bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Investment in territorial defence relates to recent reproductive success in common loons Gavia immer
Authors: Spool Jeremy A. , Riters Lauren V. , Piper Walter H.
Published: June 2017

As the value of a limited resource such as a territory increases, animals should invest more in the defence of that resource. Because reproductive success often depends on the quality of a breeding territory, reproductive success or failure may alter the perceived value of territory and affect an animal's investment in territorial defence. We used common loons Gavia immer to test the hypothesis that animals with recent breeding success would show stronger territorial defence than those with no recent breeding success. Surprisingly, successful loons responded less, not more, to a simulated intrusion. However, birds with success in the previous season also increased their territorial response as the breeding season progressed. In conjunction with past data showing that recently successful loons experience an increase in conspecific intrusions on their territories, we interpret our data to suggest that loons with recent success offset the cost of increased intrusions by adopting a more efficient strategy for territorial defence (e.g. limiting investment in resource defence until the time of the season when it is most critical).
Video instruction with explanation to another person for intellectually disabled students
Authors: Blik H. , Harskamp E.G. , van Leeuwen S. , Hoekstra R.
Published: June 2017

Intellectually disabled (ID) students in secondary education are often taught in an individual setting where video instruction is used. Especially, when the instruction is about complex assignments, many students may forget parts of it. In this study, we tried to find out if prompting ID students to explain video instruction would help them to improve their performance. Research with regular students indicated that explaining instructional materials can be effective (Roy & Chi, 2005).

In a first experiment with 41 ID students in Dutch secondary education, we varied the complexity of assignments and compared students who first watched and then explained video instruction of assignments (n=21) with students who watched twice but were not required to explain (n=20). It turned out that only for complex assignments, explaining to another person was more effective for students' task performance than just watch video instruction.

In the second experiment with 58 ID students, we repeated the study with complex assignments. The students in the experimental group (n=29) improved more after explaining video instructions than the students who only watched videos (n=29). The experimental group also had a more complete mental representation of an assignment and could better assess how well they had performed it.
Vitamin D3 ameliorates podocyte injury through the nephrin signalling pathway
Authors: Trohatou Ourania , Tsilibary Effie‐Fotini , Charonis Aristidis , Iatrou Christos , Drossopoulou Garyfalia
Published: June 2017

Renal podocytes form the main filtration barrier possessing unique phenotype maintained by proteins including podocalyxin and nephrin, which are modulated in pathological conditions. In diabetic nephropathy (DN), podocytes become structurally and functionally compromised. Nephrin, a structural backbone protein of the slit diaphragm, acts as regulator of podocyte intracellular signalling with renoprotective role. Vitamin D3 through its receptor, VDR, provides renal protection in DN but limited data exist about its effect on podocytes. In this study, we used isolated rat glomeruli to assess podocalyxin and nephrin expression after treatment with the 1,25‐dihydroxyvitamin D3 analogue paricalcitol in the presence of normal and diabetic glucose levels. The role of 1,25‐dihydroxyvitamin D3 (calcitriol) and its analogue, paricalcitol, on podocyte morphology and survival was also investigated in the streptozotocin (STZ)‐diabetic animal model. In our ex vivo model, glomeruli exhibited high glucose‐mediated down‐regulation of podocalyxin, and nephrin, while paricalcitol reversed the high glucose‐induced decrease of nephrin and podocalyxin expression. Paricalcitol treatment enhanced VDR expression and promoted VDR and RXR co‐localization in the nucleus. Our data also indicated that hyperglycaemia impaired survival of cultured glomeruli and suggested that the implemented nephrin down‐regulation was reversed by paricalcitol treatment, initiating Akt signal transduction which may be involved in glomerular survival. Our findings were further verified in vivo, as in the STZ‐diabetic animal model, calcitriol and paricalcitol treatment resulted in significant amelioration of hyperglycaemia and restoration of nephrin signalling, suggesting that calcitriol and paricalcitol may provide molecular bases for protection against loss of the permselective renal barrier in DN.
Social isolation stress and chronic glutathione deficiency have a common effect on the glutamine‐to‐glutamate ratio and myo‐inositol concentration in the mouse frontal cortex
Authors: Corcoba Alberto , Gruetter Rolf , Do Kim Q. , Duarte João M.N.
Published: June 2017

Environmental stress can interact with genetic predisposition to increase the risk of developing psychopathology. In this work, we tested the hypothesis that social isolation stress interacts with impaired glutathione synthesis and have cumulative effects on the neurochemical profile of the frontal cortex. A mouse model with chronic glutathione deficit induced by knockout (−/−) of the glutamate‐cysteine ligase modulatory subunit (Gclm) was exposed to social isolation stress from weaning to post‐natal day 65. Using magnetic resonance methods at high‐field (14.1 T), we analysed the neurochemical profile in the frontal cortex, brain size and ventricular volume of adult animals. Glutathione deficit was accompanied by elevated concentrations of N‐acetylaspartate, alanine, and glutamine, as well as the ratio of glutamine‐to‐glutamate (Gln/Glu), and by a reduction in levels of myo‐inositol and choline‐containing compounds in the frontal cortex of −/− animals with respect to wild‐type littermates. Although there was no significant interaction between social isolation stress and glutathione deficiency, mice reared in isolation displayed lower myo‐inositol concentration (−8.4%, p < 0.05) and larger Gln/Glu (+7.6%, p < 0.05), relative to those in group housing. Furthermore, glutathione deficiency caused a reduction in whole brain volume and enlargement of ventricles, but social isolation had no effect on these parameters. We conclude that social isolation caused neurochemical alterations that may add to those associated to impaired glutathione synthesis.

