bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hepatocellular carcinoma in the context of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH): recent advances in the pathogenic mechanisms
Authors: Lequoy Marie , Gigante Elia , Couty Jean-Pierre , Desbois-Mouthon Christèle
Published: February 2020

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common type of liver cancer. HCC is particularly aggressive and is one of the leading causes of cancer mortality. In recent decades, the epidemiological landscape of HCC has undergone significant changes. While chronic viral hepatitis and excessive alcohol consumption have long been identified as the main risk factors for HCC, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), paralleling the worldwide epidemic of obesity and type 2 diabetes, has become a growing cause of HCC in the US and Europe. Here, we review the recent advances in epidemiological, genetic, epigenetic and pathogenic mechanisms as well as experimental mouse models that have improved the understanding of NASH progression toward HCC. We also discuss the clinical management of patients with NASH-related HCC and possible therapeutic approaches.
Predicting long-term cardiovascular outcomes of patients with acute myocardial infarction using soluble ST2
Authors: Somuncu Mustafa Umut , Kalayci Belma , Avci Ahmet , Akgun Tunahan , Karakurt Huseyin , Demir Ali Riza , Avci Yalcin , Can Murat
Published: February 2020

Background

The increase in soluble suppression of tumorigenicity 2 (sST2) both in the diagnosis and prognosis of heart failure is well established; however, existing data regarding sST2 values as the prognostic marker after myocardial infarction (MI) are limited and have been conflicting. This study aimed to assess the clinical significance of sST2 in predicting 1-year adverse cardiovascular (CV) events in MI patients.

Materials and methods

In this prospective study, 380 MI patients were included. Participants were grouped into low sST2 (n = 264, mean age: 60.0 ± 12.1 years) and high sST2 groups (n = 116, mean age: 60.5 ± 11.6 years), and all study populations were followed up for major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) which are composed of CV mortality, target vessel revascularization (TVR), non-fatal reinfarction, stroke and heart failure.

Results

During a 12-month follow-up, 68 (17.8%) patients had MACE. CV mortality and heart failure were significantly higher in the high sST2 group compared to the low sST2 group (15.5% vs. 4.9%, p = 0.001 and 8.6% vs. 3.4% p = 0.032, respectively). Multivariate Cox regression analysis concluded that high serum sST2 independently predicted 1-year CV mortality [hazard ratio (HR) 2.263, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.124–4.557, p = 0.022)]. Besides, older age, Killip class >1, left anterior descending (LAD) as the culprit artery and lower systolic blood pressure were the other independent risk factors for 1-year CV mortality.

Conclusions

High sST2 levels are an important predictor of MACE, including CV mortality and heart failure in a 1-year follow-up period in MI patients.
Preparation of WC-TiC-Ni3Al-CaF2 functionally graded self-lubricating tool material by microwave sintering and its cutting performance
Authors: Tang Siwen , Wang Rui , Liu Pengfei , Niu Qiulin , Yang Guoqing , Liu Wenhui , Liu Deshun
Published: February 2020

With the concern of the environment, green dry cutting technology is getting more and more attention and self-lubricating tool technology plays an important role in dry cutting. Due to the demand for high temperature performance of tools during dry cutting process, cemented carbide with Ni3Al as the binder phase has received extensive attention due to its excellent high temperature strength and high temperature oxidation resistance. In this paper, WC-TiC-Ni3Al-CaF2graded self-lubricating material and tools were prepared by microwave heating method, and its microstructure, mechanical properties and cutting performance were studied. Results show that gradient self-lubricating material can be quickly prepared by microwave heating technology, and the strength is equivalent to that of conventional heating technology. CaF2not only plays a role in self-lubrication, but also refines the grain of the material. A reasonable gradient design can improve the mechanical properties of the material. When the gradient distribution exponent is n1= 2, the material has high mechanical properties. Cutting experiments show that the WC-TiC-Ni3Al-CaF2functional gradient self-lubricating tool has better cutting performance than the homogeneous WC-TiC-Ni3Al hard alloys.
Microstructure, phase composition and oxidation behavior of porous Ti-Si-Mo intermetallic compounds fabricated by reactive synthesis
Authors: Ru Jinming , Wang Ya , Wang Yuemei , Xu Xiaojing
Published: February 2020

Porous Ti-Si-Mo intermetallic compounds were fabricated by reactive synthesis using C7H10N2O2S as a foaming agent. The effects of Mo content on the microstructure, phase composition and oxidation behavior were investigated. The results show that the porosity and the fractal dimension decreases and then increases as the Mo content increases. It is found that the pore size is mainly distributed in less than 1μm. The phase compositions mainly consist of TiSi, Ti5Si4, Mo5Si3 and TiO, and the Ti5Si3 phase is detected at Mo content of 16 wt.% in particular. In addition, the mass gain of the oxidized samples gradually decreases as the Mo content increases. It is concluded that the oxidation resistance at high-temperature generally decreases as the fractal dimension increases. It is suggested that porous Ti-Si-Mo intermetallic compounds have potential applications in sound absorption and heat dissipation at high-temperature.
Numerical Simulation of A Cubic Spout-Fluid Bed: Influences of Inlet Gas Temperature and Jet to Bed Cross-Section Ratio
Authors: Rahmani Ali , Tamtaji Mohsen , Dehkordi Asghar Molaei
Published: February 2020

