bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cezomycin Is Activated by CalC to Its Ester Form for Further Biosynthesis Steps in the Production of Calcimycin in Streptomyces chartreusis NRRL 3882
Authors: Wu Hao , Liang Jingdan , Wang Jialiang , Liang Wei-Jun , Gou Lixia , Wu Qiulin , Zhou Xiufen , Bruce Ian J. , Deng Zixin , Wang Zhijun
Published: April 2018

Calcimycin, N-demethyl calcimycin, and cezomycin are polyether divalent cation ionophore secondary metabolites produced by
Streptomyces chartreusis
. A thorough understanding of the organization of their encoding genes, biosynthetic pathway(s), and cation specificities is vitally important for their efficient future production and therapeutic use. So far, this has been lacking, as has information concerning any biosynthetic relationships that may exist between calcimycin and cezomycin. In this study, we observed that when a Cal
−
(
calB1
mutant) derivative of a calcimycin-producing strain of
S. chartreusis
(NRRL 3882) was grown on cezomycin, calcimycin production was restored. This suggested that calcimycin synthesis may have resulted from postsynthetic modification of cezomycin rather than from a
de novo
process through a novel and independent biosynthetic mechanism. Systematic screening of a number of Cal
−
S. chartreusis
mutants lacking the ability to convert cezomycin to calcimycin allowed the identification of a gene, provisionally named
calC
, which was involved in the conversion step. Molecular cloning and heterologous expression of the CalC protein along with its purification to homogeneity and negative-staining electron microscopy allowed the determination of its apparent molecular weight, oligomeric forms in solution, and activity. These experiments allowed us to confirm that the protein possessed ATP pyrophosphatase activity and was capable of ligating coenzyme A (CoA) with cezomycin but not 3-hydroxyanthranilic acid. The CalC protein's apparent

K
m

and
k
cat
for cezomycin were observed to be 190 μM and 3.98 min
−1
, respectively, and it possessed the oligomeric form in solution. Our results unequivocally show that cezomycin is postsynthetically modified to calcimycin by the CalC protein through its activation of cezomycin to a CoA ester form.

IMPORTANCE
Calcimycin is a secondary metabolite divalent cation-ionophore that has been studied in the context of human health. However, detail is lacking with respect to both calcimycin's biosynthesis and its biochemical/biophysical properties as well as information regarding its, and its analogues', divalent cation binding specificities and other activities. Such knowledge would be useful in understanding how calcimycin and related compounds may be effective in modifying the calcium channel ion flux and might be useful in influencing the homeostasis of magnesium and manganese ions for the cure or control of human and bacterial infectious diseases. The results presented here unequivocally show that CalC protein is essential for the production of calcimycin, which is essentially a derivative of cezomycin, and allow us to propose a biosynthetic mechanism for calcimycin's production.
Comparison of Diagnostic Accuracy of Periprosthetic Tissue Culture in Blood Culture Bottles to That of Prosthesis Sonication Fluid Culture for Diagnosis of Prosthetic Joint Infection (PJI) by Use of Bayesian Latent Class Modeling and IDSA PJI Criteria for Classification
Authors: Yan Qun , Karau Melissa J. , Greenwood-Quaintance Kerryl E. , Mandrekar Jayawant N. , Osmon Douglas R. , Abdel Matthew P. , Patel Robin
Published: April 2018

We have previously demonstrated that culturing periprosthetic tissue in blood culture bottles (BCBs) improves sensitivity compared to conventional agar and broth culture methods for diagnosis of prosthetic joint infection (PJI). We have also shown that prosthesis sonication culture improves sensitivity compared to periprosthetic tissue culture using conventional agar and broth methods. The purpose of this study was to compare the diagnostic accuracy of tissue culture in BCBs (subsequently referred to as tissue culture) to prosthesis sonication culture (subsequently referred to as sonicate fluid culture). We studied 229 subjects who underwent arthroplasty revision or resection surgery between March 2016 and October 2017 at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Using the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) PJI diagnostic criteria (omitting culture criteria) as the gold standard, the sensitivity of tissue culture was similar to that of the sonicate fluid culture (66.4% versus 73.1%,
P
= 0.07) but was significantly lower than that of the two tests combined (66.4% versus 76.9%,
P
< 0.001). Using Bayesian latent class modeling, which assumes no gold standard for PJI diagnosis, the sensitivity of tissue culture was slightly lower than that of sonicate fluid culture (86.3% versus 88.7%) and much lower than that of the two tests combined (86.3% versus 99.1%). In conclusion, tissue culture in BCBs reached sensitivity similar to that of prosthesis sonicate fluid culture for diagnosis of PJI, but the two tests combined had the highest sensitivity without compromising specificity. The combination of tissue culture in BCBs and sonicate fluid culture is recommended to achieve the highest level of microbiological diagnosis of PJI.
Nipah Virus Infection
Authors: Ang Brenda S. P. , Lim Tchoyoson C. C. , Wang Linfa
Published: April 2018

