bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Layered Potassium Vanadate K0.5V2O5 as a Cathode Material for Nonaqueous Potassium Ion Batteries
Authors: Deng Leqing , Niu Xiaogang , Ma Guanshui , Yang Zhao , Zeng Liang , Zhu Yujie , Guo Lin
Published: May 2018

Nonaqueous potassium ion batteries (KIBs) are one of the emerging electrochemical energy storage technologies due to the abundance of potassium resources, but the difficulties of intercalation of large size K‐ions into electrode materials hinder the development of KIBs. Here, a layered potassium vanadate K0.5V2O5 is proposed as a potential cathode material for KIBs. Despite the large size of K‐ions, the as‐fabricated material is capable of delivering a reversible capacity around 90 mAh g−1 at 10 mA g−1 in the voltage range of 1.5–3.8 V (vs K+/K), and also exhibits a fast rate capability with a capacity of 60 mAh g−1 at 200 mA g−1 and good cycling stability with 81% capacity retention after 250 cycles at 100 mA g−1. Ex situ X‐ray diffraction and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy reveal that the layered potassium vanadate exhibits a highly stable and reversible structure change with a transition between V4+ and V5+ upon potassiation/depotassiation. Additionally, galvanostatic intermittent titration technique results show that the kinetics of potassiation/depotassiation is mainly determined by K‐ion diffusion in the active material. The present study may open up further exploration of potassium vanadates and other layered transition metal oxides in the field of KIBs.
Organosilane‐Patterned Paper‐based Colorimetric Sensors for High‐Throughput Screening of Cross‐Coupling Reactions with Aryl Bromides
Authors: Son Yujeong , Lee Suji , Kim Han‐Sung , Eom Min Sik , Han Min Su , Lee Sunwoo
Published: May 2018

An organosilane‐patterned paper‐based colorimetric sensor for bromides was developed using the 4‐(2‐pyridylazo)resorcinol (PAR)‐Hg2+ complex and patterned hydrophobic paper. The red color of the (PAR)‐Hg2+ spot was converted to yellow by ligand exchange between PAR and added bromide ions. This paper‐based sensor was applied to detect the extent of conversion of aryl bromides in palladium‐catalyzed coupling reactions such as Stille, Suzuki, Heck, direct arylation and decarboxylative coupling. A good correlation was demonstrated between the conversion of paper‐based sensor and conversion of gas chromatography.

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Identifying bacterial biotope entities using sequence labeling: Performance and feature analysis
Authors: Mao Jin , Cui Hong
Published: May 2018

Habitat information is important to biodiversity conservation and research. Extracting bacterial biotope entities from scientific publications is important to large scale study of the relationships between bacteria and their living environments. To facilitate the further development of robust habitat text mining systems for biodiversity, following the BioNLP task framework, three sequence labeling techniques, CRFs (Conditional Random Fields), MEMM (Maximum Entropy Markov Model) and SVMhmm (Support Vector Machine) and one classifier, SVMmulticlass, are compared on their performance in identifying three types of bacterial biotope entities: bacteria, habitats and geographical locations. The effectiveness of a variety of basic word formation features, syntactic features, and semantic features are exploited and compared for the three sequence labeling methods. Experiments on two publicly available BioNLP collections show that, in addition to a WordNet feature, word embedding featured clusters (although not trained with the task‐specific corpus) consistently improve the performance for all methods on all entity types in both collections. Other features produce various results. Our results also show that when trained on limited corpora, Brown clusters resulted in better performance than word embedding clusters did. Further analysis suggests that the entity recognition performance can be greatly boosted through improving the accuracy of entity boundary identification.
Assessing Markov property in multistate transition models with applications to credit risk modeling
Authors: Yang Hanyu , Nair Vijayan N. , Chen Jie , Sudjianto Agus
Published: May 2018

Multistate transition models are increasingly used in credit risk applications as they allow us to quantify the evolution of the process among different states. If the process is Markov, analysis and prediction are substantially simpler, so analysts would like to use these models if they are applicable. In this paper, we develop a procedure for assessing the Markov hypothesis and discuss different ways of implementing the test procedure. One issue when sample size is large is that the statistical test procedures will detect even small deviations from the Markov model when these differences are not of practical interest. To address this problem, we propose an approach to formulate and test the null hypothesis of “weak non‐Markov.” The situation where the transition probabilities are heterogeneous is also examined, and approaches to accommodate this case are indicated. Simulation studies are used extensively to study the properties of the procedures, and two applications are to illustrate the results.
Weak signals in high‐dimensional regression: Detection, estimation and prediction
Authors: Li Yanming , Hong Hyokyoung G. , Ahmed S. Ejaz , Li Yi
Published: May 2018

