bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Natural dyes in madder (Rubiaspp.) and their extraction and analysis in historical textiles
Authors: Blackburn Richard S.
Published: October 2017

Textiles coloration using extracts from the roots of various madder species (Rubiaspp.) has been performed for centuries. To date, 68 anthraquinone colorants have been detected inRubiaspp. used to dye textiles. Many of these dyes are sensitive to hydrolysis and degradation from enzymes, extraction chemicals and processing temperatures, and are often overlooked as colorants in historical textiles. Conclusions in literature of the past 30 years concerning colorants presentin plantaand, particularly, in madder‐dyed artefacts are being challenged as new analysis methods are developed. The recent advent of ‘soft’ extraction techniques has demonstrated that anthraquinone glycosides and other sensitive molecules, such as carboxylated compounds, need to be preserved; this valuable chemical information embedded in the dye structure may be lost if extraction and analysis is too harsh. Some compounds thought to be present in madder and madder‐dyed artefacts are in fact degradation products resultant from the extraction process, and degradation pathways have been developed to better understand the reactivity and stability of these compounds. Detailed analysis of dyes in textile artefacts can reveal important cultural and heritage information concerning historical textiles relative to the specific dye species, the area of the world where this may have grown, how and where it was dyed, and, perhaps, where it was traded. Understanding the precise molecular structure of these dyes and their chemical reactivity is important to provide knowledge of their interactions with physical substrates, such as textile fibres, which could be used to develop superior techniques for analysis of artefacts.
Nested variant of urothelial carcinoma metastatic to the parotid gland
Authors: Bayram A. , Ozluk Y. , Firat P. , Yegen G. , Kilicaslan I. , Yılmazbayhan D.
Published: October 2017

Parotid metastasis from urothelial carcinoma is extremely rare. We present an example of a nested variant of urothelial carcinoma metastasis to the parotid with well‐documented cyto‐ and histomorphologic features.
Accounting for Sustainable Development over the Long-Run: Lessons from Germany
Authors: Blum Matthias , McLaughlin Eoin , Hanley Nick
Published: October 2017

We construct long-run sustainability indicators based on changes in Comprehensive Wealth - which we refer to as Genuine Savings (GS) - for Germany over the period 1850-2000. We find that German sustainability indicators are positive for the most part, although they are negative during and after the two World Wars and also the Great Depression. We also test the relationship between these wealth changes and a number of measures of well-being over the long-run: changes in consumption as well as changes in average height and infant mortality rates. We find a positive relationship between GS and our well-being indicators over different time horizons, however, the relationship breaks down during WWII. We also test if the GS/Comprehensive Wealth framework is able to cope with massive disinvestment at the end of the Second World War due to war-related destructions and dismantlement. We find that negative rates of GS were by and large avoided due to the accumulation of technology and growth-friendly institutions. We demonstrate the importance of broader measures of capital, including measures of technological progress, and its role in the process of economic development; and the limits of conventional measures of investment to understand why future German consumption did not collapse.
Families with young children in times of economic downturn: Implications for social work practice
Authors: Geinger Freya , Roets Griet , Vandenbroeck Michel
Published: October 2017

In response to the global financial crisis, social policies in Europe and elsewhere incorporated a logic of social investment to reduce (child) poverty and social inequality. Several critiques, however, have been raised against the narrowness of this discourse. In order to introduce another way of seeing, an interview study was conducted inspired by the interpretative paradigm of lifeworld orientation. This has allowed us to acquire a critical, in‐depth understanding of the consequences of economic downturn and unemployment for families with young children (0–3 years old), from their point of view. Findings highlight the importance of listening to parents here and now, in order to be able to take account of their concrete, lived realities within the context of the broader society and critically assess these realities according to principles of human dignity and social justice. Implications for social work practice are discussed.
Patterns of care and outcomes among triple‐negative early breast cancer patients in South Western Sydney
Authors: Naher Sayeda , Tognela Annette , Moylan Eugene , Adams Diana H. , Kiely Belinda E
Published: October 2017

Background

Triple‐negative breast cancer (TNBC) represents 12‐24% of all breast cancer and carries a poor prognosis upon recurrence. Little is known of the treatment, or timing and frequency of recurrences outside of a clinical trial.

Aim

We describe the patterns of care and outcomes of women with TNBC treated at two cancer centres in Sydney, NSW, Australia, to help oncologists talk to women with this subtype of breast cancer about their likely prognosis.

Methods

We searched the electronic medical record for women with stages I–III TNBC diagnosed from 2006 to 2014. For each woman, we recorded demographics, tumour characteristics, treatment details, recurrences and survival using the Kaplan–Meier method.

Results

We identified 137 women with a median age of 55 years (interquartile range (IQR) 44–63). The median tumour size was 25 mm (IQR 16–35). Most women had grade 3 (92%) and ductal carcinomas (89%), and 35% were node positive; 113 (82%) patients received (neo)adjuvant chemotherapy. The most prescribed regimens for node‐negative tumours were: fluorouracil, epirubicin and cyclophosphamide (FEC) × 6 (23pts, 35%), and for node‐positive tumours, FEC‐Docetaxel (18pts, 40%). Adjuvant radiotherapy was delivered to 114 (83%) patients. After a median follow up of 40 months, 17 patients (12%) had a recurrence. All but one recurrence (94%) occurred within 3 years of diagnosis. Twelve women received palliative chemotherapy, and 14 women have died. The median survival from the time of recurrence was 18 months (IQR 5–26). Seven women (5%) had a documented BRCA1 mutation, and four women (3%) had a documented BRCA2 mutation.

