bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Multi-objective optimization using the genetic algorithms for external cylindrical grinding process of 9CrSi alloy
Authors: Nguyen Tuan-Linh , Nguyen Nhu-Tung , Hoang Long
Published: August 2020

In this study, by performing the experimental research, the surface roughness, cutting force and vibration were modeled. The Genetic Algorithms (GAs) were applied to determine the optimal values of external cylindrical grinding conditions to achieve the minimum value of surface roughness and the maximum value of the material removal rate. The optimum values of surface roughness and material removal rate are 0.490 [Formula: see text]m and 3.974 mm2/s, respectively, that were obtained at a feed rate of 0.3 m/min, at a workpiece speed of 164.82 rpm, at a cutting depth of 0.015 mm, and a workpiece Rockwell hardness of 56.32 HRC. The optimal values were successfully verified by experimental results with very promising results.
Improved Particle Swarm Optimization Approach for Vibration Vision Measurement
Authors: Zhu Chunli , Shen Yuan , Lei Xiujun
Published: August 2020

Traditional template matching-based motion estimation is a popular but time-consuming method for vibration vision measurement. In this study, the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm is improved to solve this time-consumption problem. The convergence speed of the algorithm is increased using the adjacent frames search method in the particle swarm initialization process. A flag array is created to avoid repeated calculation in the termination strategy. The subpixel positioning accuracy is ensured by applying the surface fitting method. The robustness of the algorithm is ensured by applying the zero-mean normalized cross correlation. Simulation results demonstrate that the average extraction error of the improved PSO algorithm is less than 1%. Compared with the commonly used three-step search algorithm, diamond search algorithm, and local search algorithm, the improved PSO algorithm consumes the least number of search points. Moreover, tests on real-world image sequences show good estimation accuracy at very low computational cost. The improved PSO algorithm proposed in this study is fast, accurate, and robust, and is suitable for plane motion estimation in vision measurement.
An Experimental Measurement and Control of Human Body Stomach Using Electrical Impedance Tomography
Authors: Kumar Ramesh , Mahadeva Rajesh
Published: August 2020

A newly proven technique is non-invasive bio-impedance, and also known as Electrical Impedance Tomography (EIT), which is used for medical or non-medical applications. EIT images are based on the internal distributions of the conductivity or resistivity from the boundary data, which depend on the voltage measurement of the stomach attached electrodes of the human body. An experimental study of the EIT system presented here has been used 8/16 surface electrodes configurations for the human body’s stomach. Then, according to the data acquisition methods of the EIT, the surface potentials of the stomach through the current injection were measured. For current pulses, a voltage-controlled current source has been created, and the created current source is a combination of voltage to current converter and current signal generator. Current positions and measuring voltages have been calculated using the designed control unit. However, the imaging algorithm requires sufficient data through the experimental work, which defines the cross-sectional image of resistivity. The cross-sectional image has been based on the Finite Element Method (FEM). It produces 2D/3D images, impedance distribution graphs and Mesh models. The proposed EIT system has been used for non-medical and industrial applications, which have non-invasive, inexpensive, radiation-free and a high potential for imaging modality.
Two-dimensional area and matter flux in the theory of causal fermion systems
Authors: Curiel Erik , Finster Felix , Isidro José M.
Published: August 2020

The notions of two-dimensional area, Killing fields and matter flux are introduced in the setting of causal fermion systems. It is shown that for critical points of the causal action, the area change of two-dimensional surfaces under a Killing flow in null directions is proportional to the matter flux through these surfaces. This relation generalizes an equation in classical general relativity due to Ted Jacobson setting of causal fermion systems.
Epsilon local rigidity and numerical algebraic geometry
Authors: Frohmader Andrew , Heaton Alexander
Published: August 2020

A well-known combinatorial algorithm can decide generic rigidity in the plane by determining if the graph is of Pollaczek–Geiringer–Laman type. Methods from matroid theory have been used to prove other interesting results, again under the assumption of generic configurations. However, configurations arising in applications may not be generic. We present Theorem 4.2 and its corresponding Algorithm 1 which decide if a configuration is [Formula: see text]-locally rigid, a notion we define. A configuration which is [Formula: see text]-locally rigid may be locally rigid or flexible, but any continuous deformations remain within a sphere of radius [Formula: see text] in configuration space. Deciding [Formula: see text]-local rigidity is possible for configurations which are smooth or singular, generic or non-generic. We also present Algorithms 2 and 3 which use numerical algebraic geometry to compute a discrete-time sample of a continuous flex, providing useful visual information for the scientist.
High-order low-bit Sigma-Delta quantization for fusion frames
Authors: Gao Zhen , Krahmer Felix , Powell Alexander M.
Published: August 2020

We construct high-order low-bit Sigma-Delta [Formula: see text] quantizers for the vector-valued setting of fusion frames. We prove that these [Formula: see text] quantizers can be stably implemented to quantize fusion frame measurements on subspaces [Formula: see text] using [Formula: see text] bits per measurement. Signal reconstruction is performed using a version of Sobolev duals for fusion frames, and numerical experiments are given to validate the overall performance.
Learning rates for partially linear support vector machine in high dimensions
Authors: Xia Yifan , Hou Yongchao , Lv Shaogao
Published: August 2020

