bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Local dimensions of random homogeneous self‐similar measures: strong separation and finite type
Authors: Hare Kathryn E. , Hare Kevin G. , Troscheit Sascha
Published: June 2018

We study the multifractal analysis of self‐similar measures arising from random homogeneous iterated function systems. Under the assumption of the uniform strong separation condition, we see that this analysis parallels that of the deterministic case. The overlapping case is more complicated; we introduce the notion of finite type for random homogeneous iterated function systems and give a formula for the local dimensions of finite type, regular, random homogeneous self‐similar measures in terms of Lyapunov exponents of certain transition matrices. We show that almost all points with respect to this measure are described by a distinguished subset called the essential class, and that the dimension of the support can be computed almost surely from knowledge of this essential class. For a special subcase, that we call commuting, we prove that the set of attainable local dimensions is almost surely a closed interval. Particular examples of such random measures are analyzed in more detail.
Vanishing vertical limit of the incompressible combined viscosity and magnetic diffusion magnetohydrodynamic system
Authors: Wang Na , Wang Shu
Published: June 2018

In this paper, we consider the incompressible combined viscosity and magnetic diffusion magnetohydrodynamic system with Dirichlet boundary condition in a half space of
. We establish the asymptotic expansions of this system by multiscale analysis and obtain the horizontal alone viscosity and magnetic diffusion magnetohydrodynamic equations and the boundary layer equations. And then we study the well‐posedness of the 2 equations. At last, we get the vanishing limit when the vertical viscosity and magnetic diffusion coefficient tends to zero.
Internal breast dosimetry in mammography: Monte Carlo validation in homogeneous and anthropomorphic breast phantoms with a clinical mammography system
Authors: Fedon Christian , Caballo Marco , Sechopoulos Ioannis
Published: June 2018

Purpose

To validate Monte Carlo (MC)‐based breast dosimetry estimations using both a homogeneous and a 3D anthropomorphic breast phantom under polyenergetic irradiation for internal breast dosimetry purposes.

Methods

Experimental measurements were performed with a clinical digital mammography system (Mammomat Inspiration, Siemens Healthcare), using the x‐ray spectrum selected by the automatic exposure control and a tube current‐exposure time product of 360 mAs. A homogeneous 50% glandular breast phantom and a 3D anthropomorphic breast phantom were used to investigate the dose at different depths (range 0–4 cm with 1 cm steps) for the homogeneous case and at a depth of 2.25 cm for the anthropomorphic case. Local dose deposition was measured using thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLD), metal oxide semiconductor field‐effect transistor dosimeters (MOSFET), and GafChromic™ films. A Geant4‐based MC simulation was modified to match the clinical experimental setup. Thirty sensitive volumes (3.2 × 3.2 × 0.38 mm3) on the axial‐phantom plane were included at each depth in the simulation to characterize the internal dose variation and compare it to the experimental TLD and MOSFET measurements. The experimental 2D dose maps obtained with the GafChromic™ films were compared to the simulated 2D dose distributions.

Results

Due to the energy dependence of the dosimeters and due to x‐ray beam hardening, dosimeters based on these three technologies have to be calibrated at each depth of the phantom. As expected, the dose was found to decrease with increasing phantom depth, with the reduction being ~93% after 4 cm for the homogeneous breast phantom. The 2D dose map showed nonuniformities in the dose distribution in the axial plane of the phantom. The mean combined standard uncertainty increased with phantom depth by up to 5.3% for TLD, 6.3% for MOSFET, and 9.6% for GafChromic™ film. In the case of a heterogeneous phantom, the dosimeters are able to detect local dose gradient variations. In particular, GafChromic™ film showed local dose variations of about 46% at the boundaries of two materials.

Conclusions

Results showed a good agreement between experimental measurements (with TLD and MOSFET) and MC data for both homogeneous and anthropomorphic breast phantoms. Larger discrepancies are found when comparing the GafChromic™ dose values to the MC results due to the inherent less precise nature of the former.

MC validations in a heterogeneous background at the level of local dose deposition and in absolute terms play a fundamental role in the development of an accurate method to estimate radiation dose. The potential introduction of a breast dosimetry model involving a nonhomogeneous glandular/adipose tissue composition makes the validation of internal dose distributions estimates crucial.
The Effects of If‐Then Plans on Weight Loss: Results of the McGill CHIP Healthy Weight Program Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Knäuper Bärbel , Carrière Kimberly , Frayn Mallory , Ivanova Elena , Xu Zhen , Ames‐Bull Anaïs , Islam Farah , Lowensteyn Ilka , Sadikaj Gentiana , Luszczynska Aleksandra , Grover Steven ,   the McGill CHIP Healthy Weight Program Investigators
Published: June 2018

Objective

The NIH‐developed Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) is successful in achieving clinically significant weight loss in individuals with overweight/obesity when delivered one‐on‐one. The group‐based DPP is less effective, with average weight losses of only 3.5%. The objective of this study was to increase weight loss outcomes of the group‐based DPP by integrating habit formation tools (i.e., if‐then plans). This two‐arm randomized controlled trial tested the efficacy of the habit formation–enhanced group‐based DPP compared with the standard group‐based DPP on changes in body weight (primary outcome). This study presents the 3‐ and 12‐month results of this 24‐month trial.

