bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Restriction of Replication of Oncolytic Herpes Simplex Virus with a Deletion of γ34.5 in Glioblastoma Stem-Like Cells
Authors: Peters Cole , Paget Max , Tshilenge Kizito-Tshitoko , Saha Dipongkor , Antoszczyk Slawomir , Baars Anouk , Frost Thomas , Martuza Robert L. , Wakimoto Hiroaki , Rabkin Samuel D.
Published: May 2018

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) can be genetically engineered to endow cancer-selective replication and oncolytic activity. γ34.5, a key neurovirulence gene, has been deleted in all oncolytic HSVs in clinical trial for glioma. Glioblastoma stem-like cells (GSCs) are a subpopulation of tumor cells thought to drive tumor heterogeneity and therapeutic resistance. GSCs are nonpermissive for γ34.5
−
HSV, while non-stem-like cancer cells from the same patient tumors are permissive. GSCs restrict true late protein synthesis, despite normal viral DNA replication and transcription of all kinetic classes. This is specific for true late translation as early and leaky late transcripts are translated late in infection, notwithstanding shutoff of cellular protein synthesis. Expression of Us11 in GSCs rescues the replication of γ34.5
−
HSV. We have identified a cell type-specific innate response to HSV-1 that limits oncolytic activity in glioblastoma.
An Observational Cohort Study of
Clostridium difficile
Ribotype 027 and Recurrent Infection
Authors: Rao Krishna , Higgins Peter D. R. , Young Vincent B.
Published: May 2018

CDI is a major public health issue, with over 400,000 cases per year in the United States alone. Recurrent CDI is common, occurring in approximately one in five individuals after a primary episode. Although interventions exist that could reduce the risk of recurrence, deployment in all patients is limited by cost, invasiveness, and/or an undetermined long-term safety profile. Thus, clinicians need risk stratification tools to properly allocate treatments. Because prior research on clinical predictors has failed to yield a reliable, reproducible, and effective predictive model to assist treatment decisions, accurate biomarkers of recurrence would be of great value. This study tested whether PCR ribotype independently predicted rCDI, and the data build upon prior research in showing that ribotype 027 is associated with rCDI.
Reporting quality of randomised controlled trial abstracts on age-related macular degeneration health care: a cross-sectional quantification of the adherence to CONSORT abstract reporting recommendations
Authors: Baulig Christine , Krummenauer Frank , Geis Berit , Tulka Sabrina , Knippschild Stephanie
Published: May 2018

Objective

To assess the reporting quality of randomised controlled trial (RCT) abstracts on age-related macular degeneration (AMD) healthcare, to evaluate the adherence to the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) statement’s recommendations on minimum abstract information and to identify journal characteristics associated with abstract reporting quality.

Design

Cross-sectional evaluation of RCT abstracts on AMD healthcare.

Methods

A PubMed search was implemented to identify RCT abstracts on AMD healthcare published in the English language between January 2004 and December 2013. Data extraction was performed by two parallel readers independently by means of a documentation format in accordance with the 16 items of the CONSORT checklist for abstracts. The total number of criteria fulfilled by an abstract was derived as primary endpoint of the investigation; incidence rate ratios (IRRs) with unadjusted 95% CI were estimated by means of multiple Poisson regression to identify journal and article characteristics (publication year, multicentre design, structured abstract recommendations, effective sample size, effective abstract word counts and journal impact factor) possibly associated with the total number of fulfilled items.

Study characteristics

136 of 673 identified abstracts (published in 36 different journals) fulfilled all eligibility criteria.

Results

The median number of fulfilled items was 7 (95% CI 7 to 8). No abstract reported all 16 recommended items; the maximum total number was 14, the minimum 3 of 16 items. Multivariate analysis only demonstrated the abstracts’ word counts as being significantly associated with a better reporting of abstracts (Poisson regression-based IRR 1.002, 95% CI 1.001 to 1.003).

Conclusions

Reporting quality of RCT abstracts on AMD investigations showed a considerable potential for improvement to meet the CONSORT abstract reporting recommendations. Furthermore, word counts of abstracts were identified as significantly associated with the overall abstract reporting quality.
Immediate and long-term effects of a team-based quality improvement training programme
Authors: O’Leary Kevin J , Fant Abra L , Thurk Jessica , Bilimoria Karl Y , Didwania Aashish K , Gleason Kristine M , Groth Matthew , Holl Jane L , Knoten Claire A , Martin Gary J , O’Sullivan Patricia , Schumacher Mark , Woods Donna M
Published: May 2018

Background

Although many studies of quality improvement (QI) education programmes report improvement in learners’ knowledge and confidence, the impact on learners’ future engagement in QI activities is largely unknown and few studies report project measures beyond completion of the programme.

Method

We developed the Academy for Quality and Safety Improvement (AQSI) to prepare individuals, across multiple departments and professions, to lead QI. The 7-month programme consisted of class work and team-based project work. We assessed participants’ knowledge using a multiple choice test and an adapted Quality Improvement Knowledge Assessment Test (QIKAT) before and after the programme. We evaluated participants’ postprogramme QI activity and project status using surveys at 6 and 18 months.

