bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor‐γ coactivator‐1α mediates neuroprotection against excitotoxic brain injury in transgenic mice: role of mitochondria and X‐linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein
Authors: Mäkelä Johanna , Mudò Giuseppa , Pham Dan Duc , Di Liberto Valentina , Eriksson Ove , Louhivuori Lauri , Bruelle Céline , Soliymani Rabah , Baumann Marc , Korhonen Laura , Lalowski Maciej , Belluardo Natale , Lindholm Dan
Published: January 2016

Peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor gamma coactivator‐1α (PGC‐1α) is a transcriptional coactivator involved in the regulation of mitochondrial biogenesis and cell defense. The functions of PGC‐1α in physiology of brain mitochondria are, however, not fully understood. To address this we have studied wild‐type and transgenic mice with a two‐fold overexpression of PGC‐1α in brain neurons. Data showed that the relative number and basal respiration of brain mitochondria were increased in PGC‐1α transgenic mice compared with wild‐type mitochondria. These changes occurred concomitantly with altered levels of proteins involved in oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) as studied by proteomic analyses and immunoblottings. Cultured hippocampal neurons from PGC‐1α transgenic mice were more resistant to cell degeneration induced by the glutamate receptor agonist kainic acid. In vivo kainic acid induced excitotoxic cell death in the hippocampus at 48 h in wild‐type mice but significantly less so in PGC‐1α transgenic mice. However, at later time points cell degeneration was also evident in the transgenic mouse hippocampus, indicating that PGC‐1α overexpression can induce a delay in cell death. Immunoblotting showed that X‐linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP) was increased in PGC‐1α transgenic hippocampus with no significant changes in Bcl‐2 or Bcl‐X. Collectively, these results show that PGC‐1α overexpression contributes to enhanced neuronal viability by stimulating mitochondria number and respiration and increasing levels of OXPHOS proteins and the anti‐apoptotic protein XIAP.
The single‐chain anti‐TNF‐α antibody DLX105 induces clinical and biomarker responses upon local administration in patients with chronic plaque‐type psoriasis
Authors: Tsianakas Athanasios , Brunner Patrick M. , Ghoreschi Kamran , Berger Claudia , Loser Karin , Röcken Martin , Stingl Georg , Luger Thomas , Jung Thomas
Published: January 2016

It is not clear whether TNF‐α antagonists used in the treatment of psoriasis need to act systemically, or whether local inhibition of skin‐produced TNF‐α would be sufficient to silence skin inflammation. To answer this question, we conducted two multicentre, double‐blinded, randomized, placebo‐controlled clinical trials with the novel single‐chain anti‐TNF‐α‐PENTRA®‐antibody DLX105. Upon intra‐dermal injection, DLX105 induced a mean local PASI decrease of 33% over baseline after 2 weeks of treatment, while the placebo response was only 12% (P = 0.001). The clinical response was accompanied by changes in biomarkers such as reductions in K16, Ki67 and epidermal thickness as well as decreased mRNA levels of IL‐17, TNF‐α, IL‐23p19, IL‐12p40 and IFN‐γ. Next, we applied the drug topically twice daily in a 0.5% hydrogel formulation. While the local PASI did not change, topical DLX105 mediated significant reductions of mRNA levels of key proinflammatory cytokines when compared to placebo, and this effect was further enhanced after weekly tape stripping of plaques to increase drug penetration. These results suggest that longer treatment periods and/or increased local drug concentrations might result in better therapeutic efficacy of topically applied DLX105. In sum, we can show for the first time that local inhibition of TNF‐α is sufficient to mediate a biological response in psoriasis that translates into clinical efficacy.
Antimicrobial peptides and wound healing: biological and therapeutic considerations
Authors: Mangoni Maria Luisa , McDermott Alison M. , Zasloff Michael
Published: January 2016

Repair of tissue wounds is a fundamental process to re‐establish tissue integrity and regular function. Importantly, infection is a major factor that hinders wound healing. Multicellular organisms have evolved an arsenal of host‐defense molecules, including antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), aimed at controlling microbial proliferation and at modulating the host's immune response to a variety of biological or physical insults. In this brief review, we provide the evidence for a role of AMPs as endogenous mediators of wound healing and their promising therapeutic potential for the treatment of non‐life‐threatening skin and other epithelial injuries.
Glycyrrhetinic acid inhibits contact hypersensitivity induced by trichophytin via dectin‐1
Authors: Nakamura Tomoya , Nishibu Akiko , Yoshida Naoki , Yasoshima Mitsue , Anzawa Kazushi , Watanabe Yasuharu , Nagai Yoshinori , Takatsu Kiyoshi , Ogawa Kazuo , Mochizuki Takashi
Published: January 2016

