bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Real-world Evaluation of glycemic control and hypoglycemic Events among type 2 Diabetes mellitus study (REEDS): a multicentre, cross-sectional study in Thailand
Authors: Satirapoj Bancha , Pratipanawatr Thongchai , Ongphiphadhanakul Boonsong , Suwanwalaikorn Sompongse , Benjasuratwong Yupin , Nitiyanant Wannee
Published: February 2020

Objective

Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) often experience hypoglycaemia and weight gain due to treatment side effects. Sulfonylureas (SU) and the combination of SU and metformin (SU+MET) were the most common monotherapy and combination therapies used in Thailand tertiary care hospitals. This study aimed to assess the glycaemic goal attainment rates, hypoglycaemic episodes, weight gain and treatment compliance among patients with T2DM receiving SU or SU+MET.

Research design and methods

A multicentre cross-sectional survey and retrospective review was conducted in five tertiary care hospitals, Thailand. Patients with T2DM aged ≥30 years were included consecutively during a 12-month period. Glycaemic control, experiences of hypoglycaemia, weight gain and compliance were evaluated. Glycaemic goal attainment was defined by HbA1clevel less than 7%.

Results

Out of the 659 patients (mean age (±SD)), 65.5 (10.0) years and median duration of T2DM (IQR), 10 (5–15) years), 313 (47.5%) achieved the glycaemic goal. HbA1clevels in the patients with goal attainment was significantly lower compared with those without (6.3%±0.5% vs 8.1%±1.2%, p<0.001). Goal attainment was significantly lower among patients treated with SU+MET than those treated with SU alone (43.5% vs 63.0%; OR 0.45, 95% CI 0.31, 0.66, p<0.001). A third of patients reported experiencing hypoglycaemia (30.7%) and weight gain (35.4%). Weight gain in the SU+MET group was lower than those receiving SU alone (33.1% vs 44.6%, p=0.015), but there was no difference in hypoglycaemic events. Major events in the previous 12 months were experienced by 68 patients, most commonly congestive heart failure and ischaemic heart disease. Approximately half of the patients (52.2%) reported not always taking their medication as prescribed.

Conclusions

Among patients with T2DM receiving SU or SU+MET, only about half of the patients achieved glycaemic goal and compliance with the treatment. Hypoglycaemia and weight gain posed a significant burden with risk of weight gain higher in the SU group.
Comparison of the airway complications of subtypes of laryngeal mask airway and i-gel in child patients under general anaesthesia: a protocol for systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomised control trials
Authors: Liu Jieting , Xu Xiaonan , Li Muyang , Cai Runjin , Yang Kehu
Published: February 2020

Introduction

Laryngeal mask airway (LMA), an alternative to traditional tracheal intubation, is widely used in clinical practice and is considered to be an effective device for airway management. LMA and i-gel have been widely used in anaesthesia and emergency situations in children. Some systematic reviews have evaluated the efficacy of LMA and i-gel in children, but they have not shown consistent results in clinical performance. This study aims to evaluate the airway complications of all subtypes of LMA and i-gel in child patients under general anaesthesia using a Bayesian network meta-analysis (NMA).

Methods and analysis

PubMed, EMBASE.com, the Cochrane library, Web of Science and Chinese Biomedical Literature Database will be searched from inception to January 2019. We will include prospective randomised controlled trials (RCTs) that reported the subtypes of LMA and i-gel regardless of sample size. The risk of bias assessment of the included RCTs will be conducted according to the Cochrane Handbook V.5.1.0. A Bayesian NMA will be performed using WinBUGS V.1.4.3. Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation will be used to explore the quality of evidence.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethics approval and patient consent are not required as this study is an NMA based on published trials. The results of this NMA will be submitted to a peer-reviewed journal for publication.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42019127668.
1000 Families Study, a UK multiwave cohort investigating the well-being of families of children with intellectual disabilities: cohort profile
Authors: Hastings Richard P , Totsika Vasiliki , Hayden Nikita K , Murray Caitlin A , Jess Mikeda , Langley Emma , Margetson Jane Kerry
Published: February 2020

Purpose

The 1000 Families Study is a large, UK-based, cohort of families of children with intellectual disability (ID). The main use of the cohort data will be to describe and explore correlates of the well-being of families of children with ID, including parents and siblings, using cross-sectional and (eventually) longitudinal analyses. The present cohort profile intends to describe the achieved cohort.

Participants

Over 1000 families of UK children with ID aged between 4 and 15 years 11 months (total n=1184) have been recruited. The mean age of the cohort was 9.01 years old. The cohort includes more boys (61.8%) than girls (27.0%; missing 11.1%). Parents reported that 45.5% (n=539) of the children have autism. Most respondents were a female primary caregiver (84.9%), and 78.0% were the biological mother of the cohort child with ID. The largest ethnic group for primary caregivers was White British (78.5%), over half were married and living with their partner (53.3%) and 39.3% were educated to degree level.

Findings to date

Data were collected on family, parental and child well-being, as well as demographic information. Wave 1 data collection took place between November 2015 and January 2017, primarily through online questionnaires. Telephone interviews were also completed by 644 primary caregivers.

