bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Classification of Congestive Heart Failure from ECG Segments with a Multi-Scale Residual Network
Authors: Li Dengao , Tao Ye , Zhao Jumin , Wu Hang
Published: December 2020

Congestive heart failure (CHF) poses a serious threat to human health. Once the diagnosis of CHF is established, clinical experts need to assess the severity of CHF in a timely manner. It is proved that electrocardiogram (ECG) signals are useful for assessing the severity of CHF. However, since the ECG perturbations are subtle, it is difficult for doctors to detect the differences of ECGs. In order to help doctors to make an accurate diagnosis, we proposed a novel multi-scale residual network (ResNet) to automatically classify CHF into four classifications according to the New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional classification system. Furthermore, in order to make the reported results more realistic, we used an inter-patient paradigm to divide the dataset, and segmented the ECG signals into two different intervals. The experimental results show that the proposed multi-scale ResNet-34 has achieved an average positive predictive value, sensitivity and accuracy of 93.49%, 93.44% and 93.60% respectively for two seconds of ECG segments. We have also obtained an average positive predictive value, sensitivity and accuracy of 94.16%, 93.79% and 94.29% respectively for five seconds of ECG segments. The proposed method can be used as an auxiliary tool to help doctors to classify CHF.
A Bounded Exhaustive Search Technique for Optimal Phasor Measurement Unit Placement in Power Grids
Authors: Ibrahim Ahmad Asrul , Khalid Khairuddin , Shareef Hussain , Kamari Nor Azwan Mohamed
Published: December 2020

This paper proposes a technique to determine the possible optimal placement of the phasor measurement unit (PMU) in power grids for normal operating conditions. All possible combinations of PMU placement, including infeasible combinations, are typically considered in finding the optimal solution, which could be a massive search space. An integer search algorithm called the bounded search technique is introduced to reduce the search space in solving a minimum number of PMU allocations whilst maintaining full system observability. The proposed technique is based on connectivity and symmetry constraints that can be derived from the observability matrix. As the technique is coupled with the exhaustive technique, the technique is called the bounded exhaustive search (BES) technique. Several IEEE test systems, namely, IEEE 9-bus, IEEE 14-bus, IEEE 24-bus and IEEE 30-bus, are considered to showcase the performance of the proposed technique. An initial Monte Carlo simulation was carried out to evaluate the capability of the bounded search technique in providing a smaller feasible search space. The effectiveness of the BES technique in terms of computational time is compared with the existing exhaustive technique. Results demonstrate that the search space can be reduced tremendously, and the computational burden can be eased, when finding the optimal PMU placement in power grids.
Elastic Organic Crystals of π-Conjugated Molecules: New Concept for Materials Chemistry
Authors: Hayashi Shotaro
Published: December 2020

It is generally believed that organic single crystals composed of a densely packed arrangement of anisotropic, organic small molecules are less useful as functional materials due to their mechanically inflexible and brittle nature, compared to polymers bearing flexible chains and thereby exhibiting viscoelasticity. Nevertheless, organic crystals have attracted much attention because of their tunable optoelectronic properties and a variety of elegant crystal habits and unique ordered or disordered molecular packings arising from the anisotropic molecular structures. However, the recent emergence of flexible organic crystal materials showing plasticity and elasticity has considerably changed the concept of organic single crystals. In this review, the author summarizes the state-of-the-art development of flexible organic crystal materials, especially functional elastic organic crystals which are expected to provide a foothold for the next generation of organic crystal materials.
Differential Invariants of Linear Symplectic Actions
Authors: Jensen Jørn Olav , Kruglikov Boris
Published: December 2020

We consider the equivalence problem for symplectic and conformal symplectic group actions on submanifolds and functions of symplectic and contact linear spaces. This is solved by computing differential invariants via the Lie-Tresse theorem.
Non-Minimal Lorentz Violation in Macroscopic Matter
Authors: Mewes Matthew
Published: December 2020

The effects of Lorentz and CPT violations on macroscopic objects are explored. Effective composite coefficients for Lorentz violation are derived in terms of coefficients for electrons, protons, and neutrons in the Standard-Model Extension, including all minimal and non-minimal violations. The hamiltonian and modified Newton’s second law for a test body are derived. The framework is applied to free-fall and torsion-balance tests of the weak equivalence principle and to orbital motion. The effects on continuous media are studied, and the frequency shifts in acoustic resonators are calculated.
A Fuzzy Inference System for Players Evaluation in Multi-Player Sports: The Football Study Case
Authors: Sałabun Wojciech , Shekhovtsov Andrii , Pamučar Dragan , Wątróbski Jarosław , Kizielewicz Bartłomiej , Więckowski Jakub , Bozanić Darko , Urbaniak Karol , Nyczaj Bartosz
Published: December 2020

