bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Introduction
Authors: Kim Kwangmin
Published: May 2017

This chapter offers an overview of the Muslim notables and the scope and structure of capitalistic commercial agriculture they developed in the Xinjiang oasis. In particular, it argues that the Qing empire played a pivotal role in the expansion of the beg enterprise, which caused social tensions within the oasis society resulting in a series of anti-beg and anti-Qing revolts led by Sufi holy man (khwaja). Their story revises the previous narrative on the Qing empire in Central Asia, which was written from a China-centered perspective, and contributes to the global understanding of capitalism by identifying native capitalist developments in Chinese Central Asia, which has often been considered a backwater of world history.
Beg, Empire, and Agrarian Developments in Central Asia, 1500–1750
Authors: Kim Kwangmin
Published: May 2017

Offering an examination of a prominent pro-Qing beg Emin Khwaja’s career and his family background, this chapter explores how the begs’ interests in securing resources, labor, and silver set them on the path of a profitable partnership with the Qing Empire. At the center of this story was the presence of the Sufi migrants and their families, the mainstay of the pro-Qing begs. Sufi migrants’ interests in developing commercial agriculture in the oasis under the changing environment of trade in Eurasia spurred their settlement into Eastern Turkestan and into an alliance with the Qing also. They had experienced a crisis in the local political economy in the seventeenth century caused by a sudden, if temporary, decline in the Chinese tribute trade. In their view, an alliance with the Qing, especially one that provided a direct connection to the China market would be a solution to this problem.
Capitalist Imperatives and Imperial Connections, 1759–1825
Authors: Kim Kwangmin
Published: May 2017

Through the lives of Ūdui and Osman, a powerful father-son duo who served as native governors in the oasis districts, this chapter examines the formation of the beg client regimes in Eastern Turkestan, the agendas entailed and the consequences that ensued in the aftermath of the Qing conquest in 1759. The Muslim clients appropriated the political and commercial connections provided by the empire to build a highly diversified commercial enterprise comprising three major interlocking sectors—revenue farming, mining, and agriculture. The beg clients took advantage of the empire’s utter dependence on their resource development and radically expanded the scope of their enterprises, building new irrigation facilities and organizing new land and mining development. In order to facilitate this, they also aggressively expanded their private domination of formerly common resources such as wildland and waters, in spite of the resistance from the rural village communities.
The “Holy Wars” of the Uprooted, 1826–30
Authors: Kim Kwangmin
Published: May 2017

This chapter examines the careers of Jahangir and Yusuf, two Sufi khwajas who led local resistance against the Qing-beg state in the early nineteenth century. The violent process of beg-initiated agrarian development contributed to the emergence of a rapidly expanding community of refugees in the rugged mountainsides of Pamir and Tianshan. By leading revolts, the two khwaja transformed themselves from being mere émigrés to “organic” religious leaders who represented the mountain people’s energy, frustration, and anxiety. The Qing response, the Nayancheng reform policies (1828 -1829) ironically increased the power of the khwaja coalition. The empire’s military reinforcement increased burdens of taxation and forced labor on the oasis villagers, contributing to an upsurge of number of the refugees. The Qing trade embargo on the Khoqand merchants also forced its ruler, who had been a reliable ally of the Qing, to join forces with the khwajas instead, if reluctantly.
Global Crises of Oasis Capitalism, 1847–64
Authors: Kim Kwangmin
Published: May 2017

Through the career of Ahmad, a governor of Kashgar in 1850s, this chapter examines how Opium War (1839-1842) and the subsequent discontinuation of the silver transfer from China to the oasis created crisis in both the Qing military financing and oasis capitalism in Central Asia. The oasis capitalists adopted monetary solution to solve the crisis. They developed copper mining and minted local copper currency to compensate for the loss of the silver provision. Its inflationary affect aggravated the economic stratification long underway in the oasis, privileging wealthy merchants and landlords, while worsening the livelihood of the wage earners. In combination with the burden of the labor mobilization imposed on the oasis farmers to work the copper mines, this growing socio-economic tension resulted in increasing local violence and the out-migration of the people from Eastern Turkestan. The Qing empire fell in 1864, amid a new round of khwaja attacks.
Conclusion
Authors: Kim Kwangmin
Published: May 2017

Offering a comparison with Yunnan, a southwestern region of the Qing Empire which also witnessed the native initiation of economic development, this chapter highlights the broader applicability of Xinjiang’s story for understanding the Qing empire: the Eurasian borderland societies, undergoing rapid commercialization since the sixteenth century, were the locus of imperial history, where the success and undoing of Qing empire took place. Also presenting the close parallel between developments in Qing Central Asia and British North India, where the imperial military financing also played a critical role in the expansion of the wealth and power of the “native” capitalists, this chapter illuminates the possibility of a truly coherent history of imperialism and capitalism, one that does not privilege the maritime world and the European vector of expansion, but highlights instead the convergence of political and economic transformations of the world on a global scale from the sixteenth century onward.
Seeking Answers
Authors: Bossen Laurel , Gates Hill
Published: May 2017

This chapter describes how data on girls’ hand labor and footbinding was collected in order to examine the possible links between them. It describes the method of inquiry and the selection of village research sites in eight provinces. Interviews and surveys with elderly women asked about their experiences as young girls before marriage. These interviews supplied first-hand information of both qualitative and quantitative value concerning their household economy, their hand labor as girls and footbinding experiences, and indirect data on the footbinding of their senior kinswomen. Assembling the responses first by region and then in the aggregate can reveal whether girls who were required to do handcrafts were also those who were likely to have had their feet bound. The chapter outlines the general characteristics of the village locations, sample size, and women’s birth years and education levels.
Northwest China
Authors: Bossen Laurel , Gates Hill
Published: May 2017

