bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The regenerating family member 3 β instigates IL-17A-mediated neutrophil recruitment downstream of NOD1/2 signalling for controlling colonisation resistance independently of microbiota community structure
Authors: Waldschmitt Nadine , Kitamoto Sho , Secher Thomas , Zacharioudaki Vassiliki , Boulard Olivier , Floquet Emilie , Delacre Myriam , Lamas Bruno , Pham Hang-Phuong , Six Adrien , Richard Mathias L. , Dagorn Jean-Charles , Eberl Gérard , Langella Philippe , Chatel Jean-Marc , Ryffel Bernhard , Iovanna Juan Lucio , Poulin Lionel F , Sokol Harry , Kamada Nobuhiko , Chamaillard Mathias
Published: October 2018

Objective

Loss of the Crohn’s disease predisposing NOD2 gene results in an intestinal microenvironment conducive for colonisation by attaching-and-effacing enteropathogens. However, it remains elusive whether it relies on the intracellular recruitment of the serine-threonine kinase RIPK2 by NOD2, a step that is required for its activation of the transcription factor NF-κB.

Design

Colonisation resistance was evaluated in wild type and mutant mice, as well as in ex-germ-free (ex-GF) mice which were colonised either with faeces from Ripk2-deficient mice or with bacteria with similar preferences for carbohydrates to those acquired by the pathogen. The severity of the mucosal pathology was quantified at several time points postinfection by using a previously established scoring. The community resilience in response to infection was evaluated by 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequence analysis. The control of pathogen virulence was evaluated by monitoring the secretion of Citrobacter-specific antibody response in the faeces.

Results

Primary infection was similarly outcompeted in ex-GF Ripk2-deficient and control mice, demonstrating that the susceptibility to infection resulting from RIPK2 deficiency cannot be solely attributed to specific microbiota community structures. In contrast, delayed clearance of Citrobacter rodentium and exacerbated histopathology were preceded by a weakened propensity of intestinal macrophages to afford innate lymphoid cell activation. This tissue protection unexpectedly required the regenerating family member 3β by instigating interleukin (IL) 17A-mediated neutrophil recruitment to the intestine and subsequent phosphorylation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3.

Conclusions

These results unveil a previously unrecognised mechanism that efficiently protects from colonisation by diarrhoeagenic bacteria early in infection.
Proposal of new clinical diagnostic criteria for POEMS syndrome
Authors: Suichi Tomoki , Misawa Sonoko , Sato Yasunori , Beppu Minako , Sakaida Emiko , Sekiguchi Yukari , Shibuya Kazumoto , Watanabe Keisuke , Amino Hiroshi , Kuwabara Satoshi
Published: October 2018

Objective

To propose the optimal diagnostic criteria for polyneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, M-protein and skin changes (POEMS) syndrome using appropriate statistical methods and disease controls.

Methods

This retrospective cohort study included 104 consecutive patients with suspected POEMS syndrome, among whom a gold standard group of 60 patients with definitive POEMS syndrome diagnosis were followed for at least 12 months to strictly exclude other disorders mimicking POEMS syndrome and to confirm response to POEMS syndrome-specific treatment. Thirty patients with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy controls) and 30 with multiple myeloma or immunoglobulin light chain amyloidosis (monoclonal plasma cell proliferation controls) were also included. Logistic regression analyses were performed to determine optimal combination of clinical and laboratory abnormalities, characteristic of POEMS syndrome.

Results

The diagnostic criteria were statistically defined as the presence of the three major criteria (polyneuropathy (typically demyelinating), monoclonal plasma cell proliferative disorder and elevated vascular endothelial growth factor) and at least two of the four minor criteria (oedema/effusion, skin changes, organomegaly and sclerotic bone lesions), based on best performance by area under the receiver operating characteristic curve analyses. The sensitivity and specificity were 100% and 100%, respectively; the diagnostic accuracy of the proposed criteria was equivalent to somewhat complicated previous criteria.

Conclusions

The statistically defined, simple diagnostic criteria for POEMS syndrome could accelerate early diagnosis and treatment, thereby contribute to better outcome in patients with this serious disease. Prospective larger studies are required to confirm the validity.
Use of REBOA to stabilize in-hospital iatrogenic intra-abdominal hemorrhage
Authors: Goodenough Christopher J , Cobb Tyler A , Holcomb John B
Published: October 2018

Resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA) has become an increasingly popular alternative to emergency thoracotomy and aortic cross-clamping in patients with exsanguinating hemorrhage.1 This new capability is increasingly being used in non-trauma situations.2 3 This report demonstrates another novel use of REBOA for iatrogenic intra-abdominal hemorrhage.

An 83-year-old man with multiple medical comorbidities and a history of chronic mesenteric ischemia was admitted to our institution for an elective mesenteric revascularization. Revascularization was unsuccessful, despite attempts to cross the lesion. Postprocedure, the patient developed a right groin hematoma, and CT on postprocedure day 0 demonstrated a femoral artery pseudoaneurysm and subintimal contrast at the level of the celiac artery, representing an iatrogenic dissection.