Future plans

Wave 2 data collection is ongoing and the research team will continue following up these families in subsequent waves, subject to funding availability. Results will be used to inform policy and practice on family and child well-being in families of children with ID. As this cohort profile aims to describe the cohort, future publications will explore relevant research questions and report key findings related to family well-being.
Tackling statin intolerance with n-of-1 trials (TaSINI) in primary care: protocol for a feasibility randomised trial to increase statin adherence
Authors: Tudor Kate , Brooks Jenny , Howick Jeremy , Fox Robin , Aveyard Paul
Published: February 2020

Introduction

Statins reduce the incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cause few adverse effects. Half of patients prescribed statins discontinue treatment due to perceived intolerance. Placebo-controlled (blinded) n-of-1 trials have shown people with perceived intolerance that the statin does not cause adverse events and most resume treatment. However, blinded n-of-1 trials are impractical to deliver in routine practice. Tackling Statin Intolerance using n-of-1 trials (TaSINI) will test the feasibility of a general practitioner (GP)-delivered behavioural intervention endorsing an unblinded n-of-1 trial to increase adherence to statins relative to usual care.

Methods and analysis

TaSINI is a feasibility randomised controlled trial with a nested qualitative substudy. Ninety primary care patients who have discontinued statins due to intolerance or refused treatment will be randomised to an unblinded n-of-1 trial, a blinded n-of-1 trial (positive control) or usual care (negative control). Participants randomised to usual care will be advised to take statin therapy to prevent CVD. In both n-of-1 trial arms, GPs will deliver a behaviourally informed intervention that accessibly explains the benefits of statins, the prevalence of adverse effects and endorse the benefit of experimenting with medication. Participants will alternate between 4 weeks of medication and no medication (unblinded arm) or randomly sorted active and placebo (blinded arm) and will record adherence, symptoms and symptom attributions throughout. After 6 months, GPs will feedback symptom data during active/inactive treatment periods. All participants will be asked if they would like to initiate statin treatment. Measures of feasibility will be met if 4% of invited patients enrol, 50% of participants randomised to n-of-1 trials engage with the experiment and 25% more participants initiate statin in the unblinded n-of-1 arm than in usual care.

Ethics and dissemination

This study has been granted ethical approval by North of Scotland Research Ethics Service. The results will be written up for publication and show whether to progress to an effectiveness trial where the primary outcome would be differences in low-density lipoprotein concentration.
Is there a need for formal undergraduate patient handover training and could an educational workshop effectively provide this? A proof-of-concept study in a Scottish Medical School
Authors: Holt Nicholas , Crowe Kirsty , Lynagh Daniel , Hutcheson Zoe
Published: February 2020

Background

Poor communication between healthcare professionals is recognised as accounting for a significant proportion of adverse patient outcomes. In the UK, the General Medical Council emphasises effective handover (handoff) as an essential outcome for medical graduates. Despite this, a significant proportion of medical schools do not teach the skill.

Objectives

This study had two aims: (1) demonstrate a need for formal handover training through assessing the pre-existing knowledge, skills and attitudes of medical students and (2) study the effectiveness of a pilot educational handover workshop on improving confidence and competence in structured handover skills.

Design

Students underwent an Objective Structured Clinical Examination style handover competency assessment before and after attending a handover workshop underpinned by educational theory. Participants also completed questionnaires before and after the workshop. The tool used to measure competency was developed through a modified Delphi process.

Setting

Medical education departments within National Health Service (NHS) Lanarkshire hospitals.

Participants

Forty-two undergraduate medical students rotating through their medical and surgical placements within NHS Lanarkshire enrolled in the study. Forty-one students completed all aspects.

Main outcome measures

Paired questionnaires, preworkshop and postworkshop, ascertained prior teaching and confidence in handover skills. The questionnaires also elicited the student’s views on the importance of handover and the potential effects on patient safety. The assessment tool measured competency over 12 domains.

Results

Eighty-three per cent of participants reported no previous handover teaching. There was a significant improvement, p<0.0001, in confidence in delivering handovers after attending the workshop. Student performance in the handover competency assessment showed a significant improvement (p<0.05) in 10 out of the 12 measured handover competency domains.

Conclusions

A simple, robust and reproducible intervention, underpinned by medical education theory, can significantly improve competence and confidence in medical handover. Further research is required to assess long-term outcomes as student’s transition from undergraduate to postgraduate training.
Altered heartbeat perception sensitivity associated with brain structural alterations in generalised anxiety disorder
Authors: Li Hui , Zhang Bin , Hu Qiang , Zhang Lanlan , Jin Yi , Wang Jijun , Cui Huiru , Pang Jiaoyan , Li Chunbo
Published: February 2020

Background

Palpitation is a common complaint in generalised anxiety disorder (GAD). Brain imaging studies have investigated the neural mechanism of heartbeat perception in healthy volunteers. This study explored the neuroanatomical differences of altered heartbeat perception in patients with GAD using structural MRI.

Aims

Based on the strong somatic-interoceptive symptoms in GAD, we explored the regional structural brain abnormalities involved in heartbeat perception in patients with GAD.

Methods

This study was applied to the a priori regions using neuroanatomical theories of heartbeat perception, including the insula, anterior cingulate cortex, supplementary motor area and prefrontal cortex. A total of 19 patients with GAD and 19 healthy control subjects were enrolled. We used the FMRIB Software Library voxel-based morphometry software for estimating the grey matter volume of these regions of interest and analysed the correlation between heartbeat perception sensitivity and the volume of abnormal grey matter.

