bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Longitudinal profiling of the lung microbiome in the AERIS study demonstrates repeatability of bacterial and eosinophilic COPD exacerbations
Authors: Mayhew David , Devos Nathalie , Lambert Christophe , Brown James R , Clarke Stuart C , Kim Viktoriya L , Magid-Slav Michal , Miller Bruce E , Ostridge Kristoffer K , Patel Ruchi , Sathe Ganesh , Simola Daniel F , Staples Karl J , Sung Ruby , Tal-Singer Ruth , Tuck Andrew C , Van Horn Stephanie , Weynants Vincent , Williams Nicholas P , Devaster Jeanne-Marie , Wilkinson Tom M A
Published: January 2018

Background

Alterations in the composition of the lung microbiome associated with adverse clinical outcomes, known as dysbiosis, have been implicated with disease severity and exacerbations in COPD.

Objective

To characterise longitudinal changes in the lung microbiome in the AERIS study (Acute Exacerbation and Respiratory InfectionS in COPD) and their relationship with associated COPD outcomes.

Methods

We surveyed 584 sputum samples from 101 patients with COPD to analyse the lung microbiome at both stable and exacerbation time points over 1 year using high-throughput sequencing of the 16S ribosomal RNA gene. We incorporated additional lung microbiology, blood markers and in-depth clinical assessments to classify COPD phenotypes.

Results

The stability of the lung microbiome over time was more likely to be decreased in exacerbations and within individuals with higher exacerbation frequencies. Analysis of exacerbation phenotypes using a Markov chain model revealed that bacterial and eosinophilic exacerbations were more likely to be repeated in subsequent exacerbations within a subject, whereas viral exacerbations were not more likely to be repeated. We also confirmed the association of bacterial genera, including Haemophilus and Moraxella, with disease severity, exacerbation events and bronchiectasis.

Conclusions

Subtypes of COPD have distinct bacterial compositions and stabilities over time. Some exacerbation subtypes have non-random probabilities of repeating those subtypes in the future. This study provides insights pertaining to the identification of bacterial targets in the lung and biomarkers to classify COPD subtypes and to determine appropriate treatments for the patient.

Trial registration number

Results, NCT01360398.
Routine repeat head CT may not be necessary for patients with mild TBI
Authors: Rosen Claire B , Luy Diego D , Deane Molly R , Scalea Thomas M , Stein Deborah M
Published: January 2018

Background

Routine repeat cranial CT (RHCT) is standard of care for CT-verified traumatic brain injury (TBI). Despite mixed evidence, those with mild TBI are subject to radiation and expense from serial CT scans. Thus, we investigated the necessity and utility of RHCT for patients with mild TBI. We hypothesized that repeat head CT in these patients would not alter patient care or outcomes.

Methods

We retrospectively studied patients suffering from mild TBI (Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score 13–15) and treated at the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center from November 2014 through January 2015. The primary outcome was the need for surgical intervention. Outcomes were compared using paired Student’s t-test, and stratified by injury on initial CT, GCS change, demographics, and presenting vital signs (mean ± SD).

Results

Eighty-five patients met inclusion criteria with an average initial GCS score=14.6±0.57. Our center sees about 2800 patients with TBI per year, or about 230 per month. This includes patients with concussions. This sample represents about 30% of patients with TBI seen during the study period. Ten patients required operation (four based on initial CT and others for worsening GCS, headaches, large unresolving injury). There was progression of injury on repeat CT scan in only two patients that required operation, and this accompanied clinical deterioration. The mean brain Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) score was 4.8±0.3 for surgical patients on initial CT scan compared with 3.4±0.6 (P<0.001) for non-surgical patients. Initial CT subdural hematoma size was 1.1±0.6 cm for surgical patients compared with 0.49±0.3 cm (P=0.05) for non-surgical patients. There was no significant difference between intervention groups in terms of other intracranial injuries, demographics, vital signs, or change in GCS. Overall, 75 patients that did not require surgical intervention received RHCT. At $340 per CT, $51 000 was spent on unnecessary imaging ($367 000/year, extrapolated).

Discussion

In an environment of increased scrutiny on healthcare expenditures, it is necessary to question dogma and eliminate unnecessary cost. Our data questions the use of routine repeat head CT scans in every patient with anatomic TBI and suggests that clinically stable patients with small injury can simply be followed clinically.

Level of evidence

Level III.
Quantum healing of spacetime singularities: A review
Authors: Konkowski D. A. , Helliwell T. M.
Published: January 2018

Singularities are commonplace in general relativistic spacetimes. It is natural to hope that they might be “healed” (or resolved) by the inclusion of quantum mechanics, either in the theory itself (quantum gravity) or, more modestly, in the description of the spacetime geodesic paths used to define them. We focus here on the latter, mainly using a procedure proposed by Horowitz and Marolf to test whether singularities in broad classes of spacetimes can be resolved by replacing geodesic paths with quantum wave packets. We list the spacetime singularities that various authors have studied in this context, and distinguish those which are healed quantum mechanically (QM) from those which remain singular. Finally, we mention some alternative approaches to healing singularities.
Klein–Gordon oscillator with position-dependent mass in the rotating cosmic string spacetime
Authors: Wang Bing-Qian , Long Zheng-Wen , Long Chao-Yun , Wu Shu-Rui
Published: January 2018