The following day, he complained of dizziness. Physical examination revealed a blood pressure of 68/35 mm Hg, heart rate of 100 beats per minute, and a distended abdomen. Because the surgical intensive care unit (SICU) was full, he was transferred to the neurotrauma intesive care unit (NTICU) and intubated for hemodynamic instability. A chest X-ray revealed a prior thoracic endovascular aortic repair (figure 1), but no intrathoracic hemorrhage or pathology. Bedside ultrasonography revealed intra-abdominal fluid. Laboratory workup showed hemoglobin of 6.1 g/dL, from 10.9 the previous day. The patient was given two units of packed red blood cells, without response. The intensive care unit (ICU) team initiated norepinephrine, with minimal improvement despite increasing doses.Figure 1

Chest X-ray with catheter in zone 1. Arrows mark the proximal and distal markers of the resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta.

What would you do?

Transfuse two units of packed red blood cells and observe.

Proceed to the operating room (OR) for exploratory laparotomy.

Endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (zone 1).
Effect of dietary chelated copper and methionine and cysteine on performance, egg quality, and nutrient balance in brown laying hens from 20 to 49 wk old
Authors: Trindade Neto M.A. , Saccomani A.P.O. , Tse M.L.P. , Dadalt J.C.
Published: October 2018

Using 960 brown laying hens from 20 to 48 wk of age, in a 4 × 5 factorial arrangement, the effects on production, quality of eggs, and nutrient balance of analysed 18, 41, 61, and 111 mg kg−1of copper (Cu) and of 0.550%, 0.679%, 0.793%, 0.845%, and 0.948% of methionine and cysteine (Met + Cys) were evaluated. Treatments were administered to six replicate cages (eight hens per cage). At the 49th wk of age, 320 of these hens were kept under the same experimental conditions to evaluate the nutrient balance, and each treatment was allocated to four replicate cages (four hens per cage). The trend of interaction effect between Cu and Met + Cys levels was observed on egg weight and mass. The interaction between mineral and amino acid was characterized on egg quality variables. Quadratic equations indicated that increasing the dietary level of Cu reduced the estimate requirement of Met + Cys for hens. Across the entire experimental period, the total estimated Met + Cys level was 0.755% ± 0.021% based on the performance variables. As Cu increased in the diet, it decreased the estimated Met + Cys level to ensure egg weight, mass, and egg quality. Level of chelated Cu above 23 mg kg−1may negatively affect the egg quality.
Photochemical properties of enediyne-cored dendrimers bearing naphthalenes at the periphery
Authors: Ichino Rina , Momotake Atsuya , Arai Tatsuo
Published: October 2018

A novel series of trans and cis enediyne-cored dendrimers bearing naphthalenes at the periphery were synthesized and their photochemical properties were examined. The trans/cis isomer ratio in the photostationary state was dependent on the excitation site in the dendrimers. When the enediyne core was selectively excited, the trans/cis isomer ratio in the photostationary state was either around 50/50 or a cis-rich mixture in all dendrimers due to the larger molar extinction coefficient of the trans-enediynes. On the other hand, when naphthalene was excited, a trans-rich mixture was unexpectedly obtained in higher generation dendrimers even though the energy transfer efficiency was almost quantitative in the trans dendrimers. These results could be explained by the energy transfer process, which was different depending on the geometric isomerism of the enediyne core.
Growth of the estuarine fish Fundulus heteroclitus in response to diel-cycling hypoxia and acidification: interaction with temperature
Authors: Targett Timothy E. , Grecay Paul A. , Dixon Rachel L.
Published: October 2018

Growth rate of Fundulus heteroclitus was examined at 25 and 30 °C in nine treatments of diel-cycling dissolved oxygen (DO) and pH. Extreme diel-cycling DO (1–11 mg O2·L−1) negatively impacted growth during 10 days at 30 °C, but not at 25 °C. Moderate DO cycles (3–9 mg O2·L−1) had no direct growth impact at either temperature. Fish did not appear to acclimate, during days 10–30, to the initial growth-limiting effects of extreme diel DO cycles at 30 °C. Diel-cycling DO interacts synergistically with temperature to impact growth. There was no evidence of an independent growth effect of either moderate pH cycles (7.2–7.8) or extreme pH cycles (6.8–8.1) at either temperature. Mean low pCO2 levels in extreme cycles were ∼32 000 and ∼47 000 μatm at 25 and 30 °C, respectively. It is noteworthy that these high mean nightly pCO2 levels are more than an order of magnitude higher than the chronic mean oceanic pCO2 of ∼1000 μatm projected by the year 2100.
Considerations for incorporating real-time PCR assays into routine marine biosecurity surveillance programmes: a case study targeting the Mediterranean fanworm (Sabella spallanzanii) and club tunicate (Styela clava)
Authors: Wood Susanna A. , Pochon Xavier , Ming Witold , von Ammon Ulla , Woods Chris , Carter Megan , Smith Matt , Inglis Graeme , Zaiko Anastasija
Published: October 2018

