bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Bidirectional relations between internalizing symptoms and peer victimization in late childhood
Authors: Mlawer Fanny , Hubbard Julie A. , Bookhout Megan K. , Moore Christina C. , Docimo Marissa A. , Swift Lauren E. , Grassetti Stevie N.
Published: February 2019

The present study investigated bidirectional relations between peer victimization and internalizing symptoms, with a focus on three forms of victimization (physical, verbal, relational) and two types of internalizing symptoms (depressive, anxious). In the fall and spring, children (N = 1,264–1,402 fourth and fifth graders depending on time point and data source) reported on their victimization, and teachers reported on children’s depressive and anxious symptoms. In a model including the broad constructs of victimization and internalizing symptoms, bidirectional relations emerged, with earlier victimization predicting increases in later internalizing symptoms and earlier internalizing symptoms predicting increases in later victimization. These bidirectional relations did not hold in two additional models, the first of which included the three forms of victimization and internalizing symptoms and the second of which included victimization and the two types of internalizing symptoms. Rather, results of the first model suggested that earlier internalizing symptoms predicted later physical, verbal, and relational (marginal) victimization, and the second model did not fit the data well. Findings are discussed in terms of implications of bidirectional relations between victimization and internalizing symptoms.
Characterization of the novel HLA‐C*08:154 allele by sequencing‐based typing
Authors: Wang Wei , Wang Fang , Zhang Wei , He Ji , Zhu Faming
Published: February 2019

HLA‐C*08:154 differs from HLA‐C*08:22 by one nucleotide substitution at codon 99 in exon 3.
Hemostatic properties of cold‐stored whole blood leukoreduced using a platelet‐sparing versus a non–platelet‐sparing filter
Authors: Haddaway Kathy , Bloch Evan M. , Tobian Aaron A.R. , Frank Steven M. , Sikorski Robert , Cho Brian C. , Zheng Gang , Jani Jayesh , Lokhandwala Parvez M. , Lawrence Courtney E. , Blagg Lorraine , Ness Paul M. , Kickler Thomas S. , Gehrie Eric A.
Published: February 2019

BACKGROUND

Whole blood (WB) is an appealing alternative to component‐based transfusion in patients with significant bleeding. Historically, WB was transfused less than 48 hours after collection and was not leukoreduced (LR). However, LR components are now standard in many hospitals and LR WB is desirable. We investigated the effect of the type of LR filter used, as well as storage duration, on coagulation laboratory testing of WB.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

Ten units of LR WB—5 units manufactured with a Food and Drug Administration (FDA)‐approved platelet (PLT)‐sparing filter (WB‐PS) and 5 units manufactured with an FDA‐approved non–PLT‐sparing filter (WB‐NPS)—underwent complete blood count, PLT function analyzer (PFA [PFA‐100]), thromboelastography (TEG), prothrombin time (PT), partial thromboplastin time (PTT), Factor (F)V activity, chromogenic FVIII, thrombin generation, and microparticle quantification on Storage Days 3, 5, 7, 10, and 14.

RESULTS

WB‐PS contains more PLTs than WB‐NPS (mean, 71 × 109/L vs. 1 × 109/L, p < 0.001). WB‐PS yielded essentially normal TEG tracings, while TEG tracings of WB‐NPS were grossly abnormal (mean reaction time, 7.0 min for WB‐PS vs. 9.7 min for WB‐NPS, p < 0.001; mean alpha‐angle 54.9° vs. 38.1°, p < 0.001; mean maximum amplitude, 54.9 mm vs. 13.9 mm, p < 0.001). PFA‐100 closure was more common among units of WB‐PS compared to units of WB‐NPS (72% vs. 4%, p < 0.001). PT, PTT, and factor activities were not dramatically affected by the LR filter.

CONCLUSION

The choice LR filter has a major impact on the hemostatic properties of WB. Although storage of WB is associated with a rapid decline in PLT count, hemostasis as assessed by TEG and PFA‐100 is not diminished over a 2‐week storage period.
Human platelet lysate current standards and future developments
Authors: Henschler Reinhard , Gabriel Christian , Schallmoser Katharina , Burnouf Thierry , Koh Mickey B.C.
Published: February 2019

A state‐of‐the‐art workshop focused on the use of human platelet lysate (HPL) for cell therapy. The meeting established that HPL is used mainly as an adjunct material for ex vivo expansion of mesenchymal stem/progenitor cells (MSCs), where it is successfully used as a substitute for fetal bovine serum. HPL manufacturing as a cell expansion supplement is currently not yet uniformly standardized with regard to platelet source and production methodology. There are very few reports of HPL preparations manufactured specifically for direct clinical use. There exists an urgent need for controlled clinical studies for HPL and for standardization of product definition. Workshop participants also stated a need for consensus minimum release criteria to allow for better product definition and to limit variability in performance. The increasing use of cell‐based therapies including MSCs has led to an increasing demand for HPL, either produced in blood establishments or large‐scale manufacture by biopharmaceutical companies. The use of pooled donor platelets for HPL production may require the implementation of pathogen inactivation procedures and/or removal steps to improve the safety of advanced cell therapy products. There should also be a requirement for thorough risk assessments and risk mitigation steps, including the qualification of suppliers and identification of ingredients as well as meticulous monitoring of product quality and safety profiles. State‐of‐the‐art regulatory approaches for HPL used for human cell propagation and PRP in direct clinical applications were reviewed.
Xenotransplantation in China: Present status
Authors: Wang Yi , Lei Tiantian , Wei Liang , Du Suya , Girani Lea , Deng Shaoping
Published: February 2019

