bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Absence of mucosal-associated invariant T cells in a person with a homozygous point mutation in
MR1
Authors: Howson Lauren J. , Awad Wael , von Borstel Anouk , Lim Hui Jing , McWilliam Hamish E. G. , Sandoval-Romero Maria L. , Majumdar Shamik , Hamzeh Abdul Rezzak , Andrews Thomas D. , McDermott David H. , Murphy Philip M. , Le Nours Jérôme , Mak Jeffrey Y. W. , Liu Ligong , Fairlie David P. , McCluskey James , Villadangos Jose A. , Cook Matthew C. , Turner Stephen J. , Davey Martin S. , Ojaimi Samar , Rossjohn Jamie
Published: July 2020

A rare human allele renders MR1 unable to present microbially derived antigen, resulting in a selective loss of MAIT cells.
Arginine-Rich Small Proteins with a Domain of Unknown Function, DUF1127, Play a Role in Phosphate and Carbon Metabolism of Agrobacterium tumefaciens
Authors: Kraus Alexander , Weskamp Mareen , Zierles Jennifer , Balzer Miriam , Busch Ramona , Eisfeld Jessica , Lambertz Jan , Nowaczyk Marc M. , Narberhaus Franz
Published: July 2020

Despite being prevalent in numerous ecologically and clinically relevant bacterial species, the biological role of proteins with a domain of unknown function, DUF1127, is unclear. Experimental models are needed to approach their elusive function. We used the phytopathogen
Agrobacterium tumefaciens
, a natural genetic engineer that causes crown gall disease, and focused on its three small DUF1127 proteins. They have redundant and pervasive roles in nutrient acquisition, cellular metabolism, and biofilm formation. The study shows that small proteins have important previously missed biological functions. How small basic proteins can have such a broad impact is a fascinating prospect of future research.
Saliva Sampling and Its Direct Lysis, an Excellent Option To Increase the Number of SARS-CoV-2 Diagnostic Tests in Settings with Supply Shortages
Authors: Moreno-Contreras Joaquín , Espinoza Marco A. , Sandoval-Jaime Carlos , Cantú-Cuevas Marco A. , Barón-Olivares Héctor , Ortiz-Orozco Oscar D. , Muñoz-Rangel Asunción V. , Hernández-de la Cruz Manuel , Eroza-Osorio César M. , Arias Carlos F. , López Susana
Published: July 2020

As part of any plan to lift or ease the confinement restrictions that are in place in many different countries, there is an urgent need to increase the capacity of laboratory testing for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Detection of the viral genome through reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) is the gold standard for this virus; however, the high demand of the materials and reagents needed to sample individuals, purify the viral RNA, and perform the RT-qPCR has resulted in a worldwide shortage of several of these supplies.
Fifteen-minute consultation: Assessing the child with an elbow injury
Authors: Edwards Sarah , Roland Damian
Published: July 2020

This article aims to provide a concise summary of the key considerations when assessing a child with an elbow injury. Elbow injuries are common with acute elbow trauma, accounting for 2%–3% of all visits to the emergency department. This article will cover history, examination and key X-ray findings, along with a brief guide to management. It is hoped this article will help healthcare professionals who assess children with elbow injuries. Our work is applicable to those both in the hospital and community setting.
Empowering children and young people who have asthma
Authors: Sinha Ian P , Brown Lynsey , Fulton Olivia , Gait Lucy , Grime Christopher , Hepworth Claire , Lilley Andrew , Murray Morgan , Simba Justus
Published: July 2020

Asthma is the most common chronic condition of childhood. In this review, we discuss an overview of strategies to empower children and young people with asthma. The key aspects of empowerment are to enable shared decision making and self-management, and help children minimise the impact of asthma on their life. The evidence behind these strategies is either sparse or heterogenous, and it is difficult to identify which interventions are most likely to improve clinical outcomes. Wider determinants of health, in high-resource and low-resource settings, can be disempowering for children with asthma. New approaches to technology could help empower young people with asthma and other chronic health conditions.
Fifteen-minute consultation: Drowning in children
Authors: Evans Jordan , Javaid Assim Ali , Scarrott Eleanor , Bamber Andrew R , Morgan Jeff
Published: July 2020

Drowning is a significant cause of childhood morbidity and mortality globally. The underlying mechanisms vary with child development and most are modifiable to public health promotion strategies. This article serves to highlight some of the specific considerations for the clinical management of drowning in children, both prehospital and by the in-hospital paediatric resuscitation team. This includes changes to standard advanced paediatric life support in the presence of hypothermia.
Primary plasma cell leukaemia in a 39-year-old man
Authors: Kasinathan Ganesh
Published: July 2020