Conclusions

TNBC affects women at a relatively young age and tends to recur early. Survival following metastatic disease is short, and more effective therapies are needed.
Effect of combined solifenacin and aclatonium in preventing dry mouth in patients with overactive bladder
Authors: Park Hyoung Keun , Kim Hyeong Gon , Yang Dae Yul , Choi Woo Suk , Paick Sung Hyun , Chung Hong , Yang Sang‐Kuk
Published: October 2017

Objective

The aim of the present study was to prospectively evaluate the effect of aclatonium on dry mouth in patients with overactive bladder (OAB) after treatment with solifenacin.

Methods

A multicenter randomized double‐blind controlled trial was conducted. The study subjects were men and women who had been diagnosed with OAB for ≥3 months and presented with a total Overactive Bladder Symptom Score (OABSS) ≥3. Eligible subjects were randomized to receive 5 mg solifenacin with placebo or 5 mg solifenacin with 150 mg aclatonium once daily for 8 weeks. Subjects rated dry mouth using a visual analog scale (VAS) and completed the OAB‐questionnaire (OAB‐q) short form (SF) and OABSS questionnaires at baseline and after 8 weeks treatment. Dry mouth was defined as a VAS score >30 points (range 0–100).

Results

Overall, 92 patients (49 and 43 in the placebo and aclatonium groups, respectively) completed the 8‐week treatment. In patients who had dry mouth at baseline, no differences were detected in changes in the dry mouth VAS, OABSS, or OAB‐q SF scores between the 2 groups. However, in patients who had no dry mouth at baseline, the change in dry mouth VAS score was significantly lower in the aclatonium‐ than placebo‐treated group: the VAS score increased 20 points in the placebo group compared with 9 points in the aclatonium group (P = .03). However, there were no significant differences in changes in the OABSS and OAB‐q SF scores between the 2 groups.

Conclusions

Aclatonium decreased dry mouth without disturbing treatment efficacy in patients who did not have dry mouth before treatment.
Excessive UDPG resulting from the mutation of UAP1 causes programmed cell death by triggering reactive oxygen species accumulation and caspase‐like activity in rice
Authors: Xiao Guiqing , Zhou Jiahao , Lu Xiangyang , Huang Rongfeng , Zhang Haiwen
Published: October 2017

Lesion mimic mutants are valuable to unravel the mechanisms governing the programmed cell death (PCD) process. Uridine 5′‐diphosphoglucose‐glucose (UDPG) functions as a signaling molecule activating multiple pathways in animals, but little is known about its function in plants.

Two novel allelic mutants of spl29 with typical PCD characters and reduced pollen viability were obtained by ethane methyl sulfonate mutagenesis in rice cv Kitaake.

The enzymatic analyses showed that UDP‐N‐acetylglucosamine pyrophosphorylase 1 (UAP1) irreversibly catalyzed the decomposition of UDPG. Its activity was severely destroyed and caused excessive UDPG accumulation, with the lesion occurrence associated with the enhanced caspase‐like activities in spl29‐2. At the transcriptional level, several key genes involved in endoplasmic reticulum stress and the unfolded protein response were abnormally expressed. Moreover, exogenous UDPG could aggravate lesion initiation and development in spl29‐2. Importantly, exogenous UDPG and its derivative UDP‐N‐acetylglucosamine could induce reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation and lesion mimics in Kitaake seedlings.

These results suggest that the excessive accumulation of UDPG, caused by the mutation of UAP1, was a key biochemical event resulting in the lesion mimics in spl29‐2. Thus, our findings revealed that UDPG might be an important component involved in ROS accumulation, PCD execution and lesion mimicking in rice, which also provided new clues for investigating the connection between sugar metabolism and PCD process.
Facing the challenges of research‐informed knowledge mobilization: ‘Practising what we preach’?
Authors: Powell Alison , Davies Huw T.O. , Nutley Sandra M.
Published: October 2017

The political imperative to make public services more evidence based has contributed to the growth in the past two decades of both research and practice in the field of knowledge mobilization: the range of approaches to encourage the creation, sharing and use of research‐informed knowledge alongside other forms of knowledge. Paradoxically the growth of the field has made the challenge of encouraging research use much more complex and uncertain, and the roles of knowledge mobilizers much more diverse and demanding. This in‐depth interview study of knowledge mobilization in 51 agencies concerned with knowledge for public services breaks new ground in exploring a paradox at the heart of knowledge mobilization practice: the challenges that research agencies face in practising in research‐informed ways themselves.
Overhydration, underhydration, and total body sodium: A tricky “ménage a trois” in dialysis patients
Authors: Voroneanu Luminita , Gavrilovici Cristina , Covic Adrian
Published: October 2017

