bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Exploiting Multilabel Information for Noise-Resilient Feature Selection
Authors: Jian Ling , Li Jundong , Liu Huan
Published: June 2018

In a conventional supervised learning paradigm, each data instance is associated with one single class label. Multilabel learning differs in the way that data instances may belong to multiple concepts simultaneously, which naturally appear in a variety of high impact domains, ranging from bioinformatics and information retrieval to multimedia analysis. It targets leveraging the multiple label information of data instances to build a predictive learning model that can classify unlabeled instances into one or multiple predefined target classes. In multilabel learning, even though each instance is associated with a rich set of class labels, the label information could be noisy and incomplete as the labeling process is both time consuming and labor expensive, leading to potential missing annotations or even erroneous annotations. The existence of noisy and missing labels could negatively affect the performance of underlying learning algorithms. More often than not, multilabeled data often has noisy, irrelevant, and redundant features of high dimensionality. The existence of these uninformative features may also deteriorate the predictive power of the learning model due to the curse of dimensionality. Feature selection, as an effective dimensionality reduction technique, has shown to be powerful in preparing high-dimensional data for numerous data mining and machine-learning tasks. However, a vast majority of existing multilabel feature selection algorithms either boil down to solving multiple single-labeled feature selection problems or directly make use of the imperfect labels to guide the selection of representative features. As a result, they may not be able to obtain discriminative features shared across multiple labels. In this article, to bridge the gap between a rich source of multilabel information and its blemish in practical usage, we propose a novel noise-resilient multilabel informed feature selection framework (MIFS) by exploiting the correlations among different labels. In particular, to reduce the negative effects of imperfect label information in obtaining label correlations, we decompose the multilabel information of data instances into a low-dimensional space and then employ the reduced label representation to guide the feature selection phase via a joint sparse regression framework. Empirical studies on both synthetic and real-world datasets demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed MIFS framework.
Finite-State Map-Reduce Computation and Relational Algebra Queries
Authors: Neven Frank , Schweikardt Nicole , Servais Frederic , Tan Tony
Published: June 2018

We introduce three formal models of distributed systems for query evaluation on massive databases: Distributed Streaming with Register Automata (DSAs), Distributed Streaming with Register Transducers (DSTs), and Distributed Streaming with Register Transducers and Joins (DSTJs). These models are based on the map-reduce paradigm where the input is transformed into a dataset of key-value pairs, and on each key a local computation is performed on the values associated with that key resulting in another set of key-value pairs. Computation proceeds in a constant number of rounds, where the result of the last round is the input to the next round, and transformation of key-value pairs is required to be generic. The difference between the three models is in the local computation part. In DSAs it is limited to making one pass over its input using a register automaton, while in DSTs it can make two passes: in the first pass it uses a finite state automaton and in the second it uses a register transducer. The third model DSTJs is an extension of DSTs, where local computations are capable of constructing the Cartesian product of two sets. We obtain the following results: (1) DSAs can evaluate first-order queries over bounded degree databases; (2) DSTs can evaluate semijoin algebra queries over arbitrary databases; (3) DSTJs can evaluate the whole relational algebra over arbitrary databases; (4) DSTJs are strictly stronger than DSTs, which in turn are strictly stronger than DSAs; (5) within DSAs, DSTs, and DSTJs, there is a strict hierarchy w.r.t. the number of rounds.
Coordination Event Detection and Initiator Identification in Time Series Data
Authors: Amornbunchornvej Chainarong , Brugere Ivan , Strandburg-Peshkin Ariana , Farine Damien R. , Crofoot Margaret C. , Berger-Wolf Tanya Y.
Published: June 2018

Behavior initiation is a form of leadership and is an important aspect of social organization that affects the processes of group formation, dynamics, and decision-making in human societies and other social animal species. In this work, we formalize the C
oordination
I
nitiator
I
nference
P
roblem
and propose a simple yet powerful framework for extracting periods of coordinated activity and determining individuals who initiated this coordination, based solely on the activity of individuals within a group during those periods. The proposed approach, given arbitrary individual time series, automatically (1) identifies times of coordinated group activity, (2) determines the identities of initiators of those activities, and (3) classifies the likely mechanism by which the group coordination occurred, all of which are novel computational tasks. We demonstrate our framework on both simulated and real-world data: trajectories tracking of animals as well as stock market data. Our method is competitive with existing global leadership inference methods but provides the first approaches for local leadership and coordination mechanism classification. Our results are consistent with ground-truthed biological data and the framework finds many known events in financial data which are not otherwise reflected in the aggregate NASDAQ index. Our method is easily generalizable to any coordinated time series data from interacting entities.
Online Active Learning with Expert Advice
Authors: Hao Shuji , Hu Peiying , Zhao Peilin , Hoi Steven C. H. , Miao Chunyan
Published: June 2018

