bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The quirk trajectory
Authors: Li Jinmian , Li Tianjun , Pei Junle , Zhang Wenxing
Published: July 2020

We for the first time obtain the analytical solution for the quirk equation of motion in an approximate way. Based on it, we study several features of quirk trajectory in a more precise way, including quirk oscillation amplitude, number of periods, as well as the thickness of quirk pair plane. Moreover, we find an exceptional case where the quirk crosses at least one of the tracking layers repeatedly. Finally, we consider the effects of ionization energy loss and fixed direction of infracolor string for a few existing searches.
Constraints and cosmography of $$\Lambda $$CDM in presence of viscosity
Authors: Herrera-Zamorano L. , Hernández-Almada A. , García-Aspeitia Miguel A.
Published: July 2020

In this work, we study two scenarios of the Universe filled by a perfect fluid following the traditional dark energy and a viscous fluid as dark matter. In this sense, we explore the most simple case for the viscosity in the Eckart formalism, a constant, and then, a polynomial function of the redshift. We constrain the phase-space of the model parameters by performing a Bayesian analysis based on Markov Chain Monte Carlo method and using the latest data of the Hubble parameter (OHD), Type Ia Supernovae (SNIa) and Strong Lensing Systems. The first two samples cover the region $$0.01<z<2.36$$0.01<z<2.36. Based on AIC, we find equally support of these viscous models over Lambda-Cold Dark Matter (LCDM) taking into account OHD or SNIa. On the other hand, we reconstruct the cosmographic parameters (q, j, s, l) and find good agreement to LCDM within up to $$3\sigma $$3σ CL. Additionally, we find that the cosmographic parameters and the acceleration-deceleration transition are sensible to the parameters related to the viscosity coefficient, making of the viscosity an interesting physical mechanism to modified them.
Melting of quarkonium in an anisotropic hot QCD medium in the presence of a generalized Debye screening mass and Nikiforov–Uvarov’s method
Authors: Abu-shady M. , Fath-Allah H. M.
Published: July 2020

Generalized temperature and anisotropy dependent Debye screening mass is introduced into the real part of a potential in an anisotropic plasma. The N-radial Schrödinger equation (SE) is approximately solved by using the Nikiforov–Uvarov (NU) method which based on the expansion of power series. Binding energies and dissociation temperatures of charmonium and bottomonium are calculated. In addition, we have calculated the screening mass values for different parameters. Comparing to their values in an isotropic medium, the charmonium and bottomonium binding energies within an anisotropic medium are found to be increased. Also, the dissociation temperatures of both the charmonium and the bottomonium within anisotropic environments appear larger relative to those found within an isotropic medium. Finally, one observes that in any medium the bottomonium dissociation temperature is higher than the charmonium one.
A speed-optimized, low-noise APD with 0.18 μm CMOS technology for the VLC applications
Authors: Wang Wei , Zeng Hong-An , Wang Fang , Wang Guanyu , Xie Yingtao , Feng Shijuan
Published: July 2020

A new avalanche photodiode device applied to a visible light communication (VLC) system is designed using a standard 0.18 [Formula: see text]m complementary metal oxide semiconductor process. Compared to regular CMOS APD devices, the proposed device adds a [Formula: see text]-well layer above the deep [Formula: see text]-well/[Formula: see text]-substrate structure, and an [Formula: see text]/[Formula: see text] layer is deposited upon it. The [Formula: see text]/[Formula: see text] layer acts as an avalanche breakdown layer of the device, and an STI structure is used to prevent the edge break prematurely. The simulation results shows that the avalanche breakdown voltage is as low as 9.9 V, dark current is below [Formula: see text] A under −9.5 V bias voltage, and the 3 dB bandwidth is of 5.9 GHz. It is due to the use of the 0.18 [Formula: see text]m CMOS process-specific STI protection ring and short-circuits the connection of the deep [Formula: see text]-well/[Formula: see text]-substrate, and the dark current is reduced to be lower than two orders of magnitude compared to regular CMOS APD. Gain and noise characteristics are accurately calculated from Hayat dead-space model applied to this CMOS APD. So, this device’s gain and excess noise factor are 20 and 2.5, respectively.
Diffusion Geometry Derived Keypoints and Local Descriptors for 3D Deformable Shape Analysis
Authors: Wang Xupeng , Bennamoun Mohammed , Sohel Ferdous , Lei Hang
Published: July 2020