This chapter continues the inquiry at the western edges of the North China Plain in Shanxi and Shaanxi. Here the four village sites present differences in cotton production, political influence, proximity to urban trade centers, and to the railroad. One northern site in Shanxi experienced the direct effects of the nearby Communist base in the 1930s. One village in Shaanxi lay in the heart of a rich cotton-growing region while the other in Shaanbei lacked locally grown cotton. The chapter focuses on the political and economic changes affecting women’s and girls’ hand work as well as the timing of footbinding’s decline at each site.
Exercise‐induced quadriceps muscle fatigue in men and women: effects of arterial oxygen content and respiratory muscle work
Authors: Dominelli Paolo B. , Molgat‐Seon Yannick , Griesdale Donald E. G. , Peters Carli M. , Blouin Jean‐Sébastien , Sekhon Mypinder , Dominelli Giulio S. , Henderson William R. , Foster Glen E. , Romer Lee M. , Koehle Michael S. , Sheel A. William
Published: May 2017

Key points

High work of breathing and exercise‐induced arterial hypoxaemia (EIAH) can decrease O2 delivery and exacerbate exercise‐induced quadriceps fatigue in healthy men.

Women have a higher work of breathing during exercise, dedicate a greater fraction of whole‐body towards their respiratory muscles and develop EIAH.

Despite a greater reduction in men's work of breathing, the attenuation of quadriceps fatigue was similar between the sexes.

The degree of EIAH was similar between sexes, and regardless of sex, those who developed the greatest hypoxaemia during exercise demonstrated the most attenuation of quadriceps fatigue.

Based on our previous finding that women have a greater relative oxygen cost of breathing, women appear to be especially susceptible to work of breathing‐related changes in quadriceps muscle fatigue.

Reducing the work of breathing or eliminating exercise‐induced arterial hypoxaemia (EIAH) during exercise decreases the severity of quadriceps fatigue in men. Women have a greater work of breathing during exercise, dedicate a greater fraction of whole‐body towards their respiratory muscles, and demonstrate EIAH, suggesting women may be especially susceptible to quadriceps fatigue. Healthy subjects (8 male, 8 female) completed three constant load exercise tests over 4 days. During the first (control) test, subjects exercised at ∼85% of maximum while arterial blood gases and work of breathing were assessed. Subsequent constant load exercise tests were iso‐time and iso‐work rate, but with EIAH prevented by inspiring hyperoxic gas or work of breathing reduced via a proportional assist ventilator (PAV). Quadriceps fatigue was assessed by measuring force in response to femoral nerve stimulation. For both sexes, quadriceps force was equally reduced after the control trial (−27 ± 2% baseline) and was attenuated with hyperoxia and PAV (−18 ± 1 and −17 ± 2% baseline, P < 0.01, respectively), with no sex difference. EIAH was similar between the sexes, and regardless of sex, subjects with the lowest oxyhaemoglobin saturation during the control test had the greatest quadriceps fatigue attenuation with hyperoxia (r2 = 0.79, P < 0.0001). For the PAV trial, despite reducing the work of breathing to a greater degree in men (men: 60 ± 5, women: 75 ± 6% control, P < 0.05), the attenuation of quadriceps fatigue was similar between the sexes (36 ± 4 vs. 37 ± 7%). Owing to a greater relative of the respiratory muscles in women, less of a change in work of breathing is needed to reduce quadriceps fatigue.
Sialic acids regulate microvessel permeability, revealed by novel in vivo studies of endothelial glycocalyx structure and function
Authors: Betteridge Kai B. , Arkill Kenton P. , Neal Christopher R. , Harper Steven J. , Foster Rebecca R. , Satchell Simon C. , Bates David O. , Salmon Andrew H. J.
Published: May 2017

Key points

We have developed novel techniques for paired, direct, real‐time in vivo quantification of endothelial glycocalyx structure and associated microvessel permeability.

Commonly used imaging and analysis techniques yield measurements of endothelial glycocalyx depth that vary by over an order of magnitude within the same vessel.

The anatomical distance between maximal glycocalyx label and maximal endothelial cell plasma membrane label provides the most sensitive and reliable measure of endothelial glycocalyx depth.

Sialic acid residues of the endothelial glycocalyx regulate glycocalyx structure and microvessel permeability to both water and albumin.