Regularization methods, including Lasso, group Lasso, and SCAD, typically focus on selecting variables with strong effects while ignoring weak signals. This may result in biased prediction, especially when weak signals outnumber strong signals. This paper aims to incorporate weak signals in variable selection, estimation, and prediction. We propose a two‐stage procedure, consisting of variable selection and postselection estimation. The variable selection stage involves a covariance‐insured screening for detecting weak signals, whereas the postselection estimation stage involves a shrinkage estimator for jointly estimating strong and weak signals selected from the first stage. We term the proposed method as the covariance‐insured screening‐based postselection shrinkage estimator. We establish asymptotic properties for the proposed method and show, via simulations, that incorporating weak signals can improve estimation and prediction performance. We apply the proposed method to predict the annual gross domestic product rates based on various socioeconomic indicators for 82 countries.
Are We There Yet? How and When Specific Biotechnologies Will Improve Human Health
Authors: O'Day Elizabeth , Hosta‐Rigau Leticia , Oyarzún Diego A. , Okano Hideyuki , de Lorenzo Víctor , von Kameke Conrad , Alsafar Habiba , Cao Cong , Chen Guo‐Qiang , Ji Weizhi , Roberts Richard J. , Ronaghi Mostafa , Yeung Karen , Zhang Feng , Lee Sang Yup
Published: May 2018

Patient X: A 67‐year‐old Caucasian man slips on a patch of ice. He has abrasions to his hands and has sustained significant damage to his hip. At the emergency room, he informs clinicians he takes atorvastatin, metformin, and glimepiride to treat hypertension and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM). X‐rays reveal a fractured hip, which will require total hip replacement surgery.
SPIN: Submitting Sequences Determined at Protein Level to UniProt
Authors: Pichler Klemens , Warner Kate , Magrane Michele ,   The UniProt Consortium
Published: May 2018

Public availability of biological sequences is essential for their widespread access and use by the research community. The Universal Protein Resource (UniProt) is a comprehensive resource for protein sequence and functional data. While most protein sequences entering UniProt are imported from other source databases containing nucleotide or 3‐D structure data, protein sequences determined at the protein level can be submitted directly to UniProt. To this end, UniProt provides a Web interface called SPIN. This service enables researchers to make their de novo–sequenced proteins available to the scientific community and acquire UniProt accession numbers for use in publications. This unit explains the process of submitting a protein sequence to UniProt using SPIN. The basic protocol describes all the necessary steps for a single sequence. A support protocol gives guidance on how best to deal with exceptionally large datasets. © 2018 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Pharmacokinetic Study of Rucaparib in Patients With Advanced Solid Tumors
Authors: Shapiro Geoffrey I. , Kristeleit Rebecca S. , Burris Howard A. , LoRusso Patricia , Patel Manish R. , Drew Yvette , Giordano Heidi , Maloney Lara , Watkins Simon , Goble Sandra , Jaw‐Tsai Sarah , Xiao Jim J.
Published: May 2018

The phase 1‐2 study CO‐338‐010 (Study 10; NCT01482715) is evaluating single‐agent rucaparib, a poly(ADP‐ribose) polymerase inhibitor, administered orally to patients with an advanced solid tumor. In the dose escalation phase (Part 1), we characterized the single‐dose and steady‐state pharmacokinetic profiles of rucaparib administered once daily (QD; dose range, 40‐500 mg; n = 16) or twice daily (BID; dose range, 240‐840 mg; n = 30). Across all dosing schedules examined, the plasma exposure of rucaparib was approximately dose proportional; half‐life was approximately 17 hours, and median time to maximum concentration (tmax) ranged from 1.5 to 6.0 hours after a single dose and 1.5 to 4.0 hours following repeated dosing. The steady‐state accumulation ratio ranged from 1.60 to 2.33 following QD dosing and 1.47 to 5.44 following BID dosing. No effect of food on rucaparib pharmacokinetics was observed with a single dose of 40 mg (n = 3) or 300 mg (n = 6). In a phase 2 portion of the study (Part 3), the pharmacokinetic profile of rucaparib was further evaluated at the recommended phase 2 dose of 600 mg BID (n = 26). The mean (coefficient of variation) steady‐state maximum concentration (Cmax) and area under the concentration‐time curve from time zero to 12 hours (AUC0‐12h) were 1940 ng/mL (54%) and 16 900 ng ⋅ h/mL (54%), respectively. A high‐fat meal moderately increased rucaparib exposure. The fed‐to‐fasted geometric mean ratios (90% confidence interval [CI]) for AUC0‐24h and Cmax were 138% (117%‐162%) and 120% (99.1%‐146%); the median (90%CI) tmax delay was 2.5 (0.5‐4.4) hours.
Assessment of Topographic Memory in Mice in a Complex Environment Using the Hamlet Test
Authors: Crouzier Lucie , Maurice Tangui
Published: May 2018

Here we provide instructions to measure topographic memory in mice using the Hamlet test, a complex environment. The apparatus mimics a small hamlet with a central agora and five houses, which are functionalized since mice can drink, eat pellets, hide within a small maze, run in an activity wheel, or interact with a stranger mouse behind a grid. The houses are interconnected through a network of streets in a five‐arm star shape, and a video tracking system takes information from the activity in each house or follows a single mouse by trajectometry. Training the mice in the Hamlet, in groups for several hours per day over several days or weeks, allows consolidation of topographic memory (i.e., route learning involving both allocentric and egocentric strategies). Analysis of topographic memory can be performed a posteriori in a probe test by depriving mice of water or food and measuring their ability to efficiently reach the “eat” or “drink” house. Control groups include mice tested in non‐deprived condition and mice naïve to the Hamlet and tested in deprived or non‐deprived conditions. The present article details the apparatus, procedures, and protocols that can be used to reliably habituate mice in this complex environment and measure topographic memory. © 2018 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Electrochemical Detection of Interaction between Dacarbazine and Nucleic Acids in Comparison to Agarose Gel Electrophoresis
Authors: Kanat Erkin , Eksin Ece , Karacicek Bilge , Eraç Yasemin , Erdem Arzum
Published: May 2018

