bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dissecting genomic hotspots underlying seed protein, oil, and sucrose content in an interspecific mapping population of soybean using high‐density linkage mapping
Authors: Patil Gunvant , Vuong Tri D. , Kale Sandip , Valliyodan Babu , Deshmukh Rupesh , Zhu Chengsong , Wu Xiaolei , Bai Yonghe , Yungbluth Dennis , Lu Fang , Kumpatla Siva , Shannon J. Grover , Varshney Rajeev K. , Nguyen Henry T.
Published: April 2018

The cultivated [Glycine max (L) Merr.] and wild [Glycine soja Siebold & Zucc.] soybean species comprise wide variation in seed composition traits. Compared to wild soybean, cultivated soybean contains low protein, high oil, and high sucrose. In this study, an interspecific population was derived from a cross between G. max (Williams 82) and G. soja (PI 483460B). This recombinant inbred line (RIL) population of 188 lines was sequenced at 0.3× depth. Based on 91 342 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), recombination events in RILs were defined, and a high‐resolution bin map was developed (4070 bins). In addition to bin mapping, quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis for protein, oil, and sucrose was performed using 3343 polymorphic SNPs (3K‐SNP), derived from Illumina Infinium BeadChip sequencing platform. The QTL regions from both platforms were compared, and a significant concordance was observed between bin and 3K‐SNP markers. Importantly, the bin map derived from next‐generation sequencing technology enhanced mapping resolution (from 1325 to 50 Kb). A total of five, nine, and four QTLs were identified for protein, oil, and sucrose content, respectively, and some of the QTLs coincided with soybean domestication‐related genomic loci. The major QTL for protein and oil were mapped on Chr. 20 (qPro_20) and suggested negative correlation between oil and protein. In terms of sucrose content, a novel and major QTL were identified on Chr. 8 (qSuc_08) and harbours putative genes involved in sugar transport. In addition, genome‐wide association using 91 342 SNPs confirmed the genomic loci derived from QTL mapping. A QTL‐based haplotype using whole‐genome resequencing of 106 diverse soybean lines identified unique allelic variation in wild soybean that could be utilized to widen the genetic base in cultivated soybean.
Three new species and new records of eriophyoid mites (Acari, Eriophyoidea) from Karadag Nature Reserve, Crimea
Authors: Chetverikov Philipp , Letukhova Viktoria Yu. , Marinković Slavica M. , Petanović Radmila U.
Published: April 2018

Three new species of eriophyoid mites are described from Karadag Nature Reserve, Crimea: Cecidophyopsis cephalarius n. sp. from Crimean endemic Cephalaria demetrii (Caprifoliaceae), Aculus althaeus n. sp. from Althaea cannabina (Malvaceae) and Aculus karadagensis n. sp. from Ballota nigra (Lamiaceae). Seven new records are reported from Karadag: Aceria ankarensis Denizhan et al. 2006 from Dianthus capitatus, Aceria cichorii Petanović, Boczek, Shi 2000 from Cichorium inthybus, Aceria paradianthi Keifer 1952 from Dianthus capitatus, Aceria stipacea Sukhareva, 1983 from Stipa capillata, Aculops acraspis (Nalepa 1891) Nalepa 1892 from Medicago falcata, Tegonotus tataricis (Farkas 1963) from Acer tataricum and Rhyncaphytoptus amplus Keifer 1961 from Acer tataricum.
Study of electron-beam and extreme-ultraviolet resist utilizing polarity change and radical crosslinking
Authors: Enomoto Satoshi , Kozawa Takahiro
Published: April 2018

Resists used for the fabrication of next-generation of semiconductor circuits must exhibit resolution better than 10 nm and sensitivity comparable to or better than that of chemically amplified resists (no more than 1 mJ/cm2 for the bulk sensitivity). As described previously [T. Kozawa, J. J. Santillan, and T. Itani, Jpn. J. Appl. Phys., Part 1 53, 106501 (2014)] acid diffusion in chemically amplified resists limits resolution to about 10 nm. To avoid acid diffusion without jeopardizing sensitivity, the authors propose a negative-type polymer resist for extreme ultraviolet (EUV) and electron beam (EB) lithography that utilizes the polarity change and radical crosslinking triggered by EUV/EB exposure. Polymers having triarylsulfonium cations and 2,2,2-trisubstituted acetophenone as side chains were designed to realize a dual insolubilization property. 2,2,2-trisubstituted acetophenone was incorporated for efficient radical generation on the polymer structure to induce crosslinking. An onium salt was incorporated for the efficient use of thermalized electrons to induce a polarity change and radical generation on the side chain. The authors demonstrated experimentally that these polymer resists require a dose between 1 and 2 mJ/cm2 with EUV exposure.
Long-interval monitoring reveals changes in the structure of a reptile community in a biogeographic transition zone
Authors: Ferreira Diana , Brito José C , Santos Xavier
Published: April 2018

