bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Build Orientation Effect on Geometric Performance of Curved-Surface 316L Stainless Steel Parts Fabricated by Selective Laser Melting
Authors: Zhou Yue , Ning Fuda
Published: June 2020

Selective laser melting (SLM) is a powder bed fusion additive manufacturing technology that allows the production of high-performance metal parts with geometrically complex shapes, such as curved surface, can be used in practical engineering applications. In recent years, systematic attempts have been made to uncover the material-process-microstructure-property linkage in SLM-fabricated planar-surface metal parts; however, little is known on the performance and quality of SLM-fabricated metal parts with curved surfaces. In this paper, we studied the effects of build orientation on the geometric performance of SLM-built 316L stainless steel (SS) samples with a sinusoidal curved surface. The results indicated that the average values of profile roughness Ra and surface texture attributes Sa, Sk, and Vmc decreased with the increase in build orientation. Moreover, the locations at curvatures C2 and C4 exhibited the best surface finish at the build orientation of 75 deg and 90 deg. In addition, the least square method was used to fit the actual profile of the curved surface of as-built samples fabricated at each build orientation, and it was found the actual profile demonstrated the best consistency with the designed one at 90 deg build orientation. In this paper, the process–curvature–geometric performance relationship of SLM-built metal parts with curved surface was uncovered. In addition, this paper provides keen insights into assessing the geometric performance of SLM-built curved-surface metal parts and establishes a roadmap toward SLM-fabrication of metal parts with complex geometries for practical engineering applications.
Heat Transfer in Supercritical Steam Flowing Through Spiral Tubes
Authors: Kanungo Deepak Kumar , Shrivastava Sachin Kumar , Singh Nand Kumar , Sahu Kirti Chandra
Published: June 2020

We investigate heat transfer in supercritical steam flowing in a spiral tube by conducting three-dimensional numerical simulations. The current numerical solver has been validated with the existing experimental results, and simulations are performed by varying different geometric parameters of a spiral tube. The flow dynamics and heat transfer in a spiral tube are compared against those in a straight tube. For the parameters range considered in the present study, it is found that the heat transfer coefficient (HTC) in the spiral tube is 29% higher than that in the case of a straight tube for the same flow and thermal conditions. Our results indicate that the tangential velocity component resulting due to the spiraling effect of the steam is the primary reason for the enhancement of the HTC value. It is observed that while the HTC in a spiral tube is inversely related to the spiral diameter, it does not exhibit a strong relationship with the spiral pitch. Moreover, three existing heat transfer correlations are evaluated under the spiral flow condition and it is observed that none of them can calculate the HTC value accurately in spiral tubes. Using the Buckingham π-theorem, three modified correlations are proposed for the low, moderate, and high heat flux regimes, which accurately predict the wall temperature and HTC of supercritical steam in spiral tubes in all the heat flux regimes. The correlations have an error band of less than ±20%.
Experimental and Numerical Study of Chord-Wise Eight-Passage Serpentine Cooling Design for Eliminating the Coriolis Force Adverse Effect on Heat Transfer
Authors: Singh Prashant , Sarja Ajay , Ekkad Srinath V.
Published: June 2020

Gas turbine blades are equipped with internal cooling channels which are connected by 180 deg bends. Due to combined effects of Coriolis force and centrifugal buoyancy force, the heat transfer increases on the trailing side (pressure side) and decreases on the leading side (suction side) for radially outward flow. The trend in heat transfer is opposite for radially inward flow. This configuration leads to nonuniform blade temperature which in unfavorable for blade lifespan. This paper presents a novel eight-passage serpentine design, where passages are arranged along the chord of the blade, to rectify the negative effects of Coriolis force on heat transfer and is an extension four- and six-passage smooth channel studies conducted by the authors earlier. Transient liquid crystal thermography (TLCT) is carried out for detailed measurement of heat transfer coefficients. Heat transfer experiments were performed for Reynolds numbers between 14,264 and 83,616 under stationary conditions. For experiments under rotation, non-dimensional Rotation number is set as 0.05. Heat transfer enhancement levels of nearly twice the Dittus–Boelter correlation (for developed flow in smooth tubes) are obtained under stationary conditions. Under rotation, it is seen that the heat transfer enhancement levels on the leading and trailing sides are similar to each other and also with the stationary condition. Some differences in heat transfer are observed on local level, when rotation cases are compared against the stationary cases. Numerically predicted flow field is presented to support the experimental findings.
Assessment of hepatic fat content in using quantitative ultrasound measurement of hepatic/renal ratio and hepatic echo-intensity attenuation rate
Authors: Wang Yun-Sheng , Zhang Gui-Ping , Yang Xiao , Ye Jun , Cao Yong-Hong , Zhang Rong , Ye Shuai , Xing Shi-Mei , Shi Er-Lan , Zhang Ji , Lian Hu , Xia Jin-Xiang , Zhang Qiu , Dai Wu
Published: June 2020

