bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
No jab, no record: Catch‐up vaccination of children in immigration detention
Authors: Kiang Karen M , Elia Sonja , Paxton Georgia A
Published: January 2018

International Health and Medical Services (IHMS) are contracted to provide health services, including catch‐up vaccination, for individuals in immigration detention. Our audit of catch‐up vaccination in asylum seeker children who spent time in held detention demonstrates inadequate and suboptimal vaccine delivery in this setting, and no evidence that IHMS recorded vaccines on the Australian Childhood Immunisation Register at the time. We also found substantial shortfalls in vaccination for these children after they were released from detention. Immunisation in this cohort falls well below Australian community standards, does not demonstrate assurance in IHMS provision of care, and has implications for similar asylum seeker cohorts nationally as well as people in held detention.
Europeanization or National Specificity? Legal Approaches to Sexual Harassment in France, 2002–2012
Authors: Saguy Abigail C.
Published: January 2018

This paper examines whether—and if so how—a 2002 European Directive on sexual harassment has changed the practice and content of sexual harassment law in France. It finds that the European Directive shaped how French courts address sexual harassment and informed the content of a new sexual harassment law France passed in 2012. Yet, its influence has been mediated by dominant national attitudes about: (1) the nature of sexual harassment, (2) which legal institutions are best suited to address it, and (3) the character of women who claim to have been harassed. This paper further suggests that news reporting on a 2011 arrest of a French politician for sexual assault led to more positive attitudes about sexual harassment victims.
From Global Expressivism to Global Pragmatism
Authors: Capps John
Published: January 2018

In the twentieth century, questions of meaning and representation played a central role in the development of pragmatism and analytic philosophy. Present‐day neopragmatism, such as Huw Price's “global expressivism,” is often framed in terms of a nonrepresentationalist theory of meaning. While some neopragmatists, such as Robert Brandom, advocate a more local approach, this article argues for taking Price's global expressivism to its next logical step: global pragmatism. Global pragmatism prioritizes the behavior‐guiding function of language and redefines representation in operational terms. This operational approach (“o‐representation”) stresses the action and conduct‐guiding role of language use, highlights the connection between meaning and action, and addresses issues facing Price's global expressivism.
World‐Pictures and Wittgensteinian Certainty
Authors: Ohtani Hiroshi
Published: January 2018

Although certainty is a fundamental notion in epistemology, it is less studied in contemporary analytic epistemology than other important notions such as knowledge or justification. This paper focuses on Wittgensteinian certainty, according to which the very basic dimension of our epistemic practices, the elements of our world‐pictures, are objectively certain, in that we cannot legitimately doubt them. The aim of the paper is to offer the best philosophical way to clarify Wittgensteinian certainty, in a way that is consonant with Wittgenstein's fundamental insights. The paper critiques two alternative proposals for clarifying Wittgensteinian certainty that are philosophically unsatisfying: the rule view and the proposition view. Finally, it instead shows how viewing world‐pictures as pictures, in the sense of unclear conceptions, is a more philosophically fruitful approach to understanding world‐pictures.
Modeling Poliovirus Transmission in Pakistan and Afghanistan to Inform Vaccination Strategies in Undervaccinated Subpopulations
Authors: Duintjer Tebbens Radboud J. , Pallansch Mark A. , Cochi Stephen L. , Ehrhardt Derek T. , Farag Noha H. , Hadler Stephen C. , Hampton Lee M. , Martinez Maureen , Wassilak Steve G.F. , Thompson Kimberly M.
Published: January 2018

Due to security, access, and programmatic challenges in areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan, both countries continue to sustain indigenous wild poliovirus (WPV) transmission and threaten the success of global polio eradication and oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV) cessation. We fitted an existing differential‐equation‐based poliovirus transmission and OPV evolution model to Pakistan and Afghanistan using four subpopulations to characterize the well‐vaccinated and undervaccinated subpopulations in each country. We explored retrospective and prospective scenarios for using inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV) in routine immunization or supplemental immunization activities (SIAs). The undervaccinated subpopulations sustain the circulation of serotype 1 WPV and serotype 2 circulating vaccine‐derived poliovirus. We find a moderate impact of past IPV use on polio incidence and population immunity to transmission mainly due to (1) the boosting effect of IPV for individuals with preexisting immunity from a live poliovirus infection and (2) the effect of IPV‐only on oropharyngeal transmission for individuals without preexisting immunity from a live poliovirus infection. Future IPV use may similarly yield moderate benefits, particularly if access to undervaccinated subpopulations dramatically improves. However, OPV provides a much greater impact on transmission and the incremental benefit of IPV in addition to OPV remains limited. This study suggests that despite the moderate effect of using IPV in SIAs, using OPV in SIAs remains the most effective means to stop transmission, while limited IPV resources should prioritize IPV use in routine immunization.
Convex ordered Gamma-semihypergroups associated to strongly regular relations
Authors: Omidi Saber , Davvaz Bijan
Published: January 2018

In this study, we introduce and investigate the notion of convex ordered Gamma-semihypergroups associated to strongly regular relations. Afterwards, we prove that if sigma is a strongly regular relation on a convex ordered Gamma-semihypergroup, then the quotient set is an ordered Gamma-sigma-semigroup. Also, some results on the product of convex ordered Gamma-semihypergroups are given. As an application of the results of this paper, the corresponding results of ordered semihypergroups are also obtained by moderate modifications.
A new larval species of the genus Collemboerythraeus (Acariformes: Erythraeidae) ectoparasitic on Collembola from Iran
Authors: Noei Javad , Saboori Alireza , Sedghi Ali , Hakimitabar Masoud
Published: January 2018