This paper analyzes a new regularized learning scheme for high-dimensional partially linear support vector machine (SVM). The proposed approach consists of an empirical risk and the Lasso-type penalty for linear part, as well as the standard functional norm for nonlinear part. Here, the linear kernel is used for model interpretation and feature selection, while the nonlinear kernel is adopted to enhance algorithmic flexibility. In this paper, we develop a new technical analysis on the weighted empirical process, and establish the sharp learning rates for the semi-parametric estimator under the regularized conditions. Specially, our derived learning rates for semi-parametric SVM depend on not only the sample size and the functional complexity, but also the sparsity and the margin parameters.
Bounds on total edge domination number of a tree
Authors: Senthilkumar B. , Naresh Kumar H. , Venkatakrishnan Y. B.
Published: August 2020

For a graph [Formula: see text] with vertex set [Formula: see text] and edge set [Formula: see text], a subset [Formula: see text] of [Formula: see text] is the total edge dominating set if every edge in [Formula: see text] is adjacent to at least one edge in [Formula: see text]. The minimum cardinality of a total edge dominated set, denoted by [Formula: see text], is called the total edge domination number of a graph [Formula: see text]. We prove that for every tree [Formula: see text] of diameter at least two with [Formula: see text] leaves and [Formula: see text] support vertices we have [Formula: see text], and we characterize the trees attaining each of the bounds.
Improving the performance of a medical imaging center through simulation and fuzzy DEA
Authors: Golsefid F. Gholami , Daneshian B. , Rostamy-Malkhalifeh M.
Published: August 2020

Given that various operational methods can be considered for a system, applying changes to study the results and determine the best operational technique is costly and disrupts the system. Thus, to analyze and evaluate the outcomes of employing different operational methods, simulation is utilized. In this study, to improve the performance of a medical imaging center (MIC), first, this center was simulated and then, different scenarios were defined and simulated. Subsequently, using the simulation results and for evaluating the scenarios through Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), each scenario was considered as a decision making unit (DMU). Since simulation results of each scenario are uncertain and differ for different iterations, a method was utilized capable of using the results of all iterations. On the other hand, indexes such as satisfaction, patient’s appropriate waiting, helpful servicing with the least number nurses and the maximum number services that have fuzzy nature, are important factors for MIC. Therefore, using the simulation results and considering the system manager’s idea, a method was proposed for determining the fuzzy values of these indexes. Next, a ranking model and an algorithm were proposed for determining a unique ranking and introducing the best scenario to improve the performance of MIC.
Scientists’ Entrepreneurial Cognitive Model for Science-Based Firms: A Case Study Based on Grounded Theory Approach
Authors: Chen Hong , Lei Jiasu
Published: August 2020

With science-based research being promoted to a strategic level, accelerating technological transfer from universities/institutes has became an urgent subject in academia. Yet, research focusing on the entrepreneurial cognition of scientists remains a blank. Grounded theory was adopted to track and analyze the Science-Based Entrepreneurial Firms (SBEFs) from four universities/PRIs. The study finds that the entrepreneurial cognition of scientists plays a dominant role in activating entrepreneurial intention. Social network propels the entrepreneurial intention. Meanwhile, acquiring diverse capabilities embedded within entrepreneurial cognition will help scientists to discover entrepreneurial opportunity at an early stage and build up towards the entrepreneurial intention to become entrepreneurs. Such conclusions shed light on providing theoretical contribution for policy making on state independent innovation.
Study of Rock Blasting Failure Pattern with One Free Boundary
Authors: Yang Jun , Liu Xin , Xu Zhenyang , Tang Hongliang , Yu Qi
Published: August 2020

The study of rock blasting failure pattern is of engineering importance. In order to investigate rock blasting failure pattern with one free boundary, high‐speed photography technology is introduced into the two‐dimensional granite model. Through high‐speed camera images, a crack that originated from spalling is observed and then propagates inward. By using the high‐speed digital image correlation method, the full‐strain fields on the surface of the specimens are calculated. The preliminary results show that von Mises strain localization appears on the specimen surface near the free boundary. The axial strains near that crack present three kinds of characteristics. There are the joint action areas of the strain localization by analyzing strains in different directions, and the strain localizations are related to the crack propagation. Ultimately, after analysis of the experimental results, the preliminary diagrammatic drawing of rock blasting failure pattern under stress wave action with one free boundary is drawn.
A Highly Efficient and Accurate Finite Iterative Method for Solving Linear Two-Dimensional Fredholm Fuzzy Integral Equations of the Second Kind Using Triangular Functions
Authors: Ramadan Mohamed A. , Osheba Heba S. , Hadhoud Adel R.
Published: August 2020