In this paper, we study the role of inlet gas temperature and jet to bed cross-section ratio on hydrodynamics and circulation patterns of particles in a spout-fluid bed. The system is modeled using CFD-TFM approach based on Eulerian-Eulerian method. Simulation results are validated by experimental data measured by (Link 2008. “PEPT and Discrete Particle Simulation Study of Spout-fluid Bed Regimes.”Aiche Journal54 (5): 1189–202). First, the sensitivity analysis of simulation results versus the most significant parameters are conducted to find the optimum values for each parameter. Subsequently, the role of inlet gas temperature and cross-section ratios are studied in detail. The simulation results clearly demonstrate that increasing the inlet gas temperature raises particles’ velocity in the bed and affects the circulation pattern in annulus region. Additionally, it is shown that higher gas temperature leads to existence of hot spots in the annulus region. In case of jet to bed cross-section ratio, using larger ratios results in higher velocities and lower pressure drop along the bed.
Women in surgery: a web-based survey on career strategies and career satisfaction
Authors: Radunz Sonia , Pustu Hülya , Marx Katja , Mazilescu Laura , Braun Agnes , Benkö Tamas , Banysch Mark , Kaiser Gernot M.
Published: February 2020

Women represent the majority of medical students in several countries. In any surgical specialty and above all in surgical leadership positions, women still remain disproportionally underrepresented. The objective of this study was to investigate female surgeons’ career advancement and satisfaction with training. A standardized questionnaire was devised and sent out via the web-based survey tool SurveyMonkey® to female surgeons in the German federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia. A total of 125 completed questionnaires were analyzed (response rate 40.8%). Female surgeons are at least largely (76%) satisfied with their surgical training. Increased time (>5 h/week) as the principal surgeon in the operating room significantly stimulates the satisfaction with the surgical training (86% vs. 68%, p = 0.0384). At the participants’ current workplace, the heads of departments are predominantly male surgeons (91%). Respondents not satisfied with their surgical training prefer a female head of department more frequently (24% vs. 2%, p = 0.0085). The majority of the respondents themselves aspire to become a consultant surgeon (56%), while only 12% intend to become a head of a department. Female surgeons aiming at leadership positions work overtime (≥50 h/week) significantly more frequently (81% vs. 57%, p = 0.0041). Favoritism of male colleagues is perceived by 34%. Respondents who do not perceive any preferential treatment are significantly more satisfied with their surgical training (88% vs. 57%, p = 0.0004). In conclusion, female surgeons seem positive about their career choice, once in the surgical profession, and aptly fill upcoming positions. Women interested in surgery are likely to pursue a surgical career despite the alleged workload, demonstrating the importance of professional self-fulfillment among female surgeons.
Partially error-affected point-wise weighted closed-form solution to the similarity transformation and its variants
Authors: Ligas Marcin
Published: February 2020

The paper presents a closed-form solution to the point-wise weighted similarity transformation and its variants in the least squares framework under two estimation scenarios.

In the first scenario a target system is subject to random errors whilst in the second one a source system is considered to be erroneous. These transformation models will be named asymmetric in contrast to the symmetrical one solved under the errors-in-variables model where both systems are contaminated by random errors. The entire derivation is based on Procrustes Analysis. The formulas presented herein hold for both 2D and 3D transformations without any modification. The solution uses a polar decomposition to recover the rotation matrix.
Autoimmune polyglandular syndrome type II with co-manifestation of Addison’s and Graves’ disease in a 15-year-old boy: case report and literature review
Authors: Schulz Lena , Hammer Elke
Published: February 2020

Background

Autoimmune polyglandular syndrome type II (APS II) is defined as the combination of autoimmune adrenal insufficiency and autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD) and/or type I diabetes mellitus (T1DM) in the same patient.

Case presentation

A 15-year-old boy had a history of weight loss, nausea and vomiting, headache, restlessness, and tanned skin. He was diagnosed with Graves’ disease. Two weeks after carbimazol therapy was commenced, he presented with adrenal crises (fever, arterial hypotension, hyponatremia, adrenocorticotropic hormone [ACTH] 1119.6 ng/mL [normal range <60] and low cortisol). He received hydrocortisone and fludrocortisone, and improved quickly. Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) receptor autoantibodies as well as 21-hydroxylase antibodies were elevated.

Conclusions

Although the combination of Graves’ and Addison’s disease is extremely rare, especially in children, it is critical to make the diagnosis. Accelerated metabolic rate increased the risk for adrenal crises in our patient. This case contributes to the spectrum of APS II and its manifestation.
Burnout in neonatal intensive care unit nurses: relationships with moral distress, adult attachment insecurities, and proneness to guilt and shame
Authors: Barr Peter
Published: February 2020

Background

Informed by the person-environment transactional model of stress, the purpose of the study was to explore the relationships of environment-related moral distress and person-related anxious and avoidant adult attachment insecurities, and personality proneness to guilt and shame with burnout in neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) nurses.