Geometric analysis of three-dimensional (3D) surfaces with local deformations is a challenging task, required by mobile devices. In this paper, we propose a new local feature-based method derived from diffusion geometry, including a keypoint detector named persistence-based Heat Kernel Signature (pHKS), and a feature descriptor named Heat Propagation Strips (HeaPS). The pHKS detector first constructs a scalar field using the heat kernel signature function. The scalar field is generated at a small scale to capture fine geometric information of the local surface. Persistent homology is then computed to extract all the local maxima from the scalar field, and to provide a measure of persistence. Points with a high persistence are selected as pHKS keypoints. In order to describe a keypoint, an intrinsic support region is generated by the diffusion area. This support region is more robust than its geodesic distance counterpart, and provides a local surface with adaptive scale for subsequent feature description. The HeaPS descriptor is then developed by encoding the information contained in both the spatial and temporal domains of the heat kernel. We conducted several experiments to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed method. On the TOSCA Dataset, the HeaPS descriptor achieved a high performance in terms of descriptiveness. The feature detector and descriptor were then tested on the SHREC 2010 Feature Detection and Description Dataset, and produced results that were better than the state-of-the-art methods. Finally, their application to shape retrieval was evaluated. The proposed pHKS detector and HeaPS descriptor achieved a notable improvement on the SHREC 2014 Human Dataset.
Reach to Grasp Planning for a Synergy-Controlled Robotic Hand based on Pesudo-Distance Formulation
Authors: Liu Zenghui , Chen Yuyang , Zhu Xiangyang , Xu Kai
Published: July 2020

In the past several years, grasp analysis of multi-fingered robotic hands has been actively studied through the use of posture synergies. In these grasping planning algorithms, a formulated optimization is usually performed in the hand’s low-dimensional representation together with the hand’s position and orientation. The optimization terminates at a stable grasp, often after repeated trials with different initial guesses. Furthermore, there is no guarantee that the generated grasp leads to a smooth reach-to-grasp trajectory since the grasping planning process mostly concerns hand poses with the fingers proximal to the object. A unified theoretical framework of a gradient-based iterative algorithm is hence proposed in this paper to plan a reach-to-grasp task, predicting the grasp quality and adjusting the hand’s posture synergies, position and orientation during the approaching phase to achieve a stable grasp. The grasp quality measurement is adopted from a highly efficient pseudo-distance formulation. Stable power grasp and precision pinch can be consistently and intentionally planned with different contact conditions specified in the formulation, which means that an intention for planning a power grasp would not generate a pinch result. Several numerical simulation case studies are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.
Analytical Study for Fractional Order Mathematical Model of Concentration of Ca2+ in Astrocytes Cell with a Composite Fractional Derivative
Authors: Gill Vinod , Singh Yudhveer , Kumar Devendra , Singh Jagdev
Published: July 2020

In this paper, we have studied the concentration profile of Cytosolic calcium ion (Ca[Formula: see text] with the aid of fractional calculus. A mathematical model has been considered to examine the influence of fractional advection diffusion equation (cross flow) for the calcium profile. A closed form solution of the fractional advection diffusion equation, arising in study of diffusion of cytosolic calcium in astocytes cell, has been obtained by using Sumudu transform techniques. Graphs for the calcium concentration profiles have been simulated for certain values of the parameters to examine the various effects on concentrations of Cytosolic calcium ion.
Quasimodular forms as solutions of modular differential equations
Authors: Grabner Peter J.
Published: July 2020

We study quasimodular forms of depth [Formula: see text] and determine under which conditions they occur as solutions of modular differential equations. Furthermore, we study which modular differential equations have quasimodular solutions. We use these results to investigate extremal quasimodular forms as introduced by M. Kaneko and M. Koike further. Especially, we prove a conjecture stated by these authors concerning the divisors of the denominators occurring in their Fourier expansion.
Ranks of overpartitions modulo 4 and 8
Authors: Cui Su-Ping , Gu Nancy S. S. , Su Chen-Yang
Published: July 2020

An overpartition of [Formula: see text] is a partition of [Formula: see text] in which the first occurrence of a number may be overlined. Then, the rank of an overpartition is defined as its largest part minus its number of parts. Let [Formula: see text] be the number of overpartitions of [Formula: see text] with rank congruent to [Formula: see text] modulo [Formula: see text]. In this paper, we study the rank differences of overpartitions [Formula: see text] for [Formula: see text] or [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]. Especially, we obtain some relations between the generating functions of the rank differences modulo [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] and some mock theta functions. Furthermore, we derive some equalities and inequalities on ranks of overpartitions modulo [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text].
Polynomial values of surface point counting polynomials
Authors: Hajdu L. , Herendi O.
Published: July 2020

There are many results in the literature concerning power values, equal values or more generally, polynomial values of lattice point counting polynomials. In this paper, we prove various finiteness results for polynomial values of polynomials counting the lattice points on the surface of an [Formula: see text]-dimensional cube, pyramid and simplex.
Synthetic Source Inversion Tests with the Damped Isochrone Inversion Approach
Authors: Srigutomo Wahyu , Djaja I G. P. F. S. , Puspito Nanang T.
Published: July 2020

