bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Regenerative cell therapy for the treatment of hyperbilirubinemic Gunn rats with fresh and frozen human induced pluripotent stem cells‐derived hepatic stem cells
Authors: Fourrier Angélique , Delbos Frédéric , Menoret Séverine , Collet Camille , Thi Thuy Linh Trinh , Myara Anne , Petit François , Tolosa Laia , Laplanche Sophie , Gómez‐Lechón María José , Labrune Philippe , Anegon Ignacio , Vallier Ludovic , Garnier Delphine , Nguyen Tuan Huy
Published: July 2019

Pluripotent stem cells have been investigated as a renewable source of therapeutic hepatic cells, in order to overcome the lack of transplantable donor hepatocytes. Whereas different studies were able to correct hepatic defects in animal models, they focused on the most mature phenotype of hepatocyte‐like cells (HLCs) derived from pluripotent stem cells and needed freshly prepared cells, which limits clinical applications of HLCs. Here, we report the production of hepatic stem cells (pHSCs) from human‐induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) in xeno‐free, feeder‐free, and chemically defined conditions using as extracellular matrix a recombinant laminin instead of Matrigel, an undefined animal‐derived matrix. Freshly prepared and frozen pHSCs were transplanted via splenic injection in Gunn rats, the animal model for Crigler‐Najjar syndrome. Following cell transplantation and daily immunosuppression treatment, bilirubinemia was significantly decreased (around 30% decrease, P < .05) and remained stable throughout the 6‐month study. The transplanted pHSCs underwent maturation in vivo to restore the deficient metabolic hepatic function (bilirubin glucuronidation by UGT1A1). In conclusion, we demonstrate for the first time the differentiation of hiPSCs into pHSCs that (a) are produced using a differentiation protocol compatible with Good Manufacturing Practices, (b) can be frozen, and (c) are sufficient to demonstrate in vivo therapeutic efficacy to significantly lower hyperbilirubinemia in a model of inherited liver disease, despite their immature phenotype. Thus, our approach provides major advances toward future clinical applications and would facilitate cell therapy manufacturing from human pluripotent stem cells.
Model Input and Output Dimension Reduction Using Karhunen–Loève Expansions With Application to Biotransport
Authors: Alexanderian Alen , Reese William , Smith Ralph C. , Yu Meilin
Published: July 2019

We consider biotransport in tumors with uncertain heterogeneous material properties. Specifically, we focus on the elliptic partial differential equation (PDE) modeling the pressure field inside the tumor. The permeability field is modeled as a log-Gaussian random field with a prespecified covariance function. We numerically explore dimension reduction of the input parameter and model output. Specifically, truncated Karhunen–Loève (KL) expansions are used to decompose the log-permeability field, as well as the resulting random pressure field. We find that although very high-dimensional representations are needed to accurately represent the permeability field, especially in presence of small correlation lengths, the pressure field is not sensitive to high-order KL terms of the input parameter. Moreover, we find that the pressure field itself can be represented accurately using a KL expansion with a small number of terms. These observations are used to guide a reduced-order modeling approach to accelerate computational studies of biotransport in tumors.
Development of In-Service Inspection Rules for Liquid-Metal Cooled Reactors Using the System Based Code Concept
Authors: Takaya Shigeru , Asayama Tai , Yada Hiroki , Thomas Roberts A. , Schaaf Frank J.
Published: July 2019

Inservice inspection rules for liquid-metal cooled plants were historically provided by Section XI, Division 3 of the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code. However, some parts of the Code, such as acceptance standards for the examination of class 1 and 2 components remained as being in the course of preparation. Although no major revisions were made to Division 3 since the first issue in 1980, a newly developed and published Code Case N-875 now provides alternative examinations to the methods previously contained in Division 3. The Code Case was developed using the System Based Code (SBC) concept pursuing rationalization of codes and standards based on reliability targets throughout a plant's service life. In this paper, an overview of the Code Case is presented. The technical foundation to establish the applicability of these alternative examinations as delineated in the Code Case consists of stage I and II evaluations with compensating individual considerations. Stage I is a structural integrity evaluation without the contribution of inservice inspections, while stage II is evaluation of the detectability of a postulated flaw. Not only conventional direct detection methods, but also indirect detection methods are permitted to be employed through the stage II evaluation. Furthermore, the detailed evaluation procedures are illustrated through the application of the Code Case's evaluation criteria to the primary heat transport piping system of a prototype sodium-cooled fast breeder reactor in Japan, specifically Monju.
Forced Convection Heat Transfer of a Giesekus Fluid in Circular Micro-Channels Subjected to a Constant Wall Temperature
Authors: Norouzi M. , Rezaie M. R.
Published: July 2019

