bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Quantifying echo chamber effects in information spreading over political communication networks
Authors: Cota Wesley , Ferreira Silvio C. , Pastor-Satorras Romualdo , Starnini Michele
Published: December 2019

Echo chambers in online social networks, in which users prefer to interact only with ideologically-aligned peers, are believed to facilitate misinformation spreading and contribute to radicalize political discourse. In this paper, we gauge the effects of echo chambers in information spreading phenomena over political communication networks. Mining 12 million Twitter messages, we reconstruct a network in which users interchange opinions related to the impeachment of the former Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff. We define a continuous political leaning parameter, independent of the network’s structure, that allows to quantify the presence of echo chambers in the strongly connected component of the network. These are reflected in two well-separated communities of similar sizes with opposite views of the impeachment process. By means of simple spreading models, we show that the capability of users in propagating the content they produce, measured by the associated spreading capacity, strongly depends on their attitude. Users expressing pro-impeachment leanings are capable to transmit information, on average, to a larger audience than users expressing anti-impeachment leanings. Furthermore, the users’ spreading capacity is correlated to the diversity, in terms of political position, of the audience reached. Our method can be exploited to identify the presence of echo chambers and their effects across different contexts and shed light upon the mechanisms allowing to break echo chambers.
A Three-Dimensional Microelectrode Array to Generate Virtual Electrodes for Epiretinal Prosthesis Based on a Modeling Study
Authors: Lyu Qing , Lu Zhuofan , Li Heng , Qiu Shirong , Guo Jiahui , Sui Xiaohong , Sun Pengcheng , Li Liming , Chai Xinyu , Lovell Nigel H.
Published: December 2019

Despite many advances in the development of retinal prostheses, clinical reports show that current retinal prosthesis subjects can only perceive prosthetic vision with poor visual acuity. A possible approach for improving visual acuity is to produce virtual electrodes (VEs) through electric field modulation. Generating controllable and localized VEs is a crucial factor in effectively improving the perceptive resolution of the retinal prostheses. In this paper, we aimed to design a microelectrode array (MEA) that can produce converged and controllable VEs by current steering stimulation strategies. Through computational modeling, we designed a three-dimensional concentric ring–disc MEA and evaluated its performance with different stimulation strategies. Our simulation results showed that electrode–retina distance (ERD) and inter-electrode distance (IED) can dramatically affect the distribution of electric field. Also the converged VEs could be produced when the parameters of the three-dimensional MEA were appropriately set. VE sites can be controlled by manipulating the proportion of current on each adjacent electrode in a current steering group (CSG). In addition, spatial localization of electrical stimulation can be greatly improved under quasi-monopolar (QMP) stimulation. This study may provide support for future application of VEs in epiretinal prosthesis for potentially increasing the visual acuity of prosthetic vision.
Complete algebraic vector fields on affine surfaces
Authors: Kaliman Shulim , Kutzschebauch Frank , Leuenberger Matthias
Published: December 2019

Let [Formula: see text] be the subgroup of the group [Formula: see text] of holomorphic automorphisms of a normal affine algebraic surface [Formula: see text] generated by elements of flows associated with complete algebraic vector fields. Our main result is a classification of all normal affine algebraic surfaces [Formula: see text] quasi-homogeneous under [Formula: see text] in terms of the dual graphs of the boundaries [Formula: see text] of their SNC-completions [Formula: see text].
Effects of neodymium doping on the structural and magnetic properties of the double perovskite Sr2−yNdyFe1+xMo1−xO6 compound
Authors: Ruiz Y. , Aguilar B. , Carvallo C. , de la Torre Medina J. , Navarro O.
Published: December 2019

Curie temperature (TC) of the ferromagnetic compound Sr2FeMoO6 can be modified by increasing the itinerant electrons at the Fermi level. Nd doping increases the electron density but the charge neutrality should be taken into account. In this work, a series of double perovskites Sr[Formula: see text]Nd[Formula: see text]Fe[Formula: see text]Mo[Formula: see text]O6 ([Formula: see text]y[Formula: see text]=[Formula: see text]0.0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75 and 1.0) for both cases, the off-stoichiometric ([Formula: see text]x[Formula: see text]=[Formula: see text]0) and the stoichiometric ([Formula: see text]x[Formula: see text][Formula: see text][Formula: see text]0 with x[Formula: see text]=[Formula: see text]y/2) one, were synthesized via solid state route and discussed in detail. A crystalline structure transition was confirmed by X-ray diffraction analysis, showing a change of the lattice parameters and the unit cell volume as a function of Nd doping. It was also found that the nominal valence in Fe is mainly Fe[Formula: see text] and in Mo is Mo[Formula: see text]. The TC increases continuously with Nd doping in the stoichiometric case. The increase of the TC follows a competition with the substitution of Sr[Formula: see text] ions by Nd[Formula: see text] ions and the charge neutrality considered in our system.
Analytical solutions of some integral fractional differential–difference equations
Authors: Liu Jian-Gen , Yang Xiao-Jun , Feng Yi-Ying
Published: December 2019

