bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Optimal harvest responses to environmental forecasts depend on resource knowledge and how it can be used
Authors: Miller Steve , Rassweiler Andrew , Dee Laura , Kleisner Kristin M. , Mangin Tracey , Oliveros-Ramos Ricardo , Tam Jorge , Chavez Francisco P. , Ñiquen Miguel , Lester Sarah E. , Burden Merrick , Gaines Steven , Costello Christopher
Published: April 2019

Managing natural resources under large-scale environmental fluctuations like the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is likely to become increasingly important under climate change. Forecasts of environmental conditions are improving, but the best response to an unfavorable forecast remains unclear; many practitioners advocate reducing harvest as a more precautionary approach, while prior economic theory favors increasing harvest. Using logistic and age-structured fisheries models, we show that informational constraints — uncertain stock estimates and restrictions on harvest policies — play a central role in choosing how to respond to a forecasted shock. With perfect knowledge and no policy constraints, risk-neutral managers should increase harvest when a negative shock is forecast. However, informational constraints may drive the optimal response to a forecast of a negative shock toward or away from precaution. Precautionary forecast responses arise when informational constraints make the harvest policy insufficiently sensitive to the true resource status. In contrast, uncertainty about the stock size can lead to more aggressive forecast responses when stock dynamics are nonlinear and not all fish are susceptible to fishing.
Is catch proportional to nominal effort? Conceptual, fleet dynamic, and statistical considerations in catch standardization
Authors: Aljafary M. , Gillis D.M. , Comeau P.
Published: April 2019

Often, catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) standardizations are used to reflect fish abundance. This implies that catch is directly proportional to effort. We examine this using 78 reported catch and effort series in a meta-analysis, correcting for errors-in-variables in the relationship. Though proportionality in the apparent relationship is the average, there is significant variation among fisheries. We then examine the Scotian Shelf haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus) fishery in detail. We used a generalized linear mixed model (GLMM) predicting catch-per-set, accounting for annual and within-year variation in fish, fleet activity, aggregation, and vessel locations and differences. In individual trawls, the catch was less than expected from a proportional relationship with effort. The GLMM revealed both interference and facilitation among vessels as well as autocorrelation among sets. The greatest impact on coefficient estimates was seen by allowing the effort coefficient to vary. Temporal aggregation made the catch–effort relationship appear more proportional. We recommend that fisheries researchers standardize catch explicitly, rather than CPUE, and use disaggregated data to more closely match the underlying relationships in the fisheries being examined.
Effect of distal esophageal irritation on the changes of cystometry parameters to esophagus and colon distentions in rats
Authors: Kaddumi Ezidin G.
Published: April 2019

The coexistence of different visceral pathologies in patients suffering from irritable bowel syndrome, interstitial cystitis, and other pathologies, necessitates the study of these pathologies under complicated conditions. In the present study, cystometry recordings were used to investigate the effect of distal esophageal chemical irritation on the urinary bladder interaction with distal colon distention, distal esophageal distention, and electrical stimulation of abdominal branches of vagus nerve. Distal esophageal chemical irritation significantly decreased the intercontraction time via decreasing the voiding time. Also, distal esophageal chemical irritation significantly decreased the pressure amplitude by decreasing the maximum pressure. Following distal esophageal chemical irritation, distal esophageal distention was able to significantly decrease the intercontraction time by decreasing the storage time. However, 3 mL distal colon distention significantly increased the intercontraction time by increasing the storage time. On the other hand, following distal esophageal chemical irritation, electrical stimulation of abdominal branches of vagus nerve did not have any significant effect on intercontraction time. However, electrical stimulation of abdominal branches of vagus nerve significantly increased the pressure amplitude by increasing the maximum pressure. The results of this study demonstrate that urinary bladder function and interaction of bladder with other viscera can be affected by chemical irritation of distal esophagus.
On the nature of the Higgs boson
Authors: Anselmi Damiano
Published: April 2019

Several particles are not observed directly, but only through their decay products. We consider the possibility that they might be fakeons, i.e. fake particles, which mediate interactions but are not asymptotic states. A crucial role to determine the true nature of a particle is played by the imaginary parts of the one-loop radiative corrections, which are affected in nontrivial ways by the presence of fakeons in the loop. The knowledge we have today is sufficient to prove that most non-directly observed particles are true physical particles. However, in the case of the Higgs boson the possibility that it might be a fakeon remains open. The issue can be resolved by means of precision measurements in existing and future accelerators.
Design and study of the TPC detector module and prototype for CEPC
Authors: Wang Haiyun , Qi Huirong
Published: April 2019

The Circular Electron Positron Collider (CEPC) has been proposed as a Higgs/[Formula: see text] factory, which would allow precision measurements of the Higgs boson properties, as well as of [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] bosons. The baseline design of CEPC tracking system consists of a vertex detector with three concentric double-sided pixel layers, a high precision (about 100 [Formula: see text]m) large volume time projection chamber (TPC) and a silicon tracker on both barrel and end-cap regions. The tracking system has similar performance requirements to the ILD detector in ILC detectors but without power-pulsing, which leads to significantly additional constrains on detector specifications, especially for the case of machine operating at [Formula: see text]-pole energy region with high luminosity. In this paper, we will give an overview of the CEPC TPC detector, the requirements and challenges for the detector with possible technologies. The on-going R&D activities of the TPC detector module and prototype will also be reported.
The equation divu + 〈a,u〉 = f
Authors: Bousquet Pierre , Csató Gyula
Published: April 2019

