bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Design and fabrication of low-cost disdrometer and turbulence sensor
Authors: Morarka Amit , Ghaisas Subhash
Published: July 2018

A feasibility study was done on a novel concept to design and develop a low-cost disdrometer and wind turbulence hybrid sensor in a single device. It employs the principles of electromagnetic induction and response of a cantilever to impulses. Based on these principles, a device was designed and fabricated to detect the rain droplet size and wind turbulence. It was fabricated from readily available materials. The testing of the device in laboratory conditions yielded satisfactory results as compared to the standard commercial instruments.
Formoterol treatment prevents the effects of endotoxin on muscle TNF/NF-kB, Akt/mTOR, and proteolytic pathways in a rat model. Role of IGF-I and miRNA 29b
Authors: Martín Ana Isabel , Gómez-SanMiguel Ana Belén , Priego Teresa , López-Calderón Asunción
Published: July 2018

Inflammatory diseases are associated with muscle wasting as a result of an increase in proteolysis. The purpose of this study was to elucidate whether administration of a β2 adrenergic agonist, formoterol, was able to prevent the acute effects of sepsis induced by liposaccharide (LPS) injection on rat gastrocnemius muscle and to evaluate the possible roles of corticosterone, IGF-I, miR-23a, and miR-29b. For this purpose, male Wistar rats were injected with LPS and/or formoterol. Formoterol treatment decreased LPS-induced increase in serum corticosterone, TNFα upregulation, and NF-κB(p65) and Forkhead box protein O1 activation in the gastrocnemius. Atrogin-1, muscle RING-finger protein-1, microtubule-associated protein-1 light chain 3b (LC3b), and the lipidation of LC3b-I to LC3b-II were increased by LPS, and formoterol blocked these effects. Serum IGF-I and its mRNA levels in the gastrocnemius were decreased, whereas mecano growth factor and IGF binding protein 3 mRNA levels were increased in the rats injected with LPS but not in the rats that received LPS and formoterol. Similarly, LPS decreased Akt and mammalian target of rapamycin phosphorylation, and formoterol blocked these decreases. Finally, miR-29b expression in the gastrocnemius was upregulated by endotoxin injection, whereas miR-23a was not significantly different. Formoterol treatment did not significantly modify LPS-induced increase in muscle miR-29b. Furthermore, in control rats formoterol increased the expression of this miRNA. We conclude that formoterol decreases endotoxin-induced inflammation and proteolysis in rat skeletal muscle. Those responses can be a direct effect of β2 adrenergic receptor stimulation or/and of blocking the effects of LPS on corticosterone and IGF-I. Muscle miR-23a and -29b do not seem to play an important role in those responses.
Circulatory exosomal miRNA following intense exercise is unrelated to muscle and plasma miRNA abundances
Authors: D’Souza Randall F. , Woodhead Jonathan S. T. , Zeng Nina , Blenkiron Cherie , Merry Troy L. , Cameron-Smith David , Mitchell Cameron. J.
Published: July 2018

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) regulate gene expression via transcript degradation and translational inhibition, and they may also function as long distance signaling molecules. Circulatory miRNAs are either protein-bound or packaged within vesicles (exosomes). Ten young men (24.6 ± 4.0 yr) underwent a single bout of high-intensity interval cycling exercise. Vastus lateralis biopsies and plasma were collected immediately before and after exercise, as well as 4 h following the exercise bout. Twenty-nine miRNAs previously reported to be regulated by acute exercise were assessed within muscle, venous plasma, and enriched circulatory exosomes via qRT-PCR. Of the 29 targeted miRNAs, 11 were altered in muscle, 8 in plasma, and 9 in the exosome fraction. Although changes in muscle and plasma expression were bidirectional, all regulated exosomal miRNAs increased following exercise. Three miRNAs were altered in all three sample pools (miR-1-3p, -16-5p, and -222-3p), three in both muscle and plasma (miR-21-5p, -134-3p, and -107), three in both muscle and exosomes (miR-23a-3p, -208a-3p, and -150-5p), and three in both plasma and exosomes (miR-486-5p, -126-3p, and -378a-5p). There was a marked discrepancy between the observed alterations between sample pools. A subset of exosomal miRNAs increased in abundance following exercise, suggesting an exercise-induced release of exosomes enriched in specific miRNAs. The uniqueness of the exosomal miRNA response suggests its relevance as a sample pool that needs to be further explored in better understanding biological functions.
A Multiobjective Piglet Image Segmentation Method Based on an Improved Noninteractive GrabCut Algorithm
Authors: Kang Feilong , Wang Chunguang , Li Jia , Zong Zheying
Published: July 2018

In the video monitoring of piglets in pig farms, study of the precise segmentation of foreground objects is the work of advanced research on target tracking and behavior recognition. In view of the noninteractive and real-time requirements of such a video monitoring system, this paper proposes a method of image segmentation based on an improved noninteractive GrabCut algorithm. The functions of preserving edges and noise reduction are realized through bilateral filtering. An adaptive threshold segmentation method is used to calculate the local threshold and to complete the extraction of the foreground target. The image is simplified by morphological processing; the background interference pixels, such as details in the grille and wall, are filtered, and the foreground target marker matrix is established. The GrabCut algorithm is used to split the pixels of multiple foreground objects. By comparing the segmentation results of various algorithms, the results show that the segmentation algorithm proposed in this paper is efficient and accurate, and the mean range of structural similarity is [0.88, 1]. The average processing time is 1606 ms, and this method satisfies the real-time requirement of an agricultural video monitoring system. Feature vectors such as edges and central moments are calculated and the database is well established for feature extraction and behavior identification. This method provides reliable foreground segmentation data for the intelligent early warning of a video monitoring system.
A Novel Fault Diagnosis Method for Rolling Bearing Based on Improved Sparse Regularization via Convex Optimization
Authors: Zhong Dongjie , Yi Cancan , Xiao Han , Zhang Houzhuang , Wu Anding
Published: July 2018

