bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of stability of swipe gesture authentication across usage scenarios of mobile device
Authors: Ellavarason Elakkiya , Guest Richard , Deravi Farzin
Published: March 2020

Background

User interaction with a mobile device predominantly consists of touch motions, otherwise known as swipe gestures, which are used as a behavioural biometric modality to verify the identity of a user. Literature reveals promising verification accuracy rates for swipe gesture authentication. Most of the existing studies have considered constrained environment in their experimental set-up. However, real-life usage of a mobile device consists of several unconstrained scenarios as well. Thus, our work aims to evaluate the stability of swipe gesture authentication across various usage scenarios of a mobile device.

Methods

The evaluations were performed using state-of-the-art touch-based classification algorithms—support vector machine (SVM), k-nearest neighbour (kNN) and naive Bayes—to evaluate the robustness of swipe gestures across device usage scenarios. To simulate real-life behaviour, multiple usage scenarios covering stationary and dynamic modes are considered for the analysis. Additionally, we focused on analysing the stability of verification accuracy for time-separated swipes by performing intra-session (acquired on the same day) and inter-session (swipes acquired a week later) comparisons. Finally, we assessed the consistency of individual features for horizontal and vertical swipes using a statistical method.

Results

Performance evaluation results indicate impact of body movement and environment (indoor and outdoor) on the user verification accuracy. The results reveal that for a static user scenario, the average equal error rate is 1%, and it rises significantly for the scenarios involving any body movement—caused either by user or the environment. The performance evaluation for time-separated swipes showed better verification accuracy rate for swipes acquired on the same day compared to swipes separated by a week. Finally, assessment on feature consistency reveal a set of consistent features such as maximum slope, standard deviation and mean velocity of second half of stroke for both horizontal and vertical swipes.

Conclusions

The performance evaluation of swipe-based authentication shows variation in verification accuracy across different device usage scenarios. The obtained results challenge the adoption of swipe-based authentication on mobile devices. We have suggested ways to further achieve stability through specific template selection strategies. Additionally, our evaluation has established that at least 6 swipes are needed in enrolment to achieve acceptable accuracy. Also, our results conclude that features such as maximum slope and standard deviation are the most consistent features across scenarios.
Local differential privacy for human-centered computing
Authors: Fang Xianjin , Zeng Qingkui , Yang Gaoming
Published: March 2020

Human-centered computing in cloud, edge, and fog is one of the most concerning issues. Edge and fog nodes generate huge amounts of data continuously, and the analysis of these data provides valuable information. But they also increase privacy risks. The personal sensitive data may be disclosed by untrusted third-party service providers, and the current solutions to privacy protection are inefficient, costly. It is difficult to obtain available statistics. To solve these problems, we propose a local differential privacy sensitive data collection protocol in human-centered computing. Firstly, to maintain high data utility, the selection of the optimal number of hash functions and the mapping length is based on the size of the collected data. Secondly, we hash the sensitive data, add the appropriate Laplace noise to the client side, and send the reports to the server side. Thirdly, we construct the count sketch matrix to obtain privacy statistics on the server side. Finally, the utility of the proposed protocol is verified by synthetic datasets and a real dataset. The experimental results demonstrate that the protocol can achieve a balance between data utility and privacy protection.
Rates of compliance and adherence to high-intensity interval training in insufficiently active adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis protocol
Authors: Santos Alexandre , Lonsdale Chris , Lubans David , Vasconcellos Diego , Kapsal Nathanial , Vis-Dunbar Mathew , Jung Mary E.
Published: March 2020

Background

Both high-intensity interval training and moderate-intensity continuous training demonstrate beneficial physiological outcomes for active and insufficiently active populations. However, it remains unclear whether compliance to exercise in supervised settings translates to long-term adherence to physical activity in real-world, unstructured environments. To our knowledge, no comprehensive review is available on compliance and/or adherence rates to either modes of exercise for insufficiently active individuals. Furthermore, it is unclear which training modality insufficiently active individuals comply and/or adhere more readily to. Based on these gaps, the following two questions will be addressed: (1) What are compliance and adherence rates to high-intensity interval training for insufficiently active adults aged 18–65 years and (2) How do compliance and adherence rates differ between high-intensity interval training and moderate-intensity continuous training?

Methods

Both observational and experimental studies that report on compliance and/or adherence rates to high-intensity interval training will be included. Relevant studies will be retrieved from Medline, EMBASE, PsychINFO, SPORTDiscus, CINAHL, and Web of Science using a pre-specified search strategy. Pre-defined inclusion and exclusion criteria will be used by two independent researchers to determine eligible studies. Of those meeting the inclusion criteria, data extraction and narrative synthesis will be completed, and where applicable, random-effects meta-analyses will be computed to compare compliance and adherence rates between high-intensity interval training and moderate-intensity continuous training. Meta-regressions and sensitivity analyses will be used to further explore factors that could influence aggregate effect sizes. Risk of bias will be assessed using established tools by the Cochrane association, and quality assessment of the cumulative evidence will be assessed using the GRADE approach.