Plasma cell leukaemia (PCL) is an aggressive haematological malignancy which is classified into primary (pPCL) and secondary PCL. A 39-year-old Indian man presented to the Department of Hematology with a 2-week history of fever and lethargy. Clinically, he was pale and febrile. Haemogram revealed bicytopenia with leucocytosis. The peripheral blood film portrayed rouleax formation with 45% of circulating plasma cells. Serum protein electrophoresis and immunofixation revealed IgG lambda paraproteinaemia of 48 g/L. Bone marrow aspirate, flow cytometry and trephine were consistent with IgG lambda pPCL. He was treated with six cycles of bortezomib, thalidomide and dexamethasone combination chemotherapy followed by high-dose melphalan conditioning and autologous stem cell transplant. Currently, he is in complete remission for the past 18 months and is on oral lenalidomide maintenance therapy. Prognosis is often dismal in pPCL with the median overall survival below 1 year if treatment is delayed.
Quality of life in patients with uveitis: data from the ULISSE study (Uveitis: cLInical and medico-economic evaluation of a Standardised Strategy for the Etiological diagnosis)
Authors: Bertrand Pierre-jean , Jamilloux Yvan , Kodjikian Laurent , Errera Marie-Helene , Perard Laurent , Pugnet Gregory , Tieulie Nathalie , Andre Marc , Bielefeld Philip , Bron Alain M , Decullier Evelyne , Bin Sylvie , Seve Pascal
Published: July 2020

Aims

To assess vision-related (VR-QOL) and health-related quality of life (HR-QOL) in a large series of patients with de novo uveitis at baseline and 6-month follow-up.

Methods

Non-inferiority, prospective, multicentre, cluster randomised controlled trial registered under the Unique Identifier: NCT01162070. VR-QOL and HR-QOL were assessed by the 25-item National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire (VFQ-25) and the Medical Outcomes Study 36-item Short Form Survey (SF-36).

Results

At inclusion, 466 patients completed the VFQ-25. The mean composite score was 80.0 (±16.7). In multivariate analysis, higher age, female sex and insidious onset were significantly associated with lower QOL. At 6 months, 138 patients completed the VFQ-25, with a significantly higher mean composite score of 82.6 (±16.7). SF-36 mental component was 42.9 (±11.3) and physical component was 47.2 (±8.5) at inclusion (n=425). HR-QOL improvement at 6 months was not clinically significant.

Conclusion

QOL seems relatively well preserved in this cohort; only VR-QOL improved significantly at 6 months, especially in patients with low initial visual acuity.
Berkson’s bias in biobank sampling in a specialised mental health care setting: a comparative cross-sectional study
Authors: Laliberté Vincent , Giguère Charles-Edouard , Potvin Stéphane , Lesage Alain
Published: July 2020

Objectives

To determine whether studying aetiological pathways of depression, in particular the well-established determinant of childhood trauma, only in a specialised mental healthcare setting can yield biased estimates of the aetiological association, given that the majority of individuals are treated in primary care settings.

Design and setting

Two databanks were used in this study. The Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) on Mental Health and Well-Being 2012 is a national survey about mental health of adult Canadians. It measured common mental disorders and utilisation of services. The Signature mental health biobank includes adults from the Island of Montreal recruited at the emergency department of a major university mental health centre. After consent, participants filled standardised psychosocial questionnaires, gave blood samples, and their clinical diagnosis was recorded. We compared the cohort of depressed individuals from CCHS and Signature in contact with specialised services with those in contact with primary care or not in treatment.

Participants

There were 860 participants with depression in the CCHS and 207 participants with depression in the Signature Bank.

Primary and secondary outcomes

The Childhood Experiences of Violence Questionnaire was used to measure childhood trauma in both settings. Childhood trauma is associated with depression as with other common mental and physical disorders.

Results

Individuals with depression in the CCHS who reported having been hospitalised for psychiatric treatment or having seen a psychiatrist or those from Signature were found to be more strongly associated with childhood abuse than individuals with depression who were treated in primary care settings or did not seek mental healthcare in the preceding year.

Conclusions

Berkson’s bias limits the generalisability of aetiological associations observed in such university-hospital-based biobanks, but the problem can be remedied by broadening recruitment to primary care settings and the general population.
Examining the effect of underlying individual preferences for present over future on lung cancer screening participation: a cross-sectional analysis of a Korean National Cancer Screening Survey
Authors: Lee Jaeho , Kim Yeol , Suh Mina , Hong Seri , Choi Kui Son
Published: July 2020

Objectives

This study aimed to examine the effect of underlying individual preferences for the present over that for the future on lung cancer screening participation.

Setting

We analysed the data from the Korean National Cancer Screening Survey in 2018.

Participants

4500 adults aged 20–74 years old participated in the study.

Design

In this cross-sectional survey, multivariate logistic regression analysis was carried out to examine the association between subjects’ intention to participate in lung cancer screening and individual preferences. The underlying individual preferences were measured on the basis of the self-reported general willingness to spend money now in order to save money in the future and general preferences with regard to financial planning.

Primary outcome measure

Intention to participate in lung cancer screening.

Results

Individuals eligible for lung cancer screening who place less value on their future were around four times less likely to report an intention to participate in lung cancer screening than were those who valued their future (OR 3.86, 95% CI 1.89 to 7.90). A present-biassed individual (one with a tendency for immediate gratification) was also about four times less likely to report an intention to participate in screening than an individual with no present bias (OR 0.26, 95% CI 0.12 to 0.57).

