bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Determination of irritant threshold concentrations of multiple tree, grass, weed and mould allergens for intradermal testing of horses residing in the southern USA
Authors: Lane Martha J. , Pucheu‐Haston Cherie M. , Kearney Michael T. , Woodward Michelle 
Published: July 2017

BackgroundAppropriate allergen threshold concentrations (TCs) for intradermal testing (IDT) have not been established in horses for many pollen and mould allergens.ObjectivesTo determine theTCs in non‐allergic horses and describe the frequency of late phase reactions for 26 allergens, including trees, grasses, weeds and moulds in horses residing in the southern Unites States.AnimalsTwenty four clinically normal horses in the southern United States.MethodsThreshold concentrations for different allergens were determined usingIDTsubjective measurements at 30 minutes. Delayed reactions were evaluated at 4 and 24 h.ResultsThreshold concentrations (all PNU/mL) were established for eight tree allergens (black willow 1,000, box elder 1,000, live oak 1,000, pecan 2,000, white ash 4,000, red oak 4,000, red mulberry 2,000 and green ash 2,000); two grass allergens (Johnson grass 250 PNU/mL and Kentucky blue grass 500 PNU/mL); two weeds (carelessweed 1,000 PNU/mL, great ragweed 500 PNU/mL) and one mould (Curvularia8,000 PNU/mL). TheTCwas not determined due to excessive reactivity at the lowest concentration tested (1,000 PNU/mL) for bahia and perennial rye grass. Eleven other allergens did not meet the criteria to establish aTCwhen evaluated at 30 min due to lack of positive reactions. Multiple allergens caused positive reactions in ≥10% of horses at 4 h. Reactions at 24 h were rare with the exception of one horse.Conclusions and clinical importanceThis study identified intradermalTCfor multiple pollen and mould allergens in horses. These values may prove useful for optimizing allergen concentrations forIDTof allergic horses.
Organizational Culture
Authors: Schlesinger Dave 
Published: July 2017

Much has been said and written about the role culture plays in the safety performance of organizations across all industries. Understanding that accidents cannot simply be blamed on those directly at fault, this paper explores organizational culture and the part it has played in contributing to the cause of rail and other transportation accidents. This paper also discusses the pivotal role of organization leaders in setting cultural norms and priorities that either bolster or hinder safety. Structure, budget, mission statement, and values, which are established by leaders, all demonstrate the importance of safety to employees and others.
At the same time, organizations focused on production run the very real risk of placing safety second. This is a particular concern with transportation providers who may be pressured to focus on performance and schedule adherence, at the cost of safety Recommendations for improvement of organizational culture are provided, with a focus on generally accepted best practices.
AC Cables Strengthening Railway Low Frequency AC Power Supply Systems
Authors: Abrahamsson Lars , Serrano Jimenez Daniel , Laury John , Bollen Math 
Published: July 2017

In present-day railway power supply systems using an AC frequency lower than the one in the public power system of 50/60 Hz, high voltage overhead transmission lines are used as one measure of strengthening the railway power supply system grids. This option may be economically beneficial, compared to strengthening the grid purely by increasing the density of converter stations or increasing the cross section areas of the overhead catenary wires.
High voltage AC transmission lines in the railway power supply system allow larger distances between converter stations than would otherwise be possible for a given amount of train traffic. Moreover, the introduction of AC transmission lines implies reduced line losses and reduced voltage level fluctuations at the catenary for a given amount of train traffic.
However, due to the increased public and government resistance for additional overhead high voltage AC transmission lines in general, different alternatives will be needed for the future improvements and strengthening of railway power systems. For a more sustainable transport sector, the share and amount of railway traffic needs to increase, in which case such a strengthening becomes inevitable.
Earlier, usage of VSC-HVDC transmission cables has been proposed as one alternative to overhead AC transmission lines. One of the main benefits with VSC-HVDC transmission is that control of power flows in the railway power systems is easier and that less converter capacity may be needed. Technically, VSC-HVDC transmission for railway power systems is a competitive solution as it offers a large variety of control options. However, there might be other more economical alternatives reducing the overall impedance in the railway power system.
In public power systems with the frequency of 50/60 Hz, an excess of reactive power production in lowly utilized cables imposes an obstacle in replacing overhead transmission lines with cables. In low frequency AC railway power system, the capacitive properties are less significant allowing longer cables compared to 50/60 Hz power systems. Moreover, in converter-fed railways, some kind of reactive compensation will automatically be applied during low-load. At each converter station, voltage control is already present following the railway operation tradition.
Therefore, in this paper, we propose AC cables as a measure of strengthening low-frequency AC railway power systems. The paper compares the electrical performances of two alternative reinforcement cable solutions with the base case of no reinforcement. The options of disconnecting or toggling the cables at low load as well as the automatic reactive compensation by converter voltage control are considered. Losses and voltage levels are compared for the different solutions. Investment costs and other relevant issues are discussed.
Lessons Learned for CBTC Data Communications Subsystems Design and Deployment in a “Brown Field” Environment
Authors: Fitzmaurice Michael 
Published: July 2017

