bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Motor Improvement-Related Regional Cerebral Blood Flow Changes in Parkinson’s Disease in Response to Antiparkinsonian Drugs
Authors: Taguchi Soutarou , Tanabe Nachi , Niwa Jun-ichi , Doyu Manabu
Published: March 2019

Little is known about the relationship between regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) change and clinical improvement in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD). Single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) measurement of cerebral blood flow allows evaluation of temporal changes in brain function, and using SPECT, we aimed to identify motor improvement-related rCBF changes in response to the administration of antiparkinsonian drugs. Thirty PD patients (16 without dementia; 14 with dementia) were scanned with technetium-99m labeled ethyl cysteinate dimer SPECT and were rated with the Movement Disorder Society-Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale part III, both before and after a single administration of antiparkinsonian drugs. The SPECT data were processed using Statistical Parametric Mapping 2, the easy Z-score Imaging System, and voxel-based Stereotactic Extraction Estimation. The rCBF responses in the deep brain structures after administration of antiparkinsonian drugs tended to be larger than those in cortical areas. Among these deep brain structures, the rCBF increases in the substantia nigra (SN), lateral geniculate (LG) body, and medial geniculate (MG) body correlated with drug efficacy (p<0.05, respectively). A subgroup analysis revealed that the motor improvement-related rCBF change in the MG was statistically significant, irrespective of cognitive function, but the significant changes in the LG and SN were not found in subjects with dementia. In conclusion, our SPECT study clearly exhibited drug-driven rCBF changes in PD patients, and we newly identified motor improvement-related rCBF changes in the LG and MG. These results suggest that rCBF changes in these regions could be considered as candidates for clinical indicators for objective evaluation of disease progression. Furthermore, functional studies focusing on the LG and MG, especially in relation to therapies using audio-visual stimuli, may bring some new clues to explain the pathophysiology of PD.
Preparation of a Cenosphere Curing Agent and Its Application to Foam Concrete
Authors: Liu Zhongwei , Zhao Kang , Tang Yufei , Hu Chi
Published: March 2019

Cenospheres are hollow and spherical particles extracted from fly ash. Controllable separation of cenosphere particles with different densities and sizes can be realized by controlling the density of a flotation solution of cenospheres. In this paper, cenospheres were corroded by hydrofluoric acid to produce perforated pores on their shell surfaces. Then, the cenospheres were mixed with water to prepare the cenosphere curing agent. Foam concrete was prepared using ordinary Portland cement (42.5 R), vegetable protein foaming agent, fly ash, cenospheres, and the cenosphere curing agent as raw materials. The water absorption rate of the cenosphere curing agent was 156.0 wt.%, and 85% of the loaded water was released at a relative humidity of 97.4%, which met the microenvironment requirements of foam concrete. Addition of the cenosphere curing agent during foam concrete preparation has the following positive functions for foam concrete: inhibiting autogenous shrinkage, promoting the hydration degree, improving the state of the interfacial transition zone between cenospheres and the hardened cement paste, reducing the number of connected pores, relieving the stress concentration on the pore walls, and enhancing the compression strength of the foam concrete.
Nonlocal Telegraph Equation in Frame of the Conformable Time-Fractional Derivative
Authors: Bouaouid Mohamed , Hilal Khalid , Melliani Said
Published: March 2019

We use the cosine family of linear operators to prove the existence, uniqueness, and stability of the integral solution of a nonlocal telegraph equation in frame of the conformable time-fractional derivative. Moreover, we give its implicit fundamental solution in terms of the classical trigonometric functions.
Mobile Learning System for Egyptian Higher Education Using Agile-Based Approach
Authors: Elkhateeb Menna , Shehab Abdulaziz , El-bakry Hazem
Published: March 2019

Nowadays, due to easiness and expansion in property of smart mobile devices, it is becoming inevitable for mobile applications to have an important role in higher education systems. The Egyptian public universities are facing the problem of students’ large number enrolled in each year. Thus, we lack proper communication between educators and learners. Mobile learning can solve that problem, and it enables adjustment of the curriculum to meet students' learning time and life situations. It provides different solutions better than traditional educational methods. Students and professors could exchange educational material or information even if they are not in the same class. Furthermore, the cost of universities’ materials reduced, as all course materials can be found online through mobile applications. This paper proposes a mobile learning system named “Easy-Edu.” The proposed system intended to make the learning process easier, focus on students’ needs, and encourage communication and collaboration between students and professors and supports collaborative scenario-based learning for university students. Unlike other traditional systems, the proposed “Easy-Edu” was built using an Agile-based approach that delivers sustainable and high-quality mobile learning system. In addition, it eliminates the chances of absolute system failure and detects and fixes issues faster. Summarily, everything related to the design and implementation of “Easy-Edu” is discussed.
Biological Safety Studies and Simultaneous Determination of Linagliptin and Synthetic Impurities by LC-PDA
Authors: Heleno Ferreira Raquel Balestri , Duarte Jonathaline Apollo , Ferreira Flávio Dias , Oliveira Luis Flávio Souza de , Machado Michel Mansur , Malesuik Marcelo Donadel , Paula Fávero Reisdorfer , Steppe Martin , Schapoval Elfrides Eva Shermann , Paim Clésio Soldateli
Published: March 2019

