bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Druggability of the guanosine/adenosine/cytidine nucleoside hydrolase from Trichomonas vaginalis
Authors: Alam Rayyan , Barbarovich Allen T. , Caravan Wagma , Ismail Mirna , Barskaya Angela , Parkin David W. , Stockman Brian J.
Published: May 2018

Trichomonas vaginalis infects approximately 300 million people worldwide annually. Infected individuals have a higher susceptibility to more serious conditions such as cervical and prostate cancer. The parasite has developed increasing resistance to current drug therapies, with an estimated 5% of clinical cases resulting from resistant strains, creating the need for new therapeutic strategies with novel mechanisms of action. Nucleoside salvage pathway enzymes represent novel drug targets as these pathways are essential for the parasite's survival. The guanosine/adenosine/cytidine nucleoside hydrolase (GACNH) may be particularly important as its expression is upregulated under glucose‐limiting conditions mimicking those that occur during infection establishment. GACNH was screened against the NIH Clinical Collection to explore its druggability. Seven compounds were identified with IC50 values <20 μM. Extensive overlap was found between inhibitors of GACNH and the adenosine/guanosine nucleoside hydrolase (AGNH), but no overlap was found with inhibitors of the uridine nucleoside hydrolase. The guanosine analog ribavirin was the only compound found to be specific for GACNH. Compounds that inhibit both AGNH and GACNH purine salvage pathway enzymes may prove critical given the role that GACNH appears to play in the early stages of infection.
Insight into structural requirements of antiamoebic flavonoids: 3D‐QSAR and G‐QSAR studies
Authors: Fatima Shehnaz , Gupta Payal , Agarwal Subhash Mohan
Published: May 2018

Plant‐based flavonoids have been found to exhibit strong inhibitory capability against Entamoeba histolytica. So, various QSAR models have been developed to identify the critical features that are responsible for the potency of these molecules. 3D‐QSAR analysis using k‐nearest neighbour molecular field analysis via stepwise forward–backward variable selection method showed best results for both internal and external predictive ability of the model (i.e., q2 = 0.64 and pred_r2 = 0.56). Also, a group‐based QSAR (G‐QSAR) model was developed based on partial least squares regression combined with stepwise forward–backward variable selection method. It gave best parametric results (r2 = 0.74, q2 = 0.56 and pred_r2 = 0.54) which implied that the model is highly predictive. 3D‐QSAR established that presence/absence of bulk near rings B and C is important in deciding the inhibitory potential of these molecules. Additionally, G‐QSAR provided site‐specific clue wherein modifications related to molecular weight, electronegativity and separation of an oxygen atom in rings A and C can result in enhanced biological activity. To the best of the author's knowledge, this is the first QSAR study of antiamoebic flavonoids, and therefore, we expect the results to be useful in the design of more potent antiamoebic inhibitors.
Are pregnancy, parity, menstruation and breastfeeding risk factors for thyroid cancer? Results from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2010‐2015
Authors: Kim Hosu , Kim Kyong Young , Baek Jong Ha , Jung Jaehoon
Published: May 2018

Context

It is unclear whether reproductive factors such as pregnancy, parity, menstruation, and breastfeeding are risk factors for thyroid cancer. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of reproductive factors with thyroid cancer risk.

Design/Setting

Large‐scale nation‐wide cross‐sectional data were analysed from representative samples from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey V‐VI (2010‐2015).

Results

In this study, 38 086 people over the age of 18 years were enrolled, of which 241 had a diagnosis of thyroid cancer. Of 21 543 female subjects, 210 had thyroid cancer. In logistic regression analysis, pregnancy, parity and number of reproductive years (period between menarche and menopause, excluding breastfeeding period) were significantly associated with thyroid cancer after adjusting for age, body mass index and smoking. However, the number of pregnancies did not show a linear relationship with thyroid cancer. Among breastfeeding women, total duration of breastfeeding and number of babies breastfed significantly decreased the risk for thyroid cancer.

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that reproductive factors can be associated with the development of thyroid cancer. A large prospective cohort study is needed to clarify the causality.
Equine eosinophilic keratitis: An emergent ocular condition?
Authors: González‐Medina S.
Published: May 2018

Eosinophilic keratitis (EK) is considered an immune mediated disorder associated with an underlying type I orIVhypersensitivity reaction to parasitic or environment allergens. It is believed that the persistency of inflammatory mediators and recruitment of eosinophils into the conjunctival tissue have detrimental effects on the corneal surface. Epithelial cells are consequently damaged, particularly by eosinophilic toxic proteins, which determine the lack of epithelial healing and plaque formation. Although some clinical signs are common to other corneal diseases, the location of the lesion, presence of corneal plaques and time of the year, may help practitioners to identifyEK. Topical therapy with steroids or immune‐modulators seems to be the most effective treatment in small, localised lesions while large epithelial defects will benefit from a thorough debridement and/or early keratectomy, before secondary microbial infection may occur.
A unified and integrated numerical‐analytical approach for evaluation of Jk‐integrals of an interfacial crack in orthotropic and isotropic bimaterials
Authors: Tafreshi A.
Published: May 2018

