bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mobile phone text-messaging interventions aimed to prevent cardiovascular diseases (Text2PreventCVD): systematic review and individual patient data meta-analysis
Authors: Shariful Islam Sheikh Mohammed , Farmer Andrew J , Bobrow Kirsten , Maddison Ralph , Whittaker Robyn , Pfaeffli Dale Leila Anne , Lechner Andreas , Lear Scott , Eapen Zubin , Niessen Louis Wilhelmus , Santo Karla , Stepien Sandrine , Redfern Julie , Rodgers Anthony , Chow Clara K
Published: October 2019

Background

A variety of small mobile phone text-messaging interventions have indicated improvement in risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Yet the extent of this improvement and whether it impacts multiple risk factors together is uncertain. We aimed to conduct a systematic review and individual patient data (IPD) meta-analysis to investigate the effects of text-messaging interventions for CVD prevention.

Methods

Electronic databases were searched to identify trials investigating a text-messaging intervention focusing on CVD prevention with the potential to modify at least two CVD risk factors in adults. The main outcome was blood pressure (BP). We conducted standard and IPD meta-analysis on pooled data. We accounted for clustering of patients within studies and the primary analysis used random-effects models. Sensitivity and subgroup analyses were performed.

Results

Nine trials were included in the systematic review involving 3779 participants and 5 (n=2612) contributed data to the IPD meta-analysis. Standard meta-analysis showed that the weighted mean differences are as follows: systolic blood pressure (SBP), −4.13 mm Hg (95% CI −11.07 to 2.81, p<0.0001); diastolic blood pressure (DBP), −1.11 mm Hg (−1.91 to −0.31, p=0.002); and body mass index (BMI), −0.32 (−0.49 to −0.16, p=0.000). In the IPD meta-analysis, the mean difference are as follows: SBP, −1.3 mm Hg (−5.4 to 2.7, p=0.5236); DBP, −0.8 mm Hg (−2.5 to 1.0, p=0.3912); and BMI, −0.2 (−0.8 to 0.4, p=0.5200) in the random-effects model. The impact on other risk factors is described, but there were insufficient data to conduct meta-analyses.

Conclusion

Mobile phone text-messaging interventions have modest impacts on BP and BMI. Simultaneous but small impacts on multiple risk factors are likely to be clinically relevant and improve outcome, but there are currently insufficient data in pooled analyses to examine the extent to which simultaneous reduction in multiple risk factors occurs.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42016033236.
The contribution of effective quantum gravity to the high energy scattering in the framework of modified perturbation theory and one loop approximation
Authors: Han Nguyen Suan , Ha Do Thu , Xuan Nguyen Nhu
Published: October 2019

The asymptotic behavior of the scattering amplitude for two scalar particles at high energies with fixed momentum transfers is studied. The study is done within the effective theory of quantum gravity based on quasi-potential equation. By using the modified perturbation theory, a systematic method is developed to find the leading eikonal scattering amplitudes together with corrections to them in the one-loop gravitational approximation. The relation is established and discussed between the solutions obtained by means of the operator and functional approaches applied to quasi-potential equation. The first non-leading corrections to the leading eikonal amplitude are found.
Anisotropic Tolman VII solution by gravitational decoupling
Authors: Hensh Sudipta , Stuchlík Zdeněk
Published: October 2019

Using the gravitational decoupling by the minimal geometric deformation approach, we build an anisotropic version of the well-known Tolman VII solution, determining an exact and physically acceptable interior two-fluid solution that can represent behavior of compact objects. Comparison of the effective density and density of the perfect fluid is demonstrated explicitly. We show that the radial and tangential pressure are different in magnitude giving thus the anisotropy of the modified Tolman VII solution. The dependence of the anisotropy on the coupling constant is also shown.
Improvements of Directed Automated Random Testing in Test Data Generation for C++ Projects
Authors: Nguyen Duc-Anh , Huong Tran Nguyen , Dinh Hieu Vo , Hung Pham Ngoc
Published: October 2019

This paper improves the breadth-first search strategy in directed automated random testing (DART) to generate a fewer number of test data while gaining higher branch coverage, namely Static DART or SDART for short. In addition, the paper extends the test data compilation mechanism in DART, which currently only supports the projects written in C, to generate test data for C++ projects. The main idea of SDART is when it is less likely to increase code coverage with the current path selection strategies, the static test data generation will be applied with the expectation that more branches are covered earlier. Furthermore, in order to extend the test data compilation of DART for C++ context, the paper suggests a general test driver technique for C++ which supports various types of parameters including basic types, arrays, pointers, and derived types. Currently, an experimental tool has been implemented based on the proposal in order to demonstrate its efficacy in practice. The results have shown that SDART achieves higher branch coverage with a fewer number of test data in comparison with that of DART in practice.
Mutation with Local Searching and Elite Inheritance Mechanism in Multi-Objective Optimization Algorithm: A Case Study in Software Product Line
Authors: Shi Kai , Yu Huiqun , Fan Guisheng , Guo Jianmei , Chen Liqiong , Yang Xingguang , Sun Huaiying
Published: October 2019

