bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Qubit exchange interactions from permutations of classical bits
Authors: Elze Hans-Thomas
Published: February 2020

In order to prepare for the introduction of dynamical many-body and, eventually, field theoretical models, we show here that quantum mechanical exchange interactions in a three-spin chain can emerge from the deterministic dynamics of three classical Ising spins. States of the latter form an ontological basis, which will be discussed with reference to the ontology proposed in the Cellular Automaton Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics by ’t[Formula: see text]Hooft. Our result illustrates a new Baker–Campbell–Hausdorff (BCH) formula with terminating series expansion.
The addition and subtraction of quantum matrix based on GNEQR
Authors: Li Hai-Sheng , Xu Yusi , Qin Yunbai , Fu Deli , Xia Hai-Ying
Published: February 2020

The efficient quantum circuits of arithmetic operations are important to perform quantum algorithms. To implement efficient matrix operations, we first modify the generalized model of the novel enhanced quantum representation of digital images (GNEQR) to store unsigned and signed integer matrices. Next, we design the circuits of the circuits of quantum addition, quantum modulo addition, quantum subtraction, and quantum modulo subtraction, these operations all keeping two operands unchanged. Then, we propose the circuits of quantum matrix addition, quantum matrix modulo addition, quantum matrix subtraction, and quantum matrix modulo subtraction for the first time. Furthermore, we present a simulation method to verify the correctness of the proposed arithmetic operations of matrix. The results of simulation experiment show that the propose arithmetic operations of matrix are efficient and correct.
Experimental Investigation on the Performance of the Air-based Standing Wave Thermoacoustic Refrigerator using Heat Pipe as Heat Exchangers
Authors: Chaiwongsa Praitoon , Wongwises Somchai
Published: February 2020

The coefficient of performance (COP) and relative coefficient of performance (COPR) of the standing wave thermoacoustic refrigerator (SWTAR) were investigated. The components of the SWTAR are a resonator tube, a stainless-steel bowl-shaped resonator cone, a commercial loudspeaker, a spiral stack, a cold side heat exchanger (CSHX) with miniature heat pipes (MHPs) and a hot side heat exchanger (HSHX). An operating frequency of 163[Formula: see text]Hz was used in this study, with an acoustic power (AP) supply of 10, 20 and 30[Formula: see text]W. Cooling loads were heat provided from a thermoelectric module (TEM) by joining the hot side of the TEM to the copper heat absorber and transferring heat to the CSHX through MHPs. The COP of the SWTAR increased with increasing cooling load. The slopes of the COP curves decreased with increasing AP. The COPR of the SWTAR increased with increasing cooling load until it was approximately 30% of AP.
Building the future of the geoscience community in Asia: CCOP beyond history and borders
Authors: Lee Young Joo , Tulyatid Dhiti , Uzarraga Marivic , Kwak Jisoo , Seo Juhee
Published: February 2020

The Coordinating Committee for Geoscience Programmes in East and SE Asia (CCOP) is an intergovernmental geoscience organization based in Bangkok, Thailand. CCOP currently comprises 15 member countries in East and SE Asia; it has provided venues for various geoscientific programmes and activities in the region for over 50 years. At its inception, CCOP conducted work in geological surveys, exploration and technological cooperation in the extraction of off-shore petroleum and mineral resources in the region. In response to the needs of member countries, CCOP projects have become increasingly diverse over time, especially in the areas of groundwater resources, geohazards, global climate change and urban geology. Facing the imminent fourth industrial revolution, CCOP compiles, manages and utilizes large amounts of data collected and accumulated by its member countries, and increasingly focusses on data sharing, education and capacity building. With the vision of becoming a premier intergovernmental Earth science organization in East and SE Asia, CCOP's mission is the application of Earth science to make significant contributions to the economic development and sustainable environmental management of its member countries, enhancing their quality of life. To fulfil this mission, CCOP has developed four strategic foci: (1) outreach; (2) cooperation and partnership; (3) knowledge enhancement and sharing; and (4) data and information. Organization and management of CCOP are governed by a steering committee formed of permanent representatives from the 15 member countries and guided by recommendations from an advisory group comprising representatives from cooperating countries and organizations. The steering committee considers and endorses projects and activities planned and proposed by the technical secretariat, which oversees the management of the organization, implementing all approved plans for the benefit of all member countries as well as cooperating countries and organizations. CCOP has played important roles in providing venues for activities and collaboration on various Earth science topics, including energy and mineral resources, groundwater, geohazards, global climate change, urban geology, geoscience big data, education and outreach. CCOP also publishes regular and special publications describing its activities. In the future, CCOP will encourage non-members in the region to join as official member countries, and will further strengthen its network by conducting joint Earth science research projects with cooperating countries and organizations. CCOP will also pursue sustainability in research by establishing a system to continually nurture new Earth scientists. Furthermore, CCOP will build a cooperative network with geoscience communities in other regions to promote a sustainable Earth.
Interactive Clustering
Authors: Bae Juhee , Helldin Tove , Riveiro Maria , Nowaczyk Sławomir , Bouguelia Mohamed-Rafik , Falkman Göran
Published: February 2020

