bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Визначення активності меридіанів тіла під час виконання статичної вправи
Authors: Musiyenko O.V. , Matsola N.P. , Mykhats L.V.
Published: April 2019

Мета роботи: визначення засобами акупунктурної діагностики за методикою Й. Накатані вплив виконання фізичних вправ на організм на прикладі статичної вправи, яка виконується подібно до Падмасани (поза Лотоса з Хатха-Йоги). Матеріал і методи. Обстежено десять студенток ДДПУ ім. І. Франка 18-20 років, які володіли досконалою технікою виконання обраної статичної вправи. Для визначення активності меридіанів тіла застосовувалась методика Ryodoraku за В. Накатані. Вимірювали електричний струм в репрезентативних біологічно активних точках дванадцяти головних меридіанів: легенів (Р), перикарда (МС), серця (С), лімфатичної та імунної систем (TR), тонкого (IG) і товстого (GI) кишківників, селезінки та підшлункової залози (RP), печінки (F), нирок (R), сечового (V) і жовчного (VB) міхурів та шлунка (E) з метою визначення можливості вивчення впливу фізичних вправ на організм методами акупунктурної діагностики. Вимірювання поводили до виконання вправи, під час та після виконання вправи через 6 хвилин. Результати. Виявлено достовірні  зміни показників електричної активності у репрезентативних точках меридіанів тіла людини при виконанні обраної статичної вправи. Встановлено підвищення електричної активності у меридіанах тіла людини, які, за даними літератури, відповідають за функції тонкого і товстого кишечнику, підшлункової залози, селезінки, печінки, жовчного міхура, статевих залоз, нирок, наднирників. Також ця вправа викликає зниження електричної активності у репрезентативних точках органів дихання, серцево-судинної системи, сечового і жовчного міхурів та шлунку. Висновок. Показано, що використання методики Ryodoraku за В. Накатані вимірювання меридіанів при виконанні статичної вправи аналогічно пози «Падмасана» в системі Хатха_Йога дозволяє спостерігати активізацію меридіанів тіла, які, за даними літератури, відповідають за функції тонкого і товстого кишечнику, підшлункової залози, селезінки, печінки, жовчного міхура, статевих залоз, нирок, наднирників.
U.S. Prevalence of Endocrine Therapy–Naïve Locally Advanced or Metastatic Breast Cancer
Authors: Nunes Anthony P. , Liang C. , Gradishar W. J. , Dalvi T. , Lewis J. , Jones N. , Green E. , Doherty M. , Seeger J.D.
Published: April 2019

Background: Variations in treatment choice, or late stage at first diagnosis, mean that, despite guideline recommendations, not all patients with hormone receptor (hr)–positive locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer (la/mbca) will have received endocrine therapy before disease progression. In the present study, we aimed to estimate the proportion of women with postmenopausal hr-positive la/mbca in the United States who are endocrine therapy-naïve. Methods: Women in the Optum Electronic Health Record (ehr) database with a breast cancer (bca) diagnosis (January 2008–March 2015) were included. Patient and malignancy characteristics were identified using structured data fields and natural-language processing of free-text clinical notes. The proportion of women with postmenopausal hr-positive, human epidermal growth factor 2 (her2)–negative (or unknown) la/mbca who had not received prior endocrine therapy was determined. Results were extrapolated to the entire U.S. population using the U.S. National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database. Results are presented descriptively. Results: In the ehr database, 11,831 women with bca had discernible information on postmenopausal status, hr status, and disease stage. Of those women, 1923 (16.3%) had postmenopausal hr-positive, her2-negative (or unknown) la/mbca, and 70.7% of those 1923 patients (n = 1360) had not received prior endocrine therapy, accounting for 11.5% of the overall population. Extrapolating those estimates nationally suggests an annual incidence of 14,784 cases, and a 5-year limited duration prevalence of 50,638 cases. Conclusions: A substantial proportion of women with postmenopausal hr-positive la/mbca in the United States could be endocrine therapy–naïve.
A Systematic Review of Acupuncture for Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy
Authors: Li Kevin , Giustini D. , Seely D.
Published: April 2019

Objectives: In cancer patients, chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (cipn) is a common complication, characterized by pain, loss of sensation, and numbness. Medical treatment for peripheral neuropathies has been shown to be ineffective for cipn. Acupuncture has been shown to be safe and effective in treating cancer-related symptoms and other peripheral neuropathies. For the present review, we aimed to evaluate the efficacy of acupuncture for the treatment of cipn. Design: Comprehensive searches for relevant studies were conducted in Ovid embase, the Web of Science, Ovid medline, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (central), cinahl (ebsco Information Services, Ipswich, MA, U.S.A.), and the ClinicalTrials.gov Web site. References from previous systematic reviews were also searched. Additional trials were found in the reference lists of relevant papers and in searches of Google Scholar and acupuncturespecific Web sites. Included studies were randomized controlled trials (rcts) of any type of acupuncture used to treat patients with cipn. Results: Three clinical trials (203 participants) were included. Two studies found acupuncture to be effective in alleviating cipn pain and improving quality of life. One study found no benefit in improving neuropathic pain, symptoms, or quality of life. Study quality was variable and included a moderate overall risk of bias. Conclusions: The evidence is insufficient to recommend acupuncture for the treatment or prevention of cipn. Further research is needed to evaluate the effects of acupuncture in the treatment of cipn. Given that acupuncture is considered safe and might provide relief for patients, it can be considered at the clinician’s discretion.
Risk Factors and a Predictive Nomogram for Non-Sentinel Lymph Node Metastases in Chinese Breast Cancer Patients with One or Two Sentinel Lymph Node Macrometastases and Mastectomy
Authors: Wang X.Y. , Wang J. T. , Guo T. , Kong X.Y. , Chen L. , Zhai J. , Gao Y.Q. , Fang Yi , Wang Jing
Published: April 2019