Overhydration is a frequent complication in dialysis patients. It has been linked with hypertension, left ventricular hypertrophy, arterial stiffness, atherosclerosis uremic cardiomyopathy, and all‐cause mortality or cardiovascular morbidity. In addition, predialysis underhydration is also associated with increased risk of death in ESRD patients. In this context, the optimal evaluation of hydration status is a must. However, this mission is not easy or accurate. In the last 10 years, several new methods have been tested in dialysis patients, particularly bioimpedance and lung ultrasonography. The precise clinical value of these techniques in the daily care of hemodialysis patients is not obvious yet. Sodium is also an important piece of this puzzle. Salt intake and/or removal of sodium during dialysis are essential determinants of optimal hydration status. Recent studies have revealed that salt and water homeostasis is also dependent of tissue sodium storage—increased in hemodialysis patients. However, the significance of increased sodium tissue storage as a cardiovascular risk factor and the relationship between tissue sodium content and hard CV endpoint have not yet been elucidated yet.
Should Mobile Marketers Collect Data Other Than Geo‐Location?*
Authors: Baye Irina , Sapi Geza
Published: October 2017

We take today's mobile marketing data landscape as a starting point and consider a duopoly model of third‐degree price discrimination in which firms can complement geo‐location information with data on consumer flexibility of varying quality. We show that, depending on consumer heterogeneity, higher‐quality flexibility data affect profits according to three different patterns. In equilibrium, both firms tend to acquire data if the data are of high quality, while only one acquires data if the data quality is low. Firms are likely to gain from additional data if consumers have similar preferences and/or when data are precise. Although social welfare (weakly) improves, consumers can be harmed.
Detrital-zircon records of Cenomanian, Paleocene, and Oligocene Gulf of Mexico drainage integration and sediment routing: Implications for scales of basin-floor fans
Authors: Blum Michael D. , Milliken Kristy T. , Pecha Mark A. , Snedden John W. , Frederick Bruce C. , Galloway William E.
Published: October 2017

This paper uses detrital zircon (DZ) provenance and geochronological data to reconstruct paleodrainage areas and lengths for sediment-routing systems that fed the Cenomanian Tuscaloosa-Woodbine, Paleocene Wilcox, and Oligocene Vicksburg-Frio clastic wedges of the northern Gulf of Mexico (GoM) margin. During the Cenomanian, an ancestral Tennessee-Alabama River system with a distinctive Appalachian DZ signature was the largest system contributing water and sediment to the GoM, with a series of smaller systems draining the Ouachita Mountains and discharging sediment to the western GoM. By early Paleocene Wilcox deposition, drainage of the southern half of North America had reorganized such that GoM contributing areas stretched from the Western Cordillera to the Appalachians, and sediment was delivered to a primary depocenter in the northwestern GoM, the Rockdale depocenter fed by a paleo–Brazos-Colorado River system, as well as to the paleo–Mississippi River in southern Louisiana. By the Oligocene, the western drainage divide for the GoM had migrated east to the Laramide Rockies, with much of the Rockies now draining through the paleo–Red River and paleo–Arkansas River systems to join the paleo–Mississippi River in the southern Mississippi embayment. The paleo–Tennessee River had diverted to the north toward its present-day junction with the Ohio River by this time, thus becoming a tributary to the paleo-Mississippi within the northern Mississippi embayment. Hence, the paleo-Mississippi was the largest Oligocene system of the northern GoM margin.

Drainage basin organization has had a profound impact on sediment delivery to the northern GoM margin. We use paleodrainage reconstructions to predict scales of associated basin-floor fans and test our predictions against measurements made from an extensive GoM database. We predict large fan systems for the Cenomanian paleo–Tennessee-Alabama, and especially for the two major depocenters of the early Paleocene paleo–Brazos-Colorado and late Paleocene–earliest Eocene paleo-Mississippi systems, and for the Oligocene paleo-Mississippi. With the notable exception of the Oligocene, measured fans reside within the range of our predictions, indicating that this approach can be exported to other basins that are less data rich.
Carbon dot doped silica nanoparticles as fluorescent probe for determination of bromate in drinking water samples
Authors: Xiang Guoqiang , Fan Huanhuan , Zhang Heng , He Lijun , Jiang Xiuming , Zhao Wenjie
Published: October 2017

A simple and effective strategy for designing a fluorescent probe for bromate was described in this work. Organosilane modified carbon dots were prepared by pyrolysis of citric acid in N-(β-aminoethyl)-γ-aminopropyl methyldimethoxysilane solvent at 230 °C and further doped onto silica nanoparticles by a silylation reaction. The fluorescence of carbon dot doped silica nanoparticles was quenched by bromate in acidic medium. By utilizing this property, the nanoparticle could be used as a sensor to detect bromate. The parameters affecting the performance of the sensor probe such as types of acid medium, acid concentration, reaction temperature, and time were investigated and optimized. The detection limit of the sensor was found to be 1.1 ng mL−1, with a linear range from 8 to 400 ng mL−1 and relative standard deviation of 2.0% (150 ng mL−1, n = 9). The method was successfully applied to the determination of bromate in drinking water samples, and the recoveries were in the range of 96.3%–103.7%.
The dawn of FIMP Dark Matter: A review of models and constraints
Authors: Bernal Nicolás , Heikinheimo Matti , Tenkanen Tommi , Tuominen Kimmo , Vaskonen Ville
Published: October 2017