Decision support systems often involve taking into account many factors that influence the choice of existing options. Besides, given the expert’s uncertainty on how to express the relationships between the collected data, it is not easy to define how to choose optimal solutions. Such problems also arise in sport, where coaches or players have many variants to choose from when conducting training or selecting the composition of players for competitions. In this paper, an objective fuzzy inference system based on fuzzy logic to evaluate players in team sports is proposed on the example of football. Based on the Characteristic Objects Method (COMET), a multi-criteria model has been developed to evaluate players on the positions of forwards based on their match statistics. The study has shown that this method can be used effectively in assessing players based on their performance. The COMET method was chosen because of its unique properties. It is one of the few methods that allow identifying the model without giving weightings of decision criteria. Symmetrical and asymmetrical fuzzy triangular numbers were used in model identification. Using the calculated derivatives in the point, it turned out that the criteria weights change in the problem state space. This prevents the use of other multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) methods. However, we compare the obtained model with the Technique of Order Preference Similarity (TOPSIS) method in order to better show the advantage of the proposed approach. The results from the objectified COMET model were compared with subjective rankings such as Golden Ball and player value.
Locating Movable Parcel Lockers under Stochastic Demands
Authors: Wang Yang , Bi Mengyu , Lai Jianhui , Chen Yanyan
Published: December 2020

The movable unit equipped with a set of lockers has been recently developed as a new mode to improve the efficiency of the last mile delivery. Locating a set of movable parcel locker units appropriately is a fundamental factor to promote the merits of movable parcel lockers. However, the difficulty in determining where to locate movable parcel locker units arises from the stochastic characteristics of demands. Therefore, we propose a robust optimization approach to determine the number of movable parcel locker units and their locations simultaneously with the aim to minimize the operating cost under stochastic demands and mobility restrictions. To reduce the complexity of the optimization model, the non-linear constraints have been transformed into the linear counterparts, resulting in an integer linear programming (ILP) model that can be solved by commercially available mathematical programming solvers. The results from the numerical examples indicate the proposed approach can obtain high robustness with a small extra cost within reasonable time. In addition, it is found that if each unit is equipped with more lockers, fewer movable parcel locker units are required to accommodate the demands with less operating cost, as the demand points can be clustered into a few intensive self-pickup sites.
Spontaneous Symmetry Breaking and Its Pattern of Scales
Authors: Consoli Maurizio , Cosmai Leonardo
Published: December 2020

Spontaneous Symmetry Breaking (SSB) in λΦ4 theories is usually described as a 2nd-order phase transition. However, most recent lattice calculations indicate instead a weakly 1st-order phase transition as in the one-loop and Gaussian approximations to the effective potential. This modest change has non-trivial implications. In fact, in these schemes, the effective potential at the minima has two distinct mass scales: (i) a first mass mh associated with its quadratic curvature and (ii) a second mass Mh associated with the zero-point energy which determines its depth. The two masses describe different momentum regions in the scalar propagator and turn out to be related by Mh2∼mh2ln(Λs/Mh), where Λs is the ultraviolet cutoff of the scalar sector. Our lattice simulations of the propagator are consistent with this two-mass picture and, in the Standard Model, point to a value Mh∼700 GeV. However, despite its rather large mass, this heavier excitation would interact with longitudinal W’s and Z’s with the same typical coupling of the lower-mass state and would therefore represent a rather narrow resonance. Two main novel implications are emphasized in this paper: (1) since vacuum stability depends on the much larger Mh, and not on mh, SSB could originate within the pure scalar sector regardless of the other parameters of the theory (e.g., the vector-boson and top-quark mass) (2) if the smaller mass were fixed at the value mh=125 GeV measured at LHC, the hypothetical heavier state Mh would then naturally fit with the peak in the 4-lepton final state observed by the ATLAS Collaboration at 700 GeV.
Determining the Number of Passengers for Each of Three Reverse Pyramid Boarding Groups with COVID-19 Flying Restrictions
Authors: Delcea Camelia , Milne R. John , Cotfas Liviu-Adrian
Published: December 2020

The onset of the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV2 has changed many aspects of people’s economic and social activities. For many airlines, social distancing has reduced airplane capacity by one third as a result of keeping the middle seats empty. Additionally, social distancing between passengers traversing the aisle slows the boarding process. Recent literature has suggested that the reverse pyramid boarding method provides favorable values for boarding time and passenger health metrics when compared to other boarding methods with social distancing. Assuming reverse pyramid boarding with the middle seats unoccupied, we determined the number of passengers to include in each of three boarding groups. We assumed that passengers use a jet-bridge that connects the airport terminal to the airplane’s front door. We used agent-based modeling and a stochastic simulation to evaluate solutions. A full grid search found an initial good solution, and then local search optimization determined the best solution based upon the airline’s relative preference for minimizing average boarding time and minimizing risks to previously seated passengers from later-boarding, potentially contagious passengers breathing near them. The resulting solution contained the number of passengers to place into each of the three boarding groups. If an airline is most concerned about the health risk to seated passengers from later boarding passengers walking near them, the best three-group reverse pyramid method adapted for social distancing will first board passengers with window seats in the rear half of the airplane, then will board passengers with window seats in the front half of the airplane and those with aisle seats in the rear half of the airplane, and finally will board the passengers with aisle seats in the front half of the airplane. The resulting solution takes about 2% longer to board than the three-group solution that minimizes boarding time while providing a 25% decrease in health risk to aisle seat passengers from later boarding passengers.
The Effects of Applying Privacy by Design to Preserve Privacy and Personal Data Protection in Mobile Cloud Computing: An Exploratory Study
Authors: Alnajrani Hussain Mutlaq , Norman Azah Anir
Published: December 2020

