bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Soliton interactions of a variable-coefficient three-component AB system for the geophysical flows
Authors: Feng Yu-Jie , Gao Yi-Tian , Jia Ting-Ting , Li Liu-Qing
Published: October 2019

Geophysical flows consist of the large-scale motions of the ocean and/or atmosphere. Researches on the geophysical flows reveal the mechanisms for the transport and redistribution of energy and matter. Investigated in this paper is a variable-coefficient three-component AB system for the baroclinic instability processes in geophysical flows. With respect to the three wave packets as well as the correction to the mean flow, bilinear forms are obtained, and one-, two- and [Formula: see text]-soliton solutions are derived under some coefficient constraints via the Hirota method. Soliton interaction is graphically investigated: (1) Velocities of the [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] components and amplitude of the [Formula: see text] component are proportional to the parameter measuring the state of the basic flow, where [Formula: see text] is the [Formula: see text]th wave packet with [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] is related to the mean flow; Amplitudes of the [Formula: see text] components decrease with the group velocity increasing; Parabolic-type solitons, sine-type solitons and quasi-periodic-type two solitons are obtained; For the [Formula: see text] component, solitons with the varying amplitudes and dromion-like two solitons are shown; (2) Three types of the breathers with different interaction periods and numbers of the wave branches in a wave packet are analyzed; (3) Bound states are depicted; (4) Compression of the soliton is presented; (5) Interactions between/among the solitons and breathers are also illustrated.
Applications of mixed lump-solitons solutions and multi-peaks solitons for newly extended (2+1)-dimensional Boussinesq wave equation
Authors: Lu Dianchen , Seadawy Aly R. , Ahmed Iftikhar
Published: October 2019

In this work, based on the Hirota bilinear method, mixed lump-solitons solutions and multi-peaks solitons are derived for a new extended (2[Formula: see text]+[Formula: see text]1)-dimensional Boussinesq equation by using ansatz function technique with symbolic computation. Through the mixed lump-solitons, we obtained two types of interaction phenomena, first from lump-single soliton solution and other from lump-two soliton solutions and their dynamics is given by three-dimensional plots and two-dimensional contour plots by taking appropriate values of given parameters. Furthermore, we obtained new patterns of multi-peaks solitons.
Weakly and strongly coupled intermediate long-wave hierarchies and Benjamin–Ono equations
Authors: Li Jian , Li Chuanzhong
Published: October 2019

In this paper, we construct weakly and strongly coupled intermediate long-wave (ILW) hierarchies which contain integrable weakly (strongly) coupled Benjamin–Ono2 equations as the primary equations. The dressing operators [Formula: see text] of the weakly and strongly coupled ILW hierarchies satisfy the Sato equations of a weakly (strongly) coupled KP hierarchy. We found an infinite system of commuting integrals of motion related to the weakly and strongly coupled Benjamin–Ono integrable hierarchies.
Strained effects on the thermal conductance of flexural and in-plane modes in graphene nanoribbons
Authors: Bao Bengang , Liao Gao-Hua , He Jun , Pan Chang-Ning
Published: October 2019

Ballistic thermal transport properties in graphene nanoribbon modulated with strain are investigated by non-equilibrium Green’s function approach. The results show that the strain can suppress the phonon transport of flexural phonon mode (FPM) and enhance the phonon transport of in-plane mode (IPM) in low-frequency region, leading to the reduction in the thermal conductance of FPM and the enhancement in the thermal conductance of IPM. The total thermal conductance is decreased by strain as the reduction in the thermal conductance of FPM overcomes the enhancement in the thermal conductance of IPM.
A Light-Weight Change Detection Method Using YCbCr-Based Texture Consensus Model
Authors: Singh Rimjhim Padam , Sharma Poonam
Published: October 2019

Background subtraction is a prerequisite and often the very first step employed in several high-level and real-time computer vision applications. Several parametric and non-parametric change detection algorithms employing multiple feature spaces have been proposed to date but none has proven to be robust against all challenges that can possibly be posed in a complex real-time environment. Amongst the varied challenges posed, illumination variations, shadows, dynamic backgrounds, camouflaged and bootstrapping artifacts are some of the well-known problems. This paper presents a light-weight hybrid change detection algorithm that integrates a novel combination of RGB color space and conditional YCbCr-based XCS-LBP texture descriptors (YXCS-LBP) into a modified pixel-based background model. The conditional employment of light-weight YXCS-LBP texture features with the modified Visual background extractor (ViBe) aiming at reduction in false positives, produces outperforming results without incurring much memory and computational cost. The random and time-subsampled update strategy employed with the proposed classification procedure ensures the efficient suppression of shadows and bootstrapping artifacts along with the complete retention of long-term static objects in the foreground masks. Comprehensive performance analysis of the proposed technique on publicly available Change Detection dataset (2014 CDnet dataset) demonstrates the superiority of the proposed technique over different state-of-the-art-methods against varied challenges.
Boundary dynamics for bireversible and for contracting automaton groups
Authors: D’Angeli Daniele , Godin Thibault , Klimann Ines , Picantin Matthieu , Rodaro Emanuele
Published: October 2019