Collemboerythraeus izadpanahi sp. nov. (Acariformes: Erythraeidae) is described and illustrated from larvae ectoparasitic on unidentified springtails (unfortunately hosts got lost and therefore could not be identified) (Hexapoda: Collembola: Sminthuridae), from Simkan region, Jahrom city, Fars province, Iran. The generic diagnosis of the genus Collemboerythraeus and key to world genera of larval Erythraeinae are amended.
Features of acoustic wave propagation in the Me/ZnO/Me/diamond waveguide structure
Authors: Burkov Sergey I. , Zolotova Olga P. , Sorokin Boris P. , Turchin Pavel P. , Talismanov Vladimir S.
Published: January 2018

The effect of mass loading on the phase velocities of the surface acoustic wave dispersion modes in the Me/ZnO/Me/diamond piezoelectric layered structure as a function of frequency, metallic, and piezoelectric layer thickness has been investigated. Aluminum, molybdenum, and platinum were considered as the metallic layer materials. It has been demonstrated that the change in the phase velocities substantially depends on the acoustic impedance of the metal layer and its thickness. Results obtained can be useful in the development of controlled acoustoelectronic devices and sensors operating on the Rayleigh and Love waves.
A miRNA181a/NFAT5 axis links impaired T cell tolerance induction with autoimmune type 1 diabetes
Authors: Serr Isabelle , Scherm Martin G. , Zahm Adam M. , Schug Jonathan , Flynn Victoria K. , Hippich Markus , Kälin Stefanie , Becker Maike , Achenbach Peter , Nikolaev Alexei , Gerlach Katharina , Liebsch Nicole , Loretz Brigitta , Lehr Claus-Michael , Kirchner Benedikt , Spornraft Melanie , Haase Bettina , Segars James , Küper Christoph , Palmisano Ralf , Waisman Ari , Willis Richard A. , Kim Wan-Uk , Weigmann Benno , Kaestner Klaus H. , Ziegler Anette-Gabriele , Daniel Carolin
Published: January 2018

A miRNA181a/NFAT5 signaling axis promotes immune activation and interferes with the induction of regulatory T cells in islet autoimmunity.
Novel drug combination unleashes apoptosis in AML
Authors: Jonas Brian A.
Published: January 2018

The combination of p53 activation and Bcl-2 inhibition reciprocally overcomes apoptosis resistance and leads to synergistic efficacy in acute myeloid leukemia.
Adolescent obesity thwarts lifelong sleep
Authors: Lehtinen Maria K.
Published: January 2018

Obesity during adolescence shapes lifelong sleep circuitry via serotonin.
Complete Genome Sequences of Three
Bacillus anthracis
Bacteriophages
Authors: Alkalay Sivan , Sternberg Sarit , Coppenhagen-Glazer Shunit , Hazan Ronen
Published: January 2018

The new highly effective
Bacillus anthracis
phages Negev_SA, Carmel_SA, and Tavor_SA were isolated from soil samples, and their complete genomes were sequenced and analyzed. The isolated phages have potential use in future phage therapy treatment against anthrax.
Complete Genome Sequence of Bacteriophage SM9-3Y Infecting
Serratia marcescens
Authors: Hao Yuchong , Shi Hongyan , Li Jinghua , Zhao Chunyan , Huang Honglan , Sun Yanbo
Published: January 2018

Serratia marcescens
is an important opportunistic organism that causes nosocomial infections. Bacteriophage therapy has the potential to control
S. marcescens
infection. We present here the complete genome sequence of a lytic
S. marcescens
bacteriophage, SM9-3Y, which is a linear double-stranded DNA genome of 39,631 bp with 50.7% G+C content.
Complete Genome Sequence of
Escherichia coli
Phage APC_JM3.2 Isolated from a Chicken Cecum
Authors: Mullally Jayne , Stockdale Stephen R. , Smith Muireann K. , Draper Lorraine A. , Ross Paul R. , Hill Colin
Published: January 2018

Avian pathogenic
Escherichia coli
(APEC) bacteria are a significant challenge to the poultry industry. Bacteriophages (phages) have the potential to control APEC strains, increasing animal welfare and economic productivity. Here, we report the isolation of an
E. coli
-infecting phage, APC_JM3.2, isolated from the cecum of a broiler chicken in Ireland.
Two Draft Genome Sequences of
Chromobacterium violaceum
Isolates from the Rio Negro
Authors: da Gama Auricélia Matos , de Almeida Luiz Gustavo , Yamane Tetsuo , Spira Beny
Published: January 2018

The draft genome sequences of two
Chromobacterium violaceum
strains isolated from the Rio Negro are reported here. These bacteria carry most genetic systems associated with the production of bioactive compounds, but unlike other
C. violaceum
strains, they lack a dedicated operon for arsenic resistance.
High-Quality Complete and Draft Genome Sequences for Three
Escherichia
spp. and Three
Shigella
spp. Generated with Pacific Biosciences and Illumina Sequencing and Optical Mapping
Authors: Schroeder Max R. , Juieng Phalasy , Batra Dhwani , Knipe Kristen , Rowe Lori A. , Sheth Mili , Smith Peyton , Garcia-Toledo Lisley , Loparev Vladimir N. , Lindsey Rebecca L.
Published: January 2018

