bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Spacetime colour reconnection in Herwig 7
Authors: Bellm Johannes , Duncan Cody B , Gieseke Stefan , Myska Miroslav , Siódmok Andrzej
Published: December 2019

We present a model for generating spacetime coordinates in the Monte Carlo event generator Herwig 7, and perform colour reconnection by minimizing a boost-invariant distance measure of the system. We compare the model to a series of soft physics observables. We find reasonable agreement with the data, suggesting that pp-collider colour reconnection may be able to be applied in larger systems.
Influence of reciprocal links on the dynamics of scale-free Boolean networks
Authors: Agostini Luca
Published: December 2019

We study the effects of the reciprocal links on the dynamics of direct Boolean networks with scale-free topology (SFRBNs). By means of the method of the Derrida Plot, we have investigated the SFRBNs characterized by different values of average degree and different values of reciprocity in order to test the behavioral regimes of the system. The following step was to perform numerical simulation with the quenched Kauffman model to study the dynamical properties of critical SFRBNs with [Formula: see text]. The distribution of the number of different attractors, the period of the cyclic attractors, the transient duration and the fraction of the frozen nodes, have been studied as a function of the reciprocity and network size. The results presented reveal that reciprocity seems to have no direct effect on the changing of the behavioral regime of SFRBNs with given value of [Formula: see text]. On the contrary, we observed that reciprocal links have a profound effect on the dynamic of critical SFRBNs.
Spectral analysis for weighted iterated q-triangulations of graphs
Authors: Chen Yufei , Li Wenxia
Published: December 2019

Much information about the structural properties and dynamical aspects of a network is measured by the eigenvalues of its normalized Laplacian matrix. In this paper, we aim to present a first study on the spectra of the normalized Laplacian of weighed iterated [Formula: see text]-triangulations of graphs. We analytically obtain all the eigenvalues, as well as their multiplicities from two successive generations. As examples of application of these results, we then derive closed-form expressions for their Kemeny’s constant and multiplicative Kirchhoff index. Simulation example is also provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the theoretical analysis.
Correlating international inflowing and outflowing remittances and migrants
Authors: Hernández-Casildo J. , del Castillo-Mussot M. , Hernández-Ramirez E. , Guzmán-Vargas L.
Published: December 2019

Remittances, as money or goods that people send to families and friends, are very important social and economic phenomenon at local, national, regional and international levels. In the year 2017, total international remittances were at levels around USD 613 billion. From World Bank bilateral remittances and migration matrixes, we calculate for each country and territory its aggregated or total amount of remittances inflow (TRI) coming from the rest of the world, its total remittances outflow (TRO) extracted from that country and sent to all other countries, its total emigrant stock (TEMI) living overseas, and its total number of foreign-world immigrants (TIMM) living in that country. For each of these quantities, its highest-ranked countries follow an approximate Pareto power law distribution. Remittances and migrants flow in opposite directions, the statistical correlation [Formula: see text] between TRI and TEMI is 0.79, and between TRO and TIMM is 0.97. Both inflowing remittances per emigrant TRI/TEMI and outflowing remittances per immigrant TRO/TIMM fluctuate approximately around 3100 USD per year.
Localization of a Model with U(1) Kinetic Gauge Mixing
Authors: de Oliveira Junior R. I. , Tahim M. O. , Alencar G. , Landim R. R.
Published: December 2019

In this paper, we study how geometrical coupling can be adapted to localize a model with kinetic gauge mixing on a thin membrane. The model discussed is a theory for millicharged particles, proposed by Holdom in 1985, and that now is object of study in the LHC. We propose a geometrical coupling between the gauge fields, the Ricci scalar and the Ricci tensor. We show that it is possible to localize such a model by regarding specific values for the coupling constants. We find the solutions for the two gauge fields and discuss the localization for scalar fields that appears naturally in the process. We show that not necessarily the gauge and scalar fields are localized at the same time.
Stellar shear-free gravitational collapse with Karmarkar condition in f(R) gravity
Authors: Abbas G. , Nazar H.
Published: December 2019

This work has investigated the outcomes of spherically symmetric radiating dissipative gravitational collapse model with anisotropic heat conducting matter distribution by imposing time-dependent Karmarkar condition in the alternative [Formula: see text] theory of gravity. For this evaluation, we defined the smooth matching conditions between the interior space–time and exterior Vaidya solution at the junction interface. Afterwards, we have found an exact particular solution of our radiative star model by using the Karmarkar condition. Moreover, the physical components of the matter distribution, energy conditions and time relaxational effects on the temporal profile are thoroughly discussed with graphical analysis which indicates the system is well behaved.
Sobolev spaces with respect to a weighted Gaussian measure in infinite dimensions
Authors: Ferrari S.
Published: December 2019

Let [Formula: see text] be a separable Banach space endowed with a nondegenerate centered Gaussian measure [Formula: see text] and let [Formula: see text] be a positive function on [Formula: see text] such that [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] for some [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]. In this paper, we introduce and study Sobolev spaces with respect to the weighted Gaussian measure [Formula: see text]. We obtain results regarding the divergence operator (i.e. the adjoint in [Formula: see text] of the gradient operator along the Cameron–Martin space) and the trace of Sobolev functions on hypersurfaces [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text] is a suitable version of a Sobolev function.
A new family of polyno-expo-trigonometric distributions with applications
Authors: Jamal Farrukh , Chesneau Christophe
Published: December 2019