Methods

This was a multicenter cross-sectional self-report questionnaire cohort study comprising 142 NICU nurses currently working on six Level 3–4 NICUs in New South Wales, Australia.

Results

Burnout was reported by 37% of NICU nurses. Moral distress, anxious and avoidant attachment, and guilt- and shame-proneness had moderate-large zero-order correlations with burnout. Overall, these predictor variables explained 40% of the variance in burnout. Moral distress (β = 0.40, P < 0.001), anxious attachment (β = 0.18, P < 0.05) and shame-proneness (β = 0.22, P < 0.01) were unique predictors of burnout. Shame-proneness partially mediated the effect of anxious attachment on burnout [indirect effect,B = 0.12, confidence interval (CI) (0.051–0.201)].

Conclusion

The management of burnout in NICU nurses requires attention not only to environment-related moral distress but also to person-related anxious and avoidant adult attachment insecurities and personality proneness to guilt and shame.
Diagnostic value of recombinant heparin-binding hemagglutinin adhesin protein in spinal tuberculosis
Authors: Pu Feifei , Feng Jing , Niu Fei , Xia Ping
Published: February 2020

Background and aim

To explore the diagnostic value of recombinant heparin-binding hemagglutinin adhesin (HBHA) protein antigen in spinal tuberculosis.

Materials and methods

Forty patients with spinal tuberculosis were included in the experimental group and 40 healthy people were included in the control group. Serum IgG antibody expression level was detected with recombinant HBHA protein as the antigen, using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) detection.

Results

Patients with spinal tuberculosis and healthy volunteers were included in this study. A total of 40 eligible patients with spinal tuberculosis were included (24 males and 16 females, aged 18-72 years, with an average age of 41.24 ± 15.74 years). Forty healthy people were included (21 males and 19 females, aged 18-70 years, with an average age of 41.33 ± 12.36 years). On comparing the groups, no significant difference was found in the general data (P >0.05). IgG antibody level in the experimental group was higher than that in the control group, and the difference was significant (P < 0.00001).

Conclusions

Detection of serum HBHA protein antibody is of great value in the auxiliary diagnosis of spinal tuberculosis, and high HBHA expression can be used as an indicator for diagnosis of spinal tuberculosis.
Verb placement and accentuation: Does prosody constrain the Estonian V2?
Authors: Sahkai Heete , Tamm Anne
Published: February 2020

The paper contributes to the understanding of the variation in finite verb placement in Estonian, a verb-second language, by establishing two descriptive facts. First, it identifies a previously undescribed finite verb position in Estonian declarative main clauses, which will be referred to as ‘clause-medial’. The clause-medial position is located between clause-medial sentence adverbials on the one hand, and VP adverbials and the complements of the verb on the other hand. Secondly, the paper reports two empirical studies providing evidence in support of the hypothesis that the occurrence of a finite verb in the proposed clause-medial position, as opposed to its occurrence in the second position, correlates with its accentuation. While clause-medial verbs tend to bear a nuclear pitch accent, second-position verbs don’t. Finally, the paper briefly discusses some broader implications of the existence of the clause-medial finite verb position and of the interaction between verb placement and prosody.
Can God Promise Us a New Past? A Response to Lebens and Goldschmidt
Authors: Faul Bogdan V.
Published: February 2020

Samuel Lebens and Tyron Goldschmidt provided original theodicies, which suggest that at one time God will change the past, either by erasing/substituting the sins of humans or erasing the whole entirety of evils. Both theodicies imply the idea that God can completely change the past without leaving any traces. In this paper, I argue that Lebens’ and Goldschmidt’s preferred model, which they call the scene-changing theory, is problematic. First, its complex metaphysical foundation could be replaced with presentism (roughly, the view in the ontology of time that only present things exist) without losing any substantial heuristics. Second, their theory either implies a controversial theory of truthmaking under presentistic and hyper-presentistic ontology or implies controversial views on the counting of events under presentistic and hyper-presentistic ontology. Thirdly, I will argue that any theory of elimination/substitution of evils of the past implies that there are unnecessary evils, which is inconsistent with God’s goodness.
Coordination polymers based ontrans, trans-muconic acid: synthesis, structure, adsorption and thermal properties
Authors: Baimuratova Rose K. , Dzhardimalieva Gulzhian I. , Golubeva Nina D. , Dremova Nadezhda N. , Ivanov Andrey V.
Published: February 2020

