bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Practice-Oriented Bifurcation Analysis for Pulse Energy Converters. Part 2: An Operating Regime
Authors: Kolokolov Yury , Monovskaya Anna
Published: March 2018

The paper continues the discussion on bifurcation analysis for applications in practice-oriented solutions for pulse energy conversion systems (PEC-systems). Since a PEC-system represents a nonlinear object with a variable structure, then the description of its dynamics evolution involves bifurcation analysis conceptions. This means the necessity to resolve the conflict-of-units between the notions used to describe natural evolution (i.e. evolution of the operating process towards nonoperating processes and vice versa) and the notions used to describe a desirable artificial regime (i.e. an operating regime). We consider cause-effect relations in the following sequence: nonlinear dynamics-output signal-operating characteristics, where these characteristics include stability and performance. Then regularities of nonlinear dynamics should be translated into regularities of the output signal dynamics, and, after, into an evolutional picture of each operating characteristic. In order to make the translation without losses, we first take into account heterogeneous properties within the structures of the operating process in the parametrical (P-) and phase (X-) spaces, and analyze regularities of the operating stability and performance on the common basis by use of the modified bifurcation diagrams built in joint PX-space. Then, the correspondence between causes (degradation of the operating process stability) and effects (changes of the operating characteristics) is decomposed into three groups of abnormalities: conditionally unavoidable abnormalities (CU-abnormalities); conditionally probable abnormalities (CP-abnormalities); conditionally regular abnormalities (CR-abnormalities). Within each of these groups the evolutional homogeneity is retained. After, the resultant evolution of each operating characteristic is naturally aggregated through the superposition of cause-effect relations in accordance with each of the abnormalities. We demonstrate that the practice-oriented bifurcation analysis has fundamentally specific purposes and tools, like for the computer-based bifurcation analysis and the experimental bifurcation analysis. That is why, from our viewpoint, it seems to be a rather novel direction in the general context of bifurcation analysis conceptions. We believe that the discussion could be interesting to pioneer research intended for the design of promising systems of pulse energy conversion.
Photochromic dithienylethene based on porphyrin for a nondestructive information processing
Authors: Yu Chuanming , Wen Yanmei , Kang Xinhuang
Published: March 2018

A 1-[2-methyl-5-(4-tetraphenylporphyrinphenyl)-3-thienyl)-2-[2-methyl-3-thienyl]cyclopentene combined by 3,3[Formula: see text]-(1-cyclopentene-1,2-diyl)bis(5-chloro-2-methyl)thiophene and tetraphenylporphyrin can transform between the open isomer and the closed isomer upon the irradiation of UV or visible light. Thus they can be utilized to write binary data. Furthermore, the open form can emit luminescence but the closed cannot while irradiated by another light that cannot cause optical chemical reactions. Therefore, data can be read out without damage.
Towards a better understanding of the highly overpressured Lower Triassic Bunter reservoir rocks in the Terschelling Basin
Authors: Peeters Stefan , Asschert Annemiek , Verweij Hanneke
Published: March 2018

Large lateral variations in pore-fluid pressures and associated overpressures occur in the compartmentalized Lower Triassic Bunter reservoir rocks in the Terschelling Basin (northern Dutch offshore). This study describes the main controlling factors on the distribution of these overpressures by combining seismically derived structural interpretations with pressure data. The most important controlling factor is considered to be the presence and type of both lateral and vertical permeability barriers. Lateral permeability barriers are formed by Zechstein salt and faults. The most effective vertical permeability barrier for maintaining high overpressures is the Upper Triassic Röt evaporite. Overpressures of more than 30 MPa are observed in the Bunter compartments where the Röt is present and laterally continuous. Overpressures are lower than 15 MPa in compartments where the Röt was affected by Mid-Cimmerian erosion. Based on structural observations, it is concluded that the highly overpressured compartments became fully hydraulically restricted during the Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous. Calculations show that subsequent sedimentary loading, during the Cretaceous and Cenozoic, was able to generate the observed overpressures.
GB-PANDAS:
Authors: Yekkehkhany Ali , Hojjati Avesta , Hajiesmaili Mohammad H.
Published: March 2018

Dynamic affinity scheduling has been an open problem for nearly three decades. The problem is to dynamically schedule multi-type tasks to multi-skilled servers such that the resulting queueing system is both stable in the capacity region (throughput optimality) and the mean delay of tasks is minimized at high loads near the boundary of the capacity region (heavy-traffic optimality). As for applications, dataintensive analytics like MapReduce, Hadoop, and Dryad fit into this setting, where the set of servers is heterogeneous for different task types, so the pair of task type and server determines the processing rate of the task. The load balancing algorithm used in such frameworks is an example of affinity scheduling which is desired to be both robust and delay optimal at high loads when hot-spots occur. Fluid model planning, the MaxWeight algorithm, and the generalized c?-rule are among the first algorithms proposed for affinity scheduling that have theoretical guarantees on being optimal in different senses, which will be discussed in the related work section. All these algorithms are not practical for use in data center applications because of their non-realistic assumptions. The join-the-shortest-queue-MaxWeight (JSQMaxWeight), JSQ-Priority, and weighted-workload algorithms are examples of load balancing policies for systems with two and three levels of data locality with a rack structure. In this work, we propose the Generalized-Balanced-Pandas algorithm (GB-PANDAS) for a system with multiple levels of data locality and prove its throughput optimality. We prove this result under an arbitrary distribution for service times, whereas most previous theoretical work assumes geometric distribution for service times. The extensive simulation results show that the GB-PANDAS algorithm alleviates the mean delay and has a better performance than the JSQMaxWeight algorithm by up to twofold at high loads. We believe that the GB-PANDAS algorithm is heavy-traffic optimal in a larger region than JSQ-MaxWeight, which is an interesting problem for future work.
Analysis of Perfect Sampling Methods for Hard-sphere Models
Authors: Moka S. B. , Juneja S. , Mandjes M. R. H.
Published: March 2018