In this survey, 105 papers related to interactive clustering were reviewed according to seven perspectives: (1) on what level is the interaction happening, (2) which interactive operations are involved, (3) how user feedback is incorporated, (4) how interactive clustering is evaluated, (5) which data and (6) which clustering methods have been used, and (7) what outlined challenges there are. This article serves as a comprehensive overview of the field and outlines the state of the art within the area as well as identifies challenges and future research needs.
Decentralized Trust Management
Authors: Fan Xinxin , Liu Ling , Zhang Rui , Jing Quanliang , Bi Jingping
Published: February 2020

Decentralized trust management is used as a referral benchmark for assisting decision making by human or intelligence machines in open collaborative systems. During any given period of time, each participant may only interact with a few other participants. Simply relying on direct trust may frequently resort to random team formation. Thus, trust aggregation becomes critical. It can leverage decentralized trust management to learn about indirect trust of every participant based on past transaction experiences. This article presents alternative designs of decentralized trust management and their efficiency and robustness from three perspectives. First, we study the risk factors and adverse effects of six common threat models. Second, we review the representative trust aggregation models and trust metrics. Third, we present an in-depth analysis and comparison of these reference trust aggregation methods with respect to effectiveness and robustness. We show our comparative study results through formal analysis and experimental evaluation. This comprehensive study advances the understanding of adverse effects of present and future threats and the robustness of different trust metrics. It may also serve as a guideline for research and development of next-generation trust aggregation algorithms and services in the anticipation of risk factors and mischievous threats.
The Ideal Versus the Real
Authors: Randal Allison
Published: February 2020

The common perception in both academic literature and industry today is that virtual machines offer better security, whereas containers offer better performance. However, a detailed review of the history of these technologies and the current threats they face reveals a different story. This survey covers key developments in the evolution of virtual machines and containers from the 1950s to today, with an emphasis on countering modern misperceptions with accurate historical details and providing a solid foundation for ongoing research into the future of secure isolation for multitenant infrastructures, such as cloud and container deployments.
Generic Dynamic Data Outsourcing Framework for Integrity Verification
Authors: Etemad Mohammad , Küpçü Alptekin
Published: February 2020

Ateniese et al. proposed the Provable Data Possession (PDP) model in 2007. Following that, Erway et al. adapted the model for dynamically updatable data and called it the Dynamic Provable Data Possession (DPDP) model. The idea is that a client outsources her files to a cloud server and later challenges the server to obtain a proof of the integrity of her data. Many schemes have later been proposed for this purpose, all following a similar framework.

We analyze dynamic data outsourcing schemes for the cloud regarding security and efficiency and show a general framework for constructing such schemes that encompasses existing DPDP-like schemes as different instantiations. This generalization shows that a dynamic outsourced data integrity verification scheme can be constructed given black-box access to an implicitly-ordered authenticated data structure. Moreover, for blockless verification efficiency, a homomorphic verifiable tag scheme is also needed. We investigate the requirements and conditions these building blocks should satisfy, using which one may easily check the applicability of a given building block for dynamic data outsourcing. Our framework serves as a guideline/tutorial/survey and enables us to provide a comparison among different building blocks that existing schemes employ.
Autonomous Visual Navigation for Mobile Robots
Authors: Yasuda Yuri D. V. , Martins Luiz Eduardo G. , Cappabianco Fabio A. M.
Published: February 2020

Autonomous mobile robots are required to move throughout map the environment, locate themselves, and plan paths between positions. Vision stands out among the other senses for its richness and practicality. Even though there are well-established autonomous navigation solutions, as far as we can tell, no complete autonomous navigation system that is solely based on vision and that is suitable for dynamic indoor environments has fully succeeded. This article presents a systematic literature review of methods and techniques used to solve the complete autonomous navigation problem or its parts: localization, mapping, path planning, and locomotion. The focus of this review lays on vision-based methods for indoor environments and ground robots. A total of 121 studies were considered, comprising methods, conceptual models, and other literature reviews published between 2000 and 2017. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first systematic review about vision-based autonomous navigation suitable for dynamic indoor environments. It addresses navigation methods, autonomous navigation requirements, vision benefits, methods testing, and implementations validation. The results of this review show a deficiency in testing and validation of presented methods, poor requirements specification, and a lack of complete navigation systems in the literature. These results should encourage new works on computer vision techniques, requirements specification, development, integration, and systematic testing and validation of general navigation systems. In addition to these findings, we also present the complete methodology used for the systematic review, which provides a documentation of the process (allowing quality assessment and repeatability), the criteria for selecting and evaluating the studies, and a framework that can be used for future reviews in this research area.
Stance Detection
Authors: Küçük Dilek , Can Fazli
Published: February 2020

