bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
F5N‐based unequal clustering protocol (F5NUCP) for wireless sensor networks
Authors: Arjunan Sariga , Pothula Sujatha , Ponnurangam Dhavachelvan 
Published: September 2018

SummaryWireless sensor networks (WSNs) became very popular and still remains an active research because of diverse applications. Minimizing the energy dissipation and maximizing the network lifetime is an important design issue in WSN. Clustering is the widely used energy effective technique to lessen the overall energy consumption of WSN. An appropriate selection of cluster heads (CHs) and cluster size is a crucial process in clustered WSN. The CHs nearer to base station (BS) suffer from hot spot problem and die earlier than the normal lifetime. This paper contributes a five input fuzzy‐based unequal clustering protocol (F5NUCP) for selecting CHs and determining the appropriate cluster size to prevent the network from hot spot problem. Unequal clusters eliminates the hot spot problem by producing smaller clusters for the nodes located near the BS and larger clusters for the nodes located far away from the BS. F5NUCP uses a nonprobabilistic approach for selecting tentative CHs by introducing a back‐off timer where the timer value is set using the remaining energy of the node. The proposed method uses five input parameters, namely, remaining energy, distance to BS, distance to its neighboring nodes, link quality, and node degree. The output fuzzy parameters used in this research are cluster size and the probability of becoming CHs. The proposed method is implemented in MATLAB. The simulation results show that F5NUCP performs well when compared with LEACH, DEEC, TEEN, and EAUCF in terms of network lifetime and reduced energy consumption.
Interactive effects of testosterone and the androgen receptor CAG repeat length polymorphism on cardiovascular‐renal events and mortality in men with diabetes
Authors: Wong Poon‐Wing , Lee Heung‐Man , Lau Eric S.H. , Lim Cadmon , Ma Ronald C.W. , Kong Alice P.S. , Chan Juliana C.N. , Luk Andrea O.Y. 
Published: September 2018

AbstractAimCurrent evidence relating testosterone to cardiovascular disease and mortality is inconclusive. Cellular effects of testosterone are mediated by androgen receptor and longer receptor gene CAG repeat length correlates with reduced transcriptional activity. We investigated the independent and interactive association of total testosterone and CAG repeat length with incident cardiovascular disease (CVD), chronic kidney disease (CKD) and mortality in Chinese men with type 2 diabetes.Materials and methodsFrom March 2008 and February 2009, 474 men with diabetes underwent structured clinical assessment including genotyping for CAG repeat length. Patients were followed for new‐onset CVD, CKD defined by estimated glomerular filtration rate <60 mL/min/1.73m2, and death until 31 May 2015.ResultsIn this cohort (mean age: 58.6 years, disease duration: 15.4 years), CAG repeat number ranged from 11 to 32 with median of 23, and 9.3% had low testosterone. Over follow‐up of 5.8 years, 49 (10.3%) men had CVD, 139 (29.3%) had CKD, and 43 (9.1%) died. In multivariate Cox regression adjusted for age, duration of diabetes, and cardiometabolic risk factors, both total testosterone and interaction term of total testosterone × CAG repeat were associated with all‐cause death with respective hazard ratios 1.63 (P = 0.002) and 0.98 (P = 0.004). Total testosterone and CAG repeat were not related to incident CVD or CKD.ConclusionsAmong men with type 2 diabetes, high total testosterone was associated with increased mortality in the presence of shorter CAG repeat length but decreased mortality in those with long CAG repeats.
Taste receptor T1R1/T1R3 promotes the tumoricidal activity of hepatic CD49a+CD49b− natural killer cells
Authors: Liu Shaoping , Xu Min , Zhu Chengliang , Zhao Qiu , Zhou Feng 
Published: September 2018