We consider the problem of generating perfect samples from a Gibbs point process, a spatial process that is absolutely continuous w.r.t. a Poisson point process. Examples include area-interaction processes, hard-sphere models and Strauss processes. Traditionally, this is addressed using coupling from the past (CFTP) based methods. We consider acceptance-rejection methods that, unlike the common CFTP methods, do not have the impatient-user bias. Our key contribution is a novel importance sampling based acceptance- rejection methodology for generating perfect samples from Gibbs point processes. We focus on a simpler setting of hard-sphere models in a d-dimensional hypercube that we analyze in an asymptotic regime where the number of spheres generated increases to infinity while the sphere radius decreases to zero at varying rates.
Large Deviations for Increasing Subsequences of Permutations and a Concurrency Application
Authors: Baryshnikov Yuli , Magner Abram
Published: March 2018

The study of concurrent processes with conflicts affecting concurrent execution has been long related to various geometric objects. In the special case of two processes and non-overlapping conflicts (definitions below) an instance of a problem is encoded by a permutation describing the conflict sets for the interacting processes. Further, it turns out that the set of increasing subsequences of the permutation describes the homotopy classes of the execution plans for the concurrent processes, an abstraction encoding one particular serialization of the executions of two processes. This motivates the study of random increasing subsequences of random permutations. Here, we give a large deviation principle which implies that such a subsequence never deviates too far from the identity permutation: a random serialization of two concurrent processes will not delay either process's access to shared resources too much at any given time. We then give an efficient exact algorithm for uniform random sampling of an increasing subsequence from a given permutation. Finally, we indicate how our results generalize to larger numbers of processes, wherein conflict sets may take on more interesting geometries.
Spatial Mean-Field Limits for Ultra-Dense Random-Access Networks
Authors: Cecchi F. , Borst S.C. , van Leeuwaarden J.S.H. , Whiting P.A.
Published: March 2018

Random-access algorithms such as the CSMA protocol provide a popular mechanism for distributed medium access control in wireless networks. In saturated-buffer scenarios the joint activity process in such random-access networks has a product-form stationary distribution which provides useful throughput estimates for persistent traffic flows. However, these results do not capture the relevant performance metrics in unsaturated-buffer scenarios, which in particular arise in an IoT context with highly intermittent traffic sources. Mean-field analysis has emerged as a powerful approach to obtain tractable performance estimates in such situations, and is not only mathematically convenient, but also relevant as wireless networks grow larger and denser with the emergence of IoT applications. A crucial requirement for the classical mean-field framework to apply however is that the node population can be partitioned into a finite number of classes of statistically indistinguishable nodes. The latter condition is a severe restriction since nodes typically have different locations and hence experience different interference constraints. Motivated by the above observations, we develop in the present paper a novel mean-field methodology which does not rely on any exchangeability property. Since the spatiotemporal evolution of the network can no longer be described through a finite-dimensional population process, we adopt a measure-valued state description, and prove that the latter converges to a deterministic limit as the network grows large and dense. The limit process is characterized in terms of a system of partial-differential equations, which exhibit a striking local-global-interaction and time scale separation property. Specifically, the queueing dynamics at any given node are only affected by the global network state through a single parsimonious quantity. The latter quantity corresponds to the fraction of time that no activity occurs within the interference range of that particular node in case of a certain static spatial activation measure. Extensive simulation experiments demonstrate that the solution of the partial-differential equations yields remarkably accurate approximations for the queue length distributions and delay metrics, even when the number of nodes is fairly moderate.
A technique to estimate a system's asymptotic delay and throughput
Authors: Tay Y.C.
Published: March 2018

The performance of a computer system usually has two asymptotic parameters: its minimum latency R0 when workload is low, and its maximum throughput X1 when workload is high. These parameters are important because they can be used for, say, congestion control in a network connection, or choosing between graphics engines for a video game. The estimation of R0 and X1 is not straightforward: the hardware may be in a blackbox, the software may interact in complicated ways, and the estimates depend on the workload. This short paper proposes a technique for using statistical regression, and an equation from queueing analysis, to estimate R0 and X1.
On the Optimality of Reflection Control, with Production-Inventory Applications
Authors: Yang Jiankui , Yao David D. , Ye Heng-Qing
Published: March 2018

