bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mechanical Properties and Strain Transfer Behavior of Molybdenum Ditelluride (MoTe2) Thin Films
Authors: Chowdhury Shoieb Ahmed , Inzani Katherine , Peña Tara , Dey Aditya , Wu Stephen M. , Griffin Sinéad M. , Askari Hesam
Published: May 2021

Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) offer superior properties over conventional materials in many areas such as in electronic devices. In recent years, TMDs have been shown to display a phase switching mechanism under the application of external mechanical strain, making them exciting candidates for phase change transistors. Molybdenum ditelluride (MoTe2) is one such material that has been engineered as a strain-based phase change transistor. In this work, we explore various aspects of the mechanical properties of this material by a suite of computational and experimental approaches. First, we present parameterization of an interatomic potential for modeling monolayer as well as multilayered MoTe2 films. For generating the empirical potential parameter set, we fit results from density functional theory calculations using a random search algorithm known as particle swarm optimization. The potential closely predicts structural properties, elastic constants, and vibrational frequencies of MoTe2 indicating a reliable fit. Our simulated mechanical response matches earlier larger scale experimental nanoindentation results with excellent prediction of fracture points. Simulation of uniaxial tensile deformation by molecular dynamics shows the complete non-linear stress-strain response up to failure. Mechanical behavior, including failure properties, exhibits directional anisotropy due to the variation of bond alignments with crystal orientation. Furthermore, we show the deterioration of mechanical properties with increasing temperature. Finally, we present computational and experimental evidence of an extended c-axis strain transfer length in MoTe2 compared to TMDs with smaller chalcogen atoms.
Microstructural Design of Graphene Nanocomposites for Improved Electrical Conductivity
Authors: Gbaguidi Audrey , Namilae Sirish , Kim Daewon
Published: May 2021

The electrical conductivity and percolation onset of graphene-based nanocomposites are studied by varying both planar and transversal aspect ratios of graphene nanoplatelets (GNP) fillers using a three-dimensional stochastic percolation-based model. The graphene nanoplatelets are modeled as elliptical fillers to enable planar aspect ratio variations. We find that decreasing the graphite’s thickness results in an exponential performance improvement of the nanocomposites, in contrast to a linear improvement obtained when the planar aspect ratio is increased, for the same filler volume. Furthermore, we show that hybrid nanocomposites fabricated with partial replacement of GNP by carbon nanotube (CNT) may improve the electrical performance of the GNP monofiller composites. Improvement or deterioration of the electrical properties is mainly based on the morphology and content of the fillers mixed in the hybrids. Nonetheless, using a minimal amount of CNT for substitution always leads to the highest improvement in conductivity in the hybrids, while additional CNTs only lead to smaller improvement at best or even deterioration. The results are validated against experimental works and offer useful insights for the fabrication of highly conductive nanocomposites.
Prognostic Analysis of High-Speed Cylindrical Roller Bearing Using Weibull Distribution and k-Nearest Neighbor
Authors: Rathore Maan Singh , Harsha S. P.
Published: May 2021

Bearing remnant operational life can be determined by implementing a data-driven prognostics method. In this work, the bearing run-to-failure data from experimentation on test rig is used to extract time-domain features. The sudden change in time-domain information signifies the fault inception which led to failure stage promptly. The monotonicity metric is utilized to select the optimal feature set that best represents bearing degradation. Principal component analysis (PCA) is used for dimension reduction and fusion, and a unidimensional health indicator (HI) is constructed. Fluctuations of HI are smoothed by fitting it with a Weibull failure rate function (WFRF) and the corresponding parameters are estimated using nonlinear least-squares method. By inverting the model, the predicted time values are calculated, and hence remnant operational life of bearing is evaluated and compared with the actual life from experimental data. The performance assessment metrics utilized are mean absolute percentage error (MAPE), mean-square error (MSE), root-mean-square error (RMSE), and bias. Besides this, an online degradation state classification method using the k-nearest neighbor (KNN) classifier is implemented. The KNN model performance is assessed by constructing receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve, which indicates the value of area under the curve (AUC) equal to 0.94, representing high accuracy of the KNN. The remaining useful life (RUL) is predicted within 95% confidence limits, and the predicted RUL almost follows the actual one with some fluctuations. The model performance is found promising and can be implemented to evaluate the remaining useful life of bearing.
Investigation of a Novel Solar Powered Trigeneration System for Simultaneous Production of Electricity, Heating, and Refrigeration Below Freezing
Authors: Almatrafi Eydhah , Khaliq Abdul
Published: May 2021