Transition zones between biogeographical regions are natural scenarios to examine responses to local disturbances between species with contrasting biogeographic affinities. We compared absolute abundances of reptile species between fieldwork surveys carried out in 1999-2001 and 2012-2014 along a 1.5 km linear transect at the Peneda-Gerês National Park (NW Portugal), an area located in the transition zone between Mediterranean and Atlantic biogeographical regions. During the 13-year period, wildfires in 2007 and 2009 burnt two adjacent areas located on the southern part of the study area. Based on Landsat imagery, land cover analysis demonstrated significant differences between both periods, with an increase of open areas caused by the wildfires. We performed 99 surveys and detected 1774 reptiles belonging to five lizard and six snake species. There were changes in the reptile assemblage: Lacerta schreiberi (Atlantic lizard) showed a decrease in relative abundance from the first period, Podarcis sp (wall lizards) showed an increase, and Psammodromus algirus (Mediterranean lizard) colonized the study site in the second period. This field-based monitoring study confirms niche modelling predictions that forecasted range contraction for some Atlantic reptiles and expansion for some Mediterranean reptiles. Our results emphasize the importance of long-term monitoring to understand the magnitude of disturbance impacts on (reptile) communities.
Helminth parasitizing Iberolacerta cyreni (Müller et Hellmich, 1937) from Gredos Mountains, Iberian Peninsula
Authors: Roca Vicente
Published: April 2018

A survey of the helminth communities of a population of Iberolacerta cyreni (Müller et Hellmich, 1937), a small lizard endemic to Sistema Central (Iberian Peninsula), was conducted to determine the prevalence, abundance and species diversity of parasites of these reptiles. Four species of helminths were found, one trematode, Plagiorchis molini Lent et Freitas, 1940, one cestode, Nematotaenia tarentolae López-Neyra, 1944, and two nematodes, Skrjabinelazia sp. and Spauligodon carbonelli Roca & García-Adell, 1988. Helminth infracommunities of I. cireny showed very low values of abundance and species richness and diversity, being similar to other European lizards. The parasites found seem to have no influence on the conservation status of the host species in its natural habitat

.
Implantation of hyaluronic acid hydrogel prevents the pain phenotype in a rat model of intervertebral disc injury
Authors: Mohd Isa Isma Liza , Abbah Sunny A. , Kilcoyne Michelle , Sakai Daisuke , Dockery Peter , Finn David P. , Pandit Abhay
Published: April 2018

Hyaluronic acid hydrogel alleviated inflammatory pain, altered glycosylation, and regulated matrix components for disc repair.
Fighting leukemia with “duel”-targeted therapy
Authors: Chonghaile Tríona Ní
Published: April 2018

Combining BCL-2 inhibitor venetoclax with monoclonal CD20 antibody rituximab greatly enhances progression-free survival compared with bendamustine-rituximab in a phase 3 trial of relapsed or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients.
Genome Sequence of the Proteorhodopsin-Containing Bacterium Flavobacterium sp. Strain TH167, Isolated from Cyanobacterial Aggregates in a Eutrophic Lake
Authors: Cai Haiyuan , Chen Feng
Published: April 2018

Flavobacterium
is the most abundant group of bacteria within the cyanobacterial aggregates in Lake Taihu, China. Here, we present the genome sequence and annotation of
Flavobacterium
sp. strain TH167. Genome analysis revealed the presence of a proteorhodopsin-encoding sequence, together with its retinal-producing pathway, indicating a putative photoheterotrophic lifestyle that generates energy from light.
Draft Genome Sequence of the Fish Pathogen Flavobacterium columnare Genomovar III Strain PH-97028 (=CIP 109753)
Authors: Criscuolo Alexis , Chesneau Olivier , Clermont Dominique , Bizet Chantal
Published: April 2018

Flavobacterium columnare
strain PH-97028 (=CIP 109753) is a genomovar III reference strain that was isolated from a diseased Ayu fish in Japan. We report here the analysis of the first available genomovar III sequence of this species to aid in identification, epidemiological tracking, and virulence studies.
Genomic Sequence of Saccharomyces cerevisiae BAW-6, a Yeast Strain Optimal for Brewing Barley Shochu
Authors: Kajiwara Yasuhiro , Mori Kazuki , Tashiro Kosuke , Higuchi Yujiro , Takegawa Kaoru , Takashita Hideharu
Published: April 2018

Here, we report the draft genome sequence of
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
strain BAW-6, which is used for the production of barley shochu, a traditional Japanese spirit. This genomic information can be used to elucidate the genetic basis underlying the high alcohol production capacity and citric acid tolerance of shochu yeast.
Complete Genome Sequence of the Methanococcus maripaludis Type Strain JJ (DSM 2067), a Model for Selenoprotein Synthesis in Archaea
Authors: Poehlein Anja , Heym Daniel , Quitzke Vivien , Fersch Julia , Daniel Rolf , Rother Michael
Published: April 2018

Methanococcus maripaludis
type strain JJ (DSM 2067) is an important organism because it serves as a model for primary energy metabolism and hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis and is amenable to genetic manipulation. The complete genome (1.7 Mb) harbors 1,815 predicted protein-encoding genes, including 9 encoding selenoproteins.
Hospital-level care coordination strategies associated with better patient experience
Authors: Figueroa Jose F , Feyman Yevgeniy , Zhou Xiner , Joynt Maddox Karen
Published: April 2018

Background

Patient experience is a key measure of hospital quality and is increasingly contained in value-based payment programmes. Understanding whether strategies aimed at improving care transitions are associated with better patient experience could help clinical leaders and policymakers seeking to improve care across multiple dimensions.

