bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Native seeds incorporated into activated carbon pods applied concurrently with indaziflam: a new strategy for restoring annual‐invaded communities?
Authors: Clenet Danielle R. , Davies Kirk W. , Johnson Dustin D. , Kerby Jay D.
Published: January 2019

Reestablishing native perennial vegetation in annual grass‐invaded rangelands is critical to restoring ecosystems. Control of exotics, often achieved with preemergent herbicides, is essential for successful restoration of invaded rangelands. Unfortunately, desirable species cannot be seeded simultaneously with preemergent herbicide application due to nontarget damage. To avoid this, seeding is commonly delayed at least 1 year. Delaying seeding increases the likelihood that annual grasses will begin reestablishing and compete with seeded species. Activated carbon (AC) can provide preemergent herbicide protection for seeded species because it adsorbs and deactivates herbicides. Previous studies suggest that a cylindrical herbicide protection pod (HPP), containing AC and seeds, allows desired species to be seeded simultaneously with the application of the preemergent herbicide imazapic. Unfortunately, imazapic is only effective at controlling annual grasses for 1–2 years. Indaziflam is a new preemergent herbicide which exhibits longer soil activity, with which HPPs may be useful. To assess this possibility, we evaluated seeding two native species (Wyoming big sagebrush [Artemisia tridentata Nutt ssp. wyomingensis] and bluebunch wheatgrass [Pseudoroegneria spicata (Pursh) Á. Löve]), both incorporated into HPPs and as bare seed, at four application rates of indaziflam in a grow room study. HPPs protected seeded species at low, mid, and high rates of indaziflam. The abundance and size of plants was greater in HPPs compared to bare seed treatments. These results suggest that HPPs can be used to seed native grasses and shrubs simultaneously with indaziflam application.
Political street songs and singers in seventeenth‐century England
Authors: McShane Angela
Published: January 2019

Ballad singers and sellers were unquestionably important contributors to the urban and rural soundscape in seventeenth century England. They brought the popular musical productions of the metropolis to the provinces and acted as cultural mediators between town and country, centre and periphery, orality and print. While ballads dealing with a wide array of topics were performed and sold on early modern streets for centuries, this article specifically explores the nature and significance of street performance to the newly burgeoning commercial trade in political song that emerged in England from the late 1630s. First, the ‘ballad singer’ is historicised as a newly emerging phenomenon, closely related to the burgeoning printed ballad trade from about the 1590s. Second, the article examines the variegated social profile of performers and the significance of the street as a place for performance in the febrile political environment of the mid‐ and late‐seventeenth century. Finally, the article considers the seventeenth‐century printed ballad sheet itself as an important political performer in the English street.
A Decision‐Centered Method to Evaluate Natural Hazards Decision Aids by Interdisciplinary Research Teams
Authors: Wong‐Parodi Gabrielle , Small Mitchell J.
Published: January 2019

There is a growing number of decision aids made available to the general public by those working on hazard and disaster management. When based on high‐quality scientific studies across disciplines and designed to provide a high level of usability and trust, decision aids become more likely to improve the quality of hazard risk management and response decisions. Interdisciplinary teams have a vital role to play in this process, ensuring the scientific validity and effectiveness of a decision aid across the physical science, social science, and engineering dimensions of hazard awareness, option identification, and the decisions made by individuals and communities. Often, these aids are not evaluated before being widely distributed, which could improve their impact, due to a lack of dedicated resources and guidance on how to systematically do so. In this Perspective, we present a decision‐centered method for evaluating the impact of hazard decision aids on decisionmaker preferences and choice during the design and development phase, drawing from the social and behavioral sciences and a value of information framework to inform the content, complexity, format, and overall evaluation of the decision aid. The first step involves quantifying the added value of the information contained in the decision aid. The second involves identifying the extent to which the decision aid is usable. Our method can be applied to a variety of hazards and disasters, and will allow interdisciplinary teams to more effectively evaluate the extent to which an aid can inform and improve decision making.
Well‐being and return rate of first‐time whole blood donors
Authors: Jansen Peer , Sümnig Ariane , Esefeld Max , Greffin Klara , Kaderali Lars , Greinacher Andreas
Published: January 2019

Background and objectives

Previous studies observed a transient increase in well‐being in about one‐third of regular donors after blood donation. In addition, personal contact with donors after donation seems to increase return rates. We were interested whether changes in well‐being and/or personal contact after the first donation impact return rates of first‐time donors (FTDs).

Materials and methods

First‐time donors were randomized to a questionnaire group (QG), in which questionnaires assessing the well‐being had to be filled in, or a control group (CG), which was not contacted with a questionnaire. The QG had to complete the same questionnaire three times at the day of the first donation and then four times over an 8‐week period with reminding calls by the study coordinator. Return rates of participants were followed for 12 months.

Results

A total of 102 FTDs participated in the QG and 115 in the CG. Changes in well‐being after the first donation had minimal impact on the return rates. In contrast, contacting FTDs after their first donation had a significant impact on the return rate of male donors (89·2% in the QG vs. 58·3% in the CG; P = 0·001). Females showed no significant difference in return rates between both groups (P = 0·32).

