bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Texture Classification Using Spectral Entropy of Acoustic Signal Generated by a Human Echolocator
Authors: Raja Abdullah Raja Syamsul Azmir , Saleh Nur Luqman , Syed Abdul Rahman Sharifah Mumtazah , Zamri Nur Syazmira , Abdul Rashid Nur Emileen
Published: October 2019

Human echolocation is a biological process wherein the human emits a punctuated acoustic signal, and the ear analyzes the echo in order to perceive the surroundings. The peculiar acoustic signal is normally produced by clicking inside the mouth. This paper utilized this unique acoustic signal from a human echolocator as a source of transmitted signal in a synthetic human echolocation technique. Thus, the aim of the paper was to extract information from the echo signal and develop a classification scheme to identify signals reflected from different textures at various distance. The scheme was based on spectral entropy extracted from Mel-scale filtering output in the Mel-frequency cepstrum coefficient of a reflected echo signal. The classification process involved data mining, features extraction, clustering, and classifier validation. The reflected echo signals were obtained via an experimental setup resembling a human echolocation scenario, configured for synthetic data collection. Unlike in typical speech signals, extracted entropy from the formant characteristics was likely not visible for the human mouth-click signals. Instead, multiple peak spectral features derived from the synthesis signal of the mouth-click were assumed as the entropy obtained from the Mel-scale filtering output. To realize the classification process, K-means clustering and K-nearest neighbor processes were employed. Moreover, the impacts of sound propagation toward the extracted spectral entropy used in the classification outcome were also investigated. The outcomes of the classifier performance herein indicated that spectral entropy is essential for human echolocation.
Migration, Labor Mobility and Household Poverty in Nigeria: A Gender Analysis
Authors: Rufai Mistura , Ogunniyi Adebayo , Salman Kabir , Oyeyemi Motunrayo , Salawu Mutiat
Published: October 2019

The increase in the geographical mobility of labour as a result of poverty, unemployment and unstable economic conditions, among other factors, especially among professionals, has been associated with a brain drain in Nigeria. Despite the high level of migration and subsequent remittances from migrants, a large proportion of Nigerians still live in poverty. The increased participation of women in migration in the country also brings to the fore the existence of gender-specific migration experiences and how this has in turn affected their households. Based on gender, this study assesses the extent of labour mobility, its determinants and how it influences remittance inflows and household poverty using the logit regression model Propensity Score Matching and Linear Regression with Endogenous Treatment Effect Approach. Results reveal that while more males travelled for employment purposes, more females travelled due to marriage arrangements. More of the migrants that were working after migration had worked before migration and had the highest average amount of remittance sent to households. The study shows that labour mobility increases the amount of remittance sent to households. However, the increase was higher among male migrants than female migrants. More than half of the migrants had poor households; meanwhile, labour mobility was found to reduce the extent of poverty. The study recommended that policies that improve the welfare of labour and reduce the brain drain, unemployment and closures of enterprises in the country should be put in place. Also, effective policies and interventions that promote the use of remittances to achieve maximum reductions in poverty should be pursued.
Parallel Control of Converters with Energy Storage Equipment in a Microgrid
Authors: Zhao Guopeng , Yang Hongwei
Published: October 2019

The converter in a microgrid uses the active power and reactive power (PQ) control strategy when connected to the grid. In the case of failure of large power grid, the converters are required to be connected in parallel under the condition of island to provide power to the load. In this paper, a new control method for the parallel operation of converters based on V/F control is proposed. The V/F control is used to ensure the output voltages have the same amplitude and frequency, then the converters will only produce circulating current caused by phase angle inconsistency. The phase angle self-synchronization strategy is proposed to make sure the phase angle of output voltage of all converters in the system are consistent. First, a large inductor is added to the end of the converter to ignore the line reactance, through this, the measured voltage at the terminal of the converter roughly equals to the voltage of the load, thus, every converter has the same reference of phase angle. Using the proposed phase angle self-synchronization strategy allows the output voltage of every converter to have the same phase angle, so that there is no circulating current between converters, and the power is evenly distributed among the converters. The simulation verification was carried out on the Power Simulation (PSIM) simulation platform, and the experimental verification was implemented on the hardware experimental platform. Both results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed strategy. This method is highly reliable and easy to implement, and the circulating current can be reduced effectively.
Research on Adaptive Reaction Null Space Planning and Control Strategy Based on VFF–RLS and SSADE–ELM Algorithm for Free-Floating Space Robot
Authors: Ye Xin , Dong Zheng-Hong , Hong Jia-Cai
Published: October 2019