Automatic elicitation of semantic information from natural language texts is an important research problem with many practical application areas. Especially after the recent proliferation of online content through channels such as social media sites, news portals, and forums; solutions to problems such as sentiment analysis, sarcasm/controversy/veracity/rumour/fake news detection, and argument mining gained increasing impact and significance, revealed with large volumes of related scientific publications. In this article, we tackle an important problem from the same family and present a survey of
stance detection
in social media posts and (online) regular texts. Although stance detection is defined in different ways in different application settings, the most common definition is “automatic classification of the stance of the producer of a piece of text, towards a target, into one of these three classes: {
Favor
,
Against
,
Neither
}.” Our survey includes definitions of related problems and concepts, classifications of the proposed approaches so far, descriptions of the relevant datasets and tools, and related outstanding issues. Stance detection is a recent natural language processing topic with diverse application areas, and our survey article on this newly emerging topic will act as a significant resource for interested researchers and practitioners.
Improving Performance and Energy Consumption in Embedded Systems via Binary Acceleration: A Survey
Authors: Paulino Nuno , Ferreira João Canas , Cardoso João M. P.
Published: February 2020

The breakdown of Dennard scaling has resulted in a decade-long stall of the maximum operating clock frequencies of processors. To mitigate this issue, computing shifted to multi-core devices. This introduced the need for programming flows and tools that facilitate the expression of workload parallelism at high abstraction levels. However, not all workloads are easily parallelizable, and the minor improvements to processor cores have not significantly increased single-threaded performance. Simultaneously, Instruction Level Parallelism in applications is considerably underexplored. This article reviews notable approaches that focus on exploiting this potential parallelism via automatic generation of specialized hardware from binary code. Although research on this topic spans over more than 20 years, automatic acceleration of software via translation to hardware has gained new importance with the recent trend toward reconfigurable heterogeneous platforms. We characterize this kind of binary acceleration approach and the accelerator architectures on which it relies. We summarize notable state-of-the-art approaches individually and present a taxonomy and comparison. Performance gains from 2.6× to 5.6× are reported, mostly considering bare-metal embedded applications, along with power consumption reductions between 1.3× and 3.9×. We believe the methodologies and results achievable by automatic hardware generation approaches are promising in the context of emergent reconfigurable devices.
Fast Packet Processing with eBPF and XDP
Authors: Vieira Marcos A. M. , Castanho Matheus S. , Pacífico Racyus D. G. , Santos Elerson R. S. , Júnior Eduardo P. M. Câmara , Vieira Luiz F. M.
Published: February 2020

Extended Berkeley Packet Filter (eBPF) is an instruction set and an execution environment inside the Linux kernel. It enables modification, interaction, and kernel programmability at runtime. eBPF can be used to program the eXpress Data Path (XDP), a kernel network layer that processes packets closer to the NIC for fast packet processing. Developers can write programs in C or P4 languages and then compile to eBPF instructions, which can be processed by the kernel or by programmable devices (e.g., SmartNICs). Since its introduction in 2014, eBPF has been rapidly adopted by major companies such as Facebook, Cloudflare, and Netronome. Use cases include network monitoring, network traffic manipulation, load balancing, and system profiling. This work aims to present eBPF to an inexpert audience, covering the main theoretical and fundamental aspects of eBPF and XDP, as well as introducing the reader to simple examples to give insight into the general operation and use of both technologies.
Mind Your Mind
Authors: Landau Ofir , Puzis Rami , Nissim Nir
Published: February 2020

A brain-computer interface (BCI) system is a system that leverages brainwave information acquired by a designated brain monitoring device to interact with a computerized system. Over the past 40 years, many BCI applications have been developed in a variety of domains, from entertainment to medical field and even to computer security mechanisms. Until now, the development of BCI systems has focused on improving their accuracy, functionality, and ease of use, and not enough effort and attention has been invested in securing these systems and the sensitive data they acquire. In this article, we present the principles of brain activity data acquisition, with a special focus on EEG, and we present a taxonomy of BCI applications and domains. We also provide a comprehensive survey that covers eight possible attacks aimed at BCI systems. For each BCI application, we created an ecosystem and data and attack flow-diagram, which comprehensively describes the roles and interactions of the players associated with the BCI application and presents the most vulnerable vectors and components within its ecosystem; we identified gaps between existing security solutions and the presented attacks and vulnerabilities. Finally, we provide several concrete suggestions for improving the security of BCI systems in cyber-space.
A Survey of IoT Applications in Blockchain Systems
Authors: Lao Laphou , Li Zecheng , Hou Songlin , Xiao Bin , Guo Songtao , Yang Yuanyuan
Published: February 2020

Blockchain technology can be extensively applied in diverse services, including online micro-payments, supply chain tracking, digital forensics, health-care record sharing, and insurance payments. Extending the technology to the Internet of things (IoT), we can obtain a verifiable and traceable IoT network. Emerging research in IoT applications exploits blockchain technology to record transaction data, optimize current system performance, or construct next-generation systems, which can provide additional security, automatic transaction management, decentralized platforms, offline-to-online data verification, and so on. In this article, we conduct a systematic survey of the key components of IoT blockchain and examine a number of popular blockchain applications.