Conclusions

Underlying individual preferences regarding the present and future significantly affect individuals’ intention to participate in lung cancer screening. Hence, provision of incentives may be necessary to encourage the targeted heavy smokers who may have a strong preferences for the present over future.
Infant formula composition and educational performance: a protocol to extend follow-up for a set of randomised controlled trials using linked administrative education records
Authors: Verfürden Maximiliane , Harron Katie , Jerrim John , Fewtrell Mary , Gilbert Ruth
Published: July 2020

Introduction

The effect of infant nutrition on long-term cognition is important for parents and policy makers. However, most clinical trials typically have short follow-up periods, when measures of cognition are poorly predictive of later function. The few trials with longer-term follow-up have high levels of attrition, which can lead to selection bias, and in turn to erroneous interpretation of long-term harms and benefits of infant nutrition. We address the need for unbiased, long-term follow-up, by linking measures of educational performance from administrative education records. Educational performance is a meaningful marker of cognitive function in children and it is strongly correlated with IQ. We aim to evaluate educational performance for children who, as infants, were part of a series of trials that randomised participants to either nutritionally modified infant formula or standard formula. Most trialists anticipated positive effects of these interventions on later cognitive function.

Methods and analysis

Using data from 1923 participants of seven randomised infant formula trials linked to the English National Pupil Database (NPD), this study will provide new insights into the effect of nutrient intake in infancy on school achievement. Our primary outcome will be the mean differences in z-scores between intervention and control groups for a compulsory Mathematics exam sat at age 16. Secondary outcomes will be z-scores for a compulsory English exam at age 16 and z-scores for compulsory Mathematics and English exams at age 11. We will also evaluate intervention effects on the likelihood of receiving special educational needs (SEN) support. All analyses will be performed separately by trial.

Ethics and dissemination

Research ethics approval, and approval from the Health Research Authority Confidentiality Advisory Group, has been obtained for this study. The results of this study will be disseminated to scientific, practitioner, and lay audiences, submitted for publication in peer-reviewed journals, and will contribute towards a PhD dissertation.
Measuring the impact of a social programme on healthcare: a 10-year retrospective cohort study in Trieste, Italy
Authors: Castriotta Luigi , Giangreco Manuela , Cogliati-Dezza Maria Grazia , Spanò Marco , Atrigna Enrico , Ehrenfreund Claudia , Rosolen Valentina , Paoletti Flavio , Barbone Fabio
Published: July 2020

Objectives

Poor social conditions are strong determinants of poor health but positive health and healthcare changes caused by social interventions are difficult to demonstrate. In 2006, in Trieste (Italy), a social intervention known as ‘Habitat Microaree’ (HM) project was implemented in eight deprived neighbourhoods. In 2016, an observational study was launched to assess the impact of the HM project on healthcare.

Design

Retrospective cohort study.

Setting

The eight geographically defined neighbourhoods of Trieste involved in the 2006 HM project, accounting for a total of 11 380 residents.

Participants

Participants were all residents in the intervention areas. By means of a propensity score based on deprivation index, age, sex, Charlson index and drug utilisation, a non-participating, comparison group was defined.

Intervention

The community-based intervention consisted of facilitating access to social services and outpatient healthcare facilities, coordinating intersectoral public services and specifically planning hospital discharge. These services were not provided in other areas of the city.

Outcome measures

Hospital admissions and emergency department access.

Results

We followed 16 256 subjects between 2008 and 2015. Living in microareas was associated with an HR for first hospital admission, for all causes, of 0.95 (95% CI 0.91 to 0.99); while the HR for urgent admissions in females was 0.92 (95% CI 0.85 to 1.00). The HR for psychiatric disorders, in females, was 0.39 (95%CI 0.18 to 0.82); in particular, the HR for psychosis was 0.15 (95% CI 0.05 to 0.51). The HR for acute respiratory diseases in females was 0.44 (95% CI 0.21 to 0.95). In males, the HR for genitourinary diseases and heart diseases were 0.65 (95% CI 0.42 to 1.01) and 0.72 (95% CI 0.54 to 0.97), respectively. Concerning urgent multiple admissions, the OR for fractures in females was 0.75 (95% CI 0.58 to 0.97).

Conclusion

In the study period, the effects on healthcare appear evident, especially in females.
Trajectories of health system use and survival for community-dwelling persons with dementia: a cohort study
Authors: Bronskill Susan E , Maclagan Laura C , Walker Jennifer D , Guan Jun , Wang Xuesong , Ng Ryan , Rochon Paula A , Yates Erika A , Vermeulen Marian J , Maxwell Colleen J
Published: July 2020

Objectives

To determine the long-term trajectories of health system use by persons with dementia as they remain in the community over time.

Design

Population-based cohort study using health administrative data.

Setting

Ontario, Canada from 1 April 2007 to 31 March 2014.

Participants

62 622 community-dwelling adults aged 65+ years with prevalent dementia on 1 April 2007 matched 1:1 to persons without dementia based on age, sex and comorbidity.

Main outcome measures

Rates of health service use, long-term care placement and mortality over time.

Results

After 7 years, 49.0% of persons with dementia had spent time in long-term care (6.8% without) and 64.5% had died (30.0% without). Persons with dementia were more likely than those without to use home care (rate ratio (RR) 3.02, 95% CI 2.93 to 3.11) and experience hospitalisations with a discharge delay (RR 2.36, 95% CI 2.30 to 2.42). As they remained in the community, persons with dementia used home care at a growing rate (10.7%, 95% CI 10.0 to 11.3 increase per year vs 6.7%, 95% CI 4.3 to 9.0 per year among those without), but rates of acute care hospitalisation remained constant (0.6%, 95% CI −0.6 to 1.9 increase per year).