We study the dynamics of the action of an automaton group on the set of infinite words, and more precisely the discontinuous points of the map which associates to a point its set of stabilizers — the singular points. We show that, for any Mealy automaton, the set of singular points has measure zero. Then we focus our attention on several classes of automata. We characterize those contracting automata generating groups without singular points, and apply this characterization to the Basilica group. We prove that potential examples of reversible automata generating infinite groups without singular points are necessarily bireversible. We also provide some conditions for such examples to exist. Finally, we study some dynamical properties of the Schreier graphs in the boundary.
Dynamical system analysis of a nonminimally coupled scalar field
Authors: Pal Subhajyoti , Mishra Sudip , Chakraborty Subenoy
Published: October 2019

This paper deals with a nonminimally coupled scalar field in the background of homogeneous and isotropic Friedmann–Lemaître–Robertson–Walker (FLRW) flat spacetime. As Einstein field equations are coupled second-order nonlinear differential equations, it is very hard to find exact solutions. By suitable choice of variables, we transform Einstein field equations to an autonomous system and critical points are determined. We use center manifold theory to characterize nonhyperbolic critical points and are found to be saddle in nature. We discuss possible bifurcation scenarios, which indicate the existence of the cosmological bouncing model.
BAYESIAN LEARNING FOR THE MARKOWITZ PORTFOLIO SELECTION PROBLEM
Authors: DE FRANCO CARMINE , NICOLLE JOHANN , PHAM HUYÊN
Published: October 2019

We study the Markowitz portfolio selection problem with unknown drift vector in the multi-dimensional framework. The prior belief on the uncertain expected rate of return is modeled by an arbitrary probability law, and a Bayesian approach from filtering theory is used to learn the posterior distribution about the drift given the observed market data of the assets. The Bayesian Markowitz problem is then embedded into an auxiliary standard control problem that we characterize by a dynamic programming method and prove the existence and uniqueness of a smooth solution to the related semi-linear partial differential equation (PDE). The optimal Markowitz portfolio strategy is explicitly computed in the case of a Gaussian prior distribution. Finally, we measure the quantitative impact of learning, updating the strategy from observed data, compared to nonlearning, using a constant drift in an uncertain context, and analyze the sensitivity of the value of information with respect to various relevant parameters of our model.
A Numerical Study on Elastic Buckling and Ultimate Strength of Compressed Trapezoidal Plates
Authors: Diez Rafael , Lopez Claudio , Ibañez Jose R. , Serna Miguel A.
Published: October 2019

According to Eurocode 3, the design of plated structures may be carried out using three different approaches: effective width method, reduced stress method, and finite element analysis (FEA). For the particular case of elements under compression, the effective width method makes use of the plate buckling slenderness to obtain the corresponding effective cross-sectional area. Since the effective width method was developed for uniform web and flange panels, Eurocode 3, and most design codes, has no specific provisions for the particular case of nonrectangular panels, stating that they may conservatively be treated as rectangular panels with this larger width. With the final objective of improving design rules for tapered members, this paper first presents finite element (FE) numerical results for the elastic buckling coefficient of trapezoidal plates under compression. Four cases are considered which correspond to different boundary conditions usually present in webs and flanges of steel profiles and rectangular hollow sections. Numerical results are used to propose approximate closed-form expressions that can be used to compute local buckling loads for trapezoidal plates in a direct way. Additionally, ultimate strength is obtained for a number of compressed trapezoidal plates using nonlinear geometric and material FEA with equivalent geometric imperfections. Contrary to the philosophy of Eurocode 3, results show that there is no clear correlation between buckling loads and ultimate strength.
Integration of Multiple Regression Model in an Epidemiological Decision Support System
Authors: Younsi Fatima-Zohra , Bounnekar Ahmed , Hamdadou Djamila , Boussaid Omar
Published: October 2019

Prevention and control of influenza epidemics are major challenges for public health care services. Early identification of flu outbreak is an important step towards implementing effective disease interventions for reducing mortality and morbidity in human populations. Indeed, health officials need a real geo-making tool for monitoring and prediction. The aim of the current study is to discuss a novel spatiotemporal tool for monitoring and predicting the phenomenon of the seasonal influenza epidemic spread in the human population using multiple regression analysis. The suggested tool is mainly based on three sub-systems. It allows generating simulation data by the use of a simulation system, integrating data sources in a data warehouse (DW) system and performing a specific online analysis Spatial On-Line Analytical Processing (SOLAP). Our proposal enables also to illustrate evolution of disease through visualizations in time and space. It can examine social network effects to better understand the topological structure of social contact and the impact of its properties. A regression analysis is performed on the influenza epidemic to examine the main factors influencing flu incidence number and therefore to predict and track influenza epidemic.
Stable exponential cosmological solutions with three factor spaces of dimensions m = 3, k1 = k and k2 = k in the Einstein–Gauss–Bonnet model with a Λ-term
Authors: Ernazarov K. K.
Published: October 2019