Trichophyton infection is highly prevalent and tends to be recurrent. Therefore, it is important to develop new therapeutic agents. Previously, we established a mouse model of Trichophyton‐induced contact hypersensitivity (CHS) and demonstrated that dectin‐1 was involved in inflammation induced by trichophytin, the Trichophyton antigen. Here, we used that model to investigate glycyrrhetinic acid (GA) from plants of the genus Glycyrrhiza as a potential anti‐inflammatory agent against superficial mycoses. GA suppressed swelling and the expression of inflammatory cytokines, including macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)‐2, interleukin (IL)‐6, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‐α and interferon (IFN)‐γ mRNA. Anti‐MIP‐2 antibody suppressed trichophytin‐induced inflammation, and antidectin‐1 antibody suppressed zymosan‐induced MIP‐2 production in keratinocyte cells. These results suggest that MIP‐2 is produced by dectin‐1 activation and is involved in inflammation associated with CHS to trichophytin. GA also suppressed zymosan‐induced MIP‐2 and interleukin (IL)‐8, production in mouse and human macrophages and keratinocytes. Furthermore, GA suppressed the phosphorylation of spleen tyrosine kinase (Syk) and inhibitor of nuclear factor‐kappa B (IκBα) and the degradation of IκBα in zymosan‐simulated RAW264.7 cells. The results of this study suggest that GA suppresses inflammation induced by trichophytin, partly by the downregulation of Syk phosphorylation.
Adapted physical exercise enhances activation and differentiation potential of satellite cells in the skeletal muscle of old mice
Authors: Cisterna Barbara , Giagnacovo Marzia , Costanzo Manuela , Fattoretti Patrizia , Zancanaro Carlo , Pellicciari Carlo , Malatesta Manuela
Published: January 2016

During ageing, a progressive loss of skeletal muscle mass and a decrease in muscle strength and endurance take place, in the condition termed sarcopenia. The mechanisms of sarcopenia are complex and still unclear; however, it is known that muscle atrophy is associated with a decline in the number and/or efficiency of satellite cells, the main contributors to muscle regeneration. Physical exercise proved beneficial in sarcopenia; however, knowledge of the effect of adapted physical exercise on the myogenic properties of satellite cells in aged muscles is limited. In this study the amount and activation state of satellite cells as well as their proliferation and differentiation potential were assessed in situ by morphology, morphometry and immunocytochemistry at light and transmission electron microscopy on 28‐month‐old mice submitted to adapted aerobic physical exercise on a treadmill. Sedentary age‐matched mice served as controls, and sedentary adult mice were used as a reference for an unperturbed control at an age when the capability of muscle regeneration is still high. The effect of physical exercise in aged muscles was further analysed by comparing the myogenic potential of satellite cells isolated from old running and old sedentary mice using an in vitro system that allows observation of the differentiation process under controlled experimental conditions. The results of this ex vivo and in vitro study demonstrated that adapted physical exercise increases the number and activation of satellite cells as well as their capability to differentiate into structurally and functionally correct myotubes (even though the age‐related impairment in myotube formation is not fully reversed): this evidence further supports adapted physical exercise as a powerful, non‐pharmacological approach to counteract sarcopenia and the age‐related deterioration of satellite cell capabilities even at very advanced age.
Benzo[a]pyrene/aryl hydrocarbon receptor signaling inhibits osteoblastic differentiation and collagen synthesis of human periodontal ligament cells
Authors: Monnouchi S. , Maeda H. , Yuda A. , Serita S. , Wada N. , Tomokiyo A. , Akamine A.
Published: January 2016

Background and Objective

Cigarette smoking has detrimental effects on periodontal tissue, and is known to be a risk factor for periodontal disease, including the loss of alveolar bone and ligament tissue. However, the direct effects of cigarette smoking on periodontal tissue remain unclear. Recently, we demonstrated that benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), which is a prototypic member of polycyclic aryl hydrocarbons and forms part of the content of cigarettes, attenuated the expression of extracellular matrix remodeling‐related genes in human periodontal ligament (PDL) cells (HPDLCs). Thus, we aimed to examine the effects of BaP on the osteoblastic differentiation and collagen synthesis of HPDLCs.

Material and Methods

HPDLCs were obtained from healthy molars of three patients, and quantitative reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction were performed for gene expression analyses of cytochrome P450 1A1 and 1B1, alkaline phosphatase, bone sialoprotein and aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), a receptor for polycyclic aryl hydrocarbons. We have also analyzed the role of the AhR, using 2‐methyl‐2H‐pyrazole‐3‐carboxylic acid (2‐methyl‐4‐o‐tolylazo‐phenyl)‐amide (CH‐223191), which is an AhR antagonist.

Results

The treatment of HPDLCs with BaP reduced mRNA expression of osteogenic genes, alkaline phosphatase activity, mineralization and collagen synthesis. The treatment with CH‐223191 subsequently restored the observed suppressive effects of BaP on HPDLCs.

Conclusions

The present results suggest that BaP exerts inhibitory effects on the maintenance of homeostasis in HPDL tissue, such as osteoblastic differentiation and collagen synthesis of HPDLCs, and that this signaling pathway could be suppressed by preventing the transactivity of AhR. Future studies may unveil a role for the inhibition of AhR as a promising therapeutic agent for periodontal disease caused by cigarette smoking.
Evaluation of emergency pediatric tracheal intubation by pediatric anesthesiologists on inpatient units and the emergency department
Authors: Bai Wenyu , Golmirzaie Kristine , Burke Constance , Van Veen Tara , Christensen Robert , Voepel‐Lewis Terri , Malviya Shobha
Published: January 2016

Background and Objectives

There are limited data on pediatric emergency tracheal intubation on inpatient units and in the emergency department by anesthesiologists. This retrospective cohort study was designed to describe the frequency of difficult intubation and adverse events associated with emergency tracheal intubation performed by pediatric anesthesiologists in a large children's hospital.