In literature, learning with expert advice methods usually assume that a learner always obtain the true label of every incoming training instance at the end of each trial. However, in many real-world applications, acquiring the true labels of all instances can be both costly and time consuming, especially for large-scale problems. For example, in the social media, data stream usually comes in a high speed and volume, and it is nearly impossible and highly costly to label all of the instances. In this article, we address this problem with active learning with expert advice, where the ground truth of an instance is disclosed only when it is requested by the proposed active query strategies. Our goal is to minimize the number of requests while training an online learning model without sacrificing the performance. To address this challenge, we propose a framework of active forecasters, which attempts to extend two fully supervised forecasters, Exponentially Weighted Average Forecaster and Greedy Forecaster, to tackle the task of online active learning (OAL) with expert advice. Specifically, we proposed two OAL with expert advice algorithms, named Active Exponentially Weighted Average Forecaster (AEWAF) and active greedy forecaster (AGF), by considering the difference of expert advices. To further improve the robustness of the proposed AEWAF and AGF algorithms in the noisy scenarios (where noisy experts exist), we also proposed two robust active learning with expert advice algorithms, named Robust Active Exponentially Weighted Average Forecaster and Robust Active Greedy Forecaster. We validate the efficacy of the proposed algorithms by an extensive set of experiments in both normal scenarios (where all of experts are comparably reliable) and noisy scenarios.
Majority is not enough
Authors: Eyal Ittay , Sirer Emin Gün
Published: June 2018

The Bitcoin cryptocurrency records its transactions in a public log called the blockchain. Its security rests critically on the distributed protocol that maintains the blockchain, run by participants called miners. Conventional wisdom asserts that the mining protocol is incentive-compatible and secure against colluding minority groups, that is, it incentivizes miners to follow the protocol as prescribed.

We show that the Bitcoin mining protocol is not incentive-compatible. We present an attack with which colluding miners' revenue is larger than their fair share. The attack can have significant consequences for Bitcoin: Rational miners will prefer to join the attackers, and the colluding group will increase in size until it becomes a majority. At this point, the Bitcoin system ceases to be a decentralized currency.

Unless certain assumptions are made, selfish mining may be feasible for any coalition size of colluding miners. We propose a practical modification to the Bitcoin protocol that protects Bitcoin in the general case. It prohibits selfish mining by a coalition that command less than 1/4 of the resources. This threshold is lower than the wrongly assumed 1/2 bound, but better than the current reality where a coalition of any size can compromise the system.
Maintaining Architecture-Implementation Conformance to Support Architecture Centrality
Authors: Zheng Yongjie , Cu Cuong , Taylor Richard N.
Published: June 2018

Architecture-centric development addresses the increasing complexity and variability of software systems by focusing on architectural models, which are generally easier to understand and manipulate than source code. It requires a mechanism that can maintain architecture-implementation conformance during architectural development and evolution. The challenge is twofold. There is an abstraction gap between software architecture and implementation, and both may evolve. Existing approaches are deficient in support for both change mapping and product line architecture. This article presents a novel approach named 1.x-way mapping and its extension, 1.x-line mapping to support architecture-implementation mapping in single system development and in product line development, respectively. They specifically address mapping architecture changes to code, maintaining variability conformance between product line architecture and code, and tracing architectural implementation. We built software tools named xMapper and xLineMapper to realize the two approaches, and conducted case studies with two existing open-source systems to evaluate the approaches. The result shows that our approaches are applicable to the implementation of a real software system and are capable of maintaining architecture-implementation conformance during system evolution.
A Tale of Two Visual Systems: Invariant and Adaptive Visual Information Representations in the Primate Brain
Authors: Xu Yaoda
Published: June 2018

Visual information processing contains two opposite needs. There is both a need to comprehend the richness of the visual world and a need to extract only pertinent visual information to guide thoughts and behavior at a given moment. I argue that these two aspects of visual processing are mediated by two complementary visual systems in the primate brain—specifically, the occipitotemporal cortex (OTC) and the posterior parietal cortex (PPC). The role of OTC in visual processing has been documented extensively by decades of neuroscience research. I review here recent evidence from human imaging and monkey neurophysiology studies to highlight the role of PPC in adaptive visual processing. I first document the diverse array of visual representations found in PPC. I then describe the adaptive nature of visual representation in PPC by contrasting visual processing in OTC and PPC and by showing that visual representations in PPC largely originate from OTC.
Olfactomedin 4 contributes to hydrogen peroxide-induced NADPH oxidase activation and apoptosis in mouse neutrophils
Authors: Liu Wenli , Liu Yueqin , Li Hongzhen , Rodgers Griffin P.
Published: June 2018

