bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Paeoniflorin suppresses inflammatory response in imiquimod-induced psoriasis-like mice and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from psoriasis patients
Authors: Chen Tao , Fu Li-xin , Zhang Li-wen , Yin Bin , Zhou Pei-mei , Cao Na , Lu Yong-hong
Published: March 2016

Psoriasis is one of the most common immune-mediated chronic inflammatory skin disorders, characterized by hyperproliferation of keratinocytes, dilation and growth of dermal capillary vasculature, and cellular infiltration of T cells, dendritic cells (DCs), and neutrophils. Paeoniflorin (PF), the principal component of total glucosides of paeony (TGP), displays anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties in several animal models. In this study, we investigated the anti-inflammatory effects and mechanisms of PF in imiquimod (IMQ)-induced psoriasis-like mouse model. The effects of PF on inflammatory cytokine expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from patients with psoriasis vulgaris were also observed. Our results indicated that PF effectively attenuated the clinical and histopathologic changes in IMQ-induced psoriasis-like mouse model. Furthermore, PF reduced the infiltration of T cells, CD11c+DCs, and neutrophils in lesional skin. In addition, PF also significantly decreased the mRNA expression of inflammatory cytokines, such as IL-17, INF-γ, IL-6, and TNF-α, in IMQ-induced psoriasis-like mouse model and PBMCs from patients with psoriasis vulgaris. Hence, our data suggest that PF can inhibit leukocyte infiltration and decrease the expression of inflammatory cytokines such as IL-17, INF-γ, IL-6, and TNF-α. PF might be a candidate drug for the treatment of psoriasis.
Estimating the Number of Zeros for Abelian Integrals of Quadratic Reversible Centers with Orbits Formed by Higher-Order Curves
Authors: Hong Xiaochun , Xie Shaolong , Chen Longwei
Published: March 2016

In this study, we determine the associated number of zeros for Abelian integrals in four classes of quadratic reversible centers of genus one. Based on the results of [Li et al., 2002b],, we prove that the upper bounds of the associated number of zeros for Abelian integrals with orbits formed by conics, cubics, quartics, and sextics, under polynomial perturbations of arbitrary degree [Formula: see text], depend linearly on [Formula: see text].
Parameter Identification of Chaotic Systems by a Novel Dual Particle Swarm Optimization
Authors: Jiang Yunxiang , Lau Francis C. M. , Wang Shiyuan , Tse Chi K.
Published: March 2016

In this paper, we propose a dual particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm for parameter identification of chaotic systems. We also consider altering the search range of individual particles adaptively according to their objective function value. We consider both noiseless and noisy channels between the original system and the estimation system. Finally, we verify the effectiveness of the proposed dual PSO method by estimating the parameters of the Lorenz system using two different data acquisition schemes. Simulation results show that the proposed method always outperforms the traditional PSO algorithm.
Codimension-Two Bifurcation Analysis in DC Microgrids Under Droop Control
Authors: Lenz Eduardo , Pagano Daniel J. , Tahim André P. N.
Published: March 2016

This paper addresses local and global bifurcations that may appear in electrical power systems, such as DC microgrids, which recently has attracted interest from the electrical engineering society. Most sources in these networks are voltage-type and operate in parallel. In such configuration, the basic technique for stabilizing the bus voltage is the so-called droop control. The main contribution of this work is a codimension-two bifurcation analysis of a small DC microgrid considering the droop control gain and the power processed by the load as bifurcation parameters. The codimension-two bifurcation set leads to practical rules for achieving a robust droop control design. Moreover, the bifurcation analysis also offers a better understanding of the dynamics involved in the problem and how to avoid possible instabilities. Simulation results are presented in order to illustrate the bifurcation analysis.
Looking More Closely at the Rabinovich–Fabrikant System
Authors: Danca Marius-F. , Fec̆kan Michal , Kuznetsov Nikolay , Chen Guanrong
Published: March 2016

Recently, we looked more closely into the Rabinovich–Fabrikant system, after a decade of study [Danca & Chen, 2004], discovering some new characteristics such as cycling chaos, transient chaos, chaotic hidden attractors and a new kind of saddle-like attractor. In addition to extensive and accurate numerical analysis, on the assumptive existence of heteroclinic orbits, we provide a few of their approximations.
Determination of the activation energies for ND tautomerism and anion exchange in a porphyrin monocation
Authors: Medforth Craig J. , Berget Patrick E. , Fettinger James C. , Smith Kevin M. , Shelnutt John A.
Published: March 2016

