bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comment on “Dissolved organic sulfur in the ocean: Biogeochemistry of a petagram inventory”
Authors: Dittmar Thorsten , Stubbins Aron , Ito Takamitsu , Jones Daniel C.
Published: May 2017

Ksionzek
et al
. (Reports, 28 October 2016, p. 456) provide important data describing the distribution of dissolved organic sulfur (DOS) in the Atlantic Ocean. Here, we show that mixing between water masses is sufficient to explain the observed distribution of DOS, concluding that the turnover time of refractory DOS that Ksionzek
et al
. present cannot be deduced from their data.
Turbines can use CO
2
to cut CO
2
Authors: Irwin Levi , Le Moullec Yann
Published: May 2017

Turbine efficiency can be boosted by replacing steam with CO
2
Chikungunya Virus Overcomes Polyamine Depletion by Mutation of nsP1 and the Opal Stop Codon To Confer Enhanced Replication and Fitness
Authors: Mounce Bryan C. , Cesaro Teresa , Vlajnić Lea , Vidiņa Anna , Vallet Thomas , Weger-Lucarelli James , Passoni Gabriella , Stapleford Kenneth A. , Levraud Jean-Pierre , Vignuzzi Marco
Published: May 2017

Polyamines, which are small positively charge molecules present in all cells, play important roles in the replication of DNA and RNA viruses. Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) relies on polyamines for translation of the viral genome upon viral entry, and pharmacological depletion of polyamines limits viral replication. However, the potential development of antiviral resistance necessitates a better understanding of how polyamines function and can be targeted via compounds that alter polyamine levels. We have isolated CHIKV that is resistant to polyamine depletion and contains two mutations in the nonstructural protein 1 (nsP1)-coding region in combination with a mutation to the opal stop codon preceding nsP4. These mutations, in addition to promoting viral replication in polyamine-depleted cells, confer enhanced viral replication
in vitro
and
in vivo
. The nsP1 mutations enhance membrane binding and methyltransferase activities, while the stop codon mutation allows increased downstream translation. These mutations, when combined, enhance viral fitness, but individual mutants are attenuated in mosquitoes. Together, our results suggest that CHIKV can evolve resistance to polyamine depletion and that pharmaceuticals targeting the polyamine biosynthetic pathway may be best used in combination with other established antivirals to mitigate the development of resistance.

IMPORTANCE
Chikungunya virus is a mosquito-borne virus that has infected millions worldwide. Its expansion into the Americas and rapid adaptation to new mosquito hosts present a serious threat to human health, which we can combat with the development of antiviral therapies as well as understanding how these viruses will mutate when exposed to antiviral therapies. Targeting polyamines, small positively charged molecules in the cell, may be a potential strategy against RNA viruses, including chikungunya virus. Here, we have described a virus that is resistant to polyamine depletion and has increased fitness in cells and in full organisms. Mutations in viral genome capping machinery, membrane binding activity, and a stop codon arise, and their altered activities enhance replication in the absence of polyamines. These results highlight strategies by which chikungunya virus can overcome polyamine depletion and emphasize continued research on developing improved antiviral therapies.
Ebola Virus Delta Peptide Is a Viroporin
Authors: He Jing , Melnik Lilia I. , Komin Alexander , Wiedman Gregory , Fuselier Taylor , Morris Cameron F. , Starr Charles G. , Searson Peter C. , Gallaher William R. , Hristova Kalina , Garry Robert F. , Wimley William C.
Published: May 2017

The Ebola virus (EBOV) genome encodes a partly conserved 40-residue nonstructural polypeptide, called the delta peptide, that is produced in abundance during Ebola virus disease (EVD). The function of the delta peptide is unknown, but sequence analysis has suggested that delta peptide could be a viroporin, belonging to a diverse family of membrane-permeabilizing small polypeptides involved in replication and pathogenesis of numerous viruses. Full-length and conserved C-terminal delta peptide fragments permeabilize the plasma membranes of nucleated cells of rodent, dog, monkey, and human origin; increase ion permeability across confluent cell monolayers; and permeabilize synthetic lipid bilayers. Permeabilization activity is completely dependent on the disulfide bond between the two conserved cysteines. The conserved C-terminal portion of the peptide is biochemically stable in human serum, and most serum-stable fragments have full activity. Taken together, the evidence strongly suggests that Ebola virus delta peptide is a viroporin and that it may be a novel, targetable aspect of Ebola virus disease pathology.