We study the solutions [Formula: see text] to the equation [Formula: see text] where [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] are given. We significantly improve the existence results of [G. Csató and B. Dacorogna, A Dirichlet problem involving the divergence operator, Ann. Inst. H. Poincaré Anal. Non Linéaire 33 (2016) 829–848], where this equation has been considered for the first time. In particular, we prove the existence of a solution under essentially sharp regularity assumptions on the coefficients. The condition that we require on the vector field [Formula: see text] is necessary and sufficient. Finally, our results cover the whole scales of Sobolev and Hölder spaces.
WKB analysis of nonelliptic nonlinear Schrödinger equations
Authors: Carles Rémi , Gallo Clément
Published: April 2019

We justify the WKB analysis for generalized nonlinear Schrödinger equations (NLS), including the hyperbolic NLS and the Davey–Stewartson II system. Since the leading order system in this analysis is not hyperbolic, we work with analytic regularity, with a radius of analyticity decaying with time, in order to obtain better energy estimates. This provides qualitative information regarding equations for which global well-posedness in Sobolev spaces is widely open.
N-Methylpyridylporphyrin tailed with folate conjugate as a potential lysosomal-targeted photosensitizer: Synthesis, DNA interaction, singlet oxygen and subcellular localization
Authors: Zhao Yi-Mei , Lu Qian-Qian , Yao Si , Su Hui-Fang , Liu Hong-Jian , Wang Ze-Jiang , Wu Feng-Shou , Wang Kai
Published: April 2019

In recent years, great interest has been focused on the use of photosensitizers (PS) for photodynamic therapy (PDT) as safe and effective anti-tumor drugs. As a good lysosomal-targeted drug, folic acid (FA) is highly interesting as well. [Formula: see text]-methylpyridylporphyrin tailed with folate conjugate (Me-Por-FA) was newly designed and synthesized and the structure was confirmed by UV-vis, IR, 1H NMR, MS and elemental analysis. The interaction of this porphyrin with calf thymus DNA was the intercalative binding mode, which was confirmed by ultraviolet and fluorescence spectra, and the binding constants [Formula: see text] was 6.24 × 104 L/mol. The singlet oxygen (1O[Formula: see text] generated by Me-Por-FA was determined by 1, 3-diphenylisobenzofuran (DPBF) method using tetrapyridylporphyrin (H[Formula: see text]TMPyP) as a comparison with the following order: H2TMPyP > Me-Por-FA. Stained with LysoTracker[Formula: see text] Green DND-26, Me-Por-FA was mainly distributed over the lysosomes during 4 h, but H[Formula: see text]TMPyP was not. This suggests that Me-Por-FA could be developed as a targeted photosensitizer for precise photodynamic therapy.
THE EFFECTS OF COGNITIVE DIVERSITY AND COHESIVENESS ON ABSORPTIVE CAPACITY
Authors: NOWAK RADOSLAW
Published: April 2019

While investigating organisational factors related to a firm’s ability to innovate, this study identifies two new antecedents of absorptive capacity. Drawing from literatures on innovation management and organisational studies, the paper puts forward a model linking absorptive capacity to a unit’s cognitive diversity and cohesiveness, empirically testing their effects on potential absorptive capacity (PACAP) and realised absorptive capacity (RACAP). Statistical tests are conducted using original survey data collected in the healthcare industry. Future research and implications for practitioners are discussed.
THE IMPACT OF ORGANISATIONAL SUPPORT AND INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT ORIENTATION ON CREATIVE DEVIANCE
Authors: TENZER HELENE , YANG PHILIP
Published: April 2019

Innovation-oriented firms encourage their staff to generate ideas, but lack the resources to sponsor them all. Entrepreneurially minded employees may respond to this discrepancy with creative deviance, i.e., pursue ideas despite managerial orders to stop. We elucidate this understudied flipside of corporate entrepreneurship by theorising and testing organisational and individual antecedents to creative deviance. Strain theory leads us to hypothesise that organisational support for innovation reduces creative deviance. Based on achievement goal theory, we conjecture that mastery goals foster creative deviance. These predictors are expected to interact in their impact on creative deviance. Data from 659 employees support our hypotheses. Our study contributes to corporate entrepreneurship theory by expounding an important, but so far understudied form of innovative behaviour, extends strain theory by showing how individual traits can reinforce or mitigate the structural strain created by organisations, and advances research on achievement goals by connecting mastery achievement orientation to deviant behaviour. In terms of practical implications, our study indicates how leaders may promote compliant innovation through organisational support and how they can increase person-job fit by screening candidates’ achievement goals during recruitment.
UNIVERSITY KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER AND INNOVATION PERFORMANCE IN FIRMS: THE GHANAIAN EXPERIENCE
Authors: ABDULAI ABDUL-FATAHI , MURPHY LYNDON , THOMAS BRYCHAN
Published: April 2019

