bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Predicting the Effects of Random Ocean Dynamic Processes on Underwater Acoustic Sensing and Communication
Authors: Cho Byunggu , Makris Nicholas C.
Published: March 2020

Acoustics is the primary means of sensing and communication in the ocean for humans and many marine animals. Natural fluctuations in the ocean, however, degrade these abilities in ways that have been previously difficult to forecast. Here, we address this issue by predicting sensing and communication degradation in terms of acoustic attenuation, dispersion and temporal decorrelation at typical operational ranges and frequencies in continental-shelf environments. This is done with analytic expressions derived from first physical principles. The analytic expressions provide the statistics of the acoustic field after forward propagating through an ocean waveguide containing 3-D random inhomogeneities from the independent or combined effects of rough sea-surfaces, near-sea-surface air bubbles and internal waves. The formulation also includes Doppler effects caused by the inhomogeneities’ random horizontal motion, enabling modeling and prediction over a wide range of environments and frequencies. Theoretical predictions are confirmed with available acoustic measurements in several continental-shelf environments using standard oceanographic measurements for environmental support. We quantify how the acoustic signals decorrelate over timescales determined by the underlying temporal coherence of ocean dynamic processes. Surface gravity waves and near-sea-surface air bubbles decorrelate acoustic signals over seconds or less, whereas internal waves affect acoustic coherence at timescales of several to tens of minutes. Doppler spread caused by the inhomogeneities’ motion further reduces acoustic temporal coherence, and becomes important at the high frequencies necessary for communication and fine-scale sensing. We also show that surface gravity waves and bubbles in high sea states can cause increasingly significant attenuation as frequency increases. The typical durations of marine mammal vocalizations that carry over great distances are found to be consistent with the coherence timescales quantified here and so avoid random distortion of signal information even by incoherent reception.
Daily GRACE satellite data evaluate short-term hydro-meteorological fluxes from global atmospheric reanalyses
Authors: Eicker Annette , Jensen Laura , Wöhnke Viviana , Dobslaw Henryk , Kvas Andreas , Mayer-Gürr Torsten , Dill Robert
Published: March 2020

Changes in terrestrial water storage as observed by the satellite gravity mission GRACE (Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment) represent a new and completely independent way to constrain the net flux imbalance in atmospheric reanalyses. In this study daily GRACE gravity field changes are used for the first time to investigate high-frequency hydro-meteorological fluxes over the continents. Band-pass filtered water fluxes are derived from GRACE water storage time series by first applying a numerical differentiation filter and subsequent high-pass filtering to isolate fluxes at periods between 5 and 30 days corresponding to typical time-scales of weather system persistence at moderate latitudes. By comparison with the latest atmospheric reanalysis ERA5 of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECWMF) we show that daily GRACE gravity field models contain realistic high-frequency water flux information. Furthermore, GRACE-derived water fluxes can clearly identify improvements realized within ERA5 over its direct predecessor ERA-Interim particularly in equatorial and temperate climate zones. The documented improvements are in good agreement with rain gauge validation, but GRACE also identifies three distinct regions (Sahel Zone, Okavango Catchment, Kimberley Plateau) with a slight degradation of net-fluxes in ERA5 with respect to ERA-Interim, thereby highlighting the potentially added value of non-standard daily GRACE gravity series for hydro-meteorological monitoring purposes.
Sertraline induces DNA damage and cellular toxicity in Drosophila that can be ameliorated by antioxidants
Authors: Jajoo Arpita , Donlon Catherine , Shnayder Sarah , Levin Michael , McVey Mitch
Published: March 2020

Sertraline hydrochloride is a commonly prescribed antidepressant medication that acts by amplifying serotonin signaling. Numerous studies have suggested that children of women  taking sertraline during pregnancy have an increased risk of developmental defects. Resolving the degree of risk for human fetuses requires comprehensive knowledge of the pathways affected by this drug. We utilized a Drosophila melanogaster model system to assess the effects of sertraline throughout development. Ingestion of sertraline by females did not affect their fecundity or embryogenesis in their progeny. However, larvae that consumed sertraline experienced delayed developmental progression and reduced survival at all stages of development. Genetic experiments showed that these effects were mostly independent of aberrant extracellular serotonin levels. Using an ex vivo imaginal disc culture system, we showed that mitotically active sertraline-treated tissues accumulate DNA double-strand breaks and undergo apoptosis at increased frequencies. Remarkably, the sertraline-induced genotoxicity was partially rescued by co-incubation with ascorbic acid, suggesting that sertraline induces oxidative DNA damage. These findings may have implications for the biomedicine of sertraline-induced birth defects.
Author Correction: Accurate signal-source localization in brain slices by means of high-density microelectrode arrays
Authors: Obien Marie Engelene J. , Hierlemann Andreas , Frey Urs
Published: March 2020

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
Defective crystal plane-oriented induced lattice polarization for the photocatalytic enhancement of ZnO
Authors: Bai Xiaojuan , Sun Boxuan , Wang Xuyu , Zhang Tianshuo , Hao Qiang , Ni Bing-Jie , Zong Ruilong , Zhang Ziyang , Zhang Xiaoran , Li Haiyan
Published: March 2020