image
Temperature variation, bacterial diversity and fungal infection dynamics in the amphibian skin
Authors: Longo Ana V. , Zamudio Kelly R.
Published: June 2017

Host‐associated bacterial communities on the skin act as the first line of defence against invading pathogens. Yet, for most natural systems, we lack a clear understanding of how temperature variability affects structure and composition of skin bacterial communities and, in turn, promotes or limits the colonization of opportunistic pathogens. Here, we examine how natural temperature fluctuations might be related to changes in skin bacterial diversity over time in three amphibian populations infected by the pathogenic fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd). Our focal host species (Eleutherodactylus coqui) is a direct‐developing frog that has suffered declines at some populations in the last 20 years, while others have not experienced any changes. We quantified skin bacterial alpha‐ and beta‐diversity at four sampling time points, a period encompassing two seasons and ample variation in natural infections and environmental conditions. Despite the different patterns of infection across populations, we detected an overall increase in bacterial diversity through time, characterized by the replacement of bacterial operational taxonomic units (OTUs). Increased frog body temperatures possibly allowed the colonization of bacteria as well as the recruitment of a subset of indicator OTUs, which could have promoted the observed changes in diversity patterns. Our results suggest that natural environmental fluctuations might be involved in creating opportunities for bacterial replacement, potentially attenuating pathogen transmission and thus contributing to host persistence in E. coqui populations.
Cis‐regulatory evolution in a wild primate: Infection‐associated genetic variation drives differential expression of MHC‐DQA1 in vitro
Authors: Simons Noah D. , Eick Geeta N. , Ruiz‐Lopez Maria J. , Omeja Patrick A. , Chapman Colin A. , Goldberg Tony L. , Ting Nelson , Sterner Kirstin N.
Published: June 2017

Few studies have combined genetic association analyses with functional characterization of infection‐associated SNPs in natural populations of nonhuman primates. Here, we investigate the relationship between host genetic variation, parasitism and natural selection in a population of red colobus (Procolobus rufomitratus tephrosceles) in Kibale National Park, Uganda. We collected parasitological, cellular and genomic data to test the following hypotheses: (i) MHC‐DQA1 regulatory genetic variation is associated with control of whipworm (Trichuris) infection in a natural population of red colobus; (ii) infection‐associated SNPs are functional in driving differential gene expression in vitro; and (iii) balancing selection has shaped patterns of variation in the MHC‐DQA1 promoter. We identified two SNPs in the MHC‐DQA1 promoter, both in transcription factor binding sites, and both of which are associated with decreased control of Trichuris infection. We characterized the function of both SNPs by testing differences in gene expression between the two alleles of each SNP in two mammalian cell lines. Alleles of one of the SNPs drove differential gene expression in both cell lines, while the other SNP drove differences in expression in one of the cell lines. Additionally, we found evidence of balancing selection acting on the MHC‐DQA1 promoter, including extensive trans‐species polymorphisms between red colobus and other primates, and an excess of intermediate‐frequency alleles relative to genome‐wide, coding and noncoding RADseq data. Our data suggest that balancing selection provides adaptive regulatory flexibility that outweighs the consequences of increased parasite infection intensity in heterozygotes.
Demographic model selection using random forests and the site frequency spectrum
Authors: Smith Megan L. , Ruffley Megan , Espíndola Anahí , Tank David C. , Sullivan Jack , Carstens Bryan C.
Published: June 2017

Phylogeographic data sets have grown from tens to thousands of loci in recent years, but extant statistical methods do not take full advantage of these large data sets. For example, approximate Bayesian computation (ABC) is a commonly used method for the explicit comparison of alternate demographic histories, but it is limited by the “curse of dimensionality” and issues related to the simulation and summarization of data when applied to next‐generation sequencing (NGS) data sets. We implement here several improvements to overcome these difficulties. We use a Random Forest (RF) classifier for model selection to circumvent the curse of dimensionality and apply a binned representation of the multidimensional site frequency spectrum (mSFS) to address issues related to the simulation and summarization of large SNP data sets. We evaluate the performance of these improvements using simulation and find low overall error rates (~7%). We then apply the approach to data from Haplotrema vancouverense, a land snail endemic to the Pacific Northwest of North America. Fifteen demographic models were compared, and our results support a model of recent dispersal from coastal to inland rainforests. Our results demonstrate that binning is an effective strategy for the construction of a mSFS and imply that the statistical power of RF when applied to demographic model selection is at least comparable to traditional ABC algorithms. Importantly, by combining these strategies, large sets of models with differing numbers of populations can be evaluated.
Effects of different‐intensity laser acupuncture at two adjacent same‐meridian acupoints on nitric oxide and soluble guanylate cyclase releases in human
Authors: Jiang Wan‐Ling , Wei Hua‐Jiang , Guo Zhou‐Yi , Ni Yi‐Rong , Yang Hong‐Qin , Xie Shu‐Sen
Published: June 2017

Objectives

The aim of this study was to detect the influences of LA at nonacupoint and two adjacent acupoints of pericardium meridian on the releases of NO and sGC in 20 healthy subjects.