Anticancer drug Dacarbazine (DCB) has been used for the treatment for metastatic malignant melanoma. In our study, the biomolecular interaction between DCB and DNA was investigated electrochemically for the first time using single‐walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) modified disposable pencil graphite electrode (PGEs). The SWCNT modified PGEs were optimized for advanced DNA sensing based on the response related to changes at the guanine oxidation signal. The oxidation signals of DCB and guanine were respectively measured before/after surface confined interaction process using differantial pulse voltammetry (DPV) in the same voltammetric scale. The experimental parameters, such as DCB concentration and interaction time of DCB with fsDNA were studied. The detection of interaction between DCB and nucleic acids was also studied via electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and gel electrophoresis. In addition, the effect of time‐dependent manner from 1 min to 10 min on the interaction of DCB with nucleic acids was explored upon to the changes at guanine signal of fsDNA as well as PCR samples by DPV technique.
A general model of biological signals, from cues to handicaps
Authors: Biernaskie Jay M. , Perry Jennifer C. , Grafen Alan
Published: May 2018

Organisms sometimes appear to use extravagant traits, or “handicaps”, to signal their quality to an interested receiver. Before they were used as signals, many of these traits might have been selected to increase with individual quality for reasons apart from conveying information, allowing receivers to use the traits as “cues” of quality. However, current theory does not explain when and why cues of individual quality become exaggerated into costly handicaps. We address this here, using a game-theoretic model of adaptive signalling. Our model predicts that: (1) signals will honestly reflect signaler quality whenever there is a positive relationship between individual quality and the signalling trait's naturally selected, non-informational optimum; and (2) the slope of this relationship will determine the amount of costly signal exaggeration, with more exaggeration favored when the slope is more shallow. A shallow slope means that a lower quality male would pay only a small fitness cost to have the same trait value as a higher quality male, and this drives the exaggeration of signals as high-quality signalers are selected to distinguish themselves. Our model reveals a simple and potentially widespread mechanism for ensuring signal honesty and predicts a natural continuum of signalling strategies, from cost-free cues to costly handicaps.
Reaction between Dichlorophosphines and Azoalkenes: A General Synthesis of 3,4‐Dihydro‐2H‐1,2,3‐diazaphosphole Derivatives
Authors: Baccolini Graziano , Dalpozzo Renato
Published: May 2018

The reaction between dichlorophosphines and azoalkenes provides a smooth method for the preparation of 3,4‐dihydro‐2H‐1,2,3‐diazaphosphole‐3‐oxides. When R1 ≠ H, the cis: trans ratio is strongly dependent on the nature of the R4 substituent. Compounds arising from phenylazoalkenes are stable for several months, whereas compounds arising from methylazoalkenes undergo modifications during silica gel chromatography. Trichlorosilane reduction of these oxides gives the corresponding phosphines with retention of configuration. In some cases, this process competes with stereomutation of the starting phosphine oxide. Aryl‐substituted phosphines are much more stable than the corresponding alkyl‐substituted phosphines.
Using digital inpainting to estimate incident light intensity for the calculation of red blood cell oxygen saturation from microscopy images
Authors: Sové Richard J. , Drakos Nicole E. , Fraser Graham M. , Ellis Christopher G.
Published: May 2018

Red blood cell oxygen saturation (SO2) is an important indicator of oxygen supply to tissues in the body. SO2 can be measured by taking advantage of spectroscopic properties of hemoglobin. When this technique is applied to transmission microscopy, the calculation of saturation requires determination of incident light intensity at each pixel occupied by the red blood cell; this value is often approximated from a sequence of images as the maximum intensity over time. This method often fails when the red blood cells are moving too slowly, or if hematocrit is too large since there is not a large enough gap between the cells to accurately calculate the incident intensity value. A new method of approximating incident light intensity is proposed using digital inpainting. This novel approach estimates incident light intensity with an average percent error of approximately 3%, which exceeds the accuracy of the maximum intensity‐based method in most cases. The error in incident light intensity corresponds to a maximum error of approximately 2% saturation. Therefore, though this new method is computationally more demanding than the traditional technique, it can be used in cases where the maximum intensity‐based method fails (eg, stationary cells), or when higher accuracy is required.
Dynamics of the nitrification and sulfide‐driven autotrophic denitrification processes in a single reactor using oxidation–reduction potential as an indicator of the process effectiveness
Authors: dos Santos Carla Eloísa Diniz , de Bello Solcia Guerrero Renata , de Godoi Leandro Augusto Gouvêa , Foresti Eugenio , Damianovic Márcia Helena Rissato Zamariolli
Published: May 2018

BACKGROUND

This paper evaluates the nitrification and sulfide‐driven autotrophic denitrification processes in a structured‐bed reactor subjected to recirculation and intermittent aeration (SBRRIA) applied to the post‐treatment of an anaerobic effluent. The SBRRIA reactor was operated during 130 days in which influent sulfide concentrations varied between 220.1 and 231.0 mg TDS L−1 (TDS, total dissolved solids). Temporal tests were performed to elucidate the dynamics and sulfide impacts on combined processes.

