bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analysis of the Prader–Willi syndrome imprinting center using droplet digital PCR and next‐generation whole‐exome sequencing
Authors: Hartin Samantha N. , Hossain Waheeda A. , Francis David , Godler David E. , Barkataki Sangjucta , Butler Merlin G.
Published: February 2019

Background

Detailed analysis of imprinting center (IC) defects in individuals with Prader–Willi syndrome (PWS) is not readily available beyond chromosomal microarray (MA) analysis, and such testing is important for a more accurate diagnosis and recurrence risks. This is the first feasibility study of newly developed droplet digital polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR) examining DNA copy number differences in the PWS IC region of those with IC defects.

Methods

The study cohort included 17 individuals without 15q11‐q13 deletions or maternal disomy but with IC defects as determined by genotype analysis showing biparental inheritance. Seven sets of parents and two healthy, unrelated controls were also analyzed.

Results

Copy number differences were distinguished by comparing the number of positive droplets detected by IC probes to those from a chromosome 15 reference probe, GABRβ3. The ddPCR findings were compared to results from other methods including MA, and whole‐exome sequencing (WES) with 100% concordance. The study also estimated the frequency of IC microdeletions and identified gene variants by WES that may impact phenotypes including CPT2 and NTRK1 genes.

Conclusion

Droplet digital polymerase chain reaction is a cost‐effective method that can be used to confirm the presence of microdeletions in PWS with impact on genetic counseling and recurrence risks for families.
Predictors affecting complications and aesthetic outcomes in autologous breast reconstruction with free muscle‐sparing transverse rectus abdominis myocutaneous flaps
Authors: Moon Kyung‐Chul , Baek Si‐Ook , Yoon Eul‐Sik , Lee Byung‐Il , Park Seung‐Ha
Published: February 2019

Background

Identification and understanding of predictors for complications and aesthetic outcomes in free muscle‐sparing transverse rectus abdominis myocutaneous (MS‐TRAM) flap are essential for successful breast reconstruction. The purpose of this study was to investigate predictors for complications and aesthetic outcomes in patients who underwent autologous breast reconstruction with free MS‐TRAM flaps.

Patients and Methods

Between March 2003 and September 2017, a total of 214 patients who underwent breast reconstruction with MS‐TRAM flaps were included in this study. Mean age of the patients was 43.2 years (range, 28‐61 years). Four outcome data, including operation time, hospital stay, aesthetic scores, and complications; and 12 patient data, including recipient vessel type, age, body mass index [BMI] > 25, smoking status, neoadjuvant chemotherapy, radiotherapy, nipple‐sparing mastectomy, contralateral breast surgery, history of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, cardiac disease, and endocrine disease were collected.

Results

Five and 52 patients experienced major complications, including partial flap loss, and minor complications, respectively. In stepwise multiple logistic analysis, risk factors for complications were BMI > 25 (P < 0.001), smoking status (P = 0.012), and neoadjuvant radiotherapy (P = 0.002). BMI > 25 (P < 0.001), smoking status (P < 0.001), contralateral breast surgery (P < 0.001), and history of cardiac (P = 0.001) and endocrine disease (P = 0.003) were predictors for aesthetic outcome.

Conclusion

Predictors for complications and aesthetic outcomes determined in this study may facilitate microsurgeons engaged in the assessment of patients needing free MS‐TRAM flaps.
Oligonol Alleviates Sarcopenia by Regulation of Signaling Pathways Involved in Protein Turnover and Mitochondrial Quality
Authors: Chang Yun‐Ching , Chen Yi‐Tien , Liu Hung‐Wen , Chan Yin‐Ching , Liu Ming‐Yi , Hu Shu‐Hui , Tseng Wei‐Tai , Wu Hsin‐Ling , Wang Ming‐Fu , Chang Sue‐Joan
Published: February 2019

Scope

Oligonol has been shown to moderate mitochondrial biogenesis, protein synthesis, and protein degradation in diabetic mice in a previous study. It is therefore hypothesized that oligonol alleviated sarcopenia by regulating pathways involved in protein turnover and mitochondrial quality.

Methods and results

The 32‐week‐old senescence‐accelerated mouse prone 8 (SAMP8) mice are fed with chow diet containing 200 mg kg−1 oligonol for 8 weeks. Oligonol supplementation increased skeletal muscle mass, cross‐sectional areas, and grip strength in SAMP8 mice. Oligonol increased phosphorylation of AKT/mTOR/p70sk6, inhibited nuclear localization of FoxO3a and NFκB, and decreased transcription of MuRF‐1 and MAFbx in skeletal muscle of SAMP8 mice. Downregulation of mitochondrial biogenesis genes (PGC‐1α and Tfam) and mitochondrial fusion genes (Mfn2 and Opa1), loss of PINK1, overexpression of Atg13, LC3‐II, and p62, and abundant accumulation of autophagosomes and lysosomes in skeletal muscle of SAMP8 mice are limited by oligonol. Furthermore, oligonol reduced expression of released cytochrome c and cleaved caspase‐9 in skeletal muscle of SAMP8 mice.