We study the control of a Brownian motion (BM) with a negative drift, so as to minimize a long-run average cost objective. We show the optimality of a class of reflection controls that prevent the BM from dropping below some negative level r, by cancelling out from time to time part of the negative drift; and this optimality is established for any holding cost function h(x) that is increasing in x ? 0 and decreasing in x ? 0. Furthermore, we show the optimal reflection level can be derived as the fixed point that equates the long-run average cost to the holding cost. We also show the asymptotic optimality of this reflection control when it is applied to production-inventory systems driven by discrete counting processes.
An Optimal Scheduling Policy for the 2 X 2 Input-Queued Switch with Symmetric Arrival Rates
Authors: Lu Y. , Maguluri S.T. , Squillante M.S. , Suk T. , Wu X.
Published: March 2018

We investigate a cannonical input-queued switch scheduling problem in which the objective is to minimize the infinite horizon discounted queue length under symmetric arrivals, for which we derive an optimal scheduling policy and establish its theoretical properties with respect to delay. We then compare via simulation these theoretical properties of our optimal policy with those of the well-known MaxWeight scheduling algorithm in order to gain insights on the delay optimality of the MaxWeight scheduling policy.
The Drift Method for Heavy Traffic Limits, with Applications in Data Centers and Networks
Authors: Maguluri Siva Theja , Srikant R. , Wang Weina
Published: March 2018

Heavy traffic limits of queueing systems have been studied in the literature using fluid and diffusion limits. Recently, a new method called the 'Drift Method' has been developed to study these limits. In the drift method, a function of the queue lengths is picked and its drift is set to zero in steady-state, to obtain bounds on the steady-state queue lengths that are tight in the heavy-traffic limit. The key is to establish an appropriate notion of state-space collapse in terms of steady-state moments of weighted queue length differences, and use this state-space collapse result when setting the drift equal to zero. These moment bounds involved in state space collapse are also obtained by drift arguments similar to the well-known Foster-Lyapunov theorem. We will apply the methodology to study routing, scheduling, and other resource allocation problems that arise in data centers and cloud computing systems.
Aligning Deos and RTEMS with the FACE safety base operating system profile
Authors: Bloom Gedare , Sherrill Joel , Gilliland Gary
Published: March 2018

The Open Group Future Airborne Capability Environment (FACE
™
) Consortium has developed a reference architecture and standard for real-time embedded avionics systems. The FACE Technical Standard defines required capabilities for real-time operating systems (RTOS), portable components, and a shared data model to facilitate information exchange between components. FACE RTOS requirements are based on ARINC 653 and POSIX 1003.1b with tailoring to address the safety and security needs of avionics systems. Deos is a safety-certified RTOS that supports ARINC 653 but not POSIX. In contrast, RTEMS is an open source RTOS that supports POSIX but not ARINC 653. Integrating a paravirtualized RTEMS with Deos combines the strengths of both and provides a path to conformance with the FACE Safety Base operating system profile. This paper presents the FACE operating system profiles and discusses the technical challenges of the paravirtualization and integration effort.
Role of transient receptor potential melastatin 2 in surgical inflammation and dysmotility in a mouse model of postoperative ileus
Authors: Matsumoto Kenjiro , Kawanaka Hiroki , Hori Masatoshi , Kusamori Kosuke , Utsumi Daichi , Tsukahara Takuya , Amagase Kikuko , Horie Syunji , Yamamoto Akira , Ozaki Hiroshi , Mori Yasuo , Kato Shinichi
Published: March 2018

In this study, we investigated the role of transient receptor potential melastatin 2 (TRPM2), a nonselective cation channel abundantly expressed in inflammatory cells such as macrophages, in the development of postoperative ileus, a complication of abdominal surgery characterized by gastrointestinal dysmotility. In wild-type mice, we found that intestinal manipulation, a maneuver that elicits symptoms typical of postoperative ileus, delays the transit of fluorescein-labeled dextran, promotes the infiltration of CD68+ macrophages, Ly6B.2+ neutrophils, and MPO+ cells into intestinal muscles, boosts expression of IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, iNOS, and CXCL2 in intestinal muscles and peritoneal macrophages, enhances phosphorylation of ERK and p38 MAPK in intestinal muscles, and amplifies IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, iNOS, and CXCL2 expression in resident and thioglycolate-elicited peritoneal macrophages following exposure to lipopolysaccharide. Remarkably, TRPM2 deficiency completely blocks or diminishes these effects. Indeed, intestinal manipulation appears to activate TRPM2 in resident muscularis macrophages and elicits release of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, which, in turn, promote infiltration of macrophages and neutrophils into the muscle, ultimately resulting in dysmotility.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY Activation of transient receptor potential melastatin 2 (TRPM2) releases inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, which, in turn, promote the infiltration of inflammatory cells and macrophages into intestinal muscles, ultimately resulting in dysmotility. Thus TRPM2 is a promising target in treating dysmotility due to postoperative ileus, a complication of abdominal surgery.
Vascular and autonomic changes in adult cancer patients receiving anticancer chemotherapy
Authors: Frye Jacob N. , Sutterfield Shelbi L. , Caldwell Jacob T. , Behnke Bradley J. , Copp Steven W. , Banister Heather R. , Ade Carl J.
Published: March 2018

