bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Anharmonicity-induced criticality of collective excitation in a trapped Bose–Einstein condensate
Authors: Wang Qun , Xiong Bo
Published: December 2018

We investigate the low-energy excitations of a dilute atomic Bose gas confined in a anharmonic trap interacting with repulsive forces. The dispersion law of both surface and compression modes is derived and analyzed for large numbers of atoms in the trap, which show two branches of excitation and appear two critical values, where one of them indicates collective excitation which would be unstable dynamically, and the other one indicates the existing collective mode with lower frequency under anharmonic influence than that in harmonic trapping case. Our work reveals the key role played by the anharmonicity and interatomic forces which introduce a rich structure in the dynamic behavior of these new many-body systems.
Self-loosening behavior of bolted joints subjected to dynamic shear load
Authors: Zhou Junbo , Liu Jianhua , Ouyang Huajiang , Cai Zhenbing , Peng Jinfang , Zhu Minhao
Published: December 2018

The loosening experiments of bolted joints under shear load have been carried out. The effects of the initial tightening torque, the shear load amplitude, and the material of bolts on loosening behavior are studied. The results indicate that there exists a critical value for the shear load amplitude, below which complete loosening would not occur. It is also found that the bolted joints made of quenched and tempered steel and stainless steel have a significant anti-loosening performance. Damage mechanisms of the contact thread surfaces are adhesive wear, delamination and oxidative wear.
Short fatigue crack behavior of carbon structural steel under tension–torsion loading
Authors: Yang B. , Liao Z. , Dai S. , Qin Y. , Wang M. , Zhang X. , Xiao S. , Yang G. , Zhu T.
Published: December 2018

Fatigue short crack replica tests of a carbon structural steel, i.e., LZ50 steel, were carried out under tension–torsion loading using MTS electro hydraulic servo machine. Totally eight specimens with smooth axial hourglass shape were tested. The results show that short fatigue cracks generally initiate from the ferrite grain boundary or in the ferrite grain. In the microstructural short crack (MSC) stage, the crack grows slowly, but the growth rate will decrease when the crack encounters microstructural barriers, such as the ferrite grain boundary and the rich pearlite banded structure. In the physical short crack (PSC) stage, the crack breaks through the rich pearlite banded structure and meanwhile the dominant effective short fatigue crack (DESFC) has established its dominant position. As a result, the size and the growth rate of the crack increase rapidly. Based on the fatigue failure mechanism and the safety in tail region predictions, the statistical evolution of the DESFC size and the life fraction was analyzed respectively by comparing six commonly used statistical distributions. The statistical results show that the extreme minimum value (EMV1) distribution is a good assumed distribution for both the DESFC size and the life fraction.
Tailoring the texture of titanium thin films deposited by high-power pulsed magnetron sputtering
Authors: Ma D. L. , Li Y. T. , Deng Q. Y. , Huang B. , Leng Y. X. , Huang N.
Published: December 2018

Titanium (Ti) thin films with (002) or (100) texture are favored for many applications. In this paper, Ti thin films were prepared by high-power pulsed magnetron sputtering, and the texture of Ti thin films was successfully tailored by adjusting the pulse width, substrate bias and magnetic field strength. It is found that the peak power and average power of the Ti target are increased by increasing sputtering pulse width and decreasing magnetic field strength, which raise the Ti plasma flux and ion/atom ratio of Ti ions in front of the substrate simultaneously. Ti thin films with a highly (002) out-of-plane texture can be obtained with higher pulse width and lower magnetic field strength. The Ti thin films with highly (100) out-of-plane texture can be achieved with shorter pulse width, lower magnetic field strength and substrate bias.
Analysis of Incremental Cluster Validity for Big Data Applications
Authors: Ibrahim Omar A. , Wang Yiqing , Keller James M.
Published: December 2018

Online clustering has attracted attention due to the explosion of ubiquitous continuous sensing. Streaming clustering algorithms need to look for new structures and adapt as the data evolves, such that outliers are detected, and that new emerging clusters are automatically formed. The performance of a streaming clustering algorithm needs to be monitored over time to understand the behavior of the streaming data in terms of new emerging clusters and number of outlier data points. Small datasets with 2 or 3 dimensions can be monitored by plotting the clustering results as data evolves. However, as the size and dimensions of streaming data increase, plotting the clustering result becomes unfeasible. Therefore, incremental internal Validity Indices (iCVIs) could be applied for monitoring the performance of an online clustering algorithm. In this paper, we study the internal incremental Davies-Bouldin (iDB) cluster validity index in the context of big streaming data analysis. Also, we study the effect of large number of samples on the values of the iCVI (iDB). Finally, we propose a way to project streaming data into a lower space for cases where the distance measure does not perform as expected in the high dimensional space.
Analysis of Coupled Three-Dimensional Seepage and Temperature Fields in Fracture Network of Rock Mass
Authors: Xu Zengguang , Liu Yang , Wang Yaping , Chai Junrui , Li Yanlong
Published: December 2018