Methods

All emergency tracheal intubation on inpatient units and the emergency department performed by pediatric anesthesiologists over a 7‐year period in children <18 years were identified by querying our perioperative clinical information system. Medical records were comprehensively reviewed to describe the emergency intubation process and outcomes.

Results

One hundred and thirty‐two intubations from 120 children (median age 3.3 years) were eligible. The majority of emergency tracheal intubations were successful with 1–2 laryngoscopy attempts, while 14 (10.6%) were difficult. Despite grade 3 view in 3/14 cases, the airway was secured after multiple direct laryngoscopy attempts. Eleven required use of an alternative airway device to secure the airway. A preexisting airway abnormality or craniofacial abnormality was present in 57% of cases with difficult intubation including half with micrognathia or retrognathia. Major intubation‐related adverse events such as aspiration, occurred in 5 (3.8%) emergency tracheal intubations. Mild‐to‐moderate intubation‐related adverse events occurred in 23 (17.4%) emergency tracheal intubations including mainstem bronchus intubation (13.6%).

Conclusion

A significant rate of difficult intubation and mild‐to‐moderate intubation‐related adverse events were found in emergency tracheal intubations on inpatient units and the emergency department in children performed by a pediatric anesthesiology emergency airway team. Difficult intubation was observed frequently in children with preexisting airway and craniofacial abnormalities and often required the use of an alternative airway device to successfully secure the airway.
Central nervous system EBV lymphoproliferative disorder in a patient with rhabdomyosarcoma
Authors: Nakashima Kentaro , Kodama Yuichi , Nishikawa Takuro , Nishimura Miho , Ito Nobuhiro , Fukano Reiji , Nomura Yuko , Ueba Tetsuya , Inoue Tooru , Oshima Koichi , Okamura Jun , Inagaki Jiro
Published: January 2016

Epstein–Barr virus associated lymphoproliferative disorder (EBV‐LPD) occurs in patients with immunodeficiency, but it has not been well described in patients who have received chemotherapy for solid tumors. We describe a child with rhabdomyosarcoma who developed isolated central nervous system (CNS) EBV‐LPD during combination chemotherapy with vincristine, actinomycin D and cyclophosphamide. The patient was treated with high‐dose methotrexate (HD‐MTX) for CNS EBV‐LPD and then treated with rituximab in addition to HD‐MTX because of the emergence of LPD in the liver. I.v. rituximab combined with HD‐MTX might be effective therapy for CNS EBV‐LPD.
The Collateral Consequences of Prisonization: Racial Sorting, Carceral Identity, and Community Criminalization
Authors: Lopez‐Aguado Patrick
Published: January 2016

In this paper, I employ analyses of the collateral consequences of mass incarceration to consider how high‐incarceration communities are impacted by socializing processes instilled in the prison. Collateral consequences researchers have found that neighborhoods with high rates of incarceration suffer cumulative disadvantage, intensified policing, and the criminalization of residents. But overlooked in this literature is how socializing processes that are institutionalized in the prison shape the criminalization of community residents as gang‐involved. For example, I argue that the fallout of sorting imprisoned Latinos into gang‐associated groups has been the emergence of prison‐based Norteña/o, Sureña/o, and Bulldog identities in criminalized Chicana/o neighborhoods, complicating the implications mass incarceration has for marginalized communities of color. The geographic concentration of both mass incarceration and its collateral consequences not only directs aggressive policing into these residential spaces but also structures a relationship between prison and neighborhood that reinforces the recognition of community members as criminal. The appearance of Norteña/o, Sureña/o, and Bulldog identities in Latina/o neighborhoods represents some of the unanticipated consequences mass incarceration has for high‐incarceration communities, both in terms of the exportation of prison culture to the street and in terms of the extension of the prison's ability to define and construct criminality.
Conservation researchers get a new roost in Cambridge
Authors: Stokstad Erik
Published: January 2016

Renovated building aims to foster alliances.
Reconciliation of the Devils Hole climate record with orbital forcing
Authors: Moseley Gina E. , Edwards R. Lawrence , Wendt Kathleen A. , Cheng Hai , Dublyansky Yuri , Lu Yanbin , Boch Ronny , Spötl Christoph
Published: January 2016

The difference is all in the water

Glacial cycles are in part controlled by the pattern of incident solar energy determined by the geometry of Earth's orbit around the Sun. The classic record of the penultimate deglaciation from Devils Hole, Nevada, did not reconcile the presumption of so-called orbital forcing, however, suggesting that deglaciation began ~10,000 years too early. Moseley
et al.
present analyses of a new set of data from Devils Hole that show that the deglaciation indeed occurred at the time expected on the basis of orbital forcing. The age offset displayed by the older samples apparently was caused by interaction with groundwater, which preferentially affected the deeper original samples but not the new shallower samples.

Science
, this issue p.
165
Lower-mantle materials under pressure
Authors: Chen Jiuhua
Published: January 2016

Laboratory measurements provide a window into Earth's mantle dynamics

[Also see Report by

Girard
et al.

