bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Draft Genome Sequence of Enterobacter cloacae 3D9 (Phylum Proteobacteria)
Authors: Dumigan Christopher R. , Perry Gregory E. , Pauls K. Peter , Raizada Manish N.
Published: October 2018

Presented here is the draft genome sequence of
Enterobacter cloacae
3D9. This candidate seed endophyte was isolated from
Zea nicaraguensis
.
A Divergent Strain of Culex pipiens-Associated Tunisia Virus in the Malaria Vector Anopheles epiroticus
Authors: Debat Humberto J. , Ribeiro José M. C.
Published: October 2018

Here, we report the draft genome sequence of a divergent strain of
Culex pipiens
-associated Tunisia virus (CpATV) identified in the malaria vector
Anopheles epiroticus
(CpATV-AnE). CpATV-AnE expands the reference virus sequence, introducing an extended replicase with novel virga-like domains.
Draft Genome Sequence of
Rhizobium
sp. Strain T2.30D-1.1, Isolated from 538.5 Meters Deep on the Subsurface of the Iberian Pyrite Belt
Authors: García R. , Martínez José M. , Leandro T. , Amils R.
Published: October 2018

Rhizobium
sp. strain T2.30D-1.1 was isolated from the deep subsurface of the Iberian Pyrite Belt.
Draft Genome Sequence of Anaplasma marginale Strain Mex-01-001-01, a Mexican Strain That Causes Bovine Anaplasmosis
Authors: Quiroz Castañeda Rosa Estela , Amaro-Estrada Itzel , Martínez-Ocampo Fernando , Rodríguez-Camarillo Sergio , Dantán González Edgar , Cobaxin-Cárdenas Mayra , Preciado-de la Torre Jesús Francisco
Published: October 2018

Bovine anaplasmosis is an arthropod-borne hemolytic disease caused by
Anaplasma marginale
. While only a few
Anaplasma marginale
strains have been reported, no Mexican strains have been reported.
Complete Genome Sequence of Austwickia chelonae LK16-18, Isolated from Crocodile Lizards
Authors: Jiang Hai-Ying , Huang Ming-Wei , Lin Li-Bo , He Nan , Chen Jin-Ping
Published: October 2018

Austwickia chelonae
, a species of
Actinobacteria
, is one of the pathogens that cause dermatophilosis in animals. Here, we report the complete genome sequence of
Austwickia chelonae
LK16-18, which was isolated from cutaneous granulomas in crocodile lizards.
Genome Sequence of Vibrio cholerae Strain D1, Isolated from the Maumee River in Toledo, Ohio
Authors: Matson Jyl S.
Published: October 2018

Vibrio cholerae
is a human bacterial pathogen and an inhabitant of aquatic environments. It is endemic to many regions of the world but is typically found in warm climates in saltwater.
APRT deficiency: the need for early diagnosis
Authors: Huq Aamira , Nand Kushma , Juneja Rajiv , Winship Ingrid
Published: October 2018

Adenine phosphoribosyltransferase (APRT) deficiency is a rare autosomal recessive disorder which leads to accumulation of poorly soluble 2,8-dihydroxyadenine in kidneys resulting in nephrolithiasis as well as chronic kidney disease from crystal nephropathy. This report describes a 55-year-old previously fit man who presented with shortness of breath and the investigative pathway that eventually led to a diagnosis of APRT deficiency. Early diagnosis has aided in timely institution of allopurinol, thereby improving his renal function and possibility of weaning off renal replacement therapy. Genetic testing has enabled early identification of other family members at risk and prevention of renal failure by commencing xanthine oxidoreductase (XOR) inhibitors. The issues surrounding kidney donation by a member of this family are also discussed. This case represents the importance of awareness and recognition of the signs and symptoms of this rare condition, complications of which can be easily prevented by early institution of XOR inhibitor therapy.
Interface infectious keratitis after anterior and posterior lamellar keratoplasty. Clinical features and treatment strategies. A review
Authors: Fontana Luigi , Moramarco Antonio , Mandarà Erika , Russello Giuseppe , Iovieno Alfonso
Published: October 2018

Interface infectious keratitis (IIK) is a novel corneal infection that may develop after any type of lamellar keratoplasty. Onset of infection occurs in the virtual space between the graft and the host where it may remain localised until spreading with possible risk of endophthalmitis. A literature review identified 42 cases of IIK. Thirty-one of them occurred after endothelial keratoplasty and 12 after deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty. Fungi in the form of
Candida
species were the most common microorganisms involved, with donor to host transmission of infection documented in the majority of cases. Donor rim cultures were useful to address the infectious microorganisms within few days after surgery. Due to the sequestered site of infection, medical treatment, using both topical and systemic antimicrobials drugs, was ineffective on halting the progression of the infection. Injection of antifungals, right at the graft–host interface, was reported successful in some cases. Spreading of the infection with development of endophthalmitis occurred in five cases after Descemet stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty with severe sight loss in three cases. Early excisional penetrating keratoplasty showed to be the treatment with the highest therapeutic efficacy, lowest rate of complications and greater visual outcomes.
Spontaneous splenic rupture due to rivaroxaban
Authors: Nagaraja Vinayak , Cranney Greg , Kushwaha Virag
Published: October 2018

In conjunction withBMJ Case Reports,DTBwill feature occasional drug-related cases that are likely to be of interest to readers. These will include cases that involve recently marketed drugs for which there is limited knowledge of adverse effects and cases that highlight unusual reactions to drugs that have been marketed for several years.
Benign notochordal cell tumour: clinicopathology and molecular profiling of 13 cases
Authors: Du Jiang , Xu Li , Cui Yun , Liu Zhaoxia , Su Yujin , Li Guilin
Published: October 2018

Aims

To study the clinicopathological and molecular features of benign notochordal cell tumours (BNCTs) and their differential diagnosis from chordoma.

