bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Competition between movement plans increases motor variability: evidence of a shared resource for movement planning
Authors: Oostwoud Wijdenes Leonie , Ivry Richard B. , Bays Paul M.
Published: June 2016

Do movement plans, like representations in working memory, share a limited pool of resources? If so, the precision with which each individual movement plan is specified should decrease as the total number of movement plans increases. To explore this, human participants made speeded reaching movements toward visual targets. We examined if preparing one movement resulted in less variability than preparing two movements. The number of planned movements was manipulated in a delayed response cueing procedure that limited planning to a single target ( experiment 1) or hand ( experiment 2) or required planning of movements toward two targets (or with two hands). For both experiments, initial movement direction variability was higher in the two-plan condition than in the one-plan condition, demonstrating a cost associated with planning multiple movements, consistent with the limited resource hypothesis. In experiment 3, we showed that the advantage in initial variability of preparing a single movement was present only when the trajectory could be fully specified. This indicates that the difference in variability between one and two plans reflects the specification of full motor plans, not a general preparedness to move. The precision cost related to concurrent plans represents a novel constraint on motor preparation, indicating that multiple movements cannot be planned independently, even if they involve different limbs.
A step toward understanding the human ventral visual pathway
Authors: Goddard Erin
Published: June 2016

The human ventral visual pathway is implicated in higher order form processing, but the organizational principles within this region are not yet well understood. Recently, Lafer-Sousa, Conway, and Kanwisher ( J Neurosci 36: 1682–1697, 2016) used functional magnetic resonance imaging to demonstrate that functional responses in the human ventral visual pathway share a broad homology with the those in macaque inferior temporal cortex, providing new evidence supporting the validity of the macaque as a model of the human visual system in this region. In addition, these results give new clues for understanding the organizational principles within the ventral visual pathway and the processing of higher order color and form, suggesting new avenues for research into this cortical region.
Vestibular and oculomotor influences on visual dependency
Authors: Roberts R. Edward , Da Silva Melo Mariane , Siddiqui Aazim A. , Arshad Qadeer , Patel Mitesh
Published: June 2016

The degree to which a person relies on visual stimuli for spatial orientation is termed visual dependency (VD). VD is considered a perceptual trait or cognitive style influenced by psychological factors and mediated by central reweighting of the sensory inputs involved in spatial orientation. VD is often measured with the rod-and-disk test, in which participants align a central rod to the subjective visual vertical (SVV) in the presence of a background that is either stationary or rotating around the line of sight—dynamic SVV. Although this task has been employed to assess VD in health and vestibular disease, what effect torsional nystagmic eye movements may have on individual performance is unknown. Using caloric ear irrigation, 3D video-oculography, and the rod-and-disk test, we show that caloric torsional nystagmus modulates measures of VD and demonstrate that increases in tilt after irrigation are positively correlated with changes in ocular torsional eye movements. When the direction of the slow phase of the torsional eye movement induced by the caloric is congruent with that induced by the rotating visual stimulus, there is a significant increase in tilt. When these two torsional components are in opposition, there is a decrease. These findings show that measures of VD can be influenced by oculomotor responses induced by caloric stimulation. The findings are of significance for clinical studies, as they indicate that VD, which often increases in vestibular disorders, is modulated not only by changes in cognitive style but also by eye movements, in particular nystagmus.
Immunogenicity of Biotherapeutics: Causes and Association with Posttranslational Modifications
Authors: Kuriakose Anshu , Chirmule Narendra , Nair Pradip
Published: June 2016

Today, potential immunogenicity can be better evaluated during the drug development process, and we have rational approaches to manage the clinical consequences of immunogenicity. The focus of the scientific community should be on developing sensitive diagnostics that can predict immunogenicity-mediated adverse events in the small fraction of subjects that develop clinically relevant anti-drug antibodies. Here, we discuss the causes of immunogenicity which could be product-related (inherent property of the product or might be picked up during the manufacturing process), patient-related (genetic profile or eating habits), or linked to the route of administration. We describe various posttranslational modifications (PTMs) and how they may influence immunogenicity. Over the last three decades, we have significantly improved our understanding about the types of PTMs of biotherapeutic proteins and their association with immunogenicity. It is also now clear that all PTMs do not lead to clinical immunogenicity. We also discuss the mechanisms of immunogenicity (which include T cell-dependent and T cell-independent responses) and immunological tolerance. We further elaborate on the management of immunogenicity in preclinical and clinical setting and the unique challenges raised by biosimilars, which may have different immunogenic potential from their parent biotherapeutics.
Elastic Properties and the Band Gap ofAlNxP1-xSemiconductor Alloy: A Comparative Study of VariousAb InitioApproaches
Authors: Polak M. P. , Winiarski M. J. , Wittek K. , Scharoch P.
Published: June 2016