In this paper, a new family of polyno-expo-trigonometric distributions is presented and investigated. A special case using the Weibull distribution, with three parameters, is considered as statistical model for lifetime data. The estimation of the parameters is performed with the maximum likelihood method. A numerical simulation study verifies that the bias and the mean squared error of the maximum likelihood estimators tend to zero as the sample size is increased. Three real life datasets are then analyzed. We show that our model has a good fit in comparison to the other well-known powerful models in the literature.
Defining integer-valued functions in rings of continuous definable functions over a topological field
Authors: Darnière Luck , Tressl Marcus
Published: December 2019

Let [Formula: see text] be an expansion of either an ordered field [Formula: see text], or a valued field [Formula: see text]. Given a definable set [Formula: see text] let [Formula: see text] be the ring of continuous definable functions from [Formula: see text] to [Formula: see text]. Under very mild assumptions on the geometry of [Formula: see text] and on the structure [Formula: see text], in particular when [Formula: see text] is [Formula: see text]-minimal or [Formula: see text]-minimal, or an expansion of a local field, we prove that the ring of integers [Formula: see text] is interpretable in [Formula: see text]. If [Formula: see text] is [Formula: see text]-minimal and [Formula: see text] is definably connected of pure dimension [Formula: see text], then [Formula: see text] defines the subring [Formula: see text]. If [Formula: see text] is [Formula: see text]-minimal and [Formula: see text] has no isolated points, then there is a discrete ring [Formula: see text] contained in [Formula: see text] and naturally isomorphic to [Formula: see text], such that the ring of functions [Formula: see text] which take values in [Formula: see text] is definable in [Formula: see text].
Sequential Trajectory Generation for Dynamic Multi-Contact Locomotion Synchronizing Contact
Authors: morisawa Mitsuharu , Cisneros Rafael , Benallegue Mehdi , Kumagai Iori , Escande Adrien , Kanehiro Fumio
Published: December 2019

This paper proposes a new framework to generate 3D multi-contact locomotion with low computation cost. The proposed framework consists of (a) the derivation of the prospect centroidal dynamics by introducing a force distribution ratio, where it can be represented with a formulation similar to the inverted pendulum’s one, and (b) the development of a fast computation method for generating a 3D center-of-mass (CoM) trajectory. Then (c) the ZMP reference is modified so that feasible contact wrench can be generated by a force distribution using the centroidal dynamics with the approximated friction cone. The proposed method allows to generate a trajectory sequentially and to change the locomotion parameters at any time even under variable CoM height. Then, the contact timing of each end-effector can be adjusted to synchronize with the actual contact with the environment by shortening or extending the desired duration of the support phase. This can be used to improve the robustness of the locomotion. The validity of the proposed method is confirmed by several numerical results in dynamic simulator: a CoM motion while changing the contact timing, a multi-contact locomotion considering a transition between biped and quadruped walking on an horizontal floor to move below obstacles. Finally, we also show a climbing stairs using handrail which requires dynamic changes of unilateral and bilateral contacts.
Synthesis and investigation of BODIPYs with restricted meso-8-aryl rotation
Authors: Zhang Guanyu , Wang Maodie , Ndung’U Caroline , Bobadova-Parvanova Petia , Fronczek Frank R. , Smith Kevin M. , Vicente M. Graça H.
Published: December 2019

Three BODIPYs bearing 1,3,5,7-tetramethyl substituents and a meso-8-aryl group were synthesized and investigated, both experimentally and computationally. The presence of the 1,7-methyl groups and of ortho-substituents on the meso-8-aryl ring prevent free rotation of the meso-8-aryl group, resulting in high fluorescence quantum yields. Substitution at the 2,6-positions of these BODIPYs with chlorine atoms causes pronounced red-shifted absorptions and emissions, and in the case of 2,6-dichloro-1,3,5,7-tetramethyl-8-(2,4,6-triphenylphenyl)-BODIPY 2c increases its fluorescence quantum yields to 0.93 in dichloromethane and 0.98 in toluene. The X-ray structure of 1,3,5,7-tetramethyl-8-(2,4,6-triphenylphenyl)-BODIPY shows increased deviation from planarity and smaller dihedral angle of the meso-8-aryl group compared with the meso-8-phenyl- and meso-8-mesityl-BODIPY analogs. The presence of 2,6-chlorine atoms was found to not significantly affect the rotational barriers of the meso-8-aryl-groups.
A lower Carboniferous (Visean) tetrapod trackway represents the earliest record of an edopoid amphibian from the UK
Authors: Bird Hannah C. , Milner Angela C. , Shillito Anthony P. , Butler Richard J.
Published: December 2019

The ichnological fossil record has previously provided key evidence for the diversification of land vertebrates (tetrapods) during the Carboniferous Period, following the invasion of the land. Within the UK, tetrapod ichnofossils from the late Carboniferous of the English Midlands are well documented, but few such fossils are known from earlier in the period. We present a rare ichnological insight into early Carboniferous tetrapod diversification in the United Kingdom based on a Visean-aged specimen collected from an interdistributary trough palaeoenvironment at Hardraw Scar, Wensleydale, North Yorkshire. This specimen represents the stratigraphically oldest known tetrapod trackway from the UK. We refer this specimen to
Palaeosauropus
sp., providing the earliest known occurrence of an edopoid temnospondyl. Supplementing the sparse record of contemporary body fossils from the early Carboniferous, this provides further insights into the diversification of temnospondyl amphibians across Euramerica.