Results

Over 5 years, 172 individuals and 32 teams participated. Participants had higher multiple choice test (71.9±12.7 vs 79.4±13.2; p<0.001) and adapted QIKAT scores (55.7±16.3 vs 61.8±14.7; p<0.001) after the programme. The majority of participants at 6 months indicated that they had applied knowledge and skills learnt to improve quality in their clinical area (129/148; 87.2%) and to implement QI interventions (92/148; 62.2%). At 18 months, nearly half (48/101; 47.5%) had led other QI projects and many (41/101; 40.6%) had provided QI mentorship to others. Overall, 14 (43.8%) teams had positive postintervention results at AQSI completion and 20 (62.5%) had positive results at some point (ie, completion, 6 months or 18 months after AQSI).

Conclusions

A team-based QI training programme resulted in a high degree of participants’ involvement in QI activities beyond completion of the programme. A majority of team projects showed improvement in project measures, often occurring after completion of the programme.
Implications of measurement error structure on the visualization of multivariate chemical data: hazards and alternatives
Authors: Wentzell Peter D. , Wicks Chelsi C. , Braga Jez W.B. , Soares Liz F. , Pastore Tereza C.M. , Coradin Vera T.R. , Davrieux Fabrice
Published: May 2018

The analysis of multivariate chemical data is commonplace in fields ranging from metabolomics to forensic classification. Many of these studies rely on exploratory visualization methods that represent the multidimensional data in spaces of lower dimensionality, such as hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) or principal components analysis (PCA). However, such methods rely on assumptions of independent measurement errors with uniform variance and can fail to reveal important information when these assumptions are violated, as they often are for chemical data. This work demonstrates how two alternative methods, maximum likelihood principal components analysis (MLPCA) and projection pursuit analysis (PPA), can reveal chemical information hidden from more traditional techniques. Experimental data to compare different methods consists of near-infrared (NIR) reflectance spectra from 108 samples of wood that are derived from four different species of Brazilian trees. The measurement error characteristics of the spectra are examined and it is shown that, by incorporating measurement error information into the data analysis (through MLPCA) or using alternative projection criteria (i.e., PPA), samples can be separated by species. These techniques are proposed as powerful tools for multivariate data analysis in chemistry.
Patient-specific multiscale computational fluid dynamics assessment of embolization rates in the hybrid Norwood: effects of size and placement of the reverse Blalock–Taussig shunt
Authors: Prather Ray , Seligson John , Ni Marcus , Divo Eduardo , Kassab Alain , DeCampli William
Published: May 2018

The hybrid Norwood operation is performed to treat hypoplastic left heart syndrome. Distal arch obstruction may compromise flow to the brain. In a variant of this procedure, a synthetic graft (reverse Blalock–Taussig shunt) is placed between the pulmonary trunk and innominate artery to improve upper torso blood flow. Thrombi originating in the graft may embolize to the brain. In this study, we used computational fluid dynamics and particle tracking to investigate the patterns of particle embolization as a function of the anatomic position of the reverse Blalock–Taussig shunt. The degree of distal arch obstruction and position of particle origin influence embolization probabilities to the cerebral arteries. Cerebral embolization probabilities can be reduced by as much as 20% by optimizing graft position, for a given arch geometry, degree of distal arch obstruction, and particle origin. There is a tradeoff, however, between cerebral pulmonary and coronary embolization probabilities.
Statistical Text Summarization Using a Category-Based Language Model on a Bootstrapping Framework
Authors: Jeong Hyoungil , Ko Youngjoong , Seo Jungyun
Published: May 2018

Traditional text summarization systems have not used the category information of documents to be summarized. However, the estimated weights of each word can be often biased on small data such as a single document. Thus we proposed an effective feature-weighting method for document summarization that utilizes category information and solves the biased probability problem. The method uses a category-based smoothing method and a bootstrapping framework. As a result, in our experiments, our proposed summarization method achieves better performance than other statistical sentence-extraction methods.
On the existence of E0-semigroups — the multiparameter case
Authors: Murugan S. P. , Sundar S.
Published: May 2018

Let [Formula: see text] be a closed convex cone. Assume that [Formula: see text] is pointed, i.e. the intersection [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] is spanning, i.e. [Formula: see text]. Denote the interior of [Formula: see text] by [Formula: see text]. Let [Formula: see text] be a product system over [Formula: see text]. We show that there exists an infinite-dimensional separable Hilbert space [Formula: see text] and a semigroup [Formula: see text] of unital normal ∗-endomorphisms of [Formula: see text] such that [Formula: see text] is isomorphic to the product system associated to [Formula: see text].
Meixner class of orthogonal polynomials of a non-commutative monotone Lévy noise
Authors: Lytvynov Eugene , Rodionova Irina
Published: May 2018