The endothelial glycocalyx forms a continuous coat over the luminal surface of all vessels, and regulates multiple vascular functions. The contribution of individual components of the endothelial glycocalyx to one critical vascular function, microvascular permeability, remains unclear. We developed novel, real‐time, paired methodologies to study the contribution of sialic acids within the endothelial glycocalyx to the structural and functional permeability properties of the same microvessel in vivo. Single perfused rat mesenteric microvessels were perfused with fluorescent endothelial cell membrane and glycocalyx labels, and imaged with confocal microscopy. A broad range of glycocalyx depth measurements (0.17–3.02 μm) were obtained with different labels, imaging techniques and analysis methods. The distance between peak cell membrane and peak glycocalyx label provided the most reliable measure of endothelial glycocalyx anatomy, correlating with paired, numerically smaller values of endothelial glycocalyx depth (0.078 ± 0.016 μm) from electron micrographs of the same portion of the same vessel. Disruption of sialic acid residues within the endothelial glycocalyx using neuraminidase perfusion decreased endothelial glycocalyx depth and increased apparent solute permeability to albumin in the same vessels in a time‐dependent manner, with changes in all three true vessel wall permeability coefficients (hydraulic conductivity, reflection coefficient and diffusive solute permeability). These novel technologies expand the range of techniques that permit direct studies of the structure of the endothelial glycocalyx and dependent microvascular functions in vivo, and demonstrate that sialic acid residues within the endothelial glycocalyx are critical regulators of microvascular permeability to both water and albumin.
Efectos de la inactivación sistémica de los receptores GR y MR sobre el daño rápido en la recuperación de la memoria espacial inducido por corticosterona
Authors: Urueña-Méndez Ginna Paola , Lamprea Marisol
Published: May 2017

Estudios previos de nuestro laboratorio han mostrado que la inyección de corticosterona aplicada diez minutos antes de la prueba de recobre afecta la recuperación de la memoria espacial en el laberinto de Barnes. Se ha propuesto que los efectos de esta hormona están mediados por la activación de los receptores clásicos de glucocorticoides; sin embargo la rápida aparición de los efectos permite suponer un mecanismo alternativo de tipo no genómico. El objetivo del presente estudio fue determinar la participación de los receptores de glucocorticoides GR y MR sobre el efecto rápido de la corticosterona en la recuperación de la memoria espacial en el laberinto de Barnes. Treinta y siete ratas Wistar macho fueron entrenadas en la tarea y 24h después recibieron una inyección subcutánea de antagonista GR, antagonista MR o vehículo. Cincuenta minutos después de la inyección, los animales fueron inyectados con corticosterona o vehículo y diez minutos después se evaluó la recuperación de la memoria espacial. Los resultados mostraron que la corticosterona perjudica rápidamente la recuperación de la memoria espacial a largo plazo, pues los animales inyectados presentaron mayores latencias de escape, mayor número de errores, mayor número de exploraciones y mayor distancia recorrida hasta alcanzar la meta. Este efecto sólo fue revertido con la administración del antagonista MR. Este hallazgo concuerda con estudios in vitro donde se muestra que los efectos rápidos de la corticosterona sobre la trasmisión glutamatérgica en el hipocampo están mediados por los receptores MR, posiblemente localizados en la membrana celular.
LOS PREDICTORES MOTORES DE LA DEFICIENCIA DE LAS FUNCIONES EJECUTIVAS EN ANCIANOS CON LA ENFERMEDAD DE ALZHEIMER
Authors: Valle Pedroso Renata , Icassatti Corazza Danilla , De Almeida Andreatto Carla Andreza , Gomes dos Santos Julimara , Miki Stein Angelica , Gutiérrez Huamaní Oscar , Riani Costa José Luiz , Ferreira Santos-Galduròz Ruth
Published: May 2017

Objetivo: Investigar las relaciones entre funciones ejecutivas y capacidad funcional y determinar los predictores motores de la deficiencia de las funciones ejecutivas en ancianos con enfermedad de Alzheimer (EA). Metodología: 24 ancianos con EA fueron evaluados para estimar las funciones ejecutivas y los predictores motores. Se utilizó el análisis estadístico descriptivo, correlación de Pearson y regresión lineal múltiple. Resultados: Las funciones ejecutivas se relacionaron con la flexibilidad (r=0,54), equilibrio (r=0,48), agilidad y movilidad (r =-0,41). El análisis de regresión apuntó equilibrio y flexibilidad como predictores motores de la deficiencia de las funciones ejecutivas. Conclusiones: El prejuicio del equilibrio y la flexibilidad pueden predecir los prejuicios en funciones ejecutivas de ancianos con EA.
Neural representation of the self-heard biosonar click in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus)
Authors: Finneran James J. , Mulsow Jason , Houser Dorian S. , Schlundt Carolyn E.
Published: May 2017

The neural representation of the dolphin broadband biosonar click was investigated by measuring auditory brainstem responses (ABRs) to “self-heard” clicks masked with noise bursts having various high-pass cutoff frequencies. Narrowband ABRs were obtained by sequentially subtracting responses obtained with noise having lower high-pass cutoff frequencies from those obtained with noise having higher cutoff frequencies. For comparison to the biosonar data, ABRs were also measured in a passive listening experiment, where external clicks and masking noise were presented to the dolphins and narrowband ABRs were again derived using the subtractive high-pass noise technique. The results showed little change in the peak latencies of the ABR to the self-heard click from 28 to 113 kHz; i.e., the high-frequency neural responses to the self-heard click were delayed relative to those of an external, spectrally “pink” click. The neural representation of the self-heard click is thus highly synchronous across the echolocation frequencies and does not strongly resemble that of a frequency modulated downsweep (i.e., decreasing-frequency chirp). Longer ABR latencies at higher frequencies are hypothesized to arise from spectral differences between self-heard clicks and external clicks, forward masking from previously emitted biosonar clicks, or neural inhibition accompanying the emission of clicks.
Mechanism of transmembrane signaling by sensor histidine kinases
Authors: Gushchin Ivan , Melnikov Igor , Polovinkin Vitaly , Ishchenko Andrii , Yuzhakova Anastasia , Buslaev Pavel , Bourenkov Gleb , Grudinin Sergei , Round Ekaterina , Balandin Taras , Borshchevskiy Valentin , Willbold Dieter , Leonard Gordon , Büldt Georg , Popov Alexander , Gordeliy Valentin
Published: May 2017

Bacterial sensing mechanism revealed

Escherichia coli
use a transmembrane sensor protein to sense nitrate in their external environment and initiate a biochemical response. Gushchin
et al.
compared crystal structures of portions of the NarQ receptor that included the transmembrane helices in ligand-bound or unbound states. The structures suggest a signaling mechanism by which piston- and lever-like movements are transmitted to response regulator proteins within the cell. Such two-component systems are very common in bacteria and, if better understood, might provide targets for antimicrobial therapies.

