bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Quantum fluctuations and particle production in the oscillatory phase of a thermal inflaton in a FRW universe
Authors: Dhayal Renu , Rathore Meghna , Venkataratnam K. K.
Published: November 2019

By the use of coherent and squeezed thermal states formalism, we analyzed the phenomena of particle creation when coherently oscillating a homogeneous scalar field (Inflaton) in semi-classical gravity. We also obtained an estimated solution for the semi-classical Einstein equation in non-classical thermal states formalism perturbatively, which is similar to the power-law expansion of classical Einstein equation. This solution, apart from a particular condition, shows oscillatory behavior in nature. We also analyzed a coherently oscillating homogeneous scalar field, in a thermal vacuum, coherent thermal, squeezed thermal vacuum and coherent squeezed thermal states, suffering from particle creation, and created particles are showing oscillatory behavior. Particle production can be raised due to thermal and quantum effects. We also studied quantum fluctuations of a homogeneous scalar field in the above-mentioned non-classical thermal states.
More non-Abelian mirrors and some two-dimensional dualities
Authors: Gu Wei , Parsian Hadi , Sharpe Eric
Published: November 2019

In this paper, we extend the non-Abelian mirror proposal of two of the authors from two-dimensional gauge theories with connected gauge groups to the case of [Formula: see text] gauge groups with discrete theta angles. We check our proposed extension by counting and comparing vacua in mirrors to the known dual two-dimensional [Formula: see text] gauge theories. The mirrors in question are Landau–Ginzburg orbifolds, and for mirrors to [Formula: see text] gauge theories, the critical loci of the mirror superpotential often intersect fixed-point loci, so that to count vacua, one must take into account the twisted sector contributions. This is a technical novelty relative to the mirrors of gauge theories with connected gauge groups, for which critical loci do not intersect fixed-point loci and so no orbifold twisted sector contributions are pertinent. The vacuum computations turn out to be a rather intricate test of the proposed mirrors, in particular as untwisted sector states in the mirror to one theory are often exchanged with twisted sector states in the mirror to the dual. In cases with nontrivial IR limits, we also check that the central charges computed from the Landau–Ginzburg mirrors match those expected for the IR SCFTs.
Viability of specific reconstructed f(T,𝒯 ) models
Authors: Shahzad M. Umair , Azhar Nadeem , Jawad Abdul , Rani Shamaila
Published: November 2019

The reconstruction scenario of well-established dark energy models such as pilgrim dark energy model and generalized ghost dark energy with Hubble horizon and [Formula: see text] models is being considered. We have established [Formula: see text] models and analyzed their viability through equation of state parameter and [Formula: see text] (where prime denotes derivative with respect to [Formula: see text]) plane. The equation of state parameter evolutes the universe in three different phases such as quintessence, vacuum and phantom. However, the [Formula: see text] plane also describes the thawing as well as freezing region of the universe. The recent observational data also favor our results.
Data Integrity Threats and Countermeasures in Railway Spot Transmission Systems
Authors: Lim Hoon Wei , Temple William G. , Tran Bao Anh N. , Chen Binbin , Kalbarczyk Zbigniew , Zhou Jianying
Published: November 2019

Modern trains rely on balises (communication beacons) located on the track to provide location information as they traverse a rail network. Balises, such as those conforming to the Eurobalise standard, were not designed with security in mind and are thus vulnerable to cyber attacks targeting data availability, integrity, or authenticity. In this work, we discuss data integrity threats to balise transmission modules and use high-fidelity simulation to study the risks posed by data integrity attacks. To mitigate such risk, we propose a practical two-layer solution: At the device level, we design a lightweight and low-cost cryptographic solution to protect the integrity of the location information; at the system layer, we devise a secure hybrid train speed controller to mitigate the impact under various attacks. Our simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed solutions.
Publish or Drop Traffic Event Alerts? Quality-aware Decision Making in Participatory Sensing-based Vehicular CPS
Authors: Barnwal Rajesh P. , Ghosh Nirnay , Ghosh Soumya K. , Das Sajal K.
Published: November 2019

Vehicular cyber-physical systems (VCPS), among several other applications, may help address an ever-increasing challenge of traffic congestion in large cities. Nevertheless, VCPS can be hindered by information falsification problem, resulting due to the wrong perception of a traffic event or deliberate faking by the participating vehicles. Such information fabrication causes the re-routing of vehicles and artificial congestion, leading to economic, safety, environmental, and health hazards. Thus, it is imperative to infer truthful traffic information in real-time to restore the operational reliability of the VCPS. In this work, we propose a novel reputation scoring and decision support framework, called
Spoofed and False Report Eradicator (SAFE)
, which offers a cost-effective and efficient solution to handle information falsification problem in the VCPS domain. The framework includes humans in the sensing loop by exploiting the paradigm of
participatory sensing
, a concept of a
mobile security agent (MSA)
to nullify the effects of deliberate false contribution, and a variant of the
distance bounding
mechanism to thwart location-spoofing attacks. A regression-based model integrates these effects to generate the expected truthfulness of a participant’s contribution. To determine if any contribution is true or false, a generalized linear model is used to transform the expected truthfulness into a
Quality of Contribution (QoC)
score. The QoC of different reports is aggregated to compute user reputation. Such reputation enables classification of different participation behaviors. Finally, an
Expected Utility Theory (EUT)
-based decision model is proposed that utilizes the reputation score to determine if event-specific information should be published or dropped. To evaluate the
SAFE
framework through experimental study, we used both simulated and real data to compare its reputation-based user segregation performance with state-of-the-art frameworks. Experimental results exhibit that
SAFE
captures the fine differences in participants’ behavior through the quality and quantity of participation, and the accuracy of their informed location. It also significantly improves operational reliability through publishing the information of only legitimate events.
An Experimental Study on the Swaying Effect of Web-Personalization
Authors: Balan U Mahesh , Mathew Saji K.
Published: November 2019

