bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Power Loss Prediction for Aging Characteristics and Condition Monitoring for Parallel‐Connected Power Modules Using Nonlinear Autoregressive Neural Network
Authors: Xu Shengyou , Yang Xin , Ran Li , Chen Minyou , Lai Wei
Published: February 2019

Power modules connected in parallel may have different electrothermal performance variances resulting from aging because of the nonuniform rate of degradation; different electrothermal performance variances mean different current sharing, different junction temperature, and power losses, which will directly influence the overall characteristics of them. Thus, it is essential to monitor the condition and evaluate the degradation grade to improve the reliability of large‐scale power modules. In this paper, the impact of thermal resistance difference on current sharing, junction temperature, and power loss of parallel‐connected power modules has been discussed and analyzed. Additionally, a methodology is proposed for condition monitoring and evaluation of the power modules without intruding them by recognizing the increase in external power loss due to internal degradation from aging. In this method, power modules are deemed as a whole system considering only external factors associated with them, all important electrical and thermal parameters are classified as the inputs, and power loss is considered as the output. Firstly, power dissipation is predicted by models using NARX (nonlinear autoregressive with exogenous input) neural network. Then, a monitoring method is illustrated based on the prediction model; a reasonable criterion for the error between the normal and the predicted real‐time power loss is established. Finally, the real‐time condition and the degradation grade of aging can be evaluated so that the operator can take suitable operating measures by means of this approach. Experimental results validated the effectiveness of the proposed methodology.
On H-Supermagic Labelings of m-Shadow of Paths and Cycles
Authors: Agustin Ika Hesti , Susanto F. , Dafik  , Prihandini R. M. , Alfarisi R. , Sudarsana I. W.
Published: February 2019

A simple graph G=(V,E) is said to be an H-covering if every edge of G belongs to at least one subgraph isomorphic to H. A bijection f:V∪E→{1,2,3,…,V+E} is an (a,d)-H-antimagic total labeling of G if, for all subgraphs H′ isomorphic to H, the sum of labels of all vertices and edges in H′ form an arithmetic sequence {a,a+d,…,(k-1)d} where a>0, d≥0 are two fixed integers and k is the number of all subgraphs of G isomorphic to H. The labeling f is called super if the smallest possible labels appear on the vertices. A graph that admits (super) (a,d)-H-antimagic total labeling is called (super) (a,d)-H-antimagic. For a special d=0, the (super) (a,0)-H-antimagic total labeling is called H-(super)magic labeling. A graph that admits such a labeling is called H-(super)magic. The m-shadow of graph G, Dm(G), is a graph obtained by taking m copies of G, namely, G1,G2,…,Gm, and then joining every vertex u in Gi, i∈{1,2,…,m-1}, to the neighbors of the corresponding vertex v in Gi+1. In this paper we studied the H-supermagic labelings of Dm(G) where G are paths and cycles.
Metabolite Markers for Characterizing Sasang Constitution Type through GC-MS and 1H NMR-Based Metabolomics Study
Authors: Kim Eun-Ju , Hong Young-Shick , Seo Seung-Ho , Park Seong-Eun , Na Chang-Su , Son Hong-Seok
Published: February 2019

Sasang constitutional medicine classifies human beings into four types based on their physical and psychological characteristics. Despite its potential value in achieving personalized medicine, the diagnosis of sasang constitution (SC) type is complex and subjective. In this study, gas chromatography–mass spectrometry and 1H nuclear magnetic resonance–based metabolic analyses were conducted to find maker metabolites in serum and urine according to different SC types. Although some samples were overlapped on orthogonal projection to latent structure discriminant analysis score plots, serum samples showed separation between different SC types. Levels of lactate, glutamate, triglyceride, and fatty acids in serum and glycolic acid in urine of Tae-Eum type were higher than those of So-Eum and So-Yang type. Fatty acids, triglyceride, and lactate levels were found to be metabolites related to body mass index, indicating that marker metabolites for the diagnosis of SC type could be associated with obese. However, Tae-Eum type showed higher lactate levels in serum than So-Yang type for both normal weight and overweight groups, suggesting that the contents of serum lactate might be dependent on the SC type regardless of body weight. These results suggest that metabolomics analysis could be used to determine SC type.
An Extended Boarding Strategy Accounting for the Luggage Quantity and Group Behavior
Authors: Tang Tie-Qiao , Yang Shao-Peng , Chen Liang
Published: February 2019

The reasonable boarding strategy can enhance the efficiency, so how to enhance the boarding efficiency has been a hot topic in the air transportation. In this paper, we incorporate the luggage quantity and the passenger’s group behavior into the boarding model, and develop an extended strategy to explore each passenger’s boarding behavior and the influences of the proposed strategy on the boarding efficiency. The numerical results indicate that the proposed strategy can relieve the congestions at the wicket and in the cabin, eliminate the seat conflicts, and reduce the time of handling luggage and the boarding time. This shows that the proposed strategy can enhance the boarding efficiency. The results can help administrators organize the boarding pattern to enhance the efficiency.
On the Use of Min-Max Combination of Biomarkers to Maximize the Partial Area under the ROC Curve
Authors: Ma Hua , Halabi Susan , Liu Aiyi
Published: February 2019