The mechanism of the photocatalytic reaction of defective ZnO systems was determined.
Immune-enhancement effects of oligosaccharides from Codonopsis pilosula on cyclophosphamide induced immunosuppression in mice
Authors: Bai Rui-Bin , Zhang Ya-Jie , Fan Jing-Min , Jia Xu-Seng , Li Dai , Wang Yan-Ping , Zhou Jing , Yan Qiao , Hu Fang-Di
Published: March 2020

Oligosaccharides are the main components of C. pilosula and show excellent immunomodulatory activities.
Vinegar extract ameliorates alcohol-induced liver damage associated with the modulation of gut microbiota in mice
Authors: Xia Ting , Zhang Bo , Li Shaopeng , Fang Bin , Duan Wenhui , Zhang Jin , Song Jia , Wang Min
Published: March 2020

Vinegar extract inhibited alcohol-induced ROS generation and inflammation. Vinegar extract modulated gut microbiota and improved intestinal homeostasis, which could be used as a novel gut microbiota manipulator against alcohol-induced liver damage.
Improved measurement in quantitative analysis of coal properties using laser induced breakdown spectroscopy
Authors: Zhang Yongsheng , Dong Meirong , Cheng Lihua , Wei Liping , Cai Junbin , Lu Jidong
Published: March 2020

By selecting the appropriate spectral pre-processing combined with regression algorithms, the quantitative analysis schemes for each indicator were determined to improve the measurement of coal properties using LIBS.
Achieving a superlubricating ohmic sliding electrical contact via a 2D heterointerface: a computational investigation
Authors: Song Aisheng , Gao Lei , Zhang Jie , Liu Xiao , Hu Yuan-Zhong , Ma Tian-Bao , Zheng Quanshui , Luo Jianbin
Published: March 2020

The van der Waals heterojunction with superlubricity and high electron transport efficiency is proposed as the new generation of sliding electrical contact.
Chemoselective photocatalytic oxidation of alcohols to aldehydes and ketones by nitromethane on titanium dioxide under violet 400 nm LED light irradiation
Authors: Rahimi Niaraki Azam , Saraee Mohammad Reza , Kazemi Foad , Kaboudin Babak
Published: March 2020

In this study, for the first time, nitroalkanes, especially nitromethane, have been used as electron acceptors for the highly chemoselective oxidation of alcohols in the presence of a TiO2 photocatalyst under 400 nm LED irradiation.
Antibiofilm, antimicrobial and cytotoxic activity of extracellular green-synthesized silver nanoparticles by two marine-derived actinomycete
Authors: Hamed Ahmed A. , Kabary Hoda , Khedr Mohamed , Emam Ahmed N.
Published: March 2020

Culture filtrate of 2 actinomycetes extracted from marine sponge Crella cyathophora was used for the biosynthesis of AgNPs with a significant anti-microbial and biofilm activity. Also, AgNPs exhibited a low to moderate cytotoxicity against cells.
Exploring long-range proton conduction, the conduction mechanism and inner hydration state of protein biopolymers
Authors: Mondal Somen , Agam Yuval , Nandi Ramesh , Amdursky Nadav
Published: March 2020

Post formation modification of protein-based materials can attenuate the proton conduction efficiency resulting from change in conduction mechanism, charge carrier mobility, carrier concentrations and inner hydration layer.
Surfactant-free pH-assisted facile engineering of hierarchical rutile TiO2 nanostructures by a single step hydrothermal method for water splitting application
Authors: Burungale V. V. , Bae Hyojung , Kamble A. S. , Kim J.-H. , Patil P. S. , Ha J.-S.
Published: March 2020

The structural appearance of TiO2 nanostructures can be easily engineered by means of pH of the solvent solution.
Mechanism of selective and complete oxidation in La2O3-catalyzed oxidative coupling of methane
Authors: Wang Shibin , Li Shenggang , Dixon David A.
Published: March 2020

The catalytic mechanism and reaction network of oxidative coupling of methane over La2O3 are thoroughly investigated by density functional theory calculations.
A novel energetic framework combining the advantages of furazan and triazole: a design for high-performance insensitive explosives
Authors: Ma Jinchao , Yang Hongwei , Tang Jie , Zhang Guojie , Yi Zhenxin , Zhu Shunguan , Cheng Guangbin
Published: March 2020

Combining energetic furazan and triazole rings to achieve a series of high performance and insensitive energetic compounds.
A chemical looping technology for the synthesis of 2,2′-dibenzothiazole disulfide
Authors: Tian Jiaxin , JiaYu Hu  , Wang Kai , Deng Jian , Luo Guangsheng
Published: March 2020

A novel chemical looping technology for the synthesis of 2,2′-dibenzothiazole disulfide (MBTS) with zero emissions.
Mechanical properties of gold nanowires prepared by nanoskiving approach
Authors: Fang Zhuo , Geng Yanquan , Wang Jiqiang , Yan Yongda , Zhang Guoxiong
Published: March 2020

The mechanical properties of nanowires fabricated by nanoskiving have been studied by an AFM three-point bending test for the first time.
Recent advancement in the electrocatalytic synthesis of ammonia
Authors: Wen Xudong , Guan Jingqi
Published: March 2020

Different kinds of electrocatalysts used in NRR electrocatalysis (including single atom catalysts, metal oxide catalysts, nanocomposite catalysts, and metal free catalysts) are introduced.
Abscisic acid-enhanced starch accumulation of bioenergy crop duckweed (Spirodela polyrrhiza)
Authors: Wang Xuezhi , Cui Weihua , Hu Weiwu , Feng Chuanping
Published: March 2020