Aims: This study aims to evaluate and validate a simple quantitative ultrasound (US) method for determining the hepatic fat content (HFC) based on the combination of quantitative US hepatic/renal ratio (US-HRR) and quantitative US hepatic echo-intensity attenuation rate (US-HAR) as compared with [1H]-magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS).Material and methods: There were a total of 242 subjects recruited in the present study. All subjects were examined for HFC by quantitative US and 1H-MRS methods. The QUS-HRR and QUS-HAR were calculated from ordinary ultrasound images of liver and kidney with a triple modality 3D abdominal phantom using the Image J software.Results: The results found that US-HRR and US-HAR correlated with 1H-MRS HFC (US-HRR: r=0.946, p<0.001; US-HAR: r=0.936, p<0.001). The equation for HFC prediction by using quantitative US was: HFC (%) = 28.965 × US-HRR + 218.045 × US-HAR - 8.892. Subgroup analysis in study subjects with body mass index (BMI) ≥28 showed that quantitative US HFC was associated with 1H-MRS HFC (R2=0.953, p<0.001). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis observed that the cut-off value of fatty liver diagnosis was 6.71% in using the quantitative US model; the sensitivity and specificity for fatty liver diagnosis were 94.15% and 96.30%, respectively. Variability analysis indicated that there was a relative high degree of consistency in the measurement of HFC with different operators or ultrasonic apparatus.Conclusions: Quantitative US measurement could be regarded as a simple, sensitive tool to accurately assess HFC. It provides a valid alternative to 1H-MRS as an easy, non-invasive option for the precise estimation of HFC in clinical practice.
Antibodies and Protection in SystemicSalmonellaInfections: Do We Still Have More Questions than Answers?
Authors: Mastroeni Pietro , Rossi Omar
Published: June 2020

Salmonellacauses grave systemic infections in humans and other animals and provides a paradigm for other diseases in which the bacteria have both intracellular and extracellular lifestyles. New generations of vaccines rely on the essential contribution of the antibody responses for their protection. The quality, antigen specificity, and functions associated with antibody responses to this pathogen have been elusive for a long time. Recent approaches that combine studies in humans and genetically manipulated experimental models and that exploit awareness of the location and within-host life cycle of the pathogen are shedding light on how humoral immunity toSalmonellaoperates.
Tornadic Shear Stress Induces a Transient, Calcineurin-Dependent Hypervirulent Phenotype in Mucorales Molds
Authors: Wurster Sebastian , Tatara Alexander M. , Albert Nathaniel D. , Ibrahim Ashraf S. , Heitman Joseph , Lee Soo Chan , Shetty Amol C. , McCracken Carrie , Graf Karen T. , Mikos Antonios G. , Bruno Vincent M. , Kontoyiannis Dimitrios P.
Published: June 2020

Given the limited efficacy of current medical treatments in trauma-related necrotizing mucormycosis, there is a dire need to better understand the Mucoralean pathophysiology in order to develop novel strategies to counteract fungal tissue invasion following severe trauma. Here, we describe that tornadic shear stress challenge transiently induces a hypervirulent phenotype in various pathogenic Mucorales species but not in other molds known to cause wound infections. Pharmacological and genetic inhibition of calcineurin signaling abrogated hypervirulence in shear stress-challenged Mucorales, encouraging further evaluation of (topical) calcineurin inhibitors to improve therapeutic outcomes of NMM after combat-related blast injuries or violent storms.
Impact of the Novel Prophage ϕSA169 on Persistent Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Endovascular Infection
Authors: Li Liang , Wang Genzhu , Li Yi , Francois Patrice , Bayer Arnold S. , Chen Liang , Seidl Kati , Cheung Ambrose , Xiong Yan Q.
Published: June 2020

Bacteriophages are viruses that invade the bacterial host, disrupt bacterial metabolism, and cause the bacterium to lyse. Because of its remarkable antibacterial activity and unique advantages over antibiotics, for instance, bacteriophage is specific for one species of bacteria and resistance to phage is less common than resistance to antibiotics. Indeed, bacteriophage therapy for treating infections due to multidrug-resistant pathogens in humans has become a research hot spot. However, it is also worth considering that bacteriophages are transferable and could cotransfer host chromosomal genes, e.g., virulence and antimicrobial resistance genes, while lysogenizing and integrating into the bacterial chromosome (prophage), thus playing a role in bacterial evolution and virulence. In the current study, we identified a novel prophage, ϕSA169, from a clinical persistent MRSA bacteremia isolate, and we determined that ϕSA169 mediated well-defined
in vitro
and
in vivo
phenotypic and genotypic signatures related to the persistent outcome, which may represent a unique and important persistent mechanism(s).
SynBio and the Boundaries between Functional and Pathogenic RepA-WH1 Bacterial Amyloids
Authors: Giraldo Rafael
Published: June 2020