Discussion

Results from this study may have the potential to inform future physical activity recommendations and guidelines on the ideal mode of exercise for the general population. This review will add to the body of literature on the feasibility of high-intensity interval training for an insufficiently active population, conclusively addressing the ongoing debate of whether it is an appropriate exercise choice for this demographic. With this new information, individuals working towards a healthier lifestyle through physical activity engagement may be better equipped to make an evidence-based decision.

Systematic review registration

This review has been registered in the PROSPERO database and assigned the identifier CRD42019103313.
The existence of ground state solution to elliptic equation with exponential growth on complete noncompact Riemannian manifold
Authors: Liu Chungen , Liu Yanjun
Published: March 2020

In this paper, we consider the following elliptic problem: $$ -\mathtt{div}_{g}\bigl( \vert \nabla_{g} u \vert ^{N-2}\nabla_{g} u \bigr)+V(x) \vert u \vert ^{N-2}u = \frac{f(x, u)}{a(x)}\quad \mbox{in } M, \qquad (P_{a}) $$−divg(|∇gu|N−2∇gu)+V(x)|u|N−2u=f(x,u)a(x)in M,(Pa) where $(M, g)$(M,g) be a complete noncompact N-dimensional Riemannian manifold with negative curvature, $N\geq2$N≥2, V is a continuous function satisfying $V(x) \geq V_{0 }> 0$V(x)≥V0>0, a is a nonnegative function and $f(x, t)$f(x,t) has exponential growth with t in view of the Trudinger–Moser inequality. By proving some estimates together with the variational techniques, we get a ground state solution of ($P_{a}$Pa). Moreover, we also get a nontrivial weak solution to the perturbation problem.
Global asymptotic stability for a nonlinear density-dependent mortality Nicholson’s blowflies system involving multiple pairs of time-varying delays
Authors: Xu Yanli , Cao Qian
Published: March 2020

In our article, a nonlinear density-dependent mortality Nicholson’s blowflies system with patch structure has been investigated, in which the delays are time-varying and multiple pairs. Based upon the fluctuation lemma and differential inequality techniques, some sufficient conditions are found to ensure the global asymptotic stability of the addressed model. Moreover, a numerical example is provided to illustrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the obtained findings, and our consequences are new even when the considered model degenerates to the scalar Nicholson’s blowflies equation.
Anti-proliferative activity of a novel tricyclic triterpenoid acid from Commiphora africana resin against four human cancer cell lines
Authors: Dinku Worku , Isaksson Johan , Rylandsholm Fredrik Garnås , Bouř Petr , Brichtová Eva , Choi Sang Un , Lee Sang-Ho , Jung Young-Sik , No Zae Sung , Svendsen John Sigurd Mjøen , Aasen Arne Jørgen , Dekebo Aman
Published: March 2020

Myrrh, a resin derived from the damaged bark of Commiphora genus, has traditionally been used for treatment of various human diseases, such as amenorrhea, ache, tumors, fever, and stomach pains. In spite of this widespread use of the myrrh in Ethiopia, the pharmacological activity and chemical composition have not been studied in detail. A new tricyclic triterpene acid (3S,4S,14S,7E,17E,21Z)-3,30-dihydroxypodioda-7,17,21-trien-4-carboxylic acid (commafric A) has been isolated from a crude methanolic extract of Commiphora africana (A. Rich.) Engl. resin along with the known pentacyclic triterpene α-amyrin. The structure of commafric A was characterized using different spectroscopic techniques such as 1D and 2D NMR, IR, and VCD combined with computations. The anti-proliferative activity of both isolated compounds was evaluated using SRB based colorimetric cellular assay against four human cancer cell lines. Etoposide was used as a positive control. Commafric A showed significant anti-proliferative effects against non-small cell lung cancer (A549) with IC50 values of 4.52 μg/ml. The pentacyclic triterpene α-amyrin showed a weak anti-proliferative activity against A2780 (ovarian cancer), MIA-PaCa-2 (pancreatic cancer), and SNU638 (stomach cancer) cell lines tested with IC50 values ranging 9.28 to 28.22 μg/ml. Commafric A possessed anti-proliferative activity against non-small cell lung cancer (A549), which suggests that commafric A has potential to be further optimized being a lead compound in the search for new drugs against cancer diseases.
MicroRNA-145 is involved in endothelial cell dysfunction and acts as a promising biomarker of acute coronary syndrome
Authors: Wu Shanshan , Sun Huijuan , Sun Bin
Published: March 2020

Background

Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is a serious type of cardiovascular diseases. This study aimed to investigate the expression patterns and clinical value of microRNA-145 (miR-145) in ACS patients, and further uncover the function of miR-145 in ACS rats.

Methods

Quantitative real-time PCR was used to estimate the expression of miR-145. Diagnostic value of miR-145 was evaluated, and its correlation with endothelial injury marker (vWF and H-FABP) and pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6 and TNF-α) was analyzed. Coronary artery ligation was adopted to construct the ACS rat model, and the effects of miR-145 on endothelial injury, inflammation and vascular endothelial cells (VECs) biological function were examined.

