bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of idiopathic olfactory loss with chemosensory event‐related potentials and magnetic resonance imaging
Authors: Liu Jia , Pinto Jayant M. , Yang Ling , Yao Linyin , Miao Xutao , Wei Yongxiang
Published: May 2018

Background

Idiopathic olfactory loss (IOL) accounts for a sizable fraction of olfactory dysfunction, but very little is known about its etiology and electrophysiological changes in the olfactory pathway.

Methods

We analyzed the physiology of IOL using chemosensory event‐related potentials (ERPs) (olfactory and trigeminal: oERP and tERP) and olfactory pathway magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measured in adult patients with IOL and healthy controls. Subjective olfactory function was measured by Toyota and Takagi (T&T) olfactometry and Sniffin’ Sticks (SS).

Results

Olfactory function was worse in patients with IOL compared to controls (T&T, p < 0.001; SS, p < 0.001). oERPs could be evoked in 17 IOL patients. Signals in these patients showed lower amplitude in the N1 and P2 waves than controls (p < 0.05 for both), but there were no difference in latency between the 2 groups (p > 0.05). tERP were detected in all patients and controls; there were no differences in latency and nor amplitude between the 2 groups (p > 0.05). The olfactory bulb (OB) volume was significantly smaller in the IOL group than controls (p < 0.001), but there was no difference in the olfactory sulcus depth between groups (p > 0.05). Better olfactory function was associated with increasing magnitude of N1 amplitude in oERPs (p < 0.05) and increasing OB volume (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

IOL patients show neurophysiologic deficits and some anatomic differences compared to healthy controls.
Comparison of outcomes following culture‐directed vs non–culture‐directed antibiotics in treatment of acute exacerbations of chronic rhinosinusitis
Authors: Yan Carol H. , Tangbumrungtham Navarat , Maul Ximena A. , Ma Yifei , Nayak Jayakar V. , Hwang Peter H. , Patel Zara M.
Published: May 2018

Background

Acute exacerbations in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) are often treated with courses of systemic antibiotics. Poor correlation between microbiologic culture results and the sinus microbiome in CRS has caused increased debate as to the relevance of culture‐directed antibiotics. There is currently sparse data comparing outcomes of culture‐directed antibiotics vs non‐culture‐directed antibiotics for treatment of CRS.

Methods

This work reports a retrospective review. A total of 946 CRS patients treated with antibiotics were examined; 122 CRS patients with acute exacerbations were treated with culture‐directed (n = 61) vs empiric (n = 61) antibiotics. Lund‐Kennedy (LK) and 22‐item Sino‐Nasal Outcome Test (SNOT‐22) scores were compared pretreatment and posttreatment, with short‐term (<1 month) and long‐term (1‐6 months) follow‐up. Patient demographics, comorbidities, and prior surgical history were collected.

Results

Both groups had similar pretreatment SNOT‐22 scores (p = 0.25) while the culture group had higher baseline LK endoscopy scores (p < 0.01). All data were adjusted for pertinent comorbidities, surgical history, co‐therapeutics, and baseline scores. There was no difference in improvement in culture‐directed and empirically treated groups in the short‐term (p = 0.77) and long‐term (p = 0.58) for minimal clinically important difference (MCID) of SNOT‐22 and no difference in the short‐term for LK scores (p = 0.11), but there was significantly more improvement in long‐term LK scores in the culture‐directed group (p = 0.01).

Conclusion

Culture‐directed therapy improves long‐term endoscopy scores but does not yield an advantage in improving short‐term endoscopy scores, nor in improving short‐term and long‐term quality of life scores in CRS patients. A prospective study is necessary to examine the relevance of routine microbiologic cultures in CRS patients.
Sublingual immunotherapy for pediatric allergic conjunctivitis: a meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials
Authors: Yang Jie , Zhang Li , Zhao Zhixiang , Liao Shiyu
Published: May 2018

Background

Allergic conjunctivitis (AC) is a common chronic condition, especially in children. Ocular symptoms are often overlooked during treatment of allergic rhinoconjunctivitis (ARC). Pediatric ARC can be effectively treated using sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT), which is a guideline‐recommended safe treatment approach. However, the therapeutic efficacy of SLIT in terms of ameliorating eye symptoms has not been effectively evaluated.

Methods

We performed a meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating the use of SLIT for infants, children, and adolescents (aged from 3 to 18 years) with AC or ARC. We searched the Cochrane Library database, EMBASE, and Medline from November 1990 to 2017 to find papers dealing with the effects of SLIT on pediatric AC or ARC. We used standardized mean differences (SMDs) to assess therapeutic effects, employing a random effects model. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses were also conducted. The I2 metric was used to evaluate heterogeneity.

Results

In total, 13 clinical RCTs were included in our meta‐analysis. SLIT reduced ocular symptoms to a level below that of controls (SMD = −0.21; 95% confidence interval [CI], −0.41 to −0.01; p = 0.04; I2 = 55%). Notably, on subgroup analysis, SLIT clearly reduced pollen‐induced pediatric AC (SMD = −0.36; 95% CI, −0.53 to −0.19; p < 0.0001; I2 = 25%) but not mite‐induced AC (SMD = 0.20; 95% CI, −0.20 to 0.60; p = 0.34; I2 = 46%).