Nipah virus, a paramyxovirus related to Hendra virus, first emerged in Malaysia in 1998. Clinical presentation ranges from asymptomatic infection to fatal encephalitis. Malaysia has had no more cases since 1999, but outbreaks continue to occur in Bangladesh and India. In the Malaysia-Singapore outbreak, transmission occurred primarily through contact with pigs, whereas in Bangladesh and India, it is associated with ingestion of contaminated date palm sap and human-to-human transmission. Bats are the main reservoir for this virus, which can cause disease in humans and animals. There are currently no effective therapeutics, and supportive care and prevention are the mainstays of management.
Truncated CPSF6 Forms Higher-Order Complexes That Bind and Disrupt HIV-1 Capsid
Authors: Ning Jiying , Zhong Zhou , Fischer Douglas K. , Harris Gemma , Watkins Simon C. , Ambrose Zandrea , Zhang Peijun
Published: April 2018

Cleavage and polyadenylation specificity factor 6 (CPSF6) is a human protein that binds HIV-1 capsid and mediates nuclear transport and integration targeting of HIV-1 preintegration complexes. Truncation of the protein at its C-terminal nuclear-targeting arginine/serine-rich (RS) domain produces a protein, CPSF6-358, that potently inhibits HIV-1 infection by targeting the capsid and inhibiting nuclear entry. To understand the molecular mechanism behind this restriction, the interaction between CPSF6-358 and HIV-1 capsid was characterized using
in vitro
and
in vivo
assays. Purified CPSF6-358 protein formed oligomers and bound
in vitro
-assembled wild-type (WT) capsid protein (CA) tubes, but not CA tubes containing a mutation in the putative binding site of CPSF6. Intriguingly, binding of CPSF6-358 oligomers to WT CA tubes physically disrupted the tubular assemblies into small fragments. Furthermore, fixed- and live-cell imaging showed that stably expressed CPSF6-358 forms cytoplasmic puncta upon WT HIV-1 infection and leads to capsid permeabilization. These events did not occur when the HIV-1 capsid contained a mutation known to prevent CPSF6 binding, nor did they occur in the presence of a small-molecule inhibitor of capsid binding to CPSF6-358. Together, our
in vitro
biochemical and transmission electron microscopy data and
in vivo
intracellular imaging results provide the first direct evidence for an oligomeric nature of CPSF6-358 and suggest a plausible mechanism for restriction of HIV-1 infection by CPSF6-358.

IMPORTANCE
After entry into cells, the HIV-1 capsid, which contains the viral genome, interacts with numerous host cell factors to facilitate crucial events required for replication, including uncoating. One such host cell factor, called CPSF6, is predominantly located in the cell nucleus and interacts with HIV-1 capsid. The interaction between CA and CPSF6 is critical during HIV-1 replication
in vivo
. Truncation of CPSF6 leads to its localization to the cell cytoplasm and inhibition of HIV-1 infection. Here, we determined that truncated CPSF6 protein forms large higher-order complexes that bind directly to HIV-1 capsid, leading to its disruption. Truncated CPSF6 expression in cells leads to premature capsid uncoating that is detrimental to HIV-1 infection. Our study provides the first direct evidence for an oligomeric nature of truncated CPSF6 and insights into the highly regulated process of HIV-1 capsid uncoating.
Prevalence and treatment of panic disorder in bipolar disorder: systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Preti Antonio , Vrublevska Jelena , Veroniki Areti Angeliki , Huedo-Medina Tania B , Kyriazis Odysseas , Fountoulakis Konstantinos N
Published: April 2018

Question

Recent data suggest that anxiety disorders are as often comorbid with bipolar disorder (BD) as with unipolar depression. The literature on panic disorder (PD) comorbid with BD has been systematically reviewed and subject to meta-analysis.

Study selection and analysis

The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines were thoroughly followed for literature search, selection and reporting of available evidence. The variance-stabilising Freeman-Tukey double arcsine transformation was used in the meta-analysis of prevalence estimates. Both fixed-effect and random-effects models with inverse variance method were applied to estimate summary effects for all combined studies. Heterogeneity was assessed and measured with Cochran’s Q and I2 statistics.

Findings

Overall, 15 studies (n=3391) on cross-sectional prevalence and 25 independent lifetime studies (n=8226) were used to calculate pooled estimates. The overall random-effects point prevalence of PD in patients with BD, after exclusion of one potential outlier study, was 13.0% (95% CI 7.0% to 20.3%), and the overall random-effects lifetime estimate, after exclusion of one potential outlier study, was 15.5% (95% CI 11.6% to 19.9%). There were no differences in rates between BD-I and BD-II. Significant heterogeneity (I2 >95%) was found in both estimates.

Conclusions

Estimates that can be drawn from published studies indicate that the prevalence of PD in patients with BD is higher than the prevalence in the general population. Comorbid PD is reportedly associated with increased risk of suicidal acts and a more severe course. There is no clear indication on how to treat comorbid PD in BD. Findings from the current meta-analysis confirm the highly prevalent comorbidity of PD with BD, implicating that in patients with BD, PD might run a more chronic course.
The effects of adenine nucleotide perfusion on interstitial adenosine production in rat skeletal muscle
Authors: Zhao Yi , Fabris Sergio , MacLean David A.
Published: April 2018

