bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
How to Evaluate Acne in Reproductive-Age Women: An Epidemiological Study in Chinese Communities
Authors: Wang Yu-Yang , Li Shang-Wei , Luo Shan , Qin Lang , Zeng Xun , Li Lei , Li Xiao-Hong
Published: February 2019

Background. Acne is not only a skin condition but also a cardinal component of many systemic diseases or syndromes. This study was aimed to investigate the prevalence of acne in reproductive-age women in Sichuan province, China, and to evaluate acne as a skin problem alone or a symptom of gynecological/endocrinological disease. Methods. From October 2008 to September 2009, 1043 reproductive-age women from 19 to 45 years of age from seven communities of three districts in Sichuan province completed a standardized questionnaire and a physical examination. Acne was classified using the Pillsbury scale, and hirsutism was assessed using a modified Ferriman–Gallwey method. Diagnosis of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) was based on the 2003 Rotterdam criteria. Some endocrine and metabolic markers were detected for the women diagnosed with PCOS related to acne and the control group. Results. The prevalence of acne was 32.5%, and the highest prevalence (9.6%) was seen in the 19–24-year-old age group. Prevalence among women eating dessert frequently, exercising seldom, or among sedentary workers was significantly higher in the acne group (14.1%, 55.6%, and 51.3%, respectively) than in the nonacne group (10.8%, 45.7%, and 35.5%; all P<0.05). The prevalence of oligomenorrhea and hirsutism in the acne group (17.6%, 24.7%) was significantly higher than in the nonacne group (8.6%, 15.1%; both P<0.05). Among the participants with acne, 64.3% had acne alone, 18.3% were diagnosed with hyperandrogenism, and 17.4% were diagnosed with PCOS. The level of serum androstendione in the group of PCOS (10.98±3.12 nmol/L) was significantly higher than that in the control group (8.85±3.09nmol/L) (P<0.05). Conclusion. When reproductive-age women with acne are encountered in gynecology–endocrinology or dermatology clinics, physicians should consider evaluating them from PCOS, hyperandrogenism, or acne alone.
Different Physical Structures of Solutions for a Generalized Resonant Dispersive Nonlinear Schrödinger Equation with Power Law Nonlinearity
Authors: Al-Ghafri K. S.
Published: February 2019

In this work, we investigate various types of solutions for the generalised resonant dispersive nonlinear Schrödinger equation (GRD-NLSE) with power law nonlinearity. Based on simple mathematical techniques, the complicated form of the GRD-NLSE is reduced to an ordinary differential equation (ODE) which has a variety of solutions. The analytic solution of the resulting ODE gives rise to bright soliton, singular soliton, peaked soliton, compacton solutions, solitary pattern solutions, rational solution, Weierstrass elliptic periodic type solutions, and some other types of solutions. Constraint conditions for the existence of solitons and other solutions are given.
A New Class of Analytic Functions Associated with Sălăgean Operator
Authors: Arif Muhammad , Ahmad Khurshid , Liu Jin-Lin , Sokół Janusz
Published: February 2019

The main object of the present paper is to investigate a number of useful properties such as inclusion relation, distortion bounds, coefficient estimates, and subordination results for a new subclass of analytic functions which are defined here by means of a linear operator. Several known consequences of the results are also pointed out.
Vertical Load and Settlement at the Foot of Steel Rib with the Support of Feet‐Lock Pipe in Soft Ground Tunnel
Authors: Chen Lijun , Chen Jianxun , Luo Yanbin , Li Yao , Hu Taotao
Published: February 2019

In soft ground tunnels, feet‐lock pipes have been widely used to decrease the concentration of load and settlement at the foot of steel ribs. This paper presents an analytical method to predict the vertical load and settlement at the foot of steel ribs with the support of the feet‐lock pipe. First, the mechanical model of a steel rib and feet‐lock pipe combined structure involving the ground reaction at the foot was proposed. In this model, the deformation compatibility among the steel rib, the feet‐lock pipe, and the ground at the tunnel foot were considered, and an elastic foundation beam model with double parameter for the feet‐lock pipe was proposed. Then, based on the proposed mechanical model, the analytical equations for predicting the vertical load and settlement at the foot of the steel rib were derived using structural analysis and beam theory on elastic foundation. The predicted vertical loads and settlements were validated by comparing with the results of field measurements and the Winkler foundation beam model for the feet‐lock pipe, and the results show that the feet‐lock pipe can effectively reduce the load acting on the ground, where the steel rib was installed, and finally improve the stability of the tunnel structure.
Chinese Herbal Medicine (Chaihu-Huaji Decoction) Alleviates Postembolization Syndrome following Transcatheter Arterial Chemoembolization and Improves Survival in Unresectable Hepatocellular Cancer: A Retrospective Study
Authors: Xu Hua , Deng Yongchun , Zhou Zhi , Huang Yi
Published: February 2019

