bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Value of top‐hat procedure in management of squamous intraepithelial lesion
Authors: Leng Fangda , Jiang Lu , Nong Lin , Ren Xiying , Xie Tong , Dong Ying , Tao Xia
Published: September 2018

Aim

To investigate the features of skip lesions and evaluate value of top‐hat procedure in management of squamous intraepithelial lesion.

Methods

We reviewed the records of patients who underwent loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP) in Peking University First Hospital between 2011 and 2016. Patients were confirmed to have CIN1–3. The term ‘skip lesion’ refers to lesion lying deep in cervical canal discontiguous with other lesions in transformation zone and was confirmed by top‐hat. We compared their lesion grade in patients with or without skip lesion using logistic regression. We further reviewed patients who underwent subsequent hysterectomy within 6 months following LEEP and evaluated if top‐hat procedure led to less residual lesions or was able to predict residual lesions.

Results

A total of 2260 patients were included and 595 underwent top‐hat procedure. Thirty‐nine out of 595 patients had skip lesions (6.5%), among whom two patients had CIN1 (5.1%), eight had CIN2 (20.5%) and 29 had CIN3 (74.4%). Logistical regression showed CIN3 was associated with higher risk of skip lesions compared to CIN1 (OR = 4.433, 95%CI: 1.036–18.964), while CIN2 was not (OR = 1.762, 95%CI: 0.366–8.471). Sixty‐two patients underwent hysterectomy within 6 months following LEEP (CIN1–3), 24 underwent top‐hat. Analysis revealed top‐hat procedure did not result in less residual lesions. Colposcopy impression or prior HPV test was unable to predict skip lesions.

Conclusion

About 9.4% patients with CIN3 had skip lesions in the study, which is associated with elevated risk for residual lesion. Top‐hat procedure is able to detect skip lesions, but should not be performed on routinely because its prognostic value is not proved.
Urinary excretion of homocysteine thiolactone and the risk of acute myocardial infarction in coronary artery disease patients: the WENBIT trial
Authors: Borowczyk K. , Piechocka J. , Głowacki R. , Dhar I. , Midtun Ø. , Tell G. S. , Ueland P. M. , Nygård O. , Jakubowski H.
Published: September 2018

Objectives

No individual homocysteine (Hcy) metabolite has been studied as a risk marker for coronary artery disease (CAD). Our objective was to examine Hcy‐thiolactone, a chemically reactive metabolite generated by methionyl‐tRNA synthetase and cleared by the kidney, as a risk predictor of incident acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in the Western Norway B‐Vitamin Intervention Trial.

Design

Single centre, prospective double‐blind clinical intervention study, randomized in a 2 × 2 factorial design.

Subjects and methods

Patients with suspected CAD (n = 2049, 69.8% men; 61.2‐year‐old) were randomized to groups receiving daily (i) folic acid (0.8 mg)/vitamin B12 (0.4 mg)/vitamin B6 (40 mg); (ii) folic acid/vitamin B12; (iii) vitamin B6 or (iv) placebo. Urinary Hcy‐thiolactone was quantified at baseline, 12 and 38 months.

Results

Baseline urinary Hcy‐thiolactone/creatinine was significantly associated with plasma tHcy, ApoA1, glomerular filtration rate, potassium and pyridoxal 5′‐phosphate (positively) and with age, hypertension, smoking, urinary creatinine, plasma bilirubin and kynurenine (negatively). During median 4.7‐years, 183 patients (8.9%) suffered an AMI. In Cox regression analysis, Hcy‐thiolactone/creatinine was associated with AMI risk (hazard ratio = 1.58, 95% confidence interval = 1.10–2.26, P = 0.012 for trend; adjusted for age, gender, tHcy). This association was confined to patients with pyridoxic acid below median (adjusted HR = 2.72, 95% CI = 1.47–5.03, P = 0.0001; Pinteraction = 0.020). B‐vitamin/folate treatments did not affect Hcy‐thiolactone/creatinine and its AMI risk association.

Conclusions

Hcy‐thiolactone/creatinine ratio is a novel AMI risk predictor in patients with suspected CAD, independent of traditional risk factors and tHcy, but modified by vitamin B6 catabolism. These findings lend a support to the hypothesis that Hcy‐thiolactone is mechanistically involved in cardiovascular disease.
A Comparative Evaluation of Stress Distribution with Two Attachment Systems of Varying Heights in a Mandibular Implant‐Supported Overdenture: A Three‐Dimensional Finite Element Analysis
Authors: Khurana Nikita , Rodrigues Shobha , Shenoy Satish , Saldanha Sharon , Pai Umesh , Shetty Thilak , N Srikant , Mahesh M , Hegde Puneet
Published: September 2018

Purpose

To analyze and compare the stress distribution in an implant‐retained overdenture complex using ball and Locator attachments of three heights by means of a 3D finite element analysis (FEA).

Materials and Methods

Six finite element models comprising an edentulous mandible with two interforaminal bone‐level implants and ball attachments of heights 1 mm (A1), 3 mm (A3), and 5 mm (A5), and Locator attachments of heights 1 mm (B1), 3 mm (B3), and 5 mm (B5), were designed using ANSYS Workbench Software. Unilateral vertical (100 N) and oblique loads (100 N at 30° to the longitudinal axis of the implant in buccolingual direction) were applied. Average von Mises stress values were evaluated quantitatively and qualitatively.

