bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fuzzy Adaptation Algorithms’ Control for Robot Manipulators with Uncertainty Modelling Errors
Authors: Fan Yongqing , Xing Keyi , Jiang Xiangkui
Published: May 2018

A novel fuzzy control scheme with adaptation algorithms is developed for robot manipulators’ system. At the beginning, one adjustable parameter is introduced in the fuzzy logic system, the robot manipulators system with uncertain nonlinear terms as the master device and a reference model dynamic system as the slave robot system. To overcome the limitations such as online learning computation burden and logic structure in conventional fuzzy logic systems, a parameter should be used in fuzzy logic system, which composes fuzzy logic system with updated parameter laws, and can be formed for a new fashioned adaptation algorithms controller. The error closed‐loop dynamical system can be stabilized based on Lyapunov analysis, the number of online learning computation burdens can be reduced greatly, and the different kinds of fuzzy logic systems with fuzzy rules or without any fuzzy rules are also suited. Finally, effectiveness of the proposed approach has been shown in simulation example.
Efficient Maintenance of AODV Routes in the Vehicular Communication Environment with Sparsely Placed Road Side Units
Authors: Cho Chanhyuk , Ahn Sanghyun
Published: May 2018

Thanks to the vehicular communication network, vehicles on the road can communicate with other vehicles or nodes in the global Internet. In this study, we propose an enhanced routing mechanism based on AODV so that road side units (RSUs) can provide continuous services such as video streaming services to vehicles which may be intermittently located outside of the coverage areas of RSUs. In the highway environment with sparsely placed RSUs, the communications between RSUs and vehicles are frequently disconnected due to high vehicular speeds. To resolve this problem, both V2I and V2V communications are utilized. In order to reduce the route recovery time and the number of route failures in the sparsely placed RSU environment, backup routes are established through the vehicles with longer direct communication duration with the RSU. The backup route substitutes the main route upon route disconnection. Also, for the efficient handover to the next RSU, the route shortening mechanism is proposed. For the performance evaluation of the proposed mechanism, we carried out the NS-3-based simulations.
A Thymic Hyperplasia Case without Suppressing on Chemical Shift Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Authors: Phung Tuan , Nguyen Thach , Tran Dung , Phan Nga , Nguyen Hung
Published: May 2018

A 22-year-old woman with myasthenia gravis (MG) presented with ptosis and mild muscle weakness symptoms for one year. Computed tomography (CT) presented a diffuse bilobulate enlargement gland with a high density of soft tissue. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed the gland with no suppression on the opposed-phase chemical shift. After the thymic tumor diagnosis, she underwent thoracoscopic surgery for tumor resection. The postoperative histopathological finding was thymic lymphoid hyperplasia. This case suggests chemical shift MRI is not enough in distinguishing, and supplementary examination is essential to avoid unnecessary thymic biopsy and surgery.
Development of an Ultra-High Performance Liquid Chromatography Method for Simultaneous Determination of Six Active Compounds in Fructus aurantii and Rat Plasma and Its Application to a Comparative Pharmacokinetic Study in Rats Administered with Different Doses
Authors: Wang Wenbo , Zhao Linlin , Huang Huiyong , Yao Jiamei , Zhou Lu , Wang Dongsheng , Qiu Xinjian
Published: May 2018

A rapid, accurate, and sensitive ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) method was established for simultaneously detecting naringin, hesperidin, neohesperidin, meranzin hydrate, naringenin, and hesperetin in Fructus aurantii (FA) decoction. Analysis was performed on Waters BEH (R) C18 (50 mm × 2.1 mm, 1.7 μm) at a flow rate of 0.2 mL/min by using (A) acetonitrile and (B) 0.5% acetic acid-water as the mobile phase. The method was well validated on linearity, precision, recoveries, and stability. Then, we used the same UHPLC conditions for quantitative analysis of meranzin hydrate, naringenin, and hesperetin in rat plasma. The method proved to be linear within the concentration ranges of 3.3–3300 ng/mL for meranzin hydrate, 6.95–3555 ng/mL for naringenin, and 1.8–236 ng/mL for hesperetin. The RSD of precision ranged from 1.22% to 9.08%, and the average extraction recovery ranged from 96.49 ± 1.42% to 102.01 ± 3.16%. Besides, we performed a comparative pharmacokinetic study after oral administration of FA decoction at a low dose of 15 g/kg and high dose of 30 g/kg body weight for seven days to rats. The AUC(0–t) and Cmax of meranzin hydrate, naringenin, and hesperetin were multiplied significantly with the increase of FA dosage, and the t1/2 of meranzin hydrate was faster than naringenin and hesperetin in the two groups.
Daily Vaginal Application of Dienogest (Visanne©) for 3 Months in Symptomatic Deeply Infiltrating Rectovaginal Endometriosis: A Possible New Treatment Approach?
Authors: Ebert Andreas D.
Published: May 2018