Structural health monitoring and fault state identification of key components, such as rolling bearing, located in the mechanical main drive system, have a vital significance. The acquired fault signal of rolling bearing always presents the obvious nonlinear and nonstationary characteristics. Moreover, the concerned features are submerged in strong background noise. To handle this difficulty, a novel fault signal denoising scheme based on improved sparse regularization via convex optimization is proposed to extract the fault feature of rolling bearing. In this paper, the generalized minimax‐concave (GMC) penalty is firstly researched to promote the sparsity of signal, which is based on traditional L1‐norm and Huber function. It is designed to estimate the sparse solutions more accurately and maintain the convexity of the cost function. Then, the GMC penalty is extended to 1‐D first‐order total variation (TV) as nonseparability and nonconvex regularizer. Thus, a convex optimization problem, which involves a quadratic data fidelity term and a convex regularization term, is developed in this paper. To accelerate the convergence of the algorithm, it is solved by forward‐backward (FB) iterative algorithm and thus the denoised signal can be obtained. In order to demonstrate its performance, the proposed method is illustrated for numerical simulation signal and applied in the feature extraction of the measured rolling bearing vibration signal.
Stability and Hopf Bifurcation Analysis of a Fractional-Order Epidemic Model with Time Delay
Authors: Wang Zhen , Wang Xinhe
Published: July 2018

A fractional-order epidemic model with time delay is considered. Firstly, stability of the disease-free equilibrium point and endemic equilibrium point is studied. Then, by choosing the time delay as a bifurcation parameter, the existence of Hopf bifurcation is studied. Finally, numerical simulations are given to illustrate the effectiveness and feasibility of theoretical results.
Impact of Antenna Selection on Physical‐Layer Security of NOMA Networks
Authors: Deng Dan , Li Chao , Fan Lisheng , Liu Xin , Zhou Fasheng
Published: July 2018

This paper studies the impacts of antenna selection algorithms in decode‐and‐forward (DF) cooperative nonorthogonal multiple access (NOMA) networks, where the secure information from the relay can be overheard by an eavesdropper in the networks. In order to ensure the secure transmission, an optimal antenna selection algorithm is proposed to choose one best relay’s antenna to assist the secure transmission. We study the impact of antenna selection on the system secure communication through deriving the analytical expression of the secrecy outage probability along with the asymptotic expression in the high regime of signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR) and main‐to‐eavesdropper ratio (MER). From the analytical and asymptotic expressions, we find that the system secure performance is highly dependent on the system parameters such as the number of antennas at the relay, SNR, and MER. In particular, the secrecy diversity order of the system is equal to the antenna number, when the interference from the second user is limited.
Elastic Analysis of Nonhomogeneous Frozen Wall under Nonaxisymmetric Ground Stress Field and in State of Unloading
Authors: Zhang Wen , Wang Baosheng , Wang Yong
Published: July 2018

The mechanical analysis of frozen walls is a cornerstone technology of artificially frozen ground. The mechanical response of frozen walls is affected by heterogeneity, excavation unloading, uneven ground pressure, and the characteristics of surrounding rock. However, these factors are rarely taken into full consideration in existing analysis models. To address this shortfall, this study presents a plane‐strain model that considers the inhomogeneity of frozen walls, the unloaded state of the frozen‐wall inner edge, and the nonuniform ground stress field (abbreviated as “IF model”). The solution of the IF model is based on the superposition of thin concentric cylinders under two types of contact conditions: complete contact and smooth contact, and its validity is tested by a finite‐element calculation. The calculation indicates that the excavation reduces the radial force and increases the tangential force between the frozen wall and the surrounding earth mass; the ground principal stress is rotated after the excavation. If the radial unloading equals the tangential unloading at the inner edge of the frozen wall, the response of the radial stress differs from that of the tangential stress at the outer edge of the frozen wall. The circumferential stress and the radial displacement at the inner edge correlate linearly with the nonuniform coefficient of the ground press and the unloading ratio. If the nonuniform coefficient is relatively small, the inner edge of the frozen wall may incur tensile damage. Compared with the model of a homogeneous frozen wall (abbreviated as “HF model”), which has a uniform temperature distribution, the absolute value of the circumferential stress is lower (higher) for the IF model where the temperature is above (below) average. When the frozen wall is relatively thick, the circumferential stress of the inner edge of the frozen wall is lower for the IF model than for the HF model. The percent reduction is 8.12%∼9.32% for rock freezing and 13.41%∼18.03% for soil freezing. The IF model proposed herein thus reflects the characteristics of frozen walls and surrounding rock more clearly and accurately than the HF model and obtains stress states closer to the reality. Therefore, the IF model is recommended for the design and construction of frozen walls.
Using Sentence‐Level Neural Network Models for Multiple‐Choice Reading Comprehension Tasks
Authors: Wang Yuanlong , Li Ru , Zhang Hu , Tan Hongyan , Chai Qinghua
Published: July 2018