The coupling effect of seepage and temperature fields in fractured rock mass is a hot topic in the area of water conservancy, nuclear waste disposal and geothermal resources development. A coupling mathematical model of the seepage, flow temperature and rock mass temperature fields in the fracture network of rock mass is established based on the seepage and temperature interaction. A calculation program is developed and applied to calculate the seepage and temperature fields of the dam foundation of a water conservancy project. The interaction mechanism of the seepage, flow temperature and rock mass temperature fields is analyzed in this paper. Results show that the seepage field largely influences the temperature field, which can provide several suggestions for the deep underground disposal of nuclear waste, geothermal resources development and fractured rock mass in dam foundations. Considering the coupling effect of the seepage, flow temperature and rock mass temperature fields by the fracture network method is necessary.
The Preparation of Graphite Oxide Controlled by Optimum Oxidation Potential with any Rejected Nitro-Oxidizer
Authors: Zhang Yue , Wang Xuan J.
Published: December 2018

Nitro-oxidizers (nitric acid-27S, nitrogen tetroxide and mixed nitrogen oxide) are common liquid oxidants widely used in liquid rockets and missile weapons. How to deal with large quantities of scrapped nitro-oxidizers is a complex, costly and dangerous project. We pretreated it with hydrogen peroxide (H2O[Formula: see text] and converted the active oxidant component of nitro-oxidizers into nitric acid, which can be used as oxidant source to prepare graphite oxide from natural graphite. The comprehensive oxidation ability of the reaction system can be effectively controlled by adding different volumes of H2O2, and the oxidation ability can be expressed by the redox potential of the system. Combined with FT-IR, Raman and XRD characterization analysis, the optimal redox potential interval, [1700, 1800][Formula: see text]mV, has been determined for the synthesis of graphite oxide. With the help of data interpolation and function nonlinear fitting and the initial potential of rejected nitro-oxidants obtained, the composition ratio of nitric acid and nitrogen tetroxide (N2O[Formula: see text] has been preliminarily determined with the optimum amount of H2O2. Furthermore, the optimum oxidizing atmosphere for the synthesis of graphite oxide can be formed in spite of a wide range of concentrations of oxidant components, and the resulting graphite oxide has been proven to be a qualified and effective product.
Self-assembly of [NbWO6]− nanosheets and cobalt porphyrin with an enhanced electrocatalytic activity
Authors: Fan Zichun , Zhang Xiaobo , Wang Mengjun , Wu Shining , Rong Jing , Tong Zhiwei
Published: December 2018

A layered nanocomposite CoTMPyP/NbWO6 was fabricated by exfoliation/restacking method. The structure and morphology of LiNbWO6, HNbWO6 and CoTMPyP/NbWO6 were characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM, EDS, UV-Vis and IR. It indicated that the CoTMPyP molecules were arranged about 67∘ between the layers of [NbWO[Formula: see text]. Moreover, the Zeta potential of [NbWO[Formula: see text] colloidal dispersion is [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]mV, indicating that the colloidal suspension exfoliated by TBAOH solution is stable. Meanwhile, the cyclic voltammetry (CV) and the differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) measurements were used to explore the electrochemical properties of CoTMPyP/NbWO6 nanocomposite modified glass carbon electrode (GCE). The modified GCE exhibited excellent electrocatalytic activity toward ascorbic acid (AA) oxidation and the oxidation reaction was proved to be a diffusion-controlled process. DPV measurements demonstrated that the CoTMPyP/NbWO6 modified electrode detects AA linearly over a concentration range of [Formula: see text] to [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]mol[Formula: see text]L[Formula: see text] with a detection limit of [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]mol[Formula: see text]L[Formula: see text] at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3.0.
FINANCIAL LIBERALIZATION AND STOCK MARKET EFFICIENCY: MEASURING THE THRESHOLD EFFECTS OF GOVERNANCE
Authors: NAGHAVI NAVAZ , MUBARIK MUHAMMAD SHUJAAT , KAUR DEVINDER
Published: December 2018

This study takes the initiative to make a link between empirical aspect of an economy and theoretical part of it. Investigating econometric findings, the current study has taken advantages of profound analytical discussions to justify which school of thought describe liberalization phenomena and its relevant side effects. This paper presents an investigation into the effects of financial openness on stock market efficiency in emerging markets after controlling for certain level of institutional development. The results demonstrate that there is a threshold effect in the liberalization–efficiency relationship. Specifically, we found that the impact of financial liberalization on informational efficiency of the stock market was positive and significant only after a certain threshold level of institutional development had been attained. Below this level, the effect of financial liberalization on stock market efficiency was negative. This finding suggests that the positive effects of financial liberalization on informational efficiency are contingent on the level of institutional development, thus supporting the idea that financial liberalization embedded within a sound institutional framework has the capacity to enhance stock market efficiency. The conclusion that the governance concept, emphasized in econometric findings, is implicit in the definition of neoliberalism can be considered as one of the contributions of the study.
U.S. DIESEL FUEL PRICE RESPONSES TO THE GLOBAL CRUDE OIL SUPPLY AND DEMAND
Authors: ADRANGI BAHRAM , CHATRATH ARJUN , MACRI JOSEPH , RAFFIEE KAMBIZ
Published: December 2018