Background. Evaluation of diagnostic assays and predictive performance of biomarkers based on the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and the area under the ROC curve (AUC) are vital in diagnostic and targeted medicine. The partial area under the curve (pAUC) is an alternative metric focusing on a range of practical and clinical relevance of the diagnostic assay. In this article, we adopt and extend the min-max method to the estimation of the pAUC when multiple continuous scaled biomarkers are available and compare the performances of our proposed approach with existing approaches via simulations. Methods. We conducted extensive simulation studies to investigate the performance of different methods for the combination of biomarkers based on their abilities to produce the largest pAUC estimates. Data were generated from different multivariate distributions with equal and unequal variance-covariance matrices. Different shapes of the ROC curves, false positive fraction ranges, and sample size configurations were considered. We obtained the mean and standard deviation of the pAUC estimates through re-substitution and leave-one-pair-out cross-validation. Results. Our results demonstrate that the proposed method provides the largest pAUC estimates under the following three important practical scenarios: (1) multivariate normally distributed data for nondiseased and diseased participants have unequal variance-covariance matrices; or (2) the ROC curves generated from individual biomarker are relative close regardless of the latent normality distributional assumption; or (3) the ROC curves generated from individual biomarker have straight-line shapes. Conclusions. The proposed method is robust and investigators are encouraged to use this approach in the estimation of the pAUC for many practical scenarios.
Recycled Glass Fibres from Wind Turbines as a Filler for Poly(Vinyl Chloride)
Authors: Lewandowski Krzysztof , Skórczewska Katarzyna , Piszczek Kazimierz , Urbaniak Włodzimierz
Published: February 2019

This paper presents the method of using glass fibre with carbon deposit (GFCD), derived from the recycling of wind turbine blades, for production of composite materials based on poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC). Composite materials containing from 1 to 15 wt% of GFCD were produced by plasticising with a plastographometer and then by pressing. The processability and performance were studied. Mechanical properties in static tension, impact strength, and thermal stability were determined. Glass transition temperature was also determined by means of the dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA). The GFCD percentage of up to 15 wt% was found not to slightly affect the change in the processability, thermal stability, and glass transition temperature. PVC/GFCD composite materials are characterised by a definitely greater elastic modulus with simultaneous decrease of tensile strength and impact strength. An analysis with scanning electron microscopy revealed good adhesion between the filler and the polymer matrix.
Incompressible Fluids Simulation by Relaxing the Density‐Invariant Condition in a Marine Simulator
Authors: Duan Xingfeng , Ren Hongxiang , Li Haijiang
Published: February 2019

To achieve small‐scale ocean scene simulation in a marine simulator, we present an incompressible SPH algorithm by relaxing the density‐invariant condition for incompressible fluids. As there are larger density errors of the fluid particles near or on the boundary, more iteration numbers are required. Taking boundary handling to modify the density of the fluid particles, the relaxation method is used to optimize the iterative method to solve the density‐invariant condition, which can reduce the iteration numbers and average density deviation and improve the accuracy. Our proposed approach can achieve incompressible SPH and solve the problem of the particle deficiency. While ensuring the stability, the approach can allow large time steps and control the density deviation below 0.01% and improve the efficiency by reducing the iteration numbers and optimizing the calculating procedure and the initial value selection.
Efficacy of Different Doses of Multiple Micronutrient Powder on Haemoglobin Concentration in Children Aged 6–59 Months in Arusha District
Authors: Kejo Dyness , Petrucka Pammla , Martin Haikael , Mosha Theobald C. E. , Kimanya Martin E.
Published: February 2019

In Tanzania’s Arusha District, anaemia is a significant public health problem. Recently, home fortification with multiple micronutrient powder was recommended, and daily use of one sachet has shown to be effective. However, it is a challenge for deprived families with low income to afford the daily sachet. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of different administration frequencies of micronutrient powder in reducing anaemia in children aged 6–59 months. This research used a community-based, randomized longitudinal trial design with the intent to treat anaemia. Children aged 6 to 59 months (n=369) were randomly assigned to one of four intervention groups which received, on a weekly basis, either five sachets (n=60), three sachets (n=80), two sachets (n=105), or one sachet (n=124) for six months; 310 children completed the study. Using the HemoCue technique, a finger-prick blood was taken at baseline, middle, and end points of the intervention to determine haemoglobin levels. The effect of treatment on haemoglobin was assessed with analysis of covariates with Bonferroni post hoc to test group difference (p>0.05) from each other. At the end, haemoglobin levels were significantly higher in participants who received three or five sachets of micronutrient powder per week compared to those who received one or two micronutrient powder sachets per week (p<0.05). The prevalence of illnesses was reduced from 65% to 30.5% in all groups. This finding indicates that economically challenged families may opt for three times per week sachet administration rather than a more costly daily administration. This trial is registered with PACTR201607001693286.
Role of p120 Catenin in Epac1-Induced Chronic Postsurgical Pain in Rats
Authors: Pan Peng , Huang Sai-Sai , Shen Shi-Ren , Lu Cui-E. , Qin Yi-Bin , Zhang Jia-Long , Cao Su
Published: February 2019