Earthquake source parameters such as slip distribution and slip rate are useful information for understanding the physical processes behind earthquakes. The isochrone back-projection method, or isochrone-BPM, is one of the methods used to obtain slip distribution in the fault plane by incorporating the isochrone concept with back-projection method. Isochrone-BPM has advantages in its ease of implementation. However, it appears that the resulted slip distribution images always contain artifacts causing the images to be smeared. The emergence of these artifacts may lead to misinterpretation of the slip distribution, thus becoming a major weakness of isochrone-BPM. In this work, an alternative approach is proposed by utilizing least-square inversion scheme with the addition of damping factor as an alternative to the isochrone-BPM, which is then referred to as damped isochrone inversion since it still utilizes the core formulation of isochrone-BPM. The application of isochrone-BPM slip inversion to synthetic data generated from a test model shows that the quality of the resulted image will highly depend on the set of receiving stations used. In addition, the isochrone-BPM image will also depend on the focal mechanism of the earthquake, which is indicated by the difference in patterns on different mechanisms. Contrary to isochrone-BPM, the damped isochrone inversion produces slip distribution images that do not depend on the set of receiving stations used and do exhibit dependence on the focal mechanism. These results may suggest that as an alternative to the isochrone-BPM, the damped isochrone inversion offers better performance in recovering the slip distribution images.
In vivo assessment of structural changes of the urethra in lower urinary tract disease using cross-polarization optical coherence tomography
Authors: Kiseleva Elena B. , Moiseev Alexander A. , Kuyarov Anton S. , Molvi Muhammat A. , Gelikonov Grigory V. , Maslennikova Anna V. , Streltsova Olga S.
Published: July 2020

The paper presents the results of a study of the female urethra in cases of urethral pain syndrome (UPS) and inflammatory diseases of the lower urinary tract using cross-polarization optical coherence tomography (CP OCT). Urethral wall structure was studied in 86 patients; 233 CP OCT images were collected. A comparative qualitative analysis of three groups of CP OCT images — “norm”, “Inflammation” and “UPS” — identified that despite the absence of a clear inflammatory factor in the patient’s examination, the urethral tissues in UPS were in an altered state. The changes in the urethral wall with UPS and in cases of inflammation were similar. Using a point scale, three experts independently performed visual scoring of the CP OCT images. Three parameters: epithelial contrast, cavities and the minimum signal depth in the co-channel were evaluated. It was found that, individually, the parameters correlate only weakly with the diagnosis. Area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was from 0.51 to 0.78. The joint use of a number of visual signs has a greater diagnostic value than the use of the criteria individually. Area under the ROC curve using the developed cumulative criterion reached up to 0.87–0.89. This study could form the basis of a scoring system for assessing the state of the urethral tract using CP OCT images in real time. The CP OCT method provides information on the state of urethral tissues that cannot be obtained with traditional cystoscopy.
Socio-Ecological Challenges as Modulators of Women's Reproductive Trajectories
Authors: Nepomnaschy Pablo A. , Rowlands Amanda , Prescivalli Costa Ana Paula , Salvante Katrina G.
Published: July 2020

Amenorrhea, anovulatory cycles, miscarriages, and other reproductive outcomes are often seen as pathological. Life history theory, in contrast, treats those outcomes as adaptations that helped women optimize the timing of reproductive ventures across our evolutionary history. Women's bodies adjust their reproductive strategies in response to socio-ecological conditions, a process mediated by the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPAA). Here, we review the links between socio-ecological conditions, HPAA activity, and the pace of women's reproductive transitions such as puberty, age at first birth, interbirth interval, and perimenopause. We also discuss the HPAA's role as a modulator of reproductive function: It not only suppresses it but may also prime women's bodies for future reproductive ventures. We conclude by reviewing challenges and opportunities within our subfield, including the need for transdisciplinary teams to develop longitudinal studies to improve our understanding of women's reproductive trajectories and outcomes from the moment they are conceived.
Nuclear Membrane Rupture and Its Consequences
Authors: Maciejowski John , Hatch Emily M.
Published: July 2020

The nuclear envelope is often depicted as a static barrier that regulates access between the nucleus and the cytosol. However, recent research has identified many conditions in cultured cells and in vivo in which nuclear membrane ruptures cause the loss of nuclear compartmentalization. These conditions include some that are commonly associated with human disease, such as migration of cancer cells through small spaces and expression of nuclear lamin disease mutations in both cultured cells and tissues undergoing nuclear migration. Nuclear membrane ruptures are rapidly repaired in the nucleus but persist in nuclear compartments that form around missegregated chromosomes called micronuclei. This review summarizes what is known about the mechanisms of nuclear membrane rupture and repair in both the main nucleus and micronuclei, and highlights recent work connecting the loss of nuclear integrity to genome instability and innate immune signaling. These connections link nuclear membrane rupture to complex chromosome alterations, tumorigenesis, and laminopathy etiologies.
From Input to Output: The Lap/c-di-GMP Biofilm Regulatory Circuit
Authors: Collins Alan J. , Smith T. Jarrod , Sondermann Holger , O'Toole George A.
Published: July 2020

Biofilms are the dominant bacterial lifestyle. The regulation of the formation and dispersal of bacterial biofilms has been the subject of study in many organisms. Over the last two decades, the mechanisms of Pseudomonas fluorescens biofilm formation and regulation have emerged as among the best understood of any bacterial biofilm system. Biofilm formation by P. fluorescens occurs through the localization of an adhesin, LapA, to the outer membrane via a variant of the classical type I secretion system. The decision between biofilm formation and dispersal is mediated by LapD, a c-di-GMP receptor, and LapG, a periplasmic protease, which together control whether LapA is retained or released from the cell surface. LapA localization is also controlled by a complex network of c-di-GMP-metabolizing enzymes. This review describes the current understanding of LapA-mediated biofilm formation by P. fluorescens and discusses several emerging models for the regulation and function of this adhesin.
Semi-Supervised Cross-Modal Retrieval Based on Discriminative Comapping
Authors: Liu Li , Dong Xiao , Wang Tianshi
Published: July 2020

