bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Modulating pain thresholds through classical conditioning
Authors: Traxler Juliane , Madden Victoria J. , Moseley G. Lorimer , Vlaeyen Johan W.S. 
Published: March 2019

BackgroundClassical conditioning has frequently been shown to be capable of evoking fear of pain and avoidance behavior in the context of chronic pain. However, whether pain itself can be conditioned has rarely been investigated and remains a matter of debate. Therefore, the present study investigated whether pain threshold ratings can be modified by the presence of conditioned non-nociceptive sensory stimuli in healthy participant.MethodsIn 51 healthy volunteers, pain threshold to electrocutaneous stimuli was determined prior to participation in a simultaneous conditioning paradigm. Participants underwent an acquisition phase in which one non-painful vibrotactile stimulus (CS+) was repeatedly paired with a painful electrocutaneous stimulus, whereas a second vibrotactile stimulus of the same quality and intensity (CS−) was paired with a non-painful electrocutaneous stimulus. Stimulation was provided on the lower back with close proximity between the conditioned stimulus and the unconditioned stimulus. In the test phase, electrocutaneous stimuli at the individually-set threshold intensity were simultaneously delivered together with either a CS+or CS−. Pain intensity ratings were obtained after each trial; expectancy ratings were obtained after each block. The primary outcome was the percentage of test stimuli that were rated as painful.ResultsTest stimuli were more likely to be rated as painful when they were paired with the CS+than when they were paired with the CS−. This effect was not influenced by contingency awareness, nor by expectancies or mood states.DiscussionThe findings support the notion that the judgement of an event being painful or non-painful can be influenced by classical conditioning and corroborate the possible role of associative learning in the development and maintenance of chronic pain.
An Appraisal of Software Requirement Prioritization Techniques
Authors: Olaronke Iroju , Rhoda Ikono , Ishaya Gambo 
Published: March 2019

In recent times, there is a paradigm shift from the use of paper based systems to the use of software systems in all spheres of life. However, the development of high quality, cost effective and useable software systems is a major challenge. One of the major obstacles confronting the successful implementation of software systems is the inability to implement all stakeholders' requirements in software development projects. This constraint is usually due to limited human resources, budget and time. Thus, most software systems have failed. It, therefore, becomes pertinent to prioritize software requirements. Requirement prioritization involves the selection of requirements that are considered more important from an accumulated list of stakeholders' requirements. There are two techniques that are used for categorizing software requirements. These techniques include the requirement prioritization methods and the negotiation methods. Requirement prioritization methods are based on different scales which include nominal scale, ordinal scale and ratio scale. The accuracy of these methods, however, is a challenge especially when prioritizing large number of requirements.
Aims: Hence, this paper reviews different techniques for prioritizing requirements by highlighting their strengths and weaknesses. Techniques such as binary search tree, AHP, hierarchy AHP, priority group/Numerical Analysis, bubble sort, MoSoW, simple ranking and Planning Game were analyzed and compared in this study.
Methodology: The study is based on previous literature on requirement prioritization.
Results: The study showed that numerical assignment and simple ranking methods require less time in the prioritization process and they also have low scalability and reliability. The study also showed that the analytic hierarchy process requires more time for requirement prioritization; it is reliable but it is not scalable. The study also revealed that it is difficult to prioritize requirements with the existing prioritization techniques when multiple stakeholders are involved.
Conclusion: The study suggests that future researches should be based on the design of requirement prioritization techniques that will have the ability to accommodate large stakeholders and requirements.
An Investigation into the Effect of Smartphones Back Button Location on Users' Experience: A Case Study Comparing Apple iPhone and Android UI
Authors: Rufai Ahmad , Sani Umar 
Published: March 2019

