bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Intervención Psicoterapéutica Integrada y Transdiagnóstica en los Trastornos de la Conducta Alimentaria
Authors: Gómez del Barrio Andrés
Published: March 2019

Los trastornos de la conducta alimentaria (TCA) presentan características psicopatológicas específicas para su entidad y otras inespecíficas que también pueden encontrarse en otros síndromes o trastornos psiquiátricos. Esta característica ocurre también a través de todas sus categorías diagnósticas en la que la migración de una a otra es habitual. La intolerancia a la incertidumbre, la hipersensibilidad a la crítica, la emocionalidad negativa, el perfeccionismo, la rigidez cognitiva o la impulsividad influyen en la gravedad del cuadro y en su evolución posterior son algunos de esos síntomas o rasgos considerados transdiagnósticos.

Esto pudiera explicar en parte el hecho de que los tratamientos actuales empíricamente validados no obtienen una mejoría suficiente en una gran parte de los trastornos alimentarios. En los últimos años han surgido nuevas técnicas psicoterapéuticas adaptadas de la ya existentes o aplicadas a esta patología enfocadas al manejo no sólo de los síntomas que caracterizan a un TCA sino también enfocadas al tratamiento de esos síntomas concurrentes.

En este artículo mostramos una revisión de dichas propuestas terapéuticas acompañado de una reflexión sobre la aplicación práctica de un modelo integrado y transdiagnóstico en nuestro medio.
Terapia transdiagnóstica y transteórica para el trastorno de personalidad
Authors: Livesley W. John
Published: March 2019

Este artículo sostiene que la evidencia de la limitada eficacia de las terapias especializadas en el trastorno de personalidad apunta a la necesidad de modelos de tratamiento transdiagnósticos y transteóricos. Las terapias actuales adoptan para el desarrollo de la terapia, en gran medida, un enfoque de escuela terapéutica y diagnóstico específico; cada corriente de pensamiento principal tiende a desarrollar su propio modelo de tratamiento para diagnósticos específicos. La relevancia de un enfoque de diagnóstico específico para el tratamiento se ve cuestionada dados los problemas consolidados reflejados en los diagnósticos actuales y el creciente reconocimiento de que las características generales del trastorno de personalidad y su gravedad son más provechosas para comprender el pronóstico que los diagnósticos específicos. Estos avances sugieren el empleo de un modelo de tratamiento transdiagnóstico. De forma similar, se cuestiona el enfoque de las escuelas de tratamiento, ya que no se han demostrado diferencias en la eficacia entre los modelos terapéuticos, ni la evidencia de que estas terapias arrojen mejores resultados que la terapia de apoyo o la atención médica general. Estos hallazgos indican la necesidad de un enfoque más integrado. La implementación del tratamiento transdiagnóstico y transteórico requiere una valoración más detallada sobre la patología de la personalidad, que la proporcionada por los diagnósticos actuales, para identificar las deficiencias que conforman los objetivos de cambio, y un esquema para organizar la terapia y coordinar la aplicación de una matriz ecléctica de intervenciones. El artículo describe una forma práctica de conceptualizar la valoración con fines de tratamiento y un marco para organizar y administrar la terapia.
Editorial: Avances en psicoterapias transdiagnósticas
Authors: Mirapeix Carlos , Fernández-Álvarez Javier
Published: March 2019

Podríamos decir que con el Siglo XXI llega al campo de las psicoterapias uncambio de paradigma que comienza a trascender los sistemas categoriales quedirigieron la práctica clínica durante el último Siglo. En respuesta a las evidentesfalacias tanto epistemológicas como prácticas de los sistemas psicopatológicostradicionales, han surgido en los últimos años modelos que vienen a denominarsede forma genérica transdiagnósticos. La característica fundamental que define estegiro, estriba en establecer el foco de intervención en una serie de mecanismos deregulación cognitivo emocional, procesos específicos que subyacen a lapsicopatología clásica, factores predisponentes y precipitantes, marcadores estratégicos,entre otros. De este modo, se encuadra todo ello en lo que se denominanmecanismos transdiagnósticos, los cuales inspiran los focos de intervención delabordaje que adopta el mismo nombre.Por otro lado, y en sintonía a lo anterior, se ha alcanzado una mayor madurezrespecto a la necesidad creciente de adoptar modelos integradores en psicoterapia.Éstos han ido desarrollando modelos de intervención que persiguen la identificaciónde principios (Castonguay y Beutler, 2006) que permitan diseñar auténticosmodelos de intervención trascendiendo las diferencias entre los modelos teóricos.
Technical Note: Regression Analysis of Proximal Hyperspectral Data to Predict Soil pH and Olsen P
Authors: Grafton Miles , Kaul Therese , Palmer Alan , Bishop Peter , White Michael
Published: March 2019