Conclusion

Regulating pathways involved in protein synthesis and degradation, mitochondrial biogenesis, mitochondrial fusion/fission, autophagy, and mitochondria‐dependent apoptosis by oligonol contribute to positive protein turnover and mitochondrial quality, thus increasing muscle mass and strength in SAMP8 mice.
An electromagnetic inverse scattering problem for dielectrics that depend on two spatial variables via Eikonal approximation
Authors: Chika Charles E. , Hooshyar M. A.
Published: February 2019

A noniterative and efficient method is developed to recover refractive index of a medium which is a function of only two spatial variables from the information on forward scattering amplitude for electromagnetic plane waves incident at different angles and frequencies. To test implementation feasibility of the proposed method and its performance, some preliminary numerical calculations are presented.
An empirical propagation prediction model for urban street canyon environments at 6, 10, and 18 GHz
Authors: Oh Soon‐Soo , Choi Jae‐Won , Lee Hwa‐Choon , Lee Young‐Chul , Cho Byung‐Lok , Lee Il‐Yong , Lim Jong‐Hyuk , Lee Jong‐Il , Park Sung Won
Published: February 2019

This Letter proposes site‐general models for urban high‐rise environments based on 6, 10, and 18 GHz measurements. We conducted a measurement campaign using 10‐ and 2‐m‐high omnidirectional antennas for transmitting (Tx) and receiving (Rx) sites, respectively. This Letter reports the path loss and the parameters of the alpha‐beta (AB) and close‐in (CI) models. This Letter also shows the simulation model and its results. The proposed model would be useful for predicting electromagnetic fields located in real environments, and for planning cellular communication services.
A novel Michelson interferometer of high interference degree with the application of bi‐direction erbium‐doped fiber amplifier
Authors: Bian Ji , Li ChuRui , Yan YuZe , Wang Chao
Published: February 2019

In this paper, a novel Michelson fiber high‐interference optical structure has been proposed. When an optical amplifier is applied into the interference optical path, the signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR) of the signal light in the optical path is reduced by the amplifier generates amplifier spontaneous emission (ASE) noise. Through this new type of optical path, the ASE in the interference optical path can be suppressed, the SNR of the signal light can be improved, and a higher degree of interference can be achieved.
38‐GHz SIW filter based on the stepped‐impedance face‐to‐face E‐shaped DGSs for 5G application
Authors: Li Jian , Huang Yongjun , Wang Huiru , Wang Ping , Wen Guangjun
Published: February 2019

In this article, a novel defected ground structure (DGS) is proposed and used to integrate in the metallic layer of millimeter‐wave substrate‐integrated waveguide (SIW) to form a 38 GHz high‐performance bandpass filter. The lower stopband and upper stopband of the designed bandpass filter are achieved by the nature cutoff frequency of SIW and the band notching property of the new proposed DGS, respectively. Numerical optimizations and experimental demonstrations are carried out to validate the proposed DGS‐inspired SIW filter, and good agreements between simulated and measured results are obtained. The measured results indicate a 3.2 GHz passband centered at 38.2 GHz, and the simulated results show good out‐of‐band rejection performance. The proposed filter can be widely used in the upcoming 5G communications.
A unique anisotropic R2 of collagen degeneration (ARCADE) mapping as an efficient alternative to composite relaxation metric (R2‐R1ρ) in human knee cartilage study
Authors: Pang Yuxi , Palmieri‐Smith Riann M. , Malyarenko Dariya I. , Swanson Scott D. , Chenevert Thomas L.
Published: February 2019

Purpose

Anisotropic transverse R2 (1/T2) relaxation of water proton is sensitive to cartilage degenerative changes. The purpose is to develop an efficient method to extract this relaxation metric in clinical studies.

Methods

Anisotropic R2 can be measured inefficiently by standard R2 mapping after removing an isotropic contribution obtained from R1ρ mapping. In the proposed method, named as a unique anisotropic R2 of collagen degeneration (ARCADE) mapping, an assumed uniform isotropic R2 was estimated at magic angle locations in the deep cartilage, and an anisotropic R2 was thus isolated in a single T2W sagittal image. Five human knees from 4 volunteers were studied with standard R2 and R1ρ mappings at 3T, and anisotropic R2 derived from ARCADE on the T2W (TE = 48.8 ms) image from R2 mapping was compared with the composite relaxation (R2 – R1ρ) using statistical analysis including Student's t‐test and Pearson’s correlation coefficient.

Results

Anisotropic R2 (1/s) from ARCADE was highly positively correlated with but not significantly different from standard R2 – R1ρ (1/s) in the segmented deep (r = 0.83 ± 0.06; 8.3 ± 2.9 vs. 7.3 ± 1.9, P = .50) and the superficial (r = 0.82 ± 0.05; 3.5 ± 2.4 vs. 4.5 ± 1.6, P = .39) zones. However, after eliminating systematic errors by the normalization in terms of zonal contrast, anisotropic R2 was significantly higher (60.2 ± 18.5% vs. 38.4 ± 16.6%, P < .01) than R2 – R1ρ as predicted.

Conclusion

The proposed anisotropic R2 mapping could be an efficient alternative to the conventional approach, holding great promise in providing both high‐resolution morphological and more sensitive transverse relaxation imaging from a single T2W scan in a clinical setting.
Effects of excitation angle strategy on quantitative analysis of hyperpolarized pyruvate
Authors: Walker Christopher M. , Fuentes David , Larson Peder E.Z. , Kundra Vikas , Vigneron Daniel B. , Bankson James A.
Published: February 2019

Purpose

Various excitation strategies have been proposed for dynamic imaging of hyperpolarized agents such as [1‐13C]‐pyruvate, but the impact of these strategies on quantitative evaluation of signal evolution remains unclear. To better understand their relative performance, we compared the accuracy and repeatability of measurements made using variable excitation angle strategies and conventional constant excitation angle strategies.