IMPORTANCE
During the unparalleled West African outbreak of Ebola virus disease (EVD) that began in late 2013, the lack of effective countermeasures resulted in chains of serial infection and a high mortality rate among infected patients. A better understanding of disease pathology is desperately needed to develop better countermeasures. We show here that the Ebola virus delta peptide, a conserved nonstructural protein produced in large quantities by infected cells, has the characteristics of a viroporin. This information suggests a critical role for the delta peptide in Ebola virus disease pathology and as a possible target for novel countermeasures.
Heparan Sulfate Proteoglycan Is an Important Attachment Factor for Cell Entry of Akabane and Schmallenberg Viruses
Authors: Murakami Shin , Takenaka-Uema Akiko , Kobayashi Tomoya , Kato Kentaro , Shimojima Masayuki , Palmarini Massimo , Horimoto Taisuke
Published: May 2017

Akabane virus
(AKAV) and Schmallenberg virus (SBV) are members of the genus
Orthobunyavirus
, which are transmitted by arthropod vectors with a broad cellular tropism
in vitro
as well as
in vivo
. Both AKAV and SBV cause arthrogryposis-hydranencephaly syndrome in ruminants. The main cellular receptor and attachment factor for entry of these orthobunyaviruses are unknown. Here, we found that AKAV and SBV infections were inhibited by the addition of heparin or enzymatic removal of cell surface heparan sulfates. To confirm this finding, we prepared heparan sulfate proteoglycan (HSPG)-knockout (KO) cells by using a clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)-Cas9 system and measured the quantities of binding of these viruses to cell surfaces. We observed a substantial reduction in AKAV and SBV binding to cells, limiting the infections by these viruses. These data demonstrate that HSPGs are important cellular attachment factors for AKAV and SBV, at least
in vitro
, to promote virus replication in susceptible cells.

IMPORTANCE
AKAV and SBV are the etiological agents of arthrogryposis-hydranencephaly syndrome in ruminants, which causes considerable economic losses in the livestock industry. Here, we identified heparan sulfate proteoglycan as a major cellular attachment factor for the entry of AKAV and SBV. Moreover, we found that heparin is a strong inhibitor of AKAV and SBV infections. Revealing the molecular mechanisms of virus-host interactions is critical in order to understand virus biology and develop novel live attenuated vaccines.
Anti-HIV-1 ADCC Antibodies following Latency Reversal and Treatment Interruption
Authors: Lee Wen Shi , Kristensen Anne B. , Rasmussen Thomas A. , Tolstrup Martin , Østergaard Lars , Søgaard Ole S. , Wines Bruce D. , Hogarth P. Mark , Reynaldi Arnold , Davenport Miles P. , Emery Sean , Amin Janaki , Cooper David A. , Kan Virginia L. , Fox Julie , Gruell Henning , Parsons Matthew S. , Kent Stephen J.
Published: May 2017

There is growing interest in utilizing antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) to eliminate infected cells following reactivation from HIV-1 latency. A potential barrier is that HIV-1-specific ADCC antibodies decline in patients on long-term antiretroviral therapy (ART) and may not be sufficient to eliminate reactivated latently infected cells. It is not known whether reactivation from latency with latency-reversing agents (LRAs) could provide sufficient antigenic stimulus to boost HIV-1-specific ADCC. We found that treatment with the LRA panobinostat or a short analytical treatment interruption (ATI), 21 to 59 days, was not sufficient to stimulate an increase in ADCC-competent antibodies, despite viral rebound in all subjects who underwent the short ATI. In contrast, a longer ATI, 2 to 12 months, among subjects enrolled in the Strategies for Management of Antiretroviral Therapy (SMART) trial robustly boosted HIV-1 gp120-specific Fc receptor-binding antibodies and ADCC against HIV-1-infected cells
in vitro
. These results show that there is a lag between viral recrudescence and the boosting of ADCC antibodies, which has implications for strategies toward eliminating latently infected cells.

IMPORTANCE
The “shock and kill” HIV-1 cure strategy aims to reactivate HIV-1 expression in latently infected cells and subsequently eliminate the reactivated cells through immune-mediated killing. Several latency reversing agents (LRAs) have been examined
in vivo
, but LRAs alone have not been able to achieve HIV-1 remission and prevent viral rebound following analytical treatment interruption (ATI). In this study, we examined whether LRA treatment or ATI can provide sufficient antigenic stimulus to boost HIV-1-specific functional antibodies that can eliminate HIV-1-infected cells. Our study has implications for the antigenic stimulus required for antilatency strategies and/or therapeutic vaccines to boost functional antibodies and assist in eliminating the latent reservoir.
Epigenetic Metabolite Acetate Inhibits Class I/II Histone Deacetylases, Promotes Histone Acetylation, and Increases HIV-1 Integration in CD4+T Cells
Authors: Bolduc Jean-François , Hany Laurent , Barat Corinne , Ouellet Michel , Tremblay Michel J.
Published: May 2017

In this study, we investigated the effect of acetate, the most concentrated short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) in the gut and bloodstream, on the susceptibility of primary human CD4+T cells to HIV-1 infection. We report that HIV-1 replication is increased in CD3/CD28-costimulated CD4+T cells upon acetate treatment. This enhancing effect correlates with increased expression of the early activation marker CD69 and impaired class I/II histone deacetylase (HDAC) activity. In addition, acetate enhances acetylation of histones H3 and H4 and augments HIV-1 integration into the genome of CD4+T cells. Thus, we propose that upon antigen presentation, acetate influences class I/II HDAC activity that transforms condensed chromatin into a more relaxed structure. This event leads to a higher level of viral integration and enhanced HIV-1 production. In line with previous studies showing reactivation of latent HIV-1 by SCFAs, we provide evidence that acetate can also increase the susceptibility of primary human CD4+T cells to productive HIV-1 infection.