An unusual feature of free base tetraarylporphyrins (H2TArP) is the small amount of monocation (H3TArP[Formula: see text] observed during titrations with acids. This anomalous behavior has been known for over forty years and has been explained in terms of the saddle deformation of the porphyrin that occurs upon protonation. In this paper, 1H NMR spectroscopy is used to investigate the protonation of H2OETPP, an H2TArP that is pre-deformed into a highly nonplanar saddle structure by steric crowding of its peripheral substituents. The goal of our studies is to determine if the saddle structure of H2OETPP stabilizes the monocation H3OETPP[Formula: see text], and, if it does, to conduct detailed NMR studies of H3OETPP[Formula: see text]. NMR spectra clearly show the formation of H3OETPP[Formula: see text] when one equivalent of acid is added to H2OETPP in organic solvents, and for picric acid in toluene-d8 the monocation is the dominant species (~70%). Crystals of H3OETPP[Formula: see text] (picrate) suitable for X-ray crystallography could not be obtained, but the structure of H4OETPP[Formula: see text] (picrate)2 was determined. Variable temperature NMR studies of H3OETPP[Formula: see text] (picrate) reveal the presence of two dynamic processes. The first is picrate anion exchange in CD2Cl2, where the activation energy ([Formula: see text]G[Formula: see text] is calculated to be 53 kJ.mol[Formula: see text]. A second process, ND tautomerism ([Formula: see text]G[Formula: see text] 42 kJ.mol[Formula: see text] is also detected for D3OETPP[Formula: see text] at very low temperatures in toluene-d8. The much lower activation energy for ND tautomerism in D3OETPP[Formula: see text] vs. D2OETPP ([Formula: see text]G[Formula: see text] 63 kJ.mol[Formula: see text] may be due to destabilization of the ground state of the monocation due to the presence of cis interactions between the inner deuterium atoms.
Demand on skillfulness modulates interhemispheric inhibition of motor cortices
Authors: Wischnewski Miles , Kowalski Greg M. , Rink Farrah , Belagaje Samir R. , Haut Marc W. , Hobbs Gerald , Buetefisch Cathrin M.
Published: March 2016

The role of primary motor cortex (M1) in the control of hand movements is still unclear. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies of unimanual performance reported a relationship between level of precision of a motor task and additional ipsilateral M1 (iM1) activation. In the present study, we determined whether the demand on accuracy of a movement influences the magnitude of the inhibitory effect between primary motor cortices (IHI). We used transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to measure active IHI (aIHI) of the iM1 on the contralateral M1 (cM1) in the premovement period of a left-hand motor task. Ten healthy participants manipulated a joystick to point to targets of two different sizes. For aIHI, the conditioning stimulus (CS) was applied to iM1, and the test stimulus (TS) to cM1, with an interstimulus interval of 10 ms. The amount of the inhibitory effect of the CS on the motor-evoked potential (MEP) of the subsequent TS was expressed as percentage of the mean MEP amplitude evoked by the single TS. Across different time points of aIHI measurements in the premovement period, there was a significant effect for target size on aIHI. Preparing to point to small targets was associated with weaker aIHI compared with pointing to large targets. The present findings suggest that, during the premovement period, aIHI from iM1 on cM1 is modulated by the demand on accuracy of the motor task. This is consistent with task fMRI findings showing bilateral M1 activation during high-precision movements but only unilateral M1 activity during low-precision movements.
Wearable Device Control Platform Technology for Network Application Development
Authors: Kim Heejung , Ahn Misun , Hong Seunghyun , Lee SeungGwan , Lee Sungwon
Published: March 2016

Application development platform is the most important environment in IT industry. There are a variety of platforms. Although the native development enables application to optimize, various languages and software development kits need to be acquired according to the device. The coexistence of smart devices and platforms has rendered the native development approach time and cost consuming. Cross-platform development emerged as a response to these issues. These platforms generate applications for multiple devices based on web languages. Nevertheless, development requires additional implementation based on a native language because of the coverage and functions of supported application programming interfaces (APIs). Wearable devices have recently attracted considerable attention. These devices only support Bluetooth-based interdevice communication, thereby making communication and device control impossible beyond a certain range. We propose Network Application Agent (NetApp-Agent) in order to overcome issues. NetApp-Agent based on the Cordova is a wearable device control platform for the development of network applications, controls input/output functions of smartphones and wearable/IoT through the Cordova and Native API, and enables device control and information exchange by external users by offering a self-defined API. We confirmed the efficiency of the proposed platform through experiments and a qualitative assessment of its implementation.
Deriving Design Flood Hydrograph Based on Conditional Distribution: A Case Study of Danjiangkou Reservoir in Hanjiang Basin
Authors: Xu Changjiang , Yin Jiabo , Guo Shenglian , Liu Zhangjun , Hong Xingjun
Published: March 2016

Design flood hydrograph (DFH) for a dam is the flood of suitable probability and magnitude adopted to ensure safety of the dam in accordance with appropriate design standards. Estimated quantiles of peak discharge and flood volumes are necessary for deriving the DFH, which are mutually correlated and need to be described by multivariate analysis methods. The joint probability distributions of peak discharge and flood volumes were established using copula functions. Then the general formulae of conditional most likely composition (CMLC) and conditional expectation composition (CEC) methods that consider the inherent relationship between flood peak and volumes were derived for estimating DFH. The Danjiangkou reservoir in Hanjiang basin was selected as a case study. The design values of flood volumes and 90% confidence intervals with different peak discharges were estimated by the proposed methods. The performance of CMLC and CEC methods was also compared with conventional flood frequency analysis, and the results show that CMLC method performs best for both bivariate and trivariate distributions which has the smallest relative error and root mean square error. The proposed CMLC method has strong statistical basis with unique design flood composition scheme and provides an alternative way for deriving DFH.
Exponential Attractor for the Boussinesq Equation with Strong Damping and Clamped Boundary Condition
Authors: Geng Fan , Li Ruizhai , Zhang Xiaojun , Ge Xiangyu
Published: March 2016