In this paper, an exact analytical solution for forced convective heat transfer of nonlinear viscoelastic fluid in isothermal circular micro-channel is presented. The nonlinear Giesekus constitutive equation is used to model the Giesekus fluid heat transfer in micro-channel with constant wall temperature, which is the main innovative aspect of the current study. This constitutive equation is a powerful tool and able to model the fractional viscometric functions, extensional viscosity, and elastic property. The solution of temperature profile and Nusselt number is obtained based on the Frobenius method. The effects of Weissenberg number, mobility factor, slip coefficient, and Navier index on temperature distribution, velocity profile, and Nusselt number are investigated in detail. The results show that the increases in both slip coefficient and Navier index cause the increases in slip velocity and maximum dimensionless temperature at the wall and the micro-channel center, respectively. Moreover, the Nusselt number has an upward trend with increases in slip coefficient and Navier index parameters. The results are indicated that the flow and temperature fields have a complex relation with mobility factor which controls the level of the nonlinearity of the Giesekus model. Additionally, three correlations for Nusselt number of Giesekus flow in micro-channel are presented.
Effects of Hall Current and Magnetic Field Inclination on Hydromagnetic Natural Convection Flow in a Micro-Channel With Asymmetric Thermal Boundary Condition
Authors: Jha Basant K. , Malgwi Peter B.
Published: July 2019

This study examines the impact of induced magnetic field and Hall current on steady fully developed hydromagnetic natural convection flow in a micro-channel under the action of an inclined magnetic field. The mathematical model responsible for the present physical situation is presented in a dimensionless form under relevant boundary conditions. The governing coupled equations are solved exactly. A parametric study of some physical parameters is conducted and a representative set of numerical results for the velocity field, the induced magnetic field, induced current density, volume flow rate, and skin friction on the micro-channel surfaces are illustrated graphically. It is observed that magnetic field inclination plays an important role in flow formation inside the micro-channel. Numerical computation reveals that the increase in inclination angle reduces the hydromagnetic drag leading to enhancement in primary fluid velocity, while the impact is just converse on the secondary fluid velocity. Furthermore, the increase in Hall current parameter increases the magnitude of the fluid velocity in both primary and secondary flow directions.
Numerical Investigation of Nonisothermal Cavitating Flows on Hydrofoils by Means of an Extended Schnerr–Sauer Model Coupled With a Nucleation Model
Authors: De Giorgi Maria Grazia , Ficarella Antonio , Fontanarosa Donato
Published: July 2019

This work aimed to investigate cavitating flows of water, liquid hydrogen, and nitrogen on hydrofoils numerically, using the open source code openfoam. The Eulerian homogeneous mixture approach has been used, consisting in a mass transfer model, which is based on the combination of a two-phase incompressible unsteady solver with a volume of fluid interface tracking method. Thermal effects have been introduced by means of the activation of energy equation and latent heat source terms plus convective heat source term. The dependency of the saturation conditions to the temperature has been defined using Antoine-like equations. An extended Schnerr–Sauer model based on the classical nucleation theory (CNT) has been implemented for the computation of the interfacial mass transfer rates. In order to investigate the nucleation effects, an extension of the CNT has been considered by coupling the population balance equation (PBE)/extended quadrature-based method of moments with the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model, which has been defined in combination with a transport equation for the nuclei density. Results showed that nucleation determined a nonuniform field of nuclei density so as to produce a reduction of the temperature drop inside the vapor bubbles, as well as a warmed wake downstream the vapor cavity. Unsteady computations also revealed an influence of the nucleation on the dynamics of the vapor cavity and the bubble detachment.
Manufacturing of Extremely Low D/t LSAW Welded Pipe
Authors: Patel Jigar , Chauhan Gautam , Goyal Devendra , Mehta Harshal , Chauhan Gagandeep
Published: July 2019

Critical offshore pipelines require extremely low D/t (Outer diameter to wall thickness ratio) pipes, that pose a manufacturing challenge using conventional practices and operational toolings. Such pipes are most often manufactured through the seamless route, due to the D/t ratio. But seamless pipe are more expensive as compared to welded pipes, along with having higher lead times due to fewer manufacturers. There is also a concern with the uniformity of wall thickness throughout the pipe body due to the manufacturing process, but with an advantage of better properties citing homogenous composition due to absence of a weld seam. Though in the last couple of decades, owing to advances in the welding technology, the weld seam of a welded pipe has proved to be superior to the base metal plates/coils in terms of its strength integrity.

To manufacture such pipes through the LSAW (Longitudinal Submerged Arc Welded) process requires major overhauling and process modifications at practically all the stages of the process flow. The low diameter and high wall thickness become very demanding when it comes to bending the plate and then welding (SAW) from the inside due to space constraints.

This paper describes in detail the challenges faced and overcoming of the difficulties in manufacturing an 18″ diameter, 35 mm wall thickness LSAW pipe (D/t ratio of 13) for a major oil & gas player, by development of new designed toolings for various equipment like plate crimping, pipe forming and mechanical expander; new lubrication oil; and optimizing the process parameters, as the major factors contributing to success. The tooling design modifications were done in-house, along with the development of a new lubrication oil and its treatment in plant. This enabled Welspun Corp to surpass the equipment capacities prescribed by the OEMs, and set a new benchmark in the industry for the production of extremely low D/t welded pipes, with excellent mechanical properties along with impeccable pipe dimensions.
Deepwater Pipelines: Design, Installation and Testing
Authors: Pandit Saurav , Kishore Raj
Published: July 2019

Hydrocarbons are the major source of energy in the world. While the global energy demand continues to rise, the shallow water hydrocarbon reserves currently under production are getting exhausted. This has encouraged all major E&P (Exploration & Production) companies around the world to look towards exploration and development of newer deepwater offshore reserves, hitherto largely left untouched. Furthermore, gas reserves-rich nations are also showing a keen interest in exploring new gas markets to boost their exports and, in the process, provide a solution to the energy scarcity of other parts of the world.