Supplementary material:
A 3D model of the plaster cast produced from the trackway specimen is available at
https://doi.org/10.5519/0022377
and a lower resolution version is available on Sketchfab (
https://skfb.ly/6OAxR
).
Secure Your Voice
Authors: Wang Yao , Cai Wandong , Gu Tao , Shao Wei , Li Yannan , Yu Yong
Published: December 2019

Voice control has attracted extensive attention recently as it is a prospective User Interface (UI) to substitute for conventional touch control on smart devices. Voice assistants have become increasingly popular in our daily lives, especially for those people who are visually impaired. However, the inherently insecure nature of voice biometrics means that voice assistants are vulnerable to spoofing attacks as evidenced by security experts. To secure the commands for voice assistants, in this paper, we present a liveness detection system that provides continuous speaker verification on smart devices. The basic aim is to match the voice received by the smart device's microphone with the oral airflow of the user when speaking a command. The airflow is captured by an auxiliary commercial off-the-shelf airflow sensor. Specifically, we establish a theoretical model to depict the relationship between the oral airflow pressure and the phonemes in users' speech. The system estimates a series of pressures from the speech according to the theoretical model, and then calculates the consistency between the estimated pressure signal and the actual pressure signal measured by the airflow sensor to determine whether a command is a genuine "live" voice or an artificially generated one. We evaluate the system with 26 participants and 30 different voice commands. The evaluation showed that our system achieves an overall accuracy of 97.25% with an Equal Error Rate (EER) of 2.08%.
RFID Tattoo
Authors: Wang Jingxian , Pan Chengfeng , Jin Haojian , Singh Vaibhav , Jain Yash , Hong Jason I. , Majidi Carmel , Kumar Swarun
Published: December 2019

This paper presents an RF-based assistive technology for voice impairments (i.e., dysphonia), which occurs in an estimated 1% of the global population. We specifically focus on acquired voice disorders where users continue to be able to make facial and lip gestures associated with speech. Despite the rich literature on assistive technologies in this space, there remains a gap for a solution that neither requires external infrastructure in the environment, battery-powered sensors on skin or body-worn manual input devices.

We present RFTattoo, which to our knowledge is the first wireless speech recognition system for voice impairments using batteryless and flexible RFID tattoos. We design specialized wafer-thin tattoos attached around the user's face and easily hidden by makeup. We build models that process signal variations from these tattoos to a portable RFID reader to recognize various facial gestures corresponding to distinct classes of sounds. We then develop natural language processing models that infer meaningful words and sentences based on the observed series of gestures. A detailed user study with 10 users reveals 86% accuracy in reconstructing the top-100 words in the English language, even without the users making any sounds.
AppMoD
Authors: Wan Zhiyuan , Bao Lingfeng , Gao Debin , Toch Eran , Xia Xin , Mendel Tamir , Lo David
Published: December 2019

The rapid adoption of Smartphone devices has caused increasing security and privacy risks and breaches. Catching up with ever-evolving contemporary smartphone technology challenges leads older adults (aged 50+) to reduce or to abandon their use of mobile technology. To tackle this problem, we present AppMoD, a community-based approach that allows delegation of security and privacy decisions a trusted social connection, such as a family member or a close friend. The trusted social connection can assist in the appropriate decision or make it on behalf of the user. We implement the approach as an Android app and describe the results of three user studies (n=50 altogether), in which pairs of older adults and family members used the app in a controlled experiment. Using app anomalies as an ongoing case study, we show how delegation improves the accuracy of decisions made by older adults. Also, we show how combining decision-delegation with crowdsourcing can enhance the advice given and improve the decision-making process. Our results suggest that a community-based approach can improve the state of mobile security and privacy.
Scriptaid/exercise-induced lysine acetylation is another type of posttranslational modification occurring in titin
Authors: Huang Song , Liu Sujuan , Niu Yanmei , Fu Li
Published: December 2019

Titin serves important functions in skeletal muscle during exercise, and posttranslational modifications of titin participate in the regulation of titin-based sarcomeric functions. Scriptaid has exercise-like effects through the inhibition of HDAC and regulatory acetylation of proteins. However, it remains mostly unclear if exercise could result in titin’s acetylation and whether Scriptaid could regulate acetylation of titin. We treated C57BL/6 mice with 6-wk treadmill exercise and 6-wk Scriptaid administration to explore Scriptaid’s effects on mice exercise capacity and whether Scriptaid administration/exercise could induce titin’s acetylation modification. An exercise endurance test was conducted to explore their effects on mice exercise capacity, and proteomic studies were conducted with gastrocnemius muscle tissue of mice from different groups to explore titin’s acetylation modification. We found that Scriptaid and exercise did not change titin’s protein expression, but they did induce acetylation modification changes of titin. In total, 333 acetylated lysine sites were identified. Exercise changed the acetylation levels of 33 lysine sites of titin, whereas Scriptaid changed acetylation levels of 31 titin lysine sites. Exercise treatment and Scriptaid administration shared 11 lysine sites. In conclusion, Scriptaid increased exercise endurance of mice by increasing the time mice spent running to fatigue. Acetylation is a common type of posttranslational modification of titin, and exercise/Scriptaid changed the acetylation levels of titin and titin-interacting proteins. Most importantly, titin may be a mediator through which Scriptaid and exercise modulate the properties and functions of exercise-induced skeletal muscle at the molecular level.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY Scriptaid administration increased mouse exercise endurance. Acetylation is another type of posttranslational modification of titin. Scriptaid/exercise changed acetylation levels of titin and titin-interacting proteins. Titin may mediate exercise-induced skeletal muscle properties and functions.
Effect of Depth of Electroacupuncture on the IPSS of Patients with Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia
Authors: Yuan Hongwei , Wei Na , Li Yanfeng , Yu Lifeng , Zhang Yunshu , Ong Wei Lin , Bai Ni , Wang Mengxi , Fu Yuting , Liu Yunxia
Published: December 2019

