bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
What is best practice in sex and relationship education? A synthesis of evidence, including stakeholders’ views
Authors: Pound Pandora , Denford Sarah , Shucksmith Janet , Tanton Clare , Johnson Anne M , Owen Jenny , Hutten Rebecca , Mohan Leanne , Bonell Chris , Abraham Charles , Campbell Rona
Published: July 2017

Objectives

Sex and relationship education (SRE) is regarded as vital to improving young people’s sexual health, but a third of schools in England lacks good SRE and government guidance is outdated. We aimed to identify what makes SRE programmes effective, acceptable, sustainable and capable of faithful implementation.

Design

This is a synthesis of findings from five research packages that we conducted (practitioner interviews, case study investigation, National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles, review of reviews and qualitative synthesis). We also gained feedback on our research from stakeholder consultations.

Settings

Primary research and stakeholder consultations were conducted in the UK. Secondary research draws on studies worldwide.

Results

Our findings indicate that school-based SRE and school-linked sexual health services can be effective at improving sexual health. We found professional consensus that good programmes start in primary school. Professionals and young people agreed that good programmes are age-appropriate, interactive and take place in a safe environment. Some young women reported preferring single-sex classes, but young men appeared to want mixed classes. Young people and professionals agreed that SRE should take a ‘life skills’ approach and not focus on abstinence. Young people advocated a ‘sex-positive’ approach but reported this was lacking. Young people and professionals agreed that SRE should discuss risks, but young people indicated that approaches to risk need revising. Professionals felt teachers should be involved in SRE delivery, but many young people reported disliking having their teachers deliver SRE and we found that key messages could become lost when interpreted by teachers. The divergence between young people and professionals was echoed by stakeholders. We developed criteria for best practice based on the evidence.

Conclusions

We identified key features of effective and acceptable SRE. Our best practice criteria can be used to evaluate existing programmes, contribute to the development of new programmes and inform consultations around statutory SRE.
RHS-to-RHS axially loaded X-connections near an open chord end
Authors: Fan YuJing , Packer Jeffrey A.
Published: July 2017

In all truss-type welded hollow structural section connection design procedures, the chord member is assumed continuous on both sides of the branch. New limits of applicability have recently been advocated, which specify minimum end distances from an open chord end to achieve the full connection strength. To investigate their suitability for rectangular hollow section (RHS) connections, an experimental program consisting of 12 RHS-to-RHS X-connections subject to branch axial compression was undertaken. For connections near a chord end, a modified yield line mechanism controlled. A proposed analytical model is derived, and by evaluating against the experimental results, is shown to accurately predict the yield loads. An EN 1993-1-8 amendment, transcribed from circular hollow section connections, is deemed excessively conservative, and a closed-form solution for the end distance, presented herein, is recommended for use with RHS connections. Alternatively, providing a cap plate is determined to be an effective stiffening method.
Evidence for the linkage of survival of anadromous Arctic char and brown trout during winter to marine growth during the previous summer
Authors: Jensen Arne Johan , Finstad Bengt , Fiske Peder
Published: July 2017

Data from a 25-year study of anadromous Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus) and brown trout (Salmo trutta) in the River Halselva provided evidence that survival during winter was linked to marine growth during the previous summer. The study supported the “critical size and critical period” hypothesis, which postulates that regulation of the abundance of adult salmonids occurs in two major phases. The first phase is marine mortality that occurs shortly after smolts enter salt water, and the second is during the following winter, when individuals that have not attained a critical size are unable to meet minimum metabolic requirements and die. In the present study, growth during summer appeared to be more important to winter survival than body size. Size-selective mortality occurred both at sea during summer and in fresh water during winter and was more evident for first-time migrants than repeat migrants.
Cross-Diffusion Induced Turing Instability and Amplitude Equation for a Toxic-Phytoplankton–Zooplankton Model with Nonmonotonic Functional Response
Authors: Han Renji , Dai Binxiang
Published: July 2017

The spatiotemporal pattern induced by cross-diffusion of a toxic-phytoplankton–zooplankton model with nonmonotonic functional response is investigated in this paper. The linear stability analysis shows that cross-diffusion is the key mechanism for the formation of spatial patterns. By taking cross-diffusion rate as bifurcation parameter, we derive amplitude equations near the Turing bifurcation point for the excited modes in the framework of a weakly nonlinear theory, and the stability analysis of the amplitude equations interprets the structural transitions and stability of various forms of Turing patterns. Furthermore, we illustrate the theoretical results via numerical simulations. It is shown that the spatiotemporal distribution of the plankton is homogeneous in the absence of cross-diffusion. However, when the cross-diffusivity is greater than the critical value, the spatiotemporal distribution of all the plankton species becomes inhomogeneous in spaces and results in different kinds of patterns: spot, stripe, and the mixture of spot and stripe patterns depending on the cross-diffusivity. Simultaneously, the impact of toxin-producing rate of toxic-phytoplankton (TPP) species and natural death rate of zooplankton species on pattern selection is also explored.
From Wang–Chen System with Only One Stable Equilibrium to a New Chaotic System Without Equilibrium
Authors: Pham Viet-Thanh , Wang Xiong , Jafari Sajad , Volos Christos , Kapitaniak Tomasz
Published: July 2017