The invariant subspace method (ISM) is a powerful tool for investigating analytical solutions to fractional differential–difference equations (FDDEs). Based on previous work by other people, we apply the ISM to the space-time fractional differential and difference equations, including the cases of the scalar space-time FDDEs and the multi-coupled space-time FDDEs. As a result, we obtain some new analytical solutions to the well-known scalar space-time Lotka–Volterra equation, the space-time fractional generalized Hybrid lattice equation and the space-time fractional Burgers equation as well as two couple space-time FDDEs. Furthermore, some properties of the analytical solutions are illustrated by graphs.
Numerical study of slip and radiative effects on magnetic Fe3O4-water-based nanofluid flow from a nonlinear stretching sheet in porous media with Soret and Dufour diffusion
Authors: Bhatti M. M. , Khalique C. M. , Bég Tasveer A. , Bég O. Anwar , Kadir Ali
Published: December 2019

Increasingly sophisticated techniques are being developed for the manufacture of functional nanomaterials. A growing interest is also developing in magnetic nanofluid coatings which contain magnetite nanoparticles suspended in a base fluid and are responsive to external magnetic fields. These nanomaterials are “smart” and their synthesis features high-temperature environments in which radiative heat transfer is present. Diffusion processes in the extruded nanomaterial sheet also feature Soret and Dufour (cross) diffusion effects. Filtration media are also utilized to control the heat, mass and momentum characteristics of extruded nanomaterials and porous media impedance effects arise. Magnetite nanofluids have also been shown to exhibit hydrodynamic wall slip which can arise due to non-adherence of the nanofluid to the boundary. Motivated by the multi-physical nature of magnetic nanomaterial manufacturing transport phenomena, in this paper, we develop a mathematical model to analyze the collective influence of hydrodynamic slip, radiative heat flux and cross-diffusion effects on transport phenomena in ferric oxide ([Formula: see text]-water) magnetic nanofluid flow from a nonlinear stretching porous sheet in porous media. Hydrodynamic slip is included. Porous media drag is simulated with the Darcy model. Viscous magnetohydrodynamic theory is used to simulate Lorentzian magnetic drag effects. The Rosseland diffusion flux model is employed for thermal radiative effects. A set of appropriate similarity transformation variables are deployed to convert the original partial differential boundary value problem into an ordinary differential boundary value problem. The numerical solution of the coupled, multi-degree, nonlinear problem is achieved with an efficient shooting technique in MATLAB symbolic software. The physical influences of Hartmann (magnetic) number, Prandtl number, Richardson number, Soret (thermo-diffusive) number, permeability parameter, concentration buoyancy ratio, radiation parameter, Dufour (diffuso-thermal) parameter, momentum slip parameter and Schmidt number on transport characteristics (e.g. velocity, nanoparticle concentration and temperature profiles) are investigated, visualized and presented graphically. Flow deceleration is induced with increasing Hartmann number and wall slip, whereas flow acceleration is generated with greater Richardson number and buoyancy ratio parameter. Temperatures are elevated with increasing Dufour number and radiative parameter. Concentration magnitudes are enhanced with Soret number, whereas they are depleted with greater Schmidt number. Validation of the MATLAB computations with special cases of the general model is included. Further validation with generalized differential quadrature (GDQ) is also included.
High-PSR Capacitorless LDO with Adaptive Circuit for Varying Loads
Authors: Manikandan P. , Bindu B.
Published: December 2019

A capacitorless low-drop-out (LDO) regulator with an NMOS pass transistor-based adaptive network to achieve high and constant power-supply rejection (PSR) for varying loads is presented. The proposed LDO does not require an external capacitor making it suitable for System-on-Chip (SoC) applications. The low-frequency PSR of the LDO varies with load current as the transconductance and output conductance of the power transistor depend on the load current. The proposed LDO is capable of maintaining a constant and high PSR for varying loads by using an adaptive network. The NMOS pass transistor in the adaptive network tracks the power-supply noise through the power transistor and bypasses this noise current through it to the ground. This helps to avoid the flow of this noise current through the load and thus the circuit can achieve high and constant PSR for varying loads. The LDO with adaptive network achieves very high power-supply rejections of [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]dB at low frequencies and [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]dB at 1[Formula: see text]MHz, for a load current of 4[Formula: see text]mA. This LDO is implemented in 0.18-[Formula: see text]m CMOS technology and consumes 1.35-mW quiescent power over the range of 1–10[Formula: see text]mA of the load current.
Middle-Order Vehicle-Based Clustering Model for Reducing Packet Loss in Vehicular Ad-hoc Networks
Authors: David S. , Vanathi P. T.
Published: December 2019

Vehicular Ad-hoc NETworks (VANETs) are typically termed as a wireless ad-hoc network that contains extreme node mobility and also the network carries a great significance in various traffic-oriented commercial applications and safety services. Due to its high mobility, routing in VANET has been a challenging work and also proving a higher rate of packet delivery ratio with reduced packet loss has been more important to be considered in route formations. With that note, this paper contributes to developing a clustering model called Middle-Order Vehicle-based Clustering (MOVC) model for managing the frequent topological change and high vehicle mobility, and efficiently handling the typical road traffic scenario. Moreover, the algorithm is intended to maintain the cluster to be constant for managing the vehicles in effective ways and also to provide uninterrupted communication between the vehicles. An algorithm for Effective Cluster Head Election (ECHE) is also derived in this paper for proficiently handling the frequency variation on the highways. Further, the model is simulated and evaluated on the basis of various metrics of VANET routing, specifically packet loss, packet delivery ratio, network lifetime and throughput. The results show that the proposed mechanism outperforms the results of existing models.
Design of Pentacene-Based Organic Field-Effect Transistor for Low-Frequency Operational Transconductance Amplifier
Authors: Wise Cross T. Asha , Suresh G. R. , Palanivelen M. , Saraswathi S.
Published: December 2019