This work examines two large data sets to demonstrate that hyperspectral proximal devices may be able to measure soil nutrient. One data set has 3189 soil samples from four hill country pastoral farms and the second data set has 883 soil samples taken from a stratified nested grid survey. These were regressed with spectra from a proximal hyperspectral device measured on the same samples. This aim was to obtain wavelengths, which may be proxy indicators for measurements of soil nutrients. Olsen P and pH were regressed with 2150 wave bands between 350 nm and 2500 nm to find wavebands, which were significant indicators. The 100 most significant wavebands for each proxy were used to regress both data sets. The regression equations from the smaller data set were used to predict the values of pH and Olsen P to validate the larger data set. The predictions from the equations from the smaller data set were as good as the regression analyses from the large data set when applied to it. This may mean that, in the future, hyperspectral analysis may be a proxy to soil chemical analysis; or increase the intensity of soil testing by finding markers of fertility cheaply in the field.
Effects of Soil pH and Fertilizers on Haskap (Lonicera caerulea L.) Vegetative Growth
Authors: Tremblay Catherine , Deslauriers Annie , Lafond Jean , Lajeunesse Julie , Paré Maxime C.
Published: March 2019

Haskap (Lonicera caerulea L.) is a new northern latitude fruit crop that is increasing in popularity. This sudden enthusiasm for haskap increases the need for obtaining baseline knowledge related to establishing it as a crop, such as its optimal soil pH and fertilizer needs. In a greenhouse, one-year-old haskap plants (cultivar: Indigo Treat©) were grown in a local loamy sand. We assessed the impact of pH and fertilizer on haskap vegetative growth through an experiment involving four soil pH and five fertilization treatments of three N sources (ammonium, nitrate, and organic (chicken manure)). Leaf senescence as well as above-ground and root biomass were recorded after 19 weeks of vegetative growth. For cultivar Indigo Treat©, optimal vegetative growth was observed under slightly acidic soil conditions (pHCaCl2 5.5–6 or pHwater 5.9–6.5) without application of N. Phosphorus and K fertilizers did not influence vegetative growth. We here discuss the implications for establishing haskap orchards.
Oxidative Imbalance and Kidney Damage in Cafeteria Diet-Induced Rat Model of Metabolic Syndrome: Effect of Bergamot Polyphenolic Fraction
Authors: La Russa Daniele , Giordano Francesca , Marrone Alessandro , Parafati Maddalena , Janda Elzbieta , Pellegrino Daniela
Published: March 2019

Obesity is a potent risk factor for kidney disease as it increases the possibility of developing diabetes and hypertension, and it has a direct impact on the development of chronic kidney disease and end-stage renal disease. In this study, we tested the effect of bergamot polyphenolic fraction in a cafeteria with diet-fed rats, an excellent experimental model for studying human metabolic syndrome, as it is able to induce severe obesity with insulin resistance and high plasma triglyceride levels more efficiently than a traditional lard-based high-fat diet used in rodent models. We analyzed the plasmatic oxidative balance by photometric tests, and the expression of cytoplasmic antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase 1 and glutatione S-tranferasi P1) and apoptotic markers (Caspase 8 and 9) in kidney tissues by Western blot analysis. Our results clearly showed that the cafeteria diet induces a marked pro-oxidant effect: significant reduction of plasmatic antioxidant capacity; downregulation of cytoplasmic antioxidant enzymes expression; and activation of apoptotic pathways. All these hallmarks of redox disequilibrium were mitigated by treatment with polyphenolic fraction of bergamot, highlighting its antioxidant effect in the metabolic syndrome. Our data show that the link between obesity and renal damage could be represented by oxidative stress.
A Multi-Agent Based Intelligent Training System for Unmanned Surface Vehicles
Authors: Han Wei , Zhang Bing , Wang Qianyi , Luo Jun , Ran Weizhi , Xu Yang
Published: March 2019

The modeling and design of multi-agent systems is imperative for applications in the evolving intelligence of unmanned systems. In this paper, we propose a multi-agent system design that is used to build a system for training a team of unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) where no historical data concerning the behavior is available. In this approach, agents are built as the physical controller of each USV and their cooperative decisions used for the USVs’ group coordination. To make our multi-agent system intelligently coordinate USVs, we built a multi-agent-based learning system. First, an agent-based data collection platform is deployed to gather competition data from agents’ observation for on-line learning tasks. Second, we design a genetic-based fuzzy rule training algorithm that is capable of optimizing agents’ coordination decisions in an accumulated manner. The simulation results of this study demonstrate that our proposed training approach is feasible and able to converge to a stable action selection policy towards efficient multi-USVs’ cooperative decision making.
Solvent-Tuned Synthesis of Mesoporous Nickel Cobaltite Nanostructures and Their Catalytic Properties
Authors: Guan Xiangfeng , Luo Peihui , Yu Yunlong , Li Xiaoyan , Chen Dagui
Published: March 2019

In this paper, we prepared mesoporous nickel cobaltite (NiCo2O4) nanostructures with multi-morphologies by simple solvothermal and subsequent heat treatment. By adjusting the solvent type, mesoporous NiCo2O4 nanoparticles, nanorods, nanowires, and microspheres were easily prepared. The as-prepared products were systematically characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) method. Furthermore, the catalytic activities towards the thermal decomposition of ammonium perchlorate (AP) of as-prepared NiCo2O4 nanostructures were investigated.
Development of a Vibroacoustic Stochastic Finite Element Prediction Tool for a CLT Floor
Authors: Qian Cheng , Ménard Sylvain , Bard Delphine , Negreira Juan
Published: March 2019

