bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Recovery of Online Sentence Processing in Aphasia: Eye Movement Changes Resulting From Treatment of Underlying Forms
Authors: Mack Jennifer E. , Thompson Cynthia K.
Published: May 2017

Purpose

The present study tested whether (and how) language treatment changed online sentence processing in individuals with aphasia.

Method

Participants with aphasia (
n
= 10) received a 12-week program of Treatment of Underlying Forms (Thompson & Shapiro, 2005) focused on production and comprehension of passive sentences. Before and after treatment, participants performed a sentence-picture matching task with active and passive sentences as eye movements were tracked. Twelve age-matched controls also performed the task once each.

Results

In the age-matched group, eye movements indicated agent-first predictive processing after hearing the subject noun, followed by rapid thematic reanalysis after hearing the verb form. Pretreatment eye movements in the participants with aphasia showed no predictive agent-first processing, and more accurate thematic analysis in active compared to passive sentences. After treatment, which resulted in improved offline passive sentence production and comprehension, participants were more likely to respond correctly when they made agent-first eye movements early in the sentence, showed equally reliable thematic analysis in active and passive sentences, and were less likely to use a spatially based alternative response strategy.

Conclusions

These findings suggest that treatment focused on improving sentence production and comprehension supports the emergence of more normal-like sentence comprehension processes.
High Risk Factors Associated With Early Childhood Hearing Loss: A 3-Year Review
Authors: Dumanch Kelsey A. , Holte Lenore , O'Hollearn Tammy , Walker Elizabeth , Clark Jacob , Oleson Jacob
Published: May 2017

Purpose

In this study, we examined the association between risk factors for hearing loss and early childhood hearing status (normal hearing, congenital hearing loss, or delayed-onset hearing loss). Follow-up rates of audiologic care following passed or referred birth screens for children with risk factors were also examined.

Method

A retrospective data review was completed on 115,039 children born from 2010 to 2012. Data analyses included prevalence rates, odds ratios, and Fisher exact tests of statistical significance.

Results

Ninety percent of children were born with no risk factors for hearing loss; of those, 99.9% demonstrated normal hearing by 3 years of age. Of the 10% of children born with risk factors, 96.3% demonstrated normal hearing by age 3, 1.4% presented with congenital hearing loss, and 2.3% demonstrated permanent hearing loss by age 3. Factors that placed children at the highest risk of congenital hearing impairment were neurodegenerative disorders, syndromes, and congenital infections. Factors that placed children at the highest risk of developing permanent postnatal hearing loss were congenital cytomegalovirus, syndromes, and craniofacial anomalies.

Conclusions

Certain risk factors place a child at significantly greater risk of congenital hearing impairment or developing permanent hearing loss by age 3. Follow-up diagnostic testing should remain a priority for children with certain risk factors for hearing loss.
Multi‐pair massive MIMO relay networks: power scaling laws and user scheduling strategy
Authors: Liang Xuesong , Jin Shi , Wong Kai‐Kit , Hong Tao , Zhu Hongbo
Published: May 2017

This study studies a multi‐pair massive multiple‐input multiple‐output (MIMO) relaying network, where multiple pairs of users are served by a single relay station with a large number of antennas, and the amplify‐and‐forward protocol and zero‐forcing (ZF) beamforming are used at the relay. The authors investigate the ergodic achievable rates for the users and obtain tight approximations in closed form for finite number of antennas. The rate performance and power efficiency are studied based on the analytical results for asymptotic scenarios, and the effect of scaling factors of transmit powers for users and relay are discussed. The closed‐form expressions enable us to determine the optimal user scheduling which maximizes the ergodic sum‐rate for the selected pairs. A simplified user scheduling algorithm is proposed which greatly reduces the average complexity of the optimal use pair search without any rate loss. Moreover, the complexity reduction for the proposed algorithm increases nonlinearly with the increase of the number of user pairs, which indicates that the simplified scheduling algorithm has notable advantages when the number of users is increased. The tightness for the analytical approximations and the superiority of the proposed algorithm are verified by Monte‐Carlo simulation results.
Stabilisation of switched systems with sampled and quantised output feedback
Authors: Wakaiki Masashi , Yamamoto Yutaka
Published: May 2017

The authors study the stabilisation problem of switched linear systems with sampled and quantised output feedback. They assume that every mode of the plant is stabilisable and observable and that a feedback gain is given for each mode. The controller receives the information about the active mode of the plant only at each sampling instant. Therefore, the controller mode may not synchronise with the plant mode after intersample switching. They construct update rules of quantisation scales to avoid the saturation of the quantiser due to mode mismatches. An encoding and control strategy is designed to guarantee asymptotic stability of the closed‐loop system under slow‐switching assumption described by dwell time and average dwell time.
Towards an improved gain scheduling predictive control strategy for a solar thermal power plant
Authors: Alsharkawi Adham , Rossiter J. Anthony
Published: May 2017

