bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Numerical Solution of Two-Dimensional Linear Fuzzy Fredholm Integral Equations by the Fuzzy Lagrange Interpolation
Authors: Nouriani H. , Ezzati R.
Published: December 2018

In this study, at first, we propose a new approach based on the two-dimensional fuzzy Lagrange interpolation and iterative method to approximate the solution of two-dimensional linear fuzzy Fredholm integral equation (2DLFFIE). Then, we prove convergence analysis and numerical stability analysis for the proposed numerical algorithm by two theorems. Finally, by some examples, we show the efficiency of the proposed method.
Evaluation of Arterial Stiffness Using Pulse Wave Velocity and Augmentation Index in Patients with Chronic Venous Insufficiency
Authors: Dogdus Mustafa , Akhan Onur , Ozyasar Mehmet , Yilmaz Ahmet , Altintas Mehmet Sait
Published: December 2018

Background and Objectives. Chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) is a common pathology of the circulatory system and is associated with a high morbidity for the patients and causes high costs for the healthcare systems. Arterial stiffness has been shown to be a predictor of cardiovascular events and mortality. The relationship between CVI and arterial stiffness using pulse wave velocity (PWV) and augmentation index (Aix) was evaluated in this study. Methods. Sixty-two patients with the stage of C3-C5 chronic venous disease (CVD) and 48 healthy subjects were enrolled in the study. To assess arterial stiffness, all cases were evaluated with I.E.M. Mobil-O-Graph brand ambulatory blood pressure monitor device. PWV and Aix were used to assess arterial stiffness in this study. Results. The mean age was 61.9±11.05 years and 54 % of the patient population was females. PWV and Aix were significantly higher in CVI patients than controls (8.92±1.65 vs. 8.03±1.43, p=0.001; 25.51±8.14 vs. 20.15±9.49, p=0.003, respectively) and also positive linear correlation was observed between CVI and all measured arterial stiffness parameters (r=0.675 for CVI and PWV, r=0.659 for CVI and Aix, respectively). A PWV value of > 9.2 has 88.9 % sensitivity and 71.4 % specificity to predict the presence of CVI. Conclusions. PWV and Aix are the most commonly used, easy, reproducible, reliable methods in the clinic to assess arterial stiffness. Logistic regression analysis showed that PWV and Aix were the independent predictors of CVI. PWV has the sensitivity of 88.9 % and specificity of 71.4 % to detect the presence of CVI.
Assessment of Acute Pain Management and Associated Factors among Emergency Surgical Patients in Gondar University Specialized Hospital Emergency Department, Northwest Ethiopia, 2018: Institutional Based Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Andualem Amare Agmas , Lema Girmay Fitiwi , Nigatu Yonas Addisu , Ahmed Seid Adem
Published: December 2018

Background. Adequate pain management has led to increased comfort in emergency patients, reducing morbidity and improving long term outcomes. Different pain management modalities have been applied in the emergency department among which systemic analgesia is commonly used by preceding a nerve block. Several factors have been associated with poor pain management in low resource setting areas. We aimed to determine pain management modalities and associated factors among emergency surgical patients. Patients and Methods. After obtaining ethical approval from Ethical Review Committee, 203 volunteer patients were enrolled. Institutional based cross-sectional prospective study was conducted from April to May 2018 in Gondar University Specialized Hospital Emergency Department. The severity of pain was measured through Numerical Rating Scale and statistical analysis was performed using SPSS statistical package version 23. Descriptive statistics cross-tab and binary logistics were performed to identify factors related to pain management in emergency department. Results. A total of 203 patients, 138 (68%) males and 65 (32%) females with response rate of 94%, participated in this study. Among them, 66% patients received analgesia within two hours of ED presentation with a mean ± SD of 61.0 ± 34.1 minutes. 70.4 % of patients complained of moderate and severe pain after receiving analgesia. There was a significant difference between trauma and nontrauma patients in mean time of analgesia receiving and residual pain severity (p < 0.001). Age, trauma, physician pain assessment, and severity of pain were the predicting factors for analgesia delivery. Conclusion. The overall practice of pain management in Gondar University Specialized Hospital Emergency Department was not adequate. Therefore, it is vital to implement an objective pain assessment method and documentation of the pain severity to improve pain management practice.
Quantifying the Robustness of Countries’ Competitiveness by Network‐Based Methods
Authors: Zhou Ming-Yang , Li Xiao-Yu , Xiong Wen-Man , Liao Hao
Published: December 2018

In economic researches, much effort was devoted to the problem of how to increase the economics of countries. However, the development of a country may fluctuate a lot due to international and domestic problems. Thus, we should also evaluate the robustness of countries against unexpected economic recessions. In this paper, we use perturbation to quantify the robustness of countries using two renowned algorithms: method of reflections (MR) and fitness‐complexity method (FCM). The robustness characterizes the stability of countries’ competitiveness against economic recessions. The experiments in the international trade networks show that FCM could characterize the robustness better than MR. High fitness countries of FCM have strong robustness against economic crises, which enlarges the application fields of FCM. Additionally, we simulate the trade conflict between USA and China. The simulation results show that China suffers much in the trade conflict, while USA loses very little and has strong robustness in this conflict.
Solitary Fibrous Tumor: Case Report of Intrapulmonary Location
Authors: Arsalane Adil , Zidane Abdelfetah , Fenane Hicham , Azami Amine , Essadi Ismail , Raissi Abderrahim , Lalya Issam , Msougar Yacine
Published: December 2018