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are promising sacrificial templates for synthesis of carbon functional materials with a relatively high concentration of stabilized metallic species. In this work coordination polymers based ontrans,trans-muconic acid and transition metals (Cu, Zn, Ni, Co) were prepared and selected as the precursors for supramolecular organization of nanocomposites. The coordination polymers and metal-containing thermolysis products obtained were characterized using a number of analytical techniques including powder X-ray diffraction, elemental analysis, thermal gravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy and volumetric nitrogen adsorption/desorption. This study extends the application of coordination polymers as precursors for designing of carbon materials incorporating metal nanoparticles. It is shown that appropriate choice of metal-organic precursors in solid-phase thermolysis allowed to get materials with determined morphologies.
Measurement of 14.54 MeV neutron induced reaction cross sections of Cr and Mn with covariance analysis
Authors: Pasha Imran , Basavanna Rudraswamy , Yerranguntla Santhi Sheela , Suryanarayana Saraswatula Venkata , Naik Haladhara , Midhun Cherumukku Vallabhan , Patel Tarun
Published: February 2020

The 50Cr(n,2n)49Cr, 52Cr(n,2n)51Cr, 52Cr(n,p)52V, 55Mn(n,2n)54Mn, 55Mn(n,α)52V and 55Mn(n,γ)56Mn reaction cross sections at the neutron energy of 14.54 ± 0.24 MeV were measured by using activation method along with off-line γ-ray spectrometry. The 27Al(n,p)27Mg monitor reaction was used for the 52Cr(n,p)52V and 55Mn(n,α)52V reactions, whereas the 197Au(n,γ)198Au monitor reaction for the 55Mn(n,γ)56Mn reaction. The 27Al(n,α)24Na monitor reaction was used for other three reactions. The neutron beam was generated from the T(d,n)4He reaction using the Purnima neutron generator at BARC, Mumbai. The covariance analysis for the uncertainties of reaction cross sections was performed by considering the correlations between different attributes. The present results were compared with the literature data, evaluated data of ENDF, ROSFOND, CENDL, JENDL and JEFF libraries as well as with the theoretical values based on TALYS-1.9 calculation.
Translating Wittgenstein: A semiotic translation of the Tractatus
Authors: Torres-Martínez Sergio
Published: February 2020

In this article, I introduce a semiosic translation of Wittgenstein’s Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus. The theoretical framework is Semiosic Translation, a theory that combines Peirce’s interpretive semiotics and Wittgenstein’s notions of rule-following and complex-fact. I seek to show that this approach is particularly adroit at the task of making the sometimes cryptic philosophy of Ludwig Wittgenstein accessible to readers. To support this assertion, I compare and analyze several canonical translations of the Tractatus with possible semiosic translations. The results show that Wittgenstein’s work throughout its different phases displays a continuity that reaches a genuine abductive peak in the Philosophical Investigations. This abductive, usage-based turn is, nonetheless, announced in the Tractatus in terms of a quest for semiotic accuracy.
Assembly of C-propyl-pyrogallol[4]arene with bipyridine-based spacers and solvent molecules
Authors: Liu Xiao-Li , Liu Jing-Long , Yang Hong-Mei , Jia Ai-Quan , Zhang Qian-Feng
Published: February 2020

Co-crystallization of C-propyl-pyrogallol[4]arene (PgC3) with 4,4′-bipyridine (bpy) in ethanol afforded a multi-component complex (PgC3) · 3(bpy) ·(EtOH) (1) that consists of a one-dimensional brick-wall framework, which was formed by four pyrogallol[4]arene molecules and two juxtaposed bpy molecules, entrapping two other bpy molecules as guests within each cavity. Heating a mixture of PgC3 and trans-1,2-bis-(4-pyridyl)ethylene (bpe) in an ethanol-water mixed solvent allowed the isolation of a multi-component complex (PgC3) ·(bpe) · 2(EtOH) ·(H2O) (2), which has a two-dimensional wave-like polymer structure with the bpe molecules embedded in the wave trough between two PgC3 molecules. Single-crystal X-ray crystallography was utilized to investigate the hydrogen bonding networks of the multi-component complexes 1 and 2.
Measurement of Suction Stress and Soil Deformation at High Suction Range
Authors: Dong Yi , Lu Ning
Published: February 2020

Suction stress is the effective stress independent of mechanical boundary conditions but is due to water content variation. It occurs on or near particle contacts and does not directly transfer through the soil skeleton and hence can only be and has been measured indirectly and deduced from soil’s strength or deformation. In this work, a new technology to measure the soil-water retention curve, soil shrinkage curve, and suction stress characteristic curve in a high suction environment is established. A humidity-controlled device to measure suction stress was developed based on a previously established drying cake method. Nitrogen gas and molecular sieves were introduced as desiccant in addition to saturated salt solutions to generate an extreme dry environment up to 850 MPa of matric suction for the first time. A focus on the effect of adsorptive soil-water interaction on hydromechanical properties of expansive soils provides enriched information on elastic modulus variation, soil deformation evolution, and matric suction development of soil in very low water contents, making the suction stress measurement possible for matric suction as high as 850 MPa.
An Alternative Method for the Invariant Threshold Force Evaluation in Incremental Step Loading Tests
Authors: Souza Danilo Eduardo Fonseca , Leal José Eduardo Silveira , Filho Waldek Wladimir Bose , Arencibia Rosenda Valdés , Franco Sinésio Domingues
Published: February 2020