Escherichia
spp., including
E. albertii
and
E. coli
,
Shigella dysenteriae
, and
S. flexneri
are causative agents of foodborne disease. We report here reference-level whole-genome sequences of
E. albertii
(2014C-4356),
E. coli
(2011C-4315 and 2012C-4431),
S. dysenteriae
(BU53M1), and
S. flexneri
(94-3007 and 71-2783).
Near-Complete Genome Sequence of a Fish Nervous Necrosis Virus Isolated from a Clinical Disease Outbreak in Farm-Reared Bream
Sparus aurata
in Spain
Authors: Stathopoulou Panagiota , Rafailidou Nausika , Tzokas Kostas , Batargias Costas , Tsiamis George
Published: January 2018

Sparus aurata
larvae infected by viral nervous necrosis were collected from an aquaculture fish farm. The isolated viral genome, composed of two segments (RNA1 and RNA2), was sequenced and analyzed comparatively. Phylogenetic tree analyses revealed that the isolated strain is a reassortant, exhibiting a red-spotted grouper nervous necrosis virus (RGNNV)-type RNA1 and a striped jack nervous necrosis virus (SJNNV)-type RNA2.
Complete Genome Sequence of
Elizabethkingia miricola
Strain EM798-26 Isolated from the Blood of a Cancer Patient
Authors: Lin Jiun-Nong , Lai Chung-Hsu , Yang Chih-Hui , Huang Yi-Han , Lin Hsi-Hsun
Published: January 2018

Elizabethkingia miricola
EM798-26 was isolated from the blood of a patient with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma in Taiwan. We report here the complete genome sequence of EM798-26, which contains a G+C content of 35.7% and 3,877 candidate protein-coding genes.
Draft Genome Sequence of the Predatory Marine Bacterium
Halobacteriovorax
sp. Strain JY17
Authors: Young Jonathan M. , Skvortsov Timofey , Arkhipova Ksenia , Allen Christopher C. R.
Published: January 2018

A draft genome sequence of
Halobacteriovorax
sp. strain JY17 was assembled from a metagenomic data set. The 3.47-Mbp genome of this unusual predatory bacterium contains 3,263 protein-coding sequences, 33 tRNAs, and 2 copies each of the 16S, 23S, and 5S rRNA genes. This is only the third sequenced representative of this genus.
Evasion of Cytosolic DNA-Stimulated Innate Immune Responses by Herpes Simplex Virus 1
Authors: Zheng Chunfu
Published: January 2018

Recognition of virus-derived nucleic acids by host pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) is crucial for early defense against viral infections. Recent studies revealed that PRRs also include several newly identified DNA sensors, most of which could activate the downstream adaptor stimulator of interferon genes (STING) and lead to the production of host antiviral factors. Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) is extremely successful in establishing effective infections, due to its capacity to counteract host innate antiviral responses. In this Gem, I summarize the most recent findings on the molecular mechanisms utilized by HSV-1 to target different steps of the cellular DNA-sensor-mediated antiviral signal pathway.
Full-Length Glycosylated Gag of Murine Leukemia Virus Can Associate with the Viral Envelope as a Type I Integral Membrane Protein
Authors: Renner Tyler Milston , Bélanger Kasandra , Lam Cindy , Gerpe María Carla Rosales , McBane Joanne Eileen , Langlois Marc-André
Published: January 2018

The glycosylated Gag protein (gPr80) of murine leukemia viruses (MLVs) has been shown to exhibit multiple roles in facilitating retrovirus release, infection, and resistance to host-encoded retroviral restriction factors, such as APOBEC3, SERINC3, and SERINC5. One way in which gPr80 helps MLVs to escape host innate immune restriction is by increasing capsid stability, a feature that protects viral replication intermediates from being detected by cytosolic DNA sensors. gPr80 also increases the resistance of MLVs to deamination and restriction by mouse APOBEC3 (mA3). How the gPr80 accessory protein, with its three
N
-linked glycosylation sites, contributes to these resistance mechanisms is still not fully understood. Here we further characterized the function of gPr80 and, more specifically, revealed that the asparagines targeted for glycosylation in gPr80 also contribute to capsid stability through their parallel involvement in the Pr65 Gag structural polyprotein. In fact, we demonstrate that sensitivity to deamination by the mA3 and human A3 proteins is directly linked to capsid stability. We also show that full-length gPr80 is detected in purified viruses. However, our results suggest that gPr80 is inserted in the N
exo
C
cyto
orientation of a type I integral membrane protein. Additionally, our experiments have revealed the existence of a large population of Env-deficient virus-like particles (VLPs) harboring gPr80 inserted in the opposite (N
cyto
C
exo
) polarity, which is typical of type II integral membrane proteins. Overall this study provides new insight into the complex nature of the MLV gPr80 accessory protein.