IMPORTANCEAlterations in the fecal microbiota and intestinal epithelial damage involved in the gastrointestinal disorder associated with HIV-1 infection result in microbial translocation that leads to disease progression and virus-related comorbidities. Indeed, notably via production of short-chain fatty acids, bacteria migrating from the lumen to the intestinal mucosa could influence HIV-1 replication by epigenetic regulatory mechanisms, such as histone acetylation. We demonstrate that acetate enhances virus production in primary human CD4+T cells. Moreover, we report that acetate impairs class I/II histone deacetylase activity and increases integration of HIV-1 DNA into the host genome. Therefore, it can be postulated that bacterial metabolites such as acetate modulate HIV-1-mediated disease progression.
Persistent fetal lobulation of kidney mimicking renal tumour
Authors: Nazim Syed Muhammad , Bangash Muhibullah , Salam Basit
Published: May 2017

Renal pseudotumour is a term coined to describe conditions of renal anatomic variants that simulate focal renal pathology like a tumour on ultrasonography. These include persistent fetal lobulation, hypertrophy of Bertin columns and dromedary humps. We report a case of a 30-year-old nulliparous woman who was managed in gynaecology clinic for menorrhagia and was subsequently referred to us for management of recurrent urinary tract infections. The clinical examination was normal and on ultrasound scan, she was found to have multiple enlarged heterogeneous solid masses in both kidneys with significantly increased vascularity, suspicious for neoplastic lesions. She subsequently underwent a CT urogram and her case was discussed in uro-radiology meeting where a diagnosis of persistent fetal lobulation was made excluding other diagnoses. She was managed conservatively. We also present grey scale and Doppler ultrasound and CT urogram findings of this condition along with the literature review.
Collision strength and effective collision strength for Br XXVII
Authors: Goyal Arun , Sharma Rinku , Khatri Indu , Singh A.K. , Singh Shougaijm Somorendro , Mohan Man
Published: May 2017

Collision strengths for all 1326 transitions among lowest 52 fine-structure levels of Br XXVII have been computed using Dirac atomic R-matrix code (DARC). Resonances in the threshold region have been completely resolved and the contributions of these resonances to allowed and forbidden transitions have been presented. The partial collision strength for each angular momentum has been studied graphically. Effective collision strengths have also been determined within the temperature range for all 1326 transitions among the lowest 52 levels. Target state energies of the lowest 52 fine-structure levels have been computed from the multi-configuration Dirac–Fock method (MCDF). Additionally, similar calculations with the relativistic distorted wave method and flexible atomic code (FAC) have also been performed to check the accuracy of our results. The present work represents a new and significant work with improvement in the field. We believe that our presented data of collision and effective collision strengths may be useful in the future for benchmark calculations and for plasma diagnostics.
EFFICIENT PIECEWISE TREES FOR THE GENERALIZED SKEW VASICEK MODEL WITH DISCONTINUOUS DRIFT
Authors: ZHUO XIAOYANG , MENOUKEU-PAMEN OLIVIER
Published: May 2017

In this paper, we explore two new tree lattice methods, the piecewise binomial tree and the piecewise trinomial tree for both the bond prices and European/American bond option prices assuming that the short rate is given by a generalized skew Vasicek model with discontinuous drift coefficient. These methods build nonuniform jump size piecewise binomial/trinomial tree based on a tractable piecewise process, which is derived from the original process according to a transform. Numerical experiments of bonds and European/American bond options show that our approaches are efficient as well as reveal several price features of our model.
Explicit Determination of Pinned–Pinned Beams with a Finite Number of Given Buckling Loads
Authors: Morassi Antonino , Pressacco Martina , Vrech Anastasia
Published: May 2017

We present an analytical procedure for the exact, explicit construction of Euler–Bernoulli beams with given values of the first [Formula: see text] buckling loads. The result is valid for pinned–pinned (P–P) end conditions and for beams with regular bending stiffness. The analysis is based on a reduction of the buckling problem to an eigenvalue problem for a vibrating string, and uses recent results on the exact construction of Sturm–Liouville operators with prescribed natural frequencies.
Power Spectral Density Function for Individual Jumping Load
Authors: Xiong Jiecheng , Chen Jun
Published: May 2017

Modern slender structures such as long-span floors and cantilever stands are sensitive to jumping-induced vibrations. A conventional deterministic Fourier series model for the human jumping load may overestimate a structure's responses in resonance condition. This paper suggests a power spectral density (PSD) function for the individual jumping load, which was treated as a narrowband stationary stochastic process. Experiments were conducted on individual jumping loads resulting in 334 records from 73 subjects. Statistical analysis of the records led to experimental PSD curves on which a symmetrical bilinear function was suggested. The proposed PSD function is centered on the given jumping frequency and its integer multiples. The function's parameters were determined by equating the total energy of the proposed PSD with that of the experimental PSD. Application of the proposed PSD for predicting a floor's peak response via the stochastic vibration theory was then presented. The predictions for an experimental floor model subjected to individual jumping were compared with the measured peak responses. The comparisons demonstrated that the proposed PSD function was applicable for predicting the floor's response to individual jumping. Finally, the framework for calculating crowd-induced structure vibrations using the suggested PSD was also discussed.
A note on (co)homologies of algebras from unpunctured surfaces
Authors: Valdivieso-Díaz Yadira
Published: May 2017