Most cross-modal retrieval methods based on subspace learning just focus on learning the projection matrices that map different modalities to a common subspace and pay less attention to the retrieval task specificity and class information. To address the two limitations and make full use of unlabelled data, we propose a novel semi-supervised method for cross-modal retrieval named modal-related retrieval based on discriminative comapping (MRRDC). The projection matrices are obtained to map multimodal data into a common subspace for different tasks. In the process of projection matrix learning, a linear discriminant constraint is introduced to preserve the original class information in different modal spaces. An iterative optimization algorithm based on label propagation is presented to solve the proposed joint learning formulations. The experimental results on several datasets demonstrate the superiority of our method compared with state-of-the-art subspace methods.
On One Evolution Equation of Parabolic Type with Fractional Differentiation Operator in S Spaces
Authors: Gorodetskiy V. V. , Kolisnyk R. S. , Shevchuk N. M.
Published: July 2020

In the paper, we investigate a nonlocal multipoint by a time problem for the evolution equation with the operator A=I−Δω/2, Δ=d2/dx2, and ω∈1;−2 is a fixed parameter. The operator A is treated as a pseudodifferential operator in a certain space of type S. The solvability of this problem is proved. The representation of the solution is given in the form of a convolution of the fundamental solution with the initial function which is an element of the space of generalized functions of ultradistribution type. The properties of the fundamental solution are investigated. The behavior of the solution at t⟶+∞ (solution stabilization) in the spaces of generalized functions of type S′ and the uniform stabilization of the solution to zero on ℝ are studied.
Predictive Value of Red Blood Cell Distribution Width in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Patients with Pulmonary Embolism
Authors: Wang Jing , Wan Zongren , Liu Qing , Wang Baolan , Wang Liang , Yang Dan , Wang Lixin , Hong Yongqing , Zhu Rong
Published: July 2020

Purpose. This study is aimed at investigating the relationship between red cell distribution width (RDW) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients with pulmonary embolism (PE). Methods. We conducted a retrospective study enrolling a total of 125 patients from January 2013 to December 2019. The study group consisted of 40 COPD patients with PE, and the control group had 85 COPD patients without PE. Clinical data including demographic characteristics, comorbidities, and results of imaging examinations and laboratory tests were recorded. Blood biomarkers, including red blood cell distribution width standard deviation (RDW-SD), red blood cell distribution width coefficient of variation (RDW-CV), and D-Dimer, were included. Results. RDW-SD and RDW-CV were higher in the COPD patients with the PE group (p<0.001). A higher RDW-SD led to a significantly increased risk of PE than a lower RDW-SD (adjusted odds ratio (OR): 1.188; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.048-1.348). The area under the curve (AUC) of RDW-SD used for predicting PE was 0.737. Using 44.55 as the cutoff value of RDW-SD, the sensitivity was 80% and the specificity was 64.7%. The prediction accuracy of RDW-SD combined with D-Dimer (AUC=0.897) was higher than that of RDW-SD or D-Dimer alone. The optimal cutoff value of RDW-SD+D-Dimer for predicting PE was 0.266, which generated a sensitivity of 87.5% and specificity of 83.5%. Conclusion. RDW is significantly increased in COPD patients with PE and may thus be useful in predicting the occurrence of PE in patients with COPD.
Estimation of Rock Burst Grades Using Rock Mass Strength
Authors: Wang Yalei , Xu Jinming , Xu Junshuai , Zhong Chuanjiang
Published: July 2020

The traditional rock burst estimation method is usually based on the σc (rock strength) in practice, while the actual occurrence of rock burst depends more on the structure and strength of the rock mass. In this work, the actual rock bursts occurred in a railway tunnel project in Western China, and the σcm (rock mass strength) was calculated by the generalized Hoek–Brown criterion. According to the actual situation of rock bursts, a modified rock burst estimation criterion using the ratio of σcm to σmax (maximum geostress) was proposed. The influence of randomness on the reliability of rock burst estimation criterion was considered. The estimation results based on the traditional and modified method were furthermore compared with those of the actual rock bursts. The results show that σcm calculated by the generalized Hoek–Brown criterion may be considered well in the rock type and strength, construction condition, and structure features of the rock mass; the estimation results of rock burst using the ratio of σc to σmax are quite different from the actual situation, while those using the ratio of the σcm to σmax coincided relatively with the actual rock bursts; the ratios of σcm to σmax, which are greater than 0.167, 0.066 to 0.167, 0.012 to 0.066, and less than 0.012, are corresponded to the slight, medium, strong, and violent grades of the rock bursts, respectively; the randomness of data selection has certain influence on the rock burst estimation criterion, but the variation range is small; the modified estimation criterion of rock burst proposed in this work has a good reliability. The results presented herein are important for tunnel construction and the prevention of rock burst in the high geostress areas.
Evaluating the Effect of Electromagnetic Stir-Frying Barley Flour on Yoghurt Quality
Authors: Zhao Yansheng , Zhang Jiayan , Wu Fei , Ai Lianzhong , Wang Shijie , Dong Ying , Xiao Xiang
Published: July 2020

