bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ionic Strength-Dependent, Reversible Pleomorphism of Recombinant Newcastle Disease Virus
Authors: Rush Benjamin S. , Djagbare Matieyendou Didier , Speir Jeffrey A. , Sanyal Gautam
Published: September 2020

Oncolytic viruses are being developed for cancer therapy, as they selectively target, infect, and kill cancer cells. NDV is particularly attractive because while it is pathogenic to avians (e.g., chickens), it does not cause significant viremia in humans. We have developed a genetically modified recombinant NDV (rNDV) that has much reduced pathogenicity in chickens but is highly oncolytic. The morphology of rNDV transitions from spherical at very low salt concentrations to a heterogeneous population of spherical and elongated virions in isotonic (physiologic salt concentration) and hypertonic solutions. The infectivity (cell-killing activity by infecting cells) of rNDV is unaltered by changes in salt concentration despite morphological changes. These observations are significant for purification and formulation of rNDV, as exposure to different salt concentrations may be needed. Importantly, at physiological salt concentration, relevant to clinical testing, infectivity and, therefore, oncolytic activity will not be compromised despite morphological heterogeneity.
mSphere of Influence: the Dynamic Nature of the Nuclear Envelope during Mitosis of Malaria Parasites
Authors: Absalon Sabrina
Published: September 2020

Sabrina Absalon works in the field of cellular and molecular biology of
Plasmodium falciparum
, the most virulent parasite causing malaria in humans. In this mSphere of Influence article, she reflects on how the paper “3D nuclear architecture reveals coupled cell cycle dynamics of chromatin and nuclear pores in the malaria parasite
Plasmodium falciparum
” by Allon Weiner et al. (A. Weiner, N. Dahan-Pasternak, E. Shimoni, V. Shinder, et al., Cell Microbiol 13:967–977, 2011,
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1462-5822.2011.01592.x
) triggered her aspiration to study the molecular mechanisms governing nuclear envelope assembly and integrity of
P. falciparum
throughout the intraerythrocytic development cycle.
Sleep characteristics and HbA1c in patients with type 2 diabetes on glucose-lowering medication
Authors: Tan Xiao , Benedict Christian
Published: September 2020

Introduction

To examine the association of sleep duration, insomnia, and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) with hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) in a cohort of patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) on glucose-lowering medications.

Research design and methods

13 346 patients with T2D were included in the present analysis (mean age: 60.2 years; 56.6% were on antidiabetic drug monotherapy; 43.4% received at least two glucose-lowering medications). Sleep duration (short: ≤6 hours/day; normal: 7–8 hours/day; long: ≥9 hours/day) and frequency of insomnia symptoms were self-reported. The risk of OSA was considered high if at least two of the following conditions were fulfilled: regular snoring, frequent daytime sleepiness, and either obesity (≥30 kg/m2) or hypertension (systolic blood pressure ≥140 mm Hg or diastolic blood pressure ≥90 mm Hg). Associations between sleep variables and HbA1c were investigated by analysis of covariance or linear regression (adjusted for, eg, participants’ age, sex, ethnic background, and systolic blood pressure).

Results

Long sleep duration and a high risk for OSA were independently associated with higher HbA1c values (long vs normal sleep duration: +0.10% (95% CI 0.03 to 0.18); high vs low risk for OSA: +0.07% (95% CI 0.02 to 0.11), both p=0.004). No robust association was found of short sleep duration and frequent insomnia symptoms with HbA1c. Finally, a positive dose–response association between the number of sleep problems per subject (range: 0–3) and HbA1c was observed (β=0.04% (0.02 to 0.06), p=0.002). However, all significant associations were small.

Conclusion

Screening for and treatment of sleep problems may help lower HbA1c levels in patients with T2D on glucose-lowering medications.
Improving precise counting of mitotic cells in mantle cell lymphoma using phosphohistone H3 (PHH3) antibody
Authors: Medani Hanine , Elshiekh Mohamed , Naresh Kikkeri N
Published: September 2020

Aims

Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) has a highly heterogeneous clinical course ranging from indolent, to aggressive and rapidly progressive disease. Proliferation is a strong predictor for disease outcome. In routine clinical practice, Ki-67 expression is used as a measure of proliferation. However, several studies have documented a high degree of inter-laboratory and inter-observer variation with Ki-67 immunohistochemistry. Phosphorylation of histone H3 occurs specifically during mitosis and hence serves as a specific marker for cells in mitosis.

Methods and results

We investigated phosphohistone H3 (PHH3) immunohistochemistry as a proliferation maker in 28 tissue biopsies of MCL and compared the PHH3 results (as evaluated by direct microscopic visualisation and image analysis-aided scoring) with morphological subtyping, mitotic counts and Ki-67 index. We found PHH3-mitotic count was about sixfold higher than H&E-mitotic count (mitoses in 10 high power fields). Furthermore, PHH3-mitotic count in aggressive morphological variants of MCL was significantly higher than in usual MCL. The PHH3-mitotic count showed a strong linear correlation with PHH3-mitotic index (percentage positive cells).

