bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Immunoglobulin M antibodies are not specific for serodiagnosis of human toxocariasis
Authors: Roldán W. H. , Elefant G. R. , Ferreira A. W.
Published: May 2017

Serodiagnosis of human toxocariasis is established by detecting serum anti‐Toxocara IgG antibodies, but there is little knowledge regarding the reactivity of human IgM antibodies against the Toxocara antigens. In this study, we have evaluated the reactivity of IgM antibodies in sera from patients with toxocariasis, patients with other helminth infections, and healthy individuals, against Toxocara larval excretory‐secretory (TES) antigens by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and Western blot (WB). Anti‐Toxocara IgM were detected in 91.4% of sera from patients with toxocariasis, 76% of sera from patients with other helminth infections, and 45.3% of sera from healthy individuals when ELISA was used. Likewise, IgM antibodies were detected in 94.8% of sera from patients with toxocariasis, 65.3% of sera from patients with other helminth infections, and 41% of sera from healthy individuals when WB was used. This reactivity exhibited only a slight decrease when the TES antigens were deglycosylated, showing that not only glycosidic epitopes, but also peptide epitopes are involved in the recognition and binding of IgM antibodies during the immune response against the parasite. The results shown that IgM antibodies are not specific for serodiagnosis of human toxocariasis.
A case of primordial odontogenic tumor: A new entity in the latest WHO classification (2017)
Authors: Ando Toshinori , Shrestha Madhu , Nakamoto Takashi , Uchisako Kaori , Yamasaki Sachiko , Koizumi Koichi , Ogawa Ikuko , Miyauchi Mutsumi , Takata Takashi
Published: May 2017

Primordial odontogenic tumor (POT) is a rare lesion in the jaw which has been included as a new entity of benign mixed epithelial and mesenchymal odontogenic tumour in the latest World Health Organization (WHO) classification (2017). Only seven cases have been reported. It typically occurs in the posterior mandible. We report an additional case of POT in the maxilla of an 8‐year‐old girl presenting with an asymptomatic buccal enlargement. A well‐defined, unilocular, radiolucent lesion was observed radiographically. Histologically, the tumor was mostly composed of loose fibrous connective tissue resembling dental papilla and a single layer of columnar epithelium covering the periphery of the tumor. In part, cords or nests of epithelium were present in the mesenchyme close to the periphery. Nestin, a marker of odontogenic ectomesenchyme, was positive in the mesenchymal tumor cells. We finally diagnosed the lesion as POT considering the possibility of other odontogenic tumors like ameloblastic fibroma or developing odontoma as a differential diagnosis. The patient shows no recurrence after 16 months. This case is the first report from Japan using this novel diagnosis POT after it was recognized and defined in the latest WHO classification.
Starting Prices in Liquidation Auctions for IT Equipment: Evidence from Field Experiments
Authors: Elmaghraby Wedad J. , Gopal Anandasivam , Pilehvar Ali
Published: May 2017

It is widely accepted that the information technology (IT) industry has high clockspeed. This very phenomenon has led to IT OEMs finding themselves selling new generation models only to be left holding returned merchandise from older generations. Similarly, customers who migrate to newer generations of products experience uncertainty about how to dispose of older but functional IT equipment. Online liquidation markets have emerged to address these needs by finding ways to resell this equipment. On these liquidation markets, sellers of out‐of‐date or lightly used durable items like computers and tablets can transact with buyers interested in these products at discounted prices, without needing to alter the state/quality of the product. There is limited understanding of how these markets function and how they may be designed to increase their effectiveness. We report on a unique opportunity for a field experiment that was conducted through the co‐operation of a large liquidation company (wholesale liquidator) for IT equipment in the United States. With the specific intention of understanding the design of these liquidation auctions, the research site allowed us to conduct a field experiment on their auction platform for different categories of iPad tablets. By manipulating auction starting prices, we are able to provide insight into the effect of starting prices on the final auction prices of the returned IT products, and find evidence of cross‐product dependencies. To the extent that efficient and viable liquidation markets have ecological and market value, our work provides insights into how sellers may, through the adjustment of starting prices, increase their final prices from online auctions.
‘I try to make a net around each patient’: home care nursing as relational practice
Authors: Bjornsdottir Kristin
Published: May 2017

Background

As a result of restructuring, home care is increasingly defined in a narrow, task‐based way, undermining the holistic nature of practice. Recent practice theories can aid us in articulating the nature of this important, yet often invisible practice.

Aim

My aim in this article was to enhance our knowledge and understanding of the nature of home care nursing practice.

Method

The approach was ethnographic, involving extensive fieldwork and formal interviews with members of five home care nursing teams and 15 older persons receiving care at home in a metropolitan area of Iceland. The study was approved by the National Bioethics Committee.

Findings

As a net of services, home care was enacted through relational, but often invisible care practices, relating different actors – patient, family and health‐care and social‐care workers – in doing the work needed for the older persons to live comfortably at home. The work was collective in that it was shared by different actors and motivated by a common understanding that had developed and was preserved in conversations in the teams.

Limitations

Although the findings are limited in that they only reflect home care as practiced in one neighbourhood, they can be seen as providing important insights into what is needed for home care services to work.

