bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Renormalization scheme ambiguities in the models with more than one coupling
Authors: McKeon D.G.C. , Zhao Chenguang
Published: April 2019

The process of renormalization to eliminate divergences arising in quantum field theory is not uniquely defined; one can always perform a finite renormalization, rendering finite perturbative results ambiguous. The consequences of making such finite renormalizations have been examined in the case of there being one or two couplings. In this paper, we consider how finite renormalizations can affect more general models in which there are more than two couplings. In particular, we consider the massless limit of the Standard Model in which there are essentially five couplings. We show that in this model (when neglecting all mass parameters) if we use mass independent renormalization, then the renormalization group β-functions are not unique beyond one-loop order, that it is not in general possible to eliminate all terms beyond certain order for all these β-functions, but that for a physical process, all contributions beyond one-loop order can be subsumed into the β-functions.
New constructions of entanglement-assisted quantum MDS codes from negacyclic codes
Authors: Li Ruihu , Guo Guanmin , Song Hao , Liu Yang
Published: April 2019

When constructing quantum codes under the entanglement-assisted (EA) stabilizer formalism, one can ignore the limitation of dual-containing condition. This allows us to construct EA quantum error-correcting codes (QECCs) from any classical linear codes. The main contribution of this manuscript is to make a general statement for determining the optimal number of pre-shared qubits instead of presenting only specific cases. Let [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text] is an odd prime power, [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]. By deeply investigating the decomposition of the defining set of negacyclic codes, we generalize the number of pre-shared entanglement pairs of Construction (1) in Lu et al. [Quantom Inf. Process. 17 (2018) 69] from [Formula: see text] to arbitrary even numbers less than or equal to [Formula: see text]. Consequently, a series of EA quantum maximum distance separable (EAQMDS) codes can be produced. The absolute majority of them are new and the minimum distance can be up to [Formula: see text]. Moreover, this method can be applied to construct many other families of EAQECCs with good parameters, especially large minimum distance.
A Diophantine inequality with four prime variables
Authors: Zhang Min , Li Jinjiang
Published: April 2019

Let [Formula: see text] be a sufficiently large real number. In this paper, it is proved that, for [Formula: see text], the following Diophantine inequality [Formula: see text] is solvable in prime variables [Formula: see text], which improves the result of Mu [On a Diophantine inequality over primes, Adv. Math. (China) 44(4) (2015) 621–637].
Mid-Paleozoic ridge subduction in the Central Beishan of the southern Altaids: evidence from geochemical, Sr–Nd and zircon U–Pb–Hf–O isotopic data of Gongpoquan volcanic rocks
Authors: Zheng Rongguo , Li Jinyi , Xiao Wenjiao
Published: April 2019

The investigation of Mid-Paleozoic tectonics could constrain the relations of early and late Paleozoic subduction events in the southern Altaids and improve our understanding of the architecture of accretionary orogens. The Gongpoquan volcanic rocks are widespread in the Central Beishan and contain important information on the tectonics of the southern Altaids. Geochronological data constrain the eruptive time of the Gongpoquan volcanic rocks as early Silurian–early Devonian (434–411 Ma). The Gongpoquan andesites show similar geochemical characteristics to those of typical sanukitoids, including high MgO and compatible element concentrations, enrichments in large ion lithophile elements and light rare earth elements, and depleted isotopic compositions. The geochemical data show that the Gongpoquan andesites were generated through the partial melting of subducting sediments and subsequent melt–mantle peridotite interactions. The early Silurian basalts are Na-rich and exhibit high Nb/U and Nb/La ratios, an enrichment in high field strength elements and enriched isotopic compositions, making them akin to Nb-enriched basalts. Such Nb-enriched basalts should be derived from the melting of a mantle component similar to ocean island basalt in the mantle wedge. The early Devonian basalts are calc-alkaline, enriched in large ion lithophile elements and depleted in high field strength elements. They yield high Ba/Yb ratios and depleted isotopic compositions, indicating an origin via the partial melting of a depleted mantle wedge metasomatized by subduction-related fluids. Our data prove that the Paleo-Asian Ocean may still have been subducted during the Mid-Paleozoic. During this process, a spreading ridge was subducted beneath the Central Beishan, resulting in the opening of a slab window, which generated the observed 431–411 Ma sanukitoids and Nb-enriched basalts.

Supplementary Material:
Analytical methods, U–Pb geochronological data, zircon Lu–Hf-O isotopic compositions, whole-rock major and trace element data, detailed descriptions of the zircon U–Pb geochronology and Hf–O isotopic compositions for analysed samples, representative field photographs and photomicrographs of samples, and representative cathodoluminescence images of analysed zircon grains are available at:
https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.4461062
Stratigraphic architecture and hierarchy of fluvial overbank splay deposits
Authors: Burns C. E. , Mountney N. P. , Hodgson D. M. , Colombera L.
Published: April 2019

Splay deposits represent an important sand-prone component of the otherwise fine-grained stratigraphic record of fluvial overbank systems. This work presents a hierarchical approach to the classification and palaeoenvironmental interpretation of ancient preserved splay deposits supported by the analysis of the stratigraphic architecture of 11 exhumed examples from the Jurassic Morrison Formation and the Cretaceous Mesaverde Group (western USA) and analysis of the morphology of splays from nine modern fluvial systems. A hierarchical arrangement of splay deposits is proposed, categorized into lithofacies, beds, elements and complexes. Recognition criteria for each tier of the hierarchy include identification of bounding surfaces, thinning and fining trends of splay elements and complexes, and palaeocurrent variability. Progradational and compensational stacking trends control the stratal architecture of splay deposits, and these are influenced by the following factors: (1) the rate of local accommodation generation, which influences the erosive power of floodwaters and whether splay elements are laterally offset owing to compensational stacking; (2) the nature of the topographic confinement of the floodplain; (3) the preservation potential linked to migration direction of channel. Splay bodies can contribute volume to fluvial reservoirs and may form significant connectors that link otherwise isolated primary channel bodies, thereby enhancing reservoir connectivity.