]
Potency finds its niches
Authors: Cabezas-Wallscheid Nina , Trumpp Andreas
Published: January 2016

Adult bone marrow employs a surprisingly simple hematopoietic hierarchy

[Also see Research Article by

Notta
et al.

and Report by

Khan
et al.

]
Sudden cardiac death in asymptomatic aortic stenosis: is the valve to blame?
Authors: Christensen Nicolaj Lyhne , Carter-Storch Rasmus , Bakkestrøm Rine , Dahl Jordi Sanchez
Published: January 2016

An active 68-year-old man with asymptomatic severe aortic stenosis and normal functional capacity on a conventional bicycle exercise test underwent a haemodynamic stress test with simultaneous invasive haemodynamic monitoring and echocardiography during supine bicycle testing as part of a research project. With exercise, the patient developed pulmonary venous hypertension and mild regional wall motion abnormalities on echocardiography. The patient terminated the test due to exhaustion. In the recovery period, he developed sustained ventricular tachycardia and became unconscious. No symptoms were present during exercise or prior to cardiac arrest. The following coronary angiogram revealed significant 2-vessel disease, and the patient subsequently underwent successful aortic valve replacement and coronary-artery bypass graft surgery.
Post-malaria neurological syndrome or viral encephalitis?
Authors: Caetano André , Mendonça Marcelo D , Ferreira Nuno Ribeiro , Alves Luísa
Published: January 2016

We present a case of a 60-year-old Caucasian man recently returned from Angola, where he had been successfully treated for a severe (non-cerebral) falciparum malaria infection. He was presented to the emergency room, with a subacute onset encephalopathy, ataxia and a generalised tonic–clonic seizure. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis revealed lymphocytic pleocytosis (123 cells/µL) and hyperproteinorrhachia (188 mg/dL). Brain MRI and EEG were unremarkable. CSF PCR testing for neurotropic viruses was negative as were CSF and blood cultures. The patient was treated with ceftriaxone and acyclovir, with full recovery on the second day of treatment. We believe post-malaria neurological syndrome, a rare self-limited encephalopathy, should be considered in the differential diagnosis. Nevertheless, the presentation, lack of changes on brain MRI and EEG, along with possible false-negative CSF viral PCR, could still represent a viral encephalitis, which brings to question the treatment approach to adopt (conservative vs wide spectrum antiviral plus antibiotics).
Feasibility study of an integrated stroke self-management programme: a cluster-randomised controlled trial
Authors: Jones Fiona , Gage Heather , Drummond Avril , Bhalla Ajay , Grant Robert , Lennon Sheila , McKevitt Christopher , Riazi Afsane , Liston Matthew
Published: January 2016

Objectives

To test the feasibility of conducting a controlled trial into the effectiveness of a self-management programme integrated into stroke rehabilitation.

Design

A feasibility cluster-randomised design was utilised with stroke rehabilitation teams as units of randomisation.

Setting

Community-based stroke rehabilitation teams in London.

Participants

78 patients with a diagnosis of stroke requiring community based rehabilitation.

Intervention

The intervention consisted of an individualised approach to self-management based on self-efficacy. Clinicians were trained to integrate defined self-management principles into scheduled rehabilitation sessions, supported by a patient-held workbook.

Main outcomes measures

Patient measures of quality of life, mood, self-efficacy and functional capacity, and health and social care utilisation, were carried out by blinded assessors at baseline, 6 weeks and 12 weeks. Fidelity and acceptability of the delivery were evaluated by observation and interviews.

Results

4 community stroke rehabilitation teams were recruited, and received a total of 317 stroke referrals over 14 months. Of these, 138 met trial eligibility criteria and 78 participants were finally recruited (56.5%). Demographic and baseline outcome measures were similar between intervention and control arms, with the exception of age. All outcome measures were feasible to use and clinical data at 12 weeks were completed for 66/78 participants (85%; 95% CI 75% to 92%). There was no significant difference in any of the outcomes between the arms of the trial, but measures of functional capacity and self-efficacy showed responsiveness to the intervention. Observation and interview data confirmed acceptability and fidelity of delivery according to predetermined criteria. Costs varied by site.

Conclusions

It was feasible to integrate a stroke self-management programme into community rehabilitation, using key principles. Some data were lost to follow-up, but overall results support the need for conducting further research in this area and provide data to support the design of a definitive trial.

Trial registration number

ISRCTN42534180.
Experiences of food abstinence in patients with type 2 diabetes: a qualitative study
Authors: Buchmann Maike , Wermeling Matthias , Lucius-Hoene Gabriele , Himmel Wolfgang
Published: January 2016

Objective

People with type 2 diabetes often report pressure to abstain from many of life's pleasures. We tried to reconstruct these patients’ sense of pressure to better understand how people with diabetes make sense of, and integrate, these feelings into their life.

Design, setting and participants

A secondary analysis of narrative interviews with 14 patients with type 2 diabetes who are part of a website project.

Main outcome measures

Grounded theory-based analysis of narrative interviews, consisting of open, axial and selective coding.

Results

People with type 2 diabetes felt obliged to give up many pleasures and live a life of abstinence. They perceived a pressure to display a modest culinary lifestyle via improved laboratory test results and weight. Their verbal efforts to reassure and distance themselves from excessiveness indicate a high moral pressure. With regard to the question of how to abstain, food and behaviour were classified into healthy and unhealthy. Personal rules sometimes led to surprising experiences of freedom.