This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of electroacupuncture (EA) on Ciliao (BL 32) and Zhongliao (BL 33) acupoints at different depths for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) through a single-blind randomized controlled trial. All 120 patients diagnosed with BPH were randomly allocated to an experimental group (deep insertion group, DI group, n = 60) and control group (shallow insertion group, SI group, n = 60) 3 times a week for 4 weeks. The observed results included the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), Quality of Life score (QOL), maximum urine flow rate (Qmax), and postvoid residual urine volume (PVR). After treatment, at both depths, the BPH symptoms of patients were improved by EA. There were significant differences between the IPSS, QOL, and the effective rate of the experimental group and the control group (P<0.05). Although the observed PVR and Qmax were better than those before treatment, there was no statistical significance between two groups (P>0.05). Thus, EA with deep insertion can effectively improve the patients’ urinary symptoms and quality of life, and it will be suitable for clinical application.
Dynamic Cross‐Correlations between Participants’ Attentions to P2P Lending and Offline Loan in the Private Lending Market
Authors: Zhao Yingxiu , Zhang Wei , Kong Xiangyu
Published: December 2019

In this paper, we examine the dynamic cross‐correlations between participants’ attentions to the P2P lending and offline loan (lending) with the method of multifractal detrended cross‐correlation analysis (MF‐DCCA). The empirical result mainly shows that (1) the power‐law cross‐correlation exists between participants’ attentions to the P2P lending and offline loan and is persistent, (2) the cross‐correlation is more stable in the short term, and (3) the relation subjected to a small fluctuation is more cross‐correlated than that under larger ones. Furthermore, we carry out the robustness test to verify the result. The Granger causality test indicates that participants’ attentions to P2P lending and offline loan Granger cause each other in the short term.
Sensitivity of Precipitation and Structure of Typhoon Hato to Bulk and Explicit Spectral Bin Microphysics Schemes
Authors: Shen Xiaodian , Jiang Baolin , Cao Qimin , Lin Wenshi , Zhang Lan
Published: December 2019

This study simulated the evolution of Typhoon Hato (2017) with the Weather Research and Forecasting model using three bulk schemes and one bin scheme. It was found that the track of the typhoon was insensitive to the microphysics scheme, whereas the degree of correspondence between the simulated precipitation and the cloud structure of the typhoon was closest to the observations when using the bin scheme. The different microphysical structure of the bin and three bulk schemes was reflected mainly in the cloud water and snow content. The three bulk schemes were found to produce more cloud water because the application of saturation adjustment condensed all the water vapor at the end of each time step. The production of more snow by the bin scheme could be attributed to several causes: (1) the calculations of cloud condensation nucleus size distributions and supersaturation at every grid point that cause small droplets to form at high levels, (2) different fall velocities of different sizes of particles that mean small particles remain at a significant height, (3) sufficient water vapor at high levels, and (4) smaller amounts of cloud water that reduce the rates of riming and conversion of snow to graupel. The distribution of hydrometeors affects the thermal and dynamical structure of the typhoon. The saturation adjustment hypothesis in the bulk schemes overestimates the condensate mass. Thus, the additional latent heat makes the typhoon structure warmer, which increases vertical velocity and enhances convective precipitation in the eyewall region.
Investigation of the Optimum Preparation of Peach Gum Polysaccharides and the In Vivo and In Vitro Therapeutic Effects on Acute Pyelonephritis
Authors: Zhang Feifei , Bai Jie , Zheng Yao , Liang Shuai , Lei Lei , Deng Xin , Li Weijun , Liu Peng , Yang Guangzhong , Ren Yongshen
Published: December 2019