This paper examines the association between university–industry collaboration and firm innovation performance, and the effect of informal mechanisms of knowledge transfer on such an association, using data from a survey of 245 firms in Ghana and employing partial least squares structural equation modelling. The results are of significant relevance to the business community and policy-makers in Ghana and West African. We find that while university–industry collaboration is positively related to innovation performance in firms, informal mechanisms of university knowledge transfer do not and negatively moderate the positive association between university–industry collaboration and innovation performance in firms. It is also found that to facilitate innovation outcomes, formal, legal binding contracts are required. The study recommends that university knowledge generation and innovation policies in Ghana encourage formal collaboration between knowledge exchange actors. It is also suggested that improvements need to be made to the efficacy of intellectual property legislation in Ghana.
Placement and Routing for Tile-based Field-coupled Nanocomputing Circuits Is
NP
-complete (Research Note)
Authors: Walter Marcel , Wille Robert , Große Daniel , Torres Frank Sill , Drechsler Rolf
Published: April 2019

Field-coupled Nanocomputing
 (FCN) technologies provide an alternative to conventional CMOS-based computation technologies and are characterized by intriguingly low-energy dissipation. Accordingly, their design received significant attention in the recent past. FCN circuit implementations like
Quantum-dot Cellular Automata
 (QCA) or
Nanomagnet Logic
 (NML) have already been built in labs and basic operations such as inverters, Majority, AND, OR, and so on, are already available. The design problem basically boils down to the question of how to place basic operations and route their connections so that the desired function results while, at the same time, further constraints (related to timing, clocking, path lengths, etc.) are satisfied. While several solutions for this problem have been proposed, interestingly no clear understanding about the complexity of the underlying task exists thus far. In this research note, we consider this problem and eventually prove that placement and routing for tile-based FCN circuits is
NP
-complete. By this, we provide a theoretical foundation for the further development of corresponding design methods.
More-than-human participation
Authors: Clarke Rachel , Heitlinger Sara , Light Ann , Forlano Laura , Foth Marcus , DiSalvo Carl
Published: April 2019

In this forum we highlight innovative thought, design, and research in the area of interaction design and sustainability, illustrating the diversity of approaches across HCI communities.
--- Roy Bendor, Editor
Using Social Dependence to Enable Neighbourly Behaviour in Open Multi-Agent Systems
Authors: Golpayegani Fatemeh , Dusparic Ivana , Clarke Siobhan
Published: April 2019

Agents frequently collaborate to achieve a shared goal or to accomplish a task that they cannot do alone. However, collaboration is difficult in open multi-agent systems where agents share constrained resources to achieve both individual and shared goals. In current approaches to collaboration, agents are organised into disjoint groups and social reasoning is used to capture their capabilities when selecting a qualified set of collaborators. These approaches are not useful when agents are in multiple, overlapping groups; depend on each other when using shared resources; have multiple goals to achieve simultaneously; and have to share the overall costs and benefits. In this article, agents use social reasoning to enhance their understanding of other agents’ goals and their dependencies, and self-adaptive techniques to adapt their level of self-interest in a collaborative process, with a view to contributing to lowering shared costs or increasing shared benefits. This model aims at improving the extent to which agents’ goals are met while improving shared resource usage efficiency. For example, in a public transport system where each mode of transport has limited capacity, commuters will be enabled to make choices that avoid over-capacity in different modes, or in a smart energy grid with limited capacity, users can make choices as to when they increase their demand. The model simultaneously helps avoid overloading a shared resource while allowing users to achieve their own goals. The proposed model is evaluated in an open multi-agent system with 100 agents operating in multiple overlapping groups and sharing multiple constrained resources. The impact of agents’ varying levels of social dependencies, mobility, and their groups’ density on their individual and shared goal achievement is analysed.
Open student travel scholarships scheme
Authors: Rovatsos Michael
Published: April 2019

As part of its portfolio of student-oriented activities, SIGAI regularly supports its members through the provision of travel scholarships. To date, these have been primarily allocated to key conferences (co-)sponsored by SIGAI, but as the number of events we support formally (whether through financial sponsorship or "in-cooperation" status) has increased substantially, we have identified a need to reach out to a broader community of students participating in, and contributing to, a broader range of events.
Demographic and Lifestyle Predictors of Prehypertension: A Cross-Sectional Study among Apparently Healthy Adults in Kumasi, Ghana
Authors: Owiredu Eddie-Williams , Dontoh Ebenezer , Essuman Selma E. S. , Bazanfara Bashiratu B.
Published: April 2019

Background. Prehypertension has been shown to increase future risk of hypertension. Some demographic and lifestyle characteristics have been implicated to increase the risk of development of prehypertension. Yet, there is paucity of data on the current prevalence of prehypertension and its associated risk factors in Ghana. This study evaluated the prevalence of prehypertension and examined the demographic and lifestyle characteristics associated with prehypertension among apparently healthy Ghanaian adults in Kumasi. Methods. This was a cross-sectional study conducted from March to April, 2018, in Kumasi, Ghana. A total of 204 participants (80 males, 124 females, 25 years and above) who reported not diagnosed of hypertension and not on any antihypertensive medication were included in the study. Validated questionnaire was used to obtain sociodemographic and lifestyle characteristics of study participants. Height and weight of each respondent were measured and their corresponding Body Mass Index (BMI) was calculated. Blood pressure (BP) was measured with an automated blood pressure apparatus from the right arm. Prehypertension was defined as systolic BP of 120-139 mmHg and/or diastolic BP of 80-89 mmHg. Results. Out of 204 participants, the prevalence of prehypertension was 49.0%. From multivariate logistic regression models, having lower level of education [aOR=2.74, 95% CI (1.15-6.55), p=0.02], not practicing at least 30 min daily walks [aOR=2.59, 95% CI (1.31-5.10), p=0.01], not exercising routinely [aOR=1.93, 95% CI (0.97-3.85), p=0.04], and alcohol consumption [aOR=3.58(1.52-8.46), p=0.004] were independently associated with higher odds of prehypertension. Conclusion. The prevalence of prehypertension is high among apparently healthy Ghanaian adults (49.0%). Lower educational level, sedentary lifestyle, and alcohol consumption are the predominant risk factors for prehypertension in Kumasi.
Design and Analysis of a Stand-Alone PV System for a Rural House in Pakistan
Authors: Iqbal Amjad , Iqbal M. Tariq
Published: April 2019