Supplementary material:
Thickness and facies types with global positioning system (GPS) coordinates, length and width v. thickness, and modern data and coordinates are available at
https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.4461026
Enhancing transactional memory execution via dynamic binary translation
Authors: Hong Ding-Yong , Lin Shih-Kai , Fu Sheng-Yu , Wu Jan-Jan , Hsu Wei-Chung
Published: April 2019

Transactional Synchronization Extensions (TSX) have been introduced for hardware transactional memory since the 4th generation Intel Core processors. TSX provides two software programming interfaces: Hardware Lock Elision (HLE) and Restricted Transactional Memory (RTM). HLE is easy to use and maintains backward compatibility with processors without TSX support, while RTM is more flexible and scalable. Previous researches have shown that critical sections protected by RTM with a well-designed retry mechanism as its fallback code path can often achieve better performance than HLE. More parallel programs may be programmed in HLE, however, using RTM may obtain greater performance. To embrace both productivity and high performance of parallel programs with TSX, we present a framework built on QEMU that can dynamically transform HLE instructions in an application binary to fragments of RTM codes with adaptive tuning on the fly. Compared to HLE execution, our prototype achieves 1.56 x speedup with 8 threads on average. Due to the scalability of RTM, the speedup will be more significant as the number of threads increases.
Sketching and Sublinear Data Structures in Genomics
Authors: Marçais Guillaume , Solomon Brad , Patro Rob , Kingsford Carl
Published: April 2019

Large-scale genomics demands computational methods that scale sublinearly with the growth of data. We review several data structures and sketching techniques that have been used in genomic analysis methods. Specifically, we focus on four key ideas that take different approaches to achieve sublinear space usage and processing time: compressed full-text indices, approximate membership query data structures, locality-sensitive hashing, and minimizers schemes. We describe these techniques at a high level and give several representative applications of each.
C/EBPβ mediates palmitate-induced musclin expression via the regulation of PERK/ATF4 pathways in myotubes
Authors: Guo Qian , Hu Hailong , Liu Xiaohuan , Yang DaQian , Yin Yao , Zhang Boya , He Hongjuan , Oh Yuri , Wu Qiong , Liu Chuanpeng , Gu Ning
Published: April 2019

Musclin is a muscle-secreted cytokine that disrupts glucose uptake and glycogen synthesis in type 2 diabetes. The purpose of this study was to investigate the mechanisms responsible for the regulation of musclin gene expression in response to treatment with palmitate. RNA sequencing results showed that biological processes activated by palmitate are mainly enriched in endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. The protein kinase RNA-like ER kinase (PERK) signaling pathway is involved in the regulation of musclin expression induced by palmitate. Chromatin immunoprecipitation data showed that activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4)—downstream of PERK—bound to the promoter of the C/EBPβ gene. Notably, C/EBPβ also contains a binding site in the region −94~−52 of the musclin gene promoter. Knockdown or knockout of PERK and ATF4 using short hairpin RNA or CRISPR-Cas9 decreased the expression of C/EBPβ and musclin induced by palmitate. Furthermore, knockdown and knockout of C/EBPβ alleviated the high expression of musclin in response to treatment with palmitate. Moreover, CRISPR-Cas9 knockout of the region −94~−52 in which C/EBPβ binds to the promoter of musclin abrogated the induction of high musclin expression caused by palmitate. Collectively, these findings suggest that treatment with palmitate activates the PERK/ATF4 signaling pathway, which in turn increases the expression of C/EBPβ. C/EBPβ binds directly to the promoter of the musclin gene and upregulates its expression.
Modest changes to glycemic regulation are sufficient to maintain glucose fluxes in healthy young men following overfeeding with a habitual macronutrient composition
Authors: Morrison Dale J. , Kowalski Greg M. , Bruce Clinton R. , Wadley Glenn D.
Published: April 2019