Conclusion

Home care practice can be understood as relational, aimed at creating a net of needed assistance. This work is a collective accomplishment of the teams and shaped by ideals and values shared among team members.
Areas for quality improvements in heart failure care: quality of care from the family members' perspective
Authors: Ängerud Karin Hellström , Boman Kurt , Brännström Margareta
Published: May 2017

Background

The complex needs of people with chronic heart failure (HF) place great demands on their family members, and it is important to ask family members about their perspectives on the quality of HF care.

Objective

To describe family members' perceptions of quality of HF care in an outpatient setting.

Methods

A cross‐sectional study using a short form of the Quality from Patients' Perspective (QPP) questionnaire for data collection. The items in the questionnaire measure four dimensions of quality, and each item consists of both the perceived reality of the care and its subjective importance. The study included 57 family members of patients with severe HF in NYHA class III‐IV.

Results

Family members reported areas for quality improvements in three out of four dimensions and in dimensionless items. The lowest level of perceived reality was reported for treatment for confusion and loss of appetite. Treatment for shortness of breath, access to the apparatus and access to equipment necessary for medical care were the items with the highest subjective importance for the family members.

Conclusion

Family members identified important areas for quality improvement in the care for patients with HF in an outpatient setting. In particular, symptom alleviation, information to patients, patient participation and access to care were identified as areas for improvements. Thus, measuring quality from the family members' perspective with the QPP might be a useful additional perspective when it comes to the planning and implementation of changes in the organisation of HF care.
Precambrian snapshots: Morphodynamics of Torridonian fluvial braid bars revealed by three‐dimensional photogrammetry and outcrop sedimentology
Authors: Ghinassi Massimiliano , Ielpi Alessandro
Published: May 2017

Pre‐vegetation fluvial channels have long been considered predominantly sheet‐like in geometry, owing to hydraulic sections that rapidly widened rather than incise during floods. This motif has been paralleled to that of modern dryland rivers subject to sharp discharge fluctuations during ephemeral floods. However, a number of Precambrian fluvial successions have been recently appraised as the product of deep‐channelled systems characterized by relatively stable – probably perennial – discharge regimes. One such example is the ca 1·0 Ga Applecross Formation, part of the well‐studied Torridon Group of Scotland. To contribute to this debate and to provide refined morphodynamic models for the Applecross Formation, this article presents an integration of three‐dimensional photogrammetry and outcrop sedimentology applied to key exposures at Stoer Peninsula, north‐western Scottish Highlands. Analysis of selected sandbodies reveals that high‐relief fluvial sand bars, both mid‐channel and bank‐attached, evolved within deep, braided‐channel belts. These bars grew through complex mechanisms of accretion and reactivation related to different flood stages: upstream and downstream accretion probably occurred during waning‐flood stages characterized by high hydrograph levels and abundant sediment availability; lateral accretion took place during later waning‐flood stages, and it was associated in some cases with helical recirculation and increase in bend sinuosity. Overall, the depicted morphodynamics are consistent with prolonged flood events that cannot be reconciled with sharply fluctuating discharge regimes. Critical comparisons between the internal geometry of the studied bars and modern counterparts corroborate the findings herein. Thus, this study recommends stricter comparisons between the products of modern braided channels and Precambrian fluvial rock records featuring thick and well‐developed bar forms.
Ex vivo magnetic resonance imaging using hyaluronic acid fillers: Differences between monophasic and biphasic fillers
Authors: Kim M. J. , Moon W‐J. , Hur M. S. , Han S. H. , Lee Y. W. , Choe Y. B. , Ahn K. J.
Published: May 2017

Background/Purpose

Hyaluronic acid (HA) is an anionic, non‐sulfated glycosaminoglycan distributed throughout the human skin and injectable HA fillers are the most commonly used in aesthetic field. This study aimed to determine if differences in physical characteristics of HA products (monophasic or biphasic fillers) affect the patterns of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Methods

Twenty biphasic fillers and nine monophasic fillers were obtained from a commercial source, and examined with a 3.0 Tesla MRI scanner. Visual assessments and measurements of signal intensity for region of interest (ROI) were performed. A non‐parametric Wilcoxon rank sum test was used to compare the ROI values.

Results

Visual assessments by a radiologist did not show significant differences between the two types of fillers. While the signal intensity between the two types of filler did not differ significantly for T1‐weighted images, the signal intensity of the biphasic filler was lower than that of the monophasic filler for T2‐weighted images (P<.01).

Conclusion

Monophasic and biphasic HA fillers exhibited different MRI properties. Our findings may provide better insights into the use of in vivo MRI to evaluate aesthetic, procedure‐related complications.
In vivo exfoliating efficacy of biodegradable beads and the correlation with user's satisfaction
Authors: Kitsongsermthon J. , Kreepoke J. , Duangweang K. , Tansirikongkol A.
Published: May 2017

Background/purpose

By the end of 2017, non‐biodegradable microbeads will be prohibited in USA, UK and Europe, due to their environmental issue. There are biodegradable beads available, but their effect on skin desquamation has not been evaluated yet. This study aimed to understand the skin renewal time, moisturizing effect and user's satisfaction of gel scrubs containing different exfoliating beads.