Neutrophils increase production of reactive oxygen species, including superoxide, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and hydroxyl radical, to destroy invading microorganisms under pathological conditions. Conversely, oxidative stress conditions, such as the presence of H2O2, induce neutrophil apoptosis, which helps to remove neutrophils after inflammation. However, the detailed molecular mechanisms that are involved in the latter process have not been elucidated. In this study, we investigated the potential role of olfactomedin 4 (Olfm4) in H2O2-induced superoxide production and apoptosis in mouse neutrophils. We have demonstrated that Olfm4 is not required for maximal-dosage PMA- and Escherichia coli bacteria-induced superoxide production, but Olfm4 contributes to suboptimal-dosage PMA- and H2O2-induced superoxide production. Using an NADPH oxidase inhibitor and gp91phox-deficient mouse neutrophils, we found that NAPDH oxidase was required for PMA-stimulated superoxide production and that Olfm4 mediated H2O2-induced superoxide production through NADPH oxidase, in mouse neutrophils. We have shown that neutrophils from Olfm4-deficient mice exhibited reduced H2O2-induced apoptosis compared with neutrophils from wild-type mice. We also demonstrated that neutrophils from Olfm4-deficient mice exhibited reduced H2O2-stimulated mitochondrial damage and membrane permeability, and as well as reduced caspase-3 and caspase-9 activity, compared with neutrophils from wild-type mice. Moreover, the cytoplasmic translocation of the proapoptotic mitochondrial proteins Omi/HtrA2 and Smac/DIABLO in response to H2O2 was reduced in neutrophils from Olfm4-deficient mice compared with neutrophils from wild-type mice. Our study demonstrates that Olfm4 contributes to H2O2-induced NADPH oxidase activation and apoptosis in mouse neutrophils. Olfactomedin 4 might prove to be a potential target for future studies on inflammatory neutrophil biology and for inflammatory disease treatment.
Emerging roles of extracellular vesicles in cardiac repair and rejuvenation
Authors: Alibhai Faisal J. , Tobin Stephanie W. , Yeganeh Azadeh , Weisel Richard D. , Li Ren-Ke
Published: June 2018

Cell therapy has received significant attention as a therapeutic approach to restore cardiac function after myocardial infarction. Accumulating evidence supports that beneficial effects observed with cell therapy are due to paracrine secretion of multiple factors from transplanted cells, which alter the tissue microenvironment and orchestrate cardiac repair processes. Of these paracrine factors, extracellular vesicles (EVs) have emerged as a key effector of cell therapy. EVs regulate cellular function through the transfer of cargo, such as microRNAs and proteins, which act on multiple biological pathways within recipient cells. These discoveries have led to the development of cell-free therapies using EVs to improve cardiac repair after a myocardial infarction. Here, we present an overview of the current use of EVs to enhance cardiac repair after myocardial infarction. We also discuss the emerging use of EVs for rejuvenation-based therapies. Finally, future directions for the use of EVs as therapeutic agents for cardiac regenerative medicine are also discussed.
Exploring the complexity: the interplay between the angiotensin-converting enzyme insertion/deletion polymorphism and the sympathetic response to hemodialysis
Authors: Ribas Ribeiro Larissa , Flores de Oliveira Jacqueline , Bueno Orcy Rafael , Castilho Barros Carlos , Damé Hense Jessica , Santos Fernando , Irigoyen Maria Claudia , Gonzalez Maria Cristina , Oses Jean Pierre , Böhlke Maristela
Published: June 2018

Patients on hemodialysis (HD) are at increased risk for arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. Autonomic nervous system (ANS) dysfunction seems to participate in the arrhythmogenic process. Genetic factors have an impact on ANS modulation, but the specific role of the insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism in the gene for angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) has not been investigated. Since the D allele increases gene expression, it is a candidate polymorphism to interact with the ANS. The aim of the present study was to compare the behavior of heart rate variability (HRV) during HD, as a surrogate for ANS response to stressors, between the ACE genotypes. In a sample of patients with chronic kidney disease I/D ACE genotypes were assessed with PCR and HRV was measured before, in the second hour, and after a HD session. HRV parameters in the time and frequency domains were analyzed by repeated-measures mixed models according to the time of measurement and ACE polymorphism. HRV parameters in the frequency domain presented significantly different variations during the HD session between patients with or without the D allele. Only patients with the II genotype presented an increase in low-frequency normalized units and in the low frequency-to-high frequency ratio throughout HD. Patients with the II genotype seemed to have a more physiological response to the volemic and electrolytic changes that occur during HD, with greater sympathetic activation than patients with ID and DD genotypes.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY Adding to the effort to understand the complexity of cardiovascular system regulation, we have found that the autonomic nervous system response to the acute volume removal during hemodialysis may be different between angiotensin-converting enzyme insertion/deletion polymorphisms. To our knowledge, this is the first time that this specific interaction was analyzed during a volume removal intervention.
Alterations in dietary sodium intake affect cardiovagal baroreflex sensitivity
Authors: Babcock Matthew C. , Brian Michael S. , Watso Joseph C. , Edwards David G. , Stocker Sean D. , Wenner Megan M. , Farquhar William B.
Published: June 2018