The main obstacle to organ transplantation is the shortage of organs from deceased individuals. Especially in China, the ratio of patients on the waiting list versus the transplant recipients is 30:1. Therefore, there is an urgent need for organ donors. Genetically modified pig organs have proved to be a new source for xenotransplantation, and Chinese scientists have made considerable progress in this area during recent years. In this paper, we review four important aspects of the xenotransplantation field in China. First, a large variety of genetically modified pigs have been generated by Chinese scientists: all these genetically modified pigs and the purpose of these modifications will be summarized. Second, the preclinical research in pig‐to‐nonhuman primate xenotransplantation is outlined. The survival time and major biochemical parameters for the xenografts are summarized. Third, regarding the bench‐to‐bed approach, more suitable organs have been developed for xenotransplantation in humans, and in particular, pig islet transplantation into diabetic patients as well as pig‐to‐human cornea and skin transplantation. Fourth, we briefly address the regulations and prospects for recruiting xenotransplantation experts in China. Based on recent progress, we anticipate that genetically modified pigs will offer suitable organs for the treatment of end‐stage organ diseases in humans in the near future. Given the recent influx of world‐renowned scientists in xenotransplantation to China, our country will definitely become one of the major centers of xenotransplantation research and development in the world.
Cross-sections of unknotted ribbon disks and algebraic curves
Authors: Hayden Kyle
Published: February 2019

We resolve parts (A) and (B) of Problem 1.100 from Kirby’s list [Problems in low-dimensional topology, in Geometric topology, AMS/IP Studies in Advanced Mathematics, vol. 2 (American Mathematical Society, Providence, RI, 1997), 35–473] by showing that many nontrivial links arise as cross-sections of unknotted holomorphic disks in the four-ball. The techniques can be used to produce unknotted ribbon surfaces with prescribed cross-sections, including unknotted Lagrangian disks with nontrivial cross-sections.
Comprehensive analysis of field-electron emission properties of nanosized silicon blade-type and needle-type field emitters
Authors: Demin Gleb D. , Djuzhev Nikolay A. , Filippov Nikolay A. , Glagolev Petr Yu. , Evsikov Iliya D. , Patyukov Nikolay N.
Published: February 2019

The reproducibility of complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) technology makes it very promising for creating commercially available vacuum emission micro/nanoelectronic devices. However, there are a number of challenges that occur with CMOS, including current hysteresis, transition to the generation of self-sustained plasma, and thermal melting of the cathode. These issues affect the process of field-electron emission and lead to instability and subsequent degradation of field-emission cathodes. More detailed study is needed in order to address these negative effects. In this study, an array of nanoscale silicon needle-type cathodes and a single blade-type cathode were placed in vacuum to characterize their field-emission properties. The hysteresis nature of the field-emission current and the smooth transition from field emission to the generation of self-sustained plasma in the interelectrode space were simultaneously observed. Based on these experimental results, the authors propose the possible origins and mechanisms underlying these two phenomena. It was theoretically found that at field-emission currents corresponding to the observed melting point of the silicon nanocathodes, the melting point of silicon is not reached, which indicates the need to take into account additional effects of field emission, such as sputtering of the anode material. The results are useful for developing field-emission nanodevices based on silicon CMOS technology.
Extending the compositional diversity of films in area selective atomic layer deposition through chemical functionalities
Authors: Mettry Magi , Hess Alexander E. , Goetting Isabella , Arellano Noel , Friz Alexander , Tek Andy , Wojtecki Rudy J.
Published: February 2019

As the semiconductor community continues scaling, area selective atomic layer deposition (ASD) offers the potential to relax down stream processing steps by enabling self-aligned processes (e.g., self-aligned vias). Otherwise, conventional means of lithography face increasingly difficult challenges such as patterning and overlay errors as resolution improves. ASD can be achieved under a variety of conditions, and with the use of organic inhibiting materials, it can exhibit some of the highest levels of selectivity. However, the structure property relationship of these inhibiting materials is not completely understood, and therefore the relationship between a materials chemical functionality and its inhibiting properties remains largely unexplored. This was explored with polymeric materials that served as a versatile materials platform allowing a broad variation of chemical functional groups and physical properties that may then enable the ASD community to extend the number and types of films that can be selectively deposited. Initially, hydrophobic polymers including polystyrene (PS) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC), as well as an oleophobic polymer, poly[difluoro-bis(trifluoromethyo)-dioxole-co-tetrafluoroethylene] (PTFE-AF), were surveyed for their inhibitory properties toward the atomic layer deposition of industry relevant metal oxides such as Al2O3 and TiO2, which heavily feature as etch masks and other functional nanostructures. Despite blanket deposition of Al2O3 being observed, even when using an oleophobic polymer such as PTFE-AF, TiO2 deposition was notably inhibited by blanket films of PVC, PS, and PTFE-AF. In light of these results, the functionalization of PVC and PS with selective area substrate anchoring groups such as phosphonic acids (targeting copper oxide surfaces) was conducted to investigate whether grafting selectivity of these polymer films to their intended surface could be inhibited, thereby achieving film growth in the proximal uninhibited area. Two methods of polymer functionalization were evaluated: phosphonic acid groups distributed randomly throughout the polymer backbone of PVC and a single phosphonic acid group localized at the chain end of PS. Notably, the PVC multidentate derivatives and the PS monodentate type polymers exhibited effective inhibition of TiO2.
Role of Viscoelasticity in Bacterial Killing by Antimicrobials in Differently Grown
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Biofilms
Authors: Rozenbaum René T. , van der Mei Henny C. , Woudstra Willem , de Jong Ed D. , Busscher Henk J. , Sharma Prashant K.
Published: February 2019

