bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Uncertainty Processing and Risk Monitoring in Construction Projects Using Hierarchical Probabilistic Relational Models
Authors: Baudrit Cédric , Taillandier Franck , Tran Thi Thuy Phuong , Breysse Denys
Published: August 2018

Construction projects do not often reach their expected results regarding time, cost, and quality, due to the internal and external environment variations. Despite a substantial literature about risk management, no generic approach is proposed to represent construction project considering together technical and human dimensions or sustainability with their uncertainties. Modeling complex dynamical systems from heterogeneous pieces of knowledge varying in precision and reliability is a challenging task. This article proposes an innovative generic and versatile approach, based on the formalism of hierarchical probabilistic relational models to analyze and to propagate uncertainty in construction project regarding different levels of knowledge. The aim is to obtain a flexible, portable, and versatile model able to simulate the behavior of complex system's entities involved in any construction project at different levels of detail while taking uncertainty into account. To illustrate and highlight this approach, an academic example and a real case are proposed.
Ward culture and staff relationships at hospital mealtimes in Australia: An ethnographic account
Authors: Ottrey Ella , Porter Judi , Huggins Catherine E. , Palermo Claire
Published: August 2018

Nutrition care is a fundamental component of quality health care provided to patients in hospital, yet little is known about the staff who deliver this care and their interrelationships, and how this impacts nutrition care. In this ethnographic study on two subacute wards, 67 h of fieldwork was conducted over 3 months to explore the relationships, roles, and responsibilities of those involved at mealtimes, and the influence on meal provision. Data were analyzed inductively and thematically. Three themes describing ward culture and staff relationships emerged: (i) defining mealtime roles and maintaining boundaries; (ii) balancing the need for teamwork and having time and space; and (iii) effective communication supports role completion and problem solving. Lack of appreciation of workflow enablers and barriers degraded working relationships between staff with and without central roles at mealtimes. The present study informs health‐care organizations on building a culture that supports interprofessional collaboration in nutrition care in the subacute setting. All staff need to be aware of their and others' mealtime roles and responsibilities to support a coordinated approach.
Testosterone in ancient hair from an extinct species
Authors: Koren Lee , Matas Devorah , Pečnerová Patrícia , Dalén Love , Tikhonov Alexei , Gilbert M. Thomas P. , Wynne‐Edwards Katherine E. , Geffen Eli
Published: August 2018

Testosterone is a key regulator in vertebrate development, physiology and behaviour. Whereas technology allows extraction of a wealth of genetic information from extant as well as extinct species, complementary information on steroid hormone levels may add a social, sexual and environmental context. Hair shafts have been previously used to sequenceDNAfrom >50 00014C years old Siberian woolly mammoths (Mammuthus primigenius). Hair‐testing has also been used to measure endogenous steroids in multiple extant species. Here we use small quantities of woolly mammoth hair samples to measure testosterone, and a genomics‐based approach to determine sex, in permafrost‐preserved mammoths dated toc. 10 000–60 00014C years. Our validated method opens up exciting opportunities to measure multiple steroids in keratinized tissues from extinct populations of mammals. This may be specifically applied to investigating life histories, including the extinct Quaternary megafauna populations whose remains are preserved in the permafrost throughout the northern hemisphere.
Tracking disease resistance deployment in potato breeding by enrichment sequencing
Authors: Armstrong Miles R. , Vossen Jack , Lim Tze Yin , Hutten Ronald C. B. , Xu Jianfei , Strachan Shona M. , Harrower Brian , Champouret Nicolas , Gilroy Eleanor M. , Hein Ingo
Published: August 2018

Following the molecular characterisation of functional disease resistance genes in recent years, methods to track and verify the integrity of multiple genes in varieties are needed for crop improvement through resistance stacking. Diagnostic resistance gene enrichment sequencing (dRenSeq) enables the high‐confidence identification and complete sequence validation of known functional resistance genes in crops. As demonstrated for tetraploid potato varieties, the methodology is more robust and cost‐effective in monitoring resistances than whole‐genome sequencing and can be used to appraise (trans) gene integrity efficiently. All currently known NB‐LRRs effective against viruses, nematodes and the late blight pathogen Phytophthora infestans can be tracked with dRenSeq in potato and hitherto unknown polymorphisms have been identified. The methodology provides a means to improve the speed and efficiency of future disease resistance breeding in crops by directing parental and progeny selection towards effective combinations of resistance genes.
Coping concordance in couples
Authors: Tuskeviciute Rugile , Snyder Kenzie A. , Stadler Gertraud , Shrout Patrick E.
Published: August 2018

Romantic partners' daily coping behavior can be viewed as a context for one's own coping. These three studies found that individuals were more likely to cope actively, seek support, or use alcohol, food, and drugs as means of coping when they perceived their partners doing so on a given occasion (Study 1, a cross‐sectional study) and when their partners reported using these strategies (Studies 2 and 3, longitudinal couples studies). These effects were evident regardless of whether or not one partner was dealing with an acute stressor (Study 2) or if both partners were dealing with day‐to‐day hassles (Study 3). Although these patterns are correlational, they raise important questions about how individuals choose to cope with acute stressors.
Seeing the Stove as World: Significance (Bedeutung) in the Early Wittgenstein
Authors: Balaska Maria
Published: August 2018