IMPORTANCE
Viruses have evolved numerous strategies to infect, spread in, and persist in their hosts. Here we analyze the details of how the MLV-encoded glycosylated Gag (gPr80) protein protects the virus from being restricted by host innate immune defenses. gPr80 is a variant of the structural Pr65 Gag protein with an 88-amino-acid extended leader sequence that directs the protein for translation and glycosylation in the endoplasmic reticulum. This study dissects the specific contributions of gPr80 glycans and capsid stability in helping the virus to infect cells, spread, and counteract the effects of the host intrinsic restriction factor APOBEC3. Overall this study provides further insight into the elusive role of the gPr80 protein.
Cell-to-Cell Measles Virus Spread between Human Neurons Is Dependent on Hemagglutinin and Hyperfusogenic Fusion Protein
Authors: Sato Yuma , Watanabe Shumpei , Fukuda Yoshinari , Hashiguchi Takao , Yanagi Yusuke , Ohno Shinji
Published: January 2018

Measles virus (MV) usually causes acute infection but in rare cases persists in the brain, resulting in subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE). Since human neurons, an important target affected in the disease, do not express the known MV receptors (signaling lymphocyte activation molecule [SLAM] and nectin 4), how MV infects neurons and spreads between them is unknown. Recent studies have shown that many virus strains isolated from SSPE patients possess substitutions in the extracellular domain of the fusion (F) protein which confer enhanced fusion activity. Hyperfusogenic viruses with such mutations, unlike the wild-type MV, can induce cell-cell fusion even in SLAM- and nectin 4-negative cells and spread efficiently in human primary neurons and the brains of animal models. We show here that a hyperfusogenic mutant MV, IC323-F(T461I)-EGFP (IC323 with a fusion-enhancing T461I substitution in the F protein and expressing enhanced green fluorescent protein), but not the wild-type MV, spreads in differentiated NT2 cells, a widely used human neuron model. Confocal time-lapse imaging revealed the cell-to-cell spread of IC323-F(T461I)-EGFP between NT2 neurons without syncytium formation. The production of virus particles was strongly suppressed in NT2 neurons, also supporting cell-to-cell viral transmission. The spread of IC323-F(T461I)-EGFP was inhibited by a fusion inhibitor peptide as well as by some but not all of the anti-hemagglutinin antibodies which neutralize SLAM- or nectin-4-dependent MV infection, suggesting the presence of a distinct neuronal receptor. Our results indicate that MV spreads in a cell-to-cell manner between human neurons without causing syncytium formation and that the spread is dependent on the hyperfusogenic F protein, the hemagglutinin, and the putative neuronal receptor for MV.

IMPORTANCE
Measles virus (MV), in rare cases, persists in the human central nervous system (CNS) and causes subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) several years after acute infection. This neurological complication is almost always fatal, and there is currently no effective treatment for it. Mechanisms by which MV invades the CNS and causes the disease remain to be elucidated. We have previously shown that fusion-enhancing substitutions in the fusion protein of MVs isolated from SSPE patients contribute to MV spread in neurons. In this study, we demonstrate that MV bearing the hyperfusogenic mutant fusion protein spreads between human neurons in a cell-to-cell manner. Spread of the virus was inhibited by a fusion inhibitor peptide and antibodies against the MV hemagglutinin, indicating that both the hemagglutinin and hyperfusogenic fusion protein play important roles in MV spread between human neurons. The findings help us better understand the disease process of SSPE.
Persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn in extremely preterm infants: a Japanese cohort study
Authors: Nakanishi Hidehiko , Suenaga Hideyo , Uchiyama Atsushi , Kusuda Satoshi
Published: January 2018

Objective

To investigate the characteristics of persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN) in extremely preterm infants and its impact on neurodevelopmental outcomes at 3 years of age.

Design

A retrospective multicentre cohort study.

Settings

202 tertiary perinatal centres registered in the Neonatal Research Network of Japan (NRNJ).

Patients

Infants born at <28 weeks of gestational age (GA), between 2003 and 2012, were extracted from tertiary perinatal centres participating in NRNJ.

Main outcome measures

Demographic characteristics, morbidity, interventions and mortality were compared for infants with and without PPHN. Multivariable logistic analysis was performed to evaluate the impact of PPHN on long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes (the prevalence rate of cerebral palsy, need for home oxygen therapy, and visual, hearing and cognitive impairment) at 3 years of age.

Results

The prevalence of PPHN among the 12 954 extremely preterm infants enrolled was 8.1% (95% CI 7.7% to 8.6%), with the trend increasing annually, and a higher proportion as GA decreased: 18.5% (range, 15.2% to 22.4%) for infants born at 22 weeks compared with 4.4% (range, 3.8% to 5.2%) for those born at 27 weeks. Clinical chorioamnionitis and premature rupture of membranes were associated with PPHN. On multivariate analysis of the data from 5923 infants followed up for 3 years, PPHN was a significant independent risk factor for visual impairment (adjusted OR, 1.42, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.97).