Objective

To determine the association of specific hospital care coordination and transition strategies with patient experience.

Design

We surveyed leadership at 1600 acute care hospitals and categorised respondents into three groups based on the strategies used: low-strategy (bottom quartile of number of strategies), mid-strategy (quartiles 2 and 3) and high-strategy (highest quartile). We used linear regression models to examine the association between use of these strategies and performance on measures of patient experience from the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey.

Results

We achieved a 62% response rate. High-strategy hospitals reported using 7.7 strategies on average usually or always on their patient populations, while mid-strategy and low-strategy hospitals reported using 5.0 and 2.3 strategies, respectively. Compared with low-strategy hospitals, high-strategy hospitals had a higher overall rating (+2.23 percentage points (pp), P<0.001), higher recommendation score (+2.5 pp, P<0.001), and higher satisfaction with discharge process (+1.35 pp, P=0.01) and medication communication (+1.44 pp, P=0.002). Mid-strategy hospitals had higher scores than low-strategy hospitals except for discharge satisfaction. Patient-facing strategies, like sharing discharge summaries with patients prior to discharge, using discharge coordinators and calling patients 48 hours after discharge, were each individually associated with a higher overall hospital rating, and higher satisfaction with discharge process and medication communication.

Conclusions

Hospitals with greater reported use of care coordination and transition strategies have better patient experience than hospitals with fewer reported strategies. Strategies that most directly involve patients have the strongest association with better experience.
Modelling of a compact anisotropic star as an anisotropic fluid sphere in f(T) gravity
Authors: Momeni D. , Abbas G. , Qaisar S. , Zaz Zaid , Myrzakulov R.
Published: April 2018

In this article, the authors have discussed a new exact model of anisotropic stars in the f(T) theory of gravity. A parametric form of the metric functions has been implemented to solve the dynamical equations in f(T) theory with the anisotropic fluid. The novelty of the work is that the obtained solutions do not contain singularity but are potentially stable. The estimated values for mass and radius of the different strange stars, RX J 1856–37, Her X-1, and Vela X-12, have been utilized to find the values of unknown constants in Krori and Barua metrics. The physical parameters like anisotropy, stability, and redshift of the stars have been examined in detail.
EFFECT OF GRAPHITE ADDITIVES IN ELECTROLYTES ON CHARACTERISTICS OF MICRO-ARC OXIDATION COATINGS ON 7E04 ALUMINUM ALLOY
Authors: WANG PING , PU JUN , XIAO YOU TAO , HU WEN JUN , WU TING , CAO WEN JIE , GONG ZE YU , HUANG MING
Published: April 2018

Micro-arc oxidation coatings were fabricated on 7E04 aluminum alloy substrates by micro-arc oxidation (MAO) in the electrolytes with the graphite addition varying from 0 to 8[Formula: see text]g/L (0, 2, 4, 6, 8[Formula: see text]g/L). The effect of graphite concentration on the surface morphologies, micro-hardness, thickness, phase composition and corrosion resistance of coatings was investigated. With the graphite powder concentration increasing, the oxidation voltage decreased gradually and the thickness of coatings firstly dropped down and then went up. It is found that the size of micro-pores and sintered discs declined with increase of graphite concentration. The XRD results indicated that MAO coatings mainly consisted of [Formula: see text]-Al2O3, [Formula: see text]-Al2O3, SiO2 and a little [Formula: see text]-Al2O3. The corrosion resistance of coatings was improved with the addition of graphite powder. The study reveals that the appropriate graphite powder in the electrolytes is essential to promote the performance of the coatings.
Energy-Dissipation Limits in Variance-Based Computing
Authors: Kondapalli Sri Harsha , Zhang Xuan , chakrabartty Shantanu
Published: April 2018

Variance-based logic (VBL) uses the fluctuations or the variance in the state of a particle or a physical quantity to represent different logic levels. In this paper, we show that compared to the traditional bi-stable logic representation, the variance-based representation can theoretically achieve a superior performance trade-off (in terms of energy dissipation and information capacity) when operating at fundamental limits imposed by thermal noise. We show that, in addition to the universal KT ln(1/[Formula: see text]) energy dissipation required for a single bit flip, a bi-stable logic device needs to dissipate at least 4.35[Formula: see text]KT/bit of energy, whereas under similar operating conditions, a VBL device reduces the additional energy dissipation requirements down to sub-KT/bit. These theoretical results are generally enough to be applicable to different instantiations and variants of VBL ranging from digital processors based on energy-scavenging or to processors based on the emerging valleytronic devices.
A note on symmetries of diffusions within a martingale problem approach
Authors: De Vecchi Francesco C. , Morando Paola , Ugolini Stefania
Published: April 2018

A geometric reformulation of the martingale problem associated with a set of diffusion processes is proposed. This formulation, based on second-order geometry and Itô integration on manifolds, allows us to give a natural and effective definition of Lie symmetries for diffusion processes.
Clinical assessment of balance using BBS and SARAbal in cerebellar ataxia: Synthesis of findings of a psychometric property analysis
Authors: Winser Stanley John , Smith Catherine M , Hale Leigh A , Claydon Leica S , Whitney Susan L
Published: April 2018

Background: In the previous psychometric analysis paper in our series for identifying the core set of balance measures for the assessment of balance, we recommended the Berg Balance Scale (BBS) and balance sub-components of the Scale for the assessment and rating of ataxia (SARAbal) as psychometrically sound measures of balance for people with cerebellar ataxia (CA) secondary to multiple sclerosis.