Science
, this issue p.
eaah6345
Draft Genome Sequence of a Caffeine-Utilizing Bacterium,
Cupriavidus
sp. Strain D384
Authors: Watahiki Saori , Kimura Nobutada
Published: May 2017

Cupriavidus
sp. D384 was isolated from forest soil in Japan and is known to utilize caffeine as a sole source of carbon and energy. We report here the 6,835,230-bp genome sequence for this strain, which contains 6,116 predicted coding sequences, including gene operon for alkaloid degradation.
Draft Genome Sequences of Bacillus cereus E41 and Bacillus anthracis F34 Isolated from Algerian Salt Lakes
Authors: Daas Mohamed Seghir , Rosana Albert Remus R. , Acedo Jeella Z. , Nateche Farida , Kebbouche-Gana Salima , Vederas John C. , Case Rebecca J.
Published: May 2017

Two strains of
Bacillus
,
B. cereus
E41 and
B. anthracis
F34, were isolated from a salt lake in Aïn M’lila-Oum El Bouaghi, eastern Algeria, and Ain Baida-Ouargla, southern Algeria, respectively. Their genomes display genes for the production of several bioactive secondary metabolites, including polyhydroxyalkanoate, iron siderophores, lipopeptides, and bacteriocins.
Draft Genome Sequence of the Tacrolimus-Producing Bacterium
Streptomyces tsukubaensis
F601
Authors: Zong Gongli , Zhong Chuanqing , Fu Jiafang , Qin Ronghuo , Cao Guangxiang
Published: May 2017

Streptomyces tsukubaensis
strain F601 was found to be a producer of the immunosuppressive drug tacrolimus. The draft genome sequence of this strain was approximately 8.52 Mbp. Genes involved in the biosynthesis of tacrolimus were identified in the genome. This draft genome sequence will provide insights into the genetic basis of tacrolimus biosynthesis and regulation.
Draft Genome Sequences of Two Streptococcus pneumoniae Serotype 19A Sequence Type 226 Clinical Isolates from Hungary, Hu17 with High-Level Beta-Lactam Resistance and Hu15 of a Penicillin-Sensitive Phenotype
Authors: Rieger Martin , Denapaite Dalia , Brückner Reinhold , Maurer Patrick , Hakenbeck Regine
Published: May 2017

The draft genome sequences of two multiple-antibiotic-resistant
Streptococcus pneumoniae
isolates from Hungary, Hu15 and Hu17, are reported here. Strain Hu15 is penicillin susceptible, whereas Hu17 is a high-level-penicillin-resistant strain. Both isolates belong to the serotype 19A sequence type 226, a single-locus variant (in the
ddl
locus) of the Hungary
19A
-6 clone.
CONTRACTING-OUT OF HOUSEHOLD WASTE COLLECTION SERVICES IN JAPAN
Authors: MATSUEDA NORIMICHI , MIKI JUN’ICHI
Published: May 2017

We first report three empirical findings from our survey on the contracting-out of municipal waste collection services in Japan: (1) the rate of contracting-out and the contract price are inversely related, (2) this inverse relationship tapers out as the contracting rate becomes sufficiently high, and the contract price even tends to go up as the contracting rate approaches 100% and (3) there is a significant disparity in the contracting rates between the eastern and western parts of Japan. In order to account for these observations, we then set up a simple analytical model and examine its implications. Also, we discuss the issues that a potential hold-up situation could give rise to when the services are completely contracted out to private firms.
Vehicle handling and stability control by the cooperative control of 4WS and DYC
Authors: Shen Huan , Tan Yun-Sheng
Published: May 2017

This paper proposes an integrated control system that cooperates with the four-wheel steering (4WS) and direct yaw moment control (DYC) to improve the vehicle handling and stability. The design works of the four-wheel steering and DYC control are based on sliding mode control. The integration control system produces the suitable 4WS angle and corrective yaw moment so that the vehicle tracks the desired yaw rate and sideslip angle. Considering the change of the vehicle longitudinal velocity that means the comfort of driving conditions, both the driving torque and braking torque are used to generate the corrective yaw moment. Simulation results show the effectiveness of the proposed control algorithm.
A smooth local path planning algorithm based on modified visibility graph
Authors: Lv Taizhi , Feng Maoyan
Published: May 2017

Path planning is an essential and inevitable problem in robotics. Trapping in local minima and discontinuities often exist in local path planning. To overcome these drawbacks, this paper presents a smooth path planning algorithm based on modified visibility graph. This algorithm consists of three steps: (1) polygons are generated from detected obstacles; (2) a collision-free path is found by simultaneous visibility graph construction and path search by A[Formula: see text] (SVGA); (3) the path is smoothed by B-spline curves and particle swarm optimization (PSO). Simulation experiment results show the effectiveness of this algorithm, and a smooth path can be found fleetly.
Service entity network virtualization architecture and model
Authors: Jin Xue-Guang , Shou Guo-Chu , Hu Yi-Hong , Guo Zhi-Gang
Published: May 2017

