bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Normal fault geometric attribute variations with lithology: examples from the Norwegian Barents Sea
Authors: Libak A. , Torabi A. , Alaei B.
Published: June 2019

The geometry of faults exposed in the field is at least partly controlled by host-rock lithology. However, little work has been published on the effect of lithology on the geometry of very large faults imaged in seismic data. This paper presents such a study for seismic-scale faults in the Norwegian Barents Sea. Gamma-ray data are used to extract clay volumes of the host rock. These clay volume logs are used to populate 3D seismic cubes with lithology information. Finally, the clay volume cubes are co-rendered with seismic coherence cubes using opacity blending. This makes it possible to visualize both lithology information and fault geometries in the same volume. Intervals of different lithologies are studied in order to compare fault geometries. The results show some differences between claystone-rich intervals and the more sandstone-dominated intervals. The fault zone is more segmented and wider in the claystones, while the sandy intervals are narrower and more localized with less segmentation. Larger displacement faults penetrate into deeper stratigraphic levels than smaller displacement faults, and their basal tips are unrelated to lithological decoupling.
Tectonic, provenance and sedimentological controls on reservoir characteristics in the Upper Triassic–Middle Jurassic Realgrunnen Subgroup, SW Barents Sea
Authors: Klausen Tore Grane , Müller Reidar , Poyatos-Moré Miquel , Olaussen Snorre , Stueland Eirik
Published: June 2019

The most prolific reservoir package in the SW Barents Sea is currently the Upper Triassic–Middle Jurassic Realgrunnen Subgroup, comprising the main hydrocarbon accumulations in the Goliat, Snøhvit and Johan Castberg fields and the Wisting discovery. The interval continues to be the main target as hydrocarbon exploration ventures further into this region. However, the package varies considerably in thickness and reservoir quality throughout the basin, and it is therefore very important to understand how this package developed and what has affected it in the time since it was deposited.

Here we review controls on the tectonostratigraphic evolution and facies distribution within the Realgrunnen Subgroup, and exemplify the variability in reservoir characteristics within the subgroup by comparing some key wells in relation to their depositional environment and provenance. New provenance data that record a turnover from reworked Triassic- to Caledonian-sourced mature sediment support facies observations which suggest temporal changes in the depositional environment from marine to fluvial. Much of the variability within the subgroup is attributed the tectonostratigraphic development of the basin that controlled accommodation, facies transitions and sediment distribution. This variability is reflected in subtle differences in reservoir quality important both for exploration and production in the remaining underexplored basin.
Colored Fused Filament Fabrication
Authors: Song Haichuan , Martínez Jonàs , Bedell Pierre , Vennin Noémie , Lefebvre Sylvain
Published: June 2019

Fused filament fabrication is the method of choice for printing 3D models at low cost and is the de facto standard for hobbyists, makers, and schools. Unfortunately, filament printers cannot truly reproduce colored objects. The best current techniques rely on a form of dithering exploiting occlusion, which was only demonstrated for shades of two base colors and behaves differently depending on surface slope.

We explore a novel approach for 3D-printing colored objects, capable of creating controlled gradients of varying sharpness. Our technique exploits off-the-shelf nozzles that are designed to mix multiple filaments in a small melting chamber, obtaining intermediate colors once the mix is stabilized.

We apply this property to produce color gradients. We divide each input layer into a set of strata, each having a different constant color. By locally changing the thickness of the stratum, we change the perceived color at a given location. By optimizing the choice of colors of each stratum, we further improve quality and allow the use of different numbers of input filaments.

We demonstrate our results by building a functional color printer using low-cost, off-the-shelf components. Using our tool, a user can paint a 3D model and directly produce its physical counterpart using any material and color available for fused filament fabrication.
Role of G protein-coupled receptor 1 in choriocarcinoma progression
Authors: Huang Binbin , Zhu Wen , Chang Junlei , Dai Xiaoyong , Yu Guiyuan , Huang Chen , Wang Esther , Li Zhihuan , Lin Lilong , Wang Baobei , Chen Jie , Xiao Tianxia , Niu Jianmin , Zhang Jian
Published: June 2019

Choriocarcinoma is characterized by malignant proliferation and transformation of trophoblasts and is currently treated with systemic chemotherapeutic agents. The lack of specific targets for chemotherapeutic agents results in indiscriminate drug distribution. In our study, we aimed to delineate the mechanism by which G protein-coupled receptor 1 (GPR1) regulates the development of choriocarcinoma and thus investigated GPR1 as a prospective chemotherapeutic target. In this study, GPR1 expression levels were examined in several trophoblast cell lines. We found significantly higher GPR1 expression in choriocarcinoma cells (JEG3 and BeWo) than in normal trophoblast cells (HTR-8/SVneo). Additionally, we studied the role of GPR1 in choriocarcinoma in vitro and in vivo. GPR1 knockdown suppressed proliferation, invasion, and Akt and ERK phosphorylation in vitro and slowed tumor growth in vivo. Interestingly, GPR1 overexpression promoted increased proliferation, invasion, and Akt and ERK phosphorylation in vitro. Furthermore, we identified a specific GPR1-binding seven-amino acid peptide, LRH7-G3, that might also suppress choriocarcinoma in vitro and in vivo through phage display. Our study is the first to report that GPR1 may play a role in regulating choriocarcinoma progression through the Akt and ERK pathways. GPR1 could be a promising potential pharmaceutical target for choriocarcinoma.
Sphingosine-1-phosphate analog FTY720 reverses obesity but not age-induced anabolic resistance to muscle contraction
Authors: Rivas Donato A. , Rice Nicholas P. , Ezzyat Yassine , McDonald Devin J. , Cooper Brittany E. , Fielding Roger A.
Published: June 2019