Hydrogen embrittlement (HE) affects the main groups of metal alloys used in the industry, varying from steels to nickel-based corrosion-resistant alloys. It is estimated that 25 % of failures that occur in the oil and gas industry is caused by fracture associated with hydrogen. The incremental step loading (ISL) technique, put forward by ASTM F1624-18(2018), Standard Test Method for Measurement of Hydrogen Embrittlement Threshold in Steel by the Incremental Step Loading Technique, has been widely used for HE susceptibility evaluation. However, testing metallic materials, other than steels with hardness lower than 33 HRC, following the ASTM F1624 method proved that the invariant threshold force (Pth) determination is not possible. It was observed that the Inconel 718 under certain experimental conditions did not reach the advised 5 % of the fast fracture strength, PFFS, force drop as this material has a low crack growth rate because of its high ductility and low hydrogen diffusivity. Although another force drop value could be adopted, it would still be an arbitrarily defined value that could not be applied to other materials without further study. To overcome this problem, a robust and efficient method of easy implementation was developed and validated. The new approach considers the relative variation, VΔF¯, associated with the difference between the input force (set point value) and the measured force as an alternative to a notch fracture strength force drop percentage. This method does not contradict the ASTM F1624 determinations as it too is based on the force drop values. The Pth values obtained for the AISI 4140 steel using the ASTM F1624 standard corroborate the values obtained based on the proposed method. This method allows the assessment of the Pth values in Inconel 718, as they were corroborated by crack nucleation observations at the notch root using a high-resolution scanning electron microscopy after the ISL tests. The obtained results show that the proposed method proved to be robust, efficient, and of easy implementation. Thus, it can be used as an alternative to the Pth evaluation of steels with a hardness less than 33 HRC and for metallic materials not covered by the ASTM F1624 standard.
Development of a Decision Support System to Enable Adaptive Manufacturing
Authors: Adrita Mumtahina Mahajabin , Brem Alexander , O’Neill Patrick , Gorman Eymard , O’Sullivan Dominic , Bruton Ken
Published: February 2020

The drive for Industry 4.0 has allowed manufacturing companies to stay at the forefront of business competition by making vast improvements over the years. Adaptive manufacturing is a key area for industries to explore where production processes can be fully automated using advanced technologies. However, such processes can generate a large collection of data, and there are difficulties with analyzing the data to derive useful information that will be used to assist the end users in making decisions for any disturbance in the machine during production. An expert system was developed in this study that sends offset feedback from the coordinate measuring machine to the computer numerical control (CNC) machine and aligns the tools appropriately within the CNC, thus extending tool life. Critical-to-quality (CTQ) dimensions were identified from scrap history, and decision trees were developed for each CTQ by using heuristic knowledge of the end users. Thus, this novel approach, which uses a rule-based method because of a lack of training data, includes a set of “IF THEN” statements codified from the decision trees, describing the alterations required on the critical tool if the measurements are not within specification. The ruleset was tested by force-failing the tools associated with the rules where the triggered responses were checked against the stated responses. Although the rule-based expert system proved to be successful at making offset changes for correcting tool positioning, further improvements to the ruleset are required to tackle any uncertainty, and operator interaction needs to be assessed to rule out the non–value-adding steps and to codify useful tacit knowledge.
Chromosome-Level Assembly of theCaenorhabditis remaneiGenome Reveals Conserved Patterns of Nematode Genome Organization
Authors: Teterina Anastasia A , Willis John H , Phillips Patrick C
Published: February 2020

Caenorhabditis is a group of nematodes that contains the important model organism C. elegans. Several chromosome-level genome assemblies exist for species within this group, but it has been a challenge to fully assemble the genome...

The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is one of the key model systems in biology, including possessing the first fully assembled animal genome. Whereas C. elegans is a self-reproducing hermaphrodite with fairly limited within-population variation, its relative C. remanei is an outcrossing species with much more extensive genetic variation, making it an ideal parallel model system for evolutionary genetic investigations. Here, we greatly improve on previous assemblies by generating a chromosome-level assembly of the entire C. remanei genome (124.8 Mb of total size) using long-read sequencing and chromatin conformation capture data. Like other fully assembled genomes in the genus, we find that the C. remanei genome displays a high degree of synteny with C. elegans despite multiple within-chromosome rearrangements. Both genomes have high gene density in central regions of chromosomes relative to chromosome ends and the opposite pattern for the accumulation of repetitive elements. C. elegans and C. remanei also show similar patterns of interchromosome interactions, with the central regions of chromosomes appearing to interact with one another more than the distal ends. The new C. remanei genome presented here greatly augments the use of the Caenorhabditis as a platform for comparative genomics and serves as a basis for molecular population genetics within this highly diverse species.
Finite-time passivity for neutral-type neural networks with time-varying delays – via auxiliary function-based integral inequalities
Authors: Saravanan Shanmugam , Syed Ali M. , Alsaedi Ahmed , Ahmad Bashir
Published: March 2020

