bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Strategy to Support Replications of Controlled Experiments in Software Engineering
Authors: Neto Amadeu Anderlin
Published: November 2019

Replication is essential to build knowledge in empirical science. Experiment replications reported in the software engineering context present variabilities on their experiment elements, e.g., variables, materials. Further understanding these variabilities could help planning lack of strategy to support the representation of experiment variabilities and commonalities. In addition, there is also a gap related to effective reuse and traceability of experiment elements. These problems are likely to hamper the replication understanding and planning. In order to overcome these gaps, we intend to create a conceptual model and a tool to support replication planning. To develop these solutions, we will use concepts of experimentation and software product lines. Our idea is to build a core structure which allows the configuration of experiment elements based commonalities with previous replications and desired variabilities to fit the specific replication purposes. In this paper we describe related work, our research methodology, as well as the current research progress and expected future contributions.
Methodological Issues in Observational Studies
Authors: Saarimäki Nyyti
Published: November 2019

Background: Starting from the 1960s, practitioners and researchers have looked for ways to empirically investigate new technologies such as inspecting the effectiveness of new methods, tools, or practices. With this purpose, the empirical software engineering domain started to identify different empirical methods, borrowing them from various domains such as medicine, biology, and psychology. Nowadays, a variety of empirical methods are commonly applied in software engineering, ranging from controlled and quasi-controlled experiments to case studies, from systematic literature reviews to the newly introduced multivocal literature reviews. However, to date, the only available method for proving any cause-effect relationship are controlled experiments. Objectives: The goal of the thesis is introducing new methodologies for studying causality in empirical software engineering. Methods: Other fields use observational studies for proving causality. They allow observing the effect of a risk factor and testing this without trying to change who is or is not exposed to it. As an example, with an observational study it is possible to observe the effect of pollution on the growth of a forest or the effect of different factors on development productivity without the need of waiting years for the forest to grow or exposing developers to a specific treatment. Conclusion: In this thesis, we aim at defining a methodology for applying observational studies in empirical software engineering, providing guidelines on how to conduct such studies, how to analyze the data, and how to report the studies themselves.
The State and Future of Genetic Improvement
Authors: Langdon William B. , Weimer Westley , Timperley Christopher , Krauss Oliver , Ding Zhen Yu , Lyu Yiwei , Chausseau Nicolas , Schulte Eric , Tan Shin Hwei , Leach Kevin , Huang Yu , An Gabin
Published: November 2019

We report the discussion session at the sixth international Genetic Improvement workshop, GI-2019 @ ICSE, which was held as part of the 41st ACM/IEEE International Confer- ence on Software Engineering on Tuesday 28th May 2019. Topics included GI representations, the maintainability of evolved code, automated software testing, future areas of GI research, such as co-evolution, and existing GI tools and benchmarks.
Summary of the 14th International Conference on Global Software Engineering (ICGSE)
Authors: Calefato Fabio , Tell Paolo , Dubey Alpana
Published: November 2019

The International Conference on Global Software Engineering, in its 14th iteration, continues to provide researchers and practitioners with a leading forum to share their research ndings, experiences, and new ideas on diverse topics related to global software engineering. ICGSE 2019 was held in Montreal, Canada on May 25-26, in conjunction with the 41st International Conference on Software Engineering under the theme \Succeeding in the Global Software Industry". Topics included were: distributed teams, methods and processes, business strategies, technologies supporting distributed cooperative work, education, and emerging technologies to support/improve/enhance GSE. Contributions presented at ICGSE tackled these topics providing concepts, evidence, and experiences.
Summary of the 2019 International Conference on Software and System Processes (ICSSP 2019)
Authors: Sutton Stanley M. , Armbrust Ove , Hebig Regina , Clarke Paul
Published: November 2019

The 2019 International Conference on Software and System Processes (ICSSP 2019) was held in conjunction with the 41st International Conference on Software Engineering (ICSE 2019) in Montreal, Canada, May 25-26, 2019. ICSSP is a leading international forum for research on software and systems processesthe 2019 conference extended a sequence of predecessor conferences and workshops stretching back more than a decade. Although ICSSP has often been associated with ICSE and "in cooperation" with ACM, 2019 was the rst year that ICSSP was operated under a full co-located event agreement with ICSE and was fully sponsored by ACM and IEEE. ICSSP 2019 was organized, as usual, by the International Software and Systems Process Association.
Summary of the 14th edition of the IEEE/ACM Workshop on Automation of Software Test (AST)
Authors: Choi Byoungju , Escalona María-José , Herzig Kim
Published: November 2019

