bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mixed lump-solitons, periodic lump and breather soliton solutions for (2 + 1)-dimensional extended Kadomtsev–Petviashvili dynamical equation
Authors: Ahmed Iftikhar , Seadawy Aly R. , Lu Dianchen
Published: February 2019

In this study, based on the Hirota bilinear method, mixed lump-solitons, periodic lump and breather soliton solutions are derived for (2 + 1)-dimensional extended KP equation with the aid of symbolic computation. Furthermore, dynamics of these solutions are explained with 3d plots and 2d contour plots by taking special choices of the involved parameters. Through the mixed lump-soliton solutions, we observe two fusion phenomena, first from interaction of lump and single soliton and other from interaction of lump with two solitons. In both cases, lump moves gradually towards soliton and transfers energy until it completely merges with the solitons. We also observe new characteristics of periodic lump solutions and kinky breather solitons.
Effect of pH on the structural and optical properties of polycrystalline ZnSe thin films produced by CBD method
Authors: Tezel Fatma Meydaneri , Kariper İ. Afşin
Published: February 2019

In this study, zinc selenide (ZnSe) thin films were produced on glass substrate by using chemical bath deposition (CBD) method at 80[Formula: see text]C, from aqueous solutions of zinc sulphate and sodium selenosulphide, which were produced using solid selenium as the selenium source. The optical and structural properties of ZnSe thin films were investigated at room-temperature. The pH of the chemical bath, in which ZnSe thin films were immersed, were changed between pH:8–11. Optical properties of the films, including extinction coefficient, refractive index, reflectance, absorbance, transmittance, dielectric constants and optical density values were calculated using absorbance and transmittance measurements determined using a Hach Lange 500 spectrophotometer, in 300–1100 nm wavelength range. Optical bandgap values were obtained from transmittance and absorbance spectra ranged between 2.12 and 2.49 eV. According to XRD results, it was found that the films have polycrystalline structure and they exhibited different film thicknesses depending on phase and pH changes.
Failure Modeling of a Propulsion Subsystem: Unsupervised and Semi-Supervised Approaches to Anomaly Detection
Authors: Cheung Catherine , Valdés Julio J. , Chavez Richard Salas , Sehgal Srishti
Published: February 2019

In this work, the sensor data related to a diesel engine system and specifically its turbocharger subsystem were analyzed. An incident where the turbocharger seized was recorded by dozens of standard turbocharger-related sensors. By training models to distinguish between normal healthy operating conditions and deteriorated conditions, there is an opportunity to develop prognostic and predictive tools to ideally help prevent a similar occurrence in the future. Analysis of this event provides an opportunity to identify changes in equipment indicators with a known outcome. A number of data analysis tools were used to characterize the healthy and deteriorated states of the turbocharger system, including various supervised classification as well as semi-supervised and unsupervised anomaly detection techniques. The leader clustering algorithm was also implemented to reduce the amount of data to train and develop the models. This paper describes the results of this modeling process, validated by testing on healthy data from the same propulsion system and a second distinct one. Although this problem posed challenges due to the severely imbalanced class distribution, the supervised classifiers, in particular Support Vector Machine (SVM) and Random Forest (RF), performed very well in all metrics while the unsupervised anomaly detection models achieved near-perfect accuracy for identifying healthy turbocharger states.
Objective Identification of Bullets Based on 3D Pattern Matching and Line Counting Scores
Authors: Roberge Danny , Beauchamp Alain , Lévesque Serge
Published: February 2019

In firearm identification, a firearm examiner looks at a pair of fired bullets or cartridge cases using a comparison microscope and determines from this visual analysis if they were both fired from the same firearm. In the particular case of fired bullets, the individual firearm signature takes the form of a striated pattern. Over the time, the firearm examiner’s community developed two distinct approaches for bullet identification: pattern matching and line counting. More recently, the emergence of technology enabling the capture of surface topographies down to a submicron depth resolution has been a catalyst for the field of computerized objective ballistic identification. Objectiveness is achieved through the statistical analysis of various scores of known matches and known nonmatches exhibit pair comparison, which in turn implies the capture of large quantities of bullets and cartridge cases topographies. The main goal of this study was to develop an objective identification method for bullets fired from conventionally rifled barrels, and to test this method on public and proprietary bullet 3D image datasets captured at different lateral resolutions. Two newly developed bullet identification scores, the Line Counting Score (LCS) and the Pattern Matching Score, computed on 3D topographies yielded perfect match versus nonmatch separation for three different sets used in the standard Hamby–Brundage Test. A similar analysis performed using a larger, more-realistic set, enabled us to define a discriminative line at a false match rate of 1/10[Formula: see text]000 on a 2D plot that shows both identification scores for matches and nonmatches. The LCS is shown to produce a better sensitivity than the standard consecutive matching striae criteria for the more-realistic dataset. A likelihood function was also computed from a linear combination of both scores, and a conservative approach based on extreme value theory is proposed to extrapolate this function in the score domain where nonmatch data are not available. This study also provides a better understanding of the limitations of studies that involve very few firearms.
Universal knot diagrams
Authors: Even-Zohar Chaim , Hass Joel , Linial Nati , Nowik Tahl
Published: February 2019

