bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Editorial: Medicines pricing, access and safety in Morocco
Authors: Tuck Chloe , Maamri Abdellatif , Chan Amy Hai Yan , Babar Zaheer‐Ud‐Din
Published: December 2018

Unregulated supply of medicines compromises quality assurance and risks patient safety. The emergence of illegal medicines trafficking in Morocco presents a major health threat, which highlights the need for region‐wide alignment in policies to drive stringent regulatory enforcement and robust health systems that ensure population‐ wide access to safe medicines. Herein, we draw on insights from a situational analysis in Morocco, as a lower‐ middle income setting, to present access to medicines through regulated supply procedures as a vital prerequisite for quality assurance and patient safety.
The value of the post‐thaw CD34+ count with and without DMSO removal in the setting of autologous stem cell transplantation
Authors: Rohner Nicolai , Passweg Jakob R. , Tsakiris Dimitrios A. , Halter Jörg P. , Heim Dominik , Buser Andreas S. , Infanti Laura , Holbro Andreas
Published: December 2018

BACKGROUND

CD34+ cell count correlates with engraftment potency after autologous stem cell transplantation. Assessment of CD34+ mainly occurs after apheresis and before cryopreservation with dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). The influence of postthaw CD34+ cell numbers over time to engraftment is not well studied, and determination of postthaw CD34+ cell counts is challenging for a variety of reasons. The aim of this retrospective study was to systematically assess the value of postthaw CD34+ cell counts in autologous grafts with and without DMSO removal.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

Between January 2008 and December 2015, 236 adult patients underwent a total of 292 autologous stem cell transplantations. Median age at transplantation was 56 years, and the main indication was multiple myeloma (60%). DMSO removal was done in 96 grafts (33%), either by centrifugation or by Sepax method.

RESULTS

Patients receiving grafts containing DMSO showed a significantly faster platelet (p = 0.02) and RBC (p = 0.001) engraftment. DMSO removal was not associated with fewer infusion‐related adverse events. We observed a good correlation between CD34+ cell count after apheresis and CD34+ cell count after thawing/washing (r = 0.931). Ninety grafts (31%) showed a significant loss of viable CD34+ cells, which translated into a delayed engraftment.

CONCLUSION

DMSO removal was associated with delayed platelet and RBC engraftment without preventing adverse events. CD34+ cell enumeration after thawing remains difficult to perform, but grafts showing higher cell loss during cryopreservation and thawing are associated with slower engraftment. Prospective studies on the role of DMSO removal and postthaw CD34+ enumeration using defined protocols are needed.
The economic effects of the UK government's proposed Brexit deal
Authors: Hantzsche Arno , Kara Amit , Young Garry
Published: December 2018

The focus of our analysis is on how the UK government's proposed Brexit deal is likely to affect the economy. First, we assess how trade, migration, foreign direct investment, productivity and contributions to the EU budget might change by reviewing current proposals against historical evidence. Second, we use the National Institute Global Econometric Model (NiGEM) to analyse the macroeconomic effects. Our assessment is that trade with the EU, especially in services, would be more costly after Brexit. This would be likely to have adverse effects on living standards in the UK. Our central estimate is that if the government's proposed Brexit deal is implemented, then GDP in the longer term will be around 3% lower per head than it would have been had the UK stayed in the EU. If the UK were to stay in a customs union with the EU, or if the Irish backstop position was to be invoked, there would still be a hit to GDP per capita of 2%. These estimates represent our considered view of the economic impact of the government's proposed Brexit deal, but they are themselves uncertain as there is no historical precedent of a country leaving a major trading block such as the EU.
Interbreed variation of biomarkers of lipid and glucose metabolism in dogs
Authors: Gomez‐Fernandez‐Blanco Carlos , Peeters Dominique , Moyse Evelyne , Farnir Frédéric , Höglund Katja , Gouni Vassiliki , Wiberg Maria , Lundgren Willesen Jakob , Hanås Sofia , McEntee Kathleen , Tiret Laurent , Häggström Jens , Lohi Hannes , Chetboul Valérie , Fredholm Merete , Seppälä Eija H , Lequarré Anne‐Sophie , Merveille Anne‐Christine
Published: December 2018

Background

Markers of lipid and glucose metabolism are used in both clinical practice and research. Detection of abnormal laboratory results often relies on species‐specific reference intervals, but interbreed variation can also affect data interpretation.

Objectives

The purpose of the present study was to compare concentrations of selected biochemical variables among different dog breeds.

Methods

We analyzed a database containing information on biochemical variables from 534 dogs belonging to nine different breeds. All dogs were confirmed to be healthy based on history, physical examination, and ancillary tests. Concentrations of glucose, fructosamine, insulin, cholesterol, triglycerides, fatty acids, and C‐reactive protein were compared using the nonparametric Kruskal–Wallis and Dunn's tests.

Results

All variables tested showed significant interbreed differences, although all breeds remained within the previously established RIs for dogs. Fructosamine, insulin, and cholesterol showed a wide interbreed variation that could affect the interpretation of results.