Sarcopenia, the age-associated loss of skeletal muscle mass and function, is coupled with declines in physical functioning leading to subsequent higher rates of disability, frailty, morbidity, and mortality. Aging and obesity independently contribute to muscle atrophy that is assumed to be a result of the activation of mutual physiological pathways. Understanding mechanisms contributing to the induction of skeletal muscle atrophy with aging and obesity is important for determining targets that may have pivotal roles in muscle loss in these conditions. We find that aging and obesity equally induce an anabolic resistance to acute skeletal muscle contraction as observed with decreases in anabolic signaling activation after contraction. Furthermore, treatment with the sphingosine-1-phosphate analog FTY720 for 4 wk increased lean mass and strength, and the anabolic signaling response to contraction was improved in obese but not older animals. To determine the role of chronic inflammation and different fatty acids on anabolic resistance in skeletal muscle cells, we overexpressed IKKβ with and without exposure to saturated fatty acid (SFA; palmitic acid), polyunsaturated fatty acid (eicosapentaenoic acid), and monounsaturated fatty acid (oleic acid). We found that IKKβ overexpression increased inflammation markers in muscle cells, and this chronic inflammation exacerbated anabolic resistance in response to SFA. Pretreatment with FTY720 reversed the inflammatory effects of palmitic acid in the muscle cells. Taken together, these data demonstrate chronic inflammation can induce anabolic resistance, SFA aggravates these effects, and FTY720 can reverse this by decreasing ceramide accumulation in skeletal muscle.
Interactions between motor exploration and reinforcement learning
Authors: Uehara Shintaro , Mawase Firas , Therrien Amanda S. , Cherry-Allen Kendra M. , Celnik Pablo
Published: June 2019

Motor exploration, a trial-and-error process in search for better motor outcomes, is known to serve a critical role in motor learning. This is particularly relevant during reinforcement learning, where actions leading to a successful outcome are reinforced while unsuccessful actions are avoided. Although early on motor exploration is beneficial to finding the correct solution, maintaining high levels of exploration later in the learning process might be deleterious. Whether and how the level of exploration changes over the course of reinforcement learning, however, remains poorly understood. Here we evaluated temporal changes in motor exploration while healthy participants learned a reinforcement-based motor task. We defined exploration as the magnitude of trial-to-trial change in movements as a function of whether the preceding trial resulted in success or failure. Participants were required to find the optimal finger-pointing direction using binary feedback of success or failure. We found that the magnitude of exploration gradually increased over time when participants were learning the task. Conversely, exploration remained low in participants who were unable to correctly adjust their pointing direction. Interestingly, exploration remained elevated when participants underwent a second training session, which was associated with faster relearning. These results indicate that the motor system may flexibly upregulate the extent of exploration during reinforcement learning as if acquiring a specific strategy to facilitate subsequent learning. Also, our findings showed that exploration affects reinforcement learning and vice versa, indicating an interactive relationship between them. Reinforcement-based tasks could be used as primers to increase exploratory behavior leading to more efficient subsequent learning.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY Motor exploration, the ability to search for the correct actions, is critical to learning motor skills. Despite this, whether and how the level of exploration changes over the course of training remains poorly understood. We showed that exploration increased and remained high throughout training of a reinforcement-based motor task. Interestingly, elevated exploration persisted and facilitated subsequent learning. These results suggest that the motor system upregulates exploration as if learning a strategy to facilitate subsequent learning.
Adenosine A1 receptor-mediated protection of mouse hippocampal synaptic transmission against oxygen and/or glucose deprivation: a comparative study
Authors: Kawamura Masahito , Ruskin David N. , Masino Susan A.
Published: June 2019

Adenosine receptors are widely expressed in the brain, and adenosine is a key bioactive substance for neuroprotection. In this article, we clarify systematically the role of adenosine A1 receptors during a range of timescales and conditions when a significant amount of adenosine is released. Using acute hippocampal slices obtained from mice that were wild type or null mutant for the adenosine A1 receptor, we quantified and characterized the impact of varying durations of experimental ischemia, hypoxia, and hypoglycemia on synaptic transmission in the CA1 subregion. In normal tissue, these three stressors rapidly and markedly reduced synaptic transmission, and only treatment of sufficient duration led to incomplete recovery. In contrast, inactivation of adenosine A1 receptors delayed and/or lessened the reduction in synaptic transmission during all three stressors and reduced the magnitude of the recovery significantly. We reproduced the responses to hypoxia and hypoglycemia by applying an adenosine A1 receptor antagonist, validating the clear effects of genetic receptor inactivation on synaptic transmission. We found activation of adenosine A1 receptor inhibited hippocampal synaptic transmission during the acute phase of ischemia, hypoxia, or hypoglycemia and caused the recovery from synaptic impairment after these three stressors using genetic mutant. These studies quantify the neuroprotective role of the adenosine A1 receptor during a variety of metabolic stresses within the same recording system.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY Deprivation of oxygen and/or glucose causes a rapid adenosine A1 receptor-mediated decrease in synaptic transmission in mouse hippocampus. We quantified adenosine A1 receptor-mediated inhibition during and synaptic recovery after ischemia, hypoxia, and hypoglycemia of varying durations using a genetic mutant and confirmed these findings using pharmacology. Overall, using the same recording conditions, we found the acute response and the neuroprotective ability of the adenosine A1 receptor depended on the type and duration of deprivation event.
Unusual Presentation of a Sigmoid Mass with Chicken Bone Impaction in the Setting of Metastatic Lung Cancer
Authors: Zeidan Ziad , Lwin Zarnie , Iswariah Harish , Manawwar Sheyna , Karunairajah Anitha , Chandrasegaram Manju Dashini
Published: June 2019

