bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
LANGUAGE AS A FORCE FOR GOOD IN THE WORK OF HERTA MÜLLER*
Authors: Shopin Pavlo
Published: January 2018

Herta Müller creates sophisticated metaphors to convey her vision of language and its relationship to suffering and subjugation. With reference to both her fiction and non‐fiction, this essay explores how she uses the idea of forceful language. It delineates how the trope of force illuminates the power of language. I analyse the metaphorical conceptualisation of forceful language that makes survival possible through resistance to social oppression. Language is understood as a force that provides support and protection to the author and her characters. The metaphorical image of force enables Müller to represent language as a means by which to lighten the burden of oppression, to put up resistance, and to help the victims of persecution cope with their suffering and survive.
DEUTSCHE SEELENZUSTÄNDE: MITTENDRIN UND DOCH NICHT DABEI? INTERVIEW MIT DEM SCHRIFTSTELLER, HERAUSGEBER UND PUBLIZISTEN ZAFER ŞENOCAK AN DER UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN AM 23. APRIL 2015
Authors: Schreiner Daniel
Published: January 2018

‘Deutsche Seelenzustände’ is an interview with one of the major Turkish‐German cultural protagonists. The author, essayist, poet, publisher, and translator Zafer Şenocak grew up in Munich and moved to Berlin after the reunification. Şenocak started publishing his first poems and novels in the early 1980s. Since the 1990s he is also in demand as a political commentator on the Turkish‐German experience in the FRG and on Turkish politics. Until today Şenocak remains one of the most important Turkish‐German intellectuals and is known for advocating a Turkish‐German synthesis. In the interview Şenocak discusses his recent books In deinen Worten and Deutschsein, and addresses issues of identity, participation, and acceptance.
miR‐21a negatively modulates tumor suppressor genes PTEN and miR‐200c and further promotes the transformation of M2 macrophages
Authors: Li Ning , Qin Jun‐Fang , Han Xiao , Jin Feng‐Jiao , Zhang Jia‐Hui , Lan Lan , Wang Yue
Published: January 2018

miR‐21a is well‐known to inhibit PTEN expression. We have previously shown that PTEN suppressed the transformation of M2 macrophages in the tumor microenvironment. Therefore, we hypothesized that miR‐21a could influence M2 macrophage transformation by regulating PTEN expression. In this study, we identified how miR‐21a reduced the expression of both PTEN mRNA and protein in murine macrophage cell lines and primary macrophages. Moreover, opposite effects were identified upon the use of a miR‐21a inhibitor. Using a cytokine array, we identified the cytokines closely associated with miR‐21a‐mediated macrophage transformation to the M2 phenotype. miR‐21a mimics could also enhance the migratory ability of murine breast cancer 4T1 cells, the growth of breast cancer in vivo and CD206 intratumor expression. In addition, quantitative PCR (qPCR) and methylation‐specific PCR analysis showed that miR‐21a enhanced miR‐200c methylation and then decreased miR‐200c and PTEN expression. These effects could be reversed by treatment with 5′‐Aza, a DNA‐demethylating agent. MiR‐200c was predicted to target the PTEN 3′UTR, but qPCR illustrated the miR‐200c mimic that increased PTEN expression, and 5′‐Aza could enhance its effect. The above results indicate that miR‐21a negatively modulates two tumor suppressor genes, miR‐200c and PTEN, thereby promoting M2 macrophage transformation. This demonstrates that miR‐21a represents a novel target for improving the overall tumor microenvironment.
Targeted deletion of c‐Met in thymic epithelial cells leads to an autoimmune phenotype
Authors: Su Min , Hu Rong , Song Yinhong , Liu Yalan , Lai Laijun
Published: January 2018

Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and its receptor c‐Met signaling have been implicated in regulating various types of cells including epithelial cells. We have previously reported that c‐Met is expressed by thymic epithelial cells (TECs), and that in vivo administration of hybrid cytokines containing IL‐7 and the beta‐ or alpha‐chain of HGF significantly increase the number of TECs. In order to study the role of c‐Met signaling in TECs, we generated conditional knockout (cKO) mice in which c‐Met was specifically deleted in TECs using a Foxn1‐Cre transgene. We show here that c‐Met deficiency in TECs results in age‐progressive reduction in TEC number and reduced number of regulatory T cells. Consequently, c‐Met TEC cKO mice displayed an autoimmune phenotype. Thus, c‐Met signaling in TECs is important for the maintenance of TECs and immune self‐tolerance.
Mutation analysis of the EBV‐lymphoblastoid cell line cautions their use as antigen‐presenting cells
Authors: Tan Qin , Ku Wenjing , Zhang Chaoting , Heyilimu Palashati , Tian Yuan , Ke Yang , Lu Zheming
Published: January 2018

Lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs) have been widely used as professional antigen‐presenting cells (APCs). However, neoantigen‐loaded LCLs could induce nonspecific T‐cell response, which could be due to expression of both Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) antigens and nonsynonymous mutations arising in LCLs. Since the number of passages could influence mutational characteristics of LCLs, and moreover extensive proliferation of LCLs in vitro is necessary to activate T cells for immunotherapy, we comprehensively profiled mutational characteristics by comparing eight sets of B cells and matched high‐passage LCLs using whole‐exome sequencing in order to assess the effect of nonsynonymous mutations arising in LCLs on nonspecific T‐cell response. We found 315 nongermline mutations (approximately 40mut/subject) randomly distributed across all chromosomes including 18 mutations in immunoglobulin V and J genes in eight LCLs, of which 137 candidate neoantigens (approximately 17mut/subject) were identified. The underlying mutational processes linked to EBV‐transformed LCLs could be attributed to activation induced cytidine deaminase gene expression which contributes to cytosine mutation clusters in LCLs through cytosine deamination. Pathways significantly enriched by nonsilent mutations of each LCL were totally different among all LCLs. In conclusion, high‐passage LCLs may not be suitable to serve as APCs due to random nonsilent mutations, particularly for presentation of neoantigens of low immunogenicity, although further experimental proofs are needed.
Looking to tomorrow’s healthcare today: a participatory health perspective
Authors: Coughlin Sheryl , Roberts David , O’Neill Kenneth , Brooks Peter
Published: January 2018

Health systems around the world face the issue of financial and workforce sustainability. Mobile health technologies – those devices which connect health professionals, patients, payers and the many other contributors who make up the health system offer some solutions – not just as ‘add ons’ but as enablers of real system change. This paper presents a vision for what the health system of the future could be like and emphasises the opportunities for real patient participation in clinical decision‐making if the professions can engage the technologies and patients/community in a meaningful way. Predicting the future is never easy but many of the technologies are here now – but how we will use them to make the system more patient friendly, more productive and sustainable is still for discussion. This paper should start that conversation.
Acceptability of opt‐out consent in a hospital patient population
Authors: Boulos Daniel , Morand Eric , Foo Michelle , Trivedi Janki Dhaval , Lai Ruth , Huntersmith Rachel , Zhang Karen , Stark Claire Brigid , Le Suong
Published: January 2018

Research has been slow to leverage digitalised medical records as a data resource. Our study assessed patient acceptability of opt‐out consent for secondary use of digital patient data. A questionnaire was distributed to patients in multiple languages and with an interpreter. Of 919 completed surveys, 33% were of non‐English speaking background, 15% self‐reported cognitive impairment and 3% were refugees. Opt‐out consent was accepted in this diverse population; 87% of participants approved, or were indifferent to opt‐out consent. Gender, employment and cognition status were not significant determinants of acceptability.
Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia in patients with acute myeloid leukaemia
Authors: Chang Hung , Kuo Ming‐Chung , Lin Tung‐Liang , Wu Jin‐Hou , Wang Po‐Nan
Published: January 2018

The association of Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PJP) and acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) is not clearly defined. In our experience of 291 patients with AML, 20 (14 males and 6 females, median age 56) developed PJP (incidence 6.8%). Thirteen patients (65%) survived until discharge from hospital. We conclude that PJP is not uncommon among patients with AML. In clinical care of AML, awareness of PJP should be heightened and prophylaxis should be considered.
Contemporaneous and Causal Relationship between Returns and Volumes: Evidence from Nifty Futures
Authors: Sampath Aravind , Garg Parth
Published: January 2018

Motivated by the mixture of distribution hypothesis (MDH) and sequential arrival of information hypothesis (SAIH), we investigate the relationship between intraday returns and volumes using derivatives data from the emerging Indian market. Using robust statistical estimation, we document the evidence of both MDH and SAIH in one of the most traded financial markets in India (and the world). We document the presence of strong positive association between returns and volumes. We further report the evidence of strong causality from intraday returns to volumes than vice versa.
Effects of contrasting seasonal growth patterns on composition and persistence of mixed grass‐legume pastures over 5 years in a semi‐arid Australian cropping environment
Authors: Hayes R. C. , Li G. D. , Norton M. R. , Culvenor R. A.
Published: January 2018

Perennial grass‐based pastures are uncommon in phased cropping rotations in south‐eastern Australia, where rainfall often limits production and persistence. The high reliance on pure legume‐based pastures limits overall pasture productivity and has adverse effects on environmental parameters such as weed incursion and ground cover. A field experiment was monitored over 5 years to examine the relative productivity of the temperate perennial grasses, phalaris (Phalaris aquatica) and cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata) and determine whether contrasting seasonal activity enhances their persistence when grown in mixtures with lucerne (Medicago sativa) and annual legumes. Phalaris swards were shown to increase cumulative aboveground biomass by up to 96% and 32%, and in year 5 reduce annual grass emergence by between sevenfold and threefold compared to annual legume and lucerne/annual legume mixed swards, respectively. Only swards that included phalaris maintained ground cover above 70% in each autumn of the experimental period. Swards based on the highly summer dormant cocksfoot cultivar, Kasbah, were generally less productive over all, despite the cocksfoot showing a high level of persistence and good recovery following drought. Grass‐based swards that included lucerne were observed to produce ~35% greater legume biomass than a sward sown only to annual legumes. Cumulative legume biomass was greatest in lucerne swards in the absence of perennial grasses. The experiment was unable to demonstrate a consistent benefit in production and persistence associated with contrasting seasonal growth patterns. However, mixtures containing a range of functional types were consistently shown to enhance productivity over the duration of the experiment compared to less diverse swards. The potential to substantially increase forage productivity and ground cover, while reducing incursion by annual grass weeds, by including well‐adapted perennial grasses in mixtures with lucerne and annual legumes should be utilized.
Multivariate analysis of variations in intrinsic foot musculature among hominoids
Authors: Oishi Motoharu , Ogihara Naomichi , Shimizu Daisuke , Kikuchi Yasuhiro , Endo Hideki , Une Yumi , Soeta Satoshi , Amasaki Hajime , Ichihara Nobutsune
Published: January 2018