Mounting electronics circuits on a plastic flexible substrate are pertinent for biosensing applications due to their resilient nature, minimal processing conditions, lightweight and low cost. Organic Field-Effect Transistors (OFET)-based amplifier for flexible biosensors have been proposed in this paper. To design flexible biosensing circuits, Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor (MOSFET) with Polycyclic Hydrocarbon is a suitable choice. It is a big challenge to build an organic circuit using graphene electrode due to its poor performance of [Formula: see text]-type OFET, therefore it is advisable to use Pentacene as [Formula: see text]- and [Formula: see text]-type Organic semiconductors. Pentacene being one among the foremost totally investigated conjugated organic molecules with a high application potential because the hole mobility in OFETs goes up to 0.2[Formula: see text]cm2/(Vs), which exceeds that of amorphous silicon. In biosignal process, the first and most important step is to amplify the biosignal for further processing. Operational Transconductance Amplifier (OTA) plays an essential role in biological signal measuring instruments like EEG, ECG, EMG modules which measure the heart, muscle and brain activities. The OTA designed using this OFET is adaptable for flexible sensor circuits and also it derives the transconductance of 67 which is similar to silicon OTA. The amplifier designed here gives unit gain of 42[Formula: see text]dB with a frequency of 195[Formula: see text]Hz which is suitable for low-frequency biosignal processing applications.
FPGA-Based ROI Encoding for HEVC Video Bitrate Reduction
Authors: Chai Zhilei , Li Shen , He Qunfang , Chen Mingsong , Chen Wenjie
Published: December 2019

The explosive growth of video applications has produced great challenges for data storage and transmission. In this paper, we propose a new ROI (region of interest) encoding solution to accelerate the processing and reduce the bitrate based on the latest video compression standard H.265/HEVC (High-Efficiency Video Coding). The traditional ROI extraction mapping algorithm uses pixel-based Gaussian background modeling (GBM), which requires a large number of complex floating-point calculations. Instead, we propose a block-based GBM to set up the background, which is in accord with the block division of HEVC. Then, we use the SAD (sum of absolute difference) rule to separate the foreground block from the background block, and these blocks are mapped into the coding tree unit (CTU) of HEVC. Moreover, the quantization parameter (QP) is adjusted according to the distortion rate automatically. The experimental results show that the processing speed on FPGA has reached a real-time level of 22 FPS (frames per second) for full high-definition videos ([Formula: see text]), and the bitrate is reduced by 10% on average with stable video quality.
Solutions to twisted word equations and equations in virtually free groups
Authors: Diekert Volker , Elder Murray
Published: December 2019

It is well known that the problem solving equations in virtually free groups can be reduced to the problem of solving twisted word equations with regular constraints over free monoids with involution. In this paper, we prove that the set of all solutions of a twisted word equation is an EDT0L language whose specification can be computed in PSPACE . Within the same complexity bound we can decide whether the solution set is empty, finite, or infinite. In the second part of the paper we apply the results for twisted equations to obtain in PSPACE an EDT0L description of the solution set of equations with rational constraints for finitely generated virtually free groups in standard normal forms with respect to a natural set of generators. If the rational constraints are given by a homomorphism into a fixed (or “small enough”) finite monoid, then our algorithms can be implemented in [Formula: see text], that is, in quasi-quadratic nondeterministic space. Our results generalize the work by Lohrey and Sénizergues (ICALP 2006) and Dahmani and Guirardel (J. of Topology 2010) with respect to both complexity and expressive power. Neither paper gave any concrete complexity bound and the results in these papers are stated for subsets of solutions only, whereas our results concern all solutions.
The properties of neutron star in the framework of relativistic Hartree–Fock model with unitary correlation operator method
Authors: Zhang Ying , Liu Peng , Hu Jinniu
Published: December 2019

The properties of neutron star are studied in the framework of relativistic Hartree–Fock (RHF) model with realistic nucleon–nucleon (NN) interactions, i.e., Bonn potentials. The strong repulsion of NN interaction at short range is properly removed by the unitary correlation operator method (UCOM). Meanwhile, the tensor correlation is neglected due to the very rich neutron environment in neutron star, where the total isospin of two nucleons can be approximately regarded as [Formula: see text]. The equations of state of neutron star matter are calculated in [Formula: see text] equilibrium and charge neutrality conditions. The properties of neutron star, such as mass, radius and tidal deformability, are obtained by solving the Tolman–Oppenheimer–Volkoff equation and tidal equation. The maximum masses of neutron from Bonn A, B, C potentials are around [Formula: see text]. The radius are [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]km at [Formula: see text], respectively. The corresponding tidal deformabilities are [Formula: see text]. All of these properties are satisfied with the recent observables from the astronomical and gravitational wave devices and are consistent with the results from the relativistic Brueckner–Hartree–Fock model.
NUMERICAL AND THEORETICAL STUDY OF THE CASIMIR FORCE CORRECTIONS BETWEEN TWO ROUGH SURFACES
Authors: HASSANZADEH H. , MASOUDI A. A. , HOSSEINABADI S. , KHORRAMI M.
Published: December 2019