The multi-dimensionality of online word-of-mouth not only provides rich attribute-level information but also influences the attribute preference construction of the online consumer. Though prior research affirms that consumer reviews impact the attribute preference assessment of a consumer in a non-personalized single-product environment, in a personalized, multiple alternative environment, consumers' behavior could be completely different and requires separate attention. Building on the information processing approach and constructive preference perspective, our research analyzes how personalization influences this swaying effect, i.e., the influence of personalization on the attribute preference of a consumer. We conducted a multi-group experiment with four different types of personalization - non-personalized information (no personalization), self-referent information, relevant information, and both self-referent and relevant information. Our results show evidence of a swaying effect of personalization on consumers' attribute preference for products. We found that users, when exposed to different types of personalization, experience different levels of the swaying effect on their attribute preferences of the product. This study contributes significantly to the current discourse on the setbacks of web personalization and also informs practicing managers on how to develop recommender system strategies.
Embarrassment Products, Web Personalization and Online Buying Behavior
Authors: Annamalai Kanishka Priyadharshini , Mathew Saji K. , Iyer Lakshmi S.
Published: November 2019

An important question that online companies face today is whether their customers will use personalization services at all, given the concerns of the buyer while buying different categories of products. In this study, we argue that buying specific product categories involve embarrassment and that such products are characterized by certain emotional distress that would impact the buying behavior of consumers. We also argue that content relevant personalization may not have the same impact while buying embarrassing products as against normal products. We followed a controlled lab experiment and tested our hypotheses by analyzing click stream data such as time taken, number of clicks, and number of products added to the cart. We found that online buyers resort to reduced time to shop as a coping strategy to deal with the distress of buying embarrassing products. Our results provide evidence for customers' preference to complete the online buying process with minimum time and activities when high embarrassment products were involved, despite the provisioning of personalization. In other words, users were more concerned about their embarrassment for category of products irrespective of whether the website contents are personalized or not. These research findings would help e-commerce service providers to fine tune their web personalization and recommendation strategies.
Dietary phosphate restriction attenuates polycystic kidney disease in mice
Authors: Omede Faith , Zhang Shiqin , Johnson Cassandra , Daniel Emily , Zhang Yan , Fields Timothy A. , Boulanger Joseph , Liu Shiguang , Ahmed Ishfaq , Umar Shahid , Wallace Darren Paul , Stubbs Jason R.
Published: November 2019

Studies in rodents with reduced nephron mass have suggested a strong positive correlation between dietary phosphate consumption and CKD progression. Prior work by our group demonstrated that dietary phosphate restriction can prevent tubular injury and microcyst formation in rodents with glomerulonephritis. Tubular injury and cystic dilation of tubules are key contributors to kidney function decline in polycystic kidney disease (PKD). Here, we determined whether dietary phosphate restriction slows renal cyst growth and fibrosis in a mouse model of PKD. Pcy/pcy mice received a normal phosphate (0.54%) or a phosphate-restricted (0.02%) diet ( n = 10/group) from 7 to 20 wk of age. All of the other major dietary constituents, including protein source and content, were comparable between the two diets. At 20 wk, body weight, kidney weight-to-body weight ratio (KW/BW), cystic area, cyst number, and kidney fibrosis were quantified. Pcy/pcy mice fed a phosphate-restricted diet had lower serum phosphate, fibroblast growth factor 23, and parathyroid hormone levels, along with elevated serum calcium levels and increased kidney Klotho gene expression compared with mice that consumed the control diet. Dietary phosphate restriction resulted in a 25% lower KW/BW ratio and reduced the cyst number, cystic index, and gene expression for the tubular injury markers neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin and interleukin-18. Mice fed the phosphate-restricted diet exhibited lower kidney expression for pathways involved in collagen deposition and myofibroblast activation (collagen type I-α1, phosphorylated SMAD3, and α-smooth muscle actin); however, histological differences in kidney fibrosis were not appreciated. Dietary phosphate restriction slows cystogenesis and inhibits the activation of key pathways in the generation of kidney fibrosis in PKD mice.
Activation of GSDMD contributes to acute kidney injury induced by cisplatin
Authors: Li Yuanyuan , Xia Weiwei , Wu Mengying , Yin Jie , Wang Qian , Li Shuzhen , Zhang Aihua , Huang Songming , Zhang Yue , Jia Zhanjun
Published: November 2019

