bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mesozoic denudation history of the lower Orange River and eastward migration of erosion across the southern African Plateau
Authors: Stanley Jessica R. , Flowers Rebecca M.
Published: January 2020

Topographic uplift of the southern African Plateau is commonly attributed to mantle causes, but the links between mantle processes, uplift, and erosion patterns are not necessarily straightforward. We acquired apatite (U-Th)/He (AHe) dates from eight kimberlite and basement samples from the lower reaches of the large westward-draining Orange River system with the goal of evaluating the roles of lithospheric modification and river incision on the erosion history here. Average AHe dates range from 79 to 118 Ma and thermal history models suggest that most samples are consistent with a main erosion phase at ca. 120–100 Ma, with some variability across the region indicating a complex erosion history. Major erosion overlaps with the timing of strong lithospheric thermochemical modification as recorded in xenoliths from the studied kimberlites, but the denudation pattern does not mimic the northward progression of lithospheric alteration across the study region. We attribute this area’s denudation history to a combination of mantle effects, rifting, establishment of the Orange River outlet at its current location, and later faulting. When considering these results with other kimberlite-derived surface histories from an ∼1000-km-long E-W transect across the plateau, an eastward-younging trend in denudation is evident. The interplay of mantle processes and the shape of the large, west-draining Orange River basin likely control this first order-pattern.
Cretaceous and late Cenozoic uplift of a Variscan Massif: The case of the French Massif Central studied through low-temperature thermochronometry
Authors: Olivetti Valerio , Balestrieri Maria Laura , Godard Vincent , Bellier Olivier , Gautheron Cécile , Valla Pierre G. , Zattin Massimiliano , Faccenna Claudio , Pinna-Jamme Rosella , Manchuel Kevin
Published: January 2020

Located in the foreland domain of the Alpine and Pyrenean mountain belts, the French Massif Central presents enigmatic topographic features—reaching elevations of ∼1700 m above sea level and ∼1000 m of relief—that did not originate from Alpine compressional nor from extensional tectonics. Similar to other Variscan domains in Europe, such as the Bohemian, Rhenish, and Vosges/Black Forest Massifs, a Cenozoic uplift has been postulated, although its timing and quantification remain largely unconstrained. With respect to the other Variscan Massifs, the French Massif Central is wider and higher and shows a more intense late Cenozoic volcanism, suggesting that deep-seated processes have been more intense. In this study, apatite fission-track and (U-Th)/He thermochronometry were applied to investigate the long-term topographic evolution of the Massif Central. Our new thermochronological data come from the eastern flank of the massif, where sampling profiles ran from the high-elevation region down to the Rhône River valley floor with a total elevation profile of 1200 m. Age-elevation relationships, mean track-length distributions, and thermal modeling indicate a two-step cooling history: (1) a first exhumation event, already detected through previously published thermochronology data, with an onset time during the Cretaceous, and (2) a more recent Cenozoic phase that is resolved from our data, with a likely post-Eocene onset. This second erosional event is associated with relief formation and valley incision possibly induced by a long-wavelength domal uplift supported by mantle upwelling.
Opioid prescribing patterns among medical providers in the United States, 2003-17: retrospective, observational study
Authors: Kiang Mathew V , Humphreys Keith , Cullen Mark R , Basu Sanjay
Published: January 2020

Objective

To examine the distribution and patterns of opioid prescribing in the United States.

Design

Retrospective, observational study.

Setting

National private insurer covering all 50 US states and Washington DC.

Participants

An annual average of 669 495 providers prescribing 8.9 million opioid prescriptions to 3.9 million patients from 2003 through 2017.

Main outcome measures

Standardized doses of opioids in morphine milligram equivalents (MMEs) and number of opioid prescriptions.

Results

In 2017, the top 1% of providers accounted for 49% of all opioid doses and 27% of all opioid prescriptions. In absolute terms, the top 1% of providers prescribed an average of 748 000 MMEs—nearly 1000 times more than the middle 1%. At least half of all providers in the top 1% in one year were also in the top 1% in adjacent years. More than two fifths of all prescriptions written by the top 1% of providers were for more than 50 MMEs a day and over four fifths were for longer than seven days. In contrast, prescriptions written by the bottom 99% of providers were below these thresholds, with 86% of prescriptions for less than 50 MMEs a day and 71% for fewer than seven days. Providers prescribing high amounts of opioids and patients receiving high amounts of opioids persisted over time, with over half of both appearing in adjacent years.

Conclusions

Most prescriptions written by the majority of providers are under the recommended thresholds, suggesting that most US providers are careful in their prescribing. Interventions focusing on this group of providers are unlikely to effect beneficial change and could induce unnecessary burden. A large proportion of providers have established relationships with their patients over multiple years. Interventions to reduce inappropriate opioid prescribing should be focused on improving patient care, management of patients with complex pain, and reducing comorbidities rather than seeking to enforce a threshold for prescribing.
Association of soy and fermented soy product intake with total and cause specific mortality: prospective cohort study
Authors: Katagiri Ryoko , Sawada Norie , Goto Atsushi , Yamaji Taiki , Iwasaki Motoki , Noda Mitsuhiko , Iso Hiroyasu , Tsugane Shoichiro
Published: January 2020

Objective

To investigate the association between several types of soy products and all cause and cause specific mortality.