Results

Downregulated expression of miR-145 was found in the ACS serum samples compared with the healthy controls. The expression of miR-145 was proved to be a diagnostic biomarker and negatively correlated with vWF, H-FABP, IL-6 and TNF-α. The similar serum expression trends of miR-145 in ACS patients were also observed in the ACS rats, and the overexpression of miR-145 could decrease the elevated vWF, H-FABP, IL-6 and TNF-α in the animal model. Moreover, the upregulation of miR-145 in VECs led to promoted proliferation and migration. The bioinformatics prediction data and luciferase report results indicated that FOXO1 was a direct target of miR-145.

Conclusions

In conclusion, it was hypothesized that serum decreased expression of miR-145 may serve as a potential diagnostic biomarker in ACS patients. Overexpression of miR-145 may improve the endothelial injury and abnormal inflammation through targeting FOXO1, indicating that miR-145 serves as a candidate therapeutic target of ACS.
Outcome of catheter ablation of non-reentrant ventricular arrhythmias in patients with and without structural heart disease
Authors: Schleberger Ruben , Jularic Mario , Salzbrunn Tim , Hacke Claudia , Schwarzl Jana M. , Hoffmann Boris A. , Steven Daniel , Willems Stephan , Lemoine Marc D. , Meyer Christian
Published: March 2020

Background

Catheter ablation of non-reentrant, commonly termed “idiopathic” ventricular arrhythmias (VA) is highly effective in patients without structural heart disease (SHD). Meanwhile, the outcome of catheter ablation of these arrhythmias in patients with SHD remains unclear. This study sought to characterize the outcome of patients with and without SHD undergoing catheter ablation of non-reentrant VA.

Methods

In this single-centre study the acute and long-term outcome of 266 consecutive patients undergoing catheter ablation of non-reentrant VA was investigated. In 41.0% of patients a SHD was present (n = 109, 80.7% male, age 59.1 ± 14.7 years), 59.0% had no SHD (n = 157; 44.0% male, age 49.9 ± 16.5 years).

Results

Acute procedural success (absence of spontaneous or provoked VA at the end of procedure and within 48 h after the procedure) was achieved in 89.9% of patients with SHD vs. 94.3% without SHD (p = 0.238). During a mean follow-up of 34.7 ± 15.1 months a repeat catheter ablation was performed in 19.6% of patients with SHD vs. 13.0% without SHD (p = 0.179). Patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) were the most likely to require a repeat ablation procedure (32.0% of patients with DCM vs. 13.0% without SHD; p = 0.022). Periprocedural complications occurred in 5.5% of patients with SHD vs. 5.7% without SHD (p > 0.999). All complications were managed without sequelae.

Conclusions

The outcome of catheter ablation of non-reentrant VA in patients with SHD appears good and is comparable to patients without SHD. A slightly higher rate of repeat ablations was observed in patients with DCM.
Epidemiology, causes, clinical manifestation and diagnosis, prevention and control of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) during the early outbreak period: a scoping review
Authors: Adhikari Sasmita Poudel , Meng Sha , Wu Yu-Ju , Mao Yu-Ping , Ye Rui-Xue , Wang Qing-Zhi , Sun Chang , Sylvia Sean , Rozelle Scott , Raat Hein , Zhou Huan
Published: March 2020

Background

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has been identified as the cause of an outbreak of respiratory illness in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China beginning in December 2019. As of 31 January 2020, this epidemic had spread to 19 countries with 11 791 confirmed cases, including 213 deaths. The World Health Organization has declared it a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.

Methods

A scoping review was conducted following the methodological framework suggested by Arksey and O’Malley. In this scoping review, 65 research articles published before 31 January 2020 were analyzed and discussed to better understand the epidemiology, causes, clinical diagnosis, prevention and control of this virus. The research domains, dates of publication, journal language, authors’ affiliations, and methodological characteristics were included in the analysis. All the findings and statements in this review regarding the outbreak are based on published information as listed in the references.

Results

Most of the publications were written using the English language (89.2%). The largest proportion of published articles were related to causes (38.5%) and a majority (67.7%) were published by Chinese scholars. Research articles initially focused on causes, but over time there was an increase of the articles related to prevention and control. Studies thus far have shown that the virus’ origination is in connection to a seafood market in Wuhan, but specific animal associations have not been confirmed. Reported symptoms include fever, cough, fatigue, pneumonia, headache, diarrhea, hemoptysis, and dyspnea. Preventive measures such as masks, hand hygiene practices, avoidance of public contact, case detection, contact tracing, and quarantines have been discussed as ways to reduce transmission. To date, no specific antiviral treatment has proven effective; hence, infected people primarily rely on symptomatic treatment and supportive care.

