bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparison of bacterial attachment to platelet bags with and without preconditioning with plasma
Authors: Loza‐Correa M. , Kalab M. , Yi Q.‐L. , Eltringham‐Smith L. J. , Sheffield W. P. , Ramirez‐Arcos S.
Published: May 2017

Background and Objectives

Canadian Blood Services produces apheresis and buffy coat pooled platelet concentrates (PCs) stored in bags produced by two different manufacturers (A and B, respectively), both made of polyvinyl chloride‐butyryl trihexyl citrate. This study was aimed at comparing Staphylococcus epidermidis adhesion to the inner surface of both bag types in the presence or absence of plasma factors.

Materials and Methods

Sets (N = 2–6) of bags type A and B were left non‐coated (control) or preconditioned with platelet‐rich, platelet‐poor or defibrinated plasma (PRP, PPP and DefibPPP, respectively). Each bag was inoculated with a 200‐ml S. epidermidis culture adjusted to 0·5 colony‐forming units/ml. Bags were incubated under platelet storage conditions for 7 days. After culture removal, bacteria attached to the plastic surface were either dislodged by sonication for bacterial quantification or examined in situ by scanning electron microscopy (SEM).

Results

Higher bacterial adhesion was observed to preconditioned PC bags than control containers for both bag types (P < 0·0001). Bacterial attachment to preconditioned bags was confirmed by SEM. Bacteria adhered equally to both types of containers in the presence of PRP, PPP and DefibPPP residues (P > 0·05). By contrast, a significant increase in bacterial adherence was observed to type A bags compared with type B bags in the absence of plasma (P < 0·05) [Correction added on 16 June 2017, after first online publication: this sentence has been corrected].

Conclusion

The ability of S. epidermidis to adhere to preconditioned platelet collection bags depends on the presence of plasma factors. Future efforts should be focused on reducing plasma proteins' attachment to platelet storage containers to decrease subsequent bacterial adhesion.
Functionality testing of stem cell grafts to predict infectious complications after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation
Authors: Nilsson J. , Granrot I. , Mattsson J. , Omazic B. , Uhlin M. , Thunberg S.
Published: May 2017

Background and Objectives

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is a routine clinical procedure performed to treat patients with haematological malignancies, primary immune deficiencies or metabolic disorders. Infections during lymphopenia after allogeneic HSCT are associated with high mortality and morbidity. Typical infectious agents are Epstein–Barr virus, cytomegalovirus, herpes simplex virus, varicella‐zoster virus and fungi. The study aim was to evaluate whether measurement of the responses of antigen‐specific T‐cells, recognizing infectious pathogens would correlate to protective functions in the stem cell recipient post‐transplant.

Materials and Methods

Twenty‐one grafts were analysed by flow cytometry and cells were stimulated in vitro with relevant infectious antigens, followed by evaluation of T‐cell proliferation and cytokine production. Results were compared to the recipients’ clinical records 1‐year post‐transplantation.

Results

We show that an extensive repertoire of transferred antigen‐specific T‐cells from allogeneic donor grafts against infectious agents, involved in post‐transplant infections, are linked to an absence of infectious complications for the recipient up‐to 1‐year post‐transplant. The protective effect was associated with antigen‐specific T‐cell proliferation and IL‐1β secretion.

Conclusion

Our results suggest that assaying T‐cell function before HSCT could determine individual risks for infectious complications and thus aid in clinical decision‐making regarding prophylactic and pre‐emptive anti‐infective therapy.
Adrenal glands transabdominal ultrasonography - pictorial essay
Authors: Chira Romeo Ioan , Chira Alexandra , Manzat-Saplacan Roberta Maria , Nagy Georgiana , Valea Ana , Silaghi Alina Cristina , Mircea Petru Adrian , Valean Simona
Published: May 2017

Adrenal gland ultrasonography is one of the corner stones of the abdominal ultrasonography examination for many medical specialties. The adrenal areas can be easily overlooked though adrenal gland pathology is diverse. We present the normal aspects and various transabdominal ultrasonography findings of the adrenal glands, both common and rare. Even though ultrasound examination is operator and patient dependent, we consider the examination of the adrenal glands very important, due to relatively frequent incidental detection of an adrenal mass.
Adsorption of bovine serum albumin on silicon dioxide nanoparticles: Impact of pH on nanoparticle–protein interactions
Authors: Givens Brittany E. , Diklich Nina D. , Fiegel Jennifer , Grassian Vicki H.
Published: May 2017

Bovine serum albumin (BSA) adsorbed on amorphous silicon dioxide (SiO2) nanoparticles was studied as a function of pH across the range of 2 to 8. Aggregation, surface charge, surface coverage, and protein structure were investigated over this entire pH range. SiO2 nanoparticle aggregation is found to depend upon pH and differs in the presence of adsorbed BSA. For SiO2 nanoparticles truncated with hydroxyl groups, the largest aggregates were observed at pH 3, close to the isoelectric point of SiO2 nanoparticles, whereas for SiO2 nanoparticles with adsorbed BSA, the aggregate size was the greatest at pH 3.7, close to the isoelectric point of the BSA-SiO2 complex. Surface coverage of BSA was also the greatest at the isoelectric point of the BSA-SiO2 complex with a value of ca. 3 ± 1 × 1011 molecules cm−2. Furthermore, the secondary protein structure was modified when compared to the solution phase at all pH values, but the most significant differences were seen at pH 7.4 and below. It is concluded that protein–nanoparticle interactions vary with solution pH, which may have implications for nanoparticles in different biological fluids (e.g., blood, stomach, and lungs).
Relationship of scattering phase shifts to special radiation force conditions for spheres in axisymmetric wave-fields
Authors: Marston Philip L. , Zhang Likun
Published: May 2017