We study collections of planar curves that yield diagrams for all knots. In particular, we show that a very special class called potholder curves carries all knots. This has implications for realizing all knots and links as special types of meanders and braids. We also introduce and apply a method to compare the efficiency of various classes of curves that represent all knots.
Tight contact structures via admissible transverse surgery
Authors: Conway J.
Published: February 2019

We investigate the line between tight and overtwisted for surgeries on fibered transverse knots in contact 3-manifolds. When the contact structure [Formula: see text] is supported by the fibered knot [Formula: see text], we obtain a characterization of when negative surgeries result in a contact structure with nonvanishing Heegaard Floer contact class. To do this, we leverage information about the contact structure [Formula: see text] supported by the mirror knot [Formula: see text]. We derive several corollaries about the existence of tight contact structures, L-space knots outside [Formula: see text], nonplanar contact structures, and nonplanar Legendrian knots.
Object-Specific Role-Based Access Control
Authors: Mundbrod Nicolas , Reichert Manfred
Published: February 2019

The proper management of privacy and security constraints in information systems in general and access control in particular constitutes a tremendous, but still prevalent challenge. Role-based access control (RBAC) and its variations can be considered as the widely adopted approach to realize authorization in information systems. However, RBAC lacks a proper object-specific support, which disallows establishing the fine-grained access control required in many domains. By comparison, attribute-based access control (ABAC) enables a fine-grained access control based on policies and rules evaluating attributes. As a drawback, ABAC lacks the abstraction of roles. Moreover, it is challenging to engineer and to audit the granted privileges encoded in rule-based policies. This paper presents the generic approach of object-specific role-based access control (ORAC). On one hand, ORAC enables information system engineers, administrators and users to utilize the well-known principle of roles. On the other hand, ORAC allows realizing the access to objects in a fine-grained way where required. The approach was systematically established according to well-elicited key requirements for fine-grained access control in information systems. For the purpose of evaluation, the approach was applied to real-world scenarios and implemented in a proof-of-concept prototype demonstrating its feasibility and applicability.
THE BROAD CONSEQUENCES OF NARROW BANKING
Authors: GRASSELLI MATHEUS R. , LIPTON ALEXANDER
Published: February 2019

We investigate the macroeconomic consequences of narrow banking in the context of stock-flow consistent models. We begin with an extension of the Goodwin–Keen model incorporating time deposits, government bills, cash, and central bank reserves to the base model with loans and demand deposits, and use it to describe a fractional reserve banking system. We then characterize narrow banking by a full reserve requirement on demand deposits and describe the resulting separation between the payment system and lending functions of the resulting banking sector. By way of numerical examples, we explore the properties of fractional and full reserve versions of the model and compare their asymptotic properties. We find that narrow banking does not lead to any loss in economic growth when both versions of the model converge to a finite equilibrium, while allowing for more direct monitoring and prevention of financial breakdowns in the case of explosive asymptotic behavior.
Some Maclaurin Symmetric Mean Aggregation Operators Based on Cloud Model and Their Application to Decision-Making
Authors: Liu Peide , Yang Hongyu , Wu Haiquan , Ju Meilong , Alsaadi Fawaz E.
Published: February 2019

The cloud model (CM) is an important tool to describe qualitative concept by the quantitative method, and the Maclaurin symmetric mean (MSM) can capture the interrelationship among the multi-inputs and it can generalize most of existing operators. In this paper, we firstly convert the uncertain linguistic variables (ULVs), which are easily used to express the qualitative information, to CM. Then, we combine the MSM with the CM, and propose the cloud MSM (CMSM) operator and cloud weighted MSM (CWMSM) operator. In addition, we explore some of their desirable features and develop a new approach to deal with some multi-attribute group decision-making (MAGDM) problems under the uncertain environment based on the proposed operators. Finally, by comparing with other approaches, an illustrative example is arranged to demonstrate the usability of the proposed method.
Dynamic Characterization of a Bio-Based Sandwich with Auxetic Core: Experimental and Numerical Study
Authors: Essassi Khawla , Rebiere Jean-Luc , El Mahi Abderrahim , Ben Souf Mohamed Amine , Bouguecha Anas , Haddar Mohamed
Published: February 2019

The flexural vibration and damping performances of a bio-based sandwich structure with auxetic core are investigated in this paper. The material studied is made up of an auxetic core and two skins. Each of the skins and core are made up of a polylactic acid reinforced with flax fibers. The whole sandwich structure was manufactured using a three-dimensional (3D) printing technique. Experimental analysis was used to evaluate the damping properties of this material. The skins, the core and the whole sandwich structure were tested experimentally in a clamp-free configuration. In addition, a finite element model was developed to evaluate the loss factors and natural frequencies regarding different cases. The influence of the relative core densities and thicknesses on the dynamic stiffness and loss factors were measured and discussed. The results obtained from the experiment and the numerical analysis were in a close agreement.
Preparation of Nanoplatelet-Like MoS2/rGO Composite as High-Performance Anode Material for Lithium-Ion Batteries
Authors: Pan Shugang , Zhang Ning , Fu Yongsheng
Published: February 2019

