bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
BaroSense
Authors: Dimri Anuj , Singh Harsimran , Aggarwal Naveen , Raman Bhaskaran , Ramakrishnan K. K. , Bansal Divya
Published: November 2019

Traffic congestion on urban roadways is a serious problem requiring novel ways to detect and mitigate it. Determining the routes that lead to the traffic congestion segment is also vital in devising mitigation strategies. Further, crowdsourcing this information allows for use of these strategies quickly and in places where infrastructure is not available. In this work, we present an unconventional method, using the barometer sensor of mobile phones to (a) detect road traffic congestion and (b) estimate the paths that lead to the congested road segment. We make the observation that roads are not completely flat and very often, altitude varies along the road. The barometer sensor chips are sensitive enough to measure these variations and consume very little energy of the mobile phone, compared to other sensors such as the GPS or accelerometer. We devise a feature set to map the rate of change of this altitude as the user moves into activities characterized as “still” and “motion,” which are further used by the traffic congestion detection algorithm (RoadSphygmo) to classify the group of users as being in “moving,” “congestion,”  or “stuck” states. To estimate the paths that lead to the congested road segment, we compare the user’s barometer sensor readings with a pre-stored road signature of barometer values using Dynamic Time Warping (DTW). We show that by using correlation of barometer sensor values, we can determine if users are in the same vehicle. We crowdsource this information from multiple mobile phones and use majority voting technique to improve the accuracy of traffic congestion detection and path estimation. We find a significant increase in the accuracies using crowdsourced information as compared to individual mobile phones. Further, we show that we can use barometer sensor for other applications such as bus occupancy, boarding/deboarding of a vehicle, and so on. The validation of the state determined by RoadSphygmo is done by comparing it with average GPS speed calculated during the same time period. The path estimation is validated over different intersections and considering various cases of commuter travel. The results obtained are promising and show that the traffic state determination and the estimation of the path taken by the commuter can achieve high accuracy.
On the Complexity of Cache Analysis for Different Replacement Policies
Authors: Monniaux David , Touzeau Valentin
Published: November 2019

Modern processors use cache memory, a memory access that “hits” the cache returns early, while a “miss” takes more time. Given a memory access in a program, cache analysis consists in deciding whether this access is always a hit, always a miss, or is a hit or a miss depending on execution. Such an analysis is of high importance for bounding the worst-case execution time of safety-critical real-time programs.

There exist multiple possible policies for evicting old data from the cache when new data are brought in, and different policies, though apparently similar in goals and performance, may be very different from the analysis point of view. In this article, we explore these differences from a complexity-theoretical point of view. Specifically, we show that, among the common replacement policies, Least Recently Used is the only one whose analysis is NP-complete, whereas the analysis problems for the other policies are PSPACE-complete.
An Overview of Molecular Mechanism, Clinicopathological Factors, and Treatment in NUT Carcinoma
Authors: Huang Qian W. , He Li J. , Zheng Shuang , Liu Tao , Peng Bei N.
Published: November 2019

NUT carcinoma (NC) is a rare and poorly differentiated tumor, with highly aggressive and fatal neoplasm. NC is characterized by chromosomal rearrangement involving NUTM1 gene, but lack of specific clinical and histomorphological features. It is more common in midline anatomic sites, such as head and neck, mediastinum, and other midline organs. NC may occur at any age, but mainly in children and young adults. In addition, male and female are equally affected. Most clinicians lack a clear understanding of the disease, and NC diagnostic reagents are still not widely used; therefore, misdiagnosis often occurs in clinic. Due to the highly aggressive nature of the disease and the insensitivity to nonspecific chemotherapy or radiotherapy, many patients have died before the confirmation of NC. In fact, the true incidence of NC is much higher than the current statistics. In recent years, targeted therapy for NC has also made some progress. This article aims to summarize the molecular mechanisms, clinicopathological characteristics, and treatment of NC.
Randomly Weighted CKF for Multisensor Integrated Systems
Authors: Zong Hua , Gao Zhaohui , Wei Wenhui , Zhong Yongmin , Gu Chengfan
Published: November 2019

The cubature Kalman filter (CKF) is an estimation method for nonlinear Gaussian systems. However, its filtering solution is affected by system error, leading to biased or diverged system state estimation. This paper proposes a randomly weighted CKF (RWCKF) to handle the CKF limitation. This method incorporates random weights in CKF to restrain system error’s influence on system state estimation by dynamic modification of cubature point weights. Randomly weighted theories are established to estimate predicted system state and system measurement as well as their covariances. Simulation and experimental results as well as comparison analyses demonstrate the presented RWCKF conquers the CKF problem, leading to enhanced accuracy for system state estimation.
Early Prediction of Treatment Response of Neuroendocrine Hepatic Metastases after Peptide Receptor Radionuclide Therapy with 90Y-DOTATOC Using Diffusion Weighted and Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced MRI
Authors: Weikert Thomas , Maas Ole Christopher , Haas Tanja , Klarhöfer Markus , Bremerich Jens , Forrer Flavio , Sauter Alexander Walter , Sommer Gregor
Published: November 2019