Background. Acute pyelonephritis (APN), known as stranguria in traditional Chinese medicine, is commonly treated with antibiotics. However, the rise in antibiotic resistance and the high rates of recurrence of APN make its treatment complicated, thus the development of alternative therapies is critical. Peach gum has long been recognized by traditional Chinese medicine as a food with medicinal value of relieving stranguria, but whether and how its primary constituent peach gum polysaccharides (PGPs) contribute to the diuretic function is still not clear.Purpose. The aim of this study was to investigate the optimum extraction process of PGPs and to evaluate its therapeutic effect on APN rats and to discover the underlying mechanism.Methods. In this study, surface design optimization was adopted to optimize the preparation of PGPs and HPLC and FT-IR spectra were used to evaluate the quality of PGPs; APN model rat was established by theEscherichia coliurinary tract infection method; the therapeutic effect and mechanism of PGPs on APN were determined by the visceral index, biochemical indicators, pathological section of the APN rat, and diuretic activity on mice and antibacterial activity in vitro.Results. Compared with an untreated APN group, the results showed that treatment with PGPs increased the APN-induced attenuation of secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA) and creatinine clearance and decreased the APN-induced enhancement of the number of white blood cell (WBC), neutrophil counts (NC), bacteria load of the kidneys, kidney index, serum creatinine, urine volume, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and interleukin-2 (IL-2) levels. The mechanism underlying these effects was further elucidated through in vitro experiments of the antibacterial and antiadhesion effects of PGPs.Conclusion.Due to the good therapeutic effects and advantages of PGPs, it could be considered as an alternative medicine to treat APN.
A Novel Aerodynamic Noise Reduction Method Based on Improving Spanwise Blade Shape for Electric Propeller Aircraft
Authors: Wu Yuhang , Ai Yan-ting , Ze Wang , Jing Tian , Song Xiang , Chen Yingtao
Published: December 2019

Aiming at the problem of excessive propeller noise in a new type of electric aircraft, in order to ensure the propeller aerodynamic characteristics simultaneously, a noise reduction method for improving the shape of the blade along the spanwise is proposed. The FW-H model, the unsteady slip mesh, and the large eddy simulation method are investigated to obtain the aerodynamic noise spectrum. Initially, through propeller aerodynamic noise numerical simulation, we obtain the sound pressure and aircraft aerodynamic noise in frequency domain. Subsequently, the effectiveness of our method is verified by comparing the experimental data and numerical results. Based on the established calculation model and method, under three different rotation speeds, the distribution law of the sound pressure level of the propeller with different shapes along the spanwise is analyzed, and the influence of the blade shape on the aerodynamic noise of the propeller is obtained. The research shows that the aerodynamic noise of the new blade compared to the original blade is significantly reduced at the same rotation speed higher than 1000 rpm, indicating that the blade load noise plays a dominant role in the aerodynamic noise and can be effectively reduced by changing the blade shape along the spanwise, thus reducing the aerodynamic noise of the blade.
A Hybrid Approach Based on Variational Mode Decomposition for Analyzing and Predicting Urban Travel Speed
Authors: Kim Eui-Jin , Park Ho-Chul , Kho Seung-Young , Kim Dong-Kyu
Published: December 2019

Predicting travel speeds on urban road networks is a challenging subject due to its uncertainty stemming from travel demand, geometric condition, traffic signals, and other exogenous factors. This uncertainty appears as nonlinearity, nonstationarity, and volatility in traffic data, and it also creates a spatiotemporal heterogeneity of link travel speed by interacting with neighbor links. In this study, we propose a hybrid model using variational mode decomposition (VMD) to investigate and mitigate the uncertainty of urban travel speeds. The VMD allows the travel speed data to be divided into orthogonal and oscillatory sub-signals, called modes. The regular components are extracted as the low-frequency modes, and the irregular components presenting uncertainty are transformed into a combination of modes, which is more predictable than the original uncertainty. For the prediction, the VMD decomposes the travel speed data into modes, and these modes are predicted and summed to represent the predicted travel speed. The evaluation results on urban road networks show that, the proposed hybrid model outperforms the benchmark models both in the congested and in the overall conditions. The improvement in performance increases significantly over specific link-days, which generally are hard to predict. To explain the significant variance of the prediction performance according to each link and each day, the correlation analysis between the properties of modes and the performance of the model are conducted. The results on correlation analysis show that the more variance of nondaily pattern is explained through the modes, the easier it was to predict the speed. Based on the results, discussions on the interpretation on the correlation analysis and future research are presented.
Month-to-Month Variability of Autumn Sea Ice in the Barents and Kara Seas and Its Relationship to Winter Air Temperature in China
Authors: Lu Chuhan , Li Kaili , Xie Shaoqing , Wang Zhaomin , Qin Yujing
Published: December 2019

The variation of autumn Arctic sea ice is a critical indicator of temperature anomalies over the Eurasian continent during winter. The retreat of autumn Arctic sea ice is typically accompanied by negative anomalous winter temperatures over the Eurasian and North American continents. However, such sea ice temperature linkages notably change from month to month. The variation of the autumn Arctic sea ice area and the relationship between the month-to-month sea ice and winter temperature anomalies in China are investigated using the Hadley Centre’s sea ice dataset (HadiSST) and the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) reanalysis dataset (ERA-Interim) during 1979–2018. We present the following results: The sea ice in the Barents and Kara seas (BK) during the autumn and winter seasons shows notable low-frequency variability. The retreat of sea ice in the BK from September to November is significantly associated with negative temperature anomalies in the following winter in China. However, the linkage between the sea ice in the BK in September and the winter temperatures is stronger than that in both October and November. An anomalous positive surface pressure is exhibited over the northwestern part of Eurasia in the winter that is linked to decreasing sea ice in the BK in the preceding September. This surface pressure favors the persistence and intensification of synoptic perturbations, such as blocking highs and surface cold highs, as well as the intensification of the Siberian High and the East Asian winter monsoon. These favorable conditions ultimately contribute to the formation of large-scale winter cold anomalies in China. Compared to low sea ice cover in October and November, a more oceanic heat storage in the upper BK induced by low sea ice cover in the BK leads to a larger heat release to tropospheric atmosphere in winter by surface heat flux and upward longwave radiation in the BK. This regional tropospheric warming results in a higher barotropic positive height anomaly over the Ural Mountains, and then more active cold advection from the high latitude affects East Asia.
In VitroEvaluation of the Potential Use of Propolis as a Multitarget Therapeutic Product: Physicochemical Properties, Chemical Composition, and Immunomodulatory, Antibacterial, and Anticancer Properties
Authors: Touzani Soumaya , Embaslat Walaa , Imtara Hamada , Kmail Abdalsalam , Kadan Sleman , Zaid Hilal , ElArabi Ilham , Badiaa Lyoussi , Saad Bashar
Published: December 2019