Results

Patients with GAD showed a significantly decreased volume of grey matter in their left medial prefrontal cortex, right orbital frontal cortex and anterior cingulate cortex. The grey matter volume of the left medial prefrontal cortex negatively correlated with heartbeat perception sensitivity in patients with GAD.

Conclusions

It should be the first study that shows heartbeat perception is associated with brain structure in GAD. Our findings suggest that the frontal region may play an important role in aberrant heartbeat perception processing in patients with GAD, and this may be an underlying mechanism resulting in the abnormal cardiovascular complaints in GAD. This is hypothesised as a ‘top-down’ deficiency, especially in the medial prefrontal cortex. This will provide the foundation for a more targeted region for neuromodulation intervention in the future.
Assessment of transparent and reproducible research practices in the psychiatry literature
Authors: Sherry Caroline Elizabeth , Pollard Jonathan Z , Tritz Daniel , Carr Branden K , Pierce Aaron , Vassar Matt
Published: February 2020

Background

Reproducibility is a cornerstone of scientific advancement; however, many published works may lack the core components needed for study reproducibility.

Aims

In this study, we evaluate the state of transparency and reproducibility in the field of psychiatry using specific indicators as proxies for these practices.

Methods

An increasing number of publications have investigated indicators of reproducibility, including research by Harwickeet al, from which we based the methodology for our observational, cross-sectional study. From a random 5-year sample of 300 publications in PubMed-indexed psychiatry journals, two researchers extracted data in a duplicate, blinded fashion using a piloted Google form. The publications were examined for indicators of reproducibility and transparency, which included availability of: materials, data, protocol, analysis script, open-access, conflict of interest, funding and online preregistration.

Results

This study ultimately evaluated 296 randomly-selected publications with a 3.20 median impact factor. Only 107 were available online. Most primary authors originated from USA, UK and the Netherlands. The top three publication types were cohort studies, surveys and clinical trials. Regarding indicators of reproducibility, 17 publications gave access to necessary materials, four provided in-depth protocol and one contained raw data required to reproduce the outcomes. One publication offered its analysis script on request; four provided a protocol availability statement. Only 107 publications were publicly available: 13 were registered in online repositories and four, ten and eight publications included their hypothesis, methods and analysis, respectively. Conflict of interest was addressed by 177 and reported by 31 publications. Of 185 publications with a funding statement, 153 publications were funded and 32 were unfunded.

Conclusions

Currently, Psychiatry research has significant potential to improve adherence to reproducibility and transparency practices. Thus, this study presents a reference point for the state of reproducibility and transparency in Psychiatry literature. Future assessments are recommended to evaluate and encourage progress.
Homozygous mutations in DZIP1 can induce asthenoteratospermia with severe MMAF
Authors: Lv Mingrong , Liu Wangjie , Chi Wangfei , Ni Xiaoqing , Wang Jiajia , Cheng Huiru , Li Wei-Yu , Yang Shenmin , Wu Huan , Zhang Junqiang , Gao Yang , Liu Chunyu , Li Caihua , Yang Chenyu , Tan Qing , Tang Dongdong , Zhang Jingjing , Song Bing , Chen Yu-Jie , Li Qiang , Zhong Yading , Zhang Zhihua , Saiyin Hexige , Jin Li , Xu Yuping , Zhou Ping , Wei Zhaolian , Zhang Chuanmao , He Xiaojin , Zhang Feng , Cao Yunxia
Published: February 2020

Background

Asthenoteratospermia, one of the most common causes for male infertility, often presents with defective sperm heads and/or flagella. Multiple morphological abnormalities of the sperm flagella (MMAF) is one of the common clinical manifestations of asthenoteratospermia. Variants in several genes including DNAH1, CEP135, CATSPER2 and SUN5 are involved in the genetic pathogenesis of asthenoteratospermia. However, more than half of the asthenoteratospermia cases cannot be explained by the known pathogenic genes.

Methods and results

Two asthenoteratospermia-affected men with severe MMAF (absent flagella in >90% spermatozoa) from consanguineous families were subjected to whole-exome sequencing. The first proband had a homozygous missense mutation c.188G>A (p.Arg63Gln) of DZIP1 and the second proband had a homozygous stop-gain mutation c.690T>G (p.Tyr230*). Both of the mutations were neither detected in the human population genome data (1000 Genomes Project, Exome Aggregation Consortium) nor in our own data of a cohort of 875 Han Chinese control populations. DZIP1 encodes a DAZ (a protein deleted in azoospermia) interacting protein, which was associated with centrosomes in mammalian cells. Immunofluorescence staining of the centriolar protein Centrin1 indicated that the spermatozoa of the proband presented with abnormal centrosomes, including no concentrated centriolar dot or more than two centriolar dots. HEK293T cells transfected with two DZIP1-mutated constructs showed reduced DZIP1 level or truncated DZIP1. The Dzip1-knockout mice, generated by the CRSIPR-Cas9, revealed consistent phenotypes of severe MMAF.

