bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Modeling the onset advantage in musical instrument recognition
Authors: Siedenburg Kai , Schädler Marc René , Hülsmeier David
Published: December 2019

Sound onsets provide particularly valuable cues for musical instrument identification by human listeners. It has remained unclear whether this onset advantage is due to enhanced perceptual encoding or the richness of acoustical information during onsets. Here this issue was approached by modeling a recent study on instrument identification from tone excerpts [Siedenburg. (2019). J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 145(2), 1078–1087]. A simple Hidden Markov Model classifier with separable Gabor filterbank features simulated human performance and replicated the onset advantage observed previously for human listeners. These results provide evidence that the onset advantage may be driven by the distinct acoustic qualities of onsets.
Azimuthal and temporal sound fluctuations on the Chukchi continental shelf during the Canada Basin Acoustic Propagation Experiment 2017
Authors: Badiey Mohsen , Wan Lin , Pecknold Sean , Turgut Altan
Published: December 2019

The Shallow Water Canada Basin Acoustic Propagation Experiment was conducted on the Chukchi Sea continental shelf from October 2016 to November 2017. The experimental goals were to access (1) long-range (basin-scale) and (2) short-range (shallow-water) spatial and temporal energy variation. This letter focuses on a 20-dB energy change of acoustic signals in the frequency band 700–1100 Hz from June to August 2017 occurring along two shallow-water tracks from a common source, correlated with the occurrence of an oceanographic event in the top 150-m water column due to a Pacific Water outflow from the Bering Sea and retreat of the Marginal Ice Zone.
Collegiate and Professional Ice Hockey Athletic Trainers’ Hydration Practices and Knowledge: Part 1
Authors: Emerson Dawn M. , Torres-McGehee Toni M. , Yeargin Susan W. , Dolan Kyle , deWeber Kelcey K.
Published: December 2019

Despite cool environments, ice hockey athletes are predisposed to hypohydration due to extensive equipment, high intensity activity, and high sweat rates. The purpose of this study was to determine hydration practices and awareness of fluid recommendations among athletic trainers (ATs) working with NCAA Division I, NCAA Division III, and professional ice hockey teams. Most professional ATs (90.1%) utilized at least one hydration status measure, while 61.7% of collegiate ATs did not measure hydration. Compared to Division I, more Division III ATs did not have electrolyte supplements (p < .001) and believed they did not have adequate access through budget/sponsorship (p < .001). Both professional (72.0%) and collegiate (53%) ATs reported athletes had open access to electrolyte supplements or gave them to any athlete who asked. Athletic trainers provided patient education and had fluids accessible to athletes. Areas to improve clinical practice include monitoring electrolyte supplement access and collegiate ATs assessing hydration status.
Collegiate and Professional Ice Hockey Athletic Trainers’ Hydration Practices and Knowledge: Part 2
Authors: Emerson Dawn M. , Torres-McGehee Toni M. , Yeargin Susan W. , Dolan Kyle , deWeber Kelcey K.
Published: December 2019

An athletic trainer’s (ATs) role requires current knowledge about factors that can influence hydration status. The purpose of this study was to determine awareness of alcohol and caffeine effects on hydration. Participants were 94 ATs with NCAA Division I or III men’s and/or women’s ice hockey teams and 82 head ATs with professional ice hockey teams. The majority of ATs were correct regarding alcohol’s effects on hydration, specifically knowing alcohol increases urine output (92.1%), delays fluid recovery (81.7%), and dehydrates a euhydrated individual (83.5%). In contrast, fewer ATs were correct that moderate, regular consumption of caffeine does not cause dehydration (20.7%), delay fluid recovery (15.2%), or impair fluid regulatory hormones (9.8%). While ATs were knowledgeable about alcohol effects, there remains misconceptions about caffeine on hydration.
Examining Youth American Football Coaches’ Knowledge of, and Attitudes Toward, Sport Concussions
Authors: Kerr Sean H. , Vargas Tiffanye M. , Nakajima Mimi , Becker Jim
Published: December 2019

The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine youth American football coaches and their knowledge of, and attitudes toward, sport concussions. Coaches (n = 103) were recruited from a randomized sample of Pop Warner leagues within a large Western state to complete the Rosenbaum Concussion Knowledge and Attitudes Survey. Coaches ranged from 25–75 years of age and were coaching youth athletes ranging from 6–14 years of age. Coaches scored in the 80th percentile on concussion knowledge, and in the 85th percentile on concussion attitudes. However, coaches were lacking in some areas of concussion knowledge such as concussion symptomology. There was also a statistically significant positive correlation between coaches’ scores on the Concussion Knowledge Index and the Concussion Attitudes Index, r = .43, p < .01. The results of this research indicate that while youth sport coaches report basic knowledge of concussions, there remain gaps in their education. This highlights the need for research to review current coaching curriculum, observe actual coaching behaviors, and to determine best practices for teaching coaches.
Revising the National Standards for Sport Coaches Within the USA
Authors: Gano-Overway Lori , Van Mullem Pete , Long Melissa , Thompson Melissa , Benham Bob , Bolger Christine , Driska Andrew , Moreno Anthony , Schuster Dan
Published: December 2019