Methods

A total of 208 participants were randomly assigned to the standard or enhanced DPP, and 172 participated. Participants were men and women with overweight/obesity who self‐reported less than 200 min/wk of exercise.

Results

Both groups achieved high weight losses at 3 (5.76%) and 12 (9.98%) months, with no differences between groups (χ2 < 1). Both groups improved in blood pressure and physical activity.

Conclusions

If‐then plans did not result in higher weight loss. Both program versions resulted in higher weight loss than the group‐based DPP. This may suggest that cognitive behavioral therapy skills of the coaches (clinical psychology doctoral students) was a key factor in treatment outcome.
Inward Glucose Transfer Accounts for Insulin‐Dependent Increase in Brain Glucose Metabolism Associated with Diet‐Induced Obesity
Authors: Bahri Senda , Horowitz Michael , Malbert Charles‐Henri
Published: June 2018

Objective

There is a general agreement that there are changes in brain metabolism in insulin‐resistant individuals during conditions of hyperinsulinemia. However, the impact on obesity is unclear, and the metabolic constants underlying these modifications are unknown. The aim of this study was to evaluate these changes in a large animal model of diet‐induced obesity.

Methods

Twenty adult miniature pigs were fed with either an obesogenic diet or a regular diet for 5 months. At that time, fat deposition was evaluated using computed tomography scanning, and 18fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography images were acquired dynamically both in the fasted state and during a euglycemic‐hyperinsulinemic clamp. Glucose uptake rates and pixel‐wise modeled brain volumes were calculated together with brain connectivity.

Results

Whole‐body insulin sensitivity was reduced by more than 50% in the obesity group. During insulin stimulation, whole‐brain insulin‐induced increased glucose uptake was unaltered in lean animals but increased markedly in the animals with obesity. The increased glucose uptake reflected an increase in the inward transfer without changes in phosphorylation or outward brain transport. Connectivity was increased in the animals with obesity

Conclusions

Diet‐induced obesity is associated with an increase in insulin‐stimulated brain glucose uptake as a consequence of a larger inward transfer. These changes occurred together with an increased connectivity in reference to regions associated with memory recollection.
Prognostic role of neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte ratio on esophageal cancer patients who received definitive chemoradiotherapy
Authors: Liu Xuemei , Li Minghuan , Duan Qilong , Qiao Xiaoming , Yu Jinming , Yue Shuying
Published: June 2018

Objective

The neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte ratio (NLR), a simple biomarker that can reflect the host antitumor immune response, has been associated with patient prognosis in several solid tumors. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the ability of NLR to predict clinical tumor response and prognosis in patients with locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma who received definitive chemoradiotherapy.

Methods

A total of 147 patients with advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma treated at Shandong Cancer Hospital Affiliated with Shandong University, Jinan, China, between January 1, 2012 and December 31, 2013 were retrospectively recruited for analysis. The patients were divided into a low NLR group (NLR ≤2.46, n = 74) and a high NLR group (NLR >2.46, n = 73) according to pretreatment NLR. The predictive value of NLR for clinical tumor response and prognosis was examined.

Results

Compared with their matched counterparts, patients in the low NLR group showed a good clinical tumor response (P < 0.001). The NLR before chemoradiotherapy was significantly lower in patients who achieved complete response than in patients who did not achieve complete response (2.2 ± 0.9 vs. 2.7 ± 1.1, P = 0.024). Logistic regression analysis revealed that pretreatment NLR was negatively correlated with tumor response (odds ratio 0.60, 95% confidence interval 0.43–0.84; P = 0.003). In the univariate analysis, cT stage status (PPFS = 0.001; POS = 0.007), tumor response (PPFS < 0.001; POS < 0.001) and NLR (PPFS = 0.005; POS = 0.008) were significantly associated with PFS and OS. The Cox proportional hazards model showed that tumor response (PPFS = 0.002; POS = 0.003) and NLR (PPFS = 0.021; POS = 0.017) were independent predictors of prognosis.

Conclusions

In patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, NLR can be used as a simple marker to predict clinical tumor response and prognosis.
A five‐CpG DNA methylation score to predict metastatic‐lethal outcomes in men treated with radical prostatectomy for localized prostate cancer
Authors: Zhao Shanshan , Leonardson Amy , Geybels Milan S. , McDaniel Andrew S. , Yu Ming , Kolb Suzanne , Zong Hong , Carter Kelly , Siddiqui Javed , Cheng Anqi , Wright Jonathan L. , Pritchard Colin C. , Lance Raymond , Troyer Dean , Fan Jian‐Bing , Ostrander Elaine A. , Dai James Y. , Tomlins Scott A. , Feng Ziding , Stanford Janet L.
Published: June 2018

Background

Prognostic biomarkers for localized prostate cancer (PCa) could improve personalized medicine. Our group previously identified a panel of differentially methylated CpGs in primary tumor tissue that predict disease aggressiveness, and here we further validate these biomarkers.

Methods

Pyrosequencing was used to assess CpG methylation of eight biomarkers previously identified using the HumanMethylation450 array; CpGs with strongly correlated (r >0.70) results were considered technically validated. Logistic regression incorporating the validated CpGs and Gleason sum was used to define and lock a final model to stratify men with metastatic‐lethal versus non‐recurrent PCa in a training dataset. Coefficients from the final model were then used to construct a DNA methylation score, which was evaluated by logistic regression and Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analyses in an independent testing dataset.