Background. Ingestion of foreign bodies can cause various gastrointestinal tract complications including abscess formation, bowel obstruction, fistulae, haemorrhage, and perforation. While these foreign body-related complications can occur in normal bowel, diseased bowel from inflammation, strictures, or malignancy can cause diagnostic difficulties. Endoscopy is useful in visualising the bowel from within, providing views of the mucosa and malignancies arising from here, but its ability in diagnosing extramural malignancies arising beyond or external to the mucosa of the bowel as in the case of metastatic extramural disease can be limited. Case Summary. We present the case of a 60-year-old female with an impacted chicken bone in the sigmoid colon with formation of a sigmoid mass, on a background of metastatic lung cancer. On initial diagnosis of her lung cancer, there was mild Positron Emission Tomography (PET) avidity in the sigmoid colon which had been evaluated earlier in the year with a colonoscopy with findings of diverticular disease. Subsequent computed tomography (CT) scans demonstrated thickening of the sigmoid colon with a structure consistent with a foreign body distal to this colonic thickening. A repeat PET scan revealed an intensely fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) avid mass in the sigmoid colon which was thought to be inflammatory. She was admitted for a flexible sigmoidoscopy and removal of the foreign body which was an impacted chicken bone. She had a fall and suffered a fractured hip. During her admission for her hip fracture, she had an exacerbation of her abdominal pain. She developed a large bowel obstruction, requiring laparotomy and Hartmann’s procedure to resect the sigmoid mass. Histopathology confirmed metastatic lung cancer to the sigmoid colon. Conclusion. This unusual presentation highlights the challenges of diagnosing ingested foreign bodies in patients with metastatic disease.
Experimental Investigation on Sandstone Permeability under Plastic Flow: Permeability Evolution Law with Stress Increment
Authors: Gong Peng , Ni Xiaoyan , Chen Zhanqing , Wu Yu , Wu Jiangyu
Published: June 2019

Permeability is an important physical property of rock. In rock and rock-like materials, permeability after yielding is closely related to plastic flow behavior. Theoretical analysis and experimental investigations are effective and reliable ways of studying the evolution of permeability. In this paper, fluid flow tests of sandstone samples under 11 stress states were conducted using the MTS 816.02 rock mechanics testing system and a self-designed permeation system. A new plastic flow rule was proposed based on the Mohr-Coulomb yield criterion and a nonassociated flow rule. The applicability of the flow rule was verified by comparing the estimated and experimental values of the equivalent shear strain of the Mohr–Coulomb criterion. Two new coefficients were defined to reflect the influence of the volume deformation and shear deformation on the permeability. A permeability model for plastic flow was established, which can be used to calculate both single-step and multistep permeability estimates of the sandstone samples during plastic flow. The errors of both estimation methods were analyzed. The experimental results showed that the plastic multiplier for the sandstone samples was positive during unloading conditions and negative during loading conditions. The experimental value error of the single-step permeability estimation was less than 16.5%. The experimental value errors of the multistep permeability estimations varied between 15.6% and 16.7%, indicating that the iterative format of the multistep permeability estimation method was generally stable and highly precise. A comparison of the permeability influence coefficients indicated that the influence of the equivalent shear strain on the permeability was smaller than that of the volumetric strain.
Damage Mechanism of Oil-Based Drilling Fluid Flow in Seepage Channels for Fractured Tight Sandstone Gas Reservoirs
Authors: Xu Peng , Xu Mingbiao
Published: June 2019

Oil-based drilling fluids (OBDFs) have a strong wellbore stabilization effect, but little attention has been paid to the formation damage caused by oil-based drilling fluids based on traditional knowledge, which is a problem that must be solved prior to the application of oil-based drilling fluid. For ultradeep fractured tight sandstone gas reservoirs, the reservoir damage caused by oil-based drilling fluids is worthy of additional research. In this paper, the potential damage factors of oil-based drilling fluids and fractured tight sandstone formations are analyzed theoretically and experimentally. The damage mechanism of oil-based drilling fluids for fractured tight sandstone gas reservoirs is analyzed based on the characteristics of multiphase fluids in seepage channels, the physical and chemical changes of rocks, and the rheological stability of oil-based drilling fluids. Based on the damage mechanism of oil-based drilling fluids, the key problems that must be solved during the damage control of oil-based drilling fluids are analyzed, a detailed description of formation damage characteristics is made, and how to accurately and rapidly form plugging zones is addressed. This research on damage control can provide a reference for solving the damage problems caused by oil-based drilling fluids in fractured tight sandstone gas reservoirs.
Degassing at the Volcanic/Geothermal System of Kos (Greece): Geochemical Characterization of the Released Gases and CO2 Output Estimation
Authors: Daskalopoulou Kyriaki , Gagliano Antonina Lisa , Calabrese Sergio , Li Vigni Lorenza , Longo Manfredi , Kyriakopoulos Konstantinos , Pecoraino Giovannella , D’Alessandro Walter
Published: June 2019

