bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Robust control: Fooled by assumptions
Authors: Safonov Michael G. 
Published: May 2016

SummaryThe possibility of mismatch between prior uncertainty modeling assumptions and reality is a problem both for robust control and for model‐based adaptive control algorithms that aim to use real‐time data to adaptively identify and correct such problems. Mismatches between prior model assumptions may fool adaptive algorithms intended to improve robustness into persistently preferring destabilizing controllers over stabilizing ones even when the instability is patently obvious to the eyes of the most casual observer. To eliminate all possibility of being thusly fooled, the assumption‐free unfalsified control concept was introduced in the early 1990s and has since been developed to the point where it now provides a unifying overarching theoretical framework for understanding the relationships, benefits, and weakness of various adaptive control methods. We review how the theory allows one to parsimoniously sift the individual elements of accumulating evidence and experimental data to determine precisely which of the elements falsify a given performance level and very briefly discuss recent research on cost‐detectable fading‐memory cost functions for time‐varying plants. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Gastric Outlet Obstruction After Esophagectomy: Retrospective Analysis of the Effectiveness and Safety of Postoperative Endoscopic Pyloric Dilatation
Authors: Maus Martin K. H. , Leers Jessica , Herbold Till , Bludau Marc , Chon Seung‐Hun , Kleinert Robert , Hescheler Daniel A. , Bollschweiler Elfriede , Hölscher Arnulf H. , Schäfer Hartmut , Alakus Hakan 
Published: May 2016

AbstractBackground and aimsDelayed gastric emptying after esophagectomy with gastric replacement can pose a significant postoperative problem, often leading to aspiration and pneumonia. The present study analyzes retrospectively the effectiveness of endoscopic pyloric dilatation for post‐surgical gastric outlet obstruction.MethodsBetween March 2006 and March 2010, 403 patients underwent a transthoracic en‐bloc esophagectomy and reconstruction with a gastric tube and intrathoracic esophagogastrostomy. In patients with postoperative symptoms of an outlet dysfunction and the confirmation by endoscopy, pyloric dilatations were performed without preference with either 20‐ or 30‐mm balloons.ResultsA total of 89 balloon dilatations of the pylorus after esophagectomy were performed in 60 (15.6 %) patients. In 21 (35 %) patients, a second dilatation of the pylorus was performed. 55 (61.8 %) dilatations were performed with a 30‐mm balloon and 34 (38.2 %) with a 20‐mm balloon. The total redilatation rate for the 30‐mm balloon was 20 % (n = 11) and 52.9 % (n = 18) for the 20‐mm balloon (p < 0.001). All dilatations were performed without any complications.ConclusionsPylorus spasm contributes to delayed gastric emptying leading to postoperative complications after esophagectomy. Endoscopic pyloric dilatation after esophagectomy is a safe procedure for treatment of gastric outlet obstruction. The use of a 30‐mm balloon has the same safety profile but a 2.5 lower redilatation rate compared to the 20‐mm balloon. Thus, the use of 20‐mm balloons has been abandoned in our clinic.
Comparison of vonoprazan and proton pump inhibitors for eradication of Helicobacter pylori
Authors: Shinozaki Satoshi , Nomoto Hiroaki , Kondo Yoshie , Sakamoto Hirotsugu , Hayashi Yoshikazu , Yamamoto Hironori , Lefor Alan Kawarai , Osawa Hiroyuki 
Published: May 2016

AbstractAlternative eradication therapies for Helicobacter pylori infection are needed because of an increasing failure rate over the past decade. The aim of this study was to determine if vonoprazan, a new potassium‐competitive acid blocker, showed superiority to existing proton pump inhibitors for primary eradication of H. pylori in routine clinical practice. Data for 573 patients who underwent primary H. pylori eradication therapy were retrospectively reviewed. Regimens included clarithromycin 200 mg, amoxicillin 750 mg, and an acid‐suppressing drug [lansoprazole 30 mg (LAC), rabeprazole 10 mg (RAC), esomeprazole 20 mg (EAC), or vonoprazan 20 mg (VAC)] twice daily for 1 week. Eradication was successful in 73% (419/573) of patients using intention‐to‐treat (ITT) analysis and 76% (419/549) of patients in per‐protocol (PP) analysis. The VAC group had a significantly superior eradication rate compared with the LAC and RAC groups in ITT (VAC 83%, LAC 66% and RAC 67%, p < 0.01) and PP analysis (VAC 85%, LAC 69% and RAC 70%, p < 0.01), and had a similarly high eradication rate to the EAC group (83% in ITT and 87% in PP). Although the eradication rate in the VAC and EAC groups was not significantly higher than in the LAC and RAC groups in patients with mild gastric atrophy with both ITT and PP analyses, it was significantly higher in patients with severe gastric atrophy (p < 0.01). The VAC group had a significantly higher H. pylori eradication rate than the LAC and RAC groups, and a > 80% eradication rate regardless of the degree of atrophy.
Recent changes in the Norske Øer Ice Barrier, coastal Northeast Greenland
Authors: Sneed William A. , Hamilton Gordon S. 
Published: May 2016