Comprehending unstructured text is a challenging task for machines because it involves understanding texts and answering questions. In this paper, we study the multiple‐choice task for reading comprehension based on MC Test datasets and Chinese reading comprehension datasets, among which Chinese reading comprehension datasets which are built by ourselves. Observing the above‐mentioned training sets, we find that “sentence comprehension” is more important than “word comprehension” in multiple‐choice task, and therefore we propose sentence‐level neural network models. Our model firstly uses LSTM network and a composition model to learn compositional vector representation for sentences and then trains a sentence‐level attention model for obtaining the sentence‐level attention between the sentence embedding in documents and the optional sentences embedding by dot product. Finally, a consensus attention is gained by merging individual attention with the merging function. Experimental results show that our model outperforms various state‐of‐the‐art baselines significantly for both the multiple‐choice reading comprehension datasets.
Beneficial and Detrimental Effects of Soil‐Structure Interaction on Probabilistic Seismic Hazard and Risk of Nuclear Power Plant
Authors: Kwag Shinyoung , Ju BuSeog , Jung Wooyoung
Published: July 2018

The purpose of this study is to investigate the soil‐structure interaction (SSI) effect on the overall risk of a PWR containment building structure with respect to two failure modes: strength and displacement. The precise quantification of the risk within the seismic probabilistic risk assessment framework depends considerably on an accurate treatment of the seismic response analysis. The SSI effect is one of the critical factors to consider when accurately predicting structural responses in the event of an earthquake. Previous studies have been conducted by focusing more on the positive side of the SSI effects and the effects mainly on the seismic fragility result. Therefore, this paper presents the results of a study of the SSI effect on the overall risk. Also, the study relies on an emphasis on revealing a beneficial and a detrimental effect of the SSI by utilizing an example of the containment structure in three soil conditions and two main failure modes. As a result, the consideration of SSI shows a complete conflicting effect on the seismic fragility and risk results depending on two failure modes considered in this study. This has a positive effect regarding the strength failure mode, but this brings a negative effect regarding the displacement failure mode. The risk fluctuation width is particularly noticeable in the site having a considerable change in seismic hazard information such as Los Angeles on the western site of the US. Such results can be expected to be utilized in a future study for investigating the pros and cons of the SSI effect associated with various failure modes in diverse conditions.
An Unusual Case of Ototoxicity with Use of Oral Vancomycin
Authors: Gomceli Umut , Vangala Srija , Zeana Cosmina , Kelly Paul J. , Singh Manisha
Published: July 2018

Introduction. Systemic absorption of oral vancomycin is poor due to the size of the molecule and its pharmacokinetics. It has an elimination half life of 5–11 hours in patients with normal renal function. We present a rare case of ototoxicity after oral vancomycin administration and detectable serum vancomycin levels 24 hours after cessation of vancomycin. Case Presentation. A 42-year-old woman with a history of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and previously treated Clostridium difficile colitis presented with abdominal pain and diarrhea for two weeks. Clostridium difficile infection was confirmed by PCR, and at the time of diagnosis and initiation of therapy, the patient had normal renal function. Vancomycin was initiated at a dose of 125 mg po q6h. After the third dose of oral vancomycin, the patient reported new symptoms of lightheadedness, sensations of “buzzing” and whistling of bilateral ears, and decreased perception of hearing described as “clogged ears.” The patient reported to the emergency department the next day due to worsening of these symptoms, and vancomycin dosing was reduced to every 8 hours; however, the patient reported the auditory symptoms persisted. On day three, vancomycin was discontinued with gradual resolution of symptoms over the next 12 hours. On day four, a serum random vancomycin level obtained 24 hours after the last dose was detectable at 2 mcg/dl. Temporal association of the patient’s symptoms and improvement with cessation of therapy along with a detectable vancomycin level indicates systemic absorption of oral vancomycin with subsequent ototoxicity. Discussion. The potential for absorption of oral vancomycin is not well described and is attributed to compromised intestinal epithelium allowing for increased drug absorption. Few studies suggested that oral vancomycin may result in therapeutic or even potentially toxic levels of serum vancomycin in patients with impaired renal function. Ototoxicity may be a transient or permanent side effect of vancomycin therapy and is related to high serum levels. Symptoms usually resolve after decreasing the dose or cessation of vancomycin. No detectable serum vancomycin levels were found in 98% of the patients treated with oral vancomycin in a prospective study. The described case is unusual because despite normal renal function, the patient still developed ototoxicity, and systemic absorption of the drug was confirmed with a measurable vancomycin level approximately 24 hours after the drug was stopped. Additionally, the only other medication prescribed to the patient at the time of vancomycin administration was metformin at a dose of 500 mg po bid which has no known idiosyncratic interactions potentiating adverse side effects to vancomycin. This case reflects that some patients may be more susceptible to increased systemic absorption via the oral route, and the possibility for ototoxicity should be considered and discussed with patients while prescribing oral vancomycin.
Analysis and Implementation of a New Switching Memristor Scroll Hyperchaotic System and Application in Secure Communication
Authors: Liu Ping , Xi Rui , Ren Pengbo , Hou Jialin , Li Xiang
Published: July 2018