Low frequency impact sound insulation is a challenging task in wooden buildings. Low frequency prediction tools are needed to access the dynamic behavior of a wooden floor in an early design phase to ultimately reduce the low frequency impact noise. However, due to the complexity of wood and different structural details, accurate vibration predictions of wood structures are difficult to attain. Meanwhile, a deterministic model cannot properly represent the real case due to the uncertainties coming from the material properties and geometrical changes. The stochastic approach introduced in this paper aims at quantifying the uncertainties induced by material properties and proposing an alternative calibration method to obtain a relative accurate result instead of the conventional manual calibration. In addition, 100 simulations were calculated in different excitation positions to assess the uncertainties induced by material properties of cross-laminated-timber A comparison between the simulated and measured results was made in order to extract the best combination of Young’s moduli and shear moduli in different directions of the CLT panel.
Wind Power Short-Term Prediction Based on LSTM and Discrete Wavelet Transform
Authors: Liu Yao , Guan Lin , Hou Chen , Han Hua , Liu Zhangjie , Sun Yao , Zheng Minghui
Published: March 2019

A wind power short-term forecasting method based on discrete wavelet transform and long short-term memory networks (DWT_LSTM) is proposed. The LSTM network is designed to effectively exhibit the dynamic behavior of the wind power time series. The discrete wavelet transform is introduced to decompose the non-stationary wind power time series into several components which have more stationarity and are easier to predict. Each component is dug by an independent LSTM. The forecasting results of the wind power are obtained by synthesizing the prediction values of all components. The prediction accuracy has been improved by the proposed method, which is validated by the MAE (mean absolute error), MAPE (mean absolute percentage error), and RMSE (root mean square error) of experimental results of three wind farms as the benchmarks. Wind power forecasting based on the proposed method provides an alternative way to improve the security and stability of the electric power network with the high penetration of wind power.
Variability of Intrinsic Groundwater Vulnerability to Pollution in River Valley due to Groundwater Depth and Recharge Changes
Authors: Krogulec Ewa , Zabłocki Sebastian , Zadrożna Danuta
Published: March 2019

Groundwater management can be effectively implemented by assessment of groundwater vulnerability to pollution. The research was carried out in the Vistula River valley (Poland) in an area of shallow groundwater occurrence, defined as a Groundwater-Dependent Ecosystem area. The goal of this study was to identify the average, maximum, and minimum depths of the groundwater table for variant assessment of groundwater vulnerability to contamination. The variants correspond to the average vulnerability, the vulnerability during hydrogeological drought, and the vulnerability during the flood risk period. Theoretical and effective weights of vulnerability parameters were calculated using the DRASTIC method. Vulnerability maps constructed for the various vulnerability variants and by using different parameter weights show the spatial variability of the individual vulnerability classes. Due to the specifics of this protected area, the expected dependency between vulnerability index and chloride concentrations in the monitoring points was not found. Comparison showed strong dependency of water chemistry and the value of recharge, lithology of aquifer, and unsaturated zone. The research results confirm the need for variant vulnerability assessment to protect against floods or predict the effects of climate change.
Acquisition of Multi-Modal Images of Structural Modifications in Glass with Programmable LED-Array-Based Illumination
Authors: Sugimoto Ryo , Maruyama Ryoji , Watanabe Wataru
Published: March 2019

Ultrashort laser pulses can induce structural modifications in bulk glass, leading to refractive index change and scattering damage. As bright-field, dark-field, and phase imaging each provide complementary information about laser-induced structures, it is often desired to use multiple observations simultaneously. As described herein, we present the acquisition of bright-field, dark-field, and differential phase-contrast images of structural modifications induced in glass by femtosecond laser pulses with an LED array microscope. The contrast of refractive index change can be enhanced by differential phase-contrast images. We also report on the simultaneous acquisition of bright-field and dark-field images of structural modifications in a glass with LED-array-based Rheinberg illumination. A single-shot color image is separated to obtain bright field and dark field images simultaneously. We provide an experimental demonstration on multi-modal imaging of structural modifications in a glass with an LED array microscope using temporally-coded illumination and color-coded illumination.
Can Artificial Intelligence Make Art without Artists? Ask the Viewer
Authors: Audry Sofian , Ippolito Jon
Published: March 2019

The question of whether machines can make art provokes very different answers from pioneers in the field. Harold Cohen refuses to ascribe creativity to his art-making robot AARON, while Leonel Moura argues that since his “Artbots” generate pictures from emergent properties that could not have been predicted by their creator, “they have at least some degree of creativity.” Although the question of whether machines can be artists seems to fall squarely on our definition of the latter, a solution to this philosophical impasse may ironically lie in redirecting the question away from the artist and toward the viewer.
Targeting White Adipose Tissue with Exercise or Bariatric Surgery as Therapeutic Strategies in Obesity
Authors: Giolo De Carvalho Flávia , Sparks Lauren M.
Published: March 2019