Results

Locator attachments showed lower stress values as compared to the ball attachments in all examined areas. The increase in the height of both resulted in increased stress values. Higher values were observed at the implant neck in all models, as compared to the body and the apex. The recorded stress was higher in the cortical bone as compared to the cancellous bone.

Conclusions

Within the limitations of the study, Locator attachments demonstrated lesser and more homogenous stress distribution in the implant‐overdenture complex in comparison to ball attachments. The stresses generated within the tissues increase with an increase in collar height of the attachment system and therefore, attachments should be as short as possible for more favorable stress transmission.
Sperm motility in ocellate river stingrays: evidence for post‐testicular sperm maturation and capacitation in Chondrichthyes
Authors: Dzyuba V. , Ninhaus‐Silveira A. , Kahanec M. , Veríssimo‐Silveira R. , Rodina M. , Holt W. V. , Dzyuba B.
Published: September 2018

Sperm maturation, as a process through which spermatozoa acquire the ability for motility activation and fertilization, is well‐known for many groups of animals. This process takes place in a taxon‐specific manner in different parts of male reproductive tract. In contrast to most fish with external fertilization, a large number of animals have internal fertilization where transit through the epididymis of the male reproductive tract is necessary for the completion of sperm maturation. Although Chondrichthyes are fishes, they exhibit internal fertilization and possess specific male genital anatomy that resembles mammals. The existence of sperm maturation in the epididymis of cartilaginous fishes has been proposed but has yet to be confirmed. In this study, we used mature ocellate river stingrays Potamotrygon motoro, as a representative of Chondrichthyes, collected during the natural spawning period and evaluated sperm motility parameters during transit through the male reproductive tract, and upon contact with uterine fluid. Our data demonstrate that spermatozoa acquire motility after transit through the epididymis and are stored in a motile state within a specific organ – the seminal vesicles. Moreover, these motile spermatozoa are able to increase their velocity under the influence of uterine fluid in the female reproductive tract.
Vanishing refuge? Testing the forest refuge hypothesis in coastal East Africa using genome‐wide sequence data for seven amphibians
Authors: Barratt Christopher D. , Bwong Beryl A. , Jehle Robert , Liedtke H. Christoph , Nagel Peter , Onstein Renske E. , Portik Daniel M. , Streicher Jeffrey W. , Loader Simon P.
Published: September 2018

High‐throughput sequencing data have greatly improved our ability to understand the processes that contribute to current biodiversity patterns. The “vanishing refuge” diversification model is speculated for the coastal forests of eastern Africa, whereby some taxa have persisted and diversified between forest refugia, while others have switched to becoming generalists also present in non‐forest habitats. Complex arrangements of geographical barriers (hydrology and topography) and ecological gradients between forest and non‐forest habitats may have further influenced the region's biodiversity, but elucidation of general diversification processes has been limited by lack of suitable data. Here, we explicitly test alternative diversification modes in the coastal forests using genome‐wide single nucleotide polymorphisms, mtDNA, spatial and environmental data for three forest (Arthroleptis xenodactyloides,Leptopelis flavomaculatusandAfrixalus sylvaticus) and four generalist (Afrixalus fornasini,A. delicatus,Leptopelis concolorandLeptopelis argenteus) amphibians. Multiple analyses provide insight about divergence times, spatial population structure, dispersal barriers, environmental stability and demographic history. We reveal highly congruent intra‐specific diversity and population structure across taxa, with most divergences occurring during the late Pliocene and Pleistocene. Although stability models support the existence of some forest refugia, dispersal barriers and demographic models point towards idiosyncratic diversification modes across taxa. We identify a consistent role for riverine barriers in the diversification of generalist taxa, but mechanisms of diversification are more complex for forest taxa and potentially include topographical barriers, forest refugia and ecological gradients. Our work demonstrates the complexity of diversification processes in this region, which vary between forest and generalist taxa, but also for ecologically similar species with shared population boundaries.
Relationship between the endothelial glycocalyx and the extent of coronary atherosclerosis
Authors: Xue Xian‐Jun , Jiang Yan , Chen Liang , Chen Shao‐Liang
Published: September 2018

Objective

To investigate the correlation between the EG and the severity of coronary atherosclerosis.

Methods

A total of193 subjects were divided into two groups. A SDF video microscope with a glycocalyx thickness measurement system was used to visualize the sublingual microcirculation. The levels of HA in the peripheral circulation and coronary circulation were determined via enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. The number of coronary artery lesions and the Gensini score were used to evaluate the severity of the coronary atherosclerosis.

Results

EG thickness in the coronary heart disease (CHD) group (242.18 ± 10.10 nm) was lower than that in the NON‐CHD group (251.78 ± 10.59 nm, P < 0.001). There was a negative correlation between the EG thickness and the number of coronary lesions and the Gensini score. The level of intracoronary HA in the CHD group (48.60, 126.27) was higher than that in the NON‐CHD group (20.60, 34.45, P < 0.001), and it was positively correlated with the number of coronary lesions and the Gensini score.