Conclusions

We found PHH3 immunohistochemistry, a reliable mitosis-specific marker, in MCL. Performing precise counts and evaluating precise proliferation indices is easier with PHH3 immunohistochemistry. This contrasts with the conventional estimation of Ki-67 percentages by ‘eye-balling’.
Cardiac changes in pediatric cancer survivors
Authors: Mokshagundam Deepa , Olivieri Laura J , McCarter Robert , Kim Aerang , Sable Craig A , Spurney Christopher F , Dham Niti
Published: September 2020

Cardiac damage from chemotherapy is a known phenomenon leading to significant morbidity and mortality in the cancer surviving population, and identifying high-risk pediatric patients early is challenging. The purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate whether echo strain, cardiac MRI (CMR), and serum biomarkers are more sensitive methods for detecting cardiac toxicity than standard echo and to examine the relationship between biomarkers in patients without decreased systolic function as determined by standard echo. In this pilot study, we prospectively enrolled pediatric subjects after completion of anthracycline inclusive chemotherapy. Each subject underwent a post-treatment echocardiogram (standard with strain), serum biomarkers (N-terminal brain natriuretic peptide (NT-pro-BNP) and interleukin 1 receptor-like 1 protein (ST2)), and CMR (standard and extracellular volumes (ECVs)). We correlated the markers using Pearson correlation. We enrolled 30 subjects, 11F/19M, aged 8–21 years. Cumulative anthracycline dose (CAD) correlated with BNP (p=0.06), CMR ECV 4-chamber (p=0.05) and sagittal (p=0.01), and mitral valve E/A (p=0.02). BNP correlated with CMR ECV 4-chamber (p=0.001) and sagittal (p=0.001) and with echo average longitudinal strain (ALS) (p=0.05). This study demonstrated a significant correlation of CAD with BNP and CMR ECV. There was also a significant correlation of NT-pro-BNP with CMR ECV and ALS. Combining these parameters with standard echo has the potential to identify high-risk patients early. Further studies are needed for long-term follow-up and management in this vulnerable population.
Bone marrow MSC from pediatric patients with B-ALL highly immunosuppress T-cell responses but do not compromise CD19-CAR T-cell activity
Authors: Zanetti Samanta Romina , Romecin Paola Alejandra , Vinyoles Meritxell , Juan Manel , Fuster José Luis , Cámos Mireia , Querol Sergi , Delgado Mario , Menendez Pablo
Published: September 2020

Background

Although adoptive transfer of CD19-directed chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cells (CD19-CAR T-cells) achieves high rates of complete response in patients with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL), relapse is common. Bone marrow (BM) mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (BM-MSC) are key components of the hematopoietic niche and are implicated in B-ALL pathogenesis and therapy resistance. MSC exert an immunosuppressive effect on T-cells; however, their impact on CD19-CAR T-cell activity is understudied.

Methods

We performed a detailed characterization of BM-MSC from pediatric patients with B-ALL (B-ALL BM-MSC), evaluated their immunomodulatory properties and their impact on CD19-CAR T-cell activity in vitro using microscopy, qRT-PCR, ELISA, flow cytometry analysis and in vivo using a preclinical model of severe colitis and a B-ALL xenograft model.

Results

While B-ALL BM-MSC were less proliferative than those from age-matched healthy donors (HD), the morphology, immunophenotype, differentiation potential and chemoprotection was very similar. Likewise, both BM-MSC populations were equally immunosuppressive in vitro and anti-inflammatory in an in vivo model of severe colitis. Interestingly, BM-MSC failed to impair CD19-CAR T-cell cytotoxicity or cytokine production in vitro using B-ALL cell lines and primary B-ALL cells. Finally, the growth of NALM6 cells was controlled in vivo by CD19-CAR T-cells irrespective of the absence/presence of BM-MSC.

Conclusions

Collectively, our data demonstrate that pediatric B-ALL and HD BM-MSC equally immunosuppress T-cell responses but do not compromise CD19-CAR T-cell activity.
Association between favourable changes in objectively measured physical activity and telomere length after a lifestyle intervention in pediatric patients with abdominal obesity
Authors: Ojeda-Rodríguez Ana , Morell-Azanza Lydia , Martín-Calvo Nerea , Zalba Guillermo , Chueca María , Azcona-Sanjulian Maria Cristina , Marti Amelia
Published: September 2020

The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of physical activity (PA) changes, measured by accelerometry, on telomere length (TL) in pediatric patients with abdominal obesity after a lifestyle intervention. One hundred and twenty-one children (7–16 years old) with abdominal obesity were randomized to the intervention (a moderately hypocaloric Mediterranean diet) or the usual care group (standard pediatric recommendations) for 22 months (a 2 month intensive phase and a subsequent 20 month follow-up). Both groups were encouraged to accumulate an extra 200 min/week of PA. TL was measured by MMqPCR. Data were analyzed in 102 subjects after 2 months and 64 subjects at the first 10 months of follow-up. Light PA level decreased in both groups after 12 months of intervention. At month 2, moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA) increased in the intervention group (+5.4 min/day, p = 0.035) and so did sedentary time in the usual care group (+49.7 min/day, p = 0.010). TL changes were positively associated (p < 0.050) with metabolic equivalents (METs), MVPA level, and number of steps, and were inversely associated with sedentary and light PA levels in the intervention group after the intensive phase. In conclusion, favourable changes in PA levels in the intensive phase of a lifestyle intervention could contribute to TL maintenance in a pediatric population with abdominal obesity.