Conclusions

Breed is an important factor to consider when assessing energy metabolism in dogs, especially for markers like fructosamine, insulin, and cholesterol, which vary considerably among breeds.
A Holistic Approach to Characterize Mud Loss Using Dynamic Mud Filtration Data
Authors: Ezeakacha Chinedum Peter , Salehi Saeed
Published: December 2018

Drilling mud loss in highly porous media and fractured formations has been one of the industry's focuses in the past decades. Wellbore dynamics and lithology complexities continue to push for more research into accurate quantification and mitigation strategies for lost circulation and mud filtration. Conventional methods of characterizing mud loss with filtration data for field application can be time-consuming, particularly because of the interaction between several factors that impact mud loss and filtration. This paper presents a holistic engineering approach for characterizing lost circulation using pore-scale dynamic water-based mud (WBM) filtration data. The approaches used in this study include: factorial design of experiment (DoE), hypothesis testing, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and multiple regression analysis. The results show that an increase in temperature and rotary speed can increase dynamic mud filtration significantly. An increase in lost circulation material (LCM) concentration showed a significant decrease dynamic mud filtration. A combination of LCM concentration and rotary speed showed a significant decrease in dynamic mud filtration, while a combination of LCM concentration and temperature revealed a significant increase in dynamic mud filtration. Rotary speed and temperature combination showed an increase in dynamic mud filtration. The combined effect of these three factors was not significant in increasing or decreasing dynamic mud filtration. For the experimental conditions in this study, the regression analysis for one of the rocks showed that dynamic mud filtration can be predicted from changes in LCM concentration and rotary speed. The results and approach from this study can provide reliable information for drilling fluids design and selecting operating conditions for field application.
Experimental and Numerical Investigation of Secondary Flow Structures in an Annular Low Pressure Turbine Cascade Under Periodic Wake Impact—Part 2: Numerical Results
Authors: Winhart Benjamin , Sinkwitz Martin , Schramm Andreas , Engelmann David , di Mare Francesca , Mailach Ronald
Published: December 2018

In this work, we present the results of the numerical investigations of periodic wake–secondary flow interaction carried out on a low pressure turbine (LPT) equipped with modified T106-profile blades. The numerical predictions obtained by means of unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (URANS) simulations using a k-ω-model have been compared with measurements conducted in the same configuration and showed a good agreement. Based on the verified numerical data, the Q-criterion has been employed to characterize the secondary flow structures and accurately identify their origin. An analysis of the fundamental wake kinematics and the unsteady vortex migration revealed dominant interaction mechanisms such as the circumferential fluctuation of the pressure side horseshoe vortex (HSV) and its direct interaction with the passage vortex (PV) and the concentrated shed vortex (CSV). Finally, a correlation with the total pressure loss coefficient is provided and a link to the incoming wake structures is given.
Experimental and Numerical Investigation of Secondary Flow Structures in an Annular Low Pressure Turbine Cascade Under Periodic Wake Impact—Part 1: Experimental Results
Authors: Sinkwitz Martin , Winhart Benjamin , Engelmann David , di Mare Francesca , Mailach Ronald
Published: December 2018

Experimental studies have been conducted on a modified T106 low pressure turbine (LPT) profile in an annular 1.5 stage axial turbine rig at the Chair of Thermal Turbomachines and Aeroengines, Ruhr-Universität Bochum. The rig setup allows the highly resolved measurement of unsteady wake–stator flow interaction in both space and time. Incoming wakes are generated by a variable-speed driven rotor equipped with cylindrical bars. In the present paper, an experimental approach to the investigation of unsteady phenomena is proposed. Time-averaged and instantaneous measurement data from 2D flow field traverses at the stator exit are provided for the analysis of the periodically unsteady vortex formation, displacement, and suppression. Additional time-accurate blade pressure data are used to study the relationship between the flow structures downstream of the stator row and the immediate intermittent wake impact on the blades. Bar wake kinematics is also discussed in relation to the observations.
A Node-Dependent Kinematic Approach for Rotordynamics Problems
Authors: Filippi Matteo , Zappino Enrico , Carrera Erasmo
Published: December 2018

This paper presents the dynamic analysis of rotating structures using node-dependent kinematics (NDK) one-dimensional (1D) elements. These elements have the capabilities to assume a different kinematic at each node of a beam element, that is, the kinematic assumptions can be continuously varied along the beam axis. Node-dependent kinematic 1D elements have been extended to the dynamic analysis of rotors where the response of the slender shaft, as well as the responses of disks, has to be evaluated. Node dependent kinematic capabilities have been exploited to impose simple kinematic assumptions along the shaft and refined kinematic models where the in- and out-of-plane deformations appear, that is, on the disks. The governing equations of the rotordynamics problem have been derived in a unified and compact form using the Carrera unified formulation. Refined beam models based on Taylor and Lagrange expansions (LEs) have been considered. Single- and multiple-disk rotors have been investigated. The effects of flexible supports have also been included. The results show that the use of the node-dependent kinematic elements allows the accuracy of the model to be increased only where it is required. This approach leads to a reduction of the computational cost compared to a three-dimensional model while the accuracy of the results is preserved.
Mechanics Design for Compatible Deformation of Fractal Serpentine Interconnects in High-Density Stretchable Electronics
Authors: Huang Yin , Mu Zhuangzhuang , Feng Peng , Yuan Jianghong
Published: December 2018