Objective: The present study further examined the suitability of BBS and SARAbal for the assessment of balance in CA with regard to psychometric property strength, appropriateness, interpretability, precision, acceptability and feasibility.

Methods: Criteria to fulfill each factor was defined according to the framework of Fitzpatrick et al. (1998). Based on the findings of our previous psychometric analysis, each criterion was further analyzed.

Results: The psychometric analysis reported good reliability and validity estimates for the BBS and SARAbal recommending them as psychometrically sound measures; they fulfilled both criteria for appropriateness and interpretability, the measures showed evidence for precision and acceptability, and they were found to be feasible in terms of the time and cost involved for the balance assessment.

Conclusion: We have provided evidence for the use of the BBS and SARAbal for the assessment of balance among people with CA.
DIETARY SUPPLEMENTATION OF GANODERMA LUCIDUM POWDER ENHANCES SURVIVAL AND IMMUNOCOMPETENCE OF WEANING PIGS
Authors: Lee Kuo-Hua , Nien Pi-Chu , Chen Tsung-Chi , Yeh Chia-Chou , Chen Jih-Yih , Lin Wen-Hung , Lee Tzu-Tai , Jea Yu-Shine , Chi Chau-Hwa
Published: April 2018

The study was conducted to investigate the effects of Ganoderma lucidum (GL) on growth performance, survival rates, and immunocompetence of the weaning pigs. A total of 45, 28-day-old Landrace weaning pigs were randomly divided into three groups of 15 pigs each. A corn–soybean meal-based control diet was formulated and the experimental diets included 0.3% and 0.6% GL powder. The groups were treated for 38 days. Pigs which fed both concentration of GL powder had significantly higher ([Formula: see text]) survival rates than the control group. Besides, pigs which fed 0.3% and 0.6% GL powder had increased lymphocyte proliferation indexes ([Formula: see text]) and the titer of neutralizing antibody against hog cholera (HC) ([Formula: see text]) on day 66 compared with pigs which fed control diet. No differences were found between treatments regarding the average daily gain (ADG), gain:feed (G:F) ratio and diarrhea score. Supplementation of GL powder showed no effects on aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN), which suggested that GL treatment has no immediate harm on liver or kidney. Based on these results, GL could be suggested as a potential feed additive of weaning pig diets to increase survival rate and immunocompetence.
Implementation of an Ontology-Based Approach to Enable Agility in Kit Building Applications
Authors: Kootbally Zeid , Kramer Thomas R. , Schlenoff Craig , Gupta Satyandra K.
Published: April 2018

The effort described in this paper attempts to integrate agility aspects in the “Agility Performance of Robotic Systems” (APRS) project, developed at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The technical idea for the APRS project is to develop the measurement science in the form of an integrated agility framework enabling manufacturers to assess and assure the agility performance of their robot systems. This framework includes robot agility performance metrics, information models, test methods, and protocols. This paper focuses on the information models and describes how they are used to introduce robot agility within the kitting domain. The described models have been fully defined in the XML Schema Definition Language (XSDL) and in the Web Ontology Language (OWL) for kit building applications. Kit building or kitting is a process that brings parts that will be used in assembly operations together in a kit and then moves the kit to the area where the parts are used in the final assembly. Details are given on the automatic generation of OWL class model files from XML schema model files. Files of OWL instances conforming to an OWL class model are generated automatically from XML instance files by automatically-built translators. Furthermore, a design methodology for kit building is presented and shows how the different information models are used with the other components of the methodology.
Sequential Action Selection and Active Sensing for Budgeted Localization in Robot Navigation
Authors: Aklil Nassim , Girard Benoît , Denoyer Ludovic , Khamassi Mehdi
Published: April 2018

Recent years have seen a fast growth in the number of applications of Machine Learning algorithms from Computer Science to Robotics. Nevertheless, while most such attempts were successful in maximizing robot performance after a long learning phase, to our knowledge none of them explicitly takes into account the budget in the algorithm evaluation: e.g. budget limitation on the learning duration or on the maximum number of possible actions by the robot. In this paper, we introduce an algorithm for robot spatial localization based on image classification using a sequential budgeted learning framework. This aims to allow the learning of policies under an explicit budget. In this case our model uses a constraint on the number of actions that can be used by the robot. Our approach enables to reduce the problem to a classification task under budget constraint. We apply this algorithm to a localization problem in a simulated environment. We compare it first to simple neural networks for the classification part and second to different techniques of policy selection. The results show that the model can effectively learn an efficient active sensing policy (i.e. alternating between sensor measurement and movement to get additional information in different positions) in order to optimize its localization performance under each tested fixed budget. We also show that with this algorithm the simulated robot can transfer the learned policy as well as knowledge about which budget gives the best performance/budget ratio in a given environment to other environments with similar properties. We finally test the algorithm with real navigation data acquired in an indoor environment with the PR2 robot. Altogether, these results suggest a promising framework for enabling budgeted localization in robots and avoiding to make robots relearn everything from scratch in each new environment.
Human-Like Context Sensing for Robot Surveillance
Authors: Giunchiglia Fausto , Bignotti Enrico , Zeni Mattia
Published: April 2018