Novelty Changes in physical activity levels had a direct effect on telomere length, a biomarker of cellular aging and oxidative stress. PA advice based on The American College of Sports Medicine included in this intervention is easy to implement in primary care.
Quantization of κ-deformed Dirac equation
Authors: Harikumar E. , Rajagopal Vishnu
Published: September 2020

In this paper, we study the quantization of Dirac field theory in the [Formula: see text]-deformed space–time. We adopt a quantization method that uses only equations of motion for quantizing the field. Starting from [Formula: see text]-deformed Dirac equation, valid up to first order in the deformation parameter [Formula: see text], we derive deformed unequal time anticommutation relation between deformed field and its adjoint, leading to undeformed oscillator algebra. Exploiting the freedom of imposing a deformed unequal time anticommutation relations between [Formula: see text]-deformed spinor and its adjoint, we also derive a deformed oscillator algebra. We show that deformed number operator is the conserved charge corresponding to global phase transformation symmetry. We construct the [Formula: see text]-deformed conserved currents, valid up to first order in [Formula: see text], corresponding to parity and time-reversal symmetries of [Formula: see text]-deformed Dirac equation also. We show that these conserved currents and charges have a mass-dependent correction, valid up to first order in [Formula: see text]. This novel feature is expected to have experimental significance in particle physics. We also show that it is not possible to construct a conserved current associated with charge conjugation, showing that the Dirac particle and its antiparticle satisfy different equations in [Formula: see text] space–time.
M-truncated fractional optical solitons and other periodic wave structures with Schrödinger–Hirota equation
Authors: Tariq K. U. , Younis M. , Rizvi S. T. R. , Bulut H.
Published: September 2020

In this article, some novel optical and periodic wave structures are studied to the fractional Schrödinger–Hirota equation with a truncated [Formula: see text]-fractional derivative. For this purpose, the integration scheme, which was adopted is fractional extended Fan sub-equation. The optical solitons are observed in single and combined forms, and some other solutions are also fall out during the derivation. Subsequently, the exact solutions demonstrate the effectiveness, efficiency and reliability of the proposed methods, which can be useful for exploring various kind of solutions in the diverse fields of contemporary sciences and engineering. The constraint conditions are utilized, as well as the gained solutions are plugged into the model to verify the results.
Novel discrete chaotic system via fractal transformation and its DSP implementation
Authors: Dai Shengqiu , Sun Kehui , Ai Wei , Peng Yuexi
Published: September 2020

Designing a discrete chaotic system via fractal transformation has become a new method for engineering applications. This method generates new discrete chaotic system through external mechanisms, instead of the traditional way of internal mechanisms. The way of building novel discrete chaotic system is enriched by fractal and mathematical operation. Taking one-dimensional ICMIC map and two-dimensional Hénon map as the seed maps, dynamics of the generated chaotic map is analyzed by bifurcations, complexity and spectrum distribution characteristics. The results show that the new discrete chaotic map has the advantages in complexity and distribution in the parameter space. Finally, the digital circuit of fractal chaotic system is implemented based on DSP technique. The feasibility of the circuit is verified. Therefore, it has good application prospects in secure communication.
Memristor Initial-Offset Boosting in Memristive HR Neuron Model with Hidden Firing Patterns
Authors: Bao Han , Liu Wenbo , Ma Jun , Wu Huagan
Published: September 2020

A new three-dimensional (3D) memristive HR neuron model is presented, which is improved from an existing memristive HR neuron model using a memristor synapse with sine memductance to substitute the original one. The improved memristive HR neuron model has no equilibrium but hidden firing activities can emerge with discrete memristor initial-offset boosting. Treating the neuron model as a two-dimensional (2D) major subsystem controlled by a magnetic flux variable, fold bifurcations for hidden chaotic and periodic firing patterns are elaborated. The coexistence of hidden firing patterns induced by memristor initial boosting is quantitatively analyzed and numerically simulated by bifurcation plots, phase plots, and basins of attraction. The results demonstrate that the improved memristive HR neuron model can exhibit a discrete memristor initial-offset boosting behavior owning infinitely many disconnected basins of attraction and the generating firing patterns can be boosted to different discrete levels by changing the memristor initial value, differing entirely from various boosting behaviors reported previously. Therefore, infinitely many hidden coexisting offset-boosted firing patterns with the same initial-offsets and attractor types are disclosed along the boosting route, which are homogenous with extreme multistability and are perfectly validated by PSIM circuit simulations based on a physically implementation-oriented analog circuit.
Effect of Modal Interaction on Transient Behavior in Double-Input SEPIC DC–DC Converters
Authors: Zhang Hao , Jing Min , Dong Shuai , Liu Wei , Cui Zhaohua
Published: September 2020

In this paper, we exploit an idea of nonlinear modal series method to investigate the effects of modal interaction in the one-cycle controlled (OCC) double-input SEPIC DC–DC converter. Based on the proposed nonlinear averaged model, the analytical approximate solutions are obtained to characterize the dynamic response characteristic of the transient behaviors in the double-input SEPIC converters. The fundamental modal analysis is utilized to identify the dominant oscillation modes and discover the relationship between parameters, fundamental modes and state variables. Furthermore, the second-order interaction indices are proposed to uncover the underlying mechanism of nonlinear interaction behaviors. In particular, the correlation between parameters and modal interaction are derived to optimize the transient process of the double-input SEPIC converters. Finally, numerical simulations are performed to verify the theoretical analysis.
Sensitivity and Chaoticity on Nonautonomous Dynamical Systems
Authors: Li Nan , Wang Lidong
Published: September 2020

