bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
DFT study of the structural and electronic properties of crystalline 2-benzylidene-1-indanone under different hydrostatic pressures
Authors: Guo Ying , Ding Yongcun , Liu Qingqing , Zhao Xiangqiang
Published: March 2017

In this work, we use density functional theory (DFT) calculations to study the structural, electronic and absorption properties of crystalline 2-benzylidene-1-indanone (signed as 2-BI) in the pressure range of 0–300[Formula: see text]GPa. The detailed analysis of the variation tendencies of the lattice constants, bond lengths and bond angles with increasing pressures shows that there occur several transformations in 2-BI under different pressures. In addition, it can be see that the [Formula: see text]- and [Formula: see text]-axis are much stiffer than the [Formula: see text]-axis in the structure of 2-BI, suggesting the crystal is anisotropic. Then, the analysis of the band gap and DOS (PDOS) of 2-BI indicate that its electronic character has changed at 120[Formula: see text]GPa into metal phase, but then transfer into excellent insulator at 230[Formula: see text]GPa. Moreover, the relatively high optical activity with the increasing pressure of 2-BI is seen from the absorption spectra, and three obvious structural transformations are also observed at 60, 120 and 250[Formula: see text]GPa, respectively.
Hyperchaos from a Model of Coupled Stratosphere-Troposphere Dynamics
Authors: Adusumilli Susheel , Van Gorder Robert A.
Published: March 2017

We present a six-dimensional system describing coupled troposphere-stratosphere dynamics which takes the form of two coupled Lorenz-84 systems (one for each of the troposphere and stratosphere) involving thermal forcing terms. The systems are coupled through a linear interaction term, which permits energy transfer between both troposphere and stratosphere layers. While other six-dimensional systems giving hyperchaos and multiscroll attractors have been found in the literature, the coupled systems given here arise naturally from the physical problem. In particular, the resulting six-dimensional system constitutes a physically interesting model where the stratosphere-troposphere dynamics are coupled to one another (rather than just coupling the troposphere dynamics to the stratosphere, while keeping the time evolution of the stratosphere independent). This model gives bounded dynamics and for some parameters exhibits chaos or hyperchaos. Interestingly, there are parameter regimes for which the dynamics go directly between periodic orbits and hyperchaos, bypassing an intermediate chaos step. The precise form of the coupling between the two Lorenz-84 systems is found to strongly influence the solution behavior. We find that even small coupling from the stratosphere back to the troposphere can destabilize the system and yield hyperchaotic dynamics, while for other parameter sets this coupling can instead yield smooth dynamics in both regions.
Categorizing Chaotic Flows from the Viewpoint of Fixed Points and Perpetual Points
Authors: Nazarimehr Fahimeh , Jafari Sajad , Golpayegani Seyed Mohammad Reza Hashemi , Sprott J. C.
Published: March 2017

Perpetual points represent a new interesting topic in the literature of nonlinear dynamics. This paper introduces some chaotic flows with four different structural features from the viewpoint of fixed points and perpetual points.
Generalized Stability in an Array of Nonlinear Dynamic Systems with Applications to Chaotic CNN
Authors: Min Lequan , Chen Guanrong
Published: March 2017

This paper introduces a generalized stability with respect to a transformation (GST) for a coupled discrete array of difference systems (CDADS) and a coupled continuous array of differential systems (CCADS). Some constructive theorems provide general representations of GST in both CDADS and CCADS. Using these theorems, one can design GST-based CADS and CCADS via appropriate transformations. As examples, the results are applied to autonomous and nonautonomous coupled discrete and differentiable Lorenz cellular neural network (CNN) CADS and CCADS; differentiable Chen CNN CCADS, and discrete sine-function CNN CADS. Extensive numerical simulations show their complex dynamic behaviors. The established theorems provide insights for better understanding of some new phenomena of complex discrete and continuously-differentiable networks.
ANALYSIS OF WEAR BEHAVIOR OF GRAPHENE OXIDE — POLYAMIDE GEARS FOR ENGINEERING APPLICATIONS
Authors: RAJAMANI GEETHA , PAULRAJ JAWAHAR , KRISHNAN KANNY
Published: March 2017

Recent advances in polymer nanocomposites open a wide range of applications in various industrial sectors. Due to their high potential properties, these materials are replacing the usage of metals for many heavier components in automobile industries. In this experimental work, the tribological performance of Graphene oxide (GO) — Polyamide is investigated against pristine polyamide by fabricating gears for the usage in engineering applications. A gear test rig was developed in-house for analysis to study the specific wear rate and temperature gradient at different conditions of load and speeds. The wear resistance of the polyamide gears with the addition of 0.03[Formula: see text]wt.% of graphene oxide is better than the pristine polyamide gears and the specific wear rate is reduced significantly. The reduced specific wear rate of these polymer nanocomposite gears is attributed to the superior properties of graphene oxide such as High specific surface area, good adhesion properties and enhanced glass transition temperatures. The GO nanocomposite gear seems to be a potential alternative against conventional gears for engineering applications. Finally, the wear mechanisms and the potential of GO-based polyamide nanocomposite gears were proposed tentatively in the development of transmission gears for engineering applications.
In vivofiber photometry of neural activity in response to optogenetically manipulated inputs in freely moving mice
Authors: Li Liang , Tang Yajie , Sun Leqiang , Rahman Khaista , Huang Kai , Xu Weize , Yu Jinsong , Dai Jinxia , Cao Gang
Published: March 2017

