bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Enhanced polynomial kernel (EPK)–based support vector machine (SVM) (EPK‐SVM) classification technique for speech recognition in hearing‐impaired listeners
Authors: S Pavithra , S Janakiraman
Published: March 2019

Automatic speech recognition of Tamil Language with Hearing‐Impaired becomes difficult task in recent decades. In order to deal with the challenges with speech perception in hostile listening situations, Noise Reduction (NR) algorithms have been developed with the aim of improving the speech intelligibility (SI), speech quality, and ease of listening. Even though the noises are removed, extraction of correct features from the speech becomes difficult task. The major aim of this work is to introduce a Classification Technique for Speech Recognition in Hearing‐Impaired Listeners. The binary mask along with its binary weights and the Wiener filter with constant weights form the representatives of a hard and a soft‐decision scheme for time‐frequency masking. In the proposed Log Frequency Power Coefficients (LFPC), Pitch, Mel‐Frequency Cepstral Coefficients (MFCCs), Energy, formants, and intensity as input feature vectors are extracted from preprocessed signals. Then, for automatic speech recognition process, Enhanced Polynomial Kernel (EPK)–based Support Vector Machine (SVM) (EPK‐SVM) classifier is proposed for Hearing Impaired in Tamil language is implemented in MATLAB software. The results obtained showed that SVM is found to be potential in hearing‐impaired application and is validated via the use of the recognition accuracy and error rate.
LBBESA: An efficient software‐defined networking load‐balancing scheme based on elevator scheduling algorithm
Authors: Li Qiliang , Cui Jie , Zhong Hong , Du Yichao , Luo Yonglong , Liu Lu
Published: March 2019

Elevator scheduling algorithms generally denote methods used to calculate how to use the elevator. These algorithms can distribute elevators to various floors of a building, thereby achieving efficient transportation. From the perspective of the elevator scheduling problem, we address the load‐balancing problem for software‐defined networking (SDN) architecture and propose a load‐balancing method based on the elevator scheduling algorithm, LBBESA. We take advantage of the flexibility of the SDN architecture, obtain the real‐time load of the server through real‐time statistical analyses of the SDN switch port traffic by the controller, and combine this with the idea of regional elevator allocation to coordinate the connection of the client's requests and realize the load balancing of each server in the cluster. Simulation experiments show that, compared with the round‐robin algorithm, LBBESA is more effective in the load balancing of the server pool and can improve the throughput of the server pool to a certain extent. In addition, our scheme is easy to implement and has high scalability.
Gas‐Phase Synthesis of Triphenylene (C18H12)
Authors: Zhao Long , Xu Bo , Ablikim Utuq , Lu Wenchao , Ahmed Musahid , Evseev Mikhail M. , Bashkirov Eugene K. , Azyazov Valeriy N. , Howlader A. Hasan , Wnuk Stanislaw F. , Mebel Alexander M. , Kaiser Ralf I.
Published: March 2019

The front cover artwork is provided by Long Zhao and Ralf I. Kaiser. The image shows the triphenylene molecule as a potential precursor to two‐dimensional graphite nanosheets in the interstellar medium, which can be formed without entrance barrier at temperatures as low as 10 K in molecular clouds. Read the full text of the Communication at 10.1002/cphc.201801154.
Synthesis of 2′‐deoxy‐4‐aminopyridinylpseudocytidine Derivatives for Incorporation Into Triplex Forming Oligonucleotides
Authors: Taniguchi Yosuke , Wang Lei , Okamura Hidenori , Sasaki Shigeki
Published: March 2019

This unit describes the detailed synthetic protocol for the preparation of the phosphoramidite units of the 2′‐deoxy‐4‐aminopyridinylpseudocytidine derivatives. These C‐nucleoside derivatives are useful units for the incorporation into triplex forming oligonucleotides (TFOs) to form the stable triplex DNA containing the CG interrupting sites. Commercially available 1‐methyl‐2′‐deoxypseudouridine is prepared from thymidine and 5‐iodo‐uracil by a simple method, that is, coupling of glycal and 5‐iodo‐1‐methyluracil by the Heck reaction, followed by desilylation and diastereoselective reduction. The carbonyl group at the 4 position of the pseudouridine derivative is activated by 3‐nitorotriazole and treated with the corresponding aromatic amine compounds to produce the 2′‐deoxy‐4‐aminopyridinylpseudocytidine derivatives. These derivatives are then successfully converted to the phosphoramidite units and incorporated into the oligodeoxynucleotides. © 2019 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Mathematical analysis of the signal propagation characteristics of neuronal networks
Authors: Kobayashi Yuya , Akao Akihiko , Shirasaka Sho , Kotani Kiyoshi , Jimbo Yasuhiko
Published: March 2019

It is important to understand the relationship between spatiotemporal patterns of neuronal populations and information processing of the brain for medical and engineering purposes. Although, there are some methods to record neuronal population, basically only the information about firing rate can be obtained from those methods. Therefore, some methods are suggested to estimate the internal state of the neuronal population from the information about firing. In this research, we investigated the relationship between firing rates and responses to external electrical stimuli by using neuronal population models. We developed a method to manipulate neuronal parameters to make neuronal populations exhibit different dynamical properties while keeping firing rates intact. As a result, we found that there are some cases where the internal states are different even though they share the same firing rate. This result suggests that there is some information that cannot be obtained by using only the information about firing rates.
Living on the edge: trailing edge forests at risk of fire‐facilitated conversion to non‐forest
Authors: Parks Sean A. , Dobrowski Solomon Z. , Shaw John D. , Miller Carol
Published: March 2019