This paper discusses the sensitivity and chaotic properties of nonautonomous dynamical systems. For the first time we obtain sufficient conditions of some stronger forms of sensitivity for nonautonomous dynamical systems. Then, some chaotic relations between two nonautonomous dynamical systems are proved.
Complex Dynamics of a Discrete-Time Prey–Predator System with Leslie Type: Stability, Bifurcation Analyses and Chaos
Authors: Baydemir Pinar , Merdan Huseyin , Karaoglu Esra , Sucu Gokce
Published: September 2020

Dynamic behavior of a discrete-time prey–predator system with Leslie type is analyzed. The discrete mathematical model was obtained by applying the forward Euler scheme to its continuous-time counterpart. First, the local stability conditions of equilibrium point of this system are determined. Then, the conditions of existence for flip bifurcation and Neimark–Sacker bifurcation arising from this positive equilibrium point are investigated. More specifically, by choosing integral step size as a bifurcation parameter, these bifurcations are driven via center manifold theorem and normal form theory. Finally, numerical simulations are performed to support and extend the theoretical results. Analytical results show that an integral step size has a significant role on the dynamics of a discrete system. Numerical simulations support that enlarging the integral step size causes chaotic behavior.
Bifurcation Analysis of Gear Pair with Continuous and Intermittent Mesh Stiffness Using Enhanced Compliance Method
Authors: Liu De-Shin , Wang Chuen-Ren , Shiau Ting-Nung , Huang Kuo-Hsuan , Hsu Wei-Chun
Published: September 2020

The nonlinear dynamics of a multigear pair with the time-varying gear mesh stiffness are investigated using an enhanced compliance-based methodology. In the proposed approach, Lagrangian theory and Runge–Kutta method are used to derive the equation of motion of the multigear pair and solve its dynamic response for various values of the gear mesh frequency, respectively. The simulation results obtained for the dynamic behavior of the multigear pair are compared with those obtained by using continuous (cosine, sine and offset sine function) and intermittent representations of the time-varying gear mesh stiffness. It is shown that periodic, quasi-periodic, aperiodic and chaos motions are induced at different values of the gear mesh frequency. In addition, the bifurcation diagram reveals the occurrence of both nonimpact motion and single-sided impact motion, and Lyapunov exponent can easily diagnose the chaos phenomenon of system.
EFFECTS OF FINENESS AND CONTENT OF PHOSPHORUS SLAG ON CEMENT HYDRATION, PERMEABILITY, PORE STRUCTURE AND FRACTAL DIMENSION OF CONCRETE
Authors: WANG LEI , LUO RUYI , ZHANG WEI , JIN MINMIN , TANG SHENGWEN
Published: September 2020

The utilization of phosphorus slag (PHS) to replace the fly ash in the construction of hydraulic projects has attracted a growing attention in China. In this study, the influence of PHS fineness and content on cement hydration, mechanical strength, permeability as well as the pore structure and fractal dimension ([Formula: see text] of concrete have been discussed. The results indicate that the PHS addition retards the cement hydration and hence decreases the hydration heat within three days. The incorporation of PHS with a Blaine specific surface area of 505[Formula: see text]m2/kg could participate in the early pozzolanic reaction and consequently offsets the retarding effect to some extent. The incorporation of 20–40[Formula: see text]wt.% PHS declines the early strength of concrete, but this reduction effect on strength can be eliminated to some degrees by mechanically grinding the PHS. The compressive strengths of concrete added with PHS with a high fineness of 505[Formula: see text]m2/kg (abbreviated as PHS-H) are about 16.0–20.6% higher at three days and 8.9–11.0% higher at 180 days compared that of the control concrete. The contribution of PHS-H to the pore structure refinement is more significant than that of PHS with a low fineness of 302[Formula: see text]m2/kg (abbreviated as PHS-L) at various ages because PHS-H is of much higher reactivity and can consume more Ca(OH)2 than PHS-L which leads to a denser microstructure and a lower chloride diffusion coefficient ([Formula: see text]. The incorporation of PHS decreases the [Formula: see text] at three days, whereas the concrete incorporated with PHS has much higher [Formula: see text] than that of control one at late age. The [Formula: see text] value increases with increasing the porosity and the most probable aperture, while [Formula: see text] has a more significant effect on [Formula: see text] than the porosity and the most probable aperture. The concrete added with 20[Formula: see text]wt.% PHS-H exhibits the highest [Formula: see text] and the lowest [Formula: see text] value at long-term age among the five concrete mixtures in this work.
MULTIFRACTAL ANALYSIS OF THE GOLD MARKET
Authors: NEJAD SALMAN ABARGHOUEI , STOSIC TATIJANA , STOSIC BORKO
Published: September 2020

In this paper, we investigate the efficiency of gold market through time evolution of multifractal spectrum parameters (position of maximum, width and asymmetry), by applying multifractal detrended fluctuation analysis in sliding windows of 4, 10 and 20 years. We find that geopolitical and economic events can decrease market efficiency by inducing changes in gold price dynamics toward increased persistency and stronger multifractality with dominance of large fluctuations. For all analyzed geopolitical events and for all windows sizes, we found stronger multifractality of underlying stochastic process, indicated by the increase in the spectrum width [Formula: see text].
DYNAMICS OF FRACTIONAL-ORDER PREDATOR–PREY MODEL INCORPORATING TWO DELAYS
Authors: ZHAO LINGZHI , HUANG CHENGDAI , CAO JINDE
Published: September 2020