High dietary sodium intake has been linked to alterations in neurally mediated cardiovascular function, but the effects of high sodium on cardiovagal baroreflex sensitivity (cBRS) in healthy adults are unknown. The purpose of this study was to determine whether high dietary sodium alters cBRS and heart rate variability (HRV) and whether acute intravenous sodium loading similarly alters cBRS and HRV. High dietary sodium (300 mmol/day, 7 days) was compared with low dietary sodium (20 mmol/day, 7 days; randomized) in 14 participants (38 ± 4 yr old, 23 ± 1 kg/m2 body mass index, 7 women). Acute sodium loading was achieved via a 23-min intravenous hypertonic saline infusion (HSI) in 14 participants (22 ± 1 yr old, 23 ± 1 kg/m2 body mass index, 7 women). During both protocols, participants were supine for 5 min during measurement of beat-to-beat blood pressure (photoplethysmography) and R-R interval (ECG). cBRS was evaluated using the sequence method. Root mean square of successive differences in R-R interval (RMSSD) was used as an index of HRV. Serum sodium (137.4 ± 0.7 vs. 139.9 ± 0.5 meq/l, P < 0.05), plasma osmolality (285 ± 1 vs. 289 ± 1 mosmol/kgH2O, P < 0.05), cBRS (18 ± 2 vs. 26 ± 3 ms/mmHg, P < 0.05), and RMSSD (62 ± 6 vs. 79 ± 10 ms, P < 0.05) were increased following high-sodium diet intake compared with low-sodium diet intake. HSI increased serum sodium (138.1 ± 0.4 vs. 141.1 ± 0.5 meq/l, P < 0.05) and plasma osmolality (286 ± 1 vs. 290 ± 1 mosmol/kgH2O, P < 0.05) but did not change cBRS (26 ± 5 vs. 25 ± 3 ms/mmHg, P = 0.73) and RMSSD (63 ± 9 vs. 63 ± 8 ms, P = 0.99). These data suggest that alterations in dietary sodium intake alter cBRS and HRV but that acute intravenous sodium loading does not alter these indexes of autonomic cardiovascular regulation.
Absent increase in vertebral artery blood flow during l-arginine infusion in hypertensive men
Authors: Vianna Lauro C. , Fernandes Igor A. , Barbosa Thales C. , Amaral Tatiana G. , Rocha Natalia G. , Secher Niels H. , Nóbrega Antonio C.
Published: June 2018

Endothelial dysfunction is observed in the peripheral vasculature of hypertensive patients, but it is unclear how the cerebral circulation is affected. More specifically, little is known about the impact of human hypertension on vertebral artery (VA) endothelial function. This study evaluated whether the endothelial function of the VA is impaired in hypertensive men. For 13 male hypertensive subjects (46 ± 3 yr) and eight age-matched male controls (46 ± 4 yr), blood pressure (BP; photoplethysmography), VA, and common carotid (CC) blood flow (duplex ultrasound) were determined at rest and during 30 min of intravenous l-arginine (30 g; a precursor of nitric oxide) or isotonic saline infusion. Controls and hypertensive subjects demonstrated a similar resting CC (601 ± 30 vs. controls 570 ± 43 ml/min; P = 0.529) and VA blood flow (119 ± 11 vs. controls 112 ± 9 ml/min; P = 0.878). During administration of l-arginine, CC blood flow increased similarly between groups (hypertensive 12 ± 3%, controls 13 ± 2%; P = 0.920). In contrast, the increase in VA blood flow was nonexistent in the hypertensive subjects (0.8 ± 3% vs. controls: 16 ± 4%; P = 0.015) with no significant change in BP. Both CC and VA flow returned to near-resting values within 30 min after the infusion, and for four hypertensive subjects and three controls, time-control experiments using 0.9% saline did not affect VA or CC blood flow significantly. The results demonstrate endothelial dysfunction in the posterior cerebral circulation of middle-aged hypertensive men.
Oleoylethanolamide modulates glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist signaling and enhances exendin-4-mediated weight loss in obese mice
Authors: Brown Jacob D. , McAnally Danielle , Ayala Jennifer E. , Burmeister Melissa A. , Morfa Camilo , Smith Layton , Ayala Julio E.
Published: June 2018

Long-acting glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor (GLP-1R) agonists (GLP-1RA), such as exendin-4 (Ex4), promote weight loss. On the basis of a newly discovered interaction between GLP-1 and oleoylethanolamide (OEA), we tested whether OEA enhances GLP-1RA-mediated anorectic signaling and weight loss. We analyzed the effect of GLP-1+OEA and Ex4+OEA on canonical GLP-1R signaling and other proteins/pathways that contribute to the hypophagic action of GLP-1RA (AMPK, Akt, mTOR, and glycolysis). We demonstrate that OEA enhances canonical GLP-1R signaling when combined with GLP-1 but not with Ex4. GLP-1 and Ex4 promote phosphorylation of mTOR pathway components, but OEA does not enhance this effect. OEA synergistically enhanced GLP-1- and Ex4-stimulated glycolysis but did not augment the hypophagic action of GLP-1 or Ex4 in lean or diet-induced obese (DIO) mice. However, the combination of Ex4+OEA promoted greater weight loss in DIO mice than Ex4 or OEA alone during a 7-day treatment. This was due in part to transient hypophagia and increased energy expenditure, phenotypes also observed in Ex4-treated DIO mice. Thus, OEA augments specific GLP-1RA-stimulated signaling but appears to work in parallel with Ex4 to promote weight loss in DIO mice. Elucidating cooperative mechanisms underlying Ex4+OEA-mediated weight loss could, therefore, be leveraged toward more effective obesity therapies.
Adult mouse sensory neurons on microelectrode arrays exhibit increased spontaneous and stimulus-evoked activity in the presence of interleukin-6
Authors: Black Bryan J. , Atmaramani Rahul , Kumaraju Rajeshwari , Plagens Sarah , Romero-Ortega Mario , Dussor Gregory , Price Theodore J. , Campbell Zachary T. , Pancrazio Joseph J.
Published: June 2018