A solar powered trigeneration system consisting of tower solar collector, Kalina cycle with the heat exchanger, and ejector-absorption refrigeration cycle is proposed to produce refrigeration below freezing, electricity, and process heat, simultaneously. Simulation through computational fluid dynamics using ansys-fluent package is conducted to examine the effect of coil diameter and inlet oil temperature on the pressure and temperature of solar heat transfer fluid. It is found that, for inlet temperature of 92 °C and direct normal irradiations of 850 W/m2, the solar heat transfer fluid outlet temperature increases by 9% when the coil diameter increased from 150 to 400 mm. Trigeneration performance is analyzed after altering hot oil outlet temperature, turbine inlet pressure, and the concentration of ammonia–water basic solution to study their effect on power produced by turbine, refrigeration load, exergy of refrigeration, and efficiencies of trigeneration system. An increase in the concentration of the ammonia–water basic solution is leading toward the significant increase in the turbine power and the elevation of trigeneration system’s energy and exergy efficiencies. Bottoming of the Kalina cycle with ejector-absorption refrigeration cycle shows the distribution of solar energy as energetic output 72.31% and energy lost to environment 27.69%. The solar exergy supplied to the trigeneration system is distributed as follows: 16.23% is the exergy produced, 1.62% is the exergy loss, and 82.15% is the exergy destroyed.
Flow Characteristics and Novel Applications of Synthetic Jets: A Review
Authors: Walimbe Pratik , Agrawal Amit , Chaudhari Mangesh
Published: May 2021

Synthetic jets, often abbreviated as “SJs” or “Synjets,” are a type of zero net mass flux (ZNMF) jets, which have gained popularity due to their ability to transfer momentum without transferring mass. This property distinguishes SJs from their counterpart traditional continuous jets. Over a stretch of time, SJs have been employed extensively in applications such as active flow control, impingement heat transfer, and miniature electronics cooling. However, researchers are now slowly extending the frontiers of SJ research and making efforts to utilize excellent properties of SJs in novel applications such as autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), marine systems, and bio-inspired propulsion systems. This paper strives to identify the gaps in the current research and the areas that have remained unexplored yet. The article begins with a brief discussion of the origin of SJs, i.e., “acoustic streaming.” Resulting segments talk about the formation criteria and the recent works employing various configurations of orifices and cavities. The paper discusses the critical concepts such as jet impact factor, volumetric efficiency, and propulsive efficiency of synthetic jets. It is followed by introduction of novel flow control systems employing SJs such as gurney flaps, bumps, and electro-active synthetic jets. Finally, the most innovative applications of SJs such as AUVs, unmanned air vehicles, and jetting cavities are also brought out. Pulsatile jet flows found in jellyfish, cephalopod, squid, and salp have been discussed in great detail. The exhaustive discussion on future prospects strives to not only provide the reader with the comprehensive insights into SJs, but also to motivate future researchers to overcome the gaps identified in this paper.
Laser Surface Texturing For Antiviral Surfaces?
Authors: Nagarajan Balasubramanian , Yildirim Kerim , Saravanan Rathi , Castagne Sylvie
Published: May 2021

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, especially, the transmission of the virus via infected contact surfaces, has put increased emphasis on the need to fabricate antimicrobial surfaces to protect against various deadly pathogens. Laser surface texturing (LST), one of the common surface modification techniques, has been successful for antifouling applications to improve resistance against bacterial adhesion. In this short review, we aim to explore the possibilities of using LST for fabricating surfaces against viruses. The characteristics influencing the interaction of surfaces with virus and bacteria and an overview of antibacterial surfaces created by LST are briefly described first before assessing the current limitations with LST for fabricating antiviral surfaces. Finally, we highlight the potential directions using LST to realize the nanoscale surface features necessary for antiviral surfaces.
Immunoadsorbent for the Isolation of
Pasteurella tularensis
-Specific Antibodies
Authors: Weetall Howard H.
Published: May 2021

The Schu-5 strain of
Pasteurella tularensis
was cross-linked with tetra-azotized benzidine and employed for the isolation of purified specific antibodies. The isolation procedure increased the content of specifically precipitable antibodies at least 40-fold.
Bacteriophage Attachment to the Somatic Antigen of
Salmonella
: Effect of O-Specific Structures in Leaky R Mutants and S, T1 Hybrids
Authors: Lindberg Alf A. , Sarvas Matti , Mäkelä P. Helena
Published: May 2021

The phage adsorption ability and serological specificity of different
Salmonella
strains having either complete or leaky mutations in their lipopolysaccharide (LPS) synthesis were compared, together with their genotype and sugar composition, to provide a set of standards relating these parameters to LPS structure. Strains that had T1-specific side chains in their LPS, both with or without O side chains, were examined to learn more about the organization of these two side chains in the LPS and a possible competition between them. It was found that (i) adsorption of O-specific antibodies was a very sensitive test for the presence of even very small amounts of O-specific structures, (ii) that phage P22 adsorption was dependent on the presence of a nearly complete O side chain complement, and both long and numerous O side chains were required, and (iii) that the adsorption of the phages FO (Felix O-1), 6SR, and Br2, which attach to structures in the LPS core, was a sensitive indicator of any defect in O-antigen synthesis, and well developed O side chains blocked their attachment efficiently. Semirough (SR) strains with only one O-specific repeating unit per side chain adsorbed FO efficiently, whereas the access of the 6SR and Br2 phages to their receptors was blocked. Strains with T1 side chains adsorbed the FO and 6SR phages efficiently, whereas the adsorption of the Br2 phage was blocked to a large extent. The phage adsorption of four S, T1 strains (with both O and T1 side chains) showed that, as the amount of O side chain material increased, there was a reduction of the adsorption of phages in the following order: 6SR, Br2, and FO. P22 attachment appeared with the increase of O side chains. The LPS composition of these strains revealed a 10-fold reduction of the O-specific structures compared to the smooth parent strain, whereas the amount of T1-specific material was the same as in T1 strains. The short O side chains of a SR, T1 strain were, however, not reduced in number, suggesting that the apparent competition between O and T1 side chains may not be a competition for available sites in the LPS.
Use of a Logistic Function in Expressing Kinetic Hemolysis Data
Authors: Jackson Robert W. , Basinger Scott F. , Werth Jean M.
Published: May 2021