When investigating the radiation forces on spheres in complicated wave-fields, the interpretation of analytical results can be simplified by retaining the s-function notation and associated phase shifts imported into acoustics from quantum scattering theory. For situations in which dissipation is negligible, as taken to be the case in the present investigation, there is an additional simplification in that partial-wave phase shifts become real numbers that vanish when the partial-wave index becomes large and when the wave-number-sphere-radius product vanishes. By restricting attention to monopole and dipole phase shifts, transitions in the axial radiation force for axisymmetric wave-fields are found to be related to wave-field parameters for traveling and standing Bessel wave-fields by considering the ratio of the phase shifts. For traveling waves, the special force conditions concern negative forces while for standing waves, the special force conditions concern vanishing radiation forces. An intermediate step involves considering the functional dependence on phase shifts. An appendix gives an approximation for zero-force plane standing wave conditions. Connections with early investigations of acoustic levitation are mentioned and some complications associated with viscosity are briefly noted.
From 70 Thousand to 7 Million: Integrated Activation as a Driver of Sponsor and Property Reach
Authors: Pasqualicchio Gary , O’Reilly Norm , Elowson Ed
Published: May 2017

For years, sport properties and corporate sponsors have struggled to develop strategies to activate their expansive partnerships, particularly those without high-ranking national media coverage. This case analyzes a successful, multilayered sponsorship activation tied to the 2012 retirement of Philadelphia Eagles star Brian Dawkins. The Eagles, in partnership with AAA and Marvel, created and promoted a unique weekend around Dawkins’ retirement that included a NASCAR race, an NFL Sunday Night Football Game, and a meet-and-greet with Dawkins; this weekend was marketed extensively across various modes of media. The partners’ goals were to engage 7 million regionally-based Eagles fans, not just the 70,000 fans who would witness Dawkins’ retirement ceremony inside Lincoln Financial Field during the game. This case illustrates how the partners came together to achieve common goals, using Dawkins’ image, presence, and positive affinity with Eagles fans. The case details sponsorship and activation trends, the activation ratio, and other examples of sponsorship activation tied to athlete retirement. The case asks students to take what they have learned about sponsorship activation and analyze the Dawkins retirement, discussing what was successful, what was not, and what could be done for future sponsorship activations in similar situations.
Extra! Extracellular Effector Delivery into Host Cells via the Type 3 Secretion System
Authors: Kendall Melissa M.
Published: May 2017

The type three secretion system (T3SS) is critical for the virulence of diverse bacterial pathogens. Pathogens use the T3SS to deliver effector proteins into host cells and manipulate host signaling pathways. The prevailing mechanism is that effectors translocate from inside the T3SS directly into the host cell. Recent studies reveal an alternative mechanism of effector translocation, in which an effector protein located outside the bacterial cell relies on the T3SS for delivery into host cells. Tejeda-Dominguez et al. (F. Tejeda-Dominguez, J. Huerta-Cantillo, L. Chavez-Dueñas, and F. Navarro-Garcia, mBio 8:e00184-17, 2017,
https://doi.org/10.1128/mBio.00184-17
) demonstrate that the EspC effector of enteropathogenic
Escherichia coli
is translocated by binding to the outside of the T3SS and subsequently gains access to the host cell cytoplasm through the T3SS pore embedded within the host cell membrane. This work reveals a novel mechanism of translocation that is likely relevant for a variety of other pathogens that use the T3SS as part of their virulence arsenal.
Middle cerebral artery flow velocity increases more in patients with delayed intraparenchymal hemorrhage after Pipeline
Authors: Brunozzi Denise , Shakur Sophia F , Hussein Ahmed E , Charbel Fady T , Alaraj Ali
Published: May 2017

Objective

Pipeline Embolization Devices (PED) are commonly used for endovascular treatment of cerebral aneurysms but can be associated with delayed ipsilateral intraparenchymal hemorrhage (DIPH). The role that altered intracranial hemodynamics may play in the pathophysiology of DIPH is poorly understood. We assess middle cerebral artery (MCA) flow velocity changes after PED deployment.

Materials and methods

Patients with aneurysms located proximal to the internal carotid artery terminus treated with PED at our institution between 2015 and 2016 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were included if MCA flow velocities were measured using transcranial Doppler. Bilateral MCA flow velocities, ratio of ipsilateral to contralateral MCA flow velocity, and bilateral MCA pulsatility index before and after PED deployment were assessed.

Results

10 patients of mean age 52 years were included. Two patients had DIPH within 48 hours after PED deployment. We observed that these two patients had a higher increase in ipsilateral MCA mean flow velocity after treatment compared with patients without DIPH (39.5% vs 5.5%). Additionally, before PED deployment, patients with DIPH had a higher ipsilateral MCA pulsatility index (1.55 vs 0.98) and a higher ratio of ipsilateral to contralateral MCA mean flow velocity (1.35 vs 1.04).