Robot surveillance requires robots to make sense of what is happening around them, which is what humans do with contexts. This is critical when the robots have to interact with people. Thus, the main issue is how to model human-like context to be mapped to robots, so that they can mirror human understanding. We propose a context model, organized according to the different dimensions of the environment. We then introduce the notions of endurants and perdurants to account for how space and time, respectively, aggregate context for humans. To map real-world data, i.e. sensory inputs, to our context model, we propose a system capable of managing both the robots sensors and interacting with sensors from other devices. The proposed use case is a robot, using the system fusing sensory inputs and the context model, patrolling an university building.
PreFix
Authors: Zhang Shenglin , Liu Ying , Meng Weibin , Luo Zhiling , Bu Jiahao , Yang Sen , Liang Peixian , Pei Dan , Xu Jun , Zhang Yuzhi , Chen Yu , Dong Hui , Qu Xianping , Song Lei
Published: April 2018

In modern datacenter networks (DCNs), failures of network devices are the norm rather than the exception, and many research efforts have focused on dealing with failures after they happen. In this paper, we take a different approach by predicting failures, thus the operators can intervene and "fix" the potential failures before they happen. Specifically, in our proposed system, named PreFix, we aim to determine during runtime whether a switch failure will happen in the near future. The prediction is based on the measurements of the current switch system status and historical switch hardware failure cases that have been carefully labelled by network operators. Our key observation is that failures of the same switch model share some common syslog patterns before failures occur, and we can apply machine learning methods to extract the common patterns for predicting switch failures. Our novel set of features (message template sequence, frequency, seasonality and surge) for machine learning can efficiently deal with the challenges of noises, sample imbalance, and computation overhead. We evaluated PreFix on a data set collected from 9397 switches (3 different switch models) deployed in more than 20 datacenters owned by a top global search engine in a 2-year period. PreFix achieved an average of 61.81% recall and 1.84 * 10^-5 false positive ratio. It outperforms the other failure prediction methods for computers and ISP devices.
Asymptotically Optimal Load Balancing Topologies
Authors: Mukherjee Debankur , Borst Sem C. , van Leeuwaarden Johan S.H.
Published: April 2018

We consider a system of
N
servers inter-connected by some underlying graph topology

G
N

. Tasks with unit-mean exponential processing times arrive at the various servers as independent Poisson processes of rate λ. Each incoming task is irrevocably assigned to whichever server has the smallest number of tasks among the one where it appears and its neighbors in

G
N

.

The above model arises in the context of load balancing in large-scale cloud networks and data centers, and has been extensively investigated in the case

G
N

is a clique. Since the servers are exchangeable in that case, mean-field limits apply, and in particular it has been proved that for any λ < 1, the fraction of servers with two or more tasks vanishes in the limit as
N
→ ∞. For an arbitrary graph

G
N

, mean-field techniques break down, complicating the analysis, and the queue length process tends to be worse than for a clique. Accordingly, a graph

G
N

is said to be
N
-optimal or √
N
-optimal when the queue length process on

G
N

is equivalent to that on a clique on an
N
-scale or √
N
-scale, respectively.

We prove that if

G
N

is an Erdöo s-Rényi random graph with average degree
d
(
N
), then with high probability it is
N
-optimal and √
N
-optimal if
d
(
N
) → ∞ and
d
(
N
)/√
N
log(
N
)) → ∞ as
N
→ ∞, respectively. This demonstrates that optimality can be maintained at
N
-scale and √
N
-scale while reducing the number of connections by nearly a factor
N
and √
N
/log(
N
) compared to a clique, provided the topology is suitably random. It is further shown that if

G
N

contains Θ(
N
) bounded-degree nodes, then it cannot be
N
-optimal. In addition, we establish that an arbitrary graph

G
N

is
N
-optimal when its minimum degree is
N
-
o
(
N
), and may not be
N
-optimal even when its minimum degree is
cN
+
o
(
N
) for any 0 < c < 1/2. Simulation experiments are conducted for various scenarios to corroborate the asymptotic results.
Synthesis of Fault-Tolerant Distributed Router Configurations
Authors: Subramanian Kausik , D'Antoni Loris , Akella Aditya
Published: April 2018