Conclusions

People with diabetes have internalised that their behaviour is a barrier to successful treatment. They experience an intensive pressure to show abstinence and feel misjudged when their efforts have no visible effect. Taking into account this moral pressure, and listening to patients’ personal efforts and strategies to establish healthy behaviours, might help to build a trusting relationship with healthcare providers.
Research protocol for a diagnostic study of non-invasive exhaled breath analysis for the prediction of oesophago-gastric cancer
Authors: Markar Sheraz R , Lagergren Jesper , Hanna George B
Published: January 2016

Introduction

Despite improvements in a range of chemo, radio and surgical therapies, the overall survival at 5 years from oesophago-gastric cancer remains poor and ranges from 10% to 30%. Early diagnosis is a key strategy to improve survival but early disease stage has non-specific symptoms that are very common while the warning clinical picture often indicates advanced disease. The aim of this research is to validate a breath test to predict oesophago-gastric cancer therefore allowing earlier diagnosis and introduction of treatment.

Methods and analysis

The study will include 325 patients and be conducted across four major oesophago-gastric cancer centres in London, UK. This research will utilise selected ion flow-tube mass spectrometry (SIFT-MS) exhaled breath analysis, for comparison of predicted cancer risk based on the previously developed volatile organic compound exhaled breath model, with endoscopic findings and histology biopsies. This will determine the overall diagnostic accuracy for non-invasive breath testing for the diagnosis of oesophago-gastric cancer.

Ethics and Dissemination

Approval was gained from NRES Committee London, on 16 July 2014 (REC reference 14/LO/1136) for the completion of this study. Different methods of dissemination will be employed including international clinical and patient group presentations, and publication of research outputs in a high-impact clinical journal. This is to ensure that the findings from this research will reach patients, primary care practitioners, scientists, hospital specialists in gastroenterology, oncology and surgery, health policymakers and commissioners as well as NHS regulatory bodies.

Trials registration number

UKCRN18063; Pre-results.
Clustered randomised controlled trial of two education interventions designed to increase physical activity and well-being of secondary school students: the MOVE Project
Authors: Tymms Peter B , Curtis Sarah E , Routen Ash C , Thomson Katie H , Bolden David S , Bock Susan , Dunn Christine E , Cooper Ashley R , Elliott Julian G , Moore Helen J , Summerbell Carolyn D , Tiffin Paul A , Kasim Adetayo S
Published: January 2016

Objective

To assess the effectiveness of 2 interventions in improving the physical activity and well-being of secondary school children.

Design

A clustered randomised controlled trial; classes, 1 per school, were assigned to 1 of 3 intervention arms or a control group based on a 2×2 factorial design. The interventions were peer-mentoring and participative learning. Year 7 children (aged 11–12) in the peer-mentoring intervention were paired with year 9 children for 6 weekly mentoring meetings. Year 7 children in the participative learning arm took part in 6 weekly geography lessons using personalised physical activity and Global Positioning System (GPS) data. Year 7 children in the combined intervention received both interventions, with the year 9 children only participating in the mentoring sessions.

Participants

1494 year 7 students from 60 schools in the North of England took part in the trial. Of these, 43 students opted out of taking part in the evaluation measurements, 2 moved teaching group and 58 changed school. Valid accelerometry outcome data were collected for 892 students from 53 schools; and well-being outcome data were available for 927 students from 52 schools.

Main outcome measures

The primary outcomes were mean minutes of accelerometer-measured moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity per day, and well-being as evaluated by the KIDSCREEN-27 questionnaire. These data were collected 6 weeks after the intervention; a 12-month follow-up is planned.

Results

No significant effects (main or interaction) were observed for the outcomes. However, small positive differences were found for both outcomes for the participative learning intervention.

Conclusions

These findings suggest that the 2 school-based interventions did not modify levels of physical activity or well-being within the period monitored. Change in physical activity may require more comprehensive individual behavioural intervention, and/or more system-based efforts to address wider environmental influences such as family, peers, physical environment, transport and educational policy.

Trial registration number

ISRCTN82956355.
Distribution of geometric quantum discord in photon-added coherent states
Authors: Daoud M. , Kaydi W. , El Hadfi H.
Published: January 2016

In this paper, we examine the influence of photon excitation on the monogamy property of quantum discord in tripartite coherent states of Greenberger–Horne–Zeilinger (GHZ) type. The Hilbert–Schmidt norm is used as quantifier of pairwise quantum correlations. The geometric quantum discord in all bipartite subsystems are explicitly given. We show that the geometric discord is monogamous for any photon excitation order.
Shannon entropy and decoherence of bound magnetopolaron in a modified cylindrical quantum dot
Authors: Fotue A. J. , Kenfack S. C. , Tiotsop M. , Issofa N. , Wirngo A. V. , Tabue Djemmo M. P. , Fotsin H. , Fai L. C.
Published: January 2016