We present an overview of scenarios where the observed Dark Matter (DM) abundance consists of Feebly Interacting Massive Particles (FIMPs), produced nonthermally by the so-called freeze-in mechanism. In contrast to the usual freeze-out scenario, frozen-in FIMP DM interacts very weakly with the particles in the visible sector and never attained thermal equilibrium with the baryon–photon fluid in the early Universe. Instead of being determined by its annihilation strength, the DM abundance depends on the decay and annihilation strengths of particles in equilibrium with the baryon–photon fluid, as well as couplings in the DM sector. This makes frozen-in DM very difficult but not impossible to test. In this review, we present the freeze-in mechanism and its variations considered in the literature (dark freeze-out and reannihilation), compare them to the standard DM freeze-out scenario, discuss several aspects of model building, and pay particular attention to observational properties and general testability of such feebly interacting DM.
A Survey of Multimedia Recommender Systems: Challenges and Opportunities
Authors: Ge Mouzhi , Persia Fabio
Published: October 2017

Multimedia information has been extensively growing from a variety of sources such as cameras or video recorders. In order to select the useful multimedia objects, multimedia recommender system has been emerging as a tool to help users choose which multimedia objects might be interesting for them. However, given the complexity of multimedia objects, it is challenging to provide effective multimedia recommendations. In this paper, we therefore conduct a survey in both the multimedia information system and recommender system communities. We further focus on the works that span the two communities, especially the research on multimedia recommender systems. Based on our review, we propose a set of research challenges, which can be used to implicate the future research directions for multimedia recommender systems. For each research challenge, we have also provided the insights of how to perform the follow-up research.
Bringing Crime Trends Back into Criminology: A Critical Assessment of the Literature and a Blueprint for Future Inquiry
Authors: Baumer Eric P. , Vélez María B. , Rosenfeld Richard
Published: October 2017

Rates of street crime have dropped substantially over the past several decades, but important nuances of this decline are underappreciated and the reasons for it remain unclear. We suggest that the narrow conception of change adopted within criminology has hindered the field's capacity to develop a stronger scientific understanding of crime trends. Criminology has focused heavily on within-person changes in crime, devoting comparatively little attention to changes in aggregate crime rates. In this review, we make a case for integrating research on crime trends into the core of criminology. After describing the late twentieth century crime drop, we present a conceptual framework that situates the study of crime trends in the criminological theoretical literature and illuminates several unresolved questions central to criminological inquiry. We then highlight major shortcomings of current empirical approaches and outline several methodological improvements that would enhance our capacity to describe and explain crime trends.
Schools and Crime
Authors: Hirschfield Paul J.
Published: October 2017

This review focuses on recent advancements along two lines of criminological inquiry. The first examines how schools unintentionally influence off-campus delinquency, especially through their effects on social bonds and strain. The second examines the effects of intensified school punishment and policing on both school safety and off-campus offending. The key variables of interest to both fields of inquiry are fundamentally endogenous, which has led to some theoretical stagnation in the field. However, studies that employ quasi-experimental methods have improved causal inferences regarding the effects of additional schooling (especially in good schools) and the criminogenic effects of school exclusion. The effects of school failure and educational expectations are ripe for similar analyses. A rigorous interdisciplinary research agenda is proposed to assess the impact of decriminalizing school discipline and expanding therapeutic and restorative disciplinary alternatives to better inform the efforts underway across the United States to dismantle the school-to-prison pipeline while maintaining school safety.
Insect-Borne Plant Pathogens and Their Vectors: Ecology, Evolution, and Complex Interactions
Authors: Eigenbrode Sanford D. , Bosque-Pérez Nilsa A. , Davis Thomas S.
Published: October 2017

The transmission of insect-borne plant pathogens, including viruses, bacteria, phytoplasmas, and fungi depends upon the abundance and behavior of their vectors. These pathogens should therefore be selected to influence their vectors to enhance their transmission, either indirectly, through the infected host plant, or directly, after acquisition of the pathogen by the vector. Accumulating evidence provides partial support for the occurrence of vector manipulation by plant pathogens, especially for plant viruses, for which a theoretical framework can explain patterns in the specific effects on vector behavior and performance depending on their modes of transmission. The variability in effects of pathogens on their vectors, however, suggests inconsistency in the occurrence of vector manipulation but also may reflect incomplete information about these systems. For example, manipulation can occur through combinations of specific effects, including direct and indirect effects on performance and behavior, and dynamics in those effects with disease progression or pathogen acquisition that together constitute syndromes that promote pathogen spread. Deciphering the prevalence and forms of vector manipulation by plant pathogens remains a compelling field of inquiry, but gaps and opportunities to advance it remain. A proposed research agenda includes examining vector manipulation syndromes comprehensively within pathosystems, expanding the taxonomic and genetic breadth of the systems studied, evaluating dynamic effects that occur during disease progression, incorporating the influence of biotic and abiotic environmental factors, evaluating the effectiveness of putative manipulation syndromes under field conditions, deciphering chemical and molecular mechanisms whereby pathogens can influence vectors, expanding the use of evolutionary and epidemiological models, and seeking opportunities to exploit these effects to improve management of insect-borne, economically important plant pathogens. We expect this field to remain vibrant and productive in its own right and as part of a wider inquiry concerning host and vector manipulation by plant and animal pathogens and parasites.
Fire Whirls
Authors: Tohidi Ali , Gollner Michael J. , Xiao Huahua
Published: October 2017