Pseudomonas aeruginosa
colonizes the sputum of most adult cystic fibrosis patients, forming difficult-to-eradicate biofilms in which bacteria are protected in their self-produced extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) matrices. EPS provide biofilms with viscoelastic properties, causing time-dependent relaxation after stress-induced deformation, according to multiple characteristic time constants.
Dynamics of Resistance Plasmids in Extended-Spectrum-β-Lactamase-Producing
Enterobacteriaceae
during Postinfection Colonization
Authors: Brolund Alma , Rajer Fredrika , Giske Christian G. , Melefors Öjar , Titelman Emilia , Sandegren Linus
Published: February 2019

Extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing
Enterobacteriaceae
(EPE) are a major cause of bloodstream infections, and the colonization rate of EPE in the gut microbiota of individuals lacking prior hospitalization or comorbidities is increasing. In this study, we performed an in-depth investigation of the temporal dynamics of EPE and their plasmids during one year by collecting fecal samples from three patients initially seeking medical care for urinary tract infections.
Select β-Lactam Combinations Exhibit Synergy against
Mycobacterium abscessus In Vitro
Authors: Story-Roller Elizabeth , Maggioncalda Emily C. , Lamichhane Gyanu
Published: February 2019

Mycobacterium abscessus
is a nontuberculous mycobacterium that causes invasive pulmonary infections in patients with structural lung disease.
M. abscessus
is intrinsically resistant to several classes of antibiotics, and an increasing number of strains isolated from patients exhibit resistance to most antibiotics considered for treatment of infections by this mycobacterium.
Resistance to Two Vinylglycine Antibiotic Analogs Is Conferred by Inactivation of Two Separate Amino Acid Transporters in
Erwinia amylovora
Authors: Smith Derek D. N. , Williams Ashley N. , Verrett Jennifer N. , Bergbusch Nathanael T. , Manning Viola , Trippe Kristin , Stavrinides John
Published: February 2019

The related antibiotics formylaminooxyvinylglycine (FVG) and aminoethoxyvinylglycine (AVG) have been shown to have activity against the fire blight pathogen
Erwinia amylovora
; however,
E. amylovora
can develop spontaneous resistance to these antibiotics. By comparing the genomes of mutants to those of the wild type, we found that inactivation of the
l
-asparagine transporter conferred resistance to FVG, while inactivation of the
l
-arginine transporter conferred resistance to AVG. We also show that the transporter encoded by the FVG biosynthetic cluster can confer resistance to both FVG and AVG. Our work indicates the important role that amino acid transporters play in the import of antibiotics and highlights the possible utility in designer antibiotics that enter the bacterial cell through amino acid transporters.
Calcium Ions Modulate Amino Acid Sensing of the Chemoreceptor Mlp24 of
Vibrio cholerae
Authors: Takahashi Yohei , Nishiyama So-ichiro , Sumita Kazumasa , Kawagishi Ikuro , Imada Katsumi
Published: February 2019

Mlp24 and Mlp37 are homologous chemoreceptors of
Vibrio cholerae
that bind various amino acids. Although most of the residues involved in ligand interaction are conserved, these chemoreceptors show different affinities for the same ligand and play different cellular roles. A series of ligand complex structures of the periplasmic region of Mlp24 (Mlp24p) and following ITC analysis revealed that Ca
2+
binds to the loop of Mlp24p and modulates the ligand binding affinity of Mlp24p. Moreover, Ca
2+
changes the chemotactic behaviors mediated by Mlp24. We propose that Ca
2+
acts as a cosignal that modulates the affinity of Mlp24 for the primary signal, thereby changing the chemotactic behavior of
V. cholerae
.
Multilocus Variable-Number Tandem-Repeat Analysis of Clostridioides difficile Clusters in Ribotype 027 Isolates and Lack of Association with Clinical Outcomes
Authors: Garneau Julian R. , Abou Chakra Claire Nour , Fortier Louis-Charles , Labbé Annie-Claude , Simor Andrew E. , Gold Wayne , Muller Matthew , McGeer Allison , Powis Jeff , Katz Kevin , Pépin Jacques , Valiquette Louis
Published: February 2019

The epidemiology of
Clostridioides difficile
infection (CDI) has drastically changed since the emergence of the epidemic strain BI/NAP1/027, also known as ribotype 027 (R027). However, the relationship between the infecting
C. difficile
strain and clinical outcomes is still debated.
Streptococcus agalactiae
Strains with Chromosomal Deletions Evade Detection with Molecular Methods
Authors: Tickler Isabella A. , Tenover Fred C. , Dewell Scott , Le Victoria M. , Blackman Rachel N. , Goering Richard V. , Rogers Amy E. , Piwonka Heather , Jung-Hynes Brittney D. , Chen Derrick J. , Loeffelholz Michael J. , Gnanashanmugam Devasena , Baron Ellen Jo
Published: February 2019