The data communications subsystem or DCS is an important element of a CBTC system which supports the wired and wireless data communications between a CBTC equipped train and the wayside elements such as zone controllers and the automatic train supervisory (ATS) system.
A “brown field” environment (as opposed to “green field” environment) represents an existing transit system that is already in revenue service and is being re-signaled with a new CBTC system. Such an environment typically represent the most challenging deployment for CBTC a system as it must be installed, tested and integrated in such a manner as to not adversely impact the transit agencies’ ongoing revenue service. Usually, one of the first elements of a CBTC system to be designed and deployed is the DCS. This paper will examine some lessons learned related to the DCS design, deployment, testing and commissioning for CBTC projects in a “brown field” environment with a view to improving future CBTC projects.
Effectiveness of Using SHRP2 Naturalistic Driving Study Data to Analyze Driver Behavior at Highway-Rail Grade Crossings
Authors: Dean Aaron , Lautala Pasi , Nelson David 
Published: July 2017

Highway-rail grade crossing (crossing) collisions and fatalities have been in decline, but a recent ‘plateau’ has caused the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to concentrate on decreasing further casualties. The Michigan Tech Rail Transportation Program has been selected to perform a large-scale study that will utilize the SHRP2 Naturalistic Driving Study (NDS) data to analyze how various crossing warning devices affect driver behavior and whether there are clear differences between the effectiveness of the warning devices.
The main results of this study are the development of a coding scheme for a visual narrative, used to validate machine vision head tracking data, and an improved baseline for the head tracking data using bivariate probability density. Head tracking data from the NDS and its correlation with coded narratives are vital to analyze driver behavior as they traverse crossings. This paper also presents preliminary results for the comparative analysis of the head tracking data from an initial test sample. Future work will extend the analysis to a larger data set, and ensure that use of the head tracking data is a viable tool for the ongoing behavior analysis work. Based on preliminary results from testing of the first data set, it is expected there will be significant positive correlation in future samples and the machine vision head tracking will prove consistent enough for use in the large scale behavioral study.
A Nonredundant Phosphopantetheinyl Transferase, PptA, Is a Novel Antifungal Target That Directs Secondary Metabolite, Siderophore, and Lysine Biosynthesis in
Aspergillus fumigatus
and Is Critical for Pathogenicity
Authors: Johns Anna , Scharf Daniel H. , Gsaller Fabio , Schmidt Hella , Heinekamp Thorsten , Straßburger Maria , Oliver Jason D. , Birch Mike , Beckmann Nicola , Dobb Katharine S. , Gilsenan Jane , Rash Bharatkumar , Bignell Elaine , Brakhage Axel A. , Bromley Michael J. 
Published: July 2017

ABSTRACT

Secondary metabolites are key mediators of virulence for many pathogens.
Aspergillus fumigatus
produces a vast array of these bioactive molecules, the biosynthesis of which is catalyzed by nonribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs) or polyketide synthases (PKSs). Both NRPSs and PKSs harbor carrier domains that are primed for acceptance of secondary metabolic building blocks by a phosphopantetheinyl transferase (P-pant). The
A. fumigatus
P-pant PptA has been shown to prime the putative NRPS Pes1
in vitro
and has an independent role in lysine biosynthesis; however, its role in global secondary metabolism and its impact on virulence has not been described. Here, we demonstrate that PptA has a nonredundant role in the generation of the vast majority of detectable secondary metabolites in
A. fumigatus
, including the immunomodulator gliotoxin, the siderophores triacetylfusarinine C (TAFC) and ferricrocin (FC), and dihydroxy naphthalene (DHN)-melanin. We show that both the lysine and iron requirements of a
pptA
null strain exceed those freely available in mammalian tissues and that loss of PptA renders
A. fumigatus
avirulent in both insect and murine infection models. Since PptA lacks similarity to its mammalian orthologue, we assert that the combined role of this enzyme in both primary and secondary metabolism, encompassing multiple virulence determinants makes it a very promising antifungal drug target candidate. We further exemplify this point with a high-throughput fluorescence polarization assay that we developed to identify chemical inhibitors of PptA function that have antifungal activity.

