bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
La (no) regulación de la desinformación en la Unión Europea. Una perspectiva comparada
Authors: Magallón Rosa Raúl
Published: December 2019

El objetivo de este estudio es realizar un análisis comparativo en torno a las diferentes medidas tomadas por los países de la Unión Europea para combatir la desinformación. Desde esta perspectiva se analizan en primer lugar las medidas tomadas por la UE ante el nuevo escenario y, posteriormente, se estudian las medidas concretas tomadas por los diferentes países que han decidido actuar en la lucha contra las fake news y las nuevas formas de propaganda.El estudio se centra principalmente en cuatro países: Alemania, Francia, España y Reino Unido. El trabajo pretende distinguir entre medidas legislativas, de alfabetización digital, informes, grupos de trabajo, etc. así como entre medidas internas y externas. Es decir, aquellas destinadas a monitorizar las actividades de propaganda e injerencia de terceros países en los procesos electorales. En cualquiera de estos escenarios, la legislación digital presenta desafíos que se repiten: un modelo legislativo no adaptado a los cambios digitales, intereses de actores tradicionales que no quieren perder sus cuotas de mercado y poder, además del desconocimiento de fenómenos nuevos que rápidamente se instalan en nuestra cotidianeidad.
La mesure de la qualité de vie : nouvel horizon dans l’évaluation des traitements des enfants présentant un syndrome de gilles de la tourette
Authors: J.-Nolin Gabrielle , Leclerc Julie
Published: December 2019

Les enfants présentant le syndrome de Gilles de la Tourette (SGT) ont besoin de traitements efficaces et adaptés à leur réalité clinique complexe. L’évaluation de l’effet des traitements ciblant la gestion des tics est principalement déterminée par des mesures objectives. Or, ces mesures ne considèrent pas la perception de l’enfant, contrairement à des instruments de mesure évaluant la qualité de vie qui permettent d’avoir un regard global sur la vie de l’enfant, en allant au-delà des symptômes qu’il présente. L’objectif de cette étude est d’identifier et d’analyser les instruments de mesure utilisés dans la littérature scientifique pour évaluer la qualité de vie des enfants ayant le SGT. Des caractéristiques spécifiques ont été ciblées pour faire cette analyse, dont les propriétés psychométriques, le répondant, l’administration, l’adaptation sur le plan développemental et la présence d’un modèle conceptuel. Un total de huit instruments évaluant la qualité de vie ont été ciblés dans la présente revue de littérature, parmi ceux-ci, deux instruments de mesure font l’objet de recommandations. Cette étude facilitera le choix d’un clinicien ou d’un chercheur francophone qui désire employer un tel instrument, en lui permettant de tenir compte du point de vue de l’enfant ayant le SGT lors de l’évaluation de l’effet d’un traitement.
Creación de una web para las titulaciones náuticas de recreo
Authors: Capilla Conrado
Published: December 2019

Se trata del diseño y desarrollo de un proyecto enmarcado dentro de la asignatura del trabajo final del Máster de Aplicaciones Multimedia. Más concretamente, se trata del “Diseño y desarrollo de una aplicación web orientada a la preparación teórica de las diferentes titulaciones náuticas de recreo”.
Illustrator CS5: guía de maquetación
Authors: Beneito Montagut Roser , Azparren Arteaga Ana
Published: December 2019

Illustrator es un programa que os ofrece un área de trabajo y una interfaz de usuario muy eficaces para crear y editar ilustraciones. Estas ilustraciones podrán ser utilizadas en distintos medios, como impresión, web y dispositivos móviles.
Creatividad en la síntesis
Authors: Ferrer Castro Adrià
Published: December 2019

Haití quedó destruido en enero de 2010. De repente, durante unos días, ese pequeño país caribeño olvidado se convirtió en el epicentro de la información mundial. Pero, ¿las pudimos procesar? Adrià Ferrer nos propone el reto de diseñar una infografía no sólo creativa si no también resolutiva para explicar gráficamente los motivos de fondo del desastre humanitario de Haití.
Adaptación de Mosaic a dispositivos móviles
Authors: González Ruth
Published: December 2019

A raíz del creciente auge de conexiones a Internet a través de smartphones, PDAs y dispositivos similares, la adaptación de Mosaic para su visualización en dispositivos móviles se hacía imprescindible. En el siguiente artículo, Ruth González nos descubre las fases que ha seguido este proceso de adaptación.
Mis prácticas en la UOC, conceptos vivos
Authors: Batet Joan
Published: December 2019

Joan Batet nos presenta una práctica de composición gráfica basada en tres conceptos estudiados en el aula: el uso de la retícula, la combinación cromática y el efecto compositivo de conjunto. Además, Batet completa su experiencia con una segunda práctica, el objetivo de la cual era dotar a la composición gráfica del primer ejercicio con una intencionalidad comunicativa estratégica gracias al texto.
Modificación de una página con estándares web
Authors: González Rodríguez Diego
Published: December 2019

El siguiente artículo de Diego González incluye la descripción de los pasos de la tercera y última práctica de la asignatura Lenguajes y estándares web que consistió en el rediseño de una página web a través de varias estrategias utilizadas en la actualidad.
HTML5 y CSS3. ¿Dónde están las buenas prácticas?
Authors: Córcoles César
Published: December 2019