The purpose of this study was to determine if parameters derived from diffusion-weighted (DW-) and dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE-) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can help to assess early response to peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) with 90Y-DOTATOC in neuroendocrine hepatic metastases (NET-HM). Twenty patients (10 male; 10 female; mean age: 59.2 years) with NET-HM were prospectively enrolled in this single-center imaging study. DW-MRI and DCE-MRI studies were performed just before and 48 hours after therapy with 90Y-DOTATOC. Abdominal SPECT/CT was performed 24 hours after therapy. This MRI imaging and therapy session was repeated after a mean interval of 10 weeks. Up to four lesions per patient were evaluated. Response to therapy was evaluated using metastasis sizes at the first and second therapy session as standard for comparison (regressive, stable, and progressive). DW-MRI analysis included the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and parameters related to intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM), namely, diffusion (D), perfusion fraction (f) and pseudo-diffusion (D∗). DCE-MRI analysis comprised Ktrans, ve and kep. For statistical analysis of group differences, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and appropriate post hoc testing was performed. A total of 51 lesions were evaluated. Seven of 51 lesions (14%) showed size progression, 18/51 (35%) regression, and 26/51 (51%) remained stable. The lesion-to-spleen uptake ratio in SPECT showed a decrease between the two treatment sessions that was significantly stronger in regressive lesions compared with stable (p=0.013) and progressive lesions (p=0.021). ANOVA showed significant differences in mean ADC after 48 h (p=0.026), with higher ADC values for regressive lesions. Regarding IVIM, highest values for D at baseline were seen in regressive lesions (p=0.023). In DCE-MRI, a statistically significant increase in ve after 10 weeks (p=0.046) was found in regressive lesions. No differences were observed for the transfer constants Ktrans and kep. Diffusion restriction quantified as ADC was able to differentiate regressive from progressive NET-HMs as early as 48 hours after PRRT. DW-MRI therefore may complement scintigraphy/SPECT for early assessment of response to PRRT. Assessment of perfusion parameters using IVIM and DCE-MRI did not show an additional benefit.
The Evaluation of Physicomechanical and Tribological Properties of Corn Straw Fibre Reinforced Environment-Friendly Friction Composites
Authors: Wang Zhen-yu , Wang Jie , Ma Yun-hai
Published: November 2019

Corn stalk fibre reinforced nonasbestos environment-friendly friction composite materials have been fabricated, and their physical, mechanical, and tribological properties are characterized. The tribological properties of the friction composites were evaluated following GB5763-2008 norms on a constant-speed-type friction tester. The experimental outcome reveals that the content of corn stalk fibre has a noteworthy impact on the tribological, mechanical, and physical properties of the friction composites. Specifically, the friction composite with a content of 7% exhibited excellent friction and wear properties. The worn surface morphology of friction composites was further investigated using a scanning electron microscope. It was found that the corn stalk fibre content greatly affected the tribological properties of the friction composites.
Scombroid Poisoning with Concurrent Brevundimonas Septicemia: A Unique Case Report and Brief Literature Review
Authors: Eskind Caroline C. , Doucet Cassandra A. , Harris Bryan D.
Published: November 2019

Scombroid poisoning is a predominantly self-limited illness associated with ingestion of poorly handled fish. It is not frequently associated with bacteremia and has never been described with Brevundimonas septicemia. We describe a case of a man who presented in shock with histamine poisoning after ingesting sushi. Blood cultures grew an uncommon pathogen, Brevundimonas vesicularis. This case demonstrates systemic bacterial infection in the setting of histamine poisoning, which is an atypical presentation for a well-known foodborne illness.
Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis: Efficacy and Safety of Direct-Acting Antivirals for Chronic Hepatitis C Genotypes 5 and 6
Authors: Due Ong The , Chaikledkaew Usa , Genuino Anne Julienne M. , Sobhonslidsuk Abhasnee , Thakkinstian Ammarin
Published: November 2019

Direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) are modern treatments for chronic hepatitis C infection, but majority of available evidence on its treatment effect covers genotypes 1 to 4. Therefore, the efficacy and safety of DAAs for genotypes 5 and 6 need to be analysed. Studies were identified from Medline, Scopus, and CENTRAL and a Chinese database CNKI, from inception until Dec 4, 2018. Clinical trials were included if they enrolled patients with genotypes 5 and/or 6 infection, any type of second-generation DAAs was studied, and sustained virological response was assessed at the 12th week after treatment (SVR12) as outcome measure. Meta-analysis using metaprop statistical program was applied for pooling proportions if data were sufficient (i.e., at least 2 studies). Thirteen studies were included in the analysis. Four studies assessed the efficacy of four DAA regimens in genotype 5 patients, which were mainly sofosbuvir (SOF) plus pegylated-interferon/ribavirin (PR) or other DAAs, with SVR12 ranging from 94.4% to 100%. Twelve studies assessed the efficacy of seven DAA regimens among genotype 6 patients, but only two DAA regimens (i.e., SOF + PR and SOF/ledipasvir) had sufficient data for pooling. The pooled SVR12 rates (95% CI) were 99.6% (92.2 to 100) for SOF + PR and 99.2% (96.5 to 100) for SOF/ledipasvir. No treatment-related serious adverse event was reported, while the nonserious adverse events were comparable to other genotypes. In conclusion, DAAs are effective and may be safe for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C genotypes 5 and 6. However, our evidence is based on noncomparative studies; hence, further larger-scale randomized controlled trials in these genotypes are still required.
Whole-Exome Sequencing Characterized the Landscape of Somatic Mutations and Pathways in Colorectal Cancer Liver Metastasis
Authors: Feng Liuxing , Hong Shifu , Gao Jin , Li Jiayi
Published: November 2019