Propolis is a resin that honeybees produce by mixing saliva and beeswax with exudate gathered from botanical sources. The presentin vitrostudy investigated the potential use of propolis as a multitarget therapeutic product and the physicochemical properties, chemical composition, and immunomodulatory, antioxidant, antibacterial, and anticancer properties of a propolis extract from the northern Morocco region (PNM). Pinocembrin, chrysin, and quercetin were the main phenolic compounds of PNM as measured in HPLC. The PNM showed significant inhibitory effects against all tested Gram-positive and Gram-negative strains and showed high antioxidant activities by scavenging free radicals with IC50 (DPPH = 0.02, ABTS = 0.04, and FRAP = 0.04 mg/ml). In addition, PNM induced a dose-dependent cytostatic effect in MCF-7, HCT, and THP-1 cell lines at noncytotoxic concentrations with IC50 values of 479.22, 108.88, and 50.54 μg/ml, respectively. The production of tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) was decreased in a dose-dependent manner in LPS-stimulated human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMNCs), whereas the production of the anti-inflammatory interleukin-10 (IL-10) was increased in a dose-dependent manner reaching 15-fold compared to the levels measured in untreated PBMNCs. Overall, the results showed that the traditionally known multitarget therapeutic properties of the PNM seem to be mediated, at least in part, through cytostatic, antibacterial, and immunomodulatory effects.
Random Vibration Analysis of Coupled Three‐Dimensional Maglev Vehicle‐Bridge System
Authors: Liu Wei , Guo Wenhua
Published: December 2019

This paper presents a framework for the linear random vibration analysis of the coupled three‐dimensional (3D) maglev vehicle‐bridge system. Except for assembling the equation of motion of vehicle only via the principle of virtual work, the fully computerized approach is further expanded to assemble the governing equation of fluctuating current via the equilibrium relation. A state‐space equation couples the equation of motion of the vehicle and the governing equation of fluctuating current. The equation of motion of a real three‐span space continuous girder bridge is established by using finite element methods. A separated iteration method based on the precise integration method and the Newmark method is introduced to solve the state‐space equation for the maglev vehicle and the equation of motion for the bridge. Moreover, a new scheme to application of the pseudoexcitation method (PEM) in random vibration analysis is proposed to maximize the computational efficiency of the random vibration analysis of the maglev vehicle‐bridge system. Finally, the numerical simulation demonstrates that the proposed framework can efficiently obtain the mean value, root mean square (RMS), standard deviation (SD), and power spectral density (PSD) of dynamic response for the coupled 3D maglev vehicle‐bridge system.
PPARG Polymorphisms Are Associated with Unexplained Mild Vision Loss in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Li Tao , Xu Xian , Xu Yi , Jin Peiyao , Chen Jianhua , Shi Yongyong , Zou Haidong
Published: December 2019

Objectives. To investigate whether the presence of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARG) gene polymorphisms is associated with unexplained mild visual impairment (UMVI) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods. A total of 135 T2DM residents with UMVI and 133 with normal vision (NV; best-corrected visual acuity ≥ 20/25 in both eyes) were enrolled. UMVI was defined as best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) < 20/25 and ≥ 20/63 in both eyes, with no visual impairment-causing diseases found. Four PPARG gene single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (rs3856806, rs1801282, rs709158, and rs10865710) were assessed with the HAPLOVIEW 4.0 software to examine the statistical association of PPARG polymorphisms and UMVI in patients with T2DM. Results. Four SNPs qualified the Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium (p>0.05). The frequency of genotype GC at SNP rs10865710 was significantly higher in the UMVI group than in the NV group (p<0.001; GG + GC versus CC) (OR = 8.94, 95% CI: 4.90–16.31), whereas genotype CC decreased the risk (OR = 0.07, 95% CI: 0.03–0.14). Genotype TT at SNP rs3856806 was strongly associated with UMVI (p<0.0001, TT + TC versus CC) (OR = 4.74, 95% CI: 2.68–8.54), whereas genotype CC appeared to be protective for UMVI (OR = 0.55, 95% CI: 0.37–0.82). Conclusions. Susceptibilities of PPARG variants may lead to differences in PPARG transcription, result in early function loss of retinal photoreceptor cells, and eventually cause UMVI.
Coenzyme Q10 Regulation of Apoptosis and Oxidative Stress in H2O2 Induced BMSC Death by Modulating the Nrf-2/NQO-1 Signaling Pathway and Its Application in a Model of Spinal Cord Injury
Authors: Li Xing , Zhan Jiheng , Hou Yu , Hou Yonghui , Chen Shudong , Luo Dan , Luan Jiyao , Wang Le , Lin Dingkun
Published: December 2019