The use of touchscreens as an input method on Smartphones has become the norm in the mobile phone industry. This has changed the way keys are traditionally arranged on Smartphones devices. One of these changes is on the location of “back button”. Few studies, However, have been conducted to investigate the effect of key locations on users performance and experience.
Aims: In this paper, we investigate the effect of back button location on users’ experience of using Smartphones. We made a comparison between Android Samsung Galaxy S3 and iPhone 5s.
Place and Duration of Study: Participants: Sokoto State University, Sokoto, Nigeria. between May 2017 and July 2017.
Methodology: A total of 40 participants all Students of Sokoto State University participated in the study. 26 were males and 14 females. 30 owned Android Smartphones while the remaining 10 owned Apple iPhone. We used observation to observe how users navigate through Facebook and Gmail app on both iPhone and Android while paying attention to their use of the back button, the time it takes to locate these buttons and first point of reference. A semi-structured interview was also conducted on users, requesting them to compare how the difference in the location of the back button on iPhone and Android has affected their experience of navigating through both Facebook and Gmail app.
Results: The study reveals that back button key location affects the user experience of using Smartphones, keys located at the bottom edges are easier to locate and those located at top edges are harder to locate and press.
Conclusion: Based on the results, the study concludes that designers of Smartphones user interfaces should strongly consider user preferences when deciding the location for back buttons and on Smartphones.
Offline Gesture Recognition System for Yorùbá Numeral Counting
Authors: Oyewumi Jimoh Kudirat , Morufat Adepoju Temilola , A. Sobowale Aladejobi , A. Ayilara Oluwatobi 
Published: March 2019

Aims: The study aimed to determine the specific features responsible for the recognition of gestures, to design a computational model for the process and to implement the model and evaluate its performance.
Place and Duration of Study: Department of Computer Engineering, Federal Polytechnic, Ede, between August 2017 and February 2018.
Methodology: Samples of hand gesture were collected from the deaf school. In total, 40 samples containing 4 gestures for each numeral were collected and processed. The collected samples were pre-processed and rescaled from 340 × 512 pixels to 256 × 256 pixels. The samples were examined for the specific characteristics responsible for the recognition of gestures using edge detection and histogram of the oriented gradient as feature extraction techniques. The model was implemented in MATLAB using Support Vector Machine (SVM) as its classifier. The performance of the system was evaluated using precision, recall and accuracy as metrics.
Results: It was observed that the system showed a high classification rate for the considered hand gestures. For numerals 1, 3, 5 and 7, 100% accuracy were recorded, numerals 2 and 9 had 90% accuracy, numeral 4 had 85.67% accuracy, numeral 6 had 93.56%, numeral 8 had 88% while numeral 10 recorded 90.72% accuracy. An average recognition rate of 95% on tested data was recorded over a dataset of 40 hand gestures.
Conclusion: The study has successfully classified hand gesture for Yorùbá Sign Language (YSL). Thus, confirming that YSL could be incorporated into the deaf educational system. The developed system will enhance the communication skills between hearing and hearing impaired people.
Predictors of successful endovascular treatment in severe cerebral venous sinus thrombosis
Authors: Yang Xiaoxu , Wu Fang , Liu Yuehong , Duan Jiangang , Meng Ran , Chen Jian , Li Debiao , Fan Zhaoyang , Fisher Marc , Yang Qi , Ji Xunming 
Published: March 2019

AbstractObjectiveThe objective of this study was to evaluate the thrombus characteristics affecting the extent of recanalization to identify patients with severe cerebral venous sinus thrombus (CVT) more likely to benefit from endovascular therapy.MethodsSevere CVT patients scheduled for endovascular treatment were prospectively recruited into the study. Each thrombosed venous segment was evaluated regarding complete or partial recanalization based on digital subtraction angiography (DSA) after treatment. Magnetic resonance black‐blood thrombus imaging (MRBTI) was performed 1 day before endovascular treatment. The signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR) of the clot, age of the clot, and baseline volume of the clot were compared between the complete and partial recanalization groups. A logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the association between these clot characteristics and recanalization status.ResultsTwenty‐one CVT patients undergoing endovascular therapy were prospectively included. There were 110 thrombosed segments, 54 of these segments were completely recanalized after endovascular treatment. An acute clot sign (ACS) was found in 39 segments and a subacute clot sign (SCS) was found in 71 segments. There was no significant difference on baseline volume of the clot (1638.8 ± 1432.2 mm3 vs. 1957.5 ± 2056.1 mm3, P > 0.05) between the complete and partial recanalization groups. Logistic regression analysis showed that ACS on MRBTI was associated with complete recanalization (P < 0.001, odds ratio = 3.937, 95% confidence interval, 1.6–9.5).InterpretationACS can be used to predict complete recanalization in patients undergoing endovascular treatment. MRBTI provides a robust method to define clot composition and is potentially useful in selecting the most appropriate CVT patients for endovascular treatment.
Prolonged–release melatonin in patients with idiopathic REM sleep behavior disorder
Authors: Jun Jin‐Sun , Kim Ryul , Byun Jung‐Ick , Kim Tae‐Joon , Lim Jung‐Ah , Sunwoo Jun‐Sang , Lee Soon‐Tae , Jung Keun‐Hwa , Park Kyung‐Il , Chu Kon , Kim Manho , Lee Sang Kun , Jung Ki‐Young 
Published: March 2019