IMPORTANCE
Fungal diseases are estimated to kill between 1.5 and 2 million people each year, which exceeds the global mortality estimates for either tuberculosis or malaria. Only four classes of antifungal agents are available to treat invasive fungal infections, and all suffer pharmacological shortcomings, including toxicity, drug-drug interactions, and poor bioavailability. There is an urgent need to develop a new class of drugs that operate via a novel mechanism of action. We have identified a potential drug target, PptA, in the fungal pathogen
Aspergillus fumigatus
. PptA is required to synthesize the immunotoxic compound gliotoxin, DHN-melanin, which
A. fumigatus
employs to evade detection by host cells, the amino acid lysine, and the siderophores TAFC and FC, which
A. fumigatus
uses to scavenge iron. We show that strains lacking the PptA enzyme are unable to establish an infection, and we present a method which we use to identify novel antifungal drugs that inactivate PptA.
Distinct features distinguishing IgG4-related disease from multicentric Castleman's disease
Authors: Sasaki Takanori , Akiyama Mitsuhiro , Kaneko Yuko , Mori Takehiko , Yasuoka Hidekata , Suzuki Katsuya , Yamaoka Kunihiro , Okamoto Shinichiro , Takeuchi Tsutomu 
Published: July 2017

ObjectivesDifferentiating IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) from multicentric Castleman’s disease (MCD) is challenging because both diseases present high serum IgG4. The objective of this study is to clarify the differences in characteristics and identify a clinically useful approach to differentiate these two diseases.MethodsForty-five consecutive patients with untreated active IgG4-RD and 33 patients with MCD were included in this study, who visited our institution from January 2000 to August 2016. The clinical and laboratory findings for the patients of the two diseases were compared. Various combinations of the distinctive findings were evaluated to identify the most efficient differentiating features between IgG4-RD and MCD.ResultsThe levels of serum IgG4 were not different between the two diseases. Orbits, lacrimal glands, salivary glands or pancreas were involved in 88.9% of IgG4-RD cases and only in 3.0% of MCD cases. All MCD cases involved lymph nodes. Atopic history was characteristic for IgG4-RD. The levels of C reactive protein (CRP) with a cut-off of 0.80 mg/dL and IgA with a cut-off of 330 mg/dL were the most distinctive. The combination of ‘Orbits, lacrimal glands, salivary glands or pancreas involvement, atopic history, or non-involvement of lymph node’ and ‘CRP ≤ 0.8 mg/dL or IgA ≤ 330 mg/dL’ yielded the probability of 97.8% in IgG4-RD, while that of 3.0 % in patients with MCD.ConclusionsOur study revealed distinct features between IgG4-RD and MCD. Differentiating between the diseases based on those distinct features, including distribution of organ involvement, atopic history, levels of IgA and CRP, was a useful approach.
Cooperative Vision-Based Object Transportation by Two Humanoid Robots in a Cluttered Environment
Authors: Rioux Antoine , Esteves Claudia , Hayet Jean-Bernard , Suleiman Wael 
Published: July 2017