Comparative analysis of the foot muscle architecture among extant great apes is important for understanding the evolution of the human foot and, hence, human habitual bipedal walking. However, to our knowledge, there is no previous report of a quantitative comparison of hominoid intrinsic foot muscle dimensions. In the present study, we quantitatively compared muscle dimensions of the hominoid foot by means of multivariate analysis. The foot muscle mass and physiological cross‐sectional area (PCSA) of five chimpanzees, one bonobo, two gorillas, and six orangutans were obtained by our own dissections, and those of humans were taken from published accounts. The muscle mass and PCSA were respectively divided by the total mass and total PCSA of the intrinsic muscles of the entire foot for normalization. Variations in muscle architecture among human and extant great apes were quantified based on principal component analysis. Our results demonstrated that the muscle architecture of the orangutan was the most distinctive, having a larger first dorsal interosseous muscle and smaller abductor hallucis brevis muscle. On the other hand, the gorilla was found to be unique in having a larger abductor digiti minimi muscle. Humans were distinguished from extant great apes by a larger quadratus plantae muscle. The chimpanzee and the bonobo appeared to have very similar muscle architecture, with an intermediate position between the human and the orangutan. These differences (or similarities) in architecture of the intrinsic foot muscles among humans and great apes correspond well to the differences in phylogeny, positional behavior, and locomotion.
O‐GlcNAcylation in oral squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Kongkaew Tassaporn , Aung Win Pa Pa , Supanchart Chayarop , Makeudom Anupong , Langsa‐ard Sarawat , Sastraruji Thanapat , Chaiyarit Ponlatham , Krisanaprakornkit Suttichai
Published: January 2018

Background

Two post‐translational mechanisms commonly demonstrated in various cancers are protein phosphorylation and glycosylation by O‐linked β‐N‐acetylglucosamine (O‐GlcNAc). However, only phosphorylation of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)/Akt pathway has been reported in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Therefore, we aimed to determine both post‐translational modifications in OSCC tissues and in oral cancer cells compared to normal tissues and oral keratinocytes and to find correlations of these modifications with histological grading.

Methods

Thirty‐two OSCC and ten normal formalin‐fixed and paraffin‐embedded sections were probed with the anti‐O‐GlcNAc, anti‐O‐GlcNAc transferase (OGT), anti‐phosphorylated‐EGFRtyr1173, and anti‐phosphorylated‐Aktser473 antibodies following standard immunohistochemistry. The immunohistochemical (IHC) score was determined using the Fromowitz standard. Whole cell lysates of oral cancer cells and normal oral keratinocytes were immunoblotted with the anti‐O‐GlcNAc antibody.

Results

The median IHC scores of O‐GlcNAc or OGT between OSCC and normal tissues were not different, whereas those of phosphorylated‐EGFRtyr1173 and phosphorylated‐Aktser473 were significantly higher in OSCC than normal tissues (P < .001 and P < .01, respectively). Similarly, expression of O‐GlcNAcylated proteins in oral cancer cells and normal oral keratinocytes did not differ. In the OSCC group, the median IHC scores of O‐GlcNAc and OGT were significantly lower than those of phosphorylated‐EGFRtyr1173 and phosphorylated‐Aktser473 (P < .01 and P < .001, respectively). The IHC scores of O‐GlcNAc or OGT were not determined to correlate with histological grading.

Conclusion

Unlike other types of cancers, our findings demonstrate that the levels of O‐GlcNAcylation are not significantly increased in OSCC tissues or in oral cancer cells and are not associated with the histological grading of OSCC.
Robert McKersie: Integrative Scholar
Authors: Cutcher‐Gershenfeld Joel , Kochan Thomas A.
Published: January 2018

This article is a tribute to Robert McKersie. It focuses on his career journey as an integrative scholar and touches on his scholarship, which among many honors included the 1995 International Association of Conflict Management (IACM) Lifetime Achievement Award. As the article suggests, Bob is integrative in multiple ways—as a teacher and facilitator integrating diverse concepts and interests; as a scholar lifting up Mary Parker Follet's concept of integration from the 1920s and, along with co‐author Richard Walton, giving it a new life in the 1965 Behavioral Theory of Labor Negotiations; and as a friend and colleague bringing out the best in everyone he encounters.
Evaluation of the use of recombinant human basic fibroblast growth factor in combination with negative pressure wound therapy with instillation and dwell time in porcine full‐thickness wound model
Authors: Saijo Hiroto , Kilpadi Deepak V. , Akita Sadanori
Published: January 2018