A 27-year-old patient suffering from deeply infiltrating rectovaginal endometriosis was treated with 2 mg/day dienogest vaginally for 3 months. The therapy was tolerated very well. The patient reported less side effects compared to the oral use of dienogest. After 3 months of dienogest treatment, the rectovaginal gynecological examination identified the visible vaginal part of endometriosis in remission. The firm endometriosis node approximately 3 cm in size and approximately 10 cm ab ano was still palpable, but it was much less painful. The laboratory values for luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) were unremarkable, with an LH/FSH quotient of 0.7 during dienogest treatment, while 17-β estradiol and progesterone were suppressed. At palpation and vaginal ultrasonography, there was no change in the findings before and after 3 months of dienogest treatment, but the patient was now de facto asymptomatic. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of a vaginal dienogest treatment in symptomatic deeply infiltrating rectovaginal endometriosis. Vaginal administration of dienogest should receive further investigation in pharmacokinetic and clinical studies.
Vibration‐Based Damage Identification and Condition Monitoring of Metro Trains: Warsaw Metro Case Study
Authors: Kowalska-Koczwara Alicja , Pachla Filip , Stecz Piotr , Stypuła Krzysztof , Tatara Tadeusz , Lejk Jerzy , Sokołowski Marek
Published: May 2018

The work concerns the monitoring of the technical condition of metro trains. For this purpose, a vibration monitoring system installed in buildings in the vicinity of the underground is used. Based on measured vibrations buildings, the identification of technical condition in metro trains is conducted. The results of measurements from the system are also used to assess the impact of vibrations on people staying in buildings through the WODL ratio. Exceeding the assumed levels of the WODL ratio is the basis for repairing trains by turning wheels. Statistical analysis of the data was implemented and trends for particular time periods of measurements were shown. With the entered monitoring system and the introduced WODL index thresholds, it is possible to better plan the costs associated with the repair and replacement of wheels of rolling stock, where there are large values of radial runout. According to the introduced monitoring procedure, the number of complaints from residents decreased and the comfort of their lives improved.
Direct Control of Stem Cell Behavior Using Biomaterials and Genetic Factors
Authors: Yoon Jeong-Kee , Kang Mi-Lan , Park Joo Hyun , Lee Kyoung-Mi , Shin Young Min , Lee Jin Woo , Kim Hyun Ok , Sung Hak-Joon
Published: May 2018

Stem cells have recently emerged as an important candidate for cell therapy. However, some major limitations still exist such as a small quantity of cell supply, senescence, and insufficient differentiation efficiency. Therefore, there is an unmet need to control stem cell behavior for better clinical performance. Since native microenvironment factors including stem cell niche, genetic factors, and growth factors direct stem cell fate cooperatively, user-specified in vitro settings are required to understand the regulatory roles and effects of each factor, thereby applying the factors for improved cell therapy. Among others, various types of biomaterials and transfection method have been employed as key tools for development of the in vitro settings. This review focuses on the current strategies to improve stemness maintenance, direct differentiation, and reprogramming using biomaterials and genetic factors without any aids from additional biochemicals and growth factors.
Tunable Platform Tolerant Antenna Design for RFID and IoT Applications Using Characteristic Mode Analysis
Authors: Sharif Abubakar , Ouyang Jun , Yang Feng , Long Rui , Ishfaq Muhammad Kamran
Published: May 2018

Radio frequency identification (RFID) is a key technology to realize IoT (Internet of Things) dreams. RFID technology has been emerging in sensing, identification, tracking, and localization of goods. In order to tag a huge number of things, it is cost‐effective to use one RFID antenna for tagging different things. Therefore, in this paper a platform tolerant RFID tag antenna with tunable capability is proposed. The proposed tag antenna is designed and optimized using characteristic mode analysis (CMA). Moreover, this tag antenna consists of a folded patch wrapped around FR 4 substrate and a feeding loop element printed on a paper substrate. The inductive feeding loop is stacked over folded patch and it provides impedance match with RFID chip. Because of separate radiating and feeding element, this tag antenna has a versatility of impedance matching with any RFID chip. Furthermore, this tag is able to cover American RFID band (902–928 MHz) and can be tuned to European RFID band (865–868 MHz) by adding tunable strips. In order to demonstrate platform tolerant operation, the read range of RFID tag is measured by mounting it on different materials. The maximum read range of RFID tag is 4.5 m in free space or on dielectrics and 6.5 m above 200 × 200 mm2 metal plate, respectively.
R-spondin3 Is Associated with Basal-Progenitor Behavior in Normal and Tumor Mammary Cells
Authors: Tocci Johanna M. , Felcher Carla M. , García Solá Martín E. , Goddio María Victoria , Zimberlin María Noel , Rubinstein Natalia , Srebrow Anabella , Coso Omar A. , Abba Martín C. , Meiss Roberto P. , Kordon Edith C.
Published: May 2018

R-spondin3 (RSPO3) is a member of a family of secreted proteins that enhance Wnt signaling pathways in diverse processes, including cancer. However, the role of RSPO3 in mammary gland and breast cancer development remains unclear. In this study, we show that RSPO3 is expressed in the basal stem cell–enriched compartment of normal mouse mammary glands but is absent from committed mature luminal cells in which exogenous RSPO3 impairs lactogenic differentiation. RSPO3 knockdown in basal-like mouse mammary tumor cells reduced canonical Wnt signaling, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition-like features, migration capacity, and tumor formation in vivo. Conversely, RSPO3 overexpression, which was associated with some LGR and RUNX factors, highly correlated with the basal-like subtype among patients with breast cancer. Thus, we identified RSPO3 as a novel key modulator of breast cancer development and a potential target for treatment of basal-like breast cancers.

Significance: These findings identify RSPO3 as a potential therapetuic target in basal-like breast cancers.

