bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
THE DECENTRALIZING INTERNATIONAL TRADE ARCHITECTURE: PERSPECTIVES FROM AND ROLE OF ASIA
Authors: RANA PRADUMNA B. , CHIA WAI-MUN , JI XIANBAI
Published: October 2019

Global economic governance is in flux. The centralized international trade architecture of the post-Bretton Woods era is decentralizing as new regional institutions are being established for various reasons. Decentralization per se is neither good nor bad. It depends on whether there is “healthy” competition and functional complementarity or “unhealthy” competition between global and new regional institutions. This paper has three objectives, to: (i) review the decentralization of the international trade architecture; (ii) identify the benefits and the risks of the decentralization process and its implications for the centrality of the World Trade Organization (WTO), and (iii) recommend policies for the WTO to manage the process. The paper argues that, so far, the benefits of new regional institutions and trade decentralization appear to have outweighed the risks, and as a result global economic governance may have improved. Looking ahead, the paper recommends a number of policy actions that the WTO should take to manage trade decentralization. The paper argues that Asian countries, especially those that are members of the G20, should play a greater role in lobbying and driving the needed reforms of the WTO. They should also seek to expedite the conclusion and ratification of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and eventually institutionalize the complementarity between RCEP, the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
Long-range dispersion-corrected density functional for noncovalent interactions
Authors: Tang Hong , Tao Jianmin
Published: October 2019

Noncovalent interactions are important in determining structures and properties of molecular complexes and biological molecules, and for understanding adsorption processes in chemistry and biological science, and are still challenging to conventional density functional theories. In this work, the recently developed Tao-Mo (TM) meta-GGA (generalized gradient approximation) functional is combined with the D3 scheme of long-range van der Waals (vdW) interaction correction and the parameters of damping function are optimized with the S66[Formula: see text]×[Formula: see text]8 set. The resulting TM-D3 method is applied to the medium-sized molecular set S22 and large size molecular complexes set L7 to calculate intramolecular interaction energies. The TM-D3 method produces the best accuracy for the S22 set with a MAE of 0.2 kcal/mol, improving upon the PBE-D3 (MAE[Formula: see text]=[Formula: see text]0.5 kcal/mol), PBE0-D3 (MAE[Formula: see text]=[Formula: see text]0.5 kcal/mol), TPSS-D3 (MAE[Formula: see text]=[Formula: see text]0.4 kcal/mol), M06L (MAE[Formula: see text]=[Formula: see text]0.8 kcal/mol), and SCAN-D3 (MAE[Formula: see text]=[Formula: see text]0.4 kcal/mol) methods. For the large size set L7, the TM-D3 (MAE[Formula: see text]=[Formula: see text]2.1 kcal/mol) also performs better than the PBE-D3 (MAE[Formula: see text]=[Formula: see text]2.6 kcal/mol), SCAN-D3 (2.5 kcal/mol) and M06L (3.0 kcal/mol), but not accurate than the PBE0-D3 (MAE[Formula: see text]=[Formula: see text]0.8 kcal/mol) and TPSS-D3 (MAE[Formula: see text]=[Formula: see text]1.1 kcal/mol). However, overall, the TM-D3 method performs very well with an error of 2.7% of mean binding of the S22 set and an error of 12.6% of the mean binding of the L7 set for the two typical and important medium and large size molecular complex sets. The success of the dispersion-corrected TM functional benefits from the ability of the plain TM functional to capture the short-range vdW interaction or extend the short-range interaction to the middle range, and the right coupling between the TM and the long-range vdW correction D3 scheme, leading to the improved description of noncovalent interactions.
Graphene-based tunable bandpass guided-mode resonance mid-infrared filter
Authors: Feng Sujuan , Liao Yan-Lin , Zhao Yan
Published: October 2019

We report a tunable bandpass mid-infrared filter with microstructure and graphene, and the transmission peaks can be tuned from [Formula: see text] to [Formula: see text] when the graphene’s Fermi level increases from 0.2 eV to 1.0 eV. This bandpass mid-infrared filter is originated from the guided-mode resonance (GMR) effect, and the tunable mechanism is mainly attributed to the change of the refractive index of the graphene. This tunable mid-infrared filter can be applied in non-dispersive infrared analyzer.
Opacity of Krypton X-ray lines in high-temperature plasma implosion
Authors: Zhen Zhiqiang , He Jian
Published: October 2019

For accurate electron temperature and density diagnostics in laser high-temperature plasma implosion, opacity of Krypton (Kr) helium-[Formula: see text] and Balmer-[Formula: see text] lines are discussed, and ratio of escape factor of the two X-rays are calculated, both for Gaussian and Holtzmarkian profiles. Finally, the line ratios of the two X-ray lines are analyzed for optically thin and thick plasmas. Results indicate that for the Gaussian profile, the line ratio varies greatly with the opacity of the Kr helium-[Formula: see text] line, which provides excellent source for temperature and electron density diagnostics; while for the Holtzmarkian profile, the line ratio varies less with the opacity of the Kr helium-[Formula: see text] line, which can be used for escape factor diagnostics. This method is significant in accurate plasma diagnostics using X-rays under the condition of optically thick.
Effects of temperature variations on the dynamics of microtubules
Authors: Ekosso M. C. , Fotue A. J. , Kenfack S. C. , Fotsin H. , Fai L. C.
Published: October 2019