Conclusion

Our study strongly suggests that homozygous DZIP1 mutations can induce asthenoteratospermia with severe MMAF. The deficiency of DZIP1 induces sperm centrioles dysfunction and causes the absence of flagella.
Variants in LRRC34 reveal distinct mechanisms for predisposition to papillary thyroid carcinoma
Authors: Comiskey Jr. Daniel Forrest , He Huiling , Liyanarachchi Sandya , Sheikh Mehek S , Genutis Luke K , Hendrickson Isabella V , Yu Lianbo , Brock Pamela L , de la Chapelle Albert
Published: February 2020

Background

Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) demonstrates high heritability and a low somatic mutation burden relative to other cancers. Therefore, the genetic risk predisposing to PTC is likely due to a combination of low penetrance variants. A recent genome-wide association study revealed the association of PTC with a missense variant, rs6793295, at 3q26 in a gene called Leucine Repeat Rich Containing 34 (LRRC34).

Methods

We report the mechanisms of PTC risk at 3q26 using a combination of overexpression, mass spectroscopy, knockdown, transcriptome profiling, migration assays and genetic analysis.

Results

We observed differential binding of wild-type and missense LRRC34 to RANBP1. Overexpression of missense LRRC34 reduced RanGTP levels and increased apoptosis. We also identified a second linkage disequilibrium (LD) block upstream of LRRC34 containing regulatory variants with allele-specific expression. Transcriptome profiling of LRRC34 knockdown cells showed changes in genes involved with cellular movement. LRRC34 knockdown reduced the migration of thyroid cancer cell lines. Lastly, we assessed the relative contribution of PTC risk from each locus using haplotype analysis.

Conclusions

Our study demonstrates two separate mechanisms, one in G protein signalling and the other in transcriptional control, dictating PTC risk at 3q26 using both biochemical and genetic techniques.
Flow diverters for ruptured posterior circulation perforator aneurysms: multicenter experience and literature review
Authors: Da Ros Valerio , Diana Francesco , Sabuzi Federico , Malatesta Emanuele , Sanna Antioco , Scaggiante Jacopo , Di Giuliano Francesca , Gandini Roberto , Floris Roberto , Ruggiero Maria
Published: February 2020

Background

The management of ruptured posterior circulation perforator aneurysms (rPCPAs) remains unclear. We present our experience in treating rPCPAs with flow diverter stents (FDs) and evaluate their safety and efficacy at mid- to long-term follow-up. A diagnostic and therapeutic algorithm for rPCPAs is also proposed.

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed data from all consecutive patients with rPCPAs treated with FDs at our institutions between January 2013 and July 2019. Clinical presentations, time of treatments, intra- and perioperative complications, and clinical and angiographic outcomes were recorded, with a mid- to long-term follow-up. A systematic review of the literature on rPCPAs treated with FDs was also performed.

Results

Seven patients with seven rPCPAs were treated with FDs. All patients presented with an atypical subarachnoid hemorrhage distribution and a low to medium Hunt–Hess grade. In 29% of cases rPCPAs were identified on the initial angiogram. In 57% of cases, FDs were inserted within 2 days of the diagnosis. Immediate aneurysm occlusion was observed in 14% of the cases and in 71% at the first follow-up (mean 2.4 months). At mean follow-up of 33 months (range 3–72 months) one case of delayed ischemic complication occurred. Six patients had a modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score of 0 and one patient had an mRS score of 4 at the latest follow-up.

Conclusions

The best management for rPCPAs remains unclear, but FDs seem to have lower complication rates than other treatment options. Further studies with larger series are needed to confirm the role of FDs in rPCPA.
Changes in bone mineral density over 10 years in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis
Authors: Theander Lisa , Willim Minna , Nilsson Jan Åke , Karlsson Magnus , Åkesson Kristina E , Jacobsson Lennart T H , Turesson Carl
Published: February 2020

Objectives

To investigate changes in bone mineral density (BMD) in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) over a 10-year period.

Methods

Consecutive patients with early RA (symptom duration <12 months) were followed according to a structured programme and examined with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) at inclusion and after 2, 5 and 10 years. Mean Z-scores over the study period were estimated using mixed linear effect models. Changes in Z-scores between follow-up visits were analysed using paired T-tests.

Results

At inclusion, 220 patients were examined with DXA. At the femoral neck, the mean Z-score over 10 years was −0.33 (95 % CI −0.57 to −0.08) in men and −0.07 (−0.22 to 0.08) in women. Men had significantly lower BMD at the femoral neck than expected by age at inclusion (intercept Z-score value −0.35; 95 % CI −0.61 to −0.09), whereas there was no such difference in women. At the lumbar spine, the mean Z-score over the study period for men was −0.05 (−0.29 to 0.19) and for women 0.06 (−0.10 to 0.21). In paired comparisons of BMD at different follow-up visits, femoral neck Z-scores for men decreased significantly from inclusion to the 5-year follow-up. After 5 years, no further reduction was seen.