This work introduces a computational method for solving the linear two-dimensional fuzzy Fredholm integral equation of the second form (2D-FFIE-2) based on triangular basis functions. We have used the parametric form of fuzzy functions and transformed a 2D-FFIE-2 with three variables in crisp case to a linear Fredholm integral equation of the second kind. First, a method based on the use of two m-sets of orthogonal functions of triangular form is implemented on the integral equation under study to be changed to coupled algebraic equation system. In order to solve these two schemes, a finite iterative algorithm is then applied to evaluate the coefficients that provided the approximate solution of the integral problems. Three examples are given to clarify the efficiency and accuracy of the method. The obtained numerical results are compared with other direct and exact solutions.
Existence of Solutions for a Schrödinger–Poisson System with Critical Nonlocal Term and General Nonlinearity
Authors: Zhang Jiafeng , Guo Wei , Chu Changmu , Suo Hongmin
Published: August 2020

We study the existence and multiplicity of nontrivial solutions for a Schrödinger–Poisson system involving critical nonlocal term and general nonlinearity. Based on the variational method and analysis technique, we obtain the existence of two nontrivial solutions for this system.
Characterization and Comparative Analysis of RWP-RK Proteins from Arachis duranensis, Arachis ipaensis, and Arachis hypogaea
Authors: Liu Chenyang , Yuan Dongliang , Liu Tong , Xing Mengge , Xu Wenying , Zhang Huiying , Jin Hanqi , Cai Chunmei , Li Shuai
Published: August 2020

RWP-RK proteins are important factors involved in nitrate response and gametophyte development in plants, and the functions of RWP-RK proteins have been analyzed in many species. However, the characterization of peanut RWP-RK proteins is limited. In this study, we identified 16, 19, and 32 RWP-RK members from Arachis duranensis, Arachis ipaensis, and Arachis hypogaea, respectively, and investigated their evolution relationships. The RWP-RK proteins were classified into two groups, RWP-RK domain proteins and NODULE-INCEPTION-like proteins. Chromosomal distributions, gene structures, and conserved motifs of RWP-RK genes were compared among wild and cultivated peanuts. In addition, we identified 12 orthologous gene pairs from the two wild peanut species, 13 from A. duranensis and A. hypogaea, and 13 from A. ipaensis and A. hypogaea. One, one, and seventeen duplicated gene pairs were identified within the A. duranensis, A. ipaensis, and A. hypogaea genomes, respectively. Moreover, different numbers of cis-acting elements in the RWP-RK promoters were found in wild and cultivated species (87 in A. duranensis, 89 in A. ipaensis, and 92 in A. hypogaea), and as a result, many RWP-RK genes showed distinct expression patterns in different tissues. Our study will provide useful information for further functional and evolutionary analysis of the RWP-RK genes.
Selection of Multimode Resource-Constrained Project Scheduling Scheme Based on DEA Method
Authors: Zhang Song
Published: August 2020

A multimode resource-constrained project scheduling problem (MRCPSP) may have multifeasible solutions, due to its nature of targeting multiobjectives. Given the NP-hard MRCPSP and intricate multiobjective algorithms, finding the optimized result among those solutions seems impossible. This paper adopts data envelopment analysis (DEA) to evaluate a series of solutions of an MRCPSP and to find an appropriate choice in an objective way. Our approach is applied to a typical MRCPSP in practice, and the results validate that DEA is an effective and objective method for MRCPSP solution selection.
Quantitative Detection of Beef and Beef Meat Products Adulteration by the Addition of Duck Meat Using Micro Drop Digital Polymerase Chain Reaction
Authors: Chen Chen , Chen Jia , Zhang Yan , Li Yongbo , Wang Zan , Li Xian , Zhou Wei , Zhang Zhisheng
Published: August 2020

A single-copy specific primer was designed based on beef and duck samples and through drop digital polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR) for the quantitative analysis. Results revealed that the primers had no specific amplification with sheep, chicken, pork, or other species. Both the relationships between meat weight and DNA weight and between DNA weight and DNA copy number (C) were nearly linear within the dynamic range. To calculate the original meat weight from the DNA copy number, the DNA weight was used as the intermediate value to establish the following formulae: Mbeef = 0.058C − 1.86; Mduck = 0.0268C − 7.78. To achieve a good quantitative analysis, all species used in the experiment were made of lean meat. The accuracy of the method was verified by artificial adulteration of different proportions. Testing of the commercial samples indicated that adulteration is present in the market. The established digital PCR method provided an effective tool for monitoring the adulterated meat products and reducing the adulteration in the market.
Optimized Polynomial Virtual Fields Method for Constitutive Parameters Identification of Orthotropic Bimaterials
Authors: Ma Xueyi , Wang Yu , Zhao Jian
Published: August 2020