In vivo fiber photometry is a powerful technique to analyze the dynamics of population neurons during functional study of neuroscience. Here, we introduced a detailed protocol for fiber photometry-based calcium recording in freely moving mice, covering from virus injection, fiber stub insertion, optogenetical stimulation to data procurement and analysis. Furthermore, we applied this protocol to explore neuronal activity of mice lateral-posterior (LP) thalamic nucleus in response to optogenetical stimulation of primary visual cortex (V1) neurons, and explore axon clusters activity of optogenetically evoked V1 neurons. Final confirmation of virus-based protein expression in V1 and precise fiber insertion indicated that the surgery procedure of this protocol is reliable for functional calcium recording. The scripts for data analysis and some tips in our protocol are provided in details. Together, this protocol is simple, low-cost, and effective for neuronal activity detection by fiber photometry, which will help neuroscience researchers to carry out functional and behavioral study in vivo.
Pricing currency options in the Heston/CIR double exponential jump-diffusion model
Authors: Ahlip Rehez , Park Laurence A. F. , Prodan Ante
Published: March 2017

We examine currency options in the double exponential jump-diffusion version of the Heston stochastic volatility model for the exchange rate. We assume, in addition, that the domestic and foreign stochastic interest rates are governed by the CIR dynamics. The instantaneous volatility is correlated with the dynamics of the exchange rate return, whereas the domestic and foreign short-term rates are assumed to be independent of the dynamics of the exchange rate and its volatility. The main result furnishes a semi-analytical formula for the price of the European currency call option in the hybrid foreign exchange/interest rates model.
Does maternal-fetal transfer of creatine occur in pregnant sheep?
Authors: Baharom Syed , De Matteo Robert , Ellery Stacey , Della Gatta Paul , Bruce Clinton R. , Kowalski Greg M. , Hale Nadia , Dickinson Hayley , Harding Richard , Walker David , Snow Rodney J.
Published: March 2017

Our aim was to determine the disposition of creatine in ovine pregnancy and whether creatine is transferred across the placenta from mother to fetus. Pregnant ewes received either 1) a continuous intravenous infusion of creatine monohydrate or saline from 122 to 131 days gestation, with maternal and fetal arterial blood and amniotic fluid samples collected daily for creatine analysis and fetal tissues collected at necropsy at 133 days for analysis of creatine content, or 2) a single systemic bolus injection of [13C]creatine monohydrate at 130 days of gestation, with maternal and fetal arterial blood, uterine vein blood, and amniotic fluid samples collected before and for 4 h after injection and analyzed for creatine, creatine isotopic enrichment, and guanidinoacetic acid (GAA; precursor of creatine) concentrations. Presence of the creatine transporter-1 (SLC6A8) and l-arginine:glycine amidinotransferase (AGAT; the enzyme synthesizing GAA) proteins were determined by Western blots of placental cotyledons. The 10-day creatine infusion increased maternal plasma creatine concentration three- to fourfold ( P < 0.05) without significantly changing fetal arterial, amniotic fluid, fetal tissues, or placental creatine content. Maternal arterial13C enrichment was increased ( P < 0.05) after bolus [13C]creatine injection without change of fetal arterial13C enrichment. SLC6A8 and AGAT proteins were identified in placental cotyledons, and GAA concentration was significantly higher in uterine vein than maternal artery plasma. Despite the presence of SLC6A8 protein in cotyledons, these results suggest that creatine is not transferred from mother to fetus in near-term sheep and that the ovine utero-placental unit releases GAA into the maternal circulation.
Thermoregulatory inversion: a novel thermoregulatory paradigm
Authors: Tupone Domenico , Cano Georgina , Morrison Shaun F.
Published: March 2017

To maintain core body temperature in mammals, the normal central nervous system (CNS) thermoregulatory reflex networks produce an increase in brown adipose tissue (BAT) thermogenesis in response to skin cooling and an inhibition of the sympathetic outflow to BAT during skin rewarming. In contrast, these normal thermoregulatory reflexes appear to be inverted in hibernation/torpor; thermogenesis is inhibited during exposure to a cold environment, allowing dramatic reductions in core temperature and metabolism, and thermogenesis is activated during skin rewarming, contributing to a return of normal body temperature. Here, we describe two unrelated experimental paradigms in which rats, a nonhibernating/torpid species, exhibit a “thermoregulatory inversion,” which is characterized by an inhibition of BAT thermogenesis in response to skin cooling, and a switch in the gain of the skin cooling reflex transfer function from negative to positive values. Either transection of the neuraxis immediately rostral to the dorsomedial hypothalamus in anesthetized rats or activation of A1 adenosine receptors within the CNS of free-behaving rats produces a state of thermoregulatory inversion in which skin cooling inhibits BAT thermogenesis, leading to hypothermia, and skin warming activates BAT, supporting an increase in core temperature. These results reflect the existence of a novel neural circuit that mediates inverted thermoregulatory reflexes and suggests a pharmacological mechanism through which a deeply hypothermic state can be achieved in nonhibernating/torpid mammals, possibly including humans.
The normal increase in insulin after a meal may be required to prevent postprandial renal sodium and volume losses
Authors: Irsik Debra L. , Blazer-Yost Bonnie L. , Staruschenko Alexander , Brands Michael W.
Published: March 2017