Solitary fibrous tumors are relatively rare neoplasms that commonly occur in the pleura, especially visceral pleura. However, an intrapulmonary site of this kind of tumors is even rarer. These tumors can be characterized by a heterogeneous evolution and have a benign or malignant behavior. Wide surgical resection is essential to cure the patient and to avoid recurrence. We present here the clinical, imaging, and histological features of a case with solitary fibrous tumor growing inside the lung.
Subway‐Induced Vibration Measurement and Evaluation of the Structure on a Construction Site at Curved Section of Metro Line
Authors: Shi Weixing , Bai Ligang , Han Jianping
Published: December 2018

Metro property buildings developed rapidly in metropolitan cities over last several years in China. The subway‐induced vibration, which may influence the serviceability of the buildings and the comfortability of their occupants over or near the metro lines, has been paid more and more attention by professional and academic experts. Based on the vibration measurement data of a construction site over Shenzhen Metro line No. 1, this paper utilizes the reasonable and completed data processing method to handle and analyse the measured data. Through the analysis of the data, the subway‐induced vibration propagation trend of free field along the perpendicular direction to metro line was investigated. It is demonstrated that the subway‐induced vibration propagation along the perpendicular direction to metro line was damped out on free field as a whole. But there may exist “rebound phenomenon” at local zones. The responses on pile top and soil adjacent to pile in the vertical shaft along three directions were investigated, and their characteristics in time and frequency domains are compared. Comparison indicates that the subway‐induced vibration on pile top is stronger than soil site near the pile. The measurement results on free field reveal that the most obvious feature of this metro line with curved section is that the vibration along the perpendicular direction is stronger than the other directions. But the measurement results in the vertical shaft show that the vertical vibration mainly transferring through the pile and pile’s vibration in the vertical direction is dominant. Finally, the dynamic time‐history analysis of the building model under the measured acceleration was conducted. The analytical results show that the vibration response of two evaluation indicators increases with the decrease of damping ratio along all three directions. The vertical vibration is more dominant than other two directions at each floor of building. The vibration levels decrease with the increase of story number along vertical direction and firstly decrease and then increase with the increase of story number increasing along two lateral directions.
Cylindrical Shell with Junctions: Uncertainty Quantification of Free Vibration and Frequency Response Analysis
Authors: Hakula Harri , Kaarnioja Vesa , Laaksonen Mikael
Published: December 2018

Numerical simulation of thin solids remains one of the challenges in computational mechanics. The 3D elasticity problems of shells of revolution are dimensionally reduced in different ways depending on the symmetries of the configurations resulting in corresponding 2D models. In this paper, we solve the multiparametric free vibration of complex shell configurations under uncertainty using stochastic collocation with the p‐version of finite element method and apply the collocation approach to frequency response analysis. In numerical examples, the sources of uncertainty are related to material parameters and geometry representing manufacturing imperfections. All stochastic collocation results have been verified with Monte Carlo methods.
What Do Clinicians Who Deliver Maternity Services Think Patient-Centered Care Is and How Is That Different for Vulnerable Women? A Qualitative Study
Authors: Adams Ted , Sarnak Dana , Lewis Joy , Convissar Jeff , Young Scott S.
Published: December 2018

Background. Patient-centered care is said to have a myriad of benefits; however, there is a lack of agreement on what exactly it consists of and how clinicians should deliver it for the benefit of their patients. In the context of maternity services and in particular for vulnerable women, we explored how clinicians describe patient-centered care and how the concept is understood in their practice. Methods. We undertook a qualitative study using interviews and a focus group, based on an interview guide developed from various patient surveys focused around the following questions: (i) How do clinicians describe patient-centered care? (ii) How does being patient-centered affect how care is delivered? (iii) Is this different for vulnerable populations? And if so, how? We sampled obstetricians and gynecologists, midwives, primary care physicians, and physician assistants from a health management organization and fee for service clinician providers from two states in the US covering insured and Medicaid populations. Results. Building a relationship between clinician and patient is central to what clinicians believe patient-centered care is. Providing individually appropriate care, engaging family members, transferring information from clinician to patient and from patient to clinician, and actively engaging with patients are also key concepts. However, vulnerable women did not benefit from patient-centered care without first having some of their nonmedical needs met by their clinician. Discussion. Most providers did not cite the core concepts of patient-centered care as defined by the Institute of Medicine and others.
An Investigation of Direct Hydrocarbon (Propane) Fuel Cell Performance Using Mathematical Modeling
Authors: Parackal Bhavana , Khakdaman Hamidreza , Bourgault Yves , Ternan Marten
Published: December 2018

