bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Adherence to guidelines for creatinine and potassium monitoring and discontinuation following renin–angiotensin system blockade: a UK general practice-based cohort study
Authors: Schmidt Morten , Mansfield Kathryn E , Bhaskaran Krishnan , Nitsch Dorothea , Sørensen Henrik Toft , Smeeth Liam , Tomlinson Laurie A
Published: January 2017

Objectives

To examine adherence to serum creatinine and potassium monitoring and discontinuation guidelines following initiation of treatment with ACE inhibitors (ACEI) or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs); and whether high-risk patients are monitored.

Design

A general practice-based cohort study using electronic health records from the UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink and Hospital Episode Statistics.

Setting

UK primary care, 2004–2014.

Subjects

223 814 new ACEI/ARB users.

Main outcome measures

Proportion of patients with renal function monitoring before and after ACEI/ARB initiation; creatinine increase ≥30% or potassium levels >6 mmol/L at first follow-up monitoring; and treatment discontinuation after such changes. Using logistic regression models, we also examined patient characteristics associated with these biochemical changes, and with follow-up monitoring within the guideline recommendation of 2 weeks after treatment initiation.

Results

10% of patients had neither baseline nor follow-up monitoring of creatinine within 12 months before and 2 months after initiation of an ACEI/ARB, 28% had monitoring only at baseline, 15% only at follow-up, and 47% both at baseline and follow-up. The median period between the most recent baseline monitoring and drug initiation was 40 days (IQR 12–125 days). 34% of patients had baseline creatinine monitoring within 1 month before initiating therapy, but <10% also had the guideline-recommended follow-up test recorded within 2 weeks. Among patients experiencing a creatinine increase ≥30% (n=567, 1.2%) or potassium level >6 mmol/L (n=191, 0.4%), 80% continued treatment. Although patients with prior myocardial infarction, hypertension or baseline potassium >5 mmol/L were at high risk of ≥30% increase in creatinine after ACEI/ARB initiation, there was no evidence that they were more frequently monitored.

Conclusions

Only one-tenth of patients initiating ACEI/ARB therapy receive the guideline-recommended creatinine monitoring. Moreover, the vast majority of the patients fulfilling postinitiation discontinuation criteria for creatinine and potassium increases continue on treatment.
Prevalence of diabetic retinopathy among 13473 patients with diabetes mellitus in China: a cross-sectional epidemiological survey in six provinces
Authors: Liu Yan , Song Yifan , Tao Liyuan , Qiu Weiqiang , Lv Huibin , Jiang Xiaodan , Zhang Mingzhou , Li Xuemin
Published: January 2017

Objective

To describe the prevalence and severity of diabetic retinopathy (DR) and sight-threatening DR (STDR) among Chinese adults with diabetes.

Design, setting and participants

A cross-sectional epidemiological survey across Mainland China (N=13 473). Participants were diagnosed with diabetes mellitus by physicians and transferred to our screening clinics (1/3 from hospital patients, 1/3 from city residents, the other 1/3 from rural residents). 2 fundus photographs were taken of each eye with a colourful, non-mydriatic and non-stereoscopic camera and were graded according to the UK guidelines.

Main outcomes and measures

The prevalence and severity of DR and STDR.

Results

Of the 13 473 participants with diabetes participating in the study, 4591 had DR and 1769 had STDR, for an overall prevalence of 34.08% (95% CI 33.28% to 34.88%) and 13.13% (95% CI 12.56% to 13.70%), respectively. Among these, gradable photographs were available for 12 780 participants (94.86%). Participants who were aged >65 years were less likely to suffer from DR or STDR (p<0.001; age distribution). No gender-related differences were present (p>0.05). Participants with STDR suffered from more severe visual impairment compared with those without STDR (p<0.001). The prevalence of DR and STDR in the northern region was higher than in the southern region (p<0.001). The prevalence of DR was closely related to duration of disease (OR 2.63; 95% CI 2.42 to 2.86; p<0.001) and diabetes onset age (OR 0.38; 95% CI 0.35 to 0.41; p<0.001).

Conclusions

The prevalence of DR and STDR in Mainland China appeared a little high, and varied according to area. Non-proliferative DR was more common, but STDR needed prompt treatment, especially in economically less developed areas. This study highlights the necessity for DR screening and treatment in Mainland China.
Cost-effectiveness of a pragmatic structured education intervention for the prevention of type 2 diabetes: economic evaluation of data from the Let's Prevent Diabetes cluster-randomised controlled trial
Authors: Leal J , Ahrabian D , Davies M J , Gray L J , Khunti K , Yates T , Gray A M
Published: January 2017

Objectives

Prevention of type 2 diabetes mellitus (TD2M) is a priority for healthcare systems. We estimated the cost-effectiveness compared with standard care of a structured education programme (Let's Prevent) targeting lifestyle and behaviour change to prevent progression to T2DM in people with prediabetes.

Design

Cost-effectiveness analysis alongside randomised controlled trial.

Setting

44 general practices in Leicestershire, England.

Participants

880 participants with prediabetes randomised to receive either standard care or a 6-hour group structured education programme with follow-up sessions in a primary care setting.