A spinless particle coupled covariantly to a uniform magnetic field parallel to the string in the background of the rotating cosmic string is studied. The energy levels of the electrically charged particle subject to the Klein–Gordon oscillator are analyzed. Afterwards, we consider the case of the position-dependent mass and show how these energy levels depend on the parameters in the problem. Remarkably, it shows that for the special case, the Klein–Gordon oscillator coupled covariantly to a homogeneous magnetic field with the position-dependent mass in the rotating cosmic string background has the similar behaviors to the Klein–Gordon equation with a Coulomb-type configuration in a rotating cosmic string background in the presence of an external magnetic field.
Complexity analysis on public transport networks of 97 large- and medium-sized cities in China
Authors: Tian Zhanwei , Zhang Zhuo , Wang Hongfei , Ma Li
Published: January 2018

The traffic situation in Chinese urban areas is continuing to deteriorate. To make a better planning and designing of the public transport system, it is necessary to make profound research on the structure of urban public transport networks (PTNs). We investigate 97 large- and medium-sized cities’ PTNs in China, construct three types of network models — bus stop network, bus transit network and bus line network, then analyze the structural characteristics of them. It is revealed that bus stop network is small-world and scale-free, bus transit network and bus line network are both small-world. Betweenness centrality of each city’s PTN shows similar distribution pattern, although these networks’ size is various. When classifying cities according to the characteristics of PTNs or economic development level, the results are similar. It means that the development of cities’ economy and transport network has a strong correlation, PTN expands in a certain model with the development of economy.
f(T,R) theory of gravity
Authors: SALTI Mustafa , Korunur Murat , Acikgoz Irfan , Pirinccioglu Nurettin , Binbay Figen
Published: January 2018

We mainly focus on the idea that the dynamics of the whole universe may be understood by making use of torsion [Formula: see text] and curvature [Formula: see text] at the same time. The [Formula: see text]-gravity can be considered as a fundamental gravitational theory describing the evolution of the universe. The model can produce the unification of the general relativity (GR), teleparallel gravity (TPG), [Formula: see text]-gravity and [Formula: see text]-gravity theories. For this purpose, the corresponding Lagrangian density is written in terms of an arbitrary function of the torsion and curvature scalars. Furthermore, we use the absence/existence puzzle of relativistic neutron stars and thermodynamical laws as constraining tools for the new proposal.
Zn phthalocyanine conjugation to H2-ul aptamer for HER2-targeted breast cancer photodynamic therapy: Design, optimization and properties
Authors: Alpugan Serkan , Topkaya Derya , Atilla Devrim , Ahsen Vefa , Niazi Javed H. , Dumoulin Fabienne
Published: January 2018

Tetrasulfonated Zn phthalocyanine was conjugated to a ssDNA aptamer moiety to produce a HER2 targeted photosensitizer. The tetraconjugate obtained was subjected to purification and the monoconjugate was successfully isolated, purified and characterized. This monoconjugate retained the ability to bind to HER2 as well as the potency to generate singlet oxygen.
The New Normal in Sino-Japanese Relations: Assessing Abe’s Domestic Political Resources and Their Implications for Bilateral Ties
Authors: ZHANG Yun
Published: January 2018

The Abe cabinet enjoys rich tangible political resources particularly in the aftermath of the overwhelming victory in the Upper House election in July 2016. However, Abe is also constrained by the less visible intangible uncertainties of his intangible political resources. From the perspective of Japanese internal dynamics, Sino-Japanese relations tend to be on a track of new normal of continued tension with low intensity and sustained dialogue of low quality.
Can China’s Pollution-Fighting Efforts Be a Model for Other Developing Countries?
Authors: PENG Bin
Published: January 2018

China has stepped up efforts to improve its environment quality including the improvement of a legal framework and enforcement of environmental laws and regulations. It has also embarked on promoting green development. While China had won the battle against poverty and set an example for developing countries, whether it could do the same in its battle against pollution remains to be answered.
Practicing Transdisciplinary Engineering in a Global Development Context: The Transferring, Translating and Transforming Approaches
Authors: Mathiasen John Bang , Mathiasen Rasmus Munksgaard
Published: January 2018

The paper addresses the consequences of using a one-size-fits-all approach when practicing transdisciplinary engineering (TE) in a global development context and suggests a method to cope with these consequences. The theoretical conceptualization is a practice-based understanding of development activities, which entails knowledge being embodied and contextually embedded. Two cases, each addressing three TE projects, are studied. Each of the six TE projects embraces a parent company located in Denmark and one of two facilities abroad, located in the Far East and Eastern Europe, respectively. Two projects are conducted successfully. Significant drawbacks and thus costly iterations are necessary in three projects; the companies do not understand the consequences of a higher level of perceived newness and interdependence than anticipated from the outset. Similarly, the last project is terminated after some costly iterations. The analysis reveals a lack of TE competences to handle increasing newness/interdependence projects; practitioners’ understanding habitually draws on existing solutions; because the nature of the handed-over knowledge differs, the one-size-fits-all approach to gain a convergent understanding is inappropriate. Three approaches to obtaining a convergent understanding are suggested: (1) transferring, (2) translating and (3) transforming.
Amplifying Quiet Voices
Authors: Gooch Daniel , Barker Matthew , Hudson Lorraine , Kelly Ryan , Kortuem Gerd , Linden Janet Van Der , Petre Marian , Brown Rebecca , Klis-Davies Anna , Forbes Hannah , Mackinnon Jessica , Macpherson Robbie , Walton Clare
Published: January 2018