Mobile cloud computing (MCC) is a domain that stemmed from advances in mobile technology and cloud computing. Although debate continues about the best strategies to preserve privacy and personal data protection in MCC, it is essential to explore the effects of applying privacy by design (PbD) to preserve privacy and personal data protection in MCC. PbD is a general philosophy that demonstrates privacy should not be overviewed as an afterthought, but rather as a first-class requirement in the design of IT systems. This study explores the effects of applying PbD to preserve privacy and personal data protection in MCC, and is focused on the privacy of personal data. In this exploration, a framework using PbD has been demonstrated, and seven hypotheses were formulated. Moreover, a survey was implemented where 386 responses were used to test the formulated hypotheses. The results of this study supported the perceived benefits, cues to action of PbD, and perceived threat are positively and directly related to privacy and personal data protection behavior in MCC. Moreover, the results supported that the perceived barriers are negatively and directly related to privacy and personal data protection behavior in MCC. Overall, the results support the utilization of PbD to preserve privacy and personal data protection in MCC and encourage the practitioners to utilize PbD to preserve privacy and personal data protection in MCC.
On the Difference of Inverse Coefficients of Univalent Functions
Authors: Sim Young Jae , Thomas Derek Keith
Published: December 2020

Let f be analytic in the unit disk D={z∈C:|z|<1}, and S be the subclass of normalized univalent functions with f(0)=0, and f′(0)=1. Let F be the inverse function of f, given by F(z)=ω+∑n=2∞Anωn for some |ω|≤r0(f). Let S*⊂S be the subset of starlike functions in D, and C the subset of convex functions in D. We show that −1≤|A3|−|A2|≤3 for f∈S, the upper bound being sharp, and sharp upper and lower bounds for |A3|−|A2| for the more important subclasses of S* and C, and for some related classes of Bazilevič functions.
Kramers Degeneracy and Spin Inversion in a Lateral Quantum Dot
Authors: Pichugin Konstantin , Puente Antonio , Nazmitdinov Rashid
Published: December 2020

We show that the axial symmetry of the Bychkov–Rashba interaction can be exploited to produce electron spin-flip in a circular quantum dot, without lifting the time reversal symmetry. In order to elucidate this effect, we consider ballistic electron transmission through a two-dimensional circular billiard coupled to two one-dimensional electrodes. Using the tight-binding approximation, we derive the scattering matrix and the effective Hamiltonian for the considered system. Within this approach, we found the conditions for the optimal realization of this effect in the transport properties of the quantum dot. Numerical analysis of the system, extended to the case of two-dimensional electrodes, confirms our findings. The relatively strong quantization of the quantum dot can make this effect robust against the temperature effects.
Source Code Authorship Identification Using Deep Neural Networks
Authors: Kurtukova Anna , Romanov Aleksandr , Shelupanov Alexander
Published: December 2020

Many open-source projects are developed by the community and have a common basis. The more source code is open, the more the project is open to contributors. The possibility of accidental or deliberate use of someone else’s source code as a closed functionality in another project (even a commercial) is not excluded. This situation could create copyright disputes. Adding a plagiarism check to the project lifecycle during software engineering solves this problem. However, not all code samples for comparing can be found in the public domain. In this case, the methods of identifying the source code author can be useful. Therefore, identifying the source code author is an important problem in software engineering, and it is also a research area in symmetry. This article discusses the problem of identifying the source code author and modern methods of solving this problem. Based on the experience of researchers in the field of natural language processing (NLP), the authors propose their technique based on a hybrid neural network and demonstrate its results both for simple cases of determining the authorship of the code and for those complicated by obfuscation and using of coding standards. The results show that the author’s technique successfully solves the essential problems of analogs and can be effective even in cases where there are no obvious signs indicating authorship. The average accuracy obtained for all programming languages was 95% in the simple case and exceeded 80% in the complicated ones.
A Multivariate Long Short-Term Memory Neural Network for Coalbed Methane Production Forecasting
Authors: Xu Xijie , Rui Xiaoping , Fan Yonglei , Yu Tian , Ju Yiwen
Published: December 2020

