bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Efficacy of Imagery Rehearsal Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in Sexual Assault Victims With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Belleville Geneviève , Dubé‐Frenette Mylène , Rousseau Andréanne
Published: August 2018

Sleep disturbances are common among sexual assault victims with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for PTSD does not directly address sleep‐related symptoms. Trauma‐related sleep disturbances are associated with more impairment and contribute to the maintenance of PTSD. In this study, we evaluated the efficacy of a combination of CBT and nightmare therapy (imagery rehearsal therapy; IRT) compared to CBT alone for the treatment of PTSD. We recruited 42 adult victims of sexual assault who were suffering from PTSD and randomly assigned them to either the experimental (IRT + CBT) or control condition (waiting period followed by CBT). After CBT, both groups demonstrated significant decreases in nighttime symptoms (except nightmare frequency) and PTSD symptoms and showed improvements in functional impairment and mental health, ds = 0.13–0.83, ps = .005–.008. Outcomes between the two groups did not differ significantly after CBT; however, we observed medium to medium‐large differences between the control group and experimental group in terms of nighttime symptoms, ds = 0.45–0.63. Although results did not clearly establish the superiority of IRT + CBT over CBT alone, they demonstrated that IRT yielded greater improvement in nighttime symptoms than the waiting period, ds = 0.72–1.13, ps = .006–.047 for all interaction effects. Findings suggest that targeting nightmares at the beginning of treatment for PTSD may yield rapid improvement in nighttime symptoms. This strategy could be useful for patients with time or resource constraints or those for whom nightmares are the primary complaint.
Confining solitons in the Higgs phase of ℂP N −1 model: self-consistent exact solutions in large-N limit
Authors: Nitta Muneto , Yoshii Ryosuke
Published: August 2018

Abstract

The quantum ℂP

N −1 model is in the confining (or unbroken) phase with a full mass gap in an infinite space, while it is in the Higgs (broken or deconfinement) phase accompanied with Nambu-Goldstone modes in a finite space such as a ring or finite interval smaller than a certain critical size. We find a new self-consistent exact solution describing a soliton in the Higgs phase of the ℂP

N −1 model in the large-N limit on a ring. We call it a confining soliton. We show that all eigenmodes have real and positive energy and thus it is stable.
Learning non-Higgsable gauge groups in 4D F-theory
Authors: Wang Yi-Nan , Zhang Zhibai
Published: August 2018

Abstract

We apply machine learning techniques to solve a specific classification problem in 4D F-theory. For a divisor D on a given complex threefold base, we want to read out the non-Higgsable gauge group on it using local geometric information near D. The input features are the triple intersection numbers among divisors near D and the output label is the non-Higgsable gauge group. We use decision tree to solve this problem and achieved 85%-98% out-of-sample accuracies for different classes of divisors, where the data sets are generated from toric threefold bases without (4,6) curves. We have explicitly generated a large number of analytic rules directly from the decision tree and proved a small number of them. As a crosscheck, we applied these decision trees on bases with (4,6) curves as well and achieved high accuracies. Additionally, we have trained a decision tree to distinguish toric (4,6) curves as well. Finally, we present an application of these analytic rules to construct local base configurations with interesting gauge groups such as SU(3).
Conducting metagenomic studies in microbiology and clinical research
Authors: Martin Tiphaine C. , Visconti Alessia , Spector Tim D. , Falchi Mario
Published: August 2018

Owing to the increased cost-effectiveness of high-throughput technologies, the number of studies focusing on the human microbiome and its connections to human health and disease has recently surged. However, best practices in microbiology and clinical research have yet to be clearly established. Here, we present an overview of the challenges and opportunities involved in conducting a metagenomic study, with a particular focus on data processing and analytical methods.
ALG9 Associated Gillessen-Kaesbach–Nishimura Syndrome (GIKANIS): An Uncommon Aetiology of Enlarged Foetal Kidneys
Authors: Arora Veronica , Shah Nupur , Khatter Sangeeta , Puri Ratna Dua , Kumar Reema , Gupta Pallav , Bijarnia-Mahay Sunita , Verma Ishwar Chander
Published: August 2018

There are innumerable causes of enlarged kidneys along with dysmorphism in the foetus. Various chromosomal microdeletion syndromes, ciliopathies, Zellweger syndrome, Perlman syndrome and congenital disorders of glycosylation. CDG are a large group of syndromes which cause disruption of one of the several synthetic pathways of glycan synthesis. Here, we describe an unusual and extremely rare presentation cause of enlarged foetal kidneys due to a novel missense variant causing Gillessen-Kaesbach–Nishimura syndrome. The role of deep phenotyping is emphasised as it is a pre-requisite for making a diagnosis and establishing a given mutation as pathogenic. The genetic and clinic aspects of the previously published data are also reviewed.
Traffic signal detection and classification in street views using an attention model
Authors: Lu Yifan , Lu Jiaming , Zhang Songhai , Hall Peter
Published: August 2018