A new unified and integrated method for the numerical‐analytical calculation of Jk‐integrals of an in‐plane traction free interfacial crack in homogeneous orthotropic and isotropic bimaterials is presented. The numerical algorithm, based on the boundary element crack shape sensitivities, is generic and flexible. It applies to both straight and curved interfacial cracks in anisotropic and/or isotropic bimaterials. The shape functions of semidiscontinuous quadratic quarter point crack tip elements are correctly scaled to adapt the singular oscillatory near tip field of tractions. The length of crack is designated as the design variable to compute the strain energy release rate precisely. Although an analytical equation relating J1 and stress intensity factors (SIFs) exists, a similar relation for J2 in debonded anisotropic solids for decoupling SIFs is not available. An analytical expression was recently derived by this author for J2 in aligned orthotropic/orthotropic bimaterials with a straight interface crack. Using this new relation and the present computed Jk values, the SIFs can be decoupled without the need for an auxiliary equation. Here, the aforementioned analytical relation is reconstructed for cubic symmetry/isotropic bimaterials and used with the present numerical algorithm. An example with known analytical SIFs is presented. The numerical and analytical magnitudes of Jk for an interface crack in orthotropic/orthotropic and cubic symmetry/isotropic bimaterials show an excellent agreement.
Crack growth analysis and fatigue life estimation in the piston rod of a Kaplan hydro turbine
Authors: Liu X. , Presas A. , Luo Y. , Wang Z.
Published: May 2018

Linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM) approaches are seldom used to analyze fatigue problems in hydraulic turbomachinery, where extremely simplified fatigue models are normally considered. In one of the largest Kaplan hydraulic turbines in the world, the piston rod, which is an important load transfer component, was found broken twice at the same location. This event, which leads to extremely high direct reparation costs and indirect costs, is a very useful case for research of fatigue problems in hydraulic turbines by means of LEFM. For this purpose, the crack growth progress in the piston rod is simulated with numerical LEFM techniques. A probabilistic model for the initial flaw size is considered. A reliability criterion, consisting in the probability of not having a critical crack or a fracture in the piston rod after a specific service time, is defined. Based on this model, the influence of initial crack models and operating services of the machine on the reliability of the unit is discussed. The calculated crack path and predicted number of loading cycles as a function of the initial crack size agree with the actual fracture section and operating time to fracture.
Spatiotemporal remote sensing of ecosystem change and causation across Alaska
Authors: Pastick Neal J. , Jorgenson M. Torre , Goetz Scott J. , Jones Benjamin M. , Wylie Bruce K. , Minsley Burke J. , Genet Hélène , Knight Joseph F. , Swanson David K. , Jorgenson Janet C.
Published: May 2018

Contemporary climate change in Alaska has resulted in amplified rates of press and pulse disturbances that drive ecosystem change with significant consequences for socio‐environmental systems. Despite the vulnerability of Arctic and boreal landscapes to change, little has been done to characterize landscape change and associated drivers across northern high‐latitude ecosystems. Here we characterize the historical sensitivity of Alaska's ecosystems to environmental change and anthropogenic disturbances using expert knowledge, remote sensing data, and spatiotemporal analyses and modeling. Time‐series analysis of moderate—and high‐resolution imagery was used to characterize land‐ and water‐surface dynamics across Alaska. Some 430,000 interpretations of ecological and geomorphological change were made using historical air photos and satellite imagery, and corroborate land‐surface greening, browning, and wetness/moisture trend parameters derived from peak‐growing season Landsat imagery acquired from 1984 to 2015. The time series of change metrics, together with climatic data and maps of landscape characteristics, were incorporated into a modeling framework for mapping and understanding of drivers of change throughout Alaska. According to our analysis, approximately 13% (~174,000 ± 8700 km2) of Alaska has experienced directional change in the last 32 years (±95% confidence intervals). At the ecoregions level, substantial increases in remotely sensed vegetation productivity were most pronounced in western and northern foothills of Alaska, which is explained by vegetation growth associated with increasing air temperatures. Significant browning trends were largely the result of recent wildfires in interior Alaska, but browning trends are also driven by increases in evaporative demand and surface‐water gains that have predominately occurred over warming permafrost landscapes. Increased rates of photosynthetic activity are associated with stabilization and recovery processes following wildfire, timber harvesting, insect damage, thermokarst, glacial retreat, and lake infilling and drainage events. Our results fill a critical gap in the understanding of historical and potential future trajectories of change in northern high‐latitude regions.
Influence of residential characteristics on the association between the oral health status and BMI of older adults in Indonesia
Authors: Hanindriyo Lisdrianto , Widita Elastria , Widyaningrum Rini , Priyono Bambang , Agustina Dewi
Published: May 2018

Objective

To assess the possible effects of residential characteristics on the association between oral hygiene and body mass index (BMI) of elderly people in Indonesia.

Methods

This cross‐sectional study involved 186 participants (87 males, 99 females) aged ≥60 years who were randomly recruited from 8 community health stations for the elderly people. Dentition status, oral hygiene index (OHI), probing pocket depth (PPD) and clinical attachment level (CAL) were assessed in accordance with WHO guidelines. Salivary condition was assessed through the unstimulated whole saliva collection method. Education status and oral health behaviours were evaluated using a standardised questionnaire. BMI was calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in metres squared. Participants were grouped in accordance with their OHI status (poor, moderate or good) combined with their residential characteristic (rural or urban) to assess the independent effect of OHI and residential characteristic on BMI through linear regression analysis with confounder adjustment.

