bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Isentropic evolution of the matter in heavy-ion collisions and the search for the critical endpoint
Authors: Motta Mario , Stiele Rainer , Alberico Wanda Maria , Beraudo Andrea
Published: August 2020

We study the isentropic evolution of the matter produced in relativistic heavy-ion collisions for various values of the entropy-per-baryon ratio of interest for the ongoing and future experimental searches for the critical endpoint (CEP) in the QCD phase diagram: these includes the current beam-energy-scan (BES) program at RHIC and the fixed-target collisions foreseen for the near future at various facilities. We describe the hot-dense matter through two different effective Lagrangians: the PNJL (Polyakov–Nambu–Jona–Lasinio) and the PQM (Polyakov-quark-meson) models. We focus on quantities expected to have a direct experimental relevance: the speed of sound, responsible for the collective acceleration of the fireball, and the generalized susceptibilities, connected to the cumulants of the distributions of conserved charges. In principle they should affect the momentum spectra and the event-by-event fluctuations of the yields of identified particles. Taking realistic values for the initial temperature and the entropy-per-baryon ratio we study the temporal evolution of the above quantities looking for differences along isentropic trajectories covering different regions of the QCD phase diagram, passing far or close to the CEP or even intersecting the first-order critical line.
Optimal control of viscous fingers in radial Hele-Shaw cell
Authors: Rocero Leonardo Fabio R. , Paiva Aureliano Sancho S. , Andrade Roberto F. S.
Published: August 2020

This work considers the displacement of a resident fluid in a radial Hele-Shaw cell by an invading low viscosity fluid driven by time-dependent injection rates. Finger formation in the circular interface through a sequence of bifurcations may be minimized by the optimal choice of a time-dependent injection rate. Approximate solutions of fluid equations predict how bifurcations can be suppressed or strongly reduced. Based on a computational fluid-dynamic approach, the magnitude of the fluctuations of invading interface is numerically evaluated, leading to the identification of the optimal parameter choice for any injection rate family. The combination of two time-dependent injection rates is investigated, where one decreases as a power-law and the second increases linearly. Results for a well tuned change between the two regimes reduce the injection time as compared to those based on a single rate whole process, with similar or reduced effects on interface fluctuations.
SOME DETERMINANTS AND MECHANICS OF ECONOMIC GROWTH IN MIDDLE-INCOME COUNTRIES: THE ROLE OF ICT INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT, TAXATION AND OTHER MACROECONOMIC VARIABLES
Authors: PRADHAN RUDRA P. , ARVIN MAK B. , NAIR MAHENDHIRAN , BENNETT SARA E. , BAHMANI SAHAR
Published: August 2020

This study examines key factors in the economic growth of middle-income countries over the period 1970–2017. The variables considered are ICT infrastructure development, taxation revenue, government expenditure, gross capital formation, foreign direct investment, and inflation. This study considers interlinkages between the macroeconomic variables noted above. The purpose of this study is to determine: (1) if there is causality between the variables and (2) the direction of any causality. Using a panel vector error-correction model, we find both short-run and long-run relationships between the variables. In each specification, we find that ICT infrastructure development, taxation revenue and the four macroeconomic variables all stimulate economic growth in the long run. This suggests that policymakers should curate an integrated and holistic policy framework pertaining to taxation, ICT infrastructure development and other macroeconomic policies to create a vibrant national economic ecosystem that would ensure the sustained economic growth of middle-income countries.
Two Novel Current-Mode CNFET-Based Full Adders Using ULPD as Voltage Regulator
Authors: Uoosefian Hamidreza , Navi Keivan , Mirzaee Reza Faghih , Hosseinzadeh Mehdi
Published: August 2020

This paper presents two novel current-mode Full Adders based on Carbon Nanotube FET (CNFET). They comprise of three main parts: current-to-voltage converter, threshold detector and voltage-to-current converter. While other designs in the literature use either inverter or current source for detecting threshold, the new designs are based on a heuristic usage of an Ultra Low-Power Diode (ULPD) as voltage regulator. The use of diode does not lengthen the critical path and thereby ensuring high-speed operation. It does not increase power consumption significantly either. Simulation results by HSPICE and 32[Formula: see text]nm CNFET technology file demonstrate at least 19% higher performance in terms of energy consumption for the second proposed Full Adder compared to other traditional and state-of-the-art current-mode and mixed-mode designs.
Strategic Issues in One-to-One Matching with Externalities
Authors: Mumcu Ayşe , Saglam Ismail
Published: August 2020

We consider strategic issues in one-to-one matching with externalities. We show that no core (stable) mechanism is strategy-proof, extending an impossibility result of [Roth, A. E. [1982] The economics of matching: Stability and incentives, Math. Oper. Res. 7(4), 617–628] obtained in the absence of externalities. Moreover, we show that there are no limits on successful manipulation of preferences by coalitions of men and women, in contrast with the result of [Demange, G., Gale, D. and Sotomayor, M. [1987] A further note on the stable matching problem, Discrete Appl. Math. 16(3), 217–222] obtained in the absence of externalities.
Investment Choice with Managerial Incentive Schemes
Authors: Sarkar Shubhro , Tarafdar Suchismita
Published: August 2020