A stability-indicating LC method was developed for quantification of linagliptin (LGT) and three synthetic impurities. The method utilizes a Thermo Scientific® RP-8 column (100 mm × 4.6 mm; 5 μm) with the PDA detector for quantitation of impurities. A mixture of 0.1% formic acid with pH 3.5 (A) and acetonitrile (B) was used as the mobile phase at a flow rate of 0.6 mL·min−1with gradient elution. The percentage of mobile phase B increases from 30% to 70% over 5 min and decreases from 70% to 30% between 5 and 8 min. The method was validated according to International Council for Harmonization (ICH) guidelines. The LOD values obtained were 0.0171 μg·mL−1and 0.015 μg·mL−1for LGT and impurities, respectively. The LOQ values were 0.06 μg·mL−1for LGT and impurities. In all cases, the correlation coefficients of LGT and impurities were >0.999, showing the linearity of the method. The % recovery of the LGT and added impurity were in the range of 92.92–99.79%. The precision of the method showed values less than 1.47% for LGT and less than 4.63% for impurities. The robustness was also demonstrated by small modifications in the chromatographic conditions. The selectivity was evidenced because the degradation products formed in stress conditions did not interfere in the determination of LGT and impurities. Toxicity prediction studies suggested toxicity potential of the impurities, which was confirmed using biological safety studies in vitro.
Bilinear Multipliers on Banach Function Spaces
Authors: Blasco Oscar
Published: March 2019

Let X1,X2,X3 be Banach spaces of measurable functions in L0(R) and let m(ξ,η) be a locally integrable function in R2. We say that m∈BM(X1,X2,X3)(R) if Bm(f,g)(x)=∫R∫Rf^(ξ)g^(η)m(ξ,η)e2πi<ξ+η,x>dξdη, defined for f and g with compactly supported Fourier transform, extends to a bounded bilinear operator from X1×X2 to X3. In this paper we investigate some properties of the class BM(X1,X2,X3)(R) for general spaces which are invariant under translation, modulation, and dilation, analyzing also the particular case of r.i. Banach function spaces. We shall give some examples in this class and some procedures to generate new bilinear multipliers. We shall focus on the case m(ξ,η)=M(ξ-η) and find conditions for these classes to contain nonzero multipliers in terms of the Boyd indices for the spaces.
Evaluating Performance of Sesame (Sesamum indicumL.) Genotypes in Different Growing Seasons in Northern Ethiopia
Authors: Baraki Fiseha , Berhe Muez
Published: March 2019

Ethiopia is one of the famous and major producers of sesame in sub-Saharan Africa, and Ethiopian sesame is among the highest quality in the world. The experiment was conducted in Northern Ethiopia for three growing seasons (2013–2015) under a rain fed condition with the objective of identifying high-yielding genotypes and their agronomic traits. The experiment consisted of twelve genotypes laid down in randomized complete block design with three replications. The genotype, year, and genotype × year interaction components showed statistically highly significant variation (p<0.001) for most of the agronomic traits which clearly confirms the presence of genotype × year interaction in this study. The highest combined mean grain yield (906.3 kg/ha) was obtained from Hirhir followed by Serkamo white (756.5 kg/ha), and from the three growing seasons, the highest grain yield (1161.5 kg/ha) was recorded from Hirhir grown in the second growing season (2014). The growing seasons were different from one another in allowing the genotypes to have a different performance, and all of the agronomic traits, except thousand seed weight, were statistically different across the three growing seasons. In the ordination of the genotypes and agronomic traits, PCA1, which accounted for 38.3% of the variation, was positively associated with grain yield, branches per plant, length of the pod-bearing zone, plant height, number of pods per plant, number of seeds per pod, and thousand seed weight. On the contrary, PCA2, which accounted for 19.7% of the variation, was positively associated with days to 50% flowering and days to 50% maturity.
Integral Means Inequalities, Convolution, and Univalent Functions
Authors: Girela Daniel , González Cristóbal
Published: March 2019

We use the Baernstein star-function to investigate several questions about the integral means of the convolution of two analytic functions in the unit disc. The theory of univalent functions plays a basic role in our work.
An Effective Bayesian Method for Probability Fatigue Crack Propagation Modeling through Test Data
Authors: Du Xu , He Yuting , Zhang Tianyu , Gao Chao , Zhang Teng , Zhang Sheng
Published: March 2019

Fatigue crack growth test for 2A12‐T4 aluminum alloy was conducted under constant amplitude loading, and the scatter of fatigue crack growth was analyzed by using experimental data based on mathematical statistics. A probabilistic modeling method was introduced to describe the crack growth behavior of 2A12‐T4 aluminum alloy. The posterior distribution of model parameter is obtained based on diffuse prior distribution and fatigue crack test data, which is through Bayesian updating. Based on posterior samples of model parameter, the simulation steps and approach give us the crack length exceedance probability, the cumulative distribution function of loading cycle number, and scatter of crack length and loading cycle number, of which simulation results were used to verify the veracity and superiority of the proposed model versus the experimental results. In the present study, it can be used for the reliability assessment of aircraft cracked structures.
Antibiotic Susceptibility Pattern and Biofilm Formation in Clinical Isolates of Enterococcus spp.
Authors: Shridhar Sridevi , Dhanashree Biranthabail
Published: March 2019