ABSTRACTIn Northeast Greenland, the Norske Øer Ice Barrier (NØIB) abuts Nioghalvfjerdsfjorden (79N) and Zachariae Isstrøm (ZI), two floating outlets of the Northeast Greenland Ice Stream. NØIB is an extensive region of perennially fast sea ice, which varies in size from year to year, but with complete breakup a rare event in the 20th century. It reportedly broke up in the 1950s and was seen to break up in 1997. Since 2000 the NØIB has broken up during 11 of the last 14 summers. The forcings driving the increased frequency of ice barrier breakup are poorly understood, and it is not clear if the breakup is a purely local phenomenon or an indicator of regional changes in the ocean and atmosphere. Here we use a logistic regression statistical model to show that the odds of breakup are linked to June positive degree days and July wind speeds at a nearby weather station. It is too soon to know if subtle changes detected on 79N and ZI in the last decade are connected to breakups of the NØIB but, if they are, it suggests a complex interaction between the atmosphere, ocean and outlet glaciers in this part of Greenland.
Modeling hydraulic fracture of glaciers using continuum damage mechanics
Authors: MOBASHER MOSTAFA E. , DUDDU RAVINDRA , BASSIS JEREMY N. , WAISMAN HAIM 
Published: May 2016

ABSTRACTThe presence of water-filled crevasses is known to increase the penetration depth of crevasses and this has been hypothesized to play an important role controlling iceberg calving rate. Here, we develop a continuum-damage-based poro-mechanics formulation that enables the simulation of water-filled basal and surface crevasse propagation. The formulation incorporates a scalar isotropic damage variable into a Maxwell-type viscoelastic constitutive model for glacial ice, and the effect of the water pressure on fracture propagation using the concept of effective solid stress. We illustrate the model by simulating quasi-static hydrofracture in idealized rectangular slabs of ice in contact with the ocean. Our results indicate that water-filled basal crevasses only propagate when the water pressure is sufficiently large, and that the interaction between simultaneously propagating water-filled surface and basal crevasses can have a mutually positive influence leading to deeper crevasse propagation, which can critically affect glacial stability. Therefore, this study supports the hypothesis that hydraulic fracture is a plausible mechanism for the accelerated breakdown of glaciers.
Genetic differentiation ofLiparus glabrirostris(Curculionidae: Molytinae) populations from the fragmented habitats of the Alps and Carpathian Mountains
Authors: Mitrović M. , Tomanović Ž. , Jakovljević M. , Radović D. , Havelka J. , Stary P. 
Published: May 2016

AbstractPopulations ofLiparus glabrirostris(Curculionidae: Molytinae), a weevil inhabiting higher altitudes of Central Europe, were sampled from 24 localities in the Alps and Carpathian Mountains, and the geographical structuring of genetic variation was analyzed. Comparison of the concatenated mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I and subunit II sequences revealed consistent genetic divergence between the populations ofL. glabrirostrisfrom different mountain ranges. In phylogenetic analysis using maximum parsimony and median-joining networks, concatenated mitochondrial haplotypes from the Alps and Carpathians clustered as separate lineages, with high bootstrap support. Substantial genetic distances determined between the separated groups ranged from 2.6 to 3.0%, with divergence estimated to have initiated approximately 0.85–0.98 million years ago. The nuclear elongation factor 1α gene was additionally amplified and haplotype analysis showed very low evolutionary divergence (0.2%), with separate clustering as well. The observed divergence suggests that the populations have been isolated for a long time, as a consequence of environmental changes resulting in varying fragmentation of habitats in the Alps and Carpathians, interrupting genetic exchange events and altering the genetic structure ofL. glabrirostrispopulations. On the other hand, comparison of morphological characteristics showed no differences to confirm genetically well differentiated groups of populations. A polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism-based method was therefore developed to discriminate between the Alpine and Carpathian lineages.
Measurement of the dimensions of food insecurity in developed countries: a systematic literature review
Authors: Ashby Stephanie , Kleve Suzanne , McKechnie Rebecca , Palermo Claire 
Published: May 2016