Cells actively modify their behavior in on account of changes in their environment. The most important intrinsic parameter related to the intracellular environment is the temperature, the variations of which modify the dynamical behaviors of biomolecules. Indeed, an increase in temperature leads to an increase in fluidity which can damage the proteinous membrane and induce cellular death. If the temperature is extremely high, the proteins can be broken down or denatured as a consequence. However, concerning microtubules (MTs), we show that by their intrinsic behavior of self-organization, they are able to modulate temperature variations in order to avoid denaturation for values of temperature up to [Formula: see text]. Above this temperature, there is a critical point at [Formula: see text] where the wave function completely disappears which is indicative of denaturation as the biological activity of the neuronal MTs is lost. We show that temperature variations change the viscosity of the cytosol which modifies the wave function and give rise to hybrid soliton structures. These hybrid solitons come from the collision of waves propagating along MTs. We also show that the supersonic velocity of these hybrid structures can be decreasing or increasing functions of environmental temperature.
Anisotropic strange star inspired by Finsler geometry
Authors: Chowdhury Sourav Roy , Deb Debabrata , Rahaman Farook , Ray Saibal , Guha B. K.
Published: October 2019

In this paper, we report on a study of the anisotropic strange stars under Finsler geometry. Keeping in mind that Finsler spacetime is not merely a generalization of Riemannian geometry rather the main idea is the projectivized tangent bundle of the manifold [Formula: see text], we have developed the respective field equations. Thereafter, we consider the strange quark distribution inside the stellar system followed by the MIT bag model equation-of-state (EoS). To find out the stability and also the physical acceptability of the stellar configuration, we perform in detail some basic physical tests of the proposed model. The results of the testing show that the system is consistent with the Tolman–Oppenheimer–Volkoff (TOV) equation, Herrera cracking concept, different energy conditions and adiabatic index. One important result that we observe is, the anisotropic stress reaches the maximum at the surface of the stellar configuration. We calculate (i) the maximum mass as well as the corresponding radius, (ii) the central density of the strange stars for finite values of bag constant [Formula: see text] and (iii) the fractional binding energy of the system. This study shows that Finsler geometry is especially suitable to explain massive stellar systems.
Distributed Nash Equilibrium Seeking for Quadratic Games with Security
Authors: Zhang Shouwei , Liang Shu
Published: October 2019

Considering a game with quadratic cost functions, this paper presents a distributed algorithm with security, whereby each player updates its strategy variable without using its private data and still achieves the Nash equilibrium. By using the theory of differential inclusions, Lyapunov function and invariance principle, the algorithm is proved to be convergent. Our algorithm can be used when it is required to seek the Nash equilibrium without disclosure of private data.
The Bias in Two-Pass Regression Tests of Asset-Pricing Models in Presence of Idiosyncratic Errors with Cross-Sectional Dependence
Authors: Gramespacher Thomas , Bänziger Armin
Published: October 2019

In two-pass regression-tests of asset-pricing models, cross-sectional correlations in the errors of the first-pass time-series regression lead to correlated measurement errors in the betas used as explanatory variables in the second-pass cross-sectional regression. The slope estimator of the second-pass regression is an estimate for the factor risk-premium and its significance is decisive for the validity of the pricing model. While it is well known that the slope estimator is downward biased in presence of uncorrelated measurement errors, we show in this paper that the correlations seen in empirical return data substantially suppress this bias. For the case of a single-factor model, we calculate the bias of the OLS slope estimator in the presence of correlated measurement errors with a first-order Taylor-approximation in the size of the errors. We show that the bias increases with the size of the errors, but decreases the more the errors are correlated. We illustrate and validate our result using a simulation approach based on empirical data commonly used in asset-pricing tests.
Localization of Breathing Crack in Beam-Like Structures Using Superharmonic Components Based on Singular Value Decomposition Approach
Authors: Prawin J.
Published: October 2019

The identification of a breathing crack is a highly challenging inverse problem in structural health monitoring. A novel output-only diagnostic technique for breathing cracks is proposed in this paper based on the singular value decomposition (SVD). A new damage index based on the singular values of the harmonic time history response, related to the Fourier spectrum amplitude of the superharmonics, is presented for breathing crack localization. The robustness and effectiveness of the proposed SVD-based approach are verified through both numerical and experimental studies.
Nonlinear Free Vibration of Hyperelastic Beams Based on Neo-Hookean Model
Authors: Chen Wei , Wang Lin , Dai Huliang
Published: October 2019