We consider a [Formula: see text]-dimensional Einstein–Gauss–Bonnet model with the cosmological [Formula: see text]-term. Exact stable solutions with three constant Hubble-like parameters in this model are obtained. In this case, the multidimensional cosmological model deals with three factor spaces: the external 3-dimensional “our” world and internal subspaces with dimensions [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text].
Remarks on the mean-field theory based on the SO(2N + 1) Lie algebra of the fermion operators
Authors: Nishiyama Seiya , da Providência João
Published: October 2019

Toward a unified algebraic theory for mean-field Hamiltonian describing paired- and unpaired-mode effects, in this paper, we propose a generalized Hartree–Bogoliubov mean-field Hamiltonian in terms of fermion pair and creation-annihilation operators of the [Formula: see text] Lie algebra. We diagonalize the generalized Hartree–Bogoliubov mean-field Hamiltonian and throughout its diagonalization we can first obtain the unpaired mode amplitudes which are given by the self-consistent field parameters appeared in the Hartree–Bogoliubov theory together with the additional self-consistent field parameter in the generalized Hartree–Bogoliubov mean-field Hamiltonian and by the parameter specifying the property of the [Formula: see text] group. Consequently, it turns out that the magnitudes of these amplitudes are governed by such parameters. Thus, it becomes possible to make clear a new aspect of such results. We construct the Killing potential in the coset space [Formula: see text] on the Kähler symmetric space which is equivalent to the generalized density matrix. We show another approach to the fermion mean-field Hamiltonian based on such a generalized density matrix. We derive an [Formula: see text] generalized Hartree–Bogoliubov mean-field Hamiltonian operator and a modified Hartree–Bogoliubov eigenvalue equation. We discuss on the mean-field theory related to the algebraic mean-field theory based on the generalized density matrix and the coadjoint orbit leading to the nondegenerate symplectic form.
Spherical product surface having pointwise 1-type Gauss map in Galilean 3-space 𝔾3
Authors: Kiṣi İlim , Öztürk Günay
Published: October 2019

In this study, we handle the spherical product surface in Galilean [Formula: see text]-space [Formula: see text]. We calculate the Laplacian operator of the Gauss map of this surface. Then we give the necessary and sufficient conditions for spherical product surface to have harmonic Gauss map and we give a visualization of this type surface in [Formula: see text]. Furthermore, we make a classification of spherical product surface having pointwise 1-type Gauss map in [Formula: see text]. Lastly, we visualized this type spherical product surface of the first kind in [Formula: see text].
China–Pakistan Maritime Cooperation in the Indian Ocean
Authors: ALI GHULAM
Published: October 2019

This paper argues that during the last two decades, China and Pakistan have strengthened their maritime cooperation in the Indian Ocean to their mutual benefit. Based upon its geostrategic location and vast maritime experience, Pakistan has promoted China’s growing interests in the Indian Ocean and received China’s economic, technological and military assistance in return. India has responded to these developments by expanding its naval power, adding a nuclear component and aligning with like-minded states. The paper concludes that a lack of institutional mechanisms, coordination and trust among the three can potentially expand their rivalry seawards, triggering a new naval arms race.
The BRI, Nepal’s Expectations, and Limitations on Nepal–China Border Relations
Authors: PYAKUREL UDDHAB PRASAD
Published: October 2019

Many Nepalese perceive China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) as a useful means for the India-locked country to connect to other countries. However, this paper analyzes the weakening connectivity within the border areas of Nepal and Tibet since falling under Chinese control, concluding that China is unready to increase cross-border movement and trade facilities with Nepal due to perceived security concerns.
Spatial Deployment of the Chinese Property Market (2010–2016)
Authors: SWERTS ELFIE
Published: October 2019

Real estate activities and companies in China have grown considerably since the major reforms of the late 1970s. This paper examines the spatial deployment of firms linked to the Chinese real estate market in Chinese cities in 2010, 2013 and 2016. It provides a first mapping of multinational firms specialized in the real estate sector. It describes the patterns of ownership networks built by financial links both between foreign multinational firms and Chinese firms and among multinational firms themselves. It therefore provides a new understanding about the penetration of both foreign direct investment (FDI) and Hong Kong’s role in the Chinese real estate market. This paper provides a comparison of the spatial location logics of these firms according to their Chinese or foreign origin and offers a new perspective on the geography of real estate investment by analyzing financial links between the Chinese and foreign cities involved.
Effect of protamine on Fe3O4@CS@GFTN composite magnetic nanoparticles
Authors: Shao Huiping , Wang Luhui , Lin Tao , Zhang Yumeng , Zhang Zhinan
Published: October 2019

Fe3O4@chitosan (CS)@Gefitinib (GFTN) core-shell structure composite magnetic nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared by chemical coprecipitation method in this study. In addition, protamine was doped in Fe3O4 cores to prepare Fe3O4@protamine@CS@GFTN core-shell structure composite NPs, in order to increase the loading of GFTN in composite NPs. They were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) and spectrophotometer. The results show that the average size of Fe3O4@CS@GFTN and Fe3O4@protamine@CS@GFTN composite NPs is approximately 19 and 21[Formula: see text]nm, respectively. The saturation magnetizations of composite magnetic NPs and corresponding magnetic fluids are 57.20, 20.79, 59.58 and 19.75[Formula: see text]emu/g, respectively. The loading of GFTN in composite NPs was measured by a spectrophotometer to be about 13.5% and 27.6%, respectively. The addition of protamine increased the loading of GFTN two times, indicating that it will play an important role in the management of lung diseases.
Succinct enumeration of distant vertex pairs
Authors: Rudi Ali Gholami
Published: October 2019