Heterogeneous materials are widely applied in many fields. Owing to the spatial variation of its constitutive parameters, the mechanical characterization of heterogeneous materials is very important. The virtual fields method has been used to identify the constitutive parameters of materials. However, there is a limitation: constitutive parameters of one material have to be a priori; then, constitutive parameters of the other one can be identified. Aiming at this limitation, this article presents a method to identify the constitutive parameters of heterogeneous orthotropic bimaterials under the condition that constitutive parameters of both materials are all unknown from a single test. A constitutive parameter identification method of orthotropic bimaterials based on optimized virtual field and digital image correlation is proposed. The feasibility of this method is verified by simulating the deformation fields of a two‐layer material under three‐point bending load. The results of numerical experiments with FEM simulations show that the weighted relative error of the constitutive parameter is less than 1%. The results suggest that the variation coefficient‐to‐noise ratio can perform a priori evaluation of a confidence interval on the identified stiffness components. The results of numerical experiments with DIC simulations show that the weighted relative error is 1.44%, which is due to the noise in the strain data calculated by DIC method.
Toward Serverless and Efficient Encrypted Deduplication in Mobile Cloud Computing Environments
Authors: Shin Youngjoo , Hur Junbeom , Koo Dongyoung , Yun Joobeom
Published: August 2020

With the proliferation of new mobile devices, mobile cloud computing technology has emerged to provide rich computing and storage functions for mobile users. The explosive growth of mobile data has led to an increased demand for solutions that conserve storage resources. Data deduplication is a promising technique that eliminates data redundancy for storage. For mobile cloud storage services, enabling the deduplication of encrypted data is of vital importance to reduce costs and preserve data confidentiality. However, recently proposed solutions for encrypted deduplication lack the desired level of security and efficiency. In this paper, we propose a novel scheme for serverless efficient encrypted deduplication (SEED) in mobile cloud computing environments. Without the aid of additional servers, SEED ensures confidentiality, data integrity, and collusion resistance for outsourced data. The absence of dedicated servers increases the effectiveness of SEED for mobile cloud storage services, in which user mobility is essential. In addition, noninteractive file encryption with the support of lazy encryption greatly reduces latency in the file-upload process. The proposed indexing structure (D-tree) supports the deduplication algorithm and thus makes SEED much more efficient and scalable. Security and performance analyses prove the efficiency and effectiveness of SEED for mobile cloud storage services.
Self-Organized Criticality and Trend Analysis in Time Series of Blackouts for the China Power Grid
Authors: Yu Qun , Cao Na , Liu Qilin , Qu Yuqing , Zhang Yumin
Published: August 2020

This paper proposes effective evidence on the correlation between trend and self-organized criticality (SOC) of the power outage sequence in China. Taking the data series of blackouts from 1981 to 2014 in the China power grid as the research object, the method of V/S is introduced into the analysis of the power system blackout sequence to demonstrate their prominent long-time correlations. It also verifies the probability distribution of load loss about blackout size in the China power grid has a tail feature, which shows that the time series of blackouts in the China power grid is consistent with SOC. Meanwhile, a kind of mathematical statistics analysis is presented to prove that there is a seasonal trend of blackouts, and the blackout frequency and blackout size have not decreased over time but have an upward trend in the China power grid, thereby indicating that blackout risk may be increasing with time. The last 34 years’ data samples of power failure accidents in the China power grid are used to test the proposed method, and the numerical results show that the proposed self-organized criticality and trend analysis method can pave the way for further exploration of the mechanism of power failure in the China power grid.
Nonlinear Buckling Analysis of Thin-Walled Box Beams considering Shear Lag
Authors: Tan Minyao , Cheng Wenming
Published: August 2020

In this work, a general geometric nonlinear model of straight thin-walled box beams (STBBs) under combined eccentric and axial loads is established. In order to accurately reflect the behavior of STBB, the additional shear lag warping is added to enrich the displacement field. It is necessary to define the section shape function to describe the local section deformation. Therefore, extension, bending, torsion, distortion, and shear lag effects are expressed by the generalized coordinate method. Based on the stability of transverse unconstrained box beam theory, meaningful higher-order solutions can be obtained by defining a set of coupled deformation modes. The equilibrium equation is discretized by the Galerkin method, and the Newton–Raphson incremental method is used to derive and solve the nonlinear governing equations. On this basis, the analytical expression of stiffness matrix is established. For solving the stability problem, the effectiveness of the proposed method is verified by comparing the calculation results of shell element (Ansys) with other theories. Numerical examples even show that the proposed method can not only get the influence of shear lag but also obtain the variation of lateral buckling of the beam model.
Molecular Characterization of Streptococcus agalactiae Isolates from Pregnant Women in Kathmandu City
Authors: Shrestha Kusum , Sah Anil Kumar , Singh Neetu , Parajuli Pramila , Adhikari Rameshwar
Published: August 2020