Forty-five gas samples have been collected from natural gas manifestations at the island of Kos—the majority of which are found underwater along the southern coast of the island. On land, two anomalous degassing areas have been recognized. These areas are mainly characterized by the lack of vegetation and after long dry periods by the presence of sulfate salt efflorescence. Carbon dioxide is the prevailing gas species (ranging from 88 to 99%), while minor amounts of N2 (up to 7.5%) and CH4 (up to 2.1%) are also present. Significant contents of H2 (up to 0.2%) and H2S (up to 0.3%) are found in the on-land manifestations. Only one of the underwater manifestations is generally rich in N2 (up to 98.9%) with CH4 concentrations of up to 11.7% and occasionally extremely low CO2 amounts (down to 0.09%). Isotope composition of He ranges from 0.85 to 6.71 R/RA, indicating a sometimes-strong mantle contribution; the highest values measured are found in the two highly degassing areas of Paradise beach and Volcania. C-isotope composition of CO2 ranges from -20.1 to 0.64‰ vs. V-PDB, with the majority of the values being concentrated at around -1‰ and therefore proposing a mixed mantle—limestone origin. Isotope composition of CH4 ranges from -21.5 to +2.8‰ vs. V-PDB for C and from -143 to +36‰ vs. V-SMOW for H, pointing to a geothermal origin with sometimes-evident secondary oxidation processes. The dataset presented in this work consists of sites that were repeatedly sampled in the last few years, with some of which being also sampled just before and immediately after the magnitude 6.6 earthquake that occurred on the 20th of July 2017 about 15 km ENE of the island of Kos. Changes in the degassing areas along with significant variations in the geochemical parameters of the released gases were observed both before and after the seismic event; however, no coherent model explaining those changes was obtained. CO2 flux measurements showed values of up to about 104 g×m−2×d−1 in both the areas of Volcania and Kokkino Nero, 5×104 g×m−2×d−1 at Paradise beach, and 8×105 g×m−2×d−1 at Therma spring. CO2 output estimations gave values of 24.6, 16.8, 12.7, and 20.6 t×d−1, respectively, for the above four areas. The total output of the island is 74.7 t×d−1 and is comparable to those of the other active volcanic/geothermal systems of Greece (Nisyros, Nea Kameni, Milos, Methana, and Sousaki).
Mechanism of Fracturing in Shaft Lining Caused by High‐Pressure Pore Water in Stable Rock Strata
Authors: Han Jihuan , Zou Jiuqun , Yang Weihao , Hu Chenchen
Published: June 2019

With the increase in shaft depth, the problem of cracks and leakage in single‐layer concrete lining in porous water‐rich stable rock strata has become increasingly clear, in which case the mechanism of fracturing in shaft lining remains unclear. Considering that the increase in pore water pressure can cause rock mass expansion, this paper presents the concept of hydraulic expansion coefficient. First, a cubic model containing spherical pores is established for studying hydraulic expansion, and the ANSYS numerical simulation, a finite element numerical method, was used for calculating the volume change of the model under the pore water pressure. By means of the multivariate nonlinear regression method, the regression equation of the hydraulic expansion coefficient is obtained. Second, based on the hydraulic expansion effect on the rock mass, an interaction model of pore water pressure–porous rock–shaft lining is established and further solved. Consequently, the mechanism of fracturing in shaft lining caused by high‐pressure pore water is revealed. The results show that the hydraulic expansion effect on the surrounding rock increases with its porosity and decreases with its elastic modulus and Poisson’s ratio; the surrounding rock expansion caused by the change in pore water pressure can result in the outer edge of the lining peeling off from the surrounding rock and tensile fracturing at the inner edge. Therefore, the results have a considerable guiding significance for designing shaft lining through porous water‐rich rock strata.
Improving the Accuracy of Fictitious Domain Method Using Indicator Function from Volume Intersection
Authors: Chai Guoliang , Su Junwei , Wang Le , Yu Chunlei , Zhang Yigen , Gu Zhaolin
Published: June 2019

Fictitious domain method (FDM) is a commonly accepted direct numerical simulation technique for moving boundary problems. Indicator function used to distinguish the solid zone and the fluid zone is an essential part concerning the whole prediction accuracy of FDM. In this work, a new indicator function through volume intersection is developed for FDM. In this method, the arbitrarily polyhedral cells across the interface between fluid and solid are located and subdivided into tetrahedrons. The fraction of the solid volume in each cell is accurately computed to achieve high precision of integration calculation in the particle domain, improving the accuracy of the whole method. The quadrature over the solid domain shows that the newly developed indicator function can provide results with high accuracy for variable integration in both stationary and moving boundary problems. Several numerical tests, including flow around a circular cylinder, a single sphere in a creeping shear flow, settlement of a circular particle in a closed container, and in-line oscillation of a circular cylinder, have been performed. The results show good accuracy and feasibility in dealing with the stationary boundary problem as well as the moving boundary problem. This method is accurate and conservative, which can be a feasible tool for studying problems with moving boundaries.
A Rare Case of Bilateral Posterior Tibial Artery Aneurysm Presenting as Unilateral Acute Limb Ischemia
Authors: Hattam Andrew T. , Krishnaswamy Mayur
Published: June 2019