Conclusions

There has been a rapid surge in research in response to the outbreak of COVID-19. During this early period, published research primarily explored the epidemiology, causes, clinical manifestation and diagnosis, as well as prevention and control of the novel coronavirus. Although these studies are relevant to control the current public emergency, more high-quality research is needed to provide valid and reliable ways to manage this kind of public health emergency in both the short- and long-term.
A continuum model for slip transfer at grain boundaries
Authors: Fressengeas Claude , Upadhyay Manas V.
Published: March 2020

Using a continuous representation of dislocations in elastoplastic polycrystals, we investigate slip transfer at grain boundaries by assessing the compatibility of the slip system shear rates with tangential continuity of the plastic distortion rate tensor at these interfaces. Fulfillment of this tangential continuity condition is needed for consistency of the continuous description of dislocations in polycrystals. We show that, in f.c.c. materials at moderate temperatures, this condition unequivocally translates into constraints on the slip rates on both sides of grain boundaries. Appended to the elastoplastic boundary value problem, it allows a complete determination of the slip system shear rates. An algorithm enabling the implementation of compatible slip transfer in both the finite element methods and the spectral methods based on Fast Fourier Transforms is provided in both standard crystal plasticity and the mechanics of dislocations fields.
rGO nanomaterial-mediated cancer targeting and photothermal therapy in a microfluidic co-culture platform
Authors: Mun Seok Gyu , Choi Hyung Woo , Lee Jong Min , Lim Jae Hyun , Ha Jang Ho , Kang Min-Jung , Kim Eun-Joong , Kang Lifeng , Chung Bong Geun
Published: March 2020

We developed the microfluidic co-culture platform to study photothermal therapy applications. We conjugated folic acid (FA) to target breast cancer cells using reduced graphene oxide (rGO)-based functional nanomaterials. To characterize the structure of rGO-based nanomaterials, we analyzed the molecular spectrum using UV–visible and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). We demonstrated the effect of rGO-FA-based nanomaterials on photothermal therapy of breast cancer cells in the microfluidic co-culture platform. From the microfluidic co-culture platform with breast cancer cells and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), we observed that the viability of breast cancer cells treated with rGO-FA-based functional nanomaterials was significantly decreased after near-infrared (NIR) laser irradiation. Therefore, this microfluidic co-culture platform could be a potentially powerful tool for studying cancer cell targeting and photothermal therapy.
Evaluation of a new multipurpose whole-body CzT-based camera: comparison with a dual-head Anger camera and first clinical images
Authors: Desmonts Cédric , Bouthiba Mohammed Abdeldjalil , Enilorac Blandine , Nganoa Catherine , Agostini Denis , Aide Nicolas
Published: March 2020

Background

Evaluate the physical performance of the VERITON CzT camera (Spectrum Dynamics, Caesarea, Israel) that benefits from new detection architecture enabling whole-body imaging compared to that of a conventional dual-head Anger camera.

Methods

Different line sources and phantom measurements were performed on each system to evaluate spatial resolution, sensitivity, energy resolution and image quality with acquisition and reconstruction parameters similar to those used in clinical routine. Extrinsic resolution was assessed using 99mTc capillary sources placed successively in air, in a head and in a body phantom filled with background activity. Spectral acquisitions for various radioelements used in nuclear medicine (99mTc, 123I, 201Tl, 111In) were performed to evaluate energy resolution by computing the FWHM of the measured photoelectric peak. Tomographic sensitivity was calculated by recording the total number of counts detected during tomographic acquisition for a set of source geometries representative of different clinical situations. Sensitivity was also evaluated in focus mode for the CzT camera, which consisted of forcing detectors to collect data in a reduced field-of-view. Image quality was assessed with a Jaszczak phantom filled with 350 MBq of 99mTc and scanned on each system with 30-,20-,10- and 5-min acquisition times.

Results

Extrinsic and tomographic resolution in the brain and body phantoms at the centre of the FOV was estimated at 3.55, 7.72 and 6.66 mm for the CzT system and 2.47, 7.75 and 7.72 mm for the conventional system, respectively. The energy resolution measured at 140 keV was 5.46% versus 9.21% for the Anger camera and was higher in a same manner for all energy peaks tested. Tomographic sensitivity for a point source in air was estimated at 236 counts·s−1·MBq−1 and increased to 1159 counts·s−1·MBq−1 using focus mode, which was 1.6 times and 8 times greater than the sensitivity measured on the scintillation camera (144 counts·s−1·MBq−1). Head and body measurements also showed higher sensitivity for the CzT camera in particular with focus mode. The Jaszczak phantom showed high image contrast uniformity and a high signal-to-noise ratio on the CzT system, even when decreasing acquisition time by 6-fold. Representative clinical cases are shown to illustrate these results.

Conclusion

The CzT camera has a superior sensitivity, higher energy resolution and better image contrast than the conventional SPECT camera, whereas spatial resolution remains similar. Introduction of this new technology may change current practices in nuclear medicine such as decreasing acquisition time and activity injected to patient.
Bile cast nephropathy: when the kidneys turn yellow
Authors: El Chediak Alissar , Janom Khaled , Koubar Sahar H.
Published: March 2020

Kidney injury is a common finding in patients with liver disease. Bile cast nephropathy (also known as cholemic nephropathy) is an overlooked cause of renal injury in patients with hyperbilirubinemia. It can occur as a result of the toxic effects of bilirubin and bile acids on the renal tubules via several mechanisms. Bile cast nephropathy has characteristic histopathological changes consisting of bilirubin cast deposition in the distal nephron along with tubular epithelial cell injury. Treatment is based on the reversal of liver injury. This review aims to describe bile cast nephropathy in terms of its clinical and morphological features and to shed light on diagnostic techniques. In addition, we present data on management of such nephropathy while reviewing all the reported cases of bile cast nephropathy.
A translation and validation of the Perceived Political Self-Efficacy (P-PSE) Scale for the use in German samples
Authors: Bromme Laurits , Rothmund Tobias , Caprara Gian Vittorio
Published: March 2020

Caprara et al. (European Journal of Social Psychology 39:1002–1020, 2009) criticized existing measures of internal political efficacy for not taking into account psychological theories of self-efficacy and for the resulting low construct validity. As an alternative, they presented a ten-item measure called Perceived Political Self-Efficacy (P-PSE) Scale. Based on social cognitive theory, it adopts a psychological understanding of self-efficacy and captures the phenomenon in a more systematic and complete manner than previous measures of internal efficacy.