NPWT with instillation and dwell time (NPWTi‐d), which combines NPWT with wound irrigation, has been clinically applied as a more effective treatment than conventional NPWT. Commercially available recombinant human basic fibroblast growth factor (rh‐bFGF) has been demonstrated to be beneficial for use over the wound beds. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of combined treatment with NPWTi‐d and rh‐bFGF. Six pigs received 12 full‐thickness excisional skin wounds and were treated with six different treatment groups for each pair. The treatment regimens were composed NPWTi‐d, NPWT, or advanced wound care with or without rh‐bFGF. On day 6, the minimum granulation tissue thickness and blood vessel number of the group of combined treatment with NPWTi‐d and rh‐bFGF spray were significantly greater than that of the control group. Combined treatment with NPWTi‐d and rh‐bFGF spray reads to good granulation tissue formation and vascularization for accelerating wound healing.
Mapping the Viscoelastic Behavior of Soft Solids From Time Harmonic Motion
Authors: Mei Yue , Goenezen Sevan
Published: January 2018

We present a nondestructive approach to map the heterogeneous viscoelastic moduli from time harmonic motion via a constrained optimization strategy under the framework of finite element techniques. The adjoint equations are carefully derived to determine the gradient of the objective function with respect to the viscoelastic moduli. The feasibility of this inverse scheme is tested with simulated experiments under various driving frequencies. We observe that the overall strategy results in well-reconstructed moduli. For low frequencies, however, the mapped loss modulus is of inferior quality. To explain this observation, we analyze two simple one-dimensional (1D) models theoretically. The analysis reveals that the known displacement amplitude is less sensitive to the loss modulus value at low frequencies. Thus, we conclude that the inverse method is incapable of finding a well-reconstructed loss modulus distribution for low driving frequencies in the presence of noisy data. Overall, the inverse algorithms presented in this work are highly robust to map the storage and loss modulus with high accuracy given that a proper range of frequencies are utilized.
Qualitative Analysis and Conceptual Design of Planar Metamaterials With Negative Poisson's Ratio
Authors: Patiballa Sree Kalyan , Krishnan Girish
Published: January 2018

This paper presents a new mechanics-based framework for the qualitative analysis and conceptual design of mechanical metamaterials, and specifically materials exhibiting auxetic behavior. The methodology is inspired by recent advances in the insightful synthesis of compliant mechanisms by visualizing a kinetostatic field of forces that flow through the mechanism geometry. The framework relates load flow in the members of the microstructure to the global material properties, thereby enabling a novel synthesis technique for auxetic microstructures. This understanding is used to qualitatively classify auxetic materials into two classes, namely, high-shear and low-shear microstructures. The ability to achieve additional attributes such as isotropy is shown to be related to the qualitative class that the microstructure belongs.
Semi-Analytical Source Method for Reaction–Diffusion Problems
Authors: Cole K. D. , Cetin B. , Demirel Y.
Published: January 2018

Estimation of thermal properties, diffusion properties, or chemical–reaction rates from transient data requires that a model is available that is physically meaningful and suitably precise. The model must also produce numerical values rapidly enough to accommodate iterative regression, inverse methods, or other estimation procedures during which the model is evaluated again and again. Applications that motivate the present work include process control of microreactors, measurement of diffusion properties in microfuel cells, and measurement of reaction kinetics in biological systems. This study introduces a solution method for nonisothermal reaction–diffusion (RD) problems that provides numerical results at high precision and low computation time, especially for calculations of a repetitive nature. Here, the coupled heat and mass balance equations are solved by treating the coupling terms as source terms, so that the solution for concentration and temperature may be cast as integral equations using Green's functions (GF). This new method requires far fewer discretization elements in space and time than fully numeric methods at comparable accuracy. The method is validated by comparison with a benchmark heat transfer solution and a commercial code. Results are presented for a first-order chemical reaction that represents synthesis of vinyl chloride.
Numerical and Experimental Study on the Dynamic Interaction Between Highly Nonlinear Solitary Waves and Pressurized Balls
Authors: Nasrollahi Amir , Rizzo Piervincenzo , Orak Mehmet Sefa
Published: January 2018

This paper discusses the dynamic interaction between a monoatomic chain of solid particles and a thin-walled spherical pressure vessel. The objective is to find a relationship between the highly nonlinear solitary waves (HNSWs) propagating within the chain and the internal pressure of the vessel. The paper introduces first a general finite element model to predict the abovementioned interaction, and then a specific application to tennis balls. The scope is to demonstrate a new nondestructive testing (NDT) method to infer the internal pressure of the balls. The overarching idea is that a mechanically induced solitary pulse propagating within the chain interacts with the thin-walled ball to be probed. At the chain–ball interface, the acoustic pulse is partially reflected back to the chain and partially deforms the rubber giving rise to secondary pulses. The research hypothesis is that one or more features of the reflected waves are monotonically dependent on the internal pressure. Both numerical and experimental results demonstrate a monotonic relationship between the time of flight (TOF) of the solitary waves and the internal pressure of the tennis balls. In addition, the pressure inferred nondestructively with the HNSWs matches very well the pressure measured destructively with an ad hoc pressure gauge needle. In the future, the results presented in this study could be used to develop a portable device to infer anytime anywhere the internal pressure of deformable systems (including biological systems) for which conventional pressure gages cannot be used noninvasively.
Friction Stir Resistance Spot Welding of Aluminum Alloy to Advanced High Strength Steel
Authors: Chen Kai , Liu Xun , Ni Jun
Published: January 2018