As the sport coaching profession continues to grow, there is a need to reflect upon and revise the knowledge and competencies coaches should possess to support quality sport experiences. The purpose of this paper is to document the revision process of the National Standards for Sport Coaches (NSSC) which were established to outline professional sport coaching standards in the United States of America (USA). The 3-year revision process involved two separate task forces organized by SHAPE America and several public reviews. The final revision aligns the NSSC with quality coaching frameworks and documents seven core responsibilities of sport coaches. Additionally, the NSSC includes standards meant to provide guidance on what a coach should know (e.g., professional knowledge, interpersonal knowledge, and intrapersonal knowledge), what a coach should be able to do (e.g., expectations of performance and developed competencies), and what common practices occur among coaches (e.g., shared values) to meet each core responsibility. It is hoped that the revised version of the NSSC continues to provide direction for all stakeholders to improve coaching practices within the USA.
Correction to the tunneling radiation of arbitrary spin fermions in Kerr Anti-de Sitter black hole
Authors: Liu Zhie , Tan Xia , Sha Bei , Liu Yuzhen , Zhang Jie
Published: December 2019

According to the dispersion relation that stems from the string theory and the quantum gravitational theory, we study the dynamic equation of fermions, that is Rarita–Schwinger equation. Based on the Lorentz dispersion relation modified in the high-energy case, the dynamic equation of arbitrary spin fermions is accurately corrected in the Kerr Anti-de Sitter black hole, then the action of fermions with arbitrary spin is computed. To do so, we obtain the new expressions for tunneling rate, Hawking temperature and entropy of the black hole. At last, some comments are made on the results of our work.
On the component structure of one-loop effective actions in 6D, 𝒩 = (1,0) and 𝒩 = (1,1) supersymmetric gauge theories
Authors: Buchbinder I. L. , Budekhina A. S. , Merzlikin B. S.
Published: December 2019

We study the six-dimensional [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] supersymmetric Yang–Mills (SYM) theories in the component formulation. The one-loop divergencies of effective action are calculated. The leading one-loop low-energy contributions to bosonic sector of effective action are found. It is explicitly demonstrated that the contributions to effective potential for the constant background scalar fields are absent in the [Formula: see text] SYM theory.
A possibility of Lorentz violation in the Higgs sector
Authors: Iso Satoshi , Kitazawa Noriaki
Published: December 2019

In string theory, a scalar field often appears as a moduli of a geometrical configuration of D-branes in higher-dimensional space. In the low energy effective theory on D-branes, the distance between D-branes is translated into the energy scale of the gauge symmetry breaking. In this paper, we study a phenomenological consequence of a possibility that the Higgs field is such a moduli field and the D-brane configuration is stabilized by a stationary motion, in particular, revolution of D-branes on which we live. Then, due to the Coriolis force, Higgs mode is mixed with the angular fluctuation of branes and the Lorentz symmetry is violated in the dispersion relation of the Higgs boson. The Higgs boson mass measurements at LHC experiments give an upper bound [Formula: see text][Formula: see text][Formula: see text] GeV for the angular frequency of the revolution of D-branes.
CONTROL CONTRIBUTION IDENTIFIES TOP DRIVER NODES IN COMPLEX NETWORKS
Authors: ZHANG YAN , GARAS ANTONIOS , SCHWEITZER FRANK
Published: December 2019

We propose a new measure to quantify the impact of a node [Formula: see text] in controlling a directed network. This measure, called “control contribution” [Formula: see text], combines the probability for node [Formula: see text] to appear in a set of driver nodes and the probability for other nodes to be controlled by [Formula: see text]. To calculate [Formula: see text], we propose an optimization method based on random samples of minimum sets of drivers. Using real-world and synthetic networks, we find very broad distributions of [Formula: see text]. Ranking nodes according to their [Formula: see text] values allows us to identify the top driver nodes that can control most of the network. We show that this ranking is superior to rankings based on other control-based measures. We find that control contribution indeed contains new information that cannot be traced back to degree, control capacity or control range of a node.
THE BOW-TIE CENTRALITY: A NOVEL MEASURE FOR DIRECTED AND WEIGHTED NETWORKS WITH AN INTRINSIC NODE PROPERTY
Authors: GLATTFELDER JAMES B.
Published: December 2019

Today, there exist many centrality measures for assessing the importance of nodes in a network as a function of their position and the underlying topology. One class of such measures builds on eigenvector centrality, where the importance of a node is derived from the importance of its neighboring nodes. For directed and weighted complex networks, where the nodes can carry some intrinsic property value, there have been centrality measures proposed that are variants of eigenvector centrality. However, these expressions all suffer from shortcomings. Here, an extension of such centrality measures is presented that remedies all previously encountered issues. While similar improved centrality measures have been proposed as algorithmic recipes, the novel quantity that is presented here is a purely analytical expression, only utilizing the adjacency matrix and the vector of node values. The derivation of the new centrality measure is motivated in detail. Specifically, the centrality itself is ideal for the analysis of directed and weighted networks (with node properties) displaying a bow-tie topology. The novel bow-tie centrality is then computed for a unique and extensive real-world dataset, coming from economics. It is shown how the bow-tie centrality assesses the relevance of nodes similarly to other eigenvector centrality measures, while not being plagued by their drawbacks in the presence of cycles in the network.
Motion Planning and Control with Randomized Payloads on Real Robot Using Deep Reinforcement Learning
Authors: Demir Ali , Sezer Volkan
Published: December 2019