The Casimir force between two rough surfaces grown through statistical growth models is studied, both theoretically and numerically. The models include the random deposition (RD), the random deposition with surface relaxation (RDSR), and the restricted solid-on-solid growth (RSOS). To calculate the Casimir force, the pairwise summation (PWS) method in [Formula: see text] dimensions is used. First, the force between two growing surfaces with RD equations, Edwards–Wilkinson, (EW) and Kardar–Parisi–Zhang (KPZ) equations is theoretically investigated. Then, using the Monte Carlo simulation, the rough surfaces with RD, RDSR, and RSOS models in [Formula: see text] dimensions are simulated in different growth times, and the Casimir force between each pair of rough surfaces in each time step is calculated. The results show that the force between the surfaces increases as the roughness increases.
Social Robotics in Eastern and Western Newspapers: China and (Even) Japan are Optimistic
Authors: De Boer Stefanie , Jansen Brechtje , Bustos Victoria Mondaca , Prinse Marlot , Horwitz Ymke , Hoorn Johan F.
Published: December 2019

To look into the assumed difference between East and West in acceptance and use of robots, we performed a content analysis on 120 papers about social robots in two Asian-English (China Daily and The Japan Times) and two Western-English newspapers (The Guardian and New York Times) written between 2009 and 2018. From these papers, we drew a number of statements ([Formula: see text]). We analyzed tone of voice (TOV) as well as the positive or negative framing of the consequences of the implementation of social robots in society, economy, health, and safety. Intercoder reliability [Formula: see text], according to Krippendorff’s [Formula: see text]-reliability. Western newspapers presented significantly more negative social frames, negative fairness-and-equality frames, and negative safety-and-health frames than did Eastern papers, which presented significantly more positive economic frames than did Western papers. Western newspapers expected more negative social, health, safety, and equality issues than did the East. The West anticipated little economic benefit. The East expected little harm to society, safety, health, and equality but rather foresaw beneficial economic outcomes.
LRS Bianchi-I transit universe with periodic varying q in f(R,T) gravity
Authors: Bhardwaj Vinod Kumar , Rana Manoj Kumar
Published: December 2019

We have investigated the cosmic transit behavior of LRS Bianchi-I universe in modified [Formula: see text] gravity theory whose functional form is taken as [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text] is Ricci scalar and [Formula: see text] is the energy–momentum tensor. Subjecting the deceleration parameter [Formula: see text] to periodic variations as [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text], the oscillatory behavior of EoS parameter and violation of energy–momentum conservation in the wide range of parameters have been observed. Hubble parameter oscillates but remains positive which signify the alternate decelerating and accelerating expansion of universe with no singularity.
Enhanced Visible-Light Driven Photocatalytic Performances Over LaFeO3/NiO Modified Porous g-C3N4 Nanosheets
Authors: Xu Ke , Yang Xiaosheng , Sun Dagao , Yang Xin , Zhou Yumei , Li Wei , Yang Qindan , Yang Xianjiong , Li Rong , Feng Jian
Published: December 2019

LaFeO3/NiO modified g-C3N4 nanosheets (L-N/CNS) were synthesized by a two-step method. HRTEM results showed that an intimate contact between LaFeO3, NiO and N-CNS was successfully established. Ninety percent of phenol was degraded within 120[Formula: see text]min, and the hydrogen evolution rate of 171.2[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]mol[Formula: see text]h[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]g[Formula: see text] was obtained over the L-N/CNS heterojunctions under the visible-light irradiation. It was higher than that of g-C3N4 nanosheets, NiO modified g-C3N4 and LaFeO3/g-C3N4. The[Formula: see text][Formula: see text][Formula: see text]O[Formula: see text] radicals acted the crucial role in the photocatalytic degradation reaction. EIS, PL and time-resolved fluorescence spectra demonstrated that L-N/CNS possessed the highest charge separation efficiency. The intimate contact between LaFeO3, NiO and g-C3N4 nanosheets promoted the separation and transfer of photo-induced electron–hole pairs and consequently prolonged the exciton lifetime, and implied more photo-induced electrons could be probably involved in the photocatalytic reactions on the surface of photocatalysts. Thus, the visible-light driven photocatalytic performances of L-N/CNS were effective. This work provided a feasible method to design and construct heterostructures for the exploitation of solar energy.
MnOx Nanowires@MnOx Nanosheets Core–Shell Heterostructure Electrode for Superior Performance in Supercapacitor
Authors: Ma Zhipeng , Jing Fengyang , Hou Liyin , Fan Lukai , Zhao Yao , Fan Yuqian , Qin Xiujuan
Published: December 2019