Design

Population based cohort study.

Setting

Japan Public Health Centre-based Prospective Study, which includes 11 public health centre areas in Japan.

Participants

92 915 participants (42 750 men and 50 165 women) aged 45 to 74 years.

Exposures

Intake of total soy products, fermented soy products (natto and miso), non-fermented soy products, and tofu from a five year survey questionnaire.

Main outcome measures

All cause and cause specific mortality (cancer, total cardiovascular disease, heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, respiratory disease, and injury) obtained from residential registries and death certificates.

Results

During 14.8 years of follow-up, 13 303 deaths were identified. In the multivariable adjusted models, intake of total soy products was not significantly associated with total mortality. Compared with the lowest fifth of total soy product intake, the hazard ratios in the highest fifth were 0.98 (95% confidence interval 0.91 to 1.06, Ptrend=0.43) in men and 0.98 (0.89 to 1.08, Ptrend=0.46) in women. Intake of fermented soy products was inversely associated with all cause mortality in both sexes (highest versus lowest fifth: 0.90 (0.83 to 0.97), Ptrend=0.05 in men, and 0.89 (0.80 to 0.98), Ptrend=0.01 in women). Natto showed significant and inverse associations with total cardiovascular disease related mortality in both sexes.

Conclusions

In this study a higher intake of fermented soy was associated with a lower risk of mortality. A significant association between intake of total soy products and all cause mortality was not, however, observed. The findings should be interpreted with caution because the significant association of fermented soy products might be attenuated by unadjusted residual confounding.
Training in endotherapy for acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding: a UK-wide gastroenterology trainee survey
Authors: Segal Jonathan , Siau Keith , Kanagasundaram Cynthia , Askari Alan , Dunckley Paul , Morris Allan John
Published: January 2020

Introduction

Competence in endoscopic haemostasis for acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding (AUGIB) is typically expected upon completion of gastroenterology training. However, training in haemostasis is currently variable without a structured training pathway. We conducted a national gastroenterology trainee survey on haemostasis exposure and on attitudes and barriers to training.

Methods

A 24-item electronic survey was distributed to UK gastroenterology trainees covering the following domains: demographics, training setup, attitudes and barriers, confidence in managing AUGIB independently and exposure to individual haemostatic modalities (supervised and independent). Responses were analysed by region and training grade to assess potential variation in training.

Results

A total of 181 trainees completed the questionnaire (response rate 33.5%). There was significant variation in AUGIB training setup across the UK (p<0.001), with 22.7% of trainees declaring no access to structured or ad hoc training. 31.5% expressed confidence in managing AUGIB independently; this varied by trainee grade (0% of first-year specialty trainees (ST3s) to 60.7% of final-years (ST7s)) and by training setup (p=0.001). ST7 trainees reported lack of experience with independently applying glue (86%), Hemospray (54%), heater probe (36%) and variceal banding (36%). Overall, 88% of trainees desired additional haemostasis training and 89% indicated support for a national certification process to ensure competence in AUGIB.

Conclusion

AUGIB training in the UK is variable. The majority of gastroenterology trainees lacked confidence in haemostasis management and desired additional training. Training provision should be urgently reviewed to ensure that trainees receive adequate haemostasis exposure and are competent by completion of training.
SUMO pathway inhibition targets an aggressive pancreatic cancer subtype
Authors: Biederstädt Alexander , Hassan Zonera , Schneeweis Christian , Schick Markus , Schneider Lara , Muckenhuber Alexander , Hong Yingfen , Siegers Gerrit , Nilsson Lisa , Wirth Matthias , Dantes Zahra , Steiger Katja , Schunck Kathrin , Langston Steve , Lenhof H-P , Coluccio Andrea , Orben Felix , Slawska Jolanta , Scherger Anna , Saur Dieter , Müller Stefan , Rad Roland , Weichert Wilko , Nilsson Jonas , Reichert Maximilian , Schneider Günter , Keller Ulrich
Published: January 2020

Objective

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) still carries a dismal prognosis with an overall 5-year survival rate of 9%. Conventional combination chemotherapies are a clear advance in the treatment of PDAC; however, subtypes of the disease exist, which exhibit extensive resistance to such therapies. Genomic MYC amplifications represent a distinct subset of PDAC with an aggressive tumour biology. It is clear that hyperactivation of MYC generates dependencies that can be exploited therapeutically. The aim of the study was to find and to target MYC-associated dependencies.

Design

We analysed human PDAC gene expression datasets. Results were corroborated by the analysis of the small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) pathway in a large PDAC cohort using immunohistochemistry. A SUMO inhibitor was used and characterised using human and murine two-dimensional, organoid and in vivo models of PDAC.

Results

We observed that MYC is connected to the SUMOylation machinery in PDAC. Components of the SUMO pathway characterise a PDAC subtype with a dismal prognosis and we provide evidence that hyperactivation of MYC is connected to an increased sensitivity to pharmacological SUMO inhibition.