Graphical Abstract: http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/canres/78/16/4497/F1.large.jpg. Cancer Res; 78(16); 4497–511. ©2018 AACR.
Em torno de um conceito atual de universidade
Authors: Araujo Braz José de
Published: May 2018

Partindo de uma conceituação atual de universidade, o artigo sustenta que não existiu e ainda não existe uma política coerente em relação às universidades no Brasil. Apesar disso, algumas delas como a USP 一 têm enormes potencialidades. O desenvolvimento industrial e político do País exige modernização das universidades. No caso da USP, aponta desafios básicos: consolidação do sistema de mérito, flexibilidade organizacional e institucional com competência administrativa, capacidade e competência para atender às consultas do sistema produtivo e da sociedade, a fim de que a USP possa contribuir mais efetivamente com o desenvolvimento científico e tecnológico nacional
A modernidade segundo Walter Benjamin
Authors: Bolle Willi
Published: May 2018

O Trabalho das Passagens (1927- 40), de Walter Benjamin, é interpretado como expressão da experiência do escritor autônomo na República de Weimar e nos primeiros anos do Terceiro Reich. A ambigüidade de sua situação histórica é mostrada no confronto entre formas de expressão da revolta e o condicionamento pelo mercado literário. Uma montagem crítica (ou radiografia) de gêneros literários urbanos — feuilleton, história de detetive, poesia do apache revela as fantasmagorías da pequena-burguesia contra o fundo de suas condições de vida reais
Folclore e consciência nacional: a visão critica de Florestan Fernandes
Authors: Gnaccarini José Cesar
Published: May 2018

Busco desvendar, nas investigações folclóricas de Florestan Fernandes, a passagem de urna fase positivista a outra teó­ rica, que trabalha as descontinuidades e fraturas da cultura como processo histórico. Urna vez apropriada pelas linguagens cultas, a mitología da cultura popular exprime, segundo ele, relações que subjazem à chamada questão racial em uma sociedade capitalista. Ao ¡r abandonando o postulado durkheimiano de descrições empíricas com definições prévias, já está questionando a mitologia como forma de relações alienadas. Desenvolve, na espécie, solução de alto valor teórico, nomeadamente quando investiga pressupostos nas obras folclóricas de Amadeu Amaral e Mário de Andrade
Pelo ensino público leigo e gratuito
Authors: Carvalho Marta Maria Chagas de
Published: May 2018

O artigo propõe que a laicidade do ensino seja considerada, no contexto do atual processo constituinte, questão decisivamente relevante para a definição do cará­ ter da educação pública, numa sociedade democrática. Com esta finalidade, examina o sentido político que assumiu a defesa da escola leiga, nos anos 30. Em seguida, retoma a questão nos debates constitucionais em curso, criticando a posição da Igreja Católica em favor da destinação de recursos públicos para escolas confessionais
Uma politica para a educação superior
Authors: Goldemberg José
Published: May 2018

Impõe-se a formulação de uma politica explícita para a educação superior, capaz de enfrentar a atual turbulência das universidades brasileiras. A tendência corporativista de professores, funcionários civis e estudantes, como resposta ao sistema de rí­gido controle federal, levaram a uma situa­ção na qual os objetivos da educação superior obscureceram-se. Propõe-se o retorno a uma Universidade orientada para o bem pú­blico, para a alta qualidade da produção científica e tecnológica e para a diversifica­ção da sua atividade, inclusive para atender as necessidades regionais
Impact of stressful life events on central adiposity in the Pelotas Birth Cohort
Authors: Surkan Pamela J , Sakyi Kwame S , Hu Alice , Olinto Maria T , Gonçalves Helen , Horta Bernardo L , Gigante Denise P
Published: May 2018

OBJECTIVE: To investigate how stressful life events and social support relate to central adiposity in Southern Brazil. METHODS: Data included information from 802 participants in the 1982 Pelotas Birth Cohort that was collect in 2004–2005 and 2006. Stratifying by sex, we studied self-reported stressful life events during the year before 2004–2005 in relation to change in waist circumference between 2004–2005 and 2006 and waist-to-hip ratio in 2006, using both bivariate and multivariate linear regression models. RESULTS: In adjusted models, the experience of stressful life events during the year before 2004–2005 predicted a change in waist circumference in 2006 in men and a change in both waist-to-hip ratio in 2006 and waist circumference between 2004–2005 and 2006 in women. Men who experienced two or more stressful events had on average a one centimeter increase in their waist circumference between 2004–2005 and 2006 (β = 0.97, 95%CI 0.02–1.92), compared to those reporting no stressful events. For women, those who had one and those who had two or more stressful life events had over a 1 cm increase in their waist circumference from 2004–2005 to 2006 (β = 1.37, 95%CI 0.17–2.54; β = 1.26, 95%CI 0.11–2.40, respectively), compared to those who did not experience any stressful event. For both sexes, social support level was not significantly related to either waist-to-hip ratio or change in waist circumference, and it did not modify the association between stress and central adiposity
Hepatic Overexpression of Endothelial Lipase Lowers High-Density Lipoprotein but Maintains Reverse Cholesterol Transport in Mice
Authors: Takiguchi Shunichi , Ayaori Makoto , Yakushiji Emi , Nishida Takafumi , Nakaya Kazuhiro , Sasaki Makoto , Iizuka Maki , Uto-Kondo Harumi , Terao Yoshio , Yogo Makiko , Komatsu Tomohiro , Ogura Masatsune , Ikewaki Katsunori
Published: May 2018

Objective—

Reverse cholesterol transport (RCT) is a major mechanism by which HDL (high-density lipoprotein) protects against atherosclerosis. Endothelial lipase (EL) reportedly reduces HDL levels, which, in theory, would increase atherosclerosis. However, it remains unclear whether EL affects RCT in vivo.