The investigation of hyperelastic responses of soft materials and structures is essential for understanding of the mechanical behaviors and for the design of soft systems. In this paper, by considering both the material and geometrical nonlinearities, a new neo-Hookean model for the hyperelastic beam is developed with focus on its nonlinear free vibration with large strain deformations. The neo-Hookean model is employed to capture the large strain deformation of the hyperelastic beam. The governing equations of the hyperelastic beam are derived by using Hamilton’s principle. To avoid expensive calculations for solving the nonlinear governing equations, a simplified Taylor-series expansion model is proposed. The effects of two key system parameters, i.e. the initial displacement amplitude and the slenderness ratio, on the nonlinear free vibrations of the hyperelastic beam are numerically analyzed. The bifurcation diagrams, displacement time traces, phase portraits and power spectral diagrams are presented for the nonlinear free vibrations of the hyperelastic beam. For small initial displacement amplitudes, it is found that the hyperelastic beam will undergo limit cycle oscillations, depending on the initial amplitude employed. For initial displacement amplitudes large enough, interestingly, the free vibration of the hyperelastic beam will become quasi-periodic or chaotic, which were rarely reported for the free vibration of linearly elastic beams. Also observed is the traveling wave feature of oscillating shapes of the hyperelastic beam, indicating that higher-order modes of the beam are excited even for free vibrations. All these new features in the nonlinear free vibrations of hyperelastic beams indicate that the material and geometric nonlinearities play a great role in the dynamic analysis of hyperelastic beams.
Study on the Effect of Doping on Lattice Constant and Electronic Structure of Bulk AuCu by the Density Functional Theory
Authors: Nguyen-Trong Dung , Nguyen-Chinh Cuong , Duong-Quoc Van
Published: October 2019

This paper studies the effect of GGA-PBE, GGA-PBEsol, GGA-PW91, GGA-VWN-BP, LDA-PWC, LDA-VWN parameterized exchange–correlation functionals and Cu impurity concentration on the lattice and electronic properties of bulk AuCu by the Density Functional Theory (DFT). The lattice properties are determined by the lattice constant, the unit cell volume and the total energy on unit cell. The electronic properties are determined by the band gap, the Partial Density of States (PDOS) and the total Density of States (DOS) of materials. The obtained results showed the effect of the interaction potential and the Cu impurity concentration on the lattice structure and the electronic structure of bulk AuCu.
Influence of Moving Heat Source on Skin Tissue in the Context of Two-Temperature Caputo–Fabrizio Heat Transport Law
Authors: Sur Abhik , Mondal Sudip , Kanoria M.
Published: October 2019

Modeling and understanding heat transport and temperature variations within biological tissues and body organs are key issues in medical thermal therapeutic applications, such as hyperthermia cancer treatment. In this analysis, the bio-heat equation has been studied in the context of a new formulation using Caputo–Fabrizio (CF) heat transport law. The heat equation for this problem involving the Three-Phase (3P)-lag model under two-temperature theory. The Laplace transform technique is implemented to solve the governing equations. The influences of the CF order, the two-temperature parameter and moving heat source velocity on the temperature of skin tissues have been precisely investigated. The numerical inversion of the Laplace transform is carried out using the Zakian method. The numerical outcomes of conductive temperature and thermodynamic temperatures have been represented graphically. Excellent predictive capability is demonstrated for identification of appropriate procedure to select different CF order to reach effective heating in hyperthermia treatment. Significant effect of thermal therapy is reported due to the effect of CF order, the two-temperature parameter and the velocity of moving heat source as well.
CdS-sensitized chestnut-like TiO2-based thin films for improved photoelectrochemical performance
Authors: Tian Qizhi , Ji Yajun
Published: October 2019

In this paper, novel chestnut-like TiO2 was successfully synthesized by the hydrothermal method. The presence of chestnut-like structure not only increased the density of active sites with a high accessibility, but also facilitated the diffusion of solvent and products. Then, the chestnut-like TiO2 based thin films on FTO were successfully prepared by the doctor-blade method. Moreover, the thickness of thin films can be adjusted via different repeated times. After that, in order to further improve its photoelectric properties, the adoption of CdS sensitization with different time interval via chemical bath route was studied. Photoelectrochemical (PEC) measurements showed that CdS/TiO2 photoelectrode under the optimal condition exhibited minimal resistance and the fastest charge transfer rate. The highest photocurrent density can reach 35.1[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]A[Formula: see text][Formula: see text][Formula: see text]cm[Formula: see text], which is almost 5-fold than that of pure chestnut-like TiO2 (7.6[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]A[Formula: see text][Formula: see text][Formula: see text]cm[Formula: see text]) based thin films. The enhanced PEC properties could be ascribed to the improvement of light harvesting and the formation of heterostructure to accelerate the separation of photo-generated electron-hole pairs.
Cr3+-doped Li3VO4 for enhanced Li+ storage
Authors: Liang Guisheng , Jin Xingxing , Huang Cihui , Luo Lijie , Chen Yongjun , Lin Chunfu
Published: October 2019