This study improves a recently proposed gain scheduling predictive control strategy for the ACUREX solar collector field at the Plataforma Solar de Almería, Spain. Measured disturbances are an integral part of the plant and while simple classical, series and parallel, feedforward approaches have been proposed and used extensively in the literature, the proposed approach incorporates a feedforward systematically into the predictive control strategy by including the effects of the measured disturbances into the predictions of future outputs. Models of the measured disturbances are estimated around a family of operating points directly from input–output data and using a subspace identification method while taking into account the frequency response of the plant. Input–output data are obtained from a validated non‐linear simulation model of the plant. The non‐linear simulation model is validated against measured data obtained from the ACUREX plant and the effectiveness of the proposed control approach is evaluated in the same non‐linear simulation environment. The study also considers related issues such as the significance of sufficient modelling of the measured disturbances and the impact of incorporating the expected future behaviour of a measured disturbance along a given prediction horizon, a theme which has received little attention in the literature.
Cooperative control of multi‐agent systems with variable number of tracking agents
Authors: Li Changchun , Dong Lijing , Nguang Sing Kiong
Published: May 2017

A class of switched multi‐agent tracking problems with variable tracking number is explored. During the whole tracking course, tracking agents switch and the tracking number varies over different time intervals. Consequently, tracking errors jump and the dimension of Laplacian matrix of the multi‐agent system changes, which increase the difficulty of analysis. To solve this problem, the authors proposed a switched tracking strategy and designed an average norm of tracking errors as a Lyapunov function. Thereafter, conditions guaranteeing the stability of each subsystem and overall stability of the switched tracking system are obtained. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed tracking strategy and validity of the theoretical results are verified by a numerical simulation.
Stochastic set stabilisation of n ‐person random evolutionary Boolean games and its applications
Authors: Li Haitao , Ding Xueying , Alsaedi Ahmed , E. Alsaadi Fuad
Published: May 2017

This study studies the stochastic set stabilisation of an n ‐person random evolutionary Boolean game (REBG). Firstly, the definition of stochastic set stabilisation has been proposed, and the n ‐person REBG is converted to an equivalent algebraic form by using the semi‐tensor product of matrices. Secondly, by defining a series of stochastic reachable sets, a necessary and sufficient condition is presented for the state feedback stochastic set stabilisation of n ‐person REBG. Thirdly, based on the concept of uniformly one‐step reachability with probability one, a constructive procedure is proposed for the calculation of stochastic reachable sets. Finally, as two applications of stochastic set stabilisation, the output tracking control and the strategy consensus of n ‐person REBG are investigated, respectively, and two necessary and sufficient conditions are presented.
Spatio‐temporal multi‐scale motion descriptor from a spatially‐constrained decomposition for online action recognition
Authors: Martínez Fabio , Manzanera Antoine , Romero Eduardo
Published: May 2017

This study presents a spatio‐temporal motion descriptor that is computed from a spatially‐constrained decomposition and applied to online classification and recognition of human activities. The method starts by computing a dense optical flow without explicit spatial regularisation. Potential human actions are detected at each frame as spatially consistent moving regions of interest (RoIs). Each of these RoIs is then sequentially partitioned to obtain a spatial representation of small overlapped subregions with different sizes. Each of these region parts is characterised by a set of flow orientation histograms. A particular RoI is then described along the time by a set of recursively calculated statistics that collect information from the temporal history of orientation histograms, to form the action descriptor. At any time, the whole descriptor can be extracted and labelled by a previously trained support vector machine. The method was evaluated using three different public datasets: (i) the ViSOR dataset was used for global classification obtaining an average accuracy of 95% and for recognition in long sequences, achieving an average per‐frame accuracy of 92.3%. (ii) The KTH dataset was used for global classification and (iii) the UT‐datasets were used for recognition task, obtaining an average accuracy of 80% (frame rate).
Voltage stability assessment based on improved coupled single‐port method
Authors: Cui Bai , Wang Zhaoyu
Published: May 2017

This study proposes an improved coupled single‐port method for the assessment of voltage stability based on phasor measurement unit (PMU) data. The impedance matching condition, i.e. the condition that the local load impedance and the Thévenin equivalent impedance are equal in magnitude at the loadability limit point, has been a fundamental assumption of many existing studies on voltage stability assessment. However, it is shown in this study that the impedance matching can happen either before or after the loadability limit point in certain cases. The authors have proven that the inaccuracy of the conventional impedance matching condition is due to the time‐varying equivalent parameters of a power system. To deal with the dynamic nature of grid equivalence, they propose an innovative method to improve the conventional coupled single‐port method. In the new method, voltage magnitude‐to‐load consumption sensitivity is used to adjust the equivalent parameters calculated by the coupled single‐port method. Compared to conventional methods, the proposed method requires fewer PMU measurements and provides more accurate margin estimates. Case studies on extensive test systems validate the accuracy of the proposed method. The comparison between the conventional coupled single‐port method and the developed method is also provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the new method.
Synchrophasors assisted protection scheme for the shunt‐compensated transmission line
Authors: Kumar Bhupendra , Yadav Anamika , Abdelaziz Almoataz Y.
Published: May 2017