Forests are an incredibly important resource across the globe, yet they are threatened by climate change through stressors such as drought, insect outbreaks, and wildfire. Trailing edge forests—those areas expected to experience range contractions under a changing climate—are of particular concern because of the potential for abrupt conversion to non‐forest. However, due to plant‐climate disequilibrium, broad‐scale forest die‐off and range contraction in trailing edge forests are unlikely to occur over short timeframes (<~25–50 yr) without a disturbance catalyst (e.g., wildfire). This underscores that explicit attention to both climate and disturbance is necessary to understand how the distribution of forests will respond to climate change. As such, we first identify the expected location of trailing edge forests in the intermountain western United States by mid‐21st century. We then identify those trailing edge forests that have a high probability of stand‐replacing fire and consider such sites to have an elevated risk of fire‐facilitated transition to non‐forest. Results show that 18% of trailing edge forest and 6.6% of all forest are at elevated risk of fire‐facilitated conversion to non‐forest in the intermountain western United States by mid‐21st century. This estimate, however, assumes that fire burns under average weather conditions. For a subset of the study area (the southwestern United States), we were able to incorporate expected fire severity under extreme weather conditions. For this spatial subset, we found that 61% of trailing edge forest and 30% of all forest are at elevated risk of fire‐facilitated conversion to non‐forest under extreme burning conditions. However, due to compounding error in our process that results in unknowable uncertainty, we urge caution in a strict interpretation of these estimates. Nevertheless, our findings suggest the potential for transformed landscapes in the intermountain western United States that will affect ecosystem services such as watershed integrity, wildlife habitat, wood production, and recreation.
Optimization of wind farm layout considering wake effect and multiple parameters
Authors: Markarian Shant , Fazelpour Farivar , Markarian Elin
Published: March 2019

The output power of wind farms in real world applications is lower than the theoretical output which is largely due to wake effect. So as to maximize the output power, the wake effect of upstream wind turbines on downstream ones should be attenuated. Thus, arrangement of wind turbines in a wind farm is an essential issue that needs to be tackled. This study pursues the aim of finding an optimal layout. Initially, Jensen wake model is applied to simulate the wake effect. Then, genetic algorithm is employed to optimize the wind farm layout considering multiple factors that include different hub heights, rotor diameters, variable induction factors, power and capacity factor curves. Three cases including constant wind–constant direction, constant wind–variable direction and variable wind–variable direction are studied and compared with previous studies. The results indicate that the efficiency of the wind farm for case 1 is 96.71% which is a high record comparing to the previous literature. For Case 2 and 3, the annual wind farm capacity factor (CF) is found to be 97.96 and 97.51%. The power output of Case 1, 2, and 3 are 5.6855 × 108 kWh, 5.6694 × 108 kWh, and 4.5572 × 108 kWh, respectively. © 2019 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 38:e13146, 2019
Biomimetic and bioinspired membranes for water purification: A critical review and future directions
Authors: Wagh Priyesh , Escobar Isabel C.
Published: March 2019

Various types of channel proteins, broadly named porins, present in the cell membrane of gram‐negative bacteria have specific functionalities depending on their selectivity toward different nutrients or toward water. The high selectivity of porins has led to their incorporation into synthetic systems, in a field called biomimetics. An example is the addition of water channel proteins, or aquaporins, to polymeric separations membranes in order to enhance their performance in terms of selectivity and permeability. The concept of incorporating aquaporins into synthetic membranes has been studied for the last 10 years; however, there are still limitations such as costs, alignment into the membrane assembly, and scalability of membrane fabrication. Therefore, in recent years, there has been an increase in the study of synthesizing molecules with similar structure–function relationships of porins. These artificial channels attempt to mimic the biological porins, while being synthesized using simpler chemistry, being solvent compatible, and requiring less space on the membrane surface which helps to incorporate more channels into the membrane assembly. In summary, the future of biomimetic and bioinspired membranes depends on the design strategies, level of nature imitation, and the performance of these systems on a commercial scale. © 2019 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 38:e13215, 2019
Out‐of‐sample volatility prediction: A new mixed‐frequency approach
Authors: Zhang Yaojie , Ma Feng , Wang Tianyi , Liu Li
Published: March 2019

This paper proposes a new mixed‐frequency approach to predict stock return volatilities out‐of‐sample. Based on the strategy of momentum of predictability (MoP), our mixed‐frequency approach has a model switching mechanism that switches between generalized autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity (GARCH)‐class models that only use low‐frequency data and heterogeneous autoregressive models of realized volatility (HAR‐RV)‐type that only use high‐frequency data. The MoP model simply selects a forecast with relatively good past performance between the GARCH‐class and HAR‐RV‐type forecasts. The model confidence set (MCS) test shows that our MoP strategy significantly outperforms the competing models, which is robust to various settings. The MoP test shows that a relatively good recent past forecasting performance of the GARCH‐class or HAR‐RV‐type model is significantly associated with a relatively good current performance, supporting the success of the MoP model.
Biofacies and diagenetic alterations of the Pleistocene coral reefs, northwest Red Sea coast, Saudi Arabia
Authors: Kahal Ali Y. , El‐Sorogy Abdelbaset S. , Alfaifi Hussain J. , Almadani Sattam , Kassem Osama M.
Published: March 2019