Although in recent years, there have been quite a few studies aimed at the navigation of robots in cluttered environments, few of these have addressed the problem of robots navigating while moving a large or heavy object. Such a functionality is especially useful when transporting objects of different shapes and weights without having to modify the robot hardware. In this work, we tackle the problem of making two humanoid robots navigate in a cluttered environment while transporting a very large object that simply could not be moved by a single robot. We present a complete navigation scheme, from the incremental construction of a map of the environment and the computation of collision-free trajectories to the design of the control to execute those trajectories. We present experiments made on real NAO robots, equipped with RGB-D sensors mounted on their heads, moving an object around obstacles. Our experiments show that a significantly large object can be transported without modifying the robot main hardware, and therefore that our scheme enhances the humanoid robots capacities in real-life situations. Our contributions are: (1) a low-dimension multi-robot motion planning algorithm that finds an obstacle-free trajectory, by using the constructed map of the environment as an input, (2) a framework that produces continuous and consistent odometry data, by fusing the visual and the robot odometry information, (3) a synchronization system that uses the projection of the robots based on their hands positions coupled with the visual feedback error computed from a frontal camera, (4) an efficient real-time whole-body control scheme that controls the motions of the closed-loop robot–object–robot system.
Orthodontic treatment-induced temporal alteration of jaw-opening reflex excitability
Authors: Sasaki Au , Hasegawa Naoya , Adachi Kazunori , Sakagami Hiroshi , Suda Naoto 
Published: July 2017

The impairment of orofacial motor function during orthodontic treatment needs to be addressed, because most orthodontic patients experience pain and motor excitability would be affected by pain. In the present study, the temporal alteration of the jaw-opening reflex excitability was investigated to determine if orthodontic treatment affects orofacial motor function. The excitability of jaw-opening reflex evoked by electrical stimulation on the gingiva and recorded bilaterally in the anterior digastric muscles was evaluated at 1 (D1), 3 (D3), and 7 days (D7) after orthodontic force application to the teeth of right side; morphological features (e.g., osteoclast genesis and tooth movement) were also evaluated. To clarify the underlying mechanism of orthodontic treatment-induced alteration of orofacial motor excitability, analgesics were administrated for 1 day. At D1 and D3, orthodontic treatment significantly decreased the threshold for inducing the jaw-opening reflex but significantly increased the threshold at D7. Other parameters of the jaw-opening reflex were also evaluated (e.g., latency, duration and area under the curve of anterior digastric muscles activity), and only the latency of the D1 group was significantly different from that of the other groups. Temporal alteration of the jaw-opening reflex excitability was significantly correlated with changes in morphological features. Aspirin (300 mg·kg−1·day−1) significantly increased the threshold for inducing the jaw-opening reflex, whereas a lower dose (75–150 mg·kg−1·day−1) of aspirin or acetaminophen (300 mg·kg−1·day−1) failed to alter the jaw-opening reflex excitability. These results suggest that an increase of the jaw-opening reflex excitability can be induced acutely by orthodontic treatment, possibly through the cyclooxygenase activation. NEW & NOTEWORTHY It is well known that motor function is affected by pain, but the effect of orthodontic treatment-related pain on the trigeminal motor excitability has not been fully understood. We found that, during orthodontic treatment, trigeminal motor excitability is acutely increased and then decreased in a week. Because alteration of trigeminal motor function can be evaluated quantitatively by jaw-opening reflex excitability, the present animal model may be useful to search for alternative approaches to attenuate orthodontic pain.
Efficient Mitochondrial Glutamine Targeting Prevails Over Glioblastoma Metabolic Plasticity
Authors: Oizel Kristell , Chauvin Cynthia , Oliver Lisa , Gratas Catherine , Geraldo Fanny , Jarry Ulrich , Scotet Emmanuel , Rabe Marion , Alves-Guerra Marie-Clotilde , Teusan Raluca , Gautier Fabien , Loussouarn Delphine , Compan Vincent , Martinou Jean-Claude , Vallette François M. , Pecqueur Claire 
Published: July 2017

Abstract
Purpose: Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common and malignant form of primary human brain tumor in adults, with an average survival at diagnosis of 18 months. Metabolism is a new attractive therapeutic target in cancer; however, little is known about metabolic heterogeneity and plasticity within GBM tumors. We therefore aimed to investigate metabolic phenotyping of primary cultures in the context of molecular tumor heterogeneity to provide a proof of concept for personalized metabolic targeting of GBM.
Experimental Design: We have analyzed extensively several primary GBM cultures using transcriptomics, metabolic phenotyping assays, and mitochondrial respirometry.
Results: We found that metabolic phenotyping clearly identifies 2 clusters, GLNHigh and GLNLow, mainly based on metabolic plasticity and glutamine (GLN) utilization. Inhibition of glutamine metabolism slows the in vitro and in vivo growth of GLNHigh GBM cultures despite metabolic adaptation to nutrient availability, in particular by increasing pyruvate shuttling into mitochondria. Furthermore, phenotypic and molecular analyses show that highly proliferative GLNHigh cultures are CD133neg and display a mesenchymal signature in contrast to CD133pos GLNLow GBM cells.
Conclusions: Our results show that metabolic phenotyping identified an essential metabolic pathway in a GBM cell subtype, and provide a proof of concept for theranostic metabolic targeting. Clin Cancer Res; 23(20); 6292–304. ©2017 AACR.
Inactivation of Receptor Tyrosine Kinases Reverts Aberrant DNA Methylation in Acute Myeloid Leukemia
Authors: Shen Na , Yan Fei , Pang Jiuxia , Zhao Na , Gangat Naseema , Wu Laichu , Bode Ann M. , Al-Kali Aref , Litzow Mark R. , Liu Shujun 
Published: July 2017