Conclusion

The well‐being of FTDs had no influence on their return rate. The intervention of regular contacts during a research project follow‐up resulted in an increased return rate of male but not of female FTDs. The pronounced difference of the impact of this intervention between male and female donors requires further studies.
Potential of using nonwoven polyester fabric (NWPF) as a packing media in multistage passively aerated biological filter for municipal wastewater treatment
Authors: Hellal Mohamed S. , Abou‐Elela Sohair I. , Aly Olfat H.
Published: January 2019

The performance of a multistage passively aerated biological filter (PABF) packed with Nonwoven polyester fabric (NWPF) for municipal wastewater treatment was investigated under different operating conditions. The system was operated at different hydraulic retention times (HRTs) of 2.3, 1.72 and 1.38 h and corresponding to organic loading rates (OLRs) of 1.77, 2.15 and 2.9 kg BOD/m3. d. Increasing HRT and decreasing OLR, increased dissolved oxygen (DO) and consequently increased the removal rate of organic matters (87%), suspended solids (95.8%) and ammonia (88%). Profile results from different compartments showed that the major part of organic and suspended matters was removed in the upper layers of the system, whereas most of the suspended solids were trapped, while the nitrification process took place in the lower part of the PABF system because of the increase in DO concentrations. The results proved the advantage of using NWPF. It has pleated and rough surface which retain more biomass compared with plain surface. Excess biomass produced from PABF was negligible compared to conventional treatment systems.
The Effect of Speciality Designated Core Exercises on Upper Exterimity Posture Structures of Male High School Students
Authors: Gür Ercan , Tokgöz Gürkan
Published: January 2019

The aim of this study is to research on the effect of core exercises on the upper extremity posture structure of young individuals. 30 male students between 16 to 18 years old studying in a high school in the province of Elazig and not doing regular sport volunteered for this study. The participants were randomly divided into two as the subject group and the control group; each group was formed with 15 people. Out of the groups formed, the subject group carried out specially designated core exercises for 8 weeks, and for 3 days each week. The control group didn't do any work; they continued their normal lives. Before and after the study, the height, weight, body mass index, bodily fat percentage, upper extremity posture(from the front, back, right and left)of the subject and control groups formed were measured and the Adams(stoop) test was applied. The data obtained were analyzed through SPSS 22.0 statistical program. For the in-group and intergroup comparisons, ındependent samples T test and paired samples T test were used. After the statistical analysis, during the initial and subsequent test comparisons of the control group, no difference was detected in measurements apart from the one for shoulders from the anterior side. Statistical differences were determined for a lot of values during the comparison of the initial and subsequent test results of the subject group and during the comparison of the differences between the initial and subsequent test results of the subject and control group. In conclusion, it was determined that core exercises made a positive impact on the upper extremity posture structures of male individuals between the ages of 16 and 18.
Attempts on the Reduction of Leakage Flow Through the Stator Well in an Axial Compressor
Authors: Kong Xiaozhi , Liu Yuxin , Liu Gaowen , Birch David M. , Zheng Longxi
Published: January 2019

As performance improvements of compressors become more difficult to obtain, the optimization of stator well structure to control the reverse leakage flow is a more important research subject. Normally, the stator well can be considered as two rotor–stator cavities linked by the labyrinth seal. The flow with high tangential velocity and high total temperature exited from the stator well interacts with the main flow, which can affect the compressor aerodynamic performance. Based on the flow mechanisms in the basic stator well, four geometries were proposed and studied. For geometry a and geometry b, seal lips were attached to the rotor and stator inside downstream rim seal while impellers were positioned in the cavities for geometry c and geometry d. Leakage flow rates, tangential velocities, and pressure distributions in the cavities were analyzed using validated method of computational fluid dynamics. In the current study, where ω = 8000 rpm, π = 1.05–1.30, the maximum reductions of leakage flow rate for geometry a and geometry b are 7.9% and 15.9%, respectively, compared to the baseline model. In addition, the rotating impellers in the downstream cavity for geometry c contribute to a more significant pressure gradient along radial direction, reducing the leakage flow as much as 46%. Although the stationary impellers in the upstream cavity for geometry d appear to have little effect upon the leakage, these impellers can be used to adjust the tangential velocity of ejected flow from the stator well to the mainstream.
Complete Mitochondrial Genome Sequence of the Phytopathogenic Basidiomycete Ganoderma boninense Strain G3
Authors: Utomo Condro , Tanjung Zulfikar Achmad , Aditama Redi , Buana Rika Fithri Nurani , Pratomo Antonius Dony Madu , Tryono Reno , Liwang Tony
Published: January 2019