Detecting small objects is a challenging task. We focus on a special case: the detection and classification of traffic signals in street views. We present a novel framework that utilizes a visual attention model to make detection more efficient, without loss of accuracy, and which generalizes. The attention model is designed to generate a small set of candidate regions at a suitable scale so that small targets can be better located and classified. In order to evaluate our method in the context of traffic signal detection, we have built a traffic light benchmark with over 15,000 traffic light instances, based on Tencent street view panoramas. We have tested our method both on the dataset we have built and the Tsinghua–Tencent 100K (TT100K) traffic sign benchmark. Experiments show that our method has superior detection performance and is quicker than the general faster RCNN object detection framework on both datasets. It is competitive with state-of-the-art specialist traffic sign detectors on TT100K, but is an order of magnitude faster. To show generality, we tested it on the LISA dataset without tuning, and obtained an average precision in excess of 90%.
GPU based techniques for deep image merging
Authors: Archer Jesse , Leach Geoff , van Schyndel Ron
Published: August 2018

Deep images store multiple fragments perpixel, each of which includes colour and depth, unlike traditional 2D flat images which store only a single colour value and possibly a depth value. Recently, deep images have found use in an increasing number of applications, including ones using transparency and compositing. A step in compositing deep images requires merging per-pixel fragment lists in depth order; little work has so far been presented on fast approaches.

This paper explores GPU based merging of deep images using different memory layouts for fragment lists: linked lists, linearised arrays, and interleaved arrays. We also report performance improvements using techniques which leverage GPU memory hierarchy by processing blocks of fragment data using fast registers, following similar techniques used to improve performance of transparency rendering. We report results for compositing from two deep images or saving the resulting deep image before compositing, as well as for an iterated pairwise merge of multiple deep images. Our results show a 2 to 6 fold improvement by combining efficient memory layout with fast register based merging.
Component SPD matrices: A low-dimensional discriminative data descriptor for image set classification
Authors: Chen Kai-Xuan , Wu Xiao-Jun
Published: August 2018

In pattern recognition, the task of image set classification has often been performed by representing data using symmetric positive definite (SPD) matrices, in conjunction with the metric of the resulting Riemannian manifold. In this paper, we propose a new data representation framework for image sets which we call component symmetric positive definite representation (CSPD). Firstly, we obtain sub-image sets by dividing the images in the set into square blocks of the same size, and use a traditional SPD model to describe them. Then, we use the Riemannian kernel to determine similarities of corresponding subimage sets. Finally, the CSPD matrix appears in the form of the kernel matrix for all the sub-image sets; its i, j-th entry measures the similarity between the i-th and j-th sub-image sets. The Riemannian kernel is shown to satisfy Mercer’s theorem, so the CSPD matrix is symmetric and positive definite, and also lies on a Riemannian manifold. Test on three benchmark datasets shows that CSPD is both lower-dimensional and more discriminative data descriptor than standard SPD for the task of image set classification.
A novel detection method of cleaved plasma high‐molecular‐weight kininogen reveals its correlation with Alzheimer's pathology and cognitive impairment
Authors: Yamamoto‐Imoto Hitomi , Zamolodchikov Daria , Chen Zu‐Lin , Bourne S. Lloyd , Rizvi Syeda , Singh Pradeep , Norris Erin H. , Weis‐Garcia Frances , Strickland Sidney
Published: August 2018

Introduction

Accumulation of β‐amyloid is a pathological hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD). β‐Amyloid activates the plasma contact system leading to kallikrein‐mediated cleavage of intact high‐molecular‐weight kininogen (HKi) to cleaved high‐molecular‐weight kininogen (HKc). Increased HKi cleavage is observed in plasma of AD patients and mouse models by Western blot. For potential diagnostic purposes, a more quantitative method that can measure HKc levels in plasma with high sensitivity and specificity is needed.

Methods

HKi/c, HKi, and HKc monoclonal antibodies were screened from hybridomas using direct ELISA with a fluorescent substrate.

Results

We generated monoclonal antibodies recognizing HKi or HKc specifically and developed sandwich ELISAs that can quantitatively detect HKi and HKc levels in human. These new assays show that decreased HKi and increased HKc levels in AD plasma correlate with dementia and neuritic plaque scores.

Discussion

High levels of plasma HKc could be used as an innovative biomarker for AD.
Seismic Sensors Record a Hurricane’s Roar
Authors: Wilson David , Davis Peter , Ebeling Carl , Hutt Charles , Hafner Katrin
Published: August 2018

Newly installed infrasound sensors at a Global Seismographic Network station on Puerto Rico recorded the sounds of Hurricane Maria passing overhead.
U.S. Senate Reviews NASA’s Science Priorities
Authors: Cartier Kimberly
Published: August 2018

The search for life, developing flagship telescopes, partnering with the private sector, and maintaining Earth science programs should be top priorities for the space agency, say witnesses.
A tumor-targeting probe based on a mitophagy process for live imaging
Authors: Gui Lijuan , Yuan Zhenwei , Kassaye Habtamu , Zheng Jinrong , Yao Yuxin , Wang Fei , He Qing , Shen Yuanzhi , Liang Li , Chen Haiyan
Published: August 2018

A pH sensitive probe was designed for mitochondria and autolysosomes monitoring in cell level and tumor targeting imaging.
Seawater desalination using pillared graphene as a novel nano-membrane in reverse osmosis process: nonequilibrium MD simulation study
Authors: Mahdizadeh Sayyed Jalil , Goharshadi Elaheh K. , Akhlamadi Golnoosh
Published: August 2018