Conclusions

After PED, ipsilateral MCA mean flow velocity increases more in patients with DIPH. These flow velocity changes suggest the possible role of altered distal intracranial hemodynamics in DIPH after PED treatment of cerebral aneurysms. Further data are required to confirm this observation.
Gastric lactophytobezoar causing pyloric outlet obstruction in a pygmy hippopotamus calf (Choeropsis liberiensis)
Authors: Barrows Michelle , Day Charlotte , Denk Daniela
Published: May 2017

A one‐month‐old, female, mother‐reared pygmy hippopotamus, Choeropsis liberiensis, died under anaesthesia after presenting with acute‐onset regurgitation of milk. Abdominal radiographs revealed a radiodense mass within the stomach, which on postmortem examination was found to be a large, solid, stratified lactophytobezoar causing pyloric outlet obstruction. Lactobezoars are gastric concretions formed from solidified, undigested milk, sometimes mixed with mucus. When mixed with plant material, they are referred to as lactophytobezoars. Histopathology revealed aspiration pneumonia and erosive and suppurative tracheitis. Lactobezoars are diagnosed most commonly in premature human infants and have been reported occasionally in hand‐reared felids and ursids. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first report of a lactophytobezoar in a non‐human mammal reared on its mother. Lactobezoars and lactophytobezoars should be considered in the list of differential diagnoses for emesis, regurgitation or abdominal mass in any milk‐fed mammal, whether hand or parent‐reared.
Efficacy of recombinant bovine epidermal growth factor in the treatment of experimental subclinical Staphylococcus aureus mastitis in a ewe model
Authors: Gabadage Kamal , Chirino‐Trejo Manuel , Campbell John , Luby Christopher
Published: May 2017

Staphylococcus aureus is the most common contagious mastitis pathogen of dairy cattle. Antimicrobial treatment of infected cattle results in variable cure rates. Epidermal growth factor (EGF) plays an important role in the modulation of host innate immune responses and the regulation of mammary epithelial regeneration, indicating that EGF may be useful as a treatment for mastitis. A pilot study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of recombinant bovine EGF (rbEGF) for the treatment of S aureus intramammary infection (IMI) using an ovine model. Each ewe was experimentally infected with S aureus in both udder halves. One udder half of each ewe received one of two treatments: EGF (n=13) or pirlimycin (n=13). The contralateral udder half of each ewe received sterile saline as a control. The bacteriological cure rate following rbEGF was significantly lower (15 per cent) than that attained with pirlimycin hydrochloride (61 per cent) and did not differ from that following treatment with sterile saline. Cure rates following treatment with rbEGF were not significantly different to those following sterile saline. Given that EGF is associated with modulation of host immunity and wound healing, future studies into EGF should not focus on whether EGF increases cure rates of S aureus IMI.
Determination of effective atomic numbers and electron densities from mass attenuation coefficients for some selected complexes containing lanthanides
Authors: Akman Ferdi , Kaçal Mustafa Recep , Akman Feride , Soylu Mustafa Serkan
Published: May 2017

The effective atomic numbers and electron densities for the pure elemental forms of gadolinium (Gd), dysprosium (Dy), erbium (Er), and ytterbium (Yb), and some of their selected complexes, were obtained from the measured total mass attenuation coefficients at 13.92, 17.75, 20.78, 26.34, and 59.54 keV photon energies using a high-resolution Si(Li) detector by adopting transmission geometry. The measured results were compared with two different theoretical results. Within experimental deviations, our data are in good agreement with the theoretical values. The obtained parameters were also interpreted with some selected chemical parameters.
Study on bending fretting fatigue damage in 17CrNiMo6 steel
Authors: Peng J. F. , Jin X. , Xu Z. B. , Cai Z. B. , Zhang X. Y. , Zhu M. H.
Published: May 2017

Bending fretting fatigue behavior of 17CrNiMo6 alloy structural steel at room temperature was investigated under different bending and contact loads; and the [Formula: see text]–[Formula: see text] curve also was built up. The results showed that the [Formula: see text]–[Formula: see text] curve had a “C” shape. The bending fretting fatigue life was mainly dependent on the bending fatigue stress and fretting displacement. The limit of the specimens and the fretting fatigue life were dramatically decreased by fretting actions. The bending fretting fatigue damage changed under varied bending fatigue stress levels. When the wear first occurred, there is a lower bending fatigue stress; and with a higher bending fatigue load, microcracks were generated. However, some serious wear and surface delamination were observed under the highest fatigue load.
Influence of Ti content and sintering temperature on dielectric properties of Bi4Ti3O12 ceramics
Authors: Chen Yong , Li Zhaozhi , Su Huyin , Xue Simin , Bian Mengyun , Xu Lingfang , Cao Wanqiang , Huang Zhaoxiang
Published: May 2017