Methods

13 cases of BNCT were investigated. The genome-wide copy number imbalances were performed using Oncoscan CNV array in three cases and fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH) detection of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)/chromosome 7 enumeration probe (CEP7), LSI1p36/1q21, LSI19p13/19q13, CEP3/CEP12 and Telvysion 6 P was performed in 13 cases.

Results

All 13 BNCTs were symptomatic and eight cases showed a close relationship with the bones of the skull base. The important histological character for differential diagnosis with chordoma was the absence of extracellular matrix and eosinophil cells and the presence of vacuoles in most tumour cells. Immunohistochemical staining of AE1/AE3, vimentin, epithelial membrane antigen, S-100 and brachyury (100% each) were positive in BNCTs. Gain of chromosome 7 occurred in 10 cases (76.9%), gain of 1p in four (30.8%), gain of 1q in five (38.5%), gain of 19p and 19q in five (38.5%), gain of chromosome 12 in 11 cases (84.6%), gain of 6p in eight (61.5%) and gain of chromosome 3 in four cases (30.8%).

Conclusions

In contrast to chordoma, chromosome gain or normal copy number was more common while chromosome loss was infrequent in BNCTs. This may be a differential diagnosis clue for chordoma and may be an important characteristic in the progression of notochordal cell tumours.
Complex regional pain syndrome and functional neurological disorders – time for reconciliation
Authors: Popkirov Stoyan , Hoeritzauer Ingrid , Colvin Lesley , Carson Alan J , Stone Jon
Published: October 2018

There have been many articles highlighting differences and similarities between complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) and functional neurological disorders (FND) but until now the discussions have often been adversarial with an erroneous focus on malingering and a view of FND as ‘all in the mind’. However, understanding of the nature, frequency and treatment of FND has changed dramatically in the last 10–15 years. FND is no longer assumed to be only the result of ‘conversion’ of psychological conflict but is understood as a complex interplay between physiological stimulus, expectation, learning and attention mediated through a Bayesian framework, with biopsychosocial predisposing, triggering and perpetuating inputs. Building on this new ‘whole brain’ perspective of FND, we reframe the debate about the ‘psychological versus physical’ basis of CRPS. We recognise how CRPS research may inform mechanistic understanding of FND and conversely, how advances in FND, especially treatment, have implications for improving understanding and management of CRPS.
Burden of rare variants in causative genes for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) accelerates age at onset of ALS
Authors: Naruse Hiroya , Ishiura Hiroyuki , Mitsui Jun , Takahashi Yuji , Matsukawa Takashi , Tanaka Masaki , Doi Koichiro , Yoshimura Jun , Morishita Shinichi , Goto Jun , Toda Tatsushi , Tsuji Shoji
Published: October 2018

Objectives

To evaluate the burden of rare variants in the causative genes for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) on the age at onset of ALS in a Japanese case series.

Methods

We conducted whole-exome sequencing analysis of 89 families with familial ALS (FALS) and 410 patients with sporadic ALS (SALS) to identify known pathogenic mutations or rare functionally predicted deleterious variants in the causative genes for ALS. Rare variants (minor allele frequency <1%) with scaled Combined Annotation-Dependent Depletion score >20 were defined as rare functionally predicted deleterious variants. The patients with ALS were classified on the basis of the number of pathogenic and/or rare functionally predicted deleterious variants, and the age at onset was compared among the classified groups.

Results

Whole-exome sequencing analysis revealed known pathogenic mutations or rare functionally predicted deleterious variants in causative genes for ALS in 56 families with FALS (62.9%) and 87 patients with SALS (21.2%). Such variants in multiple genes were identified in seven probands with FALS and eight patients with SALS. The ages at onset in the patients with ALS with multiple variants were significantly earlier than those in other patients with ALS. Even when the patients with known pathogenic mutations were excluded, a significantly earlier onset of the disease was still observed in patients with multiple rare functionally predicted deleterious variants.

Conclusions

A substantial number of patients carried rare variants in multiple genes, and the burden of rare variants in the known causative genes for ALS affects the age at onset in the Japanese ALS series.
Cytoplasmic FOXO1 identifies a novel disease-activity associated B cell phenotype in SLE
Authors: Hritzo Ahye Molly K , Golding Amit
Published: October 2018