Methods

Gel scrubs, containing polyethylene, mannan or wax beads, were used in this study. The stratum corneum turnover time (SCTT) and skin hydration were evaluated by dansyl chloride staining technique and Corneometer®, respectively. The self‐assessment was also performed after a 3‐week home use trial.

Results

The SCTTs of three different gel scrubs were not significantly different. A numerical increase in the skin hydration level was found in all groups. Satisfaction scores for the appearance and usability attributes were similar, but scores for improvement in the skin hydration and skin smoothness were higher in the gel scrubs with mannan or wax beads.

Conclusion

All three gel scrubs provided a similar effect on the SCTT and skin hydration, but gel scrubs with mannan or wax beads were more favorable. Thus, these two biodegradable exfoliating beads may be good substitutes in scrubbing products.
Gully boundary extraction based on multidirectional hill‐shading from high‐resolution DEMs
Authors: Yang Xin , Li Min , Na Jiaming , Liu Kai
Published: May 2017

The gully boundary, which distinguishes gully from non‐gully areas, is a significant geomorphologic feature for research on gully development and gully erosion. This study presents a new method based on multidirectional hill‐shading maps, which identify the gully (i.e., shadow area) from inter‐gully (i.e., non‐shadow area). These shadows obtained from various illumination azimuths are merged; consequently, the border of the shadows, which is the gully boundary line, can be achieved. In this process, two key parameters, namely, altitude and azimuth of light, affect the accuracy of gully boundary extraction. The experiments in Yaojiawan area of China show that the method of average median slope of all sampling profiles across the gully boundary is effective and practical for light altitude selection. Moreover, the six azimuths are sufficient for gully boundary extraction in a loess hilly area. The application in the Madigou area indicates the replicability and rationality of this method. A comparison with the positive‐negative terrain and slope variation method confirms a higher accuracy of gully boundary extraction by the proposed method in terms of visual interpretation, length, and contour‐matching difference with reference to manually digitalized results. Accuracy assessment indicates that the proposed method is applicable for gully boundary extraction based on high‐resolution DEMs.
Big Data for weed control and crop protection
Authors: van Evert F K , Fountas S , Jakovetic D , Crnojevic V , Travlos I , Kempenaar C
Published: May 2017

Farmers have access to many data‐intensive technologies to help them monitor and control weeds and pests. Data collection, data modelling and analysis, and data sharing have become core challenges in weed control and crop protection. We review the challenges and opportunities of Big Data in agriculture: the nature of data collected, Big Data analytics and tools to present the analyses that allow improved crop management decisions for weed control and crop protection. Big Data storage and querying incurs significant challenges, due to the need to distribute data across several machines, as well as due to constantly growing and evolving data from different sources. Semantic technologies are helpful when data from several sources are combined, which involves the challenge of detecting interactions of potential agronomic importance and establishing relationships between data items in terms of meanings and units. Data ownership is analysed using the ethical matrix method to identify the concerns of farmers, agribusiness owners, consumers and the environment. Big Data analytics models are outlined, together with numerical algorithms for training them. Advances and tools to present processed Big Data in the form of actionable information to farmers are reviewed, and a success story from the Netherlands is highlighted. Finally, it is argued that the potential utility of Big Data for weed control is large, especially for invasive, parasitic and herbicide‐resistant weeds. This potential can only be realised when agricultural scientists collaborate with data scientists and when organisational, ethical and legal arrangements of data sharing are established.
Transport and magnetic properties of amorphous SiC/Cu ultrathin multilayer films
Authors: Sun Ning , Zhu Yi , Fu Yuting , Wen Shuai , Feng Long , An Yukai , Liu Jiwen
Published: May 2017

Silicon carbide/copper (SiC/Cu) ultrathin multilayer films were deposited on Si substrates by alternating the use of radio-frequency and direct current magnetron sputtering. It was found that the SiC layers possess an amorphous structure and Cu is incorporated into the SiC layers. The films have a p-type semiconductor characteristic, room-temperature ferromagnetic behavior, and negative magnetoresistance. A carrier concentration of up to 2.12 × 1020 and a saturation magnetization of up to 12.14 emu/cm3 are obtained, and Mott variable range hopping mainly dominates the conduction mechanism of the films. The theoretical fitting for the experimental magnetoresistance curves and the theoretical calculation of the density of states of Cu-doped SiC indicate that the ferromagnetism of the films originates from a carrier-mediated p–d exchange interaction.
Learning to read alters cortico-subcortical cross-talk in the visual system of illiterates
Authors: Skeide Michael A. , Kumar Uttam , Mishra Ramesh K. , Tripathi Viveka N. , Guleria Anupam , Singh Jay P. , Eisner Frank , Huettig Falk
Published: May 2017

As little as 6 months of literacy instruction leads to neuroplastic changes in deep structures of the brain of illiterate adults.
The strange case of the orange petunias
Authors: Servick Kelly
Published: May 2017

Growers must destroy countless plants after biologist spots forgotten transgenic flowers
Fossil power, guilt free
Authors: Service Robert F.
Published: May 2017

