bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Personality and Network Factors: Impact of Predispositions and Network Heterogenity on Civic Participation
Authors: Wang Zuoming , Tang Xia
Published: September 2019

This paper links predispositions and structural influences on civic participation by exploring the relationship among personality strength, network size, network heterogeneity, and political tolerance, as well as their direct and indirect impact on civic participation. Results from a national telephone survey (n=694) show political tolerance has a positive effect on political participation. The effect of personality strength on civic participation is mediated through discussion networks. Although personality strength has a negative effect on political tolerance, it boosts both the size of individual’s discussion network and the heterogeneity of this network. Moreover, network heterogeneity indirectly facilitates civic participation by increasing political knowledge and tolerance.
On the Effects of Tip Clearance and Operating Condition on the Flow Structures Within an Axial Turbomachine Rotor Passage
Authors: Li Yuanchao , Chen Huang , Tan David , Katz Joseph
Published: September 2019

Effects of tip clearance size and flowrate on the flow around the tip of an axial turbomachine rotor are studied experimentally. Visualizations and stereo-particle image velocimetry (PIV) measurements in a refractive index-matched facility compare the performance, leakage velocity, and the trajectory, growth rate, and strength of the tip leakage vortex (TLV) for gaps of 0.49% and 2.3% of the blade chord, and two flowrates. Enlarging the tip clearance delays the TLV breakup in the aft part of the rotor passage at high flowrates but causes earlier breakup under pre-stall conditions. It also reduces the entrainment of endwall boundary layer vorticity from the separation point where the leakage and passage flows meet. Reducing the flowrate or tip gap shifts the location of the TLV detachment from the blade suction side (SS) upstream to points where the leakage velocity is 70–80% of the tip speed. Once detached, the growth rates of the total shed circulation are similar for all cases, i.e., varying the gap or flowrate mostly shifts the detachment point. The TLV migration away from the SS decreases with an increasing gap but not with the flowrate. Two mechanisms dominate this migration: initially, the leakage jet pushes the TLV away from the blade at 50% of the leakage velocity. Further downstream, the TLV is driven by its image on the other side of the endwall. Differences in migration rate are caused by the smaller distance between the TLV and its image for the narrow gap, and the increase in initial TLV strength with decreasing flowrate and gap.
Thermophysical Properties of Steam–Air Under High Temperature and High Pressure
Authors: Wu Zhengbin , Jiang Shu , Wang Lei , Zhang Yiguo
Published: September 2019

Air-assisted steam injection is a new technique for heavy oil reservoir exploitation. This paper focused on the thermophysical properties of the air/steam system, such as density, viscosity, specific heat capacity, enthalpy, and thermal conductivity coefficient, and these have been calculated using the Redlich–Kwong equation of state (RK EOS). The viscosity of the air/steam system under high temperature and high pressure was calculated with the corresponding state principle and rectified with the Dean–Stiel residual viscosity method. The results showed that compared with the saturated steam of the same mass, the viscosity, specific heat capacity, thermal conductivity, and enthalpy of the air/steam mixture decreased, while the specific volume increased, which indicated that the addition of air to steam weakened the thermal effect of the steam and makes use of the heat insulation and thermal expansion of air. This study can provide guidance for parameter design of air-assisted steam injection for heavy oil recovery.
The Concurrent Control of Motion and Contact Force in the Presence of Predictable Disturbances
Authors: Piovesan Davide , Kolesnikov Maxim , Lynch Kevin , Mussa-Ivaldi Ferdinando A.
Published: September 2019

The simultaneous control of force and motion is important in everyday activities when humans interact with objects. While many studies have analyzed the control of movement within a perturbing force field, few have investigated its dual aspects of controlling a contact force in nonisometric conditions. The mechanism by which the central nervous system controls forces during movements is still unclear, and it can be elucidated by estimating the mechanical properties of the arm during tasks with concurrent motion and contact force goals. We investigate how arm mechanics change when a force control task is accomplished during low-frequency positional perturbations of the arm. Contrary to many force regulation algorithms implemented in robotics, where contact impedance is decreased to reduce force fluctuations in response to position disturbances, we observed a steady increase of arm endpoint stiffness as the task progressed. Based on this evidence, we propose a theoretical framework suggesting that an internal model of the perturbing trajectory is formed. We observed that force regulation in the presence of predictable positional disturbances is implemented using a position control strategy together with the modulation of the endpoint stiffness magnitude, where the direction of the endpoint stiffness ellipse's major axis is oriented toward the desired force.
Investigation of Flow Field at the Inlet of a Turbocharger Compressor Using Digital Particle Image Velocimetry
Authors: Banerjee Deb , Dehner Rick , Selamet Ahmet , Tallio Kevin , Miazgowicz Keith , Keller Philip , Shutty John
Published: September 2019