Operators of modern networks require support for diverse and complex end-to-end policies, such as, middlebox traversals, isolation, and traffic engineering. While Software-defined Networking (SDN) provides centralized custom routing functionality in networks to realize these policies, many networks still deploy "legacy" control planes running distributed routing protocols like OSPF and BGP because these protocols are scalable and robust to failures. However, realization of policies by distributed control plane configurations is manual and error-prone. We present Zeppelin, a system for automatically generating policy-compliant control planes that also behave well under majority of small network failures. Zeppelin differs from existing approaches in that it uses policy-compliant paths to guide the synthesis process instead of directly generating policy-compliant configurations. We show that Zeppelin synthesizes highly resilient and policy-compliant configurations for real topologies with up to 80 routers.
The visual impact of sound: Glitchometry
Authors: Temkin Daniel
Published: April 2018

Applying sound effects to image files can yield mind-boggling images.
The story of Aitokaiku: Utilizing artificial intelligence for music
Authors: Eerola Jarno
Published: April 2018

With the growing popularity of streaming services, artificial intelligence-generated systems, and open art content, the music industry is facing a complex set of challenges.
Report on first certificate course on applied physiology of pain, analgesia, anesthesia, and euthanasia for laboratory animals held in Sri Lanka
Authors: Gunatilake Mangala
Published: April 2018

Similar to human beings, pain is an unpleasant sensation experienced by animals as well. There is no exception when the animals are subjected to experimental procedures. Our duty as researchers/scientists is to prevent or minimize the pain in animals so as to lessen their suffering and distress during experimental procedures. The basics of the physiology of pain and pain perception, analgesia, anesthesia, and euthanasia of laboratory animals were included to complete the program, before the practical part was attempted and before advanced topics, such as comparison of anesthetic combinations, were discussed. Therefore, this course was organized in Sri Lanka for the first time in collaboration with the Comparative Biology Centre of Newcastle University, UK. During this course, we were able to demonstrate how an anesthesia machine could be used in laboratory animal anesthesia for the first time in the country. None of the animal houses in the country were equipped with an anesthesia machine at the time of conducting the course.
Use of case-based or hands-on laboratory exercises with physiology lectures improves knowledge retention, but veterinary medicine students prefer case-based activities
Authors: McFee Renee M. , Cupp Andrea S. , Wood Jennifer R.
Published: April 2018

Didactic lectures are prevalent in physiology courses within veterinary medicine programs, but more active learning methods have also been utilized. Our goal was to identify the most appropriate learning method to augment the lecture component of our physiology course. We hypothesized that case-based learning would be well received by students and would be more effective at helping them learn physiological concepts compared with more traditional laboratory exercises. In this study, approximately one-half of the laboratory sessions for the two-semester course were dedicated to traditional hands-on laboratory exercises, whereas the remaining one-half of the sessions were dedicated to case-based exercises. The lecture portion of the course was not altered. Student attitudes were evaluated after each session and at the end of each semester via quantitative and qualitative survey questions. Student performance was evaluated using section exams and end-of-semester posttests. The vast majority of survey responses received were positive for both cased-based activities and traditional hands-on laboratories. In addition, participation in both types of active learning activities, but not lecture, was associated with retention of conceptual knowledge based on student performance between the section exams and posttests ( P < 0.002). These results indicate that both case-based learning and laboratory exercises are beneficial learning activities to incorporate into a lecture-based physiology course. However, positive survey responses were significantly greater following case-based activities vs. traditional hands-on laboratories, and only participation in case-based activities resulted in greater student performance on the posttest ( P < 0.04). Therefore, case-based activities may be the preferred supplemental learning activity for veterinary medical physiology.
Collaborative-group testing improves learning and knowledge retention of human physiology topics in second-year medical students
Authors: Vázquez-García Mario
Published: April 2018

The present study examined the relationship between second-year medical students’ group performance and individual performance in a collaborative-learning environment. In recent decades, university professors in the scientific and humanistic disciplines have successfully put into practice different modalities of collaborative approaches to teaching. Essentially, collaborative approach refers to a variety of techniques that involves the joint intellectual effort of a small group of students, which encourages interaction and discussion among students and professors. The present results show the efficacy of collaborative learning, which, furthermore, allowed students to participate actively in the physiology class. Average student’s grades were significantly higher when they engaged in single-best-response, multiple-choice tests as a student team, compared with taking the same examinations individually. The method improved notably knowledge retention, as learning is more effective when performed in the context of collaborative partnership. A selected subset of questions answered wrongly in an initial test, both individually and collectively, was used on a second test to examine student retention of studied material. Grade averages were significantly improved, both individually and groupwise, when students responded to the subset of questions a second time, 1, 2, or 3 wk after the first attempt. These results suggest that the collaborative approach to teaching allowed a more effective understanding of course content, which meant an improved capacity for retention of human physiology knowledge.
Mu-oscillation changes related to the development of anticipatory postural control in children and adolescents
Authors: Barlaam Fanny , Fortin Carole , Vaugoyeau Marianne , Schmitz Christina , Assaiante Christine
Published: April 2018