Wang–Chen system with only one stable equilibrium as well as the coexistence of hidden attractors has attracted increasing interest due to its striking features. In this work, the effect of state feedback on Wang–Chen system is investigated by introducing a further state variable. It is worth noting that a new chaotic system without equilibrium is obtained. We believe that the system is an interesting example to illustrate the conversion of hidden attractors with one stable equilibrium to hidden attractors without equilibrium.
A note on the order of the Schur multiplier of p-groups
Authors: Rai Pradeep K.
Published: July 2017

Let [Formula: see text] be a finite [Formula: see text]-group of order [Formula: see text] with [Formula: see text], and let [Formula: see text] denote its Schur multiplier. A classical result of Green states that [Formula: see text]. In 2009, Niroomand, improving Green’s and other bounds on [Formula: see text] for a non-abelian [Formula: see text]-group [Formula: see text], proved that [Formula: see text]. In this paper, we prove that a bound, obtained earlier by Ellis and Wiegold, is stronger than that of Niroomand. We derive from the bound of Ellis and Wiegold that [Formula: see text] for a non-abelian [Formula: see text]-group [Formula: see text]. We obtain an improvement to an old bound given by Vermani. Finally we prove, for a [Formula: see text]-group of coclass [Formula: see text], that [Formula: see text]. This improves a bound by Moravec.
CORROSION PROPERTIES OF CRYOROLLED AA2219 FRICTION STIR WELDED JOINTS USING DIFFERENT TOOL PIN PROFILES
Authors: KAMAL BABU K. , PANNEERSELVAM K. , SATHIYA P. , NOORUL HAQ A. , SUNDARRAJAN S. , MASTANAIAH P. , SRINIVASA MURTHY C. V.
Published: July 2017

The purpose of this paper is to present the corrosion behavior of the Cryorolled (CR) material and its Friction Stir Welded joints. Due to the thermal cycles of Friction Stir Welding (FSW) process, the corrosion behavior of the material gets affected. Here, the cryorolling process was carried out on AA2219 alloy and CR material was joined by FSW process using four different pin tool profiles such as cylindrical, threaded cylindrical, square and hexagonal pin. The FSW joints were analyzed by corrosion resistance with the help of potentiodynamic polarization test with 3.5% NaCl solution. From the analysis, it is found that CR AA2219 material exhibits good corrosion resistance compared to the base AA2219 material, and also a hexagonal pin profile FSW joint exhibits high corrosion resistance. Among the weld joints created by four different tools, the lowest corrosion resistance was found in the cylindrical pin tool FSW welds. Further, the corroded samples were investigated through metallurgical investigations like OM, Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX) and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD). It was found that the amount of dissolution of Al2Cu precipitate was present in the weld nugget. The amount of dissolution of Al2Cu precipitate is higher in the weld nugget produced by hexagonal pin tool. This is due to the enhancement of the corrosion resistance.
ELECTROCHEMICAL CARBONITRIDING OF 316L STAINLESS STEEL IN MOLTEN SALT SYSTEM
Authors: REN YANJIE , XIAO BO , CHEN YAQING , CHEN JIAN , CHEN JIANLIN
Published: July 2017

This paper reports an electrochemical route for carbonitriding 316L stainless steel in molten salts. Carbonitriding process was accomplished in molten alkaline chloride (LiCl/KCl) with the addition of KNO2 at 480[Formula: see text]C using a three-electrode system in which a carbon sheet was the counter electrode. The carbonitriding layer of 316L stainless steel obtained by potentiostatic electrolysis was analyzed by several physical techniques. The results showed that a compact layer with a thickness of about 7[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]m formed after the treatment. According to X-ray diffraction analysis, chromium nitride and carbide formed on the surface of carbonitriding layer. The microhardness of the carbonitriding layer is HV 336, as compared to HV 265 for the substrate.
LABEL-FREE DETECTION OF Pb2+ USING SPECIFIC DNAZYME AND UNMODIFIED Au NANOPARTICLE PROBE
Authors: LI CHENGYONG , ZHAO ZIKE , LIU YAOQIAN , LV LULU , QI BING , LIN HAIXIA , HE LEI , SUN SHENGLI
Published: July 2017

A simple and sensitive Pb[Formula: see text] sensor is developed based on label-free 17E DNAzyme and unmodified Au nanoparticles. On this basis, Pb[Formula: see text] concentration can be judged according to the color variation of Au nanoparticles. The detection limit is 100[Formula: see text]nM and linear range is 100[Formula: see text]nM–16[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]M. It can serve as a measurement tool for Pb[Formula: see text] rapid detection, which provides reference for the development of sensors in environmental monitoring and food safety.
INFLUENCE OF ANNEALING TEMPERATURE ON SOME OPTICAL AND STRUCTURAL PROPERTIES OF Cu2ZnSnS4 DEPOSITED BY CZT CO-ELECTRODEPOSITION COUPLED WITH CHEMICAL BATH TECHNIQUE
Authors: OKOTH OBILA JORIM , DOMTAU DINFA LUKA , MARINA MUKABI , JOHN ONYATTA , AWUOR OGACHO ALEX
Published: July 2017

Copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) is currently most efficient thin film solar technology in use but it is faced with problems of material scarcity and toxicity. An alternative earth abundant and non-toxic materials consisting of Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) have been investigated as a replacement for CIGS. In this work, CZTS thin films deposited by low cost co-electrodeposition, at a potential of [Formula: see text]1.2[Formula: see text]V, coupled with chemical bath techniques at room temperature and then annealed under sulphur rich atmosphere were investigated. CZTS thin film quality determination was carried out using Raman spectroscopy which confirmed formation of quality CZTS film, main Raman peaks at 288[Formula: see text]cm[Formula: see text] and 338[Formula: see text]cm[Formula: see text] were observed. Electrical characterization was carried out using four-point probe instrument and the resistivity was in the order of [Formula: see text]-cm. The optical characterization was done using UV-VIS-NIR spectrophotometer. The bandgaps of the annealed CZTS film ranged from 1.45 to 1.94[Formula: see text]eV with absorption coefficient of order [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]cm[Formula: see text] in the visible and near infrared range of the solar spectrum were observed.
Initializing the EM Algorithm for Univariate Gaussian, Multi-Component, Heteroscedastic Mixture Models by Dynamic Programming Partitions
Authors: Polanski Andrzej , Marczyk Michal , Pietrowska Monika , Widlak Piotr , Polanska Joanna
Published: July 2017

Setting initial values of parameters of mixture distributions estimated by using the EM recursive algorithm is very important to the overall quality of estimation. None of the existing methods are suitable for heteroscedastic mixtures with a large number of components. We present relevant novel methodology of estimating the initial values of parameters of univariate, heteroscedastic Gaussian mixtures, on the basis of dynamic programming partitioning of the range of observations into bins. We evaluate variants of the dynamic programming method corresponding to different scoring functions for partitioning. We demonstrate the superior efficiency of the proposed method compared to existing techniques for both simulated and real datasets.
On invariant Finsler metrics under (almost) β-changes
Authors: Rajabi Tahere , Sadeghzadeh Nasrin , Maleki Maryam
Published: July 2017

In this paper, we are going to study some [Formula: see text]-changes of the special class of Finsler metrics which we refer to as the (almost) [Formula: see text]-change and generalized (almost) [Formula: see text]-conformal changes. We investigate Douglas and Weyl tensors under these changes. In particular, we find the necessary and sufficient conditions for the Douglas metrics to be invariant under these type of changes.
Data Science: A New Paradigm in the Age of Big-Data Science and Analytics
Authors: Concolato Claude E. , Chen Li M.
Published: July 2017

As an emergent field of inquiry, Data Science serves both the information technology world and the applied sciences. Data Science is a known term that tends to be synonymous with the term Big-Data; however, Data Science is the application of solutions found through mathematical and computational research while Big-Data Science describes problems concerning the analysis of data with respect to volume, variation, and velocity (3V). Even though there is not much developed in theory from a scientific perspective for Data Science, there is still great opportunity for tremendous growth. Data Science is proving to be of paramount importance to the IT industry due to the increased need for understanding the insurmountable amount of data being produced and in need of analysis. In short, data is everywhere with various formats. Scientists are currently using statistical and AI analysis techniques like machine learning methods to understand massive sets of data, and naturally, they attempt to find relationships among datasets. In the past 10 years, the development of software systems within the cloud computing paradigm using tools like Hadoop and Apache Spark have aided in making tremendous advances to Data Science as a discipline [Z. Sun, L. Sun and K. Strang, Big data analytics services for enhancing business intelligence, Journal of Computer Information Systems (2016), doi: 10.1080/08874417.2016.1220239]. These advances enabled both scientists and IT professionals to use cloud computing infrastructure to process petabytes of data on daily basis. This is especially true for large private companies such as Walmart, Nvidia, and Google. This paper seeks to address pragmatic ways of looking at how Data Science — with respect to Big-Data Science — is practiced in the modern world. We also examine how mathematics and computer science help shape Big-Data Science’s terrain. We will highlight how mathematics and computer science have significantly impacted the development of Data Science approaches, tools, and how those approaches pose new questions that can drive new research areas within these core disciplines involving data analysis, machine learning, and visualization.
On Engel Fuzzy Subpolygroups
Authors: Borzooei R. A. , Mohammadzadeh E. , Fotea Violeta
Published: July 2017

In this paper, by considering the notions of polygroup and Engel group, we introduce the concept of Engel fuzzy subpolygroups. In this regard, by a normal Engel fuzzy subpolygroup [Formula: see text] of [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], the fundamental relation on a given polygroup [Formula: see text], we construct an Engel fuzzy subgroup [Formula: see text]. We obtain a necessary and sufficient condition between Engel fuzzy subpolygroups and the Engel group [Formula: see text]/[Formula: see text], the group of equivalence classes derived from a fuzzy subpolygroup of [Formula: see text]. Finally, by using these results, we get Zorn’s lemma, in the Engel fuzzy subpolygroups.
External Source of Infection and Nutritional Efficiency Control Chaos in a Predator–Prey Model with Disease in the Predator
Authors: pada Das Krishna , Roy Prodip , Ghosh Subhabrata , Maiti Somnath
Published: July 2017

