginal distributions, and change‐point detection for dependence structure. The last step is implemented using both the Cramér‐von Mises statistic (CvM) method and the copula‐based likelihood‐ratio test (CLR) method. For CLR, three kinds of copula model (symmetric, asymmetric, and pair‐copula) are employed to construct the dependence structure of multivariate series. Monte Carlo experiments indicate that CLR is far more powerful than CvM in detecting the change‐point of dependence structure. This framework is applied to the trivariate flood series composed of annual maxima daily discharge (AMDD), annual maxima 3 day flood volume, and annual maxima 15 day flood volume of the Upper Hanjiang River, China. It is found that each individual univariate flood series has a significant change‐point; and the trivariate series presents a significant change‐point in dependence structure due to the abrupt change in the dependence structure between AMDD and annual maxima 3 day flood volume. All these changes are caused by the construction of the Ankang Reservoir.
Near‐field Optics
Authors: Deutsch Brad
Published: September 2015

Near‐field optics is largely concerned with the study and control of evanescent waves. This article outlines the basic concepts of the near field, including their relationship to the diffraction limit and the generation of surface plasmon polaritons. Applications of near‐field enhancement are discussed, such as optical antennas and tip‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy. Finally, scanning near‐field optical microscopy is described, as well as theoretical tools used in the study of the near field.
Role of Process Control Agent in the Synthesis of Multi‐Walled Carbon Nanotubes Reinforced Titanium Metal Matrix Powder Mixtures
Authors: Munir Khurram S. , Oldfield Daniel T. , Wen Cuie
Published: September 2015

The present study investigates the influence of process control agent (PCA), i.e., stearic acid (SA) on the dispersion of multi‐walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) into the titanium (Ti) matrix during mechanical alloying. A planetary ball mill was used in dispersing 0.5 wt.% MWCNT into the Ti matrix. The powder mixtures were prepared in two batches: without and with the addition of 0.5 wt.% SA. Green compacts of high energy ball milled powder mixtures were consolidated by using a uniaxial hydraulic press. Raman spectroscopy combined with X‐ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques were used to characterize the powder mixtures and green compacts. The evolution of MWCNT has been discussed in conjunction with the formation of nano crystalline TiC in the ball milled powder mixtures.
Thieno, Furo, and Selenopheno[3,4‐c]pyrrole‐4,6‐dione Copolymers: Air‐Processed Polymer Solar Cells with Power Conversion Efficiency up to 7.1%
Authors: Najari Ahmed , Beaupré Serge , Allard Nicolas , Ouattara Mariane , Pouliot Jean‐Rémi , Charest Patrick , Besner Simon , Simoneau Martin , Leclerc Mario
Published: September 2015

Polymers based on thieno[3,4‐c]pyrrole‐4,6‐dione derivatives are interesting and promising candidates for organic bulk heterojunction solar cells. Herein, a series of push–pull conjugated polymers based on thieno[3,4‐c]pyrrole‐4,6‐dione (TPD), furo[3,4‐c]pyrrole‐4,6‐dione (FPD), and selenopheno[3,4‐c]‐pyrrole‐4,6‐dione (SePD) have been synthesized by direct heteroarylation polymerization and fully characterized. The impacts of both the heteroatom (sulfur, oxygen, and selenium) and the side chain (branched or linear) of [3,4‐c]pyrrole‐4,6‐dione unit on the electro‐optical properties have been investigated. Among polymers developed, two new highly processable terthiophene–SePD (P4) and dithienosilole–SePD (P9) copolymers led to air‐processed polymer solar cells with power conversion efficiencies of 5.1% and 7.1% using the following inverted configuration: ITO/ZnO/Polymer:PCBM/MoO3/Ag. These promising results make P4 and P9 good candidates for further upscaling and device optimization.
Skeletal and dental development in a sub‐adult western lowland gorilla (gorilla gorilla gorilla)
Authors: Joganic Jessica L.
Published: September 2015

Objectives

Non‐human primate growth trajectories are often used to estimate the age and life history traits of fossil taxa. The exclusive use of chimpanzee growth patterns to estimate developmental stages for the earliest hominins is problematic because incomplete lineage sorting in the hominoid clade has produced a mosaic human genome that contains different regions shared with any one of the great apes. The accidental death of a sub‐adult male western lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) provides not only an opportunity to compare the degree of dentoskeletal maturation in this individual with published data from conspecifics, but also insight into gorilla growth and development as it applies to modeling that of early hominins.