In this paper, we calculate the time evolution of the quantum mechanical state of a bound magnetopolaron in a modified cylindrical quantum dot. In the condition of strong coupling, we investigate the eigen energies and the eigenfunctions of the ground state and the first excited state, respectively. This system may be employed as a two-level quantum system qubit and therefore be helpful for storage of information. The Shannon entropy is used to investigate the decoherence of the qubit when the latter is in the superposition state of the ground and the first excited states. We also study the influence of the electric field, the magnetic field and the Coulomb potential on the decoherence time, eigen energies of the ground state, and the first excited state. It is shown that, the phonon spontaneous emission causes the decoherence of the qubit. We plot the decay of the density matrix of the qubit and the coherent term of the density matrix element [Formula: see text] (or [Formula: see text]) in a function of time for different coupling strengths, confinement lengths and dispersion coefficient.
Multi-Criteria Sorting with Category Size Restrictions
Authors: Köksalan Murat , Mousseau Vincent , Özpeynirci Selin
Published: January 2016

We consider the multi-criteria sorting problem where alternatives that are evaluated on multiple criteria are assigned into ordered categories. We focus on the sorting problem with category size restrictions, where the decision maker (DM) may have some concerns or constraints on the number of alternatives that should be assigned to some of the categories. We develop an approach based on the UTADIS method that fits an additive utility function to represent the decision maker’s preferences. We introduce additional variables and constraints to enforce the restrictions on the sizes of categories. The new formulation reduces the number of binary variables and hence decreases the computational effort compared to the existing approaches in the literature. We further improve the computational efficiency by developing lower and upper bounds on the rank of each alternative in order to narrow down the set of categories that each alternative can be assigned to. We demonstrate our approach on two applications from practice.
HIGHLY SENSITIVE H7N9 AVIAN INFLUENZA VIRUS DETECTION USING REVERSE TRANSCRIPTION LOOP-MEDIATED ISOTHERMAL AMPLIFICATION AND OLIGONUCLEOTIDE MICROARRAY
Authors: Wang Lih-Chiann , Huang Dean
Published: January 2016

H7N9 avian influenza viruses have circulated in the human population and poultry flocks in China since 2013. H7N9 virus monitoring is imperative in Taiwan due to the frequent contact between China and Taiwan. Traditional viral molecular detection methods using RT-PCR and sequencing are time- and labor-intensive, thus a simpler and cheaper method with high sensitivity and specificity is worth developing. We successfully detected human and wild bird H7N9 viruses in this study using reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) and oligonucleotide microarray. The detection limit was as low as one viral copy number. The specific matching reaction between the templates and microarray probes during hybridization ensured the high detection effectiveness. The excellent sensitivity and specificity of the RT-LAMP-microarray makes it a powerful H7N9 surveillance approach in Taiwan.
Spectral invariants of distance functions
Authors: Ishikawa Suguru
Published: January 2016

Calculating the spectral invariant of Floer homology of the distance function, we can find new superheavy subsets in symplectic manifolds. We show if convex open subsets in Euclidian space with the standard symplectic form are disjointly embedded in a spherically negative monotone closed symplectic manifold, their complement is superheavy. In particular, the [Formula: see text] bouquet in a closed Riemann surface with genus [Formula: see text] is superheavy. We also prove some analogous properties of a monotone closed symplectic manifold. These can be used to extend Seyfaddni’s result about lower bounds of Poisson bracket invariant.
Glacial history of the Maritime Alps from the Last Glacial Maximum to the Little Ice Age
Authors: Federici Paolo Roberto , Ribolini Adriano , Spagnolo Matteo
Published: January 2016

A complete sequence of glacial deposits and moraines within the same valley system in the Maritime Alps, spanning from the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) to the Little Ice Age is presented. The sequence is geomorphologically and morphostratigraphically coherent and most stadials have been chronologically constrained by their cosmogenic exposure ages, lichenometry and by correlation with radiocarbon-dated moraines in neighbouring valleys. The shape, extent and thickness of the palaeoglaciers at each stadial have also been reconstructed and their equilibrium line altitude calculated. The LGM moraine of the Gesso Basin bears a similar equilibrium line altitude and age to that of other LGM moraines across the Alps. The recognized Late-glacial stadials show strong similarities with the corresponding stadials of the central–eastern Alpine valleys, such as Gschnitz, Bühl, Daun and Egesen. The recalculation of the exposure ages of moraine boulders with a new production rate better defines the LGM (24.0 ka) and the Egesen Stadial (13.0 ka), while the Bühl Stadial (18.5 ka) is dated for the first time in the Alps. Three early Holocene glacial advances are defined and correlated to the Kartell, Kromer and Göschenen I stadials, widely recognized in other Alpine sectors. Lichenometric dates indicate a three-fold oscillation during the Little Ice Age (thirteenth, seventeenth and nineteenth centuries).
The theropod that wasn't: an ornithopod tracksite from the Helvetiafjellet Formation (Lower Cretaceous) of Boltodden, Svalbard
Authors: Hurum Jørn H. , Druckenmiller Patrick S. , Hammer Øyvind , Nakrem Hans A. , Olaussen Snorre
Published: January 2016