The fastest known algorithms for finding the exact value of the diameter of general graphs are no faster than the algorithms that compute all-pairs shortest paths. An extension of the problem of computing graph diameter is enumerating pairs of vertices in a graph, ordered decreasingly by their distance. In this paper, we investigate this problem with the presence of memory constraints. We also show how our result can help the computation of graph Hyperbolicity, by lowering the memory complexity of computing the ordered list of far-apart vertex pairs.
Nonlinear buckling of orthogonal carbon nanotube-reinforced composite cylindrical shells under axial compression surrounded by elastic foundation in thermal environment
Authors: Nam Vu Hoai , Phuong Nguyen Thi , Duc Vu Minh
Published: October 2019

Nonlinear buckling and postbuckling of orthogonal carbon nanotube-reinforced composite (Orthogonal CNTRC) cylindrical shells subjected to axial compression in thermal environments surrounded by elastic foundation are presented in this paper. Two layers of shell are reinforced by carbon nanotube (CNT) in two orthogonal directions (longitudinal and circumferential directions). Based on Donnell’s shell theory with von Karman’s nonlinearity and the Galerkin method, the governing equations are established to obtain the critical buckling loads and postbuckling load-deflection curves. The large effects of CNT volume fraction, temperature change, elastic foundation and geometrical parameters of cylindrical shells on the buckling load and postbuckling behavior of Orthogonal CNTRC cylindrical shells are obtained.
Local Monitoring of Atmospheric Transparency from the NASA MERRA-2 Global Assimilation System
Authors: Guyonnet A. , Dagoret-Campagne S. , Mondrik N.
Published: October 2019

Ground-based astronomy has to correct astronomical observations from the impact of the atmospheric transparency and its variability. The current objective of several observatories is to achieve a sub-percent-level monitoring of atmospheric transmission. A promising approach has been to combine internal calibration of the observations with various external meteorological data sources, upon availability and depending on quality. In this paper we investigate the use of the NASA Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications, version 2 (MERRA-2) which is a general circulation model (GCM) and data assimilation system that renders freely available for any given site, at any time, all the parameters constraining atmospheric transmission. This paper demonstrates the extraction of the relevant atmospheric parameters for optical astronomy at two sites: Mauna Kea in Hawaii and Cerro Tololo International Observatory in Chile. The temporal variability for the past eight years (annual, overnight, and hourly) as well as the spatial gradients of ozone, precipitable water vapor, and aerosol optical depth are presented and their respective impacts on the atmospheric transparency are analyzed.
A Distributed Tensor-Train Decomposition Method for Cyber-Physical-Social Services
Authors: Wang Xiaokang , Yang Laurence T. , Wang Yihao , Liu Xingang , Zhang Qingxia , Deen M. Jamal
Published: October 2019

C
yber-
P
hysical-
S
ocial
S
ystems (CPSS) integrating the cyber, physical, and social worlds is a key technology to provide proactive and personalized services for humans. In this paper, we studied CPSS by taking
h
uman-
i
nteraction-aware
b
ig
d
ata (HIBD) as the starting point. However, the HIBD collected from all aspects of our daily lives are of high-order and large-scale, which bring ever-increasing challenges for their cleaning, integration, processing, and interpretation. Therefore, new strategies for representing and processing of HIBD become increasingly important in the provision of CPSS services. As an emerging technique, tensor is proving to be a suitable and promising representation and processing tool of HIBD. In particular, tensor networks, as a significant tensor decomposition technique, bring advantages of computing, storage, and applications of HIBD. Furthermore,
T
ensor-
T
rain (TT), a type of tensor network, is particularly well suited for representing and processing high-order data by decomposing a high-order tensor into a series of low-order tensors. However, at present, there is still need for an efficient Tensor-Train decomposition method for massive data. Therefore, for larger-scale HIBD, a highly-efficient computational method of Tensor-Train is required. In this paper, a
d
istributed
T
ensor-
T
rain (DTT) decomposition method is proposed to process the high-order and large-scale HIBD. The high performance of the proposed DTT such as the execution time is demonstrated with a case study on a typical form of CPSS data,
C
omputed
T
omography (CT) image data.
Minimizing Regret with Multiple Reserves
Authors: Roughgarden Tim , Wang Joshua R.
Published: October 2019

We study the problem of computing and learning non-anonymous reserve prices to maximize revenue. We first define the M
aximizing
M
ultiple
R
eserves
(MMR) problem in single-parameter matroid environments, where the input is
m
valuation profiles
v
1
,…,
v

m

, indexed by the same
n
bidders, and the goal is to compute the vector
r
of (non-anonymous) reserve prices that maximizes the total revenue obtained on these profiles by the VCG mechanism with reserves
r
. We prove that the problem is
APX
-hard, even in the special case of single-item environments, and give a polynomial-time 1/2-approximation algorithm for it in arbitrary matroid environments.