Methods

Signal evolution for constant and variable excitation angle schedules was simulated using a pharmacokinetic model of hyperpolarized pyruvate with 2 chemical pools and 2 physical compartments. Noisy synthetic data were then fit using the same pharmacokinetic model with the apparent chemical exchange term as an unknown, and fit results were compared with simulation parameters to determine accuracy and reproducibility.

Results

Constant excitations and a variable excitation strategy that maximizes the HP lactate signal yielded data that supported quantitative analyses with similar accuracy and repeatability. Variable excitation angle strategies that were designed to produce a constant signal level resulted in lower signal and worse quantitative accuracy and repeatability, particularly for longer acquisition times.

Conclusions

These results suggest that either constant excitation angle or variable excitation angles that attempt to maximize total signal, as opposed to maintaining a constant signal level, are preferred for metabolic quantification using hyperpolarized pyruvate.
Simultaneous editing of GABA and GSH with Hadamard‐encoded MR spectroscopic imaging
Authors: Chan Kimberly L. , Oeltzschner Georg , Saleh Muhammad G. , Edden Richard A.E. , Barker Peter B.
Published: February 2019

Purpose

To evaluate the feasibility of simultaneous MR spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) of gamma‐aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glutathione (GSH) in the human brain using Hadamard Encoding and Reconstruction of MEGA‐Edited Spectroscopy (HERMES).

Methods

Point RESolved Spectroscopy (PRESS)‐localized MRSI was performed in GABA and GSH phantoms and in the human brain (n = 3) using HERMES editing and compared to conventional MEGA editing of each metabolite. Multiplet patterns, signal intensities, and metabolite crosstalk were compared between methods. GABA+ and GSH levels were compared between methods for bias and variability. Linear regression of HERMES‐MRSI GABA+/H2O and GSH/H2O versus gray matter (GM) fraction were performed to assess differences between GM and white matter (WM).

Results

Phantom HERMES‐MRSI scans gave comparable GABA+ and GSH signals to MEGA‐MRSI across the PRESS‐localized volume. In vivo, HERMES‐reconstructed GABA+ and GSH values had minimal measurement bias and variability relative to MEGA‐MRSI. Intersubject coefficients of variation (CV) from two regions within the PRESS‐localized volume for HERMES and MEGA were 6‐12% for GABA+ and 6‐19% for GSH. Interregion CVs were 5–15% for GABA+ and 3–17% for GSH. The GABA+/H2O and GSH/H2O ratios were ~1.8 times higher and ~1.9 times higher, respectively, in GM than in WM.

Conclusion

HERMES‐MRSI of GABA+ and GSH was found to be practical in the human brain with minimal measurement bias and comparable variability to separate MEGA‐edited acquisitions of each metabolite performed in double the scan time. The HERMES‐MRSI is a promising method for simultaneously mapping the distribution of multiple low‐concentration metabolites.
Imaging of the region of the osteochondral junction (OCJ) using a 3D adiabatic inversion recovery prepared ultrashort echo time cones (3D IR‐UTE‐cones) sequence at 3 T
Authors: Ma Ya‐Jun , Jerban Saeed , Carl Michael , Wan Lidi , Guo Tan , Jang Hyungseok , Bydder Graeme M. , Chang Eric Y. , Du Jiang
Published: February 2019

The purpose of this study is to develop a 3D adiabatic inversion recovery prepared ultrashort echo time Cones (3D IR‐UTE‐Cones) sequence for high resolution and contrast imaging of the region of osteochondral junction (OCJ) of human knee joint using a clinical 3 T scanner. A feasibility study on direct imaging of the OCJ region was performed on a human patellar cartilage sample and on eight cadaveric knee joints using T1‐weighted, proton density (PD)‐weighted and short‐T2‐weighted 3D IR‐UTE‐Cones sequences. Contrast to noise ratio was measured to evaluate the effectiveness of the 3D IR‐UTE‐Cones sequences for selective imaging of the OCJ region. Computed tomography imaging was performed in parallel for the cadaveric knee joints. The optimized T1‐weighted 3D IR‐UTE‐Cones sequence was used to image the knee joints of eight healthy volunteers and six patients with osteoarthritis (OA) to evaluate morphological changes in the OCJ region. Clinical PD‐ and T2‐weighted FSE sequences were also performed for comparison. The T1‐weighted 3D IR‐UTE‐Cones sequence showed high resolution and contrast bright band of the normal OCJ region in the cadaveric joints. Normal OCJ appearances were also seen in healthy volunteers. Abnormal OCJ regions, manifested as ill‐defined, focal loss or non‐visualization of the high intensity band adjacent to the subchondral bone plate, were observed in the knee joints of both ex vivo and in vivo OA patients. The 3D IR‐UTE‐Cones sequence can image OCJ regions ex vivo and in vivo, with abnormalities depicted with high resolution and contrast. The technique may be useful for demonstrating involvement of OCJ regions in early OA.
Stability and stabilization for a class of complex production processes via LMIs
Authors: Wang Mushu , Xu Zhengguang , Guo Lingli
Published: February 2019