RESULTS

Sulfide partially inhibited the nitrifying activity, resulting in low NH4+‐N oxidation. This fact affected the overall nitrogen removal performance as total‐N removal efficiencies of 50 and 55% were attained in Conditions III and IV, respectively. On the one hand, under continuous aeration and in the absence of sulfide, the oxidation–reduction potential (ORP) reached 50 mV (versus Ag/AgCl) after 250 min of experiment. On the other, when sulfide was continuously provided in the feeding, the ORP was maintained lower than zero. Under anoxic conditions, the effective use of sulfide as an electron donor by autotrophic denitrification was verified by ORP monitoring. However, a concentration of 260 mg TDS L−1 associated with high pH proved inhibitory for NO3− reduction.

CONCLUSIONS

Based on the results obtained, new strategies of adding sulfide to the SBRRIA should be tested to minimize its inhibitory effect on nitrification and improve nitrogen removal in this unit. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry
Enhanced 5‐aminovalerate production in Escherichia coli from l‐lysine with ethanol and hydrogen peroxide addition
Authors: Cheng Jie , Zhang Yining , Huang Meihua , Chen Peng , Zhou Xiaohua , Wang Dan , Wang Qinhong
Published: May 2018

BACKGROUND

Increasing environmental and energy concerns are pushing the development of a bio‐based economy, employing highly reproducible, sustainable and green biomanufacturing methods. Here a potential building block 5‐aminovalerate for polymer synthesis has been produced from l‐lysine.

RESULTS

l‐lysine α‐oxidase from Scomber japonicas was overexpressed in BL21(DE3); a lysine degradation gene was knocked out to strengthen this process in the microbe. The additions of ethanol and hydrogen peroxide significantly enhanced the production of 5‐aminovalerate. The recombinant Escherichia coli CJ02 strain was cultured in a medium containing 20 g L−1 glucose, 10 g L−1 l‐lysine, 4% (v/v) ethanol and 10 mM H2O2, producing 5.61 g L−1 5‐aminovalerate with a yield of 0.56 g g−1. Compared with the original producer, this titre represents an 18‐fold increase. Excellently, 29.12 g L−1 5‐aminovalerate could be achieved with a yield of 0.44 g g−1 in a 5 L fermenter.

CONCLUSION

This biotechnological 5‐aminovalerate production demonstrates a simple, economic, and green technology to replace the ubiquitous chemical synthesis. More importantly, this strategy of adding ethanol to increase protein expression is not only an efficient process for the production of 5‐aminovalerate, but also might be used in the production of other high value‐added chemicals. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry
Nitrogen Balance During Venovenous Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Support: Preliminary Results of a Prospective, Observational Study
Authors: Pelekhaty Stacy , Galvagno Samuel M. , Hochberg Eric , Herr Daniel L. , Lantry James H. , Kon Zachary N. , Deatrick Kristopher B. , Menaker Jay
Published: May 2018

Background

Current literature is insufficient to support specific guidelines for estimating nutrition needs during extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). The purpose of this single‐center observational study was to investigate protein catabolism during venovenous (VV) ECMO support and assess whether current nutrition recommendations were adequate.

Methods

All patients admitted to the Lung Rescue Unit between November 2016 and June 2017 were screened for eligibility. Patients with a documented nitrogen balance (NB) study were included in the data set. NB results were excluded for a change in blood urea nitrogen ≥10 mg/dL during the urine collection or unquantified nitrogen losses. Demographics, ECMO‐specific data, NB, nutrition prescription, and infusion were recorded in a prospective, observational manner.

Results

After exclusions, 25 NB results in 16 patients were included for analysis. Nonobese (body mass index [BMI] ˂ 30 kg/m2) and obese (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2) patients received 85% and 84% of their prescribed protein, respectively. Nonobese patients had a mean NB of −1.7 ± 5.7, whereas obese patients had a mean NB of −11.5 ± 9.6. Obese patients displayed significantly higher urine urea nitrogen (26.7 ± 7.7 vs 13.5 ± 4.3; P = .00004).

Conclusions

These preliminary findings suggest that current guidelines for estimating protein needs in critically ill patients may be adequate for nonobese patients receiving VV ECMO. However, current protein recommendations for critically ill obese patients may not be adequate during VV ECMO support, possibly related to significantly higher rates of catabolism. Future studies with a larger cohort of patients are needed to confirm these results.
Assessment of organic amendments for improving coastal saline soil
Authors: Yang Li , Bian Xunguang , Yang Ruiping , Zhou Chunlin , Tang Boping
Published: May 2018

