bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of Delaminated MXene (Ti3C2) on the Performance of Cement Paste
Authors: Zhu Jianping , Li Genshen , Feng Chunhua , Wang Libo , Zhang Wenyan
Published: April 2019

Delaminated MXene was incorporated into cement to improve the properties of cement composites, and its effects on the hydration process, microstructures, and mechanical properties were investigated, respectively. The investigation results showed that delaminated MXene was well-dispersed in the cement matrix and significantly reinforced the compressive strength of cement, especially when the addition is 0.01 wt%. Meanwhile, the total hydration heat of cement hydration and the quantity of hydration products were increased with the addition of delaminated MXene. In addition, the formation of HD C-S-H gel was promoted, and the microstructure of hydrated cement became more compact.
Generalized Complex Quadrature Spatial Modulation
Authors: Mohaisen Manar
Published: April 2019

Spatial modulation (SM) is a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) system that achieves a MIMO high spectral efficiency while maintaining the transmitter computational complexity and requirements as low as those of the single-input systems. The complex quadrature spatial modulation (CQSM) builds on the QSM scheme and improves the spectral efficiency by transmitting two signal symbols at each channel use. In this paper, we propose two generalizations of CQSM, namely, generalized CQSM with unique combinations (GCQSM-UC) and with permuted combinations (GCQSM-PC). These two generalizations perform close to CQSM or outperform it, depending on the system parameters. Also, the proposed schemes require much less transmit antennas to achieve the same spectral efficiency of CQSM, for instance, assuming 16-QAM, GCQSM-PC, and GCQSM-UC require 10 and 15 transmit antennas, respectively, to achieve the same spectral of CQSM which is equipped with 32 antennas.
Evaluation of the Effects of Astragalus membranaceus on the Pharmacokinetics of Pemetrexed Disodium and Gemcitabine in Rats by a Simple High-Performance Liquid Chromatography/UV Method
Authors: Chu Zixuan , Wang Zhiyuan , Liu Teng , Xiong Shan , Liu Bin
Published: April 2019

Combination therapy is opted as a potential therapeutic strategy for cancer treatment. Astragalus membranaceus combined with pemetrexed disodium or gemcitabine could reinforce the overall effects and alleviate the adverse effects. To investigate the effects of Astragalus membranaceus on the pharmacokinetics of pemetrexed disodium and gemcitabine, a HPLC method for simultaneous determination of pemetrexed disodium and gemcitabine in rat plasma was developed and validated. Chromatographic separation was achieved on a C18 column using a gradient mode containing water (containing 20 mM NaH2PO4 and 0.1% FA) and methanol at a flow rate of 0.8 mL/min. The specificity, linearity, recovery, stability, precision, and accuracy of the HPLC method were all validated. The rats were pretreated with Astragalus extract at the dosage of 3 g/kg for 20 consecutive days until we commence studying the pharmacokinetics of pemetrexed disodium or gemcitabine. There were no significant differences in pharmacokinetic parameters of pemetrexed disodium between the Astragalus extract treatment group and the control group. However, AUC, MRT, and Cl of gemcitabine were changed dramatically after treating with Astragalus extract (p<0.05). The AUC(0−t), AUC(0−∞), and MRT of gemcitabine decreased from 15747.12 ± 497.11 to 12312.41 ± 594.21 mg/L·min, 15976.18 ± 511.33 to 12489.59 ± 682.01 mg/L·min, and 97.83 ± 5.82 to 84.37 ± 2.79 min, respectively. The Cl of gemcitabine increased from 0.019 ± 0.0067 to 0.024 ± 0.0013 L/min/kg. The results showed that the pretreatment of Astragalus extract could exert an influence on the pharmacokinetic characteristics of gemcitabine in rats.
Degree of Functionality and Perception of Health-Related Quality of Life in People with Moderate Stroke: Differences between Ischemic and Hemorrhagic Typology
Authors: Unibaso-Markaida Iratxe , Iraurgi Ioseba , Ortiz-Marqués Nuria , Martínez-Rodríguez Silvia
Published: April 2019

Objectives. The objectives of this pilot study were to analyze the functional differences and the differences regarding the perception of health-related quality of life between people affected by ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke, respectively, and between these and their normative groups. Methods. A pre-post design study was conducted with 30 patients aged 65±15 during eight weeks. It assessed disability, mobility, and health-related quality of life. Exact nonparametric tests were used to compare both types of stroke, and t-tests and effect size estimates were employed to compare the stroke group and the normative group. Results. At baseline, there were differences in disability (“getting along” domain), where a poorer result was obtained by the hemorrhagic stroke group, and in the “vitality” and “mental health” domains of the health-related quality of life test, where the ischemic group obtained poorer results. Both groups made significant progress in their health assessments and functionality after eight weeks, and no significant differences were found between them at that time. The scores obtained in both groups differed statistically from the normative values, both at baseline and at posttest. Conclusions. Regardless of the stroke type, divergent results were only found in two domains, “vitality” and “mental health.” There was an improvement over time, but the scores obtained were still lower than those observed in the normative group, which indicated that the participants’ health was highly compromised. This study provides more information for faster rehabilitation after stroke; even so, more studies are needed.
Adaptive Model Reference Sliding Mode Control of Structural Nonlinear Vibration
Authors: Li Luyu , Wang Naibang , Qin Han
Published: April 2019