Li3VO4 has gained significant attention as a promising anode material for lithium-ion batteries owing to its high specific capacity, low cost and safe working potential. Unfortunately, its disappointing electronic conductivity limits its rate performance. To address this problem, a series of Cr[Formula: see text]-doped Li3VO4 compounds are synthesized by solid-state reaction. The obtained Li[Formula: see text]Cr[Formula: see text]V[Formula: see text]O4 compounds ([Formula: see text] and 0.02) have the same orthorhombic crystal structure (Pnm21 space group), suggesting the successful Cr[Formula: see text] doping in Li3VO4. Compared with Li3VO4, Li[Formula: see text]Cr[Formula: see text]V[Formula: see text]O4 exhibits a two orders of magnitude larger electronic conductivity. Additional benefits of the Cr[Formula: see text] doping include the increase of the Li[Formula: see text] diffusion coefficient and the decrease of the particle size. Consequently, Li[Formula: see text]Cr[Formula: see text]V[Formula: see text]O4 displays not only a large reversible capacity (363[Formula: see text]mAh g[Formula: see text] at 60[Formula: see text]mA g[Formula: see text] and superior cyclic stability (86.6% capacity retention after 1000 cycles at 1200[Formula: see text]mA g[Formula: see text] but also decent rate performance (147[Formula: see text]mAh g[Formula: see text] at 1200[Formula: see text]mA g[Formula: see text].
Low-cost, highly sensitive and stable pressure sensor based on glass fiber surfacing mat coated with graphene
Authors: Lu Shaowei , Ma Junchi , Ma Keming , Wang Shuai , Yang Xiangdong , Wang Xiaoqiang , Tang Hailong
Published: October 2019

High-performance pressure sensors have caused widespread concern due to the potential applications in 3D-touch technology and wearable electronic devices. Herein, a new type of graphene pressure sensor based on the glass fiber surfacing mat coated with graphene oxide aqueous solution by a spray-vacuum filtration method and HI acid reduction method is reported. It is a simple and highly effective method to reduce graphene oxide films into highly conductive graphene films without destroying their integrity and flexibility at a low temperature based on the nucleophilic substitution reaction. The FTIR, SEM and conductivity tests indicate that the optimum time for graphene oxide to be reduced is 30[Formula: see text]min, under this condition enter the epoxy group has been reacted without damaging the regular sp2 hybrid C atom structure in graphene. The conductivity of the graphene pressure sensor is increased significantly to 23260[Formula: see text]S/m. The monotonic compressing test for 100[Formula: see text]Pa/s and the test of the metal block placement and removal demonstrate that the sensor exhibits relatively high linearity of 99.74% between the response and pressure, the advantage makes the sensor monitor pressure more accurately. More importantly, the pressure sensor based on the glass fiber surfacing mat coated with graphene shows extremely high sensitivity (0.169[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]), fast response time (251[Formula: see text]ms) and good stability for 1000 cycles. Based on its superior performance, it also demonstrates potential applications in measuring pressure and human body’s motions.
Pulsed laser deposition of amorphous InGaZnO4 as an electron transport layer for perovskite solar cells
Authors: Ke Shanming , Du Bukui , Rao Zhenggang , Huang Chun , Lin Peng , Hu Yongming , Shu Longlong
Published: October 2019

Hybrid perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have been intensively studied in recent years because of their high efficiency and low costs. For PSCs, the electron transport layer (ETL) is a key for its photoelectric conversion efficiency. Here we demonstrate the application of amorphous InGaZnO4 thin films as ETL for efficient PSCs by pulsed laser deposition (PLD). The PSC device using such InGaZnO4 amorphous film as ETL has achieved an efficiency of 15.1%. The outstanding performance is attributed to the excellent properties of amorphous InGaZnO4 oxide thin films, including high electron mobility and high transparency, what is more, the electronic properties of the films can be controlled by changing the partial pressure of oxygen in the deposition chamber and post-deposition annealing process. Our result will be helpful for preparation of large area PSCs and other opto-electric devices at low temperature by physical vapor deposition method.
A Survey of Single and Multi-UAV Aerial Manipulation
Authors: Mohiuddin Abdullah , Tarek Taha , Zweiri Yahya , Gan Dongming
Published: October 2019

Aerial manipulation has direct application prospects in environment, construction, forestry, agriculture, search, and rescue. It can be used to pick and place objects and hence can be used for transportation of goods. Aerial manipulation can be used to perform operations in environments inaccessible or unsafe for human workers. This paper is a survey of recent research in aerial manipulation. The aerial manipulation research has diverse aspects, which include the designing of aerial manipulation platforms, manipulators, grippers, the control of aerial platform and manipulators, the interaction of aerial manipulator with the environment, through forces and torque. In particular, the review paper presents the survey of the airborne platforms that can be used for aerial manipulation including the new aerial platforms with aerial manipulation capability. We also classified the aerial grippers and aerial manipulators based on their designs and characteristics. The recent contributions regarding the control of the aerial manipulator platform is also discussed. The environment interaction of aerial manipulators is also surveyed which includes, different strategies used for end-effectors interaction with the environment, application of force, application of torque and visual servoing. A recent and growing interest of researchers about the multi-UAV collaborative aerial manipulation was also noticed and hence different strategies for collaborative aerial manipulation are also surveyed, discussed and critically analyzed. Some key challenges regarding outdoor aerial manipulation and energy constraints in aerial manipulation are also discussed.
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus in a Patient with Ulcerative Colitis: Co-Existing or Drug-Induced?
Authors: Sun Frances Feisi , Chan Nga Lai , Chan Tsz Ching , Leung Ka Long , Siu Yuk Wo Aaron , Sui Chi Hang , Yu Chak Lam , Chung Ho Yin
Published: October 2019