Conclusions

The prevalence of PPHN in extremely preterm infants has been increasing over the past decade in Japan. Clinicians should be aware of visual impairments as a neurodevelopmental abnormality among infants with PPHN.
Peritonitis withListeria monocytogenesin a patient on automated peritoneal dialysis
Authors: Poulsen Hanna Bjarkhamar , á Steig Torkil , Björkman Jonas T. , Gaini Shahin
Published: January 2018

We present a case whereListeria monocytogenesserotype 1/2a was determined to be the causative agent of peritonitis in a patient on automated peritoneal dialysis. The patient, a 53-year-old Caucasian woman from the Faroe Islands was admitted to the National Hospital reporting of constant abdominal pain and a fever. Peritoneal cultures were positive for growth ofL. monocytogenes.The patient was successfully treated with oral amoxicillin for 2 weeks and intraperitoneal vancomycin for 3 weeks. To date, the patient has not been readmitted due to peritonitis. The Faroese salmon was the suspected source of infection withL. monocytogenes.
Influence of polyacrylamide conformation on fabric of “tunable” kaolin–polymer composite
Authors: Halder Bijoy K. , Palomino Angelica M. , Hicks Jordan
Published: January 2018

“Tunable” clay–polymer composites have the potential to improve the engineering properties of clay materials. The importance of these materials derives from the ability of the responsive polymer to adopt various conformations (coiled, partially extended or extended), which in turn impacts the mesoscale properties of the material. However, the influence of polymer molecule conformation on particle arrangement and overall composite behavior is not well understood. The purpose of this study is to understand the fabric development due to the conformational behavior of the polymer, and thus the clay–polymer composite, over a wide range of solids content and stress levels. The polymer molecule conformation was controlled using selected fluid pH and ionic concentrations. Results show that the polymer conformation significantly influences clay fabric formation. When the polymer molecules are likely to have extended conformation, the dominant fabric mode is face-to-face and particle mobilization increases. Both face-to-face and edge-to-edge fabric formation dominate the behavior of the composite when coiled conformation is likely, resulting in a decrease in interparticle movement. Thus, the polymer conformation can be used to manipulate both the interparticle spacing between particles and (or) aggregates and arrangement of particles.
Ultra-Wideband Chaos Life-Detection Radar with Sinusoidal Wave Modulation
Authors: Xu Hang , Li Ying , Zhang Jianguo , Han Hong , Zhang Bing , Wang Longsheng , Wang Yuncai , Wang Anbang
Published: January 2018

We propose and experimentally demonstrate an ultra-wideband (UWB) chaos life-detection radar. The proposed radar transmits a wideband chaotic-pulse-position modulation (CPPM) signal modulated by a single-tone sinusoidal wave. A narrow-band split ring sensor is used to collect the reflected sinusoidal wave, and a lock-in amplifier is utilized to identify frequencies of respiration and heartbeat by detecting the phase change of the sinusoidal echo signal. Meanwhile, human location is realized by correlating the CPPM echo signal with its delayed duplicate and combining the synthetic aperture technology. Experimental results demonstrate that the human target can be located accurately and his vital signs can be detected in a large dynamic range through a 20-cm-thick wall using our radar system. The down-range resolution is 15[Formula: see text]cm, benefiting from the 1-GHz bandwidth of the CPPM signal. The dynamic range for human location is 50[Formula: see text]dB, and the dynamic ranges for heartbeat and respiration detection respectively are 20[Formula: see text]dB and 60[Formula: see text]dB in our radar system. In addition, the bandwidth of the CPPM signal can be adjusted from 620[Formula: see text]MHz to 1.56[Formula: see text]GHz to adapt to different requirements.
Synchronization of Long Ocean Waves by Coastal Relief on the Southeast Shelf of Sakhalin Island
Authors: Kovalev Dmitry P. , Kovalev Peter D.
Published: January 2018

The phenomenon of synchronization (trapping) of coming waves by the resonant water area in a coastal zone of the sea found from the observed data is considered in the paper. Edge waves with the period of about 10.7 minutes are visually observed in sea level fluctuations near the village of Okhotskoye and the cape Ostri on the southeast coast of Sakhalin Island. These waves are synchronized with the resonance water area. It becomes apparent from the unlimited increase of a phase between the bottom stations installed at distance of about 7.5[Formula: see text]km. In relation to the phenomenon found, the problem of weak and periodic impact on regular self-oscillatory system — Van der Paul’s oscillator — is considered. Good compliance between theoretical model and data of experiments is obtained.
Modeling and Analysis of a Fractional-Order Generalized Memristor-Based Chaotic System and Circuit Implementation
Authors: yang Ningning , Xu Cheng , wu Chaojun , Jia Rong , Liu Chongxin
Published: January 2018

Memristor is a nonlinear “missing circuit element”, that can easily achieve chaotic oscillation. Memristor-based chaotic systems have received more and more attention. Research shows that fractional-order systems are more close to real systems. As an important parameter, the order can increase the flexibility and degree of freedom of the system. In this paper, a fractional-order generalized memristor, which consists of a diode bridge and a parallel circuit with an equivalent unit circuit and a linear resistance, is proposed. Frequency and electrical characteristics of the fractional-order memristor are analyzed. A chain structure circuit is used to implement the fractional-order unit circuit. Then replacing the conventional Chua’s diode by the fractional-order generalized memristor, a fractional-order memristor-based chaotic circuit is proposed. A large amount of research work has been done to investigate the influence of the order on the dynamical behaviors of the fractional-order memristor-based chaotic circuit. Varying with the order, the system enters the chaotic state from the periodic state through the Hopf bifurcation and period-doubling bifurcation. The chaotic state of the system has two types of attractors: single-scroll and double-scroll attractor. The stability theory of fractional-order systems is used to determine the minimum order occurring Hopf bifurcation. And the influence of the initial value on the system is analyzed. Circuit simulations are designed to verify the results of theoretical analysis and numerical simulation.
Exact Torus Knot Periodic Orbits and Homoclinic Orbits in a Class of Three-Dimensional Flows Generated by a Planar Cubic System
Authors: Zhang Tonghua , Li Jibin
Published: January 2018