Structural and elastic properties ofAlNxP1-x, a novel semiconductor alloy, are studied from the first principles in both zinc-blende and wurtzite structures. Performances of thefinite difference(FD) method and thedensity functional perturbation theory(DFPT) are tested and compared. Both of these methods are applied to two different approaches of alloy simulation, a supercell of 16 and 32 atoms (for zinc-blende and wurtzite structures, resp.) and thealchemical mixing(AM) method, where the pseudopotentials are mixed in an appropriate way to form an alloy. All elastic properties, including the elastic tensors, elastic moduli, Poisson’s ratio, B/G, and relaxation coefficient, as well as lattice parameters are calculated using all said methods. Conclusions about the use of the approaches investigated in this paper and about their performance are drawn. In addition, in both crystal structures, the band gap is studied in the whole composition range using the MBJLDA functional. The band gap bowings are unusually high, which confirms earlier reports.
Impact of Pregnancy on the Levels of Parabens and Bisphenol A: Data from NHANES 2005–2010
Authors: Jain Ram B.
Published: June 2016

Using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, regression models were fitted to assess the relationship between the levels of bisphenol A and selected parabens and pregnancy status among females 20–44 years old with adjustments made for factors that may affect the levels of these chemicals. Pregnancy did not affect the levels of bisphenol A, ethyl paraben, methyl paraben, and propyl paraben, but the pregnancy was found to be associated with increased levels of butyl paraben. Also, the levels of bisphenol A and butyl, ethyl, and methyl parabens increased as pregnancy progressed from the first trimester to the third trimester. The increasing levels of bisphenol A and parabens during pregnancy are of concern and need further clinical explanation.
The Significance of an Enhanced Concept of the Organism for Medicine
Authors: Rosslenbroich Bernd
Published: June 2016

Recent developments in evolutionary biology, comparative embryology, and systems biology suggest the necessity of a conceptual shift in the way we think about organisms. It is becoming increasingly evident that molecular and genetic processes are subject to extremely refined regulation and control by the cell and the organism, so that it becomes hard to define single molecular functions or certain genes as primary causes of specific processes. Rather, the molecular level is integrated into highly regulated networks within the respective systems. This has consequences for medical research in general, especially for the basic concept of personalized medicine or precision medicine. Here an integrative systems concept is proposed that describes the organism as a multilevel, highly flexible, adaptable, and, in this sense, autonomous basis for a human individual. The hypothesis is developed that these properties of the organism, gained from scientific observation, will gradually make it necessary to rethink the conceptual framework of physiology and pathophysiology in medicine.
Evidences of Herbal Medicine-Derived Natural Products Effects in Inflammatory Lung Diseases
Authors: Santana Fernanda Paula R. , Pinheiro Nathalia M. , Mernak Márcia Isabel B. , Righetti Renato F. , Martins Mílton A. , Lago João H. G. , Lopes Fernanda D. T. Q. dos Santos , Tibério Iolanda F. L. C. , Prado Carla M.
Published: June 2016

Pulmonary inflammation is a hallmark of many respiratory diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and acute respiratory syndrome distress (ARDS). Most of these diseases are treated with anti-inflammatory therapy in order to prevent or to reduce the pulmonary inflammation. Herbal medicine-derived natural products have been used in folk medicine and scientific studies to evaluate the value of these compounds have grown in recent years. Many substances derived from plants have the biological effectsin vitroandin vivo, such as flavonoids, alkaloids, and terpenoids. Among the biological activities of natural products derived from plants can be pointed out the anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antiplatelet, antitumor anti-allergic activities, and antioxidant. Although many reports have evaluated the effects of these compounds in experimental models, studies evaluating clinical trials are scarce in the literature. This review aims to emphasize the effects of these different natural products in pulmonary diseases in experimental models and in humans and pointing out some possible mechanisms of action.
Antioxidant, Cytotoxic, and Antiproliferative Activities and Total Polyphenol Contents of the Extracts of Geissospermum reticulatum Bark
Authors: Sajkowska-Kozielewicz Joanna J. , Kozielewicz Paweł , Barnes Nicholas M. , Wawer Iwona , Paradowska Katarzyna
Published: June 2016

Geissospermum species are medically important plants due to their health‐promoting effects. The objective of this study was to determine the antioxidant ability and antiproliferative and cytotoxic effects of infusions, tinctures, and ethanolic extracts of Geissospermum reticulatum barks in relation to the contents of total phenolics and flavonoids. Seven samples of barks were collected in various regions of Peruvian Amazonia. We found that the amount of total phenolics in the studied products varied from 212.40 ± 0.69 to 1253.92 ± 11.20 mg GAE/kg. In our study there is a correlation (R2 = 0.7947) between the results of antioxidants assays: FRAP and ORAC for tinctures, infusions, and ethanolic extracts of G. reticulatum barks. We have also observed antiproliferative activities of the ethanolic extracts on normal T‐cells. These extracts have caused death on malignant cell lines (THP‐1 and HL‐60) and this data correlates well with their antioxidant capacity measured by ORAC method. Interestingly, the highest concentration of the ethanolic extract was not toxic in the zebrafish embryo developmental assay. Our results indicate that G. reticulatum is rich in antioxidants and have cytotoxic and antiproliferative properties. The data suggests potential immunosuppressive role of the extracts. This is the first study presenting the results of chemical and biological analysis of multiple preparations from G. reticulatum.
Structural Stability and Dynamics of FGM Plates Using an Improved 8-ANS Finite Element
Authors: Park Weon-Tae
Published: June 2016