Fire whirls present a powerful intensification of combustion, long studied in the fire research community because of the dangers they present during large urban and wildland fires. However, their destructive power has hidden many features of their formation, growth, and propagation. Therefore, most of what is known about fire whirls comes from scale modeling experiments in the laboratory. Both the methods of formation, which are dominated by wind and geometry, and the inner structure of the whirl, including velocity and temperature fields, have been studied at this scale. Quasi-steady fire whirls directly over a fuel source form the bulk of current experimental knowledge, although many other cases exist in nature. The structure of fire whirls has yet to be reliably measured at large scales; however, scaling laws have been relatively successful in modeling the conditions for formation from small to large scales. This review surveys the state of knowledge concerning the fluid dynamics of fire whirls, including the conditions for their formation, their structure, and the mechanisms that control their unique state. We highlight recent discoveries and survey potential avenues for future research, including using the properties of fire whirls for efficient remediation and energy generation.
The Conducted Vasomotor Response: Function, Biophysical Basis, and Pharmacological Control
Authors: Welsh Donald G. , Tran Cam Ha T. , Hald Bjorn O. , Sancho Maria
Published: October 2017

Arterial tone is coordinated among vessel segments to optimize nutrient transport and organ function. Coordinated vasomotor activity is remarkable to observe and depends on stimuli, sparsely generated in tissue, eliciting electrical responses that conduct lengthwise among electrically coupled vascular cells. The conducted response is the focus of this topical review, and in this regard, the authors highlight literature that advances an appreciation of functional significance, cellular mechanisms, and biophysical principles. Of particular note, this review stresses that conduction is enabled by a defined pattern of charge movement along the arterial wall as set by three key parameters (tissue structure, gap junctional resistivity, and ion channel activity). The impact of disease on conduction is carefully discussed, as are potential strategies to restore this key biological response and, along with it, the match of blood flow delivery with tissue energetic demand.
Impacts of the Human Gut Microbiome on Therapeutics
Authors: Vázquez-Baeza Yoshiki , Callewaert Chris , Debelius Justine , Hyde Embriette , Marotz Clarisse , Morton James T. , Swafford Austin , Vrbanac Alison , Dorrestein Pieter C. , Knight Rob
Published: October 2017

The human microbiome contains a vast source of genetic and biochemical variation, and its impacts on therapeutic responses are just beginning to be understood. This expanded understanding is especially important because the human microbiome differs far more among different people than does the human genome, and it is also dramatically easier to change. Here, we describe some of the major factors driving differences in the human microbiome among individuals and populations. We then describe some of the many ways in which gut microbes modify the action of specific chemotherapeutic agents, including nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and cardiac glycosides, and outline the potential of fecal microbiota transplant as a therapeutic. Intriguingly, microbes also alter how hosts respond to therapeutic agents through various pathways acting at distal sites. Finally, we discuss some of the computational and practical issues surrounding use of the microbiome to stratify individuals for drug response, and we envision a future where the microbiome will be modified to increase everyone's potential to benefit from therapy.
Simultaneous K-ras activation and Keap1 deletion cause atrophy of pancreatic parenchyma
Authors: Hamada Shin , Shimosegawa Tooru , Taguchi Keiko , Nabeshima Tatsuhide , Yamamoto Masayuki , Masamune Atsushi
Published: October 2017

The Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1)-NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) system has a wide variety of effects in addition to the oxidative stress response, such as growth promotion and chemoresistance of cancer cells. Nrf2 is constitutively activated in most cancer cells. However, the activation of Nrf2 together with oncogenic mutations does not always result in cancer promotion. K-rasLSL-G12D/+:: p53LSL-R172H/+:: Pdx-1-Cre (KPC) mice are an established model of pancreatic cancer that specifically express mutants of both K-ras and p53 in the pancreas by using Pdx-1-Cre. We here generated Pdx-1-Cre::K-rasLSL-G12D/+:: Keap1fl/fl (KC::Keap1) and KPC:: Keap1fl/fl (KPC::Keap1) mice in which Nrf2 is constitutively activated by Keap1 deletion. KC::Keap1 and KPC::Keap1 mice started to die or showed obvious weakness at approximately around 40 days after birth. Histological examination revealed that KC::Keap1 and KPC::Keap1 mice did not develop pancreatic cancer but, instead, progressive atrophy of the pancreatic parenchyma. In these mice, amylase-positive acinar cells as well as insulin- and glucagon-positive islet cells were decreased and surrounded by fibrotic tissues. KC::Keap1 and KPC::Keap1 mice presented lower body weight and glucose levels than C::Keap1 mice, presumably resulting from pancreatic exocrine insufficiency. Histological changes were not obvious in C::Keap1 and PC::Keap1 mice. The presence of the p53 mutation did not affect the phenotypes in KC::Keap1 mice. Heterologous or homologous Nrf2 deletion ( Nrf2+/− or Nrf2−/−) rescued the pancreatic phenotypes, weight loss, and hypoglycemia in KC::Keap1 mice, suggesting that Nrf2 is a major downstream target of Keap1. In conclusion, simultaneous K-ras activation and Keap1 deletion caused progressive atrophy of the pancreatic parenchyma in mice.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY Aberrant activation of the Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1)-NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) system usually promotes carcinogenesis, and we assumed that simultaneous activation of K-ras and Nrf2 might promote pancreatic carcinogenesis. Conditional expression of mutant K-ras and Keap1 deletion did not result in pancreatic cancer development. Instead, these mice developed progressive loss of pancreatic parenchyma, accompanied by body weight loss and hypoglycemia, presumably because of pancreatic exocrine insufficiency. Nrf2 activation by Keap1 deletion concomitant with K-ras activation cause pancreatic atrophy.
Bubble and macroaggregate methods differ in detection of blood flow through intrapulmonary arteriovenous anastomoses in upright and supine hypoxia in humans
Authors: Duke Joseph W. , Elliott Jonathan E. , Laurie Steven S. , Voelkel Thomas , Gladstone Igor M. , Fish Mathews B. , Lovering Andrew T.
Published: October 2017

