bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Biomechanical head impact characteristics during sparring practice sessions in high school taekwondo athletes
Authors: O'Sullivan David M. , Fife Gabriel P.
Published: April 2017

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to monitor head impact magnitude and characteristics, such as impact location and frequency, at high school taekwondo sparring sessions.

METHODS

Eight male high school taekwondo athletes participated in this study. The head impact characteristics were recorded by X-Patch, a wireless accelerometer and gyroscope, during 6 taekwondo sparring sessions. The outcome measures were the peak linear acceleration (g = 9.81 msec2), peak rotational acceleration, rotational velocity, and Head Injury Criterion.

RESULTS

A total of 689 impacts occurred over 6 sessions involving the 8 athletes. There was an average of 24 impacts per 100 minutes, and there were significant differences in the frequency of impacts among both the sessions and individual athletes. In order of frequency, the most commonly hit locations were the side (38.2%), back (35.7%), and front (23.8%) of the head.

CONCLUSIONS

The data indicate that there is a relatively high number of head impacts experienced by taekwondo athletes during sparring practice. According to the rotational acceleration predicting impact severity published in previous research, 17.1% of the impacts were deemed to be a moderate and 15.5% were deemed to be severe.
Papilledema in children with hydrocephalus: incidence and associated factors
Authors: Lee Haeng Jin , Phi Ji Hoon , Kim Seung-Ki , Wang Kyu-Chang , Kim Seong-Joon
Published: April 2017

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to report the incidence of and the factors associated with papilledema in children with hydrocephalus.

METHODS

Patients younger than 15 years of age who had been diagnosed with hydrocephalus and treated by extra-ventricular drainage or ventriculoperitoneal shunt surgery between 2005 and 2015 were retrospectively reviewed. Factors including patient age and sex, etiology of hydrocephalus, duration of signs or symptoms, intracranial pressure (ICP), and presence of papilledema were evaluated.

RESULTS

Forty-six patients, whose mean age was 6.3 ± 4.7 years, were included in the study. The 19 patients without papilledema had a mean age of 2.7 ± 2.7 years, and the 27 patients with papilledema had a mean age of 8.8 ± 4.2 years (p < 0.001). The mean ICP was 19.9 ± 10.0 cm H2O among those without papilledema and 33.3 ± 9.1 cm H2O among those with papilledema (p < 0.001). The mean duration of signs or symptoms was 3.0 ± 4.6 months in the patients without papilledema and 3.4 ± 3.9 months in those with papilledema (p = 0.704). The patients with papilledema were older and presented with higher ICP than those without. The causes of hydrocephalus were tumor (59%), congenital anomaly (19%), hemorrhage (13%), and infection (9%).

CONCLUSIONS

Papilledema was more common in patients who were older, who had higher ICP, and whose hydrocephalus had been induced by brain tumor. However, since papilledema was absent in 41% of the children with hydrocephalus, papilledema's absence does not ensure the absence of hydrocephalus, especially in younger patients.
Depth Lower Bounds against Circuits with Sparse Orientation
Authors: Koroth Sajin , Sarma Jayalal
Published: April 2017

We study depth lower bounds against non-monotone circuits, parametrized by a new measure of non-monotonicity: the orientation of a function f is the characteristic vector of the minimum sized set of negated variables needed in any DeMorgan circuit (circuits where negations appear only at the leaves) computing f. We prove trade-off results between the depth and the weight/structure of the orientation vectors in any circuit C computing the CLIQUE function on an n vertex graph. We prove that if C is of depth d and each gate computes a Boolean function with orientation of weight at most w (in terms of the inputs to C), then d × w must be Ω( n). In particular, if the weights are o(nlogkn), then C must be of depth ω(log k n). We prove a barrier for our general technique. However, using specific properties of the CLIQUE function (used in Amano Maruoka (2005)) and the Karchmer–Wigderson framework (Karchmer Wigderson (1988)), we go beyond the limitations and obtain lower bounds when the weight restrictions are less stringent. We then study the depth lower bounds when the structure of the orientation vector is restricted. Asymptotic improvements to our results (in the restricted setting) separates NP from NC. As our main tool, we generalize Karchmer–Wigderson games (Karchmer Wigderson (1988)) for monotone functions to work for non-monotone circuits parametrized by the weight/structure of the orientation. We also prove structural results about orientation and prove connections between number of negations and weight of orientations required to compute a function.
Numeric Algorithms for Corank Two Edge-bipartite Graphs and their Mesh Geometries of Roots
Authors: Zając Katarzyna
Published: April 2017

Following a Coxeter spectral analysis problems for positive edge-bipartite graphs (signed multigraphs with a separation property) introduced in [SIAM J. Discr. Math. 27(2013), 827-854] and [Fund. Inform. 123(2013), 447-490], we study analogous problems for loop-free corank two edge-bipartite graphs Δ = (Δ0,Δ1). i.e. for edge-bipartite graphs Δ, with at least n = 3 vertices such that their rational symmetric Gram matrix GΔ ∈ 𝕄 n(ℚ) is positive semi-definite of rank n – 2. We study such connected edge-bipartite graphs by means of the non-symmetric Gram matrix ĞΔ ∈ 𝕄 n(ℤ), the Coxeter matrix CoxΔ := – ĞΔ · ĞΔ– tr, its complex spectrum speccΔ ⊆ ℂ, and an associated simply laced Dynkin diagram DynΔ, with n – 2 vertices. Here ℤ means the ring of integers. It is well-known that if Δ ≈ℤ Δ′ (i.e., there exists B ∈ 𝕄 n(ℤ) such that det B = ±1 and ĞΔ′ = Btr · ĞΔ · B) then speccΔ = speccΔ′ and DynΔ = DynΔ′.