Herein, the applicability and efficiency of two types of pillared graphene nanostructures, namely, (6,6)@G and (7,7)@G, were investigated as membranes in reverse osmosis seawater desalination using extensive nonequilibrium molecular dynamics simulations.
Anionic cyclometalated Pt(ii) and Pt(iv) complexes respectively bearing one or two 1,2-benzenedithiolate ligands
Authors: Ionescu Andreea , Godbert Nicolas , Aiello Iolinda , Ricciardi Loredana , La Deda Massimo , Crispini Alessandra , Sicilia Emilia , Ghedini Mauro
Published: August 2018

The first examples of anionic Pt(IV) complexes were obtained through the addition of a second molecule of a ligand to the Pt(II) analogues.
Significantly improved black phase stability of FAPbI3 nanowires via spatially confined vapor phase growth in nanoporous templates
Authors: Gu Leilei , Zhang Daquan , Kam Matthew , Zhang Qianpeng , Poddar Swapnadeep , Fu Yu , Mo Xiaoliang , Fan Zhiyong
Published: August 2018

High-quality α-FAPbI3 nanowire arrays were fabricated and their stability was significantly improved by passivation and spatial confinement of nanotemplates.
A soft phosphorus atom to “harden” an erbium(iii) single-ion magnet
Authors: Chen Shi-Ming , Xiong Jin , Zhang Yi-Quan , Yuan Qiong , Wang Bing-Wu , Gao Song
Published: August 2018

A single-ion magnet (Dsp)Er(COT) was obtained by replacing a carbon atom of [Cp*]−in (Cp*)Er(COT) by a soft P atom. Both relaxation barrier and blocking temperature are improved.
Synthesizing higher-capacity hard-carbons from cellulose for Na- and K-ion batteries
Authors: Yamamoto Hijiri , Muratsubaki Shotaro , Kubota Kei , Fukunishi Mika , Watanabe Hiromu , Kim Jungmin , Komaba Shinichi
Published: August 2018

Hard Optimal carbonization of glucose, sucrose, maltose, cellulose, glycogen, and amylopectin is studied for Na-ion application.
Precise and label-free tumour cell recognition based on a black phosphorus nanoquenching platform
Authors: Yan Wujuan , Wang Xiu-Hong , Yu Jingwen , Meng Xiaotong , Qiao Pengfei , Yin Huabing , Zhang Yongzhe , Wang Pu
Published: August 2018

Duplexed recognition of label-free breast cancer cells: a duplexed assay platform based on a BP nanoquencher allows simultaneous detection of two tumor markers within one run.
Black-phosphorus-analogue tin monosulfide: an emerging optoelectronic two-dimensional material for high-performance photodetection with improved stability under ambient/harsh conditions
Authors: Huang Weichun , Xie Zhongjian , Fan Taojian , Li Jiagen , Wang Yunzheng , Wu Leiming , Ma Dingtao , Li Zhongjun , Ge Yanqi , Huang Ziyin N. , Dai Xiaoyu , Xiang Yuanjiang , Li Jianqing , Zhu Xi , Zhang Han
Published: August 2018

Black-phosphorus-analogue tin monosulfide was successfully introduced to resolve the instability issue of black phosphorus.
Discriminant feature level fusion based learning for automatic staging of EEG signals
Authors: Hazarika Anil , Sarmah Arup , Borah Rupam , Boro Meenakshi , Dutta Lachit , Kalita Pankaj , dev Choudhury Balendra kumar
Published: August 2018

Wide‐scale information embedding is a prerequisite to enhance the performance as well as the reliability of decision‐making algorithms for viable implementation. Feature fusion technology significantly helps to incorporate such information to provide promising algorithm performance. In this Letter, a fusion‐based model with the aid of discriminant correlation analysis to classify electroencephalogram signals is proposed. Sets of multiple feature matrices are generated from signals in both time and wavelet domains for study‐specific classes, which are further decomposed to derive a set of sub‐multi‐view features followed by optimisation to extract statistical features. Features are concatenated using feature fusion technique to derive low order discriminant features. Besides, the analysis of variance was also performed to validate the analysis. The statistically significant features are evaluated for the effective model performance. Experimental results manifest that the proposed feature fusion based algorithm is superior to many state‐of‐the‐art methods and thus promote real‐time implementation.
Evaluation of Levenberg–Marquardt neural networks and stacked autoencoders clustering for skin lesion analysis, screening and follow‐up
Authors: Rundo Francesco , Conoci Sabrina , Banna Giuseppe L. , Ortis Alessandro , Stanco Filippo , Battiato Sebastiano
Published: August 2018

Traditional methods for early detection of melanoma rely on the visual analysis of the skin lesions performed by a dermatologist. The analysis is based on the so‐called ABCDE (Asymmetry, Border irregularity, Colour variegation, Diameter, Evolution) criteria, although confirmation is obtained through biopsy performed by a pathologist. The proposed method exploits an automatic pipeline based on morphological analysis and evaluation of skin lesion dermoscopy images. Preliminary segmentation and pre‐processing of dermoscopy image by SC‐cellular neural networks is performed, in order to obtain ad‐hoc grey‐level skin lesion image that is further exploited to extract analytic innovative hand‐crafted image features for oncological risks assessment. In the end, a pre‐trained Levenberg–Marquardt neural network is used to perform ad‐hoc clustering of such features in order to achieve an efficient nevus discrimination (benign against melanoma), as well as a numerical array to be used for follow‐up rate definition and assessment. Moreover, the authors further evaluated a combination of stacked autoencoders in lieu of the Levenberg–Marquardt neural network for the clustering step.
Diffusion sensitivity enhancement filter for raw DWIs
Authors: Mathew Joshin John , James Alex , Kesavadas Chandrasekhar , Paul Joseph Suresh
Published: August 2018