Methods

Different intensities (12, 24, 48 mW) of infrared laser were used for irradiating Jianshi (PC5), Ximen (PC4) acupoints and nonacupoint for 20, 40 minutes, respectively. Semi‐circular tubes were taped to the skin surface and filled with NO‐scavenging compound for 20 minutes to capture NO and sGC, which were measured using spectrophotometry in a blinded fashion.

Results

As the increase in the intensity of LA stimulation, the levels of NO releases over acupoints all were significantly increased, NO releases in nonacupoints following the same treatment only changed slightly, sGC amounts were observably enhanced over acupoints, but did not any change in nonacupoint area. Different intensities of LA treatments can sensitively affect the NO and sGC releases over acupoints. This indicated that LA‐induced releases of the NO and sGC were specific to acupoints.

Conclusions

This is the first evidence reporting that LA induced significant elevations of NO‐sGC releases over acupoints, and the enhanced signal molecules contribute to local circulation, which improves the beneficial effects of the therapy.
Green leaf volatile production by plants: a meta‐analysis
Authors: Ameye Maarten , Allmann Silke , Verwaeren Jan , Smagghe Guy , Haesaert Geert , Schuurink Robert C. , Audenaert Kris
Published: June 2017

Summary666I.Introduction667II.Biosynthesis667III.Meta‐analysis669IV.The type of stress influences the total amount of GLVs released669V.Herbivores can modulate the wound‐induced release of GLVs669VI.Fungal infection greatly induces GLV production672VII.Monocots and eudicots respond differentially to different types of stress673VIII.The type of stress does not influence the proportion of GLVs per chemical class673IX.The type of stress does influence the isomeric ratio within each chemical class674X.GLVs: from signal perception to signal transduction676XI.GLVs influence the C/N metabolism677XII.Interaction with plant hormones678XIII.General conclusions and unanswered questions678Acknowledgements679References679

Plants respond to stress by releasing biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs). Green leaf volatiles (GLVs), which are abundantly produced across the plant kingdom, comprise an important group within theBVOCs. They can repel or attract herbivores and their natural enemies; and they can induce plant defences or prime plants for enhanced defence against herbivores and pathogens and can have direct toxic effects on bacteria and fungi. Unlike other volatiles,GLVs are released almost instantly upon mechanical damage and (a)biotic stress and could thus function as an immediate and informative signal for many organisms in the plant's environment. We used a meta‐analysis approach in which data from the literature onGLVproduction during biotic stress responses were compiled and interpreted. We identified that different types of attackers and feeding styles add a degree of complexity to the amount of emittedGLVs, compared with wounding alone. This meta‐analysis illustrates that there is less variation in theGLVprofile than we presumed, that pathogens induce moreGLVs than insects and wounding, and that there are clear differences inGLVemission between monocots and dicots. Besides the meta‐analysis, this review provides an update on recent insights into the perception and signalling ofGLVs in plants.
Setting the dry weight and its cardiovascular implications
Authors: Sinha Arjun D. , Agarwal Rajiv
Published: June 2017

Volume overload is common and associated with adverse outcomes in the hemodialysis population including systemic hypertension, pulmonary hypertension, left ventricular hypertrophy, and mortality. Since the beginning of the era of maintenance dialysis, prescribing and maintaining a dry weight remains the standard of care for managing volume overload on hemodialysis. Reducing dry weight even by relatively small amounts has been shown to improve blood pressure and has been associated with reductions in left ventricular hypertrophy. Maintaining an adequately low dry weight requires attention to sodium intake and adequate time on dialysis, as well as a high index of suspicion for volume overload. Reducing dry weight can provoke decreased cardiac chamber filling and is associated with risks including intradialytic hypotension. The ideal method to minimize intradialytic morbidity is unknown, but more frequent dialysis should be considered. Experimental methods of assessing volume status may allow identification of patients most likely both to tolerate and to benefit from dry weight reduction, but further study is needed.
Ultrahigh dose gentamicin alters inflammation and angiogenesis in vivo and in vitro
Authors: Olekson Melissa A. , Rose Lloyd F. , Carlsson Anders H. , Fletcher John L. , Leung Kai P. , Chan Rodney K.
Published: June 2017

Skin quality outcome after skin grafting is adversely affected by wound bed inflammation. Neomycin, gentamicin, and other aminoglycoside antibiotics are known to modulate inflammation, and topical application affords the use of higher doses than are possible to use systemically. Previous data suggest that clinically relevant doses of neomycin, but not gentamicin, may impair angiogenesis, which is critical to the durable survival of skin grafts. The role of gentamicin at ultrahigh doses compared with clinically relevant neomycin doses in regulating inflammatory expression and angiogenesis has been examined. In a porcine skin replacement excisional wound model, continuous exposure to gentamicin increased anti‐angiogenic and inflammatory expression at 7 days postgrafting. In in vitro studies, gentamicin also impaired angiogenesis in a human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) tube formation model, increased the expression of the anti‐angiogenic gene C‐X‐C motif chemokine 10 (CXCL10) in HUVECs and macrophages, and increased pro‐inflammatory cytokine expression of macrophages in a dose‐dependent manner. Neomycin exerted similar effects in vitro at clinically relevant doses on HUVEC tube formation and macrophage pro‐inflammatory expression. CXCL10 was upregulated in macrophages, but did not exhibit a change in HUVECs with neomycin treatment. Ultrahigh doses of gentamicin and clinically relevant doses of neomycin affect inflammation and angiogenesis in in vivo and in vitro models. These findings suggest that topical administration of aminoglycosides have the potential to adversely influence early skin graft survival.
Auditory sensitivity of the tufted capuchin (Sapajus apella), a test of allometric predictions
Authors: Ramsier Marissa A. , Vinyard Christopher J. , Dominy Nathaniel J.
Published: June 2017