In this study, a unified motion planner with low level controller for continuous control of a differential drive mobile robot under variable payload values is presented. The deep reinforcement agent takes 11-dimensional state vector as input and calculates each wheel’s torque value as a 2-dimensional output vector. These torque values are fed into the dynamic model of the robot, and lastly steering commands are gathered. In previous studies, intersection navigation solutions that uses deep-RL methods, have not been considered with variable payloads. This study is focused specifically on service robotic applications where payload is subject to change. In this study, deep-RL-based motion planning is performed by considering both kinematic and dynamic constraints. According to the simulations in a dynamic environment, the agent successfully navigates to target with 98.2% success rate in test time with unseen payload masses during training. Another agent is also trained without payload randomization for comparison. Results show that our agent outperforms the other agent, that is not aware of its own payload, with more than 40% gap. Our agent is also compared with the Time-to-Collision (TTC) algorithm. It is observed that our agent uses far less time than TTC to accomplish the mission while success rates of two methods are same. Lastly, the proposed method is applied on a real robot in order to show the real-time applicability of the approach.
An Unusual Initial Presentation of Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma as Recurrent Syncope
Authors: Kim Kunhwa , Kaur Harpreet , Chan Matthew , Balasubramanian Manju , Gupta Sorab , Jorge Vinicius M.
Published: December 2019

We describe a rare presentation of diffuse large B-cell Lymphoma (DLBCL) with recurrent episodes of syncope. During the workup for syncope, the patient was incidentally found to have an extensive mass in the left thorax, which was later diagnosed as stage 2 bulky disease DLBCL. This is the rare case of lymphoma presenting as recurrent syncope without cardiac involvement. The patient did not have any further episodes of syncope after her successful treatment of DLBCL.
Efficient Differentiation of Mouse Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells into Alveolar Epithelium Type II with a BRD4 Inhibitor
Authors: Momozane Toru , Fukui Eriko , Funaki Soichiro , Fujii Makoto , Kinehara Yuhei , Ito Emiko , Miyagawa Shigeru , Ohno Yuko , Sawa Yoshiki , Okumura Meinoshin , Shintani Yasushi
Published: December 2019

Regenerative medicine has continued to progress for lung biology and lung diseases. Efforts have focused on a variety of different applications for pluripotent stem cells. Several groups have reported successful methods for inducing differentiation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) into the airway epithelium such as alveolar epithelium type II (ATII). However, differentiation efficiency varies among reports and improvements are needed. In the present paper, we propose a novel method for elimination of residual undifferentiated murine iPSCs using JQ1, a potent inhibitor of bromodomain (BRD) and extraterminal domain (BET) family proteins, for efficient differentiation into ATII. First, the murine iPSC line 20D-17 was induced to differentiate into ATII over a period of 26 days (days 0-26) using previously reported embryoid body seeding and stepwise differentiation methods. mRNA expressions of differentiation markers including surfactant protein C (Sftpc) were confirmed by real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) results, and 17% of the cells were shown positive for prosurfactant protein C (proSPC) in flow cytometry analysis. Next, those cells were cultured three-dimensionally in Matrigel for an additional 14 days (days 26-40), during which JQ1 was added for 4 days (days 28-32) to remove residual undifferentiated iPSCs. As a result, on day 40, the mRNA expression level of Sftpc in the three-dimensional culture was maintained at the same level as on day 26 and shown to be further increased by the addition of JQ1, with 39% of the cells found to express proSPC, showing that differentiation efficiency could be further increased. Three-dimensional culture with BRD4 inhibition by JQ1 improved the differentiation induction efficiency to ATII by removing residual undifferentiated murine iPSCs during the differentiation induction process.
Effect of Natural Fractures on Stress Evolution of Unconventional Reservoirs Using a Finite Element Method and a Fracture Continuum Method
Authors: Wang Qiang , Hu Yongquan , Zhao Jinzhou
Published: December 2019

Refracturing, temporary plugging, and infilling well design play an important role in the development of reservoirs. The prediction of stress distribution can provide the basic guiding theory for the design and implementation of these techniques. In this paper, a fully-coupled three-dimensional production model based on the finite element method (FEM) and fracture continuum method (FCM) for naturally fractured reservoirs is presented to study the effects of fluid consumption on the reservoir stress. Furthermore, the effects of natural fractures on the stress re-distribution and stress re-orientation are also studied. The model also considers the influence of natural fractures on the permeability, and the effect of the effective stress on natural fracture openings, pore-elastic deformation, and fluid consumption. An analytical solution model and Eclipse were used for the comparison, which verifies the accuracy of the model results. Based on two cases of one cluster of fractures and three clusters of non-planar fractures, the research results revealed that natural fractures have a significant influence on the surrounding drainage, stress distribution, and stress re-orientation during the development. Under the influence of natural fractures, the production of the fluid along the direction of natural fractures is significantly easier, and it is highly probably that the insufficient consumption area is perpendicular to the direction of natural fractures. Compared with the conventional model, the stress distribution in the proposed model is deflected to a certain extent under the flow mode dominated by natural fractures, which is significantly prominent in the non-planar fracture model. Due to the effect of natural cracks, the absolute values of the stress, displacement, and stress difference in this model are relatively larger than those in the conventional model. Moreover, the re-orientation angles of the maximum principal stress are significantly different. After considering the natural cracks, there was an increase in the change in re-orientation and the re-orientation range. The research findings reported in this paper can be used to predict the initiation, extension, and steering process of temporary plugging fracturing fractures and refracturing fractures in fractured reservoirs.
Regulation and Directing Stem Cell Fate by Tissue Engineering Functional Microenvironments: Scaffold Physical and Chemical Cues
Authors: Xing Fei , Li Lang , Zhou Changchun , Long Cheng , Wu Lina , Lei Haoyuan , Kong Qingquan , Fan Yujiang , Xiang Zhou , Zhang Xingdong
Published: December 2019