Adipose tissue is critical to whole-body energy metabolism and has become recognized as a bona fide endocrine organ rather than an inert lipid reservoir. As such, adipose tissue is dynamic in its ability to secrete cytokines, free fatty acids, lipokines, hormones and other factors in response to changes in environmental stimuli such as feeding, fasting and exercise. While excess adipose tissue, as in the case of obesity, is associated with metabolic complications, mass itself is not the only culprit in obesity-driven metabolic abnormalities, highlighting the importance of healthy and metabolically adaptable adipose tissue. In this review, we discuss the fundamental cellular processes of adipose tissue that become perturbed in obesity and the impact of exercise on these processes. While both endurance and resistance exercise can promote positive physiological adaptations in adipose tissue, endurance exercise has a more documented role in remodeling adipocytes, increasing adipokine secretion and fatty acid mobilization and oxidation during post-exercise compared with resistance exercise. Exercise is considered a viable therapeutic strategy for the treatment of obesity to optimize body composition, in particular as an adjuvant therapy to bariatric surgery; however, there is a gap in knowledge of the molecular underpinnings of these exercise-induced adaptations, which could provide more insight and opportunity for precision-based treatment strategies.
Class II PI3Ks at the Intersection between Signal Transduction and Membrane Trafficking
Authors: Margaria Jean Piero , Ratto Edoardo , Gozzelino Luca , Li Huayi , Hirsch Emilio
Published: March 2019

Phosphorylation of inositol phospholipids by the family of phosphoinositide 3-kinases (PI3Ks) is crucial in controlling membrane lipid composition and regulating a wide range of intracellular processes, which include signal transduction and vesicular trafficking. In spite of the extensive knowledge on class I PI3Ks, recent advances in the study of the three class II PI3Ks (PIK3C2A, PIK3C2B and PIK3C2G) reveal their distinct and non-overlapping cellular roles and localizations. By finely tuning membrane lipid composition in time and space among different cellular compartments, this class of enzymes controls many cellular processes, such as proliferation, survival and migration. This review focuses on the recent developments regarding the coordination of membrane trafficking and intracellular signaling of class II PI3Ks through the confined phosphorylation of inositol phospholipids.
Maturational Changes in Prefrontal and Amygdala Circuits in Adolescence: Implications for Understanding Fear Inhibition during a Vulnerable Period of Development
Authors: Zimmermann Kelsey , Richardson Rick , Baker Kathryn
Published: March 2019

Anxiety disorders that develop in adolescence represent a significant burden and are particularly challenging to treat, due in no small part to the high occurrence of relapse in this age group following exposure therapy. This pattern of persistent fear is preserved across species; relative to those younger and older, adolescents consistently show poorer extinction, a key process underpinning exposure therapy. This suggests that the neural processes underlying fear extinction are temporarily but profoundly compromised during adolescence. The formation, retrieval, and modification of fear- and extinction-associated memories are regulated by a forebrain network consisting of the prefrontal cortex (PFC), the amygdala, and the hippocampus. These regions undergo robust maturational changes in early life, with unique alterations in structure and function occurring throughout adolescence. In this review, we focus primarily on two of these regions—the PFC and the amygdala—and discuss how changes in plasticity, synaptic transmission, inhibition/excitation, and connectivity (including modulation by hippocampal afferents to the PFC) may contribute to transient deficits in extinction retention. We end with a brief consideration of how exposure to stress during this adolescent window of vulnerability can permanently disrupt neurodevelopment, leading to lasting impairments in pathways of emotional regulation.
Reaction Time Improvements by Neural Bistability
Authors: Koppelaar Henk , Kordestani Moghadam Parastou , Khan Kamruzzaman , Kouhkani Sareh , Segers Gijs , van Warmerdam Martin
Published: March 2019

The often reported reduction of Reaction Time (RT) by Vision Training) is successfully replicated by 81 athletes across sports. This enabled us to achieve a mean reduction of RTs for athletes eye-hand coordination of more than 10%, with high statistical significance. We explain how such an observed effect of Sensorimotor systems’ plasticity causing reduced RT can last in practice for multiple days and even weeks in subjects, via a proof of principle. Its mathematical neural model can be forced outside a previous stable (but long) RT into a state leading to reduced eye-hand coordination RT, which is, again, in a stable neural state.
Combination Therapy of Chloroquine and C2-Ceramide Enhances Cytotoxicity in Lung Cancer H460 and H1299 Cells
Authors: Chou Han-Lin , Lin Yi-Hsiung , Liu Wangta , Wu Chang-Yi , Li Ruei-Nian , Huang Hurng-Wern , Chou Chi-Hsien , Chiou Shean-Jaw , Chiu Chien-Chih
Published: March 2019

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a type of malignant cancer, and 85% of metastatic NSCLC patients have a poor prognosis. C2-ceramide induces G2/M phase arrest and cytotoxicity in NSCLC cells. In this study, the autophagy-inducing effect of C2-ceramide was demonstrated, and cotreatment with the autophagy inhibitor chloroquine (CQ) was investigated in NSCLC H460 and H1299 cells. The results suggested that C2-ceramide exhibited dose-dependent anticancer effects in H460 and H1299 cells and autophagy induction. Zebrafish-based acridine orange staining confirmed the combined effects in vivo. Importantly, the combination of a sublethal dose of C2-ceramide and CQ resulted in additive cytotoxicity and autophagy in both cell lines. Alterations of related signaling factors, including Src and SIRT1 inhibition and activation of the autophagic regulators LAMP2 and LC3-I/II, contributed to the autophagy-dependent apoptosis. We found that C2-ceramide continuously initiated autophagy; however, CQ inhibited autophagosome maturation and degradation during autophagy progression. Accumulated and non-degraded autophagosomes increased NSCLC cell stress, eventually leading to cell death. This study sheds light on improvements to NSCLC chemotherapy to reduce the chemotherapy dose and NSCLC patient burden.
Mutated Rnf43 Aggravates Helicobacter Pylori-Induced Gastric Pathology
Authors: Neumeyer Victoria , Vieth Michael , Gerhard Markus , Mejías-Luque Raquel
Published: March 2019