In a previous paper, the author computed the dimension of Hochschild cohomology groups of Jacobian algebras from (unpunctured) triangulated surfaces, and gave a geometric interpretation of those numbers in terms of the number of internal triangles, the number of vertices and the existence of certain kind of boundaries. The aim of this note is to compute the cyclic (co)homology and the Hochschild homology of the same family of algebras and to give an interpretation of those dimensions through elements of the triangulated surface.
Bridgeland’s Hall algebras and Heisenberg doubles
Authors: Zhang Haicheng
Published: May 2017

Let [Formula: see text] be a finite-dimensional hereditary algebra over a finite field, and let [Formula: see text] be a fixed integer such that [Formula: see text] or [Formula: see text]. In the present paper, we first define an algebra [Formula: see text] associated to [Formula: see text], called the [Formula: see text]-periodic lattice algebra of [Formula: see text], and then prove that it is isomorphic to Bridgeland’s Hall algebra [Formula: see text] of [Formula: see text]-cyclic complexes over projective [Formula: see text]-modules. Moreover, we show that there is an embedding of the Heisenberg double Hall algebra of [Formula: see text] into [Formula: see text].
Local dimension theory of tensor products of algebras over a ring
Authors: Bouchiba Samir
Published: May 2017

Our main goal in this paper is to set the general frame for studying the dimension theory of tensor products of algebras over an arbitrary ring [Formula: see text]. Actually, we translate the theory initiated by Grothendieck and Sharp and subsequently developed by Wadsworth on Krull dimension of tensor products of algebras over a field [Formula: see text] into the general setting of algebras over an arbitrary ring [Formula: see text]. For this sake, we introduce and study the notion of a fibered AF-ring over a ring [Formula: see text]. This concept extends naturally the notion of AF-ring over a field introduced by Wadsworth in [The Krull dimension of tensor products of commutative algebras over a field, J. London Math. Soc. 19 (1979) 391–401.] to algebras over arbitrary rings. We prove that Wadsworth theorems express local properties related to the fiber rings of tensor products of algebras over a ring. Also, given a triplet of rings [Formula: see text] consisting of two [Formula: see text]-algebras [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] such that [Formula: see text], we introduce the inherent notion to [Formula: see text] of a [Formula: see text]-fibered AF-ring which allows to compute the Krull dimension of all fiber rings of the considered tensor product [Formula: see text]. As an application, we provide a formula for the Krull dimension of [Formula: see text] when either [Formula: see text] or [Formula: see text] is zero-dimensional as well as for the Krull dimension of [Formula: see text] when [Formula: see text] is a fibered AF-ring over the ring of integers [Formula: see text] with nonzero characteristic and [Formula: see text] is an arbitrary ring. This enables us to answer a question of Jorge Martinez on evaluating the Krull dimension of [Formula: see text] when [Formula: see text] is a Boolean ring. Actually, we prove that if [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] are rings such that [Formula: see text] is not trivial and [Formula: see text] is a Boolean ring, then dim[Formula: see text].
Theoretical Analysis of the Concept of a Sustainable City
Authors: WANG Mou , LIU Junyan
Published: May 2017

This paper systematically presents the information about a sustainable city and the process of putting forward, developing and evolving the concept, and it provides an analysis of some current main views in the studies of sustainable cities. In this paper, it is argued that the construction of a sustainable city should not be carried out simply by bringing the concept of sustainable development down to the city level; sustainable development should be more materialized, scenario focused, and localized at the city level, and it should be internalized into the various dimensions of the construction of a city at the special temporal and spatial scales of a city. Based on literature reviews, this paper holds that there are three drawbacks in the current understanding of a sustainable city, mainly including: First, emphasis is placed on the internal equilibrium of a city, but no attention is paid to the negative environmental externalities of other cities or areas and the compensation for them; second, the ultimate goal of sustainable development — achieving equilibrium — is excessively stressed, while the embodiment of the stages of development and regional differences in the goal of sustainable development is overlooked; third, the form of the city is a key indicator for building a sustainable city, but this indicator is basically unavailable in the current definitions of sustainable cities. The definition and theory of a sustainable city should fully reflect the temporal and spatial nodes of differentiation in a sustainable city and the dynamic relationship of equilibrium between the systems of a city and the surrounding areas; its definition and theory should also realistically address the urban needs and the practice of the sustainable development of a city. Based on a comprehensive analysis, this paper stresses that a sustainable city is a city in which the form of the city is scientifically designed in line with a certain social and economic development level, and environmental conditions in order to optimize the internal and external functions, improve the system of urban governance, achieve a dynamic equilibrium among economic development, environmental safety, resource utilization and social equity, continuously enhance its capability for coping with risks, make it more livable, and provide positive externalities in perspectives of economy, environment and social governance for other cities.
Methods and Application of Evaluating the Economic Value of the Ecological Environment
Authors: SHI Dan , WANG Junjie
Published: May 2017