Salt‐affected soils are an important resources; although the crop yields in the soils are lower, they should not be ignored nor given up. By using pot experiments, five different organic amendments (pig manure, cattle dung, chicken manure, rapeseed meal, and biochar) were used to investigate their effects on the chemical properties and enzyme activities of coastal saline soil as well as the growth of wheat. We also compared the suitable application doses of these organic amendments. After the treatment of five organic amendments, soils were incubated for 30 days at a constant temperature and moisture. The results showed that organic amendments had the property to decrease soil pH, increase organic matter, change soil enzyme activities, and promote wheat growth. With the rapeseed meal addition at the dose of 50 g kg−1, soil pH decreased from 8.29 to 7.06, which was 14.8% lower than that in the control soil (no amendments), the organic matter as well as the activities of catalase, urease, alkaline phosphatase, and saccharase significantly increased, and the biomass of wheat increased by 48.4%. Compared with control, the rapeseed meal and pig manure were recommended as the suitable soil amendments for remediating coastal saline soil, and the suitable application dose is 50 g kg−1. These data suggested that rapeseed meal and pig manure are an efficient choice in improving salt‐induced land degradation. This study will not only lay the theoretical foundation for remediating coastal saline soil but also provide advice on selecting organic matters in ameliorating coastal saline soil.
A preclinical model to investigate the role of surgically‐induced inflammation in tumor responses to intraoperative photodynamic therapy
Authors: Davis Richard W. , Papasavvas Emmanouil , Klampatsa Astero , Putt Mary , Montaner Luis J. , Culligan Melissa J. , McNulty Sally , Friedberg Joseph S. , Simone Charles B. , Singhal Sunil , Albelda Steven M. , Cengel Keith A. , Busch Theresa M.
Published: May 2018

Objective

Inflammation is a well‐known consequence of surgery. Although surgical debulking of tumor is beneficial to patients, the onset of inflammation in injured tissue may impede the success of adjuvant therapies. One marker for postoperative inflammation is IL‐6, which is released as a consequence of surgical injuries. IL‐6 is predictive of response to many cancer therapies, and it is linked to various molecular and cellular resistance mechanisms. The purpose of this study was to establish a murine model by which therapeutic responses to photodynamic therapy (PDT) can be studied in the context of surgical inflammation.

Materials and Methods

Murine models with AB12 mesothelioma tumors were treated with either surgical resection or sham surgery with tumor incision but no resection. The timing and extent of IL‐6 release in the tumor and/or serum was measured using enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and compared to that measured in the serum of 27 consecutive, prospectively enrolled patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) who underwent macroscopic complete resection (MCR).

Results

MPM patients showed a significant increase in IL‐6 at the time MCR was completed. Similarly, IL‐6 increased in the tumor and serum of mice treated with surgical resections. However, investigations that combine resection with another therapy make it necessary to grow tumors for resection to a larger volume than those that receive secondary therapy alone. As the larger size may alter tumor biology independent of the effects of surgical injury, we assessed the tumor incision model. In this model, tumor levels of IL‐6 significantly increased after tumor incision.

Conclusion

The tumor incision model induces IL‐6 release as is seen in the surgical setting, yet it avoids the limitations of surgical resection models. Potential mechanisms by which surgical induction of inflammation and IL‐6 could alter the nature and efficacy of tumor response to PDT are reviewed. These include a wide spectrum of molecular and cellular mechanisms through which surgically‐induced IL‐6 could change the effectiveness of therapies that are combined with surgery. The tumor incision model can be employed for novel investigations of the effects of surgically‐induced, acute inflammation on therapeutic response to PDT (or potentially other therapies). Lasers Surg. Med. 50:440–450, 2018. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Simulation study of a high‐performance brain PET system with dodecahedral geometry
Authors: Tao Weijie , Chen Gaoyu , Weng Fenghua , Zan Yunlong , Zhao Zhixiang , Peng Qiyu , Xu Jianfeng , Huang Qiu
Published: May 2018

Purpose

In brain imaging, the spherical PET system achieves the highest sensitivity when the solid angle is concerned. However, it is not practical. In this work, we designed an alternative sphere‐like scanner, the dodecahedral scanner, which has a high sensitivity in imaging and a high feasibility to manufacture. We simulated this system and compared the performance with a few other dedicated brain PET systems.

Methods

Monte Carlo simulations were conducted to generate data of the dedicated brain PET system with the dodecahedral geometry (11 regular pentagon detectors). The data were then reconstructed using the in‐house developed software with the fully three‐dimensional maximum‐likelihood expectation maximization (3D‐MLEM) algorithm.

Results

Results show that the proposed system has a high‐sensitivity distribution for the whole field of view (FOV). With a depth‐of‐interaction (DOI) resolution around 6.67 mm, the proposed system achieves the spatial resolution of 1.98 mm. Our simulation study also shows that the proposed system improves the image contrast and reduces noise compared with a few other dedicated brain PET systems. Finally, simulations with the Hoffman phantom show the potential application of the proposed system in clinical applications.

Conclusions

In conclusion, the proposed dodecahedral PET system is potential for widespread applications in high‐sensitivity, high‐resolution PET imaging, to lower the injected dose.
Fatty infiltration evaluation and selective pattern characterization of lower limbs in limb‐girdle muscular dystrophy type 2A by muscle magnetic resonance imaging
Authors: Feng Xuelin , Luo Sushan , Li Jing , Yue Dongyue , Xi Jianying , Zhu Wenhua , Gao Xinfang , Guan Xueni , Lu Jiahong , Liang Zonghui , Zhao Chongbo
Published: May 2018

Introduction

Limb‐girdle muscular dystrophy type 2A (LGMD2A) is characterized by progressive wasting of muscles for which the disease‐monitoring tools are still deficient.