Many Smart City projects are beginning to consider the role of citizens. However, current methods for engaging urban populations in participatory design (PD) activities are somewhat limited. In this article, we describe an approach taken to empower socially disadvantaged citizens, using a variety of both social and technological tools, in a Smart City project. Through analysing the nature of citizens’ concerns and proposed solutions, we explore the benefits of our approach, arguing that engaging citizens can uncover hyper-local concerns that provide a foundation for finding solutions to address citizen concerns. By reflecting on our approach, we identify four key challenges to utilising PD at an urban scale; balancing scale with the personal, who has control of the process, who is participating and integrating citizen-led work with local authorities. By addressing these challenges, we will be able to truly engage citizens as collaborators in co-designing their city.
A Review of Co-Saliency Detection Algorithms
Authors: Zhang Dingwen , Fu Huazhu , Han Junwei , Borji Ali , Li Xuelong
Published: January 2018

Co-saliency detection is a newly emerging and rapidly growing research area in the computer vision community. As a novel branch of visual saliency, co-saliency detection refers to the discovery of common and salient foregrounds from two or more relevant images, and it can be widely used in many computer vision tasks. The existing co-saliency detection algorithms mainly consist of three components: extracting effective features to represent the image regions, exploring the informative cues or factors to characterize co-saliency, and designing effective computational frameworks to formulate co-saliency. Although numerous methods have been developed, the literature is still lacking a deep review and evaluation of co-saliency detection techniques. In this article, we aim at providing a comprehensive review of the fundamentals, challenges, and applications of co-saliency detection. Specifically, we provide an overview of some related computer vision works, review the history of co-saliency detection, summarize and categorize the major algorithms in this research area, discuss some open issues in this area, present the potential applications of co-saliency detection, and finally point out some unsolved challenges and promising future works. We expect this review to be beneficial to both fresh and senior researchers in this field and to give insights to researchers in other related areas regarding the utility of co-saliency detection algorithms.
Harnessing mass spectra data using KNN principle
Authors: Anyaiwe Destiny E. O. , Wilson George D. , Geddes Timothy J. , Singh Gautam B.
Published: January 2018

A high level of expertise, rigorous algorithms and methods are needed to adequately mine and harness Mass Spectrometer generated data due to its unique nature and structure. Hitherto, peptide ions are matched with theoretical results and/or public databases in order to identify expressed proteins in analyzed protein source samples, but this is done on a spectrum by spectrum basis. In this study, we present a mechanism that extends the principle of K-nearest neighbor algorithm for mining pools of mass spectrometer saliva data towards discovering and characterizing patterns for diagnosing Alzheimer's disease. The methodology discusses feature selection by correlation matrix, matrix to vector decomposition, an extension of Euclidean distance formula, and successfully classifies donor samples into the three stages of Alzheimer's disease with over 85% accuracy without collaborating clinical records.
Automated SMT-based consistency checking of industrial critical requirements
Authors: Filipovikj Predrag , Rodriguez-Navas Guillermo , Nyberg Mattias , Seceleanu Cristina
Published: January 2018

With the ever-increasing size, complexity and intricacy of system requirements specifications, it becomes difficult to ensure their correctness with respect to certain criteria such as consistency. Automated formal techniques for consistency checking of requirements, mostly by means of model checking, have been proposed in academia. Sometimes such techniques incur a high modeling cost or analysis time, or are not applicable. To address such problems, in this paper we propose an automated consistency analysis technique of requirements that are formalized based on patterns, and checked using state-of-the-art Satisfiability Modulo Theories solvers. Our method assumes several transformation steps, from textual requirements to formal logic, and next into the format suited for the SMT tool. To automate such steps, we propose a tool, called PROPAS, that does not require any user intervention during the transformation and analysis phases, thus making the consistency analysis usable by non-expert practitioners. For validation, we apply our method on a set of timed computation tree logic requirements of an industrial automotive system called the Fuel Level Display.
Contextual understanding of microservice architecture
Authors: Cerny Tomas , Donahoo Michael J. , Trnka Michal
Published: January 2018

Current industry trends in enterprise architectures indicate movement from Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) to Microservices. By understanding the key differences between these two approaches and their features, we can design a more effective Microservice architecture by avoiding SOA pitfalls. To do this, we must know why this shift is happening and how key SOA functionality is addressed by key features of the Microservice-based system. Unfortunately, Microservices do not address all SOA shortcomings. In addition, Microservices introduce new challenges. This work provides a detailed analysis of the differences between these two architectures and their features. Next, we describe both research and industry perspectives on the strengths and weaknesses of both architectural directions. Finally, we perform a systematic mapping study related to Microservice research, identifying interest and challenges in multiple categories from a range of recent research.
Catecholaminergic projections into an interconnected forebrain network control the sensitivity of male rats to diet-induced obesity
Authors: Lee Shin J. , Jokiaho Anne J. , Sanchez-Watts Graciela , Watts Alan G.
Published: January 2018