With the increase of on-orbit maintenance and support requirements, the application of a space manipulator is becoming more promising. In actual operation, the strong coupling of the free-floating space robot itself and the unknown disturbance of the contact target caused a major challenge to the robot base posture control. Traditional Reaction Null Space (RNS) motion planning and control methods require the construction of precise dynamic models, which is impossible in reality. In order to solve this problem, this paper proposes a new Adaptive Reaction Null Space (ARNS) path planning and control strategy for the contact of free-floating space robots with unknown targets. The ARNS path planning strategy is constructed by the Variable Forgetting Factor Recursive Least Squares (VFF–RLS) algorithm. At the same time, a robust adaptive control strategy based on the Strategy Self-Adaption Differential Evolution–Extreme Learning Machine (SSADE–ELM) algorithm is proposed to track the dynamic changes of the planned path. The algorithm enables us to intelligently learn and compensate for the unknown disturbance. Then, this paper constructs a robust controller to compensate model uncertainty. A striking feature of the proposed strategy is that it does not require an accurate system model or any information about unknown attributes. This design can dynamically implement RNS path tracking performance. Finally, through simulation and experiment, the proposed algorithm is compared with the existing methods to prove its effectiveness and superiority.
Deep Transfer HSI Classification Method Based on Information Measure and Optimal Neighborhood Noise Reduction
Authors: Lin Lianlei , Chen Cailu , Yang Jingli , Zhang Shanshan
Published: October 2019

Land environment is one of the most commonly and importantly used synthetical natural environments in a virtual test. To recognize the ground truth for the construction of virtual land environment, a deep transfer hyperspectral image (HSI) classification method based on information measure and optimal neighborhood noise reduction was proposed in this article. Firstly, the information measure method was used to select the most valuable spectrum. Specifically, three representative bands were selected using the combination of entropy, color matching function, and mutual information. Based on the selected bands, a patch containing spatial-spectral information was constructed and used as the input of the convolutional neural networks (CNN) network. Then, in order to address the problem that a large number of labeled samples were required in deep learning method, the HSI classification method based on deep transfer learning was proposed. In the proposed method, the transfer of parameters ensured the classification performance with small training samples and reduced the training cost. Moreover, the optimal neighborhood noise reduction was used as the post-processing method to effectively eliminate the salt-and-pepper noise and further improve the classification performance. Experiments on two datasets demonstrated that the proposed method in this article had higher classification accuracy than similar methods.
Stand Diameter Distribution Modeling and Prediction Based on Maximum Entropy Principle
Authors: Chen Yuling , Wu Baoguo , Min Zhiqiang
Published: October 2019

Research Highlights: Improving the prediction accuracy represents a popular forest simulation modeling issue, and exploring the optimal maximum entropy (MaxEnt) distribution is a new effective method for improving the diameter distribution model simulation precision to overcome the disadvantages of Weibull. Background and Objectives: The MaxEnt distribution is the closest to the actual distribution under the constraints, which are the main probability density distributions. However, relatively few studies have addressed the optimization of stand diameter distribution based on MaxEnt distribution. The objective of this study was to introduce application of the MaxEnt distribution on modeling and prediction of stand diameter distribution. Materials and Methods: The long-term repeated measurement data sets consisted of 260 diameter frequency distributions from China fir (Cunninghamia lanceolate (Lamb.) Hook) plantations in the southern China Guizhou. The Weibull distribution and the MaxEnt distribution were applied to the fitting of stand diameter distribution, and the modeling and prediction characteristics of Weibull distribution and MaxEnt distribution to stand diameter distribution were compared. Results: Three main conclusions were obtained: (1) MaxEnt distribution presented a more accurate simulation than three-parametric Weibull function; (2) the Chi-square test showed diameter distributions of unknown stands can be well estimated by applying MaxEnt distribution based on the plot similarity index method (PSIM) and Weibull distribution based on the parameter prediction method (PPM); (3) the MaxEnt model can deal with the complex nonlinear relationship and show strong prediction ability when predicting the stand distribution structure. Conclusions: With the increase of sample size, the PSIM has great application prospects in the dynamic prediction system of stand diameter distribution.
Approximating Isoneutral Ocean Transport via the Temporal Residual Mean
Authors: Stewart Andrew L.
Published: October 2019

Ocean volume and tracer transports are commonly computed on density surfaces because doing so approximates the semi-Lagrangian mean advective transport. The resulting density-averaged transport can be related approximately to Eulerian-averaged quantities via the Temporal Residual Mean (TRM), valid in the limit of small isopycnal height fluctuations. This article builds on a formulation of the TRM for volume fluxes within Neutral Density surfaces, (the “NDTRM”), selected because Neutral Density surfaces are constructed to be as neutral as possible while still forming well-defined surfaces. This article derives a TRM, referred to as the “Neutral TRM” (NTRM), that approximates volume fluxes within surfaces whose vertical fluctuations are defined directly by the neutral relation. The purpose of the NTRM is to more closely approximate the semi-Lagrangian mean transport than the NDTRM, because the latter introduces errors associated with differences between the instantaneous state of the modeled/observed ocean and the reference climatology used to assign the Neutral Density variable. It is shown that the NDTRM collapses to the NTRM in the limiting case of a Neutral Density variable defined with reference to the Eulerian-mean salinity, potential temperature and pressure, rather than an external reference climatology, and therefore that the NTRM approximately advects this density variable. This prediction is verified directly using output from an idealized eddy-resolving numerical model. The NTRM therefore offers an efficient and accurate estimate of modeled semi-Lagrangian mean transports without reference to an external reference climatology, but requires that a Neutral Density variable be computed once from the model’s time-mean state in order to estimate isopycnal and diapycnal components of the transport.
Metabolic Stability of D-Allulose in Biorelevant Media and Hepatocytes: Comparison with Fructose and Erythritol
Authors: Maeng Han-Joo , Yoon Jin-Ha , Chun Kwang-Hoon , Kim Sung Tae , Jang Dong-Jin , Park Ji-Eun , Kim Yang Hee , Kim Seong-Bo , Kim Yu Chul
Published: October 2019