Surveillance of circulating microbial populations is critical for monitoring the performance of a molecular diagnostic test. In this study, we characterized 31 isolates of
Streptococcus agalactiae
(group B
Streptococcus
[GBS]) from several geographic locations in the United States and Ireland that contain deletions in or adjacent to the region of the chromosome that encodes the hemolysin gene
cfb
, the region targeted by the Xpert GBS and GBS LB assays.
Comparison of Herpes Simplex Virus 1 Strains Circulating in Finland Demonstrates the Uncoupling of Whole-Genome Relatedness and Phenotypic Outcomes of Viral Infection
Authors: Bowen Christopher D. , Paavilainen Henrik , Renner Daniel W. , Palomäki Jussi , Lehtinen Jenni , Vuorinen Tytti , Norberg Peter , Hukkanen Veijo , Szpara Moriah L.
Published: February 2019

Herpes simplex viruses (HSV) infect a majority of adults. Recent data have highlighted the genetic diversity of HSV-1 strains and demonstrated apparent genomic relatedness between strains from the same geographic regions. We used HSV-1 clinical isolates from Finland to test the relationship between viral genomic and geographic relationships, differences in specific genes, and characteristics of viral infection. We found that viral isolates from Finland separated into two distinct groups of genomic and geographic relatedness, potentially reflecting historical patterns of human and viral migration into Finland. These Finnish HSV-1 isolates had distinct infection characteristics in multiple cell types tested, which were specific to each isolate and did not group according to genomic and geographic relatedness. This demonstrates that HSV-1 strain differences in specific characteristics of infection are set by a combination of host cell type and specific viral gene-level differences.
Human Cytomegalovirus Immediate Early 86-kDa Protein Blocks Transcription and Induces Degradation of the Immature Interleukin-1β Protein during Virion-Mediated Activation of the AIM2 Inflammasome
Authors: Botto Sara , Abraham Jinu , Mizuno Nobuyo , Pryke Kara , Gall Bryan , Landais Igor , Streblow Daniel N. , Fruh Klaus J. , DeFilippis Victor R.
Published: February 2019

Persistent infection with HCMV is associated with the operation of diverse evasion phenotypes directed at antiviral immunity. Obstruction of intrinsic and innate immune responses is typically conferred by viral proteins either associated with the viral particle or expressed immediately after entry. In line with this, numerous phenotypes are attributed to the HCMV IE86 protein that involve interference with innate immune processes via transcriptional and protein-directed mechanisms. We describe novel IE86-mediated phenotypes aimed at virus-induced secretion of IL-1β. Intriguingly, while many viruses target the function of the molecular scaffold required for IL-1β maturation to prevent this response, we find that HCMV and IE86 target the IL-1β protein specifically. Moreover, we show that IE86 impairs both the synthesis of the IL-1β transcript and the stability of the immature protein. This indicates an unusual phenomenon in which a single viral protein exhibits two molecularly separate evasion phenotypes directed at a single innate cytokine.
Two KTR Mannosyltransferases Are Responsible for the Biosynthesis of Cell Wall Mannans and Control Polarized Growth in
Aspergillus fumigatus
Authors: Henry Christine , Li Jizhou , Danion François , Alcazar-Fuoli Laura , Mellado Emilia , Beau Rémi , Jouvion Grégory , Latgé Jean-Paul , Fontaine Thierry
Published: February 2019

The fungal cell wall is a complex and dynamic entity essential for the development of fungi. It allows fungal pathogens to survive environmental challenge posed by nutrient stress and host defenses, and it also is central to polarized growth. The cell wall is mainly composed of polysaccharides organized in a three-dimensional network.
Aspergillus fumigatus
produces a cell wall galactomannan whose biosynthetic pathway and biological functions remain poorly defined. Here, we described two new mannosyltransferases essential to the synthesis of the cell wall galactomannan. Their absence leads to a growth defect with misregulation of polarization and altered conidiation, with conidia which are bigger and more permeable than the conidia of the parental strain. This study showed that in spite of its low concentration in the cell wall, this polysaccharide is absolutely required for cell wall stability, for apical growth, and for the full virulence of
A. fumigatus
.
Herpes Simplex Virus 1 Lytic Infection Blocks MicroRNA (miRNA) Biogenesis at the Stage of Nuclear Export of Pre-miRNAs
Authors: Pan Dongli , Li Gang , Morris-Love Jenna , Qi Shuyuan , Feng Lei , Mertens Max E. , Jurak Igor , Knipe David M. , Coen Donald M.
Published: February 2019