This paper considers a class of three-dimensional systems constructed by a rotating planar symmetric cubic vector field. To study its periodic orbits including homoclinic orbits, which may be knotted in space, we classify the types of periodic orbits and then calculate their exact parametric representations. Our study shows that this class of systems has infinitely many distinct types of knotted periodic orbits, which lie on three families of invariant tori. Numerical examples of [Formula: see text]-torus knot periodic orbits have also been provided to illustrate our theoretical results.
Noncooperative Dynamic Contribution to a Public Project
Authors: Rouillon Sebastien
Published: January 2018

We consider a dynamic contribution game in which a group of agents collaborates to complete a public project. The agents exert efforts over time and get rewarded upon completion of the project, once the cumulative effort has reached a pre-specified level. We explicitly derive the cooperative solution and a noncooperative Markov-perfect Nash equilibrium. We characterize the set of socially efficient projects, i.e., projects that cooperative groups find worth completing. Comparing with the Markov-perfect Nash equilibrium, we find that noncooperative groups give up large socially efficient projects. Moreover, they take too much time to complete the projects that they undertake.
Discovery of novel antimicrobial peptides: A transcriptomic study of the sea anemone Cnidopus japonicus
Authors: Grafskaia Ekaterina N. , Polina Nadezhda F. , Babenko Vladislav V. , Kharlampieva Daria D. , Bobrovsky Pavel A. , Manuvera Valentin A. , Farafonova Tatyana E. , Anikanov Nikolay A. , Lazarev Vassili N.
Published: January 2018

As essential conservative component of the innate immune systems of living organisms, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) could complement pharmaceuticals that increasingly fail to combat various pathogens exhibiting increased resistance to microbial antibiotics. Among the properties of AMPs that suggest their potential as therapeutic agents, diverse peptides in the venoms of various predators demonstrate antimicrobial activity and kill a wide range of microorganisms. To identify potent AMPs, the study reported here involved a transcriptomic profiling of the tentacle secretion of the sea anemone Cnidopus japonicus. An in silico search algorithm designed to discover toxin-like proteins containing AMPs was developed based on the evaluation of the properties and structural peculiarities of amino acid sequences. The algorithm revealed new proteins of the anemone containing antimicrobial candidate sequences, and 10 AMPs verified using high-throughput proteomics were synthesized. The antimicrobial activity of the candidate molecules was experimentally estimated against Gram-positive and -negative bacteria. Ultimately, three peptides exhibited antimicrobial activity against bacterial strains, which suggests that the method can be applied to reveal new AMPs in the venoms of other predators as well.
On Kähler–Norden–Codazzi golden structures on pseudo-Riemannian manifolds
Authors: Bilen Lokman , Turanli Sibel , Gezer Aydin
Published: January 2018

In this paper, we consider a pseudo-Riemannian manifold equipped with a Kähler–Norden–Codazzi golden structure. For such a manifold, we study curvature properties. Also, we define special connections of the first type and of the second type on the manifold, which preserve the associated twin Norden golden metric and satisfy some special conditions and present some results concerning them.
Soft Power in a Hard Shell: The Fleet of Friendship of the ROC Navy and Taiwan’s Performative Cultural Diplomacy in the Pacific
Authors: MARINACCIO JESSICA
Published: January 2018

In 1967, Taiwan began dispatching a portion of its navy, the ROC “Fleet of Friendship,” on goodwill missions to allied nations to strengthen diplomatic friendships. Since that time, one of the major areas of focus for fleet visits has been Taiwan’s allies in the Pacific. In an attempt to move beyond emphasis on the China–Taiwan rivalry in the Pacific, this paper examines firsthand sources to advance three modes of contextualizing the Fleet of Friendship and reveals various layers of historical, pragmatic, and symbolic meaning that exist beyond simple competition with China. First, with specific focus on the performances presented during the fleet’s goodwill visits, this paper contextualizes fleet performances within Taiwan’s unique history, including an extended Martial Law period and tensions regarding the concept of “multiculturalism.” Second, the paper more broadly examines the fleet as a holistic entity on three levels: a hard-power superstructure in which the fleet serves as a reminder of military power; soft-power content in which the activities of the fleet run at cross-purposes with its symbolic military nature; and a hard-power underbelly, in which Taiwanese embassy descriptions of fleet performances and Pacific reporting evince concepts of frenzy, threat, and potential violence. Finally, the paper highlights ulterior motives interlaced within the fleet’s goodwill tours and contextualizes these motives based on other aspects of Taiwan’s diplomacy in the Pacific that demonstrate similar trends. The article evinces the importance of situating analysis of Taiwan’s cultural diplomacy and soft power within a variety of contexts and demonstrates the nuance inherent within Taiwan’s Pacific diplomacy.
An alternative visualization pipeline for large-scale data sets by using early visibility test point rendering
Authors: Miyachi Hideo , Matsuoka Daisuke , Matsumoto Yoji
Published: January 2018