This paper proposed a novel switching scroll hyperchaotic system based on a memristor device and explored its application to secure communication. The new system could be switched between the double‐scroll chaotic system and multiscroll one by switch S1 and switch S2. We gave the construction process of the novel system, its numerical simulations, and dynamical properties, firstly. Moreover, the memristive circuit implementation of the new switching system was presented and the results were also in agreement with those of numerical simulation. Finally, the new switching memristive system was applied to secure communication by means of the drive‐response synchronization with chaotic masking. When the voice signal is a rising waveform, it is encrypted by the double‐scroll memristive system. When the voice signal is a falling waveform, the multiscroll memristive system works. The voice signal is completely submerged in the chaotic signal and could not be distinguished at all. Security analyses show that it is a successful application to secure communication.
Reliability Analysis to a Satellite-Equipped Harmonic Gear Drive Subjected to Multisource Data and Imbalanced Information
Authors: Yang Lechang , He Ketai , Du Yanhua , Guo Yanling , Wang Pidong
Published: July 2018

We propose a Bayesian-based reliability framework for a satellite-equipped harmonic gear drive (HGD) mainly addressing two unsettled issues in existing research works, that is, an efficient aggregation method for multilevel system with imbalanced information and the multisource data fusion in a hierarchical structure. The proposed approach improves the estimation result for the whole system by utilizing all available information throughout the system. In particular, the heterogeneous data sets are classified into three types of collections of statistical data, time-correlated data, and performance test data based on their mathematical characteristics, respectively. Novel features include the comprehensive information aggregation approach taking into account multilevel information and a unique information-based fusion strategy. A real HGD device is demonstrated as the case study for benefit illustration and validation purpose.
In Vivo Wound Healing and Anti‐Inflammatory Activities of Leaf Latex of Aloe megalacantha Baker (Xanthorrhoeaceae)
Authors: Gebremeskel Leake , Bhoumik Dayananda , Sibhat Gereziher Geremedhin , Tuem Kald Beshir
Published: July 2018

Background. Aloe megalacantha Baker (Xanthorrhoeaceae) is one of the Aloe species widely distributed in Ethiopia. The leaf latex of the plant is used for treatment of wounds, inflammation, and other multiple ailments in Ethiopian traditional medicine. Purpose. The aim of this study was to evaluate in vivo wound healing and anti‐inflammatory activities of the leaf latex of Aloe megalacantha in mice. Methods. The wound healing activity of the leaf latex of the plant was studied topically by incorporating the latex in simple ointment base in a concentration of 5% (w/w) and 10% (w/w) using excision and incision models. In these models, wound contraction, period of epithelialization, and breaking strength of the wounded skin were determined. Carrageenan induced inflammation of paw model was also used to assess the anti‐inflammatory activity of the leaf latex at doses of 200 mg/kg, 400mg/kg, and 600 mg/kg. The level of inflammation suppressions were measured at 1, 2, 3, and 4 hrs after carrageenan injection, and then the percentages of inflammation inhibition were computed as compared with the negative control. Result. In both wound models, mice treated with 5% (w/w) and 10% (w/w) latex ointment showed a significant (p<0.05) increment in the rate of wound contraction, reduction in epithelialization time, and higher skin breaking strength. Besides, the latex also exhibited a dose‐dependent significant (p<0.05) reductions of inflammation as compared to negative control groups. Conclusion. The overall results of this study demonstrate that the leaf latex of A. megalacantha possesses wound healing and anti‐inflammatory activities which can scientifically substantiate the traditional use of the plant as a wound healing agent.
Attenuation of High‐Fat Diet‐Induced Rat Liver Oxidative Stress and Steatosis by Combined Hydroxytyrosol‐ (HT‐) Eicosapentaenoic Acid Supplementation Mainly Relies on HT
Authors: Echeverría Francisca , Valenzuela Rodrigo , Bustamante Andrés , Álvarez Daniela , Ortiz Macarena , Soto-Alarcon Sandra A. , Muñoz Patricio , Corbari Alicia , Videla Luis A.
Published: July 2018

Pharmacological therapy for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is not approved at the present time. For this purpose, the effect of combined eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA; 50 mg/kg/day) modulating hepatic lipid metabolism and hydroxytyrosol (HT; 5 mg/kg/day) exerting antioxidant actions was evaluated on hepatic steatosis and oxidative stress induced by a high‐fat diet (HFD; 60% fat, 20% protein, and 20% carbohydrates) compared to a control diet (CD; 10% fat, 20% protein, and 70% carbohydrates) in mice fed for 12 weeks. HFD‐induced liver steatosis (i) was reduced by 32% by EPA, without changes in oxidative stress‐related parameters and mild recovery of Nrf2 functioning affording antioxidation and (ii) was decreased by 42% by HT, concomitantly with total regain of the glutathione status diminished by HFD, 42% to 59% recovery of lipid peroxidation and protein oxidation enhanced by HFD, and regain of Nrf2 functioning, whereas (iii) combined EPA + HT supplementation elicited 74% reduction in liver steatosis, with total recovery of the antioxidant potential in a similar manner than HT. It is concluded that combined HT + EPA drastically decreases NAFLD development, an effect that shows additivity in HT and EPA effects that mainly relies on HT, strengthening the impact of oxidative stress as a central mechanism underlying liver steatosis in obesity.
Role of Intermolecular Forces on the Contact Angle of Vegetable Oil Droplets during the Cooling Process
Authors: Rizza Muhammad Akhlis , Wijayanti Widya , Hamidi Nurkholis , Wardana I. N. G.
Published: July 2018