The purpose of the present study was to utilize the microdialysis technique in rat skeletal muscle to perfuse varying concentrations of AMP, ADP, and ATP into the interstitium to examine the effects that these adenine nucleotides have on the production of adenosine in the interstitial space. Interstitial adenosine production appears to be related to the type (ATP, ADP, or AMP) and concentration (2–60 μmol/L) of the adenine nucleotide perfused. Interstitial adenosine levels increased (P < 0.05) from baseline (0.18 ± 0.02 and 0.22 ± 0.02 μmol/L) to 0.23 ± 0.02 and 0.41 ± 0.05 μmol/L following 5 and 30 μmol/L AMP perfusion, respectively. Similarly, perfusion with 30 μmol/L ADP and 30, 40, and 60 μmol/L ATP resulted in an increase (P < 0.05) in interstitial adenosine concentration from baseline (0.25 ± 0.02, 0.26 ± 0.02, 0.19 ± 0.03, and 0.14 ± 0.02 μmol/L) to 0.30 ± 0.02, 0.32 ± 0.02, 0.36 ± 0.04, and 0.33 ± 0.04 μmol/L, respectively. Interestingly, the most prominent increase in interstitial adenosine production occurred during the perfusion of 60 μmol/L ATP (126% increase from baseline). These data strongly suggest that interstitial ATP may play a more potent role in stimulating interstitial adenosine production as compared with ADP or AMP. In addition, interstitial adenosine production can occur independent of muscle contraction (voluntary or involuntary) or hypoxia when adequate concentrations of adenine nucleotides are available.
17β-Estradiol treatment reversed left ventricular dysfunction in castrated male rats: an echocardiographic study
Authors: Baka Tomas , Hodosy Julius , Krajcirovicova Kristina , Repova Kristina , Aziriova Silvia , Domonkos Emese , Borbelyova Veronika , Slavkovsky Peter , Zorad Stefan , Celec Peter , Paulis Ludovit , Simko Fedor
Published: April 2018

No data are available on heart function in chronic testosterone deficiency and on the effect of estrogen treatment. Eighteen 4-week-old male Lewis rats were randomly divided into 3 groups (n = 6): 1 group of sham-operated rats and 2 groups of castrated rats. Sixty-six weeks after surgery, 1 castrated group received a dose of 17β-estradiol (10 μg/kg per day) and the remaining 2 groups received a placebo subcutaneously for 14 days. Left ventricular (LV) systolic and diastolic functions were measured by transthoracic echocardiography. Castration decreased LV ejection fraction (9%) and fractional shortening (15%) and deteriorated LV diastolic function (94%). 17β-Estradiol treatment increased LV ejection fraction (15%) and fractional shortening (31%) and improved LV diastolic function (48%). Plasma testosterone concentrations were decreased in both castrated groups. In conclusion, chronic testosterone deficiency induced LV systolic and diastolic dysfunction; these disorders were reversed by short-term treatment with 17β-estradiol.
Cardiotoxicity of β-mimetic catecholamines during ontogenetic development — possible risks of antenatal therapy
Authors: Ostadal B. , Parizek A. , Ostadalova I. , Kolar F.
Published: April 2018

Catecholamines are involved in the regulation of a wide variety of vital functions. The β-adrenergic receptor (β-AR) – adenylyl cyclase system has been identified early in embryogenesis before the heart has received adrenergic innervation. The structure of β-receptors in the immature myocardium is similar to that in adults; there are, however, significant quantitative developmental changes in the inotropic and chronotropic responsiveness. Information on the toxic effect of the β-AR agonists in the immature heart is surprisingly scarce, even though these agents are used in clinical practice both during pregnancy and in early postnatal development. Large doses of β-AR agonists induce malformations of the cardiovascular system; the type of change depends upon the time at which the β-AR agonist was administered during embryogenesis. During postnatal ontogeny, the cardiotoxicity of β-AR agonists increased from birth to adulthood. It seems likely that despite interspecies differences, developmental changes in the cardiac sensitivity to β-AR agonists may exist in all mammals, depending on the degree of maturation of the system involved in β-adrenergic signaling. All the existing data draw attention to the possible harmful consequences of the clinical use of β-AR agonists during early phases of cardiac development. Late effects of the early disturbances of the cardiac muscle cannot be excluded.
An inductorless active mixer using stacked nMOS/pMOS configuration and LO shaping technique
Authors: Guo Benqing , Chen Jun , Wang Xuebing , Chen Hongpeng
Published: April 2018

In this paper, a CMOS active down-conversion mixer is presented for wideband applications. Specifically, a LO generation chain is suggested to convert AC LO signal to shaped trapezoid burst, which reduces the sinusoidal LO power level requirement by the mixer. The current-reuse technique by stacked nMOS/pMOS architecture is used to save the power consumption of the circuit. Moreover, this complementary configuration is also employed to compensate second-order nonlinearity of the circuit. Implemented in a 0.18-[Formula: see text]m CMOS process, post-simulations show that, driven by only −10 dBm sinusoidal LO signal, the proposed inductorless mixer provides a maximal conversion gain of 15.7 dB and a noise figure (NF) of 9.1–12 dB across RF input frequency range 0.5–1.6 GHz. The IIP3 and IP1dB of 3.5 dBm and −4.8 dBm are obtained, respectively. The mixer core only consumes 3.6 mW from a 1.8-V supply.
Variational and viscosity operators for the evolutionary Hamilton–Jacobi equation
Authors: Roos Valentine
Published: April 2018