A complete classification of connected non-negative loop-free edge-bipartite graphs Δ with at most six vertices of corank two, up to the ℤ-congruence Δ ≈ℤ Δ′, is also given. A complete list of representatives of the ℤ-congruence classes of all connected non-negative edge-bipartite graphs of corank two with with at most 6 vertices is constructed; it consists of 1, 2, 2 and 8 edge-bipartite graphs of corank two with 3, 4, 5 and 6 vertices, respectively.
SMC4AC: A New Symbolic Model Checker for Intelligent Agent Communication
Authors: El Kholy Warda , Bentahar Jamal , El Menshawy Mohamed , Qu Hongyang , Dssouli Rachida
Published: April 2017

Social approaches have been put forward to define semantics for intelligent agent communication messages and to tackle the shortcomings of mental approaches. Formal semantics of those social approaches can be model checked as they are focused on public behaviors instead of private mental states. Social conditional commitments are essential concepts in social approaches that can effectively model agent communications. However, conditional commitments exclusively are not able to model agent communication actions, the cornerstone of the fundamental agent communication theory, namely speech act theory. These actions provide mechanisms for dynamic interactions and enable designers to track the evolution of active conditional commitments. From the perspective of model checking, we need to define a formal and computationally grounded semantics for relevant social actions that can directly be applied to active conditional commitments. This manuscript describes a new symbolic model checker, SMC4AC, developed and implemented to automate the verification of interaction among intelligent agents. SMC4AC is the result of developing a new symbolic model checking algorithm devoted to CTLCα, a combination of CTL and new temporal modalities to represent and reason about conditional commitments and common commitment actions. The core of this paper consists of a new logical language, a detailed description of the symbolic algorithms needed for commitments and their action modalities, complexity analysis, implementation and application. The implementation of our algorithm and its graphical user interface is built on top of the MCMAS symbolic model checker tailored for checking intelligent multi-agent systems. We select business processes and multi-agent interaction protocols as application domains to test and validate the effectiveness and scalability of SMC4AC. We report extensive experimental results, which confirm the theoretical findings and make SMC4AC practical.
Similarities and Differences Between the Vertex Cover Number and the Weakly Connected Domination Number of a Graph
Authors: Lemańska Magdalena , Rodríguez-Velázquez Juan Alberto , Trujillo-Rasua Rolando
Published: April 2017

A vertex cover of a graph G = ( V, E) is a set X ⊂ V such that each edge of G is incident to at least one vertex of X. The vertex cover number τ( G) is the minimum cardinality of a vertex cover of G. A dominating set D ⊆ V is a weakly connected dominating set of G if the subgraph G[ D] w = ( N[ D], E w) weakly induced by D, is connected, where Ew is the set of all edges having at least one vertex in D. The weakly connected domination number γw( G) of G is the minimum cardinality among all weakly connected dominating sets of G. In this article we characterize the graphs where γw( G) = τ( G). In particular, we focus our attention on bipartite graphs, regular graphs, unicyclic graphs, block graphs and corona graphs.
On Deterministic Reduction of Factoring Integers to Computing the Exponents of Elements in Modular Group
Authors: Pomykała Jacek
Published: April 2017

In the paper we prove that all but at most x/A(x) positive integers n ≤ x can be completely factored in deterministic polynomial time C(x), querying the prime decomposition exponent oracle at most D(x) times. The functions A(x), C(x) and D(x) have the polynomial growth (of log x) at infinity.
Comparison of the performance of bridge and bridgeless shaded pole induction motors using FEM
Authors: Dalcalı Adem , Akbaba Mehmet
Published: April 2017

Two 15W shaded pole motors with bridged and without bridge type stators were modeled using 2D and 3D analysis were performed using finite element analyzes. The magnetic behavior of the motor was determined by obtaining the magnetic flux density over the cross section of the motor and the air gap flux waveforms. Recently, a new modified structure of these motors has started to be seen in the literature, and this structure is called the bridged structure. The flux value transferred to the rotor in bridgeless motors is greater than with the bridged stator type. The harmonic components were obtained by making the Finite Fourier analyses of the waveforms of flux densities. It was determined that the bridged structure had the disadvantage of having stronger harmonics than the bridgeless structure. The magnetic performances of 4 different rotor structures were examined in the rotor part of the bridgeless-type motor. The number of rotor slots were modified between 16 and 32 by selecting Type 1 on these different rotors. The optimum number of rotor slots was determined to be 26. It was stated that determining the optimum number of slots in the design of these motors would provide significant improvement in the performance.
Exendin-4 Treatment Improves LPS-Induced Depressive-Like Behavior Without Affecting Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines
Authors: Ventorp Filip , Bay-Richter Cecilie , Nagendra Analise Sauro , Janelidze Shorena , Matsson Viktor Sjödahl , Lipton Jack , Nordström Ulrika , Westrin Åsa , Brundin Patrik , Brundin Lena
Published: April 2017

Background: Exendin-4 is a peptide agonist of the glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor, currently in clinical trials as a potential disease-modifying therapy for Parkinson’s disease. In light of this, it is important to understand potential modes of action of exendin-4 in the brain. Exendin-4 is neuroprotective and has been proposed to be directly anti-inflammatory, and that this is one way it reduces neurodegeneration. However, prior studies have focused on animal models involving both neurodegeneration and inflammation, therefore, it is also possible that the observed decreased inflammation is secondary to reduced neurodegeneration.