Inorganic stretchable electronics based on the island-bridge layout have attracted great attention in recent years due to their excellent electrical performance under the extreme condition of large deformations. During the mechanics design of interconnects in such devices, the major task is not only to maximize the elastic stretchability of device but also to smoothen the whole deformation process of interconnects. In this work, a novel design strategy is proposed for free-standing fractal serpentine interconnects to improve their elastic performance comprehensively without reducing the areal coverage of functional/active components of device. By modifying the classical design slightly, the new strategy can achieve a larger elastic stretchability, a smaller maximum out-of-plane displacement, and most strikingly, a smoother post-buckling deformation. This study will provide helpful guidance to the mechanics design of stretchable electronics with free-standing interconnects.
Controlling the Locomotion of Spherical Robots or Why BB-8 Works
Authors: Akella Prithvi , O'Reilly Oliver M. , Sreenath Koushil
Published: December 2018

Spherical robots have a wide range of self-propulsion mechanisms. Of particular interest in this paper are propulsion systems where wheels are placed in contact with the inner surface of the spherical shell of the robot. Here, locomotion is achieved by a combination of the actions of the motors along with the rolling constraints at the point of contact of the shell with the ground surface. We ask and seek the answer to the following question using elementary arguments: What is the minimal number of actuations needed to completely prescribe the motion of the robot for the two distinct cases where it is rolling and sliding on a surface? We find that two points of actuation are all that is needed provided some simple geometric conditions are satisfied. Our analysis is then applied to the BB-8 robot to show how locomotion is achieved in this robot.
Numerical Simulation of Flow and Heat Transfer in a Square Rotating U-Duct Using Hydrocarbon Fuel
Authors: Sun Hongchuang , Qin Jiang , Huang Hongyan , Yan Peigang
Published: December 2018

Air turbine power generation system is considered as a feasible power generation system for hypersonic aircraft with Mach 6. However, the incoming air with high temperature cannot be used as coolant while turbine has to be cooled. Since hydrocarbon fuel is the only cooling source onboard, the scheme of fuel cooling air turbine is put forward. In this paper, square cooling channel, including inlet part, outlet part and U-duct, is established based on the typical air turbine. The hydraulic diameter of the channel is 2 mm and four types of U-ducts are used to compare the performance with simulation using k-Epsilon turbulence model. The density and specific heat capacity of fuel are considered as constant as the temperature difference in this study is small. The Reynolds number varies from 2760 to 16,559 and rotating number ranges from 0 to 6.9. The results show that the pressure distribution in radial direction is proportional to the square of radial distance and the square of rotating speed. The regulations of velocity and normalized Nusselt number distributions depend on rotating number. Furthermore, the heat transfer is enhanced with fin while the pressure loss is also increased. The position of fins cannot significantly influence pressure loss but can influence heat transfer obviously. The normalized Nusselt number of inlet-fin U-duct is higher than the outlet-fin U-duct both on leading side surface and trailing side (TS) surface, while the pressure losses for the two types of ducts are almost same.
Mosquito Bite-Induced Controlled Human Malaria Infection with Plasmodium vivax or P. falciparum Generates Immune Responses to Homologous and Heterologous Preerythrocytic and Erythrocytic Antigens
Authors: Hall Cysha E. , Hagan Lisa M. , Bergmann-Leitner Elke , Tosh Donna M. , Bennett Jason W. , Regules Jason A. , Chuang Ilin , Angov Evelina , Dutta Sheetij , Chattopadhyay Debasish , Yadava Anjali
Published: December 2018

Seroepidemiological studies on the prevalence of antibodies to malaria antigens are primarily conducted on individuals from regions of endemicity. It is therefore difficult to accurately correlate the antibody responses to the timing and number of prior malaria infections.
CpaA Is a Glycan-Specific Adamalysin-like Protease Secreted by Acinetobacter baumannii That Inactivates Coagulation Factor XII
Authors: Waack Ursula , Warnock Mark , Yee Andrew , Huttinger Zachary , Smith Sara , Kumar Ayush , Deroux Alban , Ginsburg David , Mobley Harry L. T. , Lawrence Daniel A. , Sandkvist Maria
Published: December 2018