It is well known that stem cells reside within tissue engineering functional microenvironments that physically localize them and direct their stem cell fate. Recent efforts in the development of more complex and engineered scaffold technologies, together with new understanding of stem cell behavior in vitro, have provided a new impetus to study regulation and directing stem cell fate. A variety of tissue engineering technologies have been developed to regulate the fate of stem cells. Traditional methods to change the fate of stem cells are adding growth factors or some signaling pathways. In recent years, many studies have revealed that the geometrical microenvironment played an essential role in regulating the fate of stem cells, and the physical factors of scaffolds including mechanical properties, pore sizes, porosity, surface stiffness, three-dimensional structures, and mechanical stimulation may affect the fate of stem cells. Chemical factors such as cell-adhesive ligands and exogenous growth factors would also regulate the fate of stem cells. Understanding how these physical and chemical cues affect the fate of stem cells is essential for building more complex and controlled scaffolds for directing stem cell fate.
A Fatal Case of Septic Shock Secondary to Acinetobacter Bacteremia Acquired from a Platelet Transfusion
Authors: Nevala-Plagemann C. , Powers P. , Mir-Kasimov M. , Rose R.
Published: December 2019

Background. Transfusion of blood products is a frequent and often necessary lifesaving intervention. While changes to blood bank practices over the past several decades have reduced the infectious complications associated with transfusions, risks still exist. Septic transfusion reactions caused by bacterial contamination of blood products, especially platelets, still occur relatively frequently. Unfortunately, clinical recognition of septic transfusion reactions is difficult due to significant symptom, exam, and laboratory abnormality overlap between different types of transfusion reactions, as well as other conditions. Novel methods have been developed to detect blood product contamination but have yet to be widely implemented in the United States. Case Report. A 67-year-old male with chronic thrombocytopenia was transfused with platelets prior to a planned procedure. Shortly afterwards, he developed fever and hypotension. He was transferred to the intensive care unit where he was treated with aggressive fluid resuscitation and broad-spectrum antibiotics. The patient went on to develop progressively worsening shock and profound disseminated intravascular coagulation. Blood cultures from the patient and the transfused platelets grew an Acinetobacter species. Despite aggressive resuscitative efforts and appropriate antibiotics, the patient died approximately 48 hours following the transfusion reaction. Conclusion. We report a fatal case of septic shock associated with Acinetobacter bacteremia caused by platelet transfusion. Our review of the literature revealed only one other documented platelet transfusion associated fatality caused by Acinetobacter species. Novel pathogen reduction and contamination detection methods have been developed but have yet to be widely adopted in the United States.
Functional Brain Plasticity Associated with ACL Injury: A Scoping Review of Current Evidence
Authors: Neto T. , Sayer T. , Theisen D. , Mierau A.
Published: December 2019

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury is a common problem with consequences ranging from chronic joint instability to early development of osteoarthritis. Recent studies suggest that changes in brain activity (i.e., functional neuroplasticity) may be related to ACL injury. The purpose of this article is to summarize the available evidence of functional brain plasticity after an ACL injury. A scoping review was conducted following the guidelines of the Joanna Briggs Institute and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses. The terms “brain,” “activity,” “neuroplasticity,” “ACL,” “injury,” and “reconstruction” were used in an electronic search of articles in PubMed, PEDro, CINAHL, and SPORTDiscus databases. Eligible studies included the following criteria: (a) population with ACL injury, (b) a measure of brain activity, and (c) a comparison to the ACL-injured limb (contralateral leg or healthy controls). The search yielded 184 articles from which 24 were included in this review. The effect size of differences in brain activity ranged from small (0.05, ACL-injured vs. noninjured limbs) to large (4.07, ACL-injured vs. healthy control). Moreover, heterogeneity was observed in the methods used to measure brain activity and in the characteristics of the participants included. In conclusion, the evidence summarized in this scoping review supports the notion of functional neuroplastic changes in people with ACL injury. The techniques used to measure brain activity and the presence of possible confounders, as identified and reported in this review, should be considered in future research to increase the level of evidence for functional neuroplasticity following ACL injury.
Application of Eudragit RS 30D as a Potential Drug Release Retardant of Acetaminophen and Caffeine for Prolonged Duration of Comfort
Authors: Jaweed Lailoona , Dilshad Huma , Sarwar Ghulam
Published: December 2019