Results

In the crude model of linear regression analysis, the poor OHI group is associated with low BMI regardless of their residential characteristic (rural/urban) when compared to the “good OHI, urban” group with P‐values of .045 and <.01 and regression coefficients (β) of −2.1 and −4.5, respectively. However, in the adjusted model, only the “poor OHI, rural” group showed a significant association with low BMI when compared to the “good OHI, urban” group (β = −3.4; P < .01).

Conclusion

Low BMI is significantly associated with poor OHI and rural residential characteristic among elderly people in Indonesia.
Vitamin D status in adult patients with nonmelanoma skin cancer in Cape Town, South Africa: a cross‐sectional study
Authors: van Deventer Linda , Kannenberg Susanna M.H. , du Toit Jacques
Published: May 2018

Background

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is the most important environmental risk factor for the development of nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC). UV radiation is, however, also vital in the formation of vitamin D in humans. Strict sun protection advised to skin cancer patients may lead to vitamin D deficiency, yet vitamin D may have a protective effect against cancer formation.

Objectives

The primary aim was to determine whether patients with nonmelanoma skin cancer at our institution were vitamin D deficient.

Methods

25‐Hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) levels were determined in 109 patients with a diagnosis of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and/or squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) during the summer and winter of 2015 at the Tygerberg Academic Hospital in Cape Town, South Africa. Associations between clinical and epidemiological data and the 25(OH)D level results were investigated. Vitamin D deficiency was defined as total 25(OH)D levels <20 ng/mL (<50 nmol/L).

Results

It was found that 49.5% of NMSC patients were vitamin D deficient, and 41.3% had insufficient vitamin D levels. Females were more likely than males to be vitamin D deficient (P = 0.047). Winter was significantly associated with vitamin D deficiency, compared to summer (OR = 4.81, 95%CI = 2.09–11.09, P <0.001). Having a previous SCC appeared associated with not being vitamin D deficient (OR = 0.46, 95%CI = 0.20–1.11, P = 0.084).

Conclusions

The findings highlight the need for the development of recommendations and guidelines on sun protection in patients with NMSC, while still ensuring an adequate vitamin D status. High risk factors included winter and female gender.
Combining integer linear programming with a state‐of‐the‐art heuristic for the 2‐path network design problem
Authors: Clímaco Glaubos , Rosseti Isabel , Simonetti Luidi , Guerine Marcos
Published: May 2018

In communication network design, connections with few edges reduce the probability of delays and increase confidence. The 2‐path network design problem (2‐PNDP) raised in this context and aimed to build up a minimum‐cost network to satisfy a set of pairs of demands using a path with at most two edges. In this work, we propose two strategies that incorporate integer linear programming (ILP) into a state‐of‐the‐art heuristic for solving the 2‐PNDP. Our approaches collect information from specific components of the original heuristic and use it to reduce the solution space explored by the ILP solver, accelerating its resolution and improving the solution quality. Computational experiments conducted on a set of instances from the literature have shown the benefit of these combinations, achieving better solutions in almost all cases.
Endothelial microvesicles in hypoxic hypoxia diseases
Authors: Deng Fan , Wang Shuang , Xu Riping , Yu Wenqian , Wang Xianyu , Zhang Liangqing
Published: May 2018

Hypoxic hypoxia, including abnormally low partial pressure of inhaled oxygen, external respiratory dysfunction‐induced respiratory hypoxia and venous blood flow into the arterial blood, is characterized by decreased arterial oxygen partial pressure, resulting in tissue oxygen deficiency. The specific characteristics include reduced arterial oxygen partial pressure and oxygen content. Hypoxic hypoxia diseases (HHDs) have attracted increased attention due to their high morbidity and mortality and mounting evidence showing that hypoxia‐induced oxidative stress, coagulation, inflammation and angiogenesis play extremely important roles in the physiological and pathological processes of HHDs‐related vascular endothelial injury. Interestingly, endothelial microvesicles (EMVs), which can be induced by hypoxia, hypoxia‐induced oxidative stress, coagulation and inflammation in HHDs, have emerged as key mediators of intercellular communication and cellular functions. EMVs shed from activated or apoptotic endothelial cells (ECs) reflect the degree of ECs damage, and elevated EMVs levels are present in several HHDs, including obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Furthermore, EMVs have procoagulant, proinflammatory and angiogenic functions that affect the pathological processes of HHDs. This review summarizes the emerging roles of EMVs in the diagnosis, staging, treatment and clinical prognosis of HHDs.
Editorial Perspective: Exposures in cognitive behavior therapy for pediatric obsessive‐compulsive disorder: addressing common clinician concerns
Authors: McGuire Joseph F. , Wu Monica S. , Choy Caitlin , Piacentini John
Published: May 2018