In this paper, we show that firms might get an additional strategic benefit from using marginal-cost-reducing investments in conjunction with strategic delegation. While both these instruments allow firms to “aggressively” participate in product market competition, we show that they act as substitutes or complements depending on whether they are chosen simultaneously or sequentially. Given that the use of such instruments is inseparably linked with a Prisoner’s Dilemma kind of situation, our analysis shows a way to mitigate at least to some extent such effects, through their simultaneous use. We find that the unique Nash equilibrium of the game with commitment comprises both players choosing the instruments simultaneously. In case the instruments are chosen without commitment, an asymmetric equilibrium is shown to exist in addition to the simultaneous protocol, yielding unequal payoffs.
Experimental Studies on Blast-Resistance of HFR-LWC Beams Enhanced with Membrane Action
Authors: Chen Wanxiang , Luo Lisheng , Meng Fanjun , Sun Hang
Published: August 2020

Support-induced membrane action can enhance the resistance, while altering the failure pattern, of reinforced concrete (RC) members under static/dynamic loadings. Nevertheless, the membrane effect on the load-response is regarded as a safety factor in current design guides, hence, a thorough understanding of the resistance capability of RC members in the presence of membrane actions is considered essential. To quantitatively depict the membrane behavior and its influence on the blast-resistance and failure pattern of Hybrid Fiber Reinforced-Lightweight Aggregate Concrete (HFR-LWC) beams, a specially built end-constraint clamp is developed to provide membrane actions on the structural component subjected to the blast load simultaneously. A series of field tests are conducted to investigate the dynamic behaviors of the HFR-LWC beams under close-range detonations. Overpressure-time histories of shock waves induced by the close-range explosive charge are captured. Then the deflection-responses and failure modes of the HFR-LWC beams are further investigated. The responses of the clamped HFR-LWC beam under blast loadings can be well simulated, and the blast-resistances of the beam-type members with membrane action are evaluated reasonably. The results show that membrane action is beneficial for the bridging effects of hybrid fibers and the interlocking effects of coarse aggregate, thereby giving rise to the ductile failures of HFR-LWC beam. The maximum deflections of the clamped HFR-LWC beam decrease by about 60% compared with simply-supported HFR-LWC beam in this paper, illustrating that the blast-resistance may be seriously underestimated if the membrane effects are ignored in structural design.
Fast Hyperspectral Image Encoder Based on Supervised Multimodal Scheme
Authors: Akrour Leila , Ameur Soltane , Lahdir Mourad , Fournier Régis , Ali Amine Nait
Published: August 2020

Many compression methods, lossy or lossless, were developed for 3D hyperspectral images, and various standards have emerged and applied to these amounts of data in order to achieve the best rate-distortion performance. However, high-dimensional data volume of hyperspectal images is problematic for compression and decompression time. Nowadays, fast compression and especially fast decompression algorithms are of primary importance in image data applications. In this case, we present a lossy hyperspectral image compression based on supervised multimodal scheme in order to improve the compression results. The supervised multimodal method is used to reduce the amount of data before their compression with the 3D-SPIHT encoder based on 3D wavelet transform. The performance of the Supervised Multimodal Compression (SMC-3D-SPIHT encoder) has been evaluated on AVIRIS hyperspectral images. Experimental results indicate that the proposed algorithm provides very promising performance at low bit-rates while reducing the encoding/decoding time.
Automatic Localization of Elevation Values in a Poor Quality Topographic Map
Authors: Pradhan Ashis , Pradhan Mohan P.
Published: August 2020

A topographic sheet hosts various morphological features that effectively describe the terrain. This multi-faced information content not only elevates human perception but also provides ample direction for research initiatives. Out of all possible attributes based on utility, contours have wide set of application. A contour is characterized by its coordinate system and most importantly, its elevation detail. Upon, successful attainment of these two attributes, creating a fully automatic 3D projection system may be achieved with relative ease. In contrast to the traditional manual approach, this research initiative puts forward a novel mechanism for automatically localizing contour and its attributes including coordinate pattern and elevation value in a referenced map. To accomplish the aforementioned objectives, the proposed mechanism relies on various image processing techniques based on morphological operations. Further, the extracted details can be used to project the contours in a 3D space. This projection is also called Digital Elevation Model (DEM). DEM is crucial for various applications such as Terrain Modeling, Hydrological Modeling, Path Optimization, to name a few. Automatically and accurately created DEM from topographic sheet could contribute a lot in many Geographical Information System (GIS) applications. This paper focuses mainly on elevation value localization associated with specific contour.
Classification of Mammogram Abnormalities Using Legendre Moments
Authors: Silva Rodrigo Dalvit C. , Jenkyn Thomas R.
Published: August 2020

In this paper, the issue of classifying mammogram abnormalities using images from an mammogram image analysis society (MIAS) database is discussed. We compare a feature extractor based on Legendre moments (LMs) with six other feature extractors. To determine the best feature extractor, the performance of each was compared in terms of classification accuracy rate and extraction time using a [Formula: see text]-nearest neighbors ([Formula: see text]-NN) classifier. This study shows that feature extraction using LMs performed best with an accuracy rate over 84% and requiring relatively little time for feature extraction, on average only 1[Formula: see text]s.
ACES: A co-evolution simulator generates co-varying protein and nucleic acid sequences
Authors: Camenares Devin
Published: August 2020