Conclusions

In this observational study of a limited sample, men with early RA had reduced femoral neck BMD at diagnosis, with a further significant but marginal decline during the first 5 years. Lumbar spine BMD Z-scores were not reduced in men or women with early RA. Data on 10-year follow-up were limited.
Case studies demonstrate capacity for a structured planning process for ecosystem-based fisheries management
Authors: Koehn Laura E. , Essington Timothy E. , Levin Phillip S. , Marshall Kristin N. , Anderson Lee G. , Bundy Alida , Carothers Courtney , Coleman Felicia , Grabowski Jonathan H. , Houde Edward , Jensen Olaf P. , Möllmann Christian , Smith Anthony D.M.
Published: February 2020

Structured, systematic processes for decision-making can facilitate implementation of ecosystem-based fisheries management (EBFM). In US fisheries management, existing fishery ecosystem plans (FEPs) are primarily descriptive documents — not action-oriented planning processes. “Next-generation” FEPs extend existing FEPs by translating ecosystem principles into action through a structured process, including identifying and prioritizing objectives and evaluating trade-offs while assessing alternative management strategies for meeting objectives. We illustrate the potential for implementing a structured decision-making process for EBFM by reviewing fisheries management case studies through the lens of the next-generation FEP process, highlighting two perspectives. First, across case studies almost all steps occur, many occurring in multiple regions, indicating scientific and fisheries management capacity exists to conduct structured process components. Second, adjustments would be needed to transition to next-generation FEPs, as existing activity is rarely conducted within a fully structured, integrated process and examples of certain steps are scarce, but existing examples can guide future management. Implementing ongoing activity within next-generation FEPs would likely streamline fisheries management activity, saving time and resources while improving outcomes for stakeholders and ecosystems.
Numerical and analytical analyses of a matrix model with non-pairwise contracted indices
Authors: Sasakura Naoki , Takeuchi Shingo
Published: February 2020

We study a matrix model that has $$\phi _a^i\ (a=1,2,\ldots ,N,\ i=1,2,\ldots ,R)$$ϕai(a=1,2,…,N,i=1,2,…,R) as its dynamical variable, whose lower indices are pairwise contracted, but upper ones are not always done so. This matrix model has a motivation from a tensor model for quantum gravity, and is also related to the physics of glasses, because it has the same form as what appears in the replica trick of the spherical p-spin model for spin glasses, though the parameter range of our interest is different. To study the dynamics, which in general depends on N and R, we perform Monte Carlo simulations and compare with some analytical computations in the leading and the next-leading orders. A transition region has been found around $$R\sim N^2/2$$R∼N2/2, which matches a relation required by the consistency of the tensor model. The simulation and the analytical computations agree well outside the transition region, but not in this region, implying that some relevant configurations are not properly included by the analytical computations. With a motivation coming from the tensor model, we also study the persistent homology of the configurations generated in the simulations, and have observed its gradual change from $$S^1$$S1 to higher dimensional cycles with the increase of R around the transition region.
Spinor symmetries and underlying properties
Authors: da Silva J. M. Hoff , Cavalcanti R. T. , Beghetto D. , da Rocha R.
Published: February 2020

By exploring a spinor space whose elements carry a spin 1/2 representation of the Lorentz group and satisfy the the Fierz–Pauli–Kofink identities we show that certain symmetries operations form a Lie group. Moreover, we discuss the reflex of the Dirac dynamics in the spinor space. In particular, we show that the usual dynamics for massless spinors in the spacetime is related to an incompressible fluid behavior in the spinor space.
Coupled-wire constructions: a Luttinger liquid approach to topology
Authors: Meng Tobias
Published: February 2020

Coupled-wire constructions use bosonization to analytically tackle the strong interactions underlying fractional topological states of matter. We give an introduction to this technique, discuss its strengths and weaknesses, and provide an overview of the main achievements of coupled-wire constructions.
Transport signatures of Majorana bound states in superconducting hybrid structures
Authors: Schuray Alexander , Frombach Daniel , Park Sunghun , Recher Patrik
Published: February 2020

In this minireview, we outline the recent experimental and theoretical progress in the creation, characterization and manipulation of Majorana bound states (MBSs) in semiconductor-superconductor (SC) hybrid structures. After an introductory overview of the broader field we specifically focus on four of our recent projects in this direction. We show that the emergence of Fano resonances in the differential conductance in a normal lead-Majorana nanowire-quantum dot setup can be exploited to determine if a single MBS is contacted by the normal lead and the quantum dot providing an experimental test of the non-locality of MBSs. In the second project, the tunnel-coupling to two MBSs in ans-wave SC-Majorana nanowire Josephson junction (JJ) leads to a finite contribution of the MBSs to the equilibrium Josephson current probing directly the local spin-singlet contribution of the Majorana pair. We then shift our focus from MBSs forming in nanowire systems to MBSs forming in topological JJs. In a single sheet of buckled silicene with proximity induced superconductivity two local electric fields can be used to tune the junction between a topologically trivial and topologically non-trivial regime. In a Corbino geometry topological Josephson junction two MBSs harbored in Josephson vortices can rotate along the JJ and, in the course of this, will be exchanged periodically in the phase difference of the JJ. The tunneling current in a metal tip coupled to the JJ is shown to exhibit signs of the anyonic braiding phase of two MBSs.
Effect performance of the nanomagnetic properties of Ni–Cu–Co ferrites by Al3+ ions adulteration
Authors: Suo Nanzhaxi , Sun Aimin , Yu Lichao , Zuo Zhuo , Zhang Wei , Zhao Xiqian
Published: February 2020