We then consider the online no-regret learning problem and show how to exploit the special structure of the MMR problem to translate our offline approximation algorithm into an online learning algorithm that achieves asymptotically time-averaged revenue at least 1/2 times that of the best fixed reserve prices in hindsight. On the negative side, we show that, quite generally, computational hardness for the offline optimization problem translates to computational hardness for obtaining vanishing time-averaged regret. Thus, our hardness result for the MMR problem implies that computationally efficient online learning requires approximation, even in the special case of single-item auction environments.
Justice Reinvestment: Vision and Practice
Authors: Sabol William J. , Baumann Miranda L.
Published: October 2019

Justice reinvestment was introduced in the early 2000s as a means to respond to the massive growth in incarceration in the United States that had occurred during the past three decades by diverting offenders from prison and redirecting a portion of the associated corrections expenditures into communities to build their capacities to manage offenders locally. Over the next 17 years, the concept evolved into a Congressionally funded federal grant program that shifted the focus of reinvestment away from community reinvestment and toward a state-agency practice improvement model that ultimately aimed to improve public safety. A distinct form of justice reinvestment, the Justice Reinvestment Initiative (JRI), was the dominant practice of justice reinvestment in the United States. It was organized as a public–private partnership that engaged states in bipartisan efforts to enact legislative reforms and other policies to address sentencing and corrections practices and adopt high-performing evidence-based practices (EBPs) that would yield the desired public safety benefits. JRI contributed to legislative reforms and adoption of EBPs, especially in community supervision. The federal JRI effort has not yet provided peer-reviewed, published evidence that it has achieved its objectives.
Circadian Regulation of Cardiac Physiology: Rhythms That Keep the Heart Beating
Authors: Zhang Jianhua , Chatham John C. , Young Martin E.
Published: October 2019

On Earth, all life is exposed to dramatic changes in the environment over the course of the day; consequently, organisms have evolved strategies to both adapt to and anticipate these 24-h oscillations. As a result, time of day is a major regulator of mammalian physiology and processes, including transcription, signaling, metabolism, and muscle contraction, all of which oscillate over the course of the day. In particular, the heart is subject to wide fluctuations in energetic demand throughout the day as a result of waking, physical activity, and food intake patterns. Daily rhythms in cardiovascular function ensure that increased delivery of oxygen, nutrients, and endocrine factors to organs during the active period and the removal of metabolic by-products are in balance. Failure to maintain these physiologic rhythms invariably has pathologic consequences. This review highlights rhythms that underpin cardiac physiology. More specifically, we summarize the key aspects of cardiac physiology that oscillate over the course of the day and discuss potential mechanisms that regulate these 24-h rhythms.
Hypoxia-inducible factor-prolyl hydroxylase inhibitor ameliorates myopathy in a mouse model of chronic kidney disease
Authors: Qian Fang-Yuan , Li Zuo-Lin , Guo Yu-Dong , Gao Han-Chao , Gu Li-Hua , Le Kai , Xie Chun-Ming , Wang Bin , Zhang Zhi-Jun
Published: October 2019

Muscle wasting and diminished physical performance contribute to the morbidity and mortality of chronic kidney disease (CKD), for which no curative therapy exists. Accumulating evidence indicates that impaired angiogenesis occurs in the muscles of CKD models. Therefore, proangiogenesis therapy is considered a potentially effective strategy for limiting CKD-associated myopathy. Hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-prolyl hydroxylase inhibitor (HIF-PHI) stabilizes HIF and enhances muscle angiogenesis during acute ischemia; however, little evidence was available from CKD models. Here, we assessed whether pharmacological activation of HIF by MK-8617 (MK), a novel orally active HIF-PHI, improves CKD-associated myopathy. Mice were divided into sham or CKD groups, and CKD mice were subdivided into CKD + vehicle or MK treatment groups (1.5, 5, or 12.5 mg/kg for 12 wk). In CKD mice, skeletal muscle mass, mitochondrial amount, and exercise capacity decreased compared with sham mice. Compared with the CKD + vehicle group, low (1.5 mg/kg) and medium (5 mg/kg) doses of MK, but not the high dose (12.5 mg/kg), significantly restored these changes and was accompanied by incremental increases in HIF-1α. Furthermore, increased capillary density and area were observed in a MK dose-dependent manner, which is likely related to an improved VEGF response in the skeletal muscle of CKD mice. In addition, macrophage and proinflammatory cytokines, including monocyte chemoattractant protein 1, TNF-α, and IL-6, significantly increased in the high-dose MK group. These results indicate that HIF-PHI provides a potential therapeutic strategy to improve CKD-associated myopathy.
Vibrodissociation method for isolation of defined nephron segments from human and rodent kidneys
Authors: Isaeva Elena , Fedoriuk Mykhailo , Bohovyk Ruslan , Klemens Christine A. , Khedr Sherif , Golosova Daria , Levchenko Vladislav , El-Meanawy Ashraf , Palygin Oleg , Staruschenko Alexander
Published: October 2019