Effective and efficient testing with reduced costs and a high fault detection capability is the desirable goal in industry which can be achieved only through automation of all parts of the testing process. In the past decades, a great amount of research effort has been spent on automating all various parts of the testing process such as test case derivation, test selection, test oracle construction, test execution, and others. In addition, there has been a rapid growth in automated software testing tools which is stimulated in part through the shift towards agile development practices in industry that demands a high level of automation. Work on this topic has long been published as an important part of software engineering. In recent years, testing has been consistently among the top-most popular topics in submissions to software engineering conferences. The practice of software test automation (TA) has also moved forward significantly in the past few years. However, progress in TA is still required. Software systems have become more and more complicated through the integration of components developed by different vendors and using different techniques in different programming languages running on different platforms. The advent of cloud computing, mobile computing and the Internet of Things has imposed grave new challenges to TA. Those systems become increasingly reactive to changes in their environment, requiring equally adaptive TA approaches. Few software testing tools can currently handle the needed requirements to test such systems.
Summary of the Sixth Edition of the International Workshop on Eye Movements in Programming
Authors: Siegmund Janet , Begel Andrew , Peitek Norman
Published: November 2019

The study of eye gaze data has great potential for research in computer programming, computing education, and software engineering practice. To highlight its role for the software engineering community, the Sixth Edition of the International Workshop on Eye Movements in Programming (EMIP 2019) was co-located with the 41st International Conference on Software Engineering. The goal of the workshop was to advance the methodology of using eye tracking for programming, both theoretically and in applications.
Good Practices in Aligning Software Engineering Research and Industry Practice
Authors: Marijan Dusica , Sen Sagar
Published: November 2019

There is a long-standing challenge to narrow the gap between software engineering research and industry practice, to align their interests and realize true synergies between the two communities. Some difficulties to this challenge include mismatched agendas, priorities and expectations from the research collaboration on both sides. To overcome these difficulties, an initial step is to gain a clearer understanding of collaboration challenges from both perspectives. With this goal in mind, we organized the 5th International Workshop on Software Engineering Research and Industrial Practice, collocated with the International Conference on Software Engineering 2018. The workshop featured two keynote talks, one from industry and one from academia, followed by paper presentations and a round-table discussion session. Here we summarize experiences shared by the keynotes from industry and academia, along with findings from paper presentations and overall discussions by workshop participants on the ways of aligning software engineering research and industry practice.
A Survey of DevOps Concepts and Challenges
Authors: Leite Leonardo , Rocha Carla , Kon Fabio , Milojicic Dejan , Meirelles Paulo
Published: November 2019

DevOpsis a collaborative and multidisciplinary organizational effort to automate continuous delivery of new software updates while guaranteeing their correctness and reliability. The present survey investigates and discusses DevOps challenges from the perspective of engineers, managers, and researchers. We review the literature and develop a DevOps conceptual map, correlating the DevOps automation tools with these concepts. We then discuss their practical implications for engineers, managers, and researchers. Finally, we critically explore some of the most relevant DevOps challenges reported by the literature.
A Comprehensive Review of the Fireworks Algorithm
Authors: Li Junzhi , Tan Ying
Published: November 2019

The fireworks algorithm, which is inspired from the phenomenon of fireworks explosion, is a special kind of swarm intelligence algorithm proposed in 2010. Since then, it has been attracting more and more research interest and has been widely employed in many real-world problems due to its unique search manner and high efficiency. In this article, we present a comprehensive review of its advances and applications. We begin with an introduction to the original fireworks algorithm. Then we review its algorithmic research work for single objective and multi-objective optimization problems. After that, we present the theoretical analyses of the fireworks algorithm. Finally, we give a brief overview of its applications and implementations. Hopefully, this article could provide a useful road map for researchers and practitioners who are interested in this algorithm and inspire new ideas for its further development.
Continuous and Passive Blood Pressure Monitoring Throughout the Day and Night
Authors: Holz Christian
Published: November 2019

Monitoring blood pressure serves as a significant indicator for assessing a person's health. In particular, blood volume and arterial blood pressure as the conjunction of arterial resistance and cardiac output represent a critical signal in the evaluation of a person's cardiovascular system. While in-clinic blood pressure monitoring remains the cornerstone of hypertension management, at-home monitoring can give a more complete picture of heart health and can potentially detect masked hypertension, which is only evident outside the clinic [6].
Extended Research on Grey Target Decisions for a Variable Target Centre Based on Decision Maker Preferences
Authors: Song Hongna , Zhai Xinxian , Ma Jinshan
Published: November 2019

The impact of target centre indices determined by the desires and selection preferences of decision makers (DMs) on target centre distances (TCDs) has been discussed extensively. One way of facilitating this is by using a multiple‐attribute grey target decision method (GTDM), where normalisation plays an important role. So far, however, TCDs have only undergone linear normalisation. Therefore, we investigated the available normalisation methods with regard to the impact of a variable target centre on TCDs and objective weights. Our work shows that existing normalisation methods can be divided into two kinds: those that affect the index TCDs and determine the objective weights and those that do not, with target centre indices instead determined by the preferences of DMs. Finally, numerical examples are provided and applications are discussed.
Review on Cross Talk between Neurotransmitters and Neuroinflammation in Striatum and Cerebellum in the Mediation of Motor Behaviour
Authors: Abg Abd Wahab Dayang Yasmin , Gau Chuang Huei , Zakaria Rahimah , Muthu Karuppan Mohan Kumar , A-rahbi Badriya S. , Abdullah Zuraidah , Alrafiah Aziza , Abdullah Jafri Malin , Muthuraju Sangu
Published: November 2019