In this paper, aluminum-doped Ni–Cu–Co ferrite nanomagnetic material powder was prepared by sol–gel technique using citric acid as a complexing agent and high-purity nitrate as raw material. The effect of doping amount of different Al[Formula: see text] ions on the structure and magnetic properties of ferrites has been studied. The X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) and Vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) were used to characterize the structural and magnetic properties of ferrite. The XRD analysis showed that all samples of Ni–Cu–Co ferrites have a single-phase cubic spinel structure. Average crystallite size was calculated by the Debye–Scherrer formula and it was found that the average crystallite size of the sample was affected by the doping concentration. As the amount of Al[Formula: see text] ion doping increases, the crystallite size decreases from 54.88 nm to 46.09 nm. The absorption peak of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) at 590 cm[Formula: see text] further indicates the formation of cubic spinel structure of Ni–Cu–Co ferrite. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images show the presence of particles which are spherically cubic-shaped particles. The constituent elements of the samples were analyzed by EDX spectroscopy. In addition, the ferromagnetism of the samples was confirmed by VSM measurements. The saturation magnetization (Ms) and remanent magnetization (Mr) first increase and then decrease when the aluminum ion concentration increases. Compared with pure samples and other doped samples, they have the best magnetic properties when the doping amount of Al[Formula: see text] ions is [Formula: see text]. It also shows that the prepared samples are suitable for magnetic recording materials.
Exposing IoT Objects in the Internet Using the Resource Management Architecture
Authors: Pantoja Carlos Eduardo , Soares Heder Dorneles , Viterbo José , Alexandre Tielle , Seghrouchni Amal El-Fallah , Casals Arthur
Published: February 2020

This paper proposes an architecture for sharing IoT Objects’ resources in the Internet of Things providing a model for its owners to expose devices, which can be consumed by clients inspired by the Sensor-as-a-Service model. The main idea relies on the fact that users, such as developers and researchers, do not always have access to the necessary hardware and resources. Exposing devices in IoT should impact these persons activities. Then, we present the Resource Management Architecture, where several IoT Objects endowed with sensors and actuators can be added to environments that are represented virtually in the architecture. The IoT Objects become available to be consumed by users through the use of applications. The architecture is composed of three layers: one representing devices, the cloud solution, and applications, and how they interact with each other. We also present a study case for testing the whole approach in a smart city scenario.
Multistep Flow Prediction on Car-Sharing Systems: A Multi-Graph Convolutional Neural Network with Attention Mechanism
Authors: Zhu Hongming , Luo Yi , Liu Qin , Fan Hongfei , Song Tianyou , Yu Chang Wu , Du Bowen
Published: February 2020

Multistep flow prediction is an essential task for the car-sharing systems. An accurate flow prediction model can help system operators to pre-allocate the cars to meet the demand of users. However, this task is challenging due to the complex spatial and temporal relations among stations. Existing works only considered temporal relations (e.g. using LSTM) or spatial relations (e.g. using CNN) independently. In this paper, we propose an attention to multi-graph convolutional sequence-to-sequence model (AMGC-Seq2Seq), which is a novel deep learning model for multistep flow prediction. The proposed model uses the encoder–decoder architecture, wherein the encoder part, spatial and temporal relations are encoded simultaneously. Then the encoded information is passed to the decoder to generate multistep outputs. In this work, specific multiple graphs are constructed to reflect spatial relations from different aspects, and we model them by using the proposed multi-graph convolution. Attention mechanism is also used to capture the important relations from previous information. Experiments on a large-scale real-world car-sharing dataset demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach over state-of-the-art methods.
API Misuse Detection in C Programs: Practice on SSL APIs
Authors: Li Chi , Gu Zuxing , Zhou Min , Wu Jiecheng , Zhang Jiarui , Gu Ming
Published: February 2020

Libraries offer reusable functionality through Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) with usage constraints such as call conditions or orders. Constraint violations, i.e. API misuses, commonly lead to bugs and security issues. Although researchers have developed various API misuse detectors in the past few decades, recent studies show that API misuse is prevalent in real-world projects, especially for secure socket layer (SSL) certificate validation, which is completely broken in many security-critical applications and libraries. In this paper, we introduce SSLDoc to effectively detect API misuse bugs, specifically for SSL API libraries. The key insight behind SSLDoc is a constraint-directed static analysis technique powered by a domain-specific language (DSL) for specifying API usage constraints. Through studying real-world API misuse bugs, we propose ISpec DSL, which covers majority types of API usage constraints and enables simple but precise specification. Furthermore, we design and implement SSLDoc to automatically parse ISpec into checking targets and employ a static analysis engine to identify potential API misuses and prune false positives with rich semantics. We have instantiated SSLDoc for OpenSSL APIs and applied it to large-scale open-source programs. SSLDoc found 45 previously unknown security-sensitive bugs in OpenSSL implementation and applications in Ubuntu. Up to now, 35 have been confirmed by the corresponding development communities and 27 have been fixed in master branch.
Point-of-Interest Recommendation Based on User Contextual Behavior Semantics
Authors: Yu Dongjin , Xu Kaihui , Wang Dongjing , Yu Ting , Li Wanqing
Published: February 2020