Despite the effects of insulinopenia in type 1 diabetes and evidence that insulin stimulates multiple renal sodium transporters, it is not known whether normal variation in plasma insulin regulates sodium homeostasis physiologically. This study tested whether the normal postprandial increase in plasma insulin significantly attenuates renal sodium and volume losses. Rats were instrumented with chronic artery and vein catheters, housed in metabolic cages, and connected to hydraulic swivels. Measurements of urine volume and sodium excretion (UNaV) over 24 h and the 4-h postprandial period were made in control (C) rats and insulin-clamped (IC) rats in which the postprandial increase in insulin was prevented. Twenty-four-hour urine volume (36 ± 3 vs. 15 ± 2 ml/day) and UNaV (3.0 ± 0.2 vs. 2.5 ± 0.2 mmol/day) were greater in the IC compared with C rats, respectively. Four hours after rats were given a gel meal, blood glucose and urine volume were greater in IC rats, but UNaV decreased. To simulate a meal while controlling blood glucose, C and IC rats received a glucose bolus that yielded peak increases in blood glucose that were not different between groups. Urine volume (9.7 ± 0.7 vs. 6.0 ± 0.8 ml/4 h) and UNaV (0.50 ± 0.08 vs. 0.20 ± 0.06 mmol/4 h) were greater in the IC vs. C rats, respectively, over the 4-h test. These data demonstrate that the normal increase in circulating insulin in response to hyperglycemia may be required to prevent excessive renal sodium and volume losses and suggest that insulin may be a physiological regulator of sodium balance.
Muscle sympathetic nerve activity response to heat stress is attenuated in chronic heart failure patients
Authors: Cui Jian , Boehmer John , Blaha Cheryl , Sinoway Lawrence I.
Published: March 2017

Heat stress evokes significant increases in muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) in healthy individuals. The MSNA response to heat stress in chronic heart failure (CHF) is unknown. We hypothesized that the MSNA response to heat stress is attenuated in CHF. Passive whole body heating was applied with water-perfused suits in 13 patients (61 ± 2 yr) with stable class II-III CHF, 12 age-matched (62 ± 2 yr) healthy subjects, and 14 young (24 ± 1 yr) healthy subjects. Mild heating (i.e., increases in skin temperature ΔTsk ~2–4°C, internal temperature ΔTcore <0.3°C) significantly decreased MSNA in CHF patients; however, it did not significantly alter the MSNA in the age-matched and young healthy subjects. Heat stress (i.e., ΔTsk ~4°C and ΔTcore ~0.6°C) raised MSNA in the age-matched (32.9 ± 3.2 to 45.6 ± 4.2 bursts/min; P < 0.001) and young (14.3 ± 1.7 to 26.3 ± 2.4 bursts/min; P < 0.001) controls, but not in CHF (46.2 ± 5.3 to 50.5 ± 5.3 bursts/min; P = 0.06). The MSNA increase by the heat stress in CHF (Δ4.2 ± 2.0 bursts/min) was significantly less than those seen in the age-matched (Δ12.8 ± 1.7 bursts/min, P < 0.05) and young (Δ12.0 ± 2.7 bursts/min, P < 0.05) control groups. These data suggest that the MSNA response to heat stress is attenuated in CHF patients. We speculate that the attenuated MSNA response to heat stress may contribute to impaired cardiovascular adjustments in CHF in a hot environment.
Monkey prefrontal neurons during Sternberg task performance: full contents of working memory or most recent item?
Authors: Konecky R. O. , Smith M. A. , Olson C. R.
Published: March 2017

To explore the brain mechanisms underlying multi-item working memory, we monitored the activity of neurons in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex while macaque monkeys performed spatial and chromatic versions of a Sternberg working-memory task. Each trial required holding three sequentially presented samples in working memory so as to identify a subsequent probe matching one of them. The monkeys were able to recall all three samples at levels well above chance, exhibiting modest load and recency effects. Prefrontal neurons signaled the identity of each sample during the delay period immediately following its presentation. However, as each new sample was presented, the representation of antecedent samples became weak and shifted to an anomalous code. A linear classifier operating on the basis of population activity during the final delay period was able to perform at approximately the level of the monkeys on trials requiring recall of the third sample but showed a falloff in performance on trials requiring recall of the first or second sample much steeper than observed in the monkeys. We conclude that delay-period activity in the prefrontal cortex robustly represented only the most recent item. The monkeys apparently based performance of this classic working-memory task on some storage mechanism in addition to the prefrontal delay-period firing rate. Possibilities include delay-period activity in areas outside the prefrontal cortex and changes within the prefrontal cortex not manifest at the level of the firing rate.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY It has long been thought that items held in working memory are encoded by delay-period activity in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Here we describe evidence contrary to that view. In monkeys performing a serial multi-item working memory task, dorsolateral prefrontal neurons encode almost exclusively the identity of the sample presented most recently. Information about earlier samples must be encoded outside the prefrontal cortex or represented within the prefrontal cortex in a cryptic code.
Coordination of pincer grasp and transport after mechanical perturbation of the index finger
Authors: Schettino Luis F. , Adamovich Sergei V. , Tunik Eugene
Published: March 2017