Communication network can be treated as a complex network carrying a variety of services and service can be treated as a network composed of functional entities. There are growing interests in multiplex service entities where individual entity and link can be used for different services simultaneously. Entities and their relationships constitute a service entity network. In this paper, we introduced a service entity network virtualization architecture including service entity network hierarchical model, service entity network model, service implementation and deployment of service entity networks. Service entity network oriented multiplex planning model were also studied and many of these multiplex models were characterized by a significant multiplex of the links or entities in different service entity network. Service entity networks were mapped onto shared physical resources by dynamic resource allocation controller. The efficiency of the proposed architecture was illustrated in a simulation environment that allows for comparative performance evaluation. The results show that, compared to traditional networking architecture, this architecture has a better performance.
Deep neural network and noise classification-based speech enhancement
Authors: Shi Wenhua , Zhang Xiongwei , Zou Xia , Han Wei
Published: May 2017

In this paper, a speech enhancement method using noise classification and Deep Neural Network (DNN) was proposed. Gaussian mixture model (GMM) was employed to determine the noise type in speech-absent frames. DNN was used to model the relationship between noisy observation and clean speech. Once the noise type was determined, the corresponding DNN model was applied to enhance the noisy speech. GMM was trained with mel-frequency cepstrum coefficients (MFCC) and the parameters were estimated with an iterative expectation-maximization (EM) algorithm. Noise type was updated by spectrum entropy-based voice activity detection (VAD). Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method could achieve better objective speech quality and smaller distortion under stationary and non-stationary conditions.
An infrared small target detection method based on nonnegative matrix factorization and compressed sensing
Authors: Chen Qiwei , Wang Yiming
Published: May 2017

According to the low rank property of the background and the sparse features of the target in infrared image, a novel infrared small target detection method based on the nonnegative matrix factorization (NMF) and compressed sensing technology was presented in this paper. This method trained background model through NMF, and then sampled the infrared image sequences directly using the block compressed sensing technology. Through the alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM), the infrared small target was extracted and the background was recovered from the image. At the same time, the background was updated by the update algorithm, to adapt to the changes in the background. The simulation results show that the proposed method can detect the infrared target precisely and efficiently.
Operation management of daily economic dispatch using novel hybrid particle swarm optimization and gravitational search algorithm with hybrid mutation strategy
Authors: Wang Yan , Huang Song , Ji Zhicheng
Published: May 2017

This paper presents a hybrid particle swarm optimization and gravitational search algorithm based on hybrid mutation strategy (HGSAPSO-M) to optimize economic dispatch (ED) including distributed generations (DGs) considering market-based energy pricing. A daily ED model was formulated and a hybrid mutation strategy was adopted in HGSAPSO-M. The hybrid mutation strategy includes two mutation operators, chaotic mutation, Gaussian mutation. The proposed algorithm was tested on IEEE-33 bus and results show that the approach is effective for this problem.
Knowledge network model of the energy consumption in discrete manufacturing system
Authors: Xu Binzi , Wang Yan , Ji Zhicheng
Published: May 2017

Discrete manufacturing system generates a large amount of data and information because of the development of information technology. Hence, a management mechanism is urgently required. In order to incorporate knowledge generated from manufacturing data and production experience, a knowledge network model of the energy consumption in the discrete manufacturing system was put forward based on knowledge network theory and multi-granularity modular ontology technology. This model could provide a standard representation for concepts, terms and their relationships, which could be understood by both human and computer. Besides, the formal description of energy consumption knowledge elements (ECKEs) in the knowledge network was also given. Finally, an application example was used to verify the feasibility of the proposed method.
Uncovering the community structure in signed social networks based on greedy optimization
Authors: Chen Yan , Yan Jiaqi , Yang Yu , Chen Junhua
Published: May 2017

The formality of signed relationships has been recently adopted in a lot of complicated systems. The relations among these entities are complicated and multifarious. We cannot indicate these relationships only by positive links, and signed networks have been becoming more and more universal in the study of social networks when community is being significant. In this paper, to identify communities in signed networks, we exploit a new greedy algorithm, taking signs and the density of these links into account. The main idea of the algorithm is the initial procedure of signed modularity and the corresponding update rules. Specially, we employ the “Asymmetric and Constrained Belief Evolution” procedure to evaluate the optimal number of communities. According to the experimental results, the algorithm is proved to be able to run well. More specifically, the proposed algorithm is very efficient for these networks with medium size, both dense and sparse.
Design for Autonomy: Integrating Technology Transfer into Product Development Process
Authors: Wekerle Timo , Trabasso Luís Gonzaga , Loures da Costa Luís E. V. , Villela Thyrso , Brandão Alessandra , Leonardi Rodrigo
Published: May 2017