AbstractNatural Killer (NK) cell‐based immunotherapy is a promising approach to treat hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The mechanisms underlying the regulation of NK cell activity are not completely understood. In this research, we identified the expression of taste receptor type 1 member 1 (T1R1) and taste receptor type 1 member 3 (T1R3) in a subset of hepatic NK cells in a mouse HCC model. T1R1 and T1R3 were selectively expressed in CD49a+CD49b− NK cells in livers with HCC. In the in vitro cytotoxicity assay, amino acids promoted the tumoricidal effect of CD49a+CD49b− NK cells through increasing the production of perforin, granzyme B and IFN‐γ. Furthermore, using a lentivirus to induce the expression of exogenous T1R1 and T1R3 in normal hepatic NK cells, we found that amino acids enhanced NK cell‐mediated cytotoxicity on tumor cells through the T1R1/T1R3 receptor, as demonstrated by more tumor cell lysis, up‐regulation of perforin and granzyme B in comparison with control NK cells. In addition, amino acids activated Akt and mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) signaling in NK cells through T1R1/T1R3 receptor. T‐bet expression in NK cells was also increased by amino acid treatment. Therefore, T1R1/T1R3 receptor promotes the tumoricidal activity of hepatic CD49a+CD49b− NK cells.
Synthesis and Application of PHT‐TiO2 Nanohybrid for Amperometric Glucose Detection in Human Saliva Sample
Authors: Kadian Sachin , Arya Brahm Dutt , Kumar Sumit , Sharma Shailesh N. , Chauhan Rishi Pal , Srivastava Ananya , Chandra Pranjal , Singh Surinder P. 
Published: September 2018

AbstractNanoparticles and their composites are considered to play a significant role in the development of electrochemical biosensors. In the present work, we have synthesized titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles comprising poly (3‐hexylthiophene) (PHT) nanohybrid for the fabrication of glucose biosensor. The thin film of hybrid PHT/TiO2 nano‐composite was deposited onto indium‐tin‐oxide (ITO) glass substrate followed by immobilization of glucose oxidase (GOx). The developed sensor was characterized using X‐Ray Diffraction, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, UV‐visible spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. The electrochemical response of the nanocomposite coated electrode was studied which shows a quasi‐reversible electrochemical behavior. The experimental conditions for glucose detection were optimized in terms of GOx immobilization time, GOx concentrations, temperature, and pH, in order to obtain maximum sensitivity. Under the optimized experimental conditions, the ITO/TiO2/PHT/GOx sensor probe displays excellent catalytic activity towards glucose with the response time of <10.0 sec, showing its robustness for direct clinical analysis. Chronoamperometry was performed for the quantitative detection of glucose which displays the linear dynamic range between 1–310 mg/dL with the detection limit of 0.62±0.02 mg/dL. The developed biosensor was successfully applied to detect glucose in human saliva samples without any pre‐treatment step. Importantly, the detection range of the designed biosensor was in range of normal and clinical salivary glucose levels. Interferences due to nontarget biochemicals was investigated and long term stability of the sensor probe was evaluated.
Pulse‐like versus non‐pulse‐like ground motion records: Spectral shape comparisons and record selection strategies
Authors: Kohrangi Mohsen , Vamvatsikos Dimitrios , Bazzurro Paolo 
Published: September 2018

SummaryPulse‐like records are well recognized for their potential to impose higher demands on structures when compared with ordinary records. The increased severity of the structural response usually caused by pulse‐like records is commonly attributed to the spectral increment around the pulse period. By comparing the building response to sets of spectrally equivalent pulse‐like and ordinary records, we show that there are characteristics of pulse‐like records beyond the shape of the acceleration response spectrum that affect the results of nonlinear dynamic analysis. Nevertheless, spectral shape together with the ratio of pulse period to the first‐mode structural period, Tp/T1, are confirmed as “sufficient” predictors for deformation and acceleration response metrics in a building, conditioned on the seismic intensity. Furthermore, the average spectral acceleration over a period range, AvgSA, is shown to incorporate to a good proxy for spectral shape, and together with Tp/T1, form an efficient and sufficient intensity measure for response prediction to pulse‐like ground motions. Following this latter route, we propose a record selection scheme that maintains the consistency of Tp with the hazard of the site but uses AvgSA to account for the response sensitivity to spectral shape.
Quantifying sediment storage on the floodplains outside levees along the lower Yellow River during the years 1580–1849
Authors: Chen Yunzhen , Overeem Irina , Kettner Albert J. , Gao Shu , Syvitski James P. M. , Wang Yuanjian 
Published: September 2018