Background: Two ongoing prospective randomized trials are evaluating whether omitting axillary lymph node dissection (alnd) in patients with breast cancer (bca) and sentinel lymph node (sln) macrometastases undergoing mastectomy is safe. Determining predictive risk factors for non-sln metastases and developing a model to predict the probability of those patients having non-sln metastases is also important. Methods: This retrospective study enrolled 396 patients with bca and 1–2 slns with macrometastases who underwent alnd and mastectomy between January 2012 and December 2016. Factors influencing the non-sln metastases were determined, and a predictive nomogram was formulated. Performance of the nomogram was evaluated by its area under the curve (auc). Results: We developed a predictive nomogram with an auc of 0.81 (cross-validation 95% confidence interval: 0.75 to 0.86) that included 4 factors (tumour size, histologic grade, and number of negative slns and axillary lymph nodes on imaging). Conclusions: Our predictive nomogram assesses the risk of non-sln metastases in patients with bca and 1–2 sln macrometastases undergoing mastectomy.
Impact of Spleen-Preserving Total Gastrectomy on Postoperative Infectious Complications and 5-Year Overall Survival: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Contemporary Randomized Clinical Trials
Authors: Aiolfi A. , Asti E. , Siboni S. , Bernardi D. , Rausa E. , Bonitta G. , Bonavina L.
Published: April 2019

Background: The role of splenectomy in proximal gastric cancer is still debated. The objective of the present meta-analysis was to provide more-robust evidence about the effect of spleen-preserving total gastrectomy on postoperative infectious complications, overall morbidity, and 5-year overall survival (OS). Methods: PubMed, EMBASE, and the Web of Science were consulted. Pooled effect measures were calculated using an inverse-variance weighted or Mantel–Haenszel in random effects meta-analysis. Heterogeneity was evaluated using I2 index and Cochran Q-test. Results: Three randomized controlled trials published between 2000 and 2018 were included. Overall, 451 patients (50.1%) underwent open total gastrectomy with spleen preservation and 448 (49.9%) underwent open total gastrectomy with splenectomy. The patients ranged in age from 24 to 78 years. No differences were found in the number of harvested lymph nodes (p = 0.317), the reoperation rate (p = 0.871), or hospital length of stay (p = 0.347). The estimated pooled risk ratios for infectious complications, overall morbidity, and mortality were 1.53 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.09 to 2.14; p = 0.016], 1.51 (95% CI: 1.11 to 2.05; p = 0.008), and 1.23 (95% CI: 0.40 to 3.71; p = 0.719) respectively. The estimated pooled hazard ratio for 5-year OS was 1.06 (95% CI: 0.78 to 1.45; p = 0.707). Conclusions: Spleen-preserving total gastrectomy should be considered in patients with curable gastric cancer because it is significantly associated with decreased postoperative infectious complications and overall morbidity, with no difference in the 5-year OS. Those observations appear worthwhile for establishing better evidence-based treatment for gastric cancer.
A Population-Level Comparison of Cancer-Related and Non-Cancer-Related Health Care Costs Using Publicly Available Provincial Administrative Data
Authors: Sam D. , Cheung W.Y.
Published: April 2019

Introduction: Costs associated with cancer care are increasing. Cancer costs in the context of other common non-cancer diagnoses have not been extensively studied at the population level. Knowledge from such analyses can inform health care resource allocation and highlight strategies to reduce overall costs. Methods: Using cross-sectional data from publicly available population-level administrative data sources (health insurance claims, physician billing, and hospital discharge abstracts), we calculated incidence-adjusted health care costs (in 2014 Canadian dollars) for cancers and common non-cancer diagnoses in the adult population in a large Canadian province. Subgroup analyses were also performed for various provincial health administrative regions. Results: Total costs related to cancer care amounted to $495 million for the province, of which at least $67 million (14%) was attributable to radiation and chemotherapy. Of the various cancer subtypes, hematologic malignancies were most costly at $70 million, accounting for 14% of the total cancer budget. Colon cancer followed at $51 million (10%), and lung cancer, at $44 million (9%). Cancer costs (with and without costs for radiation and chemotherapy) exceeded those for cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, mental health, and trauma (p < 0.001). In addition, the costs of specific cancer subtypes varied by region, but hematologic and lung cancers were typically the most costly no matter the health region. Conclusions: Using provincial administrative data to establish cost trends can help to inform health care allocation and budget decisions, and can facilitate comparisons between provinces.
Dignity and Its Influencing Factors in Patients with Cancer in North China: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Wang L. , Wei Y. , Xue L. , Guo Q. , Liu W.
Published: April 2019