This study presents synchrophasor assisted protection scheme for the protection of long transmission line compensated with shunt flexible AC transmission system (FACTS) device. With the advancement in synchrophasor technology, data communication medium, and wide area measurement system for transmission line protection, the differential protection scheme is a most suited scheme over the over‐current, distance and directional protection schemes. The proposed scheme discriminate between internal and external fault using the time synchronised voltages and currents of both the terminal of the transmission line. The performance of proposed scheme has been evaluated on IEEE 12 bus FACTS benchmark power system model implemented in PSCAD/EMTDC. The measured voltage & current signals are pre‐processed and phasors are estimated through DFT algorithm in MATLAB. The performance remains unaffected during wide variation in fault and system parameters including different line length and static var compensator rating. The test results confirm the selective, simplicity, high speed, sensitivity, and robustness of the proposed protection scheme. This scheme is also able to distinguish the faulty phase(s) from healthy phases, which enables the single‐pole tripping option. Finally, comparative evaluation of the proposed technique with the existing protection schemes clearly shows its superiority.
Texture‐based image segmentation using neutrosophic clustering
Authors: Koundal Deepika
Published: May 2017

This study presents an effective segmentation method which is based on neutrosophic clustering with the integration of texture features for images. The proposed method transforms the image into the neutrosophic domain and then extracts the texture features using analogies of human preattentive texture discrimination mechanisms. Finally, the neutrosophic clustering is employed to segment the images. This method can handle the indeterminacy of pixels to have strong clusters and to perform segmentation effectively with the noisy images. Experiments are performed with various types of natural and medical images to exhibit the performance of proposed segmentation method. The evaluation of proposed method has been done with other segmentation methods to measure its performance which shows its robustness for noisy and textured images.
An Intramolecular Diels–Alder Furan (IMDAF) Approach towards the Synthesis of Isoindolo[2,1-a]quinazolines and Isoindolo[1,2-b]quinazolines
Authors: Zaytsev Vladimir , Revutskaya Ekaterina , Nikanorova Tatiana , Nikitina Eugeniya , Dorovatovskii Pavel , Khrustalev Victor , Yagafarov Niyaz , Zubkov Fedor , Varlamov Alexey
Published: May 2017

An efficient approach to bridged pentacyclic nitrogen heterocycles via the tandem acylation/intramolecular Diels–Alder furan (IMDAF) reaction of 2-furylquinazolinones is described. Reactions of α,β-unsaturated acid anhydrides with 2-furyl-2,3-dihydroquinazolin-4-ones give 6b,9-epoxyisoindolo[2,1-a]quinazolines in average yields. In this case, the exo-IMDAF reactions proceed with excellent diastereoselectivity giving five stereogenic centers and three new rings in one synthetic step. Isomeric 2,4a-epoxyisoindolo[1,2-b]quinazolines are obtained by one-pot, three-component condensation reactions of allylamine, isatoic anhydride and furaldehydes involving the same IMDAF­ reaction as the key step. Some useful transformations including halogenation, hydrogenation, Prilezhaev epoxidation, and esterification of the synthesized epoxyisoindoloquinazolines are also demonstrated.
Angiodysplasia in von Willebrand Disease: Understanding the Clinical and Basic Science
Authors: Selvam Soundarya , James Paula
Published: May 2017

Severe and intractable gastrointestinal bleeding caused by angiodysplasia is a debilitating problem for up to 20% of patients with von Willebrand disease (VWD). Currently, the lack of an optimal treatment for this recurrent problem presents an ongoing challenge for many physicians in their management of affected patients. Over the past few years, studies have pointed to a regulatory role for the hemostatic protein, von Willebrand factor (VWF), in angiogenesis, providing a novel target for the modulation of vessel development. This article will review the clinical implications and molecular pathology of angiodysplasia in VWD.
Drug Treatments for Core Symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder: Unmet Needs and Future Directions
Authors: Giovagnoli Giulia , Siracusano Martina , Postorino Valentina , Curatolo Paolo , Mazzone Luigi
Published: May 2017

Pharmacological treatments for core symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are still lacking. The clinical heterogeneity observed in this population (e.g., differences in cognitive functioning or in autism symptom severity) should be taken into account when a new drug is tested. Stratifying this population according to its neurobiological substrate could significantly improve our knowledge regarding the most appropriate pharmacological treatment for individual needs. In this review, we discuss the possible genetic and biological pathways, including the Glutamatergic, GABAergic, and mTOR systems, involved in the pathophysiology of autism, as well as the mechanisms that may be targeted by new drug interventions. Finally, we describe the current progress from the preclinical and clinical studies on some potential therapeutic options for ASD core symptoms.
A quantum Monte Carlo study of the structural and electronic properties of small cationic and neutral lithium clusters
Authors: Brito B. G. A. , Hai G.-Q. , Cândido Ladir
Published: May 2017

Using the fixed-node diffusion quantum Monte Carlo method, we calculate the total energy of small cationic and neutral lithium clusters. We estimate the ionization potential, atomic binding energy, dissociation energy, and the second difference in energy. We present a critical analysis of the structural and electronic properties of the clusters. The bond lengths and binding and dissociation energies obtained from the calculations are in excellent agreement with the available experimental results. A comparative analysis of the dissociation energy and the second difference in energy indicates that the cationic clusters Li3+, Li5+, and Li7+ are the most stable ones. We have also studied the electron correlation effects in the lithium clusters. The cationic clusters of odd-number size are relatively more favored in terms of correlation energy than their neighbors of even-number size. In the range of cluster sizes under investigation, we find that the contribution of electron correlation to ionization potential is not larger than 28% of its total values, whereas it enhances significantly the dissociation energy of the clusters reaching up to 70% of its total values for the most stable ones.
Multiple transitions between various ordered and disordered states of a helical polymer under stretching
Authors: Zhang Shuangshuang , Qu Li-Jian , Suo Tongchuan , Liu Zhenxing , Yan Dadong
Published: May 2017