Objective: To investigate whether exendin-4 directly reduces inflammation in the brain following an insult that involves neuroinflammation but not neurodegeneration, namely systemic administration of lipopolysaccharide (LPS).

Methods: Rats were administered LPS systemically and were treated with either 0.5 μg/kg exendin-4 or saline vehicle injections over 5 days. Behavior was evaluated with forced swim test. We assayed TNF-α and IL-1β levels in cerebrospinal fluid and cytokine mRNA expression in striatal, hippocampal and cortical tissues using qPCR. We determined brain monoamines using high-performance liquid chromatography. Finally, we isolated primary brain microglia from rats and measured cytokine production after exendin-4 treatment and LPS stimulation.

Results: Exendin-4 treatment did not affect cytokine mRNA expression in brain, cytokine levels in cerebrospinal fluid or cytokine production from cultured microglia, although there was a trend towards increased striatal dopamine. Importantly, exendin-4 significantly prevented depressive-like behavior at 24 hours after LPS injection, indicating that the drug engaged a target in the brain. Depressive-like behavior was associated with altered dopamine turnover in the striatum.

Conclusion: We did not detect any anti-inflammatory effects of exendin-4. In previous studies exploring the effects of exendin-4 on brain insults involving neurodegeneration, observations of reduced inflammation might have been secondary to mitigation of neuronal death. Our results indicate that the effects of exendin-4 on behavior may be due to effects on dopamine synthesis or metabolism.
Long-term calorie restriction in humans is not associated with indices of delayed immunologic aging: A descriptive study
Authors: Tomiyama A. Janet , Milush Jeffrey M. , Lin Jue , Flynn James M. , Kapahi Pankaj , Verdin Eric , Sinclair Elizabeth , Melov Simon , Epel Elissa S.
Published: April 2017

BACKGROUND: Delayed immunologic aging is purported to be a major mechanism through which calorie restriction (CR) exerts its anti-aging effects in non-human species. However, in non-obese humans, the effect of CR on the immune system has been understudied relative to its effects on the cardiometabolic system.

OBJECTIVE: To examine whether CR is associated with delayed immunologic aging in non-obese humans.

METHODS: We tested whether long-term CR practitioners (average 10.03 years of CR) evidenced decreased expression of T cell immunosenescence markers and longer immune cell telomeres compared to gender-, race/ethnicity-, age-, and education-matched “healthy” Body Mass Index (BMI) and “overweight”/“obese” BMI groups.

RESULTS: Long-term human CR practitioners had lower BMI ( p <  0.001) and fasting glucose ( p <  0.001), as expected. They showed similar frequencies of pre-senescent cells (CD8+CD28– T cells and CD57 and PD-1 expressing T cells) to the comparison groups. Even after adjusting for covariates, including cytomegalovirus status, we observed shorter peripheral blood mononuclear cell telomeres in the CR group ( p = 0.012) and no difference in granulocyte telomeres between groups ( p = 0.42).

CONCLUSIONS: We observed no clear evidence that CR as it is currently practiced in humans delays immune aging related to telomere length or T cell immunosenescent markers
Synchronous scanning mode of industrial computed tomography for multiple objects test
Authors: Liu Fenglin , Quan Chao , Wu Weiwen , Feng Peng , Cai Yufang
Published: April 2017

When testing small size and high density objects with a broad field-of-view (FOV) industrial CT system, multiple objects are always assembled evenly onto the turntable for detecting to improve test efficiency. However, the maximum X-ray’s penetrating path through the materials increases, which means the CT system should collocate with a high energy X-ray source and wide-dynamic range detectors to complete the CT scanning. In this study, we proposed and tested a novel and efficient CT scanning method based on linear-arrangement and synchronous-rotating multi-turntables without enhancing the energy of X-ray source and wide-dynamic range of detectors for the CT system. With this modality, multiple objects are assembled onto multiple synchronous-rotating turntables respectively, and X-rays within the FOV merely penetrate one single object when scanning. The corresponding filtered back projection algorithm for image reconstruction is deduced. The computer simulation and experimental results verified the feasibility of this novel method and the scanning time was reduced to 5–8 minutes when completing the scanning of 3 to 5 group objects.
Self-organizing dynamic stability of far-from-equilibrium biological systems
Authors: Ivanitskii G R
Published: April 2017