Chronic postsurgical pain (CPSP) is a chronic pain state that is difficult to be treated clinically. A series of complicated changes have been produced from nociceptive stimulation to the occurrence and development of postsurgical pain. Many mechanisms remain unclear. In order to study the role of intercellular gap junctions in inducing inflammatory microenvironment at the beginning of nociceptor after operation, the model of skin/muscle incision and retraction (SMIR) was established. We observed the changes of the expression of exchange proteins directly activated by cAMP-1 (Epac1) and p120 catenin (p120), the quantities of macrophages and endothelial cells, vascular endothelial permeability, and mechanical withdrawal threshold (MWT). It was found that macrophages and endothelial cells were functionally coupled through Epac1-p120. Adhesive linkage disorder remodeled the chronic, inflammatory, and eutrophic microenvironment at the beginning of nociceptor after operation through macrophages, endothelial cells, and endothelial paracellular pathways. It might be an early event and a key step in peripheral sensitization of CPSP. The expression of p120 in muscle tissue around the incision might become a prognostic marker for the conversion of acute postsurgical pain into CPSP. Targeted intervention of Epac1-p120 might be a clinical strategy for inhibiting the conversion of acute postsurgical pain into CPSP.
Investigation and Comparison of the Enrichment Potential of Turkey (Şenkaya, Erzurum) Coals with Knelson Concentrator
Authors: Bilgin Oyku
Published: February 2019

The quality of coals from, Erzurum varies widely. Two coal samples from this area were compared. The first has a composition of 19% ash, 5700 kcal, and 3% sulfur while the other has 49.20% ash, 3000 kcal, and 1.6% sulfur composition. It is understood that the first coal sample is a high-quality coal. Although the ash content of the second coal sample is determined to be high and the calorie value is low, the low sulfur content is advantageous for the environment. This study aimed at increasing the quality of coal samples by carrying out experiments for reducing the ratio of ash and sulfur with Knelson’s enrichment processes. Chemical analysis, sieve analysis experiments, %ash, %moisture, and %calorie values of each fraction are determined from two different C1 and C2 coal samples taken from the Balkaya village belonging to Şenkaya, Erzurum. Then, %ash, %yield, and %sulfur analyzes were carried out on the coal samples using the Knelson gravity separator enrichment method, and the results were evaluated for coal samples.
Kaluza-Klein State in Bekenstein-Hawking Entropy Cycles
Authors: Prudêncio Thiago
Published: February 2019

A Kaluza-Klein state configuration in black-hole qubit correspondence (BHQC) is considered in cyclic cycles of its Bekenstein-Hawking entropy. After a sequence of Peccei-Quinn transformations on the Kaluza-Klein state in cyclic cycles alternating between large and small extremal black hole (EBH) configurations, we obtain the corresponding amount of variation in the initial Bekenstein-Hawking entropy in cyclic cycles. We consider different cases where the EBH state alternates between small and large states. We then demonstrate that the total Bekenstein-Hawking entropy increases in these processes.
Multiple Urethral Hemangiomas Associated with Urethral Stricture: An Uncommon Aetiology for Urethral Bleeding
Authors: Varea-Malo Raquel , Campos-Juanatey Félix , Portillo Martín José Antonio , Castillo Carvajal Luisana
Published: February 2019

Urethral haemangiomas are rare benign vascular tumours. They usually cause painless urethral bleeding and haematospermia. Urethroscopy is the preferred diagnostic tool, while complementary radiologic studies could describe the extension of the tumour. Treatment should be tailored to each case, considering size, location, and number of lesions. We present a case of a male patient diagnosed with urethral haemangiomas following painless spontaneous urethral bleeding associated with voiding symptoms.
Experimental Study on the Nonlinear Behavior of a Sailing Container Ship under Landslide‐Induced Surges
Authors: Yuan Pei-yin , Wang Ping-yi , Zhao Yu , Wang Mei-li
Published: February 2019

Surges induced by rock landslides that enter water at a high speed are extremely destructive. The initial surge height and spread characteristic are important references used in disaster precaution and risk assessment. In this study, twenty groups of orthogonal experiments of landslide‐induced impulse wave were conducted, the details of the self‐propulsion of ships were designed, the values of the propeller, rudder, and shafting were calculated, and the model of the propeller and rudder was processed. The validity of the model system was verified from a turning test, zig‐zag maneuver test, and free attenuation test. The interactions between landslides and water and between landslide‐induced wave and ships are analyzed by performing an orthogonal model test and determining the difference among the initial wave heights of landslide surges caused by different landslide volumes. The model test can compare and analyze the influences of different landslide volumes and navigation positions on the nonlinear behavior of ships, thereby proposing control methods and measures for safe sailing in waters with landslide‐induced surges and providing a theoretical basis for disaster prevention and reduction in the channel of a reservoir area or a hydraulic structure.
Cost-Effective Treatment of Hemihydrate Phosphogypsum and Phosphorous Slag as Cemented Paste Backfill Material for Underground Mine
Authors: Xue Xilong , Ke Yuxian , Kang Qian , Zhang Qinli , Xiao Chongchun , He Fengjian , Yu Qing
Published: February 2019