The evaluation of the economic value of the ecological environment can provide a vigorous support for protecting the ecological environment. The authors introduce several methods for the evaluation of economic value that are commonly used in the international community and their relevant applications; these include two methods for the evaluation of market value — the averting behavior/preventive expenditure method and the replacement cost/restoration cost method — as well as four methods for the evaluation of non-market value — the contingent valuation method, the choice experiment method, the hedonic price method and the travel cost method; moreover, they also introduce the application of the usually overlooked differential land rent theory in this field. Though these methods are widely applied, many matters need to be noted. At present, domestic research on evaluating the economic value of urban and suburban ecological environments remains extremely scarce. Regarding the preparation of the natural resource balance sheet that China is attempting to compile, only the overall economic value of the ecological environment across the country or in a specific large region is meaningful. The application of the methods for the evaluation of economic value in analyzing these issues can bring about many valuable research achievements. A combination of the mainstream foreign value evaluation methods with the Marxist differential land rent theory is conducive to evaluating the overall economic value of the ecological environment.
In situ
stress distribution and mechanical stratigraphy in the Bowen and Surat basins, Queensland, Australia
Authors: Tavener Emma , Flottmann Thomas , Brooke-Barnett Sam
Published: May 2017

We present regional
in situ
stress analyses based on publicly available log and pressure data from coal seam gas developments in the Permian Bowen basin, Australia. Together with earlier data from the eastern part of the Jurassic Surat basin, our results show a broad, but systematic, rotation of
S
Hmax
azimuths in this part of eastern Australia as well as systematic changes in stress state with depth. Overall, the geomechanical state of the region appears to reflect the interplay between basin-controlling structures and a complex far-field stress regime. At the reservoir level, within and between Permian coal seams, this stress complexity is reflected in highly variable stress states both vertically and laterally. Stress data, including direct pressure measurements and observations of borehole failure in image logs, have been used to calibrate sonic-derived one-dimensional wellbore stress models that consistently exhibit a change in tectonic stress regime with depth. Shallow depths (<600 m) are characterized by a reverse-thrust stress regime and deeper levels are characterized by a strike-slip regime. Changes in the stress state with depth influence the mechanical stratigraphy of rocks with widely contrasting mechanical attributes (coals and clastic sediments). Our results highlight the interdependency between regional tectonic, local structural and detailed rheological influences on the well scale geomechanical conditions that have to be taken into consideration in drilling and completion designs.

Supplementary material:
Database of additional wells with image log data are available at
https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.3785849
Drilling project at Gamburtsev Subglacial Mountains, East Antarctica: recent progress and plans for the future
Authors: Talalay Pavel , Sun Youhong , Zhao Yue , Li Yuansheng , Cao Pinlu , Markov Alexey , Xu Huiwen , Wang Rusheng , Zhang Nan , Fan Xiaopeng , Yang Yang , Sysoev Mikhail , Liu Yongwen , Liu Yunchen
Published: May 2017

The Gamburtsev Subglacial Mountains (GSM), located in the central part of East Antarctica, have become the subject of great scientific interest because the mechanism driving the uplift of the range, which resembles younger mountain ranges in shape, in the middle of the old Antarctic Plate is unknown. The next step planned in the exploration of the GSM will be focused on direct examination of the ice sheet bed by drilling. The use of cable-suspended drilling technology is proposed. All of the drilling equipment will be installed inside a movable, sledge-mounted, temperature-controlled, and wind-protected drilling shelter and workshop connected by steel pathway. To drill through ice and bedrock, a new version of the cable-suspended ice and bedrock electromechanical drill was designed and tested. During the 2017–18 season, the drilling shelter and workshop will be assembled near the Zhongshan Station and first field tests will be carried out. Drilling for bedrock on the GSM is planned as soon as full financial and logistical support is obtained for the project.
Accelerated Soft-Error-Rate (SER) Estimation for Combinational and Sequential Circuits
Authors: Li Ji , Draper Jeffrey
Published: May 2017

Radiation-induced soft errors have posed an increasing reliability challenge to combinational and sequential circuits in advanced CMOS technologies. Therefore, it is imperative to devise fast, accurate and scalable soft error rate (SER) estimation methods as part of cost-effective robust circuit design. This paper presents an efficient SER estimation framework for combinational and sequential circuits, which considers single-event transients (SETs) in combinational logic and multiple cell upsets (MCUs) in sequential elements. A novel top-down memoization algorithm is proposed to accelerate the propagation of SETs, and a general schematic and layout co-simulation approach is proposed to model the MCUs for redundant sequential storage structures. The feedback in sequential logic is analyzed with an efficient time frame expansion method. Experimental results on various ISCAS85 combinational benchmark circuits demonstrate that the proposed approach achieves up to 560.2X times speedup with less than 3% difference in terms of SER results compared with the baseline algorithm. The average runtime of the proposed framework on a variety of ISCAS89 benchmark circuits is 7.20s, and the runtime is 119.23s for the largest benchmark circuit with more than 3,000 flip-flops and 17,000 gates.
Autonomous Mobile Sensor Placement in Complex Environments
Authors: Bartolini Novella , Calamoneri Tiziana , Ciavarella Stefano , Porta Thomas La , Silvestri Simone
Published: May 2017