Blood flow through intrapulmonary arteriovenous anastomoses (Q̇IPAVA) increases in healthy humans breathing hypoxic gas and is potentially dependent on body position. Previous work in subjects breathing room air has shown an effect of body position when Q̇IPAVA is detected with transthoracic saline contrast echocardiography (TTSCE). However, the potential effect of body position on Q̇IPAVA has not been investigated when subjects are breathing hypoxic gas or with a technique capable of quantifying Q̇IPAVA. Thus the purpose of this study was to quantify the effect of body position on Q̇IPAVA when breathing normoxic and hypoxic gas at rest. We studied Q̇IPAVA with TTSCE and quantified Q̇IPAVA with filtered technetium-99m-labeled macroaggregates of albumin (99mTc-MAA) in seven healthy men breathing normoxic and hypoxic (12% O2) gas at rest while supine and upright. On the basis of previous work using TTSCE, we hypothesized that the quantified Q̇IPAVA would be greatest with hypoxia in the supine position. We found that Q̇IPAVA quantified with 99mTc-MAA significantly increased while subjects breathed hypoxic gas in both supine and upright body positions (ΔQ̇IPAVA = 0.7 ± 0.4 vs. 2.5 ± 1.1% of cardiac output, respectively). Q̇IPAVA detected with TTSCE increased from normoxia in supine hypoxia but not in upright hypoxia (median hypoxia bubble score of 2 vs. 0, respectively). Surprisingly, Q̇IPAVA magnitude was greatest in upright hypoxia, when Q̇IPAVA was undetectable with TTSCE. These findings suggest that the relationship between TTSCE and 99mTc-MAA is more complex than previously appreciated, perhaps because of the different physical properties of bubbles and MAA in solution.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY Using saline contrast bubbles and radiolabeled macroaggregrates (MAA), we detected and quantified, respectively, hypoxia-induced blood flow through intrapulmonary arteriovenous anastomoses (Q̇IPAVA) in supine and upright body positions in healthy men. Upright hypoxia resulted in the largest magnitude of Q̇IPAVA quantified with MAA but the lowest Q̇IPAVA detected with saline contrast bubbles. These surprising results suggest that the differences in physical properties between saline contrast bubbles and MAA in blood may affect their behavior in vivo.
A New Approach to Weapon‐Target Assignment in Cooperative Air Combat
Authors: Chang Yi-zhe , Li Zhan-wu , Kou Ying-xin , Sun Qing-peng , Yang Hai-yan , Zhao Zheng-yan
Published: October 2017

A new approach to solving weapon‐target assignment (WTA) problem is proposed in this paper. Firstly, relative superiority that lays the foundation for assignment is calculated based on the combat power energy of the fighters. Based on the relative superiority, WTA problem is formulated. Afterwards, a hybrid algorithm consisting of improved artificial fish swarm algorithm (AFSA) and improved harmony search (HS) is introduced and furthermore applied to solve the assignment formulation. Finally, the proposed approach is validated by eight representative benchmark functions and two concrete cooperative air combat examples. The results show that the approach proposed in this paper achieves good performances in solving WTA problem in cooperative air combat.
Curcumin Reverses the Diazepam‐Induced Cognitive Impairment by Modulation of Oxidative Stress and ERK 1/2/NF‐κB Pathway in Brain
Authors: Sevastre-Berghian Alexandra C. , Făgărăsan Vlad , Toma Vlad A. , Bâldea Ioana , Olteanu Diana , Moldovan Remus , Decea Nicoleta , Filip Gabriela A. , Clichici Simona V.
Published: October 2017