Trabajar hoy con HTML5 y CSS3 ya es una posibilidad real y, de hecho, la tarea del diseñador web es hoy más agradecida que hace un par de años. César Córcoles, profesor del Grado en Multimedia de la UOC, nos ofrece un reflexión necesaria sobre cuáles son las mejores prácticas a la hora de crear páginas web con HTML y CSS, usando los estándares definidos para tal fin.
Bruce Lawson (English version)
Authors: Córcoles César
Published: December 2019

In this issue dedicated to HTML5, we could not miss the contribution of Bruce Lawson, one of the leading members of the community of experts in web design and development. Lawson, interviewed by Cesar Córcoles, talks about accessibility and the process of writing standards and many other topics of interest.
Más allá de la web. Rediseño de la Arquitectura de la Información de un sitio para web y para móvil
Authors: Simón Lázaro Luis Joaquín Simón Lázaro
Published: December 2019

Muchas veces alcanzar nuestro destino requiere salirnos del camino trazado y explorar nuevos territorios. Del mismo modo, ofrecer una solución innovadora requiere de nuevos puntos de vista, de nuevas preguntas. En esta propuesta de rediseño de la Arquitectura de la Información del sitio web de Bulevard Rosa se va más allá del concepto de wireframe clásico para web adentrándonos en la adaptación del sitio a dispositiv...
Infografía sobre las elecciones de 1936 en España
Authors: Vilaplana Insertis Vicente
Published: December 2019

En el semestre 2010/11-2 se propuso una práctica final en la que tuvimos que transformarnos en historiadores, transmisores de información y diseñadores gráficos. Debíamos realizar un trabajo infográfico sobre un hecho histórico, peculiar y crucial, en nuestra historia reciente: las elecciones de 1936, en la II República. Todo un reto.
Cien años del nacimiento de McLuhan
Authors: Berga Quelic
Published: December 2019

Marshall McLuhan fue un profesor de literatura, crítico literario, retórico y uno de los primeros teóricos en hablar de las Teorías de los Medios. Está considerado por muchos un visionario que anticipó fenómenos que hoy en día ya estamos viviendo en lo referente a las nuevas tecnologías y los medios de comunicación, ámbitos que abordó desde los puntos de vista técnico y humanístico. Este año se cumple un centenario d...
Lector RSS de ‘Mosaic’ para dispositivos ‘Android’
Authors: Gervas Arruga Jordi
Published: December 2019

Actualmente, vivimos en una sociedad muy marcada por el uso de los dispositivos móviles, no sólo en el ámbito académico o profesional, sino en el cotidiano también. Este trabajo en concreto versará sobre la adaptación del contenido del RSS de Mosaic para que pueda ser leído por un dispositivo móvil con sistema operativo Android.
Ferran Giménez Prado
Authors: Pérez Beatriz
Published: December 2019

Ferran Giménez es el director del Grado de Multimedia de la UOC y uno de los principales creadores de Mosaic. En esta entrevista hace un repaso de los diez primeros años de nuestra revista, que echó andar en el año 2001.
The Cfd Analysis of Ventilation and Smoke Control System with Jet Fan in a Parking Garage
Authors: SULTANSU Sinem , ONAT Ayhan
Published: December 2019

Basements of buildings are generally used as parking garages and vehicles located in there release harmful gases. It is generally not possible to ventilate parking garages with natural ventilation methods. For this reason, ventilation systems should be used to keep the concentration of harmful gases below certain limits. One of these ventilation systems is jet fan system. It can also be used for smoke control and exhaust of harmful gases in case of fire. In this study, the jet fan system was designed for a parking garage and its performance has been observed by Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). Carbon monoxide concentration and air velocity parameters were investigated according to the different car occupancy rates with the CFD analyses for daily ventilation. In the results, when the number of cars increased, the air velocities decreased in the areas where the cars located and exhaust of the CO gas took longer time. In fire analyses, the same parameters were analyzed according to the different jet fan hanging heights. In the fire ventilation results, when the jet fan hanging height was increased, distribution of the air velocity profiles changed and it took longer time to exhaust the CO gas from the car park.
Analysis of Seasonal Pattern and Variation of Rice Prices in Tanzania
Authors: Yohana James Mgale , Yunxian Yan
Published: December 2019

The objective of this paper was to study Tanzania’s rice sector, regarding the seasonal behavior of wholesale rice prices in the Mbeya Region. It’s considered that price is the most crucial variable in the farmer’s decision making. The classical multiplicative model was employed in the analysis of monthly time-series data from 2004 to 2018 to verify if there were changes in the seasonal variation pattern. The data were obtained from the Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Marketing in Tanzania. According to the results, rice prices seem to have followed a consistent and logical pattern around their annual average, in spite of increased uncertainty and variability in the overall Tanzania grains markets. The months of November to May were the best month for selling rice as the seasonal variation indexes were highest, above 100%; thus, farmers would gain more by storing rice during the harvest period for future sales. On the consumer side, the best month for purchasing rice was from June to October, which is harvest season. Knowledge of these rice price patterns and the risk levels of specific months can be useful to producers and purchasers as they develop their annual marketing plans.
Electricity load forecasting using clustering and ARIMA model for energy management in buildings
Authors: Nepal Bishnu , Yamaha Motoi , Yokoe Aya , Yamaji Toshiya
Published: December 2019