Our understanding of reach-to-grasp movements has evolved from the original formulation of the movement as two semi-independent visuomotor channels to one of interdependence. Despite a number of important contributions involving perturbations of the reach or the grasp, some of the features of the movement, such as the presence or absence of coordination between the digits during the pincer grasp and the extent of spatio-temporal interdependence between the transport and the grasp, are still unclear. In this study, we physically perturbed the index finger into extension during grasping closure on a minority of trials to test whether modifying the movement of one digit would affect the movement of the opposite digit, suggestive of an overarching coordinative process. Furthermore, we tested whether disruption of the grasp results in the modification of kinematic parameters of the transport. Our results showed that a continuous perturbation to the index finger affected wrist velocity but not lateral displacement. Moreover, we found that the typical flexion of the thumb observed in nonperturbed trials was delayed until the index finger counteracted the extension force. These results suggest that physically perturbing the grasp modifies the kinematics of the transport component, indicating a two-way interdependence of the reach and the grasp. Furthermore, a perturbation to one digit affects the kinematics of the other, supporting a model of grasping in which the digits are coordinated by a higher-level process rather than being independently controlled.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY A current debate concerning the neural control of prehension centers on the question of whether the digits in a pincer grasp are controlled individually or together. Employing a novel approach that perturbs mechanically the grasp component during a natural reach-to-grasp movement, this work is the first to test a key hypothesis: whether perturbing one of the digits during the movement affects the other. Our results support the idea that the digits are not independently controlled.
Prediction Model of Cutting Parameters for Turning High Strength Steel Grade-H: Comparative Study of Regression Model versus ANFIS
Authors: Abbas Adel T. , Alata Mohanad , Ragab Adham E. , El Rayes Magdy M. , El Danaf Ehab A.
Published: March 2017

The Grade-H high strength steel is used in the manufacturing of many civilian and military products. The procedures of manufacturing these parts have several turning operations. The key factors for the manufacturing of these parts are the accuracy, surface roughness (Ra), and material removal rate (MRR). The production line of these parts contains many CNC turning machines to get good accuracy and repeatability. The manufacturing engineer should fulfill the required surface roughness value according to the design drawing from first trail (otherwise these parts will be rejected) as well as keeping his eye on maximum metal removal rate. The rejection of these parts at any processing stage will represent huge problems to any factory because the processing and raw material of these parts are very expensive. In this paper the artificial neural network was used for predicting the surface roughness for different cutting parameters in CNC turning operations. These parameters were investigated to get the minimum surface roughness. In addition, a mathematical model for surface roughness was obtained from the experimental data using a regression analysis method. The experimental data are then compared with both the regression analysis results and ANFIS (Adaptive Network-based Fuzzy Inference System) estimations.
Femoral Neck Strain during Maximal Contraction of Isolated Hip-Spanning Muscle Groups
Authors: Martelli Saulo
Published: March 2017

The aim of the study was to investigate femoral neck strain during maximal isometric contraction of the hip-spanning muscles. The musculoskeletal and the femur finite-element models from an elderly white woman were taken from earlier studies. The hip-spanning muscles were grouped by function in six hip-spanning muscle groups. The peak hip and knee moments in the model were matched to corresponding published measurements of the hip and knee moments during maximal isometric exercises about the hip and the knee in elderly participants. The femoral neck strain was calculated using full activation of the agonist muscles at fourteen physiological joint angles. The 5%±0.8% of the femoral neck volume exceeded the 90th percentile of the strain distribution across the 84 studied scenarios. Hip extensors, flexors, and abductors generated the highest tension in the proximal neck (2727 με), tension (986 με) and compression (−2818 με) in the anterior and posterior neck, and compression (−2069 με) in the distal neck, respectively. Hip extensors and flexors generated the highest neck strain per unit of joint moment (63–67 με·m·N−1) at extreme hip angles. Therefore, femoral neck strain is heterogeneous and muscle contraction and posture dependent.
Global Attractor of Thermoelastic Coupled Beam Equations with Structural Damping
Authors: Shi Peirong , Wang Danxia , Chen Weiyi
Published: March 2017

In this paper, we study the existence of a global attractor for a class of n‐dimension thermoelastic coupled beam equations with structural damping utt + Δ2u + Δ2ut − [σ(∫Ω (∇u) 2dx) + ϕ(∫Ω ∇u∇utdx)]Δu + f1(u) + g(ut) + νΔθ = q(x),   in  Ω × R+, and θt − Δθ + f2(θ) − νΔut = 0. Here Ω is a bounded domain of RN, and σ(·) and ϕ(·) are both continuous nonnegative nonlinear real functions and q is a static load. The source terms f1(u) and f2(θ) and nonlinear external damping g(ut) are essentially |u|ρu, |θ|ϱθ, and |ut|rut respectively.
Spontaneous Adrenal Hemorrhage in Pregnancy: A Case Series
Authors: Gupta Ankita , Minhas Ruby , Quant Hayley S.
Published: March 2017

Background. Abdominal pain during pregnancy has a broad differential diagnosis which includes spontaneous adrenal hemorrhage (SAH). There is scant literature available on optimal mode of delivery in stable patients. Cases. Patient 1 was a 35-year-old nullipara who presented at 36 weeks of gestation with left flank pain. Patient 2 was a 27-year-old multipara at 38 weeks who presented with left upper quadrant pain. Diagnosis of SAH was made by CT scan and both were managed with pain control, serial hemoglobin assessments, and abdominal exams resulting in uncomplicated vaginal deliveries. Conclusion. SAH, although rare, is an important consideration when evaluating abdominal and flank pain in pregnancy. Management options vary from conservative management to surgical intervention depending on the stability of the patient.
Variability of Green Time to Discharge a Specified Number of Queued Vehicles at a Signalized Intersection
Authors: Zhao Yi , Ma Yongfeng , Lu Jian , Zong Yankai , Wan Qian
Published: March 2017