Introduction. Group B streptococci (GBS) are globally recognized as one of the leading causes of neonatal sepsis and meningitis and is also known to cause adverse pregnancy outcomes such as stillbirths and miscarriages. Thus, detailed investigation of GBS in pregnant women has special significance in public health related researches. Objectives. The present study is aimed at evaluating the prevalence of GBS colonization among pregnant women in Kathmandu city. Methods. The study was carried out among 125 pregnant women at their trimester (35–37 weeks) (during the time period between January and June in 2018). The prevalence was determined by the culture method in HiCrome Strep B Selective Agar Base and then by using the PCR technique. The serotypes were evaluated by multiplex PCR analysis, while the antibiotics susceptibility tests were performed using the disk diffusion method. Results. Among 125 samples studied, GBS were recorded in 24 samples (implying a prevalence of 19.2%). Furthermore, using the multiplex PCR, among 24 GBS-positive samples, 13 (54.17%) were found to be typeable while 11 (45.83%) were nontypeable. The most abundant serotype recorded in this study was type III (33.33) while the serotypes IV, V, VI, VII, and VIII were not found. Conclusion. The isolates were sensitive towards some antibiotics such as linezolid and ceftriaxone 100%, whereas penicillin 50% and vancomycin 75% but were resistant to tetracycline and ertapenem. Serotype III was found to be predominant in the samples collected during the study period. The observed prevalence was significantly associated with the gestational period, whereas no relationship was found for other risk factors.
fR Gravity Effects on Charged Accelerating AdS Black Holes Using Holographic Tools
Authors: Belhaj Adil , El Moumni Hasan , Masmar Karima
Published: August 2020

We investigate numerically fR gravity effects on certain AdS/CFT tools including holographic entanglement entropy and two-point correlation functions for a charged single accelerated Anti-de Sitter black hole in four dimensions. We find that both holographic entanglement entropy and two-point correlation functions decrease by increasing the acceleration parameter A, matching perfectly with literature. Taking into account the fR gravity parameter η, the decreasing scheme of the holographic quantities persist. However, we observe a transition-like point where the behavior of the holographic tools changes. Two regions meeting at such a transit-like point are shown up. In such a nomination, the first one is associated with slow accelerating black holes while the second one corresponds to a fast accelerating solution. In the first region, the holographic entanglement entropy and two-point correlation functions decrease by increasing the η parameter. However, the behavioral situation is reversed in the second one. Moreover, a cross-comparison between the entropy and the holographic entanglement entropy is presented, providing another counterexample showing that such two quantities do not exhibit similar behaviors.
Effect of Microwave Cooking on Quality of Riceberry Rice (Oryza sativa L.)
Authors: Chin Lyda , Therdthai Nantawan , Ratphitagsanti Wannasawat
Published: August 2020

Microwaves have been applied for cooking, warming, and thawing food for many years. Microwave heating differs from conventional heating and may cause variation in the food quality. This study determined the quality of Riceberry rice (Oryza sativa L.) after microwave cooking using various rice-to-water ratios at three power levels (360, 600, and 900 W). The texture of all microwave-cooked samples was in the range 162.35 ± 5.86 to 180.11 ± 7.17 N and was comparable to the conventionally cooked rice (162.03 N). The total phenolic content (TPC) and the antioxidant activity of the microwave-cooked rice were higher than those of the conventional-cooked rice. Microwave cooking appeared to keep the TPC in the range 241.15–246.89 mg GAE/100 g db and the antioxidant activities based on DPPH and ABTS assays in the ranges 134.24–137.15 and 302.80–311.85 mg·TE/100 g db, respectively. Microwave cooking also maintained similar contents of fiber, ash, and total starch to those from conventional cooking. The glycemic index (GI) for all freshly cooked rice samples was not significantly different, and the rice was classified as a high-GI food. Microwave cooking could be recommended as an alternative technique for rice cooking due to its rapid heating regime and the comparable quality and maximized TPC and antioxidant activity of the cooked rice.
Bioinformatic Analysis of Neuroimmune Mechanism of Neuropathic Pain
Authors: Yu Hao , Liu Yang , Li Chao , Wang Jianhao , Yu Bo , Wu Qiang , Xiang Ziqian , Feng Shiqing
Published: August 2020

Background. Neuropathic pain (NP) is a devastating complication following nerve injury, and it can be alleviated by regulating neuroimmune direction. We aimed to explore the neuroimmune mechanism and identify some new diagnostic or therapeutic targets for NP treatment via bioinformatic analysis. Methods. The microarray GSE18803 was downloaded and analyzed using R. The Venn diagram was drawn to find neuroimmune‐related differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in neuropathic pain. Gene Ontology (GO), pathway enrichment, and protein‐protein interaction (PPI) network were used to analyze DEGs, respectively. Besides, the identified hub genes were submitted to the DGIdb database to find relevant therapeutic drugs. Results. A total of 91 neuroimmune‐related DEGs were identified. The results of GO and pathway enrichment analyses were closely related to immune and inflammatory responses. PPI analysis showed two important modules and 8 hub genes: PTPRC, CD68, CTSS, RAC2, LAPTM5, FCGR3A, CD53, and HCK. The drug‐hub gene interaction network was constructed by Cytoscape, and it included 24 candidate drugs and 3 hub genes. Conclusion. The present study helps us better understand the neuroimmune mechanism of neuropathic pain and provides some novel insights on NP treatment, such as modulation of microglia polarization and targeting bone resorption. Besides, CD68, CTSS, LAPTM5, FCGR3A, and CD53 may be used as early diagnostic biomarkers and the gene HCK can be a therapeutic target.
Global Stability and Dynamic Analysis for a Type of Macroeconomic Systems
Authors: Yang Ya-Juan , Ma Ru-Fei , Zhang Jing
Published: August 2020