What is it to see a stove as world (als Welt) and why does the early Wittgenstein use such a curious example to describe what it means to see something as significant (bedeutend)? I argue that Wittgenstein's odd choice can be best understood in the light of a conceptual relation between value and semantic meaning. To that purpose, I draw attention to his use of the word Bedeutung to denote value, and to the direct connection he draws between seeing as world and seeing with the whole logical space. To see a stove as bedeutend, I conclude, is to see it against the background of the propositional contexts in which a stove figures meaningfully.
Cytotoxic and Photocytotoxic Effects of Cercosporin on Human Tumor Cell Lines
Authors: Mastrangelopoulou Maria , Grigalavicius Mantas , Berg Kristian , Ménard Mathilde , Theodossiou Theodossis A.
Published: August 2018

Cercosporin is a naturally occurring perylenequinone. Although other perylenequinones have been extensively studied as photosensitizers in photodynamic therapy of cancer (PDT), cercosporin has been studied in this light only within the remits of phytopathology. Herein, we investigated the photocytotoxicity of cercosporin against two glioblastoma multiforme (T98G and U87) and one breast adenocarcinoma (MCF7) human cell lines. Cercosporin was found to be a potent singlet oxygen producer upon 532 nm excitation, while its cell loading was similar for MCF7 and U87, but approximately threefold higher for T98G cells. The subcellular localization of cercosporin was in all cases in both mitochondria and the endoplasmic reticulum. Light irradiation of cercosporin‐incubated cells around 450 nm showed that T98G cells were more susceptible to cercosporin PDT, mainly due to their higher cercosporin uptake. Metabolic studies before and 1 h following cercosporin PDT showed that cercosporin PDT instigated a bioenergetic collapse in both the respiratory and glycolytic activities of all cell lines. In the dark, cercosporin exhibited a synergistic cytotoxicity with copper only in the most respiratory cell lines (MCF7 and T98G). Cercosporin is a potent photosensitizer, but with a short activation wavelength, mostly suitable for superficial PDT treatments, especially when it is necessary to avoid perforations.
Chromosome evolution and phylogeny in Ronderosia (Orthoptera, Acrididae, Melanoplinae): clues of survivors to the challenge of sympatry?
Authors: Castillo Elio R.D. , Martí Dardo A. , Maronna Maximiliano M. , Scattolini María C. , Cabral‐de‐Mello Diogo C. , Cigliano María M.
Published: August 2018

In an attempt to unveil the origin of neo‐sex chromosomes in Ronderosia Cigliano grasshoppers, we performed a combined phylogenetic analysis based on morphological (external morphology and male genitalia) and molecular data (COI, COII, 16S and ITS2) to explore the chromosome evolution within the genus. We also analysed the distributional patterns of the various Ronderosia species and considered the possible role of chromosome rearrangements (CRs) in speciation processes within the genus in the light of ‘suppressed‐recombination’ models. We mapped the states of three chromosomal characters on the combined tree topology. The combined evidence supported Ronderosia as a monophyletic group. The cytogenetic analyses of the genus demonstrated the importance of rearranged karyotypes with single, complex and multiples neo‐sex chromosome determination systems in all species. The chromosome character optimisation suggests X‐autosome centric fusion as the mechanism responsible for neo‐sex chromosome formation in most Ronderosia species, except in R. dubia and R. bergii. Similar autosomes were involved in fusions with the ancestral X chromosome in Ronderosia, supporting previous hypotheses on the unique origin of X‐autosome fusion for the sex chromosome in the genus. As a source of chromosome variation, autosome‐autosome centric fusion played a secondary role in Ronderosia compared with other Dichroplini. Given the homogeneity in the morphological features, the sympatric distribution of closely related species and the intrinsic property of centric fusion as suppressors of the crossing over, we suggest that CRs may have played a key role during the speciation process within Ronderosia.
The unravelled Enterococcus faecalis zoonotic superbugs: Emerging multiple resistant and virulent lineages isolated from poultry environment
Authors: Hasan Khwaja A. , Ali Syed A. , Rehman Marium , Bin‐Asif Hassaan , Zahid Sindhu
Published: August 2018