Understanding the energy consumption patterns of buildings and investing efforts toward energy load reduction is important for optimizing resources and conserving energy in buildings. In this research, we proposed a forecasting method for the electricity load of university buildings using a hybrid model comprising a clustering technique and the autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) model. The novel approach includes clustering data of an entire year, including the forecasting day using K‐means clustering, and using the result to forecast the electricity peak load of university buildings. The combination of clustering and the ARIMA model has proved to increase the performance of forecasting rather than that using the ARIMA model alone. Forecasting electricity peak load with appreciable accuracy several hours before peak hours can provide the management authorities with sufficient time to design strategies for peak load reduction. This method can also be implemented in the demand response for reducing electricity bills by avoiding electricity usage during the high electricity rate hours.
Chromatic Dispersion Manipulation Based on Metalenses
Authors: Zang Wenbo , Yuan Quan , Chen Run , Li Lin , Li Tianyue , Zou Xiujuan , Zheng Gaige , Chen Zhuo , Wang Shuming , Wang Zhenlin , Zhu Shining
Published: December 2019

Metasurfaces are 2D metamaterials composed of subwavelength nanoantennas according to specific design. They have been utilized to precisely manipulate various parameters of light fields, such as phase, polarization, amplitude, etc., showing promising functionalities. Among all meta‐devices, the metalens can be considered as the most basic and important application, given its significant advantage in integration and miniaturization compared with traditional lenses. However, the resonant dispersion of each nanoantenna in a metalens and the intrinsic chromatic dispersion of planar devices and optical materials result in a large chromatic aberration in metalenses that severely reduces the quality of their focusing and imaging. Consequently, how to effectively suppress or manipulate the chromatic aberration of metalenses has attracted worldwide attention in the last few years, leading to variety of excellent achievements promoting the development of this field. Herein, recent progress in chromatic dispersion control based on metalenses is reviewed.
In Situ Electrochemical Synthesis of a Conducting Polymer Composite for Multimetabolite Sensing
Authors: Wustoni Shofarul , Hidalgo Tania C. , Hama Adel , Ohayon David , Savva Achilleas , Wei Nini , Wehbe Nimer , Inal Sahika
Published: December 2019

Electrochemical polymerization is a versatile method for rapid deposition of conducting polymer (CP) films. The target substrates have, however, been limited to planar, metallic surfaces; hence, the devices that integrate electropolymerized CP films have predominantly been passive electrodes. In this work, it is shown that electrochemical polymerization has a high degree of freedom, which allows growing biofunctionalized CP films in microscale transistor channels. CP films are electrochemically deposited from two monomers, namely, 3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT) and hydroxymethyl EDOT (EDOTOH), inside the channel of an organic electrochemical transistor (OECT). In aqueous electrolytes, the copolymer p(EDOT‐ran‐EDOTOH) shows excellent charging capability and OECT performance. The presence of hydroxyl groups facilitates stable incorporation of catalytic enzymes in the copolymer matrix during electropolymerization, rendering OECT channels biologically functionalized. The transistor channels made of CP films with the entrapped enzyme show output characteristics that change with respect to the concentration of its target metabolite. In the form of a miniaturized, single chip, the multi‐transistor platform simultaneously measures glucose, cholesterol, and lactate concentrations of a given fluid. With the ability to grow and pattern CPs functionalized with biorecognition units on miniaturized areas, this technique promises for the development of multiplexed platforms for electronic biosensing.
Stereoselective Intermolecular [4+2] Process of N,O‐acetals with Terminal Alkynes for Construction of Functional cis‐Pyrido and Pyrrolo[1,2‐c][1,3]oxazin‐1‐ones
Authors: Wang Chen , Mao Zhuo‐Ya , Liu Yi‐Wen , Wang Qiao‐E , Si Chang‐Mei , Wei Bang‐Guo , Lin Guo‐Qiang
Published: December 2019

A diastereoselective approach to access cis‐pyrido and pyrrolo[1,2‐c][1,3]oxazin‐1‐ones has been developed through a one‐pot BF3.Et2O‐catalyzed [4+2] process starting with N,O‐acetals and terminal alkynes. In addition, the utility of this transformation is demonstrated by the scalable synthesis of (+)‐Febrifugine in 7 steps from the N,O‐acetal (15% overall yield).

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Polydopamine Nanoparticle Doped Nanofluid for Solar Thermal Energy Collector Efficiency Increase
Authors: Hauser Daniel , Steinmetz Lukas , Balog Sandor , Taladriz‐Blanco Patricia , Septiadi Dedy , Wilts Bodo D. , Petri‐Fink Alke , Rothen‐Rutishauser Barbara
Published: December 2019

Polydopamine can form black nanoparticles and has recently been gaining attention due to its extraordinary heating properties upon excitation with light. Herein, polydopamine hybrid nanoparticles are synthesized in different sizes and subsequently added to a solar fluid to analyze heating ability. The solar fluids with the differently sized hybrid polydopamine particles are compared to a solar fluid containing food coloring (i.e., micrometer‐sized soot particles, similar to India Ink) and silver nanoparticles. The hybrid polydopamine nanoparticles are found to heat more efficiently than silver nanoparticles or food coloring, respectively. In addition, no hybrid polydopamine nanoparticle deposits are found in the direct absorption solar collector in comparison to the solar fluids doped with silver nanoparticles or food coloring. Thus, this work shows that hybrid polydopamine nanoparticles are promising candidates to increase the efficiency of solar fluids.
Nitrogen‐Doped Carbon‐Coated CuO‐In2O3 p–n Heterojunction for Remarkable Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution
Authors: Sun Liming , Zhuang Yuan , Yuan Yusheng , Zhan Wenwen , Wang Xiao‐Jun , Han Xiguang , Zhao Yanli
Published: December 2019