An effective method for addressing the configuration optimization problem (COP) in Software Product Lines (SPLs) is to deploy a multi-objective evolutionary algorithm, for example, the state-of-the-art SATIBEA. In this paper, an improved hybrid algorithm, called SATIBEA-LSSF, is proposed to further improve the algorithm performance of SATIBEA, which is composed of a multi-children generating strategy, an enhanced mutation strategy with local searching and an elite inheritance mechanism. Empirical results on the same case studies demonstrate that our algorithm significantly outperforms the state-of-the-art for four out of five SPLs on a quality Hypervolume indicator and the convergence speed. To verify the effectiveness and robustness of our algorithm, the parameter sensitivity analysis is discussed and three observations are reported in detail.
Cosmological dark sector from a mimetic–metric–torsion perspective
Authors: Ramo Chothe Hiyang , Dutta Ashim , Sur Sourav
Published: October 2019

We generalize the basic theory of mimetic gravity by extending its purview to the general metric-compatible geometries that admit torsion, in addition to curvature. This essentially implies reinstating the mimetic principle of isolating the conformal degree of freedom of gravity in presence of torsion, by parametrizing both the physical metric and torsion in terms of the scalar ‘mimetic’ field and the metric and torsion of a fiducial space. We assert the requisite torsion parametrization from an inspection of the fiducial space Cartan transformation which, together with the conformal transformation of the fiducial metric, preserves the physical metric and torsion. In formulating the scalar–tensor equivalent Lagrangian, we consider an explicit contact coupling of the mimetic field with torsion, so that the former can manifest itself geometrically as the source of a torsion mode, and most importantly, give rise to a viable ‘dark universe’ picture from a mimicry of an evolving dust-like cosmological fluid with a nonzero pressure. A further consideration of higher derivatives of the mimetic field in the Lagrangian leads to physical bounds on the mimetic–torsion coupling strength, which we determine explicitly.
Novel Thioacetal-Bridged Hollow Mesoporous Organosilica Nanoparticles with ROS-Responsive Biodegradability for Smart Drug Delivery
Authors: Lin Zeyang , Xu Long , Zhang Jianfeng , Li Zhou , Zhao Jinshun
Published: October 2019

Intelligent, efficient silica nanoparticles for drug delivery system in cancer therapy have a great application potential, but the biodegradability of silica nanoparticles becomes an intractable hindrance. In this work, novel reactive oxygen species (ROS)-responsive hollow mesoporous organosilica nanoparticles (HMONs) coated with polydopamine (PDA) biofilm and amino-terminated methoxy poly(ethylene glycol) (mPEG-NH[Formula: see text] were synthesized and applied in the smart drug delivery system (HMONs@PDA-mPEG) for the delivery of doxorubicin (DOX). The nanostructures and morphologies of nanoparticles were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), N2 adsorption/desorption, dynamic light scattering (DLS) and thermogravimetric analysis. Based on the “chemical homology” mechanism, physiologically active thioacetal-bridged silsesquioxane was molecularly incorporated into the framework of silica nanoparticles to form ROS-responsive HMONs, which was verified by the in vitro degradation experiment. The in vitro drug release profiles showed a synergistically pH-dependent and ROS-responsive drug release effect. MTT assay toward A549 cells demonstrated that drug carriers had a biocompatibility, and DOX-loaded nanoparticles (DNs) presented a concentration-dependent and time-dependent cell growth inhibition effect. In summary, the novel ROS-responsive HMONs@PDA-mPEG had a promising application as a smart drug delivery system in biomedical field.
Toward a Unified Theory of Learned Trust in Interpersonal and Human-Machine Interactions
Authors: Juvina Ion , Collins Michael G. , Larue Othalia , Kennedy William G. , Visser Ewart De , Melo Celso De
Published: October 2019

A proposal for a unified theory of learned trust implemented in a cognitive architecture is presented. The theory is instantiated as a computational cognitive model of learned trust that integrates several seemingly unrelated categories of findings from the literature on interpersonal and human-machine interactions and makes unintuitive predictions for future studies. The model relies on a combination of learning mechanisms to explain a variety of phenomena such as trust asymmetry, the higher impact of early trust breaches, the black-hat/white-hat effect, the correlation between trust and cognitive ability, and the higher resilience of interpersonal as compared to human-machine trust. In addition, the model predicts that trust decays in the absence of evidence of trustworthiness or untrustworthiness. The implications of the model for the advancement of the theory on trust are discussed. Specifically, this work suggests two more trust antecedents on the trustor's side: perceived trust necessity and cognitive ability to detect cues of trustworthiness.
Universal Social Network Bus
Authors: Angarita Rafael , Lefèvre Bruno , Ahvar Shohreh , Ahvar Ehsan , Georgantas Nikolaos , Issarny Valérie
Published: October 2019