In this paper, we report a facile strategy to design and prepare reduced graphene oxide (rGO) supported MoS2 nanoplatelet (MoS2/rGO) via a solvothermal co-assembly process. It is found that in the as-obtained MoS2/rGO nanocomposite, MoS2 possesses unique platelet structure and rGO is exfoliated due to the in situ growth of MoS2 nanoplatelet, leading to a large specific surface area, facilitating rapid diffusion of lithium ions. The nanocomposite is used as a promising anode material for lithium-ion batteries and displays a high initial charge capacity (1382[Formula: see text]mA[Formula: see text]h[Formula: see text]g[Formula: see text]), excellent rate capability and cycling stability. The remarkable lithium storage performance of MoS2/rGO nanocomposite is mainly ascribed to the inherent nanostructure of the MoS2, and the synergistic effect between rGO nanosheets and MoS2 nanoplatelets.
AIT-S for Single-Machine Weighted Tardiness Problem
Authors: Petrynski Kacper , Pozniak-Koszalka Iwona , Koszalka Leszek , Kasprzak Andrzej
Published: February 2019

This paper concentrates on the newly improved algorithm for solving the single-machine total weighted tardiness (SMTWT) problem, called Algorithm Inspired by Tree and Sorting (AIT-S). The algorithm is based on searching the solution space along with the tree and sorting rules. The properties of the algorithm are studied taking into account the results of experiments made using the designed and implemented experimentation system. This system allows in tuning the parameters of the algorithm as well as to compare the effects obtained by AIT-S algorithm with effects of AIT algorithm, and known meta-heuristic algorithms. The paper shows that the proposed algorithm still requires some improvements, however, it seems to be promising.
ECT
Authors: Wang Wei , Xie Tiantian , Liu Xin , Yao Yao , Zhu Ting
Published: February 2019

Recent advances in cross-technology communication have significantly improved the spectrum efficiency in the same Industrial, Scientific, and Medical band among heterogeneous wireless devices (e.g., WiFi and ZigBee). However, further performance improvement in the whole network is hampered because the cross-technology network layer is missing. As the first cross-technology network layer design, our work, named
ECT
, opens a promising direction for significantly reducing the packet delivery delay via collaborative and concurrent cross-technology communication between WiFi and ZigBee devices. Specifically, ECT can dynamically change the nodes’ priorities and reduce the delivery delay from high-priority nodes under unreliable links. The key idea of ECT is to leverage the concurrent transmission of important data and raw data from ZigBee nodes to the WiFi access point. We extensively evaluate ECT under different network settings, and results show that our ECT’s packet delivery delay is more than 29 times lower than the current state-of-the-art solution.
FlexSaaS
Authors: Cao Shijie , Nie Lanshun , Zhan Dechen , Wang Wenqiang , Xu Ningyi , Das Ramashis , Wu Ming , Zhang Lintao , Chiou Derek
Published: February 2019

Web search engines deploy large-scale selection services on CPUs to identify a set of web pages that match user queries. An FPGA-based accelerator can exploit various levels of parallelism and provide a lower latency, higher throughput, more energy-efficient solution than commodity CPUs. However, maintaining such a customized accelerator in a commercial search engine is challenging because selection services are changed often. This article presents our design for FlexSaaS (Flexible Selection as a Service), an FPGA-based accelerator for web search selection. To address efficiency and flexibility challenges, FlexSaaS abstracts computing models and separates memory access from computation. Specifically, FlexSaaS (i) contains a reconfigurable number of matching processors that can handle various possible query plans, (ii) decouples index stream reading from matching computation to fetch and decode index files, and (iii) includes a universal memory accessor that hides the complex memory hierarchy and reduces host data access latency. Evaluated on FPGAs in the selection service of a commercial web search--the Bing web search engine—FlexSaaS can be evolved quickly to adapt to new updates. Compared to the software baseline, FlexSaaS on Arria 10 reduces average latency by 30% and increases throughput by 1.5×.
FusE
Authors: Thoma Steffen , Thalhammer Andreas , Harth Andreas , Studer Rudi
Published: February 2019

Many current web pages include structured data which can directly be processed and used. Search engines, in particular, gather that structured data and provide question answering capabilities over the integrated data with an entity-centric presentation of the results. Due to the decentralized nature of the web, multiple structured data sources can provide similar information about an entity. But data from different sources may involve different vocabularies and modeling granularities, which makes integration difficult. We present FusE, an approach that identifies similar entity-specific data across sources, independent of the vocabulary and data modeling choices. We apply our method along the scenario of a trustable knowledge panel, conduct experiments in which we identify and process entity data from web sources, and compare the output to a competing system. The results underline the advantages of the presented entity-centric data fusion approach.
The SYMBIONT project
Authors: Boulier François , Fages François , Radulescu Ovidiu , Samal Satya Swarup , Schuppert Andreas , Seiler Werner , Sturm Thomas , Walcher Sebastian , Weber Andreas
Published: February 2019

The international interdisciplinary SYMBIONT project ranges from mathematics via computer science to systems biology, with a balanced team of researchers from those fields. At the present stage the project has a clear focus on fundamental research on mathematical methods, and prototypes in software. Results are systematically benchmarked against models from computational biology databases. We summarize the motivation and aims for the project, and report on existing results by the consortium and first activities. The project website can be found at www.symbiont-project.org.
Minimum distance computation of linear codes via genetic algorithms with permutation encoding
Authors: Gómez-Torrecillas José , Lobillo F. J. , Navarro Gabriel
Published: February 2019