Anticipatory postural adjustments (APAs) cancel the destabilizing effects of movement on posture. Across development, the maturation of APAs is characterized by an accurate adjustment of the timing parameters of electromyographic (EMG) response. The study aimed at investigating the maturation of cortical oscillations involved in the improvement of APAs efficiency. Thirty-six healthy participants (8–16 yr) performed the bimanual load-lifting task in which subjects are instructed to lift a load, placed on the left forearm, with the right hand. EMG data were acquired over the biceps brachii on the postural arm to the determine EMG response onset. Electroencephalographic signals were analyzed in the time-frequency domain by convolution with complex Gaussian Morlet wavelets. Electrophysiological signature of APAs in children and adolescents consisted of a mu-rhythm desynchronization over the sensorimotor cortex contralateral to the postural arm. Across development, the mu-rhythm desynchronization was characterized by a progressive shift forward of the onset of the desynchronization, lower amplitude, and velocity. These changes occurred along with an alteration of the timing of the EMG response, as shown by an earlier onset of the flexor inhibition with increasing age. The maturational changes in the Mu-oscillations might sustain the development of APAs. A possible role of the Mu-oscillation in the generation of postural command is discussed.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY Across development, our study showed a progressive shift forward of the parameters of the mu-rhythm desynchronization. These changes occurred along with an alteration of the timing parameters of the electromyographic response, as shown by an earlier onset of the flexor inhibition with increasing age. The progressive development of APAs during childhood and adolescence might therefore be sustained by maturational electrophysiological changes that include mu-rhythm oscillation modifications in the postural sensorimotor cortex.
Integrating Competing Demands of Osmoregulatory and Thermoregulatory Homeostasis
Authors: McKinley Michael J. , Martelli Davide , Pennington Glenn L. , Trevaks David , McAllen Robin M.
Published: April 2018

Mammals are characterized by a stable core body temperature. When maintenance of core temperature is challenged by ambient or internal heat loads, mammals increase blood flow to the skin, sweat and/or pant, or salivate. These thermoregulatory responses enable evaporative cooling at moist surfaces to dissipate body heat. If water losses incurred during evaporative cooling are not replaced, body fluid homeostasis is challenged. This article reviews the way mammals balance thermoregulation and osmoregulation.
Pattern-Identified Online Task Scheduling in Multitier Edge Computing for Industrial IoT Services
Authors: Dao Nhu-Ngoc , Vu Duc-Nghia , Lee Yunseong , Cho Sungrae , Cho Chihyun , Kim Hyunbum
Published: April 2018

In smart manufacturing, production machinery and auxiliary devices, referred to as industrial Internet of things (IIoT), are connected to a unified networking infrastructure for management and command deliveries in a precise production process. However, providing autonomous, reliable, and real-time offloaded services for such a production is an open challenge since these IIoT devices are assumed lightweight embedded platforms with limited computing performance. In this paper, we propose a pattern-identified online task scheduling (PIOTS) mechanism for the networking infrastructure, where multitier edge computing is provided, in order to handle the offloaded tasks in real time. First, historical IIoT task patterns in every timeslot are used to train a self-organizing map (SOM), which represents the features of the task patterns within defined dimensions. Consequently, offline task scheduling among edge computing-enabled entities is performed on the set of all SOM neurons using the Hungarian method to determine the expected optimal task assignments. In real-time context, whenever a task arrives at the infrastructure, the expected optimal assignment for the task is scheduled to the appropriate edge computing-enabled entity. Numerical simulation results show that the proposed PIOTS mechanism overcomes existing solutions in terms of computation performance and service capability.
CD20+ Tumor Infiltrating B Lymphocyte in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Correlation with Clinicopathologic Characteristics and Heat Shock Protein 70 Expression
Authors: Taghavi Nasim , Mohsenifar Zhaleh , Baghban Alireza Akbarzadeh , Arjomandkhah Alireza
Published: April 2018

Objective. B lymphocyte infiltration in the tumor microenvironment has been proposed to play pivotal roles in tumor progression. Heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) expressed by tumor cells can induce antitumor immune response. Few studies have examined the clinicopathologic relationship between tumor infiltrating B lymphocyte and HSP70 expression in human cancer. So far, there is no complete knowledge on the relationship in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). The present study was conducted to evaluate the relationship between tumor infiltrating B lymphocyte and HSP70 expression in OSCC, as well as the clinical outcome. Materials and Methods. In this retrospective study, the immunohistochemical analysis of 50 OSCC specimens was performed using CD20 and HSP70 antibodies. The relationship between markers’ expression and clinicopathologic data was evaluated using Mann–Whitney test, Chi-square test, logistic regression model, and Spearman’s correlation coefficient. Results. The data analysis showed significant correlation between peritumoral CD20+ B lymphocyte infiltration and lymph node metastasis (P=0.047). Furthermore, HSP70 expression was significantly correlated with stage (P=0.003), lymph node metastasis (P<0.001), and tumor size (P=0.044). However, no relationship was observed between B lymphocyte infiltration and HSP70 expression. Conclusion. The results suggest that peritumoral B lymphocyte infiltration and HSP70 expression level have significant association with OSCC and may be considered as prognostic indicators in OSCC. Thus, evaluation of B cells as therapeutic targets in OSCC patients is recommended.
EpSoc: Social-Based Epidemic-Based Routing Protocol in Opportunistic Mobile Social Network
Authors: Lenando Halikul , Alrfaay Mohamad
Published: April 2018