Sequence-specific and consequential interactions within or between proteins and/or RNAs can be predicted by identifying co-evolution of residues in these molecules. Different algorithms have been used to detect co-evolution, often using biological data to benchmark a methods ability to discriminate against indirect co-evolution. Such a benchmark is problematic, because not all the interactions and evolutionary constraints underlying real data can be known a priori. Instead, sequences generated in silico to simulate co-evolution would be preferable, and can be obtained using aCES, the software tool presented here. Conservation and co-evolution constraints can be specified for any residue across a number of molecules, allowing the user to capture a complex, realistic set of interactions. Resulting alignments were used to benchmark several co-evolution detection tools for their ability to separate signal from background as well as discriminating direct from indirect signals. This approach can aid in refinement of these algorithms. In addition, systematic tuning of these constraints sheds new light on how they drive co-evolution between residues. Better understanding how to detect co-evolution and the residue interactions they predict can lead to a wide range of insights important for synthetic biologists interested in engineering new, orthogonal interactions between two macromolecules.
Design and Analysis of Composite Window Frame for a Regional Aircraft
Authors: Lopes João Afonso Gaspar , Bacarreza Omar , Khodaei Zahra Sharif
Published: August 2020

This work presents the design and analysis of a thermoplastic composite window frame for integration into a regional aircraft. The main parameters which are investigated include buckling, damage and failure loads of a composite window frame subjected to shear loads repesentative of fuselage skin stress distribution due to flight loads. The attachment of such thermoplastic window frame to a thermoset fuselage skin was investigated including both adhesively bonded interface as well as riveting. Even though the bonded frame did meet the design criteria, its failure was very sudden, and the riveted assembly showed a considerably higher strength and structural integrity. The numerical simulation resulted in failure loads which matched very closely to experimental results.
General Fine transformations I
Authors: Bowman Douglas , Wesley Sarah
Published: August 2020

We describe an extension of Fine’s method of deriving basic hypergeometric series transformations and derive new transformations from the method. Combinatorial proofs of two of the examples are provided.
On the joint product graphs with respect to dominant metric dimension
Authors: Susilowati Liliek , Sa’adah Imroatus , Purwati Utami Dyah
Published: August 2020

Some concepts in graph theory are resolving set, dominating set, and dominant metric dimension. A resolving set of a connected graph [Formula: see text] is the ordered set [Formula: see text] such that every pair of two vertices [Formula: see text] has the different representation with respect to [Formula: see text]. A Dominating set of [Formula: see text] is the subset [Formula: see text] such that for every vertex [Formula: see text] in [Formula: see text] is adjacent to at least one vertex in [Formula: see text]. A dominant resolving set of [Formula: see text] is an ordered set [Formula: see text] such that [Formula: see text] is a resolving set and a dominating set of [Formula: see text]. The minimum cardinality of a dominant resolving set is called a dominant metric dimension of [Formula: see text], denoted by [Formula: see text]. In this paper, we determine the dominant metric dimension of the joint product graphs.
Two-sided regularization model based on probabilistic matrix factorization and quantum similarity for recommender systems
Authors: Reafee Waleed , Alhazmi Marwa , Salim Naomie
Published: August 2020

Nowadays, with the advent of the age of Web 2.0, several social recommendation methods that use social network information have been proposed and achieved distinct developments. However, the most critical challenges for the existing majority of these methods are: (1) They tend to utilize only the available social relation between users and deal just with the cold-start user issue. (2) Besides, these methods are suffering from the lack of exploitation of content information such as social tagging, which can provide various sources to extract the item information to overcome the cold-start item and improve the recommendation quality. In this paper, we investigated the efficiency of data fusion by integrating multi-source of information. First, two essential factors, user-side information, and item-side information, are identified. Second, we developed a novel social recommendation model called Two-Sided Regularization (TSR), which is based on the probabilistic matrix factorization method. Finally, the effective quantum-based similarity method is adapted to measure the similarity between users and between items into the proposed model. Experimental results on the real dataset show that our proposed model TSR addresses both of cold-start user and item issues and outperforms state-of-the-art recommendation methods. These results indicate the importance of incorporating various sources of information in the recommendation process.
Further Results on a Curious Arithmetic Function
Authors: Chen Long , Cheng Kaimin , Wang Tingting
Published: August 2020

Let p be an odd prime number and n be a positive integer. Let vpn, N∗, and Q+ denote the p-adic valuation of the integer n, the set of positive integers, and the set of positive rational numbers, respectively. In this paper, we introduce an arithmetic function fp:N∗⟶Q+ defined by fpn≔n/pvpn1−vpn for any positive integer n. We show several interesting arithmetic properties about that function and then use them to establish some curious results involving the p-adic valuation. Some of these results extend Farhi’s results from the case of even prime to that of odd prime.
Sexual and Reproductive Health Services Utilization and Associated Factors among College Students at West Arsi Zone in Oromia Region, Ethiopia
Authors: Wachamo Demelash , Tegene Yadessa , Tibeso Abdisa , Washo Assefa
Published: August 2020