Using coarse-grained molecular dynamic simulations, we systematically investigate the conformational transitions of a helical polymer chain under tension. While a typical helix-coil transition is derived by our simulation with the absence of the stretching and varying temperature, the chain behaviors become more interesting and complicated when the force is applied. Specifically, when the temperature is low enough relative to the chain rigidity, the polymer is solid-like and displays a series of stepwise conformational transitions on the force-extension curve. We introduce a chain disorder parameter to capture the essence of these transitions. Detailed investigation indicates that the first few transitions correspond to the breaking of the helices, while the last one denotes a transition from a fully disordered state to an all-trans ordered conformation. By increasing the temperature, the thermal fluctuation makes the chain enter a liquid-like state, in which the initial weak stretching induces extra helix formation, followed by the force-induced helix breaking and the transition to the all-trans state. In contrast to the solid-like state, the liquid-like chain always adopts a mixed conformation with both helical and disordered regions. Further increasing the temperature makes the chain fully flexible and thus no helices can form at such a gas-like stage. We further study the relaxation behaviors of the polymer by decreasing the force and find hysteresis for the solid-like cases. Finally, we compare our simulation results with experiments in a semi-quantitative fashion and get quite good agreement.
On invariant analysis of space-time fractional nonlinear systems of partial differential equations. II
Authors: Singla Komal , Gupta R. K.
Published: May 2017

In Paper I [Singla, K. and Gupta, R. K., J. Math. Phys. 57, 101504 (2016)], Lie symmetry method is developed for time fractional systems of partial differential equations. In this article, the Lie symmetry approach is proposed for space-time fractional systems of partial differential equations and applied to study some well-known physically significant space-time fractional nonlinear systems successfully.
A generalized two-fluid picture of non-driven collisionless reconnection and its relation to whistler waves
Authors: Yoon Young Dae , Bellan Paul M.
Published: May 2017

A generalized, intuitive two-fluid picture of 2D non-driven collisionless magnetic reconnection is described using results from a full-3D numerical simulation. The relevant two-fluid equations simplify to the condition that the flux associated with canonical circulation Q=me∇×ue+qeB is perfectly frozen into the electron fluid. In the reconnection geometry, flux tubes defined by Q are convected with the central electron current, effectively stretching the tubes and increasing the magnitude of Q exponentially. This, coupled with the fact that Q is a sum of two quantities, explains how the magnetic fields in the reconnection region reconnect and give rise to strong electron acceleration. The Q motion provides an interpretation for other phenomena as well, such as spiked central electron current filaments. The simulated reconnection rate was found to agree with a previous analytical calculation having the same geometry. Energy analysis shows that the magnetic energy is converted and propagated mainly in the form of the Poynting flux, and helicity analysis shows that the canonical helicity ∫P·Q dV as a whole must be considered when analyzing reconnection. A mechanism for whistler wave generation and propagation is also described, with comparisons to recent spacecraft observations.
Buoyant displacement flow of immiscible fluids in inclined ducts: A theoretical approach
Authors: Hasnain A. , Alba K.
Published: May 2017

We study the buoyant displacement flow of two immiscible Newtonian fluids in an inclined duct (two-dimensional channel) theoretically. The fluids may have different viscosities. The displacing fluid is denser than the displaced one, i.e., a density-unstable configuration. For simplicity, the fluids are assumed to behave as neutrally wetting in the vicinity of duct walls. The small diameter-to-length ratio of the duct considered (δ≪1) has been used as the perturbation parameter in developing a lubrication model (negligible inertia). Appropriate Navier-slip conditions have been applied at the walls to overcome contact-line problem singularity. The lubrication model developed has then been numerically solved using a robust total variation diminishing finite difference scheme. Completely different flow patterns have been observed compared to the miscible limit. Fluids immiscibility is found to cause a capillary ridge in the vicinity of the displacing front, which diminishes as the surface tension is increased. For small values of surface tension parameter, the fluids immiscibility is found to decelerate the advancement of interpenetrating heavy and light layers. More efficient displacement (less fingering within the displacing layer) has been observed at small density differences and when the displacing fluid is more viscous than the displaced one. The limit of zero imposed velocity corresponding to the exchange flow has further been considered in the lubrication model. An interesting jump in the interface height occurs close to the vicinity of the gate region due to the immiscibility, which has been similarly reported in other recent computational works. Detailed mathematical notes on the similarity solution of the flow at long times are moreover provided. Investigating the short-time dynamics of the flow reveals the dominance of diffusive surface tension effects over buoyancy.
Modification of electromagnetic fields and plasma resistance by thermal effects in helicon plasmas
Authors: Kabir M. , Niknam A. R.
Published: May 2017