Various mechanisms have been identified by which viruses target host small RNA biogenesis pathways to achieve optimal infection outcomes. Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) is a ubiquitous human pathogen whose successful persistence in the host entails both productive (“lytic”) and latent infection. Although many HSV-1 miRNAs have been discovered and some are thought to help control the lytic/latent switch, little is known about regulation of their biogenesis. By characterizing expression of both pre-miRNAs and mature miRNAs under various conditions, this study revealed striking differences in miRNA biogenesis between lytic and latent infection and uncovered a regulatory mechanism that blocks pre-miRNA nuclear export and is dependent on viral protein ICP27 and viral DNA synthesis. This mechanism represents a new virus-host interaction that could limit the repressive effects of HSV-1 miRNAs hypothesized to promote latency and may shed light on the regulation of miRNA nuclear export, which has been relatively unexplored.
Gas radiative effects on gas-filled flat plate solar collectors
Authors: Lari Khosro , Tarokh Ali , Naghizadeh Mohammad
Published: February 2019

A standard thermal solar collector can be used for both hot water production and air heating purposes. Gas-filled solar collectors represent a new emerging design approach with enhanced characteristics. In this research, numerical modeling is utilized to study radiative effects of the participating gases on the performance of solar collectors. The coupled radiative–convective heat transfer in the solar collector is considered and the collector cavity is considered as a radiatively participating medium. The finite volume method has been adopted to solve the governing equations and discrete ordinates method is used for radiative transfer. After validating the model used in this study, it is used to obtain the heat transfer characteristics of a flat-plate solar collector with real solar conditions of the city of Kerman, Iran, in summer at a wide range of air absorption coefficients. According to the results, by increasing the absorption coefficient of the air, the temperature of the absorber plate is reduced and the air temperature is increased, but the increase of air temperature is much higher than the reduction of absorber temperature. Hence, it is concluded that it is possible to use participating gases in the solar air heaters to enhance the performance of the collector.
DNA barcoding of fish species reveals low rate of package mislabeling in Qatar
Authors: Chen Kuei-Chiu , Zakaria Dalia , Altarawneh Heba , Andrews Gabriala Nathasha , Ganesan Gowrii S. , John Karen M. , Khan Sarah , Ladumor Heta
Published: February 2019

DNA barcoding technique has made it possible to authenticate various species used for food and medicinal purposes. In the identification of seafood species, studies are concentrated in North America, Europe, and Asia. Elsewhere, including countries in the Middle East and North Africa, studies of this sort are scarce. This study focuses on packaged fresh or minimally processed fish fillet available at eight major supermarket chains in Qatar. A cocktail of eight primers attached with M13 tails established for fish species identification was adopted to facilitate PCR and sequencing. Sequences were compared with those available in the Barcode of Life Databases (BOLD Systems) and BLAST in NCBI databases. Among the 62 unique fish packages with resolved sequences, only three are confirmed to be mislabeled, at a rate of about 5%. Two of the substituted species are high value items while the third species was replaced by another, equally low-cost species. The relatively low rate of mislabeling in the samples is perhaps a result of strict local food safety regulations, which may have led to high consistency between the package labels and their contents.
Democracy in Myth: The Politics of Precariatization in South Korea
Authors: YUN JI-WHAN
Published: February 2019

After undergoing a series of mass demonstrations during the past three decades, including the 2016–2017 candlelight protests that led to the impeachment of President Park Geun-hye, many commentators in South Korea are confident that their country has become a land for what Karl Marx called “free men.” Korean citizens are portrayed as being ready to participate in voluntary political associations and collective actions and to pursue their interests in the public sphere. However, the data are showing the opposite to be true: citizen participation in public-sphere activities has substantially decreased since the mid-2000s, while the government has managed to improve or at least maintain its political responsiveness during the same period. Explaining the unnoticed background to this imbalance, this essay sheds light on the myth of the benefactor state in Korean democracy, arguing that this has emerged because neoliberalism has not only placed an increasing number of people in precarious positions but also neutralized them politically. The Korean government has capitalized on this situation to mythicize itself as a benefactor state that possesses an incomparable administrative capacity to take care of precarious people. By investigating the period of Park’s presidency (2013–2017) and the current rule of President Moon Jae-in (2017–), this essay shows how the myth of the benefactor state has emerged and created a unique cycle of Korean democracy.
Archibald Geikie's role in the establishment of the Scottish oil shale industry
Authors: Craig Jonathan , Underhill John R.
Published: February 2019

Archibald Geikie played a fundamental, but largely unrecognized, role in the establishment of the Scottish oil shale industry by providing James ‘Paraffin’ Young with the critical information about the location, thickness and probable geographical extent of organic-rich shales during their field visit in 1858. Young subsequently used the observations to determine where to buy leases for commercial oil shale extraction and production before any competitors emerged. Geikie acquired his critical knowledge of the area whilst preparing the first map and memoir of the Edinburgh area published in 1859 and 1861, respectively. In 1866, Young's Paraffin Light and Mineral Oil Company Limited opened the Addiewell works, the largest oil shale works in the world at the time. By the late 1860s, there were over 120 works distilling oil in Scotland, mostly from the shales of the Lothians. Eventually, more than 22 million gallons of crude oil a year were produced in the Midland Valley in an industry that employed
c.
40 000 people. Although the Scottish oil shale industry eventually closed in the 1960s, Geikie's legacy lives on through a better understanding of the geology of the Midland Valley and the renewed interest in extracting oil and gas from the shales buried beneath.
W3W
Authors: Zhang Qian , Li Fan , Yang Song , Wang Yu
Published: February 2019