This study aims to experimentally determine the role of intermolecular forces on the contact angle of vegetable oil droplets. Contact angles were recorded using a microscope and measured using digital software. The results show that the surface tension of vegetable oils is influenced by the London force between the electron clouds of molecules. The process of cooling increases vegetable oil contact angles, due to the decreased kinetic energy of constituent molecules and increased London force on the molecules. A decrease in temperature causes the surrounding water vapor to condense, which adheres to the droplet surface (due to the hydrophilic properties of molecules). Hydrogen bonds develop after moisture adheres to the surface. Further, water molecules on the droplet surface reduce the surface tension, because of hydrogen bonds between the molecules on the droplet surface and moisture. Hydrogen bonds among the molecules force water molecules to accumulate on the droplet surface, which suppresses the droplet surface; therefore the contact angle decreases.
Interspecies Anticancer and Antimicrobial Activities of Genus Solanum and Estimation of Rutin by Validated UPLC‐PDA Method
Authors: Alajmi Mohamed Fahad , Alam Perwez , Rehman Md. Tabish , Husain Fohad Mabood , Khan Azmat Ali , Siddiqui Nasir Ali , Hussain Afzal , Kalam Mohd. Abul , Parvez Mohammad Khalid
Published: July 2018

Solanaceae is one of the highly diverse plant families of which Solanum is the largest genera (1700 species) containing several pharmacological properties like anticancer and antimicrobial. This motivated us to explore the anticancer (against HepG2, HEK‐293, and MCF‐7 cells) and antimicrobial (against S. aureus, E. coli, P. aeruginosa, and C. albicans) properties of S. schimperianum, S. villosum, S. coagulans, S. glabratum, S. incanum, and S. nigrum along with rutin estimation by UPLC‐PDA method. Of the studied Solanum extracts, S. nigrum exhibited significant cytotoxic property against HepG2 (IC50: 20.4 μg/mL) and MCF‐7 (IC50: 30.1 μg/mL); S. coagulans showed toxicity against HepG2 (IC50: 28.4 μg/mL) and HEK‐293 cells (IC50: 25.7 μg/mL) compared to 5‐Fluorouracil (standard). Compared to these, extracts of S. coagulans and S. glabratum exhibited relatively high antimicrobial potency (MIC: 0.4‐1.6 mg/mL). Nonetheless, all Solanum extracts significantly reduced the biofilm against PAO1‐strain. Rutin was detected in all extracts with the highest content (53.79 μg/mg) in S. coagulans that supported its strong antimicrobial and anticancer properties. Molecular docking analysis showing strong binding of rutin with human DNA and proteins (DNA Topoisomerase IIα and E. coli DNA gyrase B) supported the anticancer and antimicrobial activities of Solanum species.
Security Evaluation Framework for Military IoT Devices
Authors: Cha Sungyong , Baek Seungsoo , Kang Sooyoung , Kim Seungjoo
Published: July 2018

IoT is gaining importance in our lives and in the military too. With the application of IoT paradigm in the military and the weapon system’s connectivity to the network, this facilitates the commanders to make real-time decisions. However, cybersecurity threats to weapon systems intensify along with the growing of IoT’s benefits. Coping with these cybersecurity threats nowadays, we require the implementation of “security by design” concept during weapon system development throughout the system lifecycle, but not traditional security solutions. Since only developed countries are capable of developing systems on their own, they adopt “security by design” when developing new weapon systems; another approach to acquire weapon systems is through import if a country cannot develop the whole weapon system. However, few studies have been done on the security evaluation framework that could be used upon purchase and integration of the developed weapon system. In this paper, we proposed a novel security evaluation framework that could be used to integrate IoT devices and components into the weapon system and a method to address cybersecurity requirements using international standard security control.
Mathematical Model for Hepatocytic-Erythrocytic Dynamics of Malaria
Authors: Orwa Titus Okello , Mbogo Rachel Waema , Luboobi Livingstone Serwadda
Published: July 2018

Human malaria remains a major killer disease worldwide, with nearly half (3.2 billion) of the world’s population at risk of malaria infection. The infectious protozoan disease is endemic in tropical and subtropical regions, with an estimated 212 million new cases and 429,000 malaria-related deaths in 2015. An in-host mathematical model ofPlasmodium falciparummalaria that describes the dynamics and interactions of malaria parasites with the host’s liver cells (hepatocytic stage), the red blood cells (erythrocytic stage), and macrophages is reformulated. By a theoretical analysis, an in-host basic reproduction numberR0is derived. The disease-free equilibrium is shown to be locally and globally asymptotically stable. Sensitivity analysis reveals that the erythrocyte invasion rateβr, the average number of merozoites released per bursting infected erythrocyteK, and the proportion of merozoites that cause secondary invasions at the blood phaseζare the most influential parameters in determining the malaria infection outcomes. Numerical results show that macrophages have a considerable impact in clearing infected red blood cells through phagocytosis. Moreover, the density of infected erythrocytes and hence the severity of malaria are shown to increase with increasing density of merozoites in the blood. Concurrent use of antimalarial drugs and a potential erythrocyte invasion-avoidance vaccine would minimize the density of infected erythrocytes and hence malaria disease severity.
Z‐Ligustilide Exerted Hormetic Effect on Growth and Detoxification Enzymes of Spodoptera litura Larvae
Authors: Yi Yang , Dou Guojun , Yu Zanyang , He Hui , Wang Chengqiang , Li Li , Zhou Jia , Liu Dejun , Shi Jianyou , Li Guanrong , Pang Lei , Yang Na , Huang Qinwan , Qi Hongyi
Published: July 2018