Objective. To examine the efficacy of Chaihu-huaji decoction combined with transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) in unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. Methods. We retrospectively reviewed the data of 125 HCC patients treated in Chongqing Cancer Hospital between January 2012 and December 2014, including 64 patients who received Chaihu-huaji decoction and TACE (Chaihu-huaji group) and 61 patients who received only TACE (control group). The patients were examined until the last follow-up or death. Complications, hepatotoxicity, and nephrotoxicity were compared between the two groups. Results. Fever, nausea, vomiting, poor appetite, and leukocytopenia were alleviated in patients who received Chaihu-huaji decoction, and no cases of significant hepatic and renal toxicities related to the herbal medicine were observed in the Chaihu-huaji group. The 3-year overall survival probability was significantly higher in the Chaihu-huaji group (26.47%) than in the control group (13.06%). Conclusion. Chaihu-huaji decoction may prevent adverse events after TACE and prolong overall survival of unresectable HCC patients when combined with TACE.
Voltammetric Determination of Uric Acid in Clinical Serum Samples Using DMF Modified Screen Printed Carbon Electrodes
Authors: Metto Melaku , Eramias Samrawit , Gelagay Bekele , Washe Alemayehu P.
Published: February 2019

Screen printed carbon electrodes (SPCEs) provide attractive opportunity for sensitive and selective determination target analytes in clinical samples. The aim of the current work was to develop SPCEs based sensor for the determination of uric acid in clinical serum samples. The electrodes were pretreated by soaking in N,N-dimethylformamide for 5 minutes followed by drying in an oven at 100°C for 20 mins. The effect of surface pretreatment was characterized using cyclic voltammetry. The current response of uric acid detection was improved by a factor of 3.5 in differential pulse voltammetric measurement compared to unmodified electrode. Under the optimized conditions, the sensor displayed two dynamic linear ranges 5-100 μM and 100-500 μM with correlation coefficient, R2, values of 0.98782 and 0.97876, respectively. The limit of detection and limit of quantification calculated using the dynamic linear range 5-100 μM were 1.9 x 10−7 M and 6.33 x 10−7 M, respectively. The developed sensor displayed well separated and discerned peaks for UA in presence of the potential interferent (ascorbic acid and citric acid). The electrode was successfully applied for the detection of very low level of UA in clinical serum samples in a phosphate buffer solution (pH = 7). The proposed sensor showed a very high reproducibility and repeatability with the relative standard deviation of 0.9%. In conclusion, a simple and low cost sensor based on SPCEs is developed for sensitive and selective detection of uric acid in clinical samples.
Banked Human Milk and Quantitative Risk Assessment ofBacillus cereusInfection in Premature Infants: A Simulation Study
Authors: Lewin Antoine , Delage Gilles , Bernier France , Germain Marc
Published: February 2019

Background. Banked human milk (BHM) offers potential health benefits to premature babies. BHM is pasteurized to mitigate infectious risks, but pasteurization is ineffective against sporulating bacteria such asBacillus cereus. Sepsis related toBacillus cereusin premature infants is severe and can often be fatal. Even if a causal link has never been established, BHM has been suggested as a potential source of infection in premature infants.Objective. Our aim was to estimate the potential risk ofBacillus cereusinfection in preterm infants caused by the ingestion of contaminated pasteurized BHM using different post-pasteurization release criteria (i.e., 9 sampling of 100 microliters versus the HMBANA guideline of 1 sampling of 100 microliters per pool).Methods. In the absence of scientific evidence regarding the risk ofBacillus cereusinfection by the ingestion of BHM in premature infants, risk assessment using Monte Carlo simulation with the exponential dose-response model was performed. Three scenarios of infectious risk (annual incidence rate of 0.01%, 0.13%, and 0.2%) with 18 variations of theB. cereusvirulent dose (from 0.5 CFU/ml to 200 CFU/ml) were simulated.Results. The mean risk differential between the two methods of post-pasteurization bacteriological control for realistic infectious doses of 30 to 200 CFU/ml ranges from 0.036 to 0.0054, 0.47 to 0.070, and 0.72 to 0.11 per million servings, for each of the three scenarios.Conclusion. Simulation highlights the very small risk ofBacillus cereusinfection following the ingestion of pasteurized BHM, even in the worst case scenarios, and suggests that a 100-microliter sample for post-pasteurization culture is sufficient.
Optimal Damper Slip Force for Vibration Control Structures Incorporating Friction Device with Sway‐Rocking Motion Obtained Using Shaking Table Tests
Authors: Shirai Kazutaka , Nagaoka Akari , Fujita Nami , Fujimori Takeshi
Published: February 2019

In this study, a series of shaking table tests were conducted using a specimen that consisted of a superstructure, incorporating a friction device and a sway‐rocking mechanism under the superstructure to determine the optimal damper slip force of a passive vibration control system considering the effects of sway‐rocking motion. The adopted simple friction device, composed of rubber bands and stainless steel plates, allowed the magnitude of the slip force to be easily set. The optimal slip force of the friction device, which minimizes the peak and root‐mean‐square response of the superstructure subjected to earthquakes, was determined from the shaking table tests. Based on the results, the optimal slip force of the friction device was found to vary according to the input level of the ground motions and the sway‐rocking conditions. The obtained results suggest that the effect of sway‐rocking motion should be considered in the design of passive control structures and the determination of their optimal damper slip force.
Routing in Mobile Opportunistic Social Networks with Selfish Nodes
Authors: Socievole Annalisa , Caputo Antonio , De Rango Floriano , Fazio Peppino
Published: February 2019