Chemotherapy is associated with acute and long-term cardiotoxicity. To date, risk assessment has primarily focused on the heart; however, recent findings suggest that vascular and autonomic function may also be compromised. Whether this occurs during chemotherapy treatment remains unknown. Therefore, the present study evaluated carotid artery stiffness, cardiovagal baroreflex sensitivity (cBRS), and heart rate variability (HRV) in cancer patients currently being treated with adjuvant chemotherapy. Eleven current cancer patients receiving adjuvant chemotherapy and 11 matched (1:1) controls were studied. Carotid artery stiffness was assessed via two-dimensional ultrasonography. cBRS was assessed from the spontaneous changes in beat-to-beat time series of R-R interval and systolic blood pressure via the cross-correlation technique. HRV was assessed using the standard deviation of R-R intervals (SDNN) and low (LF) and high (HF) power frequencies. Carotid artery β-stiffness was significantly higher in the cancer patients compared with control participants (8.0 ± 0.8 vs. 6.3 ± 0.6 U, respectively; P = 0.02). cBRS was lower in the cancer patients compared with controls (4.3 ± 0.7 vs. 10.7 ± 1.9 ms/mmHg, respectively; P = 0.01), and all indices of HRV were lower in the cancer patients (SDNN, P = 0.02; LF, P = 0.01; HF, P = 0.02). There was no significant correlation between β-stiffness and cBRS ( P = 0.4). However, LF power was significantly correlated with cBRS (r = 0.66, P < 0.001). Compared with matched healthy controls, cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy demonstrated a significantly higher arterial stiffness and lower cBRS. The previously reported adverse effects of chemotherapy on the heart appear to also influence other aspects of cardiovascular health.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY Patients treated with anticancer chemotherapy exhibit an impaired baroreflex control of arterial blood pressure and increased arterial stiffness. These findings hold significant value, in particular as part of a risk-stratification strategy in current cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. This is the first investigation, to our knowledge, to demonstrate an attenuated spontaneous baroreflex control of arterial blood pressure in cancer patients currently undergoing chemotherapy.
Hyperadditive ventilatory response arising from interaction between the carotid chemoreflex and the muscle mechanoreflex in healthy humans
Authors: Silva Talita M. , Aranda Liliane C. , Paula-Ribeiro Marcelle , Oliveira Diogo M. , Medeiros Wladimir M. , Vianna Lauro C. , Nery Luiz E. , Silva Bruno M.
Published: March 2018

Physical exercise potentiates the carotid chemoreflex control of ventilation (VE). Hyperadditive neural interactions may partially mediate the potentiation. However, some neural interactions remain incompletely explored. As the potentiation occurs even during low-intensity exercise, we tested the hypothesis that the carotid chemoreflex and the muscle mechanoreflex could interact in a hyperadditive fashion. Fourteen young healthy subjects inhaled randomly, in separate visits, 12% O2 to stimulate the carotid chemoreflex and 21% O2 as control. A rebreathing circuit maintained isocapnia. During gases administration, subjects either remained at rest (i.e., normoxic and hypoxic rest) or the muscle mechanoreflex was stimulated via passive knee movement (i.e., normoxic and hypoxic movement). Surface muscle electrical activity did not increase during the passive movement, confirming the absence of active contractions. Hypoxic rest and normoxic movement similarly increased VE [change (mean ± SE) = 1.24 ± 0.72 vs. 0.73 ± 0.43 l/min, respectively; P = 0.46], but hypoxic rest only increased tidal volume (Vt), and normoxic movement only increased breathing frequency (BF). Hypoxic movement induced greater VE and mean inspiratory flow (Vt/Ti) increase than the sum of hypoxic rest and normoxic movement isolated responses (VE change: hypoxic movement = 3.72 ± 0.81 l/min vs. sum = 1.96 ± 0.83 l/min, P = 0.01; Vt/Ti change: hypoxic movement = 0.13 ± 0.03 l/s vs. sum = 0.06 ± 0.03 l/s, P = 0.02). Moreover, hypoxic movement increased both Vt and BF. Collectively, the results indicate that the carotid chemoreflex and the muscle mechanoreflex interacted, mediating a hyperadditive ventilatory response in healthy humans.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY The main finding of this study was that concomitant carotid chemoreflex and muscle mechanoreflex stimulation provoked greater ventilation increase than the sum of ventilation increase induced by stimulation of each reflex in isolation, which, consequently, supports that the carotid chemoreflex and the muscle mechanoreflex interacted, mediating a hyperadditive ventilatory response in healthy humans.
A novel principled method for the measurement of vascular robustness uncovers hidden risk for premature CVD death
Authors: Kraushaar Lutz E. , Dressel Alexander , Massmann Alexander
Published: March 2018