Conclusions

EG damage was correlated with the occurrence and development of coronary atherosclerosis. The EG thickness in the capillaries of the oral submucosa and the intracoronary HA level can be used as auxiliary indexes to assess the severity of coronary atherosclerosis.
The essential chloroplast ribosomal protein uL15c interacts with the chloroplast RNA helicase ISE2 and affects intercellular trafficking through plasmodesmata
Authors: Bobik Krzysztof , Fernandez Jessica C. , Hardin Sara R. , Ernest Ben , Ganusova Elena E. , Staton Margaret E. , Burch‐Smith Tessa M.
Published: September 2018

Chloroplasts retain part of their ancestral genomes and the machinery for expression of those genomes. The nucleus‐encoded chloroplast RNA helicase INCREASED SIZE EXCLUSION LIMIT2 (ISE2) is required for chloroplast ribosomal RNA processing and chloro‐ribosome assembly. To further elucidate ISE2's role in chloroplast translation, two independent approaches were used to identify its potential protein partners.

Both a yeast two‐hybrid screen and a pull‐down assay identified plastid ribosomal protein L15, uL15c (formerly RPL15), as interacting with ISE2. The interaction was confirmed in vivo by co‐immunoprecipitation.

Interestingly, we found that rpl15 null mutants do not complete embryogenesis, indicating that RPL15 is an essential gene for autotrophic growth of Arabidopsis thaliana. Arabidopsis and Nicotiana benthamiana plants with reduced expression of RPL15 developed chlorotic leaves, had reduced photosynthetic capacity and exhibited defective chloroplast development. Processing of chloroplast ribosomal RNAs and assembly of ribosomal subunits were disrupted by reduced expression of RPL15. Chloroplast translation was also decreased, reducing accumulation of chloroplast‐encoded proteins, in such plants compared to wild‐type plants. Notably, knockdown of RPL15 expression increased intercellular trafficking, a phenotype also observed in plants with reduced ISE2 expression.

This finding provides further evidence for chloroplast function in modulating intercellular trafficking via plasmodesmata.
Seed mucilage interacts with soil microbial community and physiochemical processes to affect seedling emergence on desert sand dunes
Authors: Hu Dandan , Zhang Shudong , Baskin Jerry M. , Baskin Carol C. , Wang Zhaoren , Liu Rong , Du Juan , Yang Xuejun , Huang Zhenying
Published: September 2018

Seedling emergence is a critical stage in the establishment of desert plants. Soil microbes participate in plant growth and development, but information is lacking with regard to the role of microbes on seedling emergence. We applied the biocides (captan and streptomycin) to assess how seed mucilage interacts with soil microbial community and physiochemical processes to affect seedling emergence of Artemisia sphaerocephala on the desert sand dune. Fungal and bacterial community composition and diversity and fungal–bacterial interactions were changed by both captan and streptomycin. Mucilage increased soil enzyme activities and fungal–bacterial interactions. Highest seedling emergence occurred under streptomycin and mucilage treatment. Members of the phyla Firmicutes and Glomeromycota were the keystone species that improved A. sphaerocephala seedling emergence, by increasing resistance of young seedlings to drought and pathogen. Seed mucilage directly improved seedling emergence and indirectly interacted with the soil microbial community through strengthening fungal–bacterial interactions and providing favourable environment for soil enzymes to affect seedling emergence. Our study provides a comprehensive understanding of the regulatory mechanisms by which soil microbial community and seed mucilage interactively promote successful establishment of populations of desert plants on the barren and stressful sand dune.
Robustness of Resource Recovery Systems under Feedstock Uncertainty
Authors: Wang Shuming , Ng Tsan Sheng
Published: September 2018

Recovery of resources from waste streams present important opportunities in mitigating environmental and energy challenges in many countries. In this paper, we develop an optimization‐based approach to study the robustness of resource recovery systems in achieving economic feasibility under feedstock uncertainty. Two key characteristics of the feedstock that influence recovery performance are its volume and composition. We propose models of feedstock robustness functions to perform robustness analysis with respect to these two characteristics, and also propose a composite robustness index as the optimization criterion for the problem of technology and capacity planning of recovery systems. We show that the proposed models have computationally attractive reformulations for the robustness analysis and optimization problems. In particular, the robustness analysis model solves either a small number of linear programs in several special cases, or a small number of linear mixed integer programs in general. Correspondingly, the design optimization problem can be solved either via the solution of a small number of linear mixed integer programs, or via a cutting plane approach. Finally, we demonstrate, through some numerical studies, the insights and values of using the proposed models in evaluation and optimization of organic waste‐to‐energy recovery systems.
Exposure to non‐ionizing electromagnetic radiation of public risk prevention instruments threatens the quality of spermatozoids
Authors: Tirpak Filip , Slanina Tomas , Tomka Marian , Zidek Radoslav , Halo Marko , Ivanic Peter , Gren Agnieszka , Formicki Grzegorz , Stachanczyk Katarzyna , Lukac Norbert , Massanyi Peter
Published: September 2018