In this paper, thermal modeling of a typical rural house in Pakistan has been done using BEopt, to determine the hourly load profile. Using the load data, the design of a stand-alone PV system has been completed using HOMER Pro. The designed system consists of a 5.8 kW PV with eight batteries of 12 V, 255 Ah, and a 1.4 kW inverter. The system analyses show that such system can support mainly lighting and appliance load in a rural house. The dynamic model of the designed system has been simulated in MATLAB-Simulink. Perturbation and observation-based algorithm has been used for maximum power extraction from PV. Simulation results indicate that the system can provide a stable voltage and frequency for the domestic load. The method and analysis presented here can be used for the PV system design for other parts of the world.
Non-HDL-c/TC: A Novel Lipid-Related Marker in the Assessment of Severity of Coronary Artery Lesions and Cardiovascular Outcomes
Authors: Huang Anan , Qi Xin , Wei Liping , Zhang Mingyin , Zhou Shiqi
Published: April 2019

Background. Non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-c) predicts the severity of coronary artery lesions in patients not treated with statin. The association between non-HDL-c and severity of coronary artery lesions in patients treated with lipid-lowering therapy has been unknown. Hypothesis. We hypothesize a novel marker of non-HDL-c/TC predicts the severity of coronary artery lesions and clinical outcomes in 12 months in the patients treated with statin. Method. 473 subjects who met inclusion criteria were eligible for inclusion. Coronary artery angiography (CAG) was performed, and the Gensini score (GS) was calculated in all the subjects divided into three subgroups of low risk, medium risk, and high risk by the tertiles of GS. The non-HDL-c value was calculated as TC minus HDL-c, while non-HDL-c/TC was the ratio of non-HDL-c and TC. Results. The concentration of non-LDL-c differed between non-obstructive-CAD group and obstructive-CAD group (P<0.05), and non-HDL-c/TC was elevated in the obstructive-CAD group (P<0.05). Increased GS was associated with increasing non-HDL-c/TC (P<0.05). Non-HDL-c/TC (OR: 108.50, 95% CI: 1.57–7520.28; P=0.030) remained as an independent predicting factor of high risk under GS stratification. In unadjusted Cox model, high non-HDL-c/TC (RR: 1.976, 95% CI: 1.155–3.382; P=0.013) predicted the occurrence of adverse events. After multivariate adjustment, high non-HDL-c/TC (RR: 1.921, 95% CI: 1.105–3.339; P=0.021) was an independent predictor of poor outcomes. Conclusion. High level of non-HDL-c/TC presented an excellent prognostic value compared with other lipid-related markers in CAD patients treated with statin.
Chromopolarizability of Charmonium and ππ Final State Interaction Revisited
Authors: Chen Yun-Hua
Published: April 2019

The chromopolarizability of a quarkonium describes the quarkonium’s interaction with soft gluonic fields and can be measured in the heavy quarkonium decay. Within the framework of dispersion theory which considers the ππ final state interaction (FSI) model-independently, we analyze the transition ψ′→J/ψπ+π- and obtain the chromopolarizability αψ′ψ and the parameter κ. It is found that the ππ FSI plays an important role in extracting the chromopolarizability from the experimental data. The obtained chromopolarizability with the FSI is reduced to about 1/2 of that without the FSI. With the FSI, we determine the chromopolarizability αψ′ψ=(1.44±0.02)  GeV-3 and the parameter κ=0.139±0.005. Our results could be useful in studying the interactions of charmonium with light hadrons.
Model Updating Method Based on Kriging Model for Structural Dynamics
Authors: Yin Hong , Ma Jingjing , Dong Kangli , Peng Zhenrui , Cui Pan , Yang Chenghao
Published: April 2019

Model updating in structural dynamics has attracted much attention in recent decades. And high computational cost is frequently encountered during model updating. Surrogate model has attracted considerable attention for saving computational cost in finite element model updating (FEMU). In this study, a model updating method using frequency response function (FRF) based on Kriging model is proposed. The optimal excitation point is selected by using modal participation criterion. Initial sample points are chosen via design of experiment (DOE), and Kriging model is built using the corresponding acceleration frequency response functions. Then, Kriging model is improved via new sample points using mean square error (MSE) criterion and is used to replace the finite element model to participate in optimization. Cuckoo algorithm is used to obtain the updating parameters, where the objective function with the minimum frequency response deviation is constructed. And the proposed method is applied to a plane truss model FEMU, and the results are compared with those by the second‐order response surface model (RSM) and the radial basis function model (RBF). The analysis results showed that the proposed method has good accuracy and high computational efficiency; errors of updating parameters are less than 0.2%; damage identification is with high precision. After updating, the curves of real and imaginary parts of acceleration FRF are in good agreement with the real ones.
Antidiabetic and Antihyperlipidemic Activities of the Leaf Latex Extract ofAloe megalacanthaBaker (Aloaceae) in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Model
Authors: Hammeso Workineh Woldeselassie , Emiru Yohannes Kelifa , Ayalew Getahun Kefyalew , Kahaliw Wubayehu
Published: April 2019