The detection of high risk for premature death of cardiovascular disease (CVD) among individuals with low-to-moderate risk factor scores is a major challenge. Systems biology suggests that the vasculature's functional robustness against risk factor challenges may serve as a novel discriminator of mortality risk under similar risk factor loads. However, principled methods to measure vascular robustness are not available. To develop a score for the vasculature's functional robustness we used a recently presented method that applies computational physiological modeling to the quantitation of vascular function. We hypothesized that the expected inverse robustness-mortality association is verifiable as a significant robustness-calendar age trend in a cross-sectional investigation of a population cohort of risk factor-challenged individuals. Using only functional parameters of the cardiovascular system we applied multivariate linear regression to derive from our study population of 372 adults gender-specific multivariate robustness scoring algorithms. For any individual, the deviation of his/her robustness score from the value of the regression function characterizes the deviation of the individual’s fatal CVD event probability from its age-appropriate fatal CVD event probability. Robustness correlated linearly with calendar age in our risk factor-challenged but not in our unchallenged cohorts. This observation supports the hypothesis of preferential elimination of less robust individuals along the aging trajectory under risk factor challenges. We conclude that physiologically principled scoring for vascular robustness may serve as a biomarker of vulnerability to CVD risk factor challenges, prognosticating otherwise undetectable elevated risk for premature CVD mortality.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY We developed a principled method for the derivation of a vascular robustness score that we translated into a correction factor for calendar age. We demonstrated the score’s potential to uncover risk for premature cardiovascular death in apparently healthy young adults whose risk elevation remains hidden in conventional risk factor models.
Muscle hypertrophy following blood flow-restricted, low-force isometric electrical stimulation in rat tibialis anterior: role for muscle hypoxia
Authors: Nakajima Toshiaki , Koide Seiichiro , Yasuda Tomohiro , Hasegawa Takaaki , Yamasoba Tatsuya , Obi Syotaro , Toyoda Shigeru , Nakamura Fumitaka , Inoue Teruo , Poole David C. , Kano Yutaka
Published: March 2018

Low-force exercise training with blood flow restriction (BFR) elicits muscle hypertrophy as seen typically after higher-force exercise. We investigated the effects of microvascular hypoxia [i.e., low microvascular O2 partial pressures (P mvO2)] during contractions on muscle hypertrophic signaling, growth response, and key muscle adaptations for increasing exercise capacity. Wistar rats were fitted with a cuff placed around the upper thigh and inflated to restrict limb blood flow. Low-force isometric contractions (30 Hz) were evoked via electrical stimulation of the tibialis anterior (TA) muscle. The P mvO2 was determined by phosphorescence quenching. Rats underwent acute and chronic stimulation protocols. Whereas P mvO2 decreased transiently with 30 Hz contractions, simultaneous BFR induced severe hypoxia, reducing P mvO2 lower than present for maximal (100 Hz) contractions. Low-force electrical stimulation (EXER) induced muscle hypertrophy (6.2%, P < 0.01), whereas control group conditions or BFR alone did not. EXER+BFR also induced an increase in muscle mass (11.0%, P < 0.01) and, unique among conditions studied, significantly increased fiber cross-sectional area in the superficial TA ( P < 0.05). Phosphorylation of ribosomal protein S6 was enhanced by EXER+BFR, as were peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator-1α and glucose transporter 4 protein levels. Fibronectin type III domain-containing protein 5, cytochrome c oxidase subunit 4, monocarboxylate transporter 1 (MCT1), and cluster of differentiation 147 increased with EXER alone. EXER+BFR significantly increased MCT1 expression more than EXER alone. These data demonstrate that microvascular hypoxia during contractions is not essential for hypertrophy. However, hypoxia induced via BFR may potentiate the muscle hypertrophic response (as evidenced by the increased superficial fiber cross-sectional area) with increased glucose transporter and mitochondrial biogenesis, which contributes to the pleiotropic effects of exercise training with BFR that culminate in an improved capacity for sustained exercise.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY We investigated the effects of low microvascular O2 partial pressures (P mvO2) during contractions on muscle hypertrophic signaling and key elements in the muscle adaptation for increasing exercise capacity. Although demonstrating that muscle hypoxia is not obligatory for the hypertrophic response to low-force, electrically induced muscle contractions, the reduced P mvO2 enhanced ribosomal protein S6 phosphorylation and potentiated the hypertrophic response. Furthermore, contractions with blood flow restriction increased oxidative capacity, glucose transporter, and mitochondrial biogenesis, which are key determinants of the pleiotropic effects of exercise training.
Spondylocostal Dysostosis: A Literature Review and Case Report with Long-Term Follow-Up of a Conservatively Managed Patient
Authors: Southam Brendan R. , Schumaier Adam P. , Crawford Alvin H.
Published: March 2018