Results

Five CpGs were technically validated and all were retained (P < 0.05) in the final model. The 5‐CpG and Gleason sum coefficients were used to calculate a methylation score, which was higher in men with metastatic‐lethal progression (P = 6.8 × 10−6) in the testing dataset. For each unit increase in the score there was a four‐fold increase in risk of metastatic‐lethal events (odds ratio, OR = 4.0, 95%CI = 1.8–14.3). At 95% specificity, sensitivity was 74% for the score compared to 53% for Gleason sum alone. The score demonstrated better prediction performance (AUC = 0.91; pAUC = 0.037) compared to Gleason sum alone (AUC = 0.87; pAUC = 0.025).

Conclusions

The DNA methylation score improved upon Gleason sum for predicting metastatic‐lethal progression and holds promise for risk stratification of men with aggressive tumors. This prognostic score warrants further evaluation as a tool for improving patient outcomes.
Relationship of Ionization Potential and Oxidation Potential of Organic Semiconductor Films Used in Photovoltaics
Authors: Wang Chuanfei , Ouyang Liangqi , Xu Xiaofeng , Braun Slawomir , Liu Xianjie , Fahlman Mats
Published: June 2018

Ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS) and cyclic voltammetry (CV) are employed to measure energy levels for charge transport in organic semiconductor films. A series of classical molecules/polymers used in organic bulk heterojunction solar cells are deposited on platinum substrates/electrodes to form thin films and a linear relationship of vertical ionization potential (IP) measured by UPS and relative oxidation potential (Eox) obtained by CV is found, with a slope equal to unity. The intercept varies with the different reference redox couples and repeated potential sweep numbers during experiment processes. The relationship provides for an easy conversion of values obtained by the two techniques and correlates well with device parameters. The precision in the CV‐derived IP values is not sufficient, however, to enable precise design of energy level alignment at heterojunction and the approach does not improve upon the current “best practice” for obtaining donor ionization potential–acceptor electron affinity gaps at heterojunctions.
Local β-deformations and Yang-Baxter sigma model
Authors: Sakamoto Jun-ichi , Sakatani Yuho
Published: June 2018

Abstract

Homogeneous Yang-Baxter (YB) deformation of AdS5 × S5 superstring is revisited. We calculate the YB sigma model action up to quadratic order in fermions and show that homogeneous YB deformations are equivalent to β-deformations of the AdS5 ×S5 background when the classical r-matrices consist of bosonic generators. In order to make our discussion clearer, we discuss YB deformations in terms of the double-vielbein formalism of double field theory. We further provide an O(10, 10)-invariant string action that reproduces the Green-Schwarz type II superstring action up to quadratic order in fermions. When an AdS background contains a non-vanishing H-flux, it is not straightforward to perform homogeneous YB deformations. In order to get any hint for such YB deformations, we study β-deformations of H-fluxed AdS backgrounds and obtain various solutions of (generalized) type II supergravity.
Solving M-theory with the conformal bootstrap
Authors: Agmon Nathan B. , Chester Shai M. , Pufu Silviu S.
Published: June 2018

Abstract

We use the conformal bootstrap to perform a precision study of 3d maximally supersymmetric (

$$ \mathcal{N}=8 $$

N
=
8

) SCFTs that describe the IR physics on N coincident M2-branes placed either in flat space or at a ℂ4
/ℤ2 singularity. First, using the explicit Lagrangians of ABJ(M) [1, 2] and recent supersymmetric localization results, we calculate certain half and quarter-BPS OPE coefficients, both exactly at small N, and approximately in a large N expansion that we perform to all orders in 1/N. Comparing these values with the numerical bootstrap bounds leads us to conjecture that some of these theories obey an OPE coefficient minimization principle. We then use this conjecture as well as the extremal functional method to reconstruct the first few low-lying scaling dimensions and OPE coefficients for both protected and unprotected multiplets that appear in the OPE of two stress tensor multiplets for all values of N. We also calculate the half and quarter-BPS operator OPE coefficients in the SU(2)
k
× SU(2)−k
BLG theory for all values of the Chern-Simons coupling k, and show that generically they do not obey the same OPE coefficient minimization principle.
Feynman diagrams, ribbon graphs, and topological recursion of Eynard-Orantin
Authors: Gopalakrishna K. , Labelle Patrick , Shramchenko Vasilisa
Published: June 2018

Abstract

We consider two seemingly unrelated problems, calculation of the WKB expansion of the harmonic oscillator wave functions and counting the number of Feynman diagrams in QED or in many-body physics and show that their solutions are both encoded in a single enumerative problem: calculation of the number of certain types of ribbon graphs. In turn, the numbers of such ribbon graphs as a function of the number of their vertices and edges can be determined recursively through the application of the topological recursion of Eynard-Orantin to the algebraic curve encoded in the Schrödinger equation of the harmonic oscillator. We show how the numbers of these ribbon graphs can be written down in closed form for any given number of vertices and edges. We use these numbers to obtain a formula for the number of N-rooted ribbon graphs with e edges, which is the same as the number of Feynman diagrams for 2N-point function with e + 1 − N loops.
Impact of Micrometastatic Axillary Nodes on Survival of Breast Cancer Patients with Tumors ≤2 cm
Authors: Bae Hyeon Woo , Yoon Kwang Hyun , Kim Joo Heung , Lim Sung Mook , Kim Jee Ye , Park Hyung Seok , Park Seho , Kim Seung Il , Cho Young Up , Park Byeong‐Woo
Published: June 2018

Background

This study investigated the impact of pN1mi disease on the survival of T1 breast cancer patients and examined the clinical usefulness of the online PREDICT tool and updated staging system.