Middle to Late Pleistocene coral reefs stretch in three discontinuously elevated units above the present sea level between Duba and Sharma along the Red Sea coast, northwest Saudi Arabia. They correspond to MIS 5, MIS 7, and MIS 9 of the deep sea cores. Each unit exhibits prominent terraces as a result of the onlap during different sea levels, erosion during transgression, and tectonic uplift. Framestones, bafflestones, bindstones, packstones, grainstones and floatstones of coral, algal, and other bioclasts are the main microfacies types recorded from these reefal units and their internal sediment. The lower and the upper units exhibited a vertical pattern of a transgressive sequence, starting at the base with a coral assemblage of coral rock zone and graded into the upper reef slope community at the top, while the middle one exhibited a regressive sequence. Corals progressively changed from aragonite in the lower unit to calcite in the upper one by meteoric leaching of the trabeculae, and the cements changed from marine aragonitic needles and peloidal Mg‐calcite in the lower unit to blocky and dog teeth cements and silica in the middle and upper units. The gravel lenses within coral colonies of the upper unit with plagioclase, epidote, and fractured quartz grains are attributed to a granitic province from the hinterland mountains, driven to the reef during rainy periods.
Vascular endothelial growth factor increases the function of calcium‐impermeable AMPA receptor GluA2 subunit in astrocytes via activation of protein kinase C signaling pathway
Authors: Kou Zeng‐Wei , Mo Jia‐Lin , Wu Kun‐Wei , Qiu Mei‐Hong , Huang Ya‐Lin , Tao Feng , Lei Yu , Lv Ling‐Ling , Sun Feng‐Yan
Published: March 2019

Astrocytic calcium signaling plays pivotal roles in the maintenance of neural functions and neurovascular coupling in the brain. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), an original biological substance of vessels, regulates the movement of calcium and potassium ions across neuronal membrane. In this study, we investigated whether and how VEGF regulates glutamate‐induced calcium influx in astrocytes. We used cultured astrocytes combined with living cell imaging to detect the calcium influx induced by glutamate. We found that VEGF quickly inhibited the glutamate/hypoxia‐induced calcium influx, which was blocked by an AMPA receptor antagonist CNQX, but not D‐AP5 or UBP310, NMDA and kainate receptor antagonist, respectively. VEGF increased phosphorylation of PKCα and AMPA receptor subunit GluA2 in astrocytes, and these effects were diminished by SU1498 or calphostin C, a PKC inhibitor. With the pHluorin assay, we observed that VEGF significantly increased membrane insertion and expression of GluA2, but not GluA1, in astrocytes. Moreover, siRNA‐produced knockdown of GluA2 expression in astrocytes reversed the inhibitory effect of VEGF on glutamate‐induced calcium influx. Together, our results suggest that VEGF reduces glutamate‐induced calcium influx in astrocytes via enhancing PKCα‐mediated GluA2 phosphorylation, which in turn promotes the membrane insertion and expression of GluA2 and causes AMPA receptors to switch from calcium‐permeable to calcium‐impermeable receptors, thereby inhibiting astrocytic calcium influx. The present study reveals that excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate‐mediated astrocytic calcium influx can be regulated by vascular biological factor via activation of AMPA receptor GluA2 subunit and uncovers a novel coupling mechanism between astrocytes and endothelial cells within the neurovascular unit.
Proposal for a simplified classification of IMD based on a pathophysiological approach: A practical guide for clinicians
Authors: Saudubray Jean‐Marie , Mochel Fanny , Lamari Foudil , Garcia‐Cazorla Angeles
Published: March 2019

In view of the rapidly expanding number of IMD discovered by next generation sequencing, we propose a simplified classification of IMD that mixes elements from a clinical diagnostic perspective and a pathophysiological approach based on three large categories. We highlight the increasing importance of complex molecule metabolism and its connection with cell biology processes. Small molecule disorders have biomarkers and are divided in two subcategories: accumulation and deficiency. Accumulation of small molecules leads to acute or progressive postnatal “intoxication”, present after a symptom‐free interval, aggravated by catabolism and food intake. These treatable disorders must not be missed! Deficiency of small molecules is due to impaired synthesis of compounds distal to a block or altered transport of essential molecules. This subgroup shares many clinical characteristics with complex molecule disorders. Complex molecules (like glycogen, sphingolipids, phospholipids, glycosaminoglycans, glycolipids) are poorly diffusible. Accumulation of complex molecules leads to postnatal progressive storage like in glycogen and lysosomal storage disorders. Many are treatable. Deficiency of complex molecules is related to the synthesis and recycling of these molecules, which take place in organelles. They may interfere with fœtal development. Most present as neurodevelopmental or neurodegenerative disorders unrelated to food intake. Peroxisomal disorders, CDG defects of intracellular trafficking and processing, recycling of synaptic vesicles, and tRNA synthetases also belong to this category. Only few have biomarkers and are treatable. Disorders involving primarily energy metabolism encompass defects of membrane carriers of energetic molecules as well as cytoplasmic and mitochondrial metabolic defects. This oversimplified classification is connected to the most recent available nosology of IMD.
Mechanisms for the maintenance and regulation of axonal energy supply
Authors: Chamberlain Kelly Anne , Sheng Zu‐Hang
Published: March 2019