Amyloids are protein polymers that were initially linked to human diseases. Across the whole Tree of Life, many disease-unrelated proteins are now emerging for which amyloids represent distinct functional states. Most bacterial amyloids described are extracellular, contributing to biofilm formation. However, only a few have been found in the bacterial cytosol. This paper reviews from the perspective of synthetic biology (SynBio) our understanding of the subtle line that separates functional from pathogenic and transmissible amyloids (prions).
Development of new cold antibodies in a patient with a history of warm autoimmune haemolytic anaemia
Authors: Anderson Meghan , Winter Megan , Jorge Vinicius , Dourado Claudia
Published: June 2020

A 31-year-old male presented to our facility with complaints of shortness of breath and left-sided chest pain. On record review, it was revealed that he had been seen in 2014 for an almost identical presentation and had been found to have haemolytic anaemia with warm autoantibodies. Following his acute treatment during that hospital admission, he was lost to follow-up. During his subsequent admission, 5 years later, he was found to have a systemic autoimmune disorder with a superimposed acute bacterial infection leading to a second case of haemolytic anaemia and at this time with both cold and warm antibodies present. While his diagnosis was initially difficult to make due to both derangements in expected laboratory values and the mixed pattern of the haemolytic anaemia, he was promptly treated with intravenous immune globulin and steroids and was able to make a full recovery.
Instabilities in metric-affine theories of gravity with higher order curvature terms
Authors: Jiménez Jose Beltrán , Delhom Adrià
Published: June 2020

We discuss the presence of ghostly instabilities for metric-affine theories constructed with higher order curvature terms. We mainly focus on theories containing only the Ricci tensor and show the crucial role played by the projective symmetry. The pathological modes arise from the absence of a pure kinetic term for the projective mode and the non-minimal coupling of a 2-form field contained in the connection, and which can be related to the antisymmetric part of the metric in non-symmetric gravity theories. The couplings to matter are considered at length and cannot be used to render the theories stable. We discuss different procedures to avoid the ghosts by adding additional constraints. We finally argue how these pathologies are expected to be present in general metric-affine theories unless much care is taken in their construction.
Multiplicity distribution of gluons in pQCD
Authors: Arakelyan G. H. , Shabelski Yu. M. , Shuvaev A. G.
Published: June 2020

The multiplicity distribution of the gluons produced at the high energy is evaluated in BFKL approach. The distribution has Poisson form that can explain experimentally observed KNO scaling.
Twist, elementary deformation and K/K correspondence in generalized geometry
Authors: Cortés Vicente , David Liana
Published: June 2020

We define the conformal change and elementary deformation in generalized complex geometry. We apply Swann’s twist construction to generalized (almost) complex and Hermitian structures obtained by these operations and establish conditions for the Courant integrability of the resulting twisted structures. We associate to any appropriate generalized Kähler manifold [Formula: see text] with a Hamiltonian Killing vector field a new generalized Kähler manifold, depending on the choice of a pair of non-vanishing functions and compatible twist data. We study this construction when [Formula: see text] is toric, with emphasis on the four-dimensional case, and we apply it to deformations of the standard flat Kähler metric on [Formula: see text], the Fubini–Study metric on [Formula: see text] and the admissible Kähler metrics on Hirzebruch surfaces. As a further application, we recover the K/K (Kähler/Kähler) correspondence, by specializing to ordinary Kähler manifolds.
How macroscopic laws describe complex dynamics: Asymptomatic population and Covid-19 spreading
Authors: Lanteri D. , Carco D. , Castorina P.
Published: June 2020

Macroscopic growth laws describe in an effective way the underlying complex dynamics of the spreading of infections, as in the case of Covid-19, where the counting of the cumulative number [Formula: see text] of detected infected individuals is a generally accepted variable to understand the epidemic phase. However, [Formula: see text] does not take into account the unknown number of asymptomatic cases [Formula: see text]. The considered model of Covid-19 spreading is based on a system of coupled differential equations, which include the dynamics of the spreading among symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals and the strong containment effects due to the social isolation. The solution has been compared with [Formula: see text], determined by a single differential equation with no explicit reference to [Formula: see text], showing the equivalence of the two methods. The model is applied to Covid-19 spreading in Italy where a transition from an exponential behavior to a Gompertz growth for [Formula: see text] has been observed in more recent data. The information contained in the time series [Formula: see text] turns out to be reliable to understand the epidemic phase, although it does not describe the total infected population. The asymptomatic population is larger than the symptomatic one in the fast growth phase of the spreading.
Effective Locality QCD calculations and the Gribov copy problem
Authors: Grandou T. , Hofmann R.
Published: June 2020

Standard functional manipulations have been proven to imply a remarkable property satisfied by the fermionic Green’s functions of QCD and dubbed effective locality. Resulting from a full gauge invariant summation of the gauge field degrees of freedom, effective locality is a non-perturbative property of QCD. This unexpected result has lead to suspect that the famous Gribov copy problem had been somewhat overlooked. It is argued that it is not so. The analysis is conducted in the strong coupling limit, relevant to the Gribov problem.
Low Density Parity-Check Codes Based on Affine Permutation Matrices
Authors: Wang Zhongxun , Sun Ling , Xi Yang
Published: June 2020