An improved mathematical model was used to extend polarization curves for direct propane fuel cells (DPFCs) to larger current densities than could be obtained with any of the previous models. DPFC performance was then evaluated using eleven different variables. The variables related to transport phenomena had little effect on DPFC polarization curves. The variables that had the greatest influence on DPFC polarization curves were all related to reaction rate phenomena. Reaction rate phenomena were dominant over the entire DPFC polarization curve up to 100 mA/cm2, which is a value that approaches the limiting current densities of DPFCs. Previously it was known that DPFCs are much different than hydrogen proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). This is the first work to show the reason for that difference. Reaction rate phenomena are dominant in DPFCs up to the limiting current density. In contrast the dominant phenomenon in hydrogen PEMFCs changes from reaction rate phenomena to proton migration through the electrolyte and to gas diffusion at the cathode as the current density increases up to the limiting current density.
A Hierarchical Matrix Decomposition‐Based Signcryption without Key‐Recovery in Large‐Scale WSN
Authors: Yuan Chi , Chen Wenping , Li Deying
Published: December 2018

The sensors in wireless sensor network (WSN) are vulnerable to malicious attacks due to the transmission nature of wireless media. Secure and authenticated message delivery with low energy consumption is one of the major aims in WSN. The identity‐based key authentication scheme is more suitable for the WSN. In this paper, the Hierarchical Matrix Decomposition‐based Signcryption (HMDS) algorithm was proposed, which is a kind of identity‐based authentication scheme. In HMDS scheme, three‐layer architecture, base station (BS), cluster head, and intracluster, is employed to adapt to the common structure of WSN. As the key generation center (KGC), the BS adopts matrix decomposition to generate the identification information and public key for cluster head, which not only reduces the cost of calculation and storage but also avoids the collusion attack. Experiments show that the HMDS algorithm has more advantages over other algorithms and is very suitable for the large‐scale WSN.
Professional Learning and Development of Postdoctoral Scholars: A Systematic Review of the Literature
Authors: Nowell Lorelli , Ovie Glory , Berenson Carol , Kenny Natasha , Hayden K. Alix
Published: December 2018

Increasing numbers of postdoctoral scholars are pursuing diverse career paths that require broad skill sets to ensure success. However, most postdoctoral professional learning and development initiatives are designed for academic careers and rarely include professional skills needed to flourish in nonacademic settings. The purpose of this systematic review was to comprehensively examine and synthesize evidence of professional learning and development pertaining to postdoctoral scholars. The systematic search resulted in 7,571 citations, of which 162 full-text papers were reviewed and 28 studies met our inclusion criteria and were included in this review. This paper synthesizes and classifies studies exploring professional learning and development of postdoctoral scholars. The findings may be used to inform the objectives of professional learning and development initiatives for postdoctoral scholars and contribute to a more rigorous approach to studying professional learning and development.
Applied Koopman Theory for Partial Differential Equations and Data‐Driven Modeling of Spatio‐Temporal Systems
Authors: Nathan Kutz J. , Proctor J. L. , Brunton S. L.
Published: December 2018

We consider the application of Koopman theory to nonlinear partial differential equations and data‐driven spatio‐temporal systems. We demonstrate that the observables chosen for constructing the Koopman operator are critical for enabling an accurate approximation to the nonlinear dynamics. If such observables can be found, then the dynamic mode decomposition (DMD) algorithm can be enacted to compute a finite‐dimensional approximation of the Koopman operator, including its eigenfunctions, eigenvalues, and Koopman modes. We demonstrate simple rules of thumb for selecting a parsimonious set of observables that can greatly improve the approximation of the Koopman operator. Further, we show that the clear goal in selecting observables is to place the DMD eigenvalues on the imaginary axis, thus giving an objective function for observable selection. Judiciously chosen observables lead to physically interpretable spatio‐temporal features of the complex system under consideration and provide a connection to manifold learning methods. Our method provides a valuable intermediate, yet interpretable, approximation to the Koopman operator that lies between the DMD method and the computationally intensive extended DMD (EDMD). We demonstrate the impact of observable selection, including kernel methods, and construction of the Koopman operator on several canonical nonlinear PDEs: Burgers’ equation, the nonlinear Schrödinger equation, the cubic‐quintic Ginzburg‐Landau equation, and a reaction‐diffusion system. These examples serve to highlight the most pressing and critical challenge of Koopman theory: a principled way to select appropriate observables.
Attentional Engagement for Pain-Related Information among Individuals with Chronic Pain: The Role of Pain Catastrophizing
Authors: Lee J. E. , Kim S. H. , Shin S. K. , Wachholtz A. , Lee J. H.
Published: December 2018

Although the evidence of the attentional bias of chronic pain individuals toward pain-related information is established in the literature, few studies examined the time course of attention toward pain stimuli and the role of pain catastrophizing on attentional engagement toward pain-related information. This study examined the time course of attention to pain-related information and the role of pain catastrophizing on attentional engagement for pain-related information. Participants were fifty young adult participants with chronic pain (35% male, 65% female; M = 21.8 years) who completed self-report questionnaires assessing pain catastrophizing levels (Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS)), depression (the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D)), anxiety (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI)), and pain disability (the Pain Disability Index: (PDI)). Attentional engagements to pain- and anger-related information were measured by the eye tracker. Significant interaction effects were found between (1) time and stimulus type for pain-related information (F (5, 245) = 11.55, p<0.001) and (2) bias scores and pain catastrophizing (F (1, 48) = 6.736, p<0.05). These results indicated that the degree of increase for pain bias scores were significantly greater than anger bias scores as levels of pain catastrophizing increased. Results of the present study provided the evidence for the attentional bias and information processing model which has clinical implications; high levels of pain catastrophizing may impair individuals’ ability to cope with chronic pain by increasing attentional engagement toward pain-related information. The present study can add knowledge to attentional bias and pain research as this study investigated the time course of attention and the role of pain catastrophizing on attentional engagement toward pain-related information for adults with chronic pain conditions.
Microwave Dielectric Properties of CCTO/PVA Composites
Authors: Graça M. P. F. , Sabóia K. D. A. , Amaral F. , Costa L. C.
Published: December 2018