Conclusion

SUMO inhibitor-based therapies should be further developed for an aggressive PDAC subtype.
Liver transcriptomics highlights interleukin-32 as novel NAFLD-related cytokine and candidate biomarker
Authors: Baselli Guido Alessandro , Dongiovanni Paola , Rametta Raffaela , Meroni Marica , Pelusi Serena , Maggioni Marco , Badiali Sara , Pingitore Piero , Maurotti Samantha , Montalcini Tiziana , Taliento Alice Emma , Prati Daniele , Rossi Giorgio , Fracanzani Anna Ludovica , Mancina Rosellina Margherita , Romeo Stefano , Valenti Luca
Published: January 2020

Objective

Efforts to manage non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) are limited by the incomplete understanding of the pathogenic mechanisms and the absence of accurate non-invasive biomarkers. The aim of this study was to identify novel NAFLD therapeutic targets andbiomarkers by conducting liver transcriptomic analysis in patients stratified by the presence of thePNPLA3I148M genetic risk variant.

Design

We sequenced the hepatic transcriptome of 125 obese individuals. ‘Severe NAFLD’ was defined as the presence of steatohepatitis, NAFLD activity score ≥4 or fibrosis stage ≥2. The circulating levels of the most upregulated transcript, interleukin-32 (IL32), were measured by ELISA.

Results

Carriage of thePNPLA3I148M variant correlated with the two major components of hepatic transcriptome variability and broadly influenced gene expression. In patients with severe NAFLD, there was an upregulation of inflammatory and lipid metabolism pathways. IL32 was the most robustly upregulated gene in the severe NAFLD group (adjusted p=1×10−6), and its expression correlated with steatosis severity, both in I148M variant carriers and non-carriers. In 77 severely obese, and in a replication cohort of 160 individuals evaluated at the hepatology service, circulating IL32 levels were associated with both NAFLD and severe NAFLD independently of aminotransferases (p<0.01 for both). A linear combination of IL32-ALT-AST showed a better performance than ALT-AST alone in NAFLD diagnosis (area under the curve=0.92 vs 0.81, p=5×10−5).

Conclusion

Hepatic IL32 is overexpressed in NAFLD, correlates with hepatic fat and liver damage, and is detectable in the circulation, where it is independently associated with the presence and severity of NAFLD.
Elderly woman with subacute lower limb weakness and rapid systemic decline
Authors: Wong Charis , Wills Adrian J , Samarasekera Neshika , Noble Donald , Smith Colin , Davenport Richard
Published: January 2020

A 74-year-old woman developed bilateral leg weakness, with fluctuating cognitive and systemic symptoms that progressed despite treatment. Her diagnosis was confirmed at autopsy. Her case was discussed at the Edinburgh Clinical Neurology Course 2019 Clinicopathological Conference.
Oral human papillomavirus infection in HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected MSM: the OHMAR prospective cohort study
Authors: Giuliani Massimo , Rollo Francesca , Vescio Maria Fenicia , Pichi Barbara , Latini Alessandra , Benevolo Maria , Pellini Raul , Cristaudo Antonio , Dona' Maria Gabriella
Published: January 2020

Objective

We aimed to assess incidence and clearance of oral human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and the respective risk factors in HIV-infected and uninfected men who have sex with men (MSM).

Methods

Oral rinse and gargles were collected semiannually from 244 MSM (103, 42.2% HIV-infected). HPV-DNA testing was performed with the Linear Array HPV Genotyping test. A Markov model was used for estimation of incidence, clearance and risk factor analysis.

Results

Incidence rates for any HPV were 21.2 and 15.0×1000 person-months in HIV-infected and uninfected MSM, respectively. The respective figures for high-risk HPVs were 10.7 and 6.5×1000 person-months. The clearance rate was 4–12 times higher than the respective incidence rate. HIV-infected MSM with >95 lifetime oral sex partners showed increased incidence of any HPV (adjusted HR, aHR: 8.46, 95% CI 1.89 to 37.92). Condomless oral sex appeared the strongest predictor for incident infection by high-risk HPVs in this group (aHR: 13.40, 95% CI 2.55 to 70.53). Those aged >46 years (aHR: 0.30, 95% CI 0.12 to 0.74) and those with nadir CD4+ T count of <200 cells/mm3(aHR: 0.14, 95% CI 0.03 to 0.75) displayed a significantly reduced clearance of any and high-risk HPVs, respectively. HIV-uninfected MSM aged >46 years had increased risk of acquiring any HPV (aHR: 3.70, 95% CI 1.30 to 10.52) and high-risk HPV (aHR: 5.33, 95% CI 1.06 to 26.68). Any HPV clearance declined in those with more than six recent oral sex partners (aHR: 0.18, 95% CI 0.05 to 0.65).