The E3 ubiquitin ligase ring finger protein 43 (RNF43) is frequently mutated in gastric tumors and loss of RNF43 expression was suggested to be one of the key events during the transition from adenoma to gastric carcinoma. Functional studies on RNF43 have shown that it acts as a tumor suppressor by negatively regulating Wnt signaling. Interestingly, we observed that RNF43H292R/H295R mice bearing two point mutations in the ring domain displayed thickening of the mucosa at early age but did not develop neoplasia. In this study, we infected these mice for 6 months with Helicobacter pylori, which has been described as one of the major risk factors for gastric cancer. Mice bearing mutant RNF43H292R/H295R showed higher gastritis scores upon H. pylori infection compared to wild-type mice, accompanied by increased lymphocyte infiltration and Ifng levels. Furthermore, infected Rnf43 mutant mice developed atrophy, hyperplasia and MUC2 expressing metaplasia and displayed higher levels of the gastric stem cell marker CD44 and canonical NF-κB signaling. In summary, our results show that transactivating mutations in the tumor suppressor Rnf43 can worsen H. pylori induced pathology.
Comment on “Endothelial Protein C Receptor (EPCR), Protease Activated Receptor-1 (PAR-1) and Their Interplay in Cancer Growth and Metastatic Dissemination” Cancers 2019, 11, 51
Authors: Pontarollo Giulia , Melzow Florentina , Reinhardt Christoph
Published: March 2019

Although the interplay between tumor progression and blood coagulation has been recognized [...]
Ion Channels: New Actors Playing in Chemotherapeutic Resistance
Authors: Kischel Philippe , Girault Alban , Rodat-Despoix Lise , Chamlali Mohamed , Radoslavova Silviya , Abou Daya Hiba , Lefebvre Thibaut , Foulon Arthur , Rybarczyk Pierre , Hague Frédéric , Dhennin-Duthille Isabelle , Gautier Mathieu , Ouadid-Ahidouch Halima
Published: March 2019

In the battle against cancer cells, therapeutic modalities are drastically limited by intrinsic or acquired drug resistance. Resistance to therapy is not only common, but expected: if systemic agents used for cancer treatment are usually active at the beginning of therapy (i.e., 90% of primary breast cancers and 50% of metastases), about 30% of patients with early-stage breast cancer will have recurrent disease. Altered expression of ion channels is now considered as one of the hallmarks of cancer, and several ion channels have been linked to cancer cell resistance. While ion channels have been associated with cell death, apoptosis and even chemoresistance since the late 80s, the molecular mechanisms linking ion channel expression and/or function with chemotherapy have mostly emerged in the last ten years. In this review, we will highlight the relationships between ion channels and resistance to chemotherapy, with a special emphasis on the underlying molecular mechanisms.
MRI of Uveal Melanoma
Authors: Ferreira Teresa A. , Grech Fonk Lorna , Jaarsma-Coes Myriam G. , van Haren Guido G. R. , Marinkovic Marina , Beenakker Jan-Willem M.
Published: March 2019

Uveal Melanoma (UM) is the most common primary malignant ocular tumor. The high soft tissue contrast and spatial resolution, and the possibility of generating 3D volumetric and functional images, make Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) a valuable diagnostic imaging technique in UM. Current clinical MRI protocols, however, are not optimized for UM and therefore lack the quality for accurate assessments. We therefore developed a dedicated protocol at a 3 Tesla MRI, using an eye coil, consisting of multi-slice 2D sequences, different isotropic sequences and diffusion and perfusion-weighted images. This protocol was prospectively evaluated in 9 uveal melanoma patients. The multi-slice 2D sequences had the highest in-plane resolution, being the most suited for lesion characterization and local extension evaluation. The isotropic 3D Turbo-Spin Echo (TSE) sequences were the most suitable for accurate geometric measurements of the tumor and are therefore important for therapy planning. Diffusion and perfusion-weighted images aid in differentiating benign from malignant lesions and provide quantitative measures on tumor hemodynamics and cellularity, which have been reported to be effective in predicting and assessing treatment outcome. Overall, this dedicated MRI protocol provides high-quality imaging of UM, which can be used to improve its diagnosis, treatment planning, and follow-up.
MicroRNAs and Long Non-Coding RNAs and Their Hormone-Like Activities in Cancer
Authors: Pardini Barbara , Calin George A.
Published: March 2019

Hormones are messengers circulating in the body that interact with specific receptors on the cell membrane or inside the cells and regulate, at a distal site, the activities of specific target organs. The definition of hormone has evolved in the last years. Hormones are considered in the context of cell–cell communication and mechanisms of cellular signaling. The best-known mechanisms of this kind are chemical receptor-mediated events, the cell–cell direct interactions through synapses, and, more recently, the extracellular vesicle (EV) transfer between cells. Recently, it has been extensively demonstrated that EVs are used as a way of communication between cells and that they are transporters of specific messenger signals including non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) such as microRNAs (miRNAs) and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs). Circulating ncRNAs in body fluids and extracellular fluid compartments may have endocrine hormone-like effects because they can act at a distance from secreting cells with widespread consequences within the recipient cells. Here, we discuss and report examples of the potential role of miRNAs and lncRNAs as mediator for intercellular communication with a hormone-like mechanism in cancer.
Phenotypic Characterization of Circulating Lung Cancer Cells for Clinically Actionable Targets
Authors: Kulasinghe Arutha , Kapeleris Joanna , Cooper Carolina , Warkiani Majid Ebrahimi , O’Byrne Kenneth , Punyadeera Chamindie
Published: March 2019