New World monkeys are a diverse primate group and a model for understanding hearing in mammals. However, comparable audiograms do not exist for the larger monkeys, making it difficult to test the hypothesized relationship between interaural distance and high-frequency hearing limit (i.e., the allometric model). Here, the auditory brainstem response (ABR) method is used to assess auditory sensitivity in four tufted capuchins (Sapajus apella), a large monkey with a large interaural distance. A primate-typical four-peak pattern in the ABR waveforms was found with peak latencies from ca. 2 to 12 ms after stimulus onset. Response amplitude decreased linearly with decreasing stimulus level (mean r2 = 0.93, standard deviation 0.14). Individual variation in each threshold was moderate (mean ± 7 dB). The 10-dB bandwidth of enhanced sensitivity was 2–16 kHz—a range comparable to smaller monkeys and congruent with the bandwidth of their vocal repertoire. In accord with the general principles of the allometric model, the 60-dB high-frequency limit of S. apella (26 kHz) is lower than those of smaller-headed monkeys; however, it is substantially lower than 44.7 kHz, the value predicted by the allometric model. These findings and other exceptions to the allometric model warrant cautious application and further investigation of other potential selective factors.
Flexible and stretchable power sources for wearable electronics
Authors: Zamarayeva Alla M. , Ostfeld Aminy E. , Wang Michael , Duey Jerica K. , Deckman Igal , Lechêne Balthazar P. , Davies Greg , Steingart Daniel A. , Arias Ana Claudia
Published: June 2017

Compliant battery design strategy for wearable power sources with high degree of flexibility and stretchability.
Tool-assisted rhythmic drumming in palm cockatoos shares key elements of human instrumental music
Authors: Heinsohn Robert , Zdenek Christina N. , Cunningham Ross B. , Endler John A. , Langmore Naomi E.
Published: June 2017

In a rare parallel with human instrumental music, wild palm cockatoos manufacture sound tools and produce a rhythmic beat.
Nondestructive imaging of atomically thin nanostructures buried in silicon
Authors: Gramse Georg , Kölker Alexander , Lim Tingbin , Stock Taylor J. Z. , Solanki Hari , Schofield Steven R. , Brinciotti Enrico , Aeppli Gabriel , Kienberger Ferry , Curson Neil J.
Published: June 2017

Microwave microscopy enables three-dimensional characterization of atomically thin semiconductor structures with nanometer precision.
Extraordinary linear dynamic range in laser-defined functionalized graphene photodetectors
Authors: De Sanctis Adolfo , Jones Gareth F. , Wehenkel Dominique J. , Bezares Francisco , Koppens Frank H. L. , Craciun Monica F. , Russo Saverio
Published: June 2017

Quenching thermoelectric effects in graphene leads to an extraordinary increase of the linear dynamic range in photodetectors.
A nearly water-saturated mantle transition zone inferred from mineral viscosity
Authors: Fei Hongzhan , Yamazaki Daisuke , Sakurai Moe , Miyajima Nobuyoshi , Ohfuji Hiroaki , Katsura Tomoo , Yamamoto Takafumi
Published: June 2017

The mantle transition zone contains 1 to 2 weight % water based on the viscosity difference between ringwoodite and bridgmanite.
Ultralight, scalable, and high-temperature–resilient ceramic nanofiber sponges
Authors: Wang Haolun , Zhang Xuan , Wang Ning , Li Yan , Feng Xue , Huang Ya , Zhao Chunsong , Liu Zhenglian , Fang Minghao , Ou Gang , Gao Huajian , Li Xiaoyan , Wu Hui
Published: June 2017

Scalable synthesis of ultralight, multifunctional, and high-temperature resilient ceramic nanofiber sponges by blow-spinning.
Ribosome rearrangements at the onset of translational bypassing
Authors: Agirrezabala Xabier , Samatova Ekaterina , Klimova Mariia , Zamora Miguel , Gil-Carton David , Rodnina Marina V. , Valle Mikel
Published: June 2017

Cryo–electron microscopy shows how the ribosome prepares for take-off to bypass a noncoding mRNA stretch.
Condensin II is anchored by TFIIIC and H3K4me3 in the mammalian genome and supports the expression of active dense gene clusters
Authors: Yuen Kobe C. , Slaughter Brian D. , Gerton Jennifer L.
Published: June 2017

Mammalian condensin II associates with specific sites via interactions with TFIIIC and H3K4me3 and supports gene expression.
Welding of 3D-printed carbon nanotube–polymer composites by locally induced microwave heating
Authors: Sweeney Charles B. , Lackey Blake A. , Pospisil Martin J. , Achee Thomas C. , Hicks Victoria K. , Moran Aaron G. , Teipel Blake R. , Saed Mohammad A. , Green Micah J.
Published: June 2017