This paper deals with the problem of stability and stabilization for a non‐Newton mechanical system, and the system is described by the so‐called pattern class variable rather than a state or output variable. At the beginning of this paper, the method of pattern‐moving–based dynamics description is introduced, and it describes the dynamic properties of a concerned production process at a larger granularity. Then, a pattern‐moving–based nonlinear state space model is put forward. Moreover, a feature of output‐class partition is defined and extracted, and two constraint conditions are given for the system based on the feature. Through dealing with difference of a Lyapunov function in two cases, new methods of stability and stabilization are proposed by using the LMI and S‐procedure approaches. They guarantee the stability and robust stabilization of the system and present the relationship between the feature of output‐class partition and system stability. A sintering process and numerical examples are used to demonstrate the effectiveness and practicability of the proposed method.
Design of a Prediction Model for the Differentiation of Pasteurized Milk from Heated ESL Milk by Peptide Profiling
Authors: Dalabasmaz Sevim , Pischetsrieder Monika
Published: February 2019

This study designs a prediction model to differentiate pasteurized milk from heated extended shelf life (ESL) milk based on milk peptides. For this purpose, quantitative peptide profiles of a training set of commercial samples including pasteurized (n = 20), pasteurized‐ESL (n = 13), and heated‐ESL (n = 16) milk are recorded by matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (MALDI‐TOF‐MS). Seven peptides are selected as putative markers, and cutoff levels and performance measures of each marker are defined by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. The accuracy of these peptides in the training set range between 71% and 90%. A prediction model is established based on the combined cutoff levels and evaluated by an independent blind test set. The processing method of 19 out of 20 unknown milk samples is predicted correctly achieving 95% accuracy. Five peptides of the prediction model are identified as αS1‐casein182–199 (m/z 2014.0), αS1‐casein180–199 (m/z 2216.1), αS1‐casein1–24 (m/z 2910.6), β‐casein108–125 (m/z 2126.0), and β‐casein106–125 (m/z 2391.2) indicating thermal release and the action of plasmin and cathepsins. Thus, the present study demonstrates that the milk peptide profile reflects even minor differences in production parameters.
On the Need to Develop Guidelines for Characterizing and Reporting Intrinsic Disorder in Proteins
Authors: Vincent Michael , Uversky Vladimir N. , Schnell Santiago
Published: February 2019

Since the early 2000s, numerous computational tools have been created and used to predict intrinsic disorder in proteins. At present, the output from these algorithms is difficult to interpret in the absence of standards or references for comparison. There are many reasons to establish a set of standard‐based guidelines to evaluate computational protein disorder predictions. This viewpoint explores a handful of these reasons, including standardizing nomenclature to improve communication, rigor and reproducibility, and making it easier for newcomers to enter the field. An approach for reporting predicted disorder in single proteins with respect to whole proteomes is discussed. The suggestions are not intended to be formulaic; they should be viewed as a starting point to establish guidelines for interpreting and reporting computational protein disorder predictions.
A detailed theoretical simulation about the excited state dynamical process for the novel (benzo[d]thiazol‐2‐yl)‐5‐(9H‐carbazol‐9‐yl)phenol molecule
Authors: Zhang Qiaoli , Zhang Tianjie , Cheng Shibo , Yang Guang , Jia Min , Song Xiaoyan
Published: February 2019

Given that molecular excited state dynamical process plays important roles in designing and developing novel applications in recent years. In this work, based on density functional theory (DFT) and time‐dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) methods, we theoretically explored the novel (benzo[d]thiazol‐2‐yl)‐5‐(9H‐carbazol‐9‐yl)phenol (HBT‐Cz) system about its excited state behaviors. Via simulating the electrostatic potential surface (EPS) of HBT‐Cz structure, we confirm the formation of intramolecular hydrogen bond O2—H3···N4 in the S0 state. Our theoretical dominating bond lengths, bond angles, and the infrared (IR) vibrational spectra involved in hydrogen bond demonstrate that O2—H3···N4 should be strengthened in the S1 state. Upon the photoexcitation, we find the charge transfer characteristics around hydrogen bonding moieties play important roles in facilitating excited state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) process. Via constructing potential energy curves, we confirm the ESIPT reaction that further explains previous experimental phenomenon. Moreover, we also search the S1‐state transition state (TS) structure along with ESIPT path, based on which we simulate the intrinsic reaction coordinate (IRC) path. Combing with the atom‐centered density matrix propagation (ADMP) molecular dynamics simulation, we further confirm the ESIPT mechanism presented in this work. We sincerely hope that our theoretical work could guide novel applications based on HBT‐Cz system in future.
Growth of CuSbS2 Single Crystal as an Environmentally Friendly Thermoelectric Material
Authors: Nagaoka Akira , Takeuchi Manato , Yoshino Kenji , Ikeda Shigeru , Yasui Shintaro , Taniyama Tomoyasu , Nishioka Kensuke
Published: February 2019

High‐quality p‐type chalcostibite CuSbS2 single crystal is successfully synthesized by zone melting method for investigating fundamental properties. The grown crystal is orthorhombic structure and nearly stoichiometric with slightly Cu‐rich composition. The electrical properties are the hole concentration of 8.0 × 1016 cm−3, conductivity of 0.8 S cm−1, and mobility of 65 cm2 V−1 s−1 by Hall effect measurement at room temperature. Intrinsic low thermal conductivity in CuSbS2 single crystal is 0.9 W mK−1 at room temperature, which is an advantage of thermoelectric material. These results indicate that CuSbS2 has potential as an environmentally friendly high performance thermoelectric material and provide references for the results of characterization on polycrystalline samples.
Surface versus Bulk Doping Effects on Second Harmonic Generation from Bi2Se3
Authors: Shi Hui , Zhang Yu , Liu Feng , Shi Wangzhou , Liu Wei‐Tao
Published: February 2019