This paper deals with an eco-epidemiological approach with disease circulating through the predator species. Disease circulation in the predator species can be possible by contact as well as by external sources. Here, we try to discuss the role of external source of infection along with nutritional value on system dynamics. To establish our findings, we have worked out the local and global stability analysis of the equilibrium points with Hopf bifurcation analysis associated with interior equilibrium point. The ecological consequence by ecological basic reproduction number as well as the disease basic reproduction number or basic reproductive ratio are obtained and we have analyzed the community structure of the particular system with the help of ecological and disease basic reproduction numbers. Further we pay attention to the chaotic dynamics which is produced by disease circulating in predator species by contact. Our numerical simulations reveal that eco-epidemiological system without external source of infection induced chaotic dynamics for increasing force of infection due to contact, whereas in the presence of external source of infection, it exhibits stable solution. It is also observed that nutritional value can prevent chaotic dynamics. We conclude that chaotic dynamics can be controlled by the external source of infection as well as nutritional value. We apply basic tools of nonlinear dynamics such as Poincare section and maximum Lyapunov exponent to investigate chaotic behavior of the system.
Functional and structural characterization of Ebola virus glycoprotein (1976–2015) — Anin silicostudy
Authors: Dehghani Behzad , Ghasabi Farzane , Hashempoor Tayebeh , Joulaei Hassan , Hasanshahi Zahra , Halaji Mehrdad , Chatrabnous Nazanin , Mousavi Zahra , Moayedi Javad
Published: July 2017

Ebola virus (EBOV) is the causative agent of a severe hemorrhagic fever disease associated with high mortality rates in humans. This virus has five strains of which Zaire Ebola virus (ZEBOV) is the first and most important strain. It can be transmitted through contact with contaminated surfaces and objects. The genome of EBOV codes one non-structural and seven structural proteins consisting of two forms of glycoprotein (GP): soluble glycoprotein (sGP) and GP (spike). In this paper, we attempted to characterize and predict physicochemical properties, B-cell epitopes, mutation sites, phosphorylation sites, glycosylation sites, and different protein structures of EBOV GP to provide comprehensive data about changes of this GP during a 40-years course (1976–2015). GP sequences were obtained from NCBI gene bank from 1976–2015. Expasy’sProtParam, PROTSCALE, immuneepitope, Bepipred, BcePred, ABCpred, VaxiJen, DISPHOS, NetPhos, and numerous programs were used to predict and analyze all sequences. More variety of mutations were found in 2015 sequences and mutations were related to huge changes in B-cell epitopes, phosphorylation and glycosylation sites. In addition, our results determined different sites of disulfide bonds and an important mutation related to IgE epitope as well as four potent B-cell epitopes (380–387, 318–338, 405–438 and 434–475). In this study, we suggested the effect of mutations on GP properties, six positions for disulfide bonds and four phosphorylation sites for protein kinase C enzyme. Selected sequences were shown different sites for O-link and N-link glycosylation. A mutation that changed GP to an allergen protein and has a significant role in vaccine designing as well as four potent B-cell epitopes in GP protein were found.
Identification of syrup type using fourier transform-near infrared spectroscopy with multivariate classification methods
Authors: Lapcharoensuk Ravipat , Nakawajana Natrapee
Published: July 2017

This research aimed to establish near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy models for identification of syrup types in which the maple syrup was discriminated from other syrup types. Thirty syrup types were used in this research; the NIR spectra of each type were recorded with 10 replicates. The repeatability and reproducibility of NIR scanning were performed, and the absorbance at 6940[Formula: see text]cm[Formula: see text] was used for calculation. Principal component analysis was used to group the syrup type. Identification models were developed by soft independent modeling by class analogy (SIMCA) and partial least-squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA). The SIMCA models of all syrup types exhibited accuracy percentage of 93.3–100% for identifying syrup types, whereas maple syrup discrimination models showed percentage of accuracy between 83.2% and 100%. The PLS-DA technique gave the accuracy of syrup types classification between 96.6% and 100% and presented ability on discrimination of maple syrup form other types of syrup with accuracy of 100%. The finding presented the potential of NIR spectroscopy for the syrup type identification.
On the spectral radii and principal eigenvectors of uniform hypergraphs
Authors: Si Xuelian , Yuan Xiying
Published: July 2017

Let [Formula: see text] be a connected [Formula: see text]-uniform hypergraph. The unique positive eigenvector [Formula: see text] with [Formula: see text] corresponding to spectral radius [Formula: see text] is called the principal eigenvector of [Formula: see text]. In this paper, we present some lower bounds for the spectral radius [Formula: see text] and investigate the bounds of entries of the principal eigenvector of [Formula: see text].
Adaptive Security of Broadcast Encryption, Revisited
Authors: Zhu Bingxin , Wei Puwen , Wang Mingqiang
Published: July 2017

We provide a strong security notion for broadcast encryption, called adaptive security in the multichallenge setting (MA-security), where the adversary can adaptively have access to the key generation oracle and the encryption oracle many times (multichallenge). The adversary specially can query for the challenge ciphertexts on different target user sets adaptively, which generalizes the attacks against broadcast encryptions in the real world setting. Our general result shows that the reduction of the adaptive secure broadcast encryption will lose a factor of q in the MA setting, where q is the maximum number of encryption queries. In order to construct tighter MA-secure broadcast encryptions, we investigate Gentry and Water’s transformation and show that their transformation can preserve MA-security at the price of reduction loss on the advantage of the underlying symmetric key encryption. Furthermore, we remove the q-type assumption in Gentry and Water’s semistatically secure broadcast encryption by using Hofheinz-Koch-Striecks techniques. The resulting scheme instantiated in a composite order group is MA-secure with constant-size ciphertext header.
Transient Central Diabetes Insipidus and Marked Hypernatremia following Cardiorespiratory Arrest
Authors: Koubar Sahar H. , Younes Eliane
Published: July 2017