The two factors mentioned above — the need for newer energy reserves and the urge to tap new energy markets — coupled with the safety, reliability, and cost-effectiveness of pipelines have contributed to the growing number of deepwater gas pipeline projects being executed around the world.

“Deepwater Pipelines” per se is not a new concept. Many deepwater pipelines have already been installed in different parts of the world. However, for the Indian energy sector, this is a relatively new development, with the exception of KG basin deepwater pipelines. The Indian government’s HELP (Hydrocarbon Exploration and Leasing Policy) and proposed trans-national submarine gas pipelines are likely to serve as the harbingers of future deepwater pipeline projects in Indian oil & gas sector.

Although the technical and codal requirements for deepwater pipelines are the same as that applicable for any shallow water offshore pipeline, there are a few nuances that must be considered extremely important to successfully implement any deepwater pipeline project. This paper elucidates the deepwater pipeline considerations such as pipeline route selection, flow assurance, line pipe material & wall thickness selection, pipeline installation analysis, seabed intervention techniques, alternative integrity validation (AIV) etc.
Development of API 5L X70 Grade Steel Through Thin Slab Casting and Rolling Process
Authors: Sam Srimanta , Kant Neel , Hazra Sujoy S.
Published: July 2019

API 5L grade steel is mainly used for oil and gas transportation. The economy of gas transportation via pipeline demands for high operating pressures and large pipe diameters in order to improve transportation capacity which requires heavy thickness and/or high grade of the steel. This pushed the steelmakers to develop high strength steels (HSS) with superior metallurgical and mechanical (strength, toughness and ductility) properties in order to allow exploitation in hostile environments. The technology of production of API 5L grade through conventional thick slab process is matured enough as it gives flexibility of using higher %C, lower casting speed, high slab thickness (200–250 mm), higher reheating temperature and time, high reduction etc. However due to slower cooling rate during liquid to γ transformation, possibilities of centerline segregation defect increases. Thin slab technology (TSCR), on the other side allows a reduction in energy consumption (because of lower slab thickness and elimination of reheating process), with consequent benefits in terms of production costs and pollution reductions. But producing API X65 and above though TSCR route with subzero impact and DWTT is a challenge because of the difficulties in achieving a refined and homogeneous microstructure due to lower reduction ratio from slab to finish sheet thickness. This paper aims to give an overview of recent developments of high strength pipe steel grades as API 5L X70 through TSCR route. Information regarding the metallurgy and processing, such as chemical composition, microstructural design, thermo-mechanical controlled process (TMCP) and accelerated cooling process (AcC), to achieve the target strength, ductility and toughness properties are discussed. Mechanical properties are well above the requirement of X70 at HR stage as well as after pipe formation. Excellent Impact and DWTT is achieved up to −40° C.
New Materials for Protection of City Gas Distribution Networks
Authors: Dasgupta Chanchal
Published: July 2019

Polyethylene pipes and Steel pipes with 3LPE coatings are integral part of a citygas distribution network. These are being used in India since late 80’s. Standard MDPE and HDPE materials are Butene copolymers of Ethylene, where Butene (C4) is added as comonomer to form the side branches of linear Polyethylene (C2) chains. The research on PE materials have improved various attributes of the polymer, providing them with higher durability, pressure resistance and service life.

One such development is use of Hexene (C6) as a copolymer replacing Butene (C4) to make an Ethylene Hexene copolymer providing superior resistance to mechanical damages and slow crack growth during installation and service. For PE100 Orange pipe materials for low / medium pressure distribution system, the new hexene PE copolymer, offers much superior resistance to slow crack growth. Hence it is ideal for Trenchless installations like HDD or pipe bursting, where pulling the pipe through the bore in the ground may substantially notch and scratch the pipe or coating. Using a Hexene PE service life of the pipe is not affected despite the demanding installation techniques due to higher entanglement of polymer chains. These types of PE materials are already being used by Indian CGD Industry for past 2–3 years.

For 3LPE coated steel pipes for high pressure gas mains as well as trunk lines, Hexene based Black PE top coat has been adopted by several Gas companies. This is mainly due to two advantages. They offer a higher upper design temperature limit of +90 C (compared to +80 C as per international specification (ISO21809-1). They also offer material savings as 10% lower thickness compared to standard PE top coat is able to meet and exceed all system requirements. The paper deals with the mechanism of these new polymers that helps to offer these superior properties.
City Gas Distribution Challenges to Indraprastha Gas Limited (IGL) From Electrical Aspects
Authors: Chaudhary Sushant K. , Deb Amit Kumar
Published: July 2019

Indraprastha Gas Limited (IGL) is India’s biggest organization in the field of City Gas Distribution (CGD) and this has happened by overcoming the several challenges from the electrical aspect also. Following are some of the initiatives taken from the electrical aspects to contribute in the growth of the company:

1. Installation and commissioning of the CNG set-up at Retail Outlets (RO) of the Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) and Dealer Owned Dealer Operated (DODO) sites.