Materials and Methods

Dental stage was assessed for a sub‐adult male western lowland gorilla by comparing dental eruption and calcification to established relative age categories. Ectocranial suture fusion, epiphyseal union, and long bone dimensions were compared to growth standards for wild male gorillas of a similar dental stage to determine developmental timing variability.

Results

Results suggest that greater variability exists in developmental rates and patterns and in morphological parameters than is often acknowledged.

Discussion

These results have implications for selecting appropriate models for studying extinct taxa. Ecological and physical characteristics shared between humans and gorillas may make gorilla life history equally valid in a comparative framework and encourage non‐exclusive use of chimpanzee life history for paleoanthropological models. Am J Phys Anthropol 159:174–181, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Endocranial morphology of Microchoerus erinaceus (Euprimates, Tarsiiformes) and early evolution of the Euprimates brain
Authors: Ramdarshan Anusha , Orliac Maeva J.
Published: September 2015

Objectives

Innovations in brain structure and increase in brain size relative to body mass are key features of Primates evolutionary history. Surprisingly, the endocranial morphology of early Euprimates is still rather poorly known, and our understanding of early euprimate brain evolution (Eocene epoch) relies on a handful of specimens.

Materials and Methods

In this article, we describe the endocranial cast of the tarsiiform Microchoerus erinaceus from the late Early Eocene of Perrière (Quercy fissure filling, France) based on a virtual reconstruction extracted from CT scan data of the endocranial cavity of the complete, undeformed specimen UM‐PRR1771.

Results

The endocast of M. erinaceus shows the derived features observed in other Euprimates (e.g. sylvian fissure and temporal lobe), with limited neocortical folding, and a telencephalic flexure comparable to that of extant primates.

Discussion

Comparison with the endocasts of other available late Eocene primates shows that they already exhibited a variety of brain morphologies, highlighting the complex history of the external features of the primate brain, as early as the Eocene. M. erinaceus was a fruit and gum eater considered as nocturnal based on its orbit size. However, its brain showed small olfactory bulbs—smaller than in the coeval diurnal taxa Adapis parisiensis—and a neocorticalization similar to folivorous taxa. These observations contrast with patterns observed in primates today where nocturnal taxa have larger olfactory bulbs than diurnal taxa, and call into question a direct correlation between frugivory and neocorticalization increase in primates. Am J Phys Anthropol 159:5–16, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Role of ABCB1, ABCG2, ABCC2 and ABCC5 transporters in placental passage of zidovudine
Authors: Neumanova Zuzana , Cerveny Lukas , Ceckova Martina , Staud Frantisek
Published: September 2015

Zidovudine (AZT) is one of the most frequently used antiretroviral drugs in prevention of perinatal transmission of HIV. However, safety concerns on AZT use in pregnancy still persist as severe side effects are associated with AZT exposure in children. In our study we aimed to contribute to current knowledge on AZT transplacental transport and to evaluate potential involvement of the main human drug efflux ATP‐binding cassette (ABC) transporters, p‐glycoprotein (ABCB1), breast cancer resistance protein (ABCG2) and multidrug resistance‐associated proteins 2 and 5 (ABCC2 and ABCC5) in the disposition of AZT between mother and fetus. In order to elucidate this issue we investigated the effect of selected ABC transporters on AZT transepithelial transport across MDCKII cell monolayers. In addition we used the in situ method of dually perfused rat term placenta to further study the role of ABC transporters in AZT transplacental transport. In vitro studies revealed significant effect of ABCB1 and ABCG2 on AZT transport which was subsequently confirmed also on organ level. Lamivudine, an antiretroviral agent commonly co‐administered with AZT, did not affect ABC transporter‐mediated AZT transfer. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Disrupted short chain specific β‐oxidation and improved synthase expression increase synthesis of short chain fatty acids in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: Leber Christopher , Choi Jin Wook , Polson Brian , Da Silva Nancy A.
Published: September 2015