Molecular techniques may provide effective tools to enhance marine biosecurity surveillance. Prior to routine implementation, evidence-based consideration of their benefits and limitations is needed. In this study, we assessed the efficiency and practicality of visual diver surveys and real-time PCR assays (targeting DNA and RNA) for detecting two marine invasive species whose infestation levels varied between species and location: Sabella spallanzanii and Styela clava. Filtered water samples (n = 171) were collected in parallel with dive surveys at two locations as part of the New Zealand Marine High Risk Site Surveillance programme: Nelson Harbour (27 sites) and Waitemata Harbour (30 sites). Diver surveys resulted in a greater number of detections compared to real-time PCR: S. clava – 21 versus 5 sites in Nelson, 6 versus 1 in Auckland; S. spallanzanii – 18 versus 10 in Auckland, no detections in Nelson. Occupancy modelling derived detection probabilities for the real-time PCR for S. clava were low (14%), compared to S. spallanzanii (66%). This could be related to abundances, or species-specific differences in DNA shedding. Only one RNA sample was positive, suggesting that most detections were from extracellular DNA or non-viable fragments. While molecular methods cannot yet replace visual observations, this study shows they provide useful complementary information.
Coupling Between Brain Structures During Visual and Auditory Working Memory Tasks
Authors: Kaminski Maciej , Brzezicka Aneta , Kaminski Jan , Blinowska Katarzyna J.
Published: October 2018

Transmission of EEG activity during a visual and auditory version of the working memory task based on the paradigm of linear syllogism was investigated. Our aim was to find possible similarities and differences in the synchronization patterns between brain structures during the same mental activity performed on different modality stimuli. The EEG activity transmission was evaluated by means of full frequency Directed Transfer Function (ffDTF) and short-time Directed Transfer Function (SDTF). SDTF provided information on dynamical propagation of EEG activity. The assortative mixing approach was applied to quantify coupling between regions of interest encompassing frontal, central and two posterior modules. The results showed similar schemes of coupling for both modalities with stronger coupling within the regions of interests than between them, which is concordant with the theories concerning efficient wiring and metabolic energy saving. The patterns of transmission showed main sources of activity in the anterior and posterior regions communicating intermittently in a broad frequency range. The differences between the patterns of transmission between the visual and auditory versions of working memory tasks were subtle and involved bigger propagation from the posterior electrodes towards the frontal ones during the visual task as well as from the temporal sites to the frontal ones during the auditory task.
A periodic varying deceleration parameter in f(R, T) gravity
Authors: Sahoo P. K. , Tripathy S. K. , Sahoo Parbati
Published: October 2018

The phenomenon of accelerated expansion of the present universe and a cosmic transit aspect is explored in the framework of a modified gravity theory known as f(R, T) gravity (where R is the Ricci scalar and T is the trace of the energy–momentum tensor of the matter content). The cosmic transit phenomenon signifies a signature flipping behavior of the deceleration parameter. We employ a periodic varying deceleration parameter and obtained the exact solution of field equations. The dynamical features of the model including the oscillatory behavior of the EOS parameter are studied. We have also explored the obvious violation of energy–momentum conservation in f(R, T) gravity. The periodic behavior of energy conditions for the model are also discussed with a wide range of the free parameters.
Link prediction based on local major path degree
Authors: Yang Xu-Hua , Yang Xuhua , Ling Fei , Zhang Hai-Feng , Zhang Duan , Xiao Jie
Published: October 2018

Link prediction can estimate the probablity of the existence of an unknown or future edges between two arbitrary disconnected nodes (two seed nodes) in complex networks on the basis of information regarding network nodes, edges and topology. With the important practical value in many fields such as social networks, electronic commerce, data mining and biological networks, link prediction is attracting considerable attention from scientists in various fields. In this paper, we find that degree distribution and strength of two- and three-step local paths between two seed nodes can reveal effective similarity information between the two nodes. An index called local major path degree (LMPD) is proposed to estimate the probability of generating a link between two seed nodes. To indicate the efficiency of this algorithm, we compare it with nine well-known similarity indices based on local information in 12 real networks. Results show that the LMPD algorithm can achieve high prediction performance.
An existence theorem for a two-dimensional nonlinear shell model of Koiter’s type
Authors: Ciarlet Philippe G. , Mardare Cristinel
Published: October 2018

We propose a minimization problem with a stored energy function that is polyconvex and satisfies all the other assumptions of John Ball’s theorem, while being at the same time well adapted for modeling a nonlinearly elastic shell. By restricting the admissible deformations to be specific quadratic polynomials with respect to the transverse variable, we are able to define a new nonlinear shell model for which a satisfactory existence theory is available and that is still two-dimensional, in the sense that minimizing the corresponding total energy amounts to finding three vector fields defined on the closure of a bounded open subset of [Formula: see text].

The most noteworthy feature of our nonlinear shell model is that the “lowest order part” of its stored energy function coincides, at least formally, with the stored energy function found in Koiter’s model for a specific class of deformations that are to within the first-order identical to the Kirchhoff–Love deformations considered by W. T. Koiter.
On approximative linear Boltzmann transport equation for charged particles
Authors: Tervo J. , Kokkonen P. , Frank M. , Herty M.
Published: October 2018

We present results on existence and positivity of solutions for a linear Boltzmann transport equation used for example in radiotherapy applications and more generally in charged particle transports. Therein, some differential cross-sections, that is, kernels of collision integral operators, may become hyper-singular. These collision operators need to be approximated for analytical and numerical treatments. Here, we present an approximation leading to pseudo-differential operators. The final approximation, for which the existence and positivity of solutions is shown, is an integro-partial differential operator which is known as Continuous Slowing Down Approximation (CSDA).
Effects of General and ERP Self-Efficacy Beliefs on the Acceptance of ERP Systems
Authors: Hasan Bassam
Published: October 2018