Owing to the importance of coalbed methane (CBM) as a source of energy, it is necessary to predict its future production. However, the production process of CBM is the result of the interaction of many factors, making it difficult to perform accurate simulations through mathematical models. We must therefore rely on the historical data of CBM production to understand its inherent features and predict its future performance. The objective of this paper is to establish a deep learning prediction method for coalbed methane production without considering complex geological factors. In this paper, we propose a multivariate long short-term memory neural network (M-LSTM NN) model to predict CBM production. We tested the performance of this model using the production data of CBM wells in the Panhe Demonstration Area in the Qinshui Basin of China. The production of different CBM wells has similar characteristics in time. We can use the symmetric similarity of the data to transfer the model to the production forecasting of different CBM wells. Our results demonstrate that the M-LSTM NN model, utilizing the historical yield data of CBM as well as other auxiliary information such as casing pressures, water production levels, and bottom hole temperatures (including the highest and lowest temperatures), can predict CBM production successfully while obtaining a mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) of 0.91%. This is an improvement when compared with the traditional LSTM NN model, which has an MAPE of 1.14%. In addition to this, we conducted multi-step predictions at a daily and monthly scale and obtained similar results. It should be noted that with an increase in time lag, the prediction performance became less accurate. At the daily level, the MAPE value increased from 0.24% to 2.09% over 10 successive days. The predictions on the monthly scale also saw an increase in the MAPE value from 2.68% to 5.95% over three months. This tendency suggests that long-term forecasts are more difficult than short-term ones, and more historical data are required to produce more accurate results.
A Few Experimental Suggestions Using Minerals to Obtain Peptides with a High Concentration of L-Amino Acids and Protein Amino Acids
Authors: Zaia Dimas A. M. , Zaia Cássia Thaïs B. V.
Published: December 2020

The peptides/proteins of all living beings on our planet are mostly made up of 19 L-amino acids and glycine, an achiral amino acid. Arising from endogenous and exogenous sources, the seas of the prebiotic Earth could have contained a huge diversity of biomolecules (including amino acids), and precursors of biomolecules. Thus, how were these amino acids selected from the huge number of available amino acids and other molecules? What were the peptides of prebiotic Earth made up of? How were these peptides synthesized? Minerals have been considered for this task, since they can preconcentrate amino acids from dilute solutions, catalyze their polymerization, and even make the chiral selection of them. However, until now, this problem has only been studied in compartmentalized experiments. There are separate experiments showing that minerals preconcentrate amino acids by adsorption or catalyze their polymerization, or separate L-amino acids from D-amino acids. Based on the [GADV]-protein world hypothesis, as well as the relative abundance of amino acids on prebiotic Earth obtained by Zaia, several experiments are suggested. The main goal of these experiments is to show that using minerals it is possible, at least, to obtain peptides whose composition includes a high quantity of L-amino acids and protein amino acids (PAAs). These experiments should be performed using hydrothermal environments and wet/dry cycles. In addition, for hydrothermal environment experiments, it is very important to use one of the suggested artificial seawaters, and for wet/dry environments, it is important to perform the experiments in distilled water and diluted salt solutions. Finally, from these experiments, we suggest that, without an RNA world or even a pre genetic world, a small peptide set could emerge that better resembles modern proteins.
A Simple Chaotic Flow with Hyperbolic Sinusoidal Function and Its Application to Voice Encryption
Authors: Mobayen Saleh , Volos Christos , Çavuşoğlu Ünal , S. Kaçar Sezgin
Published: December 2020

In this article, a new chaotic system with hyperbolic sinusoidal function is introduced. This chaotic system provides a new category of chaotic flows which gives better perception of chaotic attractors. In the proposed chaotic flow with hyperbolic sinusoidal function, according to the changes of parameters of the system, the self-excited attractor and two forms of hidden attractors are occurred. Dynamic behavior of the offered chaotic flow is studied through eigenvalues, bifurcation diagrams, phase portraits, and spectrum of Lyapunov exponents. Moreover, the existence of double-scroll attractors in real word is considered via the Orcard-PSpice software through an electronic execution of the new chaotic flow and illustrative results between the numerical simulation and Orcard-PSpice outcomes are obtained. Lastly, random number generator (RNG) design is completed with the new chaos. Using the new RNG design, a novel voice encryption algorithm is suggested and voice encryption use and encryption analysis are performed.
Topological Analysis of Fibrations in Multidimensional (C, R) Space
Authors: Bagchi Susmit
Published: December 2020

A holomorphically fibred space generates locally trivial bundles with positive dimensional fibers. This paper proposes two varieties of fibrations (compact and non-compact) in the non-uniformly scalable quasinormed topological (C, R) space admitting cylindrically symmetric continuous functions. The projective base space is dense, containing a complex plane, and the corresponding surjective fiber projection on the base space can be fixed at any point on real subspace. The contact category fibers support multiple oriented singularities of piecewise continuous functions within the topological space. A composite algebraic operation comprised of continuous linear translation and arithmetic addition generates an associative magma in the non-compact fiber space. The finite translation is continuous on complex planar subspace under non-compact projection. Interestingly, the associative magma resists transforming into a monoid due to the non-commutativity of composite algebraic operation. However, an additive group algebraic structure can be admitted in the fiber space if the fibration is a non-compact variety. Moreover, the projection on base space supports additive group structure, if and only if the planar base space passes through the real origin of the topological (C, R) space. The topological analysis shows that outward deformation retraction is not admissible within the dense topological fiber space. The comparative analysis of the proposed fiber space with respect to Minkowski space and Seifert fiber space illustrates that the group algebraic structures in each fiber spaces are of different varieties. The proposed topological fiber bundles are rigid, preserving sigma-sections as compared to the fiber bundles on manifolds.
Legendre-Gould Hopper-Based Sheffer Polynomials and Operational Methods
Authors: Khan Nabiullah , Aman Mohd , Usman Talha , Choi Junesang
Published: December 2020