When the connection to Internet is not available during networking activities, an opportunistic approach exploits the encounters between mobile human-carried devices for exchanging information. When users encounter each other, their handheld devices can communicate in a cooperative way, using the encounter opportunities for forwarding their messages, in a wireless manner. But, analyzing real behaviors, most of the nodes exhibit selfish behaviors, mostly to preserve the limited resources (data buffers and residual energy). That is the reason why node selfishness should be taken into account when describing networking activities: in this paper, we first evaluate the effects of node selfishness in opportunistic networks. Then, we propose a routing mechanism for managing node selfishness in opportunistic communications, namely, SORSI (Social-based Opportunistic Routing with Selfishness detection and Incentive mechanisms). SORSI exploits the social-based nature of node mobility and other social features of nodes to optimize message dissemination together with a selfishness detection mechanism, aiming at discouraging selfish behaviors and boosting data forwarding. Simulating several percentages of selfish nodes, our results on real-world mobility traces show that SORSI is able to outperform the social-based schemes Bubble Rap and SPRINT-SELF, employing also selfishness management in terms of message delivery ratio, overhead cost, and end-to-end average latency. Moreover, SORSI achieves delivery ratios and average latencies comparable to Epidemic Routing while having a significant lower overhead cost.
Assessment of the Nutrients in the Leachate and the Groundwater Quality for Drinking and Farming around the Nkolfoulou Landfill in Yaoundé, Cameroon
Authors: Feuyit Gilbert , Lambi John Ngolui , Njoyim-Tamungang Estella , Laminsi Samuel
Published: February 2019

This study focuses on the assessment of the nutrients in the leachate and the groundwater quality around the Nkolfoulou landfill in Yaoundé known in French as “Centre de Traitement de Déchets (CTD).” Landfilling generates leachate that can pollute groundwater. Leachate along with groundwater samples (n=1+13) was collected in January (long dry season) and May (long wet season) 2014 and explored for various parameters including pH, temperature, EC, turbidity, TDS, TA, TSS, TH, BOD5, COD, Na+, K+, Mg2+, Ca2+, NH4+, NO3−, Cl−, F−, SO42−, PO43−, HCO3−, and colour using standard methods. In the leachate samples, values of TSS (700.2 and 130.2 mg/L), BOD5 (140 mg/L), COD (1350 and 1750 mg/L), NH4+ (82.50 and 39.51 mg/L), NO3− (159.32 and 74.82 mg/L), and Cl− (702.69 and 345.50 mg/L) exceeded the Cameroonian standards for effluent discharge. All the values of pH and some values of turbidity (4.55 and 4.50 NTU) and NH4+ (0.51 and 0.73 mg/L) in the groundwater samples violated the Cameroonian standards for drinking water. Based on the water quality index (WQI), an average of 11.53% of groundwater samples was improper for drinking in both seasons. Based on the parameters assessed, all the samples complied with the standard set for irrigation, poultry, and livestock. The hazard quotient (HQ) and the hazard index (HI) of NO3− and F− for children and adults were <1, and hence, the increased non-cancer risks due to these ions through the drinking of groundwater was low. From the statistical analysis, the Nkolfoulou landfill may not be the main source of major ions to the nearby groundwater.
The In Vivo Evaluation on Total Components from Extract of Aconitum Based on a New Analytic Method of Area under Absorbance-Wavelength Curve
Authors: Yang Miaomiao , Wu Huasong , Li Xiaodong
Published: February 2019

Objective. To study oral pharmacokinetics of Aconitum extract in randomized Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats and observe the profile change in vivo between plasma concentration and time with an aim to disclose relevant delivery rule for total components from Aconitum extract and finally to evaluate the research of Aconitum sustained-release preparation. Methods. Randomized rats were administered orally with the single and multiple dose of Aconitum extract based on the clinical use of Aconitum injection. Blood samples were collected at predetermined interval time from an eye of rats. The concentration of total components in those samples was determined by a new analytic method of area under absorbance-wavelength curve, the data were analyzed by Drug and Statistics software, and then the pharmacokinetic parameters and compartment model were acquired and compared, respectively. Results. The pharmacokinetic parameters of single and multiple doses were similar, and both of them showed characteristics of the one-compartment model. Cav, DF, and AUCss were (2.075 ± 0.282) µg/ml, (2.405 ± 0.175), and (24.901 ± 0.422) µg/ml/h, respectively. However, the concentrations of total components in the fifth and sixth day were 0.32 and 0.44 µg/ml, which were lower than the value of Cav. Conclusion. The method of AUAWC is feasible for the pharmacokinetics study in vivo analysis on total components of Aconitum with good sensitivity, specificity, and repeatability. The results demonstrated that both absorption and elimination of total components from Aconitum extract in rats were rapid and pharmacokinetic behavior was consistent at the level of single and multiple doses, which confirms that Aconitum injection is available to transform the oral sustained-release preparation. This will bring a good instruction to the research of sustained-release preparation of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), which still lacks of an evaluation method available for total components in vivo analysis.
Impact of Chronic Statins Use on the Development of Esophagitis in Patients with Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease
Authors: Khoury Tawfik , Mari Amir , Amara Hana , Jabaren Mohamed , Watad Abdulla , Nseir Wiliam , Sbeit Wisam , Mahamid Mahmud
Published: February 2019