Here, we report the complete sequence of the mitochondrial (mt) genome of
Ganoderma
boninense
that assembled as a single circular double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) of 86,549 bp with a G+C content of 26.81%. Genome annotation identified genes that encode 15 conserved proteins, 27 tRNAs, small and large rRNA subunits, 4 hypothetical proteins, and 5 homing endonucleases.
Draft Genome Sequence of Erwinia psidii, Causal Agent of Bacterial Blight of Guava (
Psidium guava
) and Dieback of Eucalypt (
Eucalyptus
spp.)
Authors: Hermenegildo Pollyane da Silva , Santos Samuel A. , Guimarães Lúcio M. S. , Pereira Isadora C. , Vidigal Pedro M. P. , Badel Jorge L. , Alfenas-Zerbini Poliane , Mafia Reginaldo G. , Ferreira Marisa A. S. V. , Alfenas Acelino Couto
Published: January 2019

Here, we present a draft genome sequence of the type strain IBSBF 435 of
Erwinia psidii
(
Enterobacteriaceae
), a phytopathogen that causes bacterial blight on guava (
Psidium guava
) and dieback and wilt on eucalypt (
Eucalyptus
spp.), both of which are important emerging diseases.
Draft Genome Sequence of Clostridium tagluense Strain A121
T
, Isolated from a Permafrost Core in the Canadian High Arctic
Authors: Murakami Takumi , Mori Hiroshi , Shcherbakova Viktoria A. , Yoshimura Yoshitaka , Segawa Takahiro
Published: January 2019

Clostridium tagluense
strain A121
T
was isolated from a permafrost core in the Canadian High Arctic. This endospore-forming strain is a strictly anaerobic, Gram-positive, and psychrotolerant bacterium.
Whole-Genome Shotgun Sequencing and Characterization of Probiotic Strain Clostridium butyricum UBCB 70 To Assess Its Safety
Authors: Sulthana Ayesha , Thorramamidi Archana , Lakshmi Suvarna G. , Madempudi Ratna Sudha
Published: January 2019

Clostridium butyricum
is a strictly anaerobic, butyric acid-producing, Gram-positive, spore-forming bacillus that is commonly present in the gut of humans. The complete genome sequence of
Clostridium butyricum
UBCB 70 was studied to evaluate the presence of antibiotic-resistant and clostridium toxin genes.
A unified three-dimensional model of the lithospheric structure at the subduction corner in southeast Alaska: Summary results from STEEP
Authors: Pavlis Gary L. , Bauer Mark A. , Elliott Julie L. , Koons Peter , Pavlis Terry L. , Ruppert Natalia , Ward Kevin M. , Worthington Lindsay L.
Published: January 2019

We merge structural results from the ST. Elias Erosion/tectonics Project (STEEP), other studies, and seismicity data to build a comprehensive, three-dimensional model of the lithosphere of the subduction corner in southern Alaska. The model is defined by three surfaces: (1) a top of the subducting lithosphere surface, (2) Moho surfaces, and (3) a base of subducting lithosphere surface. We model the eastern edge of the subducting lithosphere using the southern tip of the Yakutat microplate as an anchor. Kinematic reconstructions using that anchor suggest the modern Fairweather fault is likely inherited from motion of the margin in the 6–10 Ma period. We constructed a 4D kinematic model of crustal deformation in the vicinity of Mount St. Elias. We call this model the middlebuster model because the geometry is similar to a two-sided plow with that name. The west side of the plow is the eastern limit of the Aleutian megathrust constructed from the union of constraints from STEEP seismic results and slip models of the 1979 St. Elias earthquake. The east side is inferred from geologic mapping and slip models of the 1899 Yakutat Bay earthquake sequence. The top of the plow is near the Seward Glacier, where previous studies showed near world-record exhumation rates. GPS velocity vectors show a large rotation across the syntaxis at Mount St. Elias. West of the syntaxis, faults inferred from inversion of the GPS data are above the megathrust inferred from seismic imaging. That and other evidence suggest the presence of a wedge of ductile crust that partially decouples the subducting mantle lithosphere from the upper crust in the area near the suture with the Yakutat microplate.
Phosphorus release kinetics and solubility capacity of phosphorus fractionation induced by organic acids from a black soil in northeast China
Authors: Yang Xiaoyan , Chen Xiangwei , Yang Xitian
Published: January 2019

Phosphorus (P) fertilizers are added to improve the soil P fertility, but the rate of P release can greatly influence its availability. Organic acids are effective in the release of inorganic P (Pi), but the contribution of each Pifraction is not well understood. This study reported the transformation rate of P and solubility of Pifractions induced by organic acids. Path analysis was utilized to explore the direct and indirect effects of Pifractions on the amount of total Pi(TPi) solubilized. Results showed that the P release was initially rapid, followed by a slower release that lasted up to 2160 h, and the Elovich equation was the best-fitted kinetic equation to estimate the transformation rate of available P. The amount of TPi-solubilized by oxalic and citric acids tended to increase with increasing organic acid concentrations. Oxalic acid exhibited a lower TPi-solubility capability than citric acid when the organic acid concentration was ≤1 mmol L−1, whereas citric acid was higher at ≥1.5 mmol L−1. The Al-P-solubilized had the highest content of studied fractions, and path analysis revealed that the Al-P-solubilized exhibited a significant direct effect on TPi-solubilized. Thus, Al-P is a potential P source in black soil.
An Efficient Current Mode MVL Residue Code Checker for Fault-Tolerant Arithmetic
Authors: Towhidy Ahmad , Omidi Reza , Mohammadi Karim
Published: January 2019