The objective of this study is to examine the monthly movements of U.S. diesel price for the period 1974–2017. We argue that the diesel price may be responsive to crude oil market fundamentals. The model employed includes the global demand and supply for crude oil, in addition to the inventory of crude oil and the level of industrial production for the U.S. The Structural Vector Autoregressive formulation and the Vector Error Correction model suggest that global demand shocks to crude oil, including the inventory of crude oil in the U.S. are primarily responsible for diesel price movements in the U.S., accounting for up to 30–70% of its variation.
Policy Note: "Short-term Pain for Long-term Gain: Urban Water Pricing and the Risk-adjusted User Cost"
Authors: Chu Long , Quentin Grafton R.
Published: December 2018

The paper introduces the concept of the risk-adjusted user cost (RAUC) and its application to the volumetric price charged to water consumers. It is a risk premium that would be incorporated into and be a component of a dynamic pricing framework. The benefit of the RAUC is that it allows decision-makers to inter-temporally maximize social welfare when the future water supply is uncertain. The RAUC imposes higher volumetric prices today to promote water conservation and, thus, mitigate the possibility of future water restrictions. An application of how the RAUC can be estimated is provided based on data from the Australian Capital Territory, Australia. Key policy implications in relation to the RAUC and dynamic water pricing are also presented.
Analysis on the Synthetic Seismograms of Seismic Wave Caused by Low Frequency Sound Source in Shallow Sea with Porous Seabed
Authors: Lu Zai-Hua , Zhang Zhi-Hong , Gu Jian-Nong
Published: December 2018

Elastic wave in the seabed caused by low frequency noise radiated from ship is called ship seismic wave and can be used to identify ship target. In order to obtain the propagation features of ship seismic wave in shallow sea with thick sediment, this paper introduces an algorithm for synthetic seismogram aroused by low frequency point sound source in shallow sea based on Biot’s wave theory for saturated porous media. Numerical calculation of synthetic seismogram at seafloor was carried out at a typical shallow sea environment with thick sediment. According to the results of numerical examples, the time series of seismic wave at seafloor is mostly composed of interface wave and leaky modes. The interface wave can propagate to far distance with small attenuation when the source frequency is very low. When the source frequency increases, the interface wave can no longer propagate to far distance like the leaky modes because the attenuation of sediment increases rapidly with frequency. The porosity and permeability of sediment in shallow sea have some influence on the dispersion characteristic of seismic wave at seafloor.
Optimization of Sound Transmission Loss Characteristics of Orthogonally Stiffened Plate
Authors: Fu Tao , Chen Zhaobo , Yu Hongyin , Li Chengfei , Liu Xiaoxiang
Published: December 2018

An analytical model is developed to investigate the sound transmission loss from orthogonally rib-stiffened plate structure under diffuse acoustic field excitation. The validity and feasibility of the model are verified by comparing the present theoretical predictions with the numerical results published previously. The influences of structure geometrical parameters on sound transmission loss are subsequently presented. The optimization algorithm is used to search for the optimal structural parameters with the objective to maximize the sound transmission loss over a frequency band. Furthermore, the sensitivity of structural parameters on the overall vibration and acoustic performance of the stiffened plates structure is also analyzed.
Field documentation and genesis of the back-structures from the Garhwal Lesser Himalaya, Uttarakhand, India
Authors: Bose Narayan , Mukherjee Soumyajit
Published: December 2018

Collisional fold-and-thrust belts are characterized by foreland-verging thrusts. Conversely, structures with hinterland-ward vergence, known as the back-thrusts, also exist. Strain intensification, critical taper deformation and the presence of thrust ramps generate back-thrusts. This study focuses on the exposure-scale brittle and ductile structures showing hinterland-ward vergence (back-structures) from a part of the Garhwal Lesser Himalaya, NW India, mainly along the Bhagirathi river section. In our field-traverse, back-structures were found at 31 locations. Towards the north, in the Outer Lesser Himalaya, the back-structures are located on the inverted limb of the Mussoorie Syncline (Group 1). The Tons Thrust is a south-dipping thrust (i.e. back-thrust). Hence, the Tons Thrust and nearby areas show intense back-structures (Group 2). In the Inner Lesser Himalaya, back-structures have been generated by shearing related to the folded Berinag Thrust (Group 3). The back-structures at and near the Main Central Thrust Zone (MCTZ) (Group 4) can be correlated with the presence of the Delhi–Haridwar Ridge. In this way, this study establishes the back-structures to be an integral part of the Garhwal Lesser Himalaya and provides the genesis of those structures by correlating them with the (local) tectonic settings.