Biologically derived fatty acids have gained tremendous interest as an alternative to petroleum‐derived fuels and chemical precursors. We previously demonstrated the synthesis of short chain fatty acids in Saccharomyces cerevisiae by introduction of the Homo sapiens fatty acid synthase (hFAS) with heterologous phosphopantetheine transferases and heterologous thioesterases. In this study, short chain fatty acid production was improved by combining a variety of novel enzyme and metabolic engineering strategies. The use of a H. sapiens‐derived thioesterase and phosphopantetheine transferase were evaluated. In addition, strains were engineered to disrupt either the full β‐oxidation (by deleting FAA2, PXA1, and POX1) or short chain‐specific β‐oxidation (by deleting FAA2, ANT1, and PEX11) pathways. Prohibiting full β‐oxidation increased hexanoic and octanoic acid levels by 8‐ and 79‐fold relative to the parent strain expressing hFAS. However, by targeting only short chain β‐oxidation, hexanoic and octanoic acid levels increased further to 31‐ and 140‐fold over the parent. In addition, an optimized hFAS gene increased hexanoic, octanoic, decanoic and total short chain fatty acid levels by 2.9‐, 2.0‐, 2.3‐, and 2.2‐fold, respectively, relative to the non‐optimized counterpart. By combining these unique enzyme and metabolic engineering strategies, octanoic acid was increased more than 181‐fold over the parent strain expressing hFAS. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2016;113: 895–900. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Variation in the risk of venous thromboembolism following colectomy
Authors: Humes D J , Walker A J , Blackwell J , Hunt B J , West J
Published: September 2015

Background

Guidelines recommend extended thromboprophylaxis following colectomy for malignant disease, but not for non-malignant disease. The aim of this study was to determine absolute and relative rates of venous thromboembolism (VTE) following colectomy by indication, admission type and time after surgery.

Methods

A cohort study of patients undergoing colectomy in England was undertaken using linked primary (Clinical Practice Research Datalink) and secondary (Hospital Episode Statistics) care data (2001–2011). Crude rates and adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) were calculated for the risk of first VTE following colectomy using Cox regression analysis.

Results

Some 12 388 patients were identified; 312 (2·5 per cent) developed VTE after surgery, giving a rate of 29·59 (95 per cent c.i. 26·48 to 33·06) per 1000 person-years in the first year after surgery. Overall rates were 2·2-fold higher (adjusted HR 2·23, 95 per cent c.i. 1·76 to 2·50) for emergency compared with elective admissions (39·44 versus 25·78 per 1000 person-years respectively). Rates of VTE were 2·8-fold higher in patients with malignant disease versus those with non-malignant disease (adjusted HR 2·84, 2·04 to 3·94). The rate of VTE was highest in the first month after emergency surgery, and declined from 121·68 per 1000 person-years in the first month to 25·65 per 1000 person-years during the rest of the follow-up interval. Crude rates of VTE were similar for malignant and non-malignant disease (114·76 versus 120·98 per 1000 person-years respectively) during the first month after emergency surgery.

Conclusion

Patients undergoing emergency colectomy for non-malignant disease have a similar risk of VTE as patients with malignant disease in the first month after surgery.
First in human implantation of the mechanical expanding Lotus® valve in degenerated surgical valves in mitral position
Authors: Schaefer Ulrich , Conradi Lenard , Lubos Edith , Deuschl Florian , Schofer Niklas , Seiffert Moritz , Treede Hendrik , Schirmer Johannes , Reichenspurner Hermann , Blankenberg Stefan
Published: September 2015

Introduction

Implantation of transcatheter heart valves (THV) into degenerated surgical valves is an emerging therapy for selected high‐risk patients. Although, CE mark of most THV is limited for native aortic valvular stenosis, transcatheter valve implantation into degenerated bioprostheses, even in mitral position is very intriguing.

Methods and Results

After placement of a cerebral protection device (Claret Sentinel®), three consecutive patients (age, 79.0 ± 6.1; log EuroSCORE I: 33.3 ± 9.2%) with a degenerated mitral bioprosthesis were treated by transapical implantation of the Lotus® valve (Boston Scientific Inc.). In addition, a SwanGanz catheter was introduced in the pulmonary artery for hemodynamic assessments all patients.