The unique polarization and high‐energy demand of neurons necessitates specialized mechanisms to maintain energy homeostasis throughout the cell, particularly in the distal axon. Mitochondria play a key role in meeting axonal energy demand by generating adenosine triphosphate through oxidative phosphorylation. Recent evidence demonstrates how axonal mitochondrial trafficking and anchoring are coordinated to sense and respond to altered energy requirements. If and when these mechanisms are impacted in pathological conditions, such as injury and neurodegenerative disease, is an emerging research frontier. Recent evidence also suggests that axonal energy demand may be supplemented by local glial cells, including astrocytes and oligodendrocytes. In this review, we provide an updated discussion of how oxidative phosphorylation, aerobic glycolysis, and oligodendrocyte‐derived metabolic support contribute to the maintenance of axonal energy homeostasis.
Improving the prediction skill for China summer rainfall through correcting leading modes in Beijing Climate Center's Climate System Model
Authors: Wang Xiaojuan , Liu Li , Hu Po , Gong Zhiqiang , Feng Guolin
Published: March 2019

In this study, the performance of Beijing Climate Center's Climate System Model (BCC_CSM) is analysed in terms of China summer rainfall prediction, especially its capability to reproduce the spatial structure and temporal variation of the leading modes of empirical orthogonal function decomposition. Results show that the BCC_CSM has predictability for the summer mean rainfall pattern, namely, reproducing more rainfall in South China and maritime area, and less rainfall in North China and inland area. The model can reproduce the spatial pattern of the first two leading modes of observed summer rainfall; however, it fails to show correct interannual variability of the first two principle components, which may lead to a low skill in summer rainfall anomaly prediction over most parts of China. The leading mode‐based correction (LMC) method is then applied for the post processing procedure to correct prediction errors. Cross validation confirms that the LMC method can integrate the historical spatial pattern information of observed summer rainfall with the original model prediction, making the corrected model output better reflect spatial structure of the leading modes and their interannual variation. Compared with the original model output, the positive temporal correlation coefficient area for the corrected China summer rainfall anomalies is thus increased, and the average spatial correlation coefficient during 1991–2015 is improved from −0.01 before the correction to 0.17. The LMC method shows its potential for improving the prediction skill of BCC_CSM, which can be used in operational prediction.
Process network modularity, commonality, and greenhouse gas emissions
Authors: Dooley Kevin J. , Pathak Surya D. , Kull Thomas J. , Wu Zhaohui , Johnson Jon , Rabinovich Elliot
Published: March 2019

A process network is a complex system of linked unit processes that constitute the life cycle of a product. In this article, we consider how the structural and functional characteristics of a product's process network impact the network's collective greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. At a unit process level, GHG emissions are primarily related to process efficiency. We hypothesize that a process network's GHG emissions will be less when the process network has a modular structure and when its constituent unit processes are more functionally similar. A modular process network architecture promotes autonomous innovation and improvements in knowledge management and problem‐solving capabilities, leading to more efficient processes. Functional commonality in a process network enables economies of scale and knowledge spillover and also leads to process efficiencies, thus reducing GHG emissions. We test these two hypotheses using a sample of 4,189 process networks extracted from an environmental life cycle inventory database. Empirical results support our hypotheses, and we discuss the implications of our findings for product development and supply network design.
Single‐stage advanced versus rotated flaps in the treatment of gingival recessions: A 5‐year longitudinal randomized clinical trial
Authors: de Santana Ronaldo Barcellos , de Mello Fonseca Edgard , Furtado Maira B. , de Santana Carolina Miller Mattos , Dibart Serge
Published: March 2019

Background

The objective of the present study was to compare the efficacy of single‐stage laterally positioned flap (LPF) and coronally advanced flap (CAF) techniques in the treatment of localized maxillary gingival recession (GR) defects, 1 and 5 years after surgical procedures.

Methods

Thirty‐six patients with Miller Class I GR defects were randomly assigned to be treated by either CAF (n = 18) or LPF (n = 18). Recession height (RECH), width of keratinized tissue (WKT), probing depth (PD), vertical clinical attachment level (VAL), visual plaque score (VPS), and bleeding on probing (BOP) were assessed and compared. Clinical recordings were performed at baseline, 1 and 5 years later. The differences between initial clinical recordings and after 1 and 5 years were subjected to statistical analysis.

Results

Both flap designs effectively improved RECH and VAL on GR defects. The LPF resulted in significantly more gains in KTW and root coverage (RC) after 5 years.