Enterococcus is a commensal in the intestine and is now emerging as a drug-resistant pathogen. It produces different virulence factors. Enterococcus surface protein (esp) is a virulence factor that helps in the adhesion, but its role in biofilm formation is still contradictory. Moreover, in many bacterial species, strong biofilm producer exhibits multidrug resistance. Hence, this study is done to know the antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of Enterococcus spp. and to correlate the drug resistance with biofilm production and esp gene. Enterococcal isolates were collected from various clinical specimens. Antibiotic susceptibility testing was done by disc diffusion, and biofilm production was performed by microtiter plate method. PCR was performed for detection of esp gene. Two E. faecium strains resistant to vancomycin and high-level aminoglycoside (HLAR) were non-biofilm-producers and did not harbor esp gene. However, other biofilm-producing E. faecium harbored esp gene, and this association was found to be statistically significant (p=0.024). It was observed that there was no significant association between biofilm formation and presence of esp gene in E. faecalis. Moreover, a significant correlation was not found between drug resistance and biofilm production in both Enterococcus species. Thus, biofilm formation is not always associated with the presence or absence of esp gene and or drug resistance in Enterococcus spp.
Contamination Potentials of Household Water Handling and Storage Practices in Kirundo Subcounty, Kisoro District, Uganda
Authors: Agensi Alexander , Tibyangye Julius , Tamale Andrew , Agwu Ezera , Amongi Christine
Published: March 2019

Introduction. Waterborne diseases constitute a major public health burden in developing and underdeveloped countries. Consumption of contaminated water causes health risk to the public, and the situation is alarming in rural areas. The objective of this study was to assess the contamination potentials of different house water handling and storage practices in the Kirundo subcounty, Kisoro District, Uganda. Material and Methods. A cross-sectional and descriptive study in which 344 water samples were collected randomly and analysed for bacteriological contamination, total coliforms (TCs) and Escherichia coli per 100 ml, using the Most Probable Number (MPN) technique and reported in terms of CFU/100 ml. Results. The 43.2% samples from unprotected water sources had total coliforms and 34.1% had Escherichia coli. In analysed household drinking water, 25% had total coliforms and 8.7% had Escherichia coli. Most drinking water sources were found to have coliform counts above the recommended national and international guidelines. There was a statistically significant difference among water sources with respect to total coliforms and Escherichia coli (p<0.05). Conclusion. The overall results indicated that there is a strong linkage between microbiological water quality and water source sanitation; hence, the protected water source was safer than unprotected water sources. For the unprotected water sources, protection strategies as well as monitoring are recommended for this community.
User Engagement Associated with Web-Intervention Features to Attain Clinically Meaningful Weight Loss and Weight Maintenance in Rural Women
Authors: Hageman Patricia A. , Mroz Joseph E. , Yoerger Michael A. , Pullen Carol H.
Published: March 2019

Objective. Purely web-based weight loss and weight-loss maintenance interventions show promise to influence behavior change. Yet, little is known about user engagement with features of web-based interventions that predict clinically meaningful weight loss (≥5% bodyweight loss). This study examines level of website feature engagement with the likelihood of attaining ≥5% bodyweight loss after 6 and 18 months participation in a web-based intervention, among rural women at high risk of obesity-related diseases and disability. Methods. In this secondary analysis of clinical trial data of 201 rural women, we examined weight change and user engagement, measured as clicks on specific web-based intervention features (messaging and self-tracking), as associated with clinically meaningful weight loss (baseline to 6 months) and weight-loss maintenance (6 to 18 months). Results. Generalized estimating equations, adjusted for age, intervention group, and intervention phase, revealed high engagement with messaging predicted whether women achieved ≥5% weight loss at 6 months and at 18 months. There was no effect of self-tracking. Conclusions. Being engaged with messages was associated with attaining clinically meaningful short-term and longer-term weight loss. This trial is registered with NCT01307644.
Healthcare Workers’ Perspectives on the Barriers to Providing HIV Services to Children in Sub-Saharan Africa
Authors: Mutambo Chipo , Hlongwana Khumbulani
Published: March 2019