In this study, a post‐processing filter to enhance diffusion sensitivity, resulting in larger intensity changes in regions with the abrupt transition of local diffusivity in raw diffusion weighted image (DWI) volumes. Weights computed using a non‐linear three‐dimensional neighbourhood operation are assigned to each voxel within the neighbourhood, with the weighted average representative of the enhanced DWI. The processed images exhibit better distinction among regions with differing levels of physical diffusion. While the resulting improvements in diffusion sensitivity are highlighted with the help of colour maps, parametric maps, and tractography, implications of the filtering process to recover missing information is illustrated in terms of ability to restore portions of fibre tracts which are otherwise absent in the unprocessed diffusion tensor imaging. Quantitative evaluation of the filtering process is performed using a metric representative of the estimated b‐value, which is the consolidation machine parameters used for DWI acquisition.
Energy‐efficient sensorless load angle control of a BLDC motor using sinusoidal currents
Authors: De Viaene Jasper , Verbelen Florian , Derammelaere Stijn , Stockman Kurt
Published: August 2018

Nowadays, most brushless DC (BLDC) motors use Hall sensors or sensorless algorithms based on back‐electromotive force (back‐EMF) sensing to detect rotor position information. These methods detect the commutation moments but imply the use of rectangular stator currents which, according to recent literature, limits the energy efficiency. In this study, sinusoidal stator currents are used to increase the motor energy efficiency. As a consequence, standard control based on the feedback of the Hall sensors or based on sensorless techniques detecting the back‐EMF zero‐crossing cannot be used. Therefore, the authors propose a load angle control algorithm for BLDC motors without using position and speed sensors. The objective is to obtain energy‐efficient sensorless control for the BLDC motor based on the measurement of only two current and one voltage signal. The energy saving potential of the proposed method is especially outspoken for fixed speed applications with varying loads, which are typical BLDC applications. Experimental results are presented to validate the proposed method. Energy efficiency measurements over the whole operating range of the BLDC motor are included and show an energy saving potential up to 9.5%.
Multi‐objective optimisation design of air‐cored axial flux PM generator
Authors: Zhu Jun , Li Shaolong , Song Dandan , Han Qiaoli , Wang Jingmei , Li Guanghua
Published: August 2018

The optimisation design of air‐cored axial flux permanent magnet (PM) generator is a complex non‐linear problem with constraints, multi‐objective, multivariable and multi‐peak value. The different variables will affect the same optimisation goal. In this paper, a multi‐objective optimisation design of air‐cored axial flux PM generator based on Taguchi–response surface method (RSM) is proposed. The main characteristics of generator efficiency, power quality, induction electromotive force and other main characteristics are taken as optimisation objectives. The parameter ranges that influence the optimisation objectives of the motor are selected as optimisation variables. First, the orthogonal matrix is established according to the number of selected parameters and the level factor of each parameter and the finite element method is used to solve the experimental matrix. Then, the mean and variance of the simulation results are analysed. The optimisation mathematical model was established between the target and the impact factor by using RSM for the conflicting factors, which can determine the optimal variable parameters. The effectiveness of the optimisation method is verified by finite element analysis and prototype experiments. The results show that the performance of optimised core less flux PM generator has been greatly improved.
Influence of massive ferromagnetic shaft on the distribution of electromagnetic field and magnetising current for two‐ and four‐pole induction motors at frequencies of 50 and 200 Hz
Authors: Dems Maria , Komeza Krzysztof , Lecointe Jean‐Philippe
Published: August 2018

In this study, the authors aimed to analyse the influence of massive ferromagnetic shaft on the distribution of the electromagnetic field and to evaluate the magnetising current from the mains. To achieve this, they used motors powered by 50 and 200 Hz. They also used both numerical two‐dimensional (2D) and 3D field‐circuit methods as well as an analytical method based on the results of field analysis. This modified analytical method is based on the magnetisation characteristics of the shaft's material. According to the results, there was a significant impact of shaft's saturation on the machine with one pair of poles in the form of a significant increase in the amplitude of induction in the rotor yoke, which resulted in an increase in the magnetising component of the current drawn by the motor from the grid. This phenomenon was found to increase, in particular, when using non‐magnetic shafts. In the case of machines with two pairs of poles, this effect was found to be much smaller than that of one pair of poles. They verified the results experimentally by comparing the calculated and measured magnetising currents.
Incorporating energy storage into probabilistic security‐constrained unit commitment
Authors: Guerrero‐Mestre Victoria , Dvorkin Yury , Fernández‐Blanco Ricardo , Ortega‐Vazquez Miguel A. , Contreras Javier
Published: August 2018