Conclusions

While persons with dementia used more health services than those without dementia over time, the rate of change in use differed by service type. These results, particularly enumerating the increased intensity of home care service use, add value to capacity planning initiatives where limited budgets require balancing services.
Forever young? The ethics of ongoing puberty suppression for non-binary adults
Authors: Notini Lauren , Earp Brian D , Gillam Lynn , McDougall Rosalind J , Savulescu Julian , Telfer Michelle , Pang Ken C
Published: July 2020

In this article, we analyse the novel case of Phoenix, a non-binary adult requesting ongoing puberty suppression (OPS) to permanently prevent the development of secondary sex characteristics, as a way of affirming their gender identity. We argue that (1) the aim of OPS is consistent with the proper goals of medicine to promote well-being, and therefore could ethically be offered to non-binary adults in principle; (2) there are additional equity-based reasons to offer OPS to non-binary adults as a group; and (3) the ethical defensibility of facilitating individual requests for OPS from non-binary adults also depends on other relevant considerations, including the balance of potential benefits over harms for that specific patient, and whether the patient’s request is substantially autonomous. Although the broadly principlist ethical approach we take can be used to analyse other cases of non-binary adults requesting OPS apart from the case we evaluate, we highlight that the outcome will necessarily depend on the individual’s context and values. However, such clinical provision of OPS should ideally be within the context of a properly designed research study with long-term follow-up and open publication of results.
Non-compliant and compliant balloons for endovascular rescue therapy of cerebral vasospasm after spontaneous subarachnoid haemorrhage: experiences of a single-centre institution with radiological follow-up of the treated vessel segments
Authors: Neumann Alexander , Küchler Jan , Ditz Claudia , Krajewski Kara , Leppert Jan , Schramm Peter , Schacht Hannes
Published: July 2020

Background

For endovascular rescue therapy (ERT) of cerebral vasospasm (CVS) due to spontaneous subarachnoid haemorrhage (sSAH), non-compliant (NCB) and compliant (CB) balloons are used with both balloon types bearing the risk of vessel injury due to specific mechanical properties. Although severe delayed arterial narrowing after transluminal balloon angioplasty (TBA) for CVS has sporadically been described, valid data concerning incidence and relevance are missing. Our aim was to analyse the radiological follow-up (RFU) of differently TBA-treated arteries (CB or NCB).

Methods

Twelve patients with utilisation of either NCB or CB for CVS were retrospectively analysed for clinical characteristics, ERT, functional outcome after 3 months and RFU. Compared with the initial angiogram, we classified delayed arterial narrowing as mild, moderate and severe (<30%, 30%–60%, respectively >60% calibre reduction).

Results

Twenty-three arteries were treated with CB, seven with NCB. The median first RFU was 11 months after TBA with CB and 10 after NCB. RFU was performed with catheter angiography in 18 arteries (78%) treated with CB and in five (71%) after NCB; magnetic resonance angiography was acquired in five vessels (22%) treated with CB and in two (29%) after NCB. Mild arterial narrowing was detected in three arteries (13%) after CB and in one (14%) after NCB. Moderate or severe findings were neither detected after use of CB nor NCB.

Conclusion

We found no relevant delayed arterial narrowing after TBA for CVS after sSAH. Despite previous assumptions that CB provides for more dilatation in segments adjacent to CVS, we observed no disadvantages concerning long-term adverse effects. Our data support TBA as a low-risk treatment option.
Analysis of potential associations of JUUL flavours with health symptoms based on user-generated data from Reddit
Authors: Luo Joyce , Chen Long , Lu Xinyi , Yuan Jianbo , Xie Zidian , Li Dongmei
Published: July 2020

Background

The rise of the popular e-cigarette, JUUL, has been partly attributed to various teen-friendly e-liquid flavours offered. However, the possible health risks associated with each e-liquid flavour still remain unclear. This research focuses on the possible associations between JUUL flavours and health symptoms using social media data from Reddit.

Methods

Keyword filtering was used to obtain 5,746 JUUL flavour-related posts and 7927 health symptom-related posts from June 2015 to April 2019 from Reddit. Posts from September 2016 to April 2019 were used to conduct temporal analysis for nine health symptom categories and the 8 JUUL flavours. Finally, associations between the JUUL flavours and health symptom categories were examined on the user level using generalised estimating equation models.

Results

According to our temporal analysis, Mango and Mint were the most discussed JUUL flavours on Reddit. Respiratory and throat symptoms were the most discussed health issues together with JUUL on Reddit over time. Respiratory symptoms had potential associations with the Mango, Mint and Fruit JUUL flavours. Digestive symptoms had a potential association with the Crème flavour, psychological symptoms had a potential association with the Cucumber flavour, and cardiovascular symptoms had a potential association with the tobacco flavours.