The objective of the study is to formulate an extended release matrix tablet dosage form containing acetaminophen and caffeine by applying polymer technology which will relieve all kinds of pain for about 12 hours. Considering the fact that there is no such formulation available in the pharmaceutical market, it is expected that this drug could be an effective introduction. Hydrophobic polymers have a great application in pharmaceutical sciences as they retard the release of water-soluble drugs and give prolonged effect. Eudragit RS 30D was used to prepare 3 formulations (EF1, EF2, and EF3) containing varying concentrations of polymer, through the wet granulation method. Each tablet contained 1000 mg of acetaminophen and 130 mg of caffeine including other suitable excipients. All pharmacopeial and nonpharmacopeial tests were conducted to determine the quality of dosage form and to identify optimized formulation among EF1-EF3. Dissolution was conducted on similar gastric conditions through which different kinetic models were applied using DDSolver. For 12 hrs of dissolution, caffeine was released from EF1, EF2, and EF3 with the percentage release in the range from 99.85% to 100.65%, 99.32% to 100.28%, and 98.09% to 100.77%, respectively. For acetaminophen, the percent release was from 99.81% to 100.91%, 100.24% to 100.91%, and 86.81% to 95.73% for EF1-EF3, respectively. Results concluded that EF2 is the most optimized drug having all physicochemical quality control tests within the specified limits. On applying different models like zero-order, Hixson-Crowell, Higuchi, and Korsmeyer-Peppas upon use, it is concluded that the formulation follows Korsmeyer-Peppas as it was the best-fitted model with the r2 value closest to 0.999. EF2 is considered as a potential drug to be manufactured that will give prolonged relief against pain and will decrease compliance issues related to dosing frequency.
Unexplained First Trimester Intrahepatic Cholestasis of Pregnancy: A Case Report and Literature Review
Authors: Salame Anastasia A. , Jaffal Mohammad J. , Mouanness Marco A. , Nasser Eddin Amal R. , Ghulmiyyah Labib M.
Published: December 2019

Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP) is a condition that usually affects the 3rd trimester-pregnant women and is associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. We present a 31-year-old G2P1 patient with symptoms of ICP as early as 10 weeks of gestation (WG). Her pruritis was initially attributed to eczema. Due to the intensity of her discomfort and failure of topical treatment, ICP was suspected, total bile acid salt levels were taken and ursodeoxycholic acid was subsequently started at 18 WG. The patient was followed closely during her pregnancy to adjust the dose of the medication accordingly. Induction of labor was performed at 37 WG without complications. This case demonstrated the importance of clinical suspicion in the setting of such symptomatology in order not to miss or delay treatment of threatening conditions such as ICP.
Occupational Injury and Its Correlated Factors among Small-Scale Industry Workers in Towns of Bale Zone, Southeast Ethiopia
Authors: Dida Nagasa , Darega Jiregna , Lemesa Feyisa , Kassim Jeylan , Woldemichael Bedasa
Published: December 2019

Introduction. In developing countries, the laborer forces have managed many of the industrial works. As a result, the process of the work has put the health and lives of workers at risk. Thus, this study was designed to assess occupational injury and its correlated factors among small-scale industry workers in the towns of Bale Zone, Southeast Ethiopia. Methods. An institution-based cross-sectional study design was employed among five hundred ninety small-scale industries in towns of Bale zone, Southeast Ethiopia, in March to April 2016. Multistage sampling was applied to recruit the study subjects. Data were collected through interviewer-administered questionnaires. A structured questionnaire addressing the objectives of the study was used. EpiData was used for data entry, and the data were exported to SPSS windows version 20 for analysis. Descriptive statistics like frequency and percentage were used for the prevalence, whereas binary and multiple logistic regressions were employed to identify the predictors of the outcome variable. Results. A total of 574 workers from different small-scale industries, including woodwork, metalwork, and concrete block construction, participated in the study with a response rate of 97.3%. In this study, among the total participants of the study, 43.2% (248), 30% (172), and 21.6% (124) of them had encountered lifetime, last one year, and six months occupational injury, respectively. Taking health and safety training, presence of any things on the floor that can cause accidents and occupational risk perception were independent predictors of occupational injury. The presence of any things on the floor that can cause accidents and having a low-risk perception increases occupational injury by 12.69 [AOR: 12.69, (1.67–96.13)] and 2.84 [AOR: 2.84, (1.80–4.49)], respectively. Conclusion. About one in three occupational injuries occurred among small-scale industry workers. Health and safety training should be provided for every worker in small-scale industries. Supportive supervision focusing awareness creation, economic stability, and health care from health office, social and labor affair office, and other concerned body is highly recommended. District or town health office should address the identified factors to promote the health of the workers.
Quantitative Anti-HBc in Liver Pathological States in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis B Virus Infection
Authors: Zhang Zhan-qing , Shi Bi-sheng , Lu Wei , Liu Dan-ping , Huang Dan , Feng Yan-ling
Published: December 2019