D-allulose, a C-3 epimer of D-fructose, is a rare monosaccharide used as a food ingredient or a sweetener. In the present study, the in vitro metabolic stability of D-allulose was examined in biorelevant media, that is, simulated gastric fluid (SGF) and fasted state simulated intestinal fluid (FaSSIF) containing digestive enzymes, and in cryopreserved human and rat hepatocytes. The hepatocyte metabolic stabilities of D-allulose were also investigated and compared with those of fructose and erythritol (a sugar-alcohol with no calorific value). D-allulose was highly stable in SGF (97.8% remained after 60 min) and in FaSSIF (101.3% remained after 240 min), indicating it is neither pH-labile nor degraded in the gastrointestinal tract. D-allulose also exhibited high levels of stability in human and rat hepatocytes (94.5–96.8% remained after 240 min), whereas fructose was rapidly metabolized (43.1–52.6% remained), which suggested these two epimers are metabolized in completely different ways in the liver. The effects of D-allulose on glucose and fructose levels were negligible in hepatocytes. Erythritol was stable in human and rat hepatocytes (102.1–102.9% remained after 240 min). Intravenous pharmacokinetic studies in rats showed D-allulose was eliminated with a mean half-life of 72.2 min and a systemic clearance of 15.8 mL/min/kg. Taken together, our results indicate that D-allulose is not metabolized in the liver, and thus, unlikely to contribute to hepatic energy production.
Tracing the Geographical Origin of Durum Wheat by FT-NIR Spectroscopy
Authors: De Girolamo Annalisa , Cortese Marina , Cervellieri Salvatore , Lippolis Vincenzo , Pascale Michelangelo , Logrieco Antonio Francesco , Suman Michele
Published: October 2019

Fourier transform near infrared (FT-NIR) spectroscopy, in combination with principal component-linear discriminant analysis (PC-LDA), was used for tracing the geographical origin of durum wheat samples. The classification model PC-LDA was applied to discriminate durum wheat samples originating from Northern, Central, and Southern Italy (n = 181), and to differentiate Italian durum wheat samples from those cultivated in other countries across the world (n = 134). Developed models were validated on a separated set of wheat samples. Different pre-treatments of spectral data and different spectral regions were selected and compared in terms of overall discrimination (OD) rates obtained in validation. The LDA models were able to correctly discriminate durum Italian wheat samples according to their geographical origin (i.e., North, Central, and South) with OD rates of up of 96.7%. Better results were obtained when LDA models were applied to the discrimination of Italian durum wheat samples from those originating from other countries across the world, having OD rates of up to 100%. The excellent results obtained herein clearly indicate the potential of FT-NIR spectroscopy to be used for the discrimination of durum wheat samples according to their geographical origin.
Using Pulses in Baked Products: Lights, Shadows, and Potential Solutions
Authors: Bresciani Andrea , Marti Alessandra
Published: October 2019

Nowadays, consumers are more conscious of the environmental and nutritional benefits of foods. Pulses—thanks to both nutritional and health-promoting features, together with their low environmental impact—satisfy the demand for high-protein/high-fiber products. However, their consumption is still somewhat limited in Western countries, due to the presence of antinutrient compounds including phytic acid, trypsin inhibitors, and some undigested oligosaccharides, which are responsible for digestive discomfort. Another limitation of eating pulses regularly is their relatively long preparation time. One way to increase the consumption of pulses is to use them as an ingredient in food formulations, such as bread and other baked products. However, some sensory and technological issues limit the use of pulses on an industrial scale; consequently, they require special attention when combined with cereal-based products. Developing formulations and/or processes to improve pulse quality is necessary to enhance their incorporation into baked products. In this context, this study provides an overview of strengths and weaknesses of pulse-enriched baked products focusing on the various strategies—such as the choice of suitable ingredients or (bio)-technological approaches—that counteract the negative effects of including pulses in baked goods.
Six Years Temperature Monitoring Using Fibre-Optic Sensors in a Bioreactor Landfill
Authors: Moreau Sylvain , Jouen Thomas , Grossin-Debattista Julien , Loisel Simon , Mazéas Laurent , Clément Rémi
Published: October 2019

Temperature is a relevant physical parameter to monitor the biodegradation phases of waste mass. Irstea and the landfill operator SAS Les Champs Jouault have been collaborating since 2011 to study the temporal evolution and the spatial distribution of temperature in a municipal solid waste cell. Using distributed temperature sensing technology, optical fibres were installed in waste mass composed of household waste and industrial waste at different depths during the landfilling period. Temperature distributions were studied from 2012 until 2018 and the same evolutions are observed everywhere with more or less important amplitude variations depending on the location of the measurement point. When landfilled, the waste is at ambient temperature and a significant increase is observed the following year due to the exothermic impact of the aerobic biodegradation phase before a slower decrease during the anaerobic biodegradation phase over several years. Thermal parameters of the waste mass and the surrounding soil, as well as the heat generation function, are calculated using numerical simulation to reproduce the temperature evolution and its spatial distribution. The study of the long-term temperature evolution makes it possible to evaluate the favourable period during which the deposit cell will be in optimal conditions to promote the biodegradation waste processes.
Calibration and Validation of the Youth Activity Profile as a Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour Surveillance Tool for English Youth
Authors: Fairclough Stuart J. , Christian Danielle L. , Saint-Maurice Pedro F. , Hibbing Paul R. , Noonan Robert J. , Welk Greg J. , Dixon Philip M. , Boddy Lynne M.
Published: October 2019