Currently, it is unclear whether short-term overfeeding in healthy people significantly affects postprandial glucose regulation, as most human overfeeding studies have utilized induced experimental conditions such as the euglycemic-hyperinsulinemic clamp technique to assess glucoregulation. The aim of this study was to quantify glucose fluxes [rates of meal glucose appearance (Ra), disposal (Rd), and endogenous glucose production (EGP)] in response to 5 and 28 days of overfeeding (+45% energy) while maintaining habitual macronutrient composition (31.0 ± 1.9% fat, 48.6 ± 2.2% carbohydrate, 16.7 ± 1.4% protein) in healthy, lean young men. Meal tolerance testing was combined with the triple-stable isotope glucose tracer approach. Visceral adipose volume increased by ~15% with 5 days of overfeeding, while there was no further change at 28 days. In contrast, body mass (+1.6 kg) and fat mass (+1.3 kg) were significantly increased only after 28 days of overfeeding. Fasting EGP, Rd, and insulin were increased at 5 but unchanged after 28 days. Postprandial glucose and insulin responses were unaltered by 5 days of overfeeding but were modestly increased after 28 days ( P < 0.05). However, meal Ra and glucose Rd were significantly increased after both 5 and 28 days of overfeeding ( P < 0.05). Despite this, overfeeding did not lead to alterations to postprandial EGP suppression. Thus, in contrast to findings from euglycemic-hyperinsulinemic clamp studies, chronic overfeeding did not affect the ability to suppress EGP or stimulate Rd under postprandial conditions. Rather, glucose flux was appropriately maintained following 28 days of overfeeding through modest increases in postprandial glycemia and insulinemia.
Liver X receptor-α activation enhances cholesterol secretion in lactating mammary epithelium
Authors: Grinman Diego Y. , Careaga Valeria P. , Wellberg Elizabeth A. , Dansey María V. , Kordon Edith C. , Anderson Steven M. , Maier Marta S. , Burton Gerardo , MacLean Paul S. , Rudolph Michael C. , Pecci Adali
Published: April 2019

Liver X receptors (LXRs) are ligand-dependent transcription factors activated by cholesterol metabolites. These receptors induce a suite of target genes required for de novo synthesis of triglycerides and cholesterol transport in many tissues. Two different isoforms, LXRα and LXRβ, have been well characterized in liver, adipocytes, macrophages, and intestinal epithelium among others, but their contribution to cholesterol and fatty acid efflux in the lactating mammary epithelium is poorly understood. We hypothesize that LXR regulates lipogenesis during milk fat production in lactation. Global mRNA analysis of mouse mammary epithelial cells (MECs) revealed multiple LXR/RXR targets upregulated sharply early in lactation compared with midpregnancy. LXRα is the primary isoform, and its protein levels increase throughout lactation in MECs. The LXR agonist GW3965 markedly induced several genes involved in cholesterol transport and lipogenesis and enhanced cytoplasmic lipid droplet accumulation in the HC11 MEC cell line. Importantly, in vivo pharmacological activation of LXR increased the milk cholesterol percentage and induced sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1c (Srebp1c) and ATP-binding cassette transporter a7 (Abca7) expression in MECs. Cumulatively, our findings identify LXRα as an important regulator of cholesterol incorporation into the milk through key nodes of de novo lipogenesis, suggesting a potential therapeutic target in women with difficulty initiating lactation.
High‐Resolution Strain Measurement for Biomechanical Parameters Assessment in Native and Decellularized Porcine Vessels
Authors: Melchor Juan , Soto Juan M. , López-Ruiz Elena , Suarez Javier , Jiménez Gema , Antich Cristina , Perán Macarena , Marchal Juan A. , Rus Guillermo
Published: April 2019

Decellularized vascular scaffolds are promising materials for vessel replacements. However, despite the natural origin of decellularized vessels, issues such as biomechanical incompatibility, immunogenicity risks, and the hazards of thrombus formation still need to be addressed. In this study, we assess the mechanical properties of two groups of porcine carotid blood vessels: (i) native arteries and (ii) decellularized arteries. The biomechanical properties of both groups (n = 10, sample size of each group) are determined by conducting uniaxial and circumferential tensile tests by using an ad hoc and lab‐made device comprising a peristaltic pump that controls the load applied to the sample. This load is regularly incremented (8 grams per cycle with a pause of 20 seconds after each step) while keeping the vessels continuously hydrated. The strain is measured by an image cross‐correlation technique applied on a high‐resolution video. The mechanical testing analyses of the arteries revealed significant differences in burst pressure between the native (1345.08±96.58 mbar) and decellularized (1067.79±112.13 mbar) groups. Moreover, decellularized samples show a significantly lower maximum load at failure (15.78±0.79 N) in comparison with native vessels (19.42±0.80 N). Finally, the average ultimate circumferential tensile also changes between native (3.71±0.37 MPa) and decellularized (2.93±0.18 MPa) groups. This technique is able to measure the strain in the regime of large displacements and enables high‐resolution image of the local strains, thus providing a valuable tool for characterizing several biomechanical parameters of the vessels also applicable to other soft tissue presenting hyperelastic behaviours.
Measurement Stand and Methodology for Research of the Off-Body and Body-to-Body Radio Channels in WBANs with Different Diversity Schemes
Authors: Ambroziak Slawomir J.
Published: April 2019

The concept of an experimental test bed for system loss and channel impulse response measurements for off-body and body-to-body radio channels in wireless body area networks (WBANs) is fully described. The possible measurement scenarios that may occur in investigation of off-body and body-to-body channels are classified and described in detail. Additionally, an evaluation is provided of the standard and expanded uncertainties of the presented measurement stand and methodology. Finally, the exemplary results are presented and discussed, in order to point out the need for further investigations of different diversity schemes and their applications in WBANs.
Ship’s Trajectory Planning Based on Improved Multiobjective Algorithm for Collision Avoidance
Authors: Li Jinxin , Wang Hongbo , Zhao Wei , Xue Yuanyuan
Published: April 2019