The flow field at the inlet of a turbocharger compressor has been studied through stereoscopic particle image velocimetry (SPIV) experiments under different operating conditions. It is found that the flow field is quite uniform at high mass flow rates; but as the mass flow rate is reduced, flow reversal from the impeller is observed as an annular ring at the periphery of the inlet duct. The inception of flow reversal is observed to occur in the mid-flow operating region, near peak efficiency, and corresponds to an incidence angle of about 15.5 deg at the inducer blade tips at all tested speeds. This reversed flow region is marked with high tangential velocity and rapid fluctuations. It grows in strength with reducing mass flow rate and imparts some of its angular momentum to the forward flow due to mixing. The penetration depth of the reversed flow upstream from the inducer plane is found to increase quadratically with decreasing flow rate.
Silicone/Carbon Nanotube Sheet Biofidelic Piezoresistive Sandwich Composites
Authors: Jiang Nengda , Namilae Sirish , Unnikrishnan Vinu
Published: September 2019

Silicone-based biofidelic surrogates are used in many biomedical applications. Apart from mimicking the mechanical behavior of bodily tissues, there is an increasing requirement for these materials to be electrically conductive and piezoresistive to facilitate direct instrumentation. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been extensively investigated as fillers to impart electrical conductivity and piezoresistivity to polymeric materials including silicone. In this paper, we fabricate, test, and characterize a two-part silicone/CNT sheet sandwich composites that exhibit conductivity, piezoresistivity, and biofidelic with mechanical properties corresponding to that of the white matter of human brain tissue. The electromechanical performance of the sandwich composite improves in subsequent loading after the core fracture during initial loading. Analytical models developed for discontinuous core sandwich structures are used to analyze and explain the experimental results. The results indicate the potential for using this discontinuous core biofidelic-piezoresistive sandwich nanocomposite for biomedical applications without deploying external deformation sensors.
Comprehensive Well Test Interpretation Method, Process, and Multiple Solutions Analysis for Complicated Carbonate Reservoirs
Authors: Yang Renfeng , Jiang Ruizhong , Patil Shirish , Liu Shun , Gao Yihua , Chen Han , Sun Zhaobo
Published: September 2019

The main characteristic of the complicated carbonate reservoirs is notably strong heterogeneous, leading to a high uncertainty in formation parameter evaluation. The most reliable method for obtaining the dynamic parameters is well test interpretation. However, the well test curve shows similar characteristics for multi-layers reservoirs, dual-medium reservoirs, and carbonate reservoirs with lithology mixed sedimentation lithology. Sometimes the well test fitting result under the mentioned three kinds of models is satisfied, but the interpretation result is quite different. In order to reduce the parameter evaluation multiplicity, the synthetic identification and evaluation method for obtaining the physical parameters of the complicated carbonate reservoir was proposed, based on completion types, core analysis, lithology analysis, and well test results. The evaluation method distinguishes the different carbonate reservoir characteristics from similar well test responses by summarizing and classifying the completion method, reservoir fracture characteristics, and production logging test (PLT) results. The reliability of the proposed method is verified by an application of actual carbonate reservoir parameters evaluation. The proposed method can distinguish among multi-layers reservoirs, dual-medium, and complicated reservoirs with mixed sedimentation lithology whose main characteristic is that concavity existing in the pressure derivative curve. If the well test match results were satisfied enough which lead to the proposed method and process was ignored, the interpretation results and production performance prediction may deviate largely from the actual situation.
On ray tracing for sharp changing media
Authors: Ramos Oliveira Jorge A. , Baltazar Arturo , Castelán Mario
Published: September 2019

Ray tracing is an integral part of modern imaging and inversion techniques. Several methods have been proposed depending on the requirements of the application. Some algorithms are best applied to fast changing material properties, like an interface between two differing media, while others are well suited to media with gradually changing properties, like composite materials. In this paper, an enhanced numerical algorithm for ray tracing is presented. Focus is given to solutions involving ordinary differential equations with initial-value conditions. The proposed algorithm is the result of a combination of two classical implementations and the authors show that it is well suited for media with both sharp and gradual changes in the index of refraction. Additionally, the authors present an application of ray path computation by using the technique known as the shooting method.
An Investigation of Risk Management Plans in Intramural Sports Programs within Public Universities
Authors: Lee Soonhwan
Published: September 2019

This study surveyed 369 public four-year institutions in an effort to determine the preparedness of these organizations with regard to risk management and its effects on the operation a recreational sports program. A total of 195 responses were tabulated in the data.

Sixty-one percent of the responding institutions stated that they had a risk management plan in place. Three-fourths of the respondents stated that this risk management plan improved the quality of their services and two-thirds stated that the risk management plan reduced injury rates within their programs. The existence of risk management plan was found to be significantly related to the size of the annual operating budget of the organization.