Methods

The node stages of 2344 patients were divided into pN0, pN1mi, and pN1a. Clinicopathological parameters and survival outcomes were retrospectively analyzed. Data for 111 micrometastatic diseases were applied to the PREDICT version 2.0 and re‐classified using the 8th edition of the cancer staging manual.

Results

Univariable analyses demonstrated worse disease‐free and overall survival rates for patients with node‐positive cancer; however, the significance was not maintained in multivariable analyses. Chemotherapy improved outcomes in patients with node‐positive and non‐luminal A‐like subtype cancers. The PREDICT tool demonstrated good performance when estimating the 5‐year overall survival for pN1mi disease (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, 0.834). According to the updated staging system, 74% of cases were down‐staged to IA, and clearly splitting survival curves were identified.

Conclusion

pN1mi disease alone did not adversely affect survival outcomes. Biologic and treatment factors determined outcomes in cases of small‐volume node micrometastasis. The PREDICT tool or new staging classification could help predict the survival of patients with micrometastatic sentinel nodes.
The Past Is Male
Authors: van den Dries Monique H. , Kerkhof Miyuki
Published: June 2018

Quantitative analyses of how the past and archaeological professionals are being depicted in, for example, exhibitions and popular books offer valuable—and sometimes confronting—insights about how presentation practices continue to reflect gender stereotypes. It turns out that very often archaeology and the archaeological past are still almost exclusively associated with males and masculine activities. This, of course, distorts the truth about what actually happened in past societies. It also raises the questions of whether or not such biases have an influence on public participation in archaeology and if they may hinder the sector's ambition to foster inclusivity. In this article, we will share some of the preliminary results of an ongoing systematic evaluation of presentation practice in Dutch archaeology and on the public perception of gender stereotypes in the past.
INTERESTS, EVIDENCE AND GAMES
Authors: Weatherson Brian
Published: June 2018

Pragmatic encroachment theories have a problem with evidence. On the one hand, the arguments that knowledge is interest-relative look like they will generalise to show that evidence too is interest-relative. On the other hand, our best story of how interests affect knowledge presupposes an interest-invariant notion of evidence. This paper sketches a theory of evidence that is interest-relative, but which allows that ‘best story’ to go through with minimal changes. The evidence someone has is just what evidence a radical interpreter says they have. And a radical interpreter is playing a kind of game with the person they are interpreting. The cases that pose problems for pragmatic encroachment theorists involve coordination games between the interpreter and the interpretee, and like most coordination games they have multiple equilibria. The best solution to these games involves the notion of risk-dominant equilibria. So the evidence the person has is the evidence the interpreter says they have in the risk-dominant equilibria. This will be interest-relative, but consistent with the ‘best story' about how interests usually affect knowledge.
-adic Mahler measure and -covers of links
Authors: UEKI JUN
Published: June 2018

Let $p$ be a prime number. We develop a theory of $p$-adic Mahler measure of polynomials and apply it to the study of $\mathbb{Z}$-covers of rational homology 3-spheres branched over links. We obtain a $p$-adic analogue of the asymptotic formula of the torsion homology growth and a balance formula among the leading coefficient of the Alexander polynomial, the $p$-adic entropy and the Iwasawa $\unicode[STIX]{x1D707}_{p}$-invariant. We also apply the purely $p$-adic theory of Besser–Deninger to $\mathbb{Z}$-covers of links. In addition, we study the entropies of profinite cyclic covers of links. We examine various examples throughout the paper.
The use of unmanned aerial vehicles for health purposes: a systematic review of experimental studies
Authors: Carrillo-Larco R. M. , Moscoso-Porras M. , Taype-Rondan A. , Ruiz-Alejos A. , Bernabe-Ortiz A.
Published: June 2018

Background

Unmanned aircraft vehicles (UAVs) have had a rapid escalation in manageability and affordability, which can be exploited in healthcare. We conducted a systematic review examining the use of drones for health-related purposes.

Methods

A search was conducted in Medline, Embase, Global Health, Scopus, CINAHL and SciELO. Experimental studies were selected if the population included human subjects, the intervention was the use of UAVs and there was a health-related outcome.

Results

Of 500 results, five met inclusion criteria during an initial search. An updated search yielded four additional studies. Nine studies, all in high-income countries, were included for systematic syntheses: four studies addressed out-of-hospital cardiac arrest emergencies, three assessed drones for identification of people after accidents, one used drones to transport blood samples and one used drones to improve surgical procedures in war zones.