This study demonstrates that abscisic acid (ABA) induced enhanced starch accumulation in duckweed Spirodela polyrrhiza. ABA up-regulates the expression of the APL2 gene which enhances the AGPase activity and results in larger and more starch granules in the duckweed fronds.
New triterpenoid saponin glycosides from the fruit fibers ofTrichosanthes cucumerinaL.
Authors: Suebsakwong Parichat , Chulrik Wanatsanan , Chunglok Warangkana , Li Jian-Xin , Yao Zhu-Jun , Suksamrarn Apichart
Published: March 2020

The new glycosides1–5, together with eleven known compounds were isolated. Two compounds exhibited more potent anti-inflammatory activity than Celecoxib and aminoguanidine reference compounds.
Development of a novel Maillard reaction-based time–temperature indicator for monitoring the fluorescent AGE content in reheated foods
Authors: Hu Bei , Li Lin , Hu Yi , Zhao Di , Li Yuting , Yang Mingquan , Jia Aijuan , Chen Sui , Li Bing , Zhang Xia
Published: March 2020

Dietary advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are formedviathe Maillard reaction in foods, especially in reheated foods, and can cause chronic diseases.
H-bond donor-directed switching of diastereoselectivity in the Michael addition of α-azido ketones to nitroolefins
Authors: Ding Pei-Gang , Zhou Feng , Wang Xin , Zhao Qiu-Hua , Yu Jin-Sheng , Zhou Jian
Published: March 2020

We report the successful reversal of the diastereoselectivity in an unprecedented Michael addition of α-azido ketones to nitroolefins catalyzed by bifunctional tertiary amines, simply by varying the H-bond donor from phosphoramide to squaramide.
A chiral cobalt(ii) complex catalyzed enantioselective aza-Piancatelli rearrangement/Diels–Alder cascade reaction
Authors: Shen Bin , He Qianwen , Dong Shunxi , Liu Xiaohua , Feng Xiaoming
Published: March 2020

An asymmetric aza-Piancatelli rearrangement/Diels–Alder cascade reaction between 2-furylcarbinols and N-(furan-2-ylmethyl)anilines was realized by using a chiral N,N′-dioxide/cobalt(ii) complex catalyst.
Choosing the right carbon additive is of vital importance for high-performance Sb-based Na-ion batteries
Authors: Pfeifer Kristina , Arnold Stefanie , Budak Öznil , Luo Xianlin , Presser Volker , Ehrenberg Helmut , Dsoke Sonia
Published: March 2020

OLC1300V as conductive carbon additive provides an optimum Sb–C interaction. A remarkable rate performance is attained, electrode cracking from volume expansion is prevented, and the solid electrolyte interphase homogeneity is significantly improved.
Investigation of the mechanism of metal–organic frameworks preventing polysulfide shuttling from the perspective of composition and structure
Authors: Han Jing , Gao Shu , Wang Ruxing , Wang Kangli , Jiang Mao , Yan Jie , Jin Qianzheng , Jiang Kai
Published: March 2020

The inhibition of polysulfides by a MOF composite separator with an ion sieve effect, and physical and chemical adsorption is illustrated.
Fluorinated pyrazine-based D–A conjugated polymers for efficient non-fullerene polymer solar cells
Authors: Chen Kai , Ma Ruijie , Liu Tao , Luo Zhenghui , Xu Xiaopeng , Wang Qiutang , Chen Yuzhong , Xiao Yiqun , Lu Xinhui , Yan He
Published: March 2020

Over the past decade, fluorinated materials have become the dominant donors for achieving high power conversion efficiencies in organic solar cells (OSCs).
Enhanced stability and performance of air-processed perovskite solar cells via defect passivation with a thiazole-bridged diketopyrrolopyrrole-based π-conjugated polymer
Authors: Chang Chih-Yu , Wang Chun-Chieh
Published: March 2020

Efficient (power conversion efficiency up to 20.30%) and long-term stable perovskite solar cells are demonstrated by inserting a semiconducting polymer PTzDPPBTz as the passivation layer.
Controlled drug release from polyelectrolyte–drug conjugate nanoparticles
Authors: Catarata Ruginn , Azim Nilab , Bhattacharya Santanu , Zhai Lei
Published: March 2020

Hydrophobic drugs are grafted to polyelectrolytes to produce nanoparticles that deliver and release drugs in cells.
Macrocyclic polyamine [12]aneN3 modified triphenylamine-pyrazine derivatives as efficient non-viral gene vectors with AIE and two-photon imaging properties
Authors: Ma Le-Le , Liu Ming-Xuan , Liu Xu-Ying , Sun Wan , Lu Zhong-Lin , Gao Yong-Guang , He Lan
Published: March 2020

[12]aneN3 modified triphenylamine-pyrazines as non-viral gene vectors with AIE and two-photon imaging properties.
Small-molecular iridium complex based organic solar cells with improved photovoltaic performance through device optimization
Authors: Yang Tianjian , Gao Xuyu , He Yinming , Wang Huabin , Tao Youtian
Published: March 2020