Following inflammation or injury, sensory neurons located in the dorsal root ganglia (DRG) may exhibit increased spontaneous and/or stimulus-evoked activity, contributing to chronic pain. Current treatment options for peripherally mediated chronic pain are highly limited, driving the development of cell- or tissue-based phenotypic (function-based) screening assays for peripheral analgesic and mechanistic lead discovery. Extant assays are often limited by throughput, content, use of tumorigenic cell lines, or tissue sources from immature developmental stages (i.e., embryonic or postnatal). Here, we describe a protocol for culturing adult mouse DRG neurons on substrate-integrated multiwell microelectrode arrays (MEAs). This approach enables multiplexed measurements of spontaneous as well as stimulus-evoked extracellular action potentials from large populations of cells. The DRG cultures exhibit stable spontaneous activity from 9 to 21 days in vitro. Activity is readily evoked by known chemical and physical agonists of sensory neuron activity such as capsaicin, bradykinin, PGE2, heat, and electrical field stimulation. Most importantly, we demonstrate that both spontaneous and stimulus-evoked activity may be potentiated by incubation with the inflammatory cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6). Acute responsiveness to IL-6 is inhibited by treatment with a MAPK-interacting kinase 1/2 inhibitor, cercosporamide. In total, these findings suggest that adult mouse DRG neurons on multiwell MEAs are applicable to ongoing efforts to discover peripheral analgesic and their mechanisms of action.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY This work describes methodologies for culturing spontaneously active adult mouse dorsal root ganglia (DRG) sensory neurons on microelectrode arrays. We characterize spontaneous and stimulus-evoked adult DRG activity over durations consistent with pharmacological interventions. Furthermore, persistent hyperexcitability could be induced by incubation with inflammatory cytokine IL-6 and attenuated with cercosporamide, an inhibitor of the IL-6 sensitization pathway. This constitutes a more physiologically relevant, moderate-throughput in vitro model for peripheral analgesic screening as well as mechanistic lead discovery.
Role of lysophosphatidic acid in ion channel function and disease
Authors: Hernández-Araiza Ileana , Morales-Lázaro Sara L. , Canul-Sánchez Jesús Aldair , Islas León D. , Rosenbaum Tamara
Published: June 2018

Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) is a bioactive phospholipid that exhibits a wide array of functions that include regulation of protein synthesis and adequate development of organisms. LPA is present in the membranes of cells and in the serum of several mammals and has also been shown to participate importantly in pathophysiological conditions. For several decades it was known that LPA produces some of its effects in cells through its interaction with specific G protein-coupled receptors, which in turn are responsible for signaling pathways that regulate cellular function. Among the target proteins for LPA receptors are ion channels that modulate diverse aspects of the physiology of cells and organs where they are expressed. However, recent studies have begun to unveil direct effects of LPA on ion channels, highlighting this phospholipid as a direct agonist and adding to the knowledge of the field of lipid-protein interactions. Moreover, the roles of LPA in pathophysiological conditions associated with the function of some ion channels have also begun to be clarified, and molecular mechanisms have been identified. This review focuses on the effects of LPA on ion channel function under normal and pathological conditions and highlights our present knowledge of the mechanisms by which it regulates the function and expression of N- and T-type Ca++ channels; M-type K+ channel and inward rectifier K+ channel subunit 2.1; transient receptor potential (TRP) melastatin 2, TRP vanilloid 1, and TRP ankyrin 1 channels; and TWIK-related K+ channel 1 (TREK-1), TREK-2, TWIK-related spinal cord K+ channel (TRESK), and TWIK-related arachidonic acid-stimulated K+ channel (TRAAK).
Estrous cycle-induced sex differences in medium spiny neuron excitatory synaptic transmission and intrinsic excitability in adult rat nucleus accumbens core
Authors: Proaño Stephanie B. , Morris Hannah J. , Kunz Lindsey M. , Dorris David M. , Meitzen John
Published: June 2018

Naturally occurring hormone cycles in adult female humans and rodents create a dynamic neuroendocrine environment. These cycles include the menstrual cycle in humans and its counterpart in rodents, the estrous cycle. These hormone fluctuations induce sex differences in the phenotypes of many behaviors, including those related to motivation, and associated disorders such as depression and addiction. This suggests that the neural substrate instrumental for these behaviors, including the nucleus accumbens core (AcbC), likewise differs between estrous cycle phases. It is unknown whether the electrophysiological properties of AcbC output neurons, medium spiny neurons (MSNs), change between estrous cycle phases. This is a critical knowledge gap given that MSN electrophysiological properties are instrumental for determining AcbC output to efferent targets. Here we test whether the intrinsic electrophysiological properties of adult rat AcbC MSNs differ across female estrous cycle phases and from males. We recorded MSNs with whole cell patch-clamp technique in two experiments, the first using gonad-intact adult males and females in differing phases of the estrous cycle and the second using gonadectomized males and females in which the estrous cycle was eliminated. MSN intrinsic electrophysiological and excitatory synaptic input properties robustly changed between female estrous cycle phases and males. Sex differences in MSN electrophysiology disappeared when the estrous cycle was eliminated. These novel findings indicate that AcbC MSN electrophysiological properties change across the estrous cycle, providing a new framework for understanding how biological sex and hormone cyclicity regulate motivated behaviors and other AcbC functions and disorders.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY This research is the first demonstration that medium spiny neuron electrophysiological properties change across adult female hormone cycle phases in any striatal region. This influence of estrous cycle engenders sex differences in electrophysiological properties that are eliminated by gonadectomy. Broadly, these findings indicate that adult female hormone cycles are an important factor for neurophysiology.
The critical stability task: quantifying sensory-motor control during ongoing movement in nonhuman primates
Authors: Quick Kristin M. , Mischel Jessica L. , Loughlin Patrick J. , Batista Aaron P.
Published: June 2018