Our current knowledge of the properties of renal ion channels responsible for electrolytes and cell energy homeostasis mainly relies on rodent studies. However, it has not been established yet to what extent their characteristics can be generalized to those of humans. The present study was designed to develop a standardized protocol for the isolation of well-preserved glomeruli and renal tubules from rodent and human kidneys and to assess the functional suitability of the obtained materials for physiological studies. Separation of nephron segments from human and rodent kidneys was achieved using a novel vibrodissociation technique. The integrity of isolated renal tubules and glomeruli was probed via electrophysiological analysis and fluorescence microscopy, and the purity of the collected fractions was confirmed using quantitative RT-PCR with gene markers for specific cell types. The developed approach allows rapid isolation of well-preserved renal tubules and glomeruli from human and rodent kidneys amenable for electrophysiological, Ca2+ imaging, and omics studies. Analysis of the basic electrophysiological parameters of major K+ and Na+ channels expressed in human cortical collecting ducts revealed that they exhibited similar biophysical properties as previously reported in rodent studies. Using vibrodissociation for nephron segment isolation has several advantages over existing techniques: it is less labor intensive, requires little to no enzymatic treatment, and produces large quantities of well-preserved experimental material in pure fractions. Applying this method for the separation of nephron segments from human and rodent kidneys may be a powerful tool for the indepth assessment of kidney function in health and disease.
Early transcriptomic responses associated with the membrane-initiated action of cortisol in the skeletal muscle of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)
Authors: Aedo Jorge E. , Zuloaga Rodrigo , Bastías-Molina Macarena , Meneses Claudio , Boltaña Sebastián , Molina Alfredo , Valdés Juan Antonio
Published: October 2019

Cortisol is a critical neuroendocrine regulator of the stress response in fish. Cortisol practically affects all tissues by interacting with an intracellular receptor and modulating target gene expression. However, cortisol also interacts with components of the plasma membrane in a nongenomic process that activates rapid signaling. Until now, the implication of this novel cortisol signaling for the global transcriptional response has not been explored. In the present work, we evaluated the effects of the membrane-initiated actions of cortisol on the in vivo transcriptome of rainbow trout ( Oncorhynchus mykiss) skeletal muscle. RNA-Seq analyses were performed to examine the transcriptomic changes in rainbow trout stimulated by physiological concentrations of cortisol and cortisol coupled with bovine serum albumin (cortisol-BSA), a membrane-impermeable analog of cortisol. A total of 660 million paired-ends reads were generated. Reads mapped onto the reference genome revealed that 1,737; 897; and 1,012 transcripts were differentially expressed after 1, 3, and 9 h of cortisol-BSA treatment, respectively. Gene Ontology analysis showed that this novel action of cortisol modulates several biological processes, such as mRNA processing, ubiquitin-dependent protein catabolic processes, and transcription regulation. In addition, a KEGG analysis revealed that focal adhesion was the main signaling pathway that was upregulated at all the times tested. Taking these results together, we propose that the membrane-initiated cortisol action contributes significantly in the regulation of stress-mediated gene expression.
Prevalence of Hypertension in the Middle Belt of Ghana: A Community-Based Screening Study
Authors: Dosoo David Kwame , Nyame Solomon , Enuameh Yeetey , Ayetey Harold , Danwonno Harry , Twumasi Mieks , Tabiri Cephas , Gyaase Stephaney , Lip Gregory Y. H. , Owusu-Agyei Seth , Asante Kwaku Poku
Published: October 2019

Objective. Prevalence of hypertension is on the rise and can be attributed to aging populations and changing behavioral or lifestyle risk factors. The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence, awareness, treatment, control, and risk factors of hypertension in the middle part of Ghana. Methods. A total of 2,555 participants aged ≥18 years (mean age of 43 years; 60.5% female) were enrolled using a two-stage sampling method. The World Health Organization STEPwise approach to chronic disease risk factor Surveillance-Instrument v2.1 was used for data collection. Blood pressure and anthropometric measurements were assessed. Blood glucose and lipids were also measured using blood samples collected after an overnight fast. Results. Prevalence of hypertension was 28.1% (95% CI: 26.3%–29.8%). Less than half, i.e., 45.9% (95% CI: 42.2%–49.6%), of the respondents were aware of their hypertensive status. Of those aware and had sought medical treatment, 41.3% (95% CI: 36.1–46.8) had their hypertension controlled. Risk factors associated with being hypertensive were current (p=0.053) and past tobacco usage (p<0.001), prediabetes (p=0.042), high body mass index (p<0.001), hyperglycaemia (p=0.083), and hypercholesterolaemia (p=0.010). Doing vigorous work and being active in sports were less associated with being hypertensive (p<0.001). Conclusion. Our study showed that close to one-quarter of adults who were involved in the survey in the middle belt of Ghana were hypertensive with less than half being aware of their hypertensive status; nearly half of those on treatment had controlled hypertension. Healthcare systems need adequate resources that enable them to screen, educate, and refer identified hypertensive patients for appropriate management to prevent or minimize the development of hypertension-related complications.
Serum Analysis in Patients with Temporomandibular Disorders: A Controlled Cross-Sectional Study in Norway
Authors: Staniszewski Kordian , Lygre Henning , Berge Trond , Rosén Annika
Published: October 2019