The aim of this paper is to study the headway distribution of queued vehicles (less than 16 vehicles) at signalized intersections. Existing studies usually take the average statistics of headway at any queuing place. When different percentile points of statistical data are assigned to headway, the passing rate (the rate of all queued vehicles passing the stop line) under the ideal signal timing scheme varies. When selecting the mean value, the passing rate of a queue of fewer than 16 vehicles is no more than 65%. When selecting 75% as the percentile, the passing rate is up to 94%. The queue length also decides the assigned percentile of headway to ensure the passing rate reaches a certain level. The value assignation of headway directly affects lane capacity and start‐up loss time. This paper provides a new perspective on parameter calibration and will make the signal timing algorithm method more effective.
Excess of Aminopeptidase A in the Brain Elevates Blood Pressure via the Angiotensin II Type 1 and Bradykinin B2 Receptors without Dipsogenic Effect
Authors: Nakamura Takuto , Yamazato Masanobu , Ishida Akio , Ohya Yusuke
Published: March 2017

Aminopeptidase A (APA) cleaves angiotensin (Ang) II, kallidin, and other related peptides. In the brain, it activates the renin angiotensin system and causes hypertension. Limited data are available on the dipsogenic effect of APA and pressor effect of degraded peptides of APA such as bradykinin. Wistar-Kyoto rats received intracerebroventricular (icv) APA in a conscious, unrestrained state after pretreatment with (i) vehicle, (ii) 80 μg of telmisartan, an Ang II type-1 (AT1) receptor blocker, (iii) 800 nmol of amastatin, an aminopeptidase inhibitor, and (iv) 1 nmol of HOE-140, a bradykinin B2 receptor blocker. Icv administration of 400 and 800 ng of APA increased blood pressure by 12.6 ± 3.0 and 19.0 ± 3.1 mmHg, respectively. APA did not evoke drinking behavior. Pressor response to APA was attenuated on pretreatment with telmisartan (vehicle: 22.1 ± 2.2 mmHg versus telmisartan: 10.4 ± 3.2 mmHg). Pressor response to APA was also attenuated with amastatin and HOE-140 (vehicle: 26.5 ± 1.1 mmHg, amastatin: 14.4 ± 4.2 mmHg, HOE-140: 16.4 ± 2.2 mmHg). In conclusion, APA increase in the brain evokes a pressor response via enzymatic activity without dipsogenic effect. AT1 receptors and B2 receptors in the brain may contribute to the APA-induced pressor response.
In Vitro and In Vivo Studies on Quercus acuta Thunb. (Fagaceae) Extract: Active Constituents, Serum Uric Acid Suppression, and Xanthine Oxidase Inhibitory Activity
Authors: Yoon In-Soo , Park Dae-Hun , Bae Min-Suk , Oh Deuk-Sil , Kwon Nan-Hui , Kim Jung-Eun , Choi Chul-Yung , Cho Seung-Sik
Published: March 2017

Quercus acuta Thunb. (Fagaceae) (QA) is cultivated as a dietary and ornamental plant in China, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. It has been widely used as the main ingredient of acorn tofu, a traditional food in China and South Korea. The aim of this study was to determine in vitro and in vivo xanthine oxidase (XO) inhibitory and antihyperuricemic activities of an ethyl acetate extract of QA leaf (QALE) and identify its active phytochemicals using gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry (GC‐MS) and liquid chromatography (LC) systems. The QALE was found to possess potent in vitro antioxidant and XO inhibitory activities. In vivo study using hyperuricemic mice induced with potassium oxonate demonstrated that the QALE could inhibit hepatic XO activity at a relatively low oral dose (50 mg/kg) and significantly alleviate hyperuricemia to a similar extent as allopurinol. Several active compounds including vitamin E known to possess XO inhibitory activity were identified from the QALE. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that reports the active constituents and antihyperuricemic effect of QA, suggesting that it is feasible to use QALE as a food therapy or alternative medicine for alleviating hyperuricemia and gout.
Subspace Clustering with Sparsity and Grouping Effect
Authors: Zhang Binbin , Wang Weiwei , Feng Xiangchu
Published: March 2017

Subspace clustering aims to group a set of data from a union of subspaces into the subspace from which it was drawn. It has become a popular method for recovering the low‐dimensional structure underlying high‐dimensional dataset. The state‐of‐the‐art methods construct an affinity matrix based on the self‐representation of the dataset and then use a spectral clustering method to obtain the final clustering result. These methods show that sparsity and grouping effect of the affinity matrix are important in recovering the low‐dimensional structure. In this work, we propose a weighted sparse penalty and a weighted grouping effect penalty in modeling the self‐representation of data points. The experimental results on Extended Yale B, USPS, and Berkeley 500 image segmentation datasets show that the proposed model is more effective than state‐of‐the‐art methods in revealing the subspace structure underlying high‐dimensional dataset.
Experimental Study on Interfacial Area Transport of Two-Phase Flow under Vibration Conditions
Authors: Xiao Xiu , Zhu Qingzi , Chen Shao-Wen , Ishii Mamoru , Zhang Yajun , Jia Haijun
Published: March 2017