The usage of hybrid energy supplied sensors in the Internet of Things has enabled longer lifetime of sensors and expanded scope of applications. These sensors can combine advantages of environmental energy harvesting techniques and wireless energy harvesting techniques. However, how to coordinate them is still a challenge and has not been studied extensively. In this article, we present a system based on mobile crowd wireless charging to manage energy of hybrid energy supplied sensors. When environmental energy is insufficient, the system will utilize smart devices carried by mobile users as chargers to provide wireless energy. We construct and study a W3W problem in the system: when to leverage mobile crowd wireless charging to support rechargeable sensors, where to perform wireless energy transfer, and whom to allocate and incentivize as chargers to maximize useful energy value over all sensors subject to a budget. In order to control the actual quality of wireless energy charging, we propose a design principle named task completion trustfulness. We consider offline and online conditions and design corresponding algorithms with incentive allocations. Extensive simulations are conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of our algorithms, which also validates our theoretical results.
Design of a Physiology-based Adaptive Virtual Reality Driving Platform for Individuals with ASD
Authors: Bian Dayi , Wade Joshua , Swanson Amy , Weitlauf Amy , Warren Zachary , Sarkar Nilanjan
Published: February 2019

Driving is essential for many people in developed countries to achieve independence. Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), in addition to having social skill deficits, may experience difficulty in learning to drive due to deficits in attention-shifting, performing sequential tasks, integrating visual-motor responses, and coordinating motor response. Lacking confidence and feeling anxiety further exacerbates these concerns. While there is a growing body of research regarding assessment of driving behavior or comparisons of driving behaviors between individuals with and without ASD, there is a lack of driving simulator that is catered toward the needs of individuals with ASD. We present the development of a novel closed-loop adaptive Virtual Reality (VR) driving simulator for individuals with ASD that can infer one's engagement based on his/her physiological responses and adapts driving task difficulty based on engagement level in real-time. We believe that this simulator will provide opportunities for learning driving skills in a safe and individualized environment to individuals with ASD and help them with independent living. We also conducted a small user study with teenagers with ASD to demonstrate the feasibility and tolerability of such a driving simulator. Preliminary results showed that the participants found the engagement-sensitive system more engaging and more enjoyable than a purely performance-sensitive system. These findings could support future work into driving simulator technologies, which could provide opportunities to practice driving skills in cost-effective, supportive, and safe environments.
Regulation of Thirst and Vasopressin Release
Authors: Bichet Daniel G.
Published: February 2019

Recent experiments using optogenetic tools facilitate the identification and functional analysis of thirst neurons and vasopressin-producing neurons. Four major advances provide a detailed anatomy and physiology of thirst, taste for water, and arginine-vasopressin (AVP) release: ( a) Thirst and AVP release are regulated by the classical homeostatic, interosensory plasma osmolality negative feedback as well as by novel, exterosensory, anticipatory signals. These anticipatory signals for thirst and vasopressin release concentrate on the same homeostatic neurons and circumventricular organs that monitor the composition of blood. ( b) Acid-sensing taste receptor cells (TRCs) expressing otopetrin 1 on type III presynaptic TRCs on the tongue, which were previously suggested as the sour taste sensors, also mediate taste responses to water. ( c) Dehydration is aversive, and median preoptic nucleus (MnPO) neuron activity is proportional to the intensity of this aversive state. ( d) MnPOGLP1R neurons serve as a central detector that discriminates fluid ingestion from solid ingestion, which promotes acute satiation of thirst through the subfornical organ and other downstream targets.
Biomarkers of Acute and Chronic Kidney Disease
Authors: Zhang William R. , Parikh Chirag R.
Published: February 2019

The current unidimensional paradigm of kidney disease detection is incompatible with the complexity and heterogeneity of renal pathology. The diagnosis of kidney disease has largely focused on glomerular filtration, while assessment of kidney tubular health has notably been absent. Following insult, the kidney tubular cells undergo a cascade of cellular responses that result in the production and accumulation of low-molecular-weight proteins in the urine and systemic circulation. Modern advancements in molecular analysis and proteomics have allowed the identification and quantification of these proteins as biomarkers for assessing and characterizing kidney diseases. In this review, we highlight promising biomarkers of kidney tubular health that have strong underpinnings in the pathophysiology of kidney disease. These biomarkers have been applied to various specific clinical settings from the spectrum of acute to chronic kidney diseases, demonstrating the potential to improve patient care.
Regulation of Blood and Lymphatic Vessels by Immune Cells in Tumors and Metastasis
Authors: Mazzone Massimiliano , Bergers Gabriele
Published: February 2019

Research over the last decades has provided strong evidence for the pivotal role of the tumor-associated blood and lymphatic vasculature in supporting immunoevasion and in subverting T cell–mediated immunosurveillance. Conversely, tumor blood and lymphatic vessel growth is in part regulated by the immune system, with infiltrating innate as well as adaptive immune cells providing both immunosuppressive and various angiogenic signals. Thus, tumor angiogenesis and escape of immunosurveillance are two cancer hallmarks that are tightly linked and interregulated by cell constituents from compartments secreting both chemokines and cytokines. In this review, we discuss the implication and regulation of innate and adaptive immune cells in regulating blood and lymphatic angiogenesis in tumor progression and metastases. Moreover, we also highlight novel therapeutic approaches that target the tumor vasculature as well as the immune compartment to sustain and improve therapeutic efficacy in cancer.
Serum Exosomal miRNAs Are Associated with Active Pulmonary Tuberculosis
Authors: Alipoor Shamila D. , Tabarsi Payam , Varahram Mohammad , Movassaghi Mehrnaz , Dizaji Mehdi Kazempour , Folkerts Gert , Garssen Johan , Adcock Ian M. , Mortaz Esmaeil
Published: February 2019