Cisplatin is one of the most effective antitumor agents, but its clinical use is highly limited by its severe side effects, especially nephrotoxicity. Recently, the active form of gasdermin D (GSDMD), termed GSDMD-N, was identified to mediate pyroptotic inflammatory cell death in several diseases. However, the role of the GSDMD-N fragment in cisplatin-induced acute kidney injury (AKI) remains unclear. In the present study, we found that pyroptosis was induced by cisplatin in both mouse kidney tissues and renal tubular epithelial cells, accompanied by increased expression of the GSDMD-N fragment. In GSDMD knockout mice with cisplatin-induced AKI, we found that cisplatin-induced loss of renal function, renal tubular injury, and inflammation was significantly attenuated compared with wild-type mice. Furthermore, the GSDMD-N fragment was overexpressed by an established rapid plasmid tail vein injection approach to evaluate the role of this cleaved form of GSDMD in AKI. As expected, mice with GSDMD-N fragment overexpression in the kidney were more susceptible to cisplatin-induced AKI than control mice, as evidenced by further elevated serum levels of blood urea nitrogen and creatinine, aggravated renal pathology, increased expression of neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin and kidney injury molecule-1, and enhanced renal inflammatory cytokine secretion, which indicates a pathogenic role of GSDMD-N in cisplatin-induced AKI by triggering cell pyroptosis. Similar results were also observed in renal tubular epithelial cells overexpressing the GSDMD-N fragment. Thus these findings suggested that the activation of GSDMD contributes to cisplatin-induced AKI, possibly through triggering pyroptosis.
Blockade of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 suppresses high glucose-induced angiotensinogen augmentation in renal proximal tubular cells
Authors: Satou Ryousuke , Cypress Michael W. , Woods T. Cooper , Katsurada Akemi , Dugas Courtney M. , Fonseca Vivian A. , Navar L. Gabriel
Published: November 2019

Renal proximal tubular angiotensinogen (AGT) is increased by hyperglycemia (HG) in diabetes mellitus, which augments intrarenal angiotensin II formation, contributing to the development of hypertension and kidney injury. Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) is abundantly expressed in proximal tubular cells (PTCs). The present study investigated the effects of canagliflozin (CANA), a SGLT2 inhibitor, on HG-induced AGT elevation in cultured PTCs. Mouse PTCs were treated with 5–25 mM glucose. CANA (0–10 µM) was applied 1 h before glucose treatment. Glucose (10 mM) increased AGT mRNA and protein levels at 12 h (3.06 ± 0.48-fold in protein), and 1 and 10 µM CANA as well as SGLT2 shRNA attenuated the AGT augmentation. CANA did not suppress the elevated AGT levels induced by 25 mM glucose. Increased AGT expression induced by treatment with pyruvate, a glucose metabolite that does not require SGLT2 for uptake, was not attenuated by CANA. In HG-treated PTCs, intracellular reactive oxygen species levels were elevated compared with baseline (4.24 ± 0.23-fold), and these were also inhibited by CANA. Furthermore, tempol, an antioxidant, attenuated AGT upregulation in HG-treated PTCs. HG-induced AGT upregulation was not inhibited by an angiotensin II receptor antagonist, indicating that HG stimulates AGT expression in an angiotensin II-independent manner. These results indicate that enhanced glucose entry via SGLT2 into PTCs elevates intracellular reactive oxygen species generation by stimulation of glycolysis and consequent AGT augmentation. SGLT2 blockade limits HG-induced AGT stimulation, thus reducing the development of kidney injury in diabetes mellitus.
Integrated Analysis of miRNA-mRNA Interaction Network in Porcine Granulosa Cells Undergoing Oxidative Stress
Authors: Du Xing , Li Qiqi , Cao Qiuyu , Wang Siqi , Liu Honglin , Li Qifa
Published: November 2019

Oxidative stress (OS), a common intracellular phenomenon induced by excess reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, has been shown to be associated with mammalian ovarian follicular development blockage and granulosa cell (GC) impairment. However, the mechanism involved in these effects remains unknown, and the effect of OS on the transcriptome profiles in porcine GCs has not been fully characterized. In this study, we found that hydrogen peroxide-mediated oxidative stress induced porcine GC apoptosis and impaired cell viability. Moreover, RNA-seq analysis showed that oxidative stress induced dramatic changes in gene expression in porcine GCs. A total of 2025 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified, including 1940 DEmRNAs and 55 DEmiRNAs. Functional annotation showed that the DEGs were mainly associated with cell states and function regulation. In addition, multiple hub genes (FOXO1, SOD2, BMP2, DICER1, BCL2L11, FZD4, ssc-miR-424, and ssc-miR-27b) were identified by constructing protein-protein interaction and DEmiRNA-DEmRNA regulatory networks. Furthermore, a gene-pathway-function coregulatory network was established and demonstrated that these hub genes were enriched in FoxO, TGF-β, Wnt, PIK3-Akt, MAPK, and cAMP signaling pathways, which play important roles in regulating cell apoptosis, cell proliferation, stress responses, and hormone secretion. The current research provides a comprehensive perspective of the effects of oxidative stress on porcine GCs and also identifies potential therapeutic targets for oxidative stress-induced female infertility.
Low-Thrust Trajectory Design Using Finite Fourier Series Approximation of Pseudoequinoctial Elements
Authors: Zhou Wanmeng , Li Haiyang , Wang Hua , Ding Ran
Published: November 2019