System operators still rely on deterministic criteria such as the (i.e. the system would be able to withstand the outage of any single component without any load shedding) to hedge the system against contingencies. While simple and practical, this criterion miscalculates the actual amount of reserve required since it ignores the probability of contingency occurrence. Therefore, this criterion may lead to suboptimal reserve procurement and economic performance of the system. This study presents a multiperiod probabilistic security‐constrained unit commitment (UC) model that includes the probabilities of generation and transmission contingencies for optimal reserve sizing, sourcing, allocation, and timing. The ability of energy storage systems (ESS) to provide contingency reserve is explicitly modelled. Benders’ decomposition and linearisation techniques are applied to solve the proposed probabilistic UC, which would be intractable otherwise. The impact of ESS on the contingency reserve procurement and deployment in post‐contingency states are analysed on a modified version of the IEEE One‐Area Reliability Test System.
Design of passive UHF RFID sensor on flexible foil for sports balls pressure monitoring
Authors: Rennane Ahmed , Abdelnour Abanob , Kaddour Darine , Touhami Rachida , Tedjini Smail
Published: August 2018

A simple solution to efficient pressure measurement in sports balls using a force sensitive resistance sensor connected to an ultra high frequencies (UHF) radio frequency identification (RFID) tag is presented. The proposed solution has the advantage of increasing the pressure range measurement without changing the configuration of the employed RFID chip. It also offers a small and compact sensor structure due to miniaturised antenna design. The designed antenna is placed between the ball inner and outer layers. Prototypes were fabricated on a flexible substrate to make their integration easy into a sport ball. This smart tag concept was fully validated through measurements on different types of sports balls, and the results successfully compared to data from electronic ball pressure gauge.
Axially displaced elliptical reflector antenna design with a switchable feeder for ultra‐wide band applications
Authors: Keskin Kenan Ahmet , Caliskan Alper
Published: August 2018

This study presents a novel compact high gain dual reflector antenna design with a switchable feeder for ultra‐wide band (UWB) applications. The design comprises a main parabola, a replaceable feeder antenna that is chosen depending on the requirements in a given situation, and an axially displaced elliptical sub‐reflector. The functioning of two different feeder antennas with manual switching option, the partly dielectric loaded K‐Vivaldi and double‐ridged horn (RH), is discussed in this research study. When the K‐Vivaldi is employed, the dual reflector antenna is more appropriate for impulse radiation with 33:1 operational bandwidth, ranging from 600 MHz to 20 GHz. The double‐RH feeder antenna displays more efficiency than the K‐Vivaldi one; however, the bandwidth in this case goes down to 12:1, ranging from 1.6 to 20 GHz. The sub‐reflector, situated inside the main parabola aperture with onset type of feeders, reduces the depth of the structure to 16 cm. The antenna dimensions are 60 cm × 60 cm x 16 cm. Experiments have shown that the designed antennas display good efficiency and high gain performances in UWB operations.
GaN LEDs fabricated using SF6 plasma RIE
Authors: Khan Wasif , Bi Xiaopeng , Fan Bin , Li Wen
Published: August 2018

In this work, the authors report a cost‐effective fabrication method for making gallium nitride (GaN) light emitting diode (LED) arrays using SF6 plasma in a conventional reactive‐ion etching (RIE) system. The etch rates for GaN were investigated with different radio‐frequency power and carrier substrates. The surface roughness due to the etching was also determined for the various recipes used. The optical intensity and the temperature change during operation of the fabricated LED's were investigated. The effect of post‐fabrication annealing on enhancement in the electrical and optical properties of the LED's was investigated.
Impact of metal grain work function variability on ferroelectric insulation based GAA MOSFET
Authors: Jena Biswajit , Dash Sidhartha , Mishra Guru Prasad
Published: August 2018

In this work, a ferroelectric dielectric based TiN‐GAA MOSFET with metal work‐function variations (WFVs) has been proposed. The proposed model exhibits higher Ion/Ioff ratio and lower subthreshold swing (58 mV/decade) as compared to conventional GAA MOSFET as a result of an amalgam of both gate all around (GAA) geometry and ferroelectric effect. The investigation is further extended to different technology nodes with WFV. The WFV induced threshold voltage is considered to be a function of the ratio of average grain size to grain area concept. The model exhibits a higher probability of threshold matching as compared to previously published results and the superiority is reflected in the Pelgrom plot. Thus the model can provide insight to counter the challenges created by WFV.
Intense C III] λλ1907,1909 emission from a strong Lyman continuum emitting galaxy
Authors: Schaerer D. , Izotov Y. I. , Nakajima K. , Worseck G. , Chisholm J. , Verhamme A. , Thuan T. X. , de Barros S.
Published: August 2018

We have obtained the first complete ultraviolet (UV) spectrum of a strong Lyman continuum (LyC) emitter at low redshift – the compact, low-metallicity, star-forming galaxy J1154+2443 – with a Lyman continuum escape fraction of 46% discovered recently. The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph spectrum shows strong Lyα and C III] λ1909 emission, as well as O III] λ1666. Our observations show that strong LyC emitters can have UV emission lines with a high equivalent width (e.g. EW(C III]) = 11.7 ± 2.9 Å rest-frame), although their equivalent widths should be reduced due to the loss of ionizing photons. The intrinsic ionizing photon production efficiency of J1154+2443 is high, log(ξ0ion = 25.56 erg−1 Hz), comparable to that of other recently discovered z ~ 0.3−0.4 LyC emitters. Combining our measurements and earlier determinations from the literature, we find a trend of increasing ξ0ion with increasing C III] λ1909 equivalent width, which can be understood by a combination of decreasing stellar population age and metallicity. Simple ionization and density-bounded photoionization models can explain the main observational features including the UV spectrum of J1154+2443.
Vector-valued Littlewood-Paley-Stein Theory for Semigroups II
Authors: Xu Quanhua
Published: August 2018