Central Diabetes Insipidus is often an overlooked complication of cardiopulmonary arrest and anoxic brain injury. We report a case of transient Central Diabetes Insipidus (CDI) following cardiopulmonary arrest. It developed 4 days after the arrest resulting in polyuria and marked hypernatremia of 199 mM. The latter was exacerbated by replacing the hypotonic urine by isotonic saline.
Production, Characterization, and Antimicrobial Activity of Mycocin Produced byDebaryomyces hanseniiDSMZ70238
Authors: Al-Qaysi Safaa A. S. , Al-Haideri Halah , Thabit Zaid Akram , Al-Kubaisy Wijdan Hameed Abd Al-Razzaq , Ibrahim Jamal Abd Al-Rahman
Published: July 2017

The present study was conducted to estimate the antimicrobial activity and the potential biological control of the killer toxin produced byD. hanseniiDSMZ70238 against several pathogenic microorganisms. In this study, the effects of NaCl, pH, and temperature, killer toxin production, and antimicrobial activity were studied. The results showed that the optimum inhibitory effect of killer toxin was at 8% NaCl, and the diameters of clear zones were 20, 22, 22, 21, 14, and 13 mm forStaphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Streptococcus pyogenes, Candida albicans,andCandida neoformans, respectively. The largest inhibition zones were observed at pH 4.5 with inhibition zone of 16, 18, 17, 18, 11, and 12 mm for the same microorganisms. The results also showed that 25°C is the optimal temperature for toxin killing activity against all targeted microorganisms. In addition, the activity of killer toxin significantly inhibited the growth of fungal mycelia for all target pathogenic fungi and the percentages of inhibition were 47.77, 48.88, 52.22, and 61.11% forTrichophyton rubrum, Alternaria alternata, Trichophyton concentricum,andCurvularia lunata, respectively. The results showed the highest growth rate ofD. hanseniiDSMZ70238 under condition of 8% NaCl concentration, pH 4.5, and 25°C for 72 h.
Social Cognition Deficits: Current Position and Future Directions for Neuropsychological Interventions in Cerebrovascular Disease
Authors: Njomboro Progress
Published: July 2017

Neuropsychological assessments of cognitive dysfunction in cerebrovascular illness commonly target basic cognitive functions involving aspects of memory, attention, language, praxis, and number processing. Here, I highlight the clinical importance of often-neglected social cognition functions. These functions recruit a widely distributed neural network, making them vulnerable in most cerebrovascular diseases. Sociocognitive deficits underlie most of the problematic social conduct observed in patients and are associated with more negative clinical outcomes (compared to nonsocial cognitive deficits). In clinical settings, social cognition deficits are normally gleaned from collateral information from caregivers or from indirect inferences made from patients’ performance on standard nonsocial cognitive tests. Information from these sources is however inadequate. I discuss key social cognition functions, focusing initially on deficits in emotion perception and theory of mind, two areas that have gained sizeable attention in neuroscientific research, and then extend the discussion into relatively new, less covered but crucial functions involving empathic behaviour, social awareness, social judgements, and social decision making. These functions are frequently impaired following neurological change. At present, a wide range of psychometrically robust social cognition tests is available, and this review also makes the case for their inclusion in neuropsychological assessments.
Synchronization of Coupled Harmonic Oscillators Using Quantized Sampled Position Data
Authors: Wang Xinjing , He Peipei
Published: July 2017

For coupled harmonic oscillators (CHO), the paper studies the synchronization problem by using the quantized current sampled position data. The logarithmic quantizer is adopted here to quantize the information transmitted; thus the quantization error of the sampled position data can be illustrated as the uncertainty according to the sector bound property. On the basis of that, the synchronization problem is converted into the asymptotical stability of the subsystems and even the solving problem of characteristic equation. Some sufficient conditions ensuring the synchronization of CHO are obtained relating to coupling strength, sampling period, and quantizer parameter. The usefulness of the theoretical result is shown by an example at the end.
Neuroprotective Effects of Stem Cells in Ischemic Stroke
Authors: Xu Weilin , Zheng Jingwei , Gao Liansheng , Li Tao , Zhang Jianmin , Shao Anwen
Published: July 2017

Ischemic stroke, the most common subtype of stroke, has been one of the leading causes of mobility and mortality worldwide. However, it is still lacking of efficient agents. Stem cell therapy, with its vigorous advantages, has attracted researchers around the world. Numerous experimental researches in animal models of stroke have demonstrated the promising efficacy in treating ischemic stroke. The underlying mechanism involved antiapoptosis, anti-inflammation, promotion of angiogenesis and neurogenesis, formation of new neural cells and neuronal circuitry, antioxidation, and blood-brain barrier (BBB) protection. This review would focus on the types and neuroprotective actions of stem cells and its potential mechanisms for ischemic stroke.
An Online Solution of LiDAR Scan Matching Aided Inertial Navigation System for Indoor Mobile Mapping
Authors: Niu Xiaoji , Yu Tong , Tang Jian , Chang Le
Published: July 2017