Manganese-based oxides are one of the most promising high-performance supercapacitor (SC) electrode materials. In this work, a stable MnOx nanowires@MnOx nanosheets core–shell heterostructure electrode material consisting of MnOx nanosheets grown uniformly on the surface of MnOx nanowires has been prepared by a simple liquid phase method followed by thermal treatment. The electrode displays a specific capacity of 336 F[Formula: see text]g[Formula: see text] at 1[Formula: see text]A[Formula: see text]g[Formula: see text] and exhibits a good cycling life of 83% capacitance retention after 5000 cycles. This is mainly due to the synergy effect between the one-dimensional MnOx nanowires as the backbone structure and the two-dimensional MnOx nanosheets with large specific surface area provide more active sites and the rapid transmission of electrons.
Effect of Bi Ions on the Hyperthermia Properties of Hyaluronic Acid-Coated La1−xSrxMnO3 Nanoparticles
Authors: zheng Lihan , Chen Yuanwei , Wang Ying , Wang Peng , Wang Tao
Published: December 2019

Self-regulating temperature hyperthermia based on magnetic fluid with low Curie temperature is a moderately effective method for cancer treatment. The improvement of the properties of magnetic fluids is the key for application of this method. In this paper, Bi-doped LSMO magnetic nanoparticles were synthesized using a simple sol–gel method and coated by hyaluronic acid through high energy ball milling for their possible application in self-regulating temperature hyperthermia. The crystal structure, morphology, basic magnetic properties and heating properties of these nanoparticles in a high frequency magnetic field were investigated. It was found that the hyaluronic acid-coated La[Formula: see text]Sr[Formula: see text]Bi[Formula: see text]MnO3 magnetic nanoparticles, with an average particle diameter of [Formula: see text]100[Formula: see text]nm and a Curie temperature of 48∘C, possess outstanding induction heating properties. The saturation heating temperature, specific absorption rate and effective specific absorption rate are 48∘C, 117[Formula: see text]W/g and 0.27[Formula: see text]W/g[Formula: see text]kHz[Formula: see text](kA/m2), respectively.
Rapid and simultaneous determination of moisture and berberine content in Coptidis Rhizoma and Phellodendri Chinensis Cortex by near-infrared spectroscopy and chemometrics
Authors: Zhang Siyu , Chen Ming , Chen Yong , Xiao Wei , Li Yerui , Wang Jun , Liu Xuesong , Wu Yongjiang
Published: December 2019

Coptidis Rhizoma (Chinese: Huanglian) and Phellodendri Chinensis Cortex (Chinese: Huangbo) are widely used Traditional Chinese Medicine, and often used in combination because of their similar pharmacological effects in clinical practice. However, the quality control methods of the two drugs are different and complicated, which is time consuming and laborious in practical application. In this paper, rapid and simultaneous determination of moisture and berberine in Coptidis Rhizoma (CR) and Phellodendri Chinensis Cortex (PC) was realized by near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRs) combined with global models. Competitive adaptive reweighted sampling (CARS) and successive projection algorithm (SPA) method were applied for variable selection. Principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares regression method (PLSR) were applied for qualitative and quantitative analysis, respectively. The characteristic variables of berberine showed similarity and consistency in distribution, providing basis for the global models. For moisture content, the global model had relative standard error of prediction set (RSEP) value of 3.04% and 2.53% for CR and PC, respectively. For berberine content, the global model had RSEP value of 5.41% and 3.97% for CR and PC, respectively. These results indicated the global models based on CARS-PLS method achieved satisfactory prediction for moisture and berberine content, improving the determination efficiency. Furthermore, the greater range and larger number of samples enhanced the reliance of the global model. The NIRs combined with global models could be a powerful tool for quality control of CR and PC.
Critical concept for double Roman domination in graphs
Authors: Nazari-Moghaddam S. , Volkmann L.
Published: December 2019

A double Roman dominating function (DRDF) on a graph [Formula: see text] is a function [Formula: see text] such that (i) every vertex [Formula: see text] with [Formula: see text] is adjacent to at least two vertices assigned a [Formula: see text] or to at least one vertex assigned a [Formula: see text] and (ii) every vertex [Formula: see text] with [Formula: see text] is adjacent to at least one vertex [Formula: see text] with [Formula: see text] The weight of a DRDF is the sum of its function values over all vertices. The double Roman domination number [Formula: see text] equals the minimum weight of a DRDF on [Formula: see text] The concept of criticality with respect to various operations on graphs has been studied for several domination parameters. In this paper, we study the concept of criticality for double Roman domination in graphs. In addition, we characterize double Roman domination edge super critical graphs and we will give several characterizations for double Roman domination vertex (edge) critical graphs.
Gloss, Color, and Topography Scanning for Reproducing a Painting’s Appearance Using 3D Printing
Authors: Elkhuizen Willemijn , Essers Tessa , Song Yu , Geraedts Jo , Weijkamp Clemens , Dik Joris , Pont Sylvia
Published: December 2019