One indication of the stability of a living system is the variation of the system’s characteristic time scales. Underlying the stability mechanism are the structural hierarchy and self-organization of systems, factors that give rise to a positive (accelerating) feedback and a negative (braking) feedback. Information processing in the brain cortex plays a special role in highly organized living organisms.
A Novel Dual–Parallelogram Passive Rocking Vibration Isolator: A Theoretical Investigation and Experiment
Authors: Wang Shuai , Gao Peng , Hu Ying , Li Bing
Published: April 2017

Vibration isolators with quasi-zero stiffness (QZS) perform well for low- or ultra-low-frequency vibration isolation. This paper proposes a novel dual-parallelogram passive rocking vibration isolator with QZS that could effectively attenuate in-plane disturbances with low-frequency vibration. First, a kinematic model of the proposed vibration isolator was established and four linear spring configuration schemes were developed to implement the QZS. Next, an optimal scheme with good high-static-low-dynamic stiffness (HSLDS) performance was obtained through comparison and analysis, and used as a focus for the QZS model. Subsequently, a dynamic model-based Lagrangian equation that considered the spring stiffness and damping and the influence of the payload gravity center on the vibration isolation system was developed, and an average approach was used to analyze the vibration transmissibility. Finally, the prototype and test system were constructed. A comparison of the simulation and experimental results showed that this novel passive rocking vibration isolator could bolster a heavy payload. Experimentally, the vibration amplitude decreased by 53% and 86% under harmonic disturbances of 0.08 Hz and 0.35 Hz, respectively, suggesting the great practical applicability of this presented vibration isolator.
Development of Auto-Seeding System Using Image Processing Technology in the Sapphire Crystal Growth Process via the Kyropoulos Method
Authors: Kim Churl , Kim Sung , Ahn Jung
Published: April 2017

The Kyropoulos (Ky) and Czochralski (Cz) methods of crystal growth are used for large-diameter single crystals. The seeding process in these methods must induce initial crystallization by initiating contact between the seed crystals and the surface of the melted material. In the Ky and Cz methods, the seeding process lays the foundation for ingot growth during the entire growth process. When any defect occurs in this process, it is likely to spread to the entire ingot. In this paper, a vision system was constructed for auto seeding and for observing the surface of the melt in the Ky method. An algorithm was developed to detect the time when the internal convection of the melt is stabilized by observing the shape of the spoke pattern on the melt material surface. Then, the vision system and algorithm were applied to the growth furnace, and the possibility of process automation was examined for sapphire growth. To confirm that the convection of the melt was stabilized, the position of the island (i.e., the center of a spoke pattern) was detected using the vision system and image processing. When the observed coordinates for the center of the island were compared with the coordinates detected from the image processing algorithm, there was an average error of 1.87 mm (based on an image with 1024 × 768 pixels).
Time-Frequency Distribution of Seismocardiographic Signals: A Comparative Study
Authors: Taebi Amirtaha , Mansy Hansen
Published: April 2017

Accurate estimation of seismocardiographic (SCG) signal features can help successful signal characterization and classification in health and disease. This may lead to new methods for diagnosing and monitoring heart function. Time-frequency distributions (TFD) were often used to estimate the spectrotemporal signal features. In this study, the performance of different TFDs (e.g., short-time Fourier transform (STFT), polynomial chirplet transform (PCT), and continuous wavelet transform (CWT) with different mother functions) was assessed using simulated signals, and then utilized to analyze actual SCGs. The instantaneous frequency (IF) was determined from TFD and the error in estimating IF was calculated for simulated signals. Results suggested that the lowest IF error depended on the TFD and the test signal. STFT had lower error than CWT methods for most test signals. For a simulated SCG, Morlet CWT more accurately estimated IF than other CWTs, but Morlet did not provide noticeable advantages over STFT or PCT. PCT had the most consistently accurate IF estimations and appeared more suited for estimating IF of actual SCG signals. PCT analysis showed that actual SCGs from eight healthy subjects had multiple spectral peaks at 9.20 ± 0.48, 25.84 ± 0.77, 50.71 ± 1.83 Hz (mean ± SEM). These may prove useful features for SCG characterization and classification.
Efficient Hydrolysis of Lignocellulose by Acidic Ionic Liquids under Low-Toxic Condition to Microorganisms
Authors: Kuroda Kosuke , Inoue Ken , Miyamura Kyohei , Satria Heri , Takada Kenji , Ninomiya Kazuaki , Takahashi Kenji
Published: April 2017

Lignocellulose is known as a renewable resource, and acidic ionic liquids have been highlighted as efficient catalysts for hydrolysis of cellulose. To achieve successive hydrolysis and fermentation, efficient hydrolysis with sufficiently diluted acidic ionic liquids is necessary because acidic ionic liquids are toxic to fermentative microorganisms. Escherichia coli was confirmed to grow in 0.05 M dilute acidic ionic liquid—1-(1-butylsulfonic)-3-methylimidazolium hydrogen sulfate ([Sbmim][HSO4])—although the growth was suppressed in more concentrated solutions. Therefore, we applied the 0.05 M [Sbmim][HSO4] solution to hydrolysis of bagasse, leading to a glucose yield of 48% at 190 °C. This value is greater than that obtained with a concentrated [Sbmim][HSO4] solution, which is not suitable for the growth of Escherichia coli (yield: 40% in a 1.0 M solution). Efficient hydrolysis with acidic ionic liquids under low-toxic condition was achieved.
Effect on Concrete Surface Water Absorption upon Addition of Lactate Derived Agent
Authors: Mors Renee , Jonkers Henk
Published: April 2017