We translated the P-PSE scale to German and tested it in a German national quota sample, using quotas for age, gender and education (N = 1025). We provided evidence on the scale’s construct validity (by testing its correlations towards related constructs) and on its criterion validity (by regressing political participation propensity on the P-PSE score). The scale explained ΔR2 = 26% of people’s propensity for political participation over and above sociodemographic variables, and ΔR2 = 12% over and above previously existing measures, demonstrating its incremental value. We also tested cross-cultural measurement invariance towards an Italian sample, establishing configural, as well as partial metric and scalar invariance. In addition, we validated a four-item short version of the scale, which proved to be similarly valid as the full version. We argue, that these two measurement instruments provide a more adequate way of assessing internal political efficacy for research in German-speaking countries.
Knowledge, attitude and health-seeking behavior among family caregivers of mentally ill patients at Assiut University Hospitals: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Gabra Romany H. , Ebrahim Omnya S. , Osman Doaa M. M. , Al-Attar Ghada S. T.
Published: March 2020

Background

Mental illness is associated with misunderstanding and unfavorable attitude worldwide. The belief in its spiritual nature made traditional healers the main service consultants for mentally ill patients. The present study is a cross-sectional study conducted among 425 main family caregivers of mentally ill patients at Assiut University Hospital. The objective of the study was to assess the caregivers’ knowledge and attitude towards mental illness as well as their health-seeking behavior for their mentally ill relatives.

Results

The studied caregivers had low scores of knowledge and attitude towards mental illness. Age of the caregivers, their education, and the type of first consulted care and aggressive behavior of the mentally ill relatives were the significant predictors of caregivers’ knowledge and attitude towards mental illness. The majority of caregivers (80.2%) sought advice for the first time from traditional healers. Traditional healers referred only 16.4% of caregivers’ mentally ill relatives to psychiatric care.

Conclusion

The studied caregivers had poor knowledge and a negative attitude towards mental illness. Traditional healers were the main consulted care. So, increasing awareness of mental illness is highly recommended.
Role of imaging in assessment and detection of complications after bariatric surgery
Authors: Latif Mahmoud Abdel , Fouda Nehad , Omran Eman , Refaey Mohamed S.
Published: March 2020

Background

Bariatric surgery is performed to control morbid obesity secondary to failed medical approaches. Practical knowledge of post-surgical anatomy allows accurate interpretation of imaging findings related to normal post-surgical anatomy and common post-surgical complications.

The purpose of this study was to highlight the role of imaging in the assessment and detection of complications after bariatric surgery.

Results

This prospective study included 49 patients who had bariatric surgery. Sleeve gastrectomy was the most common bariatric surgery. The leak was the commonest complication (12%). The sensitivity of upper GI series for diagnosis of post-operative complication after bariatric surgery was 70% and specificity 94% while the sensitivity of CT study was 95% and specificity 95%.

Conclusion

CT has a golden role in the diagnosis of post-operative complications. Both post-contrast CT and upper GI series should be used in diagnosing complications following bariatric surgery. US is useful for diagnosis of a superficial problem.
Factors affecting the nanopore structure and methane adsorption capacity of organic-rich marine shales in Zhaotong area, Southern Sichuan Basin
Authors: Sun Panke , Zhu Hanqing , Xu Huaimin , Hu Xiaoni , Tian Linfeng
Published: March 2020

As a national shale-gas demonstration zone in China, the Zhaotong area has great gas resource potential. However, the nanopore structure characteristics, methane adsorption capacity, and their affecting factors of the Lower Silurian Longmaxi Shale in this area remain unclear. To address these puzzles, we conducted a series of experiments, such as X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, low-pressure [Formula: see text] adsorption, and high-pressure methane adsorption, and we calculated the relevant characteristic parameters, such as pore volume (PV), specific surface area (SSA), fractal dimension, and Langmuir parameters by using the nonlocal density functional theory method, Frenkel-Halsey-Hill theory, and Langmuir model, respectively. The results indicate that the nanopores of the Lower Longmaxi Shale in the Zhaotong area are composed of micropores and mesopores, which mainly exist as organic matter (OM) pores. The pore surface exhibits a high degree of heterogeneity as indicated by the fractal dimensions ranging from 2.845 to 2.866. The nanopore structure characteristics (i.e., SSA and PV) and methane adsorption capacity are mainly controlled by the total organic carbon (TOC) content. In addition, the mineralogical composition (i.e., the quartz and clay content) also contributes significantly to the micropore PV and gas content. The external provenance has a significant effect on the mineralogical composition, TOC content, and methane adsorption capacity. With the increasing influence of the external provenance, the biogenic quartz content decreases and the relationship between the quartz content and TOC content becomes more discrete, which indicates the change of depositional environment, and the clay content increases, which can dilute the OM concentration during the deposition and enhance the compaction potential, and it can eventually result in less gas content. The results of this study reveal the nanopore system characteristics of the Longmaxi Shale in the Zhaotong area and provide further insight into the influence of external provenance on reservoir characteristics and gas content variability of the Lower Longmaxi Shale in the southern Sichuan Basin.
Sedimentary environment prediction of grain-size data based on machine learning approach
Authors: Su Qiao , Zhu Yanhui , Hu Fang , Xu Xingyong
Published: March 2020