In this paper, an active mass damper (AMD) with adaptive control design is used to mitigate the vibrations of a multi‐degree‐of‐freedom (MDOF) nonlinear structure under earthquake excitation. In the adaptive control design, a modified unscented Kalman filter (UKF) is developed to identify the unknown states and parameters adaptively. Based on the identified states and parameters, model reference sliding model control (MRSMC) is proposed for structural nonlinear vibration control. In the design of MRSMC, the structure with tuned mass damper (TMD) is used as a reference model. In the control process, the parameters and states needed to obtain the control forces are updated adaptively through UKF. A numerical example of a three‐story shear‐type model with an active mass damper (AMD) mounted on the top story is used to study the proposed controller. The interstory shear restoring forces are simulated by the Bouc–Wen model. This model could simulate the hinge effect of the yielding joints in steel structures or the performance of the hysteretic energy dissipation devices. The simulation results demonstrated that, with the help of the modified UKF method and the reference model, the vibration of the structure is effectively mitigated under the proposed MRSMC.
Soluble Markers of Antibody Secreting Cell Function as Predictors of Infection Risk in Rheumatoid Arthritis
Authors: Gutierrez Maria J. , Desiderio Stephen V. , Wang Nae-Yuh , Darrah Erika , Cappelli Laura , Nino Gustavo , Jones Michelle , Bingham Clifton O.
Published: April 2019

Background. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic autoimmune disease associated with immune dysregulation and increased risk of infections. The presence of autoantibodies and immunoglobulin abnormalities indicates B-cell and antibody-secreting cell (ASC) dysfunction. We hypothesize that soluble factors associated with B-cell and ASC activity are decreased in RA patients and that this is linked to higher susceptibility to infections.Methods. Using the Johns Hopkins Arthritis Cohort and Biorepository, we contrasted serum protein levels of soluble factors involved in B-cell activation (CD40, CD40L) and B-cell/ASC homing (CXCL10, CXCL11, and CXCL13) or survival (BAFF, APRIL, TACI, and BCMA) in 10 healthy subjects and 23 adult RA patients (aged 24-65 years). We subdivided RA patients into those with (n=17) and those without infections (n=6) within a 2-year period. In order to reduce the effect of RA treatment, we only included patients receiving methotrexate monotherapy or no RA treatments at baseline. Soluble serum protein levels of B-cell/ASC factors were quantified by multiplex immunoassays.Results. We identified that (1) serum levels of soluble BCMA, APRIL, CD40, and CD40L were significantly decreased in RA patients relative to healthy individuals; (2) serum soluble BCMA, predominantly released by ASC, correlated with serum concentrations of class-switched immunoglobulins, IgG and IgA; and (3) RA patients with a history of infections had significantly lower soluble BCMA levels compared with healthy donors and with RA patients without infections.Conclusions. Our study using soluble factors linked to B-cell/ASC activation and survival suggests that there is a paucity of ASC in a subset of RA patients and that this may be linked to altered antibody production and increased risk of infections. Further delineating the link between ASC and infection susceptibility in RA may optimize disease management and provide novel insights into disease pathogenesis that are susceptible to intervention.
The Combination of Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy and Immunotherapy in Primary Liver Tumors
Authors: Kreidieh Malek , Zeidan Youssef H. , Shamseddine Ali
Published: April 2019

Treatment recommendations for primary liver malignancies, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), are complex and require a multidisciplinary approach. Despite surgical options that are potentially curative, options for nonsurgical candidates include systemic therapy, radiotherapy (RT), transarterial chemoembolization (TACE), and radiofrequency ablation (RFA). Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT) is now in routine use for the treatment of lung cancer, and there is growing evidence supporting its use in liver tumors. SBRT has the advantage of delivering ablative radiation doses in a limited number of fractions while minimizing the risk of radiation-induced liver disease (RILD) through highly conformal treatment plans. It should be considered in a multidisciplinary setting for the management of patients with unresectable, locally advanced primary liver malignancies and limited treatment options. Recently, the combination of immunotherapy with SBRT has been proposed to improve antitumor effects through engaging the immune system. This review aims at shedding light on the novel concept of the combination strategy of immune-radiotherapy in liver tumors by exploring the evidence surrounding the use of SBRT and immunotherapy for the treatment of HCC and CCA.
Multifidelity Multidisciplinary Design Optimization of Integral Solid Propellant Ramjet Supersonic Cruise Vehicles
Authors: Sun Xiaojian , Ge Jianquan , Yang Tao , Xu Qiangqiang , Zhang Bin
Published: April 2019

Integral solid propellant ramjet (ISPR) supersonic cruise vehicles share the characteristic that they are highly integrated configurations. The traditional design of vehicles cannot achieve a balance between computational expense and accuracy. A multifidelity multidisciplinary design optimization (MDO) platform has been developed in this study. The focus of the platform is on ISPR supersonic cruise vehicles. Firstly, codes of discipline with different levels of fidelity (LoF) were established, such as geometry, aerodynamics, radar cross-section calculations, propulsion, mass, and trajectory discipline codes. Secondly, two MDO frameworks were constructed through discipline codes. A low LoF MDO framework is suitable for conceptual design, and a medium LoF MDO framework is suitable for preliminary design. Finally, taking the optimization problem with the minimum overall detection probability of flight trajectory as an example, the low LoF framework first explores the entire design space to achieve the mission requirements, and then, the medium LoF MDO framework accepts the low LoF framework optimization parameters. Hence, the optimization target is reached with more detailed parameters and higher fidelity. Additionally, an example for a solid propellant missile with minimum total mass is tested by the platform. The study results show that the multifidelity MDO framework not only exploits interactions between the disciplines but also improves the accuracy of optimization results and reduces the iteration time.
Long-Term Survival, Quality of Life, and Psychosocial Outcomes in Advanced Melanoma Patients Treated with Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors
Authors: Rogiers Anne , Boekhout Annelies , Schwarze Julia K. , Awada Gil , Blank Christian U. , Neyns Bart
Published: April 2019