We study the Cauchy problem for the first-order evolutionary Hamilton–Jacobi equation with a Lipschitz initial condition. The Hamiltonian is not necessarily convex in the momentum variable and not a priori compactly supported. We build and study an operator giving a variational solution of this problem, and get local Lipschitz estimates on this operator. Iterating this variational operator we obtain the viscosity operator and extend the estimates to the viscosity framework. We also check that the construction of the variational operator gives the Lax–Oleinik semigroup if the Hamiltonian is convex or concave in the momentum variable.
Parabolic p-Laplacian revisited: Global regularity and fractional smoothness
Authors: de Miranda Luís H. , Planas Gabriela
Published: April 2018

This paper presents an investigation on the existence, fractional and classical regularity in vector-valued Banach spaces for the solutions of a family of evolutive [Formula: see text]-Laplacian-like equations subject to Neumann boundary conditions. Global space-time regularity to the solution and its time derivative in Nikolskii and Slobodeckii spaces is discussed and improved [Formula: see text]-weak regularity for a class of intermediate dual spaces is obtained. Moreover, precise energy estimates showing the influence of the degeneracy pattern of the equation are provided.
Weighted Orlicz regularity estimates for fully nonlinear elliptic equations with asymptotic convexity
Authors: Lee Mikyoung
Published: April 2018

We prove interior Hessian estimates in the setting of weighted Orlicz spaces for viscosity solutions of fully nonlinear, uniformly elliptic equations [Formula: see text] under asymptotic assumptions on the nonlinear operator [Formula: see text] The results are further extended to fully nonlinear, asymptotically elliptic equations.
Finite groups with an automorphism inverting, squaring or cubing a non-negligible fraction of elements
Authors: Bors Alexander
Published: April 2018

Finite groups with an automorphism mapping a sufficiently large proportion of elements to their inverses, squares and cubes have been studied for a long time, and the gist of the results on them is that they are “close to being abelian”. In this paper, we consider finite groups [Formula: see text] such that, for a fixed but arbitrary [Formula: see text], some automorphism of [Formula: see text] maps at least [Formula: see text] many elements of [Formula: see text] to their inverses, squares and cubes. We will relate these conditions to some parameters that measure, intuitively speaking, how far the group [Formula: see text] is from being solvable, nilpotent or abelian; most prominently the commuting probability of [Formula: see text], i.e. the probability that two independently uniformly randomly chosen elements of [Formula: see text] commute. To this end, we will use various counting arguments, the classification of the finite simple groups and some of its consequences, as well as a classical result from character theory.
The Hermit-Type Reproducing Kernel Particle Method for Elasticity Problems
Authors: Ma Jichao , Wei Gaofeng , Gao Hongfen
Published: April 2018

To reduce the error on the boundary and improve computational accuracy, the normal derivative of radial basis function (RBF) is introduced into the reproducing kernel particle method (RKPM), and the Hermit-type reproducing kernel particle method (Hermit-type RKPM) is proposed. The Hermit-type RKPM approximation function is constructed and the governing equation of the elasticity problems is deduced. Then the Hermit-type RKPM is applied to the numerical simulation of the elasticity problems, and the results illustrate that the proposed method is more accurate than the RKPM.
WHAT DOES OPEN INNOVATION MEAN? BUSINESS VERSUS ACADEMIC PERCEPTIONS
Authors: TEPLOV ROMAN , ALBATS EKATERINA , PODMETINA DARIA
Published: April 2018

Since the first appearance of ‘open innovation’ as a theoretical concept in 2003, the debates on its essence still continue among academics, while its interpretations within the business community also seem to differ from one company to another. Using a survey of 251 companies operating in Europe, in this research, we compare the perceptions of open innovation that exist within both the academic and business worlds, to assist in the conceptual development of the phenomenon. Our research reveals a mismatch in these perceptions, as only a few activities counted as ‘open’ by innovation scholars appear to affect companies’ self-reported state of open innovation implementation. Moreover, our research has shown differences in the interpretation of open innovation among companies of different sizes. Only free revealing, acknowledged by scholars as one of the open innovation practices, has been recognised as such a practice by all the studied firms. This paper contributes to conceptualisation of ‘open innovation’ and shares practical insights on bridging academia and business perceptions of it.
When the annihilator-ideal graph is planar or complete bipartite graph
Authors: Nikmehr M. J. , Hosseini S. M.
Published: April 2018

Let [Formula: see text] be a commutative ring with identity and [Formula: see text] be the set of ideals of [Formula: see text] with nonzero annihilator. The annihilator-ideal graph of [Formula: see text], denoted by [Formula: see text], is a simple graph with the vertex set [Formula: see text], and two distinct vertices [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] are adjacent if and only if [Formula: see text]. In this paper, we present some results on the bipartite, complete bipartite, outer planar and unicyclic of the annihilator-ideal graphs of a commutative ring. Among other results, bipartite annihilator-ideal graphs of rings are characterized. Also, we investigate planarity of the annihilator-ideal graph and classify rings whose annihilator-ideal graph is planar.
Type I and Type II codes over the ring 𝔽2 + u𝔽2 + v𝔽2 + uv𝔽2
Authors: Ankur  , Kewat Pramod Kumar
Published: April 2018