The amount of produced data required to be visualized and analyzed has grown year by year, and the traditional approach of using larger computational resources or exploiting task and data parallelism seems to have reached its limit. Therefore, a new paradigm for large-scale data visualization becomes highly desired, and in this paper, we propose a new and optimized visualization pipeline which uses a point rendering-based early visibility testing for reducing the unnecessary rendering in the final stage of the visualization pipeline, and we named this technique “Early Visibility Test Point Rendering”. In a densely populated polygonal mesh scene, where multiple triangles may cover a single pixel, unnecessary and wasteful rendering will occur in the final stage of the traditional visualization pipeline, that is, during the rasterization process. Therefore, we propose an alternative visualization pipeline by introducing the “Early Visibility Test Point Rendering” for selecting only the visible polygonal elements for a given visualization scene. This visibility testing can be executed on the CPU side, and only the visible polygonal elements are needed to be sent to the GPU for an optimized rendering. We could verify the effectiveness of our proposed approach by using synthetic datasets, and also a real-world large-scale simulation result.
The Ecology, Biogeochemistry, and Optical Properties of Coccolithophores
Authors: Balch William M.
Published: January 2018

Coccolithophores are major contributors to phytoplankton communities and ocean biogeochemistry and are strong modulators of the optical field in the sea. New discoveries are changing paradigms about these calcifiers. A new role for silicon in coccolithophore calcification is coupling carbonate and silicon cycles. Phosphorus and iron play key roles in regulating coccolithophore growth. Comparing molecular phylogenies with coccolith morphometrics is forcing the reconciliation of biological and geological observations. Mixotrophy may be a possible life strategy for deep-dwelling species, which has ramifications for biological pump and alkalinity pump paradigms. Climate, ocean temperatures, and pH appear to be affecting coccolithophores in unexpected ways. Global calcification is approximately 1–3% of primary productivity and affects CO2budgets. New measurements of the backscattering cross section of coccolithophores have improved satellite-based algorithms and their application in case I and case II optical waters. Remote sensing has allowed the detection of basin-scale coccolithophore features in the Southern Ocean.
High-Dimensional Profiling of Tumor-Specific Immune Responses: Asking T Cells about What They “See” in Cancer
Authors: Newell Evan W. , Becht Etienne
Published: January 2018

The foundations of basic T-cell immunology and an understanding of the roles for T cells in controlling cancer have led to the remarkable yet inconsistent success of cancer immunotherapy. Because of these advances in cancer treatment, the need is urgent for biomarkers that can predict the efficacy of these treatments and for new therapeutic strategies for cases where currently available approaches are ineffective. Although our ability to profile heterogeneous cell populations in human blood or tissue samples has vastly improved in the past decade, identifying the cell subsets relevant to diseases, and to cancer particularly, remains a challenge. Given strong evidence for the implication of T cells specific for tumor-expressed antigens in various forms of effective immunotherapy, here, we focus on the utility, challenges, and techniques for the identification and profiling of these important cells. We review recent techniques that allow identifying and profiling of tumor-specific T cells. As these methods improve, we can expect more rapid progress in the rational design of novel cancer biomarkers and therapies based on antigen-specific T cells. Cancer Immunol Res; 6(1); 2–9. ©2018 AACR.
Influence of PCO2 Control on Clinical and Neurodevelopmental Outcomes of Extremely Low Birth Weight Infants
Authors: Thome Ulrich H. , Dreyhaupt Jens , Genzel-Boroviczeny Orsolya , Bohnhorst Bettina , Schmid Manuel , Fuchs Hans , Rohde Oliver , Avenarius Stefan , Topf Hans-Georg , Zimmermann Andrea , Faas Dirk , Timme Katharina , Kleinlein Barbara , Buxmann Horst , Schenk Wilfried , Segerer Hugo , Teig Norbert , Ackermann Benjamin , Hentschel Roland , Heckmann Matthias , Schlösser Rolf , Peters Jochen , Rossi Rainer , Rascher Wolfgang , Böttger Ralf , Seidenberg Jürgen , Hansen Gesine , Bode Harald , Zernickel Maria , Muche Rainer , Hummler Helmut D. ,   for the PHELBI Study Group
Published: January 2018

Background: Levels or fluctuations in the partial pressure of CO2 (PCO2) may affect outcomes for extremely low birth weight infants. Objectives: In an exploratory analysis of a randomized trial, we hypothesized that the PCO2 values achieved could be related to significant outcomes. Methods: On each treatment day, infants were divided into 4 groups: relative hypocapnia, normocapnia, hypercapnia, or fluctuating PCO2. Ultimate assignment to a group for the purpose of this analysis was made according to the group in which an infant spent the most days. Statistical analyses were performed with analysis of variance (ANOVA), the Kruskal-Wallis test, the χ2 test, and the Fisher exact test as well as by multiple logistic regression. Results: Of the 359 infants, 57 were classified as hypocapnic, 230 as normocapnic, 70 as hypercapnic, and 2 as fluctuating PCO2. Hypercapnic infants had a higher average product of mean airway pressure and fraction of inspired oxygen (MAP × FiO2). For this group, mortality was higher, as was the likelihood of having moderate/severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), and poorer neurodevelopment. Multiple logistic regression analyses showed an increased risk for BPD or death associated with birth weight (p < 0.001) and MAP × FiO2 (p < 0.01). The incidence of adverse neurodevelopment was associated with birth weight (p < 0.001) and intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH; p < 0.01). Conclusions: Birth weight and respiratory morbidity, as measured by MAP × FiO2, were the most predictive of death or BPD and NEC, whereas poor neurodevelopmental outcome was associated with low birth weight and IVH. Univariate models also identified PCO2. Thus, hypercapnia seems to reflect greater disease severity, a likely contributor to differences in outcomes.
The Last English Civil War
Authors: Fukuyama Francis
Published: January 2018