Recently, Low Density Parity-Check (LDPC) codes based on Affine Permutation Matrices (APM) drew lots of attention. Compared with the Quasi-Cyclic LDPC (QC-LDPC) codes, these kinds of codes have some advantages. APM-LDPC codes obtain lower cycle-distributions, minimum hamming distance and greater girth. This paper explains the importance of cyclic distribution by comparing APM-LDPC codes with QC-LDPC codes. Then a particular form of APM-LDPC codes is proposed and researched. The new codes can low down the cycle-distribution to larger extent. In the following research, an effective method, which constructs the new codes with fixed girth, is proposed. Simulations show that the construction method is reasonable and effective. The transmission performances are better than the traditional methods, as well. Finally, the implementation and verification are carried out on FPGA.
A Massive Primary Ovarian Abscess within an Endometrioma in a Young Nullipara – An Unusual Case and Review of Literature
Authors: Sen Shashwati , Singh Kamal , Agarwal Jyotima , Sen Gautam
Published: June 2020

Primary ovarian abscess without the involvement of the fallopian tube is a rare complication of an underlying endometrioma. Surgical interventions like ultrasound guided oocyte retrieval in in vitro fertilization and endometrioma aspiration may be a possible source of infection. De novo primary ovarian abscess within an endometrioma in the absence of a risk factor is even rarer. Decreased natural killer cell activity leads to a failure to clear out the ectopic endometrial tissue and the collected blood acts as a potential culture medium for the growth of pathogenic microorganisms. Infected ovarian endometrioma is a surgical emergency and preserving the fertility in a nullipara is a challenge. We report an unusual case of a massive de novo ovarian abscess masking an endometrioma in a young nulliparous woman with no risk factors. We have summarized current literature and evaluated the etiopathogenesis and the risk factors leading to abscess formation within an endometrioma.
Cloud-based Enabling Mechanisms for Container Deployment and Migration at the Network Edge
Authors: Benomar Zakaria , Longo Francesco , Merlino Giovanni , Puliafito Antonio
Published: June 2020

In recent years, a new trend of advanced applications with huge demands in terms of Quality of Service (QoS) is gaining ground. Even though Cloud computing provides mature management facilities with ubiquitous capabilities, novel requirements and workloads, foisted by new services, start to expose its weaknesses. In this context, a new Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) trend aims at pushing computation from the Cloud to be much close as possible to data sources, raising in the evolution of new paradigms namely Fog and Mist computing. Specifically, the Fog computing paradigm exploits powerful nodes such as servers, routers, and cloudlets that are coupled with the end devices or their access networks accordingly; they are ”relatively” close by the data sources. Whereas Mist computing, which is a lightweight form of Fog computing, pushes the resources even closer. Precisely, Mist computing uses particular nodes that could reside within the same network (e.g., Local Area Network (LAN)) as the end-devices. Considering the advancement that the hardware is knowing nowadays, Fog and Mist nodes are seen suitable to provide resources such as processing, storage, and networking in the proximity of data sources; thereby, the requirements of the new services could be met. Together with the Cloud, the Fog and Mist paradigms introduce a stacked architecture for data processing where a data pre-processing could be performed at the Mist level, then offloaded vertically to the upper layers (i.e., Fog nodes or the Cloud). In these circumstances, it is fundamental to build a management system able to provision efficiently the Fog/Mist-based applications. For this purpose, the Operating System (OS)-level virtualization using containerization technologies, considering its light footprint, fits as a suitable solution to provide Fog/Mist services. The industrial-grade Cloud middlewares, such as OpenStack, which is a reference architecture for Infrastructure-as-a-Service solutions, are still far away from incorporating this new trend. This article proposes an OpenStack-based middleware platform through which containers can be deployed/managed at the Fog/Mist levels.
Parameter Self-Adaptation for Industrial Wireless Sensor-Actuator Networks
Authors: Shi Junyang , Sha Mo
Published: June 2020

Wireless sensor-actuator network (WSAN) technology is gaining rapid adoption by industrial Internet of Things applications in recent years. A WSAN typically connects sensors, actuators, and controllers in industrial facilities, such as steel mills, oil refineries, chemical plants, and infrastructures implementing complex monitoring and control processes. IEEE 802.15.4–based WSANs operate at low power and can be manufactured inexpensively, which makes them ideal where battery lifetime and costs are important. Recent studies have shown that the selection of network parameters has a significant effect on network performance. However, the current practice of parameter selection is largely based on experience and rules of thumb involving a coarse-grained analysis of expected network load and dynamics or measurements during a few field trials, resulting in non-optimal decisions in many cases. In this work, we develop P-SAFE (Parameter Selection and Adaptation FramEwork), which optimally selects the network parameters based on the application quality-of-service demands and adapts the parameter configuration at runtime to consistently satisfy the dynamic requirements. We implement P-SAFE and evaluate it on three physical testbeds. Experimental results show that our solution can significantly better meet the application quality-of-service demand compared to the state of the art.
Internal Evaluation of Unsupervised Outlier Detection
Authors: Marques Henrique O. , Campello Ricardo J. G. B. , Sander Jörg , Zimek Arthur
Published: June 2020