Due to technology scaling, reliability has become one of the biggest challenges in VLSI circuits. A number of techniques have been introduced in the literature, especially for arithmetic and logic unit in computers. One of well-known schemes for fault-tolerant arithmetic is the use of arithmetic residue codes. A key problem with most of the previous works regarding residue-based checker is that these methods impose an unacceptable area penalty. In this paper, we propose a novel residue checker with current mode multi-valued logic (CMMVL). A plain design procedure with arbitrary modulo is introduced; also a more efficient integrated scheme for modulo 3 has been demonstrated. The results of the plain CMMVL scheme showed up to 19.5% and 42.9% lower delay and power consumption, respectively, compared with those of the conventional CMOS. Also, utilizing the integrated CMMVL provided, on average, about 17.7% and 80.2% lower delay and power consumption, respectively.
Analysis and FPGA Implementation of Zero-Forcing Receive Beamforming with Signal Space Diversity under Different Interleaving Techniques
Authors: Reşat Mustafa Anıl , Çiçek Adem , Özyurt Serdar , Çavuş Enver
Published: January 2019

We combine multiple-input multiple-output zero-forcing receive beamforming (ZFRBF) with time and spatial component interleaved signal space diversity (SSD) and analyze the system’s error performance and implementation complexity. A transreceiver system with two transmit and [Formula: see text] ([Formula: see text]) receive antennas is considered where the number of simultaneous substreams equals two. The error performance of the proposed scheme with binary phase-shift keying (BPSK) and quadrature phase-shift keying (QPSK) modulations is studied. Under the time component interleaved SSD case, we derive an exact average bit error probability expression for BPSK and a tight approximation on the average symbol error probability for QPSK. The signal constellation rotation angles are accordingly computed. Using a similar approach, the signal constellation rotation angles are also determined for the scenario of spatial component interleaved SSD. It is demonstrated that the performance of the original ZFRBF model can be improved significantly by utilizing SSD especially with the time interleaving method. Another contribution to the literature is to study hardware complexity of the proposed scheme on FPGA. It is shown that while achieving considerable performance gain, SSD introduces only an insignificant increase to the system complexity without any extra bandwidth or time slot usage.
A Fuzzy-Based Approach for Identifying Candidate Business Processes for Socialization
Authors: Yahya Fadwa , Boukadi Khouloud , Maamar Zakaria , Ben-Abdallah Hanêne
Published: January 2019

Social business processes support enterprises tap into the opportunities of Web 2.0. To ensure an efficient support, this paper presents an approach for identifying an enterprise’s business processes that could be converted into social. Indeed, not all processes are eligible for this conversion. The approach is built upon the concept of enterprise architecture that sheds the light on the necessary contextual elements for guiding the socialization of business processes. Due to the fuzzy nature of socialization, two multi-criteria decision making techniques, fuzzy logic and fuzzy-decision tree, enhance this guidance. A set of experiments for evaluating the proposed approach are presented in the paper, as well.
Vision-Based 3D Modeling of Unknown Dynamic Environments for Real-Time Humanoid Navigation
Authors: Wahrmann Daniel , Hildebrandt Arne-Christoph , Bates Tamas , Wittmann Robert , Sygulla Felix , Seiwald Philipp , Rixen Daniel
Published: January 2019

In order to achieve real autonomy, robots have to be able to navigate in completely unknown environments. Due to the complexity of computer vision algorithms, almost every approach for robotic navigation is either based on previous knowledge of the environment, such as markers or as resulting from learning methods, or makes strong simplifying assumptions about it (height-map representations, static scenarios). While showing impressive success in certain applications, these approaches limit the potential of legged robots to achieve the amazing flexibility of humans in more complex environments. In this work, we present a strategy for full 3D vision processing that is able to handle changing, dynamic environments. These are modeled using 3D geometries that are processed in real-time by the motion planner of our biped robot Lola for avoiding moving obstacles and walking over platforms. In order to allow for a more intuitive development of such systems in the future, we present tools for visualization including two mixed reality applications using both an external camera and Microsoft’s HoloLens. We validate our system in simulations and experiments with our full-size humanoid robot Lola and publish our framework open source for the benefit of the community.
An introduction to glaciated margins: the sedimentary and geophysical archive
Authors: Le Heron D. P. , Hogan K. A. , Phillips E. R. , Huuse M. , Busfield M. E. , Graham A. G. C.
Published: January 2019