A new low-thrust trajectory design method is proposed that is based on the finite Fourier series method with pseudoequinoctial elements rather than the more common cylindrical coordinate components. The bijection relation between the elements and control variables is ensured by introducing an additional equality constraint derived from the angular momentum conservation. The guidance law and on-line control variables are obtained by applying inverse dynamics and the framework of inverse simulation technology, respectively. The pseudoequinoctial finite Fourier series method has the advantages of both the Fourier series and the perturbation analysis methods. For two-body problems, three cases were studied: the Earth to Mars, 1989ML, and Tempel-1 missions. Regarding the design of a rendezvous trajectory with a large inclination angle and a high eccentricity rate, this method yields a broader range of feasible results than the traditional Fourier series method. The circular restricted three-body problem was solved for the first time using the pseudoequinoctial finite Fourier series method combined with the patched conics method. The low-thrust Earth-Moon transfer was analyzed, and the results show that this method improves window analysis efficiency and guarantees precision of the initial geocentric trajectory for the low-thrust transfer.
Seismic Behaviour of Cast‐In‐Situ Phosphogypsum‐Reinforced Concrete Grid Frame Composite Walls
Authors: Wu Qin , Zhang Huagang , Chen Hongniao , Zhang Xin , Wei YanHui , Li Li , Ma Kejian
Published: November 2019

This paper mainly studies the effect of cast‐in‐situ phosphogypsum on seismic behaviour of reinforced concrete grid frame. The mechanical behaviour of three reinforced concrete grid frames and four cast‐in‐situ phosphogypsum‐reinforced concrete grid frame composite walls under low cycle alternating load was designed and tested. The test results show that the reinforced concrete grid frame has less bearing capacity and poor energy consumption. The addition of cast‐in‐situ phosphogypsum can effectively improve the seismic behaviour of the reinforced concrete grid frame. Compared with the reinforced concrete grid frame, the bearing capacity of the cast‐in‐situ phosphogypsum‐reinforced concrete grid frame composite wall is increased by 2‐3 times, the displacement ductility coefficient is increased by 0.95∼1.2 times, and the relative accumulative energy consumption is increased by 86%∼216%. This shows that the composite wall has better bearing capacity, ductility, and energy dissipation capacity.
Osteoarthritis Is a Low-Grade Inflammatory Disease: Obesity’s Involvement and Herbal Treatment
Authors: Zeddou Mustapha
Published: November 2019

Osteoarthritis (OA) is considered a major cause of disability around the globe. This handicapping disease causes important cartilage and bone alteration that is associated with serious pains and loss of joint function. Despite its frequent association with obesity, the aetiology of OA is not fully understood. In this review, the different aspects of OA and its correlation with obesity were analysed. Through examining different mechanisms by which obesity may trigger and/or exacerbate OA, we point out some relevant signalling pathways that may evolve as candidates for pharmacological drug development. As such, we also suggest a review of different herbal medicines (HMs) and their main compounds, which specifically interfere with the identified pathways. We have shown that obesity’s involvement in OA is not only limited to the mechanical weight exerted on the joints (mechanical hypothesis), but also induces an inflammatory state by different mechanisms, including increased leptin expression, compromised gut mucosa, and/or gut microbiota disruption. The main signalling pathways involved in OA inflammation, which are associated with obesity, are protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) and TLR4 or DAP12. Moreover, we also underline the contamination of plant extracts with LPS as an important factor to consider when studying HM’s effects on articular cells. By summarizing recent publications, this review aims at highlighting newly established aspects of obesity involvement in OA other than the mechanical one.
Experimental Research on the Transverse Effective Bending Rigidity of Shield Tunnels
Authors: Zheng Gang , Lei Yawei , Cui Tao , Cheng Xuesong , Diao Yu , Zhang Tianqi , Sun Jibin
Published: November 2019

The uniform rigidity ring model is commonly used to design the segmented structures of shield tunnels. However, model tests have been primarily used to study the transverse effective rigidity ratio η with a concentrated force, which is notably different from realistic loading patterns. To obtain more reasonable η values, in this study, tests were performed with a concentrated load on an experimental bench and with a realistic loading pattern in sandy soil in a rigid steel tank. Three types of segmental ring models were designed and tested: straight‐jointed, stagger‐jointed, and uniform rings. The test results indicated that the η values of the stagger‐jointed assembly mode were clearly larger than those of the straight‐jointed assembly mode under both loading patterns. η increased as the load increased under the realistic loading conditions, whereas η decreased as the load increased under the concentrated load. More importantly, the η values derived from the realistic load tests were considerably larger than those derived from the concentrated load tests for both assembly modes (i.e., 0.423–0.672 and 0.587–0.761 for the straight‐jointed and stagger‐jointed assembly modes, respectively), and the former should be recommended for practical engineering applications. Furthermore, formulas relating η to the ratio of the cover depth to the tunnel diameter were proposed for sandy soil.
Network Embedding‐Aware Point‐of‐Interest Recommendation in Location‐Based Social Networks
Authors: Guo Lei , Jiang Haoran , Liu Xiyu , Xing Changming
Published: November 2019