Background. Young people are challenged with sexual and reproductive health (SRH) problems due to limited access to services and information. It contributes a high burden of sexually transmitted disease, unsafe abortion, and premature mortality, especially in low-income countries like Ethiopia. Hence, this study aimed at assessing the SRH service utilization and associated factors among college students at West Arsi Zone in Oromia region, Ethiopia. Methods. Institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 519 randomly selected college students from January 01, 2019, up to April 30, 2019. Data were collected through self-administered pretested questionnaires. Data entry and analysis for descriptive and logistic regression models were performed by using SPSS (version 23). The result was declared as statistically significant at p < 0.05. Results. The utilization of at least one SRH service in the last twelve months was seen in 304 (58.6%) students. Mainly information and counseling (81.3%), voluntary testing and counseling for HIV (80.6%), condom service (37.2%), pregnancy test (35.5%), family planning services (33.2%), and abortion care services (26.0%) were most frequently utilized. The students’ aged between 20 and 24 years [AOR = 2.05, 95% CI: 1.38–3.06], female students [AOR = 1.92, 95% CI: 1.30–2.82], those not living with family [AOR = 1.54, 95% CI: 1.05–2.26], those who discussed about SRH with family/friends [AOR = 1.92, 95% CI: 1.31–2.82], and those who participated in school clubs [AOR = 1.75, 95% CI: 1.19, 2.58] more frequently used SRH service compared with their counterparts. Conclusions. The utilization of SRH services was low when compared with other studies and needs improvements to tackle RH-related problems. It requires pertinent health education and the SRH club at higher educational institutions is crucial.
Changes in Blood Profile from Steady State in Patients with Sickle Cell Anemia Admitted for Vaso-occlusive Crisis and Acute Chest Syndrome
Authors: Klouda Timothy , Raybagkar Deepti , Bernstein Bruce , Apollonsky Nataly
Published: August 2020

Close to half of all patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) will have at least one episode of acute chest syndrome (ACS) during their lifetime. Multiple cells and molecules involved with the inflammatory cascade play a role in the development of ACS. We found that patients with SCD who developed ACS as a complication of a vaso-occlusive crisis (VOC) had a significant increase in leukocytes and decrease in platelets from their steady state when compared with a separate admission for VOC without ACS development. No significant change from steady state hemoglobin or reticulocyte count was noted between the two admissions. These results indicate that trending laboratory markers may be useful to predict patients at risk for ACS development.
Mutations in the ARAP3 Gene in Three Families with Primary Lymphedema Negative for Mutations in Known Lymphedema-Associated Genes
Authors: Ricci Maurizio , Compagna Rita , Amato Bruno , Kenanoglu Sercan , Veselenyiova Dominika , Kurti Danjela , Baglivo Mirko , Basha Syed Hussain , Serrani Roberta , Miggiano Giacinto Abele Donato , Aquilanti Barbara , Matera Giuseppina , Marceddu Giuseppe , Velluti Valeria , Gagliardi Lucilla , Dundar Munis , Krajcovic Juraj , Bertelli Matteo
Published: August 2020

Background. ARAP3 is a small GTPase-activating protein regulator, which has important functions in lymphatic vessel organogenesis and modulation of cell adhesion and migration. Mutations in the ARAP3 gene are associated with impaired lymphatic vessel formation. Objective. The aim of our study was to determine the genotypes of lymphedema patients in relation to variants in the ARAP3 gene in order to explore its role in the development of lymphedema. Methods and Results. We applied next-generation sequencing to DNA samples of a cohort of 246 Italian patients with lymphatic malformations. When we tested probands for known lymphedema genes, 235 out of 246 were negative. Retrospectively, we tested the DNA of these 235 patients for new candidate lymphedema-associated genes, including ARAP3. Three out of 235 probands proved to carry rare missense heterozygous variants in ARAP3. In the case of two families, other family members were also tested and proved negative for the ARAP3 variant, besides being unaffected by lymphedema. According to in silico analysis, alterations due to these variants have a significant impact on the overall structure and stability of the resulting proteins. Conclusions. Based on our results, we propose that variants in ARAP3 could be included in genetic testing for lymphedema.
Numerical Analysis of Seismic Site Effects in Loess Region of Western China under Strong Earthquake Excitations
Authors: Chen Tuo , Wu Zhijian , Mu Yanhu , Wang Ping , Zhu Qiyin
Published: August 2020

The Loess Plateau is one of the most tectonically and seismically active areas in the world. Observations from past strong earthquakes, particularly the Minxian–Zhangxian and Wenchuan earthquakes, have shown distinctive evidence of seismic site effects in the mountainous area of southeastern Gansu province. In this study, seismic damage in the loess areas of southeastern Gansu province induced by these earthquakes was investigated and briefly described. Different types of ground motion were selected, and the one-dimensional equivalent linear method was used for numerical analysis of the ground motion effects in the loess regions. Moreover, seismic response analysis of a typical loess tableland was conducted. The results showed that the seismic responses of a typical loess tableland under different seismic excitations have totally different dynamic characteristics. Moreover, the seismic damage in loess regions was more serious under far-field seismic excitation compared with near-field seismic excitation with the same peak acceleration. Through this study, the quantitative assessment of ground motion effects can be approximately estimated and the mechanism of site amplification effects on ground motion is further explained.
Representation Learning of Knowledge Graphs with Embedding Subspaces
Authors: Li Chunhua , Xian Xuefeng , Ai Xusheng , Cui Zhiming
Published: August 2020