Temporomandibular disorder (TMD) is characterized by pain and dysfunction in the temporomandibular join (TMJ) and the masticatory apparatus. Associations with autoimmune diseases, inflammatory conditions, and nutrition deficiencies have been reported in previous studies of TMD patients. To evaluate essential proteins, hormones, electrolytes, and vitamins in serum from TMD patients, a standard blood sample analysis was performed in 60 TMD patients and 60 healthy controls matched for age and gender, retrieving 19 different analyses. We found that TMD patients had significantly higher values of hemoglobin (p=0.036), cobalamin (p=0.023), albumin (p=0.005), parathyroid hormone (PTH) (p=0.038), and vitamin D (p=0.005), and significantly lower values of creatinine (p=0.006) and potassium (p=0.011), compared to controls. In the TMD group, most of the determinants had a wider range, and several subjects, compared to the control group, had values outside the normal reference area. However, most of the TMD patients and controls had values within normal biological range. Our findings could not associate any severe systemic disease, malnutrition, or systemic inflammation with the TMD. Results from our study suggest that serum analyses should neither be used as a biomarker of TMD nor a diagnostic tool for an individual subject with TMD.
Penile Fracture: Delayed Presentation, Primary Urethral Repair and Satisfactory Outcome
Authors: Yunusa Bashir , Wullie Kalamon , Willie Soeghen E. , Konneh Solomane , Sherriff Swaliho , Cassell Ayun , Ikpi Edit
Published: October 2019

Penile fracture is a relatively rare condition warranting emergency intervention. The commonest etiological factor remains coital activities, which explains why it is being underreported. Presentation is usually delayed and up to 38% of cases present with associated urethral injury. Prompt surgical intervention and primary urethral repair are associated with a good outcome. We present a 30-year-old male with unilateral penile fracture and associated urethral injury following sexual intercourse.
A Case of Unilateral Coccidioidal Chorioretinitis in a Patient with HIV-Associated Meningoencephalitis
Authors: Toomey Christopher B. , Gross Andrew , Lee Jeffrey , Spencer Doran B.
Published: October 2019

Intraocular coccidioidomycosis is a rare condition, with the most commonly reported presentation being an idiopathic iritis in patients who live in or have traveled thorough endemic areas. A paucity of reports exists describing the chorioretinal manifestations of coccidioidomycosis. Here we report a case of unilateral coccidioidal chorioretinitis and meningoencephalitis in an AIDS patient that led to near complete unilateral loss of vision. A 48-year-old Hispanic female with poorly controlled HIV/AIDS in southern California presented with a three-week history of headache, nausea, vomiting, right eye blurry vision, and a one-day history of subjective fever. Examination of the right eye revealed vitritis and several large chorioretinal lesions scattered throughout the periphery and macula with optic disc pallor. Serum coccidioidomycoses complement fixation (CF) was positive (titers of 1 : 256). Neuroimaging revealed a new area of enhancement in the left anterior frontal lobe consistent with meningoencephalitis. The patient was treated with intravenous fluconazole and intravitreal voriconazole with resolution of systemic symptoms and vitritis but persistence of unilateral, severe chorioretinal scarring and vision loss. In conclusion, in spite of the rarity of intraocular coccidioidomycosis, one must carry a degree of suspicion for this vision- and life-threatening condition as a potential etiology of chorioretinitis in individuals with pertinent risk factors.
Behaviour of Tritium and Tritiogenic Helium in Freshwater Lens Groundwater Systems: Insights from Langeoog Island, Germany
Authors: Post Vincent E. A. , Houben Georg J. , Stoeckl Leonard , Sültenfuß Jürgen
Published: October 2019

Tritium (3H) and its daughter product 3He have been widely used as tracers in hydrological studies, but quantitative analyses of their behaviour in freshwater lenses and the transition zone in coastal aquifers are presently lacking. In this paper, the fate of 3H and 3He in the freshwater lens and the transition zone as well as the saltwater wedge is studied using numerical variable-density flow and transport models of different degrees of complexity. The models are based on the conditions on the German island of Langeoog, which is uniquely suited for this purpose because of the high 3H concentration of the North Sea. It is found that most bomb-related tritiogenic 3He still resides in the freshwater lens, making it a useful tracer for young (<60 years) groundwater. Differences in dispersive transport between 3H and 3He can cause an apparent age bias on the order of 10 years. Under favourable conditions, 3H from seawater can penetrate deep into the offshore part of the aquifer and has potential to be used as a tracer to study saltwater circulation patterns. Our modelling suggests that the field-observed 3H in the transition zone does not originate from seawater but from freshwater affected by the bomb peak. Yet in models with a low (αL=0.5 m) dispersivity, no 3H was sequestered into the transition zone and the transition zone width was underestimated. Better results were obtained with αL=5 m, a value that is higher than in comparable modelling studies, which suggests that further work is needed to better understand the controls (tides, lithological heterogeneity, or transience of recharge and pumping) on transition zone mixing processes.
An Ultra-Low Power Parity Generator Circuit Based on QCA Technology
Authors: Gassoumi Ismail , Touil Lamjed , Ouni Bouraoui , Mtibaa Abdellatif
Published: October 2019