Contents

The use of artificial insemination in cattle breeding has evolved to global extent, and insemination doses are often shipped via air transport which requires strict radiation‐based examinations. For the determination of effect of non‐ionizing radiation (NIR), to which are beings frequently exposed due to protection of airport or cultural event security, freshly ejaculated and cryopreserved bovine spermatozoa were used as experimental model. Following radiation with hand‐held metal detector in various exposition times (0, 10 s, 15, 30 and 60 min—groups FR, FR10, FR15, FR30 and FR60) the spermatozoa underwent motility and DNA fragmentation analyses. Study on cryoconserved semen treated with NIR was performed in time intervals 0, 10 s, 1 and 5 min (insemination doses radiated before cryoconservation—CB, CB10, CB1, CB5; samples radiated after freezing—CA, CA10, CA1 and CA5). Fresh semen and insemination doses radiated after cryoconservation showed significantly lower total and progressive motility. No effect on motility parameters was detected in semen extended with cryopreservative medium and radiated prior to freezing. Surprisingly, NIR showed a potential to stimulate spermatozoa velocity; however, the effect was modulated throughout the post‐thawing incubation. Based on the DNA fragmentation assay, sperm DNA stayed intact. Present study underlines the potential harm of NIR, which is frequently used in everyday life, with overall adverse impact on human and animal reproduction. Current study also points out on interesting short‐term spermatozoa stimulation induced by NIR.
Understanding Changes in Attitudes Toward Suicide Between 1980s and 2010s in the United States*
Authors: Tong Yi , Phillips Julie A.
Published: September 2018

Objectives

This study examines individual characteristics associated with suicide acceptability in the United States and how (1) effects of these characteristics on attitudes have changed over time and (2) the degree to which shifts in attitudes are explained by changes in population characteristics.

Methods

We use General Social Survey (GSS) data from the 1980s (n = 4,840) and 2010s (n = 5,607) and conduct an Oaxaca decomposition.

Results

Although Americans remain largely unaccepting of suicide, except in the case of incurable disease, a greater percentage found suicide to be acceptable in 2010s than in 1980s. Individuals who are male, white, more educated, less religious, and more politically liberal find suicide more acceptable. Changes over time in population composition (e.g., rising education levels and declines in religion) account for about 50 percent of the rise in suicide acceptability between 1980s and 2010s.

Conclusions

Results hint at shifting societal patterns, but the causal direction between attitudes and behavior cannot be determined.
Topic Modeling: Latent Semantic Analysis for the Social Sciences
Authors: Valdez Danny , Pickett Andrew C. , Goodson Patricia
Published: September 2018

Objective

Topic modeling (TM) refers to a group of methods for mathematically identifying latent topics in large corpora of data. Although TM shows promise as a tool for social science research, most researchers lack awareness of the tool's utility. Therefore, this article provides a brief overview of TM's logic and processes, offers a simple example, and suggests several possible uses in social sciences.

Methods

Using latent semantic analysis in our example, we analyzed transcripts of the 2016 U.S. presidential debates between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.

Results

Resulting topics paralleled the most frequent policy‐related Internet searches at the time. When divided by candidate, changes in emergent topics reflected individual policy stances, with nuanced differences between the two.

Conclusion

Findings underscored the utility of TM to identify thematic patterns embedded in large quantities of text. TM, therefore, represents a valuable addition to the social scientist's methodological tool set.
Bone marrow harvest in donors with anaemia
Authors: Bartnik Krzysztof , Pruszczyk Katarzyna , Skwierawska Kamila , Król Małgorzata , Płachta Milena , Moskowicz Albert , Zakrzewski Tomasz , Urbanowska Elżbieta , Jędrzejczak Wiesław Wiktor , Snarski Emilian
Published: September 2018

Background

Bone marrow harvest (BMH) for haematopoietic stem cell transplantation is a well‐established procedure. The guidelines of World Marrow Donor Association provide information on donor selection. However, some of the guidelines regarding donors with anaemia prior to harvest lack in supporting data from clinical studies. With this study, we aimed to provide such data.

Material and Methods

In this retrospective, single‐centre study, we analysed the interplay between haemoglobin levels and BMH and BMH impact on haemoglobin levels in a cohort of 149 unrelated BM donors, including 13 subjects with mild anaemia.

Results

The BMH led to significantly lower decrease in haemoglobin levels in donors with anaemia than in control group (1·79 g/dl vs. 2·56 g/dl, P < 0·0001). The following parameters: BMH volume (ml), BMH volume/donor body weight (ml/kg), total nucleated cells (TNC) in product (×108) and TNC/kg recipient body weight in product (×108/kg) did not differ significantly between those two analysed groups (P > 0·05). Median BM volume harvested from anaemic donors was 16·34 ml/kg; none of them required blood transfusion after BMH.

Conclusion

Mild anaemia prior to BMH does not significantly impact the collection results. The BMH is safe and feasible in donors with mild anaemia.
Effects of lorazepam and baclofen on short‐ and long‐latency afferent inhibition
Authors: Turco Claudia V. , El‐Sayes Jenin , Locke Mitchell B. , Chen Robert , Baker Steven , Nelson Aimee J.
Published: September 2018

Key points

Short‐latency afferent inhibition (SAI) is modulated by GABAA receptor activity, whereas the pharmacological origin of long‐latency afferent inhibition remains unknown.

This is the first study to report that long‐latency afferent inhibition (LAI) is reduced by the GABAA positive allosteric modulator lorazepam, and that both SAI and LAI are not modulated by the GABAB agonist baclofen.