Procedural success was 100%. Valve implantation was performed without rapid ventricular pacing. Resheating was performed in two patients due to suboptimal initial positioning. Invasive online hemodynamics revealed stable blood pressure in all patients. After Lotus® valve implantation, valvular mitral regurgitation was completely eliminated in all patients. One patient had a mild paravalvular leak of the surgical bioprosthesis, which was present before implantation. Invasive right and left heart hemodynamics showed an immediate improvement after Lotus® valve implantation. Mean mitral surface area (2.1 ± 0.2 cm2) and mean gradient (3.7 ± 2.1 mm Hg) demonstrated satisfactory results. All patients were immediately extubated and discharged from the hospital without any adverse event.

Conclusions

This study demonstrates for the first time the feasibility of transapical Lotus® Valve implantation in degenerated mitral bioprostheses. The controlled mechanical Lotus® valve expansion with remarkably stable hemodynamics throughout the procedure offers a new and valuable treatment option. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Oxygen Reduction at the Liquid–Liquid Interface: Bipolar Electrochemistry through Adsorbed Graphene Layers
Authors: Rodgers Andrew N. J. , Dryfe Robert A. W.
Published: September 2015

The reduction of oxygen and protons at the interface between two immiscible electrolyte solutions (ITIES) has received a great deal of interest over the last decade, with various materials being used to catalyse these reactions. Probing the mechanisms through which these reactions proceed when using interfacial catalysts is important from both from the perspective of fundamental understanding and for catalyst optimisation. Herein, we have used interfacial‐assembled graphene to probe the importance of simple electron conductivity towards the catalysis of the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) at the ITIES, and a bipolar setup to probe the homogeneous/heterogeneous nature of the ORR proceeding through interfacial graphene. We found that interfacial graphene provides a catalytic effect towards the reduction of oxygen at the ITIES, proceeding via the heterogeneous mechanism when using a strong reducing agent.
Furans Conjugated with Bulky Aromatic Systems: One‐Pot Synthesis from Ketones and Acetylene
Authors: Schmidt Elena Yu , Bidusenko Ivan A. , Cherimichkina Natalia A. , Ushakov Igor A. , Borodina Tatyana N. , Smirnov Vladimir I. , Trofimov Boris A.
Published: September 2015

Ketones with bulky aromatic, heteroaromatic and ferrocene substituents react with acetylene in the presence of a KOH/DMSO super‐base suspension (90 °C, 15 min) to give polysubstituted furans in up to 86 % isolated yields in a one‐pot fashion. This assembly of the furan scaffold involves a domino sequence in which one molecule of ketone reacts with two molecules of acetylene.
Preparation, Structural Determination, and Characterization of Electronic Properties of Bis‐Silylated and Bis‐Germylated Lu3N@Ih‐C80
Authors: Kako Masahiro , Miyabe Kyosuke , Sato Kumiko , Suzuki Mitsuaki , Mizorogi Naomi , Wang Wei‐Wei , Yamada Michio , Maeda Yutaka , Olmstead Marilyn M. , Balch Alan L. , Nagase Shigeru , Akasaka Takeshi
Published: September 2015

Invited for the cover of this issue are the groups of M. Kako (The University of Electro‐Communications, Japan), M. M. Olmstead (University of California, USA), A. L. Balch (University of California, USA), S. Nagase (Kyoto University, Japan), T. Akasaka (University of Tsukuba, Japan). The image depicts the 1,4‐bis‐silylated and 1,4‐bis‐germylated structures of Lu3N@Ih‐C80, which represent rare examples of the crystallographic studies of functionalized Lu3N@Ih‐C80. Read the full text of the article at 10.1002/chem.201502511.
Somatic mutation in PIK3CA is a late event in cervical carcinogenesis
Authors: Verlaat Wina , Snijders Peter JF , van Moorsel Marinda IH , Bleeker Maaike , Rozendaal Lawrence , Sie Daoud , Ylstra Bauke , Meijer Chris JLM , Steenbergen Renske DM , Heideman Daniëlle AM
Published: September 2015