Multisensors (LiDAR/IMU/CAMERA) integrated Simultaneous Location and Mapping (SLAM) technology for navigation and mobile mapping in a GNSS-denied environment, such as indoor areas, dense forests, or urban canyons, becomes a promising solution. An online (real-time) version of such system can extremely extend its applications, especially for indoor mobile mapping. However, the real-time response issue of multisensors is a big challenge for an online SLAM system, due to the different sampling frequencies and processing time of different algorithms. In this paper, an online Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) integrated algorithm of LiDAR scan matching and IMU mechanization for Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV) indoor navigation system is introduced. Since LiDAR scan matching is considerably more time consuming than the IMU mechanism, the real-time synchronous issue is solved via a one-step-error-state-transition method in EKF. Stationary and dynamic field tests had been performed using a UGV platform along typical corridor of office building. Compared to the traditional sequential postprocessed EKF algorithm, the proposed method can significantly mitigate the time delay of navigation outputs under the premise of guaranteeing the positioning accuracy, which can be used as an online navigation solution for indoor mobile mapping.
Structure and Function of Trypsin-Loaded Fibrinolytic Liposomes
Authors: Tanka-Salamon Anna , Bóta Attila , Wacha András , Mihály Judith , Lovas Miklós , Kolev Krasimir
Published: July 2017

Protease encapsulation and its targeted release in thrombi may contribute to the reduction of haemorrhagic complications of thrombolysis. We aimed to prepare sterically stabilized trypsin-loaded liposomes (SSLT) and characterize their structure and fibrinolytic efficiency. Hydrogenated soybean phosphatidylcholine-basedSSLTwere prepared and their structure was studied by transmission electron microscopy combined with freeze fracture (FF-TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). Fibrinolytic activity was examined at 45, 37, or 24°C on fibrin or plasma clots with turbidimetric and permeation-driven lysis assays. Trypsin was shown to be attached to the inner surface of vesicles (SAXS and FF-TEM) close to the lipid hydrophilic/hydrophobic interface (FT-IR). The thermosensitivity ofSSLTwas evidenced by enhanced fibrinolysis at 45°C: time to reduce the maximal turbidity to 20% decreased by 8.6% compared to 37°C and fibrin degradation product concentration in the permeation lysis assay was 2-fold to 5-fold higher than that at 24°C.SSLTexerted its fibrinolytic action on fibrin clots under both static and dynamic conditions, whereas plasma clot dissolution was observed only in the permeation-driven assay. The improved fibrinolytic efficiency ofSSLTunder dynamic conditions suggests that they may serve as a novel therapeutic candidate for dissolution of intravascular thrombi, which are typically exposed to permeation forces.
Cefquinome Controlled Size Submicron Particles Precipitation by SEDS Process Using Annular Gap Nozzle
Authors: Xiao Kefeng , Wang Weiqiang , Hu Dedong , Qu Yanpeng , Hao Zhihui , Wang Leilei
Published: July 2017

An annular gap nozzle was applied in solution enhanced dispersion by supercritical fluids (SEDS) process to prepare cefquinome controlled size submicron particles so as to enhance their efficacy. Analysis results of orthogonal experiments indicated that the concentration of solution was the primary factor to affect particle sizes in SEDS process, and feeding speed of solution, precipitation pressure, and precipitation temperature ranked second to fourth. Meanwhile, the optimal operating conditions were that solution concentration was 100 mg/mL, feeding speed was 9 mL/min, precipitation pressure was 10 MPa, and precipitation temperature was 316 K. The confirmatory experiment showed that D50 of processed cefquinome particles in optimal operating conditions was 0.73 μm. Moreover, univariate effect analysis showed that the cefquinome particle size increased with the increase of concentration of the solution or precipitation pressure but decreased with the increase of solution feeding speed. When precipitation temperature increased, the cefquinome particle size showed highest point. Moreover, characterization of processed cefquinome particles was analyzed by SEM, FT-IR, and XRD. Analysis results indicated that the surface appearance of processed cefquinome particles was flakes. The chemical structure of processed cefquinome particles was not changed, and the crystallinity of processed cefquinome particles was a little lower than that of raw cefquinome particles.
Comparison of Diagnostic Performance of Three-Dimensional Positron Emission Mammography versus Whole Body Positron Emission Tomography in Breast Cancer
Authors: Dai Dong , Song Xiuyu , Wang Man , Li Lin , Ma Wenchao , Xu Wengui , Ma Yunchuan , Liu Juntian , Zhang Jin , Liu Peifang , Gu Xiaoyue , Su Yusheng
Published: July 2017

Objective. To compare the diagnostic performance of three-dimensional (3D) positron emission mammography (PEM) versus whole body positron emission tomography (WBPET) for breast cancer.Methods. A total of 410 women with normal breast or benign or highly suspicious malignant tumors were randomized at 1 : 1 ratio to undergo 3D-PEM followed by WBPET or WBPET followed by 3D-PEM. Lumpectomy or mastectomy was performed on eligible participants after the scanning.Results. The sensitivity and specificity of 3D-PEM were 92.8% and 54.5%, respectively. WBPET showed a sensitivity of 95.7% and specificity of 56.8%. After exclusion of the patients with lesions beyond the detecting range of the 3D-PEM instrument, 3D-PEM showed higher sensitivity than WBPET (97.0% versus 95.5%,P= 0.913), particularly for small lesions (<1 cm) (72.0% versus 60.0%,P= 0.685).Conclusions. The 3D-PEM appears more sensitive to small lesions than WBPET but may fail to detect lesions that are beyond the detecting range. This study was approved by the Ethics Committee (E2012052) at the Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital (Tianjin, China). The instrument positron emission mammography (PEMi) was approved by China State Food and Drug Administration under the registration number 20153331166.
Proinsulin Promotes Self-Renewal of a Hematopoietic Progenitor Cell Line In Vitro
Authors: Han Yuewen , Liu Tingting , Zou Yunding , Ji Ling , Li Yuanyuan , Li Jing , Wang Jing , Chen Guopin , Chen Jieping , Chen Liang , Ye Zhijia
Published: July 2017