The CaCu3Ti4O12 (CCTO) ceramic powder was inserted in the polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) polymeric matrix, with an increasing weight fraction of the filler, to form a flexible and high dielectric constant composite at the GHz region. The structural characterization of the samples was performed using X‐ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The complex permittivity was calculated by the small perturbation theory using two resonant cavities (2.7 GHz and 5.0 GHz). Several classical models (Maxwell Garnett, Lichtenecker, effective medium theory (EMT), and Yamada) were used to fit the real part of the complex permittivity of the composite as a function of the weight fraction of CCTO powder inserted in the PVA matrix. The best predictions for the dielectric behavior of these samples were obtained with the EMT and Yamada models.
Effect of PWHT on the Carbon Migration and Mechanical Properties of 2205DSS‐Q235 LBW Joint
Authors: Cao Fujun , Du Chengchao
Published: December 2018

The effect of postweld heat treatment (PWHT) on the carbon migration and mechanical properties of the 2205DSS‐Q235 laser beam welding (LBW) joint was investigated. The carbon‐rich zone (CRZ) and carbon‐depleted zone (CDZ) generated at the welding seam/Q235 (WS‐Q235) interface as the carbon migration occurred after heat‐treated at 600°C, 700°C, and 800°C for 1 h. The softening was found in the CDZ. Only the CRZ in joints heat‐treated at 800°C was hardened because of the retaining of high‐carbon untempered martensite. The thick CDZ in joints heat‐treated at 700°C and 800°C contributed to the tensile fracture and the low elongation. The strength of the joint was roughly determined by the hardness of the fracture zone.
Genotype Diversity of Newcastle Disease Virus in Nigeria: Disease Control Challenges and Future Outlook
Authors: Bello Muhammad Bashir , Yusoff Khatijah Mohd , Ideris Aini , Hair-Bejo Mohd , Peeters Ben P. H. , Jibril Abdurrahman Hassan , Tambuwal Farouk Muhammad , Omar Abdul Rahman
Published: December 2018

Newcastle disease (ND) is one of the most important avian diseases with considerable threat to the productivity of poultry all over the world. The disease is associated with severe respiratory, gastrointestinal, and neurological lesions in chicken leading to high mortality and several other production related losses. The aetiology of the disease is an avian paramyxovirus type-1 or Newcastle disease virus (NDV), whose isolates are serologically grouped into a single serotype but genetically classified into a total of 19 genotypes, owing to the continuous emergence and evolution of the virus. In Nigeria, molecular characterization of NDV is generally very scanty and majorly focuses on the amplification of the partial F gene for genotype assignment. However, with the introduction of the most objective NDV genotyping criteria which utilize complete fusion protein coding sequences in phylogenetic taxonomy, the enormous genetic diversity of the virus in Nigeria became very conspicuous. In this review, we examine the current ecological distribution of various NDV genotypes in Nigeria based on the available complete fusion protein nucleotide sequences (1662 bp) in the NCBI database. We then discuss the challenges of ND control as a result of the wide genetic distance between the currently circulating NDV isolates and the commonest vaccines used to combat the disease in the country. Finally, we suggest future directions in the war against the economically devastating ND in Nigeria.
Construction of a New Biometric-Based Key Derivation Function and Its Application
Authors: Seo Minhye , Park Jong Hwan , Kim Youngsam , Cho Sangrae , Lee Dong Hoon , Hwang Jung Yeon
Published: December 2018

Biometric data is user-identifiable and therefore methods to use biometrics for authentication have been widely researched. Biometric cryptosystems allow for a user to derive a cryptographic key from noisy biometric data and perform a cryptographic task for authentication or encryption. The fuzzy extractor is known as a prominent biometric cryptosystem. However, the fuzzy extractor has a drawback in that a user is required to store user-specific helper data or receive it online from the server with additional trusted channel, to derive a correct key. In this paper, we present a new biometric-based key derivation function (BB-KDF) to address the issues. In our BB-KDF, users are able to derive cryptographic keys solely from their own biometric data: users do not need any other user-specific helper information. We introduce a security model for the BB-KDF. We then construct the BB-KDF and prove its security in our security model. We then propose an authentication protocol based on the BB-KDF. Finally, we give experimental results to analyze the performance of the BB-KDF. We show that our proposed BB-KDF is computationally efficient and can be deployed on many different kinds of devices.
Enantioselective Lactonization of 3,3,6-Trimethyl-4(E)-heptenoic Acid Esters
Authors: Obara Robert , Łyczko Jacek , Szumny Antoni
Published: December 2018