Conclusion

LPF and CAF procedures may be used for the treatment of GR, however, LPF results in greater longitudinal stability of RC and increased WKT in the treated areas.
Meniscus‐Targeted Injections for Chronic Knee Pain Due to Meniscal Tears or Degenerative Fraying: A Retrospective Study
Authors: Wilderman Igor , Berkovich Rachel , Meaney Christopher , Kleiner Omer , Perelman Vsevolod
Published: March 2019

Objectives

Meniscal tears caused by acute trauma or degenerative fraying affect a wide array of individuals. An effective, long‐lasting treatment has widely been sought after. Intra‐articular corticosteroid injections have been among the methods of controlling pain for more than 60 years. However, such injections tend to produce short‐lasting results, with profound effects lasting an average of up to 4 weeks. The purpose of this study was to determine the average duration and magnitude of pain relief after meniscal‐targeted injections.

Methods

The electronic medical records of 135 patients were accessed for this retrospective chart review. Patients who had meniscal tears or degenerative fraying and were treated with meniscal‐targeted injections were selected. Patients’ visual analog scale (VAS) pain scores (before and after treatment) were recorded, along with the percentage of pain relief and duration of pain relief.

Results

Ultrasound‐guided meniscus‐targeted corticosteroid injections for meniscal tears or degenerative fraying produced 5.68 (SD, 5.28) weeks of pain relief on average, with a decrease in pain from initial to follow‐up visits of 2.14 (P < .0001) as per the visual analog scale score, and an Integral of Pain Relief score of 3.98.

Conclusions

Our findings indicate a substantial benefit from 20‐ or 40‐mg meniscus‐targeted triamcinolone injections, granted the limitations of chart review research and no control group comparison. Results highlight the need for future prospective research comparing meniscus‐targeted injections with intra‐articular injections to identify a better modality for treating patients with chronic knee pain caused by meniscal tears or degenerative fraying.
Divalent Sialylated Precision Glycooligomers Binding to Polyomaviruses and the Effect of Different Linkers
Authors: Baier Mischa , Rustmeier Nils H. , Harr Joachim , Cyrus Norbert , Reiss Guido J. , Grafmüller Andrea , Blaum Bärbel S. , Stehle Thilo , Hartmann Laura
Published: March 2019

Divalent precision glycooligomers terminating in N‐acetylneuraminic acid (Neu5Ac) or 3′‐sialyllactose (3′‐SL) with varying linkers between scaffold and the glycan portions are synthesized via solid phase synthesis for co‐crystallization studies with the sialic acid‐binding major capsid protein VP1 of human Trichodysplasia spinulosa‐associated Polyomavirus. High‐resolution crystal structures of complexes demonstrate that the compounds bind to VP1 depending on the favorable combination of carbohydrate ligand and linker. It is found that artificial linkers can replace portions of natural carbohydrate linkers as long as they meet certain requirements such as size or flexibility to optimize contact area between ligand and receptor binding sites. The obtained results will influence the design of future high affinity ligands based on the structures presented here, and they can serve as a blueprint to develop multivalent glycooligomers as inhibitors of viral adhesion.
Phase Diagram of Hierarchical Structures Formed from A(BC)2B Multiblock Copolymers
Authors: Hu Weiguo , Shao Zhanwei , Zhang Di , Xu Yuci
Published: March 2019

Due to more than two length scales properties, hierarchical structures, which can combine several properties and respond to multi external conditions, have attracted the continuing attention over the past decades. The corresponding phase diagram of different hierarchical structures is crucially important for the observation of these morphologies. In this paper, the phase diagram of these hierarchical structures in A(BC)2B multiblock copolymer is calculated, including hierarchical lamellae, hierarchical cylinder, and hierarchical sphere (also termed as onion‐like sphere), leading to the identification of the correspondingly stable region. Interestingly, as end block fA increases, the hierarchical phase transition sequence at low χBCN, which is D→S3→C3→L5→L3→C→S→D, is different from that at larger χBCN (LB/C→S3→L5→L3→C→S→D), where lamella formed by B and C blocks is the dominated phase at small A volume fraction. In addition, the perpendicular lamellae at much higher χBCN are observed, which are consistent with the experimental observation of perpendicular lamellae. Importantly, this phase diagram has great guidance for the experimental observation of different hierarchical nanostructures.
Cyclic nucleotides in archaea: Cyclic di‐AMP in the archaeonHaloferax volcaniiand its putative role
Authors: Braun Frank , Thomalla Laura , van der Does Chris , Quax Tessa E. F. , Allers Thorsten , Kaever Volkhard , Albers Sonja‐Verena
Published: March 2019