Background and Aims. We aimed to assess whether chronic statins used (> 6 months) were protective of the development of esophagitis in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease. In the presence of esophagitis, complications such as strictures, Barrett's esophagus, and adenocarcinoma were the most common. Statins, lipid lowering drugs with a pleiotropic effect, are recently implicated in various pathologies. Nevertheless, the possible impact of statins in esophagitis development has never been assessed. Methods. We performed a retrospective, cross-sectional, single center study that included 4148 gastroesophageal reflux disease patients from 2014 and 2018 at EMMS Nazareth Hospital. We divided the patients into 5 groups. The groups were split into positive control group, which was the nonesophagitis group, and the other 4 groups were A-D (as per Los Angeles classification). Results. Overall, out of the 4148 patients included, 48% were males and 2840 patients were in the control group. In groups A, B, C, and D there were 818, 402, 72, and 16 patients, respectively. Logistic regression analysis revealed that chronic statins usage is protective by preventing development esophagitis (OR 0.463 [95%CI 0.370–0.579], p < 0.0001). NSAIDS use, Hiatus hernia, and H. pylori were promoting factors (OR, 1.362, 1.779, and 1.811; 95% CI, 1.183-1.569, 1.551-2.040, and 1.428-2.298; P<0.0001, P<0.0001, and P<0.0001, respectively). Conclusion. Using chronic statins was protective to the development of esophagitis among GERD patients. Our findings of potential clinical application mandate further randomized controlled trials to better assess the impact of statins on esophagitis.
A Study on User Recognition Using 2D ECG Image Based on Ensemble Networks for Intelligent Vehicles
Authors: Kim Min-Gu , Ko Hoon , Pan Sung Bum
Published: February 2019

IoT enabled smart car era is expected to begin in the near future as convergence between car and IT accelerates. Current smart cars can provide various information and services needed by the occupants via wearable devices or Vehicle to Everything (V2X) communication environment. In order to provide such services, a system to analyze wearable device information on the smart car platform needs to be designed. In this paper a real time user recognition method using 2D ECG (Electrocardiogram) images, a biometric signal that can be obtained from wearable devices, will be studied. ECG (Electrocardiogram) signal can be classified by fiducial point method using feature points detection or nonfiducial point method due to time change. In the proposed algorithm, a CNN based ensemble network was designed to improve performance by overcoming problems like overfitting which occur in a single network. Test results show that 2D ECG image based user recognition accuracy improved by 1%~1.7% for the fiducial point method and by 0.9%~2% for the nonfiducial point method. By showing 13% higher performance compared to the single network in which recognition rate reduction occurs because similar characteristics are shown between classes, capability for use in a smart vehicle platform based user recognition system that requires reliability was demonstrated by the proposed method.
The Effect of Grafting Density on the Crystallization Behaviors of Polymer Chains Grafted onto One-Dimensional Nanorod
Authors: Hao Tongfan , Ming Yongqiang , Zhang Shuihua , Xu Ding , Zhou Zhiping , Nie Yijing
Published: February 2019

The crystallization behaviors of five polymer chain systems grafted on a nanorod and the corresponding effect of grafting density were investigated by dynamic Monte Carlo simulations. The segment density near the interfacial regions, the number of crystallites, and the mean square radius of gyration () increase with increasing grafting density, which are beneficial to the enhancement of crystallizability. Meanwhile, the crystalline morphology is greatly influenced by grafting density and polymer-nanorod interaction. For the grafted system with 52 chains, a nanohybrid shish-kebab (NHSK) structure is formed, when the polymer-nanorod interaction (Eb/Ec) is -0.4. For the system with 128 chains, a NHSK structure is formed, when Eb/Ec is -1.0. For the system with 252 chains, NHSK structure cannot be formed. The findings in this work can supply important theoretical reference for the design, preparation, and application of polymer nanocomposites.
Ultimate Axial Strength of Concrete‐Filled Double Skin Steel Tubular Column Sections
Authors: İpek S. , Güneyisi E. M.
Published: February 2019

This study aims at proposing a new model for evaluating the ultimate axial strength of concrete‐filled double skin steel tubular (CFDST) composite columns. For this, a total of 103 experimental data regarding the ultimate strength of CFDST columns under axial loading were collected from the previous studies in the literature. All CFDST columns consist of two steel tubes being outer and inner circular hollow section. The model presented herein was developed by using gene expression programming. For this, the yield strength, diameter, and thickness of both outer and inner steel tubes, the compressive strength of annulus concrete, the length of the specimen, and the ultimate axial strength of the columns were utilized as the parameters. Assessment of the obtained results indicated that the generated model had a good performance compared to the existing models by the previous researchers and the equations specified in the design codes. The high value of R2 and narrow ranged fluctuation of the estimation error for the ultimate axial strength of the CFDST columns were also achieved through the proposed model.
Cervical Cancer Screening: Assessment of Perception and Utilization of Services among Health Workers in Low Resource Setting
Authors: Ifemelumma C. C. , Anikwe C. C. , Okorochukwu B. C. , Onu F. A. , Obuna J. A. , Ejikeme B. N. , Ezeonu O. P.
Published: February 2019