Conclusions

Acquisition of oral HPV infection in MSM seems to occur rarely, whereas clearance seems to be a frequent event. Oral HPV natural history in these at-risk subjects is differently influenced by age and sex behaviour, depending on HIV status.
Elevated aldolase 1A, retrogene 1 expression induces cardiac apoptosis in rat experimental autoimmune myocarditis model
Authors: Choi Seungmin , Chung Joo Hee , Nam Myung-Hee , Bang Eunjung , Hong Kwan Soo , Kim Yong-Hwan , Seo Jong Bok , Chi Sung-Gil
Published: January 2020

Acute myocarditis is an unpredictable heart disease that is caused by inflammation-associated cell death. Although viral infection and drug exposure are known to induce acute myocarditis, the molecular basis for its development remains undefined. Using proteomics and molecular analyses in myosin-induced rat experimental autoimmune myocarditis (EAM), we identified that elevated expression of aldolase 1A, retrogene 1 (Aldoart1) is critical to induce mitochondrial dysfunction and acute myocarditis development. Here, we demonstrate that cardiac cell death is associated with increased expressions of proapoptotic genes in addition to high levels of glucose, lactate, and triglyceride in metabolite profiling. The functional protein association network analysis also suggests that Aldoart1 upregulation correlates with high levels of dihydroxyacetone kinase and triglyceride. In H9c2 cardiac cells, lipopolysaccharides (LPS) or high glucose exposure significantly increases the cytochrome c release and the conversion of pro-caspase 3 into the cleaved form of caspase 3. We also found that LPS- or glucose-induced toxicities are almost completely reversed by siRNA-mediated knockdown of Aldoartl, which consequently increases cell viability. Together, our study strongly suggests that Aldoart1 may be involved in inducing mitochondrial apoptotic processes and can be a novel therapeutic target to prevent the onset of acute myocarditis or cardiac apoptosis.
Cosmological and thermodynamics analysis in Weyl gravity
Authors: Jawad Abdul , Khan Zoya , Rani Shamaila
Published: January 2020

In the framework of modified Weyl gravity, we observe the equilibrium picture of the thermodynamical laws for flat Friedmann–Robertson–Walker metric with chameleon scalar field and analyze the validity of the generalized second law of thermodynamics and thermal equilibrium condition for Hubble horizon along with Bekenstien–Hawking entropy. Also, we examine the effective equation of state parameter as well as the square speed of sound. By assuming four different choices of deceleration parameter, we investigate the behavior of equation of state parameter as well as the square speed of sound. The validity of generalized second law of thermodynamics and thermal equilibrium condition is also checked by taking the observational values of the model parameters from CC+$$H_o$$Ho dataset.
Improving Action Recognition Using Sequence Prediction Learning
Authors: Liu Dan , Ye Mao , Zhang Jianwei
Published: January 2020

Skeleton-based action recognition distinguishes human actions using the trajectories of skeleton joints, which can be a good representation of human behaviors. Conventional methods usually construct classifiers with hand-crafted or the learned features to recognize human actions. Different from constructing a direct action classifier for action recognition task, this paper attempts to identify human actions based on the development trends of behavior sequences. Specifically, we first utilize the memory neural network to construct action predictors for each kind of activity. These action predictors can then output the action trends at the next time step. According to the predictions of these action predictors at each time step and the removal rule, the poor predictors can be eliminated step by step, and the IDentity(ID) number of the last predictor left is considered as the label of the action sequence to be categorized. We compare the proposed action recognition algorithm using sequence prediction learning with other methods on two publicly available datasets. Our experimental results consistently demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the suggested method. It also proves the importance of prediction learning for action recognition.
Minimizing Energy of Heterogeneous Computing Systems by Task Scheduling Approach,
Authors: Li Junke , Li Junwei , Li Mingjiang , Wang Guanyu , Zhou Jincheng , Lu Yu , Li Deguang , Huang Yanhui
Published: January 2020

As an important component of computer system, GPU has been used more widely in the system under the support of general computing. In addition to focusing on its performance, the issues of its energy consumption and environmental problem have gradually attracted the concerns of researchers, computer architects, and developers. Current researches only consider single-task scheduling for saving energy, lacking the focus on energy saving from scheduling the overall tasks. In view of the shortcomings of current researches, we propose a METS (Minimizing Execution Time Slot) approach to reduce energy by rationally allocating the tasks across GPUs. It first collects the number of tasks and the corresponding estimated performance information. Next, it decides whether to turn the problem into a 0–1 knapsack problem or to use FIFO method based on the number of tasks. Then, we conduct our experiment on typical platform to verify our proposed approach. The experimental results show that METS can save on average 8.43% of energy when compared with the existing approaches. This shows that the proposed METS method is effective, reasonable and feasible.
An Efficient Method for Selecting the Optimal Features using Evolutionary Algorithms for Epilepsy Diagnosis
Authors: Afrakhteh S. , Mosavi M. R.
Published: January 2020