Background. Diabetes mellitus has become a major public health and economic problem across the globe. The inadequacies, as well as serious adverse effects associated with conventional medicines, led to a determined search for alternative natural therapeutic agents. The leaf latex extract ofAloe megalacanthahas been used for the management of diabetes mellitus in Ethiopian folk medicine. This study aimed to evaluate the antidiabetic and antihyperlipidemic effects of the leaf latex extract ofA. megalacanthain streptozotocin- (STZ-) induced diabetic model.Methods. The experimental diabetes was induced in Swiss albino mice by the administration of a single dose of STZ (150 mg/kg), intraperitoneally. The leaf latex extract ofA. megalacanthaat three different doses (100, 200, and 400 mg/kg) was administered for a period of 14 days. Fasting blood glucose levels (BGLs) were measured by glucose-oxidase and peroxidase reactive strips. After fourteen days, mice from all groups fasted and the blood was collected through puncturing the retroorbit of the eyes under mild anesthetic condition. The collected blood sample was used to determine serum biochemical parameters such as total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL), and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. The statistical analysis of results was carried out using one-way analysis (ANOVA) followed by post hoc multiple comparison tests.Results. Oral administration ofA. megalacanthaleaf latex extract at doses of 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg daily for 14 days results in a significant (p < 0.05) decrease in fasting BGL as compared to negative control STZ-induced diabetic mice. The leaf latex has significantly reduced the level of TC, TG, and LDL, VLDL cholesterol while a significant (p < 0.05) HDL cholesterol increment was observed.Conclusions. The findings of the present investigation indicated that the leaf latex ofA. megalacanthapossessed significant antihyperglycemic and antihyperlipidemic potential which may prove the claimed use of the plant in amelioration of diabetes and associated complications in Ethiopian folk medicine.
Molecular Profiling of Tumor Tissue and Plasma Cell-Free DNA from Patients with Non-Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis
Authors: Janku Filip , Diamond Eli L. , Goodman Aaron M. , Raghavan Vaijayanthi Kandadai , Barnes Tamara G. , Kato Shumei , Abdel-Wahab Omar , Durham Benjamin H. , Meric-Bernstam Funda , Kurzrock Razelle
Published: April 2019

The BRAFV600E mutation and BRAF inhibitor responsiveness characterize ∼50% of patients with the non-Langerhans cell histiocytosis (non-LCH) Erdheim–Chester disease (ECD). We interrogated the non-LCH molecular landscape [ECD, n = 35; Rosai–Dorfman disease (RDD), n = 3; mixed ECD/RDD, n = 1] using BRAFV600E PCR and/or next-generation sequencing [tissue and cell-free DNA (cfDNA) of plasma and/or urine]. Of 34 evaluable patients, 17 (50%) had the BRAFV600E mutation. Of 31 patients evaluable for non-BRAFV600E alterations, 18 (58%) had ≥1 alteration and 12 putative non-BRAFV600E MAPK pathway alterations: atypical BRAF mutation; GNAS, MAP2K1, MAP2K2, NF1, and RAS mutations; RAF1 or ERBB2 amplifications; LMNA-NTRK1 (TRK inhibitor-sensitive) and CAPZA2–BRAF fusions. Four patients had JAK2, MPL ASXL1, U2AF1 alterations, which can correlate with myeloid neoplasms, a known ECD predisposition, and one developed myelofibrosis 13 months after cfDNA testing. Therefore, our multimodal comprehensive genomics reveals clinically relevant alterations and suggests that MAPK activation is a hallmark of non-LCH.
Genotyping of Circulating Tumor DNA Reveals the Clinically Actionable Mutation Landscape of Advanced Colorectal Cancer
Authors: Cao Weiguo , Xu Yaping , Chang Lianpeng , Gong Yuhua , Li Liren , Mo Xianwei , Zhang Xin , Lin Guole , Zhou Jiaolin , Liu Dan , Yi Yuting , Dai Pingping , Zhu Chenchen , Liu Tao , Chu Yuxing , Guan Yanfang , Chen Yongsheng , Wang Jiayin , Xia Xuefeng , Yang Ling , Yi Xin , Cheng Yong
Published: April 2019

Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) enables genomic profiling of colorectal cancer. We investigated therapeutic targets by performing ctDNA panel-captured sequencing of 152 blood samples from advanced stage patients, from which somatic mutations and potentially actionable targets were evaluated. An additional 11 matched tissue samples were retrospectively obtained to verify target validity. The mutation frequencies of 1,127 collective genetic variants identified in our study strongly correlated with those of multiple public databases (Pearson R2 = 0.92, P < 0.0001). The clonal fraction of driver genes was 90.3%, which was significantly higher than that of potential passenger genes (58.12%). Totally, 90 drug-sensitive genes from 56 patients (36.84%) were identified, including recurring targets PIK3CA, FBXW7, EGFR, BRAF, and NRAS. Various resistance mechanisms of anti-EGFR antibodies were revealed via ctDNA profiling, with 29 patients individually exhibiting multiple mechanisms, suggesting considerable resistance heterogeneity in our study population. Of the matched tissue/blood pairs, 88.14% of tissue-derived mutations were detected in ctDNA, and 88.9% of actionable targets were validated. The mutational landscape of ctDNA was highly consistent with tissue databases, and ctDNA profiling showed favorable concordance with tumor tissues in our matched analysis. Thus, comprehensive ctDNA genotyping is a promising noninvasive alternative to biopsy-derived analysis for determining targeted therapy in advanced colorectal cancer.
PARP Inhibitor Efficacy Depends on CD8+ T-cell Recruitment via Intratumoral STING Pathway Activation in BRCA-Deficient Models of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
Authors: Pantelidou Constantia , Sonzogni Olmo , De Oliveria Taveira Mateus , Mehta Anita K. , Kothari Aditi , Wang Dan , Visal Tanvi , Li Michelle K. , Pinto Jocelin , Castrillon Jessica A. , Cheney Emily M. , Bouwman Peter , Jonkers Jos , Rottenberg Sven , Guerriero Jennifer L. , Wulf Gerburg M. , Shapiro Geoffrey I.
Published: April 2019

Combinatorial clinical trials of PARP inhibitors with immunotherapies are ongoing, yet the immunomodulatory effects of PARP inhibition have been incompletely studied. Here, we sought to dissect the mechanisms underlying PARP inhibitor–induced changes in the tumor microenvironment of BRCA1-deficient triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). We demonstrate that the PARP inhibitor olaparib induces CD8+ T-cell infiltration and activation in vivo, and that CD8+ T-cell depletion severely compromises antitumor efficacy. Olaparib-induced T-cell recruitment is mediated through activation of the cGAS/STING pathway in tumor cells with paracrine activation of dendritic cells and is more pronounced in HR-deficient compared with HR-proficient TNBC cells and in vivo models. CRISPR-mediated knockout of STING in cancer cells prevents proinflammatory signaling and is sufficient to abolish olaparib-induced T-cell infiltration in vivo. These findings elucidate an additional mechanism of action of PARP inhibitors and provide a rationale for combining PARP inhibition with immunotherapies for the treatment of TNBC.

Significance:

This work demonstrates cross-talk between PARP inhibition and the tumor microenvironment related to STING/TBK1/IRF3 pathway activation in cancer cells that governs CD8+ T-cell recruitment and antitumor efficacy. The data provide insight into the mechanism of action of PARP inhibitors in BRCA-associated breast cancer.

This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 681
A Case of Tacrolimus-Induced Posterior Reversible Encephalopathy Syndrome Initially Presenting as a Bilateral Optic Neuropathy
Authors: Kommana Sumana S. , Bains Upneet , Fasula Vivian , Henderer Jeffrey
Published: April 2019

Purpose: To report a case of asymmetric bilateral optic neuropathy in a patient receiving tacrolimus for immunosuppression after kidney transplantation with subsequent stroke-like symptoms of posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES). Method: Case report. In a 54-year-old Hispanic male receiving tacrolimus after orthotropic kidney transplantation, serial ophthalmologic examinations, laboratory studies, and imaging were performed. Results: The patient had deterioration of vision in the left eye with subclinical optic neuropathy in the right eye, with clinical features resembling ischemic optic neuropathy. Additionally, he developed a change in mental state with weakness of extremities. After the cessation of tacrolimus, the visual loss remained but the other neurologic symptoms resolved. Conclusion: Tacrolimus may be associated with optic neuropathy and PRES at the initial presentation to an ophthalmologist.
The Role of Ancillary Techniques in Pulmonary Cytopathology
Authors: Zhou Fang , Moreira Andre L.
Published: April 2019

Ancillary techniques play an essential role in pulmonary cytopathology. Immunoperoxidase and special stains are by far the most common ancillary techniques used in cytopathology; however, the role of molecular diagnosis is growing, especially in the fields of pulmonary oncology and infectious disease. In this article, we review the uses of ancillary techniques in lung tumor diagnosis, lung tumor classification, predictive marker determination, primary versus metastasis differential diagnosis, and infectious organism detection.
Physician and Surrogate Agreement with Assisted Dying and Continuous Deep Sedation in Advanced Dementia in Switzerland
Authors: Loizeau Andrea Jutta , Cohen Simon M. , Mitchell Susan L. , Theill Nathan , Eicher Stefanie , Martin Mike , Riese Florian
Published: April 2019