The effects of the thermal motion of charged particles on physical characteristics of collisional helicon plasmas are investigated. First, the dielectric permittivity tensor of a helicon plasma is obtained by considering the thermal and collisional effects in the kinetic theory. Then, the electromagnetic wave and plasma resistance equations are presented and solved in a helicon plasma source with a Nagoya type III antenna. It is shown that by increasing the temperature of plasma electrons, the effective collision frequency is increased, and consequently, the peaks of resistance profiles are lowered and broadened.
Optical transmittance and reflectance studies and evidence of weak electron–phonon interaction in Type-I Ge clathrate Ba8Ga16Ge30
Authors: Udono Haruhiko , Imai Motoharu , Kojima Shuhei , Kume Tetsuji , Tanigaki Katsumi , Tajima Hiroyuki
Published: May 2017

The optical properties of ternary type-I Ge clathrate Ba8Ga16Ge30 are investigated by optical reflectance and transmittance measurements. The refractive index and extinction coefficient are calculated from the reflectance spectrum via the modified Kramers–Kronig analysis method between 0.5 and 3.2 eV. The photon energy dependence of the optical absorption coefficient reveals that Ba8Ga16Ge30 is an indirect band gap semiconductor with a gap energy Eg of 0.69 eV at 5.7 K and 0.66 eV at 285 K. The temperature dependence of Eg can be satisfactorily described by an equation based on the Bose–Einstein statistics model. When compared with those of common elemental, III–V, and II–VI semiconductors, the small temperature coefficient dEg/dT of the Ba8Ga16Ge30 can be considered to represent the weak electron–phonon interaction in the Ba8Ga16Ge30 clathrate.
Conservation Challenges and Research Needs for Pacific Lamprey in the Columbia River Basin
Authors: Clemens Benjamin J. , Beamish Richard J. , Coates Kelly C. , Docker Margaret F. , Dunham Jason B. , Gray Ann E. , Hess Jon E. , Jolley Jeffrey C. , Lampman Ralph T. , McIlraith Brian J. , Moser Mary L. , Murauskas Joshua G. , Noakes David L. G. , Schaller Howard A. , Schreck Carl B. , Starcevich Steven J. , Streif Bianca , Wetering Stan J. , Wade Joy , Weitkamp Laurie A. , Wyss Lance A.
Published: May 2017

The Pacific Lamprey Entosphenus tridentatus, an anadromous fish native to the northern Pacific Ocean and bordering freshwater habitats, has recently experienced steep declines in abundance and range contractions along the West Coast of North America. During the early 1990s, Native American tribes recognized the declining numbers of lamprey and championed their importance. In 2012, 26 entities signed a conservation agreement to coordinate and implement restoration and research for Pacific Lamprey. Regional plans have identified numerous threats, monitoring needs, and strategies to conserve and restore Pacific Lamprey during their freshwater life stages. Prime among these are needs to improve lamprey passage, restore freshwater habitats, educate stakeholders, and implement lamprey-specific research and management protocols. Key unknowns include range-wide trends in status, population dynamics, population delineation, limiting factors, and marine influences. We synthesize these key unknowns, with a focus on the freshwater life stages of lamprey in the Columbia River basin.
Targeted Catch-and-Release of Prohibited Sharks: Sand Tigers in Coastal Delaware Waters
Authors: Kilfoil James P. , Wetherbee Bradley M. , Carlson John K. , Fox Dewayne A.
Published: May 2017

The popularity of recreational shark fishing appears to be on the rise in recent years, with current policies often failing to address the direct targeting of protected species in this sector. Examination of catch trends from the past decade revealed that more than 66 million sharks were caught by recreational anglers along the U.S. eastern coast alone, including more than 1.2 million prohibited species. Using Sand Tigers Carcharias taurus captured by volunteer anglers as a case study to evaluate post-release mortality, 33 individuals were fitted with external acoustic tags and passively tracked using an array of acoustic receivers. Although rates of internal hooking and gear retention were high (57% and 60%), short-term post-release mortality was relatively low (6%) and was heavily influenced by hook location and retention. Given the dramatic increase in the range and extent of recreational fishing targeting prohibited species, even relatively low mortality rates may still pose a significant threat to recovery.
Antimicrobial constituents of peel and seeds of camu-camu (Myrciaria dubia)
Authors: Kaneshima Tai , Myoda Takao , Toeda Kazuki , Fujimori Takane , Nishizawa Makoto
Published: May 2017

Various antimicrobial constituents of camu-camu fruit were isolated. Acylphloroglucinol (compound 1) and rhodomyrtone (compound 2) were isolated from the peel of camu-camu (Myrciaria dubia) fruit, while two other acylphloroglucinols (compounds 3 and 4) were obtained from camu-camu seeds. The structures of the isolated compounds were characterized by spectrophotometric methods. Compounds 1 and 4 were confirmed to be new acylphloroglucinols with different substituents at the C7 or C9 position of 2, and were named myrciarone A and B, respectively. Compound 3 was determined to be isomyrtucommulone B. This is the first report of the isolation of 3 from a natural resource. The antimicrobial activities of compounds 1, 3, and 4 were similar to those of 2, and the minimum inhibitory concentrations were either similar to or lower than that of kanamycin. These results suggest that the peel and seeds of camu-camu fruit could be utilized for therapeutic applications.
McPAS-TCR: a manually curated catalogue of pathology-associated T cell receptor sequences
Authors: Tickotsky Nili , Sagiv Tal , Prilusky Jaime , Shifrut Eric , Friedman Nir
Published: May 2017

Motivation

While growing numbers of T cell receptor (TCR) repertoires are being mapped by high-throughput sequencing, existing methods do not allow for computationally connecting a given TCR sequence to its target antigen, or relating it to a specific pathology. As an alternative, a manually-curated database can relate TCR sequences with their cognate antigens and associated pathologies based on published experimental data.