An optimized device with a PDCBT/TBzIr:PC71BM structure was fabricated to increase the power conversion efficiencies of iridium complex-based organic solar cells from 3.91% to 6.17%.
Hierarchical multi‐innovation generalised extended stochastic gradient methods for multivariable equation‐error autoregressive moving average systems
Authors: Xu Ling , Ding Feng , Lu Xian , Wan Lijuan , Sheng Jie
Published: March 2020

This study presents the modelling technology of multivariable equation‐error autoregressive moving average (EEARMA) systems through observational data of systems. Aiming to develop a simplified identification algorithm, the original multivariable EEARMA model to be identified is separated into two sub‐identification models. After the model decomposition, a two‐stage generalised extended stochastic gradient (GESG) algorithm is presented in accordance with these two separated submodels. By adding more observations to the recursive computation, the corresponding two‐stage multi‐innovation GESG (MI‐GESG) algorithm, namely, hierarchical multi‐innovation generalised extended stochastic gradient algorithm, is derived for the multivariable EEARMA systems through expanding the innovation vector to the innovation matrices. The simulation example verifies that the performance about the computational accuracy of the two‐stage MI‐GESG algorithm is improved compared with the two‐stage GESG algorithm.
Robust incentive Stackelberg strategy for Markov jump linear stochastic systems via static output feedback
Authors: Mukaidani Hiroaki , Saravanakumar Ramasamy , Xu Hua
Published: March 2020

In this study, a robust static output feedback (SOF) incentive Stackelberg game for a Markov jump linear stochastic system governed by Itô differential equations with multiple leaders and multiple followers is investigated. The existence conditions for the SOF incentive Stackelberg strategies are derived in terms of the solvability of a set of higher‐order cross‐coupled stochastic algebraic Lyapunov type equations (CCSALTEs). A classical Lagrange multiplier technique is employed to solve the CCSALTEs; therefore, the solution of the bilinear matrix inequality, which is a common NP‐hard problem when designing SOF strategies, is not required. A heuristic algorithm is developed based on the CCSALTEs. In particular, it is shown that a robust convergence is guaranteed by combining the Krasnoselskii–Mann iterative algorithm with a new convergence condition. The performance of the proposed algorithm is discussed and a simple practical example is provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm and the SOF incentive Stackelberg strategies.
Robust stabilisation for a class of stochastic T–S fuzzy descriptor systems via dynamic sliding‐mode control
Authors: Shi Jiasheng , Zhang Qingling
Published: March 2020

In this study, the authors research the problem of robust stabilisation for a class of stochastic Takagi–Sugeno (T–S) fuzzy descriptor systems via dynamic sliding mode control technique. In the majority of stochastic T–S fuzzy sliding‐mode control approaches, two restrictive assumptions are required, one is every subsystem's input matrix is identical, the other is the product of the sliding‐mode gain and the stochastic perturbation matrix must be zero. In order to eliminate two restrictive assumptions, we put forward a dynamic sliding‐mode control technique for a class of stochastic T–S fuzzy descriptor systems. A criterion is established according to linear matrix inequalities, it guarantees that the stochastic T–S fuzzy descriptor systems with the mismatched uncertainty and disturbance are stochastically admissible and strictly robust dissipative. Moreover, a dynamic sliding‐mode controller ensures the reachability of the system trajectories to the predefined sliding surface in finite time. In the end, the technique is applied to an inverted pendulum model to demonstrate the merit and effectiveness of the proposed methods.
Novel fuzzy clustering‐based bias field correction technique for brain magnetic resonance images
Authors: Mishro Pranaba K. , Agrawal Sanjay , Panda Rutuparna , Abraham Ajith
Published: March 2020

Bias field correction is an essential pre‐processing requirement for brain tissue segmentation task. Authentic brain tissue regions are highly useful for classification and detection of abnormalities. A poor resolution magnetic resonance (MR) image is produced with irregularities in structure, abnormalities in the intensity distribution and noise during the acquisition procedure. The existing bias field correction methods do not consider the spatial information. Further, the problem of equidistant pixels while clustering is not addressed. These problems lead to poor segmentation accuracy. To solve these problems, the authors suggest a novel biased fuzzy clustering technique for the problem on hand. The basic idea is to incorporate the spatial information by altering the membership matrix of standard fuzzy C‐means clustering to lower the effect of noise and intensity inhomogeneity. It also helps in improving the segmentation accuracies of the tissue regions by assigning the equidistant pixels to a single cluster. The suggested technique is validated with different modalities of brain MR images. Various evaluation indices are computed followed by the statistical analysis to justify the superiority of the suggested technique in comparison to the state‐of‐the‐art methods.
Hybrid deep learning and machine learning approach for passive image forensic
Authors: Thakur Abhishek , Jindal Neeru
Published: March 2020

Image forgery detection using traditional algorithms takes much time to find forgeries. The new emerging methods for the detection of image forgery use a deep neural network algorithm. A hybrid deep learning (DL) and machine learning‐based approach is used in this study for passive image forgery detection. A DL algorithm classifies images into the forged and not forged categories, whereas colour illumination localises forgery. The simulated results are compared to other algorithms on public datasets. The simulated results achieved 99% accuracy for CASIA1.0, 98% accuracy for CASIA2.0, 98% accuracy for BSDS300, 97% accuracy for DVMM, and 99% accuracy for CMFD image manipulation dataset.
Homeopathy: The Medicine of the Future from the Ancient Heart Similarity at Any Level of Knowledge
Authors: Yasgur Jay
Published: March 2020