Future research should focus on four areas: (1) The relationship between risk management plans and the number of participants; (2) The specific roles of risk managers; (3) The differences between public and private institutions with regard to legal issues; and (4) The impact of risk management plans from the perspective of the participants.
Conducting Effective Surveys on a Limited Budget
Authors: Gonzalez G.L.
Published: September 2019

Surveys have the potential to be money-saving instruments when they are designed correctly in order to minimize error. Even on a limited budget, an effective survey can be designed and implemented. The trick is to save money throughout the process.
Incentive Programs at Campus Recreation Centers
Authors: Crow R. Brian , Gonsoulin Sid , Phillips Dennis
Published: September 2019

Many colleges and universities today offer students, faculty, alumni, and community members access to on-campus recreation centers. These centers offer cardiovascular and weight-training equipment, swimming pools, snack areas and juice bars, multipurpose gymnasiums, racquetball courts, locker rooms, saunas, steam rooms, and a variety of other amenities. These services are often included in a student's semester activity fee, while many institutions make the facilities available at a nominal charge for faculty and staff. In order to entice faculty and staff utilize these facilities, some institutions have begun creating and offering incentive packages for users. This research is focused on reasons why employee participation is beneficial to both the individual and the institution, how employees can be motivated through the use of incentives, the various types of participation incentives offered, examples of successful incentives, and recommendations for future incentive plans.
Leadership
Authors: Carpenter Mary
Published: September 2019

It would seem that several components are required, each dependent upon the other and insignificant without the other, to provide a satisfactory explanation of the leadership phenomenon.

Jay Shivers

Leadership is one of the most complex phenomena in human relations and an ever-elusive riddle to those who must master it.

Owens James
Inflammation induces stress erythropoiesis through heme-dependent activation of SPI-C
Authors: Bennett Laura F. , Liao Chang , Quickel Michael D. , Yeoh Beng San , Vijay-Kumar Matam , Hankey-Giblin Pamela , Prabhu K. Sandeep , Paulson Robert F.
Published: September 2019

Erythrophagocytosis and the production of proinflammatory cytokines promote stress erythropoiesis during inflammation.
Genes Involved in Galactooligosaccharide Metabolism in Lactobacillus reuteri and Their Ecological Role in the Gastrointestinal Tract
Authors: Rattanaprasert Monchaya , van Pijkeren Jan-Peter , Ramer-Tait Amanda E. , Quintero Maria , Kok Car Reen , Walter Jens , Hutkins Robert W.
Published: September 2019

This study shows that
lac
genes in
Lactobacillus reuteri
encode hydrolases and transporters that are necessary for the metabolism of GOS, as well as α-galactoside substrates. Coculture experiments with the wild-type strain and a
gos
mutant clearly demonstrated that GOS utilization confers a growth advantage in medium containing GOS as the sole carbohydrate source. However, the wild-type strain also outcompeted the mutant in germfree mice, suggesting that GOS genes in
L. reuteri
also provide a basis for utilization of other carbohydrates, including α-galactosides, ordinarily present in the diets of humans and other animals. Collectively, our work provides information on the metabolism of
L. reuteri
in its natural niche in the gut and may provide a basis for the development of synbiotic strategies.
CidR and CcpA Synergistically Regulate Staphylococcus aureus
cidABC
Expression
Authors: Sadykov Marat R. , Windham Ian H. , Widhelm Todd J. , Yajjala Vijaya Kumar , Watson Sean M. , Endres Jennifer L. , Bavari Arissa I. , Thomas Vinai C. , Bose Jeffrey L. , Bayles Kenneth W.
Published: September 2019

This work focuses on the characterization of
cis
- and
trans
-acting elements essential for the induction of the
cidABC
operon in
S. aureus
. The results of this study are the first to demonstrate the synergistic control of
cidABC
expression by transcriptional regulators CidR and CcpA during carbohydrate metabolism. We established that the full induction of
cidABC
expression depends on the metabolic state of bacteria and requires both CidR and CcpA. Together, these findings delineate regulatory control of
cidABC
expression under different metabolic conditions and provide important new insights into our understanding of cell death mechanisms during biofilm development in
S. aureus
.
The Education of NK Cells Determines Their Responsiveness to Autologous HIV-Infected CD4 T Cells
Authors: Kiani Zahra , Dupuy Franck P. , Bruneau Julie , Lebouché Bertrand , Retière Christelle , Geraghty Daniel E. , Bernard Nicole F.
Published: September 2019

Epidemiological studies show that natural killer (NK) cells have anti-HIV activity: they are able to reduce the risk of HIV infection and/or slow HIV disease progression. How NK cells contribute to these outcomes is not fully characterized. We used primary NK cells and autologous HIV-infected cells to examine the role of education through four inhibitory killer immunoglobulin-like receptors (iKIRs) from persons with HLA types that are able to educate NK cells bearing one of these iKIRs. HIV-infected cells activated NK cells through missing-self mechanisms due to the downmodulation of cell surface HLA expression mediated by HIV Nef and Vpu. A higher frequency of educated than uneducated NK cells expressing each of these iKIRs responded to autologous HIV-infected cells by producing CCL4, IFN-γ, and CD107a. Since NK cells were from non-HIV-infected individuals, they model the consequences of healthy NK cell–HIV-infected cell interactions occurring in the HIV eclipse phase, when new infections are susceptible to extinction.
Genomic Variation among Strains of
Crithidia bombi
and
C. expoeki
Authors: Gerasimov Evgeny , Zemp Niklaus , Schmid-Hempel Regula , Schmid-Hempel Paul , Yurchenko Vyacheslav
Published: September 2019

