bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Telemedicine-equipped android interface-based heart rate monitoring
Authors: Rahmi Fajrin Hanifah , Satrio Adi Bayu , Purwoko Heri , Permata Sari Irma
Published: February 2021

This research aimed to design a device that can monitor heart rate and help nurses or doctors when they need to monitor and retrieve data of patients. By utilizing Android as a displayer makes it easier for nurses to minimize data retrieval time. The principle of the tool is to record the heart rate data received by the ear clip sensor to be processed by the Atmega328 microcontroller, then displayed on the oled LCD and sent to Android phones via HC-05 Bluetooth for display. If the heart rate data is beyond the normal range, the Android application will post a notification in the form of an SMS to the recipient's cellphone. In testing the tool, it uses a comparison device (pulse oximetry) to determine its accuracy. Based on the testing, the heart rate monitoring device had a small error value of 0.32% and had the most substantial error value of 0.81%. The application of the monitoring system in android data can be sent well at a maximum distance of 13 meters, as well as the implementation of telemedicine in the form of a warning (SMS) can work properly.
A low-cost IoT-based auscultation training device
Authors: Andrianto Heri Andrianto , Perdana Sutanto Daniel , Adhy Prasetyo Yunus
Published: February 2021

Auscultation training devices are needed by teachers and students in health schools to practice auscultation techniques. In this paper, a low-cost IoT-based auscultation training device has been developed using NodeMCU, four proximity sensors, metal as a stethoscope, a switch, an android smartphone, an earphone, and a phantom doll. The message queuing telemetry transport (MQTT) protocol has been used for data communication between NodeMCU and smartphones, therefore an auscultation training hardware can be used by many students who have auscultation training application on their smartphones that subscribe to topics. The results showed that an auscultation training device was able to detect a stethoscope. Auscultation training application on a smartphone successfully plays normal and abnormal breathing sounds based on subscribed topics. With a production cost of less than 15 USD, we offer an inexpensive IoT-based auscultation training device. 
A new framework based on KNN and DT for speech identification through emphatic letters in Moroccan dialect
Authors: Mouaz Bezoui , Walid Cherif , Abderrahim Beni-Hssane , Abdelmajid Elmoutaouakkil
Published: February 2021

Arabic dialects differ substantially from modern standard arabic and each other in terms of phonology, morphology, lexical choice and syntax. This makes the identification of dialects from speeches a very difficult task. In this paper, we introduce a speech recognition system that automatically identifies the gender of speaker, the emphatic letter pronounced and also the diacritic of these emphatic letters given a sample of author’s speeches. Firstly we examined the performance of the single case classifier hidden markov models (HMM) applied to the samples of our data corpus. Then we evaluated our proposed approach KNN-DT which is a hybridization of two classifiers namely decision trees (DT) and k-nearest neighbors (KNN). Both models are singularly applied directly to the data corpus to recognize the emphatic letter of the sound and to the diacritic and the gender of the speaker. This hybridization proved quite interesting; it improved the speech recognition accuracy by more than 10% compared to state-of-the-art approaches.
Ultrasound image segmentation through deep learning based improvised U-Net
Authors: R. Shenoy Nayana , Jatti Anand
Published: February 2021

Thyroid nodule are fluid or solid lump that are formed within human’s gland and most thyroid nodule doesn’t show any symptom or any sign; moreover there are certain percentage of thyroid gland are cancerous and which could lead human into critical situation up to death. Hence, it is one of the important type of cancer and also it is important for detection of cancer. Ultrasound imaging is widely popular and frequently used tool for diagnosing thyroid cancer, however considering the wide application in clinical area such estimating size, shape and position of thyroid cancer. Further, it is important to design automatic and absolute segmentation for better detection and efficient diagnosis based on US-image. Segmentation of thyroid gland from the ultrasound image is quiet challenging task due to inhomogeneous structure and similar existence of intestine. Thyroid nodule can appear anywhere and have any kind of contrast, shape and size, hence segmentation process needs to designed carefully; several researcher have worked in designing the segmentation mechanism, however most of them were either semi-automatic or lack with performance metric, however it was suggested that U-Net possesses great accuracy. Hence, in this paper, we proposed improvised U-Net which focuses on shortcoming of U-Net, the main aim of this research work is to find the probable Region of interest and segment further. Furthermore, we develop High level and low-level feature map to avoid the low-resolution problem and information; later we develop dropout layer for further optimization. Moreover proposed model is evaluated considering the important metrics such as accuracy, Dice Coefficient, AUC, F1-measure and true positive; our proposed model performs better than the existing model. 
An automatic system for detecting voltage leaks in houses to save people's lives
Authors: M. Haglan Hussein , Jasim Ali Hussam
Published: February 2021