Ventilator-associated pneumonia and catheter-related bacteremia are the most common and severe infections caused byAcinetobacter baumannii. Besides the capsule, lipopolysaccharides, and the outer membrane porin OmpA, little is known about the contribution of secreted proteins toA. baumanniisurvivalin vivo. Here we focus on CpaA, a potentially recently acquired virulence factor that inhibits blood coagulationin vitro. We identify coagulation factor XII as a target of CpaA, map the cleavage sites, and show that glycosylation is a prerequisite for CpaA-mediated inactivation of factor XII. We propose adding CpaA to a small, but growing list of bacterial proteases that are specific for highly glycosylated components of the host defense system.
Synergistic Lethality of a Binary Inhibitor of Mycobacterium tuberculosis KasA
Authors: Kumar Pradeep , Capodagli Glenn C. , Awasthi Divya , Shrestha Riju , Maharaja Karishma , Sukheja Paridhi , Li Shao-Gang , Inoyama Daigo , Zimmerman Matthew , Ho Liang Hsin Pin , Sarathy Jansy , Mina Marizel , Rasic George , Russo Riccardo , Perryman Alexander L. , Richmann Todd , Gupta Aditi , Singleton Eric , Verma Sheetal , Husain Seema , Soteropoulos Patricia , Wang Zhe , Morris Roxanne , Porter Gene , Agnihotri Gautam , Salgame Padmini , Ekins Sean , Rhee Kyu Y. , Connell Nancy , Dartois Véronique , Neiditch Matthew B. , Freundlich Joel S. , Alland David
Published: December 2018

Cell wall biosynthesis inhibitors have proven highly effective for treating tuberculosis (TB). We discovered and validated members of the indazole sulfonamide class of small molecules as inhibitors of
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
KasA—a key component for biosynthesis of the mycolic acid layer of the bacterium’s cell wall and the same pathway as that inhibited by the first-line antitubercular drug isoniazid (INH). One lead compound, DG167, demonstrated synergistic lethality in combination with INH and a transcriptional pattern consistent with bactericidality and loss of persisters. Our results also detail a novel dual-binding mechanism for this compound as well as substantial structure-activity relationships (SAR) that may help in lead optimization activities. Together, these results suggest that KasA inhibition, specifically, that shown by the DG167 series, may be developed into a potent therapy that can synergize with existing antituberculars.
Trypanosoma brucei PRMT1 Is a Nucleic Acid Binding Protein with a Role in Energy Metabolism and the Starvation Stress Response
Authors: Kafková Lucie , Tu Chengjian , Pazzo Kyle L. , Smith Kyle P. , Debler Erik W. , Paul Kimberly S. , Qu Jun , Read Laurie K.
Published: December 2018

Trypanosoma brucei
infection causes human African trypanosomiasis, also known as sleeping sickness, a disease with a nearly 100% fatality rate when untreated. Current drugs are expensive, toxic, and highly impractical to administer, prompting the community to explore various unique aspects of
T. brucei
biology in search of better treatments. In this study, we identified the protein arginine methyltransferase (PRMT),
Tb
PRMT1, as a factor that modulates numerous aspects of
T. brucei
biology. These include glycolysis and life cycle progression signaling, both of which are being intensely researched toward identification of potential drug targets. Our data will aid research in those fields. Furthermore, we demonstrate for the first time a direct association of a PRMT with nucleic acids, a finding we believe could translate to other organisms, including humans, thereby impacting research in fields as distant as human cancer biology and immune response modulation.
Hot topics in Fabry disease
Authors: Cairns Tereza , Müntze Jonas , Gernert Judith , Spingler Lisa , Nordbeck Peter , Wanner Christoph
Published: December 2018

Fabry disease is a rare inborn error of the enzyme α-galactosidase (α-Gal) and results in lysosomal substrate accumulation in tissues with a wide range of clinical presentations. The disease has attracted a lot of interest over the last years, in particular since enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) has become widely available in 2001. With rising awareness and rising numbers of (diagnosed) patients, physicians encounter new challenges. Over 900 α-Gal gene mutations are currently known, some with doubtful clinical significance, posing diagnostic and prognostic difficulties for the clinician and a lot of uncertainty for patients. Another challenge are patients who develop neutralising antibodies to ERT, which possibly leads to reduced therapy effectiveness. In this article, we summarise the latest developments in the science community regarding diagnostics and management of this rare lysosomal storage disorder and offer an outlook to future treatments.
An evolutionary stochastic discrete time-cost trade-off method
Authors: Hussein Bahaa , Moselhi Osama
Published: December 2018

This study introduces a newly developed method for optimized time-cost trade-off under uncertainty. It identifies the optimal execution mode for each project activity that results in minimizing the overall project cost and (or) duration while satisfying a specified joint confidence level of both time and cost. The method uses an evolutionary-based algorithm along with a design generator of experiments and blocking techniques. The developed method accounts for managerial flexibility towards the selection of execution modes. This accommodates experience-based judgement of project managers in this process. Hence, the second fold of the developed method is a completely randomized experiment module that depicts the main effect of changing an activity mode on the project total cost and overall duration. The method provides the decision-maker a guideline for making well-informed implementation strategies. The results obtained demonstrate benefits and accuracy of the developed method and its applicability for large-scale projects.
Myeloid angiogenic cells exhibit impaired migration, reduced expression of endothelial markers, and increased apoptosis in idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension
Authors: Zhang Qiuwang , Zucco Liana , Toshner Mark , Morrell Nicholas W. , Granton John , Stewart Duncan J. , Kutryk Michael J.B.
Published: December 2018

Idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH) is a rare and devastating condition. There is no known cure for IPAH, and current treatment options are not always effective. Autologous myeloid angiogenic cells (MACs) have been explored as a novel therapy for IPAH, but preliminary data from clinical trials show limited beneficial effects. A complete understanding of IPAH MAC function remains elusive. This study was designed to comprehensively compare cell function between IPAH MACs and healthy control MACs. MACs were procured through the culture of peripheral blood mononuclear cells in endothelial selective medium for 7 days. Compared with healthy MACs, IPAH MACs exhibited (1) significantly lower levels of endothelial markers as shown by fluorescence microscopy; (2) a markedly higher rate of apoptosis under both normal culture condition and serum starvation as shown by the TUNEL assay; (3) significantly decreased migration towards vascular endothelial growth factor as shown by a modified Boyden chamber migration assay; and (4) similar vascular endothelial growth factor and endothelial nitric oxide synthase mRNA levels as shown by reverse transcription quantitative PCR. In conclusion, various aspects of IPAH MAC function are impaired. To achieve greater therapeutic benefits, pharmacologic and (or) genetic manipulations to improve IPAH MAC function, particularly to promote cell survival and migration, are warranted.
Acoustic transmission problems: Wavenumber-explicit bounds and resonance-free regions
Authors: Moiola Andrea , Spence Euan A.
Published: December 2018

We consider the Helmholtz transmission problem with one penetrable star-shaped Lipschitz obstacle. Under a natural assumption about the ratio of the wavenumbers, we prove bounds on the solution in terms of the data, with these bounds explicit in all parameters. In particular, the (weighted) [Formula: see text] norm of the solution is bounded by the [Formula: see text] norm of the source term, independently of the wavenumber. These bounds then imply the existence of a resonance-free strip beneath the real axis. The main novelty is that the only comparable results currently in the literature are for smooth, convex obstacles with strictly positive curvature, while here we assume only Lipschitz regularity and star-shapedness with respect to a point. Furthermore, our bounds are obtained using identities first introduced by Morawetz (essentially integration by parts), whereas the existing bounds use the much-more sophisticated technology of microlocal analysis and propagation of singularities. We also adapt existing results to show that if the assumption on the wavenumbers is lifted, then no bound with polynomial dependence on the wavenumber is possible.
Photoelectrocatalytic Oxidation of Methane into Methanol over ZnO Nanowire Arrays Decorated with Plasmonic Au Nanoparticles
Authors: Liu Jia , Zhang Yinghua , Huang Zhian , Bai Zhiming , Gao Yukun
Published: December 2018

The pursuit for efficient conversion of methane under ambient conditions remains a challenge. Here, we reported photoelectrocatalytic oxidation of methane into methanol over ZnO nanowire arrays (NWAs) decorated with Au nanoparticles (NPs) under simulated sunlight illumination with ambient conditions. The photoelectrochemical (PEC) performances of the ZnO and ZnO/Au photoanodes were investigated to analyze the behavior and intensity of the reaction process of methane oxidation. The Faradaic efficiency of ZnO/Au was calculated to be 32.11%, nearly three times of 11.69% for ZnO. The above results show that ZnO NWAs exhibited exceptional activity as photoanode for photoelelctrocatalytic methane oxidation, and the decoration of Au NPs further enhanced the photo-activity via the surface plasmon resonance expanding its absorption spectra to visible region. On the other hand, as a co-catalyst, Au can promote the oxidation of methane by providing the trapping sites and active sites to facilitate the separation and also suppress the recombination of photogenerated charges and the existence of Au can boost the reaction by lowering the activation energy. This research demonstrates that ZnO NWAs decorated with Au NPs hold great promise for photoelectrocatalytic methane oxidation.
Formal Definition and Modeling Language of Association-Oriented Database Metamodel (AssoBase)
Authors: Krótkiewicz Marek
Published: December 2018

The paper provides a concise discussion of the most important theoretical aspects of the Association-Oriented Database (AODB) Metamodel. Even though the model has been practically verified, the author has focused on its formal aspects and modeling language. The AODB Metamodel has been developed for the purposes of building the knowledge representation systems. Basically, such systems are structurally and functionally complex, hence they require advanced solutions to be applied for the purpose of data modeling. The modeling language enables designing database structures in the AODB Metamodel, taking into account various features of this database metamodel. The language in question is fully integrated and compatible with AODB Metamodel. It has been developed for the purposes of this metamodel, it operates with categories specific to it and, as such, it constitutes neither a version nor an extension of any of the existing languages. The second part of the paper provides the definition and discussion concerning the graphical modeling language — Association-Oriented Modeling Language (AML). The last section of the paper introduces the case-study that presents the key features of the metamodel, as well as the use of modeling language. The topics of presented examples comprise a simplified model of degree programs for universities and the model of Ontological Core, the main module of Semantic Knowledge Base (SKB).
Using Communities of Words Derived from Multilingual Word Vectors for Cross-Language Information Retrieval in Indian Languages
Authors: Bhattacharya Paheli , Goyal Pawan , Sarkar Sudeshna
Published: December 2018

We investigate the use of word embeddings for query translation to improve precision in cross-language information retrieval (CLIR). Word vectors represent words in a distributional space such that syntactically or semantically similar words are close to each other in this space. Multilingual word embeddings are constructed in such a way that similar words across languages have similar vector representations. We explore the effective use of bilingual and multilingual word embeddings learned from comparable corpora of Indic languages to the task of CLIR.