Conclusions

Research on the use of drones in healthcare is limited to simulation scenarios, and this review did not retrieve any studies from low- and middle-income countries.
Roundtable: The Anthropocene in British History
Authors: Otter Chris , Bashford Alison , Brooke John L. , Jonsson Fredrik Albritton , Kelly Jason M.
Published: June 2018

The following exchange was the result of ongoing informal conversations among the contributors, who are all, in different ways, interested in the emergent concept of the Anthropocene and the challenges it posed, and the opportunities it provided, for historians working on Britain and the world. The conversation began at the end of 2015 and continued for about a year.
Revisiting the Relationship between Justice and Extra-Role Behavior: The Role of State Ownership
Authors: Chen Xi
Published: June 2018

State ownership is an important phenomenon in the world economy, especially in transition economies. Previous research has focused on how state ownership influences organizational performance, but few studies have been conducted on how state ownership influences employees. I propose that different ownership structures trigger different relational models among employees who pay attention to organizational justice consistent with their model to guide their extra-role behavior. Specifically, state-owned organizations reinforce employees’ relational concern and direct employees’ attention to procedural justice, whereas privatized organizations highlight employees' instrumental concern and direct their attention to distributive justice. I leverage a sample of organizations in China to explore how different ownership structures activate different relational models among employees and alter the relationship between organizational justice and employees’ extra-role behaviors. I find that state ownership attenuates and even reverses the positive relationship between distributive justice and extra-role behaviors. Conversely, state ownership exaggerates the positive relationship between a critical procedural justice dimension (participation in decision making) and employee extra-role behaviors. Implications for the micro-foundations of corporate governance and institutional change, organizational justice literature, and cross-cultural research are developed. This study also generates new insights for transition economies such as China.
Books without Borders: Phạm Thận Duật (1825–1885) and the Culture of Knowledge in Mid-Nineteenth-Century Vietnam
Authors: Baldanza Kathlene
Published: June 2018

It is well-known that the educated elite of China, Vietnam, and other neighboring polities participated in a shared community of inquiry, but how did it work in practice? This article examines Phạm Thận Duật's 1856Hưng Hóa Gazetteerin order to discover the process by which knowledge was contested and produced within this broader culture of knowledge. Writing within the gazetteer genre, Phạm Thận Duật engaged with foundational classical Chinese texts, recent Vietnamese works, and the Qing-erakaozhengmovement of evidentiary scholarship. That he took himself to be participating in a literary culture that transcended Vietnam is clear from an analysis of his textual citations, as is his confidence in rejecting, reconfiguring, or adding to a transregional culture of knowledge. Phạm Thận Duật and others like him were autonomous contributors to a community of inquiry that transgressed political boundaries. For Vietnamese scholars, this community was rooted in classical texts but centered in Vietnam.
An Historical Perspective on the Quest for Financial Stability and the Monetary Policy Regime
Authors: Bordo Michael D.
Published: June 2018

This article surveys the co-evolution of monetary policy and financial stability for a number of countries from 1880 to the present. Historical evidence on the incidence, costs, and determinants of financial crises (the most extreme form of financial instability), combined with narratives on some famous financial crises, suggests that financial crises have many causes, including credit-driven asset price booms, which have become more prevalent in recent decades, but in general financial crises are very heterogeneous and hard to categorize. Moreover, evidence shows that the association across the country sample between credit booms, asset price booms, and serious financial crises is quite weak.
Why is There Something Rather Than Nothing? A Probabilistic Answer Examined
Authors: Rodriguez-Pereyra Gonzalo
Published: June 2018

Peter van Inwagen has given an answer to the question ‘Why is there something rather than nothing?’. His answer is: Because there being nothing is as improbable as anything can be: it has probability 0. Here I shall examine his argument for this answer and I shall argue that it does not work because no good reasons have been given for two of the argument's premises and that the conclusion of the argument does not constitute an answer to the question van Inwagen wanted to answer.
Higher-order Taylor approximation of finite motions in mechanisms
Authors: de Jong J. J. , Müller A. , Herder J. L.
Published: June 2018

Higher-order derivatives of kinematic mappings give insight into the motion characteristics of complex mechanisms. Screw theory and its associated Lie group theory have been used to find these derivatives of loop closure equations up to an arbitrary order. In this paper, this is extended to the higher-order derivatives of the solution to these loop closure equations to provide an approximation of the finite motion of serial and parallel mechanisms. This recursive algorithm, consisting solely of matrix operations, relies on a simplified representation of the higher-order derivatives of open chains. The method is applied to a serial, a multi-DOF parallel, and an overconstrained mechanism. In all cases, adequate approximation is obtained over a large portion of the workspace.
X-ray powder diffraction data for azilsartan, C25H20N4O5
Authors: Suo Zi Li , Du Qiao Hong , Xiong Xin Nuo , Zeng Xia , Hou Quan , Li Hui
Published: June 2018

X-ray powder diffraction data, unit-cell parameters and space group for azilsartan, C25H20N4O5, are reported [a = 9.641(3) Å, b = 11.301(9) Å, c = 20.010(8) Å, α = 90°, β = 90.351(5)°, γ = 90°, unit-cell volume V = 2196.735(4) Å3, Z = 4, ρcal = 1.379 g·cm−3, and space group P21/c]. All measured lines were indexed and are consistent with the P21/c space group. No detectable impurities were observed.
Improvement of deconvolution–convolution treatment of axial-divergence aberration in Bragg–Brentano geometry
Authors: Ida Takashi , Ono Shoki , Hattan Daiki , Yoshida Takehiro , Takatsu Yoshinobu , Nomura Katsuhiro
Published: June 2018