2. In-house installation and commissioning of the UPS with redundancy scheme at CNG re-fueling stations.

3. In-house installation and commissioning of the LED lights in place of the conventional lights (MH/HPMV).

4. In-house installation and commissioning of the Gas Generators in place of Diesel Generators.

5. In-house installation and commissioning of the 15HP VFDs in place of conventional motor starters for running the air compressors and specific engine driven gas compressors (1200 SCMH) through Gas Generators.

6. In-house installation and commissioning of the 11KV/0.4KV Package Sub-Station (PSS) of different ratings.
Online Leak Arrest in Valve: A Case Study
Authors: Dixit Anurag , Tanna Nilesh
Published: July 2019

Pipeline integrity is essential for reliable pipeline operations, for preventing expensive downtime and failures resulting in leaking or spilling oil / gas content to the environment. Leaks can cost industries millions of dollars in loss of energy, while increasing emissions, creating safety hazards, and lowering the reliability of operations. Valves and piping systems can fail in a number of ways. Pipelines are widely used for transportation of fluids like oil & natural gas over long distances to the power plants, public supplies and various industries due to safety, efficiency and low cost. High pressure pipelines are generally buried below the ground level for safety, economic and environmental purposes. For smooth and safe operation of pipeline, there are some associated facilities underground as well above ground facilities like Valves, IJ, Fittings, Launcher & Receiver known as pipeline system. To maintain the integrity of the pipeline system, these facilities need periodic maintenance for their effective operability up to their design life. Valves are one the critical component of the pipeline system and failure of it may cause serious hazard and reduce the control over the various parameters like flow & pressure in the pipeline. Shutting down to repair the leak means a loss in associated industry’s production leading to revenue loss.

Darod - Jafarabad Pipeline (DJPL) is one the Natural Gas Pipeline laid by Gujarat State Petronet Limited (GSPL) to transport natural gas in the coastal region of Saurashtra in Gujarat. DJPL is a 212 KM long pipeline with 10 nos. of SV stations. There was leakage observed from bolted body of Ball Valve installed at Intermediate Pigging Station (IPS) and SV-6 of DJPL and these valves are butt welded and in upstream side which need shutdown of pipeline for maintenance or replacement. Maintenance of valve becomes critical, if there is gas leakage from valve body and the pipeline operation cannot be obstructed due to commitment with downstream customers. In such a situation, Stopple-in is the method to isolate the valve without obstructing / shutting the flow in the pipeline. The valves were in upstream side wherein replacement of valve was done by Stopple-in and Cross plugging method. However, gas leakage was from valve body so that hot work (i.e. pipe cutting) for stopple-in was also a challenge. To arrest the leak from bolted section of valve body, sealant injection methodology was adopted. Before applying this technology on high pressure live pipeline, GSPL insisted to perform the demonstration on prototype arrangement. This prototype was manufactured in the way that it has a manmade leakage point. After sealant injection in the system to arrest the leak, system was kept under high pressure of 55 Bar(g) for 24 hours. During demonstration, system sustained the pressure without any failure at leakage point. After successful demonstration, said methodology applied on leakage valve installed on high pressure line without any shutdown to arrest the leak.
Impact of encapsulation method on the adsorbate induced electrical instability of monolayer graphene
Authors: Kalkan Sırrı Batuhan , Yanilmaz Alper , Çelebi Cem
Published: July 2019

Monolayer graphene transferred onto a set of silicon carbide (SiC) substrates was encapsulated with a thin SiO2 film in order to prevent its interaction with atmospheric adsorbates. The encapsulation of graphene samples was realized by using two different thin film growth methods such as thermal evaporation (TE) and state-of-the-art pulsed electron deposition (PED). The encapsulation efficiency of these two techniques on the structural and electrical characteristics of graphene was compared with each other. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis showed that unlike the SiO2 thin film grown with PED, structural defects like cracks were readily formed on TE grown films due to the lack of surface wettability. The electronic transport measurements revealed that the electrical resistivity of graphene has been increased by two orders of magnitude, and the carrier mobility has been subsequently decreased upon the encapsulation process with the PED method. However, in-vacuum transient photocurrent spectroscopy (TPS) measurements conducted for short periods and a few cycles showed that the graphene layer encapsulated with the PED grown SiO2 film is electrically far more stable than the one encapsulated with TE grown SiO2 film. The results of TPS measurements were related to the SEM images to unravel the mechanism behind the improved electrical stability of graphene samples encapsulated with the PED grown SiO2 film.
Fabrication of suspended antenna-coupled nanothermocouples
Authors: Szakmany Gergo P. , Orlov Alexei O. , Bernstein Gary H. , Porod Wolfgang
Published: July 2019

The authors present the fabrication of suspended antenna-coupled nanothermocouples (ACNTCs) over a cavity formed from an Si substrate by XeF2 etching. They observe a 100-fold increase in the response of such suspended ACNTCs, which is due to two factors: (1) the quasihemispherical shape of the cavity may result in constructive interference of the incident radiation reflected back to the antenna and (2) the cavity provides thermal isolation of the thermocouple from the substrate. The characteristics of Si etched with XeF2 are discussed for micrometer-scale cavities ranging from 1.5 to 25 μm deep. Polarization-dependent measurements are presented, and the authors show that the responses of the suspended single- and bi-metal ACNTCs are 100 times larger than similar devices on a substrate, i.e., without a cavity.
Indonesia gets tough on foreign scientists
Authors: Rochmyaningsih Dyna
Published: July 2019