Neurological diseases particularly Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), stroke, and epilepsy are on the rise all around the world causing morbidity and mortality globally with a common symptom of gradual loss or impairment of motor behaviour. Striatum, which is a component of the basal ganglia, is involved in facilitating voluntary movement while the cerebellum is involved in the maintenance of balance and coordination of voluntary movements. Dopamine, serotonin, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and glutamate, to name a few, interact in regulating the excitation and inhibition of motor neurons. In another hand, interestingly, the motor loss associated with neurological diseases is possibly resulted from neuroinflammation induced by the neuroimmune system. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are present in the central nervous system (CNS), specifically and primarily expressed in microglia and are also found on neurons and astrocytes, functioning mainly in the regulation of proinflammatory cytokine production. TLRs are always found to be associated or involved in the induction of neuroinflammation in neurodegenerative diseases. Activation of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) through TLR4 agonist, lipopolysaccharide (LPS), stimulation initiate a signaling cascade whereby the TLR4-LPS interaction has been found to result in physiological and behavioural changes including retardation of motor activity in the mouse model. TLR4 inhibitor TAK-242 was reflected in the reduction of the spinal cord pathology along with the motor improvement in ALS mouse. There is cross talk with neuroinflammation and neurochemicals. For example, TLR4 activation by LPS is noted to release proinflammatory cytokines, IL-1β, from microglia that subsequently suppresses GABA receptor activities at the postsynaptic site and reduces GABA synthesis at the presynaptic site. Glial glutamate transporter activities are also found to be suppressed, showing the association between TLR4 activation and the related neurotransmitters and corresponding receptors and transporters in the event of neuroinflammation. This review is helpful to understand the connection between neurotransmitter and neuroinflammation in striatum- and cerebellum-mediated motor behaviour.
Local Tilt Optimization of Photovoltaic Solar Panels for Maximum Radiation Absorption
Authors: Masili Mauro , Ventura Liliane
Published: November 2019

Incident solar radiation on photovoltaic (PV) solar panels is not constant throughout the year. Besides dependence on the season, solar radiation is reliant on the location and weather conditions. For a given location on Earth, the best-fixed orientation of a PV panel can be determined by achieving the maximum incident solar irradiance throughout the year or for a predetermined period. In this paper, we use a sophisticated atmospheric radiative transfer model to calculate the direct and diffuse solar irradiation (radiant exposure) for the solar spectrum incident on PV solar panels to determine the best tilt angle of the panel in order to maximize absorption of solar radiation for selected periods. We used the Regula-Falsi numerical method to obtain the tilt angle at which the derivative of solar irradiation (concerning the tilt angle) approaches zero. Moreover, the spectral response of typical silicon cells is taken into account. These calculations were carried out in São Carlos (SP), a town in the southeast of Brazil. The best tilt angle was obtained for three selected periods. Additionally, we provide results for Southern latitudes ranging from 0° to −55° in steps of −5° for the meteorological seasons. We have shown that for each period, there is an increase in solar radiation absorption compared to the traditional installation angle based exclusively on the local latitude. These calculations can be extended to any location.
Hemorrhagic Shock Sensitized the Diaphragm to Ventilator-Induced Dysfunction through the Activation of IL-6/JAK/STAT Signaling-Mediated Autophagy in Rats
Authors: Zhang Li-Juan , Ni Shao-Zhou , Zhou Xian-Long , Zhao Yan
Published: November 2019

Mechanical ventilation (MV) is a major life support technique for the management of trauma-associated hemorrhagic shock (HS). Ventilator-induced diaphragm dysfunction (VIDD), one of the most common complications of MV, has been well demonstrated in animal and human studies. However, few data are available concerning the effects of MV on diaphragm function in HS victims. In the present study, we found diaphragm muscle atrophy and weakness in HS but not in healthy animals after 4 hours of MV. The inhibition of autophagy resulted in reduced muscle fiber atrophy and improved forces. In addition, we observed diaphragmatic interleukin- (IL-) 6 overexpression and activation of its downstream signaling JAK/STAT in HS animals after MV, and either the neutralization of IL-6 or the inhibition of the JAK/STAT pathway attenuated autophagy, diaphragm atrophy, and weakness. Importantly, treatment with nonselective antioxidant exerted no protective effects against VIDD in HS animals. In addition, in vitro study showed that exogenous IL-6 was able to induce activation of JAK/STAT signaling and to increase autophagy in C2C12 cells. Moreover, the inhibition of JAK/STAT signaling abolished IL-6-induced cell autophagy. Together, our results suggested that HS sensitized the diaphragm to ventilator-induced atrophy and weakness through the activation of IL-6/JAK/STAT signaling-mediated autophagy in rats.
Zerumbone Exhibits Antiphotoaging and Dermatoprotective Properties in Ultraviolet A-Irradiated Human Skin Fibroblast Cells via the Activation of Nrf2/ARE Defensive Pathway
Authors: Hseu You-Cheng , Chang Chih-Ting , Gowrisankar Yugandhar Vudhya , Chen Xuan-Zao , Lin Hui-Chang , Yen Hung-Rong , Yang Hsin-Ling
Published: November 2019