AbstractThe lower Yellow River channel was maintained by artificial levees between 1580 and 1849. During this period, 280 levee breaches occurred. To estimate sediment storage on the floodplains outside the levees, a regression model with a decadal time step was developed to calculate the outflow ratio for the years when levee breaching occurred. Uncertainty analysis was used to identify the likely outflow ratio. Key variables of the model include annual water discharge, a proxy for levee conditions, and potential bankfull discharge of the channel before flood season. Uncertainty analysis reveals an outflow ratio of 0.35–0.56. We estimate that during this period, 18.8–30.1% of the total ~312 Gt of sediment load was deposited on the floodplains outside the levees. Human‐accelerated erosion in the Loess Plateau caused a 4‐fold increase in sediment delivery to the lower Yellow River, which could not be accommodated by channel morphodynamic changes. As a result, 21.2–27.5% of the total sediment load was deposited within the levees, creating a super‐elevated channel bed that facilitated an uncommonly high breach outflow ratio. Hence, the factor of a large super‐elevation relative to the mean main channel depth should be considered when designing diversions to restore floodplains. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Geomorphological effectiveness of floods to rework gravel bars: Insight from hyperscale topography and hydraulic modelling
Authors: Reid H.E. , Williams R.D. , Brierley G.J. , Coleman S.E. , Lamb R. , Rennie C.D. , Tancock M.J. 
Published: September 2018

AbstractBars are key morphological units in river systems, fashioning the sediment regime and bedload transport processes within a reach. Reworking of these features underpins channel adjustment at larger scales, thereby acting as a key determinant of channel stability. Despite their importance to channel evolution, few investigations have acquired spatially continuous data on bar morphology and sediment‐size to investigate bar reworking. To this end, four bars along a 10 km reach of a wandering gravel‐bed river were surveyed with terrestrial laser scanning (TLS), comparing downstream changes in slope, bed material size and channel planform. Detrended standard deviations (σz) were extracted from TLS point clouds and correlated to underlying physically measured median grain‐size (D50), across a greater range of σz values than have hitherto been reported. The resulting linear regression model was used to create a 1 m resolution median grain‐size map. A fusion of airborne LiDAR and optical‐empirical bathymetric mapping was used to develop reach‐scale digital elevation models (DEMs) for rapid two‐dimensional hydraulic modelling using JFlow® software. The ratio of dimensionless shear stress over critical shear stress was calculated for each raster cell to calculate the effectiveness of a range of flood events (2.33–100 year recurrence intervals) to entrain sediment and rework bar units. Results show that multiple bar forming discharges exist, whereby frequent flood flows rework tail and back channel areas, while much larger, less frequent floods are required to mobilise the coarser sediment fraction on bar heads. Valley confinement is shown to exert a primary influence on patterns of bar reworking. Historical aerial photography, hyperscale DEMs and hydraulic modelling are used to explain channel adjustment at the reach scale. The proportion of the bar comprised of more frequently entrained units (tail, back channel, supra‐platform) relative to more static units (bar head) exerts a direct influence upon geomorphic sensitivity. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A new paper sensor method for field analysis of acid volatile sulfides in soils
Authors: Pellegrini Elisa , Contin Marco , Vittori Antisari Livia , Vianello Gilmo , Ferronato Chiara , De Nobili Maria 
Published: September 2018

Abstract

Monitoring of biogenic sulfide is important because acid volatile sulfides (AVS) represent a reactive pool responsible for immobilization of toxic metals. We propose a new sulfide paper sensor method for semiquantitative determination of AVS in which developed color is compared to a reference chart. The method was validated against the ion-selective microelectrode and the purge-and-trap methods. For fieldwork, readings should fall within 1 to 10 μmoles S2–. Considering that the volume of soil used ranged between 1 and 16 cm3, the corresponding soil sulfides concentration range spans from 0.06 to 10 mmoles S2– cm−3. The sulfide paper sensor method is highly suitable for field screening and has sensitivity levels comparable to laboratory methods. Environ Toxicol Chem 2018;37:3025–3031. © 2018 SETAC
Study on downward flame spread over extruded polystyrene foam in a vertical channel: Influence of opening area
Authors: An Weiguang , Yin Xiangwei , Chen Song , Zhang Guowei 
Published: September 2018