We design a heuristic method, a genetic algorithm, for the computation of an upper bound of the minimum distance of a linear code over a finite field. By the use of the row reduced echelon form, we obtain a permutation encoding of the problem, so that its space of solutions does not depend on the size of the base field or the dimension of the code. Actually, the efficiency of our method only grows non-polynomially with respect to the length of the code.
The SAT+CAS paradigm and the Williamson conjecture
Authors: Bright Curtis , Kotsireas Ilias , Ganesh Vijay
Published: February 2019

We employ tools from the fields of symbolic computation and satisfiability checking---namely, computer algebra systems and SAT solvers---to study the Williamson conjecture from combinatorial design theory and increase the bounds to which Williamson matrices have been enumerated. In particular, we completely enumerate all Williamson matrices of orders divisible by 2 or 3 up to and including 70. We find one previously unknown set of Williamson matrices of order 63 and construct Williamson matrices in every even order up to and including 70. This extended abstract outlines a preprint currently under submission [4].
IL-6 release from muscles during exercise is stimulated by lactate-dependent protease activity
Authors: Hojman Pernille , Brolin Camilla , Nørgaard-Christensen Nynne , Dethlefsen Christine , Lauenborg Britt , Olsen Cecilie Køllner , Åbom Mette Marie , Krag Thomas , Gehl Julie , Pedersen Bente Klarlund
Published: February 2019

IL-6 is secreted from muscles to the circulation during high-intensity and long-duration exercise, where muscle-derived IL-6 works as an energy sensor to increase release of energy substrates from liver and adipose tissues. We investigated the mechanism involved in the exercise-mediated surge in IL-6 during exercise. Using interval-based cycling in healthy young men, swimming exercise in mice, and electrical stimulation of primary human muscle cells, we explored the role of lactate production in muscular IL-6 release during exercise. First, we observed a tight correlation between lactate production and IL-6 release during both strenuous bicycling and electrically stimulated muscle cell cultures. In mice, intramuscular injection of lactate mimicked the exercise-dependent release of IL-6, and pH buffering of lactate production during exercise attenuated IL-6 secretion. Next, we used in vivo bioimaging to demonstrate that intrinsic intramuscular proteases were activated in mice during swimming, and that blockade of protease activity blunted swimming-induced IL-6 release in mice. Last, intramuscular injection of the protease hyaluronidase resulted in dramatic increases in serum IL-6 in mice, and immunohistochemical analyses showed that intramuscular lactate and hyaluronidase injections led to release of IL-6-containing intramyocellular vesicles. We identified a pool of IL-6 located within vesicles of skeletal muscle fibers, which could be readily secreted upon protease activity. This protease-dependent release of IL-6 was initiated by lactate production, linking training intensity and lactate production to IL-6 release during strenuous exercise.
Contractile activity-specific transcriptome response to acute endurance exercise and training in human skeletal muscle
Authors: Popov Daniil V. , Makhnovskii Pavel A. , Shagimardanova Elena I. , Gazizova Guzel R. , Lysenko Evgeny A. , Gusev Oleg A. , Vinogradova Olga L.
Published: February 2019

Reduction in daily activity leads to dramatic metabolic disorders, while regular aerobic exercise training is effective for preventing this problem. The purpose of this study was to identify genes that are directly related to contractile activity in human skeletal muscle, regardless of the level of fitness. Transcriptome changes after the one-legged knee extension exercise in exercised and contralateral nonexercised vastus lateralis muscle of seven men were evaluated by RNA-seq. Transcriptome change at baseline after 2 mo of aerobic training (5/wk, 1 h/day) was evaluated as well. Postexercise changes in the transcriptome of exercised muscle were associated with different factors, including circadian oscillations. To reveal transcriptome response specific for endurance-like contractile activity, differentially expressed genes between exercised and nonexercised muscle were evaluated at 1 and 4 h after the one-legged exercise. The contractile activity-specific transcriptome responses were associated only with an increase in gene expression and were regulated mainly by CREB/ATF/AP1-, MYC/MAX-, and E2F-related transcription factors. Endurance training-induced changes (an increase or decrease) in the transcriptome at baseline were more pronounced than transcriptome responses specific for acute contractile activity. Changes after training were associated with widely different biological processes than those after acute exercise and were regulated by different transcription factors (IRF- and STAT-related factors). In conclusion, adaptation to regular exercise is associated not only with a transient (over several hours) increase in expression of many contractile activity-specific genes, but also with a pronounced change (an increase or decrease) in expression of a large number of genes under baseline conditions.
Metformin Promotes Neuronal Differentiation via Crosstalk between Cdk5 and Sox6 in Neuroblastoma Cells
Authors: Binlateh Thunwa , Tanasawet Supita , Rattanaporn Onnicha , Sukketsiri Wanida , Hutamekalin Pilaiwanwadee
Published: February 2019