Many people are exposed to many dangers, such as electrical leakage into parts of the home that lead to death, injury, or loss of material resources. With the great developments that happen daily in the field of technology, one of the most important examples of these developments is the Arduino. The Arduino is a company that produces a software and electronic parts that are open source for companies and students in order to design and build digital devices, design and implement projects and systems that can be linked together or linked with the Internet to facilitate their use to serve society and humanity. It became easier to deploy this technology to solve problems that put people at risk. Many systems that detect leakage of gas, liquids and fires were built using these modern technologies to protect the lives of people and their resources, but no one has actually used these technologies to detect unexpected electrical voltage leaks into the home's water network or walls that resulting from damage in some parts of electrical devices. Therefore, in this paper, we have proposed and designed a system that can detect an unexpected voltage leak from some electric devices to the water network or walls in houses, alarm of house owners by sound, and cut off the electrical current to the house in order to save people's lives and resources.
High sensitivity sapphire FBG temperature sensors for the signal processing of data communications technology
Authors: Eid Mahmoud M. A. , Seliem Ashraf S. , Rashed Ahmed Nabih Zaki , Mohammed Abd El-Naser A. , Ali Mohamed Yassin , Abaza Shaimaa S.
Published: February 2021

This study has outlined the fiber bragg grating (FBG) temperature sensors signal processing for data communications by using OptiGrating simulation software. The reflectivity of the silica and sapphire fiber grating spectrum is reported against the grating wavelength for internal and external temperature variations. As well as apodized Gaussian reflectivity of the silica and sapphire fiber grating spectrum is simulated and clarified against the grating wavelength for high temperature variations. The temperature sensitivity of sapphire FBG nearly 0.11 pm/0C, where its value is three times higher than silica FBG. It is observed that silica and Sapphire FBG sensors were tested up to 1000 0C by using Gaussian apodization type, side lobes in reflectivity spectrum are totally suppressed.
High modulated soliton power propagation interaction with optical fiber and optical wireless communication channels
Authors: A. Eid Mahmoud M. , S. Seliem Ashraf , Zaki Rashed Ahmed Nabih , A. Mohammed Abd El-Naser , Yassin Ali Mohamed , S. Abaza Shaimaa
Published: February 2021

This paper has presented high modulated soliton power transmission interaction with optical fiber and optical wireless communication channels at flow rate of 40 Gbps and 20 km link range. The proposed modulation schemes are continuous phase frequency shift keying (CPFSK), Quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM), differential phase shift keying (DPSK), frequency shift keying (FSK), pulse amplitude modulation (PAM), minimum shift keying (MSK), and optical quadrature phase shift keying (OQPSK). CPFSK has presented better performance than other proposed modulation schemes for both optical fiber and optical wireless communication channels. The enhancement of optical signal/noise ratio at fiber/wireless channel, received electrical power and signal/noise ratio at optical receiver with increase of bits per symbol for different proposed modulation schemes except for CPFSK scheme. Therefore it is evident that CPFSK modulation scheme is more efficient and better performance than other modulation schemes for different communication channels. The obtained results are simulated with optisystem program version 13.
Cloud management and monitoring - a systematic mapping study
Authors: Odun-Ayo Isaac , Williams Toro-Abasi , Yahaya Jamaiah
Published: February 2021

A key component of ensuring that services are available on the cloud at the right time in the right manner is adequate cloud management. This makes it possible to provide services that meets user demands. The purpose of this research is to carry out a systematic study of management and monitoring on the cloud. Three facets were applied in conducting the categorization. These are the contribution, research, and topic facets. The purpose was to determine the level of work so far carried out in the field of cloud management. This enabled the creation of a pictorial representation of the research coverage. The result of the study showed that there are no opinion research on cloud management. Generally, articles on experience research, philosophical research and metric are the lowest at 6.62%, 4.41% and 1.90% respectively, while articles on models, solution research and evaluation research are the highest with 52.38%, 46.32% and 31.62% respectively. The outcome of this study will stimulate further research in the area cloud management and systematic studies.
Macrocrustaceans associated with reefs of Phragmatopoma caudata Krøyer in Mörch, 1863 (Polychaeta: Sabellariidae) and rocky shore in the Northeastern Brazil
Authors: Lane-Medeiros Laiane , Puppin-Gonçalves Carolina Teixeira , Rocha Matheus Arthur Lúcio da , Alencar Carlos Eduardo Rocha Duarte , Freire Fúlvio Aurélio de Morais
Published: February 2021

Ecosystem engineering species create, modify, and/or maintain the characteristics of the environment. The polychaete Phragmatopoma caudata builds large sand reefs in the intertidal region of the Brazilian coast with high structural complexity, favoring the increase of diversity and interactions among the species associated. However, there are no studies concerning the association of polychaetes with crustacean macrofauna in the northeastern Brazil ecoregion, leaving an information gap on baseline biodiversity. Our aim was to analyze the effect of P. caudata colonies (PC) on the local diversity of macrocrustaceans compared to the rocky shore (RS) microhabitat. Monthly collections were carried out in low tide from September 2015 to August 2016 on 10 × 10 m quadrants for fauna and environmental variables (temperature and salinity) samples. In each microhabitat, the capture effort was two hours by two researchers. We collected 3,390 individuals, 60% associated with the colonies of PC and 40% with the RS. The PC obtained higher Shannon diversity, Pielou evenness and species richness coupled with milder water temperature and salinity conditions (minor air exposure during tide), compared to the RS that obtained greater species dominance and more extreme abiotic conditions (major air exposure). The Porcellanidae family stood out because all its species were highly abundant and had high occurrence in the colonies. The tropical Brazil porcelain crab Pachycheles greeleyi was dominant in both microhabitats (major dominance in PC). The structural complexity in the reefs of PC promoted higher availability of niches for the species, as more shelter for the resident species and refugium for temporary species with preference for more complex microhabitats. Conservation managers should prioritize the health of these colonies and subsequent species that constitute important ecosystemic and fishery resources.
Ilha Grande, one of the locations with the most records of bat species (Mammalia, Chiroptera) in Rio de Janeiro state: results of a long-term ecological study
Authors: Costa Luciana Moraes , Lourenço Elizabete Captivo , Damasceno Júnior Daniel de Abreu , Dias Daniela , Esbérard Carlos Eduardo Lustosa , Jordão-Nogueira Tássia , Melo Glauce , Bergallo Helena Godoy
Published: February 2021