Main outcome measure

Incremental cost utility from the UK National Health Service (NHS) perspective. Quality of life and resource use measured from baseline and during the 36 months follow-up using the EuroQoL EQ-5D and 15D instruments and an economic questionnaire. Outcomes measured using quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) and healthcare costs calculated in 2012–2013 prices.

Results

After accounting for clustering and missing data, the intervention group was found to have a net gain of 0.046 (95% CI −0.0171 to 0.109) QALYs over 3 years, adjusted for baseline utility, at an additional cost of £168 (95% CI −395 to 732) per patient compared with the standard care group. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio is £3643/QALY with an 86% probability of being cost-effective at a willingness to pay threshold of £20 000/QALY.

Conclusions

The education programme had higher costs and higher quality of life compared with the standard care group. The Let's Prevent programme is very likely to be cost-effective at a willingness to pay threshold of £20 000/QALY gained.

Trial registration number

ISRCTN80605705.
Randomized Pragmatic Trial of Nasogastric Tube Placement in Patients with Upper Gastrointestinal Tract Bleeding
Authors: Rockey Don C , Ahn Chul , de Melo Silvio W
Published: January 2017

The value of nasogastric (NG) tube placement in patients with upper gastrointestinal tract bleeding (UGIB) is unclear. We therefore aimed to determine the usefulness of NG tube placement in patients with UGIB. The study was a single-blind, randomized, prospective, non-inferiority study comparing NG placement (with aspiration and lavage) to no NG placement (control). The primary outcome was the probability that physicians could predict the presence of a high-risk lesion (ie, requiring endoscopic therapy). 140 patients in each arm were included; baseline clinical features were similar in each group. The probability that there would be a high-risk lesion in the control arm was predicted to be 35% compared with 39% in the NG arm (after NG placement)—a probability difference of −4% (95% CI −12% to 3%), which confirmed non-inferiority of the 2 arms (p=0.002). All patients underwent endoscopy and all patients with high-risk lesions had endoscopic therapy. Physicians predicted the specific culprit lesion in 38% (53/140) and 39% (55/140) of patients in the control and NG (after NG placement) groups, respectively. The presence of coffee grounds or red blood in the NG aspirate did not change physician assessments. Pain, nasal bleeding, or failure of NG occurred in 47/140 (34%) patients. There were no differences in rebleeding rates or mortality. In patients with acute UGIB, the ability of physicians to predict culprit bleeding lesions and/or the presence of high-risk lesions was poor. Routine NG placement did not improve physician's predictive ability, did not affect outcomes, and was complicated in one-third of patients.

Trail Registration Number

NCT00689754.
Low incidence of left atrial delayed enhancement with MRI in patients with AF: a single-centre experience
Authors: Bois John P , Glockner James , Young Phillip M , Foley Thomas A , Sheldon Seth , Newman Darrell B , Lin Grace , Packer Douglas L , Brady Peter A
Published: January 2017

Background

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained atrial arrhythmia. One potential target for ablation is left atrial (LA) scar (LAS) regions that may be the substrate for re-entry within the atria, thereby sustaining AF. Identification of LAS through LA delayed gadolinium enhancement (LADE) with MRI has been proposed.

Objectives

We sought to evaluate LADE in patients referred for catheter ablation of AF.

Methods

Prospective analysis was conducted of consecutive patients who underwent pulmonary vein antrum isolation (PVAI) ablation for AF at a single institution. Patients underwent LADE with MRI to determine LAS regions before ablation. MRI data were analysed independently in accordance with prespecified institutional protocol by two staff cardiac radiologists to whom patient outcomes were masked, and reports of LADE were documented. Where no initial consensus occurred regarding delayed enhancement (DE), a third staff cardiac radiologist independently reviewed the case and had the deciding vote.

Results

Of the 149 consecutive patients (mean (SD) age, 59 (9) years), AF was persistent in 64 (43%) and paroxysmal in 85 (57%); 45 (30%) had prior ablation. Only five patients (3%) had identifiable DE in LA walls (persistent AF, n=1; paroxysmal AF, n=4). LADE was present in two (4%) of the 45 patients with previous left PVAI. The presence of LADE was not associated with a higher recurrence rate of AF.

Conclusions

In contrast to previous studies, the finding of DE within LA walls was uncommon and, when present, did not correlate with AF type or risk of AF recurrence. It therefore is of unclear clinical significance.
Cyclic lateral response and failure mechanisms of semi-rigid pile in soft clay: centrifuge tests and numerical modelling
Authors: Hong Y. , He B. , Wang L.Z. , Wang Z. , Ng C.W.W. , Mašín D.
Published: January 2017