Let [Formula: see text] denote a non-commutative monotone Lévy process. Let [Formula: see text] denote the corresponding monotone Lévy noise, i.e. formally [Formula: see text]. A continuous polynomial of [Formula: see text] is an element of the corresponding non-commutative [Formula: see text]-space [Formula: see text] that has the form [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text]. We denote by [Formula: see text] the space of all continuous polynomials of [Formula: see text]. For [Formula: see text], the orthogonal polynomial [Formula: see text] is defined as the orthogonal projection of the monomial [Formula: see text] onto the subspace of [Formula: see text] that is orthogonal to all continuous polynomials of [Formula: see text] of order [Formula: see text]. We denote by [Formula: see text] the linear span of the orthogonal polynomials. Each orthogonal polynomial [Formula: see text] depends only on the restriction of the function [Formula: see text] to the set [Formula: see text]. The orthogonal polynomials allow us to construct a unitary operator [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text] is an extended monotone Fock space. Thus, we may think of the monotone noise [Formula: see text] as a distribution of linear operators acting in [Formula: see text]. We say that the orthogonal polynomials belong to the Meixner class if [Formula: see text]. We prove that each system of orthogonal polynomials from the Meixner class is characterized by two parameters: [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]. In this case, the monotone Lévy noise has the representation [Formula: see text]. Here, [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] are the (formal) creation and annihilation operators at [Formula: see text] acting in [Formula: see text].
Δ-Cumulants in terms of moments
Authors: Josuat-Vergès Matthieu
Published: May 2018

The [Formula: see text]-convolution of real probability measures, introduced by Bożejko, generalizes both free and Boolean convolutions. It is linearized by the [Formula: see text]-cumulants, and Yoshida gave a combinatorial formula for moments in terms of [Formula: see text]-cumulants, that implicitly defines the latter. It relies on the definition of an appropriate weight on noncrossing partitions. We give here two different expressions for the [Formula: see text]-cumulants: the first one is a simple variant of Lagrange inversion formula, and the second one is a combinatorial inversion of Yoshida’s formula involving Schröder trees.
Vibration Behavior and Serviceability of Arched Prestressed Concrete Truss Due to Human Activity
Authors: Li Jiang , Liu Jiepeng , Cao Liang , Chen Y. Frank
Published: May 2018

The current trend toward longer spans and lighter floor systems, combined with reduced damping and new activities, have resulted in an increasing complaints on floor vibration from building owners and occupants. Heel-drop, jumping, and walking impacts, which may lead to discomfort problems in daily life, were imposed on a large-span arched prestressed concrete truss (APT) girder system studied. The natural frequencies, peak acceleration, average root-mean-square acceleration (ARMS), maximum transient vibration value (MTVV), and perception factor for the girder were obtained and checked against the existing codes and standards. The purpose of this paper is to provide researchers and engineers with a detailed evaluation on the vibration behavior of the APT girder under different human activities, with a comprehensive review on the relevant criteria and some suggestions. Lastly, the following threshold peak accelerations are suggested: 650[Formula: see text]mm/s2for transient heel-drop impact, 1450[Formula: see text]mm/s2for transient jumping impact, and 250[Formula: see text]mm/s2for steady-state walking. In addition, the threshold values of 90[Formula: see text]mm/s2and 50[Formula: see text]mm/s2are suggested for MTVV and ARMS, respectively, under steady-state walking.
Nonnegative matrix factorization with manifold structure for face recognition
Authors: Chen Wen-Sheng , Wang Qian , Pan Binbin , Chen Bo
Published: May 2018

Nonnegative matrix factorization (NMF) is a promising method to represent facial images using nonnegative features under a low-rank nonnegative basis-image matrix. The facial images usually reside on a low-dimensional manifold due to the variations of illumination, pose and facial expression. However, NMF has no ability to uncover the manifold structure of data embedded in a high-dimensional Euclidean space, while the manifold structure contains both local and nonlocal intrinsic features. These two kinds of features are of benefit to class discrimination. To enhance the discriminative power of NMF, this paper proposes a novel NMF algorithm with manifold structure (Mani-NMF). Two quantities related to adjacent graph and non-adjacent graph are incorporated into the objective function, which will be minimized by solving two convex suboptimization problems. Based on the gradient descent method and auxiliary function technique, we acquire the update rules of Mani-NMF and theoretically prove the convergence of the proposed Mani-NMF algorithm. Three publicly available face databases, Yale, pain expression and CMU databases, are selected for evaluations. Experiments results show that our algorithm achieves a better performance than some state-of-the-art algorithms.
Insulator detection and recognition of explosion based on convolutional neural networks
Authors: Yan Bin , Chen Qing , Ye Run , Zhou Xiaojia
Published: May 2018

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) equipped with high definition (HD) cameras can obtain a large number of detailed inspection images. The insulator is an indispensable component in the transmission lines. Detecting insulator in image video quickly and accurately can provide a reliable basis for the ranging and the obstacle avoidance flight of UAV close to the tower and transmission line. At the same time, the insulator is a serious threat to the safety of the power grid due to the multiple faults of the insulator, and the computer technology should be fully utilized to diagnose the fault. Detection of the insulator images with the complex aerial background is implemented by constructing a convolutional neural network (CNN), which has the classic architecture of five modules of convolution and pooling, two modules of fully connected layers. In this paper, we propose a recognition algorithm for explosion fault based on saliency detection, which uses the trained network model to extract the features. Then, we put the saliency maps into a self-organizing feature map (SOM) network and build the mathematical module via super pixel segmentation, contour detection and other image processing methods. The test shows that the algorithm can reduce the error that may be caused by manual analysis. It also demonstrates that the detection of the insulator and the recognition of explosion fault can effectively improve the efficiency and intelligence level.
Spatial distribution preserving-based sparse subspace clustering for hyperspectral image
Authors: Ding Yiyang , Qin Anyong , Shang Zhaowei , Qian Jiye
Published: May 2018