Purpose. Liver metastasis remains the leading cause of cancer-related mortality in colorectal cancer. The mechanism of occurrence and development of liver metastasis from colorectal cancer is unclear.Methods. The primary tumor tissues and blood samples of 8 patients with liver metastasis of colorectal cancer were collected, followed by nucleic acid extraction and library construction. Whole-exome sequencing was performed to detect the genomic variations. Bioinformatics was used to comprehensively analyze the sequencing data of these samples, including the differences of tumor mutation burden, the characteristics of gene mutations, and signaling pathways.Results. The results showed that the top three genes with the highest mutation frequency wereTP53,APC, andKRAS. Tumor mutation burden of this study, with a median of 8.34 mutations per MB, was significantly different with The Cancer Genome Atlas databases. Analysis of molecular function and signaling pathways showed that the mutated genes could be classified into five major categories and 39 signaling pathways, involving in Wnt, angiogenesis, P53, Alzheimer disease-presenilin pathway, notch, and cadherin signaling pathway.Conclusions. In conclusion, we identified the extensive landscape of altered genes and pathways in colorectal cancer liver metastasis, which will be useful to design clinical therapy for personalized medicine.
Damage Evolution Characteristics of Rock Salt under Different Stress Conditions
Authors: Wang Chunping , Liu Jianfeng , Wang Lu
Published: November 2019

Understanding the damage evolution characteristics of rock material is essential to the long‐term stability and safety analysis of the underground facility. In this study, a series of cyclic loading tests under tensile or compressive stresses are conducted to investigate the damage evolution, deformation, peak strength, and failure pattern of rock salt. A special attention is paid on the microcracking process by using a 3D acoustic emission (AE) test system. The laboratory tests show that the damage degree of rock salt under compression is the highest, followed by the damage in the direct tensile test. The lowest value of damage is determined by using the Brazilian test. The damage degrees where the damage rate starts to decrease are about 0.83 in the direct tensile test, about 0.75 in the Brazilian test, and about 0.91 in the compression test. The failure mode of rock salt changes from the tensile mode in the uniaxial compression test to the compression‐shear mode in the confined compression test at low confinement. But from the confining pressure of 15 MPa, the rock salt displays great plastic dilatant distortion and without appreciable macroscopic fractures. Accordingly, with increasing confining pressure, the positions where the rapid increase in cumulative AE counts occurs and where the AE event with high energy appears are changed, from the beginning of the test at low confinement to the postpeak stage of the test at high confinement.
Innate Immune Responses Associated with Resistance againstHaemonchus contortusin Morada Nova Sheep
Authors: Toscano João Henrique Barbosa , Okino Cintia Hiromi , dos Santos Isabella Barbosa , Giraldelo Luciana Aparecida , von Haehling Marei Borsch , Esteves Sérgio Novita , de Souza Chagas Ana Carolina
Published: November 2019

The immune response againstHaemonchus contortusinfections is primarily associated with the Th2 profile. However, the exact mechanisms associated with increased sheep resistance against this parasite remains poorly elucidated. The present study is aimed at evaluating mediators from the innate immune response in lambs of the Morada Nova Brazilian breed with contrastingH.contortusresistance phenotypes. Briefly, 287 lambs were characterized through fecal egg counts (FEC) and packed cell volume (PCV) after two independent experimental parasitic challenges with 4,000 H.contortusL3. 20 extreme resistance phenotypes (10 most resistant and 10 most susceptible) were selected, subjected to a third artificial infection with 4,000 L3, and euthanized 7 days later. Tissue samples were collected from abomasal fundic and pyloric mucosa and abomasal lymph nodes. Blood samples were collected at days 0 and 7 of the third parasitic challenge. RNA was extracted from tissue and blood samples for relative quantification of innate immune-related genes by RT-qPCR. For the abomasal fundic mucosa, increasedTNFαandIL1βexpression levels (P<0.05) were found in the susceptible animals, while resistant animals hadIL33superiorly expressed (P<0.05). Higher levels (P<0.05) ofTLR2andCFIwere found in the abomasal pyloric mucosa of resistant animals.TNFαwas at higher levels (P<0.05) in the blood of susceptible lambs, at day 0 of the third artificial infection. The exacerbated proinflammatory response observed in susceptible animals, at both local and systemic levels, may be a consequence of highH.contortusparasitism. This hypothesis is corroborated by the higher blood levels ofTNFαbefore the onset of infection, which probably remained elevated from the previous parasitic challenges. On the other hand, resistant lambs had an enhanced response mediated by TLR recognition and complement activation. Nevertheless, this is the first study to directly associate sheep parasitic resistance with IL33, an innate trigger of the Th2-polarized response.
miRNAs in Extracellular Vesicles from iPS-Derived Cardiac Progenitor Cells Effectively Reduce Fibrosis and Promote Angiogenesis in Infarcted Heart
Authors: Xuan Wanling , Wang Lei , Xu Meifeng , Weintraub Neal L. , Ashraf Muhammad
Published: November 2019