Previous studies on laterally loaded piles in clay have mainly focused on flexible and rigid piles. Little attention has been paid to semi-rigid piles (whose pile–soil stiffness lies somewhere between those of rigid and flexible piles), which may behave as either flexible piles or rigid piles, depending on the change in soil stiffness during cycling. This study aims to understand the cyclic lateral response of a repeatedly loaded semi-rigid pile in soft clay and the failure mechanisms of the soil around the pile, through a series of centrifuge model tests and three-dimensional finite element analyses using an advanced hypoplastic clay model. Numerical parametric studies were also performed to investigate the evolution of soil flow mechanisms with increasing pile rigidity. It is revealed that the semi-rigid pile behaved as if it were a flexible pile (i.e., flexural deformation dominated) during the first few cycles, but tended to behave like a rigid pile (i.e., rotational movement prevailed) during subsequent cycles, which progressively softened the surrounding soil. As a result, the mechanisms of soil flow around the semi-rigid pile exhibited an intermediate behaviour combining the mechanisms of both flexible and rigid piles. Three distinctive mechanisms were identified: a wedge-type mechanism near the surface, a full-flow mechanism (within the transverse sections) near the middle of the pile, and a rotational soil flow mechanism (in the vertical symmetrical plane of the pile) near the lower half of the pile. By ignoring the rotational soil flow mechanism, which has a much lower resistance than the full-flow mechanism, the American Petroleum Institute code (published in 2007) underestimated the cyclic bending moment and the lateral pile displacement by 10% and 69%, respectively. Application of jet grouting around the semi-rigid pile at shallow depth significantly altered the soil flow mechanism (i.e., it was a solely wedge-type mechanism around the grouted zone).
Forest structure following tornado damage and salvage logging in northern Maine, USA
Authors: Fraver Shawn , Dodds Kevin J. , Kenefic Laura S. , Morrill Rick , Seymour Robert S. , Sypitkowski Eben
Published: January 2017

Understanding forest structural changes resulting from postdisturbance management practices such as salvage logging is critical for predicting forest recovery and developing appropriate management strategies. In 2013, a tornado and subsequent salvage operations in northern Maine, USA, created three conditions (i.e., treatments) with contrasting forest structure: blowdown, blowdown + salvage, and control (undisturbed). We sampled forest structure in five stands representing each of these three treatments. Our results document obvious and predictable changes to forest structure caused by the blowdown and salvage operations; however, they also include unexpected findings: downed coarse woody debris volume remained quite high in the salvaged areas, although its vertical distribution was markedly reduced; salvage operations did not reduce fine woody debris volume; and the salvage operation itself reduced the abundance of upturned root masses. Our study contributes to a growing body of literature highlighting the fact that outcomes of salvage operations vary considerably from situation to situation. Nevertheless, they suggest that salvage logging has important implications for residual stand structure and regeneration potential and that these implications should be considered carefully when weighing postdisturbance management options.
Energies, wavelengths, lifetimes, E1, M1, E2, and M2 transitions rates for the sulfur isoelectronic sequence Fe XI, Nb XXVI–In XXXIV
Authors: Wang K. , Li S. , Si R. , Chen C.Y. , Yan J. , Chen Z.B. , Dang W. , Zhao X.H.
Published: January 2017

Energies, wavelengths, lifetimes, oscillator strengths, electric dipole (E1), electric quadrupole (E2), magnetic dipole (M1), and magnetic quadrupole (M2) transition rates among the 42 fine structure levels belonging to the 3s23p4, 3s23p33d, and 3s3p5 configurations for S-like Fe and S-like ions with 41 ≤ Z ≤ 49 are calculated using the fully relativistic multiconfiguration Dirac–Fock (MCDF) method. In the calculations, contributions from correlations within the n = 6 complex, Breit interaction, and quantum electrodynamics effects are included. Detailed comparisons are made between the present results and the available experimental and other theoretical data. We found that our calculated energy levels generally agree within ≤0.5% with the experimentally compiled results, and the transition rates agree within ≤12% with other theoretical results for a majority of the transitions. These accurate theoretical data should be beneficial in fusion plasma research and astrophysical applications.
Exercise restores bioavailability of hydrogen sulfide and promotes autophagy influx in livers of mice fed with high-fat diet
Authors: Wang Bing , Zeng Jing , Gu Qi
Published: January 2017

In the gold standard treatment for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), exercise training has been shown to effectively improve nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). However, limited data are available about the underlying mechanisms involved. This work was undertaken to investigate the mechanisms underlying the beneficial effect of exercise training on high-fat diet (HFD)-induced NAFLD in mice. Male mice were fed with HFD and given moderate-intensity exercise for 24 weeks. Exercise training lowered mass gain, attenuated systemic insulin resistance and glucose intolerance, and mitigated hepatic steatosis and fibrosis in mice fed with HFD. Exercise training improved mitochondrial function and enhanced mitochondrial β-oxidation in livers of HFD-fed mice. Exercise training enhanced hydrogen sulfide (H2S) levels in plasma and livers, and mRNA expression of cystathionine β-synthase (CBS), cystathionine γ-lyase (CES), and 3-mercaptopyruvate sulfurtransferase (3-MST) in livers of HFD-fed mice. Exercise training had no significant effect on the ratio of LC3-II/LC3-I, but decreased p62 protein expression in livers of HFD-fed mice. Additionally, exercise training reduced formation of malondialdehyde, enhanced ratio of GSH/GSSG, and down-regulated expression of TNF-α and IL-6 in livers of HFD-fed mice. Exercise training restored bioavailability of H2S and promoted autophagy influx in livers, which might contribute to its benefit on HFD-induced NAFLD.
Chern number modification in crossing the boundary between different band structures: Three-band models with cubic symmetry
Authors: Iwai T , Zhilinskii B.
Published: January 2017