In particular, we first give an architecture overview of popular IoT-blockchain systems by analyzing their network structures and protocols. Then, we discuss variant consensus protocols for IoT blockchains, and make comparisons among different consensus algorithms. Finally, we analyze the traffic model for P2P and blockchain systems and provide several metrics. We also provide a suitable traffic model for IoT-blockchain systems to illustrate network traffic distribution.
A Survey of Context Simulation for Testing Mobile Context-Aware Applications
Authors: Luo Chu , Goncalves Jorge , Velloso Eduardo , Kostakos Vassilis
Published: February 2020

Equipped with an abundance of small-scale microelectromechanical sensors, modern mobile devices such as smartphones and smartwatches can now offer context-aware services to users in mobile environments. Although advances in mobile context-aware applications have made our everyday environments increasingly intelligent, these applications are prone to bugs that are highly difficult to reproduce and repair. Compared to conventional computer software, mobile context-aware applications often have more complex structures to process a wide variety of dynamic context data in specific scenarios. Accordingly, researchers have proposed diverse context simulation techniques to enable low-cost and effective tests instead of conducting costly and time-consuming real-world experiments. This article aims to give a comprehensive overview of the state-of-the-art context simulation methods for testing mobile context-aware applications. In particular, this article highlights the technical distinctions and commonalities in previous research conducted across multiple disciplines, particularly at the intersection of software testing, ubiquitous computing, and mobile computing. This article also discusses how each method can be implemented and deployed by testing tool developers and mobile application testers. Finally, this article identifies several unexplored issues and directions for further advancements in this field.
Synergy of Inorganic Fillers in Composite Thermoplastic Polymer/Ionic Liquid/LiTFSI Electrolytes
Authors: González F. , Garcia-Calvo O. , Tiemblo P. , García N. , Fedeli E. , Thieu T. , Urdampilleta I. , Kvasha A.
Published: February 2020

The development of novel solid electrolytes, which can be processed using solvent-free methods, is one of the keys for successful industrialization of solid state batteries and their further implementation in electrical vehicles. Here, we study thermoplastic solid state electrolytes based on polyethylene oxide (PEO), 1-butyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (PYR14TFSI), lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI) and two inorganic fillers with different morphology and nature (modified sepiolite (TPGS-S) and garnet-type Li7La3Zr1.75Nb0.25O12 (LLZNO) prepared by solvent free extrusion method. Several thermoplastic polymer electrolytes (TPEs) are prepared and comprehensively studied. Composite thermoplastic electrolyte TPE-S10G10 containing 10 wt% of TPGS-S and 10 wt% of LLZNO fillers shows the best electrochemical performance in Li-LiFePO4 solid state batteries operating under 0.2C/0.5D cycling conditions at 60 °C. Solid state cell with TPE-S10G10 electrolyte retains 80% of initial discharge capacity after 540 cycles. Thus, a synergetic effect of using two different fillers, which can be exploited during the development of TPEs, is clearly demonstrated.
Understanding Adverse Effects of Temperature Shifts on Li-Ion Batteries: An Operando Acoustic Study
Authors: Chang Wesley , Bommier Clement , Fair Thomas , Yeung Justin , Patil Shripad , Steingart Daniel
Published: February 2020

Studies related to battery performance and long-term health of commercial Li-ion batteries (LIBs) typically have a fixed temperature parameter. However, commercial LIBs are subject to temperature fluctuations due to their local environment and operating conditions, and these transient temperatures are well known to impact long-term stability. Herein, we demonstrate the adverse effects of temperature shifts, and show that transitioning from low temperature to higher temperature can lead to catastrophic failure within practical temperature ranges experienced by commercial LIBs. We show there exists an Arrhenius relationship between the rate of acoustic attenuation and the magnitude of the temperature shift. A combination of acoustic attenuation, which marks gassing occurrence during cycling, and post mortem chemical analyses provides further mechanistic insight into the Li-rich solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) formation at low temperatures and subsequent reactions with the electrolyte at higher temperatures. Further, several strategies to prevent or mitigate catastrophic failure are introduced. On a broader scale, this research further highlights the importance of temperature and current controls integration into battery management systems (BMS) for both safety and extension of cycle life as battery systems move toward fast charge (>3 C) capability.
Effect of Elevated PEM Fuel Cell Operating Temperature (120°C and 140°C) and Membrane Thickness on Proton Conductivity for Combat Vehicle Use
Authors: Burye Theodore
Published: February 2020