Professional organizations and expert consensus recommend the use of exposure‐based cognitive‐behavioral therapy (CBT) to treat pediatric obsessive‐compulsive disorder (OCD), but a sizable proportion of clinicians possess hesitancy regarding the use of exposures in treatment. Most notably, this hesitancy relates to concerns about negative patient and parent reactions to exposures. Accordingly, we examine three commonly reported clinician concerns regarding negative patient/parent reactions (e.g. treatment attrition, therapeutic relationship, and treatment satisfaction) among youths receiving exposure‐based CBT compared to a nonexposure‐based treatment. Based on our findings, there is no empirical support that exposure‐based CBT precipitates adverse consequences in treatment (e.g. treatment attrition, poor therapeutic relationship, low treatment satisfaction) relative to nonexposure‐based interventions. These results corroborate existing OCD expert recommendations for the use of exposure‐based CBT and provide information to mitigate clinicians’ concerns about the potentially iatrogenic impact of exposures when treating pediatric OCD. We briefly present best practice recommendations for implementing exposure‐based CBT in pediatric OCD patients.
Change in male coloration associated with artificial selection on foraging colour preference
Authors: Cole Gemma L. , Endler John A.
Published: May 2018

Sensory drive proposes that natural selection on nonmating behaviours (e.g. foraging preferences) alters sensory system properties and results in a correlated effect on mating preferences and subsequently sexual traits. In colour‐based systems, we can test this by selecting on nonmating colour preferences and testing for responses in colour‐based female preferences and male sexual coloration. In guppies (Poecilia reticulata), individual functional links of sensory drive have been demonstrated providing an opportunity to test the process over more than one link. We measured male coloration and female preferences in populations previously artificially selected for colour‐based foraging behaviour towards two colours, red and blue. We found associated changes in male coloration in the expected direction as well as weak changes in female preferences. Our results can be explained by a correlated response in female preferences due to artificial selection on foraging preferences that are mediated by a shared sensory system or by other mechanisms such as colour avoidance, pleiotropy or social experiences. This is the first experimental evidence that selection on a nonmating behaviour can affect male coloration and, more weakly, female preferences.
Picture‐Based Memory Impairment Screen: Effective Cognitive Screen in Ethnically Diverse Populations
Authors: Malik Rubina , Weiss Erica F. , Gottesman Reena , Zwerling Jessica , Verghese Joe
Published: May 2018

Objectives

To describe the psychometric properties of the Picture‐based Memory Impairment Screen (PMIS) in a multidisciplinary memory disorder center serving an ethnically and educationally diverse community.

Design

Cross‐sectional cohort study.

Setting

Montefiore Center for Aging Brain (CAB)

Participants

Individuals with cognitive complaints (N=405; average age 76±10, 66% female).

Measurements

A geriatrician or neurologist administered the PMIS, and a neuropsychologist administered the Blessed Information, Memory, and Concentration (BIMC) test and determined whether participants had dementia, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), or subjective cognitive complaints (SCC).

Results

Mean PMIS scores were 4.0±2.6 in participants with dementia (n=194), 6.8±1.5 in those with MCI (n= 155), and 7.0±1.8 in those with SCC (n= 56) (p<.001). PMIS scores showed similar significant linear trends when analyzed according to ethnicity, education, sex, and language. The PMIS was negatively correlated with BIMC score (p<.001). The PMIS had positive predictive value of 77%, negative predictive value of 73%, sensitivity of 68%, and specificity of 81% to detect all‐cause dementia in this population of individuals with cognitive complaints.

Conclusion

The PMIS is a quick, valid screening tool to identify cognitive impairment in individuals with cognitive complaints that accounts for cultural and educational differences.
The zinc fingers of the small optic lobes calpain bind polyubiquitin
Authors: Hastings Margaret H. , Qiu Alvin , Zha Congyao , Farah Carole A. , Mahdid Yacine , Ferguson Larissa , Sossin Wayne S.
Published: May 2018

The small optic lobes (SOL) calpain is a highly conserved member of the calpain family expressed in the nervous system. A dominant negative form of the SOL calpain inhibited consolidation of one form of synaptic plasticity, non‐associative facilitation, in sensory‐motor neuronal cultures in Aplysia, presumably by inhibiting cleavage of protein kinase Cs (PKCs) into constitutively active protein kinase Ms (PKMs) (Hu et al. 2017a). SOL calpains have a conserved set of 5–6 N‐terminal zinc fingers. Bioinformatic analysis suggests that these zinc fingers could bind to ubiquitin. In this study, we show that both the Aplysia and mouse SOL calpain (also known as Calpain 15) zinc fingers bind ubiquitinated proteins, and we confirm that Aplysia SOL binds poly‐ but not mono‐ or diubiquitin. No specific zinc finger is required for polyubiquitin binding. Neither polyubiquitin nor calcium was sufficient to induce purified Aplysia SOL calpain to autolyse or to cleave the atypical PKC to PKM in vitro. In Aplysia, over‐expression of the atypical PKC in sensory neurons leads to an activity‐dependent cleavage event and an increase in nuclear ubiquitin staining. Activity‐dependent cleavage is partially blocked by a dominant negative SOL calpain, but not by a dominant negative classical calpain. The cleaved PKM was stabilized by the dominant negative classical calpain and destabilized by a dominant negative form of the PKM stabilizing protein KIdney/BRAin protein. These studies provide new insight into SOL calpain's function and regulation.