Background: Patients with cancer experience various levels of loss of dignity. Exploring levels of loss of dignity and the factors that influence such losses for patients with cancer is rare, but important in palliative care in China. Methods: Participants were cancer patients with early and advanced cancer recruited from a tertiary cancer hospital in North China. Patients were surveyed to assess their level of loss of dignity and potentially relevant factors. Data were collected using the Patient Dignity Inventory, the MD Anderson Symptom Inventory–Chinese, the distress thermometer, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and the 30-question core Quality of Life Questionnaire from the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer, and were analyzed using quantitative methods. Results: The study included 202 cancer patients, 143 of whom experienced mild loss of dignity (71%); 37, moderate loss of dignity (18%); and 10, severe loss of dignity (5%). The problems with dignity were slightly different in patients with early-stage disease than in those with advanced-stage disease. Loss of dignity in the patients was significantly correlated with psychological distress, symptom burden, and quality of life (p < 0.05). Logistic regression showed that age, Karnofsky performance status, anxiety, and symptom burden were significant predictors of loss of dignity. Conclusions: Most patients with early and advanced cancer experienced some level of loss of dignity. Loss of dignity was more likely for patients of younger age, high Karnofsky performance status, high symptom burden, and anxiety. Understanding the dignity of cancer patients and potentially relevant factors is of great value for implementing comprehensive palliative care in China.
Human Papillomavirus–Associated Oropharyngeal Cancer: Review of Current Evidence and Management
Authors: You E.L. , Henry M. , Zeitouni A.G.
Published: April 2019

Oropharyngeal cancer (OPC) has become the leading site for human papillomavirus (HPV)–associated cancers in humans. It is an epidemic that remains relatively unfamiliar to most physicians, potentially delaying diagnosis and treatment. Traditionally, cancers involving the head and neck have occurred in smokers and in those with a significant alcohol history. Typically, HPV-positive opc presents in a younger, healthier population with a different set of risk factors and good prognosis for survival. However, many head-and-neck cancer patients, including those with HPV-positive disease, develop lifelong disabilities because of the morbid nature of their treatments, and those patients have the highest level of unmet needs in studies spanning cancer sites. Knowledge of this epidemic, a high index of suspicion, and an understanding of how the tumours present in clinical practice can help physicians to make an early diagnosis, thus sparing the patient significant morbidity from treatments associated with more advanced disease stages. Furthermore, recognizing that these patients have distinct psychosocial needs and implementing a collaborative team approach is critical to providing optimal care and improving quality of life in the survivorship period.
Fabrication and characterization of Si1-xGex nanocrystals in as-grown and annealed structures: A comparative study
Authors: Sultan Muhammad Taha , Teodorescu Valentin Serban , Guðmundsson Jón Tómas , Manolescu Andrei , Ciurea Magdalena Lidia , Svavarsson Halldór Guðfinnur
Published: April 2019

Multilayer structure comprising of SiO2/SiGe/SiO2 were obtained by depositing SiO2 layers using reactive direct current magnetron sputtering (dcMS), whereas, Si and Ge were co-sputtered using dcMS and high impulse power magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS), respectively. The as-grown structures subsequently underwent rapid thermal annealing (550 – 900 °C for 1 min) in N2 ambient atmosphere. The structures were investigated using X-ray diffraction, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy along with photoconductive analysis, to explore structural changes and constituent properties. It is observed that the employment of HiPIMS facilitates the formation of SiGe nano-particles (~ 2.1 ± 0.8 nm) in the as-grown structure, and that presence of such nano-particles acts as a seed for heterogeneous nucleation, which upon annealing results in formation of periodically arranged columnar self-assembly of core-shell SiGe nanocrystals. Consequently an increase in photocurrent intensity by more than an order of magnitude was achieved by the annealing. Furthermore, a detailed discussion is provided on strain development within the structures, the consequent interface characteristics and its effect on the photocurrent spectra.
An Eccentric Massive Jupiter Orbiting a Subgiant on a 9.5-day Period Discovered in the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite Full Frame Images
Authors: Rodriguez Joseph E. , Quinn Samuel N. , Huang Chelsea X. , Vanderburg Andrew , Penev Kaloyan , Brahm Rafael , Jordán Andrés , Ikwut-Ukwa Mma , Tsirulik Shelly , Latham David W. , Stassun Keivan G. , Shporer Avi , Ziegler Carl , Matthews Elisabeth , Eastman Jason D. , Gaudi B. Scott , Collins Karen A. , Guerrero Natalia , Relles Howard M. , Barclay Thomas , Batalha Natalie M. , Berlind Perry , Bieryla Allyson , Bouma L. G. , Boyd Patricia T. , Burt Jennifer , Calkins Michael L. , Christiansen Jessie , Ciardi David R. , Colón Knicole D. , Conti Dennis M. , Crossfield Ian J. M. , Daylan Tansu , Dittmann Jason , Dragomir Diana , Dynes Scott , Espinoza Néstor , Esquerdo Gilbert A. , Essack Zahra , Soto Aylin Garcia , Glidden Ana , Günther Maximilian N. , Henning Thomas , Jenkins Jon M. , Kielkopf John F. , Krishnamurthy Akshata , Law Nicholas M. , Levine Alan M. , Lewin Pablo , Mann Andrew W. , Morgan Edward H. , Morris Robert L. , Oelkers Ryan J. , Paegert Martin , Pepper Joshua , Quintana Elisa V. , Ricker George R. , Rowden Pamela , Seager Sara , Sarkis Paula , Schlieder Joshua E. , Sha Lizhou , Tokovinin Andrei , Torres Guillermo , Vanderspek Roland K. , Villanueva Steven , Villaseñor Jesus Noel , Winn Joshua N. , Wohler Bill , Wong Ian , Yahalomi Daniel A. , Yu Liang , Zhan Zhuchang , Zhou George
Published: April 2019