Electrical power required to operate vehicles in the U.S. Army is increasing due to expanding mission requirements, such as silent watch, exportable power, and powerful onboard electronics. Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFCs) provide a solution, but stack thermal-cycling, electrocatalyst and membrane degradation losses need to be reduced before integration of PEMFCs can be realized. Membrane thermal degradation is exacerbated by poor heat rejection (as ballistic grills impede airflow) which can raise stack temperatures ≥140°C. Commercial PEMFCs operate ~65°C so elevated temperatures could degrade the membrane. Nafion 115 (127 μm), 117 (183 μm) and 1110 (254 μm) membranes submerged in 16 MΩ water were heated between 65-140°C to investigate elevated temperature and membrane thickness on proton conductivity. EIS results showed sample thickness did not statistically impact conductivity overall. Conductivity, however, was impacted for temperatures >100°C with each material. Overall, these materials are not suitable when operating PEMFCs above 100°C.
Sympathetic innervation suppresses the autophagic-lysosomal system in brown adipose tissue under basal and cold-stimulated conditions
Authors: Przygodda Franciele , Lautherbach Natalia , Buzelle Samyra Lopes , Goncalves Dawit Albieiro , Assis Ana Paula , Paula-Gomes Sílvia , Garófalo Maria Antonieta Rissato , Heck Lilian Carmo , Matsuo Flávia Sayuri , Mota Ryerson Fonseca , Osako Mariana Kiomy , Kettelhut Isis C. , Navegantes Luiz C.
Published: February 2020

The sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activates cAMP signaling and promotes trophic effects on brown adipose tissue (BAT) through poorly understood mechanisms. Because norepinephrine has been found to induce antiproteolytic effects on muscle and heart, we hypothesized that the SNS could inhibit autophagy in interscapular BAT (IBAT). Here, we describe that selective sympathetic denervation of rat IBAT kept at 25°C induced atrophy, and in parallel dephosphorylated forkhead box class O (FoxO), and increased cathepsin activity, autophagic flux, autophagosome formation, and expression of autophagy-related genes. Conversely, cold stimulus (4°C) for up to 72 h induced thermogenesis and IBAT hypertrophy, an anabolic effect that was associated with inhibition of cathepsin activity, autophagic flux, and autophagosome formation. These effects were abrogated by sympathetic denervation, which also upregulated Gabarapl1 mRNA. In addition, the cold-driven sympathetic activation stimulated the mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway, leading to the enhancement of protein synthesis, evaluated in vivo by puromycin incorporation, and to the inhibitory phosphorylation of Unc51-like kinase-1, a key protein in the initiation of autophagy. This coincided with a higher content of exchange protein-1 directly activated by cAMP (Epac1), a cAMP effector, and phosphorylation of Akt at Thr308, all these effects being abolished by denervation. Systemic treatment with norepinephrine for 72 h mimicked most of the cold effects on IBAT. These data suggest that the noradrenergic sympathetic inputs to IBAT restrain basal autophagy via suppression of FoxO and, in the setting of cold, stimulate protein synthesis via the Epac/Akt/mTOR-dependent pathway and suppress the autophagosome formation, probably through posttranscriptional mechanisms.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY The underlying mechanisms related to the anabolic role of sympathetic innervation on brown adipose tissue (BAT) are unclear. We show that sympathetic denervation activates autophagic-lysosomal degradation, leading to a loss of mitochondrial proteins and BAT atrophy. Conversely, cold-driven sympathetic activation suppresses autophagy and stimulates protein synthesis, leading to BAT hypertrophy. Given its high-potential capacity for heat production, understanding the mechanisms that contribute to BAT mass is important to optimize chances of survival for endotherms in cold ambients.
Keeping older individuals cool in hot and moderately humid conditions: wetted clothing with and without an electric fan
Authors: Cramer Matthew N. , Huang Mu , Moralez Gilbert , Crandall Craig G.
Published: February 2020

The present study evaluated whether wearing a water-soaked t-shirt, with or without electric fan use, mitigates thermal and cardiovascular strain in older individuals exposed to hot and moderately humid conditions. Nine healthy older individuals (68 ± 4 yr; five women) completed three 120-min heat exposures (42.4 ± 0.2°C, 34.2 ± 0.9% relative humidity) on separate days while wearing a dry t-shirt (CON), a t-shirt soaked with 500 ml of tap water (WET), or a t-shirt soaked with 500 ml of tap water while facing an electric fan (2.4 ± 0.4 m/s; WET+FAN). Measurements included core and skin temperatures, evaporative mass losses, heart rate, and blood pressure. In the WET condition, elevations in core temperature were attenuated compared with DRY from 30 to 120 min and compared with WET+FAN from 30 to 90 min ( P < 0.05). Evaporative mass losses (inclusive of sweat and water losses from the shirt) were greatest in WET+FAN, followed by WET, and then DRY ( P < 0.01). Sweat losses were lowest in WET, followed by DRY, and then WET+FAN ( P < 0.01). Heart rate was lower only at 60 min in WET versus DRY ( P = 0.01). No differences in mean arterial pressure were observed ( P = 0.51). In conclusion, wearing a water-soaked t-shirt without, but not with, electric fan use is an effective heat management strategy to mitigate thermal strain and lower sweat losses in older individuals exposed to hot and moderately humid conditions.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY In older individuals exposed to hot and moderately humid environments, electric fan use coupled with a water-soaked t-shirt exacerbates sweat losses without mitigating heat strain compared with a dry t-shirt. However, wearing a water-soaked t-shirt without fan use reduces sweat losses and attenuates heat strain compared with a dry t-shirt and a fan/water-soaked t-shirt combination. These findings suggest wearing a water-soaked t-shirt is an effective heat-management strategy for older individuals during heat waves when air conditioning is inaccessible.
Reliability and agreement of human renal and segmental artery hemodynamics measured using Doppler ultrasound
Authors: Chapman Christopher L. , Johnson Blair D. , Hostler David , Lema Penelope C. , Schlader Zachary J.
Published: February 2020