The role of cyclic nucleotides as second messengers for intracellular signal transduction has been well described in bacteria. One recently discovered bacterial second messenger iscyclicdi‐adenylatemonophosphate (c‐di‐AMP), which has been demonstrated to be essential in bacteria. Compared to bacteria, significantly less is known about second messengers in archaea. This study presents the first evidence of in vivo presence of c‐di‐AMP in an archaeon. The model organismHaloferax volcaniiwas demonstrated to produce c‐di‐AMP. Its genome encodes one diadenylate cyclase (DacZ) which was shown to produce c‐di‐AMP in vitro. Similar to bacteria, thedacZgene is essential and homologous overexpression of DacZ leads to cell death, suggesting the need for tight regulation of c‐di‐AMP levels. Such tight regulation often indicates the control of important regulatory processes. A central target of c‐di‐AMP signaling in bacteria is cellular osmohomeostasis. The results presented here suggest a comparable function inH. volcanii. A strain with decreased c‐di‐AMP levels exhibited an increased cell area in hypo‐salt medium, implying impaired osmoregulation. In summary, this study expands the field of research on c‐di‐AMP and its physiological function to archaea and indicates that osmoregulation is likely to be a common function of c‐di‐AMP in bacteria and archaea.
The operating efficiency of financial holding and nonfinancial holding banks—Epsilou‐based measure metafrontier data envelopment analysis model
Authors: Li Ying , Chiu Yung‐ho , Cen Hongyi , Lin Tai‐Yu
Published: March 2019

Previous bank efficiency studies assumed that the same efficient frontier system exists in different types of banks, but the conventional radial data envelopment analysis (DEA) model slacks are not counted in efficiency scores, and nonradial DEA models do not consider radial features. This paper develops an Epsilou‐based measure meta‐DEA approach for measuring the efficiencies and technology gaps of different bank types. The results are as the follows: The average efficiency and technology gaps of nonfinancial holding banks are better than those of financial holding banks. The nonfinancial holding banks are more efficient than financial holding banks in investment and other income.
Strain sensing based on a core diameter mismatch structure
Authors: Fernandes Cindy S. , Rocco Giraldi Maria Thereza M. , de Sousa Marco J. , Costa João C. W. A. , Rodrigues Leonardo D. , da Silva Filipe R. B. , Ferreira Gabriel F. , dos Reis Renan A. N.
Published: March 2019

In this paper, it is proposed and experimentally investigated a sensor structure based on a core diameter mismatch technique for strain sensing. An uncoated short section of multimode fiber is spliced between two standard single mode fibers forming the sensor structure, called the SMS (single‐mode‐multimode‐single‐mode) sensor. The proposed SMS sensor, in the strain analysis, generates destructive or constructive interference patterns as load or strain are applied, changing the power of the optical signal only, without varying the wavelength. The sensor configuration offers several motivating attributes, such as easy fabrication, low‐cost, high‐efficiency and high sensitivity, moreover allows interrogation of the optical signal using the transmitted or reflected total optical power. The results and these advantages indicate that the proposed SMS sensor device is suitable for strain measurement, which is helpful in a broad range of applications, for instance, structural health monitoring.
Similarity clustering‐based atlas selection for pelvic CT image segmentation
Authors: Kennedy Angel , Dowling Jason , Greer Peter B , Holloway Lois , Jameson Michael G , Roach Dale , Ghose Soumya , Rivest‐Hénault David , Marcello Marco , Ebert Martin A
Published: March 2019

Purpose

To demonstrate selection of a small representative subset of images from a pool of images comprising a potential atlas (PA) pelvic CT set to be used for autosegmentation of a separate target image set. The aim is to balance the need for the atlas set to represent anatomical diversity with the need to minimize resources required to create a high quality atlas set (such as multiobserver delineation), while retaining access to additional information available for the PA image set.

Methods

Preprocessing was performed for image standardization, followed by image registration. Clustering was used to select the subset that provided the best coverage of a target dataset as measured by postregistration image intensity similarities. Tests for clustering robustness were performed including repeated clustering runs using different starting seeds and clustering repeatedly using 90% of the target dataset chosen randomly. Comparisons of coverage of a target set (comprising 711 pelvic CT images) were made for atlas sets of five images (chosen from a PA set of 39 pelvic CT and MR images) (a) at random (averaged over 50 random atlas selections), (b) based solely on image similarities within the PA set (representing prospective atlas development), (c) based on similarities within the PA set and between the PA and target dataset (representing retrospective atlas development). Comparisons were also made to coverage provided by the entire PA set of 39 images.

Results

Exemplar selection was highly robust with exemplar selection results being unaffected by choice of starting seed with very occasional change to one of the exemplar choices when the target set was reduced. Coverage of the target set, as measured by best normalized cross‐correlation similarity of target images to any exemplar image, provided by five well‐selected atlas images (mean = 0.6497) was more similar to coverage provided by the entire PA set (mean = 0.6658) than randomly chosen atlas subsets (mean = 0.5977). This was true both of the mean values and the shape of the distributions. Retrospective selection of atlases (mean = 0.6497) provided a very small improvement over prospective atlas selection (mean = 0.6431). All differences were significant (P < 1.0E‐10).

Conclusions

Selection of a small representative image set from one dataset can be utilized to develop an atlas set for either retrospective or prospective autosegmentation of a different target dataset. The coverage provided by such a judiciously selected subset has the potential to facilitate propagation of numerous retrospectively defined structures, utilizing additional information available with multimodal imaging in the atlas set, without the need to create large atlas image sets.
A new ultrafast 3D gradient echo‐based imaging method using quadratic‐phase encoding
Authors: Ryu Jae‐Kyun , Han SoHyun , Oh Se‐Hong , Lee Joonsung , Kim Seong‐Gi , Park Jang‐Yeon
Published: March 2019

Purpose

To propose a novel 3D ultrafast gradient echo‐based MRI method, dubbed RASE, using quadratic‐phase encoding.