Conclusions

Mango and Mint were the two most mentioned JUUL flavours on Reddit. Certain JUUL flavours were more likely to be mentioned together with certain categories of health symptoms by the same Reddit users. Our findings could prompt further medical research into the health symptoms associated with different e-liquid flavours.
Soil-water characteristic curves of bentonites in isochoric conditions during wetting: measurement and prediction
Authors: Bharat Tadikonda Venkata , Gapak Yagom
Published: July 2020

The determination of the soil-water characteristic curve (SWCC) of compacted bentonites in the isochoric condition is a prerequisite for unsaturated flow simulations in several geoenvironmental applications. The SWCC data are, however, not readily available for many compacted bentonites over a wide suction range due to difficulties associated with the testing. In this work, wetting SWCCs of four Indian bentonites of different plasticity were established experimentally at compaction dry densities of 1.4, 1.6, and 1.8 Mg/m3 in isochoric conditions using two independent laboratory techniques in different suction ranges. The modified Kovács (MK) model was extended to simulate the SWCC data of the Indian bentonites. Empirical relationships between MK model parameters and compaction dry density for these bentonites were established. A theoretical procedure for the estimation of SWCCs of the compacted bentonites based on the basic bentonite properties and proposed correlations was proposed and validated on the available wetting SWCC data of compacted GaoMiaoZi (GMZ), MX80, and FEBEX bentonites from the literature studies. The proposed method predicts the wetting SWCCs of compacted powder bentonites, in volume-restrained condition, from the basic properties satisfactorily. The proposed model is an approximate method for predicting the SWCCs of bentonites in the absence of measured data and in understanding the influence of dry density and plasticity.
Reliability-based design and analysis for internal limit states of steel grid–reinforced mechanically stabilized earth walls
Authors: Bathurst Richard J. , Bozorgzadeh Nezam , Miyata Yoshihisa , Allen Tony M.
Published: July 2020

This paper demonstrates reliability-based design (RBD) and analysis for tensile strength (rupture) and pullout limit states for mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) walls constructed with steel grid reinforcement in combination with frictional soils. Five different reinforcement tensile load models for walls under operational conditions are considered in combination with six different pullout models and one tensile strength model. The general approach considers the accuracy of the load and resistance models that appear in each limit state equation plus uncertainty in the choice of nominal values at the time of design that is linked to the concept of “level of understanding” used in Canadian load and resistance factor design (LRFD) foundation engineering practice. The effect of potential steel corrosion on reliability index for the tensile strength limit state is considered in calculations. A well-documented MSE wall case study is used to demonstrate the general approach. The relationship between nominal factor of safety and reliability index is used to demonstrate how to optimize steel grid member diameters and arrangement to achieve a target reliability index of β = 2.33. The approach described in this paper is an important contribution to next-generation analysis and design using modern concepts of RBD for MSE walls.
Gut microbiota and the periodontal disease: role of hyperhomocysteinemia
Authors: Stanisic Dragana , Jovanovic Milica , George Akash K. , Homme Rubens P. , Tyagi Neetu , Singh Mahavir , Tyagi Suresh C.
Published: July 2020

Periodontal disease is one of the most common conditions resulting from poor oral hygiene and is characterized by a destructive process in the periodontium that essentially includes gingiva, alveolar mucosa, cementum, periodontal ligament, and alveolar bone. Notably, the destructive event in the alveolar bone has been linked to homocysteine (Hcy) metabolism; however, it has not been fully investigated. Therefore; the implication of Hcy towards initiation, progression, and maintenance of the periodontal disease remains incompletely understood. Higher levels of Hcy (also known as hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy)) exerts deleterious effects on gum health and teeth in distinct ways. Firstly, increased production of proinflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-8 leads to an inflammatory cascade of events that affect methionine (Met) and Hcy metabolism (i.e., 1-carbon metabolism) leading to HHcy. Secondly, metabolic dysregulation during chronic medical conditions increases systemic inflammation leading to a decrease in vitamins, more specifically B6, B12, and folic acid, that play important roles as cofactors in Hcy metabolism. Also, given the folate level in the HHcy state that is important during dysbiosis, these two conditions appear to be intimately related, and in this context, HHcy-induced dysbiosis may be one of the potential causes of periodontal disease. This paper sums up the link between periodontitis and HHcy, with a special emphasis on the “oral–gut microbiome axis” and the potential probiotic intervention towards warding off some of the serious periodontal disease conditions.
Scaling properties of direct photon yields in heavy ion collisions
Authors: Khachatryan Vladimir , Praszałowicz Michał
Published: July 2020

A recent analysis from the PHENIX collaboration of available direct photon measurement results in collisions of various systems such as Au+Au, Cu+Cu, and Pb+Pb, at different beam energies ranging from 39 to 2760 GeV, has shown a universal, within experimental uncertainties, multiplicity scaling, in which direct photon $$p_{T}$$pT-spectra for transverse momenta up to 2 GeV/c are scaled with charged hadron pseudorapidity density at midrapidity raised to power $$\alpha =1.25$$α=1.25. On the other hand, those direct photon $$p_{T}$$pT-spectra also exhibit geometrical scaling in the similar $$p_{T}$$pT range. Assuming power-law dependence of the scaled photon spectra for both scaling laws, we formulate two independent conditions for the power $$\alpha $$α, which overshoot experimental data by $$\sim 10\%$$∼10% on average. We discuss possible sources that might improve this estimate.
Stability and Hopf bifurcation analysis of a new four-dimensional hyper-chaotic system
Authors: Zhou Liangqiang , Zhao Ziman , Chen Fangqi
Published: July 2020