A family of [Formula: see text] Hermitian matrix Hamiltonians defined on the sphere [Formula: see text] and depending on extra control parameters in the presence of a finite subgroup of [Formula: see text] as a symmetry group are studied with eigen-line bundles which are constructed by piecing together locally-defined eigenvectors. The condition for degeneracy in eigenvalues splits in general the space of control parameters into distinct iso-Chern domains on each of which the Chern numbers of the associated eigen-line bundles are constant. A Chern number modification or a delta-Chern occurs when crossing the boundary from one iso-Chern domain to another. The present article provides a formula for the delta-Chern on the model of a two-parameter family of [Formula: see text] Hermitian matrix Hamiltonians with cubic symmetry together with the whole sets of Chern numbers on respective iso-Chern domains.
Immediate Effects of Acupuncture Treatment on Intra- and Inter-Limb Contributions to Body Support During Gait in Patients with Bilateral Medial Knee Osteoarthritis
Authors: Liu Yen-Hung , Wei I-Pin , Wang Ting-Ming , Lu Tung-Wu , Lin Jaung-Geng
Published: January 2017

Knee osteoarthritis (OA) often leads to altered balance control, joint motion and loading patterns during gait. Acupuncture has been proven to be effective in pain relief but its effects on inter-joint load-sharing for body balance have not been reported. The current study bridged the gap by quantifying the immediate effects of acupuncture on the inter-joint and inter-limb load-sharing in patients with knee OA during level walking in terms of the total support moment (Ms) and the contribution of individual joints to the total support moment. Gait analysis was performed on fifteen healthy controls and on fifteen patients with mild to moderate bilateral medial knee OA. After acupuncture treatment the patients with bilateral knee OA walked with significantly increased speed ([Formula: see text]), and were able to resist greater and closer-to-normal knee flexion moments ([Formula: see text]). They also changed the inter-joint sharing of the support moments with increased knee ([Formula: see text]) contributions, but reduced hip contributions ([Formula: see text]) to the sagittal Ms during single-limb support. They showed an asymmetric inter-limb load-sharing similar to the normal controls, with increased sharing of the time integral of both the sagittal and frontal whole body support moment by the leading limb during double-limb support ([Formula: see text]). The altered intra- and inter-limb contributions to the demand of supporting the body during gait suggests that acupuncture treatment led to immediate changes in the control strategy toward a normal pattern. However, the effects of these changes on the progression of the disease in the long term would require further investigation.
Enhanced spin squeezing and quantum entanglement near the critical point of the Jaynes–Cummings–Dicke model
Authors: Bhattacherjee Aranya B. , Sharma Deepti
Published: January 2017

We investigate spin squeezing (SS) and the quantum Fisher information (QFI) for the Jaynes–Cummings–Dicke (JCD) model in a two-component atomic Bose–Einstein condensate (BEC) inside an optical cavity. Analytical expressions for spin squeezing and the reciprocal of the quantum Fisher information per particle (RMQFI) are derived using the frozen spin approximation. It is shown that in the superradiant phase near the critical point, maximum squeezing and maximum quantum entanglement occur and thus the critical point emerges as a useful resource for precision measurements. In the presence of decoherence and particle loss, we show that gradually with time, even though the ability of squeezing and entanglement generation are weakened, yet significant amounts are still present which can be relevant to quantum information processing and precision spectroscopy.
Prediction of Television Audience Rating Based on Fuzzy Cognitive Maps with Forward Stepwise Regression
Authors: Ma Nan , Wang Patrick , He Qin , Li Wenjia , Zheng Ying , Huan Zhang
Published: January 2017

The television audience rating is an important indicator of the quality of television programs and important reference for decision-television operator. As many factors that affect the ratings and the trends are complex, the article proposes a television rating mining predictive model based on fuzzy cognitive maps (FCMs) with forward stepwise regression. The FCMs use the causal relationship among various concept nodes to simulate the fuzzy reasoning, and enhance the dynamic behavior of the simulation system with its feedback mechanism, which is suitable for system to predict the trend of television audience rating. A FCM-based model for predicting television audience rating is proposed in this paper. The forward stepwise regression algorithm is used to obtain concept nodes of coarse weight matrix for FCMs, and then a training weight algorithm is used to refine the coarse weight matrix model. The FCM model is applied to mine the television audience rating, realizing to predict the television playback volume. The experimental result shows that the modeling method is effective.
Classification of real rational knots of low degree in the 3-sphere
Authors: D’Mello Shane
Published: January 2017

In this paper, we classify, up to rigid isotopy, real rational knots of degrees less than or equal to [Formula: see text] in a real quadric homeomorphic to the 3-sphere. We also study their connections with rigid isotopy classes of real rational knots of low degree in [Formula: see text] and classify real rational curves of degree 6 in the 3-sphere with exactly one ordinary double point.
Electric Current and Noise in Long GaN Nanowires in the Space-Charge Limited Transport Regime
Authors: Sydoruk V. A. , Vitusevich S. A. , Hardtdegen H. , Petrychuk M. V. , Naumov A. V. , Korotyeyev V. V. , Kochelap V. A. , Belyaev A. E.
Published: January 2017