Highlights of the 74th annual Liga Medicorum Homeopathica Internationalis (LMHI) congress are offered in this brief report. LMHI and LIGA are used interchangeably.
Evaluation of Homoeopathic Treatment Approach in Depressive Disorders of Hyderabad Urban Population of Age Group 15–30 Years: A Prospective, Non-comparative, Open-Label Observational Study
Authors: Mohan G. Ram , Prabhakar Korada , Murali T. , Prasad P. Ramakrishna
Published: March 2020

Objective Depressive disorders have an overall prevalence of 12.1%, which is clinically very significant. This study is taken up to understand the concept of the causes of depressive disorders, to understand the miasmatic state of depressive disorders and to determine the efficacy of homoeopathic medicines in the management of depressive disorders.

Methods A prospective, non-comparative, open-label observational study was done at Multi-Specialty Clinic and Research Centre of The Andhra Pradesh Homoeopathic Association from 2009 to 2012. Patients aged between 15 and 30 years, presenting with symptoms of depressive disorders, were screened for inclusion and exclusion criteria and a total of 207 cases were enrolled for the study. The characteristic symptoms of the patients were recorded, repertorised, miasmatic diagnosis done and medicines prescribed based on individualisation of patient, with the help of materia medica. Hamilton depression rating scale (HAM-D) was used to assess the treatment. The parameter of improvement was - Marked improvement - 75% and above; outcome. Moderate improvement - 50% and above; Mild improvement - 25%.

Results Out of 207 enrolled patients, 32 cases were dropout, while total 175 cases were analysed. The significant difference (p = 0.0001, p < 0.05) in the mean scores of HAM-D using paired t-test was observed at the end of the study; marked improvement was seen in 39 cases; moderate improvement was seen in 76; mild improvement was seen in 34 cases; no improvement was seen in 26 cases. Remedies such as Ignatia, Nat mur, Nux vomica, Staphysagria, Arsenicum album and Lycopodium were found to have a positive role.

Conclusion The study showed positive and encouraging results of homoeopathic intervention in the management of patients suffering from depressive disorders as measured by HAM-D scale.
Management of Sub-Acute Exacerbation of Bronchial Asthma with Blatta orientalis: A Case Report
Authors: Ram Hanuman , Choudhary Prasoon , Kamboj Minakshi
Published: March 2020

Asthma is a chronic respiratory disease. It is an inflammatory condition of the lower airways that affects around 275–300 million people globally and 25 to 30 million people in India. It can attack all age groups and is characterised by recurrent attacks of breathlessness, wheezing and coughing, which may vary from person to person in severity and frequency. It is caused by inflammation of air passages, hypersensitivity to allergens, pulmonary oedema and congestion of lungs. This case report is an evidence of successful treatment of sub-acute exacerbations of bronchial asthma by using homoeopathic medicine based on acute totality of the case. The case of a 32-year-old woman with bronchial asthma is reported here who was treated with Blatta orientalis 30C. All investigations and pulmonary function tests (spirometry) indicated the diagnosis to be bronchial asthma with moderate obstruction of small airways. After case taking, Blatta orientalis 30C was prescribed, following which, after 6 months of treatment, patient felt better in all aspects with reduction in the number of asthma attacks and marked improvement in Elizabeth Juniper's Asthma Control Questionnaire Score and other investigations.
Use of Morgan Repertory in UTI: A Case Series
Authors: Sharma Ruchira , Sharma Abhishek Kumar , Mathur Shishir
Published: March 2020

Background Patients with lower urinary tract infection report with unknown aetiology as a frequently encountered clinical problem.

Aims To treat the patients suffering from acute symptoms of lower urinary tract infection as an add-on to standard urological care.

Materials and Methods After exclusion of morphologic abnormalities, all patients with acute lower urinary tract infection who filled urinary tract infection questionnaire were offered additional homoeopathic care as an add-on to standard urological care. Standard urological care included in this study were to have adequate fluid intake to ensure the passage of 1.5 to 2 L of urine per day and maintain hygiene, especially in case of women. Symptoms were fever, incontinence, increased spasticity, decreased bladder capacity or pain, or decreased general health combined with significant bacteriuria. Seven patients were enrolled who fulfilled all the above inclusion criteria. The potencies were used according to disease grading and patient susceptibility. Descriptive statistics was used for analysis and repertory of the urinary organs and prostate gland including condylomata compiled by A.R. Morgan used for homoeopathic medicine selection.

Result Seven patients were followed up for a period of 2 years. Six patients were free of urinary tract infection (UTI), whereas UTI symptoms were reduced in one patient.