Different effects of the bulk and surface doping on the nonlinear response of topological insulator Bi2Sex are studied by comparing the second harmonic generation (SHG) from bulk single crystalline samples of different Se proportion, and using field‐effect transistor devices based on Bi2Se3 ultrathin films. While the SHG signal decreases with the bulk electron density, it increases when more electrons are injected through the gate. The former effect is attributed to the screening of the space charge region near the surface, and the latter is due to the doping of the surface energy band into the non‐parabolic region as well as the enhancement of the electrostatic field across the space charge region.
Local design of distributed H∞‐consensus filtering over sensor networks under multiplicative noises and deception attacks
Authors: Han Fei , Dong Hongli , Wang Zidong , Li Gongfa
Published: February 2019

This paper is concerned with the local design of the distributed H∞‐consensus filtering problem for a class of discrete time‐varying systems subject to both multiplicative noises and deception attacks over sensor networks. The target plant and the measuring sensors are disturbed by multiplicative noises with known statistics. The malicious signal involved in deception attacks is constrained by a specific sector‐like bounded condition, which reflects certain tolerable bound on the difference between the attack signal and the true signal. Attention is paid to the design of filter gains for guaranteeing a desirable filtering performance that simultaneously characterizes the filtering accuracy and the consensus requirement. To handle the proposed filtering problem, the supply rate function is firstly chosen for each node and then the dissipation matrix is constructed as a column substochastic matrix based on the stochastic vector dissipation theory. Subsequently, sufficient conditions by means of recursive linear matrix inequalities are presented for each node such that the filtering error and the consensus error satisfy the desirable H∞‐consensus performance index over a finite horizon. Finally, an illustrative simulation is presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed filter strategy.
Switched adaptive control for a class of switched nontriangular nonlinear systems with vanishing control gains
Authors: Xie Jing , Yang Dong , Zhao Jun
Published: February 2019

In this paper, the adaptive control problem for a class of switched nontriangular nonlinear systems is investigated, which allows the control gains to vanish at some points. Neither the triangular structure nor the solvability of the adaptive control problem is required for each subsystem. A key point of this work is to solve the adaptive control problem of switched nontriangular nonlinear systems with vanishing control gains by the dual design of the controllers and switching signals. To this end, firstly, a hysteresis‐type control gains‐dependent switching law is designed, which makes the control gain of the active subsystem not vanish and thus the associated designed control input can enter into the active subsystem. Moreover, the designed switching law guarantees a dwell time between any adjacent switching instants, which rules out the Zeno behavior. Secondly, when the adaptive control problem of each subsystem is unsolvable, a sufficient condition ensuring the solvability of the adaptive control problem of switched nontriangular nonlinear systems is developed even if no control input can enter into subsystems at some points. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed result is illustrated by two examples.
Shear strengthening of reinforced concrete beams using prefabricated ultra‐high performance fiber reinforced concrete plates: Experimental and numerical investigation
Authors: Sakr Mohammed A. , Sleemah Ayman A. , Khalifa Tarek M. , Mansour Walid N.
Published: February 2019

This paper presents the efficiency of using prefabricated ultra‐high performance fiber reinforced concrete (UHPFRC) plates in shear strengthening of reinforced concrete (RC) beams experimentally and numerically using finite element method. In order to ensure high quality and facilitate the strengthening process on site applications, it has been considered to apply UHPFRC as a plate pasted on concrete surface using epoxy. Tested specimens included four strengthened beams besides three control beams. Strengthening the RC beams was based on the use of two different techniques; (a) one longitudinal side strengthening (b) two longitudinal sides strengthening. Moreover, strengthening RC beams with reinforced or non‐reinforced prefabricated UHPFRC plates was also investigated. Results show that UHPFRC plates significantly increased the maximum load capacity, ductility and mid span reinforcement strain of the strengthened RC beams comparing with reference beam failed in shear. Also, steel connectors used in reinforcement of UHPFRC plates prevented debonding failure mode. A three‐dimensional (3D) finite element model (FEM) of the tested beams was also developed to predict the behavior of these specimens strengthened in shear. The adhesive layer was simulated using cohesive surface model to consider the slippage between concrete surface and UHPFRC plates. Results of the FEM showed good agreement with experimental results, as they were able to predict the behavior of the beams with high accuracy.
Dominance relation‐based genetic algorithm for superior solution set search problem
Authors: Fukushima Ryu , Wang Hongran , Tamura Kenichi , Tsuchiya Junichi , Yasuda Keiichiro
Published: February 2019

The superior solution set search problem contains parameters that provide constraints on evaluation value and distance. Therefore, in this article, we propose an evaluation indicator that is inspired by a method based on a dominance relation in multiobjective optimization problems and includes the aforementioned parameters. We also propose a search method based on the genetic algorithm (GA) with this indicator and perform numerical experiments on unique superior solution set search problems. The proposed method finds more superior solutions than the conventional single‐objective optimization method, which confirms its usefulness. © 2019 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Efficient peroxymonosulfate activation by Zn/Fe metal–organic framework‐derived ZnO/Fe3O4@carbon spheres for the degradation of Acid Orange 7
Authors: Zhang Xiao , Zhang Jing , Huang Xue , Wu Qing Ping , Yan Chun Hui , Lu Jin Feng
Published: February 2019