The impact of computer self-efficacy (CSE) on acceptance and utilisation of enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems is widely recognised in the literature. However, past ERP adoption research has mostly used CSE as a universal and general computer cognitive variable across the computing domain. While CSE is a multifaceted concept which can be conceptualised and assessed at the general computer or application-specific level, past studies did not differentiate between the general and application self-efficacy belief in examining the acceptance of ERP systems. This study aims to address this issue and make a clear distinction between general computer and application (ERP) self-efficacy beliefs and examines the effects of both types of efficacy beliefs on known determinants of acceptance and use of ERP systems. The results provide strong support for the effects of self-efficacy beliefs at the ERP level. The results show that the effects of CSE beliefs at the ERP level are stronger than those of general CSE beliefs on ERP acceptance behaviour.
An Improvement to Exact Reanalysis Algorithm for Local Non-topological Structural Modifications
Authors: Song Qi , Yang Ren , Chen Pu
Published: October 2018

A new direct reanalysis algorithm for local high-rank structural modifications, based on triangular factorization, has recently been developed. In this work, an improvement is proposed for further reduction of the workload so that the algorithm becomes more efficient and also suitable for low-rank modifications. Compared to the original algorithm, firstly, an alternative formula for updating the triangular factors is derived to avoid repetitive calculations for certain low-rank cases. Secondly, to maximize the efficiency, a combined algorithm is proposed that estimates the workloads of the original and alternative algorithms for each row individually before numerical calculations and selects the one with smaller workload. Numerical experiments show that compared with full factorization, the combined algorithm is significantly more efficient and expected to save up to 75% of execution time in our numerical examples. The new method can be easily implemented and applied to engineering problems, especially to local and step-by-step modification of structures.
The Vlasov–Poisson equation in ℝ3 with infinite charge and velocities
Authors: Caprino Silvia , Cavallaro Guido , Marchioro Carlo
Published: October 2018

We consider the Vlasov–Poisson equation in [Formula: see text] with initial data which are not [Formula: see text] in space and have unbounded support in the velocities. Assuming for the density a slight decay in space and a strong decay in velocities, we prove the existence and uniqueness of the solution, thus generalizing the analogous result by the same authors for data compactly supported in the velocities.
The two-dimensional unsteady supersonic flow around a convex corner
Authors: Sheng Wancheng , You Shouke
Published: October 2018

The flow around a convex corner is one of the most important elementary flows. In this paper, we are concerned with the two-dimensional (2D) unsteady supersonic flow turning a convex corner. We firstly give the properties of general centered simple for the two-dimensional isentropic irrotational pesudo-steady Euler equations. Then, by using the properties of general centered simple waves, we construct the self-similar solution for the two-dimensional isentropic irrotational supersonic flow around a convex corner and prove that the supersonic flow turns the convex corner by a centered expansion wave or a centered compression wave under appropriate conditions on the downstream state.
Enumerating Trillion Subgraphs On Distributed Systems
Authors: Park Ha-Myung , Silvestri Francesco , Pagh Rasmus , Chung Chin-Wan , Myaeng Sung-Hyon , Kang U
Published: October 2018

How can we find patterns from an enormous graph with billions of vertices and edges? The subgraph enumeration, which is to find patterns from a graph, is an important task for graph data analysis with many applications, including analyzing the social network evolution, measuring the significance of motifs in biological networks, observing the dynamics of Internet, and so on. Especially, the triangle enumeration, a special case of the subgraph enumeration, where the pattern is a triangle, has many applications such as identifying suspicious users in social networks, detecting web spams, and finding communities. However, recent networks are so large that most of the previous algorithms fail to process them. Recently, several MapReduce algorithms have been proposed to address such large networks; however, they suffer from the massive shuffled data resulting in a very long processing time.

In this article, we propose scalable methods for enumerating trillion subgraphs on distributed systems. We first propose PTE (
Pre-partitioned Triangle Enumeration
), a new distributed algorithm for enumerating triangles in enormous graphs by resolving the structural inefficiency of the previous MapReduce algorithms. PTE enumerates trillions of triangles in a billion scale graph by decreasing three factors: the amount of shuffled data, total work, and network read. We also propose PSE (
Pre-partitioned Subgraph Enumeration
), a generalized version of PTE for enumerating subgraphs that match an arbitrary query graph. Experimental results show that PTE provides 79 times faster performance than recent distributed algorithms on real-world graphs, and succeeds in enumerating more than 3
trillion
triangles on the ClueWeb12 graph with 6.3 billion vertices and 72 billion edges. Furthermore, PSE successfully enumerates 265 trillion clique subgraphs with 4 vertices from a subdomain hyperlink network, showing 47 times faster performance than the state of the art distributed subgraph enumeration algorithm.
On-GPU Thread-Data Remapping for Branch Divergence Reduction
Authors: Lin Huanxin , Wang Cho-Li , Liu Hongyuan
Published: October 2018