This paper presents the integrated product development tool Design for Autonomy for reengineering of complex products. The objective is to assure that the product can be designed, produced and operated in Brazil for a defined period of time at a minimum risk of being dependent on export bans or unavailability of components. This tool is a new member of the Design for X family, which aims at integrating the requirements from the autonomy area into the conceptual phase of the product development process. Development guidelines derived from the procedures of the generic Design for X development framework are presented that lead to a balance between functionality and operability. The Design for Autonomy tool contains four steps: (1) Analysis of the product in order to identify critical elements; (2) Preparation of nationalization; (3) Reverse engineering of the original product in order to obtain technological know-how; and (4) Forward engineering for a national product, stimulating improvements and added value. The implementation can be evaluated by qualitative and quantitative performance criteria comparing the national product with the baseline configuration of the original product. The Design for Autonomy tool is being successfully applied and verified on a pilot project in the Brazilian space sector.
Evaluating the Content of LMF Standardized Dictionaries
Authors: Wali Wafa , Gargouri Bilel , Hamadou Adelmajid Ben
Published: May 2017

Since the age of paper versions, dictionaries are often published with anomalies in their content resulting from lexicographer’s mistakes or from the lack of efficiency of automatic enrichment systems. Many of these anomalies are expensive to manually detect and difficult to automatically control, notably with lightly structured models of dictionaries. In this article, we take advantage of the fine structure proposed by the Lexical Markup Framework (LMF) norm to investigate the detection of anomalies in the content of LMF normalized dictionaries. First, we give a theoretical study on the plausible anomalies, such as inconsistency, incoherence, redundancy, and incompleteness. Second, we detail the approach that we propose for the automatic detection of such anomalies. Finally, we report on an experiment carried out on an available normalized dictionary of the Arabic language. The experiment has shown that the proposed approach gives reasonable results in terms of precision and recall.
Exploiting Genetic Information to Trace Plant Virus Dispersal in Landscapes
Authors: Picard Coralie , Dallot Sylvie , Brunker Kirstyn , Berthier Karine , Roumagnac Philippe , Soubeyrand Samuel , Jacquot Emmanuel , Thébaud Gaël
Published: May 2017

During the past decade, knowledge of pathogen life history has greatly benefited from the advent and development of molecular epidemiology. This branch of epidemiology uses information on pathogen variation at the molecular level to gain insights into a pathogen's niche and evolution and to characterize pathogen dispersal within and between host populations. Here, we review molecular epidemiology approaches that have been developed to trace plant virus dispersal in landscapes. In particular, we highlight how virus molecular epidemiology, nourished with powerful sequencing technologies, can provide novel insights at the crossroads between the blooming fields of landscape genetics, phylogeography, and evolutionary epidemiology. We present existing approaches and their limitations and contributions to the understanding of plant virus epidemiology.
The Economics of Farm Animal Welfare
Authors: Grethe Harald
Published: May 2017

This article reviews the literature on the economics of farm animal welfare. It starts with the challenge of defining and measuring animal welfare. Subsequently, the demand for farm animal welfare is evaluated from both the citizens’ perspective and the consumers’ perspective. The much-cited preference gap in between these perspectives constitutes a dilemma for the governance of animal welfare. Literature on the supply of farm animal welfare discusses the implications of enhancing farm animal welfare for production cost. The linkages between farm structure, farm technology, and animal welfare are discussed, and the frequently voiced hypothesis that smaller and more traditional farms automatically imply higher farm animal welfare levels is rejected. We examine the central challenge to the governance of farm animal welfare: its effects on competitiveness and trade. We also discuss objectives, governance instruments, the interplay of different policy instruments, and how to combine them for an effective and efficient strategy for farm animal welfare.
Effect of long-term maternal smoking on the offspring’s lung health
Authors: Sukjamnong Surpon , Chan Yik Lung , Zakarya Razia , Saad Sonia , Sharma Pawan , Santiyanont Rachana , Chen Hui , Oliver Brian G.
Published: May 2017

Maternal smoking during pregnancy contributes to long-term health problems in offspring, especially respiratory disorders that can manifest in either childhood or adulthood. Receptors for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) are multiligand receptors abundantly localized in the lung, capable of responding to by-products of reactive oxygen species and proinflammatory responses. RAGE signaling is a key regulator of inflammation in cigarette smoking-related pulmonary diseases. However, the impact of maternal cigarette smoke exposure on lung RAGE signaling in the offspring is unclear. This study aims to investigate the effect of maternal cigarette smoke exposure (SE), as well as mitochondria-targeted antioxidant [mitoquinone mesylate (MitoQ)] treatment, during pregnancy on the RAGE-mediated signaling pathway in the lung of male offspring. Female Balb/c mice (8 wk) were divided into a sham group (exposed to air), an SE group (exposed to cigarette smoke), and an SE + MQ group (exposed to cigarette smoke with MitoQ supplement from mating). The lungs from male offspring were collected at 13 wk. RAGE and its downstream signaling, including nuclear factor-κB and mitogen-activated protein kinase family consisting of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1, ERK2, c-JUN NH2-terminal kinase (JNK), and phosphorylated JNK, in the lung were significantly increased in the SE offspring. Mitochondrial antioxidant manganese superoxide dismutase was reduced, whereas IL-1β and oxidative stress response nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 were significantly increased in the SE offspring. Maternal MitoQ treatment normalized RAGE, IL-1β, and Nrf-2 levels in the SE + MQ offspring. Maternal SE increased RAGE and its signaling elements associated with increased oxidative stress and inflammatory cytokines in offspring lungs, whereas maternal MitoQ treatment can partially normalize these changes.
Integrin αvβ5 inhibition protects against ischemia-reperfusion-induced lung injury in an autophagy-dependent manner
Authors: Zhang Dan , Li Chichi , Song Yuanlin , Zhou Jian , Li Yuping , Li Jing , Bai Chunxue
Published: May 2017