A hybrid friction stir resistance spot welding (RSW) process is applied for joining aluminum alloy 6061 to TRIP 780 steel. Compared with conventional RSW, the applied current density is lower and the welding process remains in the solid state. Compared with conventional friction stir spot welding (FSSW) process, the welding force is reduced and the dissimilar material joint strength is increased. The electrical current is applied in both a pulsed and direct form. With the equal amount of energy input, the approximately same force reduction indicates that the electro-plastic material softening effect is insignificant during FSSW process. The welding force is reduced mainly due to the resistance heating induced thermal softening of materials. With the application of electrical current, a wider aluminum flow pattern is observed in the thermo-mechanically affected zone (TMAZ) of weld cross sections and a more uniform hook is formed at the Fe/Al interface. This implies that the aluminum material flow is enhanced. Moreover, the Al composition in the Al–Fe interfacial layer is higher, which means the atomic diffusion is accelerated.
Energy-Oriented Maintenance Decision-Making for Sustainable Manufacturing Based on Energy Saving Window
Authors: Xia Tangbin , Xi Lifeng , Du Shichang , Xiao Lei , Pan Ershun
Published: January 2018

In recent years, the industry's responsibility to join in sustainable manufacturing becomes huge, while innovating sustainability has been a new trend. Industrial enterprises are pursuing energy reduction to meet future needs for sustainable globalization and government legislations for green manufacturing. To run a manufacturing line in an energy-efficient manner, an energy-oriented maintenance methodology is developed. At the machine layer, the multi-attribute model (MAM) method is extended by modeling the energy attribute. Preventive maintenance (PM) intervals of each machine are dynamically scheduled according to the machine deterioration, maintenance effects, and environmental conditions. At the system layer, a novel energy saving window (ESW) policy is proposed to reduce energy for the whole line. Energy consumption interactivities, batch production characteristics, and system-layer maintenance opportunities are comprehensively considered. Real-time choice of PM adjustments is scheduled by comparing the energy savings of advanced PM and delayed PM. The results prove the energy reduction achieved by this MAM-ESW methodology. It effectively utilizes standby power, reduces energy consumption, avoids manufacturing breakdown, and decreases scheduling complexity. Furthermore, this energy-oriented maintenance framework can be applied not only in the automotive industry but also for a broader range of manufacturing domains such as the aerospace, semiconductor, and chemical industries.
Acoustic inversion method for parameters of sediments based on adaptive predatory genetic algorithm
Authors: Hongxing Li , Chunhui Tao , Cai Liu , Goloshubin Gennady , Guangnan Huang , Hua Zhang , Jin Zhang , Xiaofeng Zhang , Nobes David C.
Published: January 2018

Acoustic inversion for the physical parameters of seafloor sediments is an important and difficult aspect of sediment acoustic research. Submarine surface sediments are typical porous media, which involve many parameters. Thus, the optimization of high-dimensional inversion represents one of the difficulties. An acoustic inversion method to obtain the physical parameters of seafloor sediments is constructed based on the adaptive predatory genetic algorithm and effective density fluid model derived from Biot theory. The method introduces the adaptive process and predatory strategy into the genetic algorithm and uses the norm of the relative difference between the predicted wave number and the measured wave number as the objective function. The method is confirmed to be stable and efficient by simulated data and is also applied to invert porosity, tortuosity, and permeability of the sediments in Hangzhou Bay of China using acoustic data measured by an in situ acoustic measurement system.
Thermophilic Alkaline Fermentation Followed by Mesophilic Anaerobic Digestion for Efficient Hydrogen and Methane Production from Waste-Activated Sludge: Dynamics of Bacterial Pathogens as Revealed by the Combination of Metagenomic and Quantitative PCR Analyses
Authors: Wan Jingjing , Jing Yuhang , Rao Yue , Zhang Shicheng , Luo Gang
Published: January 2018

Thermophilic alkaline fermentation followed by mesophilic anaerobic digestion (TM) for hydrogen and methane production from waste-activated sludge (WAS) was investigated. The TM process was also compared to a process with mesophilic alkaline fermentation followed by a mesophilic anaerobic digestion (MM) and one-stage mesophilic anaerobic digestion (M) process. The results showed that both hydrogen yield (74.5 ml H
2
/g volatile solids [VS]) and methane yield (150.7 ml CH
4
/g VS) in the TM process were higher than those (6.7 ml H
2
/g VS and 127.8 ml CH
4
/g VS, respectively) in the MM process. The lowest methane yield (101.2 ml CH
4
/g VS) was obtained with the M process. Taxonomic results obtained from metagenomic analysis showed that different microbial community compositions were established in the hydrogen reactors of the TM and MM processes, which also significantly changed the microbial community compositions in the following methane reactors compared to that with the M process. The dynamics of bacterial pathogens were also evaluated. For the TM process, the reduced diversity and total abundance of bacterial pathogens in WAS were observed in the hydrogen reactor and were further reduced in the methane reactor, as revealed by metagenomic analysis. The results also showed not all bacterial pathogens were reduced in the reactors. For example,
Collinsella aerofaciens
was enriched in the hydrogen reactor, which was also confirmed by quantitative PCR (qPCR) analysis. The study further showed that qPCR was more sensitive for detecting bacterial pathogens than metagenomic analysis. Although there were some differences in the relative abundances of bacterial pathogens calculated by metagenomic and qPCR approaches, both approaches demonstrated that the TM process was more efficient for the removal of bacterial pathogens than the MM and M processes.