This study aimed to investigate the zoonotic potential by virtue of phylogenetic analysis, virulence and resistance gene profiles of Enterococcus faecalis originating from poultry environment. The ERIC, BOX and RAPD PCR analysis showed the clustering of E. faecalis strains (n = 74) into five groups (G1‐G5) and fifteen sub‐clusters (B1‐B15), which share 50%–80% similarities with ATCC E. faecalis and clinical strains of human infection. E. faecalis strains harboured seven enterocins genes including ent1097 (85%), entB (84%), enterolysinA (51%), entSEK4 (51%), entL50 (31%), entA (25.7%) and ent1071 (14.9%). The highest prevalence of gelE‐sprE (90%), lip‐fl (90%) followed by cylL (62%), hyl (60%), katA (16%) and cylA (5.4%) was observed in poultry isolates. The fsr operon and gelE‐sprE was co‐associated in 66.2% strains. E. faecalis also harboured biofilm and endocarditis‐associated genes, including efaAfs (97%), ebp‐pilli (ebpABC and srtC 69.9%–80%), asa1 (71%), agg (55%), ace (54%) and esp‐Tim (3%). Despite all found sensitive to vancomycin, 98.6% strains were multi‐drug resistant to five to twelve tested antimicrobials. An increased‐level of resistance (≥32 μg/ml) was observed to ampicillin (8.1%), meropenem (21.6%), chloramphenicol (73.4%), erythromycin (90.5%), tetracycline (100%) and high‐level resistance to kanamycin (79.7%) and gentamicin (52.7%). The multi‐drug resistant E. faecalis (MDRe.f) were carried pbp4 (90%), tetL (90%), tetM (70%), ermB (81%), cat (52.7%), acc6‐aph2 (58.1%), aaph(3)‐III (49.9%), gyrA (97%) and parC (98%) genes. Moreover, these MDRe.f were also harboured, hospital‐associated marker IS16 (58%) and pheromone responsive genes, that is ccf (88%), cpd (74%), cob (62%) and eep (66%). Thus, regardless of the distinct phylogenetic background of E. faecalis of poultry origin, ATCC E. faecalis and clinical strains of human origin, we found major similarities in virulence, resistance gene profiles and mobile genetic elements (IS16 and pheromone responsive plasmids), supporting the zoonotic/reverse zoonotic risk associated with this organism.
Influence of food texture on energy metabolism and adiposity in male rats
Authors: Han Wanxin , Utoyoma Maiko , Akieda‐Asai Sayaka , Hidaka Ayano , Yamada Chihiro , Hasegawa Kazuya , Nunoi Hiroyuki , Date Yukari
Published: August 2018

New Findings

What is the central question of this manuscript?

What is the effect of food texture on fat accumulation, lipogenesis and proinflammatory factors in the adipose tissue and on energy balance in male rats?

What is the main finding and its importance?

Calorie intake and fat accumulation in rats fed soft pellets ad libitum increased, but their body weight did not. The data suggest that, even when BMI is normal, frequent consumption of soft food may contribute to the development of lifestyle‐related diseases.

Dietary factors such as food texture are known to affect feeding behaviour and energy metabolism. We recently found that rats fed soft pellets (SPs) on a 3 h restricted feeding schedule showed glucose intolerance, insulin resistance with disruption of insulin signalling, and hyperplasia of pancreatic β‐cells, even though there were no differences in energy intake and body weight between rats fed control pellets (CPs) and rats fed SPs. We investigated the effect of food texture on fat accumulation, lipogenesis and proinflammatory factors in the mesenteric fat, as well as on energy balance in male rats fed CPs or SPs. We used 7‐week‐old Wistar rats that were randomly divided into two groups, ad libitum fed either CPs or SPs for 27 weeks. Body weight and calorie intake were monitored once a week throughout the experiment. The calorie intake, lipogenesis and fat accumulation of the rats fed SPs increased, whereas their body weight did not. Additionally, SP rats used their fat mainly as a source of energy and increased their energy expenditure. Our data suggest that the habit of frequently eating soft food causes visceral fat accumulation without an increase in body weight. Further investigations using soft‐textured foods could lead to the development of appropriate interventions for non‐overweight patients with lifestyle‐related diseases.
Extended Range of Fuel Capability for GT13E2 AEV Burner With Liquid and Gaseous Fuels
Authors: Zajadatz Martin , Güthe Felix , Freitag Ewald , Ferreira-Providakis Theodoros , Wind Torsten , Magni Fulvio , Goldmeer Jeffrey
Published: August 2018

The gas turbine market tends to drive development toward higher operational and fuel flexibility. In order to meet these requirements, the GT13E2® combustion system (General Electric, Schenectady, NY) with the AEV® burner (General Electric) has been further developed to extend the range of fuels according to GE fuel capabilities. The development includes operation with diluted natural gas, gases with very high C2+ contents up to liquefied petroleum gas on the gaseous fuels side, and nonstandard liquid fuels such as biodiesel and light crude oil (LCO). Results of full scale high pressure single burner combustion test in the test facilities at DLR-Köln are shown to demonstrate these capabilities. With these tests at typical pressure and temperature conditions, safe operation ranges with respect to flame flashback and lean blow out (LBO) were identified. In addition, the recent burner mapping at the DLR in Köln results in emission behavior similar to typical fuels as natural gas and fuel oil #2. It was also possible to achieve low emission levels with liquid fuels with a high fuel bound nitrogen (FBN) content. Based on these results, the GT13E2 gas turbine has demonstrated capability with a high variety of gaseous and liquid fuel at power ranges of 200 MW and above. The fuels can be applied without specific engine adjustments or major hardware changes over a whole range of gas turbine operation including startup and gas turbine (GT) acceleration.
Silicon nanocone formation via low-energy helium ion sputtering
Authors: Novakowski Theodore J. , Tripathi Jitendra K. , Hassanein Ahmed
Published: August 2018

In this study, the effect of low-energy (100 eV) He+ ion irradiation on Si surface morphology is explored. Si (100) and (111) samples were irradiated with 100 eV He+ ions at an elevated sample temperature of 600 °C and to fluences in the range 5.0 × 1019–2.0 × 1020 ions cm–2. Through a combination of high ion flux and high sample temperature, it was found that continued He+ ion irradiation facilitates the formation of homogeneously populated, high aspect ratio silicon nanocones (NCs) (∼50–100 nm base and ∼200–400 nm height). The resulting surface morphology is shown to have excellent antireflective properties, suggesting potential application toward enhanced light absorption in photovoltaic and other optical applications. Furthermore, similar irradiations at reduced sample temperature show comparable structuring mechanisms but with smaller cone diameter. These results indicate that NC size and number density (and related wavelength-dependent reflectivity properties) may be tailored by carefully tuning ion irradiation conditions. Utilizing very low-energy He+ ions as the irradiating species, these studies also demonstrate an added benefit to limiting metallic surface contamination through reduced probability of sputtering in-vacuum components.
Functional coupling of GABA
A/B
receptors and the channel TRPV4 mediates rapid progesterone signaling in the oviduct
Authors: Jung Carole , Fernández-Dueñas Victor , Plata Cristina , Garcia-Elias Anna , Ciruela Francisco , Fernández-Fernández José M. , Valverde Miguel A.
Published: August 2018