We discuss self-dual codes over the ring [Formula: see text]. We characterize the structure of self-dual, Type I codes and Type II codes over [Formula: see text] with given generator matrix in terms of the structure of their Torsion and Residue codes. We construct self-dual, Type I and Type II codes over [Formula: see text] for different lengths.
On codes over ℤp2 and its covering radius
Authors: Annamalai N. , Durairajan C.
Published: April 2018

This paper gives lower and upper bounds on the covering radius of codes over [Formula: see text] with respect to Lee distance. We also determine the covering radius of various repetition codes over [Formula: see text]
Study on quasi-Γ-hyperideals in Γ-semihypergroups
Authors: Hila Kostaq , Abdullah Saleem , Naka Krisanthi
Published: April 2018

In this paper, we are dealing with [Formula: see text]-semihypergroups which are a generalization of a semigroup, [Formula: see text]-semigroup and a semihypergroup. We introduce the notion of generalized quasi-[Formula: see text]-hyperideal i.e. of [Formula: see text]-quasi-[Formula: see text]-hyperideal, [Formula: see text]-right [Formula: see text]-hyperideal and [Formula: see text]-left [Formula: see text]-hyperideal in [Formula: see text]-semihypergroups and different properties of them and relations between them are studied.
Lattice vector spaces and linear transformations
Authors: Joy Geena , Thomas K. V.
Published: April 2018

This paper introduces the concept of lattice vector space and establishes many important results. Also, this paper deals with linear transformations on lattice vector spaces and discusses their elementary properties. We prove that every finite dimensional lattice vector space is isomorphic to [Formula: see text] and show that the set of all columns (or the set of all rows) of an invertible matrix over [Formula: see text] is a basis for [Formula: see text].
Commutative rings whose ideal lattices are complemented
Authors: Chajda Ivan , Länger Helmut
Published: April 2018

We characterize those commutative rings [Formula: see text] whose ideal lattice [Formula: see text] endowed with the annihilation operation is an ortholattice. Moreover, we provide an analogous characterization for the annihilator lattice [Formula: see text] endowed with the annihilation operation. Since the ideal lattice of [Formula: see text] is modular, [Formula: see text] is already an orthomodular lattice provided it is an ortholattice. However, there exist also commutative rings whose ideal lattices are complemented but the complementation differs from annihilation. We present an example of such a ring and develop a procedure producing infinitely many rings with this property. Finally, we provide a sufficient condition for double annihilation to be a homomorphism from [Formula: see text] onto [Formula: see text].
On the sets of fixed points of bounded Baire one functions
Authors: Alikhani-Koopaei Aliasghar
Published: April 2018

In this paper, we present some results on typical properties of the sets of fixed points of bounded Baire one functions. In particular, we show that typical elements of a uniformly closed subclass [Formula: see text] of such class of functions have nowhere dense set of fixed points. We also show that typical elements of the class of bounded Baire one functions have [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text] is an arbitrary continuous Borel measure on the unit interval.
Global well-posedness for the two-component Camassa–Holm equation with fractional dissipation
Authors: Wang Jingqun , Li Jing , Tian Lixin
Published: April 2018

In this paper, we investigate the two-component Camassa–Holm equation with fractional dissipation [Formula: see text] where [Formula: see text] denotes the fractional dissipative operator which is defined by the Fourier transform [Formula: see text]. We prove the local-posedness of this equation via the Littlewood–Paley theory and the suitable iterative scheme. Furthermore, under appropriate discussions, we give the global well-posedness of the above equation.
A Machine Learning Approach to the Detection of Pilot’s Reaction to Unexpected Events Based on EEG Signals
Authors: Binias Bartosz , Myszor Dariusz , Cyran Krzysztof A.
Published: April 2018

This work considers the problem of utilizing electroencephalographic signals for use in systems designed for monitoring and enhancing the performance of aircraft pilots. Systems with such capabilities are generally referred to as cognitive cockpits. This article provides a description of the potential that is carried by such systems, especially in terms of increasing flight safety. Additionally, a neuropsychological background of the problem is presented. Conducted research was focused mainly on the problem of discrimination between states of brain activity related to idle but focused anticipation of visual cue and reaction to it. Especially, a problem of selecting a proper classification algorithm for such problems is being examined. For that purpose an experiment involving 10 subjects was planned and conducted. Experimental electroencephalographic data was acquired using an Emotiv EPOC+ headset. Proposed methodology involved use of a popular method in biomedical signal processing, the Common Spatial Pattern, extraction of bandpower features, and an extensive test of different classification algorithms, such as Linear Discriminant Analysis, k-nearest neighbors, and Support Vector Machines with linear and radial basis function kernels, Random Forests, and Artificial Neural Networks.
Localization of a Vehicle: A Dynamic Interval Constraint Satisfaction Problem-Based Approach
Authors: Kueviakoe Kangni , Wang Zhan , Lambert Alain , Frenoux Emmanuelle , Tarroux Philippe
Published: April 2018