The paper studies the existence of exponential attractor for the Boussinesq equation with strong damping and clamped boundary conditionutt-Δu+Δ2u-Δut-Δg(u)=f(x). The main result is concerned with nonlinearitiesg(u)with supercritical growth. In that case, we construct a bounded absorbing set with further regularity and obtain quasi-stability estimates. Then the exponential attractor is established in natural energy spaceV2×H.
Botulinum Toxin A Injection in the Bladder Neck: A Promising Treatment for Urinary Retention
Authors: Alam Marianne , Zgheib Joseph , Dalati Mohamad-Fadi , El Khoury Fouad
Published: March 2016

Secondary to failure of optimal medical therapy and the high morbidity that accompanies surgical techniques in high risk patients, the use of de novo treatments including botulinum toxin A is emerging in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). However, the treatment of urinary retention secondary to BPH via injecting botulinum toxin into the bladder neck is not well established in the literature. This case report describes the case of a 75-year-old male patient with a chronic history of obstructive lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and multiple comorbidities who was admitted to the hospital for management of recurrent urinary retention. The patient was not a surgical candidate for transurethral incision of the prostate (TUIP) or transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP). Botulinum toxin injection into the bladder neck was performed with very satisfying results. Botulinum toxin injection in the bladder neck presents a promising minimally invasive, tolerated, and cost-effective approach for the treatment of urinary retention in patients with benign prostatic obstruction who are not candidates for surgery or in whom medical treatment has failed. More research is needed to identify the efficacy of this novel approach.
Numerical Investigation of the Effect of Bottom Shape on the Flow Field and Particle Suspension in a DTB Crystallizer
Authors: Pan Hao , Li Jun , Jin Yang , Yang Bo , Li Xing
Published: March 2016

The influence of the bottom shape on the flow field distribution and particle suspension in a DTB crystallizer was investigated by Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) coupled with Two-Fluid Model (Eulerian model). Volume fractions of three sections were monitored on time, and effect on particle suspension could be obtained by analyzing the variation tendency of volume fraction. The results showed that the protruding part of aWtype bottom could make the eddies smaller, leading to the increase of velocity in the vortex. Modulating the detailed structure of theWtype bottom to make the bottom surface conform to the streamlines can reduce the loss of the kinetic energy of the flow fluid and obtain a larger flow velocity, which made it possible for the particles in the bottom to reach a better suspension state. Suitable shape parameters were also obtained; the concave and protruding surface diameter are 0.32 and 0.373 times of the cylindrical shell diameter, respectively. It is helpful to provide a theoretical guidance for optimization of DTB crystallizer.
The Influences of Health Insurance and Access to Information on Prostate Cancer Screening among Men in Dominican Republic
Authors: Kangmennaang Joseph , Luginaah Isaac
Published: March 2016

Objectives.Although research demonstrates the public health burden of prostate cancer among men in the Caribbean, relatively little is known about the factors that underlie the low levels of testing for the disease among this population.Study Design.A cross-sectional study of prostate cancer testing behaviours among men aged 40–60 years in Dominican Republic using the Demographic and Health Survey (2013).Methods.We use hierarchical binary logit regression models and average treatment effects combined with propensity score matching to explore the determinants of prostate screening as well as the average effect of health insurance coverage on screening. The use of hierarchical binary logit regression enabled us to control for the effect of unobserved heterogeneity at the cluster level that may affect prostate cancer testing behaviours.Results.Screening varied significantly with health insurance coverage, knowledge of cholesterol level, education, and wealth. Insured men were more likely to test for prostate cancer (OR = 1.65,p=0.01) compared to the uninsured.Conclusions.The expansion and restructuring of Dominican Republic universal health insurance scheme to ensure equity in access may improve health access that would potentially impact positively on prostate cancer screening among men.
Gender Difference in Renal Blood Flow Response to Angiotensin II Administration after Ischemia/Reperfusion in Rats: The Role of AT2 Receptor
Authors: Maleki Maryam , Nematbakhsh Mehdi
Published: March 2016

Background. Renal ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) is one of the major causes of kidney failure, and it may interact with renin angiotensin system while angiotensin II (Ang II) type 2 receptor (AT2R) expression is gender dependent. We examined the role of AT2R blockade on vascular response to Ang II after I/R in rats.Methods.Male and female rats were subjected to 30 min renal ischemia followed by reperfusion. Two groups of rats received either vehicle or AT2R antagonist, PD123319. Mean arterial pressure (MAP), and renal blood flow (RBF) responses were assessed during graded Ang II (100, 300, and 1000 ng/kg/min, i.v.) infusion at controlled renal perfusion pressure (RPP).Results.Vehicle or antagonist did not alter MAP, RPP, and RBF levels significantly; however, 30 min after reperfusion, RBF decreased insignificantly in female treated with PD123319 (P=0.07). Ang II reduced RBF and increased renal vascular resistance (RVR) in a dose-related fashion (Pdose<0.0001), and PD123319 intensified the reduction of RBF response in female (Pgroup<0.005), but not in male rats.Conclusion.The impact of the AT2R on vascular responses to Ang II in renal I/R injury appears to be sexually dimorphic. PD123319 infusion promotes these hemodynamic responses in female more than in male rats.
DNA Damage in CD133-Positive Cells in Barrett’s Esophagus and Esophageal Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Thanan Raynoo , Ma Ning , Hiraku Yusuke , Iijima Katsunori , Koike Tomoyuki , Shimosegawa Tooru , Murata Mariko , Kawanishi Shosuke
Published: March 2016