Online Social Network Services (OSNSs) are changing the fabric of our society, impacting almost every aspect of it. Over the past few decades, an aggressive market rivalry has led to the emergence of multiple competing, “closed” OSNSs. As a result, users are trapped in the walled gardens of their OSNS, encountering restrictions about what they can do with their personal data, the people they can interact with, and the information they get access to. As an alternative to the platform lock-in, “open” OSNSs promote the adoption of open, standardized APIs. However, users still massively adopt closed OSNSs to benefit from the services’ advanced functionalities and/or follow their “friends,” although the users’ virtual social sphere is ultimately limited by the OSNSs they join. Our work aims at overcoming such a limitation by enabling users to meet and interact beyond the boundary of their OSNSs, including reaching out to “friends” of distinct closed OSNSs. We specifically introduceUniversal Social Network Bus (USNB), which revisits the “service bus” paradigm that enables interoperability across computing systems to address the requirements of “social interoperability.” USNB featuressynthetic profilesandpersonaefor interaction across the boundaries of closed and open and profile- and non-profile-based OSNSs through areference social interaction service. We ran a 1-day workshop with a panel of users who experimented with the USNB prototype to assess the potential benefits of social interoperability for social network users. Results show the positive evaluation of users for USNB, especially as an enabler of applications for civic participation. This further opens up new perspectives for future work, among which includes enforcing security and privacy guarantees.
Neural Importance Sampling
Authors: Müller Thomas , Mcwilliams Brian , Rousselle Fabrice , Gross Markus , Novák Jan
Published: October 2019

We propose to use deep neural networks for generating samples in Monte Carlo integration. Our work is based on non-linear independent components estimation (NICE), which we extend in numerous ways to improve performance and enable its application to integration problems. First, we introduce piecewise-polynomial coupling transforms that greatly increase the modeling power of individual coupling layers. Second, we propose to preprocess the inputs of neural networks using one-blob encoding, which stimulates localization of computation and improves inference. Third, we derive a gradient-descent-based optimization for the Kullback-Leibler and the χ
2
divergence for the specific application of Monte Carlo integration with unnormalized stochastic estimates of the target distribution. Our approach enables fast and accurate inference and efficient sample generation independently of the dimensionality of the integration domain. We show its benefits on generating natural images and in two applications to light-transport simulation: first, we demonstrate learning of joint path-sampling densities in the primary sample space and importance sampling of multi-dimensional path prefixes thereof. Second, we use our technique to extract conditional directional densities driven by the product of incident illumination and the BSDF in the rendering equation, and we leverage the densities for path guiding. In all applications, our approach yields on-par or higher performance than competing techniques at equal sample count.
Output-based Intermediate Representation for Translation of Test-pattern Program
Authors: Kim Minsu , Park Jeong-Keun , Kim Sungyeol , Yang Insu , Jung Hyunsoo , Moon Soo-Mook
Published: October 2019

An
Intermediate Representation
(IR) used by compilers is normally generated
statically
, as a result of parsing or analyzing the source program. This paper proposes a completely different type of IR, generated as a result of running the source program, the
output-based IR
. There is a practical translation problem where such an IR is useful, in the domain of
test-pattern programs
.

Test-pattern programs run on ATE (automatic test equipment), a special embedded system to test semiconductors such as DRAMs. They generate a pattern for each clock, a bit vector input to the pins of the chip. One issue is that different ATEs require different programming since each ATE manufacturer has its own programming language. Nonetheless, we should be able to test a memory chip on different ATEs as long as they generate the same patterns with the same speed. Therefore, a memory chipmaker wants to make a pattern program portable across ATEs, to fully utilize their ATE resources.

One solution is translating between pattern programs, for which we need an IR since there are multiple source ATEs and target ATEs. Instead of a conventional, static IR, we propose using the output pattern itself as an IR. Since the pattern is independent of ATEs and easily obtainable, the output-based IR obviates designing a static IR considering all ATE programming languages and hardware differences. Moreover, we might synthesize a better target program from the IR, more optimized to the target ATE. However, the full pattern generated by a product-level pattern program is huge, so we propose using an IR of abbreviated patterns, annotated with the repetition information obtained while executing the source program. Our experimental results with product-level pattern programs show that our approach is feasible.
READY
Authors: Silva Lucas Bragança Da , Ferreira Ricardo , Canesche Michael , Menezes Marcelo M. , Vieira Maria D. , Penha Jeronimo , Jamieson Peter , Nacif José Augusto M.
Published: October 2019

In this work, we propose a framework called REconfigurable Accelerator DeploY (READY), the first framework to support polynomial runtime mapping of dataflow applications in high-performance CPU-FPGA platforms. READY introduces an efficient mapping with fine-grained multithreading onto an overlay architecture that hides the latency of a global interconnection network. In addition to our overlay architecture, we show how this system helps solve some of the challenges for FPGA cloud computing adoption in high-performance computing. The framework encapsulates dataflow descriptions by using a target independent, high-level API, and a dataflow model that allows for explicit spatial and temporal parallelism. READY directly maps the dataflow kernels onto the accelerator. Our tool is flexible and extensible and provides the infrastructure to explore different accelerator designs. We validate READY on the Intel Harp platform, and our experimental results show an average 2x execution runtime improvement when compared to an 8-thread multi-core processor.
Analyzing Variable Entanglement for Parallel Simulation of SystemC TLM-2.0 Models
Authors: Cheng Zhongqi , Dömer Rainer
Published: October 2019