Inspired by a recent work of Hytönen and Naor, we solve a problem left open in our previous work joint with Martínez and Torrea on the vector-valued Littlewood-Paley-Stein theory for symmetric diffusion semigroups. We prove a similar result in the discrete case, namely, for any $T$ which is the square of a symmetric diffusion Markovian operator on a measure space $(\Omega , \mu )$. Moreover, we show that $T\otimes{ \textrm{Id}}_X$ extends to an analytic contraction on $L_p(\Omega ; X)$ for any $1<p<\infty $ and any uniformly convex Banach space $X$.
Crucial role of CD69 in anti-tumor immunity through regulating the exhaustion of tumor-infiltrating T cells
Authors: Mita Yukiyoshi , Kimura Motoko Y , Hayashizaki Koji , Koyama-Nasu Ryo , Ito Toshihiro , Motohashi Shinichiro , Okamoto Yoshitaka , Nakayama Toshinori
Published: August 2018

The introduction of immune checkpoint inhibitors in cancer treatment highlights the negative regulation of anti-tumor immunity, such as effector T-cell exhaustion in the tumor microenvironment. However, the mechanisms underlying the induction and prevention of T-cell exhaustion remain largely unknown. We found that CD69, a type II glycoprotein known to regulate inflammation through T-cell migration and retention in tissues, plays an important role in inducing the exhaustion of tumor-infiltrating T cells. Cd69–/– mice showed reduced tumor growth and metastasis in a 4T1-luc2 murine breast cancer model, in which increased numbers of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, relatively little T-cell exhaustion, and enhanced IFNγ production were observed. Anti-CD69 monoclonal antibody treatment attenuated the T-cell exhaustion and tumor progression in tumor-bearing mice. These findings highlight a novel role of CD69 in controlling the tumor immune escape mediated by T-cell exhaustion and indicate that CD69 is a novel target for cancer immunotherapy.
Clustered domestic model of residential care is associated with better consumer rated quality of care
Authors: S. Gnanamanickam Emmanuel , M. Dyer Suzanne , Milte Rachel , Liu Enwu , Ratcliffe Julie , Crotty Maria
Published: August 2018

Objective

To compare consumer rated quality of care among individuals living long-term in homelike clustered domestic and standard models of residential care in Australia.

Design

Cross-sectional study.

Setting

Seventeen residential aged care facilities in four Australian states providing alternative models of care.

Study participants

A sample of individuals with high prevalence of cognitive impairment living in residential care for 12 months or longer, not immediately in palliative care and having a proxy available to provide consent and assist with data collection. Of 901 eligible participants, 541 consented and participated in the study.

Main outcome measure

Consumer rated quality of care was measured using the Consumer Choice Index–6 Dimension instrument (CCI-6D) providing a preference weighted summary score ranging from 0 to 1. The six dimensions of care time, shared-spaces, own-room, outside and gardens, meaningful activities and care flexibility were individually evaluated.

Results

Overall consumer rated quality of care (Mean ∆: 0.138, 95% CI 0.073–0.203 P < 0.001) was higher in clustered domestic models after adjusting for potential confounders. Individually, the dimensions of access to outside and gardens (P < 0.001) and flexibility of care (P < 0.001) were rated significantly better compared to those living in standard model of care.

Conclusions

Homelike, clustered domestic models of care are associated with better consumer rated quality of care, specifically the domains of access to outdoors and care flexibility, in a sample of individuals with cognitive impairment. Including consumer views on quality of care is feasible and should be standard in future evaluations of residential care.
Overview of Curricula About Pain in Physical Therapist Education Programs in Brazil: A Faculty Survey
Authors: Venturine Jéssica S , Pires Gabriel M T , Pereira Monique L , Monteiro Michelle G M , Meziat-Filho Ney , Nogueira Leandro C , Reis Felipe J J
Published: August 2018

Background

Educating health professionals about pain (pain education) during undergraduate studies may be an important step in changing ineffective pain management practices.

Objective

The objective of this study was to assess the extent of pain education in current accredited physical therapist education programs in Brazil.

Design

This study was designed as a cross-sectional survey study.

Methods

Brazilian physical therapist education programs accredited by the Ministry of Education participated in this study. The main outcome measures were frequency of a specific curriculum about pain (pain curriculum) in physical therapist education programs and content analysis according to discipline-specific pain curriculum recommendations developed by the International Association for the Study of Pain.

Results

A total of 811 physical therapist education programs in Brazil were identified. After duplicates and universities no longer offering a physical therapist education program were removed, a total of 566 physical therapist education programs were left; 399 of the 566 (70.5%) provided information about the curriculum on their websites. Among the identified physical therapist education programs with available curricula, 26 (6.5%) had a specific course about pain (pain course), covering a mean of 44.3 hours.

Limitations

Limitations included the inability to cover all the physical therapist education programs in Brazil and the inability to identify whether pain content is distributed in other disciplines such as pediatrics, geriatrics, and neurological and orthopedic physical therapy.