Conclusion

SLIT relieved ocular symptoms in children with ARC or AC. To confirm these results, future meta‐analyses should evaluate high‐quality, large‐scale population‐based trials.
Structural Properties of Additive Nano/Microcellular Automata
Authors: Anitas Eugen Mircea , Slyamov Azat
Published: May 2018

A detailed structural analysis of 2D patterns generated by one‐dimensional M‐state additive cellular automata (ACA), where M is a prime (p) to a non‐negative power (t), is performed by using the transition matrix (TM), the barycentric fixed‐mass (BFM) method, and the small‐angle scattering (SAS) technique. The BFM method shows that, for M‐state ACA, the subsets of particular states are multifractals. The fractal dimensions of ACA of a given transition rule are shown to be equal at constant p and arbitrary t, and there is a prime p at which the fractal dimensions of different ACA are equal. The SAS technique is shown to be able to differentiate between patterns of such ACA. In addition, SAS can also provide complementary information about the overall size, number of elements, and number of rows generated by ACA. In the case of monofractals, SAS can recover also the scaling factor, which is shown to be, for the ‐state ACA, the inverse of p. The above findings on the 2‐ and 3‐state Rule 90 and Rule 150 are illustrated as idealized models with possible applications toward assembly of nanoparticles into programmable patterns or in modeling biological systems such as fibroblast aggregation, the growth of bacterial colonies, neuronal maps, and virus spreading.
The Influence of Chemical Modification on Linker Rotational Dynamics in Metal–Organic Frameworks
Authors: Damron Joshua T. , Ma Jialiu , Kurz Ricardo , Saalwächter Kay , Matzger Adam J. , Ramamoorthy Ayyalusamy
Published: May 2018

The robust synthetic flexibility of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) offers a promising class of tailorable materials, for which the ability to tune specific physicochemical properties is highly desired. This is achievable only through a thorough description of the consequences for chemical manipulations both in structure and dynamics. Magic angle spinning solid‐state NMR spectroscopy offers many modalities in this pursuit, particularly for dynamic studies. Herein, we employ a separated‐local‐field NMR approach to show how specific intraframework chemical modifications to MOF UiO‐66 heavily modulate the dynamic evolution of the organic ring moiety over several orders of magnitude.
Synthesis and thermal properties of poly(acrylonitrile‐co‐allyl glycidyl ether)‐graft‐methoxypoly(ethylene glycol) copolymers as novel solid–solid phase‐change materials for thermal energy storage
Authors: Huang Xuelin , Guo Jing , Yang Yunming , Li Shenglin , Chen Shuang , Liu Yuanfa , Zhang Sen
Published: May 2018

We synthesized a series of poly(acrylonitrile‐co‐allyl glycidyl ether)‐graft‐methoxypoly(ethylene glycol) (PAA‐g‐MPEG) copolymers as novel polymeric solid–solid phase‐change materials by grafting methoxypoly(ethylene glycol) (MPEG) to the main chain of poly(acrylonitrile‐co‐allyl glycidyl ether) (PAA). PAA was the skeleton, and MPEG was a functional side chain, which stored and released heat during its phase‐transition process. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and1H‐NMR spectroscopy analysis were performed to investigate the chemical structures. The crystalline morphology and crystal structures were also measured with polarized optical microscopy and X‐ray diffraction. Moreover, the thermal‐energy‐storage properties, thermal stability, and thermal reliability of the PAA‐g‐MPEG copolymers were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) methods. These analysis results indicate that the MPEG chains were successfully grafted onto PAA, and we found that the PAA‐g‐MPEG copolymers had typical solid–solid phase‐transition temperatures in the range 11–54 °C and high latent heat enthalpies between 44 and 85 J/g. In addition, the as‐prepared PAA‐g‐MPEG copolymers showed reusability and thermal reliability, as shown by the thermal cycle testing and TGA curves. Therefore, the synthesized PAA‐g‐MPEG copolymers have considerable potential for thermal energy storage. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci.2018,135, 46641.
Treatment Algorithms for Systemic Sclerosis According to Experts
Authors: Fernández‐Codina Andreu , Walker Kyle M. , Pope Janet E. ,   the Scleroderma Algorithm Group
Published: May 2018

Objective

There is a lack of agreement regarding treatment for many aspects of systemic sclerosis (SSc). We undertook this study to generate SSc treatment algorithms endorsed by a high percentage of SSc experts.

Methods

Experts from the Scleroderma Clinical Trials Consortium and the Canadian Scleroderma Research group (n = 170) were asked whether they agreed with SSc algorithms from 2012. Two consensus rounds refined agreement; 62, 54, and 48 experts (36%, 32%, and 28%, respectively) completed the first, second, and third surveys, respectively.