CuO as a catalyst has shown promising application prospects in photocatalytic splitting of water into hydrogen (H2). However, the instability of CuO in amine aqueous solution limits the applications of CuO‐based photocatalysts in the photocatalytic H2 evolution. In this work, a novel dodecahedral nitrogen (N)‐doped carbon (C) coated CuO‐In2O3 p–n heterojunction (DNCPH) is designed and synthesized by directly pyrolyzing benzimidazole‐modified dodecahedral Cu/In‐based metal‐organic frameworks, showing long‐term stability in triethanolamine (TEOA) aqueous solution and excellent photocatalytic H2 production efficiency. The improved stability of DNCPH in TEOA solution is ascribed to the alleviation of electron deficiency in CuO by forming the p–n heterojunction and the protection with coated N‐doped C layer. Based on detailed theoretical calculations and experimental studies, it is found that the improved separation efficiency of photogenerated electron/hole pairs and the mediated adsorption behavior (|∆GH*|→0) by coupling N‐doped C layer with CuO‐In2O3 p–n heterojunction lead to the excellent photocatalytic H2 production efficiency of DNCPH. This work provides a feasible strategy for effectively applying CuO‐based photocatalysts in photocatalytic H2 production.
Monolithic Perovskite/Si Tandem Solar Cells: Pathways to Over 30% Efficiency
Authors: Shen Heping , Walter Daniel , Wu Yiliang , Fong Kean Chern , Jacobs Daniel A. , Duong The , Peng Jun , Weber Klaus , White Thomas P. , Catchpole Kylie R.
Published: December 2019

The article commences with a review focusing on three critical aspects of the perovskite/Si tandem technology: the evolution of efficiencies to date, comparisons of Si subcell choices, and the interconnection design strategies. Building on this review, a clear route is provided for minimizing optical losses aided by optical simulations of a recently reported high‐efficiency perovskite/Si tandem system, optimizations which result in tandem current densities of ≈20 mAcm−2 with front‐side texture. The primary focus is on electrical modeling on the Si‐subcell, in order to understand the efficiency potential of this cell under filtered light in a tandem configuration. The possibility of increasing the Si subcell efficiency by 1% absolute is offered through joint improvements to the bulk lifetime, which exceeds 4 ms, and improves surface passivation quality to saturation current densities below 10 fA cm−2. Polycrystalline‐Si/SiOx passivating contacts are proposed as a promising alternative to partial‐area rear contacts, with the potential for further simplifying cell fabrication and improving device performance. A combination of optical modeling of the complete tandem structure alongside electrical modeling of the Si‐subcell, both with state‐of‐the‐art modeling tools, provides the first complete picture of the practical efficiency potential of perovskite/Si tandems.
Atomic Structure Modification for Electrochemical Nitrogen Reduction to Ammonia
Authors: Chen Xinrui , Guo Yitian , Du Xinchuan , Zeng Yushuang , Chu Junwei , Gong Chuanhui , Huang Jianwen , Fan Cong , Wang Xianfu , Xiong Jie
Published: December 2019

The electrochemical nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR), as an environmentally friendly method to convert nitrogen to ammonia at ambient temperature and pressure, has attracted the attention of numerous researchers. However, when compared with industrial production, electrochemical NRR often suffers from unsatisfactory yields and poor Faraday efficiency (FE). Recently, various structure engineering strategies have aimed to introduce extra active sites or enhance intrinsic activity to optimize the activation and hydrogenation of N2. In this review, recent progress in atomic structure modification is summarized and discussed to design high‐efficiency NRR catalysts, with a focus on defect engineering (heteroatom doping and atom vacancy), surface orientation and amorphization, as well as heterostructure engineering. In addition, existing challenges and future development directions are proposed to obtain more credible NRR catalysts with high catalytic performance and selectivity.
Nanoparticle evolution in flame spray pyrolysis—Process design via experimental and computational analysis
Authors: Meierhofer Florian , Mädler Lutz , Fritsching Udo
Published: December 2019

In flame spray pyrolysis (FSP), the evolution of metal oxide nanoparticles relies on quite a number of droplet (liquid) and vapor phase related physical mechanism as for instance precursor evaporation, oxidation, nucleation via gas‐to‐particle conversion mechanism, and subsequent particle (solid) growth mechanisms based on coagulation, sintering/coalescence, and agglomeration. The liquid precursor and dispersion oxygen feed rates are relevant control parameters of the FSP process for tailoring the nanoparticle size (diameter) and structure as well as the atomizer nozzle configuration. Sophisticated nonintrusive, laser‐based in situ and ex situ diagnostics with multiscale spatial resolution (micrometer to meter range) are applied for analyzing droplet formation and size, gas velocity, temperature, species concentration, as well as primary and agglomerate diameters along the flow direction. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) are coupled with population balance modeling (PBM) to elucidate the nanoparticle dynamics within the reactive spray. It is found that the CFD‐PBM approach allows estimations of primary and agglomerate nanoparticle diameters within 80 and 75% accuracy compared to experimental data, suggesting that the methods presented could pave the way for designing next‐generations of flame reactors.
Control of the Folding Dynamics of Self‐Reconfiguring Magnetic Microbots Using Liquid Crystallinity
Authors: Shields C. Wyatt , Kim Young-Ki , Han Koohee , Murphy Andrew C. , Scott Alexander J. , Abbott Nicholas L. , Velev Orlin D.
Published: December 2019