Results

We present McPAS-TCR, a manually curated database of TCR sequences associated with various pathologies and antigens based on published literature. Our database currently contains more than 5000 sequences of TCRs associated with various pathologic conditions (including pathogen infections, cancer and autoimmunity) and their respective antigens in humans and in mice. A web-based tool allows for searching the database based on different criteria, and for finding annotated sequences from the database in users’ data. The McPAS-TCR website assembles information from a large number of studies that is very hard to dissect otherwise. Initial analyses of the data provide interesting insights on pathology-associated TCR sequences.

Availability and implementation

Free access at http://friedmanlab.weizmann.ac.il/McPAS-TCR/.
Ridge virtual population analysis to reduce the instability of fishing mortalities in the terminal year
Authors: Okamura Hiroshi , Yamashita Yuuho , Ichinokawa Momoko
Published: May 2017

Tuned virtual population analyses are widely used for fisheries stock assessments. However, accurately estimating abundances and fishing mortality coefficients in the terminal year using tuned virtual population analyses is generally difficult, particularly when there is a limited number of available abundance indices. We propose a new method of integrating the tuned virtual population analyses with a ridge regression approach. In our method, penalization in the ridge regression is applied to the age-specific fishing mortalities in the terminal year, and the penalty parameter is automatically selected by minimizing the retrospective bias. Therefore, our method is able to simultaneously obtain a stable estimation of fishing mortality coefficients in the terminal year and reduce retrospective bias. Simulation tests based on the northern Japan Sea stock of walleye pollock (Gadus chalcogrammus) in the Sea of Japan demonstrated that this method yielded less biased estimates of abundances and avoided overestimations of fishing mortality coefficients in the terminal year. In addition, despite limited abundance indices, our method can perform reliable abundance estimations even under hyperstability and hyperdepletion conditions.
Mucocutaneous Hyperpigmentation in a Patient With a History of Both Minocycline and Silver Ingestion
Authors: Fernandez-Flores Angel , Nguyen Thao , Cassarino David S.
Published: May 2017

Minocycline is a derivative of tetracycline. It has been widely used in dermatology for the treatment of acne and rosacea. One of its adverse effects is pigmentation of various body tissues. Clinically, 3 main distinct types of hyperpigmentation by minocycline have been distinguished: type I, with blue-gray to black pigment on the face in areas of scarring or inflammation; type II, with blue-gray pigment on normal skin of the legs, forearms and on the shins; and type III, with a diffuse muddy-brown discoloration in areas of sun exposure. In the current report, we present the case of a 50-year old man with a history of severe acne treated with minocycline in the past, who currently complained about discoloration of his face. He had also taken colloidal silver supplements for “good health” about 16 years ago. Physical examination revealed gray-blue discoloration on the face, sclera, hard palate and back. Histologic examination showed intracellular pigment deposits in macrophages of the superficial dermis in a perivascular and an interstitial distribution. The pigment stained with Fontana-Masson and von Kossa, whereas it was Perls' iron negative. This case does not fit well into any of the previously described patterns of minocycline-related hyperpigmentation.
Research Waste in ME/CFS
Authors: Lee Sonia
Published: May 2017

Objective

To compare the prevalence of selective reporting in ME/CFS research areas: psychosocial versus cellular.

Method

A bias appraisal was conducted on three trials (1x psychosocial and 2x cellular) to compare risk of bias in study design, selection and measurement. The primary outcome compared evidence and justifications in resolving biases by proportions (%) and ORs (Odds Ratio); the secondary outcome determined the proportion (in %) of ME/CFS grants at risk of bias.

Results

NS (cellular study) was twice as likely to present evidence in resolving biases over PACE (psychosocial trial) (OR = 2.16; 65.6% vs 46. 9%), but this difference was not significant (p= 0.13). However, NS was five times more likely to justify biases over PACE (OR = 4.76; 46.9% vs 15. 6%) and this difference was significant (p= 0.0095;p <0.05). PACE was weak in place (operational aspects 32%) and NS for data practices (37%). The proportion of grants were more biased in PACE (72%) than NS (28%) for evidence, and also more biased in PACE (86%) than NS (14%) for justifications.