We studied electric current and noise in planar GaN nanowires (NWs). The results obtained at low voltages provide us with the estimates of the depletion effects in the NWs. For larger voltages, we observe the space-charge limited current (SCLC) effect. The onset of the effect clearly correlates with the NW width. For narrow NWs, the mature SCLC regime was achieved. This effect has great impact on fluctuation characteristics of studied NWs. At low voltages, we found that the normalized noise level increases with decreasing NW width. In the SCLC regime, a further increase in the normalized noise intensity (up to 104 times) was observed, as well as a change in the shape of the spectra with a tendency towards slope −3/2. We suggest that the features of the electric current and noise found in the NWs are of a general character and will have an impact on the development of NW-based devices.
Bounded weight modules of the Lie algebra of vector fields on ℂ2
Authors: Cavaness Andrew , Grantcharov Dimitar
Published: January 2017

We study weight modules of the Lie algebra [Formula: see text] of vector fields on [Formula: see text]. A classification of all simple weight modules of [Formula: see text] with a uniformly bounded set of weight multiplicities is provided. To achieve this classification, we introduce a new family of generalized tensor [Formula: see text]-modules. Our classification result is an important step in the classification of all simple weight [Formula: see text]-modules with finite weight multiplicities.
Evolution of the interaction between C20cage and Cr(CO)5: A solvent effect, QTAIM and EDA investigation
Authors: Ghiasi Reza , Sadeghi Nasrin
Published: January 2017

This study used mpw1pw91 quantum chemical calculations in gas and solution phases to clarify the interaction between C20and Cr(CO)5fragment. It also sought to clarify the effects of solvent polarity on dipole moment, structural parameters, and frontier orbital energies of the complex. Energy decomposition analysis (EDA) was applied to analyze the bonding interaction between the C20and Cr(CO)5fragment. Percentage composition in terms of the defined groups of frontier orbitals for the complex was evaluated to characterize the metal–ligand bonds. The Cr–C bonds within the complex were examined using quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM) analysis. In order to determine the back-bonding effects in these bonds, QTAIM analysis was applied to calculate of the quadrupole polarization of the carbon atom.
On the spectral properties of the Schrödinger operator with a periodic PT-symmetric potential
Authors: Veliev Oktay
Published: January 2017

In this paper, we investigate the spectrum and spectrality of the one-dimensional Schrödinger operator with a periodic PT-symmetric complex-valued potential.
Structures and properties of null scroll in Minkowski 3-space
Authors: Liu Huili , Jung Seoung Dal
Published: January 2017

In this paper, we study structures and properties of Null scrolls. We define the (relative) invariants for Null scrolls by using a kind of standard equation. Using these (relative) invariants of Null scrolls, we give some new characterizations and classifications of Null scrolls and B-scrolls.
Pringsheim convergence of double sequences for uniform boundedness principle
Authors: Ganesa Moorthy C. , Ramasamy C. T.
Published: January 2017

The set of all pairs of positive integers is considered as a directed set under the direction: [Formula: see text] if and only if [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]. This directed set is used for Pringsheim-type convergence of double sequences. Consequences of uniform boundedness principle through double sequences are derived in this paper.
On covering radius of codes over R = ℤ2 + uℤ2, where u2 = 0 using chinese euclidean distance
Authors: Pandian P. Chella
Published: January 2017

In this paper, we give lower and upper bounds on the covering radius of codes over the ring [Formula: see text] where [Formula: see text] with respect to Chinese Euclidean distance and also obtain the covering radius of various Repetition codes, Simplex codes of [Formula: see text]-Type code and [Formula: see text]-Type code. We give bounds on the covering radius for MacDonald codes of both types over [Formula: see text]
Effect of seasonal changes on predictive model of bovine babesiosis transmission
Authors: Bouzid Leila , Belhamiti Omar
Published: January 2017

In this paper, we present an attempt at analyzing the seasonal pattern of the Babesiosis transmission dynamics in bovine and tick populations. The infestation rate plays an important role in the variation of infection. In this logic, we set out a mathematical model with variable infestation rate for the evolution of babesiosis disease. Using the (0,2)-Jacobi multi-wavelets method combined with the decoupling and quasi-linearization technique, we demonstrate the validity and applicability of our model. Then, a set of experimental data is used to validate the proposed model under the same operating conditions. The results of numerical simulations are provided to show the impact of seasonality on the transmission dynamics of Babesiosis. Eventually, a numerical study of the model varying the control parameters of babesiosis shows different scenarios about the spread of the disease.
On the limit of the spectral distribution of large-dimensional random quaternion covariance matrices
Authors: Yin Yanqing , Hu Jiang
Published: January 2017

The use of quaternions and quaternion matrices in practice, such as in machine learning, adaptive filtering, vector sensing and image processing, has recently been rapidly gaining in popularity. In this paper, by applying random matrix theory, we investigate the spectral distribution of large-dimensional quaternion covariance matrices when the quaternion samples are drawn from a population that satisfies a mild moment condition. We also apply the result to several common models.
China-U.S.-Europe Relations: Shaping a Future-Oriented World Order
Authors: Chunsi Wu
Published: January 2017