Immune checkpoint inhibitors have become a standard of care option for the treatment of patients with advanced melanoma. Since the approval of the first immune checkpoint (CTLA-4) inhibitor ipilimumab in 2011 and programmed death-1 (PD-1) blocking monoclonal antibodies pembrolizumab and nivolumab thereafter, an increasing proportion of patients with unresectable advanced melanoma achieved long-term overall survival. Little is known about the psychosocial wellbeing, neurocognitive function, and quality of life (QOL) of these survivors. Knowledge about the long term side-effects of these novel treatments is scarce as long-term survivorship is a novel issue in the field of immunotherapy. The purpose of this review is to summarize our current knowledge regarding the survival and safety results of pivotal clinical trials in the field of advanced melanoma and to highlight potential long-term consequences that are likely to impact psychosocial wellbeing, neurocognitive functioning, and QOL. The issues raised substantiate the need for clinical investigation of these issues with the aim of optimizing comprehensive health care for advanced melanoma survivors.
Valence Band Mixing in GaAs/AlGaAs Quantum Wells Adjacent to Self-Assembled InAlAs Antidots
Authors: Kawazu Takuya
Published: April 2019

Optical properties of GaAs/AlGaAs quantum wells (QWs) in the vicinity of InAlAs quantum dots (QDs) were studied and compared with a theoretical model to clarify how the QD strain affects the electronic states in the nearby QW. In0.4Al0.6As QDs are embedded at the top of the QWs; the QD layer acts as a source of strain as well as an energy barrier. Photoluminescence excitation (PLE) measurements showed that the QD formation leads to the increase in the ratio Ie-lh/Ie-hh of the PLE intensities for the light hole (lh) and the heavy hole (hh), indicating the presence of the valence band mixing. We also theoretically calculated the hh-lh mixing in the QW due to the nearby QD strain and evaluated the PLE ratio Ie-lh/Ie-hh.
Topical Application of Fasudil Hydrochloride for Vasospasm during Soft Tissue Reconstruction Using a Free Flap
Authors: Tada Kaoru , Nakajima Tadahiro , Nakada Mika , Matsuta Masashi , Tsuchiya Hiroyuki
Published: April 2019

Vasospasm is a phenomenon that can complicate microsurgery. We report a case in which vasospasm was quickly relieved by topical application of fasudil hydrochloride. A 36-year-old man underwent preoperative chemotherapy and wide excision for a malignant soft tissue tumor around the knee joint. We planned reconstruction using a free latissimus dorsi muscle flap for the resulting soft tissue defect and selected the peroneal vessels as the recipient vessels. However, there was no arterial blood flow from the peroneal vessels, which we diagnosed as vasospasm. Conventional treatment of the vasospasm was attempted, but blood flow was not achieved. Topical application of fasudil hydrochloride solution promptly relieved the vasospasm. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first clinical report of the use of fasudil hydrochloride for vasospasm during soft tissue reconstruction using a free flap.
Investigation on the Electrothermal Properties of Nanocomposite HDPE
Authors: R Ramkumar , C Pugazhendhi Sugumaran
Published: April 2019

Currently, several deep-rooted researches have focused on the significance and application of polymers in electrical and mechanical fields. This is because of the benefits of polymers in its availability, recyclability, and flexibility in processing; economical and most importantly improvement in material property have been achieved by incorporating nanosized metal oxide (inorganic) additives in the polymer matrix. In this study, HDPE (High Density Polyethylene) is considered as base polymer and alumina as nanoadditive. Alumina (Al2O3) nanofillers are incorporated in HDPE as 1 wt.%, 3 wt.%, 5 wt.%, and 7 wt.% filler compositions. From the dielectric analysis, it has been inferred that HDPE with 3 wt.% nanoalumina achieved higher permittivity compared with other samples. Also, 5 wt.% composite samples has gained 18.46% improvement in inception voltage, 16.3% increase in the breakdown strength, and 94.47% enhanced thermal conductivity compared with pure HDPE.
Biomechanical Evaluation of Dual Plate Configurations for Femoral Shaft Fracture Fixation
Authors: El Beaino Marc , Morris Randal P. , Lindsey Ronald W. , Gugala Zbigniew
Published: April 2019