Open Practices

Open Science: This manuscript was awarded with the Open Materials Badge.

For more information see: https://cos.io/our-services/open-science-badges/

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Automatic Generation of Semantically Rich As‐Built Building Information Models Using 2D Images: A Derivative‐Free Optimization Approach
Authors: Xue Fan , Lu Weisheng , Chen Ke
Published: May 2018

Over the past decade a considerable number of studies have focused on generating semantically rich as‐built building information models (BIMs). However, the prevailing methods rely on laborious manual segmentation or automatic but error‐prone segmentation. In addition, the methods failed to make good use of existing semantics sources. This article presents a novel segmentation‐free derivative‐free optimization (DFO) approach that translates the generation of as‐built BIMs from 2D images into an optimization problem of fitting BIM components regarding architectural and topological constraints. The semantics of the BIMs are subsequently enriched by linking the fitted components with existing semantics sources. The approach was prototyped in two experiments using an outdoor and an indoor case, respectively. The results showed that in the outdoor case 12 out of 13 BIM components were correctly generated within 1.5 hours, and in the indoor case all target BIM components were correctly generated with a root‐mean‐square deviation (RMSD) of 3.9 cm in about 2.5 hours. The main computational novelties of this study are: (1) to translate the automatic as‐built BIM generation from 2D images as an optimization problem; (2) to develop an effective and segmentation‐free approach that is fundamentally different from prevailing methods; and (3) to exploit online open BIM component information for semantic enrichment, which, to a certain extent, alleviates the dilemma between information inadequacy and information overload in BIM development.
Evidence for the presence of Ctenocephalides orientis in livestock dwellings in northwest Iran
Authors: Seyyed‐Zadeh S. J. , Bozorg‐Omid F. , Telmadarraiy Z. , Terenius O. , Chavshin A. R.
Published: May 2018

Fleas are important vectors of diseases such as murine typhus, tularaemia, hymenolepiasis and plague. The presence of active foci and history of human‐ and flea‐transmitted plague in northwest Iran prompted the present group to collect and identify fleas from human and livestock dwellings across West Azerbaijan Province. Adult fleas were collected and identified using routine taxonomic keys. Species designation was confirmed by sequencing the cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI). Of the collected specimens (n = 989), 104 were collected off‐host (30 from human dwellings and 74 in light traps) and the rest were found on hosts (107 on animals and 778 by human bait). Of these fleas, 394 (40%) were male and 595 (60%) were female. The collected specimens belonged to the species Ctenocephalides canis, Ctenocephalides felis, Ctenocephalides orientis and Pulex irritans (all: Siphonaptera: Pulicidae). The amplified COI fragment, in addition to confirming the morphological identification of species, showed good efficacy in separating the different species in the phylogenetic analysis. In addition to the identification of fleas from human and livestock dwellings using morphological and molecular characteristics, the current paper represents the first report of the presence of C. orientis in northwest Iran. This finding suggests that changing climate conditions may have expanded the distribution of this species.
Acoustics of Idakkā: An Indian snare drum with definite pitch
Authors: Jose Kevin , Chatterjee Anindya , Gupta Anurag
Published: May 2018

The vibration of a homogeneous circular membrane backed by two taut strings is shown to yield several harmonic overtones for a wide range of physical and geometric parameters. Such a membrane is present at each end of the barrel of an idakkā, an Indian snare drum well known for its rich musicality. The audio recordings of the musical drum are analyzed and a case is made for the strong sense of pitch associated with the drum. A computationally inexpensive model of the string-membrane interaction is proposed assuming the strings to be without inertia. The interaction essentially entails wrapping/unwrapping of the string around a curve on the deforming membrane unlike the colliding strings in Western snare drums. The range of parameters for which harmonicity is achieved is examined and is found to be conforming with what is used in actual drum playing and construction.
A Comprehensive Method to Measure 3-Dimensional Bra Motion During Physical Activity
Authors: Arch Elisa S. , Colón Sarah , Richards James G.
Published: May 2018

Breast and bra motion research aims to understand how the breasts/bra move to aid development of apparel that minimizes motion. Most previously published research has tracked nipple motion to represent bra motion. However, this method does not provide information regarding regional tissue motion. A more comprehensive approach might facilitate understanding how the entire soft-tissue mass moves during physical activities. This study developed and tested an objective method to comprehensively measure 3-dimensional bra motion, including regional displacement and velocity, displacement phasing, and surface stretch. To test the method, 6 females were fitted with a minimally supportive, seamless bra (small bra n = 3; large bra n = 3). Data were collected as participants ran on a treadmill. Results indicated marker displacement, velocity, link stretch, and link stretch velocities reached as high as 52.6 (6.8) mm, 504.8 (88.7) mm/s, 29.5% (7.1%) of minimum length, and 3.8 (1.0) mm/s/mm, respectively, with the large bra having greater motions compared with the small. Most bra motion occurred above/below the nipple region and at the bra’s strap–body interface, independent of bra size. Importantly, maximum marker displacement and velocity did not occur at the nipple. Measurements obtained from this new method may be important for designing innovative clothing that minimizes bra motion during physical activity.
Effect of Puck Mass as a Task Constraint on Skilled and Less-Skilled Ice Hockey Players Performance
Authors: Nimmins Joshua , Strafford Ben , Stone Joseph
Published: May 2018