ZnO/Fe3O4@carbon spheres, which synthesized via a calcination process used Zn/Fe metal–organic frameworks (Zn/Fe–MOFs) as a precursor, were studied for the activation of peroxymonosulfate (PMS) for the degradation of Acid Orange 7 (AO7). The ZnO/Fe3O4@carbon spheres exhibited relatively high catalytic degradation properties for AO7 in an aqueous solution. The AO7 degradation reached 93.6% in 15 min under the conditions: 0.20 g/L ZnO/Fe3O4@carbon spheres, 1.25 mmol/L PMS, 0.03 mmol/L AO7, and initial pH of 4. Findings revealed that higher ZnO/Fe3O4@carbon spheres dose and PMS concentration, lower initial AO7 concentration, and acidic pH favored the AO7 degradation to a certain extent. The mechanisms for the activation of PMS by ZnO/Fe3O4@carbon spheres were proposed based on the results of radical identification tests and structure characterization. Both radical and nonradical pathways contribute to the AO7 degradation in this system.

Practitioner points

PMS + ZnO/Fe3O4@carbon spheres system can effectively catalyze PMS to decompose AO7.

Both radical and nonradical pathways contribute to the degradation of AO7 in this system.

The acidic condition was favorable for the activation of PMS.
Roma Westward Migration in Europe: Rethinking Political, Social, and Methodological Challenges
Authors: Piemontese Stefano , Magazzini Tina
Published: February 2019

The idea for this book stemmed from two symposia that brought together scholars from a range of different countries and disciplines to reflect upon the political and legal context of the mobility of Romani citizens in Europe. Our interest in this topic started with the adoption of a EU Framework for National Roma Integration Strategies in 2011, when Member States were requested to develop integration strategies that were explicitly yet not exclusively targeted at their Roma populations (European Commission 2011). Even though this policy scheme represented an effort to overcome the inadequacies of the anti-discrimination directives to address the social and institutional discrimination suffered by Roma people in Europe, tangible results of such measures have so far been lacking. The symposia, titled “Roma Westward Migration in Europe: Rethinking Political, Social, and Methodological Challenges”, addressed the emergence of Roma-specific policies alongside an increasing concern about migration and diversity management. The drive to bring together different disciplinary and methodological approaches to “Roma migration” in Europe, and to explore how such phenomenon has been narrated, policed, politicized or ignored was – and is – rooted in four main considerations. Firstly, we are convinced that putting the focus squarely on the so-called “Roma westward migration” and problematizing the assumptions that underpin such a label contributes to uncover the structural inconsistencies of the European “Roma integration” framework and to question its overall political approach. Secondly, the intersections and overlaps between the categories of “Roma” and of “migrants” show how the classifications of deservingness and of access to welfare resources have shifted in recent years, making explicit the under-studied link between inclusive and securitarian policies. Thirdly, we believe that “Roma migration” provides a unique testing ground to understand how those portrayed as “the others” in contemporary Europe cope and develop counter-strategies in a system in which their options are limited. Fourthly and finally, we strongly support ethnographic accounts as a useful means to evaluate public policies at the local level, as they offer rich data that cannot be captured by national statistics or by surveys alone.
Identity Game for Welfare: Circumventing Surveillance of Legal Migrants in Europe
Authors: Nagy Veronika
Published: February 2019

Based on a critical ethnographic research, this paper aims to reflect on the role of welfare surveillance and outsourced social services in migration procedures of Central European Roma. After the fifth EU Enlargement in 2007, transnational mobility has become a significant challenge for all western governments. As full EU citizens, large Roma populations now enjoy freedom of movement in Europe. The long standing prejudiced perception of Roma as profiteers unwilling to integrate became a basis for concerns about a “threatening flood” of Roma westward. As a result, several old Member States have introduced different control strategies allegedly to ensure security, legitimating excessive policing and surveillance of migrants in order to isolate them from national consensus. The “mechanisms” applied for sorting and excluding unwanted Roma communities are grounded in a set of punitive rules enacted through national and local legislation with the purpose of expulsion. Accordingly, limiting access to social services gradually replaced migration policies as a new process of selection regarding undesired European migrants from A8 countries. Service providers in the neoliberal bureaucratic social fields introduced new modalities of surveillance and restrictions to deny income assistance, benefit entitlement and legal aid. This chapter provides an empirical analysis on the effects of these sorting measures and on how the targeted groups either comply or circumnavigate these regulations in London.
Contesting the Structural Constraints. A Case Study of Roma Asylum Seekers from Serbia
Authors: Knezevic Kruta Jovana
Published: February 2019