AbstractObjectiveWe investigated the effects of prolonged‐release melatonin (PRM) on idiopathic rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder (iRBD).MethodsIn this 4‐week, randomized, double–blind, placebo–controlled pilot study, 30 participants with polysomnography–confirmed iRBD were assigned to receive PRM 2 mg per day, PRM 6 mg per day, or placebo. Medication was administered orally 30 min before bedtime. Primary outcomes included scores from the Clinical Global Impression‐Improvement (CGI‐I) and the Korean version of the RBD questionnaire‐Hong Kong (RBDQ‐KR). The secondary outcomes included RBDQ‐KR factor 1 and factor 2 subscores, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index score, the Epworth Sleepiness Scale score, the Short Form Health Survey version 2 score, and the frequency of dream–enacting behaviors assessed using a sleep diary.ResultsAfter 4 weeks, there were no differences in the proportions of patients with a CGI‐I score of much improved or very much improved among the study groups. In addition, RBDQ‐KR scores and secondary outcomes were not improved in all groups at 4 weeks, and there were no differences between the groups.ConclusionOur findings suggest that PRM may not be effective in treating RBD–related symptoms within the dose range used in this study. Further studies using doses higher than 6 mg per day are warranted.
High‐Voltage Charging‐Induced Strain, Heterogeneity, and Micro‐Cracks in Secondary Particles of a Nickel‐Rich Layered Cathode Material
Authors: Mao Yuwei , Wang Xuelong , Xia Sihao , Zhang Kai , Wei Chenxi , Bak Seongmin , Shadike Zulipiya , Liu Xuejun , Yang Yang , Xu Rong , Pianetta Piero , Ermon Stefano , Stavitski Eli , Zhao Kejie , Xu Zhengrui , Lin Feng , Yang Xiao‐Qing , Hu Enyuan , Liu Yijin 
Published: March 2019

AbstractNickel‐rich layered materials LiNi1‐x‐yMnxCoyO2 are promising candidates for high‐energy‐density lithium‐ion battery cathodes. Unfortunately, they suffer from capacity fading upon cycling, especially with high‐voltage charging. It is critical to have a mechanistic understanding of such fade. Herein, synchrotron‐based techniques (including scattering, spectroscopy, and microcopy) and finite element analysis are utilized to understand the LiNi0.6Mn0.2Co0.2O2 material from structural, chemical, morphological, and mechanical points of view. The lattice structural changes are shown to be relatively reversible during cycling, even when 4.9 V charging is applied. However, local disorder and strain are induced by high‐voltage charging. Nano‐resolution 3D transmission X‐ray microscopy data analyzed by machine learning methodology reveal that high‐voltage charging induced significant oxidation state inhomogeneities in the cycled particles. Regions at the surface have a rock salt–type structure with lower oxidation state and build up the impedance, while regions with higher oxidization state are scattered in the bulk and are likely deactivated during cycling. In addition, the development of micro‐cracks is highly dependent on the pristine state morphology and cycling conditions. Hollow particles seem to be more robust against stress‐induced cracks than the solid ones, suggesting that morphology engineering can be effective in mitigating the crack problem in these materials.
Magnetic Nanoparticles‐Embedded Enzyme‐Inorganic Hybrid Nanoflowers with Enhanced Peroxidase‐Like Activity and Substrate Channeling for Glucose Biosensing
Authors: Cheon Hong Jae , Adhikari Manab Deb , Chung Minsoo , Tran Tai Duc , Kim Jungbae , Kim Moon Il 
Published: March 2019