A startup has invented a power cycle that runs on carbon dioxide—without
emitting it
Release of mineral-bound water prior to subduction tied to shallow seismogenic slip off Sumatra
Authors: Hüpers Andre , Torres Marta E. , Owari Satoko , McNeill Lisa C. , Dugan Brandon , Henstock Timothy J. , Milliken Kitty L. , Petronotis Katerina E. , Backman Jan , Bourlange Sylvain , Chemale Farid , Chen Wenhuang , Colson Tobias A. , Frederik Marina C. G. , Guèrin Gilles , Hamahashi Mari , House Brian M. , Jeppson Tamara N. , Kachovich Sarah , Kenigsberg Abby R. , Kuranaga Mebae , Kutterolf Steffen , Mitchison Freya L. , Mukoyoshi Hideki , Nair Nisha , Pickering Kevin T. , Pouderoux Hugo F. A. , Shan Yehua , Song Insun , Vannucchi Paola , Vrolijk Peter J. , Yang Tao , Zhao Xixi
Published: May 2017

Sediments tell a tsunami story

Trying to understand where major earthquakes and tsunamis might occur requires analysis of the sediments pouring into a subduction zone. Thick sediments were expected to limit earthquake and tsunami size in the Sumatran megathrust event in 2004, but the magnitude 9.2 earthquake defied expectations. Hüpers
et al.
analyzed sediments recovered from the Sumatran megathrust. They found evidence of sediment dehydration, which increased fault strength and allowed for the much larger earthquake to occur. Thus, models of other subduction zones, such as the Gulf of Alaska, may underestimate the maximum earthquake magnitude and tsunami risk.

Science
, this issue p.
841
Response to Comment on “Dissolved organic sulfur in the ocean: Biogeochemistry of a petagram inventory”
Authors: Koch Boris P. , Ksionzek Kerstin B. , Lechtenfeld Oliver J. , McCallister S. Leigh , Schmitt-Kopplin Philippe , Geuer Jana K. , Geibert Walter
Published: May 2017

Dittmar
et al
. proposed that mixing alone can explain our observed decrease in marine dissolved organic sulfur with age. However, their simple model lacks an explanation for the origin of sulfur-depleted organic matter in the deep ocean and cannot adequately reproduce our observed stoichiometric changes. Using radiocarbon age also implicitly models the preferential cycling of sulfur that they are disputing.
Climate optimism gets a road map
Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming
Paul Hawken, Ed.
Penguin Books, 2017. 256 pp.
Authors: Duchin Faye
Published: May 2017

An ambitious plan to leverage existing solutions to global warming is short on analytic rigor
Multicenter Clinical Evaluation of BacT/Alert Virtuo Blood Culture System
Authors: Jacobs Michael R. , Mazzulli Tony , Hazen Kevin C. , Good Caryn E. , Abdelhamed Ayman M. , Lo Pauline , Shum Bianche , Roman Katharine P. , Robinson Danielle C.
Published: May 2017

BacT/Alert Virtuo is an advanced, automated blood culture system incorporating improved automation and an enhanced detection algorithm to shorten time to detection. A multicenter study of the investigational Virtuo system (bioMérieux, Inc., Durham, NC) compared to BacT/Alert 3D (BTA3D) for detection of bacteremia/fungemia in four bottle types, SA and FA Plus (aerobic) and SN and FN Plus (anaerobic), was performed in a clinical setting with patient samples in a matched system design clinical trial. Blood was added to paired aerobic or anaerobic bottles, with the volume in each bottle in each pair required to be ≤10 ml and with the volumes required to be within 30% of each other. Of 5,709 bottle sets (52.5% aerobic pairs and 47.5% anaerobic pairs), 430 (7.5%) were positive for bacterial or fungal growth, with 342 (6.0%) clinically significant and 83 (1.5%) contaminated. A total of 3,539 sets (62.0%) were volume compliant, with 203 sets (5.7%) clinically significant. The positivity rates for volume-compliant bottle pairs determined by the two systems were comparable, with 68.7% of clinically significant isolates detected by both instruments, 15.7% by Virtuo only, and 15.7% by BTA3D only. Virtuo detected microbial growth nearly 2 h sooner overall than BTA3D (mean, 15.9 h versus 17.7 h). Shorter time to detection by Virtuo was related to organism group, with the time to detection being significantly shorter for enteric Gram-negative bacilli and enterococci (means, 3.6 h and 2.3 h shorter, respectively). This large clinical study demonstrated that the Virtuo blood culture system produced results comparable to those seen with the long-established BTA3D system, with significantly shorter time to detection.
Spontaneous Mutation at Amino Acid 544 of the Ebola Virus Glycoprotein Potentiates Virus Entry and Selection in Tissue Culture
Authors: Ruedas John B. , Ladner Jason T. , Ettinger Chelsea R. , Gummuluru Suryaram , Palacios Gustavo , Connor John H.
Published: May 2017