The objective of this study was to assess the effects of exogenously expressed proinsulin on the biological characters of a hematopoietic stem cell line (HSC) and erythroid myeloid lymphoid (EML) cells and explore new strategies for cell therapy for type I diabetes. EML cells were transduced with lentivirus particles carrying the human proinsulin (proINS) gene. The positive transduced cells were selected based on green fluorescence protein (GFP) positivity and puromycin resistance. Overexpression of proINS was confirmed via real-time PCR and Western blotting. The functional activity of the human proINS secreted by EML cells was elucidated by analyzing the activation of insulin receptor and its downstream signaling. Pro-INS + EML cells were able to prime the phosphorylation of insulin receptor as well as induce the expression of downstream genes of insulin receptor. Furthermore, Wnt3a can significantly promote self-renewal of Pro-INS + EML cells. However, we did not observe significant changes in the proliferation and differentiation of INS + EML cells, compared to the control EML cells. Our results might be useful for developing a new therapy for diabetes mellitus.
Method for Friction Force Estimation on the Flank of Cutting Tools
Authors: Huerta Luis , Lozano-Guzmán Alejandro , Orozco-Mendoza Horacio , Jauregui-Correa Juan Carlos
Published: July 2017

Friction forces are present in any machining process. These forces could play an important role in the dynamics of the system. In the cutting process, friction is mainly present in the rake face and the flank of the tool. Although the one that acts on the rake face has a major influence, the other one can become also important and could take part in the stability of the system. In this work, experimental identification of the friction on the flank is presented. The experimental determination was carried out by machining aluminum samples in a CNC lathe. As a result, two friction functions were obtained as a function of the cutting speed and the relative motion of the contact elements. Experiments using a worn and a new insert were carried out. Force and acceleration were recorded simultaneously and, from these results, different friction levels were observed depending on the cutting parameters, such as cutting speed, feed rate, and tool condition. Finally, a friction model for the flank friction is presented.
Genome Editing in Plants: An Overview of Tools and Applications
Authors: Kamburova Venera S. , Nikitina Elena V. , Shermatov Shukhrat E. , Buriev Zabardast T. , Kumpatla Siva P. , Emani Chandrakanth , Abdurakhmonov Ibrokhim Y.
Published: July 2017

The emergence of genome manipulation methods promises a real revolution in biotechnology and genetic engineering. Targeted editing of the genomes of living organisms not only permits investigations into the understanding of the fundamental basis of biological systems but also allows addressing a wide range of goals towards improving productivity and quality of crops. This includes the creation of plants with valuable compositional properties and with traits that confer resistance to various biotic and abiotic stresses. During the past few years, several novel genome editing systems have been developed; these include zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs), transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs), and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/Cas9 (CRISPR/Cas9). These exciting new methods, briefly reviewed herein, have proved themselves as effective and reliable tools for the genetic improvement of plants.
Algorithm of DRM with Kinetic Damping for Finite Element Static Solution of Strain-Softening Structures
Authors: Wang Wei , Su Xiaozu
Published: July 2017

In order to deal with the divergence and instability due to the ill-posedness of the nonlinear finite element (FE) model of strain-softening structure in implicit static analysis, the dynamic relaxation method (DRM) was used with kinetic damping to solve the static increments in the incremental solution procedure so that the problem becomes well-posed. Moreover, in DRM there is no need to assemble and inverse the stiffness matrix as in implicit static analysis such that the associated computational cost is avoided. The ascending branch of static equilibrium path was solved by load increments, while the peak point and the descending branch were solved by displacement increments. Two numerical examples illustrated the effectiveness of such application of DRM in the FE analysis of static equilibrium path of strain-softening structures.
A Comparison of Genetic Diversity of COX-III Gene in Lowland Chickens and Tibetan Chickens
Authors: Liu Xueqin , Zhang Pu , Zhang Gongying , Li Sichen , Zhang Long , Xu Zhongxian , Ma Tianyuan , Li Diyan
Published: July 2017

To obtain a full understanding of the genetic diversity of the cytochrome oxidase III gene(COX-III)and its association with high altitude adaptation in Tibetan chickens, we sequencedCOX-IIIin 12 chicken populations (155 Tibetan chickens and 145 other domestic chickens). We identified a total of 11 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and 12 haplotypes (Ha1–Ha12). Low genetic diversity (haplotype diversity = 0.531 ± 0.087, nucleotide diversity = 0.00125) was detected forCOX-III, and haplotype diversity of Tibetan chicken populations (0.750 ± 0.018) was markedly higher than lowland chicken populations (0.570 ± 0.028). Obvious genetic differentiation (nucleotide divergence = 0.092~0.339) and conspicuous gene communication (gene flow = 0.33~32.22) among 12 populations suggested that Tianfu black-bone fowl (white feather) was possibly introduced from Tibetan chicken. SNP m.10587 T>C affects the specific functions of the COX enzyme. Haplotype Ha3 was found in Tibetan chickens, and SNP m.10115G>A caused an amino acid substitution (Val62Ile) associated with phospholipid binding, while mutations m.10017C>A and m.10555G>A and the previously reported SNP m.10065T>C reduced the hydropathy index to some extent. Together, this indicates that the mitochondrial membrane is more hydrophobic in Tibetan chickens.
Dorsoventral and Proximodistal Hippocampal Processing Account for the Influences of Sleep and Context on Memory (Re)consolidation: A Connectionist Model
Authors: Lines Justin , Nation Kelsey , Fellous Jean-Marc
Published: July 2017