One of the important parameters in the brain–computer interface (BCI) system is speed. Therefore, it is always desirable to design a high-speed system that has an acceptable performance, simultaneously. The main idea of this paper is the use of evolutionary algorithms (EAs) to select the optimal features for epilepsy diagnosis by processing the electroencephalogram (EEG) signals. The lesser the number of features is, the higher will be the usefulness of accuracy of the system to us. Therefore, here, using EAs, some of the features that are redundant in the data and do not contain a lot of information and only increase the complexity of the system are eliminated and the best features are chosen. We select this choice by EAs. Running the feature selection step is after the feature extraction step. In fact, the features were extracted using the common spatial pattern (CSP) algorithm, and then the optimal features were selected from the extracted feature set. This can save a lot of system complexity and reduce system execution time considerably. Finally, at the diagnostic stage, these selected features are given to a simple neural network (NN). The results showed that when the combination of EA and CSP is used, the precision of the system is much higher than when the CSP method is only used, although it contributes significantly to the complexity of the system.
Ultra-Fast DC Charger with Improved Power Quality and Optimal Algorithmic Approach to Enable V2G and G2V
Authors: Krishna Bekkam , Anusha D. , Karthikeyan V.
Published: January 2020

In existing electric vehicle (EV) charger topology, due to the presence of line frequency transformer and bidirectional DC-DC/AC converters, the circuit complexity in the structure gets increased in EV charger; thereby, it results bigger in size for high capacity. Moreover, due to rectification mode, it consumes the power with poor power quality. To overcome these drawbacks, this paper proposes a single input-dual port (SIDP) isolated bidirectional DC-DC converter (IBDC) to achieve ultra-fast EV charging of the battery. Also, to improve the power quality, a novel DC-link-fed PFC control strategy is proposed in this paper. Moreover, enabling grid to vehicle (G2V) and vehicle to grid (V2G) operation at bidirectional way depends on the situation such as state of charge (SOC) levels, off-peak and peak hours and user-defined data, which have been implemented using optimal algorithmic approach (OAA). The closed-loop control strategies are implemented to transfer the power at an accurate range using PWM plus phase-shifting approach. Moreover, it has the advantages of smaller in size due to the presence of medium frequency transformer and power quality gets improved without any additional converter stage. Finally, to validate the proposed operation, the results are observed under various case studies and conditional input from the customer and presented in this paper. Furthermore, the experimental results have been presented to validate the operation.
A Phase Self-Correction Method for Bias Temperature Drift Suppression of MEMS Gyroscopes
Authors: Yin Tao , Lin Yueshan , Yang Haigang , Wu Huanming
Published: January 2020

Phase error of the demodulation clock in the Coriolis vibratory gyroscope system allows the quadrature errors to leak into the sense channel and causes significant bias and temperature drift at the rate output. A phase self-correction method to suppress the temperature drift of the bias in gyroscopes is proposed. Through sweeping the demodulation clock phase and simultaneously monitoring the mechanical quadrature error output in gyroscopes, the optimal demodulation clock phase with minimum relatively phase shift is determined. Thus the bias influenced by the temperature and surroundings can be calibrated on-chip at start-up or when the environment changes drastically without the requirement of the complicated instruments. The proposed approach is validated by a silicon MEMS gyroscope with the natural frequency of 2.8[Formula: see text]kHz, which shows nearly 22 times improvement in the temperature sensitivity of the system bias, from 550[Formula: see text]mdeg/s/∘C down to 24.7[Formula: see text]mdeg/s/∘C.
Extracting a Credible Hint of Response Time to Scale Resources in Elastic Clusters
Authors: Hu Cheng , Deng Yuhui
Published: January 2020

In elastic clusters, the service resources (or called “resources” for short) can be dynamically scaled, thus providing opportunities to cut down the energy cost of redundant resources. Generally, taking into account the Quality of Service (QoS) of clusters, resources are carefully scaled according to specific hints which are some features of system status. However, when the Service Quality Requirement (SQR) is referred to the response time of requests, some widely used features cannot well reflect the status of the QoS. Consequently, the QoS cannot be well maintained, and the energy-saving efficiency is unsatisfactory. In this paper, we indicate that under such SQR, the outstanding hint for resource scaling is the response time of requests. Accordingly, we propose a resource scaling method which scales resources leveraging an elaborate Hint of Response time (HR). More specifically, HR is credible to foresee future QoS, and our method extracts HR by tracking and making analysis on the waiting requests in each server. Moreover, when resource scaling operation is performed, our method can estimate how many resources are suitable for current workloads with a good accuracy. Thereby, our method can timely and directly scale resources to the suitable amount, thus can significantly reduce the time delay of re-matching resources. Finally, our method can significantly promote cluster performance on both the QoS and the energy-saving efficiency.
On Legendrian cobordisms and generating functions
Authors: Limouzineau Maÿlis
Published: January 2020

This note concerns Legendrian cobordisms in one-jet spaces of functions, in the sense of Arnol’d [Lagrange and Legendre cobordisms. I, Funkt. Anal. Prilozhen. 14(3) (1980) 1–13, 96.] — consisting of big Legendrian submanifolds between two smaller ones. We are interested in such cobordisms which fit with generating functions, and wonder which structures and obstructions come with this notion. As a central result, we show that the classes of Legendrian concordances with respect to the generating function equipment can be given a group structure. To this construction, we add one of a homotopy with respect to generating functions.
Multivariate Alexander quandles, I. The module sequence of a link
Authors: Traldi Lorenzo
Published: January 2020