Manipulation of task constraints have previously been effective in task simplification enhancing skill development. This study examines how manipulation of puck masses affects movement behaviors in skilled and less-skilled ice hockey players during a representative ice hockey task. Fifty participants were separated into a skilled (n = 25) or less-skilled (n = 25) group. Three trials per condition of an obstacle course and breakaway goal attempt were completed in a counter-balanced design using three puck masses, categorized as light (133 g), regulation (170 g), and heavy (283 g). Findings revealed that use of the light puck by less-skilled participants reduced obstacle-course completion time (p < .05,) and error occurrence (p < .05,) while improving shot accuracy (p < .05,) and goal success (p < .05,) compared to the regulation and heavy puck. However, skilled participants had a decrease in performance when deviating from the regulation puck for all the dependent measures excluding an increase in goal success when using the light puck (p < .05,). Findings demonstrated the functional coupling of puck mass and movement behaviors are dependent on the skill level of the performer.
Kinesio® Tape Barrier Does Not Inhibit Intramuscular Cooling During Cryotherapy
Authors: Lyman Katie J. , McCrone Michael , Hanson Thomas A. , Mellinger Christopher D. , Gange Kara
Published: May 2018

Context:Allied health care professionals commonly apply cryotherapy as treatment for acute musculoskeletal trauma and the associated symptoms. Understanding the impact of a tape barrier on intramuscular temperature can assist in determining treatment duration for effective cryotherapy.Objective:To determine whether Kinesio®Tape acts as a barrier that affects intramuscular temperature during cryotherapy application.Design:A repeated-measures, counterbalanced design in which the independent variable was tape application and the dependent variable was muscle temperature as measured by thermocouples placed 1 cm beneath the adipose layer. Additional covariates for robustness were body mass index and adipose thickness.Setting:University research laboratory.Participants:Nineteen male college students with no contraindications to cryotherapy, no known sensitivity to Kinesio®Tape, and no reported quadriceps injury within the past 6 months.Intervention:Topical cryotherapy: cubed ice bags of 1 kg and 0.5 kg.Main Outcome Measures:Intramuscular temperature.Results:The tape barrier had no statistically significant effect on muscle temperature. The pattern of temperature change was indistinguishable between participants with and without tape application.Conclusions:Findings suggest that health care professionals can combine cryotherapy with a Kinesio®Tape application without any need for adjustments to cryotherapy duration.
Reliability of 5 Novel Reaction Time and Cognitive Load Protocols
Authors: Picha Kelsey , Quintana Carolina , Glueck Amanda , Hoch Matt , Heebner Nicholas R. , Abt John P.
Published: May 2018

Context: Reaction time (RT) is crucial to athletic performance. Therefore, when returning athletes to play following injury, it is important to evaluate RT characteristics ensuring a safe return. The Dynavision D2® system may be utilized as an assessment and rehabilitation aid in the determination of RT under various levels of cognitive load. Previous research has demonstrated good reliability of simple protocols when assessed following a 24- to 48-hour test–retest window. Expanding reliable test–retest intervals may further refine novel RT protocols for use as a diagnostic and rehabilitation tool. Objective: To investigate the test–retest reliability of a battery of 5 novel RT protocols at different time intervals. Design: Repeated measures/reliability. Setting: Interdisciplinary sports medicine research laboratory. Participants: Thirty healthy individuals. Methods: Participants completed a battery of protocols increasing in difficulty in terms of reaction speed requirement and cognitive load. Prior to testing, participants were provided 3 familiarization trials. All protocols required participants to hit as many lights as quickly as possible in 60 seconds. After completing the initial testing session (session 1), participants waited 1 hour before completing the second session (session 2). Approximately 2 weeks later (average 14 [4] d), the participants completed the same battery of tasks for the third session (session 3). Main Outcome Measures: The intraclass correlation coefficient, standard error of measurement, minimal detectable change, and repeated-measures analysis of variance were calculated for RT. Results: The intraclass correlation coefficient values for each of the 5 protocols illustrated good to excellent reliability between sessions 1, 2, and 3 (.75–.90). There were no significant differences across time points (F < 0.105, P > .05). Conclusions: The 1-hour and 14-day test–retest intervals are reliable for clinical assessment, expanding the time frames previously reported in the literature of when assessments can be completed reliably. This study provides novel protocols that challenge cognition in unique ways.
Relationship Between Middle Trapezius Muscle Activation and Acromiohumeral Distance Change During Shoulder Elevation With Scapular Retraction
Authors: Guney-Deniz Hande , Harput Gulcan , Toprak Ugur , Duzgun Irem
Published: May 2018