Cardiac stem cell therapy offers the potential to ameliorate postinfarction remodeling and development of heart failure but requires optimization of cell-based approaches. Cardiac progenitor cells (CPCs) induction by ISX-9, a small molecule possessing antioxidant, prosurvival, and regenerative properties, represents an attractive potential approach for cell-based cardiac regenerative therapy. Here, we report that extracellular vesicles (EV) secreted by ISX-9-induced CPCs (EV-CPCISX-9) faithfully recapitulate the beneficial effects of their parent CPCs with regard to postinfarction remodeling. These EV contain a distinct repertoire of biologically active miRNAs that promoted angiogenesis and proliferation of cardiomyocytes while ameliorating fibrosis in the infarcted heart. Amongst the highly enriched miRNAs, miR-373 was strongly antifibrotic, targeting 2 key fibrogenic genes, GDF-11 and ROCK-2. miR-373 mimic itself was highly efficacious in preventing scar formation in the infarcted myocardium. Together, these novel findings have important implications with regard to prevention of postinfarction remodeling.
Office Hysteroscopy as a Valid Tool for Diagnosis of Genital Tract Lesions in Females with Intact Hymen
Authors: Huang Hui-Yu , Huang Yi-Ting , Wu Kai-Yun , Su Yu-Ying , Hsuan Weng Cindy , Wang Chin-Jung
Published: November 2019

Background. To evaluate the feasibility and applicability of using office hysteroscopy in women with intact hymen. Methods. We recruited 836 patients with intact hymen with different indications who underwent diagnostic hysteroscopy without anesthesia in an outpatient setting from 2007 to 2016 at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou. Results. Patients’ mean age was 35 ± 10.6 years (range 3–69 years). Most patients (86.4%) with postmenopausal bleeding had intrauterine lesions, and they were especially at high risk (50%) for endometrial hyperplasia or malignancy. Five hundred thirty (63.3%) patients had histologic findings confirming concordance between hysteroscopic and histologic findings. Submucosal myoma had the highest concordance (96.3%), whereas endometrial hyperplasia had the lowest concordance (50%). Forty-eight patients (5.7%) had endometrial hyperplasia, and 35 patients (4.2%) had endometrial malignancy. Two patients who were thought to have nonspecific endometrial thickening actually had endometrial pathology. Conclusions. Hysteroscopy through vaginoscopic approach is feasible and well-tolerated in the patients with intact hymen. This outpatient procedure provides accurate evaluation of lesions of the genital tract and should be considered in patients without a history of intercourse.
Association between Neck Circumference and the Occurrence of Cardiovascular Events in Type 2 Diabetes: Beijing Community Diabetes Study 20 (BCDS-20)
Authors: Yang Guang-Ran , Yuan Ming-Xia , Wan Gang , Zhang Xue-Lian , Fu Han-Jing , Yuan Shen-Yuan , Zhu Liang-Xiang , Xie Rong-Rong , Zhang Jian-Dong , Li Yu-Ling , Sun Yan-Hua , Dai Qin-Fang , Gao Da-Yong , Cui Xue-Li , Gao Jian-Qin , Wang Zi-Ming , Chen Ying-Jun , Hu Dong-Ming , Gao Juan , Bai Liyong
Published: November 2019

Background. Neck circumference (NC) was found to be related to the risk factors of cardiovascular disease. However, the effects of NC on cardiovascular disease are still controversial. A prospective study of Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes was performed to evaluate the relationship between NC and cardiovascular disease. Methods. A multicenter prospective study with eight-year follow-up was conducted in Beijing communities. Cardiovascular events were defined as myocardial infarction, unstable angina pectoris, hospitalization for heart failure, coronary revascularization, cardiac death, stroke, transient ischemic attack, and cerebral hemorrhage. Results. A total of 3,009 diabetic patients were recruited. Following an eight-year follow-up, 211 patients with cardiovascular events (105 in men and 106 in women) were identified. All patients were categorized into two groups according to the upper quartile of NC (43 cm in men and 39 cm in women). The prevalence of cardiovascular events in men with an NC >43 cm (16.48%) was higher than that in the group with an NC <43 cm (8.16%, p=0.007). The prevalence of cardiovascular events in women with the NC >39 cm (10.67%) was higher compared to the group with NC <39 cm (5.31%, p=0.004). The longitudinal prevalence of cardiovascular events in groups with different NC increased with the increasing duration of follow-up (p<0.001). Cox regression analysis showed that higher NC was associated with the occurrence of cardiovascular events after adjusting for confounding variables (adjusted HR = 2.305 (1.535–3.460)). Conclusions. NC was associated with the occurrence of cardiovascular events in type 2 diabetes in Chinese communities, and greater NC may increase the risk of cardiovascular events by about 2.3-fold.
Complete Traumatic Trifocal Failure of the Extensor Mechanism of the Knee: A Case Report and Review of the Literature
Authors: Johnson Alexander J. , Harper Katharine D. , Haydel Christopher
Published: November 2019