As one of the important techniques to explore unknown places for users, the methods that are proposed for point‐of‐interest (POI) recommendation have been widely studied in recent years. Compared with traditional recommendation problems, POI recommendations are suffering from more challenges, such as the cold‐start and one‐class collaborative filtering problems. Many existing studies have focused on how to overcome these challenges by exploiting different types of contexts (e.g., social and geographical information). However, most of these methods only model these contexts as regularization terms, and the deep information hidden in the network structure has not been fully exploited. On the other hand, neural network‐based embedding methods have shown its power in many recommendation tasks with its ability to extract high‐level representations from raw data. According to the above observations, to well utilize the network information, a neural network‐based embedding method (node2vec) is first exploited to learn the user and POI representations from a social network and a predefined location network, respectively. To deal with the implicit feedback, a pair‐wise ranking‐based method is then introduced. Finally, by regarding the pretrained network representations as the priors of the latent feature factors, an embedding‐based POI recommendation method is proposed. As this method consists of an embedding model and a collaborative filtering model, when the training data are absent, the predictions will mainly be generated by the extracted embeddings. In other cases, this method will learn the user and POI factors from these two components. Experiments on two real‐world datasets demonstrate the importance of the network embeddings and the effectiveness of our proposed method.
Networked Base‐Stock Inventory Control in Complex Distribution Systems
Authors: Ignaciuk Przemysław , Wieczorek Łukasz
Published: November 2019

This paper addresses the resource distribution problem in logistic networks with a complex, multi‐echelon interconnection structure. The considered class of systems encompasses two types of nodes: controlled nodes subject to inventory management decisions and sources providing goods to the system to sustain the sales. The stock gathered at the controlled nodes is used to satisfy an exogenous, uncertain demand that may be placed at any controlled node. The stock is replenished from the sources and other controlled nodes, and the flow of goods proceeds with positive lead‐time delay. The network topology does not assume any structural simplifications typically considered in inventory control problems, i.e., the nodes can form a link with any other node which leads to a mesh, multi‐echelon structure. The contribution of this paper is twofold: First, the classical order‐up‐to policy is analyzed formally with respect to such nontrivial connectivity architectures, and conditions for full demand satisfaction under any bounded demand pattern are established. Next, a networked extension of the classical policy is proposed. The introduced networked policy is shown to generate smaller holding costs while maintaining the same service level as the classical policy. The formal study is supported by numerical tests involving genetic algorithms and simulation‐based optimization.
Immunological Dynamics Associated with Direct-Acting Antiviral Therapies in Naive and Experimented HCV Chronic-Infected Patients
Authors: Pereira Grenda Leite , Tarragô Andréa Monteiro , Neves Walter Luiz Lima , da Silva Neto Pedro Vieira , de Souza Priscila Sarmento , dos Santos Affonso Juliana , de Sousa Keyla Santos , da Silva Jéssica Albuquerque , Costa Allyson Guimarães , da Silva Victoria Flamir , Victoria Marilu Barbieri , Malheiro Adriana
Published: November 2019

The therapeutic strategies used in the treatment of hepatitis C are essentially based on the combination of direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs). This therapy has been shown to be very effective in relation to patient adherence to treatment and has shown high rates of sustained virological response (SVR). However, the immunological dynamics of patients infected with HCV is poorly understood. This fact led us to investigate the immune system of naive and experienced patients, who we followed before the therapy and three months after the end of treatment. In this study, 35 naive and experienced Brazilian patients with chronic hepatitis C and 50 healthy donors (HD group) were studied. The analysis of the soluble immunological biomarkers was performed using the flow cytometry methodology. The SVR rate was >90% among the 35 patients. Before treatment, correlations in the naive HCV group demonstrated a mix of inflammatory response occurring with moderate correlations between chemokines, inflammatory cytokines, and Th2 profile, with a strong regulation between IL-10 and IL-17A. On the other hand, experienced patients demonstrated a poor interaction between cytokines, chemokines, and cells with a strong correlation between IL-10, IL-6, CXCL-10, and CD8+ besides the interactions between IFN-γ and IL-4. Furthermore, naive and experienced patients seem to have a distinct soluble biomarker profile; therefore, a long-term follow-up is needed to evaluate patients treated with DAAs.
Laboratory Investigation and Modelling of the Thermal-Mechanical Properties of Soil in Shallow Mineralized Groundwater Area
Authors: Xia Zhao , Liu Xiaoming , Gu Jiali
Published: November 2019