China, Europe, and the United States constitute a very important trilateral relationship in China’s diplomacy. This trilateral relationship is incomparable to that of China, the United States, and the Soviet Union during the Cold War not only in that “polar” is no longer a valid concept to describe major-power relations today, but also in that China-U.S.-Europe relations are not deliberately constructed for the three parties to balance each other or oppose any party. To be more specific, China’s deliberations on Europe’s role in the world have gone beyond the logic of balance of power. Especially after the 2008 global financial crisis, China has taken ever more efforts to strengthen its ties with European nations, both to meet its growing economic demands, and because it seeks to learn from the post-modern social governance experience in Europe. In comparison, China’s relationship with the United States is far more complex as the two countries have been engaged in increasing divergence and competition not only on specific issues, but more importantly, in trends of the world order. As three giants that have the potential to lead the world to a better future, China, Europe, and the United States need to deepen their mutual understanding and foster greater consensus about the future world order through closer communication and exchange, as well as enhanced cooperation on global governance.
Musical Motif Discovery from Non-Musical Inspiration Sources
Authors: Johnson Daniel , Ventura Dan
Published: January 2017

Many music composition algorithms attempt to compose music in a particular style. The resulting music is often impressive and indistinguishable from the style of the training data, but it tends to lack significant innovation. In an effort to increase innovation in the selection of pitches and note durations, we present a system that discovers musical motifs by coupling machine-learning techniques with an inspirational component. Unlike many generative models, the inspirational component allows the composition process to originate outside of what is learned from the training data. Candidate motifs are extracted from non-musical data such as audio, images, and sleep signals. Machine-learning algorithms select the motifs that most resemble the training data. We find that the inspirational motif discovery process is more efficient than random generation. We also extract motifs from real music scores, identify themes in the piece according to a theme database, and measure the probability of discovering thematic motifs verses non-thematic motifs. We examine the information content of the motifs by comparing the entropy of the discovered motifs, candidate motifs, and training data. We measure innovation by comparing the probability of the training data and the probability of the discovered motifs given the model.
The “Horse” Inside
Authors: Sturm Bob L.
Published: January 2017

Building systems that possess the sensitivity and intelligence to identify and describe high-level attributes in music audio signals continues to be an elusive goal but one that surely has broad and deep implications for a wide variety of applications. Hundreds of articles have so far been published toward this goal, and great progress appears to have been made. Some systems produce remarkable accuracies at recognizing high-level semantic concepts, such as music style, genre, and mood. However, it might be that these numbers do not mean what they seem. In this article, we take a state-of-the-art music content analysis system and investigate what causes it to achieve exceptionally high performance in a benchmark music audio dataset. We dissect the system to understand its operation, determine its sensitivities and limitations, and predict the kinds of knowledge it could and could not possess about music. We perform a series of experiments to illuminate what the system has actually learned to do and to what extent it is performing the intended music listening task. Our results demonstrate how the initial manifestation of music intelligence in this state of the art can be deceptive. Our work provides constructive directions toward developing music content analysis systems that can address the music information and creation needs of real-world users.
Towards Machine Musicians Who Have Listened to More Music Than Us
Authors: Collins Nick
Published: January 2017

Databases of audio can form the basis for new algorithmic critic systems, applying techniques from the growing field of music information retrieval to meta-creation in algorithmic composition and interactive music systems. In this article, case studies are described where critics are derived from larger audio corpora. In the first scenario, the target music is electronic art music, and two corpuses are used to train model parameters and then compared with each other and against further controls in assessing novel electronic music composed by a separate program. In the second scenario, a “real-world” application is described, where a “jury” of three deliberately and individually biased algorithmic music critics judged the winner of a dubstep remix competition. The third scenario is a live tool for automated in-concert criticism, based on the limited situation of comparing an improvising pianists' playing to that of Keith Jarrett; the technology overlaps that described in the other systems, though now deployed in real time. Alongside description and analysis of these systems, the wider possibilities and implications are discussed.
The Power of Localization for Efficiently Learning Linear Separators with Noise
Authors: Awasthi Pranjal , Balcan Maria Florina , Long Philip M.
Published: January 2017

We introduce a new approach for designing computationally efficient learning algorithms that are tolerant to noise, and we demonstrate its effectiveness by designing algorithms with improved noise tolerance guarantees for learning linear separators. We consider both the malicious noise model of Valiant [1985] and Kearns and Li [1988] and the adversarial label noise model of Kearns, Schapire, and Sellie [1994]. For malicious noise, where the adversary can corrupt both the label and the features, we provide a polynomial-time algorithm for learning linear separators in ℜ

d

under isotropic log-concave distributions that can tolerate a nearly information-theoretically optimal noise rate of η = Ω(ϵ), improving on the Ω (ϵ
3
/log
2
(
d/ϵ
)) noise-tolerance of Klivans et al. [2009a]. In the case that the distribution is uniform over the unit ball, this improves on the Ω (ϵ/
d
1/4
) noise-tolerance of Kalai et al. [2005] and the Ω (ϵ
2
/log(d/ϵ)) of Klivans et al. [2009a]. For the
adversarial label noise
model, where the distribution over the feature vectors is unchanged and the overall probability of a noisy label is constrained to be at most η, we also give a polynomial-time algorithm for learning linear separators in ℜ

d

under isotropic log-concave distributions that can handle a noise rate of η = Ω(ϵ). In the case of uniform distribution, this improves over the results of Kalai et al. [2005], which either required runtime super-exponential in 1/ϵ (ours is polynomial in 1/ϵ) or tolerated less noise.
1
Our algorithms are also efficient in the active learning setting, where learning algorithms only receive the classifications of examples when they ask for them. We show that, in this model, our algorithms achieve a label complexity whose dependence on the error parameter ϵ is polylogarithmic (and thus exponentially better than that of any passive algorithm). This provides the first polynomial-time active learning algorithm for learning linear separators in the presence of malicious noise or adversarial label noise. Our algorithms and analysis combine several ingredients including aggressive localization, minimization of a progressively rescaled hinge loss, and a novel localized and soft outlier removal procedure. We use localization techniques (previously used for obtaining better sample complexity results) to obtain better noise-tolerant polynomial-time algorithms.
Special Issue on Musical Metacreation, Part I
Authors: Bown Oliver , Eigenfeldt Arne , Pasquier Philippe , Dubnov Shlomo
Published: January 2017