Self-reported youth physical activity (PA) is typically overestimated. We aimed to calibrate and validate a self-report tool among English youth. Four-hundred-and-two participants (aged 9–16 years; 212 boys) wore SenseWear Armband Mini devices (SWA) for eight days and completed the self-report Youth Activity Profile (YAP) on the eighth day. Calibration algorithms for temporally matched segments were generated from the YAP data using quantile regression. The algorithms were applied in an independent cross-validation sample, and student- and school-level agreement were assessed. The utility of the YAP algorithms to assess compliance to PA guidelines was also examined. The school-level bias for the YAP estimates of in-school, out-of-school, and weekend moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) were 17.2 (34.4), 31.6 (14.0), and −4.9 (3.6) min·week−1, respectively. Out-of-school sedentary behaviour (SB) was over-predicted by 109.2 (11.8) min·week−1. Predicted YAP values were within 15%–20% equivalence of the SWA estimates. The classification accuracy of the YAP MVPA estimates for compliance to 60 min·day−1 and 30 min·school-day−1 MVPA recommendations were 91%/37% and 89%/57% sensitivity/specificity, respectively. The YAP generated robust school-level estimates of MVPA and SB and has potential for surveillance to monitor compliance with PA guidelines. The accuracy of the YAP may be further improved through research with more representative UK samples to enhance the calibration process and to refine the resultant algorithms.
Potential for Hydroclimatically Driven Shifts in Infectious Disease Outbreaks: The Case of Tularemia in High-Latitude Regions
Authors: Ma Yan , Bring Arvid , Kalantari Zahra , Destouni Georgia
Published: October 2019

Hydroclimatic changes may be particularly pronounced in high-latitude regions and can influence infectious diseases, jeopardizing regional human and animal health. In this study, we consider the example of tularemia, one of the most studied diseases in high-latitude regions, which is likely to be impacted by large regional hydroclimatic changes. For this disease case, we use a validated statistical model and develop a method for quantifying possible hydroclimatically driven shifts in outbreak conditions. The results show high sensitivity of tularemia outbreaks to certain combinations of hydroclimatic variable values. These values are within the range of past regional observations and may represent just mildly shifted conditions from current hydroclimatic averages. The methodology developed also facilitates relatively simple identification of possible critical hydroclimatic thresholds, beyond which unacceptable endemic disease levels may be reached. These results call for further research on how projected hydroclimatic changes may affect future outbreaks of tularemia and other infectious diseases in high-latitude and other world regions, with particular focus on critical thresholds to high-risk conditions. More research is also needed on the generality and spatiotemporal transferability of statistical disease models.
Inclusion of Older Adults in the Research and Design of Digital Technology
Authors: Mannheim Ittay , Schwartz Ella , Xi Wanyu , Buttigieg Sandra C. , McDonnell-Naughton Mary , Wouters Eveline J. M. , van Zaalen Yvonne
Published: October 2019

Digital technology holds a promise to improve older adults’ well-being and promote ageing in place. However, there seems to be a discrepancy between digital technologies that are developed and what older adults actually want and need. Ageing is stereotypically framed as a problem needed to be fixed, and older adults are considered to be frail and incompetent. Not surprisingly, many of the technologies developed for the use of older adults focus on care. The exclusion of older adults from the research and design of digital technology is often based on such negative stereotypes. In this opinion article, we argue that the inclusion rather than exclusion of older adults in the design process and research of digital technology is essential if technology is to fulfill the promise of improving well-being. We emphasize why this is important while also providing guidelines, evidence from the literature, and examples on how to do so. We unequivocally state that designers and researchers should make every effort to ensure the involvement of older adults in the design process and research of digital technology. Based on this paper, we suggest that ageism in the design process of digital technology might play a role as a possible barrier of adopting technology.
Differences in Expression of Genes Involved in Bone Development and Morphogenesis in the Walls of Internal Thoracic Artery and Saphenous Vein Conduits May Provide Markers Useful for Evaluation Graft Patency
Authors: Nawrocki Mariusz J. , Perek Bartłomiej , Sujka-Kordowska Patrycja , Konwerska Aneta , Kałużna Sandra , Zawierucha Piotr , Bruska Małgorzata , Zabel Maciej , Jemielity Marek , Nowicki Michał , Kempisty Bartosz , Malińska Agnieszka
Published: October 2019

Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is one of the most efficient procedures for patients with advanced coronary artery disease. From all the blood vessels with the potential to be used in this procedure, the internal thoracic artery (ITA) and the saphenous vein (SV) are the most commonly applied as aortocoronary conduits. Nevertheless, in order to evaluate the graft patency and efficiency effectively, basic knowledge should be constantly expanding at the molecular level as well, as the understanding of predictive factors is still limited. In this study, we have employed the expressive microarray approach, validated with Real-Time Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-qPCR), to analyze the transcriptome of both venous and arterial grafts. Searching for potential molecular factors, we analyzed differentially expressed gene ontologies involved in bone development and morphogenesis, for the possibility of discovery of new markers for the evaluation of ITA and SV segment quality. Among three ontological groups of interest—“endochondral bone morphogenesis”, “ossification”, and “skeletal system development”—we found six genes common to all of them. BMP6, SHOX2, COL13A1, CSGALNACT1, RUNX2, and STC1 showed differential expression patterns in both analyzed vessels. STC1 and COL13A1 were upregulated in ITA samples, whereas others were upregulated in SV. With regard to the Runx2 protein function in osteogenic phenotype regulation, the RUNX2 gene seems to be of paramount importance in assessing the potential of ITA, SV, and other vessels used in the CABG procedure. Overall, the presented study provided valuable insight into the molecular background of conduit characterization, and thus indicated genes that may be the target of subsequent studies, also at the protein level. Moreover, it has been suggested that RUNX2 may be recognized as a molecular marker of osteogenic changes in human blood vessels.
TIM-1 As a Signal Receptor Triggers Dengue Virus-Induced Autophagy
Authors: Chu Li-Wei , Yang Chia-Jui , Peng Kuan-Jen , Chen Pei-Ling , Wang Shuu-Jiun , Ping Yueh-Hsin
Published: October 2019

Dengue virus (DENV) infection triggers the activation of autophagy to facilitate the viral replication cycle from various aspects. Although a number of stimulators are proposed to activate autophagy, none of them appears prior to the uncoating process. Given that T-cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain 1 (TIM-1) receptor is a putative DENV receptor and promotes apoptotic body clearance by autophagy induction, it raises the possibility that TIM-1 may participate in the activation of DENV-induced autophagy. In this study, confocal images first revealed the co-localization of TIM-1 with autophagosomes in DENV-induced autophagy rather than rapamycin-induced autophagy, suggesting the co-transportation of TIM-1 with DENV during infection. The treatment of siRNA to knockdown TIM-1 expression in DENV-infected GFP-microtubule-associated protein light chain 3 (LC3)-Huh7.5 cells revealed that TIM-1 is required not only for DENV cellular internalization but also for autophagy activation. Furthermore, knockdown p85, a subunit of phosphoinositide 3-kinases (PI3Ks), which is co-localized with TIM-1 at rab5-positive endosomes caused the reduction of autophagy, indicating that TIM-1-mediated DENV-induced autophagy requires p85. Taken together, the current study uncovered TIM-1 as a novel factor for triggering autophagy in DENV infection through TIM-1-p85 axis, in addition to serving as a DENV receptor.
TREM-1 Is Upregulated in Experimental Periodontitis, and Its Blockade Inhibits IL-17A and RANKL Expression and Suppresses Bone loss
Authors: Bostanci Nagihan , Abe Toshiharu , Belibasakis Georgios N. , Hajishengallis George
Published: October 2019

Aim: Triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-1 (TREM-1) is a modifier of local and systemic inflammation. There is clinical evidence implicating TREM-1 in the pathogenesis of periodontitis. However, a cause-and-effect relationship has yet to be demonstrated, as is the underlying mechanism. The aim of this study was to elucidate the role of TREM-1 using the murine ligature-induced periodontitis model. Methods: A synthetic antagonistic LP17 peptide or sham control was microinjected locally into the palatal gingiva of the ligated molar teeth. Results: Mice treated with the LP17 inhibitor developed significantly less bone loss as compared to sham-treated mice, although there were no differences in total bacterial load on the ligatures. To elucidate the impact of LP17 on the host response, we analyzed the expression of a number of immune-modulating genes. The LP17 peptide altered the expression of 27/92 genes ≥ two-fold, but only interleukin (IL)-17A was significantly downregulated (4.9-fold). Importantly, LP17 also significantly downregulated the receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-B-ligand (RANKL) to osteoprotegerin (OPG) ratio that drives osteoclastic bone resorption in periodontitis. Conclusion: Our findings show for the first time that TREM-1 regulates the IL-17A-RANKL/OPG axis and bone loss in experimental periodontitis, and its therapeutic blockade may pave the way to a novel treatment for human periodontitis.
Photodynamic Therapy: A Brief History
Authors: Kessel David
Published: October 2019

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) involves the selective sensitization of tissues to light. A major advance in the field occurred when Thomas Dougherty at the Roswell Park Cancer Institute initiated a series of clinical studies that eventually led to FDA approval of the procedure. This report contains a summary of Dougherty’s contributions and an assessment of where this has led, along with a summary of implications for future drug development.
Impact of Body Composition Status on 90-Day Mortality in Cancer Patients with Septic Shock: Sex Differences in the Skeletal Muscle Index
Authors: Kim Youn-Jung , Seo Dong-Woo , Kang Jihoon , Huh Jin Won , Kim Kyung Won , Kim Won Young
Published: October 2019