I investigate the vibration and buckling analysis of functionally graded material (FGM) structures, using a modified 8-node shell element. The properties of FGM vary continuously through the thickness direction according to the volume fraction of constituents defined by sigmoid function. The modified 8-ANS shell element has been employed to study the effect of power law index on dynamic analysis of FGM plates with various boundary conditions and buckling analysis under combined loads, and interaction curves of FGM plates are carried out. To overcome shear and membrane locking problems, the assumed natural strain method is employed. In order to validate and compare the finite element numerical solutions, the reference results of plates based on Navier’s method, the series solutions of sigmoid FGM (S-FGM) plates are compared. Results of the present study show good agreement with the reference results. The solutions of vibration and buckling analysis are numerically illustrated in a number of tables and figures to show the influence of power law index, side-to-thickness ratio, aspect ratio, types of loads, and boundary conditions in FGM structures. This work is relevant to the simulation of wing surfaces, aircrafts, and box structures under various boundary conditions and loadings.
Improved Multibody Dynamics for Investigating Energy Dissipation in Train Collisions Based on Scaling Laws
Authors: Shao Heng , Xu Ping , Yao Shuguang , Peng Yong , Li Rui , Zhao Shizhong
Published: June 2016

This study aimed to investigate energy dissipation in train collisions. A 1/8 scaled train model, about one-dimensional in longitudinal direction, was used to carry out a scaled train collision test. Corresponding multibody dynamic simulations were conducted using traditional and improved method model (IMM) in ADAMS. In IMM, the connection between two adjacent cars was expressed by a nonlinear spring and energy absorbing structures were equivalently represented by separate forces, instead of one force. IMM was able to simulate the motion of each car and displayed the deformation of structures at both ends of the cars. IMM showed larger deformations and energy absorption of structures in moving cars than those in stationary cars. Moreover, the asymmetry in deformation proportion in main energy absorbing structures decreased with increasing collision speed. The asymmetry decreased from 11.69% to 3.60% when the collision speed increased from 10 km/h to 36 km/h.
Synergic Interaction of Rifaximin and Mutaflor (Escherichia coliNissle 1917) in the Treatment of Acetic Acid-Induced Colitis in Rats
Authors: Dembiński Artur , Warzecha Zygmunt , Ceranowicz Piotr , Dembiński Marcin , Cieszkowski Jakub , Gosiewski Tomasz , Bulanda Małgorzata , Kuśnierz-Cabala Beata , Gałązka Krystyna , Konturek Peter Christopher
Published: June 2016

Background. Inflammatory bowel disease results from the dysregulation of immune response to environmental and microbial agents in genetically susceptible individuals. The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of rifaximin and/or Mutaflor (Escherichia coliNissle 1917, EcN) administration on the healing of acetic acid-induced colitis.Methods. Colitis was induced in male Wistar rats by rectal enema with 3.5% acetic acid solution. Rifaximin (50 mg/kg/dose) and/or Mutaflor (109 CFU/dose) were given intragastrically once a day. The severity of colitis was assessed at the 8th day after induction of inflammation.Results. Treatment with rifaximin significantly accelerated the healing of colonic damage. This effect was associated with significant reversion of the acetic acid-evoked decrease in mucosal blood flow and DNA synthesis. Moreover, administration of rifaximin significantly reduced concentration of proinflammatory TNF-αand activity of myeloperoxidase in colonic mucosa. Mutaflor given alone was without significant effect on activity of colitis. In contrast, Mutaflor given in combination with rifaximin significantly enhanced therapeutic effect of rifaximin. Moreover, Mutaflor led to settle of the colon by EcN and this effect was augmented by pretreatment with rifaximin.Conclusion. Rifaximin and Mutaflor exhibit synergic anti-inflammatory and therapeutic effect in acetic acid-induced colitis in rats.
Crystal Structure of the N-Terminal RNA Recognition Motif of mRNA Decay Regulator AUF1
Authors: Choi Young Jun , Yoon Je-Hyun , Chang Jeong Ho
Published: June 2016

AU-rich element binding/degradation factor 1 (AUF1) plays a role in destabilizing mRNAs by forming complexes with AU-rich elements (ARE) in the 3′-untranslated regions. Multiple AUF1-ARE complexes regulate the translation of encoded products related to the cell cycle, apoptosis, and inflammation. AUF1 contains two tandem RNA recognition motifs (RRM) and a Gln- (Q-) rich domain in their C-terminal region. To observe how the two RRMs are involved in recognizing ARE, we obtained the AUF1-p37 protein covering the two RRMs. However, only N-terminal RRM (RRM1) was crystallized and its structure was determined at 1.7 Å resolution. It appears that the RRM1 and RRM2 separated before crystallization. To demonstrate which factors affect the separate RRM1-2, we performed limited proteolysis using trypsin. The results indicated that the intact proteins were cleaved by unknown proteases that were associated with them prior to crystallization. In comparison with each of the monomers, the conformations of theβ2-β3 loops were highly variable. Furthermore, a comparison with the RRM1-2 structures of HuR and hnRNP A1 revealed that a dimer of RRM1 could be one of the possible conformations of RRM1-2. Our data may provide a guidance for further structural investigations of AUF1 tandem RRM repeat and its mode of ARE binding.
Test Verification and Application of a Longitudinal Temperature Force Testing Method for Long Seamless Rails Using FBG Strain Sensor
Authors: Wang Ping , Xie Kaize , Chen Rong , Shao Liyang , Yan Lianshan , Liu Hao , Zhang Meng
Published: June 2016