A remarkably large of number of polynomials have been presented and studied. Among several important polynomials, Legendre polynomials, Gould-Hopper polynomials, and Sheffer polynomials have been intensively investigated. In this paper, we aim to incorporate the above-referred three polynomials to introduce the Legendre-Gould Hopper-based Sheffer polynomials by modifying the classical generating function of the Sheffer polynomials. In addition, we investigate diverse properties and formulas for these newly introduced polynomials.
Transitivity on Minimum Dominating Sets of Paths and Cycles
Authors: Hernández-Gómez Juan C. , Reyna-Hérnandez Gerardo , Romero-Valencia Jesús , Rosario Cayetano Omar
Published: December 2020

Transitivity on graphs is a concept widely investigated. This suggest to analyze the action of automorphisms on other sets. In this paper, we study the action on the family of γ-sets (minimum dominating sets), the graph is called γ-transitive if given two γ-sets there exists an automorphism which maps one onto the other. We deal with two families: paths Pn and cycles Cn. Their γ-sets are fully characterized and the action of the automorphism group on the family of γ-sets is fully analyzed.
Endocrine Disruption: Structural Interactions of Androgen Receptor against Di(2-ethylhexyl) Phthalate and Its Metabolites
Authors: Beg Mohd Amin , Sheikh Ishfaq Ahmad
Published: December 2020

Diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) is a commonly used plasticizer in the manufacture of polyvinyl chloride plastics for household and commercial use. DEHP is a ubiquitous ecocontaminant and causes developmental and reproductive problems in children and adults. After exposure, DEHP is metabolized by endogenous hydrolysis and oxidation into the primary metabolite, mono-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP), and the secondary metabolites, mono-(2-ethyl-5-hydroxhexyl)phthalate (5-OH-MEHP), mono-(2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl) phthalate (5-oxo-MEHP), mono-(2-ethyl-5-carboxypentyl) phthalate (5-cx-MEPP), and mono-[(2-carboxymethyl)hexyl] phthalate (2-cx-MMHP). Very few studies have been reported on the adverse effects of DEHP metabolites, and the available information indicates that the metabolites might also be equally or more active as compared to the parent compound. In the present study, induced fit docking was used for structural binding characterization of the above five DEHP metabolites with androgen receptor (AR) to predict the potential endocrine-disrupting effects of these metabolites in AR signaling. All the DEHP metabolites interacted with the ligand-binding pocket of AR forming amino-acid residue interactions, hydrogen bonding, and pi-pi interactions. The binding energy of DEHP with AR was similar to that of native ligand testosterone. The amino-acid residue interactions of DEHP metabolites had 91–100% similarity compared to that of testosterone. In addition, all the DEHP metabolites and testosterone showed a common hydrogen bonding interaction with amino-acid Arg-752 of AR. Taken together, the structural binding data in the present study suggested the potential for DEHP metabolites to disrupt AR signaling, which may lead to androgen-related reproductive dysfunction.
Mycotoxin and Gut Microbiota Interactions
Authors: Guerre Philippe
Published: December 2020

The interactions between mycotoxins and gut microbiota were discovered early in animals and explained part of the differences in susceptibility to mycotoxins among species. Isolation of microbes present in the gut responsible for biotransformation of mycotoxins into less toxic metabolites and for binding mycotoxins led to the development of probiotics, enzymes, and cell extracts that are used to prevent mycotoxin toxicity in animals. More recently, bioactivation of mycotoxins into toxic compounds, notably through the hydrolysis of masked mycotoxins, revealed that the health benefits of the effect of the gut microbiota on mycotoxins can vary strongly depending on the mycotoxin and the microbe concerned. Interactions between mycotoxins and gut microbiota can also be observed through the effect of mycotoxins on the gut microbiota. Changes of gut microbiota secondary to mycotoxin exposure may be the consequence of the antimicrobial properties of mycotoxins or the toxic effect of mycotoxins on epithelial and immune cells in the gut, and liberation of antimicrobial peptides by these cells. Whatever the mechanism involved, exposure to mycotoxins leads to changes in the gut microbiota composition at the phylum, genus, and species level. These changes can lead to disruption of the gut barrier function and bacterial translocation. Changes in the gut microbiota composition can also modulate the toxicity of toxic compounds, such as bacterial toxins and of mycotoxins themselves. A last consequence for health of the change in the gut microbiota secondary to exposure to mycotoxins is suspected through variations observed in the amount and composition of the volatile fatty acids and sphingolipids that are normally present in the digesta, and that can contribute to the occurrence of chronic diseases in human. The purpose of this work is to review what is known about mycotoxin and gut microbiota interactions, the mechanisms involved in these interactions, and their practical application, and to identify knowledge gaps and future research needs.
The Effectiveness of Botulinum Toxin Type A (BoNT-A) Treatment in Brazilian Patients with Chronic Post-Stroke Spasticity: Results from the Observational, Multicenter, Prospective BCause Study
Authors: Khan Patricia , Riberto Marcelo , Frances João Amaury , Chueire Regina , Amorim Ana Cristina Ferreira Garcia , Xerez Denise , Chung Tae Mo , Mercuri Lucia Helena Costa , Longo Alexandre Luiz , Lianza Sérgio , Maisonobe Pascal , Ruiz-Schutz Viviane C.
Published: December 2020