AbstractObjectiveFood insecurity is a salient health issue comprised of four dimensions – food access, availability, utilization and stability over time. The aim of the present study was to conduct a systematic literature review to identify all multi-item tools that measure food insecurity and explore which of the dimensions they assess.DesignFive databases were searched (CENTRAL, CINAHL plus, EMBASE, MEDLINE, TRIP) for studies published in English since 1999. Inclusion criteria included human studies using multi-item tools to measure food security and studies conducted in developed countries. Manuscripts describing the US Department of Agriculture Food Security Survey Module, that measures ‘food access’, were excluded due to wide acceptance of the validity and reliability of this instrument. Two authors extracted data and assessed the quality of the included studies. Data were summarized against the dimensions of food insecurity.SettingA systematic review of the literature.SubjectsThe majority of tools were developed in the USA and had been used in different age groups and cultures.ResultsEight multi-item tools were identified. All of the tools assessed the ‘food access’ dimension and two partially assessed the dimensions ‘food utilization’ and ‘stability over time’, respectively. ‘Food availability’ was not assessed by existing tools.ConclusionsCurrent tools available for measuring food insecurity are subjective, limited in scope, with a majority assessing only one dimension of food insecurity (access). To more accurately assess the true burden of food insecurity, tools should be adapted or developed to assess all four dimensions of food insecurity.
Epigenetic reprogramming of fallopian tube fimbriae in BRCA mutation carriers defines early ovarian cancer evolution
Authors: Bartlett Thomas E. , Chindera Kantaraja , McDermott Jacqueline , Breeze Charles E. , Cooke William R. , Jones Allison , Reisel Daniel , Karegodar Smita T. , Arora Rupali , Beck Stephan , Menon Usha , Dubeau Louis , Widschwendter Martin 
Published: May 2016

AbstractThe exact timing and contribution of epigenetic reprogramming to carcinogenesis are unclear. Women harbouring BRCA1/2 mutations demonstrate a 30–40-fold increased risk of high-grade serous extra-uterine Müllerian cancers (HGSEMC), otherwise referred to as ‘ovarian carcinomas’, which frequently develop from fimbrial cells but not from the proximal portion of the fallopian tube. Here we compare the DNA methylome of the fimbrial and proximal ends of the fallopian tube in BRCA1/2 mutation carriers and non-carriers. We show that the number of CpGs displaying significant differences in methylation levels between fimbrial and proximal fallopian tube segments are threefold higher in BRCA mutation carriers than in controls, correlating with overexpression of activation-induced deaminase in their fimbrial epithelium. The differentially methylated CpGs accurately discriminate HGSEMCs from non-serous subtypes. Epigenetic reprogramming is an early pre-malignant event integral to BRCA1/2 mutation-driven carcinogenesis. Our findings may provide a basis for cancer-preventative strategies.
Nrf2 suppresses macrophage inflammatory response by blocking proinflammatory cytokine transcription
Authors: Kobayashi Eri H. , Suzuki Takafumi , Funayama Ryo , Nagashima Takeshi , Hayashi Makiko , Sekine Hiroki , Tanaka Nobuyuki , Moriguchi Takashi , Motohashi Hozumi , Nakayama Keiko , Yamamoto Masayuki 
Published: May 2016

AbstractNrf2 (NF-E2-related factor-2) transcription factor regulates oxidative/xenobiotic stress response and also represses inflammation. However, the mechanisms how Nrf2 alleviates inflammation are still unclear. Here, we demonstrate that Nrf2 interferes with lipopolysaccharide-induced transcriptional upregulation of proinflammatory cytokines, including IL-6 and IL-1β. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP)-seq and ChIP-qPCR analyses revealed that Nrf2 binds to the proximity of these genes in macrophages and inhibits RNA Pol II recruitment. Further, we found that Nrf2-mediated inhibition is independent of the Nrf2-binding motif and reactive oxygen species level. Murine inflammatory models further demonstrated that Nrf2 interferes with IL6 induction and inflammatory phenotypes in vivo. Thus, contrary to the widely accepted view that Nrf2 suppresses inflammation through redox control, we demonstrate here that Nrf2 opposes transcriptional upregulation of proinflammatory cytokine genes. This study identifies Nrf2 as the upstream regulator of cytokine production and establishes a molecular basis for an Nrf2-mediated anti-inflammation approach.
Direct evidence for charge stripes in a layered cobalt oxide
Authors: Babkevich P. , Freeman P. G. , Enderle M. , Prabhakaran D. , Boothroyd A. T. 
Published: May 2016