Conclusion

Psychosocial trials on ME/CFS are more likely to engage in selective reporting indicative of research waste than cellular trials. Improvements to place may help reduce these biases, whereas cellular trials may benefit from adopting more translatable data methods. However, these findings are based on two trials. Further risk of bias appraisals are needed to determine the number of trials required to make robust these findings.
Microbial metagenome of urinary tract infection
Authors: Moustafa Ahmed , Singh Harinder , Li Weizhong , Moncera Kelvin J. , Torralba Manolito G. , Yu Yanbao , Manuel Oriol , Biggs William , Craig Venter J. , Nelson Karen E. , Pieper Rembert , Telenti Amalio
Published: May 2017

Urine culture and microscopy techniques are used to profile the bacterial species present in urinary tract infections. To gain insight into the urinary flora in infection and health, we analyzed clinical laboratory features and the microbial metagenome of 121 clean-catch urine samples. 16S rDNA gene signatures were successfully obtained for 116 participants, while whole genome shotgun sequencing data was successfully generated for samples from 49 participants. Analysis of these datasets supports the definition of the patterns of infection and colonization/contamination. Although 16S rDNA sequencing was more sensitive, whole genome shotgun sequencing allowed for a more comprehensive and unbiased representation of the microbial flora, including eukarya and viral pathogens, and of bacterial virulence factors. Urine samples positive by whole genome shotgun sequencing contained a plethora of bacterial (median 41 genera/sample), eukarya (median 2 species/sample) and viral sequences (median 3 viruses/sample). Genomic analyses revealed cases of infection with potential pathogens (e.g.,Alloscardovia sp, Actinotignum sp,Ureaplasma sp) that are often missed during routine urine culture due to species specific growth requirements. We also observed gender differences in the microbial metagenome. While conventional microbiological methods are inadequate to identify a large diversity of microbial species that are present in urine, genomic approaches appear to comprehensively and quantitatively describe the urinary microbiome.
A specific non-bisphosphonate inhibitor of the bifunctional farnesyl/geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthase in malaria parasites
Authors: Gisselberg Jolyn E. , Herrera Zachary , Orchard Lindsey , Llinás Manuel , Yeh Ellen
Published: May 2017

Isoprenoid biosynthesis is essential forPlasmodium falciparum(malaria) parasites and contains multiple validated antimalarial drug targets, including a bifunctional farnesyl and geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthase (FPPS/GGPPS). We identified MMV019313 as an inhibitor ofPfFPPS/GGPPS. ThoughPfFPPS/GGPPS is also inhibited by a class of bisphosphonate drugs, MMV019313 has significant advantages for antimalarial drug development. MMV019313 has superior physicochemical properties compared to charged bisphosphonates that have poor bioavailability and strong bone affinity. We also show that it is highly selective forPfFPPS/GGPPS and showed no activity against human FPPS or GGPPS. Inhibition ofPfFPPS/GGPPS by MMV019313, but not bisphosphonates, was disrupted in an S228T variant, demonstrating that MMV019313 and bisphosphonates have distinct modes-of-inhibition againstPfFPPS/GGPPS. Altogether MMV019313 is the first specific, non-bisphosphonate inhibitor ofPfFPPS/GGPPS. Our findings uncover a new small molecule binding site in this important antimalarial drug target and provide a promising starting point for development ofPlasmodium-specific FPPS/GGPPS inhibitors.
Viscous hydrophilic injection matrices for serial crystallography
Authors: Kovácsová Gabriela , Grünbein Marie Luise , Kloos Marco , Barends Thomas R. M. , Schlesinger Ramona , Heberle Joachim , Kabsch Wolfgang , Shoeman Robert L. , Doak R. Bruce , Schlichting Ilme
Published: May 2017

Serial (femtosecond) crystallography at synchrotron and X-ray free-electron laser (XFEL) sources distributes the absorbed radiation dose over all crystals used for data collection and therefore allows measurement of radiation damage prone systems, including the use of microcrystals for room-temperature measurements. Serial crystallography relies on fast and efficient exchange of crystals upon X-ray exposure, which can be achieved using a variety of methods, including various injection techniques. The latter vary significantly in their flow rates – gas dynamic virtual nozzle based injectors provide very thin fast-flowing jets, whereas high-viscosity extrusion injectors produce much thicker streams with flow rates two to three orders of magnitude lower. High-viscosity extrusion results in much lower sample consumption, as its sample delivery speed is commensurate both with typical XFEL repetition rates and with data acquisition rates at synchrotron sources. An obvious viscous injection medium is lipidic cubic phase (LCP) as it is used forin mesomembrane protein crystallization. However, LCP has limited compatibility with many crystallization conditions. While a few other viscous media have been described in the literature, there is an ongoing need to identify additional injection media for crystal embedding. Critical attributes are reliable injection properties and a broad chemical compatibility to accommodate samples as heterogeneous and sensitive as protein crystals. Here, the use of two novel hydrogels as viscous injection matrices is described, namely sodium carboxymethyl cellulose and the thermo-reversible block polymer Pluronic F-127. Both are compatible with various crystallization conditions and yield acceptable X-ray background. The stability and velocity of the extruded stream were also analysed and the dependence of the stream velocity on the flow rate was measured. In contrast with previously characterized injection media, both new matrices afford very stable adjustable streams suitable for time-resolved measurements.
Crystal structure of di-μ-chlorido-bis(chlorido{N
1,N
1-diethyl-N
4-[(pyridin-2-yl-κN)methylidene]benzene-1,4-diamine-κN
4}mercury(II))
Authors: Faizi Md. Serajul Haque , Dege Necmi , Goleva Kateryna
Published: May 2017