Introduction. Patients with spondylocostal dysostosis (SCD) have congenital spine and rib deformities associated with frequently severe thoracic insufficiency and respiratory compromise. The literature is largely composed of case reports and small cohorts, and there is little information regarding adults with this condition. In this report, we describe the natural history of a conservatively treated patient and include quality-of-life issues such as childbearing, athletic participation, and occupational selection.Case Presentation. We present a patient with SCD who was conservatively treated by a single physician from birth for 31 years. Our patient was capable of a reasonably good quality of life through adulthood, including participation in gymnastics and employment. At age 18, she became pregnant and subsequently terminated the pregnancy due to obstetrical concerns for compromised respiration. She has had intermittent respiratory complaints and occasionally experiences dyspnea with exertion, but this only has limited her during certain activities in the past three years. Currently, she takes naproxen for chronic back pain with periodic exacerbations.Discussion. Other cases in the literature have described adult SCD patients who have received nonoperative treatment and achieved a wide range of functional outcomes. This provides some limited evidence to suggest that select patients with SCD may be treated conservatively and achieve a reasonable quality of life. However, close clinical follow-up with these patients is recommended, particularly early on, considering the high rates of infant morbidity and mortality. Chest physiotherapy and early pulmonary care have been associated with favorable outcomes in infancy. Surgery to increase thoracic volume and correct scoliosis has been shown in some cases to improve respiratory function. Treatment depends on the degree of thoracic insufficiency and quality of life. The natural history of SCD remains largely unknown, but some patients are capable of relatively favorable life spans, employment, and participation in athletics.
Synthesis, Characterization, and Biodistribution of Quantum Dot‐Celecoxib Conjugate in Mouse Paw Edema Model
Authors: Kalangi Suresh K. , Swarnakar Nitin K. , Sathyavathi R. , Narayana Rao D. , Jain Sanyog , Reddanna Pallu
Published: March 2018

Increased risk of cardiovascular side effects has been reported with many of the drugs in the market, including nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Hence, it is critical to thoroughly evaluate the biodistribution and pharmacokinetic properties of the drugs. Presently nanotechnology in combination with noninvasive imaging techniques such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed axial tomography (CAT), and positron emission tomography (PET) provides a better estimate of the spatio‐temporal distribution of therapeutic molecules. Optical imaging using quantum dot‐ (QD‐) tagged biological macromolecules is emerging as a fast, economical, sensitive, and safer alternative for theranostic purposes. In the present study, we report the nanoconjugates of mercaptopropionic acid‐ (MPA‐) capped CdTe quantum dots (QDs) and Celecoxib for bio‐imaging in carrageenan‐induced mouse paw edema model of inflammation. QD‐Celecoxib conjugates were characterized by fluorescence, FT‐IR, NMR, and zeta‐potential studies. In vivo imaging of QD‐Celecoxib conjugates showed clear localization in the inflamed tissue of mouse paw within 3 h, with a gradual increase reaching a maximum and a later decline. This decrease of fluorescence in the paw region is followed by an increase in urinary bladder region, suggesting the possible excretion of QD‐drug conjugates from mice within 24 h.
Fabric Defect Detection Based on Pattern Template Correction
Authors: Chang Xingzhi , Gu Chengxi , Liang Jiuzhen , Xu Xin
Published: March 2018

This paper proposes a novel template-based correction (TC) method for the defect detection on images with periodic structures. In this method, a fabric image is segmented into lattices according to variation regularity, and correction is applied to reduce the effect of misalignment among lattices. Also, defect-free lattices are chosen for establishing an average template as a uniform reference. Furthermore, the defect detection procedure is composed of two steps, namely, defective lattices locating and defect shape outlining. Defective lattices locating is based on classification for defect-free and defective patterns, which involves an improved E-V method with template-based correction and centralized processing, while defect shape outlining provides pixel-level results by threshold segmentation. In this paper we also present some experiments on fabric defect detection. Experimental results show that the proposed method is effective.
The Gut Microbiome Profile in Obesity: A Systematic Review
Authors: Castaner Olga , Goday Albert , Park Yong-Moon , Lee Seung-Hwan , Magkos Faidon , Shiow Sue-Anne Toh Ee , Schröder Helmut
Published: March 2018

Gut microbiome has been identified in the past decade as an important factor involved in obesity, but the magnitude of its contribution to obesity and its related comorbidities is still uncertain. Among the vast quantity of factors attributed to obesity, environmental, dietary, lifestyle, genetic, and others, the microbiome has aroused curiosity, and the scientific community has published many original articles. Most of the studies related to microbiome and obesity have been reported based on the associations between microbiota and obesity, and the in-depth study of the mechanisms related has been studied mainly in rodents and exceptionally in humans. Due to the quantity and diverse information published, the need of reviews is mandatory to recapitulate the relevant achievements. In this systematic review, we provide an overview of the current evidence on the association between intestinal microbiota and obesity. Additionally, we analyze the effects of an extreme weight loss intervention such as bariatric surgery on gut microbiota. The review is divided into 2 sections: first, the association of obesity and related metabolic disorders with different gut microbiome profiles, including metagenomics studies, and second, changes on gut microbiome after an extreme weight loss intervention such as bariatric surgery.
Insulin Secretion and Risk for Future Diabetes in Subjects with a Nonpositive Insulinogenic Index
Authors: Aono Daisuke , Oka Rie , Kometani Mitsuhiro , Takeda Yoshimichi , Karashima Shigehiro , Yoshimura Kenichi , Takeda Yoshiyu , Yoneda Takashi
Published: March 2018