Results

For treatment of scleroderma renal crisis, 81% of experts agreed (first‐, second‐, and third‐line treatments were angiotensin‐converting enzyme inhibitors, then adding calcium‐channel blockers [CCBs], then adding angiotensin receptor blockers [ARBs], respectively). For pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), 81% of experts agreed (for mild PAH, treatments were phosphodiesterase 5 [PDE5] inhibitors, then endothelin receptor antagonists plus PDE5 inhibitors, then prostanoids, respectively; for severe PAH, prostanoids were first‐line treatment). For mild Raynaud's phenomenon (RP), 79% of experts agreed (treatments were CCBs, then adding PDE5 inhibitors, then ARBs or switching to another CCB, respectively; after the third line of treatment, mild RP was deemed severe). For severe RP, the first‐ through fourth‐line treatments were CCBs, then adding PDE5 inhibitors or prostanoids, then adding PDE5 inhibitors (if not added as second‐line treatment) or prostanoids (if not added as second‐line treatment), then switching to another CCB, respectively. For active treatment of digital ulcers, 66% of experts agreed (first‐ and second‐line treatments were CCBs and PDE5 inhibitors, respectively). For interstitial lung disease, 69% of experts agreed (for induction therapy, treatments were mycophenolate mofetil [MMF], intravenous cyclophosphamide [IV CYC], and rituximab, respectively; for maintenance, first‐line treatment was MMF). For skin involvement, 71% of experts agreed (for a modified Rodnan skin thickness score [MRSS] of 24, first‐ and second‐line treatments were methotrexate [MTX] and MMF, respectively; for an MRSS of 32, first‐ through fourth‐line treatments were MMF, MTX, IV CYC, and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, respectively). For inflammatory arthritis, 79% of experts agreed (first‐ through fourth‐line treatments were MTX, low‐dose glucocorticoids, hydroxychloroquine, and rituximab or tocilizumab, respectively). Algorithms for cardiac and gastrointestinal involvement had ≥75% agreement.

Conclusion

Total agreement for SSc algorithms was considerable. These algorithms may guide treatment.
Predictive models and analysis for webpage depth‐level dwell time
Authors: Wang Chong , Zhao Shuai , Kalra Achir , Borcea Cristian , Chen Yi
Published: May 2018

A half of online display ads are not rendered viewable because the users do not scroll deep enough or spend sufficient time at the page depth where the ads are placed. In order to increase the marketing efficiency and ad effectiveness, there is a strong demand for viewability prediction from both advertisers and publishers. This paper aims to predict the dwell time for a given
triplet based on historic data collected by publishers. This problem is difficult because of user behavior variability and data sparsity. To solve it, we propose predictive models based on Factorization Machines and Field‐aware Factorization Machines in order to overcome the data sparsity issue and provide flexibility to add auxiliary information such as the visible area of a user's browser. In addition, we leverage the prior dwell time behavior of the user within the current page view, that is, time series information, to further improve the proposed models. Experimental results using data from a large web publisher demonstrate that the proposed models outperform comparison models. Also, the results show that adding time series information further improves the performance.
Categorical relevance judgment
Authors: Zhitomirsky‐Geffet Maayan , Bar‐Ilan Judit , Levene Mark
Published: May 2018

In this study we aim to explore users' behavior when assessing search results relevance based on the hypothesis of categorical thinking. To investigate how users categories search engine results, we perform several experiments where users are asked to group a list of 20 search results into several categories, while attaching a relevance judgment to each formed category. Moreover, to determine how users change their minds over time, each experiment was repeated three times under the same conditions, with a gap of one month between rounds. The results show that on average users form 4–5 categories. Within each round the size of a category decreases with the relevance of a category. To measure the agreement between the search engine's ranking and the users’ relevance judgments, we defined two novel similarity measures, the average concordance and the MinMax swap ratio. Similarity is shown to be the highest for the third round as the users' opinion stabilizes. Qualitative analysis uncovered some interesting points that users tended to categories results by type and reliability of their source, and particularly, found commercial sites less trustworthy, and attached high relevance to Wikipedia when their prior domain knowledge was limited.
Facile Separation, Spectroscopic Identification, and Electrochemical Properties of Higher Trifluoromethylated Derivatives of [70]Fullerene
Authors: Kosaya Maria P. , Rybalchenko Alexey V. , Lukonina Natalia S. , Mazaleva Olga N. , Ioffe Ilya N. , Markov Vitaliy Yu. , Troyanov Sergey I. , Sidorov Lev N. , Tamm Nadezhda B. , Goryunkov Alexey A.
Published: May 2018

We survey the structure and electronic properties of the family of higher trifluoromethylated C70(CF3)n molecules with n=14, 16, 18, and 20. Twenty‐two available compounds, of which thirteen are newly obtained and characterized, demonstrate the broad diversity of π‐system topologies, which enabled us to study the interplay between the CF3 addition pattern and the electronic properties. UV/Vis spectroscopic and cyclic voltammetric studies demonstrate the importance of the exact addition pattern rather than the plain number of addends. Of particular interest is the skew pentagonal pyramid (SPP) addition pattern, which enables formation of closed‐shell cyclopentadienyl anions C70(CF3)n−1− through CF3 detachment upon electron transfer. A detailed study of the process is presented for a SPP‐C70(CF3)16 where potentiostatic electrolysis at the second reduction potential gives C70(CF3)15− oxidizable to a persistent C70(CF3)15· radical. Together with the literature data for the lower C70(CF3)n compounds with n=2–12, the present results show good correlation between the experimental boundary level positions and the DFT predictions. The compounds turn out to be electron acceptor molecular semiconductors with experimental LUMO energies and HOMO–LUMO gaps within the ranges of −4.3 to −3.7 eV and 1.6 to 3.3 eV, respectively, depending on the shape of the conjugated fragments. The HOMO levels fall within the range of −5.6 to −6.9 eV and show linear correlation with the number of addends.
Algebraic Conditions for Stability Analysis of Linear Time‐Invariant Distributed Order Dynamic Systems: A Lagrange Inversion Theorem Approach
Authors: Taghavian Hamed , Tavazoei Mohammad Saleh
Published: May 2018