This paper studies the problem of bifurcation for a fractional-order predator–prey system with two different delays by considering fractional interval [Formula: see text]. Multiple delays-depended stability domains of the developed model are procured and the bifurcation points are exactly established by taking advantage of two different delays as bifurcation parameters, respectively. It detects that the stability performance can be extremely varied with the changes of control parameter upon one delay is established. System possesses excellent stability performance when choosing the smaller control parameter, and Hopf bifurcation emerges from system once control parameter passes through the critical values, which degrades the performance of the system. Numerical simulations are finally performed to check our theoretical analysis.
DYNAMICS IN FRACTAL SPACES
Authors: LÓPEZ ÁLVARO G.
Published: September 2020

We study the dynamics of a particle in a space that is non-differentiable. Non-smooth geometrical objects have an inherently probabilistic nature and, consequently, introduce stochasticity in the motion of a body that lives in their realm. We use the mathematical concept of fiber bundle to characterize the multivalued nature of geodesic trajectories going through a point that is non-differentiable. Then, we generalize our concepts to everywhere non-smooth structures. The resulting theoretical framework can be considered a hybridization of the theory of surfaces and the theory of stochastic processes. We keep the concepts as general as possible, in order to allow for the introduction of other fundamental processes capable of modeling the fractality or the fluctuations of any conceivable continuous, but non-differentiable space.
SPARSE CODE MULTIPLE ACCESS CODEBOOK DESIGN USING SINGULAR VALUE DECOMPOSITION
Authors: VIDAL BELTRAN S. , CARREÑO AGUILERA R. , LOPEZ BONILLA J. L.
Published: September 2020

Currently, sparse code multiple access (SCMA) is a commonly used multiple-access technique, and it is a strong candidate for implementation as part of the fifth generation (5G) of wireless mobile communications. Although several design methods are available for SCMA codebooks, we propose a new method that optimizes point-to-point distances within the same codeword and from codebook-to-codebook for the same carrier based on singular value decomposition (SVD). A neural network-based receiver is proposed for detecting and decoding SVD–SCMA codewords. The simulation results show an improvement in the bit error rate (BER) compared to that for methods such as low-density signatures (LDS), SCMA, and multidimensional SCMA (MD-SCMA).
ON THE FRACTAL VARIATIONAL PRINCIPLE FOR THE TELEGRAPH EQUATION
Authors: HE JI-HUAN
Published: September 2020

This paper gives a short remark on variational principle for the fractal Telegraph equation [K. L. Wang, S. W. Yao, Y. P. Liu et al., Fractals 28(4) (2020) 2050058], the emphasis is put on temporal and spatial fractal derivatives and the derivation process of the fractal variational principle.
Impact of Electrode and Cell Design on Fast Charging Capabilities of Cylindrical Lithium-Ion Batteries
Authors: Sturm J. , Frank A. , Rheinfeld A. , Erhard S. V. , Jossen A.
Published: September 2020

Cylindrical formats for high energy lithium-ion batteries shifted from 18650 to 21700 types offering higher volumetric energy density and lower manufacturing costs. Bigger formats such as 26650 may be of benefit as well, but longer electrodes and increased heat accumulation due to larger cell diameters are challenging for the batterys design and performance. An experimental review of state-of-the-art cylindrical lithium-ion batteries implies a delayed development of high energy 26650 cells. Optimized and prospective tab designs are discussed for high energy 18650, 21700 and 26650 formats using an experimentally-validated multi-dimensional multiphysics model of a silicon-graphite/nickel-rich lithium-ion battery. The model incorporates several 1D electrochemical models combined with a 2D electrical and a 3D thermal model. Novel in- and through-plane voltage-drop analysis reveals a dominant influence of the tab design on the cells total polarization, where a multi-tab instead of a single-tab design can improve the fast charging efficiency by up to +23% SoC. Fast charging profiles are adapted to tab design and cylindrical format, which prevent overheatings and the local onset of lithium plating across the active electrode area. Multi-tab design is recommended for high energy 26650 cells, but imbalances in SoC and temperature suggest alternative formats at slightly reduced cell diameters.
Automatic Detection of Coronary Metallic Stent Struts Based on YOLOv3 and R-FCN
Authors: Jiang Xiaolu , Zeng Yanqiu , Xiao Shixiao , He Shaojie , Ye Caizhi , Qi Yu , Zhao Jiangsheng , Wei Dezhi , Hu Muhua , Chen Fei
Published: September 2020

An artificial stent implantation is one of the most effective ways to treat coronary artery diseases. It is vital in vascular medical imaging, such as intravascular optical coherence tomography (IVOCT), to be able to track the position of stents in blood vessels effectively. We trained two models, the “You Only Look Once” version 3 (YOLOv3) and the Region-based Fully Convolutional Network (R-FCN), to detect metal support struts in IVOCT, respectively. After rotating the original images in the training set for data augmentation, and modifying the scale of the conventional anchor box in both two algorithms to fit the size of the target strut, YOLOv3 and R-FCN achieved precision, recall, and AP all above 95% in 0.4 IoU threshold. And R-FCN performs better than YOLOv3 in all relevant indicators.
A Semantic Analysis and Community Detection-Based Artificial Intelligence Model for Core Herb Discovery from the Literature: Taking Chronic Glomerulonephritis Treatment as a Case Study
Authors: Zhang Yun , Liu Yongguo , Zhu Jiajing , Zhai Shuangqing , Jin Rongjiang , Wen Chuanbiao
Published: September 2020

The Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) formula is the main treatment method of TCM. A formula often contains multiple herbs where core herbs play a critical therapeutic effect for treating diseases. It is of great significance to find out the core herbs in formulae for providing evidences and references for the clinical application of Chinese herbs and formulae. In this paper, we propose a core herb discovery model CHDSC based on semantic analysis and community detection to discover the core herbs for treating a certain disease from large-scale literature, which includes three stages: corpus construction, herb network establishment, and core herb discovery. In CHDSC, two artificial intelligence modules are used, where the Chinese word embedding algorithm ESSP2VEC is designed to analyse the semantics of herbs in Chinese literature based on the stroke, structure, and pinyin features of Chinese characters, and the label propagation-based algorithm LILPA is adopted to detect herb communities and core herbs in the herbal semantic network constructed from large-scale literature. To validate the proposed model, we choose chronic glomerulonephritis (CGN) as an example, search 1126 articles about how to treat CGN in TCM from the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and apply CHDSC to analyse the collected literature. Experimental results reveal that CHDSC discovers three major herb communities and eighteen core herbs for treating different CGN syndromes with high accuracy. The community size, degree, and closeness centrality distributions of the herb network are analysed to mine the laws of core herbs. As a result, we can observe that core herbs mainly exist in the communities with more than 25 herbs. The degree and closeness centrality of core herb nodes concentrate on the range of [15, 40] and [0.25, 0.45], respectively. Thus, semantic analysis and community detection are helpful for mining effective core herbs for treating a certain disease from large-scale literature.
Symphysis‐Fundal Height Curve in Pregnancies Complicated by Maternal Hyperglycemia: Comparison with Curves of Nondiabetic Pregnant Women
Authors: Basso Neusa A. S. , Costa Roberto A. A. , Dias Adriano , Magalhães Claudia G. , Rudge Marilza V. C. , Calderon Iracema M. P.
Published: September 2020

Background. Reference symphysis‐fundal height (SFH) curves for pregnancies complicated by maternal hyperglycemia are not available. Objective. To build an SFH curve according to gestational age for pregnant women with hyperglycemia‐type 2 diabetes (T2DM), gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), or mild gestational hyperglycemia (MGH) and compare it with three other curves in use in Brazil. Methods. Prospective cohort study of 422 pregnant women with hyperglycemia attending the Perinatal Diabetes Research Center (PDRC) of Botucatu Medical School, São Paulo State University/UNESP. Between 13 and 41 weeks of pregnancy, 2470 SFH measurements were obtained (mean 5.85 per woman). For the assessment of glycemic control, 2074 glucose level measurements were taken and the glycemic mean (GM) at each gestational week was estimated. Results. GM was adequate (<120 mg/dL) in 94.9% and inadequate (≥120 mg/dL) in 5.1% of the cases. The equation applied for SFH prediction was expressed as SFH = 1.082 + 0.966∗week (r2 = 84.6%). At visual analysis, P10 and P90 SFH measurements were higher in the study curve than in the three other curves. Statistical analysis confirmed that SFH median values in this study were higher than those in the reference curve of habitual risk pregnancies, especially after 19 weeks of pregnancy. Conclusion. Taking into account that the maternal hyperglycemia was at strict control, our unedited results suggest that the current SFH curve can be a useful tool in prenatal care of T2DM, GDM, and MGH pregnant women.
The Necessity of Prenatal Diagnosis by CMA for the Women with NIPS-Positive Results
Authors: Xu Jun , Xue Ying , Wang Jing , Zhou Qin , Zhang Bin , Yu Bin , Wang Ting
Published: September 2020

Objective. To retrospectively analyze the results of prenatal diagnoses of noninvasive prenatal screening- (NIPS) positive pregnant women and discuss whether there is a need for chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA). Methods. The study recruited 1,019 NIPS-positive women from two prenatal diagnostic centers. Based on clinical advice, they opted for traditional karyotype analysis or CMA. Single nucleotide polymorphism array testing was performed on a commercial 750K microarray chip (Affymetrix CytoScan 750K Array). Results. Of the NIPS-positive women, 761 (74.7%) accepted the prenatal diagnosis. There were 418 (54.9%) abnormal results, and most (99.5%) were chromosome aneuploidy or structural abnormalities. Only three cases were confirmed as pathogenic copy number variation (CNVs), which were found only with CMA and not by karyotype analysis. Fifteen women were variants of uncertain significance (VUS) CNV. In addition, 300 women selected opted for both karyotype analysis and CMA for prenatal diagnosis: in 275 (91.7%) cases, the results of the two modalities were consistent, while in the remaining 25, they were not. In three cases, the additional positive results obtained with CMA were potentially clinically significant. Conclusions. CMA may not be useful for many women positive for trisomy 21/18/13 based on NIPS results, because traditional karyotype analysis can identify most problems. However, it can yield important additional findings in women positive for fetal sex chromosome aneuploidy (SCA). Further clinical studies are needed to confirm these findings.
Mechanical Performance and Durability Evaluation of Sandstone Concrete
Authors: Yang Fayong , Li Haibin , Zhao Guijuan , Guo Ping , Li Wenbo
Published: September 2020