SummaryExperimental methods and theoretical analysis are employed to investigate effects of channel opening area on downward flame spread characteristics of extruded polystyrene (XPS) thermal insulation materials on building facade. The average flame height first drops and then rises as dimensionless opening area (the ratio of sidewall opening area to sidewall area, ie, S*) increases. As S* rises, both the average and maximum temperature of the curtain wall decrease, and the decreasing of the average temperature is linear. XPS surface temperature history can be divided into four stages, ie, inapparent rising stage (preheating), significant rising stage (melting), dropping stage (pyrolysis), and rerising stage (ignition). The preheating length first rises and then drops as S* increases. The XPS flame spreads steadily at the early period while acceleration occurs at the later period. For different opening areas, the difference in spread distance history is not apparent in the early stage while this difference is significant in the later stage. The flame spread rate (Vf) first increases and then decreases as S* rises. A downward flame spread model for XPS in vertical channel with openings is built. The varied trend of Vf predicted using this model corresponds to the experimental result.
Investigation of Carbon Nanofiber‐supported Electrocatalysts with Ultra‐low Platinum Loading for the Use in PEM Fuel Cells
Authors: Podleschny P. , Rost U. , Muntean R. , Marginean G. , Heinzel A. , Peinecke V. , Radev I. , Muhler M. , Brodmann M. 
Published: September 2018

AbstractThe present study aims to investigate gas diffusion electrodes with ultra‐low platinum loading and increased durability, prepared by pulsed electrodeposition process, applicable for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFC). Testing was performed both, in situ in a PEMFC test bench while prepared GDEs were compared to anodes and cathodes with commercially available catalysts by Johnson Matthey (JM), as well as ex situ regarding electrochemical properties and catalyst layer structure. High and stable performance of developed electrodes was achieved, while the Pt catalyst loading of investigated anodes and cathodes was reduced to 10 µgPt cm−2. The catalyst deposition was achieved via pulsed electrodeposition process from H2PtCl6‐containing electrolyte on an oxygen plasma‐pretreated corrosion‐stable carbon nanofiber (CNF) support. In situ performance tests show a similar operation behavior of the compared anodes, while activation losses of investigated cathodes are high due to the limited amount of catalyst material. However, Pt/CNF_c cathodes show significantly higher power densities than cathodes prepared with JM catalyst. Membrane electrode assemblies containing developed Pt/CNF_a anodes with 10 µgPt cm−2 reached a power density of 0.525 W cm−2 at a cell potential of 0.65 V, which was similar to anodes with commercially available HiSPEC 2000 catalysts by JM. Accelerated stress tests (AST) revealed that Pt/CNF_a anodes preserve their performance, whereas the commercial catalyst degraded severely. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) indicated a high electrochemical active surface area of Pt/CNF_a anodes. Moreover, the electrode characteristics, analyzed via electrochemical impedance spectroscopy after AST, showed marginal anode degradation.
Glio‐ and neuro‐protection by prosaposin is mediated by orphan G‐protein coupled receptors GPR37L1 and GPR37
Authors: Liu Beihui , Mosienko Valentina , Vaccari Cardoso Barbara , Prokudina Daria , Huentelman Mathew , Teschemacher Anja G. , Kasparov Sergey 
Published: September 2018