Barrett’s esophagus (BE) caused by gastroesophageal reflux is a major risk factor of Barrett’s esophageal adenocarcinoma (BEA), an inflammation-related cancer. Chronic inflammation and following tissue damage may activate progenitor cells under reactive oxygen/nitrogen species-rich environment. We previously reported the formation of oxidative/nitrative stress-mediated mutagenic DNA lesions, 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-oxodG) and 8-nitroguanine, in columnar epithelial cells of BE tissues and cancer cells of BEA tissues. We investigated the mechanisms of BEA development in relation to oxidative/nitrative DNA damage and stem cell hypothesis. We examined 8-nitroguanine and 8-oxodG formation and the expression of stem cell marker (CD133) in biopsy specimens of patients with BE and BEA by immunohistochemical analysis in comparison with those of normal subjects. CD133 was detected at apical surface of columnar epithelial cells of BE and BEA tissues, and the cytoplasm and cell membrane of cancer cells in BEA tissues. DNA lesions and CD133 were colocalized in columnar epithelial cells and cancer cells. Their relative staining intensities in these tissues were significantly higher than those in normal subjects. Our results suggest that BE columnar epithelial cells with CD133 expression in apical surface undergo inflammation-mediated DNA damage, and mutated cells acquire the property of cancer stem cells with cytoplasmic CD133 expression.
A Multifeatures Fusion and Discrete Firefly Optimization Method for Prediction of Protein Tyrosine Sulfation Residues
Authors: Guo Song , Liu Chunhua , Zhou Peng , Li Yanling
Published: March 2016

Tyrosine sulfation is one of the ubiquitous protein posttranslational modifications, where some sulfate groups are added to the tyrosine residues. It plays significant roles in various physiological processes in eukaryotic cells. To explore the molecular mechanism of tyrosine sulfation, one of the prerequisites is to correctly identify possible protein tyrosine sulfation residues. In this paper, a novel method was presented to predict protein tyrosine sulfation residues from primary sequences. By means of informative feature construction and elaborate feature selection and parameter optimization scheme, the proposed predictor achieved promising results and outperformed many other state-of-the-art predictors. Using the optimal features subset, the proposed method achieved mean MCC of 94.41% on the benchmark dataset, and a MCC of 90.09% on the independent dataset. The experimental performance indicated that our new proposed method could be effective in identifying the important protein posttranslational modifications and the feature selection scheme would be powerful in protein functional residues prediction research fields.
Evaluation of the Influence of Sulfur-FumigatedPaeoniae Radix Albaon the Quality of Si Wu Tang by Chromatographic and Chemometric Analysis
Authors: Pei Ke , Cai Hao , Duan Yu , Qiao Feng-Xian , Tu Si-Cong , Liu Xiao , Wang Xiao-Li , Song Xiao-Qing , Fan Kai-Lei , Cai Bao-Chang
Published: March 2016

An accurate and reliable method of high-performance liquid chromatographic fingerprint combining with multi-ingredient determination was developed and validated to evaluate the influence of sulfur-fumigatedPaeoniae Radix Albaon the quality and chemical constituents of Si Wu Tang. Multivariate data analysis including hierarchical cluster analysis and principal component analysis, which integrated with high-performance liquid chromatographic fingerprint and multi-ingredient determination, was employed to evaluate Si Wu Tang in a more objective and scientific way. Interestingly, in this paper, a total of 37 and 36 peaks were marked as common peaks in ten batches of Si Wu Tang containing sun-driedPaeoniae Radix Albaand ten batches of Si Wu Tang containing sulfur-fumigatedPaeoniae Radix Alba, respectively, which indicated the changed fingerprint profile of Si Wu Tang when containing sulfur-fumigated herb. Furthermore, the results of simultaneous determination for multiple ingredients showed that the contents of albiflorin and paeoniflorin decreased significantly (P<0.01) and the contents of gallic acid andZ-ligustilide decreased to some extent at the same time when Si Wu Tang contained sulfur-fumigatedPaeoniae Radix Alba. Therefore, sulfur-fumigation processing may have great influence on the quality of Chinese herbal prescription.
Flexible Bench-Scale Recirculating Flow CPC Photoreactor for Solar Photocatalytic Degradation of Methylene Blue Using Removable TiO2Immobilized on PET Sheets
Authors: EL-Mekkawi Doaa M. , Nady Norhan , Abdelwahab Nourelhoda A. , Mohamed Walied A. A. , Abdel-Mottaleb M. S. A.
Published: March 2016

TiO2immobilized on polyethylene (PET) nonwoven sheet was used in the solar photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB). TiO2Evonik Aeroxide P25 was used in this study. The amount of loaded TiO2on PET was approximately 24%. Immobilization of TiO2on PET was conducted by dip coating process followed by exposing to mild heat and pressure. TiO2/PET sheets were wrapped on removable Teflon rods inside home-made bench-scale recirculating flow Compound Parabolic Concentrator (CPC) photoreactor prototype (platform 0.7 × 0.2 × 0.4 m3). CPC photoreactor is made up of seven low iron borosilicate glass tubes connected in series. CPC reflectors are made of stainless steel 304. The prototype was mounted on a platform tilted at 30°N local latitude in Cairo. A centrifugal pump was used to circulate water containing methylene blue (MB) dye inside the glass tubes. Efficient photocatalytic degradation of MB using TiO2/PET was achieved upon the exposure to direct sunlight. Chemical oxygen demand (COD) analyses reveal the complete mineralization of MB. Durability of TiO2/PET composite was also tested under sunlight irradiation. Results indicate only 6% reduction in the amount of TiO2after seven cycles. No significant change was observed for the physicochemical characteristics of TiO2/PET after the successive irradiation processes.
Plasma Anti-Müllerian Hormone Concentrations and Risk of Breast Cancer among Premenopausal Women in the Nurses' Health Studies
Authors: Eliassen A. Heather , Zeleniuch-Jacquotte Anne , Rosner Bernard , Hankinson Susan E.
Published: March 2016