Supplementary material
: Tables listing seismic events and the GPS coordinates of the field locations, and figures showing structures at these field locations are available at
https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.4339784
Improved imaging and analysis of chlorite in reservoirs and modern day analogues: new insights for reservoir quality and provenance
Authors: Worden R. H. , Utley James E. P. , Butcher Alan R. , Griffiths J. , Wooldridge L. J. , Lawan A. Y.
Published: December 2018

Chlorite is a key mineral in the control of reservoir quality in many siliciclastic rocks. In deeply buried reservoirs, chlorite coats on sand grains prevent the growth of quartz cements and lead to anomalously good reservoir quality. By contrast, an excess of chlorite – for example, in clay-rich siltstone and sandstone – leads to blocked pore throats and very low permeability. Determining which compositional type is present, how it occurs spatially, and quantifying the many and varied habits of chlorite that are of commercial importance remains a challenge. With the advent of automated techniques based on scanning electron microscopy (SEM), it is possible to provide instant phase identification and mapping of entire thin sections of rock. The resulting quantitative mineralogy and rock fabric data can be compared with well logs and core analysis data. We present here a completely novel Quantitative Evaluation of Minerals by SCANning electron microscopy (QEMSCAN®) SEM–energy-dispersive spectrometry (EDS) methodology to differentiate, quantify and image 11 different compositional types of chlorite based on Fe : Mg ratios using thin sections of rocks and grain mounts of cuttings or loose sediment. No other analytical technique, or combination of techniques, is capable of easily quantifying and imaging different compositional types of chlorite. Here we present examples of chlorite from seven different geological settings analysed using QEMSCAN® SEM–EDS. By illustrating the reliability of identification under automated analysis, and the ability to capture realistic textures in a fully digital format, we can clearly visualize the various forms of chlorite. This new approach has led to the creation of a digital chlorite library, in which we have co-registered optical and SEM-based images, and validated the mineral identification with complimentary techniques such as X-ray diffraction. This new methodology will be of interest and use to all those concerned with the identification and formation of chlorite in sandstones and the effects that diagenetic chlorite growth may have had on reservoir quality. The same approach may be adopted for other minerals (e.g. carbonates) with major element compositional variability that may influence the porosity and permeability of sandstone reservoirs.
Completeness for First-order Properties on Sparse Structures with Algorithmic Applications
Authors: Gao Jiawei , Impagliazzo Russell , Kolokolova Antonina , Williams Ryan
Published: December 2018

Properties definable in first-order logic are algorithmically interesting for both theoretical and pragmatic reasons. Many of the most studied algorithmic problems, such as Hitting Set and Orthogonal Vectors, are first-order, and the first-order properties naturally arise as relational database queries. A relatively straightforward algorithm for evaluating a property with
k
+1 quantifiers takes time
O
(
m

k

) and, assuming the Strong Exponential Time Hypothesis (SETH), some such properties require
O
(
m

k

−ϵ) time for any ϵ > 0. (Here, >
m
represents the size of the input structure, i.e., the number of tuples in all relations.)

We give algorithms for every first-order property that improves this upper bound to
m

k
/2

Θ (√ log
n
)

, i.e., an improvement by a factor more than any poly-log, but less than the polynomial required to refute SETH. Moreover, we show that further improvement is
equivalent
to improving algorithms for sparse instances of the well-studied Orthogonal Vectors problem. Surprisingly, both results are obtained by showing completeness of the Sparse Orthogonal Vectors problem for the class of first-order properties under fine-grained reductions. To obtain improved algorithms, we apply the fast Orthogonal Vectors algorithm of References [3, 16].

While fine-grained reductions (reductions that closely preserve the conjectured complexities of problems) have been used to relate the hardness of disparate specific problems both within P and beyond, this is the first such completeness result for a standard complexity class.
Feature-Specific Profiling
Authors: Andersen Leif , St-Amour Vincent , Vitek Jan , Felleisen Matthias
Published: December 2018

While high-level languages come with significant readability and maintainability benefits, their performance remains difficult to predict. For example, programmers may unknowingly use language features inappropriately, which cause their programs to run slower than expected. To address this issue, we introduce
feature-specific profiling
, a technique that reports performance costs in terms of linguistic constructs. Feature-specific profilers help programmers find expensive uses of specific features of their language. We describe the architecture of a profiler that implements our approach, explain prototypes of the profiler for two languages with different characteristics and implementation strategies, and provide empirical evidence for the approach’s general usefulness as a performance debugging tool.
Reusing the Optimized Code for JavaScript Ahead-of-Time Compilation
Authors: Park Hyukwoo , Kim Sungkook , Park Jung-Geun , Moon Soo-Mook
Published: December 2018

As web pages and web apps increasingly include heavy JavaScript code, JavaScript performance has been a critical issue. Modern JavaScript engines achieve a remarkable performance by employing tiered-execution architecture based on interpreter, baseline just-in-time compiler (JITC), and optimizing JITC. Unfortunately, they suffer from a substantial compilation overhead, which can take more than 50% of the whole running time. A simple idea to reduce the compilation overhead is ahead-of-time compilation (AOTC), which reuses the code generated in the previous run. In fact, existing studies that reuse the bytecode generated by the interpreter or the machine code generated by the baseline JITC have shown tangible performance benefits [12, 31, 41]. However, there has been no study to reuse the machine code generated by the optimizing JITC, which heavily uses profile-based optimizations, thus not easily reusable. We propose a novel AOTC that can reuse the optimized machine code for high-performance JavaScript engines. Unlike previous AOTCs, we need to resolve a few challenging issues related to reusing profile-based optimized code and relocating dynamic addresses. Our AOTC improves the performance of a commercial JavaScript engine by 6.36 times (max) and 1.99 times (average) for Octane benchmarks, by reducing the compilation overhead and by running the optimized code from the first invocation of functions. It also improves the loading time of six web apps by 1.28 times, on average.
Eukaryotic Ribosome Assembly
Authors: Baßler Jochen , Hurt Ed
Published: December 2018