Most of the existing knowledge graph embedding models are supervised methods and largely relying on the quality and quantity of obtainable labelled training data. The cost of obtaining high quality triples is high and the data sources are facing a serious problem of data sparsity, which may result in insufficient training of long-tail entities. However, unstructured text encoding entities and relational knowledge can be obtained anywhere in large quantities. Word vectors of entity names estimated from the unlabelled raw text using natural language model encode syntax and semantic properties of entities. Yet since these feature vectors are estimated through minimizing prediction error on unsupervised entity names, they may not be the best for knowledge graphs. We propose a two-phase approach to adapt unsupervised entity name embeddings to a knowledge graph subspace and jointly learn the adaptive matrix and knowledge representation. Experiments on Freebase show that our method can rely less on the labelled data and outperforms the baselines when the labelled data is relatively less. Especially, it is applicable to zero-shot scenario.
Sentence Embedding Based Semantic Clustering Approach for Discussion Thread Summarization
Authors: Khan Atif , Shah Qaiser , Uddin M. Irfan , Ullah Fasee , Alharbi Abdullah , Alyami Hashem , Gul Muhammad Adnan
Published: August 2020

Huge data on the web come from discussion forums, which contain millions of threads. Discussion threads are a valuable source of knowledge for Internet users, as they have information about numerous topics. The discussion thread related to single topic comprises a huge number of reply posts, which makes it hard for the forum users to scan all the replies and determine the most relevant replies in the thread. At the same time, it is also hard for the forum users to manually summarize the bulk of reply posts in order to get the gist of discussion thread. Thus, automatically extracting the most relevant replies from discussion thread and combining them to form a summary are a challenging task. With this motivation behind, this study has proposed a sentence embedding based clustering approach for discussion thread summarization. The proposed approach works in the following fashion: At first, word2vec model is employed to represent reply sentences in the discussion thread through sentence embeddings/sentence vectors. Next, K-medoid clustering algorithm is applied to group semantically similar reply sentences in order to reduce the overlapping reply sentences. Finally, different quality text features are utilized to rank the reply sentences in different clusters, and then the high-ranked reply sentences are picked out from all clusters to form the thread summary. Two standard forum datasets are used to assess the effectiveness of the suggested approach. Empirical results confirm that the proposed sentence based clustering approach performed superior in comparison to other summarization methods in the context of mean precision, recall, and F-measure.
Involvement of Noncoding RNAs in the Differentiation of Osteoclasts
Authors: Zhao Yi , Jia Lingfei , Zheng Yunfei , Li Weiran
Published: August 2020

As the most important bone-resorbing cells, osteoclasts play fundamental roles in bone remodeling and skeletal health. Much effort has been focused on identifying the regulators of osteoclast metabolism. Noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) reportedly regulate osteoclast formation, differentiation, survival, and bone-resorbing activity to participate in bone physiology and pathology. The present review intends to provide a general framework for how ncRNAs and their targets regulate osteoclast differentiation and the important events of osteoclastogenesis they are involved in, including osteoclast precursor generation, early differentiation, mononuclear osteoclast fusion, and multinucleated osteoclast function and survival. This framework is beneficial for understanding bone biology and for identifying the potential biomarkers or therapeutic targets of bone diseases. The review also summarizes the results ofin vivoexperiments and classic experiment methods for osteoclast-related researches.
Multimodal Sensor Data Integration for Indoor Positioning in Ambient-Assisted Living Environments
Authors: Sansano-Sansano Emilio , Belmonte-Fernández Óscar , Montoliu Raúl , Gascó-Compte Arturo , Caballer-Miedes Antonio
Published: August 2020

A reliable Indoor Positioning System (IPS) is a crucial part of the Ambient-Assisted Living (AAL) concept. The use of Wi-Fi fingerprinting techniques to determine the location of the user, based on the Received Signal Strength Indication (RSSI) mapping, avoids the need to deploy a dedicated positioning infrastructure but comes with its own issues. Heterogeneity of devices and RSSI variability in space and time due to environment changing conditions pose a challenge to positioning systems based on this technique. The primary purpose of this research is to examine the viability of leveraging other sensors in aiding the positioning system to provide more accurate predictions. In particular, the experiments presented in this work show that Inertial Motion Units (IMU), which are present by default in smart devices such as smartphones or smartwatches, can increase the performance of Indoor Positioning Systems in AAL environments. Furthermore, this paper assesses a set of techniques to predict the future performance of the positioning system based on the training data, as well as complementary strategies such as data scaling and the use of consecutive Wi-Fi scanning to further improve the reliability of the IPS predictions. This research shows that a robust positioning estimation can be derived from such strategies.
A New Distributed Type-2 Fuzzy Logic Method for Efficient Data Science Models of Medical Informatics
Authors: Benchara Fatéma Zahra , Youssfi Mohamed
Published: August 2020