RF heating of carbon nanotubes enables local welding and increased strength between 3D-printed thermoplastic layers.
Real-time quantitative analysis of metabolic flux in live cells using a hyperpolarized micromagnetic resonance spectrometer
Authors: Jeong Sangmoo , Eskandari Roozbeh , Park Sun Mi , Alvarez Julio , Tee Sui Seng , Weissleder Ralph , Kharas Michael G. , Lee Hakho , Keshari Kayvan R.
Published: June 2017

Hyperpolarized micro-NMR nondestructively analyzes metabolic activities in scant cells.
Morphology controls the thermoelectric power factor of a doped semiconducting polymer
Authors: Patel Shrayesh N. , Glaudell Anne M. , Peterson Kelly A. , Thomas Elayne M. , O’Hara Kathryn A. , Lim Eunhee , Chabinyc Michael L.
Published: June 2017

The orientational correlation length of domains in a semiconducting polymer controls its thermoelectric performance.
Draft Genome Sequence of Pseudomonas graminis PDD-13b-3, a Model Strain Isolated from Cloud Water
Authors: Besaury L. , Amato P. , Wirgot N. , Sancelme M. , Delort A. M.
Published: June 2017

The whole genome of
Pseudomonas graminis
PDD-13b-3, a strain of bacteria isolated from cloud water, was sequenced. This showed that this microorganism is equipped with genes that could potentially be involved in its survival in the atmosphere and clouds: those for oxidative stress and carbon starvation responses, DNA repair, and iron uptake.
Complete Genome of Chronic Bee Paralysis Virus Strain SLO/M92/2010, Detected from Apis mellifera
carnica
Authors: Jamnikar-Ciglenecki Urska , Toplak Ivan , Kuhar Urska
Published: June 2017

Chronic bee paralysis virus (CBPV) causes an infectious and contagious disease of adult honeybees. Here, we report the complete genome sequence of CBPV strain SLO/M92/2010. This is the first published complete genome of CBPV in
Apis mellifera
carnica
, which provides important additional knowledge about the divergence of the CBPV genome.
Tumour necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitor-induced isolated pleural granulomas: a rare adverse effect
Authors: Ali Muhammad Sajawal , Franco Rose , Dhotre Dheeraj , Rao Nagarjun
Published: June 2017

A 53-year-old man with a history of Crohn’s disease on infliximab, presented with several weeks of cough and dyspnoea. He had a right-sided pleural effusion, found to be exudative with lymphocytic predominance. He underwent right-sided video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) with biopsies and pleurodesis. Histopathology showed pleural-based non-caseating granulomas with unremarkable lung parenchyma. Cultures were only positive forPropionibacterium acnes. 8 months later, he was found to have a left-sided exudative, lymphocytic predominant pleural effusion. Left-sided VATS and biopsies again showed pleural-based non-caseating granulomas with normal lung parenchyma. Having ruled out an active infection and malignant lesions, we diagnosed infliximab-induced pleural granulomas. Infliximab was stopped. The patient continues to do well at 6 years of follow-up. We believe this is the first report of tumour necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitor-induced isolated pleural granulomas.P. acnesand cytokine imbalance might be responsible for the pathogenesis of TNF inhibitor-induced granulomas.
Treatment of polyarteritis nodosa with tocilizumab: a new therapeutic approach?
Authors: Saunier Aurélie , Issa Nahéma , Vandenhende Marie-Anne , Morlat Philippe , Doutre Marie-Sylvie , Bonnet Fabrice
Published: June 2017

We describe the effect of interleukin 6 (IL-6) blockade using tocilizumab (TCZ) for inducing and maintaining remission of refractory polyarteritis nodosa (PAN). Three patients with refractory PAN defined according to the American College of Rheumatology criteria were treated with TCZ infusions (8 mg/kg) on a monthly basis. All of them had severe cutaneous and articular involvement with elevated biological inflammatory markers. One suffered from a neuritis multiplex and one from renal and digestive damage. All three patients were dependent on high doses of glucocorticoids (above 0.5 mg/kg) and two of them were resistant to immunosuppressive drugs. All patients achieved and maintained clinical response and normalisation of the inflammation acute-phase proteins after a few weeks of treatment with TCZ. Prednisolone could be reduced by an average of 41–13 mg/day. These first case reports suggest that IL-6 blockade using TCZ could be a therapeutic alternative to induce remission in patients with polyarteritis nodosa resistant or intolerant to the reference treatment.
Safety of pulmonary function testing: data from 20 years
Authors: Roberts Cara , Ward Simon , Walsted Emil , Hull James H
Published: June 2017

Background

Pulmonary function testing (PFT) is a key investigation in the evaluation of individuals with respiratory symptoms; however, the safety of routine and specialised PFT testing has not been reported in a large data set. Using patient safety incident (PSI) records, we aimed to assess risk of PFT and to characterise these events and any associated risk factors.

Methods

In this single-centre audit, demographics and PSI data were collected and categorised for PFT performed between 1996 and 2016 and subdivided into cardiopulmonary or non-cardiopulmonary events. The severity of each PSI was rated using the NHS National Patient Safety Agency and any hospital admission reported.

Results

There were 119 PSIs reported from 186 000 PFT; that is, 0.6 PSIs per 1000 tests. Cardiopulmonary PSIs were 3.3 times more likely to occur than non-cardiopulmonary (95% CI 2.17 to 5.12). Syncope was the most frequently occurring cardiopulmonary PSI. Cardiopulmonary exercise testing was associated with 2 PSIs per 1000 tests. PSIs necessitating hospital admission and/or emergency department attendance occurred approximately once every 10 000 tests and there was no PFT-associated mortality.