An ultra-broad working temperature dielectric material, Bi4Ti[Formula: see text]O[Formula: see text]([Formula: see text] = 2.96, 2.98, 3.0, 3.02 and 3.04), prepared by a conventional mixed oxide route was investigated which is supposed to replace lead-containing ceramics for its outstanding dielectric properties. Microstructure and dielectric properties of well-sintered samples (at 1040[Formula: see text]C, 1060[Formula: see text]C, 1080[Formula: see text]C, 1100[Formula: see text]C and 1120[Formula: see text]C) were studied. X-ray diffraction analysis indicated that the new material was in a single Bi-layered perovskite phase. The dielectric constant and dielectric loss at different frequencies (10, 100 and 1000 kHz) were measured at 1100[Formula: see text]C. With the increasing frequency, the dielectric constant decreased and the dielectric loss was almost unchanged. While at 100 kHz, there is the highest relative permittivity ([Formula: see text]) of 2822.8 and the lowest dielectric loss of 0.0040 ([Formula: see text] = 2.98), the Curie temperature ([Formula: see text]) is 668.9[Formula: see text]C. At the frequency of 1 MHz, the highest relative permittivity ([Formula: see text]) is 1115.8 when Ti content is 3.02, and the Curie temperature is 672.2[Formula: see text]C. SEM can explain the results of the dielectric spectrum at different Ti content and sintering temperatures. [Formula: see text] plots show that Bi4Ti3O[Formula: see text] ceramics are a kind of dielectrics. Since it possesses large dielectric constant, low dielectric loss and stable temperature character, this material shows promising applications for the ultra-broad temperature range components, such as high-temperature multilayer ceramic capacitors and microwave ceramics.
Nanoplate-like tungsten trioxide (hydrate) films prepared by crystal-seed-assisted hydrothermal reaction
Authors: Wang P. , Yang L. , Dai B. , Yang Z. , Guo S. , Zhu J.
Published: May 2017

Vertically-aligned WO3 nanoplates on transparent conducting fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) glass were prepared by a facile template-free crystal-seed-assisted hydrothermal method. The effects of the hydrothermal temperature and reaction time on the crystal structure and morphology of the products were investigated by XRD and SEM. The XRD results showed that the as-prepared thin films obtained below 150[Formula: see text]C comprised orthorhombic WO3 ⋅ H2O and completely converted to monoclinic WO3 at 180[Formula: see text]C. It was also noted that there was a phase transformation from orthorhombic to monoclinic by increasing the reaction time from 1 to 12 h. SEM analysis revealed that WO3 thin films are composed of plate-like nanostructures.
Utilization of Dependence and Weight to Improve Fault Localization Method of Regression Test Cases
Authors: Hui Zhang
Published: May 2017

Among the fault localization methods of the coverage-based regression test cases, the ranking of suspiciousness degree is seriously impacted due to the existence of similar test cases, the existence of isolated treatment of each program entity and the coincidental correctness test cases as well as the poor quality of regression test cases, which reduces the efficiency of fault localization. This paper proposes a method that combines the control dependence and data dependence, test cases covering table and test result with vector angular cosine weight to solve the aforesaid problems. Experimental results show that the efficiency of the proposed fault localization of regression test cases is better than that of Tarantula, Jaccard, Ochiai, PPDG and CP methods.
A Framework for Selecting Architectural Tactics Using Fuzzy Measures
Authors: Alashqar Abdelkareem M. , El-Bakry Hazem M. , Elfetouh Ahmad Abo
Published: May 2017

Software architects cannot avoid the consideration of quality attributes when designing software architecture. Architectural styles such as Layers and Client-Server are often used by architects to describe the overall structure and behavior of software. Although an architectural style affects the achievement of quality attributes, these quality attributes are directly performed by design decisions called architectural tactics. While the implementation of an architectural tactic supports a specific quality attribute, it often enhances or hurts other quality attributes in the software. In this paper, a framework for selecting the most appropriate architectural tactics according to their best achievement of the required levels of quality attributes when developing transaction processing systems is proposed. The proposed framework is based on fuzzy measures using Choquet Integral approach and takes into account the impact of architectural tactics on quality attributes, the preferences of quality attributes and the interactions between them. It can also be used to compare different potential architectures in terms of their supporting of quality attributes. The abilities and the advantages of the proposed framework are clarified via practical experiments using a case study.
Web Pages Classification with Parliamentary Optimization Algorithm
Authors: Kiziloluk Soner , Ozer Ahmet Bedri
Published: May 2017

In recent years, data on the Internet has grown exponentially, attaining enormous dimensions. This situation makes it difficult to obtain useful information from such data. Web mining is the process of using data mining techniques such as association rules, classification, clustering, and statistics to discover and extract information from Web documents. Optimization algorithms play an important role in such techniques. In this work, the parliamentary optimization algorithm (POA), which is one of the latest social-based metaheuristic algorithms, has been adopted for Web page classification. Two different data sets (Course and Student) were selected for experimental evaluation, and HTML tags were used as features. The data sets were tested using different classification algorithms implemented in WEKA, and the results were compared with those of the POA. The POA was found to yield promising results compared to the other algorithms. This study is the first to propose the POA for effective Web page classification.
A novel sol–gel route to synthesize (Sr0.5Ba0.5)Nb2O6 ceramics with enhanced electrocaloric effect
Authors: Chen Ting , Wu Shu Ya , Liu Xiao Qiang , Chen Xiang Ming
Published: May 2017