We re-examine a Lower Cretaceous dinosaur tracksite at Boltodden in the Kvalvågen area, on the east coast of Spitsbergen, Svalbard. The tracks are preserved in the Helvetiafjellet Formation (Barremian). A sedimentological characterization of the site indicates that the tracks formed on a beach/margin of a lake or interdistributary bay, and were preserved by flooding. In addition to the two imprints already known from the site, we describe at least 34 additional, previously unrecognized pes and manus prints, including one trackway. Two pes morphotypes and one manus morphotype are recognized. Given the range of morphological variation and the presence of manus tracks, we reinterpret all the prints as being from an ornithopod rather than a theropod, as previously described. We assign the smaller (morphotype A, pes; morphotype B, manus) to
Caririchnium billsarjeanti
. The larger (morphotype C, pes) track is assigned to
Caririchnium
sp., differing in size and interdigital angle from the two described ichnospecies
C
.
burreyi
and
C
.
billsarjeanti
. The occurrence of a quadrupedal, small to medium-sized ornithopod in Svalbard is puzzling, considering the current palaeogeographical reconstructions and that such dinosaur tracks have mainly been described from Europe but not North America.
Using an Epidemiological Approach to Maximize Data Survival in the Internet of Things
Authors: Makhoul Abdallah , Guyeux Christophe , Hakem Mourad , Bahi Jacques M.
Published: January 2016

The Internet of Things (IoT) has gained worldwide attention in recent years. It transforms the everyday objects that surround us into proactive actors of the Internet, generating and consuming information. An important issue related to the appearance of such a large-scale self-coordinating IoT is the reliability and the collaboration between the objects in the presence of environmental hazards. High failure rates lead to significant loss of data. Therefore, data survivability is a main challenge of the IoT. In this article, we have developed a compartmental e-Epidemic SIR (Susceptible-Infectious-Recovered) model to save the data in the network and let it survive after attacks. Furthermore, our model takes into account the dynamic topology of the network where natural death (crashing nodes) and birth are defined and analyzed. Theoretical methods and simulations are employed to solve and simulate the system of equations developed and to analyze the model.
Symmetry-Agnostic Coordinated Management of the Memory Hierarchy in Multicore Systems
Authors: Zhou Miao , Du Yu , Childers Bruce , Mosse Daniel , Melhem Rami
Published: January 2016

In a multicore system, many applications share the last-level cache (LLC) and memory bandwidth. These resources need to be carefully managed in a coordinated way to maximize performance. DRAM is still the technology of choice in most systems. However, as traditional DRAM technology faces energy, reliability, and scalability challenges, nonvolatile memory (NVM) technologies are gaining traction. While DRAM is read/write symmetric (a read operation has comparable latency and energy consumption as a write operation), many NVM technologies (such as Phase-Change Memory, PCM) experience read/write asymmetry: write operations are typically much slower and more power hungry than read operations. Whether the memory’s characteristics are symmetric or asymmetric influences the way shared resources are managed.

We propose two symmetry-agnostic schemes to manage a shared LLC through way partitioning and memory through bandwidth allocation. The proposals work well for both symmetric and asymmetric memory. First, an exhaustive search is proposed to find the best combination of a cache way partition and bandwidth allocation. Second, an approximate scheme, derived from a theoretical model, is proposed without the overhead of exhaustive search. Simulation results show that the approximate scheme improves weighted speedup by at least 14% on average (regardless of the memory symmetry) over a state-of-the-art way partitioning and memory bandwidth allocation. Simulation results also show that the approximate scheme achieves comparable weighted speedup as a state-of-the-art multiple resource management scheme, XChange, for symmetric memory, and outperforms it by an average of 10% for asymmetric memory.
The path dependence of dynamic traditions and the illusion of cultural AIDS
Authors: Volkman Richard
Published: January 2016

Analyses of cultural change routinely turn on observations or evaluations regarding what some institution, system of belief, or technology is doing to "us," but it can be obscure how one is supposed to fix the meaning of such claims. This essay explores such analyses, calling attention to their reliance on the rhetorical force of the first person plural when the literal meaning of their claims strongly suggests the third person would be more literally appropriate. In many cases, "we" has to mean "them---not us." The essay describes how this rhetorical move invites readers to conceive the relation between individuals and the cultures they inhabit as legitimizing a dubious paternalism, how pluralism undermines confidence in the paternalist attitude entwined within that conception, and finally sketches an alternative in which individuals are vested with ultimate cultural authority.
The issue of moral consideration in robot ethics
Authors: Gerdes Anne
Published: January 2016

This paper discusses whether we should grant moral consideration to robots. Contemporary approaches in support of doing so centers around a relational appearance based approach, which takes departure in the fact that we already by now enter into ethical demanding relations with (even simplistic) robots
as if
they had a mind of their own. Hence, it is assumed that moral status can be viewed as socially constructed and negotiated
within
relations. However, I argue that a relational turn risks turning the
as if
into
if
at the cost of losing sight of what matters in human-human relations. Therefore, I stick to a human centered framework and introduce a moral philosophical perspective, primarily based on Kant's
Tugendlehre
and his conception of duties as well as the Formula of Humanity, which also holds a relational perspective. This enables me to discuss preliminary arguments for moral considerations of robots.
A realisation of ethical concerns with smartphone personal health monitoring apps
Authors: Jiya Tilimbe
Published: January 2016

The pervasiveness of smartphones has facilitated a new way in which owners of devices can monitor their health using applications (apps) that are installed on their smartphones. Smartphone personal health monitoring (SPHM) collects and stores health related data of the user either locally or in a third party storing mechanism. They are also capable of giving feedback to the user of the app in response to conditions that are provided to the app therefore empowering the user to actively make decisions to adjust their lifestyle.