A method of rectifying sigmoidal kinetic hemolysis curves is described. The curves are described, within limits, by the equation
t
=
K
(
l
/1 -
l
)
1/n
where
t
is time,
K
is a constant,
l
expresses the degree of lysis, and
l
/1 -
l
is the ratio of lysed to unlysed cells. This description holds over a wide range of red cell and lysin concentrations, provided the conditions are not substrate limited and the lysin preparation is reasonably stable. Graphical solution of the logarithmic transformation of the equation yields straight lines, and the intercepts of these lines with time ordinates may be used to define a time of initial lysis or, under suitable conditions, a time of 50% lysis. The time of initial lysis is inversely related to the lysin concentration, and thus its reciprocal may be used to precisely define units of lytic activity.
Some Structural and Biological Properties of
Brucella
Endotoxin
Authors: Leong D. , Diaz R. , Milner K. , Rudbach J. , Wilson J. B.
Published: May 2021

Hot phenol-water extraction of smooth
Brucella abortus
and
B. melitensis
cells yielded a toxic fraction which was recovered from the phenol phase (fraction 5). Chemically, fractions 5 from both
Brucella
species were lipid-carbohydrate-protein-2 keto-3-deoxyoctulosonic acid complexes which were stable to heat and resistant to Pronase digestion. Electron micrographs of the
Brucella
toxins were morphologically indistinguishable from those of enterobacterial endotoxins. Biologically,
Brucella
toxins were lethal for mice and immunogenic for rabbits. An intravenous injection of
Brucella
toxin induced severe leukopenia with subsequent leukocytosis in mice. Cross-tolerance experiments with mice demonstrated that pretreatment with
B. abortus
toxin lessened the hypoferremia produced by challenge with
Escherichia coli
endotoxin. Furthermore, fractions 5 from
B. abortus
and
B. melitensis
were able to form hybrids with
E. coli
and
Salmonella enteritidis
endotoxins and also with each other. Although
Brucella
toxins possess many structural and biological properties in common with endotoxins from the
Enterobacteriaceae
, some quantitative differences in their biological potencies were observed.
Brucella
toxins were relatively innocuous in tests for pyrogenicity in rabbits and lethality for chick embryos. In nonspecific protection tests,
Brucella
toxin had only 1/75 the potency of
E. coli
endotoxin in protecting mice against challenge with virulent
S. typhi
. However, on the basis of the data presented and on the work done previously, we concluded that the heat-stable toxins of
B. abortus
and
B. melitensis
were endotoxins.
Plaquelike Clearings Induced by Antimicrobial Agents on Lawns of
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Authors: Wolfe Marian W. , Amsterdam Daniel
Published: May 2021

Plaques similar in appearance to those induced by phage were observed adjacent to chloramphenicol and tetracycline discs on
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
lawns used for the determination of antibiotic susceptibility. Thirteen strains were selected for study, 10 of which exhibited the plaquing phenomenon. The ability to form plaques induced by tetracycline was not related to any of the biochemical properties of the strains studied, their overall antimicrobial susceptibility pattern, or their pathological source. Some pseudomonad strains were capable of pyocin production; however, the relationship between plaque formation and pyocin production was not apparent. Supernatant fluids of resuspended plaque contents of eight strains originally demonstrating clearings could induce plaques on sensitive indicator lawns only when collected from tetracycline-induced plaque areas; supernatant fluids of the same strains could not produce clearings without previous exposure to the drug. Of the eight supernatant fluids capable of plaque induction, three were active on their homologous indicator lawns. In a subsequent survey of 95
P. aeruginosa
strains, it was found that 28 isolates exhibited plaques. Of these, 17 were associated with tetracycline, 7 were associated with chloramphenicol, 3 were associated with triple sulfa; and 1 was associated with nalidixic acid.
Amantadine Therapy of Epidemic Influenza A
2
(Hong Kong)
Authors: Knight Vernon , Fedson David , Baldini James , Douglas R. Gordon , Couch Robert B.
Published: May 2021

In a double-blind comparison of the therapeutic effect of amantadine in a natural outbreak of Hong Kong influenza in January 1969 near Houston, Texas, the decrease in titers of virus in throat swabs from 12 treated patients during the first 10 hr of treatment was appreciably greater than similar titers of virus from 16 untreated patients (
P
= 0.06). The titer of shed virus decreased significantly more rapidly (
P
< 0.05) among amantadine-treated patients ill more than 48 hr before treatment than among five control patients who had been ill more than 48 hr. Cough, sore throat, and nasal obstruction cleared more rapidly in treated patients (
P
< 0.05), and decline of fever in 6 treated patients sick for less than 48 hr before treatment was more rapid than among 13 untreated patients who had been ill for less than 48 hr. These findings are considered to be consistent with a limited therapeutic effect of the drug.
Effects of Streptococcal Cell Wall Fragments on Phagocytosis and Tissue Culture Cells
Authors: Jones Joe M. , Schwab John H.
Published: May 2021