With vigorous development of the maritime trade, many intelligent algorithms have been proposed to avoid collisions due to resulting casualties and increased costs. According to the international regulations for preventing collisions at sea (COLREGs) and the self-evolution ability of the intelligent algorithm, the collision avoidance trajectory can be more consistent with the requirements of reality and maritime personnel. In this paper, the optimization of ship collision avoidance strategies is realized by both an improved multiobjective optimization algorithm NSGA-II and the ship domain under the condition of a wide sea area without any external disturbances. By balancing the safety and economy of ship collision avoidance, the avoidance angle and the time to the action point are used as the variables encoded by the algorithm, and the fuzzy ship domain is used to calculate the collision avoidance risk to achieve collision avoidance. The simulation results show that the proposed method can optimize the ship collision avoidance strategy and provide a reasonable scheme for ship navigation.
A Comprehensive Optimization Design Method of Aerodynamic, Acoustic, and Stealth of Helicopter Rotor Blades Based on Genetic Algorithm
Authors: Yi Mingxu , Pan Yalin , Huang Jun , Wang Lifeng , Liu Dawei
Published: April 2019

In this paper, a comprehensive optimization approach is presented to analyze the aerodynamic, acoustic, and stealth characteristics of helicopter rotor blades in hover flight based on the genetic algorithm (GA). The aerodynamic characteristics are simulated by the blade element momentum theory. And the acoustics are computed by the Farassat theory. The stealth performances are calculated through the combination of physical optics (PO) and equivalent currents (MEC). Furthermore, an advanced geometry representation algorithm which applies the class function/shape function transformation (CST) is introduced to generate the airfoil coordinates. This method is utilized to discuss the airfoil shape in terms of server design variables. The aerodynamic, acoustic, and stealth integrated design aims to achieve the minimum radar cross section (RCS) under the constraint of aerodynamic and acoustic requirement through the adjustment of airfoil shape design variables. Two types of rotor are used to illustrate the optimization method. The results obtained in this work show that the proposed technique is effective and acceptable.
Dynamic Mechanical Properties and Failure Mode of Artificial Frozen Silty Clay Subject to One‐Dimensional Coupled Static and Dynamic Loads
Authors: Ma Dong-dong , Ma Qin-yong , Yao Zhao-ming , Yuan Pu , Zhang Rong-rong
Published: April 2019

The dynamic stress‐strain relationship of artificial frozen silty clay under one‐dimensional coupled static and dynamic loads is obtained using modified split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) equipment. The variation in dynamic compressive strength, dynamic deformation modulus, energy dissipation, and failure mode of artificial frozen silty clay with axial precompressive stress ratio are studied in this research. Experimental results indicate that the dynamic stress‐strain curves under uniaxial state and one‐dimensional coupled static and dynamic loads can be divided into four stages, i.e., compaction stage, elastic stage, plastic stage, and failure stage. The dynamic compressive strength, first‐stage deformation modulus, second‐stage deformation modulus, and absorbed energy density of artificial frozen silty clay present a trend of first increase and then decrease with the increase of axial compressive stress ratio, and the axial compressive stress ratio corresponding to the peak value is 0.7 in this test. In addition, there is a very similar effect of axial precompressive stress ratio on dynamic compressive strength and second‐stage deformation modulus of artificial frozen silty clay. At 0.4 axial compressive stress ratio, spall phenomenon appears at circumferential direction and center position of the frozen soil specimen has no obvious failure. Shear failure appears at 0.7 to 0.9 axial compressive stress ratio, and the larger the axial compressive stress ratio applies, the more obvious the shearing surface appears; moreover, comminution failure mode appears at 1.0 axial compressive stress ratio.
A Review of the Hydrochemistry of a Deep Sedimentary Aquifer and Its Consequences for Geothermal Operation: Klaipeda, Lithuania
Authors: Brehme Maren , Nowak Kerstin , Banks David , Petrauskas Sigitas , Valickas Robertas , Bauer Klaus , Burnside Neil , Boyce Adrian
Published: April 2019

The Klaipeda Geothermal Demonstration Plant (KGDP), Lithuania, exploits a hypersaline sodium-chloride (salinity c. 90 g/L) groundwater from a 1100 m deep Devonian sandstone/siltstone reservoir. The hydrogen and oxygen stable isotope composition is relatively undepleted (δ18O=c. -4.5‰), while the δ34S is relatively “heavy” at +18.9‰. Hydrochemical and isotopic data support the existing hypothesis that the groundwater is dominated by a hypersaline brine derived from evapoconcentrated seawater, modified by water-rock interaction and admixed with smaller quantities of more recent glacial meltwater and/or interglacial recharge. The injectivity of the two injection boreholes has declined dramatically during the operational lifetime of the KGDP. Initially, precipitation of crystalline gypsum led to a program of rehabilitation and the introduction of sodium polyphosphonate dosing of the abstracted brine, which has prevented visible gypsum precipitation but has failed to halt the injectivity decline. While physical or bacteriological causes of clogging are plausible, evidence suggests that chemical causes cannot be excluded. Gypsum and barite precipitation could still occur in the formation, as could clogging with iron/manganese oxyhydroxides. One can also speculate that inhibitor dosing could cause clogging of pore throats with needles of calcium polyphosphonate precipitate.
Study on the Influence of AC Stray Current on X80 Steel under Stripped Coating by Electrochemical Method
Authors: Cui Yanyu , Shen Tao , Ding Qingmiao
Published: April 2019