Water tightness of a concrete cover layer is important, as it is typically used as a protective coating of the steel reinforcement. Water tightness can be impaired by crack formation or by permeability. A bacteria-based lactate-derived healing agent (HA) can be added to concrete to enhance the potential for restoration of water tightness. Bacterial conversion of the included carbon source results in CO2 production and subsequent CaCO3 precipitation, similar to the mechanism of concrete carbonation. Carbonation is known to densify concrete, particularly when using ordinary Portland cement (OPC), but to a much lower extend in slag-based concrete (CEM III/B). To identify the effect of HA addition on concrete properties, this study focusses on the ingress of moisture in non-cracked concrete surfaces by assessing capillary water absorption. Surface properties were determined for sealed and unsealed surfaces of concrete—either based on OPC or CEM III/B—before and after curing under three different conditions: Dry, wet, or humid. HA addition to concrete containing slag cement generated a surface less prone to continued drying, but resulted in higher water absorption. In contrast, surface water absorption significantly decreased upon HA addition to OPC-based samples, independent of the curing regime. It is therefore concluded that HA in its current form is suitable for application in OPC, but less in CEM III/B-based mixtures.
On SU(2) Anomaly and Majorana Fermions
Authors: Patrascu Andrei
Published: April 2017

In this paper, a loophole in the S U ( 2 ) gauge anomaly is presented. It is shown that using several topological tools, a theory can be designed that implements the quantization of a single Weyl doublet anomaly free while keeping the non-abelian character of the particle in the theory. This opens the perspective for non-Abelian statistics of deconfined particle like objects in 3 + 1 dimensions and for applications in quantum computing. Moreover, if this loophole cannot be closed, old arguments related to anomaly cancellations must be reviewed.
Modelling Urban Sprawl Using Remotely Sensed Data: A Case Study of Chennai City, Tamilnadu
Authors: Padmanaban Rajchandar , Bhowmik Avit K. , Cabral Pedro , Zamyatin Alexander , Almegdadi Oraib , Wang Shuangao
Published: April 2017

Urban sprawl (US), propelled by rapid population growth leads to the shrinkage of productive agricultural lands and pristine forests in the suburban areas and, in turn, adversely affects the provision of ecosystem services. The quantification of US is thus crucial for effective urban planning and environmental management. Like many megacities in fast growing developing countries, Chennai, the capital of Tamilnadu and one of the business hubs in India, has experienced extensive US triggered by the doubling of total population over the past three decades. However, the extent and level of US has not yet been quantified and a prediction for future extent of US is lacking. We employed the Random Forest (RF) classification on Landsat imageries from 1991, 2003, and 2016, and computed six landscape metrics to delineate the extent of urban areas within a 10 km suburban buffer of Chennai. The level of US was then quantified using Renyi’s entropy. A land change model was subsequently used to project land cover for 2027. A 70.35% expansion in urban areas was observed mainly towards the suburban periphery of Chennai between 1991 and 2016. The Renyi’s entropy value for year 2016 was 0.9, exhibiting a two-fold level of US when compared to 1991. The spatial metrics values indicate that the existing urban areas became denser and the suburban agricultural, forests and particularly barren lands were transformed into fragmented urban settlements. The forecasted land cover for 2027 indicates a conversion of 13,670.33 ha (16.57% of the total landscape) of existing forests and agricultural lands into urban areas with an associated increase in the entropy value to 1.7, indicating a tremendous level of US. Our study provides useful metrics for urban planning authorities to address the social-ecological consequences of US and to protect ecosystem services.
Experimental Studies of Turbulent Intensity around a Tidal Turbine Support Structure
Authors: Walker Stuart , Cappietti Lorenzo
Published: April 2017

Tidal stream energy is a low-carbon energy source. Tidal stream turbines operate in a turbulent environment, and the effect of the structure between the turbine and seabed on this environment is not fully understood. An experimental study using 1:72 scale models based on a commercial turbine design was carried out to study the support structure influence on turbulent intensity around the turbine blades. The study was conducted using the wave-current tank at the Laboratory of Maritime Engineering (LABIMA), University of Florence. A realistic flow environment (ambient turbulent intensity = 11%) was established. Turbulent intensity was measured upstream and downstream of a turbine mounted on two different support structures (one resembling a commercial design, the other the same with an additional vertical element), in order to quantify any variation in turbulence and performance between the support structures. Turbine drive power was used to calculate power generation. Acoustic Doppler velocimetry (ADV) was used to record and calculate upstream and downstream turbulent intensity. In otherwise identical conditions, performance variation of only 4% was observed between two support structures. Turbulent intensity at 1, 3 and 5 blade diameters, both upstream and downstream, showed variation up to 21% between the two cases. The additional turbulent structures generated by the additional element of the second support structure appears to cause this effect, and the upstream propagation of turbulent intensity is believed to be permitted by surface waves. This result is significant for the prediction of turbine array performance.
Experimental Investigation on the Strength and Failure Behavior of Coal and Synthetic Materials under Plane-Strain Biaxial Compression
Authors: Zhang Hongwei , Wan Zhijun , Ma Dan , Zhang Yuan , Cheng Jingyi , Zhang Qi
Published: April 2017