Conclusion

Routine and specialised PFT is safe for patients, in the context of established screening preparticipation guidelines. In the event of a PSI, these are likely to be low risk of harm. Our findings highlight the most common PSIs encountered during PFT to facilitate risk reduction.
An aggressive car-following model in the view of driving style
Authors: Tan Fei , Wei Da , Zhu Jianqi , Xu Dong , Yin Kexin
Published: June 2017

The complexity of the driving behavior restricts the realism of traffic simulation. This paper proposed that vehicle mobility models should be established according to diverse driving styles to further approximation of real driving behavior. With Krauss model represented, the conservative (driving style) of safe distance car-following model is analyzed. The analysis means that real vehicles can occasionally break the safe distance rule, and on average, real vehicle gap is slightly smaller than that in the Krauss model. An aggressive car-following model is proposed in the view of driving style. Simulation results show the new model can simulate aggressive driving style, which has significance to simulate traffic using diverse driving style models. Since it breaks the safe distance rule, the new model has the possibility of generating rear-end collisions when simulating. Drivers’ characteristics, prediction behavior, the cause of accidents, and the effects of time granularity on a simulation are studied. The concept of “road black hole” is put forward, which is believed to reduce velocity of traffic flow.
TYPE OF KNOWLEDGE SHARING AND ITS IMPACT ON COLLABORATIVE NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
Authors: THOMAS ELLEN , OBAL MICHAEL
Published: June 2017

While integrating suppliers into producer new product development (NPD) would appear to be beneficial, there lacks a consensus as to what knowledge should be shared between producers and suppliers, especially within turbulent environments. This paper examines how in-depth and complex the knowledge sharing should be between producers and suppliers, given varying environmental conditions. To this point, we propose that small-scale technical exchanges are generally more effective in collaborative NPD efforts than more complex technology transfers. We also analyze two forms of environmental uncertainty, market turbulence and technology turbulence, as they influence the knowledge sharing measures. A survey of project managers reveals that while technical exchanges positively influence NPD performance, technology transfers have no impact (except in radical product development projects) and thus may not always be appropriate in producer–supplier NPD collaborations. We also find that market turbulence and technology turbulence influence technical exchanges, but in differing manners.
Computer analysis of microcrystalline silicon hetero-junction solar cell with lumerical FDTD/DEVICE
Authors: Riaz Muhammad , Earles S. K. , Kadhim Ahmed , Azzahrani Ahmad
Published: June 2017

The computer analysis of tandem solar cell, c-Si/a-Si:H/[Formula: see text]c-SiGe, is studied within Lumerical FDTD/Device 4.6. The optical characterization is performed in FDTD and then total generation rate is transported into DEVICE for electrical characterization. The electrical characterization of the solar cell is carried out in DEVICE. The design is implemented by staking three sub cells with band gap of 1.12[Formula: see text]eV, 1.50[Formula: see text]eV and 1.70[Formula: see text]eV, respectively. First, single junction solar cell with both a-Si and [Formula: see text]c-SiGe absorbing layers are designed and compared. The thickness for both layers are kept the same. In a single junction, solar cell with a-Si absorbing layer, the fill factor and the efficiency are noticed as [Formula: see text], and [Formula: see text]. For [Formula: see text]c-SiGe absorbing layer, the efficiency and fill factor are increased as [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], respectively. Second, for tandem thin film solar cell c-Si/a-Si:H/[Formula: see text]c-SiGe, the fill factor [Formula: see text] and efficiency [Formula: see text] have been noticed. The maximum efficiency for both single junction thin film solar cell c-Si/[Formula: see text]c-SiGe and tandem solar cell c-Si/a-Si:H/[Formula: see text]c-SiGe are improved with check board surface design for light trapping.
Archaean basin margin geology and crustal evolution: an East Pilbara traverse
Authors: Nijman Wouter , Kloppenburg Armelle , de Vries Sjoukje T.
Published: June 2017

A palinspastic reconstruction of a 100 km long traverse through Archaean rocks of the East Pilbara, Western Australia, includes new observations of the deformation preceding the now visible greenstone belt pattern. The restoration is time-calibrated with all available U–Pb datings.

Between incompletely preserved basin sequences, two superposed Palaeoarchaean volcano-sedimentary basins (the Coongan and Salgash Basins) are separated by an eastwards time-transgressive interface tentatively interpreted as an onlap surface. For over 140 Ma, the basin margin architecture was structurally controlled by superposed extensional growth fault arrays (D
1
) with associated dyke swarms in a curved pattern spatially not related to that of the actual distribution of granite domes and greenstone belts.

The basins are interpreted to have formed by collapse after arching above hotspots due to phase transitions by mini-subduction of slabs of cooled water-saturated basalt towards the base of an originally
c.
45 km mafic crust. At
c.
3.31 Ga, the extension was replaced by plate-driven regional NW–SE compression (D
2
) inferred from NW-over-SE shear and ramp-and-flat thrusts, partly reversing offsets of the D
1
extension. The recognition of widespread D
2
pre-doming compression is important because it triggered the
c.
3.18 Ga start of formation of the dome-and-keel pattern (D
3
) visible today, which culminated at
c.
2.9 Ga.