The capillary rise of shallow mineralized groundwater can contribute to the salinization of the soil layers. The excessive salt amounts adversely affect soil physical and mechanical properties, as well as the heat transfer performance, all of which are key factors with regard to the design of geothermal-related earth structures such as geothermal energy piles (GEP), ground source heat pumps (GSHP), and earth-air tunnel heat exchangers (EATHE). Therefore, in this study, the thermal-mechanical properties of saline soils are systematically investigated. A series of thermal and mechanical response tests were carried out under different salinity conditions, and the shear wave velocity-stress behavior of saline soil was measured using a modified oedometric cell coupled with an anchored bender element pair. Experimental results showed that saline soils generally have higher dry density and lower optimum moisture content at higher salt contents. The shear strength of saline soil increased about 5% while the salt concentrations of bulk solution increased from 0 mol/kg to 6 mol/kg, and the shear wave velocity increased by 50% to 83% when the normal load increased from 12.5 kPa to 250 kPa for sodium chloride- (NaCl-) treated soil and 39% to 52% for calcium chloride- (CaCl2-) treated soil. In addition, the thermal conductivity decreased by 0.121 W m-1 K-1 for NaCl-treated soil and 0.129 W m-1 K-1 for CaCl2-treated soil on average when the salt concentration increased from 0 mol/kg to 6 mol/kg. Finally, an elastic shear modulus (G0) model and a thermal conductivity (K) model were formulated for saline soil for the first time, and the effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed models were validated by comparisons of the model predicted values and experimental data.
Plasma-Treated CVD Graphene Gas Sensor Performance in Environmental Condition: The Role of Defects on Sensitivity
Authors: Capote Mastrapa Gil , Freire Fernando Lazaro
Published: November 2019

In this work, a low-cost resistive gas sensor based on graphene grown by CVD was fabricated and its sensitivity was studied in terms of defect density. CVD graphene was transferred using Polyurethane as sacrifice layer with low contamination and defect-free results. An atmospheric plasma etching system was used to homogeneously induce defects on the sensor’s active area, as investigated through Raman spectroscopy. Device sensing properties were significantly enhanced for greater defect density for both NH3 and NO2. The modified sensors were submitted to different concentrations of both target gas to assess detection limits and overall behavior. It was revealed that defective CVD graphene devices possess sensitivity up to ppm range with linear dependence in the range of values measured. The fabricated sensors presented little to no signal degradation after months of atmospheric exposure.
Preliminary Evaluation of the HOBO Data Logging Rain Gauge at the Chuzhou Hydrological Experiment Station, China
Authors: Zhou Zehui , Yong Bin , Liu Jiufu , Liao Aimin , Wang Niu , Zhu Ziwei , Lu Dekai , Li Wang , Zhang Jianyun
Published: November 2019

As a tipping bucket rain gauge, the HOBO Data Logging Rain Gauge RG3-M (RG3-M) has been widely used for the field precipitation observation owing to its superiority of independent power supply by a small portable battery. To quantify the measurement accuracy of the RG3-M gauge, a standard Manual Gauge (MG) and eight other models of tipping bucket rain gauges were installed at the Chuzhou hydrological experiment station of China. In this study, we first compared and investigated the accumulated mounts of 18 rainfall events of two RG3-M gauges benchmarked by the standard MG. Then, five typical rainfall events were chosen to further analyse the observed accuracy of the RG3-M gauge for different rainfall intensities at hourly temporal scale. Finally, the impacts of wind speed and rainfall intensity on the precipitation measurements of the RG3-M gauge were preliminarily explored. Results indicate that the RG3-M gauge measurement generally underestimates rainfall approximately −4% against the standard MG observation, but the maximum deviation even reaches −12.87%. In terms of the hourly rainfall process, the reliable measurement scope of the RG3-M gauge is ranging from 1.5 to 3 mm/h; however, it should be noted that the underestimation is rather significant at the higher rainfall rates (>6 mm/h). Last, it was found that rainfall intensity is a nonnegligible factor for influencing the measurement of the RG3-M gauge. But the windy effect seems to be insignificant in our experiments, which might be attributed to the similar exposure of the compared gauges.
The Tale of a Disappearing Lagoon: A Habitat Mapping and Ecological Assessment of Fosu Lagoon, Ghana
Authors: Essel Bernard , Gyesi Justice Kwame , Addo Richmond Kofi , Galley Wisdom , MacCarthy Gideon
Published: November 2019

Coastal regions of Ghana are primarily engaged in sea and lagoon fishing. Like many lagoons in Ghana, Fosu lagoon is a major source of livelihood for its surrounding communities. However, the lagoon and its associated marsh vegetation is under serious threat from human-induced interference. Due to this, the lagoon is considered as one of the most polluted lagoons in Ghana. Also, studies reveal that a major conservation challenge is the lack of inventory for the lagoon’s associated vegetation. Hence, the research was to map and assess the lagoon’s habitat and identify threats to the lagoon. In achieving the research objectives, remote sensing and GIS technique were used to effectively map the lagoon and the catchment area. The result indicated that the Fosu lagoon is characterized by a massive decline in lagoon size and the vegetation cover. Thus, the standing water has declined by 50.2 acres from 1970 to 2017 to physical development and weeds. Also, it was evident in the result that the lagoon’s vegetation is now fragmented into six various vegetation types and the weeds in the lagoon make approximately one-third of the lagoon’s vegetation cover. Also, adding to the threat of the lagoon were high levels of plastic waste and metal pollution. Hence, if current trend continues, the possibility of further degradation is very high. The main impact of this research was to provide evidence to the gradual disappearance of the Fosu lagoon.
Resting-State Functional Network Scale Effects and Statistical Significance-Based Feature Selection in Machine Learning Classification
Authors: Guo Hao , Li Yao , Mensah Godfred Kim , Xu Yong , Chen Junjie , Xiang Jie , Chen Dongwei
Published: November 2019