This chapter reveals the experiences of Roma from Serbia who sought and have been denied asylum protection in some EU countries. The seeking of asylum by the Roma from Serbia, as one of the main patterns of their migration, has come to the centre of debated about the rights of obtaining asylum within the existing EU asylum policies, while enforcing the discourse of “false asylum seekers” and “welfare migrants”. By revealing the complex reality within which Roma from Serbia choose to migrate in the form of asylum seeking, the study challenges the discourse of “false asylum seekers” and overcomes the simplification caused by this labelling, through looking at intricate relations between the decisions to seek asylum on the one hand and welfare benefits from getting into asylum procedure on the other. Furthermore, the study sheds light on various ways in which Roma asylum seekers from Serbia exert their power as social actors, thus contesting the tendency to “victimize” Roma populations. The study is based on several months of fieldwork carried out in three different municipalities in Serbia, with Roma whose asylum claims in countries of EU have been denied. This chapter aims to add to the analysis of how existing EU migration policies affect Roma populations by particularly focusing on actor perspective. It moves beyond theoretical analysis and looks at how social actors perceive their own experiences and understand the labels that are being imposed on them.
A Roma European Crisis Road-Map: A Holistic Answer to a Complex Problem
Authors: Ferreira Nuno
Published: February 2019

This contribution explores the adequacy of EU action with regard to the Roma. The expulsion of large numbers of Roma individuals, accompanied by other discriminatory practices and forms of hostility, exclusion and violence against the Roma across Europe, has brought the attention of the media and policy makers to Roma issues to a greater extent than ever before during the last decade. The range of problems still afflicting the lives of many Roma individuals nowadays is extremely wide, well researched and profusely documented. This contribution leaves aside issues related to free movement and EU citizenship, thus moving the debate beyond the narrow framework of the ‘migrant Roma’. This contribution considers the wide range of relevant EU competences in this field, and assesses how comprehensive and appropriate the EU’s approach to Roma issues is. The analysis combines legal instruments, policy papers, and case law, draws from legal and non-legal literature, and integrates considerations of a social, economic and cultural nature. In the process, this contribution considers themes that cut across several strands of the EU’s Roma policy, including fundamental rights, intercultural sensitivity, the limits of the ‘integration model’, and issues of enforcement, monitoring and funding. The logical narrative developed puts together the key jigsaw pieces that currently contribute to an EU Roma policy, and clearly identifies the limitations of the present state of affairs. Finally, this contribution interrogates the trends underlying the development of the EU Roma policy and puts forward a range of recommendations.
The Stilled-Other of the Citizen. “Roma Beggars” and Regimes of (Im)mobility in an Austrian City
Authors: Raithelhuber Eberhard
Published: February 2019

The chapter looks into the socio-material production and regulation of the ethno-political figure of the “Roma beggar” through the prism of a regime-of-(im)mobility approach. Based on an ethnographic study, core aspects of this regime for “Roma beggars” are analysed on a micro-scale: criminalizing transport, invisibilising borders, educating beggars, victimization, stillness and deportability. The study investigates the everyday social and physical infrastructures and logistics for (im)mobility, imaginaries of (im)mobility and discursive technologies. It shows how a differentiated, rationalized knowledge on “them” is produced. “Roma beggars” are constituted as an epistemic object and policy target, legitimizing the unequal treatment of people in the name of security. The related regime-of-(im)mobility derives its effectiveness precisely from its in-built arbitrariness and inconsistency. The key insight is that the “stilled, able beggar” is the only legitimate form of begging in the light of a community of good and able citizens. As this figure is practically unrealizable and deceptive, it flips into the “Roma beggar”. The chapter concludes that this “stilled-Other of the citizen” is a discursively activatable and materially stabilized aspect of the Otherness operating within the concept of citizenship itself. Hence, the regime-of-(im)mobility for “Roma beggars” turns out to be an integral part of regimes that enable differential movements and forms of (im)mobile existences among all kinds of people.
RETRACTED ARTICLE: Investigating the nexus among environmental pollution, economic growth, energy use, and foreign direct investment in 6 selected sub-Saharan African countries
Authors: Ssali Max William , Du Jianguo , Mensah Isaac Adjei , Hongo Duncan O.
Published: February 2019

This research seeks to enhance the current literature by exploring the nexus among environmental contamination, economic growth, energy use, and foreign direct investment in 6 selected sub-Saharan African nations for a time of 34 years (1980–2014). By applying panel unit root (CADF and CIPS, cross-sectional independence test), panel cointegration (Pedroni and Kao cointegration test, panel PP, panel ADF), Hausman poolability test, and an auto-regressive distributed lag procedure in view of the pooled mean group estimation (ARDL/PMG), experimental findings disclose that alluding to the related probability values, the null hypothesis of cross-sectional independence for all variables is rejected because they are not stationary at levels but rather stationary at their first difference. The variables are altogether integrated at the same order I(1). Findings revealed that there is a confirmation of a bidirectional causality between energy use and CO2 in the short-run and one-way causality running from energy use to CO2 in the long run. There is additionally a significant positive outcome and unidirectional causality from CO2 to foreign direct investment in the long run yet no causal relationship in the short run. An increase in energy use by 1% causes an increase in CO2 by 49%. An increase in economic growth by 1% causes an increment in CO2 by 16% and an increase in economic growth squared by 1% diminishes CO2 by 46%. The positive and negative impacts of economic growth and its square approve the EKC theory. To guarantee sustainable economic development goal, more strict laws like sequestration ought to be worked out, use of sustainable power source ought to be stressed, and GDP ought to be multiplied to diminish CO2 by the utilization of eco-technology for instance carbon capturing, to save lives and also to maintain a green environment.
What are we gonna be when we grow up? SYRIZA’s institutionalisation and its new “governing party” role
Authors: Tarditi Valeria , Vittori Davide
Published: February 2019