True aneurysms of the tibial arteries are extremely rare. Of the few previously described tibial artery aneurysms, there are scant reports of isolated true aneurysms of the posterior tibial artery (PTA). In this report, we describe the second documented case of bilateral true PTA aneurysms. Unique aspects of this case are that the aneurysmal PTA were the only patent tibial arteries bilaterally, the aneurysms were degenerative in nature, and initial patient presentation was due to aneurysm thrombosis causing acute foot ischemia. The clinical and radiological features of this case, as well as surgical decision making and management, are discussed.
Reduced Graphene Oxide Decorated with AuNPs as a New Aptamer-Based Biosensor for the Detection of Androgen Receptor from Prostate Cells
Authors: Crulhas Bruno P. , Basso Caroline R. , Parra João P. R. L. L. , Castro Gustavo R. , Pedrosa Valber A.
Published: June 2019

Here we described an aptasensor based on graphene oxide (GO) decorated with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) able to detect the AR released by prostate cells, in order to provide new insights about the relationship between AR and prostate cancer for a more precise diagnosis for cancer. Characterization of the surface modified GE was carried out by cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy using ferrocene as a redox probe. Under the optimized experimental conditions, a detection limit of 0.5 ng/mL (3σ/slope) was obtained by the present electrochemical biosensor, along with a linear range of 0-110 ng/mL. By virtue of excellent sensitivity, specificity, and repeatability, the present electrochemical biosensor provides a potential application in clinical diagnosis.
Th1Th17CM Lymphocyte Subpopulation as a Predictive Biomarker of Disease Activity in Multiple Sclerosis Patients under Dimethyl Fumarate or Fingolimod Treatment
Authors: Quirant-Sánchez Bibiana , Presas-Rodriguez Silvia , Mansilla María José , Teniente-Serra Aina , Hervás-García José V. , Brieva Luis , Moral-Torres Ester , Cano Antonio , Munteis Elvira , Navarro-Barriuso Juan , Martínez-Cáceres Eva M. , Ramo-Tello Cristina
Published: June 2019

Peripheral blood biomarkers able to predict disease activity in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients have not been identified yet. Here, we analyzed the immune phenotype of T lymphocyte subpopulations in peripheral blood samples from 66 RRMS patients under DMF (n=22) or fingolimod (n=44) treatment, by flow cytometry. A correlation study between the percentage and absolute cell number of each lymphocyte subpopulation with the presence of relapses or new MRI lesions during 12-month follow-up was performed. Patients who had undergone relapses showed at baseline higher percentage of Th1CM cells (relapsed: 11.60±4.17%vs. nonrelapsed: 9.25±3.17%, p<0.05) and Th1Th17CM cells (relapsed: 15.65±6.15%vs. nonrelapsed: 10.14±4.05%, p<0.01) before initiating DMF or fingolimod treatment. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that patients with Th1Th17CM (CD4+CCR7+CD45RA-CCR6+CXCR3+) cells>11.48% had a 50% relapse-free survival compared to patients with Th1Th17CMcells<11.48% whose relapse-free survival was 88% (p=0.013, log-rank test). Additionally, a high percentage of Th1Th17CM cells was also found in patients with MRI activity (MRI activity: 14.02±5.87%vs. no MRI activity: 9.82±4.06%, p<0.01). Our results suggest that the percentage of Th1Th17CM lymphocytes at baseline is a predictive biomarker of activity during the first 12 months of treatment, regardless of the treatment.
Improving the Structural Reliability of Steel Frames Using Posttensioned Connections
Authors: Bojórquez Edén , López-Barraza Arturo , Reyes-Salazar Alfredo , Ruiz Sonia E. , Ruiz-García Jorge , Formisano Antonio , López-Almansa Francisco , Carrillo Julián , Bojórquez Juan
Published: June 2019

In this paper, various moment‐resisting steel frames (MRSFs) are subjected to 30 narrow‐band motions scaled at different ground motion intensity levels in terms of spectral acceleration at first mode of vibration Sa(T1) in order to perform incremental dynamic analysis for peak and residual interstory drift demands. The results are used to compute the structural reliability of the steel frames by means of hazard curves for peak and residual drifts. It is observed that the structures exceed the threshold residual drift of 0.5%, which is perceptible to human occupants, and it could lead to human discomfort according to recent investigations. For this reason, posttensioned connections (PTCs) are incorporated into the steel frames in order to improve the structural reliability. The results suggest that the annual rate of exceedance of peak and residual interstory drift demands are reduced with the use of PTC. Thus, the structural reliability of the steel frames with PTC is superior to that of the MRSFs. In particular, the residual drift demands tend to be smaller when PTCs are incorporated in the steel structures.
Spontaneous Epidural Hemorrhage in Sickle Cell Disease, Are They All the Same? A Case Report and Comprehensive Review of the Literature
Authors: Saha Biplab , Saha Aditi
Published: June 2019