Conclusions

Most Brazilian physical therapist education programs do not offer a specific pain course. When a pain course is presented in the curriculum, some content recommended for physical therapist education programs by the International Association for the Study of Pain is not covered. The absence of a pain course in physical therapist education programs may have implications for pain management. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study about pain education in physical therapist education programs in Brazil.
Zika Virus Infection during Pregnancy and Sensorineural Hearing Loss among Children at 3 and 24 Months Post-Partum
Authors: Fandiño-Cárdenas Marcela , Idrovo Alvaro J , Velandia Roman , Molina-Franky Jessica , Alvarado-Socarras Jorge L
Published: August 2018

Objective

The objectives of this study were to describe the findings of the auditory screening in children of mothers with ZIKV during pregnancy or suspicious of congenital ZIKV, and to determine whether hearing loss was in the first 2 years in life, regardless of whether microcephaly was also present.

Methods

This is a cases report. The information was collected and recorded in a database between January 2016 and April 2018. We perform two auditory tests to 3 and 24 months of life. The study was developed in Aguachica (Cesar, Colombia). It is considered a high-risk area for ZIKV infection. Participants included children of mothers with confirmed ZIKV during pregnancy or suspicious of congenital ZIKV exposure of ZIKV infection during an epidemic period in a tropical area. We defined a positive case according to the epidemiological definition and clinical criteria based on maternal symptoms. However, other children of mothers without clinical signs of Zika were evaluated at the same time. The main outcome was the presence of sensorineural hearing loss.

Results

The median age in the study group (n = 43) was 3.5 months (rank: 0–6) and the comparison group (n: 23, children of mothers without clinical signs of ZIKV) was 3 months (rank: 0–12). Screening hearing test was done using distortion product otoacustic emissions. At 3 months follow-up, children were evaluated using distortion product otoacustic emissions and automatized auditory brainstem response. None of the patients evaluated in this study were found to have sensorineural hearing loss.

Conclusions

We did not find hearing loss during the first 2 years in the children whose mother showed Zika during pregnancy. We recommend these children must be assessed to closed because there is a high risk the hearing loss as it usually may occur with CMV.
Vacuum Steam Treatment Eradicates Viable Bretziella fagacearum from Logs Cut from Wilted Quercus rubra
Authors: Juzwik Jennifer , Yang Anna , Chen Zhangjing , White Marshall S. , Shugrue Sarah , Mack Ronald
Published: August 2018

Methyl bromide (MB) fumigation is required for U.S. Quercus log exports due to concern over unintentional spread of Bretziella fagacearum. MB alternatives are needed due to the chemical’s ability to damage the earth’s ozone layer. Vacuum steam (VS) is an environmentally friendly method that was evaluated for its ability to eradicate B. fagacearum in logs (24 to 61 cm diameter; 1.7 to 1.9 m long) obtained from Q. rubra that had wilted following natural infection (NI) or artificial inoculation (AI). Five replicate loads of two NI and one AI logs were VS-treated at 56°C for 30 min and 60°C for 60 min (at 5.0 cm sapwood depth). Mean frequencies of pretreatment fungus colonization ranged from 12.5 to 24.4% in NI and 29.4 to 45.6% in AI logs based on isolation from wood chips of inner and outer sapwood, respectively, of two disks per log. Frequencies of pathogen DNA detection were similar to those for isolation. No viable pathogen or its DNA were detected in posttreatment logs. Treatment times ranged from 5 to 9 h for the 56°C/30 min schedule and from 8 to 10 h for the 60°C/60 min schedule. Based on these results, VS is worthy of further development as a MB alternative.
Predictors of Successful Weaning From Veno-Arterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation After Coronary Revascularization for Acute Myocardial Infarction Complicated by Cardiac Arrest: A Retrospective Multicenter Study
Authors: Sugiura Atsushi , Abe Ryuzo , Nakayama Takashi , Hattori Noriyuki , Fujimoto Yoshihide , Himi Toshiharu , Sano Koichi , Oda Shigeto , Kobayashi Yoshio
Published: August 2018

Aim:

While veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) has been utilized to resuscitate and stabilize hemodynamics in patients of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) complicated by cardiac arrest (CA), it is essential to predict the possibility of weaning from ECMO to determine further strategies, including use of ventricular assist device. We aimed to determine predictors of successful weaning from VA-ECMO in the early phase of ECMO treatment.

Methods:

We identified consecutive patients of AMI complicated by CA treated with VA-ECMO and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Clinical data within 48 h after ECMO initiation were assessed and multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to determine independent predictors of weaning outcome.

Results:

Fifty-five patients were analyzed. While 28 (51%) patients were successfully weaned from VA-ECMO, 27 (49%) failed to wean. Multivariate analysis identified post-PCI thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) flow grade (P = 0.046), mean arterial pressure (MAP) at 4 h after ECMO initiation (P = 0.010), and serum lactate at 24 h (P = 0.015) as independent predictors of successful weaning. Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) at 24 and 48 h was significantly greater in the successful weaning group (P = 0.014, P = 0.025, respectively).