Plants have evolved a variety of phytochemicals to defense insect feeding, whereas insects have also evolved diverse detoxification enzymes, which are adaptively induced as a prosurvival mechanism. Herein, Z‐ligustilide in Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort. was found to exhibit a similar trend in the accumulation from December to May as the occurrence of Spodoptera litura (Fabricius) larvae. Importantly, S. litura larvae feeding enhanced Z‐ligustilide level in the stem and leaf (p < 0.01). Moreover, Z‐ligustilide ranging from 1 to 5 mg·g−1 exhibited remarkable larvicidal activity, antifeedant activity, and growth inhibition against S. litura larvae. The LC50 values of larvicidal activity for phthalides in L. chuanxiong were compared as follows: Z‐ligustilide > levistilide A > senkyunolide A > 3‐butylidenephthalide > senkyunolide I, implicating the critical role of conjugated structure. Notably, there was a biphasic dose response for glutathione S‐transferase (GST), cytochrome P450 (CYP) 450, Acetylcholinesterase (AChE), and Carboxylesterase (CarE) activities and GSTs1, cytochrome P450 (CYP) 4S9, and CYP4M14 mRNA expression. Particularly, low dose (0.1 mg·g−1) of Z‐ligustilide conferred the resistance of S. litura larvae against chlorpyrifos (p < 0.05). Together, our data suggest that Z‐ligustilide may function in a hormetic way in the chemical defense of L. chuanxiong against S. litura larvae.
Newborn Screening Saves Lives but Cannot Replace the Need for Clinical Vigilance
Authors: Neemuchwala F. , Taki M. , Secord E. , Nasr S. Z.
Published: July 2018

Newborn screening for cystic fibrosis (CF) enables early diagnosis and treatment leading to improved health outcomes for patients with CF. Although the sensitivity of newborn screening is high, false-negative results can still occur which can be misleading if clinicians are not aware of the clinical presentation of CF. We present a case of a young male with negative newborn screen diagnosed for CF. He was diagnosed at 3 years of age despite having symptoms indicative of CF since infancy. The delayed diagnosis resulted in diffuse lung damage and poor growth.
Wireless Networking Performance in IoT Using Adaptive Contention Window
Authors: Bhavadharini R. M. , Karthik S. , Karthikeyan N. , Paul Anand
Published: July 2018

Internet of Things (IoT) network contains heterogeneous resource‐constrained computing devices which has its unique reputation in IoT environments. In spite of its distinctiveness, the network performance deteriorates by the distributed contention of the nodes for the shared wireless medium in IoT. In IoT network, the Medium Access Control (MAC) layer contention impacts the level of congestion at the transport layer. Further, the increasing node contention at the MAC layer increases link layer frame drops resulting in timeouts at the transport layer segments and the performance of TCP degrades. In addition to that, the expiration of maximum retransmission attempts and the high contentions drive the MAC retransmissions and the associated overheads to reduce the link level throughput and the packet delivery ratio. In order to deal with aforementioned problems, the Adaptive Contention Window (ACW) is proposed, which aims to reduce the MAC overhead and retransmissions by determining active queue size at the contending nodes and the energy level of the nodes to improve TCP performance. Further, the MAC contention window is adjusted according to the node’s active queue size and the residual energy and TCP congestion window is dynamically adjusted based on the MAC contention window. Hence, by adjusting the MAC Adaptive Contention Window, the proposed model effectively distributes the access to medium and assures improved network throughput. Finally, the simulation study implemented through ns‐2 is compared with an existing methodology such as Cross‐Layer Congestion Control and dynamic window adaptation (CC‐BADWA); the proposed model enhances the network throughput with the minimal collisions.
A Novel Secure Scheme for Supporting Complex SQL Queries over Encrypted Databases in Cloud Computing
Authors: Liu Guoxiu , Yang Geng , Wang Huaqun , Xiang Yang , Dai Hua
Published: July 2018

With the advance of database-as-a-service (DaaS) and cloud computing, increasingly more data owners are motivated to outsource their data to cloud database for great convenience and economic savings. Many encryption schemes have been proposed to process SQL queries over encrypted data in the database. In order to obtain the desired data, the SQL queries contain some statements to describe the requirement, e.g., arithmetic and comparison operators (+, -, ×, <, >, and =). However, to support different operators (+, -, ×, <, >, and =) in SQL queries over encrypted data, multiple encryption schemes need to be combined and adjusted to work together. Moreover, repeated encryptions will reduce the efficiency of execution. This paper presents a practical and secure homomorphic order-preserving encryption (FHOPE) scheme, which allows cloud server to perform complex SQL queries that contain different operators (such as addition, multiplication, order comparison, and equality checks) over encrypted data without repeated encryption. These operators are data interoperable, so they can be combined to formulate complex SQL queries. We conduct security analysis and efficiency evaluation of the proposed scheme FHOPE. The experiment results show that, compared with the existing approaches, the FHOPE scheme incurs less overhead on computation and communication. It is suitable for large batch complex SQL queries over encrypted data in cloud environment.
Cryptographic Algorithm Invocation Based on Software‐Defined Everything in IPsec
Authors: Yang Ximin , Wang Deqiang , Feng Wei , Wu Jingjing , Tang Wan
Published: July 2018