BIBO stability of linear time‐invariant (LTI) distributed order dynamic systems with non‐negative weight functions is investigated in this paper by using Lagrange inversion theorem. New sufficient conditions of stability/instability are presented for these systems accordingly. These algebraically simple conditions are relatively tight and their conservatism is adjustable.
The Use of the Ritz Method and Laplace Transform for Solving 2D Fractional‐Order Optimal Control Problems Described by the Roesser Model
Authors: Nemati Ali , Mamehrashi Kamal
Published: May 2018

In this article a numerical solution is presented for a class of two‐dimensional fractional‐order optimal control problems (2D‐FOOCPs) with one input and two outputs. To implement the numerical method, the Legendre polynomial basis is used with the aid of the Ritz method and the Laplace transform. By taking the Ritz method as a basic scheme into account and applying a new constructed fractional operational matrix to estimate the fractional and integer order derivatives of the basis, the given 2D‐FOOCP is reduced to a system of algebraic equations. One of the advantages of the proposed method is that it provides greater flexibility in which the given initial and boundary conditions of the problem are imposed. Moreover, satisfactory results are obtained in just a small number of polynomials order. The convergence of the method is extensively investigated and finally two illustrative examples are included to show the validity and applicability of the novel proposed technique in the current work.
Autonomous Adaptive Control System for Airplane Landing
Authors: Lungu Mihai , Lungu Romulus
Published: May 2018

The paper presents a new autonomous adaptive system for the control of airplanes during landing in longitudinal plane. For the first stage of landing in longitudinal plane, the main variables to be controlled are the glide slope angle and longitudinal velocity; during the second main stage of landing in longitudinal plane, the vertical velocity error and the airplane's longitudinal velocity are controlled. The new robust control architecture has linear subsystems, for which the relative degrees are calculated; the new architecture will also consists of a dynamic compensator, a linear observer, and two reference models, their design being accomplished with respect to the calculated relative degrees. The signal estimated by the observer is useful for training a neural network – an adaptive subsystem of the architecture that provides the adaptive component of the control law. In the case of actuators having nonlinear dynamics, pseudo control hedging blocks are used to cancel the adapting difficulties of the neural networks. The new adaptive architecture is software implemented and validated by complex numerical simulations.
De Novo Design of Recombinant Spider Silk Proteins for Material Applications
Authors: Zheng Ke , Ling Shengjie
Published: May 2018

Spider silks are well known for their superior mechanical properties that are stronger and tougher than steel despite being assembled at close to ambient conditions and using water as the solvent. However, it is a significant challenge to utilize spider silks for practical applications due to their limited sources. Fortunately, genetic engineering techniques offer a promising approach to produce useable amounts of spider silk variants. Starting from these recombinant spider silk proteins, a series of experiments and simulations strategies are developed to improve the recombinant spider silk proteins (RSSP) material design and fabrication with the aim of biomimicking the structure‐property‐function relationships of spider silks. Accordingly, in this review, the authors first introduce the structure‐property‐function relationship of spider silks. Then, the recent progress in the genetic synthesis of RSSPs is discussed and their related multiscale self‐assembly behaviors is summarized. Finally, the authors outline works utilizing multiscale modeling to assist RSSP material design.
The Long Non‐Coding RNA Transcriptome Landscape in CHO Cells Under Batch and Fed‐Batch Conditions
Authors: Vito Davide , Smales Christopher Mark
Published: May 2018

The role of non‐coding RNAs in determining growth, productivity, and recombinant product quality attributes in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells has received much attention in recent years, exemplified by studies into microRNAs in particular. However, other classes of non‐coding RNAs have received less attention. One such class are the non‐coding RNAs known collectively as long non‐coding RNAs (lncRNAs). The authors have undertaken the first landscape analysis of the lncRNA transcriptome in CHO using a mouse based microarray that also provided for the surveillance of the coding transcriptome. The authors report on those lncRNAs present in a model host CHO cell line under batch and fed‐batch conditions on two different days and relate the expression of different lncRNAs to each other. The authors demonstrate that the mouse microarray is suitable for the detection and analysis of thousands of CHO lncRNAs and validated a number of these by qRT‐PCR. The authors then further analyzed the data to identify those lncRNAs whose expression changed the most between growth and stationary phases of culture or between batch and fed‐batch culture to identify potential lncRNA targets for further functional studies with regard to their role in controlling growth of CHO cells. The authors discuss the implications for the publication of this rich dataset and how this may be used by the community.
Simultaneous quantitation of rosuvastatin and ezetimibe in human plasma by LC–MS/MS: Pharmacokinetic study of fixed‐dose formulation and separate tablets
Authors: Bhadoriya Abhaysingh , Sanyal Mallika , Shah Priyanka A. , Shrivastav Pranav S.
Published: May 2018