The SystemC TLM-2.0 standard is widely used in modern electronic system level design for better interoperability and higher simulation speed. However, TLM-2.0 has been identified as an obstacle for
parallel
SystemC simulation due to the disappearance of channels. Without a containment construct, simulation threads are permitted to directly access data of other modules and that makes it difficult to synchronize such accesses as required by the SystemC execution semantics. In this paper, we propose a compile time approach to statically analyze potential conflicts among threads in SystemC TLM-2.0 loosely- and approximately-timed models. We introduce a new Socket Call Path technique which provides the compiler with socket binding information for precise static analysis. We also propose an algorithm to analyze entangled variable pairs. Experimental results show that our approach is able to support automatically safe parallel simulation of SystemC models with TLM-2.0 Blocking Transport Interface, Direct Memory Interface and Non-blocking Transport Interface, resulting in impressive simulation speeds.
DWMAcc
Authors: Chen Zhengguo , Deng Quan , Xiao Nong , Pruhs Kirk , Zhang Youtao
Published: October 2019

PIM (processing-in-memory) based hardware accelerators have shown great potentials in addressing the computation and memory access intensity of modern CNNs (convolutional neural networks). While adopting NVM (non-volatile memory) helps to further mitigate the storage and energy consumption overhead, adopting quantization, e.g., shift-based quantization, helps to tradeoff the computation overhead and the accuracy loss, integrating both NVM and quantization in hardware accelerators leads to sub-optimal acceleration.

In this paper, we exploit the natural shift property of DWM (domain wall memory) to devise DWMAcc, a DWM-based accelerator with asymmetrical storage of weight and input data, to speed up the inference phase of shift-based CNNs. DWMAcc supports flexible shift operations to enable fast processing with low performance and area overhead. We then optimize it with
zero-sharing
,
input-reuse
, and
weight-share
schemes. Our experimental results show that, on average, DWMAcc achieves 16.6× performance improvement and 85.6× energy consumption reduction over a state-of-the-art SRAM based design.
Honey, I Shrunk the ELFs
Authors: Ziegler Andreas , Geus Julian , Heinloth Bernhard , Hönig Timo , Lohmann Daniel
Published: October 2019

In the embedded domain, industrial sectors (i.e., automotive industry, avionics) are undergoing radical changes. They broadly adopt commodity hardware and move away from special-purpose control units. During this transition, heterogeneous software components are consolidated to run on commodity operating systems.

To efficiently consolidate such components, a modular encapsulation of common functionality into reusable binary files (i.e., shared libraries) is essential. However, shared libraries are often unnecessarily large as they entail a lot of generic functionality that is not required in a narrowly defined scenario. As the source code of proprietary components is often unavailable and the industry is heading towards binary-only distribution, we propose an approach towards
lightweight binary tailoring
.

As demonstrated in the evaluation, lightweight binary tailoring effectively reduces the amount of code in all shared libraries on a Linux-based system by 63 percent and shrinks their files by 17 percent. The reduction in size is beneficial to cut down costs (e.g., lower storage and memory footprint) and eases code analyses that are necessary for code audits.
Structural Test Coverage Criteria for Deep Neural Networks
Authors: Sun Youcheng , Huang Xiaowei , Kroening Daniel , Sharp James , Hill Matthew , Ashmore Rob
Published: October 2019

Deep neural networks (DNNs) have a wide range of applications, and software employing them must be thoroughly tested, especially in safety-critical domains. However, traditional software test coverage metrics cannot be applied directly to DNNs. In this paper, inspired by the MC/DC coverage criterion, we propose a family of four novel test coverage criteria that are tailored to structural features of DNNs and their semantics. We validate the criteria by demonstrating that test inputs that are generated with guidance by our proposed coverage criteria are able to capture undesired behaviours in a DNN. Test cases are generated using a symbolic approach and a gradient-based heuristic search. By comparing them with existing methods, we show that our criteria achieve a balance between their ability to find bugs (proxied using adversarial examples and correlation with functional coverage) and the computational cost of test input generation. Our experiments are conducted on state-of-the-art DNNs obtained using popular open source datasets, including MNIST, CIFAR-10 and ImageNet.
Worst-case Satisfaction of STL Specifications Using Feedforward Neural Network Controllers
Authors: Yaghoubi Shakiba , Fainekos Georgios
Published: October 2019

In this paper, a reinforcement learning approach for designing feedback neural network controllers for nonlinear systems is proposed. Given a Signal Temporal Logic (STL) specification which needs to be satisfied by the system over a set of initial conditions, the neural network parameters are tuned in order to maximize the satisfaction of the STL formula. The framework is based on a max-min formulation of the robustness of the STL formula. The maximization is solved through a Lagrange multipliers method, while the minimization corresponds to a falsification problem. We present our results on a vehicle and a quadrotor model and demonstrate that our approach reduces the training time more than 50 percent compared to the baseline approach.
Model Predictive Control with a Visuomotor System for Physics-based Character Animation
Authors: Eom Haegwang , Han Daseong , Shin Joseph S. , Noh Junyong
Published: October 2019