This paper aims at the dynamic properties of the proposed globally planned economic systems named after CPE proposed by Loo-Keng Hua who is one of the worldwide famous Chinese mathematicians. First, we give new existence conditions of growth balanced solution to the model. Second, we lead into the concept of stability for balanced output and carry out a theorem that deals with some equivalent conditions for judging a solution of output starting from the fact that any initial input can whether approach the existing balanced solution or not. Third, a new dynamic price system related to interest factors is proposed here and it is demonstrated that the new price equation is a much generalized one in comparison with the original price one which is only a special case of this new price equation. Also, relationships of the balanced solutions between the price and the output equation are investigated and the stability analysis is studied as well for the new price system. Finally, two examples are employed to illustrate the technical operation of input-output method and some new contributions of this article.
Hormones and Hormonal Anabolics: Residues in Animal Source Food, Potential Public Health Impacts, and Methods of Analysis
Authors: Hirpessa Belachew B. , Ulusoy Beyza H. , Hecer Canan
Published: August 2020

The demand for nutritious food, especially food of animal origin, is globally increasing due to escalating population growth and a dietary shift to animal source food. In order to fulfill the requirements, producers are using veterinary drugs such as hormones and hormone-like anabolic agents. Hormones such as steroidal (estrogens, gestagens, and androgens), nonsteroidal, semisynthetic, and synthetic or designer drugs are all growth-promoting and body-partitioning agents. Hence, in food animal production practice, farm owners use these chemicals to improve body weight gain, increase feed conversion efficiency, and productivity. However, the use of these hormones and hormonal growth-promoting agents eventually ends up with the occurrence of residues in the animal-originated food. The incidence of hormone residues in such types of food and food products beyond the tolerance acts as a risk factor for the occurrence of potential public health problems. Currently, different international and national regulatory bodies have placed requirements and legislative frameworks, which enable them to implement residue monitoring test endeavors that safeguard the public and facilitate the trading activity. To make the tests on the animal-origin food matrix, there are different sample extraction techniques such as accelerated solvent extraction, supercritical ﬂuid extraction, solid phase extraction, solid-phase microextraction, and hollow-ﬁber liquid-phase microextraction. After sample preparation steps, the analytes of interest can be assayed by screening and confirmatory methods of analysis. For screening, immunological tests such as ELISA and radioimmunoassay are used. Detection and determination of the specific residues will be done by chromatographic or instrumental analysis. Mainly, among high-performance liquid chromatography, liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry (LC-MS, LC-MS/MS), and gas chromatography with mass spectrometry (GC-MS and GC-MS/MS) methods, LC-MS/MS is being preferred because of easier sample preparation without a derivatization step and high detection and quantification capacity.
Fusing Mobile Phone and Travel Survey Data to Model Urban Activity Dynamics
Authors: Yang Chao , Zhang Yuliang , Zhan Xianyuan , Ukkusuri Satish V. , Chen Yifan
Published: August 2020

A key issue to understand urban system is to characterize the activity dynamics in a city—when, where, what, and how activities happen in a city. To better understand the urban activity dynamics, city-wide and multiday activity participation sequence data, namely, activity chain as well as suitable spatiotemporal models, are needed. The commonly used household travel survey data in activity analysis suffers from limited sample size and temporal coverage. The emergence of large-scale spatiotemporal data in urban areas, such as mobile phone data, provides a new opportunity to infer urban activities and the underlying dynamics. However, the challenge is the absence of labeled activity information in mobile phone data. Consequently, how to fuse the useful information in household survey data and mobile phone data to build city-wide, multiday, and all-time activity chains becomes an important research question. Moreover, the multidimension structure of the activity data (e.g., location, start time, duration, type) makes the extraction of spatiotemporal activity patterns another difficult problem. In this study, the authors first introduce an activity chain inference model based on tensor decomposition to infer the missing activity labels in large-scale and multiday activity data, and then develop a spatiotemporal event clustering model based on DBSCAN, called STE-DBSCAN, to identify the spatiotemporal activity patterns. The proposed approaches achieved good accuracy and produced patterns with a high level of interpretability.
Facile-Controlled Epitaxial Growth Direction of Heterogeneous Core/Shell Structured NaLnF4 Nanocrystals through Traditional Methods
Authors: Xu Bing , Yang Huimin , Lin Xinru , Li Dongyu
Published: August 2020

Fabrication of nanoscale materials with desirable morphology and surface properties becomes more urgent when constructing hybrid nanocrystals with multiple functionalities. Here, we report a facile measure to control the outer layer growth direction combining with coprecipitation and thermal decomposition method for constructing a series of heterogeneous core/shell structured NaLnF4 nanocrystals, involving NaYF4 and NaNdF4 material. Our investigations suggest that it is feasible to control over the outer layer growth orientation by combining the two traditional methods.
A Modified Nonlinear Conjugate Gradient Method with the Armijo Line Search and Its Application
Authors: Zhang Mengxiang , Zhou Yingjie , Wang Songhua
Published: August 2020