Conclusion Our initial experience with curing of UTI with homoeopathy according to repertory of the urinary organs and prostate gland including condylomata compiled by A.R. Morgan as add on to standard urologic care was encouraging. For an evidence-based evaluation of this concept, prospective studies are required.
Response of Molluscum Contagiosum to Homoeopathic Treatment: Report of Three Cases
Authors: Dogra Soumyabrata , Ghosh Shubhamoy , Mukherjee Chayan , Dutta Abhijit
Published: March 2020

Molluscum contagiosum (MC) is a benign skin condition having peculiar pearly white or pink lesions. This is considered to be a very contagious disease, common in children of low socioeconomic group. Conventionally, local removal of lesions is the primary choice of treatment, commonly cryotherapy. This is a report of three cases suffering from MC for a variable period, treated with individualised homoeopathic treatment. The rationale of this report reflects the effective management of such cases with homoeopathy.
The effect of environmental sustainability on credit risk
Authors: Höck André , Klein Christian , Landau Alexander , Zwergel Bernhard
Published: March 2020

The European Commission has proposed establishing a framework that redirects capital to sustainable investments in order to foster sustainable economic growth. A key proposal from this framework is the mandatory consideration of environmental criteria for investment decisions. However, in particular for bond investors, there is not much academic guidance on how to integrate sustainability criteria in the investment process. Hence, this study investigates the impact of environmental sustainability on the pricing of credit risk for European corporations. Furthermore, whether or not the credit worthiness of a corporation has a moderating effect on the relationship between the environmental sustainability and the credit risk premium is analyzed. The findings prove that more sustainable companies have lower credit risk premiums if they also have a high credit worthiness.
Central neurogenetic signatures of the visuomotor integration system
Authors: Bueichekú Elisenda , Aznárez-Sanado Maite , Diez Ibai , d’Oleire Uquillas Federico , Ortiz-Terán Laura , Qureshi Abid Y. , Suñol Maria , Basaia Silvia , Ortiz-Terán Elena , Pastor Maria A. , Sepulcre Jorge
Published: March 2020

Significance

Previous research has explored the association between behavioral disorders and dysfunction in corresponding neural networks. For example, autism spectrum disorder, Prader–Willi syndrome, and Dravet syndrome are characterized by behavioral deficits in the visuomotor integration system. To date, few investigations have combined brain connectomic–genetic data to investigate the biological basis of childhood neurodevelopment and clinical syndromes. The present study provides evidence of a link between expression of malfunctioning genes associated with these syndromes (i.e., TBR1, SCN1A, MAGEL2, and CACNB4) and cortical distribution across regions devoted to integrating visual and motor information (i.e., the lateral occipital cortex, OP4, and intraparietal sulcus). We suggest this altered gene expression may underlie brain network dysfunction which, in turn, leads to behavioral deficits.
Early intraneuronal amyloid triggers neuron-derived inflammatory signaling in APP transgenic rats and human brain
Authors: Welikovitch Lindsay A. , Do Carmo Sonia , Maglóczky Zsófia , Malcolm Janice C. , Lőke János , Klein William L. , Freund Tamás , Cuello A. Claudio
Published: March 2020

Significance

This work provides evidence that soluble and oligomeric amyloid protein stokes neuronal inflammation during the earliest stages of Alzheimer’s disease. Identifying neuron-derived factors that engage the brain’s immune system will provide insight into how vulnerable neurons might interact with other immune cells to propagate cytotoxic signaling cascades and cellular dysfunction during disease development.
Chromosome-free bacterial cells are safe and programmable platforms for synthetic biology
Authors: Fan Catherine , Davison Paul A. , Habgood Robert , Zeng Hong , Decker Christoph M. , Gesell Salazar Manuela , Lueangwattanapong Khemmathin , Townley Helen E. , Yang Aidong , Thompson Ian P. , Ye Hua , Cui Zhanfeng , Schmidt Frank , Hunter C. Neil , Huang Wei E.
Published: March 2020

A type of chromosome-free cell called SimCells (simple cells) has been generated from
Escherichia coli
,
Pseudomonas putida
, and
Ralstonia eutropha.
The removal of the native chromosomes of these bacteria was achieved by double-stranded breaks made by heterologous I-CeuI endonuclease and the degradation activity of endogenous nucleases. We have shown that the cellular machinery remained functional in these chromosome-free SimCells and was able to process various genetic circuits. This includes the glycolysis pathway (composed of 10 genes) and inducible genetic circuits. It was found that the glycolysis pathway significantly extended longevity of SimCells due to its ability to regenerate ATP and NADH/NADPH. The SimCells were able to continuously express synthetic genetic circuits for 10 d after chromosome removal. As a proof of principle, we demonstrated that SimCells can be used as a safe agent (as they cannot replicate) for bacterial therapy. SimCells were used to synthesize catechol (a potent anticancer drug) from salicylic acid to inhibit lung, brain, and soft-tissue cancer cells. SimCells represent a simplified synthetic biology chassis that can be programmed to manufacture and deliver products safely without interference from the host genome.
Effect of pronunciation instruction on L2 learners’ listening comprehension
Authors: Dao Phung , Nguyen Mai Xuan Nhat Chi , Nguyen Ngoc Bao Chau
Published: March 2020

This study explored the potential impact of pronunciation instruction on L2 listening comprehension. Seventy-two
intermediate Vietnamese EFL university learners formed two groups. The pronunciation group (n = 35) received
seven weekly 45-minute pronunciation instruction sessions targeting segmental and suprasegmental features of English. The control
group (n = 37) did not receive any pronunciation instruction. Weekly reflections, an exit questionnaire and focus
group interviews were used to investigate learners’ perceptions of the impact of the pronunciation instruction. Results showed
that the two groups’ immediate listening post-test scores did not differ significantly after the first two sessions on syllables
and consonants/vowels. However, the pronunciation group outperformed the control group after three further pronunciation sessions
on word stress, thought groups and sentence focus, but these differences disappeared on subsequent immediate and delayed
post-tests. Self-report data indicated learners’ positive perceptions of the helpfulness of the pronunciation instruction and how
the gained pronunciation knowledge helped improve their listening comprehension.
Reconciling dialogue and propagation
Authors: Cooren François
Published: March 2020