This article presents a Model Predictive Control framework with a visuomotor system that synthesizes eye and head movements coupled with physics-based full-body motions while placing visual attention on objects of importance in the environment. As the engine of this framework, we propose a visuomotor system based on human visual perception and full-body dynamics with contacts. Relying on partial observations with uncertainty from a simulated visual sensor, an optimal control problem for this system leads to a Partially Observable Markov Decision Process, which is difficult to deal with. We approximate it as a deterministic belief Markov Decision Process for effective control. To obtain a solution for the problem efficiently, we adopt differential dynamic programming, which is a powerful scheme to find a locally optimal control policy for nonlinear system dynamics. Guided by a reference skeletal motion without any
a priori
gaze information, our system produces realistic eye and head movements together with full-body motions for various tasks such as catching a thrown ball, walking on stepping stones, balancing after being pushed, and avoiding moving obstacles.
Is Natural Capital Really Substitutable?
Authors: Cohen François , Hepburn Cameron J. , Teytelboym Alexander
Published: October 2019

The extent to which natural capital can be substituted with manufactured or human capital in production is a key determinant of the possibility of long-run sustainable economic development. We review empirical literature pertaining to the degree of substitutability between natural capital and other forms of capital. We find that most available substitutability estimates do not stand up to careful scrutiny. Moreover, accurate substitutability estimates are even more difficult to produce for unpriced or mispriced resources. Finally, we provide evidence from industrial energy use, and agricultural land use, that suggests substitutability of natural capital with other forms of capital may be low to moderate.
Legal Mobilization and Authoritarianism
Authors: Chua Lynette J.
Published: October 2019

Studies about authoritarianism build the foundation of legal mobilization scholarship and continue to advance this area of sociolegal research. The contributions of these studies become apparent when we view authoritarianism as a phenomenon found in all societies. Authoritarian regimes exist as nation states and as enclaves, such as subnational territories, institutions, and social spaces. Scholars who examine whether and how people use the law in diverse authoritarian settings bring out the malleable, situational, and plural nature of legal power. Law, in collaboration or complicity with other sources of power, can impede legal mobilization. Nevertheless, individuals and groups can use the law to challenge authoritarianism by carrying out formal, quasi-formal, or nonformal legal actions, an array of strategies and tactics that encompass more than courtroom litigation. Overall, the outcomes of legal mobilization under authoritarianism are mixed and paradoxical. Sometimes law can benefit disadvantaged populations living under authoritarianism. However, law is also criticized for being ineffective, even harmful. Examined in light of the notion that authoritarianism is all over, legal mobilization research offers keen reflections on the study of legal power.
Peripheral Histories of International Law
Authors: Obregón Liliana
Published: October 2019

Peripheral international legal histories are considered a new subfield of the discipline's historiography, though there is no defined canon, chronology, or accepted set of theoretical questions or conflicts. Despite the absence of an established literature, this review argues that peripheral histories of international law challenge the linear narrative that a European international legal system was unquestioned and easily incorporated by the new non-European states that surged in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. This overview looks at several forms of approaching the literature that differ in methodology but share a (partial or complete) challenge to a coherent universal international law and a homogeneous forward-looking global project.
Linguistic Perspectives on Register
Authors: Goulart Larissa , Gray Bethany , Staples Shelley , Black Amanda , Shelton Aisha , Biber Douglas , Egbert Jesse , Wizner Stacey
Published: October 2019

Language users change their written and spoken language according to the situational characteristics and communicative purpose of production—that is, according to the register being produced. Research on registers has focused on register description or patterns of register variation, on detailed analysis of individual linguistic features or an account for the use of a broad range of linguistic features, and on the distinction between written and spoken registers. In this review, we survey register studies according to the register being investigated: spoken, written, electronic/online, literary, or historical. This survey also shows that recent register studies have focused on more specialized written and spoken domains and that the use of corpus linguistics tools and advanced statistical methods such as multidimensional analysis has allowed for broad analyses of the language used in different registers. Finally, we point to areas of register research that need further investigation.
EIS_Response_Non-planar_Interdigitated_microelectrode_Communication_Paper_JECS
Authors: Basuray Sagnik
Published: October 2019

Top and bottom microelectrode glass slide sandwich es a channel made of adhesive tape and packed with reduced graphene oxide to make a new non-planar interdigitated microfluidic device. Novel device integration allows the packing of any transducer material at room temperature with no instrument. The electrical impedance spectroscopy signal is stable over long times, fits an equivalent circuit with well-defined circuit elements. Flow visualization concurs that electric double layer signal shifts to high frequency due to the disruption of the diffusive process from the increased convective flow. Charge transfer resistance appears at higher frequencies making the device rapid with high signal to noise ratio.
Renal Effects of Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors and Angiotensin Receptor Blockers in Patients with Liver Cirrhosis: A Nationwide Cohort Study
Authors: Hsu Wei-Fan , Yu Shi-Hang , Lin Jaw-Town , Wu Jaw-Ching , Hou Ming-Chih , Huang Yi-Hsiang , Wu Chun-Ying , Peng Cheng-Yuan
Published: October 2019