The unique case of a rare 3-level extensor mechanism failure in a 28-year-old male, involving a tibial tubercle avulsion fracture, a patellar tendon avulsion off the tibial tubercle fragment, and a severely comminuted patella fracture, and the surgical technique required to repair such an injury is presented. Focus is spent on the unique repair of a tendon injury when both proximal and distal bony attachments are damaged. Trifocal knee extensor mechanism is a rare clinical entity with minimal literature available—to date, this injury has only been reported in a retrospective review of combat-related injuries in military personnel. It is important to maintain an understanding of knee extensor mechanism anatomy and perform thorough investigation of high-energy knee injuries to ensure adequate treatment of all injuries. The outcome presented in this case shows that positive results after complex extensor mechanism injuries may be achieved, but limited data exists to elucidate optimum treatment. It is essential for surgeons to have firm grasp of techniques used to treat each segment of the extensor mechanism so that they may be combined when a patient presents with complex, multifocal injury.
Efficacy of Artesunate againstPseudomonas aeruginosaBiofilm Mediated by Iron
Authors: Bao Lei , Guo Jinjin , Feng Lei , Zhou Xianjie , Lu Qi
Published: November 2019

Pseudomonas aeruginosais capable of causing a variety of chronic infections due to the formation of biofilms. Iron is essential for growth ofPseudomonas aeruginosa, and therapies that interfere with iron may help treatP. aeruginosainfections. Herein, we investigated whether artesunate, which is a type of iron-dependent drug, could influencePseudomonas aeruginosabiofilm formation and structure, including the underlying mechanisms. Artesunate could enhance twitching motility significantly and decrease the proportion of surviving cells inPseudomonas aeruginosabiofilms in a dose-dependent manner. Artesunate treatment also reduced biofilm thickness, diffusion in the biomass, and the content of Fe(II). However, changes in biofilm structure and ion concentration were very similar following treatment with 512 μg/ml and 1024 μg/ml artesunate. Interestingly, both biofilm structure and surviving cell fraction were recovered after iron supplementation. These results suggest that artesunate interferes withPseudomonas aeruginosabiofilms by decreasing bacterial viability and enhancing twitching motility in an iron-independent manner.
Oxidative Stress and Microvascular Alterations in Diabetic Retinopathy: Future Therapies
Authors: Rodríguez María L. , Pérez Salvador , Mena-Mollá Salvador , Desco M. Carmen , Ortega Ángel Luis
Published: November 2019

Diabetes is a disease that can be treated with oral antidiabetic agents and/or insulin. However, patients’ metabolic control is inadequate in a high percentage of them and a major cause of chronic diseases like diabetic retinopathy. Approximately 15% of patients have some degree of diabetic retinopathy when diabetes is first diagnosed, and most will have developed this microvascular complication after 20 years. Early diagnosis of the disease is the best tool to prevent or delay vision loss and reduce the involved costs. However, diabetic retinopathy is an asymptomatic disease and its development to advanced stages reduces the effectiveness of treatments. Today, the recommended treatment for severe nonproliferative and proliferative diabetic retinopathy is photocoagulation with an argon laser and intravitreal injections of anti-VEGF associated with, or not, focal laser for diabetic macular oedema. The use of these therapeutic approaches is severely limited, such as uncomfortable administration for patients, long-term side effects, the costs they incur, and the therapeutic effectiveness of the employed management protocols. Hence, diabetic retinopathy is the widespread diabetic eye disease and a leading cause of blindness in adults in developed countries. The growing interest in using polyphenols, e.g., resveratrol, in treatments related to oxidative stress diseases has spread to diabetic retinopathy. This review focuses on analysing the sources and effects of oxidative stress and inflammation on vascular alterations and diabetic retinopathy development. Furthermore, current and antioxidant therapies, together with new molecular targets, are postulated for diabetic retinopathy treatment.
A Research Study for the Design of a Portable and Configurable Ground Test System for the A400M Aircraft
Authors: Larios Diego F. , Barbancho Julio , Biscarri Félix , Monedero Iñigo
Published: November 2019

This paper presents a study of the most suitable ground test equipment for the Airbus A400M aircraft aimed at optimizing a design that combines portability, flexibility, and configurability. The study is based on current trends in the configuration of the different parts that are involved in the process of designing Aircraft Interface Modules (AIMs). Researches have been conducted facing the real problems of data acquisition and control in the assembly, maintenance, and repair processes of aircraft. In this sense, the number of signals used simultaneously in historical tests has been determined to be a parameter that plays an important role in the analysis. This work is within the framework of a project that our working group of the Department of Electronic Technology has carried out together with the company Airbus Defense and Space (Airbus DS). Thus, all the analyses and researches for the different configurations of the test equipment have been validated for the company. Some state-of-the-art systems have been considered in the process of designing the structure of the test system while analyzing the main advantages and drawbacks. Every hardware or software component was identified and justified according to its importance with respect to the use case. A comparison of how every approach meets the requirements was taken into account to define a methodology for designing a portable and configurable ground testing system. Thus, the conclusions of our study are being used by Airbus DS for the design of a prototype for the next generation of AIMs in A400M.
Behavior and Splice Length of Deformed Bars Lapping in Spirally Confined Grout-Filled Corrugated Duct
Authors: Zheng Yongfeng , Zhu Zhangfeng , Guo Zhengxing , Liu Peng
Published: November 2019