Integrin αvβ5 mediates pulmonary endothelial barrier function and acute lung injury (LI), but its roles in cell apoptosis and autophagy are unclear. Thus, the aims of this study were to investigate the significance of αvβ5 in ischemia-reperfusion (I/R)-induced apoptosis and LI and to explore the relationship between αvβ5 and autophagy. Human pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells (HPMVECs) were pretreated with an αvβ5-blocking antibody (ALULA) and challenged with oxygen-glucose deprivation/oxygen-glucose restoration, which mimics I/R; then, cellular autophagy and apoptosis were detected, and cell permeability was assessed. In vivo, mice were pretreated with the autophagy inhibitor chloroquine (CLQ), followed by treatment with ALULA. The mice then underwent operative lung I/R. LI was assessed by performing a pathological examination, calculating the wet/dry lung weight ratio and detecting the bronchial alveolar lavage fluid (BALF) protein concentration. αvβ5 inhibition promoted HPMVEC autophagy under I/R in vitro, alleviated cell permeability, decreased the apoptosis ratio, and activated caspase-3 expression. These outcomes were significantly diminished when autophagy was inhibited with a small-interfering RNA construct targeting autophagy-related gene 7 (si ATG7). Moreover, ALULA pretreatment alleviated I/R-induced LI (I/R-LI), which manifested as a decreased wet/dry lung weight ratio, an altered BALF protein concentration, and lung edema. Preinhibiting autophagy with CLQ, however, eliminated the protective effects of ALULA on I/R-LI. Therefore, inhibiting αvβ5 effectively ameliorated I/R-induced endothelial cell apoptosis and I/R-LI. This process was dependent on improved autophagy and its inhibitory effects on activated caspase-3.
Nedd8 modification of Cullin-5 regulates lipopolysaccharide-induced acute lung injury
Authors: Zhu Ziyan , Sun Lei , Hao Rui , Jiang Hongchao , Qian Feng , Ye Richard D.
Published: May 2017

Lung infections are major causes of acute lung injury (ALI), with limited effective treatment available. Tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor 6 (TRAF6) is an essential adaptor regulating Toll-like receptors (TLRs). We recently identified Cullin-5 (Cul-5) as a prominent component in the regulation of TRAF6 polyubiquitination, but its physiological significance in ALI has not been explored. In this study, we investigated the potential role of Cul-5 in regulating ALI using mice receiving intratracheal instillation of LPS. We observed that Cul-5-deficient mice displayed reduced lung injury compared with wild-type mice as evidenced by histological analysis, alveolar neutrophil infiltration, and lung liquid accumulation. In addition, inflammatory cytokine expression in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and lung tissue was also markedly reduced in LPS-treated Cul-5-deficient mice. Interestingly, intratracheal adoptive transfer of Cul-5+/−but not Cul-5+/+macrophages attenuated neutrophil recruitment, alveolar inflammation, and loss of barrier function in LPS-challenged wild-type mice. Finally, we demonstrated that Cul-5 neddylation following LPS exposure induced Cul-5 and TRAF6 interaction and, thereby, TFAR6 polyubiquitination, leading to NF-κB activation and generation of proinflammatory cytokines. Our data show that neural precursor cell expressed developmentally downregulated protein 8 (Nedd8) modification of Cul-5 is required for its interaction with TRAF6 and activation of the TLR4-TRAF6 signaling pathway in LPS-induced ALI, a feature that may be explored for therapeutic intervention.
Myeloid-epithelial cross talk coordinates synthesis of the tissue-protective cytokine leukemia inhibitory factor during pneumonia
Authors: Traber Katrina E. , Symer Elise M. , Allen Eri , Kim Yuri , Hilliard Kristie L. , Wasserman Gregory A. , Stewart Colin L. , Jones Matthew R. , Mizgerd Joseph P. , Quinton Lee J.
Published: May 2017

In bacterial pneumonia, lung damage resulting from epithelial cell injury is a major contributor to the severity of disease and, in some cases, can lead to long-term sequelae, especially in the setting of severe lung injury or acute respiratory distress syndrome. Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), a member of the IL-6 cytokine family, is a critical determinant of lung tissue protection during pneumonia, but the cellular sources of LIF and the signaling pathways leading to its production in the infected lung are not known. Here, we demonstrate that lung epithelium, specifically alveolar type II cells, is the predominant site of LIF transcript induction in pneumonic mouse lungs. Epithelial cell cultures were induced to express LIF by bacteria and by sterile bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from pneumonic mice. Reciprocal bone marrow chimera studies demonstrated that LIF deficiency in the nonhematopoietic compartment, but not LIF deficiency in hematopoietic cells, eliminated LIF induction during pneumonia. Although NF-κB RelA (p65) is essential for the expression of many cytokines during pneumonia, its targeted mutation in the lung epithelium was inconsequential for pneumonia-driven LIF induction. However, maximal expression of this epithelial-derived cytokine was dependent on NF-κB RelA in myeloid cells. Overall, our data suggest a signaling axis whereby activation of NF-κB RelA in myeloid cells promotes epithelial LIF induction during lung infections, representing a means through which these two cell types collaborate to improve tissue resilience during pneumonia.
Influence of sex, menstrual cycle, and oral contraceptives on cerebrovascular resistance and cardiorespiratory function during Valsalva or standing
Authors: Abidi Syed , Nili Misha , Serna Stephania , Kim Simon , Hazlett Christopher , Edgell Heather
Published: May 2017