The multivariate Alexander module of a link [Formula: see text] has several subsets that admit quandle operations defined using the module operations. One of them, the fundamental multivariate Alexander quandle, determines the link module sequence of [Formula: see text].
Classification of prime links in the thickened torus having crossing number 5
Authors: Akimova A. A. , Matveev S. V. , Tarkaev V. V.
Published: January 2020

The goal of this paper is to tabulate all prime links in the thickened torus [Formula: see text] having diagrams having crossing number 5. First, we construct a table of prime projections of links on the torus [Formula: see text] having exactly 5 crossings. To this end, we enumerate abstract quadrivalent graphs of special type and consider all possible embeddings of the graphs into the torus [Formula: see text] in order to construct prime projections. Then, we prove that all obtained projections are inequivalent. Second, we use the list of prime projections to construct a table of diagrams of prime links in the torus [Formula: see text]. In order to prove that all those links are inequivalent, we use two modifications of the Kauffman bracket. Several known and new tricks allow us to keep the process within reasonable limits and rigorously theoretically prove the completeness of the constructed tables.
Triple-crossing projections, moves on knots and links and their minimal diagrams
Authors: Jabłonowski Michał , Trojanowski Łukasz
Published: January 2020

In this paper, we present a systematic method to generate prime knot and prime link minimal triple-point projections, and then classify all classical prime knots and prime links with triple-crossing number at most four. We also extend the table of known knots and links with triple-crossing number equal to five. By introducing a new type of diagrammatic move, we reduce the number of generating moves on triple-crossing diagrams, and derive a minimal generating set of moves connecting triple-crossing diagrams of the same knot.
Cosmological evolution of Tsallis holographic dark energy model in LTB inhomogeneous gravity
Authors: Aly Ayman A. , Elrashied Mohammed Abd , Selim Mustafa M.
Published: January 2020

The aim of this work is to analyze the modified form of holographic dark energy (DE) density suggested by Tsallis and Cirto within inhomogeneous models of the universe. This DE model is applied to IR cutoff equals the Hubble horizon. Some basic cosmological functions, such as the Hubble function, the deceleration function and the equation of state parameter, are reconstructed by choosing specific values of certain numerical parameters in this model. The stability of the model is studied by considering the square of sound speed and the strong, the weak and the dominant energy conditions (DEC). In addition, the variation of the diagnostic Omega, [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] parameters with the redshift and space are studied. The obtained results show a close behavior to that of the cosmological constant DE universe so it can be compared well with the recent observations.
UNSTEADY FLOW OF CASSON LIQUID FILM ON A STRETCHING SHEET WITH RADIATIVE HEAT TRANSFER
Authors: KRISHANAN R. , MAITY S. , DANDAPAT B. S.
Published: January 2020

Flow of thin uniform Casson liquid film on an unsteady porous stretching sheet is studied both analytically and numerically. Combined effects of porosity, transverse magnetic field, thermal radiation, suction/injection, and thermocapillarity are considered for analysis. Results showed that the film thickness enhances with the Casson parameter, porosity parameter, Hartmann number and injection velocity but the opposite phenomenon is observed for suction velocity, thermocapillary and thermal radiation parameters. The behavior of the temperature field has been discussed with different physical parameters.
Hull Form Optimization Based on an NM+CFD Integrated Method for KCS
Authors: Miao Aiqin , Wan Decheng
Published: January 2020

This paper concerns development and illustration of a hydrodynamic optimization tool, OPTShip-SJTU, which contains four main components, i.e., hull form modifier, performance evaluator, surrogate model building, and optimizer module. It has been further developed by integrating a new method into the performance evaluator module, which combines the Neumann–Michell (NM) theory with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) technology, in order to reduce the high computational cost. To illustrate the practicality of further extension, OPTShip-SJTU was applied to optimize the hull form of KCS by simultaneously reducing drags at two speeds. A drag reduction was obtained by the optimal KCS of different hull forms. It turns out the presented method for ship optimization design is effective and reliable.
Legendre Collocation Method to Solve the Riccati Equations with Functional Arguments
Authors: Yüzbaşı Şuayip , Yıldırım Gamze
Published: January 2020

In this study, a method for numerically solving Riccatti type differential equations with functional arguments under the mixed condition is presented. For the method, Legendre polynomials, the solution forms and the required expressions are written in the matrix form and the collocation points are defined. Then, by using the obtained matrix relations and the collocation points, the Riccati problem is reduced to a system of nonlinear algebraic equations. The condition in the problem is written in the matrix form and a new system of the nonlinear algebraic equations is found with the aid of the obtained matrix relation. This system is solved and thus the coefficient matrix is detected. This coefficient matrix is written in the solution form and hence approximate solution is obtained. In addition, by defining the residual function, an error problem is established and approximate solutions which give better numerical results are obtained. To demonstrate that the method is trustworthy and convenient, the presented method and error estimation technique are explicated by numerical examples. Consequently, the numerical results are shown more clearly with the aid of the tables and graphs and also the results are compared with the results of other methods.
On complete Finsler spaces of constant negative Ricci curvature
Authors: Bidabad Behroz , Sepasi Maryam
Published: January 2020