Ultraviolet A (UVA) irradiation (320-400 nm range) triggers deleterious consequences in skin cell microenvironment leading to skin damage, photoaging (premature skin aging), and cancer. The accumulation of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) plays a key role in this effect. With rapid progress in cosmetic health and quality of life, use of safe and highly effective phytochemicals has become a need of the hour. Zerumbone (ZER), a natural sesquiterpene, from Zingiber zerumbet rhizomes is well-known for its beneficial effects. We investigated the antiphotoaging and dermatoprotective efficacies of ZER (2-8 μM) against UVA irradiation (3 J/cm2) and elucidated the underlying molecular mechanisms in human skin fibroblast (HSF) cells. ZER treatment prior to low dose of UVA exposure increased cell viability. UVA-induced ROS generation was remarkably suppressed by ZER with parallel inhibition of MMP-1 activation and collagen III degradation. This was due to the inhibition of AP-1 (c-Fos and c-Jun) translocation. Furthermore, ZER alleviated UVA-induced SA-β-galactosidase activity. Dose- or time-dependent increase of antioxidant genes, HO-1 and γ-GCLC by ZER, was associated with increased expression and nuclear accumulation of Nrf2 as well as decreased cytosolic Keap-1 expressions. Altered luciferase activity of ARE could explain the significance of Nrf2/ARE pathway underlying the dermatoprotective properties of ZER. Pharmacological inhibition of various signaling pathways suppressed nuclear Nrf2 activation in HSF cells confirming that Nrf2 translocation was mediated by ERK, JNK, PI3K/AKT, PKC, AMPK, casein kinase II, and ROS signaling pathways. Moreover, increased basal ROS levels and Nrf2 translocation seem crucial in ZER-mediated Nrf2/ARE signaling pathway. This was also evidenced from Nrf2 knocked-out studies in which ZER was not able to suppress the UVA-induced ROS generation in the absence of Nrf2. This study concluded that in the treatment of UVA-induced premature skin aging, ZER may consider as a desirable food supplement for skin protection and/or preparation of skin care products.
Fixed Point Theorems for Contractive Selfmappings of a Bounded Metric Space
Authors: Touail Youssef , El Moutawakil Driss , Bennani Samia
Published: November 2019

The main purpose of this paper is to prove a new fixed theorem for selfmapping of a metric space (X,d). As applications, we get a new fixed point result for shrinking or contractive maps and a fixed point theorem for a new class of weakly contractive selfmappings of a bounded metric space (X,d), where the auxiliary function ϕ satisfies ϕ(0)=0 and inft>0ϕ(t)>0.
Fuzzy Fractional Evolution Equations and Fuzzy Solution Operators
Authors: Harir Atimad , Melliani Said , Chadli Lalla Saadia
Published: November 2019

In this paper, the fuzzy fractional evolution equations of order q (FFEE) with fuzzy Caputo fractional derivative are introduced. We study the existence and uniqueness of mild solutions for FFEE under some conditions. Also, we generalize the definition of the fuzzy fractional integral and derivative order q. The fuzzy Laplace transform is presented and proved. The solvability of the problem (FFEE) and the properties of the fuzzy solution operator and its generator are investigated and developed.
Internet of Things for Healthcare Using Effects of Mobile Computing: A Systematic Literature Review
Authors: Nazir Shah , Ali Yasir , Ullah Naeem , García-Magariño Iván
Published: November 2019

The impact of Internet of Things has been revolutionized in all fields of life, but its impact on the healthcare system has been significant due to its cutting edge transition. The role of Internet of Things becomes more dominant when it is supported by the features of mobile computing. The mobile computing extends the functionality of IoT in healthcare environment by bringing a massive support in the form of mobile health (m-health). In this research, a systematic literature review protocol is proposed to study how mobile computing assists IoT applications in healthcare, contributes to the current and future research work of IoT in the healthcare system, brings privacy and security in health IoT devices, and affects the IoT in the healthcare system. Furthermore, the intentions of the paper are to study the impacts of mobile computing on IoT in healthcare environment or smart hospitals in light of our systematic literature review protocol. The proposed study reports the papers that were included based on filtering process by title, abstract, and contents, and a total of 116 primary studies were included to support the proposed research. These papers were then analysed for research questions defined for the proposed study.
A Binary Logistic Regression Model for Severe Convective Weather with Numerical Model Data
Authors: Pang Guqian , He Jian , Huang Yuming , Zhang Liuhong
Published: November 2019

Based on meteorological observations and products of a GRAPES and an ECMWF model from March to April 2014, some indexes and parameters with good relevancy were selected as predictors. Through analyzing the spatial distributions and the binary logistic regressions of the indexes, estimated values of the predictors and severe convective weather diagnostic prediction equations were established to get a severe weather predictor P for forecasting severe convective weather for the next 12 hours in Guangdong province. The equations were tested and analyzed, respectively, with the two models as well as the radiosonde data. The results indicated that the severe weather forecasts’ CSI by the predictor P was obviously higher than by any single index. The TT error between the models and the soundings was small, while the K index of the models was more discrete than the soundings. The index MDPIs were 1 greater than the soundings, but their trends of change were consistent with the soundings.
Numerical Simulation and Experimental Analysis of Microstructure of Magnetorheological Fluid
Authors: Ji Dongsheng , Luo Yiping , Ren Hongjuan , Wei Dan , Shao Jun
Published: November 2019