Grain size is one of the most important records for sedimentary environment, and researchers have made remarkable progress in the interpretation of sedimentary environments by grain size analysis in the past few decades. However, these advances often depend on the personal experience of the scholars and combination with other methods used together. Here, we constructed a prediction model using the K-nearest neighbors algorithm, one of the machine learning methods, which can predict the sedimentary environments of one core through a known core. Compared to the results of other studies based on the comprehensive data set of grain size and four other indicators, this model achieved a high precision value only using the grain size data. We have also compared our prediction model with other mainstream machine learning algorithms, and the experimental results of six evaluation metrics shed light on that this prediction model can achieve the higher precision. The main errors of the model reflect the length of the conversation area of sedimentary environment, which is controlled by the sedimentary dynamics. This model can provide a quick comparison method of the cores in a similar environment; thus, it may point out the preliminary guidance for further study.
Ectopic Prolactin Secretion From a Uterine Leiomyoma
Authors: Sachdev Saachi , Reyes Maria Carolina , Snyder Peter J
Published: March 2020

Ectopic hormone production is well recognized, but ectopic production of prolactin has been reported infrequently. We report here the case of a 47-year-old woman who had hyperprolactinemia (213-224 ng/mL) causing galactorrhea and hypogonadism. Cabergoline treatment, 1.0 mg twice a week, did not lower the prolactin level at all, but excision of a large uterine leiomyoma corrected the hyperprolactinemia and the hypogonadism. The excised leiomyoma tissue exhibited immunostaining for prolactin, confirming by this method for the first time that a uterine leiomyoma was the cause of hyperprolactinemia. This case illustrates the need to consider an ectopic source of prolactin in a patient who has hyperprolactinemia that is not associated with a large sellar mass and is completely resistant to cabergoline.
Epigenetic changes occur at decidualisation genes as a function of reproductive ageing in mice
Authors: Woods Laura , Morgan Natasha , Zhao Xiang , Dean Wendy , Perez-Garcia Vicente , Hemberger Myriam
Published: March 2020

Reproductive decline in older female mice can be attributed to a failure of the uterus to decidualise in response to steroid hormones. Here, we show that normal decidualisation is associated with significant epigenetic changes. Notably, we identify a cohort of differentially methylated regions (DMRs), most of which gain DNA methylation between the early and late stages of decidualisation. These DMRs are enriched at progesterone-responsive gene loci that are essential for reproductive function. In female mice nearing the end of their reproductive lifespan, DNA methylation fidelity is lost at a number of CpG islands (CGIs) resulting in CGI hypermethylation at key decidualisation genes. Importantly, this hypermethylated state correlates with the failure of the corresponding genes to become transcriptionally upregulated during the implantation window. Thus, age-associated DNA methylation changes may underlie the decidualisation defects that are a common occurrence in older females. Alterations to the epigenome of uterine cells may therefore contribute significantly to the reproductive decline associated with advanced maternal age.
Formation of conflict-free interaction of elderly people under conditions of a general type board
Authors: Emel'yanova Elena , Mihaylov Aleksey
Published: March 2020

The article discusses the problem of the relationship of older people living in KRSESS "Boarding House for the Elderly and Disabled" (hereinafter referred to as Kirov Boarding House for the elderly and disabled) with different social status, including those with canceled criminal records. Attention is payed to the personal attitudes of citizens living in Kirov Boarding House for the elderly and disabled (hereinafter Living), their age characteristics, and services to society and the state. An overview is given of the well-established strategies for the work of a boarding psychologist. Briefly describes a program to reduce anxiety and the formation of conflict-free interaction of older people. The following methods were used in the study: the method of expert assessment of the situation according to E.V. Bityutskaya, monitoring suicidal risk, including the following methods: Hospital scale of anxiety and depression; Spielberg-Khanin methodology that determines situational and reactive anxiety; Suicidal risk 45; Prognostic criteria for suicidal risk, additional questionnaire. The study showed that the integration of those who served their sentences in boarding schools requires special training of personnel who are currently not ready to regulate relations between people living with a lack of necessary knowledge. During the diagnosis, it was found that Residents drew attention to the existing relationship problem, which they could not solve on their own. The main reason for helplessness and hopelessness was physical ailments such as: blindness, lack of mobility.
Sustaining a Good Impression: Mechanisms for Selling Partitioned Impressions at Ad Exchanges
Authors: Mehta Sameer , Dawande Milind , Janakiraman Ganesh , Mookerjee Vijay
Published: March 2020