Trauma to the skull causing injury to the middle meningeal artery, middle meningeal vein, or dural venous sinuses is responsible for most cases of epidural hemorrhage (EDH). Spontaneous EDH is a rare entity in clinical practice. Common causes include sinusitis, coagulation abnormalities, dural metastasis, and Langerhans cell histiocytosis. Isolated nontraumatic EDH is an exceedingly rare complication of sickle cell disease (SCD). We report a case of spontaneous EDH in a patient with SCD and review the world literature regarding this rare entity. A 20-year-old African American female with sickle cell disease presented with vaso-occlusive crisis. About 24 hours after hospital admission, the patient had sudden deterioration of her mental status. An emergent CT scan of the head revealed a large right-sided frontoparietal epidural hematoma with midline shift, subfalcine, and uncal herniation. The patient underwent emergent hematoma evacuation but died 24 hours after surgery.
Analysis of the Indirect Costs of Rheumatoid Arthritis in Romania
Authors: Codreanu Cătălin , Mogoșan Corina , Popescu Claudiu , Paveliu Marian-Sorin
Published: June 2019

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is associated with increased costs generated by resource utilization and loss of work productivity. We have studied 206 RA patients and analyzed indirect costs of RA in Romania (estimated using the human capital approach) in comparison with reported data for other countries. Data were collected using self-reported questionnaires. The average age at inclusion was 55 years, with mean disease duration of 9.4 years; 55 patients had permanent work disability due to RA; 6.35 days of sick leave per patient were reported for the entire year of follow-up; the cost of permanent work disability was 1256€ per patient. From a societal perspective, the average indirect costs for a patient with RA were 1506€, significantly lower than the ones reported by other countries, especially due to the low monetary value of paid work.
Multilayer Convolutional Feature Aggregation Algorithm for Image Retrieval
Authors: Dong Rongsheng , Liu Ming , Li Fengying
Published: June 2019

In image retrieval tasks, the single‐layer convolutional feature has insufficient image semantic representation ability. A new image description algorithm ML‐RCroW based on multilayer multiregion cross‐weighted aggregational deep convolutional features is proposed. First, the ML‐RCroW algorithm inputs an image into the VGG16 (a deep convolutional neural network developed by researchers at Visual Geometry Group and Google DeepMind) network model in which the fully connected layer is discarded. The visual feature information in the convolutional neural network (CNN) is extracted, and the target response weight map is generated by combining with the spatial weighting algorithm of the target fuzzy marker. Then, visual features in the CNN are divided into multiple regions, and the pixels of each region are weighted by regional spatial weight, regional channel weight, and regional weight. The image global vector is generated by aggregating and encoding every region in the weighted feature map. Finally, features of each layer of the VGG16 network model are extracted and then aggregated and dimensionally reduced to obtain the final feature vector of the image. The experiments are carried out on the Oxford5k and Paris6k datasets provided by Oxford VGG. The experimental results show that the average accuracy of image retrieval based on the image feature description algorithm ML‐RCroW is better than that achieved by the other commonly used algorithms such as SPoC, R‐MAC, and CroW.
Health professions regulation in the United States
Authors: Moore Jean
Published: June 2019

The regulation of health professions in the United States is a primary responsibility of states. The structure and content of the specific regulations of each state impact the provision of health services, affecting costs, quality and access. There is concern that current state-based and profession-specific regulatory structures cannot serve as a basis for the innovations the health workforce needs for health reform. This paper reviews aspects of state-based health professions regulations that limit the effective use of health workers and also one of its key advantages: their ability to provide local solutions to address access problems. The paper describes elements that generate changes in the demand for health services and health care providers. Finally, strategies are recommended to improve decision-making related to practice including: standardization of practice scopes between different states; permanent updating of specific acts of professional practice in each state, in accordance with the evolution of professional competencies; use of the best evidence to authorize new professions or expand the scope of practice of the existing ones and, when this evidence does not exist, to promote programs to test new modalities of work. Taking into account the pace of changes in the health system in the United States, there is a growing urgency for reforms to ensure adequate size and training of the workforce for the future.
A comparative study on dragonfly diversity on a plateau and an agro-ecosystem in Goa, India
Authors: D’Souza Andrea R.M. , Pai Irvathur Krishnananda
Published: June 2019

The present study was carried out to fill the lacuna in the understanding of the diversity of odonates of Goa in general and dragonflies in particular on plateau and paddy fields in coastal villages—agricultural area at Velsao and Taleigao Plateau.  Diversity in plateau ecosystem was higher possibly due to a greater plant and insect diversity on the plateau, in comparison with the monoculture paddy agro-ecosystem.  Highest number of species recorded belonged to the family Libellulidae. Monthly diversity showed correlation with monthly average rainfall and humidity.
Dietary analysis of the Indian Flying Fox Pteropus giganteus (Brunnich, 1782) (Chiroptera: Pteropodidae) in Myanmar through the analysis of faecal and chewed remnants
Authors: Aung Moe Moe , Htay Than Than
Published: June 2019

The diet of Indian Flying Fox Pteropus giganteus in southern Myanmar was analyzed from June 2017 to April 2018.  Food resources were identified by collecting faeces, food remnants, and rejecta pellets beneath day roosts.  Pteropus giganteus consumed fruits, flowers, and leaves of 14 species of plants.  Six species of fruits were found in the faeces below the day roosts, 13 species of fruits and two species of leaves in the rejecta, and seven species of fruits and one species of leaf at the day roost.  These observations indicate that P. giganteus is a phytophagous bat with rapid intestinal passage.
Genetically Determined Risk of Depression and Functional Outcome After Ischemic Stroke
Authors: Gill Dipender , James Nicole E. , Monori Grace , Lorentzen Erik , Fernandez-Cadenas Israel , Lemmens Robin , Thijs Vincent , Rost Natalia S. , Scott Rodney , Hankey Graeme J. , Lindgren Arne , Jern Christina , Maguire Jane M. ,   on behalf of the International Stroke Genetics Consortium and the GISCOME Network
Published: June 2019

Background and Purpose—

Psychosocial factors can have implications for ischemic stroke risk and recovery. This study investigated the effect of genetically determined risk of depression on these outcomes using the Mendelian randomization (MR) framework.