There is a great interest in the use of natural ingredients as functional components in food products. Barley is considered as a natural thickener substitute due to its high dietary fiber content. In this work, electromagnetic stir-frying barley flour (ESBF) was developed and applied in yoghurt. The yoghurt samples were prepared by adding 10, 20, 30, and 40 g L−1 of ESBF, respectively; the control sample was made with 20 g L−1 of whey protein concentrate (WPC), and the yoghurt without any thickener was regarded as blank. The rheological, microstructural, and sensory properties were investigated to evaluate the effect of ESBF on yoghurt quality. Compared to the blank and control samples, the yoghurt with ESBF had higher contents of total solids ranging from 232.5 ± 1.2 g·kg−1 mix to 241.6 ± 1.4 g·kg−1 mix, and crude fiber ranged from 1.6 ± 0.4 g·kg−1 mix to 4.5 ± 0.6 g·kg−1 mix according to the added amount of ESBF. Representing the rheological characteristics of yoghurt, the storage modulus (G′), loss modulus (G″), and apparent viscosity increased with the amount of ESBF. Scanning electron microscope images exhibited that both WPC and barley starch were distributed uniformly in a yoghurt sample, with starch strands between and attached to the protein aggregates reducing the free end. In addition, increased stability of viscosity, water-holding capacity, and bacteria were obtained with the addition of ESBF whether after postripening or during storage of yoghurt. The highest viscosity was up to 3305 MPa s in the yoghurt with 4% ESBF. Current results indicate that ESBF could be used as a suitable natural ingredient and thickener in food.
Perceived Stress and Adherence to the Dietary Recommendations and Blood Glucose Levels in Type 1 Diabetes
Authors: Ahola Aila J. , Forsblom Carol , Harjutsalo Valma , Groop Per-Henrik
Published: July 2020

Stress may negatively impact self-management of diabetes and thereby deteriorate glycaemic control. Eating is the most frequently reported stress-release method. In this study, we investigated the association between perceived stress (PS), dietary adherence, and glycaemic control. Data from participants in the FinnDiane Study with type 1 diabetes who had completed a diet questionnaire and Cohen’s perceived stress scale (PSS) were included. In addition to using a continuous PSS score, participants were divided into three groups based on the PSS scores: the first PSS quartile, low levels of PS; second and third quartiles, moderate levels of PS; and fourth quartile, high levels of PS. A diet score reflecting the level of adherence to dietary recommendations was calculated. Analyses were conducted in the whole sample and in subgroups divided by body mass index (BMI<25 kg/m2 vs. BMI≥25 kg/m2). In the whole sample, high PS and continuous stress score were negatively associated with the diet score and with adherence to fish, fresh vegetable, low-fat liquid milk product, and vegetable oil-based cooking fat recommendations. The stress score was negatively associated with the diet score both in lean and in those overweight or obese. However, fish and fresh vegetable recommendations were only affected in those with corpulence. PS was not associated with mean blood glucose concentrations in the whole sample. When divided by BMI status, worse glycaemic control was observed in lean subjects reporting stress. In individuals with overweight or obesity, instead, high glucose concentrations were observed regardless of the level of perceived stress. Interventions to improve stress management could improve dietary adherence and glycaemic control and could thereby have the potential to improve long-term health and well-being of individuals with type 1 diabetes.
Deposition and Properties of Amorphous TiBN/AlCrYN Multilayer Coatings with Various Modulation Periods
Authors: Dai Wei , Liu Fan , Wang Qimin
Published: July 2020

In this paper, multilayer coatings consisted of amorphous AlCrYN layers and TiBN layers were deposited by the cosputtering technique. The influence of the modulation period of the multilayer coatings on the structure, mechanical properties, and oxidation behavior of the coatings was studied carefully by using scanning electron microscope, X-ray diffraction, nanoindentation, scratch tester, and thermogravimetric analyzer. The results show that the TiBN/AlCrYN multilayer coatings exhibit an amorphous structure without any feature. Decreasing the modulation period could significantly improve the coating hardness and elastic modulus. In addition, the adhesion of the multilayer coatings could be enhanced as the modulation period decreases. At relative low oxidation temperature (≤900°C), a dense aluminum oxide layer formed on the coating surface can effectively hinder the inward diffusion of O and the outward diffusion of metal elements. The oxidation behaviors of the TiBN/AlCrYN multilayer coatings obeyed the diffusion control law. The oxidation resistance of the coatings was increasing with decreasing the modulation period since the interfaces of multilayer structures would block the diffusion of elements. At relative high oxidation temperature (1000°C), however, the coating surface was rapidly oxidized into the porous TiO2 whiskers rather than the dense Al2O3 layer, resulting in the inward diffusion of O and thus causing the serious oxidation of the coatings.
Experimental Study on Improving the Compressive Strength of UHPC Turntable
Authors: Wang Jiawei , Sun Quansheng
Published: July 2020