Approach and Results—

Adenoviral vectors expressing EL or luciferase were intravenously injected into mice, and a macrophage RCT assay was performed. As expected, hepatic EL overexpression markedly reduced HDL levels. In parallel, plasma
3
H-cholesterol counts from the EL-expressing mice decreased by 85% compared with control. Surprisingly, there was no difference in fecal
3
H-cholesterol excretion between the groups. Kinetic studies revealed increased catabolism/hepatic uptake of
3
HDL-cholesteryl ether, resulting in no change in fecal HDL-cholesteryl ester excretion in the mice. To explore underlying mechanisms for the preservation of RCT despite low HDL levels in the EL-expressing mice, we investigated the effects of hepatic SR-BI (scavenger receptor class B type I) knockdown. RCT assay revealed that knockdown of SR-BI alone reduced fecal excretion of macrophage-derived
3
H-cholesterol. Interestingly, hepatic EL overexpression under SR-BI inhibition further attenuated fecal tracer counts as compared with control. Finally, we observed that EL overexpression enhanced in vivo RCT under pharmacological inhibition of hepatic ABCA1 (ATP-binding cassette transporter A1) by probucol.

Conclusions—

Hepatic EL expression compensates for reduced macrophage-derived cholesterol efflux to plasma because of low HDL levels by promoting cholesterol excretion to bile/feces via an SR-BI pathway, maintaining overall RCT in vivo. In contrast, EL-modified HDL might negatively regulate RCT via hepatic ABCA1. Despite extreme hypoalphalipoproteinemia, RCT is maintained in EL-expressing mice via SR-BI/ABCA1-dependent pathways.
Does High-Intensity Endurance Training Increase the Risk of Atrial Fibrillation?
Authors: Opondo Mildred A. , Aiad Norman , Cain Matthew A. , Sarma Satyam , Howden Erin , Stoller Douglas A. , Ng Jason , van Rijckevorsel Pieter , Hieda Michinari , Tarumi Takashi , Palmer M. Dean , Levine Benjamin D.
Published: May 2018

Background:

Exercise mitigates many cardiovascular risk factors associated with atrial fibrillation. Endurance training has been associated with atrial structural changes which can increase the risk for atrial fibrillation. The dose of exercise training required for these changes is uncertain. We sought to evaluate the impact of exercise on left atrial (LA) mechanical and electrical function in healthy, sedentary, middle-aged adults.

Methods:

Sixty-one adults (52±5 years) were randomized to either 10 months of high-intensity exercise training or yoga. At baseline and post-training, all participants underwent maximal exercise stress testing to assess cardiorespiratory fitness, P-wave signal-averaged electrocardiography for filtered P-wave duration and atrial late potentials (root mean square voltage of the last 20 ms), and echocardiography for LA volume, left ventricular end-diastolic volume, and mitral inflow for assessment of LA active emptying. Post-training data were compared with 14 healthy age-matched Masters athletes.

RESULTS:

LA volume, Vo
2
max, and left ventricular end-diastolic volume increased in the exercise group (15%, 17%, and 16%, respectively) with no change in control (
P
<0.0001). LA active emptying decreased post-exercise versus controls (5%;
P
=0.03). No significant changes in filtered P-wave duration or root mean square voltage of the last 20 ms occurred after exercise training. LA and left ventricular volumes remained below Masters athletes. The athletes had longer filtered P-wave duration but no difference in the frequency of atrial arrhythmia.

Conclusions:

Changes in LA structure, LA mechanical function, and left ventricular remodeling occurred after 10 months of exercise but without significant change in atrial electrical activity. A longer duration of training may be required to induce electrical changes thought to cause atrial fibrillation in middle-aged endurance athletes.

Clinical Trial Registration:

URL:
https://www.clinicaltrials.gov
. Unique Identifier: NCT02039154.
Radiotracer Imaging Allows for Noninvasive Detection and Quantification of Abnormalities in Angiosome Foot Perfusion in Diabetic Patients With Critical Limb Ischemia and Nonhealing Wounds
Authors: Alvelo Jessica L. , Papademetris Xenophon , Mena-Hurtado Carlos , Jeon Sangchoon , Sumpio Bauer E. , Sinusas Albert J. , Stacy Mitchel R.
Published: May 2018

Background:

Single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)/computed tomography (CT) imaging allows for assessment of skeletal muscle microvascular perfusion but has not been quantitatively assessed in angiosomes, or 3-dimensional vascular territories, of the foot. This study assessed and compared resting angiosome foot perfusion between healthy subjects and diabetic patients with critical limb ischemia (CLI). Additionally, the relationship between SPECT/CT imaging and the ankle–brachial index—a standard tool for evaluating peripheral artery disease—was assessed.