Faunal inventories provide quantitative and qualitative data for different sites and are relevant sources of information for identifying areas of high species richness and endemism. Biological collections are important in this context for increasing the precision of species identification. The objectives of this study were to update the list of bat species of Ilha Grande by analyzing specimens in zoological collections as well as records obtained in areas where no such studies had been undertaken before; to compare five different studies conducted on Ilha Grande using mist net sampling; and to compare the results of studies on Ilha Grande with sampling results from other areas in Rio de Janeiro state. The occurrence of 36 bat species was confirmed for Ilha Grande. Five studies on Ilha Grande formerly conducted by the authors were compared with 34 fauna inventories in Rio de Janeiro state. The studies on Ilha Grande had distinct objectives and sampling techniques applied to different locations in the same area. Ilha Grande is one of the regions in Rio de Janeiro state with more bat records both in terms of abundance and number of species, as well as one of the areas of highest bat capture effort.
New species of Loneura Navás, 1927 (Insecta: Psocodea: ‘Psocoptera’: Ptiloneuridae) from Peru
Authors: González-Obando Ranulfo , Carrejo-Gironza Nancy Soraya , García-Aldrete Alfonso Neri
Published: February 2021

Two species of Peruvian Loneura Navás, L. amakii sp. nov., and L. kosnipatensis sp. nov., are here described and illustrated; they belong in infrageneric group II of González Obando et al. (2020). The number of species of Peruvian Loneura is raised to four. The number of species of Loneura is raised to 38.
Sexual Assault and Carotid Plaque Among Midlife Women
Authors: Thurston Rebecca C. , Jakubowski Karen , Chang Yuefang , Koenen Karestan , Maki Pauline M. , Barinas Mitchell Emma
Published: February 2021

Background

Sexual assault is a risk factor for poor mental health, yet its relationship to cardiovascular disease risk is not understood. We tested whether women with a sexual assault history had greater carotid atherosclerosis levels and progression over midlife.

Methods and Results

A total of 169 non‐smoking, cardiovascular disease‐free women aged 40 to 60 years were assessed twice over 5 years. At each point, women completed questionnaires, physical measures, phlebotomy, and carotid ultrasounds. Associations between sexual assault and carotid plaque level (score 0, 1, ≥2) and progression (score change) were assessed in multinomial logistic and linear regression models, adjusted for age, race/ethnicity, education, body mass index, blood pressure, lipids, insulin resistance, and additionally depression/post‐traumatic stress symptoms; 28% of the women reported a sexual assault history. Relative to non‐exposed women, women with a sexual assault history had an over 4‐fold odds of a plaque score of ≥2 at baseline (≥2, odds ratio [OR] [95% CI]=4.35 [1.48–12.79],
P
=0.008; 1, OR [95% CI]=0.49 [0.12–1.97],
P
=0.32, versus no plaque; multivariable); and an over 3‐fold odds of plaque ≥2 at follow‐up (≥2, OR [95% CI]=3.65 [1.40–9.51],
P
=0.008; 1, OR [95% CI]=1.52 [0.46–4.99],
P
=0.49, versus no plaque; multivariable). Women with a sexual assault history also had an over 3‐folds greater odds of a plaque score progression of ≥2 (OR [95% CI]=3.48[1.11–10.93],
P
=0.033, multivariable). Neither depression nor post‐traumatic symptoms were related to plaque.

Conclusions

Sexual assault is associated with greater carotid atherosclerosis level and progression over midlife. Associations were not explained by standard cardiovascular disease risk factors. Future work should consider whether sexual assault prevention reduces women's cardiovascular disease risk.
Maternal Coronary Heart Disease, Stroke, and Mortality Within 1, 3, and 5 Years of Delivery Among Women With Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy and Pre‐Pregnancy Hypertension
Authors: Malek Angela M. , Wilson Dulaney A. , Turan Tanya N. , Mateus Julio , Lackland Daniel T. , Hunt Kelly J.
Published: February 2021

Background

Pre‐pregnancy hypertension and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP; preeclampsia, eclampsia, gestational hypertension) are major health risks for maternal morbidity and mortality. However, it is unknown if racial/ethnic differences exist. We aimed to determine the impact of HDP and pre‐pregnancy hypertension on maternal coronary heart disease, stroke, and mortality risk ≤1, 3, and 5 years post‐delivery and by race/ethnicity ≤5 years.