Magnetorheological fluid is a new type of smart material that is sensitive to magnetic fields and has controllable performance. It is widely regarded for its unique magnetorheological effect and good rheological properties. For materials, the microstructure determines its macroscopic properties. In order to better study its macroscopic properties, it is necessary to have a more comprehensive understanding and deep understanding of its microstructure. In this paper, the magnetization process of magnetorheological fluid is analyzed from a microscopic point of view. Based on Newton’s second law, the dynamic model of particle motion is established. The magnetic force, repulsive force, and viscous resistance of magnetic particles are analyzed. The finite difference numerical calculation method is used. The velocity-Verlet algorithm simulates the static microstructure chaining process of the magnetorheological fluid and the dynamic chaining process under shear force under different influencing factors. At the same time, a static observation device and a shear observation device were developed to observe the microstructure chaining morphology of magnetorheological fluid under different influencing factors, and to study the dynamic chaining law of magnetorheological fluid under the action of a shear force. Therefore, a reasonable contrast index is established, and the numerical simulation results are compared with the experimental observation results.
Iguratimod Inhibits the Aggressiveness of Rheumatoid Fibroblast-Like Synoviocytes
Authors: Lin Jin , Yu Ye , Wang Xuanwei , Ke Yini , Sun Chuanyin , Yue Lihuan , Xu Guanhua , Xu Bei , Xu Liqin , Cao Heng , Xu Danyi , Olsen Nancy , Chen Weiqian
Published: November 2019

Objective. Iguratimod, a novel disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, has been approved in China and Japan. Here, we aimed to find whether iguratimod can inhibit the aggressive behavior and promote apoptosis of rheumatoid fibroblast-like synoviocytes (RA-FLSs). Methods. The proliferation of RA-FLSs was assessed by 5-ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine test and Cell Counting Kit-8. Migration and invasion were determined by the wound test and a transwell assay. Apoptosis was tested by flow cytometry. The mRNA expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and proinflammatory cytokines in RA-FLSs were measured by quantitative PCR and ELISA. To gain insight into the molecular signaling mechanisms, we determined the effect of iguratimod on the activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) signaling pathways by the cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA) and western blot. Results. Iguratimod treatment significantly reduced the proliferation, migration, and invasive capacities of RA-FLSs in a dose-dependent manner in vitro. MMP-1, MMP-3, MMP-9, Interleukin-6 (IL-6), and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 mRNA and protein levels were all decreased after treatment with iguratimod. Furthermore, tumor necrosis factor-alpha- (TNF-α-) induced expression of phosphorylated c-Jun N-terminal kinases (JNK) and P38 MAPK were inhibited by iguratimod. Additionally, iguratimod promoted the apoptosis of RA-FLSs. Most importantly, iguratimod was shown to directly interact with JNK and P38 protein by CETSA assay. Moreover, activating transcription factor 2 (ATF-2), a substrate of both JNK and P38, was suppressed by iguratimod. Conclusions. Our findings suggested that the therapeutic effects of iguratimod on RA might be, in part, due to targeting the aggressive behavior and apoptosis of RA-FLSs.
The Configuration Space of Regular Spherical Even Polygons
Authors: Kamiyama Yasuhiko
Published: November 2019

Let a be a real number satisfying 0<a<π. We denote by Mna the configuration space of regular spherical n-gons with side lengths a. In our previous paper, we determined χMna for odd n. In this paper, we determine it for even n. The main difference from our previous paper is given as follows. When n is odd, we prove that Mna is obtained from Sn−3 by successive Morse surgeries. On the other hand, when n is even, we show that Mna is obtained from Pn by successive Morse surgeries. Here, Pn denotes the configuration space of equilateral n-gons in ℝ2, which has singular points when n is even.
Influence of Tropical Climate Parameters on Properties of Acid Sulfate Soils for Sustainable Oil Palm Cultivation
Authors: Sasirat Pattamit , Kheoruenromne Irb , Suddhiprakarn Anchalee , Anusontpornperm Somchai
Published: November 2019