Supplementary material:
Eight figures, numbered ‘Supplementary material fig. a–h’, and a GPS list of observation sites are available at:
https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.3808243
Fog Computing for Sustainable Smart Cities
Authors: Perera Charith , Qin Yongrui , Estrella Julio C. , Reiff-Marganiec Stephan , Vasilakos Athanasios V.
Published: June 2017

The Internet of Things (IoT) aims to connect billions of smart objects to the Internet, which can bring a promising future to smart cities. These objects are expected to generate large amounts of data and send the data to the cloud for further processing, especially for knowledge discovery, in order that appropriate actions can be taken. However, in reality sensing all possible data items captured by a smart object and then sending the complete captured data to the cloud is less useful. Further, such an approach would also lead to resource wastage (e.g., network, storage, etc.). The Fog (Edge) computing paradigm has been proposed to counterpart the weakness by pushing processes of knowledge discovery using data analytics to the edges. However, edge devices have limited computational capabilities. Due to inherited strengths and weaknesses, neither Cloud computing nor Fog computing paradigm addresses these challenges alone. Therefore, both paradigms need to work together in order to build a sustainable IoT infrastructure for smart cities. In this article, we review existing approaches that have been proposed to tackle the challenges in the Fog computing domain. Specifically, we describe several inspiring use case scenarios of Fog computing, identify ten key characteristics and common features of Fog computing, and compare more than 30 existing research efforts in this domain. Based on our review, we further identify several major functionalities that ideal Fog computing platforms should support and a number of open challenges toward implementing them, to shed light on future research directions on realizing Fog computing for building sustainable smart cities.
TRIÈST
Authors: Stefani Lorenzo De , Epasto Alessandro , Riondato Matteo , Upfal Eli
Published: June 2017

“Ogni lassada xe persa.”
1
-- Proverb from Trieste, Italy.

We present
trièst
, a suite of one-pass streaming algorithms to compute unbiased, low-variance, high-quality approximations of the global and local (i.e., incident to each vertex) number of triangles in a fully dynamic graph represented as an adversarial stream of edge insertions and deletions.

Our algorithms use reservoir sampling and its variants to exploit the user-specified memory space at all times. This is in contrast with previous approaches, which require hard-to-choose parameters (e.g., a fixed sampling probability) and offer no guarantees on the amount of memory they use. We analyze the variance of the estimations and show novel concentration bounds for these quantities.

Our experimental results on very large graphs demonstrate that
trièst
outperforms state-of-the-art approaches in accuracy and exhibits a small update time.
A Reconfigurable Architecture with Sequential Logic-Based Stochastic Computing
Authors: Najafi M. Hassan , Li Peng , Lilja David J. , Qian Weikang , Bazargan Kia , Riedel Marc
Published: June 2017

Computations based on stochastic bit streams have several advantages compared to deterministic binary radix computations, including low power consumption, low hardware cost, high fault tolerance, and skew tolerance. To take advantage of this computing technique, previous work proposed a combinational logic-based reconfigurable architecture to perform complex arithmetic operations on stochastic streams of bits. The long execution time and the cost of converting between binary and stochastic representations, however, make the stochastic architectures less energy efficient than the deterministic binary implementations. This article introduces a methodology for synthesizing a given target function stochastically using finite-state machines (FSMs), and enhances and extends the reconfigurable architecture using sequential logic. Compared to the previous approach, the proposed reconfigurable architecture can save hardware area and energy consumption by up to 30% and 40%, respectively, while achieving a higher processing speed. Both stochastic reconfigurable architectures are much more tolerant of soft errors (bit flips) than the deterministic binary radix implementations, and their fault tolerance scales gracefully to very large numbers of errors.
Decoupling Data Supply from Computation for Latency-Tolerant Communication in Heterogeneous Architectures
Authors: Ham Tae Jun , Aragón Juan L. , Martonosi Margaret
Published: June 2017

In today’s computers, heterogeneous processing is used to meet performance targets at manageable power. In adopting increased compute specialization, however, the relative amount of time spent on communication increases. System and software optimizations for communication often come at the costs of increased complexity and reduced portability. The Decoupled Supply-Compute (DeSC) approach offers a way to attack communication latency bottlenecks automatically, while maintaining good portability and low complexity. Our work expands prior Decoupled Access Execute techniques with hardware/software specialization. For a range of workloads, DeSC offers roughly 2 × speedup, and additional specialized compression optimizations reduce traffic between decoupled units by 40%.
Copula Analysis of Temporal Dependence Structure in Markov Modulated Poisson Process and Its Applications
Authors: Dong Fang , Wu Kui , Srinivasan Venkatesh
Published: June 2017

The Markov Modulated Poisson Process (MMPP) has been extensively studied in random process theory and widely applied in various applications involving Poisson arrivals whose rate varies following a Markov process. Despite the rich literature on MMPP, very little is known on its intricate temporal dependence structure. No exact solution is available so far to capture the
functional
temporal dependence of MMPP at the stationary state over slotted times.