Theory and Methods

Several characteristics of RASE, including spin behaviors, spatial resolution, SNR, and reduction of susceptibility‐induced signal loss, were analytically described. A way of compensating for TE variation was suggested in the quadratic phase‐encoding direction. Lemon, in vivo rat and mouse images were demonstrated at 9.4T, including a feasibility study for DCE‐MRI as one of promising applications.

Results

RASE was successfully demonstrated by lemon and in vivo rat brain imaging, showing a good robustness to field inhomogeneity. Contribution of the quadratic phase to signal enhancement in a range of magnetic susceptibilities was also evaluated by simulation. Taking a geometric mean of 2 phantom data acquired with opposite gradient polarities effectively compensated for the effect of TE variation. Preliminary DCE‐MRI results were also presented, showing that RASE could more accurately estimate Gd concentration than FLASH.

Conclusion

RASE offers a shorter effective TE, having less sensitivity to field inhomogeneity and T2* effects, much less Nyquist ghosting or chemical‐shift artifacts than gradient echo EPI (GE‐EPI). We highly anticipate that RASE can be an alternative to GE‐EPI in many applications, particularly those requiring high spatial and temporal resolutions in a broad volume coverage.
3D‐multi‐spectral T2 mapping near metal implants
Authors: Bhave Sampada , Koff Matthew F. , Sivaram Kaushik S. , Potter Hollis G. , Koch Kevin M.
Published: March 2019

Purpose

Due to host‐mediated adverse reaction to metallic debris, there is an increasing need for noninvasive assessment of the soft tissue surrounding large joint arthroplasties. Quantitative mapping can be beneficial for tissue characterization and early diagnosis of tissue pathology but current mapping techniques lack the capability to image near metal hardware. A novel multi‐spectral mapping technique is proposed to address this unmet need.

Methods

A mapping pulse sequence based on routinely implemented 3D multi‐spectral imaging (3D‐MSI) pulse sequences is described and demonstrated. The 3D‐MSI pulse sequence is altered to acquire images at 2 echo times. Phantom and knee experiments were performed to assess the quantitative capabilities of the sequence in comparison to a commercially available mapping sequence. The technique was demonstrated for use within a clinical protocol in 2 total hip arthroplasty (THA) cases to assess variations within the periprosthetic joint space.

Results

The proposed multi‐spectral mapping technique agreed, within experimental errors, with values derived from a commercially available clinical standard of care mapping sequence. The same level of agreement was observed in quantitative phantoms and in vivo experiments. In THA cases, the method was able to assess variations of within the synovial envelope immediately adjacent to implant interfaces.

Conclusions

The proposed 3D‐MSI mapping sequence was successfully demonstrated in assessing tissue variations near metal implants.
Elastic analysis of ground movements around a tunnel considering a buoyant lining moving upwards
Authors: Liu Chenhui , Bezuijen Adam , Yang Min , Cachim Paulo
Published: March 2019

A complex variable solution is derived for the ground movements around a tunnel considering the lining at different positions in the drilled hole in a linear elastic half‐plane. The soil displacements for three different convergence patterns are presented and compared. It is shown that the surface settlement trough will become flatter and wider when the lining moves upwards; the horizontal displacements are more concentrated in the region below the lining; and the region influenced by displacements is wider. Most calculated settlement troughs can be well represented by Gaussian curves with simple parameters, but the obtained width parameters are larger than the traditional empirical values. The rigorous solution can be used as a simple tool to understand the fundamental mechanism of the lining buoyancy problem and as a benchmark for numerical procedures based on more sophisticated models. The importance of buoyancy effect on the displacement field should be taken into account.
Evidence‐based practice integration in hospital wards—The complexities and challenges in achieving evidence‐based practice in clinical nursing
Authors: Renolen Åste , Hjälmhult Esther , Høye Sevald , Danbolt Lars Johan , Kirkevold Marit
Published: March 2019

Aim

Exploring the processes involved in two different strategies to integrate evidence‐based practice into nursing practice.

Design

Classical grounded theory methodology was used.

Methods

Data were collected through 90 hr of observation and 4 focus groups among clinical nurses in two different hospital wards.

Results

We identified a multidimensional evidence‐based practice integration framework that illuminates the complexities involved in the integration process. The dimensions were approaches to evidence‐based practice, positions of evidence‐based practice and levels of evidence‐based practice. The interactions between the dimensions gave five combinations; an explicit evidence‐based practice performed as a parallel to daily work at the systems level, an implicit evidence‐based practice integrated into daily work at the systems level, an explicit evidence‐based practice integrated into daily work at the individual level, an explicit evidence‐based practice integrated into daily work at the systems level and an implicit evidence‐based practice integrated into daily work at the individual level.
Thermal conductivity of poly(L‐Lactic Acid) subjected to elongational deformations
Authors: Venerus David C. , Agarwal Abhilesh
Published: March 2019