Studies on the use of lactonization in the asymmetric synthesis of 6,6-dimethyl-4-isopropyl-3-oxabicyclo[3.1.0]hexan-2-one were described. An asymmetrically induced lactonization reaction was performed on 3,3,6-trimethyl-4(E)-heptenoic acid esters (1) and enantiomerically pure alcohols such as (−)-menthol (a), (+)-menthol (b), (−)-borneol (c), (+)-isomenthol (d), (−)-isopinocampheol (e), and (S)-(−)-1-(2-bornylphenyl)-1-ethanol (f). The enantiomerically pure alcohols that were used as ancillary chiral substances were characterized by markedly different values of induction power; menthol (a, b), borneol (c), and phenetyl alcohol (f) performed better in asymmetric δ-lactonization, whereas isomenthol (d) and isopinocampheol (e) tended to favor asymmetric γ-lactonization.
Comparing Balance Performance on Force Platform Measures in Individuals with Parkinson’s Disease and Healthy Adults
Authors: Harro Cathy C. , Kelch Amanda , Hargis Cora , DeWitt Abigail
Published: December 2018

Introduction. Postural instability is a known contributing factor to balance dysfunction and increased fall risk in those with Parkinson’s disease (PD). Computerized posturography employing a force platform system provides objective, quantitative assessments of postural control impairments. This study examines balance performance as measured by force platform (FP) tests in persons with PD compared to age-matched healthy adults. Secondarily, we examine if these FP measures provide diagnostic and clinically meaningful information about the underlying balance impairments in the PD population.Methods. Participants—42 individuals with PD (Hoehn and Yahr stage = 2.33 ± 0.77) and 55 age-matched healthy adults—were assessed on three standardized balance measures on a computerized force platform system. Between groups, comparisons of FP performance were analyzed using independentt-test. Within the group, comparisons for the PD cohort were analyzed using ANOVA for comparing disease stage and Mann–WhitneyUtest for PD subtypes.Results. The PD cohort demonstrated significantly greater postural instability on the sensory organization test (SOT) measures (P=0.013, CI-95% = 1.286 to 10.37) and slower movement velocity on the limits of stability (LOS) test (P=0.001, CI-95% = 0.597 to 1.595) than the healthy cohort, suggesting that these tests were sensitive to detect sensory integration and voluntary postural control deficits in the PD cohort. Within the PD group, the SOT differentiated between H&Y stages 1–3. The motor control test (MCT) detected changes in reactive postural control mainly in later disease stages. All three FP tests distinguished between PD subtypes, with thePosture Gait Instabilitysubtype demonstrating poorer balance performance thanTremor Dominantsubtype.Conclusion. These findings suggest FP measures provide clinically meaningful, diagnostic information in the examination of balance impairments in individuals with PD. FP measures may inform clinicians regarding intrinsic balance deficits and guide them in designing targeted balance interventions to reduce fall risk in persons with PD.
Burden of Sickle Cell Disease in Ghana: The Korle-Bu Experience
Authors: Asare Eugenia V. , Wilson Ivor , Benneh-Akwasi Kuma Amma A. , Dei-Adomakoh Yvonne , Sey Fredericka , Olayemi Edeghonghon
Published: December 2018

In Africa, sickle cell disease (SCD) is a major public health problem with over 200,000 babies born per year. In Ghana, approximately 15,000 (2%) of Ghanaian newborns are diagnosed with SCD annually. A retrospective review of medical records of all SCD patients aged 13 years and above, who presented to the sickle cell clinic at Ghana Institute of Clinical Genetics (GICG), Korle-Bu, from 1st January 2013 to 31st December 2014, was carried out, using a data abstraction instrument to document their phenotypes, demographics, attendance/clinic visits, pattern of attendance, and common complications seen. During the period under review 5,451 patients were seen at the GICG, with 20,788 clinic visits. The phenotypes were HbSS (55.7%) and HbSC (39.6%) with other sickle cell phenotypes (4.7%). Out of the 20,788 clinic visits, outpatient visits were 15,802 (76%), and urgent care visits were 4,986 (24%), out of which 128 (2.6%) patients were admitted to the Teaching Hospital for further management of their acute complications. There were 904 patient referrals (out of 5,451 patients) for specialist care; the 3 specialties that had the most referrals were Obstetrics and Gynaecology (168 patients), Orthopaedics (150 patients), and Ophthalmology (143 patients). In 2014, complications seen at KBTH included 53 patients with avascular necrosis (AVN) and 61 patients with chronic leg ulcers. Our centre has a large number of patients living with sickle cell disease. From our experience, early recognition and referral of sickle cell related complications can reduce morbidity and mortality associated with this disease. A multidisciplinary approach to care of SCD patients is therefore important.
Low‐Frequency Vibration Testing of Huge Bucket Wheel Excavator Based on Step‐Decay Signals
Authors: Jiang Y. Z. , Liu C. J. , Li X. J. , He K. F. , Xiao D. M.
Published: December 2018