Somatic mutations in cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) are largely unknown. Here, we profiled 35 cervical carcinomas and 23 CIN grade 2/3 (CIN2/3) for mutations in 48 cancer‐related genes using a Next Generation Sequencing‐based cancer panel. PIK3CA exon 9 was the most frequently mutated locus in cervical carcinoma and the only mutated locus detected in CIN2/3. These PIK3CA exon 9 mutation findings were verified in a large, independent series (n = 647) covering all stages of cervical carcinogenesis using high resolution melting‐guided Sanger sequencing. PIK3CA exon 9 mutation frequency was 37.1% (13/35; 95%CI 21.2–54.0%) in cervical carcinoma, and 2.4% (5/209; 95%CI 0.5–4.7%) in CIN3. No PIK3CA exon 9 mutations were detected in CIN2 (0/144), CIN1 (0/154) and normal cervix (0/105). In a third series of 46 CIN2/3 lesions from women with a known 5‐year history of preceding high‐risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV) infection, detection of PIK3CA exon 9 mutation was confined to 2 (5.4%; 95%CI 0.0–13.2%) CIN3 lesions with preceding hrHPV infection ≥5 years, and was absent in those with a short duration (<5 years) of preceding hrHPV infection. In conclusion, somatic mutation in PIK3CA represents a late event during cervical carcinogenesis, detected in a substantial subset of cervical carcinoma, but only in a minority of CIN3.
High expression of podoplanin in squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue occurs predominantly in patients ≤40 years but does not correlate with tumour spread
Authors: Sgaramella Nicola , Lindell Jonsson Eva , Boldrup Linda , Califano Luigi , Coates Philip J , Tartaro Gianpaolo , Lo Muzio Lorenzo , Fåhraeus Robin , Colella Giuseppe , Dell'Aversana Orabona Giovanni , Loljung Lotta , Santagata Mario , Rossiello Riccardo , Wilms Torben , Danielsson Karin , Laurell Göran , Nylander Karin
Published: September 2015

More than 30% of patients with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the mobile tongue have clinically undetectable lymph node metastasis. Tumour cells can spread as single cells or collectively. A protein known to play a role in both processes is podoplanin, which is expressed in endothelial cells not only in lymph vessels but also in some aggressive tumours with high invasive and metastatic potential. Here we studied samples from 129 patients with primary SCC of the tongue for expression of podoplanin using immunohistochemistry. mRNA levels were analysed in another 27 cases of tongue SCC with adjacent clinically tumour‐free tongue tissue and 14 tongue samples from healthy donors. Higher levels of podoplanin were seen in tumours compared to both normal tongue and clinically normal tongue in the tumour vicinity. No association was found between levels of podoplanin, presence of lymph node metastases or other clinical factors. Patients aged 40 or less were more likely to express high levels of podoplanin protein compared to older patients (p = 0.027). We conclude that levels of podoplanin in primary tongue SCCs are not associated with lymph node metastases. However, tongue SCCs arising in young patients (≤40 years of age) are more likely to express high levels of podoplanin than tongue SCCs that arise in the more elderly. The data suggest that podoplanin has a distinctive role in young patients, who are known to have a poor prognosis: these patients may, therefore, benefit from podoplanin inhibitory therapies.
A novel machine learning approach to the detection of identity theft in social networks based on emulated attack instances and support vector machines
Authors: Villar‐Rodríguez E. , Del Ser J. , Torre‐Bastida A. I. , Bilbao M. N. , Salcedo‐Sanz S.
Published: September 2015

The proliferation of social networks and their usage by a wide spectrum of user profiles has been specially notable in the last decade. A social network is frequently conceived as a strongly interlinked community of users, each featuring a compact neighborhood tightly and actively connected through different communication flows. This realm unleashes a rich substrate for a myriad of malicious activities aimed at unauthorizedly profiting from the user itself or from his/her social circle. This manuscript elaborates on a practical approach for the detection of identity theft in social networks, by which the credentials of a certain user are stolen and used without permission by the attacker for its own benefit. The proposed scheme detects identity thefts by exclusively analyzing connection time traces of the account being tested in a nonintrusive manner. The manuscript formulates the detection of this attack as a binary classification problem, which is tackled by means of a support vector classifier applied over features inferred from the original connection time traces of the user. Simulation results are discussed in depth toward elucidating the potentiality of the proposed system as the first step of a more involved impersonation detection framework, also relying on connectivity patterns and elements from language processing. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Exploiting geotagged resources for spatial clustering on social network services
Authors: Jung Jason J.
Published: September 2015