Background. In order to accelerate the HIV response to meet the UNAIDS 90-90-90 indicators for children, healthcare workers need to lead a scale-up of HIV services in primary healthcare settings. Such a scale-up will require investigation into existing barriers that prevent healthcare workers from effectively providing those services to children. Furthermore, if the identified barriers are not well understood, designing context-specific and effective public health response programmes may prove difficult. Objective. This study reviews the current literature pertaining to healthcare workers' perspectives on the barriers to providing HIV services to children in the primary care setting in Sub-Saharan Africa. Methods. English articles published between 2010 and April 2018 were searched in electronic databases including Sabinet, MEDLINE, PubMed, and Google Scholar. Key search words used during the search were “healthcare workers’ perspectives” and “barriers to providing HIV testing to children” OR “barriers to ART adherence AND children” and “barriers to HIV disclosure AND children.” Results. There are various barriers to provider-initiated counselling and testing (PICT) of children and disclosure of HIV status to children, including the following: lack of child-friendly infrastructure at clinics; lack of consensus on legal age of consent for both HIV testing and disclosure; healthcare worker unfamiliarity with HIV testing and disclosure guidelines; lack of training in child psychology; and confusion around the healthcare worker’s role, which most believed was only to provide health education and clinical services and to correct false information, but not to participate in disclosure. Additionally, primary caregivers were reported to be a barrier to care and treatment of children as they continue to refuse HIV testing for their children and delay disclosure. Conclusion. Training, mentoring, and providing healthcare workers with guidelines on how to provide child-focused HIV care have the potential to address the majority of the barriers to the provision of child-friendly HIV services to children. However, the need to educate primary caregivers on the importance of testing children and disclosing to them is equally important.
Polymer Concentration and Solvent Variation Correlation with the Morphology and Water Filtration Analysis of Polyether Sulfone Microfiltration Membrane
Authors: Alvi Muhammad Azeem U. R. , Khalid Muhammad Waqas , Ahmad Nasir M. , Niazi Muhammad Bilal K. , Anwar Muhammad Nabeel , Batool Mehwish , Cheema Waqas , Rafiq Sikandar
Published: March 2019

Microfiltration flat sheet membranes of polyether sulfone (PES) were fabricated by incorporating varying concentrations of polymer and investigated the influence of substituting solvents. The membranes were prepared via immersion precipitation method. Different solvents that included NMP (N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone), DMF (dimethylformamide), and THF (tetrahydrofuran) were used to analyse their effect on the performance and morphology of the prepared membranes. Two different coagulation bath temperatures were used to investigate the kinetics of membrane formation and subsequent effect on membrane performance. The maximum water flux of 141 ml/cm2.h was observed using 21% of PES concentration in NMP + THF cosolvent system. The highest tensile strength of 29.15 MPa was observed using membrane prepared with 21% PES concentration in NMP as solvent and coagulation bath temperature of 25°C. The highest hydraulic membrane resistance was reported for membrane prepared with 21% PES concentration in NMP as solvent. Moreover, the lowest contact angle of 67° was observed for membrane prepared with 15% of PES concentration in NMP as solvent with coagulation bath temperature of 28°C. Furthermore, the Hansen solubility parameter was used to study the effect on the thermodynamics of membrane formation and found to be in good correlation with experimental observation and approach in the present work.
Experimental Strength of Earth-Based Construction Materials in Different Regions of China
Authors: Zhang Kun , Lu Bairu , Wang Yihong , Lei Zhijun , Yang Zhanshen
Published: March 2019

According to the latest UN statistics, more than 2 billion people in the world still live in various forms of earthen buildings, including some in China. The variety of earth-based constructional materials is significant among different regions, with each region influencing the selection of local earth construction materials. In this study, earth materials from four regions of China were collected and sorted, with 10 samples from each source, and cube compressive strength tests were performed to analyze the composition and mechanical properties of the four materials, including northeast black earth, southeast red earth, northwest loess, and Xinjiang yellow sand earth. The results showed that significant differences existed in the composition of earth-based constructional materials from different regions, which have influence on the materials’ compressive strength. The order from large to small of compressive strengths was loess, black earth, yellow sandy earth, and red earth. Material load-displacement curves were influenced significantly by the plasticity index, but the overall failure processes of the various samples were basically the same.
Experimental Study of New Insulation Lightweight Concrete Block Floor Based on Perlite Aggregate, Natural Sand, and Sand Obtained from Marble Waste
Authors: Alyousef Rayed , Benjeddou Omrane , Soussi Chokri , Khadimallah Mohamed Amine , Jedidi Malek
Published: March 2019

The purpose of the present study is to recover marble waste and expanded perlite aggregate (EPA) for use as an additive to cementitious matrix building materials. The main goal is to produce a new insulation block floor from lightweight concrete (LC) by mixing sand from the waste marble crushing process (SWM), natural sand, and EPA. First, optimal mixture of natural sand, SWM, and EPA was determined for a given insulation LC. To this end, plate and cubic specimens were prepared by varying the volume proportion of SWM to natural sand in percentages of 0, 20, 40, 60, 80, and 100. Mechanical and physical properties such as the compressive strength, thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity, specific heat capacity, and sound reduction index at different frequencies were investigated. Finally, a prototype of a new insulation lightweight block floor was manufactured from the optimal mixture of the studied LC. The results showed that the incorporation of SWM significantly improved the mechanical properties and the thermal insulation of LC compared to those of the natural sand. These results are promising and give the present insulation block floor the opportunity to be used in composite slabs.
Decreased Levels of Histidine-Rich Glycoprotein in Advanced Lung Cancer: Association with Prothrombotic Alterations
Authors: Winiarska Aleksandra , Zareba Lech , Krolczyk Grzegorz , Czyzewicz Grzegorz , Zabczyk Michal , Undas Anetta
Published: March 2019