Background: Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) is a member of the TGFβ family of growth and differentiation factors with a key role in regulating folliculogenesis. In experimental studies, using supraphysiologic concentrations, AMH inhibits breast cancer growth. However, high levels of AMH were associated with increased breast cancer risk in two prior prospective epidemiologic studies.

Methods: We conducted a nested case–control study of premenopausal plasma AMH and breast cancer risk within the Nurses' Health Study (NHS) and NHSII. In NHS, 32,826 women donated blood samples in 1989–1990; in NHSII, 29,611 women donated samples in 1996–1999. After blood collection and before February 2004 (NHS) or July 2010 (NHSII), 539 cases were diagnosed among women premenopausal at diagnosis, and were matched 1:1 to controls. ORs and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using unconditional logistic regression, adjusting for matching and breast cancer risk factors.

Results: Higher plasma levels of AMH were associated with increased breast cancer risk (top vs. bottom quintile multivariate OR, 2.20; 95% CI, 1.34–3.63; P trend = 0.001). The association did not vary by invasive versus in situ disease or by estrogen receptor status. Associations were not significantly different by age at blood or diagnosis. Further adjustment for plasma estradiol or testosterone yielded similar results.

Conclusions: Higher circulating AMH levels are associated with increased breast cancer risk among premenopausal women.

Impact: The significant positive association between premenopausal plasma AMH levels and subsequent breast cancer risk before menopause suggests AMH may be useful as a marker of breast cancer risk in younger women. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 25(5); 854–60. ©2016 AACR.
The Genomic Landscape of Male Breast Cancers
Authors: Piscuoglio Salvatore , Ng Charlotte K.Y. , Murray Melissa P. , Guerini-Rocco Elena , Martelotto Luciano G. , Geyer Felipe C. , Bidard Francois-Clement , Berman Samuel , Fusco Nicola , Sakr Rita A. , Eberle Carey A. , De Mattos-Arruda Leticia , Macedo Gabriel S. , Akram Muzaffar , Baslan Timour , Hicks James B. , King Tari A. , Brogi Edi , Norton Larry , Weigelt Britta , Hudis Clifford A. , Reis-Filho Jorge S.
Published: March 2016

Purpose: Male breast cancer is rare, and its genomic landscape has yet to be fully characterized. Lacking studies in men, treatment of males with breast cancer is extrapolated from results in females with breast cancer. We sought to define whether male breast cancers harbor somatic genetic alterations in genes frequently altered in female breast cancers.

Experimental Design: All male breast cancers were estrogen receptor–positive, and all but two were HER2-negative. Fifty-nine male breast cancers were subtyped by immunohistochemistry, and tumor–normal pairs were microdissected and subjected to massively parallel sequencing targeting all exons of 241 genes frequently mutated in female breast cancers or DNA-repair related. The repertoires of somatic mutations and copy number alterations of male breast cancers were compared with that of subtype-matched female breast cancers.

Results: Twenty-nine percent and 71% of male breast cancers were immunohistochemically classified as luminal A–like or luminal B–like, respectively. Male breast cancers displayed a heterogeneous repertoire of somatic genetic alterations that to some extent recapitulated that of estrogen receptor (ER)-positive/HER2-negative female breast cancers, including recurrent mutations affecting PIK3CA (20%) and GATA3 (15%). ER-positive/HER2-negative male breast cancers, however, less frequently harbored 16q losses, and PIK3CA and TP53 mutations than ER-positive/HER2-negative female breast cancers. In addition, male breast cancers were found to be significantly enriched for mutations affecting DNA repair–related genes.

Conclusions: Male breast cancers less frequently harbor somatic genetic alterations typical of ER-positive/HER2-negative female breast cancers, such as PIK3CA and TP53 mutations and losses of 16q, suggesting that at least a subset of male breast cancers are driven by a distinct repertoire of somatic changes. Given the genomic differences, caution may be needed in the application of biologic and therapeutic findings from studies of female breast cancers to male breast cancers. Clin Cancer Res; 22(16); 4045–56. ©2016 AACR.
Peptide-Conjugated Quantum Dots Act as the Target Marker for Human Pancreatic Carcinoma Cells
Authors: Li Shuang-ling , Yang Jing , Lei Xiao-fei , Zhang Jian-na , Yang Hong-li , Li Kun , Xu Chang-qing
Published: March 2016