In this paper, we investigated the problem of the finite-time boundedness and finitetime passivity for neural networks with time-varying delays. A triple, quadrable and five integral terms with the delay information are introduced in the new Lyapunov–Krasovskii functional (LKF). Based on the auxiliary integral inequality, Writinger integral inequality and Jensen’s inequality, several sufficient conditions are derived. Finally, numerical examples are provided to verify the effectiveness of the proposed criterion. There results are compared with the existing results.
Some Krasnosel’skii-type fixed point theorems for Meir–Keeler-type mappings
Authors: Pourhadi Ehsan , Saadati Reza , Kadelburg Zoran
Published: March 2020

In this paper, inspired by the idea of Meir–Keeler contractive mappings, we introduce Meir–Keeler expansive mappings, say MKE, in order to obtain Krasnosel’skii-type fixed point theorems in Banach spaces. The idea of the paper is to combine the notion of Meir–Keeler mapping and expansive Krasnosel’skii fixed point theorem. We replace the expansion condition by the weakened MKE condition in some variants of Krasnosel’skii fixed point theorems that appear in the literature, e.g., in [T. Xiang, R. Yuan, A class of expansive-type Krasnosel’skii fixed point theorems, Nonlinear Anal., Theory Methods Appl., 71(7–8):3229–3239, 2009].
Support vector machine parameter tuning based on particle swarm optimization metaheuristic
Authors: Korovkinas Konstantinas , Danėnas Paulius , Garšva Gintautas
Published: March 2020

This paper introduces a method for linear support vector machine parameter tuning based on particle swarm optimization metaheuristic, which is used to find the best cost (penalty) parameter for a linear support vector machine to increase textual data classification accuracy. Additionally, majority voting based ensembling is applied to increase the efficiency of the proposed method. The results were compared with results from our previous research and other authors’ works. They indicate that the proposed method can improve classification performance for a sentiment recognition task.
VKORC1-1639 G>A Polymorphism and the Risk of Non-Variceal Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding
Authors: Groza Ioana , Matei Dana , Tanţău Marcel , Trifa Adrian P , Crişan Sorin , Vesa Ştefan C , Bocşan Corina , Buzoianu Anca D , Acalovschi Monica
Published: February 2020

Background & Aims: The mutations in the gene that encodes vitamin K epoxide reductase (VKOR) enzyme are responsible for low levels of vitamin K. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether the presence of the VKORC1 -1639 G> A polymorphism is a risk factor for non-variceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) in patients without concomitant therapy with vitamin K antagonists.Methods: This case-control study comprised 163 consecutive patients diagnosed with UGIB and 178 controls, in whom the diagnosis of UGIB was excluded. The following data were recorded: age, gender, alcohol consumption, smoking, history of UGIB, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or low-dose aspirin consumption. Genetic analysis included genotyping for the VKORC1 -1639 G>A polymorphism.Results: History of UGIB (OR 3.463, CI95% 1.463-8.198, p=0.005), smoking (OR 2.498, CI95% 1.358-4.597, p=0.003), alcohol consumption (OR 3.283, CI95% 1.796-6.000, p<0.001), use of NSAIDs (OR 4.542, CI95% 2.502-8.247, p<0.001) or of low-dose aspirin (OR 2.390, CI95% 1.326-4.310), and the VKORC1 -1639 G> A AA genotype (OR 1.364, CI95% 0.998-1.863, p=0.05) were associated with an increased risk of UGIB. The risk of UGIB was analyzed in patients with genotype AA who used aspirin or NSAIDs. The genotype AA has not kept its status of independent risk factor (p=0.3). In subjects with NSAIDs/aspirin therapy and genotype AA there was a two times higher chance of UGIB compared to those under NSAIDs/aspirin therapy alone (OR 7.6 vs. 3.6, p<0.001).Conclusion: Patients with non-variceal UGIB caused by the use of NSAIDs or low-dose aspirin are more frequent carriers of the VKORC1 -1639 G>A AA genotype, as compared to those without UGIB.
IT for Sustainable Growth
Authors:   Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK, Dix Alan , Subramanian Sriram ,   University of Bristol, UK
Published: February 2020

“This paper addresses the changing nature of markets in an IT-rich and Internet connected world. Through a combination of case studies, theoretical analysis and parallels between issues in developed and emerging worlds, it explores whether technology can help create economic futures that are economically, socially and environmentally sustainable for the emergent economies and also offer fresh directions for the culturally homogenised and resource wasteful west. The paper suggests that IT radically changes the `ground rules\\\’ compared with the periods of intense development in western countries in the 19th and 20th centuries. In particular, IT opens the way for less centralised growth, where global communications enable local collaboration, and those at the bottom of the economic pyramid can have presence on the world stage. However, realising the potential of IT to aid sustainability may require strategic efforts to create suitable information and economic infrastructures."
Enhancement of QoS in 802.11e for Real Time Traffic
Authors:   Guru Nanak Dev Engineering College, Ludhiana, Grewal Gurpreet Singh , Singh Rajbir ,   Lala Lajpat Rai Institute of Engineering and Technology, Moga, Singh Manpreet ,   Guru Nanak Dev Engineering College, Ludhiana
Published: February 2020