The aim of this paper is to analyse the organizational model of one of the most successful European radical left parties, the Greek Coalition of the Radical Left (SYRIZA). Our goal is to analyse SYRIZA’s organizational transition from the electoral arena to the government (2015). Our main finding is that SYRIZA started as a socially-oriented organization led by an oligarchic dominant coalition and converted itself into a political party, characterized by a prevailing role of the party in public office/party government. Both the institutional environment and the party organization’s first configuration have had an impact on this change.
Close-contact melting on an isothermal surface with the inclusion of non-Newtonian effects
Authors: Kozak Y. , Zeng Yi , Al Ghossein Rabih M. , Khodadadi J. M. , Ziskind G.
Published: February 2019

The present study deals with a theoretical investigation of a close-contact melting (CCM) process involving a vertical cylinder on a horizontal isothermal surface, where the liquid phase is a non-Newtonian viscoplastic fluid that behaves according to the Bingham model. Accordingly, a new approach is formulated based on the thin layer approximation and different quasi-steady process assumptions. By analytical derivation, an algebraic equation that relates the molten layer thickness and the solid bulk height is developed. The problem is then solved numerically, coupled with another equation for the melting rate. The new model shows that as the yield stress increases the melting rate decreases and the molten layer thickness increases. It is found that under certain conditions, the model can be reduced to a form that allows an analytical solution. The approximate model predicts an exponential dependence of both the melt fraction and the molten layer thickness. Comparison between the numerical and analytical solutions shows that the analytical approximation provides an excellent estimation for sufficiently large values of the yield stress. Dimensional analysis, which is supported by the analytical model results, reveals the dimensionless groups that govern the problem. For the general case, the melt fraction is a function of two dimensionless groups. For the analytical approximation, it is shown that the melt fraction is governed by a single dimensionless group and that the molten layer thickness is governed by two dimensionless groups.
Onset of thin film meniscus along a fibre
Authors: Guo Shuo , Xu Xianmin , Qian Tiezheng , Di Yana , Doi Masao , Tong Penger
Published: February 2019

The dynamics of spreading of a macroscopic liquid droplet over a wetting surface is often described by a power-law relaxation, namely, the droplet radius increases as $t^{m}$ for time $t$, which is known as Tanner’s law. Here we show, by both experiments and theory, that when the liquid spreading takes place between a thin soap film and a glass fibre penetrating the film, the spreading is significantly slowed down. When the film thickness $\ell$ becomes smaller than the fibre diameter $d$, the strong hydrodynamic confinement effect of the soap film gives rise to a logarithmic relaxation with fibre creeping time $t$. Such a slow dynamics of spreading is observed for hours both in the measured time-dependent height of capillary rise $h(t)$ on the fibre surface and viscous friction coefficient $\unicode[STIX]{x1D709}_{s}(t)$ felt by the glass fibre in contact with the soap film. A new theoretical approach based on the Onsager variational principle is developed to describe the dynamics of thin film spreading along a fibre. The newly derived equations of motion provide the analytical solutions of $h(t)$ and contact angle $\unicode[STIX]{x1D703}(t)$, which are found to be in good agreement with the experimental results. Our work thus provides a common framework for understanding the confinement effect of thin soap films on the dynamics of spreading along a fibre.
Can Corporate Income Tax Cuts Stimulate Innovation?
Authors: Atanassov Julian , Liu Xiaoding
Published: February 2019

We hypothesize that corporate income taxes distort firms’ incentives to innovate by reducing their pledgeable income. Using a differences-in-differences methodology, we document that large corporate income tax cuts boost corporate innovation. We find a similar but opposite effect for tax increases. Most of the change in innovation occurs 2 or more years after the tax change, and there’s no effect before the tax change. Exploring the mechanisms, we show that tax cuts have a stronger impact on innovation for firms with weaker governance, greater financial constraints, fewer tangible assets, smaller patent stock, and a greater degree of tax avoidance.
Are There Distigme-Obelos Symbols in Vaticanus?
Authors: Fellows Richard G.
Published: February 2019

1 Cor 14.34–5 appears to silence women in church. Philip Payne's recent paper attempts to add to the evidence that Paul did not write these verses. He claims that codex Vaticanus has an obelos at the start of 1 Cor 14.34 (as well as a distigme), indicating added text. However, the bar in Vaticanus at 1 Cor 14.34 is indistinguishable from paragraphoi and Payne's case that it is an obelos is based on systematic measurement errors.
Eating together multimodally: Collaborative eating inmukbang, a Korean livestream of eating
Authors: Choe Hanwool
Published: February 2019

Mukbangis a Korean livestream where a host eats while interacting with viewers. The eater ‘speaks’ to the viewers while eating and the viewers ‘type’ to each other and to the eater through a live chat room. Using interactional sociolinguistics along with insights from conversation analysis (CA) studies, the present study examines how sociable eating is jointly and multimodally achieved in mukbang. Analyzing sixty-seven mukbang clips, I find that mukbang participants coordinate their actions through speech, written text, and embodied acts, and that this coordination creates involvement and, by extension, establishes both community and social agency. Specifically, recruitments are the basic joint action of eating, as participants, who are taking turns, assume footings of the recruit and the recruiter. The host embodies viewers’ text recruitments through embodied animating and puppeteering. As in street performance, the viewers often offer voluntary donations, and the host shows entertaining gratitude in response. (Mukbang, footing, recruitments, agency, involvement, constructed action, multimodal interaction, computer-mediated discourse)*