Background. Histidine-rich glycoprotein (HRG) displays anticoagulant and antifibrinolytic properties in animal models, but its effects in humans are unclear. We investigated serum HRG levels and their associations with the disease stage and prothrombotic alterations in lung cancer (LC) patients.Methods. In 148 patients with advanced LC prior to anticancer therapy (87 non-small-cell LC and 61 small-cell LC) versus 100 well-matched controls, we measured HRG levels in association with clot permeability (Ks), clot turbidimetry (lag phase and maximum absorbance), and clot lysis time (CLT).Results. Compared to controls, LC patients had 45.9% lower HRG levels with no associations with demographics and comorbidities. Decreased HRG, defined as the 90thpercentile of control values (<52.7 μg/ml), was 16 times more common in subjects with than without LC (OR=16.4, 95% CI 9.2-23.5,p<0.01).HRG<38 μg/ml discriminated stage IIIAB/limited disease from IV/extensive disease (ED) LC. In LC patients, HRG correlated inversely with CLT (r=−0.41,p<0.001), but not with other fibrin variables. Among stage IV/ED LC, HRG correlated significantly withKsand lag phase (r=0.28andr=0.33, respectively, bothp<0.001). LC patients with lowKs(10thpercentile of control values) combined with prolonged CLT (90thpercentile of control values) had reduced HRG levels compared to the remainder (p=0.003). No such observations were noted in controls.Conclusions. Our study is the first to show that decreased HRG levels occur in advanced LC and are associated with the disease stage and hypofibrinolysis.
Quantifying the Impact of Weather Events on Travel Time and Reliability
Authors: Zhang Xu , Chen Mei
Published: March 2019

It is of practical significance to understand the specific impact of weather events on the operating condition of the surface transportation system so that proactive and reactive strategies can be quickly implemented by transportation agencies to minimize the negativity resulted from adverse weather events. Many studies have been conducted on quantifying such effects yet suffer from limitations such as subjectively defining a time window under uncongested conditions and not being able to account for the severe impact from weather events which result in travel time unreliability. To overcome those shortcomings in existing literature, an integrated data mining framework based on decision tree and quantile regression techniques is developed in this study. The results demonstrate that the approach is effective in characterizing time periods with different traffic characteristics and quantifying the impact of rain and snow events on both congestion and reliability aspects of the transportation system. It is observed that snow events impose more significant impact on travel times than that from rain events. In addition, the impact from weather events is even more severe on travel time reliability than average delay. The impact magnitude is directly related to the level of recurrent congestion under study. Other insights with regard to the capability of quantile regression and future improvement on the methodological design are also offered.
Gait Analysis of Patients Subjected to the Atrophic Mandible Augmentation with Iliac Bone Graft
Authors: Cansiz Erol , Karabulut Derya , Dogru Suzan Cansel , Akalan Nazif Ekin , Temelli Yener , Arslan Yunus Ziya
Published: March 2019

In this study, we aimed to quantitatively monitor and describe the gait functions of patients, who underwent iliac crest bone grafting in atrophic jaw augmentation operation, by taking into account the alterations of gait parameters and muscle forces in the early recovery course. To do so, temporospatial and kinematic gait parameters of ten patients during pre- and postoperative periods were recorded, and forces of the gluteus medius, gluteus maximus, and iliacus muscles were calculated. Three postoperative periods were specified as one week (post-op1), two weeks (post-op2), and three weeks (post-op3) after the surgery. Restoring process of the gait patterns was comparatively evaluated by analyzing the gait parameters and muscle forces for pre- and postoperative periods. Temporospatial and kinematic parameters of post-op3 were closer to those obtained in pre-op than those in post-op1 and post-op2 (p<0.05). Muscle forces calculated in post-op3 showed the best agreement with those in pre-op among the postoperative periods in terms of both magnitude and correlation (p<0.05). In conclusion, the patients began to regain their preoperative gait characteristics from the second week after surgery, but complete recovery in gait was observed three weeks after the surgery.
Modelling of Nickel Atoms Interacting with Single-Walled Nanotubes
Authors: Alshehri Mansoor H.
Published: March 2019

Herein, the encapsulation mechanism of nickel atoms into carbon and boron nitride nanotubes is investigated to determine the interaction energies between the nickel atom and a nanotube. Classical modelling procedures, together with the 6-12 Lennard-Jones potential function and the hybrid discrete-continuous approach, are used to calculate the interaction of a nickel atoms with(i,i)armchair and(i,0)zigzag single-walled nanotubes. Analytical expressions for the interaction energies are obtained to determine the optimal radii of the tubes to enclose the nickel atom by determining the radii that give the minimum interaction energies. We first investigate the suction energy of the nickel atom entering the nanotube. The atom is assumed to be placed on the axis and near an open end of a semi-infinite, single-walled nanotube. Moreover, the equilibrium offset positions of the nickel atoms are found with reference to the cross-section of the nanotubes. The results may further the understanding of the encapsulation of Ni atoms inside defective nanotubes. Furthermore, the results may also aid in the design of nanotube-based materials and increase the understanding of their nanomagnetic applications and potential uses in other areas of nanotechnology.
Bright Soliton Solution of (1+1)-Dimensional Quantum System with Power-Law Dependent Nonlinearity
Authors: Zhao Yukun , Chen Yujie , Dai Jun , Wang Ying , Wang Wei
Published: March 2019