“Quality of Service (QoS) requirements like good throughput and minimum access delay are challenging tasks to accomplish with regard to 802.11 WLAN protocols and Medium Access Control (MAC) functions. In this article, a distributed medium access scheme called EDCF, which is adopted in an upcoming standard IEEE802.11e to allow prioritized medium access for applications with QoS requirements, is described and discussed. Its performance is also evaluated via simulations using network simulator called OPNET”
Achieving Market Leadership: The Next Challenge for Technology Firms from Growing Countries
Authors:   EADA Business School, Spain, Viardot Eric
Published: February 2020

Technology industries tend to follow a “winner-takes-all” model where the whole market belongs to an oligopoly of firms. Those companies are achieving an overriding position with a product or service whose dominant design is adopted by an overwhelming number of customers and makes it a de facto market standard. We have identified seven different moves used by the firms from the developed world to push their technology-intensive solutions to the market so that they become indisputable leaders. They offer a compatible or open technology to generate increasing returns; besides they create a supportive network; they also actively promote their technology through an aggressive branding; they go after the global market in order to reach the maximum volume of users; they minimize their production costs in order to lower their price and get to new customers; finally they constantly invest more than their competitors in order to reach a critical mass which make their solution unavoidable. Technology industries have long been dominated by companies from the developed world. However in the recent years, new players are coming from growing economies, especially from China for high tech products and India for technology services. In this paper, we will explore how those technology companies from growing countries -mostly China and India- can also apply those different actions in order to reach market leadership.
Measurement of Integration between NPD and Marketing Employees: Case of a Software Product Development Company
Authors:   Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, Mathew Mary , Joglekar Manasi ,   Fractal Analytics, Mumbai, Desai Pradeep ,   Tata Consultancy Services, Bangalore
Published: February 2020

The relationship between marketing and new product development (NPD) is of great significance. It has been widely accepted that it also affects the success of the project or product to a large extent. But yet, this integration is not an easy task and presents lots of challenges to an organization. One of the major barriers is considered to be differences in the perceptions of marketing and NPD employees about each others’ tasks and the way they are supposed to cooperate. The study described in this paper is aimed at diagnosing these differences for a particular software products organization. The study has tried to capture these differences for integration behaviors between marketing and new product development (NPD) employees engaged in software product development. The study revealed that there was a significant difference between perception of marketing and new product development (NPD) employees over the current level of information flow from marketing to NPD as well the improvement required in the same. The priorities of marketing and NPD employees for improvement also seem to be quite different which is a serious concern as it can lead to lack of concerted effort in a particular direction. The paper describes these findings on the integration behaviours between marketing and NPD employees.
R&D Management Trends in the United States, India and China
Authors:   Portland State University, Portland, USA, Daim Tugrul U. , Bhatla Ashok ,   Portland State University, Portland, USA, Mansour Mohammad ,   Portland State University, Portland, USA, DeLay Robert ,   Portland State University, Portland, USA, Nguyen Paul ,   Portland State University, Portland, USA
Published: February 2020

This study researches the Management of Research and Development (R&D) in the emerging economies of India and China and compares theirs with R&D in the United States (US). The purpose of this research is to forecast the future of R&D in these three countries. Because R&D is changing rapidly, particularly in China, understanding where they will be in the future is of interest to the scientific, academic, government and business segments of each country. Our research consisted of gathering industry standard measures of R&D from 1996 through 2009. These measures are as follows: R&D spending as a percentage of GDP (total government, industry and universities), researchers per million inhabitants, number of patents granted each year, number publications each year and total number of graduates in all programs in thousands. We gathered and logged the metrics for each year from 1996 through 2009 and used the historical data to forecast future positioning of R&D in these countries. An overview of each country is provided in the introductory portion of this paper. This provides the context for the historical performance of R&D and for expected future performance of R&D in the US, India and China.
Using Customer-Facing Technology to Create New Business Value: Insight From the Public and Private Sector into the Changing Value Equation
Authors:   The Graziadio School of Business & Management Pepperdine University, USA, Griffy-Brown Charla , Chun Mark ,   The Graziadio School of Business & Management Pepperdine University, USA, Koeppel Harvey ,   Center for CIO leadership, USA
Published: February 2020