Metformin has recently emerged as a key player in promotion of neuroblastoma differentiation and neurite outgrowth. However, molecular mechanisms of how metformin promotes cellular differentiation have not yet been fully elucidated. In this study, we investigated how metformin promotes cell differentiation, via an inhibition of cell proliferation, by culturing SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells with or without metformin. Pretreatment with reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenger, NAC, revealed that ROS plays a crucial role in induction of cell differentiation. Cell differentiation was observed under various morphological criteria: extension of neuritic processes and neuronal differentiation markers. Treatment with metformin significantly increased neurite length, number of cells with neurite, and expression of neuronal differentiation markers,β-tubulin III and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) compared with untreated control. Further investigation found that metformin significantly decreased Cdk5 but increased Sox6 during cell differentiation. Analysis of the mechanism underlying these changes using Cdk5 inhibitor, roscovitine, indicated that expressions of Cdk5 and Sox6 corresponded to metformin treatment. These results suggested that metformin produces neuronal differentiation via Cdk5 and Sox6. In addition, phosphorylated Erk1/2 was decreased while phosphorylated Akt was increased in metformin treatment. Taken together, these findings suggest that metformin promotes neuronal differentiation via ROS activation through Cdk5/Sox6 crosstalk, relating to Erk1/2 and Akt signaling.
Heart Rate in Hypertension: Review and Expert Opinion
Authors: Dalal Jamshed , Dasbiswas Arup , Sathyamurthy Immaneni , Maddury Srinivasa Rao , Kerkar Prafulla , Bansal Sandeep , Thomas Joy , Mandal Sankar Chandra , Mookerjee Soura , Natarajan Sivakadaksham , Kumar Viveka , Chandra Nishith , Khan Aziz , Vijayakumar R. , Sawhney J. P. S.
Published: February 2019

Heart rate (HR) is strongly associated with both peripheral and central blood pressures. This association has implications in hypertension (HTN) prognosis and management. Elevated HR in HTN further elevates the risk of adverse outcomes. Evidence suggests that HR is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular (CV) and total mortality in patients with HTN. With objective to engage physicians and researchers in India to identify and discuss the implications related to HR management in HTN, experts in the HTN management provided consensus recommendations. The key expert recommendations included the following. (i) Heart rate (HR) has inverse relationship with the central aortic pressure, whereby reduction in HR is associated with an increase in central aortic pressure. This counter-balances the benefit of HR reduction with the harmful effects of rising central aortic pressure. (ii) Increase in the resting HR is associated with increased risk of incident HTN. A linear association between the two is observed especially in individuals with HR >80 bpm. (iii) A reduced HR variability further adds to the propensity for the development of HTN, especially in men. (iv) Each 10 beats per minute increase in the resting HR can substantially increase the risk of adverse CV and mortality outcomes. On treatment HR provides a better prognostic guide. (v) Ambulatory HR with day-time and night-time HR evaluation may also suggest different impact on outcomes. (vi) Target HR in patients with HTN remains unclear. Generally, HR<70 bpm on beta blocker (BB) treatment is advised which may be further lowered in patients with comorbidities like heart failure and coronary artery disease. (vii) Adopting healthy lifestyle approaches to keep check on BP and HR is essential. (viii) Use selective beta-1 blocker in symptomatic cases with elevated HR beyond 80-85 mmHg. BBs are expected to benefit by lowering HR by nearly 10 bpm. Preference should be given to newer beta-blockers which reduce HR and both peripheral and central blood pressure to derive comprehensive advantage of this dual action. (ix) It still remains unclear whether reducing HR in HTN without comorbidities alters the CV and mortality outcomes.
Management of IoT Sensor Data Using a Fog Computing Node
Authors: Yoon Gunjae , Choi Donghwa , Lee Jeongjin , Choi Hoon
Published: February 2019

As IoT systems spread, transmissions of all data from various sensing devices to a remote OM (Operation and Management) server through the Internet can lead to many problems, such as an explosion of network traffic and delayed responses to data. Fog computing is a good means of resolving these problems in an IoT system environment. In this paper, a management method for sensor data in a fog computing node is proposed. The monitoring node monitors data from sensor devices using a data pattern from the OM server, which dynamically generates and updates the pattern. The monitoring node reports only the data beyond the normal range of the pattern to the OM server rather than sending all data to the OM server. The monitoring node can control the operations of sensor devices remotely according to the requests of the OM server.
Nonocclusive Mesenteric Ischemia Rescued by Immediate Surgical Exploration in a Boy with Severe Neurodevelopmental Disability
Authors: Mizumoto Manami , Ochi Fumihiro , Jogamoto Toshihiro , Okamoto Kentaro , Fukuda Mitsumasa , Yamauchi Toshifumi , Miyata Toyohisa , Tashiro Ryo , Eguchi Mariko , Kitazawa Riko , Ishii Eiichi
Published: February 2019