Abnormalities in body composition are associated with poor prognosis in cancer patients. We investigated the association between body composition and 90-day mortality in cancer patients who developed septic shock. We included consecutive septic shock patients with active cancer from 2010 to 2017. The muscle area at the level of the third lumbar vertebra was measured by computed tomography upon emergency department admission and adjusted by height squared, yielding the Skeletal Muscle Index (SMI). Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for 90-day mortality were estimated using a Cox proportional hazards model. Among 478 patients, the prevalence of muscle depletion was 87.7%. Among markers of body composition, the SMI only differed significantly between non-survivors and survivors (mean, 35.48 vs. 33.32 cm2/m2; P = 0.002) and was independently associated with lower 90-day mortality (adjusted HR, 0.970; P = 0.001). The multivariable-adjusted HRs (95% CI) for 90-day mortality comparing quartiles 2, 3, and 4 of the SMI to the lowest quartile were 0.646 (0.916–1.307), 0.620 (0.424–0.909), and 0.529 (0.355–0.788), respectively. The associations were evident in male patients, but not in female patients. The SMI was independently associated with 90-day mortality in cancer patients with septic shock. The graded association between the SMI and 90-day mortality was observed in male patients.
A Low Tacrolimus Concentration/Dose Ratio Increases the Risk for the Development of Acute Calcineurin Inhibitor-Induced Nephrotoxicity
Authors: Thölking Gerold , Schütte-Nütgen Katharina , Schmitz Julia , Rovas Alexandros , Dahmen Maximilian , Bautz Joachim , Jehn Ulrich , Pavenstädt Hermann , Heitplatz Barbara , Van Marck Veerle , Suwelack Barbara , Reuter Stefan
Published: October 2019

Fast tacrolimus metabolism is linked to inferior outcomes such as rejection and lower renal function after kidney transplantation. Renal calcineurin-inhibitor toxicity is a common adverse effect of tacrolimus therapy. The present contribution hypothesized that tacrolimus-induced nephrotoxicity is related to a low concentration/dose (C/D) ratio. We analyzed renal tubular epithelial cell cultures and 55 consecutive kidney transplant biopsy samples with tacrolimus-induced toxicity, the C/D ratio, C0, C2, and C4 Tac levels, pulse wave velocity analyses, and sublingual endothelial glycocalyx dimensions in the selected kidney transplant patients. A low C/D ratio (C/D ratio < 1.05 ng/mL×1/mg) was linked with higher C2 tacrolimus blood concentrations (19.2 ± 8.7 µg/L vs. 12.2 ± 5.2 µg/L respectively; p = 0.001) and higher degrees of nephrotoxicity despite comparable trough levels (6.3 ± 2.4 µg/L vs. 6.6 ± 2.2 µg/L respectively; p = 0.669). However, the tacrolimus metabolism rate did not affect the pulse wave velocity or glycocalyx in patients. In renal tubular epithelial cells exposed to tacrolimus according to a fast metabolism pharmacokinetic profile it led to reduced viability and increased Fn14 expression. We conclude from our data that the C/D ratio may be an appropriate tool for identifying patients at risk of developing calcineurin-inhibitor toxicity.
Pathogenetical and Neurophysiological Features of Patients with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Phenomena and Diagnoses
Authors: Jin Yunho , Choi Jeonghyun , Lee Seunghoon , Kim Jong Won , Hong Yonggeun
Published: October 2019

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is accompanied by social deficits, repetitive and restricted interests, and altered brain development. The majority of ASD patients suffer not only from ASD itself but also from its neuropsychiatric comorbidities. Alterations in brain structure, synaptic development, and misregulation of neuroinflammation are considered risk factors for ASD and neuropsychiatric comorbidities. Electroencephalography has been developed to quantitatively explore effects of these neuronal changes of the brain in ASD. The pineal neurohormone melatonin is able to contribute to neural development. Also, this hormone has an inflammation-regulatory role and acts as a circadian key regulator to normalize sleep. These functions of melatonin may play crucial roles in the alleviation of ASD and its neuropsychiatric comorbidities. In this context, this article focuses on the presumable role of melatonin and suggests that this hormone could be a therapeutic agent for ASD and its related neuropsychiatric disorders.
Epithelial Alarmins in Serum and Exhaled Breath in Patients with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis: A Prospective One-Year Follow-Up Cohort Study
Authors: Majewski Sebastian , Szewczyk Karolina , Białas Adam J. , Miłkowska-Dymanowska Joanna , Górski Paweł , Piotrowski Wojciech J.
Published: October 2019