Purpose. In the recent years, horizontal rotation methods have been widely used for bridge construction, particularly for constructing overpass bridges on highways, railways, and shipping. However, bridges constructed using the swivel construction method bear several types of loads during the rotation process. Furthermore, the bridge turntable, which is the core force‐bearing component of the structure, bears considerably large vertical pressure and horizontal frictional resistance. The present research proposes three strengthening methods when applying ultrahigh performance concrete (UHPC) materials to the turntable of a spherical hinge to improve structural reliability. Furthermore, the mechanical properties of the structure are evaluated using a unidirectional compressive strength test to provide a theoretical and experimental basis for the application of the UHPC material. Design/Methodology/Approach. To evaluate the mechanical performance of the turntable of a spherical hinge, scale models of six sets of UHPC turntables—steel tube‐UHPC, stirrup‐UHPC, and directional steel fiber UHPC—were constructed in the study. The compressive strengths of the turntable specimens were calculated after theoretical analysis. After obtaining the load‐displacement curves of the cube specimens, the force characteristics of the turntable and the failure mechanism of the structure were analyzed by observing the failure mode of the specimens. Findings. The compressive strength of the steel tube‐UHPC turntable was 207 MPa, which can completely replace the traditional steel turntable. In addition, the stirrup‐UHPC turntable demonstrated a significant loading effect. However, the effect of the restraint radius of the stirrup needs to be considered during the design; otherwise, the loading effect is poor. Furthermore, a directional steel fiber UHPC turntable can improve the compressive strength to a certain extent. We summarize the failure mechanism of the spherical hinge turntable specimens that are expected to play a role in UHPC spherical hinge in engineering applications and construction monitoring. Originality/Value. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to employ the UHPC, steel tube‐UHPC, stirrup‐UHPC, and directional steel fiber spherical hinge turntables in the swivel construction of bridges. The compressive strength and mechanical characteristics of the UHPC structure meet the requirements of the turntable, and more importantly, the manufacturing process (on‐site pouring) of the aforementioned UHPC turntable structures is relatively simple. Finally, the manufacturing cost of the turntables is expected to be reduced by more than 50% compared to those of traditional turntables.
Polyphyllin I Promoted Melanoma Cells Autophagy and Apoptosis via PI3K/Akt/mTOR Signaling Pathway
Authors: Long Jianwen , Pi Xianming
Published: July 2020

To investigate whether Polyphyllin I (PPI) might induce the autophagy and apoptosis of melanoma cells by regulating PI3K/Akt/mTOR signal pathway. Melanoma A375 cells were incubated with different concentrations of Polyphyllin I (0, 1.5, 3.0, and 6.0 mg/L) and PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway activator IGF‐1(20 mg/L). CCK‐8 assay was utilized to detect cell proliferation; Cell apoptosis and cell cycle were measured by flow cytometry; Western blot was used to examine the expressions of proteins. Immunofluorescence analysis was performed to evaluate autophagy of A375 cells; In addition, xenograft‐bearing nude mice were applied to study the role of Polyphyllin I on melanoma development, melanoma cell proliferation, as well as melanoma cell apoptosis in vivo. The outcomes represented that Polyphyllin I promoted A375 cell apoptosis via upregulating Bax level and cleaved caspase‐3 level and downregulating Bcl‐2 level, inhibited the growth of A375 cells at the G0/G1 phase, and enhanced cell autophagy via regulating the levels of Beclin 1, LC3II, and p62. However, IGF‐1 (an activator of PI3K/Akt/mTOR signal pathway) attenuated these changes that Polyphyllin I induced. Furthermore, the xenograft model experiment confirmed that Polyphyllin I treatment suppressed xenograft tumor growth, increased apoptotic index evaluated by the TUNEL method, and reduced the level of Ki67 in tumor tissues in vivo. In conclusion, Polyphyllin I treatment enhanced melanoma cell autophagy and apoptosis, as well as blocked melanoma cell cycle via suppressing PI3K/Akt/mTOR signal pathway. Meanwhile, Polyphyllin I treatment suppressed the development of melanoma in vivo. Therefore, Polyphyllin I possibly is a promising molecular targeted agent used in melanoma therapy.
A Case with Hepatic Involvement Mimicking Metastatic Disease in Multiple Myeloma
Authors: Erciyestepe Mert , Tiryaki Tarık Onur , Yönal Hindilerden İpek , Yeğen Gülçin , Nalçacı Meliha
Published: July 2020

Multiple myeloma is a type of plasma cell disorder and can be seen in different forms. According to current knowledge, it is not a curable disease. Smoldering multiple myeloma (SMM) is an asymptomatic clonal plasma cell disorder and distinguished from monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance by a much higher risk of progression to multiple myeloma. We present a 53-year-old female patient who started with SMM which turned into multiple myeloma after four years. Despite 26 cycles of lenalidomide treatment, we performed the second autologous stem transplantation. After 12 years from the diagnosis of the disease, it was transformed into plasma cell leukemia and widespread nodular lesions were seen in the liver. Different presentations could be seen due to malignant plasma cell infiltrations or primary amyloidosis. Liver involvement is one of them and is less common than other organ involvement. We report a case of myeloma presenting with extensive nodular involvement in the liver and misdiagnosed as metastatic disease. It is important because of its rarity and change of the treatment approach.
Construction for the Sequences of Q-Borderenergetic Graphs
Authors: Deng Bo , Chang Caibing , Zhao Haixing , Das Kinkar Chandra
Published: July 2020