To optimize study design and data interpretation, there is a need to understand the reliability of Doppler ultrasound-derived measures of blood velocity (BV) measured in the renal and segmental arteries. Thus, this study tested the following two hypotheses: 1) renal and segmental artery BV measured over the current standard of three cardiac cycles have good agreement with measurements over nine cardiac cycles ( study 1); and 2) renal and segmental artery BV measurements have relatively poor day-to-day reliability ( study 2). In study 1, there was excellent agreement between measurements over three and nine cardiac cycles for BV in both the renal and segmental arteries, as evidenced by BV measurements that were not statistically different ( P ≥ 0.68), were highly consistent ( r ≥ 0.99, P < 0.01), had a coefficient of variation ≤2.5 ± 1.8%, and 97% (renal artery) and 92% (segmental artery) of the individual differences fell within the 95% limits of agreement. In study 2, there was relatively good day-to-day reliability in renal artery BV as evidenced by no differences between three separate days ( P ≥ 0.30), an intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of 0.92 (0.78, 0.98), and 7.4 ± 5.5% coefficient of variation. The day-to-day reliability was relatively poor in the segmental artery with an ICC of 0.77 (0.41, 0.93) and 9.0 ± 5.6% coefficient of variation. These findings support measuring renal and segmental artery hemodynamics over three cardiac cycles and the utility in reporting renal BV across days. However, because of the variation across days, hemodynamic responses in the segmental arteries should be reported as changes from baseline when making comparisons across multiple days.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY The present study indicates that Doppler ultrasound-derived measures of renal and segmental artery hemodynamics over three cardiac cycles have excellent agreement with those over nine cardiac cycles. These findings support the current practice of measuring renal and segmental artery blood velocity over three cardiac cycles. This study also demonstrates that there is excellent day-to-day reliability for measures of renal artery blood velocity, which supports reporting absolute values of renal artery blood velocity across days. However, it was also found that the day-to-day reliability of segmental artery measurements is relatively poor. Thus, to account for this variability, we suggest that segmental artery hemodynamics be compared as relative changes from baseline across separate days.
Physiological response to fluid resuscitation with Ringer lactate versus Plasmalyte in critically ill burn patients
Authors: Chaussard Maïté , Dépret François , Saint-Aubin Oriane , Benyamina Mourad , Coutrot Maxime , Jully Marion , Oueslati Haikel , Fratani Alexandre , Cupaciu Alexandru , Poniard Alicia , Asehnoune Karim , Dimby Solohaja-Faniaha , Mebazaa Alexandre , Houze Pascal , Legrand Matthieu
Published: February 2020

The metabolic consequences in vivo of various balanced solutions are poorly known in critically ill patients. The main objective of this study was to describe the metabolic consequences of Plasmalyte versus Ringer lactate (RL) in critically ill burn patients, with a special focus on the plasma clearance of buffer anions (i.e., gluconate, acetate, and lactate). We conducted a randomized trial between August 2017 and October 2018 in a tertiary teaching hospital in Paris, France. Patients with burn total body surface area >30% were randomized to receive Plasmalyte or RL. The primary end point was the base excess 24 h after inclusion. The secondary end points were acetate, gluconate, and lactate plasma concentration, the strong ion difference (SID). Twenty-eight patients were randomized. Twenty-four hours after inclusion, plasma BE was not significantly different in the Plasmalyte and RL groups {−0.9 [95% confidence interval (95% CI): −1.8–0.9] vs. −2.1 [95% CI: −4.6–0.6] mmol/L, respectively, P = 0.26}. Plasma gluconate concentration was higher in the Plasmalyte group ( P < 0.001), with a maximum level of 1.86 (95% CI: 0.98–4.0) mmol/L versus 0 (95% CI: 0–0.15) mmol/L. Plasma acetate and lactate were not significantly different. Ionized calcium level was lower in the Plasmalyte group ( P = 0.002). Hemodynamics did not differ between groups. To conclude, the alkalinizing effect of Plasmalyte was less important than expected with no difference in base excess compared with RL, in part due to gluconate accumulation. Acetate and lactate did not significantly accumulate. Plasmalyte led to significantly lower ionized calcium levels.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY During fluid resuscitation in burns the alkalinizing effect of Plasmalyte was less important than expected, with no difference in base excess compared with Ringer lactate (RL), in part due to gluconate accumulation. Acetate and lactate did not significantly accumulate. Plasmalyte led to significantly lower ionized calcium levels.
Adipose Tissue-Derived Stem Cells: Immunomodulatory Effects and Therapeutic Potential
Authors: Al-Ghadban Sara , Bunnell Bruce A.
Published: February 2020

Adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) can self-renew and differentiate along multiple cell lineages. ASCs are also potently anti-inflammatory due to their inherent ability to regulate the immune system by secreting anti-inflammatory cytokines and growth factors that play a crucial role in the pathology of many diseases, including multiple sclerosis, diabetes mellitus, Crohn’s, SLE, and graft-versus-host disease. The immunomodulatory effects and mechanisms of action of ASCs on pathological conditions are reviewed here.
DNA Sensing in the Innate Immune Response
Authors: Briard Benoit , Place David E. , Kanneganti Thirumala-Devi
Published: February 2020

The innate immune system recognizes conserved pathogen-associated molecular patterns and produces inflammatory cytokines that direct downstream immune responses. The inappropriate localization of DNA within the cell cytosol or endosomal compartments indicates that a cell may either be infected by a DNA virus or bacterium, or has problems with its own nuclear integrity. This DNA is sensed by certain receptors that mediate cytokine production and, in some cases, initiate an inflammatory and lytic form of cell death called pyroptosis. Dysregulation of these DNA-sensing pathways is thought to contribute to autoimmune diseases and the development of cancer. In this review, we will discuss the DNA sensors Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9), cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS), stimulator of interferon genes (STING), absent in melanoma 2 (AIM2), and interferon gamma-inducible 16 (IFI16), their ligands, and their physiological significance. We will also examine the less-well-understood DEAH- and DEAD-box helicases DHX9, DHX36, DDX41, and RNA polymerase III, each of which may play an important role in DNA-mediated innate immunity.
Biomechanics of Early Life in the Female Reproductive Tract
Authors: Elad David , Jaffa Ariel J. , Grisaru Dan
Published: February 2020

Early human life that starts at the onset of fertilization and ends with implantation of the embryo in the uterine wall is the foundation for a successful pregnancy. The different stages during this period require biomechanical mechanisms, which are mostly unknown due to difficulties to conduct in vivo studies in humans.
Fuzzy Generalized Conformable Fractional Derivative
Authors: Harir Atimad , Melliani Said , Chadli Lalla Saadia
Published: February 2020

We give a new definition of fuzzy fractional derivative called fuzzy conformable fractional derivative. Using this definition, we prove some results and we introduce new definition of generalized fuzzy conformable fractional derivative.
Absorption of Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid (PUFA) Is Related to IgG Blood Levels of Neonatal Pigs during the First 48 Hours Postpartum
Authors: Pierzynowska Kateryna , Woliński Jarosław , Weström Björn , Jazwiec Radosław , Shmigel Halyna , Pierzynowski Stefan G.
Published: February 2020

The current study is aimed at highlighting the impact of enterally or parenterally applied immunoglobulins (Igs) on polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) absorption in newborn pigs. Piglets were chosen as the appropriate model since they are born agammaglobulinemic and any effects of Ig addition can thus be easily monitored. Twenty-one, new born piglets were used in the study. Plasma levels of PUFAs, ARA, DHA, and EPA dropped (similarly to that seen in human infants) by between 40 and 50% in newborn, unsuckled piglets fed an infant formula for 48 h. However, piglets fed the same infant formula but supplied with immunoglobulins (Igs) either orally, by feeding piglets with swine or bovine colostrum, or intravenously, by i.u.a. (intraumbilical artery) infusion of swine or human Ig preparations or swine serum, demonstrated improved growth and PUFA levels similar to those observed at birth. The significant positive correlation was found between the body weight gain, as well as levels of ARA and EPA, and plasma immunoglobulins concentration. These results indicate the importance of the presence of Ig in the blood for appropriate absorption of dietary PUFAs and probably other nutrients in newborn piglets. This may have an impact on the dietary guidelines for human neonates, especially those born prematurely with low plasma Ig levels, since PUFAs are important factors for brain development in early life.
Cancer-Related Anemia Is a Risk Factor for Medium-Term Postoperative Cognitive Dysfunction in Laparoscopic Surgery Patients: An Observational Prospective Study
Authors: Huang Huimei , Lin Fei , Cen Liming , Jing Ren , Pan Linghui
Published: February 2020