Hindbrain catecholamine neurons convey gut-derived metabolic signals to an interconnected neuronal network in the hypothalamus and adjacent forebrain. These neurons are critical for short-term glycemic control, glucocorticoid and glucoprivic feeding responses, and glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) signaling. Here we investigate whether these pathways also contribute to long-term energy homeostasis by controlling obesogenic sensitivity to a high-fat/high-sucrose choice (HFSC) diet. We ablated hindbrain-originating catecholaminergic projections by injecting anti-dopamine-β-hydroxylase-conjugated saporin (DSAP) into the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVH) of male rats fed a chow diet for up to 12 wk or a HFSC diet for 8 wk. We measured the effects of DSAP lesions on food choices; visceral adiposity; plasma glucose, insulin, and leptin; and indicators of long-term ACTH and corticosterone secretion. We also determined lesion effects on the number of carbohydrate or fat calories required to increase visceral fat. Finally, we examined corticotropin-releasing hormone levels in the PVH and arcuate nucleus expression of neuropeptide Y ( Npy), agouti-related peptide ( Agrp), and proopiomelanocortin ( Pomc). DSAP-injected chow-fed rats slowly increase visceral adiposity but quickly develop mild insulin resistance and elevated blood glucose. DSAP-injected HFSC-fed rats, however, dramatically increase food intake, body weight, and visceral adiposity beyond the level in control HFSC-fed rats. These changes are concomitant with 1) a reduction in the number of carbohydrate calories required to generate visceral fat, 2) abnormal Npy, Agrp, and Pomc expression, and 3) aberrant control of insulin secretion and glucocorticoid negative feedback. Long-term metabolic adaptations to high-carbohydrate diets, therefore, require intact forebrain catecholamine projections. Without them, animals cannot alter forebrain mechanisms to restrain increased visceral adiposity.
Experimental Investigation of Polyurea‐Coated Steel Plates at Underwater Explosive Loading
Authors: Dai Li-hui , Wu Cheng , An Feng-jiang , Liao Sha-sha
Published: January 2018

To improve the survivability of ship structures at underwater explosion, thin steel plates coated with polyurea were used to investigate the blast protection effect. During the experimental tests of bare steel plates at different standoff, an appropriate distance was selected as the reference standoff to perform the tests of coated plates. Experimental tests of different coating locations (front versus back) and coating thickness were carried out to study the influencing factors of blast resistance for metal substrate plates. Compared with the bare steel plates, the polyurea coating was found to reduce the deformation of the test plates at blast tests in both cases of the front and back surface locations of the polyurea layer. An increase in the coating thickness also mitigates substantially the deformation of plates. In addition, the properties of the material and the substrate‐coating bond strength may also affect the protective effect of the polyurea coating.
Focal Xanthogranulomatous Pyelonephritis with Pulmonary Lesions on the Background of Type Two Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Enshaei Ahmad , Boora Arash A. , Taheri Diana , Changizi Zahra , Bahmani Nahid
Published: January 2018

Focal Xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis is a rare chronic inflammatory condition of kidneys which usually is associated with postrenal obstruction or renal stone leading to chronic bacterial infection and eventually chronic glomerular inflammation. About 90% of cases are of the diffuse type and associated with staghorn renal calculi. The case presented in this paper is of the focal type in a 58-year-old diabetic female. Interestingly she did not have symptoms or laboratory presentation of chronic renal bacterial infection except for elevated ESR. She sought medical attention due to severe pulmonary infection of the background of morbid obesity. Imaging studies revealed several pulmonary lesions and a large mass of the right kidney which was indistinguishable from renal malignancy. After surgical resection of the right kidney, the lesion is pathologically diagnosed to be a focal Xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis. The pulmonary lesions were spontaneously resolved about three months following right nephrectomy.
An Intelligent Grey Wolf Optimizer Algorithm for Distributed Compressed Sensing
Authors: Liu Haiqiang , Hua Gang , Yin Hongsheng , Xu Yonggang
Published: January 2018

Distributed Compressed Sensing (DCS) is an important research area of compressed sensing (CS). This paper aims at solving the Distributed Compressed Sensing (DCS) problem based on mixed support model. In solving this problem, the previous proposed greedy pursuit algorithms easily fall into suboptimal solutions. In this paper, an intelligent grey wolf optimizer (GWO) algorithm called DCS-GWO is proposed by combining GWO and q-thresholding algorithm. In DCS-GWO, the grey wolves’ positions are initialized by using the q-thresholding algorithm and updated by using the idea of GWO. Inheriting the global search ability of GWO, DCS-GWO is efficient in finding global optimum solution. The simulation results illustrate that DCS-GWO has better recovery performance than previous greedy pursuit algorithms at the expense of computational complexity.
Rapid Screening and Preparative Isolation of Antioxidants fromAlpinia officinarumHance Using HSCCC Coupled with DPPH-HPLC Assay and Evaluation of Their Antioxidant Activities
Authors: Fang Lei , Zhang Hua , Zhou Jie , Geng Yanling , Wang Xiao
Published: January 2018