(Sr[Formula: see text]Ba[Formula: see text])Nb2O6 ultra-fine powders were synthesized by a novel sol–gel route, and the mechanism of the reaction was discussed. SrCO3, BaCO3, oxalate niobium and citric acid were used to initiate the sol–gel process, and ethylene glycol (EG) was added to further polymerize the cross-linking structure. The evolution of the (Sr[Formula: see text]Ba[Formula: see text])Nb2O6 phase, the reaction process and the microstructures were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, DSC-TG and scanning electron microscopy. The synthesis temperature of the (Sr[Formula: see text]Ba[Formula: see text])Nb2O6 powders reached as low as 1200[Formula: see text]C, and the size and morphology of the powders were controlled by temperature. By adjusting the calcination temperature, we obtained (Sr[Formula: see text]Ba[Formula: see text])Nb2O6 powders with uniform sizes of 20[Formula: see text]nm to 500[Formula: see text]nm. Then, dense (Sr[Formula: see text]Ba[Formula: see text])Nb2O6 ceramics were successfully prepared using these ultrafine powders. Finally, an enhanced electrocaloric effect (ECE) value of 0.35[Formula: see text]C was obtained at 100[Formula: see text]kV/cm.
Protein disulfide isomerase regulates renal AT1 receptor function and blood pressure in rats
Authors: Wang Xitao , Asghar Mohammad
Published: May 2017

The role and mechanism of renal protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) in blood pressure regulation has not been tested before. Here, we test this possibility in Sprague-Dawley rats. Rats were treated with PDI inhibitor bacitracin (100 mg·kg−1 ip·day−1 for 14 days), and then blood pressure and renal angiotensin II type 1 (AT1) receptor function were determined in anesthetized rats. Renal AT1 receptor function was determined as the ability of candesartan (an AT1 receptor blocker) to increase diuresis and natriuresis. A second set of vehicle- and bacitracin-treated rats was used to determine biochemical parameters. Systolic blood pressure as well as diastolic blood pressure increased in bacitracin-treated compared with vehicle-treated rats. Compared with vehicle, bacitracin-treated rats showed increased diuresis and natriuresis in response to candesartan (10-µg iv bolus dose) suggesting higher AT1 receptor function in these rats. These were associated with higher renin activities in the plasma and renal tissues. Furthermore, urinary 8-isoprostane and kidney injury molecule-1 levels were higher and urinary antioxidant capacity was lower in bacitracin-treated rats. Renal protein carbonyl and nitrotyrosine levels also were higher in bacitracin- compared with vehicle-treated rats, suggesting oxidative stress burden in bacitracin-treated rats. Moreover, PDI activity decreased and its protein levels increased in renal tissues of bacitracin-treated rats. Also, nuclear levels of Nrf2 transcription factor, which regulates redox homeostasis, were decreased in bacitracin-treated rats. Furthermore, tissue levels of Keap1, an Nrf2 inhibitory molecule, and tyrosine 216-phosphorylated GSK3β protein, an Nrf2 nuclear export protein, were increased in bacitracin-treated rats. These results suggest that renal PDI by regulating Keap1-Nrf2 pathway acts as an antioxidant, maintaining redox balance, renal AT1 receptor function, and blood pressure in rats.
Ube3a loss increases excitability and blunts orientation tuning in the visual cortex of Angelman syndrome model mice
Authors: Wallace Michael L. , van Woerden Geeske M. , Elgersma Ype , Smith Spencer L. , Philpot Benjamin D.
Published: May 2017

Angelman syndrome (AS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder caused by loss of the maternally inherited allele of UBE3A. Ube3aSTOP/p+ mice recapitulate major features of AS in humans and allow conditional reinstatement of maternal Ube3a with the expression of Cre recombinase. We have recently shown that AS model mice exhibit reduced inhibitory drive onto layer (L)2/3 pyramidal neurons of visual cortex, which contributes to a synaptic excitatory/inhibitory imbalance. However, it remains unclear how this loss of inhibitory drive affects neural circuits in vivo. Here we examined visual cortical response properties in individual neurons to explore the consequences of Ube3a loss on intact cortical circuits and processing. Using in vivo patch-clamp electrophysiology, we measured the visually evoked responses to square-wave drifting gratings in L2/3 regular-spiking (RS) neurons in control mice, Ube3a-deficient mice, and mice in which Ube3a was conditionally reinstated in GABAergic neurons. We found that Ube3a-deficient mice exhibited enhanced pyramidal neuron excitability in vivo as well as weaker orientation tuning. These observations are the first to show alterations in cortical computation in an AS model, and they suggest a basis for cortical dysfunction in AS.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY Angelman syndrome (AS) is a severe neurodevelopmental disorder caused by the loss of the gene UBE3A. Using electrophysiological recording in vivo, we describe visual cortical dysfunctions in a mouse model of AS. Aberrant cellular properties in AS model mice could be improved by reinstating Ube3a in inhibitory neurons. These findings suggest that inhibitory neurons play a substantial role in the pathogenesis of AS.
Mini Electrodes on Ablation Catheters: Valuable Addition or Redundant Information?—Insights from a Computational Study
Authors: Pollnow Stefan , Greiner Joachim , Oesterlein Tobias , Wülfers Eike M. , Loewe Axel , Dössel Olaf
Published: May 2017