Background. The use of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEis) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) carries a risk of renal function deterioration in cirrhotic patients with ascites. However, whether the long-term use of ACEis/ARBs is safe in cirrhotic patients without ascites remains unknown. Methods. In this nationwide cohort study, we identified 311,361 newly diagnosed cirrhotic patients between January 1997 and December 2013. To avoid indication and immortal time biases, patients receiving regular ACEi/ARB therapy, defined as the ACEi/ARB cohort, were matched to patients receiving regular calcium channel blockers (CCBs), defined as the CCB cohort, at a ratio of 1 : 1 by age, sex, and propensity scores for comorbidities and medications (2,188 patients in each cohort). Cumulative incidence rates and multivariate analyses of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) risk were adjusted for competing mortality. Results. The 10-year cumulative incidence rates of ESRD were 2.32% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.45–3.20) in the ACEi/ARB cohort and 1.70% (95% CI: 1.03–2.36) in the CCB cohort (P=0.610). In multivariate analyses, ACEi/ARB use was not associated with a higher risk of ESRD in cirrhotic patients (hazard ratio HR=1.15; 95% CI: 0.69–1.94, P=0.591). In the sensitivity test, the 10-year cumulative incidence rates of ESRD in cirrhotic patients with ascites were 6.50% (95% CI: 0.54–12.46) and 1.24% (95% CI: 0.00–2.71) in ACEi/ARB and CCB cohorts, respectively (P=0.090). Conclusions. Long-term ACEi/ARB use was not associated with a higher risk of ESRD in cirrhotic patients. However, the risk of ESRD tended to increase in cirrhotic patients with ascites.
Assessment of Serum Vitamin D Levels in Patients with Vitiligo in Jordan: A Case-Control Study
Authors: Alshiyab Diala M. , Al-qarqaz Firas A. , Heis Leen H. , Muhaidat Jihan M. , Eddin Wlla S. , Atwan Ausama A.
Published: October 2019

Background. Low vitamin D serum levels have been associated with many autoimmune disorders and several other skin diseases. Vitiligo is an autoimmune disease characterized by destruction of melanocytes by immune mechanisms. Melanocytes express vitamin D receptors, and their function can be affected by vitamin D status. Objectives. The main objective of this study is to compare vitamin D levels in patients with vitiligo vs normal population and whether vitamin D deficiency is associated with vitiligo. Methods. A case-control study was conducted. 100 vitiligo patients and 100 as controls were included in this study. Serum vitamin D level was measured for both vitiligo patients and controls, results were compared, and statistical analysis was done to compare the results. Results. The median age of vitiligo cases was 23 years (ranges, 2–80). 58% of vitiligo patients were females. The median vitamin D level was not significantly different between the two groups (vitiligo = 14.1 (IQR 9.9–20.4) vs control = 16.5 (IQR 10.3–25.3) (P=0.28)). Most vitiligo cases and controls were found to have low levels of vitamin D (either insufficient 20–30 ng/mL or low <20 ng/mL). Conclusions. There was no significant difference in vitamin D levels in vitiligo patients compared to controls. However, vitamin D levels were generally low in both groups.
Simple Label-Free Electrochemical Immunosensor in a Microchamber for Detecting Newcastle Disease Virus
Authors: Tran Luyen Thi , Tran Thinh Quang , Ho Ha Phu , Chu Xuan Thi , Mai Tuan Anh
Published: October 2019

In this study, a simple, label-free, electrochemical immunosensor system, including a three-electrode transducer and a microchamber, was designed, fabricated, and integrated with focus toward the detection of Newcastle disease virus (NDV). The chicken egg yolk antibodies (IgY) against NDV were used as the biological recognition element, replacing purified IgG antibodies that require a complex extraction process and time-consuming. The IgY against NDV was immobilized on the sensor surface using PrA/GA and SAM/NHS approaches. The immunosensor showed high sensitivity with NDV concentrations ranging from 106 to 102 EID50/mL with good specificity, repeatability, and small standard deviations. Compared to traditional methods, the immunosensor with advantages such as simple fabrication, quick response, direct detection, and possibility for miniaturization by integrating the immunosensor with the microchamber is potential for applications in contamination studies and field measurements.
Air Target Threat Assessment Based on Improved Moth Flame Optimization‐Gray Neural Network Model
Authors: Yue Longfei , Yang Rennong , Zuo Jialiang , Luo Hao , Li Qiuliang
Published: October 2019

Air target threat assessment is a key issue in air defense operations. Aiming at the shortcomings of traditional threat assessment methods, such as one‐sided, subjective, and low‐accuracy, a new method of air target threat assessment based on gray neural network model (GNNM) optimized by improved moth flame optimization (IMFO) algorithm is proposed. The model fully combines with excellent optimization performance of IMFO with powerful learning performance of GNNM. Finally, the model is trained and evaluated using the target threat database data. The simulation results show that compared with the GNNM model and the MFO‐GNNM model, the proposed model has a mean square error of only 0.0012 when conducting threat assessment, which has higher accuracy and evaluates 25 groups of targets in 10 milliseconds, which meets real‐time requirements. Therefore, the model can be effectively used for air target threat assessment.
Portal Vein Embolization with PVA and Coils before Major Hepatectomy: Single-Center Retrospective Analysis in Sixty-Four Patients
Authors: Camelo R. , Luz J. H. , Gomes F. V. , Coimbra E. , Costa N. V. , Bilhim T.
Published: October 2019