Abstract
Purpose: Receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) are frequently deregulated in leukemia, yet the biological consequences of this deregulation remain elusive. The mechanisms underlying aberrant methylation, a hallmark of leukemia, are not fully understood. Here we investigated the role of RTKs in methylation abnormalities and characterized the hypomethylating activities of RTK inhibitors.
Experimental Design: Whether and how RTKs regulate expression of DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs), tumor suppressor genes (TSGs) as well as global and gene-specific DNA methylation were examined. The pharmacologic activities and mechanisms of actions of RTK inhibitors in vitro, ex vivo, in mice, and in nilotinib-treated leukemia patients were determined.
Results: Upregulation of RTKs paralleled DNMT overexpression in leukemia cell lines and patient blasts. Knockdown of RTKs disrupted, whereas enforced expression increased DNMT expression and DNA methylation. Treatment with the RTK inhibitor, nilotinib, resulted in a reduction of Sp1-dependent DNMT1 expression, the diminution of global DNA methylation, and the upregulation of the p15INK4B gene through promoter hypomethylation in AML cell lines and patient blasts. This led to disruption of AML cell clonogenicity and promotion of cellular apoptosis without obvious changes in cell cycle. Importantly, nilotinib administration in mice and human patients with AML impaired expression of DNMTs followed by DNA hypomethylation, TSG re-expression, and leukemia regression.
Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate RTKs as novel regulators of DNMT-dependent DNA methylation and define DNA methylation status in AML cells as a pharmacodynamic marker for their response to RTK-based therapy, providing new therapeutic avenues for RTK inhibitors in overcoming epigenetic abnormalities in leukemia. Clin Cancer Res; 23(20); 6254–66. ©2017 AACR.
Comparative Evaluation of the OTT PARSIVEL2 Using a Collocated Two-Dimensional Video Disdrometer
Authors: Park S.-G. , Kim Hae-Lim , Ham Young-Woong , Jung Sung-Hwa 
Published: July 2017

AbstractThe performance of the OTT second-generation Particle Size Velocity (PARSIVEL2) laser weather sensor is evaluated by comparing it with a collocated two-dimensional video disdrometer (2DVD) and rain gauges using data collected over a total of 36 rain events. A comparison of raindrop size distributions (DSDs) between the 2DVD and two PARSIVEL2 reveals good agreement for weak rainfall rates below approximately 10 mm h−1 and for midsize drops with diameters between 0.6 and 4.0 mm irrespective of rainfall rates, whereas the PARSIVEL2 produces overestimations of large drops with diameters above 4 mm during heavy rainfall above approximately 20 mm h−1. The resultant DSD parameters of the PARSIVEL2 present overestimations of the mean diameter Dm in the normalized gamma function and the maximum drop diameter Dmax, and underestimations of the intercept parameter Nw and total number of drops NT. Furthermore, how the characteristics of DSDs from the PARSIVEL2 affect the polarimetric radar variables, such as differential reflectivity ZDR and specific differential phase KDP, is examined, as well as how these characteristics affect empirical relations required in radar hydrometeorological applications such as quantitative rainfall estimations. Based on these examinations, it can be concluded that the OTT PARSIVEL2 still produces overestimations of large drops and underestimations of small drops during heavy rainfall, similar to older models of PARSIVEL, despite significant improvements to the PARSIVEL2 system, and furthermore that the uses of PARSIVEL2 measurements can act as a source of error in radar hydrometeorological applications such as radar rainfall estimations.