In order to evaluate the health status of continuous welded rail accurately, a deduction on the FBG sensing principle has been made with regard to the temperature variation of test specimens under different constraint conditions. A long seamless rail testing solution and its on-site application are designed based on this deduction. According to the verification experiments of sensing principle inside, the effect of the reference temperature on the FBG temperature and strain sensitivity coefficient within −30°C~30°C is not higher than 0.05%; the maximum relative error of single point between the tested and theoretical results of test specimen under constrained condition is 3.2%; and the maximum relative error of slopes of fitted straight lines based on the tested and theoretical results within the entire test temperature range is 2.3%, verifying the deduced FBG sensing principle with regard to the test specimen under constrained condition. The maximum error of the longitudinal temperature force between the on-site tested results and calculated results in long seamless rails is only 6.1 kN, the corresponding rail temperature variation is 0.3°C, and the accumulated error is controllable within 5%.
Sliding-MOMP Based Channel Estimation Scheme for ISDB-T Systems
Authors: Ma Ziji , Guo Shuaifeng , Liu Hongli , Okada Minoru
Published: June 2016

Compressive sensing based channel estimation has shown its advantage of accurate reconstruction for sparse signal with less pilots for OFDM systems. However, high computational cost requirement of CS method, due to linear programming, significantly restricts its implementation in practical applications. In this paper, we propose a reduced complexity channel estimation scheme of modified orthogonal matching pursuit with sliding windows for ISDB-T (Integrated Services Digital Broadcasting for Terrestrial) system. The proposed scheme can reduce the computational cost by limiting the searching region as well as making effective use of the last estimation result. In addition, adaptive tracking strategy with sliding sampling window can improve the robustness of CS based methods to guarantee its accuracy of channel matrix reconstruction, even for fast time-variant channels. The computer simulation demonstrates its impact on improving bit error rate and computational complexity for ISDB-T system.
Modulation of Stat-1 in Human Macrophages Infected with Different Species of Intracellular Pathogenic Bacteria
Authors: Schiavano Giuditta Fiorella , Dominici Sabrina , Rinaldi Laura , Cangiano Alfonsina Mariarosaria , Brandi Giorgio , Magnani Mauro
Published: June 2016

The infection of human macrophages by pathogenic bacteria induces different signaling pathways depending on the type of cellular receptors involved in the microorganism entry and on their mechanism(s) of survival and replication in the host cell. It was reported that Stat proteins play an important role in this process. In the present study, we investigate the changes in Stat-1 activation (phosphorylation in p-tyr701) after uptake of two Gram-positive (Listeria monocytogenesandStaphylococcus aureus) and two Gram-negative bacteria (Salmonella typhimuriumandLegionella pneumophila) characterized by their varying abilities to enter, survive, and replicate in human macrophages. Comparing the results obtained with Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, Stat-1 activation in macrophages does not seem to be related to LPS content. The p-tyr701Stat-1 expression levels were found to be independent of the internalized bacterial number and IFN-γrelease. On the contrary, Jak/Stat-1 pathway activation only occurs when an active infection has been established in the host macrophage, and it is plausible that the differences in the expression levels of p-tyr701Stat-1 could be due to different survival mechanisms or to differences in bacteria life cycles within macrophages.
What Is Known about Elementary Grades Mathematical Modelling
Authors: Stohlmann Micah S. , Albarracín Lluís
Published: June 2016

Mathematical modelling has often been emphasized at the secondary level, but more research is needed at the elementary level. This paper serves to summarize what is known about elementary mathematical modelling to guide future research. A targeted and general literature search was conducted and studies were summarized based on five categories: content of mathematical modelling intervention, assessment data collected, unit of analysis studied, population, and effectiveness. It was found that there were three main units of analysis into which the studies could be categorized: representational and conceptual competence, models created, and student beliefs. The main findings from each of these units of analysis are discussed along with future research that is needed.
Young-Adult Male Rats’ Vulnerability to Chronic Mild Stress Is Reflected by Anxious-Like instead of Depressive-Like Behaviors
Authors: José Jaime Herrera-Pérez , Venus Benítez-Coronel , Graciela Jiménez-Rubio , Tania Hernández-Hernández Olivia , Lucía Martínez-Mota
Published: June 2016