Progesterone and GABA receptor agonists stimulate cilial beating in the mouse oviduct.
Aurora-PLK1 cascades as key signaling modules in the regulation of mitosis
Authors: Joukov Vladimir , De Nicolo Arcangela
Published: August 2018

Precise spatiotemporal control enables the mitotic kinases Aurora and PLK1 to orchestrate distinct mitotic processes.
Using a Virion Assembly-Defective Dengue Virus as a Vaccine Approach
Authors: Shan Chao , Xie Xuping , Zou Jing , Züst Roland , Zhang Bo , Ambrose Rebecca , Mackenzie Jason , Fink Katja , Shi Pei-Yong
Published: August 2018

Many flaviviruses are significant human pathogens that pose global threats to public health. Although licensed vaccines are available for yellow fever, Japanese encephalitis, tick-borne encephalitis, and dengue viruses, new approaches are needed to develop improved vaccines. Using dengue virus as a model, we developed a vaccine platform using a virion assembly-defective virus. We show that such an assembly-defective virus could be rescued to higher titers and infect cells for a single round. Mice immunized with the assembly-defective virus were protected from wild-type-virus infection. This vaccine approach could be applicable to other viral pathogens.
Aminoglycoside Heteroresistance in Acinetobacter baumannii AB5075
Authors: Anderson Sarah E. , Sherman Edgar X. , Weiss David S. , Rather Philip N.
Published: August 2018

Acinetobacter baumannii
has become an important pathogen in hospitals worldwide, where the incidence of these infections has been increasing.
A. baumannii
infections have become exceedingly difficult to treat due to a rapid increase in the frequency of multidrug- and pan-resistant isolates. This has prompted the World Health Organization to list
A. baumannii
as the top priority for the research and development of new antibiotics. This study reports for the first time a detailed analysis of aminoglycoside heteroresistance in
A. baumannii
. We define the mechanistic basis for heteroresistance, where the
aadB(ant2″)Ia
gene encoding an aminoglycoside adenylyltransferase becomes highly amplified in a RecA-dependent manner. Remarkably, this amplification of 20 to 40 copies occurs stochastically in 1/200 cells in the absence of antibiotic selection. In addition, we provide evidence for a second RecA-independent mechanism for aminoglycoside heteroresistance. This study reveals that aminoglycoside resistance in
A. baumannii
is far more complex than previously realized and has important implications for the use of aminoglycosides in treating
A. baumannii
infections.
Lateral resistance of “rigid” pipelines and cables on rocky seabeds
Authors: Griffiths Terry , White David J. , Draper Scott , Leighton Adam , Cheng Liang , An Hongwei , Fogliani Antonino
Published: August 2018

Accurate assessment of lateral resistance is critical to ensure the on-bottom stability and integrity of subsea pipelines and cables in the oil–gas and marine renewable energy industries. However, on rocky seabeds recommended practices provide limited recommendations on pipe–seabed interaction, suggesting only a single value for the friction coefficient of 0.6. This paper reports on a programme of physical experiments and theoretical modelling investigating the lateral resistance of pipes on rocky seabeds. It is shown that the peak and mean effective friction can significantly exceed the interface (or Coulomb) friction coefficient when the pipe diameter (D) is similar to the median rock diameter (dn50). Only when the pipe diameter becomes large compared to the rock size does the mean effective friction approach the interface friction. The effective friction coefficient was found to vary with variability in rock size and shape, as well as the length of pipe relative to median rock diameter. Each of these findings is reproduced well using the theoretical model. Collectively, the results demonstrate that the effective lateral friction coefficient may be higher than 0.6 for mean friction, and significantly higher for peak friction. This implies that inaccuracy may exist in current design, which may be rectified using the theoretical model.
Measuring fish condition: an evaluation of new and old metrics for three species with contrasting life histories
Authors: Wuenschel Mark J. , McElroy W. David , Oliveira Kenneth , McBride Richard S.
Published: August 2018

Measuring fish condition should link ecosystem drivers with population dynamics, if the underlying physiological basis for variations in condition indices are understood. We evaluated traditional (K, Kn, hepatosomatic index, gonadosomatic index, energy density, and percent dry weight of muscle (%DWM) and liver (%DWL)) and newer (bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) and scaled mass index (SMI)) condition indices to track seasonal cycles in three flatfishes — winter founder (Pseudopleuronectes americanus; three stocks), yellowtail flounder (Limanda ferruginea; three stocks), and summer flounder (Paralichthys dentatus; one stock) — with contrasting life histories in habitat, feeding, and reproduction. The %DWM and %DWL were good proxies for energy density (r2 > 0.96) and more strongly related to K, Kn, and SMI than to BIA metrics. Principal component analysis indicated many metrics performed similarly across species; some were confounded by size, sex, and maturity along PC1, while others effectively characterized condition along PC2. Stock differences were along PC1 in winter flounder, reflecting different sizes across stocks, whereas in yellowtail flounder differences occurred along PC2 related to condition. These comparisons, within and across species, highlight the broad applicability of some metrics and limitations in others.
N-acetyl-l-cysteine attenuates oxidative damage and neurodegeneration in rat brain during aging
Authors: Garg Geetika , Singh Sandeep , Singh Abhishek Kumar , Rizvi Syed Ibrahim
Published: August 2018