Ebolaviruses have a surface glycoprotein (GP
1,2
) that is required for virus attachment and entry into cells. Mutations affecting GP
1,2
functions can alter virus growth properties. We generated a recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus encoding Ebola virus Makona variant GP
1,2
(rVSV-MAK-GP) and observed emergence of a T544I mutation in the Makona GP
1,2
gene during tissue culture passage in certain cell lines. The T544I mutation emerged within two passages when VSV-MAK-GP was grown on Vero E6, Vero, and BS-C-1 cells but not when it was passaged on Huh7 and HepG2 cells. The mutation led to a marked increase in virus growth kinetics and conferred a robust growth advantage over wild-type rVSV-MAK-GP on Vero E6 cells. Analysis of complete viral genomes collected from patients in western Africa indicated that this mutation was not found in Ebola virus clinical samples. However, we observed the emergence of T544I during serial passage of various Ebola Makona isolates on Vero E6 cells. Three independent isolates showed emergence of T544I from undetectable levels in nonpassaged virus or virus passaged once to frequencies of greater than 60% within a single passage, consistent with it being a tissue culture adaptation. Intriguingly, T544I is not found in any Sudan, Bundibugyo, or Tai Forest ebolavirus sequences. Furthermore, T544I did not emerge when we serially passaged recombinant VSV encoding GP
1,2
from these ebolaviruses. This report provides experimental evidence that the spontaneous mutation T544I is a tissue culture adaptation in certain cell lines and that it may be unique for the species
Zaire ebolavirus
.

IMPORTANCE
The Ebola virus (Zaire) species is the most lethal species of all ebolaviruses in terms of mortality rate and number of deaths. Understanding how the Ebola virus surface glycoprotein functions to facilitate entry in cells is an area of intense research. Recently, three groups independently identified a polymorphism in the Ebola glycoprotein (I544) that enhanced virus entry, but they did not agree in their conclusions regarding its impact on pathogenesis. Our findings here address the origins of this polymorphism and provide experimental evidence showing that it is the result of a spontaneous mutation (T544I) specific to tissue culture conditions, suggesting that it has no role in pathogenesis. We further show that this mutation may be unique to the species
Zaire ebolavirus
, as it does not occur in Sudan, Bundibugyo, and Tai Forest ebolaviruses. Understanding the mechanism behind this mutation can provide insight into functional differences that exist in culture conditions and among ebolavirus glycoproteins.
Cervicofacial and mediastinal emphysema complicating tooth extraction in an elderly patient: a preventable complication
Authors: Akra Gabriel Ayonmigbesimi , Yousif Khalid
Published: May 2017

Subcutaneous emphysema is widely documented in the literature and well known by doctors and dentists. However, subcutaneous emphysema following tooth extraction is not very common.

We report the case of a 72-year-old female who presented to the emergency department of the Bunbury Hospital in Bunbury in the state of Western Australia in Australia, with subcutaneous emphysema of the face and neck with extension into the mediastinum, following a complicated tooth extraction in 2016. It was a dramatic and scary occurrence for both the patient and dentist, but totally preventable. The investigations and treatment could have been very invasive. However, with limited and essential management, the process was kept simple and safe for the patient.
Efficacy of forest based ash as a supplementary cementing material for concrete
Authors: Setayeshgar Parisa , Boluk Yaman , Bindiganavile Vivek
Published: May 2017

This paper presents a feasibility study on the effects of forest based ash (FBA) on the mechanical performance of concrete. Four such samples were obtained from the pulp and paper industry as the residual byproduct of their hog fuel. They were analyzed for grain size distribution, density, morphology, and oxide content. Subsequently, the ash was employed as a cement substitute (up to 20% by mass) and the resulting concrete was examined for mechanical properties. Results show that all four FBA samples were coarser than Portland cement with mean particle size around 100–1000 microns. Further, X-ray fluorescence showed that the FBA samples were predominantly composed of CaO, with significant amounts of SO3 and alkali oxides at levels that exceed maximum limits allowed for the latter by ASTM. This poses concerns on durability. Nevertheless, based on short-term compressive and tensile performance alone, this study shows that FBA could replace up to 15% by mass of cement.
High temporal resolution sampling reveals reef fish settlement is highly clustered
Authors: Piercy Julius J.B. , Smith David J. , Jompa Jamaluddin , Simpson Stephen D. , Codling Edward A.
Published: May 2017

Coral reef fish larvae settle on reefs predominantly at night around the new-moon phase, after an early developmental period spent in the pelagic environment. Most sampling is conducted across whole nights, and any studies that have examined the frequency of arrival within nights have typically been limited to coarse sampling time scales of 1–5 h. Here, we present results for arrival numbers of fish caught between dusk and midnight from light traps sampled every 15 min at an Indonesian coral reef, providing the finest temporal resolution for this type of study to date. A spatial analysis by distance indices analysis, adapted to temporal data, revealed clustering of reef arrival times for many species, with an increase in catches immediately after dusk dropping off towards midnight. Importantly, the timing of clusters differed among species, indicating that different factors determine the timing of arrival among taxa. Our results support the hypothesis that larval behaviour influences the timing of arrival at a coral reef for different fish species.
Intrinsic conformal symmetries in Szekeres models
Authors: Apostolopoulos Pantelis S.
Published: May 2017