The paper aims to propose a distributed method for machine learning models and its application for medical data analysis. The great challenge in the medicine field is to provide a scalable image processing model, which integrates the computing processing requirements and computing-aided medical decision making. The proposed Fuzzy logic method is based on a distributed approach of type-2 Fuzzy logic algorithm and merges the HPC (High Performance Computing) and cognitive aspect on one model. Accordingly, the method is assigned to be implemented on big data analysis and data science prediction models for healthcare applications. The paper focuses on the proposed distributed Type-2 Fuzzy Logic (DT2FL) method and its application for MRI data analysis under a massively parallel and distributed virtual mobile agent architecture. Indeed, the paper presents some experimental results which highlight the accuracy and efficiency of the proposed method.
Middle Ear Salivary Choristoma: A Rare Case Report and Update on Congenital Associations, Facial Nerve Involvement, and Treatment Strategies
Authors: Young Allen , Evans Lauran , Ng Matthew
Published: August 2020

Salivary gland choristoma is an extremely rare middle ear mass and is hypothesized to be caused by second branchial arch developmental anomalies. We present a 14-year-old girl with Dandy–Walker syndrome and conductive hearing loss. Middle ear exploration revealed a large middle ear mass with absent incus and stapes and displaced facial nerve. The mass was completely excised with histological confirmation of salivary gland choristoma. Her hearing was improved with bone-anchored hearing aids (BAHA). As facial nerve involvement is common, physicians should consider partial excision to avoid facial nerve palsy. Hearing restoration can be achieved with OCR or BAHA.
Model for Design of Portfolio Venture Investment Contract When Taking Moral Hazards into Account
Authors: Yin L. , Liu Y. , Wang Z.
Published: August 2020

Portfolio investment is adopted by the venture capital to diversify those risks involved in project selection, investing or operating so that the venture capitalist can expect a relatively stable income and lower financing risks. Based on the design of portfolio investment contract with unlimited funds developed by Kanniainen and Keuschnigg, and Inderst et al., this article makes a modification and presents a model given the limitation of funds available for the venture capitalist. It is demonstrated that the marginal benefit of efforts paid by the entrepreneurs exceeds the marginal cost, given the limitation of funds available, which will conduce to a high-level engagement of the entrepreneurs. Thus, by adopting the design of renegotiation contract, the venture capitalist can manage to stimulate the entrepreneurs to make efforts, which is to result in moral hazard reduction.
Nonextraction Management of Severely Malaligned and Constricted Upper Arch
Authors: Hajrasi Manar K. , Al-Fraidi Ahmad A. , Hatrom Abdulkarim A. , Hassan Ali H.
Published: August 2020

This case report presents the treatment of a 12-year-old female with a severely crowded upper arch, severely palatally displaced upper premolars and lateral incisors, large midline diastema, lower midline deviation to the right, class III dental and skeletal relationships due to mild maxillary deficiency, retroclined lower incisors, straight profile, and retrusive lips. A nonextraction treatment approach is described, in which the upper and lower arches were expanded to their original three dimensions using a trihelix expander, a lip bumper appliance, and a fixed orthodontic appliance. Retention was also planned in accordance with the original malocclusion, which inclued a full-time-wear upper wraparound retainer, upper and lower anterior fixed lingual retainers, upper frenectomy, and fibrotomy for rotated teeth. Conclusion. Severe malalignment of teeth does not necessarily require extraction treatment. Gaining space is an art that requires a proper assessment of the anteroposterior and transverse dimensions of alveolar arches, lip prominence, and postorthodontic stability.
Laboratory Investigation on Optimum Selection of a Sand Control Method for an Interbedded Sandstone and Mudstone Reservoir
Authors: Hu Shaofeng , Wang Lihua , Lou Yishan , Cao Yanfeng , Meng Wenbo , Zhang Lei
Published: August 2020

It is critical to select an optimized sand control method for an interbedded sandstone and mudstone reservoir (ISMR) due to its serious sand production hazards. However, currently, most general sand control methods cannot meet the requirements of sand control in interbedded sandstone and mudstone reservoirs (e.g., Bohai Bay oil and gas fields from China). Ensuring efficiency of sand control and increasing the oil and gas production rate in this interbedded sandstone and mudstone become more and more important. In this paper, a “multilayer rotatable sand control experimental device” for the interbedded sandstone and mudstone reservoir was developed. A series of sand control experimental studies were conducted by using the proposed device. The net-to-gross ratio (NTG) and well inclinations are two major factors considered in the experimental analysis. In addition, a sensitivity analysis regarding formation particle size distribution (PSD), clay content, and mineral compositions is performed in the experiment under a moderate sand control mode. With systematic experimental test results in this work, combined with numerous existing sand control models, a set of optimum sand control design and the associated optimization template for ISMR were developed, which have been successfully applied in Bohai Bay. Field application results show that NTG and well inclination are two critical parameters in the design of sand control in ISMR. The optimal indexes of a sand control mode are determined as NTG of 0.4 and well inclination of 45°. The introduction of these two key factors in sand control design broadens the application range of moderate sand production.
Tocilizumab Was Effective in Repairing the Large Geode in a Patient with Rheumatoid Arthritis
Authors: Izumiyama Takuya , Mori Yu , Itoi Eiji
Published: August 2020