IMPORTANCE
This study developed an efficient process for bioenergy (H
2
and CH
4
) production from WAS and elucidates the dynamics of bacterial pathogens in the process, which is important for the utilization and safe application of WAS. The study also made an attempt to combine metagenomic and qPCR analyses to reveal the dynamics of bacterial pathogens in anaerobic processes, which could overcome the limitations of each method and provide new insights regarding bacterial pathogens in environmental samples.
Myxoma Virus M083 Is a Virulence Factor Which Mediates Systemic Dissemination
Authors: Wolfe A. M. , Dunlap K. M. , Smith A. C. , Bartee M. Y. , Bartee E.
Published: January 2018

Poxviruses are large, DNA viruses whose protein capsid is surrounded by one or more lipid envelopes. Embedded into these lipid envelopes are three conserved viral proteins which are thought to mediate binding of virions to target cells. While the function of these proteins has been studied
in vitro
, their specific roles during the pathogenesis of poxviral disease remain largely unclear. Here we present data demonstrating that the putative chondroitin binding protein M083 from the leporipoxvirus myxoma virus is a significant virulence factor during infection of susceptible
Oryctolagus
rabbits. Removal of M083 results in a reduced capacity of virus to spread beyond the regional lymph nodes and completely eliminates infection-mediated mortality.
In vitro
, removal of M083 results in only minor intracellular replication defects but causes a significant reduction in the ability of myxoma virus to spread from infected epithelial cells onto primary lymphocytes. We hypothesize that the physiological role of M083 is therefore to mediate the spread of myxoma virus onto rabbit lymphocytes, allowing these cells to disseminate virus throughout infected rabbits.

IMPORTANCE
Poxviruses represent both a class of human pathogens and potential therapeutic agents for the treatment of human malignancy. Understanding the basic biology of these agents is therefore significant to human health in a variety of ways. While the mechanisms mediating poxviral binding have been well studied
in vitro
, how these mechanisms impact poxviral pathogenesis
in vivo
remains unclear. The current study advances our understanding of how poxviral binding impacts viral pathogenesis by demonstrating that the putative chondroitin binding protein M083 plays a critical role during the pathogenesis of myxoma virus in susceptible
Oryctolagus
rabbits by impacting viral dissemination through changes in the transfer of virions onto primary splenocytes.
Impact of free access to leisure facilities and community outreach on inequalities in physical activity: a quasi-experimental study
Authors: Higgerson James , Halliday Emma , Ortiz-Nunez Aurora , Brown Richard , Barr Ben
Published: January 2018

Background

There are large inequalities in levels of physical activity in the UK, and this is an important determinant of health inequalities. Little is known about the effectiveness of community-wide interventions to increase physical activity and whether effects differ by socioeconomic group.

Methods

We conducted interrupted time series and difference-in-differences analyses using local administrative data and a large national survey to investigate the impact of an intervention providing universal free access to leisure facilities alongside outreach and marketing activities in a deprived local authority area in the northwest of England. Outcomes included attendances at swimming and gym sessions, self-reported participation in gym and swim activity and any physical activity.

Results

The intervention was associated with a 64% increase in attendances at swimming and gym sessions (relative risk 1.64, 95% CI 1.43 to 1.89, P<0.001), an additional 3.9% of the population participating in at least 30 min of moderate-intensity gym or swim sessions during the previous four weeks (95% CI 3.6 to 4.1) and an additional 1.9% of the population participating in any sport or active recreation of at least moderate intensity for at least 30 min on at least 12 days out of the last four weeks (95% CI 1.7 to 2.1). The effect on gym and swim activity and overall levels of participation in physical activity was significantly greater for the more disadvantaged socioeconomic group.

Conclusions

The study suggests that removing user charges from leisure facilities in combination with outreach and marketing activities can increase overall population levels of physical activity while reducing inequalities.
Differences in declining mortality rates due to coronary heart disease by neighbourhood deprivation
Authors: Oudin Åström Daniel , Sundquist Jan , Sundquist Kristina
Published: January 2018

Background

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the main cause of death in most industrialised countries, including those in Europe. The mortality rates due to coronary heart disease (CHD), one of the most serious CVD conditions, have been decreasing in most European countries during the last decades. However, whether the trends over time in CHD mortality rates differ depending on neighbourhood deprivation has rarely been investigated.

Methods

For each year of the study period, 1988–2012, in Sweden, age-standardised mortality rates were calculated for three different types of neighbourhoods, characterised by a Neighbourhood Deprivation Index. Joinpoint regression was used to investigate potential changes in age-standardised mortality rates by neighbourhood deprivation and over time.

Results

Over the study period, age-standardised mortality rates due to CHD were consistently the highest in the deprived neighbourhoods and the lowest in the affluent neighbourhoods. We observed a statistically significant overall decline, ranging from 67% to 59%, in the age-standardised CHD mortality rates for each level of neighbourhood deprivation. Furthermore, the decline for the affluent neighbourhoods was significantly higher compared with the decline in the deprived neighbourhoods.