Although there is a large and growing literature that tackles the unsupervised outlier detection problem, the unsupervised
evaluation
of outlier detection results is still virtually untouched in the literature. The so-called internal evaluation, based solely on the data and the assessed solutions themselves, is required if one wants to statistically validate (in absolute terms) or just compare (in relative terms) the solutions provided by different algorithms or by different parameterizations of a given algorithm in the absence of labeled data. However, in contrast to unsupervised cluster analysis, where indexes for internal evaluation and validation of clustering solutions have been conceived and shown to be very useful, in the outlier detection domain, this problem has been notably overlooked. Here we discuss this problem and provide a solution for the internal evaluation of outlier detection results. Specifically, we describe an index called Internal, Relative Evaluation of Outlier Solutions (IREOS) that can evaluate and compare different candidate outlier detection solutions. Initially, the index is designed to evaluate binary solutions only, referred to as
top
-
n
outlier detection results. We then extend IREOS to the general case of non-binary solutions, consisting of outlier detection scorings. We also statistically adjust IREOS for chance and extensively evaluate it in several experiments involving different collections of synthetic and real datasets.
Obeticholic acid improves fetal bile acid profile in a mouse model of gestational hypercholanemia
Authors: Pataia Vanessa , McIlvride Saraid , Papacleovoulou Georgia , Ovadia Caroline , McDonald Julie A. K. , Wahlström Annika , Jansen Eugène , Adorini Luciano , Shapiro David , Marchesi Julian R. , Marschall Hanns-Ulrich , Williamson Catherine
Published: June 2020

We used a mouse model of gestational hypercholanemia to investigate the use of obeticholic acid (OCA), a potent FXR agonist, as a treatment for the hypercholanemia of intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP). The results demonstrate that OCA can improve the fetal bile acid profile. This is relevant not only to women with ICP but also for women who become pregnant while receiving OCA treatment for other conditions such as primary biliary cholangitis and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis.
The Influence of Culture on Occupational Therapy Practice in Jordan
Authors: Malkawi Somaya H. , Alqatarneh Nisrin S. , Fehringer Elaine K.
Published: June 2020

Background. Occupational therapy’s origins draw from Western culture, values, and beliefs which may impact the application of traditional occupational therapy practice in non-Western cultures. Purpose. This study explored how occupational therapists in Jordan facilitate occupational therapy practice within Islamic Eastern culture. Method. A phenomenological approach was used in this study. Semistructured interviews were conducted with eleven occupational therapists that work in Jordan and have at least two years of experience. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis methods. Results. Three central themes emerged: impact of Jordanian culture and Islamic beliefs about independence and disability on occupational therapy practice, the therapists’ notions of ideal occupational therapy practice vs. daily reality, and challenges posed by workspace and the availability of equipment. Conclusion. This study highlights the growing need to translate and expand the core values of occupational therapy to align with cultures in non-Western countries and cultures.
The Effect of Activators on the Mechanical Properties and Microstructure of Alkali‐Activated Nickel Slag
Authors: Xu Liwei , Wang Xuefang , Guan Can , Wu Wenda , Zhang Lingling
Published: June 2020

In order to mitigate problems associated with environmental pollution, alkali‐activated nickel slags (AANSs) may be used as an alternative to cementitious material. However, the understanding of their mechanical properties and microstructure is currently very limited. This paper therefore explores the influence of different types and contents of three solid alkali activators, Na2SiO3, NaOH, and Na2SiO3/Na2CO3, on the compressive strength of one‐part AANS. Their microstructure, hydration components, and pore structure are analyzed by means of a scanning electron microscope, an energy‐dispersive spectrometer, an X‐ray diffractometer, an infrared spectrometer, and a mercury analyzer. The results show that the AANS with an Na2SiO3/Na2CO3 activator has a denser microstructure, lower porosity, and a smaller pore size when compared with the AANS with the Na2SiO3 or NaOH activators. Consequently, the compressive strength of the Na2SiO3/Na2CO3 sample reached a higher compressive strength (96 MPa) than that activated by Na2SiO3 or NaOH. This strength is optimal as well as more economical as Na2O, which increased from 0.107 mol to 0.123 mol, contributes little to compressive strength. The final part of the article discusses an optimal design for the engineering application of one‐part AANS.
A Short-Term Power Output Forecasting Model Based on Correlation Analysis and ELM-LSTM for Distributed PV System
Authors: Yongsheng Deng , Fengshun Jiao , Jie Zhang , Zhikeng Li
Published: June 2020