These findings advance our understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying afferent inhibition.

The afferent volley evoked by peripheral nerve stimulation has an inhibitory influence on transcranial magnetic stimulation induced motor evoked potentials. This phenomenon, known as afferent inhibition, occurs in two phases: short‐latency afferent inhibition (SAI) and long‐latency afferent inhibition (LAI). SAI exerts its inhibitory influence via cholinergic and GABAergic activity. The neurotransmitter receptors that mediate LAI remain unclear. The present study aimed to determine whether LAI is contributed by GABAA and/or GABAB receptor activity. In a double‐blinded, placebo‐controlled study, 2.5 mg of lorazepam (GABAA agonist), 20 mg of baclofen (GABAB agonist) and placebo were administered to 14 males (mean age 22.7 ± 1.9 years) in three separate sessions. SAI and LAI, evoked by stimulation of the median nerve and recorded from the first dorsal interosseous muscle, were quantified before and at the peak plasma concentration following drug ingestion. Results indicate that lorazepam reduced LAI by ∼40% and, in support of previous work, reduced SAI by ∼19%. However, neither SAI, nor LAI were altered by baclofen. In a follow‐up double‐blinded, placebo‐controlled study, 10 returning participants received placebo or 40 mg of baclofen (double the dosage used in Experiment 1). The results obtained indicate that SAI and LAI were unchanged by baclofen. This is the first study to show that LAI is modulated by GABAA receptor activity, similar to SAI, and that afferent inhibition does not appear to be a GABAB mediated process.
Aerodynamic Similarity Principles and Scaling Laws for Windmilling Fans
Authors: Prasad Dilip
Published: September 2018

Windmilling requirements for aircraft engines often define propulsion and airframe design parameters. The present study is focused on two key quantities of interest during windmill operation: fan rotational speed and stage losses. A model for the rotor exit flow is developed that serves to bring out a similarity parameter for the fan rotational speed. Furthermore, the model shows that the spanwise flow profiles are independent of the throughflow, being determined solely by the configuration geometry. Interrogation of previous numerical simulations verifies the self-similar nature of the flow. The analysis also demonstrates that the vane inlet dynamic pressure is the appropriate scale for the stagnation pressure loss across the rotor and splitter. Examination of the simulation results for the stator reveals that the flow blockage resulting from the severely negative incidence that occurs at windmill remains constant across a wide range of mass flow rates. For a given throughflow rate, the velocity scale is then shown to be that associated with the unblocked vane exit area, leading naturally to the definition of a dynamic pressure scale for the stator stagnation pressure loss. The proposed scaling procedures for the component losses are applied to the flow configuration of Prasad and Lord (2010). Comparison of simulation results for the rotor-splitter and stator losses determined using these procedures indicates very good agreement. Analogous to the loss scaling, a procedure based on the fan speed similarity parameter is developed to determine the windmill rotational speed and is also found to be in good agreement with engine data. Thus, despite their simplicity, the methods developed here possess sufficient fidelity to be employed in design prediction models for aircraft propulsion systems.
An Exponential Decay Model for the Deterministic Correlations in Axial Compressors
Authors: Liu Yangwei , Tang Yumeng , Liu Baojie , Lu Lipeng
Published: September 2018

The unsteady blade row interaction (UBRI) is inherent and usually has a large effect on performance in multistage axial compressors. The effect could be considered by using the average-passage equation system (APES) in steady-state environment by introducing the deterministic correlations (DC). How to model the DC is the key in APES method. The primary purpose of this study is to develop a DC model for compressor routine design. The APES technique is investigated by using a 3D viscous unsteady and time-averaging Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) flow solver developed in our previous studies. Based on DC characteristics and its effects on time-averaged flow, an exponential decay DC model is proposed and implemented into the developed time-averaging solver. Steady, unsteady, and time-averaging simulations are conducted on the investigation of the UBRI and the DC model in the first transonic stage of NASA 67 and the first two stages of a multistage compressor. The DC distributions and mean flow fields from the DC model are compared with the unsteady simulations. The comparison indicates that the proposed model can take into account the major part of UBRI and provide significant improvements for predicting compressor characteristics and spanwise distributions of flow properties in axial compressors, compared with the steady mixing plane method.
Full- and Reduced-Order Fault Detection Filter Design With Application in Flow Transmission Lines
Authors: Salavati Saeed , Grigoriadis Karolos , Franchek Matthew , Tafreshi Reza
Published: September 2018

The full- and reduced-order fault detection filter design is examined for fault diagnosis in linear time-invariant (LTI) systems in the presence of noise and disturbances. The fault detection filter design problem is formulated as an H∞ problem using a linear fractional transformation (LFT) framework and the solution is based on the bounded real lemma (BRL). Necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of the fault detection filter are presented in the form of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs) resulting in a convex problem for the full-order filter design and a rank-constrained nonconvex problem for the reduced-order filter design. By minimizing the sensitivity of the filter residuals to noise and disturbances, the fault detection objective is fulfilled. A reference model can be incorporated in the design in order to shape the desired performance of the fault detection filter. The proposed fault detection and isolation (FDI) framework is applied to detect instrumentation and sensor faults in fluid transmission and pipeline systems. To this end, a lumped parameter framework for modeling infinite-dimensional fluid transient systems is utilized and a low-order model is obtained to pursue the instrumentation fault diagnosis objective. Full- and reduced-order filters are designed for sensor FDI. Simulations are conducted to assess the effectiveness of the proposed fault detection approach.
Analysis of water polo injuries during 8904 player matches at FINA World Championships and Olympic games to make the sport safer
Authors: Mountjoy Margo , Miller Jim , Junge Astrid
Published: September 2018

Objective

To analyse injuries of water polo players reported during four Summer Olympic Games (2004, 2008, 2012, 2016) and four Federation Internationale de Natation World Championships (2009, 2013, 2015, 2017).