Everyday behaviors require that we interact with the environment, using sensory information in an ongoing manner to guide our actions. Yet, by design, many of the tasks used in primate neurophysiology laboratories can be performed with limited sensory guidance. As a consequence, our knowledge about the neural mechanisms of motor control is largely limited to the feedforward aspects of the motor command. To study the feedback aspects of volitional motor control, we adapted the critical stability task (CST) from the human performance literature (Jex H, McDonnell J, Phatak A. IEEE Trans Hum Factors Electron 7: 138–145, 1966). In the CST, our monkey subjects interact with an inherently unstable (i.e., divergent) virtual system and must generate sensory-guided actions to stabilize it about an equilibrium point. The difficulty of the CST is determined by a single parameter, which allows us to quantitatively establish the limits of performance in the task for different sensory feedback conditions. Two monkeys learned to perform the CST with visual or vibrotactile feedback. Performance was better under visual feedback, as expected, but both monkeys were able to utilize vibrotactile feedback alone to successfully perform the CST. We also observed changes in behavioral strategy as the task became more challenging. The CST will have value for basic science investigations of the neural basis of sensory-motor integration during ongoing actions, and it may also provide value for the design and testing of bidirectional brain computer interface systems.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY Currently, most behavioral tasks used in motor neurophysiology studies require primates to make short-duration, stereotyped movements that do not necessitate sensory feedback. To improve our understanding of sensorimotor integration, and to engineer meaningful artificial sensory feedback systems for brain-computer interfaces, it is crucial to have a task that requires sensory feedback for good control. The critical stability task demands that sensory information be used to guide long-duration movements.
Motor planning perturbation: muscle activation and reaction time
Authors: Delmas Stefan , Casamento-Moran Agostina , Park Seoung Hoon , Yacoubi Basma , Christou Evangelos A.
Published: June 2018

Reaction time (RT) is the time interval between the appearance of a stimulus and initiation of a motor response. Within RT, two processes occur, selection of motor goals and motor planning. An unresolved question is whether perturbation to the motor planning component of RT slows the response and alters the voluntary activation of muscle. The purpose of this study was to determine how the modulation of muscle activity during an RT response changes with motor plan perturbation. Twenty-four young adults (20.5 ±1.1 yr, 13 women) performed 15 trials of an isometric RT task with ankle dorsiflexion using a sinusoidal anticipatory strategy (10–20% maximum voluntary contraction). We compared the processing part of the RT and modulation of muscle activity from 10 to 60 Hz of the tibialis anterior (primary agonist) when the stimulus appeared at the trough or at the peak of the sinusoidal task. We found that RT ( P = 0.003) was longer when the stimulus occurred at the peak compared with the trough. During the time of the reaction, the electromyography (EMG) power from 10 to 35 Hz was less at the peak than the trough ( P = 0.019), whereas the EMG power from 35 to 60 Hz was similar between the peak and trough ( P = 0.92). These results suggest that perturbation to motor planning lengthens the processing part of RT and alters the voluntary activation of the muscle by decreasing the relative amount of power from 10 to 35 Hz.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY We aimed to determine whether perturbation to motor planning would alter the speed and muscle activity of the response. We compared trials when a stimulus appeared at the peak or trough of an oscillatory reaction time task. When the stimulus occurred at the trough, participants responded faster, with greater force, and less EMG power from 10-35 Hz. We provide evidence that motor planning perturbation slows the response and alters the voluntary activity of the muscle.
Control of redundant pointing movements involving the wrist and forearm
Authors: Dorman Garrett R. , Davis Kevin C. , Peaden Allan W. , Charles Steven K.
Published: June 2018