Women experience orthostatic intolerance more than men, and they experience faintness more in the early follicular [i.e., low-hormone (LH)] than luteal [i.e., high-hormone (HH)] phase of the menstrual cycle. Men ( n = 13, 25.8 ± 1.8 yr old) and women in the LH ( days 2–5; placebo) and HH ( days 18–24; high dose) phases of the menstrual cycle with (OC; n = 14, 22.0 ± 0.8 yr old) or without (NOC; n = 12, 21.8 ± 0.5 yr old) oral contraceptive (OC) use underwent the Valsalva maneuver and a supine-sit-stand protocol. Blood pressure, normalized stroke volume [stroke volume index (SVi)], cardiac output index, heart rate, end-tidal CO2, and middle cerebral artery (MCA) blood flow velocity were measured. When subjected to the Valsalva maneuver, all women had a greater increase in diastolic and mean MCA blood flow velocity than men ( P ≤ 0.065), with no significant effect of menstrual cycle phase or OC use. When subjected to the supine-sit-stand protocol, men had lower MCA blood flow velocity ( P < 0.038) than all women, and SVi was higher in men than in the NOC group in all postures ( P < 0.011) and in the OC group in the LH phase of the menstrual cycle during standing ( P = 0.010). Only men experienced higher resistance index ( P < 0.001) and pulsatility index ( P < 0.001) with standing. The OC group had lower end-tidal CO2 ( P = 0.002) than the NOC group ( P = 0.030) and men ( P ≤ 0.067). SVi ( P = 0.004) and cardiac output index ( P = 0.008) were higher in the OC than NOC group. A tendency toward a lower mean MCA blood flow velocity ( P = 0.058) and higher SVi ( P = 0.059) and pulsatility index ( P = 0.058) was noted in the HH than LH phase. Mean arterial pressure was higher in the OC than NOC group in the LH phase ( P = 0.049) and lower in the HH than LH phase ( P = 0.014). Our results indicate that cycling estrogens/progestins can influence ventilatory, cardiovascular, and/or cerebrovascular physiology.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY We have found sex differences in the cerebrovascular response to the Valsalva maneuver and standing. Men have greater cerebral vasoconstriction (or women have greater cerebral vasodilation) during late phase II of the Valsalva maneuver, and the cerebrovascular resistance index increases in men, but not in women, during standing. Furthermore, our findings indicate that both the menstrual cycle phase and oral contraceptive use can influence cardiovascular function both at rest and during active standing.
Regulation of erythropoiesis after normoxic return from chronic sustained and intermittent hypoxia
Authors: Song Jihyun , Sundar Krishna , Gangaraju Radhika , Prchal Josef T.
Published: May 2017

Hypoxia increases erythropoiesis mediated by hypoxia-inducible transcription factors (HIF), which regulate erythropoietin transcription. Neocytolysis is a physiological mechanism that corrects polycythemia from chronic sustained hypoxemia by transient, preferential destruction of young RBCs after normoxia is restored. We showed that neocytolysis is caused by excessive mitochondrial-derived reactive oxygen species in reticulocytes mediated by downregulation of HIF-controlled BNIP3L regulated mitophagy and a decrease in RBC antioxidant catalase (CAT) in hypoxia-produced erythrocytes. Decreased CAT results from hypoxia-induced miR-21 that downregulates CAT. This correlates with a transient acute decrease of HIF-1 at normoxic return that is associated with normalization of red cell mass.
Heterogeneous Intrinsic Firing Properties of Vertebrate Retinal Ganglion Cells
Authors: Tabata Toshihide , Kano Masanobu
Published: May 2017

Retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) use their characteristic firing patterns to encode various aspects of visual information and carry them to the brain. It has been thought that the firing pattern of an RGC's light response is determined primarily by the time course and spatiotemporal interaction of the synaptic inputs. However, it is unclear whether there is a difference in intrinsic firing properties among RGCs that could contribute to the cell-to-cell distinction of the light response firing pattern. We investigated the intrinsic firing properties of isolated goldfish RGCs, minimizing cytoplasmic disturbance with a perforated-patch, whole-cell recording technique. In response to a 1-s depolarizing current step, the majority of the examined RGCs ( n = 84) displayed sustained firing that lasted over 800 ms ( n = 24; tonic RGCs) or transient firing accommodated within 200 ms of the step onset ( n = 47; phasic RGCs). Tonic and phasic RGCs also differed in their firing frequency–current intensity dynamics. There was a significant difference in the soma sizes of phasic and tonic RGCs, indicating that some parts of these groups originate from distinct morphological subtypes. In the presence of extracellular Ba2+(1 mM), phasic RGCs displayed sustained firing and firing frequency–current intensity dynamics similar to those of tonic RGCs. Thus a Ba2+-sensitive ion current (IBa-s) underlies the firing characteristics of phasic RGCs. Under voltage-clamp conditions, IBa-swas identified as a low-threshold, noninactivating voltage-dependent K+current. Because of its slow kinetics (time constant of activation, ∼100 ms), IBa-smay confer a gradually increasing hyperpolarizing driving force during maintained excitatory stimulus, which eventually would result in firing accommodation. These findings suggest that RGCs have heterogeneous intrinsic firing properties that could aid synaptic inputs in shaping light responses.