A group of trypanosomatid flagellates includes several well-studied medically and economically important parasites of vertebrates and plants. Nevertheless, the vast majority of trypanosomatids infect only insects (mostly flies and true bugs) and, because of that, has attracted little research attention in the past. Of several hundred trypanosomatid species, only four can infect bees (honeybees and bumblebees). Because of such scarcity, these parasites are severely understudied. We analyzed whole-genome information for a total of 42 representatives of bee-infecting trypanosomatids collected in Central Europe and Alaska from a population genetics point of view. Our data shed light on the evolution, selection, and diversification in this important group of trypanosomatid parasites.
Identification of 4-Amino-Thieno[2,3-
d
]Pyrimidines as QcrB Inhibitors in Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Authors: Harrison Gregory A. , Mayer Bridwell Anne E. , Singh Megh , Jayaraman Keshav , Weiss Leslie A. , Kinsella Rachel L. , Aneke Janessa S. , Flentie Kelly , Schene Miranda E. , Gaggioli Margaret , Solomon Samantha D. , Wildman Scott A. , Meyers Marvin J. , Stallings Christina L.
Published: September 2019

The global tuberculosis (TB) epidemic has been exacerbated by the rise in drug-resistant TB cases worldwide. To tackle this crisis, it is necessary to identify new vulnerable drug targets in
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
, the causative agent of TB, and develop compounds that can inhibit the bacterium through novel mechanisms of action. The QcrB subunit of the electron transport chain enzyme cytochrome
bc
1
has recently been validated to be a potential drug target. In the current work, we report the discovery of a new class of QcrB inhibitors, 4-amino-thieno[2,3-
d
]pyrimidines, that potently inhibit
M. tuberculosis
growth
in vitro
. These compounds are chemically distinct from previously reported QcrB inhibitors, and therefore, 4-amino-thieno[2,3-
d
]pyrimidines represent a new scaffold that can be exploited to inhibit this drug target.
Neonate with persisting respiratory distress after resolution of pneumothorax
Authors: Ray Sagarika
Published: September 2019

­

A preterm baby boy was born in good condition at 31+5 weeks gestation with a birth weight of 1956 g, following a precipitous labour with no prolonged rupture of membranes and no opportunity for administration of antenatal steroids to mother. Following admission to the neonatal unit, he developed respiratory distress and was commenced on nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) of 6 cm of water. At 24 hours of age, he developed a left-sided tension pneumothorax (figure 1), requiring endotracheal intubation and insertion of a chest drain. He received two doses of surfactant and was extubated onto CPAP on day 3. There was reaccumulation of the pneumothorax on day 4, which was subsequently drained. He remained self-ventilating in air in the second week of life. From day 15 to day 30, he required humidified high flow nasal cannula oxygen (fractional inspired oxygen up to 0.4), in view of marked subcostal and intercostal recession, intolerance to handling and a compensated respiratory acidosis on capillary blood gases. Figure 2 is the chest radiograph undertaken in the third week of life.

Figure 1

Chest radiograph (supine anteroposterior) on day 1.

Figure 2

Chest radiograph (supine anteroposterior) in week 3.

Questions

What is the most likely diagnosis in this case?

Congenital pulmonary airway malformation (CPAM)

Respiratory distress syndrome

Pulmonary interstitial emphysema (PIE)

Pneumatocoele

Congenital diaphragmatic hernia

Which of the following is not an effective option for treatment of this condition?

Corticosteroid therapy

Lateral decubitus with affected side down

High frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV)

Selective main bronchial intubation of contralateral lung (which is not affected)

Chest physiotherapy

Which of the following statements is false about this condition?

Complications can include other air leak syndromes

Most neonates presenting with this condition have been mechanically ventilated

Diagnosis is usually made on a chest radiograph

Surfactant therapy has been associated with an increase in this condition

Air embolism can be a fatal complication

Answers can be found on page 2
Anti-TNF therapy in IBD exerts its therapeutic effect through macrophage IL-10 signalling
Authors: Koelink Pim J , Bloemendaal Felicia M , Li Bofeng , Westera Liset , Vogels Esther W M , van Roest Manon , Gloudemans Anouk K , van 't Wout Angelique B , Korf Hannelie , Vermeire Séverine , te Velde Anje A , Ponsioen Cyriel Y , D'Haens Geert RAM , Verbeek J Sjef , Geiger Terrence L , Wildenberg Manon E , van den Brink Gijs R
Published: September 2019

Objective

Macrophage interleukin (IL)-10 signalling plays a critical role in the maintenance of a regulatory phenotype that prevents the development of IBD. We have previously found that anti-tumour necrosis factor (TNF) monoclonal antibodies act through Fcγ-receptor (FcγR) signalling to promote repolarisation of proinflammatory intestinal macrophages to a CD206+ regulatory phenotype. The role of IL-10 in anti-TNF-induced macrophage repolarisation has not been examined.

Design

We used human peripheral blood monocytes and mouse bone marrow-derived macrophages to study IL-10 production and CD206+ regulatory macrophage differentiation. To determine whether the efficacy of anti-TNF was dependent on IL-10 signalling in vivo and in which cell type, we used the CD4+CD45RbhighT-cell transfer model in combination with several genetic mouse models.