We propose a clustering method based on the multilingual word vectors to group similar words across languages. For this we construct a graph with words from multiple languages as nodes and with edges connecting words with similar vectors. We use the Louvain method for community detection to find communities in this graph. We show that choosing target language words as query translations from the clusters or communities containing the query terms helps in improving CLIR. We also find that better-quality query translations are obtained when words from more languages are used to do the clustering even when the additional languages are neither the source nor the target languages. This is probably because having more similar words across multiple languages helps define well-defined dense subclusters that help us obtain precise query translations.

In this article, we demonstrate the use of multilingual word embeddings and word clusters for CLIR involving Indic languages. We also make available a tool for obtaining related words and the visualizations of the multilingual word vectors for English, Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, Gujarati, and Tamil.
Dynamic Enhanced Field Division
Authors: Zhang Qingquan , Yao Yao , Zhu Ting , Zhou Ziqiao , Xu Wei , Yi Ping , Xiao Sheng
Published: December 2018

Tracking moving objects is always a critical challenge in cyber-physical systems. Researchers have proposed many tracking algorithms. However, most of the proposed algorithms cannot be used for on-demand deployment because of the unavailable preset fingerprints (prior landmark or context information) in their assumption. Another issue is that those algorithms with models built in an interference-free environment cannot work in interference-rich environments. To address those issues, we propose a localizing and tracking algorithm called Enhanced Field Division (EFD), which dynamically divides the field into areas with unique signatures and tracks the target without any fingerprints. We also implemented a proof-of-concept localization platform to demonstrate the tracking accuracy and the algorithm performance in practical, interference-rich environments.
DISH
Authors: Tiloca Marco , Guglielmo Domenico De , Dini Gianluca , Anastasi Giuseppe , Das Sajal K.
Published: December 2018

The MAC standard amendment IEEE 802.15.4e is designed to meet the requirements of industrial and critical applications. In particular, the Time Slotted Channel Hopping (TSCH) mode divides time into periodic, equally sized, slotframes composed of transmission timeslots. Then, it combines time slotted access with multichannel and channel hopping capabilities, providing large network capacity, high reliability, and predictable latency while ensuring energy efficiency. Since every network node considers the same timeslots at each slotframe and selects physical channels according to a periodic function, TSCH produces a steady channel utilization pattern. This can be exploited by a selective jammer to entirely thwart communications of a victim node in a way that is stealthy, effective, and extremely energy efficient. This article shows how a selective jamming attack can be successfully performed even though TSCH uses the IEEE 802.15.4e security services. Furthermore, we propose DISH, a countermeasure which randomly permutes the timeslot and channel utilization patterns at every slotframe in a consistent and completely distributed way without requiring any additional message exchange. We have implemented DISH for the Contiki OS and tested its effectiveness on TelosB sensor nodes. Quantitative analysis for different network configurations shows that DISH effectively contrasts selective jamming with negligible performance penalty.
Building Consistent Transactions with Inconsistent Replication
Authors: Zhang Irene , Sharma Naveen Kr. , Szekeres Adriana , Krishnamurthy Arvind , Ports Dan R. K.
Published: December 2018

Application programmers increasingly prefer distributed storage systems with strong consistency and distributed transactions (e.g., Google’s Spanner) for their strong guarantees and ease of use. Unfortunately, existing transactional storage systems are expensive to use—in part, because they require costly replication protocols, like Paxos, for fault tolerance. In this article, we present a new approach that makes transactional storage systems more affordable: We eliminate consistency from the replication protocol, while still providing distributed transactions with strong consistency to applications.

We present the Transactional Application Protocol for Inconsistent Replication (TAPIR), the first transaction protocol to use a novel replication protocol, called
inconsistent replication
, that provides fault tolerance without consistency. By enforcing strong consistency only in the transaction protocol, TAPIR can commit transactions in a single round-trip and order distributed transactions without centralized coordination. We demonstrate the use of TAPIR in a transactional key-value store,
TAPIR-KV
. Compared to conventional systems,
TAPIR-KV
provides better latency
and
better throughput.
Improving Word Embedding Coverage in Less-Resourced Languages Through Multi-Linguality and Cross-Linguality
Authors: Akhtar Md Shad , Sawant Palaash , Sen Sukanta , Ekbal Asif , Bhattacharyya Pushpak
Published: December 2018