The environmental pollution caused by the discharge of phosphogypsum (PG) and phosphorous slag (PS) is a common issue for all countries. In order to fully utilize hemihydrate PG (HPG) and PS and treat goafs in mines, the HPG and PS were used as cementitious materials for cemented paste backfill (CPB). The physical and chemical properties of HPG and PS were first analyzed, and then, the characteristics of CPB were evaluated through fluidity tests, gas detection, uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) tests, bleeding tests, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). After this, the underground environmental impact of CPB-based HPG and PS was investigated through a dynamic leachability experiment. The results show that (1) the UCS of CPB increases with the increase of the HPG content and mass fraction, and the addition of 3% quicklime can eliminate CO2, H2S, and SO2 generated from the slurry of CPB-based HPG-PS; (2) the addition of 3% quicklime and 5% cement to the HPG-PS mixtures can offset the strength loss of CPB in the late curing stage; (3) the UCS of the recommended specimen reaches 1.15–3.32 MPa after curing from 7 to 28 days, with their slump values varying from 15 mm to 26 mm, and the bleeding rates between 0.87% and 1.15%, which can meet the technical requirements of mining methods; (4) the UCS of CPB is the result of the cohydration reaction of hemihydrate gypsum (HG) in HPG and active Al2O3 and SiO2 in PS; and (5) the leaching indexes meet Category IV of the Chinese Groundwater Quality Standard (DZ/T 0290-2015). The results of this investigation provide a cost-efficient way for the efficient mining of phosphate resources and the comprehensive utilization of HPG and PS.
Design, Synthesis, and Biological Evaluation of Triazolyl- and Triazinyl-Quinazolinediones as Potential Antitumor Agents
Authors: Al-Romaizan Abeer N. , Ahmed Nesreen S. , Elfeky Sherin M.
Published: February 2019

Novel 6(3-1H-1,2,4-triazol-1-yl)-3-phenylquinazoline-2,4(1H,3H)-diones (7a–e) were synthesized from different enaminones (6a–e) with 6-hydrazinyl-3-phenylquinazoline-2,4(1H,3H)-dione. 2,6(4-2-Substituted-1,3,5-triazin-1(2H)-yl)-3-phenylquinazoline-2,4(1H,3H)-diones (8a–k) were synthesized from the reaction of 1-(2,4-dioxo-3-phenyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinazolin-6-yl)thiourea, urea, or guanidine (3a–c) with enaminones (6a–e), and a series from 3-substituted-2-imino-1,3,5-triazin-1(2H)-yl-sulfonyl-phenyl-1-methylquinazoline-2,4(1H,3H)-dione (12a–j) were obtained from the reaction of N-(diaminomethylene)-4-(1-methyl-2,4-dioxo-1,2-dihydroquinazolin-3(4H)-yl)benzenesulfonamide (11) with the enaminone (6a–j). The antitumor activity of the synthesized compounds was evaluated against two human cell lines: human colon carcinoma HCT116 and human hepatocellular carcinoma HEP-G2. Some of the tested compounds showed significant potency compared to the reference drug staurosporin.
Enrichment of Whole Wheat Cocoa Biscuits with Encapsulated Grape Skin Extract
Authors: Dordoni Roberta , Duserm Garrido Guillermo , Marinoni Laura , Torri Luisa , Piochi Maria , Spigno Giorgia
Published: February 2019

Grape pomace is one of the major waste products generated by the wine-making process and it contains seeds and skins still rich in bioactive compounds. Skins can be separated from the seeds and valorised for the recovery of antioxidant extracts with different potential applications. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of the addition of an extract obtained from waste grape skins and encapsulated in maltodextrins on the antioxidant properties and sensory acceptability of whole wheat cocoa biscuits. Different levels of enrichment (1.2, 2.3, and 3.5% on dough weight) were tested, and the obtained doughs and biscuits were analysed for total phenols content and antioxidant capacity (based on different radical assays). Extract addition increased the phenolic content (up to 134% increase) and antioxidant capacity (up to 244%) of both doughs and biscuits. Extract containing biscuits were also characterised by a different colour. However, oxidation stability, evaluated at accelerated temperature and oxygen conditions, was not improved by the extract incorporation. Cooking led to an average (not always significant) 16% decrease in phenolic content for both enriched and reference recipes. The enrichment level significantly influenced the sensory acceptability, with identification of two clusters of consumers, with one cluster preferring the biscuits with the highest enrichment level and one cluster preferring the biscuits with the lowest level. The results showed that whole wheat cacao biscuits represent an appropriate food matrix to develop pleasant novel products enriched in phenolic compounds from waste grape skins and likeable for regular biscuits consumers.
Changes to Land Area Used for Grain Maize Production in Central Europe due to Predicted Climate Change
Authors: Pavlik Petr , Vlckova Veronika , Machar Ivo
Published: February 2019

Regional biogeographical models are considered to be important tools for supporting decisions relating to sustainable agricultural planning for climate change. These models are useful for a better understanding of the impact of climate change on individual crop species due to their sensitivity to regional ecological conditions. This paper deals with the application of a regional biogeographical model in order to predict the impact of climate change on growing conditions for grain maize in Central Europe. The model is based on a detailed knowledge of the relationships between the climatic characteristics of vegetation zones in landscapes with ecological growing conditions suitable for grain maize in the region under study. The results gained from using the model indicate a substantial increase in the total area suitable for growing of grain maize in the study region. By 2070, this area is expected to be triple the size it is today. Special maps are used to visualize prediction scenarios in order to support decision-making in regional planning in the study region, where grain maize is an important agricultural crop. This biogeographical model can be used in other European regions, where basic data related to vegetation zones are available.
Reduced Kidney Function in Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate Based Regimen and Associated Factors: A Hospital Based Prospective Observational Study in Ethiopian Patients
Authors: Yazie Taklo Simeneh , Orjino Teferra Abula , Degu Wondwossen Amogne
Published: February 2019