Aim. To characterize subjects with a nonpositive insulinogenic index and longitudinally observe changes in their glucose tolerance. Subjects and Methods. A historical cohort study was conducted using data from the medical checkups of public school workers. Indices of insulin secretion and insulin sensitivity derived from oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and the incidences of diabetes and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) were compared among subgroups of subjects with different insulinogenic index (change in insulin/change in glucose over the first 30 min on the OGTT). Results. Of the 1464 nondiabetic subjects at baseline, 72 (4.9%) subjects had a nonpositive insulinogenic index: 42 of those subjects had a nonpositive glucose response (ΔGlu0–30 ≤ 0) and 30 had a nonpositive insulin response (ΔIns0–30 ≤ 0). Compared with subjects who had normal glucose tolerance (NGT) with insulinogenic index ≥ 0.4, subjects with a nonpositive glucose response had a higher first-phase Stumvoll and lower incidences of diabetes and IGT based on a log-rank test (p<0.05), whereas subjects with a nonpositive insulin response had lower indices of insulin secretion and a higher incidence of diabetes (p<0.05). Conclusions. These results demonstrate that in the first 30 min on the OGTT, subjects with a nonpositive insulinogenic index due to a nonpositive glucose response (ΔGlu0–30 ≤ 0) had a lower risk for future diabetes and that subjects with nonpositive insulin response (ΔIns0–30 ≤ 0) had a higher risk for future one.
Combating Osteoarthritis through Stem Cell Therapies by Rejuvenating Cartilage: A Review
Authors: Dubey Navneet Kumar , Mishra Viraj Krishna , Dubey Rajni , Syed-Abdul Shabbir , Wang Joseph R. , Wang Peter D. , Deng Win-Ping
Published: March 2018

Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic degenerative disorder which could be distinguished by erosion of articular cartilage, pain, stiffness, and crepitus. Not only aging-associated alterations but also the metabolic factors such as hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia, and obesity affect articular tissues and may initiate or exacerbate the OA. The poor self-healing ability of articular cartilage due to limited regeneration in chondrocytes further adversely affects the osteoarthritic microenvironment. Traditional and current surgical treatment procedures for OA are limited and incapable to reverse the damage of articular cartilage. To overcome these limitations, cell-based therapies are currently being employed to repair and regenerate the structure and function of articular tissues. These therapies not only depend upon source and type of stem cells but also on environmental conditions, growth factors, and chemical and mechanical stimuli. Recently, the pluripotent and various multipotent mesenchymal stem cells have been employed for OA therapy, due to their differentiation potential towards chondrogenic lineage. Additionally, the stem cells have also been supplemented with growth factors to achieve higher healing response in osteoarthritic cartilage. In this review, we summarized the current status of stem cell therapies in OA pathophysiology and also highlighted the potential areas of further research needed in regenerative medicine.
Decreased Breg/Th17 Ratio Improved the Prognosis of Patients with Ulcerative Colitis
Authors: Bing Xue , Linlang Liang , Keyan Chen
Published: March 2018

Objective. To investigate the effects of regulatory B (Breg) cells and T helper 17 (Th17) cells on pathogenesis of ulcerative colitis, explore the clinical significance of Breg/Th17 ratio on the prognosis of ulcerative colitis, and provide the theoretical basis for the targeted therapy, diagnosis, and prognosis of the disease. Methods. Peripheral blood and colonic mucosa were collected from patients with ulcerative colitis. Hematoxylin-eosin staining was used to observe the pathological changes of colonic mucosa. Flow cytometry was utilized to analyze the percentages of Breg cells and Th17 cells. Real-time fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry were applied to determine the expression of Breg cells-related cytokines IL-10 and Th17 cell transcription factor RORγT. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was employed to detect serum IL-10 and IL-17 levels. Results. The colonic mucosa of ulcerative colitis patients presented massive inflammatory cell infiltration and hemorrhagic necrosis. The number of Breg cells and Th17 cells, the gene expressions of IL-10 and RORγT, and serum levels of IL-10 and IL-17 all increased in peripheral blood. Compared with nonremission group, the remission group showed that the percentage of Breg cells reduced, the percentage of Th17 cells increased, and thus the B10/Th17 ratio was significantly decreased in peripheral blood. In addition, serum IL-10 levels diminished, IL-17 levels increased, and thus IL-10/IL-17 ratio was remarkably reduced in remission group. B10/Th17 ratio and IL-10/IL-17 ratio were positively correlated with the severity of disease. Conclusions. Breg and Th17 cells participate in the occurrence and development of ulcerative colitis. B10/Th17 ratio and IL-10/IL-17 ratio can be used as prognostic markers for ulcerative colitis. This provides a theoretical basis for design of targeted treatment and prognosis assessment of the disease.
Influence of Heterogeneous Contact Stiffness and Heterogeneous Friction Coefficient on Frictional Squeal
Authors: Zhang Lijun , Li Wenbo , Meng Dejian
Published: March 2018