We report a 49-year-old lady with ulcerative colitis (UC) who subsequently developed systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) ten years later. By reviewing the drug history and serum autoimmune panel, we hypothesize that systemic lupus erythematosus may occur in a patient with a history of inflammatory bowel disease as a coexisting disease, or triggered by drugs used in inflammatory bowel disease, such as disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs). This case raises the discussion that patients with Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) may have a genetic predisposition for developing other autoimmune diseases, and explores the possibility of drugs used in the treatment of IBD as a trigger for SLE development. Being able to differentiate the two has important implications in management and prognosis.
Intentionally Equitable Hospitality in Hybrid Video Dialogue: The context of Virtually Connecting
Authors: Bali Maha , Caines Autumm , Hogue Rebecca J. , DeWaard Helen J. , Friedrich Christian
Published: October 2019

What special considerations do practitioners need in order to host equitable, hospitable, synchronous hybrid video conversations, where some participants are together in a room while others join remotely? Presented are intentionally equitable hospitality practices of onsite and virtual facilitators (buddies) that have emerged from experiences in Virtually Connecting, a grassroots movement that holds conversations at education conferences that include remote participants who cannot attend due to financial, social, logistical, health, or other reasons.
Digital Transformation in Higher Education—Buzzword or Opportunity?
Authors: Mahlow Cerstin , Hediger Andreas
Published: October 2019

We argue that, starting from a sophisticated understanding of "digital," we should develop a corresponding notion of "education" suitable to meet the challenges of the ongoing digital transformation. The central task for higher education institutions is to model the complex networks of digital skills (critical thinking, media literacy, cross-cultural competence, etc.) as a foundation for creating contextualized learning scenarios in the disciplines. The crucial success factor is the reunification of the classroom with the real world.
Within-Person Job Performance Variability Over Short Timeframes: Theory, Empirical Research, and Practice
Authors: Dalal Reeshad S. , Alaybek Balca , Lievens Filip
Published: October 2019

We begin by charting the evolution of the dominant perspective on job performance from one that viewed performance as static to one that viewed it as dynamic over long timeframes (e.g., months, years, decades) to one that views it as dynamic over not just long but also short timeframes (e.g., minutes, hours, days, weeks)—and that accordingly emphasizes the within-person level of analysis. The remainder of the article is devoted to the newer, short-timeframe research on within-person variability in job performance. We emphasize personality states and affective states as motivational antecedents. We provide accessible reviews of relevant theories and highlight the convergence of theorizing across the personality and affect antecedent domains. We then focus on several major avenues for future research. Finally, we discuss the implications of these perspectives for personnel selection and performance management in organizations as well as for employees aiming to optimize their job performance.
The Integration of People and Networks
Authors: Kilduff Martin , Lee Jung Won
Published: October 2019

Social networks involve ties (and their absence) between people in social settings such as organizations. Yet much social network research, given its roots in sociology, ignores the individuality of people in emphasizing the constraints of the structural positions that people occupy. A recent movement to bring people back into social network research draws on the rich history of social psychological research to show that ( a) personality (i.e., self-monitoring) is key to understanding individuals’ occupation of social network positions, ( b) individuals’ perceptions of social networks relate to important outcomes, and ( c) relational energy is transmitted through social network connections. Research at different levels of analysis includes the network around the individual (the ego network), dyadic ties, triadic structures, and whole networks of interacting individuals. We call for future research concerning personality and structure, social network change, perceptions of networks, and cross-cultural differences in how social network connections are understood.
Sick Individuals and Sick (Microbial) Populations: Challenges in Epidemiology and the Microbiome
Authors: Renson Audrey , Herd Pamela , Dowd Jennifer B.
Published: October 2019

The human microbiome represents a new frontier in understanding the biology of human health. While epidemiology in this area is still in its infancy, its scope will likely expand dramatically over the coming years. To rise to the challenge, we argue that epidemiology should capitalize on its population perspective as a critical complement to molecular microbiome research, allowing for the illumination of contextual mechanisms that may vary more across populations rather than among individuals. We first briefly review current research on social context and the gut microbiome, focusing specifically on socioeconomic status (SES) and race/ethnicity. Next, we reflect on the current state of microbiome epidemiology through the lens of one specific area, the association of the gut microbiome and metabolic disorders. We identify key methodological shortcomings of current epidemiological research in this area, including extensive selection bias, the use of noncompositionally robust measures, and a lack of attention to social factors as confounders or effect modifiers.
Algebraic Statistics in Practice: Applications to Networks
Authors: Casanellas Marta , Petrović Sonja , Uhler Caroline
Published: October 2019