In a previous study, we found that chronic mild stress (CMS) paradigm did not induce anhedonia in young-adult male rats but it reduced their body weight gain. These contrasting results encouraged us to explore other indicators of animal’s vulnerability to stress such as anxious-like behaviors, since stress is an etiologic factor also for anxiety. Thus, in this study, we evaluated the vulnerability of these animals to CMS using behavioral tests of depression or anxiety and measuring serum corticosterone. Male Wistar rats were exposed to four weeks of CMS; the animals’ body weight and sucrose preference (indicator of anhedonia) were assessed after three weeks, and, after the fourth week, some animals were evaluated in a behavioral battery (elevated plus maze, defensive burying behavior, and forced swimming tests); meanwhile, others were used to measure serum corticosterone. We found that CMS (1) did not affect sucrose preference, immobility behavior in the forced swimming test, or serum corticosterone; (2) decreased body weight gain; and (3) increased the rat’s entries into closed arms of the plus maze and the cumulative burying behavior. These data indicate that young male rats’ vulnerability to CMS is reflected as poor body weight gain and anxious-like instead of depressive-like behaviors.
Extended Calibration Technique of a Four-Hole Probe for Three-Dimensional Flow Measurements
Authors: Munivenkatareddy Suresh , Sitaram Nekkanti
Published: June 2016

The present paper reports the development and nonnulling calibration technique to calibrate a cantilever type cylindrical four-hole probe of 2.54 mm diameter to measure three-dimensional flows. The probe is calibrated at a probe Reynolds number of 9525. The probe operative angular range is extended using a zonal method by dividing into three zones, namely, center, left, and right zone. Different calibration coefficients are defined for each zone. The attainable angular range achieved using the zonal method is ±60 degrees in the yaw plane and −50 to +30 degrees in the pitch plane. Sensitivity analysis of all the four calibration coefficients shows that probe pitch sensitivity is lower than the yaw sensitivity in the center zone, and extended left and right zones have lower sensitivity than the center zone. In addition, errors due to the data reduction program for the probe are presented. The errors are found to be reasonably small in all the three zones. However, the errors in the extended left and right zones have slightly larger magnitudes compared to those in the center zone.
The First Ever Reported Case of Primary Synovial Sarcoma of Scalp
Authors: Mishra Biplab , Singhal Saurabh , Bhirud Deepak Prakash , Kumar Nitesh , Mallick Saumyaranjan
Published: June 2016

Synovial sarcomas are a rare entity with predilection for extremities and joints. The literature suggests that these tumours are rare in the head and neck region. Very few authors have reported their origin in head. Among the ones occurring in the head region, most of them are found to originate from the parotid area. According to our extensive review of available literature, there has been no reported case of the primary case of synovial sarcoma originating from the scalp convexity. We hereby report one such case in a young female which, by far to the best of our knowledge, is the first ever reported case of a synovial sarcoma occurring on the scalp. The tumour is also the largest ever reported in the literature and posed a great surgical and diagnostic challenge to our team. Through this paper, we recommend that synovial sarcoma should be included as a very rare yet possible differential diagnosis for the scalp tumours.
Boosting Accuracy of Classical Machine Learning Antispam Classifiers in Real Scenarios by Applying Rough Set Theory
Authors: Pérez-Díaz N. , Ruano-Ordás D. , Fdez-Riverola F. , Méndez J. R.
Published: June 2016

Nowadays, spam deliveries represent a major problem to benefit from the wide range of Internet-based communication forms. Despite the existence of different well-known intelligent techniques for fighting spam, only some specific implementations of Naïve Bayes algorithm are finally used in real environments for performance reasons. As long as some of these algorithms suffer from a large number of false positive errors, in this work we propose a rough set postprocessing approach able to significantly improve their accuracy. In order to demonstrate the advantages of the proposed method, we carried out a straightforward study based on a publicly available standard corpus (SpamAssassin), which compares the performance of previously successful well-known antispam classifiers (i.e., Support Vector Machines, AdaBoost, Flexible Bayes, and Naïve Bayes) with and without the application of our developed technique. Results clearly evidence the suitability of our rough set postprocessing approach for increasing the accuracy of previous successful antispam classifiers when working in real scenarios.
Evaluation of Serum Vascular Adhesion Protein-1 as a Potential Biomarker in Thyroid Cancer
Authors: Hu Zhigang , Zhao Pengxin , Zhang Kaili , Zang Leilei , Liao Haiying , Ma Weiyuan
Published: June 2016

Vascular adhesion protein-1 (VAP-1) is a glycoprotein that mediates tissue-selective lymphocyte adhesion. The prognostic value of VAP-1 has been determined in gastric cancer. The aim of this study was to evaluate the changes and the predictive value of serum VAP-1 in patients with thyroid cancer. A total of 126 patients with thyroid nodules and 53 healthy controls participated in this study. The patients were further divided into subgroup 1 (69 cases with benign thyroid nodules) and subgroup 2 (57 cases with thyroid cancer). Serum VAP-1 was measured by time-resolved immunofluorometric assay. Diagnostic value of presurgical VAP-1 for thyroid cancer was conducted by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Serum levels of VAP-1 were significantly lower in thyroid cancer group than in healthy control and benign thyroid nodule groups. VAP-1 concentrations negatively correlated with serum thyroglobulin (Tg) levels in thyroid cancer patients (r=-0.81;p<0.001). The optimum cut-off value of VAP-1 was 456.6 ng/mL with a 77.4% specificity and 66.7% sensitivity for thyroid cancer diagnosis. Serum VAP-1 decreased in thyroid cancer patients and VAP-1 could be a potential useful adjunct biomarker in the diagnosis of thyroid cancer.
Idiopathic Sporadic Onychomadesis of Toenails
Authors: Suchonwanit Poonkiat , Nitayavardhana Sunatra
Published: June 2016