This paper discusses the behavior of grouted noncontact lap splices under monotonic tension load. Deformed bars lapped through a grout-filled corrugated duct, and a spiral reinforcement was preembedded in the connection to improve tensile strength of the splice. The experimental results show that bond failure splices are always failed by the pullout of the preembedded bar other than the grouted bar. As the spiral pitch distance is not greater than 75 mm, the tensile strength generally improves with the increment of volumetric spiral reinforcement ratio due to the higher confinement provided by the spiral bar. Compared with the spiral bar diameter, the spiral pitch distance provides more dominant effect on the tensile strength of the connection. Based on the experimental results and the development length specified in ACI 318-14, a revised equation with a reduction factor of 0.76 was proposed to predict the required minimum lap length of spirally confined lap splice.
Fabrication of Ni-Doped PbTiO3-Coated TiO2 Nanorod Arrays for Improved Photoelectrochemical Performance
Authors: Fu Yu , Mao Zhi-Peng , Zhou Di , Hu Zheng-Long , Tu Ya-Fang , Tian Yu , Zheng Guang
Published: November 2019

The performance of bare TiO2 photoanodes in photoelectrochemical devices and other applications is suboptimal due to the narrow light absorption range and poor electron-hole separation. Here, heterostructured films of Ni-doped lead titanate (PbTi1−xNixO3, PTN)-coated titania (TiO2) nanorod arrays were fabricated via a two-step process comprising hydrothermal and sol-gel methods. In the PTN/TiO2 composite films, the PTN component served as a visible light-responsive photosensitizer and the TiO2 nanorod was the electron transport layer. When applied as photoanodes, the PTN/TiO2 films achieved the maximum photoconversion efficiency of ~2.6% and a photocurrent intensity of about 4 times higher than that of the PbTiO3/TiO2 film. These results demonstrate that the ferroelectric material-coated TiO2 heterostructured films have high potential for application in photoelectric and optical devices.
Investigation of Daytime Peak Loads to Improve the Power Generation Costs of Solar-Integrated Power Systems
Authors: Afonaa-Mensah Stephen , Wang Qian , Uzoejinwa Benjamin B.
Published: November 2019

Improving daytime loads can mitigate some of the challenges posed by solar variations in solar-integrated power systems. Thus, this simulation study investigated the different levels of daytime peak loads under varying solar penetration conditions in solar-integrated power systems to improve power generation cost performance based on different load profiles and to mitigate the challenges encountered due to solar variation. The daytime peak loads during solar photovoltaic generation hours were determined by measuring the solar load correlation coefficients between each load profile and the solar irradiation, and the generation costs were determined using a dynamic economic dispatch method with particle swarm optimization in a MATLAB environment. The results revealed that the lowest generation costs were generally associated with load profiles that had low solar load correlation coefficients. Conversely, the load profile with the highest positive solar load correlation coefficient exhibited the highest generation costs, which were mainly associated with violations of the supply-demand balance requirement. However, this profile also exhibited the lowest generation costs at high levels of solar penetration. This result indicates that improving daytime load management could improve generation costs under high solar penetration conditions. However, if the generation system lacks sufficient ramping capability, this technique could pose operational challenges that adversely impact power generation costs.
Advanced Glycation End-Products and Hyperglycemia Increase Angiopoietin-2 Production by Impairing Angiopoietin-1-Tie-2 System
Authors: Puddu Alessandra , Sanguineti Roberta , Maggi Davide , Nicolò Massimo , Traverso Carlo E. , Cordera Renzo , Viviani Giorgio L.
Published: November 2019

The angiopoietin-Tie-2 system plays a crucial role in the maintenance of endothelial integrity. Hyperglycemia and advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) are involved in endothelial cell dysfunction responsible of the pathogenesis of microvascular complications of diabetes. Here, we investigated whether glycated serum (GS) or hyperglycemia (HG) affect the angiopoietin-Tie-2 system in the microvascular endothelial cells HMEC-1. We found that culture for 5 days in the presence of AGEs and HG (alone or in combination) decreased cell proliferation, increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and reduced ratio between the oxidized and the reduced form of glutathione. Since angiopoietin-1 (Ang-1) signaling regulates angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2) expression through inactivation of the forkhead transcription factor FoxO1, we investigated intracellular signaling of Ang-1 and expression of Ang-2. HG and AGEs reduced phosphorylation of Akt and abrogated phosphorylation of FoxO1 induced by Ang-1 without affecting neither Tie-2 expression nor its activation. Furthermore, AGEs and/or HG induced nuclear translocation of FoxO1 and increased Ang-2 production. In conclusion, we demonstrated that both hyperglycemia and AGEs affect the angiopoietin-Tie-2 system by impairing Ang-1/Tie-2 signaling and by increasing Ang-2 expression. These results suggest that therapeutic strategies useful in preventing or delaying the onset of diabetic vascular complications should be aimed to preserve Ang-1 signaling.
CTGF Attenuates Tendon-Derived Stem/Progenitor Cell Aging
Authors: Rui Yun-feng , Chen Min-hao , Li Ying-juan , Xiao Long-fei , Geng Peng , Wang Pei , Xu Zheng-yuan , Zhang Xuan-pu , Dai Guang-chun
Published: November 2019