Conclusions:

Successful weaning from VA-ECMO was predicted by post-PCI TIMI flow grade, MAP at 4 h, and serum lactate at 24 h after VA-ECMO initiation in patients of AMI complicated by CA. Furthermore, in patients who failed to wean from ECMO, LVEF did not recover within 48 h. In such patients, adjunctive use of other circulatory mechanical devices must be considered.
Inverse Correlation Between Plasma Sphingosine-1-Phosphate and Ceramide Concentrations in Septic Patients and Their Utility in Predicting Mortality
Authors: Wu Xiaoliang , Hou Jinchao , Li Hui , Xie Guohao , Zhang Xiaolin , Zheng Jungang , Wang Jiang , Gao Feng , Yao Yongming , Liu Hong , Fang Xiangming
Published: August 2018

Introduction:

The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between plasma sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) and ceramide concentrations in sepsis, and the possible mechanisms for altered expression.

Methods:

Plasma S1P and ceramide concentrations were measured by HPLC-ESI-MS/MS. HLA-DR (human leukocyte antigen-DR) expression on peripheral blood mononuclear cells was examined by flow cytometry. Platelet sphingosine kinases 1/2 (SphK1/2) mRNA expression, protein content, and enzyme activities were determined by qRT-PCR, western blot, and commercial enzyme assay kits, respectively.

Results:

Compared with healthy and ICU controls, septic patients had significantly decreased plasma S1P but increased ceramide concentrations (P < 0.05). S1P concentration was negatively associated with the ceramide concentration in the septic patients (r = −0.36, P < 0.05). Linear regression analysis found that plasma S1P and ceramide were linked not only to sequential (sepsis-related) organ failure assessment (SOFA) score but also the HLA-DR expression on circulating monocytes. An receiver operating characteristic analysis, including S1P, ceramide, SOFA score and HLA-DR, showed integrated analysis of S1P and ceramide as the better powerful predictors of septic lethality with area under the curve value of 0.95. More importantly, we found the platelet SphKs activities and the expression levels of SphK1 were significantly decreased in septic patients (P < 0.05). Linear regression analysis revealed platelet SphKs activity was positively associated with the plasma S1P concentration of the septic patients (r = −0.41, P = 0.02).

Conclusions:

Integrated analysis of plasma S1P and ceramide predict septic mortality with high accuracy. The decreased platelet SphK1 expression and subsequent reduced SphKs activity might be responsible for the decreased plasma S1P levels during sepsis.
Annexin A1 drives macrophage skewing towards a resolving phenotype to accelerate the regeneration of muscle injury through AMPK activation
Authors: McArthur Simon , Gobbetti Thomas , Juban Gaëtan , Desgeorges Thibaut , Theret Marine , Gondin Julien , Toller-Kawahisa Juliana E , Reutelingsperger Christopher P , Perretti Mauro , Mounier Rémi
Published: August 2018

Understanding the circuits that promote an efficient resolution of inflammation is crucial to deciphering the molecular and cellular processes required to promote tissue repair. Macrophages play a central role in the regulation of inflammation, resolution and repair/regeneration. Using a model of skeletal muscle injury and repair, herein we identify Annexin A1 (AnxA1) as the extracellular trigger of macrophage skewing towards a pro-reparative phenotype. Brought into the injured tissue initially by migrated neutrophils, and then over-expressed in infiltrating macrophages, AnxA1 activates FPR2/ALX receptors and the downstream AMPK signalling cascade leading to macrophage skewing, dampening of inflammation and regeneration of muscle fibres. Mice lacking AnxA1 in all cells or in myeloid cells only display a defect in this reparative process.In vitroexperiments recapitulated these properties, with AMPK null macrophages lacking AnxA1-mediated polarization. Collectively, these data identify the AnxA1/FPR2/AMPK axis as a novel pathway in skeletal muscle injury regeneration.
Towards comprehensive allosteric control over protein activity
Authors: Guarnera Enrico , Berezovsky Igor N.
Published: August 2018

On the basis of the perturbation nature of allosteric communication, a computational framework is proposed for estimating the energetics of signaling caused by the ligand binding and mutations. The perturbations are modelled as alterations of the strenght of interactions in the protein contact network in the binding sites and neighborhoods of mutated residues. The combination of protein harmonic modelling with effect of perturbations and the estimate of local partition functions allow one to evaluate the energetics of allosteric communication at single residue level. The potential allosteric effect of a protein residue position, modulation range, is given by the difference between responses to stabilizing and destabilizing mutations. We show a versatility of the approach on three case studies of proteins with different mechanisms of allosteric regulation, testing it on their known regulatory and functional sites. Allosteric Signaling Maps (ASMs) obtained on the basis of residue-by-residue scanning are proposed as a comprehensive tool to explore a relationship between mutations allosterically modulating protein activity and those that mainly affect protein stability. Analysis of ASMs shows distance dependence of the mode switching in allosteric signaling, emphasizing the role of domains/subunits in protein allosteric communication as elements of a percolative system. Finally, ASMs can be used to complement and tune already existing signaling and to design new elements of allosteric regulation.

Significance

Universality of allosteric signaling in proteins, molecular machines, and receptors and great advantages of prospected allosteric drugs in highly specific, non-competitive, and modulatory nature of their actions call for deeper theoretical understanding of allosteric communication. In the energy landscape paradigm underliying the molecular mechanisms of protein function, allosteric signalling is the result of any perturbation, such as ligand binding, mutations, intermolecular interactions etc. We present a computational model, allowing to tackle the problem of modulating the energetics of protein allosteric communication. Using this method, Allosteric Signaling Maps (ASMs) are proposed as an approach to exhaustively describe allosteric signaling in the protein, making it possible to take protein activity under allosteric control.