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a manifestation of hyperactivated lymphocytes and results, in part, from the loss of normal tolerance checkpoints. FOXO1 is a transcription factor involved at critical early and late B cell development checkpoints; however, its role in regulating peripheral B cell tolerance is not fully understood. We have applied our published approach for using imaging flow cytometry to study native FOXO1 localisation in human lymphocytes to peripheral blood samples from healthy individuals versus patients with SLE. We report, here, on dramatic cytoplasmic localisation of FOXO1 in two peripheral B cell SLE subsets: IgD-CD27+ (class-switched memory) B cells and IgD-CD27- (atypical memory) B cells. The latter, so-called ‘Double Negative’ (DN) B cells have previously been shown to be increased in SLE and enriched in autoreactive clones. Cytoplasmic-predominant FOXO1 (CytoFOX) B cells are significantly increased in patients with SLE as compared to healthy controls, and the levels of CytoFoOX DN B cells correlate directly with SLE disease activity. The highest abundance of CytoFox DN B cells was observed in African American females with SLE Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI)≥6. The phenotype of CytoFOX DN B cells in SLE includes uniquely low CD20 expression and high granularity/side scatter. As FOXO1 phosphorylation downstream of B cell receptor-dependent signalling is required for nuclear exclusion, CytoFOX B cells likely represent a high state of B cell activation with excess signalling and/or loss of phosphatase activity. We hypothesise that CytoFOX B cells in lupus represent a novel biomarker for the expansion of pathological, autoreactive B cells which may provide new insights into the pathophysiology of SLE.
Effect of childhood pneumococcal conjugate vaccination on invasive disease in older adults of 10 European countries: implications for adult vaccination
Authors: Hanquet Germaine , Krizova Pavla , Valentiner-Branth Palle , Ladhani Shamez N , Nuorti J Pekka , Lepoutre Agnes , Mereckiene Jolita , Knol Mirjam , Winje Brita A , Ciruela Pilar , Ordobas Maria , Guevara Marcela , McDonald Eisin , Morfeldt Eva , Kozakova Jana , Slotved Hans-Christian , Fry Norman K , Rinta-Kokko Hanna , Varon Emmanuelle , Corcoran Mary , van der Ende Arie , Vestrheim Didrik F , Munoz-Almagro Carmen , Latasa Pello , Castilla Jesus , Smith Andrew , Henriques-Normark Birgitta , Whittaker Robert , Pastore Celentano Lucia , Savulescu Camelia
Published: October 2018

Background

Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) have the potential to prevent pneumococcal disease through direct and indirect protection. This multicentre European study estimated the indirect effects of 5-year childhood PCV10 and/or PCV13 programmes on invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) in older adults across 13 sites in 10 European countries, to support decision-making on pneumococcal vaccination policies.

Methods

For each site we calculated IPD incidence rate ratios (IRR) in people aged ≥65 years by serotype for each PCV10/13 year (2011–2015) compared with 2009 (pre-PCV10/13). We calculated pooled IRR and 95% CI using random-effects meta-analysis and PCV10/13 effect as (1 − IRR)*100.

Results

After five PCV10/13 years, the incidence of IPD caused by all types, PCV7 and additional PCV13 serotypes declined 9% (95% CI −4% to 19%), 77% (95% CI 67% to 84%) and 38% (95% CI 19% to 53%), respectively, while the incidence of non-PCV13 serotypes increased 63% (95% CI 39% to 91%). The incidence of serotypes included in PCV13 and not in PCV10 decreased 37% (95% CI 22% to 50%) in six PCV13 sites and increased by 50% (95% CI −8% to 146%) in the four sites using PCV10 (alone or with PCV13). In 2015, PCV13 serotypes represented 20–29% and 32–53% of IPD cases in PCV13 and PCV10 sites, respectively.

Conclusion

Overall IPD incidence in older adults decreased moderately after five childhood PCV10/13 years in 13 European sites. Large declines in PCV10/13 serotype IPD, due to the indirect effect of childhood vaccination, were countered by increases in non-PCV13 IPD, but these declines varied according to the childhood vaccine used. Decision-making on pneumococcal vaccination for older adults must consider the indirect effects of childhood PCV programmes. Sustained monitoring of IPD epidemiology is imperative.
Evaluation of the Georgia trauma system using the American College of Surgeons Needs Based Assessment of Trauma Systems tool
Authors: Ashley Dennis W , Pracht Etienne E , Garlow Laura E , Medeiros Regina S , Atkins Elizabeth V , Johns Tracy J , Ferdinand Colville H , Dente Christopher J , Dunne James R , Nicholas Jeffrey M
Published: October 2018

Background

The American College of Surgeons Needs Based Assessment of Trauma Systems (NBATS) tool was developed to help determine the optimal regional distribution of designated trauma centers (DTC). The objectives of our current study were to compare the current distribution of DTCs in Georgia with the recommended allocation as calculated by the NBATS tool and to see if the NBATS tool identified similar areas of need as defined by our previous analysis using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification Injury Severity Score (ICISS).

Methods

Population counts were acquired from US Census publications. Transportation times were estimated using digitized roadmaps and patient zip codes. The number of severely injured patients was obtained from the Georgia Discharge Data System for 2010 to 2014. Severely injured patients were identified using two measures: ICISS<0.85 and Injury Severity Score >15.

Results

The Georgia trauma system includes 19 level I, II, or III adult DTCs. The NBATS guidelines recommend 21; however, the distribution differs from what exists in the state. The existing DTCs exactly matched the NBATS recommended number of level I, II, or III DTCs in 2 of 10 trauma service areas (TSAs), exceeded the number recommended in 3 of 10 TSAs, and was below the number recommended in 5 of 10 TSAs. Densely populated, or urban, areas tend to be associated with a higher number of existing centers compared with the NBATS recommendation. Other less densely populated TSAs are characterized by large rural expanses with a single urban core where a DTC is located. The identified areas of need were similar to the ones identified in the previous gap analysis of the state using the ICISS methodology.