Rheumatoid arthritis is characterized by multiple chronic arthritis subsequently inducing joint destruction. Although subchondral geode is a well-known feature of high-disease activity, a large geode is rare. Moreover, the treatment effect of biologic agents in the repair of large geode has not been reported. The present report shows the significant effect of interleukin-6 receptor blocker, tocilizumab, in repairing the large geode in the left humeral lateral epicondyle. This case implies that tocilizumab might be an effective treatment in patients with rheumatoid arthritis even with large geode.
Early Prophylactic Enoxaparin for the Prevention of Preeclampsia and Intrauterine Growth Restriction: A Randomized Trial
Authors: Llurba Elisa , Bella Miriam , Burgos Jorge , Mazarico Edurne , Gómez-Roig María Dolores , De Diego Raül , Martínez-Astorquiza Txanton , Alijotas-Reig Jaume , Sánchez-Durán María Ángeles , Sánchez Olga , Carreras Elena , Cabero Lluís
Published: August 2020

Background: Preeclampsia (PE) and intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) are major causes of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. Previous studies have shown that intervention with low-dose aspirin resulted in a reduction in the occurrence of preterm PE. However, no data are currently available on the effect of low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) for the prevention of pregnancy complications in women enrolled at first trimester screening. Objective: We aimed to assess the effectiveness of LMWH in the prevention of PE, IUGR, fetal death, and abruptio placentae in women classified as high risk based on their medical history and in women selected by first trimester screening of PE. Study ­Design: This was a multicenter, randomized, open-label, parallel controlled trial in women without thrombophilia between 6.0 and 15.6 weeks of gestation. Inclusion criteria were severe PE or IUGR before 34 weeks of gestation and/or abruptio placentae or unexplained intrauterine death in a previous pregnancy; uterine artery mean pulsatility index Doppler >95th percentile and/or positive first trimester screening for PE. Pregnant women were randomly assigned to receive no intervention or LMWH until the 36th week of gestation. The primary composite outcome consisted of 1 or more of the following: development of PE, IUGR, abruptio placentae, and intrauterine fetal death. Results: A total of 278 pregnant women were randomly allocated to receive LMWH (n = 134) or no intervention (n = 144). Overall, 115 (41%) women experienced placental insufficiency complications, with no significant differences between the 2 arms: 50/144 (34.7%) in the LMWH arm and 43/134 (32%) in the control arm (p = 0.64, OR: 1.13, 95% CI: 0.68–1.85). Conclusion: LMWH did not reduce the incidence of placenta-mediated complications either in women with previous adverse obstetric history without thrombophilia or in women selected by first trimester screening for PE. Based on these results, we cannot recommend the use of LMWH alone in women at risk of placental complications.
Fibroblast Growth Factor 23 and αKlotho in Acute Kidney Injury: Current Status in Diagnostic and Therapeutic Applications
Authors: Neyra Javier A. , Hu Ming Chang , Moe Orson W.
Published: August 2020

Fibroblast growth factor (FGF) 23 and αKlotho are circulating mineral regulatory substances that also have a very diverse range of actions. Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a state of high FGF23 and low αKlotho. Clinical association data for FGF23 are strong, but the basic pathobiology of FGF23 in AKI is rather sparse. Conversely, preclinical data supporting a pathogenic role of αKlotho in AKI are strong, but the human data are still being generated. This pair of substances can potentially serve as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers. FGF23 blockade and αKlotho restoration can have prophylactic and therapeutic utility in AKI. The literature to date is briefly reviewed in this article.
Biological Support to Obesity Paradox in Renal Cell Carcinoma: A Review
Authors: Li Ming , Bu Renge
Published: August 2020

Obesity is a proven risk factor and a debated prognostic factor in renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Termed as an “obesity paradox,” the topic has churned controversies, with a few arguing of no true biological association. Suggesting otherwise, a few studies revealed adiposity-induced altered molecular and transcriptomic signatures, at both the systemic and local (tumor and peritumoral adipose tissue) levels, in RCC patients, favoring the paradox. Summarizing such studies suggests of a considerable biological support to adiposity as a promising prognostic factor in RCC patients, although much needs to be clarified before adopting it as a valuable addition to the existing prognostic model.
Ansprechen auf BRAF/MEK-Inhibition bei einem Melanom mit BRAF-Mutation A598_T599insV
Authors: Bjursten Sara , Vannas Christoffer , Filges Stefan , Puls Florian , Pandita Ankur , Fagman Henrik , Ståhlberg Anders , Levin Max
Published: August 2020