The high dimensionality and heterogeneity of the hyperspectral image (HSI) make a challenge to the application of machine learning methods, such as sparse subspace clustering (SSC). SSC is designed to represent data as an union of affine subspaces, while it cannot capture the latent structure of the given data. In Mosers theory, the distribution can represent the intrinsic structure efficiently. Hence, we propose a novel approach called spatial distribution preserving-based sparse subspace clustering (SSC-SDP) in this paper for HSI data, which can help sparse representation preserve the underlying manifold structure. Specifically, the density constraint is added by minimizing the inconsistency of the densities estimated in the HSI data and the corresponding sparse coefficient matrix. In addition, we incorporate spatial information into the density estimation of the original data, and the optimization solution based on alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM) is devised. Three HSI data sets are conducted to evaluate the performance of our SSC-SDP compared with other state-of-art algorithms.
Examples of Applications of Two-Stage Method in Calculations of Statically Indeterminate Trusses
Authors: Rȩbielak Janusz
Published: May 2018

The paper presents features of the two-stage method as an approximate method of calculations of statically indeterminate trusses. Values of forces determined in particular members are resultants of forces calculated in both stages for two intermediate statically determinate trusses. Each of the intermediate truss is defined by removing, from the statically indeterminate truss, a number of members, which equals the statically indeterminacy of the basic truss. In the paper are presented comparisons between values of forces calculated in members of selected type of statically indeterminate plane truss under load by forces applied in symmetrical way and in asymmetrical way.
How Incumbents Manage Waves of Disruptive Innovations: An Exploratory Analysis of the Global Music Industry
Authors: Urbinati Andrea , Chiaroni Davide , Chiesa Vittorio , Franzò Simone , Frattini Federico
Published: May 2018

Innovation scholars have paid special attention on the managerial approaches that incumbents should adopt to promptly respond to the emergence of disruptive innovations. These approaches include, among the others, the use of open innovation or the establishment of ambidextrous organizations. However, this body of research has not analyzed how incumbents use these approaches over time, although they are very often confronted with waves of disruptive innovations that cyclically take place along the lifecycle of an industry. This paper looks into this issue through a historical analysis of the global music industry. For each of the three waves of disruptive innovations that have hit this industry over the last 15 years (i.e. digital music distribution, permanent digital download and music streaming), we analyze the reactions of incumbents in terms of managerial approaches they adopted to respond to the emergence of the disruptive innovation. Therefore, we develop a model suggesting how incumbents evolve over time their responses to cycles of disruptive technological changes.
Past and Present Research on Wearable Technologies: Bibliometric and Cluster Analyses of Published Research from 2000 to 2016
Authors: Dehghani Milad , Kim Ki Joon
Published: May 2018

This study analyzes publications in the field of wearable technologies (WTs) recorded in the Scopus database during the period 2000 to 2016. Using bibliometric analysis, we probe into the current status and direction of research on WT. In addition, we use cluster analysis to reveal keywords with highest frequency and to identify technology trends over time among research activities. The study provides researchers and practitioners with insights that help to identify trends in WT research. The study also highlights potential research directions and is therefore expected to benefit researchers in the area of WT.
On Pentavalent Arc-Transitive Graphs
Authors: Li Jingjian , Ma Jicheng
Published: May 2018

In this paper, a characterization of all pentavalent arc-transitive graphs is given. It is shown that each pentavalent arc-transitive covering graph Γ is a regular simple or elementary abelian covering graph. In particular, the elementary abelian covering groups are ℤ3, ℤ5 or a subgroup of [Formula: see text].
Properties of the Secondary Hochschild Homology
Authors: Laubacher Jacob
Published: May 2018

In this paper we study properties of the secondary Hochschild homology of the triple (A, B, ε) with coefficients in M. We establish a type of Morita equivalence between two triples and show that H•((A, B, ε); M) is invariant under this equivalence. We also prove the existence of an exact sequence which connects the usual and the secondary Hochschild homologies in low dimension, allowing one to perform easy computations. The functoriality of H•((A, B, ε); M) is also discussed.
Locally-primitive Arc-transitive 10-Valent Graphs of Square-free Order
Authors: Li Guang , Lu Zaiping , Zhang Xiaoyuan
Published: May 2018

In this paper, we present a complete classification for locally-primitive arc-transitive graphs which have square-free order and valency 10. The classification involves nine graphs and three infinite families of graphs.
The p-Rank of Tame Kernels of Pure Quintic Fields
Authors: Li Yuanyuan , Zhou Haiyan , Deng Fei , Wu Xia
Published: May 2018