A simple, high‐throughput and highly sensitive liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) method has been developed for the simultaneous estimation of rosuvastatin and free ezetimibe. Liquid–liquid extraction was carried out using methyl‐tert butyl ether after prior acidification from 300 μL human plasma. The recovery for both the analytes and their deuterated internal standards (ISs) ranged from 95.7 to 99.8%. Rosuvastatin and ezetimibe were separated on Symmetry C18 column using acetonitrile and ammonium formate buffer, pH 3.5 (30:70, v/v) as the mobile phase. The analytes were well resolved with a resolution factor of 3.8. Detection and quantitation were performed under multiple reaction monitoring using ESI(+) for rosuvastatin (m/z 482.0 → 258.1) and ESI(−) for ezetimibe (m/z 407.9 → 271.1). A linear response function was established in the concentration ranges of 0.05–50.0 ng/mL and 0.01–10.0 ng/mL for rosuvastatin and ezetimibe, respectively, with correlation coefficient, r2 ≥ 0.9991. The IS‐normalized matrix factors for the analytes ranged from 0.963 to 1.023. The developed method was successfully used to compare the pharmacokinetics of a fixed‐dose combination tablet of rosuvastatin‐ezetimibe and co‐administered rosuvastatin and ezetimibe as separate tablets to 24 healthy subjects. The reliability of the assay was also assessed by reanalysis of 115 subject samples.
Generation and Identification of Mutations Resulting in Chronic and Age‐Related Phenotypes in Mice
Authors: Blease Andrew , Nicol Thomas , Falcone Sara , Starbuck Becky , Greenaway Simon , Hutchinson Marie , Potter Paul K.
Published: May 2018

Aging is inevitable, and our society must deal with the consequences: namely, an increased incidence of disease and ill health. Many mouse models of disease are acute or early onset or are induced in young mice, despite the fact that aging is a significant risk factor for a range of significant diseases. To improve modeling of such diseases, we should incorporate aging into our models. Many systems are affected by aging, with a decline in mitochondrial function, an increase in senescence, a loss of resilience, telomere shortening, and a decline in immune function being key factors in the increased susceptibility to disease that is associated with aging. To develop novel models of age‐related disease, we undertook a phenotype‐driven screen of a pipeline of mutagenized mice. Here, we describe some of the underlying protocols and outline important aspects to consider when studying aged mice. © 2018 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Computational Analysis of Neonatal Mouse Ultrasonic Vocalization
Authors: Ó Broin Pilib , Beckert Michael V. , Takahashi Tomohisa , Izumi Takeshi , Ye Kenny , Kang Gina , Pouso Patricia , Topolski Mackenzie , Pena Jose L. , Hiroi Noboru
Published: May 2018

Neonatal vocalization is structurally altered in mouse models of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Our published data showed that pup vocalization, under conditions of maternal separation, contains sequences whose alterations in a genetic mouse model of ASD impair social communication between pups and mothers. We describe details of a method which reveals the statistical structure of call sequences that are functionally critical for optimal maternal care. Entropy analysis determines the degree of non‐random call sequencing. A Markov model determines the actual call sequences used by pups. Sparse partial least squares discriminant analysis (sPLS‐DA) identifies call sequences that differentiate groups and reveals the degrees of individual variability in call sequences between groups. These three sets of analyses can be used to identify the otherwise hidden call structure that is altered in mouse models of developmental neuropsychiatric disorders, including not only autism but also schizophrenia. © 2018 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
An all‐hardware implementation of the subpixel refinement stage in SIFT algorithm
Authors: Rubio‐Ibáñez Pablo , Ruiz‐Merino Ramón , Doménech‐Asensi Ginés , Martínez‐Álvarez José Javier , Zapata‐Pérez Juan , Díaz‐Madrid José Ángel , López‐Alcantud José Alejandro
Published: May 2018

This paper proposes an all‐hardware architecture to perform the subpixel refinement operation in the scale invariant transform algorithm. Although the literature describes several hardware implementations of this algorithm, due to its complexity, most of them are based on simplifications of it. These implementations normally exclude the subpixel refinement stage, which, however, is an essential process to obtain accurate results in image matching applications.The architecture has been described in very high–speed integrated circuit hardware description language at register transfer level and synthesized on a Xilinx Zynq 7020 device. The latency of the proposed architecture to generate a refinement operation is 211 clock cycles, and the throughput achieved exploiting pipeline techniques is 64 cycles. The architecture uses fixed‐point data representation and has been tested with images from known databases, yielding very good performance compared with the floating‐point software implementation of the algorithm.
Adaptive interference suppression for DSSS communications based on compressive sensing
Authors: Zhang Yongshun , Jia Xin
Published: May 2018

The existing interference suppression algorithms for direct sequence spread spectrum (DSSS) communications are confined to the high sampling rate. The compressive sensing is addressed to solve the problem in this paper. Firstly, the mathematical model of interference suppression in compressed domain is introduced; the DSSS signal and interference sparse dictionary is built. Secondly, according to the difficulty in obtaining the prior information of the interference signal sparse degree, the adaptive interference suppression algorithm is proposed by setting the reasonable control threshold. A comprehensive analysis and comparison of the algorithm are presented and discussed. The numerical experiments are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm. The results show that the algorithm could suppress the interference effectively; the interference suppression performance does not change with the interference intensity and interference quantity. This will provide an effective method for the reconstruction of the compressed DSSS signal under the scenario of interference. The results obtained here may also be applicable in alternative spread spectrum technologies, like code division multiple access system.
Nature inspired meta‐heuristic algorithms for solving the service composition problem in the cloud environments
Authors: Asghari Saied , Navimipour Nima Jafari
Published: May 2018