We show that Spatially Inhomogeneous (SI) and Irrotational dust models admit a six-dimensional algebra of Intrinsic Conformal Vector Fields (ICVFs) [Formula: see text] satisfying [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text] is the associated metric of the two-dimensional distribution [Formula: see text] normal to the fluid velocity [Formula: see text] and the radial unit space-like vector field [Formula: see text]. The Intrinsic Conformal (IC) algebra is determined for each of the curvature value [Formula: see text] that characterizes the structure of the screen space [Formula: see text]. In addition the conformal flatness of the hypersurfaces [Formula: see text] indicates the existence of a ten-dimensional algebra of ICVFs of the three-dimensional metric [Formula: see text]. We illustrate this expectation and propose a method to derive them by giving explicitly the seven proper ICVFs of the Lemaître–Tolman–Bondi (LTB) model which represents the simplest subclass within the Szekeres family.
“Twisted” black holes are unphysical
Authors: Gray Finnian , Santiago Jessica , Schuster Sebastian , Visser Matt
Published: May 2017

So-called “twisted” black holes were recently proposed by [H. Zhang, arXiv:1609.09721 ], and were further considered by [S. Chen and J. Jing, arXiv:1610.00886 ]. More recently, they were severely criticized by [Y. C. Ong, J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys. 1701, 001 (2017)]. While these spacetimes are certainly Ricci-flat, and so mathematically satisfy the vacuum Einstein equations, they are also merely minor variants on Taub–NUT spacetimes. Consequently, they exhibit several unphysical features that make them quite unreasonable as realistic astrophysical objects. Specifically, these “twisted” black holes are not (globally) asymptotically flat. Furthermore, they contain closed time-like curves that are not hidden behind any event horizon — the most obvious of these closed time-like curves are small azimuthal circles around the rotation axis, but the effect is more general. The entire region outside the horizon is infested with closed time-like curves.
The effect of processing on the properties of CuInS2 nanomaterials synthesized by simple hot injection route
Authors: Chen Qin-Miao , Zhou Fang-Fang , Yuan Hong-Chun , Chen Jin , Ni Yi , Zhu Xi-Fang , Dou Xiao-Ming
Published: May 2017

Chalcopyrite and wurtzite CuInS2 (CIS) nanomaterials were synthesized from Cu[Formula: see text], In[Formula: see text], thiourea with or without triethanolamine (TEA) by simple hot injection method at low temperature. The effect of synthesis duration on the various properties of the synthesized CIS nanomaterials was studied. It shows that for chalcopyrite CIS, the optimal synthesis duration is 60 min and the synthesized nanomaterial is in spherical shape with diameter of about 90 nm. However, for the wurtzite CIS, the optimal synthesis duration should reach 150 min and the synthesized nanomaterial looks like nanoplate with thicknesses of [Formula: see text]10 nm and diameters near 100 nm. The photovoltaic characteristics of two types of nanomaterials are quite different. This study may contribute to the synthesis of CIS nanomaterials at low temperatures.
The synthesis of Ba2+-doped multiferroic BiFeO3 nanoparticles using co-precipitation method in the presence of various surfactants and the investigation of structural and magnetic features
Authors: Mardani Reza
Published: May 2017

In this paper, doped bismuth ferrite nanoparticles with barium (Bi[Formula: see text]Ba[Formula: see text]FeO[Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] = 0.1, 0.15, 0.2) were synthesized by co-precipitation method in the presence of various surface activators. Structural properties, magnetic properties and the size of synthesized nanoparticles were investigated by different techniques such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscope (SEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS) and vibration sample magnetometry (VSM). The data obtained from XRD analysis showed a phase shift from rhombohedral to tetragonal structure by the enhancement of Barium amount in Bismuth ferrite structure. The results of TEM exhibit that the size of particles are 10 nm in average for the synthesized Bi[Formula: see text]Ba[Formula: see text]FeO[Formula: see text] and SEM analysis clarifies the uniform shape of particles which confirms the benign purity of the obtained material. VSM analysis shows that the best magnetic function will be observed when stoichiometric amount of Barium (Bi[Formula: see text]Ba[Formula: see text]FeO[Formula: see text] is [Formula: see text] = 0.15. The effect of diverse surface activators including Triton X-100, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), and cetyl trimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) was studied in the synthesis of Bi[Formula: see text]Ba[Formula: see text]FeO[Formula: see text] nanoparticles and CTAB presented the best effect on the magnetic properties of these nanoparticles.
Modules with ADS-(pre)envelopes and ADS-(pre)covers
Authors: Quynh Truong Cong , Tamer Koşan M.
Published: May 2017

This paper focusses on the question of when modules have ADS- preenvelopes and covers. For a ring [Formula: see text], it is proved that every ADS module over [Formula: see text] is injective if and only if every right [Formula: see text]-module has an ADS-(pre)envelope (an ADS-(pre)cover). In this paper, we also introduce a generalization of ADS modules stated in terms of their invariance under certain automorphisms of their envelopes.
Distributed Controller Design for Cooperative Robot Systems Based on Hierarchical Task Decomposition
Authors: Yasuda Gen’ichi
Published: May 2017