This article tackles the above challenges with copula analysis. It not only presents a novel analytical framework to capture the temporal dependence of MMPP but also provides the exact copula-based solutions for single MMPP as well as the aggregate of independent MMPP. This theoretical contribution discloses functional dependence structure of MMPP. It also lays the foundation for many applications that rely on the temporal dependence of MMPP for adaptive control or predictive resource provisioning. We demonstrate case studies, with real-world trace data as well as simulation, to illustrate the practical significance of our analytical results.
RoboCOP
Authors: Trinh H. , Asadi R. , Edge D. , Bickmore T.
Published: June 2017

Rehearsing in front of a live audience is invaluable when preparing for important presentations. However, not all presenters take the opportunity to engage in such rehearsal, due to time constraints, availability of listeners who can provide constructive feedback, or public speaking anxiety. We present RoboCOP, an automated anthropomorphic robot head that acts as a coach to provide spoken feedback during presentation rehearsals at both the individual slide and overall presentation level. The robot offers conversational coaching on three key aspects of presentations: speech quality, content coverage, and audience orientation. The design of the feedback strategies was informed by findings from an exploratory study with academic professionals who were experienced in mentoring students on their presentations. In a within-subjects study comparing RoboCOP to visual feedback and spoken feedback without a robot, the robotic coach was shown to lead to significant improvement in the overall experience of presenters. Results of a second within-subjects evaluation study comparing RoboCOP with existing rehearsal practices show that our system creates a natural, interactive, and motivating rehearsal environment that leads to improved presentation quality.
Deep Artwork Detection and Retrieval for Automatic Context-Aware Audio Guides
Authors: Seidenari Lorenzo , Baecchi Claudio , Uricchio Tiberio , Ferracani Andrea , Bertini Marco , Bimbo Alberto Del
Published: June 2017

In this article, we address the problem of creating a smart audio guide that adapts to the actions and interests of museum visitors. As an autonomous agent, our guide perceives the context and is able to interact with users in an appropriate fashion. To do so, it understands what the visitor is looking at, if the visitor is moving inside the museum hall, or if he or she is talking with a friend. The guide performs automatic recognition of artworks, and it provides configurable interface features to improve the user experience and the fruition of multimedia materials through semi-automatic interaction.

Our smart audio guide is backed by a computer vision system capable of working in real time on a mobile device, coupled with audio and motion sensors. We propose the use of a compact Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) that performs object classification and localization. Using the same CNN features computed for these tasks, we perform also robust artwork recognition. To improve the recognition accuracy, we perform additional video processing using shape-based filtering, artwork tracking, and temporal filtering. The system has been deployed on an NVIDIA Jetson TK1 and a NVIDIA Shield Tablet K1 and tested in a real-world environment (Bargello Museum of Florence).
WevQuery
Authors: Apaolaza Aitor , Vigo Markel
Published: June 2017

Remotely stored user interaction logs, which give access to a wealth of data generated by large numbers of users, have been long used to understand if interactive systems meet the expectations of designers. Unfortunately, detailed insight into users' interaction behaviour still requires a high degree of expertise and domain specific knowledge. We present WevQuery, a scalable system to query user interaction logs in order to allow designers to test their hypotheses about users' behaviour. WevQuery supports this purpose using a graphical notation to define the interaction patterns designers are seeking. WevQuery is scalable as the queries can then be executed against large user interaction datasets by employing the MapReduce paradigm. This way WevQuery provides designers effortless access to harvest users' interaction patterns, removing the burden of low-level interaction data analysis. We present two scenarios to showcase the potential of WevQuery, from the design of the queries to their execution on real interaction data accounting for 5.7m events generated by 2,445 unique users.
Effects of prostaglandin lipid mediators on agonist-induced lung endothelial permeability and inflammation
Authors: Ke Yunbo , Oskolkova Olga V. , Sarich Nicolene , Tian Yufeng , Sitikov Albert , Tulapurkar Mohan E. , Son Sophia , Birukova Anna A. , Birukov Konstantin G.
Published: June 2017

Prostaglandins (PG), the products of cyclooxygenase-mediated conversion of arachidonic acid, become upregulated in many situations including allergic response, inflammation, and injury, and exhibit a variety of biological activities. Previous studies described barrier-enhancing and anti-inflammatory effects of PGE2and PGI2on vascular endothelial cells (EC). Yet, the effects of other PG members on EC barrier and inflammatory activation have not been systematically analyzed. This study compared effects of PGE2, PGI2, PGF2α, PGA2, PGJ2, and PGD2on human pulmonary EC. EC permeability was assessed by measurements of transendothelial electrical resistance and cell monolayer permeability for FITC-labeled tracer. Anti-inflammatory effects of PGs were evaluated by analysis of expression of adhesion molecule ICAM1 and secretion of soluble ICAM1 and cytokines by EC. PGE2, PGI2, and PGA2exhibited the most potent barrier-enhancing effects and most efficient attenuation of thrombin-induced EC permeability and contractile response, whereas PGI2effectively suppressed thrombin-induced permeability but was less efficient in the attenuation of prolonged EC hyperpermeability caused by interleukin-6 or bacterial wall lipopolysaccharide, LPS. PGD2showed a modest protective effect on the EC inflammatory response, whereas PGF2αand PGJ2were without effect on agonist-induced EC barrier dysfunction. In vivo, PGE2, PGI2, and PGA2attenuated LPS-induced lung inflammation, whereas PGF2αand PGJ2were without effect. Interestingly, PGD2exhibited a protective effect in the in vivo model of LPS-induced lung injury. This study provides a comprehensive analysis of barrier-protective and anti-inflammatory effects of different prostaglandins on lung EC in vitro and in vivo and identifies PGE2, PGI2, and PGA2as prostaglandins with the most potent protective properties.