Group A streptococcal cell wall fragments inhibited phagocytosis of unrelated particles by rabbit polymorphonuclear leukocytes and inhibited the growth of rabbit kidney cells in vitro. Activity was associated with the mucopeptide moiety. Whole streptococci or the cytoplasmic fraction were less effective than cell wall fragments. The cell wall fragments of group D streptococci,
Bacillus megaterium
, and
Escherichia coli
were inactive. The inhibition of phagocytosis illustrates one way in which microbial components may influence the immune response. The toxicity for tissue cultures of rabbit kidney cell monolayers was greatest during the phase of active cell division. This appears to be a direct toxic effect of cell wall fragments on mammalian cells and may be related to the in vivo injury previously reported for streptococcal cell walls.
Immunity to Enteric Infection in Mice
Authors: Collins Frank M.
Published: May 2021

Specific pathogen-free CD-1 mice infected orally with sublethal doses (10
4
to 10
6
viable organisms) of
Salmonella enteritidis
rapidly developed extensive bacterial populations in the liver, spleen, and mesenteric lymph nodes. Although the pathogen did not multiply extensively in the gut, the infection persisted in the intestine at between 10
4
and 10
5
viable organisms throughout the experiment.
S. gallinarum
was less invasive than
S. enteritidis
when given by mouth;
S. pullorum
failed to survive in the intestine or to invade the tissues of orally infected mice. Vaccination with a sublethal dose of living
S. enteritidis
, either orally or intravenously, completely prevented the establishment of liver and spleen populations of a drug-resistant, virulent strain of
S. enteritidis
. Vaccination with an ethyl alcohol-killed vaccine given by various routes delayed the spread of the orally introduced challenge population to the liver and spleen by 1 to 2 days but was unable to prevent the subsequent growth of the pathogen in vivo, although the vaccinated mice survived the infection. The importance of these findings in relation to vaccination against typhoid fever in man is discussed.
Immunosuppression by Murine Sarcoma Virus (Moloney)
Authors: Chan S. P. , Hook W. A. , Turner W. , Chirigos M. A.
Published: May 2021

Infection of mice with the murine sarcoma virus (Moloney) markedly suppressed the humoral antibody response to sheep erythrocyte antigen injected 10 days after infection, when tumor size was maximal, and on day 26, when primary tumors had partially regressed. Humoral antibody response was also inhibited when antigen was injected at the time secondary tumors and metastases were evident. No significant suppression of humoral antibody was seen when mice were injected with sheep erythrocyte antigen 5 days after virus infection. Inhibition of the cellular immune response of murine sarcoma virus (Moloney)-infected mice, as measured by the increased survival time of skin grafts, was also determined. Mice that were infected 5 days prior to grafting demonstrated prolonged survival of grafts, suggesting a suppression of cellular immunity. These mice had a graft survival time 14 days greater than noninfected controls. No significant prolongation of graft survival was seen in mice grafted at the times of maximum primary tumor growth, of primary tumor regression, or when secondary tumors had appeared.
Utilizing 3D-Printing Technology in Cross-Disciplinary STEAM Education
Authors: Tanabashi Sayuri
Published: May 2021

Individuals visiting science museums and centers generally seek to cultivate their scientific thinking and, thanks to advanced technologies in the beginning of the 21st century, can also enjoy multisensory artistic experiences. Creating such an immersive experience in museums has been part of a national strategy to increase the number of future Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) personnel, fields that have historically had greater difficulty in attracting students.
Management of two-level proximal femoral fractures
Authors: Vluggen Thom Pauline Maria Johannes , van Vugt Raoul , Boonen Bert , Keulen Mark Hendrik Franciscus
Published: May 2021

We present the case of an 82-year-old female, who experienced a ground-level fall on the trochanter of the right femur. X-rays showed a proximal femoral fracture (PFF) with an unclear and unusual fracture pattern. Three-dimensional CT images were obtained and showed a displaced femoral neck fracture and ipsilateral fracture of the greater trochanter. Our patient underwent unipolar hemiarthroplasty and fixation of the greater trochanter with a hook plate and cable grip. At 11 months, functional outcomes, patient satisfaction and quality of life were excellent. Primary osteoporosis was diagnosed and treatment with bisphosphonates was initiated.

Two-level PFFs are rare and complex. Due to ageing and a subsequent increase in osteoporosis, numbers of PFFs with complex fracture patterns might increase in the future. Adequate treatment and early prevention of osteoporosis are key to reduce this risk and lower the overall burden. Surgical treatment should be patient-tailored and focus on minimising the risk of complications and reinterventions.
Cord serum metabolome and birth weight in patients with gestational diabetes treated with metformin, insulin, or diet alone
Authors: Huhtala Mikael S , Rönnemaa Tapani , Pellonperä Outi , Tertti Kristiina
Published: May 2021

Introduction

Recent research has demonstrated the benefits of metformin treatment in gestational diabetes (GDM) on short-term pregnancy outcomes (including excessive fetal growth and pre-eclampsia), but its effects on fetal metabolism remain mostly unknown. Our aim was to study the effects of metformin treatment compared with insulin or diet on the cord serum metabolome and also to assess how these metabolites are related to birth weight (BW) in pregnancies complicated by GDM.