Introduction. Tuberculosis (TB) remains a major threat to human health. Due to the limited accuracy of the current TB diagnostic tests, it is critical to determine novel biomarkers for this disease. Circulating exosomes have been used as diagnostic biomarkers in various diseases. Objective of the Study. In this pilot study, we examined the expression of miRNAs as biomarker candidates for the diagnosis of TB infection. Methods. Serum-derived exosomes were isolated from TB patients and matched control subjects. The expression of miR-484, miR-425, and miR-96 was examined by RT-PCR methods. Results. The expression of miR-484, miR-425, and miR-96 were significantly increased in serum of TB patients which correlated with the TB infection level. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis showed the diagnostic potency of each individual serum exosomal miRNA with an area under the curve AUC=0.72 for miR-484 (p<0.05), 0.66 for miR-425 (p<0.05), and 0.62 for miR-96 (p<0.05). Conclusion. These results demonstrate that exosomal miRNAs have diagnostic potential in active tuberculosis. The diagnostic power may be improved when combined with conventional diagnostic markers.
A Hybrid Clustering Approach for Bag‐of‐Words Image Categorization
Authors: Huang Hui , Ma Yan
Published: February 2019

The Bag‐of‐Words (BoW) model is a well‐known image categorization technique. However, in conventional BoW, neither the vocabulary size nor the visual words can be determined automatically. To overcome these problems, a hybrid clustering approach that combines improved hierarchical clustering with a K‐means algorithm is proposed. We present a cluster validity index for the hierarchical clustering algorithm to adaptively determine when the algorithm should terminate and the optimal number of clusters. Furthermore, we improve the max‐min distance method to optimize the initial cluster centers. The optimal number of clusters and initial cluster centers are fed into K‐means, and finally the vocabulary size and visual words are obtained. The proposed approach is extensively evaluated on two visual datasets. The experimental results show that the proposed method outperforms the conventional BoW model in terms of categorization and demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of our approach.
Incidence of Second Primary Malignancies in Patients with Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer: An Observational Retrospective Cohort Study in the United States
Authors: Saltus Catherine W. , Vassilev Zdravko P. , Zong Jihong , Calingaert Brian , Andrews Elizabeth B. , Soriano-Gabarró Montse , Kaye James A.
Published: February 2019

Background. New therapies for castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) may be associated with increased risk of second primary malignancies (SPM). We therefore estimated the population-based incidence of SPM among patients with CRPC in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Medicare database. We also estimated the proportion of men with CRPC with bone metastases and overall survival. Methods. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of United States (US) men aged ≥ 65 years with CRPC. Cohort entry was from January 1, 2000, to December 31, 2011, with follow-up through December 31, 2013. Castration resistance was defined by treatment with second-line systemic therapy (after surgical or medical castration). SPM were diagnoses of primary cancers (other than prostate) in SEER or Medicare data. Results. Altogether 2,234 patients met eligibility criteria. Most (1,887; 84.5%) had evidence of bone metastases in Medicare claims. SPM occurred in 172 patients (incidence rate 5.9 per 100 person-years; 95% confidence interval [CI], 5.0-6.8; standardized incidence ratio = 3.1, 95% CI, 2.8-3.6, based on SEER incidence rate of all malignancies except prostate cancer among men aged ≥ 65 years). The most common SPM were lung/bronchus (n = 29, 16.9%), urinary bladder (n = 22, 12.8%), and colon/rectum (n = 21, 12.2%). Median survival was 1.2 years (95% CI, 1.1-1.3); 5-year survival was 9% (95% CI, 7-11%). Conclusions. This study provides the first estimate of SPM risk in older men with CRPC in the US. The incidence rate is approximately threefold higher than the population-based cancer incidence among men without prostate cancer.
A New Blood Pulsation Simulator Platform Incorporating Cardiovascular Physiology for Evaluating Radial Pulse Waveform
Authors: Yang Tae-Heon , Kim Jaeuk U. , Kim Young-Min , Koo Jeong-Hoi , Woo Sam-Yong
Published: February 2019

To meet the need for “standard” testing system for wearable blood pressure sensors, this study intends to develop a new radial pulsation simulator that can generate age-dependent reference radial artery pressure waveforms reflecting the physiological characteristics of human cardiovascular system. To closely duplicate a human cardiovascular system, the proposed simulator consists of a left ventricle simulation module, an aorta simulation module, a peripheral resistance simulation module, and a positive/negative pressure control reservoir module. Simulating physiologies of blood pressure, the compliance chamber in the simulator can control arterial stiffness to produce age-dependent pressure waveforms. The augmentation index was used to assess the pressure waveforms generated by the simulator. The test results show that the simulator can generate and control radial pressure waveforms similar to human pulse signals consisting of early systolic pressure, late systolic pressure, and dicrotic notch. Furthermore, the simulator’s left ventricular pressure-volume loop results demonstrate that the simulator exhibits mechanical characteristics of the human cardiovascular system. The proposed device can be effectively used as a “standard” radial artery pressure simulator to calibrate the wearable sensor’s measurement characteristics and to develop more advanced sensors. The simulator is intended to serve as a platform for the development, performance verification, and calibration of wearable blood pressure sensors. It will contribute to the advancement of the wearable blood pressure sensor technology, which enables real-time monitoring of users’ radial artery pressure waveforms and eventually predicting cardiovascular diseases.
Comprehensive Research of Scaling Prediction for Gas Reservoir Fluid considering Phase State
Authors: Zheng Heng , Pu Chunsheng
Published: February 2019