Aim. This study aimed at comparing the mechanical properties of conventional and locking dual plates in adjacent and orthogonal orientations for the surgical fixation of transverse femoral shaft fractures. It also assessed the failure mechanics after dual adjacent and orthogonal locking plate removal. Methods. Thirty-two composite femurs were transversally osteotomized and randomly assigned for fixation with either dual locking or compression plates in an adjacent or orthogonal configuration. Sixteen specimens were preloaded axially to 20 N and single-leg stance loads were simulated. The remaining sixteen constructs were subjected to torsional loads of 10 Nm at a rate of 10 Nm/s in external and internal rotation of the femoral head in relation to the knee. Overall combined rotational stiffness was calculated. Eight different specimens with no osteotomy underwent the same experiments after dual locked plate removal and were tested to failure in combined eccentric axial and torsional modes. Data were statistically processed using a two-tailed t-test and one-way analysis of variance for the comparison of means between two or more groups, respectively. Results. Orthogonal constructs were statistically stiffer in axial loading compared to their adjacent counterparts in both conventional and locking configurations (p<0.001). Dual locking plates provided higher torsional stiffness than conventional ones within each plate orientation (p<0.01). Neither axial/torsional strength nor failure loads differed between constructs that had adjacent or orthogonal dual locking plates instrumented and then removed (p>0.05). Conclusions. In both orthogonal and adjacent orientations, double locking plates provide higher stability than their dual conventional counterparts. Orthogonal dual plate configuration is more stable and biomechanically superior to dual adjacent plating for constructs fixed with either standard compression or locking plates.
Thermal Protection System Design of a Reusable Launch Vehicle Using Integral Soft Objects
Authors: Aprovitola Andrea , Iuspa Luigi , Viviani Antonio
Published: April 2019

In the present paper, a modelling procedure of the thermal protection system designed for a conceptual Reusable Launch Vehicle is presented. A special parametric model, featuring a scalar field irradiated by a set of bidimensional soft objects, is developed and used to assign an almost arbitrary distribution of insulating materials over the vehicle surface. The model fully exploits the autoblending capability of soft objects and allows a rational distribution of thermal coating materials using a limited number of parameters. Applications to different conceptual vehicle configurations of an assigned thickness map, and material layout show the flexibility of the model. The model is finally integrated in the framework of a multidisciplinary analysis to perform a trajectory-based TPS sizing, subjected to fixed thermal constraints.
A Single 48 mg Sucralose Sip Unbalances Monocyte Subpopulations and Stimulates Insulin Secretion in Healthy Young Adults
Authors: Gómez-Arauz Angélica Y. , Bueno-Hernández Nallely , Palomera Leon F. , Alcántara-Suárez Raúl , De León Karen L. , Méndez-García Lucía A. , Carrero-Aguirre Miguel , Manjarrez-Reyna Aaron N. , Martínez-Reyes Camilo P. , Esquivel-Velázquez Marcela , Ruiz-Barranco Alejandra , Baltazar-López Neyla , Islas-Andrade Sergio , Escobedo Galileo , Meléndez Guillermo
Published: April 2019

Sucralose is a noncaloric artificial sweetener that is widely consumed worldwide and has been associated with alteration in glucose and insulin homeostasis. Unbalance in monocyte subpopulations expressing CD11c and CD206 hallmarks metabolic dysfunction but has not yet been studied in response to sucralose. Our goal was to examine the effect of a single sucralose sip on serum insulin and blood glucose and the percentages of classical, intermediate, and nonclassical monocytes in healthy young adults subjected to an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). This study was a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Volunteers randomly received 60 mL water as placebo (n=20) or 48 mg sucralose dissolved in 60 mL water (n=25), fifteen minutes prior to an OGTT. Blood samples were individually drawn every 15 minutes for 180 minutes for quantifying glucose and insulin concentrations. Monocyte subsets expressing CD11c and CD206 were measured at -15 and 180 minutes by flow cytometry. As compared to controls, volunteers receiving sucralose exhibited significant increases in serum insulin at 30, 45, and 180 minutes, whereas blood glucose values showed no significant differences. Sucralose consumption caused a significant 7% increase in classical monocytes and 63% decrease in nonclassical monocytes with respect to placebo controls. Pearson’s correlation models revealed a strong association of insulin with sucralose-induced monocyte subpopulation unbalance whereas glucose values did not show significant correlations. Sucralose ingestion decreased CD11c expression in all monocyte subsets and reduced CD206 expression in nonclassical monocytes suggesting that sucralose does not only unbalance monocyte subpopulations but also alter their expression pattern of cell surface molecules. This work demonstrates for the first time that a 48 mg sucralose sip increases serum insulin and unbalances monocyte subpopulations expressing CD11c and CD206 in noninsulin-resistant healthy young adults subjected to an OGTT. The apparently innocuous consumption of sucralose should be reexamined in light of these results.
Pinelliae Rhizoma Praeparatum Cum AlumineExtract: Sedative and Hypnotic Effects in Mice and Component Compounds
Authors: Lin Sisi , Nie Bo , Song Ke , Ye Ren , Yuan Zhengzhong
Published: April 2019

Pinelliae Rhizoma Praeparatum Cum Alumine(PRPCA) is useful for eliminating dampness and phlegm in clinical settings, targeting the main mechanisms of insomnia as defined in traditional Chinese medicine. However, little is known regarding the sedative and hypnotic effects of PRPCA. In the present study, we examined the sedative effects of PRPCA via a locomotor activity test and aimed to determine the most appropriate concentration of PRPCA for achieving these effects. The strongest sedative effects were observed at a PRPCA concentration of 0.45 g/ml. In addition, we investigated the hypnotic effects of PRPCA and its role in promoting sleep via sleep monitoring and vigilance state analysis. PRPCA increased rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and non-REM (NREM) sleep while decreasing wakefulness. In addition, PRPCA decreased the number of bouts of wakefulness (16–32 s and 32–64 s) and increased the number of bouts of NREM sleep (128–256 s). Furthermore, we identified a total of 32 component compounds via chromatography and mass spectrometry. Hence, the current work provides valuable information regarding the sedative and hypnotic effects of PRPCA and its regulatory mechanisms in promoting sleep.
Effects of Ultrasound Technique on the Composition of Different Essential Oils
Authors: Kowalski Radosław , Gagoś Mariusz , Kowalska Grażyna , Pankiewicz Urszula , Sujka Monika , Mazurek Artur , Nawrocka Agnieszka
Published: April 2019