Methods and Results:

Healthy subjects (n=9) and diabetic patients with CLI and nonhealing ulcers (n=42) underwent SPECT/CT perfusion imaging of the feet. CT images were segmented into angiosomes for quantification of relative radiotracer uptake, expressed as standardized uptake values. Standardized uptake values were assessed in ulcerated angiosomes of patients with CLI and compared with whole-foot standardized uptake values in healthy subjects. Serial SPECT/CT imaging was performed to assess uptake kinetics of technetium-99m-tetrofosmin. The relationship between angiosome perfusion and ankle–brachial index was assessed via correlational analysis. Resting perfusion was significantly lower in CLI versus healthy subjects (
P
=0.0007). Intraclass correlation coefficients of 0.95 (healthy) and 0.93 (CLI) demonstrated excellent agreement between serial perfusion measurements. Correlational analysis, including healthy and CLI subjects, demonstrated a significant relationship between ankle–brachial index and SPECT/CT (
P
=0.01); however, this relationship was not significant for diabetic CLI patients only (
P
=0.2).

Conclusions:

SPECT/CT imaging assesses regional foot perfusion and detects abnormalities in microvascular perfusion that may be undetectable by conventional ankle–brachial index in patients with diabetes mellitus. SPECT/CT may provide a novel approach for evaluating responses to targeted therapies.
Frequency, Reasons, and Impact of Premature Ticagrelor Discontinuation in Patients Undergoing Coronary Revascularization in Routine Clinical Practice
Authors: Zanchin Thomas , Temperli Fabrice , Karagiannis Alexios , Zanchin Christian , Räsänen Markus , Koskinas Konstantinos C. , Stortecky Stefan , Hunziker Lukas , Praz Fabien , Blöchlinger Stefan , Moro Christina , Moschovitis Aris , Seiler Christian , Billinger Michael , Heg Dik , Pilgrim Thomas , Valgimigli Marco , Windecker Stephan , Räber Lorenz
Published: May 2018

Background—

Although ticagrelor has improved clinical outcomes among patients with acute coronary syndrome compared with clopidogrel, adherence to this new antiplatelet agent in real-world practice has not been fully investigated.

Methods and Results—

Between November 2011 and June 2014, 1278 of 4831 consecutive patients (26.5%) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention at a tertiary care center were treated with ticagrelor. Premature ticagrelor cessation was categorized into (1) change, when ticagrelor was replaced by prasugrel; (2) de-escalation, when ticagrelor was replaced by clopidogrel; and (3) premature discontinuation, when ticagrelor was discontinued without P2Y12 inhibitor replacement. Of 1278 patients treated with ticagrelor, premature treatment cessation occurred in 212 patients (17%). De-escalation to clopidogrel was the most frequent scenario (57%; n=120), followed by premature discontinuation (28%; n=60) and change to prasugrel (15%; n=32). Reasons for ticagrelor cessation included adverse effects (49%), initiation of oral anticoagulation (19%), and unspecified general practitioner preference (10%). Most frequent adverse effects leading to premature ticagrelor cessation were bleeding (41%), dyspnea (29%), and gastrointestinal symptoms (18%). Premature ticagrelor cessation was not associated with an increased risk of cardiac death, myocardial infarction, or stroke (hazard ratio, 0.73; 95% confidence interval: 0.40–1.32;
P
=0.29).

Conclusions—

Premature ticagrelor cessation in routine clinical practice occurred in 1 of 6 patients and was primarily related to adverse effects among which bleeding and dyspnea were the most frequent. Although premature ticagrelor cessation was not associated with adverse cardiovascular outcomes, this finding requires careful interpretation in view of the modest sample size.

Clinical Trial Registration—

URL:
https://www.clinicaltrials.gov
. Unique identifier: NCT02241291.
Cardiovascular Effects of New Oral Glucose-Lowering Agents
Authors: Scheen André J.
Published: May 2018

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major challenge in the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Glucose-lowering agents that reduce the risk of major cardiovascular events would be considered a major advance, as recently reported with liraglutide and semaglutide, 2 glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, and with empagliflozin and canagliflozin, 2 SGLT-2 (sodium-glucose cotransporter type 2) inhibitors, but not with DPP-4 (dipeptidyl peptidase-4) inhibitors. The present review is devoted to CV effects of new oral glucose-lowering agents. DPP-4 inhibitors (gliptins) showed some positive cardiac and vascular effects in preliminary studies, and initial data from phase 2 to 3 clinical trials suggested a reduction in major cardiovascular events. However, subsequent CV outcome trials with alogliptin, saxagliptin, and sitagliptin showed noninferiority but failed to demonstrate any superiority compared with placebo in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and high CV risk. An unexpected higher risk of hospitalization for heart failure was reported with saxagliptin. SGLT-2 inhibitors (gliflozins) promote glucosuria, thus reducing glucose toxicity and body weight, and enhance natriuresis, thus lowering blood pressure. Two CV outcome trials in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients mainly in secondary prevention showed remarkable positive results. Empagliflozin in EMPA-REG-OUTCOME (EMPAgliflozin Cardiovascular OUTCOME Events in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients) reduced major cardiovascular events, CV mortality, all-cause mortality, and hospitalization for heart failure. In CANVAS (Canagliflozin Cardiovascular Assessment Study), the reduction in CV mortality with canagliflozin failed to reach statistical significance despite a similar reduction in major cardiovascular events. The underlying protective mechanisms of SGLT-2 inhibitors remain unknown and both hemodynamic and metabolic explanations have been proposed. CVD-REAL studies (Comparative Effectiveness of Cardiovascular Outcomes in New Users of Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter-2 Inhibitors; with the limitation of an observational approach) suggested that these favorable results may be considered as a class effect shared by all SGLT-2 inhibitors (including dapagliflozin) and be extrapolated to a larger population of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in primary prevention. Ongoing CV outcome trials with other DPP-4 (linagliptin) and SGLT-2 (dapagliflozin, ertugliflozin) inhibitors should provide additional information about CV effects of both pharmacological classes.
Calcium Signaling and Reactive Oxygen Species in Mitochondria
Authors: Bertero Edoardo , Maack Christoph
Published: May 2018