Methods—

Genetic instruments for risk of depression were identified in a discovery genome-wide association study of 246 363 cases and 561 190 controls and further replicated in a separate population of 474 574 cases and 1 032 579 controls. Corresponding genetic association estimates for risk of ischemic stroke were taken from 60 341 cases and 454 450 controls, with those for functional outcome 3 months after ischemic stroke taken from an analysis of 6021 patients. Following statistical power calculation, inverse-variance weighted MR was performed to pool estimates across different instruments. The Cochran
Q
heterogeneity test, weighted median MR, and MR pleiotropy residual sum and outlier were used to explore possible bias relating to inclusion of pleiotropic variants.

Results—

There was no MR evidence for an effect of genetically determined risk of depression on ischemic stroke risk. Although suffering low statistical power, the main inverse-variance weighted MR analysis was suggestive of a detrimental effect of genetically determined risk of depression on functional outcome after ischemic stroke (odds ratio of poor outcome [modified Rankin Scale, ≥3] per 1-SD increase in genetically determined risk of depression, 1.81; 95% CI, 0.98–3.35;
P
=0.06). There was no evidence of heterogeneity between MR estimates produced by different instruments (Q
P
=0.26). Comparable MR estimates were obtained with weighted median MR (odds ratio, 2.57; 95% CI, 1.05–6.25;
P
=0.04) and MR pleiotropy residual sum and outlier (odds ratio, 1.81; 95% CI, 0.95–3.46;
P
=0.08).

Conclusions—

We found no MR evidence of genetically determined risk of depression affecting ischemic stroke risk but did find consistent MR evidence suggestive of a possible effect on functional outcome after ischemic stroke. Given the widespread prevalence of depression-related morbidity, these findings could have implications for prognostication and personalized rehabilitation after stroke.
Motivating Innovation: The Effect of Loss Aversion on the Willingness to Persist
Authors: Rosokha Yaroslav , Younge Kenneth
Published: June 2019

We investigate the willingness of individuals to persist at exploration when confronted by prolonged periods of negative feedback. We design a two-dimensional maze game and run a series of randomized experiments with human subjects in the game. Our results suggest individuals explore more when they are reminded of the incremental cost of their actions, a result that extends prior research on loss aversion and prospect theory to environments characterized by model uncertainty. In addition, we run simulations based on a model of reinforcement learning that extend beyond two-period models of decision making to account for repeated behavior in longer-running, dynamic contexts.
Does Medicare Reimbursement Drive Up Drug Launch Prices?
Authors: Ridley David B. , Lee Chung-Ying
Published: June 2019

Medicare reimburses health care providers for the drugs they administer. Since 2005, it has reimbursed based on the past price of the drug. Reimbursement on past prices could motivate manufacturers to set higher launch prices because providers become less sensitive to price and because provider reimbursement is higher if past prices were higher. Using data on drug launch prices between 1999 and 2010, we estimate that reimbursement based on past prices caused launch prices to rise dramatically. The evidence is consistent with the 2018 claim from Medicare's administrator that it “creates a perverse incentive for manufacturers to set higher prices.”
Studies in Australian Tettigoniidae: new Phaneropterine Katydids from Queensland Rainforests (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae; Phaneropterinae)
Authors: RENTZ DCF , SU YOU NING , UESHIMA NORHIRO
Published: June 2019

New species of Phaneropterinae are described from the tropical rainforests of far north Queensland. A number of new species of the widespread Australian genus Caedicia (C. webberi, C. goobita and C. kuranda) are described with notes on biology and ecology. C. flexuosa I. Bolivar is recorded from Australia for the first time. Currimundria and Kurandoptera are described as new genera each with very distinctive species and a new species of Ephippithyta, E. kuranda, is also described from north Queensland. Two species of Diastella are described, D. kuranda and D. hilleri. One species of Diastella, D. hilleri, is described from the mountains of southeast Queensland. Cytological information is presented for several taxa. A key to the relevant Australian genera in the “Group” Ephippithytae is presented.
Two new empoascine leafhopper genera and species (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Typhlocybinae) from southern China, with a key to Chinese genera of Empoascini
Authors: QIN DAO-ZHENG , ZHANG YA-LIN
Published: June 2019

Two new genera and species of empoascine leafhoppers, Luodianasca recurvata and Treufalka lamellata are described from southern China. A key to these and other Empoascini genera from China is also provided.
Kottelatlimia hipporhynchos, a new species of loach from southern Borneo (Teleostei: Cobitidae)
Authors: KOTTELAT MAURICE , TAN HEOK HUI
Published: June 2019

Kottelatlimia hipporhynchos, new species, is described from the Sampit, Kahayan and Kapuas drainages, southern Borneo. It is distinguished from its congeners by the extreme development of the papillae on all mouth parts (lips, barbels, lobes), including very long papillae along the anterior edge of the main digitation of the median lobe of the lower lip; a longer snout; more vertebrae; and the upper 3–4 principal caudal-fin rays adjacent along proximal 1/4–1/3. Sexual dimorphism of the pectoral fin of Acantopsis and Neoeucirrhichthys is briefly discussed. The identity and nomenclatural status of Cobitis barbatuloides and Cobitichthys are discussed; they apparently belong to the genus Lepidocephalichthys, which is given precedence under article 23.9.2 of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature.
Acomopterella martinovskyi sp. n., the first Palaearctic record of the genus Acomopterella Zaitzev (Diptera: Mycetophilidae)
Authors: ŠEVČÍK JAN , CHANDLER PETER J.
Published: June 2019