Rund 50 % aller Patienten mit metastasierendem Melanom haben eine aktivierende BRAF-Mutation. Tumoren mit aktivierender Mutation des BRAF-Gens proliferieren übermäßig und können zielgerichtet mit BRAF-Inhibitoren in Kombination mit MEK-Inhibitoren behandelt werden. Am häufigsten treten BRAF-Mutationen an der Aminosäureposition 600 auf. Andere BRAF-Mutationen sind selten, und ihr prädiktiver Wert für das Ansprechen auf eine Behandlung mit BRAF/MEK-Inhibitoren ist gering. Wir berichten hier über eine Patientin mit einem Melanom mit der BRAF-Mutation A598_T599insV, welche erst ein einziges Mal bei einem Melanompatienten nachgewiesen wurde und vorübergehendes Ansprechen auf BRAF/MEK-Inhibitoren zeigte. Bei unserer Patientin lag eine umfangreiche, ulzerierende Metastase vor, bei der eine dauerhafte und vollständige Remission erzielt wurde, was darauf hindeutet, dass die BRAF/MEK-Inhibition als Therapieoption bei dieser Mutation in Betracht zu ziehen sein sollte. Wir analysierten die zirkulierende zellfreie Tumor-DNA (ctDNA) mit der BRAF-A598_T599insV-Mutation über die gesamte Behandlungsdauer hinweg. Die Allelfrequenz von BRAF A598_T599insV ging parallel zur Tumorregression zurück, was darauf hindeutet, dass diese Methode für das Monitoring des Therapieansprechens geeignet sein könnte. Unser Fallbericht belegt ein lang anhaltendes Ansprechen auf BRAF/MEK-Inhibition bei einer Melanompatientin mit BRAF-A598_599insV-Mutation. Darüber hinaus zeigen wir, dass die Bestimmung der Allelfrequenz der A598_T599insV-Mutation im Blut mittels ultrasensitiver Sequenzierung als Instrument für das Monitoring des Therapieansprechens nutzbar ist. © 2019 Die Autoren
Improved performance with fractional order control for asymmetrical cascaded H-bridge multilevel inverter
Authors: Anil Kumar Vemula , Mouttou Arounassalame
Published: August 2020

This paper proposes a control scheme for seven level asymmetrical cascaded H-bridge multi level inverter (ACHBMLI) based on fractional order calculus. The seven level ACHBMLI consists of two H-bridges that are connected in series and are excited by different dc voltage sources. A simplified model is developed by assuming the small signal variation component is equal in both the H-bridges. A fractional order PID (FO-PID) controller is designed for the ACHBMLI using the simplified model. Simulation study shows the adequacy of FO-PID controller in giving an output voltage with minimum distortions. A conventional PID controller is also designed for ACHBMLI using the same simplified model. The performance of the ACHBMLI with FO-PID controller is compared with the performance of ACHBMLI with conventional PID controller. The simulation results prove the superiority of FO-PID controller in maintaining the output voltage of the ACHBMLI close to the reference voltage and in reducing the harmonic distortion of output voltage of the inverter. The simulation was done using MATLAB and the parameters of FO-PID controller was designed using FOMCON tool box.
A real-time big data sentiment analysis for iraqi tweets using spark streaming
Authors: Zaki Nashwan Dheyaa , Hashim Nada Yousif , Mohialden Yasmin Makki , Mohammed Mostafa Abdulghafoor , Sutikno Tole , Ali Ahmed Hussein
Published: August 2020

The scale of data streaming in social networks, such as Twitter, is increasing exponentially. Twitter is one of the most important and suitable big data sources for machine learning research in terms of analysis, prediction, extract knowledge, and opinions. People use Twitter platform daily to express their opinion which is a fundamental fact that influence their behaviors. In recent years, the flow of Iraqi dialect has been increased, especially on the Twitter platform. Sentiment analysis for different dialects and opinion mining has become a hot topic in data science researches. In this paper, we will attempt to develop a real-time analytic model for sentiment analysis and opinion mining to Iraqi tweets using spark streaming, also create a dataset for researcher in this field. The Twitter handle Bassam AlRawi is the case study here. The new method is more suitable in the current day machine learning applications and fast online prediction.
Active cell balancing of Li-Ion batteries using single capacitor and single LC series resonant circuit
Authors: Azad Ferdous S. , Habib A. K. M. Ahasan , Rahman Abidur , Ahmed Istiak
Published: August 2020

In this paper a novel single series resonant tank and capacitor converter based voltage balancing circuit for series supercapacitor string and battery cells string is presented. It recognizes the balancing circuit which recovered the maximum energy and zero voltage gap between cells in a series supercapacitor system or battery system. This balancing circuit not only inherits the improvement of conventional single series resonant converter based balancing system, but also recovers the drawback of switching loss, conduction loss and voltage gap between cell strings. All MOSFET switches are controlled by a pair of complementary PWM signals. Also the resonant tank and parallel capacitor operate between the two mode of charging and discharging. This voltage balancing circuit has shown promising result to be used in battery management system.
Mobile sensing in Aedes aegypti larva detection with biological feature extraction
Authors: Mei Yuana Dia Bitari , Sesulihatien Wahjoe Tjatur , Basuki Achmad , Harsono Tri , Alimudin Akhmad , Rohmah Etik Ainun
Published: August 2020

According to WHO, Dengue fever is the most critical and most rapidly mosquito-borne disease in the world over 50 years. Currently, the presence and detection of Aedes aegypti larvae (dengue-mosquitoes vector’s) are only quantified by human perception. In large-scale data, we need to automate the process of larvae detection and classification as much as possible. This paper introduces the new method to automate Aedes larvae. We use Culex larva for comparison. This method consists of data acquisition of recorded motion video, spatial movement patterns, and image statistical classification. The results show a significant difference between the biological movements of Aedes aegypti and Culex under the same environmental conditions. In 50 videos consisting of 25 Aedes larvae videos and 25 Culex larvae videos, the accuracy was 84%.