Dialoguing is aboutco-orientingto various elements of a situation, that propagate themselves in what people say and do. In other words, each time people talk about an element of a situation, whether it is the weather, the economy, or the declaration of a presidential candidate, it is, by definition, a way for it to transport itself through time and space, which is the essence of propagation. Language must therefore be rethought as something that not only allows us, but also other things to do things with words. More generally, communication, whether verbal or non-verbal, must be understood as a process by which everything or everyone can always become a medium, sign or intermediary through which other elements propagate, diffuse or disseminate themselves.
After mobilization
Authors: Ip Iam-chong
Published: March 2020

My research addresses how social actors “act upon” social change by generating self-interpretation and representation of social life on the one hand and control over values and cultural orientations against the authorities on the other. While the existing literature on social movements overemphasizes the moments of mobilization, this article examines the intersections of social activism, online curative practices, and their everyday life. For this article, I opted to depict three representative cases of Hong Kong young activists who joined the Umbrella Movement in 2014. I argue that despite their similar political experiences, there are three divergent forms of agency embodied in their cultural representations. They figure in contestations which increasingly alienate the politicized crowd from civil society and the establishment.
Analysis of population dynamics and chaos theory
Authors: Figueroa W , Prada D , Vera P , Gomez J , Montes E , Bautista G
Published: March 2020

Population growth is a topic of great interest to biologists, epidemiologists, ecologists, microbiologists and bioanalysts. Describing the dynamics of a population system through mathematical models is very useful in order to predict the behavior of the study population. Chaos theory supports studies of this type through the analysis of the logistic equation which allows observing this behavior under the variation of the constant k that represents the rate of increase in the number of times of the population values in a given time and the orbit diagram that summarizes the asymptotic behavior of all orbits in which we have values of k between zero and four. These models work with discrete time under measurement by iteration in observation and not continuously. The objective is to show the relationship of the logistic equation and the orbit diagram with the Feigenbaum constant in order to show the order that exists in the population dynamics.
Power quality detection and classification using wavelet and support vector machine
Authors: Garrido-Arévalo V M , Gil-González W , Holguin M
Published: March 2020

This work presents the identification and classification of various disturbances that affect the quality of energy, seen as the quality of the voltage wave (harmonics, sag, swell and flicker). For this, the wavelet transform is used, which allows to have characteristic patterns as input signals of the support vector machine, these are evaluated in their different configurations, bi-class, minimum output coding, error correcting output and one versus all. For all of them, in the first instance they were trained with 200 samples, then the results were validated with 100 samples and finally the evaluation was made with 500 different samples, obtaining that the best result is presented with the minimum output coding configuration.
Use of deep learning algorithms for real-time detection of vessels in confined spaces using the Tensorflow framework
Authors: Sánchez S A , Campillo J , Martínez-Santos J C
Published: March 2020

Over 4515 small boat accidents were registered in the United State of America in 2012, resulting in 651 causalities and 22% of the accidents took place between two boats. It is, therefore, one of the most interesting applications for image analysis and recognition using deep learning, collision avoidance in passenger boats. Advances in parallel computing, graphic processing unit technology and deep learning have facilitated real-time image processing. The main objective of this study was to compare the performance metrics for different deep learning algorithms using pre-trained data sets. The algorithms used were: faster region-based convolutional neural networks, region-based fully convolutional network, and single shot multibox detector using the feature extractors: residual neural network, inception and convolutional neural networks for mobile vision applications to detect generic boats in confined waterways. These models were coded in Python programming language, using the framework Tensorflow and OpenCV library for image processing. The algorithms were pre-trained using the free images database posted on the web, Microsoft COCO. The use of these pre-trained models allowed making use of computers without graphic processing unit. As a result, it was found that the faster region-based convolutional neural networks and region-based fully convolutional network method compared to the single shot multibox detector method offer a small advantage precision if speed detection is not required, but the single shot multibox detector method is useful for case detectors in real time, however it did not perform as accurate when detecting small objects.
Use of network theory to model water quality parameters in a hydrological network
Authors: Zuluaga V , García J M , Mesa M J , Acosta-Minoli C A
Published: March 2020

In this work we model and simulate water quality parameters in a hydrological network by using a methodology based on network theory and differential equations. We build the Quindío river hydrological network based on network theory using the Gephi software, the maps from “Instituto Geográfico de Colombia Agustin Codazzi” and data reported from “Coorporacion Autónoma Regional del Quindío”. Then, we modelled three water quality parameters using differential equations at each node of the network, these are total coliforms, biochemical oxygen demand, and dissolved oxygen. As a result of the simulations, we found high levels of pollution in the area where there is a presence of human settlements and the local industry. Finally, results also showed a possible relationship between the three parameters studied, mainly due to the high concentrations in the same area of the basin.
Design and simulation of techniques for mitigation of harmonic distortion in a three-phase rectifier
Authors: Garrido-Arévalo V M , Pérez-Camargo W J , López Quintero J G
Published: March 2020