Results

Anti-TNF therapy increased macrophage IL-10 production in an FcγR-dependent manner, which caused differentiation of macrophages to a more regulatory CD206+ phenotype in vitro. Pharmacological blockade of IL-10 signalling prevented the induction of these CD206+ regulatory macrophages and diminished the therapeutic efficacy of anti-TNF therapy in the CD4+CD45RbhighT-cell transfer model of IBD. Using cell type-specific IL-10 receptor mutant mice, we found that IL-10 signalling in macrophages but not T cells was critical for the induction of CD206+ regulatory macrophages and therapeutic response to anti-TNF.

Conclusion

The therapeutic efficacy of anti-TNF in resolving intestinal inflammation is critically dependent on IL-10 signalling in macrophages.
HIV testing barriers and intervention strategies among men, transgender women, female sex workers and incarcerated persons in the Caribbean: a systematic review
Authors: Hamilton Akeen , Shin Stephen , Taggart Tamara , Whembolua Guy-Lucien , Martin Indira , Budhwani Henna , Conserve Donaldson
Published: September 2019

Background

This systematic review summarises evidence on the HIV testing barriers and intervention strategies among Caribbean populations and provides pertinent implications for future research endeavours designed to increase rates of HIV testing in the region.

Methods

We used a systematic approach to survey all literature published between January 2008 and November 2018 using four electronic databases (MEDLINE/PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and Global Health). Only peer-reviewed articles published in English that examined HIV testing uptake and interventions in the Caribbean with men, men who have sex with men, female sex workers, transgender women and incarcerated individuals were included.

Results

Twenty-one studies met the inclusion criteria. Lack of confidentiality, access to testing sites, stigma, discrimination, poverty and low HIV risk perception were identified as key barriers to HIV testing. These barriers often contributed to late HIV testing and were associated with delayed treatment initiation and decreased survival rate. Intervention strategies to address these barriers included offering rapid HIV testing at clinics and HIV testing outreach by trained providers and peers.

Conclusion

HIV testing rates remain unacceptably low across the Caribbean for several reasons, including stigma and discrimination. Future HIV testing interventions should target places where at-risk populations congregate, train laypersons to conduct rapid tests and consider using oral fluid HIV self-testing, which allows individuals to test at home.
Gendered practices in veterinary organisations
Authors: Knights David , Clarke Caroline
Published: September 2019

As a result of scandals concerning sexual harassment in Hollywood and in the media, as well as questions regarding the size of the gender pay gap, considerable attention has recently been paid to questions of gender diversity and discrimination in organisations. Gender issues would appear particularly salient within the veterinary profession, not least because women are beginning to outnumber men as practitioners. While this research on veterinary surgeons was not initially focused on gender, as the study progressed gender became an issue of such importance that it could not be ignored. Although ‘feminized in numerical terms’, the veterinary profession and ‘its professional structure and culture remains gendered masculine’. Translated into practice, this means that although 76 per cent of vet school graduates are currently female, disproportionately few have risen or are rising through the hierarchy. On the surface it is easy to rationalise this away partly by simply stating how many female vets appear to sacrifice career for family, but the authors’ aim is to go beyond merely repeating and reinforcing the common sense view of female reproduction and parenting as the sole explanation for gender inequality within this and other professions.
Effect of HIIT versus MICT on body composition and energy intake in dietary restrained and unrestrained adolescents with obesity
Authors: Miguet Maud , Fearnbach Nicole S. , Metz Lore , Khammassi Marwa , Julian Valérie , Cardenoux Charlotte , Pereira Bruno , Boirie Yves , Duclos Martine , Thivel David
Published: September 2019

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) has been suggested as an effective alternative to traditional moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) that can yield improvements in a variety of health outcomes. Yet, despite the urgent need to find effective strategies for the treatment of pediatric obesity, only a few studies have addressed the impact of HIIT on eating behaviors and body composition in this population. This study aimed to compare the effect of HIIT versus MICT on eating behaviors in adolescents with obesity and to assess if the participants’ baseline dietary status is associated with the success of the intervention. Forty-three adolescents with obesity were randomly assigned to a 16-week MICT or HIIT intervention. Body composition and 24-h ad libitum energy intake were assessed at baseline and at the end of the program. Restrained eating, emotional eating, and external eating were assessed using the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire at baseline. Both interventions led to significant weight, body mass index (BMI), and fat mass percentage (FM%) reductions, with better improvements in FM% in the HIIT group; whereas 24-h ad libitum energy intake increased to a similar extent in both groups. HIIT provides better body composition improvements over MICT, despite a similar increase in energy intake. Restrained eaters experienced less weight loss and smaller BMI reduction compared with unrestrained eaters; higher baseline cognitively restrained adolescents showed a greater increase of their ad libitum energy intake.