The objective of the experiment was to investigate the stability of the composition of selected essential oils in the model systems containing methanol and hexane solutions which were treated with ultrasound. Solutions of the oils, with a concentration of 90 mg/ml, were subjected to the effect of ultrasounds with a frequency of 20 kHz and an output power of 200 W for periods of 2 min and 10 min at 50% and 80% power. The experiment has shown no significant effect on the composition of the essential oils resulting from the applied parameters of the process in the tested model systems. The study indicates that the sonication parameters adopted in the experiment can be applied in the case of analogous systems containing essential oils in their composition.
Aberrant Expression of Collagen Gene Family in the Brain Regions of Male Mice with Behavioral Psychopathologies Induced by Chronic Agonistic Interactions
Authors: Smagin Dmitry A. , Galyamina Anna G. , Kovalenko Irina L. , Babenko Vladimir N. , Kudryavtseva Natalia N.
Published: April 2019

Chronic agonistic interactions promote the development of experimental psychopathologies in animals: a depression-like state in chronically defeated mice and the pathology of aggressive behavior in the mice with repeated wins. The abundant research data indicate that such psychopathological states are associated with significant molecular and cellular changes in the brain. This paper aims to study the influence of a 20-day period of agonistic interactions on the expression patterns of collagen family genes encoding the proteins which are basic components of extracellular matrix (ECM) in different brain regions of mice using the RNA-Seq database. Most of differentially expressed collagen genes were shown to be upregulated in the hypothalamus and striatum of chronically aggressive and defeated mice and in the hippocampus of defeated mice, whereas downregulation of collagen genes was demonstrated in the ventral tegmental areas in both experimental groups. Aberrant expression of collagen genes induced by chronic agonistic interactions may be indicative of specific ECM defects in the brain regions of mice with alternative social experience. This is the first study demonstrating remodeling of ECM under the development of experimental disorders.
A Preliminary Study of Neonatal Cranial Venous System by Color Doppler
Authors: Liu Lu Yang , Hong Jin Ling , Wu Chang Jun
Published: April 2019

Aim. To present anatomic data in the ultrasound planes for the identification of the major veins and the venous sinuses in cerebrum and to establish the sonographic normal reference values for the visualization of vein vessels and vein sinuses and blood flow velocities.Methods. This study involved 55 healthy full-term neonates for transfontanellar color Doppler sonography. The imaging included both sagittal and coronal planes with LA332E probe, supplemented with PA240 probe as necessary. As low as reasonably achievable (ALARA) principle was obeyed, limiting Doppler exposure time and maximizing signal intensity by increasing gain rather than outputting transducer power settings. The output power was kept at a minimum level consistent with recording an adequate signal. Keeping the newborns in calm state, the total examination time which every neonate required was less than 5 min. All images were stored also in a workstation for further analysis. The description statistics and t-test for statistical analysis were used.Result. In all studied cases (100% cases), subependymal veins (SV), internal cerebral veins (ICV), Galen vein (GV), straight sinus (SS), superior sagittal sinus (SSS), and transverse sinuses (TS) were visualized. The visualization percentages of inferior sagittal sinus (ISS) or basal veins/Rosenthal veins (BV/RV) were lower than 100%. Based on vessel visualization percentage from high to low, the vessels were ordered as follows: SV, ICV, BV, SS, TS, ISS, and SSS. In SSS and TS, the pulsation percentage was 100%. The descending percentages of vessel pulsation were noted in SS, BV, ICV, and SV. On the basis of the mean of maximum velocities of the vessels from low to high, the vessels were ordered as follows: ISS, BV-L, BV-R, ICV-R, ICV-L, SV-L, SV-R, SSS, TS-L, TS-R, and SS.Conclusion. The measurements percent of visualization of cerebral deep veins was higher than the percent of cerebral venous sinuses. The pulsation percent of measurement and the velocities of cerebral venous sinuses were absolutely higher than the cerebral deep venous system. The pairs of vascular blood flow velocities were nonsignificantly different from one another.
Development and Validation of Online Textual Pediatrician-Parent Communication Instrument Based on the SEGUE Framework
Authors: Xiong Yuqi , Wang Dan , Chen Haihong , Wang Xuemei , Zhang Xinping
Published: April 2019

The prevalence and feature of online textual pediatrician-parent communication (OPPC) have been recognized, but evidence on OPPC assessment remains insufficient. This study aimed to develop and validate an OPPC instrument to provide measurement and quality characteristics for quality assessment and management. 490 OPPC exchanges of 61 tertiary hospitals from 9 Chinese provinces were obtained from the Spring Rain Doctor website. The SEGUE framework, OPPC feature, and a pilot study were considered to establish the instrument. An empirical study was conducted to validate it and the incidence of OPPC items was also analyzed. As a result, a four-dimensional, 15-item OPPC instrument was developed. The empirical results are as follows. Cronbach’s α values of dimensions were 0.80, 0.62, 0.64, and 0.60; the mean interrater reliability was 0.93; the correlation coefficients between items and their corresponding dimensions’ scores ranged from 0.51 to 0.89 (P<0.001). The goodness-of-fit indices were acceptable. The overall incidence rate of parent-dominated/cooperative items (46.9%) was higher than that of pediatrician-dominated items (39.6%). Thus, the instrument is acceptable and OPPC quality is characterized by more parent-dominated and cooperative behaviors.
A Systematic and Meta-Analysis Survey of Whale Optimization Algorithm
Authors: Mohammed Hardi M. , Umar Shahla U. , Rashid Tarik A.
Published: April 2019