Radiofrequency ablation has become a first-line approach for curative therapy of many cardiac arrhythmias. Various existing catheter designs provide high spatial resolution to identify the best spot for performing ablation and to assess lesion formation. However, creation of transmural and nonconducting ablation lesions requires usage of catheters with larger electrodes and improved thermal conductivity, leading to reduced spatial sensitivity. As trade-off, an ablation catheter with integrated mini electrodes was introduced. The additional diagnostic benefit of this catheter is still not clear. In order to solve this issue, we implemented a computational setup with different ablation scenarios. Ourin silicoresults show that peak-to-peak amplitudes of unipolar electrograms from mini electrodes are more suitable to differentiate ablated and nonablated tissue compared to electrograms from the distal ablation electrode. However, in orthogonal mapping position, no significant difference was observed between distal electrode and mini electrodes electrograms in the ablation scenarios. In conclusion, catheters with mini electrodes bring about additional benefit to distinguish ablated tissue from nonablated tissue in parallel position with high spatial resolution. It is feasible to detect conduction gaps in linear lesions with this catheter by evaluating electrogram data from mini electrodes.
Pareto Optimization of a Half Car Passive Suspension Model Using a Novel Multiobjective Heat Transfer Search Algorithm
Authors: Savsani Vimal , Patel Vivek , Gadhvi Bhargav , Tawhid Mohamed
Published: May 2017

Most of the modern multiobjective optimization algorithms are based on the search technique of genetic algorithms; however the search techniques of other recently developed metaheuristics are emerging topics among researchers. This paper proposes a novel multiobjective optimization algorithm named multiobjective heat transfer search (MOHTS) algorithm, which is based on the search technique of heat transfer search (HTS) algorithm. MOHTS employs the elitist nondominated sorting and crowding distance approach of an elitist based nondominated sorting genetic algorithm-II (NSGA-II) for obtaining different nondomination levels and to preserve the diversity among the optimal set of solutions, respectively. The capability in yielding a Pareto front as close as possible to the true Pareto front of MOHTS has been tested on the multiobjective optimization problem of the vehicle suspension design, which has a set of five second-order linear ordinary differential equations. Half car passive ride model with two different sets of five objectives is employed for optimizing the suspension parameters using MOHTS and NSGA-II. The optimization studies demonstrate that MOHTS achieves the better nondominated Pareto front with the widespread (diveresed) set of optimal solutions as compared to NSGA-II, and further the comparison of the extreme points of the obtained Pareto front reveals the dominance of MOHTS over NSGA-II, multiobjective uniform diversity genetic algorithm (MUGA), and combined PSO-GA based MOEA.
The Thermodynamic Relationship between the RN-AdS Black Holes and the RN Black Hole in Canonical Ensemble
Authors: Ma Yu-Bo , Zhang Li-Chun , Liu Jian , Zhao Ren , Cao Shuo
Published: May 2017

In this paper, by analyzing the thermodynamic properties of charged AdS black hole and asymptotically flat space-time charged black hole in the vicinity of the critical point, we establish the correspondence between the thermodynamic parameters of asymptotically flat space-time and nonasymptotically flat space-time, based on the equality of black hole horizon area in the two different types of space-time. The relationship between the cavity radius (which is introduced in the study of asymptotically flat space-time charged black holes) and the cosmological constant (which is introduced in the study of nonasymptotically flat space-time) is determined. The establishment of the correspondence between the thermodynamics parameters in two different types of space-time is beneficial to the mutual promotion of different time-space black hole research, which is helpful to understand the thermodynamics and quantum properties of black hole in space-time.
The Research of Disease Spots Extraction Based on Evolutionary Algorithm
Authors: Li Kangshun , Xiong Lu , Zhang Dongbo , Liang Zhengping , Xue Yu
Published: May 2017

According to the characteristics of maize disease spot performance in the image, this paper designs two-histogram segmentation method based on evolutionary algorithm, which combined with the analysis of image of maize diseases and insect pests, with full consideration of color and texture characteristic of the lesion of pests and diseases, the chroma and gray image, composed of two tuples to build a two-dimensional histogram, solves the problem of one-dimensional histograms that cannot be clearly divided into target and background bimodal distribution and improved the traditional two-dimensional histogram application in pest damage lesion extraction. The chromosome coding suitable for the characteristics of lesion image is designed based on second segmentation of the genetic algorithm Otsu. Determining initial population with analysis results of lesion image, parallel selection, optimal preservation strategy, and adaptive mutation operator are used to improve the search efficiency. Finally, by setting the fluctuation threshold, we continue to search for the best threshold in the range of fluctuations for implementation of global search and local search.
Dysphonic Voice Pattern Analysis of Patients in Parkinson’s Disease Using Minimum Interclass Probability Risk Feature Selection and Bagging Ensemble Learning Methods
Authors: Wu Yunfeng , Chen Pinnan , Yao Yuchen , Ye Xiaoquan , Xiao Yugui , Liao Lifang , Wu Meihong , Chen Jian
Published: May 2017

Analysis of quantified voice patterns is useful in the detection and assessment of dysphonia and related phonation disorders. In this paper, we first study the linear correlations between 22 voice parameters of fundamental frequency variability, amplitude variations, and nonlinear measures. The highly correlated vocal parameters are combined by using the linear discriminant analysis method. Based on the probability density functions estimated by the Parzen-window technique, we propose an interclass probability risk (ICPR) method to select the vocal parameters with small ICPR values as dominant features and compare with the modified Kullback-Leibler divergence (MKLD) feature selection approach. The experimental results show that the generalized logistic regression analysis (GLRA), support vector machine (SVM), and Bagging ensemble algorithm input with the ICPR features can provide better classification results than the same classifiers with the MKLD selected features. The SVM is much better at distinguishing normal vocal patterns with a specificity of 0.8542. Among the three classification methods, the Bagging ensemble algorithm with ICPR features can identify 90.77% vocal patterns, with the highest sensitivity of 0.9796 and largest area value of 0.9558 under the receiver operating characteristic curve. The classification results demonstrate the effectiveness of our feature selection and pattern analysis methods for dysphonic voice detection and measurement.
Fast Recall for Complex-Valued Hopfield Neural Networks with Projection Rules
Authors: Kobayashi Masaki
Published: May 2017