The low‐frequency vibration of the bucket wheel excavator has an important impact on the fatigue life of the structures. For conventional vibration testing methods, it is difficult and expensive to excite the overall low‐frequency vibration of the whole machine. Hence, in this paper, the excitation method that uses the belt‐supporting rollers on the boom as an exciter is tried to excite the low‐frequency vibration, so that the low natural frequencies can be identified by Fourier transforming the free decay signals caused by the sudden power off. By this method, the first five natural frequencies are obtained, and the results are verified through corresponding computational numerical model of the bucket wheel excavator. It can be concluded that the proposed testing method can achieve the same accuracy but is much more convenient and costs less than existing methods.
Human Pose Recognition Based on Depth Image Multifeature Fusion
Authors: Wang Haikuan , Zhou Feixiang , Zhou Wenju , Chen Ling
Published: December 2018

The recognition of human pose based on machine vision usually results in a low recognition rate, low robustness, and low operating efficiency. That is mainly caused by the complexity of the background, as well as the diversity of human pose, occlusion, and self‐occlusion. To solve this problem, a feature extraction method combining directional gradient of depth feature (DGoD) and local difference of depth feature (LDoD) is proposed in this paper, which uses a novel strategy that incorporates eight neighborhood points around a pixel for mutual comparison to calculate the difference between the pixels. A new data set is then established to train the random forest classifier, and a random forest two‐way voting mechanism is adopted to classify the pixels on different parts of the human body depth image. Finally, the gravity center of each part is calculated and a reasonable point is selected as the joint to extract human skeleton. The experimental results show that the robustness and accuracy are significantly improved, associated with a competitive operating efficiency by evaluating our approach with the proposed data set.
Separation and Enrichment of Omega 3, 6, and 9 Fatty Acids from the By-Products of Vietnamese Basa Fish Processing using Deep Eutectic Solvent
Authors: Le Thi Thanh Xuan , Tran Hoai Lam , Cu Thanh Son , Ho Son Lam
Published: December 2018

Omega 3, 6, and 9 fatty acids were separated and enriched successfully from the by-products of Vietnamese Basa fish processing by the deep eutectic solvent. The total amounts of omega fatty acids were about 57% in the raw material, and they were amounted to 91% after the first separation by DES. The optimal mass ratio is 20 g methyl ester with 200 g methanol and 15–20 g DES. Moreover, the ionic liquid-DES was successfully synthesized with the molar ratio of choline chloride/urea of 1 : 1 and 2 : 1. The characteristics of DES were determined and demonstrated by FTIR, TGA, DSC, 1H-NMR, and 13C-NMR analysis methods.
UV Sensitivity of Indium‐Zinc Oxide Nanofibers
Authors: Markova Nadezhda , Berezina Olga , Avdeev Nikolay , Pergament Alexander
Published: December 2018

Indium‐zinc oxide (IZO) nanofiber matrices are synthesized on SiO2‐covered silicon substrates by the electrospinning method. The nanofibers’ dimensions, morphology, and crystalline structure are characterized by scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and X‐ray diffraction. The results of studying the electrical properties of nanofibers, as well as their sensitivity to UV radiation depending on the In‐to‐Zn concentration ratio, are presented. It is shown that the highest sensitivity to UV is observed at the indium content of about 50 atomic %. The photocurrent increment with respect to the dark current is more than 4 orders of magnitude. The response and recovery times are 60 and 500 sec, respectively. The results obtained suggest that IZO nanofibers can find application as UV sensors with improved characteristics.
Simulations of Higher‐Order Protein Organizations Using a Fuzzy Framework
Authors: Tüű-Szabó B. , Kóczy L. T. , Fuxreiter M.
Published: December 2018

Spatiotemporal regulation of the biochemical information is often linked to supramolecular organizations proteins and nucleic acids, the driving forces of which have yet to be elucidated. Although the critical role of multivalency in phase transition has been recognized, the organization principles of higher‐order structures need to be understood. Here, we present a fuzzy mathematical framework to handle the heterogeneity of interactions patterns and the resultant multiplicity of conformational states in protein assemblies. In this model, redundant binding motifs can establish simultaneous and partial interactions with multiple targets. We demonstrate that these multivalent, weak contacts facilitate polymer formation, while recapitulating the observed valency‐dependence. In addition, the impact of linker dynamics and motif binding affinity, as well as the interplay between the two effects was studied. Our results support that fuzziness is a critical factor in driving higher‐order protein organizations, and this could be used as a general framework to simulate different kinds of supramolecular assemblies.
Low‐Complexity Decentralized Active Damping of One‐Dimensional Structures
Authors: Hušek Petr , Svoboda Filip , Hromčík Martin , Šika Zbyněk
Published: December 2018

In the paper, we propose distributed feedback control laws for active damping of one‐dimensional mechanical structures equipped with dense arrays of force actuators and position and velocity sensors. We consider proportional position and velocity feedback from the neighboring nodes with symmetric gains. Achievable control performance with respect to stability margin and damping ratio is discussed. Compared to full‐featured complex controllers obtained by modern design methods like LQG, H‐infinity, or mu‐synthesis, these simplistic controllers are more suitable for experimental fine tuning and are less case‐dependent, and they shall be easier to implement on the target future smart‐material platforms.
Modelling of Wind Pressure Coefficients on C-Shaped Building Models
Authors: Mallick Monalisa , Mohanta Abinash , Kumar Awadhesh , Raj Vivek
Published: December 2018