The multiplicity of the fields that fall under the umbrella of Musical Metacreation are many, as noted by the associate editors of this first of two special issues on the topic. The editors introduce the papers and the authors presented in this issue and explore how their work helps to provide machines with musical abilities.
In Vitro and In Vivo Effects of Norathyriol and Mangiferin on α-Glucosidase
Authors: Shi Zhi-Long , Liu Yi-Dan , Yuan Yun-Yun , Song Da , Qi Mei-Feng , Yang Xu-Juan , Wang Ping , Li Xiao-Ying , Shang Jian-Hua , Yang Zhao-Xiang
Published: January 2017

Norathyriol is a metabolite of mangiferin. Mangiferin has been reported to inhibit α-glucosidase. To the best of our knowledge, no study has been conducted to determine or compare those two compounds on inhibiting α-glucosidase in vitro and in vivo by far. In this study, we determined the inhibitory activity of norathyriol and mangiferin on α-glucosidase in vitro and evaluated their antidiabetic effect in diabetic mice. The results showed that norathyriol inhibited α-glucosidase in a noncompetitive manner with an IC50 value of 3.12 μM, which is more potent than mangiferin (IC50 = 358.54 μM) and positive drug acarbose (IC50 = 479.2 μM) in the zymological experiment. Both of norathyriol and mangiferin caused significant (p<0.05) reduction in fasting blood glucose and the blood glucose levels at two hours after carbohydrate loading and it was interesting that mangiferin and norathyriol can make the decline of the blood glucose earlier than other groups ever including normal group in the starch tolerance test. However, norathyriol and mangiferin did not significantly influence carbohydrate absorption in the glucose tolerance test. Therefore, the antidiabetic effects of norathyriol and mangiferin might be associated with α-glucosidase, and norathyriol was more potent than mangiferin.
Impact of Sagittal Balance on Clinical Outcomes in Surgically Treated T12 and L1 Burst Fractures: Analysis of Long-Term Outcomes after Posterior-Only and Combined Posteroanterior Treatment
Authors: Mayer M. , Ortmaier R. , Koller H. , Koller J. , Hitzl W. , Auffarth A. , Resch H. , von Keudell A.
Published: January 2017

Objective. Long-term radiological and clinical outcome retrospective study of surgical treatment for T12 and L1 burst fractures in perspective of sagittal balance measures.Methods. Patients with age of 16–60 years, complete radiographs, early surgical treatment surgery, and follow-up (F/U) > 18 months were included and strict exclusion criteria applied. Regional and thoracolumbar kyphosis angles (RKA and TLA) were measured preoperatively and at final F/U, as were parameters of the spinopelvic sagittal alignment. Clinical outcomes were assessed using validated measures.Results. 36 patients with age mean age of 39 years and F/U of 69 months were included. 61% of patients were treated with bisegmental posterior instrumentation (POST-I) and 39% with combined posteroanterior instrumented fusion (PA-F). At F/U, several indicators for clinical outcomes showed a significant correlation with radiographic measures in the overall cohort with inferior clinical outcomes corresponding with increasing residual deformity and sagittal malalignment. Statistical analysis failed to reach level of significance for the differences between POST-I and PA-F group at final F/U. Only a strong trend towards better restoration of the thoracolumbar alignment was observed for the PA-F group in terms of the RKA and TLA.Conclusions. Results in a surgically treated cohort of T12 and L1 burst fracture patients indicate that superior clinical outcomes depend on restoration of sagittal alignment.
Anterior-to-Posterior Migration of a Lumbar Disc Sequestration: Surgical Remarks and Technical Notes about a Tailored Microsurgical Discectomy
Authors: Frati Alessandro , Pesce Alessandro , Palmieri Mauro , Vangelista Tommaso , Caruso Riccardo , Salvati Maurizio , Raco Antonino
Published: January 2017

Extrusion of disc material within the spinal canal complicates up to 28.6% of lumbar disc herniations. Due to the anatomical “corridors” created by the anterior midline septum and lateral membranes, relocation occurs with an anterior and anterolateral axial topography. Posterior migration is an extremely rare condition and anterior-to-posterior circumferential migration is an even rarer condition. Its radiological feature can be enigmatic and since, in more than 50% of cases, clinical onset is a hyperacute cauda equina syndrome, it may imply a difficult surgical decision in emergency settings. Surgery is the gold standard but when dealing with such huge sequestrations, standard microdiscectomy must be properly modified in order to minimize the risk of surgical trauma or traction on the nerve roots.
Synthesis, Properties, and Humidity Resistance Enhancement of Biodegradable Cellulose-Containing Superabsorbent Polymer
Authors: Guan Hongliang , Li Junbo , Zhang Biyu , Yu Xunmin
Published: January 2017