To promote effective oil palm plantation and environmental sustainability, this research assessed influence of climatic parameters on physicochemical properties of Thai acid sulfate soils (ASSs). ASSs under oil palm planting areas (Topsoil: Ap, Subsoil-1: Ap-60 cm, Subsoil-2: 60–100 cm, and Rootzone: sum of the three depth levels) and historical climate data in tropical savanna and tropical monsoon were investigated. Stepwise approach of multiple regression analysis from component defining variable of principal component analysis revealed that, in tropical savanna, daily solar radiation influenced clay content (p<0.05) in Topsoil, cation exchange capacity (p<0.05) in Subsoil-1, soil pH by water (p<0.01) in Subsoil-2, and silt content (p<0.001) in Rootzone. In tropical monsoon, daily solar radiation influenced exchangeable magnesium (p<0.01) in Subsoil-2, and exchangeable sodium (p<0.01) and silt content (p<0.01) in Rootzone. We concluded that daily solar radiation is the most influential climatic parameter on soil properties due to the transport of heat in soils, whereas particle size distribution is mostly influenced by climatic parameters due to their clay and silt fractions. OPP in ASSs under these climates should include management of water usage by using raised beds with irrigation canals, considering the rooting depth and depth of acidic horizon before applying fertilizer or amendment and liming along with integrated organic material management to raise soil pH.
State Estimation and Event‐Triggered Control for Cyber‐Physical Systems under Malicious Attack
Authors: Guo Yongzhen , Han Baijing , Wang Weiping , Yuan Manman
Published: November 2019

This paper is concerned with the security state estimation and event‐triggered control of cyber‐physical systems (CPSs) under malicious attack. Aiming at this problem, a finite‐time observer is designed to estimate the state of the system successfully. Then, according to the state information, the event‐triggered controller is designed through the event‐triggered communication. It is proved that the system is uniformly and finally bounded. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed method is verified by a simulation example.
A Phase II, Prospective, Randomized, Multicenter, Open-Label Study of GX-188E, an HPV DNA Vaccine, in Patients with Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia 3
Authors: Choi Youn Jin , Hur Soo Young , Kim Tae-Jin , Hong Sung Ran , Lee Jae Kwan , Cho Chi-Heum , Park Ki Seok , Woo Jung Won , Sung Young Chul , Suh You Suk , Park Jong Sup
Published: November 2019

Purpose:

To determine the efficacy of the therapeutic DNA vaccine GX-188E for inducing regression of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) 3.

Patients and Methods:

We conducted a prospective, randomized, multicenter, open-label, phase II clinical trial of GX-188E in CIN3 patients positive for human papillomavirus (HPV) type 16/18. The primary endpoint was to determine the histopathologic regression to ≤CIN1 at visit seven (V7; 20 weeks after the first GX-188E injection), and an extension study was pursued until visit 8 (V8; 36 weeks after the first GX-188E injection). HPV-sequencing analysis and an ex vivo IFNγ ELISpot assay were performed using the collected cervical biopsy and blood samples from patients.

Results:

In total, 72 patients were enrolled and underwent randomization. Of them, 64 patients were included in per-protocol analysis (V7) and 52 in extension analysis (V8). Our data showed 52% (33/64) of patients at V7 and 67% (35/52) of patients at V8 presented histopathologic regression after receiving the GX-188E injection. We found that 73% (V7) and 77% (V8) of the patients with histologic regression showed HPV clearance. HPV clearance and histopathologic regression were significantly associated at V7 and at V8. Compared with the measurements at V1 (baseline), the patients at V8 with HPV clearance showed significantly higher fold changes in their IFNγ ELISpot responses compared with those without HPV clearance. The HPV sequence analysis revealed that the HPV type 16 E6/E7 variants D25E, V83L, and N29S were inversely associated with histopathologic regression at V8.

Conclusions:

GX-188E is an effective therapeutic vaccine against a cohort containing only CIN3 patients.
Visual Outcomes of Plasma Exchange Treatment of Steroid-Refractory Optic Neuritis: A Retrospective Monocentric Analysis
Authors: Skorupka Nic , Miclea Andrei , Jalowiec Katarzyna Aleksandra , Bocksrucker Christoph , Kamber Nicole , Chan Andrew , Mansouri Taleghani Behrouz , Hoepner Robert , Salmen Anke
Published: November 2019

Introduction: In acute inflammatory optic neuritis (ON) as a typical onset of multiple sclerosis (MS), only few studies have investigated plasma exchange (PLEX) as a sequential treatment after insufficient response to high-dose intravenous glucocorticosteroids. Therefore, we aimed to investigate treatment outcome on visual acuity (VA) with PLEX in patients with steroid-refractory ON. Methods: In our retrospective monocentric study, medical records were screened for patients with acute ON as their first relapse with sequential MS diagnosis or with an established MS diagnosis from the Bern University Hospital (Switzerland) that were treated with PLEX between 2016 and 2018 due to lacking steroid response. VA prior to steroid administration, and before and after PLEX were assessed and compared using the Friedman multiple comparison test. Results: In total, 18 patients were included in the analysis. Interval from symptom onset to PLEX was 20.3 days (mean, 95% CI 14.8–25.9). Relevant functional improvement (VA of ≥0.5, after a mean of 15.9 (13.3–18.5) days after start of PLEX) was detected in 16/18 (88.9%) with a significant amelioration as compared to VA before glucocorticosteroids and before PLEX (p < 0.0001). VA improvement at a later time point (38.1 weeks, 25.2–51.0) was present in 15/16 (93.8%) patients. No serious adverse events were detected. PLEX could be performed via peripheral access in 13/18 patients (72.2%). Conclusion: Our study demonstrates significant improvements of VA with PLEX in a cohort of MS patients with steroid-refractory ON. High response rates may be due to the timely treatment initiation. Despite the small sample size, our data support the early use of PLEX in steroid-refractory ON with a favorable safety profile.
Macrophages in Atherosclerosis Regression
Authors: Barrett Tessa J.
Published: November 2019