Background: Recently, epithelial alarmins have been shown to play important roles in non-allergen driven respiratory diseases like idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Little is known about the expression of the epithelial alarmins in IPF. Methods: This study aimed to prospectively examine interleukin (IL)-25, IL-33, and thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) levels in the serum and exhaled breath condensate (EBC) in patients with IPF before and after one-year of antifibrotic treatment. A total of 82 volunteers, including 52 patients diagnosed with IPF that qualified for antifibrotic therapy as well as 30 controls, were examined. All study participants underwent baseline peripheral blood and EBC sampling. In 35 out of 52 IPF subjects, a follow-up sampling was performed after 12 months of antifibrotic treatment. Concentrations of alarmins in the serum and EBC were evaluated by means of ELISA. Results: Baseline TSLP concentrations were significantly elevated in patients with IPF compared to controls both in the serum (p < 0.05) and EBC (p < 0.0001). Baseline IL-25 and IL-33 serum and EBC levels did not differ significantly between IPF subjects and controls. Prospective analysis of changes in the epithelial alarmin levels showed significantly decreased IL-25 and TSLP EBC concentrations after 12 months of antifibrotic treatment (p < 0.05), which was observed in the subgroup of IPF patients treated with pirfenidone, but not in those treated with nintedanib. In stable patients with IPF over a study period (absolute forced vital capacity (FVC) % of predicted decline/year ≤ 5%, n = 25), a significant decrease in the EBC levels of both IL-25 and TSLP after 12 months of antifibrotic treatment was noted (p < 0.05), whereas, in progressor IPF patients (absolute FVC % of predicted decline/year > 5%, n = 10), a significant decrease was noted in the IL-25 EBC levels only (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Elevated TSLP levels in patients with IPF and their significant decrease in the lung compartment during antifibrotic therapy in stable patients with IPF, but not in progressors, support its significant contribution to pro-fibrotic type 2 immune responses in IPF. Noted changes in the epithelial alarmins concentration in the lung compartment during pirfenidone therapy may suggest its possible interaction with epithelial alarmins pathways in IPF.
Simulation of Ice-Propeller Collision with Cohesive Element Method
Authors: Zhou Li , Wang Feng , Diao Feng , Ding Shifeng , Yu Hao , Zhou Yang
Published: October 2019

The existence of ice in ice-covered waters may cause damage to the propeller of polar ships, especially when massive ice floes are submerged around the hull. This paper aims to simulate an interaction process of a direct ice collision with a propeller based on the cohesive element method. A constitutive law is applied to model the ice material. The model of ice material is validated against model test results. The resulting impact loads acting on the contact surfaces and the corresponding ice block velocity are calculated in the time domain. The ice crushing, shearing and fracture failures are reproduced in the simulation. The convergence study with three meshing sizes of ice block is performed. To carry out a parametric study, five parameters are selected for analysis. These parameters are composed of rotational speed, direction of the propeller, initial speed of the ice block, contact position, and area between the ice and the propeller. The results show that the ice loads are affected by the five factors significantly. Ice loads tend to increase by decreasing the rotational speed, increasing the initial ice speed and the contact area, and changing the rotational direction from clockwise to counterclockwise. The effect of the contact position on the impact loads is relatively complex, depending on rotational speeds of the propeller.
Planning for Democracy in Protected Rural Areas: Application of a Voting Method in a Spanish-Portuguese Reserve
Authors: de Castro-Pardo Mónica , Pérez-Rodríguez Fernando , Martín-Martín José , Azevedo João
Published: October 2019

The planning of protected rural areas is usually defined by institutional decision-makers without considering the preferences of the local communities that live on the land, which frequently leads to conflicts in land management. This paper proposes a voting method based on the Borda count to rank the management goals of a protected rural area. The method was applied in a Spanish-Portuguese reserve called Iberian Plateau with the aim of collecting the preferences of institutional decision-makers (government and scientists) and rural landowners (farmers and businesspersons). Regarding the conservation and development objectives, the results show differences in spatial planning when only the preferences of institutional decision-makers are taken into consideration, as opposed to when the preferences of landowners are included within the analysis.
Anisotropic Magnetoelectric Effect in a Planar Heterostructure Comprising Piezoelectric Ceramics and Magnetostrictive Fibrous Composite
Authors: Fetisov Yuri , Chashin Dmitri , Saveliev Dmitri , Fetisov Leonid , Shamonin Mikhail
Published: October 2019

The direct magnetoelectric (ME) effect is investigated in a planar structure comprising mechanically coupled layers of a magnetostrictive fibrous composite (MFC) and a piezoelectric ceramics (lead zirconate titanate, PZT). The MFC is an array of Ni-wires with a diameter of 200 μm that are aligned parallel to each other in a single layer. The wires are separated by a distance of 250 or 500 μm and fixed in a polyamide matrix. The structure was placed in a tangential constant field H and was excited by an alternating magnetic field h parallel to H, while the voltage generated by the PZT layer was measured. The resulting field dependences of the magnetization M(H) and the magnetostriction λ(H) were determined by the orientation of the field H in the plane of the structure and the distance between the Ni-wires. The ME coupling coefficient of the structure decreased from 4.8 to 0.25 V/A when the orientation of H was changed from parallel to perpendicular to Ni-wires. With an increase in the excitation field amplitude h, a nonlinear ME effect in the output voltage, namely frequency doubling, was observed. The frequency and field dependences of the efficiency of the ME transduction in the MFC-piezoelectric heterostructure are well described by the existing theory.
Modeling of the Public Opinion Polarization Process with the Considerations of Individual Heterogeneity and Dynamic Conformity
Authors: Chen Tinggui , Li Qianqian , Yang Jianjun , Cong Guodong , Li Gongfa
Published: October 2019