The whale optimization algorithm (WOA) is a nature-inspired metaheuristic optimization algorithm, which was proposed by Mirjalili and Lewis in 2016. This algorithm has shown its ability to solve many problems. Comprehensive surveys have been conducted about some other nature-inspired algorithms, such as ABC and PSO. Nonetheless, no survey search work has been conducted on WOA. Therefore, in this paper, a systematic and meta-analysis survey of WOA is conducted to help researchers to use it in different areas or hybridize it with other common algorithms. Thus, WOA is presented in depth in terms of algorithmic backgrounds, its characteristics, limitations, modifications, hybridizations, and applications. Next, WOA performances are presented to solve different problems. Then, the statistical results of WOA modifications and hybridizations are established and compared with the most common optimization algorithms and WOA. The survey’s results indicate that WOA performs better than other common algorithms in terms of convergence speed and balancing between exploration and exploitation. WOA modifications and hybridizations also perform well compared to WOA. In addition, our investigation paves a way to present a new technique by hybridizing both WOA and BAT algorithms. The BAT algorithm is used for the exploration phase, whereas the WOA algorithm is used for the exploitation phase. Finally, statistical results obtained from WOA-BAT are very competitive and better than WOA in 16 benchmarks functions. WOA-BAT also outperforms well in 13 functions from CEC2005 and 7 functions from CEC2019.
OMIC Technologies and Vaccine Development: From the Identification of Vulnerable Individuals to the Formulation of Invulnerable Vaccines
Authors: Cotugno Nicola , Ruggiero Alessandra , Santilli Veronica , Manno Emma Concetta , Rocca Salvatore , Zicari Sonia , Amodio Donato , Colucci Manuela , Rossi Paolo , Levy Ofer , Martinon-Torres Federico , Pollard Andrew J. , Palma Paolo
Published: April 2019

Routine vaccination is among the most effective clinical interventions to prevent diseases as it is estimated to save over 3 million lives every year. However, the full potential of global immunization programs is not realised because population coverage is still suboptimal. This is also due to the inadequate immune response and paucity of informative correlates of protection upon immunization of vulnerable individuals such as newborns, preterm infants, pregnant women, and elderly individuals as well as those patients affected by chronic and immune compromising medical conditions. In addition, these groups are undervaccinated for a number of reasons, including lack of awareness of vaccine-preventable diseases and uncertainty or misconceptions about the safety and efficacy of vaccination by parents and healthcare providers. The presence of these nonresponders/undervaccinated individuals represents a major health and economic burden to society, which will become particularly difficult to address in settings with limited public resources. This review describes innovative and experimental approaches that can help identify specific genomic profiles defining nonresponder individuals for whom specific interventions might be needed. We will provide examples that show how such information can be useful to identify novel biomarkers of safety and immunogenicity for future vaccine trials. Finally, we will discuss how system biology “OMICs” data can be used to design bioinformatic tools to predict the vaccination outcome providing genetic and molecular “signatures” of protective immune response. This strategy may soon enable identification of signatures highly predictive of vaccine safety, immunogenicity, and efficacy/protection thereby informing personalized vaccine interventions in vulnerable populations.
Modeling the Energy Harvested by an RF Energy Harvesting System Using Gamma Processes
Authors: Castro Inma T. , Landesa Luis , Serna Alberto
Published: April 2019

In an Energy Harvesting system (EHS) the gamma process is used to model the electromagnetic energy received from radiofrequency (RF) radiation. The stochastic characterization of the harvested energy as a continuous‐time stochastic process, namely, gamma process, is obtained from the Nakagami‐m fading model, which describes the signal reception in a large amount of types of radiofrequency channels. Using the gamma process, some performance measures of the EHS system are obtained. Also, a transmission policy subject to different fading conditions is considered.
Optimization Approach for Image Forming in Ultrasound Transmission Tomography (UTT): Real Data Case
Authors: Rymarczyk Tomasz , Sikora Jan
Published: April 2019

Effective image reconstruction algorithm that could be used in Ultrasound Transmission Tomography (UTT) is presented in this paper. The reconstruction process was bringing over to the solution of the inverse problem which was converted to the optimization task. The optimization parameters were selected as follows: a position vector defining the position of the obstacle centre (the length of the position vector and its angle) and the internal radius of the test objects (obstacles). In this case, sixteen trial objects were selected, which gives 48th optimization parameters (three parameters for each trial object). During the optimization process some of them could diminish to zero; the others would change the position and dimensions in such a way that the calculated signal become as close as possible to the measured one. The objective function and linear inequality constrain were defined. The optimization process is very sensitive how far away from the optimal solution the starting point was defined. That is why three cases of the selection of the starting point to the optimization process were considered.
Human Papillomavirus Type 16 Disables the Increased Natural Killer Cells in Early Lesions of the Cervix
Authors: Zhang Jiexin , Jin Shanshan , Li Xiao , Liu Lenan , Xi Lei , Wang Fang , Zhang Shichang
Published: April 2019