Discussion

The tool appears to underestimate the number of centers needed in extensive and densely populated areas, but recommends additional centers in geographically expansive rural areas. The tool signifies a preliminary step in assessing the need for state-wide inpatient trauma center services.

Level of evidence

Economic, level IV.
Banning open carry of unloaded handguns decreases firearm-related fatalities and hospital utilization
Authors: Callcut Rachael A , Robles Anamaria M Joyce , Mell Matthew W
Published: October 2018

Background

Since 1967, in California it has been illegal to openly carry a loaded firearm in public except when engaged in hunting or law enforcement. However, beginning January 1, 2012, public open carry of unloaded handguns also became illegal. Fatal and non-fatal (NF) firearm injuries were examined before and after adoption of the 2012 ban to quantify the effect of the new law on public health.

Methods

State-level data were obtained directly from California and nine other US state inpatient and emergency department (ED) discharge databases, and the Centers for Disease Control Web-Based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System. Case numbers of firearm fatalities, NF hospitalizations, NF ED visits, and state-level population estimates were extracted. Each incident was classified as unintentional, self-inflicted, or assault. Crude incidence rates were calculated. The strength of gun laws was quantified using the Brady grade. There were no changes to open carry in these nine states during the study. Using a difference-in-difference technique, the rate trends 3 years preban and postban were compared.

Results

The 2012 open carry ban resulted in a significantly lower incident rate of both firearm-related fatalities and NF hospitalizations (p<0.001). The effect of the law remained significant when controlling for baseline state gun laws (p<0.001). Firearm incident rate drops in California were significant for male homicide (p=0.023), hospitalization for NF assault (p=0.021  male; p=0.025 female), and ED NF assault visits (p=0.04). No significant decreases were observed by sex for suicides or unintentional injury. Changing the law saved an estimated 337 lives (3.6% fewer deaths) and 1285 NF visits in California during the postban period.

Discussion

Open carry ban decreases fatalities and healthcare utilization even in a state with baseline strict gun laws. The most significant impact is from decreasing firearm-related fatal and NF assaults.

Level of evidence

III, epidemiology.
Influence of previous medical treatments on social rank in dairy cows
Authors: Littooij Anne , Butterworth Andrew
Published: October 2018

Animal health can present economic and animal welfare concerns for dairy farmers. However, it is unknown whether changes in behaviour as a result of sickness have long‐term effects, and whether there is a relationship between the social rank of cows in the herd at a moment in time and the medical treatment history of these cows. The behaviour of 100 high‐yielding cows in the waiting area (collecting yard) before the milking parlour was studied for five milking sessions to assess the interactions between the cows, as the cows waited to be milked. The cows were filmed, and the interactions between cows were recorded using an ethogram. The summated social rank score of each cow was compared with its medical treatment history. In our analysis, a positive relationship was found between medical treatment history and social rank, however this association was discounted when age was accounted for. When a subsample of cows older than 4.0 years was analysed to examine the relationship between social rank and medical treatment history in older cows, no significant correlation existed. These results suggest that the relationship between social rank and medical treatment history identified in the analysis is predominately an effect of age. This finding is contradictory to the hypothesis that ‘a higher historical level of medical treatments, and the disruption and setbacks associated with these disease conditions, would result in a lower position in the social rank.’ This preliminary study reports the findings from one particular herd, and across one relatively short time span, and because associations between treatment history and behaviour may be of interest in management decisions for producers, it is recommended that further investigation of this subject is carried out.
Ethnic differences in fat and muscle mass and their implication for interpretation of bioelectrical impedance vector analysis
Authors: Jensen Björn , Moritoyo Takashi , Kaufer-Horwitz Martha , Peine Sven , Norman Kristina , Maisch Michael J. , Matsumoto Aya , Masui Yuka , Velázquez-González Antonio , Domínguez-García Jannet , Fonz-Enríquez Elizabeth , Salgado-Moctezuma Saori G. , Bosy-Westphal Anja
Published: October 2018

According to the World Health Organization Expert Consultation, current body mass index (BMI) cut-offs should be retained as an international classification. However, there are ethnic differences in BMI-associated health risks that may be caused by differences in body fat or skeletal muscle mass and these may affect the interpretation of phase angle and bioelectrical impedance vector analysis (BIVA). Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare body composition measured by bioelectrical impedance analysis among 1048 German, 1026 Mexican, and 995 Japanese adults encompassing a wide range of ages and BMIs (18–78 years; BMI, 13.9–44.3 kg/m2). Regression analyses between body composition parameters and BMI were used to predict ethnic-specific reference values at the standard BMI cut-offs of 18.5, 25, and 30 kg/m2. German men and women had a higher fat-free mass per fat mass compared with Mexicans. Normal-weight Japanese were similar to Mexicans but approached the German phenotype with increasing BMI. The skeletal muscle index (SMI, kg/m2) was highest in Germans, whereas in BIVA, the Mexican group had the longest vector, and the Japanese group had the lowest phase angle and the highest extracellular/total body water ratio. Ethnic differences in regional partitioning of fat and muscle mass at the trunk and the extremities contribute to differences in BIVA and phase angle. In conclusion, not only the relationship between BMI and adiposity is ethnic specific; in addition, fat distribution, SMI, and muscle mass distribution vary at the same BMI. These results emphasize the need for ethnic-specific normal values in the diagnosis of obesity and sarcopenia.
Comparative study for target fragmentation in 4He and 6Li interactions with emulsion nuclei at Elab = 3.7A GeV
Authors: Osman W. , Fayed M.
Published: October 2018