A glaciated margin is a continental margin that has been occupied by a large ice mass, such that glacial processes and slope processes conspire to produce a thick sedimentary record. Ice masses take an active role in sculpting, redistributing and reorganizing the sediment that they erode on the continental shelf, and act as a supply route to large fan systems (e.g. trough mouth fans, submarine fans) on the continental slope and continental rise. To many researchers, the term ‘glaciated margin’ is synonymous with modern day areas fringing Antarctica and the Arctic shelf systems, yet the geological record contains ancient examples ranging in age from Precambrian to Cenozoic. In the pre-Pleistocene record, there is a tendency for the configuration of the tectonic plates to become increasingly obscure with age. For instance, in the Neoproterozoic record, not everyone agrees on the location of rift margins and some fundamental continental boundaries remain unclear. Given these issues, this introductory paper has two simple aims: (1) to provide a brief commentary of relevant Geological Society publications on glaciated margins, with the landmark papers highlighted and (2) to explain the contents of this volume.
Structure and internal deformation of thrust sheets in the Sawtooth Range, Montana: insights from anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility
Authors: McCarthy Dave J. , Meere Patrick A. , Petronis Michael S.
Published: January 2019

Geological strain analysis of sedimentary rocks is commonly carried out using clast-based techniques. In the absence of valid strain markers, it can be difficult to identify the presence of an early tectonic fabric development and resulting layer parallel shortening (LPS). In order to identify early LPS, we carried out anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) analyses on Mississippian limestones from the Sawtooth Range of Montana. The Sawtooth Range is an arcuate zone of north-trending, closely spaced, west-dipping, imbricate thrust sheets that place Mississippian Madison Group carbonates above Cretaceous shales and sandstones. This structural regime is part of the cordilleran mountain belt of North America, which resulted from accretion of allochthonous terrains to the western edge of the North American continent.

Although the region has a general east–west increase in thrust displacement and related brittle deformation, a similar trend in penetrative deformation or the distribution of tectonic fabrics is not observed in the field or in the AMS results. The range of magnetic fabrics identified in each thrust sheet ranges from bedding controlled depositional fabrics to tectonic fabrics at a high angle to bedding.
Incentive-Based Crowdsourcing of Hotspot Services
Authors: Neiat Azadeh Ghari , Bouguettaya Athman , Mistry Sajib
Published: January 2019

We present a new spatio-temporal incentive-based approach to achieve a geographically balanced coverage of crowdsourced services. The proposed approach is based on a new spatio-temporal incentive model that considers multiple parameters including location entropy, time of day, and spatio-temporal density to encourage the participation of crowdsourced service providers. We present a greedy network flow algorithm that offers incentives to redistribute crowdsourced service providers to improve the crowdsourced coverage balance within an area. A novel participation probability model is also introduced to estimate the expected number of crowdsourced service providers’ movement based on spatio-temporal features. Experimental results validate the efficiency and effectiveness of the proposed approach.
SimBa
Authors: Dey Tamal K. , Shi Dayu , Wang Yusu
Published: January 2019

In topological data analysis, a point cloud data
P
extracted from a metric space is often analyzed by computing the persistence diagram or barcodes of a sequence of Rips complexes built on
P
indexed by a scale parameter. Unfortunately, even for input of moderate size, the size of the Rips complex may become prohibitively large as the scale parameter increases. Starting with the
Sparse Rips filtration
introduced by Sheehy, some existing methods aim to reduce the size of the complex to improve time efficiency as well. However, as we demonstrate, existing approaches still fall short of scaling well, especially for high-dimensional data. In this article, we investigate the advantages and limitations of existing approaches. Based on insights gained from the experiments, we propose an efficient new algorithm, called
SimBa
, for approximating the persistent homology of Rips filtrations with quality guarantees. Our new algorithm leverages a batch-collapse strategy as well as a new Sparse Rips-like filtration. We experiment on a variety of low- and high-dimensional datasets. We show that our strategy presents a significant size reduction and that our algorithm for approximating Rips filtration persistence is an order of magnitude faster than existing methods in practice.
Fully Dynamic 2-Hop Cover Labeling
Authors: D'angelo Gianlorenzo , D'emidio Mattia , Frigioni Daniele
Published: January 2019

The 2-hop Cover labeling of a graph is currently the best data structure for answering shortest-path distance queries on large-scale networks, since it combines low query times, affordable space occupancy, and reasonable preprocessing effort. Its main limit resides in not being suited for
dynamic
networks since, after a network change, (1) queries on the distance can return incorrect values and (2) recomputing the labeling
from scratch
yields unsustainable time overhead.

In this article, we overcome this limit by introducing the first
decremental
algorithm able to update 2-hop Cover labelings under node/edge
removals
and edge
weight increases
. We prove the new algorithm to be (1) correct, i.e., after each update operation queries on the updated labeling return exact values; (2) efficient with respect to the number of nodes that change their distance as a consequence of a graph update; and (3) able to preserve the
minimality
of the labeling, a desirable property that impacts on both query time and space occupancy.