Conclusion

Age-standardised CHD mortality rates decreased significantly in Sweden between 1988 and 2012. This decline was more pronounced in the affluent neighbourhoods, which indicates that the improvements in prevention and treatment of CHD have not benefited individuals residing in deprived neighbourhoods to an equal extent. Knowledge of time trends in CHD mortality by level of neighbourhood deprivation may help guide decision-makers in the development of appropriate healthcare policies for deprived neighbourhoods.
The impact of a black spruce (Picea mariana) plantation on carbon exchange in a cutover peatland in Western Canada
Authors: Bravo Tania Garcia , Rochefort Line , Strack Maria
Published: January 2018

Northern peatlands are sinks for atmospheric carbon (C), but peat extraction converts these ecosystems to C sources. Due to a dry regional climate, undisturbed bog peatlands in western Canada often have a tree cover of Picea mariana (Mill.) B.S.P. Thus, a coniferous forest plantation may be an appropriate land use for cutover peatlands. This study determined the effect of a 7-year-old P. mariana plantation on C balance of a cutover peatland. We measured C stored in P. mariana biomass and carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) fluxes from bare peat at each of four fertilizer doses. Carbon stored in biomass of Betula papyrifera (Marsh.) that had spontaneously colonized the postfertilized site was also determined. Given that the water table remained very deep and that the sphagnum moss – ericaceous shrub peat-accumulating vegetation was not present, the site remained a source of C when only the planted P. mariana trees were considered, primarily in the form of CO2 emissions by soil respiration. However, C accumulation in trees, including B. papyrifera biomass, resulted in a net C sink in fertilized plots. Results from this study indicate that tree plantations on cutover peatland may be a suitable land-management strategy on sites difficult to effectively rewet.
Geographic variation in ringed seal (Pusahispida) growth rate and body size
Authors: Ferguson Steven H. , Zhu Xinhua , Young Brent G. , Yurkowski David J. , Thiemann Gregory W. , Fisk Aaron T. , Muir Derek C.G.
Published: January 2018

We summarize geographical patterns in ringed seal (Pusa hispida (Schreber, 1775)) body length and girth growth using 3012 samples collected by Inuit hunters in the eastern Canadian Arctic from 1990 to 2016. Spatial structure was detected using cluster analysis of environmental variables separating a northern region in the eastern Canadian High Arctic and a southern region in Hudson Bay. The north was characterized by more fast ice, multiyear ice, greater snow depth, colder temperatures, and greater sea-ice concentration in the spring seal breeding season. Hierarchical Bayesian models described length and axillary girth growth of northern seals as slower than in the south, reaching asymptotic size 5–7 years later. Northern females were larger than males (asymptotic length of 149 versus 140 cm, respectively) and both were larger than southern seals (males and females 126 cm). We conclude that environmental variation was best represented by regions rather than latitude, regional body size differences were driven by differential growth rates, and northern ringed seals may be characterized by reverse sexual size dimorphism.
Fault-Tolerant Voltage Source Converter for Wind-Driven Doubly Fed Induction Generator Connected to a DC Load
Authors: Touaiti Bilel , Azza Hechmi Ben , Moujahed Mongi , Jemli Mohamed
Published: January 2018

This paper presents a fault-tolerant Voltage Source Converter (VSC) for Field Oriented Control (FOC) of a stand-alone Doubly Fed Induction Generator (DFIG) connected to a DC load. In the proposed topology, the stator of the DFIG is connected to a DC load through a diode rectifier, while the rotor is connected to the DC load through a VSC. This topology allows the integration of DFIG in the hybrid system with other sources of production and storage, such as photovoltaic system, connected to the same DC bus. The fault-tolerant VSC consists in incorporating a fourth leg to replace the faulted leg. A fault detection scheme for switch device open-circuit faults is proposed in this study. The novelty of this method consists in analyzing the rotor currents within normal and faulty operating modes. Simulation results are presented for a 3.7[Formula: see text]kW DFIG-DC system with single open-circuit faults that validate the methods presented in this study. The effectiveness of the proposed fault detection method has been validated experimentally by using dSpace DS1104 control board based on TMS320F240 real time Digital Signal Processor (DSP).
A Scalable Millimetre-Wave Differential CMOS Cross-Coupled VCO for Automotive Radar Application
Authors: Yadav Rekha , Dahiya Pawan Kumar , Mishra Rajesh
Published: January 2018

In this paper, a novel method to realize LC Voltage-Controlled-Oscillator (LC-VCO) operating at 76.2–76.7[Formula: see text]GHz frequency band for microwave RFIC component is presented. The model of cross-coupled differential LC-VCO is designed in 45[Formula: see text]nm technology using Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) process for Frequency Modulated Carrier Wave (FMCW) automotive radar sensors and RF transceivers application. The impact of VDD, control voltage and temperature variation on frequency shift, phase noise, and output power has been analyzed to optimize the trade-off between frequency, phase noise, and power requirement. The results depict that LC-VCO dissipates 10.45[Formula: see text]mW power at an operating voltage of 1.5[Formula: see text]V. The phase noise has been observed to be [Formula: see text]90[Formula: see text]dBc/Hz at 1[Formula: see text]MHz offset at 76[Formula: see text]GHz carrier frequency. The estimated layout area of IC is [Formula: see text]m2. The result shows the edge of the design over existing techniques.
Low-Power Capacitor-Splitting DAC with Mixed Switching Schemes for SAR ADCs
Authors: Wang Hao , Zhong Lungui , Zhang Guocheng
Published: January 2018