The mechanism for pathogenesis of human papillomavirus (HPV) in the cervix has been investigated intensively. However, detailed differences in the distribution and function of innate immune cells between high-risk HPV types, especially during the chronic inflammation phase, have not been described fully. In this study, histologic pathology results of 245 women with HPV type 16 only (HPV16+) or type 18 only (HPV18+) were analyzed retrospectively from January 2015 to November 2016. More severe lesions of the cervix were observed in HPV16+ women compared with those in HPV18+ women. In total, 212 cervical brush specimens were collected from women suffering from chronic inflammation, HPV16+, or HPV18+ from December 2016 to December 2018. Flow cytometry analysis showed that abundant NK cells along with aberrant Treg cells were found in the HPV16-infected cervix. Quantitative real-time PCR demonstrated that higher expression levels of IFN-γ but muted IL-2 and KLRG-1 expression was detected in the cervix of patients with HPV16+ compared to HPV18+, which were further confirmed using 20 paraffin sections of cervical conization tissue. The ex vivo cytotoxicity experiment showed that the cytotoxicity of NK cells was significantly decreased in the cervix of HPV16+ patients compared with that of HPV18+ patients. Collectively, our results suggested that HPV16 disables the increased NK cells in the early lesion of the cervix, indicating that the local immune system of the cervix is hyporesponsive to HPV16 infection and this may explain its bias for malignant transformation.
A Case Study on the Control of Large Deformations in a Roadway Located in the Du’erping Coal Mine in China
Authors: Yang Xiaojie , Hu Chaowen , Liang Jianhui , Zhou Yubo , Ni Guofeng , Huang Ruifeng
Published: April 2019

The effective control of large roadway deformations has always been a focus and difficulty in the coal industry. At present, a “bolt + cable + mesh + shotcrete” combined support structure has been widely used in China to support roadways with large deformations, and this method has achieved some success. However, large roadway deformations supported by using the “bolt + cable + mesh + shotcrete” support structure still have a series of engineering problems. This paper describes a case study of large deformation control in a roadway surrounded with broken rock located in the Du’erping coal mine in the Shanxi Province of China. A new “shell + bolt + shotcrete” combined support structure is proposed to support the north wing main haulage roadway. Methods were adopted from theoretical analysis, numerical simulation, and similarity simulation experiments to design a reinforced shell within a vertical wall semicircular arch. Roadway convergence and surrounding rock stress were monitored on the site. The monitoring data showed that the new support structure successfully controlled a potentially large deformation of the roadway. This new combined support structure provides a helpful reference for the design and engineering of support structures to prevent large roadway deformations.
Noninvasive Evaluation of the Pathologic Grade of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Using MCF-3DCNN: A Pilot Study
Authors: Yang Da-wei , Jia Xi-bin , Xiao Yu-jie , Wang Xiao-pei , Wang Zhen-chang , Yang Zheng-han
Published: April 2019

Purpose. To evaluate the diagnostic performance of deep learning with a multichannel fusion three-dimensional convolutional neural network (MCF-3DCNN) in the differentiation of the pathologic grades of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) based on dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance images (DCE-MR images). Methods and Materials. Fifty-one histologically proven HCCs from 42 consecutive patients from January 2015 to September 2017 were included in this retrospective study. Pathologic examinations revealed nine well-differentiated (WD), 35 moderately differentiated (MD), and seven poorly differentiated (PD) HCCs. DCE-MR images with five phases were collected using a 3.0 Tesla MR scanner. The 4D-tensor representation was employed to organize the collected data in one temporal and three spatial dimensions by referring to the phases and 3D scanning slices of the DCE-MR images. A deep learning diagnosis model with MCF-3DCNN was proposed, and the structure of MCF-3DCNN was determined to approximate clinical diagnosis experience by taking into account the significance of the spatial and temporal information from DCE-MR images. Then, MCF-3DCNN was trained based on well-labeled samples of HCC lesions from real patient cases by experienced radiologists. The accuracy when differentiating the pathologic grades of HCC was calculated, and the performance of MCF-3DCNN in lesion diagnosis was assessed. Additionally, the areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUC) for distinguishing WD, MD, and PD HCCs were calculated. Results. MCF-3DCNN achieved an average accuracy of 0.7396±0.0104 with regard to totally differentiating the pathologic grade of HCC. MCF-3DCNN also achieved the highest diagnostic performance for discriminating WD HCCs from others, with an average AUC, accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of 0.96, 91.00%, 96.88%, and 89.62%, respectively. Conclusions. This study indicates that MCF-3DCNN can be a promising technology for evaluating the pathologic grade of HCC based on DCE-MR images.
Evaluation of Anterior-Posterior Spine Curvatures and Incidence of Sagittal Defects in Children and Adolescents Practicing Traditional Karate
Authors: Katarzyna Walicka-Cupryś , Ewa Szeliga , Agnieszka Guzik , Mirosław Mrozkowiak , Marta Niewczas , Paweł Ostrowski , Iwona Tabaczek-Bejster
Published: April 2019