Furthermore, we provide an extensive experimental study to demonstrate the effectiveness of the new method. We consider it both alone and in combination with the unique known
incremental
approach (Akiba et al. 2014), thus obtaining the first
fully dynamic
algorithm for updating 2-hop Cover labelings under general graph updates. Our experiments show that the new dynamic algorithms are orders of magnitude faster than the from-scratch approach while at the same time being able to preserve the quality of the labeling in terms of query time and space occupancy, thus allowing one to employ the 2-hop Cover labeling approach in dynamic networks with practical performance.
Strong Steiner Tree Approximations in Practice
Authors: Beyer Stephan , Chimani Markus
Published: January 2019

In this experimental study, we consider Steiner tree approximation algorithms that guarantee a constant approximation ratio smaller than 2. The considered greedy algorithms and approaches based on linear programming involve the incorporation of
k
-restricted full components for some
k
≥ 3. For most of the algorithms, their strongest theoretical approximation bounds are only achieved for
k
→ ∞. However, the running time is also exponentially dependent on
k
, so only small
k
are tractable in practice.

We investigate different implementation aspects and parameter choices that finally allow us to construct algorithms (somewhat) feasible for practical use. We compare the algorithms against each other, to an exact algorithm based on integer linear programs, and to fast and simple 2-approximations as well as state-of-the-art heuristics.
COFFE 2
Authors: Yazdanshenas Sadegh , Betz Vaughn
Published: January 2019

FPGAs are becoming more heteregeneous to better adapt to different markets, motivating rapid exploration of different blocks/tiles for FPGAs. To evaluate a new FPGA architectural idea, one should be able to accurately obtain the area, delay, and energy consumption of the block of interest. However, current FPGA circuit design tools can only model simple, homogeneous FPGA architectures with basic logic blocks and also lack DSP and other heterogeneous block support. Modern FPGAs are instead composed of many different tiles, some of which are designed in a full custom style and some of which mix standard cell and full custom styles.

To fill this modelling gap, we introduce COFFE 2, an open-source FPGA design toolset for automatic FPGA circuit design. COFFE 2 uses a mix of full custom and standard cell flows and supports not only complex logic blocks with fracturable lookup tables and hard arithmetic but also arbitrary heterogeneous blocks. To validate COFFE 2 and demonstrate its features, we design and evaluate a multi-mode Stratix III-like DSP block and several logic tiles with fracturable LUTs and hard arithmetic. We also demonstrate how COFFE 2’s interface to VTR allows full evaluation of block-routing interfaces and various fracturable 6-LUT architectures.
Imaging and Analytics on the Helium Ion Microscope
Authors: Wirtz Tom , De Castro Olivier , Audinot Jean-Nicolas , Philipp Patrick
Published: January 2019

The helium ion microscope (HIM) has emerged as an instrument of choice for patterning, imaging and, more recently, analytics at the nanoscale. Here, we review secondary electron imaging on the HIM and the various methodologies and hardware components that have been developed to confer analytical capabilities to the HIM. Secondary electron–based imaging can be performed at resolutions down to 0.5 nm with high contrast, with high depth of field, and directly on insulating samples. Analytical methods include secondary electron hyperspectral imaging (SEHI), scanning transmission ion microscopy (STIM), backscattering spectrometry and, in particular, secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). The SIMS system that was specifically designed for the HIM allows the detection of all elements, the differentiation between isotopes, and the detection of trace elements. It provides mass spectra, depth profiles, and 2D or 3D images with lateral resolutions down to 10 nm.
Genes Involved in the Development and Physiology of Both the Peripheral and Central Auditory Systems
Authors: Michalski Nicolas , Petit Christine
Published: January 2019

The genetic approach, based on the study of inherited forms of deafness, has proven to be particularly effective for deciphering the molecular mechanisms underlying the development of the peripheral auditory system, the cochlea and its afferent auditory neurons, and how this system extracts the physical parameters of sound. Although this genetic dissection has provided little information about the central auditory system, scattered data suggest that some genes may have a critical role in both the peripheral and central auditory systems. Here, we review the genes controlling the development and function of the peripheral and central auditory systems, focusing on those with demonstrated intrinsic roles in both systems and highlighting the current underappreciation of these genes. Their encoded products are diverse, from transcription factors to ion channels, as are their roles in the central auditory system, mostly evaluated in brainstem nuclei. We examine the ontogenetic and evolutionary mechanisms that may underlie their expression at different sites.
Neuronal Development of Hearing and Language: Cochlear Implants and Critical Periods
Authors: Kral Andrej , Dorman Michael F. , Wilson Blake S.
Published: January 2019

The modern cochlear implant (CI) is the most successful neural prosthesis developed to date. CIs provide hearing to the profoundly hearing impaired and allow the acquisition of spoken language in children born deaf. Results from studies enabled by the CI have provided new insights into ( a) minimal representations at the periphery for speech reception, ( b) brain mechanisms for decoding speech presented in quiet and in acoustically adverse conditions, ( c) the developmental neuroscience of language and hearing, and ( d) the mechanisms and time courses of intramodal and cross-modal plasticity. Additionally, the results have underscored the interconnectedness of brain functions and the importance of top-down processes in perception and learning. The findings are described in this review with emphasis on the developing brain and the acquisition of hearing and spoken language.
A Motor Theory of Sleep-Wake Control: Arousal-Action Circuit
Authors: Liu Danqian , Dan Yang
Published: January 2019