Strict new rules and prison sentences for biopiracy could stifle international research.
New tactics clash on speed of expanding universe
Authors: Sokol Joshua
Published: July 2019

Hubble constant debate points to "crisis" in physics.
Diagnosis of elevated intracranial pressure in critically ill adults: systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Fernando Shannon M , Tran Alexandre , Cheng Wei , Rochwerg Bram , Taljaard Monica , Kyeremanteng Kwadwo , English Shane W , Sekhon Mypinder S , Griesdale Donald E G , Dowlatshahi Dar , McCredie Victoria A , Wijdicks Eelco F M , Almenawer Saleh A , Inaba Kenji , Rajajee Venkatakrishna , Perry Jeffrey J
Published: July 2019

Objectives

To summarise and compare the accuracy of physical examination, computed tomography (CT), sonography of the optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD), and transcranial Doppler pulsatility index (TCD-PI) for the diagnosis of elevated intracranial pressure (ICP) in critically ill patients.

Design

Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Data sources

Six databases, including Medline, EMBASE, and PubMed, from inception to 1 September 2018.

Study selection criteria

English language studies investigating accuracy of physical examination, imaging, or non-invasive tests among critically ill patients. The reference standard was ICP of 20 mm Hg or more using invasive ICP monitoring, or intraoperative diagnosis of raised ICP.

Data extraction

Two reviewers independently extracted data and assessed study quality using the quality assessment of diagnostic accuracy studies tool. Summary estimates were generated using a hierarchical summary receiver operating characteristic (ROC) model.

Results

40 studies (n=5123) were included. Of physical examination signs, pooled sensitivity and specificity for increased ICP were 28.2% (95% confidence interval 16.0% to 44.8%) and 85.9% (74.9% to 92.5%) for pupillary dilation, respectively; 54.3% (36.6% to 71.0%) and 63.6% (46.5% to 77.8%) for posturing; and 75.8% (62.4% to 85.5%) and 39.9% (26.9% to 54.5%) for Glasgow coma scale of 8 or less. Among CT findings, sensitivity and specificity were 85.9% (58.0% to 96.4%) and 61.0% (29.1% to 85.6%) for compression of basal cisterns, respectively; 80.9% (64.3% to 90.9%) and 42.7% (24.0% to 63.7%) for any midline shift; and 20.7% (13.0% to 31.3%) and 89.2% (77.5% to 95.2%) for midline shift of at least 10 mm. The pooled area under the ROC (AUROC) curve for ONSD sonography was 0.94 (0.91 to 0.96). Patient level data from studies using TCD-PI showed poor performance for detecting raised ICP (AUROC for individual studies ranging from 0.55 to 0.72).

Conclusions

Absence of any one physical examination feature is not sufficient to rule out elevated ICP. Substantial midline shift could suggest elevated ICP, but the absence of shift cannot rule it out. ONSD sonography might have use, but further studies are needed. Suspicion of elevated ICP could necessitate treatment and transfer, regardless of individual non-invasive tests.

Registration

PROSPERO CRD42018105642.
Photophysical, electrochemical, self-assembly, and molecular packing properties of a sulfur-decorated perylene derivative
Authors: Ma Yongshan , Zhang Fengxia , Jiang Tianyi , Ren Huixue , Wei Xiaofeng , Zhu Yanyan , Huang Xianqiang
Published: July 2019

A sulfur-decorated perylene derivative, 1-propanethiol-N,N′-dicyclohexyl perylene-3,4,9,10 tetracarboxylic diimide (PTPDI), was synthesized and fully characterized by 1H NMR, 13C NMR, FTIR, HRMS, UV–vis absorption, fluorescence, fluorescence lifetime, fluorescence quantum yield, cyclic voltammetry, and thermogravimetric techniques. The optical, fluorescence, and scanning electron microscopies were employed to study its self-assembly process. The photophysical properties were affected strongly by modifying the propanethiol unit linking to the perylene core. Furthermore, the chromophore showed two irreversible oxidations and two quasi-reversible reductions in dichloromethane at modest potential. The optical properties of PTPDI in various conditions and complementary density functional theory calculations were reported. Due to steric hindrance of the bulky n-propyl mercaptan substituent, PTPDI molecules are arranged in slipped face-to-face fashion to form J-aggregates. Thus, the intermolecular π–π actions of the molecule are weak, causing its high luminescence efficiency. In the meantime, the space between perylene cores is very short (3.45 Å), which is favorable for the hopping transportation of charge carrier from one molecule to an adjacent one. PTPDI could be a candidate material for acquiring a well-defined organic nanostructure with excellent charge-transporting and light-emitting capabilities.
Do factors matter for predicting high-risk stock returns? Comparison of single-, three- and five-factor CAPM
Authors: Arshad Muhammad Adnan , Munir Saira , Ahmad Bashir , Waseem Muhammad
Published: July 2019