Purpose. Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF), a drug broadly used in combination antiretroviral therapy, is associated with renal dysfunction but the prevalence varied from country to country and it is not known in Ethiopia. The objectives of this study were to assess the prevalence of renal dysfunction and risk factors associated with it and the mean change in estimated glomerular filtration rate in human immunodeficiency virus infected patients receiving TDF based antiretroviral regimen at Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital. Method. It was a hospital based prospective cohort study. The study participants were treatment naïve HIV infected patients initiating TDF containing combination antiretroviral therapy or switched to it because of adverse events. Multivariable logistic analysis was used to identify variables which have significant association. Result. A total of 63 study participants were studied, 16 (25.4%) of whom had fall in eGFR greater than 25% relative to baseline. Only age greater than 50 years, baseline CD4 count less than 200 cells/mm3, and baseline proteinuria were significantly associated with renal dysfunction in multivariable logistic regression. There was -8.4 ml/min/1.73m2 mean change in estimated glomerular filtration rate relative to baseline at six months of study. Conclusion. The renal dysfunction (defined as decline in eGFR greater than 25%) was found in a quarter of the study population. The long term impact and the clinical implication of it are not clear. Future prospective study is required with large sample size and long duration to ascertain the prevalence of decline greater than 25% in estimated glomerular filtration rate and its progression to chronic kidney disease.
Predictors of Unsafe Induced Abortion among Women in Ghana
Authors: Boah Michael , Bordotsiah Stephen , Kuurdong Saadogrmeh
Published: February 2019

Background. Unsafe induced abortion is a major contributor to maternal morbidity and mortality in Ghana. Objective. This study aimed to explore the predictors of unsafe induced abortion among women in Ghana. Methods. The study used data from the 2017 Ghana Maternal Health Survey. The association between women’s sociodemographic, obstetric characteristics, and unsafe induced abortion was explored using logistic regression. The analysis involved a weighted sample of 1880 women aged 15-49 years who induced abortion in the period 2012-2017. Analysis was carried out using STATA/IC version 15.0. Statistical significance was set at p <0.05. Results. Of the 1880 women, 64.1% (CI: 60.97-67.05) had an unsafe induced abortion. At the univariate level, older women (35-49 years) (odds ratio=0.50, 95% CI: 0.28-0.89) and married women (odds ratio=0.61, 95% CI:0.44-0.85) were less likely to have an unsafe induced abortion while women who did not pay for abortion service (odds ratio=4.44, 95% CI: 2.24-8.80), who had no correct knowledge of the fertile period (odds ratio =1.47, 95% CI: 1.10-1.95), who did not know the legal status of abortion in Ghana (odds ratio =2.50, 95% CI: 1.68-3.72) and who had no media exposure (odds ratio =1.34, 95% CI: 1.04-1.73) had increased odds for an unsafe induced abortion. At the multivariable level, woman’s age, payment for abortion services, and knowledge of the legal status of abortion in Ghana were predictors of unsafe induced abortion. Conclusion. Induced abortion is a universal practice among women. However, unsafe abortion rate in Ghana is high and remains an issue of public health concern. We recommend that contraceptives and safe abortion services should be made available and easily accessible to women who need these services to reduce unwanted pregnancies and unsafe abortion rates, respectively, in the context of women’s health. Also, awareness has to be intensified on abortion legislation in Ghana to reduce the stigma associated with abortion care seeking.
Theoretical Analysis of the Optical Response of Silicon/Silica/Gold Multishell Nanoparticles in Biological Tissue
Authors: Chaabani Wajdi , Chehaidar Abdallah , Proust Julien , Plain Jérôme
Published: February 2019

The scattering and absorption efficiencies of light by a single silicon/silica/gold spherical multishell in biological tissues are analyzed theoretically in the framework of Lorenz–Mie theory and finite-difference time-domain formalism. We first revised the ideal case of a concentric silicon/gold nanoshell, analyzed the effect of growing a silica layer of uniform thickness around the silicon core, and then examined the effect of an offset of the gold shell with respect to the centre of the silicon/silica nanoshell. Our simulation showed that the silicon/gold nanoshell in the biological tissue supports significant absorption and scattering resonances in the biological spectral window. On the contrary, the growth of a silica layer on the silicon core surface leads to a blueshift of these resonances accompanied by a slight increase of their magnitudes. The offset of the gold shell with respect to the silicon/silica core results in a redshift of the absorption and scattering resonances supported by the concentric silicon/silica/gold multishell within the biological window, accompanied by a decrease in their amplitudes. On the contrary, the gold shell offset gives rise to a more prominent electric field enhancement at the silicon/silica/gold multishell-biological tissue interface. Our simulation thus shows that silicon/silica/gold multishell nanoparticles are potential candidates in bioimaging and photothermal therapy applications.
Phytopharmacovigilance in the Elderly: Highlights from the Brazilian Amazon
Authors: Lima Carolina Miranda de Sousa , Fujishima Mayara Amoras Teles , Santos Bráulio Érison França dos , Lima Bruno de Paula , Mastroianni Patrícia Carvalho , Sousa Francisco Fábio Oliveira de , Silva Jocivânia Oliveira da
Published: February 2019