Background. Cervical cancer is a preventable disease and the most common cancer among women in Nigeria.Objectives. To appraise the perception and utilization of cervical cancer screening services among female nurses in Federal Teaching hospital, Abakaliki.Materials and Methods. A cross-sectional study was done using semi-structured questionnaires on 408 consenting female nurses. Data was represented using simple percentages, charts, and Chi-square.Results. Of the 408 questionnaires shared, 388 were correctly and completely filled and analyzed. The respondents in this study showed good knowledge of cervical cancer as all (388) were aware that cervical cancer is a preventable disease of public health concern. Majority of them, 179 (46.1%) were between 21 and 30 years of age. The most common symptom of cervical cancer identified was postcoital bleeding (57%). Nursing training was the most common (73.5%) source of cervical cancer information. Utilization of cervical cancer screening was poor in this study as only 20.6% of the respondents had ever undergone screening. The most common reason for nonscreening was that they have not thought of it (28.4%).Conclusion. Despite the high level of awareness of cervical cancer screening, utilization remains low. There is, therefore, the need for cervical cancer education for the nurses to help improve utilization.
Collective Optical, FTIR, and Photoluminescence Spectra of CeO2 and/or Sm2O3-Doped Na2O–ZnO–P2O5 Glasses
Authors: Marzouk M. A. , ElBatal H. A. , Hamdy Y. M. , Ezz-Eldin F. M.
Published: February 2019

Glasses with the Na2O–ZnO–P2O5 composition and doped with single CeO2, Sm2O3, or mixed dopants were melted and studied. Collective optical, photoluminescence, and FT-infrared spectral studies were carried out. CeO2-doped glasses show two extra UV absorption bands due to Ce4+ and Ce3+ ions while Sm2O3-doped samples reveal pronounced peaks collected into two segments from 367 to 472 nm and from 950 to 1623 nm which are characteristic of absorption from Sm3+ ions. The mixed dopants glasses show combined UV-visible–near-IR absorption peaks due to cerium (Ce4+, Ce3+) ions and samarium (Sm3+) ions. The photoluminescence spectra (PL) of the single CeO2-doped and Sm2O3-doped glasses and even the mixed dopant sample reveal luminescence spectra after excitation which are characteristic of the rare-earth ions. The intensities for both excited or emitted peaks are found to increase with the increase of the rare-earth percent. FTIR spectra of the glasses show pronounced vibrational peaks related to phosphate groups (Q2 and Q3 units) in accordance with the P2O5 percent (70 mol %).
Learning Based Genetic Algorithm for Task Graph Scheduling
Authors: Izadkhah Habib
Published: February 2019

Nowadays, parallel and distributed based environments are used extensively; hence, for using these environments effectively, scheduling techniques are employed. The scheduling algorithm aims to minimize the makespan (i.e., completion time) of a parallel program. Due to the NP-hardness of the scheduling problem, in the literature, several genetic algorithms have been proposed to solve this problem, which are effective but are not efficient enough. An effective scheduling algorithm attempts to minimize the makespan and an efficient algorithm, in addition to that, tries to reduce the complexity of the optimization process. The majority of the existing scheduling algorithms utilize the effective scheduling algorithm, to search the solution space without considering how to reduce the complexity of the optimization process. This paper presents a learner genetic algorithm (denoted by LAGA) to address static scheduling for processors in homogenous computing systems. For this purpose, we proposed two learning criteria named Steepest Ascent Learning Criterion and Next Ascent Learning Criterion where we use the concepts of penalty and reward for learning. Hence, we can reach an efficient search method for solving scheduling problem, so that the speed of finding a scheduling improves sensibly and is prevented from trapping in local optimal. It also takes into consideration the reuse idle time criterion during the scheduling process to reduce the makespan. The results on some benchmarks demonstrate that the LAGA provides always better scheduling against existing well-known scheduling approaches.
Drug Coated Balloon-Only Strategy in De Novo Lesions of Large Coronary Vessels
Authors: Rosenberg Mark , Waliszewski Matthias , Krackhardt Florian , Chin Kenneth , Wan Ahmad Wan Azman , Caramanno Giuseppe , Milazzo Diego , Nuruddin Amin Ariff , Liew Houng Bang , Maskon Oteh , Bento Angela , Macia Jean-Christophe , Frey Norbert
Published: February 2019