Objectives. Portal vein embolization (PVE) stimulates hypertrophy of the future liver remnant (FLR) and improves the safety of extended hepatectomy. This study evaluated the efficacy of PVE, performed with PVA and coils, in relation to its effect on FLR volume and ratio. Secondary endpoints were the assessment of PVE complications, accomplishment of liver surgery, and patient outcome after hepatectomy. Materials and Methods. All patients who underwent PVE before planned major hepatectomy between 2013 and 2017 were retrospectively analyzed, comprising a total of 64 patients. Baseline patient clinical characteristics, imaging records, liver volumetric changes, complications, and outcomes were analyzed. Results. There were 45 men and 19 women with a mean age of 64 years. Colorectal liver metastasis was the most frequent liver tumor. The majority of patients (n = 53) had a right PVE. FLR increased from a mean value of 484 ml ± 242 to 654 ml ± 287 p<0.001 after PVE. Two major complications were experienced after PVE: 1 case of left hepatic artery branch laceration and 1 case of hemoperitoneum and hemothorax. A total of 44 (69%) patients underwent liver surgery. Twenty-one patients were not taken to surgery due to disease progression (n = 18), liver insufficiency (n = 1), and insufficient FLR volume (n = 1), and one patient declined surgery (n = 1). Conclusions. PVE with PVA and coils was accomplished safely and promoted a high FLR hypertrophy yield, enabling most of our patients to be submitted to the potentially curative treatment of liver tumor resection.
Self-Designed Hydrophilicity-Related Geomaterials and Their Testing Utility in Simulation of Overlying Strata Instability
Authors: Zha Hao , Liu Weiqun , Liu Qinghong
Published: October 2019

This paper mainly involved the testing of self-designed hydrophilicity-related geomaterials and application of overlying strata monitoring in a mining area in Northwest China. We employed the orthogonal testing technique to select the ingredient ratio of hydrophilicity-related geomaterials and optimized the mechanical properties of materials, such as density, elastic modulus, Poisson ratio, compressive strength, tensile strength, and water absorption rate on the basis of regression analysis. It can be seen that the proportion of the mixture clearly determines the mechanical properties of similar materials. Among them, the content of silicone oil and the cement-Vaseline ratio have the most obvious effects on the mechanical properties of the material. By using the hydrophilicity-related geomaterials with ingredient optimization, we built a physical model to simulate the failure progress of the workface in one of the coal mines in Northwest China. It was shown that three remarkable characteristic parts, including collapse zone, fissure zone, and layer-separating space, appear in the overlying strata. Furthermore, the fractured zone above the separating band is just located under the main aquifer. Finally, compared with in-field data, it was verified that the height of the collapse zone and water-guiding fissure zone measured at three boreholes are in good agreement with the experiment. Thus, the failure mode of overburden and the vertical stress and displacement changes are consistent with the actual engineering. Self-developed hydrophilicity-related geomaterials can be applied to laboratory physical simulation experiments of overlying strata. It provides the basis for future research on large-scale physical water-containing similar simulation experiments.
An Efficient and Practical Method for the Synthesis of Saxagliptin Intermediate 2-(3-Hydroxy-1-adamantane)-2-oxoacetic Acid and Its Optimization
Authors: Liao Qi , Jiang Lan , Li Cong , Shen Yaling , Wang Min , Cao Chengkun , Hu Xiangnan
Published: October 2019

A mild and relatively simple way for preparation of 2-(3-hydroxy-1-adamantane)-2-oxoacetic acid (I) was reported. It was prepared from 1-adamantanecarboxylic acid (II) via sulfuric acid/nitric acid to get 3-hydroxy-1-adamantanecarboxylic acid (III); treated with the one-pot method through acylation, condensation, and decarboxylation to obtain 3-hydroxy-1-acetyladamantane (IV); and finally oxidized by potassium permanganate (KMnO4) to get the target compound (I). The overall yield was about 60%, which provides a new idea for commercial production of saxagliptin intermediate.
Appraisal of Health Maintenance Organisations’ Performance in the Nigerian Healthcare Service Sector
Authors: Akinbode James O. , Sokefun Eniola A. , Aremu Muideen O.
Published: October 2019

The quality of healthcare service delivery under the existing health maintenance organisations (HMOs) in Nigeria has been a major concern to enrollees who have contested the value received from their respective HMO accredited hospitals under the program. This paper appraised health maintenance organisations’ performance in the Nigerian healthcare service sector capturing enrollees’ experience on the issues of access, responsiveness, and quality of healthcare service choice to measure the success or failure of the program since inception. The study adopted survey design with three hundred forty enrollees of ten leading HMOs in Nigeria that operate in different parts of Lagos Metropolis. Data collected were analysed with relevant descriptive and inferential statistics while hypotheses tested were at 0.05 level of significance. Findings revealed that HMO accredited hospitals have not ensured adequate access of enrollees to healthcare services, their responsiveness to enrollees’ healthcare requests have not been impressive, and quality of healthcare services to enrollees have also not been excellent. Based on the findings, the study recommends that HMOs and government should improve on monitoring the quality of healthcare service delivery at their accredited hospitals and concluded that the performance of the HMOs in the area of healthcare service delivery is not world class when it comes to access, responsiveness, and quality of service delivery.
Association of Galectin-3 and Soluble ST2, and Their Changes, with Echocardiographic Parameters and Development of Heart Failure after ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Tymińska Agata , Kapłon-Cieślicka Agnieszka , Ozierański Krzysztof , Budnik Monika , Wancerz Anna , Sypień Piotr , Peller Michał , Balsam Paweł , Opolski Grzegorz , Filipiak Krzysztof J.
Published: October 2019