The thermal conductivity of poly(L‐lactic acid) specimens subjected to uniaxial elongational deformations in the rubbery state followed by quenching is investigated experimentally. A novel optical technique known as forced Rayleigh scattering is used to measure two components of the thermal diffusivity tensor as a function of elongation. The component along the direction of elongation increases, while the component in the direction perpendicular to elongation decreases, relative to the equilibrium value. Measurements of the stress at the point of quenching, as well as the density and specific heat capacity, are also reported as a function of elongation. Anisotropy of the thermal conductivity tensor is more than 50% at moderate elongations, and it is found to be a nonlinear function of stress. The latter is in contrast to results found in previous studies where a linear relationship between thermal conductivity anisotropy and stress, or the stress‐thermal rule, has been observed for several amorphous polymer systems. Failure of the stress‐thermal rule is attributed to the presence of semicrystalline domains in the deformed samples. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys.2019,57, 547–553
Organic Molecule Adsorption on Stepped Si–Au Surfaces: Role of Functional Group on Geometry and Electronic Structure
Authors: Hogan Conor , Suchkova Svetlana , Bechstedt Friedhelm , Speiser Eugen , Chandola Sandhya , Esser Norbert
Published: March 2019

Stepped gold‐stabilized Si(111) surfaces offer much potential for self‐organized assembly of one‐ and two‐dimensional nanostructured arrays of organic molecules due to the presence of regular atomic chains of Au and Si on the surface, parallel to the step edges. In this theoretical study, the adsorption of various simple organic molecules with different functional groups on the Si(553)–Au surface has been investigated. It has been found that adsorption at the step edge site is favored by all species. If the step edge is first passivated by hydrogen, adsorption occurs on Si atoms on the terraces. Instead, adsorption on the gold chains is completely unfavored. The influence of organic molecule adsorption on the electronic band structure and surface metallicity is investigated.
Efficient Band Gap Engineering and Enhanced Optical Absorption of Vertical Germanene/h‐AlN Bilayer Heterostructure: Potential New Electronics and Optoelectronics
Authors: Gao Xu , Shen Yanqing , Ma Yanyan , Wu Shengyao , Zhou Zhongxiang
Published: March 2019

In this contribution, the structural, electronic, and optical properties of Ge/AlN heterostructure (HTS) using DFT calculations have been systematically investigated. The binding energies suggest it falling into the range of van der Waals (vdW) HTS. The changing interlayer distances are employed to obtain the modulated band gaps of 3–141 meV, confirming the interface engineering an efficient means to present significant semiconductor properties of the two‐dimensional (2D) devices. The results further demonstrate that both the external electric field (E‐field) and in‐plane strain can efficiently tune the band gaps of the Ge/AlN HTS. The charge transfer at the interface region causes a built‐in electric field (Eint), contributing to the efficient separation of the photoexcited electron–hole pairs and enhancing the carrier mobility in the systems. More interestingly, the presence of the linear evolution of the band gap under electric field indicates its application prospective in pressure sensors. Besides, a semiconductor‐to‐metal transition is observed for the Ge/AlN HTS through the application of an external E‐field, which implies its wide potential application in nano‐electronic and semiconductor devices. Relatively enhanced optical absorption is presented for the Ge/AlN HTS, respectively, in the visible range than isolated AlN monolayer, and in the ultraviolet light zone than Ge monolayer. These results predict enormous significance for the Ge/AlN HTS in the field of energy conversion and functional devices.
P‐Type Silicon Solar Cells with Passivating Rear Contact Formed by LPCVD p+ Polysilicon and Screen Printed Ag Metallization
Authors: Mack Sebastian , Lenes Martijn , Luchies Jan‐Marc , Wolf Andreas
Published: March 2019

The work shows a process flow for the fabrication of bifacial 244 cm2 large p‐type solar cells with a passivating rear contact formed by low pressure chemical vapor deposition of an in‐situ boron doped polysilicon layer. Contacting of both polarities is achieved by screen printing of a silver paste and contact firing. Contact resistance values are shown to heavily depend on firing set temperatures. In a first experiment, conversion efficiencies up to 20.4% are demonstrated.
Biofunctional soyasaponin Bb in peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) sprouts enhances bone morphogenetic protein‐2‐dependent osteogenic differentiation via activation of runt‐related transcription factor 2 in C2C12 cells
Authors: Kim Shin‐Hye , Yuk Heung Joo , Ryu Hyung Won , Oh Sei‐Ryang , Song Duk Young , Lee Kwang‐Sik , Park Kie‐In , Choi Sik‐Won , Seo Woo Duck
Published: March 2019

Improvement of bone formation is necessary for successful treatment of the bone defects associated with osteoporosis. In this study, we sought to elucidate the osteogenic activity of peanut sprouts and their bioactive components. We found that peanut sprout water extract (PSWE) enhanced bone morphogenetic protein‐2‐mediated osteoblast differentiation in a dose‐dependent manner by stimulating expression of runt‐related transcription factor 2 (Runx2) via activation of AKT/MAP kinases. We identified a major component of PSWE, soyasaponin Bb, as the bioactive compound responsible for improvement of anabolic activity. Soyasaponin Bb from PSWE enhanced expression of the osteogenic transcription factor Runx2 and alkaline phosphatase. The soyasaponin Bb content depended on sprouting time of peanut, and the anabolic action of PSWE was dependent on soyasaponin Bb content. Thus, PSWE and soyasaponin Bb have the potential to protect against bone disorders, including osteoporosis.