Rectifiers are electrical devices that receive an alternating signal and deliver a direct current signal at their output, this process by which they transform one type of energy to another is known as rectification. This type of device incorporates a phenomenon called harmonic distortion into the electrical network, which consists of malformations presented in the waveform of the alternating signal from which it feeds, which generate unwanted effects on electrical systems. Because of this, this work presents the combination of two harmonic distortion mitigation strategies (12-pulse multilevel converter and harmonic frequency tuned filtering stage) in order to reduce total harmonic distortion levels generated by a three-phase rectifier.
Development of heat transfer and pressure drop correlations in twisted tube heat exchangers
Authors: Ardila M J G , Valdes M , Cabal M R , Castro A , Quintero J G
Published: March 2020

Heat transfer in concentric twisted tubes exchangers has several applications in the chemical and food industry mainly due to its compact structure and high transport coefficients, however, its use has been limited as a consequence of drop pressure. This study reports Nusselt number and friction factor correlations as a function of the dimensionless Dean number as well as Prandtl number, and a torsional step parameter. Simulations were carried out using ANSYS CFX® V16.0 software at workstations belonging to Grupo de Investigación en Materiales Avanzados y Energía of Instituto Tecnológico Metropolitano. Six geometries were developed with SolidEdge® ST9 academic license. Geometry modification, cleanup, and repair were made although DesignModeler® 2019 academic license. Finally Meshing® for discretization. The mesh size independence, and incidence of the turbulence model, and twisting step validated the computational tools use. Correlation numerically showed an increase of 60% average respect to smooth bending tube.
On the nonlinear control of a single-phase current source converter for sinusoidal voltage generation
Authors: Montoya O D , Acevedo O , Gil-González W , Holguín M , Serra F M
Published: March 2020

Colombian power system is being transformed for the large-scale integration of renewable energy resources and energy storage systems; all of these are integrated by power electronic converters controlled by voltage and current sources. In addition, for regulatory policies it is required that the alternating current networks that feeds linear and nonlinear loads, can provide pure sinusoidal voltage and current forms in terms of frequency and amplitude. To guarantee it, in this paper the design of a nonlinear controller for a single-phase current source converter is explored, which is switched through a pulse-width modulated signal for providing sinusoidal voltages on linear loads. It is applied a feedback nonlinear control design on the dynamical model of the converter by using its averaged representation. The proposed control strategy allows guaranteeing asymptotic stability in the sense of Lyapunov for closed-loop operation. In steady state conditions the voltage behavior on the linear load evidences a sinusoidal form with an estimation error lower than 0.667%, which can be considered negligible for any practical power system application. All the simulations are conducted via MATLAB software 2017b licensed by Universidad Tecnologica de Bolívar, Colombia.
Application of the backward/forward sweep method for solving the power flow problem in DC networks with radial structure
Authors: Grisales-Noreña L F , Garzon-Rivera O D , Ramírez-Vanegas C A , Montoya O D , Ramos-Paja C A
Published: March 2020

This paper presents the application of the backward/forward sweep iterative method for solving the power flow problem in direct current networks with radial structure, considering resistive and constant power loads. The validation of the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed method is made by using six comparative methods proposed in literature for power flow analysis in radial direct current networks: Gauss-Jacobi, Gauss-Seidel, Newton-Raphson, linear approximation based on Taylor series, successive approximations, and the triangular matrix formulation. Those methods are evaluated using four test systems formed by 10, 21, 33 and 69 nodes. Simulation results, obtained in MATLAB, show that the proposed approach is efficient for radial direct current grids in terms of solution quality and processing time, increasing the efficiency for larger number of nodes increases.
Solution of the optimal power flow problem in direct current grids applying the hurricane optimization algorithm
Authors: Arteaga J A , Montoya O D , Grisales-Noreña L F
Published: March 2020

The Colombian electrical power system is being transformed by the large-scale integration of energy storage systems and renewable energy resources to the power system. These technologies can be integrated using alternating current or direct current technologies via power electronic converters. Here we analyze the direct current paradigm by proposing a master-slave optimizer for solving the problem of optimal power flow considering nonlinear loads. The master stage covers the dispatch of all distributed generators using the hurricane optimization algorithm. In the slave stage, a power flow method based on successive approximations is used to determine the voltage variables and evaluate the objective function of the problem, which is the minimization of power loss. A 69-nodes direct current network is used as a test case to compare the numerical performance of the hurricane optimization algorithm with a nonlinear optimization package and a metaheuristic approach called black hole optimizer. All simulations are performed using MATLAB software version 2017a licensed by Universidad Tecnológica de Bolívar, Colombia.
The effects of the contacts on the electronic localization properties of DNA
Authors: Páez C J , Quintero J H , Garcia-Castro A C
Published: March 2020

In this numerically work, we investigate the electronic transport along model deoxyribonucleic acid molecules using an effective tight-binding approach that includes the backbone onsite energies. The transmission probability, localization length and participation number are examined as a function of system size, energy dependence, and the contact coupling between the leads and the deoxyribonucleic acid molecule. On one hand, the transition from an diffusive regime for short systems to a localized regime is identified, suggesting the necessity of a further length scale revealing the system borders sensibility. On the other hand, we show that the localization length and participation number, do not depended of system size and contact coupling in the thermodynamic limit. Finally we discuss possible length dependent origins for the large discrepancies among experimental results for the electronic transport in deoxyribonucleic acid sample.