General Purpose GPU computing (GPGPU) plays an increasingly vital role in high performance computing and other areas like deep learning. However, arising from the SIMD execution model, the branch divergence issue lowers efficiency of conditional branching on GPUs, and hinders the development of GPGPU. To achieve runtime on-the-spot branch divergence reduction, we propose the first on-GPU thread-data remapping scheme. Before kernel launching, our solution inserts codes into GPU kernels immediately before each target branch so as to acquire actual runtime divergence information. GPU software threads can be remapped to datasets multiple times during single kernel execution. We propose two thread-data remapping algorithms that are tailored to the GPU architecture. Effective on two generations of GPUs from both NVIDIA and AMD, our solution achieves speedups up to 2.718 with third-party benchmarks. We also implement three GPGPU frontier benchmarks from areas including computer vision, algorithmic trading and data analytics. They are hindered by more complex divergence coupled with different memory access patterns, and our solution works better than the traditional thread-data remapping scheme in all cases. As a compiler-assisted runtime solution, it can better reduce divergence for divergent applications that gain little acceleration on GPUs for the time being.
Semi-supervised Learning Meets Factorization
Authors: Chen Chaochao , Chang Kevin Chen-Chuan , Li Qibing , Zheng Xiaolin
Published: October 2018

Recently,
latent factor model
(LFM) has been drawing much attention in recommender systems due to its good performance and scalability. However, existing LFMs predict missing values in a user-item rating matrix only based on the known ones, and thus the
sparsity
of the rating matrix always limits their performance. Meanwhile,
semi-supervised learning
(SSL) provides an effective way to alleviate the label (i.e., rating) sparsity problem by performing label propagation, which is mainly based on the
smoothness
insight on affinity graphs. However, graph-based SSL suffers serious scalability and graph unreliable problems when directly being applied to do recommendation. In this article, we propose a novel probabilistic
chain graph model
(CGM) to marry SSL with LFM. The proposed CGM is a combination of
Bayesian network
and
Markov random field
. The Bayesian network is used to model the rating generation and regression procedures, and the Markov random field is used to model the confidence-aware smoothness constraint between the generated ratings. Experimental results show that our proposed CGM significantly outperforms the state-of-the-art approaches in terms of four evaluation metrics, and with a larger performance margin when data sparsity increases.
Computing as an evolving discipline
Authors: Tedre Matti
Published: October 2018

Throughout computing's history, there have been dramatically different opinions on what computing, as a discipline, is "really" about. Each decade has changed our views of bleeding-edge technology, core knowledge in computing, the nature of computing as a discipline, and the essential skills and competence of computing professionals.
Beyond coding: toward software development expertise
Authors: Petre Marian , van der Hoek André
Published: October 2018

Understanding what it takes to become an effective developer.
Gender and inclusiveness
Authors: Deshpande Sadhana
Published: October 2018

Various policies and processes have been implemented to bring equality for women in the IT sector. Yet there are various issues faced by women that still need to be addressed broadly as an institutional responsibility rather than a mere brand-building strategy.
The human manual
Authors: Kim Bryan
Published: October 2018

Understanding how computer systems are built today can help us improve how well we work together.
How much are the greenland and antarctic ice sheets melting?
Authors: Ahlkrona Josefin
Published: October 2018

Designing better simulation software to prepare for a warming world.
Banishing the fear of public speaking
Authors: Yaffe Philip
Published: October 2018

Each "Communication Corner" essay is self-contained; however, they build on each other. For best results, before reading this essay and doing the exercise, go to the first essay "How an Ugly Duckling Became a Swan," then read each succeeding essay.

In this installment, Philip Yaffe explores how speak to a crowd.
Connect with your patients, not the screen
Authors: Walkup Katie Lynn
Published: October 2018

This article examined the usability claims that Electronic Health Records (EHRs) make to healthcare providers. Usability claims appear as statements that persuade users to adopt the interface based on usability or user experience. These claims may show what healthcare providers are presumed to require from online health technologies. Usability claims in this study included intuitive interfaces, adaptability of documentation and records, and supplementing patient communication. Analyzing usability claims then becomes a way of understanding healthcare providers, their patients, and the technologies both use for health communication
Lattices of compatibly embedded finite fields in nemo/flint
Authors: De Feo Luca , Randriambololona Hugues , Rousseau Édouard
Published: October 2018

We present a software that allows the user to compute embeddings between arbitrary finite fields. It is written using Julia and C, as part of Nemo and Flint[7, 6]. The software ensures compatibility between the embeddings, so that the user can work with multiple fields and have coherent results independently of where the computations are made and of where the results are expressed.
Diagonal Block Method for Solving Two-Point Boundary Value Problems with Robin Boundary Conditions
Authors: Mohd Nasir Nadirah , Abdul Majid Zanariah , Ismail Fudziah , Bachok Norfifah
Published: October 2018

This numerical study presents the diagonal block method of order four for solving the second-order boundary value problems (BVPs) with Robin boundary conditions at two-point concurrently using constant step size. The solution is obtained directly without reducing to a system of first-order differential equations using a combination of predictor-corrector mode via shooting technique. The shooting method was adapted with the Newton divided difference interpolation approach as the strategy of seeking for the new initial estimate. Five numerical examples are included to examine and illustrate the practical usefulness of the proposed method. Numerical tested problem is also highlighted on the diffusion of heat generated application that imposed the Robin boundary conditions. The present findings revealed that the proposed method gives an efficient performance in terms of accuracy, total function calls, and execution time as compared with the existing method.
Development of a Solid-Phase Extraction (SPE) Cartridge Based on Chitosan-Metal Oxide Nanoparticles (Ch-MO NPs) for Extraction of Pesticides from Water and Determination by HPLC
Authors: Badawy Mohamed E. I. , El-Nouby Mahmoud A. M. , Marei Abd El-Salam M.
Published: October 2018