In heart failure, alterations of Na
+
and Ca
2+
handling, energetic deficit, and oxidative stress in cardiac myocytes are important pathophysiological hallmarks. Mitochondria are central to these processes because they are the main source for ATP, but also reactive oxygen species (ROS), and their function is critically controlled by Ca
2+
. During physiological variations of workload, mitochondrial Ca
2+
uptake is required to match energy supply to demand but also to keep the antioxidative capacity in a reduced state to prevent excessive emission of ROS. Mitochondria take up Ca
2+
via the mitochondrial Ca
2+
uniporter, which exists in a multiprotein complex whose molecular components were identified only recently. In heart failure, deterioration of cytosolic Ca
2+
and Na
+
handling hampers mitochondrial Ca
2+
uptake and the ensuing Krebs cycle–induced regeneration of the reduced forms of NADH (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) and NADPH (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate), giving rise to energetic deficit and oxidative stress. ROS emission from mitochondria can trigger further ROS release from neighboring mitochondria termed ROS-induced ROS release, and cross talk between different ROS sources provides a spatially confined cellular network of redox signaling. Although low levels of ROS may serve physiological roles, higher levels interfere with excitation–contraction coupling, induce maladaptive cardiac remodeling through redox-sensitive kinases, and cell death through mitochondrial permeability transition. Targeting the dysregulated interplay between excitation–contraction coupling and mitochondrial energetics may ameliorate the progression of heart failure.
Omics of Blood Pressure and Hypertension
Authors: Arnett Donna K. , Claas Steven A.
Published: May 2018

Essential hypertension is a common, complex disorder affecting ≤1 billion adults globally. Blood pressure is a highly heritable trait, with ≤50% of the variation between individuals accounted for by familial relationships. Despite this strong heritability, determining the genetic architecture of hypertension in humans has proved challenging. Recent technological and methodological developments have given rise to what is now known as omics—a domain of study that includes genomics, as well as epigenomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics. For complex traits like hypertension, which involve multiple pathways and organs, omic approaches offer the advantage of allowing identification of novel hypertensive mechanisms to help further dissect and characterize the disorder’s pathophysiology. This review provides a primer on the genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics of blood pressure and hypertension. We provide an introduction to each approach with examples chosen to illustrate its potential. We conclude with a brief assessment of current methods aimed at integrating multiomic data. A review of the literature found genomic, epigenomic, transcriptomic, proteomic, and metabolomic methods have been applied to dissect the pathophysiology of blood pressure and hypertension. Omic methods and integration of multiomic data represent a potentially fruitful approach to illuminating the complex pathophysiology of hypertension and, ultimately, may point to novel diagnostics and treatments.
Risk Factors and Temporal Trends of Complications Associated With Transvenous Implantable Cardiac Defibrillator Leads
Authors: Koneru Jayanthi N. , Jones Paul W. , Hammill Eric F. , Wold Nicholas , Ellenbogen Kenneth A.
Published: May 2018

Background

The transvenous implantable cardioverter‐defibrillator (
ICD
) lead is the most common source of complications in a traditional
ICD
system. This investigation aims to determine the incidence, predictors, and costs associated with these complications using a large insurance database.

Methods and Results

Data from the OptumLabs™ Data Warehouse, which include diagnosis, physician and procedure codes, and claims from patient hospitalizations, were analyzed. Patients with a de novo
ICD
or cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillator implanted from January 1, 2003, through June 30, 2015, were included; those who did not have continuous coverage beginning 1 year before implantation were excluded, resulting in 40 837 patients followed up over an average of 2.3±2.1 years. Patients were followed up until they had the procedure or their last active date in the database. Of 20 580 device procedures, 2165 (5.3%) and 771 (1.9%) had mechanical and infectious complications, respectively. The 5‐year rate of freedom from mechanical complication was 92.0% and 89.3% for
ICD
s and cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillators, respectively. Infectious complications were more likely in patients with a history of atrial fibrillation, diabetes mellitus, and renal disease, and the risk increased with subsequent device procedures. Younger age, female sex, lack of comorbidities, and implantations between 2003 and 2008 were associated with more mechanical complications.