The effect of AC stray current density on corrosion behavior of X80 steel with stripped coating defects was studied by electrochemical method. The experimental results showed that the open circuit potential of X80 steel was shifted negatively due to the existence of AC interference. The degree of negative shift increased with the increasing of AC stray current density. And the potential after the cut of AC interference was still more negative than before. That is, the corrosion interference continued after cutting the AC power. In the initial stage of the experiment, the corrosion current density with 30A/m2 AC stray current interference was about 1.4 times of that without AC interference, while the corrosion current density with 50A/m2 AC stray current interference was about two times of that without AC interference.
SignRank: A Novel Random Walking Based Ranking Algorithm in Signed Networks
Authors: Wan Cong , Fang Yanhui , Wang Cong , Lv Yanxia , Tian Zejie , Wang Yun
Published: April 2019

Social networks have become an indispensable part of modern life. Signed networks, a class of social network with positive and negative edges, are becoming increasingly important. Many social networks have adopted the use of signed networks to model like (trust) or dislike (distrust) relationships. Consequently, how to rank nodes from positive and negative views has become an open issue of social network data mining. Traditional ranking algorithms usually separate the signed network into positive and negative graphs so as to rank positive and negative scores separately. However, much global information of signed network gets lost during the use of such methods, e.g., the influence of a friend’s enemy. In this paper, we propose a novel ranking algorithm that computes a positive score and a negative score for each node in a signed network. We introduce a random walking model for signed network which considers the walker has a negative or positive emotion. The steady state probability of the walker visiting a node with negative or positive emotion represents the positive score or negative score. In order to evaluate our algorithm, we use it to solve sign prediction problem, and the result shows that our algorithm has a higher prediction accuracy compared with some well-known ranking algorithms.
Induced Representation Method in the Theory of Electron Structure and Superconductivity
Authors: Yarzhemsky V. G.
Published: April 2019

It is shown that the application of theorems of induced representations method, namely, Frobenius reciprocity theorem, transitivity of induction theorem, and Mackey theorem on symmetrized squares, makes simplifying standard techniques in the theory of electron structure and constructing Cooper pair wavefunctions on the basis of one-electron solid-state wavefunctions possible. It is proved that the nodal structure of topological superconductors in the case of multidimensional irreducible representations is defined by additional quantum numbers. The technique is extended on projective representations in the case of nonsymmorphic space groups and examples of applications for topological superconductors UPt3 and Sr2RuO4 are considered.
Coupled THM Modelling of Wellbore Stability with Drilling Unloading, Fluid Flow, and Thermal Effects Considered
Authors: Jia Shanpo , Wen Caoxuan , Deng Fucheng , Yan Chuanliang , Xiao Zhiqiang
Published: April 2019

Both overbalanced drilling and underbalanced drilling will lead to the change of pore pressure around wellbore. Existing research is generally based on hydraulic‐mechanical (HM) coupling and assumes that pore pressure near the wellbore is initial formation pressure, which has great limitations. According to the coupled theory of mixtures for rock medium, a coupled thermal‐hydraulic‐mechanical (THM) model is proposed and derived, which is coded with MATLAB language and ABAQUS software as the solver. Then the wellbore stability is simulated with the proposed model by considering the drilling unloading, fluid flow, and thermal effects between the borehole and the formation. The effect of field coupling on pore pressure, stress redistribution, and temperature around a wellbore has been analyzed in detail. Through the study of wellbore stability in different conditions, it is found that (1) for overbalanced drilling, borehole with impermeable wall is more stable than that of ones with permeable wall and its stability can be improved by reducing the permeable ability of the wellbore wall; (2) for underbalanced drilling, the stability condition of permeable wellbore is much higher than that of impermeable wellbore; (3) the temperature has important influence on wellbore stability due to the variation of pore pressure and thermal stress; the wellbore stability can be improved with cooling drilling fluid for deep well. The present method can provide references for coupled thermal‐hydraulic‐mechanical‐chemical (THMC) process analysis for wellbore.
Cross Validation Based Distributed Greedy Sparse Recovery for Multiview Through-the-Wall Radar Imaging
Authors: Qu Lele , An Shimiao , Sun Yanpeng
Published: April 2019

Multiview through-the-wall radar imaging (TWRI) can improve the imaging quality and target detection by exploiting the measurement data acquired from various views. Based on the established joint sparsity signal model for multiview TWRI, a cross validation (CV) based distributed greedy sparse recovery algorithm which combines the strengths of the CV technique and censored simultaneous orthogonal matching pursuit algorithm (CSOMP) is proposed in this paper. The developed imaging algorithm named by CV-CSOMP which separates the total measurements into reconstruction measurements and CV measurements is able to achieve the accurate imaging reconstruction and estimation of recovery error tolerance by the iterative CSOMP calculation. The proposed CV-CSOMP imaging algorithm not only can reduce the communication costs among radar units, but also can provide the desirable imaging performance without the prior information such as the sparsity or noise level. The experimental results have verified the validity and effectiveness of the proposed imaging algorithm.
Second Mesiobuccal Canal Evaluation Features with Cone-Beam Computed Tomography
Authors: Mordanov Oleg , Khabadze Zurab , Daurova Fatima , Bagdasarova Inna , Zoryan Andrei , Kulikova Alena , Blokhina Anastasiya , Mustafaeva Rita , Bakaev Yusup , Abdulkerimova Saida
Published: April 2019