N-acetyl-l-cysteine (NAC) is a precursor of cysteine, which is known to increase the level of glutathione (GSH) in the brain. Several neurodegenerative changes linked to oxidative stress take place in the aging brain. This study aimed to assess the neuroprotective effect of NAC supplementation on age-dependent neurodegeneration in the rat brain. Young (4 months) and old (24 months) Wistar rats (n = 6 rats/group) were supplemented with NAC (100 mg/kg b.w. orally) for 14 days. Enzymatic and nonenzymatic antioxidants such as superoxide dismutase and catalase, and GSH and total thiol respectively, prooxidants such as protein carbonyl, advanced oxidation protein products, reactive oxygen species, and malondialdehyde were assessed in the brain homogenates. Furthermore, nitric oxide level, acetylcholinesterase activity, and Na+/K+–ATPase activity were measured and gene expression studies were also performed. The results indicated that NAC augmented the level of enzymatic and nonenzymatic antioxidants with a significant reduction in prooxidant levels in old rats. NAC supplementation also downregulated the expression of inflammatory markers (TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6) and upregulated the expression of marker genes associated with aging (sirtuin-1) and neurodegeneration (neuron-specific enolase, neuroglobin, synapsin-I, myelin basic protein 2) in old rats. The present findings support a neuroprotective role of NAC which has therapeutic implication in controlling age-related neurological disorders.
Morphism Categories of Gorenstein-projective Modules
Authors: Liu Miantao , Li Ruixin , Gao Nan
Published: August 2018

Let Λ be an algebra of finite Cohen-Macaulay type and Γ its Cohen-Macaulay Auslander algebra. We are going to characterize the morphism category Mor(Λ-Gproj) of Gorenstein-projective Λ-modules in terms of the module category Γ-mod by a categorical equivalence. Based on this, we obtain that some factor category of the epimorphism category Epi(Λ-Gproj) is a Frobenius category, and also, we clarify the relations among Mor(Λ-Gproj), Mor(T2Λ-Gproj) and Mor(Δ-Gproj), where T2(Λ) and Δ are respectively the lower triangular matrix algebra and the Morita ring closely related to Λ.
Pointed p3-Dimensional Hopf Algebras in Positive Characteristic
Authors: Nguyen Van C. , Wang Xingting
Published: August 2018

We focus on the classification of pointed p3-dimensional Hopf algebras H over any algebraically closed field of prime characteristic p > 0. In particular, we consider certain cases when the group of grouplike elements is of order p or p2, that is, when H is pointed but is not connected nor a group algebra. The structures of the associated graded algebra gr H are completely described as bosonizations of graded braided Hopf algebras over group algebras, and most of the lifting structures of H are given. This work provides many new examples of (parametrized) non-commutative, non-cocommutative finite-dimensional Hopf algebras in positive characteristic.
On π-Regular Rings with Involution
Authors: Cui Jian , Yin Xiaobin
Published: August 2018

A ring R is π-regular if for every a in R, there is a positive integer n such that anR is generated by an idempotent. In this paper, we introduce the notion of π-*-regular rings, which is the *-version of π-regular rings. We prove various properties of π-*-regular rings, and establish many equivalent characterizations of abelian π-*-regular rings.
Remarks on the Number of Rational Points on a Class of Hypersurfaces over Finite Fields
Authors: Huang Hua , Gao Wei , Cao Wei
Published: August 2018

Let 𝔽q be the finite field of q elements and f be a nonzero polynomial over 𝔽q. For each b ϵ 𝔽q, let Nq(f = b) denote the number of 𝔽q-rational points on the affine hypersurface f = b. We obtain the formula of Nq(f = b) for a class of hypersurfaces over 𝔽q by using the greatest invariant factors of degree matrices under certain cases, which generalizes the previously known results. We also give another simple direct proof to the known results.
Comparative effectiveness of transverse oscillatory pressure and cervical traction in the management of cervical radiculopathy: A randomized controlled study
Authors: Ojoawo Adesola Ojo , Olabode Ayodele Damilare
Published: August 2018

Background: Radiating neck pain is one of the major symptoms of cervical radiculopathy (CR).

Objective: This study compared the effects of cervical traction (CT) and transverse oscillatory pressure (TOP) in management of CR.

Methods: Seventy-five participants with unilateral radiating neck pain were randomly allocated into three groups, 25 (14 males, 11 females) for CT, 25 (15 males and 10 females) for TOP and 25 (11 males and 14 females) control (Cnt) group. All participants received massage, cryotherapy and active exercises three times in a week for six weeks. CT was administered to CT group, TOP to TOP group while the third group served as control. Pain intensity (PI) and neck functional disability (NFD) were assessed pretreatment, 3rd and 6th week of intervention. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics.