An experimental study on air-water two-phase flow under vibration condition has been conducted using double-sensor conductivity probe. The test section is an annular geometry with hydraulic diameter of 19.1 mm. The vibration frequency ranges from 0.47 Hz to 2.47 Hz. Local measurements of void fraction, interfacial area concentration (IAC), and Sauter mean diameter have been performed along one radius in the vibration direction. The result shows that local parameters fluctuate continuously around the base values in the vibration cycle. Additional bubble force due to inertia is used to explain lateral bubble motions. The fluctuation amplitudes of local void fraction and IAC increase significantly with vibration frequency. The radial distribution of local parameters at the maximum vibration displacement is specifically analyzed. In the void fraction and IAC profiles, the peak near the inner wall is weakened or even disappearing and a strong peak skewed to outer wall is gradually observed with the increase of vibration frequency. The nondimensional peak void fraction can reach a maximum of 49% and the mean relative variation of local void fraction can increase to more than 29% as the vibration frequency increases to 2.47 Hz. But the increase of vibration frequency does not bring significant change to bubble diameter.
Extraction of Weak Scatterer Features Based on Multipath Exploitation in Radar Imagery
Authors: Almutiry Muhannad , Lo Monte Lorenzo , Wicks Michael C.
Published: March 2017

We proposed an improved solution to two problems. The first problem is caused by the sidelobe of the dominant scatterer masking a weak scatterer. The proposed solution is to suppress the dominant scatterer by modeling its electromagnetic effects as a secondary source or “extra dependent transmitter” in the measurement domain. The suppression of the domain scatterer reveals the presence of the weak scatterer based on exploitation of multipath effects. The second problem is linearizing the mathematical forward model in the measurement domain. Improving the quantity of the prediction, including multipath scattering effects (neglected under the Born approximation), allows us to solve the inverse problem. The multiple bounce (multipath) scattering effect is the interaction of more than one target in the scene. Modeling reflections from one target towards another as a transmitting dipole will add the multiple scattering effects to the scattering field and permit us to solve a linear inverse problem without sophisticated solutions of a nonlinear matrix in the forward model. Simulation results are presented to validate the concept.
The Dynamics of Structural and Energy Intensity Change
Authors: Cao Lizhan
Published: March 2017

In this study, an extended structural change model is adopted to explore the mechanisms of how structural adjustments influence the changes of energy intensity. Through adding an energy production sector to the standard model, we find that the change of sectoral energy intensity is determined by the differences of sectoral and energy production technologies. Moreover, the change of economy-wide energy intensity is shaped by both structural and sectoral energy intensity changes. According to theoretical findings and simulation exercises, structural change, initiated by technological growth rate and substitution elasticity, affects the growth rate of economy-wide energy intensity. (1) If the energy threshold technological growth rates are high or low enough, the overall energy intensity will develop monotonically. (2) If the energy threshold technological growth rate is moderate, and (i) substitution elasticity and initial final production technological growth rate meet some requirements, the economy-wide energy intensity will grow monotonically; otherwise, (ii) with the suitable combination of substitution elasticity and initial final production technological growth rate, the overall energy intensity can develop nonmonotonically, like U or inverted-U curves.
Remaining Useful Life Prediction for Rotating Machinery Based on Optimal Degradation Indicator
Authors: Qin Aisong , Zhang Qinghua , Hu Qin , Sun Guoxi , He Jun , Lin Shuiquan
Published: March 2017

Remaining useful life (RUL) prediction can provide early warnings of failure and has become a key component in the prognostics and health management of systems. Among the existing methods for RUL prediction, the Wiener-process-based method has attracted great attention owing to its favorable properties and flexibility in degradation modeling. However, shortcomings exist in methods of this type; for example, the degradation indicator and the first predicting time (FPT) are selected subjectively, which reduces the prediction accuracy. Toward this end, this paper proposes a new approach for predicting the RUL of rotating machinery based on an optimal degradation indictor. First, a genetic programming algorithm is proposed to construct an optimal degradation indicator using the concept of FPT. Then, a Wiener model based on the obtained optimal degradation indicator is proposed, in which the sensitivities of the dimensionless parameters are utilized to determine the FPT. Finally, the expectation of the predicted RUL is calculated based on the proposed model, and the estimated mean degradation path is explicitly derived. To demonstrate the validity of this model, several experiments on RUL prediction are conducted on rotating machinery. The experimental results indicate that the method can effectively improve the accuracy of RUL prediction.
Identify High-Quality Protein Structural Models by EnhancedK-Means
Authors: Wu Hongjie , Li Haiou , Jiang Min , Chen Cheng , Lv Qiang , Wu Chuang
Published: March 2017