High fidelity reproductions of paintings provide new opportunities to museums in preserving and providing access to cultural heritage. This article presents an integrated system that is able to capture and fabricate color, topography and gloss of a painting, of which gloss capturing forms the most important contribution. A 3D imaging system, utilizing stereo imaging combined with fringe projection, is extended to capture spatially varying gloss, based on the effect of specular reflectance polarization. The gloss is measured by sampling the specular reflection around Brewster’s angle, where these reflections are effectively polarized and can be separated from the unpolarized, diffuse reflectance. Off-center gloss measurements are calibrated relative to the center measurement. Off-specular gloss measurements, following from local variation of the surface normal, are masked based on the height map and corrected. Shadowed regions, caused by the 3D relief, are treated similarly. The area of a single capture is approximately 180 × 90 mm at a resolution of 25 × 25 µm. Aligned color, height, and gloss tiles are stitched together off-line, registering overlapping color regions. The resulting color, height, and gloss maps are inputs for the poly-jet 3D printer. Two paintings were reproduced to verify the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed system. One painting was scanned four times, consecutively rotated by 90 degrees, to evaluate the influence of the scanning system geometric configuration on the gloss measurement. Experimental results show that the method is sufficiently fast for practical application, i.e., to scan a whole painting within eight hours, during closing hours of a museum. The results can well be used for the purpose of physical reproduction and other applications needing first-order estimates of the appearance (e.g., conservation diagnostics and condition reports). Our method to extend appearance scanning with gloss measurements is a valuable addition in the quest for realistic reproductions, in terms of its practical applicability—number of images needed for reconstruction and speed—and its perceptual added value, when added to color and topography reproduction.
Algorithm 1001
Authors: Bürgel Florian , Kazimierski Kamil S. , Lechleiter Armin
Published: December 2019

IPscatt is a free, open-source MATLAB toolbox facilitating the solution for time-independent scattering (also known as time-harmonic scattering) in two- and three-dimensional settings. The toolbox has three main application cases: simulation of the scattered field for a given transmitter-receiver geometry; the generation of simulated data as well as the handling of the real-world data from Institute Fresnel; and the reconstruction of the contrast from several measured, scattered fields. In each case, a variety of options tailored to the needs of practitioners is provided. For example, the toolbox allows the simulation of the scattered near field as well as of the far field. Also, it provides methods for the modeling of the incident field as point sources as well as plane waves. Finally, many common geometries of transmitters and receivers are included out of the box. Regarding the reconstruction, the provided functions implement the regularization scheme that relies on a primal-dual algorithm and was introduced by F. Bürgel, K. S. Kazimierski, and A. Lechleiter [
Journal of Computational Physics
339 (2017), 1–30]. This article provides a survey of the mathematical concepts in scattering, connects them with the provided implementation, gives an overview of the software framework as well as its application areas, and compares it with existing software packages solving the same problem.
Affective Content-aware Adaptation Scheme on QoE Optimization of Adaptive Streaming over HTTP
Authors: Hu Shenghong , Xu Min , Zhang Haimin , Xiao Chunxia , Gui Chao
Published: December 2019

The article presents a novel affective content-aware adaptation scheme (ACAA) to optimize Quality of Experience (QoE) for dynamic adaptive video streaming over HTTP (DASH). Most of the existing DASH adaptation schemes conduct video bit-rate adaptation based on an estimation of available network resources, which ignore user preference on affective content (AC) embedded in video data streaming over the network. Since the personal demands to AC is very different among all viewers, to satisfy individual affective demand is critical to improve the QoE in commercial video services. However, the results of video affective analysis cannot be applied into a current adaptive streaming scheme directly. Correlating the AC distributions in user's viewing history to each being streamed segment, the affective relevancy can be inferred as an affective metric for the AC related segment. Further, we have proposed an ACAA scheme to optimize QoE for user desired affective content while taking into account both network status and affective relevancy. We have implemented the ACAA scheme over a realistic trace-based evaluation and compared its performance in terms of network performance, QoE with that of Probe and Adaptation (PANDA), buffer-based adaptation (BBA), and Model Predictive Control (MPC). Experimental results show that ACAA can preserve available buffer time for future being delivered affective content preferred by viewer's individual preference to achieve better QoE in affective contents than those normal contents while remain the overall QoE to be satisfactory.
The necessary roadblock to artificial general intelligence
Authors: Lo Yat Long , Woo Chung Yu , Ng Ka Lok
Published: December 2019

With the rapid pace of advancement in the field of artificial intelligence (AI), this essay aims to accentuate the importance of corrigibility in AI in order to stimulate and catalyze more effort and focus in this research area. We will first introduce the idea of corrigibility with its properties and describe the expected behavior for a corrigible AI. Afterwards, based on the established meaning of corrigibility, we will showcase the importance of corrigibility by going over some modern and near-futuristic examples that are specifically selected to be relatable and foreseeable. Then, we will explore existing methods of establishing corrigibility in agents and their respective limitations, using the reinforcement learning (RL) framework as a proxy framework to artificial general intelligence (AGI). At last, we will identify the central themes of potential research frontiers that we believe would be crucial to boosting quality research output in corrigibility.
Recurrent Meta-Structure for Robust Similarity Measure in Heterogeneous Information Networks
Authors: Zhou Yu , Huang Jianbin , Sun Heli , Sun Yizhou , Qiao Shaojie , Wambura Stephen
Published: December 2019