This essay examines why England experienced a civil war every fifty years from the Norman Conquest up until the Glorious Revolution of 1688–1689, and was completely stable after that point. The reasons had to do with, first, the slow accumulation of law and respect for the law that had occurred by the seventeenth century, and second, with the emergence of a strong English state and sense of national identity by the end of the Tudor period. This suggests that normative factors are very important in creating stable settlements. Rational choice explanations for such outcomes assert that stalemated conflicts will lead parties to accept second- or third-best outcomes, but English history, as well as more recent experiences, suggests that stability requires normative change as well.
Civil War, Economic Governance & State Reconstruction in the Arab Middle East
Authors: Heydemann Steven
Published: January 2018

Civil wars currently underway in Libya, Syria, and Yemen demonstrate that patterns of economic governance during violent conflict exhibit significant continuity with prewar practices, raising important questions along three lines. First, violent conflict may disrupt prewar practices less than is often assumed. Second, continuity in governance highlights the limits of state fragility frameworks for postconflict reconstruction that view violent conflict as creating space for institutional reform. Third, continuity of prewar governance practices has important implications for the relationship between sovereignty, governance, and conflict resolution. Civil wars in the Middle East have not created conditions conducive to reconceptualizing sovereignty or decoupling sovereignty and governance. Rather, parties to conflict compete to capture and monopolize the benefits that flow from international recognition. Under these conditions, civil wars in the Middle East will not yield easily to negotiated solutions. Moreover, to the extent that wartime economic orders reflect deeply institutionalized norms and practices, postconflict conditions will limit possibilities for interventions defined in terms of overcoming state fragility.
Is Prevention the Answer?
Authors: Call Charles T. , Campbell Susanna P.
Published: January 2018

Is prevention the answer to escalating violent conflict? Conflict prevention uses carrots and sticks to deter future violence. Its power thus rests on the credibility of policy-makers' commitment to supply the carrot or stick in a timely manner. Unfortunately, there are several political and bureaucratic barriers that make this unlikely. First, it is difficult for policy-makers to sell preventive actions to their constituencies. In contrast with core security interests (like nuclear warfare), an uptick in violence in a faraway, nonstrategic country provides a less convincing call for action. Second, preventive decisions are difficult to make. Decision-makers are predisposed to avoid making difficult decisions until a crisis breaks out and they are forced to act. Third, preventive actions are political, not technical, requiring the use of precious political capital for uncertain outcomes whose success may be invisible (manifest in the absence of violence). Perhaps, if decision-makers are able to overcome these obstacles and make more credible commitments to conflict prevention, then conflict prevention will become a more credible solution to violent conflict.
Experiences in Designing Technologies for Honoring Deceased Loved Ones
Authors: Odom William , Uriu Daisuke , Kirk David , Banks Richard , Wakkary Ron
Published: January 2018

This article describes and reflects on the processes of designing two devices, Timecard and Fenestra, that both aim to propose new ideas for creating technologies that support rituals of honoring deceased loved ones. The discussion provides insight into how their respective designs were crafted to provide a range of interactions and to interweave with domestic practices, artifacts, and spaces; the article also describes the projects' similar strategies to supporting relationships with the deceased. Reflections then are offered about the design of future technologies aimed at supporting the processes both of adapting to the loss of loved ones and of honoring their continued evolving place in the lives of the living after they are gone.
Recent Books on the Old Testament (Hebrew Bible/Septuagint)
Authors: Elliott J.K.
Published: January 2018

A significant number of books on the Old Testament has recently been published.
Nonuniqueness of Attribution in Piecewise Potential Vorticity Inversion
Authors: Egger Joseph , Spengler Thomas
Published: January 2018

Piecewise potential vorticity inversion (PPVI) seeks to determine the impact of observed potential vorticity (PV) anomalies on the surrounding flow. This widely used technique is based on dividing a flow domain D into subdomains D1 and D2 = D − D1. The influence of PV in D1 on the flow in D2 is assessed by removing all PV anomalies in D2 and then inverting the modified PV in D. The resulting flow with streamfunction ψ1 is attributed to the PV anomalies in D1. The relation of PV in D1 to ψ1 in D2 is not unique, because there are many PV distributions in D1 that induce the same ψ1. There is, however, a unique solution if the ageostrophic circulation is included in the inversion procedure.

The superposition principle requires that the sum of inverted flows with PV = 0 in D2 and the complementary ones with PV = 0 in D1 equal the inverted flow for the complete observed PV in D. It is demonstrated, using two isolated PV balls as a paradigmatic example, that the superposition principle is violated if the ageostrophic circulation is included in PPVI, because the ageostrophic circulation cannot be associated with only one of the anomalies.

Inversions of Ertel’s PV are carried out using Charney’s balance condition. PPVI is not unique in that case, because many different PV fields can be specified in D1, which all lead to the same inverted flow in D2. The balance condition assumes vanishing vertical velocity w so that uniqueness cannot be established by including w in the inversion, as was possible in the quasigeostrophic case.