In recent years, functional brain network topological features have been widely used as classification features. Previous studies have found that network node scale differences caused by different network parcellation definitions significantly affect the structure of the constructed network and its topological properties. However, we still do not know how network scale differences affect the classification accuracy, performance of classification features, and effectiveness of the feature selection strategy using P values in terms of the machine learning method. This study used five scale parcellations, involving 90, 256, 497, 1003, and 1501 nodes. Three local properties of resting-state functional brain networks were selected (degree, betweenness centrality, and nodal efficiency), and the support vector machine method was used to construct classifiers to identify patients with major depressive disorder. We analyzed the impact of the five scales on classification accuracy. In addition, the effectiveness and redundancy of features obtained by the different scale parcellations were compared. Finally, traditional statistical significance (P value) was verified as a feature selection criterion. The results showed that the feature effectiveness of different scales was similar; in other words, parcellation with more regions did not provide more effective discriminative features. Nevertheless, parcellation with more regions did provide a greater quantity of discriminative features, which led to an improvement in the accuracy of the classification. However, due to the close distance between brain regions, the redundancy of parcellation with more regions was also greater. The traditional P value feature selection strategy is feasible with different scales, but our analysis showed that the traditional P<0.05 threshold was too strict for feature selection. This study provides an important reference for the selection of network scales when applying topological properties of brain networks to machine learning methods.
Response of Aeroengine with Fusing Design Suffering FBO
Authors: Ma Chi , Chen Wei , Liu Lulu , Zhao Zhenhua , Luo Gang
Published: November 2019

The loss of fan blades in an aeroengine, or fan-blade out (FBO), is a type of accident that causes a sudden imbalance and large impact load, which leads to complex vibration of a system. To conduct a dynamic analysis of an aeroengine rotor system is an important requirement for relevant departments. The purpose of this paper is to study the dynamic response of a complex dual-rotor system suffering FBO events and the protective effect of the fusing structure on the system. The dynamic model of an aeroengine dual-rotor system is established, and the response of the rotor system is obtained by calculation and analysis. The rear support bearing of the fan has a high reaction force, which may lead to bearing failure. The mechanism of a fusing structure is analyzed, and the results show that the sudden imbalance will produce impact loads on the rotor, resulting in a sharp increase in the vibration amplitude and reaction force, and then, attenuation to steady state. The fusing structure can reduce the amplitude of steady-state rotor vibration and reaction force on the support bearings. However, the transient response of the rotor will increase because of the sudden change in support stiffness.
Prognostic Value of Combined Detection of Serum IL6, YKL-40, and C-reactive Protein in Patients with Unresectable Pancreatic Cancer
Authors: Chen Inna M. , Johansen Astrid Z. , Dehlendorff Christian , Jensen Benny V. , Bojesen Stig E. , Pfeiffer Per , Bjerregaard Jon K. , Nielsen Svend Erik , Andersen Fahimeh , Holländer Niels H. , Yilmaz Mette K. , Rasmussen Louise S. , Johansen Julia S.
Published: November 2019

Background:

IL6 and YKL-40 (also known as chitinase 3-like 1 protein, CHI3L1) are produced by pancreatic cancer cells and macrophages and activate inflammation. C-reactive protein (CRP) is synthesized mainly in hepatic cells and primarily stimulated by IL6. The aim of this study was to determine the prognostic value of combined detection of serum IL6, YKL-40, and CRP in patients with pancreatic cancer receiving palliative chemotherapy.

Methods:

In all, 592 patients with unresectable pancreatic cancer from five hospitals in Denmark were included in the BIOPAC biomarker study between 2008 and 2017. Pretreatment and longitudinal serum values of IL6 and YKL-40 were determined. Baseline CRP and CA19-9 values were available for the whole cohort. Patients were dichotomized as low versus high using cutoffs for IL6 of >4.92 pg/mL, YKL-40 of >95% age-corrected percentile, and CRP of >10 mg/L. The main outcome was overall survival.

Results:

Combined elevations of serum IL6, YKL-40, and CRP were associated with worse survival in contrast to an isolated high concentration of a single marker. Serum IL6, YKL-40, and CRP were higher in patients with advanced stage disease and in patients with poor performance status. Higher IL6 and YKL-40 levels at the time of tumor progression and serum IL6 measured over time were associated with shorter overall survival.

Conclusions:

Combined high baseline serum levels of IL6, YKL-40, and CRP are associated with poor survival.