Let F be a pure quintic field. In this paper, we present some results for the p-rank of K2𝒪F, where p is an odd prime number. In particular, the 5-rank of K2𝒪F is studied by the reflection theorem. Some explicit results on the 5-rank of K2𝒪F are given in some special cases.
U-Concordant Semigroups
Authors: Ren Xueming , Wang Yanhui , Shum K.P.
Published: May 2018

We introduce the relations [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] with respect to a subset U of idempotents. Based on [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], we define a new class of semigroups which we name U-concordant semigroups. Our purpose is to describe U-concordant semigroups by generalized categories over a regular biordered set. We show that the category of U-concordant semigroups and admissible morphisms is isomorphic to the category of RBS generalized categories and pseudo functors. Our approach is inspired from Armstrong’s work on the connection between regular biordered sets and concordant semigroups. The significant difference in strategy is by using RBS generalized categories equipped with pre-orders, we have no need to discuss the quotient of a category factored by a congruence.
On Rigid 2-Step Nilpotent Lie Algebras
Authors: Alejandra Alvarez María
Published: May 2018

In this note we consider 2-step nilpotent Lie algebras and give a criterion for the rigidity of this class in the variety [Formula: see text] of 2-step nilpotent Lie algebras of dimension n. We apply this criterion to prove that every rigid Lie algebra in [Formula: see text] is indecomposable, except for [Formula: see text]3 ⊕ ℂ and [Formula: see text]3 ⊕ [Formula: see text]3.
Sign-change of the Fourier coefficients of a Hauptmodul for Γ0(2)
Authors: Hu Bingyang , Ye Dongxi
Published: May 2018

In this paper, we aim to prove that the Fourier coefficients of the modular function [Formula: see text] possess a sign-change property.
Simultaneous non-vanishing and sign changes of Fourier coefficients of modular forms
Authors: Kumari Moni , Murty M. Ram
Published: May 2018

In this paper, we give some results on simultaneous non-vanishing and simultaneous sign-changes for the Fourier coefficients of two modular forms. More precisely, given two modular forms [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] with Fourier coefficients [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] respectively, we consider the following questions: existence of infinitely many primes [Formula: see text] such that [Formula: see text]; simultaneous non-vanishing in the short intervals and in arithmetic progressions; simultaneous sign changes in short intervals.
Almost periodic functions and hyperbolic counting
Authors: Cherubini Giacomo
Published: May 2018

We prove the existence of asymptotic moments and an estimate on the tails of the limiting distribution for a specific class of almost periodic functions. Then we introduce the hyperbolic circle problem, proving an estimate on the asymptotic variance of the remainder that improves a result of Chamizo. Applying the results of the first part we prove the existence of limiting distribution and asymptotic moments for three functions that are integrated versions of the remainder, and were considered originally (with due adaptations to our settings) by Wolfe, Phillips and Rudnick, and Hill and Parnovski.
Waring–Goldbach problem for unlike powers with almost equal variables
Authors: Zhang Min , Li Jinjiang
Published: May 2018

Let [Formula: see text] be a sufficiently large integer. In this paper, we prove that almost all sufficiently large even integer [Formula: see text] can be represented as [Formula: see text] where [Formula: see text] with [Formula: see text].
Non-critical equivariant L-values of modular abelian varieties
Authors: Brunault François
Published: May 2018

We prove an equivariant version of Beilinson’s conjecture on non-critical [Formula: see text]-values of strongly modular abelian varieties over number fields. The proof builds on Beilinson’s theorem on modular curves as well as a modularity result for endomorphism algebras. As an application, we prove a weak version of Zagier’s conjecture on [Formula: see text] and Deninger’s conjecture on [Formula: see text] for non-CM strongly modular [Formula: see text]-curves.
Role of point defects in self-diffusion along low-angle twist boundaries in fcc metals: A molecular dynamics study
Authors: Poletaev G. M. , Zorya I. V. , Starostenkov M. D.
Published: May 2018

The interaction of point defects with low-angle (100), (110) and (111) twist boundaries in fcc metals Ni, Cu, Al and role of the point defects in self-diffusion along considered boundaries were studied by the molecular dynamics method. The binding energies of point defects with low-angle twist boundaries were calculated. It was found that the point defects are mainly fixed in the nodes of grain-boundary screw dislocations network. It was shown that the introduced vacancies play an important role in diffusion along twist grain boundaries. The contribution of introduced interstitial atoms to grain-boundary diffusion under thermodynamic equilibrium condition is less by several orders of magnitude in comparison with the contribution of vacancies.
Influence of dry and wet seasons on disintegration characteristics of basalt residual soil from the Leizhou Peninsula, China
Authors: Zhang X. W. , Kong L. W. , Li J. J.
Published: May 2018