Enlarging local raw material utilization and reducing project costs is a new trend in the construction field. Under this background, sandstone was utilized in a cement‐stabilized base in this study. The mineral composition of sandstone and the proportion of each mineral composition in the parent rock were analyzed using X‐ray diffraction. To verify its feasibility, sandstone, syenite, marble, and basalt aggregates were selected to test the mechanical properties and road performance of the four aggregate concretes at 7, 28, 90, and 180 days. The test results showed that although the sandstone slump was the lowest at 60, the workability met the requirement. Compressive strength, tensile elasticity modulus, and axial tensile strength of concrete increased with age in all the concrete specimens, and the strength at each inspection time of sandstone was equivalent to that of marble, lower than that of basalt but higher than that of syenite. The early compressive strength of sandstone concrete is slightly lower than the compressive strength of marble concrete, and the 7 d and 28 d strengths were lower than 14% and 11%, respectively, but their 90 d and 180 d compressive strengths were the same. The crack resistance and frost resistance of sandstone were slightly inferior to those of syenite but better than those of basalt and marble. After 300 freeze‐thaw cycles of the four aggregate concretes, the mass‐loss rate of the test specimens was less than 5%, indicating that the frost resistance can meet the requirements. The various technical indexes of sandstone mixture could meet the current industry standards, and crack resistance, frost resistance, and fatigue resistance were good, which verified the feasibility of using sandstone for cement‐stabilized base and provided a low‐cost alternative for road construction.
sB7H3 in Children with Acute Appendicitis: Its Diagnostic Value and Association with Histological Findings
Authors: Du Xiaochen , Chen Yan , Zhu Jie , Bai Zhenjiang , Hua Jun , Li Ying , Lv Haitao , Zhang Guangbo
Published: September 2020

Background. Several efforts have been made to find out a valuable marker to assist the diagnosis and differentiation of gangrenous/perforated appendicitis. We aimed to determine the diagnostic capacity of soluble B7H3 (sB7H3) in acute appendicitis (AA) and its accuracy as a predictor of the severity of appendicitis. Methods. 182 children were allocated into four groups as follows: control group (CG, 90), simple appendicitis (SA, 12), purulent appendicitis (PA, 49), and gangrenous appendicitis (GA, 31). Prior to appendectomy, blood was collected and sent for analysis of routine examination and cytokines (sB7H3 and TNF-α). We compared values of all measured parameters according to histological findings. Furthermore, we assigned AA patients into the nonperforated appendicitis group and the perforated appendicitis group. The diagnostic effects of significant markers were assessed by ROC curves. Results. Only the levels of CRP, FIB, and sB7H3 had a remarkable rising trend in AA-based groups, while differences in the levels of CRP and FIB between simple appendicitis and purulent appendicitis were not statistically significant. In addition, sB7H3 was found as the only marker in children with AA, which was markedly associated with the degree of histological findings of the appendix. Furthermore, sB7H3 had a high diagnostic value in predicting AA and complex appendicitis (PA+GA) in children. However, the diagnostic performance of sB7H3 for distinguishing PA from GA was not remarkable. Additionally, only the levels of CRP and sB7H3 were statistically different between the nonperforated appendicitis group and the perforated appendicitis group. The diagnostic performance of CRP and sB7H3 could not merely predict perforation of AA in children; however, the diagnostic performance was improved after combination. Conclusions. sB7H3 could be used as a valuable marker to predict the presence of AA and complex AA in children. However, the diagnostic value of sB7H3 to predict gangrenous/perforated appendicitis was not found to be remarkable. The combination of sB7H3 and CRP might improve the prediction of perforated appendicitis.
Solving a Problem of Rotary Motion for a Heavy Solid Using the Large Parameter Method
Authors: Ismail A. I.
Published: September 2020

The small parameter method was applied for solving many rotational motions of heavy solids, rigid bodies, and gyroscopes for different problems which classify them according to certain initial conditions on moments of inertia and initial angular velocity components. For achieving the small parameter method, the authors have assumed that the initial angular velocity is sufficiently large. In this work, it is assumed that the initial angular velocity is sufficiently small to achieve the large parameter instead of the small one. In this manner, a lot of energy used for making the motion initially is saved. The obtained analytical periodic solutions are represented graphically using a computer program to show the geometric periodicity of the obtained solutions in some interval of time. In the end, the geometric interpretation of the stability of a motion is given.
Eye-Tracking Analysis for Emotion Recognition
Authors: Tarnowski Paweł , Kołodziej Marcin , Majkowski Andrzej , Rak Remigiusz Jan
Published: September 2020

This article reports the results of the study related to emotion recognition by using eye-tracking. Emotions were evoked by presenting a dynamic movie material in the form of 21 video fragments. Eye-tracking signals recorded from 30 participants were used to calculate 18 features associated with eye movements (fixations and saccades) and pupil diameter. To ensure that the features were related to emotions, we investigated the influence of luminance and the dynamics of the presented movies. Three classes of emotions were considered: high arousal and low valence, low arousal and moderate valence, and high arousal and high valence. A maximum of 80% classification accuracy was obtained using the support vector machine (SVM) classifier and leave-one-subject-out validation method.
Circuitry and Synaptic Dysfunction in Alzheimer’s Disease: A New Tau Hypothesis
Authors: Mondragón-Rodríguez Siddhartha , Salgado-Burgos Humberto , Peña-Ortega Fernando
Published: September 2020