We report the discovery of TOI-172 b from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) mission, a massive hot Jupiter transiting a slightly evolved G star with a 9.48-day orbital period. This is the first planet to be confirmed from analysis of only the TESS full frame images, because the host star was not chosen as a two-minute cadence target. From a global analysis of the TESS photometry and follow-up observations carried out by the TESS Follow-up Observing Program Working Group, TOI-172 (TIC 29857954) is a slightly evolved star with an effective temperature of T
eff = 5645 ± 50 K, a mass of M
⋆ = 

M
⊙, radius of R
⋆ = 

R
⊙, a surface gravity of log g
⋆ = 

, and an age of

. Its planetary companion (TOI-172 b) has a radius of R
P = 

R
J, a mass of M
P = 

M
J, and is on an eccentric orbit (

). TOI-172 b is one of the few known massive giant planets on a highly eccentric short-period orbit. Future study of the atmosphere of this planet and its system architecture offer opportunities to understand the formation and evolution of similar systems.
The Pointing Limits of Transiting Exoplanet Light Curve Characterization with Pixel Level Decorrelation
Authors: Saunders Nicholas , Luger Rodrigo , Barnes Rory
Published: April 2019

We present scope (simulated CCD observations for photometric experimentation), a Python package to create a forward model of telescope detectors and simulate stellar targets with motion relative to the CCD. The primary application of this package is the simulation of the Kepler Space Telescope detector to predict and characterize increased instrumental noise in the spacecraft’s final campaigns of observation. As the fuel powering the spacecraft’s stabilizing thrusters ran out and thruster fires began to sputter and fail, stellar point-spread functions experienced more extreme and less predictable motion relative to regions of varied sensitivity on the spacecraft detector, generating more noise in transiting exoplanet light curves. Using our simulations, we demonstrate that current de-trending techniques effectively capture and remove systematics caused by sensitivity variation for spacecraft motion as high as about 10 times that typically experienced by K2. The scope package is open source and has been generalized to allow custom detector and stellar target parameters. Future applications include simulating observations made by the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite and ground-based observations with synthetic atmospheric interference as testbeds for noise removal techniques.
High-resolution Thermal Infrared Imaging of 3200 Phaethon
Authors: Jewitt David , Asmus Daniel , Yang Bin , Li Jing
Published: April 2019

We present thermal infrared observations of the active asteroid (and Geminid meteoroid stream parent) 3200 Phaethon using the Very Large Telescope. The images, at 10.7 μm wavelength, were taken with Phaethon at its closest approach to Earth (separation of 0.07 au) in 2017 December, at a linear resolution of about 14 km. We probe the Hill sphere (of radius ∼66 km) for trapped dust and macroscopic bodies, finding neither, and we set limits to the presence of unbound dust. The derived limits to the optical depth of dust near Phaethon depend somewhat on the assumed geometry, but are of an order of 10−5. The upper limit to the rate of loss of mass in dust is ≲14 kg s−1. This is ∼50 times smaller than the rate needed to sustain the Geminid meteoroid stream in steady state. The observations thus show that the production of the Geminids does not proceed in a steady state.
Close Companions around Young Stars
Authors: Kounkel Marina , Covey Kevin , Moe Maxwell , Kratter Kaitlin M. , Suárez Genaro , Stassun Keivan G. , Román-Zúñiga Carlos , Hernandez Jesus , Kim Jinyoung Serena , Ramírez Karla Peña , Roman-Lopes Alexandre , Stringfellow Guy S , Jaehnig Karl O , Borissova Jura , Tofflemire Benjamin , Krolikowski Daniel , Rizzuto Aaron , Kraus Adam , Badenes Carles , Longa-Peña Penélope , Maqueo Chew Yilen Gómez , Barba Rodolfo , Nidever David L. , Brown Cody , De Lee Nathan , Pan Kaike , Bizyaev Dmitry , Oravetz Daniel , Oravetz Audrey
Published: April 2019