An evaluation of the failures of coal under variable conditions in relation to the stability of coal pillars is an important issue for coal mining. This paper presents the results of an experimental investigation of the mechanical behavior of brittle coal under plane-strain biaxial stress state (PSBSS) compression. The synthetic specimens were meant to test the ductile properties. Modified surface instability detection apparatus was setup to carry out the tests. The results show that the stress-strain curves of coal and synthetic specimens under the PSBSS can be divided into four typical stages, namely original microcrack closure, elastic deformation, sudden stress drop, and residual behavior. The stress-strain curve of coal under PSBSS compression showed periodic stress drops during the post-peak phase, while the curve of the synthetic specimen presented a moderate decrease during the post-peak stage. The remarkable residual strengths of the coal and composites can be observed using these curves, which is vital to the stability of specimens after the failure strength is exceeded. Strain rates have a significant effect on the strength of coal samples under PSBSS compression. Specifically, a higher strain rate indicates a greater peak strength. The failure modes for coal and synthetic specimens are different. During PSBSS compressive tests, coal showed a split failure under different strain rates. For flexible composites, the failure pattern is conjugate shear failure. The study indicated that the Modified Lade and Modified Wiebols-Cook criteria are competent for estimating the defined strength coefficient, which is a ratio proposed to estimate the PSBSS peak strength.
Prescribed Burning and Erosion Potential in Mixed Hardwood Forests of Southern Illinois
Authors: Singh Gurbir , Schoonover Jon , Monroe Kyle , Williard Karl , Ruffner Charles
Published: April 2017

Prescribed fire has several benefits for managing forest ecosystems including reduction of fuel loading and invasive species and enhanced regeneration of desirable tree species. Along with these benefits there are some limitations like nutrient and sediment loss which have not been studied extensively in mixed hardwood forests. The objective of our research was to quantify the amount of sediment movement occurring on a watershed scale due to prescribed fire in a southern Illinois mixed hardwood ecosystem. The research site was located at Trail of Tears State Forest in western Union county, IL, USA and included five watershed pairs. One watershed in each pair was randomly assigned the prescribed burn treatment and the other remained as control (i.e., unburned). The prescribed burn treatment significantly reduced the litter depth with 12.6%–31.5% litter remaining in the prescribed burn treatment watersheds. When data were combined across all watersheds, no significant differences were obtained between burn treatment and control watershed for total suspended solids and sediment concentrations or loads. The annual sediment losses varied from 1.41 to 90.54 kg·ha−1·year−1 in the four prescribed burn watersheds and 0.81 to 2.54 kg·ha−1·year−1 in the four control watersheds. Prescribed burn watershed 7 showed an average soil sediment loss of 4.2 mm, whereas control watershed 8 showed an average accumulation of sediments (9.9 mm), possibly due to steeper slopes. Prescribed burning did not cause a significant increase in soil erosion and sediment loss and can be considered acceptable in managing mixed hardwood forests of Ozark uplands and the Shawnee Hills physiographic regions of southern Illinois.
Moving Beyond Retribution: Alternatives to Punishment in a Society Dominated by the School-to-Prison Pipeline
Authors: Miguel Christine , Gargano Jennifer
Published: April 2017

There is a growing national trend in which children and adolescents are funneled out of the public school system and into the juvenile and criminal justice systems—where students are treated as criminals in the schools themselves and are expected to fall into this pattern rather than even attempt to seek opportunities to fulfill the ever elusive “American Dream”. There is a blatant injustice happening in our schools, places that ironically should be considered safe havens, places for knowledge, and means of escape for children who have already been failed by the system and sequestered to under-resourced, overcrowded, and over-surveilled inner cities. Focusing on the damage the public education system has caused and the ways in which policies and practices have effectively made the school-to-prison pipeline a likely trajectory for many Black and Latinx students, we hope to convey the urgency of this crisis and expose the ways in which our youth are stifled, repeatedly, by this form of systematic injustice. We will describe models of restorative justice practices—both within and beyond the classroom—and hope to convey how no matter how well intentioned, they are not adequate solutions to a phenomenon tied to neoliberal ideologies. Thus, we ultimately aim to exemplify how a feminist approach to education would radically restructure the system as we know it, truly creating a path out of this crisis.
An Overview of Literature Topics Related to Current Concepts, Methods, Tools, and Applications for Cumulative Risk Assessment (2007–2016)
Authors: Fox Mary , Brewer L. , Martin Lawrence
Published: April 2017