Purpose. To investigate the association of galectin-3 (Gal-3) and soluble ST2 (sST2) and their follow-up changes with the development of heart failure (HF) and echocardiographic parameters of HF (ejection fraction, atrial and ventricular size, left ventricular hypertrophy, e′, and E/e′) in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI). Methods. A prospective, observational study, BIOSTRAT (Biomarkers for Risk Stratification After STEMI), enrolled 117 patients between October 2014 and April 2017. Gal-3 and sST2 serum collection and echocardiography were performed twice (during index hospitalization and on a control visit at one-year follow-up). The primary endpoint was HF onset at one-year follow-up. Secondary assessments included associations of biomarker concentration with echocardiographic indices of systolic and diastolic dysfunction at baseline and at one year. Results. Mean baseline concentrations of Gal-3 and sST2 (7.5 and 26.4 ng/mL, respectively) were significantly increased at one-year follow-up (8.5 ng/mL and p<0.001 and 31.4 ng/mL and p=0.001, respectively). Patients who reached the primary endpoint (50 patients (48%)) had significantly higher baseline concentrations of both biomarkers and a higher Gal-3 level at one year compared to patients who did not. Both Gal-3 and sST2 were predictors of the primary endpoint in univariate logistic regression analysis, but only Gal-3 remained significant in multivariate analysis. There was no clear association between both biomarkers and echocardiographic parameters. Conclusions. Baseline, but not one-year, changes of Gal-3 and sST2 concentrations may be useful for risk stratification after STEMI. However, only Gal-3 was the independent predictor of HF development at one-year observation. This trial is registered with NCT03735719.
A Stochastic Optimal Regulator for a Class of Nonlinear Systems
Authors: Mavelli Gabriella , Palombo Giovanni , Palumbo Pasquale
Published: October 2019

This work investigates an optimal control problem for a class of stochastic differential bilinear systems, affected by a persistent disturbance provided by a nonlinear stochastic exogenous system (nonlinear drift and multiplicative state noise). The optimal control problem aims at minimizing the average value of a standard quadratic‐cost functional on a finite horizon. It has been supposed that neither the state of the system nor the state of the exosystem is directly measurable (incomplete information case). The approach is based on the Carleman embedding, which allows to approximate the nonlinear stochastic exosystem in the form of a bilinear system (linear drift and multiplicative noise) with respect to an extended state that includes the state Kronecker powers up to a chosen degree. This way the stochastic optimal control problem may be restated in a bilinear setting and the optimal solution is provided among all the affine transformations of the measurements. The present work is a nontrivial extension of previous work of the authors, where the Carleman approach was exploited in a framework where only additive noises had been conceived for the state and for the exosystem. Numerical simulations support theoretical results by showing the improvements in the regulator performances by increasing the order of the approximation.
Probody Therapeutics: An Emerging Class of Therapies Designed to Enhance On-Target Effects with Reduced Off-Tumor Toxicity for Use in Immuno-Oncology
Authors: Autio Karen A. , Boni Valentina , Humphrey Rachel W. , Naing Aung
Published: October 2019

The deep and durable antitumor effects of antibody-based immunotherapies such as immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have revolutionized oncology and transformed the therapeutic landscape for many cancers. Several anti–programmed death receptor 1 and anti–programmed death receptor ligand 1 antibodies have been approved for use in advanced solid tumors, including melanoma, non–small cell lung cancer, bladder cancer, and other cancers. ICIs are under development across many tumor types and preliminary results are compelling. However, ICIs have been associated with severe immune-related adverse events (irAEs), including rash, diarrhea, colitis, hypophysitis, hepatotoxicity, and hypothyroidism, which in some cases lead to high morbidity, are potentially life-threatening, and limit the duration of treatment. The incidence of severe irAEs increases further when programmed cell death-1 and programmed cell death ligand-1 inhibitors are combined with anti–CTLA-4 and/or other multidrug regimens. Probody therapeutics, a new class of recombinant, proteolytically activated antibody prodrugs are in early development and are designed to exploit the hallmark of dysregulation of tumor protease activity to deliver their therapeutic effects within the tumor microenvironment (TME) rather than peripheral tissue. TME targeting, rather than systemic targeting, may reduce irAEs in tissues distant from the tumor. Probody therapeutic technology has been applied to multiple antibody formats, including immunotherapies, Probody drug conjugates, and T-cell–redirecting bispecific Probody therapeutics. In preclinical models, Probody therapeutics have consistently maintained anticancer activity with improved safety in animals compared with the non-Probody parent antibody. In the clinical setting, Probody therapeutics may expand or create therapeutic windows for anticancer therapies.