Background.One critical issue in protein three-dimensional structure prediction using either ab initio or comparative modeling involves identification of high-quality protein structural models from generated decoys. Currently, clustering algorithms are widely used to identify near-native models; however, their performance is dependent upon different conformational decoys, and, for some algorithms, the accuracy declines when the decoy population increases.Results.Here, we proposed two enhancedK-means clustering algorithms capable of robustly identifying high-quality protein structural models. The first one employs the clustering algorithm SPICKER to determine the initial centroids for basicK-means clustering (SK-means), whereas the other employs squared distance to optimize the initial centroids (K-means++). Our results showed thatSK-means andK-means++ were more robust as compared with SPICKER alone, detecting 33 (59%) and 42 (75%) of 56 targets, respectively, with template modeling scores better than or equal to those of SPICKER.Conclusions.We observed that the classicK-means algorithm showed a similar performance to that of SPICKER, which is a widely used algorithm for protein-structure identification. BothSK-means andK-means++ demonstrated substantial improvements relative to results from SPICKER and classicalK-means.
Valproic Acid Protects Primary Dopamine Neurons from MPP+-Induced Neurotoxicity: Involvement of GSK3βPhosphorylation by Akt and ERK through the Mitochondrial Intrinsic Apoptotic Pathway
Authors: Zhang Chi , Yuan Xianrui , Hu Zhongliang , Liu Songlin , Li Haoyu , Wu Ming , Yuan Jian , Zhao Zijin , Su Jun , Wang Xiangyu , Liao Yiwei , Liu Qing
Published: March 2017

Valproic acid (VPA), a drug widely used to treat manic disorder and epilepsy, has recently shown neuroprotective effects in several neurological diseases, particularly in Parkinson’s disease (PD). The goal of the present study was to confirm VPA’s dose-dependent neuroprotective propensities in the MPP+model of PD in primary dopamine (DA) neurons and to investigate the underlying molecular mechanisms using specific mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase- (PI3K-) Akt signaling inhibitors. VPA reversed MPP+-induced mitochondrial apoptosis and counteracted MPP+-induced extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and Akt repression and inhibited glycogen synthase kinase 3β(GSK3β) activation through induction of GSK3βphosphorylation. Moreover, inhibitors of the PI3K and MAPK pathways abolished GSK3βphosphorylation and diminished the VPA-induced neuroprotective effect. These findings indicated that VPA’s neuroprotective effect in the MPP+-model of PD is associated with GSK3βphosphorylation via Akt and ERK activation in the mitochondrial intrinsic apoptotic pathway. Thus, VPA may be a promising therapeutic candidate for clinical treatment of PD.
A Clinically Relevant Variant of the Human Hydrogen Sulfide‐Synthesizing Enzyme Cystathionine β‐Synthase: Increased CO Reactivity as a Novel Molecular Mechanism of Pathogenicity?
Authors: Vicente João B. , Colaço Henrique G. , Malagrinò Francesca , Santo Paulo E. , Gutierres André , Bandeiras Tiago M. , Leandro Paula , Brito José A. , Giuffrè Alessandro
Published: March 2017

The human disease classical homocystinuria results from mutations in the gene encoding the pyridoxal 5′‐phosphate‐ (PLP‐) dependent cystathionine β‐synthase (CBS), a key enzyme in the transsulfuration pathway that controls homocysteine levels, and is a major source of the signaling molecule hydrogen sulfide (H2S). CBS activity, contributing to cellular redox homeostasis, is positively regulated by S‐adenosyl‐L‐methionine (AdoMet) but fully inhibited upon CO or NO• binding to a noncatalytic heme moiety. Despite extensive studies, the molecular basis of several pathogenic CBS mutations is not yet fully understood. Here we found that the ferrous heme of the reportedly mild p.P49L CBS variant has altered spectral properties and markedly increased affinity for CO, making the protein much more prone than wild type (WT) CBS to inactivation at physiological CO levels. The higher CO affinity could result from the slightly higher flexibility in the heme surroundings revealed by solving at 2.80‐Å resolution the crystallographic structure of a truncated p.P49L. Additionally, we report that p.P49L displays impaired H2S‐generating activity, fully rescued by PLP supplementation along the purification, despite a minor responsiveness to AdoMet. Altogether, the results highlight how increased propensity to CO inactivation of an otherwise WT‐like variant may represent a novel pathogenic mechanism in classical homocystinuria.
Numerical Prediction and Performance Experiment in an Engine Cooling Water Pump with Different Blade Outlet Widths
Authors: Li Wei , Zhao Xiaofan , Li Weiqiang , Shi Weidong , Ji Leilei , Zhou Ling
Published: March 2017

Changing the blade outlet width is an important method to adjust the performance curves of centrifugal pumps. In this study, three impellers with different blade outlet widths in an engine cooling water pump (ECWP) were numerically simulated based on ANSYS‐CFX software. Numerical calculation reliability was validated based on the comparison between simulation results and experimental datum. As the blade outlet width increases, from the performance curves, the investigated ECWP head increases gradually; and the best efficiency point (BEP) offsets to larger flow rate; and the high efficiency region (HER) is becoming larger; and the critical cavitation pressure of the investigated ECWP at BEP increases, which indicates that the cavitation performance at BEP became worse. Compared with the internal flow field, we find vortex appears mainly in the blade passage near the tongue and volute outlet, and the region of the low static pressure is located in the blade inlet suction surface, and impeller inlet and outlet are the regions of high turbulence kinetic energy. Meanwhile, at the same flow rate, with the increase of blade outlet width, the areas of vortex and low static pressure become obvious and bigger.
DrivingSense: Dangerous Driving Behavior Identification Based on Smartphone Autocalibration
Authors: Ma Chunmei , Dai Xili , Zhu Jinqi , Liu Nianbo , Sun Huazhi , Liu Ming
Published: March 2017