Ribosomes, which synthesize the proteins of a cell, comprise ribosomal RNA and ribosomal proteins, which coassemble hierarchically during a process termed ribosome biogenesis. Historically, biochemical and molecular biology approaches have revealed how preribosomal particles form and mature in consecutive steps, starting in the nucleolus and terminating after nuclear export into the cytoplasm. However, only recently, due to the revolution in cryo–electron microscopy, could pseudoatomic structures of different preribosomal particles be obtained. Together with in vitro maturation assays, these findings shed light on how nascent ribosomes progress stepwise along a dynamic biogenesis pathway. Preribosomes assemble gradually, chaperoned by a myriad of assembly factors and small nucleolar RNAs, before they reach maturity and enter translation. This information will lead to a better understanding of how ribosome synthesis is linked to other cellular pathways in humans and how it can cause diseases, including cancer, if disturbed.
The Hippo Pathway: Biology and Pathophysiology
Authors: Ma Shenghong , Meng Zhipeng , Chen Rui , Guan Kun-Liang
Published: December 2018

The Hippo pathway was initially discovered in Drosophila melanogaster as a key regulator of tissue growth. It is an evolutionarily conserved signaling cascade regulating numerous biological processes, including cell growth and fate decision, organ size control, and regeneration. The core of the Hippo pathway in mammals consists of a kinase cascade, MST1/2 and LATS1/2, as well as downstream effectors, transcriptional coactivators YAP and TAZ. These core components of the Hippo pathway control transcriptional programs involved in cell proliferation, survival, mobility, stemness, and differentiation. The Hippo pathway is tightly regulated by both intrinsic and extrinsic signals, such as mechanical force, cell–cell contact, polarity, energy status, stress, and many diffusible hormonal factors, the majority of which act through G protein–coupled receptors. Here, we review the current understanding of molecular mechanisms by which signals regulate the Hippo pathway with an emphasis on mechanotransduction and the effects of this pathway on basic biology and human diseases.
A Reciprocal Model of Pain and Substance Use: Transdiagnostic Considerations, Clinical Implications, and Future Directions
Authors: Ditre Joseph W. , Zale Emily L. , LaRowe Lisa R.
Published: December 2018

Pain and substance use are highly prevalent and co-occurring conditions that continue to garner increasing clinical and empirical interest. Although nicotine and tobacco, alcohol, and cannabis each confer acute analgesic effects, frequent or heavy use may contribute to the development and progression of chronic pain, and pain may be heightened during abstinence. Additionally, pain can be a potent motivator of substance self-administration, and it may contribute to escalating use and poorer substance-related treatment outcomes. We integrated converging lines of evidence to propose a reciprocal model in which pain and substance use are hypothesized to interact in the manner of a positive feedback loop, resulting in the exacerbation and maintenance of both conditions over time. Theoretical mechanisms in bidirectional pain–substance use relations are reviewed, including negative reinforcement, social cognitive processes, and allostatic load in overlapping neural circuitry. Finally, candidate transdiagnostic factors are identified, and we conclude with a discussion of clinical implications and future research directions.
Sign-Problem-Free Fermionic Quantum Monte Carlo: Developments and Applications
Authors: Li Zi-Xiang , Yao Hong
Published: December 2018

Reliable simulations of correlated quantum systems, including high-temperature superconductors and frustrated magnets, are increasingly desired nowadays to further our understanding of essential features in such systems. Quantum Monte Carlo (QMC) is a unique numerically exact and intrinsically unbiased method to simulate interacting quantum many-body systems. More importantly, when QMC simulations are free from the notorious fermion sign problem, they can reliably simulate interacting quantum models with large system size and low temperature to reveal low-energy physics such as spontaneously broken symmetries and universal quantum critical behaviors. Here, we concisely review recent progress made in developing new sign-problem-free QMC algorithms, including those employing Majorana representation and those utilizing hot-spot physics. We also discuss applications of these novel sign-problem-free QMC algorithms in simulations of various interesting quantum many-body models. Finally, we discuss possible future directions of designing sign-problem-free QMC methods.
The Antibody Response to Plasmodium falciparum: Cues for Vaccine Design and the Discovery of Receptor-Based Antibodies
Authors: Tan Joshua , Piccoli Luca , Lanzavecchia Antonio
Published: December 2018

Plasmodium falciparum remains a serious public health problem and a continuous challenge for the immune system due to the complexity and diversity of the pathogen. Recent advances from several laboratories in the characterization of the antibody response to the parasite have led to the identification of critical targets for protection and revealed a new mechanism of diversification based on the insertion of host receptors into immunoglobulin genes, leading to the production of receptor-based antibodies. These advances have opened new possibilities for vaccine design and passive antibody therapies to provide sterilizing immunity and control blood-stage parasites.
School Health as a Strategy to Improve Both Public Health and Education
Authors: Kolbe Lloyd J.
Published: December 2018