With both analytical and numerical methods, local dynamic behaviors including stability and Hopf bifurcation of a new four-dimensional hyper-chaotic system are studied in this paper. All the equilibrium points and their stability conditions are obtained with the Routh–Hurwitz criterion. It is shown that there may exist one, two, or three equilibrium points for different system parameters. Via Hopf bifurcation theory, parameter conditions leading to Hopf bifurcation is presented. With the aid of center manifold and the first Lyapunov coefficient, it is also presented that the Hopf bifurcation is supercritical for some certain parameters. Finally, numerical simulations are given to confirm the analytical results and demonstrate the chaotic attractors of this system. It is also shown that the system may evolve chaotic motions through periodic bifurcations or intermittence chaos while the system parameters vary.
Cross-Layer Dual Modular Redundancy Hardened Scheme of Flip-Flop Design Based on Sense-Amplifier
Authors: Huang Zhengfeng , Su Zian , Ni Tianming , Xu Qi , Qi Haochen , Lu Yingchun , Eric Manzi , Xu Hui
Published: July 2020

As the demand for low-power and high-speed logic circuits increases, the design of differential flip-flops based on sense-amplifier (SAFF), which have excellent power and speed characteristics, has become more and more popular. Conventional SAFF (Con SAFF) and improved SAFF designs focus more on the improvement of speed and power consumption, but ignore their Single-Event-Upset (SEU) sensitivity. In fact, SAFF is more susceptible to particle impacts due to the small voltage swing required for differential input in the master stage. Based on the SEU vulnerability of SAFF, this paper proposes a novel scheme, namely cross-layer Dual Modular Redundancy (DMR), to improve the robustness of SAFF. That is, unit-level DMR technology is performed in the master stage, while transistor-level stacking technology is used in the slave stage. This scheme can be applied to some current typical SAFF designs, such as Con SAFF, Strollo SAFF, Ahmadi SAFF, Jeong SAFF, etc. Detailed HSPICE simulation results demonstrate that hardened SAFF designs can not only fully tolerate the Single Node Upset of sensitive nodes, but also partially tolerate the Double Node Upset caused by charge sharing. Besides, compared with the conventional DMR hardened scheme, the proposed cross-layer DMR hardened scheme not only has the same fault-tolerant characteristics, but also greatly reduces the delay, area and power consumption.
A Survey on Internet of Things: Applications, Recent Issues, Attacks, and Security Mechanisms
Authors: Uganya G. , Radhika  , Vijayaraj N.
Published: July 2020

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a series of recording devices, mechanical and automated machines, documents, creatures, or individuals that have one of the user identifiers and the ability to substitute information over a network without requiring human-to-human connections. The IoT technology is used in different applications to transfer information between two or more stations or devices using actuators/sensors. The IoT has many fields of application, including smart home, healthcare, transport and logistics, and industry. Each application gives highlights and important and explicit administrations. This paper provides an overview of IoT applications, discussing their current problems and potential challenges. In addition, it focuses on issues and challenges that arise for future IoT systems including enormous scaling, planning and needs, generating information and big data, strength, frankness, resource management, privacy, and security. The secure data transformation is more problematic in ongoing research. So, this survey presents security attacks and different security mechanisms involved in IoT applications including authentication, encryption, blockchain, and trust management. Blockchain with IoT applications provides good secure data transfer compared to other security mechanisms. So, this survey mainly concentrates on the blockchain with IoT applications and its latest issues. The objective of this paper is to analyze the issues and challenges of IoT applications, eight research topics in existing systems, security attacks and their countermeasures, and different security mechanisms confronting the IoT.
LPQ-SAM: A Low-Power Quality Scalable Approximate Multiplier
Authors: Iqbal Sumbal , Hasan Osman , Hafiz Rehan , Khan Zeshan Aslam
Published: July 2020

Approximate computing allows compromising accuracy to attain energy and performance efficient designs. However, the accuracy requirements of many applications change on runtime and it has been often observed that traditional approximate hardware tends to either provide unacceptable results or leads to an unnecessary computational effort. Quality scalable configurations can overcome these limitations. With the same motivation, we propose a low-power quality scalable approximate multiplier (LPQ-SAM) in this paper. This low power multiplier has various accuracy reconfigurable modes, including an accurate one and thus, it can be used for both error-resilient and exact applications. LPQ-SAM is exhaustively tested for different error metrics and it has been observed that in the approximate mode, it provides up to 19% and 55% power reduction compared to the exact Booth and Wallace multipliers, respectively. For illustration purposes, we demonstrated the effectiveness of LPQ-SAM on a real-time application, i.e., image masking.
Analysis, Design and Fabrication of a Square Slot Loaded (SSL) Millimeter-Wave Patch Antenna Array for 5G Applications
Authors: Aghoutane Bilal , Das Sudipta , El Faylali Hanan , Madhav B. T. P. , El Ghzaoui Mohammed , El Alami Ali
Published: July 2020