Conclusions

Incidence of mechanical and infectious complications of transvenous
ICD
leads over long‐term follow‐up is much higher in the real world than in clinical studies. In our study cohort, 1 of 4 transvenous
ICD
leads had mechanical complications when followed up to 10 years. The high rate of reintervention leads to additional complications.
A Probabilistic and Multi-Objective Analysis of Lexicase Selection and ε-Lexicase Selection
Authors: La Cava William , Helmuth Thomas , Spector Lee , Moore Jason H.
Published: May 2018

Lexicase selection is a parent selection method that considers training cases individually, rather than in aggregate, when performing parent selection. Whereas previous work has demonstrated the ability of lexicase selection to solve difficult problems in program synthesis and symbolic regression, the central goal of this article is to develop the theoretical underpinnings that explain its performance. To this end, we derive an analytical formula that gives the expected probabilities of selection under lexicase selection, given a population and its behavior. In addition, we expand upon the relation of lexicase selection to many-objective optimization methods to describe the behavior of lexicase selection, which is to select individuals on the boundaries of Pareto fronts in high-dimensional space. We show analytically why lexicase selection performs more poorly for certain sizes of population and training cases, and show why it has been shown to perform more poorly in continuous error spaces. To address this last concern, we propose new variants of [Formula: see text]-lexicase selection, a method that modifies the pass condition in lexicase selection to allow near-elite individuals to pass cases, thereby improving selection performance with continuous errors. We show that [Formula: see text]-lexicase outperforms several diversity–maintenance strategies on a number of real-world and synthetic regression problems.
Hoehnea grandiflora (Lamiaceae), a rare, critically endangered new species from southern Brazil
Authors: FUNEZ LUÍS ADRIANO , HASSEMER GUSTAVO
Published: May 2018

We describe here Hoehnea grandiflora, a rare, critically endangered new species of Lamiaceae from high-elevation bogs in southern Brazil. The new species is similar to H. scutellarioides and can be distinguished by its shape and size of leaves, as some floral features. Its conservation status is assessed as Critically Endangered, because the new species is known from only one population located in an environmentally unprotected area. Urgent conservation studies and actions are necessary to prevent the extinction of this species. We also provide an identification key to the five species in the genus Hoehnea.
A new species of Bryconops (Characiformes: Iguanodectidae) from the Rio Tapajós basin, Brazil
Authors: WINGERT JULIANA M. , CHUCTAYA JUNIOR , MALABARBA LUIZ R.
Published: May 2018

A new species of Bryconops is described from upper rio Juruena drainage, rio Tapajós basin, Amazon basin, state of Mato Grosso, Brazil. The new species is hypothesized as belonging to the subgenus Creatochanes by presenting the posterior extension of maxilla reaching to the junction of second and third infraorbital bones, and the ventroposterior margin of second infraorbital forming a complete border with third infraorbital, resulting in the lack of a naked area between them. The new species is easily distinguished from other species of the subgenus Creatochanes by the color pattern of the caudal fin, which consists of the dorsal lobe conspicuously dark pigmented on its distal half and the ventral lobe dark gray pigmented along its ventral portion below the horizontal through the ventral margin of the caudal peduncle.
Draconarius manus sp. nov., the third species of D. pseudocoreanus-group from China (Araneae: Agelenidae)
Authors: WANG YAN-CHAO , ZHANG ZHI-SHENG
Published: May 2018

Draconarius Ovtchinnikov, 1999 in the subfamily Coelotinae is the largest genus of the spider family Agelenidae and comprises 246 described species, mainly from East and Southeast Asia (World Spider Catalog 2018). The recently published volume on Chinese spiders in the Fauna Sinica series recorded a total 174 species of Draconarius in China, including 27 new species (Zhu, Wang & Zhang 2017).
The Internal Generation of the Atlantic Ocean Interdecadal Variability
Authors: Arzel Olivier , Huck Thierry , Colin de Verdière Alain
Published: May 2018

Numerical simulations of a realistic ocean general circulation model forced by prescribed surface fluxes are used to study the origin and structure of intrinsic interdecadal variability of the ocean circulation. When eddy-induced turbulent diffusivities are low enough, spontaneous oscillations of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) with periods O(20) yr and amplitude O(1) Sv (1 Sv ≡ 106 m3 s−1) emerge. The transition from the steady to the oscillatory regime is shown to be consistent with a supercritical Hopf bifurcation of the horizontal Peclet number. Adding atmospheric thermal damping is shown to have a very limited influence on the domain of existence of intrinsic variability. The spatial structure of the mode consists of a dipole of sea surface temperature (SST)/sea surface height (SSH) anomalies centered at about 50°N with stronger variance in the western part of the subpolar gyre, in agreement with the observed Atlantic multidecadal oscillation (AMO) signature in this region. Specific features include a westward propagation of temperature anomalies from the source region located on the western flank of the North Atlantic Current (NAC) and a one-quarter phase lag between surface and subsurface (800 m) temperature anomalies. Local linear stability calculations including viscous and diffusive effects confirm that the North Atlantic Current is baroclinically unstable on scales of O(1000) km with growth rates of O(1) yr−1. Both the spatial structure of the mode and the period agree in magnitude with in situ measurements in the North Atlantic, suggesting that this intrinsic ocean mode participates in the observed Atlantic bidecadal climate variability.
Parallel Direct Solution of the Covariance-Localized Ensemble Square Root Kalman Filter Equations with Matrix Functions
Authors: Steward Jeffrey L. , Roman Jose E. , Daviña Alejandro Lamas , Aksoy Altuǧ
Published: May 2018