AbstractRecent experiments indicate that static stripe-like charge order is generic to the hole-doped copper oxide superconductors and competes with superconductivity. Here we show that a similar type of charge order is present in La5/3Sr1/3CoO4, an insulating analogue of the copper oxide superconductors containing cobalt in place of copper. The stripe phase we have detected is accompanied by short-range, quasi-one-dimensional, antiferromagnetic order, and provides a natural explanation for the distinctive hourglass shape of the magnetic spectrum previously observed in neutron-scattering measurements of La2−xSrxCoO4 and many hole-doped copper oxide superconductors. The results establish a solid empirical basis for theories of the hourglass spectrum built on short-range, quasi-static, stripe correlations.
Measurements of continuum lowering in solid-density plasmas created from elements and compounds
Authors: Ciricosta O. , Vinko S. M. , Barbrel B. , Rackstraw D. S. , Preston T. R. , Burian T. , Chalupský J. , Cho B. I. , Chung H. -K. , Dakovski G. L. , Engelhorn K. , Hájková V. , Heimann P. , Holmes M. , Juha L. , Krzywinski J. , Lee R. W. , Toleikis S. , Turner J. J. , Zastrau U. , Wark J. S. 
Published: May 2016

AbstractThe effect of a dense plasma environment on the energy levels of an embedded ion is usually described in terms of the lowering of its continuum level. For strongly coupled plasmas, the phenomenon is intimately related to the equation of state; hence, an accurate treatment is crucial for most astrophysical and inertial-fusion applications, where the case of plasma mixtures is of particular interest. Here we present an experiment showing that the standard density-dependent analytical models are inadequate to describe solid-density plasmas at the temperatures studied, where the reduction of the binding energies for a given species is unaffected by the different plasma environment (ion density) in either the element or compounds of that species, and can be accurately estimated by calculations only involving the energy levels of an isolated neutral atom. The results have implications for the standard approaches to the equation of state calculations.
Identification of an activation site in Bak and mitochondrial Bax triggered by antibodies
Authors: Iyer Sweta , Anwari Khatira , Alsop Amber E. , Yuen Wai Shan , Huang David C. S. , Carroll John , Smith Nicholas A. , Smith Brian J. , Dewson Grant , Kluck Ruth M. 
Published: May 2016

AbstractDuring apoptosis, Bak and Bax are activated by BH3-only proteins binding to the α2–α5 hydrophobic groove; Bax is also activated via a rear pocket. Here we report that antibodies can directly activate Bak and mitochondrial Bax by binding to the α1–α2 loop. A monoclonal antibody (clone 7D10) binds close to α1 in non-activated Bak to induce conformational change, oligomerization, and cytochrome c release. Anti-FLAG antibodies also activate Bak containing a FLAG epitope close to α1. An antibody (clone 3C10) to the Bax α1–α2 loop activates mitochondrial Bax, but blocks translocation of cytosolic Bax. Tethers within Bak show that 7D10 binding directly extricates α1; a structural model of the 7D10 Fab bound to Bak reveals the formation of a cavity under α1. Our identification of the α1–α2 loop as an activation site in Bak paves the way to develop intrabodies or small molecules that directly and selectively regulate these proteins.
CT-Finder: A Web Service for CRISPR Optimal Target Prediction and Visualization
Authors: Zhu Houxiang , Misel Lauren , Graham Mitchell , Robinson Michael L. , Liang Chun 
Published: May 2016

AbstractThe CRISPR system holds much promise for successful genome engineering, but therapeutic, industrial and research applications will place high demand on improving the specificity and efficiency of this tool. CT-Finder (http://bioinfolab.miamioh.edu/ct-finder) is a web service to help users design guide RNAs (gRNAs) optimized for specificity. CT-Finder accommodates the original single-gRNA Cas9 system and two specificity-enhancing paired-gRNA systems: Cas9 D10A nickases (Cas9n) and dimeric RNA-guided FokI nucleases (RFNs). Optimal target candidates can be chosen based on the minimization of predicted off-target effects. Graphical visualization of on-target and off-target sites in the genome is provided for target validation. Major model organisms are covered by this web service.
A Subject-Specific Acoustic Model of the Upper Airway for Snoring Sounds Generation
Authors: Saha Shumit , Bradley T. Douglas , Taheri Mahsa , Moussavi Zahra , Yadollahi Azadeh 
Published: May 2016