The multiplicity characteristics of the grey and black particles are studied in 3.7A GeV 4He and 6Li interactions with emulsion nuclei. The dependence on the system size is examined. The data are classified according the emission direction in the 4π space. The forward or backward emitted grey particle multiplicities distributions are approximated by exponential decay law. The black particle distributions also have the decay shapes, except for the CNO target nuclei; they are shoulder-shaped curves. The production probabilities and average multiplicities increase linearly with the target size. Multiplicity correlations are carried out. Regarding the nuclear limiting fragmentation hypothesis, the grey and black particle productions are independent of the projectile size.
The Klein–Gordon equation with the Kratzer potential in the noncommutative space
Authors: Darroodi M. , Mehraban H. , Hassanabadi S.
Published: October 2018

The Klein–Gordon equation is considered for the Kratzer potential in the spherical polar coordinate in laboratory frame in noncommutative space. The energy shift due to noncommutativity is obtained via the perturbation theory. After rather cumbersome algebra, we found the eigenfunctions and eigenvalues of the system for a noncommutative phase space.
CPT symmetry and some theorems
Authors: Das Abhishek
Published: October 2018

In this brief paper, we endeavor to prove two theorems that are connected with the CPT symmetry in the framework of axiomatic quantum field theory.
Multiparty quantum key agreement based on Grover’s algorithm and its implementation
Authors: Yin Aihan , Han Zhifei
Published: October 2018

Multiparty quantum key agreement (MQKA) is a significant topic that the shared key must be negotiated equally by all participants. In this paper, we use Bell state as quantum resource and add controlled-not gate to avoid information leakage. There is very little research on the quantum key agreement protocol based on quantum search algorithms. Therefore, we propose a quantum key agreement protocol which is based on Grover’s algorithm as one of the most famous quantum search algorithms. The security analysis appears very promising.
Application of genetic algorithm in M × N reconfigurable antenna array based on RF MEMS switches
Authors: Tian Wenchao , Wu Daowei , Chao Qiang , Chen Zhiqiang , Wang Yongkun
Published: October 2018

With the continuous development of the wireless communication, a device needs to integrate multiple antennas, which will lead to increased volume, increased cost, electromagnetic compatibility problems and increased weight. This paper presents a [Formula: see text] reconfigurable antenna array based on RF MEMS switches. The modeling script of [Formula: see text] reconfigurable antenna array is written in MATLAB by using MATLAB-HFSS-API. In order to quickly get a switch array with target frequency, genetic algorithm is applied to [Formula: see text] reconfigurable antenna array. Taking the [Formula: see text] reconfigurable antenna array as an example, a switch array with the resonant frequency of 3.81 GHz is searched from its 4096 switch arrays. The switch array found by genetic algorithm is 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 0. The resonant frequency and S11 parameter of this switch array is 3.81 GHz and −20.96 dB. The search takes 6.77 h and the efficiency is 17 times of the simulating all switch arrays.
An Efficient Cell-Based Smoothed Finite Element Method for Free Vibrations of Magneto-Electro-Elastic Beams
Authors: Zhou Liming , Ren Shuhui , Cai Yan , Li Feng
Published: October 2018

Magneto-electro-elastic (MEE) materials are widely used in intelligent structure systems owing to their electronic, mechanical and magnetic coupling effects. To overcome the over-stiffness of the finite element method (FEM) stiffness matrix and simulate the free vibration of MEE structures more accurately, we introduced the gradient smoothing technique into MEE multi-physical-field FE model and thereby deduced the cell-based smoothed finite element method (CS-FEM) equations of MEE materials. The MEE beams and layered beam affected by the coupling effect of multiple physical fields under different boundary conditions were computed by CS-FEM, after comparing results with those of FEM and reference solutions, the accuracy and efficiency of CS-FEM were validated.
TRIGGERING SUBORDINATE INNOVATION BEHAVIOR: THE INFLUENCE OF LEADERS’ DARK PERSONALITY TRAITS AND LEVEL 5 LEADERSHIP BEHAVIOR
Authors: STROBL ANDREAS , NIEDERMAIR JESSICA , MATZLER KURT , MUSSNER TOBIAS
Published: October 2018

The present study investigates the influence of level 5 leadership, a leadership approach based on humility and professional will, on subordinate’s innovation behavior at work. The main aim is to shed further light on the understanding of how leadership can foster innovative behavior. Further we test if the dark triad of personality, consisting of narcissism, Machiavellianism and psychopathy, affects the likelihood of being a level 5 leader. Applying partial least squares (PLS) structural equation modelling (SEM), we show that humility, but even more the interaction effect of both level 5 virtues, humility and professional will is central and in fact increases innovation behavior of subordinates. Although the influence of dark personality traits on level 5 leadership provides a mixed picture, we find evidence that narcissistic tendencies and humble behavior could coexist at the same time. This consideration contributes to the unclear relationship between narcissism and humility, two central characteristics in leadership research.
Existence and uniform asymptotic stability of positive almost periodic solutions for three-species Lotka–Volterra competitive system on time scales
Authors: Prasad K. R. , Khuddush Md.
Published: October 2018