Aged tendon-derived stem/progenitor cells (TSPCs) lead to age-related tendon disorders and impair tendon healing. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms of TSPC aging remain largely unknown. Here, we investigated the role of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) in TSPC aging. CTGF protein and mRNA levels were markedly decreased in the aged TSPCs. Moreover, recombinant CTGF attenuates TSPC aging and restores the age-associated reduction of self-renewal and differentiation of TSPCs. In addition, cell cycle distribution of aged TSPCs was arrested in the G1/S phase while recombinant CTGF treatment promoted G1/S transition. Recombinant CTGF also rescued decreased levels of cyclin D1 and CDK4 and reduced p27kip1 expression in aged TSPCs. Our results demonstrated that CTGF plays a vital role in TSPC aging and might be a potential target for molecular therapy of age-related tendon disorders.
A Three-Dimensional Culture Model of Reversibly Quiescent Myogenic Cells
Authors: Aguanno Salvatore , Petrelli Claudia , Di Siena Sara , De Angelis Luciana , Pellegrini Manuela , Naro Fabio
Published: November 2019

Satellite cells (SC) are the stem cells of skeletal muscles. They are quiescent in adult animals but resume proliferation to allow muscle hypertrophy or regeneration after injury. The mechanisms balancing quiescence, self-renewal, and differentiation of SC are difficult to analyzein vivoowing to their complexity andin vitrobecause the staminal character of SC is lost when they are removed from the niche and is not adequately reproduced in the culture models currently available. To overcome these difficulties, we set up a culture model of the myogenic C2C12 cell line in suspension. When C2C12 cells are cultured in suspension, they enter a state of quiescence and form three-dimensional aggregates (myospheres) that produce the extracellular matrix and express markers of quiescent SC. In the initial phase of culture, a portion of the cells fuses in syncytia and abandons the myospheres. The remaining cells are mononucleated and quiescent but resume proliferation and differentiation when plated in a monolayer. The notch pathway controls the quiescent state of the cells as shown by the fact that its inhibition leads to the resumption of differentiation. Within this context, notch3 appears to play a central role in the activity of this pathway since the expression of notch1 declines soon after aggregation. In summary, the culture model of C2C12 in suspension may be used to study the cellular interactions of muscle stem cells and the pathways controlling SC quiescence entrance and maintenance.
SOST Deficiency Aggravates Osteoarthritis in Mice by Promoting Sclerosis of Subchondral Bone
Authors: Li Jingyu , Xue Junjie , Jing Yan , Wang Manyi , Shu Rui , Xu Hui , Xue Chaoran , Feng Jie , Wang Peiqi , Bai Ding
Published: November 2019

As the initial part in the development of osteoarthritis (OA), subchondral bone sclerosis has been considered to be initiated by excess mechanical loading and proven to be correlated to other pathological changes. Sclerostin, which is an essential mechanical stress response protein, is encoded by the SOST gene. It is expressed in osteocytes and mature chondrocytes and has been proven to be closely correlated to OA. However, the relationship and mechanism between the SOST gene and the development of OA remain unclear. The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of the SOST gene in OA pathogenesis in the subchondral bone. A knee anterior cruciate ligament transection (ACLT) mouse osteoarthritis (OA) model on SOST-knockout (SOST KO) and wild-type (WT) mice was established. The pathogenic and phenotypic changes in the subchondral bone were investigated by histology, micro-CT, immunohistochemistry, TRAP staining, Masson staining, and Toluidine blue staining. It was found that sclerostin expression decreased in both the calcified cartilage and mineralized subchondral structures during the development of OA. Joint instability induced a severe cartilage degradation phenotype, with higher OARSI scores in SOST KO mice, when compared to WT mice. SOST KO mice with OA exhibited a higher BMD and BV/TV ratio, as well as a higher rate of bone remodeling and TRAP-positive cell number, when compared to the WT counterparts, but the difference was not significant between the sham-operation groups. It was concluded that loss of sclerostin aggravates knee OA in mice by promoting subchondral bone sclerosis and increasing catabolic activity of cartilage.
Fault Diagnosis of Piezoelectric Sensor Patches for Vibration Control Based on Multifeature Fusion and Improved SVM
Authors: Ma Tian-bing , Qing Zhou , Fei Du , Jian Liu
Published: November 2019

The fault diagnosis of piezoelectric sensor patches is very important for the stability of the vibration control system and fault‐tolerant control technology. In order to improve the accuracy of fault self‐diagnosis of piezoelectric sensor patches, singular value decomposition (SVD) and Hilbert marginal spectrum method are proposed to extract multiple features of each IMF component and conduct feature fusion, and a support vector machine (SVM) based on particle swarm optimization (PSO) is designed for fault identification of different eigenvalues. In the experiment, the broken and degumming piezoelectric patches are simulated. Firstly, under the excitation of the square wave signal with no noise signal, when the SVD value and the maximum amplitude of Hilbert marginal spectrum are used as the fusion eigenvalue together, the diagnostic results show that the recognition accuracy can reach 95%, compared with the recognition accuracy of 70% and 80%, respectively, when the two are used as eigenvalues alone; the recognition result under fusion eigenvalue is obviously better than that of the latter. Secondly, in order to highlight the effectiveness of this method, the aforementioned experiment is conducted under the excitation of the square wave signal interfered by 0.5 dBW–1 dBW noise signal. The experimental results show that the fault recognition of the fused eigenvalue under different noise intensity signals is still superior to that of the single eigenvalue.
A Method for Obtaining Optimal Path in Angle and Avoiding Collision for Robotic Belt Grinding
Authors: Zhang Tie , Liang Xiaohong , Yu Ye , Zhang Bin
Published: November 2019