Many sorts of services in the cloud environments must be composited based on the user's requests to meet the requirements. Thus, the distributed services are joined to the cloud services through service composition. Also, it is known as NP‐hard problems and many researchers significantly are focused on this problem in recent years. Therefore, many different nature‐inspired meta‐heuristic techniques are proposed for solving this problem. The nature‐inspired meta‐heuristic techniques have an important role in solving the service composition problem in the cloud environments, but there is not a wide‐ranging and detailed paper about reviewing and studying the important mechanisms in this field. Therefore, this study presents a comprehensive analysis of the nature‐inspired meta‐heuristic techniques for the service composition issue in the cloud computing. The review also contains a classification of the important techniques. These classifications include Ant Colony Optimization, Bee Colony Optimization, Genetic Algorithm, Particle Swarm Optimization, Cuckoo Optimization Algorithm, Bat Algorithm, greedy algorithm, and hybrid algorithm. An important aim of this paper is to highlight the emphasis on the optimization algorithms, and the benefits to tackle the challenges are encountered in the cloud service composition. Also, this paper presents the advantages and disadvantages of the nature‐inspired meta‐heuristic algorithms for solving the service composition problem in the cloud environments. Moreover, this paper aims to provide more efficient service composition algorithms in the future. Finally, the obtained results have shown that the discussed algorithms have an important effect in solving the cloud service composition problem, and this effect has been increased in recent years.
A simple function for full‐subsets multiple regression in ecology with R
Authors: Fisher Rebecca , Wilson Shaun K. , Sin Tsai M. , Lee Ai C. , Langlois Tim J.
Published: May 2018

Full‐subsets information theoretic approaches are becoming an increasingly popular tool for exploring predictive power and variable importance where a wide range of candidate predictors are being considered. Here, we describe a simple function in the statistical programming language R that can be used to construct, fit, and compare a complete model set of possible ecological or environmental predictors, given a response variable of interest and a starting generalized additive (mixed) model fit. Main advantages include not requiring a complete model to be fit as the starting point for candidate model set construction (meaning that a greater number of predictors can potentially be explored than might be available through functions such as dredge); model sets that include interactions between factors and continuous nonlinear predictors; and automatic removal of models with correlated predictors (based on a user defined criterion for exclusion). The function takes continuous predictors, which are fitted using smoothers via either gam, gamm (mgcv) or gamm4, as well as factor variables which are included on their own or as two‐level interaction terms within the gam smooth (via use of the “by” argument), or with themselves. The function allows any model to be constructed and used as a null model, and takes a range of arguments that allow control over the model set being constructed, including specifying cyclic and linear continuous predictors, specification of the smoothing algorithm used, and the maximum complexity allowed for smooth terms. The use of the function is demonstrated via case studies that highlight how appropriate model sets can be easily constructed and the broader utility of the approach for exploratory ecology.
Plasticity of female reproductive resource allocation depends on the presence or absence of prior environmental sex determination in Ceratopteris richardii
Authors: Goodnoe Taylor T. , Hill Jeffrey P.
Published: May 2018

Resource allocation plasticity enables individuals to alter patterns of nutrient use between reproductive and vegetative output to better fit their current environment. In sexually labile plant species, abiotic environmental factors can influence expression of dimorphic gender, resulting in environmental sex determination (ESD), which potentially reduces the need for plasticity of resource allocation by preemptively matching an individual’s future nutrient demands to resource availability in its location. Ceratopteris richardii gametophytes exhibit gender‐dependent differences in relative carbon and nitrogen content, and ESD in certain nutrient environments. This study examined whether prior ESD in C. richardii gametophyte populations reduced subsequent plasticity of reproductive allocation compared to instances where no ESD occurred, by quantifying phenotypic responses to reduced P, N, or CO2 availabilities. All three nutrient‐limited environments resulted in decreased size of egg‐bearing (meristic) gametophytes compared to nonlimited environments, but gametophytes failed to respond to N and CO2 limitation at the time of sex determination, resulting in no ESD. N limitation resulted in a predictable allometric re‐allocation of resources based on small gametophyte size, whereas CO2 limitation caused a change in reproductive output consistent with true plasticity. Withholding exogenous P caused ESD and had no effect on relative reproductive output of resultant meristic gametophytes because the size decrease was minor. Under P limitation, ESD matched the resource demands of gender phenotypes to their environment before the onset of developmental dimorphism, reducing the need for large allocation adjustments after sex determination.
Open H‐Bridge Topology‐Based Edge‐Resonant Zero Current Soft‐Switching PWM‐Controlled Bidirectional DC‐DC Converter
Authors: Mishima Tomokazu
Published: May 2018

A novel zero current soft‐switching (ZCS) pulse width modulation (PWM)‐controlled bidirectional DC‐DC converter (BDC) with noninverting polarity for the multi‐mode voltage regulations is proposed in this paper. The multimode voltage regulations, that is, buck, boost and buck‐boost can be attained in the bidirectional power flows, thus energy utilization of DC voltage sources such as a battery can be improved significantly in renewable and sustainable electric power supplies. In addition, all the power devices can commutate by ZCS with the aid of single‐auxiliary switch‐based edge‐resonant cells, thereby the switching power losses can be minimized. The effectiveness of the proposed BDC and its steady‐state characteristics including the voltage conversion ratio and actual efficiency are verified experimentally with a 500 W‐50 kHz prototype.
Effect of vegetation and its succession on water repellency in sandy soils
Authors: Lichner Lubomir , Felde Vincent J.M.N.L. , Büdel Burkhard , Leue Martin , Gerke Horst H. , Ellerbrock Ruth H. , Kollár Jozef , Rodný Marek , Šurda Peter , Fodor Nándor , Sándor Renáta
Published: May 2018