We study the nonlinear dynamics of (1+1)-dimensional quantum system in power-law dependent media based on the nonlinear Schrödinger equation (NLSE) incorporating power-law dependent nonlinearity, linear attenuation, self-steepening terms, and third-order dispersion term. The analytical bright soliton solution of this NLSE is derived via the F-expansion method. The key feature of the bright soliton solution is pictorially demonstrated, which together with typical analytical formulation of the soliton solution shows the applicability of our theoretical treatment.
PSEM Approximations for Both Branches of Lambert W Function with Applications
Authors: Vazquez-Leal H. , Sandoval-Hernandez M. A. , Garcia-Gervacio J. L. , Herrera-May A. L. , Filobello-Nino U. A.
Published: March 2019

Transcendental functions are a fundamental building block of science and engineering. Among them, a relatively new function denominated as Lambert W is highlighted. The importance of such function relies on the fact that it can perform novel isolation of variables. In this work, we propose two accurate piece-wise approximate solutions, one for the lower branch and another one for the upper branch, respectively. The proposed analytic approximations are obtained by using the power series extender method (PSEM) in combination with asymptotic solutions. In addition, we will compare some published approximations with our proposal, highlighting our advantages in terms of significant digits and speed of evaluation. Furthermore, the approximations are validated by the successful simulation of a problem of economy and other acoustic waves of nonlinear ions.
A Lightweight Identity-Based Cloud Storage Auditing Supporting Proxy Update and Workload-Based Payment
Authors: Shen Wenting , Qin Jing , Ma Jixin
Published: March 2019

Cloud storage auditing allows the users to store their data to the cloud with a guarantee that the data integrity can be efficiently checked. In order to release the user from the burden of generating data signatures, the proxy with a valid warrant is introduced to help the user process data in lightweight cloud storage auditing schemes. However, the proxy might be revoked or the proxy’s warrant might expire. These problems are common and essential in real-world applications, but they are not considered and solved in existing lightweight cloud storage auditing schemes. In this paper, we propose a lightweight identity-based cloud storage auditing scheme supporting proxy update, which not only reduces the user’s computation overhead but also makes the revoked proxy or the expired proxy unable to process data on behalf of the user any more. The signatures generated by the revoked proxy or the expired proxy can still be used to verify data integrity. Furthermore, our scheme also supports workload-based payment for the proxy. The security proof and the performance analysis indicate that our scheme is secure and efficient.
Forecasting CO2 Emissions in China’s Construction Industry Based on the Weighted Adaboost-ENN Model and Scenario Analysis
Authors: Zhou Jianguo , Xu Xiaolei , Li Wei , Guang Fengtao , Yu Xuechao , Jin BaoLing
Published: March 2019

As a pillar industry of national economy, China’s construction industry is still facing the status of substantial energy consumption and high CO2 emissions, which is a key field of energy conservation and emission reduction. In CO2 emissions research, it is essential to focus on analyzing the present and future trends of CO2 emissions in China’s construction industry. This article introduces a novel prediction model, in which the weighted algorithm is combined with Elman neural network (ENN) optimized by Adaptive Boosting algorithm (Adaboost) for evaluating future CO2 emissions in China’s construction industry. Firstly, logarithmic mean Divisia index (LMDI) is used to decompose CO2 emissions into economy, structural, intensity, and population indicators, posing as inputs to the weighted Adaboost-ENN model. Then, through comparison with other three models based on the data of total CO2 emissions in China’s construction industry during 2004-2016, there is evidence that the proposed model makes a favorable prediction performance. On this basis, we employ scenario analysis to predict future trend of CO2 emissions in China’s construction industry. It can be found that the peak of CO2 emissions in China’s construction industry will be achieved before 2030 in high carbon scenario (HS) and baseline carbon scenario (BS), whereas it will not be realized in low carbon scenario (LS). Finally, the specific policy recommendations related to energy conservation and emission reduction in China’s construction industry are proposed.
Tuberculosis Caused by Mycobacterium bovis in a Sheep Flock Colocated with a Tuberculous Dairy Cattle Herd in Central Ethiopia
Authors: Gelalcha Benti Deresa , Zewude Aboma , Ameni Gobena
Published: March 2019

Mycobacterium bovis (M. bovis) has an exceptionally wide host range including sheep. Information on tuberculosis (TB) in sheep is scarce, and there appears to be conflicting opinions about the relative susceptibility of sheep to infection. In Ethiopia, there was no single previous report on tuberculosis in sheep, though mixed farming of cattle and sheep is a common practice. In this study, following the observation of TB-like lesions on sheep died from sheep flock kept in contact with cattle herd, further investigation was conducted on the flock to assess the magnitude of the infection and identify and characterize the causative M. bovis strain. An outbreak investigation was carried out on 26 eligible sheep out of 33 sheep found on the farm. Comparative intradermal tuberculin (CIDT) test, postmortem examination, Mycobacterium culturing, and spoligotyping were the techniques used in the study. The prevalence of TB in the tested sheep was 15% (4/26). All the sheep that were positive to CIDT had gross lesions suggestive of TB. Three of the positive sheep had extensive and multiple lesions. M. bovis was isolated from all four sheep and the strain was identified as spoligotype SBO134. The in-contact dairy cows were screened for TB and 98% (45/46) of the cows tested positive to CIDT. Furthermore, the same strain, SB0134, was also isolated from the two in-contact cows. The isolation of a matching genotype (SB0134) of M. bovis from both species sharing a known epidemiologic link strongly suggests that the sheep flock might have acquired the pathogen from the dairy cows. This warrants strict physical separation of the sheep flock from the cattle herd to prevent such interspecies transmission of M. bovis.
A Rare Delayed Atypical Pseudoprogression in Nivolumab-Treated Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Suyanto Suyanto , Yeo Daniel , Khan Sarah
Published: March 2019