A low-power capacitor-splitting digital-to-analogue converter (DAC) for successive approximation register (SAR) analogue-to-digital converters (ADCs) is proposed. During the first three bit cycles, with proper switching, there is no average switching power consumption. From the fourth bit cycle, one-side double-level switching scheme or the monotonic one is utilized based on the first two bits. When the first two bits are the same, one-side double-level switching scheme is chosen. Otherwise, the monotonic one is adopted. Thus, the proposed switching method only requires 5.27 CV[Formula: see text] average switching energy, 75.29% less compared to the Sanyal and Sun proposed one.
Lightweight, Obfuscation-Resilient Detection and Family Identification of Android Malware
Authors: Garcia Joshua , Hammad Mahmoud , Malek Sam
Published: January 2018

The number of malicious Android apps is increasing rapidly. Android malware can damage or alter other files or settings, install additional applications, and so on. To determine such behaviors, a security analyst can significantly benefit from identifying the family to which an Android malware belongs rather than only detecting if an app is malicious. Techniques for detecting Android malware, and determining their families, lack the ability to handle certain obfuscations that aim to thwart detection. Moreover, some prior techniques face scalability issues, preventing them from detecting malware in a timely manner.

To address these challenges, we present a novel machine-learning-based Android malware detection and family identification approach, RevealDroid, that operates without the need to perform complex program analyses or to extract large sets of features. Specifically, our selected features leverage categorized Android API usage, reflection-based features, and features from native binaries of apps. We assess RevealDroid for accuracy, efficiency, and obfuscation resilience using a large dataset consisting of more than 54,000 malicious and benign apps. Our experiments show that RevealDroid achieves an accuracy of 98% in detection of malware and an accuracy of 95% in determination of their families. We further demonstrate RevealDroid’s superiority against state-of-the-art approaches.
A Novel Mutation of AMHR2 In Two Siblings with Persistent Müllerian Duct Syndrome
Authors: Çakır Aydilek D. , Turan Hande , Onay Hüseyin , Emir Haluk , Emre Senol , Comunoglu Nil , Ercan Oya , Evliyaoglu Olcay
Published: January 2018

Persistent müllerian duct syndrome (PMDS) is characterized by the presence of müllerian duct derivatives in otherwise phenotypically normal males. It is caused in approximately 85% of the cases by mutations in the AMH gene or its type II receptor (AMHR2). We report on 2 brothers with normal external genitalia but high serum AMH levels. Sequence analysis of the AMHR2 gene in the 2 siblings revealed a novel homozygous missense mutation in exon 10 (p.V458L, c.1372G>T). PMDS is a rare condition, but it has to be considered in differential diagnosis of cryptorchidism with normal male genitalia.
Towards a robust systematic baseline of Neotropical fish tapeworms (Cestoda: Proteocephalidae): amended diagnoses of two genera from the redtail catfish, Phractocephalus hemioliopterus
Authors: ALVES PHILIPPE V. , CHAMBRIER ALAIN DE , LUQUE JOSÉ L. , SCHOLZ TOMÁŠ
Published: January 2018

Species of two monotypic genera, Ephedrocephalus Diesing, 1850 and Zygobothrium Diesing, 1850 (Cestoda: Proteocephalidae), parasites of one of the most basal members of the catfish family Pimelodidae, the redtail catfish, Phractocephalus hemioliopterus, in the Neotropical Region, are redescribed based on the evaluation of type specimens and newly collected material. Generic diagnoses are amended to provide a robust baseline for the future re-arrangement of the classification of proteocephalid cestodes. Ephedrocephalus is typified by the medullary position of the ovary and uterus, the cortical distribution of vitelline follicles (dispersed throughout almost the entire ventral cortex) and the testes in one dorsal field. Zygobothrium is primarily characterized by its possession of a robust scolex bearing four uniloculate suckers with two openings each and by the tetralobed velum (laciniations) on every proglottid (two on the ventral and two on the dorsal side). The redtail catfish is the definitive host of as many as seven species of proteocephalid cestodes, which, however, do not represent a monophyletic group. Some species, including Z. megacephalum, are among the earliest diverged parasites of Neotropical catfishes, being closely related to African and North American proteocephalids from catfishes, whereas others such as E. microcephalus belong to more recently diverged taxa with uncertain interrelations. Unlike most proteocephalids of the redtail catfish, which almost always infect the anterior parts of the host intestine, E. microcephalus and Z. megacephalum occur exclusively in its posterior third. A key to the identification of the proteocephalid species parasitizing P. hemioliopterus is also presented.
Two new species of the genus Macromotettix Günther, 1939 (Orthoptera: Tetrigidae, Metrodorinae) from China, with a key to the species of the genus
Authors: DENG WEI-AN , XIN LEI , WEI QIAO , CHEN YA-ZHEN
Published: January 2018

Taxonomy of a tetrigid genus Macromotettix Günther is reviewed. Two new species, Macromotettix undulatifemura Deng sp. nov. and Macromotettix sichuanensis Deng sp. nov. are described from China. An updated identification key to all known species of the genus are given.