Vegetation and its succession can change the parameters of soil water repellency (SWR) due to the change in amount and composition of soil organic matter. This hypothesis was tested in natural and agricultural environments in Germany, Hungary, and Slovakia. The parameters investigated were the extent (determined by the repellency indices RI, RIc, and RIm) and persistence (determined by the water drop penetration time and water repellency cessation time) of SWR, as well as the potential wettability index of organic matter in sandy soils. The SWR parameters and soil organic carbon (SOC) content increased in the course of primary succession at Mehlinger Heide, Germany, and Sekule, Slovakia. Dye tracer experiments undertaken at Sekule revealed contrasting flow patterns: (a) preferential flow in water‐repellent soil under biological soil crust and grass and (b) piston flow in wettable soil that consists almost of pure quartz sand. The effective flow cross section decreased, and the degree of preferential flow increased in the course of primary succession at Sekule. No consistent trend of the SWR parameters and SOC was observed in the course of secondary succession at Csólyospálos, Hungary. This is the first time that differences between trends in SWR parameters due to primary and secondary successions were observed and related to the composition of SOC and extracellular polymeric substances. It can be concluded that dynamics of soil organic matter composition during the succession controls SWR.
A Nonclassical Polyoxoanion [P3W6(O2)6(OH)2O22]7– Constructed by Two {PW3(O2)3(OH)O9} Subunits and a {PO4} Group
Authors: Zhao Dongyan , Liang Zhijie , Wang Haiying , Wang Ke , Zhang Dongdi , Ma Pengtao , Wang Jingping , Niu Jingyang
Published: May 2018

The nonclassical heteropolyoxotungstate [P3W6(O2)6(OH)2O22]7– has been successfully synthesized and characterized well by various techniques such as FT‐IR, UV/Vis, TGA, as well as elemental analysis. The single‐crystal X‐ray analysis reveals that the two {PW3(O2)3(OH)O9} subunits are linked together through a {PO4} group, forming a nonclassical type of phosphotungstate polyanionic framework. Furthermore, the solution behaviour of the title compound has been investigated by UV/Vis spectroscopy, electrospray ionization mass spectrometry and 31P nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.
Fatty Acid Composition and Sterol Contents of Some Origanum Seed Oils
Authors: Matthäus Bertrand , Özcan Mehmet Musa , Doğu Süleyman
Published: May 2018

The aim of this present study is to determine oil content, fatty acid composition, and sterol profile of several Origanum species from Turkey to show the usefulness of this unusual raw material for oil processing. The oil content of Origanum seeds are found between 7.8% (O. brevides) and 27.2% (O. majorana). Linoleic [10.7% (O. brevidens) to 20.8% (O. vulgare subsp. viride)] and α‐linolenic acid [34.4% (O. brevidens) and 67.4% (O. minutiflorum)] are the predominant fatty acids of Origanum seed oils. The seed oils of Origanum samples only contain low levels of saturated fatty acids with palmitic and stearic acid as the main saturated fatty acids. Among all oil samples, the highest phytosterol content is found for ß‐sitosterol ranging between 2462 mg kg−1 (O. vulgare subsp hirtum) and 5280 mg kg−1 (O. minutiflorum). Most of the Origanum species are very similar to O. vulgare regarding fatty acid and phytosterol composition, only O. brevidens shows a fatty acid composition with oleic and linoleic acid as predominant.

Practical application: Today the search for new raw materials for oil processing is an ongoing task to solve the world‐wide increasing demand for edible oil. From several investigations it is known that seed oil from Origanum vulgare is a good source of edible oil and essential fatty acids. The present work also gives some new information about the oil content as well as the composition of fatty acids and phytosterols of other members of the genus Origanum to evaluate their usefulness for the production of edible oil.

In this study, oil content, fatty acid composition and sterol profile of several Origanum species collected from several provinces (Antalya, Bilecik, Bolu, Burdur, Hatay, Isparta, Karaman, Mersin and Osmaniye) of Turkey are determined. Most of the Origanum species are very similar to O. vulgare regarding fatty acid and phytosterol composition. Only O. brevidens shows a fatty acid composition with oleic and linoleic acid as predominant.
Cardanol‐Based and Formaldehyde‐Free Flexible Phenolic Networks
Authors: Briou Benoit , Caillol Sylvain , Robin Jean‐Jacques , Lapinte Vincent
Published: May 2018

Commercial novolac‐type phenolic thermosets are mainly synthesized from highly toxic precursors such as phenol and formaldehyde. Herein, the phenolic chemistry is renewed with bio‐based and non‐toxic precursors such as cardanol and nonanal to elaborate flexible phenolic thermosets. The two‐step novolac strategy involves the synthesis of a cardanol nonanal pre‐polymer (PCN) prior to its cross‐linking in presence of a supplementary amount of nonanal hardener. The curing process is optimized by rheology measurement and thermogravimetry analysis. The alkyl chains of this phenolic network induces soft mechanical properties acting as internal plasticizers. The softening of the resulting networks do not induce a loss of thermal stability. Showing a good compromise between softness and high thermal resistance, cardanol‐nonanal networks (RCN) seem to be relevant examples of an innovative and biobased approach for phenolic chemistry to design bio‐sourced materials without any petro‐based or hazardous molecules.