Methods

Injuries during training and matches were reported daily by the team physicians and the local medical staff at the sports venues using an established surveillance system.

Results

A total of 381 injuries were reported, equivalent to 14.1 injuries per 100 players (95% CI ±1.42). The most frequent diagnoses were laceration (12.7%) and contusion (10.9%) of head, followed by (sub-)luxation/sprain of hand (9.5%) and contusion of trunk (6.5%) or hand (6.2%). More than half of the injuries (57.0%) occurred due to contact with another player. A quarter of the injuries (25.4%) were expected to result in absence from training or match; 10 (2.9%) resulted in an estimated time-loss of 3 or more weeks. About three-quarters of injuries (75.6%) occurred during matches, 86 during training. The incidence of match injuries was on average 56.2 injuries per 1000 match hours (95% CI ±6.74). The incidence of time-loss match injuries (14.7; 95% CI ±3.44) was significantly higher in men than in women.

Conclusions

A critical review of water polo in-competition rules and the implementation of a Fair Play programme may help to mitigate the high incidence of contact injuries incurred during matches. A water polo-specific concussion education programme including recognition, treatment and return to play is recommended. Finally, a prospective injury surveillance programme would help to better define water polo injuries outside of the competition period.
Practical guide to the management of chronic pancreatitis
Authors: Jalal Mustafa , Campbell Jennifer A , Hopper Andrew D
Published: September 2018

Chronic pancreatitis (CP) is an irreversible fibroinflammatory disorder of the pancreas. It presents with relapsing, remitting upper abdominal pain accompanied by features of malabsorption due to pancreatic exocrine insufficiency and endocrine deficiency with the development of diabetes mellitus. The associated increased hospitalisation and high economic burden are related to CP often presenting at advanced stage with irreversible consequences. Diagnosing CP at an early stage is still challenging and therefore CP is believed to be under-reported. Our understanding of this disease has evolved over the last few years with attempts to redesign the definition of CP. Better recognition of the risk factors and conditions associated with CP can lead to an earlier diagnosis and coupled with a multidisciplinary approach to treatment, ultimately reduce complications. This article reviews the epidemiology, risk factors, diagnosis and management of CP.
The association of household fine particulate matter and kerosene with tuberculosis in women and children in Pune, India
Authors: Elf Jessica L , Kinikar Aarti , Khadse Sandhya , Mave Vidya , Suryavanshi Nishi , Gupte Nikhil , Kulkarni Vaishali , Patekar Sunita , Raichur Priyanka , Paradkar Mandar , Kulkarni Vandana , Pradhan Neeta , Breysse Patrick N , Gupta Amita , Golub Jonathan E
Published: September 2018

Objectives

Household air pollution (HAP) is a risk factor for respiratory disease, however has yet to be definitively associated with tuberculosis (TB). We aimed to assess the association between HAP and TB.

Methods

A matched case–control study was conducted among adult women and children patients with TB and healthy controls matched on geography, age and sex. HAP was assessed using questionnaires for pollution sources and 24-hour household concentrations of particulate matter <2.5 μm in diameter (PM2.5).

Results

In total, 192 individuals in 96 matched pairs were included. The median 24-hour time-weighted average PM2.5was nearly seven times higher than the WHO’s recommendation of 25 µg/m3, and did not vary between controls (179 µg/m3; IQR: 113–292) and cases (median 157 µg/m3; 95% CI 93 to 279; p=0.57). Reported use of wood fuel was not associated with TB (OR 2.32; 95% CI 0.65 to 24.20) and kerosene was significantly associated with TB (OR 5.49, 95% CI 1.24 to 24.20) in adjusted analysis. Household PM2.5was not associated with TB in univariate or adjusted analysis. Controlling for PM2.5concentration, kerosene was not significantly associated with TB, but effect sizes ranged from OR 4.30 (95% CI 0.78 to 30.86; p=0.09) to OR 5.49 (0.82 to 36.75; p=0.08).