An efficient method using high-speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC) coupled with DPPH-HPLC assay has been developed for rapid screening and preparative isolation of antioxidants from ethyl acetate fraction ofAlpinia officinarumHance. Target-guided by DPPH-HPLC assay, two antioxidants, galangin and kaempferide, were targeted and further separated with purities of 99.3% and 98.5% by HSCCC using petroleum ether–ethyl acetate–methanol–water (0.8 : 1 : 1 : 0.8,v/v) as the solvent system. The antioxidant activities of galangin and kaempferide were further evaluated by measuring their inhibiting effects on superoxide anion radical, hydroxyl radical, and hydrogen peroxide in different luminol chemiluminescence (CL) systems. As a result, galangin and kaempferide both showed potent antioxidant activities. Results of the present study indicated that the combinative method by offline coupling DPPH-HPLC and HSCCC could be widely applied for rapid screening and isolation of antioxidants from complex TCM extract.
Nonphotodynamic Roles of Methylene Blue: Display of Distinct Antimycobacterial and Anticandidal Mode of Actions
Authors: Pal Rahul , Ansari Moiz A. , Saibabu Venkata , Das Shrayanee , Fatima Zeeshan , Hameed Saif
Published: January 2018

Significance of methylene blue (MB) in photodynamic therapy against microbes is well established. Previously, we have reported the antifungal potential of MB againstCandida albicans. The present study attempts to identify additional antimicrobial effect of MB against another prevalent human pathogen,Mycobacterium tuberculosis(MTB). We explored that MB is efficiently inhibiting the growth ofMycobacteriumat 15.62 μg/ml albeit in bacteriostatic manner similar to its fungistatic nature. We uncovered additional cell surface phenotypes (colony morphology and cell sedimentation rate) which were impaired only inMycobacterium. Mechanistic insights revealed that MB causes energy dependent membrane perturbation in bothC. albicansandMycobacterium. We also confirmed that MB leads to enhanced reactive oxygen species generation in both organisms that could be reversed upon antioxidant supplementation; however, DNA damage could only be observed inMycobacterium. We provided evidence that although biofilm formation was disrupted in both organisms, cell adherence to human epithelial cells was inhibited only inMycobacterium. Lastly, RT-PCR results showed good correlation with the biochemical assay. Together, apart from the well-established role of MB in photodynamic therapy, this study provides insights into the distinct antimicrobial mode of actions in two significant human pathogens,CandidaandMycobacterium,which can be extrapolated to improve our understanding of finding novel therapeutic options.
Crisis Behavior in Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Self‐Organized Criticality Approach
Authors: Tonello Lucio , Giacobbi Luca , Pettenon Alberto , Scuotto Alessandro , Cocchi Massimo , Gabrielli Fabio , Cappello Glenda
Published: January 2018

The Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) represents a set of life‐long disorders. In particular, subjects with ASD can display momentary behaviors of acute agitation and aggressiveness called crisis behaviors. These events are problematic for the subject and care providers but little is known about their occurrence, namely, possible relations among intensity, frequency, and duration. A group of ASD subjects (n = 33) has been observed for 12 months reporting data on each crisis (n = 1137 crises). Statistical analysis did not find significant results, while the relation between crisis duration and frequency showed a good fit to a “power law” curve, suggesting the application of Self‐Organized Criticality (SOC) model. The SOC is used to describe natural phenomena as earthquakes, bank failures of rivers, mass extinctions, and other systems where a type of “catastrophic events” is necessary to maintain a critical equilibrium. In a sense, subjects at risk of crisis behavior seem to fit the same model as seismic zones at risk of earthquakes. The employment of the same strategies, as those successfully developed for known SOC systems, could lead to important insights for ASD management. Moreover, the SOC model offers possible interpretations of crisis behavior dynamics suggesting that they are unpredictable and, in a sense, necessary.
A Data Mining Approach to Improve Inorganic Characterization of Amanita ponderosa Mushrooms
Authors: Salvador Cátia , Martins M. Rosário , Vicente Henrique , Caldeira A. Teresa
Published: January 2018

Amanita ponderosa are wild edible mushrooms that grow in some microclimates of Iberian Peninsula. Gastronomically this species is very relevant, due to not only the traditional consumption by the rural populations but also its commercial value in gourmet markets. Mineral characterisation of edible mushrooms is extremely important for certification and commercialization processes. In this study, we evaluate the inorganic composition of Amanita ponderosa fruiting bodies (Ca, K, Mg, Na, P, Ag, Al, Ba, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb, and Zn) and their respective soil substrates from 24 different sampling sites of the southwest Iberian Peninsula (e.g., Alentejo, Andalusia, and Extremadura). Mineral composition revealed high content in macroelements, namely, potassium, phosphorus, and magnesium. Mushrooms showed presence of important trace elements and low contents of heavy metals within the limits of RDI. Bioconcentration was observed for some macro- and microelements, such as K, Cu, Zn, Mg, P, Ag, and Cd. A. ponderosa fruiting bodies showed different inorganic profiles according to their location and results pointed out that it is possible to generate an explanatory model of segmentation, performed with data based on the inorganic composition of mushrooms and soil mineral content, showing the possibility of relating these two types of data.
Cerebellar Medulloblastoma in Middle-to-Late Adulthood
Authors: Aljoghaiman Majid , Taha Mahmoud S. , Abdulkader Marwah M.
Published: January 2018