This research intends to construct a signless Laplacian spectrum of the complement of any k-regular graph G with order n. Through application of the join of two arbitrary graphs, a new class of Q-borderenergetic graphs is determined with proof. As indicated in the research, with a regular Q-borderenergetic graph, sequences of regular Q-borderenergetic graphs can be constructed. The procedures for such a construction are determined and demonstrated. Significantly, all the possible regular Q-borderenergetic graphs of order 7<n≤10 are determined.
Electrophysical Properties of Epoxy Composite Materials Filled with Carbon Black Nanopowder
Authors: Buketov Andriy , Smetankin Serhii , Lysenkov Eduard , Yurenin Kyrylo , Akimov Oleksandr , Yakushchenko Serhii , Lysenkova Iryna
Published: July 2020

The effect of carbon black (CB) nanopowder on the electrical properties of polymer composite systems based on the epoxy resin is investigated using the method of impedance spectroscopy. It is established that the electrical and dielectric properties of the studied systems significantly depend on the nanofiller content. It is found that electrical conductivity and dielectric constant exhibit percolation behavior when the filler’s content increases. In this case, the electrical conductivity increases exponentially, indicating the formation of filler electrically conductive mesh inside the polymer matrix. A small jump in electrical conductivity when reaching the percolation threshold indicates the formation of indirect contacts between the particles. The value of the percolation threshold of conductivity is 8%. It is shown that the dielectric constant of epoxy nanosystems is almost unchanged in the frequency range of 102–105 Hz. It is related to the structural features of the filler particles, which ensure the existence of a minimal dielectric gradient between the matrix and the filler. It is found that the dielectric constant of the studied systems also shows percolation behavior. The obtained material based on the epoxy matrix is characterized by a high value of dielectric constant, which at a carbon black nanopowder content of 29% is 4680. This material is characterized by relative frequency invariance and a high value of dielectric constant, so it has great potential for practical application.
Flocking for Multiagent Systems with Partial Information Exchange Based on Inclusion Principle
Authors: Wei Hui , Chen Xuebo
Published: July 2020

This paper investigates the flocking problem of multi-agents with partial information exchange, which means that only part, but not all, of the agents are informed of the group objective. A distributed flocking model based on the inclusion principle is provided to simplify the design and analysis of multi-agent systems. Furthermore, to reduce the communication energy consumption, an improved flocking algorithm based on the model is proposed to achieve stable flocking for all the agents. The stability of the multi-agent system is then established, with the help of the Lyapunov stability theorem and LaSalle’s invariance principle. Especially, considering the individual heterogeneity in both nature and engineering applications, we also investigate the flocking problem of multi-agents with different sensing radiuses and equilibrium distances. Finally, two kinds of simulation results are presented to demonstrate the validity of the proposed results. This work provides an insight not only into the properties of the different species of individual flocking, but also into the theoretical framework for the engineering design of multi-agent systems considering individual heterogeneity.
Pattern and Extent of Street Food Consumption in Hohoe, Volta Region, Ghana: A Community-Based Cross-Sectional Survey
Authors: Baidoe Winnifred Ekua , Ananga Mark Kwame , Nyinaku Elorm Kwame
Published: July 2020

Background. For most people in developing countries, street food is a major source of sustenance, and Ghana is no exception. Street food vending has seen tremendous growth in Ghana as a result of the insurgence of urbanisation. Despite being one of the largest sectors of national economy in terms of employment and sales of food, very little is known about street food consumption patterns in Ghana. The current study explored the patterns and extent of street food consumption in the Hohoe township. Methods. A cross-sectional design which recruited 403 subjects through a multistage sampling technique. A semistructured questionnaire was used to gather information on demographics, types of street foods, extent of street food consumption, safety concerns, and diversity of street foods patronised. Means, standard deviations, and Chi-square tests were used to determine the association between selected variables at <0.05 level of significance. Results. The top 5 foods mostly patronised by respondents are porridge foods-Koko (17.9%), rice and stew (17.4%), banku (12.6%), waakye (11.5%), and kenkey (8.7%) with porridge foods consumed almost on a daily basis. Convenience (37.2%) and affordability (17.1%) greatly influenced the choice of street foods among consumers. Occupation and the level of education are strongly correlated with the concern for safety of street foods {(X2 = 17.3094, P<0.008); (X2 = 17.1731, P<0.002)}. The dietary diversity score of most respondents was in the high tercile (77.7%) (≥6 food groups), whilst the cereals dominate the food group mostly consumed by respondents. Conclusion. The study suggests that patronising street food is very high in Hohoe municipality, irrespective of the gender, occupation, or educational level. As an “informal” sector of food business, street foods often escape formal inspection and control. They can, therefore, both be the source of food safety problems and contribute to the deterioration of environmental hygiene. This is a call on policy makers and regulators to take a critical look at the sector.
Contribution of Rainfall on Rooftop Rainwater Harvesting and Saving on the Slopes of Mt. Elgon, East Africa
Authors: Bernard Barasa , Joyfred Asaba
Published: July 2020