IPsec was initially developed for IPv6 to ensure the communication security. With the development of Internet of Things (IoT) and the mounting importance of network security, increasing numbers of applications require IPsec to support the customized definition of cryptographic algorithms and to provide flexible invocation of these algorithms. To address this issue, an invocation mechanism for cryptographic algorithms is proposed in this paper and applied to IPsec, entitled Free to Add (FTA), based on the concept of software‐defined everything. Using the idea of interface opening, the addition of a new cryptographic algorithm and updating of the existing algorithms in the algorithm library both can be achieved through the opening interfaces provided by FTA. Switching the cryptographic algorithm to be used in the FTA framework can avoid the unnecessary consumption. Besides, using the subalgorithm interface and algorithm‐control interface designed here, FTA provides several software‐defined invocation modes (e.g., combination and switching according to the control instruction sent by the control program) to implement hybrid encryptions or change the cryptographic algorithms for communication. Finally, the feasibility and availability of the proposed FTA mechanism are evaluated by StrongSwan.
Assessing the Correlation between Skeletal and Corresponding Soft-Tissue Equivalents to Determine the Relationship between CBCT Skeletal/Dental Dimensions and 3D Radiographic Soft-Tissue Equivalents
Authors: Kim Da In , Lagravère Manuel O.
Published: July 2018

Objective. Compare measurements of skeletal and dental areas on the CBCT to the corresponding soft-tissue measures taken from a 3D Facial Scanner. Methods. 30 patients with CBCT and 3D Facial scanner photos were selected from the orthodontic program database. 30 different distance measurements were obtained from CBCT and facial scan. OrthoInsight software was used to obtain the measurements from the facial scan images, and AVIZO software was used for corresponding CBCT landmarks. The Euclidean distance formula was used to determine the distances for the corresponding x, y, and z coordinates of the CBCT. Reliability for CBCT and Facial Scanner was completed by calculating 30 distances for 10 patients, 3 times. Once reliability was determined, all 30 distances were calculated once for CBCT and facial scanner on each patient and descriptive statistics and paired t-test were applied. Results. All distances measured presented excellent reliability, the lowest one being the left eye width for the facial scanner (ICC 0.847). The landmark with the highest mean error on the CBCT was 2.0 ± 1.6 mm on the z-axis for the spinal level landmark. The Facial Scanner’s largest mean measurement error was 1.5 ± 0.9 mm for the distance of the left corner of the mouth to gonion. All data except width between outer eye corners were statistically significant (p<0.05). The average differences between facial scan and CBCT measurements ranged between 0.77 mm (left canine to cheekbone) to 26.94 mm (left subnasale to gonion) and are thus comparable. All measurements show a reasonable standard deviation between 2.57 mm (left eye width) to 9.91 mm (left gnathion to EAM). Conclusion. Distances obtained from CBCT and facial scan present mild differences giving the perspective of a relationship between them. Understanding this difference and relationship can make it plausible to expect certain underlying skeletal distances under soft-tissue structures.
Complexity Analysis of Dynamic Cooperative Game Models for Supply Chain with the Remanufactured Products
Authors: Chang Jianwei , Zhao Liuwei
Published: July 2018

This study focused on the supply chain within the remanufacturing production system, which is composed of one manufacturer and one retailer. In this case, the manufacturer is responsible for the production of new products and the remanufactured products. This system can be regarded as a coupling dynamics of the forward supply chain of Stackelberg game model. Based on the analysis, some dynamic phenomena such as bifurcation and chaos were found. Numerical simulations and the maximum Lyapunov exponent were therefore utilized to provide experimental evidence for the complicated behaviors of the system evolution. The findings of the study revealed that the equilibrium of the system can lose stability via flip bifurcation or Neimark-Sacker bifurcation and that time-delayed feedback control is appropriate for stabilizing the chaotic behaviors of the system.
Effect of Nd3+ Ion Concentration on the Corrosion Resistance of API X70 Steel in Chloride‐Rich Environments
Authors: Martinez de la Escalera D. M. , Ramos-Hernandez J. J. , Porcayo-Palafox E. , Porcayo-Calderon J. , Gonzalez-Rodriguez J. G. , Martinez-Gomez L.
Published: July 2018

In this study, the effect of the addition of Nd3+ ions as a corrosion inhibitor of the API X70 steel in a medium rich in chlorides was evaluated. The performance of the Nd3+ ions was evaluated by means of electrochemical techniques such as potentiodynamic polarization curves, open circuit potential measurements, linear polarization resistance, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, as well as by means of scanning electron microscopy and EDS measurements. The results showed that Nd3+ ions reduce the corrosion rate of steel at concentrations as low as 0.001 M Nd3+. At higher concentrations, the inhibition efficiency was only slightly affected although the concentration of chloride ions was increased by the addition of the inhibitor. The adsorption of the Nd3+ ions promotes the formation of a protective layer of oxides/hydroxides on the metal surface, thereby reducing the exchange rate of electrons. Nd3+ ions act as a mixed inhibitor with a strong predominant cathodic effect.
Chloride Penetration in Lightweight Aggregate Mortars Incorporating Supplementary Cementing Materials
Authors: Stratoura Maria , Iaz Diana-Ruxandra , Badogiannis Efstratios
Published: July 2018