Methods

We performed muscle MRI of the lower limbs in 32 LGMD2A patients and 21 controls. The modified Mercuri scale was employed to evaluate the degree of fatty infiltration.

Results

Severe fatty infiltration in the long head of biceps femoris (modified Mercuri scale 3.99) and sparing of extensor digitorum longus (modified Mercuri scale 0.17) were observed. The sensitivity and specificity of this pattern in diagnostic testing was 76.00% and 90.48%, respectively. A comprehensive clinical and MRI evaluation revealed that progressive fatty infiltration in the upper leg correlated well with disease progression, but neither calf involvement nor muscle strength deterioration showed a good correlation.

Discussion

The selective involvement pattern is potentially useful for LGMD2A diagnosis. Upper leg muscle MRI is a sensitive evaluation method for monitoring disease progression. Muscle Nerve 58: 536–541, 2018
Comparison of Two Crayfish Trapping Methods in Coastal Plain Seasonal Wetlands
Authors: Barnett Zanethia C. , Adams Susan B.
Published: May 2018

We compared crayfish collections from minnow versus microhabitat traps in the Dahomey National Wildlife Refuge, Bolivar County, Mississippi, extending the knowledge of microhabitat trap effectiveness to seasonal bottomland hardwood forest floodplains. Crayfishes were captured in three seasonally flooded habitat types: wooded, trail, and open habitats. The CPUE of vernal crayfish Procambarus viaeviridis and White River crayfish P. acutus was higher in minnow traps, whereas the CPUE of swamp dwarf crayfish Cambarellus puer was higher in microhabitat traps. The CPUE did not differ among habitat types for either trap type. In minnow traps, the CPUE of vernal and White River crayfishes increased steadily during the study, whereas the CPUE of swamp dwarf crayfish did not vary over time. In microhabitat traps, the CPUE did not vary over time for any species. Microhabitat traps were more effective at collecting adult, female vernal crayfish in the winter than in spring, whereas minnow traps were more effective at collecting adult, female vernal crayfish in the spring than in winter. Form I males of all three species were collected in both trap types throughout the study, whereas the only ovigerous females collected were swamp dwarf crayfish. Microhabitat traps caught more small crayfishes, pertinent to studies of population structure and recruitment, and were more effective at collecting adult swamp dwarf crayfish, a species five times smaller than other collected species. Conversely, minnow traps provided a better understanding of abundances and population structures of larger crayfishes. Using both trap types provided data on all size-classes and life stages and reduced sampling selectivity.
Description of the CARE4STROKE programme: A caregiver‐mediated exercises intervention with e‐health support for stroke patients
Authors: Vloothuis Judith , de Bruin Julya , Mulder Marijn , Nijland Rinske , Kwakkel Gert , van Wegen Erwin E. H.
Published: May 2018

Background

Intensity of practice and task and context specificity are key factors for improving functional outcome in stroke survivors. Novel methods are needed to augment intensity of practice with minimal use of resources and costs. Caregiver‐mediated exercises (CMEs) focused on mobility, in which a caregiver acts as an exercise coach and can increase the intensity of practice. There is preliminary evidence that CME can improve functional outcome, reduce length of stay, and allow early supported discharge, without an increase in caregiver burden. In the CARE4STROKE programme (C4S), CME therapy and e‐health support are combined to promote a smoother transition from the inpatient setting to the home environment, with active rehabilitation continuing in the community.

The objective of this paper is to describe the content of the C4S intervention in detail and explain implementation of this intervention in practice using the Template for Intervention Description and Replication checklist.

Methods

Content, timing and intensity of the programme, participant screening and selection, and intervention procedures were described using the Template for Intervention Description and Replication checklist. Mobility exercises and use of a video application on tablet/smartphone are explained. The role of the caregiver as provider of the intervention is illustrated.

Discussion

C4S prescribes an additional exercise dose of 1,200 min and may be a promising novel and effective method to augment the pallet of therapeutic options for stroke rehabilitation. Important aspects for successful implementation are availability and suitability of a caregiver. Suggestions for additional use of e‐health technology are described.

Implications for physiotherapy practice

The presented description of C4S gives physical therapists practical guidelines to facilitate implementation of the CME intervention.
Maritime anomaly detection: A review
Authors: Riveiro Maria , Pallotta Giuliana , Vespe Michele
Published: May 2018

The surveillance of large sea areas normally requires the analysis of large volumes of heterogeneous, multidimensional and dynamic sensor data, in order to improve vessel traffic safety, maritime security and to protect the environment. Early detection of conflict situations at sea provides critical time to take appropriate action with, possibly before potential problems occur. In order to provide an overview of the state‐of‐the‐art of research carried out for the analysis of maritime data for situational awareness, this study presents a review of maritime anomaly detection. The found articles are categorized into four groups (a) data, (b) methods, (c) systems, and (d) user aspects. We present a comprehensive summary of the works found in each category, and finally, outline possible paths of investigation and challenges for maritime anomaly detection.