Objectives. We analyzed the efficacy of drug coated balloons (DCB) as a stand-alone-therapy in de novo lesions of large coronary arteries. DCBs seem to be an attractive alternative for the stent-free interventional treatment of de novo coronary artery disease (CAD). However, data regarding a DCB-only approach in de novo CAD are currently limited to vessels of small caliber. Methods. By means of propensity score (PS) matching 234 individuals with de novo CAD were identified with similar demographic characteristics. This patient population was stratified in a 1:1 fashion according to a reference vessel diameter cut-off of 2.75 mm in small and large vessel disease. The primary endpoint was the rate of clinically driven target lesion revascularization (TLR) at 9 months. Results. Patients with small vessel disease had an average reference diameter of 2.45 ± 0.23 mm, while the large vessel group averaged 3.16 ± 0.27 mm. Regarding 9-month major adverse cardiac event (MACE), 5.7% of the patients with small and 6.1% of the patients with large vessels had MACE (p=0.903). Analysis of the individual MACE components revealed a TLR rate of 3.8% in small and 1.0% in large vessels (p=0.200). Of note, no thrombotic events in the DCB treated coronary segments occurred in either group during the 9-month follow-up. Conclusions. Our data demonstrate for the first time that DCB-only PCI of de novo lesions in large coronary arteries (>2.75 mm) is safe and as effective. Interventional treatment for CAD without permanent or temporary scaffolding, demonstrated a similar efficacy for large and small vessels.
Research on Precision Marketing Model of Tourism Industry Based on User’s Mobile Behavior Trajectory
Authors: Zhang Jialin , Wu Tong , Fan Zhipeng
Published: February 2019

With the deep cross-border integration of tourism and big data, the personalized demand of tourist groups is increasingly strong. Precision marketing has become a new marketing mode that the tourism industry needs to pay close attention to and explore. Based on the advantages of big data platform and location-based service, starting from the precise marketing demand of tourism, we design data flow mining technology framework for user’s mobile behavior trajectory based on location services in mobile e-commerce environment to get user track data that incorporates location information, consumption information, and social information. Data mining clustering technology is used to analyze the characteristics of users’ mobile behavior trajectories, and the precise recommendation system of tourism is constructed to provide support for tourism decision making. It can target the tourist group for precise marketing and make tourists travel smarter.
Factors Affecting the Swelling‐Compression Characteristics of Clays in Yichang, China
Authors: Huang Changxi , Wang Xinghua , Zhou Hao , Liang Yan
Published: February 2019

Expansive soil has been studied for eighty decades because it is prone to cause geotechnical engineering accidents. The results of the moisture content effects on the expansive pressure were not consistent in the literatures. In this paper, swelling deformation and pressure tests were conducted to clarify the effects of the initial water content on the swelling properties. The relation of expansive stress and initial moisture content was accurately described with a Gaussian distribution, unlike in the previously published studies. These results could be explained by the change in the microstructure with diverse moisture contents. In addition, dry density and vertical stress influences on expansive properties were analysed. With an increase in the vertical loading, the soil samples first expanded, and then the samples with a lower dry density collapsed; however, the samples with a higher dry density did not collapse, even under a considerable vertical loading. Furthermore, the relation between stress path and expansive pressure was examined. It was observed that the swelling pressures obtained from the constant volume tests were greater than the results from the swell under load tests. The relationship between the swelling pressure and swelling strain was also analysed.
Ontology‐Based Noise Source Identification and Key Feature Selection: A Case Study on Tractor Cab
Authors: Han Su , Zhou Yiqi , Chen Yanzhao , Wei Chenglong , Li Rui , Zhu Bo
Published: February 2019

This paper proposes an ontology‐based noise source identification method, establishes an ontology knowledge expression model in the field of noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH), and provides an extensible framework for sharing noise diagnosis knowledge in the field. Based on the key features extracted from the noise and vibration signals at different positions and the prior knowledge, mechanical engineers can construct an ontology rule and locate noise sources by identifying the intrinsic relationship between signal characteristics through ontology reasoning. A case study is conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method in resolving the problem of integrating multisource heterogeneous knowledge and exchanging noise diagnosis knowledge information in the field of NVH for agricultural machines. Thus, our study facilitates the sharing and reuse of knowledge and advances the development of intelligent noise diagnosis expert systems to a certain extent.
Effects of Welded Mechanical Heterogeneity on Interface Crack Propagation in Dissimilar Weld Joints
Authors: Yang Fu-qiang , Xue He , Zhao Ling-yan , Fang Xiu-rong
Published: February 2019

The stress and strain status associated with the material properties is one of the main factors affecting stress corrosion cracking (SCC) of structural components in nuclear power plants (NPPs). In many SCC prediction models, the stress intensity factor calculated with homogeneous materials is used to characterize the crack tip stress state. However, the mechanical and material properties in weld joints are heterogeneous, which will produce the discontinuous distribution of stress and strain nearby crack tip and affect the crack propagation. To understand the material mechanical heterogeneity effects on interface crack propagation, the specimens with ultimate tensile strength mismatch and elastic modulus mismatch were studied by using an extended finite element method (XFEM). The results indicate that the interface crack extension is easy to occur in the specimens with larger ultimate tensile strength mismatch, while the elastic modulus mismatch has little effects on crack extension. The different interface cracks in the dissimilar metal weld joints of the reactor pressure vessel used in NPPs tend to deviate from the initial direction into alloy 182, and the interface crack propagation path fluctuation is small.
Localization of Δ-Mixing Property via Furstenberg Families
Authors: Zhang Sihui , Wang Hailian , Xie Rulong
Published: February 2019

This paper is devoted to studying the localization of Δ-mixing property via Furstenberg families. The notion of Δ-weakly mixing sets is extended to F-Δ-weakly mixing sets with respect to a sequence, and the characterization of Δ-weakly mixing sets is also generalized.
Classification of Metro Facilities with Deep Neural Networks
Authors: He Deqiang , Jiang Zhou , Chen Jiyong , Liu Jianren , Miao Jian , Shah Abid
Published: February 2019