This study empirically analyzes the three models of CAPM in order to get the best determinants, and superlative model of CAPM in the context of Pakistan’s Financial Sector. This study used fixed Effect model and Hausman test are used in this study to investigate the single-, three- and five-factor CAPM. First we analyzed the single factor CAPM, and results explain 52% variations in the dependent variable — stock returns. Next, the three-factors CAPM is analyzed, which elucidates 69% variations in the dependent variable — stock returns — on the addition of two more factors (size and value). Lastly, five factor CAPM is estimated, which provides 76% variations in the dependent variable — stock returns — by adding two more factors (investment and profitability) in the three factor CAPM. This shows that the addition of more factors in the CAPM bestows suitable results in the financial sector of Pakistan.
DiffQue
Authors: Thukral Deepak , Pandey Adesh , Gupta Rishabh , Goyal Vikram , Chakraborty Tanmoy
Published: July 2019

Automatic estimation of relative difficulty of a pair of questions is an important and challenging problem in community question answering (CQA) services. There are limited studies that addressed this problem. Past studies mostly leveraged expertise of users answering the questions and barely considered other properties of CQA services such as metadata of users and posts, temporal information, and textual content. In this article, we propose DiffQue, a novel system that maps this problem to a network-aided edge directionality prediction problem. DiffQue starts by constructing a novel network structure that captures different notions of difficulties among a pair of questions. It then measures the relative difficulty of two questions by predicting the direction of a (virtual) edge connecting these two questions in the network. It leverages features extracted from the network structure, metadata of users/posts, and textual description of questions and answers. Experiments on datasets obtained from two CQA sites (further divided into four datasets) with human annotated ground-truth show that DiffQue outperforms four state-of-the-art methods by a significant margin (28.77% higher F
1
score and 28.72% higher AUC than the best baseline). As opposed to the other baselines, (i) DiffQue appropriately responds to the training noise, (ii) DiffQue is capable of adapting multiple domains (CQA datasets), and (iii) DiffQue can efficiently handle the “cold start” problem that may arise due to the lack of information for newly posted questions or newly arrived users.
RFID Hacking for Fun and Profit
Authors: Wang Ju , Abari Omid , Keshav Srinivasan
Published: July 2019

This paper shows how even hobbyists can transform commodity RFID tags into sensors by physically altering ("hacking") them using COTS sensors, a pair of scissors, and clear adhesive tape or conductive epoxy glue. Importantly, this requires no change to commercial RFID readers. We also propose a signal feature, namely Differential Minimum Response Threshold (DMRT), which is robust to the changes in an RF environment for the sensing. To validate our vision, we develop RFID-based sensors for features such as illuminance, temperature, and gestures. We believe our approach can open up the field of batteryless backscatter-based RFID sensing to the research community, making it an exciting area for future work.
A Reasonable Diet Promotes Balance of Intestinal Microbiota: Prevention of Precolorectal Cancer
Authors: Huang Pan , Liu Yi
Published: July 2019

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a multifactorial disease and the second leading cause of cancer death worldwide. The pathogenesis of colorectal cancer includes genetics, age, chronic inflammation, and lifestyle. Increasing attention has recently been paid to dietary factors. Evidence from epidemiological studies and clinical research suggests that high-fibre diets can significantly reduce the incidence of CRC, whilst the consumption of high-fat diets, high-protein diets, red meat, and processed meat is high-risk factors for tumorigenesis. Fibre is a regulator of intestinal microflora and metabolism and is thus a key dietary component for maintaining intestinal health. Intestinal microbes are closely linked to CRC, with the growth of certain microbiota (such as Fusobacterium nucleatum, Escherichia coli, or Bacteroides fragilis) favouring carcinogenesis, whilst the dominant microbiota population of the intestine, such as Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, and Proteobacteria, have multiple mechanisms of antitumour activity. Various dietary components have direct effects on the types of intestinal microflora: in the Western diet mode (high-fat, high-protein, and red meat), the proportion of conditional pathogens in the intestinal flora increases, the proportion of commensal bacteria decreases, and the occurrence of colorectal cancer is promoted. Conversely, a high-fibre diet can increase the abundance of Firmicutes and reduce the abundance of Bacteroides and consequently increase the concentration of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in the intestine, inhibiting the development of CRC. This article reviews the study of the relationship between diet, intestinal microbes, and the promotion or inhibition of CRC and analyses the relevant molecular mechanisms to provide ideas for the prevention and treatment of CRC.
The Association of Pension Income with the Incidence of Type I Obesity among Retired Israelis
Authors: Arbel Yuval , Fialkoff Chaim , Kerner Amichai
Published: July 2019