In this paper, we establish existence and uniform asymptotic stability of unique positive almost periodic solutions for three-species Lotka–Volterra competitive system on time scales by using Lyapunov functional method.
∗-K-operator frame for End𝒜∗(ℋ)
Authors: Rossafi Mohamed , Kabbaj Samir
Published: October 2018

In this paper, we introduce the notion of ∗-[Formula: see text]-operator frame as a generalization of the notion of [Formula: see text]-operator frame and we study the corresponding frame operator. It is completed by a result on the frame operator of the tensor product of two frame operators.
A Method to Retrieve the Total Flux at Lyman-Alpha in Micro-Channel-Plate Detectors Affected by Gain Sag: Application to the LAMP UV Imaging Spectrograph Onboard the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter
Authors: Grava Cesare , Greathouse Thomas K. , Retherford Kurt D. , Davis Michael W. , Gladstone G. Randall , Kaufmann David E. , Egan Anthony F.
Published: October 2018

Micro-Channel Plate (MCP) detectors can suffer from a form of degradation known as gain sag in regions with significant fluence. We have developed a method to recover the total Lyman-Alpha (Ly-[Formula: see text]) emission line (121.6[Formula: see text]nm) flux for the Lyman-Alpha Mapping Project (LAMP) UV imaging spectrograph onboard of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), where gain sag issues are important. The constant ratio between the Ly-[Formula: see text] emission line and its ghost image at shorter wavelengths allows for a useful correction factor for the true flux at the Ly-[Formula: see text] region of the detector. A similar method could be used in other spectrographs whenever a ghost image of sufficient brightness is present.
Chinese OFDI in Europe under the Guidance of BRI — A Focus on China–CEE Economic Relations
Authors: Jiang Congcong , Lattemann Christoph
Published: October 2018

China has been actively integrating itself in the global economy through Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and increasing trade flows. In order to further expand its foreign market ambition and reinforce itself as a leader in the world economic system, China unleashed the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). One of the main economic incentives behind this initiative is to strengthen China’s integration with Central and Eastern European (CEE) markets. In recent years, an emerging trend for Chinese investors to invest in CEE countries such as Poland can be observed. The aim of this research is to analyze the changing patterns and motives of Chinese Outbound FDI (OFDI) to Europe during the period of 2009–2017 under the guidance of BRI. To explore the heterogeneity of Chinese investments behavior within Europe, this paper summarizes the apparent characteristics of Chinese investment patterns in Western Europe and the CEE region. We show that BRI has — against all expectations — no impact on Chinese investment in the CEE region but — in line with expectations — Chinese investors have changed their motives to invest in CEE countries with a shift towards the service sector. To investigate the impact of BRI on Chinese investors, the period of study is divided into two phases: (1) 2009–2013: period before the proposal of BRI and (2) 2014–2017: period after the initiation of BRI. Then the rationale behind the observed differences is examined in detail.
Gangdese magmatism in southern Tibet and India–Asia convergence since 120 Ma
Authors: Zhu Di-Cheng , Wang Qing , Chung Sun-Lin , Cawood Peter A. , Zhao Zhi-Dan
Published: October 2018

A compilation of 290 zircon U–Pb ages of intrusive rocks indicates that the Gangdese Batholith in southern Tibet was emplaced from
c.
210 Ma to
c.
10 Ma. Two intense magmatic pulses within the batholith occur at: (1) 90 ± 5 Ma, which is restricted to 89–94° E in the eastern segment of the southern Lhasa subterrane; and (2) 50 ± 3 Ma, which is widespread across the entire southern Lhasa subterrane. The latter pulse was followed by a phase of widespread but volumetrically small, dominantly felsic adakitic intrusive rocks at 16 ± 2 Ma. The Linzizong volcanism in the Linzhou Basin was active from 60.2 to 52.3 Ma, rather than 69–44 Ma as previously estimated. During 120–75 Ma, Gangdese Batholith magmatism migrated from south to north, arguing against rollback of the downgoing, north-dipping Neo-Tethyan oceanic lithosphere for the generation of the 90 ± 5 Ma magmatic pulse. Petrological, geochemical and metamorphic data indicate that this pulse was likely to have been generated through subduction of the Neo-Tethyan oceanic ridge lithosphere. Subsequent Gangdese Batholith magmatism propagated both south and north during 70–45 Ma, and finally concentrated at the southern margin of the Lhasa Terrane at 45–30 Ma. The enhanced mafic magmatism since
c.
70 Ma, magmatic flare-up with compositional diversity at
c.
51 Ma and increased magmatic temperature at 52–50 Ma are interpreted as the consequences of slab rollback from
c.
70 Ma and slab breakoff of the Neo-Tethyan oceanic lithosphere that began at
c.
53 Ma. The India–Asia convergence was driven by Neo-Tethyan subduction with a normal rate of convergence at 120–95 Ma, ridge subduction at 95–85 Ma, then subduction of a young and buoyant oceanic lithosphere after ridge subduction with rate deceleration at 84–67 Ma, Deccan plume activity and slab rollback with rate acceleration at 67–51 Ma, slab breakoff for sudden drop of the convergence rate at
c.
51 Ma, and finally the descent of the high-density Indian continental lithosphere beneath Asia since
c.
50 Ma.
Hardware Trojan Detection Using the Order of Path Delay
Authors: Cui Xiaotong , Koopahi Elnaz , Wu Kaijie , Karri Ramesh
Published: October 2018

Many fabrication-less design houses are outsourcing their designs to third-party foundries for fabrication to lower cost. This IC development process, however, raises serious security concerns on Hardware Trojans (HTs). Many design-for-trust techniques have been proposed to detect HTs through observing erroneous output or abnormal side-channel characteristics. Side-channel characteristics such as path delay have been widely used for HT detection and functionality verification, as the changes of the characteristics of the host circuit incurred by the inserted HT can be identified through proper methods.