Medulloblastoma is a malignant brain tumor that is typically seen in children. It is classified as an embryonal tumor, classically located within the posterior fossa. When it involves the fourth ventricle, the patient commonly presents with signs and symptoms of raised intracranial pressure secondary to obstructive hydrocephalus. It is exceedingly rare for Medulloblastoma to occur in middle and late adulthood. In this paper, we present a case of a 51-year-old man who presented with a posterior fossa mass that was diagnosed later as Medulloblastoma.
Anomalous Reflection of Acoustic Waves in Air with Metasurfaces at Low Frequency
Authors: Chen Huaijun
Published: January 2018

An acoustic metasurface made of a composite structure of cavity and membrane is proposed and numerically investigated. The target frequency is in the low frequency regime (570 Hz). The unit cells, which provide precise local phase modulation, are rather thin with thickness in the order around 1/5 of the working wavelength. The numerical simulations show that the designed metasurface can steer the reflected waves at will. By taking the advantage of this metasurface, an ultrathin planar acoustic axicon, acoustic lens, and acoustic nondiffracting Airy beam generator are realized. Our design method provides a new approach for the revolution of future acoustic devices.
Computationally Efficient 2D DOA Estimation for L-Shaped Array with Unknown Mutual Coupling
Authors: Dong Yang-Yang , Chang Xin
Published: January 2018

Although L-shaped array can provide good angle estimation performance and is easy to implement, its two-dimensional (2D) direction-of-arrival (DOA) performance degrades greatly in the presence of mutual coupling. To deal with the mutual coupling effect, a novel 2D DOA estimation method for L-shaped array with low computational complexity is developed in this paper. First, we generalize the conventional mutual coupling model for L-shaped array and compensate the mutual coupling blindly via sacrificing a few sensors as auxiliary elements. Then we apply the propagator method twice to mitigate the effect of strong source signal correlation effect. Finally, the estimations of azimuth and elevation angles are achieved simultaneously without pair matching via the complex eigenvalue technique. Compared with the existing methods, the proposed method is computationally efficient without spectrum search or polynomial rooting and also has fine angle estimation performance for highly correlated source signals. Theoretical analysis and simulation results have demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Multiobjective Optimization Model for Collaborative En-Route and Slot Allocation
Authors: Yang Shangwen , Zhang Jingting , Chen Ping , Yan Yongjie
Published: January 2018

To allocate the en-routes and slots resource to the flights with collaborative decision-making, a multiobjective 0-1 integer programming model was proposed. According to different demands from air traffic control departments, airlines, and passengers, efficiency, equity, and effectiveness principles of collaborative decision-making were considered. With the aim to minimize the total flight delay costs, the total number of turning points, and average delay time of passengers, the effectiveness constraints were achieved. The algorithm was designed to solve the model on the basis of the objective method, and Lingo11 and MatlabR2007b were applied in numerical tests. To test how well the model works in real world, a numerical test was performed based on the simulated data of a civil en-route. Test results show that, compared with the traditional strategy of first come first served, the model gains better effect. The superiority of the model was verified.
Speed Adaptive Sliding Mode Control with an Extended State Observer for Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor
Authors: Xia Peipei , Deng Yongting , Wang Zhiqian , Li Hongwen
Published: January 2018

The sliding mode control (SMC) strategy is employed to a permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) vector control system in this study to improve system robustness against parameter variations and load disturbance. To decrease the intrinsic chattering behavior of SMC, a speed SMC with an adaptive law and an extended state observer (ESO) is proposed. In this method, based on the Lyapunov stability theorem, adaptive estimation laws are deduced to estimate uncertainties of a PMSM caused by parameter variations and unmodeled dynamics. Online estimated uncertainties can be used to eliminate the effect caused by the real uncertainties. In addition, an ESO is applied to observe the load disturbance in real time. The load disturbance observed value is then utilized to the output side of the speed adaptive SMC controller as feed-forward compensation. Both the simulation and experiment results demonstrate that the proposed approach effectively alleviates system chattering and enhances system robustness against uncertainty and load disturbance.
Investigating the Interactive Effects of Sex Steroid Hormones and Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor during Adolescence on Hippocampal NMDA Receptor Expression
Authors: McCarthny Cushla R. , Du Xin , Wu YeeWen Candace , Hill Rachel A.
Published: January 2018

Sex steroid hormones have neuroprotective properties which may be mediated by brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). This study sought to determine the interactive effects of preadolescent hormone manipulation and BDNF heterozygosity (+/−) on hippocampal NMDA-R expression. Wild-type and BDNF+/−mice were gonadectomised, and females received either 17β-estradiol or progesterone treatment, while males received either testosterone or dihydrotestosterone (DHT) treatment. Dorsal (DHP) and ventral hippocampus (VHP) were dissected, and protein expression of GluN1, GluN2A, GluN2B, and PSD-95 was assessed by Western blot analysis. Significant genotype × OVX interactions were found for GluN1 and GluN2 expression within the DHP of female mice, suggesting modulation of select NMDA-R levels by female sex hormones is mediated by BDNF. Furthermore, within the DHP BDNF+/−mice show a hypersensitive response to hormone treatment on GluN2 expression which may result from upstream alterations in TrkB phosphorylation. In contrast to the DHP, the VHP showed no effects of hormone manipulation but significant effects of genotype on NMDA-R expression. Castration had no effect on NMDA-R expression; however, androgen treatment had selective effects on GluN2B. These data show case distinct, interactive roles for sex steroid hormones and BDNF in the regulation of NMDA-R expression that are dependent on dorsal versus ventral hippocampal region.
Bifurcation and Chaos in Integer and Fractional Order Two‐Degree‐of‐Freedom Shape Memory Alloy Oscillators
Authors: Rajagopal Karthikeyan , Karthikeyan Anitha , Duraisamy Prakash , Weldegiorgis Riessom
Published: January 2018