A new compact [Formula: see text] microstrip patch antenna array design for future 5G applications is presented in this paper. The proposed antenna array consists of square slot loaded with four radiating patch elements. The corporate feed network has been implemented for the excitation of the array. The feed line is connected to the square slot patch through a quarter-wave transformer matching network. The proposed array is designed on an FR-4 substrate with a dielectric constant of 4.4, thickness of 1.6[Formula: see text]mm and loss tangent (tan[Formula: see text] of 0.02. It has a compact dimension of 9.590[Formula: see text] 17.802[Formula: see text]. The proposed structure has been designed and simulated by using commercially available HFSS software. The simulated results (reflection coefficient, gain, efficiency, radiation pattern) are verified through the measurement process to confirm the validity of the design concept. The measurement results are in good agreement with the simulated results. The proposed structure resonates at 38.1[Formula: see text]GHz with a [Formula: see text]10[Formula: see text]dB impedance bandwidth of about 3700[Formula: see text]MHz (36.5[Formula: see text]GHz to 40.2[Formula: see text]GHz). The reflection coefficient at 38.1[Formula: see text]GHz is [Formula: see text]34[Formula: see text]dB, with a maximum gain of 7.81[Formula: see text]dB. The proposed square slot loaded patch antenna array is very promising for 5G communications at 38[Formula: see text]GHz band (37–40[Formula: see text]GHz).
The alpha-decay chains and decay mode predictions of the nuclei Z = 118, 119 and 120
Authors: Koyuncu F. , Soylu A.
Published: July 2020

The alpha decay (AD) chains of the nuclei having [Formula: see text], 119 and 120 have been investigated in terms of different theoretical models. Decay mode results that are presented in this study have been probed over the possible isotopes of the aforementioned nuclei. In the decay mode predictions, the formula of Bao et al. and the formula proposed by Soylu have been used to calculate the spontaneous fission (SF) half-lives. The AD half-lives have been computed by using the Denisov and Khuedenko, Royer, Horoi, the universal decay law (UDL), the Viola–Seaborg–Sobiczewski (VSS), the universal curve (UNIV) formulas and Wentzel–Kramers–Brillouin (WKB) approximation with Bohr–Sommerfeld quantization condition for the nuclei that have the measured experimental half-lives. Therefore, the rms values of the results of the related expressions and WKB method have been determined, in this way, AD half-life calculations of the [Formula: see text], 119 and 120 nuclei have been performed. According to the obtained results, SF half-life values for Bao et al. and Soylu are quite different from one approach to another, the predictions on decay modes of the [Formula: see text], 119 and 120 nuclei show differences. The decay modes produced by using different models used in this study would be important for the predictions of the future experimental investigations.
Design and Development of Smart Semi Active Suspension for Nonlinear Rail Vehicle Vibration Reduction
Authors: Sharma Sunil Kumar , Lee Jaesun
Published: July 2020

In this paper, the semi-active suspension in railway vehicles based on the controlled magnetorheological (MR) fluid dampers is examined, and compared with the semi-active low and semi-active high suspension systems to enhance the running safety and ride quality for a high-speed rail vehicle. Predictive model controllers are used as system controllers to determine the desired damping forces for front and rear bogie frame with force track-ability. A 28 degree of freedom (DoF) mathematical model of the rail vehicle is formulated using nonlinear vehicle suspension and nonlinear heuristic creep model. The MR model of Ali and Ramaswamy is formulated to characterize the behavior of the MR damper. The simulation result is validated using the experimental results. Four different suspension strategies are proposed with MR damper, i.e. passive, semi-active low, semi-active high and semi-active smart controller based on predictive model controller. A comparison indicates that the semi-active controller gives the optimum for comfort vibration actuation and improves the ride quality and it has little influence on derailment quotients, offload factors, as a result, it will not endanger the running safety of rail vehicle.
Characterizations for the n-strong Drazin invertibility in a ring
Authors: Zou Honglin , Chen Jianlong , Zhu Huihui , Wei Yujie
Published: July 2020

Recently, a new type of generalized inverse called the [Formula: see text]-strong Drazin inverse was introduced by Mosić in the setting of rings. Namely, let [Formula: see text] be a ring and [Formula: see text] be a positive integer, an element [Formula: see text] is called the [Formula: see text]-strong Drazin inverse of [Formula: see text] if it satisfies [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]. The main aim of this paper is to consider some equivalent characterizations for the [Formula: see text]-strong Drazin invertibility in a ring. Firstly, we give an equivalent definition of the [Formula: see text]-strong Drazin inverse, that is, [Formula: see text] is the [Formula: see text]-strong Drazin inverse of [Formula: see text] if and only if [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]. Also, we obtain some existence criteria for this inverse by means of idempotents. In particular, the [Formula: see text]-strong Drazin invertibility of the product [Formula: see text] are investigated, where [Formula: see text] is regular and [Formula: see text] are arbitrary elements in a ring.
Exploration of adsorption behavior, electronic nature and NLO response of hydrogen adsorbed Alkali metals (Li, Na and K) encapsulated Al12N12 nanocages
Authors: Hussain Riaz , Imran Muhammad , Mehboob Muhammad Yasir , Ali Muhammad , Hussain Riaz , Khan Muhammad Usman , Ayub Khurshid , Yawer Mirza Arfan , Saleem Muhammad , Irfan Ahmad
Published: July 2020