Onychomadesis is a clinical sign of nail plate separation due to transient or permanent arrest of nail matrix activities. Onychomadesis can be considered as a severe form of Beau’s line. This condition usually occurs after trauma, causal diseases, or medications, yet it rarely occurs as an idiopathic condition. We report a case of a 38-year-old Thai female who developed recurrence onychomadesis in several toenails in the absence of predisposing factors or associated conditions. To the best of our knowledge, our patient is the first reported case of idiopathic onychomadesis limited to toenails.
Attitude and Altitude Control of Trirotor UAV by Using Adaptive Hybrid Controller
Authors: Ali Zain Anwar , Wang Daobo , Masroor Suhaib , Loya M. Shafiq
Published: June 2016

The paper presents an adaptive hybrid scheme which is based on fuzzy regulation, pole-placement, and tracking (RST) control algorithm for controlling the attitude and altitude of trirotor UAV. The dynamic and kinematic model of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) is unstable and nonlinear in nature with 6 degrees of freedom (DOF); that is why the stabilization of aerial vehicle is a difficult task. To stabilize the nonlinear behavior of our UAV, an adaptive hybrid controller algorithm is used, in which RST controller tuning is performed by adaptive gains of fuzzy logic controller. Simulated results show that fuzzy based RST controller gives better robustness as compared to the classical RST controller.
Quality Evaluation of Polar and Active Components in Crude and ProcessedFructus Corniby Quantitative Analysis of Multicomponents with Single Marker
Authors: Jiang Yuhong , Chen Hui , Wang Liling , Zou Jing , Zheng Xiao , Liu Zhihui
Published: June 2016

Objective. To develop a quantitative analysis of multicomponents by single-marker (QAMS) method for the simultaneous determination of polar active components inFructus Corni.Methods. Loganin was selected as the internal reference, and the relative correction factors (RCFs) of gallic acid, 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furfural, morroniside, sweroside, cornin, 7α-O-methylmorroniside, 7β-O-methylmorroniside, 7α-O-ethylmorroniside, 7β-O-ethylmorroniside, and cornuside were established. The contents of multicomponents were then calculated based on their RCFs, respectively. Contents of the 11 components were also calculated by external standard method and compared with those of the QAMS method.Results.The contents of the 11 components in 21 crude and 10 processedFructus Corniproducts were measured. No significant difference was found in the quantitative results of the QAMS and external standard methods.Conclusion. QAMS could serve as an accurate and convenient method in determining the polar and active components inFructus Corniand its processed products.
Evapotranspiration Trend and Its Relationship with Precipitation over the Loess Plateau during the Last Three Decades
Authors: Yang Zesu , Zhang Qiang , Hao Xiaocui
Published: June 2016

There have been few studies conducted on the changes in actual ET over the Loess Plateau, due to the lack of reliable ET data. Based on ET data simulated by the Community Land Model, the present study analyzed the changes in ET over the Loess Plateau. The results showed the domain-average ET to have decreased in the past 31 years, at a rate of 0.78 mm year−1. ET fluctuated much more strongly in the 1990s than in the 1980s and 2000s, and, apart from in autumn, ET decreased in all seasons. In particular, ET in summer comprised about half of the annual ET trend and had the sharpest trend, dominating the interannual decline. ET also decreased more sharply in the semiarid than semihumid regions. The declining trend of ET was attributed to declining precipitation and air humidity. Locally, the ET trend was closely related to local mean annual precipitation: in areas with precipitation less than 400 mm, ET showed a decreasing trend; in areas with precipitation larger than 600 mm, ET showed an increasing trend; and in areas with precipitation in the range of 400–600 mm could be classified as a transitional zone.
The Effects of Acute Physical Exercise on Memory, Peripheral BDNF, and Cortisol in Young Adults
Authors: Hötting Kirsten , Schickert Nadine , Kaiser Jochen , Röder Brigitte , Schmidt-Kassow Maren
Published: June 2016

In animals, physical activity has been shown to induce functional and structural changes especially in the hippocampus and to improve memory, probably by upregulating the release of neurotrophic factors. In humans, results on the effect of acute exercise on memory are inconsistent so far. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to assess the effects of a single bout of physical exercise on memory consolidation and the underlying neuroendocrinological mechanisms in young adults. Participants encoded a list of German-Polish vocabulary before exercising for 30 minutes with either high intensity or low intensity or before a relaxing phase. Retention of the vocabulary was assessed 20 minutes after the intervention as well as 24 hours later. Serum BDNF and salivary cortisol were measured at baseline, after learning, and after the intervention. The high-intensity exercise group showed an increase in BDNF and cortisol after exercising compared to baseline. Exercise after learning did not enhance the absolute number of recalled words. Participants of the high-intensity exercise group, however, forgot less vocabulary than the relaxing group 24 hours after learning. There was no robust relationship between memory scores and the increase in BDNF and cortisol, respectively, suggesting that further parameters have to be taken into account to explain the effects of exercise on memory in humans.
Computing Coherence Vectors and Correlation Matrices with Application to Quantum Discord Quantification
Authors: Maziero Jonas
Published: June 2016