Background/Aims: In the present study, we describe a novel and straightforward approach to produce a cyclic- arginine-glycine-aspartic (RGD)-peptide-conjugated quantum dot (QD) probe as an ideal target tumor biomarker. Due to its specific structure, the probe can be used for targeted imaging of pancreatic carcinoma cells. Methods: Pancreatic carcinoma cells were routinely cultured and marked with QD-RGD probe. The QD-RGD probe on the fluorescence-labeled cancer cell was observed by fluorescence microscopy and laser confocal microscopy. Cancer cell viability was detected by MTT assay after culturing with QD-RGD probe. Results: Fluorescence microscopy and laser confocal microscopy displayed that 10nmol/L QD-RGD probe was able to effectively mark pancreatic carcinoma cells. In comparison with organic dyes and fluorescent proteins, the quantum dot-RGD probe had unique optical and electronic properties. Conclusion: QD-RGD probe has a low cytotoxicity with an excellent optical property and biocompatibility. These findings support further evaluation of QD-RGD probes for the early detection of pancreatic cancer.
Realms Beyond
Authors: Deng Fei
Published: March 2016

This article explores a mysterious but well-studied pictorial subject in Chinese visual art, namely the half-open door. The scene often shows a female figure standing in or emerging from the middle of two door-leaves, suggesting a path or an access to a certain space and also indicating a view incompatible with what the viewer has already seen. This pictorial theme frequently adorns stone sarcophagi and tomb walls in northern China from the late eleventh to the thirteenth centuries. By examining the forms and meanings of the motif, this study attempts to demonstrate the ways in which the half-open door was employed in funerary art and helped people to visualize prevailing ideas about the afterlife.
Russula buyckii, a new species of Russula subgenus Incrustatula from Eastern Himalaya, India
Authors: PALOI SOUMITRA , DUTTA ARUN KUMAR , PRADHAN PRAKASH , ROY ANIRBAN , ACHARYA KRISHNENDU
Published: March 2016

Russula buyckii, a new species of Russula (subgen. Incrustatula, sect. Lilaceinae and subsect. Lilaceinae) is described from Eastern Himalaya, India. Its macro- and micro-morphological features are described in detail and compared with those of similar species. Identification and categorization of R. buyckii was supported by the molecular phylogenetic analysis based on the nrDNA ITS sequence data.
Description of a nomen nudum species of Liriomyza Mik and the first record of Liriomyza blechi Spencer from Brazil (Insecta: Diptera: Agromyzidae)
Authors: CARVALHO-FILHO FERNANDO DA SILVA , ALMEIDA FLÁVIO ROBERTO DE ALBUQUERQUE , ESPOSITO MARIA CRISTINA
Published: March 2016

The nomen nudum Liriomyza flagellae is formerly described in this paper as Liriomyza valladaresae sp. nov., based on male and female specimens collected in the Brazilian Amazon and reared from leaves of Alternanthera tenella and Amaranthus viridis (Amaranthaceae). Information on the puparium and the biology of this new species are provided. The species Liriomyza blechi, previously recorded from the U.S.A., Guadeloupe and Dominican Republic, is newly recorded from Brazil, reared from leaves of Blechum pyramidatum (Acanthaceae) and Spigelia anthelmia (Loganiaceae).
A new species of the genus Leptolalax (Anura: Megophryidae) from Mt. Gaoligongshan of western Yunnan Province, China
Authors: YANG JIAN-HUAN , WANG YING-YONG , CHEN GUO-LING , RAO DING-QI
Published: March 2016

A new species of the genus Leptolalax is described from the Tengchong Section of Gaoligongshan National Nature Reserve, Tengchong County, Yunnan Province, China. The new species, Leptolalax tengchongensis sp. nov., can be distinguished from its congeners by a combination of the following characters: (1) small size (SVL 23.9–26.0 mm in males, 28.8–28.9 mm in females); (2) dorsal skin shagreened and scattered with fine, round reddish tubercles; (3) toes with rudimentary webbing and narrow lateral fringes; (4) tympanum distinctly discernible, almost entirely black; (5) ventrolateral glands indistinct; (6) flanks with several distinct and large dark blotches; (7) ventral surfaces white, scattered with distinct irregular dark speckling; (8) iris not bicolored, uniformly dark brown and scattered with minute, coppery reticulations throughout. To date, the new species has only been found at its type locality in evergreen broadleaf forests at elevations between 2000–2100 m.
A new Bent-toed Gecko (Squamata: Gekkonidae: Cyrtodactylus) from Phetchaburi Province, Thailand
Authors: PAUWELS OLIVIER S. G. , SUMONTHA MONTRI , Bauer Aaron M.
Published: March 2016

A new Bent-toed Gecko, Cyrtodactylus phetchaburiensis sp. nov. is described from the Tha Yang District of Phetchaburi Province, western Thailand. It is a medium-sized Cyrtodactylus (SVL to at least 63.2 mm), with small, mostly keeled tubercles in 20 regular longitudinal rows on dorsum; 33 scales across mid-venter between lowest rows of flank tubercles; enlarged row of femoral scales present; five precloacal pores in male, femoral pores and precloacal groove absent; 5–6 broad basal lamellae and 11 narrow distal lamellae beneath digit IV of pes; and a single median row of transversely enlarged subcaudal scales present. It has a dorsal colour pattern of large, dark, diffusely-edged markings on a fawn background and a pair of dark scapular patches. The species is a member of the Central Indochinese (Thai-Myanmar) clade of Cyrtodactylus and is most closely related to C. oldhami (Theobald), from which it differs in colour pattern.
The genus Pachyseius Berlese, 1910 in Iran (Acari: Pachylaelapidae)
Authors: BABAEIAN ESMAEIL , MAŠÁN PETER , SABOORI ALIREZA
Published: March 2016