Multiplicity is a fundamental property that is set early during stellar lifetimes, and it is a stringent probe of the physics of star formation. The distribution of close companions around young stars is still poorly constrained by observations. We present an analysis of stellar multiplicity derived from Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment-2 spectra obtained in targeted observations of nearby star-forming regions. This is the largest homogeneously observed sample of high-resolution spectra of young stars. We developed an autonomous method to identify double-lined spectroscopic binaries (SB2s). Out of 5007 sources spanning the mass range of ∼0.05–1.5 M
⊙, we find 399 binaries, including both radial velocity (RV) variables and SB2s. The mass ratio distribution of SB2s is consistent with being uniform for q < 0.95 with an excess of twins for q > 0.95. The period distribution is consistent with what has been observed in close binaries (<10 au) in the evolved populations. Three systems are found to have q ∼ 0.1, with a companion located within the brown dwarf desert. There are no strong trends in the multiplicity fraction as a function of cluster age from 1 to 100 Myr. There is a weak dependence on stellar density, with companions being most numerous at Σ* ∼ 30 stars/pc−2 and decreasing in more diffuse regions. Finally, disk-bearing sources are deficient in SB2s (but not RV variables) by a factor of ∼2; this deficit is recovered by the systems without disks. This may indicate a quick dispersal of disk material in short-period equal-mass systems that is less effective in binaries with lower q.
The Mass Distribution of Galactic Double Neutron Stars
Authors: Farrow Nicholas , Zhu 朱 Xing-Jiang 兴江 , Thrane Eric
Published: April 2019

The conventional wisdom, dating back to 2012, is that the mass distribution of Galactic double neutron stars (DNSs) is well-fit by a Gaussian distribution with a mean of 1.33 M
⊙ and a width of 0.09 M
⊙. With the recent discovery of new Galactic DNSs and GW170817, the first neutron star merger event to be observed with gravitational waves, it is timely to revisit this model. In order to constrain the mass distribution of DNSs, we perform Bayesian inference using a sample of 17 Galactic DNSs, effectively doubling the sample used in previous studies. We expand the space of models so that the recycled neutron star need not be drawn from the same distribution as the nonrecycled companion. Moreover, we consider different functional forms including uniform, single-Gaussian, and two-Gaussian distributions. While there is insufficient data to draw firm conclusions, we find positive support (a Bayes factor (BF) of 9) for the hypothesis that recycled and nonrecycled neutron stars have distinct mass distributions. The most probable model—preferred with a BF of 29 over the conventional model—is one in which the recycled neutron star mass is distributed according to a two-Gaussian distribution, and the nonrecycled neutron star mass is distributed uniformly. We show that precise component mass measurements of ≈20 DNSs are required in order to determine with high confidence (a BF of 150) whether recycled and nonrecycled neutron stars come from a common distribution. Approximately 60 DNSs are needed in order to establish the detailed shape of the distributions.
Exoplanet Exergy: Why Useful Work Matters for Planetary Habitabilty
Authors: Scharf Caleb
Published: April 2019

The circumstellar habitable zone and its various refinements serves as a useful entry point for discussing the potential for a planet to generate and sustain life. But little attention is paid to the quality of available energy in the form of stellar photons for phototrophic (e.g., photosynthetic) life. This short paper discusses the application of the concept of exergy to exoplanetary environments and the evaluation of the maximum efficiency of energy use, or maximum work obtainable from electromagnetic radiation. Hotter stars provide temperate planets with higher maximum obtainable work with higher efficiency than cool stars, and cool planets provide higher efficiency of radiation conversion from the same stellar photons than hot planets. These statements are independent of the details of any photochemical and biochemical mechanisms and could produce systematic differences in planetary habitability, especially at the extremes of maximal or minimal biospheres, or at critical ecological tipping points. Photoautotrophic biospheres on habitable planets around M-dwarf stars may be doubly disadvantaged by lower fluxes of photosynthetically active photons, and lower exergy with lower energy conversion efficiency.
Direct Detection of Ultrahigh-energy WIMPs with a Satellite Detector Like JEM-EUSO
Authors: Xu Ye
Published: April 2019

The possibility of directly detecting ultrahigh-energy (UHE) weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) are considered by the WIMPs’ interaction with the nuclei in the air. Because neutrinos dominate the events from the spherical crown near the Extreme Universe Space Observatory on board the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM-EUSO), all the events from this region are ignored in my work. Then the numbers of UHE WIMPs and neutrinos detected by JEM-EUSO are evaluated at different energies (1 PeV < E < 100 EeV) in 10 years, respectively. If the energy thresholds are taken to be 20 EeV, neutrino events can be almost rejected in the detection of UHE WIMPs. According to my evaluation, O(10–100) UHE WIMP events can be detected by JEM-EUSO at energies above 70 EeV in 10 years.
Het oostelijk ringspoor van Brussel: groeibarrière in de 19e en 20e eeuw? (1855-1950)
Authors: Sacré Alix
Published: April 2019