Background. Changes of hepatitis B core antigen antibody (anti-HBc) in liver pathological involvement in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection have not been investigated in detail. This study aimed to explore evolving patterns of anti-HBc following liver pathological states and to investigate validities of anti-HBc for predicting liver pathological states. Methods. 254 HBeAg-positive and 237 HBeAg-negative patients with chronic HBV infection were enrolled. Liver pathological diagnoses referred to Scheuer standard, and anti-HBc was measured using chemiluminescence microparticle immunoassay. Results. Anti-HBc was significantly positively correlated with pathological grades and stages in both HBeAg-positive (rs = 0.312, P<0.0001, and rs = 0.268, P<0.0001) and HBeAg-negative (rs = 0.270, P<0.0001, and rs = 0.147, P=0.0237) patients. The medians of anti-HBc in pathological grades of G1, G2, and G3 and stages of S1, S2, S3, and S4 in HBeAg-positive patients were all significantly lower than those in HBeAg-negative patients (all P<0.005). The areas under receiver-operating characteristic curves (95% confidence interval) of anti-HBc for predicting pathological grades ≥G2 and ≥G3, and stages ≥S2 and =S4 in HBeAg-positive patients were 0.683 (0.622–0.740) and 0.662 (0.601–0.720), and 0.627 (0.564–0.687) and 0.683 (0.622–0.740), respectively, and in HBeAg-negative patients were 0.681 (0.618–0.740) and 0.702 (0.639–0.760), and 0.569 (0.503–0.633) and 0.630 (0.565–0.691), respectively. Conclusion. Following hepatic aggravation of necroinflammation and progression of fibrosis, anti-HBc increases gradually in HBeAg-positive patients and continues to increase gradually in HBeAg-negative patients, which is a useful but unsatisfactory marker for monitoring pathological states.
Molecular Interactions of Renin with Chikusetsusaponin IV and Momordin IIc
Authors: Zhang Hai-Ling , Zhu Gui-Lan , Chen Xiao-Tian
Published: December 2019

The paper dealt with the molecular mechanism for the binding sites and driving forces of renin with chikusetsusaponin IV and momordin IIc by means of molecular docking and free energy calculation based on the crystal structure. The result showed that renin and the saponins fit well. As shown by LigPlot + software analyzing the hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic effect between renin and the saponins, the amino acid residues such as Ser230, Tyr85, and Tyr201 form the hydrogen bonds, with S3sp, S3, and S2′ being the active pockets. In addition, there are relatively strong hydrophobic interactions of renin with saponins in S3sp, S3, S2, S1, S1′, and S2′, with Gly228, Val36, Ala229, Gln19, Met303, Gln135, Ser41, Ile137, Asp38, Arg82, and Tyr83 being the key amino acids. The dynamics reached equilibration after about 1000 ps simulation with average root-mean-square deviations of 0.222 nm and 0.217 nm. The molecular mechanics Poisson–Boltzmann surface area (MM-PBSA) yielded −1.10812 kcal/mol and −39.0587 kcal/mol total binding energy for the two complexes, respectively, which were primarily contributed by electrostatic and van der Waals interaction energies, and the binding was strongly unfavored by polar solvation energy, a further confirmation that momordin IIc has stronger hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic effect in the inhibition of renin than the chikusetsusaponin IV.
The Effect of Compound Sophora on Fluorouracil and Oxaliplatin Resistance in Colorectal Cancer Cells
Authors: Yin WeiHua , Zhong GuPing , Fan HuiZhen , Xia HongMei
Published: December 2019

Fluorouracil (5-FU) and oxaliplatin (L-OHP) are the most commonly used chemotherapy drugs for colorectal cancer, though resistance is common. Compound Sophora injection is a traditional Chinese medicine that can protect the liver against oxidation, improve immunity, and enhance sensitivity to chemotherapy; it may have an effect of reversing resistance in 5-FU- and L-OHP-resistant gastric cancer cells (5-FU/SW480 and L-OHP/SW480, respectively). A concentration gradient experiment was performed to identify a nontoxic dose of compound Sophora injection. 5-FU/SW480 and L-OHP/SW480 cells were treated with the nontoxic dose of compound radix Sophorae injection for 48 h, and changes in drug resistance to 5-FU and L-OHP were detected. Alterations in apoptosis and the cell cycle were assessed, as were the mRNA and protein levels of permeability glycoprotein (P-gp), annexin A1 (ANXA1), and ATP-binding cassette superfamily G member 2 (ABCG2). Flow cytometry showed a reduction in the number of cells in the G1 phase and an increase of cells in the S phase (P<0.05). mRNA and protein expression of P-gp and ABCG2 was significantly higher in 5-FU/SW480 and L-OHP/SW480 cell lines, and ANXA1 expression decreased significantly (P<0.05). Compound Sophora injection can reverse the drug resistance of 5-FU/SW480 and L-OHP/SW480 cell lines to 5-FU and L-OHP, respectively, possibly through a mechanism involving reduced expression of P-gp and ABCG2 but enhanced expression of ANXA1, which is the basis for the identification of clinical drug resistance in colorectal cancer.
LEA Gene Expression Assessment in Advanced Mutant Rice Genotypes under Drought Stress
Authors: Kamarudin Zarifth Shafika , Yusop Mohd Rafii , Ismail Mohd Razi , Tengku Muda Mohamed Mahmud , Harun Abdul Rahim , Yusuff Oladosu , Magaji Usman , Fatai Arolu
Published: December 2019