Background. Nonocclusive mesenteric ischemia (NOMI) defines acute mesenteric ischemia without occlusion of the mesenteric arteries. The most common cause of NOMI is vasoconstriction or vasospasm of a mesenteric artery. NOMI generally affects patients >50 years of age, and few cases have been reported in children. Case Presentation. A 15-year-old boy with severe neurodevelopmental disability developed sudden-onset fever, abdominal distention, and dyspnea. Laboratory and radiological findings indicated acute intestinal obstruction and prerenal failure. He developed transient cardiopulmonary arrest and hypovolemic shock. Emergent laparotomy was performed, which revealed segmentally necrotic intestine from the jejunum to the ascending colon with pulsation of peripheral intestinal arteries, leading to a diagnosis of NOMI. The necrotic intestine was resected, and stomas were created. He was discharged on postoperative day 334 with short bowel syndrome as a complication. Conclusions. NOMI should be considered a differential diagnosis for intestinal symptoms with severe general conditions in both adults and children with underlying disease. Immediate surgical exploration is essential with NOMI to save a patient’s life.
Strength and Deformation Properties of Fiber and Cement Reinforced Heavy Metal-Contaminated Synthetic Soils
Authors: Tang Qiang , Shi Peixin , Zhang Yu , Liu Wei , Chen Lei
Published: February 2019

Heavy metals are not only hazardous to environment and public health, but they degrade the physicochemical and biological properties of soils increasing difficulty to the redevelopment of contaminated sites. This study proposes a method for reinforcing contaminated soils with fiber and cement. The feasibility of using wheat straw as fiber reinforcement is discussed. The strength of heavy metal-contaminated soil reinforced with wheat straw and cement is investigated through laboratory testing. Twelve groups of soil samples were prepared at three fiber contents (i.e., 0.1%, 0.2%, and 0.3% by weight), three water contents (i.e., 9%, 12%, and 15%), and three cement contents (i.e., 5%, 7.5%, and 10% by weight). Unconfined compression strength (UCS) was tested after 28 days of curing period and various freeze-thaw cycles. The testing results show that the increase in the number of freeze-thaw cycles results in the decrease of UCS. The inclusion of fiber reinforcement within cemented soil causes an increase in the UCS and changes the brittle behavior of cemented soil to a more ductile one. The UCS of the fiber-reinforced soils first increases, then decreases with the increase of water content, and reaches the maximum value at the optimum moisture content.
Mechanism and Modeling of Contaminant Accumulation on Hot‐Film Air Flow Sensor
Authors: Yuan Changrong , Sun Zhongsheng , Li Xiaoning
Published: February 2019

Hot‐film air flow sensors are now widely applied in many industrial fields. Their accuracy can be seriously affected when there are contaminants accumulated on the sensor chip. To predict the decrease of accuracy caused by contamination, the accumulation mechanism of contaminant particles on the surface of the sensor chip is studied in this paper. The adsorption process of particle is analyzed and a theoretical model of the cumulative thickness of the particles over time is established. A test platform for the particle accumulation is built and a long‐term cumulative test is conducted. According to the tests, cumulative thickness of the particles increases while the growth rate slows over time. The results of the test fit those of the theoretical model. Various factors affecting the accumulation of contaminants are analyzed. The results indicate that the cumulative thickness of the particles increases along with the increase of the particle concentration, the particle charge, and the electric field strength on the chip surface but decreases along with the increase of the particle radius. The test results also show that the electrical force is the dominant reason of particle adsorption accumulation. By decreasing the electric field strength on the sensor surface, the cumulative thickness of the particles can be effectively reduced.
FORTRESS: An Efficient and Distributed Firewall for Stateful Data Plane SDN
Authors: Caprolu Maurantonio , Raponi Simone , Di Pietro Roberto
Published: February 2019

The Software Defined Networking (SDN) paradigm decouples the logic module from the forwarding module on traditional network devices, bringing a wave of innovation to computer networks. Firewalls, as well as other security appliances, can largely benefit from this novel paradigm. Firewalls can be easily implemented by using the default OpenFlow rules, but the logic must reside in the control plane due to the dynamic nature of their rules that cannot be handled by data plane devices. This leads to a nonnegligible overhead in the communication channel between layers, as well as introducing an additional computational load on the control plane. To address the above limitations, we propose the architectural design of FORTRESS: a stateful firewall for SDN networks that leverages the stateful data plane architecture to move the logic of the firewall from the control plane to the data plane. FORTRESS can be implemented according to two different architectural designs: Stand-Alone and Cooperative, each one with its own peculiar advantages. We compare FORTRESS against FlowTracker, the state-of-the-art solution for SDN firewalling, and show how our solution outperforms the competitor in terms of the number of packets exchanged between the control plane and the data plane—we require 0 packets for the Stand-Alone architecture and just 4 for the Cooperative one. Moreover, we discuss how the adaptability, elegant and modular design, and portability of FORTRESS contribute to make it the ideal candidate for SDN firewalling. Finally, we also provide further research directions.
An Improved Empirical Mode Decomposition Method Using Variable Window Median Filter for Early Fault Detection in Electric Motors
Authors: Karatoprak Erinc , Seker Serhat
Published: February 2019