The title dinuclear mercury(II) complex, [Hg2Cl4(C16H19N3)2], synthesized from the pyridine-derived Schiff base (E)-N
1,N
1-diethyl-N
4-[(pyridin-2-yl)methylidene]benzene-1,4-diamine (DPMBD), has inversion symmetry. The five-coordinated HgII atoms have distorted square-pyramidal stereochemistry comprising two N-atom donors from bidentate chelate BPMBD ligands and three Cl-atom donors, two bridging and one monodentate. The dihedral angle between the benzene and the pyridine rings in the BPMBD ligand is 7.55 (4)°. In the crystal, the dinuclear molecules are linked by weak C—H...Cl hydrogen bonds, forming zigzag ribbons lying parallel to [001]. Also present in the structure are π–π interactions between benzene and pyridine rings [minimum ring-centroid separation = 3.698 (8) Å].
1,3-Bis{(E)-[4-(dimethylamino)benzylidene]amino}propan-2-ol: chain structure formation via an O—H...N hydrogen bond
Authors: Rivera Augusto , Miranda-Carvajal Ingrid , Ríos-Motta Jaime , Bolte Michael
Published: May 2017

The asymmetric unit of the title compound, C21H28N4O, consists of two unique molecules linked by an O—H...N hydrogen bond. The conformation of both C=N bonds is E and the azomethine functional groups lie close to the plane of their associated benzene rings in each of the independent molecules. The dihedral angles between the two benzene rings are 83.14 (4) and 75.45 (4)°. The plane of the one of the N(CH3)2 units is twisted away from the benzene ring by 18.8 (2)°, indicating loss of conjugation between the lone electron pair and the benzene ring. In the crystal structure, O—H...N hydrogen bonds together with C—H...O hydrogen bonds link neighbouring supramolecular dimers into a three-dimensional network.
1-Chloro-3-(6-nitro-1H-indazol-1-yl)propan-2-ol
Authors: Mohamed Abdelahi Mohamed Mokhtar , El Bakri Youness , Benchidmi Mohammed , Essassi El Mokhtar , Mague Joel T.
Published: May 2017

In the title compound, C10H10ClN3O3, the side chain is oriented nearly perpendicular to the mean plane of the indazole ring system. In the crystal, complementary sets of O—H...N and C—H...O hydrogen bonds form chains of molecules stacked along thea-axis direction
3-(1H,1H,2H,2H-Perfluorooctyl)-1-vinyl-4-imidazoline-2-thione
Authors: Partl Gabriel , Laus Gerhard , Gelbrich Thomas , Wurst Klaus , Huppertz Hubert , Schottenberger Herwig
Published: May 2017

The title compound, C13H9F13N2S, was obtained by reaction of sulfur with the corresponding quaternary salt in the presence of K2CO3. The quaternary salt in turn was obtained by alkylation of 1-vinylimidazole. The crystal structure contains two independent molecules with disordered fluoroalkyl chains with occupancy ratios of 0.7:0.3 and 0.57:0.43.
2-Amino-4-methylpyridinium 4-methoxybenzoate dihydrate
Authors: Sivakumar P. , Ezhamani G. , Israel S. , Chakkaravarthi G.
Published: May 2017

In the title hydrated molecular salt, C6H9N2+·C8H7O3−·2H2O, the cation is protonated at the pyridine N atom. The cation and anion are linked by a pair of N—H...O hydrogen bonds, which generates anR22(8) loop, and the dihedral angle between their ring planes is 16.07 (14)°. The ion pairs are linked by O—H...O hydrogen bonds involving the water molecules, generating a three-dimensional network. Weak C—H...O and aromatic π–π stacking [centroid-to-centroid distance = 3.5874 (17) Å] interactions are also observed.
3-Chloro-2-ethyl-6-nitro-2H-indazole
Authors: Mohamed Abdelahi Mohamed Mokhtar , El Bakri Youness , Minnih Mohamed Said , Benchidmi Mohammed , Essassi El Mokhtar , Mague Joel T.
Published: May 2017

In the title compound, C9H8ClN3O2, the orientation of the ethyl substituent is partly determined by an intramolecular C—H...Cl hydrogen bond. The indazole moiety is slightly folded with an angle of 0.70 (8)° between the five- and six-membered rings. In the crystal, molecules pack in layers parallel to [100] through C—H...π(ring) and N...;O...π(ring) interactions.
Accounting for madness: the “Real Casa dei Matti” of Palermo 1824-1860
Authors: Funnell Warwick , Antonelli Valerio , D’Alessio Raffaele , Rossi Roberto
Published: May 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to understand the role played by accounting in managing an early nineteenth century lunatic asylum in Palermo, Italy.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is informed by Foucault’s studies of lunatic asylums and his work on governmentality which gave prominence to the role of statistics, the “science of the State”.

Findings

This paper identifies a number of roles played by accounting in the management of the lunatic asylum studied. Most importantly, information which formed the basis of accounting reports was used to describe, classify and give visibility and measurability to the “deviance” of the insane. It also legitimated the role played by lunatic asylums, as entrusted to them in post-Napoleonic early nineteenth century society, and was a tool to mediate with the public authorities to provide adequate resources for the institution to operate.

Research limitations/implications

This paper encourages accounting scholars to engage more widely with socio-historical research that will encompass organisations such as lunatic asylums.

Originality/value

This paper provides, for the first time, a case of accounting applied to a lunatic asylum from a socio-historical perspective.