Aim. The aim of the study is to evaluate the difference in MB2 prevalence with different slice thicknesses in maxillary first molars.Materials and Methods. Two hundred nonfilled MB2 canals in maxillary first molars of 156 people (75 females and 81 males) aged from 20 to 73 years old were evaluated with CBCT with different slice thicknesses: 0.5 mm, 1 mm, 3 mm, and 10 mm. A general analysis was performed out, as well as in the age groups and on gender groups.Results. Visualization with 0.5 mm and 1 mm slice thicknesses was 100% and generally equal, in both the male and the female group. General MB2 visualization with 3 mm slice thickness was 42% and 29% for the male group and 27% for the female group. No canals were visualized with 10 mm slice thickness. The study did not demonstrate a statistical difference in the MB2 prevalence between gender and age groups with the 3 mm slice thickness.Conclusion. The most valuable way to evaluate the root canal system in first maxillary molars with CBCT is using 1 mm slice thickness for both genders and every age group.
Automated Detection of Macular Diseases by Optical Coherence Tomography and Artificial Intelligence Machine Learning of Optical Coherence Tomography Images
Authors: Kuwayama Soichiro , Ayatsuka Yuji , Yanagisono Daisuke , Uta Takaki , Usui Hideaki , Kato Aki , Takase Noriaki , Ogura Yuichiro , Yasukawa Tsutomu
Published: April 2019

Purpose. Although optical coherence tomography (OCT) is essential for ophthalmologists, reading of findings requires expertise. The purpose of this study is to test deep learning with image augmentation for automated detection of chorioretinal diseases. Methods. A retina specialist diagnosed 1,200 OCT images. The diagnoses involved normal eyes (n=570) and those with wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) (n=136), diabetic retinopathy (DR) (n=104), epiretinal membranes (ERMs) (n=90), and another 19 diseases. Among them, 1,100 images were used for deep learning training, augmented to 59,400 by horizontal flipping, rotation, and translation. The remaining 100 images were used to evaluate the trained convolutional neural network (CNN) model. Results. Automated disease detection showed that the first candidate disease corresponded to the doctor’s decision in 83 (83%) images and the second candidate disease in seven (7%) images. The precision and recall of the CNN model were 0.85 and 0.97 for normal eyes, 1.00 and 0.77 for wet AMD, 0.78 and 1.00 for DR, and 0.75 and 0.75 for ERMs, respectively. Some of rare diseases such as Vogt–Koyanagi–Harada disease were correctly detected by image augmentation in the CNN training. Conclusion. Automated detection of macular diseases from OCT images might be feasible using the CNN model. Image augmentation might be effective to compensate for a small image number for training.
Nutritional Evaluation of Cassava (Manihot esculenta) Peels as a Dietary Supplement in Tropical Friesian Holstein Cross Breed Dairy Cattle
Authors: Pertiwi Herinda , Yulanda Maharsedyo Nisha , Amaro Lestiana , Bhawono Dadi Tri
Published: April 2019

Cassava (Manihot esculenta) Peels supplementation in feed was evaluated on quality and quantity of dairy cattle production. Cassava peels were waste product of tapioca flour industry. A total of 26 lactation dairy cattle breed Friesian Holstein cross breed maintained at individual cage at farm on Kawi Mountain, Malang, East Java. It was randomly allotted to treatment and control group (13 head of cattle in each group). Treatment group were fed with cassava peels base dietary, whereas control group were fed by grass and commercial ration dietary. After a month, the quality and quantity of milk were recorded daily for a month and analyzed on automatic milk analyzer. The result showed significant changes (p<0.05) on treatment group were shown on percentage of protein (2.87%), lactose (4.40%), solid nonfat (8.49%), and total solid (12.23%). This quality of milk only needed cost of 1.15 €/head/day compared with control group which needed 2.02 €/head/day. These results indicated that cassava peels in feed can produce higher total solid and protein level of milk than control group. They also have high potential as a feed source to cut production cost; therefore, the farmer income increased slightly.
Topological Characteristics and Vulnerability Analysis of Rural Traffic Network
Authors: Zhu Xia , Song Weidong , Gao Lin
Published: April 2019

Rural traffic network (RTN), as a complex network, plays a significant role in the field of resisting natural disasters and emergencies. In this paper, we analyze the vulnerability of RTN via three traffic network models (i.e., No-power Traffic Network Model (NTNM), Distance Weight Traffic Network Model (DWTNM), and Road Level Weight Traffic Network Model (RLWTNM)). Firstly, based on the complex network theory, RTN is constructed by using road mapping method, according to the topological features. Secondly, Random Attack (RA) and Deliberate Attack (DA) strategies are used to analyze network vulnerability in three rural traffic network models. By analyzing the attack tolerance of RTN under the condition of different attack patterns, we find that the road level weight traffic network has a good performance to represent the vulnerability of RTN.
New Design of ZnO Nanorod- and Nanowire-Based NO2 Room-Temperature Sensors Prepared by Hydrothermal Method
Authors: Duoc Vo Thanh , Le Dang Thi Thanh , Hoa Nguyen Duc , Van Duy Nguyen , Hung Chu Manh , Nguyen Hugo , Van Hieu Nguyen
Published: April 2019