Context: The scapular retraction exercises are widely used among clinicians to balance the activity of the scapular muscles as well as the rotator cuff muscles in different shoulder abduction positions. Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between scapular (middle and upper trapezius) and shoulder muscles (middle deltoid and infraspinatus) activation level differences and acromiohumeral distance changes during shoulder abduction with scapular retraction. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: University research laboratory. Participants: Nineteen asymptomatic individuals were included (mean [SD]: age = 22.4 [1.8] y). Main Outcome Measure: The acromiohumeral distance was measured at 0° and 90° shoulder abduction when the scapula was in nonretracted and retracted position with ultrasound imaging. The relationship between muscle activation level changes and acromiohumeral distance difference was analyzed with the Pearson correlation test. Results: Middle trapezius muscle activity change correlated with acromiohumeral distance difference (r = .55, P = .02) from 0° to 90° shoulder abduction when scapula was retracted. For both nonretracted and retracted scapular positions, no correlations were found between middle deltoid, infraspinatus, and upper trapezius muscle activity changes with acromiohumeral distance differences during shoulder abduction (P > .05). Conclusions: Active scapular retraction exercise, especially focusing on the middle trapezius muscle activation, seems to be an effective treatment option to optimize the acromiohumeral distance during shoulder abduction.
Medium effect on the α-effect for nucleophilic substitution reactions of p-nitrophenyl acetate with benzohydroxamates and m-chlorophenoxide in DMSO–H2O mixtures as contrasts with MeCN–H2O mixtures: comparing two very different polar aprotic solvent components
Authors: Um Ik-Hwan , Moon Hyun-Jung , Shin Young-Hee , Dust Julian M.
Published: May 2018

A kinetic study is reported on nucleophilic substitution reactions of p-nitrophenyl acetate (1a) with three α-effect nucleophiles, benzohydroxamate (BHA–), p-methylbenzohydroxamate (MBHA–), and p-methyl-N-methylbenzohydroxamate (M2BHA–), and a reference nucleophile, m-chlorophenoxide (m-ClPhO–), in DMSO–H2O mixtures of varying compositions at 25.0 ± 0.1 °C. Second-order rate constants for the reactions with BHA– and MBHA– decrease upon addition of DMSO to the reaction medium up to 60 mol % DMSO and then increase thereafter only a little. In contrast, M2BHA– and m-ClPhO– become much more reactive as the DMSO content in the medium increases. Such contrasting medium effects on reactivity are consistent with the report that hydroxamic acids behave as OH acids in H2O but as NH acids in dipolar aprotic solvents (e.g., DMSO and MeCN). It has been concluded that BHA– and MBHA– form an equilibrium of a reactive form I with less reactive species II in DMSO–H2O mixtures and the position of the equilibrium is dependent on solvent compositions. BHA– and MBHA– exhibit the α-effect in H2O but not in in 90 mol % DMSO. In contrast, the α-effect yielded by M2BHA– increases steeply up to 70 mol % DMSO and then levels off thereafter.
GR and classical mechanics: Magic?
Authors: Newman Ezra
Published: May 2018

A new fundamental ingredient is introduced in the study of Asymptotically Flat Einstein–Maxwell Spacetimes, namely the change of coordinate systems from the standard ones constructed from the infinite number of possible Bondi null surfaces to those based on the four complex-parameter set, [Formula: see text], of Asymptotically Shear–Free (ASF) null surfaces. ASF coordinate systems are determined by “world-lines” in the parameter space, [Formula: see text]. Setting a Weyl tensor component, defined as the complex-mass-dipole, to zero, a unique complex center of mass/charge “world-line” is obtained. From this line and Bianchi identities, much of classical mechanics is directly obtained: spin, orbital angular momentum, kinematic momentum, angular momentum conservation, energy–momentum conservation, Newton’s second law with Abraham–Lorentz–Dirac radiation reaction, Rocket force and Dirac g-factor.
Words Are Important
Authors: Basiri Mohammad Ehsan , Kabiri Arman
Published: May 2018

Lexicon-based sentiment analysis (SA) aims to address the problem of extracting people’s opinions from their comments on the Web using a predefined lexicon of opinionated words. In contrast to the machine learning (ML) approach, lexicon-based methods are domain-independent methods that do not need a large annotated training corpus and hence are faster. This makes the lexicon-based approach prevalent in the SA community. However, the story is different for the Persian language. In contrast to English, using the lexicon-based method in Persian is a new discipline. There are rather limited resources available for SA in Persian, making the accuracy of the existing lexicon-based methods lower than other languages. In the current study, first an exhaustive investigation of the lexicon-based method is performed. Then two new resources are introduced to address the problem of resource scarcity for SA in Persian: a carefully labeled lexicon of sentiment words, PerLex, and a new handmade dataset of about 16,000 rated documents, PerView. Moreover, a new hybrid method using both ML and the lexicon-based approach is presented in which PerLex words are used to train the ML algorithm. Experiments are carried out on our new PerView dataset. Results indicate that the accuracy of PerLex is higher than the existing CNRC, Adjectives, SentiStrength, PerSent, and LexiPers lexicons. In addition, the results show that using PerLex significantly decreases the execution time of the proposed system in comparison to the above-mentioned lexicons. Moreover, the results demonstrate the excellence of using opinionated lexicon terms followed by bigrams as the features employed in the ML method.
Differentiating Clear Channel Assessment Using Transmit Power Variation
Authors: King Alex , Roedig Utz
Published: May 2018