An improved method to correct observed shift and asymmetric deformation of diffraction peak profile caused by the axial-divergence aberration in Bragg–Brentano geometry is proposed. The method is based on deconvolution–convolution treatment applying scale transform of abscissa, Fourier transform, and cumulant analysis of an analytical model for the axial-divergence aberration. The method has been applied to the powder diffraction data of a standard LaB6 powder (NIST SRM660a) sample, collected with a one-dimensional Si strip detector. The locations, widths and shape of the peaks in the deconvolved–convolved powder diffraction data have been analyzed. The finally obtained whole powder diffraction pattern ranging from 10° to 145° in diffraction angle has been simulated by the Pawley method applying a symmetric Pearson VII peak profile model to each peak with ten background, two peak-shift, three line-width, and two peak-shape parameters, and the Rp value of the best fit has been estimated at 4.4%.
Incidental finding of pulmonary arterial sling during patent ductus arteriosus surgery in a patient with Mowat–Wilson syndrome
Authors: Cano Sierra Juan D. , Mestra Camilo F. , Ronderos Dumit Miguel A.
Published: June 2018

Mowat–Wilson syndrome is a genetic condition due to a mutation in the ZEB2 gene; it affects many systems including the cardiovascular system. The pulmonary arterial sling originates from a failure of development of the proximal portion of the left sixth aortic arch, resulting in an anomalous left pulmonary artery origin from the posterior wall of the right pulmonary artery and the left pulmonary artery crossing to the left lung between the trachea and the oesophagus. We present a 4-month-old infant with Mowat–Wilson syndrome and left pulmonary arterial sling, and discuss the association of these two rare conditions. Pulmonary arterial sling is significantly more frequent in patients with Mowat–Wilson syndrome than in the general population.
Transparency, Data Protection and the Law Courts of the Future
Authors: Magrath Paul
Published: June 2018

This article by Paul Magrath examines the tensions between data protection and transparency in the context of a long overdue digital revolution in the courts of England and Wales. Many traditional hearings are being replaced by virtual or video-conference type hearings, and may in time be dealt with by an online court. There are concerns that open justice may suffer. Yet any attempt to remedy this with more transparent scrutiny of court information will need to conform to the stricter data protection regime under GDPR as well as respecting the privacy of litigants and the presumption of innocence. The author is Head of Product Development and Online Content with ICLR and a trustee of the Transparency Project.
Trait-based patterns of microbial dynamics in dormancy potential and heterotrophic strategy: case studies of resource-based and post-press succession
Authors: Kearns Patrick J , Shade Ashley
Published: June 2018

Understanding the relationship between microbial community structure and function is a major challenge in microbial ecology. Recent work has shown that community weighted mean 16S rRNA gene copies, as a proxy for heterotrophic growth strategy, is a microbial community trait that decreases predictably over successional trajectories that are underpinned by changes in resource availability. However, it has been challenging to identify other microbial traits that are predictive of community functions and have consistent patterns with succession. Trait-based patterns of secondary succession (e.g., after a disturbance) are less often considered, and these responses may be underpinned by abiotic drivers other than changes in resources. In this perspectives piece, we present hypotheses about microbial traits important for microbial succession in resource-based and post-press disturbance scenarios, as synthesized from previous works and extended within this work. Using four case studies, we compare two traits, heterotrophic strategy and dormancy potential, and two different types of succession, resource-based (endogenous heterotrophic) and post-press. There were decreases in weighted ribosomal operon counts and in dormancy genes over resource-based succession. Both traits also were lower in post-press succession as compared to reference conditions, but increased with time from disturbance. Thus, dormancy potential may be an additional trait that changes predictably with succession. Finally, considering changes in microbial community traits over post-press succession is as important as over resource-based succession. These patterns need to be interpreted carefully and reference and recovering samples can be collected to improve interpretation of changes in community traits over post-press succession.
Reversing wrinkled skin and hair loss in mice by restoring mitochondrial function
Authors: Singh Bhupendra , Schoeb Trenton R. , Bajpai Prachi , Slominski Andrzej , Singh Keshav K.
Published: June 2018