AbstractMonitoring variations in the upper airway narrowing during sleep is invasive and expensive. Since snoring sounds are generated by air turbulence and vibrations of the upper airway due to its narrowing; snoring sounds may be used as a non-invasive technique to assess upper airway narrowing. Our goal was to develop a subject-specific acoustic model of the upper airway to investigate the impacts of upper airway anatomy, e.g. length, wall thickness and cross-sectional area, on snoring sounds features. To have a subject-specific model for snoring generation, we used measurements of the upper airway length, cross-sectional area and wall thickness from every individual to develop the model. To validate the proposed model, in 20 male individuals, intensity and resonant frequencies of modeled snoring sounds were compared with those measured from recorded snoring sounds during sleep. Based on both modeled and measured results, we found the only factor that may positively and significantly contribute to snoring intensity was narrowing in the upper airway. Furthermore, measured resonant frequencies of snoring were inversely correlated with the upper airway length, which is a risk factor for upper airway collapsibility. These results encourage the use of snoring sounds analysis to assess the upper airway anatomy during sleep.
Mice lacking Programmed cell death-1 show a role for CD8+ T cells in long-term immunity against blood-stage malaria
Authors: Horne-Debets Joshua M. , Karunarathne Deshapriya S. , Faleiro Rebecca J. , Poh Chek Meng , Renia Laurent , Wykes Michelle N. 
Published: May 2016

AbstractEven after years of experiencing malaria, caused by infection with Plasmodium species, individuals still have incomplete immunity and develop low-density parasitemia on re-infection. Previous studies using the P. chabaudi (Pch) mouse model to understand the reason for chronic malaria, found that mice with a deletion of programmed cell death-1 (PD-1KO) generate sterile immunity unlike wild type (WT) mice. Here we investigated if the mechanism underlying this defect during acute immunity also impacts on long-term immunity. We infected WT and PD-1KO mice with Pch-malaria and measured protection as well as immune responses against re-infections, 15 or 20 weeks after the original infection had cleared. WT mice showed approximately 1% parasitemia compared to sterile immunity in PD-1KO mice on re-infection. An examination of the mechanisms of immunity behind this long-term protection in PD-1KO mice showed a key role for parasite-specific CD8+ T cells even when CD4+ T cells and B cells responded to re-infection. These studies indicate that long-term CD8+ T cell-meditated protection requires consideration for future malaria vaccine design, as part of a multi-cell type response.
Stability of numerous novel potassium chlorides at high pressure
Authors: Zhang Weiwei , Oganov Artem R. , Zhu Qiang , Lobanov Sergey S. , Stavrou Elissaios , Goncharov Alexander F. 
Published: May 2016

AbstractK-Cl is a simple system displaying all four main types of bonding, as it contains (i) metallic potassium, (ii) elemental chlorine made of covalently bonded Cl2 molecules held together by van der Waals forces and (iii) an archetypal ionic compound KCl. The charge balance rule, assigning classical charges of “+1” to K and “−1” to Cl, predicts that no compounds other than KCl are possible. However, our quantum-mechanical variable-composition evolutionary simulations predict an extremely complex phase diagram, with new thermodynamically stable compounds K3Cl, K2Cl, K3Cl2, K4Cl3, K5Cl4, K3Cl5, KCl3 and KCl7. Of particular interest are 2D-metallic homologs Kn+1Cln, the presence of positively charged Cl atoms in KCl7 and the predicted stability of KCl3 already at nearly ambient pressures at zero Kelvin. We have synthesized cubic "Equation missing" -KCl3 at 40–70 GPa and trigonal "Equation missing" -KCl3 at 20–40 GPa in a laser-heated diamond anvil cell (DAC) at temperature exceeding 2000 K from KCl and Cl2. These phases were identified using in situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy. Upon unloading to 10 GPa, "Equation missing" -KCl3 transforms to a yet unknown structure before final decomposition to KCl and Cl2 at near-ambient conditions.