Methods and Results

This retrospective cohort study included women aged 12 to 49 years with a live, singleton birth between 2004 to 2016 (n=254 491 non‐Hispanic White; n=137 784 non‐Hispanic Black; n=41 155 Hispanic). Birth and death certificates and
International Classification of Diseases, Ninth and Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification
(
ICD‐9‐CM
and
ICD‐10‐CM
) diagnosis codes in hospitalization/emergency department visit data defined HDP, pre‐pregnancy hypertension, incident coronary heart disease and stroke, and all‐cause mortality. During at least 1 pregnancy of the 433 430 women, 2.3% had pre‐pregnancy hypertension with superimposed HDP, 15.7% had no pre‐pregnancy hypertension with HDP, and 0.4% had pre‐pregnancy hypertension without superimposed HDP, whereas 81.6% had neither condition. Maternal deaths from coronary heart disease, stroke, and all causes totaled 2136. Within 5 years of delivery, pre‐pregnancy hypertension, and HDP were associated with all‐cause mortality (hazard ratio [HR], 2.21; 95% CI, 1.61–3.03), incident coronary heart disease (HR, 3.79; 95% CI, 3.09–4.65), and incident stroke (HR, 3.10; 95% CI, 2.09–4.60). HDP alone was related to all outcomes. Race/ethnic differences were observed for non‐Hispanic Black and non‐Hispanic White women, respectively, in the associations of pre‐pregnancy hypertension and HDP with all‐cause mortality within 5 years of delivery (HR, 2.34 [95% CI, 1.58–3.47]; HR, 2.11 [95% CI, 1.23–3.65];
P
interaction=0.001).

Conclusions

Maternal cardiovascular outcomes including mortality were increased ≤5 years post‐delivery in HDP, pre‐pregnancy hypertension, or pre‐pregnancy hypertension with superimposed HDP. The race/ethnic interaction for all‐cause mortality ≤5 years of delivery warrants further research.
Jameson with Lacan
Authors: Burnham Clint
Published: February 2021

What does it mean to bring Marxism and psychoanalysis together at this conjuncture? Such a project has been a throughline, arguably, for Fredric Jameson’s work for the past four decades. In this review-article, I read his chapter on Lacan and Hamlet for how it helps us to understand, not only how Jameson’s ruminations on desire and neurosis highlight the social tendencies in Lacanian theory (for example, the notion that desire is the desire of the other), but also how that relationship throws new light on both the Marxist project and psychoanalysis proper.
Conceptualising Consistency: Coherence, Principles, and the Practice of Human Protection
Authors: Crossley Noele
Published: February 2021

‘Consistency’ has a range of meanings in the context of human protection practice. This article conceptualises consistency – a basic premise for the legitimacy of norms, both procedurally as well as substantively. First, ‘consistency’ can refer to the coherence of the human protection framework. Second, consistency can refer to the degree to which protection responses adhere to international law and conform with international norms. Third, ‘consistency’ can mean the absence of variability and unevenness in the application of norms. I argue that consistency understood as coherence facilitates protection responses in line with international law, and, second, that a coherent protection framework encourages the even and invariable application of norms of protection by assigning responsibilities to individual protection agents. However, the international human protection regime remains incoherent: it is ambiguous and it is insufficiently integrated with other regimes and across institutions.
The Discourse on the Eighth and the Ninth (NHC VI,6), the Prayer of Thanksgiving (NHC VI,7), and the Asclepius (NHC VI,8): Hermetic Texts in Nag Hammadi and Their Bipartite View of Man
Authors: Roig Lanzillotta Lautaro
Published: February 2021

In an article from 2017, I introduced the study of the anthropological framework of Nag Hammadi texts and established the existence in this corpus of two anthropological patterns, the bipartite and tripartite. The present study continues the analysis by means of an exhaustive investigation of the evidence provided by the three Hermetic treatises included in Nag Hammadi Codex VI, namely, the Discourse on the Eighth and the Ninth, the Prayer of Thanksgiving, and the fragment of Asclepius. It concludes that, far from presenting a tripartite anthropological framework, “die für die Gnosis typische trichotomische Anthropologie,” in the words of Karl-Wolfgang Tröger, these three Hermetic treatises only include a bipartite of view of the human being.
Modeling Water-Mass Distributions in the Modern and LGM Ocean: Circulation Change and Isopycnal and Diapycnal Mixing
Authors: Jones C. S. , Abernathey Ryan P.
Published: February 2021

Paleoproxy observations suggest that deep-ocean water-mass distributions were different at the Last Glacial Maximum than they are today. However, even modern deep-ocean water-mass distributions are not completely explained by observations of the modern ocean circulation. This paper investigates two processes that influence deep-ocean water-mass distributions: 1) interior downwelling caused by vertical mixing that increases in the downward direction and 2) isopycnal mixing. Passive tracers are used to assess how changes in the circulation and in the isopycnal-mixing coefficient impact deep-ocean water-mass distributions in an idealized two-basin model. We compare two circulations, one in which the upper cell of the overturning reaches to 4000-m depth and one in which it shoals to 2500-m depth. Previous work suggests that in the latter case the upper cell and the abyssal cell of the overturning are separate structures. Nonetheless, high concentrations of North Atlantic Water (NAW) are found in our model’s abyssal cell: these tracers are advected into the abyssal cell by interior downwelling caused by our vertical mixing profile, which increases in the downward direction. Further experiments suggest that the NAW concentration in the deep South Atlantic Ocean and in the deep Pacific Ocean is influenced by the isopycnal-mixing coefficient in the top 2000 m of the Southern Ocean. Both the strength and the vertical profile of isopycnal mixing are important for setting deep-ocean tracer concentrations. A 1D advection–diffusion model elucidates how NAW concentration depends on advective and diffusive processes.
Intermittent Frontogenesis in the Alboran Sea
Authors: Capó Esther , McWilliams James C. , Mason Evan , Orfila Alejandro
Published: February 2021