In this article, we address the problem of autonomously deploying mobile sensors in an unknown complex environment. In such a scenario, mobile sensors may encounter obstacles or environmental sources of noise, so that movement and sensing capabilities can be significantly altered and become anisotropic. Any reduction of device capabilities cannot be known prior to their actual deployment, nor can it be predicted. We propose a new algorithm for autonomous sensor movements and positioning, called DOMINO (DeplOyment of MobIle Networks with Obstacles). Unlike traditional approaches, DOMINO explicitly addresses these issues by realizing a grid-based deployment throughout the Area of Interest (AoI) and subsequently refining it to cover the target area more precisely in the regions where devices experience reduced sensing. We demonstrate the capability of DOMINO to entirely cover the AoI in a finite time. We also give bounds on the number of sensors necessary to cover an AoI with asperities. Simulations show that DOMINO provides a fast deployment with precise movements and no oscillations, with moderate energy consumption. Furthermore, DOMINO provides better performance than previous solutions in all the operative settings.
AI buzzwords explained
Authors: Garijo Daniel
Published: May 2017

The reproducibility of scientific experiments is crucial for corroborating, consolidating and reusing new scientific discoveries. However, the constant pressure for publishing results (Fanelli, 2010) has removed reproducibility from the agenda of many researchers: in a recent survey published in Nature (with more than 1500 scientists) over 70% of the participants recognize to have failed to reproduce the work from another colleague at some point in time (Baker, 2016). Analyses from psychology and cancer biology show reproducibility rates below 40% and 10% respectively (Collaboration, 2015) (Begley & Lee, 2012). As a consequence, retractions of publications have occurred in the last years in several disciplines (Marcus & Oransky, 2014) (Rockoff, 2015), and the general public is now skeptical about scientific studies on topics like pesticides, depression drugs or flu pandemics (American, 2010).
Learning peripersonal space representation in a humanoid robot with artificial skin
Authors: Roncone Alessandro
Published: May 2017

The peripersonal space (PPS) is a model of the nearby space that is of special relevance for the life of any complex animal. It is defined as the space surrounding our bodies, and is best described as a multisensory and sensorimotor interface with a fundamental role in the sensory guidance of actions. Owing to it is the ability to perform timely and appropriate actions toward objects located in the nearby space, which is critical for the survival of every animal. Depending on context, these actions may constitute an approaching or an avoidance behavior. In the case of defensive behavior, this creates a "margin of safety" around the body, such as the flight zone of grazing animals or the multimodal attentional space that surrounds the skin in humans (Graziano & Cooke, 2006). Peripersonal space thus deserves special attention and probably justifies the specific neural circuitry devoted to its representation. The brain has to dynamically integrate information coming from several modalities being these motoric, visual, auditory or somatosensory (Graziano & Cooke, 2006; Holmes & Spence, 2004). In animals and humans, PPS representations are gradually formed through physical interaction with the environment and in a complex interplay of body growth and neural maturation processes.
Self-touch
(also called double-touch) is presu mably one of the behaviors that impact the formation of multimodal body representations (Rochat, 1998). They occur across different motor and sensory modalities, with the motor/proprioceptive and tactile starting already in prenatal stage. Vision is presumably incorporated later, during the first months after birth hand in hand with the maturation of the visual system. Perhaps even later, contingencies will encompass external objects.
Integrating Reinforcement Learning with Multi-Agent Techniques for Adaptive Service Composition
Authors: Wang Hongbign , Chen Xin , Wu Qin , Yu Qi , Hu Xingguo , Zheng Zibin , Bouguettaya Athman
Published: May 2017

Service-oriented architecture is a widely used software engineering paradigm to cope with complexity and dynamics in enterprise applications. Service composition, which provides a cost-effective way to implement software systems, has attracted significant attention from both industry and research communities. As online services may keep evolving over time and thus lead to a highly dynamic environment, service composition must be self-adaptive to tackle uninformed behavior during the evolution of services. In addition, service composition should also maintain high efficiency for large-scale services, which are common for enterprise applications. This article presents a new model for large-scale adaptive service composition based on multi-agent reinforcement learning. The model integrates reinforcement learning and game theory, where the former is to achieve adaptation in a highly dynamic environment and the latter is to enable agents to work for a common task (i.e., composition). In particular, we propose a multi-agent Q-learning algorithm for service composition, which is expected to achieve better performance when compared with the single-agent Q-learning method and multi-agent SARSA (State-Action-Reward-State-Action) method. Our experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of our approach.
A Survey on Reliability Protocols in Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Kafi Mohamed Amine , Othman Jalel Ben , Badache Nadjib
Published: May 2017

Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) applications have become more and more attractive with the miniaturization of circuits and the large variety of sensors. The different application domains, especially critical fields of WSN use, make the reliability of data acquisition and communication a hot research field that must be tackled efficiently. Indeed, the quality of largely used, cheap-cost wireless sensors and their scarce energy supply support these reliability challenges that lead to data loss or corruption. For solving this problem, the conception of a reliability mechanism that detects these shortcomings and recovers to them becomes necessary. In this article, we present a survey on existing reliability protocols conceived especially for WSNs due to their special features. The deep classification and discussion in this study allow for understanding the pros and cons of state-of-the-art works in order to enhance the existing schemes and fill the gaps. We have classified the works according to the required level of reliability, the manner to identify the origins of the lack of reliability, and the control to recover this lack of reliability. Across the discussion along this study, we deduce that the cross-layer design between MAC, routing, and transport layers presents a good concept to efficiently overcome the different reliability holes.
ImageNet classification with deep convolutional neural networks
Authors: Krizhevsky Alex , Sutskever Ilya , Hinton Geoffrey E.
Published: May 2017