By suggesting new visiting places, point-of-interest (POI) recommendation not only assists users to find their preferred places, but also helps businesses to attract potential customers. Recent studies have proposed many approaches to the POI recommendation. However, the data sparsity and complexity of user check-in behavior still pose big challenges to accurate personalized POI recommendation. To tackle these problems, in this paper, we propose a POI recommendation model named HeteGeoRankRec based on user contextual behavior semantics. First, we employ the meta-path of heterogeneous information network (HIN) to represent the complex semantic relationship among users and POIs. Second, we introduce different context constraints (such as time and weather) into the meta-path, to reveal the fine-grained user behavioral features. Afterwards, we propose a weighted matrix factorization model which considers the influence of geographical distance through the user–POI semantic correlativity matrices generated by multiple meta-paths. Finally, we present a fusion method based on learning to rank, which unifies the recommendation results of different meta-paths as the final user preference. The experiments on the real data collected from Foursquare demonstrate that HeteGeoRankRec has the better performance than the state-of-the-art baselines.
Improve Language Modeling for Code Completion Through Learning General Token Repetition of Source Code with Optimized Memory
Authors: Yang Yixiao , Chen Xiang , Sun Jiaguang
Published: February 2020

In last few years, applying language model to source code is the state-of-the-art method for solving the problem of code completion. However, compared with natural language, code has more obvious repetition characteristics. For example, a variable can be used many times in the following code. Variables in source code have a high chance to be repetitive. Cloned code and templates, also have the property of token repetition. Capturing the token repetition of source code is important. In different projects, variables or types are usually named differently. This means that a model trained in a finite data set will encounter a lot of unseen variables or types in another data set. How to model the semantics of the unseen data and how to predict the unseen data based on the patterns of token repetition are two challenges in code completion. Hence, in this paper, token repetition is modelled as a graph, we propose a novel REP model which is based on deep neural graph network to learn the code toke repetition. The REP model is to identify the edge connections of a graph to recognize the token repetition. For predicting the token repetition of token [Formula: see text], the information of all the previous tokens needs to be considered. We use memory neural network (MNN) to model the semantics of each distinct token to make the framework of REP model more targeted. The experiments indicate that the REP model performs better than LSTM model. Compared with Attention-Pointer network, we also discover that the attention mechanism does not work in all situations. The proposed REP model could achieve similar or slightly better prediction accuracy compared to Attention-Pointer network and consume less training time. We also find other attention mechanism which could further improve the prediction accuracy.
Piecewise Aggregation for HMM Fitting: A Pre-Fitting Model for Seamless Integration with Time-Series Data
Authors: Assunção Joaquim , Fernandes Paulo , Vincent Jean-Marc
Published: February 2020

We propose a simple, fast, deterministic pre-fitting approach which derives the Baum–Welch algorithm initial values directly from the input data. Such pre-fitting has the purpose of improving the fitting time for a given Hidden Markov Model (HMM) while maintaining the original Baum–Welch algorithm as the fitting one. The fitting time is improved by avoiding the Baum–Welch algorithm sensitiveness through the generation of parameters closer to the global maximum likelihood. Furthermore, by keeping the original Baum–Welch algorithm as the fitting one, we guarantee that all related methods will continue to work properly. On the other hand, the pre-fitting generates the HMM parameters directly derived from time-series data, without any data transformation, using an [Formula: see text] operation.
CONNECTEDNESS OF A CLASS OF SELF-AFFINE CARPETS
Authors: LEUNG KING SHUN , LUO JUN JASON , WANG LIAN
Published: February 2020

Let [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text] are integers and [Formula: see text] be a digit set. Then the pair [Formula: see text] generates a fractal set [Formula: see text] satisfying [Formula: see text] which is a unit square. However, if we remove one digit from [Formula: see text], then the structure of [Formula: see text] will become very interesting. A well-known example is the Sierpinski carpet. In this paper, we study the resulting self-affine sets of moving a digit in [Formula: see text] to a different place. That is, we consider a digit set [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text]. We give a complete characterization for the connectedness of self-affine carpet [Formula: see text] in terms of the domains of [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text].
NORMATIVE VALUES OF BILATERAL SHOULDER ROTATION FLEXIBILITY FOR NIGERIANS USING SHOULDER ROTATION TEST
Authors: Adegoke Babatunde Olusola Adeleke , Fowowe Adeniyi Ademola
Published: February 2020