Room-temperature gas sensors are attracting attention because of their low power consumption, safe operation, and long-term stability. Herein, ZnO nanorods (NRs) and nanowires (NWs) were on-chip grown via a facile hydrothermal method and used for room-temperature NO2 gas sensor applications. The ZnO NRs were obtained by a one-step hydrothermal process, whereas the NWs were obtained by a two-step hydrothermal process. To obtain ZnO NW sensor, the length of NRs was controlled short enough so that none of the nanorod-nanorod junction was made. Thereafter, the NWs were grown from the tips of no-contact NRs to form nanowire-nanowire junctions. The gas-sensing characteristics of ZnO NRs and NWs were tested against NO2 gas at room temperature for comparison. The gas-sensing characteristics of the sensors were also tested at different applied voltages to evaluate the effect of the self-activated gas-sensing performance. Results show that the diameter of ZnO NRs and NWs is the dominant parameter of their NO2 gas-sensing performance at room temperature. In addition, self-activation by local heating occurred for both sensors, but because the NWs were smaller and sparser than the NRs, local heating thus required a lower applied voltage with maximal response compared with the NRs.
Traditional Chinese Medicine Yimucao Injection Combined with Western Medicine for Preventing Postpartum Hemorrhage after Cesarean Section: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Chen Shichun , Xie Baocheng , Tian Hao , Ding Shaobo , Lu Chengyu
Published: April 2019

Objective. Yimucao injection combined with several contraction uterus drugs is in use for preventing postpartum hemorrhage after cesarean section. The present study is a meta-analysis comparing the efficacy and safety of these drugs.Methods. PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), the Chinese Biomedical Database (CBM), VIP, and Wanfang database were searched until June 2018. We selected RCTs of Yimucao injection combined with western medicine for preventing postpartum hemorrhage and study quality was assessed using the revised Cochrane risk of bias tool. Forty-eight RCTs are comprised of 7,330 participants.Results. The overall response rate of Yimucao injection combined with western medicine as a class (OR=4.19, 95%CI=2.83, 6.20,P<0.00001) was found to be significantly improved than western medicine alone. Yimucao injection combined with western medicine group could significantly reduce blood loss in intraoperative (SMD= -1.15, 95%CI= -1.43, -0.87,P<0.00001), compared with control group. The treatment group could significantly reduce postpartum blood loss within 2 hours (SMD= -1.73, 95%CI= -2.01, -1.46,P<0.00001) and had a significantly lower blood loss within 24 hours (SMD= -1.92, 95%CI= -2.21, -1.63,P<0.00001) than control group. Additionally, in terms of the safety, Yimucao injection group reduced the risk of adverse events in the course of prevention than the western medicine group.Conclusions. This study demonstrated that Yimucao injection combined with western medicine may be more effective for preventing postpartum hemorrhage after cesarean section. However, high-quality and large multicenter randomized clinical trials will be needed to prove the consequence in the further.
Fulminant Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation as Initial Presentation of BRAF-Mutated Melanoma
Authors: Chuang Jeremy , Uche An , Gupta Rohan , Margolin Kim , Kim Phyllis
Published: April 2019

Acute disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) is a pathological process involving dysfunction of the coagulation cascade. In this case report, we discuss a 33-year-old woman with BRAF V600E-mutated metastatic melanoma who presented in fulminant DIC with concurrent hemorrhagic and thrombotic manifestations and discuss the patient’s brief response to combination therapy. In our discussion, we highlight the current understanding of DIC and also identify opportunities for future research to elucidate the genetic aberrations in melanoma that may result in treatment resistance to combination therapy.
Antenna Array Calibration for a General Linear Transformation of the Array Manifold
Authors: Friedlander Benjamin
Published: April 2019

We consider the problem of calibrating an antenna array using received signals from either known or unknown directions. A complex matrix is used to map the assumed array manifold to the true array manifold. This matrix may be completely unstructured. Algorithms are presented for joint estimation of this matrix and the directions-of-arrival, using data collected during multiple time intervals.
Convolutional Neural Networks for the Segmentation of Microcalcification in Mammography Imaging
Authors: Valvano Gabriele , Santini Gianmarco , Martini Nicola , Ripoli Andrea , Iacconi Chiara , Chiappino Dante , Della Latta Daniele
Published: April 2019

Cluster of microcalcifications can be an early sign of breast cancer. In this paper, we propose a novel approach based on convolutional neural networks for the detection and segmentation of microcalcification clusters. In this work, we used 283 mammograms to train and validate our model, obtaining an accuracy of 99.99% on microcalcification detection and a false positive rate of 0.005%. Our results show how deep learning could be an effective tool to effectively support radiologists during mammograms examination.
A Novel Classification Method for Flutter Signals Based on the CNN and STFT
Authors: Duan Shiqiang , Zheng Hua , Liu Junhao
Published: April 2019