Basalt residual soil shows significant disintegration owing to climatic influence. Most existing studies on disintegration of earth materials focus on rocks, with minimal attention given to soils, and do not consider climatic impact. To investigate the effects of disintegration on residual soils derived from basalt, samples from Leizhou Peninsula, China, were first subjected to wetting–drying cycles, used for disintegration test in air, and then soaked to assess the effect of the dry and wet seasons that occur in the area. The results showed that repeated wet–dry cycles reduced the bonding within and between the soil aggregations. The majority of disintegrated material in the air transformed from coarse particles to fine particles, which may lead to severe disintegration, and disintegrated material in water showed a transition from a lump or fragment eventually to mud. Furthermore, compared with sesquioxides, other chemical components and minerals in soils had a less prominent function in disintegration, which significantly deviated from that of rocks containing expansive minerals. Aggravation of disintegration by climatic influences was evident in the structural degradation. Based on these results, we have interpreted the disintegration mechanism of the residual soil.
Proving a landslide: ground behaviour problems at Pissouri, Cyprus
Authors: Hearn Gareth James , Larkin Hayley , Hadjicharalambous Kleopas , Papageorgiou Artemios , Zoi Georgia Elina
Published: May 2018

The residential area of Limnes in Pissouri, SW Cyprus has experienced significant ground behaviour problems since heavy winter rainfall in 2011/2012. These problems have comprised cracking and displacement to the ground, pavements, roads, walls and buildings, leading to the abandonment of the most seriously-affected houses. Nicosia marl comprises the underlying lithology, a material that is associated with volume change upon wetting and drying and has led to foundation problems elsewhere in the country. Various explanations have been given to account for the observed phenomena at Limnes, including the effects of
underground water
, settlement, slope instability, cyclical shrink–swell, seepage erosion and dissolution. Raised water tables, caused by residential waste-water discharges, applied loads from residential buildings, and inadequate ground investigation and foundation design, are other contributory or causal factors that have been cited. A geomorphological study was undertaken in 2017 and early 2018 that combined field observations with aerial photograph interpretation, and a review of available ground investigation data, to yield an explanation and develop a preliminary ground model. The conclusion drawn was that the Limnes area had been affected by ancient (possibly late Pleistocene–early Holocene) deep-seated failure and that slope instability had subsequently been reactivated at a shallower depth within the failed material as a result of loss of material strength and high water tables. The properties of the Nicosia marl, while important in controlling the behaviour of the ground on a site-by-site basis, were considered to be aggravating factors in the context of the landslide displacement(s) affecting the slope as a whole. InSAR satellite movement monitoring data were analysed for the Limnes area and the outcome vindicated the geomorphological interpretation and helped strengthen the ground model that embodied slope failure as the underlying cause of damage.
FIMCE
Authors: Zhao Siqi , Ding Xuhua
Published: May 2018

Virtualization-based memory isolation has been widely used as a security primitive in various security systems to counter kernel-level attacks. In this article, our in-depth analysis on this primitive shows that its security is significantly undermined in the multicore setting when other hardware resources for computing are not enclosed within the isolation boundary. We thus propose to construct a fully isolated micro-computing environment (FIMCE) as a new primitive. By virtue of its architectural niche, FIMCE not only offers stronger security assurance than its predecessor, but also features a flexible and composable environment with support for peripheral device isolation, thus greatly expanding the scope of applications. In addition, FIMCE can be integrated with recent technologies such as Intel Software Guard Extensions (SGX) to attain even stronger security guarantees. We have built a prototype of FIMCE with a bare-metal hypervisor. To show the benefits of using FIMCE as a building block, we have also implemented four applications which are difficult to construct using the existing memory isolation method. Experiments with these applications demonstrate that FIMCE imposes less than 1% overhead on single-threaded applications, while the maximum performance loss on multithreaded applications is bounded by the degree of parallelism at the processor level.
Efficiency of Cell Therapy to GC-Induced ONFH: BMSCs with Dkk-1 Interference Is Not Superior to Unmodified BMSCs
Authors: Zhun Wei , Donghai Li , Zhouyuan Yang , Haiyan Zhao , Pengde Kang
Published: May 2018

Glucocorticoid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) is a hip disorder, and it threatens patients who require megadose of steroid therapies. Nowadays, no valid therapies can reverse the development of GC-induced ONFH once it occurs. Stem cell therapy to GC-induced ONFH would be a promising choice. Although the pathogenesis of GC-induced ONFH is not yet fully clear, Dickkopf-1 (Dkk-1) upregulated by excessive GC use, which hinders the canonical Wnt pathway, could be an explanation. Thus, the aim of the present work lies in investigating the efficiency of the allograft bone marrow stem cells (BMSCs) with Dkk-1 interference in preventing the progression of the GC-induced ONFH. Lentivirus-meditated Dkk-1 RNAi was introduced into BMSCs which was exposed to dexamethasone (10−6 mol/L) in vitro. This interference blocked Dkk-1 overexpression by GC and afterwards prompted the transduction of Wnt/β-catenin in which the Runx2 and PPARγ were upregulated and downregulated, respectively. Thus, the osteogenesis was promoted while adipogenesis was inhibited. In vivo, GC-induced ONFH rats were treated by allotransplantation of BMSCs with Dkk-1 interference, and the progression of the disease was prevented. However, the effects were not significantly superior to treatment with nongenetically modified or normal BMSCs.
Energy Efficient Clustering Protocol to Enhance Performance of Heterogeneous Wireless Sensor Network: EECPEP-HWSN
Authors: Purkar Santosh V. , Deshpande R. S.
Published: May 2018