Despite the achievements reported from using rainwater harvesting systems, the contribution and drawbacks that affect their usage in mountainous landscapes have received little attention. The uptake and usage of domestic rooftop rainwater harvesting systems (RRWHS) in developing countries is on the increase due to increasing water scarcities. We explored the effect of rainfall variability on water supply and the downsides of using the systems by rural households in Uganda. The objectives were to assess the variability of rainfall (1985–2018), categorise RRWHS used, and examine the influence of slope ranges on the placement of systems and also to quantify the harvested and saved rainwater and establish the factors that affected system usage. Rainfall variability was assessed using a Mann–Kendall test, while system contributions and drawbacks were examined using socioeconomic data. A representative of 444 households were selected using a multicluster sampling procedure and interviewed using semistructured questionnaires. Findings revealed that the months of March, April, September, August, and October experienced an upward trend of rainfall with a monthly coefficient of variation between 41 and 126%. With this, households responded by employing fixed (reinforced concrete tanks, corrugated iron tanks, and plastic tanks) and mobile RRWHS (saucepans, metallic drums/plastic drums, jerrycans, and clay pots). At the high altitude, households deployed mostly plastic jerrycans and industrial plastic/metallic drums to harvest and save water. Overall, the mean annual volume of rainwater harvested on the slopes of Mt. Elgon was 163,063 m3/yr, while the potential to save water ranged from 4% to 7% of the annual household water demand. The factors that hindered the deployment of RRWHS to harvest and save water were high operational costs, price fluctuations, unreliable rainfall pattern, inadequate funds, and limited accessibility. The rainfall received if well-harvested and saved can redeem households of water insecurity, though there is an urgent need of subsidies from the government to increase accessibility of the systems.
Protective Immunity against SARS Subunit Vaccine Candidates Based on Spike Protein: Lessons for Coronavirus Vaccine Development
Authors: Khalaj-Hedayati Atin
Published: July 2020

The recent outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease, COVID-19, has highlighted the threat that highly pathogenic coronaviruses have on global health security and the imminent need to design an effective vaccine for prevention purposes. Although several attempts have been made to develop vaccines against human coronavirus infections since the emergence of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) in 2003, there is no available licensed vaccine yet. A better understanding of previous coronavirus vaccine studies may help to design a vaccine for the newly emerged virus, SARS-CoV-2, that may also cover other pathogenic coronaviruses as a potentially universal vaccine. In general, coronavirus spike protein is the major antigen for the vaccine design as it can induce neutralizing antibodies and protective immunity. By considering the high genetic similarity between SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2, here, protective immunity against SARS-CoV spike subunit vaccine candidates in animal models has been reviewed to gain advances that can facilitate coronavirus vaccine development in the near future.
A Clean and Sustainable Cellulose‐Based Composite Film Reinforced with Waste Plastic Polyethylene Terephthalate
Authors: Xu Airong , Wang Yongxin , Xu Xingmin , Xiao Zhihong , Liu Rukuan
Published: July 2020

With the widespread use and increasing consumption of PET, the amount of waste PET is growing rapidly, and the accompanied environmental problems will become more and more serious. Therefore, the recycling and reuse of PET are of great significance for not only saving resources but also solving environmental issues. In this study, Methylcellulose (MC) composites reinforced with waste plastics polyethylene terephthalate (PET) were prepared by casting an MC/PET solution with a varying mass ratio of MC to PET. Systematic investigations were performed to reveal the effect of the MC/PET mass ratio on the mechanical property, chemical structure, and thermal properties. The resultant findings indicate that the addition of 3% waste plastics PET to MC could notably enhance the tensile strength by about 24% as compared with neat MC. Interestingly, the elongation of the MC/PET composite kept increasing with increasing waste plastics PET. At the same time, thermal compression treatment could also enhance the mechanical properties of the composite. Moreover, the composites also displayed higher thermal stability than MC. In addition, the crystallinity and morphology of the composite were estimated by XRD and SEM.
Feature Extraction of Double Pulse Metal Inert Gas Welding Based on Broadband Mode Decomposition and Locality Preserving Projection
Authors: Peng Yanfeng , Wang Zucheng , He Kuanfang , Liu Yanfei , Li Qingxian , Liu Liangjiang , Zhu Xianyu
Published: July 2020

A novel adaptive signal decomposition algorithm, broadband mode decomposition (BMD), is proposed for analyzing nonstationary broadband signals. Unavoidable error will occur when applying former time-frequency methods to broadband signals, which is caused by Gibbs phenomenon and the calculation of extrema. To overcome that problem, BMD is proposed by searching in the associative dictionary that contains both broadband and narrowband signals. The procedure of the proposed method is as follows: First, the collected datasets are analyzed by BMD and the composite multiscale fuzzy entropies (CMFEs) of the obtained effective components are calculated. Then, locality preserving projection (LPP) is applied for further feature extraction. Analysis results show BMD is more effective when drawing broadband feature from noise and BMD is adaptive for the quality monitoring of DPMIG welding.