We trained a large, deep convolutional neural network to classify the 1.2 million high-resolution images in the ImageNet LSVRC-2010 contest into the 1000 different classes. On the test data, we achieved top-1 and top-5 error rates of 37.5% and 17.0%, respectively, which is considerably better than the previous state-of-the-art. The neural network, which has 60 million parameters and 650,000 neurons, consists of five convolutional layers, some of which are followed by max-pooling layers, and three fully connected layers with a final 1000-way softmax. To make training faster, we used non-saturating neurons and a very efficient GPU implementation of the convolution operation. To reduce overfitting in the fully connected layers we employed a recently developed regularization method called "dropout" that proved to be very effective. We also entered a variant of this model in the ILSVRC-2012 competition and achieved a winning top-5 test error rate of 15.3%, compared to 26.2% achieved by the second-best entry.
Unexpected power of low-depth arithmetic circuits
Authors: Gupta Ankit , Kamath Pritish , Kayal Neeraj , Saptharishi Ramprasad
Published: May 2017

Complexity theory aims at understanding the "hardness" of certain tasks with respect to the number of "basic operations" required to perform it. In the case of arithmetic circuit complexity, the goal is to understand how hard it is to compute a formal polynomial in terms of the number of additions and multiplications required. Several earlier results have shown that it is possible to rearrange basic computational elements in surprising ways to give more efficient algorithms. The main result of this article is along a similar vein.

We present a simulation of any formal polynomial computed by an arithmetic circuit by a
shallow
circuit of not-much larger size. Roughly, depth corresponds to the time required in a massively parallel computation. This result shows that efficient computations can be speedup to run in depth three, while requiring surprisingly low size.

In addition to the possible usefulness of the shallow simulations, this theorem has implications in computational complexity lower bounds, since this implies that any small improvement in current lower bound approaches would lead to dramatic advances in lower bounds research.
Potential and peril
Authors: Underwood Sarah
Published: May 2017

The outlook for artificial intelligence-based autonomous weapons.
Conversations with technology leaders
Authors: Matsudaira Kate , Meijer Erik
Published: May 2017

Great engineers are able to maximize their mental power.
This is for everyone
Authors: Hoffmann Leah
Published: May 2017

Sir Tim Berners-Lee on the formative years of the world wide web, and the challenges it now faces.
Trustworthiness and truthfulness are essential
Authors: Neumann Peter G.
Published: May 2017

Their absence can introduce huge risks...
Long-term nicotine exposure dampens LPS-induced nerve-mediated airway hyperreactivity in murine airways
Authors: Xu Yuan , Cardell Lars-Olaf
Published: May 2017

Nicotine is a major component of cigarette smoke. It causes addiction and is used clinically to aid smoke cessation. The aim of the present study is to investigate the effect of nicotine on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced airway hyperreactivity (AHR) and to explore the potential involvement of neuronal mechanisms behind nicotine’s effects in murine models in vivo and in vitro. BALB/c mice were exposed to nicotine in vivo via subcutaneous Alzet osmotic minipumps containing nicotine tartate salt solution (24 mg·kg−1·day−1) for 28 days. LPS (0.1 mg/ml, 20 µl) was administered intranasally for 3 consecutive days during the end of this period. Lung functions were measured with flexiVent. For the in vitro experiments, mice tracheae were organcultured with either nicotine (10 μM) or vehicle (DMSO, 0.1%) for 4 days. Contractile responses of the tracheal segments were measured in myographs following electric field stimulation (EFS; increasing frequencies of 0.2 to 12.8 Hz) before and after incubation with 10 µg/ml LPS for 1 h. Results showed that LPS induced AHR to methacholine in vivo and increased contractile responses to EFS in vitro. Interestingly, long-term nicotine exposure markedly dampened this LPS-induced AHR both in vitro and in vivo. Tetrodotoxin (TTX) inhibited LPS-induced AHR but did not further inhibit nicotine-suppressed AHR in vivo. In conclusion, long-term nicotine exposure dampened LPS-induced AHR. The effect of nicotine was mimicked by TTX, suggesting the involvement of neuronal mechanisms. This information might be used for evaluating the long-term effects of nicotine and further exploring of how tobacco products interact with bacterial airway infections.
Altered expression and modulation of the two-pore-domain (K2P) mechanogated potassium channel TREK-1 in overactive human detrusor
Authors: Pineda Ricardo H. , Nedumaran Balachandar , Hypolite Joseph , Pan Xiao-Qing , Wilson Shandra , Meacham Randall B. , Malykhina Anna P.
Published: May 2017