Algebraic statistics uses tools from algebra (especially from multilinear algebra, commutative algebra, and computational algebra), geometry, and combinatorics to provide insight into knotty problems in mathematical statistics. In this review, we illustrate this on three problems related to networks: network models for relational data, causal structure discovery, and phylogenetics. For each problem, we give an overview of recent results in algebraic statistics, with emphasis on the statistical achievements made possible by these tools and their practical relevance for applications to other scientific disciplines.
Expression of La Ribonucleoprotein Domain Family Member 4B (LARP4B) in Liver Cancer and Their Clinical and Prognostic Significance
Authors: Li Yanqing , Jiao Yan , Li Yang , Liu Yanan
Published: October 2019

Background and Objective. Liver cancer is a common malignant tumor with few poor diagnostic and prognostic markers, which greatly shortens the potential life span of patients. The RNA-binding protein la ribonucleoprotein 4B (LARP4B) has a la motif (lam) that is important in the process of cancer. We aimed to explore the role of LARP4B in the diagnosis and prognosis of liver cancer. Methods. The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database was searched to detect LARP4B gene expression in liver cancer. The clinical relevance and diagnostic ability of LARP4B were evaluated by a chi-squared test and a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, respectively. Survival and risk factors of patients with liver cancer were assessed by survival analysis and univariate/multivariate Cox regression model. Additionally, we carried out gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) to identify LARP4B-related signaling pathways in liver cancer. Results. LARP4B mRNA was highly expressed in liver cancer tissues and was correlated with survival status. The chi-squared test showed that LARP4B had clinical relevance, while ROC curves showed that LARP4B had good diagnostic ability. Survival analysis showed that liver cancer patients with high LARP4B expression had shorter overall/relapse-free survival. The univariate/multivariate Cox regression model indicated that high LARP4B expression may be an independent risk factor for the prognosis of liver cancer patients. Finally, we found that genes involved in the G2M checkpoint, E2F targets, and mitotic spindle were differentially enriched in the high LARP4B-expression phenotype. Conclusions. LARP4B is a potential independent biomarker for diagnosis and prognosis in liver cancer patients.
Model Predictive Control Method of Simulated Moving Bed Chromatographic Separation Process Based on Subspace System Identification
Authors: Yan Zhen , Wang Jie-Sheng , Wang Shao-Yan , Li Shou-Jiang , Wang Dan , Sun Wei-Zhen
Published: October 2019

Simulated moving bed (SMB) chromatographic separation is a new type of separation technology based on traditional fixed bed adsorption operation and true moving bed (TMB) chromatographic separation technology, which includes inlet‐outlet liquid, liquid circulation, and feed liquid separation. The input‐output data matrices were constructed based on SMB chromatographic separation process data. The SMB chromatographic separation process was modeled by utilizing two subspace system identification algorithms: multivariable output‐error state‐space (MOESP) identification algorithm and numerical algorithms for subspace state‐space system identification (N4SID), so as to obtain the 3rd‐order and 4th‐order state‐space yield models of the SMB chromatographic separation process, respectively. The model predictive control method based on the established state‐space models is used in the SMB chromatographic separation process. The influence of different control indicators on the predictive control system response performance is discussed. The output response curves of the yield models were obtained by changing the related parameters so that the yield model parameters are optimized set meanwhile. Finally, the simulation results showed that the yield models are successfully controlled based on the each control period and given yield range.
Endoscopic Removal of Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors in the Stomach: A Single-Center Experience
Authors: Guo Yingjie , Jing Xue , Zhang Jian , Ding Xueli , Li Xiaoyu , Mao Tao , Tian Zibin
Published: October 2019

Background and Aims. Endoscopic removal of GISTs (gastrointestinal stromal tumors) is recently recognized, but less is known about its efficacy and safety. This study is aimed at assessing the feasibility, clinical efficacy, and safety of the endoscopic removal of gastric GISTs. Patients and Methods. Endoscopic removal (ER) of GISTs was performed in 134 patients at our hospital between January 2015 and January 2019. The clinical features, surgical outcomes, complications, pathological diagnosis, and risk classification were evaluated retrospectively. Results. ER was successful in 131 cases (98%), including 58 by ESD (endoscopic submucosal dissection), 43 by ESE (endoscopic submucosal excavation), 25 by EFTR (endoscopic full-thickness resection), and 5 by STER (submucosal tunneling endoscopic resection). In addition, GISTs of two cases were resected using LECS (laparoscopic and luminal endoscopic cooperative surgery) for the extraluminal and intraluminal growth pattern. The average tumor size was 1.89±1.25 cm (range: 0.5-6.0 cm). Of these patients, 26 cases had a large tumor size (range: 2.0-6.0 cm), and endoscopic removal was successful in all of them. During the procedure, endoclips were used to close the perforation in all cases, without conversion to open surgery. The average length of hospital stay was 5.50±2.15 days (range: 3-10 days). In the risk classification, 106 (79.7%) were of a very low risk, 25 (18.8%) of a low risk, and 2 (1.5%) of a moderate risk. The moderate-risk cases were treated with imatinib mesylate after ER. No recurrence or metastasis was observed during the follow-up period of 23±8 months (range: 3-48 months). Conclusions. The endoscopic treatment is feasible, effective, and safe for gastric GISTs, and individualized choice of approaches is recommended for GISTs.
Experimental and CFD Investigation on Flow Behaviors of a NPP Pump under Natural Circulation Condition
Authors: Li Weitong , Yu Lei , Hao Jianli , Li Mingrui
Published: October 2019