A new pachylaelapid mite Pachyseius persicus Babaeian & Mašán sp. nov. is described and illustrated, based on adult females collected from litter and soil detritus of forest habitat in Northern Iran (Mazandaran Province). The new species can be easily distinguished from the other congeners by the following female character states: (1) presternal shields absent; (2) sternal shield coarsely punctate-reticulate over entire surface; (3) ventrianal shield with four pairs of pre-anal setae; (4) post-stigmatic section of peritrematal shields terminally rounded, reaching slightly beyond the coxae IV; (5) exopodal shields II–III free, exopodal shields III–IV fused to posterior section of peritrematal shields; (6) idiosoma with 11 pairs of setae in soft integument; (7) trochanter I with five setae, tarsus II with three spur-like setae, tarsus IV with 17 setae. Two species of Pachyseius previously reported from Iran, namely Pachyseius angustus Hyatt, 1956 and Pachyseius humeralis Berlese, 1910, are reviewed and discussed, respectively, and both records are considered to be based on misidentifications.
Catalogue of type materials of springtails (Hexapoda, Collembola) in the Canadian National Collection of Insects, Arachnids & Nematodes
Authors: STEBAEVA SOPHYA , LONSDALE OWEN , BABENKO ANATOLY
Published: March 2016

The catalogue assembles and updates all data concerning the type material of Collembola kept in the Canadian National Collection of Insects, Arachnids & Nematodes in Ottawa (CNC). Information is provided for type material of 69 species. Included are holotypes of 31 species (together with 5 ones from Cretaceous amber), syntypes of 26 species (four of them are presently considered to be junior synonyms) and paratypes of 32 species (one of which is considered a junior synonym). Essential label data, references to original descriptions, and modern status including synonyms are given.
Zygophylax kakaiba, a new species of hydroid (Cnidaria: Hydrozoa:
Zygophylacidae) from the Philippine Islands
Authors: CAMPOS FELIPE FERREIRA , MARQUES ANTONIO CARLOS , PUCE STEFANIA , PÉREZ CARLOS DANIEL
Published: March 2016

The genus Zygophylax Quelch, 1885 includes ca. 50 valid species of leptothecate hydroids that occur mainly in deep waters. Herein we describe Zygophylax kakaiba, sp. nov., collected in the Philippines at a depth of 580 m during the Siboga Expedition. Compared to its congeners, this species is distinguished by the abrupt curvature of the distal third of its hydrothecae towards the adcauline side.
Statistical State Dynamics of Jet–Wave Coexistence in Barotropic Beta-Plane Turbulence
Authors: Constantinou Navid C. , Farrell Brian F. , Ioannou Petros J.
Published: March 2016

Jets coexist with planetary-scale waves in the turbulence of planetary atmospheres. The coherent component of these structures arises from cooperative interaction between the coherent structures and the incoherent small-scale turbulence in which they are embedded. It follows that theoretical understanding of the dynamics of jets and planetary-scale waves requires adopting the perspective of statistical state dynamics (SSD), which comprises the dynamics of the interaction between coherent and incoherent components in the turbulent state. In this work, the stochastic structural stability theory (S3T) implementation of SSD for barotropic beta-plane turbulence is used to develop a theory for the jet–wave coexistence regime by separating the coherent motions consisting of the zonal jets together with a selection of large-scale waves from the smaller-scale motions that constitute the incoherent component. It is found that mean flow–turbulence interaction gives rise to jets that coexist with large-scale coherent waves in a synergistic manner. Large-scale waves that would exist only as damped modes in the laminar jet are found to be transformed into exponentially growing waves by interaction with the incoherent small-scale turbulence, which results in a change in the mode structure, allowing the mode to tap the energy of the mean jet. This mechanism of destabilization differs fundamentally and serves to augment the more familiar S3T instabilities in which jets and waves arise from homogeneous turbulence with the energy source exclusively from the incoherent eddy field and provides further insight into the cooperative dynamics of the jet–wave coexistence regime in planetary turbulence.
China, the World and India
Authors: Menon Shivshankar
Published: March 2016

After more than three decades of stupendous growth, China is in the process of making the painful transition to a lower growth path. As it does so, the ruling CPC is increasingly turning to nationalism to provide legitimacy in the eyes of its own people. China now openly seeks to ‘display its prowess’ and ‘assume its responsibilities’ in the world. However, it still lacks the capability to impose a political or security order of its own in its immediate neighbourhood. There is, therefore, likely to be a period of instability in the Asia–Pacific region, and the environment in which India pursues its interests will get more complex. China and India today have a relationship with elements of both cooperation and competition. While both countries have a common interest in improving on the existing security and economic order, they compete in the periphery they share. A danger present in present-day India–China relations comes from the mutual gap between perception and reality. Nevertheless, this article argues that this is a moment of opportunity for India–China relations, and that each country could benefit its core interests by working with the other.
China and the Ukrainian Crisis
Authors: Kuznetsov Dmitry V.
Published: March 2016