Late embryogenesis abundant (LEA) proteins are primarily found in plants stem, roots, and other organs and play significant roles in tolerance to several abiotic stresses. Plants synthesize a discrete set of LEA proteins in response to drought stress. In this study, the expression patterns of LEA genes were investigated in two advanced mutant rice genotypes subjected to the drought stress condition and different physiological traits including photosynthetic rate, leaf chlorophyll content, and photosystem II (PSII) photochemical efficiency (Fv/Fm) which were analyzed to confirm their drought tolerance. Five LEA genes (OsLEA1, OsLEA2, OsLEA3, OsLEA4, and OsLEA5) were used in the evaluation of rice genotypes and were significantly upregulated by more than 4-fold for MR219-4 and MR219-9. The upregulated genes by these two varieties showed high similarity with the drought-tolerant check variety, Aeron1. This indicates that these advanced mutant genotypes have better tolerance to drought stress. The changes in the expression level of LEA genes among the selected rice genotypes under drought stress were further confirmed. Hence, LEA genes could be served as a potential tool for drought tolerance determination in rice. MR219-4 and MR219-9 were found to be promising in breeding for drought tolerance as they offer better physiological adaptation to drought stress.
Self‐Organized Criticality on Twitter: Phenomenological Theory and Empirical Investigation Based on Data Analysis Results
Authors: Dmitriev Andrey , Dmitriev Victor , Balybin Stepan
Published: December 2019

Recently, there has been an increasing number of empirical evidence supporting the hypothesis that spread of avalanches of microposts on social networks, such as Twitter, is associated with some sociopolitical events. Typical examples of such events are political elections and protest movements. Inspired by this phenomenon, we built a phenomenological model that describes Twitter’s self‐organization in a critical state. An external manifestation of this condition is the spread of avalanches of microposts on the network. The model is based on a fractional three‐parameter self‐organization scheme with stochastic sources. It is shown that the adiabatic mode of self‐organization in a critical state is determined by the intensive coordinated action of a relatively small number of network users. To identify the critical states of the network and to verify the model, we have proposed a spectrum of three scaling indicators of the observed time series of microposts.
MELAS Missed for Years: Stroke-Like Lesions Are No Indication for Brain Biopsy
Authors: Finsterer J.
Published: December 2019

A 56-year-old female with a history of chronic alcoholism until age 38 y with a relapse between ages 45 and 46 y developed seizures, psychosis, and hemianopia to the left at age 46 y. Imaging revealed a right parieto-occipital lesion with intralesional bleeding. Five months after the first lesion she developed a second left parieto-occipital lesion, resulting in cortical blindness. Extensive workup, including brain biopsy, was noninformative. Retrospectively, the occipital abnormalities were identified as stroke-like lesions (SLLs). Further manifestations of the mitochondrial disorder (MID) were tremor, cerebral atrophy, bilateral basal ganglia, calcification, glaucoma, hypoacusis, short stature, hyperostosis frontalis, hyperthyroidism, sick-sinus syndrome and AV-block-1, and myopathy. According to the Walker criteria, a possible MID was diagnosed. In conclusion, adult-onset MID may be missed for years, SLLs may be easily misinterpreted entailing brain biopsy, and psychosis may contribute to a reduced impact for proper workup of a MID.
Non-intrusive electric power monitoring system in multi-purpose educational buildings
Authors: Del Ama Gonzalo Fernando , Ferrandiz Jose A. , Escudero David Fonseca , Hernandez Juan A.
Published: December 2019

Understanding the consumption patterns in a working space is important for evaluating the causes of energy wastage and for developing strategies towards specific energy reduction methods. The intent of metering systems in buildings is to provide adequate data that help improve building systems performance. The results of the analysis offer the potential to improve the energy efficiency of the building and reduce the operation costs. Researchers of Polytechnic University of Madrid and American University of Ras Al Khaimah have developed a metering and control system that processes and analyzes the digitalized signals. This system can collect, analyze and manage the electrical consumption in buildings. It is non-intrusive, can be easily deployed in electric boards and sends data to a central base station located away from the metering device. In this article the system is tested in an educational facility with a wide range of uses. The lighting fixtures, power outlets and HVAC devices are analyzed in offices, classrooms and architecture studios. This article concludes that energy audits for longer time periods help building managers understand device profiles, occupant behavior and environmental context.
3.3V DC output at -16dBm sensitivity and 77% PCE rectifier for RF energy harvesting
Authors: Asli Astrie Nurasyeila Fifie , Wong Yan Chiew
Published: December 2019

This paper presents a high voltage conversion at high sensitivity RF energy harvesting system for IoT applications. The harvesting system comprises bulk-to-source (BTMOS) differential-drive based rectifier to produce a high efficiency RF energy harvesting system. Low-pass upward impedance matching network is applied at the rectifier input to increase the sensitivity and output voltage. Dual-oxide-thickness transistors are used in the rectifier circuit to maintain the power efficiency at each stage of the rectifier. The system is designed using 0.18µm Silterra RF in deep n-well process technology and achieves 4.07V output at -16dBm sensitivity without the need of complex auxiliary control circuit and DC-DC charge-pump circuit. The system is targeted for urban environment.
Multilevel inverter with MPWM-LFT switching strategy for voltage THD minimization
Authors: Yatim M. H. , Ponniran A. , Kasiran A. N.
Published: December 2019