Accurate short-term power output forecasting results are conducive to reducing the scheduling difficulty of grid-connected operation of distributed photovoltaic (PV) systems, thus improving the safety and stability of power grid operation. In this paper, a one-day-ahead short-term power output forecasting model based on correlation analysis and combination algorithms for distributed PV system is proposed to solve the problems within the current methods. Firstly, the basic information of distributed PV system is introduced, and the main influence factors affecting the power output of distributed PV system are determined. Secondly, the influence factors with higher correlation with PV output are selected by Spearman rank-order correlation coefficient (SROCC) analysis in multiple timescales. Then, based on the multimodel univariate extreme learning machine (ELM) submodel and the single-model multivariate long short-term memory (LSTM) submodel, the ELM-LSTM model is established. The case study analysis based on the actual data indicates that the ELM-LSTM forecasting model proposed in this paper has higher forecasting accuracy than the traditional forecasting methods.
Do Racial/Ethnic and Economic Factors Affect the Rate of Complicated Appendicitis in Children?
Authors: Totapally Abhinav , Martinez Paul , Raszynski Andre , Alkhoury Fuad , Totapally Balagangadhar R.
Published: June 2020

Introduction. Appendicitis continues to be one of the most common surgical conditions in the pediatric population. We set out to determine demographic and practice variations among children admitted with appendicitis and highlight the racial/ethnic and healthcare access role in relation to the rate of complicated appendicitis using the 2012 Kids’ Inpatient Database (KID). Methodology. A retrospective cross-sectional database study was performed using the 2012 KID. All children (age 1 months to 20 years) with appendicitis were identified using the ICD-9 diagnosis codes. Children with a diagnosis of appendicitis were compared with all other discharges. Among children with appendicitis, demographic and practice variations and the rate of complicated appendicitis were evaluated. Univariate and multivariate analyses were done to analyze the data. Sample weighing was done to present national estimates. Results. In 2012, a total of 89, 935 out of 2.7 million pediatric hospital discharges (3.3%) had a diagnosis of appendicitis. The incidence of appendicitis was higher in males (4.7%), 6–15-year age group (7.43%), Hispanics (5.2%), and in the Western region (5.2%) and was lower in infants (0.02%) and African American children (1.2%) (p<0.0001). The proportion of children with peritonitis or abscess was higher in children’s hospitals (48.2% vs. 29.0%; OR 2.3, 95% CI: 2.2–2.4). The risk of complicated appendicitis was inversely related to age, while racial and ethnic minority status, bottom quartile of the income group, and government insurance increased the risk. Laparoscopic appendectomy was performed more frequently at children’s hospitals (84.8% vs. 74.3%; p<0.0001). Conclusions. Appendicitis is more common in Hispanics, males, older children, and in the Western region. Complicated appendicitis is more common in younger children, minority groups, low-income group, and children with government insurance. Children’s hospitals manage more children with complicated appendicitis and are more likely to perform laparoscopic appendectomy.
The Estimation of Blood Paramagnetic Center Changes during Burns Management with Biodegradable Propolis-Nanofiber Dressing
Authors: Olczyk Pawel , Komosinska-Vassev Katarzyna , Krzyminiewski Ryszard , Kasperczyk Janusz , Ramos Pawel , Dobosz Bernadeta , Batoryna Olgierd , Stojko Jerzy , Stojko Mateusz , Ivanova Diana , Olczyk Krystyna , Pilawa Barbara
Published: June 2020

The evolution of the paramagnetic center system in blood during the healing of skin burn wounds dressed with a biodegradable apitherapeutic nanofiber dressing was examined. The aim of this study was to determine the changes in paramagnetic centers in blood during the influence of apitherapeutic nanofiber dressings on the healing process. The blood samples were tested before burn infliction (day 0) and, respectively, on the 10th and 21st days of the experiment. Paramagnetic centers in the blood of the pig used as the model animal were examined with an X-band (9.3 GHz) electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. The EPR spectra were measured with Bruker spectrometer at 230 K with a modulation frequency of 100 kHz. The EPR lines of the high spin Fe3+ in methemoglobin, high spin Fe3+ in transferrin, Cu2+ in ceruloplasmin, and free radicals were observed in the multicomponent spectra of blood. For the application of the apitherapeutic nanofiber dressing, the amplitudes of the EPR signals of Fe3+ in methemoglobin were similar up to 10 days. For the experiment with the apitherapeutic formulation, the heights of EPR signals of Fe3+ in transferrin were lower after 10 days and 21 days of therapy, compared to day 0. For the application of the apitherapeutic formulation the signals of Cu2+ in ceruloplasmin and free radicals, strongly decreased after 10 days of therapy, and after 21 days it increased to the initial values characteristic for day 0. The apitherapeutic formulation caused that after 21 days the EPR spectrum of Cu2+ in ceruloplasmin and free radicals was considerably high. The apitherapeutic formulation interaction after 10 days and after 21 days of therapy resulted in the low EPR lines of Fe3+ in methemoglobin. EPR spectra of blood may be useful for presentation of the changes in its paramagnetic centers during the healing process of the burn wounds.
Solvability in Gevrey Classes of Some Nonlinear Fractional Functional Differential Equations
Authors: Zoubeir Hicham
Published: June 2020