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) depletion is involved in mtDNA depletion syndromes, mitochondrial diseases, aging and aging-associated chronic diseases, and other human pathologies. To evaluate the consequences of depletion of mtDNA in the whole animal, we created an inducible mtDNA-depleter mouse expressing, in the polymerase domain of POLG1, a dominant-negative mutation to induce depletion of mtDNA in various tissues. These mice showed reduced mtDNA content, reduced mitochondrial gene expression, and instability of supercomplexes involved in oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) resulting in reduced OXPHOS enzymatic activities. We demonstrate that ubiquitous depletion of mtDNA in mice leads to predominant and profound effects on the skin resulting in wrinkles and visual hair loss with an increased number of dysfunctional hair follicles and inflammatory responses. Development of skin wrinkle was associated with the significant epidermal hyperplasia, hyperkeratosis, increased expression of matrix metalloproteinases, and decreased expression of matrix metalloproteinase inhibitor TIMP1. We also discovered markedly increased skin inflammation that appears to be a contributing factor in skin pathology. Histopathologic analyses revealed dysfunctional hair follicles. mtDNA-depleter mice also show changes in expression of aging-associated markers including IGF1R, KLOTHO, VEGF, and MRPS5. mtDNA-repleter mice showed that, by turning off the mutant POLG1 transgene expression, mitochondrial function, as well as the skin and hair pathology, is reversed to wild-type level. To our knowledge that restoration of mitochondrial functions can reverse the skin and hair pathology is unprecedented.
ATR is a multifunctional regulator of male mouse meiosis
Authors: Widger Alexander , Mahadevaiah Shantha K. , Lange Julian , ElInati Elias , Zohren Jasmin , Hirota Takayuki , Pacheco Sarai , Maldonado-Linares Andros , Stanzione Marcello , Ojarikre Obah , Maciulyte Valdone , de Rooij Dirk G. , Tóth Attila , Roig Ignasi , Keeney Scott , Turner James M.A.
Published: June 2018

Meiotic cells undergo genetic exchange between homologs through programmed DNA double-strand break (DSB) formation, recombination and synapsis. In mice, the DNA damage-regulated phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase-like kinase (PIKK) ATM regulates all of these processes. However, the meiotic functions of the PIKK ATR have remained elusive, because germline-specific depletion of this kinase is challenging. Here we uncover roles for ATR in male mouse prophase I progression. ATR deletion causes chromosome axis fragmentation and germ cell elimination at mid pachynema. This elimination cannot be rescued by deletion of ATM and the third DNA damage-regulated PIKK, PRKDC, consistent with the existence of a PIKK-independent surveillance mechanism in the mammalian germline. ATR is required for synapsis, in a manner genetically dissociable from DSB formation. ATR also regulates loading of recombinases RAD51 and DMC1 to DSBs and recombination focus dynamics on synapsed and asynapsed chromosomes. Our studies reveal ATR as a critical regulator of mouse meiosis.
Reconstructing the sediment concentration of a giant submarine gravity flow
Authors: Stevenson Christopher John , Feldens Peter , Georgiopoulou Aggeliki , Schӧnke Mischa , Krastel Sebastian , Piper David J. W. , Lindhorst Katja , Mosher David
Published: June 2018

Submarine gravity flows are responsible for the largest sediment accumulations on the planet, but are notoriously difficult to measure in action. Giant flows transport 100s of km3 of sediment with run-out distances over 2000 km. Sediment concentration is a first order control on flow dynamics and deposit character. It has never been measured directly nor convincingly estimated in large submarine flows. Here we reconstruct the sediment concentration of a historic giant submarine flow, the 1929 “Grand Banks” event, using two independent approaches, each validated by estimates of flow speed from cable breaks. The calculated average bulk sediment concentration of the flow was 2.7–5.4% by volume. This is orders of magnitude higher than directly-measured smaller-volume flows in river deltas and submarine canyons. The new concentration estimate provides a test case for scaled experiments and numerical simulations, and a major step towards a quantitative understanding of these prodigious flows.
A new nonlinear method for calculating growing degree days
Authors: Zhou Guanglin , Wang Quanjiu
Published: June 2018

Precise calculations of growing degree days (GDD) are an important component in crop simulation models and managerial decisions. Traditional methods for calculating GDD assume linear developmental responses to temperature and cannot precisely account for the delay in growth or development at temperatures above the optimal temperature (Topt). A new nonlinear method for calculating GDD was developed. Variations in the prediction of the dates since sowing to various developmental stages and performance measures for describing the accumulation of dry matter by GDD for two widely planted crops (corn and wheat) were used to evaluate the new method in comparison with the traditional methods. The new method predicted the dates of the developmental stages more precisely (date variations reduced by 1 d), and the errors for the predictions of the accumulation of dry matter for winter wheat and corn were smaller. The method was most promising for spring wheat. The new method was more stable and more precise than traditional methods, especially when Topt was lower than the maximum air temperature.
Characterization and Validation of a Human 3D Cardiac Microtissue for the Assessment of Changes in Cardiac Pathology
Authors: Archer Caroline R. , Sargeant Rebecca , Basak Jayati , Pilling James , Barnes Jennifer R. , Pointon Amy
Published: June 2018

Pharmaceutical agents despite their efficacy to treat disease can cause additional unwanted cardiovascular side effects. Cardiotoxicity is characterized by changes in either the function and/or structure of the myocardium. Over recent years, functional cardiotoxicity has received much attention, however morphological damage to the myocardium and/or loss of viability still requires improved detection and mechanistic insights. A human 3D cardiac microtissue containing human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPS-CMs), cardiac endothelial cells and cardiac fibroblasts was used to assess their suitability to detect drug induced changes in cardiac structure. Histology and clinical pathology confirmed these cardiac microtissues were morphologically intact, lacked a necrotic/apoptotic core and contained all relevant cell constituents. High-throughput methods to assess mitochondrial membrane potential, endoplasmic reticulum integrity and cellular viability were developed and 15 FDA approved structural cardiotoxins and 14 FDA approved non-structural cardiotoxins were evaluated. We report that cardiac microtissues provide a high-throughput experimental model that is both able to detect changes in cardiac structure at clinically relevant concentrations and provide insights into the phenotypic mechanisms of this liability.
Early phosphoproteomic changes for adverse outcome pathway development in the fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas) brain
Authors: Smith L. C. , Lavelle C. M. , Silva-Sanchez C. , Denslow N. D. , Sabo-Attwood T.
Published: June 2018