To improve the humidity resistance and water absorption capacity of the superabsorbent polymer (SAP), a biodegradable cellulose-containing polymer was successfully assembled through inverse suspension polymerization, using cellulose, acrylic acid, and acrylamide as monomers, Span-80 as dispersant, and potassium persulfate as initiator. The impact of conditions such as reaction temperature, ratio of oil to water, degree of neutralization, amount of cellulose, and cross-linking agents on the properties of the polymer were evaluated. The results showed that the as-prepared superabsorbent polymer exhibited the best water (859 g/g) and salt water (72.48 g/g) absorption rate, when the reaction temperature was 70°C, monomer ratio was 1 : 10, neutralization degree was 75%, and oil-water ratio was 3 : 1. Moreover, the humidity resistance of the polymer could be enhanced significantly by adding different cross-linking reagents such as epoxy chloropropane or diethylene glycol.
Multislice Analysis of Blood Flow Values in CT Perfusion Studies of Lung Cancer
Authors: Malavasi Silvia , Barone Domenico , Gavelli Giampaolo , Bevilacqua Alessandro
Published: January 2017

Objectives. Tumour heterogeneity represents a key issue in CT perfusion (CTp), where all studies are usually based on global mean or median values of perfusion maps, often computed on whole tumour. We sought to determine whether, and to what extent, such global values can be representative of tumour heterogeneity, with respect to single slices, and could be used for therapy assessment. Materials and Methods. Twelve patients with one primary non-small cell lung cancer lesion were enrolled in this study, for a total amount of 26 CTp examinations and 118 slices. Mean and median blood flow (BF) values, calculated voxel-based, were computed on each slice and the whole tumour. To measure functional heterogeneity, entropy was calculated on BF values as well. Results. Most of the slices were not represented by the global BF values computed on the whole tumour. In addition, there are a number of lesions having equivalent global BF values, but they are composed of slices having very different heterogeneity distributions, that is, entropy values. Conclusions. Global mean/median BF values of the single slices separately should be considered for clinical assessment, only if interpreted through entropy computed on BF values. The numerical equivalence between global BF values of different lesions may correspond to different clinical status, thus inducing possible errors in choice of therapy when considering global values only.
Performance Evaluation of 5G Millimeter-Wave Cellular Access Networks Using a Capacity-Based Network Deployment Tool
Authors: Matalatala Michel , Deruyck Margot , Tanghe Emmeric , Martens Luc , Joseph Wout
Published: January 2017

The next fifth generation (5G) of wireless communication networks comes with a set of new features to satisfy the demand of data-intensive applications: millimeter-wave frequencies, massive antenna arrays, beamforming, dense cells, and so forth. In this paper, we investigate the use of beamforming techniques through various architectures and evaluate the performance of 5G wireless access networks, using a capacity-based network deployment tool. This tool is proposed and applied to a realistic area in Ghent, Belgium, to simulate realistic 5G networks that respond to the instantaneous bit rate required by the active users. The results show that, with beamforming, 5G networks require almost 15% more base stations and 4 times less power to provide more capacity to the users and the same coverage performances, in comparison with the 4G reference network. Moreover, they are 3 times more energy efficient than the 4G network and the hybrid beamforming architecture appears to be a suitable architecture for beamforming to be considered when designing a 5G cellular network.
Sodium Ferulate Protects against Angiotensin II-Induced Cardiac Hypertrophy in Mice by Regulating the MAPK/ERK and JNK Pathways
Authors: Hu Bo , Song Jian-Tao , Ji Xian-Fei , Liu Zun-Qi , Cong Mu-Lin , Liu Dong-Xing
Published: January 2017

Background and Objective. It has been reported that sodium ferulate (SF) has hematopoietic function against anemia and immune regulation, inflammatory reaction inhibition, inhibition of tumor cell proliferation, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular protection, and other functions. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the effects of SF on angiotensin II- (AngII-) induced cardiac hypertrophy in mice through the MAPK/ERK and JNK signaling pathways.Methods. Seventy-two male C57BL/6J mice were selected and divided into 6 groups: control group, PBS group, model group (AngII), model + low-dose SF group (AngII + 10 mg/kg SF), model + high-dose SF group (AngII + 40 mg/kg SF), and model + high-dose SF + agonist group (AngII + 40 mg/kg SCU + 10 mg/kg TBHQ). After 7 d/14 d/28 days of treatments, the changes of blood pressure and heart rates of mice were compared. The morphology of myocardial tissue and the apoptosis rate of myocardial cells were observed. The mRNA and protein expressions of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), transforming growth factor-β(TGF-β), collagen III (Col III), and MAPK/ERK and JNK pathway-related proteins were detected after 28 days of treatments.Results. SF improved the mice’s cardiac abnormality and decreased the apoptosis rate of myocardial cells in a time- and dose-dependent manner (allP<0.05). MAPK/ERK pathway activator inhibited the protective effect of SF in myocardial tissue of mice (P<0.05). SF could inhibit the expression of p-ERK, p-p38MAPK, and p-JNK and regulate the expressions of ANP, TGF-β, and Col III (allP<0.05).Conclusion. Our findings provide evidence that SF could protect against AngII-induced cardiac hypertrophy in mice by downregulating the MAPK/ERK and JNK pathways.