AbstractIt is reported that glucose oxidase (GOx)‐copper hybrid nanoflowers embedded with Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) exhibit superior peroxidase‐mimicking activity as well as substrate channeling for glucose detection. This is due to the synergistic integration of GOx, crystalline copper phosphates and MNPs being in close proximity within the nanoflowers. The preparation of MNP‐embedded GOx‐copper hybrid nanoflowers (MNPs‐GOx NFs) begins with the facile conjugation of amine‐functionalized MNPs with GOx molecules via electrostatic attraction, followed by the addition of copper sulfate that leads to full blooming of the hybrid nanoflowers. In the presence of glucose, the catalytic action of GOx entrapped in the nanoflowers generates H2O2, which is subsequently used by peroxidase‐mimicking MNPs and copper phosphate crystals, located close to GOx molecules, to convert Amplex UltraRed substrate into a highly fluorescent product. Using this strategy, the target glucose is successfully determined with excellent selectivity, stability, and magnetic reusability. This biosensor based on hybrid nanoflowers also exhibits a high degree of precision and reproducibility when applied to real human blood samples. Such novel MNP‐embedded enzyme‐inorganic hybrid nanoflowers have a great potential to be expanded to any oxidases, which will be highly beneficial for the detection of various other clinically important target molecules.
Revealing the Cluster‐Cloud and Its Role in Nanocrystallization
Authors: Jin Biao , Wang Yanming , Liu Zhaoming , France‐Lanord Arthur , Grossman Jeffrey C. , Jin Chuanhong , Tang Ruikang 
Published: March 2019

AbstractElucidating the early stages of crystallization from supersaturated solutions is of critical importance, but remains a great challenge. An in situ liquid cell transmission electron microscopy study reveals an intermediate state of condensed atomic clusters during Pd and Au crystallizations, which is named a “cluster‐cloud.” It is found that nucleation is initiated by the collapse of a cluster‐cloud, first forming a nanoparticle. The subsequent particle maturation proceeds via multiple out‐and‐in relaxations of the cluster‐cloud to improve crystallinity: from a poorly crystallized phase, the particle evolves into a well‐defined single‐crystal phase. Both experimental investigations and atomistic simulations suggest that the cluster‐cloud‐mediated nanocrystallization involves an order–disorder phase separation and reconstruction, which is energetically favored compared to local rearrangements within the particle. This finding grants new insights into nanocrystallization mechanisms, and provides useful information for the improvement of synthesis pathways of nanocrystals.
Monochromatic Multimode Antennas on Epsilon‐Near‐Zero Materials
Authors: Dominguez Owen , Nordin Leland , Lu Junchi , Feng Kaijun , Wasserman Daniel , Hoffman Anthony J. 
Published: March 2019

AbstractOptical antennas couple propagating optical fields into confined modes. The spectral position and spatial extent of the confined modes are most often engineered via the design of the antenna. However, while often relegated to a secondary role, the dielectric environment can drastically alter the optical response of antennas. Here, antennas on an epsilon‐near‐zero material—a material with a vanishing permittivity—are fabricated and characterized, demonstrating pinning of the fundamental antenna mode and the two subsequent harmonics to a narrow wavelength range. The spectral pinning of multiple modes results in what is a nearly monochromatic, yet multimode, response for the system. Coupling of these modes to the epsilon‐near‐zero Berreman mode supported by the thin epsilon‐near‐zero material is also observed. The response of the coupled system is observed experimentally and simulated using finite element methods. A coupled resonator model is developed to intuitively model the optical response of the system. The results presented here offer a mechanism for engineering the optical response of antenna systems by engineering the local dielectric environment, with potential applications in sensing, imaging, infrared optoelectronics, and thermal emission control.
Intramolecular [2+2]‐Cycloaddition in the Synthesis of Polycyclic Tetrahydrothiopyran Derivatives Bearing a Cyclobutane Scaffold
Authors: Grzelak Paulina , Saktura Maciej , Sieroń Lesław , Albrecht Łukasz 
Published: March 2019

AbstractIn the manuscript the synthesis of polycyclic tetrahydrothiopyrans incorporating cyclobutane and cyclopentane moieties is described. The developed reaction sequence takes advantage of the functionalization of the dihydrothiopyran ring via a recently disclosed enantioselective ortho‐regioselective inverse‐electron‐demand hetero‐Diels‐Alder reaction between thiochalcones and α,β‐unsaturated aldehydes. It was found that when dihydrothiopyrans thus obtained were subjected to Wittig olefination, the resulting products participated in the Lewis‐acid‐promoted intramolecular [2+2]‐cycloaddition. The one‐pot reaction sequence proceeded efficiently and with the introduction of four new stereogenic centers with excellent diastereocontrol.magnified image
RETRACTED: Pard3 suppresses glioma invasion by regulating RhoA through atypical protein kinase C/NF‐κB signaling
Authors: Li Junjun , Xu Hao , Wang Qiangping , Fu Peng , Huang Tao , Anas Omarkhalil , Zhao Hongyang , Xiong Nanxiang 
Published: March 2019