Due to the increasing demand of Al[Formula: see text]N[Formula: see text] in optoelectronics and sensing materials, we intended to investigate the adsorption behavior, electronic nature and NLO response of hydrogen and different metals decorated Al[Formula: see text]N[Formula: see text] nanocages. Different systems are designed by hydrogen adsorption and encapsulation of metals (Li, Na and K) in Al[Formula: see text]N[Formula: see text]. Density functional theory at B3LYP functional with conjunction of 6-31G([Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] basis set is utilized in order to gain optimized geometries. Different calculations including linear and first-order hyperpolarizability are conducted at same level of theory. Instead of chemiosorption, a phyisosorption phenomenon is seen in all hydrogen adsorbed metal encapsulated Al[Formula: see text]N[Formula: see text] nanoclusters. The [Formula: see text] analysis confirmed the charge separation in hydrogen adsorbed metal encapsulated nanocages. Molecular electrostatic potential (MEP) analysis cleared the different charge sites in all the systems. Similarly, frontier molecular orbitals analysis corroborated the charge densities shifting upon hydrogen adsorption on metal encapsulated AlN nanocages. HOMO–LUMO band gaps suggest effective use of H2-M-AlN in sensing materials. Global indices of reactivity also endorsed that all hydrogen adsorbed metal encapsulated systems are better materials than pure Al[Formula: see text]N[Formula: see text] nanocage for sensing applications. Lastly, linear and first hyperpolarizability of H2-M-AlN nanocages are found to be greater than M-AlN and pure AlN nanocages. Results of these parameters recommend metal encapsulated nanocages as efficient contributors for the applications in hydrogen sensing and optoelectronic devices.
On the Einstein standard stationary space-times
Authors: Riahi Moncef
Published: July 2020

In this paper, we study Einstein standard stationary space-times [Formula: see text] of dimension [Formula: see text] with [Formula: see text] is conformal on the space-like hypersurface [Formula: see text]. When [Formula: see text] is assumed to be connected and complete, we give a criterion so that [Formula: see text] is Einstein. In particular, we show that if [Formula: see text] is Einstein and [Formula: see text] is complete and connected, then the scalar curvature of [Formula: see text] and that of [Formula: see text] are non-positive and [Formula: see text] is Killing with respect to [Formula: see text].
Carbon Nanotubes Conjugated Mesoporous Tungsten Trioxide as Anode Electrocatalyst for Microbial Fuel Cells
Authors: Wang Yaqiong , Li Bin , Xiang Xingde , Guo Chunlei , Li Weishan
Published: July 2020

We report a novel anode electrocatalyst for microbial fuel cells (MFCs). Mesoporous tungsten trioxide (m-WO3) was synthesized from mesoporous silica template and mixed with carbon nanotubes (CNTs), resulting in electrocatalyst CNTs/m-WO3. The introduction of CNTs not only enhances the electronic conductivity but also yields a delocalization of m-WO3, which enhances the conjugated interaction of CNTs with m-WO3. Electrochemical measurements indicate that the resulting CNTs/m-WO3 exhibits excellent electrocatalytic activities, enabling the MFC based on Escherichia Coli with a maximum power density of 1.11 ± 0.022 W m−2, which is strikingly higher than the MFC using m-WO3 anode (0.76 ± 0.017 W m−2), and comparable to that using platinum anode (1.26 ± 0.025 W m−2). The proposed conjugated structure strategy provides an inspiration in designing new electrocatalysts for improving output power density of MFCs.
Interaction Behaviour of Nanostructured In2O3 Thin Film Towards Nitric Oxide in Argon
Authors: Prabhu E. , Asuvathraman R. , Sree Rama Murthy A. , Jayaraman V. , Gnanasekar K. I.
Published: July 2020

“In-situ changes in the carrier concentrations of In2O3 thin film were measured as a function of temperature in argon and argon containing 25 ppm of NO using high temperature Hall measurement facility. Studies show that the charge carrier concentration of In2O3 in argon at 373 K is 5.4 × 1017 cm−3 which gets reduced to 1.5 × 1015 cm−3 in oxygen due to the strong electron withdrawing character of the adsorbed oxygen. 25 ppm of NO in argon drastically lowers the carrier concentration of In2O3 to 4.8 × 1016 cm−3 at 573 K from 6.1 × 1017 due to its higher electron withdrawing character. “The change in DC conductance during sensing is caused by the adsorption of NO in argon on In2O3 surface which is confirmed by the analysis of N 1s pattern.” Adsorption of NO increases charge depletion length (LD) for NO in argon to 25.9 nm at 573 K from its value of 2.3 nm for pure argon and the temperature dependence of LD for NO in argon is evaluated.”
Very Wide Sensing Range and Hysteresis Behaviors of Tactile Sensor Developed by Embedding Soft Ionic Gels in Soft Silicone Elastomers
Authors: Hara Yuta , Yoshida Kazunari , Khosla Ajit , Kawakami Masaru , Hosoda Koh , Furukawa Hidemitsu
Published: July 2020

We present fabrication and characterization soft tactile sensors composed of ion gel channel and elastomer (ion gel/elastomer sensors) and compared the sensing properties of the ion gel/elastomer sensors with ionic liquid/elastomer sensors. We have studied the relationship between the impedance and current frequency for the sensors. The impedance of the conductive channels surrounded by the elastomer is drastically decreased with increase in the current frequency in lower frequency regime and the impedance is approximately constant in the higher regime. We evaluated the change in impedance of the sensors against mechanical stimuli. It is observed that the optimum detection range of ionic liquid/elastomer sensor is 0–21 kPa of normal load, while the optimum detection range of the ion gel/elastomer is 0–510 kPa of the normal load. In addition, we investigated the effect of thickness of elastomer surrounding ion gel on impedance profile in response to applied normal pressure. The hysteresis of the relationship between the impedance change and the applied pressure is observed in loading and unloading procedures in the case of 3-mm thickness sensors while the hysteresis of the relationship between the impedance change and the strain is observed in the case of 6-mm thickness sensors.