Botulinum toxin type A (BoNT-A) is an effective treatment for post-stroke spasticity; however, some patients cannot access treatment until ≥1 year post-stroke. This Brazilian post-marketing study (NCT02390206) assessed the achievement of person-centered goals in patients with chronic post-stroke spasticity after a BoNT-A injection. Patients had a last documented stroke ≥1 year before study entry and post-stroke upper limb (UL) spasticity, with or without lower limb (LL) spasticity. Patients received BoNT-A injections at baseline (visit 1) and visit 2 (3–6 months). Primary endpoint was responder rate (achievement of primary goal from Goal Attainment Scaling (GAS)) at visit 2. Overall, 204 patients underwent GAS evaluation at visit 2, mean (SD) age was 56.4 (13.2) years and 90.7% had LL spasticity. Median (range) time between first stroke and onset of spasticity was 3.6 (0−349) months, onset of spasticity and first injection was 22.7 (0−350) months and waiting time for a rehabilitation appointment was 9.0 (1−96) months. At visit 2, 61.3% (95% CI: 54.4, 67.7) of patients were responders, which was similar for UL and LL primary goals (57.8% [95% CI: 49.9, 65.3] vs. 64.1% [95% CI: 48.4, 77.3]). This study provides evidence to support the effectiveness of BoNT-A treatment for chronic post-stroke spasticity.
The Failures of Ethnobotany and Phytomedicine in Delivering Novel Treatments for Snakebite Envenomation
Authors: Trim Steven A. , Trim Carol M. , Williams Harry F. , Vaiyapuri Sakthivel
Published: December 2020

Snakebite envenomation (SBE) is a high-priority, neglected tropical disease. This devastating occupational health hazard disproportionately affects rural farming communities in tropical countries. This is exacerbated by the distribution and densities of venomous snakes, incidence of encounters, and limited access to advanced healthcare, including antivenom. Before the development of antivenom, desperation and spiritual beliefs led patients to experiment with a wide range of traditional treatments. Many of these treatments still survive today, particularly in regions where access to healthcare is limited. Plants are a major source of bioactive molecules, including several lifesaving medications that are widely used to this day. However, much of the research into the use of traditional plant treatments for SBE are limited to preliminary analysis or have focused on techniques used to confirm antibody efficacy that are not suitable for non-antibody-containing treatments. Modern drugs are developed through a robust pharmaceutical drug discovery and development process, which applies as much to SBE as it does to any other disease. This review discusses specifically why research into ethnobotanical practices has failed to identify or develop a novel treatment for SBE and proposes specific approaches that should be considered in this area of research in the future.
Extracellular Vesicles in HTLV-1 Communication: The Story of an Invisible Messenger
Authors: Al Sharif Sarah , Pinto Daniel O. , Mensah Gifty A. , Dehbandi Fatemeh , Khatkar Pooja , Kim Yuriy , Branscome Heather , Kashanchi Fatah
Published: December 2020

Human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) infects 5–10 million people worldwide and is the causative agent of adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL) and HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP) as well as other inflammatory diseases. A major concern is that the most majority of individuals with HTLV-1 are asymptomatic carriers and that there is limited global attention by health care officials, setting up potential conditions for increased viral spread. HTLV-1 transmission occurs primarily through sexual intercourse, blood transfusion, intravenous drug usage, and breast feeding. Currently, there is no cure for HTLV-1 infection and only limited treatment options exist, such as class I interferons (IFN) and Zidovudine (AZT), with poor prognosis. Recently, small membrane-bound structures, known as extracellular vesicles (EVs), have received increased attention due to their potential to carry viral cargo (RNA and proteins) in multiple pathogenic infections (i.e., human immunodeficiency virus type I (HIV-1), Zika virus, and HTLV-1). In the case of HTLV-1, EVs isolated from the peripheral blood and cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) of HAM/TSP patients contained the viral transactivator protein Tax. Additionally, EVs derived from HTLV-1-infected cells (HTLV-1 EVs) promote functional effects such as cell aggregation which enhance viral spread. In this review, we present current knowledge surrounding EVs and their potential role as immune-modulating agents in cancer and other infectious diseases such as HTLV-1 and HIV-1. We discuss various features of EVs that make them prime targets for possible vehicles of future diagnostics and therapies.
Experience from the Implementation and Operation of the Biological Membrane Reactor (MBR) at the Modernized Wastewater Treatment Plant in Wydminy
Authors: Skoczko Iwona , Puzowski Pawel , Szatyłowicz Ewa
Published: December 2020