Hoe heeft de ontwikkeling van het spoor de stedelijke morfologie in de Brusselse buitenwijken beïnvloed? Om een eerste antwoord op deze brede vraag te proberen geven, onderzoekt dit artikel de rol van de spoorweginfrastructuur van de oostelijke ringlijn van Brussel (huidige spoorlijn 161). Het wil vooral aantonen dat, in tegenstelling tot een nog wijdverbreide opvatting, de enorme groei van het spoornet in de tweede helft van de negentiende eeuw soms een geducht obstakel vormde voor de verstedelijking van bepaalde wijken doordat midden in die wijken wat we zouden kunnen noemen “groeibarrières” werden opgetrokken. Door de vergelijking van allerlei soorten archieven, en in het bijzonder cartografische archieven (vooral uit de gemeentelijke archieffondsen), met diverse werken over de ontwikkeling van de stedelijke morfologie toont deze studie aan de hand van het voorbeeld van deze ringlijn aan dat, terwijl de treinstations de stadsontwikkeling vaak hebben bevorderd als economische groeipolen, de spoorwegen in de stad die ontwikkeling net hebben tegengewerkt doordat ze de uitbreiding van bepaalde wijken soms in de weg hebben gestaan.
An Approach for Thematic Relevance Analysis Applied to Textual Contributions in Discussion Forums
Authors: Machado Crystiano José Richard , Maciel Alexandre Magno Andrade , Rodrigues Rodrigo Lins , Menezes Ronaldo
Published: April 2019

Discussion forums in learning management systems (LMS) have been shown to promote student interaction and contribute to the collaborative practice in the teaching-learning process. By evaluating the postings, teachers can identify students with learning difficulties. However, due to the large volume of posts that are generated on a daily basis in these environments, manual analysis becomes impractical. This article proposes a mechanism to support teaching through the thematic relevance analysis of the posts made by students in discussion forums. For this, text mining and metrics from network science were used to process and extract characteristics of the texts. Then, the processed texts were classified through supervised learning algorithms. The results show that the use of these techniques may generate potentially useful indicators for teachers to help them improve their pedagogical practices.
Forecasting Students' Performance Through Self-Regulated Learning Behavioral Analysis
Authors: Rodrigues Rodrigo Lins , Ramos Jorge Luis Cavalcanti , Silva João Carlos Sedraz , Dourado Raphael A. , Gomes Alex Sandro
Published: April 2019

The increasing use of the Learning Management Systems (LMSs) is making available an ever-growing, volume of data from interactions between teachers and students. This study aimed to develop a model capable of predicting students' academic performance based on indicators of their self-regulated behavior in LMSs. To accomplish this goal, the authors analyzed behavioral data from an LMS platform used in a public University for distance learning courses, collected during a period of seven years. With this data, they developed, evaluated, and compared predictive models using four algorithms: Decision Tree (CART), Logistic Regression, SVM, and Naïve Bayes. The Logistic Regression model yielded the best results in predicting students' academic performance, being able to do so with an accuracy rate of 0.893 and an area under the ROC curve of 0.9574. Finally, they conceived and implemented a dashboard-like interface intended to present the predictions in a user-friendly way to tutors and teachers, so they could use it as a tool to help monitor their students' learning process.
Framework To Approximate Label Matching For Automatic Assessment Of Use-Case Diagram
Authors: Vachharajani Vinay , Pareek Jyoti
Published: April 2019

E-learning plays a significant role in educating large number of students. In the delivery of e-learning material, automatic e-assessment has been applied only to some extent in the case of free response answers in highly technical diagrams in domains like software engineering, electronics, etc., where there is a great scope of imagination and wide variations in answers. Therefore, the automatic assessment of diagrammatic answers is a challenging task. In this article, algorithms that compute the syntactic and semantic similarities of nodes to fulfill the objective of automatic assessment of use-case diagrams are described. To illustrate the performance of these algorithms, students' use-case diagrams are matched with model use-case diagram. Results from 13,749 labels of 445 student answers based on 14 different scenarios are analyzed to provide quantitative and qualitative feedback. No comparable study has been reported by any other label matching algorithms before in the research literature.
Estimation of Minimum Energy Consumption Index in a Protected Farm Using Bacteria Foraging Optimization Algorithm
Authors: Sarkar Amaresh
Published: April 2019

This article estimates the minimum energy consumption index in a single story protected farm which would suggest the condition of minimum energy consumption or loss condition. The analytic hierarchy process (AHP), weighted sum method (WSM) and weighted product method (WPM) are used for relative ranking of four energy consumption indicators viz., water pumping, light supplement, CO2 balancing and cooling-heating under three criteria viz., cropping area, daily crop water, and indoor environment. The minimum, maximum and average energy consumption index was predicted by the bacteria foraging optimization (BFO) algorithm and the group method of data handling (GMDH). The minimum energy consumption index (1.4174) predicted by the BFO algorithm gives higher prediction compared energy consumption index (1.114) predicted by the GMDH algorithm.
Location selection for Installation of Surface Water Treatment Plant by Applying a New Sinusoidal Analytical Hierarchy Process
Authors: Choudhury Sudipa , Saha Apu Kumar
Published: April 2019