Research design and methods

Cord serum samples were available from 113, 97, and 98 patients with GDM treated with diet, insulin, and metformin, respectively. A targeted metabolome was measured using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The patients in the metformin and insulin groups had participated in a previous randomized trial (NCT01240785).

Results

Cord serum alanine was elevated in the metformin group (0.53 mmol/L) compared with the insulin (0.45 mmol/L, p<0.001) and the diet groups (0.46 mmol/L, p<0.0001). All other measured metabolites were similar between the groups. The triglyceride (TG)-to-phosphoglyceride ratio, average very low-density lipoprotein particle diameter, docosahexaenoic acid, omega-3 fatty acids (FAs), and ratios of omega-3 and monounsaturated FA to total FA were inversely related to BW. The omega-6-to-total-FA and omega-6-to-omega-3-FA ratios were positively related to BW. Cholesterol in very large and large high-density lipoprotein (HDL) was positively (p<0.01) associated with BW when adjusted for maternal prepregnancy body mass index, gestational weight gain, glycated hemoglobin, and mode of delivery.

Conclusions

Metformin treatment in GDM leads to an increase in cord serum alanine. The possible long-term implications of elevated neonatal alanine in this context need to be evaluated in future studies. Although previous studies have shown that metformin increased maternal TG levels, the cord serum TG levels were not affected. Cord serum HDL cholesterol and several FA variables are related to the regulation of fetal growth in GDM. Moreover, these associations seem to be independent of maternal confounding factors.

Trial registration number

NCT01240785.
Breastfeeding practice, breastfeeding policy and hospitalisations for infectious diseases in early and later childhood: a register-based study in Uppsala County, Sweden
Authors: Videholm Samuel , Wallby Thomas , Silfverdal Sven-Arne
Published: May 2021

Objective

To examine the association between breastfeeding practice and hospitalisations for infectious diseases in early and later childhood, in particular, to compare exclusive breast feeding 4–5 months with exclusive breastfeeding 6 months or more. Thereby, provide evidence to inform breastfeeding policy.

Design

A register-based cohort study.

Setting

A cohort was created by combining the Swedish Medical Birth Register, the National Inpatient Register, the Cause of Death Register, the Total Population Register, the Longitudinal integration database for health insurance and labour market studies, with the Uppsala Preventive Child Health Care database.

Patients

37 825 term and post-term singletons born to women who resided in Uppsala County (Sweden) between 1998 and 2010.

Main outcome measures

Number of hospitalisations for infectious diseases in early (<2 years) and later childhood (2–4 years).

Results

The risk of hospitalisations for infectious diseases decreased with duration of exclusive breastfeeding until 4 months of age. In early childhood, breast feeding was associated with a decreased risk of enteric and respiratory infections. In comparison with exclusive breast feeding 6 months or more, the strongest association was found between no breastfeeding and enteric infections (adjusted incidence rate ratios, aIRR 3.32 (95% CI 2.14 to 5.14)). In later childhood, breast feeding was associated with a lower risk of respiratory infections. In comparison with children exclusively breastfed 6 months or more, the highest risk was found in children who were not breastfed (aIRR 2.53 (95% CI 1.51 to 4.24)). The risk of hospitalisations for infectious diseases was comparable in children exclusively breastfed 4–5 months and children exclusively breastfed 6 months or more.

Conclusions

Our results support breastfeeding guidelines that recommend exclusive breastfeeding for at least 4 months.
Accidental hypothermia in Denmark: A nationwide cohort study of incidence and outcomes
Authors: Wiberg Sebastian , Mortensen Asmus Friborg , Kjaergaard Jesper , Hassager Christian , Wanscher Michael
Published: May 2021

Objectives

To investigate the incidence of accidental hypothermia (AH) in a nationwide registry and the associated outcomes.

Design

Nationwide retrospective cohort study

Participants and settings

All patients at least 18 years old, admitted to hospitals in Denmark with a diagnosis of AH, with an International Classification of Diseases, 10th edition code of T689, from January 1996 to November 2016. Other recorded diagnoses were included in the analyses.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

The primary outcome was 1-year mortality.

Results

During the inclusion period, 5242 patients were admitted with a diagnosis of AH, corresponding to a mean annual incidence of 4.4±1.2 (range by calendar year: 2.9–6.4) per 100 000 inhabitants. A total of 2230 (43%) had AH recorded as the primary diagnosis without any recorded secondary diagnoses (primary AH), 1336 (25%) had AH recorded as the primary diagnosis with other recorded secondary diagnoses (AH+2° diagnosis), and 1676 (32%) had AH recorded as a secondary diagnosis with another recorded primary diagnosis (1° diagnosis+AH). Alcohol intoxication was the most common diagnosis associated with AH. Overall 1-year mortality was 27%. In patients with primary AH, 1-year mortality was 22%, compared with 26% in patients with secondary AH type I, and 35% in patients with secondary AH type II (plog-rank<0.001).