Immune checkpoint inhibitors such as Nivolumab work by preventing the inactivation of host T-cells by tumour cells, thereby allowing the T-cells to attack the tumour cells, which results in tumour tissue necrosis. We describe a 78-year-old woman with metastatic lung adenocarcinoma treated with Nivolumab after disease progression following first-line chemotherapy. Computed tomography (CT) after 3 cycles showed a smaller left lower lobe (LLL) primary and stable right lower lobe (RLL) metastatic lesion. CT after 9 cycles showed a reduced RLL mass and an increase in LLL primary. However, CT after 15 cycles showed that the RLL mass had further reduced in size but the LLL mass was significantly larger. The biopsy of the LLL lesion showed necrotic areas and reactive inflammatory changes, without residual malignancy. A repeat CT after further 4 cycles confirmed tumour regression in both the primary and the metastatic lesions. There was a prior reported case of pseudoprogression in a non-small-cell lung cancer patient who had 7 cycles of Nivolumab, and it was diagnosed during a further line of chemotherapy. Here, we report a patient with pseudoprogression during treatment with Nivolumab and at a much later time, after 15 cycles.
Huang Qi Tong Bi Decoction Attenuates Myocardial Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury via HMGB1/TLR/NF-κB Pathway
Authors: Liu Kun , Li Manman , Ren Xiumei , You Qing-sheng , Wang Fei , Wang Shuo , Ma Chun-Hui , Li Wei-Nan , Ye Qing
Published: March 2019

The aim of this study was to study the protective effect of Huang Qi Tong Bi Decoction (HQTBT) on the heart of rats. Ischemia-reperfusion injury was established by coronary artery ligation. Proinflammatory cytokines were decreased by XFZY in coronary artery ligated rats. ST segment was also restored with the treatment of HQTBT. Triphenyltetrazole chloride (TTC) staining and pathological analysis showed that HQTBT reduced myocardial injury. Besides, the expressions of HMGB1/TLR/NF-κB pathway in rats were significantly decreased by HQTBT. This study shows that HQTBT inhibited inflammatory reaction on myocardial injury in rats.
A Buffer Overflow Prediction Approach Based on Software Metrics and Machine Learning
Authors: Ren Jiadong , Zheng Zhangqi , Liu Qian , Wei Zhiyao , Yan Huaizhi
Published: March 2019

Buffer overflow vulnerability is the most common and serious type of vulnerability in software today, as network security issues have become increasingly critical. To alleviate the security threat, many vulnerability mining methods based on static and dynamic analysis have been developed. However, the current analysis methods have problems regarding high computational time, low test efficiency, low accuracy, and low versatility. This paper proposed a software buffer overflow vulnerability prediction method by using software metrics and a decision tree algorithm. First, the software metrics were extracted from the software source code, and data from the dynamic data stream at the functional level was extracted by a data mining method. Second, a model based on a decision tree algorithm was constructed to measure multiple types of buffer overflow vulnerabilities at the functional level. Finally, the experimental results showed that our method ran in less time than SVM, Bayes, adaboost, and random forest algorithms and achieved 82.53% and 87.51% accuracy in two different data sets. The method presented in this paper achieved the effect of accurately predicting software buffer overflow vulnerabilities in C/C++ and Java programs.
Subcutaneous Injection of Myrrh Essential Oil in Mice: Acute and Subacute Toxicity Study
Authors: Lamichhane Ramakanta , Lee Kyung-Hee , Pandeya Prakash Raj , Sung Kang-Kyung , Lee SangKwan , Kim Yun-Kyung , Jung Hyun-Ju
Published: March 2019

Myrrh essential oil (MEO) is widely used as remedies for the different human ailment in different parts of the world. The misuse of this natural product in higher doses may lead to fever, inflammation, and liver and kidney problems. In this study, we performed the acute and subacute toxicity analysis of MEO in mice model after subcutaneous injection and evaluated the safe dose to prevent the possible risk and side effects. Initially (first phase study) higher dose of MEO (20, 40, and 80 μL) was injected, and later in the second phase study lower dose of MEO (1, 5, and 10 μL) was injected for three days in each group of mice. Blood samples were taken for the investigation of hematological parameters and activity of various enzymes. The liver, kidney, spleen, lungs, and heart were excised for histological study. The body weight and skin abnormalities were also evaluated. In the first phase study, the mice showed granuloma formation at the site of injection. The liver showed dilated sinusoids and enlarged central vein. In the spleen the distinction between red and white pulp was lost. The kidney showed the degeneration of glomerulus. The enzyme activity and body weight were also decreased by the higher dose. The WBC count also increased nearly by twofold. Pruritus and self-trauma were also evident. Later in the second phase study, the skin abnormalities (granuloma) and damage in the structure of tissue (in liver, spleen, and kidney) were absent along with no change in enzyme levels, blood parameters, and body weight compared to the control. The MEO was toxic to liver, spleen, and kidney in the higher doses. The safe volume of MEO useful for various studies in mice was evaluated. The safe use of MEO should be assured, it should not be misused, being considered as a natural remedy, and there should be awareness of its toxicity and side effects.
Multislice Computed Tomography Assessment of Airway Patency Changes Associated with Mandibular Advancement Appliance Therapy in Supine Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Authors: Matsumura Yu , Ueda Hiroshi , Nagasaki Toshikazu , Medina Cynthia Concepción , Iwai Koji , Tanimoto Kotaro
Published: March 2019