In the era of deep learning-based systems, efficient input representation is one of the primary requisites in solving various problems related to Natural Language Processing (NLP), data mining, text mining, and the like. Absence of adequate representation for an input introduces the problem of data sparsity, and it poses a great challenge to solve the underlying problem. The problem is more intensified with resource-poor languages due to the absence of a sufficiently large corpus required to train a word embedding model. In this work, we propose an effective method to improve the word embedding coverage in less-resourced languages by leveraging bilingual word embeddings learned from different corpora. We train and evaluate deep Long Short Term Memory (LSTM)-based architecture and show the effectiveness of the proposed approach for two aspect-level sentiment analysis tasks (i.e., aspect term extraction and sentiment classification). The neural network architecture is further assisted by hand-crafted features for prediction. We apply the proposed model in two experimental setups: multi-lingual and cross-lingual. Experimental results show the effectiveness of the proposed approach against the state-of-the-art methods.
CapNet
Authors: Saifullah Abusayeed , Sankar Sriram , Liu Jie , Lu Chenyang , Chandra Ranveer , Priyantha Bodhi
Published: December 2018

As the scale and density of data centers continue to grow, cost-effective data center management (DCM) is becoming a significant challenge for enterprises hosting large-scale online and cloud services. Machines need to be monitored, and the scale of operations mandates an automated management with high reliability and real-time performance. The limitations of today’s typical DCM network are many-fold. Primarily, it is a fixed wired network, and hence scaling it for a large number of servers increases its cost. In addition, with server densities increasing over recent years, this network also has to be cabled correctly and the management of this network parallels the complexity of managing a data network, since it needs to be networked with multiple switches and routers. In this article, we propose a wireless sensor network as a cost-effective networking solution for DCM while satisfying the reliability and latency performance requirements of DCM. We have developed CapNet, a real-time wireless sensor network for power capping, a time-critical DCM function for power management in a cluster of servers. CapNet employs an efficient event-driven protocol that triggers data collection only on the detection of a potential power capping event. We deploy and evaluate CapNet in a data center. Using server power traces, our experimental results on a cluster of 480 servers inside the data center show that CapNet can meet the real-time requirements of power capping. CapNet demonstrates the feasibility and efficacy of wireless sensor networks for time-critical DCM applications.
Parallelizing Sequential Graph Computations
Authors: Fan Wenfei , Yu Wenyuan , Xu Jingbo , Zhou Jingren , Luo Xiaojian , Yin Qiang , Lu Ping , Cao Yang , Xu Ruiqi
Published: December 2018

This article presents GRAPE, a parallel GRAPh Engine for graph computations. GRAPE differs from prior systems in its ability to parallelize existing sequential graph algorithms as a whole, without the need for recasting the entire algorithm into a new model. Underlying GRAPE are a simple programming model and a principled approach based on fixpoint computation that starts with partial evaluation and uses an incremental function as the intermediate consequence operator. We show that users can devise existing sequential graph algorithms with minor additions, and GRAPE parallelizes the computation. Under a monotonic condition, the GRAPE parallelization guarantees to converge at correct answers as long as the sequential algorithms are correct. Moreover, we show that algorithms in MapReduce, BSP, and PRAM can be optimally simulated on GRAPE. In addition to the ease of programming, we experimentally verify that GRAPE achieves comparable performance to the state-of-the-art graph systems using real-life and synthetic graphs.
The Book Review Column
Authors: Green Frederic
Published: December 2018

In this column we look at four books, ranging from the theoretical to the applied, in these three reviews:
Review of Game Theory, Alive
Authors: Aazami Amir Babak
Published: December 2018

Game Theory, Alive is a wonderful book and is to be highly recommended, either for teaching or self-study. By way of comparison, it covers fewer topics and is less advanced than the well known book Game Theory, by M. Maschler, E. Solan, and S. Zamir. For this reason, it seems ideal for a first course on Game Theory at the undergraduate level. Since Game Theory, Alive assumes some basic knowledge of probability theory (in addition to discrete math), students should have some probability theory as a background, though much of the book is still very accessible without it. This reviewer would not be surprised if Game Theory, Alive becomes the standard text for an introductory course on Game Theory. It is very well written and fun to read. The numerous figures, cartoons (see, e.g., Figure 6 on page xxi), photos, anecdotes, and especially, the historical summaries at the end of each chapter as well as the backgrounds of the mathematicians, statisticians, and economists whose results now go into Game Theory, is one of the loveliest features of this book. Wikipedia notwithstanding, we often don't learn enough about the 'players' themselves, their history and/or the evolution of how a result came into being (at least in this reviewer's primary field of study, which is not game theory or even probability theory), and this book very nicely bucks that trend. The most important caveat I should state here is that I am not myself in game theory or combinatorics, so my review of this book cannot be as deep as that of a practitioner in either of these fields. That is unfortunate, but the plus side of this is that I can make the following comment: to me, the most beautiful feature of this book is how nicely-and yet how compactly-the authors convey intuition and motivation, which is the most important thing a textbook can do for someone approaching the field for the first time. And to do so while at the same time presenting everything mathematically-definitions, theorems, proofs-is not easy.
Open Problems Column
Authors: Gasarch William
Published: December 2018

This issue's Open Problem Column is by Virginia Vassilevska Williams. It is titled: Some Open Problems in Fine-Grained Complexity.
Distributed Computing Column 72
Authors: Welch Jennifer L.
Published: December 2018

As with prior December issues, this issue is devoted to a review of notable events related to distributed computing that occurred during the year.