Conclusions

The present study investigated the incidence of AH, associated comorbidities and mortality after AH in Denmark from 1995 to 2016. The diagnosis is associated with a high comorbidity burden and a considerable 1-year mortality. In the high proportion of patients with associated comorbidities, establishing whether AH or the comorbidities are the drivers of mortality remains difficult. This complicates our understanding of AH and makes it difficult to find modifiable factors associated with both AH and outcomes. Future prospective studies are needed elucidate the causal relationship between AH and associated comorbidities.
A tipping point in cancer-immune dynamics leads to divergent immunotherapy responses and hampers biomarker discovery
Authors: Creemers Jeroen H A , Lesterhuis W Joost , Mehra Niven , Gerritsen Winald R , Figdor Carl G , de Vries I Jolanda M , Textor Johannes
Published: May 2021

Background

Predicting treatment response or survival of cancer patients remains challenging in immuno-oncology. Efforts to overcome these challenges focus, among others, on the discovery of new biomarkers. Despite advances in cellular and molecular approaches, only a limited number of candidate biomarkers eventually enter clinical practice.

Methods

A computational modeling approach based on ordinary differential equations was used to simulate the fundamental mechanisms that dictate tumor-immune dynamics and to investigate its implications on responses to immune checkpoint inhibition (ICI) and patient survival. Using in silico biomarker discovery trials, we revealed fundamental principles that explain the diverging success rates of biomarker discovery programs.

Results

Our model shows that a tipping point—a sharp state transition between immune control and immune evasion—induces a strongly non-linear relationship between patient survival and both immunological and tumor-related parameters. In patients close to the tipping point, ICI therapy may lead to long-lasting survival benefits, whereas patients far from the tipping point may fail to benefit from these potent treatments.

Conclusion

These findings have two important implications for clinical oncology. First, the apparent conundrum that ICI induces substantial benefits in some patients yet completely fails in others could be, to a large extent, explained by the presence of a tipping point. Second, predictive biomarkers for immunotherapy should ideally combine both immunological and tumor-related markers, as a patient’s distance from the tipping point can typically not be reliably determined from solely one of these. The notion of a tipping point in cancer-immune dynamics helps to devise more accurate strategies to select appropriate treatments for patients with cancer.
Medical leadership in the military and NHS: what transferable lessons can be identified?
Authors: Davies Rhys L , Murali Mayur
Published: May 2021

In this article, I explore the different ways leadership in healthcare is taught and developed by the British Army and National Health Service. What lessons and elements of best practice can be taken from each sector, and does traditional infantry-based leadership advice easily translate to civilian healthcare practice?
Fritz John Optimality Conditions for Interval-Valued Multi-Objective Functions Using gH-Symmetrical Derivative
Authors: Rastogi Sachin , Iqbal Akhlad , Rajan Sanjeev
Published: May 2021

In this paper, we introduce the concept and applications of gH-symmetrical derivative for interval-valued multi-objective functions, which is the generalization of generalized Hukuhara derivative (gH-derivative). By a suitable example it has been shown that gH-symmetrically derivative is an extension of gH-derivative. Furthermore, we apply this new derivative to investigate the Fritz John type optimality conditions for interval-valued multiobjective programming problems. We use LR type of order relation in this context.
Defect Identification of Pipeline Ultrasonic Inspection Based on Multi-Feature Fusion and Multi-Criteria Feature Evaluation
Authors: Pan Feng , Tang Donglin , Guo Xiansheng , Pan Shengwang
Published: May 2021

This paper presents a novel model for ultrasonic defect identification relying on multi-feature fusion and multi-criteria feature evaluation (MFF-MCFE). Based on feature extraction, feature selection, pattern recognition and data fusion algorithm, this model analyzes ultrasonic echo signal data from single-probe ultrasonic inspection, and based on wavelet packet transform (WPT), empirical mode decomposition (EMD) and discrete wavelet transform (DWT), the main features from the collected ultrasonic echo signals are also extracted. These features are also evaluated by means of Representation Entropy (RE), Fisher’s ratio (FR) and Mahalanobis distance (MD), and the results are fused with Dempster–Shafer (D-S) evidence theory and the corresponding feature subsets are formed according to the fusion result. The support vector machine (SVM) is used as the classifier to recognize the defect signal, and the subsequent classification results are integrated by D-S evidence theory, which leads to the final recognition results. On this basis, a series of experiments were carried out to compare the performance of the developed model with that of the models using single feature sets and single feature evaluation criterion. Meanwhile, the principal component analysis (PCA) was also involved in the corresponding comparative analysis. The experimental results showed that this model is suitable for the identification and diagnosis of pipeline defects, and its classification accuracy could be reached up to 96.29% with stronger robustness and stability.
Scene Text Detection Based On Fusion Network
Authors: Zhao Xuezhuan , Zhou Ziheng , Li Lingling , Pei Lishen , Ye Zhaoyi
Published: May 2021