Reconfigurable microdevices are being explored in a range of contexts where their life‐like abilities to move and change shape are important. While much work has been done to control the motion of these microdevices by engineering their geometry and composition, little is known about their dynamics in complex fluid environments with non‐Newtonian rheology. Herein, it is shown how the actuation dynamics of reconfigurable microdevices made by assembly of patchy magnetic microcubes, which are referred to as “microbots,” can be modulated by their interactions with the anisotropic viscoelastic environment of a liquid crystal (LC). The free energy arising from the elastic strain of LC and formation of topological defects around the microbots influences their folding dynamics, which can be tuned by tailoring both the far‐field orientation of the LC and the local ordering of the LC at the microbot surfaces. These findings represent a first step toward establishing a general set of design rules to control the dynamics of microbots using complex anisotropic fluids.
Impact of Draf III, Draf IIb, and Draf IIa frontal sinus surgery on nasal irrigation distribution
Authors: Barham Henry P. , Hall Christian A. , Hernandez Stephen C. , Zylicz Harry E. , Stevenson Megan M. , Zito Brittany A. , Harvey Richard J.
Published: December 2019

Background

Delivery of topical pharmacotherapy to the paranasal sinuses remains integral to the management of chronic rhinosinusitis. The frontal sinus remains a difficult access site for irrigations, often limited by its position relative to the nostril and ethmoid sinus. In view of the previous demonstration of improved frontal sinus irrigation with Draf III vs Draf IIa, in this work we sought to evaluate topical access of Draf IIb relative to Draf IIa and Draf III modification of the frontal sinus outflow tract.

Methods

Unfixed human cadaver heads were dissected using Draf IIa, Draf IIb, and Draf III frontal sinusotomies. Draf IIa, Draf IIb, and Draf III frontal sinusotomies were performed in progressive sequence on each cadaver head. Nasal irrigation fluid access to the frontal sinus was tested after each successive frontal sinus intervention. Irrigations were performed using Frankfort horizontal and vertex positioning. Blinded reviewers were then asked to evaluate nasal irrigation access based on an ordinal scale.

Results

Eight cadaveric specimens (age, 78 ± 12.3 years; 62.5% female) were assessed. The greatest distribution scores were recorded by Draf III, then IIb, and then IIa (90.7% vs 81.3% vs 50.1%; p < 0.001). Similarly, the rate of lavage was greatest with Draf III (50% vs 12.5% vs 12.5%). Vertex positioning and increasing volume trended toward improved distribution but did not reach statistical significance.

Conclusion

Adequate delivery of topical therapy to the paranasal sinuses by nasal irrigation remains critical in the postoperative state. Although increasing the dimensions of the frontal recess improves nasal irrigation delivery, the Draf III procedure provides the optimal delivery of pharmacotherapy in those with frontal sinus disease.
Recent developments in the utility of Zn(L‐proline)2 as benign and recyclable metallo‐organocatalyst in organic synthesis
Authors: Sadek Kamal Usef , Mekheimer Ramadan Ahmed , Abd‐Elmonem Mohamed , Elnagdi Mohamed Hilmy
Published: December 2019

The coordination of Zn (II) with L‐proline as a choral ligand makes the initiated complex Zn(L‐proline)2 a moderately soft Lewis acid. Recently Zn(L‐proline)2 has emerged as a promising reusable chiral catalyst which could be utilized in a diversity of transformations. The present short review article focuses mainly on recent developments in utility of Zn(L‐proline)2 in organic synthesis. This includes Aldol condensation, synthesis of heterocyclic compounds with five, six and fused rings.
A joint neural network model for combining heterogeneous user data sources: An example of at‐risk student prediction
Authors: Qiao Chen , Hu Xiao
Published: December 2019

Information service providers often require evidence from multiple, heterogeneous information sources to better characterize users and offer personalized service. In many cases, statistic information (for example, users' profiles) and sequentially dynamic information (for example, logs of interaction with information systems) are two prominent sources that can be combined to achieve optimized results. Previous attempts in combining these two sources mainly exploited models designed for either static or sequential information, but not both. This study aims to fill the gap by proposing a novel joint neural network model that can naturally fit both static and sequential user data. To evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed method, this study uses the problem of at‐risk student prediction as an example where both static data (personal profiles) and sequential data (event logs) are involved. A thorough evaluation was conducted on an open data set, with comparisons to a range of existing approaches including both static and sequential models. The results reveal superb performances of the proposed method. Implications of the findings on further research and applications of joint models are discussed.
Separating common (global and local) and distinct variation in multiple mixed types data sets
Authors: Song Yipeng , Westerhuis Johan A. , Smilde Age K.
Published: December 2019