Recently, the serial approach to solving the square root ensemble Kalman filter (ESRF) equations in the presence of covariance localization was found to depend on the order of observations. As shown previously, correctly updating the localized posterior covariance in serial requires additional effort and computational expense. A recent work by Steward et al. details an all-at-once direct method to solve the ESRF equations in parallel. This method uses the eigenvectors and eigenvalues of the forward observation covariance matrix to solve the difficult portion of the ESRF equations. The remaining assimilation is easily parallelized, and the analysis does not depend on the order of observations. While this allows for long localization lengths that would render local analysis methods inefficient, in theory, an eigenpair-based method scales as the cube number of observations, making it infeasible for large numbers of observations. In this work, we extend this method to use the theory of matrix functions to avoid eigenpair computations. The Arnoldi process is used to evaluate the covariance-localized ESRF equations on the reduced-order Krylov subspace basis. This method is shown to converge quickly and apparently regains a linear scaling with the number of observations. The method scales similarly to the widely used serial approach of Anderson and Collins in wall time but not in memory usage. To improve the memory usage issue, this method potentially can be used without an explicit matrix. In addition, hybrid ensemble and climatological covariances can be incorporated.
Perceptions and Conceptions of Democracy: Applying Thick Concepts of Democracy to Reassess Desires for Democracy
Authors: Ulbricht Tom
Published: May 2018

Previous research has found evidence of an almost universal public desire for democracy, even in autocratic regimes. However, a single word may evoke different associations for different people. As such, the term democracy is unlikely to trigger the same or equivalent associations between different people. Inspired by the Anchoring Vignettes Approach, I qualify people’s stated desire for democracy with their representative, direct, social, or authoritarian perception of democracy. Using the Analytical Hierarchy Process, I obtain idealized priorities of institutional configurations to determine the membership a specific perception has with regard to a procedural-liberal, participatory-liberal, or social-liberal normative benchmark. I perform a mixed-model analysis on World Values Survey Wave 5 data to test the empirical consequences of my conceptual calibration concerning explanatory factors for people’s democratic desires. Popular support for representative democracy has been consistently overstated, particularly in nondemocratic countries. The design of political institutions is the most important factor in predicting a person’s actual desire for democracy.
Is All Politics Local? Determinants of Local and National Election Campaigns
Authors: Fox Colm A.
Published: May 2018

In recent decades election campaigns have shifted their focus from the local to the national level, increasingly featuring party leaders, labels, and national platforms. Despite this trend, there remains significant variation in the local/national orientation of campaigns across countries and parties. This article tests several propositions on why campaigns adopt a local or national orientation by analyzing a unique collection of more than 12,000 geocoded Thai election posters. Specialized software was used to measure the spatial proportions of visual and textual content on each poster. Using Thailand’s mixed electoral system to enable a controlled comparison of electoral rules, I demonstrate that proportional rules were associated with national campaign strategies whereas majoritarian rules fostered local strategies. In addition, large parties ran party-centered, policy-focused campaigns whereas small parties relied more on their leader’s image. This contrasts with Western countries, where large parties increasingly promote their leader’s image and small parties emphasize narrower policy objectives.
Executive Constraint and Sovereign Debt: Quasi-Experimental Evidence From Argentina During the Baring Crisis
Authors: Cox Gary W. , Saiegh Sebastian M.
Published: May 2018

The literature on whether executive constraint improves the credibility of sovereign debt takes the political regime as the unit of analysis, typically computing an average yield or price for each regime, and then relating that average to regime characteristics. In this article, we take the individual bond issue as the unit of analysis, examining quasi-experimental evidence from two Argentine sovereign debts issued in the 1880s. The loans were sought by the same government and offered nearly identical terms to borrowers, except that one was funded and the other was unfunded. The loans sold at virtually the same price until the Baring crisis of November 16, 1890 erupted. Thereafter, their price histories diverged markedly. We analyze the market’s evolving valuation of the two loans before and after the Baring crisis using a difference-in-differences estimator and weekly price data. Our study shows that exposure to executive discretion strongly influences market assessments of value.
Assessing the effectiveness of problem-based and lecture-based learning environments on students’ achievements in electronic works
Authors: Orji Chibueze Tobias , Ogbuanya Theresa Chinyere
Published: May 2018

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of problem-based and lecture-based learning environments on students’ achievement in electronic works. The design was randomized subjects with pretest and posttest control group design. The participants ( N = 148) were randomized to treatment and control conditions. Repeated measures analysis of variance and univariate analysis of variance were conducted by the researchers to compare changes across the treatment and control group participants. To test for differences in categorical data representing characteristics of the participants, the researchers used Chi-square (χ2) statistic. Results show that the experimental group achieved higher achievement scores than the control group for electronic works achievement test at the posttest and follow-up test stages. Furthermore, the study found that there was no significant difference ( P > 0.05) in the achievement of students in the different ability levels and genders after the treatment. Hence, problem-based learning was advocated for teachers of electronic works in Nigeria.
Corruption in migration management: a network perspective
Authors: Pianezzi Daniela , Grossi Giuseppe
Published: May 2018

This article explores the relation between networks as an emerging mode of public governance and corruption. Adopting the theoretical lens of actor-network theory, the article investigates an Italian episode of corruption related to the awarding of government contracts for the management of Mineo’s CARA, Europe's largest reception centre for migrants. The analysis shows that a governance network may turn corruption itself into a network where abuse of power can proliferate thanks to the opacity resulting from the multiplicity of actors, interactions and fragmentation characterizing the governance system.