The present study aims to prepare two new types of chitosan-metal oxide nanoparticles (Ch-MO NPs), namely, chitosan-copper oxide nanoparticles (Ch-CuO NPs) and chitosan-zinc oxide nanoparticles (Ch-ZnO NPs), using sol-gel precipitation mechanism, and test them new as adsorbent materials for extraction and clean-up of different pesticides from water. The design of core-shell was implemented by metal oxide core with chitosan as a hard shell after crosslinking mechanism by glutaraldehyde and then epichlorohydrin. The characterizations of the prepared nanoparticles were investigated using Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FT-IR), zeta potential, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). FT-IR confirmed the interaction between chitosan, metal oxide, and crosslinking mechanism. SEM and TEM explained that the nanoparticles have a spherical morphology and nanosize of 93.74 and 97.95 nm for Ch-CuO NPs and Ch-ZnO NPs, respectively. Factorial experimental design was applied to study the effect of pH, concentration of pesticide, agitation time, and temperature on the efficiency of adsorption of pesticides from water samples. The results indicated that optimum conditions were pH of 7, temperature of 25°C, and agitation time of 25 min. The SPE cartridges were then packed with Ch-MO NPs, and seven pesticides of abamectin, diazinon, fenamiphos, imidacloprid, lambda-cyhalothrin, methomyl, and thiophanate-methyl were extracted from water samples and determined by HPLC. The extraction efficiency of Ch-ZnO NPs was higher than Ch-CuO NPs, but both removed a larger amount of most of tested pesticides than the standard ODS cartridge (C18). The results showed that this method achieves rapid and simple extraction in small quantities of adsorbents (Ch-MO NPs) and solvents. In addition, the method is highly sensitive to pesticides and has a high recovery rate.
H∞ Robust Tracking Control of Stochastic T-S Fuzzy Systems with Poisson Jumps
Authors: Lin Xiangyun , Zhang Weihai , Chen Bor-Sen
Published: October 2018

A robust adaptive H∞ tracking control design for nonlinear stochastic systems with both Brownian motion and Poisson jumps is proposed, which is based on Takagi–Sugeno (T-S) type fuzzy techniques. Because the state of to-be-controlled systems cannot be known exactly, to overcome this difficulty, the state estimation systems and error estimation systems are introduced to obtain an augmented system. By using the fuzzy systems to approximate the nonlinear systems, an adaptive fuzzy control is employed to achieve the desired H∞ tracking performance for stochastic systems with exogenous disturbance. A simulation example is presented to illustrate the tracking performance of the proposed design method.
Status and Trends of the Ferruginous Duck’s (Aythya nyroca) Wintering Population in Morocco: Analysis of 35 Years of Winter Census Data (1983-2017)
Authors: Ouassou Asmaâ , Dakki Mohamed , Lahrouz Saïd , El Agbani Mohammed Aziz , Qninba Abdeljebbar
Published: October 2018

The Ferruginous duck is a winter visitor and breeding resident in Morocco. The species breeds regularly in several coastal and inland wetlands, with remarkable numbers in some marshlands (Sidi Boughaba, Fouwarate, Bargha, Bas Loukkos, etc.). This duck is listed as near threatened in the IUCN Red List, and its populations have been in decline in many European countries. In Morocco, the national wintering population has known, during the last decade, a strong increase, in both its numbers (from tens to thousands of individuals) and distribution area (from a couple of sites to more than 21 wetlands). The North-West region of Morocco has been hosting regularly, during the last decade, between 31 and 91% of the Moroccan wintering population, which is mainly concentrated in two marshlands: Merja de Fouwarate and Merja de Sidi Boughaba. A small reservoir, Barrage Hassar, recently created in the Centre-Atlantic region, has also been, in recent years, one of the most important wintering sites of the species. 15 wetlands have hosted, at least once during the last decade, more than 1% of the regional population of “West Mediterranean/North and West Africa”. This work is an important step to a better knowledge of the Ferruginous duck’s population. This knowledge is the basis for adopting adequate measures for the conservation of the species at the national and international level.
Exact Solutions of the Razavy Cosine Type Potential
Authors: Dong Shishan , Dong Qian , Sun Guo-Hua , Femmam S. , Dong Shi-Hai
Published: October 2018

We solve the quantum system with the symmetric Razavy cosine type potential and find that its exact solutions are given by the confluent Heun function. The eigenvalues are calculated numerically. The properties of the wave functions, which depend on the potential parameter a, are illustrated for a given potential parameter ξ. It is shown that the wave functions are shrunk to the origin when the potential parameter a increases. We note that the energy levels ϵi (i∈[1,3]) decrease with the increasing potential parameter a but the energy levels ϵi (i∈[4,7]) first increase and then decrease with the increasing a.
Development of Epoxy‐Polyester Composite with Improved Thermophysical Properties for Restoration of Details of Sea and River Transport
Authors: Buketov A. , Brailo M. , Yakushchenko S. , Sapronova A.
Published: October 2018