Designs of buildings are changing with emerging demands of several aesthetical features and efficient design based on geometry. Development of new building materials and construction techniques have enabled us to build new buildings which are tall and unsymmetrical, but unfortunately such structures are more susceptible to wind loads. Thus it becomes necessary to estimate wind loads with higher degree of confidence. Although ample information regarding wind load on symmetrical and regular structure is available in various international codes, they lack the study of effect of wind forces on unsymmetrical structures. This paper presents experimental and numerical studies of the wind effect on commonly used C-shaped buildings with varying aspect ratio and its optimization caused by the alteration of angle of incidence. Furthermore, results obtained by numerical analysis have been validated with the experimental one. For this study, numerical analysis has been carried out using ANSYS Fluent with k-ε model of turbulence. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) techniques is used to evaluate the surface pressure on various faces of the model for angle of attack of 0° to 180° at an interval of 30° in a subsonic open circuit wind tunnel. The results found by CFD technique are well compared with the experimental results which suggest the feasibility of using this technique of predicting wind pressures on building efficiently and accurately.
Comparative Transcriptome Analysis of Temperature-Induced Green Discoloration in Garlic
Authors: Li Ningyang , Qiu Zhichang , Lu Xiaoming , Shi Bingchao , Sun Xiudong , Tang Xiaozhen , Qiao Xuguang
Published: December 2018

Green discoloration is one of the most important problems that cause low quality of product in the processing of garlic, which can be induced by low-temperature stress. But the mechanism of low temperature-induced green discoloration is poorly understood. In the present study, the control garlic and three low temperature-treated garlic samples (stored at 4°C with 10, 15, and 40 days, respectively) were used for genome-wide transcriptome profiling analysis. A total of 49280 garlic unigenes with an average length of 1337 bp were de novo assembled, 20231 of which were achieved for functional annotation. When being suffered from 10, 15, and 40 days of low-temperature treatment, an increased degree of discoloration was observed, and a total of 4757, 4401, and 2034 unigenes showed a differential expression, respectively. Finally, 5923 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were found to respond to the low-temperature stress, of which 3921 were identified in at least two treatments. Among these stress-responsive unigenes, there were large numbers of enzyme-encoding genes, which significantly enriched the pathway “proteasome,” many genes of which are potentially involved in the garlic discoloration, such as 7 alliinase-encoding genes, 5 γ-glutamyltranspeptidase-encoding genes, and 1 δ-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase-encoding gene. These stress-responsive enzyme-encoding genes are possibly responsible for the low-temperature-induced garlic discoloration. The identification of large numbers of DEGs provides a basis for further elucidating the mechanism of low-temperature-induced green discoloration in garlic.
Design and Implementation of Plastic Deformation Behavior by Cartesian Impedance Control Based on Maxwell Model
Authors: Fu Le , Zhao Jie
Published: December 2018

Compliance has become one prerequisite of robots designed to work in complex operation environment where dynamic and uncertain physical contact or impact takes place frequently and even intentionally. Impedance control is a typical complaint control methodology. Standard impedance control is based on dynamics described by a spring and damper model connected in parallel way, which endues the robot an elastic behavior. In contrast, plastic deformation can be realized by Maxwell model in which spring and damper connect in series. In this study, a novel Cartesian impedance controller is constructed based on the Maxwell model. Implementation in a robot manipulator is executed to validate and analyze the proposed control law. A plastic deformation behavior of the robot manipulator is produced and certain extent compliance is achieved under the unpredictable impact or contact force exerted by human or other environment objects.
Social Spider Optimization Algorithm: Modifications, Applications, and Perspectives
Authors: Luque-Chang Alberto , Cuevas Erik , Fausto Fernando , Zaldívar Daniel , Pérez Marco
Published: December 2018

Swarm intelligence (SI) is a research field which has recently attracted the attention of several scientific communities. An SI approach tries to characterize the collective behavior of animal or insect groups to build a search strategy. These methods consider biological systems, which can be modeled as optimization processes to a certain extent. The Social Spider Optimization (SSO) is a novel swarm algorithm that is based on the cooperative characteristics of the social spider. In SSO, search agents represent a set of spiders which collectively move according to the biological behavior of the colony. In most of SI algorithms, all individuals are modeled considering the same properties and behavior. In contrast, SSO defines two different search agents: male and female. Therefore, according to the gender, each individual is conducted by using a different evolutionary operation which emulates its biological role in the colony. This individual categorization allows reducing critical flaws present in several SI approaches such as incorrect exploration-exploitation balance and premature convergence. After its introduction, SSO has been modified and applied in several engineering domains. In this paper, the state of the art, improvements, and applications of the SSO are reviewed.
Grading of Neuroendocrine Carcinomas: Correlation of 68Ga-PET/CT Scan with Tissue Biomarkers
Authors: Liverani Chiara , Bongiovanni Alberto , Mercatali Laura , Foca Flavia , Pieri Federica , De Vita Alessandro , Spadazzi Chiara , Miserocchi Giacomo , Recine Federica , Riva Nada , Nicolini Silvia , Severi Stefano , Martinelli Giovanni , Ibrahim Toni
Published: December 2018