Nowadays, it has become common for users to geotag resources on many online social networking services. However, a large amount of data exists on social network services without annotations of their geographical location. Thus, it would be useful to tag these resources with geotags. This paper proposes a method to predict the location of unlabeled resources on social networking services. We use the Naive Bayes and support vector machine methods to classify the resources that are collected by using the term frequency of the tags in each class. In addition, we improve the calculation for these methods by using the values of the term frequency, and we invert the class frequency to optimize the input data. These results can be applied to tag unlabeled resources on social networking services. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
DAC‐Hmm: detecting anomaly in cloud systems with hidden Markov models
Authors: Hong Bin , Peng Fuyang , Deng Bo , Hu Yazhou , Wang Dongxia
Published: September 2015

Cloud computing has rapidly been adopted in recent years by freeing users from the low‐level task of setting up the hardware and managing the system software. Anomaly detection is an effective approach to enhancing availability and reliability of Cloud infrastructures. Anomaly detection solution for Cloud computing systems must operate at runtime and without the need for prior knowledge about normal or anomalous behaviors. In this paper, we propose an unsupervised online anomaly detection scheme based on hidden Markov Model. Our algorithm is basically distributed and runs locally on each computing machine on the Cloud in order to achieve high scalability. Experiments performed on real data sets validate the fact that our algorithm can achieve high detection accuracy for a range of system anomalies with low overhead to the infrastructure in Cloud. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The incredible shrinking dewlap: signal size, skin elasticity, and mechanical design in the green anole lizard (Anolis carolinensis)
Authors: Lailvaux Simon P. , Leifer Jack , Kircher Bonnie K. , Johnson Michele A.
Published: September 2015

The expression of male secondary sexual traits can be dynamic, changing size, shape, color, or structure over the course of different seasons. However, the factors underlying such changes are poorly understood. In male Anolis carolinensis lizards, a morphological secondary sexual signal called the dewlap changes size seasonally within individuals. Here, we test the hypothesis that seasonal changes in male dewlap size are driven by increased use and extension of the dewlap in spring and summer, when males are breeding, relative to the winter and fall. We captured male green anole lizards prior to the onset of breeding and constrained the dewlap in half of them such that it could not be extended. We then measured dewlap area in the spring, summer, and winter, and dewlap skin and belly skin elasticity in summer and winter. Dewlaps in unconstrained males increase in area from spring to summer and then shrink in the winter, whereas the dewlaps of constrained males consistently shrink from spring to winter. Dewlap skin is significantly more elastic than belly skin, and skin overall is more elastic in the summer relative to winter. These results show that seasonal changes in dewlap size are a function of skin elasticity and display frequency, and suggest that the mechanical properties of signaling structures can have important implications for signal evolution and design.
Predicting the Life Span of Dies Used for Soft Magnetic Core Motors
Authors: Tokoi Hirooki , Kobayashi Kinya , Nagashima Hideaki , Ishizawa Shuichi , Enomoto Yuji
Published: September 2015

This paper describes a method of predicting the life span of the dies used in motor manufacture from soft magnetic composites (SMCs). In the present study, a clawtooth motor was used. The method involves performing a stress analysis of a die followed by fatigue testing of test pieces. In the analysis, the SMC was assumed to be in powder form and its yield function was derived by a simple method. In addition to the analysis, we describe a simpler and more effective method in which the properties of the SMC are treated as boundary conditions. In the fatigue tests, we used test pieces that simulated the shape and construction material of the die. To predict the life span of the die, we evaluate the SN diagram, which represents the relationship between the maximum stress and fatigue life with respect to the stress generated in the die. The life expectancy of a new die, which is about 100 cycles of use, is found to agree substantially with its actual life. Furthermore, we explain how to extend the life span of a die to the targeted life span, namely, more than 200,000 cycles of use, by changing its shape to reduce stress.
Performance Evaluation of an Axial‐Type Magnetic‐Geared Motor
Authors: Morimoto Eiki , Hirata Katsuhiro , Niguchi Noboru
Published: September 2015