Here, using the projectively invariant pseudo-distance and Schwarzian derivative, it is shown that every connected complete Finsler space of the constant negative Ricci scalar is reversible. In particular, every complete Randers metric of constant negative Ricci (or flag) curvature is Riemannian.
Harmonic means of Wishart random matrices
Authors: Lodhia Asad
Published: January 2020

We use free probability to compute the limiting spectral properties of the harmonic mean of [Formula: see text] i.i.d. Wishart random matrices [Formula: see text] whose limiting aspect ratio is [Formula: see text] when [Formula: see text]. We demonstrate an interesting phenomenon where the harmonic mean [Formula: see text] of the [Formula: see text] Wishart matrices is closer in operator norm to [Formula: see text] than the arithmetic mean [Formula: see text] for small [Formula: see text], after which the arithmetic mean is closer. We also prove some results for the general case where the expectation of the Wishart matrices are not the identity matrix.
Many-Objective Test Suite Generation for Software Product Lines
Authors: Hierons Robert M. , Li Miqing , Liu Xiaohui , Parejo Jose Antonio , Segura Sergio , Yao Xin
Published: January 2020

A Software Product Line (SPL) is a set of products built from a number of features, the set of valid products being defined by a feature model. Typically, it does not make sense to test all products defined by an SPL and one instead chooses a set of products to test (test selection) and, ideally, derives a good order in which to test them (test prioritisation). Since one cannot know in advance which products will reveal faults, test selection and prioritisation are normally based on objective functions that are known to relate to likely effectiveness or cost. This article introduces a new technique, the grid-based evolution strategy (GrES), which considers several objective functions that assess a selection or prioritisation and aims to optimise on all of these. The problem is thus a many-objective optimisation problem. We use a new approach, in which all of the objective functions are considered but one (pairwise coverage) is seen as the most important. We also derive a novel evolution strategy based on domain knowledge. The results of the evaluation, on randomly generated and realistic feature models, were promising, with GrES outperforming previously proposed techniques and a range of many-objective optimisation algorithms.
Is Static Analysis Able to Identify Unnecessary Source Code?
Authors: Haas Roman , Niedermayr Rainer , Roehm Tobias , Apel Sven
Published: January 2020

Grown software systems often contain code that is not necessary anymore. Such unnecessary code wastes resources during development and maintenance, for example, when preparing code for migration or certification. Running a profiler may reveal code that is not used in production, but it is often time-consuming to obtain representative data in this way.

We investigate to what extent a static analysis approach, which is based on code stability and code centrality, is able to identify unnecessary code and whether its recommendations are relevant in practice. To study the feasibility and usefulness of our approach, we conducted a study involving 14 open-source and closed-source software systems. As there is no perfect oracle for unnecessary code, we compared recommendations for unnecessary code with historical cleanups, runtime usage data, and feedback from 25 developers of five software projects. Our study shows that recommendations generated from stability and centrality information point to unnecessary code that cannot be identified by dead code detectors. Developers confirmed that 34% of recommendations were indeed unnecessary and deleted 20% of the recommendations shortly after our interviews. Overall, our results suggest that static analysis can provide quick feedback on unnecessary code and is useful in practice.
Application of Concentrated Solution Theory to the Measurement of Salt Transference Numbers in Ion-Selective Membranes
Authors: Vardner Jonathan T. , Russell Sebastian T. , Brady Nicholas W. , Inaba Yuta , Kumar Sanat K. , West Alan C.
Published: January 2020

Models based on concentrated solution theory are developed to estimate

t

+

m

from anion-tracer and cation-tracer experiments. Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) algorithms are used to estimate the probability distribution functions for

t

+

m

accounting for uncertainties in other physical properties and experimental measurement. Under well-designed experimental conditions,

t

+

m

can be estimated precisely, and its value is consistent with estimates based on dilute-solution theory. The assumptions made in the concentrated solution theory model are tested with measurements of methanol flux, as a tracer for water flux. It is estimated that

t

+

m

= 0.935 ± 0.005 for LiCl in Nafion 117 from anion-tracer experiments, while the estimates from cation-tracer experiments give

t

+

m

= 0.938 ± 0.035.
Muscle fiber typology substantially influences time to recover from high-intensity exercise
Authors: Lievens Eline , Klass Malgorzata , Bex Tine , Derave Wim
Published: January 2020