Quantum-dot cellular automata (QCA) technology is one of the emerging technologies that can be used for replacing CMOS technology. It has attracted significant attention in the recent years due to its extremely low power dissipation, high operating frequency, and a small size. In this study, we demonstrate an n-bit parity generator circuit by utilizing QCA technology. Here, a novel XOR gate is used in the synthesis of the proposed circuit. The proposed gate is based on electrostatic interactions between cells to perform the desired function. The comparison results demonstrate that the designed QCA circuits have advantages compared to other circuits in terms of cell count, area, delay, and power consumption. The QCADesigner software, as widely used QCA circuit design and verification, has been used to implement and to verify all of the designs in this study. Power dissipation has been computed for the proposed circuit using accurate QCAPro power estimator tool.
Inflammation-Related Patterns in the Clinical Staging and Severity Assessment of Chronic Kidney Disease
Authors: Mihai Simona , Codrici Elena , Popescu Ionela D. , Enciu Ana-Maria , Rusu Elena , Zilisteanu Diana , Necula Laura G. , Anton Gabriela , Tanase Cristiana
Published: October 2019

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is an irreversible loss of kidney function, and it represents a major global public health burden due to both its prevalence and its continuously increasing incidence. Mineral bone disorders (MBDs) constitute a hallmark of CKD, and alongside cardiovascular complications, they underlie a poor prognosis for these patients. Thus, our study focused on novel CKD biomarker patterns and their impact on the clinical staging of the disease. As a first testing approach, the relative expression levels of 105 proteins were assessed by the Proteome Profiler Cytokine Array Kit for pooled CKD stage 2–4 serum samples to establish an overall view regarding the proteins involved in CKD pathogenesis. Among the molecules that displayed significant dysregulation in the CKD stages, we further explored the involvement of Dickkopf-related protein 1 (Dkk-1), a recognised inhibitor of the Wnt signalling pathway, and its crosstalk with 1,25OH2D3 (calcitriol) as new players in renal bone and vascular disease. The serum levels of these two molecules were quantified by an ELISA (76 samples), and the results reveal decreasing circulating levels of Dkk-1 and calcitriol in advanced CKD stages, with their circulating expression showing a downward trend as the CKD develops. In the next step, we analysed the inflammation and MBD biomarkers’ expression in CKD (by xMAP array). Our results show that the molecules involved in orchestrating the inflammatory response, interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFα), as well as the mineral biomarkers osteoprotegerin (OPG), osteocalcin (OC), osteopontin (OPN), and fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF-23), correlate with Dkk-1 and calcitriol, raising the possibility of them being potential useful CKD biomarkers. These results reveal the impact of different biomarker patterns in CKD staging and severity, thus opening up novel approaches to be explored in CKD clinical management.
Relationships between Metabolic Comorbidities and Occurrence, Severity, and Outcomes in Patients with Acute Pancreatitis: A Narrative Review
Authors: Li Xu , Guo Xiaolin , Ji Huifan , Niu Junqi , Gao Pujun
Published: October 2019

Background. The population of patients with acute pancreatitis treated by the staff at our department of gastroenterology includes those with mild and self-limited disease ranging to those with severe and fatal disease. Early diagnosis and accurate prediction of the severity and outcome of this disease, which is commonly seen by our department, is important for a successful outcome. Metabolic comorbidities (e.g., diabetes mellitus, fatty liver, obesity, and metabolic syndrome) are relevant to the severity and progression of many diseases. The objective of this review was to examine clinical relationships between metabolic comorbidities and occurrence, severity, and outcome of acute pancreatitis.
Reliability Evaluation for LTE Based CBTC Train Ground Communication Systems
Authors: Wang Shuo , Zhu Li , Xu Kun , Zhang Lin , Wang Xuan
Published: October 2019

Nowadays, most communication based train control systems (CBTC) use Wireless Local Networks (WLAN) technology for information transmission. However, because of the high running speed of the train in urban rail transit, WLAN technology cannot fully satisfy the information transmission under the condition of train operation at a high speed. Long term evolution (LTE) technology has a high transmission speed, which can better meet the real-time requirements of train and ground information transmission. Therefore, LTE technology has become an emphasis on the research of communication technology in today’s urban rail transit. Although there is a lot of research on the application of LTE technology in urban rail transit, there is little research on the reliability of LTE based train ground communication systems using experimental data. In this paper, the reliability of train ground communication is firstly defined. Then the train ground communication environment was established in the laboratory, and the performance parameters of train ground communication based on LTE technology were obtained in the test. Finally, the reliability is calculated and analyzed according to the experimental results, and a storage method of train data in actual operation is proposed, which can be used to analyze the reliability of train information transmission. The results show that the reliability of train ground communication based on LTE technology meets CBTC requirements.