Macrophages play a central role in the development of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), which encompasses coronary artery disease, peripheral artery disease, cerebrovascular disease, and aortic atherosclerosis. In each vascular bed, macrophages contribute to the maintenance of the local inflammatory response, propagate plaque development, and promote thrombosis. These central roles, coupled with their plasticity, makes macrophages attractive therapeutic targets in stemming the development of and stabilizing existing atherosclerosis. In the context of ASCVD, classically activated M1 macrophages initiate and sustain inflammation, and alternatively activated M2 macrophages resolve inflammation. However, this classification is now considered an oversimplification, and a greater understanding of plaque macrophage physiology in ASCVD is required to aid in the development of therapeutics to promote ASCVD regression. Reviewed herein are the macrophage phenotypes and molecular regulators characteristic of ASCVD regression, and the current murine models of ASCVD regression.
2019 American Heart Association Focused Update on Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support: Use of Advanced Airways, Vasopressors, and Extracorporeal Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation During Cardiac Arrest: An Update to the American Heart Association Guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care
Authors: Panchal Ashish R. , Berg Katherine M. , Hirsch Karen G. , Kudenchuk Peter J. , Del Rios Marina , Cabañas José G. , Link Mark S. , Kurz Michael C. , Chan Paul S. , Morley Peter T. , Hazinski Mary Fran , Donnino Michael W.
Published: November 2019

The fundamentals of cardiac resuscitation include the immediate provision of high-quality cardiopulmonary resuscitation combined with rapid defibrillation (as appropriate). These mainstays of therapy set the groundwork for other possible interventions such as medications, advanced airways, extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and post–cardiac arrest care, including targeted temperature management, cardiorespiratory support, and percutaneous coronary intervention. Since 2015, an increased number of studies have been published evaluating some of these interventions, requiring a reassessment of their use and impact on survival from cardiac arrest. This 2019 focused update to the American Heart Association advanced cardiovascular life support guidelines summarizes the most recent published evidence for and recommendations on the use of advanced airways, vasopressors, and extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation during cardiac arrest. It includes revised recommendations for all 3 areas, including the choice of advanced airway devices and strategies during cardiac arrest (eg, bag-mask ventilation, supraglottic airway, or endotracheal intubation), the training and retraining required, the administration of standard-dose epinephrine, and the decisions involved in the application of extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation and its potential impact on cardiac arrest survival.
Theory of Mind, Religiosity, and Autistic Spectrum Disorder: a Review of Empirical Evidence Bearing on Three Hypotheses
Authors: McCauley Robert N. , Graham George , Reid A. C.
Published: November 2019

The cognitive science of religions’ By-Product Theory contends that much religious thought and behavior can be explained in terms of the cultural activation of maturationally natural cognitive systems. Those systems address fundamental problems of human survival, encompassing such capacities as hazard precautions, agency detection, language processing, and theory of mind. Across cultures they typically arise effortlessly and unconsciously during early childhood. They are not taught and appear independent of general intelligence. Theory of mind (mentalizing) undergirds an instantaneous and automatic intuitive understanding of minds, mental representations, and their implications for agents’ actions. By-Product theorists hypothesize about a social cognition content bias, holding that mentalizing capacities inform participants’ implicit understanding of religious representations of agents with counter-intuitive properties. That hypothesis, in combination with Baron-Cohen’s account of Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in terms of diminished theory of mind capacities (what he calls “mind-blindness”), suggests an impaired religious understanding hypothesis. It proposes that people with ASD have substantial limitations in intuitive understanding of and creative inferences from such representations. Norenzayan argues for a mind-blind atheism hypothesis, which asserts that the truth of these first two hypotheses suggests that people with ASD have an increased probability, compared to the general population, of being atheists. Numerous empirical studies have explored these three hypotheses’ merits. After carefully pondering distinctions between intuitive versus reflective mentalizing and between explicit versus implicit measures and affective versus cognitive measures of mentalizing, the available empirical evidence provides substantial support for the first two hypotheses and non-trivial support for the third.
A Climatology of the Extratropical Flow Response to Recurving Atlantic Tropical Cyclones
Authors: Brannan Allison Lynn , Chagnon Jeffrey M.
Published: November 2019

Previous case studies have noted a significant extratropical flow response to recurving Atlantic tropical cyclones (TCs), which is often linked to extreme weather events downstream. This study examines the modification of Rossby waves on the extratropical jet in response to recurving Atlantic TCs from a climatological perspective. Changes in amplitude and location of Rossby waves are identified using a wavelet decomposition technique on isentropic potential vorticity. The climatology demonstrates that recurving Atlantic TC events are capable of modifying the amplitude of the extratropical flow. Though the majority of TCs did not produce a significant, systematic modification of the extratropical flow amplitude, a subset of events were associated with a period of significant Rossby wave deamplification occurring from the time of recurvature to 48 h after recurvature, followed by a return of the Rossby wave power beginning around 96 h after recurvature. The characteristics of the TCs were not significantly associated with the resulting extratropical flow modification—a result consistent with previous western North Pacific climatologies. The nature of the extratropical flow response is most strongly tied to the average translation speed of the TC relative to the Rossby wave over the 72 h following recurvature. This study highlights the importance of investigating the extratropical flow response to recurving Atlantic TCs with regards to predictability.
How Are Personal Values Linked to Help-Seeking Stigma?
Authors: Lannin Daniel G. , Ludwikowski Wyndolyn M. A. , Heath Patrick J. , Vogel David L. , Wolf Lukas J. , Wicker Isaac M.
Published: November 2019