The musculoskeletal system can move in more ways than are strictly necessary, allowing many tasks to be accomplished with a variety of limb configurations. Why some configurations are preferred has been a focus of motor control research, but most studies have focused on shoulder-elbow or whole arm movements. This study focuses on movements involving forearm pronation-supination (PS), wrist flexion-extension (FE), and wrist radial-ulnar deviation (RUD) and elucidates how these three degrees of freedom (DOF) combine to perform the common task of pointing, which only requires two DOF. Although pointing is more sensitive to FE and RUD than to PS and could be easily accomplished with FE and RUD alone, subjects tend to involve a small amount of PS. However, why we choose this behavior has been unknown and is the focus of this paper. With the use of a second-order model with lumped parameters, we tested a number of plausible control strategies involving minimization of work, potential energy, torque, and path length. None of these control schemes robustly predicted the observed behavior. However, an alternative control scheme, hypothesized to control the DOF that were most important to the task (FE and RUD) and ignore the less important DOF (PS), matched the observed behavior well. In particular, the behavior observed in PS appears to be a mechanical side effect caused by unopposed interaction torques. We conclude that moderately sized pointing movements involving the wrist and forearm are controlled by ignoring forearm rotation even though this strategy does not robustly minimize work, potential energy, torque, or path length.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY Many activities require us to point our hands in a given direction using wrist and forearm rotations. Although there are infinitely many ways to do this, we tend to follow a stereotyped pattern. Why we choose this pattern has been unknown and is the focus of this paper. After testing a variety of hypotheses, we conclude that the pattern results from a simplifying strategy in which we focus on wrist rotations and ignore forearm rotation.
Slot-like capacity and resource-like coding in a neural model of multiple-item working memory
Authors: Standage Dominic , Paré Martin
Published: June 2018

For the past decade, research on the storage limitations of working memory has been dominated by two fundamentally different hypotheses. On the one hand, the contents of working memory may be stored in a limited number of “slots,” each with a fixed resolution. On the other hand, any number of items may be stored but with decreasing resolution. These two hypotheses have been invaluable in characterizing the computational structure of working memory, but neither provides a complete account of the available experimental data or speaks to the neural basis of the limitations it characterizes. To address these shortcomings, we simulated a multiple-item working memory task with a cortical network model, the cellular resolution of which allowed us to quantify the coding fidelity of memoranda as a function of memory load, as measured by the discriminability, regularity, and reliability of simulated neural spiking. Our simulations account for a wealth of neural and behavioral data from human and nonhuman primate studies, and they demonstrate that feedback inhibition lowers both capacity and coding fidelity. Because the strength of inhibition scales with the number of items stored by the network, increasing this number progressively lowers fidelity until capacity is reached. Crucially, the model makes specific, testable predictions for neural activity on multiple-item working memory tasks.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY Working memory is the ability to keep information in mind and is fundamental to cognition. It is actively debated whether the storage limitations of working memory reflect a small number of storage units (slots) or a decrease in coding resolution as a limited resource is allocated to more items. In a cortical model, we found that slot-like capacity and resource-like neural coding resulted from the same mechanism, offering an integrated explanation for storage limitations.
Nanoporous Ag-Au Bimetallic Triangular Nanoprisms Synthesized by Galvanic Replacement for Plasmonic Applications
Authors: Qian Hongmei , Anwer Shoaib , Bharath G. , Iqbal Shahid , Chen Lijuan
Published: June 2018

Galvanic replacement is a versatile method of converting simple noble metallic nanoparticles into structurally more complex porous multimetallic nanostructures. In this work, roughened nanoporous Ag-Au bimetallic triangular nanoprisms (TNPs) are synthesized by galvanic replacement between smooth Ag triangular plates and AuCl4− ions. Transmission electron microscope and the elementary mapping measurements show that numerous protrusions and pores are formed on the {111} facets, and Ag and Au atoms are homogeneously distributed on the triangular plates. Due to the additional “hot spots” generated by the surface plasmon coupling of the newly formed protrusions and pores, the roughened nanoporous Ag-Au TNP aggregates demonstrate a higher surface-enhanced Raman scattering enhancement factor (seven times larger) and better reproducibility than that of smooth Ag triangular particle aggregates. These synthesized roughened nanoporous Ag-Au bimetallic TNPs are a promising candidate for the applications in analytical chemistry, biological diagnostics, and photothermal therapy due to their excellent plasmonic performances and good biocompatibility.
A Flexible Bridge Rating Method Based on Analytical Evidential Reasoning and Monte Carlo Simulation
Authors: Abu Dabous Saleh , Al-Khayyat Ghadeer
Published: June 2018

Several bridge inspection standards and condition assessment practices have been developed around the globe. Some practices employ four linguistic expressions to rate bridge elements while other practices use five or six, or adopt numerical ratings such as 1 to 9. This research introduces a condition rating method that can operate under different condition assessment practices and account for uncertainties in condition assessment by means of the Evidential Reasoning (ER) theory. The method offers flexibility in terms of using default elements and their weights or selecting alternative set of elements and condition rating schemes. The implemented ER approach accounts for uncertainties in condition rating by treating the condition assessments as probabilistic grades rather than numerical values. The ER approach requires the assignment of initial basic beliefs or probabilities, and typically these initial beliefs are assigned by an expert. Alternatively, this research integrates the Monte Carlo Simulation (MCS) technique with the ER theory to quantitatively estimate the basic probabilities and to produce robust overall bridge condition ratings. The proposed method is novel to the literature and has the following features: (1) flexible and can be used with any number of bridge elements and any standard of condition grades; (2) intuitive and simple paired comparison technique is implemented to evaluate weights of the bridge elements; (3) the MCS technique is integrated with the ER approach to quantify uncertainties associated with the stochastic nature of the bridge deterioration process; (4) the method can function with limited data and can incorporate new evidence to update the condition rating; (5) the final rating consists of multiple condition grades and is produced as a distributed probabilistic assessment reflecting the condition of the bridge elements collectively. The proposed method is illustrated with a real case study, and potential future research work is identified.
A Load Transportation Nonlinear Control Strategy Using a Tilt-Rotor UAV
Authors: Raffo Guilherme V. , Almeida Marcelino M. de
Published: June 2018