Due to the robustness resulted from scale transformation and unbalanced distribution of training samples in scene text detection task, a new fusion framework TSFnet is proposed in this paper. This framework is composed of Detection Stream, Judge Stream and Fusion Stream. In the Detection Stream, loss balance factor (LBF) is raised to improve the region proposal network (RPN). To predict the global text segmentation map, the algorithm combines regression strategy and case segmentation method. In the Judge Stream, a classification of the samples is proposed based on the Judge Map and the corresponding tags to calculate the overlap rate. As a support of Detection Stream, feature pyramid network is utilized in the algorithm to extract Judge Map and calculate LBF. In the Fusion Stream, a new fusion algorithm is raised. By fusing the output of the two streams, we can position the text area in the natural scene accurately. Finally, the algorithm is experimented on the standard data sets ICDAR 2015 and ICDAR2017-MLT. The test results show that the [Formula: see text] values are 87.8% and 67.57%, respectively, superior to the state-of-the art models. This proves that the algorithm can solve the robustness issues under the unbalance between scale transformation and training data.
DKP oscillator in the presence of a spinning cosmic string
Authors: Yang Yi , Hassanabadi Hassan , Chen Hao , Long Zheng-Wen
Published: May 2021

In this paper, we investigate the modification of gravitational fields generated by topological defects on a generalized Duffin–Kemmer–Petiau (DKP) oscillator for spin-0 particle under spinning cosmic string background. The generalized DKP oscillator equation under spinning cosmic string background is established, and the impact of the Cornell potential on the generalized DKP oscillator is presented. We give the influence of space-time and potential parameters on energy levels.
STRUCTURE, MORPHOLOGY AND MAGNETIC PROPERTIES OF ELECTRODEPOSITED NI FILMS
Authors: KACEL T. , GUITTOUM A. , HEMMOUS M. , ÖKSÜZOGLU R. M. , AZIZI A.
Published: May 2021

Ni thin films have been electrodeposited on [Formula: see text]-Si (100) substrates for different deposition times at a fixed potential of 2[Formula: see text]V. The as-elaborated films have been characterized by Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy (RBS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM). From RBS spectra, we have extracted the Ni film thicknesses, [Formula: see text], which ranges from 105 nm to 710 nm. The analysis of XRD spectra shows the existence of a strong [Formula: see text]111[Formula: see text] texture for all film thicknesses. The strain values [Formula: see text] are negative for all Ni films indicating that they are under compressive stresses. The grains size, [Formula: see text], increases to reach a maximum for [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]nm then decreases again with increasing [Formula: see text][Formula: see text](nm). From AFM images, we have shown that the films become progressively smoother with increasing thickness. We have shown that the coercive field measured in parallel geometry, [Formula: see text], increases with increasing thickness.
EXPERIMENTAL AND STATISTICAL INVESTIGATION OF SURFACE ROUGHNESS AND VIBRATION DURING FINISH TURNING OF AISI 4140 STEEL WORKPIECE UNDER COOLING METHOD
Authors: KAM MENDERES , ŞEREMET MUSA
Published: May 2021

In this study, the surface roughness ([Formula: see text]) and vibration (Vib) during finish turning of AISI 4140 (52[Formula: see text]HRc) steel workpiece under cooling method were investigated as experimental and statistical. Taguchi method was used in statistical investigation of obtained data from the finish turning experiments. As cutting parameters, cutting speed: 160, 200, 240 and 280[Formula: see text]m/min, feed rate: 0.08 and 0.16[Formula: see text]mm/rev, depth of cut: 0.15 and 0.3[Formula: see text]mm, and cooling method: dry/wet were selected for this experimental study. Vibration values during finish turning of steel workpiece were collected online by accelerometers and [Formula: see text] measurement device was used to obtain the [Formula: see text] values. Optimum [Formula: see text] and Vib values were obtained in finish turning of this workpiece. The cutting parameters determined for optimum [Formula: see text] values were obtained as 0.08[Formula: see text]mm/rev of feed rate, 200[Formula: see text]m/min of cutting speed, wet turning process of cooling method, and 0.30[Formula: see text]mm of depth of cut. Optimum Vib values were obtained as 0.08[Formula: see text]mm/rev, 240[Formula: see text]m/min, dry turning and 0.15[Formula: see text]mm. Experimental results for the lowest [Formula: see text] and Vib were found as 0.219[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]m and 0.003463[Formula: see text]gRMS. The predicted values for the [Formula: see text] and the Vib were 0.222[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]m and 0.003328[Formula: see text]gRMS, respectively.
Modified Strong Tracking System Identification Method Based on Square Root Center Difference Kalman Filter for Civil Structures
Authors: Yang Jipeng , Xia Ye , Yan Yexiang , Sun Limin
Published: May 2021