The objective of this research was to address two main questions regarding self-service and the changing value equation: Has the self-service value equation changed in the current downturn? How can organizations leverage information systems and customer facing technology to create new value for customers and even attract more customers? Qualitative data collection and analysis of in depth interviews of public and private sector organizations in the US and Australia were conducted from 2007-2010. To ensure accuracy and to promote triangulation, notes from interviews were transcribed, reviewed and verified by key actors in order to increase the reliability of the study (Yin, 1994). The data was coded following the methods described by Yin (1994) and Miles and Huberman (1984). Nvivo software was used for this analysis. Some organizations within the public and private sectors are surviving the economic downturn by leveraging technology to do “more with less” in order to deliver better services to customers. This has been achieved by identifying what costumers value most in order to ensure loyalty: choice, control and convenience. These organizations are particularly focusing on “customer loyalty” and “customer delight” as metrics for success. Many organizations both public and private are struggling with the challenge of identifying value, coupling that with technology strategy and delivering value. This case research provides policy makers and business practitioners with practical insight into value creation for customers or citizens using customer-facing technology.
Social Media and Revenue Management; Where Should the Two Meet?
Authors:   Oxford Brookes University, UK, Varini Kate , Sirsi Pavan ,   Independent consultant
Published: February 2020

The objective of this study is to explore how social media strategies can be integrated with the function of revenue management. A survey was used to evaluate the extent to which some travel firms use/perceive social media. This study explores possible synergy between the time spent developing social media channels and the opportunities these might generate for travel firms active in the application of revenue management tactics. This has lead to the recommendation of new practices that could potentially enhance future revenue and profit. The present study identifies that travel firms can build opportunities to capture additional revenues by focusing on building engaging and useful content for customers. The travel industry is just beginning to embrace the need to combine public relations (PR) activities with new marketing approaches that must engage, rather that use interruption and coercion to generate sales. As engagement of the public with social media grows, it is evident that this will have implications for revenue management approaches, in the same way that approaches to PR and marketing have needed to evolve with the growth in online interaction between consumers. A shift in strategic outlook may enhance the ability of travel companies to sell valued products, improve customer relationships and increase their bottom-line; hence it becomes even more important for such organizations to ensure they have a solid social media strategy.
Emerging Technologies in Eye Sight Cor rection: Customers Perspective
Authors:   Institute for International Management and Technology, Gurgaon, Shukla Rati , Singh Anjana ,   Institute for International Management and Technology, Gurgaon
Published: February 2020

LASIK (Laser in siter kerato milensis) is a form of refractive surgery which intends to correct eye sight error and reduces the need of other visual aids like glasses and contact lenses. With the emergence of latest technologies in the eye care, the aim of this paper is to explore the eye sight correction surgery: LASIK in the National Capital Region of Inida. It would further identify the market segments that have undergone the surgery or intend to do so in the future, hence highlighting the customers’ perception about the same.The research explores upcoming technologies through personal interviews with Eye surgeons in the National Capital Region. The interviews specifically emphasize on the technological milestones in the eye correction area. Further, a questionnaire based survey was conducted, to evaluate customers experience and expectations from these eye care technologies. The study hence, provides a comprehensive overview of the technological high points in the eye sight correction. Also the paper focuses on the various apprehensions raised by customers relating to safety and pricing of these eye surgeries.
Fusing East and West Leads a Way to Global Competitiveness in Emerging Economy: Source of China’s Conspicuous Strength in Solar Industry
Authors:   National University of Singapore, Singapore, Srikanth Narasimalu , Watanabe Chihiro ,   Tokyo Seitoku University, Japan
Published: February 2020

In light of a conspicuous strength in China’s solar industry in recent years this paper analyzes an institutional source of its strength. Empirical analysis was conducted focusing on the interaction between indigenous semiconductor industry (“East”) and newly emerging solar industry in absorption of global best practices (“West”) thereby fusion between them was demonstrated. Success of this fusion can be attributed to a joint work between industry’s intensive effort in learning global best practices for exploring new business and government’s catalytic role for the attainment of decarbonisation society for nation’s sustainability. This suggests a new insight for growing economy for its development of global competitive industry.
The Positive Impact of Inter-Organizational Networking in Innovation in Biotechnology Industry: Comparative Case Analysis of Biotech Network One Nucleus
Authors:   School of Economics and International Business University of Greenwich, Park Row, London, United Kingdom, Verma Vivek , Zoumpa Vasilki T ,   School of Economics and International Business University of Greenwich, Park Row, London, United Kingdom
Published: February 2020

To further substantiate the role of inter-organizational networking in innovation, we explored the positive impact of large networks on innovation in the biotechnology industry. The research was conducted in two parts. In the first part, a qualitative research methodology using exploratory case study is performed on the three SME members of the UK-based biotech network One Nucleus. In the second part, a quantitative research approach using comparative empirical OECD data analysis is performed. The two research methodologies used are subsequently linked together thorough a unique research approach known as processual research. A new insight is explored regarding issues linked to inter-organizational networking, like the role of networks on organizational learning, the role of third party organizations within networks, diversity of partners and the nature of learning (localized vs. global) within biotech networks. The primary data is generated on the number of alliances, types of alliances and types of innovation, whereas innovation is measured as a dependent variable. Empirical results obtained clearly indicate that innovation output (patent approval rate, patent success rate) with respect to each alliance made by the sample firms is positively impacted by the parent biotech network One Nucleus.