The results of the experimental investigations of the optimization of the content of the polyester resin in the epoxy binder are shown in the work. It was determined that composite with concentration of the polyester (q = 10 mas.fr.) was characterized by the maximal values of the thermophysical properties. The Martens thermal resistance temperature, the linear shrinkage, the thermal coefficient of linear expansion, and the glass transition temperature of the epoxy‐polyester matrix were investigated. It was found that introducing the polyester resin into the epoxy oligomer in quantity of q = 10 mas.fr. leads to improving the Martens thermal resistance of the material to the T = 352 K and decreasing the linear shrinkage to the Δl = 0.06%. The nonlinear dependence of the TCLE on the temperature was confirmed, and the tendency of changes in their values, depending on the content of polyester resin, was defined. The dilatometric curves were analyzed, and the glass transition temperature of developed epoxy‐polyester matrix was determined at the level Tс = 318 K.
Biocompatibility and Surface Characteristics of Resin-Modified Glass Ionomer Cements with Ammonium Quaternary Compounds or Silver Nanoparticles: AnIn VitroStudy
Authors: Munguía-Moreno Silvia , Martínez-Castañón Gabriel-Alejandro , Patiño-Marín Nuria , Cabral-Romero Claudio , Zavala-Alonso Norma-Verónica
Published: October 2018

Glass ionomer cements are materials with diverse clinical applications. Its use is indicated in patients with special needs, pediatric patients, and the elderly; accordingly, it is important to know its properties. The aim of the present study was to determine the cytotoxicity, surface roughness, microhardness, and surface characteristics of GC Fuji ORTHO LC and GC Fuji PLUS resin-modified glass ionomer cements (RMGICs) with 1 and 2% of benzalkonium chloride, cetylpyridinium chloride, hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide, or silver nanoparticles. All the experimental groups increase or decrease statistically significantly the VHN (P<0.05) compared with the control group, except for GC Fuji PLUS added with hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide 1 wt%. In the same way, all groups show a statistically significant (P<0.05) increase or decrease in Ra compared with the control group except for GC Fuji ORTHO added with benzalkonium chloride 2 wt%, GC Fuji PLUS added with benzalkonium chloride 2 wt%, and GC Fuji PLUS added with cetylpyridinium chloride 2 wt%. The SEM micrographs show similar surface images between the control and experimental groups. When a dental material is modified, it is important to reevaluate its biological and mechanical characteristics. In the present study, all the additions modified the cytotoxicity and surface characteristics of RMGICs, by increasing or decreasing these properties.
Mechanical and Optical Properties of Polylactic Acid Films Containing Surfactant-Modified Cellulose Nanocrystals
Authors: Orellana Jose Luis , Wichhart Derek , Kitchens Christopher L.
Published: October 2018

The addition of surface-modified cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) to polymeric matrices can lead to an enhancement of the mechanical and optical properties of host polymers. The use of surfactants can provide an easy and effective way to change the CNC functionality and to evaluate the effects of surface chemistry in the reinforcement mechanisms. In this work, CNCs were solution blended with polylactic acid (PLA) and melt extruded into films. The PLA toughness increased from 1.70 MJ/m3to 2.74 MJ/m3, a 61% increase, with the addition of 1% of decylamine-modified CNCs without a decrease of the tensile strength or modulus. In this work, we investigated the use of two surfactants, decylamine and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, to enhance CNC compatibility with the hydrophobic PLA matrix. Decylamine at 1.0 wt.% with respect to CNC loading was found to significantly enhance CNC compatibility and property enhancement. The low concentration of surfactant is notable, as other works typically use significantly higher loadings for CNC incorporation and property enhancement. At high CNC concentrations, mechanical properties decreased but the aligned assembly of the CNCs provided intricate colors to the films when observed between crossed polars. The alignment and nanoscale structure of CNCs within the films play an important role in the properties obtained.
Hepatoprotective and Antioxidant Activities of Oil from Baru Almonds (Dipteryx alata Vog.) in a Preclinical Model of Lipotoxicity and Dyslipidemia
Authors: Reis Mayara Áthina , Novaes Rômulo Dias , Baggio Sueli Regina , Viana André Luiz Machado , Salles Bruno Cesar Correa , Duarte Stella Maris da Silveira , Rodrigues Maria Rita , Paula Fernanda Borges de Araújo
Published: October 2018

The oil obtained from baru (Dipteryx alata Vog.) almonds exhibits high energy value and is reported in popular medicine for the treatment of rheumatic diseases and reproductive disturbances. Although baru oil is used in domestic cuisine, the chemical characterization of this oil and its effects on lipid metabolism are still poorly understood. Therefore, this study evaluated the fatty acid (FA) profile and the effects of baru oil on liver and aorta in a murine model of dyslipidemia. The chromatographic profile of baru oil showed high levels of unsaturated FAs, especially oleic acid. Saturated FAs, such as palmitic and lignoceric acids, were found in lower amounts. Hypercholesterolemia was induced in male Wistar rats by daily administration of a lipid emulsion by gavage for 15 weeks. Biochemical and histopathological analysis were performed on serum, aorta, and liver. The results demonstrated that animals developed marked hypercholesterolemia, liver steatosis, and increased lipid peroxidation in the aorta. Treatment with baru oil attenuated lipid peroxidation and drastically reduced liver damage, especially ballooning degeneration and steatosis. By restricting vascular and hepatic injury, this oil showed potential applicability as a functional food, reinforcing its use in popular medicine and domestic cuisine.
Fabrication and Characterization of CH3NH3PbI3 Perovskite Solar Cells Added with Polysilanes
Authors: Oku Takeo , Nomura Junya , Suzuki Atsushi , Tanaka Hiroki , Fukunishi Sakiko , Minami Satoshi , Tsukada Shinichiro
Published: October 2018