Conclusions

Use of kerosene cooking fuel is positively associated with TB in analysis using reported sources of exposure. Ubiquitously high levels of particulates limited detection of a difference in household PM2.5between cases and controls.
VAWT versus HAWT: a comparative performance study of 2–6 MW rated capacity turbines
Authors: Paraschivoiu Ion , Ammar Sami , Saeed Farooq
Published: September 2018

Growing quantities of low-cost wind power still require predictable, supportive regulatory environments and appropriate market designs. The challenge of integrating greater amounts of variable wind power into the grid is a growing concern that must be addressed. For offshore wind — still at early stages of the deployment journey — much remains to be accomplished to develop and integrate large-scale systems and to reduce costs. In this study, aerodynamic performance and feasibility of multi-megawatt vertical axis wind turbines (VAWTs) is compared to existing, similarly rated horizontal axis wind turbines. Two types of three-bladed VAWTs have been designed, one with the Darrieus (H-type) and the other with the Troposkien (Φ-type) rotor configuration, in the 2, 4, and 6 MW rated capacity range based on an optimal parametric study. This comparative performance study shows that VAWTs are not only characterized by superior performance but also exhibit a very simple design that is cost effective from both manufacturing and maintenance perspectives.
Natural convective heat transfer in a hemispherical cavity filled with ZnO–H2O nanofluid saturated porous medium
Authors: Baïri Abderrahmane , Laraqi Najib
Published: September 2018

This three-dimensional (3D) numerical work based on the volume control method quantifies the convective heat transfer occurring in a hemispherical cavity filled with a ZnO–H2O nanofluid saturated porous medium. Its main objective is to improve the cooling of an electronic component contained in this enclosure. The volume fraction of the considered monophasic nanofluid varies between 0% (pure water) and 10%, while the cupola is maintained isothermal at cold temperature. During operation, the active device generates a heat flux leading to high Rayleigh number reaching [Formula: see text] and may be inclined with respect to the horizontal plane at an angle ranging from 0[Formula: see text] to 180[Formula: see text] (horizontal position with cupola facing upwards and downwards, respectively) by steps of 15[Formula: see text]. The natural convective heat transfer represented by the average Nusselt number has been quantified for many configurations obtained by combining the tilt angle, the Rayleigh number, the nanofluid volume fraction and the ratio between the thermal conductivity of the porous medium’s solid matrix and that of the base fluid. This ratio has a significant influence on the free convective heat transfer and ranges from 0 (without porous media) to 70 in this work. The influence of the four physical parameters is analyzed and commented. An empirical correlation between the Nusselt number and these parameters is proposed, allowing determination of the average natural convective heat transfer occurring in the hemispherical cavity.
A POLITICAL ECONOMY ANALYSIS OF THE SOUTHEAST ASIAN HAZE
Authors: CHANDER PARKASH
Published: September 2018

This paper studies the political economy of the Southeast Asian haze and discusses the obstacles that, unless overcome, can prevent a permanent and effective solution to the transboundary pollution problem, which originates in Indonesia. Following a cost-benefit analysis of the problem, the paper takes note of the weaknesses in Indonesia’s governance structure, which make it difficult to enforce national policies aimed at curbing the haze problem. The paper also puts forward a number of suggestions for strengthening the current policy regime for tackling the problem.
Asymmetric preheating
Authors: Enomoto Seishi , Matsuda Tomohiro
Published: September 2018

We study the generation of the matter–antimatter asymmetry during bosonic preheating, focusing on the sources of the asymmetry. If the asymmetry appears in the multiplication factor of the resonant particle production, the matter–antimatter ratio will grow during preheating. On the other hand, if the asymmetry does not grow during preheating, one has to find out another reason. We consider several scenarios for the asymmetric preheating to distinguish the sources of the asymmetry. We also discuss a new baryogenesis scenario, in which the asymmetry is generated without introducing either loop corrections or rotation of a field.
On braneworld monomial inflation
Authors: Laamara R. Ahl , ES-SOBBAHI H. , Ennadifi S. E.
Published: September 2018

We investigate a monomial inflationary scalar model in the braneworld Randall–Sundrum type II model. In the high-energy regime, we determine the slow-roll parameters as well as the perturbation spectrum of the model. According to the known observational data, the corresponding results and the solutions of the equation of motion on the brane are discussed.
Investigating the lower bound of minimum gate times using optimal control
Authors: Zhang Xiong-Peng , Shao Bin , Zou Jian
Published: September 2018

Motivated by a bound derived in a recent work [C. Arenz, B. Russell, D. Burgarth and H. Rabitz, New J. Phys. 19 (2017) 103015], we apply optimal control theory to the dynamics of qubit systems, with the goal of investigating the lower bound of minimum gate times. In practice, we not only need to reach the desired unitary gates but we need to do so in a reasonable time (below the typical decoherence time). Therefore, we employ the recently introduced lower bound to estimate the minimum gate time and resort to numerical gate optimization in order to study the tightness of the obtained bound and our findings verify the relationship between the internal Hamiltonian and the minimum evolution time remarkably well. Finally, we discuss both challenges and ways forward for obtaining the same efficacy under realistic conditions.
Interaction of Airy beams in photorefractive media
Authors: Liu Jinyu , Liang Kun
Published: September 2018

We investigate numerical interactions between two Airy beams with different relative phases in photorefractive (PR) nonlinear media in one transverse dimension. It is shown that solitons and soliton pairs are generated that are not accelerating, although the incident beams exhibit acceleration property. When the relative phase is very small, the attraction between the two Airy beams is strengthened and their propagation behavior is similar to that in in-phase case, where the two Airy beams attract each other and the main lobes can fuse into one single breathing soliton, secondary lobes can generate soliton pairs with symmetric intensity distribution. While the relative phase is close to [Formula: see text], these beams present out-phase propagation with strong repulsive effect. Their interaction properties are sensitive to both the interval and relative phase between the two Airy beams.
Realization of Resistorless and Electronically Tunable Inverse Filters Using VDTA
Authors: Kumar Praveen , Pandey Neeta , Paul Sajal K.
Published: September 2018