This paper proposes an improved Empirical Mode Decomposition (EMD) method by using variable window size median filters during the Intrinsic Mode Functions (IMFs) generation. Compared to the traditional EMD, the improved EMD, namely, Median EMD (MEMD), helps to reduce mode‐mixing providing an improvement in terms of separating the fundamental frequencies per IMF. The MEMD method applies the EMD to the signal and then applies a variable window size median filter to the resulting IMFs. A narrow window is used for high frequency components where a broader window is used for the lower frequency components. The filtered IMFs are then summed again and another round of EMD is applied to yield the improved MEMD IMFs. A test setup for accelerated aging of bearings in induction motors is used for the comparison of the traditional and the improved EMD methods with the goal of finding potential bearing defects in an induction motor. The potential defect at the early stage is compared with the faulty state and is used to extract the characteristics of the bearing damage that develops gradually. Comparing the EMD and MEMD, it is seen that MEMD is an improvement to EMD in terms of mode‐mixing problem. The MEMD method demonstrated to have better performance compared to the traditional EMD for the extraction of the fault features from the healthy operational state of the motor.
Key CMM Combinations in Prescriptions for Treating Mastitis and Working Mechanism Analysis Based on Network Pharmacology
Authors: Wu Diyao , Zhang Xinyou , Liu Liping , Guo Yongkun
Published: February 2019

Aims. Using both data mining and network pharmacology methods, this paper aims to construct a molecule-target-disease network for medicines used for treating mastitis, mine out targets, and signaling pathways related to mastitis and explore the mechanism of Chinese materia medica (CMM) prescriptions in treating mastitis. Methods. A total of 131 CMM prescriptions for treating mastitis were collected from clinical practice and related literatures. A database of prescriptions for treating mastitis (DPTM) was then constructed. Based on data mining method, Traditional Chinese Medicine Inheritance Support System (TCMISS) was employed to mine out high-frequency CMM and key CMM combinations in DPTM. Subsequently, TCM Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform (TCMSP) and Traditional Chinese Medicine Information Database (TCM-ID) were searched for the targets of ingredients of high-frequency CMM. Then, Bioinformatics Analysis Tool for Molecular Mechanism of TCM (BATMAN-TCM) was searched for diseases and signaling pathways corresponding to the targets of key CMM combinations. The obtained results were denoted as results 1. In addition, human disease database MalaCards was searched for targets and signaling pathways related to mastitis. The obtained results were denoted as results 2. Results 1 and 2 were compared to obtain targets and signaling pathways included in both results, namely, mastitis-related targets of TCMs and mastitis-related signaling pathways that CMM involves in. Then, the biological functions of these targets and signaling pathways were investigated, on which basis the mechanism of CMM prescriptions in treating mastitis was explored. Results. A total of 12 key TCM combinations were identified. Taraxaci Herba, Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, Paeoniae Radix Alba, semen citri reticulatae, etc. were CMM with the highest frequency of use for treating mastitis. The potential targets of these high-frequency CMM in treating mastitis were intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1), interleukin-6 (IL-6), lipopolysaccharide binding protein (LBP), and lactotransferrin. The potential signaling pathways that key CMM combinations may involve in during mastitis treatment were NF-κB signaling pathway, immune system, PI3K/Akt signaling pathway, and TNF signaling pathway. Conclusions. From a perspective of network pharmacology, molecule-target-disease analysis may serve as an entry point for the research of mechanism of CMM. On this basis, we studied the mechanism of CMM prescriptions in treating mastitis by data mining and comparison of results. Our work thus provides a new idea and method for studying the working mechanism of CMM prescriptions.
Glucocorticoid Receptor Antagonist Administration Prevents Adrenal Gland Atrophy in an ACTH-Independent Cushing’s Syndrome Rat Model
Authors: Yasuda Atsushi , Seki Toshiro , Kametani Yoshie , Koizumi Masahiro , Kitajima Natsumi , Oki Masayuki , Seki Masami , Kakuta Takatoshi , Fukagawa Masafumi
Published: February 2019

ACTH-independent Cushing’s syndrome (CS) is mainly caused by cortisol-secreting adrenocortical tumours. It is well known that secondary adrenal insufficiency occurs after surgical resection of these tumours. In this regard, impaired adrenocortical function is likely induced by atrophy of the residual adrenal tissue as a result of chronic suppression by the low ACTH levels of the hypercortisolism state. Therefore, we considered the prevention of adrenal atrophy as a method for preventing postoperative adrenal insufficiency. On the basis of these findings, we hypothesized that the use of a glucocorticoid receptor (GR) antagonist before surgery in ACTH-independent CS would rapidly activate the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and residual adrenal function. We thus examined adrenal function in a dexamethasone- (DEX-) induced CS rat model with or without mifepristone (MIF). In this study, MIF-treated rats had elevated plasma ACTH levels and increased adrenal weights. In addition, we confirmed that there were fewer atrophic changes, as measured by the pathological findings and mRNA expression levels of corticosterone synthase CYP11B1 in the adrenal glands, in MIF-treated rats. These results indicate that MIF treatment prevents the suppression of the HPA axis and the atrophy of the residual adrenal tissue. Therefore, our study suggests that preoperative GR antagonist administration may improve residual adrenal function and prevent postoperative adrenal insufficiency in ACTH-independent CS.
Experimental Investigation of the Anchoring Effect of Two Different Types of Rock Bolts on Fractured Rock
Authors: Xu Rongchao , Zhou Hui
Published: February 2019