A two‐degree‐of‐freedom shape memory oscillator derived using polynomial constitutive model is investigated. Periodic, quasiperiodic, chaotic, and hyperchaotic oscillations are shown by the shape memory alloy based oscillator for selected values of the operating temperatures and excitation parameters. Bifurcation plots are derived to investigate the system behavior with change in parameters. A fractional order model of the shape memory oscillator is presented and dynamical behavior of the system with fractional orders and parameters are investigated.
Hydrogeochemical Characteristics and Geothermometry Applications of Thermal Waters in Coastal Xinzhou and Shenzao Geothermal Fields, Guangdong, China
Authors: Wang Xiao , Lu Guoping , Hu Bill X.
Published: January 2018

Two separate groups of geothermal waters have been identified in the coastal region of Guangdong, China. One is Xinzhou thermal water of regional groundwater flow system in a granite batholith and the other is thermal water derived from shallow coastal aquifers in Shenzao geothermal field, characterized by high salinity. The hydrochemical characteristics of the thermal waters were examined and characterized as Na-Cl and Ca-Na-Cl types, which are very similar to that of seawater. The hydrochemical evolution is revealed by analyzing the correlations of components versus Cl and their relative changes for different water samples, reflecting different extents of water-rock interactions and clear mixing trends with seawaters. Nevertheless, isotopic data indicate that thermal waters are all of the meteoric origins. Isotopic data also allowed determination of different recharge elevations and presentation of different mixing proportions of seawater with thermal waters. The reservoir temperatures were estimated by chemical geothermometries and validated by fluid-mineral equilibrium calculations. The most reliable estimates of reservoir temperature lie in the range of 148–162°C for Xinzhou and the range of 135–144°C for Shenzao thermal waters, based on the retrograde and prograde solubilities of anhydrite and chalcedony. Finally, a schematic cross-sectional fault-hydrology conceptual model was proposed.
The Skin Tissue of the Human Head Subjected to Thermal Diffusion
Authors: Al-Lehaibi Eman A. N.
Published: January 2018

We consider a problem of skin tissue of the human head subjected to thermal diffusion with relaxation time. The bounding surface of the tissue of the human head is subjected to a thermal shock. The chemical potential is also assumed to be a known function of time on the bounding plane. Laplace transform techniques are used and the results are obtained numerically using a numerical method for the inversion of the Laplace transform based on Tzou method. The temperature distribution and the concentration distribution are obtained and represented in figures. According to the results, the values of the time and the distance have significant effects on the temperature increment and the concentration. The values of the temperature increment and the concentration increase when the time increases and decrease when the distance increases.
Novel 3-Scroll Chua’s Attractor with One Saddle-Focus and Two Stable Node-Foci
Authors: Chu Kaibin , Zhu Zhengwei , Qian Hui , Wu Huagan
Published: January 2018

With new three-segment piecewise-linearity in the classic Chua’s system, two new types of 2-scroll and 3-scroll Chua’s attractors are found in this paper. By changing the outer segment slope of the three-segment piecewise-linearity as positive, the new 2-scroll Chua’s attractor has emerged from one zero index-1 saddle-focus and two symmetric stable nonzero node-foci. In particular, by newly introducing a piecewise-linear control function, an improved Chua’s system only with one zero index-2 saddle-focus and two stable nonzero node-foci is constructed, from which a 3-scroll Chua’s attractor is converged. Some remarks for Chua’s nonlinearities and the generating chaotic attractors are discussed, and the stabilities at the three equilibrium points are then analyzed, upon which the emerging mechanisms of the novel 2-scroll and 3-scroll Chua’s attractors are explored in depth. Furthermore, an analog electronic circuit built with operational amplifier and analog multiplier is designed and hardware circuit experiments are measured to verify the numerical simulations. These novel 2-scroll and 3-scroll Chua’s attractors reported in this paper are completely different from the classic Chua’s attractors, which will enrich the dynamics of the classic Chua’s system.
Gut Microbiota as a Driver of Inflammation in Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
Authors: Bibbò Stefano , Ianiro Gianluca , Dore Maria Pina , Simonelli Claudia , Newton Estelle E. , Cammarota Giovanni
Published: January 2018

The prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and the consequent burden of metabolic syndrome have increased in recent years. Although the pathogenesis of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is not completely understood, it is thought to be the hepatic manifestation of the dysregulation of insulin-dependent pathways leading to insulin resistance and adipose tissue accumulation in the liver. Recently, the gut-liver axis has been proposed as a key player in the pathogenesis of NAFLD, as the passage of bacteria-derived products into the portal circulation could lead to a trigger of innate immunity, which in turn leads to liver inflammation. Additionally, higher prevalence of intestinal dysbiosis, larger production of endogenous ethanol, and higher prevalence of increased intestinal permeability and bacterial translocation were found in patients with liver injury. In this review, we describe the role of intestinal dysbiosis in the activation of the inflammatory cascade in NAFLD.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Flexible Hysterofiberscopic Findings of a Uterine Adenofibroma: Case Report and Literature Review
Authors: Watanabe Hideki , Harada Naoya , Nobuhara Ichiro , Haruta Noriko , Higashiura Yumi , Watanabe Shioka
Published: January 2018