Coherence vectors and correlation matrices are important functions frequently used in physics. The numerical calculation of these functions directly from their definitions, which involves Kronecker products and matrix multiplications, may seem to be a reasonable option. Notwithstanding, as we demonstrate in this paper, some algebraic manipulations before programming can reduce considerably their computational complexity. Besides, we provide Fortran code to generate generalized Gell-Mann matrices and to compute the optimized and unoptimized versions of associated Bloch’s vectors and correlation matrix in the case of bipartite quantum systems. As a code test and application example, we consider the calculation of Hilbert-Schmidt quantum discords.
The Role of Omega‐3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in Stroke
Authors: Bu Jiyuan , Dou Yang , Tian Xiaodi , Wang Zhong , Chen Gang
Published: June 2016

Stroke is the third commonest cause of death following cardiovascular diseases and cancer. In particular, in recent years, the morbidity and mortality of stroke keep remarkable growing. However, stroke still captures people attention far less than cardiovascular diseases and cancer. Past studies have shown that oxidative stress and inflammation play crucial roles in the progress of cerebral injury induced by stroke. Evidence is accumulating that the dietary supplementation of fish oil exhibits beneficial effects on several diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, metabolic diseases, and cancer. Omega‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n‐3 PUFAs), the major component of fish oil, have been found against oxidative stress and inflammation in cardiovascular diseases. And the potential of n‐3 PUFAs in stroke treatment is attracting more and more attention. In this review, we will review the effects of n‐3 PUFAs on stroke and mainly focus on the antioxidant and anti‐inflammatory effects of n‐3 PUFAs.
Multimodal Imaging Evaluations of Focal Choroidal Excavations in Eyes with Central Serous Chorioretinopathy
Authors: Wang Yao , Chen Zhi-Qing , Wang Wei , Fang Xiao-Yun
Published: June 2016

Purpose. To investigate the prevalence and characteristics of focal choroidal excavation (FCE) concurrent with central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC) using multimodal imaging.Methods. This was a retrospective single-institution study. Clinical features and multimodal imaging findings were analyzed in eyes with CSC and FCEs, using imaging methods including optical coherence tomography (OCT), OCT angiography (OCTA), fluorescein angiography (FA), indocyanine green angiography (ICGA), fundus autofluorescence (FAF), and multispectral imaging.Results. Seventeen patients (4.8%) with 21 FCEs (19 eyes) were found among 351 consecutive Chinese patients with CSC. Chronic CSC represented 47.1% of those cases. Window defects in 12 lesions identified through FA and hypoautofluorescence in 13 lesions identified through FAF revealed retinal pigment epithelial attenuation. Choroidal hemodynamic disturbances characterized by localized filling defects at the excavation and circumferential hyperperfusion were validated by both ICGA and OCTA, which were similar to the angiographic features of normal chronic CSC. The hyperreflective tissue beneath FCE, observed on B-scan OCT, presented as intensive choroidal flow signals on OCTA.Conclusions. FCE is not uncommon in patients with CSC. Multimodal imaging suggested that the aberrant choroidal circulation might be a contribution factor for leakage from the dysfunctional retinal pigment epithelium at the area of excavation.
Computer Vision-Based Portable System for Nitroaromatics Discrimination
Authors: López-Ruiz Nuria , Erenas Miguel M. , de Orbe-Payá Ignacio , Capitán-Vallvey Luis F. , Palma Alberto J. , Martínez-Olmos Antonio
Published: June 2016

A computer vision-based portable measurement system is presented in this report. The system is based on a compact reader unit composed of a microcamera and a Raspberry Pi board as control unit. This reader can acquire and process images of a sensor array formed by four nonselective sensing chemistries. Processing these array images it is possible to identify and quantify eight different nitroaromatic compounds (both explosives and related compounds) by using chromatic coordinates of a color space. The system is also capable of sending the obtained information after the processing by a WiFi link to a smartphone in order to present the analysis result to the final user. The identification and quantification algorithm programmed in the Raspberry board is easy and quick enough to allow real time analysis. Nitroaromatic compounds analyzed in the range of mg/L were picric acid, 2,4-dinitrotoluene (2,4-DNT), 1,3-dinitrobenzene (1,3-DNB), 3,5-dinitrobenzonitrile (3,5-DNBN), 2-chloro-3,5-dinitrobenzotrifluoride (2-C-3,5-DNBF), 1,3,5-trinitrobenzene (TNB), 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT), and tetryl (TT).
Comparative Study of Ground Measured, Satellite-Derived, and Estimated Global Solar Radiation Data in Nigeria
Authors: Olomiyesan Boluwaji M. , Oyedum Onyedi D.
Published: June 2016