Because schools materially influence both health and education, they substantially determine the future well-being and economic productivity of populations. Recent research suggests that healthier children learn better and that more educated adults are healthier. School health is a cross-disciplinary field of study and a fundamental strategy that can be used to improve both health and education outcomes. Modern school health programs include 10 interactive components: health education; physical education and physical activity; nutrition environment and services; health services; counseling, psychological, and social services; physical environment; social and emotional climate; family engagement; community involvement; and employee wellness. This review is written for both health and education audiences. It integrates recent research and developments in relationships among health, education, and economic outcomes; health and education systems; the school health program, its components, and their effectiveness; cross-disciplinary collaboration; local, state, national, and international infrastructures and strategies; implementation science; and relevant academic research, training, and service.
Subendothelial matrix components influence endothelial cell apoptosis in vitro
Authors: Saemisch Michael , Balcells Mercedes , Riesinger Lisa , Nickmann Markus , Bhaloo Shirin Issa , Edelman Elazer R. , Methe Heiko
Published: December 2018

The programmed form of cell death (apoptosis) is essential for normal development of multicellular organisms. Dysregulation of apoptosis has been linked with embryonal death and is involved in the pathophysiology of various diseases. Specifically, endothelial apoptosis plays pivotal roles in atherosclerosis whereas prevention of endothelial apoptosis is a prerequisite for neovascularization in tumors and metastasis. Endothelial biology is intertwined with the composition of subendothelial basement membrane proteins. Apoptosis was induced by addition of tumor necrosis factor-α to cycloheximide-sensitized endothelial cells. Cells were either grown on polystyrene culture plates or on plates precoated with healthy basement membrane proteins (collagen IV, fibronectin, or laminin) or collagen I. Our results reveal that proteins of healthy basement membrane alleviate cytokine-induced apoptosis whereas precoating with collagen type I had no significant effect on apoptosis by addition of tumor necrosis factor-α to cycloheximide-sensitized endothelial cells compared with cells cultured on uncoated plates. Yet, treatment with transforming growth factor-β1 significantly reduced the rate of apoptosis endothelial cells grown on collagen I. Detailed analysis reveals differences in intracellular signaling pathways for each of the basement membrane proteins studied. We provide additional insights into the importance of basement membrane proteins and the respective cytokine milieu on endothelial biology. Exploring outside-in signaling by basement membrane proteins may constitute an interesting target to restore vascular function and prevent complications in the atherosclerotic cascade.
Peroxidasin and eosinophil peroxidase, but not myeloperoxidase, contribute to renal fibrosis in the murine unilateral ureteral obstruction model
Authors: Colon Selene , Luan Haiyan , Liu Yan , Meyer Cameron , Gewin Leslie , Bhave Gautam
Published: December 2018

Renal fibrosis is the pathological hallmark of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and manifests as glomerulosclerosis and tubulointerstitial fibrosis. Reactive oxygen species contribute significantly to renal inflammation and fibrosis, but most research has focused on superoxide and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). The animal heme peroxidases myeloperoxidase (MPO), eosinophil peroxidase (EPX), and peroxidasin (PXDN) uniquely metabolize H2O2into highly reactive and destructive hypohalous acids, such as hypobromous and hypochlorous acid. However, the role of these peroxidases and their downstream hypohalous acids in the pathogenesis of renal fibrosis is unclear. Our study defines the contribution of MPO, EPX, and PXDN to renal inflammation and tubulointerstitial fibrosis in the murine unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) model. Using a nonspecific inhibitor of animal heme peroxidases and peroxidase-specific knockout mice, we find that loss of EPX or PXDN, but not MPO, reduces renal fibrosis. Furthermore, we demonstrate that eosinophils, the source of EPX, accumulate in the renal interstitium after UUO. These findings point to EPX and PXDN as potential therapeutic targets for renal fibrosis and CKD and suggest that eosinophils modulate the response to renal injury.
Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms inmiR-122Are Associated with the Risk of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in a Southern Chinese Population
Authors: Bei Chunhua , Liu Shun , Yu Xiangyuan , Qiu Moqin , Tang Bo , Liao Weijia , He Songqing , Yu Hongping
Published: December 2018

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in microRNA may affect its expression and regulation of target genes, which may consequently alter individual susceptibility to cancer. In this study we aimed to investigate associations betweenmiR-122polymorphisms and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in a southern Chinese population. Three selected SNPs inmiR-122(rs9966765, rs1135519, and rs17669) were genotyped in 1050 HCC patients and 1079 cancer-free controls using Sequenom MassARRAY platform and the associations of the three SNPs and HCC risk were evaluated. We found that individuals with the rs1135519 CC genotypes had a significant increased risk of HCC than those with TT genotypes (adjusted OR=2.71, 95% CI=1.15-6.36, andP=0.022), while the rs9966765 CC genotypes showed a borderline significant association with increased risk of HCC when compared with the GG genotypes (adjusted OR=2.38, 95% CI=0.99-5.75, andP=0.052). There was also a significant increased risk of HCC when combining risk genotypes of these loci, i.e., rs1135519 CC and rs9966765 CC. Compared with the low-risk group (0 risk genotype), the high risk group (1-2 risk genotypes) had significantly increased risk of HCC (OR=1.61, 95% CI=1.05-2.44, andP=0.028). Further genotype-expression analysis revealed that cases carrying the CC genotype of rs1135519 had lower levels ofmiR-122expression than those with the TT genotype. Our results suggest that SNP of rs1135519 modulatesmiR-122expression and contributes to the genetic susceptibility of HCC, either independently or together with rs9966765 inmiR-122.Further well-designed studies with lager sample sizes are needed to confirm our findings.
Seismic Stability Analysis of Saturated and Unsaturated Soil Slopes Using Permanent Displacement
Authors: Huang Shuai , Peng Yanju
Published: December 2018