In this article, for the first time, we propose a two-phase technique, which uses the order of the path delay in path pairs to detect HTs. In the design phase, a full-cover path set that covers all the nets of the design is generated; meanwhile, in the set, the relative order of paths in path pairs is determined according to their delay. The order of the paths in path pairs serves as the fingerprint of the design. In the test phase, the actual delay of the paths in the full-cover set is extracted from the fabricated circuits, and the order of paths in path pairs is compared with the fingerprint generated in the design phase. A mismatch between them indicates the existence of HTs. Both process variations and measurement noise are taken into consideration. The efficiency and accuracy of the proposed technique are confirmed by a series of experiments, including the examination of both violated path pairs incurred by HTs and their false alarm rate.
Reliability Hardening Mechanisms in Cyber-Physical Digital-Microfluidic Biochips
Authors: Lu Guan-Ruei , Banerjee Ansuman , Bhattacharya Bhargab B. , Ho Tsung-Yi , Chen Hung-Ming
Published: October 2018

In the area of biomedical engineering, digital-microfluidic biochips (DMFBs) have received considerable attention because of their capability of providing an efficient and reliable platform for conducting point-of-care clinical diagnostics. System reliability, in turn, mandates error-recoverability while implementing biochemical assays on-chip for medical applications. Unfortunately, the technology of DMFBs is not yet fully equipped to handle error-recovery from various microfluidic operations involving droplet motion and reaction. Recently, a number of cyber-physical systems have been proposed to provide real-time checking and error-recovery in assays based on the feedback received from a few on-chip checkpoints. However, to synthesize robust feedback systems for different types of DMFBs, certain practical issues need to be considered such as co-optimization of checkpoint placement, error-recoverability, and layout of droplet-routing pathways. For application-specific DMFBs, we propose here an algorithm that minimizes the number of checkpoints and determines their locations to cover every path in a given droplet-routing solution. Next, for general-purpose DMFBs, where the checkpoints are pre-deployed in specific locations, we present a checkpoint-aware routing algorithm such that every droplet-routing path passes through at least one checkpoint to enable error-recovery and to ensure physical routability of all droplets. Furthermore, we also propose strategies for executing the algorithms in reliable mode to enhance error-recoverability. The proposed methods thus provide reliability-hardening mechanisms for a wide class of cyber-physical DMFBs.
T-count and Qubit Optimized Quantum Circuit Design of the Non-Restoring Square Root Algorithm
Authors: Muñoz-Coreas Edgard , Thapliyal Himanshu
Published: October 2018

Quantum circuits for basic mathematical functions such as the square root are required to implement scientific computing algorithms on quantum computers. Quantum circuits that are based on Clifford+T gates can easily be made fault tolerant, but the T gate is very costly to implement. As a result, reducing T-count has become an important optimization goal. Further, quantum circuits with many qubits are difficult to realize, making designs that save qubits and produce no garbage outputs desirable. In this work, we present a T-count optimized quantum square root circuit with only 2 ṡ
n
+ 1 qubits and no garbage output. To make a fair comparison against existing work, the Bennett’s garbage removal scheme is used to remove garbage output from existing works. We determined that our proposed design achieves an average T-count savings of 43.44%, 98.95%, 41.06%, and 20.28% as well as qubit savings of 85.46%, 95.16%, 90.59%, and 86.77% compared to existing works.
Virtual machine design for parallel dynamic programming languages
Authors: Meier Remigius , Rigo Armin , Gross Thomas R.
Published: October 2018

To leverage the benefits of modern hardware, dynamic languages must support parallelism, and parallelism requires a virtual machine (VM) capable of parallel execution — a parallel VM. However, unrestricted concurrency and the dynamism of dynamic languages pose great challenges to the implementation of parallel VMs. In a dynamic language, a program changing itself is part of the language model. To help the VM, languages often choose memory models (MM) that weaken consistency guarantees. With lesser guarantees, local program state cannot be affected by every concurrent state change. And less interference allows a VM to make local assumptions about the program state which are not immediately violated. These local assumptions are essential for a VM’s just-in-time compiler for delivering state-of-the-art VM performance.

Unfortunately, some dynamic languages employ MMs that give exceedingly strong consistency guarantees and thereby hinder the development of parallel VMs. Such is the case in particular for languages that depend on a global interpreter lock, which mandates a MM with sequential consistency and instruction atomicity.

In this paper, we reflect on a first implementation of the Parallel RPython execution model, which facilitates the development of parallel VMs by decoupling language semantics from the synchronization mechanism used within the VM. The implementation addresses the challenges imposed by strong MMs through strict isolation of concurrent computations. This isolation builds on transactional parallel worlds, which are implemented with a novel combination of software techniques and the capabilities of modern hardware.