This article is categorized under:

Application Areas > Government and Public Sector

Algorithmic Development > Spatial and Temporal Data Mining
Long‐term safety and efficacy of AAV gene therapy in the canine model of glycogen storage disease type Ia
Authors: Lee Young Mok , Conlon Thomas J. , Specht Andrew , Coleman Kirsten E. , Brown Laurie M. , Estrella Ana M. , Dambska Monika , Dahlberg Kathryn R. , Weinstein David A.
Published: May 2018

Background

Viral mediated gene therapy has progressed after overcoming early failures, and gene therapy has now been approved for several conditions in Europe and the USA. Glycogen storage disease (GSD) type Ia, caused by a deficiency of glucose‐6‐phosphatase‐α, has been viewed as an outstanding candidate for gene therapy. This follow‐up report describes the long‐term outcome for the naturally occurring GSD‐Ia dogs treated with rAAV‐GPE‐hG6PC‐mediated gene therapy.

Methods

A total of seven dogs were treated with rAAV‐GPE‐hG6PC‐mediated gene therapy. The first four dogs were treated at birth, and three dogs were treated between 2 and 6 months of age to assess the efficacy and safety in animals with mature livers. Blood and urine samples, radiographic studies, histological evaluation, and biodistribution were assessed.

Results

Gene therapy improved survival in the GSD‐Ia dogs. With treatment, the biochemical studies normalized for the duration of the study (up to 7 years). None of the rAAV‐GPE‐hG6PC‐treated dogs had focal hepatic lesions or renal abnormalities. Dogs treated at birth required a second dose of rAAV after 2–4 months; gene therapy after hepatic maturation resulted in improved efficacy after a single dose.

Conclusion

rAAV‐GPE‐hG6PC treatment in GSD‐Ia dogs was found to be safe and efficacious. GSD‐Ia is an attractive target for human gene therapy since it is a monogenic disorder with limited tissue involvement. Blood glucose and lactate monitoring can be used to assess effectiveness and as a biomarker of success. GSD‐Ia can also serve as a model for other hepatic monogenic disorders.
Role of continuous glucose monitoring in the management of glycogen storage disorders
Authors: Herbert Mrudu , Pendyal Surekha , Rairikar Mugdha , Halaby Carine , Benjamin Robert W. , Kishnani Priya S.
Published: May 2018

Management of liver glycogen storage diseases (GSDs) primarily involves maintaining normoglycemia through dietary modifications and regular glucose monitoring. Self‐monitoring of blood glucose is typically done 3–6 times per day, and may not sufficiently capture periods of asymptomatic hypoglycemia, particularly during sleep. Continuous glucose monitoring systems (CGMS) provide 24‐h continuous glucose data and have been used effectively in diabetes mellitus to monitor metabolic control and optimize treatment. This is a relatively new approach in GSDs with only a handful of studies exploring this modality. In this study we used Dexcom CGMS to study the glycemic profile of 14 pediatric and six adult patients with GSD I, III, and IX. A total of 176 days of CGMS data were available. The CGMS was found to be a reliable tool in monitoring glucose levels and trends at all times of the day with good concordance with finger‐stick glucose values. This study revealed that in addition to overnight hypoglycemia, CGMS can uncover previously undetected, subclinical, low glucose levels during daytime hours. Additionally, the CGMS detected daytime and overnight hyperglycemia, an often overlooked concern in liver GSDs. The CGMS with concurrent dietary adjustments made by a metabolic dietitian improved metabolic parameters and stabilized blood glucose levels. The CGMS was found to be a safe, effective, and reliable method for optimizing treatment in patients with GSD I, III, and IX.
Use of compound‐specific nitrogen isotope analysis of amino acids in trophic ecology: assumptions, applications, and implications
Authors: Ishikawa Naoto F.
Published: May 2018

Knowledge of the diet source and trophic position of organisms is fundamental in food web science. Since the 1980s, stable isotopes of light elements such as 13C and 15N have provided unique information on the food web structure in a variety of ecosystems. More recently, novel isotope tools such as stable isotopes of heavy elements, radioisotopes, and compound‐specific isotope analysis, have been examined by researchers. Here I reviewed the use of compound‐specific nitrogen isotope analysis of amino acids (CSIA‐AA) as a useful dietary tracer in food web ecology. Its three key features—(1) offsetting against isotopic variation; (2) universality of the trophic discrimination factor; and (3) sensitivity to source mixing—were compared with conventional isotope analysis for the bulk tissue of organisms. These three advantages of CSIA‐AA will allow future researchers to (1) estimate the integrated trophic position (iTP) of animal communities; (2) infer trophic transfer efficiency (TTE) in food webs; and (3) quantify contributions from different resources to animals, all of which are crucial for understanding the relationship between biodiversity and multi‐trophic ecosystem functioning. Further development of trophic ecology will be facilitated by both methodological refinement of CSIA‐AA and its application to a wider range of organisms, food webs, and ecosystems.
Comparison of Three Un-mixing Based Hyperspectral Image Fusion Techniques
Authors: Mani V. R. S.
Published: May 2018