Previous studies have identified obesity and overweight as the fourth leading risk factor for global mortality. The objective of the current study is to investigate gender differences and the impact of wealth and income from pensions, sociodemographic variables, and self-assessment of health conditions on the projected probability to become obese in the postretirement age (67 years and older). We are unaware of previous studies, which explored the direct relationship between obesity, monetary income from pensions, wealth, and self-assessment of health conditions. To conduct this research, we make use of an extensive questionnaire concerning the economic and sociodemographic features and health and housing conditions of individuals administered within the framework of the 2015-2016 longitudinal survey conducted by the Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS). The survey is representative of the Israeli population and also includes information regarding the weight, height, gender, and age of each household member. Results of our study demonstrate that while for the female respondents older than 67, the projected probability of type I obesity (BMI ≥ 30) drops by 0.41% (p=0.0021) to 0.52% (p=0.0001) with an incremental 10,000 NIS (about $2,500) rise of gross annual income from a pension, for the male respondents above 67 years, the projected probability remains unchanged (p=0.4225). This outcome remains robust even when the 2015 BMI measurement of type I obesity (BMI ≥ 30) is controlled. This drop among women attenuates with a cutoff point increase from BMI ≥ 25 (overweight) to BMI ≥ 30 (type I obesity) to BMI ≥ 35 (type II obesity). Further results indicate that for both genders above 67 years and for men above 62 years, the projected BMI drop of one year decreases with income from a pension (p=0.013, p=0.039, and p=0.007, respectively), although the spread around the projection becomes wider. Compared with other martial status categories, for widowed females, the projected probability of obesity and self-reporting on improved health conditions drops by 6.58% (p=0.0419) to 11.28% (p=0.0048) and 6.55% (p=0.0190) to 7.47% (p=0.0036), respectively. For females older than 67, family status divorced drops the projected probability of obesity by 9.25% (p=0.0319). For males older than 67, results show a rise in projected obesity with car ownership by 6.10% (p=0.0897) to 6.41% (p=0.0469) and a drop in projected obesity with academic degree status by 9.93% (p=0.0106) to 10.14% (p=0.0118) and immigration status from American-European countries by 7.67% (p=0.0821) to 8.99% (p=0.0398) and Asian-African countries by 11.63% (p=0.0245) to 11.99% (p=0.02). Research findings stress the differences and similarities in male-female patterns of obesity after the retirement age of 67 years and may be of assistance to welfare and public health experts.
Assessment of Local Dynamic Stability in Gait Based on Univariate and Multivariate Time Series
Authors: Josiński Henryk , Świtoński Adam , Michalczuk Agnieszka , Grabiec Piotr , Pawlyta Magdalena , Wojciechowski Konrad
Published: July 2019

The ability of the locomotor system to maintain continuous walking despite very small external or internal disturbances is called local dynamic stability (LDS). The importance of the LDS requires constantly working on different aspects of its assessment method which is based on the short-term largest Lyapunov exponent (LLE). A state space structure is a vital aspect of the LDS assessment because the algorithm of the LLE computation for experimental data requires a reconstruction of a state space trajectory. The gait kinematic data are usually one- or three-dimensional, which enables to construct a state space based on a uni- or multivariate time series. Furthermore, two variants of the short-term LLE are present in the literature which differ in length of a time span, over which the short-term LLE is computed. Both a state space structure and the consistency of the observations based on values of both short-term LLE variants were analyzed using time series representing the joint angles at ankle, knee, and hip joints. The short-term LLE was computed for individual joints in three state spaces constructed on the basis of either univariate or multivariate time series. Each state space revealed walkers’ locally unstable behavior as well as its attenuation in the current stride. The corresponding conclusions made on the basis of both short-term LLE variants were consistent in ca. 59% of cases determined by a joint and a state space. Moreover, the authors present an algorithm for estimation of the embedding dimension in the case of a multivariate gait time series.
Quadrotor Identification through the Cooperative Particle Swarm Optimization-Cuckoo Search Approach
Authors: El gmili Nada , Mjahed Mostafa , El kari Abdeljalil , Ayad Hassan
Published: July 2019

This paper explores the model parameters estimation of a quadrotor UAV by exploiting the cooperative particle swarm optimization-cuckoo search (PSO-CS). The PSO-CS regulates the convergence velocity benefiting from the capabilities of social thinking and local search in PSO and CS. To evaluate the efficiency of the proposed methods, it is regarded as important to apply these approaches for identifying the autonomous complex and nonlinear dynamics of the quadrotor. After defining the quadrotor dynamic modelling using Newton–Euler formalism, the quadrotor model’s parameters are extracted by using intelligent PSO, CS, PSO-CS, and the statistical least squares (LS) methods. Finally, simulation results prove that PSO and PSO-CS are more efficient in optimal tuning of parameters values for the quadrotor identification.
PHARMACOKINETICS OF THE NEW CEREBROPETECTOR FERRUM BIS(CITRATO)GERMANATE AT THE STAGE OF ITS DISTRIBUTION TO THE ORGANS IN CLOSED HEAD INJURY
Authors: Lukianchuk V. D. , Bukhtiarova T. A. , Seifullina I. I. , Polishchuk E. M. , Martsinko O. E. , Topolnytska H. A.
Published: July 2019

Background. Previous studies showed that new coordinate compound Cerebrogerm (ferrum bis(citrato)germanate) is a promising cerebroprotector.

Objective of the study is a comparative analysis of the central stage of the pharmacokinetics of Cerebrogerm as well as its distribution in vital organs in cases of closed head injury.

Methods. On the experimental original model of closed brain injury in rats the parameters of the central stage of Cerebrogerm pharmacokinetics: the distribution in brain, liver, kidneys, were studied.

Results. It is established that, in cases of closed head injury Cerebrogerm reaches maximum concentration first in the brain (in 3.75 h), then in the kidneys (in 3.92 h), and finally in the liver (in 4.17 h). In this case, the magnitude of the Cmax of the coordinating compound of germanium that is being investigated in different biosubstrates of the rats with closed head injury may be presented in descending order as follows: brain (7.95 mg/L) > liver (6.22 mg/L) > kidneys (1.79 mg/L).