Biological membrane reactors or membrane bioreactors (MBRs) based on pressure separation techniques are placed among the latest and most modern methods of wastewater treatment. Currently, this method is becoming more and more popular and is being implemented in smaller and larger wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). However, technologists, operators, and managers of small WWTPs often do not understand the MBR technology installed in their sites and need extensive professional and technological information. The aim of this study was to analyze the modernized WWTP in a small town of Wydminy, located in northeastern Poland in the Great Masurian Lakes region, where the traditional secondary settling tank was replaced by an MBR. The effectiveness of wastewater treatment before modernization and after installation of the membrane module was compared. On the basis of the conducted research, it was noted that the operation of the plant after modernization is more cost-intensive. There were additional electricity costs due to ensuring adequate pressure on the membrane. Nevertheless, the obtained results of the removal of contaminants place the plant in Wydminy in the group of the most effective Polish sewage treatment plants, as compared to the results obtained in other facilities. The MBR operation also places high demands on the exploiters, prompting them to observe even the smallest changes. The conducted research is a type of a case study, which could give the readers an understanding of the necessity of traditional WWTP modernization with MBR.
Broad Diet Composition and Seasonal Feeding Variation Facilitate Successful Invasion of the Shimofuri Goby (Tridentiger bifasciatus) in a Water Transfer System
Authors: Qin Jiao , Xie Songguang , Cheng Fei
Published: December 2020

The diet composition of an invasive population of Shimofuri goby (Tridentiger bifasciatus) was investigated bimonthly during the period from September 2015 through August 2016 in Nansi Lake, a storage lake of the East Route of the South-to-North Water Transfer Project, China. The diet consists of a broad spectrum of prey items, including mollusca (Bellamya sp. and Physa sp.), aquatic insects (Odonata sp., Chironomidae sp., and Cirolanidae sp.), other macroinvertebrates (Nematoda sp. and Rhynchobdellida sp.), shrimp (Palaemon modestus and Gammarus sp.), fish (Rhinogobius giurinus and Tridentiger bifasciatus), fish eggs, and detritus. Dominant diets shifted from Rhynchobdellida sp. and unidentified digested food in July to P. modestus during September and November, and then shifted to both P. modestus and R. giurinus. Additionally, cannibalism was observed in March before spawning season of the goby, during which large males (SL > 70.0 mm) predated on small-sized ones. We suggest that broad spectrum of prey items and apparent seasonal shifting of dominant diets in the invasive goby fish, which might be an important mechanism favoring its successful invasion in water transfer system.
Water Level Estimation in Sewer Pipes Using Deep Convolutional Neural Networks
Authors: Haurum Joakim Bruslund , Bahnsen Chris H. , Pedersen Malte , Moeslund Thomas B.
Published: December 2020

Sewer pipe inspections are currently conducted by professionals who remotely control a robot from above ground. This expensive and slow approach is prone to human mistakes. Therefore, there is both an economic and scientific interest in automating the inspection process by creating systems able to recognize sewer defects. However, the extent of research put into automatic water level estimation in sewers has been limited despite being a prerequisite for further analysis of the pipe as only sections above the water level can be visually inspected. In this work, we utilize a dataset of still images obtained from over 5000 inspections carried out for three different Danish water utilities companies. This dataset is used for training and testing decision tree methods and convolutional neural networks (CNNs) for automatic water level estimation. We pose the estimation problem as a classification and regression problem, and compare the results of both approaches. Furthermore, we compare the effect of using different inspection standards for labeling the ground truth water level. By treating the problem as a classification task and using the 2015 Danish sewer inspection standard, where water levels are clustered based on visual appearance, we achieve an averaged F1 score of 79.29% using a fine-tuned ResNet-50 CNN. This shows the potential of using CNNs for water level estimation. We believe including temporal and contextual information will improve the results further.
Using Budyko-Type Equations for Separating the Impacts of Climate and Vegetation Change on Runoff in the Source Area of the Yellow River
Authors: Yan Dan , Lai Zhizhu , Ji Guangxing
Published: December 2020