This paper presents resistorless realization of inverse filters using voltage differencing transconductance amplifier (VDTA). First, four topologies are proposed which provide inverse low-pass, high-pass, band-pass, and band-reject responses. Subsequently, a unified inverse filter is also derived by incorporating two switches in the combination of proposed inverse low-pass and inverse band-pass topologies. This topology is capable of providing inverse low-pass, inverse high-pass, inverse band-pass, and inverse band-reject responses by appropriate switch settings. The proposed inverse filter structures are electronically tunable and use only grounded capacitors. The behavior of the proposed filters is also investigated for nonidealities. To verify the functionality of the proposed inverse filter circuits, SPICE simulation is carried out using 0.18-[Formula: see text]m CMOS technology parameters from TSMC. The effect of deviation in the active and passive component values on angular frequency is tested through Monte Carlo simulation.
Makespan Minimization for Multiprocessor Real-Time Systems under Thermal and Timing Constraints
Authors: Hua Jing , Peng Yingqiong , Xu Yilu , Cao Kun , Jia Jing
Published: September 2018

With the continued scaling of the CMOS device, the exponential increase in power density has strikingly elevated the temperature of on-chip systems. In this paper, the problem of allocating and scheduling frame-based real-time applications is addressed to multiprocessors to minimize the makespan under the thermal and timing constraints. The proposed algorithms consist of offline and online components. The offline component assigns the applications accepted at static time to processors in a way that the finish time of processors are balanced. The online component firstly selects the processor with the highest allocation probability for each application accepted at runtime. The allocation probability is calculated by taking the processor workload and temperature profiles into consideration. The higher allocation probability of a processor shows the better performance with respect to makespan and temperature can be achieved by executing the application on this processor. Then, the operating frequencies of applications are determined by making the most of slack in order to reduce the peak temperature under the timing constraint. Extensive simulations were performed to validate the effectiveness of the proposed approach. Experimental results have shown that the static makespan of the proposed scheme is very close to the optimal schedule length within a small margin varying from 0.118[Formula: see text]s to 0.249[Formula: see text]s, and the dynamic makespan of the proposed scheme can be adapted to satisfy varying system design constraints. The peak temperature of the proposed algorithms can be up to [Formula: see text] lower than that of the benchmarking schemes.
Efficient Lightweight Hardware Structures of Point Multiplication on Binary Edwards Curves for Elliptic Curve Cryptosystems
Authors: Rashidi Bahram , Abedini Mohammad
Published: September 2018

This paper presents efficient lightweight hardware implementations of the complete point multiplication on binary Edwards curves (BECs). The implementations are based on general and special cases of binary Edwards curves. The complete differential addition formulas have the cost of [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] for general and special cases of BECs, respectively, where [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] denote the costs of a field multiplication, a field squaring and a field multiplication by a constant, respectively. In the general case of BECs, the structure is implemented based on 3 concurrent multipliers. Also in the special case of BECs, two structures by employing 3 and 2 field multipliers are proposed for achieving the highest degree of parallelization and utilization of resources, respectively. The field multipliers are implemented based on the proposed efficient digit–digit polynomial basis multiplier. Two input operands of the multiplier proceed in digit level. This property leads to reduce hardware consumption and critical path delay. Also, in the structure, based on the change of input digit size from low digit size to high digit size the number of clock cycles and input words are different. Therefore, the multiplier can be flexible for different cryptographic considerations such as low-area and high-speed implementations. The point multiplication computation requires field inversion, therefore, we use a low-cost Extended Euclidean Algorithm (EEA) based inversion for implementation of this field operation. Implementation results of the proposed architectures based on Virtex-5 XC5VLX110 FPGA for two fields [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] are achieved. The results show improvements in terms of area and efficiency for the proposed structures compared to previous works.
De-Speckling of Ultrasound Images Using Local Statistics-Based Trilateral Filter
Authors: Jayanthi Sree S. , Vasanthanayaki C.
Published: September 2018

Speckle noise in ultrasound images is a major hindrance for the automation of segmentation, detection, classification and measurements of region of interest, to assist clinician for diagnosing pathologies. Speckle noise occurs due to constructive and destructive interference of the echo signals reflected from the target and has a granular appearance. Various techniques have been devised for speckle reduction. Most of these techniques are based on adaptive filters, wavelet transform and anisotropic diffusion filters. In this paper, a new speckle reduction technique based on the trilateral filter and local statistics of the image has been developed. The local speckle content of the image influences the trilateral filtering. The trilateral filter is a robust edge preserving filter which considers the similarity of neighboring regions in terms of adjacency, intensity and edge details. Hence, the new method preserves the finer details of the ultrasound images in the process of filtering speckle noise. The proposed technique is validated using synthetic, simulated and real-time clinical ultrasound images. Comparison of the proposed technique with the existing speckle removal algorithms in terms of quality metrics such as MSE, PSNR, UQI, SSI, FoM has been made and best results are obtained for the proposed technique.