Adverse outcome pathways (AOPs) are conceptual frameworks that organize and link contaminant-induced mechanistic molecular changes to adverse biological responses at the individual and population level. AOPs leverage molecular and high content mechanistic information for regulatory decision-making, but most current AOPs for hormonally active agents (HAAs) focus on nuclear receptor-mediated effects only despite the overwhelming evidence that HAAs also activate membrane receptors. Activation of membrane receptors triggers non-genomic signaling cascades often transduced by protein phosphorylation leading to phenotypic changes. We utilized label-free LC-MS/MS to identify proteins differentially phosphorylated in the brain of fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas) aqueously exposed for 30 minutes to two HAAs, 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2), a strong estrogenic substance, and levonorgestrel (LNG), a progestin, both components of the birth control pill. EE2 promoted differential phosphorylation of proteins involved in neuronal processes such as nervous system development, synaptic transmission, and neuroprotection, while LNG induced differential phosphorylation of proteins involved in axon cargo transport and calcium ion homeostasis. EE2 and LNG caused similar enrichment of synaptic plasticity and neurogenesis. This study is the first to identify molecular changes in vivo in fish after short-term exposure and highlights transduction of rapid signaling mechanisms as targets of HAAs, in addition to nuclear receptor-mediated pathways.
Efficient production of human interferon beta in the white of eggs from ovalbumin gene–targeted hens
Authors: Oishi Isao , Yoshii Kyoko , Miyahara Daichi , Tagami Takahiro
Published: June 2018

Transgenic chickens could potentially serve as bioreactors for commercial production of recombinant proteins in egg white. Many transgenic chickens have been generated by randomly integrating viral vectors into their genomes, but transgene expression has proved insufficient and/or limited to the initial cohort. Herein, we demonstrate the feasibility of integrating human interferon beta (hIFN-β) into the chicken ovalbumin locus and producing hIFN-β in egg white. We knocked in hIFN-β into primordial germ cells using a CRISPR/Cas9 protocol and then generated germline chimeric roosters by cell transplantation into recipient embryos. Two generation-zero founder roosters produced hIFN-β knock-in offspring, and all knock-in female offspring produced abundant egg-white hIFN-β (~3.5 mg/ml). Although female offspring of the first generation were sterile, their male counterparts were fertile and produced a second generation of knock-in hens, for which egg-white hIFN-β production was comparable with that of the first generation. The hIFN-β bioactivity represented only ~5% of total egg-white hIFN-β, but unfolding and refolding of hIFN-β in the egg white fully recovered the bioactivity. These results suggest that transgene insertion at the chicken ovalbumin locus can result in abundant and stable expression of an exogenous protein deposited into egg white and should be amenable to industrial applications.
Modeling erythrocyte electrodeformation in response to amplitude modulated electric waveforms
Authors: Qiang Yuhao , Liu Jia , Yang Fan , Dieujuste Darryl , Du E.
Published: June 2018

We present a comprehensive theoretical-experimental framework for quantitative, high-throughput study of cell biomechanics. An improved electrodeformation method has been developed by combing dielectrophoresis and amplitude shift keying, a form of amplitude modulation. This method offers a potential to fully control the magnitude and rate of deformation in cell membranes. In healthy human red blood cells, nonlinear viscoelasticity of cell membranes is obtained through variable amplitude load testing. A mathematical model to predict cellular deformations is validated using the experimental results of healthy human red blood cells subjected to various types of loading. These results demonstrate new capabilities of the electrodeformation technique and the validated mathematical model to explore the effects of different loading configurations on the cellular mechanical behavior. This gives it more advantages over existing methods and can be further developed to study the effects of strain rate and loading waveform on the mechanical properties of biological cells in health and disease.
Modeling SNP array ascertainment with Approximate Bayesian Computation for demographic inference
Authors: Quinto-Cortés Consuelo D. , Woerner August E. , Watkins Joseph C. , Hammer Michael F.
Published: June 2018

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in commercial arrays have often been discovered in a small number of samples from selected populations. This ascertainment skews patterns of nucleotide diversity and affects population genetic inferences. We propose a demographic inference pipeline that explicitly models the SNP discovery protocol in an Approximate Bayesian Computation (ABC) framework. We simulated genomic regions according to a demographic model incorporating parameters for the divergence of three well-characterized HapMap populations and recreated the SNP distribution of a commercial array by varying the number of haploid samples and the allele frequency cut-off in the given regions. We then calculated summary statistics obtained from both the ascertained and genomic data and inferred ascertainment and demographic parameters. We implemented our pipeline to study the admixture process that gave rise to the present-day Mexican population. Our estimate of the time of admixture is closer to the historical dates than those in previous works which did not consider ascertainment bias. Although the use of whole genome sequences for demographic inference is becoming the norm, there are still underrepresented areas of the world from where only SNP array data are available. Our inference framework is applicable to those cases and will help with the demographic inference.