Anemia in the elderly may impair cognitive function. Our primary objective was to determine whether cancer-related anemia was associated with postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) in nonelderly patients. We conducted an observational prospective study of 177 patients scheduled for laparoscopic surgery. Patients aged 18-64 were divided into two groups according to whether they were anemic due to cancer or not. The cognitive function was assessed by the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) 1 day before and 1 week after operation. The cognitive function of the patients was evaluated by using the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status-Modified (TICS-M) 3 months after operation. The quality of life of patients was evaluated after operation. The hemoglobin level and other clinical data were recorded before operation. Of the 170 patients, 100 without anemia and 70 anemia patients had been evaluated 1 week after operation. POCD was detected in 43 cases (25.3% of 170 cases) at 1 week and 30 cases (19% of 158 cases) at 3 months postoperatively. Anemia was an independent risk factor for 3-month POCD occurrence (P=0.034). The education level of the patients who had POCD at 1 week and 3 months after operation was lower (P<0.001, P=0.011, respectively). Age was independently associated with the incidence of POCD at 3 months (P=0.011). In general, these findings suggested that anemia may increase the incidence of medium-term POCD in cancer patients undergoing laparoscopic surgery.
Paraduodenal Pancreatitis: A Deceptive Abdominal Mass with Unique Histologic Findings
Authors: Zadeh Jonathan , Andreoni Anthony , Febres-Aldana Christopher , Krishnamurthy Kritika , Kochiyil Jyotsna , Vincentelli Cristina , Ben-David Kfir
Published: February 2020

Paraduodenal pancreatitis (PP) is an uncommon abdominal pathology characterized by scarring of the pancreaticoduodenal space. Diagnosis of this inflammatory process is challenging as its clinical presentation is similar to that of pancreatic cancer. Currently, no definitive radiologic or pathologic features have been established to permit diagnosis of PP without surgical resection. However, the presence of eosinophilic concretions has been reported with increasing frequency in the histologic evaluation of PP. To the best of our knowledge, these concretions are distinctive for PP and not reported in neoplasms commonly involving the pancreaticoduodenal space. Herein, we discuss the case of a 60-year-old man who was found to have PP after pancreaticoduodenectomy for a paraduodenal mass with an initially nondiagnostic biopsy. Retrospective review of the preoperative FNA samples revealed eosinophilic concretions like those found in the final surgical specimen. If the identification of eosinophilic concretions in a background of inflammatory changes was to be accepted as a diagnostic criterion for PP, patients such as ours could be spared the morbidity associated with surgical resection.
Technical Advances of Temporary Facilities for the Failure Prevention of Large‐Span Cantilever Casting Construction of Mountainous Concrete Box‐Type Arch Bridges
Authors: Han HongJu , Guo JiPing , Zhang JiJin , Sun Yuan
Published: February 2020

In the highways of mountainous areas, the erection of the large‐span reinforced concrete box‐type arch bridges using the cantilever casting method has unique advantages due to its adaptability to those environments. However, what prevents engineers from choosing this design in practice is that, the efficiency, cost, and safety problems resulting from the defects of the temporary facilities, which are due to the span increase, may immediately make the scheme less attractive. To fully consider the merits of this bridge type, new techniques of the temporary facilities are developed. A new form traveler based on the feathers of such arch rings is invented to promote erection efficacy; this new form further facilitates the technical upgrades of the buckle‐anchor system monitoring‐control and temporary prestressing design, which together eliminate the difficulties brought by the span increase. The inverted‐type triangle traveler composed of tiled main truss structures, with the walking hook and anchor tie rod detached, is used to achieve space adaptability, light weight and modularization. The semiautomatic deviation‐rectifying system, which combines the technologies of real‐time data collection of the buckle pylon deviations and automatic synchronized tensioning, is developed to ensure the safety of the buckle‐anchor system. The temporary short prestressed tendons are designed for control of the arch ring tensile stresses. The effectiveness of the technical upgrades has been demonstrated in the construction application of the Shatuo Bridge in Guizhou, China, which provides a promising alternative for the construction of large‐span box‐type arch rings of concrete arch bridges with a low cost, high efficiency, and high safety assurance.
Investigation on Crack Coalescence Behaviors for Granite Containing Two Flaws Induced by Cyclic Freeze-Thaw and Uniaxial Deformation in Beizhan Iron Mining, Xinjing, China
Authors: Wang Y. , Li C. H.
Published: February 2020

This work is aimed at investigating the effect of freeze-thaw (F-T) cycle on the crack coalescence behavior for granite samples containing two unparallel flaws under uniaxial compression. The flaw geometry in the samples was a combination of an upper inclined flaw with a horizontal flaw underneath. After the uniaxial compression experiments, macroscopic crack pattern description and the mesoscopic posttest CT imaging were used to reveal the effects of F-T cycle on the crack coalescence morphology at the rock bridge area. Results show that the stress–strain curves present a fluctuating growth trend and stress drop phenomenon becomes weaker with increasing F-T cycles. In addition, three different kinds of cracks (tensile-wing cracks, oblique shear cracks, and antiwing cracks) were observed, and the crack coalescence pattern was influenced by the F-T cycles and approach angle. A mix of tensile and shear failure occurs for the sample subjected to weak F-T treatment, and simple tensile failure occurs for the sample subjected to high F-T treatment. Moreover, CT imaging reveals a crack network pattern at the rock bridge area, and it is found that the fracture degree deceases with increasing F-T cycles and increases with the increasing approach angle. It suggests that the rock bridge area can be easily fractured for the sample subjected to high F-T cycles. Results of this study can provide theoretical foundation for the instability predication of fractured rock structures in cold regions.