This paper presents a proposed modified pulse width modulation – low frequency triangular (MPWM-LFT) switching strategy for minimization of voltage THD with implementation of asymmetric multilevel inverter (AMLI) topology on the reduced number of switching devices (RNSD) circuit structure. Principally, MPWM-LFT able to produce optimum angle of the output voltage level in order to minimize total harmonic distortion (THD). In this study, 5-level reduced number of switching devices circuit structure is selected as a circuit configuration for asymmetric (7-level structure) multilevel inverter. For switching strategy, MPWM used low switching frequency in producing signal and needs higher output voltage levels to achieve low total harmonic distortion. In contrast, sinusoidal pulse width modulation used high switching frequency in order to minimize total harmonic distortion. By optimizing angle at the output voltage using MPWM-LFT switching strategy, the voltage THD is lower as compared to MPWM and SPWM switching strategies. MPWM-LFT switching strategy obtains 11.6% of voltage THD for the 7-level asymmetric topology as compared to MPWM and SPWM switching strategies with the voltage THD are 21.5% and 17.5% respectively from the experimental works.
A bidirectional resonant converter based on wide input range and high efficiency for photovoltaic application
Authors: Alhamrouni Ibrahim , Bin Hamzah M. R. , Salem Mohamed , Jusoh Awang , Bin Khairuddin Azhar , Sutikno Tole
Published: December 2019

This work highlights a modular power conditioning system (PCS) in photovoltaic (PV) applications which consists with a DC-DC converter. The converter is able to regulate and amplify the input DC voltage produced by the PV panal. The implementation of Mosfet as bidirectional switch on the converter yields greater conversion ratio and better voltage regulation than a conventional DC-DC step up converter and PWM resonant converter. It also reduces the switching losses on the output DC voltage of the converter, as the MOSFET switches on primary winding of converter switch on under ZVS conditions. The proposed resonant converter has been designed, with the modification of series resonant converter and PWM boost converter that utilizes the high frequency of AC bidirectional switch to eliminate the weaknesses of used converters. The topology of the proposed converter includes the mode of operations, designing procedure and components selection of the new converter elements. This topology provides a DC output voltage to the inverter at range of about 120Vac-208 Vac. 
Design and digital implementation of power control strategy for grid connected photovoltaic inverter
Authors: Hassaine Linda , Bengourina Mohamed Rida
Published: December 2019

This paper presents the optimization design and a detailed implementation in FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) of a power control strategy. This strategy is based on the phase shift angle of the inverter output voltage with respect to the grid voltage and DSPWM (Digital Sinusoidal Pulse Width Modulation) patterns “Phase shift angle-DSPWM” for an inverter for photovoltaic system connected to the grid. The proposed control can synchronize a sinusoidal inverter output current with a grid voltage and control the power injected into the grid. Detailed development of a digital controller with lower hardware and computation requirement is proposed. Description on the digital implementation of the A/D converter, the PI compensator, the phase shift and the DPWM, is provided. This digital control exhibit simplicity, reduction of the memory requirements and power calculation for the control. The functional structure of this system with digital control has been validated with simulations and experimental results.
Modeling of photovoltaic system with maximum power point tracking control by neural networks
Authors: Saadaoui Farid , Mammar Khaled , Hazzab Abdaldjabar
Published: December 2019

This paper presented the study, development and implementation of the maximum power point of a photovoltaic energy generator adapted by elevator converter and controlled by a maximum power point command. In order to improve photovoltaic system performance and to force the photovoltaic generator to operate at its maximum power point, the idea of the context of this paper deals with the exploitation of the technique of the artificial intelligence mechanism (neural network) certainly based on the three parts of the photovoltaic system (photovoltaic  module inputs (temperature and  solar radiation), photovoltaic module and control (MPPT)) that have been adopted within a simulation time of 24 hours.

In addition, to reach the optimal operating point regardless of variations in climatic conditions, the use of a neuron network based disturbance and observation algorithm (P&O) is put into service of the system given its reliability, its simplicity and view that at any time it can follow the desired maximum power.

The entire system is implemented in the Matlab / Simulink environment where simulation results  obtained are very promising and have shown the effectiveness and speed of neural technology that still require a learning base so to improve the performance of photovoltaic systems and exploit them in energy production, as well as this technique has proved that these results are much better in terms (of its very great precision and speed of computation) than those of the controller based on the conventional MPPT method P&O.
Fuzzy sliding mode control of doubly-fed induction generator driven by wind turbine
Authors: Benmeziane Meriem , Zebirate S. , Chaker A. , Boudjema Z.
Published: December 2019

This paper present a hybrid nonlinear control based on fuzzy sliding mode to control wind energy conversion system using a doubly fed induction generator (DFIG). Consiting of coupling fuzzy logic control and sliding mode control this technique is introduced to avoid the major disadvantage of variable structure systems, namely the chattering phenomenon. Effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed control strategy are verified by simulation results in Matlab Simulink.