Multiple sets of measurements on the same objects obtained from different platforms may reflect partially complementary information of the studied system. The integrative analysis of such data sets not only provides us with the opportunity of a deeper understanding of the studied system but also introduces some new statistical challenges. First, the separation of information that is common across all or some of the data sets and the information that is specific to each data set is problematic. Furthermore, these data sets are often a mix of quantitative and discrete (binary or categorical) data types, while commonly used data fusion methods require all data sets to be quantitative. In this paper, we propose an exponential family simultaneous component analysis (ESCA) model to tackle the potential mixed data types problem of multiple data sets. In addition, a structured sparse pattern of the loading matrix is induced through a nearly unbiased group concave penalty to disentangle the global, local common, and distinct information of the multiple data sets. A Majorization‐Minimization–based algorithm is derived to fit the proposed model. Analytic solutions are derived for updating all the parameters of the model in each iteration, and the algorithm will decrease the objective function in each iteration monotonically. For model selection, a missing value–based cross validation procedure is implemented. The advantages of the proposed method in comparison with other approaches are assessed using comprehensive simulations as well as the analysis of real data from a chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) study.
The quintessential form of diastolic heart failure in older adults: Wild type transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis
Authors: Driggin Elissa , Maurer Mathew S.
Published: December 2019

Wild‐type transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis (ATTRwt) is now recognized as a common cause of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). In this review, we aim to describe the unique epidemiologic, pathophysiologic, and clinical features associated with ATTwt cardiac amyloidosis. Compared to other etiologies of HFpEF, ATTRwt cardiac amyloidosis affects almost exclusively older adults, demonstrating a characteristic age‐dependent penetrance that impacts both the diagnosis and treatment of the disease. In addition, ATTR cardiac amyloidosis demonstrates a unique pathophysiology in contrast to other etiologies of HFpEF, which results in a characteristic phenotype that can raise suspicion for ATTRwt cardiac amyloid in the appropriate demographic. With these distinguishing features in mind, we aim to describe the specific signs, symptoms, and imaging characteristics associated with ATTRwt cardiac amyloidosis, including the role of nuclear scintigraphy that has essentially eliminated the need for biopsy in most patients with suspected disease. Finally, we review the evidence behind the available therapeutic agents, as well as those under investigation, which will change the way we manage older patients with ATTRwt cardiac amyloidosis in the coming years.
The importance of physical function as a clinical outcome: Assessment and enhancement
Authors: O'Neill Deirdre , Forman Daniel E.
Published: December 2019

The burgeoning population of older adults is intrinsically prone to cardiovascular disease (CVD) in a context of multimorbidity and geriatric syndromes. Risks include high susceptibility to functional decline, with many older adults tipping towards patterns of sedentary behavior and to downstream effects of frailty, falls, disability, poor quality of life, as well as increased morbidity and mortality even if the incident CVD was treated perfectly. While physical activity has been shown to moderate these patterns both as primary or secondary preventive medical care, the majority of older adults fail to meet physical activity recommendations. Clinicians of all specialities, including CVD medicine, can benefit from greater proficiency in functional assessments for their older adults, as well as from insights how to initiate effective functional enhancing approaches even in older adults who may be frail, deconditioned, and medically complex. Pertinent functional assessments include traditional cardiovascular metrics of cardiorespiratory fitness, as well as strength and balance. This review summarizes the components of a wide‐ranging functional assessment that can be used to enhance care for older adults with CVD, as well as interventions to improve physical function.
Revisiting paternal absence: Female alloparental replacement of fathers recovers partner preference formation in female, but not male prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster)
Authors: Rogers Forrest Dylan , Bales Karen Lisa
Published: December 2019

In prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster), biparental care of offspring is typical, and paternal absence in the pre‐weaning development of offspring alters biobehavioral development. We sought to determine whether this altered development is due to the absence of specific paternal qualities or a general reduction in pup‐directed care. We compared the biobehavioral development of pups reared under conditions of biparental (BPC), maternal‐plus‐alloparental (MPA; i.e., mother and older sister), and maternal only (MON) care. Older sisters provided a quantity of care equal to or greater than that of fathers. Growth rate and developmental milestones were unaffected by family composition, with the exception of earlier fur growth in MON conditions. In adulthood, we tested behaviors on an elevated plus maze, spontaneous alloparental care, and partner preference formation. We found no significant differences on the elevated plus maze and only marginal differences in alloparental care. While both female and male MON individuals showed deficits in partner preference formation, MPA females showed typical partner preference formation. However, the alloparental substitution of fathers was not sufficient for the typical development of partner preference formation in males. We conclude that paternal care plays a differentially important role in the social development of female and male prairie vole offspring.
A preliminary study of the gas hydrate stability zone in a gas hydrate potential region of China
Authors: Xiao Kun , Zou Changchun , Yang Yaxin , Zhang Hua , Li Hongxing , Qin Zhen
Published: December 2019