This paper introduces a new interval constraint propagation (ICP) approach dealing with the real-time vehicle localization problem. Bayesian methods like extended Kalman filter (EKF) are classically used to achieve vehicle localization. ICP is an alternative which provides guaranteed localization results rather than probabilities. Our approach assumes that all models and measurement errors are bounded within known limits without any other hypotheses on the probability distribution. The proposed algorithm uses a low-level consistency algorithm and has been validated with an outdoor vehicle equipped with a GPS receiver, a gyro, and odometers. Results have been compared to EKF and other ICP methods such as hull consistency (HC4) and 3-bound (3B) algorithms. Both consistencies of EKF and our algorithm have been experimentally studied.
Adaptive Modifications of Maternal Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis Activity during Lactation and Salsolinol as a New Player in this Phenomenon
Authors: Hasiec Malgorzata , Misztal Tomasz
Published: April 2018

Both basal and stress-induced secretory activities of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis are distinctly modified in lactating females. On the one hand, it aims to meet the physiological demands of the mother, and on the other hand, the appropriate and stable plasma cortisol level is one of the essential factors for the proper offspring development. Specific adaptations of HPA axis activity to lactation have been extensively studied in several animal species and humans, providing interesting data on the HPA axis plasticity mechanism. However, most of the data related to this phenomenon are derived from studies in rats. The purpose of this review is to highlight these adaptations, with a particular emphasis on stress reaction and differences that occur between species. Existing data on breastfeeding women are also included in several aspects. Finally, data from the experiments in sheep are presented, indicating a new regulatory factor of the HPA axis—salsolinol—which typical role was revealed in lactation. It is suggested that this dopamine derivative is involved in both maintaining basal and suppressing stress-induced HPA axis activities in lactating dams.
Cooperative Intercept Guidance of Multiple Aircraft with a Lure Role Included
Authors: Zhang Shuai , Guo Yang , Wang Shicheng
Published: April 2018

When threatened by a pursuer, an evading aircraft launches two defenders to accomplish a cooperative evasion, constituting a four-aircraft interception engagement. Under the assumption that the pursuing aircraft adopts the augmented proportional guidance law and first-order dynamics, a cooperative intercept mathematical model with an intercept angle constraint is established, allowing for the cooperative maneuvering of the evader. Based on the differential linear matrix inequality (DLMI), a controller design method of input and output finite time stability (IO-FTS) is proposed and applied to the aircraft’s cooperative intercept scenario. A cooperation performance analysis is carried out for two cases: (1) two defenders intercept the pursuer with various intercept angle constraints, and (2) the evader acts in a lure role to cooperate with two defenders. The simulation results indicate that the proposed method of controller design has the ability to guarantee that the two defenders intercept the pursuer at the preassigned intercept angles. The cooperative intercept scenario with a lure role is shown to be a very effective method for reducing the maximum required acceleration for defenders, which confirms the availability and advantage of cooperation. The strong adaptability and robustness of the cooperative guidance law with respect to various initial launch conditions is also verified.
Automated Extraction of Human Functional Brain Network Properties Associated with Working Memory Load through a Machine Learning-Based Feature Selection Algorithm
Authors: Hiwa Satoru , Obuchi Shogo , Hiroyasu Tomoyuki
Published: April 2018

Working memory (WM) load-dependent changes of functional connectivity networks have previously been investigated by graph theoretical analysis. However, the extraordinary number of nodes represented within the complex network of the human brain has hindered the identification of functional regions and their network properties. In this paper, we propose a novel method for automatically extracting characteristic brain regions and their graph theoretical properties that reflect load-dependent changes in functional connectivity using a support vector machine classification and genetic algorithm optimization. The proposed method classified brain states during 2- and 3-back test conditions based upon each of the three regional graph theoretical metrics (degree, clustering coefficient, and betweenness centrality) and automatically identified those brain regions that were used for classification. The experimental results demonstrated that our method achieved a >90% of classification accuracy using each of the three graph metrics, whereas the accuracy of the conventional manual approach of assigning brain regions was only 80.4%. It has been revealed that the proposed framework can extract meaningful features of a functional brain network that is associated with WM load from a large number of nodal graph theoretical metrics without prior knowledge of the neural basis of WM.
Evaluation of the In Vitro and In Vivo Antioxidant Potentials of Sudarshana Powder
Authors: Weerakoon Weerakoon Achchige Selvi Saroja , Perera Pathirage Kamal , Gunasekera Dulani , Suresh Thusharie Sugandhika
Published: April 2018

Sudarshana powder (SP) is one of the most effective Ayurveda powder preparations for paediatric febrile conditions. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the in vitro and in vivo antioxidant potentials of SP. The in vitro antioxidant effects were evaluated using ABTS radical cation decolourization assay where the TROLOX equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) was determined. The in vivo antioxidant activity of SP was determined in Wistar rats using the Lipid Peroxidation (LPO) assay in serum. The in vitro assay was referred to as the TROLOX equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) assay. For the in vivo assay, animals were dosed for 21 consecutive days and blood was drawn to evaluate the MDA level. The in vitro antioxidant activity of 0.5 μg of SP was equivalent to 14.45 μg of standard TROLOX. The percentage inhibition against the radical formation was 50.93 ± 0.53%. The SP showed a statistically significant (p < 0.01) decrease in the serum level of thiobarbituric acid‐reactive substance in the test rats when compared with the control group. These findings suggest that the SP possesses potent antioxidant activity which may be responsible for some of its reported bioactivities.
Circulating MicroRNAs in Elderly Type 2 Diabetic Patients
Authors: Catanzaro Giuseppina , Besharat Zein Mersini , Chiacchiarini Martina , Abballe Luana , Sabato Claudia , Vacca Alessandra , Borgiani Paola , Dotta Francesco , Tesauro Manfredi , Po Agnese , Ferretti Elisabetta
Published: April 2018

The circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) associated with type 2 diabetes (T2D) in elderly patients are still being defined. To identify novel miRNA biomarker candidates for monitoring responses to sitagliptin in such patients, we prospectively studied 40 T2D patients (age > 65) with HbA1c levels of 7.5–9.0% on metformin. After collection of baseline blood samples (t0), the dipeptidyl peptidase-IV (DPP-IV) inhibitor (DPP-IVi) sitagliptin was added to the metformin regimen, and patients were followed for 15 months. Patients with HbA1c < 7.5% or HbA1c reduction > 0.5% after 3 and 15 months of therapy were classified as “responders” (group R, n=34); all others were classified as “nonresponders” (group NR, n=6). Circulating miRNA profiling was performed on plasma collected in each group before and after 15 months of therapy (t0 and t15). Intra- and intergroup comparison of miRNA profiles pinpointed three miRNAs that correlated with responses to sitagliptin: miR-378, which is a candidate biomarker of resistance to this DPP-IVi, and miR-126-3p and miR-223, which are associated with positive responses to the drug. The translational implications are as immediate as evident, with the possibility to develop noninvasive diagnostic tools to predict drug response and development of chronic complications.
Efficient Four-Parametric with-and-without-Memory Iterative Methods Possessing High Efficiency Indices
Authors: Cordero Alicia , Junjua Moin-ud-Din , Torregrosa Juan R. , Yasmin Nusrat , Zafar Fiza
Published: April 2018

We construct a family of derivative-free optimal iterative methods without memory to approximate a simple zero of a nonlinear function. Error analysis demonstrates that the without-memory class has eighth-order convergence and is extendable to with-memory class. The extension of new family to the with-memory one is also presented which attains the convergence order 15.5156 and a very high efficiency index 15.51561/4≈1.9847. Some particular schemes of the with-memory family are also described. Numerical examples and some dynamical aspects of the new schemes are given to support theoretical results.
A Fiber Bragg Grating-Based Condition Monitoring and Early Damage Detection System for the Structural Safety of Underground Coal Mines Using the Internet of Things
Authors: Jo Byung Wan , Khan Rana Muhammad Asad , Lee Yun Sung , Jo Jun Ho , Saleem Nadia
Published: April 2018

Accurate sensing is the key to structural health monitoring of underground coal mines while using fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors. However, the previously developed systems for structural monitoring of underground mines have been limited to monitoring without any capability of damage detection. Therefore, this study integrates a highly accurate FBG monitoring system and output-only data-driven approaches on an Internet of things (IoT)-based platform to develop a comprehensive mine structural safety system. This system relies on a Web 2.0 main server that runs data acquisition, data processing, and damage detection algorithms along with real-time information sharing at remote locations. This system was successfully implemented at the Hassan Kishore coal mine, situated in the Salt Range of Pakistan. Wavelength division multiplexing of the FBG strain sensors reliably captured the effects of dynamic and continuous coal excavation on the stability of mine roadway and access galleries. Principal component analysis, along with hierarchical clustering, was used to determine the damage indicator of the mine. The damage index was validated, showing the minimum value for 2% stiffness reduction. Thus, integration of FBG technology with the Internet can be effectively applied for early safety assessment of underground coal mines and information sharing in real time.
Propeller Force-Constant Modeling for Multirotor UAVs from Experimental Estimation of Inflow Velocity
Authors: Gupta Gaurang , Abdallah Shaaban
Published: April 2018

Design and simulation of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) highly depends on the thrust produced by a motor-propeller combination. The aim of this paper is to model a generalized mathematical relationship between the motor RPM and the corresponding thrust generated for the preliminary design process of low Reynold’s number applications. A method is developed to determine a generalized mathematical model which relates inflow velocity to coefficient of thrust using experimental data from 291 motor-propeller data points, comprising of input RPM and corresponding output thrust. Using this relationship, the Force Constant is calculated, which defines each Thrust-RPM mathematical model. In the first part, expression of the inflow ratio obtained from Blade Element and Momentum Theory (BEMT) is approximated to a simplified form. In the later part, the proposed mathematical model is validated against two new sets of pairs of motor-propeller combinations. A special note in the Appendix talks about the application of this mathematical model. The computed results are found to be in good agreement with the experimental data.
An Active Feature Selection Strategy for DWT in Artificial Taste
Authors: Liu Tao , Chen Yanbing , Li Dongqi , Wu Mengya
Published: April 2018