Heterogeneous wireless sensor network (HWSN) fulfills the requirements of researchers in the design of real life application to resolve the issues of unattended problem. But, the main constraint faced by researchers is the energy source available with sensor nodes. To prolong the life of sensor nodes and thus HWSN, it is necessary to design energy efficient operational schemes. One of the most suitable approaches to enhance energy efficiency is the clustering scheme, which enhances the performance parameters of WSN. A novel solution proposed in this article is to design an energy efficient clustering protocol for HWSN, to enhance performance parameters by EECPEP-HWSN. The proposed protocol is designed with three level nodes namely normal, advanced, and super, respectively. In the clustering process, for selection of cluster head we consider different parameters available with sensor nodes at run time that is, initial energy, hop count, and residual energy. This protocol enhances the energy efficiency of HWSN and hence improves energy remaining in the network, stability, lifetime, and hence throughput. It has been found that the proposed protocol outperforms than existing well-known LEACH, DEEC, and SEP with about 188, 150, and 141 percent respectively.
Modern Corneal Eye-Banking Using a Software-Based IT Management Solution
Authors: Kern C. , Kortuem K. , Wertheimer C. , Nilmayer O. , Dirisamer M. , Priglinger S. , Mayer W. J.
Published: May 2018

Background. Increasing government legislation and regulations in manufacturing have led to additional documentation regarding the pharmaceutical product requirements of corneal grafts in the European Union. The aim of this project was to develop a software within a hospital information system (HIS) to support the documentation process, to improve the management of the patient waiting list and to increase informational flow between the clinic and eye bank. Materials and Methods. After an analysis of the current documentation process, a new workflow and software were implemented in our electronic health record (EHR) system. Results. The software takes over most of the documentation and reduces the time required for record keeping. It guarantees real-time tracing of all steps during human corneal tissue processing from the start of production until allocation during surgery and includes follow-up within the HIS. Moreover, listing of the patient for surgery as well as waiting list management takes place in the same system. Conclusion. The new software for corneal eye banking supports the whole process chain by taking over both most of the required documentation and the management of the transplant waiting list. It may provide a standardized IT-based solution for German eye banks working within the same HIS.
On How QCD Gauge Invariance Gets Realized in the Context of Effective Locality
Authors: Fried H. M. , Grandou T. , Hofmann R.
Published: May 2018

The fermionic Green’s functions of QCD exhibit an unexpected property of effective locality, which appears to be exact, involving no approximation. This property is nonperturbative, resulting from a full integration of the elementary gluonic degrees of freedom of QCD. Recalling, correcting, and extending the derivations of effective locality, focus is put on the way nonabelian gauge invariance gets realized in the fermionic nonperturbative regime of QCD.
Thermoelastic Analysis of Rotating Functionally Graded Truncated Conical Shell by the Methods of Polynomial Based Differential Quadrature and Fourier Expansion-Based Differential Quadrature
Authors: Mehditabar Aref , Rahimi Gholam H. , Fard Kerameat Malekzadeh
Published: May 2018

This paper focuses on the three-dimensional (3D) asymmetric problem of functionally graded (FG) truncated conical shell subjected to thermal field and inertia force due to the rotating part. The FG properties are assumed to be varied along the thickness according to power law distribution, whereas Poisson’s ratio is assumed to be constant. On the basis of 3D Green-Lagrange theory in general curvilinear coordinate, the fundamental equations are formulated and then two versions of differential quadrature method (DQM) including polynomial based differential quadrature (PDQ) and Fourier expansion-based differential quadrature (FDQ) are applied to discretize the resulting differential equations. The reliability of the present approach is validated by comparing with known literature where good agreement is reached using considerably few grid points. The effects of different mechanical boundary conditions, temperature fields, rotating angular speed, and shell thickness on the distributions of stress components and displacement in thickness direction for both axisymmetric and asymmetric cases are graphically depicted.
Neuromotor Development of Children Aged 6 and 7 Years Born before the 30th Week Gestation
Authors: Majewska Joanna , Zajkiewicz Katarzyna , Wacław-Abdul Kamila , Baran Joanna , Szymczyk Daniel
Published: May 2018

Introduction. The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the level of neuromotor function and somatic development in 6- and 7-year-old children born before the 30th week gestation with that in full-term children at the same age, as well as the correlation between prematurity and motor development.Material and Methods. The study group consisted of prematurely born 40 children. Their mean gestational age at birth was27.8±1.6weeks (range 24–30 weeks). The control group consisted of 40 healthy children born with normal birth weight (>2500 g). The neuromotor function was assessed using Touwen neurological examination criteria. During the examination, the attention was focused on the hand preference, laterality, synkinesis, and asymmetry. In addition, children’s weight, height, and BMI index were measured.Results. Premature children showed much worse results than full-term ones in hand function (p<0,001). They obtained the best results in paper tearing while crossing the body midline turned out to be the most difficult. Considering the quality of walking, the biggest difficulty for the premature children was to walk backwards along the straight line while during normal walking they showed the best results. The results for the muscle tone subcategory in the study group were also significantly worse than those in control group (p<0,001), as well as the total outcome for the movement coordination and diadochokinesis subcategories (p<0,001).Conclusion. The nondisabled, prematurely born children have significantly lower average outcomes regarding hand function, quality of walking, muscle tone, coordination, and diadochokinesis at age of six to seven, compared to the full-term peers.
Energy-Optimized Consensus Formation Control for the Time-Delayed Bilateral Teleoperation System of UAVs
Authors: Sun Hui-yu , Song Guang-ming , Wei Zhong , Zhang Ying
Published: May 2018