Practices described as traditional medicine may coexist with formalized, science-based medicine. In this context, the present study aimed to verify the profile of the elderly who consumed herbal medicines concomitantly with medications and to identify suspected adverse drug reactions (ADRs) in the Brazilian Amazon (Macapá, Amapá). The study was carried out in two steps: a cross-sectional study (structured questionnaire) and a clinical study (pharmacotherapeutic follow-up). Out of 208 participants, 78.8% were female with age between 60 and 69 years (58.7%), 59.1% used herbal medicines concurrently with medications, and 40.9% did not report use of herbal medicine. Losartan was the most used medication, and Lippia alba (Mill.) N.E. Br was the most common herbal medicine used. The total prevalence of suspected ADRs, among the elderly who answered the structured questionnaire, was 41.3%, with 27.4% being in the elderly who used herbal medicines and medications, and 13.9% being in the elderly who used only medications. Meanwhile, the total prevalence of suspected ADRs was 71.0% among the elderly patients who underwent pharmacotherapeutic follow-up, 60.5% in elderly who used herbal medicines and medications, and 10.5% in elderly who used only medications. The most reported ADR symptoms were related to disorders that affect the nervous system (38.4%) in the structured questionnaire and related to digestive disorders (36.4%) in the pharmacotherapeutic follow-up. The probability associated with the occurrence of a given ADR in the face of a set of demographic, socioeconomic, and clinical variables was estimated; the results showed that, in the studied population, only sex (p = 0.030) had an influence on the occurrence of ADR. The prevalence of ADRs with probable causality was high in this study population, but it was only sex-related, although more prevalent in the elderly who consume herbal medicines.
Concurrency Bug Avoiding Based on Optimized Software Transactional Memory
Authors: Yu Z. , Zuo Y. , Xiong W. C.
Published: February 2019

Software transactional memory is an effective mechanism to avoid concurrency bugs in multithreaded programs. However, two problems hinder the adoption of such traditional systems in the wild world: high human cost for equipping programs with transaction functionality and low compatibility with I/O calls and conditional variables. This paper presents Convoider to solve these problems. By intercepting interthread operations and designating code among them as transactions in each thread, Convoider automatically transactionalizes target programs without any source code modification and recompiling. By saving/restoring stack frames and CPU registers on beginning/aborting a transaction, Convoider makes execution flow revocable. By turning threads into processes, leveraging virtual memory protection and customizing memory allocation/deallocation, Convoider makes memory manipulations revocable. By maintaining virtual file systems and redirecting I/O operations onto them, Convoider makes I/O effects revocable. By converting lock/unlock operations to no-ops, customizing signal/wait operations on condition variables, and committing memory changes transactionally, Convoider makes deadlocks, data races, and atomicity violations impossible. Experimental results show that Convoider succeeds in transparently transactionalizing twelve real-world applications with averagely incurring only 28% runtime overhead and perfectly avoid 94% of thirty-one concurrency bugs used in our experiments. This study can help efficiently transactionalize legacy multithreaded applications and effectively improve the runtime reliability of them.
Chemical Composition, Antifungal, and Cytotoxicity Activities of Inga laurina (Sw.) Willd Leaves
Authors: Martins Carla de Moura , Morais Sérgio A. L. de , Martins Mário M. , Cunha Luís C. S. , da Silva Cláudio V. , Martins Carlos H. G. , Leandro Luís F. , de Oliveira Alberto , Aquino Francisco J. T. de , Nascimento Evandro A. do , Chang Roberto
Published: February 2019

The species Inga laurina is native to the Brazilian Cerrado. There are no studies about the chemical composition and biological activities of extracts of this endangered species. The ethanolic extract and its successive fractions are rich in phenolic compounds and presented good antifungal activities. HPLC/MS-MS/MS and H1/C13 analysis led to the identification of seventeen compounds, most of which are gallic acid derivatives, myricetin and quercetin glycosides. The ethyl acetate fraction (EAF) contained high levels of total phenolics, expressed in milligrams of gallic acid equivalents per gram of extract (475.3 ± 1.9 mg GAE gextract-1) and flavonoids expressed in milligrams of quercetin equivalents per gram of extract (359.3 ± 10.6 mg QE gextract-1). This fraction was active against fungi of the Candida genus. The EAF showed MIC value 11.7 μg mL−1 against C. glabrata and a selectivity index of 1.6 against Vero cells. The flavonol glycoside myricetin-3-O-rhamnoside was isolated for the first time from the Inga laurina. These results make I. laurina a promising plant as a source of pharmaceutical and biological active antifungal compounds.
An Optical Flow-Based Approach for Minimally Divergent Velocimetry Data Interpolation
Authors: Kanberoglu Berkay , Das Dhritiman , Nair Priya , Turaga Pavan , Frakes David
Published: February 2019

Three-dimensional (3D) biomedical image sets are often acquired with in-plane pixel spacings that are far less than the out-of-plane spacings between images. The resultant anisotropy, which can be detrimental in many applications, can be decreased using image interpolation. Optical flow and/or other registration-based interpolators have proven useful in such interpolation roles in the past. When acquired images are comprised of signals that describe the flow velocity of fluids, additional information is available to guide the interpolation process. In this paper, we present an optical-flow based framework for image interpolation that also minimizes resultant divergence in the interpolated data.
The MicroRNA Family Both in Normal Development and in Different Diseases: The miR-17-92 Cluster
Authors: Bai Xiaodan , Hua Shengyu , Zhang Junping , Xu Shixin
Published: February 2019