At an ad exchange, impressions are sold to advertisers in real time through an auction mechanism. The traditional mechanism at these exchanges selects a single advertiser whose ad is displayed over the entire duration of an impression, that is, throughout the user's visit. We argue that such a mechanism leads to an allocative inefficiency. Our goal in this paper is to address this efficiency loss by offering mechanisms in which multiple ads can be displayed sequentially over the lifetime of the impression. We consider two plausible settings—one where each auction is individually rational for the advertisers and another where advertisers are better off relative to the traditional mechanism over the long run—and derive an optimal mechanism for each setting. Under the former mechanism, whereas the ad exchange always benefits relative to the traditional mechanism, the advertisers can either gain or lose—we demonstrate both these possibilities. The optimal mechanism for the latter setting is a mutually beneficial mechanism in that it guarantees a win–win for both the parties relative to the traditional mechanism over the long run. Happily, for both the mechanisms, the allocation of ads and the payments from the advertisers are efficiently computable, thereby making them amenable to real-time bidding.
Game—Introduction to Probability: Bison Hold’em Poker Game
Authors: Chen Chun-Miin (Jimmy)
Published: March 2020

Probability literacy is the foundation of business analytics. Although traditional textbook probability exercises may be convenient, students might have insufficient life experience to contextualize them. Aiming to stimulate students’ interest in learning probability, this article presents an interactive pedagogical game based on Texas hold’em poker. In order to compete with some robots in the game, the students must earn in-game currency by answering a set of poker-related probability questions covering general conditional probability and Bayes’ rule. Using this game and framework, we achieve the goal of introducing the basics of probability to students in a fun and immersive way. Student feedback has shown that this interactive pedagogical activity effectively and efficiently advances business analytics education. The activity is designed for undergraduate students in business analytics courses. The game is developed using Visual Basic for Applications for Microsoft Excel and can be easily implemented in class. Regardless of student’s prior exposure to Texas hold’em, they can easily play along and enjoy the game while learning.
Highlighting the latest research: March 2020
Authors: Palmer Sarah Jane
Published: March 2020

Sarah Jane Palmer presents a selection of recently published articles of interest to nurses working in cardiovascular nursing. The aim of this roundup is to provide a brief overview of the research papers selected. A full reference is provided for those who wish to take a look at the research in further detail.
Optical characterization of high numerical aperture microlenses for quality assessment and fabrication process optimization
Authors: Béguelin Jeremy , Symeonidis Michael , Noell Wilfried , Voelkel Reinhard , Scharf Toralf
Published: March 2020

Accurate characterization of high numerical aperture aspheric
microlenses currently is a nonstandard procedure that remains an open
challenge. Here, we present and discuss a characterization method
based on interferometric and point spread function measurements
performed in transmission by a high-resolution interferometric
microscope. In particular, we show that a single phase measurement
performed under fixed testing conditions can be processed in a simple
way that yields wavefront aberration as well as surface topography for
plano-convex microlenses with arbitrary asphericity. This approach
simultaneously allows both fabrication process optimization and
optical quality testing for microlenses with different optical
functions without heavy modification of the testing setup. For
illustration, we present the case of a microlens with a numerical
aperture of

∼

0.4

.
Charged particle radiation induced changes to optical properties of acousto-optic materials
Authors: Taylor Barrett J. , Bourassa Adam E. , Bradley Michael P.
Published: March 2020

We report on the measurement of the transmittance and reflectance of unpolarized light (425–700 nm) in three birefringent, acousto-optic materials, including quartz, lithium niobate, and tellurium dioxide, after exposure to varying fluences of proton radiation (

10

14

−

10

18

p
r
o
t
o
n
s

/

c
m

2

) delivered by a 10 keV hydrogen ion beamline. We observe a general monotonic decrease in transmittance with increasing fluence for all three materials, but with varying rates of change and critical points of change. Reflectance measurements also exhibit a general monotonic trend with fluence, but increases in quartz are observed versus decreases in both lithium niobate and tellurium dioxide. These observations are used to assess the suitability of the materials for acousto-optic applications in the space environment where charged particles from the solar wind are dominant and pose a threat to device operation. Our measurements agree with previously reported work concluding that tellurium dioxide is suitable for space applications at low fluences (below

10

16

i
o
n
s

/

c
m

2

), but our findings also raise previously unreported concerns for higher accumulated fluences observed for longer mission lifetimes of greater than five to 10 years in space in an unshielded configuration.
Improving the transmission efficiency of the Cassegrain optical system for Bessel–Gaussian beams
Authors: Liu Renxuan , Yang Huajun , Jiang Ping , Qin Yan , Caiyang Weinan , Cao Biao , Zhou Miaofang , Mao Shengqian
Published: March 2020