There is a growing need for more accurate biomarkers to facilitate the diagnosis and prognosis of patients with grade (G) 3 neuroendocrine carcinomas (NECs). In particular, the discrimination between well-differentiated neuroendocrine carcinomas (WD-NECs) and poorly differentiated neuroendocrine carcinomas (PD-NECs) is still an unmet need. We previously showed that 68Gallium-(68Ga-) PET/CT positivity is a prognostic factor in patients with gastroenteropancreatic (GEP) G3 NECs, correlating with a better outcome in terms of overall survival. Here, we hypothesize that 68Ga-PET/CT could help to discriminate between WD-NECs and PD-NECs, adding complementary information to that obtained from morphologic and biologic factors. A retrospective, single-institution study was performed on 11 patients with histologically confirmed, measurable G3 large- or small-cell GEP-NECs according to the 2017 WHO classification. The staging procedures included a 68Ga-PET/CT scan. Results of 68Ga-PET/CT were correlated in univariate analysis with loss of tissue immunohistochemical expression of DAXX/ATRX or RB1 frequently associated with WD-NECs or PD-NECs, respectively. None of the patients with positive 68Ga-PET/CT showed loss of RB1 expression, whereas among those (n=6) with negative 68Ga-PET/CT, 4 showed loss of expression. A trend towards a correlation between loss of RB1 expression and negative 68Ga-PET/CT was observed. Our preliminary data support the hypothesis that PD-NECs carrying RB1 mutation and loss of its expression may be associated with negative 68Ga-PET/CT. If confirmed in a larger clinical trial, 68Ga-PET/CT would help in the stratification of G3 NECs.
User Evaluation of the Smartphone Screen Reader VoiceOver with Visually Disabled Participants
Authors: Smaradottir Berglind F. , Håland Jarle A. , Martinez Santiago G.
Published: December 2018

Touchscreen assistive technology is designed to support speech interaction between visually disabled people and mobile devices, allowing hand gestures to interact with a touch user interface. In a global perspective, the World Health Organization estimates that around 285 million people are visually disabled with 2/3 of them over 50 years old. This paper presents the user evaluation of VoiceOver, a built-in screen reader in Apple Inc. products, with a detailed analysis of the gesture interaction, familiarity and training by visually disabled users, and the system response. Six participants with prescribed visual disability took part in the tests in a usability laboratory under controlled conditions. Data were collected and analysed using a mixed methods approach, with quantitative and qualitative measures. The results showed that the participants found most of the hand gestures easy to perform, although they reported inconsistent responses and lack of information associated with several functionalities. User training on each gesture was reported as key to allow the participants to perform certain difficult or unknown gestures. This paper also reports on how to perform mobile device user evaluations in a laboratory environment and provides recommendations on technical and physical infrastructure.
Fault Diagnosis of Bearings with Adjusted Vibration Spectrum Images
Authors: Qiu Mingquan , Li Wei , Zhu Zhencai , Jiang Fan , Zhou Gongbo
Published: December 2018

In order to diagnose bearing faults under different operating state and limited sample condition, a fault diagnosis method based on adjusted spectrum image of vibration signal is proposed in this paper. Firstly, the Davies–Bouldin index (DBI) is employed to select a proper capture focus (CF) and image size, and the spectrum of vibration signal is computed via fast Fourier transformation (FFT) and adjusted according to the average rotating speed. Then, the spectrum is plotted and captured as a two‐dimensional (2D) image with the optimized CF and image size. Two‐dimensional principal component analysis (2DPCA) is used to reduce the dimension of images, and finally a nearest neighbour method is applied to classify the faults of bearings. Two experiments are carried out to validate the effectiveness of the proposed method. Besides, a further investigation on the effect of spectrum frequency resolution is conducted and a recommended selection method of frequency resolution is given based on the experimental performances. In our method, the training samples could be from only one operating condition, while the testing samples are from all possible operation conditions. All experiment results have demonstrated that the proposed method could achieve high classification accuracy even with very limited training samples.
The Structures, Spectroscopic Properties, and Photodynamic Reactions of Three [RuCl(QN)NO]−Complexes (HQN = 8-Hydroxyquinoline and Its Derivatives) as Potential NO-Donating Drugs
Authors: Xie Leilei , Liu Lifang , Wang Wenming , Ma Zhiou , Xu Liqun , Zhao Xuan , Wang Hongfei
Published: December 2018

The structures and spectral properties of three ruthenium complexes with 8-hydroxyquinoline (Hhqn) and their derivatives 2-methyl-8-quinolinoline (H2mqn) and 2-chloro-8-quiolinoline (H2cqn) as ligands (QN = hqn, 2mqn, or 2cqn) were calculated with density functional theory (DFT) at the B3LYP level. The UV-Vis and IR spectra of the three [RuCl(QN)NO]−complexes were theoretically assigned via DFT calculations. The calculated spectra reasonably correspond to the experimentally measured spectra. Photoinduced NO release was confirmed through spin trapping of the electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy (EPR), and the dynamic process of the NO dissociation upon photoirradiation was monitored using time-resolved infrared (IR) spectroscopy. Moreover, the energy levels and related components of frontier orbitals were further analyzed to understand the electronic effects of the substituent groups at the 2nd position of the ligands on their photochemical reactivity. This study provides the basis for the design of NO donors with potential applications in photodynamic therapy.