In opportunistic networks, the nature of intermittent and disruptive connections degrades the efficiency of routing. Epidemic routing protocol is used as a benchmark for most of routing protocols in opportunistic mobile social networks (OMSNs) due to its high message delivery and latency. However, Epidemic incurs high cost in terms of overhead and hop count. In this paper, we propose a hybrid routing protocol called EpSoc which utilizes the Epidemic routing forwarding strategy and exploits an important social feature, that is, degree centrality. Two techniques are used in EpSoc. Messages’ TTL is adjusted based on the degree centrality of nodes, and the message blocking mechanism is used to control replication. Simulation results show that EpSoc increases the delivery ratio and decreases the overhead ratio, the average latency, and the hop counts as compared to Epidemic and Bubble Rap.
Patient-Controlled Intravenous Analgesia for Advanced Cancer Patients with Pain: A Retrospective Series Study
Authors: Peng Zhiyou , Zhang Yanfeng , Guo Jianguo , Guo Xuejiao , Feng Zhiying
Published: April 2018

Objective. To compare the efficacy and side effects of patient-controlled intravenous analgesia (PCIA) with hydromorphone, sufentanil, and oxycodone on the management of advanced cancer patients with pain. Methods. Patients allocated to receive PCIA between January 2015 and December 2016 were chosen for this study. After reviewing medical records, we verified if hydromorphone, sufentanil, or oxycodone for PCIA could equally provide effective pain relief. A numeric rating scale (NRS) of cancer pain was applied before PCIA, at 4 hours after PCIA, and at the discontinuation of PCIA. Secondary, the incidence of clinical side effects attributed to PCIA was observed. Results. A total of 85 medical records were reviewed. PCIA with hydromorphone (n=30), sufentanil (n=34), and oxycodone (n=21) was used for cancer pain management. PCIA successfully improved pain control in 97.6% of the patients. The most common side effects were constipation (11.8%), nausea (8.2%), and sedation (5.9%). Drug addiction, delirium, or respiratory depression associated with PCIA was not reported in this case series study. No significant intergroup difference was observed in NRS at any of the abovementioned time points. There was no significant difference of analgesic effect among the hydromorphone, sufentanil, or oxycodone. Conclusion. PCIA provided timely, safe, and satisfactory analgesia for advanced cancer patients with pain and may be useful for titration of opioids, management of severe breakthrough pain, and conversion to oral analgesia. There was no significant difference of analgesic effect and side effect among the hydromorphone, sufentanil, and oxycodone.
Mannose-Binding Lectin Gene Polymorphism and Its Association with Susceptibility to Recurrent Vulvovaginal Candidiasis
Authors: Hammad Noha M. , El Badawy Nissreen E. , Nasr Ashraf M. , Ghramh Hamed A. , Al Kady Laila M.
Published: April 2018

Recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis (RVVC) is a common illness influencing childbearing women worldwide. Most women suffering from RVVC develop infection without specified risk factors. Mannose-binding lectin (MBL) is an important component of innate immune defense against Candida infection. Innate immunity gene mutations and polymorphisms have been suggested to play a role in susceptibility to RVVC. This study aimed to investigate the association between MBL 2 gene exon 1 codon 54 polymorphism and susceptibility to RVVC in childbearing women. Whole blood and serum samples were obtained from 59 RVVC cases and 59 controls. MBL serum level was measured by enzyme-linked immune-sorbent assay (ELISA). MBL2 exon 1 codon 54 polymorphism was determined by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). It was shown that MBL serum level was nonsignificantly different between RVVC cases and controls. The risk of RVVC was 3 times higher in those carrying MBL2 exon 1 codon 54 variant allele (B). It could be concluded that the carrying of MBL2 exon 1 codon 54 variant allele (B) was shown to be a risk factor for RVVC in childbearing women.
The Protective Effect of Naringenin on Airway Remodeling afterMycoplasma PneumoniaeInfection by Inhibiting Autophagy-Mediated Lung Inflammation and Fibrosis
Authors: Lin Yan , Tan Dan , Kan Qianna , Xiao Zhen , Jiang Zhiyan
Published: April 2018

Our previous study has shown that Chinese medicine, Qingfei Tongluo formula (QTF), has a significantly therapeutic effect toMycoplasma pneumoniae(MP) pneumonia (MPP). The aim of this study was to investigate the therapeutic effect and mechanism of naringenin (NRG) on MPP which was an important component of QTF. Here, we studied 124 children with or without MPP and compared inflammatory cytokines and fibrinogen-related protein expression with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. We also employed a BALB/c mouse model of MPP and divided the mice into three groups: ctrl (normal control mice), MPP (MP-infected mice), and MPP + NRG (MP-infected mice treated with NRG). BEAS-2B cells were used to confirm the relationship between autophagy, inflammation, and fibrosis. The results show proinflammatory cytokines (interleukin- [IL-] 6, IL-1β, and tumor necrosis factor-α), and transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) expression was significantly increased after MP infection from both clinical and animal experiment. In vivo experimental confirmation showed that NRG treatment decreased MPP-induced lung injury in mice by inhibiting autophagy-mediated inflammatory cytokine expression and pulmonary fibrosis. In vitro experiments confirmed it. These results indicate that NRG treatment suppressed the inflammatory response and pulmonary fibrosis by inhibition of autophagy after MP infection.