Novelty HIIT favors better body composition improvements compared with MICT. Both MICT and HIIT increased ad libitum energy intake in adolescents with obesity. Weight loss achievement is better among unrestrained eaters.
Prolonged treadmill running in normobaric hypoxia causes gastrointestinal barrier permeability and elevates circulating levels of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines
Authors: Hill Garrett W. , Gillum Trevor L. , Lee Ben J. , Romano Phebe A. , Schall Zach J. , Hamilton Ally M. , Kuennen Matthew R.
Published: September 2019

This study examined the impact of treadmill running in normobaric hypoxia on gastrointestinal barrier permeability and the systemic inflammatory response. Ten recreationally active participants completed two 1-h bouts of matched-workload treadmill exercise (65% normoxic maximal oxygen consumption) in counterbalanced order. One bout was performed in normoxia (NORM: fraction of inspired oxygen (FIO2) = 20.9%) and the other in normobaric hypoxia (HYP: FIO2= 13.5%). Minute ventilation, respiratory rate (RR), tidal volume (VT), oxygen consumption, carbon dioxide production, respiratory exchange ratio (RER), and heart rate (HR) were measured with a metabolic cart. Peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO2) was measured with pulse oximetry. Absolute tissue saturation (StO2) was measured with near-infrared spectroscopy. Fatty acid-binding protein (I-FABP) and circulating cytokine concentrations (interleukin (IL)-1Ra, IL-6, IL-10) were assayed from plasma samples that were collected pre-exercise, postexercise, 1 h-postexercise, and 4 h-postexercise. Data were analyzed with 2-way (condition × time) repeated-measures ANOVAs. Newman–Keuls post hoc tests were run where appropriate (p < 0.05). As compared with NORM, 1 h of treadmill exercise in HYP caused greater (p < 0.05) changes in minute ventilation (+30%), RR(+16%), VT(+10%), carbon dioxide production (+18%), RER (+16%), HR (+4%), SpO2(–16%), and StO2(–10%). Gut barrier permeability and circulating cytokine concentrations were also greater (p < 0.05) following HYP exercise, where I-FABP was shown increased at postexercise (+68%) and IL-1Ra at 1 h-postexercise (+266%). I-FABP and IL-1Ra did not change (p > 0.05) following NORM exercise. IL-6 and IL-10 increased with exercise in both study conditions but were increased more (p < 0.05) following HYP at postexercise (+705% and +127%, respectively) and 1 h-postexercise (+400% and +128%, respectively).

Novelty Normobaric hypoxia caused significant desaturation and increased most cardiopulmonary responses by 10%–30%. Significant gut barrier permeability and increased pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokine concentrations could promote an “open window” in the hours following HYP exercise.
Modulation of oxidative–nitrosative stress and inflammatory response by rapamycin in target and distant organs in rats exposed to hindlimb ischemia–reperfusion: the role of mammalian target of rapamycin
Authors: Kocak Zumrut , Temiz-Resitoglu Meryem , Guden Demet Sinem , Vezir Ozden , Sucu Nehir , Balcı Senay , Tamer-Gumus Lulufer , Tunctan Bahar , Malik Kafait U. , Sahan-Firat Seyhan
Published: September 2019

Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) has been recognized with potential immunomodulatory properties playing an important role in various physiopathological processes including ischemia–reperfusion (I/R) injury. I/R injury stimulate reactive oxygen and nitrogen species by activating nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase and inducible nitric oxide synthase, respectively. Controversial results have been obtained in different I/R models following localized I/R; however, the precise role of the mTOR signaling pathway remains undefined. The objective of the current study was to evaluate the role of the mTOR in oxidative–nitrosative stress and inflammation in hindlimb I/R-induced injury in target and remote organ injuries. In rats subjected to I/R, an increased expression of ribosomal protein S6 (rpS6), inhibitor κB (IκB)-α, nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) p65, inducible nitric oxide synthase, cyclooxygenase 2, gp91phox, and levels of tumor necrosis factor α, nitrite, nitrotyrosine, malondialdehyde and the activities of myeloperoxidase and catalase in the tissues and (or) sera were detected. Treatment with rapamycin, a selective inhibitor of mTOR, reversed all the I/R-induced changes as manifested by its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects in kidney and gastrocnemius muscle of rats. Collectively, these findings suggest that rapamycin protects against I/R-induced oxidative–nitrosative stress and inflammation leading to organ injuries via suppression of mTOR/IκB-α/NF-κB signaling pathway.
Representations for three-point Lie algebras of genus zero
Authors: Liu Dong , Pei Yufeng , Xia Limeng
Published: September 2019

In this paper, we study representations for three-point Lie algebras of genus zero based on the Cox–Jurisich’s presentations. We construct two functors which transform simple restricted modules with nonzero levels over the standard affine algebras into simple modules over the three-point affine algebras of genus zero. As a corollary, vertex representations are constructed for the three-point affine algebra of genus zero using vertex operators. Moreover, we construct a Fock module for certain quotient of three-point Virasoro algebra of genus zero.
Radial anharmonic oscillator: Perturbation theory, new semiclassical expansion, approximating eigenfunctions. I. Generalities, cubic anharmonicity case
Authors: del Valle J. C. , Turbiner A. V.
Published: September 2019