AbstractPartitioning defective protein 3 (Pard3) has been reported to inhibit the progression of numerous human cancer cell types. However, the role of Pard3 in glioma progression remains unclear. In this study, the expression of Pard3 was measured in human gliomas of different grades by both quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting. The effect of Pard3 on glioma progression was tested using cell counting kit‐8 assays, EdU assays, colony formation assays, cell migration, and invasion assays and tumor xenografts. The effect of Pard3 on Ras homolog family member A (RhoA) protein levels, subcellular localization, and transcriptional activity was measured by immunoblotting and immunofluorescence. Our results indicate that Pard3 functions as a tumor suppressor in gliomas and that the loss of Pard3 protein is strongly associated with a higher grade and poorer outcome. Pard3 overexpression inhibits glioma progression by upregulating RhoA protein levels. However, the level of GTP‐RhoA protein remained unchanged. Further evidence demonstrates that Pard3 regulates RhoA protein levels, subcellular localization and transcriptional activity by activating atypical protein kinase C/NF‐κB signaling. Mouse modeling experiments show that Pard3 overexpression inhibits glioma cell growth in vivo. Taken together, these findings identify RhoA as a novel target of Pard3 in gliomas and substantiate a novel regulatory role for Pard3 in glioma progression. This study reveals that Pard3 plays an inhibitory role in gliomas by regulating RhoA, which reveals a potential benefit for Pard3 activators in the prevention and therapy of gliomas.
Increased LGALS3 expression independently predicts shorter overall survival in patients with the proneural subtype of glioblastoma
Authors: He Xia , Zhang Sunfu , Chen Junchen , Li Dekang 
Published: March 2019

AbstractIn the current study, we tried to study the expression of LGALS3 and LGALS3BP, their potential as prognostic markers and the possible genetic/epigenetic mechanisms underlying their dysregulation in different subtypes of glioblastoma (GBM). An in silico retrospective study was performed using large online databases. Results showed that LGALS3 and LGALS3BP were upregulated at both RNA and protein levels in GBM tissue and were generally associated with shorter overall survival (OS) in GBM patients. However, in subgroup analysis, we only found the association in proneural subtype. The copy number alterations did not necessarily lead to LGALS3/LGALS3BP dysregulation. In the proneural subtype of GBM patients, hypermethylation of the two CpG sites (cg19099850 and cg17403875) was associated with significantly lower expression of LGALS3. In univariate and multivariate analysis, LGALS3 expression independently predicted shorter OS in the proneural subtype of GBM (HR: 1.487, 95% CI: 1.229‐1.798, P < 0.001), after adjustment of age, gender, IDH1 mutations, temozolomide chemotherapy, radiotherapy and LGALS3BP expression. In comparison, LGALS3BP lost the prognostic value in multivariate analysis. Based on these findings, we infer that LGALS3 expression serves as an independent biomarker of shorter OS in the proneural subtype of GBM, the expression of which might be regulated in an epigenetic manner.
Electrosynthesis of Oxazol‐2(3H)‐Ones and Diaroylhydrazines from 1,2‐Dicarbonyl Compounds and Arenediazonium Salts
Authors: Barba Fructuoso , Quirós Irene , Salgado Antonio , Batanero Belen 
Published: March 2019

AbstractNew five‐membered oxazol‐2(3H)‐one heterocycles and 1,2‐diaroylhydrazines are obtained in good yield when 1,2‐dicarbonyl substrates are reduced at the cathode in N‐methyl formamide/LiClO4 as solvent‐supporting‐electrolyte system, and in the presence of arenediazonium salts. Electrochemical pathways are presented to involve a) cascade reactions: hydrogen atom abstraction from a solvent molecule, radical coupling reaction with substrate intermediate, and intramolecular migration of a methylamino group, to provide oxazolones or b) surprising C−C bond cleavage in the substrate radical anion, assisted by a diazonium salt, that evolves to disubstituted arylhydrazides.