A new species of Mycetophilidae (Diptera), Acomopterella martinovskyi sp. n., is described from the Czech Republic and Austria. This is the first record of the genus from the Palaearctic region. Its relationships with other genera and variation in wing characters are briefly discussed. A new combination and synonymy is proposed: Acomopterella fallax (Sherman, 1921) comb.n. = Acomopterella arnaudi Zaitzev, 1989 syn.n.
Rediscovery and redescription of the Andean earth-snake Atractus wagleri (Reptilia: Serpentes: Colubridae)
Authors: PASSOS PAULO , ARREDONDO JUAN C.
Published: June 2019

Atractus wagleri was described based on a single specimen from Humbo, Department of Boyacá on the western Cordillera Oriental of Colombia, and since its original description there is no further record for the species. In the course of examination of Colombian collections the holotype of the Atractus wagleri could not be found and it is probable that it was lost, but we found three additional specimens of this poorly known snake from localities relatively close to the type locality. In this paper, we describe these specimens, and report data on meristics, morphometrics, and hemipenial variation for the species.
A new cryptic Phrynobatrachus species (Amphibia: Anura: Phrynobatrachidae) from Ghana, West Africa
Authors: RÖDEL MARK-OLIVER , BOATENG CALEB OFORI , PENNER JOHANNES , HILLERS ANNIKA
Published: June 2019

A new medium-sized Phrynobatrachus species from primary forest in south-western Ghana is described. Phrynobatrachus intermedius sp. nov. exhibits a combination of unique morphological and color characters including: compact body, short and pointed snout, a conspicuous dark face mask that covers the loreal and the tympanal area, a relatively smooth dorsum with only very feebly developed dorsal ridges, a black throat with few small white spots, a breast with blackish vermiculation, and moderately developed webbing. Furthermore, the analysis of mitochondrial 16S rRNA revealed that this new species differs from other West African species of the genus by a minimum distance of 3.4%. The new species is morphologically most similar to P. liberiensis (genetic distance 3.4–5.8 %) and P. plicatus (> 10% difference in the 16S rRNA fragment examined). P. liberiensis from the type locality of the new species are genetically more distant to the new species than those from other West African localities.
Crinoid-associated shrimps of the genus Laomenes A.H. Clark, 1919 (Caridea: Palaemonidae: Pontoniinae): new species and probable diversity
Authors: MARIN IVAN
Published: June 2019

Three new species of the genus Laomenes A.H. Clark are described as symbionts of feather stars (Crinoidea: Comatulida) from shallow waters of Nhatrang Bay, Vietnam. Including these new species, the genus comprises 8 species and can be arranged into 3 suggested groups of species. The “L. amboinensis” species group with 4 species, L. amboinensis (De Man, 1888), L. cornutus (Borradaile, 1915), L. clarki sp. nov. and L. pardus sp. nov., characterized by the presence of ventral rostral teeth, distoventral spines on propodus of pereiopod III and a fixed tooth on distolateral margin of uropodal exopod. The “L. jackhintoni” species group includes 2 species, L. jackhintoni (Bruce, 2006) and Laomenes tigris sp. nov., characterized by the absence of ventral rostral teeth, extremely elongated apical papilla on cornea of eyes, the presence of fixed tooth on exopod of uropod, the absence of distoventral spines on propodus and the presence of large accessory tooth on dactylus of pereiopod III. The “L. ceratophthalmus” species group includes 2 species, L. ceratophthalmus (Borradaile, 1915) and L. nudirostris (Bruce, 1968), characterized by the absence of ventral rostral teeth and distoventral spines on propodus of pereiopod III, the presence of small accessory tooth on dactylus of pereiopod III, tiny marginal dorsal spines on telson and the absence of a fixed distolateral tooth on exopod of uropod. Remarks and a key for all species of the genus as well as a discussion of the undescribed diversity of the genus are given.
The complete mitochondrial genome of the Formosan black bear (Ursus thibetanus formosanus)
Authors: TSAI CHI-LI , CHOU YII-CHENG , SHIH CHIH-CHIN , CHENG HSI-CHI , YANG CHIEH-CHUNG , KAO HSIAO-WEI
Published: June 2019

A complete mitochondrial genome of the Formosan black bear (Ursus thibetanus formosanus) was obtained by PCR amplification and DNA sequencing. The genome spans 17,044 bp that includes 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNA genes, and two rRNA genes. The base composition of the heavy strain is 31.0% A, 25.6% C, 15.7% G, and 27.7% T. The control region (CR) is located between tRNA-Pro and tRNA-Phe, consists of 1,595 bp, and comprises 9.4% of the whole genome. The DNA sequence shares 98.7%, 96.3%, 91.0%, 91.8%, and 91.7% similarity with those of U. t. thibetanus, U. t. mupinensis, U. americanus, U. arctos, and U. maritimus respectively. Phylogenetic analyses suggest that the Formosan black bear is more closely related to U. t. thibetanus than to U. t. mupinensis.