A distributed simulation and control method for humanoid robot systems based on the discrete event net models is proposed. Extended Petri nets are adopted as an effective tool to describe, design and control the cooperative behavior of robots. Based on hierarchical net decomposition, conceptual and detailed Petri net models are assigned to the upper level and the lower level controllers, respectively. For the lower level control, individual net models of robots are executed on separate local controllers. The unified net representation for the hierarchical coordination of cooperative execution control by multiple robots is proposed. Overall control software is implemented and executed on a general hierarchical and distributed control architecture corresponding to the hardware structure of robot systems. The upper level system controller and lower level local controllers are concurrently executed, communicating events information (enabled transitions) with each other, so that the cooperative robotic tasks are successfully performed.
Filling of closed surfaces
Authors: Sanki Bidyut
Published: May 2017

Let [Formula: see text] denote a closed oriented surface of genus [Formula: see text]. A set of simple closed curves is called a filling of [Formula: see text] if its complement is a disjoint union of discs. The mapping class group [Formula: see text] of genus [Formula: see text] acts on the set of fillings of [Formula: see text]. The union of the curves in a filling forms a graph on the surface which is a so-called decorated fat graph. It is a fact that two fillings of [Formula: see text] are in the same [Formula: see text]-orbit if and only if the corresponding fat graphs are isomorphic. We prove that any filling of [Formula: see text] whose complement is a single disc (i.e. a so-called minimal filling) has either three or four closed curves and in each of these two cases, there is a unique such filling up to the action of [Formula: see text].

We provide a constructive proof to show that the minimum number of discs in the complement of a filling pair of [Formula: see text] is two. Finally, given positive integers [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] with [Formula: see text], we construct a filling pair of [Formula: see text] such that the complement is a union of [Formula: see text] topological discs.
Learning the state of the world
Authors: Wong Lawson L. S.
Published: May 2017

Mobile-manipulation robots performing service tasks in human-centric indoor environments have long been a dream for developers of autonomous agents. Tasks such as cooking and cleaning involve interaction with the environment, hence robots need to know about their spatial surroundings. However, service robots operate in environments that are relatively unstructured and dynamic. Mobile-manipulation robots therefore need to continuously perform
state estimation
, using perceptual information to maintain a representation of the state, and its uncertainty, of the world.
Pulse-Response
Authors: Martinovic Ivan , Rasmussen Kasper B. , Roeschlin Marc , Tsudik Gene
Published: May 2017

Biometric characteristics are often used as a supplementary component in user authentication and identification schemes. Many biometric traits, both physiological and behavioral, offering a wider range of security and stability, have been explored. We propose a new physiological trait based on the human body’s electrical response to a square pulse signal, called
pulse-response
, and analyze how this biometric characteristic can be used to enhance security in the context of two example applications: (1) an additional authentication mechanism in PIN entry systems and (2) a means of continuous authentication on a secure terminal. The pulse-response biometric recognition is effective because each human body exhibits a unique response to a signal pulse applied at the palm of one hand and measured at the palm of the other. This identification mechanism integrates well with other established methods and could offer an additional layer of security, either on a continuous basis or at log-in time. We build a proof-of-concept prototype and perform experiments to assess the feasibility of pulse-response for biometric authentication. The results are very encouraging, achieving an equal error rate of 2% over a static dataset and 9% over a dataset with samples taken over several weeks. We also quantize resistance to attack by estimating individual worst-case probabilities for zero-effort impersonation in different experiments.
Feature Construction for Controlling Swarms by Visual Demonstration
Authors: Budhraja Karan K. , Winder John , Oates Tim
Published: May 2017

Agent-based modeling is a paradigm of modeling dynamic systems of interacting agents that are individually governed by specified behavioral rules. Training a model of such agents to produce an emergent behavior by specification of the emergent (as opposed to agent) behavior is easier from a demonstration perspective. While many approaches involve manual behavior specification via code or reliance on a defined taxonomy of possible behaviors, the meta-modeling framework in Miner [2010] generates mapping functions between agent-level parameters and swarm-level parameters, which are re-usable once generated. This work builds on that framework by integrating demonstration by image or video. The demonstrator specifies spatial motion of the agents over time and retrieves agent-level parameters required to execute that motion. The framework, at its core, uses computationally cheap image-processing algorithms. Our work is tested with a combination of primitive visual feature extraction methods (contour area and shape) and features generated using a pre-trained deep neural network in different stages of image featurization. The framework is also evaluated for its potential using complex visual features for all image featurization stages. Experimental results show significant coherence between demonstrated behavior and predicted behavior based on estimated agent-level parameters specific to the spatial arrangement of agents.
Sarcomere mechanics in striated muscles: from molecules to sarcomeres to cells
Authors: Rassier Dilson E.
Published: May 2017