Due to its significance for gas hydrate accumulation, the gas hydrate stability zone (GHSZ) is an essential condition for successful gas hydrate exploration and is usually controlled by three main factors: gas components, geothermal gradient, and permafrost thickness. Based on the core and conventional log data of gas hydrate potential region, the CSMHYD program was adopted to simulate the influences of above three factors on the thickness of the GHSZ. When the gas components of the gas hydrate were CH4, C2H6, and C3H8, with the CH4 percentage ranging from 50% to 100%, the average GHSZ thickness can reach 1000 m according to the forward simulation results. When the gas hydrate was composed of CH4 and one of C2H6, C3H8, H2S, and CO2, the influence order of the above four gases on the thickness of GHSZ is as follows: H2S ＞ C2H6 ＞ C3H8 ＞ CO2. Under the gas components of 90% CH4, 5% C2H6, and 5% C3H8, the thickness of GHSZ decreased rapidly as the geothermal gradient increased following an exponential relation with a correlation of 99.92% and increased slowly as permafrost thickness increased following a linear relation with a correlation of 99.9%. In addition, the thickness of a gas hydrate favorable reservoir was determined by comprehensive log methods as 500 m. We conclude that a reservoir within 500 m below the permafrost layer is favorable for gas hydrate reservoir formation.
Glucose‐lowering effect of Gryllus bimaculatus powder on streptozotocin‐induced diabetes through the AKT/mTOR pathway
Authors: Park Seon‐Ah , Lee Geum‐Hwa , Lee Hwa‐Young , Hoang The‐Hiep , Chae Han‐Jung
Published: December 2019

This study was carried out to elucidate the antidiabetic effects of Gryllus bimaculatus powder using a streptozotocin (STZ)‐induced rat model of type I diabetes. Administration of the insect powder significantly rescued representative diabetes markers (i.e., insulin and C‐peptide) in STZ‐treated rats. Improved glucose tolerance test (GTT) and insulin tolerance test (ITT) results were also observed, indicating that Gryllus bimaculatus powder exerts antidiabetic effects. Gryllus bimaculatus powder administration rescued STZ‐induced alterations in both islet morphology and insulin staining patterns. The extract increased antiapoptotic Bcl2 expression and decreased proapoptotic Bax and active caspase 3 expressions. In addition, the Gryllus bimaculatus powder supplementation enhanced AKT/mTOR pathway, a key marker of the state of anabolic metabolism, and its downstream effector, mTOR. Collectively, our results suggest that Gryllus bimaculatus contributes to the maintenance of pancreatic β‐cell function and morphology against a diabetic state through the regulations against apoptosis and anabolic metabolism.
Effects of Newtonian heating and thermal radiation on micropolar ferrofluid flow past a stretching surface: Spectral quasi‐linearization method
Authors: Gangadhar Kotha , Vijayakumar Damerla , Chamkha Ali J. , Kannan Thangavelu , Sakthivel Gnanasekaran
Published: December 2019

This study article addressesthe flow and heat transfer characteristics of a magnetite Fe3O4 micropolar ferrofluid flow past a stretching sheet. For practical interest, thermal radiation, Newtonian heating, and a heat source or sink are considered in this investigation. A useful Tiwari‐Das nanofluid model is considered to analyze the microstructure and inertial characteristics of the water‐based nanofluids containing iron oxide. The dimensionless nonlinear ordinary differential equations are solved by employing suitable similarity variables. The resulting nonlinear system is solved by the spectral quasi‐linearization method. The effects of different nondimensional parameters on various profiles are shown graphically and explored in detail. It is found that the micropolar ferrofluid exhibits a higher energy distribution than that of a classical micropolar fluid. Compared to the classical micropolar liquid, local skin‐friction is more significant for the micropolar magnetite ferrofluid. In the presence of Newtonian heating, the thermal behavior of the micropolar nanofluid is remarkably better than that of the classical micropolar fluid.
The origins and development of the office of registrar in bankruptcy of the High Court
Authors: Baister Stephen , Tribe John
Published: December 2019

This article examines the history of the office of Bankruptcy Registrar of the High Court of England and Wales. It is argued that the power of the registrars to act judicially grew from their authorisation to act pursuant to delegated powers introduced in 1869 and that this began a major shift in their role from being largely administrative to their current status as fully fledged (and renamed) insolvency and companies court judges. The fluidity of bankruptcy offices in the nineteenth century is also examined, demonstrating that certain bankruptcy officer‐holders moved freely between functions in the course of the development in the office of registrar from what might be called its administrative phase to the judicial phase with the eventual creation of a Bankruptcy Court and more recently the creation of a specialist insolvency and companies list in the new Business and Property Courts. Finally, it is argued that a factor in the foregoing developments and the increasing reputation of the bankruptcy registrars was the extension of their jurisdiction from pure bankruptcy work to include company insolvency, directors' disqualification cases and non‐insolvency company work, a significant increase in their trial work and their acquisition of an appellate jurisdiction.
Functional neural interactions during adaptive reward learning: An functional magnetic resonance imaging study
Authors: Wang Ting , Wu Xi , Jiang Jiefeng , Liu Chang , Zhu Ming
Published: December 2019

A key feature of learning in humans is flexibility in adjusting the weight of new information to update predictions. This flexibility can be computationally captured by changing the learning rate in a reinforcement‐learning model. Key components of reinforcement learning—such as prediction error (δ), learning rate (α), and reward feedback (r)—have been mapped to various brain areas. However, questions regarding the functional integration patterns in the human brain under the modulation of learning factors, and their interactions, remain unanswered. To investigate these phenomena, we first applied a reinforcement‐learning model with an adaptive learning rate and functional magnetic resonance imaging to simulate the individual's reward‐learning behavior. Psychophysiological interaction (PPI) analysis was then used to examine the functional interactions of the whole brain under the experimental condition of reward (r), the integration between reward and learning rate (α × r), and the integration between the prediction error and learning rate (α × δ) in a reward‐learning task. The behavior statistical analyses indicated that the model estimates of α and δ captured the participants' learning behavioral patterns of getting high reward, by changing α and δ for different difficulties and after getting different reward feedback. The PPI analysis results showed that motor‐related regions (including the supplement motor area, precentral gyrus, and thalamus) contributed to cognitive control processing regions (including the middle temporal gyrus, anterior and middle cingulate gyrus, and inferior frontal gyrus) by α × r. Finally, α × δ modulated the interaction between subregions of the striatum.
HPC in the cloud: Performance comparison of function as a service (FaaS) vs infrastructure as a service (IaaS)
Authors: Malla Sulav , Christensen Ken
Published: December 2019