This paper proposes an energy-optimized consensus formation scheme for the time-delayed bilateral teleoperation system of multiple unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in the obstructed environment. To deal with the asymmetric time-varying delays in aerial teleoperation, the local damping is independently distributed on both sides to enforce consensus formation and force tracking of the master haptic device and the slave UAVs. The stability of the time-delayed aerial teleoperation system is analyzed by the Lyapunov function. In addition, a flux-conserved force field is incorporated into the aerial teleoperation system to guarantee a collision-free consensus formation in the obstructed environment. Moreover, to reduce the communication complexity and energy dissipation of the formation, a top-down strategy of 3D optimal persistent graph is first proposed to optimize the formation topology. Under the optimized topology with environmental constraints, communication complexity and energy dissipation can be minimized while the rigid formation can be maintained and transformed persistently in the obstructed environment. Finally, the human-in-the-loop simulations are performed to validate the effectiveness of the proposed scheme.
A Multivariant Stream Analysis Approach to Detect and Mitigate DDoS Attacks in Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks
Authors: Kolandaisamy Raenu , Md Noor Rafidah , Ahmedy Ismail , Ahmad Iftikhar , Reza Z’aba Muhammad , Imran Muhammad , Alnuem Mohammed
Published: May 2018

Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks (VANETs) are rapidly gaining attention due to the diversity of services that they can potentially offer. However, VANET communication is vulnerable to numerous security threats such as Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks. Dealing with these attacks in VANET is a challenging problem. Most of the existing DDoS detection techniques suffer from poor accuracy and high computational overhead. To cope with these problems, we present a novel Multivariant Stream Analysis (MVSA) approach. The proposed MVSA approach maintains the multiple stages for detection DDoS attack in network. The Multivariant Stream Analysis gives unique result based on the Vehicle‐to‐Vehicle communication through Road Side Unit. The approach observes the traffic in different situations and time frames and maintains different rules for various traffic classes in various time windows. The performance of the MVSA is evaluated using an NS2 simulator. Simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of the MVSA regarding detection accuracy and reducing the impact on VANET communication.
Effect of Irrigation and Mulch on the Yield and Water Use of Strawberry
Authors: Rannu Rahena Parvin , Ahmed Razu , Siddiky Alamgir , Ali Abu Saleh Md. Yousuf , Ibn Murad Khandakar Faisal , Sarkar Pijush Kanti
Published: May 2018

To investigate the effect of irrigation and mulch on the yield of strawberry (line FA-007), this study was conducted at the experimental fields of Pomology Division, BARI, Gazipur and RARS, BARI, Rangpur during Rabi season of 2012-13 and 2013-14. The experiment was conducted followed by the split-plot design with two mulches (black plastic and rice straw), three levels of irrigation (5, 10, and 15 days interval), and three replications. A significant difference was observed for most of the parameters among different treatments for both locations. Irrigation at 5 days interval with rice straw mulch in Gazipur and irrigation at 5 days interval with black polythene mulch in Rangpur were performed better for most of the yield-contributing characters and yield among all other treatments for both the years. But in respect to water productivity, 10 days irrigation interval with rice straw mulch in Gazipur and 10 days interval with black polythene mulch in Rangpur showed highest results among all other treatments. However, it can be concluded that any irrigation practices from the abovementioned options could be adopted by the farmers based on their feasibility and water availability for strawberry cultivation in Bangladesh.
Power Extraction Control of Variable Speed Wind Turbine Systems Based on Direct Drive Synchronous Generator in All Operating Regimes
Authors: Errami Youssef , Obbadi Abdellatif , Sahnoun Smail , Ouassaid Mohammed , Maaroufi Mohamed
Published: May 2018

Due to the increased penetration of wind energy into the electrical power systems in recent years, the turbine controls are actively occupied in the research. This paper presents a nonlinear backstepping strategy to control the generators and the grid sides of a Wind Farm System (WFS) based Direct Drive Synchronous Generator (DDSG). The control objectives such as Tracking the Maximum Power (TMP) from the WFS, pitch control, regulation of dc-link voltage, and reactive and active power generation at varying wind velocity are included. To validate the proposed control strategy, simulation results for 6-MW-DDSG based Wind Farm System are carried out by MATLAB-Simulink. Performance comparison and evaluation with Vector Oriented Control (VOC) are provided under a wide range of functioning conditions, three-phase voltage dips, and the probable occurrence of uncertainties. The proposed control strategy offers remarkable characteristics such as excellent dynamic and steady state performance under varying wind speed and robustness to parametric variations in the WFS and under severe faults of grid voltage.