The permanent displacement has been widely used for slope seismic stability in practical engineering; however, the effect of the dynamic pore water pressure on the saturated and unsaturated soil slopes could not be neglected. In this paper, we propose a calculation method of dynamic pore water pressure by the hollow cylinder apparatus (GCTS) which is the most advanced and complicated device in lab testing on soil dynamics. Then, based on the proposed calculation method of dynamic pore water pressure combined with the limit equilibrium and finite element methods, we introduce a simple calculation method of permanent displacement, which avoids solving complex nonlinear equations and greatly simplifies the computational effort. Shaking table test results demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of the simple calculation method of permanent displacement, which could rapidly assess the soil slope seismic stability considering the effect of dynamic pore water pressure.
Trend and Abrupt Regime Shift of Temperature Extreme in Northeast China, 1957–2015
Authors: Mwagona Patteson Chula , Yao Yunlong , Shan Yuanqi , Yu Hongxian , Zhang Yiwen
Published: December 2018

Trend and an abrupt regime shift of temperature extremes were investigated based on diurnal data at 116 meteorological stations in the Northeast China region during 1957–2015. A total of 10 temperature indices divided into two categories: extremely cold and warm indices, were used in this study. The Mann–Kendall (MK) test was employed to evaluate the trend in temperature while changepoint, an R package for changepoint analysis, was used to detect changes in the mean levels of temperature extreme data series. The results of this study reveal that occurrence frequencies of the extreme cold night (TN10p) and extreme warm night (TN90p) have decreased and increased by −1.67 and 1.79 days/decade, respectively. Moreover, variations in temperature extremes have not been uniform with warming trends in minimum temperature being rapidly compared to maximum temperature extremes. The diurnal temperature range (DTR) depicted a remarkable decrease as a result of rapid warming in the minimum temperature. Warming in the region led to a reduction in the number of frost days (FD) and icing days (ID) and an increase in the number of growing season length (GSL) and tropical nights (Tr). Seasonally, TN10p largely decreased in winter and spring, while TNn and TN90p largely increased in winter and summer, respectively. Spatially, most of the stations with a significant warming trend in minimum temperatures were located in the Changbai Mountain, Greater Khingan Range, and Lesser Khingan Range. This implies that the mountainous regions are more sensitive and vulnerable to warming than the plain regions. On the contrary, most stations located in the Songnen Plain, Sanjiang Plain, and Liao River Plain displayed significant positive trend GSL and Tr. These climate extreme trends show that the region is experiencing warming which may have an impact on the hydrological process, ecological process, and agricultural production capacity.
Control Strategy for the Energy Optimization of Hybrid Regenerative Braking Energy Utilization System Used in Electric Locomotive
Authors: Yan Jiande , Wang Hui , Zhong Shuren , Lan Yonghong , Huang Keyuan
Published: December 2018

The braking process of electric locomotive is featured by short braking time, large braking power, large voltage fluctuations, etc. Faced with the problem of low utilization of braking energy and high investment cost of the current regenerative braking energy utilization systems, an energy optimization scheme is proposed in this paper by combining the control strategy for energy storage and energy optimization. The regenerative braking energy utilization system is modeled by analyzing the braking process of electric locomotive. The instantaneous absorption reference powers of the energy storage subsystem and energy feedback subsystem in braking process are obtained according to the established mathematical model. The energy storage subsystem uses super capacitor and adopts a power-current dual closed-loop control strategy. The energy feedback subsystem adopts a voltage-current dual closed-loop control strategy. Through the tracking control of the instantaneous power, a reasonable distribution of the regenerative braking energy is achieved between the energy feedback subsystem and energy storage subsystem, thereby increasing the utilization efficiency of the two subsystems. Finally, the performance of the proposed scheme is verified by simulation and experiment.
Size Effect on the Seismic Performance of High-Strength Reinforced Concrete Columns with Different Shear Span-to-Depth Ratios
Authors: Yu Chunyi , Ma Hua , Xie Yongping , Li Zhenbao , Tang Zhenyun
Published: December 2018

The size effect on the seismic performance of conventional reinforced concrete columns has been observed in terms of flexural failure and shear failure. Under earthquake loading, slender columns experience flexural failure, and short columns experience flexure-shear failure and shear failure. However, the effect of section size on the seismic performance of high-strength reinforced concrete columns under the conditions of different shear span-to-depth ratios requires further confirmation. For this purpose, six high-strength reinforced concrete columns with shear span-to-depth ratios of 2 and 4 were subjected to cyclic loading in this study. The experimental results indicated that relative nominal flexural strength, energy dissipation coefficient, factor of safety, and local factor of safety all exhibited a strong size effect by decreasing with increasing column size. Furthermore, the size effect became stronger as the shear span-to-depth ratio was increased, except for average energy dissipation coefficient. The observed changes in the factor of safety were in good agreement with the Type 2 size effect model proposed by Bažant. Thus, based on the local factor of safety and Bažant’s Type 2 model, the code equation for moment capacity of different shear span-to-depth ratios was modified to provide a consistent factor of safety regardless of column size.
TiO2-Intercalated Graphene Oxides with Highly Efficient Photocatalytic Degradation for Methylene Blue
Authors: Yao Lirong , Dong Li , Li Xiaojuan , Xu Sijun , Zhang Guangyu , Sun Qilong
Published: December 2018