Background and Study Aim. To evaluate anterior-posterior spine curvatures and incidence of sagittal defects in children and adolescents practicing traditional Karate. Material and Methods. 152 people aged 6-16 yrs, mean age 10.5±3.03. The study group (SG), subjects attending traditional Karate classes for min one year, 60 minutes twice a week (76 people). The control group (CG) randomly selected on 1:1 basis to match SG. The anterior-posterior curvatures were measured with a gravitational inclinometer. Sauder’s norms were used to assess postural defects. Body mass, height, and BMI were measured. Mann-Whitney U-test/Student’s t-test for independent variables, χ2 test, and Cramer V test were used in statistical analysis. Results. Significant differences were observed between the groups in lumbosacral inclination ALPHA1 p<0.001; karateka had significantly lower ALPHA 1 and greater thoracic inclination (GAMMA TH/L) p=0.23. In study group, lumbosacral angle flattening (ALPHA 2) (81.6%) was greater than in CG (56.6%). ALPHA 2 (43.4%) was more frequently within the norm in CG. Increased ALPHA 2 was reported only among SG (2.6%). Differences were statistically significant (χ2 (2) = 15.23 p<0.001) and of moderate power (Cramer V=0.31). Regarding thoracic kyphosis and lumbar lordosis, there were no statistically significant differences between the groups. Conclusions. Traditional Karate affects pelvic tilt leading to posterior tilt; it correlates with somatic parameters: height, mass, and BMI in terms of spine curvatures. The size of the lumbar lordosis and thoracic kyphosis in karatekas is comparable to that of those not practicing sport. Frequent incidence of reduced pelvic tilt in karatekas requires implementing exercises activating anterior tilt during training session.
Os verbos impessoais na gramaticografia portuguesa setecentista:
Authors: Ponce de León Rogelio
Published: April 2019

No artigo, são estudadas as diferentes propostas acerca dos verbos impessoais, registadas na gramaticografia da língua portuguesa de Setecentos. A análise tem como objetivo deduzir, nas obras metagramaticais, abordagens teóricas convergentes e divergentes, determinando as fontes em que se fundamentam e a eventual relação entre elas; nomeadamente, entre as gramáticas que descrevem a língua portuguesa e as enquadradas na gramaticografia da língua latina (portuguesa ou forânea) e de outras línguas, como a espanhola. Para atingir o objetivo referido, é analisado o seguinte corpus de gramáticas portuguesas: as Regras da lingua portugueza, espelho da língua latina (Lisboa, 1721) de Jerónimo Contador de Argote, a Arte da grammatica da língua portugueza (Lisboa, 1770) de António José dos Reis Lobato, a Grammatica philosophica e orthographia racional da língua portugueza (Lisboa, 1783) de Bernardo de Lima e Melo Bacelar, o Methodo gramatical resumido da língua portugueza (Lisboa 1792) de João Joaquim Casimiro, a Arte da grammatica portugueza (Lisboa 1799) de Pedro José de Figueiredo, e os Rudimentos da grammatica portugueza (Lisboa 1799) de Pedro José da Fonseca.
O nome da língua no Brasil oitocentista
Authors: Cavaliere Ricardo
Published: April 2019

Este trabalho dá notícia das primeiras referências que se fizeram sobre a denominação do português falado no Brasil em textos linguísticos e não linguísticos publicados no século XIX. Nesse intuito, o trabalho traça juízo sobre estudos avulsos acerca das características e origens do então denominado dialeto brasileiro, seja no âmbito dos ensaios publicados em revistas de difusão científica e cultural, seja em crônicas e artigos publicados nos periódicos jornalísticos mais relevantes, sem descurar de eventuais referências no campo da gramatização do português. Suas conclusões são de que a sociedade oiticentista trabalha com dois conceitos sobre a natureza do português brasileiro: um laico, em que as noções de língua e de linguagem se imiscuem numa referência ao português como instrumento de comunicação social distinto de outros sistemas linguísticos, tais como o da língua brasílica; outro científico, em que prevalece a noção geolinguística de dialeto para caracterizar o português do Brasil em face do português europeu.
Identifying tween fashion consumers’ profile concerning fashion innovativeness, opinion leadership, internet use for apparel shopping, interest in online co-design involvement, and brand commitment
Authors: Baker Renee , Yu Ui-Jeen , Gam Hae Jin , Banning Jennifer
Published: April 2019

This study identifies tween fashion consumers’ profiles in relation to fashion change agent (FCA) characteristics, such as fashion innovativeness and opinion leadership, and examines how the tweens’ FCA characteristics influence their Internet innovativeness, interest in online co-design involvement, and brand commitment. A survey was conducted with tween-aged girls in the Midwest region of the U.S., who were recruited through the snow ball sampling method. A total of 53 responses were acceptable for data analysis including cluster analysis, MANOVA, and multiple regression analyses. Results show the tween consumers were divided into two fashion consumer groups—fashion leaders and fashion followers—significantly different in fashion innovativeness and opinion leadership. This study also found positive effects of tweens’ FCA characteristics on Internet innovativeness, interest in online co-design involvement, and brand commitment. As FCAs with higher fashion innovativeness and opinion leadership influence the adoption and purchase behavior of other tween fashion consumers, marketers and retailers need to develop more fashion innovative, Internet-mediated, interactive, and brand-oriented marketing efforts. While the tween consumers in the children’s wear market has been featured, the prevailing literature on tween consumers’ fashion adoption and consumption is limited, particularly with regards to their FCA characteristics. This study highlights the important role of tween fashion consumers’ FCA characteristics in their online shopping orientation and brand commitment.