This article examines China’s position on the Ukrainian ‘Euromaidan’ crisis over Crimea, on the war in the southeast of Ukraine and on sanctions against Russia. A complex set of reasons (economic, political and geopolitical) have caused heightened interest on the part of China in the events in the Ukraine. From the start, China kept a very low profile and right up to late February 2014, made no strong statements on the crisis in Ukraine and shunned any diplomatic initiatives. Thereafter, China’s official stand began to exhibit increasingly frequent signs of anti-Western rhetoric, an indication of its position over the situation in Ukraine nudging closer to that of the Russian Federation. China has swung gradually, and somewhat ambiguously, towards support for Russia primarily due to geopolitical reasons. Also, China and Russia share the desire to put up a united front in response to attempts by the United States and other Western countries to impose their attitudes on other countries.
Integrated coupling of road traffic and network simulation for realistic emulation of connected vehicle applications
Authors: Sun Jian , Yang Yuwei , Li Keping
Published: March 2016

To meet the requirements of connected vehicle (CV) system simulation evaluations, different simulators (i.e., traffic flow simulation, network communication simulation and CV application simulation) must be combined and interaction must be enabled among them during the run-time of the simulation. This paper proposes a CV simulation prototype system based on integration of three components in one coupling. Considering the characteristics of the distributed interactive simulation of multi-emulators, a high-level architecture simulation and modeling concept is used to construct the simulation framework, and the three types of simulation elements are defined as the primary federates. The integration simulation system is constructed by defining the federation object model and developing the support environment of the run-time infrastructure during simulation. In the simulation implementation procedure, a commercial-off-the-shelf time-stepped VISSIM simulator and an open-source event-driven NS2 simulator are selected as the basic simulation tools to develop the system. In addition, selected related technologies are investigated, including the NS2 simulation model transformation, time synchronization management strategy, track consistency strategy, and integration of application members. Finally, two case studies of intersection speed guidance and collision warning are used to verify the validity of the simulation prototype system.
What’s the Matter With Civil Society? The Declining Effect of Civic Involvement on Civic Identity Among Czech Adolescents
Authors: Šerek Jan
Published: March 2016

This study shows that the beneficial impact of adolescents’ involvement in civil society on their civic identity cannot be taken for granted. Employing the case of the Czech Republic, it is shown that this effect has vanished since early postcommunism to the present day. Survey data from two different generations of Czech middle adolescents were analyzed: the postcommunist generation (collected in 1995; n = 1,127) and the current generation (collected in 2010; n = 976). While participants’ associational involvement and volunteering predicted their stronger civic identity (i.e., psychological connection and sense of responsibility to fellow citizens) in 1995, no such effect was observed in 2010. Simultaneously, both associational involvement and volunteering were determined by the economic situation of adolescents’ family in 2010, but not in 1995. The most likely reason for the vanishing impact of civic involvement is the advancing professionalization of civil society.
Service Quality Perceptions, Online Visibility, and Business Performance in Rural Lodging Establishments
Authors: Melo António J.D.V.T. , Hernández-Maestro Rosa M. , Muñoz-Gallego Pablo A.
Published: March 2016

In the tourism industry, most customer feedback and searches for relevant information take place online. Therefore, it is important to improve understanding of the business consequences of both customers’ online comments and businesses’ online visibility. For this study, the authors collected comments and visibility data (advertising expenditures) from a leading rural tourism infomediary website, related to 408 French rural lodging establishments. A complementary survey provided information about the lodging establishments’ performance (reputation and profitability). The results reveal that tourists’ positive perceptions of global service quality, as reflected in their comments, depend on their dual perceptions of the lodging and the surroundings. In turn, positive global service quality perceptions and visibility on an infomediary website positively affect business performance. These findings have implications for tourism scholars, as well as for establishment owners trying to track the factors that affect tourists’ evaluations of their service provision.
Individual Differences in Loss Aversion
Authors: Boyce Christopher J. , Wood Alex M. , Ferguson Eamonn
Published: March 2016

Loss aversion is considered a general pervasive bias occurring regardless of the context or the person making the decision. We hypothesized that conscientiousness would predict an aversion to losses in the financial domain. We index loss aversion by the relative impact of income losses and gains on life satisfaction. In a representative German sample ( N = 105,558; replicated in a British sample, N = 33,848), with conscientiousness measured at baseline, those high on conscientiousness have the strongest reactions to income losses, suggesting a pronounced loss aversion effect, whereas for those moderately unconscientious, there is no loss aversion effect. Our research (a) provides the first evidence of personality moderation of any loss aversion phenomena, (b) supports contextual perspectives that both personality and situational factors need to be examined in combination, (c) shows that the small but robust relationship between income and life satisfaction is driven primarily by a subset of people experiencing highly impactful losses.
Investigating the drivers of mobile learning acceptance among young adults in the World Heritage town of Luang Prabang, Laos
Authors: Poong Yew Siang , Yamaguchi Shinobu , Takada Jun-ichi
Published: March 2016

This study is motivated by the initiative to implement mobile learning to promote world heritage site awareness among young adults living in the world heritage town of Luang Prabang in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (PDR). Mobile learning is still in its infant stage in Laos. The objective of this study is to investigate the drivers of mobile learning acceptance among young adults in Luang Prabang. Structural equation modeling analysis based on 349 students of higher education indicates that perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and perceived enjoyment directly affected their behavioral intention to use mobile learning. Social influence and self-efficacy indirectly affected mobile learning acceptance through perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use respectively. Findings from this study yield insights for policy recommendations for mobile learning implementation in Luang Prabang, and also contribute to the understanding of mobile learning acceptance from the perspectives of a least developed country.