Similarity measure is one of the fundamental task in heterogeneous information network (HIN) analysis. It has been applied to many areas, such as product recommendation, clustering, and Web search. Most of the existing metrics can provide personalized services for users by taking a meta-path or meta-structure as input. However, these metrics may highly depend on the user-specified meta-path or meta-structure. In addition, users must know how to select an appropriate meta-path or meta-structure. In this article, we propose a novel similarity measure in HINs, called Recurrent Meta-Structure (RecurMS)-based Similarity (RMSS). The RecurMS as a schematic structure in HINs provides a unified framework for integrating all of the meta-paths and meta-structures, and can be constructed automatically by means of repetitively traversing the network schema. In order to formalize the semantics, the RecurMS is decomposed into several recurrent meta-paths and recurrent meta-trees, and we then define the commuting matrices of the recurrent meta-paths and meta-trees. All of these commuting matrices are combined together according to different weights. We propose two kinds of weighting strategies to determine the weights. The first is called the local weighting strategy that depends on the sparsity of the commuting matrices, and the second is called the global weighting strategy that depends on the strength of the commuting matrices. As a result, RMSS is defined by means of the weighted summation of the commuting matrices. Note that RMSS can also provide personalized services for users by means of the weights of the recurrent meta-paths and meta-trees. Experimental evaluations show that the proposed RMSS is robust and outperforms the existing metrics in terms of ranking and clustering task.
Regulation of NKCC2B by TNF-α in response to salt restriction
Authors: Hao Shoujin , Salzo Joseph , Hao Mary , Ferreri Nicholas R.
Published: December 2019

We have previously shown that TNF-α produced by renal epithelial cells inhibits Na+-K+-2Cl− cotransporter (NKCC2) activity as part of a mechanism that attenuates increases in blood pressure in response to high NaCl intake. As the role of TNF-α in the kidney is still being defined, the effects of low salt intake on TNF-α and NKCC2B expression were determined. Mice given a low-salt (0.02% NaCl) diet (LSD) for 7 days exhibited a 62 ± 7.4% decrease in TNF-α mRNA accumulation in the renal cortex. Mice that ingested the LSD also exhibited an ~63% increase in phosphorylated NKCC2 expression in the cortical thick ascending limb of Henle’s loop and a concomitant threefold increase in NKCC2B mRNA abundance without a concurrent change in NKCC2A mRNA accumulation. NKCC2B mRNA levels increased fivefold in mice that ingested the LSD and also received an intrarenal injection of a lentivirus construct that specifically silenced TNF-α in the kidney (U6-TNF-ex4) compared with mice injected with control lentivirus. Administration of a single intrarenal injection of murine recombinant TNF-α (5 ng/g body wt) attenuated the increases of NKCC2B mRNA by ~50% and inhibited the increase in phosphorylated NKCC2 by ~54% in the renal cortex of mice given the LSD for 7 days. Renal silencing of TNF-α decreased urine volume and NaCl excretion in mice given the LSD, effects that were reversed when NKCC2B was silenced in the kidney. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that downregulation of renal TNF-α production in response to low-salt conditions contributes to the regulation of NaCl reabsorption via an NKCC2B-dependent mechanism.
Norepinephrine released by intestinal Paneth cells exacerbates ischemic AKI
Authors: Han Sang Jun , Kim Mihwa , D’Agati Vivette Denise , Lee H. Thomas
Published: December 2019

Small intestinal Paneth cells play a critical role in acute kidney injury (AKI) and remote organ dysfunction by synthesizing and releasing IL-17A. In addition, intestine-derived norepinephrine is a major mediator of hepatic injury and systemic inflammation in sepsis. We tested the hypothesis that small intestinal Paneth cells synthesize and release norepinephrine to exacerbate ischemic AKI. After ischemic AKI, we demonstrated larger increases in portal venous norepinephrine levels compared with plasma norepinephrine in mice, consistent with an intestinal source of norepinephrine release after renal ischemia and reperfusion. We demonstrated that murine small intestinal Paneth cells express tyrosine hydroxylase mRNA and protein, a critical rate-limiting enzyme for the synthesis of norepinephrine. We also demonstrated mRNA expression for tyrosine hydroxylase in human small intestinal Paneth cells. Moreover, freshly isolated small intestinal crypts expressed significantly higher norepinephrine levels after ischemic AKI compared with sham-operated mice. Suggesting a critical role of IL-17A in Paneth cell-mediated release of norepinephrine, recombinant IL-17A induced norepinephrine release in the small intestine of mice. Furthermore, mice deficient in Paneth cells (SOX9 villin Cre mice) have reduced plasma norepinephrine levels after ischemic AKI. Finally, supporting a critical role for norepinephrine in generating ischemic AKI, treatment with the selective α-adrenergic antagonists yohimbine and phentolamine protected against murine ischemic AKI with significantly reduced renal tubular necrosis, inflammation, and apoptosis and less hepatic dysfunction. Taken together, we identify Paneth cells as a critical source of norepinephrine release that may lead to intestinal and liver injury and systemic inflammation after AKI.
Transcriptomic analysis investigating the interaction between peripheral serotonin and high-fat diet feeding on mammary gene expression in midlactation mice
Authors: Cheng A. A. , Li W. , Hernandez L. L.
Published: December 2019