The angular variation of the joints may be large, and collision between workpieces and tools may occur in robotic grinding. Therefore, this paper proposes an optimal robotic grinding path search algorithm based on the recursive method. The algorithm is optimized by changing the position of the tool coordinate system on the belt wheel; thus, the pose of the robot during grinding is adjusted. First, the position adjustment formula of the tool coordinate system is proposed, and a coordinate plane is established to describe the grinding path of the robot based on the position adjustment formula. Second, the ordinate value of this coordinate plane is dispersed to obtain the search field of the optimal robotic grinding path search algorithm. Third, an optimal robotic grinding path search algorithm is proposed based on the recursive method and single‐step search process. Finally, the algorithm is implemented on the V‐REP platform. Robotic grinding paths for V‐shaped workpieces and S‐shaped workpieces are generated using this algorithm, and a grinding experiment is performed. The experimental results show that the robotic grinding paths generated by this algorithm can smoothly complete grinding operations and feature a smaller angular variation of the joint than other methods and no collision.
Therapeutic Strategies for Attenuation of Retinal Ganglion Cell Injury in Optic Neuropathies: Concepts in Translational Research and Therapeutic Implications
Authors: Fu Lin , Kwok Sum Sum , Chan Yau Kei , Ming Lai Jimmy Shiu , Pan Weihua , Nie Li , Shih Kendrick Co
Published: November 2019

Retinal ganglion cell (RGC) death is the central and irreversible endpoint of optic neuropathies. Current management of optic neuropathies and glaucoma focuses on intraocular pressure-lowering treatment which is insufficient. As such, patients are effectively condemned to irreversible visual impairment. This review summarizes experimental treatments targeting RGCs over the last decade. In particular, we examine the various treatment modalities and determine their viability and limitations in translation to clinical practice. Experimental RGC treatment can be divided into (1) cell replacement therapy, (2) neuroprotection, and (3) gene therapy. For cell replacement therapy, difficulties remain in successfully integrating transplanted RGCs from various sources into the complex neural network of the human retina. However, there is significant potential for achieving full visual restoration with this technique. Neuroprotective strategies, in the form of pharmacological agents, nutritional supplementation, and neurotrophic factors, are viable strategies with encouraging results from preliminary noncomparative interventional case series. It is important to note, however, that most published studies are focused on glaucoma, with few treating optic neuropathies of other etiologies. Gene therapy, through the use of viral vectors, has shown promising results in clinical trials, particularly for diseases with specific genetic mutations like Leber’s hereditary optic neuropathy. This treatment technique can be further extended to nonhereditary diseases, through transfer of genes promoting cell survival and neuroprotection. Crucially though, for gene therapy, teratogenicity remains a significant issue in translation to clinical practice.
Application of Computational Biology and Artificial Intelligence Technologies in Cancer Precision Drug Discovery
Authors: Nagarajan Nagasundaram , Yapp Edward K. Y. , Le Nguyen Quoc Khanh , Kamaraj Balu , Al-Subaie Abeer Mohammed , Yeh Hui-Yuan
Published: November 2019

Artificial intelligence (AI) proves to have enormous potential in many areas of healthcare including research and chemical discoveries. Using large amounts of aggregated data, the AI can discover and learn further transforming these data into “usable” knowledge. Being well aware of this, the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies have already begun to use artificial intelligence to improve their research regarding new drugs. The goal is to exploit modern computational biology and machine learning systems to predict the molecular behaviour and the likelihood of getting a useful drug, thus saving time and money on unnecessary tests. Clinical studies, electronic medical records, high-resolution medical images, and genomic profiles can be used as resources to aid drug development. Pharmaceutical and medical researchers have extensive data sets that can be analyzed by strong AI systems. This review focused on how computational biology and artificial intelligence technologies can be implemented by integrating the knowledge of cancer drugs, drug resistance, next-generation sequencing, genetic variants, and structural biology in the cancer precision drug discovery.
Theoretical and Experimental Study of Nonlinear and Electro‐Magneto‐Mechanical‐Based Piezoelectric Vibration Energy Harvester
Authors: Sun Shilong , Zhang Xiao
Published: November 2019

This paper presents a folded nonlinear electro‐magneto‐mechanical (EMM) vibration‐based piezoelectric energy harvester system, which is built on the cantilevered beam structure and consists of one host beam and two substrate plates. The performance of the linearity and nonlinearity to the proposed EMM system is evaluated and compared. Moreover, the voltage response in time history and the phase portrait are studied under an external rectifier circuit with a resistor. The results show that the nonlinearity of the reported EMM system changes the coherent resonance vibration mode from single to double under a harmonic base excitation within the frequency range of 20 Hz–50 Hz. Meanwhile, the substrate plate D contributes more averaged voltage output at a lower frequency while the substrate plate A contributes the voltage output at the relatively higher frequency for the nonlinear EMM system. The experimental study indicates that the proposed nonlinear EMM vibration‐based piezoelectric energy harvester can yield a total voltage of 8.133 V@35.53 Hz while the baseline structure only produces 1.724 V@38.81 Hz. In addition, the bandwidth range of high‐power output is enlarged by the nonlinear EMM system, which makes this device more flexible and applicable to absorb the wasted vibration energy generated by industrial machines and public facilities.