Background: Assisted dying and continuous deep sedation (CDS) are controversial practices. Little is known about the perceptions of physicians and surrogates about these practices for patients with advanced dementia. Objectives: To describe and compare physician and surrogate agreement with the use of assisted dying and CDS in advanced dementia. Design, Setting, Subjects: Physicians (n = 64) and surrogates (n = 168) of persons with advanced dementia were recruited as part of a randomized controlled trial in Switzerland that tested decision support tools in this population. Methods: At baseline, the participants were asked about their agreement with assisted dying and CDS in advanced dementia using the following response options: “completely agree,” “somewhat agree,” “somewhat disagree,” “completely disagree,” and “do not know.” Multivariable logistic regressions compared the likelihood that surrogates versus physicians would completely or somewhat agree (vs. completely or somewhat disagree) with these practices. Results: The physicians and surrogates, respectively, had a mean age (SD) of 50.6 years (9.9) and 57.4 years (14.6); 46.9% (n = 30/64) and 68.9% (n = 115/167) were women. A total of 20.3% (n = 13/64) of the physicians and 47.0% (n = 79/168) of the surrogates agreed with assisted dying in advanced dementia. Surrogates were significantly more likely to agree with this practice than physicians (adjusted odds ratio, 3.87; 95% CI: 1.94, 7.69). With regard to CDS, 51.6% (n = 33/64) of the physicians and 41.9% (n = 70/169) of the surrogates agreed with this practice, which did not differ significantly between the groups. Conclusions: The surrogates were more agreeable to considering assisted dying in the setting of advanced dementia than the physicians, and about half of the participants in both groups reported CDS to be an appropriate option for this population.
When Nothing Goes Right: An Unexpected Tongue Deviation in Internal Carotid Artery Dissection
Authors: Corazza Elisa , Lorenzut Simone , Valente Mariarosaria , Gigli Gian Luigi , Merlino Giovanni
Published: April 2019

Internal carotid artery dissection is a frequent cause of stroke in young people. The artery dissection and the formation of an intramural hematoma could also cause mass effect on surrounding structures, causing disorders such as cranial nerve palsies (about 12% of the cases), including XII cranial nerve. In the setting of an ischemic stroke, lower cranial nerve palsy could also be due to infratentorial ischemic lesions; however, there have been also rare reports of lower cranial nerve palsy due to supratentorial cerebral ischemic lesions. We describe a case of a 55-year-old man who presented with right internal carotid artery dissection and deviation to the left of the protruded tongue. The direction of the deviation of the protruded tongue was unexpected in this patient, because if the XII nerve palsy was due to mass effect related to the intramural hematoma of the dissected artery, a deviation to the right should have happened. Anyway, a subsequent magnetic resonance revealed also an acute ischemic lesion in the right tongue area in the primary motor cortex of the patient, providing a rare, but a fitting neuroanatomical explanation of the deviation and also providing clinical evidence of functional dominance of the crossed projections of the cortico-lingual tracts.
Successful Conservative Treatment of Traumatic Intraperitoneal Bladder Rupture in a Child: A Case Report
Authors: Yogo Naoki , Toida Chiaki , Muguruma Takashi , Gakumazawa Masayasu , Shinohara Mafumi , Kato Makoto , Takahashi Ko , Takeuchi Ichiro
Published: April 2019

The urinary bladder is protected by the pelvic bones and hence is a site less susceptible to external force injury than other organs. As children’s bones are not fully developed, the risk of bladder injury by external force is greater in children than adults. Pelvic fractures often cause the bladder to rupture, as do strong external forces when the bladder is filled. Bladder rupture is categorized as extraperitoneal or intraperitoneal, and treatments differ between the two. Extraperitoneal injury usually heals after drainage alone, whereas intraperitoneal injury usually requires surgical intervention such as a combination of surgical repairs and drainage. Herein, we report a pediatric case of intraperitoneal bladder rupture successfully treated without surgical repair (i.e., with drainage via an intraperitoneal tube and a urethral catheter only). Our report suggests that nonoperative treatment is an option for pediatric patients with intraperitoneal bladder rupture if certain conditions are met.
Terra Firme-Forme Dermatosis Diagnostic Sign and Treatment: A Case Report
Authors: Stiube Antonela , Jenni Daniella , Wiederkehr Lea , Anzengruber Florian , Nobbe Stephan
Published: April 2019

Terra firma-forme dermatosis (TFFD) is a little-known disease of unknown etiology that clinically presents with asymptomatic brown to black plaques and resembles dirty skin. Here, we report the case of a 38-year-old woman with skin changes on her areolae that were mistakenly diagnosed as “dermatitis neglecta” by several physicians. Cleansing with water and soap had no impact on the skin appearance. But a swab of 70% isopropyl alcohol removed the plaques immediately, which confirmed the diagnosis of TFFD. Only a few cases of TFFD have been published, and this skin condition is not mentioned in many textbooks. Given the unfamiliarity of this disease, TFFD is speculated to be immensely underdiagnosed, even though a simple diagnostic sign exists.
Tinea Capitis in Campania: A 5-Year Retrospective Study in Childhood and Adolescence (2013–2018)
Authors: Cinelli Eleonora , Villani Alessia , Fabbrocini Gabriella , Scalvenzi Massimiliano , Gallo Lucia
Published: April 2019

Introduction: Tinea capitis is a dermatophytic infection of the scalp hair commonly affecting children in school age. Methods: Here we report our data of a 5-year retrospective study, including all patients between 1 and 18 years old referred to our Mycological Laboratory for suspected tinea capitis. Results: A total of 202 patients were included and positive tests for tinea capitis were found in 86/202 (42.57%) patients. Most of the patients, 126/202 (62.38%), had not applied any topical therapy or taken any systemic drug, whereas 76/202 (37.62%) had already treated the disease. Discussion: We underline the importance of the differential diagnosis of scalp lesions, the possibility of the so-called “tinea incognita” in some cases, and the species isolated in fungal cultures. A high number of Trichophyton mentagrophytes were isolated (71/86; 82%) and this phenomenon may be due to a particular suspected clinical picture of tinea capitis that induced the dermatologist to ask for a more detailed exam.
A Low Power, Low Noise Amplifier for Recording Neural Signals
Authors: Deepika G. , Rao K.S.
Published: April 2019