We present a phenomenological description and dynamical analysis of the Alboran fronts using a realistic simulation at submesoscale resolution. The study is focused on east Alboran fronts emerging within relatively strong flows that separate from the Spanish coast into the basin interior. Despite modest lateral shifting associated with the position of the Alboran anticyclonic gyres and variations in intensity, these fronts present a similar structure and dynamical configuration as the climatological Almeria–Oran front. The statistical analysis of our solution shows that strained-induced frontogenesis is a recurrent submesoscale mechanism associated with these fronts, and the process is assessed in terms of the advective Lagrangian frontogenetic tendencies associated with buoyancy and velocity horizontal gradients. Intermittency in their strength and patterns is indicative of high variability in the occurrence of active frontogenesis in association with the secondary (overturning) circulation across the frontal gradient. As a result, we find many episodes with strong surface fronts that do not have much associated downwelling. Frontogenesis and the associated secondary circulation are further explored during two particular frontal events, both showing strong downwelling of (1) cm s−1 extending down into the pycnocline. A frontogenetic contribution of turbulent vertical momentum mixing to the secondary circulation is identified in the easternmost region during the cold season, when the dynamics are strongly influenced by the intrusion of the salty Northern Current. The background vertical velocity fields observed during the analyzed events indicate other currents in the submesoscale range, including tidal and topographic internal waves.
A Seasonal Probabilistic Outlook for Tornadoes (SPOTter) in the Contiguous United States Based on the Leading Patterns of Large-Scale Atmospheric Anomalies
Authors: Lee Sang-Ki , Lopez Hosmay , Kim Dongmin , Wittenberg Andrew T. , Kumar Arun
Published: February 2021

This study presents an experimental model for Seasonal Probabilistic Outlook for Tornadoes (SPOTter) in the contiguous United States for March, April, and May and evaluates its forecast skill. This forecast model uses the leading empirical orthogonal function modes of regional variability in tornadic environmental parameters (i.e., low-level vertical wind shear and convective available potential energy), derived from the NCEP Coupled Forecast System, version 2, as the primary predictors. A multiple linear regression is applied to the predicted modes of tornadic environmental parameters to estimate U.S. tornado activity, which is presented as the probability for above-, near-, and below-normal categories. The initial forecast is carried out in late February for March–April U.S. tornado activity and then is updated in late March for April–May activity. A series of reforecast skill tests, including the jackknife cross-validation test, shows that the probabilistic reforecast is overall skillful for predicting the above- and below-normal area-averaged activity in the contiguous United States for the target months of both March–April and April–May. The forecast model also successfully reforecasts the 2011 super-tornado-outbreak season and the other three most active U.S. tornado seasons in 1982, 1991, and 2008, and thus it may be suitable for an operational use for predicting future active and inactive U.S. tornado seasons. However, additional tests show that the regional reforecast is skillful for March–April activity only in the Ohio Valley and South and for April–May activity only in the Southeast and Upper Midwest. These and other limitations of the current model, along with the future advances needed to improve the U.S. regional-scale tornado forecast, are discussed.
The Study of Term Limits in Sub-Saharan Africa: Lessons on Democratisation and Autocratisation
Authors: Grauvogel Julia , Heyl Charlotte
Published: February 2021

Studies on term limits in Africa have proliferated over the past two decades. This introduction to the special issue on the struggle over term limits contributes to advancing the research agenda with novel empirical evidence and a rigorous conceptual framework. Moreover, we propose complementing existing work on term limits and democratisation with a more explicit focus on their repercussions for authoritarian rule. Drawing on the comparative lessons of the special issue, we outline how term limits can be theorised as part of the institutional landscape in authoritarian regimes and how third-term bids can be understood as a tool of autocratisation.
Microscopic Extranodal Extension in HPV‐Negative Head and Neck Cancer and the Role of Adjuvant Chemoradiation
Authors: Yan Flora , Li Hong , de Almeida John R. , Kaczmar John M. , Pipkorn Patrik , Zenga Joseph , Richardson Mary S. , Neskey David M. , Sharma Anand K. , Day Terry A. , Graboyes Evan M.
Published: February 2021

Objective

Pathologic extranodal extension (ENE) is an important adverse feature for human papillomavirus (HPV)–negative head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), but the prognostic significance of microscopic ENE (ENEmi) and role of adjuvant concurrent chemoradiation (CRT) for ENEmi remain unclear. This study evaluates (1) the prognostic significance of ENEmi in HPV‐negative HNSCC and (2) whether adjuvant CRT is associated with improved overall survival (OS) for these patients.