Assessing the contribution rates of climate change and human activities to the runoff change in the source area of the Yellow River can provide support for water management in the Yellow River Basin. This paper firstly uses a multiple linear regression method to evaluate the contribution rates of climate change and human activities to the vegetation change in the source area of the Yellow River. Next, the paper uses the Budyko hypothesis method to calculate the contribution rates of climatic factors (including precipitation, potential evaporation, and subsequent vegetation changes) and vegetation changes caused by human activities to the runoff change of the Tangnaihai Hydrometric Station. The results showed that: (1) the annual runoff and precipitation in the source area of the Yellow River have a downward trend, while the annual potential evaporation and NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) show an increasing trend; (2) The contribution rates of climate change and human activities to the vegetation change in the source area of the Yellow River is 62.79% and 37.21%, respectively; (3) The runoff change became more and more sensitive to changes in climate and underlying surface characteristic parameters; (4) The contribution rates of climatic factors (including precipitation, potential evaporation, and subsequent vegetation changes) and vegetation changes caused by human activities to the runoff change at Tangnaihai Hydrological Station are 75.33% and 24.67%, respectively; (5) The impact of precipitation on runoff reduction is more substantial than that of potential evaporation.
Hydrochemical Parameters to Assess the Evolutionary Process of CO2-Rich Spring Water: A Suggestion for Evaluating CO2 Leakage Stages in Silicate Rocks
Authors: Do Hyun-Kwon , Yu Soonyoung , Yun Seong-Taek
Published: December 2020

Eighteen water samples collected from eight CO2-rich springs in the northern part of the Gyeongsang sedimentary basin (GSB), South Korea showed distinct hydrochemistry, in particular, pH, total dissolved solids (TDS), and Na contents, and they were classified into four groups: (1) Group I with low pH (average of 5.14) and TDS (269.8 mg/L), (2) Group II with high TDS (2681.0 mg/L) and Na-enriched (202.9 mg/L), (3) Group III with intermediate Na content (97.5 mg/L), and (4) Group IV with Na-depleted (42.3 mg/L). However, they showed the similar partial pressure of CO2 (0.47 to 2.19 atm) and stable carbon isotope ratios of dissolved inorganic carbon (−6.3 to −0.6‰), indicating the inflow of deep-seated CO2 into aquifers along faults. In order to elucidate the evolutionary process for each group of CO2-rich springs, a multidisciplinary approach was used combining stable hydrogen (δD), oxygen (δ18O) and carbon (δ13C), and radioactive carbon (14C) isotopic, geophysical, and hydrochemical data. The highest δD and δ18O ratios of water and the relatively young 14C ages in Group I and the lowest δD and δ18O in Group II indicated the short and long residence time in Group I and II, respectively. The electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) survey results also supported the fast rising through open fractures in Group I, while a relatively deep CO2-rich aquifer for Group III. Group II had high contents of Mg, K, F, Cl, SO4, HCO3, Li, and As, while Group I showed low contents for all elements analyzed in this study except for Al, which exceeded the World Health Organization (WHO) guideline for drinking-water quality probably due to the low pH. Meanwhile Group IV showed the highest Ca/Na as well as Ca, Fe, Mn, Sr, Zn, U, and Ba, probably due to the low-temperature dissolution of plagioclase based on the geology and the ERT result. The levels of Fe, Mn, and U exceeded the WHO guidelines in Group IV, while As in Group II. The different hydrochemistry suggests a distinct evolutionary process for each group. Group I seems to represent a fast discharge from the CO2-rich aquifer to a discharge point, experiencing a low degree of water-rock interaction, while Group II seems to represent a slow discharge with a high degree of water-rock interaction. GSB is a potential site for geological carbon storage (GCS), and injected CO2 may leak through various evolutionary processes given heterogenous geology as CO2-rich springs. The study result suggests that the combined use of pH, Na, K, Li, and Ca/Na are effective hydrochemical monitoring parameters to assess the leakage stage in silicate rocks in GCS projects. Besides, aluminum (Al) can be risky at the early stage of CO2 leakage, while Fe, Mn, U, and As at the later stage of CO2 leakage.
Comparison of Fish, Macroinvertebrates and Diatom Communities in Response to Environmental Variation in the Wei River Basin, China
Authors: Liu Linfei , Xu Zongxue , Yang Fan , Yin Xuwang , Wu Wei , Li Jisheng
Published: December 2020

Land use changes usually lead to the deterioration of freshwater ecosystems and reduced biodiversity. Aquatic organisms are considered valuable indicators for reflecting the conditions of freshwater ecosystems. Understanding the relationship between organisms and land use type, as well as physiochemical conditions, is beneficial for the management, monitoring and restoration of aquatic ecosystems. In this study, fish, macroinvertebrates, and diatoms were investigated at 60 sampling sites in the Wei River basin from October 2012 to April 2013 to determine the relationships between the environment and aquatic organisms. The richness, abundance, Shannon diversity, evenness, Margalef diversity, and Simpson diversity were selected as biological indices for analyzing the correlation between these communities and environmental variables according to Pearson’s coefficient. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) was used to analyze the relationship between the biotic communities and environmental variables. The results showed that three diatom indices were weakly correlated with chemical oxygen demand (COD), qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index (QH), and dissolved oxygen (DO). Four macroinvertebrate indices were associated with total phosphorus (TP) while total nitrogen (TN), and agricultural land (AL) had a significant influence on assemblages, suggesting that macroinvertebrates could respond to nutrient levels in the Wei River basin. All land use types had a strong effect on fish indices except AL, indicating that fish would be better used as indicators of spatial changes in the aquatic ecosystem. In conclusion, fish and macroinvertebrates have the potential for use in routine monitoring programs in the Wei River basin.