Objectives: In non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC), tumour biopsy can often be an invasive procedure. The development of a non-invasive methodology to study genetic changes via circulating tumour cells (CTCs) is an appealing concept. Whilst CTCs typically remain as rare cells, improvements in epitope-independent CTC isolation techniques has given rise to a greater capture of CTCs. In this cross sectional study, we demonstrate the capture and characterization of NSCLC CTCs for the clinically actionable markers epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) alterations, anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) rearrangements and programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) expression. The study identified CTCs/CTC clusters in 26/35 Stage IV NSCLC patients, and subsequently characterized the CTCs for EGFR mutation, ALK status and PD-L1 status. This pilot study demonstrates the potential of a non-invasive fluid biopsy to determine clinically relevant biomarkers in NSCLC.
Angiogenesis in Pancreatic Cancer: Pre-Clinical and Clinical Studies
Authors: Annese Tiziana , Tamma Roberto , Ruggieri Simona , Ribatti Domenico
Published: March 2019

Angiogenesis is a crucial event in tumor development and progression, occurring by different mechanisms and it is driven by pro- and anti-angiogenic molecules. Pancreatic cancer vascularization is characterized by a high microvascular density, impaired microvessel integrity and poor perfused vessels with heterogeneous distribution. In this review article, after a brief introduction on pancreatic cancer classification and on angiogenesis mechanisms involved in its progression, the pre-clinical and clinical trials conducted in pancreatic cancer treatment using anti-angiogenic inhibitors will be described. Finally, we will discuss the anti-angiogenic therapy paradox between the advantage to abolish vessel supply to block tumor growth and the disadvantage due to reduction of drug delivery at the same time. The purpose is to identify new anti-angiogenic molecules that may enhance treatment regimen.
High-Performing PGM-Free AEMFC Cathodes from Carbon-Supported Cobalt Ferrite Nanoparticles
Authors: Peng Xiong , Kashyap Varchaswal , Ng Benjamin , Kurungot Sreekumar , Wang Lianqin , Varcoe John R. , Mustain William E.
Published: March 2019

Efficient and durable non-precious metal electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) are highly desirable for several electrochemical devices, including anion exchange membrane fuel cells (AEMFCs). Here, cobalt ferrite (CF) nanoparticles supported on Vulcan XC-72 carbon (CF-VC) were created through a facile, scalable solvothermal method. The nano-sized CF particles were spherical with a narrow particle size distribution. The CF-VC catalyst showed good ORR activity, possessing a half-wave potential of 0.71 V. Although the intrinsic activity of the CF-VC catalyst was not as high as some other platinum group metal (PGM)-free catalysts in the literature, where this catalyst really shined was in operating AEMFCs. When used as the cathode in a single cell 5 cm−2 AEMFC, the CF-VC containing electrode was able to achieve a peak power density of 1350 mW cm−2 (iR-corrected: 1660 mW cm−2) and a mass transport limited current density of more than 4 A cm−2 operating on H2/O2. Operating on H2/Air (CO2-free), the same cathode was able to achieve a peak power density of 670 mW cm−2 (iR-corrected: 730 mW cm−2) and a mass transport limited current density of more than 2 A cm−2. These peak power and achievable current densities are among the highest reported values in the literature to date.
Efficient Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells Composed of Nanostructural ZnO Doped with Ti
Authors: Rahman Mati Ur , Wei Mingdeng , Xie Fengyan , Khan Matiullah
Published: March 2019

Photoanode materials with optimized particle sizes, excellent surface area and dye loading capability are preferred in good-performance dye sensitized solar cells. Herein, we report on an efficient dye-sensitized mesoporous photoanode of Ti doped zinc oxide (Ti-ZnO) through a facile hydrothermal method. The crystallinity, morphology, surface area, optical and electrochemical properties of the Ti-ZnO were investigated using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. It was observed that Ti-ZnO nanoparticles with a high surface area of 131.85 m2 g−1 and a controlled band gap, exhibited considerably increased light harvesting efficiency, dye loading capability, and achieved comparable solar cell performance at a typical nanocrystalline ZnO photoanode.
Hydrogenation of Carbon Dioxide to Value-Added Chemicals by Heterogeneous Catalysis and Plasma Catalysis
Authors: Liu Miao , Yi Yanhui , Wang Li , Guo Hongchen , Bogaerts Annemie
Published: March 2019

Due to the increasing emission of carbon dioxide (CO2), greenhouse effects are becoming more and more severe, causing global climate change. The conversion and utilization of CO2 is one of the possible solutions to reduce CO2 concentrations. This can be accomplished, among other methods, by direct hydrogenation of CO2, producing value-added products. In this review, the progress of mainly the last five years in direct hydrogenation of CO2 to value-added chemicals (e.g., CO, CH4, CH3OH, DME, olefins, and higher hydrocarbons) by heterogeneous catalysis and plasma catalysis is summarized, and research priorities for CO2 hydrogenation are proposed.
Niclosamide Triggers Non-Canonical LC3 Lipidation
Authors: Liu Yajun , Luo Xia , Shan Hao , Fu Yuanyuan , Gu Qianqian , Zheng Xueping , Dai Qi , Xia Fan , Zheng Zhihua , Liu Peiqing , Yin Xiao-Ming , Hong Liang , Li Min
Published: March 2019