A discrete wavelet transform (DWT) extracts meaningful information in a time-frequency domain and is a favorable feature extraction approach from pulse-like responses in large pulse voltammetry (LAPV) electronic tongues (e-tongue). A regular DWT generates lots of coefficients to describe signal details and approximations at different scales. Thus, coefficient selection is necessary to reduce the feature size. However, the common DWT-based feature selection follows a passive mode: manipulation through human experience or exhaustive trials. It is subjective, time consuming, and barely works in nonlaboratory conditions. In this paper, we present an active feature selection strategy consisting of a dispersion ratio computation and optimal searching search. To evaluate the performance of the proposed method, we prepared several beverage samples and performed experiments with a LAPV e-tongue. Meanwhile, the features of raw response, peak-inflection point, referenced DWT method, and our proposed method were presented to indicate the effects of the refined features of the proposed method. Furthermore, we utilized several classifiers such as the k-nearest neighbor (k-NN), support vector machine (SVM), and random forest (RF) to evaluate the improvement of recognition by the refined features. Compared with other regular feature extraction methods, the proposed method can automatically explore high-quality features with an acceptable feature size. Moreover, the highest average accuracy was achieved by the proposed method for each classifier. It is an alternative feature extraction approach for a LAPV e-tongue without any manipulation in real applications.
CMM-Based Volumetric Assessment Methodology for Polyethylene Tibial Knee Inserts in Total Knee Replacement
Authors: Jiang Wei , Ji Cuicui , Jin Zhongmin , Dai Yuntian
Published: April 2018

Total knee replacement is a common surgical procedure in orthopaedics. Accurate volumetric wear assessment of the polyethylene knee inserts has been an essential subject for improving the longevity. A new CMM-based methodology was presented to determine volumetric material loss based on curve surface fitting without prewear data, CAD model, or original design of drawings. Both computational and experimental simulated volume removal tests were run to validate the methodology by comparing with the gravimetric measurements. The volume and linear wear of the tibial inserts were calculated using the presented method based on the coordinates acquired by the CMM. The results indicate that the methodology is adequate for clinically retrieved tibial inserts where no prewear data are provided. This technique can also be used for biotribological study of other polyethylene components, since wear and damage can be assessed visually and volumetrically.
Targeting NAD+/PARP DNA Repair Pathway as a Novel Therapeutic Approach to SDHB-Mutated Cluster I Pheochromocytoma and Paraganglioma
Authors: Pang Ying , Lu Yanxin , Caisova Veronika , Liu Yang , Bullova Petra , Huynh Thanh-Truc , Zhou Yiqiang , Yu Di , Frysak Zdenek , Hartmann Igor , Taïeb David , Pacak Karel , Yang Chunzhang
Published: April 2018

Purpose: Cluster I pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas (PCPGs) tend to develop malignant transformation, tumor recurrence, and multiplicity. Transcriptomic profiling suggests that cluster I PCPGs and other related tumors exhibit distinctive changes in the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, the hypoxia signaling pathway, mitochondrial electron transport chain, and methylation status, suggesting that therapeutic regimen might be optimized by targeting these signature molecular pathways.

Experimental Design: In the present study, we investigated the molecular signatures in clinical specimens from cluster I PCPGs in comparison with cluster II PCPGs that are related to kinase signaling and often present as benign tumors.

Results: We found that cluster I PCPGs develop a dependency to mitochondrial complex I, evidenced by the upregulation of complex I components and enhanced NADH dehydrogenation. Alteration in mitochondrial function resulted in strengthened NAD+ metabolism, here considered as a key mechanism of chemoresistance, particularly, of succinate dehydrogenase subunit B (SDHB)-mutated cluster I PCPGs via the PARP1/BER DNA repair pathway. Combining a PARP inhibitor with temozolomide, a conventional chemotherapeutic agent, not only improved cytotoxicity but also reduced metastatic lesions, with prolonged overall survival of mice with SDHB knockdown PCPG allograft.

Conclusions: In summary, our findings provide novel insights into an effective strategy for targeting cluster I PCPGs, especially those with SDHB mutations. Clin Cancer Res; 24(14); 3423–32. ©2018 AACR.
Spatial Variation of the Native Colon Microbiota in Healthy Adults
Authors: Flynn Kaitlin J. , Ruffin Mack T. , Turgeon D. Kim , Schloss Patrick D.
Published: April 2018

The microbiome has been implicated in the development of colorectal cancer and inflammatory bowel diseases. The specific traits of these diseases vary along the axis of the digestive tract. Further, variation in the structure of the gut microbiota has been associated with both diseases. We profiled the microbiota of the healthy proximal and distal mucosa and lumen to better understand how bacterial populations vary along the colon. We used a two-colonoscope approach to sample proximal and distal mucosal and luminal contents from the colons of 20 healthy subjects that had not undergone any bowel preparation procedure. The biopsies and home-collected stool were subjected to 16S rRNA gene sequencing, and random forest classification models were built using taxa abundance and location to identify microbiota specific to each site. The right mucosa and lumen had the most similar community structures of the five sites we considered from each subject. The distal mucosa had higher relative abundance of Finegoldia, Murdochiella, Peptoniphilus, Porphyromonas, and Anaerococcus. The proximal mucosa had more of the genera Enterobacteriaceae, Bacteroides, and Pseudomonas. The classification model performed well when classifying mucosal samples into proximal or distal sides (AUC = 0.808). Separating proximal and distal luminal samples proved more challenging (AUC = 0.599), and specific microbiota that differentiated the two were hard to identify. By sampling the unprepped colon, we identified distinct bacterial populations native to the proximal and distal sides. Further investigation of these bacteria may elucidate if and how these groups contribute to different disease processes on their respective sides of the colon. Cancer Prev Res; 11(7); 393–402. ©2018 AACR.