Nowadays, hot issues are likely become bipolar or multipolar after heated discussion on the Internet. This article is focused on the study of the polarization phenomenon and establishes a public opinion polarization model with the considerations of individual heterogeneity and dynamic conformity. At first, this article introduces the dynamic changing function of an individual’s conformity tendency to other’s attitudes in the interaction process. It further defines the influential weight between different interactive individuals, and expands the interactive individual from complete homogeneity to initial attitude heterogeneity, and finally, conformity heterogeneity. Then, through simulation experiments, we find that the degree of changing in individual attitude is limited. That is, it is difficult for the individuals who have one directional attitude at the initial time to change into another opposite attitude through interaction. In addition, individuals with low conformity within a certain threshold are more likely to form polarization. Finally, the rationality and effectiveness of the proposed model are verified by the typical case “Mimeng Event”.
Study of Brush-Painted Ag Nanowire Network on Flexible Invar Metal Substrate for Curved Thin Film Heater
Authors: Kim Yong Jun , Kim Gyewon , Kim Han-Ki
Published: October 2019

The objective of this study was to determine the characteristics of brush-painted Ag nanowires (NW) network electrode on a SiO2 coated invar substrate for high performance curved thin film heaters (TFHs). To avoid influence of a conductive invar metal foil substrate, thin SiO2 film was deposited on an invar substrate as an insulating layer. We measured sheet resistance, optical reflectance, and surface morphology of Ag NWs/SiO2/invar as a function of the number of brush painting from one to four times. Optimized brush-painted Ag NWs network on a SiO2/invar substrate showed a low sheet resistance 38.52 Ω/square, which was acceptable for fabrication of curved TFHs. Based on a lab-made bending and fatigue tester, critical radius of the optimized Ag NWs/SiO2/invar electrode was found to be 6 mm. It demonstrated superior repeated flexibility of an Ag NW/SiO2/invar substrate. Furthermore, we demonstrated the feasibility of using a brush-painted Ag NW/SiO2/invar substrate as an electrode for curved TFHs. These curved TFHs fabricated on an Ag NW/SiO2/invar substrate showed rapid heating properties and high saturation temperature even at low applied voltage due to low resistivity of Ag NW network. This indicates that a brush-painted Ag NW/SiO2/invar substrate is a promising flexible electrode and substrate for high performance curved TFHs.
Dysregulation of the Tryptophan Pathway Evidences Gender Differences in COPD
Authors: Naz Shama , Bhat Maria , Ståhl Sara , Forsslund Helena , Sköld C. Magnus , Wheelock Åsa M. , Wheelock Craig E.
Published: October 2019

Increased activity of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) and tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH) have been reported in individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We therefore investigated the effect of gender stratification upon the observed levels of tryptophan metabolites in COPD. Tryptophan, serotonin, kynurenine, and kynurenic acid were quantified in serum of never-smokers (n = 39), smokers (n = 40), COPD smokers (n = 27), and COPD ex-smokers (n = 11) by liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS). The individual metabolite associations with lung function, blood, and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) immune-cell composition, as well as chemokine and cytokine levels, were investigated. Stratification by gender and smoking status revealed that the observed alterations in kynurenine and kynurenic acid, and to a lesser extent serotonin, were prominent in males, irrespective of COPD status (kynurenine p = 0.005, kynurenic acid p = 0.009, and serotonin p = 0.02). Inferred serum IDO activity and kynurenine levels decreased in smokers relative to never-smokers (p = 0.005 and p = 0.004, respectively). In contrast, inferred tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH) activity and serotonin levels showed an increase with smoking that reached significance with COPD (p = 0.01 and p = 0.01, respectively). Serum IDO activity correlated with blood CXC chemokine ligand 9 (CXCL9, p = 0.0009, r = 0.93) and chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 4 (CCL4.(p = 0.04, r = 0.73) in female COPD smokers. Conversely, serum serotonin levels correlated with BAL CD4+ T-cells (%) (p = 0.001, r = 0.92) and CD8+ T-cells (%) (p = 0.002, r = −0.90) in female COPD smokers, but not in male COPD smokers (p = 0.1, r = 0.46 and p = 0.1, r = −0.50, respectively). IDO- and TPH-mediated tryptophan metabolites showed gender-based associations in COPD, which were primarily driven by smoking status.
Liver-on-a-Chip‒Magnetic Nanoparticle Bound Synthetic Metalloporphyrin-Catalyzed Biomimetic Oxidation of a Drug in a Magnechip Reactor
Authors: Decsi Balázs , Krammer Réka , Hegedűs Kristóf , Ender Ferenc , Gyarmati Benjámin , Szilágyi András , Tőtős Róbert , Katona Gabriel , Paizs Csaba , Balogh György T. , Poppe László , Balogh-Weiser Diána
Published: October 2019

Biomimetic oxidation of drugs catalyzed by metalloporphyrins can be a novel and promising way for the effective and sustainable synthesis of drug metabolites. The immobilization of 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorophenyl)iron(II) porphyrin (FeTPFP) and 5,10,15,20-tetrakis-(4-sulfonatophenyl)iron(II) porphyrin (FeTSPP) via stable covalent or rapid ionic binding on aminopropyl-functionalized magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs-NH2) were developed. These immobilized catalysts could be efficiently applied for the synthesis of new pharmaceutically active derivatives and liver related phase I oxidative major metabolite of an antiarrhythmic drug, amiodarone integrated in a continuous-flow magnetic chip reactor (Magnechip).