Metro barrier-detection has been one of the most popular research fields. How to detect obstacles quickly and accurately during metro operation is the key issue in the study of automatic train operation. Intelligent monitoring systems based on computer vision not only complete safeguarding tasks efficiently but also save a great deal of human labor. Deep convolutional neural networks (DCNNs) are the most state-of-the-art technology in computer vision tasks. In this paper, we evaluated the effectiveness in classifying the common facility images in metro tunnels based on Google’s Inception V3 DCNN. The model requires fewer computational resources. The number of parameters and the computational complexity are much smaller than similar DCNNs. We changed its architecture (the last softmax layer and the auxiliary classifier) and used transfer learning technology to retrain the common facility images in the metro tunnel. We use mean average precision (mAP) as the metric for performance evaluation. The results indicate that our recognition model achieved 90.81% mAP. Compared with the existing method, this method is a considerable improvement.
Serum Vitamin D Level in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease and Association with Sun Exposure: Experience from a Tertiary Care, Teaching Hospital in India
Authors: Akhtar Tauseef , Aggarwal Ramesh , Jain Sachin Kumar
Published: February 2019

Background. Vitamin D, a fat-soluble vitamin, has various extraskeletal effects, and several human and animal studies have suggested that vitamin D deficiency may be a contributory factor in the pathogenesis of coronary artery disease (CAD). However, such studies in the Indian subcontinent are either lacking or have shown conflicting results. Methods. This was a descriptive cross-sectional study involving 121 patients with CAD from a tertiary care center and their 80 age-matched healthy controls. Serum vitamin D levels along with serum and urine chemistries were measured in both the groups. The average duration of sun exposure/day and use of sunscreen were also considered in the study cohort using a questionnaire. Serum vitamin D levels were categorized into deficient (<30 nmol/lit), insufficient (30–75 nmol/lit), and sufficient (>75 nmol/lit) groups. Results. Among the cases, 51.2% of the patients were vitamin D deficient and 44.6% patients had insufficient vitamin D levels, whereas among controls, 40% and 31% of the population had deficient and insufficient levels of vitamin D, respectively. However, the mean value of the serum vitamin D level was not statistically different in the cases as compared to that of the controls (34.06 vs 40.19 nmol/lit) (P=0.08). Corrected serum calcium (9.26 vs 9.59 mg%) (P≤0.0001) and serum albumin levels (4.21 vs 4.75 gm%) (P≤0.0001) were lower in the cases than those of the controls. The average sun exposure/day was higher among the cases than that among the controls (2.93 vs 1.85 hours) (P=0.001). Conclusion. Vitamin D deficiency is widely prevalent in Indian population despite abundant sunshine, and the duration of sun exposure is not correlated with serum vitamin D levels. Vitamin D deficiency is not associated with CAD. However, serum calcium is deficient in CAD patients as compared to the controls. Large-scale studies are required to explore the association further to evaluate the benefits of screening and correction of vitamin D deficiency in patients with CAD.
Effects of Stem Cutting in Rice Harvesting by Combine Harvester Front Header Vibration
Authors: Tang Zhong , Zhang Haotian , Zhou Yuepeng , Li Yu
Published: February 2019

In order to reveal the reason of stem cutting in rice harvesting by combine harvester front header, stem cutting principle of the front header was developed. Based on the structural models and the parameters of each part of header, the first eight-order constrained modal simulation analysis was carried out to obtain the vibration response frequency. The front header was produced and used to be tested for restraint experimental modal in the rice field. The rice stem cutting state of the header cutter was analyzed by carrying out the vibration test of the no-load rotation state and rice harvesting state in the field. According to the cutting diagram of the stalk in the header, the angle of the cutting surface and length distribution of the short stalk were analyzed with compound state of forward and vertical vibration. The results showed the mean and variance amplitude of front header were similar to length distribution of the short stalk. The mean length 23.60 mm of the repeatedly cut stems was inextricably linked to the up and down vibration amplitude 25.36 mm of the header. The stem cutting surface angles 38°, 44°, and 62° were for different forward speed and cutting areas on the cutting diagram. The above studies reveal the intrinsic nature between header vibration and length distribution of the cutting stem.
Decoding Attentional State to Faces and Scenes Using EEG Brainwaves
Authors: Abiri Reza , Borhani Soheil , Jiang Yang , Zhao Xiaopeng
Published: February 2019

Attention is the ability to facilitate processing perceptually salient information while blocking the irrelevant information to an ongoing task. For example, visual attention is a complex phenomenon of searching for a target while filtering out competing stimuli. In the present study, we developed a new Brain‐Computer Interface (BCI) platform to decode brainwave patterns during sustained attention in a participant. Scalp electroencephalography (EEG) signals using a wireless headset were collected in real time during a visual attention task. In our experimental protocol, we primed participants to discriminate a sequence of composite images. Each image was a fair superimposition of a scene and a face image. The participants were asked to respond to the intended subcategory (e.g., indoor scenes) while withholding their responses for the irrelevant subcategories (e.g., outdoor scenes). We developed an individualized model using machine learning techniques to decode attentional state of the participant based on their brainwaves. Our model revealed the instantaneous attention towards face and scene categories. We conducted the experiment with six volunteer participants. The average decoding accuracy of our model was about 77%, which was comparable with a former study using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). The present work was an attempt to reveal momentary level of sustained attention using EEG signals. The platform may have potential applications in visual attention evaluation and closed‐loop brainwave regulation in future.
A Novel Semi‐Supervised Learning Method Based on Fast Search and Density Peaks
Authors: Gao Fei , Huang Teng , Sun Jinping , Hussain Amir , Yang Erfu , Zhou Huiyu
Published: February 2019