Since pervasive smartphones own advanced computing capability and are equipped with various sensors, they have been used for dangerous driving behaviors detection, such as drunk driving. However, sensory data gathered by smartphones are noisy, which results in inaccurate driving behaviors estimations. Some existing works try to filter noise from sensor readings, but usually only the outlier data are filtered. The noises caused by hardware of the smartphone cannot be removed from the sensor reading. In this paper, we propose DrivingSense, a reliable dangerous driving behavior identification scheme based on smartphone autocalibration. We first theoretically analyze the impact of the sensor error on the vehicle driving behavior estimation. Then, we propose a smartphone autocalibration algorithm based on sensor noise distribution determination when a vehicle is being driven. DrivingSense leverages the corrected sensor parameters to identify three kinds of dangerous behaviors: speeding, irregular driving direction change, and abnormal speed control. We evaluate the effectiveness of our scheme under realistic environments. The results show that DrivingSense, on average, is able to detect the driving direction change event and abnormal speed control event with 93.95% precision and 90.54% recall, respectively. In addition, the speed estimation error is less than 2.1 m/s, which is an acceptable range.
Information Sharing in a Closed‐Loop Supply Chain with Asymmetric Demand Forecasts
Authors: Zhang Pan , Xiong Zhongkai
Published: March 2017

This paper studies the problem of sharing demand forecast information in a closed‐loop supply chain with the manufacturer collecting and remanufacturing. We investigate two scenarios: the “make‐to‐order” scenario, in which the manufacturer schedules production based on the realized demand, and the “make‐to‐stock” scenario, in which the manufacturer schedules production before the demand is known. For each scenario, we find that it is possible for the retailer to share his forecast without incentives when the collection efficiency of the manufacturer is high. When the efficiency is moderate, information sharing can be realized by a bargaining mechanism, and when the efficiency is low, non‐information sharing is a unique equilibrium. Moreover, the possibility of information sharing in the make‐to‐stock scenario is higher than that in the make‐to‐order scenario. In addition, we analyze the impact of demand forecasts’ characteristics on the value of information sharing in both scenarios.
Geospatial Approaches to Cancer Control and Population Sciences
Authors: Schootman Mario , Gomez Scarlett Lin , Henry Kevin A. , Paskett Electra D. , Ellison Gary L. , Oh April , Taplin Stephen H. , Tatalovich Zaria , Berrigan David A.
Published: March 2017

Cancer incidence and mortality display strong geographic patterns worldwide and in the United States (1, 2). The environment where individuals live, work, and play is increasingly being recognized as important across the cancer control continuum, including the risk of cancer development, detection, diagnosis, treatment, mortality, and survivorship (3–5). At the same time, emergent technological capacity in geographic information systems (GIS) and mapping, along with increasing sophistication in applied spatial methods, has resulted in a growing research community developing and applying geospatial approaches in health research (5). Through collaborative, transdisciplinary efforts, and continued data collection efforts, there is great potential to apply these emerging geospatial approaches to various aspects of cancer prevention and control to inform etiology and target interventions and implementation of efficacious risk-reducing strategies. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 26(4); 472–5. ©2017 AACR.

See all the articles in this CEBP Focus section, “Geospatial Approaches to Cancer Control and Population Sciences.”
A Phase II Randomized, Double-blind, Presurgical Trial of Polyphenon E in Bladder Cancer Patients to Evaluate Pharmacodynamics and Bladder Tissue Biomarkers
Authors: Gee Jason R. , Saltzstein Daniel R. , Kim KyungMann , Kolesar Jill , Huang Wei , Havighurst Thomas C. , Wollmer Barbara W. , Stublaski Jeanne , Downs Tracy , Mukhtar Hasan , House Margaret G. , Parnes Howard L. , Bailey Howard H.
Published: March 2017

We performed a phase II pharmacodynamic prevention trial of Polyphenon E [a green tea polyphenol formulation primarily consisting of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG)] in patients prior to bladder cancer surgery. Patients with a bladder tumor were randomized to receive Polyphenon E containing either 800 or 1,200 mg of EGCG or placebo for 14 to 28 days prior to transurethral resection of bladder tumor or cystectomy. The primary objective was to compare the postintervention EGCG tissue levels in patients receiving Polyphenon E as compared with placebo. Secondary objectives included assessments of tissue expression of PCNA, MMP2, clusterin, VEGF, p27, IGF-1, IGFBP-3; correlation of tissue, plasma, and urine levels of EGCG; and EGCG metabolism by catechol-O-methyltransferase and UDP-glucuronosyltransferase pharmacogenomic mutations. Thirty-one patients (male:female, 26:5; mean age, 67.2 years) were randomized and 29 (94%) completed the study. There was not an observed significant difference (P = 0.12) in EGCG tissue levels between two Polyphenon E dosage groups combined versus placebo. However, a dose–response relationship for EGCG levels was observed in both normal (P = 0.046) and malignant bladder tissue (P = 0.005) across the three study arms. In addition, EGCG levels in plasma (P < 0.001) and urine (P < 0.001) increased and PCNA (P = 0.016) and clusterin (P = 0.008) were downregulated in a dose-dependent fashion. No pharmacogenomic relationship was observed. EGCG levels in plasma, urine, and bladder tissue followed a dose–response relationship, as did modulation of tissue biomarkers of proliferation and apoptosis. Despite the limitations of this pilot study, the observed pharmacodynamics and desirable biologic activity warrant further clinical studies of this agent in bladder cancer prevention. Cancer Prev Res; 10(5); 298–307. ©2017 AACR.