Autophagy is a highly- evolutionarily-conserved catabolic pathway activated by various cellular stresses. Recently, non-canonical autophagy (NCA), which does not require all of the ATG proteins to form autophagosome or autophagosome-like structures, has been found in various conditions. Moreover, mounting evidence has indicated that non-canonical LC3 lipidation (NCLL) may reflect NCA. We and others have reported that niclosamide (Nic), an anti-helminthic drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration, could induce canonical autophagy via a feedback downregulation of mTOR complex 1. In this study, we found that Nic could also induce NCLL, which is independent of the ULK1 complex and Beclin 1 complex, but dependent on ubiquitin-like conjugation systems. Although bafilomycin A1 and concanamycin A, two known V-ATPase inhibitors, significantly inhibited Nic-induced NCLL, Nic-induced NCLL was demonstrated to be independent of V-ATPase. In addition, the Golgi complex and vimentin were involved in Nic-induced NCLL, which might be a platform or membrane source for Nic-induced LC3-positive structures. These results would be helpful to broaden our understanding of the working mechanisms of Nic and evaluate its pharmacological activities in diseases.
Skeletal Muscle Lipid Droplets and the Athlete’s Paradox
Authors: Li Xuehan , Li Zemin , Zhao Minghua , Nie Yingxi , Liu Pingsheng , Zhu Yili , Zhang Xuelin
Published: March 2019

The lipid droplet (LD) is an organelle enveloped by a monolayer phospholipid membrane with a core of neutral lipids, which is conserved from bacteria to humans. The available evidence suggests that the LD is essential to maintaining lipid homeostasis in almost all organisms. As a consequence, LDs also play an important role in pathological metabolic processes involving the ectopic storage of neutral lipids, including type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), atherosclerosis, steatosis, and obesity. The degree of insulin resistance in T2DM patients is positively correlated with the size of skeletal muscle LDs. Aerobic exercise can reduce the occurrence and development of various metabolic diseases. However, trained athletes accumulate lipids in their skeletal muscle, and LD size in their muscle tissue is positively correlated with insulin sensitivity. This phenomenon is called the athlete’s paradox. This review will summarize previous studies on the relationship between LDs in skeletal muscle and metabolic diseases and will discuss the paradox at the level of LDs.
Measurement of Equivalent BRDF on the Surface of Solar Panel with Periodic Structure
Authors: Hou Qingyu , Wang Zhile , Su Jinyu , Tan Fanjiao
Published: March 2019

The surface of a complex material with a periodic structure is equivalent to the surface of a uniform material, and the measurement and data processing methods for the equivalent optical BRDF of a solar panel based on a large-scale spot are proposed. Based on a solar simulator, high-intensity light illuminometer, low-intensity light illuminometer and precise rotary platform, the BRDF automatic measurement platform is built. Spot size optimization and a measurement radius optimization method are proposed. The measurement results show that the BRDF of the solar panel has specular reflection characteristics, but that it still differs from the solar cell in the half width of the BRDF curve. Measurement error analysis is performed for the measurement process; its value is 6.74%. The measurement results can be used to improve the understanding of the optical reflection characteristics of the solar panel. Meanwhile, the method can also be used to measure and characterize the coatings of heat insulation material and scattering coating. The measurement data also has practical reference value for evaluations of improvements of the light absorption of the surface functional material. Finally, it can be used to simulate the target image scene.
Quantum Chaos and Quantum Randomness—Paradigms of Entropy Production on the Smallest Scales
Authors: Dittrich Thomas
Published: March 2019

Quantum chaos is presented as a paradigm of information processing by dynamical systems at the bottom of the range of phase-space scales. Starting with a brief review of classical chaos as entropy flow from micro- to macro-scales, I argue that quantum chaos came as an indispensable rectification, removing inconsistencies related to entropy in classical chaos: bottom-up information currents require an inexhaustible entropy production and a diverging information density in phase-space, reminiscent of Gibbs’ paradox in statistical mechanics. It is shown how a mere discretization of the state space of classical models already entails phenomena similar to hallmarks of quantum chaos and how the unitary time evolution in a closed system directly implies the “quantum death” of classical chaos. As complementary evidence, I discuss quantum chaos under continuous measurement. Here, the two-way exchange of information with a macroscopic apparatus opens an inexhaustible source of entropy and lifts the limitations implied by unitary quantum dynamics in closed systems. The infiltration of fresh entropy restores permanent chaotic dynamics in observed quantum systems. Could other instances of stochasticity in quantum mechanics be interpreted in a similar guise? Where observed quantum systems generate randomness, could it result from an exchange of entropy with the macroscopic meter? This possibility is explored, presenting a model for spin measurement in a unitary setting and some preliminary analytical results based on it.
Improved Facial Expression Recognition Based on DWT Feature for Deep CNN
Authors: Bendjillali Ridha Ilyas , Beladgham Mohammed , Merit Khaled , Taleb-Ahmed Abdelmalik
Published: March 2019