Radar image recognition is a hotspot in the field of remote sensing. Under the condition of sufficiently labeled samples, recognition algorithms can achieve good classification results. However, labeled samples are scarce and costly to obtain. Our major interest in this paper is how to use these unlabeled samples to improve the performance of a recognition algorithm in the case of limited labeled samples. This is a semi‐supervised learning problem. However, unlike the existing semi‐supervised learning methods, we do not use unlabeled samples directly and, instead, look for safe and reliable unlabeled samples before using them. In this paper, two new semi‐supervised learning methods are proposed: a semi‐supervised learning method based on fast search and density peaks (S2DP) and an iterative S2DP method (IS2DP). When the labeled samples satisfy a certain requirement, S2DP uses fast search and a density peak clustering method to detect reliable unlabeled samples based on the weighted kernel Fisher discriminant analysis (WKFDA). Then, a labeling method based on clustering information (LCI) is designed to label the unlabeled samples. When the labeled samples are insufficient, IS2DP is used to iteratively search for reliable unlabeled samples for semi‐supervision. Then, these samples are added to the labeled samples to improve the recognition performance of S2DP. In the experiments, real radar images are used to verify the performance of our proposed algorithm in dealing with the scarcity of the labeled samples. In addition, our algorithm is compared against several semi‐supervised deep learning methods with similar structures. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm has better stability than these methods.
Malnutrition among 6–59-Month-Old Children at District 2 Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam: Prevalence and Associated Factors
Authors: Huynh Giao , Huynh Quynh H. Ngoc , Nguyen Ngoc Han T. , Do Quang Thanh , Khanh Tran Van
Published: February 2019

Objectives. Childhood malnutrition is major health concern in many low- and middle-income countries, including Vietnam. It was a major risk factor for child mortality and adult ill-health. Malnutrition could increase the risk of serious infections; conversely current diseases also had a negative impact on the growth of child. This study, therefore, examines the prevalence of stunting and underweight among 6–59-month-old outpatient children in District 2 Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Methods. A cross-sectional study involved a sample of 225 children aged 6–59 months who were randomly selected from the Outpatient Department in District 2 Hospital. Anthropometric measurements and blood test of children were taken to assess the nutritional status and anaemia. A structured questionnaire was also used to collect mothers’ and children’s characteristics to examine associated risk factors. Results. The prevalence of stunting, underweight, overweight, and anaemia among children aged 6–59 months was 9.8%, 8.4%, 25.8%, and 30.7%, respectively. Underweight significantly correlated only to having breastfeeding in the first hour after birth (RR: 0.02; 95% CI: 0.01-0.17; p<0.001), while stunting was related to age of starting complementary foods from equal to/more than 6 months (RR=0.70, 95%CI=0.50-0.99, p<0.05) and normal birth weight (RR = 0.29, 95%CI = 0.15-0.56, p<0.001). Conclusions. This study emphasized the importance of measuring the overall nutritional status for children, who have coexisting infectious diseases and anaemia. The high prevalence of malnutrition and anaemia underlined the need for routine screening as well as treatment of children. Additionally, health information strategies should be focused on young children feeding practices to minimize stunting and underweight.
Transforming African Education Systems in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Using ICTs: Challenges and Opportunities
Authors: Barakabitze Alcardo Alex , William-Andey Lazaro Anangisye , Ainea Neterindwa , Mkwizu Michael Hamza , Maziku Hellen , Matofali Alex Xavery , Iddi Aziza , Sanga Camillius
Published: February 2019

This paper presents the role of ICTs in transforming Africa’s Education Systems (AES) in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects/courses. The paper highlights on a positive shift across Africa in using ICT to improve the quality of teaching and learning through activities such as intensive ICT skills training to teachers, increase in ICT equipments and applications in schools, and emergence of living labs (LLs) and innovation spaces/centres (InnoSpace). We first provide some of the challenges of integrating ICTs in education followed by a description of key past and current ICT initiatives supporting the adoption of ICTs in schools using a number of case studies in sub-Saharan Africa. We further present various ICT-based models for education, as a transformational approach towards integrating ICTs in AES. Moreover, we provide various ICT platforms deployed for education service delivery in disadvantaged African society (e.g., rural areas) including LLs and InnoSpace across the continent. Finally, we highlight our main findings and observations in terms of opportunities and future ICT for education research directions in Africa. Our aim is to provide some guidelines and ensure that Africa uniformly meet the 2030 United Nations Sustainable Development Goal number 4, which is to ensure inclusive and quality education for all and promote lifelong learning, particularly using ICTs.