To understand the role of peripheral serotonin and its interaction with diet in midlactation mammary gene expression, our study uses tryptophan hydroxylase 1 knockout ( Tph1-KO) mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD). It has previously been demonstrated that HFD feeding increases inflammatory and immune pathways in peak lactation mammary glands of mice and increases pup mortality in wild-type (WT) mice compared with dams fed a low-fat diet (LFD). Peripheral serotonin inhibition has been associated with resistance to obesity in male mice fed an HFD. Little is known about the function of Tph1 and how peripheral serotonin affects mammary gland function during pregnancy and lactation. In this study, WT and Tph1-KO models were used to investigate global transcriptomic changes in peak lactation mammary glands when dams were fed either an HFD or LFD. WT and Tph1-KO female mice were assigned to either an LFD or HFD beginning at 3 wk of age ( n = 4/group). Dams were euthanized on lactation day 11. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were first filtered by adjusted P value (cutoff ≤ 0.05) and fold-change (FC, cutoff ≥2). Genes were further filtered by mean normalized read count with a cutoff 310. We did not observe many differentially expressed genes in WT and Tph1-KO dams fed LFD. However, 3,529 DEGs were observed between WT-HFD and Tph1-KO-HFD mice, including cell cycle regulation and MAPK pathways being significantly enriched. Further research is required to completely understand the physiological significance of our results on peak lactation mammary physiology and the contribution of serotonin.
Tobacco Smoking and Use of Smokeless Tobacco and Their Association with Psychological Distress and Other Factors in a Rural District in Bangladesh: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Islam Fakir M. Amirul , Walton Alexandra
Published: December 2019

Background. Tobacco smoking and use of smokeless tobacco are the most preventable cause of death in Bangladesh. The prevalence of psychological distress is increasing globally. This paper reports the smoking status and their association with psychological distress and other factors in a rural district, Narail, of Bangladesh.Materials and Methods. Data were collected from 2425 adults of age 18–90 years. Smoking status along with sociodemographic characteristics and measures of psychological distress using the Kessler 10-item questionnaire were collected using a face-to-face data collection method.Results. The crude (age-standardized) prevalence of ever smoking was 27.1 (24.3)% that includes current 25.6 (23.7) and smoker 1.5 (0.6)%, and the prevalence of smokeless tobacco (SLT) was 23.5 (13.4)%. The prevalence of ever smoking was the highest in daily labourers (62.9%) and SLT use was the highest in widowed people (47.2%). After adjustment for covariates, no education (odds ratio (OR): 3.78, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.57–9.07 for females and OR: 2.69, 95% CI: 1.87–3.87 for males) compared to at least secondary level of education and daily labours (OR: 6.66, 95% CI: 1.67–26.6 for females and OR: 5.12, 95% CI: 1.30–20.19 for males) compared to housework were associated with higher prevalence of ever smoking. Any level of psychological distress, such as mild psychological distress, was associated with at least double the prevalence of tobacco smoking in females (OR: 2.12, 95% CI: 1.67–3.83) but not in males (OR: 1.12, 95% CI: 0.80–1.56). Psychological distress was not associated with SLT use.Conclusions. Prevalence of both smoking and SLT use was high, particularly in daily labourers, people with no education, and females with psychological distress in rural Bangladesh. Appropriate intervention programs should especially target those of low levels of education and laborious occupations for increasing awareness for the cessation of smoking in rural Bangladesh.
Factors Associated with Midterm Visual Field Variability in Patients with Stable Glaucoma
Authors: Guimarães Maria Emília V. , Gracitelli Carolina P. B. , Dorairaj Syril , Kanadani Fábio N. , Prata Tiago S.
Published: December 2019

Purpose. To evaluate factors associated with midterm visual field (VF) variability in stable glaucoma patients in Brazil.Methods. This retrospective observational study included 59 eyes of 39 stable glaucoma patients. Baseline data assessed were age, gender, educational level, intraocular pressure (IOP), central corneal thickness, best-corrected visual acuity, spherical equivalent, number of hypotensive eye drops, type of glaucoma, number of VFs performed, follow-up in years, lens status, visual field index (VFI) values from the last 5 VF (standard automated perimetry (SAP)) tests, the presence or absence of central scotoma in the VF test, and the level of glaucomatous damage according to the VF mean deviation (MD) index of the last VFs. The 5 latest VFI scores were used to calculate the mean, the standard deviation (SD), and the coefficient of variation (CV). We divided the eyes into 2 groups, being group 1 comprised by the 29 eyes presenting the lowest CV values and group 2 comprised by the 30 eyes presenting the highest CV values. GEE models were used to compare the CV and demographic and clinical parameters of all participants.Results. Mean age of all subjects was 65.8 ± 10.1 years. 54.0% were women. Average SAP MD values for groups 1 and 2 were −2.8 ± 3.1 dB and −6.2 ± 4.1 dB, respectively (P=0.006). Average SAP VFI values for groups 1 and 2 were 95.6 ± 5.9% and 85.9 ± 11.3%, respectively (P=0.002). There was a statistically significant association between CV and SAP MD values (P=0.006). A worse SAP MD and VFI were associated with a higher CV. In addition, even adjusting for potential confounding factors (age and level of education), the association between CV and the SAP MD and between CV and VFI remained significant (P≤0.010).Conclusion. Glaucomatous patients with worse VF sensitivity scores (both MD and VFI indices) present higher VF test variability.