We evaluate a set of parallel Python programs on a parallel VM that relies on Parallel RPython’s implementation. Compared with a serial baseline VM that relies on a global interpreter lock, the parallel VM achieves speedups of up to 7.5× on 8 CPU cores. The evaluation shows that our realization of Parallel RPython meets the challenges of dynamic languages, and that it can serve as a solid foundation for the construction of parallel dynamic language VMs.
goSLP: globally optimized superword level parallelism framework
Authors: Mendis Charith , Amarasinghe Saman
Published: October 2018

Modern microprocessors are equipped with single instruction multiple data (SIMD) or vector instruction sets which allow compilers to exploit superword level parallelism (SLP), a type of fine-grained parallelism. Current SLP auto-vectorization techniques use heuristics to discover vectorization opportunities in high-level language code. These heuristics are fragile, local and typically only present one vectorization strategy that is either accepted or rejected by a cost model. We present goSLP, a novel SLP auto-vectorization framework which solves the statement packing problem in a pairwise optimal manner. Using an integer linear programming (ILP) solver, goSLP searches the entire space of statement packing opportunities for a whole function at a time, while limiting total compilation time to a few minutes. Furthermore, goSLP optimally solves the vector permutation selection problem using dynamic programming. We implemented goSLP in the LLVM compiler infrastructure, achieving a geometric mean speedup of 7.58% on SPEC2017fp, 2.42% on SPEC2006fp and 4.07% on NAS benchmarks compared to LLVM’s existing SLP auto-vectorizer.
Secure serverless computing using dynamic information flow control
Authors: Alpernas Kalev , Flanagan Cormac , Fouladi Sadjad , Ryzhyk Leonid , Sagiv Mooly , Schmitz Thomas , Winstein Keith
Published: October 2018

The rise of serverless computing provides an opportunity to rethink cloud security. We present an approach for securing serverless systems using a novel form of dynamic information flow control (IFC).

We show that in serverless applications, the termination channel found in most existing IFC systems can be arbitrarily amplified via multiple concurrent requests, necessitating a stronger termination-sensitive non-interference guarantee, which we achieve using a combination of static labeling of serverless processes and dynamic faceted labeling of persistent data.

We describe our implementation of this approach on top of JavaScript for AWS Lambda and OpenWhisk serverless platforms, and present three realistic case studies showing that it can enforce important IFC security properties with modest overhead.
AnyDSL: a partial evaluation framework for programming high-performance libraries
Authors: Leißa Roland , Boesche Klaas , Hack Sebastian , Pérard-Gayot Arsène , Membarth Richard , Slusallek Philipp , Müller André , Schmidt Bertil
Published: October 2018

This paper advocates programming high-performance code using partial evaluation. We present a clean-slate programming system with a simple, annotation-based, online partial evaluator that operates on a CPS-style intermediate representation. Our system exposes code generation for accelerators (vectorization/parallelization for CPUs and GPUs) via compiler-known higher-order functions that can be subjected to partial evaluation. This way, generic implementations can be instantiated with target-specific code at compile time.

In our experimental evaluation we present three extensive case studies from image processing, ray tracing, and genome sequence alignment. We demonstrate that using partial evaluation, we obtain high-performance implementations for CPUs and GPUs from one language and one code base in a generic way. The performance of our codes is mostly within 10%, often closer to the performance of multi man-year, industry-grade, manually-optimized expert codes that are considered to be among the top contenders in their fields.
GraphIt: a high-performance graph DSL
Authors: Zhang Yunming , Yang Mengjiao , Baghdadi Riyadh , Kamil Shoaib , Shun Julian , Amarasinghe Saman
Published: October 2018

The performance bottlenecks of graph applications depend not only on the algorithm and the underlying hardware, but also on the size and structure of the input graph. As a result, programmers must try different combinations of a large set of techniques, which make tradeoffs among locality, work-efficiency, and parallelism, to develop the best implementation for a specific algorithm and type of graph. Existing graph frameworks and domain specific languages (DSLs) lack flexibility, supporting only a limited set of optimizations.

This paper introduces GraphIt, a new DSL for graph computations that generates fast implementations for algorithms with different performance characteristics running on graphs with different sizes and structures. GraphIt separates what is computed (algorithm) from how it is computed (schedule). Programmers specify the algorithm using an algorithm language, and performance optimizations are specified using a separate scheduling language. The algorithm language simplifies expressing the algorithms, while exposing opportunities for optimizations. We formulate graph optimizations, including edge traversal direction, data layout, parallelization, cache, NUMA, and kernel fusion optimizations, as tradeoffs among locality, parallelism, and work-efficiency. The scheduling language enables programmers to easily search through this complicated tradeoff space by composing together a large set of edge traversal, vertex data layout, and program structure optimizations. The separation of algorithm and schedule also enables us to build an autotuner on top of GraphIt to automatically find high-performance schedules. The compiler uses a new scheduling representation, the graph iteration space, to model, compose, and ensure the validity of the large number of optimizations. We evaluate GraphIt’s performance with seven algorithms on graphs with different structures and sizes. GraphIt outperforms the next fastest of six state-of-the-art shared-memory frameworks (Ligra, Green-Marl, GraphMat, Galois, Gemini, and Grazelle) on 24 out of 32 experiments by up to 4.8×, and is never more than 43% slower than the fastest framework on the other experiments. GraphIt also reduces the lines of code by up to an order of magnitude compared to the next fastest framework.