Facial expression recognition (FER) has become one of the most important fields of research in pattern recognition. In this paper, we propose a method for the identification of facial expressions of people through their emotions. Being robust against illumination changes, this method combines four steps: Viola–Jones face detection algorithm, facial image enhancement using contrast limited adaptive histogram equalization (CLAHE) algorithm, the discrete wavelet transform (DWT), and deep convolutional neural network (CNN). We have used Viola–Jones to locate the face and facial parts; the facial image is enhanced using CLAHE; then facial features extraction is done using DWT; and finally, the extracted features are used directly to train the CNN network, for the purpose of classifying the facial expressions. Our experimental work was performed on the CK+ database and JAFFE face database. The results obtained using this network were 96.46% and 98.43%, respectively.
Behavior Analysis and Anomaly Detection for a Digital Substation on Cyber-Physical System
Authors: Kwon YooJin , Lee SangYoum , King Ralph , Lim Jong In , Kim Huy Kang
Published: March 2019

The electric power system infrastructure has begun to adopt digital information technologies such as transmission control protocol/internet protocol (TCP/IP) and Ethernet infrastructures. With this adoption, information technology-centric network and system management (NSM) tools are used to manage the intermediate communication systems and electric devices in digital substations. However, the technology to monitor the cyber–physical System (CPS) statistics for the intelligent electronic devices (IEDs) and serial communication for a digital substation does not exist yet. In this paper, we aim to propose cyber-physical analysis methodologies of a digital substation system, concerning issues of (1) International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 62351-7 based network and system management, (2) behavior analysis of the CPS, (3) cyber–physical anomaly detection systems, and (4) a testbed for a digital substation. By collaborating with Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), a cyber security testbed for the digital substation has been developed to implement the use cases and analyze potential security threats. Newly integrated methodologies for information handling are expected to lead to improved safety and reliability for the CPS of electric power grid systems.
Revisiting Resource Management for Deep Learning Framework
Authors: Xu Erci , Li Shanshan
Published: March 2019

The recent adoption of deep learning for diverse applications has required infrastructures to be scaled horizontally and hybrid configured vertically. As a result, efficient resource management for distributed deep learning (DDL) frameworks is becoming increasingly important. However, existing techniques for scaling DDL applications rely on general-purpose resource managers originally designed for data intensive applications. In contrast, DDL applications present unique challenges for resource management as compared to traditional big data frameworks, such as a different master–slave communication paradigm, deeper ML models that are more computationally and network bounded than I/O, the use of heterogeneous resources (e.g., GPUs, TPUs) and the variable memory requirement. In addition, most DDL frameworks require data scientists to manually configure the task placement and resource assignment to execute DDL models. In this paper, we present Dike, an automatic resource management framework that transparently makes scheduling decisions for placement and resource assignment to DDL workers and parameter servers, based on the unique characteristics of the DDL model (number and type of parameters and neural network layers), node heterogeneity (CPU/GPU ratios), and input dataset. We implemented Dike as a resource manager for DDL jobs in Tensorflow on top of Apache Mesos. We show that Dike significantly outperformed both manual and static assignment of resource offers to Tensorflow tasks, and achieved at least 95% of the optimal throughput for different DDL models such as ResNet and Inception.
One Technique to Enhance the Resolution of Discrete Fourier Transform
Authors: Kanatov Ivan , Kaplun Dmitry , Butusov Denis , Gulvanskii Viacheslav , Sinitca Aleksander
Published: March 2019

Discrete Fourier transform (DFT) is a common analysis tool in digital signal processing. This transform is well studied and its shortcomings are known as well. Various window functions (e.g., Hanning, Blackman, Kaiser) are often used to reduce sidelobes and to spread the spectrum. In this paper, we introduce a transformation that allows removing the sidelobes of the Fourier transform and increasing the resolution of the DFT without changing the time sample. The proposed method is based on signal phase analysis. We give the comparison of the proposed approach with known methods based on window functions. The advantages and disadvantages of the proposed technique are explicitly shown. We also give a set of examples illustrating the application of our technique in some practical applications, including engine vibration analysis and a short-range radar system.
A Microforecasting Module for Energy Management in Residential and Tertiary Buildings †
Authors: Bruno Sergio , Dellino Gabriella , La Scala Massimo , Meloni Carlo
Published: March 2019

The paper describes the methodology used for developing an electric load microforecasting module to be integrated in the Energy Management System (EMS) architecture designed and tested within the “Energy Router” (ER) project. This Italian R&D project is aimed at providing non-industrial active customers and prosumers with a monitoring and control device that would enable demand response through optimization of their own distributed energy resources (DERs). The optimal control of resources is organized with a hierarchical control structure and performed in two stages. A cloud-based computation platform provides global control functions based on model predictive control whereas a closed-loop local device manages actual monitoring and control of field components. In this architecture, load forecasts on a small scale (a single residential or tertiary building) are needed as inputs of the predictive control problem. The microforecasting module aimed at providing such inputs was designed to be flexible, adaptive, and able to treat data with low time resolution. The module includes alternative forecasting techniques, such as autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA), neural networks, and exponential smoothing, allowing the application of the right forecasting strategy each time. The presented test results are based on a dataset acquired during a monitoring campaign in two pilot systems, installed during the ER Project in public buildings.