Context: Dearth of normative data for bilateral shoulder rotation flexibility (BSRF) for Nigerians is currently a limitation in screening of athletes and patient management. Aims: This study was designed to generate normative values for BSRF among healthy Nigerians of different age groups using the shoulder rotation test (SRT). Settings and Design: A four-stage sampling technique was used in recruiting 4000 (male [Formula: see text] 2048; female [Formula: see text] 1952) participants into this cross-sectional descriptive survey. Methods and Material: Participants aged between 5 and 64 years were grouped into 12 age strata. Participants' BSRF was measured using the Acuflex III flexibility tester. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics of mean, standard deviation and percentiles. Results: Participants' mean age was 24.22 [Formula: see text] 14.65 years. Participants’ BSRF increased with age thus indicating reduced flexibility with age. In the twelve age groups of 5–9, 10–14, 15–19, 20–24, 25–29, 30–34, 35–39, 40–44, 45–49, 50–54, 55–59 and 60–64, the BSRF for the male participants were 26.29 [Formula: see text] 12.64cm, 37.95 [Formula: see text] 16.15cm, 54.33 [Formula: see text] 21.08cm, 58.21 [Formula: see text] 23.01cm, 65.50 [Formula: see text] 22.67cm, 74.75 [Formula: see text] 17.06cm, 74.42 [Formula: see text] 17.06cm, 77.97 [Formula: see text] 16.38cm, 81.26 [Formula: see text] 14.88cm, 82.77 [Formula: see text] 14.42cm, 86.00 [Formula: see text] 14.82cm and 93.25 [Formula: see text] 12.73cm respectively. Those for female participants were 25.34 [Formula: see text] 12.28cm, 41.12 [Formula: see text] 15.48cm, 50.46 [Formula: see text] 18.60cm, 49.19 [Formula: see text] 19.75cm, 58.26 [Formula: see text] 17.16cm, 62.40 [Formula: see text] 16.72cm, 67.32 [Formula: see text] 18.50cm, 69.37 [Formula: see text] 17.14cm, 71.80 [Formula: see text] 15.18cm, 75.21 [Formula: see text] 15.57cm, 73.55 [Formula: see text] 14.09cm and 81.21 [Formula: see text] 10.89cm respectively. Males generally had higher scores (lesser flexibility) than females across the twelve age groups except for the 10–14 year age. The percentiles of the BSRF scores for the participants showed a steady increase in BSRF scores from age 5–9years to 60–64years. Conclusion: This study generated population-based normative values according to age and gender for BSRF using the SRT for healthy Nigerians.
SPINAL DISPLACEMENT DURING THORACIC SPINAL MANIPULATIVE THERAPY
Authors: Chiradejnant Adit , Jungrungsakul Sirilak
Published: February 2020

Background: Vertebrae are linked together with facet and intervertebral joints. The application of a force to a spinal segment therefore impact adjacent areas of the spine. Objective: This study aimed to investigate the posteroanterior (PA) displacement of the thoracocervical spine during the application of thoracic PA mobilization. Methods: Forty-one healthy males were recruited. The participants were asked to lie prone and hold their breath at the end of normal expiration while a therapist applied a grade III of central PA mobilization to the T6 spinous process for 30[Formula: see text]s. The PA spinal displacements of C3, C5, C7, T2, T4 and T6 were investigated using a motion capture system. Descriptive statistics and Pearson’s correlation coefficient were used to analyze the PA spinal displacement and correlation between PA spinal displacement at T6 and the PA displacement of the thoracocervical spines, respectively. Results: The PA displacement of the T6 and the PA displacement of the marked spines (T4, T1, C7, C5 and C3) correlated well with [Formula: see text] being 0.83, 0.69, 0.63, 0.63 and 0.54 ([Formula: see text]), respectively. A trend toward a decrease in spinal displacement was noted when the distance from T6 spine increased. It showed that the mobilization force could be transferred from the local area to an adjacent area. Conclusions: These findings may provide plausible evidence that can explain the mechanism of how thoracic spinal manipulative therapy affects neck pain reduction.
Global regularity estimates for non-divergence elliptic equations on weighted variable Lebesgue spaces
Authors: Bui The Quan , Bui The Anh , Duong Xuan Thinh
Published: February 2020

This paper is to prove global regularity estimates for solutions to the second-order elliptic equation in non-divergence form with BMO coefficients in a [Formula: see text] domain on weighted variable exponent Lebesgue spaces. Our approach is based on the representations for the solutions to the non-divergence elliptic equations and the domination technique by sparse operators in harmonic analysis.
Amphetamine-induced sensitization of hypertension and lamina terminalis neuroinflammation
Authors: Hurley Seth W. , Beltz Terry G. , Guo Fang , Xue Baojian , Johnson Alan Kim
Published: February 2020

Psychomotor stimulants are prescribed for many medical conditions, including obesity, sleep disorders, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. However, despite their acknowledged therapeutic utility, these stimulants are frequently abused, and their use can have both short- and long-term negative consequences. Although stimulants such as amphetamines acutely elevate blood pressure, it is unclear whether they cause any long-term effects on cardiovascular function after use has been discontinued. Previous work in our laboratory has demonstrated that physiological and psychosocial stressors will produce sensitization of the hypertensive response, a heightened pressor response to a hypertensinogenic stimulus delivered after stressor exposure. Here, we tested whether pretreatment with amphetamine for 1 wk can sensitize the hypertensive response in rats. We found that repeated amphetamine administration induced and maintained sensitization of the pressor response to angiotensin II following a 7-day delay after amphetamine injections were terminated. We also found that amphetamine pretreatment altered mRNA expression for molecular markers associated with neuroinflammation and renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) activation in the lamina terminalis, a brain region implicated in the control of sympathetic nervous system tone and blood pressure. The results indicated amphetamine upregulated mRNA expression underlying neuroinflammation and, to a lesser degree, message for components of the RAAS in the lamina terminalis. However, we found no changes in mRNA expression in the paraventricular nucleus. These results suggest that a history of stimulant use may predispose individuals to developing hypertension by promoting neuroinflammation and upregulating activity of the RAAS in the lamina terminalis.