Necessary model calculation simplifications, uncertainty in actual wind tunnel test, and data acquisition system error altogether lead to error between a set of actual experimental results and a set of theoretical design results; wind tunnel test flutter data can be utilized to feedback this error. In this study, a signal processing method was established to use the structural response signals from an aeroelastic model to classify flutter signals via deep learning algorithm. This novel flutter signal processing and classification method works by combining a convolutional neural network (CNN) with time-frequency analysis. Flutter characteristics are revealed in both time and frequency domains, which are harmonic or divergent in the time series; the flutter model energy is singular and significantly increases in the frequency view, so the features of the time-frequency diagram can be extracted from the dataset-trained CNN model. As the foundation of the subsequent deep learning algorithm, the datasets are placed into a collection of time-frequency diagrams calculated by short-time Fourier transform (STFT) and labeled with two artificial states, flutter or no flutter, depending on the source of the signal measured from a wind tunnel test on the aeroelastic model. After preprocessing, a cross-validation schedule is implemented to update (and optimize) CNN parameters though the trained dataset. The trained models were compared against test datasets to validate their reliability and robustness. Our results indicate that the accuracy rate of test datasets reaches 90%. The trained models can effectively and automatically distinguish whether or not there is flutter in the measured signals.
In Vitro Evaluation of Proliferation and Migration Behaviour of Human Bone Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Presence of Platelet-Rich Plasma
Authors: Nguyen Anh Thi Mai , Tran Ha Le Bao , Pham Thuy Anh Vu
Published: April 2019

Objective. To access the effects of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) on the behaviour of human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs), including proliferation and migration. Methods. PRP was diluted with DMEM/F12, resulting in concentrations of 1%, 2%, and 5%. The proliferation of hBMSCs was examined by 2 methods: cell-number counting with the haemocytometer method and the colony-forming unit-fibroblast (CFU-F) assay. Cell migration was evaluated using the scratch wound healing (SWH) assay; after that, the recorded digital images were analysed by the Image-Analysis J 1.51j8 software to compare the cell-free areas between groups after 0, 24, and 48 hours. Results. hBMSCs cultured in DMEM/F12 at PRP concentrations of 1%, 2%, and 5% were all able to proliferate and migrate. In the 5% PRP group, hBMSCs proliferated greatly with a significantly higher cell number than reported for all other groups on days 5, 7, and 9. CFU-Fs were observed in all groups, except for the negative control group. The SWH assay demonstrated that hBMSCs cultured in 2% and 5% PRP almost filled the artificial wound scratch and significantly migrated more than those of all other groups at both 24 h and 48 h. Conclusion. This study indicated that, due to the significant enhancement of cell proliferation and migration, 5% PRP might be the optimal concentration that should be used to promote the potential of hBMSCs in wound healing.
Association of Systemic Inflammation Index and Body Mass Index with Survival in Patients with Renal Cell Cancer Treated with Nivolumab
Authors: De Giorgi Ugo , Procopio Giuseppe , Giannarelli Diana , Sabbatini Roberto , Bearz Alessandra , Buti Sebastiano , Basso Umberto , Mitterer Manfred , Ortega Cinzia , Bidoli Paolo , Ferraù Francesco , Crinò Lucio , Frassoldati Antonio , Marchetti Paolo , Mini Enrico , Scoppola Alessandro , Verusio Claudio , Fornarini Giuseppe , Cartenì Giacomo , Caserta Claudia , Sternberg Cora N.
Published: April 2019

Purpose:

Inflammation indexes and body mass index (BMI) are easily evaluated, predict survival, and are potentially modifiable. We evaluated the potential association of inflammatory indexes and BMI with the clinical outcome of patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) undergoing immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy.

Experimental Design:

A prospective cohort of patients with metastatic RCC treated with nivolumab enrolled in the Italian Expanded Access Program from July 2015 through April 2016 was examined. Reference measures of inflammation were identified for neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) </≥ 3, systemic immune inflammation index (SII) </≥ 1,375, and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) </≥ 232. Patients were classified as high BMI (≥25 kg/m2) versus normal BMI (<25 kg/m2).

Results:

Among 313 evaluable patients, 235 (75.1%) were male, and median age was 65 years (range, 40–84 years), with 105 (33.69%) ≥70 years. In univariate analysis, age, performance status, BMI, SII, NLR, and PLR were able to predict outcome. In multivariate analyses, SII ≥1,375, BMI <25 kg/m2, and age ≥70 years independently predicted overall survival [OS; HR = 2.96, 95% confidence interval (CI), 2.05–4.27; HR = 1.59, 95% CI, 1.10–2.30; and HR = 1.65, 95% CI, 1.07–2.55, respectively). A patient with both SII ≥1,375 and BMI <25 kg/m2 was estimated to have much worse OS (HR, 3.37; 95% CI, 2.29–4.95; P <0.0001) than a patient with neither or only one risk factor. SII changes at 3 months predicted OS (P <0.0001).

Conclusions:

Normal BMI combined with inflammation tripled the risk of death, suggesting that these biomarkers are critical prognostic factors for OS in patients with RCC treated with nivolumab.
Factors Associated with the Prevalence of Cognitive Impairment in a Rural Elderly Cameroonian Population: A Community-Based Study in Sub-Saharan Africa
Authors: Tianyi Frank Leonel , Agbor Valirie Ndip , Njamnshi Alfred Kongnyu , Atashili Julius
Published: April 2019

Background/Aims: With rising elderly populations, age-related health problems such as cognitive impairment and dementia are major public health concerns. We sought to assess the prevalence of cognitive impairment and associated factors in rural elderly Cameroonians. Methods: The Mini Mental State Examination was used to assess the cognitive function of participants randomly recruited during a house-to-house survey of the Batibo Health District. Results: The prevalence of cognitive impairment in our study was 33.3%. Increasing age, female gender, being single, a lack of formal education, and higher systolic blood pressure values were significantly and independently associated with cognitive impairment. Conclusion: The identification of modifiable factors would inform evidence-based policy to decrease the health and social burdens of cognitive impairment and dementia in the elderly in rural Cameroon.