In this article, a modified Polak-Ribière-Polyak (PRP) conjugate gradient method is proposed for image restoration. The presented method can generate sufficient descent directions without any line search conditions. Under some mild conditions, this method is globally convergent with the Armijo line search. Moreover, the linear convergence rate of the modified PRP method is established. The experimental results of unconstrained optimization, image restoration, and compressive sensing show that the proposed method is promising and competitive with other conjugate gradient methods.
Existence of Solutions for the Discrete Dirichlet Problem Involving p-Mean Curvature Operator
Authors: Wang Jianxia , Zhou Zhan
Published: August 2020

This work is to discuss the Dirichlet boundary value problem of the difference equation with p -mean curvature operator. Under some determinate growth conditions on the nonlinear term, the existence of one solution or two nontrivial solutions is obtained via variational methods and some analysis techniques. Examples are also given to illustrate our theorems in the last section.
Study on the Manifold Cover Lagrangian Integral Point Method Based on Barycentric Interpolation
Authors: Sun Hui , Yan Qin , Han Bing , Li Shuchen , Feng Xianda
Published: August 2020

To achieve numerical simulation of large deformation evolution processes in underground engineering, the barycentric interpolation test function is established in this paper based on the manifold cover idea. A large-deformation numerical simulation method is proposed by the double discrete method with the fixed Euler background mesh and moving material points, with discontinuous damage processes implemented by continuous simulation. The material particles are also the integration points. This method is called the manifold cover Lagrangian integral point method based on barycentric interpolation. The method uses the Euler mesh as the background integral mesh and describes the deformation behavior of macroscopic objects through the motion of particles between meshes. Therefore, this method can avoid the problem of computation termination caused by the distortion of the mesh in the calculation process. In addition, this method can keep material particles moving without limits in the set region, which makes it suitable for simulating large deformation and collapse problems in geotechnical engineering. Taking a typical slope as an example, the results of a slope slip surface obtained using the manifold cover Lagrangian integral point method based on barycentric interpolation proposed in this paper were basically consistent with the theoretical analytical method. Hence, the correctness of the method was verified. The method was then applied for simulating the collapse process of the side slope, thereby confirming the feasibility of the method for computing large deformations.
Knocking on IPs: Identifying HTTPS Websites for Zero-Rated Traffic
Authors: Di Martino Mariano , Quax Peter , Lamotte Wim
Published: August 2020

Zero-rating is a technique where internet service providers (ISPs) allow consumers to utilize a specific website without charging their internet data plan. Implementing zero-rating requires an accurate website identification method that is also efficient and reliable to be applied on live network traffic. In this paper, we examine existing website identification methods with the objective of applying zero-rating. Furthermore, we demonstrate the ineffectiveness of these methods against modern encryption protocols such as Encrypted SNI and DNS over HTTPS and therefore show that ISPs are not able to maintain the current zero-rating approaches in the forthcoming future. To address this concern, we present “Open-Knock,” a novel approach that is capable of accurately identifying a zero-rated website, thwarts free-riding attacks, and is sustainable on the increasingly encrypted web. In addition, our approach does not require plaintext protocols or preprocessed fingerprints upfront. Finally, our experimental analysis unveils that we are able to convert each IP address to the correct domain name for each website in the Tranco top 6000 websites list with an accuracy of 50.5% and therefore outperform the current state-of-the-art approaches.
Using Deep Convolutional Neural Networks for Image-Based Diagnosis of Nutrient Deficiencies in Rice
Authors: Xu Zhe , Guo Xi , Zhu Anfan , He Xiaolin , Zhao Xiaomin , Han Yi , Subedi Roshan
Published: August 2020

Symptoms of nutrient deficiencies in rice plants often appear on the leaves. The leaf color and shape, therefore, can be used to diagnose nutrient deficiencies in rice. Image classification is an efficient and fast approach for this diagnosis task. Deep convolutional neural networks (DCNNs) have been proven to be effective in image classification, but their use to identify nutrient deficiencies in rice has received little attention. In the present study, we explore the accuracy of different DCNNs for diagnosis of nutrient deficiencies in rice. A total of 1818 photographs of plant leaves were obtained via hydroponic experiments to cover full nutrition and 10 classes of nutrient deficiencies. The photographs were divided into training, validation, and test sets in a 3 : 1 : 1 ratio. Fine-tuning was performed to evaluate four state-of-the-art DCNNs: Inception-v3, ResNet with 50 layers, NasNet-Large, and DenseNet with 121 layers. All the DCNNs obtained validation and test accuracies of over 90%, with DenseNet121 performing best (validation accuracy = 98.62 ± 0.57%; test accuracy = 97.44 ± 0.57%). The performance of the DCNNs was validated by comparison to color feature with support vector machine and histogram of oriented gradient with support vector machine. This study demonstrates that DCNNs provide an effective approach to diagnose nutrient deficiencies in rice.
A New Numerical Procedure for Vibration Analysis of Beam under Impulse and Multiharmonics Piezoelectric Actuators
Authors: Belkourchia Yassin , Azrar Lahcen
Published: August 2020