Spinal cord injury (SCI) has always been considered to be a devastating problem that results in catastrophic dysfunction, high disability rate, low mortality rate, and huge cost for the patient. Stem cell-based therapy, especially using bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs), is a promising strategy for the treatment of SCI. However, SCI results in low rates of cell survival and a poor microenvironment, which limits the therapeutic efficiency of BMSC transplantation. Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is known as a powerful antioxidant, which inhibits lipid peroxidation and scavenges free radicals, and its combined effect with BMSC transplantation has been shown to have a powerful impact on protecting the vitality of cells, as well as antioxidant and antiapoptotic compounds in SCI. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate whether CoQ10 could decrease oxidative stress against the apoptosis of BMSCs in vitro and explored its molecular mechanisms. Furthermore, we investigated the protective effect of CoQ10 combined with BMSCs transplanted into a SCI model to verify its ability. Our results demonstrate that CoQ10 treatment significantly decreases the expression of the proapoptotic proteins Bax and Caspase-3, as shown through TUNEL-positive staining and the products of oxidative stress (ROS), while increasing the expression of the antiapoptotic protein Bcl-2 and the products of antioxidation, such as glutathione (GSH), against apoptosis and oxidative stress, in a H2O2-induced model. We also identified consistent results from the CoQ10 treatment of BMSCs transplanted into SCI rats in vivo. Moreover, the Nrf-2 signaling pathway was also investigated in order to detail its molecular mechanism, and the results show that it plays an important role, both in vitro and in vivo. Thus, CoQ10 exerts an antiapoptotic and antioxidant effect, as well as improves the microenvironment in vitro and in vivo. It may also protect BMSCs from oxidative stress and enhance their therapeutic efficiency when transplanted for SCI treatment.
Early Lymph Node Metastasis May Predict Poor Prognosis in Soft Tissue Sarcoma
Authors: Emori Makoto , Tsuchie Hiroyuki , Nagasawa Hiroyuki , Sonoda Tomoko , Tsukamoto Arihiko , Shimizu Junya , Murahashi Yasutaka , Mizushima Emi , Takada Kohichi , Murase Kazuyuki , Iesato Kotoe , Igarashi Keita , Hori Tsukasa , Yamamoto Masaki , Sugita Shintaro , Miyakoshi Naohisa , Hasegawa Tadashi , Shimada Yoichi , Yamashita Toshihiko
Published: December 2019

Background. Lymph node metastasis (LNM) is a relatively rare event in soft tissue sarcoma. An association between the timing of LNM detection and patient prognosis is presently unknown. Patients and Methods. We retrospectively analyzed the clinicopathological features of 33 patients with LNM between 2001 and 2015. Analysis of the timing of LNM diagnosis was grouped according to patients presenting LNM in either <8 months (the median time from primary tumor diagnosis to LNM) or ≥8 months after primary tumor diagnosis. Results. A relationship between the primary tumor size and the timing of the LNM was not significantly found (Rs = 0.0088, p=0.96). Sixteen patients had an LNM detection duration of <8 months, and 17 patients had a duration of ≥8 months. The 5-year survival for patients with an LNM detection duration of <8 months and ≥8 months was 19% and 71%, respectively (p=0.0016). There were 19 patients with pulmonary metastases. Among them, there were 13 patients with a duration of primary tumor diagnosis to LNM of <8 months and 6 with a duration of ≥8 months (p=0.01). Conclusion. Early LNM (<8 months) may predict poor prognosis in soft tissue sarcoma.
Systemic Pharmacological Approach to Identification and Experimental Verification of the Effect of Anisi Stellati Fructus Extract on Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Cells
Authors: Kim Youn Sook , Suh Su Yeon , Ahn Yong Tae , Lee Chul Won , Lee Sang Yull , Ahn Soon Cheol , An Won G.
Published: December 2019

Anisi stellati fructus (ASF) is the dried fruit of the Illicium verum Hook.f. tree. The aim of this research was to evaluate the antileukemic effect of ASF on chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) cells, which was hypothesized from the systemic pharmacological analysis of ASF, focusing on the combined effect of ASF extract (ASFE) and imatinib (IM). The compounds of ASF were identified using the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology database and analysis platform. The target gene information was acquired from the UniProt database. The compound and target interaction network was generated from Cytoscape 3.7.1. Using this analysis, 10 compounds effective against CML cells were obtained. ASFE was prepared and analyzed by high-pressure liquid chromatography to provide experimental proof for the relationship between ASF and CML. The anti-p210Bcr-Abl effects of ASFE and ASFE + IM combination were evaluated by western blotting. Either ASFE alone or in combined treatment with IM on K-562 CML cells resulted in a significant reduction of the Bcr-Abl levels. As expected from the systemic analysis results, ASF had antileukemic activity, showing that it is a potential therapy for CML.
Physical Violence and Associated Factors among Housemaids Living in Debre-Tabor Town, Northwest Ethiopia: Does Employer Alcohol Intake Increase Housemaid Violence?
Authors: Azanaw Kefyalew Amogne , Gelagay Abebaw Addis , Lakew Ayenew Molla , Teshome Destaw Fetene
Published: December 2019