For more than five decades, the field of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) has focused on two main hypotheses positing amyloid-beta (Aβ) and Tau phosphorylation (pTau) as key pathogenic mediators. In line with these canonical hypotheses, several groups around the world have shown that the synaptotoxicity in AD depends mainly on the increase in pTau levels. Confronting this leading hypothesis, a few years ago, we reported that the increase in phosphorylation levels of dendritic Tau, at its microtubule domain (MD), acts as a neuroprotective mechanism that prevents N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAr) overexcitation, which allowed us to propose that Tau protein phosphorylated near MD sites is involved in neuroprotection, rather than in neurodegeneration. Further supporting this alternative role of pTau, we have recently shown that early increases in pTau close to MD sites prevent hippocampal circuit overexcitation in a transgenic AD mouse model. Here, we will synthesize this new evidence that confronts the leading Tau-based AD hypothesis and discuss the role of pTau modulating neural circuits and network connectivity. Additionally, we will briefly address the role of brain circuit alterations as a potential biomarker for detecting the prodromal AD stage.
A Status Review on Cu2ZnSn(S, Se)4-Based Thin-Film Solar Cells
Authors: Saha Sudipto
Published: September 2020

Photovoltaics has become a significant branch of next-generation sustainable energy production. Kesterite Cu2ZnSn(S, Se)4 (copper-zinc-tin-(sulfur, selenium) or CZTS(Se)) is considered one of the most promising, earth-abundant, and nontoxic candidates for solar energy generation over the last decade. However, shallow phase stability of the quaternary phase and the presence of various secondary phases and defects are the main hindrances in achieving the target device performance. This paper summarizes various approaches to synthesize the CZTS absorber layer and the CdS n-type material layer. Besides, different CZTS solar cell device structures, as well as a comprehensive review of secondary phases and defects, have been illustrated and discussed. At last, this review is intended to highlight the current challenges and prospects of CZTS solar cells.
Hepatoprotective Activity of Leptadenia hastata (Asclepiadaceae) on Acetaminophen‐Induced Toxicity in Mice: In Vivo Study and Characterization of Bioactive Compounds through Molecular Docking Approaches
Authors: Galani Borris R. T. , Owona Brice A. , Chuisseu Dieudonné P. D. , Machewere Esaïe , Ngantchouko Claude B. N. , Moundipa Paul F.
Published: September 2020

Background and Objectives. Leptadenia hastata is a liana from the family of Asclepiadaceae used in tropical Africa to treat diabetes mellitus. In this study, we investigated its hepatoprotective mechanisms on acetaminophen‐ (APAP‐) induced toxicity through in vivo and in silico approaches. Materials and Methods. Various aqueous extracts were prepared from this plant and preadministered per os to albino mice 3 h before APAP administration, once daily for one week. Animals from the normal group were given only distilled water while those from negative control received only APAP 250 mg/kg. After treatment, mice were sacrificed, the liver was collected for histopathology analysis, and different biochemical markers (alanine aminotransferase (ALT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione (GSH), malondialdehyde (MDA), and tumor necrosis factor‐alpha (TNFα)) were measured. The content of the active extract was analyzed by HPLC/UV. Molecular docking was conducted using iGEMDOCK software, and the drug‐likeness and pharmacokinetic profiles were evaluated using Swiss ADME. Results. APAP administration significantly increased (p < 0.001) ALT in liver homogenates when compared to normal controls whereas the stem decoction at 250 mg/kg significantly (p < 0.001) reduced this activity to a normal value comparable to silymarin 50 mg/kg which is better than leaf and root extracts. Moreover, the stem decoction also significantly reduced the MDA levels (p < 0.05) and increased those of GSH, SOD, and CAT (p < 0.001) at doses of 250 and 500 mg/kg compared to the negative control. A significant (p < 0.001) decrease of TNFα levels and leukocyte infiltration was observed following treatment with this extract. The HPLC/UV analysis of the decoction revealed the presence of dihydroxycoumarin, quinine, and scopoletin with the following retention times: 2.6, 5.1, and 7.01 min, respectively. In silico studies showed that quinine and dihydroxycoumarin had great potentials to be orally administered drugs and possessed strong binding affinities with TNFα, TNF receptor, cyclooxygenase‐2, iNOS, cytochrome P450 2E1, and GSH reductase. Conclusion. Based on these results, L. hastata could be considered a source of promising hepatoprotective compounds with antioxidant and anti‐inflammatory properties.
Study on Rock-Breaking Depth and Damage Area under Particle Jet Impact
Authors: Ren Fushen , Fang Tiancheng , Cheng Xiaoze
Published: September 2020

Particle jet impact drilling technology is an efficient method which mainly uses high-velocity particles to break rock. As the important criterion for evaluating rock-breaking effect, rock-breaking depth and damage area were studied in this paper. Firstly, a particle jet impact rock-breaking test device was developed, and laboratory experiments have been carried out. Then, based on the spherical cavity expansion theory, the mathematical model of rock-breaking depth and damage area under particle jet impact was established. Afterward, the effect of water-jet impact velocity, impact angle, and particle diameter on rock-breaking depth and damage area was analyzed by comparing experimental results and mathematical calculation. The results show that rock-breaking depth and damage area would increase with increase of water-jet impact velocity and decrease slightly with increase of particle diameter. And the combination of 8° and 20° is recommended for nozzle layout. The experimental results and mathematical calculation are basically consistent, which could verify the correctness of the mathematical model. The study has significance for development and application of particle jet impact rock-breaking technology and perfection of theoretical research.