Human fast-twitch muscle fibers generate high power in a short amount of time but are easily fatigued, whereas slow-twitch fibers are more fatigue resistant. The transfer of this knowledge to coaching is hampered by the invasive nature of the current evaluation of muscle typology by biopsies. Therefore, a noninvasive method was developed to estimate muscle typology through proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy in the gastrocnemius. The aim of this study was to investigate whether male subjects with an a priori-determined fast typology (FT) are characterized by a more pronounced Wingate exercise-induced fatigue and delayed recovery compared with subjects with a slow typology (ST). Ten subjects with an estimated higher percentage of fast-twitch fibers and 10 subjects with an estimated higher percentage of slow-twitch fibers underwent the test protocol, consisting of three 30-s all-out Wingate tests. Recovery of knee extension torque was evaluated by maximal voluntary contraction combined with electrical stimulation up to 5 h after the Wingate tests. Although both groups delivered the same mean power across all Wingates, the power drop was higher in the FT group (−61%) compared with the ST group (−41%). The torque at maximal voluntary contraction had fully recovered in the ST group after 20 min, whereas the FT group had not yet recovered 5 h into recovery. This noninvasive estimation of muscle typology can predict the extent of fatigue and time to recover following repeated all-out exercise and may have applications as a tool to individualize training and recovery cycles.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY A one-fits-all training regime is present in most sports, though the same training implies different stimuli in athletes with a distinct muscle typology. Individualization of training based on this muscle typology might be important to optimize performance and to lower the risk for accumulated fatigue and potentially injury. When conducting research, one should keep in mind that the muscle typology of participants influences the severity of fatigue and might therefore impact the results.
Shallow metabolic depression and human spaceflight: a feasible first step
Authors: Regan Matthew D. , Flynn-Evans Erin E. , Griko Yuri V. , Kilduff Thomas S. , Rittenberger Jon C. , Ruskin Keith J. , Buck C. Loren
Published: January 2020

Synthetic torpor is an induced state of deep metabolic depression (MD) in an organism that does not naturally employ regulated and reversible MD. If applied to spaceflight crewmembers, this metabolic state may theoretically mitigate numerous biological and logistical challenges of human spaceflight. These benefits have been the focus of numerous recent articles where, invariably, they are discussed in the context of hypothetical deep MD states in which the metabolism of crewmembers is profoundly depressed relative to basal rates. However, inducing these deep MD states in humans, particularly humans aboard spacecraft, is currently impossible. Here, we discuss shallow MD as a feasible first step toward synthetic torpor during spaceflight and summarize perspectives following a recent NASA-hosted workshop. We discuss methods to safely induce shallow MD (e.g., sleep and slow wave enhancement via acoustic and photoperiod stimulation; moderate sedation via dexmedetomidine), which we define as an ~20% depression of metabolic rate relative to basal levels. We also discuss different modes of shallow MD application (e.g., habitual versus targeted, whereby shallow MD is induced routinely throughout a mission or only under certain circumstances, respectively) and different spaceflight scenarios that would benefit from its use. Finally, we propose a multistep development plan toward the application of synthetic torpor to human spaceflight, highlighting shallow MD’s role. As space agencies develop missions to send humans further into space than ever before, shallow MD has the potential to confer health benefits for crewmembers, reduce demands on spacecraft capacities, and serve as a testbed for deeper MD technologies.
Renal Autocrine and Paracrine Signaling: A Story of Self-protection
Authors: Leipziger Jens , Praetorius Helle
Published: January 2020

Autocrine and paracrine signaling in the kidney adds an extra level of diversity and complexity to renal physiology. The extensive scientific production on the topic precludes easy understanding of the fundamental purpose of the vast number of molecules and systems that influence the renal function. This systematic review provides the broader pen strokes for a collected image of renal paracrine signaling. First, we recapitulate the essence of each paracrine system one by one. Thereafter the single components are merged into an overarching physiological concept. The presented survey shows that despite the diversity in the web of paracrine factors, the collected effect on renal function may not be complicated after all. In essence, paracrine activation provides an intelligent system that perceives minor perturbations and reacts with a coordinated and integrated tissue response that relieves the work load from the renal epithelia and favors diuresis and natriuresis. We suggest that the overall function of paracrine signaling is reno-protection and argue that renal paracrine signaling and self-regulation are two sides of the same coin. Thus local paracrine signaling is an intrinsic function of the kidney, and the overall renal effect of changes in blood pressure, volume load, and systemic hormones will always be tinted by its paracrine status.
Fatigue Strength Evaluation for Remanufacturing Impeller of Centrifugal Compressor Based on Modified Grey Relational Model
Authors: Sun Qingchao , Shi Bowen , Mu Xiaokai , Sun Kepeng
Published: January 2020

The fatigue strength, as the essential basis of residual life evaluation, is required to be obtained timely for remanufacturing. Since impeller damage is characterized with very‐high‐cycle fatigue (VHCF), it is difficult to directly test the strength data. The transformation method of multisource strength data is proposed to predict fatigue strength for impeller based on grey relational theory. The multisource strength data, as factor space, primarily include available existing experimental data and operating data, while the strength data of the remanufacturing impeller are taken as target data. The fatigue strength model of material and component are presented to analyze the influence factors of remanufacturing target strength. And similar material provides a theoretical basis for selecting reference data reasonably. Considering the correlation and difference between available data and target data, the grey relational function is established, and the correction function of the target residual is brought forward to reduce the transformation deviation. The entropy‐weight theory is implemented to determine the different impacts of multisource data on target strength. A test case, predicting the unknown impeller fatigue strength with various impellers, is applied to validate the proposed transformation method, and the results show that the predicted strength data are consistent with the experimental data well.