Background. Violence against women and girls continues to be a global epidemic, including Ethiopia. Housemaids are a neglected segment of the population, and there are no sufficient findings in our country. This study aimed to assess the magnitude of physical violence and associated factors among housemaids aged 15 years and above living in Debre Tabor town, northwest Ethiopia. Methods. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Debre Tabor town, northwest Ethiopia from April 1 to 30, 2018. A total of 634 housemaids were selected using cluster sampling method. Data were entered into Epi info version 7.2.2.6 and analyzed with SPSS version 20 using descriptive and analytic statistics. Binary logistic regression analysis was carried out to identify independent significant factors. Adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) was used to report the strength of associations. Results. From 634 housemaids that participated in the study, 235 (37.1%, 95% CI: 33.1−41.0) of them experienced at least one type of physical violence in their lifetime. Housemaids who previously lived in rural areas (AOR=2.82, 95% CI: 1.61, 4.94), had high working experience (AOR=2.17, 95% CI: 1.27, 3.71), not having parents (AOR=2.02, 95% CI: 1.18, 3.46), being divorced (AOR=2.23, 95% CI: 1.31, 4.20), employer alcohol consumption (AOR=4.97, 95% CI: 2.81, 8.79), and presence of extended family with employers (AOR=2.26, 95% CI: 1.42, 3.59) were independently associated with the probability of housemaid physical violence. Conclusion. High prevalence of housemaid physical violence has been reported. Socio-demographic characteristics of both employers and employees and the behavioral characteristics of employers contributed to physical violence. It is important to give special attention to housemaids who came from rural areas and do not have parents. It is also important to make work experience of housemaids as short as possible.
Antibacterial Activity of Rosmarinus officinalis, Zingiber officinale, Citrus aurantium bergamia, and Copaifera officinalis Alone and in Combination with Calcium Hydroxide against Enterococcus faecalis
Authors: Silva Silmara , Alves Nayane , Silva Priscila , Vieira Thalita , Maciel Panmella , Castellano Lúcio Roberto , Bonan Paulo , Velozo Christianne , Albuquerque Diana
Published: December 2019

This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of different concentrations of essential oils combined with calcium hydroxide against Enterococcus faecalis. Thirteen experimental groups were formed: NC (negative control); PC (positive control); GC (growth control); SC (sterilization control); RO (Rosmarinus officinalis); ROH (calcium hydroxide + RO); ZO (Zingiber officinale); ZOH (calcium hydroxide + ZO); AB (Citrus aurantium bergamia); ABH (calcium hydroxide + AB); CO (Copaifera officinalis); COH (calcium hydroxide + CO); DWH (calcium hydroxide and distilled water). After reconstitution of the E. faecalis strain, microdilution testing was performed to define the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC). The data were tabulated in an Excel spreadsheet, and the MIC and MBC were calculated in accordance with the Bacteriological Analytical Handbook. MICs in the range of 0 to 100 mg/ml were only observed in the ROH group. The RO, ROH, AB, ZO, and ZOH presented absolute data for MBC. Bacterial growth was detected in the DWH group at all concentrations tested. The combination of the essential oils tested here with calcium hydroxide appears promising as an intracanal medication in endodontic treatment because of its effectiveness against Enterococcus faecalis. Essential oils are important in endodontic therapy since calcium hydroxide, the gold standard intracanal medication, is not effective against E. faecalis.
The Measure of Fuzzy Filters on BL-Algebras
Authors: Zhu Xiang , Md Johar Md Gapar , Raya Lilysuriazna Binti , Liao Zu-hua
Published: December 2019

The new concept of the fuzzy filter degree was given by means of the implication operator, which enables to measure a degree to which a fuzzy subset of a BL-algebra is a fuzzy filter. In this paper, we put forward several equivalent characterizations of the fuzzy filter degree by studying its properties and the relationship with level cut sets. Furthermore, we study the fuzzy filter degrees of the intersection and fuzzy direct products of fuzzy subsets and investigate the fuzzy filter degrees of the image and the preimage of a fuzzy subset under a homomorphism.
An Optimal Composition Strategy for Knowledge Service Component Based on Flexible Tracking Particle Swarm Algorithm
Authors: Yin Yan-chao , Chen Fu-zhao , Liao Wei-zhi , Liu Cui-yin
Published: December 2019

It is urgent to combine knowledge resources with manufacturing business processes to form a knowledge service in the cloud mode, so as to provide intelligent support for business activities in product development process. The main challenge of knowledge resource service, however, is how to rapidly construct the complex resource service system and respond promptly to the changeable service requirements in the business process, which is similar to the software system modeling using a component in software engineering. This paper is concerned with an optimal composition framework (OCF) of knowledge resource service, including service decomposition, component encapsulation, and optimal composition. Firstly, the typical business processes are decomposed into the dynamic knowledge element (DKE), and all kinds of knowledge resources and service behaviors are encapsulated into the reusable resource service components (RSC). Then, a multicomponent optimal composition mathematical model is presented, which transforms the problem of component composition into a multiobjective optimization problem. On this basis, a heuristic algorithm with the adaptive mutation probability is introduced to composite the multigranularity service component dynamically and robustly. Finally, the case of component composition for maintenance resource service is studied and the simulation results are provided to verify the efficacy of the proposed model and algorithms.