First, congratulations to Bowen Alpern and Fred Schneider, winners of the 2018 Edsger W. Dijkstra Prize in Distributed Computing for their paper \De ning Liveness"! Their paper appeared in Information Processing Letters in October 1985. The prize is jointly sponsored by ACM and EATCS, and is given alternately at PODC1 and DISC2; this year it was given at PODC. This paper formally de ned liveness properties of concurrent and distributed algorithms for the rst time and also proved that every trace property is the conjunction of a safety property and a liveness property. The full citation can be found at http://www.podc.org/dijkstra/2018-dijkstra-prize/. I am delighted to include in this column the text of the remarks that Fred and Bowen gave at PODC when the award was presented to them.
History and Context for Defining Liveness
Authors: Schneider Fred
Published: December 2018

It's great to be back at PODC. I attended this conference religiously through 1992. It's interesting to see what has changed but also what has not changed in 25 years. And I can't think of a happier excuse to be back. All of us know how gratifying it is to see that our work is having impact, and that's what this award signi es.

To win an award that carries Dijkstra's name is especially meaningful for me. As a graduate student, I read and reread Dijkstra's work; it changed the way I looked at systems research and the research enterprise. (Bowen will o er some remarks that expand on this theme.) I then had a chance to meet Dijkstra when I served as teaching assistant for a 1-week short course he taught in Santa Cruz. That was the summer following my rst year as an assistant professor at Cornell; my colleague David Gries had gotten me the assistantship. I guess I did OK, because Dijkstra and his wife Ria subsequently invited me to visit their home in Nuenen (The Netherlands) for a week. What a thrill. I subsequently saw Dijkstra at technical meetings and socially at least once a year, until he passed away. So, yes, I have many Dijkstra stories to tell. Catch me after dessert for those. You can read our paper \De ning Liveness" (it's only 5 pages!) if you are interested in the technical details. I thought that instead I would talk about how we developed those ideas and where things stand today. I'm always fascinated by the history behind discoveries, and I suspect that I'm not alone in enjoying this \academic gossip".
Design of Modular Power Management and Attitude Control Subsystems for a Microsatellite
Authors: Ali Anwar , Khan Shoaib Ahmed , Khan M. Usman , Ali Haider , Rizwan Mughal M. , Praks Jaan
Published: December 2018

The Electric Power System (EPS) and attitude control system (ACS) are the essential components of any satellite. EPS and ACS efficiency and compactness are substantial for the proper operation and performance of the satellite’s entire mission life. So, realizing the significance of EPS and ACS subsystems for any satellite, they have been assimilated and developed in modular forms focusing on efficiency and compactness. The EPS is comprised of three modules called the solar panel module (SPM), power conditioning module (PCM), and power distribution module (PDM) while the ACS has an embedded magnetorquer coil. For compactness and miniaturization purposes, the magnetorquer coil is embedded inside the SPM. The components used are commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components emphasizing on their power efficiency, small dimensions, and weight. Latch-up protection systems have been designed and analyzed for CMOS-based COTS components, in order to make them suitable for space radioactive environment. The main design features are modularity, redundancy, power efficiency, and to avoid single component failure. The modular development of the EPS and ACS helps to reuse them for future missions, and as a result, the overall budget, development, and testing time and cost are reduced. A specific satellite mission can be achieved by reassembling the required subsystems.
Characterization of Microstructures and Tensile Properties of Recycled Al-Si-Cu-Fe-Mn Alloys with Individual and Combined Addition of Titanium and Cerium
Authors: Wang Kang , Tang Peng , Huang Yi , Zhao Yanjun , Li Wenfang , Tian Jun
Published: December 2018

Individual and combined addition of Ti and Ce on the recycled Al-Si-Cu-Fe-Mn alloy was conducted. The microstructures and tensile properties of these fabricated alloys were investigated. In the case of Ti or Ce which was individually added, the added amount was ranging from 0.03 wt.% to 0.09 wt.%. The combined addition of Ti and Ce was set at the ratios of 1 : 1, 1 : 3, and 3 : 1 with a total amount of 0.12 wt.%. Microstructures and phases of these alloys were investigated by using an optical microscope, X-ray diffraction testing, and SEM coupled with EDS. The morphologies of these alloys were quantified by analyzing the SDAS value, length of secondary phases, and phases’ distribution uniformity. Tensile testing was carried out for understanding the strengthen effect of the modification process. Results show that the addition of Ce was favorable to the strength and % elongation because the coarse needle-like phase and the polyhedral phase were effectively refined. Their SDAS values and distribution factor were remarkably declined with the increase of the Ce level. The Ti addition could also refine the secondary phases and SDAS values. But its effect was not as prominent as the addition of Ce. Combined addition of Ti and Ce elements at the ratio of 1 : 3 resulted in the samples reaching maximum comprehensive tensile properties. In this case, the short needle-like phase was uniformly distributed in the microstructure. Few polyhedral phases could be found in the Al-Si-Cu-Fe-Mn matrix. The strengthening of these fabricated materials was due to the grain refinement for α-Al and modification for coarse secondary phases. In addition, distribution uniformity of secondary phases was also changed by their modification effects.