Water treatment plants (WTPs) are responsible for ensuring supply of healthy water to urban and rural consumers for drinking and other related purposes. But the arbitrary selection of a location for installation or relocation of WTPs often fails the purpose of the plant. Presently studies in location selection for water treatment plant are rare. Multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) methods and bagged polynomial neural networks (PNN) were found to be exemplary and easy to use tools for prediction, simulation and optimization of decision-making objectives. The present study tries to apply the advantages of MCDM and bagged PNNs in the identification of an ideal location for a surface water treatment plant. The most significant parameter is found to be WQI which represents the overall quality of water suitable for domestic use. The PNN models were developed with all the selected eight alternatives as input and output. The algorithms like GMDH, SFS, SMS, and QC were used to estimate the weight of connections in between the input and hidden; and hidden and output layers separately for each segment. The application of these two soft computation tools provides an opportunity to the decision maker in the selection of optimal location with the help of an objective and cognitive method.
Fog Computing to Serve the Internet of Things Applications
Authors: Hudaib Amjad , Albdour Layla
Published: April 2019

Due to centralized nature for cloud computing and some other reasons, high mobility cannot be supported and low latency requirements for some applications such as Internet of Things (IoT) that require real time and mobility support. To satisfy such requirements new technologies, fog computing is a good solution, where we use edges of network for service provisioning instead of far datacenters allocated in clouds. Low latency response is the most attractive property for fog computing, which is very suitable for IoT multi-billion devices, sensors and actuators generates huge amount of data that need processing and analysis for smart decision generation. The main objective of this article is to show the super ability of fog computing over cloud-only computing. The authors present a patient monitoring system as a case study for simulation; they evaluated the performance of the system using: latency, network usage, power consumption, cost of execution and simulation execution time performance metrics. The results show that the Fog computing is superior over Cloud-only paradigm in all performance measurements.
Resource Provisioning and Scheduling Techniques of IoT Based Applications in Fog Computing
Authors: Gupta Rajni
Published: April 2019

Internet of Things (IoT) has emerged as a computing paradigm to develop smart applications such e-health care systems, smart city, smart waste management systems, etc. It contains a large number of different devices and heterogeneous networks, which make it difficult to provide secure and fast response to the end user. To provide the faster response services, there is a need to use the concept of Fog computing Recently, the use of fog computing is a rapidly increasing in many industries for the development of applications such as manufacturing, e-health, oil and gas, As more and more users have started to store/process their real-time data in Fog-based Cloud environments, resource provisioning and scheduling of IoT based applications becomes a key element of consideration for efficient execution of these applications. This article will help to select the most suitable technique for processing smart IoT based applications in Fog computing environments.
Handover Algorithm to Avoid Duplication Authentication Within or Between Proxy Mobile IPv6 Domains
Authors: Yu Hewei , Li Ziliang
Published: April 2019

This article proposes an enhanced handover scheme of Proxy Mobile IPv6 (PMIPv6) which can avoid duplication authentication. In traditional handover scheme, a Mobile Node (MN) needs an authentication procedure by AAA (Authentication, Authorization and Accounting) server while it enters a PMIPv6 domain. However, when an MN moves to a new subnet in the same domain, it still needs another authentication procedure, which would increase handover latency. In the proposed scheme, an MN only needs to be authenticated once while it enters a PMIPv6 domain, and a Mobile Access Gateway (MAG) that an MN is attached to will send the authentication information to the New MAG (NMAG) which MN will access to before the MN's handover. So that MN can skip the second authentication. The authors build a test-bed and have done some tests. Result shows that this scheme has got improvement in decreasing handover latency.
Factors Influencing the PAPR Performance of OFDM and MIMO-OFDM Systems
Authors: Mahmood Tahreer , Mohan Seshadri
Published: April 2019

Multiple-input multiple-output technology together with orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (MIMO-OFDM) is an effective technique to combat multi-channel fading and to improve bandwidth efficiency. Simultaneously, it also increases the system's ability to provide reliable transmission. However, the main disadvantage of OFDM is the high peak-to-average-power ratio (PAPR), which, if not mitigated, will negatively impact practical applications. The high PAPR increases complexity and Bit Error Rate. In this research, the authors investigate the factors influencing the PAPR performance of both OFDM and MIMO-OFDM systems. The objective of this research is to make researchers in this field become familiar with this problem as well as to impart an understanding of the factors that influence PAPR. In this study, the authors classify the factors that impact PAPR into modulation schemes and a number of sub-carriers. These parameters influence the PAPR performance have been analyzed and simulated by using MATLAB. It is observed that the numbers of sub-carriers have a great effect on the PAPR performance. However, modulation schemes can have a small effect on PAPR performance.
Open Business Models for Business Technology Management Bodies of Knowledge
Authors: Sidenko Svetlana , Valverde Raul , Gagnon Stephane
Published: April 2019

The information systems (IS) discipline is in an ongoing crisis because of several reasons. Learning institutions do not have a well-defined curriculum on what should be taught in the IS discipline. Recently, there are many organizations and researchers who have come up with different BoKs in the IS discipline as discussed in this article. Additionally, IS discipline does not have a universal body of knowledge like in other fields such as electrical engineering which makes it even more challenging to align the existing industry knowledge and academic curriculum. Therefore, there is a need to develop a unified knowledge framework in the IS discipline which offers a single source of reference in both professional sector and development of academic curriculum. The major challenge in the developing of a unified knowledge framework in the IS discipline is that it is changing and evolving rapidly.
Learning Through Massive Open Online Courses Platforms Based on Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process
Authors: Yassine AFA  , Amal BATTOU  , Omar BAZ
Published: April 2019

The Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) concept has apprehended the interest of most of the actors in higher education. MOOC platforms are considered a crucial source of information for both learners and professors by offering hundreds of courses around the world. However, this technology has faced many challenges, particularly their low completion rates. The present article proposes the architecture of a framework using a Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process algorithm (Fuzzy-AHP) to determine the triangular weight of the courses from the most widespread MOOCS in the literature. Weights of the courses are calculated by fuzzy numbers in line with the learning profile. The outcome of the proposed framework is to improve teaching effectiveness, facilitate learning among learners, encourage long life learning and maximize motivation as well as reducing the dropout rates.
Social Constructivism and Digital Learning
Authors: Boughalem Mohammed Amine , Khaldi Mohamed
Published: April 2019

The classical models of teaching in education represent one of the main pillars of face-to-face learning. Digital learning allows access to different instances of distance learning, which constitutes a key role in setting up a distance learning system. Every model is adapted to a type of training. Digital learning has become more and more a necessity for the whole civil society, universities have had a tendency to be followed and to development in the pedagogical field, more precise training and new learning modes. With this effect, the choice of the appropriate model to this type of training is very important to take into consideration to better exploit the resources. In the following article, the authors will try to analyze the different classical models of teaching and to analyze distance learning in order to identify the most appropriate model, the main goal of the subject is to show the relevance of the adoption of the teaching model in distance learning.
Social Capital Multidimensionality as a Determinant of Entrepreneurial Intention: Evidence from Mexico and Spain
Authors: Palma-Ruiz Jesús Manuel , Serrano-Bedia Ana María , López-Fernández María Concepción
Published: April 2019

The assessment of the university and family social environments is relevant due to the influence during the individual's formative years, effecting the individual's development, career and occupational preferences. In an attempt to deepen the understanding of social capital, the authors proposed an examination of its dimensionality. Hypotheses were formulated building upon three dimensions—cognitive, structural, and relational—embedded in both contexts as determinants of entrepreneurial self-efficacy and intention. Implications are discussed promoting an appropriate social capital dimension and favorable environment for individuals to access information, resources, and support, with the purpose to foster and motivate their entrepreneurial spirit. Structural equation modeling was used considering 399 undergraduate students from universities in Mexico and Spain.
Social Media Translational Action
Authors: Aisyah Aznur , Zainudin Intan Safinaz , Yoan Rou Seung
Published: April 2019

Internet application advancement has enabled Korean pop culture (K-Pop) to rapidly spread worldwide. However, technology alone is insufficient in delivering k-pop content to K-Pop fans because of language barriers. Hence, the translator's role is pivotal in decoding these data. Realising this crucial need, fans have acted as translators in interpreting enormous data file that have been improperly translated or unavailable in the original file. This research examined the translation process occurring in Twitter microblogging environment which is rarely analysed among linguistic scholars. the translation style of fan translators was identified, and the translational action involved discussed. K-Pop group, Bangtan Sonyeondan's (BTS) twitter account was selected as the main data source and Korean-English fan translation of the content distributed in the account was collected. The microblogging interface is equipped with the latest technology that supports multimedia data form, resulting in more dynamic translation work which needs to be highlighted in translation studies.
Intratumoral Hypoxia Reduces IFN-γ–Mediated Immunity and MHC Class I Induction in a Preclinical Tumor Model
Authors: Murthy Aditi , Gerber Scott A , Koch Cameron J , Lord Edith M
Published: April 2019

Tumor hypoxia occurs because of an increased demand for oxygen by the rapidly growing tumor cells, together with reduction in the oxygen supply due to malformed and nonfunctional tumor vasculature. The effects of tumor hypoxia on radiotherapy (RT) are well known; however, recent findings suggest it may also suppress immunotherapy, although the mechanisms governing this observation remain undetermined. Our laboratory and others have shown that IFN-γ conditions the tumor milieu and is important for the efficacy of RT. Thus, we hypothesized that hypoxia could inhibit IFN-γ–mediated antitumor responses, resulting in decreased RT efficacy. This inhibition could involve the production and/or the cellular response to IFN-γ. To test this, we used murine tumor cell lines B16F0 and Colon38. We observed that hypoxia inhibited upregulation of IFN-γ–dependent MHC class I expression by tumor cells along with the gene expression of IFN-γ–dependent chemokines CXCL9 and CXCL10, essential for immune cell infiltration. Furthermore, CD8+ T cells, an important source of IFN-γ, which mediate effector antitumor responses, had reduced ability to proliferate and generate IFN-γ under hypoxic conditions in vitro. Interestingly, reoxygenation restored the cytokine-producing capability of these cells. Studies performed in vivo using a mouse tumor model and the hypoxia marker EF5 demonstrated that RT could reverse the hypoxia within treated tumors. This study has identified a unique mechanism of hypoxia-induced immune suppression involving the downregulation of IFN-γ production and cellular responsiveness to this essential cytokine. These results suggest that therapies that target and reduce tumor hypoxia can potentially boost antitumor immune responses.