Our purpose in this paper is to prove, under some regularity conditions on the data, the solvability in a Gevrey class of bound −1 on the interval −1,1 of a class of nonlinear fractional functional differential equations.
Corruption and Solid Waste Management in Mbarara Municipality, Uganda
Authors: Gumisiriza Pius , Kugonza Sylvester
Published: June 2020

Mbarara Municipality in Western Uganda has for many years struggled to manage municipal solid waste. Leaders in this municipality have mainly attributed this persistent problem to poor financing, failure to enforce existing solid waste management laws and regulations, limited community participation, deprived attitude by the public towards waste collection, and tendency of municipal dwellers to litter. No in-depth academic study in Mbarara Municipality has ever been done to expose and illustrate how corruption directly happens and influence solid waste management. This study fills this knowledge gap by illustrating how corruption influences poor solid waste management in Mbarara Municipality. The study finds that municipal technical officials, garbage truck drivers, their turn boys, garbage sorters, factory owners, and private land grabbers all involved in different forms of corruption have directly and indirectly turned solid waste collection and disposal into a very costly problem to the municipal council and the general public. The article recommends that fighting corruption in all its forms without fear or favor, encouraging them to play their role particularly in sorting waste, adoption of smart technologies, and putting in place measures that attract private investors while protecting the public can help in the effective management of solid waste in Mbarara Municipality.
Developing a Socioculturally Nuanced Systems Model of Childhood Obesity in Manhattan’s Chinese American Community via Group Model Building
Authors: Swierad Ewelina , Huang Terry T.-K. , Ballard Ellis , Flórez Karen , Li Sheng
Published: June 2020

The purpose of this study was to develop a qualitative and socioculturally tailored systems model of childhood obesity in the Chinese American community in Manhattan’s Chinatown. We utilized group model building (GMB) methodology as a form of participatory systems modeling. The study was conducted in Manhattan’s Chinatown community. We recruited 16 Chinese American adults from the community. GMB workshops engendered a causal loop diagram (CLD), the visualization of a complex systems model illustrating the structures, feedbacks, and interdependencies among socioculturally specific pathways underlying childhood obesity, in Manhattan’s Chinatown community. The analysis of CLD revealed that participants considered the following factors to influence childhood obesity: (1) traditional social norms affecting body image, how children are raised, parental pressure to study, and trust in health of traditional foods; (2) grandparents’ responsibility for children; (3) limited time availability of parents at home; and (4) a significant amount of children’s time spent indoors. GMB represents a novel method to understand the complexity of childhood obesity in culturally specific populations and contexts. The study identified sociocultural subsystems that may underlie the development and perpetuation of childhood obesity among Chinese American children. Insights from the study can be useful in the design of future empirical studies and interventions.
Perioperative Automated Noninvasive Blood Pressure- (NIBP-) Related Peripheral Nerve Injuries: An Anesthetist’s Dilemma—A Case Report and Review of the Literature
Authors: Elmatite Waleed , Mangla Chanchal , Upadhyay Surjya , Yarmush Joel
Published: June 2020

Peripheral nerve injury following regional or general anesthesia is a relatively uncommon entity but, potentially, a serious complication of anesthesia. Most nerve injuries are related to either regional anesthesia or position-related complications, and they are rarely seen in association with the use of automated blood pressure monitoring. We describe a patient who developed neurological dysfunction of all the three major nerves, median, ulnar, and radial, after general anesthesia. The distribution of sensory motor deficit along with the nerve conduction study demonstrated the location of the anatomical nerve lesions coinciding with the automatic noninvasive blood pressure (NIBP) cuff. No other cause of nerve injury was identified except for the use of the NIBP cuff. In the absence of another identifiable cause, we strongly suspected the NIBP cuff compression as a possible cause for the nerve injuries. In this article, we will discuss the possible risk factors, mechanisms, diagnosis, and prevention of perioperative nerve injury.
Paddy Crop and Weed Discrimination: A Multiple Classifier System Approach
Authors: Kamath Radhika , Balachandra Mamatha , Prabhu Srikanth
Published: June 2020

Weeds are unwanted plants that grow among crops. These weeds can significantly reduce the yield and quality of the farm output. Unfortunately, site-specific weed management is not followed in most of the cases. That is, instead of treating a field with a specific type of herbicide, the field is treated with a broadcast herbicide application. This broadcast application of the herbicide has resulted in herbicide-resistant weeds and has many ill effects on the natural environment. This has prompted many research studies to seek the most effective weed management techniques. One such technique is computer vision-based automatic weed detection and identification. Using this technique, weeds can be detected and identified and a suitable herbicide can be recommended to the farmers. Therefore, it is important for the computer vision technique to successfully identify and classify the crops and weeds from the digital images. This paper investigates the multiple classifier systems built using support vector machines and random forest classifiers for plant classification in classifying paddy crops and weeds from digital images. Digital images of paddy crops and weeds from the paddy fields were acquired using three different cameras fixed at different heights from the ground. Texture, color, and shape features were extracted from the digital images after background subtraction and used for classification. A simple and new method was used as a decision function in the multiple classifier systems. An accuracy of 91.36% was obtained by the multiple classifier systems and was found to outperform single classifier systems.
Augmentation of the Atrophic Mandible with a Block Corticomedullary Graft
Authors: de Amorim Rocha Layla Louise , Rodrigues Matheus Francisco Barros , da Franca Acioly Rodrigo , do Carmo Carvalho Daniel , da Rocha Cristofe Coelho Lopes
Published: June 2020