Passive safety system is the core feature of advanced nuclear power plant (NPP). It is a research hotspot to fulfill the function of passive safety system by improving the NPP natural circulation capacity. Considering that the flow behaviors of stopped pump pose a significant effect on natural circulation, both experimental and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) methods were performed to investigate the flow behaviors of a NPP centrifugal pump under natural circulation condition with a low flow rate. Since the pump structure may lead to different flows depending on the flow direction, an experimental loop was set up to measure the pressure drop and loss coefficient of the stopped pump for different flow directions. The experimental results show that the pressure drop of reverse direction is significantly greater than that of forward direction in same Reynolds number. In addition, the loss coefficient changes slightly while the Reynolds number is greater than 8 × 104; however, the coefficients show rapid increase with the decrease in Reynolds number under lower Reynolds number condition. According to the experimental data, an empirical correlation of the pump loss coefficient is obtained. A CFD analysis was also performed to simulate the experiment. The simulation provides a good accuracy with the experimental results. Furthermore, the internal flow field distributions are obtained. It is observed that the interface regions of main components in pump contribute to the most pressure losses. Significant differences are also observed in the flow field between forward and reverse condition. It is noted that the local flows vary with different Reynolds numbers. The study shows that the experimental and CFD methods are beneficial to enhance the understanding of pump internal flow behaviors.
Kinesin Family Member 18A (KIF18A) Contributes to the Proliferation, Migration, and Invasion of Lung Adenocarcinoma Cells In Vitro and In Vivo
Authors: Chen Fu-Tao , Zhong Fu-Kuan
Published: October 2019

Objective. To determine the expression levels of KIF18A in lung adenocarcinoma and its relationship with the clinicopathologic features of patients undergoing radical colectomy and explore the potential role in the progression of lung adenocarcinoma.Methods. Immunohistochemical assays were performed to explore the expression levels of KIF18A in 82 samples of lung adenocarcinoma and corresponding normal tissues. According to the levels of KIF18A expression in lung adenocarcinoma tissue samples, patients were classified into the KIF18A high expression group and low expression group. Clinical data related to the perioperative clinical features (age, gender, smoking, tumor size, differentiation, clinical stage, and lymph node metastasis), the potential correlation between KIF18A expression levels, and clinical features were analyzed, and the effects of KIF18A on lung adenocarcinoma cell proliferation, migration, and invasion were measured by colony formation assay, MTT assay, wound healing assay, and transwell assays. The possible effects of KIF18A on tumor growth and metastasis were measured in mice through tumor growth and tumor metastasis assays in vivo.Results. KIF18A in lung adenocarcinoma tissues. Further, KIF18A was significantly associated to clinical characteristic features including the tumor size (P=0.033) and clinical stage (P=0.041) of patients with lung adenocarcinoma. Our data also investigated that KIF18A depletion dramatically impairs the proliferation, migration, and invasion capacity of lung adenocarcinoma cells in vitro and inhibits tumor growth and metastasis in mice.Conclusions. Our study reveals the involvement of KIF18A in the progression and metastasis of lung adenocarcinoma and provides a novel therapeutic target for the treatment of lung adenocarcinoma.
Adipose-Derived Stem Cells Are an Efficient Treatment for Fistula-in-ano of Japanese Rabbit
Authors: Qin Xiao , Wang Peng , Huang Yongming , Li Yansen , Chao Min , Wang Wei
Published: October 2019

Fistula-in-ano (FIA, anal fistula) treatment remains a surgical challenge for coloproctologists. Adipose tissue-derived stem cells (ADSCs) are a new frontier in the treatment of FIA. In this study, we established a FIA model of Japanese rabbit and evaluated the effect of four treatments on fistula healing: ADSC transplantation, acellular small intestinal submucosa (ASIS), noncutting seton, and PBS as negative control. High-throughput RNA sequencing was also performed to investigate the anal tissue (normal and ADSC treatment group) expression profile of mRNA. Our data showed that ADSC treatment had the shortest time to promote fistula healing compared to the other treatments, and fistula filled with new adipose tissue and muscle cells without scar. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis of RNA-seq data showed that the differential genes are enriched in system development and animal organ development. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that ADSCs rapidly promote fistula healing through differentiation, a promising stem cell therapy for FIA. The rabbit is an effective animal model for evaluating FIA therapeutic options.
An FPGA-Based Hardware Accelerator for CNNs Using On-Chip Memories Only: Design and Benchmarking with Intel Movidius Neural Compute Stick
Authors: Dinelli Gianmarco , Meoni Gabriele , Rapuano Emilio , Benelli Gionata , Fanucci Luca
Published: October 2019