Cumulative risk assessments (CRAs) address combined risks from exposures to multiple chemical and nonchemical stressors and may focus on vulnerable communities or populations. Significant contributions have been made to the development of concepts, methods, and applications for CRA over the past decade. Work in both human health and ecological cumulative risk has advanced in two different contexts. The first context is the effects of chemical mixtures that share common modes of action, or that cause common adverse outcomes. In this context two primary models are used for predicting mixture effects, dose addition or response addition. The second context is evaluating the combined effects of chemical and nonchemical (e.g., radiation, biological, nutritional, economic, psychological, habitat alteration, land-use change, global climate change, and natural disasters) stressors. CRA can be adapted to address risk in many contexts, and this adaptability is reflected in the range in disciplinary perspectives in the published literature. This article presents the results of a literature search and discusses a range of selected work with the intention to give a broad overview of relevant topics and provide a starting point for researchers interested in CRA applications.
Life Course Trajectories of Later-Life Cognitive Functions: Does Social Engagement in Old Age Matter?
Authors: Park Sojung , Kwon Eunsun , Lee Hyunjoo
Published: April 2017

This study identified differential patterns of later-life cognitive function trajectories and examined to what extent life course factors and social engagement are associated with group trajectories. Data came from seven waves of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS 1998–2010; n = 7374; Observations = 41,051). Latent class growth analysis identified cognitive function trajectory groups, and multinomial logistic regression was used to examine the factors associated with group trajectories. Five heterogeneous trajectories were identified: stable high, stable moderate, stable low, high-to-moderate, and moderate-to-low. Findings suggest that, after adjusting for life course factors, individuals who became volunteers were more likely to belong to one of the two least vulnerable trajectories, stable high or high-to-moderate. Our findings suggest that, despite the cumulative life course factors evident in cognitive decline, social engagement in old age may serve as a potential protective resource.
The ECB’s Fight against Low Inflation: On the Effects of Ultra-Low Interest Rates
Authors: Van Riet Ad
Published: April 2017

Starting in June 2014, the European Central Bank (ECB) stepped up its monetary accommodation in order to counter a too prolonged period of low inflation in the euro area. This article offers a narrative of the monetary policy measures taken up to December 2016 and a review of the effects of ultra-low interest rates. The exceptional monetary stimulus transmitted to the economy broadly as intended. Moreover, it enhanced the financial capacity of economic agents to bear risks. At the same time, the ECB and the European micro- and macro-prudential authorities remained watchful of the unintended side-effects of an extended period of very low or negative interest rates for financial intermediation, financial stability and market discipline and took preventive or corrective measures as appropriate. A joint plan of action carried out by the 19 member countries with the aim to speed up balance sheet repair, accelerate the economic recovery and achieve higher productivity growth could have contributed to a more effective euro area macroeconomic and financial policy mix.
Translocator Protein-18 kDa (TSPO) Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Imaging and Its Clinical Impact in Neurodegenerative Diseases
Authors: Dupont Anne-Claire , Largeau Bérenger , Santiago Ribeiro Maria , Guilloteau Denis , Tronel Claire , Arlicot Nicolas
Published: April 2017

In vivo exploration of activated microglia in neurodegenerative diseases is achievable by Positron Emission Tomography (PET) imaging, using dedicated radiopharmaceuticals targeting the translocator protein-18 kDa (TSPO). In this review, we emphasized the major advances made over the last 20 years, thanks to TSPO PET imaging, to define the pathophysiological implication of microglia activation and neuroinflammation in neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, dementia, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, multiple sclerosis, and also in psychiatric disorders. The extent and upregulation of TSPO as a molecular biomarker of activated microglia in the human brain is now widely documented in these pathologies, but its significance, and especially its protective or deleterious action regarding the disease’s stage, remains under debate. Thus, we exposed new and plausible suggestions to enhance the contribution of TSPO PET imaging for biomedical research by exploring microglia’s role and interactions with other cells in brain parenchyma. Multiplex approaches, associating TSPO PET radiopharmaceuticals with other biomarkers (PET imaging of cellular metabolism, neurotransmission or abnormal protein aggregates, but also other imaging modalities, and peripheral cytokine levels measurement and/or metabolomics analysis) was considered. Finally, the actual clinical impact of TSPO PET imaging as a routine biomarker of neuroinflammation was put into perspective regarding the current development of diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for neurodegenerative diseases.
Microvesicles Contribute to the Bystander Effect of DNA Damage
Authors: Lin Xiaozeng , Wei Fengxiang , Major Pierre , Al-Nedawi Khalid , Al Saleh Hassan , Tang Damu
Published: April 2017

Genotoxic treatments elicit DNA damage response (DDR) not only in cells that are directly exposed but also in cells that are not in the field of treatment (bystander cells), a phenomenon that is commonly referred to as the bystander effect (BE). However, mechanisms underlying the BE remain elusive. We report here that etoposide and ultraviolet (UV) exposure stimulate the production of microvesicles (MVs) in DU145 prostate cancer cells. MVs isolated from UV-treated DU145 and A431 epidermoid carcinoma cells as well as etoposide-treated DU145 cells induced phosphorylation of ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM) at serine 1981 (indicative of ATM activation) and phosphorylation of histone H2AX at serine 139 (γH2AX) in naïve DU145 cells. Importantly, neutralization of MVs derived from UV-treated cells with annexin V significantly reduced the MV-associated BE activities. Etoposide and UV are known to induce DDR primarily through the ATM and ATM- and Rad3-related (ATR) pathways, respectively. In this regard, MV is likely a common source for the DNA damage-induced bystander effect. However, pre-treatment of DU145 naïve cells with an ATM (KU55933) inhibitor does not affect the BE elicited by MVs isolated from etoposide-treated cells, indicating that the BE is induced upstream of ATM actions. Taken together, we provide evidence supporting that MVs are a source of the DNA damage-induced bystander effect.
Rethinking the Epigenetic Framework to Unravel the Molecular Pathology of Schizophrenia
Authors: Cariaga-Martinez Ariel , Alelú-Paz Raúl
Published: April 2017