In this study, the performance of three global solar radiation models and the accuracy of global solar radiation data derived from three sources were compared. Twenty-two years (1984–2005) of surface meteorological data consisting of monthly mean daily sunshine duration, minimum and maximum temperatures, and global solar radiation collected from the Nigerian Meteorological (NIMET) Agency, Oshodi, Lagos, and the National Aeronautics Space Agency (NASA) for three locations in North-Western region of Nigeria were used. A new model incorporating Garcia model into Angstrom-Prescott model was proposed for estimating global radiation in Nigeria. The performances of the models used were determined by using mean bias error (MBE), mean percentage error (MPE), root mean square error (RMSE), and coefficient of determination (R2). Based on the statistical error indices, the proposed model was found to have the best accuracy with the least RMSE values (0.376 for Sokoto, 0.463 for Kaduna, and 0.449 for Kano) and highest coefficient of determination,R2values of 0.922, 0.938, and 0.961 for Sokoto, Kano, and Kaduna, respectively. Also, the comparative study result indicates that the estimated global radiation from the proposed model has a better error range and fits the ground measured data better than the satellite-derived data.
Properties of a Laminated Wood Composite Produced with Thermomechanically Treated Veneers
Authors: Arruda Larissa M. , Del Menezzi Cláudio H. S.
Published: June 2016

The paper aimed at evaluating the properties of plywood made from thermomechanically treated wood veneers. Veneers from Amescla (Trattinnickia burseraefolia) wood were treated in a hydraulic press with electric resistance heating. Two temperature levels were applied, 140°C and 180°C, for 1 and 2 minutes with 2.7 N/mm2of pressure. A total of 30 plywood boards were produced, including six boards produced from untreated veneers. The results showed that the thermomechanical treatment did not have any deleterious effect on glue line strength and most of the mechanical properties of plywood made from treated veneers were improved. On the other hand, plywood made from untreated veneers presented better dimensional stability. Dimensional stability properties were most affected by the temperature of the treatment, while mechanical stability, represented by the glue line shear strength, was positively affected by temperature and duration of the treatment.
Research on the Intelligent Control and Simulation of Automobile Cruise System Based on Fuzzy System
Authors: Chen Xue-wen , Zhang Jin-guo , Liu Yan-jun
Published: June 2016

In order to improve the active safety driving vehicle and alleviate the intension of driving fatigue, an intelligent control strategy of automobile cruise is put forward based on the throttle or braking pedal combined control adopting the fuzzy control theory. A fuzzy logic controller is presented, which consists of the two input variables, the deviation of the theoretical safe distance and relative distance and the relative velocity between the preceding vehicle and the cruise vehicle, and the single output variable, that is, the throttle opening or the braking pedal travel. Taking the test data of 1.6 L vehicle with auto-transmission as an example, the function on the intelligent cruise control system is simulated adopting MATLAB/Simulink aiming at different working conditions on the city road. The simulation results show that the control strategy possesses integrated capability of automated Stop & Go control, actively following the preceding vehicle on the conditions of keeping the safety distance and the constant velocity cruise. The research results can offer the theory and technology reference for setting dSPACE type and developing the integrated control product of automobile cruise system.
BRAF V600E Mutant Colorectal Cancer Subtypes Based on Gene Expression
Authors: Barras David , Missiaglia Edoardo , Wirapati Pratyaksha , Sieber Oliver M. , Jorissen Robert N. , Love Chris , Molloy Peter L. , Jones Ian T. , McLaughlin Stephen , Gibbs Peter , Guinney Justin , Simon Iris M. , Roth Arnaud D. , Bosman Fred T. , Tejpar Sabine , Delorenzi Mauro
Published: June 2016

Purpose: Mutation of BRAF at the valine 600 residue occurs in approximately 10% of colorectal cancers, a group with particularly poor prognosis. The response of BRAF mutant colorectal cancer to recent targeted strategies such as anti-BRAF or combinations with MEK and EGFR inhibitors remains limited and highly heterogeneous within BRAF V600E cohorts. There is clearly an unmet need in understanding the biology of BRAF V600E colorectal cancers and potential subgroups within this population.

Experimental Design: In the biggest yet reported cohort of 218 BRAF V600E with gene expression data, we performed unsupervised clustering using non-negative matrix factorization to identify gene expression–based subgroups and characterized pathway activation.

Results: We found strong support for a split into two distinct groups, called BM1 and BM2. These subtypes are independent of MSI status, PI3K mutation, gender, and sidedness. Pathway analyses revealed that BM1 is characterized by KRAS/AKT pathway activation, mTOR/4EBP deregulation, and EMT whereas BM2 displays important deregulation of the cell cycle. Proteomics data validated these observations as BM1 is characterized by high phosphorylation levels of AKT and 4EBP1, and BM2 patients display high CDK1 and low cyclin D1 levels. We provide a global assessment of gene expression motifs that differentiate BRAF V600E subtypes from other colorectal cancers.

Conclusions: We suggest that BRAF mutant patients should not be considered as having a unique biology and provide an in depth characterization of heterogeneous motifs that may be exploited for drug targeting. Clin Cancer Res; 23(1); 104–15. ©2016 AACR.