For the general [Formula: see text]-dimensional radial anharmonic oscillator with potential [Formula: see text] the perturbation theory (PT) in powers of coupling constant [Formula: see text] (weak coupling regime) and in inverse, fractional powers of [Formula: see text] (strong coupling regime) is developed constructively in [Formula: see text]-space and in [Formula: see text]-space, respectively. The Riccati–Bloch (RB) equation and generalized Bloch (GB) equation are introduced as ones which govern dynamics in coordinate [Formula: see text]-space and in [Formula: see text]-space, respectively, exploring the logarithmic derivative of wave function [Formula: see text]. It is shown that PT in powers of [Formula: see text] developed in RB equation leads to Taylor expansion of [Formula: see text] at small [Formula: see text] while being developed in GB equation leads to a new form of semiclassical expansion at large [Formula: see text]: it coincides with loop expansion in path integral formalism. In complementary way PT for large [Formula: see text] developed in RB equation leads to an expansion of [Formula: see text] at large [Formula: see text] and developed in GB equation leads to an expansion at small [Formula: see text]. Interpolating all four expansions for [Formula: see text] leads to a compact function (called the Approximant), which should uniformly approximate the exact eigenfunction at [Formula: see text] for any coupling constant [Formula: see text] and dimension [Formula: see text]. As a concrete application, the low-lying states of the cubic anharmonic oscillator [Formula: see text] are considered. 3 free parameters of the Approximant are fixed by taking it as a trial function in variational calculus. It is shown that the relative deviation of the Approximant from the exact ground state eigenfunction is [Formula: see text] for [Formula: see text] for coupling constant [Formula: see text] and dimension [Formula: see text] In turn, the variational energies of the low-lying states are obtained with unprecedented accuracy 7–8 s.d. for [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]
Experimental Assessment of Effect of Backlash Control Parameters on Quadrant Protrusions of Circular Tests for CNC Machine Tools
Authors: Hsu Chuan-Hsun , Wang Chi-Hsiang , Yeh Syh-Shiuh
Published: September 2019

Backlash, friction, and servo lag factors often result in protrusion or segment difference phenomenon in the moving speed reversal of a machine tool’s moving table. This phenomenon can be improved by adjusting the backlash control parameters of the machine tool controller, but the control parameters must vary with the feed rate and payload of the moving table. Therefore, this study performed the circular test process for CNC machine tools, and used different feed rate, radius, and payload motion conditions to discuss the effect of backlash control parameters on quadrant protrusions. First, this study used parameter-range reduction combined with the Taguchi method and the binary search algorithm to search for the optimal backlash control parameters in the parameter setting range, so that the machine tool could have preferable quadrant protrusion performance when executing circular tests. Afterward, the correlation of the moving table feed rate, radius, and payload to the quadrant protrusion was analyzed according to the experimental results. The results indicated that the machine tool moving table feed rate had the most apparent effect on quadrant protrusions, and the relationship between the payload and quadrant protrusion was influenced by the moving table feed rate and circular radius simultaneously.
CM-types with large index of degeneracy
Authors: Kida Masanari , Yanai Hiromichi
Published: September 2019

For an abelian variety [Formula: see text] of CM-type, the index of degeneracy is the minimum of [Formula: see text] such that the product [Formula: see text] holds an exceptional Hodge cycle. We present new examples with the index of degeneracy larger than [Formula: see text].
The Positive Impact of Push vs Pull Progress Feedback
Authors: Cauchard Jessica R. , Frey Jeremy , Zahrt Octavia , Johnson Krister , Crum Alia , Landay James A.
Published: September 2019

Lack of physical activity has been shown to increase disease and reduce life expectancy. In response, mobile devices are increasingly being used to support people's health and fitness by tracking physical activity. Prior work shows that the type of feedback, either ambient or via notification, affects users' behavior towards their physical activity. Yet, these phone- and watch-based interactions and notifications have primarily been visual in nature. Inspired by prior research, we explored the impact of feedback modality (visual, tactile, and hybrid: visual/tactile) on 44 participants' behavior and exercise mindset in a 6-week field study. We present the differences between modalities and the notion of push vs. pull for interface feedback and notifications. Across 1,662 days of study data, we found statistically significant impacts of feedback modality and, in particular, the positive effects of push feedback on participants' mindset about the process of exercise. Our results also highlight design guidelines for wearables and multimodal notification systems.
TurnsMap
Authors: Chen Dongyao , Shin Kang G.
Published: September 2019

Left turns are known to be one of the most dangerous driving maneuvers.1 An effective way to mitigate this safety risk is to install a left-turn enforcement --- e.g., a protected left-turn signal or all-way stop signs --- at every turn that preserves a traffic phase exclusively for left turns. Although this protection scheme can significantly increase the driving safety, information on whether or not a road segment (e.g., intersection) has such a setting is not yet available to the public and navigation systems.