An increasing number of research studies over recent years have focused on the function of microRNA (miRNA) molecules which have unique characteristics in terms of structure and function. They represent a class of endogenous noncoding single-strand small molecules. An abundance of miRNA clusters has been found in the genomes of various organisms often located in a polycistron. The miR-17-92 family is among the most famous miRNAs and has been identified as an oncogene. The functions of this cluster, together with the seven individual molecules that it comprises, are most related to cancers, so it would not be surprising that they are considered to have involvement in the development of tumors. The miR-17-92 cluster is therefore expected not only to be a tumor marker, but also to perform an important role in the early diagnosis of those diseases and possibly also be a target for tumor biotherapy. The miR-17-92 cluster affects the development of disease by regulating many related cellular processes and multiple target genes. Interestingly, it also has important roles that cannot be ignored in disease of the nervous system and circulation and modulates the growth and development of bone. Therefore, it provides new opportunities for disease prevention, clinical diagnosis, prognosis, and targeted therapy. Here we review the role of the miR-17-92 cluster that has received little attention in relation to neurological diseases, cardiac diseases, and the development of bone and tumors.
Daclatasvir and Sofosbuvir Therapy Enhance Monocyte Phenotypic Changes in Naive Chronic Hepatitis C Patients: A Prospective Cohort Study
Authors: Fayed Hanan M. , Ghweil Ali A. , AbdelMeguid Mona M.
Published: February 2019

Background. Liver inflammation influences monocyte function, recruitment, and consequently inflammatory and fibrogenic responses. We aimed to investigate changes in the circulating monocyte phenotypes in response to Daclatasvir-Sofosbuvir (SOF/DCV) therapy in chronic hepatitis C (CHC) and relate findings to the viral kinetics and the fibrosis score. Methods. A longitudinal study involving 100 treatment-naïve patients and 30 healthy controls, tested for liver function, fibrosis scores (AST to platelet ratio index, FIB-4), and blood monocyte subsets based on CD14/CD16 expression by flow cytometer. Results. CHC patients had significantly lower albumin, higher ALT, AST, alkaline phosphatase, and increased fibrosis scores [Fib-4 (1.85±0.98) and AST to platelet ratio index (APRI) (0.6±0.35)], higher monocyte and eosinophil counts and lowered neutrophil to monocyte ratio (NMR), and lymphocyte to monocyte ratio (LMR) compared to week 12 and control. CHC patients had significantly increased median [classical (52.2% versus 25.8%, P=0.004) and inflammatory CD16+ monocytes (23.1% versus 13.58%, P=0.035)]. Therapy results in achievement of sustained virological response in 92% of cases, liver function improvement, and normalization of the inflammatory monocytes subsets. Monocyte counts showed positive correlation with viral load, calculated fibrosis scores (APRI and FIB-4 score), AST, ALT, ANC, and inverse correlations with serum albumin, leukocyte, eosinophil, NMR, and LMR. Multivariate regression found eosinophil count as predictors of CD16+ monocyte count in CHC patients. Conclusion. CHC infection promotes a proinflammatory and profibrotic monocytes profile. SOF/DCV therapy efficiently decreases viral load, reduces fibrosis potentials, attenuates monocyte activation, normalizes monocytes phenotypic abnormalities, and modulates monocyte subsets recruitment and differentiation later in the liver.
Hepatitis B and C Viral Infection: Prevalence, Knowledge, Attitude, Practice, and Occupational Exposure among Healthcare Workers of Jimma University Medical Center, Southwest Ethiopia
Authors: Hebo Habtemu J. , Gemeda Desta H. , Abdusemed Kedir A.
Published: February 2019

Background. Blood-borne infections have been recognized as an occupational hazard for nearly 50 years. Current treatment for hepatitis B virus (HBV) is very expensive for individuals in developing countries and cannot clear infection after it progresses to the chronic stage. Thus, early screenings of people who are at higher risk like healthcare workers and vaccination and awareness creation on standard precautions (SP) to prevent transmission are mandatory. This study determined seroprevalence of HBV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) among healthcare workers of Jimma University Medical Center (JUMC). Methods. An institution based cross-sectional study was conducted from Nov 2015 to Jan 2016. The lottery method was used to select 240 healthcare workers. Data were collected by a self-administered questionnaire. Five to ten milliliters of whole venous blood was collected from each participant. The blood samples were analyzed (tested) for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and anti-HCV antibody using automated Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). Data were entered into EpiData 3.1 and analyzed by SPSS 23. Results. The positivity of HBsAg was 2.5% (6/240; 95% CI: 0.52-4.48%) and that of anti-HCV antibody was 0.42% (1/240; 95% CI: 0.0-1.23%). Most participants had good knowledge of HBV (73.9%), HCV (60.9%), and SP (82.2%) and positive attitude towards SP (88.7%), but only 42.6% had a good practice of SP. More than half (60%) and nearly half (43%) had a history of ever exposure and exposure in the last one year before the survey, respectively. Females were at lower risk of both having ever exposure (95% CI: (0.241, 0.777)) and exposure in the last one year before the survey (95% CI: (0.297, 0.933)) compared to males. Conclusion. The prevalence of HBV was intermediate according to the endemicity classification by WHO. The practice of SP was poor in most participants and, thus, occupational exposure was high. Therefore, regular screening and vaccination of healthcare workers, regular provision of basic or refresher training and availing logistics, and regular motivation of healthcare workers on the practice of standard precautions are recommended.
A Study of Fractal Deep‐Hole Blasting and Its Induced Stress Behavior of Hard Roof Strata in Bayangaole Coal Mine, China
Authors: Zuo Jianping , Li Zhengdai , Zhao Shankun , Jiang Yunqian , Liu Haiyan , Yao Maohong
Published: February 2019