Results: There was a significant reduction in PI and NFD between pretreatment and 6th week in all the groups ([Formula: see text]). The effect size of PI ([Formula: see text], [Formula: see text]) and disability index ([Formula: see text], [Formula: see text]) in CT group were significantly lower than that of TOP group at 3rd week. PI of TOP was significantly ([Formula: see text]) lower than that of CT and Cnt groups at the 6th week.

Conclusion: TOP reduces the PI and disability of patients with CR faster compared to CT.
Initial Phase of Replication of Plus-Stranded RNA Viruses
Authors: Zhdanov Vladimir P.
Published: August 2018

The author presents theoretical mean-field analysis of the initial phase of the kinetics of intracellular replication of plus-stranded RNA viruses, which are abundant and include, e.g., the hepatitis C virus (HCV). The treatment is based on the conventional concept that the replication process of such viruses takes place at the membrane complexes formed with participation of viral proteins, e.g., NS5A in the HCV case. The key novel prediction supported by Monte Carlo calculations is that this scheme may be insufficient in order to describe the very initial phase of the process, because the initial intracellular viral RNA and protein populations may in this case go extinct rather than overcome the kinetic barrier for transition to the full-scale infection of a host cell. Practically, this means that in such situations, the conventional replication scenario should be complemented by another pathway, e.g., by replication outside the membrane without viral proteins, which operates in the very beginning.
Making oil from magma
Authors: Muirhead D. K. , Duffy M. , Schofield N. , Mark N. , Rowe M. D.
Published: August 2018

Petroleum systems within rifted margin basins affected by volcanism continue to remain challenging for the exploration of hydrocarbons, most notably owing to the volume of intrusions that pose imaging, drilling and exploration problems. Typically, intrusions possess small thermal aureoles, but despite this, there is evidence that intrusions could none the less be responsible for the generation of commercial volumes of hydrocarbons. Here we shed new light on this petroleum systems challenge by integrating organic geochemical and Raman spectroscopic techniques to produce potential volumetric data for hydrocarbons generated as a result of igneous intrusion. The results indicate that, in areas with immature source rock intervals, it may be possible for intrusions to generate volumes of oil that would be capable of comfortably filling likely known oil reservoirs. This is a critical step forward in integrating several analytical techniques, indicating that under the right conditions there is the potential for hydrocarbon generation as a result of igneous intrusion.
Cardiac branched-chain amino acid oxidation is reduced during insulin resistance in the heart
Authors: Fillmore Natasha , Wagg Cory S. , Zhang Liyan , Fukushima Arata , Lopaschuk Gary D.
Published: August 2018

Recent studies have proposed that elevated branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) may induce insulin resistance (IR) in muscle secondary to increased BCAA oxidation inhibiting glucose oxidation (GO) and fatty acid oxidation (FAO). However, BCAA oxidation rates have not been assessed in muscle IR, and cardiac FAO rates are actually already elevated in obesity-associated IR. We therefore directly examined cardiac BCAA oxidation in mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD) to induce insulin resistance to better understand the role of cardiac BCAA oxidation in cardiac IR. BCAA oxidation, GO, FAO, and glycolysis were measured in isolated working hearts from mice fed either a low-fat diet (LFD) or HFD for 10 wk. Insulin stimulation of cardiac GO and inhibition of FAO were blunted in HFD mice, resulting in a marked increase in FAO contribution to ATP production compared with LFD mice hearts (71.2% vs. 37.1%, respectively). Surprisingly, cardiac BCAA oxidation rate was reduced in HFD compared with LFD mice (33.5 ± 3.4 vs. 56.7 ± 7.1 nmol·min-1·g dry wt−1, respectively, P < 0.05, n = 9/group). In addition, BCAA oxidation contributed ~1% of the ATP production of the heart, and, as a result, alterations in BCAA oxidation could not significantly impact either GO or FAO rates. However, the decrease in BCAA oxidation was accompanied by an increase in BCAA concentration and impaired insulin signaling. These results suggest that cardiac IR is not due to an increase in BCAA oxidation and subsequent inhibition of GO and FAO. Rather, we propose that an inhibition of BCAA oxidation rate contributes to IR by leading to increased BCAA concentration, which negatively impacts insulin signaling.
Increased Duodenal Iron Absorption through Upregulation of Ferroportin 1 due to the Decrement in Serum Hepcidin in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C
Authors: Sato Masanori , Miyanishi Koji , Tanaka Shingo , Sakurada Akira , Sakamoto Hiroki , Kawano Yutaka , Takada Kohichi , Kobune Masayoshi , Kato Junji
Published: August 2018