Clear Channel Assessment (CCA) is a core element of Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) Medium Access Control (MAC) protocols which is used on the transmitter and receiver sides. Current CCA implementations cannot determine the device type occupying the media, leaving nodes unable to differentiate between WSN traffic and interference. However, this would be valuable as MAC protocols benefit from reacting differently depending on the channel occupier. In this article, we describe a method called Power Differentiating Clear Channel Assessment (P-DCCA). Transmitters vary the output power of the radio while the packet is being sent. Receivers are able to identify signals with this characteristic, enabling a Differentiating Clear Channel Assessment (DCCA) check to reveal if the medium is currently occupied by WSN traffic or other interference. We present an implementation and thorough evaluation of Power P-DCCA. Using ContikiMAC as an example, we describe how P-DCCA can be integrated within MAC protocols. We show via large-scale testbed experiments and deployments that P-DCCA enabled networks have a significant improved performance. For example, we show that a P-DCCA enabled network can improve Packet Reception Rate (PRR) by up to a factor of 10 while reducing energy usage by more than 80% under heavy interference.
Lower FOXP3 mRNA Expression in First-Trimester Decidual Tissue from Uncomplicated Term Pregnancies with a Male Fetus
Authors: Kieffer Tom E. C. , Laskewitz Anne , Faas Marijke M. , Scherjon Sicco A. , Erwich Jan Jaap H. M. , Gordijn Sanne J. , Prins Jelmer R.
Published: May 2018

Pregnancies with a male fetus are associated with higher risks of pregnancy complications through maladaptation of the maternal immune system. The pathophysiology of this phenomenon is unknown. A possible pathway could be a fetal sex-dependent maternal immune response, since males have a Y chromosome encoding specific allogenic proteins, possibly contributing to a different response and higher complication risks. To analyze whether fetal sex affects mRNA expression of maternal immune genes in early pregnancy, real-time PCR quantification was performed in the decidual tissue from primigravid pregnancies (n=20) between 10 and 12 weeks with uncomplicated term outcomes. Early-pregnancy decidual mRNA expression of the regulatory T-cell marker, FOXP3, was sixfold lower (p<0.01) in pregnancies with a male fetus compared to pregnancies with a female fetus. Additionally, mRNA expression of IFNγ was sixfold (p<0.05) lower in pregnancies with a male fetus. The present data imply maternal immunologic differences between pregnancies with male and female fetuses which could be involved in different pregnancy pathophysiologic outcomes. Moreover, this study indicates that researchers in reproductive immunology should always consider fetal sex bias.
PD-L1 Expression and CD8+ T Cell Infiltration Predict a Favorable Prognosis in Advanced Gastric Cancer
Authors: Wang Yangyang , Zhu Chunchao , Song Wei , Li Jun , Zhao Gang , Cao Hui
Published: May 2018

Advanced gastric cancer (AGC) has high morbidity and mortality in East Asia, and it is urgent to explore new treatments to improve patient prognosis. Programmed death-1 (PD-1)/programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) inhibitors have exhibited remarkable activity in clinical trials and were approved by the FDA for clinical therapy in several types of tumors. Here, we evaluated PD-L1 expression and T cell infiltration in AGC. Positive tumor PD-L1 expression was detected in 171 AGCs (33.60%) out of 509 AGCs. PD-L1 expression was positively correlated with CD8+ T cell infiltration. Then, PD-L1 and CD8A mRNA expression was analyzed using gastric cancer data from the TCGA database, confirming a positive correlation. Patient survival was assessed according to PD-L1 status and the T cell infiltration density. PD-L1 expression and a high density of CD8+ T cells in AGCs were associated with improved prognosis, whereas no significant difference was noted between PD-1 and CD3 expression. In contrast, a high density of FOXP3+ T cells in AGCs indicated a poor prognosis. Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that CD8+ T cell density acts as an independent predictor of overall survival (OS) in AGC patients. Taken together, this study further highlights targets for immune checkpoint-based therapy in AGC.
Antidiarrheal and Antioxidant Activities of Methanol Extract of Bryophyllum pinnatum Leaf Harvested from South-Eastern Nigeria in Mice
Authors: Onoja Samuel O. , Ihejirika Ginika Q. , Nwankudu Oluchi N. , Omeh Yusuf N. , Ezeja Maxwell I.
Published: May 2018

Bryophyllum pinnatum belongs to the family Crassulaceae and it is commonly used in the ethnomedical practices. This study investigated the antidiarrheal and antioxidant properties of methanol extract of Bryophyllum pinnatum leaf harvested from South-Eastern Nigeria in mice. Cold maceration method in 80% methanol was adopted in the extract preparation. The 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays were used to evaluate the antioxidant property while castor oil-induced diarrhea, small intestinal transit, and enteropooling models were used for the antidiarrheal investigation. The effects of the extract (50, 100, and 200 mg/kg) were compared to distilled water (10 ml/kg) and loperamide (5 mg/kg). The extract produced concentration dependent increase in antioxidant effect in both DPPH and FRAP assay. The extract caused a significant (p<0.05) reduction in mean stool output, percentage of wet stools, small intestinal transit, and intestinal fluid accumulation in the treated mice when compared to the distilled water treated mice. The study validates the use of Bryophyllum pinnatum in the ethnomedical management of diarrhea.