Study Design

Retrospective cohort study.

Setting

Commission on Cancer (CoC)–accredited facilities.

Methods

This retrospective cohort study included patients in the National Cancer Database from 2009 to 2015 with pathologic node‐positive (pN+) HPV‐negative HNSCC with either pathologic ENEmi or no ENE who had undergone margin‐negative surgery. The association of ENEmi with OS was evaluated using Cox proportional hazard analyses. Analyses were repeated in patients with ENEmi receiving adjuvant therapy to evaluate the association of adjuvant CRT with OS.

Results

We included 5483 patients with pN+ HPV‐negative HNSCC, of whom 24% had ENEmi. On multivariable analysis, ENEmi was associated with decreased OS relative to no ENE (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 1.43; 95% CI, 1.28‐1.59). Among patients with ENEmi who received ≥60 Gy of adjuvant radiation therapy (RT) (n = 617), adjuvant CRT was not associated with improved OS relative to RT (aHR, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.66‐1.27).

Conclusion

For patients with HPV‐negative HNSCC, pN+ with ENEmi is associated with worse OS than pN+ without ENE. However, for patients with ENEmi, concurrent CRT is not associated with improved OS relative to RT. The optimal adjuvant paradigm for ENEmi requires additional investigation.
Cochlear Implants in Neurologically Impaired Children: A Survey of Health‐Related Quality of Life
Authors: Anne Samantha , Schwartz Seth Roslow , McCoy Jennifer L. , Haberkamp Thomas , Hoffer Michael E. , Chi David H.
Published: February 2021

Objectives

Evaluate health‐related quality‐of‐life (HRQoL) measures in noncommunicative, neurologically impaired, developmentally delayed (NCNIDD) children compared to normally developing children (ND) who undergo cochlear implantation (CI).

Study Design

Cross‐sectional survey of parents of NCNIDD and ND children who underwent CI.

Setting

Two tertiary care medical centers.

Methods

Questions comprising the Children With Cochlear Implants: Parental Perspectives survey were used in analysis. Average responses were calculated within 8 domains (communication, general functioning, self‐reliance, well‐being and happiness, social relationships, education, effects of implantation, and support the child). Groups were compared using Wilcoxon rank‐sum test. Impact of individual and collective socioeconomic/family covariates was assessed using analysis of variance.

Results

Surveys were returned from 17 of 42 (40%) patients with NCNIDD and 35 of 131 (27%) patients with ND. There were no statistically significant differences between groups in survey response rate, age, sex, age at implantation, current age, or duration of implant use. Overall, parents of children with ND responded more favorably in all domains vs children with NCNIDD. Parents of children with NCNIDD answered neutrally or favorably in all domains, except “support the child” and “self‐reliance” domains. Differences between groups in mean domain scores, univariably and almost universally when adjusting for socioeconomic and family variables individually and collectively, were statistically significant.

Conclusions

This study suggests that HRQoL benefits of CI are perceived in most domains by parents of children with NCNIDD, albeit less strongly than children with ND. A survey sensitive to challenges of children with NCNIDD may better capture benefits that may not be apparent in this study.
Histopathology of the Incudomalleolar Joint in Cases of “Indeterminate” Presbycusis
Authors: Roychowdhury Prithwijit , Castillo‐Bustamante Melissa , Polanik Marc , Kozin Elliott D. , Remenschneider Aaron K.
Published: February 2021

Age‐related hearing loss (presbycusis) is a prevalent condition attributed primarily to inner ear dysfunction. Little is known about age‐related changes in the ossicular joints or their contribution to presbycusis. Herein, we performed a histopathologic analysis of the incudomalleolar joint (IMJ) in specimens from the National Temporal Bone Registry with audiometrically confirmed presbycusis but without histologically observed sensory, neural, strial, or mixed features. Seventeen “indeterminate” presbycusis (IP) ears and 13 young, normal‐hearing ears were examined. The age was 73.2 ± 9.5 years for the IP group and 32.1 ± 9.5 for the young group (P <. 05). The joint space between the 2 ossicles was 23% wider in the IP group (139 ± 26.2 µm) compared to young ears (113 ± 49.0 µm) (P =. 02). We report that IP ears have a wider IMJ than young ears. These findings have implications for understanding the etiology of presbycusis in indeterminate cases.

Level of Evidence:

Retrospective study.
Histopathological and epigenetic alterations in the spinal cord due to prenatal electromagnetic field exposure: An H3K27me3-related mechanism
Authors: Keleş Ayşe İkinci , Süt Burcu Biterge
Published: February 2021