Hepatic iron accumulation is generally increased in the chronic hepatitis C (CHC) liver; however, the precise mechanism of such accumulation remains unclear. We evaluated iron absorption from the gastrointestinal tract of patients with CHC and control participants. We measured the expression of a panel of molecules associated with duodenal iron absorption and serum hepcidin levels to determine the mechanism of iron accumulation in the CHC liver. We enrolled 24 patients with CHC and 9 patients with chronic gastritis withoutHelicobacter pyloriinfection or an iron metabolism disorder as control participants. An oral iron absorption test (OIAT) was administered which involved a dosage of 100 mg of sodium ferrous citrate. Serum level of hepcidin-25 was measured by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Ferroportin 1 (FPN) mRNA was measured by RT-PCR and FPN protein was analyzed by western blot. Samples were obtained from duodenum biopsy tissue from each CHC patient and control participant. Caco-2/TC7 cells were incubated in Costar transwells (0.4 μm pores). The OIAT showed significantly greater iron absorption in CHC patients than control participants. Serum hepcidin-25 in the CHC group was significantly lower than in the control group. Compared with control participants, duodenal FPN mRNA expression in CHC patients was significantly upregulated. The FPN mRNA levels and protein levels increased significantly in Caco-2/TC7 cell monolayers cultured in transwells with hepcidin. Lower serum hepcidin-25 levels might upregulate not only FPN protein expression but also mRNA expression in the duodenum and cause iron accumulation in patients with CHC.
Assessing the Role of DNA Methylation-Derived Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio in Rheumatoid Arthritis
Authors: Ambatipudi Srikant , Sharp Gemma C. , Clarke Sarah L. N. , Plant Darren , Tobias Jonathan H. , Evans David M. , Barton Anne , Relton Caroline L.
Published: August 2018

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a disease of chronic systemic inflammation (SI). In the present study, we used four datasets to explore whether methylation-derived neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (mdNLR) might be a marker of SI in new onset, untreated, and treated prevalent RA cases and/or a marker of treatment response to the tumour necrosis factor inhibitor (TNFi) etanercept. mdNLR was associated with increased odds of being a new onset RA case (OR = 2.32, 95% CI = 1.95–2.80, P<2×10−16) and performed better in distinguishing new onset RA cases from controls compared to covariates: age, gender, and smoking status. In untreated preclinical RA cases and controls, mdNLR at baseline was associated with diagnosis of RA in later life after adjusting for batch (OR = 4.30, 95% CI = 1.52–21.71, P=0.029) although no association was observed before batch correction. When prevalent RA cases were treated, there was no association with mdNLR in samples before and after batch correction (OR = 0.34, 95% CI = 0.05–1.82, P=0.23), and mdNLR was not associated with treatment response to etanercept (OR = 1.10, 95% CI = 0.75–1.68, P=0.64). Our results indicate that SI measured by DNA methylation data is indicative of the recent onset of RA. Although preclinical RA was associated with mdNLR, there was no difference in the mean mdNLR between preclinical RA cases and controls. mdNLR was not associated with RA case status if treatment for RA has commenced, and it is not associated with treatment response. In the future, mdNLR estimates may be used as a valuable research tool to reliably estimate SI in the absence of freshly collected blood samples.
Tendencies of Technologies and Platforms in Smart Cities: A State‐of‐the‐Art Review
Authors: Chamoso Pablo , González-Briones Alfonso , Rodríguez Sara , Corchado Juan M.
Published: August 2018

Technology is starting to play a key role in cities’ urban sustainability plans. This is because new technologies can provide them with robust solutions that are of benefit to citizens. Cities aim to incorporate smart systems in their industrial, infrastructural, educational, and social activities. A Smart City is managed with intelligent technologies which allow improving the quality of the services offered to citizens and make all processes more efficient. However, the Smart City concept is fairly recent. The ideas that it encompasses have not yet been consolidated due to the large number of fields and technologies that fit under this concept. All of this led to confusion about the definition of a Smart City and this is evident in the literature. This article explores the literature that addresses the topic of Smart Cities; a comprehensive analysis of the concept and existing platforms is performed. We gain a clear understanding of the services that a Smart City must provide, the technology it should employ for the development of these services, and the scope that this concept covers. Moreover, the shortcomings and needs of Smart Cities are identified and a model for designing a Smart City architecture is proposed. In addition, three case studies have been proposed: the first is a simulator to study the implementation of various services and technologies, the second case study to manage incidents that occur in a Smart City, and the third case study to monitor the deployment of large‐scale sensors in a Smart City.
Cost Saving Potential of an Early Detection of Atrial Fibrillation in Patients after ICD Implantation
Authors: Reinhold Thomas , Belke Roberto , Hauser Tino , Grebmer Christian , Lennerz Carsten , Semmler Verena , Kolb Christof
Published: August 2018

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a relevant comorbidity in recipients of implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICD). Latest generation single-chamber ICD allow the additional sensing of atrial tachyarrhythmias and, therefore, contribute to the early detection and treatment of AF, potentially preventing AF-related stroke. The present study aimed to measure the impact on patient-related costs of this new ICD compared to conventional ICD. A Markov model was developed to simulate the long-term incidence of stroke in patients treated with a single-chamber ICD with or without atrial sensing capabilities. The median annual cost per patient and its difference, the number of strokes avoided, and the cost per stroke avoided were estimated. During a 9-year horizon, the costs for the ICD and stroke treatment were €570 per patient-year for an ICD with atrial sensing capabilities and €491 per patient-year for a conventional ICD. Per 1,000 patients, 4.6 strokes per year are assumed to be avoided by the new device. Higher CHA2DS2-VASc scores are associated with higher numbers of avoided strokes and larger potential for cost savings. Apart from clinical advantages, the use of ICD with atrial sensing capabilities may reduce the incidence of stroke and, in high-risk patients, may also contribute to reduce overall health care costs.
Particle Swarm Optimization for Active Structural Control of Highway Bridges Subjected to Impact Loading
Authors: Hughes Jake Edmond , Kim Yeesock , Chong Jo Woon , Kim Changwon
Published: August 2018