With the improvement of the transmission efficiency, the Cassegrain antenna can be widely used in space optical communication. In this paper, the Bessel–Gaussian (BG) beam is used to avoid the central energy loss of a Cassegrain antenna system. The intensity distribution and the phase distribution of the BG beam passing through a Cassegrain antenna are theoretically derived and simulated. At a wavelength of 1550 nm, this method can theoretically improve the transmission efficiency to approach 100% under the situation in which the obscuration ratio is nonzero, and the transmission efficiency can reach more than 80% when obscuration ratio is in the range of from 0 to 0.1252 with

l
=
4

. The effects of on-axial defocusing on the light field and the transmission efficiency are studied. The method proposed in this paper can remarkably improve the transmission efficiency of a Cassegrain antenna in a practical and uncomplicated approach.
Long-wave infrared absorption measurement of undoped germanium using photothermal common-path interferometry
Authors: Lee Yu-Jen , Das Avijit , Mah Merlin L. , Talghader Joseph J.
Published: March 2020

Germanium is one of the most commonly used materials in the longwave infrared (

λ
∼

8

−

12

µ

m

), but ironically, its absorption coefficient is poorly known in this range. An infrared photothermal common-path interferometry system with a tunable quantum cascade pump laser is used to measure the absorption coefficient of

>

99.999

%

pure undoped germanium as a function of wavelengths between 9 and 11 µm, varying between about 0.15 and

0.45

c
m

−
1

over this range.
Microscope objective for imaging atomic strontium with 0.63 micrometer resolution
Authors: Knottnerus I. H. A. , Pyatchenkov S. , Onishchenko O. , Urech A. , Schreck F. , Siviloglou G. A.
Published: March 2020

Imaging and manipulating individual atoms with submicrometer separation can be instrumental for quantum simulation of condensed matter Hamiltonians and quantum computation with neutral atoms. Here we present an open-source design of a microscope objective for atomic strontium, consisting solely of off-the-shelf lenses, that is diffraction-limited for 461 nm light. A prototype built with a simple stacking design is measured to have a resolution of 0.63(4) µm, which is in agreement with the predicted value. This performance, together with the near diffraction-limited performance for 532 nm light, makes this design useful for both quantum gas microscopes and optical tweezer experiments with strontium. Our microscope can easily be adapted to experiments with other atomic species such as erbium, ytterbium, and dysprosium, as with rubidium Rydberg atoms.
Fitting optical properties of metals by Drude-Lorentz and partial-fraction models in the [0.5;6] eV range
Authors: Gharbi Tasnim , Barchiesi Dominique , Kessentini Sameh , Maalej Ramzi
Published: March 2020

Fitting optical properties of metals is of great interest for numerical methods in electromagnetism, especially finite difference time domain (FDTD). However, this is a tedious task given that theoretical models used usually fail to interlink perfectly with the experimental data. However, in this paper, we propose a method for fitting the relative permittivity of metals by a sum of Drude-Lorentz or a sum of partial-fraction models. We use the particle swarm optimization (PSO) hybridized either with Nelder-Mead downhill simplex, or with gradient method. The main electronic transitions in metals help to guide the fitting process toward the solution. The method is automatic and applied blindly to silver, gold, copper, aluminum, chromium, platinum, and titanium.
Sub-wavelength GHz-fast broadband ITO Mach–Zehnder modulator on silicon photonics
Authors: Amin Rubab , Maiti Rishi , Gui Yaliang , Suer Can , Miscuglio Mario , Heidari Elham , Chen Ray T. , Dalir Hamed , Sorger Volker J.
Published: March 2020

Here we demonstrate a spectrally broadband, gigahertz-fast Mach–Zehnder interferometric modulator exhibiting a miniscule

V

π

L

of

95

V

⋅
µ

m

, deploying a subwavelength short electrostatically tunable plasmonic phase shifter based on heterogeneously integrated indium tin oxide thin films into silicon photonics.
Reconstruction and analysis of wavefront with irregular-shaped aperture based on deep learning
Authors: Liu Xin , Liu Zhenhua , Yang Zhongming , Dou Jiantai , Liu Zhaojun
Published: March 2020

Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have been successfully applied to solve optical problems. In this paper, a method is proposed for the reconstruction and analysis of a wavefront with an irregular-shaped aperture based on deep learning, for which a U-type CNN (U-net) was used to reconstruct the wavefront image. The data generated by the simulation contain several types of wavefront images with irregularly shaped apertures for training the U-net. The results indicate that modal wavefront reconstruction of irregular-shaped apertures is feasible based on deep learning; it will be very helpful for the reconstruction and analysis of wavefronts in real time applications, and the method is robust.
Student voice and choice in modern band curriculum development
Authors: Clauhs Matthew , Cremata Radio
Published: March 2020

The perspectives and experiences of students should be considered first in the process of any significant curriculum reform. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to music education, and educators have a responsibility to design experiences that meet the needs of learners in their classroom. After hearing the individual voices of students in one New York State school district in the United States, the music faculty and authors developed modern band electives designed to increase access to school music and attract a greater diversity of students by race, ethnicity and musical preference. District-level enrolment data demonstrate how these courses impacted the demographic profile of secondary school music by increasing participation rates among racialized student populations. These modern band music classes counterbalanced the disproportionately white and higher SES enrolment in the traditional band, orchestra and chorus, resulting in a school music programme that was more representative of the overall school population.