Neural system development is one of the most important stages of embryogenesis. Perturbations in this crucial process due to genetic and environmental risk factors cause neural tube defects and other central nervous system diseases. We investigated the effects of prenatal exposure to 900-MHz electromagnetic field (EMF) on the spinal cord. Pregnant rats were exposed to 900-MHz EMF for 1 h/day from E13.5 until birth. Six pups from the control and EMF groups were sacrificed at postnatal day 32, and the upper thoracic region of the spine was removed and processed for histological procedures. For histopathological analyses, hematoxylin&eosin staining and, for stereological analyses and the quantitation of motor neurons, cresyl violet staining was performed. H3K27me3 levels were determined via immunofluorescence staining. Histopathological analysis identified structural alterations of ependymal cells, enlarged central canals, as well as degenerated and shrunken motor neurons in the EMF group, while the control group tissues had normal appearances. We also observed enrichment of H3K27me3 in the ependymal cells and the motor neurons in the spinal cord of the control group rats, while the EMF group had low levels of H3K27me3 staining. Our results suggest that the loss of H3K27me3 signals might correlate with reduced neuronal stem cell potential in the EMF group and result in anatomical and structural differences in the spinal cord. This study provided a comprehensive histopathological analysis of the spinal cord after prenatal EMF exposure and offered an H3K27me3-dependent molecular explanation for the detrimental effects of EMF exposure on the spine.
Website Defacer Classification: A Finite Mixture Model Approach
Authors: Burruss George W. , Howell C. Jordan , Maimon David , Wang Fangzhou
Published: February 2021

Hackers often engage in website defacement early in their criminal careers to establish a reputation. Some hackers become increasingly prolific and launch a large number of attacks against their targets, whereas others only launch a few attacks before eventually desisting from a life of crime. A better understanding of why some hackers launch a large number of attacks, while others do not, will assist in the implementation of targeted intervention strategies. Therefore, the current study, using a sample of 119 active hackers, seeks to answer two research questions: (1) Are there different groups of website defacers based on attack volume? (2) Which observed hacker-level characteristics can be used to predict latent class membership? We find that two unique groups of website defacers exist: low-volume defacers (69%) and high-volume defacers (31%). Social media presence, the content of the defacement, and the type of defacement are all predictive of latent class membership. Policy implications are discussed.
Using Machine Learning to Examine Cyberattack Motivations on Web Defacement Data
Authors: Banerjee Sudipta , Swearingen Thomas , Shillair Ruth , Bauer Johannes M. , Holt Thomas , Ross Arun
Published: February 2021

Social scientists have long been interested in the motives of hackers, particularly financially motivated attackers. This article analyzes web defacements, a less studied and more public form of cyberattack, in which the content of a web page is deliberately substituted with unwanted text and graphics chosen by the perpetrator. These attacks use a variety of strategies and are performed for a variety of motives, including political and ideological goals. The proliferation of such attacks has resulted in vast amounts of data that open new opportunities for qualitative and quantitative analysis. This article explores the usefulness of machine learning techniques to better understand attacker strategies and motivations. To detect overall attack patterns, this analysis utilized a sample of 40,000 images posted on defaced websites analyzed through deep machine learning methods. The approach demonstrates the potential of machine learning approaches for the study of cyberattacks, but it also reveals the considerable challenges that need to be overcome.
Eco-green machining of superalloy A286: Assessment of tool wear morphology and surface topology
Authors: Musavi Seyed Hasan , Davoodi Behnam , Niknam Seyed A
Published: February 2021

Unstable crude oil derivatives are among the main substances added to the mineral-based lubricants (MBL). However, the high purification and disposal costs of such lubricants and consequent environmental difficulties are the major drawbacks of cutting fluid consumption. The lower use of MBL or replacing them with less harmful ones, in principle, vegetable-based lubricants (VBL) are the prime importance of achieving less operating costs and pollution. Furthermore, the use of VBLs is much more recommended if machinability aspects, including tool life, surface, and edge quality, would also be improved. Therefore, in the present study, cutting parameters and lubricant types were used as the experimental variables in the MQL-turning of A286 superalloy. A286 is classified as a difficult-to-cut material with a wide range of applications in the energy and turbine industries. No experimental study was found on the machining of A286 under separate cooling and lubrication with two MQL systems simultaneously. The effects of cutting parameters on both average surface roughness Ra and tool wear morphology were evaluated. Experimental results denoted that the use of VBLs led to better surface topology. On the other hand, the tendency of the built-up layer (BUL) and built-up edge (BUE) phenomenon were intensified when MBL was used. On the word, better tool life is also expected when using VBL. This observation revealed that the use of VBL not only tends to improve productivity and environmental safety aspects but also machinability aspects; in principle, better surface topology and longer tool life are also expected.
Investigation of drilling properties of AA7075/Al2O3 functionally graded materials using gray relational analysis
Authors: Yıldız Tuğçe , Sur Gökhan
Published: February 2021

The present paper reports an experimental study on the fabrication and characterization of aluminum-oxide-reinforced functionally graded aluminum composites and optimization of drilling parameters on thrust force and average surface roughness using gray relational analysis. For this purpose, AA7075/Al2O3 functionally graded materials were produced with three layers that have different ratios of Al2O3 via high-temperature isostatic pressing and powder metallurgy method. Hardness behaviors of the layers were determined. Further, microstructural characterizations of the layers were carried out. Functionally graded materials were machined at dry cutting conditions with a 6 mm uncoated cemented carbide drill bit. The drilling experiments were carried out under different conditions such as point angles, helix angles, and feed rates, while the 25 m/min cutting speed was kept constant. The effects of factors on thrust force and surface roughness were evaluated using analysis of variance and gray relational analysis in full factorial experimental design. The minimum thrust force was measured at 221 N in a 140° point angle, 15° helix angle, and 0.075 mm/rev feed rate. Results of the gray relational analysis showed that feed rate was the dominant factor on thrust force and average surface roughness. Consequently, the highest and lowest gray relational grades were obtained at 0.899 and 0.374, respectively.
Manufacturing of three-layered sandwich composite of AA1050/LZ91/AA1050 using cold roll bonding process
Authors: Rahmatabadi D. , Pahlavani M. , Marzbanrad J. , Hashemi R. , Bayati A.
Published: February 2021