The context in which learning occurs is sufficient to reconsolidate stored memories and neuronal reactivation may be crucial to memory consolidation during sleep. The mechanisms of context-dependent and sleep-dependent memory (re)consolidation are unknown but involve the hippocampus. We simulated memory (re)consolidation using a connectionist model of the hippocampus that explicitly accounted for its dorsoventral organization and for CA1 proximodistal processing. Replicating human and rodent (re)consolidation studies yielded the following results. (1) Semantic overlap between memory items and extraneous learning was necessary to explain experimental data and depended crucially on the recurrent networks of dorsal but not ventral CA3. (2) Stimulus-free, sleep-induced internal reactivations of memory patterns produced heterogeneous recruitment of memory items and protected memories from subsequent interference. These simulations further suggested that the decrease in memory resilience when subjects were not allowed to sleep following learning was primarily due to extraneous learning. (3) Partial exposure to the learning context during simulated sleep (i.e., targeted memory reactivation) uniformly increased memory item reactivation and enhanced subsequent recall. Altogether, these results show that the dorsoventral and proximodistal organization of the hippocampus may be important components of the neural mechanisms for context-based and sleep-based memory (re)consolidations.
Peripheral Antinociception Induced by Aripiprazole Is Mediated by the Opioid System
Authors: Ferreira Renata Cristina Mendes , Almeida-Santos Ana Flávia , Duarte Igor Dimitri Gama , Aguiar Daniele C. , Moreira Fabricio A. , Romero Thiago Roberto Lima
Published: July 2017

Background. Aripiprazole is an antipsychotic drug used to treat schizophrenia and related disorders. Our previous study showed that this compound also induces antinociceptive effects. The present study aimed to assess the participation of the opioid system in this effect.Methods. Male Swiss mice were submitted to paw pressure test and hyperalgesia was induced by intraplantar injection of prostaglandin E2(PGE2, 2 μg). Aripiprazole was injected 10 min before the measurement. Naloxone, clocinnamox, naltrindole, nor-binaltorphimine, and bestatin were given 30 min before aripiprazole. Nociceptive thresholds were measured in the 3rd hour after PGE2injection.Results. Aripiprazole (100 μg/paw) injected locally into the right hind paw induced an antinociceptive effect that was blocked by naloxone (50 μg/paw), a nonselective opioid receptor antagonist. The role ofμ-,δ-, andκ-opioid receptors was investigated using the selective antagonists, clocinnamox (40 μg/paw), naltrindole (15, 30, and 60 μg/paw), and nor-binaltorphimine (200 μg/paw), respectively. The data indicated that only theδ-opioid receptor antagonist inhibited the peripheral antinociception induced by aripiprazole. Bestatin (400 μg), an aminopeptidase-N inhibitor, significantly enhanced low-dose (25 μg/paw) aripiprazole-induced peripheral antinociception.Conclusion. The results suggest the participation of the opioid system viaδ-opioid receptor in the peripheral antinociceptive effect induced by aripiprazole.
Efficacy ofEucalyptus cinereaas a Source of Bioactive Compounds for Curative Biocontrol of Crown Gall Caused byAgrobacterium tumefaciensStrain B6
Authors: Kahla Yosra , Zouari-Bouassida Karama , Rezgui Fatma , Trigui Mohamed , Tounsi Slim
Published: July 2017

This research investigated theEucalyptus cinerealeaves efficiency in theAgrobacterium tumefaciensbiocontrol, the causative agent of crown gall. GC-MS analysis of the essential oil (EO) showed that the main components were 1,8-cineole (61%) and camphene (15.13%). Thanks to its polyphenols, flavonoids, quinones, terpenoids, alkaloids, and tannins richness, the EtOAc-F exhibited the most potent antibacterial activity in vitro. Indeed, compared to the other fractions, it has the lowest MIC and MBC values of 0.312 mg/mL and 2.5 mg/mL, respectively. The GC-MS analysis of EtOAc-F confirmed its richness in antibacterial compounds including gallic acid (7.18%), shikimic acid (5.07%), and catechin (3.12%). The time-kill curve assay of EtOAc-F (2.5 mg/mL) showed a potent bactericidal effect after 20 min of direct contact withA. tumefaciens. In planta experiments, gall weights were significantly reduced when EtOAc-F was applied at 0.625 and 2.5 mg/wounds. Besides, the disease reduction rates in gall weight were 95% and 97.5%, respectively. Interestingly, no phytotoxic effect was observed since tomato seeds germinated in the presence of the different concentrations of EtOAc-F. These results suggest that EtOAc-F has a good potential to be a curative biocontrol agent for crown gall disease.