Muscle contraction is commonly associated with the cross-bridge and sliding filament theories, which have received strong support from experiments conducted over the years in different laboratories. However, there are studies that cannot be readily explained by the theories, showing 1) a plateau of the force-length relation extended beyond optimal filament overlap, and forces produced at long sarcomere lengths that are higher than those predicted by the sliding filament theory; 2) passive forces at long sarcomere lengths that can be modulated by activation and Ca2+, which changes the force-length relation; and 3) an unexplained high force produced during and after stretch of activated muscle fibers. Some of these studies even propose “new theories of contraction.” While some of these observations deserve evaluation, many of these studies present data that lack a rigorous control and experiments that cannot be repeated in other laboratories. This article reviews these issues, looking into studies that have used intact and permeabilized fibers, myofibrils, isolated sarcomeres, and half-sarcomeres. A common mechanism associated with sarcomere and half-sarcomere length nonuniformities and a Ca2+-induced increase in the stiffness of titin is proposed to explain observations that derive from these studies.
Synergistic mucus secretion by histamine and IL-4 through TMEM16A in airway epithelium
Authors: Kang Ju Wan , Lee Yong Hyuk , Kang Min Jeong , Lee Hyun Jae , Oh Ryung , Min Hyun Jin , Namkung Wan , Choi Jae Young , Lee Sang Nam , Kim Chang-Hoon , Yoon Joo-Heon , Cho Hyung-Ju
Published: May 2017

Histamine is an important mediator of allergic reactions, and mucus hypersecretion is a major allergic symptom. However, the direct effect of histamine on mucus secretion from airway mucosal epithelia has not been clearly demonstrated. TMEM16A is a Ca2+-activated chloride channel, and it is closely related to fluid secretion in airway mucosal epithelia. We investigated whether histamine directly induces fluid secretion from epithelial cells or submucosal glands (SMG) and mechanisms related, therewith, in allergic airway diseases. In pig airway tissues from the nose or trachea, histamine was a potent secretagogue that directly induced strong responses. However, gland secretion from human nasal tissue was not induced by histamine, even in allergic rhinitis patients. Histamine type 1 receptor (H1R) and histamine type 2 receptor (H2R) were not noted in SMG by in situ hybridization. Cultured primary human nasal epithelial (NHE) cells were used for the measurement of short-circuit current changes with the Ussing chamber. Histamine-induced slight responses of anion secretions under normal conditions. The response was enhanced by IL-4 stimulation through TMEM16A, which might be related to fluid hypersecretion in allergic rhinitis. Pretreatment with IL-4 augmented the histamine response that was suppressed by a TMEM16A inhibitor. TMEM16A expression was enhanced by 24-h treatment of IL-4 in human nasal epithelial cells. The expression of TMEM16A was significantly elevated in an allergic rhinitis group, compared with a control group. We elucidated histamine-induced fluid secretions in synergy with IL-4 through TMEM16A in the human airway epithelium. In addition, we observed species differences between pigs and humans in terms of gland secretion of histamine.
Spatiotemporal analysis of spontaneous myogenic contractions in the urinary bladder of the rabbit: timing and patterns reflect reported electrophysiology
Authors: Hulls C. M. , Lentle R. G. , King Q. M. , Reynolds G. W. , Chambers J. P.
Published: May 2017

The dynamics of propagating myogenic contractions in the wall of the resting ex vivo urinary bladder of the rabbit were characterized by spatiotemporal maps and related to cyclic variation in intravesical pressure (Pves). Patches of propagating contractions (PPCs) enlarged and involuted in near synchrony with peaks in Pves[mean 3.85  ± 0.3 cycles per minute (cpm)] and were preceded by regions of stretch. The maximum area of the bladder undergoing contraction (55.28 ± 2.65%) and the sizes of individual PPCs (42.61 ± 1.65 mm2) coincided with the peak in Pves. PPCs originated and propagated within temporary patch domains (TPDs) and comprised groups of nearly synchronous cyclic propagating individual contractions (PICs). The TPDs were located principally along the vertical axis of the anterior surface of the bladder. The sites of origin of PICs within PPCs were inconsistent, consecutive contractions often propagating in opposite directions along linear maps of strain rate. Similar patterns of movement occurred in areas of the anterior bladder wall that had been stripped of mucosa. Pvesvaried cyclically with area of contraction and with the indices of aggregation of PPCs, indicating that they grew by peripheral enlargement and collision without annihilation. The synchronization of PICs within PPCs was sometimes lost, uncoordinated PICs then occurring irregularly (between 4 and 20 cpm) having little effect on Pves. We postulate that the formation and involution of PPCs within a TPD resulted from cyclic variation in excitation that increased the incidence and distance over which component PICs propagated.
Rapid and Selective Determination of Folate Receptor α with Sensitive Resonance Rayleigh Scattering Signal
Authors: Wu Liping , Liu Yue , Huang Rong , Zhao Huawen , Shu Weiqun
Published: May 2017

A rapid, simple, and novel method for folate receptor α (FRα) determination is reported here. A probe of gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) modified with anti-FRα antibody was synthesized under the optimized conditions first. The antibody-modified Au NPs would aggregate when FRα was added to the probe for the specific interaction between antibody and antigen, resulting in the enhancement of resonance Rayleigh scattering (RRS) intensity. There is a linear relationship between the change of RRS intensity (ΔIRRS) and the concentration of FRα, with the detecting range of 0.50–37.50 ng·mL−1 and the limit of determination of 0.05 ng·mL−1. The determination of FRα in serum samples was realized with the advantages of high selectivity, high sensitivity, and easy operation.