The low photocatalytic decomposition activity of TiO2 toward industrial pollutants at room temperature is one of the main obstacles for its practical application. TiO2-intercalated graphene oxide (GO) composites were prepared by in situ hydrolysis of butyl titanate in a GO aqueous solution, followed by hydrothermal reaction to improve their photoelectron separation efficiency. The in situ generated TiO2 nanocrystals could grow and adhere to the GO walls, thereby greatly improving the contact area and binding strength among them and resulting in low photoelectron transfer resistance. The photocatalytic activities of the as-prepared catalyst were evaluated via photodegradation of methylene blue (MB). The TiO2-intercalated GOs displayed much higher catalytic activity than GO, TiO2, and TiO2-adsorbed GOs. The degradation efficiency of MB by TiO2-intercalated GOs increased with increasing bath ratio of TiO2-intercalated GOs to MB solution, but it decreased with increasing initial concentration of MB. Degradation of MB by UV light was much faster than by simulated sunlight. The degradation time by sunlight was only 5% of degradation time by UV light. Cyclic catalytic experiments indicated that TiO2-intercalated GO maintained 99.97% degradation activity after repeated degradation (five times), thereby indicating the good decomposition durability.
Development of Ideal Hump Geometric Characteristics for Different Vehicle Types “Case Study” Urban Roads in Kafr El‐Sheikh City (Egypt)
Authors: Shwaly Sayed A. , Zakaria Mohamed H. , Al-Ayaat Amal H.
Published: December 2018

In Egypt, speed humps are often thought as the best and cheapest tool to reduce vehicles speed and consequently decrease the number of potential accidents. The lack of standards in Egypt led to the installation of a number of speed humps with random dimensions and without good justification. They have become in many cases a source of disturbance and discomfort to drivers and passengers especially when they are poorly designed and located. So, standard design guidelines are disparately required. Three streets from the urban road network of Kafr El‐Sheikh city were chosen to collect field data. A total of 51 speed humps were chosen for field data survey. Although there are many design shapes of speed humps, the study focused only on the sinusoidal type. As observed in the field survey, it was found that more than 74% of the observed road humps were of the sinusoidal type. The screening process resulted in only 24 sinusoidal shape speed humps from the 51 speed humps firstly chosen. For speed measurement, data were collected by installing a recording camera beside the road carriageway of each speed hump for an hour time interval. Spot speed for three types of vehicles was measured from the recorded videos for each site by using the logger program software. The operating speeds (V85%) at humps locations have been obtained for different vehicles. Regression analysis models were developed to represent the relationships between the operating speeds (V85%) at humps locations for motorcycles, passenger cars vehicles, and microbuses and three variables, hump length, hump height, and the spacing between successive speed humps. Generally, the results demonstrated that spot speed is significantly influenced by speed hump geometric dimension and the spacing between them. Finally, the developed regression lines can be used easily for setting the geometric dimensions for each proposed hump location.
Recent Development and Clinical Application of Cancer Vaccine: Targeting Neoantigens
Authors: Pan Ren-You , Chung Wen-Hung , Chu Mu-Tzu , Chen Shu-Jen , Chen Hua-Chien , Zheng Lei , Hung Shuen-Iu
Published: December 2018

Recently, increasing data show that immunotherapy could be a powerful weapon against cancers. Comparing to the traditional surgery, chemotherapy or radiotherapy, immunotherapy more specifically targets cancer cells, giving rise to the opportunities to the patients to have higher response rates and better quality of life and even to cure the disease. Cancer vaccines could be designed to target tumor-associated antigens (TAAs), cancer germline antigens, virus-associated antigens, or tumor-specific antigens (TSAs), which are also called neoantigens. The cancer vaccines could be cell-based (e.g., dendritic cell vaccine provenge (sipuleucel-T) targeting prostatic acid phosphatase for metastatic prostate cancer), peptide/protein-based, or gene- (DNA/RNA) based, with the different kinds of adjuvants. Neoantigens are tumor-specific and could be presented by MHC molecules and recognized by T lymphocytes, serving the ideal immune targets to increase the therapeutic specificity and decrease the risk of nonspecific autoimmunity. By targeting the shared antigens and private epitopes, the cancer vaccine has potential to treat the disease. Accordingly, personalized neoantigen-based immunotherapies are emerging. In this article, we review the literature and evidence of the advantage and application of cancer vaccine. We summarize the recent clinical trials of neoantigen cancer vaccines which were designed according to the patients’ personal mutanome. With the rapid development of personalized immunotherapy, it is believed that tumors could be efficiently controlled and become curable in the new era of precision medicine.