During the exploitation of a gas reservoir containing water, the scaling problem is usually affecting the gas production in gas wells. Although the scale formation that occurs during oil field development is quite different from the aforementioned gas field, the phase behavior plays a pivotal role in the formation of inorganic scale in gas field development. It is a well-known fact that there is no device that can directly measure the extent of scaling formation in a high-temperature and high-pressure reservoir. At the same time, the commonly applied scaling prediction method does not account for the fluid phase state. In this work, the scaling condition and alteration in controlling parameters in an actual gas reservoir were studied by self-developed high-temperature and high-pressure formation fluid equipments. From thermodynamics, a new scaling prediction model for the multiphase equilibrium of gas reservoir fluid is proposed that considers gas, liquid hydrocarbon, formation water, and inorganic salt scale. For the complexity of the direct solution for a phase equilibrium system with a chemical reaction, a simplified method for calculating the phase change and chemical equilibrium in a multiphase equilibrium system with chemical reactions is proposed based on the conservation of materials and the unification of the physical properties of components. The results show that the predicted value of the model was consistent with the experimental results. The new scaling prediction model considered the influence of the phase state which can accurately predict the change of the fluid phase state and the amount of inorganic salt scaling of actual gas reservoir fluids under the condition of multiphase equilibrium. Moreover, the average deviation of the prediction results is about 3%. The predicted scaling amount of the model without considering the effect of phase change is significantly lower than that of the experimental results. More specifically, the average deviation is around 30%. With the decrease of gas reservoir pressure, formation water evaporation intensifies under the influence of the oil and gas phase state, which leads to the increase of the formation water ion concentration when the influence of the fluid phase change is not considered. Then, the prediction of the inorganic salt scaling will be significantly lower.
Influence Law of Interbedded Strata and Their Collapse on the Mining of Extremely Thick Coal Seam under Goaf
Authors: Ji Chunxu , Yang Yongkang , Guo Xingyun , Kang Tianhe , Guo Zefeng
Published: February 2019

Interbedded strata and their collapse are vital to mining pressure control for extremely thick coal seam under goaf. To ensure the stability of the support and to avoid roof collapse, some traditional underground pressure theoretical models had been widely used in the control of surrounding rock and the selection of support. However, one of the challenges for extremely thick coal seam under goaf is that the abnormal disasters, such as support crushing and water inrush that were occurring frequently. To solve this problem, the movement characteristics of overburden rocks during the mining of extremely thick coal seam under the conditions of the interlayer thickness of 5 m and 40 m were studied by using the similar simulation experiments, while the numerical simulation experiments were carried out for the interval between coal seams of 15 m and 60 m, respectively. Finally, the structure and mechanical transfer mechanism of overburden in stope under different thickness interbedded strata were analyzed dynamically, and the condition of full‐thickness connection between upper goaf and lower goaf and corresponding judgment criteria are obtained. These results can guide future research on the mechanical of extremely thick coal seam under goaf, which can provide a theoretical basis and engineering reference for similar projects.
A Flexible Network Architecture for 5G Systems
Authors: Shariat Mehrdad , Bulakci Ömer , De Domenico Antonio , Mannweiler Christian , Gramaglia Marco , Wei Qing , Gopalasingham Aravinthan , Pateromichelakis Emmanouil , Moggio Fabrizio , Tsolkas Dimitris , Gajic Borislava , Crippa Marcos Rates , Khatibi Sina
Published: February 2019

In this paper, we define a flexible, adaptable, and programmable architecture for 5G mobile networks, taking into consideration the requirements, KPIs, and the current gaps in the literature, based on three design fundamentals: (i) split of user and control plane, (ii) service-based architecture within the core network (in line with recent industry and standard consensus), and (iii) fully flexible support of E2E slicing via per-domain and cross-domain optimisation, devising inter-slice control and management functions, and refining the behavioural models via experiment-driven optimisation. The proposed architecture model further facilitates the realisation of slices providing specific functionality, such as network resilience, security functions, and network elasticity. The proposed architecture consists of four different layers identified as network layer, controller layer, management and orchestration layer, and service layer. A key contribution of this paper is the definition of the role of each layer, the relationship between layers, and the identification of the required internal modules within each of the layers. In particular, the proposed architecture extends the reference architectures proposed in the Standards Developing Organisations like 3GPP and ETSI, by building on these while addressing several gaps identified within the corresponding baseline models. We additionally present findings, the design guidelines, and evaluation studies on a selected set of key concepts identified to enable flexible cloudification of the protocol stack, adaptive network slicing, and inter-slice control and management.