Wakefulness, rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, and non–rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep are characterized by distinct electroencephalogram (EEG), electromyogram (EMG), and autonomic profiles. The circuit mechanism coordinating these changes during sleep-wake transitions remains poorly understood. The past few years have witnessed rapid progress in the identification of REM and NREM sleep neurons, which constitute highly distributed networks spanning the forebrain, midbrain, and hindbrain. Here we propose an arousal-action circuit for sleep-wake control in which wakefulness is supported by separate arousal and action neurons, while REM and NREM sleep neurons are part of the central somatic and autonomic motor circuits. This model is well supported by the currently known sleep and wake neurons. It can also account for the EEG, EMG, and autonomic profiles of wake, REM, and NREM states and several key features of their transitions. The intimate association between the sleep and autonomic/somatic motor control circuits suggests that a primary function of sleep is to suppress motor activity.
Unexpected effect of insulin on glucose disposal explains glucose intolerance of rainbow trout
Authors: Forbes Johnathon L. I. , Kostyniuk Daniel J. , Mennigen Jan A. , Weber Jean-Michel
Published: January 2019

The physiological reasons why salmonids show glucose intolerance are unclear. In mammals, rapid clearance of a glucose load is mainly achieved through insulin-mediated inhibition of hepatic glucose production ( Ra) and stimulation of glucose disposal ( Rd), but the effects of insulin on Raand Rdglucose have never been measured in fish. The goal of this study was to characterize the impact of insulin on the glucose kinetics of rainbow trout in vivo. Glucose fluxes were measured by continuous infusion of [6-3H]glucose before and during 4 h of insulin administration. The phosphorylated form of the key signaling proteins Akt and S6 in the insulin cascade were also examined, confirming activation of this pathway in muscle but not liver. Results show that insulin inhibits trout Rdglucose from 8.6 ± 0.6 to 5.4 ± 0.5 µmol kg−1min−1: the opposite effect than classically seen in mammals. Such a different response may be explained by the contrasting effects of insulin on gluco/hexokinases of trout versus mammals. Insulin also reduced trout Rafrom 8.5 ± 0.7 to 4.8 ± 0.6 µmol·kg−1·min−1, whereas it can almost completely suppresses Rain mammals. The partial inhibition of Raglucose may be because insulin only affects gluconeogenesis but not glycogen breakdown in trout. The small mismatch between the responses to insulin for Rd(−37%) and Raglucose (−43%) gives trout a very limited capacity to decrease glycemia. We conclude that the glucose intolerance of rainbow trout can be explained by the inhibiting effect of insulin on glucose disposal.
Modeling diverse responses to filled and outline shapes in macaque V4
Authors: Popovkina Dina V. , Bair Wyeth , Pasupathy Anitha
Published: January 2019

Visual area V4 is an important midlevel cortical processing stage that subserves object recognition in primates. Studies investigating shape coding in V4 have largely probed neuronal responses with filled shapes, i.e., shapes defined by both a boundary and an interior fill. As a result, we do not know whether form-selective V4 responses are dictated by boundary features alone or if interior fill is also important. We studied 43 V4 neurons in two male macaque monkeys ( Macaca mulatta) with a set of 362 filled shapes and their corresponding outlines to determine how interior fill modulates neuronal responses in shape-selective neurons. Only a minority of neurons exhibited similar response strength and shape preferences for filled and outline stimuli. A majority responded preferentially to one stimulus category (either filled or outline shapes) and poorly to the other. Our findings are inconsistent with predictions of the hierarchical-max (HMax) V4 model that builds form selectivity from oriented boundary features and takes little account of attributes related to object surface, such as the phase of the boundary edge. We modified the V4 HMax model to include sensitivity to interior fill by either removing phase-pooling or introducing unoriented units at the V1 level; both modifications better explained our data without increasing the number of free parameters. Overall, our results suggest that boundary orientation and interior surface information are both maintained until at least the midlevel visual representation, consistent with the idea that object fill is important for recognition and perception in natural vision.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY The shape of an object’s boundary is critical for identification; consistent with this idea, models of object recognition predict that filled and outline versions of a shape are encoded similarly. We report that many neurons in a midlevel visual cortical area respond differently to filled and outline shapes and modify a biologically plausible model to account for our data. Our results suggest that representations of boundary shape and surface fill are interrelated in visual cortex.
The neural basis of motion sickness
Authors: Cohen Bernard , Dai Mingjia , Yakushin Sergei B. , Cho Catherine
Published: January 2019