Impact:

Assessment of systemic inflammation via measurements of IL6, YKL-40, and CRP may be important for pancreatic cancer prognostication.
Prooxidative Role of Hyperinsulinemia in Metabolic Sydrome Formation
Authors: Uzbekova Nelli , Musakhodjaeva Dilorom Abdullaevna
Published: November 2019

The pattern of hyperinsulinemia was studied in patients with metabolic syndrome. The levels of basal insulinemia (BI), malondialdehyde (MDA) and catalaze (CA) as an index of oxidative stress and some metabolic parameters have been studied in men and women with metabolic syndrome. Basal insulinemia correlated significantly with malondialdehyde levels both in men and women. Close relationship was also found between basal insulinemia and waist circumference.
Immunomodulatory Effects of Papain in Patients with Cervical Ectopies
Authors: Musakhodjeva Dilorom Abdullaevna , Yuldashev Marufjon Abidovich , Nuraliev Neqqadam Abdullaevich , Sabitova Rano Turdievna , Yangieva Gulnara , Fayzullaeva Nigora Yakhayevna
Published: November 2019

The study detected that in patients with cervical ectopia production of cytokines (TNFα, IL-4 и IL-10) was significantly altered. The degree of changedepended on the presence or absence of infection. Conducted therapy withherbal enzyme - papain contributed to the cupping of inflammation andnormalization of the concentration of the studied cytokines.
ICDS Scheme to the Growth Development in Preschoolers: A Systematic Review of Literature
Authors: Joseph Jemy Elizabeth
Published: November 2019

The health scenario in our country is rapidly changing, both in terms of the public health challenges that we face as well as our response to these challenges. As India becomes more and more developed and we have greater means at our disposal, our response to our health challenges must reflect our changing health and socio-economic status. India faces enormous challenges in the area of women’s and children’s health. These findings point to the importance of investing in various growth factors and sanitation, and educating the public about hygiene to promote health knowledge and better child outcomes. As importantly, such investments have the potential of making the feeding program more effective. ICDS therefore takes holistic view of the development of the child and attempts to improve both his/her prenatal and postnatal environment. Accordingly, besides children in their formative years (0-6 years), women between 15 to 45 years are also covered by the programme as these are child bearing years in the life of a women and her nutrition and health status has a bearing on the development of the child.
Fish Marketing Status with Formalin Treatment in Bangladesh
Authors: Goon Shatabdi , Bipasha Munmun , Islam Md. Saiful , Hossain Md. Bellal
Published: November 2019

Fish possess an extremely strong cultural attachment considering irreplaceable animal food source in Bangladeshi diet beset with nutritional importance. It has been getting endangered by abominable practice of formalin in marketing leaded by some deceitful traders counting profit beyond ethical attainment and endangering public health. This paper outlines the formalin extremity with a several years practice in fish marketing involving almost 5% city markets with a petty heterogeneity comprising contrastive and potential strategy with formalin access. Regardless, this formalin corruption affiliated with deleterious health aggravations both for traders and consumers, comes out with impotency in workforce contravening economical influence on overall national prosperity.
Parity Early Stage of Marriage with Incidence of Postpartum Depression
Authors: Ambarwati Eny Retna , Listiyani Ria
Published: November 2019

Postpartum depression is a condition that may be experienced by women. If it is not addressed properly, it will have a negative impact. Determine the correlation between parity and the early stage of the marriage with the incidence of postpartum depression. This research used analytic observational method with cross sectional approach. The population in this research was postpartum mothers in Maternal Hospital Leonisa. The sampling was done using purposive sampling technique. The data analysis was done with univariate and bivariate analysis using Chi-square.The correlation between parity and the incidence of postpartum depression obtains the result of x2 count of 22.864 and p value of 0.000 with df2 and the significance level of (α) at 5% (0.05) x table at 5.591. Therefore, Ho is rejected and Ha is accepted. The correlation between the early stage of the marriage variable with the incidence of postpartum depression obtains a result of x2 count of 12.965 and p value of 0.000 with df 1, the significance level at 5% (0.05), x table at 3.481, therefore, Ho is rejected and Ha is accepted. There is a correlation between parity and the early stage of the marriage with the incidence of postpartum depression.
The Impact of Environmental Factors on Malaria Prevalence in a Peri-Urban Community in Kwara State, Nigeria
Authors: Mokuolu Olubunmi Ajike , D Adegboye Oluwayemisi , A Mokuolu Olugbenga
Published: November 2019

There is a consensus on the relationship between Malaria Prevalence (MP) and Environmental Factors (EF); however, there is a dearth of published data providing this evidence in a quantifiable way. This community based study was undertaken to identify the magnitude of the relationship between MP and key environmental factors in Okelele, Ilorin East Local Government Area of Kwara State, Nigeria. A multi-staged sampling procedure was adopted for the selection of 501 children from 200 households. Children under the age of 14 years in the selected households were sampled to obtain baseline MP using malaria Rapid Diagnostic Test (mRDT) kit. Key household informant interviews and structured questionnaire were used. Relevant socio-demographic characteristics of the households, EF and non EF were determined. Acquired data was analyzed using statistical tools to determine the relationship between various independent variables and mRDT. Variables were also entered into a multiple regression equation for the generation of a mathematical model. Ethical consent was obtained from the parents before samples were taken.The study showed that EF contributed to MP in the study area.  Integrated waste management system, and regular environmental sanitation were recommended.