A deep understanding of the anchoring effect of rock bolts on fractured rock is essential for support design in rock engineering. In this paper, cubic specimens containing a single preexisting flaw with different inclination angles were made by high-strength gypsum; uniaxial compression tests were conducted on bolted and unbolted specimens to study the anchoring effect of the fully bonded bolt and the prestressed bolt on fractured rock. The mechanical parameters and failure characteristics of bolted and unbolted specimens were compared and analyzed in detail. The results indicated that both the prestressed and fully bonded bolt had a significant influence on the mechanical behavior of fractured rock. The average value of E, σi, σp, and σr of bolted specimens all increased due to the effect of the rock bolt. The increase degree was the greatest for the specimens with flaw inclination angle of 45°. The increase in residual strength, σr, was the most significant among all the mechanical parameters. The mechanical parameters of specimens anchored with a prestressed bolt increased with an increase in pretension stress. Besides, the reinforcement effect of the two types of rock bolts was different for different mechanical parameters. The bolted specimens displayed different failure characteristics compared to the unbolted specimens. Variation of tension stress in the prestressed bolt during the loading process was divided into three different stages. With an increase in the inclination angle from 30° to 60°, the peak tension stress value first increased and then decreased and obtained the maximum value at inclination angle of 45°. Besides, the peak tension stress value increased with pretension stress.
Sensitization in Heart Transplantation: Emerging Knowledge: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association
Authors: Colvin Monica M. , Cook Jennifer L. , Chang Patricia P. , Hsu Daphne T. , Kiernan Michael S. , Kobashigawa Jon A. , Lindenfeld JoAnn , Masri S. Carolina , Miller Dylan V. , Rodriguez E. Rene , Tyan Dolly B. , Zeevi Adriana ,   On behalf of the American Heart Association Heart Failure and Transplantation Committee of the Council on Clinical Cardiology; Council on Cardiovascular Disease in the Young; Council on Cardiovascular and Stroke Nursing; and Council on Cardiovascular Surgery and Anesthesia
Published: February 2019

Sensitization, defined as the presence of circulating antibodies, presents challenges for heart transplant recipients and physicians. When present, sensitization can limit a transplantation candidate’s access to organs, prolong wait time, and, in some cases, exclude the candidate from heart transplantation altogether. The management of sensitization is not yet standardized, and current therapies have not yielded consistent results. Although current strategies involve antibody suppression and removal with intravenous immunoglobulin, plasmapheresis, and antibody therapy, newer strategies with more specific targets are being investigated.
Cardiovascular Disease-Related Morbidity and Mortality in Women With a History of Pregnancy Complications
Authors: Grandi Sonia M. , Filion Kristian B. , Yoon Sarah , Ayele Henok T. , Doyle Carla M. , Hutcheon Jennifer A. , Smith Graeme N. , Gore Genevieve C. , Ray Joel G. , Nerenberg Kara , Platt Robert W.
Published: February 2019

Background:

Women with a history of certain pregnancy complications are at higher risk for cardiovascular (CVD) disease. However, most clinical guidelines only recommend postpartum follow-up of those with a history of preeclampsia, gestational diabetes mellitus, or preterm birth. This systematic review was undertaken to determine if there is an association between a broader array of pregnancy complications and the future risk of CVD.

Methods:

We systematically searched PubMed, MEDLINE and EMBASE (via Ovid), CINAHL, and the Cochrane Library from inception to September 22, 2017, for observational studies of the association between the hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, placental abruption, preterm birth, gestational diabetes mellitus, low birth weight, small-for-gestational-age birth, stillbirth, and miscarriage and subsequent CVD. Likelihood ratio meta-analyses were performed to generate pooled odds ratios (OR) and 95% intrinsic confidence intervals (ICI).

Results:

Our systematic review included 83 studies (28 993 438 patients). Sample sizes varied from 250 to 2 000 000, with a median follow-up of 7.5 years postpartum. The risk of CVD was highest in women with gestational hypertension (OR 1.7; 95% ICI, 1.3–2.2), preeclampsia (OR 2.7; 95% ICI, 2.5–3.0), placental abruption (OR 1.8; 95% ICI, 1.4–2.3), preterm birth (OR 1.6; 95% ICI, 1.4–1.9), gestational diabetes mellitus (OR 1.7; 95% ICI, 1.1–2.5), and stillbirth (OR 1.5; 95% ICI, 1.1–2.1). A consistent trend was seen for low birth weight and small-for-gestational-age birth weight but not for miscarriage.

Conclusions:

Women with a broader array of pregnancy complications, including placental abruption and stillbirth, are at increased risk of future CVD. The findings support the need for assessment and risk factor management beyond the postpartum period.
Cardiovascular Care in Women Veterans
Authors: Han Janet K. , Yano Elizabeth M. , Watson Karol E. , Ebrahimi Ramin
Published: February 2019

Cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death for women in the United States. Of the 1.3 million active duty service members, 16.3% are currently women, and the number of women veterans is expected to increase. Women veterans have higher rates of cardiovascular disease than civilian women and present a unique population. We focus on 5 key areas regarding cardiovascular disease care for women veterans: (1) the rapidly changing demographic; (2) prevalence of traditional risk factors; (3) prevalence of less traditional risk factors (eg, homelessness, military sexual trauma, and mental health disorders); (4) treatment and outcomes of cardiovascular disease; and (5) the current state and future directions of research in this area. This review is a call to action for continued improvements in the cardiovascular care and research for this rapidly growing, at-risk, and under-represented population.