The phenomena of strong pressure occurrences have been observed many times in the #311103 working face of the Bayangaole Coal Mine. Deep‐hole blasting measures were used to relieve the pressure in order to decrease the danger levels of these strong pressure occurrences on the working face. The blasting layouts proposed in this study differed from the conventional blasting layouts of a “straight‐line” design by instead utilizing “triangular‐fractal” and “deep‐shallow‐fractal” for the purpose of successfully driving the explosive efficiency and enlarging the roof‐blasting range. The fractal dimension of the “triangular‐fractal” blasting layout was calculated as 1.1274. The fractal dimension of the “deep‐shallow‐fractal” was calculated to be 1.556. The fractal dimensions of both improved layouts were found to be larger than that of the “straight‐line” blasting layout (1.0). In addition, the Mises stress evolution and the changed trend of the effective stress and strain of the observation points around the hole of the three layouts are analyzed and compared by LS‐DYNA numerical simulation software. The results indicated that the “deep‐shallow‐fractal” blasting layout had the most effective blasting effects, followed by the “triangular‐fractal” blasting layout. It was determined that the traditional “straight‐linear” blasting layout had the least effective blasting effects of the three examined layouts. In summary, the implementations of the improved fractal blasting layouts in this study were found to be conducive to the enhancement of the blasting effects.
Glycosylation Profile of the Transferrin Receptor in Gestational Iron Deficiency and Early-Onset Severe Preeclampsia
Authors: Gómez-Gutiérrez Alejandra María , Parra-Sosa Beatriz Elena , Bueno-Sánchez Julio Cesar
Published: February 2019

Objective. To examine the expression of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α(HIF-1α), TfR1, and TfR1-attached terminal monosaccharides in placentas of women with IDAP and severe preeclampsia.Methods. TfR1 and HIF-1αwere detected by western blot. Immunoadsorption of TfR1 was performed to characterize the terminal monosaccharides by specific lectin binding.Results. There was no difference in the expression of TfR1 and HIF-1αbetween groups. Lectin blot analysis pointed out an overexpression of galactoseβ1-4N-acetylglucosamine (Gal-GlcNAc) and mannose in severe preeclampsia.Conclusion. The increase in Gal-GlcNAc may be due to the increased presence of antennary structures and the mannose glycans of TfR1 may indicate the presence of misfolded or incomplete proteins. These findings may be associated with the low expression of placental TfR1 in women with preeclampsia.
Breakup of the Water Sheet Formed by Two Liquid Impinging Jets
Authors: Xia Yakang , Khezzar Lyes , Bojanampati Shrinivas , Molki Arman
Published: February 2019

Flow visualization experiments are carried out to study the flow regimes and breakup length of the water sheet generated by two impinging liquid jets from an atomizer made of two identical tubes 0.686 mm in diameter. These experiments cover liquid jet Reynolds numbers based on the pipe diameter in the range of 1541 to 5394. The effects of the jet velocities and impingement angle between the two jets on the breakup performance are studied. Four spray patterns are recognized, which are presheet formation, smooth sheet, ruffled sheet, and open-rim sheet regimes. Water sheet breakup length is found to be consistent with previous experimental and theoretical results in the lower Weber number (based on water jet diameter and velocity) range. In the relatively high Weber number range, the breakup length tends to a constant value with increasing Weber number, and some discrepancies between experimental and theoretical predictions do exist. Measured water sheet area increases with increasing liquid jet Reynolds numbers and impingement angle within the range of the current study.
Adsorption Study for the Removal of Nitrate from Water Using Local Clay
Authors: Battas A. , Gaidoumi A. El , Ksakas A. , Kherbeche A.
Published: February 2019

Our research aimed at the removal of nitrate ions through adsorption by local clay. A series of batch experiments were conducted to examine the effects of contact time, adsorbent characteristics, initial concentration of nitrate, pH of the solution, concentration, and granulometry of adsorbent. Adsorption isotherms studies indicated that local clay satisfies Freundlich’s model. The rate of reaction follows pseudo-second-order kinetics. Local clay successfully adsorbs nitrates at pH acid. The adsorption capacity under optimal conditions was found to be 5.1 mg/g. The adsorption yield increases with adsorbent dose and decrease with initial concentration of nitrate. The local clay was characterized by the X-ray fluorescence method (XRF), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electronics microscopy (SEM), and measurement of specific surface area (BET). The results of the study indicated that local clay is useful materials for the removal of nitrates from aqueous solutions which can be used in water treatment without any chemical modification.