The dynamic behavior of structures with piezoelectric patches is governed by partial differential equations with strong singularities. To directly deal with these equations, well adapted numerical procedures are required. In this work, the differential quadrature method (DQM) combined with a regularization procedure for space and implicit scheme for time discretization is used. The DQM is a simple method that can be implemented with few grid points and can give results with a good accuracy. However, the DQM presents some difficulties when applied to partial differential equations involving strong singularities. This is due to the fact that the subsidiaries of the singular functions cannot be straightforwardly discretized by the DQM. A methodological approach based on the regularization procedure is used here to overcome this difficulty and the derivatives of the Dirac-delta function are replaced by regularized smooth functions. Thanks to this regularization, the resulting differential equations can be directly discretized using the DQM. The efficiency and applicability of the proposed approach are demonstrated in the computation of the dynamic behavior of beams for various boundary conditions and excited by impulse and Multiharmonics piezoelectric actuators. The obtained numerical results are well compared to the developed analytical solution.
Road Markings and Their Impact on Driver Behaviour and Road Safety: A Systematic Review of Current Findings
Authors: Babić Dario , Fiolić Mario , Babić Darko , Gates Timothy
Published: August 2020

As part of the traffic control plan, road markings form the traffic surface and provide visual guidance for road users. Since their first application to the present day, road markings have become a common element of road infrastructure and one of the basic low-cost safety measures. The aim of this paper is to provide a systematic review of the most significant academic activities to date regarding the influence of longitudinal and transverse road markings as well as road markings for hazard locations (curves, intersections, and rural-urban transitions) on driver’s behaviour and overall road safety. The review includes a total of 71 studies from which are 52 peer-reviewed journal studies, 4 conference proceedings, and 15 professional reports. The studies are, based on their aim, divided into two categories: (1) studies on the impact of road markings on driver behaviour (36 studies) and (2) studies on the impact of road markings on road safety (35 studies).
Water Treatment for Fish Aquaculture System by Biochar-Supplemented Planting Panel System
Authors: Mopoung Sumrit , Udeye Vijitr , Viruhpintu Supaluck , Yimtragool Nonglak , Unhong Visarut
Published: August 2020

Rice husk biochars were prepared by carbonization at 400–600°C. The products were analyzed by FTIR, SEM-EDS, BET, and approximate analysis in order to find final products with the best properties and the lowest carbonization temperature. It has been found that the biochar prepared at 500°C, which has 37.86 ± 0.11% yield, 341.0776 m2/g of BET surface area, and 0.136639 cm3/g of micropore volume, is suitable for use as a root supplement in the aquaponic system. The aquaponic systems consist of aquaculture and a hydroponic system with and without biochar supplement. The control experiment consists of an aquaculture and planting panel with biochar supplement disconnected from each other. Tilapia and Chinese morning glory were used for growth studies. The water quality from all aquaculture ponds has also been analyzed at an interval of 10 days for 47 days. The results showed that the growth rates of Tilapia and Chinese morning glory in the aquaponic system with biochar were clearly higher than in the control experiment, which is in accordance with the water quality in each aquaculture pond. However, the growth rates of Tilapia (23.5 g/body vs. 22.7 g/body) and morning glory (3.907 g/stem vs. 2.609 g/stem) in supplemented biochar system tend to be higher than the nonsupplemented biochar system. It has been shown that rice husk biochar can help in treating water in the aquaponic system by increasing the amount of dissolved oxygen in the aquaculture water and conversion of toxic compounds to those beneficial for plant growth.
Construction of circRNA-Associated ceRNA Network Reveals Novel Biomarkers for Esophageal Cancer
Authors: Sun Yunhao , Qiu Limin , Chen Jinjin , Wang Yao , Qian Jun , Huang Lirong , Ma Haitao
Published: August 2020

Objective. Esophageal cancer (ESCC) is reported to be the eighth most common malignant tumors worldwide with high mortality. However, the functions of majority circRNAs in ESCC requires to be further explored. Methods. This study identified differently expressed circRNAs in 3 paired ESCC using RNA-sequencing method. The interactions among circRNAs, miRNAs, and mRNAs were predicted using bioinformatics analysis. Results. In this study, using RNA-sequencing method and integrated bioinformatics analysis, 418 overexpressed circRNAs and 637 reduced circRNAs in ESCC sample were identified. Based on the mechanism that circRNAs could play as ceRNAs to modulate targets expression, circRNA-miRNA and circRNA-miRNA-mRNA networks were constructed in this study. Based on the network analysis, 7 circRNAs, including circ_0002255, circ_0000530, circ_0001904, circ_0001005, circ_0000513, circ_0000075, and circ_0001121, were identified as key circRNAs in ESCC. We found that circ_0002255 was related to the regulation of substrate adhesion-dependent cell spreading. circ_0001121 was involved in regulating nucleocytoplasmic transport. circ_0000513 played a key role in regulating Adherens junction, B cell receptor signaling pathway. Meanwhile, we observed circ_0000075 was involved in regulating zinc II ion transport, transition metal ion homeostasis, and angiogenesis. Conclusion. We thought this study could provide novel biomarkers for the prognosis of ESCC.