Oxidative stress and inflammation can be involved in cognitive dysfunction associated with neurodegenerative disorders. Diazepam (DZP) administration has been chosen to simulate the memory impairment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of curcumin (CUR) on spatial cognition, ambulatory activity, and blood and brain oxidative stress levels. The ERK/NF‐κB signaling pathway and the histopathological changes in the hippocampus and frontal lobe, in diazepam‐treated rats, were also analyzed. The animals were divided into 4 groups: control, carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) + CUR, CMC + DZP, and CUR + CMC + DZP. CUR (150 mg/kg b.w.) was orally administered for 28 days. DZP (2 mg/kg b.w.) was intraperitoneally administered 20 minutes before the behavioral tests (open field test, Y‐maze, and elevated plus maze). CUR improved the spontaneous alternation behavior, decreased the oxidative stress levels, both in the blood and in the hippocampus, and downregulated the extracellular signal‐regulated kinase (ERK 1/2)/nuclear transcription factor‐ (NF‐) κB/pNF‐κB pathway in the hippocampus and the iNOS expression in the hippocampus and frontal lobe of the DZP‐treated rats. Histopathologically, no microscopic changes were found. The immunohistochemical signal of iNOS decreased in the DZP and CUR‐treated group. Thus, our findings suggest that curcumin administration may improve the cognitive performance and may also have an antioxidant effect.
Identification of Fully Measurable Grand Lebesgue Spaces
Authors: Anatriello Giuseppina , Chill Ralph , Fiorenza Alberto
Published: October 2017

We consider the Banach function spaces, called fully measurable grand Lebesgue spaces, associated with the function norm ρ(f)=ess supx∈X⁡δ(x)ρp(x)(f), where ρp(x) denotes the norm of the Lebesgue space of exponent p(x), and p(·) and δ(·) are measurable functions over a measure space (X,ν), p(x)∈[1,∞], and δ(x)∈(0,1] almost everywhere. We prove that every such space can be expressed equivalently replacing p(·) and δ(·) with functions defined everywhere on the interval (0,1), decreasing and increasing, respectively (hence the full measurability assumption in the definition does not give an effective generalization with respect to the pointwise monotone assumption and the essential supremum can be replaced with the simple supremum). In particular, we show that, in the case of bounded p(·), the class of fully measurable Lebesgue spaces coincides with the class of generalized grand Lebesgue spaces introduced by Capone, Formica, and Giova.
Properties of Skin in Chinese Infants: Developmental Changes in Ceramides and in Protein Secondary Structure of the Stratum Corneum
Authors: Yuan Chao , Zou Ying , Xueqiu Yao , Shima Kyoko , Miyauchi Yuki , Naoe Ayano , Naito Satoru , Fujimura Tsutomu , Hotta Mitsuyuki , Kitahara Takashi , Wang Xuemin
Published: October 2017

The properties of infant skin regarding its structure and stratum corneum (SC) properties during development compared to adult skin have been reported only for a few races and body sites. The aim of this study was to understand the developmental changes of skin properties in Chinese infants, focusing on SC ceramides and protein secondary structure, which are important for skin barrier function. Three body sites with distinct characteristics (cheeks, inner upper arms, and buttocks) were assessed. Sixty pairs of Chinese infants and their mothers were measured for SC hydration, transepidermal water loss, ceramide levels, sebum with an ester bond, and protein secondary structure of superficial SC. Skin hydration decreased with age at all body sites. TEWL was similar between the 2–12- and 13–24-month-old groups but was higher than the adult group at the buttocks and inner upper arms and was equal to the adult group at the cheeks. These differences coincided with differences in protein secondary structure. Ceramide and sebum levels were lower in the infant groups. We conclude that both the SC functions and the components of infant skin are still developing and are not fully adapted as in adult skin at each body site examined.
Fault Attack on the Authenticated Cipher ACORN v2
Authors: Zhang Xiaojuan , Feng Xiutao , Lin Dongdai
Published: October 2017

Fault attack is an efficient cryptanalysis method against cipher implementations and has attracted a lot of attention in recent public cryptographic literatures. In this work we introduce a fault attack on the CAESAR candidate ACORN v2. Our attack is done under the assumption of random fault injection into an initial state of ACORN v2 and contains two main steps: fault locating and equation solving. At the first step, we first present a fundamental fault locating method, which uses 99-bit output keystream to determine the fault injected location with probability 97.08%. And then several improvements are provided, which can further increase the probability of fault locating to almost 1. As for the system of equations retrieved at the first step, we give two solving methods at the second step, that is, linearization and guess-and-determine. The time complexity of our attack is not larger than c·2179.19-1.76N at worst, where N is the number of fault injections such that 31≤N≤88 and c is the time complexity of solving linear equations. Our attack provides some insights into the diffusion ability of such compact stream ciphers.
Nonintrusive Load Monitoring Based on Advanced Deep Learning and Novel Signature
Authors: Kim Jihyun , Le Thi-Thu-Huong , Kim Howon
Published: October 2017

Monitoring electricity consumption in the home is an important way to help reduce energy usage. Nonintrusive Load Monitoring (NILM) is existing technique which helps us monitor electricity consumption effectively and costly. NILM is a promising approach to obtain estimates of the electrical power consumption of individual appliances from aggregate measurements of voltage and/or current in the distribution system. Among the previous studies, Hidden Markov Model (HMM) based models have been studied very much. However, increasing appliances, multistate of appliances, and similar power consumption of appliances are three big issues in NILM recently. In this paper, we address these problems through providing our contributions as follows. First, we proposed state-of-the-art energy disaggregation based on Long Short-Term Memory Recurrent Neural Network (LSTM-RNN) model and additional advanced deep learning. Second, we proposed a novel signature to improve classification performance of the proposed model in multistate appliance case. We applied the proposed model on two datasets such as UK-DALE and REDD. Via our experimental results, we have confirmed that our model outperforms the advanced model. Thus, we show that our combination between advanced deep learning and novel signature can be a robust solution to overcome NILM’s issues and improve the performance of load identification.
Design of Nonfragile State Estimator for Discrete-Time Genetic Regulatory Networks Subject to Randomly Occurring Uncertainties and Time-Varying Delays
Authors: Zhao Yanfeng , Shen Jihong , Chen Dongyan
Published: October 2017