The purpose of the present study was to measure the regional effects of the mandibular advancement appliance (MAA) on the upper airway of supine subjects with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) using multislice computed tomography (MSCT). The subjects included 8 males and 5 females who were diagnosed with mild to moderate OSA and were referred to the Orthodontic Clinic of Hiroshima University Hospital, where they underwent MAA therapy. Using a CT scanner, baseline MSCT images were obtained from the subjects without the MAA for morphological analysis, and then the experimental images were obtained while wearing the MAA. To measure the anteroposterior diameter, width, and cross-sectional area of the oropharynx region of interest (ROI), five distance variables were first defined on each multiplanar reconstruction (MPR) image using OsiriX. Additionally, the volumes of the upper airway, bony hard tissue, and soft tissue (soft palate and tongue) in the oro-hypopharyngeal region were measured. In most of the assessed airway size variables, significant increases in the anteroposterior diameter and width were observed after MAA therapy. Regarding the upper airway cross-sectional area, all the upper airway size variables exhibited significant increases. In the volumetric analysis, a significant increase was observed in airway volume, whereas the soft tissue volume in the oro-hypopharyngeal region did not show the significant decrease after MMA therapy. However, from a different point of view, the volumes of the upper airway and soft tissue significantly increased and decreased, respectively, as demonstrated by the calculated ratio for the oro-hypopharyngeal region. We demonstrated that the proportional size of the soft tissue volume, i.e., the soft palate and tongue in the oro-hypopharyngeal region, significantly decreased during use of an MAA. This forward displacement of the soft tissue thereby increases the retroglossal airway space (except the nasopharynx) three-dimensionally.
Augmented Reality for Identifying Maintainability Concerns during Design
Authors: Khalek Imad A. , Chalhoub Jad M. , Ayer Steven K.
Published: March 2019

In a building context, decisions made early in the design phase can have a major impact on maintainability of the resulting facility. Effectively leveraging the knowledge of facility management teams in the design stage can lead to improved maintainability in the operation phase, but this feedback can be challenging to elicit during the design stage because facility management teams may not be formed by the time of design. This requires designers, who may not have facility management experience, to think like facility managers in order to consider the needs of the maintenance teams. This paper examines the extent to which different visualization media may be able to enable individuals without prior maintenance experience to identify maintainability concerns in a design model. Student participants, without prior maintenance experience, were randomly assigned to explore a design to assess maintainability concerns with either augmented reality (AR) or a traditional computer screen for viewing a Building Information Model (BIM). Their perceptions, behaviors, and statements were recorded and analyzed. Results indicate that BIM supports better identification of potentially problematic areas, but AR allows users to more consistently determine why an area is problematic. This suggests an opportunity to use a hybrid BIM/AR approach for identifying and resolving maintainability considerations during the design phase. The findings from this work provide evidence to illustrate how AR and BIM may enable individuals with limited experience to be able to effectively think like facility managers in order to make better maintainability decisions during design to lead to a better building during operation.
Prognostic Biomarkers of Sarcoidosis: A Comparative Study of Serum Chitotriosidase, ACE, Lysozyme, and KL-6
Authors: Bergantini Laura , Bianchi Francesco , Cameli Paolo , Mazzei Maria Antonietta , Fui Annalisa , Sestini Piersante , Rottoli Paola , Bargagli Elena
Published: March 2019

Purpose. Sarcoidosis is a systemic granulomatous disease with unknown etiology. Many clinical presentations have been reported, and acute disease needs to be distinguished from subacute and chronic disease. The unpredictable clinical course of the disease prompted us to evaluate the clinical utility of biomarker serum detection in sarcoidosis follow-up. Methods. Serum concentrations of chitotriosidase, ACE, KL-6, and lysozyme were analyzed by different methods in a population of 74 sarcoidosis patients (46 on steroid therapy at sampling) regularly monitored at Siena Sarcoidosis Regional Referral Centre and in a group of controls with the aim of comparing their contribution to clinical management of sarcoidosis patients. Results. KL-6 concentrations were significantly elevated in sarcoidosis patients with lung fibrosis and were significantly correlated with DLco and CPI score, while chitotriosidase was significantly higher in patients with extrapulmonary localizations. With a cut-off value of 303.5 IU/ml, KL-6 showed the best sensitivity (78%), while chitotriosidase reported the best specificity (85%) among the biomarkers. Conclusions. KL-6 is a reliable biomarker of fibrotic lung involvement in sarcoidosis patients. Among biomarkers, KL-6 showed the best sensitivity and serum chitotriosidase the best specificity, even in patients on chronic steroid therapy, and seemed to correlate with extrapulmonary localizations.