High performance computing (HPC) in the cloud has been shown to be a viable alternative to on‐premise clusters, especially for loosely coupled or embarrassingly parallel jobs. The traditional approach for a user would be to use the cloud provider's IaaS to provision virtual machines (VM) and use it in a similar manner to an on‐premise cluster. A new paradigm of serverless cloud computing, primarily offered as FaaS, allows a user to execute code in the cloud without any system administration overhead. A comparison is needed to better understand the cost vs performance trade‐off between FaaS and IaaS such that cloud users can decide which approach is suitable for them, however, such a study is lacking. In this paper, we compare Google cloud's FaaS (Cloud Functions) with its IaaS (Compute Engine) in terms of cost and performance for an embarrassingly parallel task. We find that FaaS can be 14% to 40% less expensive than IaaS for the same level of performance. However, performance of FaaS exhibits higher variation since the number of CPUs allocated (scalability) depends on the cloud provider.
Characterization of water‐vapour retrievals from TOVS/HIRS and SSM/T‐2 measurements
Authors: Engelen Richard J. , Stephens Graeme L.
Published: December 2019

This paper studies the retrieval characteristics of water‐vapour retrievals from infrared TOVS (TIROS Operational Vertical Sounder) radiances and microwave SSM/T‐2 (Special Sensor Microwave/Water‐vapour Sounder) radiances. An optimal‐estimation retrieval scheme is built around a radiative‐transfer model that uses a spectral‐band model based on the Malkmus line distribution for the infrared and the MPM92 transmission model for the microwave. Characteristics from synthetic retrievals show that the sensitivity to water vapour in the lower troposphere is low for TOVS and SSM/T‐2 over land, but high for SSM/T‐2 over ocean. The sensitivity to water vapour in the middle and upper troposphere is high for TOVS, but low for SSM/T‐2. The vertical resolution of the retrievals is restricted to a few kilometers for both instruments. The dependence on a priori information is therefore substantial, especially in the lower troposphere. A global retrieval with real data from the TOVS instrument and a priori data from the National Centers for Environmental Prediction re‐analysis constrained by an extra total‐column constraint from SSM/I (Imager) data shows that the retrieval scheme is able to produce monthly‐mean fields similar to other data on monthly‐mean precipitable‐water fields and layered information about column water vapour. The approach presented allows for a useful error characterization that quantifies the dependence on the a priori information. In general, the best performance of the retrieval scheme is achieved in the tropical upper troposphere.
Heterogeneous Spatial and Strength Adaptation of the Proximal Femur to Physical Activity: A Within-Subject Controlled Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Warden Stuart J , Carballido-Gamio Julio , Weatherholt Alyssa M , Keyak Joyce H , Yan Chenxi , Kersh Mariana E , Lang Thomas F , Fuchs Robyn K
Published: December 2019

Physical activity (PA) enhances proximal femur bone mass, as assessed using projectional imaging techniques. However, these techniques average data over large volumes, obscuring spatially heterogeneous adaptations. The current study used quantitative computed tomography, statistical parameter mapping, and subject-specific finite element (FE) modeling to explore spatial adaptation of the proximal femur to PA. In particular, we were interested in adaptation occurring at the superior femoral neck and improving strength under loading from a fall onto the greater trochanter. High/long jump athletes (n = 16) and baseball pitchers (n = 16) were utilized as within-subject controlled models as they preferentially load their take-off leg and leg contralateral to their throwing arm, respectively. Controls (n = 15) were included but did not show any dominant-to-nondominant (D-to-ND) leg differences. Jumping athletes showed some D-to-ND leg differences but less than pitchers. Pitchers had 5.8% (95% confidence interval [CI] 3.9%–7.6%) D-to-ND leg differences in total hip volumetric bone mineral density (vBMD), with increased vBMD in the cortical compartment of the femoral neck and trochanteric cortical and trabecular compartments. Voxel-based morphometry analyses and cortical bone mapping showed pitchers had D-to-ND leg differences within the regions of the primary compressive trabeculae, inferior femoral neck, and greater trochanter but not the superior femoral neck. FE modeling revealed pitchers had 4.1% (95% CI 1.4%–6.7%) D-to-ND leg differences in ultimate strength under single-leg stance loading but no differences in ultimate strength to a fall onto the greater trochanter. These data indicate the asymmetrical loading associated with baseball pitching induces proximal femur adaptation in regions associated with weight bearing and muscle contractile forces and increases strength under single-leg stance loading. However, there were no benefits evident at the superior femoral neck and no measurable improvement in ultimate strength to common injurious loading during aging (ie, fall onto the greater trochanter), raising questions as to how to better target these variables with PA. © 2019 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.