Civil engineering structures will exhibit hysteretic behavior due to damage caused by dynamic loads. Identifying the hysteretic behavior of structures is a practical and challenging problem that involves observing vibration data to determine strength and stiffness degradation. This paper proposes a modified square root central difference Kalman filter (MSRCD-KF) method to track this behavior. By combining the QR decomposition and strong tracking filtering technology, the proposed method makes the recursive calculation process unconditionally stable, while enabling the tracking of abrupt changes in structural parameters. A three degree-of-freedom (3-DOF) Duffing system is used in the simulation to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method. Numerical results show that the proposed method can converge to the true value quickly and accurately. Then, the proposed method is used to identify the structural parameters of a two-story concrete frame structure under different seismic loading sequences. In the first example, the structure is simplified as a 2-DOF linear system for which the equivalent stiffness and damping under different damage levels are identified. This information is then used to obtain the stiffness variation trend, damping ratio, and frequency. The second example uses the Bouc–Wen model to consider the stiffness and strength degradation of the structure. Finally, the experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method can accurately identify the structural parameters of nonlinear systems, and the identified hysteresis curves are in good agreement with the experimental ones.
On the adjacency spectrum of zero divisor graph of ring ℤn
Authors: Bajaj Saraswati , Panigrahi Pratima
Published: May 2021

The zero divisor graph [Formula: see text] of a commutative ring [Formula: see text] with unity is a simple undirected graph whose vertices are all nonzero zero divisors of [Formula: see text] and two distinct vertices [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] are adjacent if and only if [Formula: see text]. In this paper, we study the graphical structure and the adjacency spectrum of the zero divisor graph of ring [Formula: see text]. For any non-prime positive integer [Formula: see text] with [Formula: see text] number of proper divisors, we show that the adjacency spectrum of [Formula: see text] consists of the eigenvalues of a symmetric matrix [Formula: see text] of size [Formula: see text], and at the most [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]. Also, we find the exact multiplicity of the eigenvalue [Formula: see text] and show that all eigenvalues of [Formula: see text] are nonzero, by determining the rank and nullity of the adjacency matrix of [Formula: see text]. We find the values of [Formula: see text] for which the adjacency spectrum of [Formula: see text] contains only nonzero eigenvalues. Finally, by computing the characteristic polynomial of the matrix [Formula: see text], we determine the characteristic polynomial of [Formula: see text] whenever [Formula: see text] is a prime power.
Groups whose non-commuting graph on a transversal is planar or toroidal
Authors: Pezzott Julio C. M.
Published: May 2021

Let [Formula: see text] be a finite non-abelian group and let [Formula: see text] be a transversal of the center of [Formula: see text]. The non-commuting graph of [Formula: see text] on a transversal of the center is the graph denoted by [Formula: see text] whose vertices are the non-central elements of [Formula: see text] and two vertices [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] are joined by an edge whenever [Formula: see text]. In this paper, we determine (up to isoclinism) all finite non-abelian groups whose non-commuting graph on a transversal of the center is planar or toroidal.
C-glycosylated pyrroles and their application in dipyrromethane and porphyrin synthesis
Authors: Sollert Carina , Kocsi Daniel , Jane Reuben T. , Orthaber Andreas , Borbas K. Eszter
Published: May 2021

Pyrrole C-glycosylated in either the 2- or the 3-position could be prepared by the acid-catalyzed reaction between trichloroacetimidate glycosyl donors and pyrrole, or [Formula: see text]-phenyl-tri?uoroacetimidate glucosyl donor and [Formula: see text]-TIPS pyrrole, respectively. Pyrroles carrying glucose, mannose, galactose and lactose in the 2-position, and glucose in the 3-position were obtained. The configurations of the products could be assigned using a combination of 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy. A number of undesired background reactions yielding a variety of stereo- and regioisomers were identified; in several cases these could be eliminated. Glycosylpyrroles could be incorporated into mono- and diglycosylated dipyrromethanes, a diglycosylated BODIPY dye, and a monoglycosylated Zn(II) porphyrin without damaging the sugar unit.
Asymptotic distribution of correlation matrix under blocked compound symmetric covariance structure
Authors: Tsukada Shin-ichi
Published: May 2021

Assuming a covariance structure with blocked compound symmetry, it was showed that unbiased estimators for the covariance matrices are optimal under normality. In this paper, we derive the asymptotic distribution of the correlation matrix using unbiased estimators and discuss its use in hypothesis testing. The accuracy of the result is investigated through numerical simulation and the method is applied to real data.
Research on the Key Technologies of Network Security-Oriented Situation Prediction
Authors: Zhu Yikun , Du Zhiling
Published: May 2021

In today’s increasingly severe network security situation, network security situational awareness provides a more comprehensive and feasible new idea for the inadequacy of various single solutions and is currently a research hotspot in the field of network security. At present, there are still gaps or room for improvement in network security situational awareness in terms of model scheme improvement, comprehensive and integrated consideration, algorithm design optimization, etc. A lot of scientific research investments and results are still needed to improve the form of network security in a long and solid way. In this paper, we propose a network security posture assessment model based on time-varying evidence theory for the existing multisource information fusion technology that lacks consideration of the problem of threat occurrence support rate over time and make the threat information reflect the law of time change by introducing a time parameter in the basic probability assignment value. Thus, the existing hierarchical threat posture quantitative assessment technique is improved and a hierarchical multisource network security threat posture assessment model based on time-varying evidence theory is proposed. Finally, the superiority of the proposed model is verified through experiments.