We deal with the design problem of nonfragile state estimator for discrete-time genetic regulatory networks (GRNs) with time-varying delays and randomly occurring uncertainties. In particular, the norm-bounded uncertainties enter into the GRNs in random ways in order to reflect the characteristic of the modelling errors, and the so-called randomly occurring uncertainties are characterized by certain mutually independent random variables obeying the Bernoulli distribution. The focus of the paper is on developing a new nonfragile state estimation method to estimate the concentrations of the mRNA and the protein for considered uncertain delayed GRNs, where the randomly occurring estimator gain perturbations are allowed. By constructing a Lyapunov-Krasovskii functional, a delay-dependent criterion is obtained in terms of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs) by properly using the discrete-time Wirtinger-based inequality and reciprocally convex combination approach as well as the free-weighting matrix method. It is shown that the proposed method ensures that the estimation error dynamics is globally asymptotically stable and the desired estimator parameter is designed via the solutions to certain LMIs. Finally, we provide two numerical examples to illustrate the feasibility and validity of the proposed estimation results.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder with Suicide Obsessions in a First Responder without Previous Diagnosis of OCD or History of Suicide Attempts
Authors: Rachamallu Vivekananda , Song Michael M. , Liu Haiying , Giles Charles L. , McMahon Terry
Published: October 2017

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a distressing and often debilitating disorder characterized by obsessions, compulsions, or both that are time-consuming and cause impairment in social, occupational, or other areas of functioning. There are many published studies reporting higher risk of suicidality in OCD patients, as well as studies describing increased risk of suicidality in OCD patients with other comorbid psychiatric conditions such as major depressive disorder (MDD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Existing case reports on OCD with suicide as the obsessive component describe patients with long standing diagnosis of OCD with suicidal ideations or previous suicide attempts. This report describes the case of a 28-year-old male, who works as a first responder, who presented with new onset symptoms characteristic of MDD and PTSD, with no past history of OCD or suicidality who developed OCD with suicidal obsessions. Differentiating between suicidal ideation in the context of other psychiatric illnesses and suicidal obsessions in OCD is critical to ensuring accurate diagnosis and timely provision of most appropriate treatment. The combination of exposure and response prevention therapy and pharmacotherapy with sertraline and olanzapine was effective in helping the patient manage the anxiety and distress stemming from the patient’s OCD with suicidal obsession.
Identification of Clostridium difficile Asymptomatic Carriers in a Tertiary Care Hospital
Authors: Silva André Luiz de Oliveira , Marra Alexandre R. , Martino Marinês Dalla Valle , Mafra Ana Carolina Cintra Nunes , Edmond Michael B. , dos Santos Oscar Fernando Pavao
Published: October 2017

Background. The diagnosis of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) increases concern that asymptomatic carriers of toxigenic C. difficile may be diagnosed with CDI. Methods. A matched case control study was conducted in inpatients in a tertiary care center. The first 50 patients with diarrhea and a positive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test beginning February 1, 2015, were identified as cases. Control patients were hospitalized patients receiving antibiotics, but with no diarrhea, housed in a room as close as possible to each case during the same admission time. A convenience sample of healthcare workers who cared for C. difficile infected patients was also tested. Results. We found two positive PCR results for C. difficile in controls (4.1%). None of these healthcare workers were positive for C. difficile by PCR. There was no difference between groups with respect to overall antibiotic use before the requested PCR for Clostridium difficile (p=0.359). The majority of cases had a high proportion of gastrointestinal disorders (71.4%) compared with control (8.2%), p<0.001. Patients with neoplasia had a higher chance of being identified as cases (p=0.041). Conclusions. PCR should not be the only diagnostic tool but should be complementary to other methods and to the medical history.
In-Line Acoustic Device Inspection of Leakage in Water Distribution Pipes Based on Wavelet and Neural Network
Authors: Kumar Dileep , Tu Dezhan , Zhu Naifu , Hou Dibo , Zhang Hongjian
Published: October 2017

Traditionally permanent acoustic sensors leak detection techniques have been proven to be very effective in water distribution pipes. However, these methods need long distance deployment and proper position of sensors and cannot be implemented on underground pipelines. An inline-inspection acoustic device is developed which consists of acoustic sensors. The device will travel by the flow of water through the pipes which record all noise events and detect small leaks. However, it records all the noise events regarding background noises, but the time domain noisy acoustic signal cannot manifest complete features such as the leak flow rate which does not distinguish the leak signal and environmental disturbance. This paper presents an algorithm structure with the modularity of wavelet and neural network, which combines the capability of wavelet transform analyzing leakage signals and classification capability of artificial neural networks. This study validates that the time domain is not evident to the complete features regarding noisy leak signals and significance of selection of mother wavelet to extract the noise event features in water distribution pipes. The simulation consequences have shown that an appropriate mother wavelet has been selected and localized to extract the features of the signal with leak noise and background noise, and by neural network implementation, the method improves the classification performance of extracted features.