Regardless of the benefits that this new innovative technology offers to its users, there are some ethical concerns to the user of SPHM apps. These ethical concerns are in some way connected to the features of SPHM apps. From a literature survey, this paper attempts to recognize ethical issues with personal health monitoring apps on smartphones, viewed in light of general ethics of ubiquitous computing. The paper argues that there are ethical concerns with the use of SPHM apps regardless of the benefits that the technology offers to users due to SPHM apps' ubiquity leaving them open to known and emerging ethical concerns. The paper then propose a need for further empirical research to validate the claim.
Young people do care
Authors: Gunasekara Gehan , Murata Kiyoshi , Adams Andrew A. , Palma Ana María Lara
Published: January 2016

This study investigates the attitudes towards and social impacts of Edward Snowden's revelations in New Zealand through a questionnaire survey and follow-up interviews with New Zealand youngsters as part of the worldwide cross-cultural analyses. The survey results showed striking contrasts with those in other countries reflecting New Zealand's socio-cultural and political environment.
Musings on misconduct
Authors: Heron Michael James , Belford Pauline
Published: January 2016

Tools for algorithmically detecting plagiarism have become very popular, but none of these tools offers an effective and reliable way to identify plagiarism within academic software development. As a result, the identification of plagiarism within programming submissions remains an issue of academic judgment. The number of submissions that come in to a large programming class can frustrate the ability to fully investigate each submission for conformance with academic norms of attribution. It is necessary for academics to investigate misconduct, but time and logistical considerations likely make it difficult, if not impossible, to ensure full coverage of all solutions. In such cases, a subset of submissions may be analyzed, and these are often the submissions that have most readily come to mind as containing suspect elements. In this paper, the authors discuss some of the issues with regards to identifying plagiarism within programming modules, and the ethical issues that these raise. The paper concludes with some personal reflections on how best to deal with the complexities so as to ensure fairer treatment for students and fairer coverage of submissions.
The Emerging Role of Spinal Dynorphin in Chronic Pain: A Therapeutic Perspective
Authors: Podvin Sonia , Yaksh Tony , Hook Vivian
Published: January 2016

Notable findings point to the significance of the dynorphin peptide neurotransmitter in chronic pain. Spinal dynorphin neuropeptide levels are elevated during development of chronic pain and sustained during persistent chronic pain. Importantly, knockout of the dynorphin gene prevents development of chronic pain in mice, but acute nociception is unaffected. Intrathecal (IT) administration of opioid and nonopioid dynorphin peptides initiates allodynia through a nonopioid receptor mechanism; furthermore, antidynorphin antibodies administered by the IT route attenuate chronic pain. Thus, this review presents the compelling evidence in the field that supports the role of dynorphin in facilitating the development of a persistent pain state. These observations illustrate the importance of elucidating the control mechanisms responsible for the upregulation of spinal dynorphin in chronic pain. Also, spinal dynorphin regulation of downstream signaling molecules may be implicated in hyperpathic states. Therapeutic strategies to block the upregulation of spinal dynorphin may provide a nonaddictive approach to improve the devastating condition of chronic pain that occurs in numerous human diseases.
Oxysterols: Old Tale, New Twists
Authors: Luu Winnie , Sharpe Laura J. , Capell-Hattam Isabelle , Gelissen Ingrid C. , Brown Andrew J.
Published: January 2016

Oxysterols have long been known for their important role in cholesterol homeostasis, where they are involved in both transcriptional and posttranscriptional mechanisms for controlling cholesterol levels. However, they are increasingly associated with a wide variety of other, sometimes surprising cell functions. They are activators of the Hedgehog pathway (important in embryogenesis), and they act as ligands for a growing list of receptors, including some that are of importance to the immune system. Oxysterols have also been implicated in several diseases such as neurodegenerative diseases and atherosclerosis. Here, we explore the latest research into the roles oxy-sterols play in different areas, and we evaluate the current evidence for these roles. In addition, we outline critical concepts to consider when investigating the roles of oxysterols in various situations, which includes ensuring that the concentration and form of the oxysterol are relevant in that context—a caveat with which many studies have struggled.
Targeting Prefrontal Cortical Systems for Drug Development: Potential Therapies for Cognitive Disorders
Authors: Arnsten Amy F.T. , Wang Min
Published: January 2016

Medications to treat cognitive disorders are increasingly needed, yet researchers have had few successes in this challenging arena. Cognitive abilities in primates arise from highly evolved N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor circuits in layer III of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. These circuits have unique modulatory needs that can differ from the layer V neurons that predominate in rodents, but they offer multiple therapeutic targets. Cognitive improvement often requires low doses that enhance the pattern of information held in working memory, whereas higher doses can produce nonspecific changes that obscure information. Identifying appropriate doses for clinical trials may be helped by assessments in monkeys and by flexible, individualized dose designs. The use of guanfacine (Intuniv) for prefrontal cortical disorders was based on research in monkeys, supporting this approach. Coupling our knowledge of higher primate circuits with the powerful methods now available in drug design will help create effective treatments for cognitive disorders.