Schizophrenia is a complex mental disorder whose causes are still far from being known. Although researchers have focused on genetic or environmental contributions to the disease, we still lack a scientific framework that joins molecular and clinical findings. Epigenetic can explain how environmental variables may affect gene expression without modifying the DNA sequence. In fact, neuroepigenomics represents an effort to unify the research available on the molecular pathology of mental diseases, which has been carried out through several approaches ranging from interrogating single DNA methylation events and hydroxymethylation patterns, to epigenome-wide association studies, as well as studying post-translational modifications of histones, or nucleosomal positioning. The high dependence on tissues with epigenetic marks compels scientists to refine their sampling procedures, and in this review, we will focus on findings obtained from brain tissue. Despite our efforts, we still need to refine our hypothesis generation process to obtain real knowledge from a neuroepigenomic framework, to avoid the creation of more noise on this innovative point of view; this may help us to definitively unravel the molecular pathology of severe mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia.
A Roadmap to Newborn Screening for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
Authors: Al-Zaidy Samiah , Lloyd-Puryear Michele , Kennedy Annie , Lopez Veronica , Mendell Jerry R.
Published: April 2017

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is the most common childhood form of muscular dystrophy, with an estimated frequency of 1:5000 live births. The impact of the disease presents as early as infancy with significant developmental delays, and ultimately loss of ambulation and respiratory insufficiency. Glucocorticoids are the only pharmacological agents known to alter the natural progression of the disease by prolonging ambulation, reducing scoliosis, and assisted ventilation. Introduction of therapy at an early age may halt the muscle pathology in DMD. In anticipation of the potentially disease-modifying products that are reaching regulatory review, Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy (PPMD) formally initiated a national Duchenne Newborn Screening (DNBS) effort in December 2014 to build public health infrastructure for newborn screening (NBS) for Duchenne in the United States. The effort includes a formalized national Duchenne Newborn Screening Steering Committee, six related Working Groups, a Duchenne Screening Test Development Project led by PerkinElmer, a program with the American College of Medical Genetic and Genomics’ Newborn Screening Translation Research Network (NBSTRN), and collaborations with other Duchenne partners and federal agencies involved in NBS. We herein review the organization and effort of the U.S. DNBS program to develop the evidence supporting the implementation of NBS for DMD.
Patient Education for Endoscopic Sinus Surgery: Preliminary Experience Using 3D-Printed Clinical Imaging Data
Authors: Sander Ian , Liepert Taimi , Doney Evan , Leevy W. , Liepert Douglas
Published: April 2017

Within the Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) medical space, a relatively small fraction of patients follow through with elective surgeries to fix ailments such as a deviated septum or occluded sinus passage. Patient understanding of their diagnosis and treatment plan is integral to compliance, which ultimately yields improved medical outcomes and better quality of life. Here we report the usage of advanced, polyjet 3D printing methods to develop a multimaterial replica of human nasal sinus anatomy, derived from clinical X-ray computed tomography (CT) data, to be used as an educational aid during physician consultation. The final patient education model was developed over several iterations to optimize material properties, anatomical accuracy and overall display. A two-arm, single-center, randomized, prospective study was then performed in which 50 ENT surgical candidates (and an associated control group, n = 50) were given an explanation of their anatomy, disease state, and treatment options using the education model as an aid. Statistically significant improvements in patient ratings of their physician’s explanation of their treatment options (p = 0.020), self-rated anatomical understanding (p = 0.043), self-rated understanding of disease state (p = 0.016), and effectiveness of the visualization (p = 0.007) were noted from the population that viewed the 3D education model, indicating it is an effective tool which ENT surgeons may use to educate and interact with patients.
Characterization and Thermal Stability of Acetylated Slicewood Production by Alkali-Catalyzed Esterification
Authors: Hung Ke-Chang , Yang Chen-Ning , Yang Teng-Chun , Wu Tung-Lin , Chen Yong-Long , Wu Jyh-Horng
Published: April 2017

This study was compared and characterized two different alkali (potassium carbonate (PC) and potassium acetate (PA))-catalyzed acetylations of slicewood with vinyl acetate (VA) by a vapor phase reaction. The results revealed that the esterification reaction between VA and the hydroxyl groups of slicewood could be improved by using PC or PA as a catalyst. Additionally, a significant weight percent gain was obtained after VA acetylation with 5% of catalyst. Furthermore, the reactivity of the cellulose hydroxyl groups for VA acetylation was more pronounced at the C2 reactive site compared to acetylation with acetic anhydride. On the other hand, the apparent activation energy of thermal decomposition between 10% and 70% conversion is 174–183, 194–200, and 183–186 kJ/mol for unmodified slicewood and VA-acetylated slicewood with PC and PA, respectively. Accordingly, the thermal stability of the slicewood could be effectively enhanced by VA acetylation, especially for using the PC as a catalyst.