Contact stiffness and friction coefficient are excitation sources and key influencing factors to frictional squeal with obvious inhomogeneous characteristic that is always neglected. In this paper, a multipoint contact flexible pin‐on‐disc system is established considering tangential stiffness. Then influence of contact stiffness and friction coefficient with heterogeneous distribution on frictional squeal is studied using the complex modal analysis. The research shows that contact stiffness and friction coefficient heterogeneities influence the likelihood of occurrence of the squeal, the frequency of the squeal, and the real part of the complex eigenvalue of the system. And when the contact stiffness and friction coefficient are close to the boundary of the region of mode‐coupling instability, flexible pin‐on‐disc system with homogeneous contact stiffness and friction coefficient cannot predict whether frictional squeal occurs or not. Besides, uncertain distribution of contact stiffness and friction coefficient can induce the uncertainty of brake squeal.
Design and Analysis of Adaptive Message Coding on LDPC Decoder with Faulty Storage
Authors: Ge Guangjun , Yin Liuguo
Published: March 2018

Unreliable message storage severely degrades the performance of LDPC decoders. This paper discusses the impacts of message errors on LDPC decoders and schemes improving the robustness. Firstly, we develop a discrete density evolution analysis for faulty LDPC decoders, which indicates that protecting the sign bits of messages is effective enough for finite‐precision LDPC decoders. Secondly, we analyze the effects of quantization precision loss for static sign bit protection and propose an embedded dynamic coding scheme by adaptively employing the least significant bits (LSBs) to protect the sign bits. Thirdly, we give a construction of Hamming product code for the adaptive coding and present low complexity decoding algorithms. Theoretic analysis indicates that the proposed scheme outperforms traditional triple modular redundancy (TMR) scheme in decoding both threshold and residual errors, while Monte Carlo simulations show that the performance loss is less than 0.2 dB when the storage error probability varies from 10−3 to 10−4.
Detection of Cyanuric Acid and Melamine in Infant Formula Powders by Mid-FTIR Spectroscopy and Multivariate Analysis
Authors: García-Miguel Edwin , Meza-Márquez Ofelia Gabriela , Osorio-Revilla Guillermo , Téllez-Medina Darío Iker , Jiménez-Martínez Cristian , Cornejo-Mazón Maribel , Hernández-Martínez Diana Maylet , Gallardo-Velazquez Tzayhrí
Published: March 2018

Chemometric methods using mid-FTIR spectroscopy were developed in order to reduce the time of study of melamine and cyanuric acid in infant formulas. Chemometric models were constructed using the algorithms Partial Least Squares (PLS1, PLS2) and Principal Component Regression (PCR) in order to correlate the IR signal with the levels of melamine or cyanuric acid in the infant formula samples. Results showed that the best correlations were obtained using PLS1 (R2: 0.9998, SEC: 0.0793, and SEP: 0.5545 for melamine and R2: 0.9997, SEC: 0.1074, and SEP: 0.5021 for cyanuric acid). Also, the SIMCA model was studied to distinguish between adulterated formulas and nonadulterated samples, giving optimum discrimination and good interclass distances between samples. Results showed that chemometric models demonstrated a good predictive ability of melamine and cyanuric acid concentrations in infant formulas, showing that this is a rapid and accurate technique to be used in the identification and quantification of these adulterants in infant formulas.
A Sentiment‐Enhanced Hybrid Recommender System for Movie Recommendation: A Big Data Analytics Framework
Authors: Wang Yibo , Wang Mingming , Xu Wei
Published: March 2018

Movie recommendation in mobile environment is critically important for mobile users. It carries out comprehensive aggregation of user’s preferences, reviews, and emotions to help them find suitable movies conveniently. However, it requires both accuracy and timeliness. In this paper, a movie recommendation framework based on a hybrid recommendation model and sentiment analysis on Spark platform is proposed to improve the accuracy and timeliness of mobile movie recommender system. In the proposed approach, we first use a hybrid recommendation method to generate a preliminary recommendation list. Then sentiment analysis is employed to optimize the list. Finally, the hybrid recommender system with sentiment analysis is implemented on Spark platform. The hybrid recommendation model with sentiment analysis outperforms the traditional models in terms of various evaluation criteria. Our proposed method makes it convenient and fast for users to obtain useful movie suggestions.
Screening for Dysphagia: Perspectives and Practices of Speech and Language Therapists in the Republic of Ireland
Authors: Walshe Margaret , Ryan Megan , Regan Julie
Published: March 2018

Objective: Clinical guidelines place considerable emphasis on early swallow screening, as it has significant impact on patient outcomes. This study aims to examine perspectives and practices of speech and language therapists (SLTs) in the Republic of Ireland on swallow screening, exploring challenges in screening methods to improve practice and facilitate research. Methods: An 18-item web-based survey was devised targeting SLTs working in dysphagia in Republic of Ireland. Perspectives were sought on definitions of screening, models of practice, tests used, and factors influencing decision-making. Results: Fifty-eight SLTs responded, representing a cross section of clinical settings, populations, and experience. Screening tests most frequently employed were personal screening tests (80%). Important considerations reported in test selection were patient safety (100%), ease of use (97%), staffing (97.5%), and diagnostic accuracy (97.5%). Perceived challenges were staff training associated with screening. Conclusions: It is concerning that while diagnostic accuracy was recognised as important, most respondents used tests lacking in diagnostic accuracy. While the survey response rate was low, it is hypothesised that findings reflect practice. There is a need for SLTs to equip themselves with the skills to discern which screening test is most diagnostically accurate for clinical populations with further research to improve practice.