In this paper, for the first time, dual-phase Mg-Li alloy is used to produce a three-layered Al/Mg/Al composite with the use of the cold roll bonding process. The low density and high ductility are known as the essential advantages of the Mg-Li alloys, while a couple of important problems should be taken into account, namely low corrosion resistance and low strength. It has been tried to deal with the mentioned problems by performing cold work and cover the Mg sheet with the Al similar plates. To investigate the Mg-Al layers bonding quality, mechanical properties and microstructure were examined for different thicknesses reduction ratio. The peeling test results showed that with increasing rolling pressure, the size and number of cracks on the brittle surfaces due to brushing, surface expansion, and metal extrusion between the cracks were improved by rising the reduction thickness ratio, bond strength enhanced, sharply. The UTS of 33.33% thickness reduction three-layered Al/Mg sample was obtained 186.5 MPa, which was more than 2.1 and 1.3 times higher than the initial Al1050 and MgLZ91 samples, respectively. However, because of increasing the amount of thickness reduction, roll-bonded layers’ quality, the tensile strength of the composite, and the microhardness of both layers increased. Furthermore, the elongation has reduced, and the maximum ultimate tensile strength and microhardness were achieved at 66.67% thickness reduction.
Control optimization of a compound power-split hybrid power system for commercial vehicles
Authors: Li Qing , Zhang Zhendong , Zhang Tong , Guo Han
Published: February 2021

In this paper, based on two planetary gear sets, a novel compound power-split hybrid power system for commercial vehicles is presented. Firstly, mathematical models of the system dynamic torque control and the system efficiency are established by using an equivalent lever diagram and analyzing the power flow respectively. Then the system operating modes which are divided into two pure electric modes and one hybrid mode and corresponding control strategies are analyzed by the combined lever diagrams. Finally, control strategies in different modes to looking for the optimal system efficiencies are designed and validated by the bench test. In order to prolong its service life, the battery is charged with small power in the hybrid mode. The design and test results indicate that the optimal system efficiency control strategies are reasonable and reliable. The maximum value of the optimal system efficiency can reach about 0.92 in the pure electric mode, and 0.39 in the hybrid mode. And the proportion of the engine operating points with the brake specific fuel consumption (BSFC) lower than 215 g/kWh is 81%. The co-simulation results show that the maximum system efficiency can achieve 14.9% fuel consumption per 100 km drop compared with the minimum system efficiency for an 80 km/h constant speed condition, which indicates that the optimal system efficiency control strategy can greatly improve the vehicle fuel economy. This study can offer a research direction for energy management of hybrid power systems.
Research on vehicle stability region under critical driving situations with static bifurcation theory
Authors: Zhu Jianxu , Zhang Shupei , Wang Guolin , Zhang Wei , Zhang Sheng
Published: February 2021

A strategy for solving the static bifurcation points of the 5DOF vehicle nonlinear system is proposed to research the stability region of the system. The bifurcation characteristics of the system is changed by the coupling of the steering and the engine braking torques under the high-speed emergency steering conditions, and the corresponding vehicle stability region must be redefined. The stability region of the vehicle which is influenced by the engine braking torque is determined with the static bifurcation theory, and the equilibrium points of the 5DOF vehicle system are solved with the phase space method and the random weight particle swarm optimization (RWPSO) algorithm. The vehicle stability is verified with different initial longitudinal speeds and different steering angles, and the simulation results validate the effectiveness of the stability region under the critical driving conditions. The study is conducive to the development of the active safety control systems and the application of nonlinear system dynamics in the automotive field. Furthermore, it provides the theoretical support for the application of the vehicle-handling stability.
A Tale of Two Modalities: Sign and Speech Influence Each Other in Bimodal Bilinguals
Authors: Manhardt Francie , Brouwer Susanne , Özyürek Aslı
Published: February 2021

Bimodal bilinguals are hearing individuals fluent in a sign and a spoken language. Can the two languages influence each other in such individuals despite differences in the visual (sign) and vocal (speech) modalities of expression? We investigated cross-linguistic influences on bimodal bilinguals’ expression of spatial relations. Unlike spoken languages, sign uses iconic linguistic forms that resemble physical features of objects in a spatial relation and thus expresses specific semantic information. Hearing bimodal bilinguals ( n = 21) fluent in Dutch and Sign Language of the Netherlands and their hearing nonsigning and deaf signing peers ( n = 20 each) described left/right relations between two objects. Bimodal bilinguals expressed more specific information about physical features of objects in speech than nonsigners, showing influence from sign language. They also used fewer iconic signs with specific semantic information than deaf signers, demonstrating influence from speech. Bimodal bilinguals’ speech and signs are shaped by two languages from different modalities.