Discovery of neuroprotective pathways is one of the major priorities for neuroscience. Astrocytes are natural neuroprotectors and it is likely that brain resilience can be enhanced by mobilizing their protective potential. Among G‐protein coupled receptors expressed by astrocytes, two highly related receptors, GPR37L1 and GPR37, are of particular interest. Previous studies suggested that these receptors are activated by a peptide Saposin C and its neuroactive fragments (prosaptide TX14(A)), which were demonstrated to be neuroprotective in various animal models by several groups. However, pairing of Saposin C or prosaptides with GPR37L1/GPR37 has been challenged and presently GPR37L1/GPR37 have regained their orphan status. Here, we demonstrate that in their natural habitat, astrocytes, these receptors mediate a range of effects of TX14(A), including protection from oxidative stress. The Saposin C/GPR37L1/GPR37 pathway is also involved in the neuroprotective effect of astrocytes on neurons subjected to oxidative stress. The action of TX14(A) is at least partially mediated by Gi‐proteins and the cAMP‐PKA axis. On the other hand, when recombinant GPR37L1 or GPR37 are expressed in HEK293 cells, they are not functional and do not respond to TX14(A), which explains unsuccessful attempts to confirm the ligand‐receptor pairing. Therefore, this study identifies GPR37L1/GPR37 as the receptors for TX14(A), and, by extension of Saposin C, and paves the way for the development of neuroprotective therapeutics acting via these receptors.A video abstract of this article can be found at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTn13My9Sz8
Different effects of levodopa and subthalamic stimulation on emotional conflict in Parkinson's disease
Authors: Martínez‐Fernández Raul , Kibleur Astrid , Chabardès Stéphan , Fraix Valérie , Castrioto Anna , Lhommée Eugénie , Moro Elena , Lescoules Lucas , Pelissier Pierre , David Olivier , Krack Paul 
Published: September 2018

AbstractParkinson's disease impairs the decoding of emotional stimuli reflecting alterations of the limbic cortico‐subcortical network. The objective of this study was to assess and compare the behavioral and electrophysiological effects of both levodopa and subthalamic stimulation on emotional processing in Parkinson's disease. Operated patients (n =16) and matched healthy subjects performed an emotional Stroop task, in which the emotion expressed by a face must be recognized while ignoring an emotional distractive word and that includes a neutral control sub‐task. Patients were tested in the four possible treatment conditions (off stim/off med; on stim/off med; off stim/on med; and on stim/on med). High‐resolution electroencephalography was recorded while performing the task. Patients made significantly more mistakes in facial emotion recognition than healthy subjects (p < .005). Untreated patients performed worse in the emotional trials than in the control sub‐task (p < .05). Fearful faces induced significantly slower reaction times than happy faces in patients (p = .0002), but not in the healthy subjects. The emotional Stroop effect with levodopa was significantly higher than with subthalamic stimulation when fearful faces were assessed (p = .0243). Conversely, treatments did not modulate the Stroop effect of the control sub‐task. EEG demonstrated that, compared with the untreated state, levodopa but not subthalamic stimulation significantly increases the amplitude of the event‐related potential N170 (p = .002 vs. p = .1, respectively), an electrophysiological biomarker of early aspects of facial processing. The activity of the N170 cortical sources within the right fusiform gyrus was increased by levodopa (p < .05) but not by stimulation. While levodopa normalizes the recognition of emotional facial expression and early EEG markers of emotional processing, subthalamic stimulation does not. Thus, operated patients require dopaminergic medication in addition to stimulation to treat emotional symptoms of Parkinson's disease.
Spatio–temporal patterns of cognitive control revealed with simultaneous electroencephalography and functional magnetic resonance imaging
Authors: Hinault Thomas , Larcher Kevin , Zazubovits Natalja , Gotman Jean , Dagher Alain 
Published: September 2018

AbstractOptimal performance depends in part on the ability to inhibit the automatic processing of irrelevant information and also on the adjusting the level of control from one trial to the next. In this study, we investigated the spatio–temporal neural correlates of cognitive control using simultaneous functional magnetic resonance imaging and electroencephalography, while 22 participants (10 women) performed a numerical Stroop task. We investigated the spatial and temporal dynamic of the conflict adaptation effects (i.e., reduced interference on items that follow an incongruent stimulus compared to after a congruent stimulus). Joint independent component analysis linked the N200 component to activation of anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and the conflict slow potential to widespread activations within the fronto–parietal executive control network. Connectivity analyses with psychophysiological interactions and dynamic causal modeling demonstrated coordinated engagement of the cognitive control network after the processing of an incongruent item, and this was correlated with better behavioral performance. Our results combined high spatial and temporal resolution to propose the following network of conflict adaptation effect and specify the time course of activation within this model: first, the anterior insula and inferior frontal gyrus are activated when incongruence is detected. These regions then signal the need for higher control to the ACC, which in turn activates the fronto–parietal executive control network to improve the performance on the next trial.