Although motion of the head and body has been suspected or known as the provocative cause for the production of motion sickness for centuries, it is only within the last 20 yr that the source of the signal generating motion sickness and its neural basis has been firmly established. Here, we briefly review the source of the conflicts that cause the body to generate the autonomic signs and symptoms that constitute motion sickness and provide a summary of the experimental data that have led to an understanding of how motion sickness is generated and can be controlled. Activity and structures that produce motion sickness include vestibular input through the semicircular canals, the otolith organs, and the velocity storage integrator in the vestibular nuclei. Velocity storage is produced through activity of vestibular-only (VO) neurons under control of neural structures in the nodulus of the vestibulo-cerebellum. Separate groups of nodular neurons sense orientation to gravity, roll/tilt, and translation, which provide strong inhibitory control of the VO neurons. Additionally, there are acetylcholinergic projections from the nodulus to the stomach, which along with other serotonergic inputs from the vestibular nuclei, could induce nausea and vomiting. Major inhibition is produced by the GABABreceptors, which modulate and suppress activity in the velocity storage integrator. Ingestion of the GABABagonist baclofen causes suppression of motion sickness. Hopefully, a better understanding of the source of sensory conflict will lead to better ways to avoid and treat the autonomic signs and symptoms that constitute the syndrome.
Role of astroglia in diet-induced central neuroplasticity
Authors: Clyburn Courtney , Browning Kirsteen N.
Published: January 2019

Obesity, characterized by increased adiposity that develops when energy intake outweighs expenditure, is rapidly becoming a serious health crisis that affects millions of people worldwide and is associated with severe comorbid disorders including hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and type II diabetes. Obesity is also associated with the dysregulation of central neurocircuits involved in the control of autonomic, metabolic, and cognitive functions. Systemic inflammation associated with diet-induced obesity (DIO) has been proposed to be responsible for the development of these comorbidities as well as the dysregulation of central neurocircuits. A growing body of evidence suggests, however, that exposure to a high-fat diet (HFD) may cause neuroinflammation and astroglial activation even before systemic inflammation develops, which may be sufficient to cause dysregulation of central neurocircuits involved in energy homeostasis before the development of obesity. The purpose of this review is to summarize the current literature exploring astroglial-dependent modulation of central circuits following exposure to HFD and DIO, including not only dysregulation of neurocircuits involved in energy homeostasis and feeding behavior, but also the dysregulation of learning, memory, mood, and reward pathways.
Prediction of Apoptosis Protein Subcellular Localization with Multilayer Sparse Coding and Oversampling Approach
Authors: Chen Xingjian , Hu Xuejiao , Yi Wenxin , Zou Xiang , Xue Wei
Published: January 2019

The prediction of apoptosis protein subcellular localization plays an important role in understanding the progress in cell proliferation and death. Recently computational approaches to this issue have become very popular, since the traditional biological experiments are so costly and time-consuming that they cannot catch up with the growth rate of sequence data anymore. In order to improve the prediction accuracy of apoptosis protein subcellular localization, we proposed a sparse coding method combined with traditional feature extraction algorithm to complete the sparse representation of apoptosis protein sequences, using multilayer pooling based on different sizes of dictionaries to integrate the processed features, as well as oversampling approach to decrease the influences caused by unbalanced data sets. Then the extracted features were input to a support vector machine to predict the subcellular localization of the apoptosis protein. The experiment results obtained by Jackknife test on two benchmark data sets indicate that our method can significantly improve the accuracy of the apoptosis protein subcellular localization prediction.
Erythropoiesis and Iron Homeostasis in Non-Transfusion-Dependent Thalassemia Patients with Extramedullary Hematopoiesis
Authors: Huang Yumei , Liu Rongrong , Wei Xiaoyun , Liu Jiaodi , Pan Lingyuan , Yang Gaohui , Lai Yongrong
Published: January 2019

Background. Extramedullary hematopoiesis (EMH) is common in non-transfusion-dependent thalassemia (NTDT) patients. Clinical presentations of EMH vary as MRI screening is not feasible. Hence, serum biomarkers are used to predict the risk of EMH.Materials and Methods. 52 NTDT patients, including 26 EMH (+) and 26 EMH (-), together with 26 healthy controls, were enrolled in this case-control study from 2013 to 2016. EMH was confirmed by computed tomography or MRI. Demographic, transfusion, genetic, laboratory, and liver iron concentration (LIC) data, as well as clinical complications, were analyzed.Results. EMH (+) patients had significantly higher serum ferritin (SF), growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15), and erythropoietin (EPO) levels compared with EMH (-) patients and controls. The levels of erythroferrone (ERFE), hepcidin, and sTfR did not differ significantly between EMH (+) and EMH (-) patients (p>0.05). In NTDT patients, serum ERFE was not related to SF, LIC, hepcidin, sTfR, EPO, GDF15, and Hb levels. GDF15, EPO concentrations, and GDF15 to sTfR and GDF15 to EPO ratios are able to determine the presence of EMH with considerable sensitivity and specificity.Conclusions. GDF15, EPO, and GDF15 to EPO and GDF15 to sTfR ratios are potential biomarkers for the early prediction of NTDT in patients who are at risk for EMH.