This paper first proposes an axial‐type magnetic‐geared motor that uses permanent magnets only in the high‐speed rotor. The operating principle of this motor is described and the torque–speed characteristics are computed by using three‐dimensional finite element method analysis. In order to increase the torque density, a novel axial‐type magnetic‐geared motor with permanent magnets on the high‐speed rotor and stator is also proposed. The torque–speed characteristics are compared to the original model with permanent magnets only on the high‐speed rotor. Finally, the computed torque–speed characteristics are verified against measurements on a prototype.
Optimal Design of Permanent Magnet Motor with Magnetic Gear and Prototype Verification
Authors: Iwasaki Norihisa , Kitamura Masashi , Enomoto Yuji
Published: September 2015

We designed a miniaturized permanent magnet synchronous motor with a magnetic gear by using an optimal design technique based on thermomagnetic field coupling analysis. To construct an even smaller motor, investigating the heat dissipation from the motor and increasing its rotation speed are necessary. We manufactured and tested the designed motor with a magnetic gear. The measured torque and motor efficiency demonstrated the high precision of the proposed design.
Robust Feedback Control for the Subsidy Policy about Plug‐In Electric Vehicle Using Sliding Mode Control
Authors: Sakamoto Noriaki , Niimura Takahide , Ozawa Kazuhiro , Takamori Hiroshi
Published: September 2015

This paper deals with robust feedback control for the subsidy policy for the purchase of plug‐in electric vehicles (EVs) and the business model of charging stands. The controlled model has three characteristics: (1) A public institution builds the charge stands. (2) The break‐even point is calculated by thinking about the maintenance cost and running cost. (3) The set value for the number of EV deployed is given. However, the model has uncertainties of parameters, is altered by the influence of the economy, and so on. Therefore, it is necessary to apply robust control logic that overcomes the uncertainties of the model. We propose that the practice of the subsidy policy is regulated by feedback control. As the control logic, we use sliding mode control. The simulation results show the advantages to a person planning an EV purchase and to the charge stand manager, and demonstrate that sliding mode control is a control logic that is effective in the social model.
Optimal Energy Management for Smart Grid System Considering Battery Characteristics
Authors: Mukai Tatsuya , Igari Shunsuke , Namerikawa Toru
Published: September 2015

This paper discusses optimal energy management considering battery characteristics for smart grid and microgrid systems. Energy storage systems are very important for energy peak shifting and peak load cutting in microgrid and smart grid systems, but optimal battery formulation and energy management in the use of expensive energy storage system and methods of taking account of battery characteristics are still in the developmental stage. First, the optimal battery placement for a smart grid system with lithium‐ion batteries is considered as a means of lifetime extension. The battery choice index for this optimal battery utilization problem of optimal energy management is discussed. Second, a smart grid system with a distributed battery system for grid frequency control with consideration of distributed control and battery characteristics is discussed. Optimal controllers for distributed battery systems to reduce the battery load and to expend the battery lifetime are designed. Simulations are used to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method in comparison with conventional methods.
New approaches to virgin olive oil quality, technology, and by‐products valorization
Authors: Servili Maurizio , Esposto Sonia , Taticchi Agnese , Urbani Stefania , Di Maio Ilona , Veneziani Gianluca , Selvaggini Roberto
Published: September 2015

Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) merchandize quality is based on analytical parameters describing alteration status and assuring genuineness, but qualitative/quantitative composition of those quality markers related to health and sensory aspects such as monounsaturated fatty acids, phenolic compounds as secoiridoid derivatives, and C5 and C6 volatile compounds are not mentioned. This paper focuses on the new approaches to the definition of EVOO quality that might include also healthy and sensory parameters and on the agronomic and technological factors that most influence their variability. Crushing and malaxation are discussed as critical points of the technological process since their direct involvement on the phenolic release and on the aroma generation. Variables such as time, temperature, and oxygen level, during malaxation, were analyzed to design new implant systems for the improvement of EVOO quality. Flash thermal conditioning (FTC) of the crushed olive pastes was briefly discussed as a new approach to the technological process. The rapid reaching of the optimal malaxing temperature seems to improve polyphenols and volatile concentration. The paper shows also recent studies on the valorization of the mechanical extraction co‐products as stoned pomaces for the animal feeding and vegetation waters phenolic concentrates and extracts for functional foods and ingredients production. This article provides an overview of the Author keynote lecture delivered at the Euro Fed Lipid Congress and focuses on the group's works.