Detrusor overactivity (DO) is the abnormal response of the urinary bladder to physiological stretch during the filling phase of the micturition cycle. The mechanisms of bladder smooth muscle compliance upon the wall stretch are poorly understood. We previously reported that the function of normal detrusor is regulated by TREK-1, a member of the mechanogated subfamily of two-pore-domain potassium (K2P) channels. In the present study, we aimed to identify the changes in expression and function of TREK-1 channels under pathological conditions associated with DO, evaluate the potential relationship between TREK-1 channels and cytoskeletal proteins in the human bladder, and test the possibility of modulation of TREK-1 channel expression by small RNAs. Expression of TREK-1 channels in DO specimens was 2.7-fold decreased compared with control bladders and was associated with a significant reduction of the recorded TREK-1 currents. Isolated DO muscle strips failed to relax when exposed to a TREK-1 channel opener. Immunocytochemical labeling revealed close association of TREK-1 channels with cell cytoskeletal proteins and caveolins, with caveolae microdomains being severely disrupted in DO specimens. Small activating RNA (saRNA) tested in vitro provided evidence that expression of TREK-1 protein could be partially upregulated. Our data confirmed a significant downregulation of TREK-1 expression in human DO specimens and provided evidence of close association between the channel, cell cytoskeleton, and caveolins. Upregulation of TREK-1 expression by saRNA could be a future step for the development of in vivo pharmacological and genetic approaches to treat DO in humans.
The Effect of Graphene on the Protective Properties of Water-Based Epoxy Coatings on Al2024-T3
Authors: Monetta T. , Acquesta A. , Carangelo A. , Bellucci F.
Published: May 2017

0.5 and 1% wt. of graphene nanoflakes were added to an anticorrosive additives-free water-based epoxy resin applied to Al2024-T3 samples. Calorimetric (DSC) and adhesion (cross-cut test) tests indicated that the presence of graphene did not affect the polymerization process of the resin or its adhesion to the substrate while it had some effect on its wettability. Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) results obtained suggested that the addition of a small amount of graphene greatly enhanced the protective properties of the epoxy coating, retarding electrolytes absorption and reducing the total amount of adsorbed water. The latter occurrence suggests that the graphene effect on coating performances is related to both extended diffusion pathway length and graphene/matrix interaction due to the unique properties of graphene.
A Rare Case of Paraneoplastic Aortitis Associated with Chronic Myelomonocytic Leukemia
Authors: Sasinowska Sylwia , Traisak Pamela , McCormack Michael , Eid Hala
Published: May 2017

Aortitis is a broad term describing inflammation of the aorta. The most common causes of aortitis are the large-vessel vasculitides giant cell arteritis and Takayasu arteritis. Other etiologies include aortitis associated with other autoimmune disorders, infectious causes, and paraneoplastic and idiopathic cases. We describe a rare case of a large-vessel arteritis occurring in association with chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML). A 68-year-old female with recent diagnosis of CMML presented to our office for evaluation of abnormal chest computed tomography (CT) that showed inflammation surrounding the entirety of thoracic and abdominal aorta, consistent with aortitis. In the absence of other evident causes of large-vessel vasculitis, we attributed this finding to a paraneoplastic autoimmune phenomenon and started treatment with systemic glucocorticoids. This rare case emphasizes the need to recognize autoimmune complications in CMML and treat the inflammation along with the primary malignancy promptly.
Cell Growth Inhibition Effect of DsiRNA Vectorised by Pectin-Coated Chitosan-Graphene Oxide Nanocomposites as Potential Therapy for Colon Cancer
Authors: Katas Haliza , Mohd Amin Mohd Cairul Iqbal , Moideen Nursyafiqah , Ng Li Ying , Megat Baharudin Puteri Annisa Adhwa
Published: May 2017

Colonic-targeted drug delivery system is widely explored to combat colon-related diseases such as colon cancer. Dicer-substrate small interfering RNA (DsiRNA) has been explored for cancer therapy due to its potency in targeting specific gene of interest. However, its application is limited by rapid degradation and poor cellular uptake. To address this, chitosan-graphene oxide (CS-GO) nanocomposite was used to deliver DsiRNA effectively into cells. Additionally, pectin was used as compatibilization agent to allow specific delivery to the colon and protect the nanocomposites from the harsh environment in the stomach and small intestine. CS-GO-DsiRNA nanocomposites were prepared by electrostatic interaction between CS and GO prior to coating with pectin. The mean particle size of CS-GO-DsiRNA-pectin nanocomposites was 554.5±124.6 nm with PDI and zeta potential of 0.47±0.19 and −10.7±3.0 mV, respectively. TEM analysis revealed smooth and spherical shape of CS-GO-DsiRNA nanocomposites and the shape became irregular after pectin coating. FTIR analysis further confirmed the successful formation of CS-GO-DsiRNA-pectin nanocomposites. Furthermore, the nanocomposites were able to entrap high amount of DsiRNA (% entrapment efficiency of 92.6±3.9%) with strong binding efficiency. CS-GO-DsiRNA-pectin nanocomposites also selectively inhibited cell growth of colon cancer cell line (Caco-2 cells) and were able to decrease VEGF level significantly. In a nutshell, pectin-coated DsiRNA-loaded CS-GO nanocomposites were successfully developed and they have a great potential to deliver DsiRNA to the colon effectively.