The current research is aiming to investigate the chlorides’ penetration resistance of 9 different pumice lightweight aggregate mortars (LWAMs). The composition of the mixture is altered by the addition of metakaolin, fly ash, silica fume, and ground granulated blast furnace slag, substituting 10% and 20% of cement by mass. Workability and compressive strength of the mortars are studied together with durability parameters like water absorption due to capillary absorption and porosity. Moreover, the mortar resistance to chloride penetration is evaluated through non‐steady‐state chloride migration coefficient, complying to NT BUILD 492 standard. Summarizing all the laboratory test results, while the addition of metakaolin in the range of 20% led to better workability, higher compressive strength, lower sorptivity, and lower volume of open porosity, it did not improve the resistance against chlorides’ penetration.
The Epigenomic Landscape of Pituitary Adenomas Reveals Specific Alterations and Differentiates Among Acromegaly, Cushing's Disease and Endocrine-Inactive Subtypes
Authors: Salomon Matthew P. , Wang Xiaowen , Marzese Diego M. , Hsu Sandy C. , Nelson Nellie , Zhang Xin , Matsuba Chikako , Takasumi Yuki , Ballesteros-Merino Carmen , Fox Bernard A. , Barkhoudarian Garni , Kelly Daniel F. , Hoon Dave S.B.
Published: July 2018

Purpose: Pituitary adenomas are one of the most common benign neoplasms of the central nervous system. Although emerging evidence suggests roles for both genetic and epigenetic factors in tumorigenesis, the degree to which these factors contribute to disease remains poorly understood.

Experimental Design: A multiplatform analysis was performed to identify the genomic and epigenomic underpinnings of disease among the three major subtypes of surgically resected pituitary adenomas in 48 patients: growth hormone (GH)–secreting (n = 17), adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)–secreting (n = 13, including 3 silent-ACTH adenomas), and endocrine-inactive (n = 18). Whole-exome sequencing was used to profile the somatic mutational landscape, whole-transcriptome sequencing was used to identify disease-specific patterns of gene expression, and array-based DNA methylation profiling was used to examine genome-wide patterns of DNA methylation.

Results: Recurrent single-nucleotide and small indel somatic mutations were infrequent among the three adenoma subtypes. However, somatic copy-number alterations (SCNA) were identified in all three pituitary adenoma subtypes. Methylation analysis revealed adenoma subtype-specific DNA methylation profiles, with GH-secreting adenomas being dominated by hypomethylated sites. Likewise, gene-expression patterns revealed adenoma subtype-specific profiles. Integrating DNA methylation and gene-expression data revealed that hypomethylation of promoter regions are related with increased expression of GH1 and SSTR5 genes in GH-secreting adenomas and POMC gene in ACTH-secreting adenomas. Finally, multispectral IHC staining of immune-related proteins showed abundant expression of PD-L1 among all three adenoma subtypes.

Conclusions: Taken together, these data stress the contribution of epigenomic alterations to disease-specific etiology among adenoma subtypes and highlight potential targets for future immunotherapy-based treatments. This article reveals novel insights into the epigenomics underlying pituitary adenomas and highlights how differences in epigenomic states are related to important transcriptome alterations that define adenoma subtypes. Clin Cancer Res; 24(17); 4126–36. ©2018 AACR.
Parallel Accumulation of Tumor Hyaluronan, Collagen, and Other Drivers of Tumor Progression
Authors: Li Xiaoming , Shepard H. Michael , Cowell Jessica A. , Zhao Chunmei , Osgood Ryan J. , Rosengren Sanna , Blouw Barbara , Garrovillo Sheryl A. , Pagel Mark D. , Whatcott Clifford J. , Han Haiyong , Von Hoff Daniel D. , Taverna Darin M. , LaBarre Michael J. , Maneval Daniel C. , Thompson Curtis B.
Published: July 2018

Purpose: The tumor microenvironment (TME) evolves to support tumor progression. One marker of more aggressive malignancy is hyaluronan (HA) accumulation. Here, we characterize biological and physical changes associated with HA-accumulating (HA-high) tumors.

Experimental Design: We used immunohistochemistry, in vivo imaging of tumor pH, and microdialysis to characterize the TME of HA-high tumors, including tumor vascular structure, hypoxia, tumor perfusion by doxorubicin, pH, content of collagen. and smooth muscle actin (α-SMA). A novel method was developed to measure real-time tumor-associated soluble cytokines and growth factors. We also evaluated biopsies of murine and pancreatic cancer patients to investigate HA and collagen content, important contributors to drug resistance.

Results: In immunodeficient and immunocompetent mice, increasing tumor HA content is accompanied by increasing collagen content, vascular collapse, hypoxia, and increased metastatic potential, as reflected by increased α-SMA. In vivo treatment of HA-high tumors with PEGylated recombinant human hyaluronidase (PEGPH20) dramatically reversed these changes and depleted stores of VEGF-A165, suggesting that PEGPH20 may also diminish the angiogenic potential of the TME. Finally, we observed in xenografts and in pancreatic cancer patients a coordinated increase in HA and collagen tumor content.

Conclusions: The accumulation of HA in tumors is associated with high tIP, vascular collapse, hypoxia, and drug resistance. These findings may partially explain why more aggressive malignancy is observed in the HA-high phenotype. We have shown that degradation of HA by PEGPH20 partially reverses this phenotype and leads to depletion of tumor-associated VEGF-A165. These results encourage further clinical investigation of PEGPH20. Clin Cancer Res; 24(19); 4798–807. ©2018 AACR.