The extent to which individuals prioritize different personal values may be conceptually linked to the perceptions of societal stigma associated with seeking psychological help (public stigma), as well as the extent to which they apply that stigma to themselves (self-stigma). We examined how personal values predicted public stigma and self-stigma of seeking psychological help. Undergraduates ( N = 342) from two universities, one historically Black college/university and one predominantly White institution, completed questionnaires assessing personal values and public stigma and self-stigma of seeking psychological help. Self-transcendence values predicted lower self-stigma directly and indirectly via public stigma. Though there were no structural differences between the modeled relationships of values, public stigma, and self-stigma between Black/African American and White/European American undergraduates, the groups differed in their prioritization of self-transcendence, openness to change, and conservation values. Results suggest that understanding how individuals prioritize certain values over others may help explain group-differences in help-seeking stigmas.
Theological Views of Clive Staples Lewis in the Late Period of the Writer’s Work
Authors: Efimova Lyudmila , Shekhireva Natalia , Nesterova Lyubov , Lopatinskaya Viktoria , Abramtseva Elena
Published: November 2019

The relevance of the study is due to the fact that it attempts to analyze the artistic features, genre identity and the issues addressed in one of the most significant and monumental works of Clive Staples Lewis The Chronicles of Narnia written in the late period of the writer’s work (1950–1956). In this regard, the purpose of this article is to consider the fantasy world of C. S. Lewis and the traditions of the English literary fairy tale, the genre of fantasy as a semantics-forming genre, as well as the moral issues through the prism of the Gospel values, which are fundamental in understanding the characters of the heroes. The leading approaches to the study of this problem are the comparative method, the method of philological and philosophical analysis, the dialectical and deduction method, which allow to analyze in detail The Chronicles of Narnia as a work of art in all its genre, ideological and philosophical diversity. The article presents a detailed analysis of Clive Staples Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia. It is revealed that this work represents a special synthesis of a number of genre structures, such as a parable, a fairy tale, and the genre of fantasy. It is substantiated in the paper that fantasy acts as the main genre structure, since it ‘generalizes’ the parable and the fairy tale, the reality and the fantasy world. The article shows that it is fantasy, as a synthesis of various genre elements, that ensures the unity of the ‘world’s dual nature’: the writer’s world, the country where he and his characters live, and the fictional country. The spiritual evolution of Lewis’ characters is accomplished through overcoming temptations, fear, indifference, and betrayal. The humaneness of Lewis’ moral position is manifested in the fact that he believes that God and his life-giving power is present in the life of every person, and the Joy of man is to meet with God. The materials of the article are of practical value for philologists, philosophers and theologists, and can also be used in lecture courses of “History of Foreign Literature of the XX Century” as well as “History of English Literature of the XX Century”, in lecture courses in cultural studies, history of philosophy of science, history of philosophy of religion, and in the teaching of theology.
Company towns and the governmentality of desired identities
Authors: Moonesirust Elham , Brown Andrew D
Published: November 2019

How do people living in a company town come to desire to work for the firm that controls it? Based on an in-depth case study of Volkswagen in Wolfsburg, Germany, we make two principal contributions. First, drawing on Foucault’s concept of governmentality we investigate the mechanisms of power within which desired identities are shaped. Desired identities, we argue, are one means by which organizations exercise control over local populations. Second, we examine the multiple interlocking discourses by which Volkswagen sought to regulate the life of Wolfsburgers and to form their desired identities. In doing so, we contribute to identity research by demonstrating how biopower and discipline work in combination in neoliberal societies to make the governmentality of employee identity possible. Our research underlines the importance of studying company towns for understanding the relations of power that shape the lives and the identities of employees.
Inter-State River Water Disputes in India: A Study of Water Disputes Between Punjab and Haryana
Authors: Ranjan Amit
Published: November 2019

In its 10 November 2016 advisory opinion, the Supreme Court (SC) of India nullified the Punjab Termination of Agreement Act, 2004. This inter-State water sharing termination act of the Punjab government had challenged the constitutional authority of the Union government over the states. The SC looked at that dimension of the Punjab Termination of Agreement Act, 2004, and maintained the constitutional supremacy of the Union government over the states. This article discusses the federal water relationships in India, and then examines the river water disputes between the Indian states of Punjab and Haryana. The author argues that the growing inter-State water disputes in India have also challenged the federal constitutional arrangement which holds the primacy of the Union government over the State governments in matters relating to regulation and development of inter-State waters and river valleys.