The GA report, shows the new approach to the EVOO technological process through the use of the flash thermal conditioning (FTC) of the crushed olive pastes to improve EVOO quality and the results obtained in terms of by‐products valorization showing the new applications of pomaces as animal feed supplement and the recovery of the crude phenolic concentrate (CPC) from olive vegetation water that could be used for functional food and ingredients production.
Adding talc particles improves physical properties of palm oil‐based shortening
Authors: Yoshikawa Shinichi , Kida Haruyasu , Matsumura Yasuki , Sato Kiyotaka
Published: September 2015

This paper reports the effects of adding talc particles on the physical properties of palm oil (PO)‐based shortening formed by working refined PO (RPO) after rapid cooling. We examined the thermal and viscoelastic behavior of RPO in bulk fat systems, and the polymorphism and hardness of the shortening in the presence and absence of talc particles. In addition, the microstructure of fat crystals formed was observed. The effects of talc addition are summarized as follows: (i) When RPO was cooled at a rate of 5°C/min, crystallization of the high‐melting fraction, including tripalmitoylglycerol (PPP) and 1,3‐dipalmitoyl‐2‐oleoyl glycerol (POP), was preferentially promoted to form small‐sized microcrystals. During cooling, the increase in the viscoelasticity of RPO was suppressed at low temperatures. (ii) When the shortening was stored at 5°C, β′‐crystallization of 1‐palmitoyl‐2,3‐dioleoyl glycerol (POO) and β‐crystallization, probably of a molecular compound (MC) of POP and 1,2‐dipalmitoyl‐3‐oleoyl glycerol (PPO), were delayed compared to β′‐crystallization of PPP and POP. During storage, the homogeneity of the fat crystal dispersion improved and the hardness of the shortening decreased. These results indicate that talc improved the physical properties of the PO‐based shortening by changing the crystallization kinetics and the networking processes of the fat crystals.

Practical applications: The present study showed that adding talc particles effectively improved the physical properties of palm oil (PO)‐based shortening during storage. This is considered beneficial for resolving problems in the quality control of PO‐based products, such as post‐hardening and the formation of granular crystals due to low rates of crystallization.

Storage modulus (G′) of refined palm oil (RPO) with and without talc particles in bulk fat systems, obtained from dynamic viscoelasticity measurements during cooling at a rate of 5°C/min. Adding talc particles drastically changed the three‐stage increases in G′ of pure RPO, promoting the first‐stage increase but suppressing subsequent increases at low temperatures.
Biofuels derived from Turkish industry wastes—a study of performance and emissions in a diesel engine
Authors: Altun Şehmus , Rodríguez‐Fernández José
Published: September 2015

Recently, research has focused on the biofuel production from local industrial wastes due to the risk of greenhouse emissions derived from land‐use change (both directly and indirectly) of conventional feedstock and the social concern about the effect of conventional biofuel production on oil prices and its availability (the so‐called food vs. fuel debate). Therefore, with the aim to evaluate the use of biofuels derived from wastes from traditional manufacturing industries in Turkey, biodiesel fuels from leather fat, obtained as a by‐product in the leather industry, waste anchovy fish oil, derived from the fish‐processing industry, and waste frying cottonseed oil achieved from food industry, have been tested in a three‐cylinder DI diesel engine at a steady‐state condition. In a previous work, the viability of these fuels was evaluated by analyzing measured and estimated properties and indicators for main diesel emissions, and recommendations were made on their alternative use to conventional biodiesels with the benefit of potentially lower life‐cycle greenhouse emissions. The experimental results, which were compared with ULSD operation, demonstrated that the engine performance was not significantly affected, while a substantial change in emissions was observed with the use of biofuels. In general, the emission results reported here are in a similar range to those obtained with the use of conventional biodiesel fuels. Nonetheless, the exact magnitude of these changes depended upon the biodiesel origin. Lubricity of alternative biofuels was also tested, revealing an enormous capacity for protecting the fuel system from wear, in line with conventional biodiesel fuels. © 2015 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 35: 847–852, 2016