The design of a low power amplifier for recording EEG signals is presented. The low noise design techniques are used in this design to achieve low input referred noise that is near the theoretical limit of any amplifier using a differential pair as input stage. To record the neural spikes or local field potentials (LFP’s) the amplifier’s bandwidth can be adjusted. In order to reject common-mode and power supply noise differential input pair need to be included in the design. The amplifier achieved a gain of 53.7dB with a band width of 0.5Hz to1.1 kHz and input referred noise measured as 357 nVrms operated with a supply voltage of 1.0V. The total power consumed is around 3.19µW. When configured to record neural signals the gain measured is 54.3 dB for a bandwidth of 100 Hz and the input referred noise is 1.04µ Vrms. The amplifier was implemented in 180nm technology and simulated using Cadence Virtuoso.
Neural Network Controller for Power Electronics Circuits
Authors: Rathi K.J. , Ali M. S.
Published: April 2019

Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques, particularly the neural networks, are recently having significant impact on power electronics. This paper explores the perspective of neural network applications in the intelligent control for power electronics circuits. The Neural Network Controller (NNC) is designed to track the output voltage and to improve the performance of power electronics circuits. The controller is designed and simulated using MATLAB-SIMULINK
Genetic Algorithm for Grammar Induction and Rules Verification through a PDA Simulator
Authors: Pandey Hari Mohan
Published: April 2019

The focus of this paper is towards developing a grammatical inference system uses a genetic algorithm (GA), has a powerful global exploration capability that can exploit the optimum offspring. The implemented system runs in two phases: first, generation of grammar rules and verification and then applies the GA’s operation to optimize the rules. A pushdown automata simulator has been developed, which parse the training data over the grammar’s rules. An inverted mutation with random mask and then ‘XOR’ operator has been applied introduces diversity in the population, helps the GA not to get trapped at local optimum. Taguchi method has been incorporated to tune the parameters makes the proposed approach more robust, statistically sound and quickly convergent. The performance of the proposed system has been compared with: classical GA, random offspring GA and crowding algorithms. Overall, a grammatical inference system has been developed that employs a PDA simulator for verification.
Classification of Road Damage from Digital Image Using Backpropagation Neural Network
Authors: Sutikno Sutikno , Wibawa Helmie Arif , Budiarto Prima Yusuf
Published: April 2019

One of the biggest causes of death in the world is a traffic accident. Road damage is one of the cause factors from the traffic accident. To reduce this problem is required an early detection against road damage. This paper describes how to classify road damage using image processing and backpropagation neural network. Image processing is used to obtain binary image consists of a normalization, grayscaling, edge detection and thresholding, while the backpropagation neural network algorithm is used for classifying. The conclusion of this test that the algorithm is able to provide the accuracy rate of 83%. The results of this research may contribute to the development of road damage detection system based on the digital image so that the traffic accidents caused by road damage can be reduced.
Integrated Algorithm for Decreasing Active Power Loss
Authors: Kanagasabai Lenin
Published: April 2019

This paper projects an Integrated Algorithm (IA) for solving optimal reactive power problem. Quick convergence of the Cuckoo Search (CS), the vibrant root change of the Firefly Algorithm (FA), and the incessant position modernization of the Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) has been combined to form the Integrated Algorithm (IA).  In order to evaluate the efficiency of the proposed Integrated Algorithm (IA), it has been tested in standard IEEE 57,118 bus systems and compared to other standard reported algorithms. Simulation results show that Integrated Algorithm (IA) is considerably reduced the real power loss and voltage profile within the limits.
Direct Torque Control of Doubly Star Induction Motor Using Fuzzy Logic Speed Controller
Authors: Hellali Lallouani , Belhamdi Saad
Published: April 2019

This paper presents the simulation of the control of doubly star induction
motor using Direct Torque Control (DTC) based on Proportional and Integral
controller (PI) and Fuzzy Logic Controller (FLC). In addition, the work
describes a model of doubly star induction motor in α-β reference frame
theory and its computer simulation in MATLAB/SIMULINK®.The structure
of the DTC has several advantages such as the short sampling time required
by the TC schemes makes them suited to a very fast flux and torque
controlled drives as well as the simplicity of the control algorithm.the
general- purpose induction drives in very wide range using DTC because it is
the excellent solution. The performances of the DTC with a PI controller and
FLC are tested under differents speeds command values and load torque.
Sizing and implementation of Photovoltaic Water Pumping System for Irrigation
Authors: S. Raghuwanshi Santosh , Khare Vikas
Published: April 2019

Solar photovoltaic systems convert energy of light directly into electrical
energy. This work presents, a process to compute the required size of the
stand-alone solar photovoltaic generator based water pumping system
for an existing area. In addition solar photovoltaic generator is
connecting voltage source inverter fed vector controlled induction
motor-pump system. Perturb and observe are used for harvesting
maximum power of PV generator in between buck-boost DC converter
and inverter system. In this paper system result is validated by fuzzy
logic system and compare with variable frequency drives based PI
controllers, driving motor-pump system. The operational performance
at 60 m head, VFD based controllers in terms overshoot and setting time
and also analysis performance of motor-pump set under different
weather conditions. By assessment of system we find that speed and
torque variation, overshoot and settling time is more with PI controller,
Fuzzy logic controller (FLC) performance have dominance to VFD
based PI controller.