This paper presents a system, called TurnsMap, that exploits mobile crowdsensing and deep learning to classify the protection settings of left turns. One of our key findings is that crowdsensed IMU sensor (i.e., gyroscope and accelerometer) data from onboard mobile devices can be used to recognize different types of left-turn protection. TurnsMap first collects IMU sensor data from mobile devices or smartphones carried by the driver/passenger(s) in a moving car. It then feeds the data to an analytics engine powered by (1) a data mining engine for extracting and clustering left turns by processing raw IMU data, and (2) a deep-learning pipeline for learning the model from the IMU data to identify the protection type of each left turn.

We have built and used a large-scale real-world driving dataset to evaluate TurnsMap, demonstrating its capability of identifying different left-turn enforcements with 90.3% accuracy. A wide range of automotive apps can benefit (e.g., enhancing traffic safety) from the left-turns information unearthed by TurnsMap.
ASSV
Authors: Ding Feng , Wang Dong , Zhang Qian , Zhao Run
Published: September 2019

As one kind of biological characteristics of people, handwritten signature has been widely used in the banking industry, government and education. Verifying handwritten signatures manually causes too much human cost, and its high probability of errors can threaten the property safety and even society stability. Therefore, the need for an automatic verification system is emphasized. This paper proposes a device-free on-line handwritten signature verification system ASSV, providing paper-based handwritten signature verification service. As far as we know, ASSV is the first system which uses the changes of acoustic signals to realize signature verification. ASSV differs from previous on-line signature verification work in two aspects: 1. It requires neither a special sensor-instrumented pen nor a tablet; 2. People do not need to wear a device such as a smartwatch on the dominant hand for hand tracking. Differing from previous acoustic-based sensing systems, ASSV uses a novel chord-based method to estimate phase-related changes caused by tiny actions. Then based on the estimation, frequency-domain features are extracted by a discrete cosine transform (DCT). Moreover, a deep convolutional neural network (CNN) model fed with distance matrices is designed to verify signatures. Extensive experiments show that ASSV is a robust, efficient and secure system achieving an AUC of 98.7% and an EER of 5.5% with a low latency.
EarEcho
Authors: Gao Yang , Wang Wei , Phoha Vir V. , Sun Wei , Jin Zhanpeng
Published: September 2019

Smart wearable devices have recently become one of the major technological trends and been widely adopted by the general public. Wireless earphones, in particular, have seen a skyrocketing growth due to its great usability and convenience. With the goal of seeking a more unobtrusive wearable authentication method that the users can easily use and conveniently access, in this study we present EarEcho as a novel, affordable, user-friendly biometric authentication solution. EarEcho takes advantages of the unique physical and geometrical characteristics of human ear canal and assesses the content-free acoustic features of in-ear sound waves for user authentication in a wearable and mobile manner. We implemented the proposed EarEcho on a proof-of-concept prototype and tested it among 20 subjects under diverse application scenarios. We can achieve a recall of 94.19% and precision of 95.16% for one-time authentication, while a recall of 97.55% and precision of 97.57% for continuous authentication. EarEcho has demonstrated its stability over time and robustness to cope with the uncertainties on the varying background noises, body motions, and sound pressure levels.
Blocks
Authors: Guo Anhong , Canberk Ilter , Murphy Hannah , Monroy-Hernández Andrés , Vaish Rajan
Published: September 2019

We introduce Blocks, a mobile application that enables people to co-create AR structures that persist in the physical environment. Using Blocks, end users can collaborate synchronously or asynchronously, whether they are colocated or remote. Additionally, the AR structures can be tied to a physical location or can be accessed from anywhere. We evaluated how people used Blocks through a series of lab and field deployment studies with over 160 participants, and explored the interplay between two collaborative dimensions: space and time. We found that participants preferred creating structures synchronously with colocated collaborators. Additionally, they were most active when they created structures that were not restricted by time or place. Unlike most of today's AR experiences, which focus on content consumption, this work outlines new design opportunities for persistent and collaborative AR experiences that empower anyone to collaborate and create AR content.
VoltKey
Authors: Lee Kyuin , Klingensmith Neil , Banerjee Suman , Kim Younghyun
Published: September 2019

The explosive proliferation of Internet-of-Things (IoT) ecosystem fuels the needs for a mechanism for the user to easily and securely interconnect multiple heterogeneous devices with minimal involvement. However, the current paradigm of context-unaware pairing and authentication methods (e.g., using a preset or user-defined password) poses severe challenges in the usability and security aspects due to the limited and siloed user interface that requires substantial effort on establishing or maintaining a secure network. In this paper, we present VoltKey, a method that transparently and continuously generates secret keys for colocated devices, leveraging spatiotemporally unique noise contexts observed in commercial power line infrastructure. We introduce a novel scheme to extract randomness from power line noise and securely convert it into the same key by a pair of devices. The unique noise pattern observed only by trusted devices connected to a local power line prevents malicious devices without physical access from obtaining unauthorized access to the network. VoltKey can be implemented on top of standard USB power supplies as a platform-agnostic bolt-on addition to any IoT devices or wireless access points that are constantly connected to the power outlet. Through extensive experiments under various realistic deployment environments, we demonstrate that VoltKey can successfully establish a secret key among colocated devices with over 90% success rate, while effectively rejecting malicious devices that do not have access to the local power line (but may have access to a spatially nearby line).