Many models of neural networks have been extended to complex-valued neural networks. A complex-valued Hopfield neural network (CHNN) is a complex-valued version of a Hopfield neural network. Complex-valued neurons can represent multistates, and CHNNs are available for the storage of multilevel data, such as gray-scale images. The CHNNs are often trapped into the local minima, and their noise tolerance is low. Lee improved the noise tolerance of the CHNNs by detecting and exiting the local minima. In the present work, we propose a new recall algorithm that eliminates the local minima. We show that our proposed recall algorithm not only accelerated the recall but also improved the noise tolerance through computer simulations.
A Novel Remote Rehabilitation System with the Fusion of Noninvasive Wearable Device and Motion Sensing for Pulmonary Patients
Authors: Tey Chuang-Kit , An Jinyoung , Chung Wan-Young
Published: May 2017

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a type of lung disease caused by chronically poor airflow that makes breathing difficult. As a chronic illness, it typically worsens over time. Therefore, pulmonary rehabilitation exercises and patient management for extensive periods of time are required. This paper presents a remote rehabilitation system for a multimodal sensors-based application for patients who have chronic breathing difficulties. The process involves the fusion of sensory data—captured motion data by stereo-camera and photoplethysmogram signal by a wearable PPG sensor—that are the input variables of a detection and evaluation framework. In addition, we incorporated a set of rehabilitation exercises specific for pulmonary patients into the system by fusing sensory data. Simultaneously, the system also features medical functions that accommodate the needs of medical professionals and those which ease the use of the application for patients, including exercises for tracking progress, patient performance, exercise assignments, and exercise guidance. Finally, the results indicate the accurate determination of pulmonary exercises from the fusion of sensory data. This remote rehabilitation system provides a comfortable and cost-effective option in the healthcare rehabilitation system.
Ferroan Dolomitization by Seawater Interaction with Mafic Igneous Dikes and Carbonate Host Rock at the Latemar Platform, Dolomites, Italy: Numerical Modeling of Spatial, Temporal, and Temperature Data
Authors: Blomme K. , Fowler S. J. , Bachaud P. , Nader F. H. , Michel A. , Swennen R.
Published: May 2017

Numerous publications address the petrogenesis of the partially dolomitized Latemar carbonate platform, Italy. A common factor is interpretation of geochemical data in terms of heating via regional igneous activity that provided kinetically favorable conditions for replacement dolomitization. New field, petrographic, XRD, and geochemical data demonstrate a spatial, temporal, and geochemical link between replacement dolomite and local mafic igneous dikes that pervasively intrude the platform. Dikes are dominated by strongly altered plagioclase and clinopyroxene. Significantly, where ferroan dolomite is present, it borders dikes. We hypothesize that seawater interacted with mafic minerals, causing Fe enrichment in the fluid that subsequently participated in dolomitization. This hypothesis was tested numerically through thermodynamic (MELTS, Arxim-GEM) and reactive flow (Arxim-LMA) simulations. Results confirm that seawater becomes Fe-enriched during interaction with clinopyroxene (diopside-hedenbergite) and plagioclase (anorthite-albite-orthoclase) solid solutions. Reaction of modified seawater with limestone causes ferroan and nonferroan replacement dolomitization. Dolomite quantities are strongly influenced by temperature. At 40 to 80°C, ferroan dolomite proportions decrease with increasing temperature, indicating that Latemar dolomitization likely occurred at lower temperatures. This relationship between igneous dikes and dolomitization may have general significance due to the widespread association of carbonates with rifting-related igneous environments.
Recent Treatment Advances and New Trials in Adult Nephrotic Syndrome
Authors: Königshausen Eva , Sellin Lorenz
Published: May 2017

The etiology of nephrotic syndrome is complex and ranges from primary glomerulonephritis to secondary forms. Patients with nephrotic syndrome often need immunosuppressive treatment with its side effects and may progress to end stage renal disease. This review focuses on recent advances in the treatment of primary causes of nephrotic syndrome (idiopathic membranous nephropathy (iMN), minimal change disease (MCD), and focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS)) since the publication of the KDIGO guidelines in 2012. Current treatment recommendations are mostly based on randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in children, small RCTs, or case series in adults. Recently, only a few new RCTs have been published, such as the Gemritux trial evaluating rituximab treatment versus supportive antiproteinuric and antihypertensive therapy in iMN. Many RCTs are ongoing for iMN, MCD, and FSGS that will provide further information on the effectiveness of different treatment options for the causative disease. In addition to reviewing recent clinical studies, we provide insight into potential new targets for the treatment of nephrotic syndrome from recent basic science publications.
A Review on Recent Computational Methods for Predicting Noncoding RNAs
Authors: Zhang Yi , Huang Haiyun , Zhang Dahan , Qiu Jing , Yang Jiasheng , Wang Kejing , Zhu Lijuan , Fan Jingjing , Yang Jialiang
Published: May 2017

Noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) play important roles in various cellular activities and diseases. In this paper, we presented a comprehensive review on computational methods for ncRNA prediction, which are generally grouped into four categories: (1) homology-based methods, that is, comparative methods involving evolutionarily conserved RNA sequences and structures, (2) de novo methods using RNA sequence and structure features, (3) transcriptional sequencing and assembling based methods, that is, methods designed for single and pair-ended reads generated from next-generation RNA sequencing, and (4) RNA family specific methods, for example, methods specific for microRNAs and long noncoding RNAs. In the end, we summarized the advantages and limitations of these methods and pointed out a few possible future directions for ncRNA prediction. In conclusion, many computational methods have been demonstrated to be effective in predicting ncRNAs for further experimental validation. They are critical in reducing the huge number of potential ncRNAs and pointing the community to high confidence candidates. In the future, high efficient mapping technology and more intrinsic sequence features (e.g., motif and k-mer frequencies) and structure features (e.g., minimum free energy, conserved stem-loop, or graph structures) are suggested to be combined with the next- and third-generation sequencing platforms to improve ncRNA prediction.
The CNDP1 (CTG)5 Polymorphism Is Associated with Biopsy-Proven Diabetic Nephropathy, Time on Hemodialysis, and Diabetes Duration
Authors: Albrecht Thomas , Zhang Shiqi , Braun Jana D. , Xia Li , Rodriquez Angelica , Qiu Jiedong , Peters Verena , Schmitt Claus P. , Born Jacob van den , Bakker Stephan J. L. , Lammert Alexander , Köppel Hannes , Schnuelle Peter , Krämer Bernhard K. , Yard Benito A. , Hauske Sibylle J.
Published: May 2017

Considering that the homozygous CNDP1 (CTG)5 genotype affords protection against diabetic nephropathy (DN) in female patients with type 2 diabetes, this study assessed if this association remains gender-specific when applying clinical inclusion criteria (CIC-DN) or biopsy proof (BP-DN). Additionally, it assessed if the prevalence of the protective genotype changes with diabetes duration and time on hemodialysis and if this occurs in association with serum carnosinase (CN-1) activity. Whereas the distribution of the (CTG)5 homozygous genotype in the no-DN and CIC-DN patients was comparable, a lower frequency was found in the BP-DN patients, particularly in females. We observed a significant trend towards high frequencies of the (CTG)5 homozygous genotype with increased time on dialysis. This was also observed for diabetes duration but only reached significance when both (CTG)5 homo- and heterozygous patients were included. CN-1 activity negatively correlated with time on hemodialysis and was lower in (CTG)5 homozygous patients. The latter remained significant in female subjects after gender stratification. We confirm the association between the CNDP1 genotype and DN to be likely gender-specific. Although our data also suggest that (CTG)5 homozygous patients may have a survival advantage on dialysis and in diabetes, this hypothesis needs to be confirmed in a prospective cohort study.
Error Estimates on Hybridizable Discontinuous Galerkin Methods for Parabolic Equations with Nonlinear Coefficients
Authors: Moon Minam , Jun Hyung Kyu , Suh Tay
Published: May 2017

HDG method has been widely used as an effective numerical technique to obtain physically relevant solutions for PDE. In a practical setting, PDE comes with nonlinear coefficients. Hence, it is inevitable to consider how to obtain an approximate solution for PDE with nonlinear coefficients. Research on using HDG method for PDE with nonlinear coefficients has been conducted along with results obtained from computer simulations. However, error analysis on HDG method for such settings has been limited. In this research, we give error estimations of the hybridizable discontinuous Galerkin (HDG) method for parabolic equations with nonlinear coefficients. We first review the classical HDG method and define notions that will be used throughout the paper. Then, we will give bounds for our estimates when nonlinear coefficients obey “Lipschitz” condition. We will then prove our main result that the errors for our estimations are bounded.
In Vivo Immunogenic Response to Allogeneic Mesenchymal Stem Cells and the Role of Preactivated Mesenchymal Stem Cells Cotransplanted with Allogeneic Islets
Authors: Oliveira Régis Linhares , Chagastelles Pedro Cesar , Sesterheim Patrícia , Pranke Patricia
Published: May 2017

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are multipotent cells capable of differentiating into cells from the mesenchymal lineage. The hypoimmunogenic characteristic of MSCs has encouraged studies using allogeneic MSCs for the treatment of autoimmune diseases and inflammatory conditions. Promising preclinical results and the safety of allogeneic MSC transplantation have created the possibility of “off-the-shelf” clinical application of allogeneic cells. This study has aimed to evaluate the survival of untreated and IFN-γ- and TNF-α-treated (preactivated) allogeneic MSCs transplanted under the kidney capsule of immunocompetent mice together with the role of preactivated MSCs after cotransplantation with allogeneic islets. The preactivation of MSCs upregulated the gene expression of anti-inflammatory molecules and also enhanced their immunomodulatory capacity in vitro. In vivo, allogeneic MSCs provoked an immunogenic response, with the infiltration of inflammatory cells at the transplant site and full graft rejection in both the untreated and preactivated groups. Allogeneic islets cotransplanted with preactivated MSCs prolonged graft survival for about 6 days, compared with islet alone. The present results corroborate the hypothesis that allogeneic MSCs are not immune-privileged and that after playing their therapeutic role they are rejected. Strategies that reduce allogeneic MSC immunogenicity can potentially prolong their in vivo persistence and improve the therapeutic effects.