The gradual loss of the dental alveolus leads to bone resorption, which may cause atrophy of the maxilla and mandible. One of the most complex procedures in reconstructive surgery is the rehabilitation of patients with atrophic mandibles. Herein, we present a clinical case study of atrophic mandible augmentation with grafts obtained from the iliac crest. The use of reconstruction plates may represent a feasible mechanism for treatment as well as fracture prevention. Mandible augmentation performed by grafting the donor site of the iliac crest showed satisfactory results and resolution of the aesthetic and functional impairments.
Physical Modeling Test on Deformation and Failure of Rock Slope with New Support System
Authors: Tao Zhigang , Zhang Tongxing , Zhu Daoyong , Gong Weili , He Manchao
Published: June 2020

In order to explore the monitoring and control method of rock slope, indoor physical model testing of collapse control and monitoring were carried out with the example of a rock slope collapse area project in Jietai Temple in Beijing, China, as the prototype. Based on the similarity theory, in this study, a new structural support with Negative Poisson’s Ratio bolt and flexible anchored net was utilized to reinforce the rock slope. Following a graded loading sequence, the collapse failure characteristics and the overall control effect of energy absorption reinforcement measures were explored. The experimental results demonstrated that the entire process of slope collapse presented four distinct stages of failure: fracture generation, fracture propagation, partial collapse, and overall collapse. The full‐field displacement nephogram and the displacement monitoring point of the collapse area indicated that the large deformation and failure of the collapsed surrounding rock were effectively controlled, while the Negative Poisson’s Ratio bolt and the flexible anchored net had good reinforcement effects. The experimental stress record presented that the change of pressure curve was an apparent regularity in the entire process of slope collapse, which reflects the change state of internal force of surrounding rock; it includes the function of monitoring of slope collapse. It was indicated that the Negative Poisson’s Ratio bolt along with the large‐deformation flexible anchored net had good reinforcement monitoring effect on the rock slope collapse disaster.
In Vitro and In Vivo Evaluation of Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) Genotypes for Pre- and Post-attachment Resistance against Witchweed (Striga asiatica L. Kuntze)
Authors: Gwatidzo V. O. , Rugare J. T. , Mabasa S. , Mandumbu R. , Chipomho J. , Chikuta S.
Published: June 2020

Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) production in sub-Saharan Africa is seriously constrained by both biotic and abiotic stresses. Among the biotic stresses is witchweed (Striga spp.), a noxious parasitic weed causing major damage in cereal crops, such as sorghum. However, resistance through reduced germination stimulant production or altered germination stimulant composition provides a sustainable and most effective way for managing the parasitic weeds. Laboratory and glasshouse experiments were conducted using seven (7) sorghum genotypes to evaluate their resistance or tolerance the witch weed (Striga asiatica L. Kuntze). The first experiment was a laboratory agar gel assay arranged in a completely randomized design with six (6) replications to evaluate the effects of the seven (7) sorghum genotypes on the production of strigolactones by determining the percentage germination and the furthest germination distance of the Striga seeds. The second experiment was a seven (7) (sorghum genotypes)∗two (2) (Striga treatments) factorial glasshouse experiment conducted to evaluate the effects of Striga on sorghum growth, physiological and yield components of sorghum, Striga syndrome rating, and number of Striga per plant. The genotypes showed a significant (p<0.05) difference in germination percentage and furthest germination of Striga seeds in the agar gel assay. Genotypes SV4, Mahube, and ICSV 111 IN showed the least germination percentage and lowest germination distance, implying that these varieties either produced low strigolactones or altered their composition. In contrast, Kuyuma, Wahi, SV2, and Macia caused high Striga seed germinations and high furthest germination distances, suggesting that these sorghum genotypes were susceptible to Striga infection. The sorghum × Striga × time interactions were significant (p<0.05) on sorghum height. It was found that the heights of sorghum genotypes ICSV 111 IN and Mahube were not altered by Striga infection, but the heights of Kuyuma, Macia, SV2, SV4, and Wahi were reduced by Striga infection. The interaction of sorghum∗Striga effects was significant (p<0.05) on chlorophyll fluorescence. Striga infection did not alter the chlorophyll content of ICSV 111 IN and SV4. The sorghum∗Striga interaction effects were significant (p<0.05) on head index, leaf biomass, leaf index, root biomass, root index, plant biomass, and root : shoot ratio. Assessing Striga tolerance based on sorghum heights, chlorophyll content, and root : shoot ratio parameters, it could be concluded that the sorghum genotypes Mahube, ICSV 111 IN, and SV4 tolerated Striga infection, whereas Kuyuma and SV2 could be susceptible.