Practical Applications: Various practical applications where smooth and soft coatings are employed can be considered.

Novolac chemistry for bio‐based and notoxic resources: cardanol and nonanal. Softness and high thermal resistance phenolic resins are elaborated. These materials are based on internal plasticized cross‐linked materials.
Seizure in cerebral venous and sinus thrombosis
Authors: Mehvari Habibabadi Jafar , Saadatnia Mohammad , Tabrizi Nasim
Published: May 2018

Many conflicting issues exist about seizure in the setting of cerebral venous and sinus thrombosis (CVST). In this article we aimed to address the existing data regarding incidence, characteristics, predictors, treatment, and prognosis of acute and late seizures in patients with CVST and to prepare more practical information for clinicians. PubMed, Embase, Web of science and Cochrane databases were searched within 1966–2016 using relevant keywords. A total of 63 papers met the inclusion criteria. Seizures are classified as acute symptomatic seizures (ASS; first 14 days) and post‐CVST epilepsy (PCE; after 14 days). The incidence had been reported in a wide range of 6.9–76% for ASS and 4–16% for PCE. Focal and generalized seizures were observed with different predominance. ASS commonly occurred in patients with loss of consciousness, focal neurological deficits, supratentorial lesions and thrombosis in superior sagittal sinus, straight sinus, and cortical veins. PCE had been predisposed by occurrence of ASS, motor deficit, and supratentorial lesions, particularly hemorrhage. Most experts believe that primary prophylaxis with antiepileptic drugs in the acute phase is not indicated. However, the initiation of prophylaxis after the first seizure in patients with supratentorial lesions or focal neurological deficit should be recommended. The quality of current evidence is low and most conclusions are based on expert opinions. More accurate reports of seizure semiology, detailed antiepileptic treatment plans, and outcomes are necessary to answer the existing questions.
Acetylation of Amaranthus viridis starch: Modeling and process parameters optimization
Authors: Fasuan Temitope Omolayo , Akanbi Charles Taiwo , Betiku Eriola
Published: May 2018

The optimum reaction conditions for the derivation of acetylated (esterified) starch using response surface methodology (RSM) and artificial neural network (ANN) were studied. All the independent variables (starch solids, acetic anhydride concentration, and reaction time) were of significant (p < .05) importance in achieving esterified starch of Amaranthus viridis. Optimum conditions of 152.46 g of starch, 11 ml of acetic anhydride and time of 2.92 min with corresponding acetyl content and degree of substitution (DS) of 1.74% and 0.06, respectively, were established for ANN. The RSM gave optimum conditions of 149.57 g (starch), 10.38 ml (acetic anhydride) and 3 min (time) with corresponding acetyl content and DS of 1.61% and 0.06, respectively. The order of priority of the process variables was established as acetic anhydride (42.59%), starch solids (33.90%), and reaction time (23.51%). The results provided useful information on development of economic and efficient acetylation process for modification of A. viridis starch.
Fit Reduced GUTS Models Online: From Theory to Practice
Authors: Baudrot Virgile , Veber Philippe , Gence Guillaume , Charles Sandrine
Published: May 2018

Mechanistic modeling approaches, such as the toxicokinetic-toxicodynamic (TKTD) framework, are promoted by international institutions such as the European Food Safety Authority and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development to assess the environmental risk of chemical products generated by human activities. TKTD models can encompass a large set of mechanisms describing the kinetics of compounds inside organisms (e.g., uptake and elimination) and their effect at the level of individuals (e.g., damage accrual, recovery, and death mechanism). Compared to classical dose–response models, TKTD approaches have many advantages, including accounting for temporal aspects of exposure and toxicity, considering data points all along the experiment and not only at the end, and making predictions for untested situations as realistic exposure scenarios. Among TKTD models, the general unified threshold model of survival (GUTS) is within the most recent and innovative framework but is still underused in practice, especially by risk assessors, because specialist programming and statistical skills are necessary to run it. Making GUTS models easier to use through a new module freely available from the web platform MOSAIC (standing for MOdeling and StAtistical tools for ecotoxIClogy) should promote GUTS operability in support of the daily work of environmental risk assessors. This paper presents the main features of MOSAIC_GUTS: uploading of the experimental data, GUTS fitting analysis, and LCx estimates with their uncertainty. These features will be exemplified from literature data. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2018;14:625–630. © 2018 SETAC

Key Points

GUTS models (both reduced versions, SD and IT) can be fitted to survival data collected under either constant or time-variable exposure profiles, through a user-friendly web interface available for free at http://pbil.univ-lyon1.fr/software/mosaic/guts. Any x% lethal concentration at the end of the experiment is provided, which can account for the uncertainty in the GUTS parameter estimates and can be used to better address risks of time-variable exposures. Without wasting time on extensive mathematical and statistical technicalities, users are given the most advanced and innovative methods for a valuable quantitative environmental risk assessment based on TKTD models for survival (GUTS). Considering the recommendations from authorities, there is no doubt that GUTS models will be more widely used to assess the safety of chemicals; the GUTS module of the web platform MOSAIC will support risk assessors in their daily work.