To our knowledge, highly detailed findings of flexible hysterofiberscopy in patients with adenofibroma have not been described. A 75-year-old nulliparous asymptomatic woman presented with a uterine polyp, which exhibited punctate heterogeneous hyperintensity or islands of isointense-to-hypointense signals on T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), hypointense signals on T1-weighted images (T1WI), and a little enhancement on contrast-enhanced T1WI. Flexible hysterofiberscopy revealed a red-pink polyp with a white-yellow, cobblestone-like surface easily deformed by perfusion fluid. The tumor was diagnosed histologically as an adenofibroma. Total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy were performed. The tumor in the uterus was necrotic macroscopically and histologically, and a residual adenofibroma could not be confirmed. At present, two years after surgery, the patient remains healthy. MRI and hysterofiberscopy can reveal the histological features of uterine adenofibromas and be useful for their diagnosis.
Axillary Web Syndrome in Breast Cancer: A Prevalent But Under-Recognized Postoperative Complication
Authors: Harris Susan R.
Published: January 2018

The purpose of this review is to define axillary web syndrome (AWS) and describe its diagnosis and management. The following databases were searched through July 2017: PubMed, EMBASE (OvidSP), Cumulative Index for Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Physiotherapy Evidence Database, and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Search terms included ‘axillary web syndrome', ‘axillary cording', and ‘lymphatic cording'. 49 articles were identified; 8 did not relate to breast cancer, and 3 were not in English. Of the remaining articles, the majority were case reports, case series, or descriptive reviews. 2 systematic reviews were located as well as 1 randomized trial, 6 prospective cohort studies, and 2 retrospective cohort studies. Although a common sequela after axillary surgery for breast cancer staging, AWS has been poorly described in the medical literature as to the underlying pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management. Interventions range from patient education and simple reassurance that the syndrome will resolve spontaneously to active physical or manual therapies to maintain upper extremity range-of-motion, especially adequate motion for undergoing radiation therapy. Oncologists, breast surgeons, family physicians, and oncology nurse practitioners that work with patients with breast cancer should educate them about this prevalent complication and inform them preoperatively about what to anticipate.
Oxcarbazepine Therapy for Complete Central Diabetes Insipidus
Authors: Abdallah Basmah , Hodgins Spencer , Landry Daniel , O’Shea Michael , Braden Gregory
Published: January 2018

Oxcarbazepine and carbamazepine cause hyponatremia by unknown mechanisms. We describe a patient with complete central diabetes insipidus and seizures who developed worsening hyponatremia when her dose of oxcarbazepine was increased. The patient maintained a normal serum sodium level and has had appropriately concentrated urine for 5 years on just oxcarbazepine, despite undetectable antidiuretic hormone (ADH) levels. This suggests that oxcarbazepine (or one of its metabolites) may stimulate collecting tubule V2 receptor-G protein complex independent of ADH, resulting in increased renal tubular water reabsorption. Oxcarbazepine may be useful as an alternative therapy for patients with central diabetes insipidus.
Responsiveness of Infrapatellar Fat Pad Volume Change to Body Weight Loss or Gain: Data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative
Authors: Steidle-Kloc Eva , Dannhauer Torben , Wirth Wolfgang , Eckstein Felix
Published: January 2018

Obesity is a potent risk factor for knee osteoarthritis (OA) that is driven by mechanical and potentially endocrine mechanisms, and it affects women more frequently than men. The infrapatellar fat pat (IPFP) represents a potential link between obesity, intra-articular inflammation and structural pathology. Here we investigate whether the IPFP is responsive to body weight loss/gain in women and how its responsiveness to weight change compares to that of subcutaneous fat (SCF) of the thigh. All female participants of the Osteoarthritis Initiative (OAI) with ≥10% weight loss/gain between baseline and a 2-year follow-up were included. Within-subject changes in IPFP volume and SCF cross-sectional areas (CSA) were determined from 3-T magnetic resonance imaging. Linear regression was used to assess the association between change in weight, IPFP volume, and SCF CSA. In the 38 participants with ≥10% weight loss over 2 years (age 59.3 ± 9.1 years, mean loss = 15.9%), there was a significant reduction in IPFP volume (-2.2%, p = 0.02) as well as in SCF CSA (-22%, p < 0.001). In the 34 participants with ≥10% gain (age 61.5 ± 8.7 years, mean gain = 15.9%), there was a significant increase in SCF CSA (+26%, p < 0.001) but not in IPFP volume (0.2%, p = 0.87). Weight change was significantly associated with SCF CSA change (r = 0.76, p < 0.001) but not with IPFP volume change (r = 0.11, p = 0.37). In this first longitudinal, observational study investigating the responsiveness of IPFP and SCF to weight change, IPFP morphology was found responsive to weight loss but not to weight gain. Overall, the responsiveness of the IPFP was substantially less than that of the SCF.