Effects of polysilane additions on CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite solar cells were investigated. Photovoltaic cells were fabricated by a spin-coating method using perovskite precursor solutions with polymethyl phenylsilane, polyphenylsilane, or decaphenyl cyclopentasilane (DPPS), and the microstructures were examined by X-ray diffraction and optical microscopy. Open-circuit voltages were increased by introducing these polysilanes, and short-circuit current density was increased by the DPPS addition, which resulted in the improvement of the photoconversion efficiencies to 10.46%. The incident photon-to-current conversion efficiencies were also increased in the range of 400~750 nm. Microstructure analysis indicated the formation of a dense interfacial structure by grain growth and increase of surface coverage of the perovskite layer with DPPS, and the formation of PbI2 was suppressed, leading to the improvement of photovoltaic properties.
Using the Revised Bloom Taxonomy to Analyze Psychotherapeutic Games
Authors: Haring Priscilla , Warmelink Harald , Valente Marilla , Roth Christian
Published: October 2018

Most of the scientific literature on computer games aimed at offering or aiding in psychotherapy provides little information on the relationship between the game’s design and the player’s cognitive processes. This article investigates the use of Bloom’s taxonomy in describing a psychotherapeutic game in terms of knowledge level and cognitive processing. It introduces the Revised Bloom Taxonomy and applies this to five psychotherapeutic games (Personal Investigator, Treasure Hunt, Ricky and the Spider, Moodbot, and SuperBetter) in a two-round procedure. In the first round consensus was reached on the Player Actions with Learning Objectives (PALOs) in each game. The second round sought to determine what level of knowledge and cognitive processing can be attributed to the PALOs by placing them in the taxonomy. Our low intercoder reliability in the second round indicates that Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy is not suitable to compare and contrast content between games.
Path Formation Time in the Noise-Limited Fractionated Spacecraft Network with FDMA
Authors: Yan Tingting , Hu Shengbo , Mo Jinrong
Published: October 2018

Connectivity and path formation time are very important for the design and optimization in fractionated spacecraft network. Taking frequency division multiple access (FDMA) with subcarrier binary phase-shift keying (BPSK) modulation as an example, this paper focuses on the issues of constraint to orbital elements and path formation time for the noise-limited fractionated spacecraft network percolating. First, based on the proposed evolution of the dynamic topology graph in the fractionated spacecraft network, we prove the constraint condition of orbital elements for noise-limited fractionated spacecraft network percolating, and the definition of path formation time is provided and the mobility model is established. Next, we study the relationship between first docking time and spatial initial distribution and the relationship between first separating time and spatial initial distribution. These relationships provide an important basis for the orbit design in the fractionated spacecraft network. Finally, the numerical results show that the network topology for fractionated spacecraft is time-varying and dynamic. The path formation time and hop length scale linearly with path length within each orbital hyperperiod and change periodically. Besides, the time constant gradually tends to a stable value with path formation time increasing, that is, path length. These results powerfully support percolation theory further under the environment of the noise-limited fractionated spacecraft network.
Intravenous Transplantation of Mesenchymal Stem Cells Reduces the Number of Infiltrated Ly6C+ Cells but Enhances the Proportions Positive for BDNF, TNF-1α, and IL-1β in the Infarct Cortices of dMCAO Rats
Authors: Guan Yunqian , Li Xiaobo , Yu Wenxiu , Liang Zhaohui , Huang Min , Zhao Renchao , Zhao Chunsong , Liu Yao , Zou Haiqiang , Hao Yanli , Chen Zhiguo
Published: October 2018

The resident microglial and infiltrating cells from peripheral circulation are involved in the pathological processes of ischemia stroke and may be regulated by mesenchymal stem/stromal cell (MSC) transplantation. The present study is aimed at differentiating the neurotrophic and inflammatory roles played by microglial vs. infiltrating circulation-derived cells in the acute phase in rat ischemic brains and explore the influences of intravenously infused allogeneic MSCs. The ischemic brain injury was induced by distal middle cerebral artery occlusion (dMCAO) in SD rats, with or without MSC infusion in the same day following dMCAO. Circulation-derived infiltrating cells in the brain were identified by Ly6C, a majority of which were monocytes/macrophages. Without MSC transplantation, among the infiltrated Ly6C+ cells, some were positive for BDNF, IL-1β, or TNF-α. Following MSC infusion, the overall number of Ly6C+ infiltrated cells was reduced by 50%. In contrast, the proportions of infiltrated Ly6C+ cells coexpressing BDNF, IL-1β, or TNF-α were significantly enhanced. Interestingly, Ly6C+ cells in the infarct area could produce either neurotrophic factor BDNF or inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β or TNF-α), but not both. This suggests that the Ly6C+ cells may constitute heterogeneous populations which react differentially to the microenvironments in the infarct area. The changes in cellular composition in the infarct area may have contributed to the beneficial effect of MSC transplantation.