This paper proposes a nonlinear control strategy to solve the trajectory tracking problem of a tilt-rotor Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) when transporting a suspended load. For the present study, the aim of the control system is to track a desired trajectory of the aircraft with load’s swing-free, even in the presence of external disturbances, parametric uncertainties, unmodeled dynamics, and noisy position measurements with lower sampling frequency than the controller. The whole system modeling is obtained through the Euler-Lagrange formulation considering the dynamics of the tilt-rotor UAV coupled to the suspended load. As for the nonlinear control strategy, an inner-loop control is designed based on input-output feedback linearization combined with the dynamic extension approach to stabilize the attitude and altitude of the UAV assuming nonlinearities, while an outer-loop control law is designed for guiding the aircraft with reduced load swing. The linearized dynamics are controlled using linear mixed H2/H∞ controllers with pole placement constraints. The solution is compared to two simpler control systems: the first one considers the load as a disturbance to the system but does not avoid its swing; the second one is a previous academic result with a three-level cascade strategy. Finally, in order to deal with the problem of position estimation in presence of unknown disturbances and noisy measurements with low sampling frequency, a Linear Kalman Filter with Unknown Inputs is designed for estimating both the aircraft’s translational position and translational disturbances. Simulation results are carried out to corroborate the proposed control strategy.
Capacity-Constrained Contraflow Adaption for Lane Reconfiguration in Evacuation Planning
Authors: Ni Wu , Li Wenbo , Wang Hailei , Xiong Chengxin , Guo Dan
Published: June 2018

This paper presents a heuristic contraflow-based reconfiguration evacuation algorithm, which is named Capacity-Constrained Contraflow Adaption (CC-Adap). First, it effectively calculates optimal candidate routes for evacuation. Second, an evaluation method is proposed for estimating these candidate routes. Third, CC-Adap utilizes a contraflow-based method to reconfigure the evacuation routes to improve capacity constraints. Fourth, traffic conditions are updated in real time. Fifth, CC-Adap reuses historical evacuation routes to reduce the computational cost and accelerate the evacuation process. Experimental results show that CC-Adap generates high-performing evacuation strategies and can be used to tackle large-scale evacuation planning.
Influence of the Thermal Treatment to Address a Better Osseointegration of Ti6Al4V Dental Implants: Histological and Histomorphometrical Study in a Rabbit Model
Authors: Scarano Antonio , Crocetta Ezio , Quaranta Alessandro , Lorusso Felice
Published: June 2018

Background. Pure titanium continues to be the first choice for dental implants and represents the gold standard for their biocompatibility and physical and mechanical characteristics, while the titanium alloy (Ti6Al4V) has good mechanical properties. The surface structure of the titanium oxide layer formation on the surface influences and improves the bone response around dental implants. Purpose. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the influence of a thermal treatment of Ti6Al4V implant surfaces and the bone healing response in a rabbit model. Methods. Altogether sixteen implants with same design were inserted into the distal femoral metaphysis. A screw (13 mm long, 4 mm in diameter) was inserted in an implant bed. Each rabbit received two implants, one in the left femur and one in the right femur. The samples were histologically and histomorphometrically evaluated at 8 weeks. Results. A statistically significant difference (p = 0.000034) was present histologically in the percentages of bone-implant contact (BIC) between the test group (BIC = 69.25±4.49%.) and control group (BIC = 56.25 ± 4.8%) by one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Significance was set at p ≤ 0.05. Conclusions. The outcome of the present study indicates a novel approach to improving bone healing around titanium implants.
Microstructures and Mechanical Properties of Al/Fe and Cu/Fe Joints by Continuous Drive Friction Welding
Authors: Wei Yanni , Sun Fu
Published: June 2018

The dissimilar pure metals Al/Fe and Cu/Fe with different metallurgical compatibility were joined by continuous drive friction welding. The friction weldability was investigated. The microstructure of the joining interface was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy, and the chemical compositions were tested by energy‐dispersive spectroscopy. The joining strength was evaluated by tensile test, and the fracture was detected by X‐ray diffraction analysis. The results show that sound joints of Al/Fe and Cu/Fe can be obtained by continuous drive friction welding process. A discontinuous reaction layer was formed on Al/Fe interface, and no obvious reaction layer appeared on Cu/Fe interface. The tensile strength of the joints increased with increasing friction pressure, and the highest strength could reach up to 70 MPa for Al/Fe joint and 222 MPa for Cu/Fe joint. All the Al/Fe friction‐welded samples failed at the friction interface, while the Cu/Fe joint under 36 and 44 MPa friction pressure failed at Cu matrix during the tensile test.