The application of active structural control technology to highway bridge structures subjected to high‐impact loadings is investigated. The effects of high‐impact loads on infrastructure, like heavy vehicle collisions with bridge piers, have not been studied as much as seismic load effects on structures. Due to this lack of research regarding impact loads and structural control, a focused study on the application of active control devices to infrastructure after impact events can provide valuable results and conclusions. This research applies active structural control to an idealized two‐span, continuous girder, concrete highway bridge structure. The idealization of a highway bridge structure as a two degree‐of‐freedom structural system is used to investigate the effectiveness of control devices installed between the bridge pier and deck, the two degrees of freedom. The control devices are fixed to bracing between the bridge pier and girders and controlled by the proportional‐integral‐derivative (PID) control. The PID control gains are optimized by both the Ziegler–Nichols ultimate sensitivity method (USM) and a new method for this impact load application called particle swarm optimization (PSO). The controlled time‐domain responses are compared to the uncontrolled responses, and the effectiveness of PID control, USM optimization, and PSO is compared for this control device configuration. The results of this investigation show PID control to be effective for minimizing both superstructure and substructure responses of highway bridges after high‐impact loads. Deck response reductions of greater than 19% and 37% were seen for displacement and acceleration responses, respectively, regardless of the performance index used to analyze them. PSO was much more effective than USM optimization for tuning PID control gains.
Smartwatch-Based Legitimate User Identification for Cloud-Based Secure Services
Authors: Ahmad Muhammad , Alqarni Mohammed A. , Khan Asad , Khan Adil , Hussain Chauhdary Sajjad , Mazzara Manuel , Umer Tariq , Distefano Salvatore
Published: August 2018

Smartphones are ubiquitously integrated into our home and work environment and users frequently use them as the portal to cloud-based secure services. Since smartphones can easily be stolen or coopted, the advent of smartwatches provides an intriguing platform legitimate user identification for applications like online banking and many other cloud-based services. However, to access security-critical online services, it is highly desirable to accurately identifying the legitimate user accessing such services and data whether coming from the cloud or any other source. Such identification must be done in an automatic and non-bypassable way. For such applications, this work proposes a two-fold feasibility study; (1) activity recognition and (2) gait-based legitimate user identification based on individual activity. To achieve the above-said goals, the first aim of this work was to propose a semicontrolled environment system which overcomes the limitations of users’ age, gender, and smartwatch wearing style. The second aim of this work was to investigate the ambulatory activity performed by any user. Thus, this paper proposes a novel system for implicit and continuous legitimate user identification based on their behavioral characteristics by leveraging the sensors already ubiquitously built into smartwatches. The design system gives legitimate user identification using machine learning techniques and multiple sensory data with 98.68% accuracy.
The Use of Biomarkers in Early Diagnostics of Pancreatic Cancer
Authors: Kunovsky Lumir , Tesarikova Pavla , Kala Zdenek , Kroupa Radek , Kysela Petr , Dolina Jiri , Trna Jan
Published: August 2018

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most lethal solid malignancies with increasing incidence. The poor prognosis is due to the aggressive nature of the tumor, late detection, and the resistance to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. A radical surgery procedure is the only treatment that has been shown to improve the 5-year survival rate to 20-25%. However, the majority of patients (80-85%) are diagnosed with locally advanced or metastatic disease and just 15-20% patients are diagnosed in an early stage allowing them to undergo the potentially curative surgical resection. The early detection of PDAC without the use of invasive methods is challenging and discovery of a cost-effective biomarker with high specificity and sensitivity could significantly improve the treatment and survival in these patients. In this review, we summarize current and newly examined biomarkers in early PDAC detection.
Inflammation and LPS-Binding Protein Enable the Stimulatory Effect of Endotoxin on Prolactin Secretion in the Ovine Anterior Pituitary: Ex Vivo Study
Authors: Tomaszewska-Zaremba Dorota , Haziak Karolina , Tomczyk Monika , Herman Andrzej P.
Published: August 2018

Prolactin is a hormone that plays an important role in the regulation of many physiological processes including lactation, reproduction, fat metabolism, and immune response. The secretion of prolactin could be disturbed by an immune stress commonly accompanying infection. This study was designed to determine the influence of bacterial endotoxin—lipopolysaccharide (LPS)—on prolactin gene (PRL) expression and prolactin release from the ovine anterior pituitary (AP) explants collected from saline- and LPS-treated ewes in the follicular phase. The expressions of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and proinflammatory cytokines interleukin- (IL-) 1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor- (TNF-) α genes were also assayed. The results of the study showed that LPS stimulates prolactin secretion and IL-6 gene expression in the AP explants, but its action on lactotrophs depends on the immunological status of animal. It was demonstrated that an important role in enhancing the effect of LPS on the pituitary in the saline-treated ewes is played by LPS-binding protein (LBP)- “adapter molecule” for LPS binding to the cell surface receptor CD14 and then to TLR4. Also, it was found that bacterial endotoxin acting on the anterior pituitary cells may enhance prolactin secretion, and this effect of LPS could be mediated by IL-6 which is known as prolactin-releasing factor. Identification of the neuroendocrine and immune interactions in the regulation of prolactin secretion could be helpful in developing newer and more effective treatments for dysfunctions connected with disorders in this hormone secretion.