During the last years, convolutional neural networks have been used for different applications, thanks to their potentiality to carry out tasks by using a reduced number of parameters when compared with other deep learning approaches. However, power consumption and memory footprint constraints, typical of on the edge and portable applications, usually collide with accuracy and latency requirements. For such reasons, commercial hardware accelerators have become popular, thanks to their architecture designed for the inference of general convolutional neural network models. Nevertheless, field-programmable gate arrays represent an interesting perspective since they offer the possibility to implement a hardware architecture tailored to a specific convolutional neural network model, with promising results in terms of latency and power consumption. In this article, we propose a full on-chip field-programmable gate array hardware accelerator for a separable convolutional neural network, which was designed for a keyword spotting application. We started from the model implemented in a previous work for the Intel Movidius Neural Compute Stick. For our goals, we appropriately quantized such a model through a bit-true simulation, and we realized a dedicated architecture exclusively using on-chip memories. A benchmark comparing the results on different field-programmable gate array families by Xilinx and Intel with the implementation on the Neural Compute Stick was realized. The analysis shows that better inference time and energy per inference results can be obtained with comparable accuracy at expenses of a higher design effort and development time through the FPGA solution.
A New Modified Peck Formula for Predicting the Surface Settlement Based on Stochastic Medium Theory
Authors: Song Zhanping , Tian Xiaoxu , Zhang Yuwei
Published: October 2019

Peck method and stochastic medium method are the two most commonly used methods to estimate surface settlement caused by tunnel excavation. However, the Peck method was not suitable for a shallow‐buried tunnel, and the calculation process of the stochastic medium theory was complicated. To solve this problem, in this paper, a simple and accurate prediction approach for surface settlement was obtained by improving the Peck method based on the basic idea of stochastic medium theory. In detail, the over‐excavation area of the tunnel was divided into n independent units, and the surface settlement caused by the collapse of each unit was calculated, respectively. Then, the total surface settlement can be obtained by superimposing surface settlement induced by each unit. Taking the shallow‐buried section of Mulingguan tunnel entrance as a case, the surface settlement calculated by the modified Peck formula and original Peck formula was compared with the observed data, respectively. The comparison results indicated that the surface settlement calculated by the modified Peck formula is closer to the observed data than that calculated by the original Peck formula in the calculation process of surface settlement of shallow‐buried tunnel. The table of recommendation for the number of units can be obtained by a discussion of reasonable n values. Finally, the difference between the original Peck formula and the modified Peck formula was analysed, and the results showed that the change rule of the surface settlement is consistent under the tunnel depth, internal friction angle, and ground loss of the tunnel. However, the calculation error of the surface settlements calculated by the original Peck formula is more significant than that calculated by modified Peck formula under the tunnel diameter ratio being less than 1.75. The modified Peck formula is more suitable for calculating the surface settlement under internal angle friction being less than 20° or greater than 40°. The research results expand the scope of application of the original Peck formula and enrich the calculation approach of surface settlement induced by underground excavation in tunnel construction.
Role of HIF-1α-miR30a-Snai1 Axis in Neonatal Hyperoxic Lung Injury
Authors: Zhang Yuhao , Dong Xiaoyu , Lingappan Krithika
Published: October 2019

Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is characterized by a severe impairment in lung alveolarization and vascular development. We have previously shown that pulmonary angiogenesis is preserved in hyperoxia-exposed female mice accompanied by increased miR-30a expression, which is a proangiogenic miRNA. Also, miR-30a expression is decreased in human BPD. HIF-1α plays an essential role in postnatal lung development, especially in recovery from hyperoxic injury. Snai1 activation promotes pathological fibrosis through many mechanisms including Endo-MT, which may in turn adversely impact lung vascular development. Our objective was to test the hypothesis that higher miR-30a expression through HIF-1α decreases Snai1 expression in females and attenuates injury in the developing lung. Neonatal male and female mice (C57BL/6) were exposed to hyperoxia (P1-5, 0.95 FiO2) and euthanized on P21. Neonatal human pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells (HPMECs; 18-24-week gestation donors; 3/group either sex) were subjected to hyperoxia (95% O2 and 5% CO2) or normoxia (air and 5% CO2) up to 72 h. Snai1 expression was measured in HPMECs in vitro and in neonatal mouse lungs in vivo. Also, Snai1 expression was measured in HPMECs after miR-30a mimic and miR-30a inhibitor treatment. To further establish the potential regulation of miR-30a by Hif-1α, miR-30a expression after Hif-1α inhibition was measured in HPMECs. In vivo, Snai1 expression was decreased in neonatal female lungs compared to males at P7. Increased Snai1 expression was seen in male HPMECs upon exposure to hyperoxia in vitro. Treatment with the miR-30a mimic decreased Snai1 expression in HPMECs, while miR-30a inhibition significantly increased Snai1 expression in HPMECs. siRNA-mediated loss of Hif-1α expression in HPMECs decreased miR-30a expression. Hif-1α may lead to differential sex-specific miR-30a expression and may contribute to protection from hyperoxic lung injury in female neonatal mice through decreased Snai1 expression.