Conclusions. The compound Cerebrogerm studied easily gets through the blood-brain barrier and meets the present requirements for cerebroprotectors and antihypoxants. The attained results allow noting that in the early post-traumatic period of closed head injury, the blood circulation in the kidneys does not change and cannot modify the absorption-elimination processes of xenobiotics. It has been also established that Cerebrogerm is distributed faster in the examined organs in cases of closed head injury. The highest concentration of the drug is present in the brain and the smallest one – in the kidneys.
EVALUATION OF SERUM γ-GLUTAMYL TRANSFERASE AND ITS ASSOCIATION WITH HIGH SENSITIVITY C-REACTIVE PROTEIN AND INSULIN LEVELS IN THE PATIENTS WITH METABOLIC SYNDROME
Authors: Dharuni R. , Maruthi Prasad B. V. , Vishwanth H. L.
Published: July 2019

Background. Metabolic syndrome (MS), a collection of cardiovascular risk factors, is a major worldwide public health problem. The gathered data prove that serum gamma-glutamyl transferase (γGT) activity is a true marker of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD) and is of a prognostic importance as well as the high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP). Objectives. In the study, we sought to evaluate serum γGT activity, hs-CRP and insulin resistance in patients with MS. Methods. The study involved 50 persons with metabolic syndrome and 50 healthy age and sex matched controls. Fasting serum samples of all participants were investigated for γGT, hs-CRP, insulin, blood glucose, lipid profile and liver function tests. Anthropometric measurements and BMI were also calculated Results. In that case 50% showed significantly high γGT compared to the controls, 30% proved increased hs-CRP levels above >0.5 mmol/L, whereas 94% of the controls were within the reference range. 74% of cases revealed the presence of insulin resistance while 32% of the controls showed insulin resistance. High γGT levels were also observed in that case with deranged lipids levels and high BMI. Conclusions. The study suggests that the patients with MS have a higher serum γGT activity. This study also proves that hs-CRP and HOMA-IR, which are independent risk factors of CVD, are also associated with MS. The correlation between γGT and the components of MS are also found significant compared to hs-CRP. Thus, γGT can be considered as an inexpensive and authentic predictor of MS, which can be a manifestation of CVD in near future.
PROXIMAL BRACHIAL MONOMELIC AMYOTROPHY OR HIRAYAMA DISEASE: NO LONGER AN ALIAS? (case report)
Authors: Rao Akshay
Published: July 2019

Background. Brachial Monomelic Amyotrophy (BMMA) has been called as Hirayama disease (HD) when it is characterized by unilateral distal upper limb weakness and atrophy that shows progression for a limited period and is associated with typical features on MRI of cervical spine in flexion.

Objective was to explore the differences when BMMA affects the proximal upper limb muscles with the help of case report.

Methods. A case report of BMMA in an adult Indian male is represented.

Results. A 30-year-old man presented to us with a history of weakness in the proximal aspect of his left upper limb that began four years ago. The weakness was progressive up until 6 months prior to his presentation since when the weakness had neither worsened nor improved. Cervical spine contrast enhanced MRI revealed mild loss of cervical lordosis, but no features of HD like localized cord atrophy, loss of attachment of dura from subjacent lamina on neutral position axial T2WI MRI, nor any presence of posterior epidural crescentic enhancing mass on flexion contrast sagittal T1WI MRI. The patient was managed with supportive therapy and has been under regular follow up ever since. His clinical status has been stable.

Conclusions. We support the suggestion to consider proximal Brachial Monomelic Amyotrophy to be a separate entity and to be distinguished from Hirayama disease that should be reserved for patients with distal upper limb involvement with cervical MRI findings on flexion studies.
ADIPOSE TISSUE AND ITS ROLE IN MICROENVIRONMENT OF THE COLORECTAL ADENOCARCINOMA CANCER CELL
Authors: Burlaka A. A.
Published: July 2019

Introduction. The mechanisms of adipose-tissue’s influence on tumor progression has been studied a lot, but the way of interaction of adipocytes with tumor cells have not been well defined until now.

Objective. The aim of this study was to evaluate the mechanisms of adipocytes and tumor cells interaction under the influence of radiation and chemo-radiation therapy in locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) patients.

Material and methods. A prospective randomized single-center study was conducted. It involved 110 patients with LARC and pre-obesity. The patients were randomized into a main group A (radiation therapy and oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy) and a comparison group B (radiation therapy and fluoropyrimidine-based mono-chemotherapy). Superoxide free radicals and NO levels generated by mitochondria of adipocytes were evaluated In both groups’. Also, there was estimated the indices of MMP-2, MMP-9, 8-oxoG, and free fatty acids (FFA) level.

Results and discussion. Level of superoxide radicals in tumor-adjacent adipose tissue was 0.58±0.15 (main group) and 0.70±0.12 nmol/g·min (comparison group) (p<0.001). Blood levels of FFA increased in group A up to 2.05±0.15, and in group B up to 2.48±0.20 mmol/l (while in it was 0.57±0.11 mmol/L). 8-oxoG levels in tumor-adjacent adipose tissue had no statistically significant differences.

Conclusions. The tumor-adjacent adipose tissue is an energy depot that can act as a promoter of tumor progression supplying the locally advanced rectal cancer with an energy substrate FFA.  It has been established that the level MMP-2 activity significantly reduces the degree of intercellular matrix remodeling by the XELOX chemotherapy.