With the availability of multi sensor data in many fields, such as remote sensing, medical imaging or machine vision, sensor fusion has emerged as a new and promising research area. It is possible to have several images of the same scene providing different information although the scene is the same. This is because each image has been captured with a different sensor. A non-negative matrix factorization (NNMF) un mixing based fusion technique with vertex component analysis (VCA) based end member initialization and simple multiplicative update to improve the spatial resolution and to preserve the spectral resolution of the hyper spectral image is proposed. Its performance is analyzed with different number of iterations and end member initializations. A Constrained Non Negative Matrix Factorization unmixing based fusion technique is developed by adding a regularization term to the objective function to preserve the spectral resolution of the hyper spectral image, and its performance is analyzed with different number of iterations and end members. A rank two NNMF and hierarchical clustering based end member initialization and block principal pivoting algorithm based abundance estimation technique, for fusing hyper spectral image and simulated multispectral image is proposed and its performance is analyzed for different overlapping and non overlapping group of multispectral and hyper spectral bands. The performance of the above three methods are compared and analyzed. The obtained results show that the performance of rank two NNMF hierarchical clustering based fusion technique is better than the other two constrained and unconstrained NNMF un mixing based techniques. Also, the performance of these three proposed multi sensor image fusion techniques are compared with an existing image fusion technique.
Late Pleistocene Paleoflood Deposits Identified by Grain Size Signatures, Parsons Valley Lake, Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu
Authors: Raja Priyanka , Achyuthan Hema , Geethanjali K. , Kumar Pankaj , Chopra Sundeep
Published: May 2018

A study involving grain size analysis was carried out from the Parsons valley lake deposit, Nilgiris, India to determine the depositional environments and paleoflood events since late Pleistocene period (~29,838 cal yr BP). A 72 cm lacustrine core was collected from the lake and eight organic rich sediment samples were AMS radiocarbon dated. The study reveals variations in the grain size distribution chiefly influenced by regional climatic conditions. Paleoflood events have been identified by the individual sedimentary flood signatures of varying changes in the magnitude of sediment supply from the background silty sediment matrix around ~29,838 and ~8405 cal yr BP.
The Investigation of Twin Tunnel Stability: Effect of Spacing and Diameter
Authors: Singh Rajesh , Singh T. N. , Bajpai R. K.
Published: May 2018

The underground excavation became the backbone of developing as well as developed country due to unavailability of surface area and increase demand of space for transportation, water channeling, waste disposal and storage. Except for transportation, the crystalline rocks (high strength, low porosity and less permeability) are considered most suitable and safe space for the storage of radioactive waste as well as petroleum. The role of spacing between twin tunnel and tunnel’s diameter in its stability was carried out using finite element method. Not much research has been done on twin tunnel spacing in hard rock. In the present study, a total of ninety simulations were performed to investigate critical spacing of the twin tunnel in granitic rock mass. Twin tunnel diameter is varied from the 2 m to 10 m and their spacing varied from 0.2 to 2 times of diameter. It was concluded that minimum spacing should be 0.8 times of the tunnel diameter. It was also found that small diameter tunnel effects only near field but large diameter tunnel effect near field as well as far field. The vertical hole, approximately 3m diameter, containing radioactive waste canister should be drilled at the interval of more than 2.4m.
Exploratory Study of Archaebacteria and their Habitat in Underground, Opencast Coal Mines and Coal Mine Fire Areas of Dhanbad
Authors: Mukherjee D. , Selvi V. A. , Ganguly J. , Ram L. C. , Masto R. E.
Published: May 2018

Coal contains abundant microbial genera which include archaebacteria. The study of archaea kingdom in coal mines is a significant tool for knowing the relationship between coal and archaebacteria, the major role in geochemical cycle and application for further coal bio–beneficiation. The present study related to exploration of archaebacteria and their habitat in coal mining area of Dhanbad with reference to their ecology and nutrient availability that have evolve to grow under extreme conditions. Total six different sites such as two underground coal mines (Sudamdih shaft and Chasnalla underground mine), two opencast coal mines (Chandan project and Bhowra abandoned mine), Jharia mine fire and Sudamdih coal washery of Dhanbad was selected. Seven gram negative obligate anaerobic bacteria were isolated from the selected sites. The isolated species were rod and cocci shaped and the colony was round, smooth, off white in colour and with entire margin and little are cluster of cocci in shape. The isolated species were identified as Methanococcus spp, Methanobacterium spp and Methanosarcina spp. Apart from that two thermoacidophilic sulfur oxidizing bacteria Sulfolobus spp was also isolated from Jharia Coal Mine Fire. The physicochemical and biological characterization of the habitat was also studied for the entire selected area.
Automatic Delineation of Structural Boundaries using Curvature Analysis of Bouguer Gravity Data in Parts of Northwest Himalaya
Authors: Ghosh G. K.
Published: May 2018

Curvature describes about the bending of surface by which a surface deviates from flat plane or a curve deviates from straight. The Himalaya has numerous geodynamic features with complex geological setup and extreme undulating topography. In this context, interpretation of gravity data has been used for enhancing important features to delineate structural trend for understanding thrust-fault locations and crustal structural setup in north-west Himalaya. Gravity data interpretation not only help to study varying lateral changes in density with lithological changes but also properties of gradients to interpret sub-surface structure and edges of the geological features. Attempt has been made to interpret various curvatures analysis like maximum, minimum, most-positive and most-negative curvatures using Bouguer gravity data to estimate the automatic thrust-fault locations in Dehradun-Badrinath area falling in the north-western part of Himalaya, India.